with-draw from him fome way or other And this is all that I had to say concerning our trusting in God for Strength and Ability to ferve him, and do our Duty in our several Places and Stations, which was the fecond thing Propounded to be spoken of.

3. Let us truft in God for Strength to hold out and persevere in Faith and Holiness to the end, notwithstanding all the Tryals and Temptations which we may meet with. When we confider and fadly ponder in our minds our own weakness, together with the fore Tryals and strong Temptations which in these perilous times may Encounter us, we may be full of fears how we fhould be able to hold out in the Evil Day, if fuch a Day should come upon us. But for the Care of these our diftrustful Fears, and for the Encouraging of our Dependance on God for Strength to persevere; let us make use of these Confiderations.

1. God can easily keep off and Avert those fore Tryals which we fear. We Difquiet and Afflict our felves with the frightful expectation of many things which never come to pafs: God is often much better to us than our Fears.

2. If fuch things fhould come upon us, yet God is able to fupport us. How weak foever you apprehend your felf to be, and how unable foever you feel your felf to be, for withstanding fuch Temptations as may affault you, God is able to uphold you in your Integrity, and to give you in Strength, proportionable to every Tryal.

3. If you belong to him, he hath promised that he will not fuffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but will together with the temptation make a way to escape, I Cor. 10. 13. This promife he makes good unto the weakest Chriftians; for to these it Extends as well as to those that are stronger. The comfort of it belongs to all true Believers without Exception. If by their Unbe lief and Distrust they Exclude not themfelves from the Benefit of it, the promise doth not Exclude them.

4. God hath oftentimes enabled Weak and Fearful Chriftians to withstand those Affaults, and refift thofe Temptations which others who thought themfelves ftronger, and thereupon were full of Self-confidence, could not withstand, but were foiled and overcome by them. 5. Weak

5. Weak Chriftians that are deeply fenfible of their Weakness, and in the fense thereof look up to God for ftrength, have reafon above others to hope for and expect the Supports and Affiftance of his ftrengthning Grace in the hour of fore Tryals and Temptati'ons for God confiders their Infirmity, and hath a tender regard of their Weaknefs. As they moft need his strengthning Grace to uphold them, fo fhall they be moft fure to be fupported and relieved by it; fuch is his Fatherly care of them, fuch are his tender Compaffions toward them. But here it will concern you,

1. To labour to be fure that you are in Covenant with God, that you may be able upon good grounds to Apply the Benefit and Comfort of his promises to your felf; I mean, both the promifes of the Grace of perfeverance in the General, and that particular promise of not being tempted above what you are able, or shall be able to bear, and that whatever your preffures or ftraits may be, God will still make a way for you to escape, to escape if not suffering, yet that which is worse than fuffering, the violating of your Confcience by finning against God. 2. Ta

2. To be fure that you look up to God for ftrength to perfevere, beg it of him by fervent and unwearied Prayer, depend on him alone for it, and utterly Renounce all vain confidence in your - own ftrength.

3. To be ftill labouring what you may, to ftrengthen Faith and all other Graces, and to be ever laying in and treasuring up more and more Spiritual furniture and provifion against an Evil day. And thus I have done with the first Branch of the Exhortation relating to Spiritual things.

SERMON