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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
Of Temptation - Chapter 7
Series John Owen's Temptation Book
Hath Satan any more friendly aim and intention towards thee, who is a sharer in every temptation? To beguile thee as a serpent, to devour thee as a lion, is the friendship that he owes thee. I shall only add, that the sin he tempts thee to against the law, it is not the thing he aims at; his design lies against thy interest in the gospel.
Owen, John. Of Temptation . Unknown. Kindle Edition.
| Sermon ID | 91619107331588 |
| Duration | 22:10 |
| Date | |
| Category | Audiobook |
| Language | English |
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