Vfo. ( ]arnes 1, It. Book.lV. Looking unto !fe{us. Cbap. I. Secr.4 fha/t thou{trve. Now was the Devil put to flight, and in his ' fiead the Angels came and minijfred Hnto!Jefm; (i,) after his fail: they minifired !uch thil"lgs as his neceffities required of them ' 0 Chriftians ! what !hall we fay to this ? if Chrifl: was thus tempted by Sathan, what may we look for? fornetirnes it cheares ' my heart to think tha't Chrifr was tempted, becaufe thereby he knows how to fuccour thofe that are tempted: and fornetimes it affrights my foul to think that Sathan durft be fo bold with Jefus Chri!l:; Oh what maybe do with me? how eafily may he . prevaile v againft my foul? when he carne to tempt Cbrifl: he f~und nothing in ~im to joyne with him ~n the temptation;' but in my heart is a world of corruptioos, and unlelfe the Lord prevent I am quickly gone. I may not here fall on the doctrine of temptations~ only a few words. r. Of Sathans- !l:ratagerns 2. Offome general mearies to withlland his fl:ratagerns; and i have done. 1. His llratagems .are very many, and very dangerous ; As- . I. He obferves, ·and fits .his temptations to our difpofitions; foF example, .if he finde a man ambitioufJy affected, then he covers his hook with the baite of honours ; and thus lie tempted A/Jime/ech to murther his brethren, that he might obtaine·the . .foveraigpty; or ifbe finde a man voluptuoufly given, then be tempts him with the baite of pleafures, and thus he allured Noah to drunkenndfe, David to adultery,So/omon to idolatry; or ifhe finde a man covetoufly given, then he lets in the golden hook, and thus he enticc;d JJafaa.m, by offering ~im money to curfe the people, whom God had bleifc;d ; ari.d thus he all.ufed {udM for thirty pieces offilverto betray his Maller; but what need we infiances, when we fee this day fo many thoufands intangled in this :golden net ? 2. He obfcrves, and fits his temptations to our cornpleCl:ions; and thus he tempts the chollorick to quarrels and braules; the flegmatick to idleneife and Doth ;. the melancholy to malice and revenge; the fanguine to pleafure -and flefhly lulls; and hence it is that the Apollle tells us, that whofoev(r is tempted, he is drawn away hJ his owftcmcupi[crnce. Sathan neveF alfaults us, but he is fure there is fomething within us, that will further him in his tempratio_ns~ · · · ·· --- -- - - ~· lj~
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