A treatise of temptation by John Owen to the reader Christian reader if thou art in any measure awakened these days wherein we live and has taken notice of the manifold, great, and various temptations, wherewith all sorts of persons that know the Lord, and profess His name are beset, and whereunto they are continually exposed, with what success those temptations have obtained, to the unspeakable scandal of the Gospel, with the wounding and ruin of innumerable souls, I suppose you will not inquire any further after other reasons of the publishing of the ensuing warnings and directions. Be ensuited to the times that pass over us, and your own concern in them. This I shall only say to those who think it meet to persist in any such inquiry, that though my first engagement for the exposing of these meditations to public view, arose from the desires of some, who, avouching the interest of Christ in the world by personal holiness, and constant adhering to everything that is made precious by its relation to Him, have given them power over me to require at any time services of greater importance. Yet I dare not lay my doing of it so upon that account. It is in the least to intimate that, with respect to the general state of things mentioned, I did myself esteem it seasonable and necessary. The variety of outward providences and dispensations in which I have myself been exercised in this world, with the inward trials I have been attended with, Added to the observation that I have had advantages to make of the ways and walkings of others, their beginnings, progresses, and endings, their risings and falls, in profession and conversation, in darkness and light, have left such a constant sense and impression of the power and danger of temptations upon my mind and spirit. that without all other pleas and pretenses, I cannot but own a serious call to men to beware, with a discovery of some of the most imminent ways and means of the prevalency of present temptations, to have been, in my own judgment, in this season needful. But now, reader, if you are amongst them who take no notice of these things or don't care for them, who has no sense of the efficacy and dangers of temptations in your own walking and profession, nor has observed the power of them upon others, Who discern not the manifold advantages that they have got in these days in which all things are shaken? Nor has been trouble removed for the sad successes they have had amongst professors. But suppose that all things are well with indoors and without, and would be better could you obtain fuller satisfaction that come of your lusts. and the pleasures or profits of the world. I desire you to know that I write not for you, nor to esteem you a fit reader or judge of what is here written. While all the issues of providential dispensations, in reference to the public concern of these nations, are perplexed and entangled, the footsteps of God lying in the deep, where his paths are not known, Whilst in particular, unparalleled distresses and strange prosperities are measured out to men, yea, to professors, while a spirit of error, giddiness, and delusion goes forth with such strength and efficacy, as it seems to have received a commission to go and prosper, while there are such divisions, strifes, emulations, attended with such evil surmises, wrath, and revenge, found amongst brethren, while the disparate issues and products of men's temptations are seen daily in partial and total apostasy, and the decay of love, the overthrow of faith, are days being filled with fearful examples of backsliding such as former ages never knew. While there is a visible declension from Reformation seasoned upon the professing party of these nations, both as to personal holiness and zeal for the interest of Christ, he that understands not that there is an hour of temptation come upon the world to try them that dwell upon the earth is doubtless, either himself at present captivated under the power of some woeful lust, corruption, or temptation, or is indeed stark blind, and knows not at all what it is to serve God in temptations. With such then I have not at present to do. For those who have in general a sense of these things, who also in some measure are able to consider that the plague is begun, that they may further be awakened to look about them, lest the infection have approached nearer to them, by some secret and imperceptible ways, than they did apprehend. lest I should be surprised at unawares hereafter by any of those temptations that in these days either waste at noon, or else walk in darkness, is an ensuing warning intended. And for the sake of them that mourn in secret for all the abominations that are found among and upon that profess the gospel, and who are under the conduct of the captain of their salvation, fighting and resisting the power of temptations, from what springs, soever they rise in themselves, are the ensuing directions proposed to consideration. That our faithful and merciful High Priest, who both suffered and was tempted, and is on that account touched with the filling of our infirmities, would accompany this small discourse with seasonable supplies of His Spirit, and suitable mercy to them that shall consider it, that it may be useful to his servants for the ends in which it is designed is a prayer of him who received this handful of seed from his storehouse and treasure. John Owen Chapter 1 of Temptation words of the text that are the foundation of the ensuing discourse, the occasion of the words with their dependence to things specially aimed at in them. Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Matthew 26 verse 41 These words of our Savior are repeated with very little alteration in three evangelists. Only, whereas Matthew and Mark have recorded them as above written, purports them thus, rise and pray lest ye enter into temptation. So that the whole of his caution seems to have been, arise, watch, and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Solomon tells us of some that lie down on the top of a mast in the midst of the sea. Proverbs 23, verse 34. Men overborne by security in the mouth of destruction. If ever poor souls lay down on the top of a mast in the midst of the sea, these disciples with our Savior in the garden did so. Their Master, at a little distance from them, was offering up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. Hebrews 5, 7. being then taken into his hand and beginning to taste that cup that was filled with a curse and wrath due to their sins. The Jews, armed for his and their destruction, being but a little more distant from them on the other hand. Our Savior had a little before informed them that that night he should be betrayed, and be delivered up to be slain, that saw that he was sorrowful and very heavy. Matthew 26, verse 37. Nay, he told them plainly that a soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death. Verse 38. And therefore entreated them to tarry and watch with him. Now he was dying, and that for them, in this condition leaving them but a little space. Like men forsaken of all towards him or care of themselves, they fall fast asleep. Even the best of saints being left to themselves will quickly appear to be less than men, to be nothing. All our own strength is weakness, and all our wisdom folly. Peter being one of them, who but a little before had with so much self-confidence affirmed that though all men forsook him, yet he never would do so. Our Savior expostulates a matter in particular with him. Verse 40. He saith unto Peter, could you not watch with me one hour? As if he should have said, art thou he, Peter, who but now boasts, as if he should have said, art thou he, Peter, who but now boasts of thy resolution never to forsake me? Is it likely that thou shouldst hold out therein, when you cannot watch with me one hour? Is this your dying for me, to be dead in security, when I am dying for you? And indeed it would be an amazing thing to consider that Peter should make so high a promise and be immediately so careless and remiss in the pursuit of it, but that we find the root of the same treachery abiding and working in our own hearts, and do see the fruit of it brought forth every day. the most noble engagements to obedience quickly ending in deplorable negligence. Romans 7, verse 18. In this estate, our Savior admonishes them of their condition, their weakness, their danger, and stirs them up to a prevention of that ruin which lay at the door. He says, arise, watch, and pray. I shall not insist on the particular aimed at here by our Savior in this caution to them that were then present with him. The great temptation that was coming on them from the scandal of the cross was doubtless in his eye. But I shall consider the words as containing a general direction to all the disciples of Christ and their following of him throughout all generations. There are three things in the words. First, the evil cautioned against temptation. the means of its prevalency by our entering into it, the way of preventing it, watch and pray. It is not in my thoughts to handle the commonplace of temptations, but only the danger of them in general, with the means of preventing that danger, yet that we may know what we affirm and whereof we speak. Some concerns of the general nature of temptation may be premised first. For the general nature of tempting and temptation, it lies among things indifferent, to try, to experiment, to prove, to pierce a vessel, that the liquor that is in it may be known, is as much as is signified by it. So God has said sometimes to tempt, and we are commanded as our duty to tempt, or try, or search ourselves, to know what is in us, And to pray that God would do so also. So temptation is like a knife that may either cut the meat or the throat of a man. It may be his food, or his poison, his exercise, or his destruction. Secondly, temptation in its special nature, as it denotes any evil, is considered either actively, as it leads to evil, or passively, as it has an evil and suffering in it. So temptation is taken for affliction. James 1 verse 2, for in that sense we are to count it all joy when we fall into temptation, and the other that we enter not into it. Again actively considered, it either denotes an attempt or a design for the bringing about of the special end of temptation, namely a leading into evil. So it is said that God tempts no man, James 1 13, with a design for sin as such or the general nature and end of temptation, which is trial. So God tempted Abraham, Genesis 22 verse 1, and he proves their tempts by false prophets, Deuteronomy 13, 3. Now, as to God's tempting of any, two things are to be considered. First, the end why he does it. Secondly, the way in which he does it. For the first, the general ends are two. Number one, he does it to show to man what is in him, that is, a man himself, and that either is to his grace or to his corruption. I speak not now of it as it may have a place and bear a part in judiciary obduration. Grace and corruption lie deep in the heart. Men oftentimes deceive themselves in the search after the one or the other of them. When we give vent to the soul to try what grace is there, corruption comes out. When we search for corruption, grace appears. So is the soul kept in uncertainty. We fail in our trials. God comes with a gauge that goes to the bottom. He sends his instruments of trial into the bowels and in most parts of the soul and lets man see what is in him, of what metal he is constituted. Thus he tempted Abraham to show him his faith. Abraham knew not what faith he had. I mean what power and vigor was in his faith until God drew it out by that great trial and temptation. When God says he knew it, he made Abraham to know it. So he tried Hezekiah to discover his pride. God left him that he might see what was in his heart, 2 Chronicles 32 verse 31. He knew not that he had such a proud heart so have to be lifted up as He appeared to have until God tried him and so let out his filth and poured it out before his face The issues of such discoveries to the Saints in thankfulness humiliation and treasuring up experiences I shall not treat of Number two, God does it to show himself to man that in a way of preventing grace. A man shall see that it is God alone who keeps from all sin. Until we are tempted, we think we live on our own strength. Though all men do this or that, we will not. When the trial comes, we quickly see whence is our preservation by standing or falling. So was it in the case of Abimelech, Genesis 20, verse 6. I withheld thee. also in a way of renewing grace. He would have the temptation continue with Paul, that he might reveal himself to him in the sufficiency of his renewing grace. 2 Corinthians 12 verse 9. We don't know the power and strength that God puts forth in our behalf, nor would his sufficiency of his grace, until comparing the temptation with our own weakness, it appears to us. The efficacy of an antidote is found when poison has been taken, and the preciousness of medicines is made known by diseases. We shall never know what strength there is in grace if we know not what strength there is in temptation. We must be tried that we may be made sensible of being preserved. And many other good and gracious ends he has which he accomplishes towards the saints by his trials and temptations, not now to be insisted on. For the ways in which God accomplishes this, his search, trial, or temptation, these are some of them. He puts men on great duties such as they cannot apprehend that they have any strength for, nor indeed have. So he tempted Abraham by calling him to that duty of sacrificing his son, a thing absurd to reason, bitter to nature, and grievous to him on all accounts whatsoever. Many men don't know what is in them, or rather, what is ready for them, until they are put on what seems utterly above their strength. Indeed, upon what is really above their strength. The duties that God, in an ordinary way, requires that our hands are not proportionate to what strength we have in ourselves. but to what help and relief is laid up for us in Christ. And we are to address ourselves to the greatest performances with a subtle persuasion that we have not ability for the least. This is the law of grace, but yet when any duty is required that is extraordinary, that is a secret not often discovered in the yoke of Christ, it is a trial, a temptation, by putting them upon great sufferings. How many have unexpectedly found strength to die at a stake, to endure torture for Christ, yet their call to it was a trial. This Peter tells us is one way in which we are brought into trying temptations, 1 Peter 1 verses 6 and 7. Our temptations arise from the fiery trial, and yet the end is but a trial of our faith. by his providential disposing of things, so as that occasions to sin will be administered to men, which is a case mentioned in Deuteronomy 13, verse 3, and innumerable other examples may be adjoined. Now they are not properly the temptations of God as coming from him, with his end upon them that are here intended, and therefore I shall set these apart from our present consideration. It is in temptation in a special nature, as it denotes an active efficiency towards sinning, as it is managed with evil to evil that I intend. In this sense, temptation may proceed either singly from Satan, or the world, or other men in the world, or from ourselves, or jointly from all or some of them and their several combinations. Satan tempts sometimes singly by himself, without taking advantage from the world, the things or persons of it, or ourselves. So he deals in his injection of evil and blasphemous thoughts of God into the hearts of the saints, which is his own work alone, without any advantage from the world, or our own hearts. For nature will contribute nothing to this, nor anything that is in the world, nor any man of the world. For none can conceive a God and conceive evil of him and this Satan is alone in the sin and shall be so in the punishment These fiery darts are prepared in the forge of his own malice and shall with all their venom and poison be turned into his own heart forever Times he makes use of the world and joins forces against us without any helps from within so he tempted our Savior by showing him all the kingdoms of the world and and the glory of them, Matthew 6 verse 8, and the variety of the assistances he finds from the world, in persons and things which I must not insist on. The innumerable instruments and weapons he takes from this of all sorts and at all seasons are inexpressible. Sometimes he takes in assistance from ourselves also not with us as it was with Christ When Satan came to Tim Tim, he declares that he had nothing in him John 14 verse 30 it is otherwise with us He has for the compassing of most of his ends a sure party within our own breasts James 1 verses 14 and 15 so he tempted Judas he was at work himself and He put into his heart to betray Christ. Luke 22 verse 3. He entered into him for that purpose. And he sets the world at work, the things of it, providing for him 30 pieces of silver, verse 5. They covenanted to give him money, and the men of it, even the priests and the Pharisees, and calls in the assistance of his own corruption. He was covetous, a thief, and had the bag. I might also show how the world and our own corruptions act single, by themselves, jointly in conjunction with Satan and one another in this business of temptation. But the truth is, the principles, ways, and means of temptations, the kinds, degrees, efficacy, and causes of them are so inexpressible, large, and various. The circumstances of them, from providence, nature, conditions, spiritual and natural, with the particular cases thence arising, so innumerable and impossible to be comprised within any bound or order, that to attempt the giving an account of them would be to undertake that which would be endless. I shall content myself to give a description of the general nature of that which we are to watch against which will make way for what I aim at. Temptation, then, in general, is any thing, state, way, or condition, that upon any account whatever has a force or efficacy to seduce, to draw the mind and heart of a man from its obedience, which God requires of him, into any sin, in any degree of it whatever. In particular, that is a temptation to any man which causes or occasions him to sin, or in anything to go off from his duty, either by bringing evil into his heart, or drawing out that evil that is in his heart, or any other way diverting him from communion with God. And that constant, equal, universal obedience in matter, manner that is required of him. For the clearing of this description I shall only observe that though temptation seems to be of a more active importance, and so to denote only the power of seduction to sin itself, yet in the scripture it is commonly taken in a neuter sense, and denotes the matter of the temptation or the thing in which we are tempted. And this is a ground of the description I have given of it. Be it what it will that from anything whatever within us or without us has advantage to hinder in duty or to provoke to or in any way to occasion sin. That is a temptation of so to be looked on. be it business, employment, course of life, company, affections, nature or corrupt design, relations, delights, name, reputation, esteem, abilities, parts, or excellencies of a body or mind, place, dignity, art, so far as they further or occasion the promotion of the ends before mentioned. They are all of them, no less truly temptations, that the most violent solicitations of Satan, or allurements of the world. And that soul lies at the brink of ruin, who discerns it not. And this will be further discovered in our process. of Temptation End of Chapter One