274 4. Satanspower to Tempt; attdChrift's love to, ning did not belong to me : now then the Threatning does lets belong to me, for now I am more godly than .1 was then. But above all things, remember that of the Command to beleeve. Luther was a man that laboured under great temp- tations : and being once forely tempted, and the teares trickling down his cheeks; faies he my friend ( my fpi- ritual father ) came unto me, and faid, 0my fon why doett thou mourne ? doeft thou not know that God hath commanded thee to beleeve? When (faies Luther) I heard that word, Command, that God hath Commanded me to beleeve ; it prevail'dmore with my heart, than all that was faid, or thought on before. So fay I now unto ye, Does Satan come with this temptation, and tell thee, the Promife don't belong to thee ? Anfwer, I but the Lord hathCommanded me to beleeve(Satan)God hathCommanded me to beleeve, 'tis my duty now at this time to beleeve; but I cannot beleeve unlefle I apply the Promife, therefore I may goby commiffion fromGod unto the Promife, and the Promife does belong to me. Thus, give in thefe an- fwers, fo fhall ye beable to iland, and to relye uponGod, and your faith ofReliance fhall not fail. This is. the &ft thing, ThefaithofReliance. Secondly, How does Satan fiti4, or labour to rreakn the faith of Afur ance, the ifjrurance ofGodspeople ? Much maybe faid here,'tis a large field! I fhall only ga- ther up force few things, and prefent them to you. Sometimes Satandoes labour to weaken the Affurance of the Saints, By telling them that they have no faith. Af- furance is the flower offaith, it grows upon faith ; but you have no faith (faies Satan) and thereforeyour affurance is naught. But how unreafonable is this temptation ! for, obferve I pray, in what rounds Satan goes : He tempts us to beleeve that we have no faith, becaufe we have no Affu- rance ; and he tempts us again, to beleevewe have no Mit- rance, becaufe we haveno faith. For anfwer hereunto, I Chan only turn unto that 4. to theRomans: It is laid of A- ' . brahant
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