The Narrated Puritan

Whoever therefore resolves to be God's servants, must make account to be his soldiers also; and whilst with Nehemiah's followers, with one hand they perform the works of their callings and Christianity, they must with the other hand hold their weapons to repel their spiritual enemies, who continually labor to hinder the Lords buildings: for no sooner do we become friends to God, but presently Satan assaults us.

Q 149, Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? This is the text from the Westminster Larger Catechism for the Chapel Library - William Gouge's name is attached as a representative of the entire assembly.

Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. This is the text from the Westminster Larger Catechism for the Chapel Library - William Gouge's name is attached as a representative of the entire assembly.

Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. This is the text from the Westminster Larger Catechism for the Chapel Library - William Gouge's name is attached as a representative of the entire assembly.

when we come down from looking at God's sovereignty to view the workings of the human heart, we see that there were certain instrumental causes which operated on the minds of the one, as there were certain instrumental causes which influenced the wills of the other. Those that "received Him not" were under the influence of certain workings. They knew nothing of divine sovereignty; they had no idea that what they said and did was according to God's "determinate counsel" (Act 2:23). Indoing what they did, they followed the bent of theirown minds; and thus they were seemingly left to theexercise of their own will, while God really orderedevery action, that it might be to His own glory.

Proposing sin as desirable Taking advantage of such seasons, indwelling sin proposes a specific sin as desirable, as exceeding satisfactory to the corrupt part of our affections. It gilds over88 the object by a thousand pretenses that it presents to corrupt lustings. This is the laying of a bait that the apostle in this verse evidently alludes to: "drawn away of his own lust, and enticed"

Mental sloth It is from the deceit of sin that the mind is spiritually slothful, by which it becomes negligent of this duty. The principal discharge of the mind's trust in this matter is expressed by "watching," which is the great caution that the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples in reference to all their dangers from sin and Satan. "I say unto all, Watch" (Mar 13:37). That is, use your utmost diligence and carefulness so that you are not surprised and entangled with temptations.