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cient weight to break it: that laftly, which when once broken, can never be pieced again? Surely, did Men remember (and is it not ftrange they can forget) their own Mortality; they would not venture upon one Minute's delay, in a matter of fuch mighty Confequence; when every Minute may be their laft, and when the laft Minute of their living is fure to be the laft of working out their Salvation.

3. But there is yet a greater danger behind. For we cannot be sure, that our power of working will extend fo far, as the time for it. God often takes his Holy Spirit from Men, and fuffers them to live, only for filling up the measure of their Iniquities. This is a fad effect of his Juftice, that, after many Tryals to perfuade them, he ceafes to ftrive with thofe who will not be perfuaded. Without his Grace they cannot repent and amend, and that Grace he in anger fometimes withdraws; abandons them to the Tempter, leaves them under a Difability, but fuch, as is the effect of their Perverfenefs. They would not ufe Grace to prevent their Sins, and therefore they are denied the Grace to repent of them. They hated to be reformed, while they might, and now the very Power of being reformed is taken from them. This fhews the fad and comfortless Condition of fuch Sinners, but it fhews withal the righteoufnefs of God, in all that is brought upon them. For he hath no where obliged himself to contend always with thofe, who refift and defeat his kind Intentions of doing them good. Nay, he declares he will not. For thus Solomon introduces him, admonishing wicked People how he designs to deal with them. Because I bave called, and ye refufed, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have fet at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your Calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Then fhall They call upon Me, but I will not answer, they shall feek me early, but they

Prov. i. 24, &c.

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fhall not find me. For the turning away of the fimple shall flay them, and the profperity of fools fhall destroy them. And what can awaken ftupid Sinners, if this warning will not, that, befides the danger of being cut fhort in the midst of their wild Career, they hazard the shortning their own Day of Grace? That, by fetting their Hearts to act, in defpight of the Methods made ufe of to reduce them, they may fhut the Door fo hard againft themselves, that their most importunate knocking afterwards fhall not prevail for the opening it again? What, on the other hand, can juftify the Equity of God's proceedings with vile incorrigible Wretches, if this do not clear it from all Exception, that his Spirit is ever at hand, to guide and counfel, to affift and strengthen all, who will accept of his Protection, hearken to his Voice, and be directed by him? That every one, who perifhes for want of Mercy, is his own Murtherer, and Loft, because he refufed his own Mercy? That, in all Requests for Pardon, and the Divine Aids to do better, God never stops his Ears to our Cries, never refuses to be intreated, till we have first been obftinately Deaf to his Checks and Calls, and refolve not to be perfuaded? This is the plain Importance, not of that Paffage of Solomon only, but of fundry others in Scripture, upon the like occafion. So that the Prophet's complaint against Ifrael, is equally true of every hardned Sinner, who receives the Grace of God in vain, Thou, even Thou baft destroyed thy felf.

Hof. xiii. 9.

2. In farther Confirmation of which Truth I urge, laftly, The Certainty of our Succeeding, if we in earneft lay hold on the prefent Opportunities of Grace. A Certainty, implied by the Apoftle in thefe words, Now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of Salvation. Of this we cannot in reafon afk any fuller Evidence, than the very Kindnefs of putting thofe Opportunities into our Hands. God owes them not to

us,

us, but is entirely Mafter of his own Favours; He hath no Motive to it, but Mercy and Love to most unworthy Creatures. And, that he should, by these Advantages, mean to mock thofe, who are forward to embrace, and earnestly defirous to improve by them, is fomewhat too unfincere, too barbarous, for a Being perfectly Holy and True, Juft and Good, to be imagined capable of. Accordingly we may obferve, that, as oft as God threatens to caft off a People; as a leading ftep to that Mifery, and an Omen what they are to expect, he threatens the removing their Candlestick, a Famine of the Word, and a fatal withdrawing those Means of Grace, which had been fo long offered to no purpose and effect, except that of Abufe and Scorn. Somewhat like this indeed seems to be done with private Perfons, when, to compleat their Wickedness and Mifery, he suffers them at laft to fall under that faddeft of all Temptations, turning their Backs upon his Sacraments, forfaking his Church, cafting his Word behind them. and treating things that are Sacred with Contempt. How fhould the Disease of fuch be other than defperate, who thus defpife and declare against their Remedy? But till it come to this, there are certainly Hopes. And, while we are content to ufe, and put our felves in the way of Means, though these have long been try'd with poor Succefs; yet it is a Sign, that as We have not given these, fo neither hath God yet given Us, abfolutely over. Not yet, I fay; But there is danger, and great caufe to fear he will; and our continuing to use them without Fruit, is a provocation to it. Let me then, with the Apoftle here, befeech you, that you look to it in time; that you do not lofe this precious Gift by receiving it in vain; that you apply your felves to your Bufinefs, while there is yet an Eleventh Hour left; That you make good Profit of this Holy Seafon in particular; looking upon it as a Pledge of the Divine Love, and a loud repeated Call,

Call, to confider, and know, in this your day, the things that belong to your eternal Peace, before they be hidden from your Eyes. Let us from this inftant, humble our Souls before the Face of our offended God; fubdue our corrupt Affections by all proper Severities and voluntary Restraints; remember the Confequences of every fresh Opportunity to become better; the juft Condemnation of Grace received in vain; and efpecially pray most earnestly, as our Beft of Churches directs, that from hardness of heart, and contempt of his word and commandment, our Good Lord will deliver us.

Amen.

I.

"T

The First Sunday in Lent.

The GOSPEL.

St. Matth. iv. 1.

Hen was Jefus led up of the Spirit into the
Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil.

Ghoft of which he was full (See Luke iv. 1.) went up
derness, where he was alone with the wild Beafts, (See
he might be tempted of the Devil.

2. And when be bad fafted forty days and forty nights, be was afterwards an bungred.

PARAPHRASE.

1. Jefus, prefently after his Baptifm, by an impulfe of the Holy from Jordan into the WilMark i. 13.) that there

2. There he, by a miraculous Power, did neither eat nor drink forty

Days and Nights; but then he felt the Neceffities and Appetites of his Human Nature return upon him.

3. And when the Tempter came unto bim, be faid, If thou be the Son of God, command that thefe ftones be

made bread.

3. Of thefe the Devil taking an Advantage, challeng'd him to prove himself the Son of God

by turning Stones into Bread.

4. But be answered and faid, It is written, Man fhall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proccedetb out of the mouth of God.

4. Jefus answered, that there was no occafion for fuch a Miracle to fatisfy his Hunger, fiace

the Scripture hath declared (Deut. viii. 3.) that God hath other ways of fuftaining his Servants, befides that of common Food.

5. Then the Devil taketh him up into the baly City, and fetteth bim on a pinnacle of the Temple.

5. Then the Devil conveys him to Jerujalem, fets him on the

Battlement of the Temple there.

6. And would have

perfuaded him to prove himself the Son of God, by throwing himself down, urging a Paffage of Scripture, (Pfalm xci. 12.) which promised him

7. To this Jefus returned another Scripture (Deut. vi. 16.) for

6. And faith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, caft thy felf down: For it is written, He fall give bis angels charge over thee, and in their bands they fhall bear thee up, left at any time thou dash thy foot against aftone.

Protection and Safety.

7. Jefus faid unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

bidding Men to tempt God by unneceffary Experiments of his Power and Care of them. As this would be, by arguing a diftruft of the Evidences already given of the Point he urged him to prove, in complying with that Propofal.

8. Again the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and fheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.

9.

8, 9. Once more, the Devil moves him to an exceeding high Mountain, reprefents all the Splendor and Glory of the World to him, and proffers that as a Reward, if he would fall down and worship him. Pretending that he was in poffeflion, and had power to difpofe, of it all.

10. This offer Jefus rejected with Indignation, commanded the Devil away, and pro

thee,

And faith unto bim, all these things will I give if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10. Then faith Jefus unto him, Get thee bence Satan; for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and bim only fhalt thou ferve.

ved from another Scripture, (Deut. vi. 13.) that Worship was due to God alone.

II. Then the Devil,

baffled in all his Attempts, left him for

11. Then the Devil leaveth him, and behold Angels came and miniftred unto him.

that time, (fee Luke iv. 13.) and the Holy Angels came, attended upon him, and fupplied him with Neceffaries.

I

COMMENT.

T is not without excellent good reafon, that, among many other Arguments to quicken us into the Duties of this Holy Time, (the Abftinence and Severities whereof are one continued Fight against Temptations) the Example of our Bleffed Saviour fhould this Day be propounded to our Confideration.

The feveral Circumftances of this Encounter with the Prince of Darknefs are full of Inftruction and Encouragement. The Ends for which, The Time when, The Place where, The Manner how he was tempted;

The

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