the spirit without this, all religion is vain, and external pretences are of no significancy. If thon vowest a vow to God, defer not to pay it, (says the preacher) for he hath no pleasure in fools.

Our conversion is dated from the time that our lusts are mortified, our minds changed, and our appetites subdued. For to resolve and not to practice, betrays a hasty, rash, and injudicious mind, that considers not what he says, as well as intends not what. he promises; and he that imagines himself in a happy condition, because he (now and then in distress) promises amendment, is miserably deceived, and will find to his cost, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord.

For when we shall be roused from the sleep of death, to appear before the great tribunal of Christ, it will be no service to us to plead, that we many times resolved to do well; for nothing will do then but virtuous actions; and we shall stand or fall in the next life, as we have behaved ourselves in this; according to that saying of the Apostle, We shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, every man to receive according to the deeds done in the body, whether they be good, or whether they be evil.

And since this is the case, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? How careful should we be to maintain our integrity, hold fast our righteousness, and give our hearts no room to reproach us.

The day that will determine our fate is hourly approaching us; and as every moment

of our lives is a step to the grave, where there is no work, no device, no repentance, we should set about subduing our lusts, and maintaining a conscience void of offence towards God.

To postpone this 'till to-morrow is dangerous; it is a danger too great to admit of any delay; for we know not what a day may bring forth; and whilst we are speaking peace to ourselves we may be alarmed with a summons into another world, and be brought before the dreadful tribunal loaded with guilt.

Alas! too many, 'tis to be feared, are now, like Dives, tormented in flames, who had deviated from the paths of righteousness, and went astray in the broad road of sin and wickednes? Had they, like holy Job, retained their integrity, and given their hearts no room to reproach them, they had never had reason to deplore their wretched condition in a state of

misery.

And that it is in the power of every man, by the grace of God, to hold fast his integrity, is what I am now to make appear under my

Third general head. And such is our happiness, that though our grand enemy has power to tempt us, yet he cannot oblige us to sin; he lays the bait, but cannot compel us to swallow it: for he tempted our Saviour to worship him, with the pleasing prospect of all the kingdoms in the world, and a promise that he should be master of them, but he was rejected with scorn and disdain. He made use of many an argu ment to draw Job from his integrity, but

missed his aim. He tempted Joseph by the power of a lustful woman, but could not prevail. From whence it is plain, that if we forfeit our innocence, the blame lies at our own door.

We might, if we pleased, have been deaf to his arguments, and rejected his temptations, with that inimitable argument that Joseph made use of; for, said he, How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? We might stem the current of our evil inclinationswithin, and manfully reject the baits that are laid for us without, and, as Job did, maintain our integrity, hold fast our righteousness, and give our hearts no room to reproach us.

nant.

Job was sensible of the depravity of mankind. He knew their passions were irregular, their wills stubborn, and their lusts predomiHe knew also that the devil (knowing the hopeful condition of man, that if he behaves himself well here, is capable of being happy hereafter) was envious of him, and was his bitter enemy. He had experienced the arts which that accursed fiend has recourse to, in order to draw mankind from their innocency, and make them like himself, miserable to all eternity. For he saw that he inveigled the voluptuous into his snare, by the fair and flattering promises of delight; that he had gold to enchant the covetous, kingdoms to allure the ambitious, tinsil to dazzle the gay, and flattery to work upon the proud. And knowing these things, he bravely resisted temptations, and, by the grace of God, overcame them; he gloriously

supported his integrity, and therefore was, in the end, blessed with more abundance than he ever possessed before; and died in a good old age, full of days, and in favour with God and man. And is not this a powerful inducement to us to act like Job, and bravely withstand our spiritual enemy? What should hinder, but that we may, as he did, maintain our righteousness, hold fast our integrity, and give our hearts no room to reproach us.

The devil, it is true, consults the passions of mankind, and lays his baits suitable to them. He knew Cain to be envious and proud, and so induced him to imbrue his hands in his brother's blood. He found Peter to be cowardly, and so prompted him to deny his master. Judas he perceived to be covetous, and by that means led him to betray the Saviour of the world. These are the methods he has recourse to, in order to make men as miserable as himself. But notwithstanding this, we may, if we please, resist his temptations, and baffle all his evil designs..

If we ply constantly at the Throne of Grace, and implore the Divine protection, we need not doubt but that the kind Father of mankind will give us such a measure of his grace and holy Spirit, as may enable us to withstand all the temptations of our spiritual enemy.

But, alas! the contrary too often prevails. Men are seldom upon their guard, and are so far from resisting the solicitations of the tempter, that they readily suffer themselves to be led captive by him at his will, and seem resolutely

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bent upon their own ruin. And though they know that a virtuous and good life is indispensibly necessary to salvation, yet they live in wilful impieties, and indulge themselves in gross and confessed wickedness; some of them wallowing in lust and wantonness, others in drunkenness and debauchery; some gratifying their pride and ambition, others their envy and malice; some sacrificing to their filth and luxury, others to their avarice and covetousness and how can such people look into their breasts without the deepst horror and despair? But, indeed, they fly from their angry consciences as much as possible, and seldom think of amendment 'till they are either worn out with the long pursuit after a debauched life, or 'till, they are suddenly seized with a dangerous fit of sickness. The unhappy condition, therefore, of such men, makes it the more necessary for me, as was proposed, in the

Last place, To exhort you, in the name of God, to hold fast your integrity to the end.

But surely, one would imagine, there is but little need for many arguments to press us to such a necessary duty, when our souls are at stake; whose present and eternal happiness or misery depends upon our good or bad management of them; and, if we lose them, we lose our all, and shall have no possibility of recovering them.

What? Is not the comfortable satisfaction which flows from an honest and good heart preferable to the stings of a wounded spirit, the inseperable companion of vice and wickedness?