SERMON XII.

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St. JAMES i. 13, 14.

Let no Man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with Evil, neither tempteth he any Man; but every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Luft, and enticed.

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LL Laws, whether Humane or Divine, fignify nothing with respect to Government, as long as those for whom they are made, believe them impracticable: For under this

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this Perfuafion they will not only be unconcern'd at the breaking them; but never use their Endeavours, nor try their Strength, whether they can reach up to the Command or not. Now wicked Men, who can't reconcile their Affections to the Duties of Religion, are willing to fanfy themselves under this Incapacity; as if God did not proportion his Laws to the Faculties of his Creatures, but defign'd them rather as an Exercise of Authority, than a Rule of Action. And when they have once laid the Blame of their Difobedience on the Defect of their Nature, they think they are fafe enough; they imagine they have no less than the Justice of God for their Security: That he will not be so hard a Master, as to reap where he has not firewed, nor condemn for Impoffibilities of his own making. Now that no Man might fix himself in a wicked Life by fuch a fatal Mistake, and aggravate his Crimes by accufing God Almighty; the Apoftle expreffly affirms, that God is far from placing us in an unavoidable State of Sin; that giving the leaft

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least Countenance to it, is utterly inconfiftent with the Notion of fuch a Being. And therefore Let no Man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts be any Man: But every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Luft and enticed.

But because God is faid to tempt Abra- Gen. xxii. ham, when he commanded him to offer up his Son Ifaac, therefore it will not be improper to confider the Importance of the Word.

First therefore, By tempting, is meant trying the Temper and Inclinations of Men, to see how they stand affected, and which way they will turn when put to the Test. Thus God dealt with Abraham in the forementioned Place; and after the Experiment commends the Steddinefs of his Faith. Now I know that thou fearest God, in that thou haft not withheld thine only Son from me. If 'tis objected, that God is throughly acquainted with the Mind of Man, and forefees how he will manage himself upon all Emergencies,

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and therefore can't be faid to tempt him for the Discovery of that which he knows already.

To this the Answer is plain, that God does not do this for his own Information, but to fhew the Integrity of his Servants; which, as 'tis ufeful to others, fo 'tis fatisfactory to themfelves. For no Man can tell the Strength of a good Refolution, till he is put to the Proof of it. For tho' he may be affur'd God will not let him mifcarry, if he does his beft, yet the doing this, depends on his Will, which is a mutable and uncertain Principle.

A fecond Design of tempting, is té improve the Virtue of the Perfon tempted. "Tis Labour and Oppofition, which pet. fects Habits, and enlarges the Faculties of Body and Mind. For this puts Nature upon its Guard, awakens all its Powers, and makes it exert, to encounter the Difficulty. And because Afflictions are accounted the greatest Temptations, both Abraham and Job may be faid to be tempted in this Senfe by God Almighty; that their Patience, their Refignation,

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and Reliance, might be heighten'd, and made more illustrious by fuch a Tryal.

A third End of Temptation is to make the Perfon worse, to lay a Snare for his Innocence, and betray him into Sin; in which Senfe God never tempts any Man. For how fhould God, to whose Nature all moral Impurity is the greatest Contradiction, incline any Person to the doing that which he abhors? How should he, who loves his Creatures, put them upon doing fuch Actions which are difpleafing to him, or deftructive to themfelves? To threaten Sin with no less than eternal Punishment, and at the fame time encourage it under-hand, is not reconcileable with Goodnefs, or Justice. For to circumvent, to be infidious, to delight in the Mifery of others, are certain Signs of a mean and depraved Difpofition; and confequently the Perfection of God's Nature makes it impoffible for him to do any of thefe Things. For being infinitely great and happy in his own Omnipotence, he needs not have Recourfe to any indirect Means, to make

himself