that God, who perfectly knows the bent SER M. of every man's inclinations, and tries the XII. very hearts and reins, fhould require this outward expreffion of his faith and conftancy, when he must know perfectly well before, how fixed and refolute, how stedfaft and immoveable he would be. But to this we may reply, that, though God be thoroughly acquainted with the fecrets of all hearts, yet is it, in many cafes, neceffary that the faith and integrity of his fervants should be made confpicuous by some exemplary trial, that their virtue may be manifest to other people, and their light fhine fo clearly before men, that they may not only fee their good works, but likewise be convinced of their fincerity and ftedfastness, and induced the more effectually to glorify. their Father which is in beaven; nay, that they may themselves exert and improve,. and abound in true virtue and holiness, be thoroughly convinced of their integrity, and freed from the uneafy fufpicions of the defperate hypocrify and deceitfulness of their own heart. But, if this example be not conclufive for the purpose, yet the !!

Second inftance perhaps will be thought more confiderable, which is taken from the hiftory of king David, 2 Sam. xxiv, 1. where it is faid that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Ifrael, and He moved (or, which is the fame thing, tempted) David U 2

againft

に

SERM. against them to fay, Go number Ifrael and JuXII. dab. The circumftances of the story do evidently concur to fhew us, that this numbering of the people was a fin in David. Wherein the fin confifted, may not be quite fo evident: Whether it argued a forgetfulness, or diftruft of that promife, whereby God had affured Abraham that his feed fhould be as the ftars of heaven for multitude, and as the fand on the fea-fhore innumerable; or whether it confifted in the pride and vanity of David's heart, who trusted too much to the number of his subjects. But, that it was highly criminal, appears from that heavy wrath of God which followed, and swept away no less than seventy thoufand of the people by the peftilence. And therefore, if God tempted him to iffue out that order, he may be thought, in this respect, the Author of fin.

In anfwer to this, I would obferve, that it is not faid exprefly in the Text that the Lord moved, but only that He moved David. And, to find out who it was that moved him, we must have recourfe to the parallel Text in 1 Chron xxi. 1. where it is faid, that Satan ftood up against Ifrael, and provoked David to number Ifrael. So that, if we would reconcile these two accounts together, we muft fuppofe that Satan is underftood likewife, in the book of Samuel, to be the Author of the temptation, and

that

that the word is put to fignify no more than SERM, this, that David was tempted, or the Temp- XII. ter tempted him. For, though the name, of God be put in the former part of the verfe, yet another perfon might be defigned in the latter claufe, or the word may be imperfonally explained, not disagreeably to the eastern manner of expreffion, as may appear from this example in St. Luke's gofpel-Make to yourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations*. But, who are they that fhould receive us? We understand by it nothing more than this, that ye may be received into everlasting habitations. In like manner here, the anger of the Lord was kindled againft Ifrael, and he moved David, i. e. David was moved; by whom the book of Chronicles informs us, namely, by Satan, whe food up against Ifrael, and provoked David to number Ifrael. So that this can be no otherwise afcribed to God, than as he fees fit, in the course of his Providence, to permit the Devil to fuggeft his temptations, and leave to us a liberty of choice and action.

Thirdly, To thefe examples we may add, what feems to be fuppofed in that petition in the Lord's prayer, that God would not lead us into temptation; from whence it is inferred, that God does fometimes tempt, * Luke xvi, 9.

SERM.or (which differs very little) does fometimes XII. lead into temptation.

It has already been obferved, that God does oftentimes fo order the difpenfations of his Providence, that they may be trials of our faith and virtue; and, though we may not be allowed to pray for the utter removal of this kind of temptations (for then we must needs be either deprived of reason, or taken out of the world, fince no state of life is exempt from them ;) yet the petition before us may be fairly understood to mean only, that we may not be led into difficulties, fo many or fo great as should endanger our virtue, but may receive fuccour proportionable to our trials, and be enabled to come off with victory.' It has been intimated likewife, that the Devil purfues it, as his proper bufinefs, to feduce and draw us into fin. Here therefore we make it matter of our prayer, that we may not be left to our own ftrength and fufficiency in our conflict with that fubtle adversary, but may be fo ftrengthened and fupported, by the aids of grace, that we may be able to withstand all his fuggeftions, and retain our integrity and innocence. Our bleffed Saviour was led up of the fpirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil *. And the meffengers of Satan may be fuffered to buffet us as once St. Paul.

Mat. iv. I..

But,

then

then we are allowed fuch a measure of grace SER M. as is proportionable to our trial; and if, XII. after That, we shall depart from our integrity, we can have no reafon to complain. of the ftrength of the temptation, but only to accuse our own folly and mifmanage

ment.

And thus far of the FIRST fett of exceptions, or fuch as pretend to fome manifeft arguments from fcripture, that God does tempt, or is the Author of temptation. The

(H.) SECOND fort follow, thofe which pretend to fome exprefs commands of God, whereby he has appointed men to do evil. The

;

First inftance of this kind which I would mention, is that again of Abraham's temptation, who was exprefly commanded to offer up his fon Ifaac in facrifice to God Gen. xxii. 2-Fake now thy Jon, thine only fon Ifaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there, for a burnt-offering, upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. So that, if the murder of a fon be criminal, and against the strictest obligations of nature, reafon, and religion, here may feem to be a fpecious argument for charging God with the prefcription or appointment of evil, which is fomething more than being Author of temptation.