who goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; his approaches are fly and imperceptible; he is bufy about us, when we think not of him. We are doing his work and confenting to his fuggeftions, when we only fuppofe ourselves to be gratifying an unreasonable appetite, to please a companion, or falfe friend. On all these accounts then, it behoves us to pray in good earneft, that we may not be led into Temptation, but delivered from Evil; and this brings me to obferve, laftly, what qualifications are neceffary to make us fincere in praying to be delivered from Temptation. And these are, to have a modest and humble opinion of ourselves, to be fenfible of the dangers, difficulties, and our own inability to prevail against them, without the special grace of God. We must also have a firm belief and trust in the grace and providence of God, acknowledging ledging that he governs and over-rules all things; that the courfe of this world is not merely conducted by natural caufes, and the free-will of man; but that God always can, and sometimes does interpofe, to alter the course of nature, and the inclinations of free agents, for the benefit of the good, and the punishment of the wicked. Lastly, we must be moft willing and defirous to keep innocence, and to do the thing that is right; otherwife we do not, in good earnest, defire the concurrence of God's providence and grace to this purpose. And this our fincerity we fhould exprefs by a general care of doing all we can to contribute towards it; more particularly in not encouraging evil thoughts and imaginations, which tend to corrupt our wills and affections, and to make them break out into practice. He that plays with wanton, ambitious, ambitious, or covetous fancies, is acting for the Devil against himself. To be often thinking on the riches and advantages of another, is the beginning of envy. We are therefore to watch and pray, that we enter not into Temptation, and the man who will not watch over himself, is not fit to pray that God would watch over him. We must also be careful to avoid all Temptation to fin as much as poffible, and every thing that will make our duty difficult. If we do not ourselves carefully avoid Temptation, how can we defire God to keep us from it. Every man fhould confider in what inftances he is moft likely to be tempted. This, upon an examination of our past actions we may eafily find. For if we are ignorant of our own temper, yet we may easily know what our practice has been, and from thence learn what thofe temptations temptations and occafions of fin are, which we should principally fhun. To reflect on our past converfation, cannot indeed undo what has happened, but it may prevent the like for the future, by rendering us more cautious and vigilant. And he who doth not seriously endeavour to know his greatest danger, and how to avoid it, speaks words at random, when he defires God to deliver him from Temptation. To conclude; in all the prayers we offer to God for any bleffing or good thing in behalf of ourselves or others, it is thereby implied that we promise God to contribute all that we can towards their being effected; and therefore, if we do not perform what we fo promife, our prayer is no better than that of a hypocrite; whereas, if we do, we may rest affured, that God will not fuffer us to be tempted above that we are able |