ip SERMONS typo» Serm.í5, a. To try us. Were it not for the worldly State, there would be no place for Temptation, nor room for the Exercife of Grace. He will not glorify us as foon as convert us; neither can we expe&ato go finging to Heaven, and without Blows : lieb. 6. r 2. Be ye Followers of them, who through Faith and Patience have inherited the Promifes. Never any went to Heaven, but there was a time to exercice both his Faith and Patience; we are to run and fight; this is common mall the Saints. In the way to Heaven many, things will befall us, that will make itfeem unlikely that we (hall ever come thither, fo we have need of Faith; and Troubles muff have their turn, 'ere Heaven be poffeffed, fo we have need.of Patience : Why ( hould we look for a pecu- liar Priviledg ? 1 Pet.5 9. The fame Afflipiona are accomplifhed in your Brethren that are in the World. All the Saints are troubled with a bully Devil, a naughty World,, and a corrupt Heart : Name but one Saint of God that bath been excufed, that went to Heaven without Trials and Temptations; that quiet Elate, which you dream of is without Precedent. The Croft is the Badg of this Society : as El jah raid,. Am I Geller than my Fathers b You are not better than all the Saints, than your other Brethren that are in the World. You fhould be afhamed to be alone, and never called out to exercice. There is a meafure of Sufferings appointed, and every Member mull take his [hare : It is difributed by a wife Hand, fo much for the Head, fo much for the Shoul- ders, fo much for Hands and Feet. Col. 1. 24. 1$'hó now rejoice in my Sufferings for Jon, and fill up that which is behind of the Affliilioss of Chrift in my F1efh. Would we only be irregular, and refufe Fo take our burden ? Briefly, there would be no Temp- tation, no Trial, were it not for the worldly Efate, but here we mull look for ir. The Skill of a' Mariner is known in a Storm, and fo is our Fortitude and other Graces tried and difcovered. I have read in the Lives of the Fathers, of a devout Man, that being one Year without any Trial, cried out Domine, re/iquifti me, quia non me v tafii hoc annoy Lord I thou half forgotten me, and for a whole Tear haft not put me upon any Exercife. Thofe whom God will make moil perfe&, he puttith them upon the greateft Trials. Aireham had never been reprefented as the Fat}.er of the Faithful, if he had not been exercifed fo much, with fo many Hazards and Temp- tations. 3. To convince die World by their Example, their Stri &nefs, Patience; Fortitude. They are in the World, but not of the World. If a Chrifian were not a Member of the World, he would never be the Wonder of the World. They have Flefh and Blood as others have, and have not divefed themfelves of the Affe &ions and Interefs of Nature; the fame Bodies, the fame Interefs; yet they can deny all, and upon the convenient Reafons of Religion abhor the Pleafures, and dear Contentments of this Life, and become weaned, mortified, fri&, holy, and this, raifeth the World's Won- der; r Pet. 4. 4. They think it ftrange, that you run not with them to all Excefs of Riot, JPeaking evil of you. They are fo bewitched with thefe things, that they wonder how any can refill the Temptation. Godly Men are to walk up and down the World as God's Witneffes 5 Te are my Witnels faith the Lord; lfa. 43. i t. They teffify, that there is a Reality in.Religion, and how it worketh by the Stribtnefs and Mortification of their Lives. They are to be Examples to the World ; a Cor. 3., 3. Ti are the Ep j?le of Chriff, miniffred by us, written not with Ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in Tab /es of Stone, but in Flejhly .Tables of the Heart: By your Lives God Wtiteth his Mind to the World ; you are a living Rule, a walking Bible. 4. To fit them for Glory. We do not commence per faltum: Veffels of Honour muff be feafoned ; Col. 1. la. Who bath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. What ( hould an unmortified Man do in Heaven ? Heaven would be a Prifon to him; the Company of God, and the Communion of Saints a Burden. We do not come.into God's Pretence hot and reeking from our Lulls; we are firft fet in the Garden of the Church, before we are tranfplanted to the upper Paradife they grow a while in the Land of Grace, that they may take kindly with the Soil. (r.) Partly to weaken our Defires to the World. The Stones were to be hewed and fquared, before they were to be let in the Temple; there was no noire of Ax or Hammer heard there: So during our Worldly State we are humbled with many . Afili &ions, that we may be weaned by Degrees from the World, and worldly Obje&s; Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that 1 fhould glory, fave in the Croft of Jefus aril}, by whom the World is crucified to me, and 1 unto the World. The World doth not fuit with 'the Saints, as Children are weaned from the Teat by Wormwood.: When Men are pleafed in the World, they forget their Country. We fir Liquors and Syrups that are over the
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