SERM.gilance to guard against his devices, which XIV. does at any time render us a prey to him. This reflection therefore, whilft it teaches us to lay the blame of our wickedness where it really is due, fhould likewife inftruct us, in the

3. Third place, to watch against this hereditary contagion of our nature, improved and cultivated (as it is) by the wiles and artifice of Satan, and keep it from growing into actual or habitual wickedness. However, the original defilement of our nature may be fo far removed, by virtue of our privilege in the church of Christ, that it fhall not totally exclude "us from all fhare in the favour and loving kindness of God; yet its difpofition and tendency to ill continues, and shall never be entirely rooted out, till we have laid afide this corruptible body, and got rid of the effects of mortality. If we fuffer thofe difpofitions to increafe and grow within us, we then fall back into the wretched bondage and captivity of fin, we forfeit the favour which was gained by our redemption, and our latter end, in that cafe, will be even worfe than our beginning. But if, inftead of this, we grow in grace, and labour daily more and more to mortify and root up all the feeds of vice, all this will be a kind of habitual preparation, and gradual advancement towards that future ftate of perfect

purity and glory, which will want nothing to SER M. compleat it. It requires therefore conftant XIV. care and watchfulness to guard againft all the avenues of fin, and to labour, by prayer and continual application, for growth and increase in thofe graces of the Spirit, which may affift us to keep under and fubdue the enemy, though he cannot (as yet) be utterly expelled by us.

It behoves Parents and Masters, and all others concerned in the education of youth, that they imprint early in their minds a knowledge and juft fenfe of religion, an holy awe and reverence for God, an earnest deteftation of fin and love of virtue, and fo train them up in the way that they should go, that when they are old they may not depart from it. Then we may have hopes that, however they have nothing good by nature, yet nothing ill fhall reign, but the benefits of grace; thus cultivated and improved, fhall fo far counterbalance the propenfities of natural corruption, as to restrain and keep it back from that conception and fertility in fin, which must be the effect of neglecting it, and fuffering it to domineer within us.

Amidft all our humiliation for natural depravity, it ought to be remembered, that our cafe is neither fingular nor desperate; that this is really no more than the common misfortune of our nature, not owVOL. III. Ꮓ

ing

SERM. ing to any perfonal act or tranfgreffion of XIV. our own, but unavoidably entailed upon

us from the difobedience of our firft Parents. It is what the wifeft and the best of men have laboured and groaned under. And, if the brightness of their character convinces us that they were nevertheless virtuous and commendable in their conduct, let this be an encouragement to us to be diligent and chearful in combating the fame enemy, to lay afide every weight, and the fin which doth fo eafily befet us; not looking upon this as an infuperable calamity, nor judging ourselves, upon that account, to be reprobated or forfaken of God, provided we be careful to imitate those great examples, and keep fin from reigning in our mortal bodies, or getting the dominion over us.

And, fince our power or ability to this purpose does entirely depend upon the gracious affiftance of our heavenly Father, who has promised the fuccours of his Holy Spirit to affift and help our infirmities, it will more especially concern us, in the

4. Fourth place, to look well to ourselves, that we do not, by delay or mismanagement, fo flight and abuse this invaluable offer of his grace, as may provoke him to withdraw it from us, and leave us to be guided by thofe vile affections, which we rather chufe to indulge, than labour to subdue. It is enough to clear Almighty God

from

any fhare in our fins, that he is pleased to SERM make fuch gracious propofals to raise us XIV. from that filth and impurity in which we were involved, that he has appointed certain means in his church for our improvement, and growth in grace, to mortify and kill all vices in us, and not only encourage but affift our continual progress and increase in virtue. But if, after this gracious offer and propofal made on his part, we shall most ungratefully despise and neglect it; if we refuse our attendance on his holy ordinances, or grow weary in attending on them; if we be flack and careless in the dif charge of our religious duties; in short, if we esteem not the enjoyment of so great a privilege before all fecular advantages whatever, much more if we advance to fuch a height of profaneness as to mock and ridicule it; if we treat things facred with contempt, and efteem God's fervice to be ufelefs and unprofitable drudgery; no wonder if fuch monftrous ingratitude should at last be punished with an utter removal of those favours, which inftead of forwarding (as they were meant) the work of our falvation, do only become the occafions of aggravating our impiety.

As little light as the Heathen world enjoyed, yet when they neglected or refifted it, they were punished with a groffer ignorance; the light that was in them was turned

Z 2

SERM. turned into darkness, God gave them up to XIV. vile affections and a reprobate mind. But,

when Chrift difplayed himself the light of men, fuch obftinate impenitence and infidelity was still more inexcufable; the men of his own age and nation, not believing his doctrine, or not obeying his word, were upbraided with loving darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil, and were therefore threatned by him, that the kingdom of God fhould be taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. In like manner it was his admonition to the church of Ephesus, Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or elfe I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent †. Accordingly it is remarkable, that all the Afiatic churches are now, and have for many ages been, galled under the yoke of Mahomet, oppreffed with Turkish tyranny and profound ignorance.

Wherefoever these judgments fail to bring forth the fruits of holiness and repentance in the prefent life, they are but the forerunners of a heavier judgment in the world to come. Or if, in this life, men efcape with impunity, and enjoy all the privileges they can afk or hope for, yet ftill their abufe of fuch continued mercy muft ag* Matt. xxi. 43.

+ Rev. ii. 5

gravate