(2.) By temptation, God tries our love. The wife of Tigranes did never so shew her chastity and love to her husband, as when she was tempted by Cyrus, but did not yield ; so, our love to God is seen in this, when we can look a temptation in the face, and turn our back upon it ; though the de- vil come as a serpent subtilely, and offers a golden apple, yet we will not touch the forbidden fruit. When the devil shewed Christ all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, such was Christ's love to his Father, that he abhorred the tempta- tion. True love will not be bribed. When the devil's darts are most fiery, a saint's love to God is most fervent.
(3.) By temptation, God tries our cou- rage, Hos. vii. 1 1., " Ephraim also is like a silly dove without an heart." So it may be said of many, they are ex corde^ — with- out an heart ; they have no heart to resist a temptation ; no sooner doth Satan come with his solicitations, but they yield ; like a coward, as soon as the thief approacheth, he delivers his purse ; but he is a vuloroud
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OF THE SIXTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
Christian, tliat brandlslicth tlie sword of the Spirit aj^aiust Satan, and will rather die than yield. The courage of tlie Ro- mans was never more seen than when they were assaulted by the Carthaginians ; the heroic spirit of a saint is never more seen than in a field-battle, when he is fighting with the red dragon, and by the power of faith puts the devil to fiight. Fidei rohor potest esse concussum, non excussnm, Tertul. This is one reason why God lets his people be tempted, — that their metal may be tried, — their sincerity, love, magnanimity; when grace is proved, the gospel is honoured.
A. 2. God suffers his children to be tempted, that they may be kept from pride. Qnos non gula svperavit! Cypr. Pride crept once into the angels, and into the a- postles, when they disputed " which of them should be greatest ;" and in Peter, " thouffh all men forsake thee, vet I will not," as if he had had more grace than all the apostles. Pride keeps grace low, that it cannot thrive ; as the spleen swells, so the other parts of the body consume ; as pride grows, so grace consumes, (iod re- sists pride ; and, that he may keep his chil- dren humble, he suffers them sometimes to fall into temptation, 2 Cor. xii. 7., " Lest I should be exalted, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me." When Paul was lifted up in revelations, he was in danger to be lifted up in pride, now came the messenger of Satan to buffet him, that was, some sore temptation to humble him. The thorn in the flesh was to prick the bladder of pride ; better is that temptation that Immbles me, than that duty which makes me proud. Rather than a Christian should be proud, God lets him fall into the devil's hands a while, that he may be cured of his impos- thume.
A. 3. God lets his people be tempted, that they may be fitter to comfort others who are in the same distress ; they can speak a word in due season to such as aie weary. St. Paul was trained up in the fencing-school of temptation, 2 Cor. ii. IL And he was able to acquaint others with Satan's wiles and stratagems. A man that hath rid over a place where there are quick- sands, is the fittest to guide others through
that dangerous way ; he who hath been buf- feted by Satan, and hath felt the claws of this roaring lion, is the fittest man to deal with one that is tempted.
A. 4. God lets his children be tempted, to make them long more for heaven, where they shall be out of gun-shot; there they shall be freed from the hissing of the old serpent. Satan is not yet fully cast into prison, but is like a prisonei that goes un- der bail, he doth vex and molest the saints; he lays his snares, throws his fire-balls, but this is only to make the people of God long to be gone from hence, and that they may pray that they had " the wings of a dove," to fly away beyond Satan's tempta- tions. God suffered Israel to be vexed with the Egyptians, that they might long the more to be in Canaan. HeaA'en is the cen- trum^ a place of rest, centrum qnietativium ; no bullets of temptation fly there. The eagle that soars aloft in the air, and sits perching upon the tops of high trees, is not troubled with the stinging of serpents : so, when believers are gotten above into the empyrean heaven, they shall not be stung with the old serpent. The devil is cast out of the heavenly paradise. Heaven is com- pared to an exceeding high mountain. Rev. xxi. 10. It is so high, that Satan's fiery darts cannot reach up to it. Nnllus ihi hos- Cuim metus, nullcB itisidia demoman, Bern. The temptations here are to make the saints long till death sound a it;treat, and call them off the field where the bullets of temptation fly so thick, that tliey may receive a victo- rious crown. Thus I have answered this question, why God lets his dear servants be tempted.