not be difmay'd but, with an humble and modest confidence, put their Serm. 12 truft in the Lord, and hope and ftand faft in his mercy. Bleffed, Bleffed Souls! who already feed upon the food of Angels, upon the delicious foretafts of the Heavenly Manna: in whofe hearts the Kingdom of Heaven is already begun, and fhall be daily growing and improving, till it attain its perfect confummation in blifs and glory, in Heaven.

O what would we not give for this pearl of great price, of ineftimable value, a good Confcience? Alas! there is no need of giving much for it. Let us but live agreeably to our own nature and reafon, and fincerely endeavour to please God in Christ Jefus ; and we already have it. To fumm up all, in the Apostles words: Finally, Bre- Phil. 4. S thren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honeft, whatfoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, what foever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report, if there be any vertue, and if there be any praife, think on thefe things.

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And

Serm.12.

10.

7.

And the God of peace shall be with you. And the peace of God, which palleth all understanding, fhall keep your hearts and minds through Jefus Christ.

SERM.

423

SERMON XIII

Preach'd before the QUEEN, in Lent 1705, at St. James's.

Faith's victory over the World and all its temptations.

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

IN

M Serm.13.

N these words the Apoftle manifeftly defign'd to prevent an objetion, which he forefaw Men would be very apt to make, against the pofition which he had advanc'd, in the foregoing verfe, viz. that Gods commandments,

Dd 4

Serm.13.

To

mandments are not grievous.
prove which to be false, they would
be very apt to argue, that God's
commandments must neceffarily be
grievous, fince the world would be
fure to give them a great deal of trouble,
difficulty and oppofition, in the keep-
ing of them. Wherefore, that he
might be before hand with thefe Ob-
jectors, he fhews them plainly, in the
words of my Text, why this obje-
tion could not fignify any thing: for,
or becaufe, what foever is born of God,
every true Child of God, every one
that fincerely defires and endeavours
to do his will, overcometh the
world, hath power and strength fuffi-
cient to break through all this trouble,
difficulty and oppofition, which he is
fure to meet with from the world;
and to keep God's commandments,
in fpight of them.

Whatsoever is born of God, that is, every true Chriftian: not every one that is baptiz'd into the name of Christ, but that is really and effectually born again of the Holy Ghojt, so as to become a partaker of the Divine Nature. Every one that doeth

ha-Serm.13.

righteousness, that committeth no fin, that is, that does not live in any bitual courfe of fin, but, on the contrary, in a conftant courfe of piety and vertue, and that has his feed remaining in him, hath the Seed of the word of truth, or, which comes much to one, of the Holy Spirit (by both which Men are faid, in Scripture, to be regenerate and born again) firmly and continually abiding in him, so as to be a conftant and efficacious principle of Spiritual Life and Action in him. As St. John himself defcribes one that is born of God, in several places of this very Epistle.

Overcometh the world, fo far gets the better of all manner of Tempta tions, which he meets with in the world (whither from the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eye, or the pride of life: from himself or others: from bad men or bad things: from wicked Spirits or deprav'd affections: from evil perfuafions or evil examples: from blandifhments and allurements, or from terrors and perfecutions: and, in one word, from what foever is made ufe of to work either upon our hopes or our

fears

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