! uilllar Ultth ~cttl,S. Book 11. SE C T. VII!. Of Satans"JJ.mltJ fcrfcekJng for comfort. THe Soul forrowin<> for fin . i; now commanded to [eek forcomfort, and totha:t purpof" it is the L~rds meffage to his Mini!lers, Comfort ye, comfortye my people, . JrrA;..ye c:m 1 ji1rrahly t.? J:Hlfakm. and cry ~<nt.o ber, tbat h~r '!'arfare is "'"""fliJhed? that lfa1.4°· 1 • ber iniquity ; 1 pard.·md. SJtan know~ng thiS, and percetvwg the fouls difpofitton to ' "quire after this, coyns comfor:s ofl111 own devifings, ao~ prefenrs them to the foul, q.d. Come j ;ul, n:i/1nothingfcrve but comfort i lJ tbis tby VOlCe, fome crumJ~fcomfort to ,,poor fatwuif/-ing ji~tl >0 makJ me to hear ;oy and gladmj!, that the bones whtch God hat!} b;o' w .,;y · rcjoyce ; why then thou !lnlr have .comfort ; Loe at the doo! !bnds waiting on thee thy old companJons, Joyn but With them, and they Will drtve away thtfe dump 5 and mebncholy tits: Dolt thou not hear them fay, C•meon, letut en- wifdome 26 . ;oy tbc ,good things th•t are p>·efeut, let :u jpeedily zt{e the creatures .~s in yo~<th, let :IF 7 ,8,9, ' ' fiU ourfelveJ with c411y wims and oyntmenu, and. let no jhower of thejprtngfafs byu_s; let u1 <•own ourfeiveJ witb Kofc·b~tds befure tbey be wttbered, let none of'"go wtthout hH part of c 1 trv?!uptuoufncji, let ttJ leave tokt1ZI of jry[ulnefs in evtry place, for this i1 our pJrtion'J andour lot i1 thir. Or if thou fayil, all rh>fe are carnal, and thy forrow is fpiritual, and there is no proportion betwixt rhe!e two; why then (faith Satan) go to the Word, """ pnyer, and orher means, kjndle afire, 1 and compaji thy felf about with fpark.J, and Jer. so.r 1• tlmz r:>alk._in th< light ofthy fire, andw the!par'(! wbtch thou haft kwdled; go thy wayes to duties, and reil in duties, and never talk more ofa princrple ofgrace, or of love to God; fcteht fi-um Chrill J dus, as the Spring ofall. Thus SataQ tempts, this is his method ar:d malice in this c. fe, he plots hrfl to allay, and take away the [mart which God hath made oy outward mirth; bur if he find the foul'bleeds Oil!, and will not be fianched, but m:ly by the Blood of Chrifl, and that is it which ir .is bufily enquirinr; after, then by way ofdiverfion he bids fuch pray, and hear, and meduare, and confer, and joy in them, and nH in them: He cares nor where they have comfort, fo it be on rbi,fide Jefus Chrifi; well he knows, that a reaching our of the foul towards tnar merciful hand of Chrift holden our to h.,!p it up is the next and immediate act, by which a man is quit; and tor ever pul\'d our of Satans p~wer, and put into the Paradife of grace; and rherdore here now he bc!lirs himfclt, and to the foul that cryes after cafe and coin• Ion, he offer, comfons of thefc feveral forts, carnal and fpirirqal, outward mirths; and rdting on means of jlrace. SECT. IX. Ofthe Sv:tli,"rejiling with Snta>t, as to theft ajfaulu, l • Oth<fetwoaffaultswe mu!lufe 'fuitablerepulfes, To the fir!\ then of wicked co:npmious, and therr temptations, confider ofthefe particulars. · ,_ It isnot fo much acompaniou, a friend·, alooG: Gompany of men, as the devil iu and by them that tempts thee to carnal comforts. When Chrifi began to !hew to his Dtfcipios_how that he muG go into Jemfalem,and f•ffer many things ofthe Elders, and Chiet Priells and Scribes; then Peter rook him a!ide, and would needs !\!ar. 1 6, 21 2 •· comforr him, wirh, Be itfJr from the Lord, this jhaU11ot beuntotbee: Btttheti<rn; 23,24, ' 1 edandfaiduntoPeter, Get thee behind me Satan, thou art •n offencetmto m<, tho:t fzvoureft 110t thethingJOj God, buttho[e that be of me~:. Peter in his diffwa£ion was an in!lru• mcnt of Satan, and ftt on work by Satan, and therefore Chritl calls him Saran; no Iefs arc rhev thar bring carnal comforts ro fpiritual fores. '• In fecking comfort, it is no way of God to adviCe with carnal and unregenerate friends : AI as they think thou art mad, they know not what trouble for fin means w\ly then flu,uldtl rho': difcover thy difeafe to fuch who are noj Phyficians; whe~ God wrought wonderfully fromheaveninthe conver!ion of Paul, itis faid that he v!>cJ'id God immediately, and never confidted with flejh and blood. Thus do rho~ : Dorh d t . 6. , .-. G< d by his Mini!lry convince thee of thy fintul wayes, of becoming a new m•n, of '·''' • ""] commg to lnm for eale and refrdhwg i gtve up thy [elf te this call immediately and coult,Jtnot with rldl1 and blood. ' G 3 • There
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