Will; Corruption and Pravity in his Defires and Paffions; and all that Train of Natural and Moral Evils, which fubject him to the Dominion of Death and Sin, and give Satan that fatal Advantage over him. These are now the unhappy Circumftances of our Condition, and this is the lamentable State of Human Nature.

'Tis true indeed, he has no abfolute and defpotical Power over us, efpecially over our Rational Nature: The intellectual Faculties, and the moral Endowments of our Minds, do more incline us to Virtue than to Vice: They are under the Conduct of Reason, the Autho rity of Confcience, and the Direction of the Spirit of God. But inferiour Nature lies wide open to his Treachery and Malice; 'tis Rafh and Foolish; Heedlefs and Indeleberate; Flexible and Sequacious, and eafily drawn aside. He has fecret Ways of Addrefs to our corrupted Inclinations; he can caft a Mist before our Senfes. He can play with our Fancies; and humour our Affections, and mingle himself with our bodily Paffions. And, which renders him the most formidable Adversary of all, is, the Skill that he has got in thefe Arts of Seduction by long Ufe and Practice; for he has managed this Point, ever fince he fell from Heaven. i. e. ever fince he became a Devil.

Upon this Account it will concern us all to look narrowly into our felves 5 to confult frequently what Natures God has given us,

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and which Way the Inclinations of them tend to find out, and mortify the Predominant Corruption, the Sin which doth fo easily befet us: And in order thereunto to call in the Aids of Supernatural Grace, the Succours of God by daily Prayer and Repentance.

2. Secondly, Another Advantage which is given to Satan is from the Manner of our Education. This is that critical Period of human Life, which the Devil watches with a parti cular Obfervation and Attendance; because then Reafon isweak, and the gentler Whispers of Confcience little regarded: The Propenfions of Nature, Senfe, and Luft, very strong and violent. And yet, alas! through the very. blameable Neglect of Parents, it is feldom fo well guarded as it ought to be.

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The Minds and Manners of Men are as much, perhaps more formed by Education than by Nature it felf; and the Impreffions they then receive generally grow up with their Years live and die with them. The Table ; is then fmooth and foft; you may draw what Lines, and engrave what Images of Things you please upon it. If you take the firft Opportunity to inftill wife and wholefom Inftructions, there will be feen in the future Course of their Lives, their fair and even, and lovely Characters of Virtue. But if you let that flip there will nothing appear, but Stains and Blots, the crooked and ill-favoured Scrawls of Vice.

I was just now faying, That the Minds and Manners of Men were as much, or more formed by Education than by Nature: And it is but too manifeft in the Obfervation of the World that they are fo: What other Account can be given of the Growth and spreading of Atheism, which is fo repugnant to the original Dictates of Reason, and natural Light? For it is cer tain, that we are all born into the World with a Reverence and Dread of God, with an Abhorrence of Atheism and Infidelity upon our Minds: To what elfe fhall we attribute that wretched and accurfed Cuftom of Swearing, fo fcandaloufly common amongst Boys and Children? This muft of Neceffity be owing either to the Devil, or to bad Education; for there is no imaginable Temptation to it in Nature.

It is of infinite Concern therefore, that the Principles of Religion be laid by a good Education; that Children be taught betimes, their Prayers, and their Catechifm; and to give them the early Tinctures and Prepoffeffions of Piety And this with the Divine Grace and Bleffing, will happily anticipate the Devil in his future Attempts upon them. But

3. Thirdly, Another Advantage which is given Satan, is, from the Ways of Living we afterwards chufe and purfue. Men having paffed through the firft Stage of their Life, viz. that of Youth; and therein received the Impreffions, either of a good or bad Educa

tion, they then fet up for themselves, and fix upon fuch Ways and Courses of Living as they intend to pursue.

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If their Inclinations and Abilities lead them to an Ingenuous and Laudable Profeffion; or their Neceffities determine them to more labo rious and fervile Employments; these, (whilft they are engaged upon them, and pursue them with Industry and Faithfulness) are a very good Guard and Security to their Virtue 5 The they are then in God's Way, and under the Care and Bleffing of his Providence; the Devil when he comes to affault them, finds them bufy, and hard at work; they are not at leifure to attend to his Suggeftions. But if the Fortune of their Birth, and the plentiful Provifion their Parents have made for them, fet them above the Cares and Toils; and they have little elfe to mind, but the Eafe and Diverfions of this Life (though they keep themfelves within the Bounds of what is Juft and Lawful) yet even this gives Satan too fair an Advantage against them. For there are many Things which are Lawful in themselves, yet by the too frequent Use of them, infenfibly betray us into those that are not fo.

May I take the Liberty to mention fome of them. Such are, "Profufe Entertainments "and Feafting; ftaying long in Company, complimental and needlefs Vifits; an eager "Delights in Sport, Recreations and Gaming. I will fuppofe that thefe are Lawful, and fometimes Useful and necessary for the Relief

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of our Natures; for the brisking up our Spirits, and rendering us more fit for Converfation and Business. But it is by no means advifeable always to go to the utmost Stretch of what is lawful; 'tis very dangerous to dwell continually in the Neighbourhood of Vice. Thefe Things, if they do not deftroy, yet they do too much relax the Seriousness of our Thoughts, and the Gravity of our Behaviour: They contract a Habit of Lightnefs; I had almost faid of Impertinence upon our Minds: They take up too much of our Time; which I fear we can give no good Account of, either to God, or to our felves. But I fhall have Occafion to fpeak more to this by and by. And fo I proceed to the Second Head of Difcourfe, viz.

II. Thofe Advantages Satan takes and improves from the Treachery and Malignity of his own Nature. And these are of two Sorts. Either,

1. His fecret Frauds. Or, 2. His more open Impoftures.

I begin with

1. His fecret Frauds, And they are chiefly thefe Three.

First, By encouraging Men to go to the utmoft Bounds of what is lawful.

Secondly,