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were worsted in many fights, but were never overcome in a set war; at the long run, they overcame all their enemies: though a Christian may be worsted by Satan in some particular skirmishes, yet at the long run he is sure of an honourable conquest. God puts a great deal of honour upon a poor soul, when he brings him into the open field to fight it out with Satan; by fighting he overcomes, he gains the victory, he triumphs over Satan, and leads captivity captive. Augustine gives this reason why God permitted Adam at first to be tempted, viz. That he might have had the more glory in resisting and withstanding Satan's temptation: it is the glory of a Christian to be made strong to resist, and to have his resistance crowned with a happy conquest.

6. By temptations the Lord will make his people more frequent and more abundant in the work of prayer: every temptation proves a strong alarm to prayer. When Paul was in the school of temptation, he prayed thrice, that is, often days of temptation are days of great supplication. Christians usually pray most when they are tempted most; they are most busy with God, when Satan is most busy with them; a Christian is most upon his knees, when Satan stands most at his elbow.

Augustine was a man much tempted, and a man much in prayer. Holy prayer, saith he, is a shelter to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to the devil.

Luther was a man under manifold temptations, and a man much in prayer; he is said to have spent three hours every day in prayer; he used to say, That prayer was the best book in his study.

Chrysostom was much in the school of temptation, and delighted much in prayer. Oh, saith he, it is more bitter than death to be spoiled of prayer; and hereupon (as he observes) Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life, than to lose his prayer. But,

7. By temptations the Lord will make his people more and more conformable to the image of his Son. Christ was much tempted, he was often in the school of temptation; and the more a Christian is tempted, the more into the likeness of Christ he will be transformed. Of all men in the world, tempted souls do most resemble Christ to the life, in meekness, lowliness, holiness, heavenliness, &c. The image of Christ is most fairly stamped upon tempted souls; tempted souls are much in looking up to Jesus; and every gracious look upon Christ changes the soul more and more into the image of Christ, Heb. xii. 1, 2. 2 Cor. iii. 18. Heb. ii. 17, 18. Temp-. ted souls experience much of the succourings of Christ; and the more they experience the sweet of the succourings of Christ, the more they grow up into the likeness of Christ : temptations are the tools by which the Father of spirits doth more and more carve, form,

and fashion his precious saints into the similitude and likeness of his dearest Son.

8. Lastly, (take many things in one,) God by temptations make sin more hateful, and the world less delightful, and relations less hurtful. By temptations God discovers to us our own weakness, and the creatures insufficiency in the hour of temptation to help us, or to succour us; by temptations God will brighten our Christian armour, and make us stand more upon our Christian watch, and keep us closer to a succouring Christ; by temptations the Lord will make his ordinances to be more highly prized, and heaven to be more earnestly desired. Now, seeing that temptations shall work so eminently for the saints' good, why should not christians bemute and silent, why should they not hold their peace, and lay their hands upon their mouths, though their afflictions are attended with great temptations?

Object. 8. Oh! but God hath deserted me he hath forsaken me; and he that should comfort my soul, stands afar off, how can I be silent? The Lord bath bid bis face from me; clouds are gathered about me; God hath turned his back upon me, can I hold my peace?

how

Supposing that the desertion is real, and not in appearance only, as sometimes it falls out, I answer,

1. It hath been the common lot, portion, and condition of the choicest saints in this world, to be deserted and forsaken of God, Psal. xxx. 6, 7. Psal. lxxvii. and lxxxviii

Job xxiii. 8, 9. Cant. iii. 1, 2, 3. chap. v. 6, 7. Isa. viii. 17. Micah vii. 7, 8, 9. If God deals no worse with thee, than he hath dealt with his most bosom-friends, with his choicest jewels, thou hast no reason to complain. But,

2. God's forsaking of thee is only partial, it is not total. God may forsake his people in part, but he never wholly forsakes them; he may forsake them in respect of his quickening presence, and in respect of his comforting presence, but he never forsakes them in respect of his supporting presence, 2.Cor. xii. 9. " My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Psal. xxxvii. 23, 24. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." God's supporting hand of grace is still under his people, Psal. Ixiii 8. "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me." Christ hath always one hand to uphold his people, and another hand to embrace them, Cant. ii. 16. The everlasting arms of God are always under neath his people, Deut. xxxiii. 27. And this the saints have always found, witness David, Heman, Asaph, Job, &c.

Geographers write, that the city of Syra cuse in Sicily, is so curiously situated, that the sun is never out of sight. Though the children of God sometimes are under some * As the nurse upholds the little child, &c,

clouds of afflictions, yet the sun of mercy, the Sun of righteousness, is never quite out of sight. But,

But

3. Though God hath forsaken thee, yet his love abides and continues constant to thee. He loves thee with an everlasting love, Jer. xxxi. 3. "Where he loves, he loves to the end, John xiii. 1. Isa. xlix. 14, 15, 16. "But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." was not Zion mistaken? Yes. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me*." Look as persons engrave the mark, name, or picture of those whom they dearly love, and entirely affect, upon some stone that they wear at their breasts, or upon some ring that they wear on their finger; so hath God engraven Zion upon the palms of his hands; she was still in his eye, and always dear to his heart, though she thought not so.

As Joseph's heart was full of love to his brethren, even then when he spake roughly to them, and withdrew himself from them, (for he was fain to go aside, and ease his heart by weeping;) so the heart of God is full of love to his people, even then when he seems to

*The very Heathen hath observed, that God doth not love his children with a weak affection, but with a strong masculine love. Sen.

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