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and therefore how can I be silent? How can I hold my peace, now I am fallen under manifold temptations ?" To this I answer,

1. No man is the less beloved because he is tempted, Eph. vi. 12. nay, those that God loves best, are usually tempted most; witness David, Job, Joshua, Peter, Paul; yea, and Christ himself, Matth. iv. who as he was beloved above all others, so he was tempted above all others. He was tempted to question his Sonship, he was tempted to the worst idolatry, even to worship the devil himself; to the greatest infidelity, to distrust his Father's providence, and to use unlawful means for necessary supplies; and to self-murder, Cast thyself down, &c. Those that were once glorious on earth, and are now triumphing in heaven, have been sorely tempted and assaulted; it is as natural and common for the chiocest saints to be tempted, as it is for the sun to shine, the bird to fly, the fire to burn.* The eagle complains not of her wings, nor the peacock of his train, nor the nightingale of her voice, because these are naturalto them; no more should saints of their temptations, because they are natural to them. Our whole life, saith Austin, is nothing but a temptation; the best men have been worst tempted; there fore hold thy peace.

2. Temptation resisted and bewailed, will never hurt you, nor harm you; distasted temptations seldom or never prevail; so long

* I am without, set upon by all the world; and within, by the devil, and all his angels, mith Luther.

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as the soul distates them, and the will remains firmly averse against them, they can do no shurt so long as the language of the soul is, Get thee behind me, Satan, Matth. xvi. 23. the soul is safe. It is not Satan's tempting, but my assenting; it is not his enticing, but my -yielding that mischieves me: temptations may be troubles to my mind, but they are not sins upon my soul, whilst I am in arms against them. If thy heart trembles, and thy flesh quakes when Satan tempts, thy condition is good enough; if Satan's temptations be thy greatest afflictions, his temptations shall never -worst thee, nor harm thee; and, therefore, if this be thy case, hold thy peace.

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33. Temptations are rather hopeful evidences that thy estate is good, that thou art dear to God, and that it shall go well with thee for ever, than otherwise. God had but one Son without corruption, Heb. ii. 17, 18. but he had none without temptation. Pirates make the fiercest assaults upon those vessels that are most richly laden: so doth Satan upon those souls that are most richly laden with the treasures of grace,, with the riches of glory. Pirates let empty vessels pass and repass without assaulting them: so doth Satan let souls that are empty of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, of grace, pass and repass without tempting or assaulting of them. When nothing will satisfy the soul, but a full departure out of Egypt, from the bondage and slavery of sin, Exod. xiv. 6. and that the soul is firmly resolved upon a march for Canaan, than Satan,

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Pharaoh-like, will furiously pursue after the soul with horses and chariots, that is, with a whole army of temptations. Well, a tempted soul, when it is at worst with him, may safely argue thus, If God were not my friend, Satan would not be so much my ener my; if there were not something of God within me, Satan would never make such attempts to storm me; if the love of God were not set upon me, Satan would never shoot so many fiery darts to wound me; if the heart of God were not towards me, the hand of Satan would not be so strong against me. When Beza was tempted, he made this answer, Whatsoever I was, Satan, I am now in Christ, a new creature, and that is it which troubles thee; I might have so continued long enough, ere thou wouldst have vexed at it; but now I see thou dost envy me the grace of my Saviour. Satan's malice to tempt, is not sufficient ground for a Christian to dispute God's love upon; if it were, there is no saint on earth that should quietly possess divine favour a week, a day, an hour, The jailor is quiet, when his prisoner is in bolts; but if he be e scaped, then he pursues him with hue and cry; you know how to apply it. Men hate not the picture of a toad, the wolf flies not upon a painted sheep; no more doth Satan upon those he hath in chains: therefore hold thy peace, though thou art inwardly tempted, as well as outwardly afflicted.

Israel going into Egypt, had no opposition; but tra velling into Canann, they were never free.

4. Whilst Satan is tempting of thee, Christ in the court of glory is interceding for thee, Luke xxii. 31, 32. And the Lord said, Si mon, 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." Satan would fain have been shaking of him up and down, as wheat is shaken in a fan; but Christ's intercession frustrates Satan's designed temptations. Whenever Satan stands at our elbow to tempt us, Christ stands at his Father's to intercede for us, Heb. vii. 25. He ever lives to make intercession. Some of the learned think, that Christ intercedes only by virtue of his merits; others think, that it is done only with his mouth: probably it may be done both ways, the rather because he hath a tongue, as also a whole glorified body, in heaven; and is it likely, that that mouth which pleaded so much for us on earth, should be altogether silent for us in heaven? Christ is a person of the highest honour, he is the greatest favourite in the court of heaven, he always stands between us and danger; if there be any evil plotted or designed against us by Satan (the great accuser of the brethren,) he foresees it, and by his intercession prevents it. When Satan puts in his pleas, and commences suit upon suit against us, Christ still undertakes our cause, he answers all his pleas, and non-suits Satan at every turn, and in despite of hell he keeps us up in divine favour. When Satan pleads, Lord, here are such and such sins that thy children have committed, and

here are such and such duties, that they have omitted, and here are such and such mercies; that they have not improved, and here are such and such ordinances that they have slighted, and here are such and such motions of the Spirit which they have quenched; divine justice answers, All this is true: but Christ hath appeared on their behalf, he hath pleaded their cause, he hath fully and fairly answered whatever hath been objected and given complete satisfaction to the utmost farthing. So that here is no accusation nor condemnation that can stand in force against them; upon which account the apostle triumphs in that, Rom. viii. 34. "Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again; who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Christ's intercession should be the soul's anchor-hold in time of temptation: in the day of thy temptation, thou needest not be disturbed nor disquieted, but in peace, and patience possess thine own soul, considering what a friend thou hast in the court of glory, and how he is most active for thee, when Satan is most busy in tempting of thee.

5. Lastly, All temptations that the saints meet with, shall work much for their good, they shall be much for their gain; the profit and advantage that will redound to tempted souls by all their temptations, is very great.

Saith Christ, Lord, Here is wisdom for their folly, humility for their pride, heavenliness for their earthliness, Holiness for their wickedness, &c,

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