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Third promise is very excellent and glorious, viz. "But I will confess him before my Father, and before his angels." Oh! wonderful honour! to have Christ confess that we are his, and belong to him, and have been men of courage in this holy war, and overcome the enemy, and been victorious in this fight of faith; to confess us there before God and his angels, must needs be unspeakable honour done to us before the armies in heaven. He expressed again his repeated advice to those who have ears, saying, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches:" Which is much wanting among men, and also a believing heart: I query, is not God, Christ and the Holy Ghost, stronger than the world, the flesh, and the devil? But is not this belief of it not being possible to overcome sin, and saying, that we cannot do it while we are here in this world; as much as to believe and say, that satan and nature are stronger than grace.

Sixthly, To the church at Philadelphia, the Spirit saith: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him, the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, &c. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Rev. iii. 12, 13. Here is promise upon promise, all to persuade, excite, and invite people to fight the fight of faith, believing they shall obtain the victory, and to destroy the principle of unbelief: the overcomer, through grace, is to be made a pillar in the temple of God; that is, one of his church, who helps to support the credit of it, through a true christian reputation in his conversation. Such an one is a pillar in the church-militant here on earth, and will, if he is faithful to the end, be also of the church triumphant in heaven ; "And he will not go out any more, but will abide in, and with Christ forever." Here are gospel promises and privileges, happy are they who through faith attain thereto; how much have christians need to be concerned before God, for the excellent gift of faith, since "Without faith it is impossible to please God." And as our Saviour saith, "If ye had faith but as a grain

mustard seed, ye might say to this mountain, be re oved, and cast into the sea, and it should be so." Now ough sin indeed has grown a very great mountain, in s age and generation, yet through true faith it is remov according to the doctrine of Christ (blessed be his ly name.) Upon those overcomers, the Lord hath o promised as above, to "Write upon them the name God, and the name of the city of God, which is Newusalem, which cometh down from heaven, which is e mother of all saints." Here is a train of glorious pressions, and mighty promises, enough to inspire the der soul with strong desires after God and Christ; 1 his kingdom. My heart is deeply affected at this he, in the sense of the love of our heavenly Father; 1 my spirit is greatly concerned for the welfare of the ildren of men, my fellow mortals. Oh! that they might lieve, and that believing they might have life, through name of Christ. It is observable, that to overcome, the condition of obtaining all these great and glorious omises; and overcoming is repeated seven times; once every church. And to say after all those glorious and r promises, that sin and satan cannot be overcome, is It the consequence of such saying or belief, to make irist a deceiver? which is absurd and antichristian ctrine.

Seventhly, To the church of Laodicea: "To him that ercometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, en as I also overcame and am set down with my Faer in his throne. He that hath an ear to hear, let him. ear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Rev. iii. 1, 22. What greater promise could Christ make to his urch than this, to take her into his throne, and into his ather's kingdom, into his bosom of love? This is onderful kind indeed. But then, Oh, christian! the ondition is to overcome, as Christ overcame.

Now since it may be beneficial to christians to underand, and to consider duly, this great fight or battle, and ow this great conqueror overcame; and because we re to follow him, and to take him' for our example, let s have a description of it, it being the greatest encoun

ter or battle, that ever was in the world, between the Prince of Life, and the king of the bottomless pit. The history of which, is worth the reading of the greatest prince or monarch on earth, since they must leave this low world, and lay down all their crowns when death calls them to fight this battle, and to follow this monarch, who hath all divine power in heaven and earth; and to take his direction is every man's duty and interest, both noble and ignoble. The holy evangelists, Matthew and Luke, give us an account of this great fight, in the 4th chapter of Matthew, and 4th chapter of Luke, and agree in the most weighty matters, though they did not exactly word it alike, yet the substance is the same, and the temptation, conflict, or battle, all one. First, satan bids Christ (as Matthew and Luke have it) "Command the stones, or stone, to become bread." Secondly, "To cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. Thirdly, "To worship the devil, or fall down to him." Mat. chap. iv. 1st verse to the 11th. "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he (i. e. Christ) answered and said, it is written, man shall (or doth) not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: (It is observable that the devil was here at his old trade of perverting of the holy scriptures: the scriptures saying, that, "He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways," &c. as in the Psalms: which words satan left out for they gave much light to see his temptation. Those words which expose him he hides, for he hates light and truth) and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the

Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him." Behold how the Saviour of the world overcame the devil and his temptations. As he did, so ought all christians to resist the tempter, as it is written," Resist the devil and he will fly." Here we may see he is a conquered enemy; and we are told, "By Christ's spirit we must overcome, as he also overcame." After our Lord had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry, at which time the devil urged him, if he was the Son of God, then to make the stone or stones bread, knowing him to be hungry; thus, after the same manner, he tempts us poor mortals, by laying his snares and bating his hooks, according to the nature and propensity of the person he is engaged withal. If a man, woman, or child, be addicted to passion, pride, swearing, lying, drunkenness, taking the sacred name in vain, idle or vain discourses to steal away our precious time: let the sin be what it will, that which we are most naturally addicted to, there will he lay his temptations, for he preys upon our weakness, and plies the weakest part in us most; for which reason we have need to keep a strict watch; as Christ advised to "Watch and pray continually, lest ye enter into temptation;" for it is no sin to be tempted, but the sin is to entertain, and enter into the temptation; if we overcome, as Christ did, it is an honour to be tempted, and a secret joy springs in the soul, in a sense of its victory, in sore conflicts between the enemy and the soul; the Lord manifesting his divine grace for our assistance and help. Here we can take the advice of the apostle, when he says, "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations ;" and also overcome them as Christ did, by resistance.

If it be objected, though Christ overcame, yet I am a poor sinful creature, and have no power; but he had and hath all power, both in heaven and earth, committed into his hands, so that he might well overcome him. It is well if thou seest thou hast no power, and if thou also seest that Christ hath wonderful power; then since we have no power of ourselves, we must, by prayer and humble supplication, apply to him for it in the time of need; believing, that he who hath made so many encouraging promises as are before recited, hath also grace, and will give both grace and glory to those who will diligently seek him; else why did he make so many excellent promises to the spiritual warriors? This is worthy the notice of all, that satan is a conquered and limited enemy and adversary,

It is a sweet portion of gospel tidings, and good news, that the devil cannot force any one, whether he will or not, into sin; for if he could no flesh could be sayed. As for instance, if a man, woman, or child, were tempted by satan to tell a lie, he cannot force them to it against their will; so that there must be a cowardly giving way, and falling from the Lamb's standard, or ensign, and going over to satan, if man is overcome of sin and wickedness; for if we stand stiffly against him, although we may be weak of ourselves, our great Master, who seeth us in secret, if we cry to him for help, will come to our assistance, he whom satan could never conquer; therefore it is safe for all professing the name of Jesus Christ to keep near unto him, through faith in his name and power, which ever was, is, and will be, a strong tower to those who fly thereto for safety. Christ did not do as the devil tempted him, or persuaded him to do; but he withstood the temptation, with this reply, "It is written, that man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God:" for there is life in every word of God. Thus our Lord overcame him; for satan cannot resist, so as to make void, or lay waste the words of God in the holy scriptures of truth, when they are brought into our minds by his spirit to uphold and promote the kingdom