GOD's Face in Ordinances, to be perpetually harraffed with Thoughts, that seem to fill his Mind with Impiety instead of Devotion, and present Images to his Imagination, which shock and defile him at the fame Time: too often has Satan by this Means prevailed with the Soul, to leave off Duty for fear of increafing Tranfgreffion, and divefted it of every Capacity for Prayer, but that of broken, fhort, Ejaculations.

"LORD, Hell's fierce Hunter me purfues,

Strongly he holds my Soul in Chase:: "Left he, his mark'd out Prey should lofe, "He waits for me in every Place:

"O Jacob's tender Saviour charge the Foe, "Hurt not my Anointed, let my Servant go.

Many of the Temptations by which the Soul is harraffed, are properly called, the fery Darts of the Devil: Darts, because fuddenly injected: and fiery, because they feem to inflame us with every Thing infernal. Well might poor CHRISTIAN figh and groan as if his Heart would break, while he was engaged in this Conflict; for none can conceive but those who have felt it, what it is. Those who are at Ease in Zion, are ready to look upon all this as Chimera and Imagination: and even fome

Chriftians who never experienced it, are ready to fufpect, that much of it is owing to meer natural Caufes. That fome Infirmities and Diseases, may so affect the Bodily Organs, as to have a ftrange Influence on the Conceptions of the Mind, is granted and we will fpeak more of this by and by but this cannot be the Cafe, where the Body is in good Health, and the Powers of the Mind poffefs their Vigour. I would afk, if this is all Imagination, What are the fiery Darts of the Devil? and what their Effect?

That fuch Things are, we muft infer from the Exhortation, to take the Shield of Faith as the best Defence against them: and by the Term all, we are led to fuppose these Temptations many.

CHRISTIAN WAS wounded in his Head, Hand, and Foot, which made him give a little back. Great Allowances are to be made for Perfons under Temptations: from the Perturbation of their Minds they may judge, fpeak, and act amifs: it would be next to a Miracle if they did not. It is the Nature of Temptation, and the Design of Satan, to caufe fuch Errors in Judgment and Conduct, as may affect the Walk and

Con

Conversation in fome Degree. No Man, not the greatest Saint, is invulnerable: none but Jesus ever came out of this Conflict unwounded, because none but he can say, The Prince of this World cometh, and bath Nothing in me. And fo hard did he find the Conflict, that he is faid to have Compaffion on those that are tempted, to be touched with a Feeling of their Infirmities, for that be, himself, bath fuffered, being tempted.

He who speaks of Satan's fiery Darts, fpeaks alfo of wrestling with Principalities and Powers, with spiritual Wickednefs in bigb Places. Wrestling is a clofer Conflict than fighting at Arm's-length, and much more arduous. While a Believer can keep his Enemy at Sword's Point, can repulfe him as Jesus did, with, thus it is written; though he may be wounded, he will ftand his Ground: but who can ftand, when the Enemy clofes in with us, and wrestles with us with fudden ftrong Temptation to fome Sin? Ah poor David! Peter! and many others! what dreadful falls! even to the breaking of the Bones. O GOD, enable us to watch, and keep our Enemy at Sword's Point! Teach us to manage Sword and Shield, fo to believe and apply thy Word,

that

that we may be able to beat off our cruel Foe, and quench his fiery Darts! Alas! how pitiable is the Cafe of a Soul thus fallen; held down by Satan and his own Guilt!

But perhaps our Author does not mean by CHRISTIAN'S Fall, to intimate a Believer's being overcome by Temptation, so as to fin, though this is often the Cafe; but that a Believer, by fore Temptation, may fall under the Power of Unbelief: in fuch a Cafe, his Sword may well fly out of his Hand: for of what Ufe is the Word of GOD, when we have loft our Confidence in it? Such an one must be pressed out of Mea fure, above Strength, to defpair even of Life.

INVINCIBLE GRACE! how glorious is thy triumph! "I am sure of thee now,” cried the exulting APOLLION; but foon "he fpread his Dragon's Wings and fped him away." Victory is often neareft, when Ruin only appears in fight. Determined Refolution to hold faft our Confidence, though with a feeble, dying Hand, must at last prevail; for if God be for us, who can be against us?

CHRISTIAN is defcribed as combating APOLLION without any Aid or Assistance; he feems entirely left to the Courage of his

Heart,

Heart, and his Skill in the Ufe of his Arms; to fhew us, that tempted Souls are infenfible of that Grace by which they are affifted even the Tempter may think them left of God: he too may fay, GOD has forfaken him, perfecute and take him, for thera are none to deliver him: But was this the Cafe, how deplorable would be the Lot of the Tempted!

The Captain of our Salvation loves us too well, and bought us too dearly, to defert us in Danger: To deliver his Peoples' Souls to the Lion, his Darlings to the Power of the Dog. It is he, in us, maintains the Conflict, and fecures the Victory; and his Grace is exalted, for we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us.

Three Things I obferve, as a Close to this Allegory of ftrong Temptation. First, the Wounds our Conscience receive in fuch Conflicts, can only be healed by a believing Application of the Benefits of CHRIST, as held forth in the Gospel his Spirit brings near the Word, which Faith receives and applies: for only that Blood which was fhed for Sin, will avail to the Healing of the Wounds of Confcience. Secondly, the LORD the Spirit, graciously

revives