ries and contumelious ufage, the calumnies and cenfures of them who speak and think ill of us, bring their profit with them too; even when most unjust, most undeserved. For thefe oftentimes are an occafion of rectifying our measures, as bringing us to a jufter and more modeft opinion of ourselves. They cure our ambition and vain-glory, and convince us how vain a thing it is, to thirst after reputation and the praise of men, when even innocence and goodnefs cannot protect us from flander and reproaches. They teach us to fet a due value upon the testimony of our own confciences, and the righteous approbation of God, the fearcher of hearts; when that, which he will not fail to commend and reward, does not often escape the contempt and condemnation of the world, nor prevail for fo much as fair quarter, from our mistaken and injurious brethren.

It is therefore both our duty and our wisdom, fo entirely to place our happiness and expectations in God alone, that we fhall not need to be extremely follicitous for many outward comforts, or feel ourfelves deftitute, or much dejected, when any of thefe happen to fail or forfake us. For when a well-difposed man is oppreffed with fufferings and temptations, or perplexed with evil thoughts, he then feels experimentally, how neceffary the divine affiftance is, and how little he is able to do or endure without it: then he is touched with inward remorfe, then does he groan in fecret, and, in the anguish of his heart, pour out his requests for relief and deliverance: then even life itself becomes a burthen, and death defirable; as that which will tranflate him from this valley of tears and corruption, to a life of immortality with his God and redeemer. In a word, fuch circumftances

cumstances as these are more effectual than ten thoufand arguments, to convince him, by his own fenfible experience, that perfect fecurity, and entire fatisfaction, are not fo much as confiftent with the condition of man in this prefent world; and therefore we must be content to wait another and future ftate, which chiefly deferves our affections, because it alone can make us truly and compleatly happy.

CHA P. XIII.

Of refifting temptations.

long as we co continue in this world, we must not flatter ourselves with being exempted from tribulations and trials. Thefe are fo infeparable from mortality, that Job calls the life of Job. vii, 1. man a warfare, or place of exercife. It See 1xx, E. highly concerns every one of us upon vulg. this account, to take great care for managing himfelf under his temptations; to watch and pray diligently; as being duly fenfible that he hath a watchful enemy to deal with, one who will not fail to take all advantages of deceiving, and who goes about continually, feeking whom he

may

1 Pet. v. 8.

devour. Nor muft our attainments in virtue difpofe us to remit of this care, for virtue is no abfolute fecurity. No man is fo perfect, fo holy, as never to be affaulted, or out of the reach of this adversary, We may defend ourselves against his attacks, but ftill attack'd we moft certainly fhall be.

Now tho' there is great hazard and uneafiness, yet is there likewife great profit to be made from temptations; particularly, as they contribute to the humbling our minds, to the purging off our drofs, and

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the

the making us wifer by fuffering. This is the rough way to happiness, which all the faints of God have travell'd before us, and by it at laft were fafe conducted to their journey's end: and they who fell off and were discouraged at the ruggedness of the paffage, are all reprobates and caft-aways. No order or profeffion of men is fo facred, no place fo remote or folitary, but that temptations and troubles will find them out and intrude upon them.

Nor ought it to feem ftrange, that these should haunt and purfue us clofe, at all times and places ; fince we ourselves carry about us the very matter of our temptations, and can never run away from those natural propenfions, upon which they work, and from whence they take occafion to deftroy us. This is the account we may reasonably give ourselves, why there fhould be fuch an uninterrupted fucceffion of temptations and miferies, and why one trouble fhould prefs fo hard upon the heels of another. For how indeed can it be otherwife; fince with our innocence we loft our fafety and happinefs, and must be born to trouble, because the ground of our trouble is now become a part of our nature? Many men involve themselves deeper in temptations, by being too folicitous to decline them. For we must not fuppofe ourselves always to have conquered a temptation, when we have fled from it. The nobler, and fometimes the more effectual way, is to vanquish them by patient enduring, and being humbled under them.

Thus much is plain; that by declining a temptation we have not difarmed it. The root is ftanding ftill, and will foon be fprouting again; and a man who flees, is fo far from getting ground upon his ad

verfary,

verfary, that he rather encourages him to pursue more vigorously. The way to overcome is by patience and long-fuffering; which, by God's affistance, and by degrees, tho' perhaps but flow ones, is more likely to fucceed, than heat, and vehemence, and any the violenteft and moft obftinate efforts of our own ftrength. When you find yourself tempted, be fure to ask advice; and when you fee another fo, deal with him gently. Support him with compaffion, and adminifter all the comfort in your power, as you could not but wish to be treated yourself, were you in his afflicted circumstances.

The beginning of all temptations to wickedness, is the fickleness of our own mind, and want of truft in God. An inconftant and irrefolute man is like a ship without a pilot, driven to and fro, at the mercy of every gust of wind. Metals are tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of affliction, Ecclus. ii. 5. We seldom know the true extent of our own power, till temptation difcover it to us. But watchfulness, which is always neceffary, is chiefly fo when the first affaults are made. For the enemy is more eafily repulfed, if we never suffer him to get within us, but upon the very first approach draw up our forces, and fight him without the gate. 'Twas well advised of the poet,

Take phyfick early; medicines come too late
When the difeafe is grown inveterate.

And this will be more manifeft, if we obferve, by what methods and degrees temptations grow upon us. The first thing that prefents itself to the mind, is a plain fingle thought; this is quickly improved into a strong imagination; that again enforced by a fenfible

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fenfible delight; then follow evil motions; and when these are once stirred, there wants nothing but the affent of the will, and then the work is finished. Now the firft fteps of this are feldom thought worth our care; often taken little notice of; fo that the enemy frequently is got clofe up to us, and even within our trenches, before we obferve him; and we have loft the day, for want of defending ourfelves, while he was in a condition of being refifted. For the longer we defer the engagement, the weaker we grow, and the more our adverfary gathers ftrength.

The feason of these trials is various and ur certain. Upon fome they are feverer presently after their converfion, upon others towards the latter end of their days. Some have them fo thick repeated, that their whole life is one continued conflict; and fome again have but very few and gentle trials, All which different cafes are ordered by a juft and wife God, who knows what each man deferves, and what he can undergo; and weighs all circumstances so justly, that his feveral difpenfations are conftantly fubfervient to the falvation and happiness of his chofen fervants.

We ought not therefore to defpair when temptations befet us; but excite our zeal, and pray to God more fervently, that he would be our prefent help and refuge in all our troubles; and, as St. Paul expreffes it, That he would with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it. Let us humble ourselves under the trying hand of God, (1 Cor, X, 13. 1 Pet, iv.) and patiently fubmit to his good pleasure in all our tribulations. For those who do fo he will exalt in due time, and fave them that be of a meek and a contrite spirit, Pfal. xxxiv.

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