Satan won't vex him with temptations; but let a man | once become godly, and be in Chrift, and then, how many temptations will Satan vex him with? Now (faies Chrift) fhall this poor foul endure all this for me? and fhall not I help? fhall not I affift? shall not I deliver? If a man break his Arm, or his Leg before ye, you will pity him: but if he break his Arm, or his Leg in your work, or service, in a work that you fet him about, you count your felf ingaged. then to help him. 'Tis the work of Chrift that the Saints are abour, and Chrift fets them on work, and when Satan comes to tempt, 'tis to difturb them in the work that Chrift fets them about: Now therefore, (saies Christ) shall they endure all this because of me, and becaufe of my work? and (hall not I affift, and defend them, and help them? Surely I will. Oh! my beloved, if ye did but know what an Intereft Jefus Chrift hath in every beleever, you would eafily fee the reafon of this, fo great tenderneffe in him, that his love and mercy is never more at work, than when they are moft affaulted by Satan.

For Application.

What abundance of Comfort is here unto all those that are the true Difciples of Jefus Chrift! you are not alone in your temptations, Chrift is with you; and he is in Heaven too, interceding, and praying for you: he hath fent his Spirit into your hearts, to make interceffion for you there; and he himself is in Heaven, making interceffion and praying for you there: when you are in temptation, Chrift is at prayer for you. Yea, he does not only pray for you, but his love, and his mercy is most of all at work then, when you are moft affaulted. Oh! what Comfort is this!

Applica.

But will fome fay, I fear this comfort belongs not to me, be- Object. caufe I am none of thefe that are Chrifts true Defciples; Chrift prayed for Peter, because he was bis Difciple, and he prayed for the reft, because they were his Difciples: but as for me, though in profeffion I may be a Difciple, yet really I fear I am no true Difciple of Jefus Chrift, and therefore I fear that he does not pray, and in. tercede for me in the time of my temptation.

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Two

Answ.

I.

2.

3.

Two things for answer to this..

First I pray confider that place in the 16. chapter of Matthew, and the 24. verfe. Then faid Jefus unto his Difciples, If any man will come after me (or, if any man will be my Difciple, fo fome books hath it) let him deny himfelf, and take up bis croß, and follow me. (Mark) Here are Three properties of a true Difciple. To open the words a little unto ye, that I may settle this comfort the more fully upon your hearts.)

First, Atrue Difciple does deny himfelf. So long as a man is in the fate of Nature, he is alwaies in the Circle of felf, and Satan keeps him in it: but when Chrift comes, he gets out of that Circle, and then he denies himself. Self faies, (whether Natural felf, Civil felf, or Sinful-felf) Thou art now minding Chrift, and the waies of Chrift: but mind thy Eftate more, and thy Name more, and thy Friends and Relations more, and thy Health more, and thy Pleasures and Recreations more. Nay, (faies a true Difciple) but I muft mind Chrift more, I muft mind mine own Soul more, I must mind mine Eternity more; fo he denies himself; his finful felf, and Civil-felf, and Religious-felf too: his fselfreafon, and his felf-will, and his self-affection.

Secondly, Ae does take up his Croß: A true Difciple takes up his Crofs. 'Tis not faid, He does bear his Crofs with patience; there is a great deal of difference between these ; Bearing of a mans cross with patience when it is laid upon him, and taking up his cross when it is laid before him. Properly a man is faid to take up his croffe, when there is Sin laid on one fide; and there is a Crofs, and an Affli&ion laid on the other fide: Now, either you must commit this Sin; or elfe you must indure this Cross, or Affliction: Nay then, (faies a true Difciple) rather than I will commit that fin, I will endure this affliction; and fo he takes up his crofs.

Thirdly, He does alfo follow Christ. Some there are, that having fuffered for the Name, and Cause of Chrift; they then grow Proud of their sufferings, and they fall into foul

mifcar

miscarriages: But a true Difciple of Chrift, when he hath taken up the crofs, he follows Chrift: now properly a man is faid to follow Chrift, when he does do thofe things at Christs command, wherein Chrift does differ from others. As now, a man is faid to follow Luther, when he does follow him in thofe things wherein he differs from Calvin: and a man follows Calvin, when he does follow him in those things wherein he differs from Luther. So a man is faid to follow Chrift, when he follows him in those things wherein he differs from others. There are fome things wherein Chrift and Nature do agree: Nature faies, That a man muft do by another, as he would be dealt by himself; Herein Chrift and nature agree. But Chrift faies, A new Commandement give Iunto ye, That ye love one another, as I have loved you: Here Chrift differs from Nature. Nature teaches a man, That there is a God, and that God is to be Prayed anto; and that a man is to pray for his friends: But now Chrift faies, Pray for your Enemies. I fay, a man is properly faid for to follow Chrift, when he follows him in that wherein Chrift differs from others. Now whofoever thou art that makes this Objection, That thou art not a Difciple of Jefus Chrift, and therefore he does not pray for thee in the time of thy temptation; I appeal to ye: Are ye not willing to take up your crofs? rather to endure that afflt&tion, than commit this fin? Do ye not let your felf to deny your felf, your Pleafures, Recreations, Relations, and all for Chrift? And do ye not defire to follow Jefus Chrift in those things wherein he does differ from Anti-Chrift, and from Nature, and from Mofes? then furely, thou art a Difciple of Jefus Chrift.

But befides this, Onr Saviour tels us in the 17. of John, That he did not only pray for thofe his prefent Difciples; but (faies he) Ipray for all that shall beleeve on me through their word, verfe the 20. What is it to beleeve on Chrift? To relt upon Chrift for life and glory in the time of our temptation; this is to beleeve on Chrift? Now in the time of your temptation, don't ye reft on Chrift? don't ye relie on

Chrift?

2.

Object.

Anf. 1.

2.

3.

Chrift? then Chrift bath prayed for ye. And though thou art in fuch. a temptation, as thou complaineft, thou canst not pray, yet the Lord Jefus Chrift hath prayed for thee: and he is heard in all that he prayed for.

But I fear (will Jome fay yet) that the Lord Jefus Chrift does not pray, or intercede for me in the time of my temptation, because my faith fails me; Ob! my faith bath failed me in the time of temptation: did Chrift pray for me, my faith would not fail, for be is heard in all that he prayes for; but Ob! my faith fails in time of temptation, and therefore I fear, that this love and mercy of Chrift, is not at work for me in the time of my tempta

tion.

For Answer, Firft, There is a great deal of difference between the failing of your Faith, and the failing of your Heart. Poffibly, your Heart may fail in time of temptation, and yet not your Faith. Look I pray into the 73. Pfalm, the 26. verfe, and you fhall find as much. Saies the Pfalmift there, My flesh and my heart faileth. I but did not his Faith fail now? See what he faies; his faith stands notwithstanding this; But God is the firength of my heart, and my portion for ever: here's his faith. So that though his fleth failed, and his heart failed; yet his faith did not fail. There is a great deal of difference between a recoyling fit of a heart-failing in time of temptation, and the failing of ones faith.

Secondly, It is one thing for you to fail in your faith in our own opinion; and another thing for your faith to fail in the opinion of Jefus Chrift. When Peter denied his Lord and Mafter, in his own opinion he could not but think that his faith failed; and yet in the opinion of Jefus Chrift his faith did not fail; for Chrift prayed that his faith fhould not fail, and it did not fail, for Chrift was heard in what he prayed for.

Thirdly, There is a great deal of difference,between the failing of faith, and failings that do accompany faith. The poor woman that came to Chrift, and touched the hem of his garment, failed very much, for fhe came behind him and

thought

thought to have ftolen a cure: I but, though there were many failings that did accompany her faith, yet her faith did not fail, for fhe came and touched the hem of his garment, and was cured by her faith. So I fay, there is a great deal of difference between the failing of faith, and the failings that do accompany faith: there may be many failings that do accompany ones faith, and yet ones faith may ftand, and not fail.

But yet further, Whofoever you are, that say your faith fails you, and therefore you are afraid that Chrift prayes not for you: Man or woman, Did thy faith ever fail thee like Peters didft thou ever deny thy Lord and Mafter as Peter did? and yet Chrift faid, I bave prayed that thy faith fail not, and he was heard in the thing that he prayed

for.

4.

Ob! but, that was but one A&t in Peter; but my faith doth Object. conftantly fail; Peter denied, and his faith failed in the exercise

to one Alt, but my faith doth conftantly fail in time of temptation: I was beretofore more able to beleeve in the time of my temptation than now I am; my faith is failed, and it confiantly fails, and therefore I fear that the Lord Chrift will not pray for me in the time of my temptation.

Well, But if you be more able to reliz upon meer free-grace, Answ. than ye bave been heretofore, then your faith is not leß, but increafed rather. If you be now more able to be contented with your condition, than you were heretofore. If you can let God and Chrift alone, to ufe his own means about you. If you can leave the Events and Succeffes of things, more unto God than you could heretofore; then your faith is not failed, but rather increased. Man or woman, if that you are able now to take thofe hints of a word which you could not heretofore. If your judgment be more fetled in the Truth. If you be more contented to fuffer now for the Caufe, and the Way of God than you were heretofore: Then thy faith is not failed, but thy faith is increased rather, and fo thou comeft within the compafs of the Lord Chrifts prayer.

Oh!