again, God will with the Temptation alfo SERM. make a Way to escape: Which implies, IV. that we often could not escape, unless God made a Way for us. I observe,

2. From the Subject of the Apostle's Discourse, that neither is it his Intention to affirm, that we fhall, by any Measure of Divine Grace imparted to us in this Life, be fo far enabled to baffle all manner of Temptations, as to live perfectly Spotless and Sinless; but only, that we fhall be preferved from falling into Great and Heinous, into Deliberate, and PreSumptuous Sins; fuch as, when Committed, throw us out of the Favour of God, lay waste the Conscience, and require a particular and folemn Repentance, to render us capable of Salvation. For fuch was that Sin, which the Corinthians, at this time, were in danger of Committing, a Compliance with Idolaters, in partaking of their Idol Feafts. Alas! it cannot be otherwife, but that, in the very best of Men, Sins of Omiffion and Infirmity fhould abound. Let us stand never fo much upon our Guard, there

SERM. will be Lapfes, there will be InadvertenIV. cies, there will be Surprizes: All there

fore that we can in this State of Imperfection depend on, is, That through the Grace of God we fhall be preserved from fuch Enormous Offences, as are inconfiftent with a Sincere Piety, and Habitual Holinefs; not that we shall be totally freed from Human Frailties and Failings. Farther,

3. This Supernatural Affiftance, which enables us to refift Temptations, Supposes our Use of Natural Means, and our Concurrence with it to the beft of our Power. 'Tis a Co-operating Cause, which acts only in proportion to our own Endeavours; but imparts not its Extraordinary fuftaining Strength and Virtue, unless where we exert, and make use of that ordinary Strength we have. Temptations therefore to the moft Gross and Grievous Șins, may, in fome Circumftances, be Irrefiftible; if it were Originally our own Fault, that we were brought into thofe Circumstances; if, for want of that due Vigilance and Care,

which we were obliged and able to em- SERM! IV. ploy, the Temptation overtook us.

For Inftance; If a Man of refolved Sobriety, should be so far at any time off his Guard, as to Indulge himself in any unjustifiable Degree of Excefs, he may, by that means, be inevitably betrayed into fome of the Ill Confequences of Intemperance: If a Perfon, by Nature warm and paffionate, fhall mix in high Difputes, or engage in Games of Chance, 'tis not to be expected that he should preferve himself free from Offence. His Paffions will, of Course, be agitated, and inflamed; his Heart will now and then think, and his Mouth utter, perverse Prov. things. But there is no Objection from xxiii. 33. these, and fuch Inftances as these, against the Doctrine laid down, which affirms all Temptations to be Conquerable. For this is to be understood only of such as we Unavoidably fall into, not of fuch as we Voluntarily feek. It is not fupposed, that we fhall have Power always to Refift, unless we before-hand do what is in our Power to Shun Temptation.

These

SERM.

IV.

These are the several Restrictions, under which the Truth implied in the Text must be understood. Which having thus Explained and Stated, I go on now, in the

II. place, to Confirm, by Various
Ways of Proof, fuch as Experience,
Reafon, or Revelation, will fuggeft

to us.

And the first Way of proving it, fhall be by Experience.

In vain do Libertines pretend, that Human Nature is too weak and frail to refift, what we have Authentick Proof, that, as weak and frail as it is, it hath oftentimes refifted. There is no Temptation, either of Defire, or Fear, of Pleasure, or Pain, nothing that can either Allure us to Sin, or Scare us from our Duty, but what hath been actually withftood and baffled, by thofe Holy Men and Women that have gone before us: And what hath been already done, may be repeated; unless Human Nature be

a different thing now, from what it was SERM. then; which No one, I fuppofe, will IV. pretend.

Can a Man look up to the Examples of the Primitive Chriftians? Can he reflect on the Lives and Deaths of the Saints, Martyrs, and Confeffors of old; on what they did, and what they fuffered; and pretend to fay after this, that any Solicitations of Sense are irresistible, any Part of Vertue is impracticable?

Were they not Men of the fame Pasfions and Infirmities as we are? Had they not the Same Senfe of Pleasure and Pain? Were they not furrounded with the fame tempting Objects? And had they any Affiftances, in order to stand their Ground, but from that Holy Spirit, who will affist Us also? And why then fhould We be forced to yield to thofe Difficulties, over which They triumphed?

Let us confider fome few of those many plain Inftances of this Kind, which are recorded in the Holy Story. The Temptation of Example and Reign