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The many ways of implicit, indirect Tempting Christ. Some Instan∣ces with respect to his Truth.
Secondly. THERE is an Impli∣cit, Indirect Tempting of God; as to his Truth, Power, Knowledg, Providence, Grace, Pati∣ence, &c. whereof we may be many ways guilty.
I. AS to the Truth of God. When we disbelieve what he hath promised or threatned, and questi∣on his Fidelity to make it good.
This is contrary to the Nature and Office of Faith, whose Excellency it is to give Glory to God, by be∣lieving in the most difficult Cases. Many a convinced Sinner, under the sense of his former Guilt, when he sees the Aggravations of his Folly, and of his Rebellion, does thus tempt God, by doubting of the Truth of his Word to pardon and forgive such Sinners as he, tho he should never so truly and unfeig∣nedly Repent Whereas God has expresly told us, that if the Wicked forsake his Way, and the Ʋnrighteous Man his Thoughts, he will multiply Pardons: And that the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all Sin. Many a me∣lancholy, timerous Christian, under the sense of their own Weakness, may likewise incur this Guilt, by questioning the Grace of God to enable them to persevere, by rea∣son of the present Temptations they meet with, or those they ex∣pect: Tho God has told us, that
his Grace shall be sufficient, and that he will not suffer us to be tempted a∣bove what we are able; and that he who hath begun a good Work, will carry it on, and perfect it to the Day of Christ.
GOD had expresly promised to bring the Jews into the Land of Canaan; but their Journey had been long and tedious, they were dis∣couraged because of the Way, they were founder'd in their Patience, and could not stay God's Leisure; and therefore questioned his Word of Promise; and so they tempted him concerning his Truth.
BUT it is more common to tempt him with respect to the Truth of his Threatnings. As if he were not resolved to fulfil his Word against those who are finally Impenitent, and Unbelieving. Tho he hath told us, That he that made them will will shew them no Mercy: And that the Wicked shall be turned into Hell, with All of every Nation that con∣tinue
to forget God: And that Christ shall be revealed from Heaven in fla∣ming Fire, to render Vengeance to them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel: Yet Sinners believe it not, they will venture to see what will become of the Threatning: By a like Presumption with those, Isa. 5.19. Let him make haste, and hasten his Work, that we may see it: Let the Counsel of the Holy One of Israel, and his threatned Vengeance draw nigh and come, that we may know it.
THE first Imposture, by which the Devil tempted and allured our first Parents, was of this kind; Ye shall not surely die. As if the threatning of Divine Wrath against obstinate and incorrigible Sinners, had more of Terror in it, than of Truth; and that Men should never be called to an Account hereafter, for what they do in this World: at least should never be condemned to Eternal Torments, tho they live
and die in their Unbelief, and Impe∣nitence. As if God would be more merciful than his Threatnings can import, tho he hath told us, how far his Mercy shall reach, and to whom, and that the Day of his Patience is concluded at farthest with the Day of our Death. But thus to presume against express Scrip∣ture, that there shall be no Judg∣ment, and no Hell, or that it shall not be Eternal, when it is as ex∣presly said that the Wicked shall go away into Everlasting Punishment, as the Righteous into Life Eternal; this is to Tempt God with respect to his Truth. Men in the Vigor of their Strength, when their Spirits are inflamed with Wine, and their Hearts hardened by Atheistical Company and Discourse, may dare to talk thus presumptuously; but we find the same Persons on a sick Bed, when they approach to the other World, and apprehend they can stay no longer in this, have
commonly other Apprehensions of these things: their Hearts sink, their Courage fails them, and they would rather die the Death of the Righteous, however they formerly derided the Folly of their Life.