Page:Comer's conflict, or, The beginner's battle with the devil, when essaying to come to Christ by faith.pdf/15

 The Beginner's Battle with the Devil. 15

Lord ſſall renew their ſrength. Hence all the ſaints of old, and of late too, have tried the Lord's way, and found that the way of the Lord was ſtrength to them; yea, that wiſdom's ways are pleaſantneſs ; their delight was in the law of the Lord; In keeping of his commands there is a great reward. One ſmile of God's countenance is worth all your pains, tho' you were at a hundred times more. There is always ſome things ſavoury and ſweet in religion that accompanies the ſedulous exerciſe thereof. Tho' the foul hath nothing to claim on the account of its own works or duties; yet the Lord is graciouſly pleaſed to own and coun- tenance his own way, when the ſoul is found in it, beſide the glorious and gracious reward that abides it in heaven. Therefore, let faith batter down this temptation of Satan, faying, What tho' Satan preſent difficulties in the way, Chriſt underwent greater difficulties ; he hath borne the burden and the heat of the day. I am not cal- led to go and ſatiefy juſtice ; Chriſt hath done that to my hand; I am not called to go and fulfil the law as a covenant of works; Chriſt hath done that to my hand; I am not called to work for life, but to work for love to him that worketh all my works in me, and for me, and who, as he calleth me to this work of love, ſo promiſeth to work in me both to will and to do ; and therefore, in his name and ſtrength, I will go forward, making men- tion of his righteonſneſs, and his only; and in his name, I will encounter and grapple with the devil himſelf, for Chriſt hath conquered him to my hands. 4thly, There are temptations of Satan with reference to the omiſſion of ſin : he will ſuggeſt to them that it is but a little ſin, and God will not be angry for a little ſin: ſuch as a lie in droll, an idle word, &c. can ſuch a little fin endanger the foul? Now to guard you againſt this temptation, conſider, 1. That the firſt ſin which brought all mankind into a miſerable ſtate, was, in appearance, but a ſmall and little ſin : it was but eating a little forbidden fruit, the taſting of an apple ; yet, had it not been for Chriſt's ſatisfac- tion, it would have deſtroyed irrecoverably all the poſ- terity of Adam There was a man, firs, that gathered a few ſticks, upon the Sabbath-day : you would have thought that was but a little fin, yet God's thoughts are