them with the thought that their cases are hopeless , that the stain of their defilement will never be washed away . He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn from their allegiance to God .
Though God ' s people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction , yet the anguish which they suffer is not a dread of persecution for the truth ' s sake ; they fear that every sin has not been repented of , and that through some fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour ' s promise : I " will keep thee from the hour of temptation , which shall come upon all the world ." Revelation 3:10 . If they could have the assurance of pardon they would not shrink from torture or death ; but should they prove unworthy , and lose their lives because of their own defects of character , then God ' s holy name would be reproached .
On every hand they hear the plottings of treason and see the active working of rebellion ; and there is aroused within them an intense desire , an earnest yearning of soul , that this great apostasy may be terminated and the wickedness of the wicked may come to an end . But while they plead with God to stay the work of rebellion , it is with a keen sense of self-reproach that they themselves have no more power to resist and urge back the mighty tide of evil . They feel that had they always employed all their ability in the service of Christ , going forward from strength to strength , Satan ' s forces would have less power to prevail against them .
They afflict their souls before God , pointing to their past repentance of their many sins , and pleading the Saviour ' s promise : " Let him take hold of My strength , that he may make peace with Me ; and he shall make peace with Me ." Isaiah 27:5 . Their faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered . Though suffering the keenest anxiety , terror , and distress , they do not cease their intercessions . They lay hold of the strength of God as Jacob laid hold of the Angel ; and the language of their souls is : " I will not let Thee go , except Thou bless me ."
Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud , God would not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life . So , in the time of trouble , if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish , they would be overwhelmed ; despair would cut off their faith , and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance . But while they have a deep sense of their unworthiness , they have no concealed wrongs to reveal . Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blotted out , and they cannot bring them to remembrance .
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