lefsly brought upon ourselves; and prayer is one of the means, that he hath appointed for our prefervation and relief: which means, if we ufe as we ought, he will not fuffer us to be tempted above that we are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it *. But if, through pride or negligence, we will not ask for his help, we must not expect it. And though we do for form's fake afk it, if we have little faith in it, or dependance on it, St James hath foretold the event: Let not that man think, that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Yet, on the other hand, if we carry our dependance fo far, as prefumptuously to run into thofe dangers, out of which we beg him to keep us; or, at least, will do little or nothing to keep ourselves out of them, instead of doing every thing that we can; or if, in the dangers in which he may think fit to place us, we will not use our best endeavours to stand, as well as pray that we may not fall; fuch prayers can never be likely to avail for our protection. But fervent devotion, hearty refolution, and prudent care, united and continued, will do any thing. By whatever difficulties we are furrounded, and how little poffibility foever we may fee of getting through them; ftill, commit thy way unto the Lord, put thy trust in him, and he fall bring it to pass ‡. In the fecond part of this petition, But deliver us from evil; the word evil may fignify, either fin and its confequences; or the great tempter to fin, the evil or wicked one; for by that name the devil is often called in the New Testament §. The number indeed of wicked fpirits is probably very great: but notwithstanding this, being united, under one head, in one defiga of obftructing our falvation, they are all comprehended under one name. And fince, in our prefent ftate of trial, we have not only, as experience fhows, flesh and blood to wrefle against; our own bad difpofition, and the folicitations of a bad world to refift; but also, as the word of God informs us, principalities and powers, and fpiritual wickedness in high places ||, an army of invifible enemies, employing to overcome us, and not lefs formidably becaufe imperceptibly, all the ftratagems that Heaven allows them to ufe; this, as it increases our danger, may well quicken our prayers for fafety and deliverance. That there I Cor. X. 13. there fhould be evil angels, as well as evil men, of the greatest abilities and accomplishments, is, if rightly confidered, no great wonder and that both fhould entice us to fin, is no reafonable difcouragement: for let us but apply to God, and we fhall not be left in the power of either. What the power of wicked fpirits is, we are not told in fcripture: and it is no part of religion, in the leaft, to believe idle ftories about them. Of this we are fure, that they have no power, but what God permits: and he will never permit them to do, what fhall prove, in the end, any hurt to thofe, who ferve and fear him. More efpecially we are fure, that they cannot in the least, either force us into finning, or hinder us from repenting. Invite or diffuade us they may, by fuggefting falfe notions of the pleafure, or profit, or harmlessness of fin: by representing God, as too good to be angry, or too fevere to be reconciled: by defcribing to our imaginations, repentance to be fo easy at any time, that it is needlefs now; or fo difficult now, that it is too late and impoffible: by putting it into our thoughts, that we are fo good, we may be confident and carelefs; or fo wicked, we must abfolutely defpair. It concerns us therefore greatly, not to be ignorant of their devices *. But, provided we keep on our guard; carneftly apply to God, and are true to ourfelves; neither their temptations, nor thofe of the whole world, fhall prevail againft us. For then only, as St James gives us to understand, is every man tempted dangerously, when he is drawn away of his own luft, and enticed. The enemy within therefore is the most formidable one: and against this it is chiefly, that we are to watch, and pray, that we enter not into temptation: remembering always, that how willing foever the Spirit may be, yet the flesh is weak ‡. And now let us cbferve, in the laft place, under this head, that as we are to pray againft being led into temptation ourfelves, we should be very careful, never to lead others into it; but do every thing that we can, to keep them out of it, and deliver them from it: and that, as begging God's help that we may stand, must be grounded on a strong sense of our pronenefs to fall; we should fhow great compaffion towards them, who, through the fame pronenefs, have fallen. Brethren, if a 2 Cor. ii. 11. James i. 14. ‡ Mat. xxvi. 41. man LECTURE XXXIII. 473 man be overtaken in a fault; ye, which are spiritual, restore fuch a one in the spirit of meekness: confidering thyself, left thou alfo be tempted*. Thus we have gone through the fix petitions, which compose the second part of the Lord's Prayer; and shown it to be worthy of its Author, by distinctly comprehending, in so lit-TM tlè room, whatever is neceffary for the honour of God, and our own good, both temporal and fpiritual. What remains further, is, to fpeak briefly of the third part, which concludes the whole, by afcribing to our heavenly Father the praise due unto his name t: acknowledging here more expressly, what indeed hath been throughout implied, that his is the kingdom, the rightful authority and fupreme dominion over all his the power, by which every thing juft and good is brought to pafs; his therefore the glory of whatever we his creatures do, or enjoy, or hope for; of whatever this univerfe, and the whole scheme of things which it comprehends, hath had, or now hath, or ever fhall have in it, awful or gracious, and worthy of the admiration of men and angels. And as all dignity and might and honour are his; fo they are his for ever and ever: originally, independently and unchangeably. From everlafting to everlafting he is God : the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever §. 1 These words then are, at once, an act of homage to his greatness, and thanksgiving to his goodness: both which ought ever to have a place in our prayers; and the conclufion is a very proper place. For the infinite perfections of God our Maker, which we thus celebrate, are the best reafon poffible for every petition that we have offered to him: and therefore our bleffed Lord introduces them as the reason. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. Befides, ending with these acknowledgments will leave them fresh and strong upon our minds: especially as we finish all with that folemn affeveration, Amen: which is a word ufed in fcripture, only upon ferious and important occafions, to confirm the truth and fincerity of what is promised, wifhed, or affirmed. It relates therefore equally to the whole of the prayer: and is in effect declaring, that we do heartily believe whatever we have faid, and heartily defire whatever we have afked. This expreffion therefore may remind us, that our prayers fhould always be compofed, both in fuch a language, and fuch words in that language, as all, that are to ufe or join in them, are well acquainted with. For elfe, as St Paul argues, How fhall be, that occupieth the room of the unlearned, fay Amèn : Seeing be understandeth not what thou fayeft *? And it should likewife remind us very strongly of another thing, if poffible, yet more important: that we should never fay to God, what we cannot fay with the utmost truth of heart. Now with what truth, or what face, can any perfon, that lives in any fin, repeat the prayer which our Lord hath taught us, and fay amen to it; when every fentence in it, if well confidered, is inconfiftent with a bad life? Let us therefore confider both it and ourselves very carefully, that we may offer up our devotions always in an acceptable manner. For the facrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight ↑. 1 Cor. xiv. 16. + Prov. xv. 8. t TH LECTURE XXXIV. The nature and number of the Sacraments. HE far greatest part of the duties which we owe to God, flow, as it were, of themfelves, from his nature and attributes, and the feveral relations to him, in which we ftand, whether made known to us by reafon or scripture. Such are thofe, which have been hitherto explained to you: the ten commandments; and prayer for the grace, which our fallen condition requires, in order to keep them. But there are still fome other important precepts peculiar to Chriftianity,,and deriving their whole obligation from our Saviour's inftitution of them: concerning which it is highly requifite that our catechifm techifm should inftruct us, before it concludes. And these are the two facraments. The word facrament, by virtue of its original in the Latin tongue, fignifies any facred or holy thing or action: and among the heathens was particularly applied to denote fometimes a pledge, depofited in a facred place; fometimes ant oath, the most facred of obligations; and especially that oath of fidelity, which the foldiery took to their general. In scripture it is not used at all. By the early writers of the wester church it was used to exprefs almost any thing relating to our holy religion; at least any thing that was figurative, and fignified fomewhat further than at firft fight appeared. But af terwards a more confined use of the word prevailed by degrees: and in that stricter sense, which hath long been the common one, and which our catechifm follows, the nature of a facrament comprehends the following particulars. 1. There must be an outward and visible fign: the folemn application of fome bodily and fenfible thing or action, to a meaning and purpose which in its own nature it hath not. In common life, we have many other figns to express our meanings, on occafions of great confequence, befides words. And no wonder then, if, in religion, we have fome of the fame kind. 2. In a facrament, the outward and visible fign must denote an inward and Spiritual grace given unto us: that is, fome favour freely bestowed on us from Heaven; by which our inward and spiritual condition, the ftate of our fouls, is made better. Most of the fignificative actions, that we use in religion, exprefs only our duty to God. Thus kneeling in prayer is used to fhow our reverence towards him to whom we pray. And figning a child with the crofs, after it is baptized, declares our obligation not to be ashamed of the cross of Christ. But a facrament, befides expreffing, on our part, duty to God, expreffes, on his part, fome grace or favour towards us. 3. In order to intitle any thing to the name of a facrament, a further requifite is, that it be ordained by Chrift himself. We may indeed use, on the foot of human authority alone, actions, 302 *Eden. Elem. Jur. Civ. p. 238. Gronov. in Plaut. Rud. 5. 3, 21. that |