truth, or not own it: either that they should deny Christ, or that they should not own him. So he laboured to make Peter's faith to fail, by denying Christ. And therefore, he comes unto a poor soul and says, if you will go on in this it shall cost you a prison; can you lie and rot, and die in a prison? he rattles chains in the ears of a poor believer, and so labours to scare him away from his conscience, and from his faith, and from the truth and cause of God, and the good ways of Christ:

way,

How should we ward off this blow?

First, before the temptation comes, labour to possess your heart much, with the mercy, and privilege of suffering for the cause, truth, name, and way of Christ. To you it is given, not only to believe, but to suffer; it is a great gift: a suffering opportunity, and a suffering heart is a great gift from God. Is it not a great mercy to be conformable to Jesus Christ our Head? "For this cause (says Christ) came I into the world, that I might bear witness unto the truth.” Is it not a great mercy, to be confessed at the last day before all the world, angels and men? "He that confesses me before men, (says Christ) him will I confess before my Father," &c. Is it not a great mercy, to live and reign with Christ a thousand years? ye know that scripture; I shall not speak of the meaning of it now, but certainly, there is a great deal of glory promised there, living and reigning with Christ a thousand years: and the promise is made unto those that do acknowledge, and own the cause and truth of God, and Jesus Christ. Possess your heart much, with the privilege, and mercy, of bearing witness to the truth, the cause, and the good way of Christ before your temptation comes.

Secondly, If you would bear off the blow of this temptation; be sure that you look upon both sides of your suffering, or bearing witness to the truth, cause, or way of Christ: the dark side, and the light side; let them not be sundered. When the Lord calls for any of his people to suffer at any time for him, he does give them more strength than before, and he does give them more comfort and consolation, than they had before. Now Satan, comes forth and holds the suffering, he makes mention of the suffering; but he hides the strength, and the consolation. Either Satan holds forth the suffering alone; or else, if he do mention any strength, or

comfort that a gracious soul shall have in the suffering, it is but the same strength that he hath now, he does not speak of the strength he shall have then, and the great consolation that he shall have then when the suffering comes: and so these being parted, the suffering, and the consolation being parted, now our faith fails. Whenever therefore this temptation does come upon you, answer thus: Satan, here thou bringest the suffering before me, and causest that to come before me; but thou dost not tell me of the strength I shall have, and of the consolation I shall receive; Satan, I shall not have the strength I have now, nor the consolation I have now, but I shall have more strength then, when the suffering comes, and I shall have more consolation, when as the affliction comes than I had before. Keep these together, do not look only upon the one side of your suffering, and witness-bearing; but look upon both sides together, and thus you shall be able to stand, and ride out the storm of this temptation.

But you will say, We have heard of the several blows that Satan gives unto our faith unto the faith of reliance, unto the faith of assurance, and unto the faith of acknowledgement; how he labours to weaken all these our faiths, and how we should bear off all these blows: but there may be yet some temptation, possibly, that does not fall within the compass of these temptations: these directions are pointed against these particular temptations; but I have other temptations that does not fall within the compass of these, whereby Satan labours to weaken my faith, and to make my faith to fail: what general rules and directions may be given, by which a man should so walk, as that Satan may not make his faith to fail in the time of his temptation?

I answer, first: Before your temptation comes, while you are upon even ground; study, and look much into the Scripture, and into every corner, and nook thereof, as I may so speak, laying, and treasuring up promises and words suitable to every condition. Let the word of the Lord dwell in you richly; that so when a temptation comes, ye may have a word suitable at hand, and this will help ye to bear off the strength of the temptation when it comes.

Secondly, Either a particular word and promise does come unto ye, or it does not, in the time of your temptation.

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If it do come unto ye, take heed that ye do not measure yourselves, or your condition, by the warmth, and life, and enlargement of your heart, which ye have at the coming in of the word. And if a particular word or scripture, and promise do not come unto you in the time of your temptation; do not measure yourselves, and your condition, by the straitness, and deadness of your heart which you have at that time when a particular word does not come.

Thirdly, If temptation come, Look much unto the infirmities of Jesus Christ: not the sinful infirmities, for so he had none, but he had many other infirmities. And ye know what the spouse in the time of desertion says, in the book of the Canticles, "His left hand is under my head, and with his right hand he does embrace me." The right hand, is a hand of power; and the left hand, is a hand of weakness: and in the the time of desertion, and temptation, it is a great relief to a poor soul, to consider the infirmities of Jesus Christ; his left hand is under our head then. As when a man is enlarged in heart, it is good to consider of Christ's example, that so he may be humbled under his enlargement: so when a man is in desertion, or temptation, it is good for to think of Christ's infirmities, that so he may not be overwhelmed, or cast down too much.

Fourthly, If temptation do come, be sure of this, that ye do not conclude it is no temptation. Satan tempts, and then he tempts a man to think it is no temptation. So long as a poor soul thinks it is but a temptation, his heart is borne up with comfort, and he says, It is but a temptation, and it will be over shortly, and the Lord Jesus Christ will pity me, for it is but a temptation, and so his heart is borne up with comfort, waiting upon God: but if the devil can get a man so far, as to make him think it is no temptation, but worse than a temptation; then his heart fails, and his faith fails. Therefore, I beseech ye, if a temptation come, do not conclude it is no temptation, but say, oh ! it may be it is a temptation, and therefore, I will wait on God.

Fifthly, If temptation come, remember thine own soul of the ways of God with thee. God's ways, ye know, are in the deep, and his footsteps are not known; but as the heavens are greater than the earth, so are God's ways of mercy beyond our ways. Now therefore, if a dark temptation do come

upon ye, and ye see no way to get out, say, Oh but, my soul, remember God's ways are infinite, and his ways are beyond our ways; and though I see no way, God hath infinite ways, he walks over mulberry-trees, and his ways have been in the deep; and so it hath been all along with my soul, and therefore, now, O my soul, wait on God.

Sixthly, If temptation come, if Satan come, do you run to Christ; and look how Satan appears to you, so do you apply the attributes of Christ to you suitable to his temptation. Does Satan set a temptation to your breast? observe what temptation it is, and take an attribute of Christ suitable to that temptation, and set it to the breast of that temptation. For example: does Satan come and tempt as a serpent? Then remember, that Jesus Christ is the brazen Serpent. Does Satan come and present himself as a roaring lion? Now remember, that Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Does Satan come and present himself as an accuser? Now remember, that the Lord Jesus Christ is an Adcate. Beloved! in the time of temptation, ye are to run to Christ, that is true; but that is not all, but you are to observe how your temptation lies, and apply that attribute of Christ to your soul which is suitable to your temptation: do this, and your faith shall not fail in time of temptation.

Seventhly, and lastly, "Above all things, take the shield of faith." Take the shield of faith, that your faith may not fail: for, the way to believe, is to believe; the way to pray, is to pray; the way to hear, is to hear; the way to receive, is to receive; the way to perform duty, is to perform duty; the way to exercise grace, is to exercise grace. When temptation therefore does come upon thee, that thy faith may not fail, now stir up thyself to this work of faith, and to believe; and if ye believe that ye shall overcome, ye shall overcome; and if ye believe that that ye shall prevail against your temptations, ye shall prevail against your temptations. And, poor soul, if thou canst rely upon Christ, and believe that thou shalt be justified, thou shalt be justified; and if thou canst by faith rely upon the promise, the promise shall belong to thee. Wherefore, stir up yourselves now to believe when temptation comes. When ye have to deal with an enemy here among men, I do not say, believe ye shall overcome your enemy, and ye shall overcome: a man may be

lieve he shall overcome his outward enemy here in the field, and yet fall before him, and not overcome: but having to deal with this enemy, God's enemy, your father's enemy, and your enemy; believe ye shall overcome him, and ye shall

overcome him.

But shall we overcome him only if we believe?

Whoever thou art that speakest, or thinkest thus: dost thou make an only of believing? I tell thee, from the Lord, It is an harder thing to believe, than to keep all the commandments for there is something in nature towards the keeping of the ten commandments, but nothing in nature towards believing in Christ. And, poor soul, dost thou make an only of believing? thou dost not know what believing means but I say unto thee from the Lord, Believe that thou shalt overcome, and thou shalt overcome ; believe that thou shalt prevail against Satan, and thou shalt prevail against him; believe that thy sins shall be pardoned through Christ and rely upon him, and thy sins shall be pardoned. Whensoever therefore any temptation comes, oh! run to Christ, cry unto Christ, and rest upon Christ, and say, Lord, I do believe, help thou my unbelief.

Beloved in the Lord, ye have heard, that in all Satan's temptations, his great design is upon your faith, to weaken your faith: therefore, let it be all your design, in all your temptations, to strengthen your faith, and to look to your faith. Which that ye may do, think on all these things, and the Lord bless them to you.

SERMON V.

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 not.”—LUKE XXII. 31, 32.

THESE words, as ye have heard, acquaint us with a great temptation that was to come down upon Christ's disciples. Concerning which ye have here, the danger of the temptation: and the remedy against it. For the danger of the temptation, I have spoken already: and now come unto this 32nd verse," But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail