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The following treatise by John
Owen is called Of Temptation. This is chapter 7, Watching the
Heart. That part of watchfulness against
temptation which we have considered regards the outward means, occasions,
and advantages of temptation, would now proceed to that which
respects the heart itself, which is wrought upon and entangled
by temptation. Watching or keeping of the heart,
which above all keepings we are obliged to, comes within the
compass of this duty also. For the right performance of
this take the following directions. Number one, know your heart. Let him that would not enter
into temptations labor to know his own heart, to be acquainted
with his own spirit, his natural frame and temper, his lusts and
corruptions, his natural sinful or spiritual weaknesses. So that,
finding where his weakness lies, he may be careful to keep at
a distance from all occasions of sin. Our Savior tells the
disciples, You know not what manner of spirit you are of.
Luke 9 verse 55. Which under a pretense of zeal
betrayed them into ambition and desire of revenge. Had they known
their hearts, they would have washed over themselves. David
tells us that he considered his ways and kept himself from his
iniquity. Psalm 18 verse 23. That is the inquiry unto which
he was particularly prone. There are advantages for temptations
that lie often in men's natural temperaments and constitutions. Some are naturally gentile, facile,
easy to be entreated, pliable. This may be the noblest temper
of nature and the best in choice's ground, when well broken up and
followed for grace to grow in. However, if not washed over,
it will be a means of innumerable surprises and entanglements temptation. Other natural temperaments are
earthy, stubborn, gloomy, so that envy, malice, selfishness,
peevishness, harsh thoughts of others, and complaining lie at
the very door of their natures. They can scare a step out, but
they are in the snare of one or other of them. Other natural
temperaments are passionate and the like. Now he who would watch
that he enter not into temptation needs to be acquainted with his
own natural temperament so that he may watch over the treacheries
that lie in it continually. Take heed, lest ye have a Jehu
in you that shall make you drive furiously, or a Jonah in you
that will make you ready to complain, or a David that will make you
hasty in your determination, since he was often in the warmth
and goodness of his natural temperament. He who does not watch this thoroughly,
who is not exactly skilled in the knowledge of himself, will
never be disentangled from one temptation or another all his
days. Again, men have peculiar natural
temperaments that, according as they are attended or managed,
prove either a great encouragement to sin or an advantage to the
exercise of grace. In the same way, men may have
peculiar lusts or corruptions. that either by their natural
constitution or education under their prejudices have got deep
rooting and strength in them. This also is to be found out
by him who would not enter into temptation, unless he knows it,
unless his eyes be always on it, unless he observes its actings,
motions, and advantages, it will continually be entangling and
ensnaring him. This, then, is our sixth direction
of this kind. Labor to know your own frame
and temperament, what spirit you are of, what associates in
your heart Satan has, where corruption is strong, where grace is weak,
what stronghold lust has in your natural constitution and the
like. How many have all their comforts
blasted and peace disturbed by their natural passion and peevishness? How many are rendered useless
in the world by their frowardness and discontent? How many are
disquieted even by their own gentleness and facility? Be acquainted,
then, with your own heart. Though it be deep, search it.
Though it be dark, inquire into it. Though it give all of its
distempers other names than what are there due, believe it not,
Men often are utter strangers to themselves. They give flattering
titles to their natural distempers. They strive rather to justify,
conceal, or excuse the evils of their hearts that are suited
to their natural temperaments and constitutions, rather than
to destroy them. By these means they keep themselves
from taking a clear and distinct view of their natural temperaments.
Were not men utter strangers to themselves it would be impossible
that they should all their days hang in the same briars without
attempting deliverance. Uselessness and scandal in professing
believers are branches growing constantly on this root of unacquaintedness
with their own frame and temperament. How few are there who will either
study them themselves or bear with those who would acquaint
them with themselves. Secondly, watch against particular
occasions to temptation. When you know the state and condition
of your hearts as to the particulars mentioned, watch against all
such occasions and opportunities. Employments, societies, retirements,
and businesses are apt to entangle your natural temperament or provoke
your corruption. It may be there are some ways,
some societies, or some businesses that you have never in your life
escaped. but allow them more or less through
their suitableness to entice or provoke your corruption. It
may be you're in a state and condition of life that worries
you day by day on the account of your ambition, passion, discontent,
or the like. If you have any love to your
soul, it is time for you to awake and deliver yourself as a bird
from the evil snare. Peter will not come again in
haste at the high priest's hall, nor would David walk again on
the top of his house when he should have been on the high
places of the battlefield, 2 Samuel 11 verses 1 and 2. But the particulars
of this instance are so varied and of such particular natures
and respective individual persons that it is impossible to enumerate
them. Proverbs 4 verses 14 and 15 In
this lies no small part of that wisdom which consists in our
order in our behavior of right. Seeing we have so little power
over our hearts when once they meet with suitable provocations,
we are to keep away from such occasions and opportunities as
a man would do with fire in the combustible parts of the house
in which he dwells. Number three lay in store gospel
provisions. Be sure to lay provisions in
store against the approach of any temptation. This also belongs
to our watchfulness over our hearts. You will say, what provision
is intended and where is it to be laid up? Our hearts, as our
Savior speaks, are our treasury. Matthew 12 verse 35. There we
lay up whatever we have, good or bad, and from there we draw
it for our use. It is a hearth, then, wherein
provision is to be laid up against temptation. When an enemy draws
nigh to a fort or castle, to besiege and take it, often, if
he finds it well manned and furnished with provision for a siege, and
so able to hold out, he withdraws and does not assault it. is satan
the prince of this world comes and finds our hearts fortified
against his batteries and provided for so to be able to hold out
he not only departs but as james says he flees he will flee from
you james 4 verse 7 the provision to be laid up is that which is
provided in the gospel for us Gospel provisions will do this
work, that is, keep the heart full of a sense of the love of
God in Christ. This is the greatest preservative
against the power of temptation in the world. Joseph had this,
and therefore on the first appearance of temptation he cries out, How
then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Genesis
39 verse 9. And there is the end of the temptation as to him.
It lays no hold on him, but departs. He was furnished with such a
ready sense of the love of God as temptation could not stand
before. The love of Christ constrains
us, the apostles says, to live unto him. Second Corinthians
5, 14 and 15. And so consequently, to withstand
temptation, a man may, nay he ought, to lay in provisions of
the law also. Fear of death, 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. Dear conquered and convicted
persons, every day, heart stored with them, will struggle for
a while, but quickly give over. But store the heart with the
sense of the love of God in Christ, with the eternal design of His
grace, with the taste of the blood of Christ, and His love
in the shedding of His own blood. Get a relish of the privileges
we have thereby—our adoption, justification, acceptance 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 you will, in an
ordinary course of walking with God, have great peace and security
against the disturbance of temptations. When men can live and plot on
in their profession and not be able to say when they had any
living sense of the love of God or the privileges that we have
in the blood of Christ, I don't know what they can have to keep
them from falling into snares. The Apostle tells us that the
peace of God shall keep your hearts, Philippians 4, verse
7. Keep denotes a military word, a garrison, and so the Greek
can be translated shall keep as in a garrison. Now a garrison
has two things attending it. First, that it is exposed to
the assaults of its enemies. Secondly, its safety lies in
it from their attempts. It is so with our souls. They
are exposed to temptations and assaulted continually. 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? The apostle
says the peace of God shall do it. What is this peace of God? It is the sense of His love and
favor in Jesus Christ. Let this abide in you and it
shall garrison you against all assaults. whatever they may be. Besides, there is that in a special
manner which is also in all the rest of the directions, namely,
that the peace of God itself lies in a direct opposition to
all the ways and means that temptation can make use of to approach to
our souls. Contending to obtain and keep
a sense of the love of God in Christ, in the nature of it,
prevents all the gradual workings and subtle introductions of temptation,
Let this be a third direction, then, in our watching against
temptation. Lay in store gospel provisions
which may make the soul a fortified place against all the assaults
of temptation upon it. Number four. At the beginning,
our first approach of temptation. 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. A. Be always awake. Be always
awake, that you may have an early discovery of your temptation,
that you may know it to be so. Most men perceive not their enemy
until they are wounded by him. Others may sometimes see them
deeply engaged while they themselves are utterly insensible. They
sleep without any sense of danger until others come and awaken
them by telling them that their house is on fire. There is a
neutral sense of temptation. Namely, as it denotes such a
way, thing, or matter, as is or may be made use of for the
purpose of temptation, this sense of temptation is not easily discoverable. Few take notice of it until it
is too late and they find themselves entangled, if not wounded. Watch,
then, to understand early the snares that are laid for you.
Watch to understand the advantages your enemies have against you
before they get strength and power, and before they are incorporated
with your lust and have distilled poison into your soul. B. Consider temptations, aim. Consider
the aim and tendency of the temptation, whatever it be, and of those
that are concerned in it. Those who have an active cooperation
in your temptation are 1. Your own lusts and 2. Satan. For your own lust, I have shown
elsewhere what it aims at in all of its actings and enticings. It never rises up, but its intention
is the worst of evils. Every acting of it would be a
formed enmity against God. Therefore, look upon it in its
first attempts. Whatever pretenses may be made
is your mortal enemy. I hate the working of lust in
me, says the apostle in Romans 7 verse 15. That is, I hate it. It is the greatest enemy I have.
Oh, that it were killed and destroyed. O, that I were delivered out
of the power of it! Know, then, that in the first
attempt or assault in any temptation the most cursed sworn enemy is
at hand, and is setting upon you, and that for the purpose
of your utter ruin. Therefore it would be the greatest
madness in the world to throw yourself into his arms to be
destroyed. But of this I have spoken in
my discourse on the mortification of sin. 2. Has Satan, who is
a shearer in every temptation, any more friendly aim and intention
towards you? To beguile you is a serpent. To devour you is a lion. It is a friendship that he owes
you. I shall only add the dissent against the law which he tempts
you to is not the thing he aims at. His design lies against your
interest in the gospel. He would make sin but a bridge
to get over to a better ground, in his view, in order to assault
you as to your interest in Christ. He who perhaps will say today,
you may venture on sin because you have an interest in Christ,
will tomorrow tell you that you have no such interest because
you have ventured so upon sin. LETTER C. SHOW FAITH. Meet your temptation in its entrance. With thoughts of faith concerning
Christ on the cross, this will make temptation sink before you. Entertain no discussion, no dispute
with it. If you would not enter into it,
say, It is Christ that died, Romans 8, verse 34. That is,
that died for such sins as these. This is called taking the shield
of faith to quench all the fiery darts of Satan, Ephesians 6,
verse 16. Faith does this by laying hold
on Christ crucified, His love therein, and what He suffered
for sin. Let your temptation be what it will, be it unto sin,
to fear, or doubting for sin, or about your state and condition.
It is not able to stand before faith lifting up the standard
of the cross. We know what means the Roman
Catholics who have lost the power of faith, used to keep up the
form, They will sign themselves with the sign of the cross, or
make crosses in the air, and by virtue of that work done,
think to scare away the devil. But to act faith on Christ crucified
is really to sign herself with the sign of the cross, and thereby
shall we overcome that wicked one, 1 Peter 5, verses 9 and
10. 5. After being entangled by temptation,
suppose a soul has been surprised by temptation and entangled in
it unawares, so that now it is too late to resist the first
entrances of it. What shall such a soul do that
it be not plunged into it and carried away with the power of
it? LETTER A. ASK GOD TO DELIVER YOU FROM IT.
DO AS PAUL DID. BESEECH GOD AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT
THE TEMPTATION MAY DEPART FROM YOU. 2 CORINTHIANS 12 AID. AND
IF YOU ABIDE IN THIS, YOU SHALL CERTAINLY EITHER BE SPEEDILY
DELIVERED OUT OF IT OR RECEIVE SUFFICIENT GRACE NOT TO BE FOILED
UTTERLY BY IT. Only, as I said in part before,
do not so much employ your thoughts about the things to which you
were tempted, which often raises further entanglements, but jest
yourself against the temptation itself. Pray against the temptation
that it may depart. When that is taken away, the
things themselves may be more calmly considered. LETTER B. FLY TO CHRIST. Fly to Christ
in a special manner because he was tempted and beg of him to
give you assistance in this time of need. HEBREWS 4 VERSE 16. That is, this time of trouble. The apostle instructs us in this. And that he himself has suffered
being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
This is the meaning of it. When you are tempted, and are
ready to faint, when you need help to the point that you must
have it or you will die, act faith peculiarly on Christ as
he was tempted. That is, considered that he was
tempted himself, that he suffered thereby, that he conquered all
temptations, and that not merely on his own account, but for us,
and for our sakes, he submitted to be tempted. He conquered in
and by himself, but he conquered for us. And draw, yea, expect
help from him. Hebrews 4 verses 15 and 16. Lie
down at his feet. Make your complaint known to
him. Beg his assistance and it will not be in vain. Letter C. Consider Christ's faithful promises. Look to Christ who has promised
deliverance. Consider that he is faithful
and will not allow you to be tempted above that you were able.
1 Corinthians 10 verse 13. Consider that he has promised
a comfortable result to these trials and temptations. Call
to mind all the promises of assistance and deliverance that he has made.
Ponder them in your heart and rest upon it. The God has innumerable
ways to give you help and deliverance that you know not of. As first,
he can send an affliction that will mortify your heart to the
manner of the temptation, whatever it be. so that that which was
before a sweet morsel under the tongue shall neither have taste
or relish in it to you. Your desire to it shall be killed,
as was the case with David. Secondly, he can by some providence
alter that whole state of things from which your temptation arises,
taking fuel from the fire, causing it to go out by itself, as it
was with the same David in the day of battle. Thirdly, he can
tread down Satan under your feet. Then he shall not dare to suggest
anything any more to your disadvantage. To God appease shall do it, so
that you shall hear of him no more. Fourthly, he can give you
such supply of grace as that you may be free, though not from
the temptation itself. yet from the tendency and danger
of it. This was the case with Paul in
2 Corinthians 12 8 to 10. Fifthly, he can give you such
a comfortable persuasion of good success and the result is that
you shall have refreshments in your trials and be kept from
the trouble of the temptation. This was also the case with Paul.
And sixthly, he can utterly remove it and make you a complete conqueror. And innumerable other ways he
has of keeping you from entering into temptation saw us to be
defeated by it. Letter D. Make up the breach. Consider where the temptation
with which you were surprised has made its entrance, and by
what means and with all speed make up the breach. Stop that
passage which the waters have made to enter in at. Deal with
your soul like a wise physician. Inquire when, how, and by what
means you fell into this distemper. If you find negligence, carelessness,
or lack of keeping, watch over yourself to be the cause of it.
Fix your soul there. Be well that before the Lord.
Make up that breach and then proceed to the work that lies
before you. Chapter 7 of Temptation
The Heart's Being Entangled By Temptations, Remedies
Series John Owen's Temptation Book
Of Temptation Chapter 7
| Sermon ID | 29251348415654 |
| Duration | 21:02 |
| Date | |
| Category | Audiobook |
| Language | English |
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