OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. 159 13-17. And because those with whom it is thus, cannot be spirituallyminded, yet as there are some diffi- culties in the case, as to the predominancy Of a secret lust or sin, I shall consider it somewhat more dis- tinctly. 1. We must distinguish between a time of tempta- tion in some, and the ordinary state of mind and affec -. tions in others. There may be a season, whereinGod,, inhis holywise orderings of all things towards us, and for his own gldry, in his holy, blessed ends, may suffer a lust or corruption to break loose in the heart, to strive, tempt, suggest, and tumultuate, to the great trouble and disquietude of the mind and conscience. Neither can it be denied, but that falling in conjunction with some vigorous temptation, it may proceed so far as to surprise the person inwhom it is, into actual sin, to his defilement and amazement. In this case no man can say " he is tempted of God, for God tempteth no man," but every man is " tempted of his own lust, and enticed." But yet temptations, of what sort soever they be, so far as they are afflictive, corrective, or pe- nal, are ordered and disposed by God himself. For there is no evil of that nature, and he hath not done it. And where he will have the power of any corruption to be afflictive in any instance, two things may safely be ascribed to him. 1. He withholds the supplies of that grace, whereby it might be effectually mortified and subdued. He oan give in a sufficiency of efficacious grace, to repel any temptation, to subdue any or all our lusts and sins. For he can and doth work in us to will and to do, ac- cording to his pleasure. Ordinarily he doth so in them that believe ; so that although their lusts may rebel and war, they cannot defile or prevail. But to the
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