SERM. though all men fhould forfake the GoD of Ifrael, and LX. run aside to other gods, yet he would not do it, Joshua xxiv. 15. "If it seem evil unto you to ferve "the LORD; chufe you this day whom you will "serve but as for me and my house, we will ferve "the LORD." It was well refolved of Peter, if he had not been too confident of his own ftrength, when he said to our SAVIOUR, "though all men "forfake thee, yet will not I."

2. Another fort of temptation, and which is commonly more powerful than example, is worldly interest and advantage. This is a mighty bait to a great part of mankind, and apt to work very strongly upon the neceffities of fome, and upon the covetoufnefs and ambition of others. Some men are tempted by neceffity, which many times makes them do ugly and reproachful things, and like Efau, “for "a morfel of meat to fell their birth-right, and

bleffing." Covetoufnefs tempts others to be of that religion which gives them the prospect of the greatest earthly advantage, either for the increasing or fecuring of their estates. When they find that they "cannot ferve God and Mammon;" they will "forfake the one, and cleave to the other." This was one of the great temptations to many in the primitive times, and a frequent cause of apoftafy from the faith; an eager defire of riches, and too great a value for them; as St. Paul obferves, 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. "But they that will be rich, fall into

temptation and a fnare, and into many foolish "and hurtful lufts, which drown men in destruction "and perdition. For the love of money is the root "of all evil; which while fome have coveted after, "they have erred, or been feduced from the faith, "and pierced themselves through with many for

❝rows,"

LX.

rows." This was the temptation which drew off SERM. Demas from his religion; as St. Paul tells us, 2 Tim.

iv. 10.

"Demas hath forfaken me, having loved

"this present world."

Ambition is likewife a great temptation to proud and aspiring minds, and makes many men false to their religion, when they find it a hindrance to their preferment; and they are easily perfuaded, that that is the best religion, which is attended with the greatest worldly advantages, and will raise them to the highest dignity. The devil understood very well the force of this temptation, when he fet upon our SAVIOUR, and therefore referved it for the laft affault. "He "fhewed him all the kingdoms of the earth, and "the glory of them; and said to him, all this will "I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship "me." And when he faw this would not prevail, he gave him over in despair, and left him. But though this be a very dazzling temptation; yet there are confiderations of that weight to be fet over against it, from the nature of religion, and the infinite concernment of it to our immortal fouls, as is fufficient to quench this fiery dart of the devil, and to put all the temptations of this world out of countenance, and to render all the riches and glory of it, in comparison of the eternal happiness and misery of the other world, but as the very small duft upon the balance. What temptation of this world can stand against that argument of our SAVIOUR, if it be feriously weighed and confidered; "what is a man "profited, if he gain the whole world, and lofe "his own foul?" or what fhall a man give in ex"change for his foul? If he would confider things impartially, and weigh them in a juft and equal balance; the things which concern our bodies, and

this

LX.

SERM. this prefent life, are of no confideration, in compa rison of the great and vaft concernments of our immortal fouls, and the happy or miserable condition of our bodies and fouls to all eternity.

And religion is a matter of this vaft concernment; and therefore not to be bargained away and parted with by us for the greateft things this world can offer. There is no greater fign of a fordid spirit, than to put a high value upon things of little worth; and no greater mark of folly, than to make an equal bargain, to part with things of greatest price, for a flender and trifling confideration: as if a man of great fortune and estate, fhould fell the inheritance of it for a picture; which when he hath it, will not perhaps yield fo much as will maintain him for one year. The folly is fo much the greater in things of infinitely greater value; as for a man to quit Go and religion, to fell the truth and his foul, and to part with his everlasting inheritance, for a convenient service for a good customer, and fome prefent advantage in his trade and profeffion, or indeed for any condition which the foolish language of this world calls a high piace, or a great preferment. The things which these men part with upon thefe cheap terms, GOD, and his truth, and religion, are to those who understand themfelves, and the juft value of their immortal fouls, things of ineftimable worth, and not to be parted with by a confiderate man for any price that this world can bid. And thofe who are to be bought out of their religion, upon fuch low terms, and fo eafily parted from it, it is much to be feared that they have little or no religion to hold faft.

Secondly, "As we are to hold faft the profeffion "of our faith without wavering," against the temp

tations

tations and allurements of this world; fo likewife SERM. against the terrors of it.

Fear is a paffion of great force; and if men be not very refolute and conftant, will be apt to ftagger them, and "to move them from their ftedfaft"nefs." And therefore when the cafe of fuffering and perfecution for the truth happens, we had need "to hold faft the profeffion of our faith." Our SAVIOUR in the parable of the fower tells us, that there were many "that heard the word, and with "joy received it: but when perfecution and tribu"lation arose because of the word, presently they 66 were offended.”

And though, bleffed be GoD, this be not now our cafe yet there was a time when it was the general cafe of Chriftians, in the first beginning of Christianity, and for several ages after, though with fome intermiffion and intervals of eafe. It was then a general rule, and the common expectation of Christians that through many tribulations they must enter into the kingdom of GOD; and that if any man will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, he muft fuffer perfecution. And in feveral ages fince thofe primitive times, the fincere profeffors of religion have, in divers places, been expofed to moft grievous fufferings and perfecutions for the truth. And even at this day, in feveral places, the faithful fervants of GoD are exercised with the sharpest and forest trials that perhaps were ever heard of in any age; and for the fake of GOD, and the conftant profeffion of his true religion," are tormented and "killed all the day long, and are accounted as fheep for the flaughter." It is their hard lot to be called to these cruel and bitter fufferings; and our happy opportunity to be called upon for their VOL. V. C relief;

LX.

SERM. relief; those of them, I mean, that have escaped LX. that terrible storm and tempeft, and have taken

refuge and fanctuary here among us, and out of his majesty's great humanity and goodness, are by his publick letters recommended to the charity of the whole nation, by the name of diftreffed proteftants.

Let us confider how much eafier our lot and our duty is, than theirs; as much as it is easier to compaffionate the fufferings, and to relieve the diftreffes of others, than to be fuch fufferers, and in fuch diftrefs our felves. Let us make their cafe our own; and then we our felves will be the beft judges, how it is fit for us to demean our felves towards them, and to what degree we ought to extend our charity and compaffion to them. Let us put on their cafe and circumstances; and fuppofe that we were the fufferers, and had fled to them for refuge: the fame pity and commiferation, the fame tender regard and confideration of our fad cafe, the fame liberal and effectual relief that we fhould defire and expect, and be glad to have fhewn and afforded to our felves, let us give to them; and then I am fure they will want no fitting comfort and fupport from us.

"

We enjoy (bleffed be the goodness of GOD to us) great peace and plenty, and freedom from evil and fuffering and furely one of the beft means, to have these bleffings continued to us, and our tranquillity prolonged, is, to confider and relieve those who want the bleffings which we enjoy; and the readieft way to provoke God to deprive us of these bleffings, is, to fhut up the bowels of our compaffion from our diftreffed brethren. GoD can eafily change the scene, and make our fufferings, if not in the fame kind, yet in one kind or other equal

to