Ephefianr,Chap.6. VER,IO,11 faith, this is afalfe fenrence. Ifhe 'fay to me,Thine failerh in the grace, I it is falfly fpoken to a true beleever, to make his grace extint when the workefaileth : for we might afwell fay a man is dead when hee fleepeth. And for his threatning that it (hall faile,we muft remember, that hell gates (hall not prevaile. He bath prayed, &c. Eightly, the devill he will from fenfe and reafon weaken our be- leefe : Thushe kept Sarah in unbeleefe, Gen. IS. 12. She laughed becaufe the thingfpoken was againft reafon. For anfwere whereof, we muff know, They are bleffed that be- leeve and fee not, John ao. 29. that we walke by faith, not by fight. Againe, Heb. r 1. r. Faith is the evidence of things not feene: we mull therefore (hake hands with this following fenfe and reafon, ifwe will make way to beleefe. Laftly, the devill will mufter many troubles againft us, and thus la- bour to fluke our faith; Luke 22. 31. He winnowed Peters faith, by bringing him into jeopardy of his life. So when many belecve, hee ftirres the tonguesofnaughty onesto whip them; if God give leave, he croffith them in their fubftance, andotherwife: not hat he playeth fo (mall gamesas to blot their name, or careth for their money; but he lhooteth at this, tounfettle them in the wayof faith, which they have enrred. But we mull refill thee, by getting knowledge, that Chrift will not let our fmoaking wieke be put out; that there things (hall worke to our good, Rom. 8. 28. I, but we fecle the contrarie, they worke foup- on us. Anfw. He that beateth a torch, feemeth to put out the light for a feafon, yet it maketh it burne more clearely: the (baking of trees ma- keth them roote deeper. Secondly, by learning the meanes of hol- ding our faith : which follow. Thefe are his more violent praéìifes; wreftingof ourfaith from us : now his more fubtill, Heights are; .his ma- king us to prefumeon outwardhelps, and withdrawingour hearts by them. Thus, 2Chran. 16.7. he did prevaile againft Afa: for when he leech us hold the rocke where we are fafe from him, he will fee before us other things, futable to our corrupt natures; knowing, that fo much as we come to leane on chele, fo much we come to leave our GOD. Thus he holdeth out our Lady, Saint Peter, and Paul, in the Romi(h Church; and by the creature, withdraweth the hearts of the people from their Creator. Inwhich and other like praâifes, the devill is like a Fowler that hath callsfo like the naturali notes, that birds comeun- to them : fo thefefpeake our mother tongue, and have a note fo liking to the reafon and fenfe of us, that we cannot heare it, but weare rea- dy to flee unto ir. But we muff prevent this mi f hiefe by Chriflian cau- tion : the divelsexchange will prove robbery, we fhall changea rock for a fplitted reede, whichwill hurt us in the end. He that leaveth his God, forfakethhis mercy, Jonah 2.8. They that waite upon lying va- nities, forfaketheir owne mercy. Againe, Ier. 17. 5. Curled is hee that maketh flefhhis arme, trotting in any outward thing. Secondly, we muff know, that theft things cannot do ought for us, further then th
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