cannot endure that any soul should come to Jesus for help ; he usually makes his fiercest assaults upon us, when he is fearful of losing his dominion over usf. Yea, not unfrequently does he reduce us almost to a despair of life, just before our perfect deliverance is about to be effected.]
But in vain were Satan's efforts against the sovereign power of Jesus —
[Jesus raised up the youth, who lay, to all appearance, dead, and delivered him in perfect health to his astonished father s. Thus shall also the grace of Jesus finally prevail in his people's hearts. In vain shall be the renewed attacks of their great adversary : however fiercely they be assaulted, they
shall be more than conquerors over every enemy h
And the malice of Satan shall only render them more distin- guished monuments of their Redeemer's power.]
f Some he discourages by inward suggestions, (you are not elect, your sins are too great, you have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, &c.) and some by opposition from without.
s Luke ix. 42. h Rom. vih. 37.
Mark ix. 28, 29. And ivhen he was come into the house, his Disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
THE gift of working miracles was possessed by all the Apostles. Yet it does not appear that the power could be exercised at all times, and at their own option, but only at such times and on such occasions as God saw fit to permit. Had the exercise of this gift been purely optional, we can scarcely conceive that Paul would have "left Trophimus at Miletum sicka," when he wanted him much for his companion in travel ; or that, when " Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto death," that same Apostle, who felt so deeply interested in his welfare, would not have in- terposed to restore him to health15. It should seem, that a certain kind and degree of faith was necessary
a 2 Tim. iv. 20. * Phil. ii. 27.