THE UNCOl'tVERTED. 145 or to call him cruel; he made all good, and he preserveth and maintaineth all; the eyes of all wait upon him, and he giveth them their meat in clue s~ason; he openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desires of all the living. Psalm cxlv. 15, 16. He is not only righteous in all his ways, and therefore will deal justly; and holy in all his works, and therefore not the author of sin; but he is also good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Psalm cxlv. 17, 19. . But as for man, we know his mind is dark, his will perverse, and his affections carry him so headlong, that he is fitted by his folly and corruption to such a work as the destroying of himself. If you saw a lamb lie killed i'n the way, would you sooner suspect the sheep, or the dog, or the wolf, to be the author of it, if they both stand by? Or if you see a house broken open and the people murdered, would you sooner suspect the prince or judge, that is wise and just, and had no need, or a known thief or murderer? I say therefore, as James i. 13-15, "Let no man say, when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man, to draw him to sin; but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own Just, and enticed. Then when lust hath eonceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is fini shed, bringeth forth death." You see here that sin is the offspring of your own concupiscence, and not to be charged on God; and that death is the offspring of your own sin, and the fruit which it will yield you as soon as it is ripe. You have a treasure of evil in yourselves, as a spider hath of poison, from whence you are bringing fr)rth hurt to yourselves, and spinning such webs as entangle your own souls. Your nature shows it is you that are the cause. 2. It is evident that you are your own destroyers, in that you are so ready to entertain any temptation almost that is offered you. Satan is scarcely more ready to move you to any evil, than you are ready to hear, and to do as he would have you. If he 13
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