A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

4. The Temptations of the Flesh and the World go in conjunction, and do mutually help one another. And therefore it is said, 1 Joh. 2. 16. For all that is in the World, the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, &c. Mark, (whatever is in the World) he doth not mention the Object, but the Lusts, because these are complicated and folded up together in the Temptation. The Bait is the World; but the Appetite and Desire we have from the Flesh. And this is intimated in that Passage, Jam. 1. 14. Every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust, and enticed. There's two ⟨p. 430⟩Words there, (drawn away, and enticed): the drawing away, notes the vehemency of desire, or Inclination of our own Hearts; and the enticement that's from the Object. Both ways doth Corruption work, by Force and Flattery. The great Bait is Pleasure, the contentment that we take in outward Enjoyments. And we are carried out to it by the vehement propension of corrupt Nature.

5. This vehement propension of Corrupt Nature to outward things is set at work by a hope of gaining them, or a fear to lose them; and so we are assaulted on every hand, by right-hand, and left-hand Temptations. By right-hand Temptations from the Flatteries, and Comforts of the World; which are the more dangerous, because of their easy Insinuation into, and strong Operation upon our Hearts, and so our Comforts prove a Snare to us, and an occasion to the Flesh, as the Apostle saith, Gal. 5. 13. And then there are left-hand Temptations, which arise from shame or fear of worldly Evils, as the other did arise from a desire or hope of good. So the Apostle, Gal. 6. 12. As many as desire to make a fair show in the Flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ. That was their temporizing then to comply with the Jews, who had some National Privileges under the Roman Government, and had better security to their worldly Interests, than possibly through Christians could have. Now to avoid both these, the Apostle when he presseth Christians to all those Graces which are necessary, he presseth them to Temperance and Patience,