SERM. ments, and, when all other Help fails, then I. we begin to fly to God for his Affistance.

་

It is certainly our Duty, in a Time of Sicknefs, to make Ufe of those Means which God has appointed; we must not fo depend upon God as to expect that he fhould work a Miracle to encourage our Sloth and Lazinefs; he takes no Notice of the Prayers of the careless Suppliant. This is taught us in the Holy Scripture; for there we read, that, even when God defigned to work a Miracle, yet he was fometimes pleased to make Use of Means to bring it about, though fuch as were difproportionable to the Effect it did produce. Thus, when God was pleased to add fifteen Years to the Life of Hezekiah, 2 Kings he commands him to apply a Lump of Figs XX. 7. to the Sore, and he fhould recover; and, when our Saviour Chrift gave Sight to John ix. the blind Man, he took Spittle and Clay and anointed his Eyes, which could be to no other Purpose, but only to teach us, that he expects we should make Ufe of thofe Means he has appointed, and that his Grace is beftowed upon us, as an Encouragement to our diligent Endeavours. But then, let us confider, that every Creature of God is good, and nothing to be refufed, if it be received with Thankf

6.

1 Tim. iv.

4, 5.

giving,

4.

giving, for it is fanctified by the Word of SERM. God and Prayer; and that it is not by Bread I. alone that we live, but by every Word which proceedeth out of the Mouth of God. Mat. iv. In the first Place, therefore, let us make our Application to God, and call him in to our Affiftance; and then he will blefs and fanctify to us thofe Means which we use, and render them effectual. Thus, when the Husbandman (for I cannot illuftrate what I have faid by a more proper Inftance, an Inftance frequently made Ufe of in the Holy Scripture) I fay, when the Hufbandman cultivates and tills the Ground, he makes Ufe of all his Skill, his Labour, and Industry, he fows his Seed in the Sweat of his Brow, he takes the most proper and convenient Seafons; but still he muft depend upon God for a Bleffing on his Endeavours, that God who gives the former and the latter Rain: And thus it is with the Seed of the Word, fown upon the Hearts of Men; the Preacher muft diligently and faithfully perform his Duty, in difpenfing the Word, the Hearers must fit and difpofe their Hearts for the receiving it, and diligently attend to it, when it is delivered to them, but still the Succefs will depend upon God's Bleffing; for whether it be C 2 Paul

SERM. Paul that plants, or Apollos that waters, it is certainly God who gives the Increase.

6.

8.

I.

2. FROM hence we may alfo learn, 1 Cor. iii. how foolish and unreafonable it is, to make Ufe of unlawful and unjust Means to bring our Defigns about. For if these Men's Condemnation is juft, who do Evil, Rom. iii. that Good may come of it, much more is theirs fo, who make Ufe of the most bafe and finful Means, to effect the most villainous Practices; or abufe the most holy Things, to the Abetting of the most unrighteous Purposes. Of this thofe, who call themselves the Members of the Catholic Church, are, in a great Measure, guilty; it is the avowed Opinion of their Cafuifts, that an holy and good End fanctifies the Means, that pious Frauds, i. e. juggling Tricks and falfe Miracles, may be made Ufe of to draw in the Vulgar; and, that Fire and Faggot, Maffacres and Affaflinations, are good Arguments to convert Heretics. Such Opinions and Practices are, indeed, difowned by us Proteftants; and I could heartily wish, that we were guilty of none like them: But, alas! it is too common, even with us, to cover the bafeft Practices, under the Pretence of Religion: But thofe, who do thus, are fo far from putting

their Trust in God, that hereby they lift SER M. and enter themselves into the Devil's Ser- I. vice. For Sin is the Work of the Devil, and his Servants we are, whofe Work we do. We think him most wife whose Advice we take, and under whose Conduct we place ourselves; and, if we make ufe of finful Means to attain our Ends, when God has allowed us only those which are good and lawful, we do, in Effect, declare, that we have a greater Truft and Confidence in the Devil than in God himself. God has frequently told us in his Holy Word, that if we fear him, and make use of those Means which he has appointed, and obey the Voice of his Servants, he will protect us in all Calamities, fupport us under all Temptations, and deliver us in all our Straights and Neceffities; that his Ear is not heavy that he cannot hear, nor his Arm fhortened that he cannot fave, those who truft and depend on him; and, if we will not hearken to his Voice, and obey his Counfels, it is but juft with God to leave us to ourselves, to withdraw that Help and Affiftance, which we make fo little Account of, and to fuffer our Enemies to deftroy us. Of this we have a plain Inftance in Saul, who, because God

C 3

did

SERM. did not presently hear him, and return I. a fpeedy Anfwer to his Prayers, forfakes God, and addreffes himself to the Witch of Endor, i. e. to the Devil himfelf; and you may fee the fatal Confequence of fo doing; he had an Anfwer, indeed, but it was fuch an one, as brought Fire and Brimstone along with it, and foretold the utter Deftruction both of him and his Houfe; To-morrow thou and xviii. 19. thy Sons fhall be with me. So little Encouragement has any one to go out of God's Way, or to have any Thing to do with those, who either really do, or pretend to deal with the Devil, and his Inftruments; all fuch Wisdom, as this, will prove Folly in the End, because it is not according to Godliness.

Sam.

3. FROM hence, we may learn the Reafon, why fo many of our Defigns miscarry, and our Enterprizes prove fo unfuccessful; because we truft too much to our own Wisdom and Strength, we facrifice to our own Nets, and burn Incenfe to our own Drags, and do not call God in to our timely Affiftance. The Reason, why fo many Temptations get the Upper-hand of us, is, because we think to overcome thefe Sons of Anach, by our own Power; why we fink under

the