11.51Nalli againfl the wiles ofthe devil. 115 for a plea the bath his coat to cover her malice, nor is it hard for Satan to pick fome hole in the Saints coat, when be walks moil circumipedly. The proper feat of fin is the Will, of comfort theConicience ; Satan bath not abfolute knowledgeof, or pow- er over thefe, (being lock't up from any other but God) and therefore what he cloth, either in defiling temptations, or difqui- eting, is by wiles more then by open force, and he is not inferi- our in troubling, to himfelf in tempting. Satan bath as the Serpent, a way by himfelf; other beafts, their motion is dire&, right on, but the Serpent goes a skuc (as we fay) winding and wreathing its body, that when you fee a ferpent creeping along, you can hardly difcerne which way it tends ; thus Satan in his vexing temptations bath many intricate policies, turning this way and that way, the better to conceale his defigne from the Saint, which will appear in thefe following methods. SECT. I. Firft, he vexeth the Chriflian by laying his brats at the Saints 1, door, and charging himwith that which is his own creature, and here he bath fuch a notable Art, that many dear Saints of God are wofully hampered and dejeeted, as if they were the vi- left blafphemers, and verieft Atheifts in the world ; whereas in- deed the cup is of his own putting into the rack, but fo oily conveyed into theSaints bofome, that the Chriftian, though a- mazed and frighred at the fight of them, yet being jealous of his own heart, and unacquainted with Satans tricks of this kind, cannot conceive how fuch motions fhould come there, (if not bred in,and vomited out by his own naughty heart) and fo bears the blame of the fin himfelf, becaufe he cannot finde the right father, mourning as one that is forlornand cart off byGod, or elfe (faith he) I fhould never have fuch vermineofhell creeping yin my bofome, and here Satan bath his end he propofeth ; for he is not fo filly as to hope he fhould have welcome with fuch a horrid true of blafphemous and atheiftical thoughts in that foul, where he bath been denied when he came in an enticing way no, but hitdefigne is by way ofrevenge, becaufe the foul will Q.2 not
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