who are not wanting to themselves; and though he suffers all to be tempted, yet it is with this Restriction upon the Tempter, that he tempt them not above what they are able to bear. The Inftruction which I propofe to you. from this Confideration is this, That whenever you are fo unhappy as to offend, you do not try to palliate and excuse your Offences, and charge God foolishly as if he had been wanting to your Affiftance; but that you rather confider your own Iniquity as your own, and instead of excufing your Sins, and administring thereby a false Comfort to your Soul, you labour through a timely Repentance to correct and amend what is amifs, and endeavour to regain the true Peace of Mind, by reconciling yourselves to God, and by a speedy and refolute Return to your Duty,

In a Word, it is no Man's Fault that he is tempted, it is the Condition of our fpiritual Warfare; it is the Combat to which God calls us for the Proof and Trial of our Virtue. Then only are we guilty, when we give Way to Temptations, and forfake God to follow the

Pleafures

Pleasures or the Gains of Wickednefs, And whenever this is the Cafe, there is but one Remedy, Repentance through Faith in Chrift Jefus, which will never be refufed when it comes from a fincere Heart, touched with a lively Senfe of God's Goodnefs and its own Unworthiness.

L 3 DISCOURSE

f

Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of: but the Sorrow of the World worketh Death.

OU have, in the Words of the Text, a Character given you of Religious Sorrow, and the Advantages of it set forth, and illuftrated by a Com

parison between them and the evil Effects of worldly Sorrow. Sorrow in all Cafes arifes from the Conceit of Mifery either prefent or expected. When our Sorrow grows from the Confideration of our fpiritual Condition, from a Senfe of our own Iniquity, and the Pains of a guilty Mind; from the Fear of God's Wrath and L 4 heavy

heavy Judgments denounced against Sinners; which are the proper Objects of Religious Sorrow, and diftinguish it from the Grief of a worldly Mind, which reaches only to the real or fuppofed Evils of this Life: In this Cafe, Sorrow is not only the Confequence of the Evil we fuffer or apprehend, but likewife its very Cure and Remedy. But in worldly Grief, where Men lament the Lofs of Riches and Honours, and vex their Souls with the various Difappointments of Life; which are perpetual Springs of Uneafinefs to all whofe Affections are wedded to the Pleafures and Enjoyment of the World; there Sorrow is a Remedy worfe than the Dif eafe, and adds Weight to our Misfortunes, which, could they be neglected, would not be felt.

It is the Glory of Philofophy to raise Men above the Misfortunes of Life, to teach them to look with Indifference upon the Pleasures of the World, and to fubmit with manly Courage and a steady Mind to thofe Calamities which no Care can prevent, and which no Concern can cure. Such are all the Miferies which

are