XIII. ven, give good Things to them that ask him? S ERM. Mat. vii. 9-11. For all Things fhall work together for good to them that love GOD, Rom. viii. 28. No good Thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly, Pf. lxxxiv. II. Even in the utmost of our Extremities therefore let us not defpond, or think ourfelves fequeftered from his Providence and Love: Let us but make him the Object of our Faith, and we fhall foon find ourselves the Objects of his Care. If with our Saviour, we are hungry and want Bread; he certainly will give it us; and though the good Angels that minister it to us, come not immediately; yet he will fupport us in the mean while by the Breath of his Mouth, by the Light of his Countenance, and by the Refreshment of his Promises. Every Word of his Mouth, (if we carefully attend to it) can create a Grace, and every Grace is able to fupply the Neceffities of the Body as well as the Soul: By the Comforts of the one it can fupport the other; so that they may bear each other's Burthen, and jointly contribute to alleviate the Preffure. I fay therefore again, in the utmost Extremities, in the uneafieft Circumstances we are at any Time in, let us not be provoked to a Diffidence in GOD, or a Miftruft of his Care XIII. SER M. and Providence over us: Let us not fret ourfelves, left we be moved in any wife to do evil, Pf. xxxvii. 8. Let us be neither angry or impatient; be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication, with Thankf giving let our Requests be made known to GOD, Phil. iv. 6. Let us learn with the Apostle, in whatfoever State we are in therewith to be content, ver. II. For we may be assured that he, who wants not Power if he pleases, to turn even Stones into Bread; and the Goodness of whofe Nature moves him to be always more compaffionate, than the tendereft or most affectionate Father on Earth can be, will fupply us, if not according to our wanton Defires, yet according to our real Neceffities and Wants. Caft thy Burthen therefore upon the Lord, (as the Pfalmift directs) and he shall fuftain thee, Pfal. v. or as St. Peter (in like Words) Caft all your Care upon GOD, for he careth for you, 1 Peter v. 7. Be fober, be vigilant, because your Adversary the Devil (as you may learn from my Text) like a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom be may devour; whom therefore refift (after the Example of Christ here fet before you) stedfaft in the Faith. SERMON SERMON XIV. Chrift tempted to Prefumption. • MATT. iv. 5, 6, 7. Then the Devil taketh him up into the Holy Temple, And faith unto him, If thou be the Son of GOD, caft thyself down: For it is writ ten, He fhall give his Angels Charge concerning thee, and in their Hands they shall bear thee up, left at any Time thou dash thy Foot against a Stone. Jefus faith unto him, It is written again, W XIV. HEN the Angel that wreftled with SER M. Jacob faw that he was not able to prevail against him, Gen. xxxii. 24, &c. he would have left him and gone his way: But it is not so here it feems with the Devil: Who, when he finds his firft Affault upon our Lord to fail, is for trying another: Juft as he had VOL. I. Ee done SER M. done with Job of old, whom when he could XIV. not move to blafpheme God, by the first Power he had to rob and deprive him of his Substance, Servants, Children and every thing elfe he was poffeffed of; fues for and obtains another Commiffion to grieve and afflict him by Sores and Pains in his Flesh and Bones. By thefe Solicitations he gives us to underftand, that it is not one Foil that can put this bold and daring Spirit out of Countenance, or make him give over. He is not only content to take a Foil; but out of the very Foil itfelf he invents Matter for a new Temptation. Since Chrift will place his Truft and Confidence in his Father's Care and Providence over him, rather than ufe unlawful Means to provide for himself; he will move him next to truft ftill more, to prefume fo much upon his Father's Protection, as to throw himself into Danger with no other Purpose, than that he might fend his Angels to fave him. If he cannot drive him down to Defpair, he will labour to lift him up to Prefumption. Either Extreme being all one and the fame to him, provided he can but fucceed by it to tempt and mislead to Evil. As his first Temptation therefore was grounded upon a Supposition that his Father's Care of him was wanting; XIV. this now before us infinuates the Divine Pro- SER M. vidence and Watchfulness over him to be extraordinary and abundant. But to give the whole Paffage it's due Confideration, I fhall treat of it in the fame Manner I did of the former, i. e. I. FIRST, I fhall make fome cursory Observations upon this Tempter's Suggestions and our Saviour's Reply: And then II. SECONDLY, I fhall fhew the practical Result of the whole and conclude. I. My Obfervations on the Temptation I shall begin with pointing out to you the Condefcenfion of Jefus in ftill yielding to the Devil the Advantage of Situation and Place. As he was content to be led from Jordan into the Wilderness, that Satan might have the more convenient Opportunity and Handle to fet upon him; fo now he yields to be led again from the Wilderness to Jerufalem, that the Devil might again have him in a Place favourable to his Design. The Wilderness was fit for a Temptation arifing from Hunger and Want; but not for one that was to move to Vain-glory. A populous City was a much likelier Place for fuch a Temptation: And |