First, when we desire that the Lord would not let us be drawn aside, nor led into temptation, we must labour to avoid all occasions as may be too strong for us or like to prevail over us. In vain we desire to be delivered from evil, when we rush into evil and into temptations. He that should take pitch into his hand, ⟨p. 83⟩and pray not to defiled; put fire into his bosom, and pray not to be burnt; it is a slighting of Gods mercy, and a provoking of God to wrath, rather then a begging of mercy. We would count it a madness for a man to cast himself into the Sea, and desire to be saved; to make our selves sick that God may make us whole again. It is nothing else, but as we may say, to make God work; so to run into evil, and to pray to the Lord to deliver us from evil; it is provoking and mocking of the Lord: the wise mans rule is here memorable, Prov. 23.23. If a man be given to his appetite, let him put his knife to his throat. If thou lovest the wine, look not upon it; a man that is given to his appetite, it is in vain to pray against it, and yet nourish it: but thou must put thy knife to thy throat, abstain from that which may provoke it; for if we please our appetite, it will be a temptation to us. Psal. 30. The promises and the providence of the Lord go together. He will succour us and relieve us, but it must be in the way of providence; we must be in the way: He that goes out of the way, and craves Gods assistance, shall never have it, but hales on evil on himself, Matthew 10.18. our Saviour speaking of offences, saith, If thy hand cause thee to offend, cut it off: and if thine eye cause thee to offend, pluck it out: That is, were thy sins as near to thee as thy right hand in regard of profit, or thy right eye, in regard of pleasure, cut them off, pluck them out, fling ⟨p. 84⟩them away, rather then be foiled by them. In vain we crave the assistance of the Lord, and in the mean time lay blocks before us; it is presumption, therefore no marvel if many times the Lord leaves a man in the lurch, because he doth not that he prays for. It is enough to cause the Lord to curse us, when we do not avoid occasions of evil: he that will not fall into the pit, let him not come near the brink of it; he that will not be snared by evil, let him not come near the occasions of evil.
First, when wee desire that the Lord would not let us bee drawne aside, nor led into temptation, wee must labour to avoid all occasions as may bee too strong for us or like to prevaile over us. In vaine wee desire to bee delivered from evill, when wee rush into evill and into temptations. Hee that should take pitch into his hand, ⟨p. 83⟩and pray not to defiled; put fire into his bosome, and pray not to be burnt; it is a sleighting of Gods mercy, and a provoking of God to wrath, rather then a begging of mercy. We would count it a madnesse for a man to cast himselfe into the Sea, and desire to be saved; to make our selves sick that God may make us whole againe. It is nothing else, but as we may say, to make God worke; so to runne into evill, and to pray to the Lord to deliver us from evill; it is provoking and mocking of the Lord: the wise mans rule is here memorable, Prov. 23.23. If a man be given to his appetite, let him put his knife to his throat. If thou lovest the wine, looke not upon it; a man that is given to his apetite, it is in vaine to pray against it, and yet nourish it: but thou must put thy knife to thy throat, abstaine from that which may provoke it; for if we please our appetite, it will be a temptation to us. Psal. 30. The promises and the providence of the Lord go together. He will succour us and relieve us, but it must be in the way of providence; we must be in the way: He that goes out of the way, and craves Gods assistance, shall never have it, but hales on evill on himselfe, Matthew 10.18. our Saviour speaking of offences, saith, If thy hand cause thee to offend, cut it off: and if thine eye cause thee to offend, pluck it out: That is, were thy sinnes as neere to thee as thy right hand in regard of profit, or thy right eye, in regard of pleasure, cut them off, pluck them out, fling ⟨p. 84⟩them away, rather then be foiled by them. In vaine wee crave the assistance of the Lord, and in the meane time lay blocks before us; it is presumption, therefore no marvell if many times the Lord leaves a man in the lurch, because he doth not that he praies for. It is enough to cause the Lord to curse us, when we do not avoid occasions of evill: he that will not fall into the pit, let him not come neer the brinke of it; he that will not be snared by evill, let him not come neer the occasions of evill.
