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Q. WHy is this the next and the last?
A. To teach vs, that when wee haue done what we can, yet we must looke for temptations so long as wee liue in this world.
Q. What they that haue their sinnes forgiuen them subiect to temptations?
A. Yea, forgiuenes of sinnes and temp∣tations vnto sinne, be inseparable compa∣nions in this life.
Q. What the penitent sinner that is belou••d of God, is he troubled with
temptations?
A. There is none in this world so bea∣ten and buffeted with temptations as the penitent sinner, that ••rieth most bitterly for the pardon of his sinnes.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the words of our Sauiour Christ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Peter, Simon Simon, Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheate is sifted, Luk. 22. 31. to shewe, that if we were as good as Peter, Sathan will bee sifting of vs, yea the better Christian, the greater desire hath Sathan to sift vs.
Q. How els doe you proue it?
A. By the confession of the Apostle Paul, who was continually exercised with the buffetings of Sathan, 2. Cor. 1••. 7.
Q. What meaneth the Apostle by the buffetings of Sathan?
A. He meaneth that rebellion which he felt in the vnregenerate part against God.
Q. Why are Gods children thus troubled with temptations vnto sinne?
A. For two causes:
Q. But ••oth God loue them that are so troubled?
A. Yea, it is a note of Gods fauour and grace: for if wee had no griefe for sinne, nor any buffetings, or striuings, it were a signe that wee were vnder the power of Sathan, and not vnder the loue and fauour of God.
Q. But it is meruaile that the diuell will be so bolde with those whom God loueth.
A. No meruaile at all: for hee was as bolde with the Lord Iesus himselfe our head,* 1.1 and he cannot chuse so long as he is a diuell, for he is by nature an aduersa∣rie: And therefore whom God loueth, the diuell hateth, and where God worketh in loue, the diuell worketh in malice.
Q. What are Gods children then to doe?
A. Hereupon we are taught (for feare of being ouercome) to pray continually vnt•• the Lord that we may not be led in∣to te••ptation, but may be deliuered from euill.
Q. WHy els is this petition put to the rest?
A. To teach vs, that as we must be care∣full to pray for the pardon of sinnes past, so also we must be as carefull to preuent sinnes to come: we must take heede that we fall not into our old sinnes, nor bee o∣uer taken with new.
Q. Why? what neede wee pray a∣gainst sinne to come? if we be forgiuen our sinnes past, we may take heed well enough of sinnes to come, may wee not?
A. How needfull it is to pray for Gods grace against sinne to come, may ap∣peare if we consider these sixe things fol∣lowing:
Q. What is ment here by tempta∣tion?
A. Temptation is the entisement of the soule, or heart, either
Q. What is ment by leading into temptation?
A. To be led into temptation, is to be ouercome of the temptation, when it pre∣naileth, and getteth the victorie.
Q. What then is the meaning of this petition?
A. It is as much as if wee should say thus: When we are moued, and entised to sinne, O Lord, keepe vs that we be not o∣uercome, and giue vs a good issue with the temptation.
Q. Doth God leade men into temp∣tation, or only suffer them to be led into temptation?
A. Indeed some reade i•• so, s••ffer vs not to 〈…〉〈…〉 into temptation: but the text is plaine▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vs not into temptation.
Q. But doth not God suffer men to be tempted?
A. Yes, and more then suffering▪ he is the worker of the temptation it selfe.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the scripture which doth so speake of God, as in these places follow∣ing is manifest:
Exod▪ 7. 3. God hardned Pharaoes heart.
2 Sam. 24. 1. God moued Dauid to num∣ber &c.
Esai. 19. 14. God mingled amongst them the spirit of error.
Esai. 42. 24. Who gaue Iacob for a spoyle? and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord?
Esai. 63. 17. Why hast thou made vs to erre out of thy way▪ and ••ardned our heart from thy feare▪
Rom. 1. 26. God gaue them vp to vil•• af∣fections.
2. Thess. 2. 11. God s••nt them strong de∣lusions, &c.
In all these places is more then suffer∣ing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to God▪
Q. But if God doe leade men into temptation, is hee not the author of sinne?
A. No, for all this, God is not the au∣thor of sinne.
Q. How may God bee a worker in temptations, and yet free fro•••• sinne?
A. The Lord may be a worker in tēp∣tations, and yet f••ee from sinne 5. wayes:
Q. To what end doth the diuell tēpt a man?
A. Onely to bring him to destruction.
Q. To what end doth the Lord tempt his children?
A. God hath diuers endes and purpo∣ses in tempting and trying his children and seruants:
Q. Why wil the Lord thus lay open their shame?
A. For three causes:
Q. It should séeme that these kinds of temptations which procéed from God, may be better called proofes and trials, then temptations, may they not?
A. Yea, it is very true, & so they ought to be esteemed and accounted.
Q. But seeing as GOD vseth these trials to the profite of his chosen, and his-owne glorie, why shoulde wée pray against them?
A. Wee ought for all that to pray that
wee may not fall into them, because wee must abhorre to commit anything wher∣by our God is iustly offended.
Q. If God be offēded with our déedes, why doth he bring vs into them?
A. With our deedes hee is offended, but with that which hee bringeth to passe by them (namely our humilitie, warines, &c.) he is delighted.
Q. What difference is there between Gods tempting of his children, and his tempting of the reprobate?
A. This tēptatiō into which God bring∣eth his elect, endureth but for a time: but the reprobate he bringeth into a perpetu∣al tēptatiō, vtterly giuing thē vp to Sathan & hardening them in wickednes for euer.
Q. Is it not vniust, that God should leade some into temptation, and harden them in wickednes, & yet punish them for their sinnes?
A. No, for euen in this life wee may see good and iust causes, that God should harden the reprobate, and leade them in∣to this wofull and eternall temptation.
Q. What cause can you alledge for y•?
A. They are worthy to be hardened, and
therefore what vnrighteousnesse is it in God, to harden them that are worthy to be hardened?
Q. How can that be, when the scrip∣ture is plaine that God himselfe hath hardened their hartes?
A. When the scripture saith that God hardeneth men, the meaning is not that they were soft before, and that then God did harden them when they were soft be∣fore: but that God maketh them harder, and that is lustly done, for their former hardnes deserued to be made harder.
Q. Why doth not the Lorde so••ten all men?
A. If any man will say, it is Gods fault that he softneth not all men, let him shew that God first hardened all men, and not themselues.
Q. That is true indéede, b••t what of that?
A. If al men first hardened themselues, what shall constraine God to soften them againe?
If he will, he sheweth his mercy.
If he will not, he sheweth his iustice.
But who shall compell him to shew his
mercie, where he may shew his iustice?
Q. I am satisfied for this poynt, but what vse may we make hereof?
A. By the knowledge of this poynt, the godly may learne to haue in reuerend admiration the exceeding great goodnes of God, when they shall consider that he vouchsafeth to take them into the num∣ber of those, whom of his mercy he would soften, whereas of his iustice hee might haue hardened them for euer.
Q. Do none tempt man but God?
A. Yes, man tempteth man, and Sa∣than tempteth man.
Q. How doth one man tempt ano∣ther?
A. Two waies, sometime for good, sometime for hurt.
Q. When are they for good?
A. When wee try him whom wee doe suspect: as some that aske to borrow mo∣ney, &c. before they neede.
Q. How doe men tempt men for the hurt one of another?
A. Two waies: sometimes by words, sometime by deedes, or both together.
Q. How by words?
A. By propounding captious & curious questions, as the Scribes & Pharisees did tempt Christ, Mat. 22. 16. Luk. 20. 20.
Q. What is that?
A. To entangle men in their wordes, to bring them within compasse of lawe, or to winne some aduantage against the trueth, by the weakenes and slendernes of mens answeres.
Q. How by déedes?
A. When by their owne example, or by vrging the examples of others they la∣bour to draw men to euill.
Q. How are we to pray against these temptations?
A. Wee are to beseech the Lord: 1. To keepe vs from trials aboue our power to satisfie. 2. That it would please him to giue vs a mouth and vtterance to speake to his glorie, that the enemie may haue no iust aduantage against the cause which we maintaine.
Q. HOwe proue you that Sathan tempteth any man to euill?
A. I proue it two waies:
Q. What doth he meane by compas∣sing the earth?
A. Hee meaneth that hee came from tempting the inhabitants of the earth.
Q. Why did not Sathan tell the Lord a lye, as Cain did, but tell the trueth so plainely?
A. Because hee knewe that it was in vaine for him to lie vnto God, for he knew that God knewe well enough where hee had beene.
Q. Seeing Sathan told the Lord the trueth, why doth he teach men to lye?
A. By that wee may see that carnall men doe not know so much of God as the verie diuell doth.
Q. But why will the Diuell teach his schollers to doe worse then hee will doe himselfe?
A. That hee might bring them (if it were possible) into a worse plight then he is in himselfe.
Q. Where doth Sathan tempt men?
A. In all places.
Q. What in Temples, and Chur∣ches, and at holy exercises?
A. Yea, there hee is most busie, both at the exercises of prayer and preaching, and when they be done.
Q. What is his drift at the time of holy exercises?
A. His purpose is to compasse mens eyes with shewes, and their eares with soundes, and their sences with sleepe, and their thoughts with fancies, and all to hin∣der them from hearing.
Q. What if hee cannot preuaile that way? what doth he then?
A. Then, when wee are gone hee will compasse vs with business, and cares, and pleasures, and quarrels, either to make vs forget that we heard, or els to contemn it.
Q. Papists teach men that the diuell is afraid of holy water, and holy bread, and holy candles, and hallowed bels, & the name of Iesus, and the signe of the
crosse, and that these things will driue him away, what thinke you of that?
A. The diuell inuented those weapons himselfe for the Papistes to fight withall, because hee knew that they could neuer hurt him with them, but themselues.
Q. No? is not the diuell afraide of the name of Iesus?
A. If the diuell were afraid of the name of Iesus, hee would not haue tempted the Lorde Iesus himselfe: and how little the diuell feared the name of Iesus appeareth more largely and fully in Act. 19. 13. 14. 15. 16. by those vagabonds which tooke vpon them to vse his name without any lawfull calling.
Q. What say you to the signe of the crosse, or a crucifixe, is not the diuell a∣fraide of that?
A. No, for hee did helpe to set vp the crosse, and to naile Christ vpon the crosse.
Q. What say you to the holy water, and holy bels, &c.
A. They bee but childish toies, and strawes to fight withall instead of speares: for when the diuel depriued the Papists of true prayer, and the powerfull preaching
of the worde, he gaue them those bables to play withall, and made them beleeue that he was afraid of them.
Q. Whom doth the diuell tempt?
A. All men in generall, both the elect and reprobate.
Q. But is hée not more busie with some, then with other some?
A. Yes, his chiefest desire is to sifte the godly, as his desire was to sifte Peter, and his greatest malice is against the best men in the world, Luk. 22. 31.
Q. Why doth he not desire aswell to sifte the wicked?
A. Hee needeth not, for hee hath them already at commandment.
Q. How can Sathan tēpt al the world to sinne, seeing they be so many?
A. There be armies and multitudes of diuels and wicked spirits in all places, and these doe all conspire together the destru∣ction of mens soules.
Q. But how doe they know all men, and all mens affaires?
A. They are neuer at rest, but night and day doe labour, and one certifieth a∣nother most nimbly and liuely.
Q. But how can they knowe euery mans nature?
A. By obseruing their maners, and their customes, & their complexions, and their companie, &c.
Q. Doth the diuel know the thoughts of the heart?
A. No, that is proper to GOD one∣ly,* 1.2 who is called the searcher of the heart: but the diuell doth coniecture of mens thoughts by outward signes.
Q. Shew how that may be?
A. By his owne long experience of the worlde, he knoweth many thinges: for he is the oldest, and the greatest politique in the world.
2. By the words of a mans mouth, he can giue a gesse what is in mans heart, be∣cause he knoweth that it is written: Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Mat. 12.
3. He obserueth what euery man doth most busie himselfe about, and by the out∣warde fruite hee iudgeth of the inwarde roote which is in the heart, and when hee knoweth the heart, he infecteth it, that it may bring forth eu••llactions.
Q. Doth Sathan tempt al men alike?
A. No, not so, but hee marketh how euery man is enclined, what hee loueth, what he hateth, what he feareth, and what wantes, and when hee hath found him then he fits him.
Q. How doth he fit them?
A. He prouideth for euery one accor∣ding to his humour. The tyrant shal not wāt flatterers, the wanton shal not want a mate, the Vsurer shall not want a broker, the theefe shall not want a receiuer, he is a factor betweene the merchant and mer∣cer, hee is a makebate betweene the man and his wife: he is a talebearer betweene neighbour, and neighbour.
Q. Hath hee but one sute or shifte for one man.
A. Yes, the diuels riches is in baites, whereof he hath great varietie and store.
Q. As how, for example?
A. For euery one that will sweare hee hath a packe full of othes: for euery one that will deceiue, hee hath a packe full of lies: for euery one that will dissemble, he hath a packe full of excuses.
Q. Hath hee but one may to compasse
one and the same man?
A. Yes, he hath many waies & sleights to deceiue one man withall.
Q. Shew how hee dealeth with one and the same man.
A. If hee cannot compasse him with I∣dolatrie, nor adulterie, nor theft, nor any grosse sinne, then he will see if he can poi∣son him with vaine glory, if not with care∣lesnes, then with distrust: if not with de∣spaire, then with presumption: if he can∣not keepe men in poperie, then hee will draw them to be Atheists, or libertines, or Neuters, or Protestantes at large, as the time serueth: if he see any desire reforma∣tion, he will labour to drawe them from the Church by schisme and separation, and he is alwayes in his extremities, either going too farre, or comming too short.
Q. Will the diuell be willing that a∣ny should embrace religion?
A. Yea that he is, for he hopeth there∣by to giue them the greater fall (except God by his grace do mightily keep men) especially inconstant men hee will per∣swade to become religious, but he hopeth afterwarde by one meanes or other to
make them Apostataes, and blacksliders from the truth.
Q. Dooth the diuell neuer cease from tempting one man?
A. Yes, sometime he will leaue a man, as it is said,* 1.3 hee left the Lord Iesus, that is, for a season.
Q. What? is his malice then at an ••nde?
A. No, but he doth it onely in poli∣cie, to bring the heart asleepe, and to make men secure, that hee may come vp∣on them afterward with greater force when they mistrust nothing, as the chil∣dren of Dan came vpon the people of La∣ish, and destroyed them when they were quiet and mistrusted nothing, Iudg. 18. 27.
Q. How doth he set vpon a man when he comes againe?
A. Where he seeth a man most careles, or most weake, there he makes the assault, like souldiers that inuade a castell.
Q. How may a man knowe that Sa∣than hath béen with him?
A. If God shoulde make vs see our countrey naked, our temples desolate, our cities ruined, and our houses spoyled, we
would say, the Spaniards haue been here: so when wee see our mindes corrupted, our hearts hardened, our willes peruerted, our charitie cooled, our rulers persecu∣tors, our lawyers brablers, our patrons sy∣monists, our pastours loyterers, and our people obstinate, wee may say the diuell hath been here, and so he hath indeed, for these be his foot steps, and surely, in euery place where he comes (like a foggy mist) he leaueth an euill fauour behinde him.
Q. Why dooth Sathan séeke to bring men to a custome in sinne?
A. That he may the more easily drawe men to hardnes of heart, and so to impeni∣tencie, Rom. 2. 4. 5.
Q. Dooth the diuell preuaile against all that he tempteth?
A. No, for although God suffereth Sa∣than to tempt, and to vexe, yea and often∣times to torment his children, yet he doth not suffer him to destroy them.
Q. But would Sathan destroy vs if he might be suffered?
A. Yea surely, that hee would, and not leaue one aliue.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the scripture: 1. Pet. 5. 8. for which cause hee is also called by these names following, a lyar, a deceiuer, a temp∣ter, an accuser, a deuourer, a murtherer, an aduersarie, a viper, a lyon, a dragon, a wolfe, a serpent, &c. by which names appeareth his vnspeakable malice against man.
Q. The diuell neuer called himselfe by any of these names, did he?
A. No: for hee which is euill it selfe doth shun the name of euill, because he would not be hated.
Q. Thats a trick of the diuell indéed, but I thinke no man will doe so but the diuell himselfe?
A. Yes, all the wicked and vngodly haue learned of their master the diuell, to call euill good, and would be counted ho∣nest, though they be neuer so lewd.
Q. Why are these wordes added to the former?
A. To teach vs how we are saued from the diuell.
Q. How is that?
A. Not by our selues, nor by any thing that wee can doe, but by our heauenly fa∣ther
who doth deliuer vs, and set vs free from his tyrannie and power.
Q. How doth the Lord deliuer vs from the diuell?
A. By the meanes & merites of Christ his death and passion, who hath got••en the victorie for vs, and to our vse, 1. Cor. 15.
Q. But why doth the Lord suffer vs to come into his snares?
A. 1. That he might make his mercie & goodnes appeare in deliuering vs out of his snares: for except we were taken pri∣soners, we could not be deliuered.
2. That wee might see in what a mise∣rable and wofull case wee are in of our selues without, our Captaine and deliue∣rer, the Lord Iesus Chri••t.
Q. What néede we care then, séeing we ha••e such a deliuerer?
A. Indeede wee neede not feare any thing that Sathan can doe vnto vs, being so brideled as he is, but wee must be care∣full to serue the Lord, that hath thus mer∣cifully and mightily deliuered vs. See Luk. 1. 74.
Q. How must we serue him?
A. On•• principall part of the seruice
which we owe to God, standeth in resist∣ing the diuell.
Q. How must we resist the diuell?
A. In resisting such an aduersarie as the diuell is, two things must diligently bee obserued and regarded:
Q. What be those weapons?
A. They be not carnall but spirituall, such as S. Paul sought withall himself, and hee commendeth them to bee mightie through God, to cast down strong holds, and principalities, and powers, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. &c. and therefore also exhorteth all men to fight with the same: Eph. 6. 12. 13.
Q. What be the names of those wea∣pons, that wee may both know we them, and prepare them in a readines?
A. The Apostle nameth a breast••plate, butl it is of righteousnes; and a girdle, but it is of trueth; a shield, but it is of ••aith; & a helmet, but it is of hope; & a sword, but it is the sword of the spirit, th•••• word of God; and shooes for our fee••e, but they
be shooes of preparation for the Gospell of peace: and vnto all these hee ioyneth prayer, Ephes. 6. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. and all these together he calleth the armour of God▪
Q. These bee the weapons, in what manner must they be handled?
A. They must bee vsed continually, with circumspect walking, or liuing cir∣cumspectly, Ephes. 5. 15. with heedfull watching ouer our wayes, and Sathans sleigh••s, Mark. 13. 33. and with manly courage standing fast in the defence of our ••elues, and of the quarrell of our Lord Iesus Christ.
Q. This is too precise and straight, is it not sufficient if we liue as our honest neighbours doe, and serue God as the time serueth, like Protestants at large?
A. Alas, no, the diuell likes that very well: for he knoweth that the careles man is easily taken and ouercome, yea if we be neuer so precise and strict in many things, and make no conscience of some one sin, it is enough for the diuell: for he wil catch a man to hell aswell by one baite as by a thousand.
Q. Yea? how proue you that?
A. By the scripture: for it is said of He∣rod that he reuerenced Iohn Baptist, and his ministrie, and heard him gladly, but yet for all that, could not abide to be tolde of hauing his brothers wife, and for that hee is condemned. And so it is with o∣thers.
Q. Then woe be to those that go not so farre as Herod did, except God giue them repentance. And blessed bée God our heauenly Father, for Iesus Christ by whom we bée deliuered from the di∣uell, and from all his temptations, and fieri•• darts. Now come to the conclusi∣on of the Lords prayer.
Q. What is the effect of these words?
A. They are a conclusion of the whole prayer with praise and thankesgiuing vn∣to God.
Q. What doe we learne thereby?
A. We learne thereby: 1. Not to craue any thing without giuing thankes: 2. Not to end our prayers without giuing of God
due praise. 3. In all things, and at all times to returne the whole glorie and praise vn∣to him.
Q. What is ment by saying, Thine is the kingdome, seeing as there be earthly Kings and Princes which haue king∣domes also besides the Lord?
A. Though earthly Kings haue king∣doms, yet they haue them not from them∣selues, but of the Lord, as the Lord sayth by Salomon:* 1.5 By me Kings raigne.
Q. What is the meaning of these words, Thine is the kingdome?
A. They bee expounded in 1. Chron. 29. 11.
Q. Why is the kingdome sayd to be Gods?
A. For two causes:
Q. Why doe we say, for thine is, &c.
A. Because it is a reason to induce vs to prayer, because he hath absolute au∣thoritie and interest in all things.
Q. Why is it sayd, the power is his?
A. Because he hath not only authori∣tie, but also abilitie in himself, and of him∣selfe; and all other powers are deriued from him.
Q. How doth this serue to stirre vs vp to prayer?
A. We haue neede to pray the more vnto God, because wee cannot doe any thing that we aske but by power frō him.
Q. Why is glorie ascribed to God?
A. For ••wo causes:
Q. How doth this moue us to praier?
A. Very much: for wee must inuocate his holy name, that in so doing wee may giue him that glorie that is due vnto him.
Q. Why is it sayd, for euer?
A. For two causes:
Q. Why is this word added, Amen, or, So be it?
A. To teach vs two things:
Matth. 4.
Ieve 17.
Luk. 4. 13.
Matth. 6. 13.
Prouer. 8. 15.