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FOrasmuch as no man is free from Temptation, it is a necessary exercise for the Children of God to pray daily to be strengthe∣ned against the same, for if the Diuell spared not to tempt Christ, Mat 4. 1. 3. Marke 1. 12. 13. he cannot but tempt vs. And as hee began with Christ, knowing him to haue long fasted, and
deemed him so desirous to eate, as hee would haue done any thing to haue had bread, as Esau longed for his brothers pottage. And as hee himselfe in the be∣ginning fell by ambition and vainglory, he thought it had beene the humour of Christ likewise to de•…•…e terrene glory: according therefore to these two occasi∣ons he tempted Christ to accept of both, or either of them. But hee had no ad∣uantage against Christ, but fifteth and findeth man of another inclination, who∣ly and altogether corrupt, and so prone naturally to sinne, as there resteth in all men some peculiar humour, and a kinde of priuate and commanding sinne, which so farre commonly ouer-ruleth the affe∣ctions, as whensoeuer it offereth it selfe, it easily draweth consent euen of the whole man, as Nabals couerousnes, whom the rich doe imitate, who although they might be free from all other sinnes (as they cannot be) it were sufficient to con∣demne them: some are wholly ouercome, and make drunkennesse their whole de∣light, some bribery and extorsion, some whoredome, some wantonnesse. And these and such like sins, are, as it were, the Bai∣liffes and Stewards of the houses of mens hearts, which who so embraceth, and
holdeth them so deare, as he will not en∣deauour to be freed of them, is not the childe of God. And therefore this prayer following may be vsed of all men to that end, although hee would be ashamed to confesse it before men. God already knowing it, his confession to him shall more and more make a way for repen∣tance, and obtaine strength to resist the Diuell in his temptation, who obseruing our inclinations, bendeth his temptations accordingly: and hauing wonne but the outerward of our hearts at the first, a bare consent, he then will visite oftner, vntill he haue made custome so strong, as it be∣commeth an habite, or as it were another nature: So that a man may as well endure the plucking out of his eyes, as the sha∣king off of that accustomed sinne. And therefore it behooueth all men to be watchfull against Satan, and to resist him by prayer.