DIRECT. X. Cast not your selves wilfully upon temptations, but avoid them as far as lawfully you can: And if you are cast upon them unwillingly, resist them resolutely, as knowing that they come to entice you into Sin and Hell, from God and your everlasting happiness; And therefore be well acquainted with the particu∣lar Temptations of every company, calling, relation, business, time, place, and condition of life; and go alwayes furnished with particu∣lar Antidotes against them all.

STrong Grace will do no more against strong Temptations, than weak Grace against weak ones. Temptation is the way to sin, and sin is the way to Hell. If you saw the dangerousness of your station, when you cast your self upon temp∣tations, you would tremble and fly as for your lives. I take that man as almost gone already, who chooseth temptations, or avoideth them not when he may. Especially be acquainted with the diseases and greatest dangers of your Soul; and there keep up a constant watch. Are you lyable to a gluttonous pleasing of your ap∣petite? Avoid the temptation; set not that be∣fore you which may be your snare: Let a little, and that of the least tempting kind of food, be your ordinary provision. Sit not at the Glut∣tons Table, (who fareth deliciously every day) if you would escape the gluttons sin and misery. Page  127 Or if the provision be of other mens disposal, at least rise quickly and be gone. Are you inclined to please your appetite in drinking? Avoid such strong drink as may tempt your appetite; and a∣void the place and company that draweth you to it. Are you inclined to fleshly lust? Avoid the pre∣sence of such of the other Sex as are a temptation to you: Look not on them, nor talk not of them; but above all take heed of nearness and familiarity, and privacy with them; and of all opportunity of sin. When the Devil hath brought the bait to your hand, and telleth you, now you may sin without any molestation or discovery, you are then in a very dangerous case. Some that think they would not be guilty of the sin, will yet tempt themselves, and delight to have it in their power, and to have the opportunity of sin∣ing, and to come as near it as they dare; And these are gone before they well perceive their danger. So if you are inclined to Pride and Am∣bition, avoid the society of those that tempt you to it: Come not among Superiors and Gallants, or such as kindle your ambition. A retired life, in company of mean and humble persons, is fit∣est for one that hath your disease. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate, Rom. 1•.16.

But if you cannot avoid the Temptation be sure yet to avoid the sin; Take it as if you saw and heard the Devil himself perswading you to sin, and damn your Souls. Abhor the motion, and give not the Devil a patient hearing, when you know what he cometh about: Resolution sca∣peth many a danger, which those are ruined by, who stand disputing and dallying with the Page  128 Tempter. Especially look about you, when the Tempter employeth Great men, or Learned men, or Godly men, or nearest friends, to be his instru∣ments. And if their subtilty puzzle you, go to the stronger and more experienced Christians for advice and help. VVatch and pray that you enter not into temptation, Matth. 6.13. and 26.41. It is a dreadful thing to think what persons temp∣tations have overthrown, Luke 18.13. Heb. 6.6, 7. How Wise, and Learned, and excellent men have been over-witted by Satan, and sinned like fools, when they have let go their watch: If we be as resolved as Peter, temptations may quickly change our resolutions, if God leave us to our selves, and we grow presumptuous or se∣cure: And then our very Reason will lose its power; and false representations will make things appear to us quite contrary to what in∣deed they are; and those reasonings will seem probable to us, which at another time we could easily see through as meer deceit. Temptation as it prevaileth, doth damp and cast asleep our Graces, and charm and bewitch all the faculties of the Soul, 1 Tim. 6.9.