searched into the Common places and uses of my corruptions in nature and practice;
of my comforts against the burthens of my daily infirmities; of establishing my heart
against the fear of falling away; of directions in my calling; of comforts against
outward crosses; of my priviledges in Christ above all the wicked in the world.” He
also describes the other occasion from the previous day, “[i]n the former part of this
day I exercised the life of Faith, when the Lord strengthened me to act Faith on
severall Promises, both temporal, spiritual, and eternal. I had then sweet, refreshing,
and encouraging impressions on my soul against all the fearful, sinful, and doubting
dreams I had the night or two before dreamed.”^92 Ambrose provides no indication
from his earlier entries of the cause for these “doubting dreams” but does affirm that
God strengthened and removed his doubts. Additionally he confesses, mostly likely
from his own experiences, that “the best cure and remedy of doubtings, is to perfect
and strengthen our assurance.”^93 Unlike Shepard and Wallington who struggled for
years to attain assurance Ambrose appears to have experienced it sooner.
It is often difficult to accurately ascertain the placement of these temptations
since there is some overlap of categories. In one sense this is reflective of the
principle of simultaneity already discussed. Ambrose realized the same challenge
when he declared, that the devil “hath his aydes, these are led under the conduct of
those two Captain-Generals, the World and the Flesh.”^94 Further, since the devil
commonly works through the flesh this serves as a helpful bridge to the next category
of struggle. Once again while on retreat, Ambrose experienced the torments of the
tempter. On May 25, 1646 he recorded this battle, “[t]he Lord opened a poor
creatures eye, to see in some measure the depths of Satan, and deceitfulness of his
92
93 Ambrose, Media (1657), 89.^
94 Ambrose, Ambrose, MediaWar with Devils (1657), 211., 16.^