upqn the Epi{l/e of J A M B s ; Vli Jl s.q. der 3colour of liberty ;~nd GofpeJ, reduce and bring them back eo their old loofcmefs, 2. It Gorl. temptfth IIIJ m~tn, then it informeth us, that God can- ~Vfl. not be the Author of fin. I lhall here take occafion a little to enlarge. upon that point : I lhall firfr dt!ar thofe places which feem to imply it ; then fecondly fhew you what is the efficiency and coneurrence of God about fin. · Firft, For the clearing of the places of Scripture, they ate ofdi– vers ranks ; there are fome places that feem eo fay, that God cloth tempt, asGen. 2~. I. God tempted Abraham: So in many other -places; but tha~ was but a trya! of ht6 (.iith, not a folicitatirm to fin . There is a tempting by 'W~J oftrya!, and a tempting ~J 'IMJ of Diaho!tM ten4 feduce,ent. God tryeth their obedience, but cloth not fiir them tat detU ptubat. up to fm. But you will fay, There are other places which feem to Tenu!.deOrar. hint,tbat God doth folicite, incite, and fiir up to fin, as I Chron.). 26. God ftirred up the fpint of P11-l the King of Ajfjri.c, to carry aw.ay the Jews captive: But that "Yas not evtl, to punilh an hypocritical Nation, but juft: and holy, a part ofhis corrective difcipline ; andGods fl'irring implieth nothing but the deftgnation ofhu provi-- dence, and the ordering of that rage and fury chat in them was fiirred up by ambition, and other evil caufes, as a correction to his people. So alfo 2 S~tm. 24. L The ai'Jger of the·Lord WM kindled againjf Ifrael,and he moved David to number the peeple: But compare it with I Chron.21.r. and you !hall fee 'tis faid, Satan ftoqd upandprovok.;d1Javid to number tht people; and fo fome explaiQ one place by the other, and refer that ( H f.) to Satan, The anger ofthe Lord 1\JMkJ:ndledd,gains1I{rae/, andHE, that is,the Devil : Or it may be referred to the lafi antecedent, the Lord, whofe a~~er u [aid to he ftirred up; he moved, that is, permitted Satan to move by withdrawing himfelf from David. God moved permiffive, Satan ejfica.citer: God[ujfered, Satan tempted; for God is often inScripture faid to do that which he cloth but permit to be done, as toawak§n the[word t~gainft the man,hufellow, Zech. I 3· 7· that is, to fiir up all that_ rage, which was exercifed upon Chrifi; ·and the -reafon of fuch expreffions, is, becaufe of the ad:ivenefs of his provi– dence in and about fin, for he cloth not barely permit it, but difpofe circumfrances and occafions, and limit and over-rule it, fo as it may beforgood. Thus.alfoP{almro;.z;. He trtrnedtheirhe~trt to h~tte hu people,4ndto le11lfubtii!J 'With hu feryants.1he meaning 0 2 - is,
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