Object.

Answ.

Oh; but yet (will fome fay) I bave finned greatly, very much; I bave been a great finner; and therefore I fear, that the Lord Jefus Chrift will let me alone to wrestle with my temptations all alone, and will not pray and intercede for me in the time and bour of my temptation.

Well, I must yet lay again to you: Haft thou finned more than this Peter did, when be denied his Lord and Master? Yet Chrift prayed for him, and his prayer cook and prevailed. Have you finned more than Jerufalem did? Ob! Jerufa lem, thou that ftoneft the Prophets, (faies Chrift when they put him to death.) And yet if you look into the 1. of the Acts, you fhall find, that Chrift after his Refurrection, bids his Difciples for to ftay and wait at Jerufalem, and not ftir from thence; and preach the Gofpel, and mercy, and free-grace in Jerufalem. Haft thou (man or woman, that makeft this objection, finned more than thofe did that put Chrift to death? that run him into his body with a fpear? chat nailed him upon the cross? halt thou finned more than these? Ye know our Lord and Saviour when he was upon the crofs, he prayed for them; Oh! Father forgive them, they know not what they do. But, (Lord) thefe are thine oppofers, thefe are perfecutors, and they perfecute thee to death. Well, be it fo, (faies Chrift) I know what I do, and I know whom I pray for: Father forgive them, they know not what they do. Oh! what grace, and mercy, and love is here! Comfort, yea, Comfort unto all the Difciples of Jefus Chrift: when ye are in temptation, the Lord Chritt is at prayer for you. And remember the Doarine; Never is his love and mercy more at work for ye, than when Satan is most bufie about ye, to tempt ye moft. What comfort is here! This was that (in part) that comforted the Martyrs in the Primitive times, ye reade ofvery great Comforts that the Martyrs had in the Primitive times, thofe times next after Chrift: I have defired to confider, what it was especially, that bore up their hearts under all thofe perfecutions. And Turtullian, pitches upon this as one thing: We confider (faies he) the cafe of Peter;

Satan

Satan defired to winnow him; Chrift prayed for him. Here were(faies Turtullan) two requests before God the Father: One was the request of Satan: and another was the request of Chrift. Now the Son having more credit with God the Father than Satan, his request must needs prevail: So (Laies he) Satan hath defired for to tempt,and so winnow us, and perfecute us; but the Lord Jefus Chrift hath requested for us: There are two requests before God the Father; There's Satans request to winnow us; and there's the Sons requeft praying for us: Now therefore, feeing that the Son hath more credit with God the Father than Satan, therefore are we affured that we shall be upheld, and our faith fhall not fail. And fo may you allo. This is matter of great comfort unto all the Saints.

You will fay, Indeed it is matter of great comfort but is Queft. there no Duty that this truth cals for at our hands? Here is much comfort,but what is that duty that this Truth cals for?

Much every way. If I be an Ungodly man; what a migh-Anfw. ty incouragement is here for to get into Jefus Christ, that I may be in the number of the true Difciples. So long as a man is out of Chrift, not a true Difciple of Jefne Chrift; Satan may come and tempt, and do what he wil with him, and no Chrift by to help. Satan could not hurt, or touch, or tempt Job, but he must ask leave: But Satan went to the Sabeans, and brought in them upon Jobs Eftate, and he did not ask leave for that, they were in his power He ruleth in the children of difobedience. Daniel was in the Lyons- den, and they devoured him not, their mouthes were ftopt,and they could not hurt him: But when the enemies were thrown in to the Lyons, they crack'd, and crush'd their bones before they came to the ground. If a godly man, one that is a true Difciple of Jefus Chrift, if he be in a den with thefe Lyons, Devils, their mouths fhall be stopt, they fhall not fwallow him. But oh! for wicked men, that are not in Chrift, thefe Lyons,they crush their bones, every day they crush their bones: and a wicked man may lay as Saul did, The philiftims are upon me, and God is departed from me :

So

So a wicked man, that is not in Chrift, he may cry out and fay, Oh! temptations are upon me, and Chrift is departed from me, I have none of Chrift to help me: as for the Saints, and thofe that are true Difciples of Jefus Christ, they have Christ at hand, though they fall, Chrift is by for to help them up. And Chrift himself measures out all their temptations, and Chrift affifts them, and helps them, but Oh! as for me, I am all alone in my temptations, I poor foul, am all alone in my temptations: "Ah! who would be a Drunkard ftill? who would be a Swearer ftill? who would be an Unclean wanton ftill? who would be a Lyar, and a Theevish fervant ftill? Let me tell ye, that while ye go on in thefe fins, you are out of Chrift: Poor foul, a Swearer, a Drunkard, a common Lyar, a Sabbathbreaker, a Wanton, out of Christ, and thy temptations fall heavily upon thee; the Lord knows, thou art all alone in the time of thy temptations: Oh! but get into Jefus Chrift, get into Jefus Chrift, to be in the number of Chrifts true Difciples; and when thou art tempted, the Lord prayes for thee; yea, and the Love and mercy of Chrift is never more at work for thee,than when thou art moft tempted, and affaulted by Satan. What a mighty incouragement is here to all that hear the Word of the Lord, to get into Jefus Chrift!

But if I be godly; and all this be true: Why fhould I queftion the love of God towards me in the time of my temptation? Beloved! ye know it in your Experiènce, ye are never more apt for to queftion the love of Chrift, than in temptation; and yet Chrifts love is never more at work for you than in temptation. Oh! what an unworthy answering of Chrifts love is here!

Again, If I be Godly: Why should not I be contented, and quiet under all my temptations, though they be never fo great? Chrift prayeth for me, Chrifts love is most at work now I am moft affaulted, his bowels then yern towards me.

Yea, If I be Godly: Why should I not with Paul Triumph

umph over all temptations? and make my boaft of Chrift, and fay as he did, Now know I, that nothing shall separate me from the love of God in Chrift; not Principalities, nor Powers nor Devils, nor Temptation; for when I am moft tempted Chrift is moft at work in love for me.

Yea, (beloved in the Lord) why should we not all warm our hearts with this love of Jefus Chrift? it's a mercy that the Lord Chrift will caft but an eye, or a look upon a poor foul under temptation; that is a mercy: I but, I tell ye more than fo; Chrift does not only caft an eye, and a look upon a poor tempted foul, but his love and mercy is never more at work, than when you are moft affaulted, and tempted by Satan: Ah, what grace, and heart-warming love is here!

If I be Godly: (again) upon this account, why should I give over fo foon, and lay down my weapon in time of temptation? If a City be beleaguer'd, befieged, and know that help will come, they will not give over. And though I am thus befieged, and thus tempted, help will certainly come, for Chrift hath prayed; why fhould I give over then in time of temptation.

And if these things be fo, ifthere be fo much love in the heart of Chrift towards poor tempted fouls: then (beloved) should we not all run to Chrift in the time, and hour of our temptation, run unto him by prayer?

It may be there are fome that will fay, If Chrift pray for Queft. us in time of temptation, what need we pray?

But I pray look into this chapter, and you will find our Anfw. Saviour carries it otherwife. In the text, faies he, But I bave prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. At the 46. verfe, Why Sleep ye? (faies he) rife and pray, left ye enter into temptation. So that, though he had faid, That he prayed for them, yet he calls upon them alfo to pray. It's good praying (my beloved) when mercy is coming: and mercy is then coming when Chrift is praying; and when you are moft tempted, then Chrift is at prayer.

But to end all. What ever your temptations there

ii 2

fore

fore be, you that are the fervants of God, ftill think ye hear Chrift faying to ye,Man, Woman,be of good comfort, I have prayed for you: though thy temptations be very great, I have prayed for thee: though thou canst not pray for thy felf as thou wouldft, I have prayed for thee: when flesh fails, and eyes fail, and heart fails, and all fails, yet remember this, Chrift prayeth for you, in the time of your temptation Chrift prayeth for you think that ye hear Chrift fpeaking to ye in the time of your temptation, for certainly he does it as well to his Difciples now as he did to his Difciples then, he does fpeak and fay, Be of good comfort, man or woman,though thy temptations be great, yet I have prayed for thee, and thy faith fhall not fail.