aganzfl the wiles of the devil. 137 then fay thou believeft God is able to work thefe in thee, yea, bath promifed fuch a mercy to poor finners, 'cis his Covenant, (He will give a newheart, a clean heart, aloft heart,) and here I wait, knowing, as there was nothing in the creature to move the great God to make fuch Promifes ; fo there can be nothing in the creature to hinder the Almighty his performanceof them, where and when he pleafeth. This ea of faith, accompanied with a longing defire after that grace thou canfl not yet finde, and an attendance on the meanes, though it will not fully fatisfie all thy doubts, (maybe) yet will keep thy head above water, that thou defpaireft not ; and fuch a !bore thouneed'Il in this cafe, or the houfe falls. Fourthly, If yet Satan dogs thee, call in help, and keep not the devils counfel. Thevery ftrength of fome temptations lies in the concealing of them, and the very revealing of them to fome faithful friend, (like the opening and prickingof an im- poithume) gives the foule prefent cafe : Satan knowes this too well ; and therefore, as Come thieves, when they come to rob an houfe, either gagge them in it, or hold a piftol to their breaft , frighting them with death, if they cry er fpeak: Thus Satan that he may more freely rifle the foule of its peace and comfort, over-awes it fo, that it dares not difclofe his temptation. 0, faithSatan, ifthy brethren or friends know fuch a thing by thee, they"! calf thee off, others will hoote at thee. Thus many a poor foul hath been kept long in its pangs by biting them in ; thou Idea (Chriftian) a doublehelp by keeping thedevils ferret,. the counfel and prayers of thy fellow-brethren; and what an invaluable loffe is this ? T CHAP.
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