.658 Tentationr etrifingfrók, blafheriaou.r f <ggegions,anfà-ered, fling there audacious boldnefíè, thac°he will not flicke to tempt therm Jc"f, /(11(' 61af- to the tnofl hellifh wickedneffe) Peeing hee cannot drawa fit'" 1es. prophane worldling thus farre withhis greateft powerand skill; but he chiefelie aimeth at other ends, as namely, that herebyhe may worke in them fuch allonifhment ofminde, horrorofconícience,diflraólion in their thoughts,by reafon that he perfvvadeth them to thinke that theyyare their owne wicked imaginations, as that they may become vtterlyvnfit ; toperforme anyholy exercife or dutiewhich:they: owevnto Cod,as namelyprayer,hearing the word, receiuing the Sa- crament,reading,meditation and fuch like, knowing that if either hee can mooue them hereby to negle6t thefe holy duties, or make:,them through the vnquietneffe of their thoughts. altogether vnprofitable, he fhall.fo infeeble them that hee may, quicklie ..obtaine.ouerthem an eafie vi&orie, Soallo becaufe he knoweth that the affurance ofour falua- tion, dependeth vpon our ferious and found repentance; therefore he mainely by thefe fuggeflions indeuoureth to hinder them in this holy action:for whileft hewholly exer- cifeth their minds and thoughts .about there horrible firmes, which in truth they neuer committed, fomuch as in-theleafl approbationandaffetat,he caufeth them toriegleét the fight, fenfeand forrow which they ought tohaue,ofand for thofe fnnes,wherewith índeede ,theyham offended the. Maieflie ofGod. Againe,helaboureth hereby toouerthròw their faith,and tobring them to vtter defpaire ofGods mercy,putting them out ofall hope that euer hee will bemercifull vnto them,a+nd forgiue them fuck. outragions finnes,feeing they doe fo i.tn pìou(lie(as heperfwadetb them) bláfphelne him to his face.. And therefore left they fhouldby theirlonger abode in this lifemultipliethefe horrible finnes,' and foincreafe the feare- fullmealum oftheir iufl condemnation,he tempteth them to lay violenthands vpon.themfelues,and to feeke.,the mitiga tion oftheir hellifh tornents,byhattening their death.Laft4 lie after hee hath;by-manifold experience learned, that by thefe fuggeftions hee little aduanceth any of thefe curled ends.; yet fuch is his inveterate malice towards Gads poore Saints, .,
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