Shall this man lie down and
despair? No. Shall he trust to his duties? No. Shall he stay from
Christ till his heart is better? No. What then? Let him NOW look to
Jesus Christ crucified; then shall he see his sins answered for,
then shall he see death dying, then shall he see guilt borne by
another, and then shall he see the devil overcome. This sight
destroys the power of the first temptation, purifies the heart, and
inclines the mind to all good things.
Didst thou never learn to outshoot the devil with his own bow, and
to cut off his head with his own sword, as David served Goliath, who
was a type of Satan?
QUESTION. O how should a poor soul do this? This is rare indeed.
ANSWER. Why, truly thus: Doth Satan tell thee thou prayest but
faintly, and with very cold devotion? answer him thus, and say, I am
glad you told me, for this will make me trust the more to Christ's
prayers, and the less to my own; also I will endeavor henceforward
to groan, to sigh, and to be so fervent in my crying at the throne
of grace, that I will, if I can, make the heavens rattle again with
the mighty groans thereof. And whereas thou sayest that I am so weak
in believing, I am glad you remind me of it; I hope it will
henceforward stir me up to cry the more heartily to God for strong
faith, make me the more restless till I have it.
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