SERM. as tempting men, which is, when he suffers
XV. them to fall into circumstances disadvan-

tageous to virtue, as a punishment for for-
mer iniquities; when, because they have
already hardened themselves, he vouchsafes
nct to afford the influence of his holy spi-
rit to soften them: but there is yet another
way,
in which God sometimes tempts men,
and that is, when he brings them or suffers
them to fall into trials, which he foresees
they will overcome; and thus gives them
opportunities of displaying their own vir-
tue, and of contributing to his glory, and
the edification of others. You are before
me, I doubt not, in adverting to the case of
Job; into what severe trials of his integrity
did he fall! But God certainly would not
have permitted this-would not have given
up so holy a personage to the attacks of his
malicious enemy, had he not foreseen that
he would sustain them victorious. Now a
temptation of this kind does not conduce

to

XV.

to sin but to righteousness; it is intended SER M. as a favour to those to whose lot it falls, it is proportioned to their strength of resist ing it; it is seldom above what they are able to bear; when it is insuperable by their own exertions, God affords them an additional measure of his grace to assist them.

Those temptations then, to which men, who have hitherto been deserving, fall a sacrifice, never arise from God: this was the first thing which I was to prove; I come now to the second, that they have their origin in ourselves;-"Every man is tempted "when he is drawn away of his own lust, "and enticed." Our sins are chargeable on ourselves.

It is observable, that after the apostle has exculpated God from being the author of temptation, he does not impute it to the devil, but to mankind themselves. That, however, there is such an evil spirit, who goes about seeking whom he may seduce VOL. II.

Q

and

SERM. and destroy, and who is allowed, to a cer

XV.

tain degree, to entice the sons of men to
evil, is, I think, very evident from various
parts of holy writ: he entered into Judas to
encourage him in the design, in which he
had engaged, of betraying our Saviour;
he filled the heart of Ananias to lie to
the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of
the price for which he had sold his estate,
when he pretended that he had given in the
whole sum. But here we may remark, that
this power is never ascribed to the devil in
scripture, but in the case of great and hor-
rid sins, which men had either formerly
committed, or of which they were now en-
tertaining designs; in both these instances
which I have mentioned, it is said that the
sinner had conceived intentions of his
wicked project before it is said that the de-
vil entered into him to push him to the ex-
ecution of it. And indeed this seems to be.
the case, men first desert themselves, and
then

XV.

then God deserts them; they treacherously SERM. destroy reason and conscience, the two guards which he has given them to protect them from evil, and then he interferes not to prevent the devil from entering into them; that evil spirit then takes possession, but not before the habitation is swept and garnished for his reception.

We ourselves are our greatest enemies; no such formidable perils await us from any other quarter; God is our friend, and is earnestly desirous of our happiness; nor can the devil approach us without our hav ing first laid ourselves open, and encou raged, in a manner, his attacks.

Let us then fear no dangers from God, but expect all assistance, if we do but endeavour to deserve it; neither let us be depressed by any apprehensions of the devil, for, unless by our own voluntary weakness, he will not be suffered to do us any injury. Let us place our chief guard on ourselves;

XV.

SERM. let us exert our utmost vigilance against our own evil passions; it is these, which being pampered by indulgence, and suffered to gain dominion over us by habit, can alone destroy us.

It is in vain that we impute our guilt either to the general depravity of human nature, or to our own particular situation; such excuses will not be suffered to avail us. With respect to the first indeed, allowance will probably be made for it, but then it will be on the supposition that we have used every effort to subdue it; and we must remember likewise, what aid we have been promised from heaven to assist us; if we do not succeed, at least in a degree, we may be sure that we have not done all that was in our power.

With regard to any particular situation, and the fancied difficulties, with which our virtue may have to contend, let us recollect that the whole of human life is a state

of