The Nature, Dange~, and Cure btrtnt Grace~ this Temptation, this Tbms in the Flefh only made him more w~tc~1ful, and more _indufiri?us againfl: it: Bu~ if Go~ fhoulcl have fufpended rh1shis lnft ue nce, th1s Thorn 1n the Fldlt would Immediately, nonvirhftanding crll his Gri!Ce, fadly have wounded hisConfcience_, by the Commiffionof fame great nnd foul Sin. Now, as all manner of Sin lies couch'd in that Body ofSin that we bear ahour with us; fo all manner of Grace lies couch1d in that Pri 11ciplt ~(Grace r~at God implants in his ':wn C~!ldren. Now wh~n the Devil by his 1 c~1pcanons calls fort h fame pa~ttcular ~m, G?d al~o at the fame time by his exc1tmg Grace calls forth a parucular Grace, to hu1der the COJ'nmiffion of that Sin. Thus when they are tempted to Pride, God calls fonh Humility to prick that fwelling, puffing Bladder; when they are tempted tQ Wrath and Pafiion, he ll:irs up MeeknelS; when to Murmuring and Repining againft the Difpenfations of God, he puts Patience upon its perfett Work. Briefly there is no Sin wharevcr that the DC.vil can by his Temptation fiir up in th~ Heart, but God alfo can fiir up a contrary Grace to it, tO quell and maficr ir. This is rhc Method of God's exciting Gri7ce in rhe prcvcnti'ng of Sin, that when the Devil ea \Is forth a particular Corruption out of the Stock of Corruption God calls forth a particular Grace, .contrary to it, from the Stock of Grace~ But yet there arc fame particular Graces tliar ar:e more efpeci ally, cmploy'd a hour this Service, and which God doth mofi frequently exerci!e and fer on work w keep his Children from the Commiflion of Sin. Firfi, 1God hinder! the Commi./Jzon of Sin, by ktcJ!!ng .up thelivrly and vigoro(u .AEf. i-ng1 ofFaith. Indeed, if Faith fail, all other Graces muft fail by confequcnce. Fajrh is the Soul's Steward, that fetches in Supplies of Gr:tcc from Chrifi, in whom is the Trcafureof it; and diftributesthem to all the or her Graces of the Soul: Therefore, when Chrifi tells Sr. Peter, Satan had Jtji,·e,/ to jift him by his Temptations, left he lhould be thereby .difcouraged and dejected, prefently he adds, in v. ;z. Bull have prayed for thie, that tby faitb {nil not: And wherefore his Faith, rather than any other Grace? But becaufe other Graces muft ra-ke their Lot with Faith, and muft be ftrong or weak, vi£torious or languiflting as Faith is; and therefore it is called theShielJq{Ft~itb, Ephef 6. 6, Now rh; Office of a ShieU is to defend not only the Body-> but the reft of the Armour a'l10.s and fo dorh Faith, when "it is deXteroully managed, it keeps both the Soul, .and its Gra.ces alfo, from the Attempts of the Devil. I might be large her~_,iO.Jhewing you how Fairh preferves from Siri; as, by deriving Vercue and Strength from the Death and Blood ofChrift, by pleading God's Engagemcn;s and J?romifes tO tretul Satan under Our feet; by urging and importuning Chrift to fulfil in us the End of his coming into the World, \Vhioh was to dcfi:roy rhe \Vorks oft he Devil · ; and many fuch '\Vrtys I might name, by \Vhich Faith preventS Sin,and deftroys ft; butwavi,ng.then:t,I fhallonly mention two Particulars, wheniin this Energy of Faith in kee,pingMenfrom ~in is the mo.fl: confpicuoos. :Fir!l, Faith prefrrvet from Sin, by bringing in, antl prt[tnting to ihe .Soul eternal Rt1varJs and Puniflmte'lts; and that'S· the pecu"liarOftice off ~irh . Thefe indeed are future unto SenJC, but they are prefent untO Faith; for Faith U the fub. · JUmce .of things not {et:n, Heb. 1 I. r ~--:Hr gives them 'a Being befo're they arc, and what we hope for, or fear, as to Come, by Faith it is enjoy'd, ' or felt, :is already prcfe.nt. Why now, what a. 1mighry Adyantagc is this to prefelWe 1v1eri from finning? \Vould Sinners .treat wit!Mthe Devil, ·or bcarken to a W6mptation, if they fii0uld now fe~ the whole Wordd on flame:, Angels hafi.. .nino-" thcim r6 Judgment_, and Chri{\: upon his 'r:hrone; here Heaven, ro receive and;'c::rown them; there Hell, with' all its Hortois, to rormerit them; \VouHl any of you dare ro fin if all this'were before your .Eyes? Why, believe it, when Fairh acts lively, all this is as truly prefent to the ~oul, as it is ccrrain it fhall ..ohce be· ; and therefore no more.rhan we would commir a Sin if S~mence were now palling upoJl us., either of Abfolution, or of eternal f>amnacion at theJudghtent-Seat of God, no more 1hall we fin while Faith fcts rhefc things evidently before our Eyes, and makes them as .real..to us asrhey are fure. Second1y, Faith preferves from jinning, by repr.ejeJJting tbt~t f:!od, who mt~J! hereaftn·beour Judge, to be now our Spe(lator and Obforver. le ts only an Eye of Faith that can difcover things future as prefenr, an~ things fpirirual a5 real. Why now, God he is a fpir-itual Being, :md thcr.etorc is invifible ro ~~~~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=