OfTEMPTATION, Cc, 29 away thedevil. Toaft faith on Chrift crucified, is really to fgn our félvcs the fgn of the crofs ; and therebyJhaawe overcome that wicked one, r Peter v. g. But fuppofe the foul hath been fürpried by temptation, and intangled athnawares, fo that now it is too late to refill the firft entrances of it ;. what Shall fucha foul do, that it henot plunged into it, and carried away with the power thereof? r. Do asPaul did ; befeech God again and again,; thatit maydepart from thee, r Cor. xii. ¡. andif thou àbideít therein,"thou Salt certainly either be Speedily delivered out of it, or receive a fufficiency of,grace not to be foiled utterly by it. Only, as I faid part before, do not fo much imploy thy thoughtsabout the things whereunto thou art tempted, which oftentimesraifeth further intanglements; but fet thy felfagainft the temptation: it felt. Pray againft the temptation that it may depart; and when that is taken away, the things themfelves may be more calmlyconfdercd. z. Fly to Chrift, in a peculiar manner, as he was tempted ; and beg of him to give thee Attain- in this needful rime of trouble, lieb.: ii. r r. the apoftle inffruftsus herein, In that he bath been tempted, he it able to fuccour them that are tempted : this is themeaning of it; when you are tempted, and are ready to faint, when you want fuccour, you muff have it, or you die ; aft faith peculiarly on Chrift, as he was tempted, that is muffderthat hewas temptedhimfelf, that he Suffered thereby, that he codquerec alA temptations, and that not merely on his awn account, feeingfor our fakes he fubmifted to be tempted; but for us (lie conquered in, and by himfelf, but for us) anddracv, yea expert fumour fromhim, Heb. iv. 15, r6. lye down at his feet, make thy complaint known to him, beg his affiance, and it will not be in vain. 3. Look to him who hath promilèd deliverance; confider that he is faithful, and will not fuller the& to be tempted above what thost able. Confider that he hath promifeda comfortableilfue of theft trials and temptations. Call all thepremifes to mind, of affianceand deliverance thathe bath made: ponder them inthy heart, and refi upon ir, that Godhath innumerable waysthat thouknoweff not of; to give thee in deliverance ; as, (1.) He can fend an alfiftion, that fall mortify thy heart unto the matter ofthe temptation, whatever it be ; that, which was beforea fweet model under the tongue, AO neither have taffe, or relifla inn it unto thee, thy defile to itShall be killed ; aswas the cafe with David ; or, (2.) He can by -tome providence alter that whole Rate of things, from whence thy temptation Both arife ; fo taking fuel from the fire, caufng it to go out of it Pelf; as it was with the fame David in the day of battle; or, (3.) He can tread down Satan under thy feet, thathe fall not dare to fuggeftany thing any more to thy difadvantage (the Godof peace !halldo it) that thou !halt hear ofhim no more ; or, (4.) He can give thee fuchSupply of grace, as that thou mayef befreed, though not from the temptation it felf, yet from the tendency and danger of it, as was the cafe withPaul; or, (9.) He can give theefach a comfortable perfuafon of good- fuccefs in the ifue, as that thou Shalt have refrefhment in thy trials, and be kept from the trouble of the temptation ; as was the cafe with the fame Paul ; or, (6.) He can utterly remove it, and make theea compleat conquerour. And innu- merable other ways he hath, ofkeeping thee from entring into temptation, fo as tobe failed by it. 4. Confider where the temptation, wherewith thou art furprized, hath made its entrance, and by what means, andwith all fpeed make up that breach: flop thatpaffage which the waters have made toenter in at. Deal with thy foul like a mite phyfrcian ; inquire, when, how, by whatmeans thou felleft into this diftemper, and ifthou finder} negligence, carelefrefs, want of keeping watch over thy felt; to have lain at the bot- tom of it, fin thy foul there.; bewail that before the Lord ; makeup that breach, and then proceed tothe work that lies before thee. A&A, A1, &At C H A P J
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=