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He doth not mean the Creatures of the world, but the Lusts of the world; Take it in particular, David when he had committed Adultery, which was a lust of the flesh, 2 Sam. 11.3. this was evill in the sight of the Lord, therefore it was not pleasing to him, he pleased himself, but not God in this; in other
things he was a man after Gods own heart, in this after his own heart. So what made Joseph abstain from the like sin, but because he considered it would be a great sin against God? so for Covetousnesse, a lust of the eye, God abhors it, Psal. 10.3. he is so far from loving it, that he hates both it and the covetous man, Isa. 57.17. For the wickedness of his covetousnesse I was wrath with him; and for pride of life that God hates, Prov. 6.16, 17. it is one of the most loathsome things in the sight of God, 1 Pet. 5.5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, God warres against a proud man, he sets an army against him, and therefore seeing God hates these, he cannot be the Author or Fountaine of them; it is manifest that they spring not from God, for he abhors them, hates them, punishes them, Job 34.9 10, 11, 12. Rom. 1.18, 19. Gal. 5.17. the flesh lusteth against the Spirit of God, therefore God is against them. But what is the reason why they cannot challenge their Original from God.
Reas. 1. From the purity of God, Hab. 1.8. he is of pure eyes, and so ab∣hors all sin; What fellowship hath light with darknesse? what fellow ship hath filthy lusts of the flesh with a pure God? what fellowship hath a ••••vetous heart with a liberal God, a proud heart with the great God? a proud man will be his first cause, and last end, and therefore hatefull to God, Psal. 5.4, 5.
Reas. 2. From the basenesse, and indisposednesse of sin to the service of God, Jam. 1.13, 14. there is nothing in sin, for which God should desire it, or re∣spect it, or make use of it.
Obj. Doth not the Scripture manifest that there is no sin, but God hath a great hand in it? why did Josephs Brethren fell him, was it not from envy, and from pride? and yet he saith it was God that fold him, Gen. 45.7.8. was it not from envy that the Pharisees crucified Christ? and yet it was but what God fore or∣dained; and for Judas, was it not from covetousnesse that he betrayed him? and yet God had decreed it; and for the lusts of the flesh, doth not God speake plainly, That he would give Davids wives into the hands of Absalom? so that no sin but it is from Gods hand, nor pride, nor covetousnesse, nor voluptuousnesse, how is it then that no lust can challenge its Original from God, they are not of the Father?
Ans. They are of the Father as of the World, but not in that sence as they are of the World; they are not from him as an Author, or Fountaine, or causa per se, for the good God can worke no evill, but yet there is no sin but he is the occasion of it, though the cause of no sin; all good things come from God as a cause, all evill as from an occasion thereof; as the Gospel is a Gos∣pel of peace, and from the God of Peace, yet it is made a fire-brand of con∣tention, to set men at variance and strife, Mark 10. but it is not the proper worke of the Gospel, but of the corrupt distemper of men that abuse it to the contrary end, there is no work of sin that doth per se propagate by God, but by occasion. Now, the accidental work of God in sin stands.
First, So God would hearden Pharoahs heart; How? by leaving him to himself, as wax left to it selfe will grow hard, how much more the stony heart of man? God not ruling and working in his heart, it grows hard.
Secondly, He left him to Satan, he suffered Satan to helpe his South-sayers to doe the like miracles as Moses did, Exod. 7.13.22. and because he saw his Enchanters could doe so much, he thought they were no better than his Magi∣cians.
Thirdly, He hardens our hearts often by many comforts, mercies, and out∣ward blessings, and these often harden our hearts, as respite from Judgements did Pharaohs, Exod. 8.15. when it should lead us to repentance, Rom. 2.4, 5. yet by occasion it hardens our hearts, so for other lusts.
How did God tempt Absalom? First, by leaving him to his lustfull heart.
Secondly, By leaving him to ill counsell.
Thirdly, By giving the Kingdome into his hand, so that he took liberty to commit that wickednesses to lye with his Fathers Concubines. So, how did God work Josephs selling into Egypt?
First, By turning his Fathers love towards him, above his other Bre∣thren.
Secondly, By his dreams which stirre them up to sell him, so that God, only gives the occasion, and propounds objects; which they abuse to sin; so God stirred up the Pharisees, and Judas, to Crucifie and betray Christ, God left him to himselfe, then
1 Satan fil'd his heart, Joh. 13.2.27. and God gave a fit opportunity to take him; so the Pharisees they envied him, they saw he would take away their glory and credit, therefore they envied him, but those were but such occasions as they might have resisted, he laid them by them, but rhey needed not have taken them up, he tryed them by it, but he did not tempt them to doe it. So Adams sin, God led him into a Temptation, but it was but of trial, not of seducement, it was Temptatio probationis, not seductionis, he propoun∣ded a goodly tree to him, and the fruit faire to the eye, but the cause of all was their own consent, and mutability, which they might have re∣sisted.
And for Gods Decree, though they did nothing but what God decreed, Gods purpose never decreed any sin should be wrought otherwise than as it is wrought by the propounding objects and occasions, and leaving them to themselves and Satan, but he never decreed to force any to sin, therefore let God and his Throne be guiltlesse, let iniquity rest on the wicked, but Gods hand is not with it.
Ʋse 1. Is a just refutation of the Papists, that impute it to us, as if we made God the Author of Sin, whereas we teach and beleeve, that there is no sin in the world that is from the Father, but from the world, let no man when he is tempted say, he is tempted of God, for he findes nothing in sin to desire it, but his care is to shew the wisdome of his Providence and Justice; we say there is no sin but God gives occasion to; if Shimei curse David, the Lord bid him; that is, gives him opportunity; so the Lord stirred up the Pharisees to Crucifie Christ, but all this was not from God as a proper cause. Suppose a man were Master of many Horses, and one falls lame, what, shall not the Master ride on him because he halts? it is not the Masters fault that the Horse halts, but from some distemper, or disease in the Horse, and he knows it too, yet he will not leave off using him for that; what if God know if he send showers there will grow as well Weeds as good Corn, and Herbs, what then, must he therefore restrain the showers? no, it is meet his Provi∣dence should be fulfilled; what if the dunghill stinke by the Sun beams, shall not the Sun therefore shine? the Sun causes not the stink properly, but the filth in the Dunghil, so there is nothing but Gods Providence worketh; what if his Providence turn many things to sin, the fault is not in Gods Provi∣dence, but mens corruptions, but he is as far ftom the Sin, as the Sun from stench.
Ʋse 2. To reprove all such foolish men as wrong Gods Providence, that if they fall into any sin, they impute it to destiny, and if it be it is from God hand, or else it had not been, Deus impulsor fuit; what a prophane thing is this for a man to impute his sin to God? God is no more the cause of any sins than the Sun is the cause of the stench of a Dunghil, God forbids it, hates it, and punishes it: was Absalom therefore innocent because God gave his Fa∣thers Wives into his hands; No, God punishes his sin before all the people, because be committed his sin openly before them all.
Ʋse 3, To teach every man and woman to abhor all these sins, all Pride, Gluttony, Adultery, Covetousnesse; detest them; why? because they are not of the Father, God takes no pleasure in high looks, what pleasure takes he in
unclean lusts, in covetousnesse? he detests them, and abhors them; therefore if they be not from God, what should good men have to doe with them? what should we meddle with that which we have no Word or Commandement for? abhor these lusts therefore, and detest them, let those follow them whose chief good is in the World, but live you as become Gods Servants.
Ʋse 4. May teach us to cloath our selves with the contrary Graces, if those lusts be not from the Father, then surely contrary Graces are; therefore deck your seves with humility, God resisteth the proud, but gives grace to the humble, Mat. 11.28. Learn of me, for I am humble and meek; Humility is of me, but Pride, that is not of the Father, but of the world; so for heavenly-mind∣ednesse, Col. 3.1. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above; heavenly mindednesse that is from Christ, therefore be of an higher minde than the world; Alas, are these worldly things your highest things? it is a sign you are not risen with Christ; and so for the lusts of the flesh, there is o∣ther meat than bodily food, John 6.29. John 4.34. we may make use of our bellies, but we may not make them our gods, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. deck your selves with sobriety, chastity, temperance, liberality, humility; thus walk, and you shall finde rest to your souls.