SER M. through their whole lives, but bafely and cow XXVII. ardly yield themselves up to be for ever the

flaves and fervants of fin: they lay afide all thoughts of a virtuous and holy life, and habitually follow the bent of their natural paffions and appetites. These have remorfe of confcience for fome time, but it wears off gradually, until at length they are easy and fecure, fo as not to have the leaft inclination to the greatest good, nor any reluctance to the greatest evil.

Others again there are, who are not fo effectually overthrown and discouraged by the violence of temptation on their entrance on a holy life, and who refolve to take the field again, and meet the enemy, but yet ftill with the fame fuccefs; thus they are ever refolving one time after another, and ever breaking their refolutions; they are always beginning, they live and dye refolving, but never make any progrefs in the conquests of their luft and paffions, and in the attainment of true virtue and evangelical holiness. To this irrefolute wavering ftate of people, who are ever new beginners, my text is ticularly applicable. The good that they would, they do not; and the evil they would not, that they do. They have a willing mind, and are ever full of feeble refolutions, but because they do not keep the field of battle, they never have a profpect of victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, and then they are apt to fall into the fatal delufion and hypocrify,

par

and

and ridiculous imagination that God will ac- SER M,
cept of their good wishes and defires of holi- XXVII,
nefs, for that virtue and holiness itself, which
is their indispensable duty to acquire, under all
the difficulties and hardships of christian war-
fare.

3. But 3dly, another fort there are, in whom these enemies feem to ftand upon equal terms, neither is conquer'd, and neither hath the victory; fometimes the flesh gets the better, and the mind is overborn with the number and inceffant importunity of temptations. At other times the fpirit baffles the strongest of them.

Now this is the heat of the battle, and the weighty juncture that must decide the victory on one fide or the other. These have many anxious thoughts and defponding fcruples; but they may be all reduced to this one, viz. whether they perfevere or no; for they have not the victory which will crown them yet. It is yet but a partial obedience; they are indeed near the kingdom of God, but they must thoroughly fubdue their enemies before they have a juft title to it. It is a thorough conqueft that is the neceffary condition of falvation; therefore let none think themfelves fafe, while they come fhort of intire and univerfal obedience; for the living in one habitual wilful fin, will blaft all their hopes.

The danger of those who thus engage in earneft, commonly lies in fome one particular fin, to which their respective natural temper S 3

and

1

SERM. and conftitution, or their calling and condiXXVII. tion of life, or their worldly intereft leads them into; it is notorious that many, who appear in other respects to be good men, do yet indulge fome one darling luft or paffion, which like Agag is fpared and cherished, tho' the reft of their spiritual enemies are destroyed. The fureft and the shortest way to a compleat victory, is to fingle out that one giantfin, for a fingle combat, and when that is vanquished, all the reft of their enemies will be overcome with eafe; and this these combatants may be affured of, That their hopes and their fears of eternal falvation, are better or worse founded, in proportion to their obftinate perfeverance, and the degrees of that victory they obtain over their spiritual enemies, just as the strength of all temptations proves weaker, and all virtue and goodness becomes more eafy and practicable, and pleafant to them.

Let us not fancy thofe giant-fins of ours to be unconquerable, but strive all we can, and pray heartily for grace. Let us but befet them, and God will fight our battle. But if we fay as the Jews did, the people of the land are mighty, and only with we were fit for the poffeffion of heaven, we shall never enter into it.

4th. A 4th and laft fort, are fuch as by a continual hearty endeavour, affifted by the grace of God, have brought the flesh intirely in fubjection to the fpirit; fo that it truckles

as

as much to the mind, as the mind did to it SE RM. before the engagement. Nor can this fo pro- XXVII. perly be called a ftate of war; for the fpirit hath compleated the victory, (i. e.) when we have arrived to a fettled habit of virtue and piety.

Then are we truly faints, and not till then; then we are truly regenerate and in a state of falvation; when we have fo mortify'd the lufts of the body, and conquer'd the finful paffions of the mind, that we commit no fin wilfully or deliberately, or habitually; and when all the fin we are guilty of is in fmaller instances, and that too by furprize and inadvertency : When in all material inftances, the good that we would, we do and perform, and the evil which we would not, we constantly forbear, and avoid: When we prefs on towards perfection, and have no caufe to lament and bewail any other than the unavoidable infirmities of human nature, I mean fuch as are truly fuch in the fight of God.

Let us therefore not flatter ourselves with any thing fhort of this, for this is the truth of God, and nothing lefs will do.

When we are become univerfally and habitually holy, in all our actions as well as thoughts, and defires, and inclinations, then we may with an humble affurance fay, we have fought a good fight, and that henceforth there is laid up for us a crown of glory, which God the righteous judge fhall give us at that day.

SERM. It is true, while we are in the flesh, the reXXVII. mains of captivated fins will murmur, and up

on all occafions ftrive to break out into, violence; but this will do us no harm, if we prevent their actually doing fo; if we fupprefs them in their beginnings, and not let them grow upon us, and gain ground again.

This itfelf, is a bufinefs of great care and circumfpection even in the best of men; however, it need be no matter of fcruple and defpondency, for if they perfevere they need not doubt their reward; they may rely intirely upon the promises of God to have their victory crowned with a glorious immortality: And from that peace of confcience which they may even here enjoy, they will be tranflated to that place where they shall for ever reign in the full and just perfection of the fons of God.

SERMON