The children of God are all subject to temptation; some of them are tempted more than others, but I am persuaded that there is not one, except those who are too young to be conscious of evil, who will enter heaven without having endured some temptation. Now, such temptations as these are dreadfully painful to a child of God. He cannot bear the poisoned breath of sin; and when he finds that sin knocking at his door, shouting under his window, pestering him day and night, as it has occurred with some-I hope not with many-then he is totally overwhelmed, and he is critically troubled.

It may help such a person if I remind them that there is no sin in being tempted. The sin is that of the tempter, not of the tempted. If you resist the temptation, there is something praiseworthy about your action. There is nothing praiseworthy about the temptation; that is evil, and only evil; but you did not tempt yourself, and he that tempted you must bear the blame of the temptation. You are obviously not responsible for thoughts that grieve you; they may prove that there is still sin remaining in you, but there is no sin in your being tempted. The sin is in your yielding to the temptation, and you will be blessed if you can stand up under it. If you can overcome it, if your spirit does not yield to it, you will even be blessed through it. "Blessed is the man that endures temptation." There is blessedness even in the temptation, and though for the present it seems not to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless, afterward, it yields blessed fruit to those who resist the temptation.

I will present five Comforts for our Temptations:

I. THERE HAS BEEN A LIMIT IN ALL YOUR FORMER TEMPTATIONS

II. THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

III. THE RESTRAINT WHICH GOD PUTS ON TEMPTATION

IV. THE PROVISION WHICH THE LORD MAKES FOR THE TEMPTED