427. SERMON LXw The Sermon art this Text. The Sins ofMen not chargable upon God ; but upon themfelves. JAMES I. 13, 14. Let no Man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God ;; for God cannot be temptedwith evil, neither tempteth he any Man: But every Man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lull, and enticed, IVE X T to theBelief of a God, and his Providence, there is nothingmore Fundamentallynecelfary to theprat-lice of a good life, than the belief of thefe twoPrinciples, That God is not the Author of Sin, and That every Man's Sin lies at his own door, and he bath reafon to blame himfelf for all the evil that he does. Firft That God is not the Author ofSin, that he is no way acceffary to our faults, either by tempting or forcing us to the Commiffion of their. For if he were, they wouldneither properly be Sins, nor could they be juftly punifhed. They would not properly beSins, for Sin is a contradiftion to the Will of God ; but fuppofing Men to be either tempted or neceffitated thereto, that which we call Sin, would either be a meer paflve Obedience to the Will of God, or an aâive Compliance with it, but neither way a contradi&ion to it. Nor could thefe a&ions be juftly punifhed ; for all punifhment fuppofeth a fault, and a fault fuppofeth liberty and freedom from force and neceffity ; fo that no Man can be juftlypunned for that which he cannot help, and no Man can help that, which he is neceffitated and compell'd to. And tho' there were no force in the cafe, but only temptation, yet it would be unreafonable for the fame perfon to tempt and punifh. For as nothing is more contrary to the holinefs of God, than to tempt Men toSin ; fo nothing can bemore againft juftice and goodnefs, than firft to drawMen into a fault, and then to chaftize them for it So that this is a Prin- ciple which lies at the bottom of all Religion, That God is not the Author of the Sins ofMen. And then, Secondly, That every Man's fault lies at his owndoor, and he has reafon enough to blame himfelffor all the evil that he does. And this is that which makes Men pro- perly guilty, that when they have done amifs, they are confcious to themfelves it was their own a&, and they might have done otherwife ; and guilt is that which makes Men liable topunifhment 5 and fear of punifhment is the great reftraint from Sin, and one of the principal Arguments for Virtue and Obedience. And both thefe Principles our Apoffle St. James does here fully affert in the words which I have read unto you. Let no Man fay when be is tempted, I am temptedof God ; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any Man e But every Man is tempted, when he is drawnaway of his own Lufi, and enticed. Iii a to ,t 6
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