Of Temptation

Having thus passed through the Consideration of the duty of watching, that we enter not into temptation, I suppose I need not add motives to the observance of it. Those who are not moved by their own sad experiences, nor the importance of the duty, as laid down in the entrance of this discourse, must be left by me to the farther patience of God. I shall only shut up the whole with a general Exhortation to them, who are in any ⟨p. 178⟩measure prepared for it, by the Consideration of what hath been spoken. Should you go into an hospital, and see many persons lying sick and weak, sore and wounded, with many filthy diseases and distempers, and should enquire of them, how they fell into this condition, and they should all agree to tell you, such, or such a thing was the occasion of it; by that I got my wound says one, and my disease says another; would it not make you a little careful how, or what you had to do with that thing or place? surely it would. Should you go to a dungeon, and see many miserable creatures bound in chains for an approaching day of execution, and inquire the way and means whereby they were brought into that condition, and they should all fix on one and the same thing, would you not take care to avoid it? The case is so with entering into temptation: ah! how many poor, miserably, spiritually, wounded souls have we every where? one wounded by one sin, another by ⟨p. 179⟩another; one falling into filthiness of the flesh, another of the spirit: ask them now how they came into this state and condition; they must all answer, alas! we entered into temptation, we fell into cursed snares and entanglements, and that hath brought us into the woeful condition you see. Nay if a man could look into the dungeons of hell, and see the poor damned souls that lie bound in chains of darkness, and hear their cries: what would he be taught? what do they say? are they not cursing their Tempters, and the Temptations that they entered in? and shall we be negligent in this thing? Solomon tells us, that the simple one that follows the strange woman, knows not that the dead are there, that her house inclineth to death, and her paths to the dead: (which he repeats 3 times) and that is the reason, that he ventures on her snares. If you knew what hath been done by entering into temptation, perhaps you would be more watchful and careful.

HAving thus passed through the Consideration of the duty of watching, that we enter not into temptation, I suppose I need not adde motives to the observance of it. Those who are not moved by their own sad experiences, nor the importance of the duty, as laid down in the entrance of this discourse, must be left by me to the farther patience of God. I shall only shut up the whole with a generall Exhortation to them, who are in any