Of TEMPTATION, vac. 33 advantages whatever, can feize upon it, fo as totally to prevail agaiuff it. So David prays, Pfal. xxv. 25. Let integritypreferve me. This integrity and uprightoef, is the OldTefament keeping the word ofChrift, uüiverfal dole walking with God. Now hoar can they preferve aman ? Whyby keeping his heart in filch a frame, fo defended on every fide, that no evil can approach, or take hold on him ? Fail a manin his in- tegrity, he hash an open place for temptation toenter, If. lvii. zt. to keep the word of Chrift, is to do it univerfally, as bath been (hewed ; this exercifes gracé in all the faculties-ofthe foul ; and compaffes -it with the whole armour of God : theunderfland- lig is full of light, the affections of love and holinefs; let the wind blow from what quarter it will, the foul is fenced and fortified ; let the enemy afThult when, or by what means he pleafeth, all things in the foul of filch a one are upon the guard: bow n I do this thing end fin ageinff Gad, is at hand, efpecially, upon a two-fold account, doth deliverance and fecurity aril from this hand. [t.] By the mortification of the heart unto the matteroftemptations. The pre- - valencyof any temptation arifes from hence, that the heart is ready to clofe with the matter of it. Thereare lulls within, fuited to the propofids of theworld, or Satan without. Hence dames refolves all temptations into our own lulls, chap. i. 54. becaufe either they proceed from, or are made effectual by them, as bath been declared. Why doth terror, or threats turn as slide from adue confancy in the perfbrmance of our duty ? Is it not becaufe there is uomortified, carnal fear abiding in us, that tumul- tuates in fach a feafon ? Why is it that the allurements of the world and compliances withmen entangle us ? Is it not becaufeour affections areentangled with the things and confederations propofed mato us ? Now keeping the word of ChrifFepatience, in the manner declared, keeps the heart mortified to theme things, and fo it renot en- tangled by them. Saith the apoftle, Col. ii. 20. I am crucified roith Chrif?, he that keepsclofe toChrif, is crucified withhim ; and is dead to all thedef,res ofthe flefh and theworld : as more fully, chap. vi. 54. here the match is broken, andall love, entangling love diffolved. The heart is crucified to the world, and all things in it. Now the matterof all temptations almofl is taken out ofthe world : the men of it, or the things ofit makethem up. As to thefe things, fays the apóf{le, I am crucified to them (and it is fo with every one, that keeps the wordof Chrift) my:heart is mortified unto them ; I have no delire after them ; nor affection to them, nor delight in them ; and they are crucified unto me. The crowns, glories, thrones, pleafures, profits, of theworld, I fee nothing defirable in them; the lulls, fenfualpleafures, love,. refpelts, honours of men, name and reputationamong them, they are all as a thingof nought ; I have no value, nor. kfimatioo of them. This foul is fafeguarded from àffaults of manifold temptations. When Aches 1kw the goodly Babylonifh garment, and two hun- dredShekels of filver, and awedge ofgold ; fir£ he coveted them, then he took them. Temptation fubtillySpreads the Babylonifh garment Of favour,praife, peace, the filver ofpleafure, or profit, with the golden contentments of the felt, before the eyesof of men; ifnow there be that in them alive, unmortified,-that will prefently fall a coveting, let what fear of punifhment will enfue, the heart or hand will beput forth unto iniquity. Herein then lyes the fecurity offuclLa frame, as that defcribed; it is always accom- panied with amortified heart ; crucified unto the things that are thematter of our temptations; without whichit is utterly impoffible, that weShould be preferved one moment whenany temptation dothbefall us. If liking, and love of the things propo- fed, infinuated, commendedin the temptation, be living and alive in us, we £hall not be ableto refilland fand. [2.] In this frame the heart is filledwith better things, and their. excellency ; fo far as to be fortified again£ the matter of anytemptation. Seewhat refolution this puts Paul upon, Phil. ìii. 8. all in lofs and dung to him. Who would go outofhis way, to have hisarms full of lofs anddung ? And whence is it, that he bath this efimationof the moil deferable things in theworld ? It is from that dear efimation he had of the excellency of Chrift ;. fo ver. to.: when thefoul is exercifed tocommunion with Chrift, and towalkingwith him ; he drinks new wine, and cannot delre the,old thingsof the world, for he lays the new is better. He tails everyday hose .gracious the is, and therefore longs not after thefweetnefs of forbidden things, which indeed have none. He that makes it his bufinefs to eat daily ofthe tree of life, will have no appetite unto other fruit, though the tree that hare them feem to fond in the mid£ ofparadife. This the fpoufe makes the means ofher prefervation ; even the excellency whichby K daily
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