pledged themselves before the bishop, and in the presence of a full congregation, to take upon their own responsibility those promises which were made in their behalf by their sureties when they were of too tender an age to do it for themselves. Now, therefore, they may be said to have entered on a fresh era of their Christian life; and it therefore behoves them, if they have hitherto neglected to do so either from ignorance or inadvertency, to consider their state of Christian warfare and, henceforth, "fight manfully under Christ's banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and continue his faithful soldiers and servants unto their lives' end."

Difficult, however, as is the task we have to perform in our Christian capacity, when considered only in reference to the human means which we have for its accomplishment, still is there no room for despair; but, on the contrary, we have the greatest encouragement given us to persevere, when we look to that invincible arm which is ever ready to assist us against the enemies of our peace, and likewise consider that our trials are no greater than have ever fallen to the lot of men. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." In order, therefore, to have a complete understanding of the words of the text, and to derive that consolation from them which they are evidently intended to convey, I will,

in the first place, take a cursory glance at the trials and temptations which it pleaseth the Almighty to send on us, and the reasonableness and necessity of so doing; and, secondly, I will consider the other position of St. Paul, that God will not suffer such temptations to be thrown in our way as we are not enabled to resist, but will afford us such assistance as the weakness of our nature requires in order to overcome them.

1. It is a fact well known, on no less authority than that of the Holy Scriptures, that our first parents, Adam and Eve, were originally created in a state of purity and uprightness; in such a state, had they continued in it, they would never have possessed any such carnal and sinful propensities as those to which we, in common with their descendants, have been since subject. In this state of original purity, however, it was deemed fit by the Almighty that some test of their obedience to his will should be imposed on them: they were accordingly prohibited from partaking of the fruit of one particular tree, and of that one only, in the garden of Paradise in which they were placed. This command would probably have been observed, had it not been for the interference of that evil spirit, Satan, who has ever since been using such means as the Almighty in his great wisdom has permitted him, in order to seduce mankind from the paths of virtue. In this interference of the Evil One, however, consisted the trial of our ancestors' obedience, for without it, in the midst of so many luxuries which were

ready to administer to their happiness and comfort, there would not have been even the slightest temptation to eat of the forbidden fruit. This temptation, alas! slight as it was, they had not resolution to resist. The devil seduced Eve, and the latter prevailed on her husband; and consequently they rendered themselves obnoxious to the just displeasure of their Almighty Creator. As the penalty of so flagrant a violation of God's commands, they became subject to sin and death, and entailed the same on their posterity, who, as such, of necessity partook of the same nature with themselves; and had it not been for a special act of God's grace-that of sending his own Son, who was born of a woman, and who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, we must ever have been doomed to the awful sentence which was originally pronounced against us.

Since, therefore, it was, as we have seen, necessary that those who were exempt either from actual or natural sin, should be subject to temptation; it certainly follows that we, who are neither free from the one nor the other, should be likewise subject to it. In the latter case, indeed, there is a far greater reason that trials and temptations should be sent upon us, for without them we should have no opportunity of working out our salvation, which we are everywhere enjoined to do throughout the Word of God. If temptations were not thrown in our way— if we had no inducements to such things as are evil in the sight of God, there would certainly be no merit in doing that which is right and virtuous.

It is, therefore, not only a natural consequence of the transgression of our common ancestors, but also necessary for us, in this state of trial and probation, that we should have some inclination towards sin and wickedness. By the fall of man his nature became altogether changed: previous to this calamitous and awful event he existed in a state of security, and would have continued so to exist had he not forfeited it by his own folly: subsequently to this, however, the case is far different; for although Jesus Christ has suffered death-even the death of the cross, for the sins of the whole world, yet every one is required to do something of himself in order to become entitled through the mercy of Heaven to the benefits of this great sacrifice; every one is required to "turn away from the wickedness which he has committed, and to do that which is lawful and right," in order that he might "save his soul alive."

However great, then, the temptations of life may be with which we have to contend, yet we see that they are altogether necessary as a means by which we may attain future happiness, and are, therefore, sent us in mercy by the Dispenser of all good. We may in the same manner conclude, that he who has been exposed to the greatest number, and has overcome them with the greatest zeal and earnestness, has reached unto the highest point of excellence in his religious career. For the most evident and satisfactory reasons, therefore, hath the Almighty thought fit, from the very commencement of the world, to

allow the devil to tempt the children of men; for this reason was the pious and devout Job tempted to forsake God by the same malignant spirit; for this reason were the Israelites tempted in their passage to the land of promise; for this reason, likewise, was our Saviour in his human capacity tempted in the wilderness, when by his victory over the enemy of himself and his church, he convinced mankind that, if by their virtuous inclinations they ensure to themselves the assistance of God, it matters not how many or how deep-laid may be the snares which the enemy plotteth for their destruction, for the same Power which then delivered him from the attacks of his adversary, will likewise deliver all his faithful followers from every temptation which the same evil spirit may present to their And this brings me to the consideration of the second branch of the subject on which I proposed to treat: "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

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2. From the remarks which I have hitherto made on the subject of my text, I trust I have proved to the satisfaction of all, that the Almighty has acted with no less reason than justice in visiting the children of men with trials and temptations; great, however, as is his justice in this respect, yet is his mercy nowise inferior in regard to the means and assistance which He offers to our acceptance in order that we may overcome these temptations, and

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