2. Do not run into any wilful and known sin, as if you vrould try how far the patience of God will go, nor abuse his fatherly goodness by going. on still in your trespasses. When a man will try the patience of God without any regard of his threatenings, or the in- stances of his wrath, which are before his eyes, he puts it to the proof whether God will punish him, yea or no. Kemember you are no match for him : Isa. xlv. 9, ' AVoe unto him that striveth with his maker ! let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth.' As Abner said to Asahel : 2 Sam. ii. 21, 22, ' Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from follow- ing me : wherefore should I smite thee to the ground ? ' So if you will needs be tempting and trying conclusions, and making experi- ments, let men meddle with their match, those who are equal to them- selves, not challenging one infinitely above them ; let frail man cope with man, but let him take heed of meddling with God : Ezek. xxii, 14, ' Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee ? ' Many foolish people say, as those in the prophet, ' It is an evil, and I must bear it ;' endure it as well as I can. What ! endure the loss of heaven ! endure the wrath of the Almighty God ! If Kachel could not endure the loss of her children, nor Jacob the supposed loss of Joseph, but, says he, ' I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning,' Gen. xxxvii. 35. If Achitophel could not endure the rejectment of his counsel, and Haman could not endure to be slighted by Mordecai, and many cannot endure the loss of a beloved child ; how wilt thou endure the loss of eternal happiness ? The disciples wept bitterly when Paul said, ' Ye shall see my face no more,' Acts xx. 38. What will j-e do, then, when God
300 Christ's temptation. [Ser. IV.
shall say, Ye shall see my face no more ? Ah wretch ! how canst thou endure the wrath of God ? Thou canst not endure to be scorched a few days with feverish flames ; thou canst not endure the acute pains of stone and gout, when God armeth the humours of thine own body against thee ; thou canst not endure the scorching of a little gunpowder casually blown up ; thou canst not endure the pains of a broken arm or leg ; and can you endure the wrath of God, when God himself shall fall upon you with all his might ?
3. When we are destitute and soreh' distressed, let us wait upon God with patience, according to the tenor of his promises, and tarry his leisure, without prescribing time and means. God knoweth the fittest season, and delighteth oftentimes to show our impatience and try our faith : Mat. xv. 28, ' 0 woman, great is thy faith ! ' And that his help may not be ascribed to chance or our industry, and that we may the more prize blessings, consider you cannot be more distressed than Christ was, who seemed abandoned to Satan's power, distressed with sore hunger through his long fasting. The devil was permitted to have power over his body, to carry him to one of the pinnacles of the temple, and yet he discovered an invincible confidence and trust in God, that he would not step the least step out of God's way for his preservation in so imminent a danger.
Now that you may not tempt God : —
[1.] Let your heart be deeply possessed with apprehensions of the goodness, wisdom, and power of God. The scripture telleth us for his goodness : Ps. cxix. 68, ' Thou art good, and doest good ;' and again, Ps. cxlv. 9, '■' The Lord is good to all.' For his wisdom : Isa. xxviii. 29, ' He is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.' His purposes are often hidden from us, but he doeth all things well ; God can do more fur us than seemeth probable at the present ; and there- fore let us not tempt him by confining him to our time, means, and manner. He may love us, and yet delay our help : John xi. 5, 6, ' Jesus loved Lazarus,' and yet, ver. 6, • When he heard that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.' Then, for his power and sovereign dominion, there is not a better argument for confidence than the preface and conclusion of the Lord's Prayer. W^hatsoever state you are reduced to, God is still to be trusted, who is ' Our Father, which is in heaven,' and ' whose is the kingdom, power, and glory:' 2 Tim. i. 12, 'I know whom I have believed, and 1 am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that da3\' Whatsoever our straits be, he is a God still to be trusted.