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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49761	An history of angells being a theologicall treatise of our communion and warre with them : handled on the 6th chapter of the Ephesians, the 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 verses / by Henry Lawrence ...; Of our communion and warre with angels	Lawrence, Henry, 1600-1664.; Milton, John, 1608-1674.	1649 (1649)	Wing L660; ESTC R12895	135,420	210

and reverence them therefore wee converse with them and study to know them and finde them out even the least peeces circumstances of them because they convey some thing of God they are the pearles for which wee sell all wee have to buy the field where they are to be found they are our mines our Elixurs and our Philosophers stone turning all they touch into gold therefore let us value the knowledge of them as things necessary for us and which have a great influence upon our holy walking And secondly let us apply our selves to them as to the ordinances and Ministers of God using them reverently sucking good from them considering how wee may receive what ever they administer and because these are rationall and living instruments let us converse with them as such knowing how to speake with them knowing how to gaine them and winne upon them which is by living their lives that is according to reason and the spirit answering them in their motions conversing with them after a spirituall way assenting to what they say making up holy conclusions with them and replyes which they will finde wayes to understand aswell as the Divell as wee shall heare afterward And using things of sence as they did for ones rather then their particular and personall satisfaction Thirdly let us heere see how all the whole creation is serviceable to man and reduceable to his good The beasts and plants feede and cloth him The sun and starres contribute to his being food and preservation they gouverne the yeare for the fruit which hee gathers and they have influence upon the humours and constitution of his body the highest heavens is a house prepared for him to rest him in for ever after a short labour one would have thought that if any peece of the creation should have escaped this ministery it would have bene the mighty and blessed Angells fitted and destin'd for the ministery of the almighty God but behold them as farre engaged as any of the rest What is man that thou art mindefull of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him That is with all thy mercyes and blessings now then this man that is thus waited on by the whole creation and by these mighty Angells must either put himself into the Throne of God and thinke that hee it is to whom all these things doe homage as to their naturall and soveraigne Lord as to their utmost and highest end and this by nature wee would faine doe Or els hee must looke upon himself as a well paid servant as a well fitted instrument for some excellent and well raised worke and that what ever comings in hee hath hee must consider them in order to his layings out and his receipts to his disbursments Hee must consider the tract of obedience and the way of working to which all this chaine and charge of benefite drive him and must know that hee is the great accountant of the world both for talents the meanes of working and for wages the reward of working and should be fitted from every administration about him to an answerable ministery in himself with which hee is charged both in a way of love and debt and for instance when hee knowes in this particular that the Angells continually administer good things to him instru●ting teaching admonishing him inspiring him with good comforting strengthening him against the Divell and his lusts hee is taught not onely to receive willingly that which is so freely and advantageously administred and to love that God be bove all and then those spirits that are at this paines but hee is taught also to be good to be holy to be strong to let them have their efficacy upon him to be obedient to make right pathes and steppes The sun and the starres produce their effects upon the earth why should not the blessed Angells and the blessed spirits have their effects upon thy heart Lastly since every ability and strength is for service why should not wee aspire after Angelicall worke wee have Angell Guardians why should not wee be Guardians of one another they teach us why should not wee instruct the ignorant that are below us either in knowledge or grace They comfort and strengthen us why should not wee doe the like The way to have Angells reward to see the face of God is to doe the worke of Angells those inspired by the spirit are capable of Angells worke aswell as of their wages So you will improove this piece of creation to your use aswell as all the rest Wee come now to the second part of this Treaty that of the Divell and the evill Angells where in wee shall handle some things very briefly and especially insist upon those things which are in relation to their dealings with us And wee will consider them not as they were for so their nature is common to them with the good Angells but as they are If you aske how they came into this woefull condition Certainely by sin for they were not so formed by God That they might sin there is reason enough in this that they were creatures for what is it to sin but to depart from that rectitude which every thing ought to have to passe your bounds to decline and erre from the scope appointed you for Gods prerogative alone is to be immutable That they did sin the Scripture is cleere for they left their first estate Iude 6. and they aboade not in the truth And 2. Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angells that sinned but cast them into hell If you aske what sin this was that brought those blessed creatures into the depth of misery the Scripture is not so cleare in that some thinke it was pride and rebellion against God others thinke envy at man the most probable guesse mee thinkes is that it was their opposition to the great mistery of Godlinesse in the Gospell of Christ who being to be made man and the head of all the creation that all standing all restauration was to be by God man in which the Angelicall nature was left out this being in a great measure revealed as it is called Rev. 14.6 The everlasting Gospell decreed from eternity though manifested but by degrees those high spirits could not beare such a subjection so Christ saith they abode not in the truth Ioh. 8.44 especially of the Gospell which is the greatest truth in respect of which Christ calls himselfe the Truth and is called the wisedome of God so saith hee I came into this world that I might beare witnesse of the truth that is this truth which Christ sealed with his blood now sayes hee hee abode not in this truth but was a lyar now what is that lye that Sathan sets up in the world which hee alwayes speakes which hee studies to persuade others to it is this to debase the Gospell and the saving of the world by God man and therefore its worth observing that the summe of al heresies are either against the

comes next to have an influence upon rationall creatures Secondly God doth it for our very great comfort and consolation what a happines is it that a haire of our heads cannot fall to the ground without Gods notice that they are all numbred that God knowes and mindes all our wayes but now when God shall raise up such powers for us when wee see the chariots and horses this addes to our courage and assurance as it did to Iacobs God hath said hee will never leave us nor forsake us But when wee see corne and wine when wee see him compassing us about with meanes sutable to our necessities this confirmes us as being a helpe proportionable to our neede wee see our good and our desires not onely in the remote cause but in the next and immediate God hath formed the Angells for the effecting many great workes about us and upon us though wee little consider it now when wee see mighty creatures fitted for those services wee ought to have strong consolation but the Angells are framed ministering spirits Heb. 1.14 God indeed doth all things yet hee speakes by men and teacheth also by his spirit there is a forme above men Angells which hee useth also they beare us in their armes and pitch their tents about us and doe much for us Thirdly God useth the Angells for their good and honour whom hee vonchsafeth to use as fellow-workemen with himselfe and his son this was Pauls honour that hee wrought together with God Now the Angells which are deare to God are used in great imployments as God is wont to serve himself of those hee loves to some imployment or other Fourthly that there may a love and acquaintance grow betweene us and the Angells with whom wee must live for ever and whom wee must be like Now love growes by mutuall offices as is seene in the love of mothers to their children which increase by fostering and tending on them It s good to be a Saint that yee may have the tutelage of Angells This honour have all the saints and none but they The wicked have no Angells to looke to them to take care of them particularly though they may fall perhaps under some generall charge and care as they doe also of God that they may be preserved to their condition God takes care of them so farre and so may the Angells but they are properly Guardians and ministering spirits to the saints they are particularly ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation It s good to be a Church for the same reason there being to Churches a superadded deputation to that of Saints for to Churches also Angells seeme to be destined to which purpose that place mentioned before is not inconsiderable 1 Cor. 11.10 because of the Angells on which place Peter Martyr sayes wee ought to thinke that they have a care of our Churches aswell as of the Iewes for sayes hee it is said Dan. 12. that Michael the Prince stood for the children of Israel and that this place is meant of the Angells and not of the Ministers you have also the authority of Calvin who observes the word Angell is never appropriated to Ministers without some addition as to the Angell of Ephesus c. besides There would have bene more reason to have said that the women should have had power of their heads in respect of their husbandes or the whole congregation then the Ministers onely and to improove this further let this consideration worke upon you least the Angells be provoked to withdraw as I told you they would this is common to Churches and Christians both for as the holy Angells rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner and in our right order so they are offended and chastice according to their commission given them from God when wee doe otherwise Thirdly that since the happines of these blessed Angells lies in working as it doth for it was given as one reason of their charge that they might worke with him so ours also and though the services wee are imployed in may seeme much belowe us yet if they be Gods and in reference to that order hee sets in the world and much more if they be in order to the saints and their good and advancement then be not ashamed of the services which Angells performe and be not weary of working which is the best improvement of the holy Angells Fourthly let us so walke both as Christians and members of Churches that the Angells may discharge themselves of their worke with joy and not with griefe for that will be unprofitable for us Thus you see in generall their charge you are fairly weited on you have particular Angell Guardians and in case of need you may have whole legions Next wee will come to consider of their power over our bodies and mindes where it will be requisite to consider first of the knowledge they have of things after of the excercise of their power and then proceed to the evill workings of the evill Angells which is that principally intended Wee have already made this corrolary that wee should so walke as the Angells might discharge themselves with joy at the last day But that which seemes to be the proper use of the foregoeing point is that wee should leade heere Angelicall lives if the Angells guard us and accompany us wee should savour of their converse Men are knowne by their company they are not idle attendants such as great men have for a parade and a shew nor is their speciall influence upon our outward man as wee shall shew hereafter mee thinkes wee should not keepe such company in vaine but should savour of a spirituall abstracted communion that as they tooke bodies to themselves in their apparitions not for any pleasure they had in them but for our need so wee should use outward and bodily things for the needs of the bodies and should please our spirits and the good Angells with whom wee converse and who are about us by gaining ground as much of the flesh and corruption as is possible and bring the body as neere as may bee into a spirituall frame by possessing it in sanctification and honour and by making it serviceable to our minde using it and not being used and commaunded by it This will gratify the good Angells which the Scripture expects at our hands 1. Cor. 11.10 But this onely by way of addition to what was said before That wee have next to speake of is the power of the Angells then how it is excercised and put forth towards us And because a great peece of their abilitie lies in their knowledge wee will consider that That they are indued with an excellent knowledge as being the highest of all intellectuall creatures is without all question and will appeare in considering what their knowledge is And first Austen and the school-men which follow him give unto the Angells a knowledge which they call Cognitio matutina vespertina a morning and

p. 43.44.45.46.47 A story of one guided and conducted by an Angel out of Bodin his first booke of the history of sorcerers p. 47. Objection What do you leave to Christ and the spirit Answered p. 48. Coroll from the administration of Angels p. 49. The Angels an ordinance continually by us p. 50. A spirituall substance assisting proportionable to the divell who opposeth us ibid. Walke holily in respect of the Angels ibid. Every ordinance valuable because conveying something from God therefore should love the Angels p. 51. Reverence the Angels learne to converse with them ibid. The whole creation serviceable to man the Angels not excepted p. 52. The use to be made thereof ibid. Aspire after Angelicall worke p. 53. The second part of this treaty which is of the evill Angels ibid. Of the sinne of the evill Angels p. 54. Coroll from thence p. 55. Of the punishment of the evill Angels and first of the place p. 56. Which admits of a double consideration ibid. The place of the sixt of Iude considered p. 57. The divels not yet in their utmost tearme p. 58. Coroll from what hath been last treated on ibid. The whole universe of rationall creatures under chaines and bonds ibid. The use to be made thereof p. 59. Of the spirituall punishment of the evill Angels p. 60. Their wound in their will ibid. Their knowledge great p. 61. Their wound in their knowledge ibid. In some respects perfectly blinde p. 62. Their punishment demonstrated from their names and titles ibid. Corollaries p. 63. Dread the spirituall punishment of sinne ibid. This considerable to the saints also ibid. Of the ministery of the evill Angels p. 64. The principall ministery of the evill Angels to tempt and induce to sinne p. 65.66 Whence the evill Angels had power for this ministery p. 66. Why the divels are invested with this ministery by God p. 67. Severall reasons in respect of God ibid. Also in respect of men first of wicked men p. 68. Then of the saintes p. 69. Severall Coroll from hence p. 70. Let the Saints blesse God for their ministry ibid. Wonder not that evill men are so wicked ibid. Do not the divells work ibid. Expect not the present destruction of men extreamly wicked ibid. Be secure on Gods side notwithstanding this ministry p. 71. How the evill Angells operate in order to temptation and sinne p. 72. Corollaryes from hence p. 73. Whether the divell concurre to the temptation of all sinne p. 74. Men may sinne without the temptation of the Divell but de facto usually he hath a part in all temptations ibid p. 75 76. Whether usually hath the start herein our owne corruptions or the divell p. 77. Severall corollaryes p. 78 79. How the ministryes of the evill Angells are distributed whether to vices or persons p. 80. Corollaryes from the praeceding discourse p. 81. A shame for the saints to give ground and fayle as others that want their aides ibid. The saints and the wicked fall very differently under the power of the Divell p. 82. Which wayes especially the divells are laid out towards mankinde in matter of temptation p. 83. The divell would hinder the worship of God and in order to that the knowledge of him ibid. The divell amongst his most assured vassalls pretends to a shap'd and form'd worship as appeares by the confession of witches p. 84. The divells the greatest enemyes of Christ and the Gospel ibid. Gospel worship and Gospell preaching most opposed by the divell and his instruments p. 85. Coroll from this ibid. Exalt what the divell opposeth most ib. The Divell exerciseth his ministry especially against the church of Christ. p. 86 87. Some more instances of the Divells usuall martches in the discharge of his ministry p. 88. One the lusts of the flesh ibid. The excesses of no beasts so great as those of mankind in bodily things ib. This frame infinitly contrary to God appeares so to be by two things especially p. 89 90. The Divell where he reignes most absolutely subjects persons to the actuall commission of what ever we call uncleanenes p. 90. The Scripture particularly intitles Sathan to this temptation p. 91. Another beaten path of the divell pride ibid. That men are which they are to God p. 92. No thing more contrary to God then pride ibid. The imaginations of proud men how scattered by God ibid. The honour and advantage of humility p. 93 94 95. Only by pride comes contention how understood p. 95 96. Pride makes us contend with our conditions with God himself p. 96 97. How the Divell is intituled to this temptation p. 97 98. Another eminent temptation of the divels coveteousnesse p. 99. The seate of this lust the basest spirits ibid. Coveteousnesse extreamely fertill of ill ibid. and p. 100. Why this sinne stil'd Idolatry p. 100 101. Men of this humour extreamely deluded p. 101. The comfort and injoyment of things is the portion of the saintes p. 102. Coroll particularly from this last head ibid. Generall Corollaryes drawne from these common roades of temptation p. 103. The misery of sinne lyes in sinning ibid. The happines of a holy spirit p. 104. The divell spinnes his web finer for the saints but his But and End is the same p. 105. Provocations to fight ibid. The divells power and operation upon us in communicating himself to our understandings and inward man must be fetcht from what hath been said of the good Angells largely p. 36 37 38. ibid. The divell an inveterate enemy his evill nature ever intended p. 106. His power wonderfully great ibid. The contentions for things of the greatest moment p. 107. The prize of other warres nothing to ours p. 108. A great advantage to fight for a love and in the presence of a love and so do we ibid. The third part of the discourse wherein of the armour fitted for this warre p. 109. No weapons fit for combatt with the divell but Gods ibid. Lusts will take their turnes and give place one to another p. 110. Something 's which looke like vertues are but the ignorance of ill ibid. The incompassing of temptations ibid. Some men strong in the divell and in the power of his might p. 111. What 's intended by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Every one will do a little in Religion ibid. and p 112. Difficulty in Religion lyes in universality and exactnes p. 112. What our parts are in this combatt p. 113. The more mighty any supreame agent is the more it intends and fills the instrument ibid. The end and use of the Armour p. 114. Dayes of temptation evill dayes ibid. Things incouraging to fight the necessity of it the glory and pleasure of victory p. 115. Cowards have but the pleasure of Idlenes and the misery of slavery p. 116. 2 Tim. 2.3 open'd ibid. p. 117. The bonds and restraints that lye upon the divell are considered for incouragement sake p. 118. The particular peeces of armour first the girdle

from such as personally give themselves over to their service They are stiled also the Governours of this world or Rulers 2. Eph. 2. which governe wicked men in and to their lusts Also Roaring Lyons 1. Pet. 1.8 from their fiercenesse and malice A murderer Authour of our death and all murthers Also Beliall 2. Cor. 6.15 What agreement hath Christ with Beliall this signifies irregular without yoake and discipline such hee is himself will submit to no law but what the power of God layes necessarily upon him and such hee renders his The use that I shall make of all this to our selves is that wee dread the spirituall punishments of sin Sin drawes along a dreadfull chaine after it the little sweet that was in your mouth that your rolled under your tongue which you judged so good the tast of that is presently gone but there is a long bitter followes the pleasure is but skin deepe reacheth but to your sence but the effects of it are felt upon your conscience and minde your most noble parts The pleasure gives you the enjoyment of a minute such a one as it is but the paine is of your life perhaps of all eternity but how miserable is it to drawe on a trayne of spirituall punishments that is that sin shall be punished with sinne the truth is every first sin carries punishment with it for it is a punishment to sin in the first act though wee consider it not as all holy acts carry reward with them even in their mouth but heere is not all this sin shall make you sin againe Pharoah was punished by frogs by haile by many things but the hardenings of his heart as it was the greatest punishment so it was virtually all the rest That place Rom. 1.28 is dreadfull Because they delighted not to reteyne God in their knowlegde God gave them over to a reprobate minde and then they were filled with all unrighteousnes If wee will not delight in God God wil give us up to delight in the basest things in the world Thou little thinkest that thy proud or uncleane thought shal be waited on with such a trayne not onely of punishment but sin And this is true to all in it's proportion to the Saints for sin doth not naturally dispose for further degrees of sinning of the same kinde for so every act strengthens the habit but the spirit of God being grieved withdrawes and when yee are in the darke the spirit of darknesse is bold with you and you want light to repell him and God can when hee pleaseth in consideration of a sin past let either a sin fall upon your spirit or an affliction or sicknes upon your body But oh feare such punishments they are not onely of the worst kinde but they are multiplying of evill infinitely if God prevent not Beware therefore of sin least you sin and least you be given over to a spirit of sinning which is the greatest and worst of punishments thinke that you know not what sins are in the wombe of this sin which you are now about If to grieve the spirit to please the Divell to offend God be dreadfull to you feare sin above all not onely for that present act but for those other sins which may be contained in the wombe of that and may in time be most cursed births of it And as Austin said of hell Lord saith hee burne heere cut heere punish heere that is in this life So of sin O wish rather the animadversion to fall upon your bodies and estates your outward man heere cut Lord spare my soule my inner man let sinne rather cause death then sin which is the worst dying In the next place wee come to shew what is the principall ministery of the evill Angells for God knowes how to improove every creature and not onely the power but the evill of the evill Angells and hee made nothing in vaine The wicked are for the day of wrath muchlesse such mighty instruments and engines as those spirits are which though they have received a wound and lye under chaines yet are of mighty ability when God gives them leave to act it That they are at liberty for a ministery I told you before when I spake of their punishment for they are not in termino they are not yet in the great deepe nor under the sentence of their punishment they are not in the place prepared for the Divell and his Angells but they are in the ayre and the world where also they are Princes they have the advantage of the place and powers is also theirs now for their ministery which still will come neerer our purpose the principall and proper ministery of the evill Angells is to tempt and induce men to sinne they improove all the power and opportunity they have chiefly to this this is manifest by Scripture assoone as the world began hee began this worke with our parents in innocency in the shape of a Serpent Gen. 3.1 Therefore Christ calls him a murtherer from the beginning Ioh. 8.44 For assoone as the world was hee gave the greatest blow that ever was given mankind hee murthered our first parents and in them all our posterity and this was done in a way of tempting and alluring so Paul 2. Cor. 11.3 I feare least as the Serpent seduced Eve shewing that that temptation was the beginning the first of that kinde that was in the world the first prancke hee playd the first execution of his ministery and as it were the coppy of the rest therefore also Math. 4.3 hee is called The tempter as being the title of his office other names hee hath which shew his power and ability his nature and his malice but none declare his ministery so properly as this Therefore 1. Thess. 3.5 Least by some meanes the tempter have tempted you and very frequently our temptations are said to be from the Divell so Ioh. 13.2 The Divell put into the heart of Iudas to betray Christ Iudas had the corruption in his heart before which was fit matter to worke on but it was a fruit of the Divells ministery to suggest that temptation and put it into his heart so Christ told Peter that Sathan had desired to winnow him Wee should have said hee was affraid to die and being surpriz'd secured himself by a lye and so should have imputed it to little more then the act of a timerous spirit but Christ said the Divell was in it and 1. Pet. 5.8 it is said hee goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devour that is by his temptations and allurements otherwise hee doth not rampe upon our bodyes and Rev. 12.9 it is said that the great dragon was cast out that old Serpent called the Divell and Sathan who deceiveth the whole world this is his worke hee sayes they were cast out and his Angells were cast out with him which are his under-ministers in deceiving the world as Christ Math. 25.41 calls them The Divell and his

Angells of the order of the Angells wee speake not now but that there is a subordination in their state and imployment appeares evidently But heere you see the ministery of the Divell in the most eminent branch of it which is to tempt to draw men into snares and to leade them to misery If you aske whence hee had his power for all ministery implyes a power from whence it is derived I answer from God for there is no power but of God Rom. 13.1 which is generally true of Angelicall power aswell as humane thou couldst have no power at all except it were given thee from above saith Christ to Pilate Therefore this power this considerable ministery to us is from God it must needs be so because els you would set up another chiefe another supreame from whence they must derive it and so another God every kingdome is under a greater kingdome and what ever power there be it falls under a greater till you come to that which is the greatest and highest therefore the same reasons that make the Divells creatures make them also subject and if they be subject then the power and the mannaging of it is from God Now wee come to consider some reasons why God gives this ministery to the Divells why it is invested in them by God First that the excellency and power of his grace might appeare and be illustrated and what can doe it more then to see the effect and efficacy of it in weake man which yet through God is begirt with might and made able to grapple with this mighty adversary So Paul when hee grappled with Sathan and doubted of his strength and therefore would faine have bene quit of such an adversary and sought God earnestly in the matter had this answer Be content my grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2. Cor. 12.9 which when Paul understood hee gloried in his infirmities and distresses that the power of Christ might rest upon him They say of some fields that they are good for nothing but to be the field of a battell Paul had rather have his soule be the field of that battell where Christ should overcome then be in the greatest rest or beare any other fruit But if you object that the inefficatiousnesse of grace is aswell discovered by this because even the Saints are sometimes overcome First by that the Divell is no gainer that little ground hee gets tends but to his greater confusion when hee is not able to make it good but is beat from his strong holds and forced to quit the field after a victory As the Amalekites that robbed David at Ziglag got nothing for David recovered his spoyle and besides that the other heards that they drove before these other cattle and which hee called Davids spoyle 1. Sam. 20.30 A man may be a victor in the battell and not in the warre The Saints at last spoyle the Divell unthrone him degrede him as fruits of their revenge upon him Secondly for God his grace is magnified in some sort by our falls that is it is shewen that it is grace that it is freely given and therefore when his assistance withdrawes as it runs not alwayes in an equall tenour wee fall before every touch not onely of the Divell but of the meanest of his instruments Thirdly it is Gods way and it illustrates exceedingly his goodnes and bounty rather to bring greater goods out of evill then to permit no evill at all els no evill would befall his neither sinne nor affliction so as Gods glory is still illustrated either by enabling us to stand or at least to gaine afterward to the confusion of Sathan and his owne greater glory in the issue so as the reason on Gods part stands good But there is secondly a reason also of this ministery in respect of men first for wicked men and reprobates God will have them hardened hee will have them deceived there is a worke to be done upon them that they may be surely damned if you aske the reason of this I will aske what art thou ô man that disputest against God and if God will give men up to beleeve lyes and send them strong delusions as in 2. Thess. 2.11 who is so fit to be the messenger as the father of lyes who will doe it most hartily and most efficaciously and therefore 1. Kings 22.22 one of those spirits presented himself for that worke I will be a lying spirit sayes hee in the mouth of all his Prophets So when God will have men filled with all unrighteousnes fornication wickednes as Rom. 1.29 who is so fit to blowe those bellowes as the uncleane spirit and since God ordinarily converseth with men not immediately but by Mediums and instruments by men and Angells by Ministers and ordinances who is so fit for this base imployment as the worst of creatures the Divell But secondly there is great reason also for it in regard of the Saints of the glory and crowne which they shall gaine by victory A man is not crowned except hee strive lawfully 2. Tim. 2.5 Now how shall hee strive if hee have not an adversary and if for a crowne hee must have a great adversary in some sort proportionable to the prize Every Saint is a souldier as in the same chapter of Tim. ver 3. God hath put us into the lists he hath armed us and given us mighty aydes wee have a glorious king and Captaine Iesus Christ fellow souldiers the whole Host of Angells and Saints and for prize a Crowne of righteousnes a Crowne of glory therefore wee have a mighty enemy whose worke and ministry is to oppose assayle and tempt one fitted at all points for a combate that knowes all the wiles in warre and is mighty in strength and the end is that great victories might have great glory through Iesus Christ but besides this there are other reasons as that this great enemy this adversary might drive us to God and cause us to sticke close to him God would have us alwayes heere with him in a spirituall converse as heareafter wee shall be in a personall Nothing will make us keepe our strength as the assurance of a mighty enemye if you depart from God but a little you are sure to be overcome Now God that loves our company hath formed this meanes to drive us to him and there to keepe us on such tearmes as wee may not dare to depart from him And thirdly that wee might be kept in an humble watching praying that is in a holy frame What afflictions doe that should temptations doe also because they are of an higher nature and more considerable to us First that if there be such a ministery as tempting to sin and departing from God let the Saintes blesse God for their ministery which is so much otherwise that is both the ministery they are for which is to serve God to doe good to drawe men to God to incite