244 srAsiiiimee Satanspower to Tempt 5 and thrift's love so, 7. He is able to bold down a mans mind unto that parti- cular thing, and to cut off al reliefto thefoul; fo tobefiege it, that unlefs relief comes immediately from Heaven, he is able tobowdown a mans mind; and tohold itdotva un- to that particular. 8. Lattly, Satan bath fo great a power, that the fame words that are given unto God, and unto the holy Ghoft forgood, in Scripture, aregiven alto unto Satan for evil. The holyGhat} is laid to enlighten a man: Satan is raid for to blind him, The god of this world bath blindedtheir eyes ; faies the Apoftle. The Spirit is laid to Rule in us ; Satan is laid, To rule in the children ofdifobedience. Theholy Ghoft is faid, To workjn to-mightily, thefame word is tiled for Him alfo. The holy Ghottis laid, Tofill the hearts of beleevers; They were filledwith theholy Ghofi : So are mens hearts faid, To befilled withSatan: Saies Peter to Ananias, whybath Sa- tanfilled thine heart ? Indeed, there are three things efpeci- ally,wherein he does fal fhort : for thoughSatan is able to difcernwhat temptations would take belt with a man, yet hedon't knowmans thoughts, for Godonly istheknower ofones thoughts; that is Gods prerogative. And though Satan maywork very effe&ually in the childrenof difobe- dience, yet notwithftanding,hedoes not workwith anAl- mighty power. When the Lord convertsa man, he puts forth an Almighty power in mans converfon. The tame power (faies the Apoftle) that railedup Chrifi from the dead, makees ye to beleeve. 7he Devil is .r7agnipotent (faies Luther) but not Omnipotent : the Devil may be verypowerful, but he is not Almighty : neither does he put forth an Almighty power inhis temptations, as God does in the converfion ofa fanner. And though he may fuggeft, and provoke un- to what is evil, he cannot force, or determine any man to evil. And therefore faies the A palePeter, why bath Satan filled ttine bears ? l asked Ananias that quettion, becaufe Satan, though hedid fill his heart,, he could not have for- ced, or determined him without, his ownwill thereunto. But verypowerful Satan is. In the 6. chapter to theEpbefi-
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