conscience, tliat boggled more than tlie ass he rode on, till the blood came. The Jews, when convinced of Christ's person and doctrine, yet were snch slaves to their hononr and credit, that they part with Christ rather than hazard that, John xii. 43 : 'For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.' Now faith quenches this temptation, and with a holy scorn disdains that all the preferment the world hath to heap on him, should be a bribe for the least sin, Heb. xi. 24 : ' By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.' Though by his adojjtion he might have been heir, for aught we know, to the crown ; yet this he threw at his heels : it is not said he did not seek to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter, though that would have sounded a high commendation, having so fair an opportunity; some would not have scrupled a little court flattery, therebj' to have worked them- selves into further favour, having so fair a stock in the king's heart to set up with; but he 'refused to be called;' honour came troulingin upon him, as water at a flowing tide ; now, to stand against this flood of preferment, and no breach made in his heart to entertain it, tliis was admirable indeed. Nay, he did not refuse this preferment for any principality that he hoped for elsewhere. lie forsook not one court to go to another, but to join with a beggarly reproached people; yea, by rejecting their favour he incurred the wrath of the king, yet faith carried him through all those heights and depths of favour and disgrace, honour and dishonour ; and truly, wherever this grace is, (allowing for its strength and weakness,) it will do the like. We find, ver. 33 of the same chapter, how 'Samuel and the prophets through faith subdued kingdoms;' which sm'e is not only meant of the conquest of the sword, (though some of them performed honourable achievements that way,) but also by despising the honoiu' and preferments of them. This indeed many of the prophets are famous for; and in particular, Samuel, who at God's command gave away a kingdom from hi? own house and family, by anointing Saul, though himself at present had possession of the chief magistrate's chair. And others, ver. 37, we read, 'were tempted :' i. e., when ready to suffer, -were offered great prefer- ments if they would bend to the times, by receding a little from the bold pro- fession of their faith ; but they chose rather the flames of martyrdom than the favour of princes on those terms. But more partic\darly to shew you how faitli quenches this temptation.
First, Faith takes away the fuel that feeds this temptation. Withdraw the oil, and the lamp goes out. Now that which is fuel to this temptation, is pride ; where this lust is in any strength, no wonder the creature's eyes are dazzled with the sight of that which suits the desires of his heart so well. The devil now by a temptation does but broach, and so give vent to what the heart itself is full with. Simon Magus had a haughty spirit, he woidd be some great man, and therefore when he did but think an opportunity was offered to mount him up the stage, he is all on fire with a desire of having a gift to work miracles, that he dares offer to play the huckster with the apostle. Whereas an lunnble spirit loves a low seat, is not ambitious to stand high in the thoughts of others, and so, while he stoops in his own opinion of himself, the bullet flies over his head, which hits the proud man on the breast. Now it is faith lays the heart low. Pride and faith are opposed ; like two buckets, if one goes up, the other goes down in the soul, Hab. ii. 4: 'Behold, his soul that is lifted up is not \ipright in him, but the just shall live by his faith.'
Secondly, Faith is Christ's favourite, and so makes the Christian expect all his honour from him ; indeed it is one of the prime acts of fiuth to cast the soul on God in Christ, as all-sufficient to make it completely happy. And therefore when a temptation comes. Soul, thou mayest raise thyself in the world, to this place, or that esteem, if thou wilt but dissemble thy profession, or allow thyself in such a sin ; now faith chokes the bullet. Remember whose thou art, O my soul ; hast thou not taken God for thy liege Lord, and wilt thou accept prefer- ment from another's hand? Princes will not sufler their courtiers to become pensioners to a foreign prince, least of all to a prince in hostility to them. Now, saith faith, the honour or applause thou gettest by sin makes tliee pensioner to the devil himself, who is the greatest enemy God hath.
Thirdly, Faith shews the danger of such a bargain, should a Christian gain the glory of the M'orld for one sin. First, says faith, hadst thou the whole
ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 433