I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

¹Sometimes the Discouragements of the Saints, are drawn, From their Temptations.

¹SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints, are drawn, From their Temptations.

1. 1Instance 5.

And thus they Argue with themselves: I am a poor Creature, that hath laboured under many Temptations, never any so tempted as I have been: These two, three, four, five, six, or many years, that I have lien under these Temptations, and no relief comes, no help comes; have I not reason then to be discouraged, and cast down?

And thus they Argue with themselves: I am a poor Creature, that hath labored under many Temptations, never any so tempted as I have been: These two, three, four, five, six, or many yeers, that I have lyen under these Temptations, and no relief comes, no help comes; have I not reason then to be discouraged, and cast down?

Answ. No; No reason yet: I grant, That the least Temptations are great Afflictions; for the more a man is unfitted by Affliction for Gods Service, either in doing good, or receiving good, the worser, ⟨p. 133⟩and more heavy is that Affliction to a gracious Spirit. Now, though God doth so over-rule the Temptations of his People, that they receive good thereby, (as appeareth afterward) yet the Temptation in it self, doth indispose a man unto what is good. The more a man is tempted unto what is evil, the more a man is hindered from what is good: It is an Affliction to a gracious heart, to be conflicting, fighting, and combating with a man; but in Temptations, we do combat and conflict immediately with Satan, who is the Prince of the Air; with Principalities, and Powers; with that evil One, who for his devouring Nature, is called, a Lyon; for his Cruelty, is called, a Dragon; and for his subtlety, an old Serpent: and in every Temptation, a poor soul goes into the field with Satan, and fights a Duel with him. Satan hath (saith Christ to Peter) desired you; in which Duel, and Combat, a man doth not miscarry for this present Life barely; but if he miscarry, he miscarries to all Eternity, he dies, is killed, and slain to all Eternity: O! what a mighty hazard doth a poor soul un in every Temptation! The Chaste, and good Woman, counts it an Affliction to her, so long as she lives, if she be but once violenced; if a filthy person meet her in the field, and violence her, though she do not consent unto him; she wrings her hands, and saith, I am undone for ever. Now, these Temptations, are the Solicitations of an unclean Spirit, and what though a man do not consent unto them, yet thereby his soul suffers violence; O! saith a gracious soul, what though I do not consent, yet what an infinite misery is it to be thus abused, defiled, and violenced by these Temptations! The more any affliction doth seize on soul and body, the greater it is: it is Comfort in a Family, that the Wife is well, when the Husband is sick; or that the Husband is well, when the Wife is down: where both are down at once, it is a sad Family indeed. So, though the Soul be afflicted, yet if the Body be well, although the Body be afflicted, yet if the Spirit be well, it is some comfort; but where both are down, the Condition is sad: