2. By every man's particular corruption, 253 to 255 3. By the continual offer of alluring objects agreeable to it, 255, 256. 4. By the unspeakable malice and activity, the incredible skill and boldness of the tempter, 257,258. 5. By God's juft judgment, in commiffioning this evil spirit to tempt at a rate more than ordinary, 258, 259. 6. By a previous growing familiarity of the mind with the fin, which a man is tempted to, 260, 261. 7. By a long train of gradual, imperceivable encroaches of the flesh upon the spirit, 261 to 264. 3dly, A temptation's proper feafon may be difcern'd by fome figns, 264. As, 1. By an unusual concurrence of all circumftances and opportunities for the commiffion of any fin, 264 to 266. 2. By a strange aver feness to, if not a total neglect of, fpiritual exercises, prayer, reading and meditation, 266 to 268. 3. By a temptation's unusual restlessness and impor tu nity, 268 to 271. 4thly. Ufeful inferences may be drawn from this discourse, 271. Such as these; 1. Every time, wherein a man is tempted, is not properly the hour of temptation, 272, 273. 2. Every man fhall affuredly meet with fuch an hour, 273 to 276. 3. The most fuccefsful way to be carried fafe through this hour, is to keep the word of Chrift's patience, 276 to 280. SERMON VIII, and IX. you I CORINTH. X. 13.-God is faithful, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above that are able; but will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. p. 283. True faith is bottom'd upon God's infinite wisdom and power; who alone is able to give a full and abfolute deliverance out of temptation, 283 to 287. Some of the principal temptations, which threaten most the fouls of men, are, 1. A publick declared impunity to fin, 312, 313. 2. The vicious examples of perfons in place and power, 313 to 3.15. 3. The cruel oppreffions of men in their perfons, liberties and estate, 315 to 317. In oppofition to which, we must confider, 1. That the strongest temptations to fin are no warrants to fin: And, 2. That God delivers only those, who do their lawful utmost to deliver themselves, 317, 318. The deliverances out of temptation are of two forts, 321. ift. Those, whereby God delivers immediately by himself and his own act, 322, 323. As, 1. By 1. By putting an iffue to the temptation, p. 287 to 292. 2. By fupplying the foul with mighty inward ftrength to withstand it, 292 to 301. 3. By a providential change of a man's whole courfe of life and circumftances of condition, 301 to 306. 4. By the overpowering operation of his holy Spirit, gradually weakning, and at length totally fubduing the temptation, 306 to 311. From thefe confiderations, that God alone can deliver out of temptation, and that the ways, by which he does it, are above man's power, and for the most part beyond his knowledge, 324. we may deduce these useful practical confequences: I. That the estimate of an escape from temptation is to be taken from the final iffue and refult of it; that a temptation may continue very long, and give a man many foils, before he efcapes out of it: which affords an antidote against presumption on the one hand, and despair on the other, 324 to 329. 2. No way out of any calamity, if brought about by a man's own fin, ought to be accounted a way allow'd by God for his escape out of that calamity or temptation, 329, 333. Nor, 3. To chufe a leffer fin to avoid a greater, 333 to 339. 4. When a temptation is founded in fuffering, none ought to be fo follicitous, how to get get out of it, as how to behave himself under 5. There can be no fuffering whatsoever, but may be endured without fin, 344 to 346. Since to be delivered out of temptation is of an infinite concern, and fince the tempter has fo many advantages over us; we fhould be fo much the more careful to use fuch means, as 1. A fenfe of the greatness of the evil we 2. A diligent furvey of the wit and strength of our enemy, compar'd with the weakness and treachery of our own hearts, 359 to 363. 3. A confideration of the ways, by which temptation has at any time prevail'd upon our 4. A continual intention of mind upon the danger, in oppofition to idlenefs and remiffness, 5. A conftant and fevere temperance, 374 2dly, Prayer, 382 to 385. is render'd ef 1. Fervency or importunity, p. 385 to 387. 2. Conftancy or perfeverance, 387 to 391. Laftly, Watching and prayer must always be joined together; the firft without the last being but prefumption, and the last without the first mockery, 391 to 393. Which is fhew'd by two instances, in which men may pray against temptation, without any fuccefs, 394 to 396. SERMON XI. PROV. xxviii. 26. He, who trufteth in his own heart, is a fool. p. 399. Of all the cheats put upon a man by trufting, none is more pernicious than that of trufting his own heart, 399, 400. and refigning up the entire conduct of himself to the directions of it, as of an able and a faithful guide, 401, 402. The folly of which will appear by confidering, ift. The value of the things we commit to that truft, 403. viz. 1. The honour of God, who is our Creator, our Lord and our father, 403 to 407. 2. Our happiness in this world, with relation both to our temporal and spiritual con407 to 412. 3. Our eternal happiness hereafter, 412 to cerns, 415. 2dly. The undue qualifications of that heart to whose trust we commit these things, 403 to 415. who, I. Cannot |