fhedding tears of distress on the death of a friend, and suffering under the most dreadful agony, infomuch as to force drops of blood through his pores, for the expiation of those fins which we had laid upon him.

Our Lord has, upon this occafion, left us an admirable leffon, of the greatest importance that obedience to the law of God is to take place of every other confideration, even of life itself, which it is our duty, in most cafes, to guard with care, till he who gave, fhall think fit to refume it.

When fuffering under all the distress of hunger, the tempter puts him in mind that he might immediately relieve his wants, by commanding the ftones to become bread, this he difdainfully rejects. Though Lord of all, and having all nature at his command, yet, in his human character, as he was to fuffer as mere man, he determined to fubmit to every extremity of distress, rather than deviate from God's law.

Having failed in his attempt to make any impreffion on our bleffed Lord through

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the wants of the body, or through the pride of fhewing his power by cafting himself down from the pinnacle of the temple unhurt, the devil attacks him with his laft, and, as he thought, fureft temptation, (and well he might think so whilst confidering him as merely mortal,) by the offer of whatever could gratify the pride, vanity, and luft of man: he fhewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, offering to put them all under his command, if he would do him homage; but in this attempt, as in the former, he was equally foiled. The The prophecy that the feed of the woman should bruise his head, was now to be fulfilled. Finding, therefore, all his arts to enfnare or deceive our blessed Lord fruitless, and confcious no doubt that this was he with whom he had been threatened, he quits him in despair.

Thus may we also conquer the malice of our eternal and inveterate foe, if we refolve to tread in the footsteps of our Lord! We should refolutely refift the firft

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firft fuggeftion of vice, nor presume so much upon our own ftrength, as to suffer ourfelves to be led into temptation. When evil thoughts affail us, fhould we give them encouragement, though without a design to carry them into act, we give to our enemy that advantage over us which he is conftantly feeking for: we should hold no parley with him; our fafest way on all fuch occafions is flight.

We are not to fuppofe that the enemy of mankind, though vanquished by our triumphant captain, is therefore destroyed: his power, it is true, is fo much curtailed that he cannot injure us, but through our own neglect. If we keep ourselves on the watch, and adhere to thofe rules of difcipline laid down by our Lord, we shall be fecure against all his attempts: if, on the contrary, we abandon those rules, and put ourselves in his way, he is too active in mischief to neglect the opportunity which our inconfiderate folly may give him. Neither let us fuppofe that, if we have once conquered him, he will be therefore

therefore difheartened: we must expect to find him attacking us in fome other quarter, with, perhaps, a more dangerous allurement; so that our only means of safety, is to let our vigilance keep pace with his malice.

Did we want further affurances of our power to overcome every temptation, if we really struggle against it, we may find it in St. Paul, I. Cor. chap. x. ver. 13. "There

hath no temptation taken you but what " is common to man: but God is faithful, "who will not suffer you to be tempted

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above that ye are able, but will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

37. And the two disciples heard him "speak, and they followed Jesus. "38. Then Jefus turned, and faw them following, and faith unto them, What “seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to fay, being interpreted, Master!) where dwelleft thou? He faith unto them, come and fee. N 2

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"39. They

39. They came and faw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: "for it was about the tenth hour.

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66 40. One of the two which heard John fpeak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41. He firft findeth his own brother Simon, and faith unto him, We have "found the Meffias; which is, being interpreted, the Chrift.

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66 42. And he brought him to Jesus. "And when Jefus beheld him, he faith, "Thou art Simon the fon of Jona: thou "fhalt be called Cephas; which is by interpretation, A ftone."

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These good men were not defirous of confining fo great a blessing to themselves, but were anxious to spread the joyful news of their having found the Messiah, or Christ, which had been foretold by the prophets.

Our bleffed Lord diftinguifhed St. Peter, very particularly, when he was first brought to him by the change of his name;

and