The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

Mr. Hooker, p. 139, 140. showing us how the humbled Soul answers the Devils Objections: I shall only give the sum of one or two; not willing to transcribe all. 1. Satan objects, Doest thou think to get mercy from the ⟨p. 110⟩Lord, when thine own Conscience dogs thee? Go to the place where thou hast lived, to the chambers where thou lyest, see thy abominations: God hears not the prayers of such vile sinners. The Soul answers, I have denied God, and he may well deny me; and if the Lord will cast me away, and reject my prayers, I am content. But, saith Satan, this is not all, for God will give thee over, and leave thee to thy self, thy lusts and corruptions, thy end will be worse then thy beginning: thou shalt call, and cry, and be overthrown; God will leave thee to thy corruptions and lusts, they shall prevail against thee, thou shalt fall fearfully to the wounding of thy Conscience, scandal of the Gospel, and the reproach of thine own person. To this the Soul answers, If the Lord will give me up to my base lusts, leave me to my sins, and I fall one day, yet let the Lord be honoured, let not God loose the praise of his power and justice, and I am contented if God leave me. [Blessed God, what Divinity is this?] But, Satan replies, when God hath thus left thee to thy sins, he will break out in vengeance against thee, and get praise from that proud heart of thine. The Soul answers, If the Lord do come in judgment against me, I am contented. Hath the blessed God left no other way to answer the Devil but this? Did the the Saints of God, of whom we read in Scripture, answer the Devil only thus? We read of some that have been under their temptations, but I remember not these answers. But by what we read in Mr. Hooker, we may observe, this is not a bare non-murmuring, a mere negative, but here is a positive habitual frame of contentation to be left under the power and dominion of lusts, and at last to be damned. One comfort is, I never read this Divinity in Gods Book, nor in any other Divine but these: their holiness and abilities I do much reverence, but their Doctrine is dreadful: we will go to the Scales of the Sanctuary and weigh it. To follow therefore Mr. Shepherd, who p. 140. tells us of a double resistance.

Mr. Hooker, p. 139, 140. shewing us how the humbled Soul answers the Devils Objections: I shall only give the sum of one or two; not willing to transcribe all. 1. Satan objects, Doest thou think to get mercy from the ⟨p. 110⟩