men. But it is the will of God, that you should give a decided preference to the household of faith. These are they that represent Christ, and are indeed the members of Christ. So he will tell you in the last day. "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me in, naked and ye clothed me, sick and ye visited me; in prison, and ye came unto me; inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done unto me." The proud and wicked are not Christ's brethren. But the pious poor, the humble and meek, are those that he owns as his brethren, and what is done unto them, he reckons as done unto himself. Oh then, act towards these, as you would act towards Christ himself, for they are his members.

III. On the use of UNLAWFUL MEANS.

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If we are in adversity, Satan will tempt us to use unlawful means to relieve ourselves. Thus when Christ had no ordinary means of getting bread, the enemy tempts him to work a miracle. When Esau came out of the field, weary and hungry, then 'sell thy birthright,' said Satan. And so he did. When Peter was in a perilous situation, deny thy master,' said Satan, and swear to a lie. He did so, and soon wept bitterly, as Esau had done. Satan still saith to those that are in adversity and want, Thou must live;' thou must not send thy family a begging: thou must sell thy wares, though by lying, swearing, and deceiving. Time of necessity, is the devil's opportunity to

set upon us. Fowlers usually set their snares for birds, in cold winter days, when they can find no food. We see that both poverty and riches have dangers attending them. Let me not be poor, "Lest I steal, and take the name of God in vain." In poverty we are strongly tempted to distrust God, to lie, swear, or steal, or to use some unlawful means to help ourselves. Many a time have I seen a poor professor put to his shifts; and little do we know the strength of his temptation to do wrong.-To such, let me give my counsel.

IV.-The Christian's DUTIES.

1. Consider, that all good things are beautiful, when rightly performed. Therefore the godly man ever inquires, what is just and right. Not what may be gained by fraud, deceit, and falsehood; but what is right in the sight of God. "Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right."

2. Consider, that when ordinary and lawful means fail, it is never necessary to use unlawful means. Do you say, 'I must live, and I must maintain my family'? You had better perish, than live by breaking God's commandments. If you die for want of means to live, you may go to heaven like Lazarus, and exchange a miserable life for a life of glory. But in saving your life by unlawful means, you lose your soul where then is your gain? You had better starve than provoke God to anger, and go to hell. Oh, take heed, and be ashamed to say, that you found it necessary to break God's commandments, and send your soul to destruction.

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3. Consider, that what is got with ill means, is got with God's anger, and the shipwreck of a good conscience. An hard bargain indeed! What if you get riches by a false oath or a lie? Surely truth and a good conscience, which you part with, are of far greater value. Oh it is a pitiful exchange, to part with our most precious jewels for dung and dross! "What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" Oh the folly, of getting a little wealth, by the loss of thy God, thy soul, and the crown of life! A good conscience is of far more worth than the whole world. Mr. Perkins relates a story of a good man, who being ready to starve, stole a lamb, and being about to eat of it, with his poor children, and going, as his manner was, to crave a blessing, he durst not do it, but fell into a great perplexity of conscience, acknowledged his fault to the owner, and promised to make restitution, if ever God enabled him. If ever thou repentest of sins committed, thus will thy conscience smite thee; but if thou never repentest, thy conscience will be like a worm, gnawing on thee for ever.

If lawful means

4. Labour to live a life of faith. fail, as bread in famine; even then, "trust in the Lord, and do good, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Yes, verily, thou shalt be fed. In troublesome times, "The just must live by faith" on the promises of God. Abraham did so when he said to his son, "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering." It may be thou art low, and can hardly find bread to eat. God can make a dry crust to nourish thee as well as richer food. If you cannot find lawful means, never

use unlawful shifts to help thyself. "He that believeth shall not make haste." Christ in his greatest necessities would not turn stones into bread to save his life. And wilt thou, in order to increase thy wealth, be guilty of oppression and extortion? Oh, recollect, "That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The Lord would have us live by faith, and to depend on him in the greatest straits: for he is "God allsufficient."

CHAPTER VI.

OF OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION.

There are weak Christians, and some strong in the faith. Satan has temptations for each of them. The weak he tempts to errors, despondency, blind zeal, &c. The strong he tempts to pride, hypocrisy, presumption, and boasting, &c.-I shall here speak only of one temptation for each of these.

I.-The WEAK are tempted to ERRORS.

1. If Christians are but weak in knowledge, the deceiver leads them into some false doctrines, and persuades them that such are some precious truths of the gospel. If men are godly, he cannot seduce them into damnable errors; but he often leads them into very

injurious errors, to their loss and shame. When the deceiver fails to seduce weak Christians into error, he will try to make them question the truth of the doctrines which they have already received. And if he fails in this, he will try to shake and perplex them, so that they may neither enjoy religion nor grow in grace. The various opinions, errors, and disputes which are in the Christian church are very perplexing and hurtful to weak christians. What numbers of unwary souls have been entangled in these nets!

2. This hath been Satan's great design in all ages of the church, to raise up some impostors and notable seducers, to perplex and trouble the church of God. Having no comfort in himself, he envies those that have, and casts stumbling-blocks in their way, to disturb them in their journey heavenward. He presents errors to divert men from the truth, and destroy their spiritual enjoyments. Satan knows that glorious times are coming on the church; when the knowledge of the gospel shall be universal. Now the deceiver of mankind will invent many errors and false views of that glorious period, in order to perplex men's minds, and cause divisions in the church of God. When God is sowing his wheat, Satan is busy sowing his tares. The enemy is never so busy as when the work of God goes on prosperously. He hopes in the heat of the market to sell his own dirty wares.

He now

contrives to blind men's eyes with the light, and drive them on furiously till they are led in a winding way into his own territories. Errors are sown thicker in times of revivals in the church of God, than at any other times. And if men refuse to swallow these