SERM. of the growing virtue and fame of young XXI. men; but David more fully fpeaking of the man whofe delight is in the law of the Lord, and who exercifes himself in that law day and night, he likens him to a tree planted by the water-fide, that will bring forth its fruit in dne feafon: The fimilitude is very expreffive and full of fignification, for the feeds of virtue are fmall, and its increase is by imperceptible degrees; till at laft it shoots up to a mighty. height; it becomes confpicuous, as a tree fpreads its branches in the air, and is proof against all storm and weather. It will furely come to this at laft with us, if we never cease endeavour but proceed in a conftant fteady courfe of improving every good and virtuous habit; but then on the contrary, every intermiffion will carry us backward and renew the difficulty; and therefore we muft ever have it in our minds that we ftrive against nature, and are rowing up the ftream; and while we continue to do fo, our progrefs though but flow, yet it is fure, but every time we flacken we are carried down the torrent, and by frequent neglects and intermiffions we occafion a perpetual round of the fame trouble and difficulties over again, The moft refty and stubborn nature will be tamed at laft; and though it may indeed give us work enough to manage, and create us much pain and difturbance, and uneafinefs, yet it can never run away with us till we have let go the reins. 2. Another 1 2. Another means here propofed for over-S ER M. coming temptation is that of prayer, the ab- XXI. folute neceffity of which arifes from hence,✔ that the weakness and infirmity of our nature is fuch, that without God's fpecial affistance all temptation will be too ftrong for us; and therefore we are taught to pray daily that God would not lead us into temptation. The most pernicious effect, and the greatest danger of all temptation is, that it takes away the very difpofition to pray; and when once it hath cut off the affiftance of divine grace, then it is fure to prevail upon us. . Let therefore no infirmity of ours, or ftrength of temptation, difcourage us from praying, fince this is the very reason why we ought to pray, because we are are weak and temptation ftrong; and that God will furely give his holy Spirit to them that afk him. No cuftom whatever hath fo direct a tendency to fpiritualize the mind and difengage it from the world and all flefhly appetites; and every prayer we make is an act and exercise of that virtue or grace we pray for: Wherefore if temptation prefs hard upon you, be thou urgent in prayer, as it increases fo repeat your importunities; if it continue pray again, and let every return of the temptation fend you to God for help; if you take care to go on to do this inceffantly, and not to faint, affure yourfelf God will never be tired with your prayers; fo that the temptation must be the Arft thing that fails; though you find not as yet SERM. yet the effect of your prayers, yet pray on, XXI, and this is faith. All things whatfoever ye shall afk in prayer believing ye shall receive, (i. e.) whatfoever is neceffary for us. If we firmly depend on him for the doing it after his own manner, and in his own good time; fo that we can never be disappointed but by our own impatience, or diftruft and weariness, When we have brought our minds to a difpofition to pray on all occafions; to pour out our fouls to God; to lay our weakneffes and infirmities before him; and to implore his aid in all our difficulties and temptations, and perfift in doing this in faith without wavering: The Devil will then hardly know how to affault us; because every temptation to a fin will ferve only to increase our devotion, and to mind us of putting in practice the contrary virtues. This is an excellent frame and temper of mind. But then this fpirit of devotion is not to be had, but by the fame means that other virtues are obtained, by a long ufe and cuftom of praying; it is a habit, and muft be got by practice and frequent exercife; and as the Apoftle fpeaks by watching thereunto with all perfeverance. Having thus fpoke to thofe things which are more exprefly contained in the text, I fhall only make three inferences from what hath been faid, with refpect to three forts of people who take in the whole body of chriftians. The 1. The first is the fatal mistake of thofe whoSER M. reft in the defires of goodnefs, and are eafy XXI. in the midst of known and wilful fins, only upon this prefumption, that the temptation is infuperable; and make this very text an excufe for their fin, which will be an unanswerable argument of their condemnation: Becaufe the flesh is weak, and the fpirit as yet only willing; therefore they are to watch and pray that they enter not into temptation, (i. e.) that they are not overcome by it, and if they are overcome by it, it is an infallible fign they did not watch and pray, to as good purpofes as they might have done. The text was fpoke to the Apostles before the holy Ghost came upon them, and though they fell at that time, yet they afterwards glorified God in their lives, and by their deaths; and no temptation was too ftrong them. This text, together with all others in the new teftament of the like nature, is applicable only to the first beginnings, and infant ftate of a chriftian, when he firft fets upon the work of religion, full of good defires and fincere refolutiops of virtue and holiness; and nothing can be more abfurd than to imagine that it must be always thus with them: And to conclude, that the great and glorious work of religion is done, when they have only a willing mind to it; the flesh indeed is weak, but this weaknefs must be healed or we are undone for ever. A fad SERM. A fad condition of the foul this, when XXI. people have no other hope of falvation left them, but that their duty is impracticable. They are indeed in a state of infirmity, as they fay of themselves, and therefore they fhould fpend their whole lives in its cure. But this is fo grofs and palpable a delufion that nothing can move admiration more, than that fuch numbers of people fhould be gulled and cheated with it: But I am perfuaded that notwithstanding all their fhew of fanctity, there is no one who allows himself in fin upon colour of this principle, who would not have been as wicked without it; it is only their way of ftifling conscience for the present, and if they had not this, they would have found fome other way of doing it as effectually, or continue in fin against the full and clear conviction of their confciences. 2. Another thing I fhall obferve from hence is, the deplorable condition of those perfons in whom all inclination of the mind to virtue and holinefs is ceafed; who have worn out all defigns and purposes of religion and piety, and have fo increafed this natural weakness of the flesh by vitious habits, that they are past feeling, and quiet alienated from the life of God: Who have given themselves over to lafcivioufnefs, to work all uncleannefs with greediness; And then every ferious thought of God is a check upon their minds, and carries terror in it, and the very mention of virtue and holinefs makes them uneafy. The |