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 seems 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 alfo in much; and he that is unjuft in the leaft, is unjust also in much. If ye therefore have been unfaithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your truft 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 present faithfulness, 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 greateft 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 furpafs 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 easily mified 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. A&. iv. Scen. 3. lin. I. 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 focial virtues, we cannot suppose ourselves in any fituation, where we bould have more occafions, or more preffing motives to exercife 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 exercife, in the moft generous, difinterefted, and godlike manner, a virtue of the first rank, and the moft neceffary to preferment in God's creation. For he is the fitteft for business and truft, under the univerfal 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 circumstances, conditions, and fitua tions, 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, fhall be beaten with many firipes. But he that was in different circumstances, and knew not, and did commit things worthy of ftripes, Shall 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 intense. 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 ufe of thought and reafon. XII. God can raise or fink our Trial as he pleafes. When he fees fit, he 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 circumftances, his Trial began to be fo hard, that he opened his mouth, and curfed his day. Whenever the Almighty pleaseth, he can permit a Trial that will shake the ftrongest faith. Therefore, XIII. No good refolutions or difpofitions, no degrees of spiritual firength to 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 seems 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 alfo in much; and he that is unjuft in the leaft, is unjust also in much. If ye therefore have been unfaithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your truft 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 shews, that we are qualified for honours and trufts in heaven, no otherwife than by our present faithfulness, 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 greateft 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 practise 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 surpass 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 easily misled 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. A&t. iv. Scen. 3. lin. I. Omne quod habemus, aut mutuum eft, aut proprium. 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 exercife 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 focial 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 exercife, in the moft generous, difinterested, 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 univerfal Father, who most 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 circumstances, 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 circumstances 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 circumftances of his own particular Trial; and all things relating to it, all advantages and difadvantages, will be weighed in the exactest balance, and determined accordingly. Luke xii. 47, 48. That fervant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, fhall be beaten with many firipes. But he that was in different circumstances, and knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, fhall be beaten with few fripes. 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 fufferings of the flefh may be raised to fuch an height of anguish and terror, or its paffions fo inflamed, as to fufpend the ufe of thought and reafon. XII. God can raise or fink our Trial as he pleafes. When he fees fit, he can give a calm and quiet ftate; and when he pleaseth can raife 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 circumftances, his Trial began to be fo hard, that he opened his mouth, and curfed his day. Whenever the Almighty pleaseth, he can permit a Trial that will shake the ftrongest faith. Therefore, XIII. No good refolutions or difpofitions, no degrees of spiritual firength to which we have attained, is an abfolute fecurity, that we shall be for the future steadfast and unmoveable. New, or fudden Trials, ftronger than any we have hitherto met with, may fhake and ftagger the ftability 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 fland. 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 reason, 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 fupport 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 fpirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Mark xiv. 38. We are indeed under the highest obligations to ufe faithfully the powers we have already received, and no otherwife may we hope to be fuperior to temptation: but it is not our own wifdom or ftrength that can preferve and uphold us; for we are directed in Revelation to truft in God, and to feek unto him for fuccour and deliverance; which would be impertinent, were we fufficient to ourselves. Why should we afk help, when we do not want it? God alone is able to keep us from falling, and to ftablifh 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 prefent greater 'Trials we have furmounted. If we have overcome much, we fhall enjoy much. For, obferve, the fuccours of Divine Grace do not diminifh 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 trength. XVIII. The means of conquering Temptation, on our part, are Watching and Prayer. Mark xiv. 38. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. (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 at |