159 / 772
.flow
the
Chríf
idn
kind
foiled
mety
b
r4if
d.
t
g
r
let
them
confider,
that
neuer any
entred the
battell (our
chiefe captaine
Chrill
excepted)
but
they
haue
been iùb-
iec&
to the
like. Adam
who
was
the firongeil
champian
inhis
owne
firength
that
euer
entred the lifts,
was
ouer-
throwne at
the
firíl
encounter, and taken captiue offinne4
in
which b6dage
he
íhould
euer
haue
remained,had
not
Chrift
redeemed him. Noah
was
ouercome
with drunkennes; and
,Lot
added thereunto
incefl.
Dauid
a
notable fouldier
in
figh-
ting
the
Lordsbattels,
was
made
a flaue
to
his owne lulls.
Peter
a
flout champian, ranne away and forfooke
his ma-
fler.
In
a
word,there wasneuer
any
that
li
ued, who haue
not
been
foiled
by
Satan,
and
wounded with
finne.
One
per-
haps receiueth more
and
deeper
wounds,
or
is
longer held
captiue in the chaises
of
finne
than
another
;
but
none
haue
efcaped
altogether. And
thofe who haue receiued
themoil
gtieuous hurts,
fo
they
haue an
earned
defire
to haue
thofe
wounds
healed which
finne
hath
made in
their
confciences,
to
the end they maybee
.enabled
to renue
the fight againft
their
fpirituall
enemies;
may affure
themfelues
that
Chrift
the good
Samaritane
and their moll
carefull
captaine,will
powre the
oyle
of
his
grace
and mercie,
and the
precious
balnie
ofhis blood
into
their
wounds, which
will
as
eafilie
cure
them,though
they
be manie and
griefly,as
if
they
were
but
few, and(as
it
were)
but
finali
fcratches.
And
fo
much concerning the
firfl
confolation,which
may
ferue
for the
comforting
and railing
vp
of
thofe
who
arc
fallen. In the fécond
place wee
are
to
confider
that
Satan
foiieth
vs
and
caufeth
vs
to
fall
into
finne,
not
at
his
pleafu.re
nor by
his
owne abfolute
power,
but
becaufe the
Lord hath
faid,thou (halt thus preuaile, for the further
man
ifeflation
of
my
glorie
:
for therefore
the
Lord doth
leaue his-children
fometimes
to
themfelues,
fo
that being
a(faulted
by
Satan
they
fall
into
finne,
and
bewray their
infirmities and
corrup-
tion;
to the end
he
may fhew hereby and declare
the
riches
ofhis
power, mercie,and
goodnes,
which otherwife
would
not
fo
manifeflly
appeare.And this
the
Apofile plainly
f9-hew-
eth,z.Cor.i
2.8.9.10. where
hee
faith
that
hee
befought the
Lord
thrice
that
hee
might bee
deli tiered
from the pricke in
K
z
the
rbat
Goals-moil
valiant'ouldi-
ers haue
recei.
ued
foilts,
§.Se5jo:
That satan
preuaiieth
a-
gainfi
vs
not
by
his
abfolute
power,
but
by
Gods
ptrmif-
fron.
z.
Cora:.
8.10:.