86 Bookll. CHAP.V. SECT.r. Of tilede'IJi!JfHrioNJ 11./fawlts.in the ewdandperiod of our life, THe fourth and lafiperiod wherein Satan a!faults or combats with us, it is in the end andperi~ofour life;m~ in profecution ofihis,firt! we learn fome oftho[e depths or wtlesof Satan agamfi us, and then pratl:ice we thofe duties that con– Cern us in our wrel\ling with him at fuch a time. 1 Btltoutlif. Hisalfaults are ufually lharpefi then, thus 11 one tells us, Amidfl tl>c variety ofSatanr me– ~of hi• tbodr, be ir fo; the moft partconftantinonepiece of policy, andthatir.thir,heconcealshis t gre.teft [11ry, bit moft dejperatt a§ault unto the 1"]1; be refervu hll fimeft dm, hir deadli– tft poyfon, hisJharptftfting, 11ntil he mm u1 on our Deatht·bed. Another of our Worehi· es, agtees with him, As evil jpiritr are ever bufie and reftlefi in their "§au/11, [o their loft conjlif11 11[e to be moft vehement, wherlm it be for tbat now tbe Soul ir paffing o111 of thtir · reach, or whether it befor that the painful agonier of death yield them more hopu of advan· tage, flttct the Soul, whiles it isftrugling with thofe laf! pangr,.mu[! needr have />er powtrJdi· ftrafJed in her. refiftancts: Cruelty, where it would prevail, wiU be fureto l•y mojt lo•d upon the we11~r. I have often wondred, why all the Saints are nor then·mofi troubled; fome we fee pafs out of the world without any molefiarion, bur iris not for want of Sa• . tans will, God bath him in a Chain, and rebukes Satan, and the holy Angels garud the Saints and keep off devils, otherwife I believe not one lhould pafs out oi this world, but Satan would a!fault him with all his fiery darts; yet as he tempts all in life, fo it is the Lordspleafure that in death he lhould have a liberty to fall on fome , and them hea!faults with his fieriefi dart, his d~adlieft poyfen , his lharpefi fiing indeed ; and of fome of thefe.I lhall fpeak. . SECT, 11. Of tbe Je~eral aJJ~ultJ of ·Satan at ourdeath. . ' BUt what are thofe deadly ma.chinations which the devil ufeth at this time> Here we are at a ltand : Alas, we know not thdecret projetl:s of filly men like our felves, much' Jefs can we attain unto the underfianding of all the infernal plots of fubril devils, fuch knowledge is too wonderful for us, our dew hath not line enough to fathom thefe depths ofSatan,yct(as golden mouth'd Hall) 'though we be not able to difctythofo infiniteaHd lilho_f HAI biddttt particularities of di11bolical arts, yet o11r woful exptrienee a11d obfervation bath taugh1 o,m AJI&eli,IIJ fome general heads of tbe[e mifchievOHs prafficcr. I cannot fay l can tell you any of their a!faults at fuch a tirRe by my own experience, for 1have not yet pa[ed thofe ptkes and pangs of death, yet may I bring in the experiences of others, and fo guefs at the va· riety ef Satans a!faulrs at the point of death. For infi1nce, fome he moves to an un– grounded confidence in God '·others t~a dillrutt, where the.y hav~fure grounds of true belief; feme he works roafpmtual pnd~, andover-weamogopn11on, otherstoade· feCtedneiSof fpirit, fo that they cry ; Why art thou caf! down, 0 my Soul? Into fome he throws many needlefs fcruples, alfrighting them even from lawful actions; into others he darts prefumptuous thoughts , that nothing lbrtlcs rhem, be it never fo wicked; fome he fmooths up in the good opinion of their graces, or gracious difpofiuon, others he beats down with a dilparagement of the rrue gra"s plamed in them by Gods own Spirit> fome he feeds with a fweet contentment of their own righremdne!s and. gracious aCtings,others he endeavours to freeze up with adulnefs and dcadntf; in all thm d.uues; feme he flatters with an unfailable affurance of their happy condition, and of rhmEl;· aion unto glory, others he tempts to a carelefs ind ilf,rency, and fiupid nesletl: of thm · future .
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