tural State, and Improvement, and his removing from us whatever he fees does not ftand with it. It is likewife to be understood of those Innumerable Ways of Providence, by which God keeps good Men from fundry Temptations, that would befal them, if he did not interpofe, and by Means fometimes difcernible and fometimes indifcernable by us, over-rule thofe Things, in which they are concerned. Take it in the latter Senfe for keeping us from falling by Temptations when they happen, we are to understand the Petition also of the good Providence of God without us, and of the Motions and Operations of his Holy Spirit within us, whereby he upholdeth, and preferveth those that truft in him in the time of their Tryals. God delivers Men by his Providences without them, which are very Confiderable in this Cafe, fometimes by the good Examples of other Men at the fame Time, and under the fame Circumftances; sometimes by the faithful Advice of a Friend, fometimes the feasonable Presence of a good Man, sometimes a fudden Change in their Fortunes, and diverse unforeseen Accidents, Cafual indeed to them, but purposely Ordered by the Wife difpofal of God, preventing their being led away by the Temptations that are upon them; and therefore in this Prayer

Prayer we commit our felves to the good Providence of God, which by fuch Means has often kept us from falling, that he would ftill go on to uphold us by thofe Ways, which to his Wisdom feem moft requifite; By the Operations of his holy Spirit within us he delivereth us from Evil under Temptation, when he fuggefteth the reasons of our Duty, and representeth them more closely, and maketh ftronger Impreffions of them upon our Minds, by which it hath often come to pafs, that good Men have been rescued from their own Paffions, when they have begun to grow wild, and faved from falling, when they were juft upon the Brink of Danger: And therefore in this Prayer we entreat God, not to caft us away from his prefence, and take his Holy Spirit from us, that he would not forfake us, when we are in moft Danger of forgetting him, that his Grace may prevent the Surprifal, when the Temptation is fudden, and our yielding, when it is violent or long, and that we may never be tempted above what we may by his Grace be able to bear.

Thus much concerning the Petition it felf.

2. The Confiderations that should make us Pray against Temptations in good Earneft, that those which are very Great may not befal us, and that we may not be led away in

to

into Sin by any, are chiefly Two.

1. The great Confequence of Being overcome by Temptations, or of getting the Better of them. In the former Cafe, that is, if we are prevailed upon to do what is contrary to our Duty, the best End we can. make of it is a forrowful Repentance, which if it be true, brings incomparably more Trouble, than the tranfitory Satisfaction of the finful Act is worth. The Advantage we get by yielding to a Temptation is gone, whatever it be, when a Man comes to repent, and for the most part long before; all the fenfual Pleasure fled as faft as it was enjoyed; the Revenge was fweet no longer than the Paffion was boiling or the Malice working, which if a Man clears not his Mind of, to the Devil he must go. And as for what a Man gets unjustly, that is to be reftored with the first Moment of true Repentance. So that it is evidently neceffary for our own Quiet and Ease in this Life that we enter not into Temptation, nor fall by it, tho' we suppose the best Iffue of Things when we do, that is, that we do repent and reform. But if we fuppofe the worst, that a Man grows more and more easy to his Lufts, and goes on to yield to the Devil, and at last fills up the Measure of his Iniquity, that which follows is nothing less than Fire unquenchable. All wicked Men will at the laft Day be fentenced to everlasting

R

Punish

Vol. II. Punishment for yielding to Temptation: There is that in every Man's Sin; there is the World, or the Flefh, or the Devil in the Cafe; there is the Allurement of Gain or Pleasure, or the Enticement of Sinners, or the Vanity of complying with Fashion and Example, tho' of the worst Men; for fome Sins there are, fuch as common Swearing and Profanenefs, which the Devil can bait with no other Temptation, but fome there is to all. And if we be concerned for the End, if we would not hear thofe few but fad Words, Go, ye Curfed, into everlasting Burnings, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, we had need pray, Lord, Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil.

2. The Difficulty is proportionably great to the Concern, and is a farther reafon why we should use this Prayer in good earneft.

1. If we confider the Variety and Number of Temptations, we fhall find no Age, no Calling, no Place, no Condition of Life, no Conftitution of Body or Mind, is free from all Temptations. Youth is follicited by Pleasure and Wantonnefs, and riper Years by the Cares and Pride of Life, Old Age by Discontent and Spitefulness, and, to the perpetual Admiration of all that well confider it, by Senflefs Covetoufnefs. A Calling gives the Opportunity of Dishonesty, and hard

hard Dealing, Griping and Oppreffion, and adminifters Temptations to Falfhood and Lying. A free Sanguine Temper is apt to run out into Excefs, and that which we call Good-nature, into Debauchery; a reserved Difpofition into Sullennefs and Discontent; and every Constitution has its proper Danger. If we converfe with our Friends, we are in Danger to be led away by Flattery; if with our Enemies, of nourishing Malice, and profecuting Revenge. Commendation is apt to make us vain, and Reproof to make us angry, and Reproach and Contempt to fill us with Hatred. If one hath but a little more Wealth, or Honour, or Beauty, or Respect, or Knowledge, than moft People have, he is ready to be lifted up with Pride, and when he fees himself out-ftript by others in any of these Respects, there is a Temptation to Envy. If we live in Eafe and Plenty, and have little to do, we are in Danger to languish in Sloth and Idlenefs; if we have much to do, then Contention and Frowardness, and all the Vices of Business lie in wait for us. The very Instability of our Condition in this World, and the Changes that may happen in it for the better or for the worfe, will try us farther, and fhew us to our felves. It is fomething hard to bear Sickness after long Health, and to fall from Wealth into Poverty, or if need be, to take up the Cross: R 2 There