The D`e'll ft Sonday inLent. der i8. led the ronng man- Y make this fentencefomewhat cleerer. Howfhallany one enter into thehoufe sf the gongman,nleffe&fir.,it bindthefirms man ? And prefentlySaint Luke grues the reafonofit, When aflrongman armedkeepethhis Pallace,&c. Our Sauiour Chrift compares this ftrong mantoBeelzebub. And. To S. Chiyfoflomeand S. Rugufline ftilehim. ; Firft,becaufe his poweris abfolutelygreat ;as we fay, a great Mountaine,or a ftrong Tower. Iobindeeres this his power indiuersand futidrie places. Secondly,Inregardofour weakeneffe the Deuill is failtobe lirag,aswel in his offenfìge,as his defctue acmes. Humaneguods,whereon men commoqlyplace theirhearts, Saint Eafil com- pares thetawan highwayRobber,whohides himfelfe inCome bufh or thicket, that before theTraueller be awareofhim,he may the better feu vponhim. So the Deuill conies masked anddilguifed withan apparance ofearthlybleflings, and baiting our taftestherewith,he playesvpon vs. And therefore iris fayd in RI[done, That Godcreated thefe goods for a feare tocatch fooles.Ifthe Deuil fhould tempt vs,and go plainly toworke withvs, dilcouering his foulenefl'evn- tovs, Whowould lookeafter him, or haue any thing to doe with him But becaufe thofe cuillswhich worke vponthe Soule are notfeene,and thofeofthe bodie do much afright vs ; we ftandmore in feare ofthe Deuii,thanoffinning, fufferingour feluesbafely tobee (subduedbyour ovine proper affections. Saint Bernardfaith,That threeenemies do continuallyafl'ault vs,but that none ofthem withoutour content candoevs anyharme. So that thegreareft enemie which eachman bath, is himfelfe 5 and for to worke his owne ruine, hee need no other helpebut himfelfe. All hells power were tooweake,if thou ditift not put the weaponsofthy content into his hands ;, thou thy kite giucft him the cords wherewith tobinde thee, and the fword wherewith to cut thyne owne throat. He's own iniquities ¡hill take theWicked,& heJhal heholden wnh thecords ofhis ownftn. Armed with thefeweapons,he becomes Mafter.ofthe houleofour foule(as itfeemeth to Saint Hierome,) or oftheworld(as lren.eue expounds it.)And there- foreSaint Iaiv,j calls him thePrince ofthe world. So that itwasneceffarie that our Sauior Chriftfhould come,& fhouldmanaclehim,& take thefehis weapons from hini,wherein he fomuch trufted. And thatwe way the better vnderftandhow this imprifonment paft; First of all, it is robenoted,That God neuercontents to theDeuills tempting ofagood man,beyondhispower of refrftance and fubduingof him. Godisfaithfid,which willnotfineryee tobe temptedaboue thatyee be able ; for ifhee fhould haue libertie without limiration,there fhouldnot be that holyman whom (like lob) he would not bring to the dunghill. Secondly,By our Sauior Chrifts comminginto the world, thepower ofthis tyrant wasmuch leffened; not that his prifon is leffe ftriet andhard thanbefore, butbecaufe Godcommunicating his grace to theFaithfull, makes themmore ftrongand valiant in their refiftance. Thirdly,Since his temptingofour Sauior,his handsare bound, & his force 84 power hathfailed him (as Hilarie & Irenæwwhath obferued)for when helaw him- felffofhamefullyouercorne,he turned coward,& grew fo feareful,aswel by the vertueofhis diuinitie,as the forceofhiscommand,vade retro Satana;that hene- uer after durft attempt to tempt our Sauior Chrift in anyvifble forme, nor doe either him or thofe that follow him, that hurt which hee willingly would. And as in the Garden,fayingbut onely Egofum,ram bee, hee made the Roman- foldiersfoafraid,that theyflewback& fel to the ground;foby fayingTraderetro C c 2 Satana ,rl¡d,,4 Aou.f.sa. WhySathan h ftlle4 the Princeefthe world. 1.cor.1o.
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