ance, humiliation and fubmiffion. The fanctified use of the affliction will be obtained, and this brings deliverance of itself; for no rod will be continued longer than it hath answered its end. At any rate, when fuffering is neceffary, grace, to fuffer with patience, fhall not be withheld. Would you have any more, and is not this remedy always at hand? Can the pooreft man say, it is not within the reach of his purfe? It is at once effectual and universal. It was once faid in contempt of a worthy and pious minifter, that he made fo much of the blood of Chrift, that he would apply it even to a broken bone. But bating what may be thought indecent in the expreffion, chosen on purpose to bring a good man into ridicule, the thing itself, I make bold to affirm, is a great and precious truth. Faith in the blood of Chrift makes a man fuperior to all fufferings. It foftens their aspect-it abates their severity -nay, it changes their nature. When a man is under distress or calamity of any kind, and confiders it only in itfelf, and independently of his relation to God, it retains its old nature, and tastes with all the bitterness of the original curfe; but when it is confidered as limited in its nature-its measure, and its continuance by a kind Saviour, the believer submits to it with patience, as a part of his Creator's will; bears it with patience in his Redeemer's strength, and fometimes is enabled to embrace it with pleasure, as ferving to carry him to his Father's presence. Is this going too far? No, my dear brethren; there are great realities to which the word of God, and the experience of his faints, bear united evidence. Many here prefent, I doubt not, have been witness of this truth, in the carriage of their relations now with God; and not a few, I trust, will repeat the teftimony to fucceeding ages. I conclude all with that animated paffage of the Apostle Paul.

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Paul.-2 Cor. iv. 16, 17. For which caufe we faint not ; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

SER

SERMON XXX.

CHRISTIAN WARFARE.

BY

WILLIAM LINN,. D. D.

One of the Minifters of the Reformed Dutch Church, city of New-York.

A

I CORINTHIANS XVI. 13.

Quit you like men, be ftrong.

MONG the many comparisons used in Scripture to illuftrate the Christian life, that of a fight or warfare is a principal one. To this the Apostle evidently refers in the text. He addreffes the believing Corinthians, as a general would his foldiers, who expected immediately to engage with the enemy. We find nearly the fame words used by the Philistines, in exciting one another to battle with Ifrael: Be ftrong and quite your felves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not fervants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: Quit your felves like men, and fight. It is not improbable that the Apostle had this animated speech in view; and if not, it

was

was natural, with the figure in his mind, thus to exprefs himself. It is as though he had faid, "You are like foldiers in actual war; behave then, not as children, who are weak and easily intimidated; but exert that strength, courage and fortitude worthy of men in an hour of trial and danger."

This exhortation is proper to be addreffed to Chriftians in every age; and it is now addressed to you, my believing brethren: Quit you like men,-be firong. I fhall, first, mention the enemies with which you have to contend; fecondly, fhew what is implied in the exhortation; and then conclude with fome motives to encourage and animate you in the fight.

The enemies with which you have to contend, are generally ranked under these three claffes; the devil, the world, and the flesh.

Firft, The devil is a watchful, cunning and unwearied enemy. After his revolt from God, he feduced our first parents, and has thus brought the whole race into fin and mifery. Oppofed himself to all goodness, he is become the tyrant and destroyer of human kind. As a roaring lion he walketh about, feeking whom he may devour. Though we are not ignorant of many of his devices, yet it is impoffible to tell either when, and in what way he will affail us, or to diftinguish precifely his fuggeftions from the corrupt defires of our own hearts. With these he co-operates. He knows the frame of our bodies, and has near access to our fpirits.-He prefents evil under the fpecious appearance of good. He fuits his temptations to the various difpofitions of men, and to the different periods of their lives. He leads to prefumption, and he drives to defpair. He withdraws for a time, and waits an unguarded hour, that he may attack with the greater fuccefs. Sometimes he fhoots like fiery darts, dreadful

3'

dreadful and blafphemous thoughts, occafioning extreme uneafiness and horror in the mind.

With this enemy, my Christian foldiers, you have to contend; a fallen fpirit, active, powerful, naturally fubtle, and long verfed in the practice of guile; not only indeed with one, but many; for though there is a great adversary, the god of this world, yet under him hofts are marshalled, whom he leads to war. The Apostle, in speaking of the Christian warfare. reckons those evil fpirits to be numerous and powerful. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities;—against powers;—against the rulers of the darkness of this world; -against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Secondly, The world is another powerful enemy. In this class we count the men of the world, and the things of the world.

The men of the world engage on the fide of the devil. By their allurements they entice to fin, and by their reproaches, deter from duty. Not to mention the furious perfecutions which they have fometimes carried on against Christians, and from which we, in this age and country, are delivered, they are always dangerous. Their converfation and example are contagious. It requires no small resolution at times, to withstand their fmiles, and encounter their frowns ;—to adhere steadily and fingularly to duty when the customs of the world all tend another way;-to facrifice popularity, and venture even character for the caufe of religion.-It fometimes happens too, that those with whom the Christian

is closely connected are his

greatest oppofers; when his

foes are thofe of his own household. In this cafe the danger is peculiarly great. From others he may withdraw, but with thefe he is obliged to affociate,

Under