been often foiled, and hath reafon to defpair of victory. So that if all Sermon things be confider'd, it is our own XV. fault if we want the affiftance of God's Holy Spirit, or if the Devil have any great power over us: for God does not usually, but upon great provocation, take away his Holy Spirit from men, and lay them open to the affaults and temptations of the Devil. If any be led captive by the Devil at his pleasure, it is those who have wilfully forfaken God, and fold themselves to do wickedly. III. We will confider in what ways the Spirit of God doth move and affift good men. These two ways. 1. By exciting good Motions in us, and enabling us to bring them to effect. 2. By fupporting us under Perfecution for Religion. 1. By exciting good Motions in us, us, and enabling us to bring them Volume to effect. These the Apostle puts XII. together, Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleafure. It is he that tirs up good Inclinations in us, and carries them on to effect. And this he makes an Argument why we fhould be diligent and induftrious in the work of our Salvation, because God is fo ready to affift us; Work out your own falvation with fear and trembling: for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. 2. By fupporting us under Perfecution for Religion. In case of extraordinary Temptations, and vi olent Affaults upon our Conftancy in Religion, by fierce and cruel Perfecutions, God affords immediate and extraordinary Supports to good men, whereby they are many times born up under the greatest Sufferings, not only with patience, but with Comfort and joy unfpeakable and full of glory. Where ever God fuffers good men to be be tempted above Humanity, he affords them an immediate Divine Sermon Affiftance, to bear them up and make XV. them victorious. So St. Peter tells us, Pet. 4. 4. That thofe who fuffer and are reproached for the name of Chrift, the Spirit of glory and of God refteth upon them. So likewife St. Paul, 1 Cor. 10. 13. fpeaking of those who had not yet been fet upon by any fharp Perfecution, No temptation hath taken you, but fuch as is common to man, & μn avsрwπir,nothing but what is humane, what the Spirit of a man may bear: but if fuch a cafe happen, of Temptation above Nature, and the fpirit of a man be too weak to fupport it felf under it, God will in that cafe afford men immediate and extraordinary Supports and Comforts, God is faithful, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above what ye are able; but will with the temptation alfo make a way to efcape, that you may be able to bear it; and then it immediately follows, Wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from Idolatry; because God hath promifed fuch an extraordinary affiftance, in cafe of Per fecution Volume fecution for Religion, therefore he encourageth them to continue ftedXII. faft in the profeffion of Chriftianity, and cautions them against Apoftacy to the Heathen Idolatry. The Inference from all this Difcourfe, is to encourage us to continue ftedfaft in the Truth, and in the practice of our holy Religion, to hold fast the profeffion of our Faith without wavering, and not to fuffer our felves to be shaken with every wind of Doctrine, by the arts and cunning of those who lie in wait to deceive; who creep into houses, and Lead captive filly women, laden with fins, and led away by divers lufts. You fee what kind of perfons thefe false Teachers used to profelyte; women of no virtue, of a proftituted reputation, laden with fins, and led away with divers lufts; a Character that notorioully agrees to fome Seducers of our times. Therefore let us continue in the things which we have heard, and not suffer our selves to be moved from Our our ftedfaftnefs. The more we con- that Sermon XV. |