6tS e,lCaueat, anda ComfortforBeleeuers. mil, I6. promifesf; That 'be Lon!wor&1Any vamow farrow,. And thus manydeerefer.. Pf e77'> pantsofGod, areoftentimesgrieuoufly perplexed, troubled infpirit, galled in mind, longfecking andlabouring forreleafe, andfinding none, condemning themfelues, andpronouncingágainf} themfelues, thatthey are thevery fier- brandsofhell, and cannotbe Cued : nay, manytimesthey doeeuen diewith fpeeches intheir mouthes which much fauourofdefpaire, yea andbe brought in the ferret judgementofGod forthe goodofothers tobee theirowne execu- tioners, hoping thereby to freethemfeluesfrom thismiferable perplexity : no= thingdoe they vnderftandin religion asthey ought,whichknownotthis.Now Satan is not without his aduantages by which to vrge this vpon Gods chil- dren. Hee fetsbefore them the manycroffes, whichGod bath laid vpon them, all which he would make them beleeue, are euidences ofGodsdifpleafure and indignation towards them. Ihus Davidwastroubled to fee howhewas ilypxnifbed andsbafpened every morning : and it made him todoubtofhimfelfe, whether hewere in the fauour xpi13.,,,54 ofGod or no.. Heeiayeth outbefore them inexa& manner their finnespaft, Fob gas. and makeththemstopaJ/efe theiniquityoftheiryank heeaggrauates awry parti- cular wherein they haue failed , and laboureth to pullaway fromthem euerie thingbywhich theyfhould gatheran hopeofcomfort tothemfelues: hee will ftealeout oftheir memories the comfortablefayingsoftheholy Scripture, and continually thruft into their mindesfuch fpeeches, asaretouching the iuf}ice andvengeance ofGod vponthevngodly: hee will urge against them curry in- firmity , euery ftraying thought, curry wandring imagination, entryrebel- ous and difobedient motion, euery coldand vnprofitableperformanceofany holyferuicevittoGod , whether private'orpublicke : Andher which atone timewould makeall filmsveniall, willnowftand vpon it, tofettleaman in thiscafe,that euery offenceofhisisvnpardonable. It is impofsible(Ifuppofe) for thememoryofman , at once to deliuer all thefeuerall courfes which Satan vfeth, bywhich tofwallow vpGodschildren into defpaire , and tobring them pra17.t to thatwofull conclufionin the Naha', thatthemercy of Godis derma.gonefore. tier, and thatbispromtfedetbfadefir evermore. Anddtrangeit isto heáre howcun- ninglyheecan teach a wounded fouletodifpure and to reafon, andmultiply ar- gumentsagainfitfelfe. Whofoeuerlhallbeefohappy , eithertoobferue it in hisowne cafe, ortonoteit inothers, whofegreat tentations he shall hears or behold, shallplainly feethetruth hereof, how thediuill doth winnow thefer- uants of God, and fife them euenas wheat, and that theirelatein regard of , themalice andenmityofthis aduerfary, here in this world, is as the flareof Psal,mys6. thofethattrauellby the Sea fomtimes(faith thePfalme)tbeymoot vyroheaweu, fametimestheydeform/m ethadeepe : Soone while they are encountredwithmo- tions, tending totheliftingofthem vpwithvaineprefumption ; another while , they are alfaulted with thoughts, fuggefted by theDiuell to drowne them in defpaire: andthus(as Datedfpeaketh ofthofe pasfengers bySea)theirfidesme% tethfor trembles, their cwnail.iegone, and theyknow not for theprefent which way to turne themfelues for anyfound rtliefe. Thusfora briefefuruey ofthe most ordinary prattifesofthis fpirituall ad- uerfary. Let meaddea little touchinghis attendants andafsiftants whom hee vfeth as his infnmænts for the promoting andaccomplifhing ofhisgenerali purpofes. Theyare twofpecially e fief}, theworld; thatis rightly rearmedthe diuels ¡lore-houfe andhis armory oftentations. Outofit hee deriueth many particulars for theendangeringofGods children a from thence heealfaulteth b t Tím, G tcthem one while with gaine, theloueanddelrewhereof,,:be rootsofchill b, and the lulling whereafter caufethanerrimgfrom the faith a and howmuch arethe graces ofGod euen deaded, and inamanner well here quenched hereby in e i lol43.5,. many thatyetglue fome hope, thatthey haueafeedremaitimg inskein!?How do the
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