252 Satans power to Tempt; andChrills love to, But my beloved in the Lord, If this be. true, That the Lorddoth fuller hisown, and belt children, to be expofed toSatanswinnowings, and temptings ; then why fhouldft thou conclude that thou art not thechildofGod, becaufe thou art tempted? Oh but, Idon't conclude (will fome fay) that I am notthe child ofGod, I don't conclude that the Lord does not love me becaufe I am tempted, but becaufe I meet with fuch and fuch temptations. Tell me, did not David, Job, Paul, andPeter meet with fuchandfilch, and fo great temptations ? Yea, didnot Chrift himfelfmeet with it ? Oh ! but, my temptations are fuch as would makeones haire stand upright on ones head to thinke of them ; fometimes tempted, even to lay violent hands upon my felf : What think ye of Chrift ? when Satan fpake unto him, and tempted him to throwhimfelfdown offthe pina- cle Of theTemple. Oh I but, I am temptedwith fuch temp- tations that I am afhamed to name, andmy heart akes, and trembles when I do refieft on them , even with blafphe- mous thoughts. What think ye of Chrift ? was not he tempted to blafpherny ? Saies theDevil tohim, .All this will Igive thee, ifthouwiltfall down andworfhip me : what greater blafphemy than to worfhip the Devil ? tomake a God of the Devil himfelf, what greater blafpherny ? Oh but, I fear, and-doubt my condition, and the love of God to- wards me, becaufe my temptations are notas the temptati- ons ofGods children, but my temptations are Inchas can- not Randwith grace, there is a fpot, that is not the fpot of Gods people : and are there not temptations, that are not the temptations of Gods people? have not wicked men their peculiar temptations, fuch as does not fall upOn the children ofGod? I am afraid that my temptations are of that rank and ofthat fort, and therefore I fear and doubt my condition. Mark I pray, This fame wordTemptation may be conlidered two waies : Either in regardofthe For- mal lity, or formofthe temptation ; or in regard ofthe Ma- teriallity, ownerofthe temptation. Takeno*et te-rn aptation according to thepropriety of the fpeech
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=