1. It may seize upon them not only when they are young, but when they are of long standing. When they are young; many a man newly Converted, having had as yet no thorough experience of the strength of Sin, the danger of Temptations, and his own Weakness, may bear a little too high upon the Confidence of his own resolutions, which because they are sincere, he thinketh they will easily obtain their effect. In this rank I put Peter, whilst as yet the Spirit was not poured out, and was only under his Masters wing, I count him but a Novice then, in comparison of what he was afterwards. He was so confident of his affection to Christ and resolution, that he had not a due sense of his danger, Matth. 26.33. But alas, how soon were his unpractised Wings clipped, and he taken in the Snare of the Fowler! Honest Peter would not believe such Weakness in himself; and so unexperienced Christians can hardly believe themselves to be so weak as a Temptation showeth them to be; the more sincere their purpose is, the more confident they are in their own Strength, even when near a fearful fall: So a man of long standing being assured of Salvation, may grow negligent, and supposing he hath Grace, and is possessed of the Love of God, presumes that he needeth not such diligence as when he was doubtful of his State; and if he go round in a course of Duty, and avoid grosser sins, he may think 'tis enough, as if he were now past all danger, and so insensibly falleth asleep or into decay: Rev. 3.18. Because thou sayest that I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white Raiment that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and Eye-salve that thou mayest see. 'Tis not spoken to the gross Carnal, or to beginners, or persons unacquainted with Christ; but to lukewarm Professors, after the first labours of Regeneration, and the difficulties of Reconciliation with God are past over, and the terrors of the Law well vanquished, and some peace and confidence gotten; then we are in danger of security, by which means all may run to wast in the Soul, and sins break out and make our blindness and nakedness appear.
1. It may seize upon them not only when they are young, but when they are of long standing. When they are young; many a man newly Converted, having had as yet no thorough experience of the strength of Sin, the danger of Temptations, and his own Weakness, may bear a little too high upon the Confidence of his own resolutions, which because they are sincere, he thinketh they will easily obtain their effect. In this rank I put Peter, whilest as yet the Spirit was not poured out, and was only under his Masters wing, I count him but a Novice then, in comparison of what he was afterwards. He was so confident of his affection to Christ and resolution, that he had not a due sense of his danger, Matth. 26.33. But alas, how soon were his unpractised Wings clipp'd, and he taken in the Snare of the Fowler! Honest Peter would not believe such Weakness in himself; and so unexperienced Christians can hardly believe themselves to be so weak as a Temptation sheweth them to be; the more sincere their purpose is, the more confident they are in their own Strength, even when near a fearfull fall: So a man of long standing being assured of Salvation, may grow negligent, and supposing he hath Grace, and is possessed of the Love of God, presumes that he needeth not such diligence as when he was doubtful of his State; and if he go round in a course of Duty, and avoid grosser sins, he may think 'tis enough, as if he were now past all danger, and so insensibly falleth asleep or into decay: Rev. 3.18. Because thou sayest that I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white Rayment that thou mayest be cloathed, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and Eye-salve that thou mayest see. 'Tis not spoken to the gross Carnal, or to beginners, or persons unacquainted with Christ; but to lukewarm Professors, after the first labours of Regeneration, and the difficulties of Reconciliation with God are past over, and the terrours of the Law well vanquished, and some peace and confidence gotten; then we are in danger of security, by which means all may run to wast in the Soul, and sins break out and make our blindness and nakedness appear.
