of their work and that which makes musick upon the strings of their hearts because it pleaseth him It is with every man as it was with Sampson he would needs have a wife of the Philistins Why so because she pleaseth Judg. 14. 3. me So why do men seek themselves love themselves and espouse these and those lusts but because it pleaseth them Look then as the soul when he loved himself did seek to please only his own will in every thing and 't was good because it pleased him so the Saint whose heart is now endeared to Christ though he cannot perfectly do it that 's in Heaven yet he seeks to give the whole will of Christ content because it pleaseth Christ He that is unmarried saith the Apostle careth for the 1 Cor. 7. 32. things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord. 2. The upright heart though he cannot joy in the Lords Love yet he will joy in the Lords Will His delight is in the Psal 1. 2. Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 3. They close with the whole Will of God as their happiness It is not only good to do the Lords Will for thus men may seek the Lord as thinking it good so to do but as their Blessedness else 't is not their last end and so not sought as their last end The sanctified soul obeys God as his Blessedness Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119. 1. Vers 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart This makes them seek God with the whole heart because they count this their Blessedness this makes a gracious heart prize service to God above the whole Creation and set an higher rate upon a good work than upon a miracle he had rather be obeying than working miracles rather humbling his soul than removing mountains because he is doing the Will of God Vse 8. Saints reach after more grace It should not content a Saint to have grace but to have more grace As it doth not content God to give grace but to give more grace so it should not content a Saint to have grace but to have more grace Because 1. The more grace thou hast the more of God thou hast in thee And he that is full of grace is full of God To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might Eph. 3. 19. be filled with all the fulness of God 2. Abundance of grace is lovely for grace is the beauty of the soul the quintessence and sweetness that doth dulcifie and perfume the soul A little sugar doth not sweeten a cup especially if it be a bitter cup such as mans nature is we say of a little that 't is as good as none at all A little Frankincense doth not perfume a room especially if it be a stinking room such as mans impure nature is Where grace is predominant there a Saint is lovely Ah my Beloved God would have the Saints lovely in his eye and lovely in the Worlds eye Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven There must be abundance of light in thee to shine over all the Horizon of thy Conversation as there is abundance of light in the Sun that shines over all the Hemisphere we live in and therefore 't is a great body so must thou be a great Saint to shine before all men and therefore the little stars do not shine scarce to our eye Ah my Beloved This is the reason why many who call themselves Saints are not lovely in the eyes of the World they have not abundance of grace they have abundance of profession but not abundance of grace abundance of profession but little grace and this makes them so odious in the World abundance of profession without grace makes them but the more odious in the world The world seeth so much pride and so little humility in them so much worldliness and so little of Heaven in them so much unjust dealing and so little truth in them that the world is apt enough to conclude that either this is not the Gospel which they profess or that they are not true to their profession John the Baptist had abundance of grace and he was very lovely in the eye of the World he was lovely in Herods eye Mark 6. 20. 3. Abundance of grace is lively for grace is the life of the soul and where life is but weak there the actings are not lively A weak man cannot run But saith David I will run the way of thy Commandments He was lively for he had Psal 119. 32. abundance of grace Moses was mighty in Prayer saith God Let me alone that Exod. 32. 10. my wrath may wax hot against them i. e. hinder me not by thy Prayer from punishing them Moses had abundance of Spirit he was too hard for God himself as I may say with reverence Saints had ye abundance of Faith ye would be lively in believing As 't is said of Abraham He was strong Rom. 4. 20. in Faith 4. The more grace thou hast the more terrible to the Devils The Devil trembles at the mighty Prayers of a gracious man the Devil trembles at the strong Faith of a gracious man Oh! Who would not have grace And who would not have much grace When the Apostles acted by Faith came as Christ said to cast out Devils Did not the Devils tremble at them Saint he fears thee more than thou needest fear him Jesus I know Act. 19. 15. and Paul I know said the Devil That is I know them to my fear they have put me to flight many a time And if you were such as they I should fear you also Believe it Soul he trembles at thy holiness he trembles at thy Faith put it forth in Prayer and thou shalt see him run Resist the Devil Jam. 4. 8. and he will flie from you 5. The more grace thou hast the more thou shalt-serve the Lord which is the true and proper end of thy Creation Lord saith one is it much that I serve thee whom Thom. a Kempis l. 3. c. 10. all creatures are bound to serve It ought not to seem much unto me to serve thee but this rather seems much and marvelous to me that thou vouchsafest to receive into thy service one so poor and unworthy to serve thee He goeth on Behold all is thine which I have and whereby I serve thee and yet in very deed thou rather servest me than I thee 6. Nothing but grace will bring thee to Heaven Vanity of vanities and all is vanity but only to love God and wholly to serve him Knowledg is Vanity yea Knowledg of God himself is Vanity and of Christ himself is Vanity without grace to love him and live to him As one
interpretative tempting of God when though we intend not to tempt him yet we do the same thing which he doth who hath a design and desire to tempt God So that this sin may be committed when you do not intend it you may tempt God when you have no express purpose to do it when you do that which is ordinable to nothing else but to make a tryal or experience of God and to prove his Power or Goodness or Knowledg As when a man goes on in a wretched course of life and yet hopes to find mercy at the hour of death he intends not it may be to try Gods mercy yet he doth that which is good for nothing but to make an experience of his mercy 3. You must know that 1. There is a good or lawful tempting of God 2. There is a sinful tempting of God There is a commendable and there is an unwarrantable tempting of God 1. There is a good and commendable temptation of God which is lawful which is so when it springs 1. A bono principio from a good principle or an holy heart and purpose 2. When it is done in a lawful way or by a good action 3. When it is bottomed upon a good ground that is 1. When we have a call from God to it his command and promise to bear us out 2. When we have a just necessity to do it 4. It is a lawful tempting of God when it tends to a good end This is a lawful tempting of God when it proceeds from a good principle and is done by good means and tends Tentatio bons est quae ex principio bono seu animo sancto ac bono medio seu modeâ—â—â— bonum finem tendit to a good end and as you heard also is bottomed upon a good ground a lawful call and a just necessity to tempt and try God 1. To make our tempting and trying of God lawful and good it must spring from a good principle or an holy heart that is a love of knowing the Truth or Power or Justice of God When we make a Tryal of God out of love to God and his glorious Attributes that we may be ravished with the beauty and splendour of them 2. It is a lawful tempting of God when we have a command to try him and then we sin in not tempting God Isa 7. When the Lord had promised what he would do for Judah and the house of David and what he would do against Syria and Ephraim saith he to encourage Abaz faith in ver 11. Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God ask it either in the depth or in the height above As if he had said For the confirmation of thy faith and the assurance of the truth of Gods word ask a sign that is try God by asking somewhat to be done some unusual and extraordinary thing to be done by him thus make a tryal and experience of him whether he means as he saith whether his heart agrees with his word to know this ask a sign make a tryal put him to it No saith Ahaz I will not ask neither will I tempt the Lord. You Vers 12. would think this was Religiously but it was Hypocritically spoken he pretended he would not sin that if he ask't a sign he should go against the Command in Deut. 6. 16. Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as ye tempted him in Massah As if a man should tempt God by doing that which he is invited by God himself to do Ahaz here had a Command to try God it was Gods gracious indulgence and kind condescent to Ahaz to bid him ask a sign that is if thou art hard to believe me ask a sign and try me I give thee this offer but he would not it was his rebellion not to tempt or try God when he had a Command to tempt and try him And herein was his sin also the greater because God would have given King Ahaz a sign not for himself only but for the edification and instruction of the whole people and therefore he is reproved as an hinderer of the common good and publick salvation in that he would not ask a sign 3. It is a lawful tempting or tryal of God when there is a just necessity when we really stand in need of his extraordinary appearance when ordinary means fail then to trust in him and expect his unusual presence it is not unlawful Thus when Pharaoh pursued Israel and his Army was in the Rear of them and the Red-sea before them Moses said unto them Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which Exod. 14. 13. he will shew to you to day And when the children of Israel were in the wilderness and could have no bread nor could meet with water then they were to try what God could do for them and to expect relief from him out of the ordinary course they were called by God into the wilderness and therefore had a call to try God and seek experiments of his mercy and power for them 4. It is a lawful tempting of God when it is to a good end 1. As for confirmation of our faith thus Gideon tempted or proved God Judg. 6. 36 37 38 39 40 verses And Gideon said unto God If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand as thou hast said Behold I will put a fleece of wool in the floor and if the dew be on the fleece only and it be dry on all the the earth beside then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand as thou hast said And it was so for he rose up early on the morrow and thrust the fleece together and wringed the dew out of the fleece a bowl full of water Where faith he at the 39th verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let me tempt or prove I pray thee but this once with the fleece Gideon being conscious of his own infirmity and weakness and out of a desire to obey God and for the confirmation of his faith and his more cheerful obedience in a most dangerous design which God had set him upon asked and obtained a sign I suppose he ask'd this sign by an instinct and impulse from God himself 2. When it is for Gods glory and the publick good for the salvation of souls and the progress of the Gospel and the splendour of Christs name And thus the Apostles prayed that God would be with them in their Ministry by stretching forth his hand to heal and that signs and wonders might Acts 4. 29 30. be done by them 2. There is a sinful tempting of God A sinful tempting of God is which wants those conditions or ingredients spoken of before Briefly thus Quae principio medio aut fine peccat a sinful tempting of God is that which fails in principle means or end You shall see an instance of this sinful tempting of God in Matth. 22. 15. to 22. Then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they
of sins you shall be set at liberty I say all hypocrisie springs from some want of this Divine light The young man saw some worth in Christ but not enough and therefore forsook Christ A man may see the Lord Jesus in the letter of the Scripture which though it be necessary to the saving Knowledg of Christ yet to see the Lord Jesus no otherwise than in the letter by the strength of Fancy and Understanding this is no saving Knowledg of Jesus Christ Between the palpable ignorance of Christ without the Gospel and the saving Knowledg of Christ in the Gospel there is this middle Knowledg of Christ which is literal whereby a man doth see yet in seeing seeth not Now saving Illumination 1. It is a peculiar Illumination The greatest Scholar that ever lived never had one such thought or apprehension of the Lord and the things of the Lord as the Saints have To them the Lord reveals some things that the wisest in the world never knew 2. It is a glorious and shining Illumination 1. They behold a Glory in Christ's person the Lord reveals his hidden glory to them such as never entred into their hearts before or into the minds of other men which though others may talk and discourse of yet they cannot see it in that manner as they do It is therefore called a marvelous light In John 1. 14. They saw Christ vailed in our Humane Nature and darkned under the Cloud of a mean condition And yet they beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the John 1. 14. father The Jews saw the same Christ yet could not see the same Glory in him 2. They behold a glory in the holiness and graces of Jesus Christ his graces strike a Majesty of him in their hearts Oh that I were like him 3. They behold a glory in his Covenant and Promises Oh that all those promises might be made good to me this is all my desire 4. They behold a glory in all the Ordinances of Christ Oh Psal 63. 1. Vers 2. God! my soul thirsteth for thee To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary How amiable Psal 84. 1. Vers 10. are thy Tabernacles Oh Lord of hosts A day in thy court is better than a thousand Oh the fellowship of Saints Oh the lustre and beauty of his Sabbaths 5. They behold a glory in the Commands and Will of Christ Oh if once I could in every thing give content to his heart Such a soul had rather lose all than cross his Will in a small thing he seeth a glory in the least truth 6. They see a glory in all his Dispensations Have I but a little estate This is the allowance he provides for me I am less than the least of all thy mercies His glory therefore appears that I have a bit of bread to eat 7. They behold a glory in the Cross of Christ glory in all their sufferings I am not worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the Treasures of Egypt We shall find a false heart ever fall short here 3. It is a soul-humbling Illumination One every way so fit and suitable to them according to all their wants and woes so far in Splendour and Majesty surpassing their unworthiness and yet laying his greatness flat at the feet of their necessities and miseries that when the soul doth see it it usually fills the head and heart and eyes with tears Oh that I have despised him so glorious Acts 2. 36 37. 4. It is an endearing and attractive Illumination Sinners may like Balaam see the glory of the Tents of Israel and the Star of Jacob but they esteem him not in all his glory Many reprobates under a lively Ministry may see some glory in Christ and in his Saints to think them the happy men yet not esteem of him in all his glory The damned in Hell see a glory in Christ else they would never grieve for the loss of him yet they cannot love him nor rejoyce in his glory But the light the Saints have of him makes Christ transcendent in their eyes and precious in their hearts they esteem him beyond ten thousand Worlds 3. But yet further The secret Gospel-hypocrites have not hearts effectually to use and improve the means unto salvation Salvation is the great end they would have but they come short in the use of means they draw not the Arrow to the head they drive not home enough in the use of means The closest hypocrites discover themselves in an ineffectual use of the means unto salvation Men out of the Church they perish because they have no remedy no saving means to help But why do those perish that are within the Church Is it because there is no remedy No but because they do not use the remedy Is it because they want means No but because they do not effectually improve the means Here they fall short herein they discover themselves Sirs There is a Spirit of sloath and slumber which the Lord ever leaves the best hypocrite unto The last Enemy God conquers in a man is his sloath Now this hangs upon the most refined hypocrite to the end he will Act but 't is remisly in order to salvation he 'l not act at all or will not act throughly In the Parable of the Talents one of the servants was cast Matth. 25. 24 25. away Why so because he had no Talent No but because he had no mind nor list to use his Talent he was idle and did not make his gain out of it to attain his end And therefore the Lord saith unto him Thou wicked and sloathful Vers 26. servant My Beloved all the Ordinances of God and all that time we have under them are Talents Now wherein do hypocrites fail There is a secret gain of Ordinances which hypocrites regard not Why have many souls set a great price upon Christ and yet have lost him and gone without him Because like indifferent chapmen they have had a desire to the Commodity but have been loth to be at the full cost for him The Lord sets before you the highest and most glorious end but 't is through many difficulties that we must arrive at it now there being a spirit of Security and sloth within and those dfficulties without a hypocrite sits down and rests under the shadow of his negligence and saith 'T is hard and because he cannot do so he hopes 't is but an infirmity and God will accept of his desires And here he perisheth The Israelites you know were bound for Canaan they aimed at it but when their spies had told them of the difficulties their spirits sunk within them only Caleb and Joshuah had upright hearts and followed the Lord fully These spiritual merchants do prize and earnestly desire the Treasures of Heaven here 's their end But to be at the cost to
God he tempteth not either by inward solicitation or by such an outward dispensation as may inforce to sin he that is the ultor or avenger of sin cannot be the Author of sin Thus let his people look upon him he trieth their obedience but doth not stir them up to sin 2. It stands with Gods Holiness and Righteousness to tempt and try his people That you may understand this you must know that 1. There are Temptations which are good And 2. There are Temptations which are evil Gods Temptations or Tryals of men are very good for as you heard God cannot tempt to sin and our answer to that Text in Jam. 1. 13 would resolve you here and untie this knot Yet for farther Dilucidation I pray you understand that to make a Temptation good there are three things required 1. He that tempts or tries another must have jus tentandi a Right or Authority to do it 2. He must have a just and good end And Thirdly He must tempt or try in a just way or by righteous means 1. He that tempts or tries another must have jus tentandi a just Right or Authority to do it and this Right God hath to tempt and try men For they are his creatures and the work of his hands He hath a glorious Soveraignty and Dominion over Angels and Men which he made Have not parents a power to try the Obedience of their Children so the means they use be just and lawful May not a General try the Valour and skill of his Soldiers and do not you try and prove the swiftness of your horse Nay may not a mam a just measure being observed try his own strength Seeing then God is the supream Rector and Governour of the World surely he hath an undoubted Right and Authority to tempt and try the dispositions of men and the virtue of his Saints 2. To make a temptation good he that tempts or tries must have a just and good end and this leads us to the 3. Point why God tempts and tries his people and that is three-fold 1. His own Glory 2. To manifest the vertues of his people 3. To manifest and draw out their infirmities 1. One end why God tempts and tries his Saints is to manifest and discover their graces virtues and perfections and this was one reason why God tempted Abraham God tryed Abraham that it may be known that he feared God Did not God know it before Yes but Sirs God speaks after the manner of men he deals with man after the manner of men God knew Abraham loved him and feared him but God speaks to Abraham as a man Now I know that thou fearest me and lovest me God will have the graces vertues and perfections of his Saints manifested and discovered 2. Another end why God tempts and tries his people is to discover and draw out their infirmities Vt latens creaturae vitium patefiat that some latent vice or sin of the Creature may be made manifest Thus the Text saith concerning Hezekiah 2 Chr. 32. 31. That in the business of the embassadors of the princes of Babylon who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart Sirs Hezekiah God had appeared in doing great wonders for him when Sennacherib came with a great Army against him the Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the mighty men of Valour and the Leaders and Captains in the Camp of the King of Assyria then there came Embassadors from the King of Babylon to Honour and Court Hezekiah because God had done so much for him By this transaction Hezekiah grew proud and God let him alone and left him to try him It is one of Gods glorious works to tempt a proud man and leave him to himself Observe the difference between the second temptation First when he tempts a man to discover his graces this is from God himself but when God tempts to discover sin it is the cause of him who is tempted and not in God who tempts him 3. The third end why God tempts his people is for his glory Job was tempted most sadly and though the temptation was executed by Satan yet it was instituted and appointed by Gods Ordination God had owned Job for his servant and his brave servant too for an upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil Have you so good and high an opinion of him saith Satan do but touch his estate and his body and he will curse thee to thy face sayst thou so saith God tempt him saith God and try him to the uttermost I will give thee a Warrant and Commission to do it Satan sets upon him as far as God enlarged his Commission and Job was grievously afflicted yet found upright in the main steel to the back and made Gods word good How did God gain glory over Satan here Glory to his truth what God had said of Jobs commendation Job verified Glory to his Holiness that he kept upright and gracious servants Glory to his excellency and all-sufficiency that his servants will not part with him for any other master let their afflictions and hardships in his service be what they will they will not change their God he is a better Lord and Master with afflictions than the World is or can be with all sugar'd-sops of honour or prosperity his service is worth all their afflictions and sorrows in it that poverty with God is better than riches and reproaches with God are better than honours How is Gods worth and glory magnified here by Jobs Temptations 2. God gains Glory from his Saints themselves I say his tempted Saints They will afterwards admire and adore and thank and praise him that his Soveraignty would make use of them unworthly wretches for his service and honour them with any employment for him that his free grace would give them grace to engage for him rather than sin that his power would bear them up with strength under their trials and temptations for they ascribe all both Combat and Victory to his power saying Who was sufficient for these things that his power should be made perfect in their weakness that he should by weak instruments do such great things preserve small sparks of fire in so great a Sea of trials and keep weak candles alive in the face of such strong winds and assaults that God by such poor twigs as they are should beat the old great serpent Oh this makes much for the praise of his power that his mercy should watch over them in their temptations and turn all to their good refine them from their dross accept what was good in them and pardon what is evil and at last deliver them out of all I tell you when God shall appear he will be glorified and admired in all his Saints for these things even for their trials and temptations 3. If the Saints do stumble and
therefore bear them with willingness and patience 2 Cor. 4. 16. gain if he tempts you by losses your loss is your gain your wants will be your riches your outward poverty will be your spiritual wealth what you lose one way you 'l get another what you lose in the flesh you 'l get in the spirit Though the outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day saith Blessed Paul the soul grows new as the body by pressures grows old Afflictions may make thy outward face look withered and aged but thine inward man grows young and vigorous by them It is good for me saith David that I have been afflicted Now then bring your heart to this and bear all the temptations of the Lord with willingness and patience Vse 10. See God on the top of every trial or temptation God saith the Text did tempt Abraham you will say God tempted Abraham by word of mouth by an express command Is God wont to tempt and try men thus in these days I answer no you heard that God doth tempt and try men two manner of ways 1. Immediately by himself thus he tempted Abraham thus was Christ led by the Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness 2. Mediately by means and instruments by Satan sometimes by wicked men other times yea by Saints also sometimes as the Lord Christ was tempted by Peter when he spake of his sufferings Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto Matth. 16. 22. Job 2. 9. thee And Job was tempted by his own dear wife Curse God and dye And this is the Order of God at this day you see the means the instruments of temptation but though God be not seen yet he stands upon the top of every temptation no wheel moves in the world but by the direction and counsel of the first mover There is a concatenation of causes and God is at the upper end of the chain and nothing can be done by any link of the chain of second causes without the first cause In the fourth to the Hebrews there it is said that Jesus Christ Vers 15. was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Mark it his Temptations were in all points like ours Temptations may be taken 1. For sufferings Or 2. For temptation to sin as having a power or causality moving us thereunto As for Christs sufferings they were exactly like unto ours To that end he took a Body and Soul and in his state of humiliation lay actually under them and felt them As for temptation to sin that is inward and outward Inwardly indeed he was not tempted but outwardly he was by men and devils more than ever man was and was tempted to the same kind of sins at least some of them which we being tempted to commit yet he never sinned Now the Apostle tells you there that he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities We have not an High priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Nay because he was tempted like as we are he cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities that is he cannot but be inwardly affected with the sense of our temptations Sirs your temptations touch him the temptations that you feel touch him his very bowels are full of the feeling of your infirmities he is acted with mercy and compassion towards you and he would have man to know it That which is the object of his compassion is our infirmities that is sins of the soul and pains of the body but chiefly sin infirmity here is sin and punishment sin and suffering which makes our case very miserable Some will think that Christ is not touched with the feeling of my sins others will think Christ is not touched with the feeling of my sorrows but ye are mistaken poor souls ye are mistaken saith the Apostle we have an High priest that is touched with the feeling of our infirmities with the sense and feeling of both of your sin and guilt of your sorrows and sufferings Whatever troubles you troubles Christ and the reason why he is so sensible of our sad conditions is because he was tempted in all points like unto us Christ as God is infinitely merciful but he became man tempted man that he might be sensible of our infirmities with our own humane affections that he might pity man with the affections of a man with such affections as we are wont to pity one another and therefore he was not only man but a tempted man because experimental knowledg and practical sense is the most effectual Hearken then you tempted souls how deeply is Christ touched with the feeling of your infirmities who was himself a tempted man as ye are he was in all points tempted like unto us This is that wonderful way which God by his profound Wisdom contrived to make his mercy greater and in some sort more than infinite he would have a kind of knowledg of mans infirmities which as God and Infinite he could never have AN ACCOUNT OF MANS TEMPTATIONS Psalm LXXIX 41. Yea they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel THIS Psalm is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exhortative and Instructive 1. The Psalm is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suasive and Exhortative in the first verse Give ear O my people to my law encline your ears to the words of my mouth 2. The Psalm is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Instructive and Teaching I say for their choice Instruction and gathered out of the Records of Gods Providence towards his own people the Jews at the second verse I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us We will not hide them from Vers 3. 4. their children shewing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done c. And that which the Psalmist would instruct them in is to obey God and adhere to him in dependance and subjection And not to be as their Fathers a stubborn and Vers 8. rebellious generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God He warns them against Rebellion because their Ancestors and Fathers sinned at that rate and were severely punished by God Where you may observe by the way Observ That to say our Fore-fathers did thus and thus therefore so will we is no good argument Shall we be wiser than our Forefathers yes that you must or else you may smart for it The Holy Ghost here tells them that they must not be as their Fathers no sirs you must be better than your Forefathers the Light of the Gospel should make you far better and time should make you better and experience should make you better the example of Fore-fathers is not to be followed except wherein they followed the Lord.
might intangle him in his talk And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians saying Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the persons of men Tell us therefore what thinkest thou Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites Shew me the tribute money and they brought unto him a penny And he said unto them Whose is this image and superscription They say unto him Caesars Then saith he unto them Render therefore unto Caesar the things Verse 21. that are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods They came to Christ that they might tempt him that is to try what he would say to see what words would drop from him which they might gather up to his hurt And their tempting of Christ sprang not 1. From an holy but a wicked principle not a love of knowing the justness and truth of Christ but an hatred of him 2. The Medium or means they used was as bad they commended him to the sâ—ies that they might cut his throat Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the person of men Tell us therefore what thinkest thou Is it lawful to pay tribute unto Caesar or not Did ye ever hear such gilded flattery Though they spake nothing but truth yet nothing did they speak in truth here was no sincerity in their speech but a cunning simulation of his goodness honesty and fidelity 3. Their end was bloody and cruel in all these fair speeches they sought the blood of Christ they tempted him that Vers 15. they might entangle him in his speech 1. Here was an intentional tempting of Jesus Christ 2. They tempted him with their words 3. Their end was to destroy him Again in a sinful tempting of God this is also another ingredient when we make a tryal of him Sine vocatione sine necessitate sine causa without a call without necessity without a cause Lastly Sinful tempting of God is either in excessu or defectu in the excess or defect 1. In the defect when God is tempted by our unbelief diffidence distrust and doubting of his power presence promises and will to do any thing for us so men tempt God Omittendo quod oportet in omitting what ought to be done by them 2. In the excess when God is tempted nimia confidentia by too much confidence when with the abuse of his promises and the neglect of the Divine Method and Order he hath prescribed they will presume of Gods Presence and seek a tryal of his assistance and expect his mercy and preservation To conclude when men in doing what they Sive faciendo quod non oportet sive omittendo quod oportet ought not or in omitting what they ought to do Neglectu licitorum vel usu illicitorum in the neglect of things lawful or the use of things unlawful they seek a tryal or experiment of the favour or power of God they tempt him sinfully and of this sinful tempting of God doth our Doctrine speak when it saith Sinful man is so bold and impudent as to tempt the Lord God And of this I shall shew you 1. That sinful man is so bold as to tempt and try God 2. It is a sin thus to tempt and try the Lord God 3. Why doth sinful man tempt and try God 4. And then what we have shewed but in the general we shall shew you in particulars what it is to tempt God in a sinful way 1. Sinful man is so bold as to tempt God You may see this in the 18th verse of this Psalm And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust And in my Text They tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel And at the 56th verse They tempted and provoked the most high God and kept not his testimonies And when I say that sinful man is so bold as to tempt God I wrap up the godly also in this expression For though they are godly yet they are not perfectly godly indeed they are sinfully godly I mean they have sin in them mingled with their godliness I say then that good and gracious men sometimes tempt the Lord. Zacharias tempted God The Scripture gives him and his Luk. 1. 6. wife this character That they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless and yet Zacharias sinfully tempted God You know while he was executing the Priests office there appeared unto him an Angel of the Lord and told him Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a Son and thou shalt call his name Vers 13. John But Zacharias said unto the Angel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 18. whereby shall I know this Here he tempted and tryed God verbis in words or speech How shall I know the truth of God in this message For I am an old man and my wife well-stricken in years that is we are both unlikely for such a thing and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How shall I know Cornelius a lapide in loc this by what shall I know it that is give me a sign shew me a miracle to prove the truth of what thou promiseth and the Angel gave him a sign but 't was a sign of rebuke he struck him speechless for it he hanged up a sign at his mouth Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until Vers 20. the day that these things shall be performed He shall ask no more questions for forty weeks because he asked this one distrustfully 2. It is a sin thus to tempt and try the Lord God 1. Because it is against the Royal Command his Regal Authority hath forbidden us to tempt him ye shall not tempt Deut. 6. 16. or try the Lord God and therefore Jesus Christ himself durst not do it When Satan having set him upon a Pinacle Matth. 4. 5 6 7. of the Temple said unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down Christ said unto him It is written that is in Deut. 6. 16. There saith Christ it is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 2. To tempt and try God is against the Reverend and Religious respect to God which the creature should bear toward him we may tempt our inferiour but it is boldness to tempt our superiour 3. In every such Temptation or tempting of God there is an undervaluing of God Will the Lord be gracious unto me I will try him thus we tempt the goodness of the Lord thus we tempt God because we suspect his Power and his Goodness and Ability 3. Why does sinful man tempt God and try him 1. Sometimes it springs from unbelief and doubting of Gods Power and