'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — April 6

The greatest folly of the hearts of men is shown by a cursed boldness and neglect of the warnings of God, and before their very eyes they watch others run and put themselves under the power of temptation. All who do not seriously consider the danger of entering into temptation do not realize how poor their soul is and how strong the enemy. They walk over the slain who have fallen on this path without regard or trembling. But we are weakness itself with no power to withstand. If a castle or fort is very strong and well fortified, yet there is a traitor on the inside who is ready to betray at the first opportunity, that fort is not secure from the enemy. We have a traitor in our very heart, who is ready to unite against us. He will argue for us to give up in the assault; yea, he will solicit and bribe the temptation to do its work. Do not flatter yourself that you can hold out. There are secret lusts that lie dormant, lurking in your hearts, temporarily quiet, waiting for the opportunity of temptation to befall you. It will then rise, argue, cry, disquiet, and seduce, with perseverance, until either they are killed or satisfied. He that promises himself that the frame of his heart will be the same under the power of the temptation as it was before, will be woefully mistaken. He whose heart currently abhors the thoughts of a particular sin, will be powerfully inflamed towards it when he enters into temptation. All contrary reasonings and objections will be overpowered and silenced. He will deride his former fears, cast out his scruples, and condemn his former convictions. Little did Peter ever think he could so easily deny his Master. When the hour of temptation came, all resolutions were forgotten and all love to Christ was buried. The present temptation united with Peter's carnal fear and carried him away before it.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
John Owen, Works, VI:104-105
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