The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College in CambridgeThe works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge

Saith Christ, Satan hath desired to have you, and hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; and I tell you, there is so much danger in it, that nothing but my prayer can secure you, But I have prayed for you. So that you see, there is something of a Suffering in a Temptation. You know it was a Law in the old Testament, that if a woman were abroad in the fields, and there met her some that offered violence to her; if she cried out, and did not consent, she was not guilty: but now, though she were not guilty, but innocent, if she were abused, it would be a continual affliction, to a modest good woman. So it is here, Satan comes to meet us, and though we do not consent to him, yet a gracious heart cannot but look upon it as an affliction, to be thus followed, ⟨p. 103⟩and haunted with a Temptation. And the holy Ghost alluded to this practise, when he saith here in the text, Jesus Christ is able to succour: The word Succour, ¹signifies such a Succouring as brings in help unto those that cry out; to come in, and run in with help upon ones crying out. In the 12. of the Revelation, it is said, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth; for the Devil is come down with great wrath, for he knows that his time is short. There is a Woe in it, where the Devil comes down with great wrath. Now he looks upon all the Saints, as having their time but short, and he comes down upon them in great wrath with his temptations: and there is a Woe in it, although the temptation takes not: And for ought I know, upon this account, the new-Testament may so promiscuously use the word Temptation, both for Affliction, and Satan's Suggestions, even because seldom any Affliction comes, but it does bring Temptation with it: never any Temptation but brings Affliction: always something of a Suffering in every Temptation, even at that very time when it does least prevail. This is the First thing.

Saith Christ, Satan hath desired to have you, and hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; and I tell you, there is so much danger in it, that nothing but my prayer can secure you, But I have prayed for you. So that you see, there is something of a Suffering in a Temptation. You know it was a Law in the old Testament, that if a woman were abroade in the fields, and there met her some that offered violence to her; if she cryed out, and did not consent, she was not guilty: but now, though she were not guilty, but inocent, if she were abused, it would be a continual affliction, to a modest good woman. So it is here, Satan comes to meet us, and though we do not consent to him, yet a gracious heart cannot but look upon it as an affliction, to be thus followed,