Book IV. THE DE V I L A F 0 w LE R, VI. Some Htmters are very fwifr and diligent in the purfuir of their Prey, they will ride over many Fields in a Day, they will fearcil and bear about with Abundance of Di– ligence, ro find our their Game; they are, it may be, here now, and a few Hours hence manv Miles off, and hardly allow themfelves Time roeat their Meat, &c. So the Devil is a fwift Hunter, .he is like Lightening, as it were, fwift in Motion, he is a Spirit, and fo has the Advantage to leap fuddenly upon ·his lpiriwal Prey, he has his Eyes upon all the Ways of Men, he is here to tempt this Man, and prefenrly in another Place tQ catch unwary and fecure Souls. VII. A Hunter is diligent to obferve the Di{j>ofition of the Creawre he hunts, and .alfo the Places wbere it haunts: So the Devil, he obferves the Difpofitions and natural Inclinations of Men and Women, and alfo all their haunts, that fo he may the lletter prey upon them, he knows what Men are prone to Lying, and what Men are addiCted to Covetoufnefs, and who are natura.Jiy inclined .to the Lufts of Undeannefs, and who .are fubjeCI: to Paffion, &c. and according to the various Tempers and Inclinations of Perfons, he fuit~ his Temptations. VIII. A Hunter feeks to come ft>metimes, if poffible, on his Prey unawares, when they are lecure, to ileal as it were upon them: So the Devil c.omes upon Chrifrians many times when they ace afleep and in a fecure State; an Enemy hath done this whilft Men .fiept. And hence So/omou's adv.ice is to the Sons of Wifdom, not to Gi'>Je jleep to their Eyes, nor}lumber to ,their Jl,ye-lids, and to deliver themfelves from the Hand of the Hunter, &c. Prov. vi. 4> 5D S P A R T Y. 0 THER Hunters generally hunt for their Recreation, >t is not out of Envy and Hatred they bear to the Creattlres they hunt: Hut the Devil hunts the Souls of Men out of that implacable Hatred ·he bears to them, .ir is not his Plea!i.~re, but his Malice, which ftirs him up to kill and deihoy poor Sinners, he 'knows he is miferable himfelf, and he would make, if he could, aU the Children of Men as miferable as h.imfelf. 1 N F E R E N C E ~ THIS may ferve to awaken all Men, to tako heed and deli~er themfelves from this mighty Hunter; Soul fly to Chrift, he is able to fave theo, who hath promifed to <leliver thee fr.om the Snare of the Hunter, &c. Labor to lle like the Roe, fwifr– footed, 0 labor with David for Hinds 1:-eet. THE DEVIL A FOWLER. Deliver thyfdf as a Roe from the Hand of the Hunter, .a1td as a Bird from the lia11d of the Fowler, Prov. vi. 5· AS Satan is likened to a Huntor, fo he ·is likewife unto a Fowler, they are both Metaphors of .a like Import. , P A R A L L E L ~ I. A Fowler hath his Nets, Gins, and many Allurements to·catch the poor filly Bird: So hath Satan to catch the Souls of Men, fomo of which we mentioned before. I!. A Fowler having taken divers Birds, he makes ufe of them, in a crafty Manner, to brina others to his Net: So doth Satan, he this very Way feeks to allure Sinners, he fets bofore the Eyes of the unwary .Soul, how many Birds he hath got in his Snares, and yet they ling moft fweetly, and leap about as if they had all J.oy and Enlargements in the World; he would perfuade God's Children ·none have fo fweet and pleafant a Life as the Ungodly, whoilouri!h in Profperity, and are not plagued like other Men, and by this Means, this cunning Fowler oft-t·imes enfnares the Souls of Men. Ill. A Fowler is very cautious how he (preads his Net in the Sight of any Bird: So Satan craftily ftrives to hide his Net and Snare, by which he feeks to catch the Souls of Men, he prefents the golden Cup, but hides the Poifon. Thus he deceived Eve, he tlrove to affeCI: her Heart with the choiceft and excellent Nature of the Fruit of the Tree, re jball be as Gods, &c. This was c.he Bair, but the Net or curled Hook is hidden,
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