The defire of goodness is the last thing that S ER M. leaves a man, it is the ultimum moriens in a XXI, christian sense; fomething of it remains while there is any vital heat or spirits left, and is hardly quite extinguished till the man is fpiritually dead: And then if a state of virtue and holinefs were to be had for a wish, he can hardly frame his mind to it; for the very mind and confcience is defiled. His foul is fo polluted in every faculty, and the most fecret receffes of it fo impregnated with the guft and relish of fin, that he can have no more defire of being good than a man in the height of drunkennefs, of being fober; the cause and the effect is the fame in nature; he hath finned away his reafon, his head fwims, and for the remainder of his life he talks and thinks from a difordered imagination: Then at last he tumbles into the grave, where having flept out his debauch, reason then takes its place again, it recoils terribly upon him, and fills him with endless and unfpeakable remorse.

Now though we cannot fay that fuch men have finned out their day of grace, fo as to be fealed up to damnation by any pofitive act of God's; yet we know that the fpirit of God may be fo far grieved as to leave off ftriving, and when that hath left a man he is carried to all fin as neceffarily as a body moves downwards: So that though we cannot fay his damnation is abfolutely certain, yet it is highly probable; because there is no ground of hope left either in nature or grace; And there

fore

SER M. fore all who have any fufpicions of their borXXI. dering upon this condition, would do well to look before them, and fee how hear they are to the very brink of this precipice; and, for aught they know, one ftep farther may plunge them into the bottomlefs pit. The lefs inclination they have to God and goodnefs, let them fufpect their condition the more; and if they find in themselves any remains of this spiritual principle, any sparks of thefe holy defires, let them improve them without delay; let them call up all the powers of their mind, and fhew what is the migh ty force of an obftinate resolution; and a perfevering prayer:

3. The last thing I fhall infer is the encouragement that may be drawn from hence, to all who are fincere and hearty in the work of religion, and do in earnest fet about the conqueft of all their lufts, and healing all the vitious tendencies of nature; but are apt to be difcouraged at the prevalence and conftancy of temptation. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. And therefore if ye do use these means ye will not enter into it, (i. e.) fo as to be overcome by it; for God will never Juffer you to be tempted above what you are able; (i. e.) above the power of thofe means that he hath appointed for that purpose.

Wherefore, if God hath given us a willing fpirit and put in our mind good defires, our bufinefs is to cherish and improve them into a hunger and thirst after righteousness. Till these

inclinations have taken full poffeffion of our SER fouls, and got the afcendency over all the af- XXI. fections and appetites of nature; infomuch that the main current of our thoughts runs all that way; fo as to fo as to put in practice all the means of grace, with the fame vigour and application and eagerness, that we would endeavour to get meat and drink when we are thirsty and starving: And to ufe as much temperance and reftraint and management in healing this weaknefs of the flesh, as we would do to fave our lives in a dangerous languishing diftemper.

If we thus prefs on forward, and not fuffer ourfelves to be beaten off from our hearty en deavours by any difficulties we meet with; a fure and certain victory attends us: For thro God that frengthens us we shall be able to do all things: We fhall gain infenfibly every day, till at last our strength is made perfect in weakness, (i. e.) till temptation itself shall serve only to renew our refolutions and increase the vigour of our minds, till it fhall be only the exercife of our virtue, and not the occafion of fin to us; and then it is that we may count it all joy, when we fall into diver's temptations.

O! it is a glorious conqueft this, when temptations become only an occafion of our virtue, and that the Devil himself withdraws them out of malice to us, left they fhould be inftruments of our virtue here, and of greater degrees of glory to us hereafter. When light and wanton objects only raife our indignation, and the moft exquifite meats and drinks be

come

SER M. come opportunities of felf-denial. When XXI: the highest ftation doth not raise our minds above the level of the meaneft fincere chriftian, and that the hardeft preffure of affliction exalts our fouls above the world; infomuch that the greatest extremities make us take the fafter hold on the promifes of God. When our very religion and piety caufe in us a jealousy of ourselves, so that spiritual pride, the last and moft fubtle temptation of the Devil, is fully difcovered, and itfelf become a prevailing motive of humility in us. When temptati ons beat upon us as the waves upon a rock not only to recoil again, but to wash off all the dirt, and leave our virtue brighter and more confpicuous.

Then is the man all tranquillity and innocence within, though there is nothing but storm and tumult about him; and like Lot in the midst of the Sodomites keeps his reserve till he leaves the world to be confumed with all its lufts and vanities. In fhort, he hath then gained a good resemblance of the Holy Jefus, on whom the greatest temptations could not make the leaft impreffion. Then the foul is fit for that place where there is no temptation; it is already upon the wing for Heaven, and waits with impatience till this clog of flesh and blood is ftruck off. Bleffed God what a femblance of Heaven is there in the breaft of that man, in whom all the pleasures of the world have loft their charms, and that we have a quick guft and relish of virtue and goodness; fo that all our

longings

longings are that way, even to pant after them S ER M. when we find a fecret delight in the practice of XXI. virtue and holiness, and are then only filled and pleased and satisfied as it were with marrow and fatness when we obtain it; then we have laid a foundation for peace; for that peace of God which passeth all underflanding,

and therefore cannot be understood till it is felt.

Having therefore this encouragement (dearly beloved,) let us cleanfe our felves from all filthiness of flesh and fpirit: Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.