on the other side; now, either you must commit this sin, or else you must endure this cross, or affliction: Nay then, says a true disciple, rather than I will commit that sin, I will endure this affliction; and so he takes up his cross. Thirdly, He does also follow Christ. Some there are, that having suffered for the name, and cause of Christ, they then grow proud of their sufferings, and they fall into foul miscarriages; but a true disciple of Christ, when he hath taken up the cross, he follows Christ: now properly a man is said to follow Christ, when he does do those things at Christ's command, wherein Christ does differ from others. As now a man is said to follow Luther, when he does follow him in those things wherein he differs from Calvin; a man follows Calvin, when he does follow him in those things wherein he differs from Luther. So a man is said to follow Christ, when he follows him in those things wherein he differs from others. There are some things, wherein Christ and nature do agree: nature says, That a man must do by another, as he would be dealt by himself; herein Christ and nature agree. But Christ says, "A new commandment give I unto ye, that ye love one another, as I have loved you:" here Christ differs from nature. Nature teaches a man that there is a God, and that God is to be prayed unto; and that a man is to pray for his friends: but now Christ says, "Pray for your enemies." I say, a man is properly said for to follow Christ, when he follows him in that wherein Christ differs from others. Now whosoever thou art that makes this objection, that thou art not a disciple of Jesus Christ, and therefore he does not pray for thee in the time of thy temptation; I appeal to ye: Are ye not willing to take up your cross? rather to endure that affliction, than commit this sin? do ye not set yourself to deny yourself, your pleasures, recreations, relations, and all for Christ? And do ye not desire to follow Jesus Christ in those things wherein he does differ from Anti-Christ, and from nature, and from Moses? then surely, thou art a disciple of Jesus Christ. But besides this, our Saviour tells us in the xviith of John, that he did not only pray for those his present disciples; but, says he, " I pray for all that shall believe on me through their word," verse the 20th. What is it to believe on Christ? To rest upon Christ for life and glory in the time of our temptation; this is to believe on Christ. Now in the time of your temptation, do not ye rest on Christ? do not ye rely on Christ? then Christ hath prayed for ye. And though thou art in such a temptation, as thou complainest, thou canst not pray, yet the Lord Jesus Christ hath prayed for thee and he is heard in all that he prayed for. But I fear, will some say yet, that the Lord Jesus Christ does not pray, or intercede for me in the time of my temptation, because my faith fails me; oh! my faith hath failed me in the time of temptation. Did Christ pray for me my faith would not fail, for he is heard in all that he prays for; but oh! my faith fails in time of temptation, and therefore I fear that this love and mercy of Christ is not at work for me in the time of my temptation. Aye, but did not For answer, first, There is a great deal of difference between the failing of your faith and the failing of your heart. Possibly your heart may fail in time of temptation, and yet not your faith. Look I pray into the lxxiiird Psalm, the 26th verse, and you shall find as much. Says the Psalmist there, "My flesh and my heart faileth." his faith fail now? See what he says; his faith stands notwithstanding this: "But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." Here is his faith. So that though his flesh failed, and his heart failed, yet his faith did not fail. There is a great deal of difference between a recoiling fit of a heart-failing in time of temptation, and the failing of one's faith. Secondly, It is one thing for you to fail in your faith in your own opinion, and another thing for your faith to fail in the opinion of Jesus Christ. When Peter denied his Lord and Master, in his own opinion he could not but think that his faith failed; and yet in the opinion of Jesus Christ his faith did not fail, for Christ prayed that his faith should not fail; and it did not fail, for Christ was heard in what he prayed for. Thirdly, There is a great deal of difference between the failing of faith, and failings that do accompany faith. The poor woman that came to Christ and touched the hem of his garment, failed very much, for she came behind him and thought to have stolen a cure: aye, but, though there were many failings that did accompany her faith, yet her faith did not fail, for she came and touched the hem of his garment, and was cured by her faith. So I say there is a great deal of difference between the failing of faith, and the failings that do accompany faith; there may be many failings that do accompany one's faith, and yet one's faith may stand and not fail. you But yet further, whosoever you are, that say your faith fails you, and therefore are afraid that Christ prays not for you: man or woman, did thy faith ever fail thee like Peter's? Didst thou ever deny thy Lord and Master as Peter did? and yet Christ said, " I have prayed that thy faith fail not," and he was heard in the thing that he prayed for. Oh! but, that was but one act in Peter; but my faith doth constantly fail; Peter denied, and his faith failed in the exercise as to one act, but my faith doth constantly fail in time of temptation: I was heretofore more able to believe in the time of my temptation than now I am; my faith is failed, and it constantly fails, and therefore I fear that the Lord Christ will not pray for me in the time of my temptation. Well, but if you be more able to rely upon mere free grace, than ye have been heretofore, then your faith is not less, but, increased rather. If you be now more able to be contented with your condition, than you were heretofore; if you can let God and Christ alone, to use his own means about if you; you can leave the events and successes of things, more unto God than you could heretofore; then your faith is not failed, but rather increased. Man or woman, if that you are able now to take those hints of a word which you could not heretofore; if your judgment be more settled in the truth; if you be more contented to suffer now for the cause, and the way of God than you were heretofore: then thy faith is not failed, but thy faith is increased rather, and so thou comest within the compass of the Lord Christ's prayer. Oh! but yet, will some say, I have sinned greatly, very much; I have been a great sinner; and therefore I fear, that the Lord Jesus Christ will let me alone to wrestle with my temptations all alone, and will not pray and intercede for me in the time and hour of my temptation. N Well, I must yet say again to you: Hast thou sinned more than this Peter did, when he denied his Lord and Master? Yet Christ prayed for him, and his prayer took and prevailed. Have you sinned more than Jerusalem did? "Oh Jerusalem, thou that stonest the prophets," says Christ, when they put him to death. And yet if you look into the ist of the Acts, you shall find, that Christ after his resurrection, bids his disciples for to stay and wait at Jerusalem, and not stir from thence; and preach the gospel, and mercy, and free-grace in Jerusalem. Hast thou, man or woman, that makest this objection, sinned more than those did that put Christ to death? that run him into his body with a spear? that nailed him upon the cross? hast thou sinned more than these? Ye know our Lord and Saviour when he was upon the cross, he prayed for them; oh!" Father forgive them, they know not what they do." But, Lord, these are thine opposers, these are persecutors, and they persecute thee to death. Well, be it so, says Christ, I know what I do, and I know whom I pray for: "Father forgive them, they know not what they do." Oh! what grace, and mercy, and love are here! Comfort, yea, comfort unto all the disciples of Jesus Christ: when ye are in temptation, the Lord Christ is at prayer for you. And remember the doctrine; never is his love and mercy more at work for ye, than when Satan is most busy about ye, to tempt ye most. What comfort is here! This was that, in part, that comforted the martyrs in the primitive times, ye read of very great comforts that the martyrs had in the primitive times, those times next after Christ: I have desired to consider, what it was especially, that bore up their hearts under all those persecutions. And Turtullian, pitches úpon this as one thing: We consider, says he, the case of Peter; Satan desired to winnow him; Christ prayed for him. Here were, says Turtullian, two requests before God the Father: one was the request of Satan: and another was the request of Christ. Now the Son having more credit with God the Father than Satan, his request must needs prevail: so, says he, Satan hath desired for to tempt, and to winnow us, and persecute us; but the Lord Jesus Christ hath requested for us there are two requests before God the Father; there is Satan's request to winnow us; and there is the Son's request praying for us: now therefore, seeing that the Son hath more credit with God the Father than Satan, therefore are we assured that we shall be upheld, and our faith shall not fail. And so may you also. This is matter of great comfort unto all the saints. You will say, Indeed it is matter of great comfort: but is there no duty that this truth calls for at our hands? Here is much comfort, but what is that duty that this truth calls for ? I answer, Much every way. If I be an ungodly man; what a mighty encouragement is here for to get into Jesus Christ, that I may be in the number of the true disciples. So long as a man is out of Christ, not a true disciple of Jesus Christ; Satan may come and tempt, and do what he will with him, and no Christ by to help. Satan could not hurt, or touch, or tempt Job, but he must ask leave: but Satan went to the Sabeans, and brought in them upon Job's estate, and and he did not ask leave for that, they were in his power, he ruleth in the children of disobedience. Daniel was in the lions' den, and they devoured him not, their mouths were stopped, and they could not hurt him: but when the enemies were thrown in to the lions, they cracked, and crushed their bones before they came to the ground. If a godly man, one that is a true disciple of Jesus Christ, if he be in a den, with these lions, devils, their mouths shall be stopped, they shall not swallow him. But oh! for wicked men that are not in Christ, these lions, they crush their bones, every day they crush their bones and a wicked man may say as Saul did, "The Philistines are upon me, and God is departed from me." So a wicked man, that is not in Christ, he may cry out and say, oh! temptations are upon me, and Christ is departed from me, I have none of Christ to help me as for the saints, and those that are true disciples of Jesus Christ, they have Christ at hand, though they fall, Christ is by for to help them up. And Christ himself measures out all their temptations, and Christ assists them, and helps them, but oh! as for me, I am all alone in my temptations, I, poor soul, am all alone in my temptations: ah! who would be a drunkard still? who would be a swearer still; who would be an unclean wanton still? who would be a liar, and a thievish servant still? let me tell ye, that while ye go on in these sins, you are out of Christ: poor soul, a swearer, a drunkard, a common liar, a sabbath breaker, a : |