The Use: Ten Helps Against All His Devices

IF Satan hath ſuch a world of devices,⁸⁴⁴ and ſtratagems to enſnare, and undo the ſoules of men, then inſtead of wondering that ſo few are ſaved, ſet down, and wonder that any are ſaved, that any eſcape the ſnares of this cunning fowler, who ſpreads his nets, and caſts forth his baits in all places, and in all caſes and companies, &c.

1. 844. Ʋſe. [dropped from the edition]

But this is not the main thing that I intend to ſpeak to; my main buſineſs ſhall be, to ſet before you ſome ſpeciall Rules, and helps againſt all his Devices, and the firſt is this.

If you would not be taken by any of Satans Devices, then walk by rule; hee that walks by rule, walks moſt ſafely,⁸⁴⁵ he that walks by rule, walks moſt honourably; he that walke by rule, walks moſt ſweetly; when men throw off the p. 331 word, then God throws off them, and then Satan takes them by the hand, and leads them into ſnares at his pleaſure; he that thinks himſelfe too good to be ruled by the word, will be found too bad to be owned by God; and if God doe not, nor will not owne him, Satan will by his ſtratagems overthrow him. Them that keep to the rule, they ſhall be kept in the hour of temptation. Becauſe⁸⁴⁶ thou haſt kept the word of my patience, I alſo will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which ſhall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

1. 845. Prov. 12. 28. Gal. 6. 16. Prov. 15. 24.
2. 846. Revel. 10. 3.

2. As you would not be taken with any of Satans devices, take heed of vexing,⁸⁴⁷ & grieving the holy Spirit of God; ‘tis the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt that is beſt able to diſcover Satans ſnar’e unto us; ‘tis only he that can point out all his plots, and diſcover all his methods, and inable men to eſcape thoſe pits that he hath digged for their precious ſouls; Ah ſouls! if you ſet that ſweet and bleſſed ſpirit a mourning, that alone can ſecure you from Satans depths by whom will you be ſecured? man is a weake creature, and no way able to diſcover Satans ſnares, nor to avoyd them, unles the ſpirit of the Lord gives skil & power; therfore who ever be grieved, be ſure the ſpirit be not grieved p. 332 by your enormities, nor by your refuſing⁸⁴⁸ the cordials, and comforts that he ſets before you; nor by ſlighting, and diſpiſing his gracious actings in others,⁸⁴⁹ nor by calling ſincerity, hypocriſie; faith, fancie, &c. nor by fathering thoſe things upon the ſpirit, that are the brats, and fruits of your own hearts. The ſpirit of the Lord is your counſellor, your comforter, your upholder, your ſtrengthner. ‘Tis onely the ſpirit that makes a man too great for Satan to conquer. Greater is he that is in you,⁸⁵⁰ then he that is in the world.

1. 847. Spiritus Sanctus eſt res delicata, the divine ſpirit is a very tender thing; if you grieve him, he will certainly grieve and vex your precious ſoules. Lam. 1. 16.
2. 848. Iſa 63. 10. Pſal. 73. 2, 3.
3. 849. 1 Theſ. 5. 19. Acts 2. 13.
4. 850. 1 John 4. 4.

Thirdly, if you would not be taken with any of Satans devices, then labour for more heavenly wiſdome: Ah ſouls!⁸⁵¹ you are much in the dark, you have but a little to that others have, and to that you might have had, had you not been wanting to your ſelves. There are many knowing ſoules, but there are but a few wiſe ſoules; there is oftentimes a great deale of knowledge, where there is but a little wiſdome to improve that knowledge; knowledge without wiſdome⁸⁵² is like mettle in a blind horſe, which is often an occaſion of the Riders fall, and of his bones being juſtled againſt the walls. ‘Tis not the moſt knowing Chriſtian, but the moſt wiſe Chriſtian, that ſees, avoids, and eſcapes p. 333 Satans ſnares. The way of life is above to⁸⁵³ the wiſe (ſaith Solomon) that he may depart from hell beneath. Heavenly wiſdome makes a man delight to flye high; and the higher any man flies, the more he is out of the reach of Satans ſnares; Ah ſoules! you had need of a great deal⁸⁵⁴ of heavenly wiſdome, to ſee where, and how Satan layes his baits, and ſnares; and wiſdome to finde out proper Remedies againſt his Devices, and wiſdome to apply thoſe Remedies ſeaſonably, inwardly, and effectually to your owne hearts, that ſo you may avoid the ſnares which that evill one hath laid for your precious ſoules.

1. 851. If men could but ſee the faire face of wiſdome with mortall eyes, they would be in love with her, ſaith Plato.
2. 852. Sine prudentia ſimplicitas ſtultitia eſt, Drusius.
3. 853. Prov. 15. 24.
4. 854. Malim prudentiae guttam quam foecandioris fortunae pelagas, ſaid Nazianzen. A Serpents eye is a ſingular ornament in a doves head.

4. If you would not be taken with any of Satans devices, then make preſent reſiſtance againſt Satans firſt motions; ‘tis ſafe to reſiſt, ‘tis dangerous to diſpute; Eve diſputes, and falls in Paradiſe;⁸⁵⁵ Job reſiſte, and conquers upon the dunghill. He that will play with Satans bait, will quickly be taken with Satans hook. The promiſe of conqueſt is made over to reſiſting, not to diſputing; Reſiſt the Devill, and hee ſhall file⁸⁵⁶ from you. Ah ſouls! were you better at reſiſting, then at diſputing (though happily you are not very expert at either) your temptations would be fewer, and your ſtrength to ſtand would be greater then now it is, &c.

1. 855. Gen. 3.
2. 856. Iam. 4. 7.

Fifthly, if you would not be taken with any of Satans Devices, then labour to be filled with the ſpirit; the ſpirit of the Lord is a ſpirit of light and power, and what can a ſoule doe without light, & power againſt ſpiritual wickedneſſes⁸⁵⁷ in high places. ‘Tis not enough that you have the ſpirit, but you muſt be filled with the ſpirit, or elſe (Satan) that evill ſpirit will be too hard for you, and his plots will proſper againſt you. That’s a ſweet word of the Apoſtle,⁸⁵⁸ be filled with the Spirit, i. e. labour for abundance of the ſpirit; hee that thinks he hath enough of the holy Spirit, will quickly find himſelfe vanquiſhed by the evill ſpirit. Satan hath his ſnares to take you in proſperity & adverſity, in health & ſickneſs, in ſtrength and weakneſs; when you are alone, and when you are in company; when you come on to ſpirituall duties, and when you come off from ſpirituall duties, and if you are not filled with the Spirit, Satan will be too hard, and too crafty for you, and will eaſily, and frequently take you in his ſnares, and make a prey of you in ſpight of your ſoules; therefore labour more to have your hearts filled with the Spirit, then to have your heads filled with notions, your ſhops with wares, your cheſts with p. 325 ſilver, or your bags with gold, ſo ſhall you eſcape the ſnares of this fowler, and triumph over all his plots, &c.

1. 857. Epheſ. 6. 12.
2. 858. Epheſ. 5. 18. πληροῦσθε. To be filled with the ſpirit, as the ſailes of a ſhip is filled with wind. Luther ſaith, a holy gluttony is to lay on, to ſeed hard, and to fetch hearty draughts, till they be even drunke with loves, & with the abundance of the Spirit; & oh! that there were more of ſuch holy gluttony in the world.

Sixtly, if you would not be taken in any of Satans ſnares, then keep humble;⁸⁵⁹ An humble heart will rather lie in the duſt, then riſe by wickedneſſe; and ſooner part with all, then the peace of a good conſcience. Humility keepes the ſoul free from many darts of Satans caſting, and ſnares of his ſpreading; as the low ſhrubs are free from many violent guſts, and blaſts of wind, which ſhake and rend the taller trees. The Devil hath leaſt power to faſten a temptation on him, that is moſt humble; hee that hath a gracious meaſure of humility, is neither affected with Satans profers, nor terrified with his threatnings. I have read of one, who ſeeing in a viſion many ſnares of the Devil ſpread upon the earth, he ſate down, & mourned, and ſaid in himſelf (Quis pertranſiet iſta) who ſhal paſs through theſe? wherunto he heard a voyce anſwering (humilitas pertranſiet) humility ſhall; God hath ſaid, that he will teach the humble,⁸⁶⁰ and that he will dwell with the humble, and that he will fill and ſatisfie the humble; And if the teachings of God, the in-dwellings of God, if the pourings in of God will not keepe the ſoule from falling p. 336 into Satans ſnares, I do not know what will: And therefore as you would be happy in reſiſting Satan, and bleſſed in triumphing over Satan, and all his ſnares keepe humble, I ſay again, keep humble, &c.

1. 859. ‘Tis reported of Satan, that he ſhould ſay thus of a learned man (tu me ſemper vincis) chou doſt alwayes overcome me; when I would exalt, & promote thee, thou keepeſt thy ſelfe in humility; and when I would throw thee dawne, thou lifteſt up thy ſelfe in aſſurance of faith.
2. 860. Pſal. 25. 9. Iſa. 57. 15. James 4. 6.

7. If you would not be taken in any of Satans ſnares, then keep a ſtrong, cloſe, and conſtant watch; a ſecure⁸⁶¹ ſoule is already an inſnared ſoul: That ſoul that will not watch againſt temptations, will certainely fall before the power of temptations; Satan workes moſt ſtrongly on the fancie, when the ſoule is drowſie. The ſoules ſecurity is Satans opportunity to fall upon the ſoule, and to ſpoil the ſoule, as Joſhua did the men of Ai. The beſt way to be ſafe and ſecure from all Satans aſſaults, is with Nehemiah, and the Iews, to watch and pray, and pray, and watch; by this meanes they became too hard for their enemies, and the work of the Lord did proſper ſweetly in their hands. Remember how Chriſt chid his ſluggiſh Diſciples, what, could you not watch with⁸⁶² me one houre? what, cannot you watch with mee? how will you then dye with mee? If you cannot endure words, how will you endure wounds, &c. Satan always keeps a craftie, and malicious watch, ſeeking whom he may devour (katapie) or⁸⁶³ p. 237 whom he may drink, or ſip up, as the⁸⁶⁴ Apoſtle ſpeaks in that 1 Pet. 5. 8. Satan⁸⁶⁵ is very envious at our condition, that we ſhould enjoy that Paradiſe out of which he is caſt, and out of which hee ſhall be for ever kept.

1. 861. 1 Theſ. 5 6. We muſt not be like Agrippas dormouſe, that would not awake, till caſt into boyling lead▪ but effectually mind theſe following Scriptures, wherein this duty of watchfulneſſe is ſo ſtrictly enjoyned.
2. 862. Mat. 24. 42. Chap. 26. 41. Mar. 13. 33, 34, 35. 37▪ Luke 21. 36.
3. 863. 1 Cor. 16. 13.
4. 864. Coloſſ. 4. 2.
5. 865. 1 Pet. 4. 7. Revel. 3. 3.

Shall Satan keep a crafty watch, and⁸⁶⁶ ſhall not Chriſtians keep a holy ſpirituall watch? our whole life is beſet with temptations, Satan watches all opportunities to break our peace, to wound our conſciences, to leſſen our comforts, to impaire our graces, to ſlur our evidences, and to damp our aſſurances, &c. Oh! what need then have we to be alwayes upon our Watch-Tower, leſt we be ſurprized by this ſubtle Serpent. Watchfulneſſe includes a waking, a rouſing up of the ſoule; ‘Tis a continuall, carefull obſerving of our hearts and wayes, in all the turnings of our lives, that wee ſtill keep cloſe to God, and his word.

1. 866. Anniball never reſted whether hee did conquer, or was conquered. ‘Tis ſo with Satan, Learn for ſhame of the Devill, ſaid bleſſed Latimer, to watch, ſeeing the Devill is ſo watchfull.

Watchfulneſſe is nothing elſe but the ſoul running up and downe, too and fro, buſie every where; it is the heart buſied, and employed with diligent obſervation of (Quid inde) what comes from within us, and of (Quid unde) what comes from without us, and into us. Ah ſoules! you are no longer ſafe and ſecure, then when you are upon p. 338 your watch; while Antipater kept the watch, Alexander was ſafe, and while we keep a ſtrict watch, we are ſafe; a watchful ſoul is a ſoule upon the wing, a ſoule out of gun-ſhot, a ſoule upon a rock, a ſoule in a Caſtle, a ſoule above the clouds, a ſoule held faſt in everlaſting armes.

I ſhall conclude this 7^th head with this advice: Remember the Dragon is ſubtle, and bites the Elephants ear, and then ſucks his blood, becauſe he knows that to be the onely place which the Elephant cannot reach with his trunck to defend; ſo our enemies are ſo ſubtill, that they will bite us, and ſtrike us, where they may moſt miſchiefe us, and therefore it doth very much concerne us to ſtand alwayes upon our guard.

Eightly, if you would not be taken with any of Satans ſnares, and devices, then keep up your communion with God; your ſtrength to ſtand, and withſtand⁸⁶⁷ Satans fiery darts, is from your communion with God; a ſoul high in communion with God may be tempted, but will not eaſily be conquered, ſuch a ſoul wil fight it out to the death; Communion with God furniſheth the ſoule with the greateſt, and the choiſeſt arguments to withſtand Satans temptations; p. 339 Communion is the reſult of union; communion is a reciprocall exchange between Chriſt, and a gracious ſoule; Communion is Jacobs ladder, where you have Chriſt ſweetly coming down into the ſoul, and the ſoul by divine influences ſweetly aſcending up to Chriſt. Communion with Chriſt is very inflaming, raiſing, and ſtrengthning; while Sampſon kept up his communion⁸⁶⁸ with God, no enemy could ſtand before him, but he goes on conquering, and to conquer; but when he was fallen in his communion with God, he quickly falls before the plots of his enemies; ‘twil be ſo with your ſoules, ſo long as your communion with God is kept up, you wil be too hard for ſpiritual wickedneſſes in high places; but if you fall from your⁸⁶⁹ communion with God, you will fall as others before the face of every temptation. David, ſo long as he kept up his communion with God, he ſtands, and triumphs over all his enemies; but when he was fallen in his communion with God, then he falls before the enemies, that were in his own boſom, & flies before thoſe that purſued after his life; ‘Twil be ſo with your ſouls, if you doe not keepe up your communion with God. Iob keeps up his communion with God, and conquers Satan upon the dunghill. p. 340 Adam looſes his communion with God, and is conquered by Satan in Paradiſe. Communion with God is a ſhield upon land, as well as an anchor at ſea; ‘tis a ſword to defend you, as well as a ſtaffe to ſupport you; therefore keep up your communion.

1. 867. 2 Cor. 6. 16. The words are very ſignificant in the original, there are two ins, as if God could never have neare enough communion with them.
2. 868. The ſea ebbs and flows, the Moon encreaſes, and decreaſes, ſo ‘tis with Saints in their communion with God.
3. 869. Plutarch tells of Eudoxus, that he would be willing to be burnt up preſently by the Sun, ſo he might be admitted to come ſo near it, as to learne the nature of it; what ſhould not wee be content to ſuffer for the keeping up of commuion with Chriſt?

9. If you would not be taken in any of Satans ſnares, then engage not againſt Satan in your own ſtrength, but⁸⁷⁰ be every day drawing new vertue, and ſtrength from the Lord Jeſus; certainly, that ſoule that engages againſt any old or new temptation, without new ſtrength, new influences from on high, will fall before the power of the temptation; you may ſee this in Peter, hee reſted upon ſome old received ſtrength (Though all men ſhould deny thee, yet will not I) and therefore he falls ſadly before a new temptation; he curſes, and⁸⁷¹ ſwears, and denies him thrice, that had thrice appeared gloriouſly to him; ah ſoules! when the ſnare is ſpread, look up to Jeſus Chriſt, who is lifted up in the Goſpell, as the brazen Serpent was⁸⁷² in the wilderneſſe, and ſay to him, Dear Lord, here is a new ſnare laid to catch my ſoule, and grace formerly received without freſh ſupplies from thy bleſſed boſome, will not deliver me from this ſnare; oh! give me new ſtrength, new p. 341 power, new influences, new meaſures of grace, that ſo I may eſcape this ſnare. Ah ſoules! remember this, that your⁸⁷³ ſtrength to ſtand, and overcome, muſt not be expected from graces received, but from the freſh, and renewed influences of Heaven; you muſt leane more upon Chriſt then upon your duties, you muſt leane more upon Chriſt, then upon ſpirituall tafts and diſcoveries; you muſt leane more upon Chriſt, then upon your graces, or elſe Satan will lead you into captivity, &c.

1. 870. That is a remarkable ſaying of Moſes, Exod. 15. God is fortitudo mea, and Laus mea, and ſalus mea, my ſtrength, and my praiſe, and my ſalvation, all in the abſtract.
2. 871. Mat. 26.
3. 872. ‘Tis but look up, and live, look unto me and be ſaved from the ends of the earth, Isa 45. 22.
4. 873. John 15. 5. χωρὶς ἐμοῦ is ſeorſim a me ſeparat, from me, or apart from me, ye can doe nothing.

Tenthly, and laſtly, If you would not be taken in any of Satans ſnares, then be much in prayer; prayer is a ſhelter to the ſoule, a ſacrifice to God, and a ſcourge to the Devill; Davids heart was oft more out of tune, then his Harp; he prays, and then, in ſpight⁸⁷⁴ of the Devill, cries, returne unto thy reſt oh my ſoule. Prayer is (Porta coeli, clavis Paradiſi) the gate of Heaven, a key to let us into Paradiſe; there is nothing that renders plots fruitleſſe like prayer, therefore ſaith Chriſt, watch and pray, that yee enter not into temptation; you muſt watch and pray, and pray, and watch, if you would not enter into temptation. When Sennacherib and Haman had laid plots and ſnares to have deſtroyed the Jewes, they prayed, and p. 342 their ſouls were delivered, & Sennacherib and Haman deſtroyed. David had many ſnares laid for him, and this puts him upon prayer; Keep me (ſaith hee) from the ſnare which they have laid for me,⁸⁷⁵ and the grins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their owne nets, whilſt that I eſcape. The proud ſaith he, hath hid a ſnare for me, and cords, they have ſpread a net by the way ſide, they have ſet grins⁸⁷⁶ for me, Selab. I ſaid unto the Lord, thou art my God, heare the voyce of my ſupplication⁸⁷⁷ oh Lord. Saul and many others had laid ſnares for David, and this puts him upon prayer, and ſo the ſnares are broken, and he is delived; ah ſouls! take words to your ſelves, and tell God that Satan hath ſpread his ſnares in all places, and in all companies; tell God that he digs deep, and that he hath plot upon plot, and device upon device, and all to⁸⁷⁸ undo you; tell God, that you have neither skill, nor power to eſcape his ſnares; tell God, that ‘tis a work too high, and too hard for any created creature to work your deliverance, unleſſe he puts under his own everlaſting arms; tell God how his honour is engaged to ſtand by you, and to bring you off, that you be not ruin’d by his plots; tell God how the wicked would triumph, if you ſhould fall into Satans ſnares; p. 343 tell God of the love of Chriſt, of the blood of Chriſt, and of the interceſſion of Chriſt for you, that away may be found for your eſcape; tell God, if he will make it his honour to ſave you from falling into Satans ſnares, you will make it your glory to ſpeak of his goodneſſe, and to live out his kindeneſſe. Chriſtians muſt do as Dedalus, that when hee could not eſcape by a way upon earth, went by a way of heaven, and that is, the way of prayer, which is the only way left to eſcape Satans ſnares, &c.

1. 874. Of Carolus Magnus it was ſpoken, Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur, that he ſpake more with God then with men; ah! that I could ſay ſo of the Chriſtians in our dayes.
2. 875. Pſal. 141. 9, 10.
3. 876. Pſal. 140. 5, 6.
4. 877. Nunquam abs te, abſque te recedo, Bern. Oh Lord, ſaith he, I never go away from thee, without thee.
5. 878. Let us ſaith Baſil, with a holy impudence, make God aſhamed that he cannot looke us in the face, if he do deny our importunity, Jacob like, I wil not let thee go, unleſſe thou bleſſe me.

The next Uſe is a uſe of thankfulneſs,⁸⁷⁹ to thoſe that eſcape Satans ſnares, that are not taken by him at his will; ah Chriſtians! it ſtands you upon with that Princely Prophet David, to call upon your ſoules, and ſay, Bleſſe the⁸⁸⁰ Lord oh our ſoules, and all that is within us, bleſſe his holy name; Bleſſe the Lord oh our ſoules, and forget not all his benefits; who hath not given us to be a prey to Satan, and to be enſnared by thoſe ſnares that he hath laid for our ſouls; the ſenſe of this great favour did work up Davids heart to praiſes; Bleſſed be the Lord (ſaith⁸⁸¹ hee) who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth, our ſoule is eſcaped as a bird out of the ſnares of the Fowlers, the ſnare p. 344 is broken, and we are eſcaped: Ah Chriſtians! Remember, that the greateſt part of the world, yea, the greateſt part of Profeſſors are taken in Satans ſnares; can you think ſeriouſly of this, and not⁸⁸² bluſh to be unthankful; what are you better then others? and what have you deſerved of God, or done for God more then others? that you ſhould by the help of a Divine hand eſcape the ſnares, when others are taken, and held in the ſnares of the Devill, to their eternall⁸⁸³ overthrow, &c.

1. 879. Ʋſe. [dropped from the edition]
2. 880. Pſal. 103. 1, 2.
3. 881. Pſalm 144. 6, 7.
4. 882. The Ancients uſe to ſay, ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris, ſay a man is unthankfull, and ſay he is any thing.
5. 883. Pſal. 71. 14. I will yet praiſe thee more & more; in the Originall ‘tis▪ I will adde to thy praiſe.

Will you be thankfull for the eſcaping the ſnares that men ſpread for your lives, or eſtates, &c? and will you not be much more thankfull for eſcaping thoſe ſnares that Satan hath laid for your precious ſouls?

Remember this, that deliverance⁸⁸⁴ from Satans ſnares doth carrie with it the cleareſt, and the greateſt evidence of the ſoule and heart of God to be towards you. Many a man by a common hand of Providence eſcapes many a ſnare that man hath laid for him, but yet eſcapes not the ſnares that Satan hath laid for him. Saul, and Iudas, and Demas, doubtleſſe eſcaped many ſnares, that men had laid for them, but none of them eſcaped the ſnares that the Devill had laid for them. Many men are p. 345 lifted up above the ſnares of men, by a common hand of providence, that are left to fall into the ſnares of the Devill, by a hand of Juſtice; your deliverance from Satans ſnares is a fruit of ſpeciall love; can you thus look upon it, and not be thankfull, oh precious ſoules? I judge not.

1. 884. The Stork is ſaid to leave one of her young ones where ſhee hatcheth them; and the Elephant to turn up the firſt ſprig toward Heaven, when he cometh to feed, out of ſome inſtinct of gratitude; ah ſoules! that theſe may not bear witneſſe againſt you in the day of Chriſt.

The laſt uſe of this point is to beſpeak⁸⁸⁵ Chriſtians to long to be at home; oh! long to be in the boſome of Chriſt, long to be in the Land of Canaan; for⁸⁸⁶ this world, this wilderneſſe is full of ſnares, and all employments are full of ſnares, and all enjoyments are full of ſnares; in civill things, Satan hath his ſnares to entrapus; and in all ſpirituall things, Satan hath his ſnares to catch us. All places are full of ſnares, City and Countrey, ſhop, and cloſet, Sea, and Land, and all our mercies are ſurrounded with ſnares; there are ſnares about our tables, & ſnares about our beds, &c. yea, Satan is ſo powerful, and ſubtil, that he will oftentimes make our greateſt, neareſt, and deareſt mercies to become our greateſt ſnares; ſometimes hee will make the wife that lies in the boſome, to be a ſnare to a man, as Sampſons was, and as Jobs was; ſometimes he will make the child to be a ſnare, as Abſolom was, and Elies ſons p. 346 were; and ſometimes he will make the ſervant to be a ſnare, as Joſeph was to his Miſtris; ah ſoules! Satan is ſo cunning, and artificiall, that he can turne your cups into ſnares, and your cloths into ſnares, and your houſes into ſnares, and your gardens into ſnares, & all your recreations into ſnares, &c. And oh! how ſhould the conſideration of theſe things work all your ſouls to ſay with the Church, Make haſt my⁸⁸⁷ beloved, and be like to a Roe, or a young Hart upon the mountaines of ſpices, and to love, and look, and long for the coming of Chriſt; ſhall the eſpouſed Maid long for the marriage day? the ſervant for his freedome? the captive for his ranſome? the Traveller for his Inne? the⁸⁸⁸ Mariner for his Harbour? and ſhall not the people of the Lord long much more to be in the boſome of Chriſt? there being nothing below the boſome of Chriſt, that is not ſurrounded with Satans ſnares.

1. 885. Ʋſe. [dropped from the edition]
2. 886. Auſtin wiſhed that he might have ſeene 3. things, Rome flouriſhing, Paul preaching, & Chriſt converſing with men upon the earth. Bede comes after, & correcting this laſt wiſh, faith, yea, but let me ſee the King in his beauty, Chriſt in his heavenly Kingdome.
3. 887. Cant. 8. ult. ברח דודי Berahh dodi flee away ſpeedily my beloved.
4. 888. Phil. 1 23. 2 Cor. 5. 2. 4:

What Paul once ſpake of bonds and⁸⁸⁹ afflictions, that they attended him in every place; that may all the Saints ſay of Satans ſnares, that they attend them in every place, which ſhould cauſe them to cry out (migremus hinc, migremus hinc) let us goe hence, let us goe hence; and to ſay with Monica, Auſtins p. 347 mother,⁸⁹⁰ what do we here? why depart we not hence? why flie wee no ſwifter? Ah ſoules! till you are taken up into the boſom of Chriſt, your comforts will not be ful, pure, and conſtant till then; Satan will ſtill be tempting you, and ſpreading ſnares to entangle you, therefore you ſhould alwayes bee crying out with the Church, Come Lord⁸⁹¹ Jeſus. Is not Chriſt that ſtar of Jacob, that giveth light to them that are in darkeneſſe? that Prince of Peace, who brings the Olive-branch of Peace to ſouls that are perplexed? Is not the greateſt worth and wealth in him? Is not all the petty excellencies and perfections of all created creatures epitomized in him? Is not he the Crown of Crowns, the glory of glories, and the Heaven of Heavens? Oh then! be ſtill a longing after a full, cleare, and conſtant enjoyment of Chriſt in Heaven; for till then, Satan will ſtill have plots and deſignes upon you; he acts by an untired power, and will never let you reſt, till you are taken up to an everlaſting reſt in the boſome of Chriſt.

1. 889. Acts 20. 23.
2. 890. Quid hic faciemus? cur non ocyus migramus? cur non hinc avolamus?
3. 891. Rev. 22. 20. It is as eaſie to compaſs the Heavens with a ſpan, and contain the Sea in a nut-ſhel, as to relate fully Chriſts excellencies, or heavens happineſſe.