in this life. 63 none is more af1:tuitedby Sathanthanhe,ancl oftentimes it cotmmeth tapaffe- thatGod w'ithdravveth the fignesofhis fauour fromhim, & lets him feele his wrath.And this is the greatefl temptation ofall other,when a manThal fee the Lord tobehis enemie,and to his thinking to arme himfelfe againa him to his cleft As q Ezechias did, who faith, that the Lord didcrafh his bones lile q Efay ;a. a Lion:Orras lobfaith,that thearro>res ofthe almíghtiewere inhim,& theye-1.-161'644. nime thereofdrunlLe vp his.j' rit, and the terrors ofGoddidfight apinghim. Yetthe true Chriflian when the world,the flefh,and the diuell,&Godhimfelfe tooare againtl him, lath even thenmoa of all cell in theLord,and by faith clcane to him. * Though cjod fhould deflrey meyet would1troll to him lfayth * Iob. r 3.r ç lob.) CAnd Dauid fàith,My God,my Godwhy hall thacaforfakmme?Whenhe f Pfal.zz. i. faith that God had fòrfaken him,it may feeme to bee the complaintofa def- perat man, not having fo much asone fparkeoffaith : yet then he faith : my God,iny God: which words containe aconfellionproceeding from truefaith fo that in Dauid it appeareth,that the faithful' when they fècle themfelues for - lorne,& vtterly reieeIedofGod,according to thefenfe and iudgcmentof the flefh,yet by faith they can apprehendhis hidden mercie,& behold it a farte off in the glaffeofhis promife. And fo they do often Phew contraryaffe&ions in their praiers asDauid doth. r Iacob whenhe wratlled with the Angellfor life t Gen. 32. and death,neuergaue ouer:and whenhe wasfoild,hewouldnot ceäfebefore as. the Lord had blefl'edhim. This hioivraflling is a type ofthe c6flids which the faithful' are tohaue with the Lord himfelfe,who vfeth to bringhis ownechil- dren (as it were) to the field : & he afhaileth themwith the oneband,and with the other he holdeth themvp,that fo he may proue & exercife their faith.And forthis caufe the Church u is called lfrael by the nameoflacob.Anexáple may a Pfal. i ;o. behad in the womanofCanaan. x Firil,our Saviour Chrift gaue herfaith,and xMatth.is. by that faith fhe was moved to feeke tohim: but when fine was once cotneto 21.23.24. him,he ganeher three repulfes. Firft,by laying nothing. Secondly, by denying z5'2647' her. Thirdly, bycalling her dogge. Thus Chrift in appearance madePhew, as thoughhewould neuerhaue grauntedher recluefl.But theat cuery repulfe was more inftant, cryingmore carnally vrtohimn : and Ile plainly oppofed her felfto him,& wouldtake no denial': for Inch is thenature oftrue faith.Where- fore,thefaithful when theyfeele themfelues ouerwhelined with fïn,tur noyled withconflictsofSathan, when they feele theanger ofGodoffended with the, yet they can euenthen lift vp their eye lids,andgiue a glimps at thebrafen Ser- pent fetusChrift,and can fling themfelues into the armes ofGods mercie,and catchholdofthehandofGod buffettingthem,andkiffe it. LX. By three teptations it comes topaffe,that aChriflian thoughhe cannot fallDangerous finally from Chrift, yet he mayfall very dangeroutly from his former eflate. falieaof a Firft,thegraces ofGodmay bebyhis default leffened inhim : eisPaul would Cluiftian. nothaue giuenout thefeexhortations, a quench not thef j:irit. b Grieue not the a :melt5. beliefpirit ofGod, bywhamsye arefealecl vesto theday of redemption. Secondly, 19. thegracesofGod maybeebuxied inhim and covetedfora tithe, fo that bee bE.pb.4.3c'
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