Light for them that sit in darkness, or, A discourse of Jesus Christ, and…

Thirdly, Now also he feeleth in him a readiness to fall in with every temptation; a readiness, I say, continually present, Rom. 7. 21. This throws all down, now despair begins to swallow it up; now it can neither pray, nor read, nor hear, nor meditate on God, but Fire and Smoke continually bursteth forth of the Heart against him; now sin and great confusion puts forth it self in all: yea, the more the Sinner desireth to do a duty sincerely, the further off it always finds it self: For by how much the Soul struggleth under these distresses, by so much the more doth Satan put forth himself to resist, still infusing more poison, that if possible it might never struggle more (for strugglings are also us poison to Satan.) The Fly in the Spider's Webb, is an emblem of the Soul in such a condition; the Fly is entangled in the Webb, at this the Spider shows himself; if the Fly stir again, down comes the Spider to her, and claps a Foot upon her, if ⟨p. 177⟩yet the Fly makes a noise, then with poisoned Mouth the Spider lays hold upon her; if the Fly struggle still, then he poisons her more and more; what shall the Fly do now? why she dies, if some-body does not quickly release her. This is the case of the Tempted, they are entangled in the Webb, (their Feet and Wings are entangled) now Satan shows himself, if the Soul now struggleth, Satan laboureth to hold it down; if it now shall make a noise, then be bites with blasphemous Mouth, (more poisonous than the Gall of a Serpent.) If it struggle again, then he poisoneth more and more: insomuch that it needs at last must die in the Net, if the Man, the Lord Jesus, helps not out.

Thirdly, Now also he feeleth in him a readiness to fall in with every temptation; a readiness, I say, continually present, Rom. 7. 21. This throws all down, now despair begins to swallow it up; now it can neither pray, nor read, nor hear, nor meditate on God, but Fire and Smoke continually bursteth forth of the Heart against him; now sin and great confusion puts forth it self in all: yea, the more the Sinner desireth to do a duty sincerely, the further off it always finds it self: For by how much the Soul struggleth under these distresses, by so much the more doth Satan put forth himself to resist, still infusing more poison, that if possible it might never struggle more (for strugglings are also us poison to Satan.) The Fly in the Spider's Webb, is an emblem of the Soul in such a condition; the Fly is entangled in the Webb, at this the Spider shews himself; if the Fly stir again, down comes the Spider to her, and claps a Foot upon her, if