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would only resemble medicines, that are ten times more salutary to the whole body, than they are bitter to the palate. Then eternal damnation itself, instead of being dreaded by us, would become our security against our enemies, in the same manner as the gallows and gibbet are the security of the honest and peaceable man, against the robber and the murderer.

After all, since I have mentioned the courage inspired into saints and martyrs by the fear of God, as a perfect exemplification of my doctrine, they who differ with me, may ask, how the prophet Elias, and the apostle St. Paul, could shew so much fear of human power, as they remarkably did upon two occasions; the prophet, when he fled from Jezebel ; and the apostle, when he made his escape from the prefect of Damascus ; or how St. Peter could, in so dastardly a manner, forswear his master?

In answer to this, I must remind the objectors, that these holy persons were but men; yet such men, as shewed a resolution in other parts of their conduct, sufficient to justify the truth of what I have endeavoured to establish. did not, I do not, say, the fear of God can be carried to the perfection wherein I have described it, without the assistance of God's grace, which he may increase or remit, on particular occasions, as he shall judge proper. If on any occasion a man shall shew a contempt of tyranny and death, we must conclude he does it on principles and considerations, about which he is more alarmed, than about all that human power can do to him. If on others he shews a lower way of thinking, this may reflect on him, but cannot depreciate either the reality or virtue of his nobler principle. It only shews he cannot always carry his heroism to the utmost height. Gregory the Great gives a good account of this matter, in regard to the three holy men we are speaking of. Of Elias he says, 'Lest the saints should be elevated with pride, their very virtues have certain measures and bounds prescribed to them. Hence it is, that Elias, while he rises through so many virtues and powers, is checked and limited by certain bounds, as appears, after all, by his flying from Jezebel, who, although a queen, was nevertheless but a paltry woman. I consider this man, of surprising power, calling down fire from heaven, burning the captains with their fifties,

VOL. II.

shutting up the heavens lest it should rain, opening them again for the contrary purpose, raising the dead, and predicting future events; and yet, behold! It occurs to my thoughts, how fearfully this very man flies from one sorry woman. I cannot but reflect on the man, so struck with fear as to ask for death at the hand of God, without receiving it, and yet flying from a woman, lest he should meet with it; for he sought for death, while he shunned it. 'It is enough for me; take away my life,' &c. Whence therefore was he so strong in the excercise of those surprising powers? Whence so weak as thus to be terrified by a woman? The holy men of God themselves are both able to do great things by the power of God, and yet, on the other hand, bounded by their own infirmities. Elias knew by those powers, what he had received from God; and by those infirmities, what he was capable of in himself. But as that power was virtue, so that infirmity was the guardian of his virtue.' As to St. Paul, he speaks thus; 'I will utter myself freely, O Paul; dost thou now behold Jesus in heaven? And now fly from a man on earth? Art thou caught up into heaven,' and taught the secret words of God, and nevertheless 'tempted by the messenger of Satan?' How so strong as to be rapt up into the heavens? How so weak as to fly from a man on earth? Unless because he who raised you so high, confined you to certain bounds, that, while by your miracles you preach up the power of God, you might by your fear put us in mind of our own infirmity.' He delivers himself in much the same manner concerning the prevarication of St. Peter. Behold, he, formerly so fearful, now speaks with tongues; now sparkles with miracles; boldly reproves the infidelity of priests and princes; sets others an example of authority in preaching Jesus; is forbid by the scourge to speak in his name, but not deterred; he despises the lashes of the scourgers, who a little before feared the very words, of those who inquired about him; he who trembled at the power of a maid, now presses on the power of princes in the midst of stripes; for why? Being now confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost, he trod on the lofty things of this world with the heel of liberty, that he might shew the despicable lowness of every thing that presumes to swell or exalt itself against the grace of God.' This he seems to have

copied from St. Chrysostom, who says of St. Peter,' He who formerly appeared so very weak, as thrice to deny his master, is now kept so firm, by the instructions of the Spirit, that we see him rushing like a lion, on the people of the Jews, and despising a thousand dangers, and death itself.' St. Paul states the thing in relation to himself, and consequently, in relation to St. Peter, Elias, or any other holy man so circumstanced, better than either of the fathers. Having, in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, told them how he had been caught up into the third heaven,' he says, 'Lest any man should think of him above that which he seeth him to be, or that he heareth of him; and likewise, lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations; there was given to him a thorn of sin in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him. For this thing,' he says, 'he besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from him; and that God said unto him, 'My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness;' that is, my divine power is carried up to perfection in the midst of those infirmities, wherewith the men, I bestow it on, demonstrate the presence of my power, as superior to their own, in those parts of their conduct, wherein I think fit to manifest myself.

Since then the holy fear of God is the work of grace; and since God is pleased to bestow his grace on us, so as sometimes to leave us to our own weakness, that we may learn humility and vigilance by a fall into fears more suitable to our nature, than our faith; let us earnestly beseech him to preserve us from greatly or finally falling; and, when we do fall, to rise us again with greater strength to a steady and resolute pursuit of our duty, to the glory of his goodness and power, through Christ Jesus our Saviour; to whom with the Father, and the Holy Spirit be all might, majesty, dignity, and dominion, now, and for evermore. Amen.

DISCOURSE XXVII.

A PRESERVATIVE AGAINST TEMPTATIONS.

PROV. XVIII. 3.

The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but the Lord trieth the hearts.

In the original languages the same words are often used for trial and temptation; and so it is likewise in our old English. Hence it is, that although St. James tells us,' God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man,' yet Moses assures us, that God tempted Abraham,' when he commanded him to sacrifice his son. In our language use hath now made it otherwise; for 'to try' is taken in a good sense, and may be applied to God; whereas to tempt' is at present always taken in a bad sense, and can only be applied, in strictness, to the devil, or his instruments. The difference between the trier and the tempter lies in this; he who tries, wishes we may resist; whereas he who tempts, wishes we may yield. God, in this latter sense,' tempteth no man,' that is, leadeth no man into sin; but, in the former sense, he tempteth all men, that is, he tries their faith and obedience, not for his own information, because he knows all men, and foresees all things; but for the exercise of their virtue, and the manifestation of his own justice and mercy. In order to these ends, the wisdom and goodness of which we shall presently perceive, he tries our works,' if we may believe St. Paul, as by fire,' and lays open, to ourselves or others, both the principles of our minds, and the dispositions of our hearts, by a kind of torture resembling that, wherewith the qualities of 'silver are proved in the fining-pot,'and the purity of gold in the furnace.'

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There are many of so foolish, so libertine, and so atheistical, a turn of mind, as to argue, that if a Being of infinite wisdom and goodness presided over the world, he must, above all things, provide for the happiness of men; and con

sequently could neither tempt them himself, nor suffer them to be tempted, because temptations might lead them into sin, and sin into misery.

To answer this, it will be proper to shew, that, whether men are tried by God, or tempted by the devil, God is justified in permitting the one, and doing the other.

After this is done, it may be of some use to consider, how we may so think and act under these circumstances of trial and temptation, as to escape the snares of our enemy, and approve ourselves the faithful and worthy servants of God.

That we may, in our own minds, the more fully justify God in trying us himself, or permitting us to be tempted by the devil, or his instruments, let us consider first, that the world must have been a work utterly unworthy of its Creator, had he not given being to rational and moral creatures. Without these, the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars, had constituted a great and beautiful, but a useless machine. The heavenly bodies would have lent their light, and the earth its fruits, only to beasts and insects. And if there are any works of his above, still more excellent and glorious than those we see, they must have been known only to himself, and served for a vain experiment of his wisdom and power, had no angels, no cherubims, nor seraphims, been created to enjoy them.

Again, had no rational nor moral characters been made, God himself could never have been known, but to himself; the infinitely wise Being had never given any demonstration of his wisdom; the Almighty had never shewn his power; the gracious and good God had never shewn mercy, or done good; the most communicative and beneficent Being must for ever have kept all happiness to himself, and never have imparted the least share of it to any other being; and consequently must have been without love or honour to all eternity.

As this had been directly contrary to his whole nature, and all his attributes, we must conclude, that all his other works were made for his enjoyment of rational and moral beings; and that, had not such been created, the only good and wise end of all his lower works had been wanting.

Observe, I join moral with rational, because we know of

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