Temptations to Evil, not from God. i make a way for of cape, f that you may le SE R M, able to bear it. I have now endeavoured to I. confirm the apoftle's affertion in my text, that God, who is not himfelf tempted with evil, infinitely pure, perfectly averfe to every kind and degree of moral turpitude, and above the poffibility of being drawn into it, doth not tempt any man ; on the contrary; that the tendency of all his works and ways towards mankind, in the conftitution of the human nature, in the difpofitions of provi- dence, and the gofpel grace, is to preferve them from evil, and to refcue them when fallen into it; to recover degenerate and corrupted mankind to integrity, to lead them in the way of righteoufnefs and virtue, to the perfefion of it, as the proper end of their being, and their higheft happinefs. The next obfervation relateth to the ne- ceffity and importance of this doctrine The apofile delivereth it as a point he lay- eth great ftrefs upon ; let no ma¢fay, when he is tempted,, I am tempted of God ; let every chriftian be always aware of the evil tendency of fuch a furinife, and take heed that he doth not entertain it. And having, to eftablifh us in this belief, traced our fins and temptations to their true fpring, and given an account of them quite different V o L. IV, C from
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