The Saints' Everlasting Rest

Thirdly, Furthermore, A Heavenly mind is exceedingly fortified against temptations, because the affections are so throughly prepossessed with the high delights of another world. Whether Satan do not usually by the sensitive Appetite prevail with the Will, without any further prevailing with the Reason, then merely to suspend it, I will not now dispute: But doubtless when the soul is not affected with good, though the Understanding do never so clearly apprehend the Truth, it is easy for Satan to entice that soul. Mere speculations, (be they never so true) which sink not into the affections, are poor preservatives against temptations. He that loves most, and not he that only knows most, will easilyest resist the motions of sin. There is in a Christian a kind of spiritual taste, whereby he knows these things, besides his mere discursive reasoning power: The Will doth as sweetly relish goodness, as the Understanding doth Truth; and here lies much of a Christians strength: If you should dispute with a simple man, and labour to persuade him that Sugar is not sweet, o• that Wormwood is not bitter; perhaps you might by Sophistry over-argue his mere Reason, but yet could you not persuade him against his sense; whereas a man that hath lost his taste, is easilyer deceived for all his reason; So is it here; when thou hast had a fresh delightful taste ⟨p. 616⟩of heaven, thou wilt not be so easily persuaded from it; you cannot persuade a very child to part with his Apple, while the taste of its sweetness is yet in his mouth. O that you would be persuaded to try this course, to be much in feeding on the hidden Manna, and to be frequently tasting the delights of heaven. Its true, it is a great way off from our Sense, but Faith can reach as far as that. How would this raise the resolutions? and make thee laugh at the fooleries of the world? and scorn to be cheated with such childish toys? Reader, I pray thee tell me in good sadness, dost thou think, if the devil had set upon Peter in the Mount, when he saw Christ in his Transfiguration, and Moses and Elijah talking with him, would he so easily have been drawn to deny his Lord? what, with all that glory in his eye? No, the devil took a greater advantage, when he had him in the High Priests Hall, in the midst of danger and evil company, when he had forgotten the sight on the Mount, and then he prevails:

Thirdly, Furthermore, A Heavenly minde is exceedingly fortified against temptations, because the affections are so throughly prepossessed with the high delights of another world. Whether Satan do not usually by the sensitive Appetite prevail with the Will, without any further prevailing with the Reason, then meerly to suspend it, I will not now dispute: But doubtless when the soul is not affected with good, though the Understanding do never so clearly apprehend the Truth, it is easie for Satan to entice that soul. Meer speculations, (be they never so true) which sink not into the affections, are poor preservatives against temptations. He that loves most, and not he that onely knows most, will easilyest resist the motions of sin. There is in a Christian a kinde of spiritual taste, whereby he knows these things, besides his meer discuisive reasoning power: The Will doth as sweetly relish goodness, as the Understanding doth Truth; and here lyes much of a Christians strength: If you should dispute with a simple man, and labor to perswade him that Suger is not sweet, o that Wormwood is not bitter; perhaps you might by Sophistry over-argue his meer Reason, but yet could you not perswade him against his sense; whereas a man that hath lost his taste, is easilyer deceived for all his reason; So is it here; when thou hast had a fresh delightful taste