that

lievers?—are we attempted to deny the Lord, who bought us with a price?-let us recollect that awful sentence, Whofoever shall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in heaven. Are we tempted into the paths of forbidden pleasure ?-What, know ye not your bodies are the members of Chrift? Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost? If any man defile the temple of God, him fhall God deftroy. Are we tempted to do an act of injuftice-to fteal-to pilfer-to wrong one another in any shape; what fays the word of God? Let no man defraud his brother in any matter, for the Lord is the avenger of all fuch. Are we, in the fecrecy of night, removed from the eye of man, or in the deep receffes of our own thoughts, tempted to do, or meditate fome wicked action; are we then in private? Is there not a God, who is about our path-about our bed, and Spieth out all our ways? A God, with whom the night is as clear as the day?— Laftly, are we tempted through the oppreffion of bad men, or the frowns of the world, in any shape to tranfgrefs our duty?-let us confider, that all the sufferings of this present time, the buffets of the world, and the threatenings of

man,

man, are not to be feared in comparison of Him who can caft both foul and body into hell. Thus, I fay, we may oppofe every temptation by the fword of the Spirit. The fcripture furnishes us with threatenings, with promifes, with rules, and precepts fufficient, on every occafion that can arife: hence therefore we may conceive of what great ufe it is, for all forts of people to be converfant in fcripture-to read it-to ftudy it, especially the practical parts of it; and lay it up in their memory. And this can be no difficulty to those who have a defire to learn. Every man has time enough to read his Bible, and lay up in his memory a stock of fuch knowledge as may be thus drawn out on every occafion, and preferve him in the hour of temptation. Without this fword of the Spirit, we fight unarmed, and there is no wonder if we are overcome: but when thus accoutred, we are always under arms; we are always upon guard; and may prevent a thousand furprizes, and withstand a thousand affaults, which may overcome those who are not thus provided.When a temptation arifes, fome apt piece of scripture will always arise with it; and one should hope, the word of God would always become fupe

E 4

fuperior. This is imitating our bleffed Saviour in a point of the utmoft confequence; and repelling temptation, in a manner in which he hath taught us.

Let us now, in the laft place, learn from our Lord's temptation, the comforts which arife from overcoming temptation: Then the devil leaveth him; and behold angels came and miniftered unto him. Whatever difficulty there may be in oppofing temptation, when it is opposed, and overcome, it is certainly the fource of great happiness. There is fomething agreeable to the human mind in making a fuccefsful ftruggle in any thing-in getting the better of any difficulty; and the greater and more excellent the thing is, the greater the fatisfaction which arifes from the conqueft. Getting the better, therefore, of the temptations which affault our virtue, must of all things be the most happy, because it is of all others the greateft conqueft: we feel the comfort of it in our hearts, the nearest of any thing we can conceive, to good angels miniftering unto 15. For aught we know, this comfort may arife, from good angels miniftering unto us. It is, in fact, what the fcriptures call," the joy and comfort of the Holy Spirit of God abiding in us."

But

But defcription is needlefs: it is to be felt, not defcribed. They who have felt it, need no defcription to make it more known; and they who have not felt it, will not be at all the wifer, I fear, from any defcription of it that can be given.

THUS I have endeavoured to explain to you the uses that may be made of our bleffed Lord's temptation. It remains for others to fhew what ufes it had, if it had not been real. I know of none. Where is the example, where is the confolation, in a mere vifion? It authenticates nothing: it may be a pleasing narrative: but it wants authority, either to compel example, or to furnish comfort. In this therefore, as in all other things, we fhould follow the steps of our bleffed Lord, who came to teach us the way to falvation. As he was, fo may we be, affifted by the divine grace. We may fay, as he did, to every temptation, as it arifes, Get thee hence, Satan: God's grace is fufficient for us, and his ftrength is made perfect in our weakness. The devil can only fuggeft temptations. He who tempts cannot compel. There can be no fin without our own confent. There is no harm in

in the temptation: there is no harm done till the temptation prevails.. It is the devil's act to tempt; and ours to yield. We may yield, or we may refift:-to yield, is fin; to refift, is religion. Temptations furnish opportunities for both. Danger indeed there is; and this fhould awaken all our care and caution; and the more fo, as we know our care and caution may be effectual; and that if we ourselves do our best, God's grace will not fuffer us to be tempted above what we are able; but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it.