yieldings of infirmity, may fay as the Apoftle, What I do, I allow not; that is (1.) What he then confents to, he did not allow: at the first, till importunity prevailed. (2.) Though his Affections incline to Sin, yet his conftant fettled judgment is against it; and though he do it, he cannot fay he approves it. Neither of these are the things I aim at; but this, that as the first Motions of Sins are difallowed, we fhould endeavour to keep at that, to stand our ground, to withhold the leaft after-delight or approbation; not but that we. we must be forced,fadly to acknowledg the real truth of what the. Apoftle Speaks in the place laft cited, that these different principles. (which of them foever carry the Victory) do so impede one another, that when grace carries it, yet it cannot do the utmost it would or aims at; fo that in the ftouteft oppofitions, there may be fome fecret degrees of allowance unavoidably; notwithstanding we must so manage our denyal, that if it were poffible we should not afford the. fmalleft inclination toward it, the leaft, the better, and nobler. Conqueft.

CHAP. XXV.

The fourth Direction. Of repelling a Temptation by Scripture Arguments. Of feveral things implyed in the Direction. The neceffity of answering by Scripture Arguments. The excellency of the Remedy. How Scripture Arguments are to be managed.

T

Ideo Jefus om"He next particular in Chrift's Answers, to be observed by us,. is his citations of Scripture, as an invincible Reafon againft nes illas Tentationes folis all the Devils Temptations; he beats them all back with this WeaSacris Scriptu- pon, It is written. That this was written for our learning, and ris vicit, ut that, otherwife than for our inftruction, he lay not under any nedoceret nos fic pugnare & vin- ceffity of ufing this Method, hath been evidenced before, and 'tis a cere. Cajer, in thing which all Commentators do take notice of. From this we have loc. Fanfen. another Direction, for the right way and order of refifting Tempt ations, which is,

&c.

Direct. 4. That Temptations are beft repelled by Arguments drawn from theWord of God.

For

For the explanation of this, it may be confidered what is (1.) prefuppofed in this Direction: for when it is affirmed that we muft anfwer by Reasons from Scripture, this Implies,

First, That Temptations are not to be oppofed by groundless re- : fufals; 'tis no way fafe to say we will not, because we will not, nor to infift upon our own bare refolve: for this would be wilfulness,rather than an obediential refufal; and unwarrantable felf-confidence, rather than an humble wrestling. There are fome, of whom it may be faid, as the Prophet once charged the Jews, Efa. 22.11. that when Satan comes up against them, they look in that Day to the Armour of the House of the Forrest, they repair the Wall, and caft Ditches for Fortification; they prepare themselves to the Battel in their own Strength, but they look not unto the Maker thereof, to him who by his mighty Power must fashion our Hearts to refistance. The Vanity of fuch undertakings is enough manifested in the Event,for commonly fuch Men go on in a Bravado of refolution, but are fo altered at the first appearance of the Enemy, that they yeild without a ftroak. Who could be more confident than Peter, that he would not deny his Mafter, whatever others did, and yet how foon did his Heart fail him? We may warrantably deny a finful Motion, without being explicite in our reafon against it, especially in usual Temptations and when they thrust themselves into our Minds,at fuch times when our Thoughts are charged with an attendance upon other Duties;in which nevertheless the Heart hath a fecret and implicite regard to the Command of God: But in no case must. we go down to the Battel, in the ftrength of a Wilfulness, left it go against us. And thus do they, who when they are reproved for fome miscarriage, as of Drinking, will presently with great confidence make engagements, not to drink Wine or firong Drink,not to go into a Tavern or Alehouse, without any humble respect to Duty, or the Power of God for the Conqueft of the Sin: and accor dingly we fee that ufually fuch Promiles and Obligations do not hold; either they wilfully break them, or they become finfully witty to make Evafions for the practice of Sin, without the breach of the Oath or Promife.

Secondly, The Direction fuppofeth that we must deny the Sin with the Arguments of greatest Strength,and Authority. There were occafions and hints of other Answers to thefe Temptations that offered themselves in Chrift's way, and yet he waves them all,fixing only upon Scripture reafons as the beft and ftrongeft. 'Tis no

Christian Wifdam to urge thofe inferiour confiderations, of Shame, Lofs, Inconvenience,&c.Some have no other reafon betwixt them and Sin, but, What will Men fay? Or, what will become of me? But befides, that thefe would only be a Train to bring on difputings,and that it is no way fafe to venture our Souls upon fuch defences, when better may be had,(for who will venture his Life upon a Staff when he may have a Sword?) 'tis cafy for Satan to break thefe Bows, and to cut these Spears in funder; he can ballance such reafons with equal reafons, and presently make us believe, that we have as good reason to commit the Sin, as those urged by us, for the not committing of it.

Thirdly, This Direction of ufing Scripture-reason doth clearly imply, that the force and Power of Scripture is not in the Words,or Characters, but in the Mind and Reafon of it; that not Scripture ufed as a charm or pell (as if the Devil were affraid of the found, and words of it) can beat back the Devil, but 'tis the Authority of its Command, which works upon the Mind the higheft Impressions of fear and care, and as a strong Argument prevails with us to forbear. Notwithstanding the plainnefs and undeniablenfs of this inference, not only do ignorant Men blefs themselves against the Devil by repeating fome Phrafes or Sentences of Scripture impertinently, and fuch as have no direct fignification of the matter in hand betwixt Satan and them, (as if the Devil could not endure to hear the Pater nofter,or durft not come within the found of the name Jehovah) but alfo Papifts, (and of them, fuch as might be fuppofed more confiderate than to be carried by fuch conceits) have Malleus Mali- placed a vertue in the Words and Sounds of Scripture, and therefore fic. Part 2 do they command (though under fome limitations and restrictiQuæf. 11.cap ons) the hanging of Sentences of Scripture about the Neck in Virtus Evan- Scrolls, for the driving away of evil Spirits, though in a clear congelii cft in in tradition to the reafon which they give in the general against this tellectu & non courfe, which is this, that the Power of Scripture is not in the Fiin figuris, ergo melius in cor. gures and Charaliers, but in the mind and understanding of it; and de pofita pio- therefore profits as pondered in the Heart, not as hung about the Neck: and upon as flende grounds do they place a more than ordinary vertue, in the Angelical Salutation, in the feven words upon the Barthol. Sibil- Crofs, in the triumphal Title, Jefus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, &c. Such kind of oppofitions are but a mock to Satan, we quæft. dec. 3. cannot think to bore the Jaw of this Leviathan with a Thorn, or to come to him with this Bridle, or to play with him as with a Bird:

6.

2.

funt, quani circa collum fofeenfa.

la Peregr.

6 9.0.9.

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he durf alledg Scripture himself to Chrift, and therefore 'tis not the phrafe or found that affrights him.

Fourthly, The Direction doth imply an argumentative, proper and fit ufe of Scripture Commands, or Promifes. We fee Chrift urged not any Scripture indifferently, but he ufed fit. words, and chofe to himself felect Smooth Stones out of this Brook to fling against this fpiritual Goliab. Every Temptation had an Answer that doth moft fully and properly confront it; he regarded the main of the Temptation, and fuffered not himself to be diverted from that profecution, by engaging himself in that which might have been perplexed and controverfial, though he had a fit opportunity to reprove Satan for a dishoneft craft of reprefenting Scripture in a fenfe of his own making, and fo might have rejected the Temptation of cafting himself down, as leaning upon a falfe Foundation, in that God did not promife in Pfal. 91. to preferve any that fhould prefumptuously expect a protection while they run out of God's ways yet he waved this Anfwer, and oppofed the affault by a plain Scripture which chargeth the contrary duty.

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Secondly, Having feen what this Direction doth imply, in these things that are to be removed from the fenfe and intendment of it, I fhall next for ascertaining of the reality and importance of it, fhew that Temptations are to be refifted by Scripture Arguments, by thefe. two Evidences

Firft, God's recommending of the Commands of Scripture for Juch a purpofe Deut.6.6. These words which I command thee this day, fhall be in thine Heart and thou shalt bind them for a fign upon thine. hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine Eyes, &c. Whether the later part of the Command is to be underfood literally, as the Jews apprehended and practifed, (though fome think otherwife) is not neceffary to be afferted, feeing 'tis granted by all, that they were to have the Commands of the Law fo ready in their Minds, and Memories, as if they had been written on their Hands, and upon their Foreheads. That God defigned this precept for the refiftance of Sin and Temptation, cannot be doubted, and that the advantage which might hence arife to them was not only the information of their Minds, in point of Sin, and Duty, is as unavoidable; for that,and more is intended by that part of the Injun&tion; Thefe words which I command thee, fhall be in thine Heart, but when? befides this information (which the knowledg of the Law would afford them) and their humble complyance with it, as just

and good (which would enable them to fay, Thy Law, O Lord, is within my Heart) he further enjoyns them,the quick and ready remembrances of these Laws (as if they were frontlets between their Eyes, and figns on their Hands) it can fignify no less than this, that in fo doing, they would be able to refift those Motions, by which Satan would feek to engage them to the violation of thefe Commands. Neither need we to doubt hereof, when Christ himself hath fo fully taught us, by his own Example, in refifting Temptations, the particular use of the remembrance of the Law: In the New Testament the Apoftle is moft exprefs in this matter, Eph. 6. -17. Take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, where not only the use of Scripture-Commands and Promifes against Satan's Suggeftions is taught, but alfo the high avail and potency of this weapon in reference to its end: 'tis called a Sword, and in that comparison, it fhews the active resistance which may be made by it; and 'tis called, not a Sword of Flesh, (for the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal) but of the Spirit, to fhew how mighty it is in repelling Satan.

Secondly, Another Evidence of its usefulness, is from the fucce which the Children of God have had in the right management of this weapon. 'Tis obfervable that while Chrift anfwered by Scripture, Satan was filenced, and had not what to reply to the Anfwer, but was forced to betake himself to a nep Temptation. David in many places highly magnifies the Power of the Command, in the fuccefs he had by it. Pfal. 17.4. He fhews how available it was to preferve him in his common converse, from the finful Snares laid before him, concerning the works of Men, by the word of thy Lips I have kept me from the Paths of the deftroyer. In Pfal. 18. 22, 23. he tells us that he was fhielded from the Sins of his inclination and love (which are hardeft to prevent) by the oppofition that he gave to the Motions of them, in fetting up the Statutes of God against them, All bis Judgments were before me, and I did not put away his Statutes from me; I was also upright before him, and I kept my felf from mine Iniquity. In Pfal. 119. 11. He puts his Probatum eft upon the Head of this Receit, and speaks of it as his conftant refuge, Thy Word have I hid in my Heart, that I might not fin against thee. In Pfal. 37. 31. He speaks of it as a tryed cafe of common experience to all the Children of God, The Law of God is in his Heart, none of his steps shall flide. I thall add to this, the Experience of Luther, When (faith he) the Motions of the Flesh do rage, the only

remedy