Of TEMP TAT ION, &c. prized : fo the Apoftie, Gal. vi. 1. If a man be furprized, overtaken with a fault, yet he was tempted to it : for Pays he, Confider thy felf left thoualto be tempted, that is, as he was, when he was fo furprized, as it were at unawares. This men fometimes take no notice of; to their great dilhdvaotage when they are over- taken with a fin, they fet themfelvesto repent of that fin, but donot confider the temptation that was the caufe of it, to let themfelves againft that alfo ; to take care that they enterno more into it ; hence are they quickly again entangled by it; tho' they have the greateft deteltation of the fin it felf, that canbe expreffed. He that would indeed get the conqueft over any fin, muff confider his temptations to it, and lfrike at that root without deliverance from thence, hewill not be healed. This is a folly that poffeffesmany, whohave yet a quick and living fenfe of fiu they are fe,sfibleof their fins,not oftheir temptations;aredifpleafed with the bitter fruit, but cherifh the poyfbnons root : hence in the midftof their humiliations for fin, they will continue in Chofe ways, thofe focieties, in the parfait of thofe ends, which have occafioned that fin ;. of which more afterwards. ( z. ) Temptations have feveral degrees, fame arife to fach an height, do fo peels on the foul, fo crociate and difquiet it, fo fight againft all oppofition that is made to it ; that it muffneeds be paff all doubt to him who is fo affaulted, that it is a peculiar power of temptation that he is to wreftle withal. When a Fever rages, a manknows he is fink, unlefs his diftemper have made him mad. The tufts of men as ,dames tells us, entice, dram array, and feduce them, to fin ; büt this they do of themfelveswithout peculiar inftigation, in a more quiet, even, and fedate manner ; if they grow violent, if they hurry the foul up and down, give it no reft, the foul may know that they have got thehelp of temptation to their alTß- ance- Take an empty vellel, and put it into fumeftream that is in its courlë to the fea ; it will infallibly be carried thither, according to the courfe and fpeed of the Bream ; but let ftrong winds arife upon it, it will he driven withviolence on every bank and rock, until being broken in pieces, it is fwallowed upof the ocean. Mena lulls will infallibly (if not mortified in thedeath ofChrifi ) carry them into eter- nal ruin; but oftentimes without, much noift, according to the courfe of the . flream of their corruptions. But let the wind of fining temptations befal them, they are hurried into innumerable fcandalous fins, and fo broken upni all accounts, . are fwallowed up in eternity ; fo is it in general with -men; fa in particular. Hezekiab had the root ofpride in him always; yet it did not make him runup and down to (hew his treafure and his riches, until lie fell -into temptation, by the Ambaffadors of the Kingof Babylon ; fo had Dacid ; yet could he keep off from numbering the people, until Satan flood up and provoked him, and folicitedhim to do it dac was covetous from the beginning, yet he did not contrive to fatisfy it by felling of his Mafter, until the Devil entred into hìm, and Ile thereby into temptation. The like may be Paid- of Abraham, ;Yana, Peter and the refl. Sd that when any lull or corruption whatever tumultuates and difquieteth the foul; puts it with violence on fin; let, the foul know that it bath got the advantage of force outward temptation, rho' as yet it perceiveth not wherein, or at lean is be- come its felf a peculiar temptation, by fame incitation or provocation, that hatl befaln it and is to be looked to more than ordinarily. (3. ) Entring into temptation may be feen ha the leffer degrees of it. As for inflame, when the heart begins fecretly to like the matter of the temptation, and is conteur to feed it, and encreafeit byany ways that it may, without down right fin: In particular, a man begins to be in- repute for piety, wifdom, learning, or t14 like : he is fpoken of much to that purpofe. His heart is tickled tohear of it,, and his pride and ambition affefled with it. If this man, now with all his ftrengtla, ply the things from whencehis repute andeffeem and glory amongft men do fining, with a ferret eye to have it increafed, he is entring into temptation, which if he take not heed, will quickly render him a gave of lull. So was it with gehu, he perceived that his repute for zeal ,began to grow abroad, and begot ho- nour by it ; `i`anadab come in his way, a good and holy man; nota thinks Yd., I have an opportunity to grow in the honour of my zeal fo he calls 7nadab to him, and Co work he goes moll ferioufly : the things he did were good in them- felves, but hewas entred into temptation, and,ferved his hill in all that he did: 'So is it with many Scholars, they find themfelves elleemed and favoured for their learning, this takes hold of thepride and ambition of their Frans ; hence they let'
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