428 The Sins of Men not chargeable upon God V In which words, thefe two things are plainly contained. Firfl, That God doth not tempt anyMan to Sin. Let no Man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempt- eth he any Man. Secondly, That every Man's fault lies at his own door, and he is his own grea- teft tempter. But every Man is tempted, when he is drawnaway ofhis own Lufl, and enticed. I. That God doth not tempt any Man toSin. Let no Man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted ofGod ; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any 4San. In which words, thereare three things to be confidered. Firfl The Propofition which the Apoftle here reje&s, and that is, That God tempts Men. Let no Manfay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. Secondly, The manner in which he reje&s it. Let no Man fay fo. By which manner of fpeaking, the Apoftle infinuates thefe two Things. a. That Men are apt to lay their faults upon God : For when he Pays, Let no Man fay fo, he in- timates, that Men are apt toJay fo, and it is very probable that fome did fay fo; and, idly. That it is not only a fault, but an impious affertion to fay that God tempts Men. He fpeaks of it as a thing to be reje&ed with deteftation. Let no Man fay that is, far be it from us to affirm a thing fo impious and difhonoura- ble to God. Thirdly, The Reafon and Argument that he brings againft it, For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any Man. Firfi, The Propofirion which the Apoftle here reje&s, and that is, That God tempts Men: Let noMan fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. Now that we may the morediftin&ly underftand the meaning of the Propofition, which the Apoffle here reje&s, it will be very requifiteto confider what Temptation is, and the feveral forts and kinds of it. To Tempt a Man, is in general, nothing elfe but to make trial ofhim in any kind what he will do. In Scripture, Temptation is com- monly confin'd to the trial of a Man's good or bad, of his virtuous or vicious Incli- nations. But then it is filch a trial as endangers a Man's virtue, and if he be not well refolved, is likely toovercome it, and to make him fall into Sin. So that temp- tation does always imply fomething ofdanger the worn way. And Men are thus tempted, either from themfelves, or by others ; by others chiefly thefe two ways. Firli, By dire& and down-right perfwafions to Sin. Secondly, By being brought into fuch Circumftances as will greatly endanger their falling into it, tho' none folicit and perfwade them to it. Firfi, By dire& and down -right perfwafions to Sin. Thus the Devil tempted our firft Parents, by reprefenting things fo to them, as might on the one hand incite them to Sin, and on the other hand, weaken and loofen that, which was the great curb and reftraint from it. On the one hand, he reprefents to them the advantages they fhould have by breaking God's Command. God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes (hall be opened, and ye jisall be as Gods, knowinggood and evil. On the other hand, he reprefents the danger of offending not to be fo great and certain as they imagined. The Serpent faid unto the II'oman, ye(hall notfurely die. And the Devil had fo good fuccefs in this way of tempting the firft Adam, as to encourage him to fet upon the Second, ourBleffed Saviour, in the fame manner ; for he would have perfwaded him to fall down and wor- fhip him, by offering him all the Kingdoms of the World, and the glory of them. And thus bad Men many times tempt others, and endeavour to draw them into the fame wicked Courfes with themfelves. Solomon reprefents to us the manner and the danger of it, Prov. a. ro, a r, 13, 14. My Son, if Sinners intice thee, content thou not ; if they fay, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let as lurk pri- vily for the innocent without caufe ; we flsall find all precious fubfiance, we (hallfillour houfes with fpoil. Cafl in thy lot amongjl us, let us all have one prüfe. This is the firft way of Temptation. And to be fury God tempts no Man this way. He offers no Arguments to Man to perfwade him to Sin; he no where propofeth either Reward or Impunity to Sinners : but on the contrary, gives all imaginable encouragement to Obedience, and threatens the tranfgreffion of his Law with moft dreadful Punifhments. Secondly,
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