A Continuation of John Owen's Treatise of Temptation Continued, Chapter 7. Several Acts of Watchfulness Against Temptation Proposed. Watch, the heart, what it is to be watched in and about. That part of watchfulness against temptation which we have considered regards the outward means, occasions, and advantages of temptation We 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 in which take these ensuing directions. First, 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, 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 that they knew not what spirit they were of, which under the pretense of zeal betrayed them into ambition and desire of revenge. Had they known it, they would have washed over themselves. David tells us Psalm 18 23 that he considered his ways and kept himself from his iniquity, which he was particularly prone to. There are advantages for temptations lying oftentimes in men's natural tempers and constitutions. Some are naturally gentle, facile, easy to be entreated, pliable, which, though it be the noblest temper of nature, and the best and choicest ground, when well broken up and followed for grace to grow in, yet, if not washed over, will be a means of innumerable surprises and entanglements and temptations. Others are earthly, froward, morose, so that envy, malice, selfishness, peevishness, harsh thoughts of others, repinings, lie at the very door of their natures, and they can scarce step out, but they are in the snare of one or other of them. Others are passionate and the like. Now he that would watch did he enter not into temptation, had need be acquainted with his own natural temper, that he may watch over the treacheries that lie in it continually. Take heed lest you have a Jehu in you that shall make you drive furiously, or a Jonah in you that will make you ready to repine, or a David that will make you hasty in your determinations as he was often in the warmth and goodness of his natural temper, he who watches not 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, as men have peculiar natural tempers, which, according as they are attended or managed, prove a great temptation to sin, or advantage to the exercise of grace, so men may have peculiar lusts or corruptions, which, either by their natural constitution or education and other 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 know it, unless his eyes be always on it, unless he observes its actings, motions, advantages that will continually be entangling and ensnaring of him. This then is our sixth direction in this kind, labor to know your own frame and temper. what spirit you are of, what associations in your heart Satan has, where corruption is strong and 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 its distempers other names than what they are due, don't believe it. We're not men utter strangers to themselves. Did they not give flattering titles to their natural distempers? Did they not strive rather to justify, palliate, or excuse the evils of their hearts, that are suited to their natural tempers and constitutions, than to destroy them, and by these means keep themselves off from taking a clear and distinct view of them, It were impossible that they should all their days hang in the same briars without attempt for deliverance. Uselessness and scandal in professors are branches growing constantly on this root of unacquaintedness with their own frame and temper, and how few are there who will either study them themselves or bear with those who would acquaint them with them. Secondly, when you know the state and condition of your heart as to the particulars mentioned, watch against all such occasions and opportunities. Employments, societies, retirements, businesses are apt to entangle your natural temper or provoke your corruption. It may be there are some ways, some societies, some businesses that you never in your life escape them, but allowed by them more or less through their pseudomonas to entice or provoke your corruption. And maybe you are 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. Deliver yourself as a bird from the evil snare Peter will not come again in haste to 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 field but the particulars of this instance are so various and As such several natures in respect of several 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 ordering our conversation aright. Seeing we have so little power over our hearts when once they meet with suitable provocations, we are to keep them asunder as a man would do fire in the combustible parts of the house in which he dwells. Thirdly, be sure to lay in provision in store against the approaching 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. There we lay up whatever we have, good or bad, and from this we draw it for our use. Whatever we have, good or bad, from this we draw it up to use it. Matthew 12, 35. It is the heart, then, in which provision is to be laid up against temptation. When an enemy draws near to a fort or castle to besiege and take it, Oftentimes he finds it well manned and furnished with provision for a siege and so able to hold out He withdraws and he doesn't assault it if Satan the prince of this world come and find our hearts fortified against his batteries and Provided to hold out. He don't only departs but as James says he flees He will flee from us James 4 7 For the provision to be laid up, it 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 can I do this great evil and sin against God? And there is an 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. Genesis 39 verse 9. The love of Christ constrains us, saith the apostle, to live to him 2 Corinthians 5.14, 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. They are conquered and convinced persons every day. Heart stored with them will struggle for a while, but quickly give over. But store the heart with a sense of the love of God in Christ, and his love in the shedding of it. Get a relish of the privileges we have by this, our adoption, justification, acceptance with God. Fill the heart with thoughts of the beauty of His death, and you will, in an ordinary course of walking with God, have great peace and security as to 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 of the privileges which we have in the blood of Christ, I know not what they can have to keep them from falling into snares. The apostle tells us that the peace of God, Philippians 4, 7, shall keep our hearts. The original word denotes a military word, a garrison, and so is, 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, that safety lies in it from their attempts. It is so with our souls. They are exposed to temptations, assaulted continually. But if there be a garrison in them, 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? He says, a peace of God shall do it. What is this peace of God? A sense of his love and favor in Jesus Christ. Let this abide in you, and it shall garrison you against all assaults, whatever. Besides, there is that in a special manner, which is also in all the rest of the directions, namely, that the thing 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 Obviates all the workings and insinuations of temptation Let this be a third direction then and are watching against temptation Lay in store of gospel provisions that may make the soul the defensed place against all the assaults of it. I Number four, 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. First, be always awake that you may have an early discovery of your temptation, that you may know it so to be. Most men perceive not their enemy until they are wounded by him. others may sometimes see them deeply engaged while themselves are utterly insensible. They sleep without any sense of danger until others come and awake them by telling them that their house is on fire. Temptation in a neuter sense is not easily discoverable, namely as it denotes such a way or thing or matter as is or may be made use of for the ends of temptation. Few take notice of it until it is too late. and they find themselves entangled, if not wounded. Watch then to understand the times of snares that are laid for you, to understand the advantages your enemies have against you before they get strength and power, before they are incorporated with your lust and have distilled poison into your soul. Secondly consider the aim and tendency of the temptation, whatever it be, and of all that are concerned in it. Those who have an active concurrence into your temptation are Satan and your own lusts. For your own lust I have manifested elsewhere what it aims at and all 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. Hence, look upon it in its first attempts, what pretenses soever may be made, as your mortal enemy. I hate it, saith the apostle, Romans 7, 15, that is the working of lust in me. I hate it. It is the greatest enemy I have. That it were killed and destroyed. Oh that I were delivered out of the power of it No, then that in the first attempt or assault in any temptation No, most cursed sworn enemy is at hand is setting on thee and that for your utter ruin So that it were the greatest madness in the world to throw yourself into his arms to be destroyed but of this I have spoken in my discourse of the mortification of sin and Has Satan any more friendly aim and intention towards you, who is a sharer in every temptation? To beguile you as a serpent, to devour you as a lion, is a friendship that he owes you. I shall only add that the sin he tempts you to against the law. That 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 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 to the purpose that you have none Because you have done this Thirdly, meet your temptation in its entrance with thoughts of faith concerning Christ on the cross. This will make it sink before you. Entertain no parley, no dispute with it, if you would not enter into it. Say, it is Christ that died, that died for such sins as these. This is called taking the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of Satan, Ephesians 6.16. Faith does it by laying hold on Christ crucified, His love in this, and what from this He suffered for sin. Let your temptation be what it will, be it to 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 papists who have lost a power of faith Used to keep up the form they will sign themselves with the sign of the cross or make aerial crosses and by virtue of that work done Think to scare away the devil to act faith on Christ crucified is really to sign ourselves with the sign of the cross and by this shall we overcome that wicked one first Peter 5 9 and Suppose your soul has been surprised by temptation and entangled at unaware so that now it is too late to resist the first entrances of it What shall such a soul do that is not to be plunged into it and carried away with the power of it? First do as Paul did beseech God again and again that it made apart from you 2nd Corinthians 12 8 And if you abide therein, you shall certainly either be speedily delivered out of it or receive a sufficiency of 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 in which you are tempted, which oftentimes raises further entanglements, but set yourself against the temptation itself. Pray against the temptation that it may depart. And with that as taken away, the things themselves may be more calmly considered. Fly to Christ in a peculiar manner, as He was tempted, and beg of Him to give you succor in this needful time of trouble. Hebrews 4.16 The Apostle instructs us in this, in that He has been 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 lack succor, you must have it or you die. Act faith peculiarly on Christ as He was tempted. That is, consider that He was tempted Himself, that He suffered by it, that He conquered all temptations, and that not merely on His own account, seeing for our sakes He submitted to be tempted, but for us. He conquered in and by Himself. but for us. And draw, yea, expect succor from him. Hebrews 4 15 and 16. Lie down at his feet. Make your complaint known to him. Beg his assistance and it will not be in vain. Thirdly, look to him who has promised deliverance. Consider that he is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able. Consider that he has promised a comfortable issue of these trials and temptations. Call all the promises to mind of assistance and deliverance that he has made, ponder them in your heart, and rest upon it that God has innumerable ways. that you know not of to give you deliverance. As first, he can send an affliction that shall mortify your heart to the matter of the temptation, whatever it be, that that which was before a sweet morsel under the tongue shall neither have taste or relish in it to you. Your desire for it shall be killed, as was the case with David. Or secondly, he can, by some providence, alter that whole state of things. from whence your temptation arises, so taking fuel from the fire, causing it to go out of itself, as it was with the same David in the day of battle. Or thirdly, he can tread down Satan under your feet, that he shall not dare to suggest anything any more to your disadvantage, that God of peace shall do it, that thou shall hear of him no more. Or fourthly, He can give you such supply of grace as that you may be freed, though not from the temptation itself, yet from the tendency and danger of it, as was the case with Paul. Or fifthly, he can give you such a comfortable persuasion of your good success in the issue as that you shall have refreshment in your trials and be kept from the trouble of the temptation, as was the case with the same Paul. Or 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, so as to be foiled by it. Fourthly, consider where the temptation in 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, by what means you fell into this distemper, If you find negligence carelessness Lack of keeping watch over yourself to have lain at the bottom 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 of temptation chapter 7 John Owen