plainly to the same effect: he represents those who spent their days in wealth and pleasure, as saying to the Almighty, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways : what is the Almighty that we should serve him ? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him d? It is evident, that not only the sentiments of these sinners, but also their very expressions, are almost the same with those of Satan in the text.]
To evince the folly of harbouring such dispositions, we shall,
III. Shew the inefficacy of such requests, by whom- soever they may be offered —
It was in vain that Satan pleaded for a temporary liberty to indulge his malice —
[Jesus would not even receive his acknowledgments, but peremptorily enjoined him silence. Nor would he suffer Satan to retain possession of his wretched slave : he would not even permit this cruel enemy to "hurt" him; so little were the wishes of Satan consulted by our Lord and Saviour.]
In vain also will be all our wishes to retain with impunity our beloved lusts —
[God may indeed forbear to counteract us for a season, and say, " Let him alone e," When he sees that we " will none of him," he may justly give us up to our own hearts' lustsf. But this would be the heaviest curse that he could inflict upon us. It would be even worse than immediate death, and imme- diate damnation ; because it would afford us further opportu- nities of " treasuring up wrath" without any hope of obtaining deliverance from it : besides, it would be only for a little time, and then " wrath would come upon us to the uttermost." When we stand before the judgment-seat we shall in vain say, ' Let us alone ; What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth?' Our doom will then be fixed, and our sentence executed with irresistible power and inexorable firmness. When once wre are "fallen into the hands of the living God," all hope of impunity or compassion will have ceased for ever.]
This subject affords us occasion to suggest a word or
tWO Of ADVICE
1. Rest not in a speculative knowledge of Christ — [We observe that Satan was well acquainted with the person and offices of Christ: but, notwithstanding all he knew, he was a devil still. To what purpose then will be all our knowledge, if we be not sanctified by it ? It will only aggra- vate our guilt, and consequently enhance our condemnation
d Job xxi. 13—15. e Hos. iv. 17. f Ps. lxxxi. 11, 12.