Book H. twding, to thefpiriwal nun; tf1o:e c:m{t not but be fen.fiblc tb.:tt. we two cannot reign toge ... tl"r and jloztrifh tnsr,ctlm ;,, the [tme Soul at ~nee : ~{ the Spirit live I die i and if the Spirit thrive I perijh: and am I not nearer to thee, and desrer to thee t/,n the Spirit ? Wa1 mrl I with tlm in the womb? and &id I cvn leave thee till thif time> have not I jludied" pleafe thee with all the delightf, and illcomu, a11d pleafuru of thiT world? an~ wilt tfJott now t1trn thy back,.upon the old m.:ut, t~y ancient acquaintance? See here a la– giol! bJ:1Hjb attendil'lf, on thee; €omel let U! gfeet, a1:1d embrace, a_nd throw Put thefe piiJtt[ tboughu tbaz fe•m to dijlurb zu in ottr dal/iancCJ. And thus we lee how Satan a!faults us by his aides_; ·' SE ·C T.V. Of the:dutiOI that concem ru, i~ re[FeU of the immediate aJJau/u• . F 0 R the duties io Qur wrejlling with Satan as tothefe alfaults; let Souls practifc rcfpetl:ivcly. As-- . · . ,. To Satans immediate alfaults ufe thefe repulfes. 17 ,. Glve,enteitainme~ts to p.ious thoughts, hear what they fay, what ifthey are llra,. gers to thy l)nregcnerate heart (for !o I ·may yet fuppofe thee) this hinders not, but thou lhouldltbid them wdcome. It was the old Law, Love ye tberefore tbe,jlr>ngtrf, for Deur. 10 19. ye wcr~Jir•ngeri in tbeL•ndof /Egypt. And it is the Apofllesch>rge, be .not for;,et· fu( to 1 e•tert#ill firan~m, for t!Jereby fame have entertained Ange!f ttnawaru. I;Ioly Hcb. '3 " thoughts arc prcciousthings, and if not Angels ( ltritl:ly focalled) yetare they God> Mdfengers 1 and in that.fenfe Angels fenqfrom God : t:1Cy arc the immediate fruits apd buds of an immortJI nature; they come from God , and tbey tend to God: they ne-, ver come but tor good, uor do they dwell any. where, but in the iffue they give ex· ceeding great rewards. why then cheriih thefe motion; of the Spirit, comm••lC with them again and again; ftnow the errand fully ami throu;~bly, on which they come from Heaven.: their meaning is to briug up thy Soul tram Eartf1to Heaven, and were it not pity to let them go before they have done the f\reat t>ulincfs on which they come. 2. Complain of Satans !hutting tlic doors againll !uch thoughts: tell thy God that his enemy and thine hath.got the poffdii6u ot thy fancy and alfetl:ions, and of all the outer rooms that lead to tbe privy Chamber ofthy heart ; and that ne lwh put his bars and bolts fo llrongly in, that thou canll not open to tbofe llrangc_rs. Yea, cry out againlLSatan and thy fdf, 0 th£ tyranny <f Satan! and oh tbe loatb111ji of my ow;z heart to entertain thefe holy rhaugbu! if they jland at door a"'d offer their fervicc, d, not I joyn witb Satan, and bid •them be gone ? of if they jltp i, befJre I a"' a ware, am not I wr,.ry, :mzd willing with Sa tan to drive them out again.? lf'!Jy Lord I am notfufficient of · ' my Jelf, to tbi!'/z. any rbing aJ oftmy feif, htit myfi•fficif>lcy if of thee; If I wdeavour ne• 2 Cor, 3· s• ver [o much to r>ind up my foul to dn hf[ly Meditation, prcfenr'y I find my fancy, or ima· guration, lilz.e.t/;e Peggf of an injlrumentflip betwew my ftn~e•·f M I am wiuding them up, and to falldumt fuddenly a.~ ain. Onmo&isme, tiJat myn<tw·e if tbut vile, and that Sathan if rhru jlrung in me! Come-Lord, and brcalz. opm th<{e dooTI, tho~t thy Me!Jeng<rf may .come in ,,.,.nd find due welcome; all my fufficicncy'if of 1hee, a11d thou art God atl:fujicimt; Why Lord:.'if tbolt wilt, thou canjl t!Jrbw aut Satan, aild makJ room for tbefe H.rbinger , and fi.•crunners of tby lillajelir· . 3• St.anthnd 1\artle at,_tljole wicked thoughts, that come in fiead of the former good ones.,:.ls-&tan fo bufie with thee, that now he bath tilled thy heart with pro~d, undeail, or difiruc.ful thoughts? doth he nowft>ggdl, 1'hat rime if no God, tb~tthe world if for evcr,th.Jt richu ttre better 1ban Grace, th:zt t tJt pie1{rtteJ ofSin 4rc ketter thom hope~ ofHeaveu : Oh, !hew thy abhorrcncy_cl them, and chide thy Sotll fharply tor fo much as holding any COnf<rCRCt Witluhem: 8ut in this tepul[c bcgin[:>etimes, CrLifh them early at the Very -hrll rifing~ or Satan will prevail. It is uot to tell what a world of mifery man brings upon himfelf: by giving way to the firft wicked thoughts; in the tirlt place therefore, remember that 1cx.t, Let t!JC wick.,ed,tnan jorfak$ hif way, and t!Je rMrightwu man bis t!Jouglm. E 2 SECT. !fa. SS• 7•
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