a creature, limited in its capacities, fhould SERM. be able to outvie its infinite Creator, to al- XI. ter the invariable, to feduce the most wife, to corrupt the most holy, and prevail against the Almighty. It is needlefs to enlarge much upon a point fo evident at firft view. And therefore, from hence let us attend, in the

2. Second place, to the Apoftle's deduction, that God does not tempt or incline us to fin. God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. The confequence is plain and natural, for he muft first be evil and impure himself, who can delight or take pleasure in feducing others to be fo. The action of seducing is itself foul and abominable, and makes the Tempter, in good earnest, a partaker of that fin and wickednefs which he proposes and suggefts to others. And therefore, if God be himself the fountain of purity, and above the reach of all temptations to evil, he must be incapable of inclining us, or prompting to it. Doth a fountain (as this Apoftle puts the queftion) fend forth Sweet water and bitter? can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive-berries, or the vine figs? So cannot a fountain yield both falt water and fresh*.

If we acknowledge God to be the Author of every good and perfect gift, we muft remove from him every thing that * James iii. 12.

may

SERM. may argue imperfection and weakness. If XI. we affert him to be free from all fin and depravity in himself, we cannot fuppofe him to be the Cause and Author of it in us, but must look out for fome other ground. and occafion of its predominance, our own luft or concupifcence, which serves as the internal principle to lay a bias and restraint on the affections, and the apoftate angels who make it their bufinefs to deceive and impregnate the feeds of natural concupif

cence.

Hence the character of the Tempter is afcribed to the Devil with a fpecial emphafis, and every man is likewife faid to be tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luft, and enticed. It is from the concurrence of both thefe together, the Devil as the external caufe or Agent, and human luft or affection as the matter upon which he works, that all that exceffive wickedness arises which appears in the world.

Now, the whole law of God is directly levelled to prevent the growth and increase of such impiety; and our thoughts of God must be most mean and blafphemous, if we can fuppofe him concurring with his enemies to fruftrate the defign of his laws, and stirring us up to that breach and violation of them which they were purposely dispensed to hinder and forbid.

That

That kingdom of God, which confifts SER M• in righteoufnefs and peace, is purpofely e- XI. rected to pull down the ftrong holds of Satan; but how were that to be expected, if he fhould himself take part with his professed enemies, and ftrengthen Satan's kingdom by tempting men to fin, inftead of protecting and enlarging his own?

The lake of fire and brimstone is the penalty denounced against the workers of iniquity; and what idea muft they have of God, who can fuppofe him to incline us to fin, and yet to punish it with fuch feverity ?

Even the earthly Magiftrate, who should perfuade and punish for the fame fact, would justly be efteemed fevere and cruel : And fhall not the Judge of all the earth do right! Shall not he, whofe compaffions never fail, and whofe tender mercies are over all his works; shall not he deal fo equitably with us, as to punifh nothing that is done in compliance with his motions, nor take revenge for that of which he is himfelf the Author and encourager ?

Laftly, he has ufed all the means that are proper with rational and free Agents, to induce us to the fincere practice of virtue and obedience to his laws. He has fent his Son to be the Saviour of the world, or (as the Angel expreffes it) to fave his peoVOL. III.

T

ple

SERM.ple from their fins, He has given us the XI. Holy Scriptures for the rule and measure of

our actions, and shed abroad his Holy Spirit to illuminate, renew, and fanctify our minds. He has appointed the facred ordinances of Religion, as impenetrable Armour, to fortify us against every temptation. And, by various means, both of promises and threatenings, has he been careful to perfuade and encourage, or (if that won't do) to affright and terrify us to the practice of our duty. And can it then be fuppofed, without the groffeft contradiction, that he should prompt and excite us to the contrary practices, and, by fome unknown impulfe, determine us to fuch wickednefs, as fhould utterly defeat all these means of grace, and the whole work of our redemption?

There are fome indeed, who care not to impute it to any direct or immediate act of God himself, but to I know not what influence of the ftars and heavenly bodies, which they pretend have fo entire a government of all things upon earth, that, as our lives and fortunes may be calculated beforehand by the rules of Aftrology, fo are we determined by a fatal neceffity, or, at least, difpofed by a very powerful and fuccessful impulfe, to act in fuch a manner as their influences fhall direct.

And

And this deferves the rather to be men- SERM. tioned, because it has been noted by learn- XI. ed men to have been a prevailing opinion of the Jews, at the time when St. James. directed this Epiftle to them*: the Pharifees thinking fit to oppofe the doctrine of the Sadducees, concerning freedom of will, by establishing, if not a fatal neceffity, yet fomething very like it, namely, a vigorous and efficacious influence of the stars, prompting and affifting the Will in all its operations. But, befides the wildnefs and extravagance of this fantaftick scheme, and the manifold abfurdities with which it may be charged, this does in reality but shift the difficulty, inftead of folving it. For ftill, if God be the firft caufe and mover of thofe heavenly bodies, if their virtues and pow'ers are derived from him, then, whatever restraint or neceffity is laid upon human actions by their influence, muft, in the ultimate pursuit of the question, be referred to God, as the firft Caufe and Author of the whole. And therefore, all that has been faid against our looking upon God to be the Author of fin, and Tempter to it, by any direct and immediate impulfe, may here be applied against the pretenders to judiciary Aftrology, to fhew that he has not appointed fuch a fatal neceffity in things, as would *Bishop Bull, Harm. Apost. Diff, 2. c. 15.