616 .JCaveat, andaComförtfor Beleeuers. enemy, orourowne imbecilityand weakneffe, or thedanger ofrhe overthrow mayperfwade vs anything, itisvery behoouefullfor vs tobe exccedingßro. uident. The cercentyofthe trial' Ihaue (hewed ; the ftrength ofthe afailingcannot tSphcf,a.a. be(mall : for he is thePrinceeftitùmerld, fo the Scripture tearmeth himk; our weakeneffe,though we perhapsfide itnot, fuch, that we are ready naturally toyeeld to whatfoeuer he (hall endeauour to perfwade vs : the danger or the oucrthrow is no leffe then thevtrc r rsineofamans foule. A little matter giueth hima great dealeof aduautaget Leewasbut a littleapart from her husband, and ftraight this fubtile enemy found her out to affault her. Noah began but todrinke fomewhat morethen ordinary, and that finneofdrruikennes did in-. l gem q;' trap him i. Indahwent abroad a little more fecure then itwas fit, and let the usGca.na: Rory tellwhat fin he fell into". Daaidfomewhat idler thenhis vie,andSatan as Smut. caught himbyandby a. Peter rufhedin vnaduifedly into company that was not fit,& the dine!preuailed, and tripped him intoa threefold cordofaTreble denial! ofhis Natter. Let a manbut a littleforbearetowatch oser his foule,ic cannot bediuifed how Toone Satan will hooke him in. He is thegreet Nimrod, chegrand hunterof the world,that makes pitsand fnares tocatch foules. Here then iuf#occafion maybe takento complaise, and even to crybaralcad 'ray18.1, withestfwring°,againft thatgreat fecuriry which Both generally poffelfevsin thefteuill dates. Littlewould aman thiake , that weare in expe&ation ofan enemy,thatobferues ourordinaryfafhion.Euery cour(e which we runne,euery (perch that falleth fromvs,doth inamanner favourofakind ofbeaummcdneffe and fearefulnefe,whichiscomevpon vs:farreare wetrom fo much as thinking vponSatans plots : littledoewe ladyvpon it , howhe is perpetually letting Marc's; how hedoth nothingbut rangeabout, feeking to deuoure. I pray fop. pofe there were certainintelligencebrought vsof aWolfcome into the Conn- cry , which didcurrynight come into mens pufture , and make fpoile andha. uockeof theirfheepe;what would we doe? would we negleetit?Surelyno.Wc would byour felues,orby others, watch night afternight, andvntillwe knew fora truth thatthe beat+were departed orflaine,we would neuerceafe. Wean toldby thefpirit ofTruth, which cannot lie, that Satan isabroad a; mongft vs; that hecompafeththeearth to andfro ; that itis his continuabu- finesto catchfoules,that ifwebelong toGod,he deliresto winnow andlift vs, that by one meaaes orother he maypre:mileagainll vs?Shal we nornow beas watchful' for ourfoules, asin the cafe before named, wee would be for our fheepe? Would we watch to fautour flocken fromthe wolfe,and yet lacafleepe inthedepth of fecurity, whilelt the diuellsnakes a bootyof ourfoules? How can thisbe excufed? Wewould,Tam verily perfwaded, ifwe were reafoned with manbyman, fay it werea fault inexcufable fo todoe. Yet how arewee able to cleareour felnes fromthe guilt ofit ? Let but our owne hearts fpeake how ftldomeit commeth into our mindsday afterday,what a dangerous ene- mywe arebefetwith, who isas full ofdeuicesand lhifts,ashe isout of malice; and asfullofmalice,asheels oflife. Ifweewould fpeake the truth as it is, I . knottyweo nft needs confeffe, that among millions ofourthoughts,and allot them needleffeincomparifon,this doth fcareelyeuercreeps into vs. Nomaruaile ifSatan doeeuery where make filch hauocke andfpoile; and Ieadfo many foules captiue afterhis will : for whatgreater adnantage can we gtse him then fecurity?hewillrangeat hispleafure,when there isnowatching to refill.Rememberwethis thenrobe the &Rvfe,whichwe mail make ofthis do&rine.Toperfwadevs to watchfulnelre.Itis an eafiematter in wordsro de, fie:the diuell, and toprofefehatred to him, and to fay ,. wehope to beaimed well enoughagainfthim;thediuell canbewell enoughcontended to endureall this, fo long aswefailein the priacipailmamely ,that duty ofwatching,which !s necefary. A fa>
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