Christ was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin....Heb. iv. 15. View O, SAYS a soul in heaviness through manifold temptations, surely no one was ever tempted and tried like me! Paul answers to the contrary: "There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man."....1 Cor. x. 13. Is this any relief and support to you? If not, consider the text. 1st. Temptation was common to Christ, as man: he was tempted in all points like as we are. him beset by satan: see the hellish arts he practised upon him: he tempted him to the lust of the eye, to self-murder, to idolatry, to distrust God, to tempt God, yea, in ALL points, like as we are. You cannot feel a trial or temptation, but what Christ felt before you. Though he had no sin in his nature for satan to work upon, yet he doubtless felt all the assaults which the power and malice of hell could attack him with, yet without sin: therefore, temptations are not sins. 2d. Though as God, Christ knew all things intuitively, yet he could only as man have a feeling, experimental sense of the nature and power of temptations. 3d. This is very comfortable to his tried, tempted members; for he is "TOUCHED with a feeling of our infirmities." "Being tempted himself, he is able to succour them who are tempted."....Heb. ii. 18. O think of this under all your temptations and trials. What! did Christ feel all that I feel before me and for me? Had he the most quick sense and pungent feelings of temptation? And was all to this end, that he might be able to succour me? Think, O my soul, thy crowned head in glory feels for all his tempted members on earth. Consider Jesus, once a MAN as thou art, and now, as seeing thy poor, panting heart and labouring breast, bowed down with one temptation and another. Methinks one hears him say, thus it was with me when in the flesh: my heart yearns, my bowels move with tender compassion to that my brother in flesh: I am touched with a tender sympathy for him. Is it so? Then do not keep the devil's secrets. Does he tempt thee from day to day with some vile, filthy, cursed lust? Go and lay all in thine heart open to thy Lord: be neither afraid nor ashamed: Christ knows what sore temptations mean, for he has felt the same: confess the vile, abominable, hellish lusts and corruptions of thy nature. Remember, ever remember, Christ's blood is the fountain opened for sin, and uncleanness....Zech. xiii. 1. Temptations black beset my soul, My soul, be not dismay'd at this, Thy Lord did feel the same: Satan doth strive to mar thy peace, But Christ has conquer'd him. M. He wist not that the Lord was departed from him..... Judg. xvi. 20. WHAT do I read? Samson's name enrolled in the list of the ancient heroes of faith?....Heb. xi. 32. What! he who loved a harlot and was so blinded by his lust as to bring on himself the most dreadful evils, even unto his death? Yes. Grace reigned then: it reigns still, through the righteousness of Christ unto sinners. What! that they should continue in sin, because grace abounds? God forforbid! See the most awful evils it brought upon this man of God: behold in him how sin blinds the eyes, hardens the heart, and stupifies the conscience: think of this and tremble at the first approach of sin and lust. 1st. Samson's lust to a vile strumpet had so blinded his reason that he put his life in her hands three times; yet he could not see that she had no regard for him, but wanted to destroy him. Here is a judgment upon his lust: the Philistines put out his eyes. 2d. As he was fettered by his sin, a slave to his lusts, and did the devil's drudgery; the Philistines fettered him, put him into the prison-house, and made him grind there. 3d. The Lord, who is of purer eyes than to behold sin, added this judgment to the others, he departed from him: but Samson knew it not. Hence observe, 1st. That God doth not wink and connive at sin in his people; but he will most assuredly punish them for it. 2d. That the Lord may depart from a soul and he not be immediately sensible of it: but when, like Samson, he awakes out of his sleep, and says, "I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself," O alas! he finds his spiritual power and strength gone: no sweet communion with his dear Lord as heretofore: no precious lifts from his Spirit: no inward testimonies of his love and gentle whispers of peace to his soul. He prays, but it is with the lips only; the power of prayer is departed from the heart: he goes from ordinance to ordinance, but he finds not his Lord in them; all is dry formality, dreary and uncomfortable. But, O joyful! Samson's locks began to grow again: the Spirit of the Lord returned to him once more: he prays, "O Lord God, remember me and strengthen me, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” "Lord remember me," was the thief's prayer on the cross. Never forget the gracious answer. If you can but find a heart to pray to Jesus to be revenged upon your cursed lusts, he saith, "Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings."....Jer. iii. 22. The Lord still waits to shew his grace, 'Tis this revives the dying spark And save returning souls from hell: Tho' we offend him to his face, God's love in Christ's immutable. Of hope, in a poor sinner's breast, Turns him from sin's most cursed work To Jesus, for his promis'd rest. M. Behold I have erred exceedingly....1 Sam. xxvi. 21. I HAVE selected this text for a peculiar purpose....At the close of the meditation shall assign the reason. In this chapter we have an account of the heroic act of David's faith in the Lord, his invincible courage, and his amazing tenderness towards Saul his enraged enemy, by which he melted his heart and overcame his cruel wrath. Let us view his conduct, and pray for grace to improve from it. 1st. View his faith. Here was Saul, with three thousand chosen men, in pursuit of David, thirsting for his blood: they were at a very small distance from him. Behold, David proposes to go to Saul's camp in the dead of the night, and asks, “Who will go down with me?" Does not this seem to the eye of carnal reason to be a most rash and dangerous attempt? Though it were at midnight, though they might be fallen into a dead sleep, yet out of such a number of men, one or more might awake and seize on David. Surely, it was going into the very jaws of death; but David's faith surmounted his fears: his trust in his God got the better of his carnal suggestions. O precious gift of precious faith! Precious Lord, increase it in our souls. Abishai consents to go with him; they pass the king's lifeguards; come into Saul's camp: for behold, they were all like dead David and Abishai converse together: not a man hears or stirs. Why was this? How can we account for it? Why? "because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them." O, my soul, learn courage from hence. When Giant Despair attempted to pursue the pilgrims, he was seized with his fits. All thy enemies are under thy Lord's power; he can cast all into a deep sleep or into the long sleep of death; and he will, sooner than thou shalt perish by them. Up faith....down sense....away with all carnal reasonings : March on, nor fear to win the day, men. Tho' death and hell obstruct the way. Now, 2d. See how David's faith wrought by his works. When they got safe into the camp, Saul lay sleeping, and his spear stuck into the ground at his head: now for a strong temptation. Abishai said to David, "God hath delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day; let me smite him, I pray thee, with this spear to the earth at once, I will not smite him a second time." See this specious reasoning. 1st. He begins with God, who had delivered Saul into David's hands. 2d. Here was a fair opportunity to revenge himself of his cruel enemy and put an end to his troubles. And, 3d. He promises to do it effectually, at a stroke. Now, who but a man after God's own heart could have withstood this? But David had a better way to kill his rage and save his life. Here see an heroic act of of faith working by love and producing an unshaken obedience to God: he durst not stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed. See how conspicuous the grace of God shines in this Old-Testament saint. O blush ye, who make David's faith as nothing compared to the faith of a christian! 3d. See the effects of David's conduct : he carried away Saul's spear and cruse from under his head, and upbraids the captain of his host for not watching over his royal master. Saul hears of the affair, and cries out, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" Struck with David's fine reasoning; melted down at his noble, generous conduct; and doubtless recollecting this was the second time his life was in David's hands, when he cuts off the skirts of his robe in the cave....1 Sam. xxiv. 4....Saul replies, "Behold, I have played the fool, and erred exceedingly." O see hence, that faith works by love and patience: this will overcome, when wrath and resentment only add fuel to an enemy's rage. May we not all take up Saul's confession and say, in many instances, "I have erred exceedingly?" It shall begin at my door. I will confess, (the Lord of love and patience pardon me) I have erred exceedingly, in contending for the truth with too much of the fire of nature's passions instead of that holy zeal which is accompanied with love. Those I have offended, I pray them to forgive, and hum-. bly intreat their prayers for me a poor sinner. O for a warm zeal tempered with the fire of love! This is the likeliest means to cause "them who err in spirit, to come to understanding, and they who murmur, to learn doctrine."....Isa. xxix. 24. But this is not the peculiar reason of my choice of this text. But the printer of the former edition confessed he had erred, in printing the pages wrong, which obliged me to write a meditation on two pages. The next page should have been 279, for which the reader's excuse is humbly en treated. In that xxixth of Isaiah, verse 19, it is said, "The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord." O my soul! "The joy of the Lord is thy strength."....Nehem. viii. 10. Beware then of every work which may interrupt thy holy, humble, spiritual joy in the God of thy salvation. To joy in thy Lord always, is commanded....Phil. iv. 4. Ever remember, it is connected with meekness; and the meek increase their joy. Seest thou those who err in spirit and murmur against the doctrines of grace? Take Paul's advice, “In meekness instructing those," &c....2 Tim. ii. 25. Lord save me from my daily faults, I'm daily prone to err: By holy, loving fear. Let meekness in my soul prevail, Keep me from anger's fierce assaults, Tho' in myself I'm weak and frail, Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord....Jer. xxiii. 29. How comforting this reflection? "We, who were sometimes afar off, are now made nigh by the blood of Christ."....Eph. ii. 13. How happy is the soul when it finds nearness of access to God and enjoys sweet converse with him? Then, with Jeremiah it says, "let me talk with thee, O Lord."....Jer. xii. 1. Then the Lord condescends to hear and reply. As here, the Lord appeals to the soul's experience; and asks, what effect has my word had on thine heart? Is it not like fire? Let us consider this, that the word of the Lord may be glorified by us to-night. 1st. It is the property of fire to communicate LIGHT: So doth the word ; "The entrance of thy word giveth light."....Psalm cxix. 130. When we were darkness itself, how did the word enter and shine into our hearts, and give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? In seasons of darkness, how often has the word brought light into our souls? "Thy word is a light to my path."....Psalm cxix. 105. 2d. Fire gives HEAT. How often has the Lord warmed our cold hearts and melted down our hard hearts with the fire of his word of love and grace? "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee."....Jer. xxxi. 3. Say, has not such a word as this been in one's heart as burning fire shut up in our bones? ....Jer. xx. 9. Lord, multiply such burning seasons. 3d. Fire CONSUMETH, So doth the word: when it burns in the heart, it consumes our cursed lusts, hateful pride, deceitful, self-righteous hopes, vain and worldly desires, legal terrors, and tormenting dread of death. Lord, cause this heavenly fire to burn in our hearts and consume more and more. For, 4th. The word, like fire, PURIFIES. "Ye have purified your souls, in obeying the truth, through the Spirit.".... 1 Pet. i. 22. While the fire of the word burns within, purity is preserved in heart, lip and life. 5th. Fire causeth SMOKE. No sooner doth the word kindle fire in the heart, but the smoke of incense, of prayer and praise, ascend up to the Lord. Christ compares his church to "pillars of smoke, "....Song iii. 6....and his people to smoking flax....Matt. xii. 20. For the word of the Lord is like fire in their heart; and their affections, like smoke, ascend up unto him. O thou great inditer of the word! Cause the word of Christ to dwell in us richly in all wisdom, that we may continue in his word, that it may be manifest that we are his disciples indeed.... John viii. 31. The Lord appeals unto each soul, VOL. II. Like fire, it burns within our heart, M m |