$4 The great Sc tlaicof the Deuill. VpQn the firft flipme. King t 4habsCapraine cameto the foot ofthe Mountainwhere Elias then remained, and faid vnto him, Come downe thou Seruantof God , for the Kinghath fent me for thee. If I am (faid the Prophet) theSeruant ofGod , let fire come down fromHeauen,andburne vpthee,and thofe that arecomealong with thee ; for thououghtft not tofpeake with thatlittle refpe t as thou d.00ft, to Gods Seruant.What irreuerence isit then in the Deuil, to doubt whither hec werethe Sonneof God,ornor I anfwer,Thathe hhewed therein agreat deale of irreuerence, but verie little fearc. Themore you fauourof God,the more im- pudently willhe preffeyou : Ecce Sathanuexpetiuit vt cribaret vos,fzcut triticum, Behold,Sathan hashdefired toftft you Buenas wheat. The word Yo; rou, carries a great emphafis with it ; Andhe compares them to wheat, for the Birds abidein the fields, andthe Grapesare out in the Vines ; but your wheat is houfed and laidvp fafevnder locke and key : For you arc they that Imake my treafure, and will as charily looke vnto you. There area great fort ofpeople that walke now at this prefent houre vpand downethe ftreets, Come in one place , andTome in another, ofwhom the Deuillmakes no reckoningat all, he will deale hereafter with themat better leifure : but for oneof Gods Saints, that is guarded, prore- Eted, and defendedbyGod, and is fencedabout as aRofeamongft Thornes;for this,he willturneandreturn, and vfe a thoufand fhifrs toget it. 2Kunguidarils difiolor hareditasmea mihi? Yeniteproperate omnesbefIia, congregaminiad decoran. dum, As Birds doe flie aboutawall that is painted with diuers colours ; fo doe the Nations in perfecuting the People that are confecrated tomy feruice, and thofe that I fauour. Inconclufion, Saint Hilariefaith, Infanttifrcatrsmaximedia- boli tentamentagrafantcr, (i.)The Dennistemptationsare euerrififl amongthe Godly. And therefore DauidPaid, WadimeDomine,quiafanduafum,Keepemeô Lord,e. eaufeIam holy,&c. Ifthou be the SonneofGod. It isno new thingwith the Deuill, tohelpe him- felfe by lettingyour felfeagainif your felfe ; it is oneofthe belt weapons,that he hatha ainft you,and your felfe bath no greater enemie than your felfe.Keepe meôLord(faithDauid) out ofthehandof thefinner. Saint Bernard giues thisgloffe vpon it, Lord, I am hee,and therefore cufiodi meameipfo.I f in thyReligion thou doe not guard thy felfe fromthy felfe ; ifin theDefert thoudie by thine owne hands,vidquidven f i ?whereforedidfi thou come ? If thou be theSonneofGod, command that thefefiones. If thoubeeft the Sonne ofGod, it comes to thee by inheritance to worke miracles vpon (tones. Jacob had a (tonefor his pillow,and there thy father (hewedhimHeauen ; and let vp aladder,by whichthe*Angells afcendedand defcended.To the Childrenof If- raell he didby (tonesa thoufand fauours,extraEtingfrom themWater, Oyle, andHoney, Eduxit meldepetra,doinsquedefaxo durlimo. Andtherefore it is not much thatthou fhouldit of thefe (tonesmakebread. Whereincanft thoumore manifeftthy felfe tobethe Sonneof God, than in fauingthine owne life,and in fupplyingthine ownewants But this is that language which the lewesvfed to our Sauiourat the foot ofthe Croffe ; If he beKingof Ifraell, let himvnloofe thofenailes that hauefaftned him to the Croffe, and let him freehimfelfe from the power of Rome, and then the worldíhall acknowledge himtobee the Thme himfelfprofeffeth.As altoofthat badtheefe,Saue thyfeelfeandvs.Thefe thought (itfhould feeme)That to beKingofthe Iewes,andthe SonneofGod,confifted in the fauing ofhimfelfe and them. Si frhus Dei es. Petrie Chryf logos is of opinion, That the Deuill here played the fooleegregioufly ; Cupis, ô Damon tentare,fednefew, Thoudeftrefl to tempt,bus know f
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