always fuccefsful. 213 Chrifiïanity addeth ftrong motives to thofe SE R M. of reafon and the religion of nature. That VIII. defcription which the apoftles give us of the `'V great and awful day of the Lord, they ap- ply, in exhorting us to grow 'in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord 9 fus Chrifl, or in religious wifdom, 2 Pet. iii. 18. The ex- ample of our Saviour is fet before us, who from his earlieft youth increafed in wifdom and favour with God and man, as he grew in ftature, Luke ii. 52. And through the whole courfe of his life, he went about do- ing good. We have enemies of our falva- tion, who are continually laying fnares for us, and going about feeling whom they may devour ; and therefore we fhould be fober and vigilant, feeking wifdom to be defended againft their malicious efforts and their fubtle devices. And, lady, we have the promife of divine afliftance, which is a very great encouragement; if to the dili- gent ufe of all other means we add fervent prayer, our Saviour hath affured us that .God will give hi's Holy Spirit ; and there- fore, if any of you lack wifdom, let him afk of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbrrideth not, and it fhall be given him. 3 S E
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