% OfSottansfiratAgemf 73' are moil inclined, either by nature, or by prefent. oeeafion,. and to tholehe incitethvs, thruf}ing vs as it were downe the hil, where we are apt to renne headlong ofour owne accord; and feconding his affault with the aideofour corrupt flefh,` which intertaineth willinglyhis fuggeftions, and vrgeth vs violently to yeeld to his temptations. So that Satan neuer f}riueth againi} the f}reame, but vfeth the tide of our affe- 6tions toBarrie vs fwiftly into a leaoffinne. For example, ifhee find aman ambitiouflie affec}ed,then he couereth hishooke with thebaiteof honours : and thus he tempted Abimelech to murther all his worthie brethren, Iudg.9.. that hemight obtaine the foueraigntie : thus hee tempted Ioab.to í}áb traiterouflie 46nerand eflmafa, that hemight Rill beCaptaine General] :thus he tempted tAbfolon tovfurp i,Saimi+ thekingdorne, though it were bythe vtter deftruótion ofhis owne father.And thushe temptedour Sauior Chrif} to wor- flip him, by offering him all the kingdomes oftheworld, thinkingbelike that he was inclined to ambition,feeinghee profeffed himfelfé a great King, and had no worldly king- dome inhispoffeffion. So in ourdaics bee tempteth the am- bitious fubie& to afpire, without iuft title, to the Crowne of their lawfullPrinces and thole who are Kings alreadie to affect a Monarchie,by vfurpingwrongfully their neighbour kingdomes : fo hee tempteth the Spiritualtie to come by Church-preferments, rather commended by the gifts ofthe purfe thenofthe mind ; and the Laietie to buygreat offices . at fo high a rate that they cannot liueof them, vnleffe they.' fell iufticeby taking bribes tobetray the innocent, and their honeifie alto byvfing all cxtorfion. If he find that men areaddicted to voluptuoufnef e, then he tempteth them to finneby offering carnali pleafures; and: thushee temptedNoah to drunkennes, Dauid to adulterie, Salomon to idolatrieand all wickedneffe. And thus now hee tempteth forne to good fellowfhip, that is, to fpend their whole time in drunkennes,belly-cheare,andall riotous ex- ceffe andEpicurifhne ; force to luff,incontinencie,and all vo luptuouspleafures ofthe fiefh.Or ifhe cannot bring them to fetch carnali groffenes, hee will intice them tovie lavvfull re- creations.
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