¡ti containMan', 3Rebcrnptt®tt. ` ftruck at his Image: As the fury of force beafts dif- Chap. II. charges it felfupon the Piaure of a Man. He Tingled out ddarn as the mark of his malice , that by fedu- cing him from his Duty, he might defeat God's de- fign, which was to be honoured by Man's free obe- dience, and fo obfcure his Glory as if He had madeMan . in vain. 2. He was follicited byEnvy, theTiroNative of Hell For having loft the favour of God, and being caft out of Heaven the Region of Joy and Bleí%dnefs, the fight of Adam's Felicity exafperated his Grief. That Man who by the condition of his nature was be- lowhim, (Mould be Princeof the world, whilft he was a Prifoner under thole chains which reftrain'd and tormented him, the power and wrath of God, this made his {late more intolerable. His torment was in- capable of allay, but by rendering man as miferable as himfelf. And as hatred excited his envy, fo envy in- flam'd his hatred,and both joyn'd inmifchief. And thus putht on, his Subtilty being equal to his Malice, he contrives a Temptation which might be moft taking and dangerous to Man in his railed and happy fiate. He attempts himwith art, by propoundingthe lure of Knowledge and Pleafure, toinveigle the spiritual and senftive Appetites at once. And that he might the better fücceed, he addreffes to the Woman the weak- eft and moft liable to fedu&ion. He hides himfelf in the body of a Serpent, which beforeSin Was not ter- rible unto her : And by this inftrument infinuates his Temptation. He firfl allures with the hopes of im- punity, re fall not die; thenhe promifeth an univer- fal knowledge of goodand evil. By thefe pretences he ruin'd Innocence it felf. For the Woman deceived by thole fpecious Alleiives, fwallowed the poifon_of the Serpent, and having tatted Death the perlwaded her.
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