5.  So the Lord may think good to dispense so with some, that he may give a full proof of his wonderfully great patience and long-suffering in bearing with such, and that so long.

6.  As also to demonstrate his sovereignty, in measuring out his dispensations to his own, as he seeth will most glorify himself.

Next, Satan hath an active hand in this; for,

1.  He raiseth up clouds and mists in the believer, so that he cannot see the work of God within himself, and so is made to cry out, that he hath no grace, and that all was but delusions and imaginations, which he looked upon as grace before.

2.  He raiseth up in them jealousies of God, and of all his ways, and puts a false gloss and construction on all which God doth, to the end he may confirm them in their jealousies, which they have drunk in of God.

3.  Having gained this ground, he worketh then upon their corruption with very great advantage; and thus driveth them from evil to worse, and not only to question their perfect interest in Christ, but also to quit all hope for the time to come.

4.  This being done, he driveth the soul yet farther, and filleth it with prejudices against God and his glorious truths; and from this he can easily bring them to call all in question.

5.  Yea, he will represent God as an enemy to them; and when this is done, how easy it is with him to put them on desperate courses, and cause them to speak wickedly and desperately of God.

6.  And when this is done, he can easily darken the understanding, that the poor soul shall not see the glory of the gospel, and of the covenant of grace, nor the lustre and beauty of holiness:  yea, and raise prejudices against the same, because there is no hope of partaking of the benefit thereof; and so bring them on, to a plain questioning of all, as mere delusions.

7.  And when he hath gotten them brought this length, he hath fair advantage to make them question if there be a God, and so drive them forward to atheism.  And thus deceitfully he can carry the soul from one step to another.

But, third, there are many sinful causes of this within the man’s self; as,

1.  Pride and haughtiness of mind, as thinking their mountain standeth so strong, that it cannot be moved.  And this provoketh God to hide his face, as Psalm xxx.

2.  Self-confidence, a concomitant of pride, supposing themselves to be so well rooted that they cannot be shaken, whereas it were better for them to walk in fear.

3.  Want of watchfulness over a deceitful heart, and an evil heart of unbelief, that is still departing from the living God, Heb. iii. 12.  It is good to be jealous here.

4.  Giving way to doubtings and questionings too readily at first.  It is not good to tempt the Lord by parlying too much and too readily with Satan.  Eve’s practice might be a warning sufficient to us.