43 2 The Sins of Mennot chargeable upon God , `T vert and be healed ; all which expreffions fignifie nomore, but that God, for the former provocations and impenitency of that People, did leave their to their own hardnefs and blindnefs, fo that they did not delire to underfland and make ufe of the means of their recovery. ,So likewife, Rom. 1. 24. God is faid to have given up the idolatrousHeathen to uncleannefs, to vile and unnatural lufls ; and J7er. 28. to a reprobate and injudicious Mind ; that is as a punif anent of their Ido- latry, he left them to the power of thofe temptations, which betrayed them to the vileft lulls. And to mention but one Text more, z Thef 2. 11. the Apoftle threatens thofe that rejefted the truth, that for this caufeGod would fend themflrong delufions ( the efficacy of error) that they fhould believe a lye, that theyall might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleafure in ttnrighteoufnefs ; that is as a juft punifhment for their renouncing the truth, God gave them over to the power of delufion; their error had its full fcope at them, to tempt them with all its colours and pretences. But it is obfervable, that, in all thefe places which I havemention'd, God is faid to give Men up to the power of temptation, as a punifhment of fome for- mer great Crimes and Provocations. And it is not unjuft with God thus to deal with Men, to leave them to the powerof temptation, when they had firlt wil- fully forfaken him ; and in this cafe God doth not tempt Men to Sin, but leaves them to themfelves, to be tempted by their own hearts lulls ; and if they yield and are Conquered, it is their own fault, becaufe they have negleéted God's Grace, whereby they might have been able to have refitted thofe temptations ; and have forced his holy Spirit to withdrawhimfelf from them, and to leave them open and naked to thofe affaults of temptation, againft which they might other- wife have been fufficiently armed. Thirdly, The laft end of temptation which I mentioned, is to try Men, with a dire& purpofe and intention to feduce Men to Sin. Thus wicked Men tempt others, and thus the Devil tempts Men. Thus he tempted our firft Parents, and feduced them from their Obedienceand Allegiance toGod. Thus he tempted Yob, by bringing him into thofe Circumfiances, which were very likely to have forc'd him into impatience, and difcontent. And thus he tempted our bleffed Saviour; but found nothing in him to work upon, or to give him any advantage over him. And thus he daily tempts Men, by laying all forts ofbaits and fnares before them, going about continually, feeling whom he may feduce and deftroy ; and as far as God permits him, and his Power reacheth, he fuits his temptations as near as he can to the humours and appetites and inclinations of Men, contriving them into fuch circum(tances, as that he may ply his temptations upon them to the greareft ad- vantage; propounding fuch Obje&s to them, as may molt probably draw forth the corruptions of Men, and kindle their irregular delires, and inflame their lulls, and tempt their evil inclinations that way, which they are molt ftrongly bent. He tempts the Covetous Man with Gain, the Ambitious Man with Preferment, the Voluptuous Man with Carnal and Senfual Pleafures; and where none of thefe baits will take, he (tirs up his Infiruments to perfecute thofe, who are ftedfaft and confirmed in Refolutions of Piety and Virtue, to try if he can work upon their Fear, and (hake their Conftancy and Fidelity to God and Goodnefs that way 5 and all this he doth with a dire& defign and earneft defire to feduce Men from their Duty, and to betray them toSin. But thus God temptsno Man, and in this fenfe it is that the Apoftlemeans, that no Manwhen he is tempted, is tempted of God. God hath no defign to fed uce any Man to Sin. He often proves the obedience of Men, and fullers them to fall into divers temptations, for the trial of their faith, and exercifeof their obedience and other Virtues; and he permits bad Men to be affaulted with great temptations, and as a punifhment of their former obflinacy and impiety, withdraws the aids and affiltancesof his Grace from them, and leaves them to their own weaknefs and folly; but not fo as to take away all reftraint of his Grace even from bad Men, unlefs it be upon very high provocation, and a long and obltinate continuance in Sin : ButOod never tempts any Man, with any intention to feduce him to Sin, and with a delire he (hould do wickedly. This is the proper work of the Devil and his
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