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wanton, out of Christ, and thy temptations fall heavily upon thee; the Lord knows, thou art all alone in the time of thy temptations: oh! but get into Jesus Christ, get into Jesus Christ, to be in the number of Christ's true disciples; and when thou art tempted, the Lord prays for thee; yea, and the love and mercy of Christ is never more at work for thee, than when thou art most tempted, and assaulted by Satan. What a mighty encouragement is here to all that hear the word of the Lord, to get into Jesus Christ!

But if I be godly; and all this be true: Why should I question the love of God towards me in the time of my temptation? Beloved! ye know in your experience, ye are never more apt for to question the love of Christ, than in temptation; and yet Christ's love is never more at work for you than in temptation. Oh! what an unworthy answering of Christ's love is here!

Again, If I be godly: Why should not I be contented, and quiet under all my temptations, though they be never so great? Christ prayeth for me, Christ's love is most at work now I am most assaulted, his bowels then yearn towards me.

Yea, If I be godly: Why should I not with Paul, triumph over all temptations? and make my boast of Christ, and say as he did "Now know I that nothing shall separate me from the love of God in Christ;" not principalities, nor powers, nor devils, nor temptation; for when I am most tempted, Christ is most at work in love for me.

Yea, beloved in the Lord, why should we not all warm our hearts with this love of Jesus Christ? it is a mercy that the Lord Christ will cast but an eye or a look upon a poor soul under temptation; that is a mercy: aye, but I tell ye more than so; Christ does not only cast an eye and a look upon a poor tempted soul, but his love and mercy is never more at work than when you are most assaulted and tempted by Satan: ah, what grace and heart-warming love is here!

If I be godly, again, upon this account, why should I give over so soon, and lay down my weapon in time of temptation? If a city be beleaguered, besieged, and know that help will come, they will not give over. And though I am thus besieged, and thus tempted, help will certainly come, for Christ hath prayed; why should I give over then in time of temptation?

And if these things be so, if there be so much love in the heart of Christ towards poor tempted souls: then, beloved, should we not all run to Christ in the time and hour of our temptation, run unto him by prayer?

It may be there are some that will say, If Christ pray for us in time of temptation, what need we pray?

But, I answer, pray look into this chapter, and you will find our Saviour carries it otherwise. In the text, says he,

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." At the 46th verse, says he, "Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." So that, though he had said that he prayed for them, yet he calls upon them also to pray. It is good praying, my beloved, when mercy is coming: and mercy is then coming when Christ is praying; and when you are most tempted, then Christ is at prayer.

But to end all. Whatever your temptations, therefore, be, you that are the servants of God, still think ye hear Christ saying to ye, Man, woman, be of good comfort, I have prayed for you: though thy temptations be very great, I have prayed for thee though thou canst not pray for thyself as thou wouldest, I have prayed for thee: when flesh fails, and eyes fail, and heart fails, and all fails, yet remember this, Christ prayeth for you, in the time of your temptation Christ prayeth for you think that ye hear Christ speaking to ye in the time of your temptation, for certainly he does it as well to his disciples now, as he did to his disciples then, he does speak and say, Be of good comfort, man or woman, though thy temptations be great, yet I have prayed for thee, and thy faith shall not fail.

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