Abernathy - Houston-Packer Collection BX9178.A33 S4 1748 v.4

Aumui 28 Men tempted to Evil by their own Lulls. SR ui. Firfl, That God, in all his works and II. ways, the whole of his adminiftration to- wards mankind, idandeth perfe ily clear of tempting any of them to moral evil ; he is not in the leaft degree or in any part of his conduct, by a fair conftruEtion upon it, ac- ceffary to any one of their offences : Which the apoftle afferteth with great earneftnefs as a principle of the utmoft importance to be firmly believed and deeply imprefed on our minds ; let no man fay (let him reject with abhorrence any fuggeftion or furmife which bath fuch a tendency) that he is tempted of God, for he is not tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man. This I endeavoured to explain and prove in a former difcourfe, and made fome practical reflections upon it. The fecond inftruction relating to tempta- tions, now to be confidered, amounteth to this, that the true and moil ufeful account of the origin of fin to every particular per- fon, that which really is the fpring of pre- vailing temptation, is his own luft ; but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lull and enticed. Not but that there are other tempters, both of mankind and other fpecies of beings ; they may fo- lick to fin, they may ufe perfuafions and a variety

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