11{ Tempt. IO· Direl1.Io, Tfmpt.llo <ftmpt. 12· Dirtft·l2· Ttmpt.I· 'Dirctl. •· 'DireEtiom for a well grotlnded Faith. ~· 19· Tempt. 10. A/fo ht jitwh hit Tempt~tiont to your natural and acquired parts : That if yo ar.e weak, he may either difcourageyou ; or (which i1 more 1{ital and dange:o'us ) ma~ you think_ bttte~ oj them than they are, and to think... you knowmuch, when JtJ next to not?m~ ; and t J ~Jak._e you wife 1.11 your onm C)'t!, and tafily to rectlVt an error, and then to be coltfidwt m Jt: not todifcern bett~~u~t thl.ngi tbat differ ; but to be deceived intofal[e :r.eal, and f.z/fc w.::z;•cs by the fpeciour prett1tces andJhervs of truth; and then to be zealous for the deceivi1tg of others: Al[o tbat you may be a dijhonour totruth and godlinefs, by yoztr weak._mji and iU management of gocd caufes; and may give them away through yolfr unJk,j/fulnefi to the adverfary. If yott are of llronger fJ)its and parts, the Tempter wiU dr 4 wyou to dcjfi[e tiJt weak..; to tak.f common gifts for fpecial grace ; or to undervalue holinefs andhumility and overvalue learning and acutenefs : He will tempt you ( dangeroujly ) tolothe the fimplicity ofChri: flianity and of tbe Script"rti, aJ to _{lyle and method ; a1)d to be offended at tht Crofs of Chrijl. So th 3 t Jitcb perfons are ufu:zlly in f!.reater d.tnger ofInfidelity, Herefic, }>ride, a,rd infolent domimering qver the floclz of"Cbrijl, than vulgar Cbrijli4ns that have lower part/. 9· 20. DirclJ, IO· Labour to be well acquainted with your [elves ; If you are weak, know your weaknefs, that you may be humble , and fearful , and feck for flrength and help : If you are comparatively firong, remember how weak the Jlrongcfi are: and how little it is that the wifrll koow ! And fludy well the Ends and ufc of knowledge ; that all that you k.,now may be concqCl:ed into Love and Helinefi; and ufe it as remembring that you have much to give ac. count of. · ~· 2 I· Tempt. II· MoreovtNhe Tempter will fetch adva11tage agai>!fl you from your former life and aCHons. If you bavt gone out of the way to He.J1Jm, be would h11rden yox by cuftom, and ma~ you thin!{ it foch a difgrace or trouble to retrern, M that its at good go on, and put it t fJ tbe vemurt: Ifyou have done mry worJt materiaUy goori, wbile your heart and courfe of life iscarnal andworldly, he would qt<iet you in your Jinful miferable ]late, by applauding the little good that you have done. Jf a gMd man ha-ve erred or done iD, be will engage hu honour in it, and mak.._e him ftudy to defend it, or £XCltjf it, lejf it prove bisjhame ; and tempt men as he did David, to hide one fin with another: If he get hold flf one li1tk,., he wilt draw on aU tbc cbai1t of fin. • ~· 22. Dire[/. JJ, Take heed therefore what you do; and forefee the end : Let not the Devil get m one foot : Try your way, before you enter it. But if you have erred, come off, and rhat through.; lyand betime, whatever it cofl: ; for be fure it will cofi more to go on. And if hC would make afnare of the good that you have done, remember that this is to turn it into the greatefl evil: And that there mull be a concurrmce and integrity of good to make you acceptable, and to fave you : Hrarl and life mufl be good to the E11d. §. 23· Tempt. I2. La{!ly, Ht fitteth hir Temptations t• the feafon. · He ,;u tak.,t the feafon juj1 when an evil thought is lik,s{t to tal!.! witb yott; and whrn the 1Vinds aHd Tyde dJ ferve him : that wiU ta~e at one time, ( wbm tJ man batb his wit! and heart tofer~) whicb would be abborrtd at aJtotbtr : In afflicting Times be wilt drt~n>J'OU to deny Chrift rvitb Peter, or fbift for your fi!ves by fi»[Hl meam: In profperous Times he will tempt yott to fecurity,_worldlinrfi and forget[ulnefi of tbe_nigbl and Win 4 ter whicb approacbetb : The Timing hi1 Temptation/ H hi1 great advarztagc-,.y- ~ \ §. 24. Direa. 12. Dwell as witbGod, and you dwelt as in Eur11ity, and will fee fiill that as Time, fo all the plc.J[ttre, and advantages, and dangers. and fufferings of Time, are things in themfelvcs of little momcnr; Keep your eye upon Judgcmmt and Eternity, where all the errors of Time will be reCtified, and all the inequalities of Time will be levelled , and the forrotvt and joyu that are tranfi· tory will be no more : And then no reafons from theftewnt Or jlattetitt of the Times will feem of any force to you. And be llill employed for God, and llill armed and on your watch, that Satan may never find you di!pofed to take the bait. <fhe Tempters Method ill applying hi< prepared bits. ll· 2 5• Tempt. •· 7he Devils firj1 work.,, it to prr[em the 'tempting bait in all its alluring deceiving properties: To ma~e it feem as uue as may be to the underfianding ; andas goodand amiable a1 m(Jy he to tht wiU. 1o fay at m~tcb ar can be {aid for an evil cauje; He mak.fth his Image ofTruth and Goodnds at beautiful as he can: Sin fhaU be jugared, and its pleafurejbaUbe itJ jlrength, Heb. I I• 2 5· Sin jhaU have itt wagu paid ~rrn in lumd, 2 Pet. 2. I 5· He will {et it out witb fiell·moutbed prai[es; 0 what a fine thing it is to be ricb, andpleafe the fiejh continual))! to bve command, and bonoHr, and lufts, and [porli, and what yqu dejire! WIJ11 wOuld refufe fUch a condition that m:zy bavt it-? All this will I give thee, was"the TemptatioJt J-vbicb he thougl~t fit to affault Cbri{t himfelf witb. And he will corrupt tlie Hifiory of Timepart, aJtd tell you that it went wellWith tbo[e tbat tooJt his way , Jer. 44· 17· And for tbe future, he wiU promife tlum, that tluy jhaU begaincrs by it ( as he did Eve ) and !lull have peace, though they p!tafe to<ir jlejlrin finning: See Deut. 29· I I/· 9· 26. Dire/1. I· In this eale, firfl enquire what God faith of that which Satan fo commendeth. \ The commendations and motions of an enemy arc to be [\tfpeCled. God is mofi: ro be believed. ~ '2\ Then confider not only whether it be good, but how long it will be tood; and what ir will prove at the end; and how we fhall judge of it at the parting: And withal confider what it tcndeth to; whether it tend to good or evil : and whether it be the greatcj! good that we arc capable of: And then you will fee , that if there were no good, or appearance ofgood in ·ir, it could do a voluntary agem no hurr, and were not fit to be the matter of aTemptation: And you'll fee that it is temporal ggo& fet up to deceive you of the Eternal Good, and to emice you into the ,rwej! evil, and mifery. Doth · the
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