IV. Things in themselves _Allowable_ and _Convenient_, are oftentimes

turned into sore _Temptations_ by the Devil. He press'd our Lord unto the mak[55]ing of _Bread;_ Why, that very thing was afterwards done by our Lord, in the Miracles of the _Loaves;_ and yet it is now a motion of the _Devil, Pray, make thy self a little Bread_. The Devil will frequently put men by, from the doing of a _seasonable Duty;_ but how? Truly by putting us upon another _Duty_, which may be at that juncture a most _Unseasonable_ Thing. It is said in Eccl. 8. 5. _A Wise Mans heart discerns both Time and Judgment._ The _Ill-Timing_ of good Things, is One of the chief Intregues, which the Devil has to Prosecute. The Devil himself, will Egg us on to many a _Duty;_ and why so? But because at that very Time a more proper and Useful Duty, will have a _Supersedeas_ given thereunto. And, thus there are many Things, whereof we can say, though no more than this, yet so much as this, _They are Lawful ones_, by which Lawful Things----_Perimus Omnes_. Where shall we find that the Devil has laid our most fatal Snares? Truly, our Snares are on the _Bed_, where it is _Lawful_ for us to Sleep; at the _Board_, where it is _Lawful_ for us to Sit; in the _Cup_, where 'tis _Lawful_ to Drink; and in the _Shops_, where we have _Lawful_ Business to do. The _Devil_ will decoy us, unto the utmost Edge of the _Liberty_ that is _Lawful_ for us; and then one Little push, hurries us into a Transgression against the Lord. And the _Devil_ by Inviting us to a _Lawful_ thing, at a wrong time for it, Layes us under further Entanglement of Guilt before God. 'Tis _Lawful_ for People to use Recreations; but in the Evening of the Lords Day, or the Morning of any Day, how Ensnaring are they! The _Devil_ then too commonly bears part in the Sport. If _Promiscuous Dancing_ were Lawful; though almost all the Christian Churches in the World, have made a Scandal of it; yet for Persons to go presently from a _Sermon_ to a _Dance_, is to do a thing, which Doubtless the _Devil_ makes good Earnings of.