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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 ex∣traordinary Transports, and Assu∣rances, and Manifestations of special Kindness, as he hath not promised: If we have not such sensible Con∣solation, and Quickning in every Ordinance, such Enlargement in every solemn Duty, &c. If we have not these, we make hard Con∣clusions 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 al∣low
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 re∣ceives 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 Temp∣tation, 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 a∣void 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 o∣thers 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 the Lord his God. He that cannot swim, and will plunge himself into a deep River, if he sink and be drowned, may thank his own Pre∣sumption. You know how unable you are to stand against Tempta∣tion; and therefore it is desperate Boldness to adventure where you are sure to be Tempted. Can a Man take Fire into his Bosom, and his Clothes not be burnt? Prov. 26.27. You put your selves out of the
Protection of God's Grace, and give the Devil an Advantage against you; and so it is no wonder if you are overcome. You cannot pretend the Strength of the Temptation for your Excuse, for you might have avoided the Snare. Never say that you could not resist the Tempra∣tion, it was so strong, when you might have avoided it, so as not to have been Tempted.
THE more we know of the Corruption of our Nature, the more Reason shall we see for daily Prayer to God, that he would not lead us into Temptation: for we are seldom brought into Temptations, and brought off from them, without Sin. When the Devil comes to us, he cannot say that he finds nothing in us upon which to fasten: As is said concerning our Blessed Saviour, Joh. 14.30. The Prince of this World cometh, and hath nothing in me. His Temptations could not enter, there was no inward Lust to receive
them. But our Hearts are ready to kindle upon the least Spark that falls: As soon as Satan knocks, we open the Door and entertain him. We have so much Experience of this, that it were the greatest Folly in the World to venture upon Temptation, and expect the Help of that Grace, which we know we have forfeited. A Man may as well put his Finger into the Fire, and hope he shall not feel Pain.
IF Peter will go into the High Priest's Hall without a Warrant, no wonder if he fall. If People will marry without any regard to Religion in their Choice; if they care not where they dwell, or with whom, or what kind of Persons they have for their Domesticks; if Persons that pretend to Religion will frequent Play-Houses, and read filthy Histories, or Comedies, or obscene Poetry, (for the Wit or Language-sake, as they say; that
is, will rake into a filthy Dunghil, in hopes of finding a Jewel, with the manifest hazard of being poi∣soned by the Stench;) if they will adventure the corrupting of their Principles, by hearkening to every bold Atheist, that will burlesque the Holy Scriptures, and overturn the Foundations of all Christianity, if not of Natural Religion too; such Persons they tempt God to leave them to themselves; and the Event will prove what need there was of praying, and indeavouring, that we may not fall into Temptation.
I INSIST the longer upon this, because it is so necessary to be considered by All: to take heed how we tempt God, by making bold with the Occcasions of Sin. It is a merciful Providence to have our Circumstances, and Condition of Life so ordered, that we must go out of our way to Sin, we must seek it with some Difficulty. For more Grace is needful to save us
from Sin in the Neighbourhood of great Temptations, than while we are at a distance. Every one there∣fore, according to the Sins he knows himself most inclined to, should watch to keep as far as lawfully he may from Temptation. Why should we eat that which we know we must vomit up again? do that which we know we must Repent of? And if you may not eat, why should you taste? And if you may not taste, why should you desire to See it, or have it before you, or come near it? Read the fifth, sixth and ninth Chapters of the Proverbs; and what is spoken concerning one Sin, is true of the Occasions that lead to others.
IF we will not keep at a distance from the Snare, we gratify Satan, and provoke God to leave us in his Hands. It is possible you may come off safe from the Occasions to sin, but you are not sure of that Grace that is needful to it. Your
Experience may teach you, your frequent Falls may instruct you, how dangerous it is to have Temp∣ting Objects near, and in view. To see whether I am able to resist Temptation, when I may avoid it, is boldly to tempt God, and to sin for Trial-sake. We should keep as far as we may, from the Confines of that Fire that is apt to put our Passions into a Fever, and raise Disorders in our Souls. The Na∣zarites, who by the Law of God were obliged to abstain from Wine, or strong Drink, or any Liquor of Grapes, were forbidden also to eat of the Grape green or dried; they were not so much as to taste of the Husk or Kernel, or of the Skin of a Grape, or Raisin * 1.1.
IF we know that such or such things have been Snares to us here∣tofore, and are like to prove so a∣gain; that such a Game, or such a
Conversation, is like to be prejudi∣cial to me in particular, and draw me to sin; I am accessory to the Temptation, and to all the Sin and Mischief that follows, if yet I will venture.
THEY who seem the best pre∣pared, and resolved, do yet need this Caution: For none can tell what they are, till Trial, and Oc∣casion discover them. To be Tem∣perate, when a Man hath not where∣withal to be otherwise: To be Chaste, and have no Temptation to Uncleanness; to appear Meek, and have no Provocation; or for a Ser∣vant to be Just, and not to pilfer and steal, while his Master's Eye is upon him; this is comparatively a small Matter. But to be chaste in Sodom, to be temperate, as Timo∣thy in Asia, amongst the luxurious Ephesians; to be awed by the Fear of God, and kept from Folly, when solicited to it, as Joseph; this is the Trial of our Strength. If a
Man be so foolish, as out of choice to stand near a Precipice, a small Push will throw him over, when a far greater would not have hurt him upon a Level.
AƲSTIN relates the Story of his Friend Alyppius, who, by the Impor∣tunity of his Acquaintance, consen∣ted to go to the Theatre; yet with a Resolution not to open his Eyes, lest the sight of those Spectacles should intice his Heart: But being there, the Noise and sudden shouting of the Multitude prevailed so far with him that he forgot his Resolution, takes the liberty to see what occa∣sioned the Shout; and once seeing, is now so enflamed with Delight, that he shouts as the rest do, and becomes a Frequenter of the Thea∣tre as others: All his Resolution did not avail, when the Tempta∣tion was brought to his Sense.
IT is a bold and dangerous Un∣dertaking, to court the Opportunities of sinning, to invite an Enemy, to
imbrace a Danger; tho a Man do it, as he pretends, to get the Plea∣sure of a Victory, and to give Proof of his Piety in resisting; it is twen∣ty to one but he is surprized, and overcome: Like the Folly, as one observes, of that Egyptian who ac∣knowledged Fire for his God; and one day doing his Devotions, kissed his God after the manner of Wor∣shippers, and burnt his Lips. Just such a Fool is he who hugs a Temp∣tation, tho with a design of Vertue; he burns himself in the Neigh∣bourhood of the Flame, and is like to perish in his own Folly. It is to call the Danger nearer, that we may run from it. And let Men mean never so well, they cannot act wisely, who will go to meet the World, and invite the Devil, and venture upon his Ground: They consider not, that by running upon Temptation, they have no Promise of God to be delivered out of it; and because they Tempt him, he
justly leaves them to miscarry, as the Punishment of their Rashness.
BEWARE therefore of trying Conclusions, how near you may ap∣proach to Sin, and not be defiled; how you adventure to gratify your Curiosity, to go where you may be ensnared, where your Danger is greater than your Business. You consider not, that to be near Sin, is to be near the Wrath of God, and the Fire of Hell; and to come near it, is the common way of coming to it. It is the Devil's cunning to make you confident of your own Strength, to tell you you need not fear; you can run a greater Hazard than this, you can bear a stronger Temptation than this; What tho you are in bad Company, are you such a Child that you can∣not govern your self? But since our Flesh and corrupt Inclination is on the Tempter's side, our strongest Resolutions may then fail us: And if we make bold with the Temp∣tations,
and Occasions of Sin, we Tempt God, and provoke him to leave us to our selves.
3. WHEN we run upon any such thing as requires the Extra∣ordinary Assistance of God's Grace and Spirit, without any Ground or Promise from the Word of God to expect it: When a Man of weak Shoulders will attempt to bear a Burden, that would require a Samp∣son's Back. When we will rush upon such things, as are beyond our Ability and Strength, and ex∣pect Extraordinary Help, without a Promise. As when, by the neg∣lect of the ordinary way of im∣proving our Minds in Knowledg, we think to do those things unto which the greatest Improvements of Knowledg are required. If the Sons of Sceva will undertake to exercise the Devil, no wonder if he prevail against them, Acts 19.16.
THE Popish Vows of perpetual Virginity are a Tempting of God
and Christ in this respect; because there is no Promise of God's Assi∣stance, that they shall be able to perform such a Vow: There is no Promise, that whoever will resolve and endeavour it, shall be able to lead a single Life without Marriage. So the Apostles were offended with them that would injoin Christians to observe the Jewish Ceremonies, after Christ's Ascension to Heaven: Not only because they were laid aside by the Death of Christ, but because there was no Promise of the Divine Presence, and Assistance any longer in that Worship: This there∣fore is called a Tempting of God, Acts 15.10.
Numb. 6.3, 4.