Chap. 23 . fin Expnfttion upon the Bockof JOB. Vet{ 6. 349 Fourthly,. We are ltrengthned, or God puts ftrength intous \ for the refitting and conquering of the temptations of Satan; we meet with many affaulrs from the devill, and from the world, who are confederate with our lulîs.Thefe we muff refitsfiredfaft in the fairh;and that not only in the f:tirh as thefaith imports found. nets of doctrineor divine truth, but asTt e faith imports depen- dance upon Cheift for ftrength and aflìilance.Perer,being a chief agrandee in the traine ofChrift,or among the Difciplcs o; Christ, was Satans eye-fore, and the fayrer marke for his fiery darts; Sa- tans fingers icht to be doing with him, he ( faith our SLviour ) defired to have him that he might fife hind ae' wheat (Luke 22. 31 ) that is,to lift him throughly,not to fetch out his chafe from him, but indeed to make him chafe. Howwas Peter upheld? 1 have prayedfor thee ( faith Chrift ) that thy faithfide not; that is, I have prayed that God would put ftrength into thee,that thyfaith faile not ; if once faith faile we are overcome, Bet is faith our ftrength? No; but faithgoes to and takes hold ofhimwho is our ftrength, or who puts ftrength intous that we fall not in temp- tation. But you will fay, Peter fell, and he fell grievoufl;,his was great; he denyed his Matter. 'ris true, Peter feli,but he did not fall away, hUfaith didnetfaile,that is, it was not totally loft, and,therefore when Chrift lookt upon him, and by that looke re- newed his ftrength, he gat upagain: even when he denied Christ there was a feedof faith remaining in him, though like a tree in the winter, his fruit was gone,\ ea and his leaves too,and he look- ed dead and withered, yet-therewas lapin the root; his faith fai. lednot; whence was this ? he had an invil biefupply offtrength fromGod ; 1 have 7rajed ( faith Christ) that thy ,faith faile not. The prayer ofChrist fayled not, and theref)re.his faith did not ; . Christ rayed that he might have ftrength by- beleeving, and though he had not fo much faith as co prefer ve him ttareding, yet he had fo much faith as to raile him from his fall. And what Chrift prayed for Pe-er,he prayed for all that fhould beleeve ou his name, that in all their refi,tings of,& conrendings with temp- tation, their faith altomay not fail.As with is one principal piece of our fpirituall arm: ,ut whereby we overcome temptation, fo it fetches in that t= hich is the 'whole of the whole A. mo.ur ofGod, even the ftrength of God. When the Apoftle exhorts Saints (Eph. 6. a a, ) To poet on the »hdearmour of G,d ; He premifes auothet
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