Though God be not the Author of sin, he knows why he permitteth tin the world. He will be no loser and Satan shall be no gainer by it in the end. The malice of the Devil & wicked men, is ordinarily the destruction of the cause which they most desire to promote; and an advantage by accident to the cause and persons which they would root out from the earth. Were ⟨image 3⟩there no more to prove this, than the Instances of Josephs brethren, of Pharaoh, and the murderers of our Lord, it were enough. We usually lose more by the flatteries of Satan and the world, than by their violence. If these hasty, course, unpolished Sermons, shall prove beneficial to the souls of any, this also may come in among the lower rank of Instances. If the Devil had let me alone, they […] have been cast aside, and no further molested him or his Kingdom, for ought I know, than they did upon the Preaching of them. But seeing he will needs, by malicious misreports, and slanders, kindle suspicion, and raise offence, ⟨image 3⟩against them and the Author, let him take what he gets by it. He hath never yet got much from me, by violence, or by his foulmouthed slanderous instruments: No not when the impudence or multitude of their slanders, have forced me to be silent, lest I trouble the Reader, or misspend my time.
THough God be not the Author of sin, he knows why he permitteth tin the world. He will be no loser and Satan shall be no gainer by it in the end. The malice of the Devil & wicked men, is ordinarily the destruction of the cause which they most desire to promote; and an advantage by accident to the cause and persons which they would root out from the earth. Were ⟨image 3⟩there no more to prove this, than the Instances of Josephs brethren, of Pharaoh, and the murderers of our Lord, it were enough. We usually lose more by the flatteries of Satan and the world, than by their violence. If these hasty, course, unpolished Sermons, shall prove beneficial to the souls of any, this also may come in among the lower rank of Instances. If the Devil had let me alone, they 〈…〉 have been cast aside, and no further molested him or his Kingdom, for ought I know, than they did upon the Preaching of them. But seeing he will needs, by malicious misreports, and slanders, kindle suspicion, and raise offence, ⟨image 3⟩against them and the Author, let him take what he gets by it. He hath never yet got much from me, by violence, or by his foulmouthed slanderous instruments: No not when the impudence or multitude of their slanders, have forced me to be silent, lest I trouble the Reader, or misspend my time.
