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are every day made of the number of our SER M. Bankrupts, and how men of great dealings X. prove at last insolvent, to the irreparable lofs and damage of their creditors. This may be fometimes the effect of fuch miffortune, as deserves rather to be pitied than infulted. But fometimes, on the other hand, it is the effect of pride or avarice; it is owing to their folly and extravagance, to their neglect or intemperance, or to a criminal ambition of making a figure fuperior to their station in life. They oftentimes feel the wafting of their fubftance, and know themselves to be fupported in their luxury at the expence of others. Or fometimes, it may be, they pretend poverty without reason, and only mean to raise themselves an eftate from the contributions of their creditors. But, how unworthy is this deportment of the Chriftian character? If they would be Chriftians in deed, as well as in name, let them obferve the rules which were laid down to remedy this growing evil; let them seriously confider their bounden duty to render unto all their dues; let them be fober and temperate in their way of living, and confine themselves within the bounds of their eftate, or the usual gain of their profeffion : let them learn to be active and induftrious in their callings, and with fuch a liberal hand bestow their bounty to the poor, that the bleffing of heaven

SERM. may be derived upon their fubftance, and X. that whilst they are careful to discharge

their other debts, they may not be wanting in the payment of that which can never be entirely difcharged, but must for ever continue to oblige them, namely the debt of love and charity; Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.

Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Honour, Glory, and Praife, world without end. Amen.

· SER

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Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

T

HE afflicting difpenfations of Pro- SERM. vidence, which are fent by God as XI. the trials of our faith and virtue, are fitly' confidered and propofed to us under the notion of Temptations. Thefe therefore the Apostle treats of in the beginning of this chapter as matter of a Chriftian's joy and confolation, because they furnish out a noble occafion to increafe and cultivate his virtue; and whilst they give him that endures with conftancy and patience the fatiffactory affurance of his own integrity, they cannot but confirm his profpect of that crown S 4

f .

SERM. of life which the Lord has promised to them XI. that love him.

Thus far the Scriptures will fairly bear us out in afferting God to be the Author of Temptation. He corrects and chastises, he tries and proves, and whilst fome maintain their ground, and are found faithful, there are others difcovered not to have been actuated by principles of true Religion, who therefore must be given up to receive their portion with the Hypocrites.

But from hence a difficulty rifes in the doctrine of Providence, whether they who are by this means drawn into fin, may not have reason to charge it upon God as its firft cause and Author, who is confeffedly the Author of that affliction, which fo vifibly appears to be the ground of their apoftacy.

In answer to this, it may be worth our confidering, that the outward difpenfations of Providence have not any inward or impulfive influence to incline and perfuade either to vice or virtue. They give occafion to manifeft the real bent and inclination of our mind, to fhew forth the improvements we have made in grace, or take off the false colour and difguife of fuch improvement. But this, however an outward Temptation or Teft of our is not, in the other fenfe, any tation or fuggeftion to fin.

integrity, yet inward tempThat is the proper

proper office of the old ferpent called the SERM. Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole XI. world, and is, in fcripture, emphatically called the Tempter, as going about on purpofe to propagate his kingdom of darkness, and feek out whom he may devour.

From hence our Apostle takes occafion to guard against fo wicked and mischievous a confequence, to fhew that our fins, our inward motions to fin, and our falling by temptation, cannot proceed from God, but from the naughtiness and malice of our own hearts, who have not the virtue to improve fuch useful difpenfations into an occafion of our growth in grace, but shamefully draw back and are offended, when any fuch tribulation happens to arife. That our fin cannot proceed from any impulse or fuggeftion of our heavenly Father, he argues more particularly from the transcendent holiness and purity of the Divine nature, which, as it is utterly incapable of being tempted itself, or drawn afide to evil, cannot poffibly become the occafion of evil to any other being. Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth be any man. From hence I fhall endea

vour,

I. To affert the truth of the Text, that God is not the Author of fin: and that by fhewing,

1. That

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