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would have enticed him, lie might have flowed in them ; but ' he es- teemed the reproaches of Christ; greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, 'ver. 26, than left-hand temptations, or the tenors of the world — * By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king ; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.' Thus we must stand out against all temptations : 2 Peter i. 6, ' Add to temperance, patience.' A christian that would hold out with God must have a command over all his passions, of anger, fear, and gi'ief, and over his affections of love and delight, that he may not be corrupted with sensual delights, nor discouraged with the crosses and trials that he meeteth with in the world. We must observe both, lest we be, like Ephraim, a ' cake not turned,' that we do not forfeit our integrity, as Joab did, who turned not after Absalom, but turned after Adonijah, 1 Kings i. 19. On the other side, some may bear up against boisterous temptations out of •stubbornness, humour, and interest, and the pre-engagement of credit, the expectation of applause, or to carry a name, yet are lost in the lusts of the flesh, and vanities of the world. Again ; all are not called to the afflictions of the gospel, and so are not tempted to apostasy. In ihe parable of the sower there is the stony ground that withered in perse- cution, Luke viii. 13, and the thorny ground that brought forth no fruit to perfection, being choked with the cares, riches and pleasures of the world, Luke viii. 14. Here is our daily conflict ; the holding on of profession is an external thing, the victory is less over outward inconveniences than inward lusts. It is the sharpest martyrdom for a man to tear his own flesh, more than to give his body to be burned, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. The secret and sly victory of the world is over our will and affections, and if we do not prevent this, our profession is as good as nothing ; though we should keep on a profession, whilst we secretly gratify our lusts, all our sufferings are but like swine's blood ofi'ered iu sacrifice, which was an abomination to the Lord.
2. In what sense we are said to have victory over the world. Faith is said to be the victory over these things by a raetonomy of the effect for the instrumental cause ; it is the means whereby we overcome. However the force of the expression is to be noted : faith is not only said to be the means of overcoming, but the victory itself. But when may it be called a victory ?
[1.] We are said to overcome the world when we stand our ground, and are not overcome by it ; it lieth not in being free from troubles and temptations, but in a courageous and resolute resistance. Though the temptation cease not, yet if we keep what we fight for, 2 Tim. iv. 8, ' I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith,' Eom, viii. 37, vTrepvLKcofxev, •' We are more than conquerors; ' and Rev. xii. 11, ' They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death ; ' when a Tnan abideth constant with God, notwithstanding the flatteries or llireatenings of the world, and is not di-awn to apostasy, as the Levites left their possessions for the sake of God's pure worship, 2 Chron. xi. 14.
[2.] When we get ground by the temptation, and this either exter- nally or internally.
(i.) Externally, when our profession is glorified and commended to
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tlie consciences of men by our resolved defence and avowing of it : Rev., xii. 11, ' They overcame by the word of their testimony, not loving their lives to the death.* Sanguis martyrum semen ecclesice — The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church ; by their steadfast pro- fession and adhering to the truth they defeated the devil and propagated the gospel. So Paul : Phil. i. 12, ' The things that have happened unto me have fallen out rather for the furtherance of the gospel ;' his suffering for the truth conduced as much to the propagation of it as his preaching.
(2.) Internally, when we are more confirmed in the truth of the gos])el and the pursuit of heavenly things, and gain strength by every conflict ; as the aj)ostle telleth us, Rom. v. 3-5, that ' tribulation work- eth patience ; and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is slied abroad in our hearts.' The more we are assaulted, the more the habit of grace is perfected ; as David when scoffed at by Michal : 2 Sam. vi. 22, ' I will yet be more vile.' It often falleth out that our courage groweth by sufferings, and those that were ready to faint are at least more rooted b}'' being shaken ; and so' christians are ' more than conquerors,' Rom. viii. 37, as they thrive by opposition. A staff is held the faster by how much it is sought the more to be wrested out of our hands.