96 againfl the wiles of the devil. 'knewwhat a blow this-might give to his Kingdome, their vifit- ing might hinder him inhis Circuit, and be firs up an unhappy difference between thefe two holy men, who grow fo hot that they part in thisftorme, e"Ett t5 30. There were two re- markable periods of Chrifts life, his bora/and Exit, his entrance into his publick Miniftery at his Baptifme and his finifhing it at his paffion, and at both we have the devil fiercely encountring him. The morepublick thy place, Chriflian, and the more e- minent thy fervice for God, the more thou mull look that the devil will have fome more dangerous defign or other againft thee, and therefore if every private fouldier needs armour a- gainfl Satans bullets of temptation, then the Commanders and Officers, who Hand in the front of the band, much more. 4. Fourthly, when he bath the prefence of fame able& to en. force his temptation. Thus he takes Eve when fhe is near the tree, and had it in her eye while he fhould make the motion, that affaulting two Ports at once, it might be the harder for her to hinder the landingofhis temptation ; and if Eves eye did fo foon affect her heart with an inordinate sdefire, then much more now is it eafie for him by the prefence of the objed, to excite and a- duate that haft which lies dormant in the hear. As Naomi fent her daughter to lie at Boaz his feet, knowing well, if he endu- red her there, there were hope he might take her into his bed at lift; if the Chriftian can let the objet` . come fo near, Sa- tan will prornife himfelf his flak may in rime be granted. There- fore it fhould be our care if we would not yield to the fin , not to walk by, or fit at the door of the octagon; Look not on that beauty with a wandring eye, by which thou wouldeft not be taken Ptifoner ; parley not with that in thy thoughts, which thou rneaneft not to let into thy heart ' converlation begets af- feCtion : fomeby this have been brought to marry thofe, whom at firft they thought they couldnot have liked. .5. Fifthly, after great manifeftations of Gods love, then the Tempter comes. Such is the weak confutation of grace, thatit can neitherwell bear (miles or frowns fromGod without a fnare : As one Paid of our Englifh Nation , Totam net pati poteft liber- tatem nee rervitotem. ' It cannot well bear liberliberty nDr bondage in lbe height ; Soneithercan the foule, if God fmile and opens him-
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