, if he
exposes himself to dangers he might avoid, troubles he might escape,
for what he believes the Lord's service, far from receiving any
comfort or encouragement, he is again accused of tempting God. But
tempting God is the deadly sin of an unregenerate mind, and is never
charged on any saint, either in the Old or New Testament, that I
recollect. Certainly, Peter did not tempt Christ, when he said, "If
thou be he, bid me come unto thee on the water;" for he did not doubt
our Lord's power; yet there was a measure of false confidence in
himself, as well as of unbelief; but these are compatible with the
holiest affections as a state. Tempting God belongs to the family of
the tempter, and is a part of no child of God at any time. After his
conversion, Peter asked a miracle of Christ; but it was in faith,
however weak. When the sceptical Sadducees and the Pharisees, sought a
sign it was to try him, can he do it? Therefore he said, Why tempt ye
me, ye hypocrites? shewing it was a sin to tempt him as well as it was
a sin to tempt his Father.

I feel now that I had been led to expect a greater measure of freedom
from the troubles which fall on the people, in the midst of which I
find myself, than the dispensation under which I live warranted; I do
not mean from those which spring directly out of the Lord's service,
but those natural and national evils which God sends as judgments on
the ungodly. This error arose from considering the temporal promises
of the 91st Psalm, and other similar ones in multitudes of places, as
the legitimate objects of faith: whereas I have been now led to see
that they, like the curses, are but typical representations of that
kingdom in which the saints of the Lord shall rejoice and be safe when
his enemies are swept away as the chaff of the summer threshing floor.
Yet even now, spiritually they are all ours. Not a hair of our head
shall fall to the ground without our heavenly Father's permission.
Therefore I feel these thoughts ought neither to trouble us, nor any
more prevent our hand undertaking for Christ any service, than if a
greater exemption was promised; for we know that whatever is allowed
to befall us, whether natural or spiritual, if Christ is ours and we
are his, they shall only so operate as to work out for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory; for these sufferings and trials
must be among all the things that work together for good to those who
love Christ.

_July 2