The sovereign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain itThe soveraign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it

2. The carnal Appetite with its Lusts are very deceitful, a Party within holding correspondence with our Spiritual Enemies, the Armies of evil Angels, so active and assiduous in conspiring and accomplishing the Damnation of Men. The Devil in Scripture is called the Tempter by way of eminence, who manages and improves all Temptations, and his pernicious design is by the Objects of Sense ordered and made more alluring and killing by his various Arts, to engage the Affections into a ⟨p. 173⟩compliance and so to gain the Will. Now our great danger is not so much from Satan the Enemy without, as from the carnal Appetite, the Traitor within, that gives him the first and easy entrance into the Soul. He can only entice by representing what is amiable to Sense, but the corrupt Appetite inclines to the closing with it. He tempted Jesus Christ but was repelled with shame, having found nothing within him to work upon. The perfect regularity of Faculties in our Blessed Saviour was not in the least disordered neither by his fairest Insinuations, or most furious Assaults. And we might preserve our innocence inviolable notwithstanding all his Attempts, did not some corrupt Affection cherished in our Bosoms lay us naked and open to his poisoned Darts. The Apostle Peter who had a Spiritual Eye, and discerned wherein the strength of our great Enemy lies, admonishes Christians, Dearly Beloved I beseech you, as Strangers and Pilgrims, abstain from fleshly Lusts, that war against the Soul. And we are told by him, That the Corruption that is in the World, is through Lust. The outward Objects are useful and beneficial in their kind, the ⟨p. 174⟩abuse of them is from Lust. The Poison is not in the Flower, but in the Spider. 'Tis therefore infinitely dangerous to consult, or trust our carnal Faculties in this matter, for they are bribed and corrupted, and will commend temporal things to our choice.

2. The carnal Appetite with its Lusts are very deceitful, a Party within holding correspondence with our Spiritual Enemies, the Armies of evil Angels, so active and assiduous in conspiring and accomplishing the Damnation of Men. The Devil in Scripture is called the Tempter by way of eminence, who manages and improves all Temptations, and his pernicious design is by the Objects of Sense ordered and made more alluring and killing by his various Arts, to engage the Affections into a ⟨p. 173⟩