might be answered in like manner alfo, He hath given us an example, that we should do as he hath done Were you to hear the complaints, which even good men often make, that they are forced to ftruggle with many and with great temptations; that the paths of virtue are flippery and infecure, befet with many dangers; and that their prayers to be delivered from their trials come empty back, and bring no bleffing with them; you might in our Saviour's name and in his words expoftulate the case with them: Ye call me Lord and Mafter: and ye fay well; for fo I am. If I then, your Lord and Mafter, have been perfected through trials, and in all things tempted even like unto you, whence come your complaints? whence is it that you expect to be exempted from that condition to which I willingly fubmitted? The fervant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is fent greater than he that fent him. I have led the way, and fhewn you how to conquer: and if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Since these things therefore are written for our inftruction and admonition, the propereft ufe we can make of them is to confider them in that view, and to keep at a distance from fuch nice questions as no man enters into with discretion, or gets out of with advantage. There is room in all the parts of the Gofpel difpenfation to admire and adore the wifdom and the goodness of God, if that will content us, without prying into the fecret methods of his providence. In this cafe now before us we want not matter of this kind: when the tempter allured our firft parents to difobedience with the flattering hopes that they fhould be as gods, little did the

blind prophet think that the day should ever come when the Son of God would appear in the likeness of man, to take vengeance of his bold attempt, to deftroy his works, and to redeem the captives into the glorious liberty even of the fons of God: little did he imagine that man, who fell by aspiring to be like God, should ever indeed be so like him, as to be fuperior to all his arts and temptations, and be able to drive him from the dominion he had ufurped over the creation. And yet, behold the wisdom and the goodness of God! By man came death, and by man came the plenteousness of redemption: the first fruits of which we fee in this victory over the tempter.

Thus with refpect to God does this temptation afford an ample fubject of praise and glory: but, confidered with respect to ourselves, it will yield us the greatest comfort and confolation to fupport us in our fpiritual warfare, and the beft inftruction how to behave ourselves in it. There is no doubt to be made but that all the tempter's art was dif played against our Saviour: here then we may learn the worst we have to fear, and fee the dangers we have to pass, in our way to happiness, and fecure ourselves against the surprises which are often fatal to heedlefs unguarded innocence: here too we may learn from the best example how to make the beft defence against the different temptations we ftand expofed to; how manfully to maintain the combat, and to refift the fiery darts of the devil.

These leffons of Chriftian prudence and fortitude are to be learnt from our Saviour's conduct and behaviour under the different trials the tempter made of him ; but I propose at this time to confider

the circumstances which attended this temptation, and are recorded by the Evangelift in my text: And Jefus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. Now this temptation, we see, succeeded immediately to his baptifm, in which the Spirit vifibly defcended upon him; and God declared him, in a voice from heaven, to be his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased. And accordingly the text exprefsly tells us, that he was led to be tempted being full of the Holy Ghoft.

You fee the power of baptifm, and the bleffings that are annexed to it, to which all are entitled who partake in the baptifm of Chrift: for himself he was neither born nor baptized, but for our fakes; that the bleffings of both might defcend on us, who through faith are heirs together with him of the promises of God,

By baptism the gates of heaven are set open to us, and the way paved for our return to our native country by baptifm we are declared to be fuch fons of God in whom he will delight, and whom he will appoint to be heirs of his kingdom: by baptifm we receive the promise of the Spirit, by which we cry, Abba, Father.

Are not these great privileges? And is not here room for mighty expectations? And yet how unfuitable to thefe claims do the circumftances of a Chriftian's life often appear! He is upon the road to heaven, you say, and the gates stand open to receive him; but how does he ftumble and fall like other men, and sometimes lofe his way, and wander long, bewildered in night and darkness? or, if he keeps

the road, how lazily does he travel, as if he were unwilling to come to his journey's end, and afraid to see the country which he is going to poffefs ? The Chriftian only of all men pretends to fupernatural power and strength, and an intimate acquaintance with the Spirit of God: and yet how hardly does he escape the pollutions of the world, and how often look back with languishing eyes upon the pleasures, riches, and honours of this life? And though he boasts of more than human ftrength, yet how does he fometimes fink below the character and dignity even of a man? Ye fons of God, for fuch ye fay ye are, how do you die like the children of men, and how like is your end to theirs?

And what muft we fay of these things? Is the promife of God become of none effect? Is baptifm funk into mere outward ceremony, and can no longer reach to the purifying the heart and mind? The fact must not be difputed: it is too evident, at leaft in these our days, that the lives of Chriftians do not answer to the manifold gifts and graces beftowed on them and it is as true, that this has given great occafion to the enemies of the Gospel to blafpheme, to ridicule the grace of God, which seems to them to be no real, no useful gift or power. But then it is certain, on the other fide, that these prejudices have arifen from the mistaken notions which men have entertained concerning the grace of God: their expectations have been groundless and unwarrantable: they have promised themselves more than ever God promifed them; and then, finding that grace is not what they expected and

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hoped it was, they rafhly conclude that it is nothing; and argue against the truth of God's promifes merely from the vanity and delufion of their own. If you expect that the grace of God should ward off all temptations from you, or rescue you from the power and influence of them, notwithstanding your own remiffness and want of care; as well may you expect that fwords and piftols fhould fight your battles, fubdue your enemies, and conquer countries for you, whilft your foldiers lie diffolved in ease and luxury, and forget to use their arms. The graces of the Spirit are the arms of a Christian, with which he is to enter the lifts against the powers of darkness; and are a certain indication to us that God intends to call us to the proof and exercise of our virtue: why elfe does he give us this additional ftrength? We had ftrength enough of our own to fit ftill and do nothing: had it been his intention to remove us out of the way of temptation, and to place us out of danger, our weakness and our fecurity might well have ftood together; and having no enemy to fear, we should not have been in need of fo powerful an ally as the Spirit of God. But fince our dangers are great, and even neceffary to the trial of our faith and patient continuance in welldoing, therefore are we fupported and encouraged by the affiftance of God, to fight the good fight, and to endure hardness as good foldiers of Jefus Chrift. To this we are called by the example of our Lord and Mafter, who being full of the Holy Ghoft was led by the Spirit to be tempted: and this plainly intimates to us, that the more abundant grace we receive, the more reason we have to expect trials and tempta