'Clfthe runnerofSamnsfight. 103 gular Toile; but if heebee repulfed,yet this is no hindrance unto him,whyhee maynot intrap them in forcemore fecret ambufhment.Hence it is that thoughhebeginhis fight with cunningpolicie,taking vpon him the perfonofa friend,and transforminghimfelfe into anAngell oflight ; yet this is no ,- impediment but that he may afterwards againe appeareand violently aflàult vs inhis owne likenes ; as hee Iffiulted our Sauiour,hril with fitb till and fecrettemptations)ike a friend andwelwiller ; and whenhe could not fopreuaife, hee doth not flicke to appeare like himfelfe, tempting him to outra- giousgroffe idolatrie,faying,All this will I giue theeifthou wilt fall downe andworfhip me. Andcontrariesife though hebeginhis affault like a dine]' and profeffedenemie,this is no hindrancebut that heemay end it like anAngell oflight, and a flattering treacherous friend. So whenhebath inticcd vs toone excreme andpreuaileth not, this is no impediment but that foone after he mayallure vs to the cleane contrarie ; becaufe thoughwee thinke -the firfl motion to be his fugge- flion,yet we may imagine the other to be our own thought,. or(as Ifaid)themotion ofGods fpirit,becaufe it is quitecon- trarie to the former. Seeing therefore the matter flandeth thus; howmay wee refifl Sacan,confidering that wee cannot difcerne his fugge- flions from our ownecogitations ? Ianfvere ; wee muffbee skilful in Gods word, & therebyable to iudge what is good andwhat is euill, to difcerne what is vertue and what is vice, what Godbath commanded, andwhat heehath forbidden, whichbe themotions ofGods fpirit, and which the fugge- flions ofSatan, and the thoughts ofour corrupt flefh; and then are wee carefully to imbrace that which our confcience approoueth as good, being informed by Gds word, and to auoide and reieát thofemotions whichwee know to bee euill, whether they doe proceede from Satan,or from our felues ; for it is not greatlymateriali to know who is the au- thor ofthem,fowe are affured that theyare euil and wicked; neither is it any dangerous error to afcribe Satans fugge- flios toour corrupt flelh;or to attribute the wicked thought ofour owne flefh untoSatan :for thoughhe be not the next H 4 and 4.Se`.ro. Howwe may auoid danger, thougbwe can- not dfcemne Satans temp- tationsfrom our owne lulls.
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