Chap.4. accadiog ta St M A T T H$ VV. to write. The Fick man anfwered, My foul is Gods, and all my fins are nailed to the croffeof Chrilt. But if thou dcfire to fet downmy fins, write thus, esfll our righteoufnefer are as a filthy rag,ofc. The devil. fet down that, and bad him fay on: He did But thou, Lord, halt promifed , for thine ownfake toblot out our iniquities, and tomake our fearlet fins white as fnow. The devil palled by thofe words, and was carnet with him togoo on in his former argument. The Fick man Paid with great cheer- fjlneffe, The forme of God appeared to deftroy the works of the devil. With that the devil vaniihed, and the tick man de- parted. Ifthou be the Son ofGod,cast ehy¡elf&c.] This is thedevils Lo- gick, to argue from mercy to liberty, to doe wickedly withboth hands earneflly.Wheras theHeathencould f ay; Inmaxima libertate ninimsa liceratia. And the Father,ldeò deterioresfumus,quiameliore, eh debemua ; Therefore are we worfe,becaufe we ought to bebet- ter. Rememberbut this, that tkoa art forme to a King ( laid one to Pifnat arms) and that will keep thee from bafe courfes. Take thou thof fpoils to thy fell ( laid T'hemiflocles to his friend that followedhim) enpas -mxñs, for thou art not Themi- focles, as I am : they are poor things, farre below me. Shall filch a manas Iflee ? Shall I doe any thing to the difhonour of my heavenly father? and therefore fin, becaufe grace hath abounded? That is not the guife of any of Gods children. They walk handi- ly, bravely, gallantly, Worthy of God, who hath done fo great things for them. The more prtviledges, themore engagements. Scipio, when a harlot was offared unto him, faid, Vellem, f non efem Imperator. It was an aggravation ofthe fall ofSolomon, that godhad appeareduntohim twice ; and of Saul, That he fill, as ifbe had not beenanointed : So it isof any of Gods Saints,to fin, as ifthey had notbeen adopted. Can thyfelfdown. ] Here our Saviour is tempted to Pelf-mur- der, by an old man- flater. And when (./flops, Elias, 7onas, and ethers ofthe heft fort of Saints were in a fit of difconrent, and grew weary of their lives, wifhing for death, Divines doubt not,but Satangave a pulp at themwitbhistenhorns, todifpatch, ap4,eafe,theuffIves =of 'the,, prefenttrouble" by cutting. off'their own 'daies, A dangerous and hideous temptation. yet fiách is may befall the belt , and few' fcape it that live cut their time. But in all the book of God , we read npt, f F any hfica.7.3. Salvias, Averúoa . Plat. Nenerta 6.at. Aom,6,1, rg1,S Part x6vs na Ot rN C. King.t a 9. a Sam, .at.
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