286 (2.) Reafonson the Deuils part. Prat. i16. Pfal.e6. Gea.;. ReafonswhyCh tilt did not On the third prefeatly cahout this Deuil. theybrought him toour Sauiour Chrift. And hee demaunding of them that brought him vnto him,how long he had beene tormentedwithhim ; Theyan- fwercd, Fromhis childhood . OurSauiour healedhim ; But I remember the TextCayes, Fac`iva eflfeut mortuue, itavt multi dicerent,quia tam mortuus eß Hee ,v u u one dead, infomuch thatmany fayd,He is dead. This youngman wasfo wed- ded to the Deuill,thatmany could not pull him from him;and being taken from the Deuill,he was as adead man. He had kept him companie fo long , that the Deuill was to him,as his life.Andthis is the markeof fuch perfons as giue them- feluesouer ro thepleafures of this World : Forlining without them but three dayes in theHoly-weeke,they thinke themfelues dead. On the Deuils part, there are likewife manyforcible reafons. Firft of all,Thisfoule Fiend leauesaSoule fo blind, fo deafe, and fo dumbe, that hedothnot feelethe hurt of fo infamous a dwelling. And therefore the Churchvfeth topray againftthe Spirit ofFornication.Senecacalls awoman,The SepulchreofVice; and there is no dumbe man fo dumbe, norno blind man_ fo blind, ashee that lies dead in the Graue ; nor no leffeblind and dumbe , as bee that is buried in the fondaffection ofawoman : Melror eftiniquit uviri,quambe- nefaciens miller. Thy enemiewilldoe thee left home than thy ciYt Jreffe : Theworft that he candoe, is to kill thee and take away thy life ; but the willtake from thee thygoods,thy life,and thy foule. Daniel giuing thankes vnto God for freeing him from his former troubles, fayd, Dirupifli Damine vincula mea,Thou haft bro- ken, ó Lord, my bonds in(under. What bonds were thofe anfwers, Vinculafunt mantle i/lu,Theembratements ofa woman. And in another place hee faith, Eruiftianima's meam ex inferno inferiori, Thou haft brought myfouleout ofthe lomermofl Hell. It fcemeth that he ftileth this lowermoft Hel,his Adulterie : and that thisfhould bee the fenceof it there is great reafon for it ; for that is the lowermoft Hellfrom whence God ( fpeaking according to ourvnderflanding) can draw amanout with greateft difficultie.For though Godcould withagreat dealeof cafehaue taken lueluout of the Hell of the Damned,yetheecould nor but by Tome extraordinarie means,feteh him from the Hell ofhis treafon. toh jumpingvpon this conceit, drawes his comparifon from the hard labour of a woman in trauell ; obfetricantemanu eiue, edudlus eft coluber tartuofua. Wherein we are toconfider thediligences which aMidwife vfeth, when that which is to be borne,comes athwart,&croffes nature in it's commoncourfe:but what adoo would therebe,if thisbirth fhouldproouetobe a SnakeoraSerpent r Secondly,Thedi fficultie lies not fo much in the Deuills ftrength, as in his fubtiltie . Erat Serpensealidior omnibus animal,bus terra. He doth not fay he was ftronger,but fubtiler : For,to huntinthickeand bufliieMountaines,we hadneed ofmore trickes anddeuices,than ifwe did hunt in an openand champianCoun- trie : Wemull hauegood (tore of weapons,ginnes,nets,and Ferrets,whichmay creepe inwithout anynoyfe. Ipfe liberauit mede laqueo venanciurn. The Ldpo- calyps paints out the Deuill in theforme of aLocuft,but armed, hauingthe face ofaman, thehaires ofa woman, and the mouthofaLyon. Heecompares him to aLocuft,becaufe he deuoures anddeftroyes all: His meanes, hemaketh,Mans deceiuing,Womans inticing,andtheLyons crueltie. Thirdly, The difficultie likewife confiftethin the Deuillspertinacie and ob- flinacie,whoneuerceafeth toplie andimportune thee : Andifat any timethou make thypeacewith God, the Deuill will not fufferit to laft long ; and conuer- ring itbut intoa truce for a time, hereturns backeagainto this cleane(asthou thinkefl) fwept houfeof thine : but thebroome,through fome default or other, hash
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