The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College in CambridgeThe works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge

Again, This same word Touching, in Scripture Phrase, sometimes notes Fellowship and Communion: and so when the Apostle forbids the Corinthians fellowship and communion with Idolaters; saith he, Be ye Separate, and touch no unclean thing. Touching there noting Communion and Fellowship with them in their Worship: don't in the least measure have any communion with them. So now, although it pleases God, to suffer Satan thus to vex his children with temptation, yet notwithstanding, they have not fellowship or Communion with him, Satan knocks at their door, but they don't frequently, and ordinarily open and let him in, so as to sup with them: Christ stands at their door and knocks, and they open, and he comes in and sups with them, and they with him: they have fellowship with the Father, and they have fellowship with Jesus Christ, but they have not fellowship with the Devil; they don't delight in him, they don't converse with him, they have not this fellowship with him: and therefore though they meet with temptation, yea, and though they suffer under temptation, yet in this respect the evil one touches ⟨p. 109⟩not, but suffer they do. And so I have cleared the Point: God suffers his own dear children to be sorely tempted, yea, and to suffer under the hand of a temptation.

I come to the Application.

If this be so:¹ Then why do you that are the Servants of God question Gods love to you, and call your own condition into question because of your temptations, or because of the hard things that you meet withal from the hand of your temptation? Oh! says one, if God loved me, I should never be thus tempted, I should never suffer such hard things by temptation as now I do: was there ever any of Gods Children tempted thus? Surely this cannot stand with grace. But was not Jesus Christ tempted? Yes. But I am tempted many times to doubt of my Child-ship, whether I be the Child of God, Son of God I or no. And was not Christ thus? There were Two special times of Christs temptation: Once when he entered upon the Ministry: Once when he went out of the world; and you shall see, how at both these times, he was followed with this temptation: In the 4. of Matthew, there you read of the first, and in the combat, twice, If thou be the Son of God? says the Devil: putting an If upon his Sonship: and again, If thou be the Son of God: putting another If upon his Son-ship. So when he was upon the Cross; the Devils Instruments speak his own Language, they had not forgotten it: If he be the Son of God, let him come down? putting an If upon his Son-ship again. The Devil follows this close. Oh! but I am tempted many times to use indirect means to get out of trouble, out of mine affliction. And was not Christ so? when he was an hungry, says the Devil to him, Command that these stones be made bread. Oh! but I am tempted, I am loth to say what it is, sometimes even to lay violent hands upon my self. And what said the Devil to Christ? Throw thy self down off the pinnacle of the Temple. Oh! but I am tempted to horrid and blasphemous things that I am afraid to name, and my heart trembles