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Why
Cod
fufereth
hit
fermnt.s
-to
be
tempted.
heir
finnes
and
keepe
themquietly in
his
kingdome,he will
.newer
vexe
them.And
hence
it
is
that
whereas one
perifheth
through
defpaire, many thoufands
perifh
through
prefun
p-
tion
and
fecuritie.
Let
all-thofe
therefore who
feele
the
bur-
then
oftheir
fins,
and
are vexed
with the
continual)
äffaults
oftheir
fpirituall enemies,comfort therrifelues; for hereby
they haue
affurance
that
they
are
members
of
the
Church
militant,
intowhich
none
but
fouldiers are
intertaincd, and
that
now
they
begin to
be
Gods
friends and
feruants
when
as
Satan
oppofeth
himfelfe
againft them.
7
CHAP.
IL
Why
God
fsffereth his
f
rrsant
c
to
be
exerci
fed
in the#óiritudll
eonf
sî1
of
tentations.
Vt
here
it
may
be
demanded, why
the
Lord
will
fuffer
his
feruants
to
bee-thus
tempted
and
affaulted, whereas
the wicked are free
from
fuch
conflio`}s.
I
anf
sere,
firft
for his
owne
glorie,
for whereas our
enemies
are
firong
and
mighty, and
weweake
&
feeble,
hereby
is
theLords omnipotent power
manifeiled
to
all
the
world,by
whofe
aflifiance fuch
impotent wretches conquer
and
fubdue fuch furious
and puiffantenemies.
Secondly,
God
fuffereth
hischildren
tobe
tempted,
.that
fo thofe
fpiritual graces
which
he hath
befiowed
vpon
them
may
the
more
cleerely
thine to
his
glory.For who
can
know
whether
theybe Godsgolds
veffels
before they be
brought
to
the touch
fione
oftemptation
?Who could
know
the
faith,
patience
and
valour
of
Gods
fouldiers,
if
they
aiwaies lay
quietly in garrifon
and
neuer
carne
to
the skinnith
?
Who
could
feel
the odoriferous
finell
of
trefe
aromaticall
fpices,
if
they were
not
punned and
brufed
in
the morter
of
affli-
&iions
?
For example,who would haue difcerned Abrahams
faith,
Daauids
pietie,
lobs
patience,
Pauls courage and
-con
-
fiancie,
if
they
had been
neuer
tempted,
which now to
the
glorie
of
God
thine
toall
the world
?
B4