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A60130
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A discourse of tempting Christ by John Shower.
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Shower, John, 1657-1715.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing S3662; ESTC R28141
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35,083
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122
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have room to receive it and make that all Nations shall call you blessed To the like purpose we read in Psal 81.13 14. O that my People had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways I should soon have subdued their Enemies and turned my Hand against their Adversaries But they would not try me and trust me GOD condescends to speak such Language unto All of us Prove me saith he by obeying my Voice and hearkening to my Word Enter into my Service see whether I am a hard Master Take my Yoke upon you see whether it be not easy and my Burden light Try whether my Service be not better than that of Sin and the World See whether any can do for you that which I can and will do Come unto me says Christ if you are weary and heavy laden and see whether I cannot give you Rest Do but make a Trial whether the Ways of Wisdom be not Pleasantness and her Paths Peace Condemn not Religion for a melancholy tedious burdensome thing before you have found it so upon Trial. See whether seeking the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof in the first place be not the way to have all other things added in the best Proportion Make a Trial at least for a time whether to walk uprightly and keep a Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man be not the only way to walk surely in the most difficult Times and turn of Affairs publick or private PROVE me now says God whether he that fears God and works Righteousness shall not be Accepted See whether I am a barren Wilderness or a Land of Drought whether ever you shall have reason to Repent your turning from Sin and Vanity to walk in my Way whether ever any shall be Losers by their Fidelity to me O THAT Magistrates Ministers Gentlemen Students Merchants Tradesmen Parents Children Heads of Families and Servants younger elder Persons under what Denomination soever they may be ranked would All in their several places instead of Tempting Christ make a Trial of his Faithfulness to his Promises unto such as are diligent and faithful to the performance of the Duty O that Magistrates would but try whether Fidelity to God and Zeal for his Glory and Concern for his Honour and Care that his Laws be observed and the Violation of them punished whether this be not the best way to their own Safety Honour and Establishment and the only Exaltation and Security of the People O that Ministers would but try whether hearty Love to God and Christ and the Souls of Men and fervent Desires and Endeavours to approve our selves to the All-seeing God in seeking to promote the Faith and Holiness and Joy of Christians and their Union Love and Concord one with another be not the best way for our Acceptance and Success O that Merchants and Tradesmen would but try by constant Dependance upon God and daily Prayer in their Closets and Families and strict Justice and Righteousness in their Dealings and by chusing and encouraging such Servants as fear the Lord and by keeping up the Worship and Authority of God in their Houses whether this be not the best way to banish the Curse of God from their Habitation and to obtain that Blessing of Heaven upon their Diligence in their Callings which will make Rich without the Addition of Sorrow O that Parents would try whether by dedicating their Children to God betimes and educating them diligently in the Fear and Nurture of the Lord and disgracing Sin to them telling them the Evil and the Danger of it and antidoting them against Temptation saving them from Pride and Idleness and evil Company making Religion pleasant to them and setting an holy Example before them c. whether this be not the best and only way to have Comfort in them O that we who are the Children of Religious Holy Parents would but try whether there will not be a double Blessing from Heaven upon us if we own our Fathers God and our Mothers God If we keep within the Bond of his Covenant and remember his Commandments to do them if we cut not off the Entail of Covenant-Blessings with our own Hands if we obey the God of our Fathers with a perfect and upright Heart Let us prove him and try whether he will not fulfil his Promise That the Mercy of the Lord shall be from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him and his Righteousness or Faithfulness to the Childrens Children IN SHORT let us All resolve to Tempt God and Christ no more as we have done but to prove him by our holy Obedience And we shall find by Experience that committing our Way to God in well-doing is the wisest and easiest and sweetest Life through all the Changes of this present World That by casting our Bread upon the Waters and giving to the Poor we do but lend unto the Lord and he will surely repay it That to sanctify the lord's-Lord's-Day is the proper Method to have the Blessing of Heaven all the Week That to live the Life of the Righteous and to begin to remember and serve him in our Youth is the only proper Method for a long Life and a good old Age or a peaceful Death a Comfortable Account and a Blessed Eternity FINIS These following Books are published by Mr. John Shower and sold by John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey SOme Account of the Holy Life and Death of Mr. Henry Gearing late Citizen of London Who departed this Life January the 4th 169¾ Aged 61. With the Trial and Character of a Real Christian collected out of his Papers for the Examination of himself From which several other Particulars are added for the Instruction Encouragement and Imitation of Christians The Mourners Companion or Funeral Discourses from several Texts 8o. Price bound 1 s. 6 d. Death a Deliverance A Funeral Discourse to bind up with the Mourners Companion Sacramental Discourses on several Texts before and after the Lord's-Supper together with a Paraphrase on the Lord's-Prayer 12o. Price bound 1 s. 6 d. Practical Reflections on the late Earthquakes in Jamaica Engalnd Sicily Malta c. with a particular Historical Account of those and divers other Earthquakes Price bound 1 s. 6 d. The Day of Grace Or a Discourse concerning the Possibility and Fear of its being past before Death Shewing the groundless Doubts and mistaken Apprehensions of some as to their being finally forsaken and left of God with the dangerous Symptoms and Approaches of others to such a sad State In four Sermons from Psal 81.11 12. in 12o. Serious Reflections on Time and Eternity with some other Subjects Moral and Divine To which is annexed an Appendix concerning the first Day of the Year how observed by the Jews and may best be employed by a serious Christian The Third Edition 12o. In the Press of the same Author ' s. A Discourse of Family Religion in three Letters to a Friend in 12o. BOOK' 's Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey MR. Slater's Sermon on the Funeral of Mr. John Reynolds Minister 4o. His Sermon on the Funeral of Mr. Fricher 4o. His Sermon on the Thanksgiving-Day Octob. 27 1692. 4o. Mr. Giles Firmin's Answer to R. Davis 4o. An Apology for the Ministers who subscribed Mr. Williams his Book shewing that the Gospel which they preach is the old everlasting Gospel of Christ Against the Antinomians 4o. Mr. Hammond's Sermon on Mr. Steel's Funeral 8o. Miscellanea Sacra Containing Scriptural Meditations Divine Breathings occasional Reflections and sacred Poems 12o. A perpetual Almanack of Spiritual Meditations 12o. The Triumphs of Grace in the last Words and edifying Death of the Lady Margaret de la Musse 12o. Aickin's English Grammar or the English Tongue reduced to Grammatical Rules 8o. Clavis Grammatica or a ready way to the Latin Tongue 8o. The is now in the Press A Discourse of Family Religion by the Reverend Mr. Samuel Slater in 8o. Printed for J. Lawrence
their Fruits c. which many amongst the * See Dr. Towerson on the First Commandment Part 8. And Mr. Incr. Mather's Essay for recording of Illustrious Providences 8o. Chap. 8. p. 248 254. and 264 284. at large Romanists do commonly make use of with great shew of Devotion THESE things are granted by all to have no natural Aptitude for these Effects and therefore must receive their Force either from God or from the Vser or from the Devil Not from God for there is no Divine Revelation on which to bottom such a Faith which the Apostles had in the Miracles they wrought If we expect it either from our Selves or from the Devil it is to give the Glory that is due to God either to Satan or to our Selves When we use any such Means with the expectation of Success it is a kind of Magick which the Devil himself owns and gives Life to So is iâ— to use any Arts Rites or Ceremonies not understood of which we can give no Rational or Divine Account Tho he may not be visibly and corporally present or require presently any farther Covenants from the Users of them THE Devil no question is present at his own Rites and Ceremonies tho Men discern him not and may upon the use of them secretly produce those Effects which may gain Credit to them They fence themselves as one saith with the Devil's Shield against the Devil's Sword Tho the Persons have no Intention of making Application to the Devil yet if they make use of such Means for their Preservation from Diseases or Dangers or for the attaining of other Purposes they are chargeable with this Guilt because the Success cannot reasonably be expected from any other but Satan Especially if we will continue in such a Practice after the express Cautions given by God against the use of such things and his Detestation of them declared by casting out the * Levit. 19. 20.6 23. Deut. 18.10 11 12. Nations that possessed the Land of Canaan before the Israelites upon this very Account SECT XI Of laying Wagers concerning the future Determinations of Divine Providence Sixthly IMIGHT under this Head add a modern Instance of Tempting the Providence of God or that which I think is a very bold Trifling with it for Men to lay considerable Wagers and make a Trade of it likewise upon the future Determinations of Providence about the Success of Fleets and Armies c. Whether such or such a besieged Town shall be taken and delivered up upon such a Day or no. I would fain ask what Direction there is from the Word of God or what Example of holy Men in Scripture or in former Ages to countenance this Practice What Encouragement have Men to pray for the Blessingof Heaven every Morning upon such new Methods of getting Money If you pray for Success in these Wagers you must sometimes contradict another part of your own Prayers for the Progress of the Reformed Religion and the Welfare of England and if you wage one with another God cannot hear one of you without denying the other who lays on the other side If Men lose an Estate or bring themselves and Families to Poverty or Straits by such Methods as these they will be apt to have many uneasy Thoughts about it and hardly will be able to say with Job It was the Lord who gave and who hath taken away Blessed be his Holy Name BESIDES that it argues something in the Temper of Mens Minds that is worse than the thing it self viz. the want of a due Concern about the Publick Affairs of Europe and of what God is doing in the World But it not only discovers an ill Temper of Mind but has a very great Influence to make it worse As has been observed of several who have fallen into this new way of Trade SOME such Reflections it may be would reach unto other doubtful ways of Trade in this City But I pretend not to understand Matters of Trade sufficiently so as to give a positive Opinion in these Affairs but earnestly desire you would remember and consider this That in doubtful Cases the safest side is to be chosen And thus for Tempting God as to his External Providence SECT XII Of Tempting Christ with respect to his Inward Grace and the Assistance of the Holy Spirit Especially by bold venturing upon Temptation and the Occasions of Sin Seventhly ANOTHER way of Tempting God and Christ is with respect to his inward Grace and Assistance Either 1. WHEN we are not satisfied with the ordinary Influence of the Spirit of Grace in the Duties of Religion but are disquieted and perplexed if we have not such extraordinary Transports and Assurances and Manifestations of special Kindness as he hath not promised If we have not such sensible Consolation and Quickning in every Ordinance such Enlargement in every solemn Duty c. If we have not these we make hard Conclusions against God and our selves But this is to prescribe to God and so is a Tempting of him The like may be said of those who limit God unto such Means and unto such a Time for their Assurance and Peace of Conscience c. or else they are ready to despair of it for ever It is to oblige God absolutely where he has not bound himself what we desire not being absolutely necessary in it self or so necessary as the Glory of God some other way VVE must not therefore make Experiments of his Love to us by his granting our Desires in these Particulars A Father will not allow a Child to say If you love me let me have this or that at such a time and in such a manner but when he submissively begs and receives it he may say Now I know my Father loves me But we Tempt God when we would tie him up to our Circumstances of Time Manner and Measure in these as well as in other Cases 2. WHEN we voluntarily run into Temptation and hope the Grace of God will secure us tho we do or may very well know that where we go and what we do is like to prove a Snare and an Occasion of Sin If in the discharge of our Duty to God we meet with Temptation we may hope his Grace will be sufficient for us But if we will play upon the Hole of the Asp and come near the Cockatrice Den if we will walk by the House of the strange Woman when we may avoid it If we will make bold with the Opportunities and Incentives and Provocatives of Sin If we will frequent such Places and such Company as did formerly insnare us If we will gratify our Senses our Appetites or our Curiosity in such Things whereby we and others have formerly been defiled and then expect the Extraordinary Assistance of God's Grace to preserve us this is a Tempting of Christ HE that dares come close to the Threshold of a Sin as one says will soon be pluck'd within the Door for he hath Tempted