to do. For many are to be found of such froward, wilful, and violent natures, that they will not be held in; but, when they feel themselves within the net, will cry, Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us so that even a kind of force must be used to keep them from destruction.

Lastly, many a draught does the poor fisherman make in vain many a time is the net of preaching spread forth, and yet none are taken: for so it pleases God to exercise the patience of his servants yet still the work must be followed; and the Lord's leisure must be waited for with patience. And many, often, are inclosed, who yet after all break away many are at first drawn in by the power of the Gospel, who afterwards slide back, and return again to their own profaneness. Many hypocrites and reprobates are also gathered into the outward society of the Church by preaching, as weeds and other trash into the net: but these are suffered to remain till the Lord shall say of them, as of the tares in the time of harvest, Gather ye them together, and bind them in bundles to burn them.

SERMON X..

FROM CHILLINGWORTH *.

1 COR. X. 13.

God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be. tempted above that ye are able.

WHATEVER punishments befel the disobedient Israelites, who murmured and tempted God in the wilderness, all these things, says St. Paul, happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ENDS of the world are come. And this is a privilege which we surely possess beyond our forefathers. We may present before our eyes a longer series, a fuller history, of God's providence; we may take a view of his constant and unaltered course of avenging himself on sin, in whomsoever he finds it: and hence we cannot but collect (whatsoever may be our fancied privileges and immunities, whatsoever comfortable errors we may take upon trust) that

* William Chillingworth was born 1602 and died 1644.

God, merely for our sakes, will not begin a new frame of polity in the administration of the world; but that we also, after the example of these murmuring Israelites, unless we repent, shall all likewise perish.

The words that precede the text may as reasonably be directed to you who now hear me, as they were by the Apostle to the Corinthians; There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. Let, therefore, your memories recollect the past occurrences of your lives, and tell me, Was there any sinful temptation so strongly urged on you but what (with the assistance of that grace which God has already given you, or, at least, if you had besought him, would have superadded) you migh easily have diverted the force of it? And did not your consciences, even after you were overcome by such temptation, tell you, that it was mere cowardice, to suffer yourselves to be overcome by it; and that you voluntarily surrendered and betrayed those forces which God has already bestowed on you? But we must not fancy, for all this, that there is any extraordinary worth or dignity in ourselves. For, take away God's free and undeserved graces within us, and his divine assistances, together with the guard of his blessed angels, without us; and there is no temptation so weak and despicable, to which we should not instantly yield ourselves.

If, therefore, hereafter, we ever overcome temptation (as certainly, by God's help, if we wish for it,

we may) let us bless Almighty God, and ascribe to Him, the glory and trophies of the conquest. But, on the contrary, if, notwithstanding the many secret whisperings and inspirations of his Holy Spirit in our souls; if, notwithstanding God's voice, which (as every day's experience witnesses) continually calls to us, This is the good way; walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls; we are ever ready to hearken to and obey our own lusts and affections; let us lay the fault where it is DUE, even on our wicked and deceitful hearts; or otherwise, the time will come in which we shall be thoroughly, but too late, convinced of it; namely, when the worm of conscience which never dieth shall continually torment and gnaw us. Let God be true and faithful in his promises, and every man a liar. For, as God has hitherto been so merciful as to preserve you from all temptations but such as are common to man; so, for the time to come, (though greater trials may perhaps befal you than you have yet experienced) you may be confident that the same God continues faithful and righteous to fulfil his promises. He will never suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.

But, before I proceed further, I must take it for granted, that the same men, though they have been overcome by a temptation, might, notwithstanding, have resisted it by the assistances of grace; or, I confess, I know not what to say: for, if this be a good inference A man is overcome by a temp

6

tation; therefore he could not possibly have resisted,' then Adam, notwithstanding he was seduced by the devil, is clearly not so culpable as I took him to be. How, therefore, can I censure such a man for not doing his duty? How can I convince his conscience that it was through his own fault and negligence? But, is there no man to be found that could not possibly have

done more good than what he actually has done? Does Does every man

improve that talent of grace which God has given him, to the utmost of his power?

For mine own part, I confess with grief and shame, and self-condemnation, that I frequently have offended Almighty God, when I certainly might have done otherwise. I have not only hid my talent in a napkin, I have not only not improved that stock of grace which God has given me; but, on the contrary, I have been laborious and abounding in the unfruitful works of darkness. And I cannot but believe that all of you, in some degree, at least, have been guilty in betraying and surrendering the abilities which God has bestowed on you; though I dare not charge you so deeply as myself.

And now, since we have heard, who may be said to be able to resist a temptation; for the more distinct confirmation of St. Paul's proposition in the text, I will take our Lord's advice; I will examine, whether he that hath but TEN thousand be able to meet him that cometh against him with TWENTY