(3.) Thirdly, Temptations are rather hopeful evidences that thy estate is good, that thou art dear to Ood, and that it shall go ivell with thee for ever, than otherwise. God had but one Son without corruption, but he had none without temptation, Heb. ii. 17, 18. 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 trea- sures 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, and that the soul is firmly resolved upon a march for Canaan, then Satan, Pharaoh-like, will furiously pursue after the soul with horses and chariots, that is, with a whole army of temptations, Exod. xiv. 9.2 Well ! a tempted soul, when it is worst with him, may safely argue thus : If God were not my friend, Satan would not be so much my enemy ; 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 no 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 escaped, 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.
(4.) Fourthly, Whilst Satan is tempting of thee, Christ in the court of glory is interceding for thee :3 Luke xxii. 31, 32, ' And the Lord said, Simon, 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.' iSatan 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
1 He that can say when he is tempted, as that young convert, Ego non sum ego, is happy enough under all his temptations.
2 Israel going into Egypt had no opposition, but travelling into Canaan, they were never free.
3 Rom. viii. 34 ; 1 John ii. 1 ; Zech. iii. 1-3.
.368 THE MUTE CHRISTIAN [Ps. XXXIX. 9.
that mouth which pleaded so much for us on earth, John xvii. should be altogether silent for us in heaven? Christ is a person of 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 inter- cession 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 dis- turbed 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.1
(5.) Fifthly and 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, Rom. viii. 28, Lam. i. 12. Now this will appear to be a most certain truth by an induction of particulars thus :
[1.] First, By temptations God multiplies and increases his children's spiritual experiences, the increase of winch is better than the increase of gold.2 In the school of temptation, God gives his children the greatest experience of his power supporting them, of his word comforting of them, of his mercy warming of them, of his wisdom counselling of them, of his faithfulness joying of them, and of his grace strengthening of them : 2 Cor. xii. 9, ' My grace shall be sufficient for thee.' Paul never experi- enced so deeply what almighty power was, what the everlasting arms of mercy were, and what infinite grace and goodness was, as when he was under the buffetings of Satan.
[2.] Secondly, All their temptations shall be physical; their tempta* 1'm, is shall />< ha i ipy preventions of great abominations: 2 Cor. xii. 7, ' Lest I should be exalted, lest I should be exalted.' It is twice in that one verse ; he begins with it, and he ends with it. If he had not been buffeted, he might have been more highly exalted in his own conceit
1 Saith Christ, Lord ! here is wisdom for their folly, humility for their pride, heavenli- ness, holiness, for their earthliness, for their wickedness, &c.
'-' Kinn. v. 3, 4, Frequent engagements add to the soldier's skill, and much increase his experiences.
Ps. XXXIX. 9.] UNDER THE SMARTING ROD. 3G9