againjk the wile! of the devil. 149 to eat, gets into Come corner to lament the difpleafure of his father ; the father fees it. and his bowels yerne towards him. Indeed fhould he not put his childe out of feare by difcoveri ng his love, the fpirit of fuch a one would faile; 'tis not poffible there douldbe a long breach between fuch a father and fuch a fon, the one relenting over his fin, the other over his mourning fon. Secondly, God doth thus to poure the greater fhame upon Satan, who is the great make-bate between God and the foule. How is the man afhamed that bath lilted up variance between husband and wife, father and fon, to fee the breach made up, and allfet thernfelves againft him? It went ill on Chrifis fide, when Herodand Pilate were made friends, and can it go well with Satan to fee all well betweenGod and his children? If .''Cher be in favour, Haman her enemy that! havehis face covered. In- deed, this covers Satans face with fhame, to fee a poor Saint even now his prifoner, whom he had leave to rob and plunder, tempt and difquiet , now fitting in the Sun-thine of Gods love, while he like a ravening Lion takes on for the Joffe of his prey. Secondly, Satans aime is to weaken the Saints faith on God, and cool his love to God, but befool'd in both ; for, firft God turnes their temptations, yea, their falls, to the further eilablifh- ment of their faith, which (like the tree) flandsftronger for its linking, or like the Gyant Anteue, who in his wreftling with Hercules is feigned to get firength by every fall to the ground. Falfe faith indeed once foiled, feldomcomes on again; but true faith rifeth and fights more valiantly,as we fee in Peter and other Scripture-examples. Temptation to faith is as fire to gold, Pet. 1. 7. Th: fire cloth not only difcover which is true gold, but makes the true gold more pure ; it comes out may be !elk in bulk and weight, (becaufe fevered from that bile and droffe which embafed it) but more in value and worth. When Satan is bound up, and the Chrictian walks under the Chines of divine favour, and encouragement of divineaflIflance; his faith may appeargreat, if compared with another under the withdraw- ?ngs of God, and buffetings of Satan, but this is not equall judg- ing ; as if to try who is biggeft of two men, we fhould meafure one naked, and the other-over his clothes; or in comparing two U 3 pieces
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