If this be so:1 Then why do you that are the Servants of God question Gods love to you, and call your own condition into question because of your temptations, or because of the hard things that you meet withal from the hand of your temptation? Oh! says one, if God loved me, I should never be thus tempted, I should never suffer such hard things by temptation as now I do: was there ever any of Gods Children tempted thus? Surely this cannot stand with grace. But was not Jesus Christ tempted? Yes. But I am tempted many times to doubt of my Child-ship, whether I be the Child of God, Son of God I or no. And was not Christ thus? There were Two special times of Christs temptation: Once when he entered upon the Ministry: Once when he went out of the world; and you shall see, how at both these times, he was followed with this temptation: In the 4. of Matthew, there you read of the first, and in the combat, twice, If thou be the Son of God? says the Devil: putting an If upon his Sonship: and again, If thou be the Son of God: putting another If upon his Son-ship. So when he was upon the Cross; the Devils Instruments speak his own Language, they had not forgotten it: If he be the Son of God, let him come down? putting an If upon his Son-ship again. The Devil follows this close. Oh! but I am tempted many times to use indirect means to get out of trouble, out of mine affliction. And was not Christ so? when he was an hungry, says the Devil to him, Command that these stones be made bread. Oh! but I am tempted, I am loth to say what it is, sometimes even to lay violent hands upon my self. And what said the Devil to Christ? Throw thy self down off the pinnacle of the Temple. Oh! but I am tempted to horrid and blasphemous things that I am afraid to name, and my heart trembles ⟨p. 110⟩to think of. And was not Christ thus tempted? says Satan to him, All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. What? worship the Devil! Oh! horrid blasphemy! Blush, O Heavens, and be astonished: All this will I give thee, If thou wilt fall down and worship me. Oh! but I am tempted to despair: sometimes; I confess I am able to read Gods love, and to say, that God is with me, and I think I can say, I know that God is with me: but at another time, Oh! how unlike am I unto my self, and I say, Mercy is gone, and Christ is gone, and hath left me as an orphan.
If this be so:1 Then why do you that are the Servants of God question Gods love to you, and call your own condition into question because of your temptations, or because of the hard things that you meet withall from the hand of your temptation? Oh! saies one, if God loved me, I should never be thus tempted, I should never suffer such hard things by temptation as now I do: was there ever any of Gods Children tempted thus? Surely this cannot stand with grace. But was not Jesus Christ tempted? Yes. But I am tempted many times to doubt of my Child-ship, whether I be the Child of God, Son of God I or no. And was not Christ thus? There were Two special times of Christs temptation: Once when he entered upon the Ministry: Once when he went out of the world; and you shall see, how at both these times, he was followed with this temptation: In the 4. of Matthew, there you reade of the first, and in the combate, twice, If thou be the Son of God? saies the Devil: putting an If upon his Sonship: and again, If thou be the Son of God: putting another If upon his Son-ship. So when he was upon the Cross; the Devils Instruments speak his own Language, they had not forgotten it: If he be the Son of God, let him come down? putting an If upon his Son-ship again. The Devil follows this close. Oh! but I am tempted many times to use indirect means to get out of trouble, out of mine affliction. And was not Christ so? when he was an hungry, saies the Devil to him, Command that these stones be made bread. Oh! but I am tempted, I am loth to say what it is, sometimes even to lay violent hands upon my self. And what said the Devil to Christ? Throw thy self down off the pinacle of the Temple. Oh! but I am tempted to horrid and blasphemous things that I am afraid to name, and my heart trembles ⟨p. 110⟩to think of. And was not Christ thus tempted? saies Satan to him, All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. What? worship the Devil! Oh! horrid blasphemy! Blush, O Heavens, and be astonished: All this will I give thee, If thou wilt fall down and worship me. Oh! but I am tempted to depair: sometimes; I confesse I am able to reade Gods love, and to say, that God is with me, and I think I can say, I know that God is with me: but at another time, Oh! how unlike am I unto my self, and I say, Mercy is gone, and Christ is gone, and hath left me as an orphan.
- 1Applyca.
