be of great ufe even to us, at this day, to look into, and to meditate upon these two books of our firft father.

What requires our particular attention is this, that Adam's obedience is not eat of put upon Trial by the prohibition, ver. 17. But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou caleft thereof, thou shalt furely die. Adam had not gained the habits of obedience and holiness, but was put under this inftance of difcipline in order to his acquiring of them. As foon as God had made Man a moral agent, he put him upon Trial. And it is univerfally allowed, that all mankind are in the fame ftate, in a State of Trial. It must therefore be of importance to have right notions of fuch a State.

In order to this, let it be well confidered,

I. That God hath erected a kingdom for his honour, and the felicity of his rational creatures. This kingdom, our Lord informs us, was prepared from the foundation of the world. Mat. xxv. 34. There we men fhall be equal to the angels, Luke xx. 36; and probably, like them, fhall be placed in pofts of honour and power, in fome part of the universe; aș is plainly intimated, Mat. xxiv. 45-47. xxv. 21. Luke xix. 17. I Cor. vi. 2, 3. Rev. ii. 10. iii. 21.

11. Without holiness, or an habitual fubjection of the Will to Reafon, or to the Will of God, none can be fit to be members of this kingdom. Wickedness, in its very nature, ftands directly oppofed to the peace and well-being of the universe; for it is error in the mind, rebellion against God, and mischief to all within its influence. And the moft benevolent of all Beings will not take error, rebellion, and mifchief into his kingdom, erected for the purposes of goodness and enjoyment. Rev. xxi. 27. And there fhall in no wife enter into it, the holy City, new Jerufalem, (ver. 2.) any thing that defileth, any impure, vicious perfons; neither what foever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; all idolaters, all that practise iniquity and deceit, are excluded out of it. But they fhall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it; the excellent of the earth, who have purged themselves from all ungodlinefs and fin, and fo are Veffels unto honour, fanctified and fit for the Mafter's ufe, and prepared unto every good work. Nothing but fubjection to the Will of God, in all duty and obedience, can qualify us for the honours, felicity, and employments of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,

III. No moral agents, merely on account of their natural powers, how excellent foever, are worthy to be admitted into the kingdom of God. Natural powers, in angels as well as worms, are the workmanship and gift of God alone; and therefore, not being the virtue, nor the effect of the virtue of the beings that are poffeffed of them, can be no recommendation to the continued favour and efteem of God. In order to that, the natural powers of moral Agents must not only be capable of right action, but also actually exerted in acting rightly. Otherwife, their powers, though of the nobleft kind, are ufeleís and infignificant. It is one thing to be born, or produced into the kingdom of nature, and another to be born to the habits of virtue, whereby we are rendered fit to be admitted into the kingdom of heaven. The former depends entirely upon God's fovereign pleasure, in giving life and powers, in any kind or degree, as he choofeth; the other depends upon a right ufe and application of the -powers

powers God hath beftowed; and is the privilege only of those wife and happy fpirits, who attain to a habit of true holinefs. And thus, our Lord's rule, Job. iii. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot fee, or enjoy, the kingdom of God, may extend to all created minds, whatsoever, under their feveral peculiar circumstances.

IV. Holiness, or virtue, cannot be forced upon us whether we will or not. The violence which overpowers and compels the Will, destroys the Will or Choice, and confequently deftroys Virtue; which is no otherwife Virtue, than as it is freely chofen. That being which cannot be vicious, cannot be virtuous. If he is not free to choose evil, he is not free to choose good; for a power of being virtuous, neceffarily implies a power of being the contrary. The only means, therefore, that can be ufed to induce a moral Agent to Virtue, are inftruction, admonition, perfuafion, the impreffion of objects or circumftances upon the mind, the fuggeftions of the Spirit of God, and fuch like methods as engage attention, and influence inclination and choice, without deftroying Freedom. And a habit of Virtue, which alone recommends us to God, can be gained and ascertained no otherwife than by repeated Acts, by ufe and exercife, by being put to the proof under proper Trials, by refifting folicitations, furmounting difficulties, and bearing fufferings. This is the moft natural way of bringing Virtue, or Holiness, to its maturity and ftability. Therefore,

V. It feems agreeable to the reafon of things, that all rational creatures whatfoever should, for fome time, be in a State of Trial. However, this is,

or hath been, the cafe of all we are acquainted with. The Angels have paffed through a probation, doubtiefs adapted to their different circumftances; in which fome of them abode not in the truth; they finned; they kept not their firft eftate; Joh. viii. 44. 2 Pet. ii. 4. Jude 6. And our firft parents, how fingular foever their condition might be in other refpects, were put under a particular Trial, by being forbidden to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; which must be intended to form their minds to an habitual obedience to the Law, or Will, of God.

VI. We Men are upon Trial. This is evident from Revelation, where we are represented as Pilgrims and Strangers, looking for, and travelling to a better country, 1 Pet. ii. 11.-As in a warfare, where we must fight for the victory, as we hope to be crowned, Ephef. vi. 14.-As in a race, where we are running for a prize, Heb. xii. I. 1. Cor. ix. 24, 35.-As labourers in a vineyard, who have work to do in order to receive wages, Mat. xx. I. As fervants intrufted with their mafter's fubftance, for the improvement of which they are accountable to him, Mat. xxv. 14. Luke xix. 13. And God hath appointed a day, in which he will call us to an account for our present behaviour, and render to every man according to what he hath done in the body, whether it be good or evil. This is the ftrongeft evidence, that we are now upon Trial. And the fenfe of Revelation is abundantly confirmed by our circumftances in life.

Our faculties are of the nobleft kind, and we enjoy all manner of means for the cultivation of them; but not without great care, induftry, and refolution. So many are the occafions of deception, and fo eafily are we mifled in our fearches after the truth, that we cannot attain

to any clear or useful knowledge without a conftant and cautious attention. Even Revelation, like the heavens themfelves, is interfperfed with clouds, things dark and hard to be understood. And when we have found the truth, the profeffion of it is attended with much inconvenience and trouble from the pride and malice of perfecution. All which is wifely appointed; for, had all been plain, obvious, and eafy, our integrity and fincere attachment to truth could not have been exercised and proved. The paffions and appetites of the flesh; the poffeffions, gains, pleafures, and cuftoms of the world; the calamities of life, difeafes, difappointments, loffes, dangers, enemies, fears, wants, weakness; all thefe are great embarraffments to virtue and piety, fatigue and folicit our minds from righteoufnefs and purity, and oblige us to conftant watchfulness and self-denial, in order to gain and fecure the habits of holiness. Every condition, every poffeffion is accompanied with its temptations. Wherever we are, we are in the midft of fnares; and whatever we have carries fome danger or other in it; infomuch that, without care and attention, we cannot preferve the purity of our minds, which yet, by the nature of things, and the command of God, we are obliged to do. This fhews we are upon Trial, or in a state of difcipline. For,

VII. A State of Trial neceffarily requires, that different and oppofite interefts (as the flesh and the fpirit, the law of God, and the law in our members, the prefent world, and a future ftate) should fo fland in competition for our affections and regards, as to oblige us to be very ferious in confidering, and thoroughly fincere in choofing and pursuing what is right and good, And herein lies our Trial; whether we will follow God, or forfake him; prefer our mortal bodies before our immortal fouls; the gratification of our lufts, before the purity and peace of our minds; the things of this tranfitory world, before the heavenly and eternal inheritance.

VIII. The end and defign of our Trial is to refine and exalt our nature. James i. 12. Bleffed is the man that worthily endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he fhall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Heb. xii. 11. No chaftening for the prefent is joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, &c. If indeed we are overcome by temptation, and drawn into a contempt of God, truth, and righteousness, we debafe and destroy ourselves; we prove ourselves to be unfit for the happy fociety in heaven, forfeit the favour of God, and shall fall into perdition. But this must be our own fault. The noble intention of our Maker is, that we should overcome temptation, and then we are happy for ever, We have flood the test, we have paffed honourably through our Trials; we have approved ourselves to God, as thofe whom he judges fit for preferment and happiness in his eternal kingdom. And fhortly we fhall hear, Well done, good and faithful, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Hence our Trial is compared to that of filver and gold, Fab xxiii. 10. Pfal. Ixvi. 10, 11. 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.

To explain Scripture language, we must diftinguish between temptation of Trial, and Seduction. Temptation of Trial, or probation, God hath wifely ordained for the exercife and proof of our virtue. So he tempted Abraham, Gen. xxii. 1. Temptation of feduction is when we are drawn into fin, James i. 13. Let no man fay, when he is tempted, educed into fin by temptation.

From

i

From the preceding propofitions we may draw the following conclufions.

COROL. 1. Trials, of the fevereft kind, are no mark of God's difpleafure, nor any proof that we are under his wrath and curfe. Adam in his ftate of innocence was tried. The beft of God's fervants have gone through heavy Trials. Our Lord was tempted in all points as we are, but without fin, Heb. iv. 15. My fon, defpife not the chaftening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction. For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth; even as a father the fon in whom he delighteth. Prov. iii. 11, 12.

COROL. 2. The appetites and paffions implanted in our conftitution, are not the corruption of our nature, but means of our Trial. And therefore we fhall be freed from them, when that is over, 1 Cor. vi. 13. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats but God fhall destroy both it and them— xv. 44. It is fown an animal body, it is raised a fpiritual body.

COROL. 3. Whatever Trials may be the occafion of fin, may much more be the occafion of virtue and holiness. Temptation may occafion fin, but is not the cause or reafon of it; for, feeing no temptation can ever make it reasonable to fin, every temptation, if the finner chooseth, may be rejected as unreasonable. On the other hand, temptation is naturally an opportunity of exerting our virtue, and of gaining an honourable and glorious victory. Diftreffes and wants may fill our hearts with folicitude, and tempt us to murmur against God; but they have a tendency, being duly confidered, to lead us to faith in him, and a humble patient fubmiffion to his will, the most perfect part of a worthy character. Wealth, honour, and power, may prove incentives to pride, luxury, and oppreffion; but they may, and ought to be motives to gratitude, and means of greater ufefulness. Our appetites and paffions may fe duce to intemperance and debauchery; but they may be the occafion of practising the most laudable felf-government and fobriety. And fo of all the reft. Rom. v. 3. We glory in tribulations; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, that hope which maketh not afhamed, or that fhall never be disappointed. James i. 2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into temptations; knowing that the Trial of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing to qualify you for the kingdom of heaven.

COROL. 4. In a State of Trial natural evil hath a tendency to promote moral good. For under any defects of happiness, virtue may be exercifed and increase. Hence it follows, (1.) That this life, notwithstanding the afflictions which attend it, is a day of falvation, or a proper and valuable opportunity of attaining eternal life. (2) That the quantity of virtue in this prefent world is not to be meafured by the joy it giveth the poffeffor, or the good it doth to others, but by the circumstances of Trial under which it acteth and fubfifteth. For although all holiness, by the will of God, will fooner or later be crowned with joy; and always actually brings forth good works, in proportion to the agent's power and opportunities; yet two agents, of equal virtue, may be fo differently fituated in the creation, that the virtue of the one fhall produce a thoufand times lefs comfort to its felf, and benefit to others, than the virtue of the other, Or, the fame virtue which, in this life, brings forth but

one degree of joy and usefulness, in another world may bring forth a thousand degrees,

Th. ftands upon two principles. 1. That holiness and happiness are effentially different, and connected only by the will of God. Hence it is, in fact, that many persons, truly virtuous and pious, have yet no comfort of their virtue. 2. The proper act of a moral agent ftands in the will and choice alone, not in the external effect produced by it; and therefore the will, or choice, may be completely holy, where yer the outward act is hindered by contrary circumftances. Upon these grounds one may venture to affirm, that the virtue of Lazarus, which, under all his pains and poverty in our earth, brought forth but a fmall degree of joy and ufefulness, might, in Abraham's bofom, be equal to the virtue of an Angel in heaven, which actually brought forth ten thoufand degrees. For as a cubical foot of our groffer air might poffibly expand, and fill a cubical furlong in the higher and thinner region of pure Ether; fo that virtue, which can fubfift under the loads and clogs of our temptations and difficulties, though its prefent fruits are but small, may dilate and blaze out into a glory, magnificence, and fplendour, equal to that of the holieft Angels. This the Apostle Peter intimates, 1 Pet. i. 7. The tried faith of perfecuted Saints will be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jefus Chrift.

COROL. 5. This world is not a State of Enjoyment. He that made it, and Man in it, made it for Trial. We must not therefore dream of a continued courfe of eafe, peace, and profperity, but must expect to meet with Trials.

COROL. 6. It is no matter in what temporal circumftances we are, if we do but acquit ourselves well and faithfully in the fight of God. Job, under all his calamities, was not a worse man, or lefs the care and delight of Heaven. He was then like gold in the furnace, under the difcipline of Divine Wifdom and Love, in order to his being purified into a condi❤ tion more illuftrious and excellent. You are in plenty and profperity. What then? This is but an inftance of your Trial, and your real happinefs must be meafured by the effects they have upon your mind. If profperity difpofes to thankfulness and good works, it is happy; but if it feduceth you to forget God, and to indulge irregular appetites, it is hurtful and pernicious. On the other hand, you are in affliction, want, trouble, pain. What then? This is not your fixed condition; it is only one inftance of a temporary Trial, which shortly will be at an end. And if your afflictions work in you greater contempt of the world, felfdenial, faith, fubmiffion, heavenly-mindednefs, &c. your condition iş happy, and your afflictions are really better for you than any other State you may fondly with for. But obferve, this is to be understood of afflictions brought upon us by Providence, and will not juftify us in bringing them upon ourselves by any faulty criminal conduct. It is nevertheless our duty, by all lawful means, to procure the conve niencies and comforts of life.

CHAP. VIII.