XXII.

THe Panther is wont to be taken by the Hunters by two sorts of wiles; sometimes by wine in which he hath so much delight that he will drink of it to inebriation: at other times they are wont to lay glasses for him, which while he tarryeth to behold himself in, he is with ease overtaken and destroyed.

Page  60 Satan make's men drunke with the pleasures of sin, and then dealeth with them as he pleaseth: By immersing and drenching themselves in carnal delights they are transformed into swine, (which the drun∣kard to a proverb most resem∣ble's) swallowing in the mire, and are a prey open and expo∣sed to him that goeth about seeking to devour. Sampson ha∣ving his mind weakned and inebriated by a too-fond and strong affection to his Dalilah, was thereby betrayed to the loss of his great strength, and laide himself open to the un∣resisted assaults and insults of them, of whom thousands before could not effect that which a handful did then. But where Page  61 he cannot allure to gross sen∣suality, he compasseth men with a device no less effectual and more refined: This mighty Hunter of soules setteth a glass before them, wherein they may view and contemplate their own excellencies; and that usually so falsly flattering as that it shall represent a fair beautious image to the most deformed mishapen face: He know's that the reflection on his own perfections with admi∣ration was his own ruine, made him measure the distance be∣tween Heaven and Hell by a fall, and changed him from an Angel to a fiend; and from a personal experience made use of this sleight to intrappe our first patents in his first grand Page  62 Attempt to destroy Soules, in which he found such answer∣ble successe, that no wile ha•h been ever since more practised, by one hath he more filled the Region of darkness with lost souls: By this he setteth the Creature in the Throne and maketh him in a direct way advance himself above his Creatour. When an unballa∣sted spirit is so overset and swel∣l'd up with fond and vaine conceits of it's own excellen∣cies, 't is easy for him to over∣turn it: When he hath set the soul on a Pinnacle there to be presented with a large view of it's glory, and to gaze on it's own perfections, the weak head scon grow's dizzy and addle through pride. These entrap∣ments Page  63 the Devil had practised on the Publican and the Pha∣risee, the one he had made to run into more enormous and grosse sins, the other he had set his glasse before, and he was so taken with his own image, that he could find no other matter to fill his prayers with, but the recounting of his own perfections. Lord, suffer not Satan by any of these wiles to ensnare me; Not to intoxicate me by the pleasures of sin, and so weaken, & shave off my locks, lest the Legions of Hell be upon me: Let me not drinke of the Devil's wassel, his wine is a mocker; my Soul, looke not on it when it is red, When it giveth it's colour in the temptation, for in the end it will bite like a Page  64 Serpent, and hurt like a Cocka∣trice: Pride goeth before de∣struction, and a high minde before a fall; therefore also lay thine hand upon thy mouth, for God hateth an haughty eye.