'The fure Trial of Vprighwe(s. tamely yield to their Tyranny ; for feeing them clad in Armour which their Spears could not pierce, they fanctcd tl~em to be ~he Cluldren of rhe ~un, mvulncrable and unmortal. Buc an Indian carrymg a Spamard over a River, rcfolvcd to try whether he were mortal, and plung'd him under Water fo long till he was drown'd. From that Experiment they rook courage, and refolv'd to kill their Enemies who were capable of dying, - and recover their dear Liberty loft by fo foohfi1 a Conceit. Thus Men will lang111ili 111 ;n~~~~~~:~~~~vit~~:; :~~~~~Itsf:l~;~;!:~r~u~~d 0£fat~c~1~r~l~ ~~~l~ ~~~~~~~~~z~~~~~;t1:Jt ~o~~ pcrfuades a~~ Courage cxecuces. Now we have an Army of Conqucro~s to enc.our~ge us in the Spmtual War with the Fldh, the '~'odd, and Satan, Enemies 111 combmatwn againil us. How many Saints have prcfcrv'd rhcmfelvcs unfpon:cd from the mofr alluring Temptations? They were. not Statues, without fenfible Facul.ues, but ordered rhem according to the Rule of Lt fe; they were not withom a conflH2: of Carnal Pailions, bur by the Holy Spirit fubdued them: And though fome obtain'd a clearer Victory than others, yet all were victorio11 s by Divine Grace. The Examples of fo many Holy and Heavenly Men, prove as clearly and convincingly, that the flrongefl L11fls may be fubducd, as the walking of Diogenes dcmonfl:rared there was progrclltvc Motion againfl: the Sophiflical Argt~ments of Z<no. I can do all things, faitb tbe Apof/le, through Cbrifl tbat jlrengthens me. To Omnipoten~ Grace aH tlungs arc ealie. Our Sav10ur fpeaking of the exrrcam. Difficulty of a Rtch Man's Salvation; lbat 'tis as eajie for a Camel to go ~;,~i~h~~~g;{:s o~;e ~~~~It~ t~Za~i;: f:n;:;;,;n;:r ;:,:, t:;e !offiife 0~o0fG~~~v~~ ~~~~ £1nCbfie a Ri ch Man, that Ius Humility 1hall be as low, as his Efl:arc is rats'd above others; that his Affection {hall be Heavenly in the Affluence of the World; that trufl in God !hall be his dearcfr Treafurc. Divine Grace is a fitre Fountain of A!Iifl:ancc to all that fincerely feek it. 'Tis the Promife of God, Epbraim foal! Jay, Wbat bave I to do any more with Idols? The Idols that charm'd their Imaginations, iliould be rejected ~~~~s t~J' ~~~~:~ean~:fpe?.~; ~~?e~ui~~~~·~bl~1~/~~:,~~~;c~;~~%~s ~h~:~J!~~~yo~i~I~~ Efficacy of Divine Grace in curing the mofl: inveterate Habits of Sin. There are recorded fome eminent Infl:anccs of the Power of Grace in changing the Nature of Men. Nicodemus came to oui- Saviour conccal'd, at firfl: by Night, as. bei(lg afham'd or afraid of Obfcrvation ~n the D_ay: But when he was born ag,~in by the renO'Uation of ~he Spirit, What an admuable change was wrought in him ? Wlth a holy heat of Affectwn he defended our Saviour when a~ive , in the prefence of the Pharifees, his unrighreous and itnplacable Enemies: He brought eoflly Preparations for hi s Funeral when dead : And thcf e ~;;:~ ~~~~~dt~:l~~c~~to;};! ~al]dis a~; r;,~~~~.ed ~S~~Jfii: ~it~~~~su~:~~~~~~bfe":t~~~ J~~~ i9.' ~7 . fear, yet even the Apoflles did not exprcls fuch Fidelity and Fervency for the Honour ~1St~~i~ ra:~c~~ucf~~~;~;,n.~a~~~~::y0!J~~r~;;~~~ ~~}:t6flf~et!leb~l~~;~~ pf~~~~~~e;a~~ and fofmed hi s Heart, that be took tbem tbe fame Hour of the Night, and JVajhed their Stripes, Acts 16. B· A vifible and fudd en effect of the Spirit of Lqvc and Power, and o~ a found Mind. 'Tis recorded of many who ufcd curious Arts, they brought their ma- Aas J9 . , 9 , g,~cal Books, though counted worth fifty :houfand pieces of Silver, and bu~nt !hem .- So migb- "0 • tdy greJV tbe Word of God, andprroazl"d. How inft1perable foeve r Sm IS to naked Nature! it may be fubdued by Grace. St. John gives an honourable Teflimony of the C!~nt1ians to whom h~ wrote : My little Cbildren, ye are of God, ~nd htroe 07,1ercome the evd One: For the Spirit that is in you is greater than tbat which zs in the World. The ~h;lflf!~~i:s i}u;~~io~nl{o ~r::t~~i;nS~~i~:cl~i:~~a~llt?,~sT;~!~~e~f ~~till~r~":~i~a,;~;.,i~ Temptations which the World affords in his War againfl our Souls. Satan takes advan- ~age, not only from our Security, butOtlrPulillanimity: We are thc'refore commanded to TerribiJis re[tjl the Devil, and he will flee from us. What is obferved of the Crocodile, is applicacontra f~gaces ~~~:t~t~~~e~~e;~r~~fth~feo:h~a;;:t:~~~h~l :~ ~:fiAb\~i;;!~~:r~~~~~~- upon the faint- ~:~.~~~::;[~ eft ~o~;~~:~o:!:rif'~~ll t~ei~a\"w~e~i~~~,;~~~ ~fptl~~~~~~~u~0;J~;t~~~~~i:~~~~~g~~i,:~d Anger and Lufl, that are the mofl rebellious Pailions again{\ the Empire of the Mind, Socrates by natural Temper was Cholerick, yet he had fo far reduc'd his Pailions under the ~ommand of R~afon, that upon any violenr Provocation, his Counreriance was more J?lacJd and calm, Ius Voice more temperate, and his Words more obliging : Thus by' Wlfe Counfel and Circumfpection, he obtain'd a happy Victory over himfe!f. Eee• The
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