14. Temptations to Evil, not from God. S ER M. what manner of appearance, on the part of I. the fovereign ruler ? They bore the marks 1/4"It ' of his difpleafure for the fins of men fo vi- fìble, that the molt ftupid have found them- felves obliged to acknowledge it. Is this tempting them ? is it not rather Ming the belt and moi effeE}ual methods for reclaim- ing them from fm ? And, laftly, if we confider the revelation of the gofpel, and that whole divine fcheme contained in it, which God in love to man- kind hath formed for our falvation, we mufì fee that the whole defign of it is directly oppofite to the defign of tempting ; it is to turn every one of us from our iniquities. To this purpofe have we not only our Saviour's clear inftru lions, and the excellent exam- ple of his life, but he gave himfelf for us a facrifice, and fuffered a moft painful and ig- nominious death to redeem us from fin, to purify unto himfelf a peculiar people zealous of good works. All the promifes, which are in him yea and amen, have this tendency and this deign, namely, that we fhould cleanfe ourfelves from the filthinefr of thefefh and fpirit, and perfet`l holinefs in the fear of God. In a word, every part of chriftianity was intended for the fame end, all its mo- tives and all its rules ; but it is particularly worthy
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