Let us then feriously confider of thefe Things, for they are Matters of the greatest Moment and Importance, Nothing can concern us more nearly, than to know the crafty and deceitful Ways whereby Satan addreffes to us and knowing them to make a fuitable Refift

ance,

To this Purpose, let us always bear in mind, that Sin (under what Difguife foever it appears) is the greateft Cheat in the World: It makes nothing Good that it promises here; and it leaves us in the Lurch for ever. If then you are at any time tempted by him; before you venture any further, ask your felf feriously, thefe, or the like Questions.

What am I going to do? I am going to quit my trueft Intereft and Safety; to affront my Reafon, to wound my Innocence and my Reputation; to make my felf a Fool, or a Beast: I am going to act contrary to the natural Light of my Mind, and the trueft Information of my Confcience: I am going to abuse my Nature, to difhonour my God, and to become a Slave to the Devil.

Or if this Reasoning fhould chance to prove too mild and gentle, confider once more,

Fix your Thoughts feriously upon the Horrors of the Damned; thofe wretched Triumphs of the Devil's Malice now in Hell. Fancy that you faw the Foundations of the great Deep open; that you heard the Groanings, and the bidious Shrieks of the Everlasting Goal.

Would

5. 8.

Would not the Sight and Senfe of thefe, engage you to live holy Lives upon Earth, left you come to that Place of Torment? Would they not make you become the ftrictest Votaries, the most fincere Penitents, the brighteft Examples of an Univerfal and Undiffembled Piety? Be you well affured these are not Poetical Fictions, or Romantick Stories ; they are the real Truths of God.

I will conclude all, with the Words of St. 1 Ep. Ch. Peter, Be fober, be vigilant, because your Adverfary, the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh about, feeking whom he may devour.

SER

SERMON XII.

A Difcourfe fhewing the Readinefs of God to fufpend his Judgments upon Men's Humiliation, together with the Infufficiency of an Humiliation which is Partial and Imperfect.

iKINGS xxi. 29.

Sceft thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the Evil in his Days: But in his Son's Days will I bring the Evil upon his Houfe.

TH

HIS Chapter gives us an Account of the Nature and Guilt of Ahab's Sin; together with the Occafion, the Degrees, and the Succefs of his Repentance. R

To

241

.7.

Towards the Beginning of it, we read that he having obferved the pleafant and commodious Situation of Naboth's Vineyard, it being fays the Text, bard by the Palace of Abab King of Samaria; defired him to give it in exchange for another: Or if that feem'd not good unto him, he would give him the Worth of it in Money. Naboth upon juft Reafons, rejects the Offer, as very unfit to be done; because it defcended to him from his Father by a Natural and Hereditary Right: Verse 3. The Lord forbid it me, that I fhould give the Inheritance of my Father unto thee.

1

See here the Uneafinefs, and the fecret Torment of a Covetous Mind Ambitions or immoderate Defires are not to be fatisfied with the Honours and Pleasures, and Riches of a Kingdom. Abab difatisfied with this Answer, becomes fullen and difcontented: He went into bis Houfe laid him down upon his Bed, turned away his Face, and would eat no Bread. His Wife Jezebel obferving him, and knowing well-enough the Ground of his Difcontent contrives a way to give Eafe to his perplexed Mind. Arife, fays the, and eat Bread, and let thine Heart be merry; I will give thee the Vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. To this Purpose, the dispatches Letters to the Elders and Nobles of the City in Abab's Name, and Seals them with his own Seal; the Purport of which was to proclaim a Faft, in order to bring Naboth to his Trial and Condemnation, for fome fuppofed, notorious, and capital Of

fences.

fences. And the more to countenance and gain Credit to the Defign; two profligate Men, Sons of Belial, are fuborn'd to fwear Blaf phemy and Treafon against him. Thus the Innocent Man is at once deprived of his Birthright and of his Life. Verse 15. Arife; take Poffeffion of the Vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for Money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

But behold! The Almighty Avenger of injured and oppreffed Innocence, by a wonderful and astonishing Providence, ftops him in the Way. As he was going down to the Vineyard, he's met with a Meffage from Heaven Elijah the Prophet of the Lord, fpake unto him, faying, Thus faith the Lord. Haft thou killed, and alfo taken Poffeffion? In the Plate where Dogs licked the Blood of Naboth, shall Dogs lick thy Blood, even thine.

Ahab, whether awakened with the Strangenefs of the Prophet's Meffage, or terrified with the Senfe and Apprehenfion of the Punishment; or (which is moft probable) finitten with the Fears and Guilts of his own Confcience, betakes himself to Repentance and Mourning. He rent his Cloaths, and put Sackcloth upon his Flef, and fafted, and lay in Sackcloth and went foftly. God obferving thefe outward Expreffions of his Repentance, Repeals, at leaft fufpends his Doom, Seeft thou how Abab bumbleth himself before me? Because be humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the Evil in his Days: But in his R 2 Son's

v. 19.

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