[5.] Fifthly, It is an honour to the sal u Is to be tempted, and in the issue /<> have a n In mo arable conquest over the tempter. It was a great honour to David that he should be put to fight hand to hand with Goliath, and in the issue to overcome him, 1 Sam. xvii. ; but it was far greater honour to Job and Paul, that they should be put to combat in the open field with Satan' himself, and in the close to gain a famous conquest over him, as they did, Job i. ; 2 Cor. xii. 7-10. It was a very meat honour to David's three mighty men, that in jeopardy of their lives they brake through the host of the Philistines, to bring water to David out of the well of Bethlehem, and did effect it in spite of all the strength and power of their enemies, though it were to the extremest hazard of their blood and lives, 2 Sam. xxiii. 13-18; but it is a far greater honour to the saints to be furnished with a spirit of strength, courage, and valour, to break through an army of temptations, and in the close to triumph over them, Rom. viii. 15-28 ; and yet this honour have all the saints: 1 Cor. x. 13, 'But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it ;' Rom. xvi. 20, ' And the God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly ;' 1 John ii. 13, 14, 'I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.' 1 John v. 18, ' We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not,' that is, 'that sin that is unto death,' ver. 1 6 ; nor he sinneth not as other men do, delightfully,1 greedily, customarily, resolvedly, impenitently, &c. ' But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.' The glorious victory that the people of God had over Pharaoh and his great host, Exod. xiv., was a figure of the glorious victory that the saints shall obtain over Satan and his instruments, which is clear from that Rev. xv. 3, where we have the song of Mioses and of the Lamb. But why the song of Moses and of the Lamb, but to hint this to us, that the overthrow of Pharaoh was a figure of the overthrow of Satan? and the triumphal song of Moses was a figure of that song which the saints shall sing for their overthrow of Satan. As certainly as Israel overcame Pharaoh, so certainly shall every true Israelite overcome Satan. The Romans were worsted in many fights, but never were overcome in a set war; at the long run they overcame all their enemies. Though a Christian may be worsted by Satan in some particular skirmishes, yet at the long run he is sure of an honour- able conquest. God puts a great deal of honour upon a poor soul when he brings him into the open field to fight it out with Satan. By fight- ing he overcomes, he gains the victory, he triumphs over Satan, and Leads captivity captive. Augustine gives this reason why God per- mitted Adam at first to be tempted, viz. That he might have had the
1 ' Delightedly. '-G.
Ps. XXXIX. 9.] UNDER THE SMARTING ROD. 371
more glory in resisting and withstanding Satan's temptation. It is the glory of a Christian to be made strong to resist, and to have his resist- ance crowned with a happy conquest.
[6.] Sixthly, By temptations the Lord will make his people more frequent and more abundant in the work of prayer. Every tempta- tion proves a strong alarm to prayer. When Paul was in the school of temptation, he prayed thrice, that is, often, 1 Cor. xii. 8, 9. Days of temptation are days of great supplication ; Christians usually pray most when they are tempted most. They are most busy with God when Satan is most busy with them. A Christian is most upon his knees when Satan stands most at his elbow.
Augustine was a man much tempted, and a man much in prayer. Holy prayer, saith he, is a shelter to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to the devil.
Luther was a man under manifold temptations, and a man much in prayer. He is said to have spent three hours every day in prayer. He used to say that prayer was the best book in his study.
Chrysostom was much in the school of temptation, and delighted much in prayer. Oh ! saith he, it is more bitter than death to be spoiled of prayer, and hereupon, as he observes, Daniel chose rather to run the hazai'd of his life than to lose his prayer.1 But,
[7.] Seventhly, By temptations the Lord will make his people more and more conformable to the image of his Son. Christ was much tempted, he was often in the school of temptation ; and the more a Christian is tempted, the more into the likeness of Christ he will be transformed. Of all men in the world, tempted souls do most resemble Christ to the life, in meekness, lowliness, holiness, heavenliness, &c. The image of Christ is most fairly stamped upon tempted souls. Tempted souls are much in looking up to Jesus, and every gracious look upon Christ changes the soul more and more into the image of Christ. Tempted souls experience much of the succourings of Christ, and the more they experience the sweet of the succourings of Christ, the more they grow up into the likeness of Christ. Temptations are the tools by which the Father of spirits doth more and more carve, form, and fashion his precious saints into the similitude and likeness of his dearest Son,2
[8.] Eighthly and lastly, take many things in one ; God by tempta- tions makes sin more hateful, and the world less delightful, and rela- tions less hurtful. By temptations God discovers to us our own weakness and the creature's insufficiency in the hour of temptation to help us or succour us. By temptations, God will brighten our Christian armour, and make us stand more upon our Christian watch, and keep us closer to a succouring Christ. By temptations, the Lord will make his ordi- nances to be more highly prized, and heaven to be more earnestly 'desired. Now seeing that temptations shall work so eminently for the saints' good, why should not Christians be mute and silent ? why should they not hold their peace, and lay their hands upon their mouths, though their afflictions are attended with great temptations ?3
1 So Bernard, Basil, Gorgonia [Gorgonius?]. Trucilla; James, Jacob, Daniel. 3 Heb. xii. 1, 2 ; 2 Cor. ii. 28 ; Heb. ii. 17, 18 3 I Pet. v. 8 ; Epb. vi. 10, 18 ; 2 Cor. v. 1-3.
372 Tin; MITE christian [Ps. XXXIX. 9.
Obj. 8. Oh ! but Cod hath deserted me ! he hath forsaken me ! and 'he that should comfort my soul stands afar off!' how can I be silent? The Lord hath hid his face from me ; clouds are gathered about me; God hath turned his back upon me ; how can I hold my peace?