294 Satanspower to Tempt; and Chritt's love too foul rya in travel (faies the Prophet) Heir not afbamed to call you his brethren. And he is a Friend : 1 call you my friends, Now though parents be tender oftheir children aL all imes, yet efpecially when they are lick ; then there's a chair of love Rands by the childs bed. fide. And fo, though Chrift be alwaies tender of his people, yet then efpecially, when their fouls are fick ; and labour under temptation. There is the greateft pity in Chrift that can be, the molt pitiful difpolition in Chrifl ; which is alwaies laid out where he feesa fir obje& for it : praywhat is the obje& ofpity ? The obje& of pity is, One whom ye love in mifery. If ye fee a man in mifery, yet ifye don't love him, ye don't pity him ; if ye fee a man whom ye love, yet if ye don't fee him in mi- fery, ye don't pity him, ye love him, but ye don't pity him : but a perfon whom ye love in mifery, is the obje& of pity: Now all the Saints and peopleofGod, are the be- loved ofChrift ; and when they are in temptation, that is their greateft mifery ; and therefore, when they are molt tempted, then is the love and mercy of Chrift drawn out unto them efpecially. Betides, The Lord Jefus Chriit bath a great Intereft, and (bare in every beleever, a fhare going in every beleever. As the member bath an interefi and a (hare in the head ; to the head hath alfo in every member. Thine thy were (faies Chrift) and thougaveff them me. Chrifi hath a fpecial and great intereft in all hispeople, andhewill not lofe his inte- reft. The truth is, when Satan does affault a beleever, he does rather firike at Chrift, than at a beleever. And therefore faies Gregory well, The Devil in tempting Job, did not fo much firike at 706, as at God for the Lord hadPaid, 'That jobwas anupright man : and now the Devil would go about to make Yob an Hypocrite; fo that the Devill would fain have made God a lyar ; and he didnotfo much flrike at lob, as at Gods teflimonyofjob, hedid firike at Code ,-:And ro now in all the temptations of the Saints, he Arklaet-at Chrift, and they bear thole temptations becaufeof Chrift: Let a man goon in a wicked, and ungodly way, Satan
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