I. PA R T Allurements to Wrong, or Difficulties in adhering uniformly to what is Right, and of the Danger of Miscarrying by fuch Temptations, than the Words Moral Government. A State of Probation then, as thus particularly implying in it Trial, Difficulties and Danger, may require to be confidered diftinctly by itself. And as the moral Government of God, which Religion teaches us, implies, that we are in a State of Trial with regard to a future World: fo alfo his natural Government over us, implies, that we are in a State of Trial, in the like Senfe, with regard to the present World. Natural Government by Rewards and Punishments, as much implies natural Trial, as moral Government does moral Trial. The natural Government of God here meant2, confifts, in his annexing Pleasure to some Actions, and Pain to others, which are in our Power to do or forbear, and in giving us Notice of fuch Appointment beforehand. This neceffarily implies, that he has made our Happiness and Mifery, or our Interest, to depend in Part upon Ourfelves. And fo far as Men have Temptations to any Course of Action, which will probably occafion them greater temporal Inconvenience and Uneafinefs, than Satisfaction; fo far their temporal * Chap. ii. Intereft Interest is in Danger from themselves, or they C HAP. are in a State of Trial with refpect to it. IV. Now People often blame others, and even themselves, for their Misconduct in their temporal Concerns. And we find many are greatly wanting to themselves, and miss of that natural Happiness, which they might have obtained in the prefent Life: perhaps every one does in fome Degree. But many run themselves into great Inconvenience, and into extreme Diftrefs and Mifery: not through Incapacity of knowing better, and doing better for themselves, which would be nothing to the present Purpose; but through their own Fault. And these things neceffarily imply Temptation, and Danger of miscarrying, in a greater or lefs Degree, with respect to our worldly Intereft or Happiness. Every one too, without having Religion in his Thoughts, fpeaks of the Hazards which young People run, upon their fetting out in the World: Hazards from other Causes, than merely their Ignorance, and unavoidable Accidents. And fome Courses of Vice, at least, being contrary to Men's worldly Intereft or Good; Temptations to thefe, muft at the fame time be Temptations to forego our present, and our future Intereft. Thus in our natural or temporal Capacity, we are in a State of Trial, i. e. of Difficulty and Danger, analogous, or like to our moral and religious Trial. PART And that which conftitutes this our Trial, in both these Capacities, must be somewhat either in our external Circumstances, or in our Nature. For, on the one hand, Perfons may be betrayed into wrong Behaviour upon Surprize, or overcome upon any other very fingular and extraordinary external Occafions; who would, otherwise, have preferved their Character of Prudence and of Virtue: in which Cafes, every one, in fpeaking of the wrong Behaviour of thefe Perfons, would impute it to fuch particular external Circumstances. And on the other hand, Men who have contracted Habits of Vice and Folly of any kind, or have fome particular Paffions in Excefs, will feek Opportunities, and, as it were, go out of their way, to gratify themselves in thefe Refpects, at the Expence of their Wifdom and their Virtue; led to it, as every one would fay, not by external Temptations, but by fuch Habits and Paffions. And the Account of this laft Cafe is, that particular Pasfions are no more coincident with Prudence, or That reafonable Self-love, the End of which is our worldly Intereft, than they are CHAP. with the Principle of Virtue and Religion; IV. but often draw contrary ways to one, as well as to the other: and fo fuch particular Paffions are as much Temptations, to act imprudently with regard to our worldly Interest, as to act vitiously b. However, as when we say, Men are misled by external Circumstances of Temptation; it cannot but be understood, that there is fomewhat within themselves, to render thofe Circumftances Temptations, or to render them susceptible of Impreffions from them: So when we fay, they are misled by Paffions; it is always fuppofed, that there are Occafions, Circumftances, and Objects, exciting these Paffions, and affording Means for gratifying them. And therefore, Temptations from within, and from without, coincide, and mutually imply each other. the feveral external Objects of the Appetites, Paffions, and Affections, being present to the Senfes, or offering themselves to the Mind, and fo exciting Emotions fuitable to their Nature; not only in Cafes where they can be gratified confiftently with Innocence and Prudence, but also in Cafes where they cannot, and yet can be gratified imprudently and vitiously this as really puts them in Danger of voluntarily foregoing their present Now See Sermons preached at the Rolls, 1726. 2d. Ed. p. 205, c. Pref. p. 25, &c. Serm. p. 21, &c. Intereft PART Intereft or Good, as their future; and as realI. ly renders Self-denial neceffary to fecure one, as the other: i. e. We are in a like State of Trial with Refpect to Both, by the very fame Paffions, excited by the very fame Means. Thus Mankind having a temporal Intereft depending upon themselves, and a prudent Courfe of Behaviour being neceffary to fecure it; Paffions inordinately excited, whether by Means of Example, or by any other external Circumftance, towards fuch Objects, at fuch Times, or in fuch Degrees, as that they cannot be gratified confiftently with worldly Prudence; are Temptations, dangerous, and too often fuccefsful Temptations, to forego a greater temporal Good for a lefs; i. e. to forego what is, upon the whole, our temporal Intereft, for the fake of a prefent Gratification. This is a Defcription of our State of Trial in our temporal Capacity. Substitute now the Word future for temporal, and Virtue for Prudence; and it will be just as proper a Defcription of our State of Trial in our religious Capacity: fo analogous are they to each other. If, from Confideration of this our like State of Trial in both Capacities, we go on to obferve farther, how Mankind behave under it; we fhall find there are fome, who have fo little Senfe of it, that they fcarce look beyond the |