Why Codfuferethhitfermnt.s -tobe tempted. heir finnesandkeepe themquietly inhis kingdome,he will .newer vexe them.Andhence it is that whereas one perifheth through defpaire, many thoufands perifh throughprefun p- tionand fecuritie. Let all-thofe therefore who feele thebur- thenoftheirfins, andare vexedwith thecontinual) äffaults oftheir fpirituall enemies,comfort therrifelues; for hereby they haue affurance that they are members of the Church militant, intowhichnone but fouldiers are intertaincd, and that now theybegin tobeGods friends and feruants when as Satanoppofeth himfelfe againft them. 7 CHAP. IL WhyGodfsffereth his f rrsant c to beexerci fedin the#óiritudll eonfsî1oftentations. Vthere it maybe demanded, why the Lord will fuffer his feruants to bee-thus tempted andaffaulted, whereas the wicked are free from fuch conflio`}s. I anfsere, firft for his owne glorie, for whereas our enemies are firongandmighty, and weweake & feeble, hereby is theLords omnipotent power manifeiled toall the world,bywhofe aflifiance fuch impotent wretches conquer and fubdue fuch furious and puiffantenemies. Secondly, God fufferethhischildren tobe tempted, .that fo thofefpiritual graceswhich he hathbefiowedvpon them may themorecleerely thine tohis glory.For who canknow whether theybe Godsgoldsveffels before they bebrought to the touch fione oftemptation?Who couldknow the faith, patienceand valour of Gods fouldiers, if they aiwaies lay quietly in garrifon and neuer carne to the skinnith ? Who could feel the odoriferous finell oftrefe aromaticall fpices, if they were not punned andbrufed in the morter ofaffli- &iions ?For example,who would haue difcerned Abrahams faith, Daauids pietie, lobs patience, Pauls courage and -con- fiancie, iftheyhad beenneuer tempted, which now to the glorie ofGod thine toall the world ? B4
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