134 OF TEMPTATION.
of God as temj)tation could not stand before, Gen. xxxix. 9. " The love of Christ constraineth us," saith the apostle, " to live to him," 2 Cor. V. 14; and so, consequently, to withstand temptation. A man may, nay, he ought to lay in provisions of the law also, — fear of deatli, hell, punishment, with the terror of the Lord in. them. But these are far more easily conquered than the other; nay, they will never stand alone against a vigorous assault. They are conquered in con- vinced persons every day; hearts stored with them will struggle for a while, but quickly give over. But store the heart with a sense of the love of God in Christ, with the eternal design of his grace, with a taste of the blood of Christ, and his love in the shedding of it ; get a relish of the privileges we have thereby, — our adoption, justification, acceptation with God ; fill the heart with thoughts of the beauty of holiness, as it is designed by Christ for the end, issue, and effect of his death; — and thou wilt, in an ordinary course of walking with God, have great peace and security as to the disturbance of temptations. When men can live and plod on in their profession, and not be able to say when they had any living sense of the love of God or of the jHivileges which we have in the blood of Christ, I know not what they can have to keep them from falling into snares. The apostle tells us that the " peace of God," (ppovprjasi rag xapdiag, Phil. iv. 7, "shall keep our hearts." ^povpd is a military word, — a garrison; and so (ppovpyjffii is, " shall keep as in a garrison." Now, a garrison hath two things attending it, — first, That it is exposed to the assaults of its enemies; secondly, That safety lies in it from their attempts. It is so witli our souls; they are exposed to temptations, assaulted con- tinually ; but if there be a garrison in them, or if they be kept as in a garrison, temptation shall not enter, and consequently we shall not enter into temptation. Now, how is this done? Saith he, " The peace of God shall do it." What is this " peace of God?" A sense of his love and favour in Jesus Christ. Let this abide in you, and it shall garrison you against all assaults whatever. Besides, there is that, in an especial manner, which is also in all the rest of the directions, — namely, that the tiling itself lies in a direct opposition to all the ways and means that temptation can make use of to approach unto our souls. Contending to obtain and keep a sense of the love of God in Christ, in the nature of it, obviates all the workings and insinua- tions of temptation. Let this be a third direction, then, in our Avatch- ing against temptation : — Lay in store of gospel pi'ovisions, that may make the soul a defenced place against all the assaults thereof
(4.) In the first approach of any temptation, as we are all tempted, these directions following are also suited to carry on the work of watching, which we are in the pursuit of:— -
[1.] Be always awal^e, that thou mayst have an eai'I^ discover;/
WATCHING AGAINST TEMPTATION. 135
of tliy temptation, tliat thou mayst know it so to be. Most men perceive not their enemy until they are wounded by him. Yea, others may sometimes see them deeply engaged, whilst themselves are utterly insensible; they sleep without any sense of danger, until others come and awake them by telling them that their house is on fire. Temptation in a neuter sense is not easily discoverable^ — namely, as it denotes such a way, or thing, or matter, as is or may be made use of for the ends of temptation. Few take notice of it until it is too late, and they find themselves entangled, if not wounded. Watch, then, to understand betimes the snares that are laid for thee, — to understand the advantages thy enemies have against thee, before they get strength and power, before they are incoi-porated with thy lusts, and have distilled poison into thy soul.
[2.] Consider the aim and tendency of the temptation, whatever it be, and of all that are concerned in it. Those who have an active concurrence into thy temptation are Satan and thy own lusts. For thine own lust, I have manifested elsewhere what it aims at in all its actings and enticings. It never rises up but its intendment is the worst of evils. Every acting of it would be a formed enmity against God. Hence look upon it in its first attempts, what pretences so- ever may be made, as thy mortal enemy. " I hate it," saith the apostle, Rom. vii. 15, — that is, the working of lust in me. " I hate it; it is the greatest enemy I have. Oh, that it were killed and de- stroyed ! Oh, that I were delivered out of the power of it ! " Know, then, that in the first attempt or assault m any temptation, the most cursed, sworn enemy is at hand, is setting on thee, and that for thy utter ruin ; so that it were the greatest madness in the world to throw thyself into his arms to be destroyed. But of this I have spoken in my discourse of Mortification.