Page:Comer's conflict, or, The beginner's battle with the devil, when essaying to come to Christ by faith.pdf/11

 The Beginner's Battle with the Devil. 11

reprobates : nay the devil himſelf doth not think of God Dose that which theſe thoughts ſignify. Since thou doſt not actually, nor did originally in Adam, give conſent to theſe thoughts, they are not thy fins. Suppoſe ſome villain ſould meet a chaſte virgin in a field and raviſh her, if the ſtruggles and cries, ſhe is innocent by the law of God: this is her affliction, not her ſin. She may mourn for her ſuffering, not her guilt ; eſpecially ſhe doing nothing to provoke him. It may be the villain finds her at prayer, as the devil doth find thee, when he ejects theſe thoughts. Therefore be of good comfort, thou art more afraid than hurt; for a careleſs wandering thought in prayer, hath more guilt in it than theſe have. When Chriſt was in the wilderneſs, the devil appeared to him in a viſit': ſhape, he knew it to be Satan, yet he was not in the leaſt terrified. We ſhould endeavour to imitate him. If one attempt ſud- denly to ſtrike our eye, tho' we know the doth not intend to ſtrike it, yet it cannot but wink; ſo we can ſearce chooſe but be terrified with theſe thoughts, but we muſt reſiſt and conquer ſuch fears. I ſay not, we ſhould abhor ſuch thoughts, for then we ſheuld be wore than the hea- thens : but we would not be terrified out of our faith, or duties, or comforts thereby. 2. Do not give over your duties for theſe blaſphemous thoughts and injections: for tho' theſe thoughts are not thy fin, yet they may be the cauſe of thy finning, if they cauſe thee to abſtain from prayer, praiſe, reading the word, attending upon the ordinances, and the like duties You may perhaps, think it better not to pray than to have theſe thoughts : but thy prayer may do thee more good than theſe can do thee harm, and how wilt thon conquer if thou caſt away thy weapons ? Neither baſten from your duty : for this you do the devil too much homage; his temptations ſhould make you pray the more not the seldomer or ſhorter. 3. Think not over theſe thoughts again, even when thou goeſt to God to complain of Satan and his dreadful aſſaults: for, if thou yield not to the tempter, theſe blaſ- phemics are not the matter of confeſſion, but rather of complaint; as a woman that is raviſhed doth not confeſſ but lament her affliction. Neither ſpeak them over, when you go to a miniſter or Chriſtian friend for advice or com-