The great corruption of subtle self, discovered, and driven from it's lurking-places and starting-holes…The great corruption of subtile self, discovered, and driven from it's lurking-places and starting-holes…

The 2d. Us•, Serves, in a word, to exhort all, whatever their Condition, and Degree, or proficiency in Christianity be, to study this Lesson well, it is profitable to all, not only beginners, but those, who are further advanced, all stand greatly in need of it.

The 2d. Us•, Serves, in a word, to exhort all, whatever their Condition, and Degree, or proficien•y in Christianity be, to study this Lesson well, it is profitable to all, not only beginners, but those, who are further advanced, all stand greatly in need of it.

As […] the 3d. to wit; The time and occasion, at, and on which he taught this great Lesson; It was Then, which we may look upon several ways. 1. As it is knit with the tentation, that he saw Peter led away with; for he knew the natural propensity of them all unto it. Whence, Observe, That oftentimes we may read and discern our own corruptions in the discoveries of the corruptions of others; Yea, it is profitable for us so to do. Christ holds not here at the rebuking of Peter; but knowing that all had need of the same Lesson, he accordingly teacheth them all; This were a far more profitable way of looking upon the falls and failings of others, to take Warning, and receive Instruction to our selves from them, than to be rigidly censuring them, or to be vainly overvaluing our selves, or superciliously undervaluing others, because of them; They were broken off because of unbelief, (saith the Apostle, concerning the unbelieving Jews ⟨p. 8⟩to the believing Gentiles) and thou standest by faith, be not high minded, but fear; and, saith he, 1 Cor. 10.12. Let him that thinketh that he standeth take heed least he fall. Or 2dly. We may look on it thus, That when Christ sees a Tentation take hold on Peter, he takes occasion therefrom, to break the force of it, and to bea• and bear it down, least it take hold of, and infect the rest, by it's Contagion. Whence, Observe, That whoever would resist any tentation, and more especially tentations to Self-seeking, would do it in the entry, and at the very first; When any Idol of Self sets up it's head, we would instantly knock it down; and indeed if we look to our way, it will be found, that this one special mean, by which tentations become s strong, so prevalent, and almost unconquerable, that we do not take them at the beginning, and endeavour not to crush them at their very first appearing; when one Devil comes in, and is not quickly cast out, he readily brings in seven worse: Therefore, as ye would not be mastered with, and trodden under foot, by your corruption, and by the Law that is in your members, give not way to it in the least, but set your self in the strength of the Lord, to oppose and hear it down, in the first risings of it; That Precept Principijs obsta, is most necessary to be practised here, even above, or beyond what it is in any other case in the world. Or, 3dly.