Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The sum and substance of…Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The summe and substance of…

Another instance there is of David, an eminent believer, and hath this commendation, that he was a man after Gods own heart, ⟨p. 96⟩and yet how furiously was he tempted by the devil? one while Satan moved him to number the people, another time to defile another mans wife, another time to counterfeit himself mad before Achish King of Gath, another time to judge all his holy duties to be in vain, and at another time to question the faithfulness of God in his promise to make him King. He said in his haste that all men were liars, even Samuel the Prophet also.¹ Thus Peter an eminent Apostle of Christ, after he had made such a glorious confession of his faith, and had discovered more grace then in all his life time before, you find him suddenly after by an instigation from the devil, begin to rebuke Christ, and counselling him to spare himself. And thus Paul that had such high and heavenly raptures, such divine ecstasies, yet had he the messenger of Satan to buffet him. But above all instances, you have Jesus Christ, who though he had perfect grace, and was full of grace and truth; yet this could not exempt him from the temptations of the devil. He was full of the holy Ghost, yet was he forty days tempted of the devil, & that with strong temptations; if you consider their continuance, their urgency one after another, and suitability to that his present condition. So that it is plainly manifest, that strong temptations may be consistent with strength of grace by these instances given.

Another instance there is of David, an eminent believer, and hath this commendation, that he was a man after Gods own heart, ⟨p. 96⟩and yet how furiously was he tempted by the devil? one while Satan moved him to number the people, another time to defile another mans wife, another time to counterfeit himselfe mad before Achish King of Gath, another time to judge all his holy duties to be in vain, and at another time to question the faithfulnesse of God in his promise to make him King. He said in his haste that all men were lyers, even Samuel the Prophet also.¹ Thus Peter an eminent Apostle of Christ, after he had made such a glorious confession of his faith, and had discovered more grace then in all his life time before, you finde him suddenly after by an instigation from the devil, begin to rebuke Christ, and counselling him to spare himselfe. And thus Paul that had such high and heavenly raptures, such divine extasies, yet had he the messenger of Satan to buffet him. But above all instances, you have Jesus Christ, who though he had perfect grace, and was full of grace and truth; yet this could not exempt him from the temptations of the divel. He was full of the holy Ghost, yet was he forty daies tempted of the divel, & that with strong temptations; if you consider their continuance, their urgency one after another, and suitability to that his present condition. So that it is plainly manifest, that strong temptations may be consistent with strength of grace by these instances given.