54 t loh.z.J6, Book II· Chap+Sed:.~,6. SECT. V. Of'iemptatiom, inrcfpdl of ourn~t'"al di{p•Jitiour. NOw thefc tCillptations arc infinite, and pall my recounting; yet that I miy re– duce them inw fame method, they have either a refpec1 to our naturaldifpo– fitions, or to our outward conditions. or to our {piritllil dlates. · Firfl, SatJu hath an eye to our difpoficioris, he obferves to what fins we are mofl: inclined by our noture, temper, and bodily confiitution, and to thoic he inclines us r hrufl:ing us, as it were down the hill, where we are apt to run headlong of ou; own accord: For example, if he lind a man ambitioully affected, then he covers his hook with the bJit of honours ; or if he find a tmn addiCted to voluptuoull 1 efs then he covers it with the bait of pleafi~res ; or if he find aman given tocovetoufnef~ then ho lays for him a golden net, or he makes a breach in his heart with a golden bullet. In this cafe it is the Chrillians bdl skill, as fcon as may be, to oblerve his own nature, temp~r, and di(oofi~ion, and to find out what fin he is moil prone to; ( may call it his bofome fin, his beloved !in, his daiiing pleafure, hisminion-dc!ioht; certainly this is Satan; l!roogdl hold, his Tower of greateft contidchce, and fecu~ity: Oh how it !licks and cleaves !,\l thcfou\ 1Oh what a deal of ado mull the bcit Saints have with Satan 3.nd this fin, before it be kifled! ln fvrnc this fm is worldlinds,wanrnnnef, pride. pailion, io others it may be drunk– cnnefs, gluttony, gaming, fcurril jdting, obl\ioate infHiablenefs in allowed recreations, or the hke. I cannot fpcak to every of tnefe, for fo would the work fwel! under !nod, yet to fome 1dare not _bnt fpeok, and oh that tt may be with fruit and prolit, both to uthers, and my owl! foLd! S E C T. VI. OfSatRnt tempt;timr to worldiil!ifi· S. Omc fonls the devil tempts to world!inefs he fees clcem prone to it, and he feh it on, and dnves tt fur wards: But how does he that> I anfwcr: I• He fometirne> fets the very images and rcprefentations of theworlds glory before mem eyes, and lo he tempts them : Thu> I am flne he dealt with Cl1tiil, be fhetr>ed bin: alltbe Ki11gdomet of tbe world, autl t/;e glory of them (i.) He offered the images fenlibly and actually, after a wonderful and tlrange manna, making ttwfe images to appear to his fenfes. This js not ordinary, but this, noqueftion, is in Satans power: If a man by this art can rtprefent to the leufes, in a glafs, '!DV perfon or thing, by which he thar lees not the thing it {elf, dili:erneth a notable ima~e of it; ~ow much more may we think that Satan uy his art can reprefent to the fenCe Ihe images ofthings not prefenti 2 • He fometimes fets the v~ry world it [elf, or the things of the warId bdore mens eyts, and la he tempts them. Thus he fet ·rh~ Babylonilh garment in the eye of Acb,m, and Nabothr vineyard in the eye ofAhab, and 8Jt·hjheb• the wife of Vri3b In the eye ofD.IVid; and then according to the proverb, Ht eomu to the Seaby_tberiver, to the heart by th~ eye; and indeed, what poyfon IS there almoil that he doltiJ not convey into our fouls by this vtry paffage l our eyesare hi> Spokefinen to our._!JCarr,; firfl we fee•, and then we covet and delire the world, and hereupon cov!'!dtlfncf; is called by the Apollle, the iltjls of the cycr. 3· He G11ri:times ; and moll uf(~a!ly 'works upon the imagination, atfeClions, and confcquencly upon the will: And indeed, an <>fie thing it is for him to move them all, when they are all fo willing to receive his fuggdlions, and of themfdves ur~;e the foul to yield to his umpwiom :This made the Apoille fay, "they that wiO be ricb, f"/1 into temptationt and /;tarn,-- fur r Tim. 6 9, 10. the defire of mmey ;, the root of all evil. Satan fees before hand, 'there's a man refolved that ht will be rich, and therefore Satan nee<ls not ilrive againfl the llream, kt hun but ufe the tyde offuch a mans will, and he may carry him lwifdy into a Sea ot fin : "they tb.tt willbe rich, fall ( without pulling, even as the 11onc that ddcends ;;amrally downwards) i11to te!llptatiott•audjitarer; SEer.
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