336 POWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLESn AND SPIRIT. Let this be a word of consolation and sacred encourage- ment to those poor melancholy christians who are sorely buffetted by Satan, andhis hellish suggestions, or are vexed with the wild and unruly insults of fancy, under some distemper of the flesh. Let them enquire whether these evil thoughts be not their con- stant burthen ; whether it is not their daily and hourly toil of spirit; to suppress and cast them out ; whetherthey do not make this the matter of their holy complaint and mourning before God nightand day ; whether they are not wrestling hard with these adversaries of their peace, and pleading hard, at the mercy-seat, for grace to resist and subdue them : Then let them take the same encouragement that St. Paul does, who is an excellent ex- ample both of such sufferings, and of such hope and consolation. 2 Cor. xii. 7-10. Ilehad a thorn in theflesh, he had an angelof satansent to buffet him, he besought the Lord thrice, that is, often and earnestly, fordeliverance : And though God did not answer him immediately, by a full release from the temptation, yet he afforded him such a sufficiency of grace, that he could glory in hope of final victory. Nor did he call the buffetings of Satan nor the thorn in theflesh, his own sins ; but his infirmities, which he durst evenglory in, from his great assurance of the grace of Christ to assist him in the combat, verse 9. I have written this to prevent the humble holy soul, that lies under these exercises, from charging itself with more guilt than the law or justice of God charges it with : Let such a one also take comfort from those words of the apostle, as there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after theflesh, in the coarse oftheir lives ; Rom, viii. 1. so there isno guilt in such instances of sinful imagination, where there is no indulgence. Yet here it is necessary to take notice, that some persons have heretofore given so criminal indulgence to their sensual lusts, or have been so freely engaged in profane or immoral con- versation in their younger years, that they have tainted their fancy with many fouland impious representations, inscribed it with vicious words and images, and lodged a fatal treasure of iniquity there. They have often recalled these scenes with so much 'delight, that when divine gracehas been pleased to awaken them to a sense of their folly, and give a pious turn to their souls, they have been many years perplexed with the vile workings ofimagi- nation : These Scenes ofiniquity have returned unbidden, and risen upincessantly, in spite of all their sacred labour to abolish them : These have filled theirspirits with sorrow and perpetual anguish ; and there is just reason they should deeply humble themselves before Godon this account. For though it is possible such wicked thoughts may be suggested to holy souls, who have kept themselves in their youth from this sort ofdefilement ; yet.
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