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surrection, to go and tell Peter he was risen:' I say, after all this slavish fears prevail upon him, and he basely dissembles, and plays the Jew with the Jews, and the Gentile with the Gentiles, to the seducing of Barnabas, &c. Gal. ii. 11, 12, 13.

God hath made even his dearest ones severely smart for their falls, as may be seen by his dealings with Sampson, Jehoshaphat, and Peter. Ah Lord! what a hard heart hath that man, who can see thee stripping and whipping thy dearest ones for their sins, and yet make nothing of returning to folly, &c.

CHAPTER VIII.

The eighth Device that Satan hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, is,

BY persuading them that their estate is not good, their hearts are not upright, their graces are not sound, because they are so followed, vexed, and tormented with temptations. It is his method, first to weary and vex the soul with temptations, and then he tempts the soul to think that it is not beloved, because it is so

tempted.* And by this stratagem he keeps many precious souls in a sad, doubting, and mourning temper many years, as many of the precious sons of Sion have found by woful experience, &c. Now the remedies against this device are these:

Remedy 1. Against this device of Satan, solemnly consider, that those that have been best and most beloved, have generally been most tempted. Though Satan can never rob a Christian of his crown, yet such is his malice, that he will therefore tempt, that he may spoil them of their comforts: such is his enmity to the Father, that the nearer and dearer any child is to him, the more will Satan trouble him, and vex him with temptations. Christ himself was most near and most dear, most innocent and most excellent, and yet none so much tempted as Christ. David was dearly beloved, and yet by Satan tempted to number the people. Job was highly praised by God himself, and yet much tempted, witness those mournful expressions that fell from his mouth, when he was wet to the skin. Peter was much prized by Christ, witness that choice

* He may so tempt as to make a saint weary of his life, Job x. 1. My soul is weary of my life."

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† Pirates do not use to set upon poor empty vessels; and beggars need not fear the thief. Those that have most of God, and are most rich in grace, shall be more set upon by Satan, who is the greatest and wisest pirate in the world.

testimony that Christ gave of his faith and happiness, and his shewing him his glory in the mount, and the eye of pity that he cast upon him after his fearful fall, and yet tempted by Satan, 'And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail thee not,' &c. Luke xxii. 31, 32.

Paul had the honour of being exalted as high as heaven, and of seeing that glory that could not be expressed; and yet he no sooner stepped out of heaven, but he was buffeted by Satan, 'lest he should be exalted above measure,' 2 Cor. xii. 2, 7. If these who were so really, and so eminently beloved of God, if these who have lived in heaven, and set their feet upon the stars, have been tempted, let no saints judge themselves not beloved, because they are tempted. It is as natural for saints to be tempted that are dearly beloved, as it is for the sun to shine, or a bird to sing. The eagle complains not of her wings, nor the peacock of his train, nor the nightingale of her voice, because these are natural to them; no more should saints of their temptations, because they are natural to them.* Eph. v. 12. For we wrestle not

Temptations may more properly be called accidental, than natural. "They proceed from the implacable enmity of Satan without, working upon our corrupt part within.The reason why the author stiles them natural, is, because they are common to ALL saints; none are exempt from them." D.

against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.'

Rem. 2. Consider, that all the temptations that befall the saints, shall be sanctified to them by a hand of love. Ah! the choice experiences that the saints attain to of the wisdom of God directing, (so to handle their spiritual weapons, their graces, as not only to resist, but to overcome) of the mercy and goodness of the Lord pardoning and succouring of them. And therefore saith Paul, I received the messenger of Satan for to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure,' 2 Cor. xii. 7. Twice in that verse he begins with it, and ends with it. If he had not been buffeted, who knows how his heart would have swelled? He might have been carried higher in conceit, than before he was in his ecstacy. Temptation is God's school, wherein he gives his people the sweetest and clearest discoveries of his love; a school wherein God teaches his people to be more frequent and fervent in duty.* When Paul was buffeted, then he prayed thrice, i. e. frequently and fervently. A school wherein God teaches his people to be more tender, meek, and compassionate to other poor tempted souls than ever; to see a greater evil in sin, a greater

*Luther said, "There were three things that made a preacher, Meditation, Prayer, and Temptation.

emptiness in the creature, and a greater need of Christ and free grace than ever; and to know that all temptations are but his goldsmiths, by which he will try and refine, and make them more bright. The issue of all temptations shall be to the good of the saints, as you may see by the temptations that Adam and Eve, Christ and David, Job, Peter and Paul, met with. Those hands of power and love, that bring light out of darkness, good out of evil, sweet out of bitter, life out of death, comfort out of sorrow, will bring great good to his people, out of all the temptations that come upon them.

Rem. 3. Wisely consider, that no temptations injure the saints, so long as they are resisted by them, and prove the greatest afflictions that can befall them. It is not Satan's tempting, but your assenting; not his enticing, but your yielding, that makes temptations hurtful to your souls. If the soul, when it is tempted, resist the temptation, and say with Christ, Get thee behind me Satan; and with that young convert, I am not the man that I was; or as Luther counsels all men to answer all temptations, with these words, I am a Christian: if a man's temptations be his greatest affliction, then is the temptation no sin upon his soul, though it be a trouble upon his mind. When a soul can look the Lord in the face, and say, Ah, Lord! I have many outward troubles upon me, I have lost many great and desirable mercies, and yet

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