An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…

We are no match for either, unless Christ be our Second. Satan hath desired thee (saith Christ to P•ter) to winnow thee as Wheat (hoping to find, or make thee Chaff) But I have prayed that thy Faith fail not: Peter fell into temptation, yea he fell in the temptation, yet because Christ undertook for him, the temptation could not prevail against him. And as there is no conquest over Satan's temptation, but by the strength of Christ; so none over affliction (which is Gods temptation) but by the strength of Christ (1 Cor. 10.13.) There hath no temptation (that is, no affliction) taken you, but what is common to man (yet no man can stand under that alone, which may befall any man, therefore it follows) But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, &c. Man alone is not sufficient, so much as to think one good thought, how then shall he think good thoughts enow alone, either to scatter a temptation, or to bear an affliction? To carry the soul out in such a conflict requires more then one good thought, yea more then many good thoughts, it requires good actings; yea and sufferings too; how shall he do this without the strength of Christ? No wonder then if the lesser of these, yea the least of the lesser, the least affliction prevail against a wicked man; and if while he runs with Foot-men, they weary him, how shall he contend with Horses, with trouble and anguish, shall not these prevail against him, as a King ready to battle? Which is the illustration of the wicked mans downfall: Trouble and anguish prevail against him: But how? Not a little, not with strength only enough to turn the scale of the conflict, but mightily, even with much strength to spare.

We are no match for either, unlesse Christ be our Second. Satan hath desired thee (saith Christ to P•ter) to winnow thee as Wheate (hoping to finde, or make thee Chaffe) But I have prayed that thy Faith faile not: Peter fell into temptation, yea he fell in the temptation, yet because Christ undertook for him, the temptation could not prevaile against him. And as there is no conquest over Satans temptation, but by the strength of Christ; so none over affliction (which is Gods temptation) but by the strength of Christ (1 Cor. 10.13.) There hath no temptation (that is, no affliction) taken you, but what is common to man (yet no man can stand under that alone, which may befall any man, therefore it followes) But God is faithfull, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, &c. Man alone is not sufficient, so much as to thinke one good thought, how then shall he thinke good thoughts enow alone, either to scatter a temptation, or to beare an affliction? To carry the soule out in such a conflict requires more then one good thought, yea more then many good thoughts, it requires good actings; yea and sufferings too; how shall he doe this without the strength of Christ? No wonder then if the lesser of these, yea the least of the lesser, the least affliction prevaile against a wicked man; and if while he runs with Foot-men, they weary him, how shall he contend with Horses, with trouble and anguish, shall not these prevaile against him, as a King ready to battell? Which is the illustration of the wicked mans downefall: Trouble and anguish prevaile against him: But how? Not a little, not with strength onely enough to turne the scale of the conflict, but mightily, even with much strength to spare.