comfortable walking with God. time demanded ofthofemany thoufands betides, what they conceived of themfelves for falvation : doe you not thinke bee wouldhave found them all well conceitedof themfelves ? Wouldnot they with much bitterneffe and heate, have exa- gitated his cenfure, as tooperemptory and unmerciful), and beene ready to retort : Howfoever you doe upon the Dif- ciples you draw after you, and onely reprove and applaud the Joanites : ( for fo they were called, becaufe his namewas John) yet we hope to doe as well as they, and come tohea- ven affoone as the precifeft of thofe you have in fo high, efteeme. Herethen let mea little illighten and open in a word, as Ipromifed, theMyfieryofthis fpirituall Selfe-deceit. For whichpurpofe know, that Satan firft difeevers inour corrupt nature and crookeddifpofitions, a very pregnant, ground, whereupon to pra&ife this notable impoflure, I meane the originali poyfon ofnaturali prefumption, where- by weeare all apt to be feareleffe and fenfeleffe ofour pre Pent fpirituall mifery ; and hand over-head to catch at any vaine thadow of counterfeit confidence for ottr future wel fare : Secondly, hee obferves in the partie he intends to de- lude the molt plaufible matter and felfe-pleating apppre- benfìons, which may make the fictett medium to mill inferre a falfe conclufion for his fpirituall fafetie : Laftly, by force flathesof hispeperfotilted Angelicall light; he lets upon it the glimmering flourifhof a prelumptuous impreffiion, and fo leales up thedeceived foule, with the fpirit of Slumber and groundlefïee fecuricie. Now the infufficient matter, rotten grounds, falle medi- ums, as we call them in theSchooles , which Satan byhis So- phiftry doth cunningly and cruelly abufe, to call many thoufands into a pleating golden dreame of imaginary fpi- rituall fafetie, and Selfe-deceit ; and in to a fooles Paradife ofa foule-cozening conclufion, are filch as thefe : z. Meafuring a mans_felfe by himfelfe : himfelfe per- haps formerly, grofly ignorant, andnotorioufly lewd : by himfelfe now growne civill,and fomewhat illuminatedwith divine, 299.
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