The application of redemption

If yet the Truth will come in upon them, and the §2light will shine in their faces that it cannot be avoided, if they cannot prevent the seeing of it, then they fall to gainsaying, they strive mightily to stop the passage of the Truth, and to darken the evidence of it, to take off the edge and force of that which they conceive will fall most heavily upon them, and constrain them to alter their course, and lay down those distempers they are very loth to leave, Acts, 18. 6. They opposed themselves. They deal with the Truth as subtle Lawyers do with a good Cause, when the strength of it is such that they are not able to withstand, they labour to hide the Point of the Argument, and to hide that wherein the stress of the Cause lies, and fall hotly upon some bye business, or else deal most in those things which are most probable, but indeed do not touch the Point. So a Spirit that is not willing to be convinced, he will endeavour ⟨p. 108⟩to decline the strength of an Argument, and look least to that where the stress and the weight of the Rule or Duty lies that most concerns him, or his course, when he sees the stream and force of Reason coming in upon him, he will hinder or interrupt the delivery of it, and turn it another way, or raise some blinds, and cast in some cavils, like the putting out of the light, or if not hinder the observation, yet take off the attendance and consideration of it, he will get off from that as soon as may be, he will not stay there where the strength of the conviction lies, but foist in many Objections, start other Considerations, that so he may lose the Argument, and himself lose the power of the Truth that might prevail with him. Thus Elimas the Sorcerer, Acts, 13. 10. when Paul and Barnabas had preached, and he laboured to turn away the Deputy from the Faith. Paul thus speaks to him, O full of all subtlety (he had a slight of hand to any wickedness) why dost thou crook the strait ways of the Lord. He cast in many cavils, put in many suspicions and pretences that he might not look at the simplicity of the Truth delivered. The word there used in the Original, implies a sleight of hand as we call it, when such wily spirits can turn themselves into all shapes, to […] by the evidence of the Truth;