any

X.

the Words of the prophane King of Ifrael; SERm. What Should I wait for the Lord longer (b)? Though difpofed to be vigorous and active enough to prosecute an ungodly Caufe, they are quickly tired in their Chrif tian Race, nor can they be prevailed on to finish it, even for a Crown of Glory. This Weariness are they fubject to in the Point of doing well, and how much more in the Point of fuffering Evil?

AND that we have much more Reafon to fear and to be doubtful of our own Strength, than to be high minded, and confident we have too many Inftances, befides, probably, our own Experience to convince us.

If we look back into Antiquity, we shall find the great Abraham himself fo remarkable for his ftrong Faith and steady Obedience, to be ranked in the Number of thofe who have not in all Cafes ftood their Ground: For though he could most wonderfully fignalize himself by his neither ftaggering at his Promife of having a Son, through Unbelief, made to him at an Age, which rendered it highly improbable that he should beget one, and impoffible that his Wife

(b) 2 Kings vi. 33.

SERM. Wife should conceive one, humanly speakIX. ing and according to the Course of Nature, nor ftumbling at the trying Command of facrificing that Son, through Difobedience, yet this Father of the Faithful coming among Strangers, upon fome Apprehensions that his Life might be in Danger, should he openly acknowledge Sarah to be what in Reality fhe was, not only his Kinfwoman, but his Wife, his Heart failed him, and he diffembled first with Pharoah, and afterwards with Abimeleck.

BUT obfervable above all is the Behaviour of pious Job, celebrated to a Proverb for his Patience; he, we find grew weary of his Conftancy, nor could he prevail on himself to wait God's Time for Relief without this perverfe repining. O that I might have my Requeft, and that God would grant me the Thing that I long for, even that it would pleafe God to destroy me. And again, What is my Strength that I should hope? And, Oh! that one would bear me, behold, my Defire is, that the Almighty would anfwer me, and that my Adverfary had written a Book.

NOR

NOR can we well overlook the faint-heartedness of the bleffed Apostles in shamefully deferting their dear Lord and Saviour at the critical Seafon of his being apprehended, they had very zealously engaged to ftand by him at all Events, and rather to die with him than deny him, and yet, when they were put to the Trial, they every one forfook him and fled to fecure their Lives, and fhewed not the leaft Regard for his.

Now all thefe Things were written for our Admonition, and afford us this inftructive Leffon, that he who thinketh he standeth, fhould take Heed left he fall (b). If Perfons of the most exemplary Characters have found the Flesh to be weak tho' the Spirit was willing, and whilft they approved what was Good, have experienced Evil to be prefent with them, in how much more Dan. ger must we be of flying off from the Bent of Virtue, and growing weary of welldoing? We are taught from thefe Scripture Inftances of Back-fliding, the vicious Byafs of our Nature, not to difcourage, but to animate us, to keep us alert and vigilant in our Station, and if by our Indolence and Z Sloth

(b) 1 Cor. x. 12.

SERM.

X.

SERM. Sloth we decline from our Stedfaftnefs, and X. are led into Temptation, let us not think

to juftify our Faults by the Faults of others, much less that we go about to excufe ourfelves by accufing God, as though he tempted us to Evil; because he did not reftrain us from it by Violence, when he does fufficiently enable us to restrain ourselves: A little Confideration will enable us to throw the Blame where it ought to fall.

As often as we perceive an incoherent Mixture of Virtue and Vice in our Lives, our own Hearts cannot but upbraid us. Diffatisfaction must be the prefent Fruits of -being religious only by Fits and Starts, where Humour or Intereft, and not Conscience is the ruling Principle. To have been innocent is a fharp Sting of Guilt, and the Reflection on our paft Piety, Temperance and Charity is only then uncomfortable, when we find ourselves to be in a contrary Difpofition.

If we did run well, what fhould induce us to give over? Is the Difficulty greater to go on than to make our Progrefs fo far? Or were we formerly mistaken in our Opinion of the Worth and Importance of Things?

Are

Are our Souls lefs valuable now than here- SERM. tofore? Or in lefs danger of Sin when we X. indulge it, than when we avoided it? Is the Nature and Tendency of Good and Evilchanged? Or do we even think them fo? If we cannot anfwer any of these Questions in a Way fatisfactory to our Minds, how muft we be difquieted, as often as we coolly confider them, and at the fame time confider, that the right Anfwers bear exceeding hard upon us.

NEITHER is this the worft Confequence which flows from our Wearinefs in welldoing, as it cannot pleafe us, fo will not God take Pleafure in it. He expects that. we maintain our Ground, at all Times and on all Occafions, and move on in a confiftent uniform Obedience. What he has made our Duty at firft, the fame or greater Degrees of it remain our Duty at laft; we muft end as we have begun, and not fancy that a Life, in part only well spent, will intitle us to Acceptance, or that we shall continue in his Love unless we are conftant in doing his Commandments.

BUT thofe are got into a Strain of pro fane Jefting, who talk of balancing Accounts