Though refolutions, engagements, and vows, be not to be trusted, yet a man may fafely truft the promife; it is the bleffed contrivance of the fecond covenant, that all our duties are there wrapt up in promifes; and whenever we are called to do or fuffer, the covenant has a promise of ftrength for it, and the Chriftian, fenfible of his weakness, trusts it.—I am, II. To confirm this point.-For this purpose, I offer these remarks. 1. The Christian, when he closeth his own eyes, fees best, when he trufts leaft to his own understanding, he is best directed, according to the promife: Prov. iii. 5. 6. " Truft in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Carnal wifdom is an ill judge betwixt fin and duty; and if men renounce it not, and fingly give themfelves up to the divine conduct, they will be ready to ftumble at noon-day: 1 Cor. iii. 20. "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wife, that they are vain." Lot lifted up his eyes, Abraham closed his, and left his choice to his Lord, Gen. xiii. 9. 10. This is the reason why godly fimplicity oftentimes carries men well through, while carnal policy leads men into the ditch; and weak fhrubs ftand, while lofty cedars are blown over, that God may ftain the pride of all glory. 2. When he ventures on the difficulties in the way of duty, not knowing how to remove them, he gets beft through. This was the cafe with Abraham, when called to offer up his fon, Gen. xxii.; but when hejwent down to Egypt, there was a difficulty in the way, which he would not leave to the Lord to remove, but fell on ways and means of of his own, and came off fhamefully, Gen. xxii.; overfast, overloofe in this refpect, 1 Cor. iii. 16. For the wisdom of this world is foolifhnefs with God, for it is written, He taketh the wife in their own craftiness." A little faith is more valuable than much carnal forefight. Leave difficulties in the way of duty on the Lord, if ever you would get fafe through them: Pfalm xxxvii. 5. "Commit thy way unto the Lord, truft also in him, and he fhall bring it to pafs." It 3. The Chriftian foldier fights beft, when the violence of the enemy fets him to his knees. Paul experienced this, when he befought the Lord thrice, and got a gracious answer; and fo he recommends it to others, 2 Cor. xii. 8. " Praying always (fays he) with all prayer," Eph. vi. 18. was in this last posture that Jacob got the notable victory, Gen. xxxii. 24. Hence it is faid of him, Hof. xii. 4. "Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed; he wept and made fupplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us." Did temptations and troubles fet us to our knees, the devil would be outfhot. Did the threats of the enemies at this time, but caft profeffors out of their beds of floth down to their knees, the Lord's work would quickly triumph over the enemies of it. 4. The lower the foul lies, it is the nearer the throne above: Ifa. lvii. 15. "For thus faith the high and lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble fpirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.' A man will get a better view of the ftars from the bottom of a deep pit than from the top of a mountain. The foul is never nearer the divine communica tions, than when shame and blufhing make him ftand afar off with the publican, fmiting on his breaft. The foul in that cafe will get the kindly invitation, Come up hither; when the felf-conceited prefumptuous finner, will hear, Go down yonder. T 5. The duty a Chriftian is called to, and fees himfelf moft unable for, he performs beft. Peter, when he thought himself well buckled for a confeffion for Chrift, denied him at the voice of a filly maid; but when he had better learned the duty of felf-denial, he boldly ftood upon defence, Acts, iv. 13. A man had better be in the dark, then walk in the light of his own fparks. A Christian never goes fo actively through a duty, as when he leaves his own furniture for it behind him, throws it down in point of confidence, and takes up the promise. 6. The temptation that to a man is most contemptible, is most dangerous: Prov. xxviii. 14. "Happy is the man that feareth always; but he that hardeneth his heart, fhall fall into mifchief" Many times the devil's wounded men do moré execution, than his formidable army fet in battlearray. Lot kept his ground in Sodom, when among a company of incarnate devils, but fell foully when he thought himself in no hazard in the cave. If ye would stand, ye must never defpife the meaneft, nor think the greateft temptation infuperable. The meaneft is too hard for you, the strongest too weak for the strength that you may have in your God. 7. The Chriftian that ftands before the Lord with trembling legs, is the meetest to take up Chrift's cross, and will bear it beft. He that dare say least, is the man that will do moft: Ifa. xl. 30. 31. "Even the youths fhall faint and be weary, and the young men fhall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord, fhall renew their ftrength; they fhall mount up with wings like eagles; they fhall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." He that ven, tures on the hour of trial, merely with a Roman courage or natural briskness of spirit, has but a weak reed to lean to. There is none more likely to be a disgrace to religion, than the fumptuous felf-confident profeffor, that wants nothing to fupport the cause of God, in the time of trial, but only other profeffors hearts like his heart. The beft and fureft backing Christ will have, will be from those that tremble when he fhall roar like a lion, Hofea, xi. 10. fee alfo Ifa. xxxv. 4.—6ï pre The 8. The Lord's people thrive beft, when they have nothing but from hand to mouth. most enriching time they have, is when felt needs are always driving them to God's door, and making them hang on about his hand: Rom. v. 3.4. "Knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope." The Chriftian that has most trials, has most experiences. Many battles afford variety of fpoil to the Chriftian foldier; and a tract of fmoothness in a man's lot, is ordinarily a dead time with the Chriftian, as to trading with heaven; he has not much outgiving, and has as little income. When David going against Goliath, got on Saul's armour and drefs, 1 Sam. xvii. 38. he could not go with them; but when he had nothing but the staff, and the bag of stones out of the brook, he went freely, and fucceeded. As |