M and care of, his People under 7emptation. was molt at work tcwardsChrifi hen this hour of dark. nets was. And fo I fay, when your hour of darknete is, the hour of temptation 5 Chrilts love is then moil at work becaufe hedeals by his, as theFather diddeal by Him. The truth is, Lhrilis dealingwith his Lifciples, was a pattern and plat-fot m of his dealingwith all his people, to the end of the world. Now ye (hall obfetve , that Chrifts love was never more let out towards his Eiloiples, than from this time, after he had faid thefe words, 'Satan bath defired to fift you as n beat. After this time they were all offended becaufe ofChrift, and they all forfookhim : Te- ter denied him ; fome doubted whether he were the Melliah or no : and another would not beleeve his Ps efurreEtion; & as (beep, they wereall fcattered, and fhattered ; great was their temptations : yet from this time, do but obferve the love of Chrift towards them : after this fpeech, then Chrift preaches a moft excellent, and fweet Sermon to them, in the 14, 15, and I 6. chapters of"an. Then he takes wa- ter anda towel, and waffles and wipes his Difciples feet. Then he appoints the I ords Supper. Then he ipends a whol chapter (the r7. of Yohn) in prayer for them, makes a moft excellent, and fweet prayer for them. Then he cols them his friends : Te are no longer my fervants, but my friends : Yea, hit Children : Yea, his Little children. Never was his love more drawn out, or expreft towards them, than after this time. And (I fay)this was a pattern, and a plat-form ofhis dealing with all his people unto the endof theworld. And therefore, - though Chrift do fuffer his own peo- ple to be tempted, yet his love and mercy is never more at work thanwhen they ate moft affaulted by Satan. Thirdly, You will fay, What is there in:the heart of jejus uef, 3 Chrift, that does incline him to this indulgence toward his people, that his loveand mercy is down:all at work.when they are mop of faulted by Satan? My beloved, There is the quintefcence ofallthe excellt4.- dinfw. cy ofloving relations in jefus Chrift. AFather, a:Mothet, a Brother, a Friend; He is the everlafiingFather. And his h h foul 293
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