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Lay hold therefore, my brethren, of the mercy of God, while the day of mercy lafts; for, if you neglect or defpife the goodness of God, which calleth us to repentance, this will be your condemnation, that light is come into the world, and you chose darknefs rather than light.

DISCOURSE XXI.

LUKE iv. I, 2.

And Jefus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil.

AFTER our Saviour had washed his difciples' feet, and wiped them with a towel, he faid unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? None answering this question, he explained to them himself the meaning of what he had done: Ye call me, fays he, Mafter, and Lord: and ye fay well; for fo I am. If I then, your Lord and Mafter, have washed your feet, ye alfo ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, the fervant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is fent, greater than he that fent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Should you ask the like queftion concerning the history in the text, our Saviour's temptation in the wilderness, and fay, What is this that has been done unto him? How came the Son of God to be thus infulted by the powers of darkness? Whence arofe the tempter's confidence and power? or why were confummate virtue and innocence fubmitted to this proof and trial? You

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might be answered in like manner alfo, He hath given us an example, that we should do as he hath done. Were you to hear the complaints, which even good men often make, that they are forced to struggle with many and with great temptations; that the paths of virtue are flippery and infecure, befet with many dangers; and that their prayers to be delivered from their trials come empty back, and bring no bleffing with them; you might in our Saviour's name and in his words expoftulate the case with them: Ye call me Lord and Mafter: and ye fay well ; for fo I am. If I then, your Lord and Mafter, have been perfected through trials, and in all things tempted even like unto you, whence come your complaints? whence is it that you expect to be exempted from that condition to which I willingly fubmitted? The fervant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is fent greater than he that sent him. I have led the way, and fhewn you how to conquer: and if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Since these things therefore are written for our instruction and admonition, the propereft ufe we can make of them is to confider them in that view, and to keep at a distance from fuch nice questions as no man enters into with difcretion, or gets out of with advantage. There is room in all the parts of the Gofpel difpenfation to admire and adore the wifdom and the goodness of God, if that will content us, without prying into the secret methods of his providence. In this cafe now before us we want not matter of this kind: when the tempter allured our first parents to difobedience with the flattering hopes that they fhould be as gods, little did the

blind prophet think that the day should ever come when the Son of God would appear in the likeness of man, to take vengeance of his bold attempt, to deftroy his works, and to redeem the captives into the glorious liberty even of the fons of God: little did he imagine that man, who fell by aspiring to be like God, fhould ever indeed be fo like him, as to be superior to all his arts and temptations, and be able to drive him from the dominion he had ufurped over the creation. And yet, behold the wisdom and the goodness of God! By man came death, and by man came the plenteousness of redemption: the first fruits of which we see in this victory over the tempter.

Thus with refpect to God does this temptation. afford an ample fubject of praise and glory: but, confidered with respect to ourselves, it will yield us the greateft comfort and confolation to fupport us in our spiritual warfare, and the beft inftruction how to behave ourselves in it. There is no doubt to be made but that all the tempter's art was dif played against our Saviour: here then we may learn the worst we have to fear, and fee the dangers we have to pass, in our way to happiness, and secure ourselves against the surprises which are often fatal to heedlefs unguarded innocence: here too we may learn from the beft example how to make the beft defence against the different temptations we ftand expofed to; how manfully to maintain the combat, and to refift the fiery darts of the devil.

These leffons of Chriftian prudence and fortitude are to be learnt from our Saviour's conduct and behaviour under the different trials the tempter made of him: but I propofe at this time to confider

the circumftances which attended this temptation, and are recorded by the Evangelift in my text: And Jefus, being full of the Holy Ghoft, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. Now this temptation, we fee, fucceeded immediately to his baptifm, in which the Spirit vifibly defcended upon him; and God declared him, in a voice from heaven, to be his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased. And accordingly the text exprefsly tells us, that he was led to be tempted being full of the Holy Ghoft.

You see the power of baptism, and the bleffings that are annexed to it, to which all are entitled who partake in the baptifm of Chrift: for himself he was neither born nor baptized, but for our fakes; that the bleffings of both might defcend on us, who through faith are heirs together with him of the promises of God.

By baptism the gates of heaven are fet open to us, and the way paved for our return to our native country by baptifm we are declared to be fuch fons of God in whom he will delight, and whom he will appoint to be heirs of his kingdom: by baptism we receive the promise of the Spirit, by which we cry, Abba, Father.

Are not these great privileges? And is not here room for mighty expectations? And yet how unfuitable to these claims do the circumstances of a Chriftian's life often appear! He is upon the road to heaven, you fay, and the gates ftand open to receive him; but how does he ftumble and fall like other men, and sometimes lofe his way, and wander long, bewildered in night and darkness? or, if he keeps

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