Chap .4. According to SD M A T T H E VV. 75 (hip the devil inperfon : thenwhich, what can be imagined more odious ? We fee then towhat execrable fins the bell may be tern- to ell Teal, e, pted. Aman is to eve,/ ( faith one) if he live out his dates, to p be urged to all firmes, to the breach of every branch of the ten Commandments : and to beput to it in refpe& of every Article ofour Creed. Have you not been tempted ( faith another) in Bairn l,tters. this or that kinde ? It is becaufe God inmercy would not lead you into temptation. Yea this is, in Tome fort, more to be acknow- ledged then viaory, whenye were tempted. For not to be tem- pted is more immediately fromGod, and lfhs in mans power, then to prevail againfl temptation. For nothing Both overcome us without our will : but without our will doth God lead us into triall : for he knoweth we would tafle little of thefe, if we might k z be ourown carvers. Simon, Simon (faith our Saviour) Satan Luk loath defired to have you to Winnow you (that is, to trouble and ßßz o hurt you, faith a Father) as a challenger delrech to have one of 2?beopbyta. the other fide to combat with : as Goliah called for a man to match him. Now either Goddenies him, or delivers us, fo that that evil one toucheth us not, viz. ratio gualitnrivo, with s Ioh, 5.1$. a mortalltouch, as Ca,etun gloffeth that Text,. I have praid fir thee, faith our Saviour, that thy faith fail not. He praid for all, but efpecially for Peter, becaute more violet tly tempted. As, Rom.q.olt. becaufemore fhamefully foiled, therefore, Go tell my Difciples andPeter, that Iam rif en ; and that therebyhe is jaftified. I have praid ; fo that the remedy w,as ready made before the difeafe, the calve before the fore, or elfe it might havecome too late : As thole that are flung by a fcorpion, if they benet prefently anointed with oil offcorpions, diefor it : and as thofe that have drunk poifon, if they take not an antidote immediately, ere it get to thevitals, pe- rifü infallibly. God in Chrift hath all plaiflers and pardons ready made and foaled. Elfe,wemight die inour fins, whiles the pardon is providing. Verle io. Get shoe hence, Satan.] Avaunt, avoid, be pack- ing. This was an indignity not tobeendured, as great every way, as if the bafeft fcoundrell upon earth fhould aflaulr the ehaflity of the greatelt Empreffe. Our Saviour therefore will endure him no longer, but commands him out of his pretence, with utmoft in- dignation. And furcly madnefte, in cafe of Gods difhoncur, is faire better then meeknefle. Here, if he beb:fides ourfe(ves, it is to God, as Paul laid to the Corinthians ; and as he did, where a Cor, ;.:. . h.
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