their Corruption By the things of the flesh are meant either such outward Enjoyments as are gratifying to our Corrupt Lusts or such sinful methods as Corrupt Men ordinarly chuse to attain these Enjoyments by or both By â—ding the things of the flesh is meant Corrupt Men their high esteem of strong desires after and solicitous care about these Enjoyments of the World that gratify unrenewed Lust That Unrenewed Men thus mind the things of the flesh appears Because to enjoy the Objects of their Lusts they will not stand to commit the greatest of crimes Jeroboam would not stand to commit Idolatry to gratify his Ambition Judas would not stick to betray his Master to gratify his Covetousness 2ly Unrenewed Men will expose themselves to much to ill of Spirit and Labour of Body to obtain these Enjoyments 3ly They expose themselves to many Bodily dangers to enjoy them 4ly They have great fears of loseng them they have a great confidence and rejoiceing in the enjoyment of them Luke 12. The Rich Man bad his Soul take rest and be Merry 5ly Unrenewed Folks have an exceeding greif when they want these Enjoyments The Causes why Unrenewed Fold mind the things of the Flesh are first Ignorance of and Infidelity about an other Life A second cause is a wrong Set of heart whereby they love to have their satisfaction placed in outward things more than in God A Third is the Devil hurries Corrupt Men to follow sinful courses who by that can get no leisure to reflect on the Vanity of these Enjoyments The Evils of their thus minding the things of the flesh Are 1st This practice ordinarly hardens People and gathers strength to Corruption and makes customary sin hard to be overcome Jer. 13.23 2ly This course is very scandalous and offensive to others 3ly It exposes Men to great smarting of Conscience for it 4ly It exposes them to many snares and destuction 1 Tim. 6.9 10. 5ly It exposes them to great Torment through disapointment of their expectations The Use of this serves First for Tryal Those that mind the things of the flesh are in a state of Nature 2ly It bids us pity those those that are in an unrenewed state For they have a pityful Employment minding always the things of the Flesh 3ly It exhorts such as are unrenewed to seek the Renovation of their Nature by Prayer to God for it and the use of the means of Grace see Peter's Exhortation to to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 and Ezek. 36.37 The last part of the verse is contained in these words Those that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit Now First By those that are after the Spirit are meaned Such who have an renewed Nature whose Conversation flows from Faith and Love who are led by the Spirits motions whose Conversations are regulated by the Law in its spiritual meaning whose Conversation hath an tendency to promote spiritual Ends viz. The Glory of God and the pleasing of him their own Salvation the preserving Peace of Conscience the attaining of Communion with God in the World and the Edification of theâ— Neighbour By the things of the Spirit are meant these Duties the New Man exerciseth himself in with Delight and these Comforts that please the new Nature and its Felicity By the minding of the things of the Spirit is meant thâ— Christians esteem of and concernment about thâ— enjoyment of spiritual Good We may observe here the Renewed Man mind the things of the Spirit that is he minds the Dutiâ— that are pleasant and profitable to the New Naturâ— As 1st The duties of the Moral Law Paul tells 〈◊〉 in the 7 Rom. That he delights in the Law of Goâ— after the inward Man 2ly He minds the Exerciâ— of Faith he sits down under Christ's shadow witâ— great delight Câ—râ— 2.3 3ly He is much taken 〈◊〉 about the guiding of his Conscience 1st That 〈◊〉 Conscience may witness for his Integrity 2 Cor. â— 12. 2ly That his Conscience may testify his Tendeâ—ness 1 Cor. 4.2 3ly That it may testify his 〈◊〉 offensive walking Acts 24.16 4ly That his Coâ—science may testify for him that he hath an Intenâ— in Christ's Blood Heb. 10.22 4ly The reneâ—ed man minds Duty if you consider that he is careful to mix the Exercise of Grace with the Exercise of Gifts 1 Tim. 1 14. 5ly He is careful to Exercise the various Graces of the Spirit as providence calls him to it 2 Pet. 1.5 Next as to the Comforts of the New Nature he is an Man that hath a panting desire after fellowship with God Psal 63.8 and that either in Ordinances Psal 27.4 or in Providences Psal 34.7.8 In the last place the renewed man is taken up about his Felicity As 1st To make his Title sure to it Phi. 3.9.10 2ly That he may hastily enjoy it Phil. 3.14 3ly That he may keep entire friendship with God who is the giver of it 2 Cor. 5.8 4ly That he may taste something of it before he enjoy it fully Philip. 3. penulâ— And 5ly He commits the keeping of it to God till he come to the Actual Enjoyment of it 2 Tim. 1.12 From this we make an Use of Tryal of our renewed state And 2ly We would be exhorted if we would be in capacity to mind the things of the Spirit to study more Heart-renovation by labouring to entertain the impressions of the word without prejudice Rom. 6.17 Verse 6 For to be carnally minded is Death But to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace HEre the Apostle proves That those that walk after the flesh are lyable to Condemnation Because to be Carnally minded tends to Death and the truth is that these Objects which gratify Lust or rather those sinful courses that corrupt Nature takes for to attain the Enjoyment of these gratifying objects certainly tends to Death many times the wickedness of men brings them to an untimeous Natural Death and always Mens acting of Wickedness encreaseth Spiritual Death which stands in the Alâ—e nation of the Heart of Man from conversing with God whether to converse with him by Prayer in the use of publick Ordinances or in conscientious Reflections upon and improvement of the course of Divine Prvoidence Now since Sin encreases our Alienation from God it cannot but encrease our Spiritual Death for the Life of the Soul lyes in Communion and fellowship with God 2ly The Carnal Acts of the carnal mind encrease Spiritual Death because they encrease in us an impotency to do that which is spiritually good and they encrease in us a Readiness and Ability to do that which is Evil so then Sin cannot but encrease Siritual Death Because Spiritual Death consists in an Aversion from doing good and a readyness to do Evil. Likeas there is a strict Connection between the sinful course of the Carnal unrenewed Mind and Eternal Death which stands in the Eternal separation of an Man from the favourable presence of God And the Intimation and Expressions of his special Love
their Love to God and that they may try whether they Love God even under hâ— Afflicting-Hand Vse Seing this Providence is so reasonable â— your Heart comply with it and let it be the ocâ—sion of the Exercise of all these Graces to you and that your Heart may win to a complyance with it Labour 1st to be Mortified to the Vanity of thâ— World 2ly Labour to Mortifie your Predomâ—nants which alienate you from the Cross as takinâ— away the Fewel from these Lusts 3ly Labour to a firm Faith that your Sufferings will not neithâ— can marr your Glory 4ly Be often considering That a part of your conformity with Christ stands â— this and that your Sufferings are an Moral meaâ— appointed of God to make you meet for Glory Use 2d If this be our appointed Lot Let uâ— rather be desirous to have the Blessing of it then tâ— be quite of it Vse 3d. It reproves those who stumble at thâ— Providence and that have their Mind alienate from Religion upon that account Observe 6ly The description that is given oâ— right Suffering it is called a Suffering with Christ which is a testifying the same Truth that he testified unto 1 Tim 1.13 It is not a Suffering for maintaining of Errors or for committing of Crimes 1 Pet. 4.13 2ly It is an imitating of Christ in the manner of our Sufferings which takes in a Suffering flowing from the like Principles that his Sufferings did flow from such as Love to God Jo. 14.31 Love to the People of God Jo. 15.12 Rev. 1.5 Self-Denyal and Humility Phil. 2.3 4. Patience 1 Pet. 2.22 Heb. 12.3 and Faith Heb. 12 2. Jo. 17.2 3. 3ly The imitation of Christ in the manner of his Suffering lyes in this that the forest Sufferings did not hinder him to be Active in Duty so far as was possible he went about doing good Acts 10. He comforted and warned his Disciples under his Agony in the Garden Matth. 27. 4ly This Imitation lyes in the entire submission to the disposal of Providence not my will but thine be done says our Lord. 5ly This Imitation lyes in our meekness towards our Persecutors Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing was the Language of our Saviour on the Cross And 6ly This imitation lyes in not declining the variety of sufferings and the extremity of them Use 1st Of Tryal To try whether we imitate Christ in the manner of our suffering Use 2d Of Imitation Motives to this Duty are 1st He is proposed as our Patern Heb. 12.1 1 Pet. 2.21 Motive 2d is The Issues of his Sufferings are proposed for our Encouragement Heb 12 2. 3d. Motive is He was Innocent and we are Guilty 4th Motive is His Sufferings took the sting out of our sufferings Verse 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us THE Apostle in the former Verses having encouraged Christians to suffer for Christ from these two Grounds The one is That their suffering Lot is the way appointed by God to bring them to Glory And the other is That Christs Suffering Lot was the way that he came to the Possession of his Glory He in this Verse encourages them to suffer for Christ from this Ground that there is no proportion betwixt their Sufferings and their Glory That there is much more satisfying good in their Glory nor there is discouraging evil in their Cross This is clear if ye consider That tho their Affliction causes Grief yet their Glory hath in it not only the removal of the occasion of their Grief but it affords them matter of Exuberant Joy Psal 16 last 2ly Their Afflictions do only afflict their outward Man and their inward Man is Afflicted by way of sympathy But Glory intimately possesses the Soul 3ly There is no Christian that hath all Afflictions but the Glorifyed Saint wants no comfort that is suitable to or can gratifie the new Nature 4ly The Crossed Christian hath an mixture of Comfort with his Cross both Temporal and Spiritual but the Glorified Saint his Comforts are not mixed with grief or occasions thereof no Death no Sorrow no Crying in Heaven 5ly The Number of the Comforting Ingredients that are in the Lot of the Glorified Saint exceeds far the Number of the Afflicting Ingredients that is in the sufferings of the Christian while he is in his militant state none can reckon up the particular good things that are in the Glorified state Comforts springing from Communion with God with Angels and Saints Comforts springing from the sanctity of the Soul and incorruptibility of the Body Comforts springing from Reflections on their confirmed state all these are innumerable 6ly The Evil of the suffering of the Saints is but Temporary they end with this present Life as the Text says but the Glory to come is Eternal Vse 1st Of Instruction To let us see that the voluntary Sufferings of the Saints are not condignally Meritorious of Eternal Life For 1st God can be a Debitor to none the Creature owes it self and all it hath to him 2ly The suffering Saint receives more Spiritual and Eternal Good from God even in this Life then can sufficiently compense any Evil that is in their Suffering Lot 3ly The sufferings of the Saints are Chastisements for their Sins 1 Pet. 4.17 Therefore they cannot be Meritorious 4ly The Voluntary Sufferings of the Saints have Moral defects attending on them they spring not from that degree of Love and Zeal that becomes they are attended with Unbelief and Impatience This serves for the Humiliation of sufferers for Christ and may be useful to refute the Popish Opinion anent the merit of Martyrs Vse 2d To encourage Folks to suffer for Christ For 1st It is an Honour to suffer for him To give a Testimony to that sacred Verity that he Preached see Phil. 1. last Acts 5. last 2ly Their Sufferings for Christ are short they terminate with Life 3ly They affect but the outward Man and take but away our outward Enjoyments they do not reach our Soul 4ly They consist in the loss of these things that we will want at Death whether we will or not 5ly They are Medicinal and preparatory for Heaven 2 Cor. 4 last 6ly As our sufferings abounds for Christ so our Consolations abound through him 2 Cor. 1 6. The 3d. Use is Of Exhortation to reckon the good of Glory greater then the Evil of Suffering It Exhorts us to give a firm assent of our Mind and draw a full Conclusion from the former Premisses and so deliberatly to chuse a suffering Lot for Christ in the World Helps to win to this assent and make this choice Are 1st We would labour to have a clear view by Faith of the Reality and Excellency of this Glory and to peirce through those Vails that hides it from sense the Text says It is a Glory to be revealed the Vails are the sinfulness of our state
indisposition he helps the Christian with groanings unutterable For the 1st Prayer is necessar for crossed Christians because it is the Way to obtain Heavenly Wisdom to understand the meaning of Providence Iam. 1.5 2ly Prayer is the Way to obtain strength to bear the Cross Psal 138. In the day I cryed to thee thou strengthned me with strength in the Soul 3ly Prayer quiets the Mind see Phil. 4.6 see Hannas case 4ly It is the Way to obtain Delivery Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliver thee 5ly Because under Affliction we are ready to be tempted by the Devil we had need to be armed with the Spiritual Armour and Prayer is the Exercise whereby we put on that Armour Eph. 6.17 The Use of this is if we be afflicted we should pray Isa 5. Motives to engage us to this Exercise Are 1st God sends the Cross upon us and designs and expects we should pray under it Hos 5. last 2d Motive is Satan takes advantage of our external Lot to tempt us therefore we have need to go to God to get strength to resist him 3d. Motive is our external Lot may occasion a fit Disposition for Prayer to us a crossing condition and Lot disposes us to be humble to be serious and penitent 4ly God offers us by our Crosses an opportunity to have an fresh Experience of his seasonable Help which may prove afterwards a Confirmation to our Faith Use be not tempted by the Devil to forbear Prayer under your Cross for that gratifies Satan and makes you naked and exposed to his Temptations let neither your former guilt nor present indisposition hinder you to go about this Duty When Simon Magus was under the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Philip even in that case exhorts him to pray see Acts 8. Observe that we are very ready under Crosses to miscarry in the matter of our Prayers we know not what to pray for as we ought says the Text The Reasons are 1st Our Ignorance of Gods Designs under the Cross and so we are ignorant how to comply with these when God crosses a Saint he intends to challenge them for sin to excite them to their duty to try their Grace to give them new Experience of his Support But the confusion of our Mind indisposes us to take up these Designs and so we are unfit to pour out our Desires to God to comply with these Designs A 2d Cause is our Ignorance of Gods Promises in his Word which Promises should regulate our Desires for the Promises are the Foundation of our Prayers we should pray for nothing but what is promised A 3d. Cause of our Mistake is our ignorance of our Spiritual Wants the knowledge of which affords us fit Matter for Prayer A 4th Cause is our Impatience and Pride of Heart under Crosses which prompts us more to seek Delivery from the Cross than to obtain Edification by it A 5th Cause is our inordinate Affections to predominant Ills which prompts us to be remiss in our Desires after mortifying Grace and to entertain sinful Intentions to improve the condition we are in to the gratifying of these Lusts A 6th Cause is Earthlymindedness disposeing us to prefer earthly Things to Heavenly contrary to that Mat. 6.33 Use of this is 1st We should not be proud of our Prayers to God under Crosses or reckon with the Pharisee Luke 18. That God is oblidged to hear us for them seing we are so subject to mistake in the Matter of our Prayers 2ly We should not be angry at God for not giving Returns to our Prayers seing we are so subject to mistake in the Matter of our Prayers and we should observe the Divine Providence answering more our Necessities than irregular Desires A 3d. Use is Since we are so subject to mistake in this matter we should be much given to Meditation and due Preparation of Heart to consider what is fit for us before we rashly bring forth our Desires before God A 4th Use of Exhortation is we should labour to have fit and proper Matter for our Prayers to God under our Crosses and for that effect we should imitate the Saints to pray for what they prayed for under the Cross we find them praying for Support under Tryals Psal 133. We find them praying for the pardon of their sin for Light to know their Way and for the Blessing of the Cross 2ly We would labour to have Prospect of the Designs of Providence that the Matter of our Prayers may be in complyance with these Designs 3ly We would labour for a single Intention after Gods Glory and our Spiritual Good that our chief Desires may run after the Communication of Gods Grace to promote those Ends Observe we are not only ready to miscarry in the Matter of our Prayers but also in the Manner of our Prayers the Text says we are ignorant not only what to pray for but how to pray becomingly as the Word may be translated I shall clear the Truth of this by instanceing the many miscarriage of People in the Manner of their Prayers And 1st They may mistake in the Object of their Worship by presenting God under some external Image or in their fancy ascribing some likeness to him seing he is an invisible Spirit and we are forbidden to make any representations of God either external or internal in our Fancy for to do this is against the Second Command A 2d Mistake we are ready to fall in is We look on God the Father as hardly accessible by us and as one that is not so ready to hear us as Christ would be which apprehension Christ cures by telling us that the Father himself loveth us and the Scripture cures it by making the Fathers Love the Fountain of our Redemption A 3d. Is our going immediatly to God and miskenning of Christ We should come to the Throne of Grace being encouraged by his Intercession springing from his Sympathy with us Heb. 4. last We should found our expectation of our Mercy upon his Merite this is to ask in his Name this is to go in to the Holiest by the New and Living Way by his Blood Heb. 10. Self-righteousness obstructs this A 4th Cause of our miscarriage is the want of singleness in our Intentions to use our Mercy not as Fewel to our Lusts but as a Mean to glorify God therefore Heb. 10. We are desired to draw near to God with a true Heart A 5th Cause is our Formality which makes us judge with the Pharisee Luke 18. That the external Act of praying is obligeing to God and meritorious with him whereas we should lay only the stress of procureing our Mercies on Christs Merite and use Prayer as an appointed Mean for obtaining of our Mercy 6ly Our Stupidity and want of sense of the Necessity and Excellency of Spiritual Mercies makes us miscarry in the Manner of our Prayers it makes us faint in our desires and not fervent in
suppose it 's a great difficulty to overcome the Temptation of the Contentments of this life And this will appear to be true if ye consider thâ— these Contentments have a sensible present certainty which makes us prefer them to the thing of another life which are to come and cannot be seen but believed 2ly The Contentment they offer is suitable to our Corruption 3ly At the first view they offer Happiness as they did to Solomon 4ly We are under necessity to use these Contentments and readily the use of them ensnares us and the necessity of our using them makes us forget our selves when our heart is too much taken away by them 5ly We would willingly have Happiness to ly in them as appears by our trying them after disappointments Solomon tryed Wisdom again and again Eccl. 2 12 Our desire that Happiness should be in them makes us hardly believe that it is not in them 6ly The Contentments of this life are very various and our deceitful heart tho we have experience of the emptiness of some yet it bids is try others this made Solomon turn himself from one thing to another 7ly There are many Folks that are drawen away with the Contentments of this life and that makes the Temptation hardly overcome 8ly We have the easy opportunity of enjoying them and that proves a great snare to us they may easily be had by some whereas spiritual Comforts require more diligence to obtain them 9â—y The heart of Man must be defended by spiritual Enjoyments against this snare and many times the Christian lyes out of these partly through Gods Desertions and partly through his own Sin Mis-belief Laziness and unconstant pursuit of them Use Wonder not then that this temptation carries so many away with it 2ly It says to the Rich that they should be afraid for they are in the midst of Temptation 3ly It says to the Poor that they should be Content with their Poverty because they want the temptation and not to repine 4ly It exhorts all to be sober-Minded and those that stand under this Temptation to be humble seing it is so dangerous 5ly Seing it is a Temptation that is so hardly overcome we would try whether we be overcome by it or not And 1st We must try whether we make use of these Contentments to satisfy our heart under want of Communion with God 2ly We would try whether or not we are so well pleased with them as we will desire to live in the World perpetualy and make it our home 3ly Whether we use them as helps to serve God or rather as fewel to our Lusts Observe 2ly That God has provided sufficient security against the temptation of the Worlds Contentments As appears 1st If ye consider that he has clearly revealed a Heaven and an other Life and has given them the security of a promise for it Heb 11 13. 2ly He has given them the first fruits of the Spirit to make these tasteless to them Psal 4 7. 3ly Ordinarly he keeps them from this Temptationâ— either by denying them these Contentments for nâ— many Rich are called 1 Cor. 1 30. Or by mixing something with them if they enjoy them that maâ— make them wersh to them viz Some spiritual Exercise about their Soul-state or some sad grieving cross that sticks to them that makes their other Contentments wersh 3ly Some fear of the inconstancy of their Lot as Job had Job 3 26. Or lastly He sets up a Light in the Mind that discovers the Vanity of all these Contentments to them Use this tells us that when the People of God are overcome with this Temptation in less or more they may blame themselves and not him 2ly It says that we should be thanful to God for these things that he gives us as securities against this temptation And for the first fruits of the Spirit our sticking Cross and the fears of coming Crosses we should be thankful 3ly Since he his provided thir sufficient Securities for us let us use all means to preserve us from the scaith of this Temptation And for this effect build up your selves in the Faith of the Truth of the Gospel 2ly Meditate much on the Excellency of the Good therein offered 3ly Consider much the vanity of all these Enjoyments Consider their unsuitableness emptiness and inconstancy and how frequently ye have met with Disappointments from them 4ly Be busie at your Duty that ye may not be ensnared by Idleness 5ly Take head to your Heart in the very first pursueing of these Contentments that it be not over eager Regulate your Conversation more by the word then by the Example of others Meditate much on Old-Age Death and Judgement Eccles 11.8 9.10 11. And lastly Labour to live in the Enjoyments of Gospel-Comforts Motives to perswade to the use of these Directions Are 1st The Eager pursuit of the Worlds Contentments loses our Time and makes us neglect our Duty 2ly It is an Sin that breaks our peace with God 3ly It wears out the thoughts of God Death and Judgement out of our Heart 4ly It makes Spiritual Content and Fellowship with God appear less excellent in our Eye And 5ly It makes our Cross more intollerable when it comes on us The next thing that the Apostle says that shall not separate us from the Love of God is Angels And by Angels some here mean Good Angels not that these can endeavour to separate us from the Love of God but by way of supposition that tho they would yet they could not effectuate it For we may suppose things that will never be to clear an Truth Gal. 1 8. By Principalities and Powers are there meant Devils Eph. 6 12. Col. 2 5. Called so because of their Power over the Inferiour World and therefore the Devil is called the Prince of the Power of the Air. 2ly For their Dominion over the Ungodly Men in the World Eph. 6 12. Or 3ly Here he may mean the most Mighty and Wickedest of these Spirits for certainly there are some of them more Mighty and Wicked then other Matth. 12 45. We may observe here that the Devils are greâ— Enemies to our Salvation and endeavour to separate us from Gods Love The Devils Enmity against 〈◊〉 appears In the Bodily Possession of the Saints he possessing of Mary-Magdalen Luke 13 16. And his drawing some of them to Compacts with himself 2 Chron. 33 6. Next it appears by his Accusations of them to God Job 1 Zech. 2 1 2. As also by his Accusations of them to themselves Luke 22 31 2 Cor. 2 7 11. And his Accusations of them to their Neighbours it was he that filled the Hearts of Jobâ— Friends with Surmises of his Hypocrisy As also he Accuses God to us as he did to our first Parents Gen. 1.12 His Enmity appears by his wronging their Goods as in the instance of Job it appears by his tempting them to Sin And that these Temptations come from him and not so much from Corruption
Appears 1st From the nature of them they are tâ— such Sins as ordinarly our Corruption will not prompt us to without him such as unnatural Uncleanness inhumane Cruelties denying of natural Verities 2ly It appears from the impetuousness of them they are so frequent and come in so thick that they cannot well be resisted 1 Chor. 21.4 But because Satans Enmity here spoken of 〈◊〉 mainly meant of his Temptations to draw us to Sin therefore I shall speak somewhat as to these Temptations that the Love of God may be commended and that in its constancy as making the Saints more than Conquerours over them And First I shall hold out the subtilty of them and that in these Three 1st His Subtilty appears in the timeing of them 2ly In the manner of their Conveyance 3ly In the External Baites he holds out to make them forceible As to the first He times his Temptation when we are out of our Duty 2 Sam. 11.12 2ly When we are not watchful Eph. 6.10 3ly When we presume Luke 22.33 4ly When our Armour is off us Eph. 6 13. 5ly When we have got a Victory because then we are most secure Eph. 6 13. 2ly His Subtility appears as to the manner of the Conveyance 1st If ye consider the Instruments he makes use of to tempt us They are persons either that we love entirely as our nearest Relations as he tempted Adam by his Wife and Job by his or he makes use of Godly persons to tempt us that they may be less suspect as he tempted Job by his Godly Friends to question his Integrity and Christ by Peter not to suffer Matth. 16. He tempts many Folks to Errour by making use of Godly Folks sometimes to propagate Errour 2ly His Subtilty appears in this that he tempts many Folks to Sin under colour of necessity as he tempted Christ to work a Miracle to stanch his Hunger Matth. 4. Next he tempts them to Sin under Colour of Duty as he tempted the Corinthians to Rigour against the Incestuous Person under colour of Zeal 2 Cor. 2 11. 3ly He tempts them to great Sins upon the account that the matter of the Action is indifferent tho the Principle from which and the end to which makes it a grievous Sin 1 Chron. 21.2 Thirdly From the nature of the Temptation his Subtilty appears As 1st He sends these Temptations on us as have the advantage of the Lot that we are under he tempts us to Impatience and Despair under Adversity and to the denying of our Grace as he tempted Job he tempts us to Sensuality Contempt of our Neighbours under Prosperity and 〈◊〉 Pride under manifestations of Gods Love 2 Cor. 12 8. 2ly If ye consider that he suites the Temptation to our Predominant he tempted the Covetous Judas with Money he tempts the Ambitious with Honour and the sensual man with sensual pleasure 3ly His Subtilty appears in that he tempts People to lesser Sins First And then to greater gradually to bring them to a defection and e're he bring the People of God to Commissions he will tempt them to omission of Duty 4ly His great Subtilty appears in this that he frames his Temptations to make them misbelieve Threatnings that he may draw them to the actual contempt of Gods Law This he did with Eva. Use is If Satan be so subtile we would labour to be in case to resist his Temptations And 1st Let Grace never be out of Exercise Eph. 6.11 2ly Be very Watchful 1 Pet. 5 8. 3ly Pray much Eph. 6 18 2 Cor. 12 8. 4ly Be acquaint with his Devices 2 Cor. 2 11. 5ly Let the Word of God dwell Richly in you Matth. 4 Eph. 6 17. 6ly Resist him in the beginning Ja. 4 7 1 Pet. 5 10. Observe 2ly That tho Satan in his Temptations be strong and subtile yet the Christian may be sure of Victory 1st If ye consider that he is a foiled Enemy Col. 2 15. 2ly The Victory of our Head over him is a good pledge of our victory Matth. 4. 3ly Christ has an Experimental Sympathy with the People of God in these temptations Heb. 2 22. 4ly He interceeds for them Luke 22 32. 5ly Christ is stronger then he 1 Jo 4 4 And there is a sufficiency of Grace in him to bear them through 2 Cor. 12 1 Pet 5 10. 6ly There is a promise of Victory given to them Gen. 3.16 Rom. 16.20 Use If they be sure of Victory the tempted Saints would not fret against this their Lot of being troubled with the Devils temptations And that they may be reconciled to this Lot consider the Advantages of it As first It cures their presumption Luke 22 32 2ly It prevents their Pride and puts them to Prayer 2 Cor. 12 8. 3ly It helps them to an Experimental skill to succour the tempted 4ly It gives them experience of the Power and Wisdom of God who can make them that are Witless and Weak to overcome a strong and Wise Devil 2ly If the Victory be sure it says they should not be discouraged under temptation from Satan but fight Manfully The next thing the Apostle gives an defyance to is things present by which he means present Crosses in his Lot which tells us that the Christian readily never wants sad Crosses in his Life That notwithstanding of these sad Crosses yet he may and ought to believe the continuance of Gods Love toward him For the First that he never wants sad Crosses so that always as one goâ—s away an other comes appears from the recorded life of the Saints in Scripture See the Register of Jacobs Life and Davids c And this God does to try their patience and submission by 2ly To make the World wersh and to force them to be Strangers in it Jacobs Days were Evil that he might know they were a Pilgrimage Gen 47 9. 3ly To keep down their Pride 4ly To keep them constantly under the Exercise of Repentance for pasâ— and present Guilt 5ly That they may observe the Divine Providence of God supporting them under alâ— these Crosses Gen. 48.13 Vse is That People would be content with theiâ— present Crosses seing if they wanted these they might expect others in their room 2ly Let never man dream of an happiness in this life it s our expectation of a life free of Crosses that makes us dream of Happiness here 3ly Live near God that ye may be able to be comforted under the necessary Crosses that ye are subjected to 4ly Long to be away with submission to Gods time seing that while you are here away you are never to be free of Crosses For the 2d Thing The present Crosses of the Saints should not make them question Gods Love if ye consider 1st Their Head had an constant life of Crosses 2ly Consider that the Saints before us have had that life 3ly If ye consider the Promise of Gods Presence with them under the Cross Isa 43.2 4ly If ye consider the Necessity and Profitableness of that Lot it should not make us question Gods Love 1 Pet. 1.6 5ly In their nature they are but Chastisements and Evidences of Love Heb. 12.6 Vse is That the People of God would keep up their Faith of Gods Love notwithstanding of their present Crosses their neglect of this weakens their Love to God breaks their resolution to Obedience makes their present Duty unpleasant and makes them undervalue their present Mercies and be unthankful for them Observe The Apostle says Things to come will not separate them from the Love of God where we see that he had not only present Crosses to debate with but the fears of coming Crosses 2ly We see that these fears of coming Crosses made him not to doubt of Gods Love From hence we see that the saints may be trysted with the fears of coming Crosses besides all the present Crosses that they are under This the Lord does for to make them use means for the preventing of these Crosses Rebecca feared that Esau should kill Jacob therefore she used Means to prevent it Gen. 27.46 2ly He does it to make them digest the present Cross that they are under the better Rebecca was the better content to want Jacob that she feared his stay would endanger his Life Ibid. 3ly To make them sensible of Gods Goodness in keeping these Troubles off them that they feared Gen. 32.9 10. 4ly To keep them from Security Job 3 26. 5ly He makes use of the fear of the Cross to inform them of the evil that the inflicted Cross should reform for if the fear do it the Cross will not be inflicted 6ly That when the Cross comes they may be in better case to bear it and not be surprised with it Use Seing this is the Lot of the Saints to be under fears of coming Crosses study to carry rightly under this Condition and for this effect be not distrustfully anxious Phil. 4 6. 2ly Let these fears send you to Prayer Gen. 32.9 3ly Be not unsensible of Gods Mercies under these fears Ibid. verse 10. 2ly The fears of coming Crosses should not weaken our Faith of God Love For 1st Whatever they be they wâ— work out your good Rom. 8.28 2ly Howâ—ver they be strong your strength will grow aâ—cording to the strength of the Cross 1 Cor. â— 13. 3ly What ever aspect the Cross has yâ— the Lord has many ways to deliver you from that you cannot foresee 2 Pet. 2.9 The Loâ— knows how to deliver the Godly out of Temâ—tations FINIS