Cajes of Conjcience. l.Booke. 1 The one l'/1uown~nature,whereby hee is a A aearurc 1 and rhcrdor!!' finite. Hence it is,thar he can ncirhcr k~1ow, nor do any thmg th:u is beyond rbc Itach orcapacitie of his nature,or abouc the power and skill ofa crcacurc. For example, he cannot directly andirnmediatly know thedcepe thingsof God, vnlc!fethcy be reuealed vnto him: nor yet rhe fecrcrs of mans heart. Non(k!Jorurh thethi11gso[armm, a#t the spirit of A l?ian whic!J is in him:eJJmfo,tbc !IJl'mrto{God kpgruthnone, ln:t theJPirits{God, t.Cor.z.Jt.Againc,hc cannot do that which is truly&properlyamtracle,thc caufe wherof is hidden and vtterlyvnknowne, and which comes notw1tb1n the po~·er and order ofna– ture. For this is proper vnro God, who one~ ly doth thinges (imply wondcrfull, Pfalme B 77·'4· The fecond thing whereby S>tans power Lo; re!haincd, isrht-w~llofGod. For l0okeas the fca,bcingbynature,apt to oucrAowthe whcle earth, is kapt in, and!hue vp w1th1o the !horc, (as it wcrc)with doorcs orgatcs,dut it cannct breake forth; and that by the Lord himfelfc, who hathdlabhfhed Ius dccrcovp~n it, lob 38. So thoughS.ran beby nature Urong,and his malice great, yet can bee doe nothang at alf,no not execute h1s naturall power, to the bu::t and preiudicc ofany man, without the wtll and permi!Tion of God. Thusthc euill fplfit could not goc forth ro d<eciue Ahab, Vnt1Jl the Lord had faidvntohim, qot,and. rhoufo.1lt preu11ift, I,King. 2:z.. z~. Thus the C diuciJcouJd nor rooch the bod1c, ch1ldren 1 goods,or friends ofrighteous lob~\\hddl: he was fenced and Cortlhed by- the powl:r and prouidenccof G.od. But when the'Lord, in regard oflobs cutwardcll<lte,hotdgiuen.Jeaue, ami (ard, U,alllhat hehatb innthinehttnd,thcn. drd heecxercrfc h1s power eo rbc vcruoU: yet (o farrconeiy, as he was permutcdJ and no furrhcr,lob.I.t z. The conuderationof this fira poinr,rhat Saraospower is determined by G0d,wil ferue to llay tbc mindcs of rbofe, whofe pcrfons, boufes, or friends are molclled by him. For hereupon it followerh, that God, who bath the diueJJ bcundvp (as it were) in chaines, w1ll not fuffer his powerro bee enlarged a- D gainll his ownechildren, to their deOrutl:ioti and confuoon: but fo farre·fonh alone, as Ot•ll bee expedient for their good and falua· tion. Againc, tbat.God bceing 1beir Fath<r in CbriU Icfu,,they may in the time of fuch afi3Jtllon, haucaccctic vnto him, and call vp– on him,for the reHraint of Satans power and mallcc,andconfequcntfy, for thedeliuerancc of them and theirs. \ A fccond rule isthis: Such pcrfons mufl haue r.ecourfe to God in hisword, in \Vhich htS! prpnH("cth brs prc(cnce ~nd prored10n, to his chrldren, in their grcatefi dangers.And ~ ll30lel)!, tlmtthcre J]J4/tnoruif/comcl!ntofh~m, \H a!_91 •1o, mithcr tmJ plagrufoal com~neer, 1 /;rir drPrlling.· ' 11 ' hccatJf~hc nil/giur; hi1 Angc/1 r;hargc oru:rth(m, to knp themm~tli thur ~·IUt'I,Againe,riMr heT¥it be .1 lr~t!!of fre.,-otmd abomhupeople. Zacb.~.S· that hcell'lltxund p~aCt'blltr hh Church,lt~ca jlood,lf.1.66.u.And thatrhmfoallbe no{om– rie~tg«inft lllcob,nor jotJtbf~tJing inlfrarl, Num. •J·"· And yenf GC;d[ecs it to be good for hts children, to bee tried by polfcfhns or WJtohcraft, m this cafe the ptomtfe freetb them not.For all temporaJ! bldlings.arc pro– ml[cd condttipnally,lo far·fotth as they may fland ••tth Gods good wtll and pleafure, and wtthaJJ ruay make for the good of his chil· drcn. Howbeit he1cin l1es rhc comfort, that though fucb calamities befall them, yet they lhallrurnc to rhcir good, rarhcrtben to their hurt. This poinr well conlidered by the way, bewray(th the great prefumption of Come, who are not afraid to fay their faith is fo Orong,that rhe diuellcannot touch them. Th1rdly, it mufi bee confidercd, rhat tht bell (cruantsofGod haue been in d:eir times moleRedby rhc dmcll. ChriU in hi> fecond temptation,was carriedhy the drucl from the wrldernell'c)coa wingof the Temple ofleru.. faiem,Mauh+5. The ohildren of lob" ere dellroyed by the dmell, and hcc hirnfelfc •·as fiiit:dwithbotches and [ores. A certainewo– m1n,cucn a daughter ofAbraham,tbar is,one follow1ng the f:mh ofAbraham,was troubled with a!part ofinfirmitic,cighreeneycates to– gerber, L11k_. J 3· J 6. And the daughter of the vmm::m ofCanaan,"'~$ grieucully vexed with adiueli,Mar.rs.'li,z2. Fourthly, mtn m this cafe t~ugbt by faith to lay fa!! bold vpon the promt(eoflife <Uer· lallmg,& wait the Lords Jeifurc, not limiting him in rrfpcel of time, or mcanes of dclrue– rancr. This was thepratlifecflcb,Th•ugh he 'b..! lime ytt••i/1ltmjl in bim,lob IJ.I5. And of holy Abraham,H,b. r I .I 7.whodid not limit God, butwasctJntentto dot?wirh Ifa2c what the Lord would: and though it was in likeli· hood,a .meanes to bcrcau~ him ofa!I poflerl.: tie,yet fldll1< kept himftlfero the promif<. LaClly,mcn muain thiscafe,feeke,and foe vmo God byprayer,eirhcr for deliucrance,i it may fland wtthhis good will and pleafme, or dfe for pauence, that tbey n'ay mcekely and patiently beare that pariicula~affittlion. I I. ]n rhe mo!fjllltionandannoyance ofhrm(u by fPiritt,rwothingsare to be remembred. Fidl, men mull ndtconfort rogerher,and abide there, where it is crrtainely knowne, that the Lord hatll giuen the diuell power and Jiberrie; lefl in fo doing, they tempt the Lord. Our Sauiour Chr1l1 did not of his owne priuarc motion and will, betake him· felfe into the wJlderocffc, but by thediret'li– onof the Holy Ghol!, Jl.latth<W+I.Pa•lm like m~nncr, did not ofhis ownc head goe: to Icrufalcm, but vpon rh~ motionof the Spi· rir,Atl.zo.u.ln thclt~ht ofthc(eexamples men arecaught, not to cafl themfducs inro~· ny places of apparent dauoger: much lelle to fr<quent thofe which God ha1h ddiuered vp
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