were ordered fome place very remote from the Converfation of Men, as moft proper for that purpose, and added Fasting to that Solitude. Thus did Mofes twice, at his receiving the Tables of the Law; Thus did Elias; And that the Jews might have no Pretence to think His Authority, on this account, inferior to either of Theirs, thus, you fee here, did our Saviour Christ. The Ufefulnefs of Retirement, when we would fet our felves apart to the Bufinefs of Religion, is confirmed by every Man's Experience, who makes the Tryal. By withdrawing from the World, we fhut out infinite Diftractions, are better qualified to collect our Thoughts, and fix them upon God and another State.

But ftill the fame Inference meets us again, which was fpoken to under the Laft Head; That even here we ought not to flatter our felves, with an Imagination of abfolute Safety. In fuch Circumftances the Tempter affaulted our Bleffed Mafter; In fuch we fhall often find him attacking Us. Our Closets, and our Fasting-Days, do indeed feparate us from the Snares of Bufinefs and Company; and let us into a nearer Communication with Him, whom our Soul loveth. They help to raise our Devotion, and to keep up our Virtue: The Former would quickly languifh, and the Latter remit of its Vigor, if Thefe were unfrequented. But yet we find our felves close pursued even hither. The Zeal we labourat, or kindle by these Retirements, is cooled by wandring Thoughts in the very Act of Prayer; and the Activity we defign, rebated by many Interruptions. One plain Account whereof is certainly this. That our Enemy makes his Approaches toward Us, with lefs Formality, and therefore with more Succefs, than He did, or could do againit the Holy Jefus. Him he feems to have encountred in fome vifible Shape, the Purity and Innocence of the Person concerned, One in whom, as our Lord himself expreffes

preffes it, He had nothing, drove him to that Neceffity. But upon Us he steals unfeen. The Corruption of our Nature gives great Hold to faften on; Our Paffions and Affections, Our Ignorance and Infirmities, and all the neceffary Confequences of Our Original Weaknefs and Depravation, we cannot run away from. And, because we carry these about us every where, he never can want fit Place or Opportunity for Temptation. For Thefe are in truth the Matter he works upon, and our own Thoughts, and Defires, are the Inftruments he works by. As will appear more fully, if we confider,

Ver. 3.

--

- 5, 6.

IV. Fourthly, The manner how our Saviour was tempted. In the First Attempt the Devil takes occafion from his Hunger, to perfuade Him to work a Miracle for the fatisfying it. In the Second, he puts Him upon an unneceffary Experiment of God's preferving Providence, and fuch a Proof of being his Son, as the confenting to would argue a Diftruft of the Evidence already given of it. And this he colours over, with a Text of Scripture, pretended to countenance his Propofal. In the Third, he entices him to an unlawful Act, with Promife of worldly Honours and Advantages. In all Three he forms his Attack upon thofe Natural Appetites and Affections, which God hath put into Mankind; and which, it is evident from this Example, are never (ftrictly speaking) the Causes, but only the Accidental Occafions of Sin. And not Occafions neither, except we abufe, and apply them irregularly.

It is not poffible for any Man living, to defcribe all the fubtle Acts of this Lier-in-wait to deceive. But, from the Inftance now at hand, we may difcover in general, That he ftrikes in with Mens Wants and Neceffities; with their different Tempers and Circumftances in the World; with their governing Paffions and darling Objects: That from Thefe, he labours to 3

fuggeft

thority fo facred, with Reafon fo enforcing, that They, who are capable of arguing juftly, are here provided with Topicks of invincible Strength; and They, who want that Skill and Addrefs, if they bring but an honeft Mind hither, will be able to defend themselves, and baffle all the Sophiftry of the Adverfary, with a bare Thus it is written, and, The Lord hath Spoken.

Hence it is easy to perceive, of what abfolute Neceffity, of what mighty Importance it cannot but be, to all forts of People, to be very converfant in the Book of God; to read, to ftudy, to understand rightly the practical Parts of it efpecially. In Thefe there is no great Difficulty, to them who apply themfelves with a good Principle, and a fincere Defire to learn, and to obey. For our Bountiful God hath, in his Revelation, dealt with the Souls, as, in his Creatures, he hath done with the Bodies, of Men. That, which is moft neceffary for Health and Suftenance, is most common, and plain, and ready at hand. With this then let us fill our Memories, and lay in a Stock to be drawn out, as Occafions call for it. But let it not rest in our Memories alone, but rule in our Hearts, and influence our Affections, and be the measure of all our Actions. Thus it muft do, to preserve us in the Day of Combat. Without this we fight naked; but thus armed we are always under guard, and fhall prevent a world of Surprifes, which thofe thoughtless unprovided Creatures are over-powered by, who have their Weapons to feek, when they have immediate occafion to use them. More particularly yet. Let every Man diligently enquire into his own Circumftances; The Sin that doth most easily befet him, the Paffion he finds hardeft to be conquered, the Temptations, to which his Condition or Bufinefs most expose him; the Infirmities and Frailties peculiar to his Age, or Temper, or Complexion; and be fure to lofe no Time for lay

ing

ing in a Fund, (as out of fo rich a Treasure he quickly may) proper for thefe Exigencies; that none of thefe may any sooner start up, but fome Scripture, well digefted, may come up with it, and effectually bring it under again. This would be to imitate our Mafter's Wifdom in a Point, of Advantage greater than any thing elfe can, but our own Experience and almoft incredible Succeffes would foon, make us duly fenfible of.

Jam. iv. 7, 8.

Heb. i. 14.

VI. Let us now, in the Last Place, cast our Eye upon the Comforts, that followed our Lord's Temptation; exprefs'd at the Eleventh Verfe; Then the Devil leaveth him, and behold Angels came and miniftred unto him. This we are told, fhall not fail to be Our Cafe too: That, if we refift the Devil, he will flee from us; and if we draw nigh to God, he will draw nigh to us. He will, by thofe miniString Spirits, which are fent forth to mifter unto them who fhall be Heirs of Salvation, protect and guard us from future Dangers. He will relieve thofe Wants, by a better and more effectual Way, for the Supply whereof we would not fubmit to any unlawful Courfes; reward our better Choice with the inexpreffibly fweet Satisfactions of a good Confcience; a Peace and Joy, which the World and all its Pleasures cannot give, which all its Afflictions cannot take away; And at last, through these Triumphs begun upon Earth, will conduct us to that yet more perfect Bleffednefs, which shall abundantly recompenfe our Toils and Sufferings, and crown our Conftancy, with Glory immortal in Heaven.

I add but this Word more, That the Account of our Lord's Abftinence and Retirement, when about to enter upon the Exercife of his Prophetick Office, is very feafonable at this Time, when that Faft approaches, which this Church hath thought fit to appoint, for the more effectual Imploring his Affiftance,

to

we deal with, in Civil Contracts. But this is a Matter, plainly foreign to the reft of the Apostle's Difcourfe in this Place, which is wholly employ'd upon the Sins of Uncleannefs; And therefore, if the Words can reasonably bear a Senfe agreeable to that Subject, this is a Direction fo to understand them.

Now, befides that the Word, which we render go beyond, hath in its Etymology, an Affinity and Relation to that very Act, by which unclean Defires are gratified; It is farther obfervable, that the Other, tranflated Defraud, hath been likewife applied to fuch Gratifications of that kind, as are irregular and unreasonable. The Word imports in general, aiming at more than ones fhare, and is made the Character of the Covetous, who, from fuch Greedinefs, fticks at no Injuftice to inrich himself. Hence, by an easy figure, it is transferr'd to the Carnal Man, who, to fatisfy his Luft, without regard to what is lawful and allowed him, invades his Neighbour's Bed, or elfe lets himself loose to fuch Vices, as are quite befide the Course of Nature. And thus the best Expofitors have made this part, confiftent with the reft of the Apoftle's Caution against Uncleannefs, by applying the Sixth Verfe, Some to the Sin of Adultery, Others to that of Sodomy. In both which the Offender does @hovexliv, take more than belongs to him, to compafs his Defires. And, for that Expreffion, in any Matter, 'tis obfervable, that the Word any is not in the Original; fo that, by reading, as literally we may, in the matter, this Conftruction is still more confirm'd. That being a modeft Intimation, by a general Term, of A&ions, that cannot with decency be particularly nam'd.'

For the fame reafon, it must not be expected, that I fhould enlarge upon the feveral ways, by which the Sin of Uncleannefs pollutes. There is danger, even in defcending to the Niceties of this Vice, left Inclinations, so strong by Nature, fhould take an advantage

never