a curfe upon you, and will curfe your bleffings, yea, I have curfed them already," because ye do not lay it to heart.

2. Others will not, because they have not room for it; many have no room for Chrift; their hearts and affections are otherwife taken up. But, O! what takes up that room? what guests do you lodge in your hearts, that the Son of God cannot have accefs? If ye have not room, will ye make room? Tell him ye are content to take him, and invite him to make room for himfelf, and he will do it. He is able to caft out your idols, and to pull down the ftrong-holds of fin and Satan that are in your hearts.

3. Some will not, because they like not the onerous cause of the gift. There are many that cannot digeft what is required of them who be long to Chrift: "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his crofs, and follow me." They could take the crown, but they cannot away with the cross, or the hard fervice. Such are to be pitied, for they are led afide by mistakes; if Christ was in your hearts, his fervice would be your choice, and you would glory in his crofs.

4. Many will not, because they have no will to come under the obligation of a gift. Thus it was with the Jews; going about to establish their own righteousness, they fubmitted not themselves to the righteousness of God. This pride of heart lies often vailed under the fhew of humility, when all the while the foul refufes to come to Christ, because of unwillingness. Well, you must either be obliged to Chrift for your falvation, or perish; for do what you will, or fuffer what you will, if Christ be not yours, you perish.

Laftly, Not a few will not, because they think, though

though it may do good to others, yet it can do none to them. Who knows but this may be the temptation of fome! this is the poisonous breath of monftruous unbelief, that at once flies in the face of God's truth, making him a liar, 1 John, v. 10.; and in the face of his wisdom, as if he had provided an unfuitable remedy. Sinner, who ever perished in the hands of Jefus ? and O what defperate cafes has he cured! But do you object there was never the like of yours? Ans. Then you will glorify Chrift the more, if you will venture yourfelf in his hand. Many wonderful precedents have, you as proofs of his ability. Venture yourselves then in his hand, " for he is able to fave to the uttermost all that come to God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for us.” Amen.

HE

THE CHRISTIAN WEAK, YET STRONG

SERMON XIV.

2 COR. xii. 10. For when I am weak, then am I ftrong.

HE text is a gofpel-paradox, beft understood

Tby experience. The Chriftian is a mystery,

a mystery to the world; the faints are hidden ones, yea, in a great measure they are a mystery to themfelves; fo is the Chriftian life. The apoftle, in the text, tells us one of the great mysteries of the Christian life, and that is meat out of the eater: “I take pleasure," fays he, " in infirmities, in reproaches, in neceffities, in perfecutions, in diftreffes, for Chrift's fake." Chriftianity teaches not a Stoical apathy, no man is more fenfible of the weight of his burden than a Christian; yet he can not only bear a heavy burden patiently, (which I believe is a mystery to many of us), but he even finds a pleasure in a burden he is not able to ftand under.

*This and the following Difcourfe delivered July 12. and 13. 1713.

under. After sense has confidered a trial, gone out and in through it, and found nothing but bitternefs, faith can discover a great deal of sweetness in it.

The Chriftian well exercised, may get fome glorious fights in his trials and temptations, that afford a refined pleasure.

1. It is a fweet fight for a Chriftian to see himself standing a candidate for glory, and on his trials for heaven, 1 Pet. i. 6. 7. "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a feafon, if need be, ye are in heaviness, through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perifheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Chrift."

2. It is sweet to see Chrift dragging the corrupt will to the cross, and driving the nails through it, for its mortification: James, i. 3. "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."

3. It is fweet to see Chrift, in order to the starving of lufts, blocking up the paffes by which provifions might be brought to them.

4. To fee the foul out of weakness made ftrong, and the devil outfhot with his own bow. This account of it the text gives, For when I am weak, that is, when I am weak in myself, then am Iftrong in Chrift; ver. 9. " My grace is fufficient for thee, for my ftrength is made perfect in weakness." The Lord allowed the temptation to continue with him till he was driven out of himself, and was brought to confefs he was not man enough for it, and then the Lord gives him ftrength against it.

1. In the text, there is fomething supposed, namely, that the Chriftian is not always weak in the fenfe of the text; he has not always the due VOL. I.

T

fenfe

fenfe of his weakness; fometimes his locks are cut, and yet he will go out as at former times. It is no small piece of Christian labour to keep a due fenfe of our weaknefs and infufficiency. When the Christian is strong in himself, then he is dead weak. If the devil can but get the man blown up with conceit of his own ability to stand his ground against him, then he has him fair before the wind, as Peter. Hence it is that fome will ftand before great temptations, and fall before less

ones.

2. In the text, there is fomething expreffed. When the Christian is weak in his own fight, then he is really strong; he baffles the temptation, he ftands the trial, when he fees he is not man enough for it. Sometimes the devil rages, drives furiously by temptations, perfecutions, and the like; but unless he raife the duft, fo as to blind the Chriftian's eyes, that he fee not his own weaknefs, nor the strength of the grace without him in Christ, inftead of driving him off his way, he will drive him to Christ, in whom he is enabled to ftand, fo as to come off a conqueror. I take up the sense of the verse in this

DOCTRINE, That when the Chriftian is weak, then he is strong; weak in his own eyes, ftrong in Chrift.

IN difcourfing upon this fubject, I fhall confider the following points.

I. What is that weakness, which paves the way to fpiritual ftrength?

II. Offer fome remarks for confirming this point.

III. Give fome reafons of the doctrine. And, IV. The illuftration of these will make way

for