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with strength of temptation and strength of desire to have it removed, made him overlook that mighty aid of God, by which he was enabled to stand under all: what is many a tempted soul's case, he cannot see the relief and strength he hath, because he hath not total freedom from the evil he groans under. This temptation must be observed, God will otherwise be a loser, and man too; God will lose the glory of his grace, and man the comfort. Is it not relief and strength, that thou art upheld to encounter, in any measure, with strong temptation? that thou art taken from them into the arms of Christ, though they are not taken from thee? from the evil of temptation, though not simply from temptation itself? this was that power which Christ principally prayed for, not to take us out of a wretched world and wretched condition, but to uphold us in it. " I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil," John xvii. 15.

Objection. If I were so relieved and strengthened in my temptations, as kept and borne out against sin, I should acknowledge a strengthening power of God working in me, but alas! when I am tempted I am overcome.

Answer. It is one thing to sin, it is another thing to be overcome by sin. Christians who thus complain should well observe how Christ keeps their will and affections; a man is lost when these are won, and not before. The apostle Paul considered this in the like conflict; what he was in will, when nothing in deed. He found God in affection, though sin in action; the heart may be sound, when more external and inferior parts are not.“ That which I do,

I allow not; what I would, that do I not, but what I hate that do I ;" and upon this ground he comforts himself in a sad condition, and disclaims sin as none of his, though acted by him. Tempted souls must remember this. The heart kept, all is kept; what is done against this by mere strength of corrupt nature, it is not the soul's act, it is sin's act: the Holy Ghost makes this distinction, a weak soul must not call it too nice to comfort him. It is one thing to be taken by an enemy, and another thing to yield and lay down weapons to an enemy. This was the apostle's case, which though sad, yet he made it to yield its own relief, so must we in like cases. I am, saith he, a forced man, a prisoner, a captive; I do what I did never intend, what I can never allow; this may make me a wretched man, but it cannot make me a damnable man; it may put me into a strait, but my poor soul may find a way out though Christ, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord," Rom. vii. 25.

Again, remember this, namely, how the point in hand is proposed, and so take it. God exercises a relieving power in a christian: I do not say a power presently conquering; by degrees it rises to this. Relief is renewed, and more and more, time after time, brought in still, till the soul is made victorious over all enemies. That place is very observable to this purpose; "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he bring forth judgment unto victory," Matt. xii. 20. That Christ keeps alive thy will and affection towards him, in the midst of so much corruption, and so many foils, is it not mighty power and love? Yet this he doth, and this he will do, till he hath made

thee in action, what thou art in affection; indeed, what thou art in will: he will not leave what he hath begun till he hath made thee victorious.

Finally, remember this, that strengthening power, according to sense and observation, comes in by prayer, fervent prayer. The apostle Paul found it So. Upon seeking God again and again, God made known what he was, and what he would be to him. And he answered me, " My grace is sufficient for thee;" that is, to his prayer, God thus answered. So the spouse fervently prays for relief, and then in the next verse breaks forth, as one feeling it; "Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love." Then in the next verse you have her sensibly expressing her enjoyment; "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me," Cantic. ii. 5, 6. God in manifestation of the first power, is found unsought; but in manifestation of the second power he is found as sought. He speaks to our heart, as we speak to his; he reveals his compassion as we reveal our state. You may want strengthening power, if you seek it not. You may live without the lively sense of it long, if you pray not fervently. You must not disclaim a good state wholly, because it is badly managed. Christians ill managing a good state, makes them often conclude it is stark naught; this is ill and lies heavy upon the heart, and yet does no good, but much hurt. It discourages to prayer and other duties, in and by which comes the experience of God's strengthening power which they want.

I have now but one or two things more to speak to the wicked from this point, and so I shall con

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clude it. You will never beat the godly out of heart. They have a relieving and strengthening power still comes in, fresh force from Heaven, they will never be conquered. They are upon a rock. Winds may blow and storms beat, they will never fall; the rock is foundation, and side props too. Christians are still kept in that hand that made them christians; and none can pluck them out of that hand. The wicked have a great deal of work, more than they will consider. They must quench two everlasting burnings ere they will be conquerors. Will they do either? There is an everlasting fire (of love) burning in the hearts of saints; can all the waters you pour upon it quench it? There is an everlasting fire (of grief and rage) burning in hell; both these fires kindled, and maintained by the breath of God. Can you stop the breath of the Almighty? then may you be conquerors, but not before.

The unhappiness of wicked men is double, treble I know not how manifold; they are liable to the wrath of God and of his people; and have no strengthening power to succour them. When tortured without, they are more tortured within; it is a fattening, hardening, condemning, torturing power that works in wicked souls. The powers which work mightily in the wicked, are powers of darkness, and lead to utter darkness; there I leave the wicked, and go on with my text.

SERMON II.

COLOSSIANS I. 11.

-WITH ALL MIGHT; OR, IN ALI. POWER.

THIS is the next word to speak of: "All might," is him that is Almighty given into man, as full as man can hold; it is so much divine strength extended, as to bear up to all duty. Almighty is all that man can need, all that man can use bestowed on him. It is ten talents. It is strength to hold forth all God's will, in all conditions, against all disadvantages. It is human capacity made vast, and filled with as much of God, as any design on earth can require, for the well managing of it. Almightiness here is not spoken in way of comparison with God, but in way of full obedience to God. It is an expression spoken in reference to God's will, not in reference to God's person, and denotes an ability to all that God commands, and not an equality to any thing that God is. It denotes such a power in some similitude, to be to what is enjoined, as God is to any thing, able to it, and above it, though ever so great.

Almightiness in God, cannot be fully expressed by man. Almightiness in a christian hath so much of the almightiness of God in it, that this also cannot be fully expressed. It is the same power which made Christ almighty, exceeding richly made known in a christian; no otherwise did the apostle know how to express it; "That ye may know what

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