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 eftate, and to fee what effect that would have: Job i. 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 fleth and blood would not be able to withstand this temptation: chap. ii. 5. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curje thee to thy. face. And this was the great temptation that the primitive Chriftians were affaulted withal; they were tempted to forfake Chrift and his religion by a most violent perfecution, by the fpoiling of their goods, by imprisonment, and torture, and death. And this is that kind of temptation which the Apoftle particularly fpeaks of before the text: Bleed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he fhall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promifed 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," namely, 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 these kind of temptations, that fo we may know how to limit this propofition, which the Apoftle. here. rejects, 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 least permit men to be brought into thefe circumftances 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 Apostle does here intend to exempt God from an hand in

thefe

thefe temptations. Now, for the clearer understanding of this, it will be requifite to confider the feveral ends and reafons, which those who témpt others may have in tempting them; and all temptation is for one of thefe three ends or reafons: either for the trial and improvement of mens virtues; or by way of judgement and punishment for fome former great fins and provocations; or with a direct purpose and de-fign to feduce men to fin. Thefe, I think, are the chief ends and reasons that can be imagined, of exer cifing men with dangerous temptations.

1, For the exercife and improvement of mens graces and virtues. And this is the end which Godalways aims at, in bringing good men, or permitting them to be brought, into dangerous temptations. And therefore St James fpeaks of it as a matter of joy, when good men are exercifed with afflictions not becaufe afflictions are desirable for themfelves, but becaufe of the happy confequences of them: ver. 2. 3. of this chapter, My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. And to the fame purpofe St Paul, Rom. v: 3. 4. 5. We glory in· tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, Soxunv; patience trieth a man,!. and this trial worketh hope, and hope maketh not ashamed. These are happy effects and confequences of affliction and fuffering, when they improve the vir tues of men, and increase their graces, and thereby make way for the increase of their glory. Upon this account St James pronounceth thofe bleffed who are thus tempted: Bleed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love. bim

And this certainly is no difparagement to the providence of God, to permit men to be thus tempted, when he permits it for no other end, but to make them better men; and thereby to prepare them for a greater reward. And fo the Apoftle affures us, Rom. viii. 17. 18. If fo be we fuffer with him, we fhall

alfo

And

alfo be glorified with him; for I reckon that the fuerings of this prefent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. ver. 28. For we know that all things shall work together for good to them that love God. And this happy end and iffue of temptations to good men the provi dence of God fecures to them (if they be not wanting to themselves) one of thefe two ways; either by proportioning the temptation to their ftrength; or, if it exceed that, by miniftring new ftrength and fupport to them, by the fecret and extraordinary aids of his Holy Spirit.

(1) By proportioning the temptation to their ftrength; ordering things fo by his fecret and wife providence, that they fhall not be affaulted by any temptation, which is beyond their ftrength to refilt and overcome. And herein the fecurity of good men doth ordinarily confift; and the very best of us, those who have the firmeft and moft refolute virtue, were in infinite danger, if the providence of God did not take this care of us. For a temptation may fet upon. the best men with so much violence, or furprise them at fuch an advantage, as no ordinary degree of grace and virtue is able to withstand: but where men are fincerely good, and honeftly refolved, the providence of God doth ward off these fierce blows, and put by thefe violent thrufts, and by a fecret difpofal of things keep them from being affaulted by thefe irrefiftible. kinds of temptations.

The confideration whereof, as it is a great encou ragement to men to be fincerely good, fo likewife a great argument for a continual dependence upon the providence of God, and to take us off from confidence in ourselves, and our own ftrength. And this ufe the Apostle makes of it, 1 Cor. x. 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh be ftandeth, (that is, confident that nothing fhall be able to thake him, or throw him down), take heed left he fall. There hath no temptation taken you, but fuch as is common to men; è un apdzivos, but what is human; nothing but what an human ftrength, affifted by an ordinary grace of God,.

may

may be able to refift and conquer. But there are greater and more violent temptations than thefe, which you have not yet been tried with; and when thofe happen, we must have recourfe to God for an extraordinary affistance. And this is the

(2) Second way I mentioned, whereby the providence of God does fecure good men, in cafe of extraordinary temptations, which no human ftrength can probably refift. And this the fame Apoftle affures us of in the very next words: God is faithful, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape,that you may be able to bear it; that is, in cafe of great and violent temptations, (fuch as the Christians in the height of their perfecutions were expofed to), God will fecretly minifter ftrength and füpport equal to the force and power of the temptation. And this God did in an extraordinary manner to the Christian martyrs, and that to fuch a degree, as made them joyfully to embrace their fufferings, and with the greatest chearfulness in the world, to endure those torments which no human patience was able to bear. And where God doth thus fecure men againft tempta tions, or fupport them under them, it is no reflection at all upon the goodness or juftice of his providence, to permit them to be thus tempted.

2dly, God permits others to be thus tempted, by way of judgement and punishment for fome former great fins and provocations which they have been guilty of. And thus many times God punifheth great and notorious offenders, by permitting them to fall into great temptations, which meeting with a vitious difpofition, are likely to be too hard for them, espe cially confidering how by a long habit of wickedness, and wilful commiffion of great and notorious fins, they have made themselves an eafy prey to every temptation, and have driven the Spirit of God from them, and deprived themselves of thofe aids and restraints of his grace, which he ordinarily affords, not only to good men, but likewife to thofe who are not very

bad.

And thus God is faid to have hardened Pha-raoh by thofe plagues and judgements which he fent

upon

upon him and his kingdom. But if we carefully read the ftory, it is faid that be firft hardened himself, and then that God hardened him; that is, he being hardened under the firft judgements of God, God fent more, which meeting with his obftinacy, had this natural effect upon him, to harden him yet more; not that God did infufe any wickedness or obstinacy into him, but by his juft judgements fent more plagues -upon him, which hardened him yet more, and which were likely to have that effect upon him, confidering the ill temper of the man. And it was juft, by way of punishment, that they should. And fo likewife Jo -fhua xi. 19. 20. it is faid, that the cities of the Canaanites did not make peace with Joshua, because it was of the Lord, to harden their hearts, that they Should come against Ifrael in battle, that he might detroy them utterly; that is, for their former iniquities, the measure whereof was now full, the providence of God did juftly bring them into, and leave them under those circumstances, which made them obstinate against all terms of peace, and this proved fatal to them.

And in the like sense we are to understand several -other expreffions in fcripture which likewife might feem very harfh. As Isaiah vi. 10. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed: all which expreffions fignify no more, but that God, for the former provocations and impenitency of that people, did leave them to their own hardness and blindness; fo that they did not defire to understand and make ufe of the means of their recovery. So likewife Rom. i. 24. God is faid to have given up the idolatrous Heathen to uncleanness, to vile and unnatural lufts; and ver. 28. to a reprobate and injudicious mind; that is, as a punishment of their idolatry, he left them to the power of thofe temptations, which betrayed them to the vileft lufts. And to mention but one text more, 2 Theff. ii. 11. the Apostle threatens those that rejected the truth, that for this caufe God would fend them strong delu