evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man. is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luft, and enticed.

In which words thefe two things are plainly contained:

First, That God doth not tempt any man to fin. Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted' of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil,`neither tempteth he any man.

Secondly, That every man's fault lies at his own door, and he is his own greateft tempter. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luft, and enticed.

I. That God doth not tempt any man to fin. Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. In which words there are three things to be confidered:

Let no

First, The propofition which the Apostle here rejects, and that is, That God tempts men. man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.

Secondly, The manner in which he rejects it. Let no man fay fo. By which manner of speaking, the Apoftle infinuates thefe two things: 1. That men are apt to lay their faults upon God; for when he fays, Let no man fay fo, he intimates, that men are apt to fay fo, and it is very probable that fome did fay fo; and 2dly, That it is not only a fault, but an impious affertion to fay that God tempts men. fpeaks of it as a thing to be rejected with deteftation. Let no man fay; that is, far be it from us to affirm a thing fo impious and dishonourable to God.

He

Thirdly, The reafon and argument that he brings againft it; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

First, The propofition which the Apostle here rejects, and that is, That God tempts men: Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. Now, that we may the more diftinctly understand the meaning of the propofition which the Apoftle here rejects, it will be very requifite to confider

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what temptation is, and the feveral forts and kinds of it. To tempt a man, is, in general, nothing elfe but to make trial of him in any kind what he will do. In fcripture, temptation is commonly confined to the trial of a man's good or bad, of his virtuous or vicious inclinations. But then it is fuch a trial as endangers a man's virtue, and if he be not well refolved, is likely to overcome it, and to make him fall into fin. So that temptation does always imply fomething of danger the worst way. And men are thus tempted, either from themselves, or by others; by others chiefly thefe two ways:

Firft, By direct and downright perfuafions to fin. Secondly, By being brought into fuch circumftances as will greatly endanger their falling into it, though none follicit and perfuade them to it.

Firft, By direct and downright perfuafions to fin. Thus the Devil tempted our first parents, by reprefenting things fo to them, as might on the one hand incite them to fin, and on the other hand weaken and loosen that which was the great curb and restraint from it. On the one hand he reprefents to them the advantages they fhould have by breaking God's command. God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes fhall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. On the other hand, he reprefents the danger of offending not to be fo great and certain as they imagined. The Serpent faid unto the woman, Ye shall not surely dy. And the Devil had fo good fuccefs in this way of tempting the firft Adam, as to encourage him to fet upon the fecond, our bleffed Saviour, in the fame manner; for he would have perfuaded him to fall down and worship him, by offering him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And thus bad men many times tempt others, and endeavour to draw them into the fame wicked courfes with themselves. Solomon represents to us the manner and the danger of it, Prov. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. My son, if finners entice thee, confent thou not; if they fay, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without caufe; we shall find

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all precious fubftance, we shall fill our houfes with Spoil. Caft in thy lot amongst us, let us all have one purfe. This is the firft way of tempation.

And to be fure God tempts no man this way. He offers no arguments to man to perfuade him to fin; he no where propofeth either reward or impunity to finners; but on the contrary gives all imaginable encouragement to obedience, and threatens the tranfgreffion of his law with moft dreadful punish

ments.

Secondly, Men are likewife tempted, by being brought into fuch circumstances, as will greatly endanger their falling into fin, though none perfuade them to it; and this happens two ways: When men are remarkably befet with the allurements of the world, or affaulted with the evils and calamities of it; for either of thefe conditions are great temptati ons to men, and make powerful affaults upon them, efpecially when they fall upon those who are ill ditpofed before, or are but of a weak virtue and refolution.

The allurements of the world are ftrong temptation's; riches, honours and pleasures, are the occafions and incentives to many lufts. Honour and greatnefs, power and authority over others, efpecially when men are fuddenly lifted up, and from a low condition, are apt to tranfport men to pride and infolency towards others. Power is a ftrong liquor which does easily intoxicate weak minds, and make them apt to fay and do indecent things. Man that is in honour and underftandeth not, is like the beafts that perish; intimating, that men who are exalted to an high condition, are very apt to forget themselves, and to play the fools and beafts. It requires great confideration, and a well poised mind, not to be lifted up with one's condition. Weak heads are apt to turn and grow dizzy, when they look down from a great height.

And fo likewife cafe and profperity are a very flippery condition to most men, and without great care, do endanger the falling into great fins. So Solomon obferves, Prov. i. 32. For the turning away of

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the fimple fhall flay them, and the profperity of fools fhall deftroy them. For this reafon Agur maketh his prayer to God, that he would give him neither po verty nor riches, but keep him in a mean condition, because of the danger of both extremes, Prov. xxx. 8, 9. Give me not riches, left I be full and deny thee. Both the eager defire, and the poffeffion and enjoy. ment of riches, do frequently prove fatal to men, So our Saviour tells us elsewhere very emphatically, Matth. xix. 23, 24. Verily I fay unto you, that a rich man fhall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven: And again I fay unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. St. Paul Hikewife very fully declares unto us the great danger of this condition, 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a fnare, and into many foolish and hurtful lufts, which drown men in deftruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while fome coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many forrows.

But the greateft bait of all to flesh and blood is fenfual pleasures; the very prefence and opportunity of thefe, are apt to kindle the defires, and to infame the lufts of men, especially where these temptations meet with fuitable tempers, where every fpark that falls catchetb.

And on the other hand, the evils and calamities of this world, efpecially if they threaten or fall upon men in any degree of extremity, are strong temptations to human nature. Poverty and want, pain and fuffering, and the fear of any great evil, especially of death, thefe are great ftraits to human nature, and apt to tempt men to great fins, to impatience and difcontent, to unjust and dishoneft fhifts, to the forfaking of God, and apoftafy from his truth and religion. Agur was fenfible of the dangerous temptation of poverty, and therefore he prays against that, as well as against riches; give me not poverty, left being poor I fteal, and take the name of the Lord my God in vain; that is, left I be tempted to theft and

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perjury. The Devil, whofe trade is to tempt men to fin, knew very well the force of thefe forts of temptations, when he defires God first to touch Job in his estate, and to see what effect that would have, Jobi. 11. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he bath, and he will curfe thee to thy face. And when he found himself deceived in this, furely he thought, that were he but afflicted with great bodily pains, that would put him out of all patience, and flesh and blood would not be able to with ftand this temptation, chap. ii. 5. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And this was the great temptation that the primitive Chriftians were affaulted withal; they were tempted to forsake Chrift and his religion by a moft violent perfecution, by the spoiling of their goods, by imprisonment, and torture, and death. And this is that kind of temptation which the Apoftle particularly speaks of before the text, Bleffed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he fhall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him; and then it follows, Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. And thus I have given an account of the feveral forts of temptations comprehended under this fecond head, name. ly, when men are tempted by being brought into fuch circumftances as do greatly endanger their falling into fin, by the allurements of this world, and by the evils and calamities of it.

Now the question is, how far God hath an hand in thefe kind of temptations, that fo we may know how to limit this propofition, which the Apoftle here re jects, that men are tempted of God: Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God..

That the providence of God does order, or at leaft permit men to be brought into thefe circumstances I have fpoken of, which are fuch dangerous temptations to fin, no man can doubt, that believes his providence to be concerned in the affairs of the world. All the difficulty is, how far the Apoftle does here intend to exempt God from an hand in

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