The spiritual watchThe spirituall vvatch

And surely, as it befell Peter, so falleth it out with many other. They are like sick men, ^lthat when they have had a good day or two after some fits of a fever, think they are now perfectly well recovered again, and so presuming contrary to the Physicians advice to venture abroad into the air, or to cast off their sick kerchief, or to misdiet themselves, either they catch cold or take surfeit, and so fall back by relapse into their former disease, handling them then more fiercely by far, and endangering them much more then before. And so is it here with a many: they think themselves strong enough to encounter with Satan, especially if they have stood out and come off well (as they think) in a temptation or twain, and so ^mgrow careless either of eschewing the occasions of evil, or of using means whereby they may be enabled to withstand them when they are offered: Which when they so do, it is just oft with God to leave them to their own strength, as the nurse doth the child that will not endure to be lead, and so to suffer them to fall, as soon then they will, sometime to their eternal ruin, that ⟨p. 103⟩they may deservedly perish through their own folly and fool-hardiness; sometime to their present pain, but their future amendment, that having had experience of their own feebleness and inability to stand of themselves, they may in time to come be more wary, more distrustful of their own strength, and more careful to resort from time to time unto him, from whom only true strength is to be had.

And surely, as it befell Peter, so falleth it out with many other. They are like sicke men, ^lthat when they haue had a good day or two after some fits of a feuer, thinke they are now perfectly well recouered againe, and so presuming contrary to the Physitians aduice to venture abroad into the aire, or to cast off their sicke kerchiefe, or to misdiet themselues, either they catch cold or take surfet, and so fall backe by relapse into their former disease, handling them then more fiercely by far, and endangering them much more then before. And so is it here with a many: they thinke themselues strong enough to encounter with Satan, especially if they haue stood out and come off well (as they thinke) in a temptation or twaine, and so