The generall good which-is derived flour Temptation. Sunday inLent. Serm.S. tin; of the doore, but did ftrikethe affailantswith blindneffe. WhenNoah en- tree( into the Arke, God !hut the port, and carriedaway thekeywith him. Clam- fit eon Dominus deforis. The feuenty Interpreters make this conftruetionof it, that hee didfo, that neither the watersnor the windes might annoy it. Indíluuio ayuarummultarum,ad cum nonapproximabunt. For Godhadkalked vp the ports, and euery little chinck or creurfe belonging thereunto. Saint Bernard, expoun- ding thofe words ofthe ninetie one Pfalme (Dicet Domini , ff eptor meta es tu, refugiammeant, Dewmeus, (Jerabo ineum., i. Iwillfay unto the Lord,Thou art my 6c.) asketh thequeftion,Why God,beingthe God ofall,Dauidin i that place cals himtwicehis God r I anfwere , That heis theGod of all,in regard ofhis Creationand Redemption, andother his generali benefits towards man; but in Temptation,hee is the God ofeuery indiuiduall perfon as ifhee didnotbufie himfelfe, nor thinke vponanyother thing,than thefauouringofrhe Iuft,andthe affiftingof hint vpon thofe occafions. Saint Gregory, declaringthofewordes of Chrift , 2Ket a haire ofyour headfhall peri/h, fayth,Thatahaire dothnotpainvs when it is cut away from vs, but the cuttingof the flefhdoth : Ifthat then fhali be kept from perifhing,by Godsprotection andprouidence ouer vs,which doth notpainevs;howmuch morewill he takeheed,that that thall not perifh, which may put vs topaine Laft ofall, There is not any thing fonotorious, and fo approoued,as the ge- nerall good thatis gottenby Temptation. From thencegrow thofebraue Spi- rits,thofe valiant Souldiers,and thofe couragious Captaines,which wage warre againft theDeuil! and Hell, keeping him outat theftaffes end,; and putting him to the worft. As on the contrary, fromIdlenefl'e come Cowards, whiteliuerd Souldiers,Faint- hearted,Soule- leffe, andLazie people. , As longas there were any frontyre-townes in Spaine , for theenemies tomakc their inrodes it had many braue and famous Souldiers, as the Cides, and theBernardos . But now thereare nonebut Carpet-Knights allmen ofbombaff, madeofnothingbut foftneffe and delicacie, theirArmour is turned into gayclothes ; and their ftiffe Launces,into ftarcht bottlebandsand beards. They alldid then finell of Gun- poulder, but nowftincke of Amber,Siuer, andother Indian Gommes. Athana- fius askes thequeftion,Why theprouidence ofGoddid ordaine this continual! warrebetweene theDeuils and Men r And the anfwereis,Thatthereby,theva- lourof GodsSouldiers might bee knowne. SaintAmbros fayth, Thatthe De- uill works his owne deftruction byhis dayly tempting ofMen, forby feeling toweaken theirBodies,hee ftrengthneththeir Souks. And that lob, whenhee fare vponthe dung-hil with his pot -(heard inhis hand tofcrape off his fcabbes, made allHell affraid,and to ftand amafedat his patience. Dut'rtt efi ref:a aSpiritu in defertumvt tentaretur. Hee was ledby the Spirit into tht Defart, that beemight bee tempted. The holy Ghoftwasaguide to all our Sauiours Actions : Heewas Aux 69'Comes(as Saint Cyprianfaith)orasEfayhathát,S iritusfaniç xt duciereinsfit,i.TheholySpiritwas his.Leader. But in none Ofoui Actions makes the Scripture any mention that the holy Ghóft leadethvs vnto,bútonely toTemptation.. And this is expref- fe¢ with words that carry akind of forcewith them, though voluntaryand fweet. Pxpulit,agebatur,d,t7use11, Hee drewhimnot,hee tv s chafed,hee was led. And the myfterie thereof is, thatnomanoughtto prefume confidering his weake- neffe, fo muchuponhis owne fecuritie andconfidence,thathec fhould enterin- ' toTemptation,vnleffe theholy Ghoft takehimvp asit_weteby the haireofthe G z ` head 7I God Ina par- ticular maner the God of the faithful!. Why God in hisprouidree ordained a continuali warbetwixt Man andthe Deuill.
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