t!8 · CafeJ of Chri.J1iam do~bting . State Ill .. bleffed mean of peace to feme per(ons ; while their cafe, which appeared to them to be fingular, has been evinced ~o have been the cafe of other laints., The fcripture gives ' mll:ances of very horrid temptations wherewith the faints have1been aifan!ted. Job was ~erupted to blaJPheme; this , was the great thing the devil aimed at, in the cafe ofthat great faint, _7ob i. 11 . H~ will curfe thee to thy face. Chap. ii. 9• Curft God, cmd die.. Afaph was tempted to think ill was in vain to be re1igiou~, which was i.n effetl to throw off aJLrel,igion, P(al. ixxiii. r~. Verily I have clea:;fed my heart in vain. Yea, Chri!l himfe!fwas tempted to CflJ~1 him· ftif down from a pinac!e of the temple, and to W?1jtJ.ip the • devil, /Vlattb. iv. 6. 9· :\nd many of the children of God have not only been att<tcked with, but have a~tuaUy yeildcd to very g~ofs temptations, for a time. Peter denied Chrifi, and curfed and fwore that he knew him not, 111arl x\v. 71 • . Paul, . when a perfecuter, coritpe(led ever. faitriJ to bfa(– pheme-, Ach xxvi. 1 o, 1 1. Many of the faints can, from' their fad experience, bear witnefs to very grofs temptations, which have aO:onifhed their fpir.its, made their very flelh to· tremqle, and fickned their bodies. Sat:tn's fiery darts make terrible work; and will coft p:aios to quench them, by a vi· gorous managing of thejhield-offaith, Ephef. vi. I 6 : ~ometimes, he makes fuch defp,erate attacks, that never was one more put to it, in running to and fro, without intermiffio•l r to quench the fire· balls inceffantly thrown, into his houfe b}l an enemy defi ooing to but n the houfe about him, than the – poor t.::mpted Caint is, to repel fitanical inject:loos. But thefe· inje.:lion~ , thefe horrid temptatioos,thou.gh they are a dreadful affiietion, they are not, the fios of the tempted, u~lcfs· they make them theirs by confeoting to them . They will. be ch.uged upon the tempter alone, if: they be not confented to: and will no mo·re be l~id to the charge! of the tempted; p-arty, than a haflard's being laid down at a challe 'r.nan'S'· door , will ilx guilt up~n him,, . ···~, ~But, fuppofe neithe~ minifier nor private ·chrifiian, to· whom you go, can tell you' of any who has been in ,you-Jr ; cafe; yet yoil ought not hence to infer,. that your ~af~ cer– tainly is fingul:u, far lefs to give over hopes: foe 1t JS. net to be thought, th:1t evety godly minifier, or pti~ate Chri-, ftia.n, has- had the e.K£eri~nce ofa.ll th~ cafes a chtld of Godi may
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