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with Profpects of Pleasure. Where the SER M. Mind is not under the Power of

of any

IX.

these corrupt Affections, the Tempter. finding nothing in it, (as the Scriptureexpreffion is, Joh. xiv. 30.) his Temptations can take no hold, and his Power is at an End. Refift the Devil, fays the Apostle, and he will flee from you. Take heed only that your own Heart be fincere, fincere in the Purfuit of Truth and Virtue; and all the fiery darts of the wicked One will in courfe be quenched. If we do not, by our own Perverseness, grieve and drive from us the good Spirit of God; Eccluf.xv. greater is He that is in Us, than He that is 17 in the World. God, faith the Son of Sirach, has fet before man Life and Death ; and whether him liketh, fhall be given him. The good Spirit is equally willing, and more able to help us, than the Evil one can be to hurt us. In vain therefore do wicked men hope to extenuate their own Crimes, by alledging that they were tempted by the Devil. For the Scripture never mentions it as an Excufe, but on the contrary as an Aggravation of a Fault, VOL. VI.

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when

SER M. When 'tis of fuch a nature as may well IX. be fuppofed to have been fuggested by the Evil One, and for That reafon ought above all things to have been carefully avoided. Why has Satan filled thine Heart, faid St Peter to Ananias, Acts v. 3? by way of more fevere Reproof, for his prefumption in attempting to deceive the Holy Spirit, wherewith God had infpired the Apostles. Nor indeed is it at all impoffible, but that mens wicked deeds may fometimes rightly be ascribed to the Devil, even when perhaps they proceed only from the corruption of their own Hearts, and not from any immediate fuggeftion of evil Spirits. For, as it is agreeable to the Style of Scripture, and to the Reason of Things, to ascribe every thing that is Good to God; because he is the original Author of the Powers by which all Good is done; and whatever Good is done, is in obedience to His Commands, and agreeable to his Nature and Will: So every Wicked thing that is done, may in a proportionate fense be afcribed to the Devil; becaufe He is the Head, and the Beginner

and

and Encourager of Evil; and whatever SER M. Evil is done, is in imitation of him, and IX. agreeable to him.

2dly, THE 2d Obfervation I would draw from the Hiftory of our Lord's Temptation, is, that we are hereby taught, that no Perfon whatsoever is fo Great or Good, as to be exempt from Temptation. If the Captain of our Salvation was himfelf made perfect by Suffering, let no man think himself fo Good, as not to deserve Chaftisement at the hand of God. If Chrift himself was in all points tempted like as We are, let no man think himself fo perfect, as to be above the Danger and the Fear of Temptation. We have great reafon, as the Apostle admonishes, Heb. ii. 1; to give earnest heed to the things that we have heard, left at any time we should let them flip. For the Deceitfulness of Sin is Great, and the Tempter is always watchful to feduce us, and the Heart of man is apt to grow negligent. So that even the Beft Chriftians are by St Paul admonished, to work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take beed left he fall; 1 Cor. x. 12; P 2

and

SER M. and Rom. xi. 20. Thou ftandeth by Faith; be not high-minded, but fear.

IX.

3dly, FROM the confideration of the Time of our Saviour's being tempted, which was immediately after his Baptism; we are inftructed, that when men first fet about the Practice of Religion, they are then reasonably to expect the greatest Difficulties in their Duty. Eccluf. ii. 1. My Son, if thou come to ferve the Lord, prepare thy Soul for Temptation. The Life of a Chriftian, is in Scripture compared to a State of Warfare; wherein he that goeth out to Battle ought well to confider, before his fetting out, what is the Strength of the Enemy that cometh against him. Whoever will lead a religious life; must begin with expecting, to find difficulty in fubduing his own vitious Paffions, and to 'find oppofition from the courfe of a corTheff.iii. rupt and debauched World. No man, faith St Paul, fhould be moved by thefe Afflictions; for, yourfelves know that we are ap2 Tim. iii. pointed thereunto: Ye, and All that will live godly in Chrift Jefus, thall fuffer Perfecution. For This reafon, the Scripture frequently ufes the Phrafe of Overcoming,

3.

12.

to

to exprefs a Chriftian's Perfeverance in the SER M. Love of Truth and Virtue. He must be IX. Tempted with Allurements, and terrified with Dangers; and then, if he Overcometh, faith our Saviour, he fhall inherit all things. The fooner a man begins the Practice of true religion, the fewer evil Habits and the lefs ftrong vicious inclinations will he have to ftruggle with from within. And when he has once got above the Allurements of inward Temptation, he will with much greater Advantage be able to withstand the Force of Perfecution from abroad. When our Saviour had entirely repulfed the first Affaults of fenfual Pleafure and Ambition; the Tempter, fays the Text, departed from him, and Angels came and miniftred unto him. Thus, whofoever in the practice of religion, steddily refifts the first temptations to Vice, and fuffers not himself to be corrupted with any Evil Habits; fhall, after That, more cafily keep himself, and That wicked One toucheth him not. Wisdom, that is, Virtue, is glorious, faith the Author of the book of Wifdom; ch. vi. 12. and never fadeth aWhofo feeketh her early, fhall

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