'DireEfions for a JVe!l :!,rounded Faith. 7cmpt. 5· §. 33• Tempr. 5· It U tbe 1cmptcrs cJre to bri1rg the tempting objt6t near enough, or draw the ~Jtm;· near CY.O!tf!..h to it : Jhe mt mujl come to ~be fij1J , er tbe Jifh to the net : The dift.zm fire willmt bar-n tbe wnod. 1he Devi/1 .chi(:f c!J'!fidence i& ill' !be feofitive appetite, which work_eth ftronyJhft at hand. Tf be get tbc drttn~ard into rbe ALE-hott{e a1rd jhew him tht cup, be bath h.z!f cMquercd him allrc<Ady: Em if be be forup,tlonr and nvdejl, {ome one fl;.'lU drink.,. a health or importune him, and put the cup i;uo hit b.nul. '(be tbicf n:itb Achan .fhJU fte the b3it, and th~ fight will work,_ a Covctco!M dcfirc. 'the glutton ftJ.zU have tbe Tempting' difhu btfnrehim, and be ,q\ a 1 able whicf1 by v.rriety of dtlicinll$ food, iJ fitted. to become hir [nare; ubtrt:ff if he had nothlng}ct brfur~ him, hHt the poor mans Jimple {liod rvbich l'ath nothing i1t it fit to tempt bim, he mi.ght rafily bavt efcaped. 1be fornicator flM_ll h:1v: his beautifuL dirt bto~tght near _him, and ,e~·c~n.red to him in a tempting drt}.r; {or at a {1t{~ ficzmt diji.mce there had been little d.mger. The ambm.vJU pir{ultjhaU h:1vt P~'tformmt offered hirn 1 ot br11ugfjt [o f.~h· to his hand that r.;ith' a littlt feekJng it may he attained. The fearful coward. jhJU be tbreatntri t~idJ the /11[1 rf e/fate or life, and heat the report of the Cannonr, Gun! and Drums of Sa~ tan. Peter is b.>~lf CQ1tqucrcd n:hw be i1 got a1mftg qztcjliming company in tbe HigiJ·Pri.cftr H.sU. 71m5 David? thus_Lot, th1u lJrdi11arily Jinners arc drawn imo the fnare. J. r{J. 5· 9· 34· Dircll. 5• As Cver you wou\d preferve your innocency and your fouls, t1y as far from'2.- tempring objects as ybu can: I f.1y ,,f you can without difirufiing God in the neglect of a certain duty: A Wife, or a fuv'ant that are bound cannot fly : nor mull we leave undone our certain duty llpon an uncertain danger, which may otherwife be avoided: Bur keep otf from r,he Temptation at as r.rrat ad;jf.tnce .u J'Oit can: The fafrfl cour{'t is the bcji when your fo~tls lie at the fiake: If ~t be not NcccjJJI), plead t~Ot the_ Lartf~tlmfi of what you do, when it i» a 1(tmptativn to that which ts md:Jwful. You fay, It IS J;njul to wear fuch cunous ornaments, and ict out your fclves in the neateU drets : But is it lawful tO be Prow~ or ~f:~'Jlful, or to confume your time unproficably? If not ·' tempt not your fclvcs or others w Jr, Keep away from the place where the fuare is laid. Look JirH to 1he end bctorc thou n\eddlc with th<; bcginnin~. Why fhould I eat that which l know I "c.rnnot tligcj[, but muf\: ca!l: it up ~'gain? And why fh6uld l tajte that which I mujl not eat? And • "ChY (hould I dellre to have that fa b,Jore me, and to lcok. upon it which I mull oot tajle? Come nPt near if thou would!\ not be taken' What doft thou at the AL£-houfe with a cup before thee, i~ thou _wouldfl not be drawn to exct:fs of drink? If thou be fJbjeCl to cxcefs in eating, make not th own ttble tpy Temptarioo. t'ly (rom the Temptation as th?u wouldfi do from Hell, or from the Uevt!Ounfcl(. Scenotthebatt of luH, or come not near, tf thQ\l be mchnablc tolufi, faith Solomun, 'RemQU tby way ftJr frrJm IJCr, and come not near the d:Jre of her hou]f, Prov. 5· 8. For her end· i.; bi.ttcr M wormwood , flJarp '" a. two edged j;--,ord: Her fat go down to de_,t/,, her jfeps fak,_e bold on Hell, verfc 4, 5· Her bou[e- inclinct~ to death .md brr patb.t unt~ tbe d~ad: Nane that go to bcr re~ turn again, neither tal:$ they hold of the patbsof Life. P~~V·2·18) 19. Her !Jqufe iitbe waytoHeU, going down to tbe cbamberJ of Dea:h, ~rov. 7·_27· _fYhofo· "11 Jimplc let lJim turn in hither, and tH for him thtJt wametb underjbndmg,jhe (alth to IJlm, jtolnt n:aterr arc [trcll, and bread eaten in fecn:t is pleafant: B11t be kJtowcth not t)Jat the dead are there, and that her guc{ls are in the depths flf Hell: .._. Prov. 9· 16, ~~ 18. Ltcfi: 11ot after berb~az1ty in thy heart, mitlm·let btr tak.,c tbtt rrith bcr l)'e-lids:– .._ • Can a m:m tak.,e fire in his bofom and hu claatlu not be burnt l CaJJ one go upon bot coul.t a11d. /;is fat ndt be burt l P1ov. 6. 25, 27, 28. Remtmber that you p,ray daily Lead m )tnt imo Tempt.Jtion: And if )IOU will run into it your fdves, arc no_t your prayus hypoctitical and an abufc of God? If you would b~ f:Jtlrd from fiu, you mufi be fa'vcd in ~ods way : and that is by flying from Temptations ; and 110t drawing near,and gazing on fmbidden objec:ts, and .~cmpring your fclvts: Even as Gods holy means muf\ be ufcd by a\lthat wonld come to tolmcfs and Heaven; fo the D~vils mufi be avoided by him tliat would would fcape fin and Hdl. 1. But if you cannot ret'novc fu enough from the fnarc Gcn: 39 ••n. then double your fear, and watcbfulncji, and rcfolution : rly with J oftph from the fin, if you can: not go out of the houfc. flow carefully fhould tvcry foot be placed, when we know that every ll'cp we ·trr.ad is a!llong fnares? Rule your fonfot if you Cannot remove the bait; Make Job't '?venanr with your eyes, that you look not on that which would allure? Job 31· I· Let every fenfe havea conflant wai:ch. 7'empt. 6. §· 35• Tempt. 6. 1be mxt greJt wor~ of tbe 1cmptcr fs, to iive IM the fairefi opportuniries tojitt, and to remove aU impediments, and jJwv men encouraging hopes and invitations. He wiU fhcw :bt thiif wbi.cb ~ay be nl..ly /ieal ; andjhcw the coveteoUf man wbicb way be may thrive, and deceive, ar.d over-reach: and tbe 4mbiti,•ti-! ma}t which way be may rife; .znd the fornicator hfJW ht m<~)' obtain hi.r dejire~ and fin tmk.._nonm : and tben be teUs them bow eafie it iJ; now no one [eetb you ; yrm m ry do it witiJout fear or lhame. It is the Devils great care to tak$ aU things out of the way that would affright, •"' lJT hintkt fimterJ; 1hat thry may h:zve full opp01cunity to invite them. <fherrfvre be is very d€fltdl! tbJt publick impediments jhould beaU removed; e[peciaUy a godly MJgijlr:zte and Minijlcr, mtd tb.zi tiJe common difgrace of finning may be tak.fn off, a,nd if it may be, tHpted agai;ljt Rtligion, or fall on' them tbtlt are tbe grratcft advtr{Jrie.t to fi;z. Diretl• 6. §. 36. Dirc{l. 6. It is therefore a principal part of your wifdorn and watchfulncfs, to avoid tb' opportunitiu ,![finning,::md Jteep ou_t as many ifnpcdiment.t as may be in your own way.lt is a mofl fool1th and finful thing in tOme men, who think it a brave thing to have powfr to do butt, though they pre– tend that they abhorthc eking of it ·: Hcthac faith he hateth opprcf!i•n, ' yet would have a Pon>'tr to opprefs: To have all men at his will and merry he thmks is brave: : fo they tblt .would not. be glutto~oUI. would. have a t~mpting ~.,blc fiill before them 1 _prefuming .that 1fuir own will is a fuffi.cten~ prcfervattVC agamfi the hn: (o tliey rl1at would not oc infnared With /ujf, have yet a deftre to ap· pear
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