(2.) As to the second case, I answer — To try and exercise the godly, Job i. 12. The godly are sometimes foiled, and yield to his tempta- tions, yet not taken captive by him at his will and pleasure. He may prevail in some cases on them, as he did on David: 1 Chron. xxi. 1, ' And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number the people.' All watchfulness should be used : 1 Cor. vii. 5, ' That Satan tempt you not for your incontinency ; ' 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3, ' For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy ; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ. But
1 fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his sub- tilty.' They may be drawn, in some rare case, to some particular sin :
2 Sam. xi. 4, 'And David sent messengers, and took her, and came in unto her, and lay with her;' whereby God may be dishonoured : 2 Sam. xii. 14, ' By this deed thou hast given occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme;' or to mar their own peace: Ps. xxxii. 3, 4, ' When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long ; for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me : my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.' He may assault them for their exercise, yet not touch them with a deadly wound : 1 John v. 18, ' He that is begotten of God kee^ieth himself, and the wicked one toucheUi him not;' so as to overcome and destroy their salvation: 1 Cor. x. 13, 'Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.' This opposition is an evidence when wc feel it, or groan under it, otherwise they would be at peace: Luke xi. 21, ' When the strong man keeps the house, his goods are in peace ; ' as when wind and tide go together, there is calm. When they feel it : Rom. vii. 9, ' When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died ; ' and groan under it : ver. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me
58 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XIII.
from the body of this death ? ' Eev. xli. 12, ' For the devil is come down imto you, having great wrath, because he knows he hath but a short time.' Dying beasts bite shrewdly.
Use 1. Let us not cherish sin. It doth not become christians to cherish what Christ came to disannul, to build again what he came to destroy, to tie those cords and knots the faster which he came to unloose. As much as in you lieth, you seek to dissolve the work of Christ, and put your Eedeemer to shame.
2. Our condemnation is just and clear if we do not cast out sin, having so much help. Will you by your voluntary consent give Satan an advantage ?
3. It is our comfort to feel the effects of Christ's dominion, in sub- duing the work of Satan within us, when the Lord Jesus taketh the throne in our hearts, and doth deliver us from the slavery of corrup- tion: John viii. 32, 'And the truth shall make you free,'
Use 2. If you find anything of the works of the devil in you, run to Christ, though your souls are entangled.
1. Make your moan to him : Rom. vii. 24, * 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? ' Wherefore is Christ a Saviour but for sinners ; wherefore a Redeemer but for captives ? Will Christ be a Saviour, and save none ; a Redeemer, and redeem none ?
2. Let us depend upon the fulness of his merit. The reason why the converted find so little effect of Christ's purchase is because they make so little use of their interest in him. Let us conquer during the conflict by faith. We have burdensome corruptions that exercise us, grieve the Spirit, wrong Christ, but they shall be overcome at last. We have heard, and read, and prayed, yet still they remain ; but Christ's undertaking cannot be frustrated; our pride and passion shall not always last.
3. Let us give up ourselves to be ruled by him, willing to be the Lord's servants : Mat. xi. 29, 'Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart ; and you shall find rest to your souls.'
4. Let the beginning of the work assure you of the perfection of it ; he that hath begun to pardon our sins will at length pronounce our full absolution.
5. Let us apply all this to the sacrament ; here we lenew our vow, not to cherish sin, lest we cross our Redeemer's undertaking; here we express our confidence of the fruits of his death, according to the word. We thankfully commemorate his grace, by which Satan is and will be more and more vanquished : we see him falling. We admire Christ's condescension, that he will give us to eat of his own meat, and drink of his own cup, 2 Sam. xii. 3. We look upon this table as spread for us in the sight of our enemies: Ps. xxiii. 5, 'Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies ; ' maugre their malice. We are well provided for in Christ, though they grieve to see the riches of his bounty to us and care for us. A royal feast and banquet it is, which our enemies may snarl at, but cannot impeach and hinder ; and we take it as a pledge of our everlasting triumph, which we are shortly entering upon.