42 Men tempted t© Evil by their own Lulls. SE R M. judgment of our own confciences, and have H. no reafon to apprehend the judgment of God againft us. I come now, in the Third place, to thew, that in the account which the text giveth, we may reft our in- quiry, as to all the valuable purpofes of it, concerning the origin of fin in ourfelves. The true end of fuch inquiry, is our pre - fervation and deliverance from fin, that we may know how to avoid it, or repent of it when committed ; excepting fo far as they contribute to thofe ends, fpeculations about it are curious but unprofitable. Now, from the apofile's inftrudion we have feen that fin is not from God; he cannot himfelf be tempted with evil, neither doth he tempt any man ; that, indeed, the principal occa- fion of it is the infirmity of our own confti- tution ; but fin doth not necefharily arife even from that ; we are tempted, it is true, by our lufts, or the appetites and pallions of our nature, and the propenfities which we have contraEed, but we ourfelves, volun- tary confcious agents, are the foie, compleat, and adequate caufes of our own tranfgref- fions ; we have ourfelves wholly to blame for them, and the heart of every one of us thould (mite and reproach us, taking to us thane
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