VERA EFFIGIES-REVERENDI DO NI JOSEPHI HALL NORWICI EPIS COPI.  

This Picture represents the Form, where dwells  
A Mind, which nothing but that Mind excels.  
There's Wisdom, Learning, Wit; there Grace & Love  
Rule over all the rest: enough to prove,  
Against the froward Conscience of this Time,  
The Reverend Name of BISHOP is no Crime.   
W. M. scul●●it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   portrait of Joseph Hall   

SATAN'S FIERY DARTS QUENCHED, OR, TEMPTATIONS REPELLED.  
In three DECADES.  
For the help, comfort, and preservation of weak Christians in these dangerous times of Error and Seduction.  
By I. H. D. D. B. N.  
LONDON, Printed by M. F. for N: Butter. And are to be sold in Paul's Churchyard at the Bishops-head and Golden-Lyon, and in Cornhill by N. Brooks. 1647.   

To the Christian Reader Grace and Peace.  
SOme few months are past, since a worthy and eminent Divine from the 
Mr Hannibal Gammon of Cornwall.  West (once part of my charge) earnestly moved me to undertake this task of Temptations, seconding his Letters with the lines of a dear intercessor from those parts; Upon the first view, I slighted the motion; returning only this answer; That I remembered this work, was already so completely performed by the reverend, and learned Mr Downame, in his Christian warfare, as that who so should meddle with this subject, should but seem to glean after his sickle: But when I had sadly considered the matter; my second thoughts told me that there is no one point of Divinity, wherein many pens have not profitably laboured in several forms of discourse: and that the course which I was solicited unto, was in a quite different way of Tractation; namely, to furnish my fellow-Christians with short and punctual answers to the particular suggestions of our great enemy; and that our deplored age had rifely yielded public Temptations of Impiety, which durst not look forth into the world in those happy days; I was thereupon soon convinced in myself, how useful and beneficial such a Tractate might be to weak souls; and embraced the motion as sent from God; whose good hand I found sensibly with me in the pursuance of it; I therefore cheerfully addressed myself to the work; wherein what I have assayed or done, I humbly leave to the judgement of others; with only this; that if in this Treatise my decrepit hand can have let fall any thing that may be to the service of God's Church, to the raising up of drooping hearts, to the convincing of blasphemous errors, to the preventing of the dangerous insinuations of wickedness, I desire to be thankful to my good God, whose grace hath been pleased to improve those few sands that remain in my glass to so happy an advantage: That God, the father of all mercies fetch from these poor labours of his weak servant, much glory to his own name, and much benefit to the souls of his people.  
And may the same God be pleased to stir up the hearts of all his faithful ones, that shall (through his goodness) receive any help by these wel-meant endeavours, to interchange their prayers with and for me, the unworthiest of his Ministers, that I may finish the small remainder of my course with joy. Amen.  
From my Cottage at Higham near Norwich, Feb. 12. 1646.   

A List of the hellish Temptations here Repelled.  

I. DECADE.  
I. Temptation FOolish sinner, thou leanest 
Temptations of Impiety.  upon a broken reed whiles thou reposest all thy trust in a crucified Saviour. Pag. 1.  
II. Temptation Still thou hast upon all occasion's recourse to the Scriptures as some divine Oracles, and think'st thou mayst safely build thy soul upon every text of that written word, as inspired from heaven, whereas indeed this is nothing but an humane devise to keep men in awe, and never came nearer heaven than the brains of those Politicians that invented it. p. 17.  
III. Temptation Art thou so sottish to suffer thy understanding to be captivated to (I know not what) divine authority, proposing unto thee things contrary to sense and reason, and therefore absurd and impossible? Be thou no other than thyself, a Man: and follow the light and guidance of that which makes thee so, right Reason, and whatsoever disagrees from that, turn it off as no part of thy belief, to those superstitious bigots which are willing to lose their reason in their faith, and to bury their brains in their heart. p 29.  
IV. Temptation In how vain and causeless awe art thou held, of dangers threatened to thy soul; and horrors of punishment after this life; whereas these are nothing but politic bugs, to affright simple, and credulous men? Sin freely man; and fear nothing; Take full scope to thy pleasures; After this life there is nothing; The soul dies together with the body, as in brute creatures; There is no further reckoning to be made. p. 40.  
V. Temptation Put case that the soul after the departure from the body, may live; but art thou so foolishly credulous, as to believe that thy body, after it is moldred into dust, and resolved into all its elements, having passed through all the degrees of putrefaction, and annihilation shall at last return to itself again, and recover the former shape and substance? Dost thou not apprehend the impossibility of this so absurd assertion? p. 54.  
VI Temptation If the soul must live, and the body shall rise, yet what needst thou affright thyself with the terrors of an universal judgement? Credulous soul, when shall these things be? Thou talk'st of an awful judge, but where is the promise of his coming? These sixteen hundred years hath he been looked and yet he is not come; and when will he? p. 69.  
VII. Temptation If there must be a resurrection, and a judgement, yet God is not so rigid an Exactor, as to call thee to account for every petty sin; Th●se great Sessions are for heinous malefactors: God is too merciful to condemn thee for small offences: Be not thou too rigorous to thyself, in denying to thyself the pleasure of some harmless sins. p. 83.  
VIII. Temptation What a vain imagination is this wherewith thou pleasest thyself; that thy sins are discharged in another man's person; that another's righteousness should be thine; that thine offence should be satisfied by another's punishment. Tush, they abuse thee that persuade thee God is angry with mankind which he loves and favours; or that his anger is appeased by the bloody satisfaction of a Saviour; and that thou standest acquitted in heaven by that which another hath done and suffered: These are fancies not fit to find place in the heads of wise men. p. 91.  
IX. Temptation How confidently thou buildest upon a promise; and if thou have but a word for it, mak'st thyself sure of any blessing; Whereas thou mayst know that many of those promises which thou accountest sacred and divine, have sbrunk in the performance. How hath God promised deliverance to those that trust in him, yet how many of his faithful servants have miscarried? What liberal promises hath he made of provision for those that wait upon him; yet how many of them have miserably perished in want? p. 100  
X. Temptation Thou art more nice than needs; your Preachers are too straitlaced in their opinions; and make the way to heaven narrower than God ever meant it: Tush, man; thou mayst be saved in any religion, Is it likely that God will be so cruel as to cast away all the world of men in the several varieties of their professions; and save only one poor handful of Reformed Christians; Away with these scruples; A general Belief and a good meaning will serve to bring thee to heaven without these busy disquisitions of the Articles of faith. p. 114.   

II. DECADE.  
I. Temptation WEre it for some few sins of ignorance or infirmity, 
Temptations of Discouragement.  thou mightst hope to find place for mercy; but thy sins are, as for multitude innumerable, so for quality, heinous. presumptuous, unpardonable; With what face canst thou look up to heaven and expect remission from a just God? p. 127.  
II. Temptation Alas poor man, how willing thou art to make thyself believe that thou hast truly repent; whereas this is nothing, but some dump of melancholy, or some relenting of nature, after too much expense of spirits, or some irksome discontentment after a satiety, and weariness of pleasure; or some slavish shrinking in upon the expectation of a lash; True penitence is a spiritual business, an effect of that grace which was never incident into thy bosom. p. 138.  
III. Temptation Thou hast small reason to bear thyself upon thy repentance; it is too sleight; seconded with too many relapses; too late to yield any true comfort to thy soul. p. 145.  
IV. Temptation Tush, what dost thou please thyself with these vain thoughts; If God cared for thee, couldst thou be thus miserable? p 155.  
V. Temptation Foolish man! how vainly dost thou flatter thyself in calling that a chastisement, which God intends for a judgement; in mistaking that for a rod of fatherly correction which God lays on, as a scourge of just anger and punishment. p. 165.  
VI Temptation Away with these superstitious fears, and needless scruples, wherewith thou fond troublest thyself; as if God that sits above in the circle of heaven▪ regarded these poor businesses that are done upon earth, or cared what this man doth, or that man suffereth: Dost thou not see that none prosper so much in the world as those that are most noted for wickedness? & dost thou see any so miserable upon earth as the holiest? Could it be thus, if there were a providence that overlooks and overrules these earthly affairs? p. 173.  
VII. Temptation If God be never so liberal in his promises, and sure in performances of mercy to his own, yet what is that to thee? Thou art none of his; neither canst lay any just claim to his Election. p. 195.  
VIII. Temptation Alas, poor man, how grossly deludest thou thyself? Thou talkest of thy faith; and bearest thyself high upon this grace; and think'st to do great matters by it, whereas the truth is, thou hast no faith, but that which thou mis-callest so, is nothing else but mere presumption p. 208.  
IX. Temptation Thou thoughtst perhaps once that thou hadst some tokens of God's favour; but now thou canst not but find that he hath utterly forsaken thee; and withdrawing himself from thee hath given thee up into my hands, into which thy sins have justly forfeited thee. p. 216.  
X. Temptation Had God indeed ever given thee any sure testimonies of his love, thou mightst perhaps pretend to some reason of comfort and confidence; But the truth is, God never loved thee; he may have cast upon thee▪ some common favours, such as he throws away upon reprobates; but for the tokens of any special love that he bears to thee, thou never didst, never shalt receive any from him p. 2●6.   

III. DECADE.  
I. Temptation THou hast hitherto thus long 
Temptations of Allurement.  given entertainment to thy sin, and no inconvenience hath ensued; No evil hath befallen thee; thy affairs have prospered better than thy scrupulous neighbours: Why shouldst thou shake off a companion that hath been both harmless and pleasant? Go on man, sin fearlessly, thou shalt speed no worse than thou hast done. Go on, and thrive in thine old course, whiles some precisely conscientious beg and starve in their innocency. p. 237.  
II. Temptation Sin still; thou shalt repent soon enough, when thou canst sin no more; Thine old age, and deathbed are fit seasons for those sad thoughts; It will go hard if thou canst not, at the last, have a mouthful of breath left thee, to cry God mercy; And that is no sooner asked, then had; Thou hast to do with a God of mercies; with whom no time is too late, no measure too slight to be accepted. p. 246.  
III. Temptation. Thou art one of Gods chosen; Now God sees no sin in his elect; none therefore in thee; neither mayst thou then take notice of any sin in thyself; or needest any repentance for thy sin. p. 256.  
IV. Temptation. Thou mayst live as thou listest; Thy destiny is irreversible; If thou be predestined to life, thy sins cannot damn thee; for God's election remaineth certain: If thou be ordained to damnation, all thy good endeavours cannot save thee; Please thyself on earth, thou canst not alter what is done in heaven. p. 271.  
V. Temptation Why wilt thou be singular amongst and above thy neighbours; to draw needless censures upon thyself? Be wise, and do as the most. Be not so over-squemish as not to dispense with thy conscience in some small matters; Lend a lie to a friend, swallow an oath for fear, be drunk sometimes for good fellowship, ●alsify thy word for an advantage, serve the time, frame thyself to all companies; thus shalt thou be both warm, and safe, and well respected. p. 284.  
VI Temptation It is but for a while that thou hast to live; and when thou art gone, all the world is gone with thee; Improve thy life to the best contentment; Take thy pleasure whiles thou mayst. p. 297.  
VII. Temptation It is for common wits to walk in the plain road of opinions. If thou wouldst be eminent amongst men, leave the beaten tract, and tread in new paths of thine own: Neither let it content thee to guide thy steps by the dim lanterns of the Ancient; he he is no body that hath not new lights either to hold out, or follow. p. 306.  
VIII. Temptation Pretend religion, and do any thing: what face is so foul as that Mask will not cleanly cover? seem holy, and be what thou wilt. p. 315.  
IX. Temptation Why shouldst thou lose any thing of thy height? Thou art not made of common mould; neither art thou as others; If thou know'st thyself, thou art more holy, more wise, better gifted, more enlightened than thy neighbours; Justly therefore mayst thou over look the vulgar of Christians, with pity, contempt, censure; and bear thyself as too good for ordinary conversation, go apart, & avoid the contagion of common breath. p. 323.  
X. Temptation However the zeal of your scrupulous Preachers is wont to make the worst of every thing; and to damn the least slip to no less than hell: Yet there are certain favourable temperaments of circumstances, which may (if not excuse, yet) extenuate a fault, such as age, complexion, custom, profit, importunity, necessity, which are justly pleadable at the bar both of God, and the conscience, and are sufficient to rebate the edge of divine severity. p. 335.    

March the 14. 1646.  
I Have perused this Treatise, entitled, Satan's fiery darts quenched; in which I find so many excellent helps for the strengthening of the Christians faith, the repelling of Temptations, and the comforting of afflicted consciences in the day of trial, that I judge it well worthy to be printed and published.  
JOHN DOWNAME.   

TEMPTATIONS REPELLED.  
The first Decade.  
Temptations of Impiety.   

Satan's fiery darts quenched.  
I. DECADE.  

I. TEMPTATION,  
Foolish sinner, thou leanest upon a broken reed whiles thou reposest all thy trust in a crucified Saviour, Repelled.  
BLasphemous Spirit; It is not the ignominy of the Cross that can blemish the honour of my Saviour; Thou feelst to thy endless pain and regret, that he who would die upon the tree of shame hath triumphed victoriously over death, and all the powers of hell; The greater his abasement was, the greater is the glory of his mercy: He that is the eternal God would put on man, that he might work man's redemption, and satisfy God for man; Who but a man could suffer? and who but a God could conquer by suffering? It is man that had sinned; it is God that was offended; who but he that was God & man could reconcile God unto man? He was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth (and triumpheth) 
2 Cor. 13. 4.  in the power of his (omnipotent) Godhead; Neither was it so much weakness to yield unto death; as it was power to vanquish it; yea, in this very dying there was strength; For here was no violence that could force him into his grave; who should offer it? I and the Father are one, saith that word of Truth; and in Unity there can be no constraint; And, if the persons be divers; He thought it no 
Philip. 2. 6.  robbery to be equal with God the Father; and there is no authority over equals; and for men or Devils, what could they do to the Lord of life? I lay down my life, 
Joh. 10. 17, 18.  saith the Almighty redeemer, that I might take it again; No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of my self. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to ●●ke it again; Oh infiniteness both of power and mercy met in the centre of a willing death!  
Impudent tempter, dost thou not remember thine own language? The time was, indeed, when thou couldst say, If thou be the Son 
Matth. 4. 3, 6.  of God; but when thou foundest thyself quelled by that divine power, and saw'st those miraculous works fall from him which were only proper to an infinite Godhead; now thou wert forced to confess, I know who thou 
Mar. 1. 24.  art, even the holy one of God; and again, Jesus the Son of the most high God; and yet 
Mar. 5. 7.  again, What have we to do 
Mat. 8. 20.  with thee, Jesus the Son of God? art thou come to torment us before the time? Lo then, even in the time of his humane weakness, thou couldst with horror enough acknowledge him the Son of the most high God, and dar'st thou now that he sits crowned with celestial glory, disparage his ever-blessed Deity?  
Thy malice hath raised up, as in the former, so in these later days, certain cursed imps of heretical pravity, who under the name of Christians, have wickedly recrucified the Lord that bought them; not sparing to call into question the eternal Deity of him whom they dare call Saviour; whom if thou hadst not steeled with an hellish impudence, certainly, they could not profess to admit the word written, and yet the while, deny the personal Word: How clear testimony doth the one of them give to the other? when thou presumedst to set upon the Son of God by thy personal temptations, he stopped thy mouth with a Scriptum est; how much more shall these Pseudo-Christian agents of thine be thus convinced? Surely, there is no truth, wherein those Oracles of God have been more clear and punctual; Are we not there required to 
a Joh. 3. 13, 18.  believe in him as God, upon the promise of eternal life, 
b Joh. 18.  under the pain of everlasting condemnation?  
Are we not commanded 
c Mat. 28. 29. Act. 2. 35.  to baptise in his name as God? Is not the holy Ghost 
d 10. 48.  given as a seal to that baptism? Are we not charged to give divine 
e Psal. 22. 27.  honour to him? Is not this required and reported to be done not only by the 
f Psal. 72. 11, 15.  Kings of the earth, but by the 
g Rev. 5. 11, 12. & 4. 9, 11.  Saints and Angels in heaven? Is he not there declared to be 
h Philip. 2. 6.  equal with God? Is he not there asserted to be 
i Joh. 10. 30. 1 Joh. 5. 7.  one with the Father? Doth he not there challenge a joint 
k Joh. 16. 15. & 17. 19  right with the Father in all things both in heaven, and earth? Are not the great works of divine power attributed to him? 
l ●sa. 45. 12. Psal. 33. 6. & 102. 26.  Hath not he created the earth, and man upon it? have not his hands stretched out the heavens? hath not he commanded all their host?  
Are not all the Attributes of God, his? Is he not eternal? Is it not he of whom the Psalmist, 
m Psal. 45. 6, 7.  Thy throne O God is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre? Is not he the 
n Esa. 9 6.  Father of eternity; 
o Revel. 1. 17.  the first and the last; 
p Micah 5. 2.  have not his goings forth been from everlasting? 
q Joh 17. 5.  Had not he glory with the Father before the world was? Is not he the 
r Joh. 1. 1.  Word which was in the beginning; the word that was with God; and the word that was God?  
Is he not infinite and incomprehensible? Is it not he that 
s Ephes. 4. 10.  filleth all things; 
t Joh. 3. 13.  that was in heaven, whiles he was on earth?  
Is he not 
u Rev. 1. 8.  Almighty? even the 
x Esa. 9 6.  mighty God who upholds all things by the word of his power▪ Yea, is he not expressly styled▪ the Lord, 
y Esa. 40. 3. & 45. 21, 22.  Jehovah, The 
z Esa. 45. 13. Esa. 6. 3.  Lord of hosts; 
a Rom. 9 5.  God blessed for ever; 
b 1 Joh. 5. 20.  The true God, and eternal life; 
c Tit. 2. 13.  The great God and Saviour; 
d 1 Cor. 2. 8.  The Lord of glory?  
Hath he not abundantly convinced the world of his Godhead, by those miraculous works which he did both in his own person whiles he was here on earth, and by the hands of his followers? works so transcending the possibility of nature, that they could not be wrought by any less than the God of nature? as ejecting of Devils by command; raising the dead after degrees of putrefaction; giving eyes to the borne blind, conquering death in his own resuscitation, ascending gloriously into heaven? charming the winds, and waters, healing diseases by the very shadow of his transient disciples?  
Yea tell me, by what power was it that thine Oracles (whereby all the world was held in superstition) were silenced? What-power whereby the Gospel so opposite to flesh and blood hath conquered the world, and in spite of all the violence of Tyrants, and oppugnation of rebellious nature, hath prevailed?  
Upon all these grounds how can I do less than cry our with the late-believing disciple, My Lord, and my God? 
Joh. 20. 28.   
Malignant spirit, thou dost but set a face of checking me by my Saviour's Cross; thou knowest and feelest that he was the Chariot of his Triumph, whereupon being exalted, 
Colos. 2. 15.  he dragged all the powers of hell captive after him, making a show of them openly, to their confusion, and his glory; Thou know'st that had it not been for that Cross, those infernal regions of thine had been peopled with whole mankind; a great part whereof is now delivered out of thy hands, by that victorious redemption. Never had heaven been so stored; never had hell been so foiled, if it had not been for that Cross.  
And canst thou think to daunt me with the mention of that Cross, which by the eternal decree of God was determined to be the means of the deliverance of all the souls of the elect? Dost thou not hear the Prophet say of old; He was cut 
Esa. 53. 8, 9  off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken; And, he made his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death. He hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was 
Esa 53. 12.  numbered with the transgressors; and he ●ar● the sin of many? Didst thou not hear my Saviour himself, after his glorious resurrection, checking Cleopas, and his fellow-traveller, for their ignorance of this predetermination? O fools, and slow of 
Luke 24. 25, 26.  heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  
Yea last, when had my Saviour more glory than in this very act of his ignominious suffering, and crucifixion? It is true, there hangs the Son of man despicably upon the tree of shame; He is mocked, spit 
Luke 23. 35, 36.  upon, buffered, scourged, nailed, reviled, dead: now have men and Devils done their worst; But, this while, is the son of God acknowledged and magnified in his almighty power, both by earth and heaven; The Sun for three hours hides his head in darkness, as hating to behold this tort offered to his Creator; the earth quakes to bear the weight of this suffering; The rocks 
Mat. 27. 51.  rend in pieces, the dead rise from their graves to see, and wonder at, and attend their late dying, and now risen Saviour; The veil of the 
Mat. 27. 54.  Temple tears from the top to the bottom, for the blasphemous indignity offered to the God of the Temple; And the Centurion upon sight of all this, is forced to say, Truly, this was the son of God. And now after all these irrefragable attestations, his Easter makes abundant amends for his passion; There could not be so much weakness in dying, as there was power in rising from death; His resurrection proves him the Lord of life and death, and shows that he died not out of necessity, but will; since he that could shake off the grave, could with more ease have avoided death: Oh than the happy and glorious conquest of my blessed Saviour, declared to be the Son 
Rom. 1. 4.  of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead! Go now wicked spirit, and twit me with the Cross of my Saviour; That which thou objectest to me as my shame, is my only glory; God forbid that I should glory 
Gal. 6. 14.  save in the Cross of my Lord Jesus Christ; whereby the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.   

II. TEMPTATION,  
Still thou hast (upon all vocasions) recourse to the Scriptures as some divine Oracles; and think'st thou mayst safely build thy soul upon every Text of that written word, as inspired from heaven, whereas indeed this is nothing but an humane devise to keep men in awe, and never came nearer heaven, than the brains of those Politicians that invented it, Repelled.  
WIcked Spirit; when thou presumedst personally to tempt my Saviour; and hadst that cursed mouth stopped by him, with an [It is written] thou daredst not then, to raise such a blasphemous suggestion against this word of truth: Success in wickedness hath made thee more impudent; and now, thou art bold to strike despitefully at the very root of religion: But know, that after all thy malicious detractions, this word shall stand, when heaven and earth shall vanish; and is that, whereby both thou, and all thy complices shall be judged at that great day: It is not more sure that there is a God, then that this God ought to be served and worshipped by the creature: Neither is it more sure that God is, then that he is most wise, most just, most holy; This most wise just and holy God, then, requiring and expecting to be served, and worshipped by his Creature, must of necessity have imparted his will to his creature, how, and in what manner he would be served, and what he would have man to believe concerning himself, and his proceedings; Else, man should be left to utter uncertainties, and there should be a failing of those ends, which the infinite wisdom, and justice, hath proposed to itself: There must be therefore some word of God, wherein he hath revealed himself to man; and that this is, and must be acknowledged to be that only word▪ it is clear, and evident; for that there neither was, nor is, nor can be any other word, that could, or durst stand in competition, or rivality with this word of the Eternal God: and, if any other have presumed to offer a contestation, it hath soon vanished into contempt, and shame; Moreover, this is the only word, which God owns for his; under no less stile than [Thus saith the Lord,] which the son of God hath so acknowledged for the genuine word of his eternal Father, as that out of it (as such) he hath pleased to refel both thy suggestions, and the malicious arguments of his jewish opposites.  
It drives wholly at the glory of God; not sparing to disparage those very persons, whose pens are employed in it; in blazoning their own infirmities in what they have offended; which could not have been, if those pens had not been guided by an higher hand; It discovers, and oppugnes the corruptions of nature, which to mere men are either hid; or, if revealed, are cherished, and upheld; it lays forth the misery, and danger of our estate under sin; and the remedies, and means of our deliverance, which no other word hath ever pretended to undertake.  
Besides, that there is such a Majesty in the stile wherein it is written, as is unimitable by any humane author whatsoever; the matter of it is wholly divine; aiming altogether at purity of worship, and integrity of life; not admitting of any the least mixture either of Idolatry & superstition, or of any plausible enormities of life; but unpartially laying forth God's judgements against these, and whatever other wickednesses. This word reveals those things which never could be known to the world by any humane skill or industry; as the Creation of the world, and the order and degrees of it; and the course of God's administration of it, from the beginning; thousands of years before any records of history were extant; As it was only the Spirit of the most high God in Daniel that 
Dan. 2. 11.  could fetch back and give an account of a vision forepassed; All the Soothsayers and Magicians confess this a work of no less than divine omniscience.  
And as for things future, the predictions of this word of things to be done after many hundreds, yea some thousands of years (the events having then no pre-existence in their causes) being accordingly accomplished, show it to proceed from an absolute unfailing, and therefore infinite prescience.  
And whereas there are two parts of this word; The Law, and the Gospel: The Law is more exact than humane brains can reach unto; meeting with those aberrations, which the most wise and curious Lawgivers could not give order for; extending itself to those very thoughts which nature knows not to accuse, or restrain; 
Rom. 7. 7.  The Gospel is made good, as by the signs and wonders wrought in all the 
2 Tim. 3. 15.  primitive ages; so by the powerful operation that it hath upon the soul; such, as the word of the most prudent man on earth, or of the greatest Angel in heaven should in vain hope to parallel: And whereas the penmen of both these, were Prophets, and Apostles; The Prophets are sufficiently attested by the Apostles, to be men 
2 Pet. 1. 21.  holy, & inspired by the Holy Ghost; the Apostles are abundantly attested by the Holy ghost poured out upon them in their Pentecost, & (besides variety of tongues) enabling them to do such miraculous works, as astonished, & convinced their very enemies. To these may be added the perfect harmony of the Law, & the Gospel; the Law being a prefigured gospel, & the gospel a law consummate; both of them lively setting forth Christ the redeemer of the world, both future & exhibited. Neither is it lightly to be esteemed, that this word hath been by holy men in all ages received as of sacred and divine authority; men, whose lives and deaths have approved them eminent Saints of God; who have not only professed, but sealed with their blood, this truth which they had learned from him that was rapt into the third heaven, That all 
2 Tim. 3. 16.  Scripture is given by inspiration of God; a truth which cannot but be contested by their own hearts, which have sensibly found the power of this word, convincing them of sin; working effectually in them a lively faith, and unfeigned conversion; which no humane means could ever have effected.  
Lastly, it is a strong evidence to my soul, that this is no other than the word of a God; that I find it so eagerly opposed by thee, and all thy malignant instruments in all ages; Philosophers both natural, and moral, and politic, have left large Volumes behind them in their several professions, all which are suffered to live in peace; and to enjoy their opinions with freedom, and leave; but, so soon as ever this sacred book of God looks forth into the world, hell is in an uproar, and raises all the forces of malice, and wit, and violence against it; Wherefore would it be thus, if there were not some more divine thing in these holy leaves, then in all the monuments of learned humanity: But the protection is yet more convictive than the opposition, that not withstanding all the machinations of the powers of darkness this word is preserved entire; that the simplicity of it, prevails against all worldly policy; that the power of it subdues all nations, and triumphs over all the wickedness of men and devils; it is proof enough to me that the God of heaven is both the author, and owner and giver of it: Shortly then, Let my soul be built upon this rocky foundation of the Prophets and Apostles; Let thy storms rise, and thy floods come, and thy 
Mat. 7. 24, 25.  winds blow, and beat upon it; it shall mock at thy fury, and shall stand firm against all the rage of hell.   

III. TEMPTATION,  
Art thou so sottish to suffer thy understanding to be captivated to (I know not what) divine authority, proposing unto thee things contrary to sense and reason; and therefore absurd, and impossible? Be thou no other than thyself, a man; and follow the light and guidance of that which makes thee so, right Reason; and what soever disagrees from that, turn it off as no part of thy belief, to those superstitious bigots which are willing to lose their reason in their faith, and to bury their brains in their heart,  
Repelled.  
WIcked tempter, thou wishest me to my loss; woe were to me if I were but a man; and if I had no better guide to follow, then that which thou call'st Reason; it is from nature that I am a man; it is from grace that I am a man regenerate; Nature holds forth to me as a man, the dim and weak rush-candle-light of carnal reason; The grace of regeneration shows me the bright torchlight, yea, the sun of divine illumination; Thou bid'st me, as a man, to follow the light of reason; God bids me as a regenerate man to follow the light of faith; whether should I believe, whether should I listen to? It is true, that reason is the great gift of my Creator, and that which was intended to distinguish us from brute creatures; but where is it in the original purity to be found under heaven? Surely it can now appear to us in no other shape then either as corrupted by thy depravation, or by God's renovating grace restored; as it is marred by thee, even natural truths are too high for it; as it is renewed by God, it can apprehend and embrace supernatural verities: It is regenerate reason that I shall ever follow; and that will teach me to subscribe to all those truths, which the un-erring Spirit of the holy God hath revealed in his sacred word; how ever contrary to the ratiocination of flesh, and blood; Only this is the right reason, which is illuminated by God's spirit, and willingly subjected to faith; which represents to me those things, which thou suggestest to me for unreasonable and impossible, as not faisible only, but most certain. That in one Deity there are three most glorious persons; distinguished in their subsistences; not divided in their substance; That in one person of Christ the Mediator, there are two natures, divine and humane, not converted into each other; not confounded each with other; That the Creator of all things should become a creature; That a creature should be the mother of him that is her God; how ever they be points which carnal reason can not put over, yet they are such, as reason illuminate and regenerate can both easily, and most comfortably digest: Great is the 
1 Tim. 3. 16.  mystery of godliness; God manifested in the flesh: What mystery were there in godliness, if the deepest secrets of religion did lie open to the common apprehension of nature? My Saviour, who is truth itself, hath told me, that no man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to 
Mat. 11. 27.  whom the Son will reveal him; and with the same breath gives thanks to his heavenly Father, that he hath hid 
Mat. 11. 25.  these things from the wise and prudent (who were most likely, if reason might be the meet judge of spiritual matters, to attain the perfect knowledge of them) & hath revealed them to babes. It is therefore God's revelation, not the ratiocination of man that must give us light into these divine mysteries. Were it a matter of humane disquisition, why did not those sages of nature, the learned Philosophers of former times, reach unto it? But now a more learned man then they, the great Doctor of the Gentiles, tells us, that the Gospel and preaching 
Rom. 16. 25, 26.  of Jesus Christ yields forth the revelation of the mysteries, which was kept secret since the world began; But now manifested by the Scriptures of the Prophets, and, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations, for the obedience of faith; Lo, he saith not to the obedience of reason, but of faith; and that faith doth more transcend reason, than reason doth sense, Thou urgest me therefore to be a man; I profess myself to be a christian man; it is reason that makes me a man, it is faith that makes me a christian; The wise & bountiful God hath vouchsafed to hold forth four several lights to men; all which move in four several orbs, one above another; The light of sense, the light of reason, the light of faith, the light of ecstatical, or divine vision; and all of these are taken up with their own proper objects: Sense is busied about these outward and material things; reason is confined to things intelligible; faith is employed in matters spiritual and supernatural; divine vision in objects celestial, and infinitely glorious; None of these can exceed their bounds, and extend to a sphere above their own; What can the brute creature, which is led by mere sense, do, or apprehend in matters of understanding and discourse? What can mere man who is led by reason, discern in spiritual and supernatural things? What can the Christian, who is led by faith, which is the evidence of things not seen attain unto in the clear vision of God, and heavenly glory? That God, who is a God of order, hath determined due limits to all our powers, and faculties: Thou that art a spirit of confusion goest about to disturb, and disorder all those just ranks; labouring to jumble together those distinct orbs of reason, and faith; and by the light of reason, to extinguish the light of faith; & wouldst have us so to put on the man, as that we should put off the Christian; but I have learned in this case to defy thee; grounding myself upon that word, which is mighty 
2 Cor. 10. 4, 5.  through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing, that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; I will therefore follow my sense so far as that will lead me; and not suffer myself to be beaten off from so sure a guide; Where my sense leaves me, I will betake myself to the direction of reason, and in all natural & moral things, shall be willingly led by the guidance thereof; but when it comes to supernatural and divine truths; when I have the word of a God, for my assurance, farewell reason, and welcome faith; as when I shall have dispatched this weary pilgrimage, and from a Traveller shall come to be a Comprehensor, farewel faith, & welcome vision.  
In the mean time I shall labour what I may to understand all revealed truths; and where I cannot apprehend, I shall adore; humbly submitting to that word of the great and holy God; My thoughts 
Esa. 55. 8, 9  are not your thoughts; neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord; For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts, than your thoughts.   

FOUR TEMPTATION  
In how vain and causeless awe art thou held, of dangers threatened to thy soul; and horrors of punishment after this life; whereas these are nothing but politic bugs, to affright simple, and credulous men? Sin freely, man; and fear nothing; Take full scope to thy pleasures; After this life there is nothing; The soul dies together with the body, as in brute creatures; There is no further reckoning to be made Repelled.  
Deceitful spirit; How thou goest about to persuade me to that, which thy self would be most loathe should be true? for if the soul of man expired with the body, what subject shouldest thou have of that tyranny, and torment which thou so much affectest? How willingly dost thou seem to fight against thyself, that thou mighrest overcome me? But this dart of thine is too blunt to pierce even a rational breast; Why dost thou not go about to persuade me that I am not a man, but a brute creature? such I should be, if my soul were no other than theirs; For as for bodily shape, there are of them not much unlike me: Why dost thou not persuade me, that those brute creatures are men; if their souls were as ours; What were the difference? Canst thou hope I can so abdicate myself, as to put myself into the rank of beasts? Canst thou think so to prevail with thy suggestions, as to make reason itself turn irrational? How palpably dost thou confound thyself in this very act of Temptation? For, if I had not a soul beyond the condition of brute creatures, how am I capable of sinning? Why dost thou persuade me to that whereof my nature (if but brutish) can have no capacity? Dost thou labour to prevail with thy temptations upon beasts? Dost thou importune their yeildance to sinful motions? If they had such a soul as mine, why should they not sin, as well as I? why should they not be equally guilty? Contrarily, are those brute things capable of doing those works which may be pleasing unto God; the performance whereof thou so much envyest unto me? Can they desire and endeavour to be holy? are they capable of making conscience of their ways? Know then, O thou wicked spirit, that I know myself animated with another, and more noble spirity, than these other material creatures; and that I am sufficiently conscious of my own powers; that I have an inmate in my bosom of a divine original; which, though it takes part with the body, whiles it is included in this case of clay; yet, can and will (when it is freed from this earth) subsist alone, and be eternally happy in the present, and perpetual vision of the God that made and redeemed it: and in the mean time exerciseth such faculties, as well show whence it is derived; & far transcend the possibility of all bodily temperament? Can it not compare one thing with another? Can it not deduce one sequel from another? Can it not attain to the knowledge of the secrets of nature, of the perfection of Arts? Can it not reach to the scanning of humane plots; and the apprehension of divine mysteries? Yea, can it not judge of spirits? how should it do althiss, if it were not a spirit? How evidently then doth the present estate of my soul convince thee of the future? All operations proceed from the forms of things; and every thing works as it is; Canst thou now deny, that my soul whiles it is within me, can, and doth produce such actions, as have no derivation from the body, no dependence on the body? for however in matter of sensation, it sees by the eyes, and hears by the ears, and imagines by those phantasms that are represented unto it; yet when it comes to the higher works of intellectual elevations, how doth it leave the body below it? raising to itself such notions, as wherein the body can challenge no interest? how can it now denude and abstract the thing conceived from all consideration of quantity, quality, place; and so work upon its own object, as becomes an active spirit? Thou canst not be so impudent, as to say the body doth these things by the soul; or that the soul doth them by the aid & concurrence of the body; and if the soul doth them alone, whiles it is thus clogged; how much more operative shall it be when it is alone separated from this earthen lump? And if the very voice of nature did not so sufficiently confute thee, that even thine own most eminent heathens have herein taken part against thee, living and dying strong assertors of the soul's Immortality; how fully might thine accursed mouth be stopped by the most sure words of divine truth? Yea, wert thou disposed to play at some smaller game, and by thy damnable clients to plead, not so much for the utter extinction, as for the dormition of the soul, those oracles of God have enough to charm thee, and them; and can with one blow cut the throat of both those blasphemies: That penitent thief, whose soul thou madest full account of, when he was led to his execution, (which yet my dying Saviour snatched out of thy hands) could hear comfortably from those blessed lips, This day 
Luk. 23. 42.  thou shalt be with me in Paradise: shall we think this malefactor in any other, in any better condition than the rest of God's Saints? Doth not the chosen vessel tell us, that upon the dissolution of our 
2 Cor. 5. 1.  earthly house▪ of this Tabernacle, we have a building of God not made with hands eternal in the heavens? Presently therefore after our flitting hence, we have a being, & that glorious; who can think of a being in heaven without a full sense of joy? Doth not our Saviour tell us, that the soul of poor Lazarus 
Luc. 16. 22.  was immediately carried by Angels into Abraham's boome? The damned glutton knew so well that he was not laid there to sleep, that he sues to have him sent on the message of his refrigeration: Did not the beloved disciple, when he was in Pathmos, upon the opening of the fifth 
Revel. 6. 9  feal, see under the altar the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held? Did he not hear them cry, How long Lord, holy▪ and true? What? Shall we think they cried in their sleep? Did he not see and hear the hundred forty four 
Revel. 14. 1, 3.  thousand Saints, before the throne, harping, and singing a new song to the praise of their God? Canst thou persuade us they made this heavenly music in their sleep? Doth he not tell us most plainly from the mouth of one of the heavenly Elders, that those which stood before the throne & the Lamb, 
Revel. 7. 14.  clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, were they that came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; therefore 
1.  are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them; They shall hunger 
16.  no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the Sun light on them, nor any heat; For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall 
17.  feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; This service both day and night, and 〈◊〉 leading forth can suppose nothing less than a perpetual waking; Neither is this the happy condition of holy Martyrs and Confessors only; but is common to all the Saints of God, in what ever profession; Blessed are the 
Revel. 14 13.  dead, which die in the Lord; How should the dead be blessed, if they did not live to know themselves blessed? What blessedness can be incident into those that either are not at all, or are senseless? They rest, but sleep not; they rest from their labours, not from the improvement of their glorified faculties: Their works followthen: yea and overtake them, in heaven; to what purpose should their works follow the if they lived not to enjoy the comfort of their works?  
This is the estate of all good souls, in despite of all thine infernal powers; and what becomes of the wicked ones, thou too well knowest; Dissemble thou how thou wilt those torments; and hide the sight of that pit of horror from the eyes ofthy sinful followers; He that hath the keys of 
Revel. 1. 18.  hell and of death hath given us intimation enough; Fear not them which kill the body, 
Mat. 10. 28.  but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him, who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell: Neither is he more able out of his omnipotence, then willing out of his justice, to execute this righteous vengeance on the impenitent, and unbelievers; Tribulation 
Rom. 2. 9  and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil.  
In vain therefore dost thou seek to delude me with these pretences of indemnity, and annihilation; since it cannot but stand with the mercy, and justice of the Almighty, to dispose of every soul according to what they have been, and what they have done; To them who by 
Ro m. 2▪ 8.  patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life; But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath: shortly, after all thy devilish suggestions, on the one part, The 
Wisd. 2. 1.  souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them: On the other, In flaming fire shall vengeance 
2 Thess. 1 8, 9  be taken on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.   

V. TEMPTATION  
Put case that the soul after the departure from the body may live; but art thou so foolishly credulous, as to believe that thy body, after it is moldred into dust, and resolved into all its elements, having passed through all the degrees of putrefaction, and annihilation, shall at last return to itself again, and recover the former shape and substance? Dost thou not apprehend the impossibility of this so absurd assertion? Repelled.  
NO, Tempter, it is true and holy faith, which thou reproachest for fond credulity: Had I to do with no greater power than thine, or then any Angels in heaven, that is, merely finite; I might well be censured for too light belief in giving my assent to so difficult a truth: but now that I have to do with omnipotence; it is no less than blasphemy in thee, to talk of impossibility: Do not thy very Mahometan vassals tell thee, that the same power which made man, can as well restore him? and canst thou be other than opposed with the question of that Jew, who asked whether it were more possible to make a man's body of water, or of earth? All things are alike easy to an infinite power. It is true, The resuscitation of the body from its dust is a supernatural work; yet such as whereof God hath been pleased to give us many images, and prefigurations even in nature itself; In the face of the earth, do we not see the image of death in winter season; and in the spring of a cheerful resurrection? Is not the life of all herbs, flowers, trees buried in the earth, during that whole dead season? and doth it not rise up again with the approaching Sun, into stems and branches; and send forth blossoms, leaves, fruits, in all beautiful variety? What need we any other than the Apostles instance; Thou fool, 
1 Cor. 15. 36,  that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die: And 
37,  that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain; it may 
38.  chance of wheat, or of some other grain; but God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him, and to every seed his own body; Lo, it must be rottenness and corruption that must make way for a flourishing increase: If I should come to a man that is ignorant of these fruitful productions of the earth; and showing him a little naked grain should tell him; This which thou seest shall rot in the ground; and after that, shall rise up a yard high, into divers stalks, and every stalk shall bear an ear; and every ear shall yield twenty or thirty such grains as itself is; or showing him an akorne, should say; this shall be buried in the earth, and after that, shall rise up twenty or thirty foot high; and shall spread so far, as to give comfortable shade to an hundred persons; Surely, I should not win belief from him; yet our experience daily makes good these ordinary proofs of the wonderful providence of the Almighty? Or should I show a man that is unacquainted with these great marvels of nature, the small seed of the Silkworm, lying scattered upon a paper, and seemingly dead, all winter long; and should tell him, these little atoms, so soon as the mulberry tree puts forth, will yield a worm; which shall work itself into so rich a house, as the great Princes of the earth shall be glad to shelter themselves with & after that, shall turn to a large fly; and in that shape, shall live to generate, & then speedily die; I should seem to tell incredible things, yet this is so familiar to the experienced that they cease 't owonder at it.  
If from these vegetables we shall cast our eyes upon some sensitive creatures; Do we not see snails, and flies, & some birds lie as senseless, and liveless all the winter time, & yet, when the spring comes, they recover their wont vivacity? Besides these resemblances, have we not many clear instances and examples of our resurrection? Did not the touch of Elishaes' bones raise up the partner of his grave? Was 
2 Kings 13. 21.  not Lazarus called up out of his sepulchre after four day's possess●ion; and many noisome degrees of rottenness? Were not the graves opened of many bodies of the Saints, 
Mat. 27. 52,  which slept? Did not they arise, and come out of their graves, after my Saviour's resurrection, 
53.  and go into the holy city, and appear unto many?  
Besides examples, have we not an all sufficient pledge of our certain rising again, in the victorious resurrection of the Lord of life? Is not he our head? Are not we his members? Is not he the 
1 Cor. 15. 20.  first fruits of them that slept? Did not he conquer death 
1 Cor. 15. 57  for us? Can the head be alive and glorious, whiles the limbs do utterly perish in a final corruption? Certainly then, if we believe that jesus died & rose again; 
1 Thes. 4. 14.  even so them also which sleep in jesus, will God bring with him. And if there were no more, that one argument wherewith my Saviour of old confounded thy Sadduces life's still to confound thee, God is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the 
Mat. 22. 32.  God of Jacob; But God is not the God of the dead, but of the living: The soul alone is not Abraham; whole Abraham lives not if the body were not to be joined to that soul.  
Neither is it only certain that the resurrection will be; but also necessary that it must be: neither can the contrary consist with the infinite wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy of the Almighty: For, first, how can it stand with the infinite goodness of the alwise God, that the creature which he esteems dearest, and loves best, should be the most miserable of all other? man is doubtless the best piece of his earthly workmanship; holy men are the best of men; Were there no resurrection, surely no creature under heaven were so miserable as the holiest man: The basest of brute creatures find a kind of contentment in their being, and (were it not for the tyranny of man) would live and die at ease; And others of them in what jollity and pleasure do they wear out their time? As for wicked men who let the reins lose to their licentious appetite, how do they place their heaven here below, and glory in this that they are yet somewhere happy? But for the mortified christian, were it not for the comfort and amends of a resurrection, who can express the misery of his condition? He beats down his body in the willing exercises of sharp austerity; and (as he would use some sturdy slave) keeps it under, holding short the appetite (oftentimes) even from lawful desires; so as his whole life is little other than a perpetual penance; And as for his measure from others, how open doth he lie to the indignities, oppressions, persecutions of men? how is he trampled upon, by scornful malignity; how is he reputed the offscouring of the world? how is he made a gazing stock of reproach to the world, to Angels, and to men? Did there not therefore abide for them 
1 Cor. 15. 19  the recompense of a better estate in another world, the earth could afford no match to them in perfect wretchedness: which how far it abhorreth from that goodness which made all the world for his elect, and so loves them, that he gave his own Son for their redemption, let any enemy besides thine accursed self, judge: How can it stand with the infinite justice of God (who dispenseth due rewards to good and evil) to retribute them by halves? The wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life; both these are given to the man not to the soul; The body is copartner in the sin, it must therefore share in the torment; it must therefore be raised that it may be punished; Eternity of joy or pain, is awarded to the just, or to the sinner; how can the body be capable of either if it should finally perish in the dust? How can it stand with the infinite mercy of God, who hath given his Son entirely for the ransom of the whole man, and by him salvation to every believer, that he should shrink in his gracious performances, making good only one part of his eternal word to the spiritual half, leaving the bodily part utterly forlorn to an absolute corruption? Know then, O thou wicked one, that when all the rabble of thine Athenian scoffers, and Atheous Sadduces, and carnal Epicureans shall have misspent all their spleen, my faith shall triumph over all their sensual reason, and shall afford me sound comfort against all the terrors of death from the firm assurance of my resurrection; and shall confidently take up those precious words, which the mirror of patience wished to be written in a book, and 
Job 19 23  graven with an iron pen in 
24, 25,  the rock for ever; I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms 
26.  destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: and my soul shall set up her rest in that triumphant conclusion of the blessed Apostle, This 
1 Cor. 15. 53,  corruptible must put on incorruption; and this mortal must put on immortality; So when 
54,  this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory? O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 
55,  The sting of death is sin; the 
56.  strength of sin is the Law; But thanks be to God which giveth 
57  us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.   

VI TEMPTATION  
If the soul must live; and the body shall rise: yet what needest thou to affright thyself with the terrors of an universal judgement? Credulous soul, when shall these things be? Thou talkest of an awful Judge: but where is the promise of his coming? These sixteen hundred years hath he been looked for: and yet he is not come, and when will he? Repelled.  
THy damned scoffers were betimes foreseen to move this question, even by that blessed Apostle, whose eyes saw his Saviour ascending 
2 Pet. 3. 3.  up to his glory, and who then heard the Angel say, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye 
Act. 1. 11.  gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. What dost thou and they but make good that sacred truth, which was delivered before so many hundred generations? Dissemble how thou wilt, That there shall be a general assize of the world, thou knowest, and tremblest to know: what other couldst thou mean, when thou askedst my Saviour that question of horror, Art thou come 
Mat. 8. 29.  to torment us before the time? That time thou knowest to be the day, in which God will judge the world in righteousness by 
Acts 17. 31.  that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead; How clear attestation have the inspired Prophets of God given of old to this truth? The ancientest Prophet that ever was, Henoch the seventh from Adam, in the time of the old world, foretells of this dreadful day; Behold, the Lord cometh, 
Judas 14. 15.  with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed; and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him; From the old world is this verity deduced to the new, and through the succession of those holy Seers derived to the blessed Apostles; and from them to the present generation; Yea, the sacred mouth of him, who shall come down, and sit as Judge in this awful tribunal, hath fully laid forth not the truth only, but the manner of this universal judicature; The Son of man shall come in his glory, and all 
Mat. 25. 31.  the holy Angels with him; Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep: And if this most sure word of the Prophets, Apostles, yea, and of the eternal son of God be not enough conviction to thee; yet to my soul they are an abundant confirmation of this main point of my Christian faith, that from heaven he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead; Indeed, thus it must be: How many condemned innocents' have in the bitterness of their souls, appealed from that unrighteous bar of men, to the supreme Judge, that shall come; those appeals are entered in heaven and sued out; how can it stand with divine Justice that they should not have a day of hearing?  
As for mean oppressors, there are good laws to meet with them; and there are higher than the highest to give life of execution to those laws; but if the greatest among men offend, if there were not an higher than they, what right would at last be done? Those that have the most power and will to do the greatest mischief, would escape the fairest: And though there be a privy Sessions in heaven upon every guilty soul, immediately upon the dissolution; yet the same justice, which will not admit public offences to be passed over with a private satisfaction, thinks fit to exhibit a public declaration of his righteous vengeance upon notorious sinners, before men and Angels: So as those very bodies which have been engaged in their wickedness, shall be in the view of the whole world, sent down to take part of their torment; and indeed wherefore should those bodies be raised, if not with the intent of a further disposition either to joy, or pain? Contrarily, how can it consist with the praise of that infinite justice, that those poor Saints of his, which have been vilified and condemned at every bar: persecuted, afflicted, tormented, and have passed through all 
Heb. 11. 37.  manner of painful & ignominious deaths, should not at the last be gloriously righted in the face of their cruel enemies? Surely, faith the Apostle, it is a righteous thing 
2 Thesl. 1. 6,  with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus 
7.  shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels. What is it, O thou wicked spirit, whereto thou art reserved in chains of darkness? Is it not the judgement 
jude 6.  of the great day? what is it whereto the manifestation of all hidden truths, and the accomplishment of all Gods gracious promises are referred? Is it not the great day of the Lord? shall the alwise and righteous Arbiter of the world decree, and reverse? Hath he not from eternity determined, and set this day; Wherein we must all appear before the judgement Seat of Christ, that every 
2 Cor. 5. 10.  one may receive the things done in his body; according to that he hath done, whether it be good, or evil? That there is therefore such a day of the Lord; in the which the heavens shall 
2 Pet. 3. 10.  pass away with a great noise, and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up; wherein the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 
1 Thes. 4. 16.  with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, is no less certain than that there is an heaven from whence he shall descend. All thy cavil is concerning the time; Thou, and thine are ready to say, with the evil servant in the Gospel, my Master defers his coming; And was not this wicked suggestion of thine foretold many hundred years ago, by the prime Apostle, and by the same pen answered? Hath he not told thee that 
2 Pet. 3. 8,  our computations of time are nothing to the infinite? That one day with the Lord, is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day? Hath he not told us, that this misconstrued slackness 
9  is in man's vain opinion, not in God's performance? He is slack to man that comes not when he is looked for, he is really slack that comes not when he hath appointed to come; Had the Lord broken the day which he hath set in his everlasting counsel, thou mightst have some pretence to cavil at his delay; but now that he only overstayes the time of our misgrounded expectation, ●he doth not slacken his pace, but correct our error: It is true, that Christians began to look for their Saviour betimes; insomuch, as the blessed Apostles were fain to persuade their eyes not to make such haste; putting them in mind of those great occurrences of remarkable change, that must befall the Church of God (in a general apostasy, & the revelation of the great Antichrist) before 
2 Thess. 2. 1.  that great day of his appearance. And the prime Apostle sends them to the last days (which are ours) for those scoffers, which shall say, 
2 Pet. 3. 3.  Where is the promise of his coming? If they looked for him too soon, we cannot expect him too late; He that is Amen, will be sure to be within his own time; when that comes, he that should come will come, and not tarry: In the mean while, not only in the just observation of his own eternal decree, but in much mercy, doth he prolong his return, mercy to his elect, whose conversion he waits for, with infinite patience; it is for their sake that the world stands; The Angel that was sent to 
Gen. 19▪ 22.  destroy Sodom could tell Lot, that he could do nothing till that righteous man were removed; no sooner was 
Gen. 19 22.  Let entered into Zoar, than Sodom is on a flame: mercy, even to the wicked, that they 
24.  may have ample leisure of repentance; Neither is it any small respect that the wise and holy God hath to the exercise of the faith, and hope, and patience of his dear servants upon earth; faith in his promises, hope of his performances, and patience under his delays; whereof there could be no use in a speedy retribution. In vain therefore dost thou, who fearest this glorious Judge will come too soon, go about to persuade me, that he will not come at all: I believe, and know, by all the foregoing signs of his appearance that he is now even at the threshold; Lo, he cometh, he cometh for the consummation of thy torment, and my joy; I expect him as my Saviour, tremble thou at him as thy Judge, who shall fully repay to thee all those blasphemies which thine accursed mouth hath dared to utter against him.   

VII. TEMPTATION  
If there must be a resurrection and a judgement; yet God is not so rigid an exactor, as to call thee to account for every petty sin; those great Sessions are for heinous malefactors; God is too merciful to condemn thee for small offences; be not thou too rigorous to thyself in denying to thyself the pleasure of some harmless sins. Repelled.  
FAlse tempter; there is not the least of those harmless sins, which thou wilt not be ready to aggravate against me, one day, before the dreadful tribunal of that infinite justice: those that are now small, will be then heinous; and hardly capable of remission: thy suggestions are no meet measures of the degrees of sin: It is true that there are some sins more grievous than others; there are faults, there are crimes, there are flagitious wickednesses; If some offences be foul, others are horrible, and some others irremissible; but that holy God, against whose only majesty sin can be committed, hath taught me to call no sin, small: The violation of that Law which is the rule of good, cannot but be evil; and betwixt good and evil there can be no less than an in finite disproportion: It is no small proof of thy cunning, that thou hast suborned some of thy religious panders to proclaim some sins venial, and such, as, in their very nature, merit pardon: Neither thou, nor they, shall be Casuists for me, who have heard my God say; Cursed is every one that continueth 
Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 27. 26.  not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them. Sin must be greater, or less according to the value of the command, against which it is committed; there is, (as my Saviour hath rated it) a least Commandment; 
Mat. 5. 19  and there are more points than one in that least Command; now the Spirit of truth hath told me, that whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in 
jam. 2. 10.  one point, he is guilty of all; And shall he that is guilty of the breach of the whole Law escape with such ease? I am sure a greater Saint than I can ever hope to be, hath said, If I sin, thou markest me, 
job 10. 14.  and wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity; and, old Eli, as indulgent as he was to his wicked sons, could tell them; If one man sin against another, the Judge shall judge 
1 Sam. 2. 25.  him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? What need is there, thou sayest, of any entreaty? God's mercy is such that he will pardon thy sins unasked; neither will he ever stick at small faults; Malignant spirit, how fain wouldst thou have God's mercy, and justice clash together? but thou shalt as soon wind thyself out of the power of that justice, and put thyself into the capacity of that mercy, as thou shalt set the least jar between that infinite justice and mercy; It is true, it were wide with my soul, if there were any limits to that mercy; That mercy can do any thing but be unjust; it can forgive a sinner, it cannot encourage him; forgive him upon his penitence, when he hath sinned; not encourage him in his resolution to sin: If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O 
Psal. 130. 3, 4.  Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared. I know therefore whither to have my recourse, when I have offended my God; even to that throne of grace where there is plenteous redemption; free and full remission; I hear the heavenly voice of him that saith, I, even 
Esa. 43. 25.  I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins; but, I dare not offend because his grace aboundeth: justly doth the Psalmist make the use and effect of his mercy, to be our fear: we must fear him for his mercies; and for his judgements, love him; so far am I from giving myself leave to sin because I have to do with a merciful God; as that his judgements have not so much power to drive me, as his mercies have to draw me from my dearest sins. As therefore my greatest sins are not too big for his mercy to remit, so my least sins are great enough to deserve his eternal displeasure. He that shall come to be Judge at those great Assizes, hath told us, that even every idle word that 
Mat. 12. 36.  men shall speak they shall give an account; What can be slighter than the wind of our words? and what words more harmless than those which have no evil quality in them, though no good? such are our idle words; yet even those may not pass without an account; and if our thoughts be yet less than they; even those must so try us, as either to accuse or excuse us; and, if evil, may condemn us: 
Rom. 2. 15.  Think not therefore to draw me into sin because it is little; 
Mat. 15. 14.  The wages of sin is death; here is no stint of quantities; If sin be the work, death is the wages; Persuade me now, if thou canst, that there is a little death for a little sin; persuade me that there is a lesser infiniteness; and a shorter eternity: till the great Judge of the world reverse his most just sentence, I shall look upon every sin as my death, and hate thee for the cause of both. But as thy suggestion shall never move me to take liberty to my self of yielding to the smallest sin; so the greatness of my most heinous sin, shall not daunt me whiles I rely upon an infinite mercy; even my bloodiest sins are expiated by the blood of my Saviour; that my all-sufficient surety hath cleared all my scores in heaven; In him I stand fully discharged of all my debts; and shall (after all thy wicked temptations) hold resolute, as not to commit the least sin, so not fear the greatest.   

VIII. TEMPTATION  
What a vain imagination is this, wherewith thou pleasest thyself, that thy sins are discharged in another man's person; that another's righteousness should be thine; that thine offences should be satisfied by another's punishment: Tush, they abuse thee that persuade thee God is angry with mankind, which he loves, and favours; or that his anger is appeased by the bloody satisfaction of a Saviour; that thou standest acquitted in heaven by that which another hath done and suffered: These are fancies not fit to find place in the heads of wise men Repelled.  
NAy rather, these are blasphemies not fit to fall from any but a malignant Devil: what is this but to flatter man, that thou mayst slander God? Is not the anger of a just God deservedly kindled against man for sin? Do not our iniquities 
Esa. 59 2.  separate between us & our God? Do not our sins hide his face from us, that he will not hear? Are we not all by nature the 
Eph. 2. 3.  children of wrath? Doth not the wrath of God come (for sin) upon 
Eph. 5. 6.  the children of disobedience? Doth not every willing sinner (after his hardness and 
Rom. 2. 5.  impenitent heart) teasure up unto himself lest he should not have enough wrath against the day of wrath, & the revelation of the just judgement of God? why do not thy Socinian clients go about to persuade us (as well) that God is not angry with thee, though he torment thee perpetually; and hold thee in everlasting 
jude 6.  chains under darkness? what proofs can we have of anger but the effects of displeasure? was it not from hence that man was driven out of Paradise? was it not from hence that both he, and we in him, were adjudged to death? as it is written, By one man sin entered into the 
Rom. 5: 12.  world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all men have sinned: yea, not only to a temporal death, but, By the offence of one, judgement 
Rom. 5. 18:  came upon all men to condemnation. Thou who art the dreadful executioner knowest too well who it is that had the power of death; over 
Heb. 2. 14, 15.  those who through the fear of death were all their lives long subject unto bondage. Under this woeful captivity did we lie; sold under sin, 
Rom. 7: 14.  vassals to it, and death, and thee; till that one Mediator 
Rom. 6: 16.  between God and man, the man Christ jesus was pleased to give himself a ransom 
1 Tim: 2: 5.  for all; that he might redeem us from all iniquity; who 
Tit. 2. 14:  by his own blood entered in once into the holy place 
Heb: 9 12.  making an eternal redemption for us: Lo, it is not doctrine, and example, it is no less than blood, the blood of the Son of God shed 
Eph. 1. 7:  for our redemption, that renders him a perfect Mediator, and cleanseth us from all sin, 
1 joh. 1. 7.  He hath loved us, and hath given 
Eph. 5. 2:  himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour: He hath redeemed 
Gal. 3: 13:  us from the curse of the Law; from the power of darkness; 
Col. 1. 13:  & hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh, through death 
Col. 1. 22.  to present us holy, unblameabl; & unreprovable in his sight, 
1 Pet. 2. 24:  He it is that bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. So abundant and clear testimony hath God been pleased to give to the infinite merit, and efficacy of the bloody satisfaction of his Son jesus made for us, that wert thou not as unmeasurably impudent as malicious, thou couldst not endeavour to outface so manifest a truth: Think not to beat me off from this sure & saving hold by suggesting the improbability of another's satisfaction, and obedience becoming mine; what is more familiar than this? Our sins are debts, (so my Saviour 
Mat. 6. 12:  hath styled them) how commona a thing is it for debts to be set over to another's hand? how ordinary for a bond to be discharged by the surety? If the debt then be paid for me, and that payment accepted of the Creditor, as mine, how fully am I acquitted?  
Indeed, thou dost no other than slander our title; The righteousness whereby we stand just before our God, is not merely another's; it is by application ours; it is Christ's; and Christ is ours; He is our Head, we, as members, are united to him; and by virtue of this blessed union, partake of his perfect obedience, and satisfaction: It is true, were we strangers to a Saviour, his righteousness could have no relation to us; but now that we are incorporated into him, by a lively faith, his graces, his merits are so ours, that all thy malice cannot sever them: I, even I who sinned in the first Adam, have satisfied in the second: The first Adam's sin was mine; 
2 Cor. 5. 21.  The second Adam was made sin for me; I made myself sinful in the first Adam, and in myself; My Christ is made to me of God righteousness 
1 Cor. 1. 30.  and redemption: The curse was my inheritance; Christ hath redeemed me from 
Gal. 3: 13:  the curse of the Law; being made a curse for me, that I might be made the righteousness 
2 Cor. 5: 21.  of God in him. It is thy deep envy thus to grudge unto man, the mercy of that redemption, which was not extended to thyself; but in despite of all thy snarling, and repining, we are safe. Being justified by faith, we 
Rom. 5. 1.  have peace with God through our Lord jesus Christ.   

IX. TEMPTATION  
How confidently thou buildest upon a promise; and if thou have but a word for it, mak'st thyself sure of any blessing: whereas thou mayst know, that many of those promises, which thou accountest sacred and divine, have shrunk in the performance; How hath God promised deliverance to those that trust in him; yet how many of his faithfullest servants have miscarried? what liberal promises hath he made of provision for those that wait upon him; yet how many of them have miserably perished in want? Repelled.  
BLasphemous spirit; that which is thine own guise thou art ever apt to impute unto the holy one of Israel; It is indeed thy manner to draw on thy clients with golden promises of life, wealth, honour, and to say (as once to my Saviour) All these will I give thee, when thou neither meanest, nor canst give any thing but misery and torment. As for my God, whom thou wickedly slanderest, his just title is, Holy, and true: his promises 
Rev. 6. 10. 2 Cor. 2. 20: Revel. 1. Numb: 23. 10.  are Amen, as himself: Thy Balaam could let fall so much truth, that God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent; Hath he said, and shall he not do it; or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Cast thine eyes back upon his dealings with his Israel, a people unthankful enough: and deny, if thou canst, how punctual he was in all his proceedings with them? Hear old Joshua, now towards his parting, profess: Behold, this 
Josh. 23. 14.  day I am going the way of all flesh, & ye know in your hearts, & in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof; Hear the same truth attested many ages after by the wifest King; Blessed be the 
1 King. 8. 56.  Lord (saith he) that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: There hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. And lest thou shouldst cavil that perhaps God takes greater liberty to himself in matter of his promises under the Gospel, than he formerly did under the Law; Let me challenge thy malice to instance in any one absolute promise, which God hath made since the beginning of the world unto this day, which he hath failed to perform; It is not, I grant, uneasy to name divers conditionate engagements, both of favours, and judgements, wherein God hath been pleased to vary from his former intimations; and such alteration doth ful-well consist with the infinite wisdom, mercy, and justice of the Almighty, for where the condition required, is not performed by man, how just is it with God either to withhold a favour, or to inflict a judgement; or, where he sees that an outward blessing promised (such a disposition of the soul as it may meet withal) may turn to our prejudice, and to our spiritual loss, how is it other than mercy to withdraw it? and in stead thereof to gratify us with a greater blessing undesired? In all which, even our own reason is able to justify the Almighty; for can we think God should be so obliged to us, as to force favours upon us, when we will needs render ourselves uncapable of them? or so tied up to the punctuality of a promise, as that he may not exchange it for a better?  
The former was Eli's case who received this message from the man of God sent to him for that purpose: The 
1 Sam. 2. 30.  Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever; but now the Lord saith; Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. God meant the honour of the Priesthood to the family of Eli; but what? was it in so absolute terms, that how ever they dishonoured God, yet God was bound to honour them? All these promises of outward favours do never other then suppose an answerable capacity in the receiver; like as the menaces of judgement (how ever they sound) do still intend the favourable exception of a timely prevention by a serious repentance. And though there be no express mention of such condition in the promises and threatenings of the Almighty: yet it is enough that he hath once for all made known his holy intentions to this purpose by his Prophet; At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, 
Jer. 18. 7,  and concerning a kingdom to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation against whom I have 
8,  pronounced, turn from their evil; I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them; And, at what instant I shall 
9,  speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom to build and to plant it; If it do evil 
10.  in my sight, that it obey not my voice, than I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.  
The message of Hezekiah's death, and Niniveehs destruction was, in the letter, absolute, but in the sense and intention, conditionate; with such holy and just reservations are all the promises and threats of the Almighty in these temporal regards; whiles they alter therefore, he changeth not; but for his spiritual engagements, that word of his shall stand everlastingly, I will not suffer 
Psal. 89. 33, 34.  my faithfulness to fail; My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth: Indeed this is the Tentation, wherewith thou hast formerly set some prime Saints of God, very hard: How doth the holy Psalmist hereupon break out into a dangerous passion? Will 
Psal. 77. 7,  the Lord cast off for ever? and will be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? 
8,  doth his promise fail for evermore? hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure? 
9,  Lo, the man was even falling, yet happily recovers his feet; And I said, this is 
10.  mine infirmity; thine infirmity sure enough (O Asaph) to make question of the veracity and unfailableness of the sure mercies, and promises of the God of truth: Well was it for thee, that thy God, not taking advantage of thy weakness, puts forth his gracious hand, and stays thee with the seasonable consideration of the years of the 
v. 11.  right hand of the most high; with the remembrance of the works of the Lord, and of his wonders of old; these were enough to teach thee the omnipotent power, the neverfailing mercy of thy maker and redeemer. In no other plight through the impetuousness of this temptation was the man after Gods own heart, whiles he cried out; I was greatly afflicted, I said in my haste all men 
Psal. 116. 10, 11,  are liars: the men that he misdoubted were surely no other than God's prophets, which had foretold him his future prosperity, & peaceable setlement in the throne; these (upon the cross occurrences he met with) is he ready to censure as liars, and through their sides, what doth he but strike at him that sent them? But the word was not spoke in more haste, than it was retracted; I believed, therefore 
v. 10,  I spoke; and then sense of mercies doth so overtake the sense of his sufferings, that now he takes more care what 
12,  to retribute to God for his bounty, than he did before how to receive it, & pitches himself upon that firm ground of all comfort, Oh 
16.  Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bonds. Here shall I stay my soul against all thy suggestions of distrust, O thou malicious enemy of mankind; building myself upon that steady rock of Israel, whose word is, I am Jehovah, I change not.  
Thou tell'st me of deliverances promised, yet ending in utter mis-carriages; of provisions vanished into want: Why dost thou not tell me that even good men die? These promises of earthly favours to the godly declare to us the ordinary course, that God pleaseth to hold in the dispensation of his blessings: which he so ordereth, as that generally they are the Lot of his faithful ones, for the encouragement and reward of their services; and contrarily his judgements befall his enemies, in part of payment; But yet the great God, who is a most free agent, holds fit to leave himself at such liberty, as that sometimes for his own most holy purposes, he may change the scene: which yet he never doth, but to the advantage of his own; so as the oppressions & wrongs which are done to them, turn favours; The Hermit in the story could thank the thief that robbed him of his provision, for that he helped him so much the sooner to his journey's end; and indeed, if being stripped of our earthly goods, we be stored with spiritual riches; if whiles the outward man perisheth, the inward man be renewed in us; if for a little bootless honour here, we be advanced to an immortal glory; if we have exchanged a short and miserable life, for a life eternally blessed; finally if we lose earth, and win heaven, what cause have we to be other then thankful? whereto we have reason to add, that in all these gracious promises of temporal mercies, there is ever to be understood the exception of expedient castigation, and the meet portage of the Cross; which were it not to be supplied, God's children should want one of the greatest proofs of his fatherly love towards them: which they can read even written in their own blood; and can bless God in killing them for a present blessedness. So as after all thy malice, God's promises are holy, his performances certain, his judgements just, his servants happy.   

X. TEMPTATION  
Thou art more nice than needs; Your preachers are too straitlaced in their opinions, and make the way to heaven narrower than God ever meant it; Tush, man, thou mayst be saved in any religion: Is it likely that God will be so cruel, as to cast away all the world of men in the several varieties of their professions, and save only one poor handful of reformed Christians? Away with these scruples; A general belief, and a good meaning will serve to bring thee to heaven, without these busy disquisitions of the Articles of faith. Repelled.  
IT is not for good that thou makest such liberal tenders to my soul; thou well knowst how ready man's nature is to lay hold on any just liberty that may be allowed him; and how repiningly it stoops to a restraint; but this which thou craftily suggestest to me (wicked spirit) is not liberty, it is licentiousness: Thou tell'st me the way to heaven is as wide as the world; but the spirit of truth hath taught me, that straight is the 
Mat. 7. 13.  gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it: I know there is but one truth, and one life, and one way to that life; and I know who it was that said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. He who is one of these, is all; My Saviour who is life, the end of that way, is likewise the way that leads unto that end; neither is there any way to heaven but he; All that is besides him, is bypaths and error; And if any Teacher shall enlarge, or straiten this way Christ, let him be accursed. And if any Teacher shall presume to chalk out any other way than Christ, let him be accursed; Tell not me therefore of the multitudes of men, and varieties of religions that there are in the world; If there were as many worlds as men, and every of those men in those worlds, were severed in religion; yet, I tell thee, there is but one heaven, and but one gate to that heaven, and but one way to that gate; and that one gate, and way, is Christ; without whom therefore there can be no entrance. It is thy blasphemy to charge cruelty upon God, if he do not (that, whereof thou wouldst most complain, as the greatest loser) set heaven open on all sides to whatsoever comers: Even that God and Saviour's which possesseth and disposeth it, hath told us of a straight gate, and a narrow way; and few passagers. In vain dost thou move me to affect to be more charitable than my redeemer: He best knows what he hath to do with that mankind, for whom he hath paid so dear a price; Yet, to stop thy wicked mouth; that way, which in comparison of the broad world is narrow, in it self▪ hath a comfortable latitude; Christ extendeth himself largely to a world of believers: This way lies open to all; no nation, no person under heaven is excluded from walking in it; Yea all are invited by the voice of the Gospel to tread in it: and whosoever walks in it with a right foot, is accepted to salvation.  
How far it may please my Saviour to communicate himself to men, in an implicit way of belief; and what place those general and involved apprehensions of the redeemer may find for mercy, at the hands of God, he only knows that shall judge: this I am sure of, that without this Saviour, there can be no salvation; That in every nation he that feareth 
Act. 10. 35.  God, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him; That he that hath the Son, hath 
1 Joh. 5. 12.  life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.  
As therefore we do justly abhor that wild scope of all religions, which thou suggestest; so we do willingly admit a large scope in one true religion; so large as the author of it hath thought good to allow: For we have not to do with a God that stands upon curiosities of belief; or that, upon pain of damnation, requires of every believer an exquisite perfection of judgement, concerning every capillar vein of Theological truth; it is enough for him if we be right for the main substance of the body; He doth not, call rigorously for every stone in the battlements, it sufficeth, for the capacity of our salvation if the foundation be hold in tire: It is thy slander therefore that we confine Truth; and blessedness to a corner of Reformed. Christians▪ no; we seek and find it every where, where God hath a Church and God's Church we know to be Universal: Let them be Abassines, Cophties, Armeniant, Georgians, Jacobites, or what ever names either slander, or distinction hath put upon them; if they hold the foundation firm (howsoever disgracefully built upon with wood, hay, 
1 Cor. 3. 12.  stubble) we hold them Christ's, we hold them ours. Hence it is, that the new Jerusalem 
Revel. 21. 12.  is for her beauty, and uniformity set forth with 12 precious gates, (though for use and substance, one) for that from all coasts of heaven there is free access to the Church of Christ, and in him to life and glory.  
He who is the Truth and the life hath said, This is eternal life to know thee, and him whom thou hast sent. This knowledge which is our way to life, is not alike at tained of all; foam have greater light, and deeper insight into it than others, That mercy which accepts of the least degree or the true apprehension of Christ, hath not promised to dispense with the wilful neglect of those who might know him more clearly, more exactly: Let those careless souls, therefore, which stand indifferent betwixt life and death, upon thy persuasion, content themselves with good meanings, and generalities of belief, but for me I shall labour to furnish myself with all requisite truths; and above all shall aspire towards 
Philip. 3. 8, 10.  the excellency of the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ; that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.    

TEMPTATIONS REPELLED.  
The second Decade.  
Temptations of Discouragement.   

II. DECADE.  

I. TEMPTATION  
Were it for some few sins of ignorance, or infirmity, thou mightst hope to find place for mercy; but thy sins are, as for multitude innumerable, so; for quality, heinous, presumptuous, unpardonable: with what face canst thou look up to heaven and expect remission from a just God?  
Repelled.  
EVen with the face of an humble penitent, justly confounded in himself, in the sense of his own vileness, but awfully confident in a promised mercy: Malicious tempter; how like thou art to thyself? when thou wouldst draw me on to my sins; then, how small, sleight, harmless, plausible they were? now thou hast fetch't me in, to the guilt of those foul offences, they are no less than deadly and irremissible. May I but keep within the verge of mercy, thou canst not more aggravate my wickedness against me, then I do against myself; thou canst not be more ready to accuse, than I to judge and condemn myself; Oh me, the wretchedest of all creatures, how do I hate myself for mine abominable sins; done with so high a hand, against such a Majesty, after such light of knowledge, such enforcements of warning, such endearments of mercy, such reluctations of spirit, such check of conscience; what less than hell have I deserved from that infinite justice? Thou canst not write more bitter things against me, than I can plead against my own soul; But when thou hast cast up all thy venom; and when I have passed the heaviest sentence against myself, I, who am in myself utterly lost, and forfeited to eternal death, in despite of the gates of hell shall live, and am safe, in my Almighty, and ever-blessed Saviour who hath conquered Death and hell for me. Set thou me against myself; I shall set my Saviour against thee; urge thou my debts, I show his full acquittance: Sue thou my bonds, I shall exhibit them cancelled, and nailed to his cross: press thou my horrible crimes, I plead a pardon sealed in heaven: Thou tell'st me of the multitude, and heinousness of my sins, I tell thee of an infinite mercy; and what are numbers and magnitudes to the infinite? To an illimited power what difference is there betwixt a mountain and an ant-heape? betwixt one and a million? were my sins a thousand times more and worse than they are, there is worth abundantly enough in every drop of that precious blood which was shed for my redemption, to expiate them: Know, O tempter, that I have to do with a mercy which can die my scarlet sins, 
Esa. 1. 18.  white as snow; & make my crimson, as wool; whose grace is so boundless, that if thou thyself hadst, upon thy fall, been capable of repentance, thou hadst not everlastingly perished; The Lord is gracious, 
Psal. 145. 8,  and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy; The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his 
9,  works; And if there be a sin of man unpardonable, it is not for the insufficiency of grace to forgive it, but for the incapacity of the subject that should receive remissision.  
Thou feelest to thy pain, and loss, wherefore it was that the eternal son of God, 
1 Tim. 1. 15.  Jesus Christ, came into the world; Even to save sinners! and if my own heart shall conspire with thee to accuse me as the chief of those sinners, my repentance gives me so much the more claim, and interest in his blessed redemption: Let me be the most laden with the chains of my captivity, so I may have the greatest share in that all-sufficient ransom.  
And if thou who art the true fiery serpent in this miserable wilderness, hast by sin stung my soul to death; let me (as I do) with penitent and faithful eyes but look up to that brazen serpent which is lift up far above all heavens, thy poison cannot kill, cannot hurt me. It is the word of eternal truth, which cannot fail us, If we confess our sins, he is 
1 Joh. 1. 9  faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  
Lo, here, not mercy only, but justice on my side; The spirit of God saith not only, if we confess our sins, he is merciful to forgive our sins, as he elsewhere speaks by the pen of Solomon: but more; 
Proverb. 28: 13.  he is faithful and just to forgive our sins; Our weakness and ignorance is wont to fly from the justice of our God, unto his mercy; What can we fear, when his very justice yields remission? That justice relates to his gracious promise of pardon to the penitent; whiles I do truly repent therefore, his very justice necessarily infers mercy, and that mercy forgiveness: Think not therefore, O thou malicious spirit, to affright me with the mention of Divine Justice; Woe were me if God were not as just, as merciful; yea if he were not therefore merciful because he is just; merciful in giving me repentance, just in vouchsafing me the promised mercy and forgiveness, upon the repentance which he hath given me.  
After all thy heinous exaggerations of my guilt, it is not the quality of the sin, but the disposition of the sinner that damns the soul; If we compare the offensive acts of a David, and a Saul, it is not easy to judge whether were more foul; thou which stirred'st them up both to those odious sins, madest account of an equal advantage against both; but thine aim failed thee; the humble and true penitence of the one saved him out of thy hands, the obduredness, and false-heartedness of the other gave him up, as a prey to thy malice; It is enough for me that though I had not the grace to avoid my sins, yet I have the grace to hate and bewail them; that good spirit which thought not good to restrain me from sinning, hath been graciously pleased to humble me for sinning. Yea such is the infinite goodness of my God to my poor soul, that those sins which thou hast drawn me into, with an intent of my utmost prejudice, and damnation, are happily turned, through his grace, unto my greatest advantage; for had it not been for these my sinful miscarriages, had I ever attained to so clear a sight of my own frailty and wretchedness? so deep a contrition of soul? so real experience of temptation? so hearty a detestation of sin? such tenderness of heart? such awe of offending? so fervent zeal of obedience? so sweet a sense of mercy? so thankful a recognition of deliverance? What hast thou now gained, O thou wicked spirit, by thy prevalent temptations? What Trophies hast thou cause to erect for thy victory and my soil? Couldst thou have won me to a trade of sinning, to a resolution in evil, to a pleasure as in the commission, so in the memory of my sin, to a glorying in wickedness, & then mightst have taken the advantage of snatching me away in a state of unrepentance, thou mightst have had just cause to triumph in thy prey; but now, that it hath pleased my God to show me so much mercy, as to check me in my evil way, to work in me an abhorring of my sin, and of myself for it, and to pull me out of thy clutches, by a true and seasonable repentance, thou hast lost a soul, and I have found a Saviour; Thou mayst upbraid me with the foulness of my sins, I shall bless God for their improvement.   

II. TEMPTATION  
Alas, poor man, how willing thou art to make thyself believe that thou hast truly repent; whereas this is nothing but some dump of Melancholy; or some relenting of nature after too much expense of spirits; or some irksome discontentment after a satiety and weariness of pleasure, or some slavish shrinking in upon the expectation of a lash; true penitence is a spiritual business, an effect of that grace which was never incident into thy bosom Repelled.  
MAlicious tempter, it is my no small happiness that thou art not admitted to keep the key of my heart, or to look into my breast, to see what is in my bosom; and therefore thou canst not, out of knowledge, pass any censure of my inward dispositions; only wilt be sure to suggest the worst; which the falser it is, the better doth it become the father of lies; But that good spirit which hath wrought true repentance in my heart, witnesseth, together with my heart, the truth of my repentance. Canst thou hope to persuade me, that I do belie, or mis-know my own grief? Do not I feel this heart of mine bleed with a true inward remorse for my sins? Have I not poured out many hearty sighs, and tears for mine offences? Do I not ever look back upon them with a vehement loathing and detestation? Have I not with much anguish of soul confessed them before the face of that God whom I have provoked?  
Think not now to choke me with a Cain, or Saul, or Judas, which did more, and repented not; & to fasten upon me a worldly sorrow that worketh Death; No wicked one, after all thy depravations, this grief of mine looks with a far other face then theirs, and is no other than a Godly sorrow working repentance 
2 Cor. 7. 10.  to salvation, not to be repent of; theirs was out of the horror of punishment, mine out of the sense of displeasure; theirs for the doom and execution of a severe Judge, mine for the frowns of an offended father; theirs attended with a woeful despair, mine with a weeping confidence; theirs a preface to Hell, mine an introduction to salvation. And since thou wilt needs disparage, and miscall this godly disposition of mine; Lo, I challenge this envy of thine to call it to the Test, and to examine it thoroughly whether it agree not with those unfayling rules of the sympcomes and effects of the sorrow, which is according to God: Hath not here been a 
1 Cor. 7. 11.  true carefulness; as to be freed and acquitted from the present guilt of my sin; so to keep my soul unspotted for the future; both to work my peace with my God, and to 〈◊〉 it? Hath not my herd earnestly▪ laboured to clear itself before God▪ not with shuffling excuses, and flattering mitigations; but by humble and sincere confessions of my own vileness? Hath not my breast swelled up with an angry indignation at my sinful mis-carriages? have I not seriously rated myself, for giving way to thy wicked temptations? Have I not trembled, not only at the apprehension of my own danger by sin, but at the very suggestion of the like offence? have I not been kept in awe with the jealous fears of my miserable frailties, lest I should be again ensnared in thy mischievous gins? Have I not felt in myself a servant desire above all things to stand right, in the recovered favour of my God; and to be strengthened in the inner man with a further increase of grace; for the preventing of future sins; and giving more glory to my God, and Saviour? Hath not my heart within me burned with so much more zeal to the honour and service of that Majesty which I have offended, as I have more dishonoured him by my offence? hath it not been inflamed with just displeasure at myself, and all the instruments & means of my mis-leading? Lastly, have I not fall'n foul upon myself for so easy a seduction? have I not chastised myself with sharp reproofs▪ have I not held my appetite short, and upon these very grounds punished it with a denial of lawful contentments? have I not thereupon tasked myself with the harder duties of obedience▪ and do I not now resolve, and carefully endeavour to walk conscionably in all the ways of God; Malign therefore how thou wilt, my repentance stands firm against all thy detractions, and is not more impugned by thee on earth, than it is accepted in heaven.   

III. TEMPTATION  
Thou hast small reason to bear thyself upon thy repentance; it is too slight; seconded with too many relapses, too late, to yield any true comfort to thy soul Repelled.  
NOr thus can I be discouraged by thee, malicious spirit; The mercy of my God hath not ●et any stint to the allowed measure of repentance; Where hath he ever said; Thus far shall thy penitence come, else it shall not be accepted? It is truth that he calls for, not measure; That happy thief, whom my dying Saviour rescued out of thy hands, gave no other proof of his repentance, but, We are justly 
Luke 23. 41.  here; and receive due reward of our deeds; yet was admitted to attend his Redeemer from his Cross to his Paradise.  
Neither do we hear any words from penitent David after his foul crimes, but, I have sinned, Not that any true penitent can be afraid of too much compunction of heart; and is ready to dry up his tears too soon; rather pleasing himself with the continuance and pain of his own smart; but that our indulgent father, who takes no pleasure in our misery, is apt to wipe away the tears from our eyes, contenting himself only with the syncernesse, not the extremity of our contrition: Thy malice is altogether for extremes; either a wild security, or an utter desperation; that holy and merciful Spirit, who is a professed lover of mankind, is ever for the mean; so hating our carelessness that he will not suffer us to want the exercises of a due humiliation; so abhorring despair, that he abides not to have us driven to the brink of that fearful precipice. As for my repentance, therefore it is enough for me that it is sound, and serious for the substance; yet, withal, (thanks be to that good Spirit that wrought it) it is graciously approvable even for the measure; I have heartily mourned for my sins, though I pined not away with sorrow; I have broken my sleep for them, though I have not watered my couch with my tears; and, next to thyself, I have hated them most: I have beaten my breast, though I have not rend my heart; and what would I not have done, or given that I had not sinned? Tell not me that some worldly crosses have gone nearer to my heart, than my sins; and that I have spent more tears upon the loss of a son, than the displeasure of my heavenly father; The father of mercies will not measure our repentance by these crooked lines of thine; he knows the flesh and blood we are made of; and therefore expects not we should have so quick a sense of our spiritual, as of our bodily affliction; it contents him that we set a valuation of his favour, above all earthly things; and esteem his offence the greatest of all evils that can befall us: and of this judgement and affection it is not in thy power to bereave my soul.  
As for my relapses; I confess them with sorrow and shame: I know their danger; and (had I not to do with an infinite mercy) their deadliness: Yet after all my confusion of face, and thine enforcement of justice, my soul is safe; for upon those perilous recidivations my hearty repentance hath made my peace; The long-suffering God, whom I have offended, hath set no limits to his remission: After ten miraculous signs in Egypt, his Israel tempted him no less 
Numb. 14. 22.  than ten times in the wilderness, yet his mercy forbore them: not rewarding their reiterated sin with deserved vengeance; Hath not that gracious Saviour of mankind charged us to forgive our offending brother no less than seventy times seven times? 
Mat. 18. 22.  and what proportion is there between our mercy, and his? Couldst thou charge me with encouraging myself to continue my sin upon this presumption of pardon, thou hadst cause to boast of the advantage, but now that my remorse hath been sincere, and my falls weak, my God will not withhold mercy from his penitent; that hath not only confessed but forsaken 
Prov. 28. 13.  his sin.  
As for the late season of my repentance, I confess I have highly wronged and hazarded my soul in the delay of so often required, and so often purposed a work; and given thee fair advantages against myself, by so dangerous a neglect; but blessed be my God that he suffered not these advantages to be taken; I had been utterly lost, if thou hadst surprised me in my impenitence: but now, I can look back upon my peril well passed, and defy thy malice: No time can be prejudicial to the king of heaven; no season can be any bar either to our conversion, or his merciful acceptance: It is true, that lateness gives shrewd suspicions of the truth of repentance; but where our repentance is true, it cannot come too late. Object this to some formal souls, that having lavished out the whole course of their lives in wilful sensuality & profaneness, think to make an abundant amends for all, on their deathbeds with a fashionable, Lord have mercy; These whom thou hast mocked and drawn on with a stupid security all their days, may well be upbraided by thee, with the irrecoverable delay of what they have not grace to seek; but that soul which is truly touched with the sense of his sin; and in an humble contrition makes his address to God, and interposes Christ betwixt God and itself, is in vain scared with delay; and finds that his God makes no difference of hours. Do I not see the Prodigal in the Gospel, after he had run himself 
Luke 15. 14, 15, etc.  quite out of breath & means, yet at the last cast, returning, and accepted▪ I do not hear his father austerely say, Nay, unthrift, hadst thou come whiles thou hadst some bags left, I should have welcomed thy return as an argument of some grace, and love: but now that thou hast spent all; and necessity, not affection drives thee home, keep off, and starve; but the good old man runs, and meets him; and falls on his neck and kisses him, and calls for the best robe, and the fatted calf: Thus, thus deals our heavenly Father with us wretched sinners; if after all refuges vainly sought, and all gracious opportunities carelessly neglected, we shall yet have sincere recourse to his infinite mercy the best things in heaven shall not be too good for us.   

IV. TEMPTATION  
Tush! What dost thou please thyself with these vain thoughts? if God cared for thee couldst thou be thus miserable? Repelled.  
AWay thou lying Spirit; I am afflicted; but it is not in thy power to make me miserable: And did I yet smart much more, wouldst thou persuade me to measure the favour of my God by these outward events? Hath not the Spirit of Truth taught me that in these external matters, All things come 
Eccles. 9 2.  alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; & he that sweareth, as he that feareth an Oath: But if there were any judgement to be passed upon these grounds, the advantage is mine; I smart, yea I bleed under the hand of my heavenly father; Whom 
Heb. 12. 6.  the Lord loveth he chasteneth; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth: Lo, there cannot e so much pain in the stripes, as there is comfort in the love of him that lays them on; He were not my father if he whipped me not; Truth hath said it, If ye be 
Heb. 12. 8.  without chastisements, ye are bastards, and not sons: He cannot but love me, whiles he is my father: and let him fetch blood on me, so he love me: After all thy malice, let me be a bleeding son to such a father; whiles thy base-born children enjoy their ease.  
Impudent tempter, how canst thou from my sufferings argue God's disfavour, when thou knowest that he whom God loved best, suffered most? The eternal Son of his love, that could truly say, I and the Father are one, endured more from the hand of that his heavenly Father then all the whole world of mankind was capable to suffer▪ Surely he hath 
Esa. 53. 4,  borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for one transgressions, he was 
5,  bruised for our iniquities▪ the chastisements of our peace were upon him▪ the Lord hath laid 
6.  on him the iniquities of us all. What poor flea bitings are these that I am afflicted with▪ in respect of those torments which the Son of God under went for me?  
Thou that sawest the bloody sweat of his agony, the cruel tortures of his crucifixion, the pangs of worse than death, the sense of his Father's wrath & our curse, dost thou move me, whom he hath bought with so dear a price, to murmur, and recoil upon divine providence for a petty affliction?  
Besides, this is the load which my blessed Saviour hath with his own hands laid upon my shoulders; If 
Luk. 9 23. Mat. 16. 24. Mar. 8. 34.  any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Lo, every Cross is not Christ's; each man hath a cross of his own, and this cross he may not think to tread upon, but he must take up; and not once perhaps in his life, but daily, and with that weight on his neck he must follow the Lord of life, not to his Tabor only, but to his Golgotha: And thus following him on earth, he shall surely overtake him in heaven; for if we suffer with 
2 Tim. 2. 12.  him, we shall also reign with him▪  
It is still thy policy, O thou envious Spirit, to fill mine eyes with the cross, and to represent nothing to my thoughts, but the horror and pain of suffering, that so thou may'st drive me to a languishing dejectedness of spirit, and despair of mercy; But my God hath raised and directed mine eyes to a better prospect, quite beyond thine, which is a crown of glory. I see that ready to be set upon my head after my strife, and victory, which were more then enough to make amends for an hell upon earth: In vain should I hope to obtain it without a conflict; how should I overcome if I strive not? These struggle are the way to a conquest; After all these assaults the foil shall be thine, and mine shall be the glory and triumph; The God of Truth hath said it: Be faithful to the death, and I will give thee a crown of life.  
Thine advantage lies in the way, mine in the end; the way of affliction is rugged, deep, stiff, dangerous; the end is fair, and green, and strewed with flowers; No chastening for the present 
Heb. 12. 11.  seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterwards, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  
What if I be in pain here for a while? The sufferings 
Rom. 8. 18.  of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  
It is thy maliciousness that would make the affliction of my body the bane of my soul: but if the fault be not mine, that which thou intendest for a poison shall prove a cordial: Let patience 
Jam. 1. 4.  have her perfect work, and I am happy in my sufferings: For our light affliction, which 
2 Cor. 4. 17.  is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory▪ Lo; it doth not only admire of glory, but works it for us; so as we are infinitely more beholden to our pain, then to our ease; and have reason not only to be well apaid, but to rejoice in tribulations; knowing, That Tribulation 
Rom. 5. 3.  worketh patience, and patience experience, & experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed.  
Tell me if thou canst, which of those Saints that are now shining bright in their heaven, hath got thither un-afflicted? How many of those blessed ones have endured more, than my God will allow thee to inflict upon my weakness? Some more, and some less sorrows; all some, yea many: so true is that word of the chosen vessel, That through much tribulation we must enter into the 
Act. 14. 22.  kingdom of God.  
By this than I see that I am in my right way to that blessedness I am travelling towards; Did I find myself in the smooth, pleasant and flowery path of carnal ease and contentment; I should have just reason to think myself quite out of that happy road; Now I know I am going directly towards my home; the abiding City which is above; So far therefore are my sufferings from arguing me miserable, that I could not be happy if I suffered not.   

V. TEMPTATION  
Foolish man, how vainly dost thou flatter thyself in calling that a chastisement, which God intends for a judgement; in mistaking that for a rod of fatherly correction, which God lays on as a scourge of just anger, and punishment. Repelled.  
IT is thy maliciousness, O thou wicked spirit, ever to misinterpret God's actions; and to slander the footsteps of the Almighty; But notwithstanding all thy mischievous suggestions, I can read mercy, and favour in my affliction; neither shall it be in the power of thy temptation to put me out of this just construction of my sufferings; For, what? Is it the measure of my smart that should argue God's displeasure? How many of God's darlings on earth have endured more? What sayest thou to the man, with whom the Almighty did once challenge and foil thee, the great pattern of patience; was not his calamity as much beyond mine, as my graces are short of his? Dost thou not hear the man after Gods own heart say, Lord, remember David and all his troubles? Dost thou not hear the chosen vessel who was rapt up into the third heaven, complain, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; 
2 Cor. 4. 8.  perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. Of the Jews five 
2 Cor. 11. 24,  times received I forty stripes save one; Thrice was I beaten 
25,  with rods; once was I stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeying often, 
26,  in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, etc. In weariness and 
27,  painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness; Yea which was worse than all these, dost thou not hear him say, There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me? Dost thou not too well know (for thou wert the main actor in those woeful Tragedies) what cruel torments the blessed Martyrs of God in all ages have undergone for their holy profession? None upon earth ever found God's hand so heavy upon them, none upon earth were so dear to heaven; The sharpness therefore of my pangs can be no proof of the displeasure of my God; Yea contrarily, this visitation of mine (what ever thou suggestest) is in much love and mercy: Had my God let me lose to my own ways, and suffered me to run on carelessly in a course of sinning without check, or control, this had been a manifest argument of an high and heinous displeasure: God is grievously angry when he punishes sinners with prosperity; for this shows them reserved to a fearful damnation; but whom he reclaims from evil by a severe correction, those he loves, there cannot be a greater favour than those saving stripes; When we are 
1 Cor. 11. 32.  judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world.  
Besides, the manner of the infliction speaks nothing but mercy; for, what a gentle hand doth my God lay upon me? as if he said, I must correct thee, but I will not hurt thee; what gracious respites are here; what favourable inter-spirations; as if God bade me to recollect myself; and invited me to meet him by a seasonable humiliation; This is not the fashion of anger and enmity; which aiming only at destruction, endeavours to surprise the adversary, and to hurry him to a sudden execution.  
Neither is it a mere affliction that can evince either love or hatred; all is in the attendants, and entertainment of afflictions; Where God means favour, he gives together with the cross an humble heart, a meek spirit, a patient submission to his good pleasure, a willingness to kiss the rod, and the hand that wields it, a faithful dependence upon that arm from which he smarts; and lastly, an happy use and improvement of the suffering, to the bettering of the soul; who so finds these dispositions in himself may well take up that resolution of the sweet singer of Israel, It is 
Psal. 119. 71, 75.  good for me that I have been afflicted; I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right; and that thou in very faithfulness hast afflicted me: Contrarily, where God smites in anger, those strokes are followed and accompanied with woeful symptoms of a spiritual malady; either a stupid senselessness and obduredness of heart; or an impatient murmuring at the stripes; saucy and presumptuous expostulations, fretting and repining at the smart; a perverse alienation of affection, and a rebellious swelling against God; an utter dejection of spirit, and lastly an heartless despair of mercy. Those with home thou hast prevailed so far as to draw them into this deadly condition of soul, have just cause to think themselves smitten in displeasure, but as for me, blessed be the name of my God, my stripes are medicinal, and healing: Let the righteous God thus smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil that shall not break my head.   

VI TEMPTATION  
Away with these superstitious fears, and needless scruples wherewith thou fond troublest thyself; as if God that sits above in the circle of heaven regarded these poor businesses that pass here below upon earth; or cared what this man doth, or that man suffereth: Dost thou not see that none prosper so much in the world as those that are most noted for wickedness? and dost thou see any so miserable upon earth as the holiest? Could it be thus if there were providence that over looks and overrules these earthly affairs? Repelled.  
THe Lord rebuke thee, Satan. Even that great Lord of heaven and earth, whom thou so wickedly blasphemest; wouldst thou persuade me that he who is infinite in power, is not also infinite in providence? He whose infinite power made all creatures, both in heaven above, and in earth beneath, shall not his infinite providence govern and dispose of all that he hath made? Lo, how justly the spirit of wisdom calls thee, and thy clients, fools, & brutish things; They say, the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob 
Psal. 94. 7,  regard; Understand ye brutish 
8,  among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not 
9,  hear? he that form the eye, shall not he see? he that teacheth 
10.  man knowledge, shall not he know? It was no limited power, that could make this eye to see, this ear to hear, this heart to understand; and if that eye which he hath given us, can see all things that are within our prospect; and that ear that he hath planted, can hear all sounds that are within our compass; and that heart that he hath given us, can know all matters within the reach of our comprehension; how much more shall the sight, and hearing, and knowledge of that infinite Spirit (which can admit of no bounds) extend to all the actions and events of all the creatures, that lie open before him that ma●e them?  
It is in him that we live, 
Act. 17. 28.  and move, and have our being; and can we be so sottish, as to think we can steal a life from him, which he knows not of? or a motion that he discerneth not?  
That word of his by whom all creatures were made, hath told me, that not one sparrow 
Mat. 10. 29.  (two whereof are sold for a farthing) can fall to the ground without my heavenly Father; yea, that the very hairs of our 
v. 30.  heads (though a poor, neglected excrement) are all numbered: and can there be any thing more slight than they? How great care must we needs think is taken of the head, since not an hair can fall unregarded?  
The Lord maketh poor and 
1 Sam. 2. 7,  maketh rich; he bringeth down and lifteth up: He raiseth up 
v. 8.  the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory; for the pillars of the earth are the Lords, and he hath set the world upon them.  
Even Rabshakeh himself spoke truer than he was aware of; Am I now come up 
2 Kings 18. 25.  without the Lord against this place? No certainly, thou insolent blasphemer, thou couldst not move thy tongue, nor wag thy finger against God's inheritance, without the providence of that God, who returned answer to thy proud Master, the King of Assyria, I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against 
2 Kings 19 27, 28.  me; Thy rage, and thy tumult is come up into my ears; therefore I will put an hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest: So true is that word of Elihu; His eyes are upon the ways of 
Job 34. 21.  man; and he soeth all his goings; there is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves; Seconded by the holy Psalmist; The Lord looketh 
Psal. 33. 13, 14.  from heaven, he beholdeth all the sons of men; From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.  
Neither is this divine providence confined only to man, the prime piece of this visible creation; but; it extends itself to all the workmanship of the Almighty: O. Lord how manifold are, thy 
Psal. 104. 24,  works; in wisdom hast thoumade them all; the earth is full of thy riches: So is the great 
25,  and wide Sea; wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts; these wait all upon thee, that 
27.  thou mayst give them their meat in due season, thou givest it them, they gather; thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good: The young Lions 
Psal. 104. 21.  roar after their prey; and seek their meat from God; The ravens 
Luk. 12. 24,  neither sow nor reap, no● have any store-house, or barn, yet God feedeth them; The Lilies 
27.  toil not, nor sp●●, yet the great God cloaths them with more than Salomon's glory. Who knoweth not in all 
Job 12. 9, 10.  these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing; and the breath of all mankind. What dost thou then, O thou false spirit, think to choke divine providence with the smallness, and multitude of objects? as if quantities or numbers could make any difference in the Infinite? as if one drop of water were not all one to the Almighty, with the whole deep? One corn of sand with the whole mass of the earth? as if that hand which graspeth the large circumference of the highest heaven could let slip the least fly, or worm upon earth? When thou feelest, to thy pain, that this eye of omniscience, and this hand of power reaches even to thy neither most hell; and sees and order every of those torments wherewith thou art everlastingly punished; and at pleasure puts bounds to thy malicious endeavours against his meanest creatures upon earth?  
Thou tellest me of the wickedest men's prosperity; This is no new dart of thine, but the same which thou hast thrown, of old, at many a faithful heart; Holy Job, David, Jeremy felt the dint of it; not without danger, but without hurt.  
It is true; Wicked men flourish; what marvel is this? The world loves his own: Doth any man wonder to see the weeds overtop the good herbs? They are natives to that soil, whereto the other are but strangers. Wicked men prosper; It is all the heaven they are like to have; and yet, alas, at the best, it is but a woeful one; how intermixed with sorrows and discontentments? how full of uncertainties? how certain of ruin, and confusion? It is a sure and sad interchange, whereof Father Abraham minds the man who was now more full of torment, then formerly of wealth; Son, remember, that thou in thy 
Luk. 16. 25.  life time receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus evil; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  
The wicked man prospers; but how long? I have 
Psalm. 37. 35, 36.  seen the wicked in great power; and spreading himself like a green bay-tree; yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not; I sought him, but he could not be found.  
The wicked prosper; Alas, their welfare is their judgement; God doth not owe them so much favour, as to afflict them: They walk on mertily towards a deadly precipice: The just God lets them alone; and will not so much as molest their jollity with a painful check.  
The wicked thrive in the world; How should they do other? Mammon is the God they serve, and what can he do less than bless them with a miserable advantage? for thus their wealth is made to them an occasion of falling; The prosperity of fools 
Prov. 1. 32.  shall destroy them.  
The wicked prosper; Let me never prosper if I envy them: Do not I see their day coming? Do not I know that they are merely fed up to the slaughter? Wherefore do the crammed fowls, and fatted Oxen fare better than their fellows? Is it out of favour, or is it that they are designed to the dresser? Amnon is feasted with his brethren, those that serve him see death in his face: Belshazzar triumphs in mirth, and carouseth freely in the sacred vessels; The hand writes upon the wall, Thy days are numbered, thy 
Dan. 5. 26.  kingdom finished: The revelling of the wicked, is but a lightning before an eternal death.  
Thou tell'st me on the the contrary, that the godly are persecuted, afflicted, tormented. It is true; None 
Heb. 11. 37.  knows it better than thyself, who under the permission of the most High, art the author of all their sufferings. It is thou, the red Dragon, 
Revel. 12. 4,  that standest ready to devour the masculine issue of God's Church; It is thou, 
13,  that when the persecuted woman flees into the wilderness, pourest out of thy mouth, after her, floods of water to drown her: It is thou that inspirest Tyrants 
v. 15.  with rage against the innocent Saints of God; and actuatest their hellish cruelty: But, when thou hast all done, the most wise and mighty arbiter of heaven turns all this to the advantage of his dear ones upon earth: The blood of the Martyrs doth, and shall prove the seed of the Church; whereof every grain yields thirty, sixty, an hundred fold: Neither had the 
Act. 7. 52.  Church of God been so numerous, if there had been less malice in thy prosecution: And as for those several Christians, that have undergone the worst of thy fury, they are so far from finding cause of complaint, that they rejoice and triumph in the happy issue of their intended miseries; They can say to thee as Joseph said of old, to his once-envious brethren; Thou 
Gen. 50. 20.  thoughtst evil against us, but God meant it unto good; they had not now sat so gloriously crowned in the highest heaven, if thou hadst not persecuted them unto blood.  
None are so afflicted (thou sayest) as the godly; True, their Saviour hath told them before hand what to trust to; In the world ye shall have 
Joh. 16. 33. Mat. 24. 9 Luk. 21. 12, 13. Joh. 15. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 12, 19  tribulation; Have they any reason to look for better measure than their blessed redeemer? If the world hate you, (saith he) ye know that it hated me before it hated you: If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you; Now, welcome, welcome that hate that is raised from our dear Saviour's love and election; Woe were us if we were not thus hated: Let the world hate, and hurt us thus still, so we may be the favourites of heaven.  
None fare so ill on earth as the godly, both living and dead; The dead bodies of God's servants, have they given to 
Psal. 79. 2,  be meat to the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of his Saints, unto 
3,  the beasts of the field, their blood have they shed like water, and there was none to bury them; They are become a reproach 
4.  to their neighbours; a scorn and derision to them that are round about them. Oh the poor impotent 
Rev. 16. 6.  malice of wicked spirits, and men! What matters it if our carcases rot upon earth, whiles our souls shine in heavenly glory? What matters it, if for a while we be made a gazingstock 
1 Cor. 4. 9  to the world, to Angels, and to men; whiles the Son of God hath assured us of an eternal royalty? To him that 
Rev. 3. 21.  overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my throne; even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne.  
None are so ill entreated as the godly: It is true, for none are so happy as they: Blessed are they which are persecuted 
Mat. 5. 10,  for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when 
11,  men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil of you, falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, 
12.  for great is your reward in heaven: Who would not endure wrongs a while to be everlastingly recompensed? Here is not place only for patience, but for joy, and that exceeding; in respect of a reward so infinitely glorious. It is no marvel then, 
Mat. 5. 44.  if we be bidden to pray for them which despitefully use us, and persecute us; these are the men that are our great Benefactors, & (though full sore against their wills) contribute to our eternal blessedness.  
The wicked triumph, whiles the righteous are trampled upon; What marvel? we are in a middle region betwixt heaven, and hell; but nearer to this latter, which is the place of confusion: It is but staying a while; and each place will be distinctly peopled with his own; there is a large and glorious heaven appointed for the everlasting receptacle of the just, an hell for the godless: till then, the eternal wisdom hath determined for his most holy ends to give way to this confused mixture, and to this seeming-inequality of events. How easy were it for him to make all heaven; but he hath a justice to glorify, as well as a mercy: and (in the mean time) it is the just praise of his infinite power, wisdom, goodness, that he can fetch the greatest good, out of the worst of evils.  
All things go cross here; the righteous droop, the wicked flourish: The end shall make amends for all; The world is a stage; every man acts his part; the wise compiler of this great interlude hath so contrived it; That the middle Scenes show nothing but intricacy; and perplexedness; the unskilful spectator is ready to censure the plot; and thinks he sees such unpleasing difficulties in the carriage of affairs, as can never be reconciled; but by that time he have sat it out, he shall see all brought about to a meet accordance; and all shut up in a happy applause. Blessed is the man 
Jam. 1. 12.  that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.  
The world is an Apothecary's shop, wherein there are all manner of drugs, some poisonous, others cordial; An ignorant, that comes in, and knows only the quality, not the use of those receipts, will strait be ready to say; What do these unwholesome simples, these dangerous minerals, these deadly juices here? But the learned, and skilful artist knows how so to temper all these noxious ingredients, that they shall turn Antidotes, and serve for the health of his patient. Thus doth the most high and holy God order these earthly (though noxious) compositions, to the glory of his great name, and to the advantage of his chosen: So as that suggestion, wherewith thou meantest to batter the divine providence of the Almighty, doth invincibly fortify it; his most wise permission and powerful overruling of evil actions and men through the whole world to his own honour, & the benefit of his Church.   

VII. TEMPTATION  
If God be never so liberal in in his promises and sure in performances of mercy, to his own, yet what is that to thee? thou art none of his, neither canst lay any just claim to his election; Repelled.  
HOw boldly can I defy thee, O thou lying spirit, whiles I have the assurance of him, who is the word of Truth; How confidently dare I challenge thee upon that unfailing testimony, which shall stand 
Mat. 5. 18.  till heaven and earth shall pass; Ye that have believed 
Ephes. 1. 13,  in Christ, are sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the 
14.  purchased possession unto the praise of his glory: Lo here a double assurance, which all the powers of hell shall in vain labour to defeat; The Almighty's Scale, and his Earnest: both made, and given to the believer; and therefore to me: In spite of all temptations I believe, and know whom I have believed; I can accuse my faith of weakness, thou canst not convince it of untruth; and all the precious promises of the Gospel, and all the gracious engagements of God, are made, not to the measure, but to the truth of our belief, and why should not I as truly know that I rely upon the word of my Saviour, as I know that I distrust, and reject thine? Since than I am a subject truly capable of this mercy, what can hinder me from enjoying it? Cheer thyself up therefore, O my soul, with this undefeisible confidence, that thou hast God's seal, and his earnest for thy salvation. Even an honest man will not be less than his word; but if his hand have seconded his tongue, he holds the obligation yet stronger; but if his seal shall be further added to his hand, there is nothing that can give more validity to the grant, or contract: yet, even of the value of Seals there is much difference: The Seal of a private man carries so much authority as his person; the seal of a Community hath so much more security in it, as there are more persons interessed: But the signet of a King hath wont to be held, to all purposes, authentical; as we find (to omit Ahab) in the signatures of Ahasuerus, and Darius; Who desires any better assurance for the estate of him and his posterity, than the Great Seal? And behold here is no less than the great seal of heaven for my election and salvation; Ye are sealed with the spirit of promise.  
But lest thou shouldest plead this to be but a grant of the future, and therefore, perhaps, upon some intervenient mis-deamures, or unkindness taken, reversible; know that here is yet further, an actual conveyance of this mercy to me; in that here is an Earnest given me beforehand of a perfect accomplishment: An earnest, that both binds the assurance, and stands for part of payment of that great sum of glory which abides for me in heaven. This seal I show, this earnest I produce; so as my securance is unfailable: And, that thou mayst not plead this Seal to be counterfeit, set on only with a stamp of presumption and self-love; know that here is the true and clear impression of God's spirit in all the lines of that gracious signanature; a right (though weak) illumination of mind in the true apprehension of heavenly things, sincerity of holy desires, truth of inchoate holiness, unfainedness of Christian charity, constant purposes and endeavours of perfect obedience: And as for my earnest, it can no more disappoint me, than the hand that gave it; My soul is possessed with true (how ever imperfect) grace: and what is grace but the beginning of glory? and what is glory but the consummation of grace? What should I regard thy cavils, whiles I have these pledges of the Almighty? It is not in thy power, malicious spirit, to sever those things which Gods eternal decree hath 
2 Pet. 1. 10.  put together: Our calling▪ and election are thus conjoined from eternity; All the craft and force of hell cannot divorce them: Whom he 
Rom. 8. 30.  did predestinate them also he called; and whom he called them he also justified; and whom he justifieth them also he glorifieth; It is true that outwardly many are called, but few chosen; but none are inwardly called which are not also chosen: in which number is my poor soul, whereto God hath showed mercy in singling it out of this wicked world, into the liberty of the sons of God; For, do not I find myself sensibly changed from what I was? am I not evidently freed from the bondage of those natural corruptions, under which thou heldst more miserably captived? Do I not hate the courses of my former disobedience? Do I not give willing ear to the voice of the Gospel? Do I not desire and endeavour to conform myself wholly to the will of my God and Saviour? Do I not heartily grieve for my spiritual failings? Do not I earnestly pray for grace to resist all thy temptations? Do not I cordially affect the means of grace and salvation? Do I not labour in all things to keep a good conscience before God, and men? Are not these the infallible proofs of my calling, and the sure and certain fruits of mine election? Canst thou hope to persuade me, that God will bestow these favours where he loves not? that he will repent him of such mercies? That he will lose the thanks and honour of so gracious proceedings? Suggest what thou wilt; I am more than 
Philip. 1. 6.  confident, that he who hath begun this good work in me, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.  
Do not I hear the chosen vessel tell his Thessalonians, that he knows them to be elected of God? And upon what grounds doth he raise this assurance? For (saith 
1 Thessaly. 1. 4, 5.  he) our Gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost: That which can assure us of another man's election, may much more secure us of our own: the entertainment & success of the Gospel in our souls. Lo, that blessed word hath wrought in me a sensible abatement of my corrupt affections; and hath produced an apparent renovation of my mind; and hath quickened me to a new life of grace, and obedience; this can be no work of nature; this can be no other than the work of that Spirit, whereby I am sealed to the day of redemption; My heart 
Ephes. 4. 30.  feels the power of the Gospel; my life expresses it; maugre all thy malice; therefore I am elected. When the gates of hell have done their worst, none of God's children can miscarry; For 
Rom. 8. 17.  if children, than they are heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. Now, as many as 
Rom. 8. 14.  are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God; and this is the direction that I follow. There are but three guides that I can be led by; my own will, thy suggestions, the motions of God's spirit. For my own will, I were no Christian if I had not learned to deny it, where it stands opposite to the will of my God; as for thy suggestions, I hate and defy them; they are only therefore the motions of that good Spirit which I desire to follow; and if at any time, my own frailty have betrayed me to some aberrations, my repentance hath overtaken my offence; and in sincerity of heart, I can say with an holier man; I have gone astray like a sheep: seek 
Psal. 119. 176.  thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments: All thy malice therefore cannot rob me of the comfort of mine adoption.  
It is no marvel if thou, who art all enmity, canst not abide to hear of love; but God, who is love, hath told me; that love is of God, and 
1 Joh. 4. 8. 4. 7.  that every one that loveth is borne of God; and that by this we know that we have passed 
1 Joh. 3. 14.  from death to life, because we love the brethren; now, my heart can irrefragably witness to me, that I love God because he is good; infinitely good in himself, and infinitely good to me; and that I love good men because they are his sons, my brethren; I am therefore as surely passed from death to life, as if I had set my foot over the threshold of heaven.   

VIII. TEMPTATION  
Alas, poor man, how grossly deludest thou thyself? thou talk'st of thy faith, and bearest thyself high upon this grace; and think'st to do great matters by it; whereas the truth is, thou hast no faith, but that which thou mis-callest so, is nothing else but mere presumption. Repelled.  
IS it any wonder that thou shouldst slander the graces of God, who art ever ready to calumniate the giver? No, tempter; Canst thou challenge this faith of mine, which thou censurest, to be thine own work? such it should be, if it were presumption; Were it presumption, wouldst thou oppose it? wouldst thou not foster and applaud it as thine? The presumption is thine, who darest thus derogate from the gracious work of the Almighty; and fasten sin upon the holy Spirit; Mine is faith; yet so mine, as that it is his that wrought it: There is not more difference betwixt thee, and an Angel of light, then betwixt my faith, and thy presumption: True faith (such is mine, after all thy slanderous suggestions) is grounded upon sound knowledge, and that knowledge upon an infallible word; Whereas presumption rests only upon opinion, and conceit, built upon the sands of self-love: Whence it is that the most ignorant are ever the most presumptuous; when the knowing soul sees what dangers it is to encounter, and provides for them with an awful resolution.  
True faith never comes without careful and diligent use of means; The word, sacraments, prayer, meditation are but enough with their conjoined forces to produce so divine a work; whereas presumption comes with ease; it costs nothing, no strife, no labour to draw forth so worthless and vicious a disposition; yea rather corrupt nature is forward not only to offer it to us, but even to force it upon our admission; and it is no small mastery to repel it.  
True faith struggles with infidelity; this jacob is wrestling with this Esau in the womb of the soul; and, if at any time, the worse part (through the violence of a temptation) get the start of the better, the hand lays hold on the heel, and suffers not itself to be any other then insensibly prevented; but recovers the light ere the suggestion can be fully completed; and at last so far prevails, that the elder shall serve the younger; This is 
1 Joh. 5. 4.  the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith:  
Whereas presumption is ever quiet and secure; not fearing any peril; not combating with any doubt; pleasing itself in its own ease and safety; and in the confidence of a perpetual prosperity can say, I shall never be 
Psal. 30. 6.  moved.  
True faith, wheresoever it is, purifieth the heart, and will not suffer any known 
Act. 15. 9  sin to harbour there; and is ever attended with care, awfulness, love, obedience:  
Whereas presumption impures the soul, and works it to boldness, obduration, false joy, security, senselessness.  
True faith grows daily; like the grain of mustardseed in the Gospel, which from small beginnings arises to a tall, and large-spreading plant: presumption hath enough, and sits down contented with its own measure, applauding the happiness of its own condition.  
True faith, like gold, comes out pure from the fire of Temptation; and, like to sound friendship, is most helpful in the greatest need; Presumption, upon the easiest trial, vanisheth into smoke and dross, and is never so sure to fail us as in the evil day.  
So then this firm affiance of mine, being grounded upon the most sure promises of the God of Truth, upon frequent use and improvement of all holy means; after many bicker with thy motions of unbelief; being attended with holy and purifying dispositions of the soul; and gathering still more strength, and growing up daily towards a longed-for perfection; and which, now, thy experience convinces thee, to be most present and comfortable in the hour of Temptation, is true faith, not as thou falsely suggestest, a false presumption.  
It is true, my unworthiness is great, but I have to do with an infinite mercy; so as my wretched unworthiness doth but heighten the glory of his most merciful pardon and acceptation. Shortly then, where there is a divine promise of free grace and mercy, a true apprehension and embracing of that promise; a warrant and acceptance of that apprehension, a willing reliance upon that warrant, a sure knowledge and sense of that reliance, there can be no place for presumption; This is the case betwixt God and my soul; His word of promise, and warrant that cannot deceive me, is: He that 
Joh. 3. 36.  believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and, He that believes 
Joh. 5. 24.  in him that sent me hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation, but hath passed from death to life; My own heart irrefragably makes out the rest; which is the truth of my apprehension, reliance, knowledge. Mine therefore is the faith; the presumption in casting slander upon the grace of God's spirit is thine own.   

IX. TEMPTATION  
Thou thoughtest perhaps once, that thou hadst some tokens of God's favour; but now, thou canst not but find that he hath utterly forsaken thee, and withdrawing himself from thee, hath given thee up into my hands, to which thy sins have justly forfeited thee. Repelled.  
BE not discouraged, O thou weak soul, with this malicious suggestion of the enemy: Thou art not the first, nor the holiest that hath been thus assailed; So hard was the man after Gods own heart driven with this Temptation; that he cries out in the bitterness of his soul, Will the Lord cast (me) 
Psal. 77. 7.  off for ever? and will he be 
9  favourable no more? hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Is his mercy clean 
8.  gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Thy case was his for the sense of the desertion, why should not his case be thine for the remedy? Mark how happily and how soon he recovers himself: And I said, This is 
77. v. 10,  my infirmity; But I will remember the years of the right 
11,  hand of the most high; I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember the wonders of old; I will meditate 
12.  of all thy works: Lo, how wisely, and faithfully David retreats back to the sure hold of God's formerlyexperimented mercies, and there finds a sensible relief: He, that when he was to encounter with the proud Giant, could beforehand arm himself with the proof of God's former deliverances and victories, (Thy servant 
1 Sam. 17. 36.  slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them;) now animates himself after the temptation against the spiritual Goliath, with the like remembrance of God's ancient mercies, and endearments to his soul; as well knowing that, what ever we are, God cannot but be himself; God is not as a man, that 
Num. 23. 19  he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent; Having loved his own, which 
Joh. 13. 1.  were in the world, he loved them unto the end: Hast thou therefore formerly found the sure testimonies of God's favour to thee, in the real pledges of his holy Graces; live thou still, whiles thou art thus besieged with temptations, upon the old store; know, that thou hast to do with a God, that can no more change, than not be: Satan cannot be more constant to his malice then thy God is to his everlasting mercies. He may for a time be pleased to withdraw himself from thee; but it is, that he may make thee so much more happy in his re-appearance: It is his own word, For a small moment have I 
Esay 54. 7,  forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In 
8.  a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer.  
In the case wherein thou now art, thou canst be no meet Judge either of God's respects to thee, or thine own condition; Can the aguish palate pass any true judgement upon the taste of liquors? Can the child entertain any apprehension of his parent's favour whiles he is under the lash? Can any man look that the fire should give either flame or heat, whiles it lies covered with ashes? Can any man expect fruit, or leaves from the tree in the midst of winter? Thou art now in a fit of temptation; thou art now smarting under the rod of correction; thy faith lies raked up under the cold ashes of a seeming desertion; the vegetative life of thy soul is, in this hard season of thy trial, drawn inward, and run down to the root; thine estate is never the less safe for this, though more uncomfortable: wait thou upon God's leisure with all humble submission; the event shall be happy; when the distemper is once over, thou shalt return to thy true relish of God's mercy; when thine heavenly father shall smile upon thee, and take thee up in his arms, thou wilt see love in his late stripes; when those dead ashes shall be removed, and the gleeds of grace stirred up again in thee, thou shalt yield both light, and warmth; when the Sun of righteousness shall approach to thee, and with his comfortable beams draw up the sap into the branches, thou shalt blossom and flourish; In the mean time fear nothing; only believe, and thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord; Thy soul is in surer hands than thine own, yea then of the greatest Angel in heaven; far out of the reach of all the 
Coloss. 3.  powers of hell; For our life is hid with Christ in God; Hid; not lost, not laid open to all eyes; but hid; hid, where Satan cannot touch it, cannot find it; even with Christ in the heaven of heavens.  
Fear not therefore, O thou feeble soul, any utter dereliction of thy God; Thou art bought with a price: God paid too dear for thee, and is too deeply engaged to thee, to lose thee willingly; and for any force to be offered to the Almighty, what can men or Devils do?  
And if that malignant spirit shall challenge any forfeiture; plead thou thy full redemption: It is true; the eternal and inviolable law hath said, Cursed is every one 
Galat. 3. 10.  that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them; and, the soul that sinneth shall die; Death and curse is therefore due to thee; But thou hast paid both of these, in thy blessed redeemer; Christ 
Galat. 3. 13.  hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us; Where sin abounded, 
Rom. 5. 20,  grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto 
21.  death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by jesus Christ our Lord; It is all one to pay thy debt in thine own person, and by thy surety; Thy gracious surety hath staked it down for thee to the utmost farthing: Be confident therefore of thy safe condition; thou art no less sure, than thine adversary is malicious.   

X. TEMPTATION  
Had God ever given thee any sure testimonies of his love, thou mightst perhaps pretend to some reason of comfort and confidence. But the truth is, God never loved thee; he may have cast upon thee some common favours, such as he throws away upon reprobates, but for the tokens of any special love that he bears to thee, thou never didst; never shalt receive any from him. Repelled.  
THis is language well-befitting the professed makebate betwixt God and man; but know, O thou false tempter, that I have received sure and infallible testimonies of that special love, which is proper to his elect: First then, (as I have to do with a bountiful God, who where he loves, there he inriches; so) I have received most precious gifts from his hands; such as do not import a common, and ordinary beneficence, (which he scatters promiscuously amongst the sons of men) but such as carry in them a dearness, and singularity of divine favour: even the greatest gifts, that either he can give, or man receive; For first he hath given me his spirit, the spirit of Adoption, 
1 Joh. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 15,  whereby I can call him Father; for the assurance whereof, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that 
16.  we are the children of God: Deny, if thou canst, the invaluablenesse of this heavenly gift; and if thy malice cannot detract from the worth, but from the propriety; yielding it to be great, but denying it to be mine; know, O thou envious spirit, that here is the witness of two spirits combined against thine; Were the testimonies single, surely I had reason to believe my own spirit, rather than thine, which is a spirit of error; but now, that the spirit of God conjoines his inerrable testimony together with my spirit, against thy single suggestion, how just cause have I to be confident of my possession of that glorious, and blessed gift? Neither is that good spirit dead, or dumb, but vocal, and operative: it gives me a tongue to call, God, Father; it teacheth me to pray; it 
Rom. 8. 26.  helpeth mine infirmities, and maketh intercession for me, with groan which cannot be uttered; It worketh effectually in me a sensible conversion; Even when I was dead in sins and trespasses, 
Ephes. 2. 1,  God, who is rich in mercy, 
4,  for his great love wherewith he loved me, hath by this spirit of his quickened 
5,  me together with Christ, and hath raised me up together 
6.  with him: By the blessed effects therefore of this regenerating Spirit happily begun in my soul I find how rich a treasure the Father of mercies hath conveyed into my bosom. Besides, my life shows what is in my heart; it was a gracious word, that God spoke to his people of old, and holds for ever; I will put my 
Ezek. 36. 27,  spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes; I will 
29.  also save you from all your uncleannesses; The spirit of God can never be severed from obedience; If the heart be taken up with the holy Spirit, 
1 Joh. 5. 3.  the feet must walk in God's statutes; & both heart and life must be freed from all wilful uncleannesses; I feel that God hath wrought all this in me; from him it is, that I do sincerely desire, & endeavour to make strait steps in all the ways of God; and to avoid, and abhor all those foul corruptions of my sinful nature; Flesh and blood hath not, would not, could not work this in me; The Spirit therefore of him who 
Rom. 8. 11.  raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in me; And if this be not a pledge of his dearest love, heaven cannot yield one.  
Moreover, he hath bestowed upon me another gift, more worth than all the world; his own son, the son of his love, the son of his nature by eternal generation; Whom he hath not only given for me, in a generality with the rest of mankind, but hath by a special donation conveyed unto me, and, as it were put into my bosom; in that he hath enabled me by a lively faith to bring him home unto my soul; and hath thus by a particular application made him mine: so as my soul is not more mine, than he is my souls; And having given me his son, he hath with him given me all things: If there can be greater tokens of love then these, let me want them.  
Besides his gifts, his carriage doth abundantly argue his love; were there a strangeness between God and my soul, I might well fear there were no other than overly respects from him towards me: but now, when I find he doth so freely and familiarly converse with his servant, and so graciously imparts himself to me; renewing the daily testimonies of his holy presence in the frequent motions of his good spirit, answered by the returns of an humble and thankful obedience; here is not love only, but entireness. What other is that poor measure of love, which our wretched meanness can return unto our God, but a weak reflection of that fervent love which he bears unto us? It is the word of Divine Wisdom, I love them 
Prov. 8. 17.  that love me, and the disciple of love can tell us the due order of love, We love him, 
1 Joh. 4. 19  because he first loved us. The love of God therefore which is shed abroad in our hearts, by 
Rom. 5. 5.  the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us, is an all-sufficient conviction of God's tender love unto us: My heart tells me, then, that I love God truly, though weakly; God tells me that he embraceth me with an everlasting love, which thy malice may snarl at, but can never abate.    

TEMPTATIONS REPELLED.  
The third Decade.  
Temptations of Allurement.   

III. DECADE.  

I. TEMPTATION  
Thou hast hitherto thus long given entertainment to thy sin, and no inconvenience hath ensued; no evil hath befallen thee, thy affairs have prospered better than thy scrupulous neighbours; why shouldst thou shake off a companion, that hath been both harmless, and pleasant? Go on man, sin fearlessly; thou shalt speed no worse than thou hast done; Go on, and thrive in thine old course, whiles some precisely conscientious beg, and starve in their innocence. Repelled.  
IT is right so as wise Solomon observed of old: Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily; 
Eccles. 8. 11.  therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil. Wicked spirit; What a deadly fallacy is this which thou puttest upon miserable souls? Because they have aged in their sins, therefore they must die in them: because they have lived in sin, therefore they must age in it; because they have prospered in their sin, therefore they must live in it; whereas all these should be strong arguments to the contrary; There cannot be a greater proof of God's disfavour then for a man to prosper in wickedness; neither can there be a more forcible inducement to a man to forsake his sin, than this, that he hath entertained it: What dost thou other in this then persuade the poor sinner to despise the riches of the 
Rom. 2. 4,  goodness and forbearance, and long suffering of God; which should lead him to repentance; and after his hardness, and impenitent 
5.  heart to treasure up unto himself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgement of God? What an horrible abuse is this of divine mercy? That which is intended to lead us to repentance, is now urged by thee to draw us from repentance; Should the justice of God have cut off the sinner in the flagrance of his wicked fact; there had been no room for his penitence, and now God gives him a fair respite for his repentance, thou turnest this into a provocation of sinning; Let the case for the present be mine; If sin have so far bewitched me as to win me to dally with it; must I therefore be wedded to it? or if I be once wedded to it, through the importunity of Temptation, shall I be tied to a perpetual cohabitation with that fiend, and not free myself by a just divorce? Because I have once yielded to be evil, must I therefore be worse? Because I have happily, by the mercy of my God, escaped hell in sinning, shall I wilfully run myself headlong into the pit, by continuing in sin? No, wicked one, I know how to make better use of God's favour, and my own miscarriages: I cannot reckon it amongst my comforts, that I prospered in evil; Let obdured hearts bless themselves in such advantages; but I adore that goodness, that forbore me in my iniquity; neither dare provoke it any more. Think not to draw me on by the lucky success of my sin; which thou hast wanted no endeavour to promote; Better had it been for me, if I had fared worse in the course of my sinning; but had I been yet outwardly more happy, do I not know that God vouchsafes his showers, & his sunshine to the fields of those, whose persons he destinies to the fire? Can I be ignorant of that, which holy job observed in his time, That the Tabernacles 
Job 12. 6.  of the wicked prosper; and they that provoke God are secure, into whose hands God bringeth abundantly; That 
Job 21. 13.  they spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave; and (as the Psalmist seconds him) There are no bands in their death; but 
Psal. 73. 4.  their strength is firm; They are not in trouble like other men, therefore pride compasseth them about as achaine; And let these jolly men brave it out in the glorious pomp of their unjust greatness; The same eyes that noted their exaltation, have also observed their downfall. They are exalted for a little 
job 24. 24.  while (saith Job) but they are gone, and brought low; they are taken out of the way, as all others; and cut off, as the tops of the ears of corn. And in his answer to Zophar; Where are the dwelling places of the wicked? Have ye not asked them that go by the way, and do ye not know their tokens? That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath; The eyes of the wicked 
Job 11. 20.  (even those scornful and contemptuous eyes, which they have cast upon God's poor despised ones) shall fail, and they shall not escape; and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.  
How false an inference than is this, whereby 〈◊〉 goest about to delude ●y soul; Thou hast hitherto prospered in thy wickedness, therefore thou shalt prosper in it still, and ever; To morrow shall be as yesterday, and more abundant; As if the just God had not set a period to iniquity? As if he had not said to the most insolent sinner, as to the raging Sea, Here shalt thou stay thy proud waves: How many rich Epicures have with Crassus, supped in Apollo, and broken their fast with Beelzebub, the prince of Devils? How many have lain down to sleep out their furfeit, and have waked in hell? Were my times in thy hand, thou wouldst not suffer me long to enjoy my sin; and forbear the seizure of my soul; but now they are in the hands of a righteous God, who is jealous of his own glory, he will be sure not to over-pass those hours, which he hath set for thy torment, or my account.  
Shortly therefore, I will withdraw my foot from every evil way; and walk holily with my God; however I speed in the world; Let me with the conscientious men beg, or starve in my innocence; rather than thrive in my wickedness and get hell to boot.   

II. TEMPTATION  
Sin still; thou shall repent soon enough, when thou canst sin no more; Thine old age, and deathbed are fit seasons for those sad thoughts; It will go hard if thou mayst not, at the last, have a mouthful of breath left thee, to cry God mercy; And that is no sooner asked, then had; Thou hast to do with a God of mercies; with whom no time is too late, no measure too slight to be accepted. Repelled.  
OF all the blessed Attributes of God, whereby he is willing to make himself known unto men, there is none by which he more delights to be set forth, then that of mercy; When therefore he would proclaim his stile to Moses, this is the title which he most insists upon: The Lord, The Lord God; merciful 
Exod. 34. 6. Num. 14. 18. Psal. 103. 8. Psal. 145. 8, 9 Exod. 20. 6. Psal. 86. 15. Nehem. 9 30, 31. Lament. 3. 31. Jona. 4. 2. Mic. 7. 18. Psal. 72. 13.  and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness, and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin; And all his holy Heralds the Prophets have still been careful to blazon him thus to the world; Neither is there any of those divine Attributes, that is so much abused by men, as this which is most beneficial to mankind; For the wisdom of God every man professes to adore it; for the power of God every man magnifies it; for the justice of God, every man trembles at it; but, for the mercy, and long-sufferance of God, how apt are men and devils to wrong it by a sinful mis-application? Wicked tempter, how ready art thou to mis-improve God's patience to the encouragement of my sin; and to persuade me therefore to offend him, because he is good; and to continue in sin, because grace abounds; Thou bidst me sin still; God forbids me upon pain of death to sin at all; whether should I listen to? God calls me to a speedy repentance, thou persuadest me to defer it; whether counsel should I hold more safe? Surely there cannot be but danger in the delay of it; in the speed there can be nothing but a comfortable hope of acceptation: It is not possible for me to repent too soon; too late I may: To repent for my sin, when I can sin no more, what would it be other then to be sorry that I can no more sin? And what thank is it to me, that I would, and am disabled to offend? Thou tellest me that mine age, and deathbed are meet seasons for my repentance; As if time and Grace were in my power to command; How know I whether I shall live till age? yea till to morrow? yea till the next hour? Do not I see how fickle my life is? And shall I with the foolish Virgins, delay the buying of my oil, till the doors be shut? But, let me live; Have I repentance in a string, that I may pull it to me when I list? Is it not the great gift of that good Spirit, which breatheth when, and where it pleaseth? It is now offered to me in this time of Grace; if I now refuse it, perhaps I may seek it, with tears, in vain: I know the gates of hell stand always wide open to receive all comers, not so the gates of heaven; they are shut upon the impenitent, and never opened but in the seasons of mercy; The porches of Bethesda were full of cripples expecting cure; those waters were not always sanative; if when the Angel descends and moves the water, we take not our first turn, we may wait too long: But of all other, that season whereon thou pitchest, my deathbed, is most unseasonable for this work, most serviceable for thy purpose; How many thousand souls hast thou deluded with this plausible, but deadly, suggestion? For then, alas, how is the whole man taken up with the sense of pain, with grappling with the disease, with answering the condoling of friends, with disposing the remainder of our estate, with repelling (than most importunate) temptations, with encountering the horrors and pangs of an imminent dissolution; And what room is there then for a serious task of repentance? No, wicked one, I see thy drift; thou wouldst fain persuade me to do like some idle wanton servants, who play, and talk out their candlelight, & then go darklings to bed; I hate the motion, and do gladly embrace this happy opportunity, which God holds forth to me, of my present conversion.  
Thou tell'st me how hard it would be, if I should not have one mouthful of breath, at the last, to implore mercy; I tell thee of many a one that hath not had so much; neither hath it been hard, but just, that those who have had so many and earnest solicitations from a merciful God, and have given a deaf ear to them; should not at the last have a tongue to ask that mercy, which they have so often refused.  
But let me have wind enough left to redouble the name of mercy; am I sure upon so short warning to obtain it? How many are there that shall say, Lord, Lord; and yet shall be answered, with Depart from me, I know you not? Do I not hear that God, whom vain men frame all of mercy, say, even of his Israel; I will not pity, 
Jerem. 13. 14.  nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them? There is a time for judgement, as well as a time for mercy; neither of these may encroach upon other; as judgement may not be allowed to seize upon the soul, during the season of mercy, so neither may mercy put forth itself to rescue the soul in an execution of judgement; both must have their due turns; let me sue therefore for grace, ere the time of grace be over-passed; Heaven is as a strong castle, whereto there is but one way of entrance; the drawbridge is let down all the day; all that while the passage is open; let me stay till night; the bridge is hoist up, the way precluded; I may now stand without, and call long enough for an hopeless admittance.  
It shall be my care to get within those gates, ere my Sun be set; whiles the willing neglecters of mercy shall find hell open, heaven inaccessible.   

III. TEMPTATION  
Thou art one of Gods chosen; Now God sees no sin in his elect; none therefore in thee; neither mayst thou then take notice of any sin in thyself; or needest any repentance for thy sin.  
Repelled.  
Deceitful tempter; now thou wouldst fain flatter me into hell; and make God's favour a motive of my damnation; I doubt not but I am, through God's mercy, one of his chosen; his free grace in Christ my Saviour, hath put upon me this honour; neither will I fear to challenge any of the happy privileges of my Election; But that this should be one of the special prerogatives of Grace, that God should see no sin in me, I hate to hear; That God imputes no sin to his elect, is a divine truth; but that he sees no sin in his Elect, is a conceit hatched in hell: For, tell me, thou Antinomian spirit, if God see no sin in his Elect, is the reason on the behalf of God, or of the sin? Either for that there is no sin at all to be seen, or for that though there be sin in them, yet God sees it not; If the former; it must be either in relation to the person of the sinner, or to the act and nature of the sin: Either, that he cannot do that act which is formally sin, or, that though he do such an act, yet in him it is no sin. If the latter; it must be either for the defect of his omniscience, or upon a willing connivance; In each of these there is gross error, in some of them blasphemy: For first, what can be more evident than that the holiest of Gods elect upon earth fall (and that not infrequently) into sin? Who can say, I have made 
Prov. 20. 9  my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? was the just challenge of wise Solomon; and his father before him said no less, There is none that doth good, 
Psal. 14. 3. Rom. 3. 12.  no not one; And, elsewhere, Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from 
Ps. 19 12.  my secret faults: We all (saith 
Esa. 53. 6.  the Prophet Esay) putting himself into the number, have like sheep gone astray; we have turned every one to his own ways: And wherefore were 
Levit. 4. 2. 13. 22. Num. 15. 24.  those legal expiations of old by the blood of their sacrifices, but for the acknowledged sins both of Priests, and people? Persuade us if thou canst, that our election exempts us from being men: for certainly, whiles we are men we cannot but be sinners: So sure is that Parenthesis of Solomon, There is no man 
2 Kings 8. 46. 1 Joh. 1. 8, 10.  that sinneth not, as that, If we say we have no sin, we both deceive ourselves, and make God a liar.  
What then? That which in itself is sin, is it not sin in the Elect? Doth evil turn good as it falls from their person? where did the holy God infuse such virtue into any creature? Surely, so deadly is the infection of sin, that it makes the person evil; but that the holiness of the person should make the sin less evil, is an hellish monster of opinion; Yea so far is it from that; as that the holiness of the person adds to the heinousness of the sin; The adultery had not been so odious, if a David had not committed it; nor the abjuration of Christ so grievous, if it had not fallen from him that said, Though all men, yet not I: Sin is sin even in an Angel; and the worse for the eminence of the actor: For what is sin but the transgression of the law in whomsoever? whersoever 
Jam. 3. 2.  therefore Transgression is; there is guilt; And such the best of all God's Saints have acknowledged & lamented in themselves; Woe is me, saith 
Esa. 6. 5.  the Prophet Esay, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips: The evil that I 
Rom. 7. 19  would not do, that I do, saith the chosen vessel; Yea in many 
Jam. 3. 2.  things, saith St. James, we offend all. It is true, that as the beloved Disciple hath taught us, He that is borne of 
1 Joh. 5▪ 18. 1 Joh. 3. 9  God sinneth not; Not that he may not fall into the same act of sin with the most carnal man, but that he sins not in the same manner; The one sins with all his heart, with the full sway of his will, the other not without a kind of renitency: The one makes a trade of his sin; the other steps only aside through the vehemence of a Temptation; The one sins with an high hand, the other out of mere infirmity; The one walks on securely and resolutely, as obfirmed in his wickedness, the other is smitten with a seasonable remorse for his offence. The one delights and prides himself in his sin; the other, as he sinned bashfully, so he hates himself for sinning; The one grows up daily to a greater height of iniquity; the other improves his sin to the bettering of his soul; But this difference of sin, as it makes sin unmeasurably sinful in the worst men; so it doth not quite annul it in the holiest; It is their sin still, though it reign not in them, though it kill them not.  
Whiles then there cannot but be sin in the Elect, is it possible that God should not see it there? Is there any thing in heaven, or earth, or hell that can be hid from his allseeing eyes? where should this sin lurk, that he should not espy it? Do not the secrets of all hearts lie open before him? Are not his 
Rev. 1. 14.  eyes a flame of fire? Is it not expressly noted, as an aggravation of evil; judah did evil 
1 King. 14. 22.  in the sight of the Lord; And, Our transgressions (faith Isaiah) are multiplied before thee: It is out of his infinite holiness, that he cannot abide to behold sin; but it is out of his absolute omniscience, that there is no sin which he beholds not; and out of his infinite justice, that he beholds no sin which he hates not.  
Is it then for that sin hath no being, as that which is only a failing, and privation of that rectitude and integrity which should be in us, and our actions, without any positive entity in itself? upon this ground God should see no sin at all; no not in the wickedest man upon earth; and, whereas wicked men do nothing but sin, it should follow that God takes no notice of most of the actions that are done in the world; whereof the very thought were blasphemy.  
Since than it cannot be out of defect of knowledge, that God sees not the sins of his elect; is it out of a favourable connivance that he is willing not to see, what he sees? surely, if the meaning be, that God sees not the sins of the penitent with a revengeful eye; that out of a merciful indulgence, he will not prosecute the sins whereof we have repent, with due vengeance, but passes them by, as if they had not been; we do so gladly yield to this truth, that we can never bless God enough for this wonderful mercy to poor sinners; it is his gracious word, which we lay ready hold upon; I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions 
Esa. 43. 25.  for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins. But if the meaning be, that God bears with sin, because theirs; that he so winks at it as that he neither sees nor detests it, as it falls from so dear actors; it is no other, than a blasphemous charge of injustice upon the holy one of Israel; Your iniquities, faith Isaiah, speaking of God's 
Esa. 59 2.  chosen people, have separated between you and your God; and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear; who was dearer to God than the man after his own heart; yet when he had given way to those foul sins of adultery and murder; Nathan tells him from God; Now 
2 Sam. 12. 10,  therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Vriah the 
11.  Hittite to be thy wife; Thus saith the Lord, Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house etc.  
How full and clear is that 
Psal. 90. 78.  complaint of Moses the man of God? We are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled; Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance; And jeremy to the same purpose; We have 
Lam. 3. 42,  transgressed and have rebelled, thou hast not pardoned; Thou 
43.  hast covered with anger, and persecuted us, thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied us: Thou hast covered thyself with a 
44.  cloud, that our prayer should not pass through: Doubtless then God so sees sin in his elect: that he both more notes and hates sin more in his dearest children then in any other. Upon this impious supposition of Gods not seeing sin in his chosen, wouldst thou raise that hellish suggestion, that a man must see no sin in himself; no repentance for sin: Then which, what wider gap can be opened to a licentious stupidity? For, that a man should commit sin, as Lot did his incest, not knowing that he doth the fact, what is it but to bereave him of his senses? To commit that fact which he may not know to be sin, what is it but to bereave him of reason; not to be sorry for the sin he hath committed, what is it but to bereave him of grace? How contrary is this to the mind and practise of all God's Saints? Holy job could say; How many 
job 13. 13.  are mine iniquities and sins; make me to know my transgression and my sin? and at last, when God had wrought accordingly upon his heart; I 
job 42. 6.  abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes; Penitent David could say, I acknowledge 
Ps. 51. 3.  my transgression, and my sin is ever before me; and elsewhere, I will declare mine iniquity, 
Ps. 38. 18.  and be sorry for my sin; and Solomon's suppliant that would hope for audience in heaven, must know the plague of his own heart. carry on therefore thy deluded 
1 Kings 8. 38.  clients in a willing ignorance of their fins, and a secure regardlessness of their repentance; for me, I will ransack my heart for my secret sins; and find no peace in my soul till it be truly sensible of my own repentance, and God's remission.   

IV. TEMPTATION  
Thou mayst live as thou listest; Thy destiny is irreversible; If thou be predestined to life, thy sins cannot damn thee; for God's election remaineth certain. If thou be ordained to damnation, all thy good endeavours cannot save thee; Please thyself on earth, thou canst not alter what is done in heaven.  
Repelled.  
THe suggestion is pernicious; and such, as that Satan's quiver hath not many shafts more deadly; for where ever it enters, it renders a man carelessly desperate, and utterly regardless either of good, or evil: bereaving him at once both of grace, and wit. The story tells us of a great Prince tainted with this poison; whom his wise Physician happily cured; for being called to the sick bed of him, whom he knew thus dangerously resolved; in stead of medicine, he administers to his patient this just conviction: Sir, you are conscious of your stiff opinion concerning predestination; why do you send to me for the cure of your sickness? Either you are predestinated to recover and live, or else you are in Gods decree appointed to die: If you be ordained to live and recover, you shall live, though you take no helps of physic from me; but if to die, all my art and means cannot save you. The convinced Prince saw, and felt his error, and recanted it: as well perceiving, how absurd, and unreasonable it is, in whatsoever decree of either temporal or spiritual good, to sever the means from the end; being both equally determined; and the one in way to the other: The comparison is clear and irrefragable; Gods decree is equally both certain, and secret, for bodily health, and life eternal; The means appointed, are food and medicine for the one, and for the other, repentance, fait●, obedience: In the use of these we may live, we cannot but die in their neglect: were it any other then madness in me to rely upon a presupposed decree, willingly forbearing the while the means whereby it is brought about? To say, If I shall live I shall live, though I eat not; If I shall die, though I eat I shall not live; therefore I will not eat, but cast myself upon God's providence, whether to die or live: In doing thus, what am I other than a self murderer? It is a prevailing policy of the Devil so to work by his temptations, upon the heart of man, that in temporal things he shall trust to the means without regard to the providence of the God that gives them; In spiritual, he should cast himself upon the providence of a God, without respect to the means, whereby they are effected; whereas, if both these go not together, we lose either God, or ourselves, or both.  
It is true, that if God had peremptorily declared his absolute will concerning the state or event of any creature, we might not endeavour, or hope to alter his decree; If God have said to a Moses; Go up to the Mount and die there, it is not for that obedient servant of God, to say; Yet I will lay up some years' provision, if perchance I may yet live; Although, even thus, in the minatory declarations of God's purpose (because we know not what conditions may be secretly intended) we may use what means we may for a diversion: The Ninivites heard that express word from jonah [Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed] and though they believed the Prophet, yet they betook themselves to an universal humiliation for the prevention of the judgement: David heard from the mouth of Nathan; The child that is born 
2 Sam. 12. 14.  unto thee shall surely die; Yet he besought God, and fasted, and lay all night upon the earth, and could say, Who can tell whether God will be 
▪ verse 22.  gracious to me that the child may live? good Hezekiah was sick unto death, and hears from Isaiah; Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die and not 
2 Kings 20. 1, 2.  live; yet he turns his face to the wall, and prays; and makes use of his bunch of 
verse 7.  figs; and recovers; But, where the counsel of God is altogether secret, without the least glimpse of revelation, for a man to pass a peremptory doom upon himself, and either thereupon wilfully to neglect the known means of his good, or to run willingly upon those courses which will necessarily work his destruction, it is the highest degree of madness, that can be incident into a reasonable creature.  
The father of mercies hath appointed means of the salvation of mankind, which lie open to them, if they would not be wanting to themselves; but especially to us, who are within the bosom of his Church, he hath held forth saving helps in abundance. What warnings, what reproofs, what exhortations, what invitations, what entreaties, what importunities, hath he forborn for our conversion? what menaces, what afflictions, what judgements hath he not made use of, for the prevention of our damnation? Can there be now any man so desperately mad, as to shut heaven gates against himself, which the merciful God leaves open for him? or, as to break open the gates of hell, and rush violently into the pit of destruction, which God had latched against him?  
Thou sayst, If I be predestined to life, my sins cannot damn me. Man; thou beginnest at the wrong end; in that thou takest thy first rise at God's eternal counsels, and then judgest doubtfully of thine own ways; It is not for thee to begin first at heaven, and then to descend to earth; this course is presumptuous and damnable; What are those secret and closed books of Gods eternal decree, and preordination, unto thee? They are only for the eyes of him that wrote them; The Lord knoweth them that are his; Look if thou wilt upon the outer seal of those Divine secrets; and, read, Let every one that nameth the name of 
2 Tim. 2. 19  Christ depart from iniquity.  
Thy way lies from earth to heaven; The revealed will of God, by which only we are to be regulated, is; Repent, believe, obey, and thou shalt be saved; live and die in thy sins, impenitent, unbelieving, thou shalt be damned; According to this rule frame thou thy courses, and resolutions; and if thou canst be so great an enemy to thine own soul, as determinately to contemn the means of salvation, and to tread wilfully in the paths of death, who can say other, but thou art fair for hell? But if thou shalt carefully use and improve those good means which God hath ordained for thy conversion, and shalt thereupon find that true grace is wrought in thy soul; that thou abhorrest all evil ways, that thou dost truly believe in the Lord jesus, and heartily purposest, and indevourest to live holily, and conscionably in this present world, thou mayest now as assuredly know thy name written in heaven, as if thou hadst read it in those eternal characters of Gods secret counsel: Plainly, it is not for thee to say, I am predestinate to life, therefore thus I shall do, and, thus I shall speed; but contrarily, thus hath God wrought in me, therefore I am predestinate; Let me do well, it cannot but be well with me; Glory, and honour, and peace to every man that worketh good; 
Rom. 2. 10.  Let me do my utmost diligence to make my calling and 
2 Pet. 1 10.  election sure; I am safe, and shall be happy.  
But if thou hast been miscarried to lewd courses, and hast lived as without God in the world; whiles thou dost so, thy case is fearful: but who allowed thee to ●it judge upon thine own soul? and to pass a peremptory doom of necessary damnation upon thyself? Are not the means of grace (Gods blessed ordinances) still held forth unto thee? Doth not God still graciously invite thee to repentance? Doth not thy Saviour stand ready with his arms spread abroad to receive thee into his bosom? And canst thou be so desperately, and presumptuously merciless to thyself, as to say, I shall be damned, therefore I will sin? Thou canst not be so wicked but there may be a possibility of thy reclamation; whiles God gives thee respite, there may be hope; Be not thou so injurious to thyself as to usurp the office both of God, and the Devil; of God, in passing a final judgement upon thyself; of the Devil, in drawing thyself into damnation. Return therefore, O sinner, and live, break off thy sins by repentance, and be saved; But if otherwise, know, that God's decree doth neither necessitate thy sin, nor thy damnation; Thou mayst thank thyself for both; Thy perdition is of thyself, O Israel.   

V. TEMPTATION  
Why wilt thou be singular amongst and above thy neighbours; to draw needless censures upon thyself? Be wise, and do as the most. Be not so over-squemish as not to dispense with thy conscience in some small matters; Lend a lie to a friend, swallow an oath for fear, be drunk sometimes for good fellowship, falsify thy word for an advantage, serve the time, frame thyself to all companies; thus thou shalt be both warm, and safe, and kindly respected.  
Repelled.  
PLausible tempter, what care wouldst thou seem to take of my ease, and reputation, that, in the mean time, thou mightst run away with my soul? Thou persuadest me not to be singular amongst my neighbours; it shall not be my fault if I be so: If my neighbours be good, and virtuous, I am with, and for them; let me be hissed at, to go alone; but if otherwise, let me rather go upright alone, then halt with company: Thou tellest me of censures; they are spent in vain that would dishearten me from good, or draw me into evil; I am too deep rooted in my resolutions of good, then to be turned up by every slight wind, I know who it is that hath said, Blessed are ye when men shall revile 
Mat. 5. 11.  you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name's sake. Let men take leave to talk their pleasure; in what I know I do well, I am censure-proofe. Thou bidst me be wise, and do as the most; These two cannot agree together; Not to follow the most, but the best, is true wisdom; My Saviour hath told me, that the many go in the broadway, which leadeth to destruction; 
Mat. 7. 13.  and it is the charge of God, Thou shalt not follow 
Exod. 23 2.  a multitude to do evil; whiles I follow the guidance of my God, I walk confidently, as knowing, I cannot go amiss; as for others, let them look to their own feet, they shall be no guides of mine.  
Thou bidst me dispense with my conscience in small matters; I have learned to call nothing small, that may offend the Majesty of the God of heaven; Dispensations must only proceed from a greater power; Only God is greater than my conscience; where he dispenseth not, it were a vain presumption for me to dispense with myself:  
And what are those small matters wherein thou solicitest my dispensation? To lend a lie to a friend; why dost thou not persuade me to lend him my soul? Yea to give it unto thee for him? It is a sure word of the wise man; The mouth that lieth, 
Wis. 1. 11.  slayeth the soul; How vehement a charge hath the God of truth laid upon me, to avoid this sin, which thou, the father of lies, wouldst draw me unto? What marvel is it, if each speak for his own? He who is truth it 
joh. 8. Leu. 19 11. Col. 3. 9  self, and loveth truth in the inward parts, justly calls for it in the tongue; Laying aside lying (saith the Spirit of 
Eph. 4. 25.  God) speak every man truth with his neighbour; Thou, who art a lying Spirit, wouldst be willing to advance thine own brood under the fair pretence offriendship; But what? shall I to gratify a friend, make God mine enemy? shall I to rescue a friend from danger, bring destruction upon myself? Thou shalt 
Psal. 5. 6.  destroy them that speak leasings, saith the Psalmist: Without 
Rev. 22. 15.  shall be every one that loveth, or maketh lies. If therefore my true attestation may avail my friend, my tongue is his, but if he must be supported by falsehood; my tongue is neither his, nor mine; but is his that made it.  
To swallow an oath for fear? No, tempter; I can let down none such morsels; an oath is too sacred, & too awful a thing for me to put over out of any outward respects against my conscience? If I swear, the Oath is not mine, it is Gods; 
Exod. 22. 8. Eccl. 16. 59  and the revenge will be his, whose the offence is. It is a charge to be trembled at; Ye shall not swear by my name falsely; neither shalt thou profane 
Leu. 19 12.  the name of thy God, I am the Lord; And if the word of charge be so dreadful, what terror shall we find in the word of judgement? Lo, God swears too; and because there is no greater to swear by, he swears by himself; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my Covenant 
Ezek. 17. 19  which he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head: It was one of the words that were delivered in fire and smoke and thunder and lightning, in Sinai; The Lord will not hold 
Exod. 20. 7.  him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. I dare not therefore fear any thing so much as the displeasure of the Almighty; and (to die for) will neither take an unlawful oath, nor violate a just one. As for that sociable excess, whereto thou temptest me, how ever the commonness of the vice may have seemed to abate of the reputation of heinousness, in the opinion of others, yet to me it representeth it so much more hateful; as an universal contagion is more grievous than a local: I cannot puchase the name of good fellowship with the loss of my reason, or with the price of a curse; Daily experience makes good that word of Solomon, that Wine is a mocker, robbing a man of himself, 
Prov. 20. 1.  and leaving a beast in his room: And what woes do I hear denounced against those that rise up early in the morning that they may follow 
Esa. 5. 11.  strong drink, that continue till night till the wine inflame them: If any man think he may pride himself in a strong brain, and a vigorous body; Woe to them that are mighty to drink wine, & men of strength 
Es. 5. 22.  to mingle strong drinks: Let the jovialists of the world drink wine in bowls, and feast themselves without fear, 
Amos 6. 6.  let me never join myself with that fellowship, where God is banished from the company. Wouldst thou persuade me to falsify my word for an advantage? what advantage can be so great as the conscience of truth, and fidelity? That man is for God's tabernacle, that sweareth 
Psal. 15. 4.  to his own hurt, and changeth not; Let me rather lose honestly, then gain by falsehood and perfidiousness. Thou biddest me serve the time; So I will do; whiles the time serves not thee; but if thou shalt have so corrupted the time, that the whole 
1 joh. 5. 19  world is set in wickedness, I will serve my God in opposing it: gladly will I serve the time in all good offices, that may tend to rectify it, but to serve it in a way of flattery, I hate and scorn.  
I shall willingly frame myself to all companies; not for a partnership in their vice, but for their reclamation from evil, or encouragement in good; The chosen vessel hath by his example taught me this charitable, and holy pliableness; Though I be free from all men, yet have 
1 Cor. 9 19  I made myself a servant unto all, that I might gain the more. To the Jews I became as a 
20.  Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the Law, as under the Law, that I might gain them that are under the Law; To them that are without Law, as without 
21.  Law, (being not without Law to God, but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law; To the 
22.  weak I became weak that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some: My only scope shall be spiritual gain; for this will I (like some good Merchant) traffic with all nations, with all persons.  
But for carnal respects, to put myself (like the first matter) into all forms, to be demure with the strictly-severe, to be debauched with the drunkard, with the Atheist profane, with the Bigot superstitious, what were this but to give away my soul to every one, save to the God that owns it; and whiles I would be all, to be nothing; and to profess an affront to him that hath charged me be not conformed to this world. Shortly, let me be despicable, and starve, 
Rom. 12. 2.  and perish in my innocent integrity, rather than be warm and safe, and honoured upon so evil conditions.   

VI TEMPTATION  
It is but for a while that thou hast to live; and when thou art gone, all the world is gone with thee; Improve thy life to the best contentment; Take thy pleasure whiles thou mayst. Repelled.  
Even this was the very no●e of thine old Epicurean clients, Let us eat and drink, 
1 Cor. 15 32.  for to morrow we shall die, I acknowledge the same dart and the same hand that flings it; a dart dipped in that deadly poison that causeth the man to die laughing; a dart that pierceth as deeply into the sensual heart, as it easily retorted by the regenerate. These wild inferences of sensuality are for those, that know no heaven, no hell: but to me that know this world to be nothing but a thoroughfare to eternity either way, they abhor, not from grace only, but from reason itself; In the intuition of this immortality, what wise man would not rather say, my life is short, therefore it must be holy? I shall not live long, let me live well; so let me live for a while, that I may live for ever? These have been still the thoughts of gracious hearts, Moses the man of God, after he hath computed the short periods of our age, and confined it 
Psal. 90. 10.  to fourscore years, (so soon 
Psal. 90. 10.  is it cut off, and we fly away) infers with the same breath, So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to 
12.  wisdom; As implying that this holy Arithmetic should be an introduction to Divinity; that the search of heavenly wisdom should be the true use of our short life; and the sweet singer of Israel after he hath said, Behold, thou hast made my days as a span 
Psal. 39 4. 5.  long, mine age is nothing to thee; finds cause, to look up from earth to heaven, And now, Lord, what wait I 
7.  for? surely my hope is even in thee: He that desired to know the measure of his life, finds it but a span; and recompenses the shortness of his continuance, with hopes everlasting, as the tender mercy of our God pities our frailty, remembering that we are but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again; 
Ps. 78. 39  So our frailty supports itself with the meditation of his blessed eternity; My days (saith the Psalmist) 
Ps. 102. 11, 12.  are like a shadow that declineth, and I am withered like grass; But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, and thy remembrance to all generations.  
As therefore every man walketh in a vain shadow, in respect of his transitoriness, so the Good man in respect of his holy conversation, can say, I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living; 
Ps. 16. 9  and knows himself made for better ends then vain pleasure; I shall not die but live, and declare the works of 
Ps. 118. 17.  the Lord It is for them who have their portion in this life; 
Ps. 117. 14.  who have made their belly their God, and the world their heaven, to place their felicity in these carnal delights; Gods secret ones enjoy their higher contentments; Thy loving 
Ps. 63. 3.  kindness is better than life, saith the Prophet; Thou hast 
Ps. 4. 7.  put gladness in my heart, more than (they had) in the time that their corn and their wine increased.  
Miserable worldlings, who walk in the vanity of their minds, being alienated from 
Eph. 4. 17 18.  the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts; who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousness, 
19  to work all uncleanness with greediness: What wonder is it, if as their life is merely brutish, so the happiness that they affect is no other than bestial; and if they snatch at those vanishing shadows of pleasure, which a poor momentany life can afford them: according to the improvement of our best faculties, so is our felicity; The best faculty of brute creatures is their sense, they therefore seek their happiness in the delectation of their senses: Man's best faculty is reason; he places his happiness therefore in the delights of the mind, in the perfection of knowledge, and height of speculation; The Christians best faculty is faith; his felieity therefore consists in those things which are not perceptible by sense, not fadomeable by reason, but apprehensible by his faith, which is the evidence of things not seen, either by 
Heb. 11. 1.  the eye of sense or reason: and as his felicity, so is his life, 
Phil. 1. 21.  spiritual. To me to live is Christ, saith he that was rapt 
Gal. 2. 20.  into the third heaven; I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, Our life is hid with Christ in God, and, When Christ 
Col. 2. 3, 4.  which is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. Lo then, when the worldling dies, his life dies with him, and, to him, the world is gone with both; but when I die to nature, I have a life that lives still; a life that cannot die; a life that both is, and makes me glorious: It is not for me therefore to hunt after these unsatisfying, and momentany pleasures, which perish in their use, and shut up in repentance; but to lay up those sure comforts, which shall never have an end, but after this transitory life shall accompany me to eternity.  
Tell not me therefore of taking my full scope to the pleasures of sin; I know there is an hell, and I look for an heaven; upon this short moment of my life depends everlastingness.  
Let me therefore be careful to bestow this short life, as that I may be sure to avoid eternity of torments, and to lay up for eternity of blessedness.   

VII. TEMPTATION  
It is for common wits to walk in the plain road of opinions. If thou wouldst be eminent amongst men, leave the beaten tract, and tread in new paths of thine own: Neither let it content thee to guide thy steps by the dim lanterns of the Ancient; he is no body that hath not new lights either to hold out, or follow. Repelled.  
Wicked tempter; I know thou wouldst have me go any ways, save good; were those new ways, right, thou wouldst never persuade me to walk in them; now I have just reason to misdoubt and shun those paths which thou invitest me unto; both as private, and as new: It is enough that they are my own; for canst thou think to bring me to believe myself wiser than the whole Church of God? Who am I, that I should over-know not the present world of men only, but the eminent Saints, and learned Doctors of all former ages? Why should I not rather suspect my own judgement, then oppose theirs? When the Church in that heavenly marriage-song inquires of the great shepherd of our souls; Tell me, 
Cant. 1. 7.  O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? she receives answer; If thou know 
8.  not (O thou fairest among women) go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd's tents. Lo, the tracks of the flock, and the tents of the shepherds are my direction to find my Saviour; if I turn aside, I miss him, and lose myself.  
It is more then enough that those ways are new: for truth is eternal; and that is therefore most true, that comes nearest to eternity; as contrarily, novelty is a brand of falsehood, and error: Thus saith the Lord; 
Jer. 6. 16.  Stand ye in the ways, and see; and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: Far be it from me then, that I should be guilty of that contempt, whereof the Prophet, with the same breath, accuseth his Jew's; But they said, We will not walk therein. It is a fearful word that I hear from the mouth of the same Prophet; Because my people have 
Jer. 18. 15.  forgotten me; and have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, in a way not cast up: I will scatter 
17.  them as with an East wind before the enemy; I will show them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity; Woe is me for these heavy times, wherein it is not the least part of our sin, nor the least cause of our miseries, that we have stumbled from the ancient paths, into the untrodden ways of schism and error, and find not the face, but the back of our God turned to us, in this day of our calamity; O God, thou art just; we cannot complain that have made ourselves miserable.  
It is true, where our forefathers have manifestly started aside like a broken bow; and having corrupted their 
Gen. 6. 12. Jer. 18. 15.  ways, have burnt incense to vanity, we must be so far from making their precedent a warrant for our imitation, as that we hear God say to us, Be ye not like unto 
2 Chro. 30. 7.  your fathers; Walk not in the 
Ezek. 20. 18.  statutes of your forefathers, neither observe their judgements; For those that turn 
Ps. 125. 5.  aside to crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; But where we see them walk with a 
Gal. 2. 14.  right foot, in the holy ways of God, and continue steadfastly in the faith which was 
Judas 3.  once delivered to the Saints, we have reason to be followers of them, who through 
Heb. 6. 12.  faith and patience inherit the promises; that walking in their ways, we may attain to their end, the salvation of our souls.  
Let me see those steps wherein the holy Prophets have trod; those wherein the blessed Apostles have traced the Prophets, those wherein the Primitive Fathers and Martyrs have followed the Apostles; those wherein the godly and learned Doctors of the succeeding ages have followed those primitive Fathers; and if I follow not them, let me wander, and perish; It is for true men to walk in the King's highway, thiefs & suspected persons cross over through by-paths, and make way where they find none.  
Thou tell'st me of new lights; I ask whence they rise: I know who it was that said, I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall 
Joh. 8. 12. Joh. 12. 46.  not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life; and I know that light was the true 
Joh. 1. 8, 9  light; of whom holy David spoke long before, Thou art 
2 Sam. 22 29. Ps. 36. 10.  my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord will lighten my darkness; and in thy light shall we see light; Those that do truly hold forth this light shall be my guides, and I shall follow them with all confidence; and shall find the path of the just, as the shining light, 
Prov. 4. 18.  that shineth more and more unto 
job 22. 28.  the perfect day; As for any new light, that should now break forth, and shine upon our ways; certainly it is but darkness; such a light as Bildad prophesied of long 
Luc. 11. 35.  ago; The light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark 
job. 18. 5. 6.  of his fire shall not shine; The light shall be darkness in his Tabernacle, and his Candle shall be put out with him; So as the seduced followers of these new lights may have just cause to take up that complaint of the Prophet, We wait for light, but behold 
Esay. 59 9  obscurity, for brightness, but we walk in darkness; we grope 
10.  for the wall like the blind, we stumble at noon day as in the night. Shortly then, that light which the father of lights hath held forth in his will revealed in his word, as it hath been interpreted by his holy Church in all ages, shall be my guide, till I shall see as I am seen; as for any other lights, they are but as those wand'ring fires that appear in damp marshes, which lead the traveller into a ditch.   

VIII. TEMPTATION  
Pretend religion, and do any thing: what face is so foul as that Mask will not cleanly cover? seem holy, and be what thou wilt. Repelled.  
YEa, there thou wouldst have me; this is that deadly dart, wherewith thou hast slain millions of souls; Hence it is that the Mahometan Saints may commit public filthiness with thanks; Hence, that corrupt Christians bury such abominable crimes in their cowls Hence, that false professors shroud so much villainies under the shelter of piety; Hence, that the world abounds with so many sheep without, wolves 
Math. 7. 15.  within; fair tombs full of 
Mat. 23. 27.  inward rottenness; filthy dunghills covered over with snow: rich herse-clothes hiding ill-sented carcases; 
Pro. 26. 23.  broken potsherds covered with silver dross; Hence, that the adversaries of judah 
Ezr. 4. 2.  offer to Zerobabel their aid in building the Temple; The harlot hath her peace offerings; 
Pro. 7. 14.  Absolom hath his vow to pay; Herod will worship 
Mat. 2. 8.  the infant; judas hath a kiss for his Master; Simon Magus 
Mat. 26. 49  will be a Convert; Ananias 
Acts 8. 13.  and Sapphira will part with all; The Angel of the 
Rev. 3. 2.  church of Sardis will pretend to live; The beast hath horns like a Lamb, but 
Rev. 13. 11.  speaks like a dragon; in a word, the wickedest of men will counterfeit Saints, and false saints are very Devils: for so much more eminent as the virtue is, which they would seem to put on, so much the more odious is the simulation both to God and man: now the most eminent of all virtues is holiness: 
1 Pet. 1. 19 Leu. 11. 44. 19 2.  whereby we both come nearest unto God, and most resemble him: of all creatures therefore out of hell, there is none so loathsome to God as the hypocrites, & that upon a double provocation; both for doing of evil, & for doing evil under a colour of good; the face that the wicked man sets upon his sin, is worse than the sin itself: Bring no 
Isa. 1. 13.  more vain oblations, (saith the 
Es. 1. 13.  Lord) incense is an abomination to me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with; it is iniquity; even the solemn meeting; Your new Moons, and 
14.  your appointed feasts my soul hateth, they are a trouble to me, I am weary to be are them. How fain wouldst thou therefore draw me into a double condemnation both for being evil, and seeming good, both which are an abomination to the Lord; Do I not hear him say, For as much as this 
Isa. 29. 13.  people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts from me; therefore 
14.  behold I will proceed to do a marvellous work amongst this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of the wise shall perish; Do I not hear him say by his prophet Jeremiah; They will deceive every one his neighbour 
jer. 9 5.  and will not speak the truth: Their tongue is an arrow shot 
8.  out, it speaketh deceit; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait; shall 
9  I not visit them for these things, saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged of such a nation as this? Indeed this is the way to beguile the eyes of men like ourselves; for who would mistrust a mortified face? an eye and hand lift up to heaven? a tongue that speaks holy things? but when we have to do with a searcher of hearts, what madness is it to think there can be any wisdom or understanding, or counsel against the Lord? Woe be to them 
Isa. 29. 15.  therefore that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord; and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us; and who knoweth us? Woe be to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, 
Isa. 80. 1.  that take counsel, but not of me, that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin. Shall I 
Mat. 23. 25.  then cleanse the outside of the cup, whiles I am within full of extortion, & excess? shall I fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness? shall I under pretence of long prayers 
Esay 58. 4.  devour widow's houses? 
Mat. 23. 14.  shall I put on thy form, and transfigure myself into 
2 Cor. 1. 14.  an Angel of light? shall not the allseeing eye of the righteous God find me out in my damnable simulation? Hath not he said, & will make it good, Though thou wash thee 
jer. 2. ●2.  with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me? Hath not my Saviour, who shall be our Judge, said, Therefore thou 
Mat. 23. 14.  shalt receive the greater damnation? Can there be any heavier doom that can fall from that awful mouth, then, Receive thy portion with hypocrites? Let those therefore that are ambitious of an higher room in hell, maintain a form of Godliness, and deny the power of it: face wickedness 
2 Tim. 3. 5.  with piety: stalk under religion for the aims of policy: juggle with God and the world, case a devil with a saint, and row towards hell whiles they look heaven-ward. For me, All the 
job 27. 3.  while my breath is in me, & the spirit which God gives me, is in my nostrils, I shall walk in mine uprightness: All false 
Psal. 26. 11  ways, and false semblances shall my soul utterly abhor: that so at the parting, my rejoiceing 
2 Cor. 1. 12.  may be the testimony of my conscience, that in simplicity, and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God I have had my conversation in the world.   

IX. TEMPTATION  
Why shouldst thou lose any thing of thy height? Thou art not made of common mould; neither art thou as others; If thou know'st thyself, thou art more holy, more wise, better gifted, more enlightened than thy neighbours; Justly therefore mayst thou overlook the vulgar of Christians, with pity, contempt, censure; and bear thyself as too good for ordinary conversation, go apart, and avoid the contagion of common breath. Repelled.  
IF pride were thy ruin, wicked spirit, how fain wouldst thou make it mine also? This was thy first killing suggestion to our first parents in paradise, soon after thine own fall, (as if it had been lately before, thy own case) Ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil: That 
Gen. 3.  which thou foundest▪ so deadly to thyself, thou art enviously willing to feoff upon man, that if through thy temptation, Pride may 
Psal. 73. 6.  compass him about as a chain, he may bear thee company in those everlasting chains wherein thou art reserved under darkness 
Judas 6.  to the judgement of the great day. Thou well knowest that the ready way to make me odious unto God, is to make me proud of my self; Pride and arrogancy, 
Prov. 8. 13.  and the evil way doth he hate; The day of the Lord of hosts 
Esa. 2. 11, 12.  shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, saith the Prophet: He hath scattered the 
Luke 1. 51.  proud in the imaginations of their hearts, saith the blessed Virgin; God resisteth the 
Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5.  proud, and giveth grace to the humble, saith the Apostle; The Lord will destroy the house 
Prov. 15. 25.  of the proud, saith Solomon; and his father David before him, Thine eyes are upon the 
2 Sam. 22. 28.  haughty that thou mayst bring them down; Down, indeed, even to the bottom of that pit of perdition. Make me but proud therefore, & I am thine; Sure I am, God will not own me; and if I could be in heaven with this sin, 
Esa. 14. 12.  would cast me down headlong into hell.  
Thou bidst me not to lose any thing of my height; Alas, (poor wretched dwarf that I am!) what height have I? if I have but grace enough to know and bewail my own misery, and nothingness, it is the great mercy of my God; Who 
1 Cor. 4. 7.  maketh me to differ from another? and what have I that I have not received? and if I have received it, why should I glory in it as my own? Whatsoever thou persuadest me, let me rather lose of my height, then add to my stature, and affect too high a pitch; That humility is rewarded with honour, this pride with ruin; It is the word of truth himself, Whosoever shall exalt himself 
Mat. 23. 13, 14. Luc. 14. 11. 18. 14.  shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted; The way then to lose my whole height, yea my being, is to be lifted up, in, and above myself; for though I should build my nest as high as the Eagle; or advance a throne among the stars, yet how soon shall he cast me down into the dust; yea, (without my repentance) into the nethermost hell?  
Thou tellest me that (which the Pharisee said of himself) I am not as others; True, for I can say with the chosen vessel, that I am the chief of sinners: Thou wouldst bring me into an opinion that I am more holy, and more wise than my neighbours; I am a stranger to other men's graces, I am acquainted with my own wants; Yea I so well know my own sinfulness and folly that I hang down my head in a just shame for both; I know that he who was holier than I, could say, I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; 
Rom. 7. 18.  and he that was wiser than I, could say, Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have 
Prov. 30. 2,  not the understanding of a man; I neither learned wisdom, 
3.  nor have the knowledge of the holy: All the holiness that I have attained unto is to see and lament my defects of holiness; and all my wisdom is to descry and complain of my own ignorance and foolishness.  
Am I better gifted then another? Thou art an ill judge of either, who enviest the gifts of both; But if I be so, they are gifts still; and such gifts as the donour hath not absolutely given away from himself to me, but hath given (or lent them rather) to me, for an improvement to his own use; which I have no more reason to be proud of, than the honest factor, of his master's stock; received by him, not for possession, but for traffic.  
Am I more enlightened than others? the more do I discern my own darkness; and the more do I find cause to be humbled under the sense of it; But if the greater light which thou sayest is in me, were not of an humane imagination, but of divine irradiation, what more reason should I have to be proud of it, then that in this more temperate clime I have more sun shine then those of Lapland and Finland, and the rest of those more northern nations; so much the more reason have I to be thankful; none to be proud.  
Why should I therefore overlook the meanest of my fellow Christians; who may perhaps have more interest in God then myself; for it is not our knowledge that so much indeares us to God, as our affections; perhaps he that knows less may love more; and if he had been blessed with my means, would have known more; Neither is it the distribution of the Talents that argues favour, but the grace to employ them to the benefit of the giver: if he that received the one Talon had gained another, he had received more thanks than he that upon the receipt of five Talents had gained one.  
The Spirit breathes where it listeth; and there may lie secret graces in the bosom of those, who pass for common Christians, that may find greater acceptation in heaven, than those whose profession makes a fairer ostentation of holiness.  
I can pity therefore those that are ignorant, and apparently graceless; but for those that profess both to know, and to love Christ; whiles their lives deny not the power of godliness, I dare not spend upon them either my contempt, or censure, lest whiles I judge wrongfully, I be justly judged: much less dare I separate myself from their communion as contagious; Thou knowest how little it were to thine advantage, that I should be persuaded to depart from 
Num. 16. 20, 21. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Ephes. 5. 11.  the Tents of the notoriously wicked; and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; as too well understanding that evil conversation corrupts good manners; and that a participation in sin draws on a partnership 
Num. 16. 26.  in judgement; Neither know I whether thou shouldst gain more by my joining with evil society, or my separating from good; infection follows upon the one, distraction upon the other: Those than which cast off their communion with Christ and his Church, whether in doctrine or practice, I shall avoid (as the plague) soon, and far: But those who truly profess a real conjunction, with that head, and this body: Into their secret let my soul come, and unto their assembly let mine honour be united: But if, where I find weakness of grace, and involuntary failings of obedience, I shall say, Stand by thyself, come not near me, for I am holier than 
Esay 65. 5.  thou; how can I make other account then that this pride shall be a smoke in the nostrils 
6.  of the Almighty, a fire that burneth all day; and that he will recompense it into my bosom?  
Shortly, I know none so fit to depart from, as from myself, my own pride, self love, and the rest of my inbred corruptions; and am so far from overlooking others, that I know none worse than myself.   

X. TEMPTATION  
However the zeal of your scrupulous Preachers is wont to make the worst of every thing; and to damn the least slip to no less than hell: Yet there are certain favour able temperaments of circumstances, which may (if not excuse yet) extenuate a fault, such as age, complexion, custom, profit, importunity, necessity, which are justly pleadable at the bar both of God, and the conscience, and are sufficient to rebate the edge of divine severity. Repelled.  
Wicked tempter, I know there is nothing upon earth, that so much either troubles thee, or impairs thy kingdom of darkness, as the zeal of conscionable Preachers; those, who lift up their voice like a trumpet, and show 
Esa. 58. 1.  God's people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sin; this is it that rescues millions of souls from the hand of hell, and gives thee so many foils in thy spiritual assaults; This godly and faithful zeal represents men's sins to them as they are, and, by sins, the danger of their damnation; which thy malicious subtlety would fain blanche over, and palliate to their destruction; But when thou hast all done, it is not in their power to make sin worse than it is, or in thine to make it better: As for those favourable temperaments which thou mentionest, they are mere Pandarismes of wickedness; fair visors of deformity: For to cast a glance upon each of them; Age is not a more common plea, then unjust: The young man pretends it for his wanton, and inordinate lust: The old, for his grippleness; tetchiness; loquacity: All wrongfully, and not without foul abuse.  
Youth is taught by thee to call for a swing: and to make vigour, and heat of blood, a privilege for a wild licentiousness; for which it can have no claim but from a charter sealed in hell: I am sure that God who gives this marrow to his bones, and brawn to his arms, and strength to his sinews, and vivacity to his spirits, looks for another improvement; Remember thy 
Ecl. 12. 1.  Creator in the days of thy youth, saith Solomon; And his father before him; Wherewithal 
Psal. 119. 9  shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word: Lo, the young man's ways are foul with lusts and distempered passions, and they must be cleansed; and the way to cleanse them is attendance (not of his own vain pleasures, but) of the holy ordinances of his maker: Thou wouldst have him run loose like the wild Ass in the desert, God tells him, It is good for a man to bear the yoke in 
Lam. 3. 27.  his youth; even the yoke of the divine precepts, the stooping whereunto is the best, & truest of all freedoms, so as he may be able to say with the best Courtier of the wickedest King; I thy servant 
Obadiah in 1 Kings 18. 12.  fear the Lord from my youth; The aberrations from which holy laws of God are so far from finding an excuse from the prime of our years, as that holy job cries out of them in the bitterness of his soul, Thou hast made me to 
job 13. 26.  possess the iniquities of my youth: and as David vehemently deprecates God's anger for them; Remember not, 
Psal. 25. 7.  Lord, the sins of my youth; so Zophar the Naamathite notes it for an especial brand of God's judgement upon the wicked man, that his bones 
job 20. 11.  are full of the sins of his youth; and God declares it as an especial mercy to his people; Thou shalt forget the shame of 
Esa. 54. 2.  thy youth; The more headstrong therefore my youth is, the more straight shall I curb it, and hold it in: and the more vigorous it is, so much the fitter it is to be consecrated to that God who is most worthy to be served with the best of his own.  
As for old age, it hath I grant its humours and infirmities; but rather for our humiliation, then for our excuse. It is not more common than absurd and unreasonable, that when we are necessarily leaving the world, we should be most fond in holding it; when we are ceasing to have any use of riches, then, to endeavour most eagerly to get them; when we should be laying up treasure in heaven, to be treasuring up wrath for ourselves, and bags, for we know not whom: To be unwilling to spend what we cannot keep; and to be mad on getting what we have not the wit or grace to spend: If then thou canst persuade any man to be so graceless, as to make his vicious disposition an apology for wickedness, let him plead the faults of his age for the excuse of his avarice.  
As for morosity of nature, and garrulity of tongue, they are not the imperfections of the age, but of the persons; There are meek spirits under grey hairs, and wrinkled skins; There are old men, who, (as that wise heathen said of old) can keep silence, even at a feast; He hath ill spent his age that hath not attained to so good an hand over himself, as in some meet measure to moderate both his speech and passion.  
If some complexions both incline us more, and crave indulgence to some sins, more than other, (the sanguine to lust, the choleric to rage, etc.) wherefore serves grace but to correct them? If we must be overruled by nature, what do we professing Christianity? Neither humours, nor stars can necessitate us to evil; whiles thou therefore pretendest my natural constitution, I tell thee of my spiritual regeneration; the power whereof if it have not mortified my evil and corrupt affections, I am not (what I profess to be) a Christian.  
The strongest plea for the mitigation of sin, is Custom; the power whereof is wont to be esteemed so great, as that it hath seemed to alter the quality of the fact, and of sin, to make no sin: Hence the holy Patriarches admitted many consorts into their marriagebed, without the conscience of offending; which, if it had not been for the mediation of Custom, had been justly esteemed no better then criminous: But however where is no contrary injunction, Custom may so far usurp, as to take upon it to be no less than a law itself; Yet, where there is a just regulation of law, the plea of Custom is so quite out of countenance, as that it is strongly retorted against itself; neither is there any more powerful reason for the abolition of an ill use, then that is a custom; so much the more need therefore to be opposed and reform. Hence was that vehement charge of God to his Israel: After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye 
Leu. 18. 3.  dwelled, shall ye not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk after their ordinances. Ye shall 
v. 30.  keep mine Ordinance, that ye commit not any of these abominable customs, which were committed before you; and that ye defile not yourselves therein, I am the Lord your God.  
It is too true that the bonds of Custom are so strong and close, that they are not easily loosed; in so much as Custom puts on the face of another nature; Can the Ethiopian change his 
Jer. 13. 23.  skin, or the Leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil; How stiffly did the men of Judah, (after all the dreadful threatenings of the Prophet) hold to their Idolatrous customs, which they had learned in Egypt; We will burn incense to the Queen 
Jer. 44. 17.  of heaven, and pour out drink-offerings to her, as we have done; we, and our fathers, our Kings, and our Princes, in the Cities of Judah▪ and in the streets of Jerusalem; It is with ill customs, as with diseases; which if they grow inveterate, are so much the harder to be cured; but shall I therefore hug my malady, because I have long had it? because it will not part away with ease? Shall I bid a thief welcome, because he had wont to rob me?  
Shortly then, so far is an ill custom from extenuating my sin, as that it aggravates it; Neither shall I offend the less, because I offend with more; but rather double it, both, as in my act, and, as in my imitation; in following others amiss, and in helping to make up an ill precedent for others following of me.  
As for the profit that may accrue by sinning; let those carnal hearts value it, that have made the world their God; To me, the greatest gain this way is loss: Might I have that house-full of gold and silver that Balaam 
Num. 24. 13.  talk of; or all those kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them which thou show'dst to my Saviour, what are all these to the price of a sin, when they meet with a man that hath learned from the mouth of Christ; What profit shall it be 
Mat. 16. 26. Mark. 8. 36.  to a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  
Importunity is wont to be a prevalent suitor; How many have been dragged to hell by the force of others solicitations, who never else meant to have trod in those paths of death? What marvel is it, if that which moved the unjust judge to do right, against the bent of his will, be able to draw the weak sinner awry? But if in these earthly angariations, one mile (according to our Saviour's counsel) may bring 
Mat 5. 41.  on another; yet in spiritual evil ways, no compulsion can prevail upon a resolved spirit.  
It is not the change of stations, nor the building of 
Num. 23. 14. & 29.  twice seven altars, nor the sacrificing of seven bullocks and seven rams that can win a true Prophet of God to curse Israel; The Christian heart is fixed upon sure grounds of his own, never to be removed; If therefore his father sue to him; if his mother weep, and wring, and kneel; and beseech him by the womb that bore him, and the breasts that gave him suck; if his crying children cling about his knees, and crave his yeildance to some advantageous evil, or his declining some bitter sufferings for the cause of Christ, he can shake them off with an holy neglect; and say, What do you weeping and breaking 
Act. 21. 13.  my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus; None of these things 
Act. 20. 24.  move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy; And if any soul be so weak, as to be led rather by the earnest motions of others, then by his own settled determinations, he shall find no other ease before the Tribunal of heaven, than our first Parents did in shifting the guilt of their sin, the man to the woman, the woman to the serpent; In the mean while that word shall ever stand with me inviolable, My son, if sinners entice thee, 
Prov. 1. 10.  consent thou not.  
Lastly, what can be the necessity which may either induce to sin; or excuse for sinning? What can the world do to make me say I must do evil? Loss, restraint, exile, pain, death are the worst, that either malice can do, or patience suffer; These may put me hard to the question, but, when all is done, they must leave me free, either to act, or endure; I need not therefore sin, since there is a remedy against sin, suffering.  
It is true that we are in the hands of a most gracious and indulgent God, who considers what we are made of, pities our infirmities, and knows to put a difference betwixt wilful rebellion and weak revolt; his mercy can distinguish of offenders; but his justice hath said, Without shall be the fearful; Finally then howsoever these circumstantial temperaments may receive pardon, after the fact, for the penitent at the mercy-seat of heaven; yet none of them can be pleadable at the bar of divine justice; And if any sinner shall hearten himself to offend out of the hopes and confidence of these favourable mitigations, the comfort that I can give him, is, that he may howl in hell, with thee, for his presumption.   
FINIS.