422 The Nature, Danger and Cure by thy rafh venturing upon Occafions and Temptations to fin ? Haft thou nor found fuch and fuch CompatJy, fuch and fuch Ernploymenrs, and Other like Circum. fiances, always prove Snares to thee ? Never plead thefe Temptation1 were too 1l:rong for ch~e to refift: What, c_anft .thou not refi~ them? Why, couldil thou not have avoided them? And beheve u, If the expeuence of thine own Weaknefs doth not make thee c~reful_for the future to fhun fuch Snares and lnranglemencs as thefe are, thy fins w1ll be Judged by Godatthe lafi Day to be wilful and prefumptuous Sins; for they are fo, if not!" themfelves confidered, yer ac leaU in rheir Caufe; for y~u prefumptuouJIJ run IntO ihofe Occafions and Temptatiom whereby in all likelihood, xou will be overcome; and this is eo fin prefumpt~oufly. , if 'fl'henwe Thirdly, Suppote th~t we are firongly tempted without the berraying of our :;/'fl':e7p'~ felv~s to the T~mptau.on: Why the~ confider, If'y_rm commit th: Shao which yor~ TDith!u/Z.:: are tempted, Wtthout 'tngorouu& and refolu:e reji(lance; if )'OU do, thrs is a urtain fig,n zorous rtfi· JOU fin preji1mptuoujly. Let the Tempt atton be never fo flrong and in'fjijlible, yet if ft•nce, we you yield to it without oppajitiQn and re{iflance made againfl ir to your urmoft you then thm fin fin P''fumftouflJ· A Child of God",· when he a& like himfelf, falls 'fighting . ':,f."mptu· the Devi gets not a foot of ground upon him, hut by main force and firength ~ '1· thoug~~rincipalities and P~wer~, though the Ruler; ~(the D~rknefs of this Wor!l, and fpmtual Wic!t.edneffiJ m hzgh PlacrJ, Jet tbemfel':.leJ all m array a(!ainft him • why, . yet he encounters them all.' and wrefiles with them all ; a~d though fomeumes, through weaknefs he IS overcome, yet he never bafely yields . he fights fianding, and he fights falling, and he fightsrifing; and therefore wh~n he fins, it is through Weaknefs, and not through Prefumption; bur now others, though they ~re verr bold, and pre~umpmous againft God, yet they are very Cqwards agamft their Lufis, and agamit the Temptatiom of rhe Deuil; when a Temptation affaults them, they dare no~ prefume to oppofe. that; bur they dare prefume to offend and pr'?voke ~od htm. f~lf; chat they dare do: Believe it, Sirs, you muft be bold and refolute, e1ther agamft the Devil, or agamft the grurt God. one of thefe you mufigrapple with ;chufe which you think you may befl oppofe' and foonefi conquer; the Devil fiands before you armed wirh his fiery darts~ God follows you, arll)ed with everlajling vmgetmce. lf you will not engag; againft Satan, and refolurely oppofe him and all his force, wlJat do you elfe but turn upon God, and challenge him to the Combat, and make him your Enemy that is able to 'dtftroy both Soul 4<nJ Body in He/J-firr for evtr? Why, what a mo~ <laring prefumption is this, that ever we fhould bafely furrender up our felves tO the Devil without firiking one firoak in our own defence, and yet at rhe fame time, we Jhould dare to provoke that God chat can with one look and frown fink us into the loweft Hell? And thus in thefe Three Particulars we fee when a Sin is prefumptuous in refped: of Temptations, when it is committed wichout Temptations, when we run into Temptations and Occafions of Sin, and when we make no vigorous oppofition againft them. To fin un- 10 the Fifth Place, another Tria~ is. rhis; When M~n will dare to fin undtr tmintnt JertmhJent t~nd remarkable 'Judgments and AJiltCllons that God brmg; ttpo!' them, then they fin judgmn_lt ~ pre[umptuoujly. What is this elfe, but ~hen God ftands vifibly in your way, yes ::~"fs'~'· you will defp~rately run upon. the tbrck Boj[eJ of hi; Buckl~r ? He hrJgu ~P your fin prefum~ way 1vjth tho_rns, and yec you Will break through, though n he to the teanng .of ptuorljly. your Flefl1; he itrikes at you by his Judgments,and Oh! the MadnefS andPrefumption of vile Duft and Afhes,rhat they dare to ilrike at God again by thei r Sins! What is this elfe but even to dare God to do his worft ? When God treads upoD us) fhould fuc~1 vile Worm; as we are, turn the Tail, and threaten to ~ake revenge upon the Almighty? This is Prefumption and Boldnefs, that God takes fpecial notice of. In z ChrQn.28, alld 22. Ahaz:.. was h.roughtvery low, fays the Trxt; and yet, in the time of hi; dij}refs ht trefpa.Ottl ytt more againft the Lvrd; This i; tb~tt Ahaz: God Cets a Mark and Brand upon him, rhat he may be known roa,ll poficrity for a moftdaring Sinner,that when God had brought him fo low,when fomany Enemies waged War agai.nfthim, and diftrefted him; yet even then he provoked a greater Enemy than them all, and challengeth God ,againfi him. This is rbat King,Ahaz. Truly ma>: it nor befaidof many among us, This, and this is that ·perfi:>n, who when God affiicted them, inftead of humbling themfelves under the mighty han.d of God, grew enraged at their Sufferings, and fin.. · ned yet"!ote a]\d more againfihim? Oh, it is dreadful, when thofe puni/hm~
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