are against mea." Does he feel himself weak? he says, " God will perfect his own strength in my weakness*." Under these circumstances he is like to Gideon, when going against the confederate hosts of Midian and Amalek. God had promised him the victory even without the intervention of a human arm : this promise he had confirmed by repeated signs, and even by an attestation from the enemy themselves. In dependence on God, he surrounded their camp with his little band of three hundred men ; and, with no other weapons than a pitcher, a lamp, and a trumpet, gained the most signal victory0. So the Christian, " encouraging himself in his God," and depending on his promised aid, goes forth with power and effect. The very end for which such " great and precious promises were given him was, that by them he might be a partaker of the divine nature11;" and he does improve them to this end ; and finds that by means of them he is enabled to " cleanse himself from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of Gode."
The last advantage which we shall mention as derived from the Scripture, is that which it affords us by means of its instructive examples. How can any one relax his determination to destroy sin, when he contemplates the destruction which sin has brought on those who yielded to its baneful influence ? When he reflects on the doom of the apostate angels, or on the deluge that overwhelmed the world, or on the fire and brimstone that con- sumed the cities of the plain, can he trifle with that which has so greatly provoked the Majesty of heaven f ? If it be to despondency that he is urged by Satan, will he not repel the tempter instantly, as soon as he recollects the character of thousands who have found acceptance with God ? Can he despair, that considers for one moment the case of David, of Manassehg, of the dying thief? Can he despair, who
a 2 Kings vi. 16. b 2 Cor. xii. 9. c Judg. vii. 19.
d 2 Pet. i. 4. e 2 Cor. vii. 1. f 2 Pet. ii. 4—6, 9.
s 2 Kings xxi. 1—9.
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sees the persecuting Saul arrested in his career ; or who reads the catalogue of crimes of which the Corinthian converts had been guilty h? It maybe that he is induced to think there is something peculiar in his case, which justifies in an extra- ordinary degree his desponding fears. But when he hears, that " no temptation can take him but that which is common to many and then surveys that cloud of witnesses who were once conflicting like himself, but are now in heaven attesting the power and faithfulness of a redeeming Godk, he cannot but say, "Get thee behind me, Satan1:" "thou wast a liar, and a murderer, from the beginning111 :" and shall I credit thy lies to the disparagement of my God?
In this way it was that the saints of old triumphed : "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord ; awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon ? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep, that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ran- somed to pass over ? (Now mark the inference) — Therefore the redeemed of the Lord (and we amongst them) shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head : they shall obtain gladness and joy ; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away11." A completer triumph than this cannot possibly be conceived. Yet thus will the Scripture enable us to triumph, if we duly mark the examples which it sets before us.