The Life of Faith. miff coil you more labour ; ttudy it till you clearly underftand it, and remember the whole method of the evi- dencc together; and have it all as at your oi.gers ends, and then you may have a Confirmed faith to live by. Diret`l. 5. Whenyoukvnnw what are the forefi temptations to ùnbeli,f, get aG thofeffiecial arguments and proviftons into your minds, which arenecejfary againtt thofe particular temptations. And do not ffrengtben your own temptations byyour imprudent entertaining, them. Here are th ce things which I would efpecially advife you toagai,:ft temptations to unbelief. r. Enter not into the debate e f fogreat a bufinrfs when you are uncapable of it : Efpccially 1. When your minds arc taken up with worldlybufincfs, or other thoughts have carrycd them away, let not Satan then furprize you, and fay, Come now and quetiion thy Religion You could not refolve a queflion inPhilofophy, nor call up any long account, on fuch a fudden, with an unprepared mind. When the Evidences of your faith are out of mind, flay till you can have leifure to fet your felves to the bufinefs, with that ftudioufnefs, and thole helps, which fo great a matter doth require. z. When fickncfs or melancholy Both weaken your undertiandings, you arethen unfit for fuch a work. You would not in fuch a cafe difpute for your lives with a cunning fophifler upon any difficult queflion whatfoever t And will you in fuch a cafe difpute with the Devil, when your falvation may lye upon it ? 2. When your fecirh is once fettled, fuffer not the Devil to cog you to difpsote it over again at his command. Do it not when hie fuggeffions urge you at his pleafure; but when God maketh it your duty, and at his pleafure: Elfe your very difputing withSatan, will beTome degree ofyielding to him, and gra- tifying him. And he will one time or other take you at the advantage, and aflault you when you are without your arms. 3 Mark what it is that Atheitis and Infidels moil object agatntl Chriflianity ; but efpecially mark what it is which Satan maketh moil ufe of, again(} your felves, to (hake your faith
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