advantages, should so far out-strip us in meekness and patience.

6. Avoid all irritating occasions.

He who will not hear the clapper, must not pull the rope. "Grievous words stir up anger," says Solomon, Prov. xvi. 1. Do not only pray and resolve against it, but get as far as you can out of the way of anger. It is true spiritual valor, to run as fast and as far as we can out of sin's way. If you can but avoid anger in its first rise, there is no great fear of it afterwards; for it is not with this sin as it is with other sins; other sins grow to their full strength by degrees, their first motions are the weakest; but this sin is born in its full strength, it is strongest at first. Withstand it then, and it falls before you. Thus learn to keep your hearts when provocations arise.

SECTION IX.-A Season of Temptation.

The ninth season of exerting our greatest diligence, is the critical hour of temptation, wherein Satan lays close siege to the fort-royal of a Christian's heart, and often surprises it for want of watchfulness. To keep the heart now is no less a mercy than a duty. Few Christians are so well skilled in detecting the fallacies, and retorting the arguments by which Satan is accustomed to draw them to sin, as to come off safe in those encounters. "Watch and pray," says our Lord, "lest ye enter into temptation," Mark xiv. 38. Even an eminent David and a wise Solomon have smarted for their carelessness at such a time as this.

The ninth case therefore shall be this-How a Christian, when strongly solicited by the devil to sin, may keep his heart from yielding to the temptation.

Now there are six special arguments by which Satan subtilly insinuates and winds in the temptation; in all which I shall offer thee some help for the keeping of thy heart; and the first is this

1. The first argument is drawn from the pleasure of sin. "O," says Satan, "here is pleasure to be enjoyed.

The temptation comes with a smiling countenance, and charming voice. What, art thou so phlegmatic and dull a soul, as not to feel the powerful charms of pleasure? Who can withhold himself from such delights?"

Now thine heart may be kept from the danger of this temptation, by retorting this argument of pleasure upon the tempter; which is done two ways—

First; Thou tellest me, Satan, that sin is pleasant; be it so: but are the gripes of conscience, and the flames of hell pleasant too? Is it pleasant to feel the wounds and throbs of conscience? If so, why did Peter weep so bitterly? Why did David cry out of broken bones? I hear what thou sayest of the pleasure of sin, and I have read what David has said of the terrible effects of sin in his psalm to bring to remembrance, Psal. xxxviii, "Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin: for mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden; they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink, and are corrupt, because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long. My loins are filled with a loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken, I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart." Here I see the true face of sin. yield to thy temptation, I must either feel these pangs of conscience, or the flames of hell.

If I

Secondly; What talkest thou of the pleasure of sin, when, by experience, I know there is more true pleasure in the mortification, than there can be in the commission, of sin? O how sweet is it to please God, to obey conscience, to preserve inward peace! To be able to say, in this trial, I have discovered the sincerity of my heart; now I know I fear the Lord; now I see that I truly hate sin. Has sin any such delight as this?

2. The second argument is drawn from the secresy of sin. "O," says Satan," this sin will never disgrace thee abroad; none shall know it."

This argument may be retorted, and the heart secured

thus. Thou sayest, none shall know it; but, Satan, canst thou find a place void of the divine presence for me to sin in? Thus Job secured his heart from this temptation; "Doth he not see my ways, and count all my steps?" Job xiii. 4. Therefore he makes a covenant with his eyes. After the same manner Solomon teaches us to retort this temptation; "And why, my son, wilt thou be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings," Prov. v. 20, 21. What, if I hide it from the eyes of all the world for the present? I cannot hide it from God; and the time is at hand, when all the world shall know it too; for the word assures me, that what is now done in secret, shall be proclaimed as upon the house top. Besides, is not my conscience as a thousand witnesses? Do I owe no reverence to myself? Could the heathen man say, "When thou art tempted to commit sin, fear thyself without any other witness;" and shall not I be afraid to sin before mine own conscience, which always has a reproof in its mouth, or a pen in its hand, to record my most secret actions?

3. The third argument by which Satan tempts to sin is taken from the gain and profit arising out of it. "Why so nice and scrupulous? It is but to stretch the conscience a little, and thou mayest greatly benefit thyself. Now is thy opportunity."

The heart may be kept from falling into this dangerous snare by retorting the temptation thus. But what a profit will it be, if a man "should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Shall I hazard thee for all the good that is in this world? There is an immortal spirit dwelling in this earthly tabernacle, of more value than all earthly things, which must live to all eternity when this world shall lie in ashes; a soul for which Jesus Christ shed his precious and invaluable blood. I was sent into this world to provide for this soul. God has indeed committed to me the care of my body also, but with this difference a master commits two things to a servant; the

child, and the child's clothes; will the master thank the servant, if he plead, I have kept the clothes, but I have neglected the life of the child?

4. The fourth argument is drawn from the smallness of the sin. "It is but a little one, a small matter, a trifle. Who would stand upon such niceties ?"

This argument may be retorted three ways-But is the majesty of heaven a little one too? If I commit this sin, I must offend and wrong a great God, Isa. xl. 15, 22.— Is there any little hell to torment little sinners in? Are not the least sinners there filled with the fulness of wrath? O there is great wrath treasured up for such as the world counts little sinners! The less the sin, the less the inducement to commit it. What, shall I break with God for a trifle? destroy my peace, wound my conscience, grieve the spirit, and all this for nothing? O what madness is this!

5. A fifth argument is drawn from the grace of God, and hopes of pardon. "Come, God will pass by this as an infirmity; he will not be extreme to mark it."

30,

But stay, my heart. Where do I find a promise of mercy to presumptuous sinners? Indeed for involuntary surprisal, unavoidable and lamented infirmities, there is a pardon of course; but where is the promise to a daring sinner who sins upon presumption of pardon? Pause a while, my soul, upon that scripture, Numb. xv. 27, "And if a soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she-goat of the first year for a sin-offering; but the soul that doth ought presumptuously, the same reproacheth the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Besides, if God be a God of so much mercy, how can I abuse so good a God? Shall I take so glorious an attribute as the mercy of God is, and abuse it unto sin? Shall I wrong him because he is good? Or should not rather the goodness of God lead me to repentance? Rom. ii. 4. "There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared," Psal. cxxx. 4.

6. Sometimes Satan encourages to sin from the examples of good and holy men. Thus and thus they have sinned and been restored, therefore this may consist with grace, and thou be saved nevertheless." No. XVIII.

Div.

H

The danger of this temptation is avoided and the heart secured, by retorting the argument these three waysThough good men may commit the same sin which I am tempted to, yet did ever any good man venture to sin upon such a ground and encouragement as this?—Did God record these examples for my imitation or for my warning? Are they not set up as sea-marks, that I might avoid the rocks upon which they split? "Now these were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted," 1 Cor. x. 6. Am I willing to feel what they felt for sin? O, I dare not follow them in the ways of sin, lest God should plunge me into those depths of horror, into which he cast them! Thus learn to keep your hearts in the hour of tempta, tion.

SECTION X.-A Season of Spiritual Darkness.

The tenth special season to keep the heart with all diligence, is the time of spiritual darkness and doubting, when it is with the soul as it was with Paul in his dangerous voyage, neither sun, nor moon, nor star appearing for many days; when by reason of the hidings of God's face, the prevalency of corruption, and the inevidence of grace, the soul is even ready to give up all its hopes and comforts for lost, to draw sad and desperate conclusions against itself, to call its former comforts vain delusions, its grace hypocrisy ; when the serene and clear heavens are overcast with dark clouds, yea, filled with thunders and horrible tempests; when the poor pensive soul sits down and weeps forth this sad lamentation, "My hope is perished from the Lord." Now to keep the heart from sinking in such a day as this, to enable it to maintain its own sincerity, is a matter of great difficulty,

The tenth case then will be this-How the people of God, in dark and doubting seasons, may keep their hearts from entertaining such sad conclusions about their estates, as destroy their peace and unfit them for their duty.

There are two general heads to which the grounds of doubting our sincerity may be reduced-God's carriage towards the soul, either in the time of some extraordinary