The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…

¹To this we answer, that it cannot be denied, but that Gods corrections do correct and amend his children, and that afflictions serve to the increasing of their patience, faith and other graces; but yet let us know that Satan playeth the false deceiver, when he moveth us to look for the assurance of Gods love, and for our amendment & increase of Gods grace, in the very time when the hand of God is upon us, whilst the conflict lasteth, and the temptation grievously shaketh and battereth us: as if he should come to a man who hath endured much and tedious sickness and should say unto him, thou diddest imagine thy self awhile ago very beautiful and exceeding strong, but thou wast much deceived, for if thou lookest in a glass thou shalt presently perceive that thou art lean, pale, and deformed, and if thou makest trial of thy strength, thou shalt find that it is scarce sufficient to sustain the weight of thine own body. Now who would not deride such fond reasoning? who could not easily answer, that judgement is not to be taken of the beauty and strength of the body in the time of sickness, but in the time of health? but this is the very like case, and thus sottishly doth Satan conclude, or rather delude Gods children in the time of temptation; for he sayeth thus unto them, thou diddest persuade thy self that thou art the child of God, and in his love and favour, that thou art endued with faith, patience, and other graces, and daily increasest in them; but now thou art come to the trial it proveth far otherwise; for thy faith is turned into doubting or infidelity, and thy patience to impatience, and therefore there is no likelihood that thou art beloved of God, for then thou wouldest profit by afflictions, and increase in grace and strength, whereas thou bewrayest nothing but thy manifold corruptions.

¹To this we answer, that it cannot be denied, but that Gods corrections doe correct and amend his children, and that afflictions serue to the encreasing of their patience, faith and other graces; but yet let vs know that Sathan playeth the false deceauer, when he moueth vs to looke for the assurance of Gods loue, and for our amendment & increase of Gods grace, in the very time when the hand of God is vpon vs, whilest the conflict lasteth, and the temptation grieuously shaketh and battereth vs: as if he should come to a man who hath endured much and tedious sicknesse and should say vnto him, thou diddest imagine thy selfe awhile agoe very beautifull and exceeding strong, but thou wast much deceiued, for if thou lookest in a glasse thou shalt presently perceaue that thou art leane, pale, and deformed, and if thou makest triall of thy strength, thou shalt finde that it is scarce sufficient to sustaine the waight of thine owne body. Now who would not deride such fond reasoning? who could not easily answere, that iudgement is not to be taken of the beautie and strength of the bodie in the time of sicknes, but in the time of health? but this is the very like case, and thus sottishly doth Sathan conclude, or rather delude Gods children in the time of temptation; for he sayeth thus vnto them, thou diddest perswade thy selfe that thou art the childe of God, and in his loue and fauour, that thou art indued with faith, patience, and other graces, and daily increasest in them; but now thou art come to the triall it proueth farre otherwise; for thy faith is turned into doubting or infidelitie, and thy patience to impatiencie, and therefore there is no likelyhoode that thou art beloued of God, for then thou wouldest profit by afflictions, and increase in grace and strength, whereas thou bewrayest nothing but thy manifould corruptions.