Serm: LX1I. but upon themfelves: 439 the Author of Sin. And then that other Do&rive, which is fubfervient to this; that God does by a Phyfical and Natural influence upon the Minds and Wills of Men, determine them toevery a&ion that they do, tobad a&ions as well as good. I know they who fay fo, tell us that God only determines Men to the a&ion, but not to the evil of it. For inftance, whenCain kill'd his Brother, God determin'd him (they fay) to the Natural A&ion of taking away a Man's Life, which in many Cafes may be donewithout Sin. Very true : but if in there Circumftances the Natural A&ion could not be done without committing the Sin, he that de- termin'd him to the Natural Action, determin'd him likewife to theSin. I am far from any thought that thole that maintain there Doctrines, had any intention to make God the Author of Sin : but if this be the neceffary Confe- quence of thefe Doctrines, there is Reafon enough to reject them, how innocent foever the intention be of thofe who maintain them. Secondly, Let not us tempt any Man toSin. All Piety pretendsto bean imitation of God, therefore let us endeavour to be like him in this. 'Tis true indeed, we may be tempted with evil, and therefore we are likely enough to tempt others but we ought not to . do fo. It is contrary to holinefs and goodnefs, to the temper and-ciifpoftion of the molt perfe& Being in the World. God tempts nò Man nay, it is the proper Work and Employment of the Devil, 'tis his very Trade and Profeflion ; he goes about feeking whom he may betray into Sin and Deftru&ion. To this end he walks up and down the Earth, waiting all Oppor- tunities and Advantages upon Men to draw them into Sin ; fo that we are his Fa&ors and Inftruments, whenever we tempt Men toSin. Let thofe Confider this, who are fo a&ive and bulle to (educe Men into any kind of wickednefs, and to inftru& them in the Arts of iniquity, who tempt Men into bad Company and Courfes, and take pleafure in debauchin; a Virtuous Perfon, and make it matter of great Triumph to make a fober Man drunk, as if it were fo glorious an A&ion to ruin a Soul, and deftroy that, which is more worth than the whole World. Whenever you go about this.Work, remember whole Inftruments you are, and whore Work you do, and what kind of Work it is. Tempting others to Sin is in Scripture called Murder, for which Keafon, the Devil is Paid to be a Murderer flow the beginning, becaufe he was a Tempter: Whofoever committeth Sin is of the Devil: but whofoever tempts others to Sin, is a fort of Devil himfelf. Thirdly, Since God tempts no Man, let us not tempt him. There is frequent mention in Scriptureof Mens tempting God, i. e. trying him as it were whe- ther he will do any thing for their fakes, that is mif-becoming his Goodnefs, and Wifdom, and Faithfulnefs, or any other of his Perfe&ions. Thus the If- raelites are faid to have tempted God in the Wildernefs forty years together, and in that fpace, more remarkably ten times. The meaning of which Expreffions is, that when God had promifed Abraham to bring his feed into the Land of Canaan, that People, by their great and repeated provocations of God, did often provokehim to have deltroyed them, and confequently to have fáil'd of the Promife which he made to the Fathers. The Devil likewife tempted our Saviour to tempt God, by carting himfelf down from the Pinacle of the Temple, in confidence that theAngels would take care of him : but our Saviour anfwers him, it is written thou flialt not tempt the Lord thy God. From which inflance it ap- pears, that Men are Paid to tempt God, whenever they expe& the ptote&ion of his Providence in an unwarrantable way. God bath promifed to take care of good Men, but if they neglectt themfelves, or willingly caft themfelves into danger, and expect his Providence and Prote&ion, they do not truft God, but tempt him ; they try whether God's Providence will countenance their rafhnefs, and provide for them, when they neglect themfelves; and protect them from thofe dangers, to which they wilfully expofe themfelves. So likewife if we be negligent in our Callings, wherebywe fhould provide for ourFamilies, if we lavifh away that whichwe fhould lay up for them, and then depend upon the Providenceof God to fupply them, and take care of them, we tempt God to that which is unworthy of him i which is to give approbation to
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