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How plaufible! No miracle is fo likely to make an impreffion in his favour on the multitude below; and what fecurity is equal to the promise of that God who cannot lie ? Who can fufficiently admire the calmnefs and wisdom with which the infinuation is repelled? the promise is admitted, the fecurity which it beftows is acknowledged, and the authority of Scripture is established. But Scripture is not inconfiftent with itself, otherwise it were not the word of God: fpiritual things must therefore be compared with spiritual, and it is written, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." A man is faid to tempt God, when he calls for extraordinary and unneceffary proofs of his providential care, through diffi dence, or to fatisfy curiofity.

Thus Ifrael is faid to have tempted the Lord, when preffed by the want of water in Rephidim; the fupply was granted, but the place was marked by a name which expreffed difpleasure" he called the name of the place Meribah, ftrife, because of the chiding of the Children of Ifrael, and because they tempted the Lord, faying, Is the Lord among us, or not ?” The fame offence was again committed in the wilderness of Sin, under the preffure of hunger: "Can God turnish a table in the wilderness? can he give bread alfo ? can he provide flesh for his people ?" The miracle of relief was again interpofed. He commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven-he rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food. He rained flesh also upon them as duft, and feathered fowls as the fand of the fea." But it is dangerous to put the goodness and power of God to trial, and by impatience and importunity to extort the indulgence of a man's own defire." God often with-holds in love, and grants from juft disapprobation. "They were not eftranged from their lufts; but while their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them."-And for all this" they finned ftill.”

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We have another noted inftance of a man's tempting his Maker, in the cafe of Gideon, the son of Joafh the Abi-ezrite. He had been called from the threshing floor to fight the battles of his country; "the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou fhalt fave Ifrael from the hand of the Midianites have not I fent thee ?" Gideon hesitates, argues, excufes him felf. "And the Lord faid unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt fmite the Midianites as one man." This does not yet overcome his diffidence; he must have a fign to cure his unbelief. "And he faid unto him, If now I have found grace in thy fight, then fhew me a fign that thou talkeft with me. Depart not hence I pray thee,

until I come unto thee, and bring forth my prefent, and fes it before thee. And he faid, I will tarry until thou come again." The fign is granted. The offering is presented upon the rock; "then the Angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rofe up fire out of the rock, and confumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the Angel of the Lord departed out of his fight." Gideon perceives that he has prefumed too far, and begins to tremble for his life, but is inftantly relieved from that terror: "And the Lord faid unto him, Peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die.". Who would not have deemed this proof fatisfactory? Is not incredulity now completely difarmed ? The champion of Ifrael must have fign upon fign.. "And Gideon faid unto God, If thou wilt fave Ifrael by mine hand, as thou haft faid, behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth befide, then fhall I know that thou wilt fave Ifrael by mine hand, as thou haft faid. And it was fo: for he rofe up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl-full of water." Surely the contention is at length come to an end, and the patienee of God will be put to no further trial. Wonder, O heavens, and be aftonished, O earth, at the prefumption of man, and at the condefcenfion of God! And Gideon faid unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.. And God did fo that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground." But though Deity is thus pleased to yield to the unreasonable demands of man, it ill becomes man to encroach and to prescribe.

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In our Lord's repulfion of this temptation, mark the happy union which he recommends to his difciples; "" Be ye wife as ferpents, and harmless as doves." Harmleffnefs brings no railing accufation," forms not, threatens not; even the adversary is not borne down by the weight of authority, but eraft is confounded by wifdom. Scripture mutilated, perverted, mifapplied, is explained by Scripture in its purity and fimplicity; and the tempter is again made to feel his inferiority.

With a perfeverance, however, worthy of a better cause, he returns to the charge. He has been able to make no impreffion on the fide of sense, appetite or vanity. But ambition is the paffion of great fouls; and the mighty Julius had lately. furnished him with an example of the irrefiftible power of that

lufta

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luft. "If," faid the mighty conqueror, "juftice is to be vio-
lated, the pleasure of domineering muft plead the excufe."
This "prince of the power of the air, the fpirit that worketh
in the children of difobedience," employs his permitted ener-
gies, accordingly, to expand a delightful profpe&t of the pomp
and glory of this world, rendered still more alluring by contrast
with the real horrors of the wafte howling wildernefs, from the
fummit of one of whofe fterile mountains the vifion was dif-
played. Over all this glory Satan claims abfolute and un-
bounded dominion, and the fole right of difpofal: a claim,
alas, but too well fupported by reality; and of the whole he
tenders an immediate transfer, on the eafy condition of receiv
ing homage for it. "Ye fhall be as gods, knowing good and
evil" was the temptation addreffed to the first Adam, and it fa-
tally prevailed, and mankind was undone.
"All this power
will I give, and the glory of them for that is delivered unto
me, and to whom foever I will I give it; If thou therefore wilt
worship me, all fhall be thine." By this temptation was the
fecond Adam affailed; but it was refifted, repelled, and man-
kind was restored. Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Get
thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou fhalt worship
the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve." In Chrift's
rejection of the former temptation we had occafion to remark
the lovely mixture of wifdom and innocence; here we have
an equally interefting union of wifdom and zeal of wisdom,
in wielding "the fword of the fpirit, which is the word of
God" of zeal, in repreffing with holy indignation the info
lent affumption of the empire of the world, and the no less in-
folent demand of the homage and worfhip which are due to
Deity alone. There is a point beyond which patience ceales
to be a virtue, and degenerates into weakness. It is particu-
larly fo, when the name, the day, the houfe, the word, the
worship of the great Jehovah are impiouffy invaded and pro-
faned. The cloven foot is then fo apparently uncovered, that
nothing is left but an inftantaneous and abhorrent diffent,
"Get thee hence, Satan." Thus when" the prince of this
world" came he found nothing in Chrift; no weak part, no
unguarded moment, no subjećtion to the frailties of that na
ture which he had affumed, The demon hears his own name,
Satan, the adverfary, pronounced by the lips of truth, and feels
himself detected :

Abafh'd the devil ftood,
And felt how awful goodness is, and faw
Virtue in her shape how lovely; faw, and pin'd

His lafs.

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Thus our Lord's public miniflry commenced in unparalleled trials. Thus the Captain of our Salvation" began his glorious career, and was at length made" perfect through fuffering." But these things were fpoken, and done, and fuffered for our fakes. Chrift fuffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his fteps."" Forafmuch as Chrift hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourfelves likewife with the fame mind"-" Beloved, think it not ftrange concerning the 'fiery trial which is to try you, as though fome frange thing happened unto you: But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Chrift's fufferings; that, when his glory fhall be revealred, ye may be glad alfo with exceeding joy." Draw your fupplies, in" the evil day," from the fame facred treafury." Be ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Pat on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to ftand again ft 'the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, again ft powers, against the rulers of the darknefs of this world, again ft fpiritual wickednels in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to ftand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breaftplate of righteoufnefs; and your feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace; above all, taking the fhield of faith, wherewith ye fhall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of Salvation, and the fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance and fupplication for all faints."

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Good foldier of Jefus Chrift, thy chief danger is from within. There is a traitor in the fortrefs, carrying on a corref pondence with the foe without. Let him be watched night and day; let him be facrificed without remorse. The moment he is fubdued, the external enemy is flripped of his power. "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation." Be fober, be vigilant; becaufe your adverfary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about feeking whom he may devour: whom refift ftedfaft in the faith." Thou haft a weak fide; there is a "fin that doth eafily befet" thee, and that the tempter knoweth full well, though it may have elcaped thy own penetration. Oppose to his cunning the wisdom which is from above. In a state of warfare, remember that no danger is flight, and no foe contemptible. "Be faithful unto death," and thou fhalt receive a crown of life." "To him that overcometh, faithr the Amen, the faithful and true witnefs, will I grant to fit with

me in my throne, even as I allo overcame and am fet down with my Father in his throne."

Men and Brethren, we take encouragement to refift temptation not only from the example but from the interceffion of Jefus Chrift. Peter was to pafs through a fiery trial, and to be finged at leaft, if not fcorched in the flame. It was foreseen and foretold by his compaffionatè Mafter; but he would not take warning; he rushed into the fnare and was taken, but was not left in it. He was delivered, raised up again, restored, and his fall was bleffed to the confolation and recovery of thoufands: "And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath defired to have you, that he may fift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren." "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore fuch an one in the spirit of meeknefs; confidering thyfelf, left thou also be tempted." And let him that has fallen, and hath been : lifted up again," learn to walk circumfpe&tly:" let him "not be high-minded, but fear;" let him no longer trust in himself, but "let him truft in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God" let him be merciful, as he hath obtained mercy.

The grand tempter forced his way into a terreftrial paradise, into the holy city, fcaled the pinnacle of the temple, mingled with the fons of God, has " transformed himfelt into an angel of light, and ever with a design to waste and to deftroy." But into the paradife of God,"" that great city, the holy Jerufalem, defcending out of heaven from God, fhall in no wife enter any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie." Bleffed ftate! when there fhall be no inward corruption, and no fear of affault from without. Fear not, "The God of peace fhall bruise Satan under your feet fhortly." "It God be for us, who can be against us? Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather, that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us. Who fhall feparate us from the love of Chrift? Shall tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or fword ? Nay, in all thefe things we are more than conquerors, through him that loyed us. For I am perfuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, fhall be able to feparate us from the love of God, which is ins Chrift. Jefus our Lord."

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LECTURE