judge, whether living on in Sin, in Hopes of being favoured with this extraordinary Mercy, be not an extravagant Prefumption, and the very Height of Tempting God? Truly, I cannot judge otherwife of it; nor can I but fear, that thofe, who thus pretend to play Tricks with God, and get Heaven by a Cheat, notwithstanding the fair Shew of Repentance many of them make in their laft Sickness (which ignorant People call dying well): I cannot but fear, I fay, that they generally die as they lived, and receive the juft Reward of their Prefumption, in finding themselves difappointed of the Mercy they have fo long abused..

Fourthly, and lastly, all thofe are guilty of Tempting God, who either continue wilfully in the immediate Occafion of Sin, or at any Time expose themselves to it without any Neceffity: The Reafon hereof is plain and obvious, because God has pofitively commanded us to fly from Sin as from the Face of a Serpent; and to oblige us more strictly to it, has exprefly forewarned us, that whoever loves Danger fball perifh in it. Now he that puts himself wilfully into the Occafion of Sin, fhews plainly that he loves Danger, and is fond of being tempted; because Occafion alone is fo dangerous a Temptation, even to Perfons virtuously inclined, that Saints theme

felves

felves have fometimes experienced the fatal Power of it: And 'tis no Hyperbole to fay, that Occafion alone has murder'd more Souls than all the Plagues, Wars, and Famines have destroy'd Bodies: And therefore whoever expofes himself wilfully to Danger, will foon experience the fatal Confequence of his Prefumption, in finding himself plunged into all the Disorders of an unruly Paffion; for God has never promised his Affiftance to thofe that negJect the ordinary Means appointed by him for their Security: And fince he has pofitively commanded us to fly from Sin, and fhun the Occafions of it; what can fuch presumptuous Souls, as defpife his holy Ordinance, and will needs be trying Tricks, and venturing farther than they ought, what can they, I fay, expect but to meet their Ruin in the Temptation they have fought? Nor can they then, with Juftice, complain of their being tempted above their Strength; fince, in fuch Cafes, they are their own Tempters, and the wilful Authors of the Mischief that befals them.

Thus we fee how many Ways we may tempt God: And it appears plainly, from what has been faid, that Pride is the ordinary Root of this Sin; that is, either too great a Conceit of our own Strength, or a prefumptuous Confidence in the Goodness

and

and Mercies of God. Hence Perfons, that are truly humble, have a great Horror of Tempting God in any kind; for the humble Chriftian being always diftruftful of himfelf, and knowing that all his Strength must come from above, is afraid to neglect any of the Means ordained by Almighty God for the better fecuring of his Soul's Salvation: This keeps him faithful to all his Duties, and particularly to the Duty of Prayer, because he knows all heavenly Grace flows through that Channel: This alfo makes him fearful to undertake any Bufinefs of Moment, or engage himself in any Course of Life, without firft having Recourse to the Father of Lights, and employing all Endeavours poffible to procure his Bleffing.

This again makes him tremble at the very Thought of forfeiting God's Grace; and if, through human Weakness, he finds himself fallen under his Difpleasure, he lofes no Time, but turns immediately all his Thoughts towards the ufual Remedies prescribed in that Cafe: So far is he from refolving to put Things upon the last Hazard, or pretending to make a finful Life the Way to a happy Death. This finally makes him fet a continual Guard upon his Senfes, avoid the dangerous Liberties of the World, keep at the greatest Distance

poffible

poffible from all Occafions of Sin, and decline whatever may inflame his Paffions, or give his Enemy an Advantage over him.

Grant us, O God, this humble Difpofition; that, being truly fenfible of our Dependance on thee, we may be ever faithful in performing whatever thou requireft of us. We know thou never forfakeft any, but fuch as first abandon thee; and 'tis but juft that they, who defpife the Order of thy infinite Wisdom should forfeit their Share in the Protection of thy Almighty Power. However, forgive us our paft Failings, and withdraw not thy Mercies from us, as our Sins have juftly deserved; but compaffionating our Weaknefs, enable us with thy holy Grace to be more faithful to thee hereafter.

The

The XLVIIth ENTERTAINMENT,

Of the Blind Beggar.

A certain Blindman fat down by the Way fide begging. Luke xviii. 35.

TH

HE Evangelift gives us a Relation of the miraculous Cure of a blind Beggar, who fitting by the Way-fide, and hearing a great Throng of People paffing by, afk'd what it meant ; and being told that Jefus of Nazareth was paffing by, ery'd out to him Jefus Son of David bave Mercy on me. But being rebuked by those that went before, and bid to hold his Peace, he was fo far from being difcouraged, that be cry'd out much louder than before, Jefus Son of David have Mercy on me. Whereupon our Saviour ftopp'd, and ordering him to be brought to him, afk'd him what he defired of him; He anfwer'd, Lord that I may fee: Which our Saviour, according to his ufual Goodness, immediately granted, telling him that the Recovery of his Sight was the Reward of his Faith: Whereupon he immediately faw, and follow'd Jefus, praifing and glorifying God.

This