СНА Р. VIII. Further Reflections on a STATE of TRIAL. IT is of the laft importance to have right notions of life, as a State of Trial. For thus the whole fcene, otherwife confufed and unaccountable, will appear in a juft and rational light. Thus we shall be convinced, that our being is given us upon the most reasonable and advantageous terms, for the higheft and moft excellent ends; and fhall clearly understand what we have to do for the improvement and exaltation of it, free from the vain imaginations and purfuits, hopes and fears, joys and anxieties, which diftract the minds of the unthinking and ignorant. What I have further to advance upon this point, is comprised in the following propofitions. 1 I. It is a matter of great difficulty to adjust our Trials and fuccours, fo as not to overpower our faculties by either, but leave us in the free ufe of them. II. God alone bath wisdom fufficient to appoint and adjuft our Trials. Becaufe he alone underftands perfectly how to adapt them to the nature of our minds, and to the defigns of his goodness. Whereas we know but little of the nature of our fpirits, and therefore are not able to proportion temptations to our powers, nor helps and affiftances to our temptations. We are not acquainted with the work we have to do in the future world, nor the feveral forts of beings with whom we may hereafter be concerned, in the way of fellowship or enmity; and therefore are by no means capable of judging, what fort or degree of Trials are proper to give us fuitable qualifications. For this reafon, it is plainly our duty and wisdom, humbly and patiently to fubmit to the Trials God is pleafed to allot, and to behave well and faithfully under them; without cenfuring, or quarrelling with his difpofals, which is foolish and impious. But though our understandings in this cafe are very defective, I conceive there are fome general principles of which we may be, in a good meafure, certain. As, yet HII. The bias of Evil in our Trials ought to be firong in proportion to the degree of virtue required of us. For the degree of virtue is to be meafured by the degree of temptation which it refifts. That virtue is but in a low degree, which can overcome but a small temptation; that virtue is in a higher, which can overcome a ftronger temptation ; and that virtue is in the highest degree, which is fuperior to all temptation. IV. The degree of Virtue God expects from us, is to be proportioned to the eminent ftations to which we are to be exalted in his kingdom. Or, we fhall be exalted in proportion to the Virtue we have attained. Mat. xix. 28. Luke xix. 16, 17, 18, 19. V. Our Trial feems to be appointed for a State of Confirmation ——— and therefore the virtue we are to attain must be such as will fecure our perfeverance in it; which confirmation and perfeverance muft ftand, not C 4 upon L 1 upon our being forcibly conftrained to be virtuous, which is a contradiction, but upon the habits we have attained, or the fettled good difpofitions of our minds. And it feems to be the great end of our Trial in this world, that we may attain to fuch a degree of fanctity, experienced in a variety of Trials, as in God's wifdom appears to be of that genuine fort, which fhall eventually perfevere, and abide to all eternity. Of which matter our Lord fpeaketh in this wife, Luke xvi. 10, 11, 12. He that is faithful in that which is leaft, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjuft in the leaft, is unjuft alfo in much. If ye therefore have been unfaithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, i. e. that which may at any uncertain time be taken from you, and therefore, for the fake of which it is not worth your while to do a wrong or wicked thing, who shall give you that which is your own? what you are to poffefs for ever, or which you are never to be deprived of. This plainly fhews, that we are qualified for honours and trufts in heaven, no otherwife than by our prefent faithfulnefs, or the real good qualities of our minds; and that we are now tried in a little, that we may be faithful in much. VI. The Judge of all the Earth hath certainly balanced our Trials with the greatest exactness and equity, that temptation may not be too violent for our weakness, and yet ftrong enough to put our virtue to its proper proof. Fleshly lufts war against the foul, but are conquered effectually by temperance, or keeping our bodies in fubjection. The world allures our minds; but the world of glory is open to full view, to draw our regards thither. If the devil and his angels are permitted to practife his malice in perverting mankind, God hath fent forth a holy and powerful Spirit to illuminate, fanctify, ftrengthen, and comfort; and hath ordered his Angels, in great numbers, to be miniftring Spirits to the Heirs of Salvation. We may affure ourselves, that we are upon a fair, and even favourable, Trial; for, if we do not neglect our advantages, the means of fecuring our virtue, if we choose to be virtuous, do far furpaís the occafion of vice and fin; and in all our conflicts more are with us, than are against us; God is with us. VII. Our Condition is well adapted to the purposes of moral Improvement, If we confider life as a State of Enjoyment, all is in confufion and diforder, and we are eafily mifled into the most foul and fatal errors; but if we take life as a Trial, for the exercise of our virtue, in order to our future advancement, then every part of it will appear to be properly appointed. We have every day opportunities of fhewing our fincere regards to God, by giving him the preference to the many appetites and objects which court our affections, and come in competition with him. We Nimium vobis Romana propago Vifa potens, fuperi, propria [perpetua] hæc fi dona fuiffent. Nihilne effe proprium [perpetuum] cuiquam ? Ter. Andr. Act. iv. Scen. 3. lin. 1. Donat, in locum. We have opportunities enough to learn what is fufficient for us to know, And the obfcurities and difficulties in the way of truth, are not defigned to debar us from it, but to exercise our integrity in our fearches after it, and profeffion of it. All the calamities of life, pains of body, infirmities, feducements, loffes, &c. are occafions of purifying our hearts, by fobriety, humility, repentance, felf-denial, patience, &c. And for fecial virtues, we cannot fuppofe ourselves in any fituation, where we fhould have more occafions, or more preffing motives to exercise every fpecies of benevolence towards our fellow-creatures. And if our love to men must furmount both felf-love, that deceitful principle in ourfelves, and ingratitude, that ugly vice in others, hereby we are obliged to exercise, in the moft generous, difinterefted, and godlike manner, a virtue of the first rank, and the most neceffary to preferment in God's creation. For he is the fitteft for business and truft, under the universal Father, who moft of all participates of his kind difpofitions and goodwill towards the whole univerfe of beings. VIII. Different perfons, as they have different capacities, advantages, and opportunities, and are in different circumftances, conditions, and fituations, are under different Trials. Mat. xxv. 15. Luke xii. 47, 48. IX. God allots to every particular perfon his Trial. He gives our capacities and opportunities, affigns our circumftances and outward condition, and measures our afflictions and comforts. Therefore, whatever our Trials may be, this fhould calm our uneafy minds, that they are meted out to us by the fame wife Hand which created and governs univerfal Nature. X. Every one will be judged, and receive reward or punishment according to the circumstances of his own particular Trial; and all things relating to it, all advantages and difadvantages, will be weighed in the exacteft balance, and determined accordingly. Luke xii. 47, 48. That fervant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to bis will, shall be beaten with many fripes. But he that was in different circumftances, and knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, fhall be beaten with few ftripes. Here obferve, that God fully underftands the degrees of the guilt, or virtue of particular perfons; but we do not, and therefore fhould be cautious in judging. XI. There are degrees of Trial; or temptation may be more or lefs intenfe. The sufferings of the flesh may be raised to fuch an height of anguish and terror, or its paffions fo inflamed, as to fufpend the use of thought and reafon. XII. God can raife or fink our Trial as he pleafes. When he fees fit, be can give a calm and quiet ftate; and when he pleaseth can raise ftorms about us, and heat the furnace of temptation feven times more than it was wont to be heated. Job, in his Trial by profperity, acquitted himself well; and under great pains and poverty, he finned not, nor charged God foolishly. But at length, through the unkind ufage. of his friends, and perhaps fome other concurring circumstances, his Trial began to be fo hard, that he opened his mouth, and curfed his day. Whenever the Almighty pleafeth, he can permit a Trial that will shake the ftrongeft faith. Therefore, XIII. No good refolutions ar difpofitions, no degrees of fpiritual Arength to which we have attained, is an abfolute fecurity, that we fhall be for the fu ture fteadfast and unmoveable. New, or fudden Trials, ftronger than any we have hitherto met with, may shake and ftagger the stability of our minds. Let no man imagine, that his former victories will exempt him from a poffibility of falling. It is the will of God, that every man. the best of men, in this State, fhould be under a conftant neceffity of watching. Wherefore, let us take unto ourselves the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done, or over come, all to ftand. Eph. vi. 13. XIV. All Trial is attended with danger. And therefore fome, if not many, in a State of Trial, may fall into perdition; as wicked angels and men. XV. Our danger is not from God, but from ourselves. God tempteth, or feduceth into fin, no man, Jam. i. 13, 14, 15. for this very good reafon, because he cannot himself be tempted with evil, fuch is his abhorrence and deteftation of it; and therefore cannot be inclined to draw any of his creatures into the practice of it. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away from righteousness, by his own luft, and enticed to commit fin. XVI. All temptation is vincible to thofe that are willing to overcome. See Prop. VI. All the admonitions, exhortations, encouragements in Scripture, fuppofe and support the truth of this propofition. XVII. We are victorious over temptation, not by our own power, but by the grace and power of God. Even when the Spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Mark xiv. 38. We are indeed under the higheft obligations to ufe faithfully the powers we have already received, and no otherwise may we hope to be fuperior to temptation: but it is not our own wifdom or ftrength that can preserve and uphold us; for we are directed in Revelation to trust in God, and to feek unto him for fuccour and deliverance; which would be impertinent, were we fufficient to ourselves. Why should we ask help, when we do not want it? God alone is able to keep us from falling, and to stablish us in every good work. Jude 24. 2 Theff. ii. 16, 17. And we are abundantly affured, that he will give ftrength in proportion to our Trials, and our faithful endeavours; and that our future honours will be great in proportion to the present greater Frials we have furmounted. If we have overcome much, we shall enjoy much. For, oblerve, the fuccours of Divine Grace do not diminith the quantity of our virtue, or reward. Whatever helps our infirmity may require, our virtue is measured by our own fincere defires and endeavours, to which the Divine Aid is proportioned. So that, in moral conftruction, it is all one as if we had overcome in our own ftrength. XVIII. The means of conquering Temptation, on our part, are Watching and Prayer. Mark xiv. 38. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into tempiatian. (1.) Watch. Be not fecure; expect temptation, and be fenfible of the danger of it, the greatest of all dangers, the lofs of the foul. Be not confident of your own ftrength. Keep out of the way of temptation. Avoid every fnare that may intangle your minds. Indulge to no dangerous liberties; make no uncautious approaches towards folly and fin. That may be affected by flow degrees, which a man would never 2 at 43 that firft have confented to be guilty of. He that fears falling down a precipice, will be fure not to come near it; and he that would extinguish the fire, fhould withdraw the fuel. Keep thy heart with all diligence preject every finful thought and fuggeftion. Keep the body in fubjection to reafon and religion by felf-denial and abftinence. Beware of an undue attachment to the world. Your life and treasure is in heaven; and there let your hearts be. Let the word of God dwell in you richly by daily meditation. Pfal. cxix. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not fin against thee. (2.) Pray. Not that we may be totally exempted from temptation; for we came into the world for this very end, that we might be tried and tempted. We cannot reasonably expect that God, in our favour, fhould alter the conftitution of the world or of the human nature; but we should pray, that God would order our Trials in fuch manner as will beft promote the purity and probity of our lives. Prov. xxx. 8, 9. Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me, &c. The wife man doth not prescribe any condition that did not belong to him; but, in general, is defirous of that fituation in life which God faw would be most favourable to his piety and integrity. Lead us not, fuffer us not to enter, into temptation, i. e. suffer us not to fall under the power and prevalence of temptation. The example of our Lord is of the greatest force to direct and animate us in our conflicts; he took upon him our nature, and went through all our Trials, on purpose to fhew us how to behave under them; and to affure us that, imitating his example, we shall at length be partakers of his glory. And thus by his perfect obedience, his obedience unto death, a facrifice highly pleafing to God, he recovered that life and immortality which Adam forfeited by his disobedience. . CHA P. IX. Of Law, or the religious DISPENSATION ADAM and EVE were under in the GARDEN. EN. ii. 17. But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eateft thereof, thou fhalt furely die. This is Law; clear ideas of which are necellary to the right underftanding of St. Paul's writings. Law is a rule of action, or duty, commanding or prohibiting, given by the Sovereign to moral Agents, with the penalty of death annexed, Tranfgrefs and die, is the language of Law. And therefore every tranfgreffor, the moment he is such, is dead in law; and, for any thing in Law, he muft continue fo, as long as it is true that he has violated the Law, that is, for evermore. For the Law, which condemns him, can give him no relief; |