be greatly if not wholly amended. And, as it sometimes happens that they who have the weakest and most distempered frames, by means of an exact temperance and an unshaken perseverance in rule and method, outlive those of a robuster make and more luxuriant health; so there are abundant instances, where men of the most depraved turn of mind, by keeping a steady guard upon their weak parts, and gradually, but continually, correcting their defects, "going

on from strength to strength," and from one degree of perfection to another, have at length arrived at a higher pitch of virtue than those for whom nature had done much more, and who would therefore do but little for themselves. It is said of the great Athenian philosopher, that he was by nature the very reverse of all those virtues which afterwards shone so conspicuous in his conduct; that he was born one of the worst, and lived and died one of the best of men. This at least is certain, that, whatever may be the corruption of our nature, whatever the power of pain to stagger our virtue, or of pleasure to seduce it, it is impossible we can be so formed,

VOL. I.

F

.

formed, or so situated by a just and good God, as to be under an absolute necessity of transgressing those laws which he has laid down for the regulation of our conduct. We may rest assured that he will give powers, either natural or supernatural, to balance our defects. In the common trials of our virtue, the common efforts of human nature, and the common influences of the Holy Spirit, will be able to support us: 66 if

66

any temptation take us, more than is common to man," God will send us, provided we desire, and endeavour to deserve it, more than common assistance; for his strength is made perfect in our weakness, and we may in this sense, most truly say with the Apostle, " that when we are weak, "then in reality are we strong

We are not, however, to conclude from hence, that God will deliver us out of temptation without any trouble on our part. As without him we can do nothing, so neither will he do any thing without us. His grace is not intended to supersede, but to co

operate with our own most earnest endea

yours:

2 Cor. xii. 10.

vours: and the most effectual method of securing to ourselves the Divine assistance, is to make a speedy and vigorous use of all those means with which we are furnished, for working out our salvation. What these means are, and how we may apply them to the best advantage, will be considered in a separate discourse.

SERMON IV.

JAMES . 13.

LET NO MAN SAY WHEN HE IS TEMPTED, I AM TEMPTED OF GOD; FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED WITH EVIL, NEITHER TEMPTETH HE ANY MAN,

IN

N the preceding discourse I attempted to show, that to throw all the blame of our vices on the infirmity of our natural constitution, is in fact to say that we are "tempted of God;" that this indirect accusation of our Maker is as groundless as it is impious; that the notion of ungovernable passions and irresistible temptations, contradicts our clearest apprehensions of the Divine ature and perfections, the most express declarations of Scripture, the testimony of past ages,