fears) that they fhall never be able Serm.13 to draw him from his duty, in any instance; or, at least, if they do by great chance happen to furprize him unawares, fhall not be able to lead him away captive, and detain him their prifoner long: but fhall foon deliver him up again to the prevailing force of prayer and repentance, which, thro' the grace of God, fhall fecurely recover him from these fnares of the Devil,

And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Our faith? that is, the faith of a Christian; a firm and hearty belief of all the truths, but more efpecially of the glorious promifes, of the Gofpel. Is the victory, is the means or inftrument, by which this victory is to be obtain'd. Tho' methinks, fomething more, than barely this, fhould be meant, by this ftrong and emphatical Phrafe, this is the victory. And, probably enough, the Apostle defigned by it to fignify farther, the speedynefs and certainty of faith, in obtaining this victory; infomuch that, no fooner fhould faith appear against the world in the field, but the victory

fhould

as it Serm.13.

fhould be present and infallible, and i faith and victory fhould be, were, one and the fame thing.

The words thus explain'd lead me to discourse upon thefe following par

ticulars.

Firft, The obligation that lyes upon all Chriftians, thus to overcome the world, imply'd in thofe words, Whatfoever is born of God, every true Chriftian, overcometh the world.

Secondly, The power and ability that every good Chriftian has thus to overcome the world: every fuch one doth actually overcome it.

Laftly, That faith is the great and Jure means, or inftrument, by which this victory is to be obtain'd; This is the victory, that overcometh the world, even our faith.

First, The obligation that lyes upon all Chriftians, thus to overcome the World; imply'd in those words, Whatfoever is born of God, every true Christian, overcometh the world.

Nowa

Now, befides that God hath frequent Serm.13.ly, and with great earnestness, requir'd this of us in Scripture: that one great end of his Son's coming into the World was, to teach and enable us to do this: that, for this purpose, he hath given us both his own example, and the affiftance of his Spirit: and that, upon the condition of our doing this, he has fufpended those exceeding great and precious promises, which he hath brought to light by the Gofpel: and moreover, that we our felves have, in express terms, and in a moft folemn manner, promis'd and vow'd this in our Baptifm. Befides all this, I fay, it is demonftrable, from the very nature of things, that we cannot perform, fo much as, any one duty of our Chriftian Religion, as we ought to do, without having first thus overcome the world. And confequently, our obligations thus to overcome it are as many, as our Chriftian Duties: and it is as necessary for us to do this, as it is to become good Chrifti

ans.

For alas! there is no one Duty of our Chriftian Life, in which we shall

not

not be sure to meet with temptations enough, to make the performance of Serm.r3. it as difficult to us, as is poffible. And confequently, if we have not pretty well made our selves proof against thefe Temptations; nay, if we are not fully prepar'd to refift and vanquish them, the conflict will go hard against us, and we fhall be fure, if not to be beaten off wholely from our Duty, yet at least to perform it in a very lame and unacceptable manner.

And indeed, what can we imagine was God's defign, in placing us here in a state of tryal and probation, and in the midst of numberless and most powerful enemies and temptations of all kinds: but that we fhould give full proof of our being his faithful fervants, and minifter very much to his praife and glory, by manfully wreftling with, and getting the maftery over, all manner of oppofition and temptation, for his fake? It cannot be for his honour, that his fervants should be overcome, and fubmit to any temptations; and therefore this, we may be fure, is what he never could defign. But, to fight bis Battles, to

M maintain his cause, to trample under Serm.13 foot his enemies, to triumph under his Banner: this is his Glory, and therefore this must infallibly be our Duty.

Wherefore, not to infift any longer on fo plain a cafe; let me rather exhort you to that, which feems to be abundantly more needful, to use your utmost care and diligence, in performing this fo evidently necessary a Duty; to arife and be doing, and, ince the temptations of the world must be overcome by us, or we our felves must be overcome by them, to pluck up a good courage, and refolve for victory. To confider, on the one hand how pitiful, how ignominious, how infinitely fatal, a foil, in this cafe, must prove: on the other hand how honourable, how glorious, how everlaftingly beneficial a victory. And, by thefe and fuch like confiderations, to animate our felves to the battle, in which, if we do but fincerely do our part, we have not the least reason to fear that we shall fail of fuccefs and victory. As will more plainly appear, from confidering

Secondly,