“Satan with ease puts fallacies upon us by his golden baits, and then he leads us and leaves us in a fool’s paradise.”

“To present the bait and hide the hook; to present the golden cup, and hide the poison; to present the sweet, the pleasure, and the profit that may flow in upon the soul by yielding to sin, and by hiding from the soul the wrath and the misery that will certainly follow the committing of [...]

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“Now morning being come, he looked back, not out of desire to return, but to see, by the light of the day, what hazards he had gone through in the dark. “

“When Christian had travelled in this disconsolate condition some considerable time, he thought he heard the voice of a man, as going before him, saying, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” [Ps. 23:4] Then he was glad, and that for [...]

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“His forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to try their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end; and as for the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their account…”

“CHRISTIAN. I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him; how, then, can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor? APOLLYON. Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back. CHRISTIAN. [...]

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October 17 – “As a mother is tenderest to the most diseased and weakest child, so does Christ most mercifully incline to the weakest. Likewise he puts an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support.”

“Christ will not break the bruised reed…FOR OURSELVES, 3. See the contrary disposition of Christ on the one hand and Satan and his instruments on the other. Satan sets upon us when we are weakest, as Simeon and Levi upon the Shechemites, `when they were sore’ (Gen. 34:25), but Christ will make up in us [...]

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October 16 – “Let this support us when we feel ourselves bruised. Christ’s way is first to wound, then to heal.”

“Christ will not break the bruised reed…FOR OURSELVES, 2. Let this support us when we feel ourselves bruised. Christ’s way is first to wound, then to heal. No sound, whole soul shall ever enter into heaven. Think when in temptation, Christ was tempted for me; according to my trials will be my graces and comforts. [...]

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October 10 – “…though you can not perceive the footsteps of the flock, in the way of your affliction, you must not therefore conclude that you are the first that ever traveled that road.”

“Case 8. ‘The AFFLICTIONS I meet with are strange and unusual. I doubt if ever a child of God was tried with such dispensations of providence as I am.’ Answer. Much of what was said on the preceding case, may be helpful in this. Holy Job was assaulted with this temptation, Job 5:1, ‘To which [...]

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October 9 – “To yield to the temptation, is as unreasonable as for a child to dispute away his relation to his father, because he is not of the same stature with his elder brethren.”

“Case 6. ‘I see myself fall so far short of the saints mentioned in the Scriptures, and of several excellent people of my own acquaintance, that, when I look on them, I can hardly look on myself as one of the same family with them.’ Answer. It is, indeed, matter of humiliation, that we do [...]

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October 7 – “Sin is not quite dead in the regenerate soul; it is but dying, and dying a lingering death, being crucified: no wonder there are great fightings, when it is sick at the heart, and death is at the door.”

“Case 3. “I find the motions of sin in my heart more violent since the Lord began his work on my soul, than they were before that time. Can this consist with a change of my nature?” Answer. Dreadful is the case of many, who, after God has had a remarkable dealing with their souls, [...]

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September 13 – “Good men seek peace for grace sake; but wicked men and hypocrites, seek grace for peace sake.”

“O Lord, I am one of those wearied souls ; wearied with my temptations, wearied with inward trouble ; now, Lord, speak a word in due season to this poor, wounded, and wearied soul. Thus go to Christ. Only in your addresses to Christ, be sure that ye go in uprightness. Take heed that you [...]

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August 23 – “To be tempted involves no special humiliation for us, because we are antecedently humiliated by the presence of sin in our hearts…”

“…the temptation had to carry in itself for Jesus an element of suffering and humiliation on our behalf, and not merely the exertion of a strenuous will for obedience. Here again there is a difference between Jesus’ temptations and ours. To be tempted involves no special humiliation for us, because we are antecedently humiliated by [...]

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August 21 – “…my soul does most admire that of the Spirit in preserving the seed and principle of holiness in us…”

“Among all the glorious works of God next to that of redemption by Christ Jesus, my soul does most admire that of the Spirit in preserving the seed and principle of holiness in us, as a spark of living fire in the midst of the ocean, against all corruptions and temptations.” John Owen. I have [...]

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August 18 – “…and yet without tribulations and temptations we can now no more grow than herbs or corn without rain.”

“Suffer we must; ere we were born, God decreed it; and it is easier to complain of his decree than to change it. It is true, terrors of conscience cast us down; and yet without terrors of conscience we cannot be raised us again; fears and doubtings shake us; and yet without fear and doubtings [...]

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August 15 – “The Devil is but God’s master-fencer, to teach us how to handle our weapons.”

“I find it most true, that the greatest temptation out of hell is to live without temptations. If my waters would stand, they would rot. Faith is the better for the free air and the sharp winter storm in its face. Grace withereth without adversity. The devil is but God’s master-fencer, to teach us how [...]

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Temptation and the gospel

“Few are exempt from the fiery darts of the adversary. Our Lord Himself was not. Many, peculiar and great are Satan’s temptations. They are often those which touch the very vitals of the gospel, which attempt to undermine the believer’s faith in the fundamentals of Christianity, and which affect his own personal interest in the covenant of grace.”  [...]

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