therefore our Saviour saith to Peter, fathom hath desired to sift 1thee and winnow thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail thee not. ⟨p. 115⟩Who is this whose peril Satan so earnestly desireth? even Peters, yea Peter an Apostle. Was not flesh a valiant captain think you, that hath led a Prophet captive, for who can gainsay him that cometh like an Angel? who can resist him that seeth the whole world? will you resist him, if I show to you he is an hypocrite? for he saith, If you fall down and worship this world, you shall come to heaven: so he is ever alluring by deceits, stealing our hearts away with a vain hope of much pleasure, because he knoweth mans nature is bent to love such things: so his baits are pleasures, and his snares are sins. Whatsoever we do, it cometh from one of these three spirits: the spirit of Satan, the spirit of God, or our own spirit. The spirit of God is gentle, loving, and meek, not forcing nor threatening, therefore 2Christ saith, If you will follow me, then take up this cross: and mark his spirit, he saith not you shall follow, but saith, if you will follow me. That order is observed in the Canticles, where he saith, Open unto me, 3my sister, my spouse, &c. And then if she did not open unto him he went his way mildly, 4without any threats. The spirit of Satan takes another course: for when by lying & deceit he cannot allure us to sin, he threatens ⟨p. 116⟩us with sin, grief, or loss of goods, solitariness or loss of pleasure, and sometime by his ministers, limbs of his own likeness working, he threateneth death and earthly torments, such as they can inflict upon any. Christ saith, If you will follow me, take up 5this cross, if you will: but he saith, I will make you follow me, and do as I bid you, or you shall smart for it, you shall have fire and fagot, scalding lead and burning pitch, if you will not follow me, I will take all from you, and make you to do as we command, and so doth his eldest son Antichrist, which usurpeth an authority over nations, inflicting torments on the saints. Now our own spirit is evermore hard: if it be moved by the spirit of God, it is sad, soft and slow, but if it be moved by the spirit of Satan, it is proud, boy sterous and stout.
therfore our Sauiour saith to Peter, fathā hath desired to sift 1thee and winnow thee as wheate, but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile thee not. ⟨p. 115⟩Who is this whose perill Sathan so earnestly desireth? euen Peters, yea Peter an Apostle. Was not flesh a valiant captaine thinke you, that hath led a Prophet captiue, for who can gainsay him that commeth like an Angell? who can resist him that seeth the whole world? will you resist him, if I shew to you he is an hypocrite? for he saith, If you fall down and worship this world, you shal come to heauen: so he is euer alluring by deceits, stealing our hearts away with a vain hope of much pleasure, because he knoweth mans nature is bent to loue such things: so his baites are pleasures, and his snares are sinnes. Whatsoeuer we do, it commeth from one of these three spirits: the spirit of Sathan, the spirit of God, or our owne spirite. The spirit of God is gentle, louing, and meeke, not forcing nor threatning, therfore 2Christ sayth, If you will follow me, then take vp this crosse: and marke his spirite, he sayth not you shall follow, but sayth, if you will follow me. That order is obserued in the Canticles, where he saith, Open vnto me, 3my sister, my spouse, &c. And then if she did not open vnto him he went his way mildly, 4without any threats. The spirit of Sathan takes another course: for when by lying & deceit he cannot allure vs to sin, he threatens ⟨p. 116⟩vs with sinne, griefe, or losse of goods, solitarinesse or losse of pleasure, and sometime by his ministers, lims of his owne likenesse working, he threatneth death and earthly torments, such as they can inflict vpon any. Christ saith, If you will follow me, take vp 5this crosse, if you will: but he sayth, I will make you follow me, and do as I bid you, or you shall smart for it, you shal haue fire and fagot, scalding lead and burning pitch, if you will not follow me, I will take all from you, and make you to do as we commaund, and so doth his eldest son Antichrist, which v•urpeth an authoritie ouer nations, inflicting torments on the saints. Now our own spirit is euermore hard: if it be moued by the spirit of God, it is sad, soft and slow, but if it be mooued by the spirit of Sathan, it is proude, boy sterous and stout.
- 1Luke. 22. 31. 32.
- 2Mat. 10. 16 Luke. 14. 24.
- 3Cant. 5. 2.
- 4Cant. 5. 5.
- 5Mat. 1. 16.
