Serm. LXII. but upon themfelves. 445 what the Grace of God puts into our power, is as truly in our power, as what wecan doour felves. God offers his Grace to every Man under the Gofpe!, for he has promifed to give his Holy Spirit to them that as him, and it is na- turally in every Man's power to ask it, otherwife the Promife lignifies no- thing; for if no Man can ask the Spirit of God, till he firft have it, then to promife it to them that ask it, is to promife it to themwho have it already, and then 'tisneedlefs to ask it. And if God offer his Grace to every Man, then 'tis every Man's fault if he have it not ; and every Man that hath it, may by the or- dinary affiftance of that Grace, refill any ordinary temptation. And ifat any time God fullers good Men to be aflaulted, he bath promifed in fuch Cafes an Ex- traordinary Graceand affiftance : and that either he will not fisffer ui to be tempted above whatwe are able, or, that with the temptation he willfind away to efcape, that we may be able to bear it. And thus I have done with the Second thing I propounded to fpeak to from thefe words, That every Man it his own greate[1 tempter. Every Man is tempted, when he is drawn afide of his own lull and enticed. And now theproper Inferences from what I have been all this while Difcourfing to you, are thefe three. Firfi, Not to think to excufeour felves, by laying theblame of our Sins upon the temptationof the Devil. That the Devil tempts us is not our fault, becaufe we cannot help it ; but it isour voluntary compliance with his temptations, out confenting to that evil which he folicits us to, which maketh us guilty. Every Man is tempted, when he is drawn afide of his own Left ; the Lulls of our own hearts give the efficacy to the temptations ofthe Devil : Men many timesSin upooi the motions and fuggeflions ofthe Devil : but tho' he be guilty of tempting us, we are guilty of confenting tohis temptations. Many times we are not lure that the Devil tempts us to fuch a Sin, but we are Cure that we commit it, and confequently that we are guilty of it. Nay it is certain, if there were no Devil, many would be wicked, and perhaps not much lefs wicked than they are. The Lofts and vicious inclinations of Men, would yield to the temptations of the World, tho' there were none tomanage them, and to let themon to the greateft advantage ; fo that we cannot excufe our faults upon this account, that we are tempted by the Devil. If this were a fuf- ficient excufe for us, the Devil would take no pleafure intempting us ; the whole defignof his temptation being to make us guilty, and by theguilt of Sin to make us milerable. Secondly, From hence we learn what reafon we have to pray to God, that he would not lead us into temptation, i. e. not permit us to fall into it ; for in the PhrafeofScripture, God is many times laid to do thofe things, which his Provi- dence permits to be done. The bell of us have Come remainders of Lull, Tome irregulardelires and appetites, which will be apt to betray us to Sin, whenpow- erful temptations are prefented tous ; fo that it is a great happinefs to the bell of Men, to be kept by the Providence of God outof the way of violent temptati- ons ; for our own ftrength to refill them is but fmall, and we are apt to be fe- cure, and to negleFt our guard ; we are eafie to befurprized, and in continual danger through our own weaknefs orcarelefnefs. Our greateft fecurity is, if we befincere, and heartily defirous to do well, and firmly refolved againft Sin, and do depend upon God for his Grace and of&Rance, that his Providence will not fuller us to fall into the hands ofdangerous and violent temptations, which pro- bably would be too hard for us; he who knows what our ftrength is, will not fifer us to be tempted, above what we are able. Thirdly, From hence we may learn the belt way to difarm Temptations, and to take away the power of them, and that is by mortifying our Lulls, and fub-, doing our vicious Inclinations. When this is done, (which by the Grace of God may bedone) Temptation bath loft its greater advantage upon us. 'Tis the Confpiracy of our Lulls, with the Temptations that let upon us, that be- trays us into their power. The trueR.eafon why Men fall into Sin, is not be- caufe they are tempted, but becaufe there is fomething within them, which in- clines and dilpofes them to comply with the Temptation, and to yield to it. It
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