Satan{ tentations massing men to dep ire. 427 die? v hyaffure thy felfe it is too late, for are not thy finnes in number nutnberleffe, and in their qualitie and nature tnófl hainous andoutragious? and haft thou not continued in this thy rebellion againP God a long time; refuúng to come unto hint, though hee. bath often called;and carclefly negle6ting all the tneanes of thy faluation, When thy God pathgratiouflie offered them vnto thee ? Now therefore the acceptable time and day offaluativn is pat+ neuer againe to be recalled ; and though with Efau thou fcekeflrepentance with teares yet (halt thouneuer find it. Moreouer to the con- lidcration of thyhorible rebellion, adde the remembrance ofGods iufflce, which can in nowife fiiffer finne toogoevn- punifhed ; the terrible curfe ofthe law denounced by God who is truth it felfe, againfl thofe who continue not in all that is written in thebooke ofthelaw to doe it;the fcarefull torments ofhell prepared for (inners, among{} which num- ber thou art one-ofthechiefe; and therefore doe not flatter they felfewith hopeofmercy, but-rather expel thofefeare- full iudgements,andendleffe torments which are due vaio thee for thy rebellious w'ickednefhe : and thus loth Satan labour to bring the poore Chriflian to deepe defperation, and to fill his confoience.with horror and feare; which ifhee canaccomplifh,he reflethnot there, butlike a-cruell coward who canneuer beat quiet till he fee thedeathofhis enemie; foour malitious enetnie is neuer fatisfied till he feeour death and vtter def}rucion. And therfore when he bath grienouf lie vexed the Chriflian confcience- with- fearefitll horror, and tormented hit euen- with the flafhings of hell fire, in the nexrplace,hewill perfwade him to feeke fotne eafe of his prefent torments by imbruing his hands in- his ovine blood,and putting himfelfe to forne violentdeath : which is nothingelfe but (as theProuerb is) to leape out ofthe frying. pan into thefir,and in feeking to eafe his terrors ofconfei ence to plungehimfelfe into the torments ofhell. Again(}which tentations,whofoeuer would be f}rengthe- nedand enabled to with{}and their-forceand violence, they mull not ref} in themfelues, defiring in whole,or-in part to i be ufiifedby their legal righteoufiieffe ; neither mull they meafure 4.SeIL2 That ifwee will vz,itb- flan-d ¡hé tri mer ientat.
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