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diminution, and lefs is faid, than is intended by SER M. them; the meanings, that GOD is fo far from taking pleasure in fin, that he hath a perfect hatred and abhorrence of it. Hab. i. 13. "Thou art of purer "eyes than to behold evil, and canft not look upon iniquity." As when men hate a thing to the highest degree, they turn away their eyes, and cannot endure to look upon it. Light and darkness are not more oppofite to one another, than the holy nature of God is to fin. "What fellowship hath light "with darkness, or Gop with Belial ?"

Secondly, there is no allurement in the object, to ftir up any inclination in him towards it. Sin in its very nature is imperfection, and irregularity, crookedness, and deformity; fo that unless there be an inclination to it beforehand, there is nothing in it to move any one's liking or defire towards it; it hath no attractives or enticements in it, but to a corrupt and ill-difpofed mind.

Thirdly, neither are there external motives and confiderations, that can be imagined to tempt GOD to it, All arguments that have any temptation, are either founded in hope or fear; either in the hope of gaining some benefit or advantage, or in the fear of falling into fome mischief or inconvenience. Now the divine nature being perfectly happy, and perfectly fecured in its own happiness, is out of the reach of any of thefe temptations. Men are many times tempted to evil very strongly by these confiderations; they want many things to make them happy, and they fear many things which may make them miferable; and the hopes of the one and the fears of the other, are apt to work very

power

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SER M. powerfully upon them, to feduce them from their duty, and to draw them to fin: but the divine nature is firm against all these attempts, by its own fulness and fecurity. So that you fee now the propofition, upon which the apoftle grounds his argument, is evidently true, and beyond all exception, "that God cannot be tempted with evil." Let us then in the

Second place, confider the confequence that clearly follows from it, that because GoD cannot be tempted with evil," therefore he cannot tempt any 66 man to it." For why fhould he defire to draw men into that, which he himself abhors, and which is fo contrary to his own nature and difpofition? when men tempt one another to fin, they do it to make others like themfelves; and tempts men to fin, it is either out to God, or out of envy to men. confiderations can have any place in GOD, or be any motive to him to tempt men to fin.

when the devil of direct malice But none of these

Bad men tempt others to fin, to make them like themfelves, and that with one of thefe two defigns; either for the comfort or pleasure of company, or for the countenance of it, that there may be fome kind of apology and excufe for them.

For the comfort and pleasure of company. Man does not love to be alone; and for this reafon bad men endeavour to make others like themselves, that agreeing with them in the fame difpofition and manners, they may be fit company for them. For no man takes pleasure in the fociety and converfation of thofe, who are of contrary tempers and inclinations to them, because they are continually warring and clafhing with one another. And for this reafon bad

men

men hate and perfecute thofe that are good.

"Let SER M.

"us lie in wait (fay they) for the righteous, because "he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our "doings; he is grievous unto us even to behold; "for his life is not like other mens, and his ways. "are of another fafhion;" as it is expreft in the Wisdom of Solomon. So that wicked men tempt others to fin, that they may have the pleasure and contentment of their fociety. But now for this reafon GoD cannot be imagined to tempt men to fin; because that would be the way to make them un-. like himself, and fuch as his foul could take no pleasure in.

Another defign that bad men have in feducing others to fin, is thereby to give countenance to their bad actions, and to be fome kind of excuse and apology for them. Among men, the multitude of offenders does fometimes procure impunity, but it always gives countenance to vice; and men are apt to alledge it in their excufe, that they are not alone guilty of fuch a fault, that they did not do it without company and example; which is the reafon of that law, Exod. xxiii. 2. "Thou fhalt not follow a mul❝titude to do evil;" implying, that men are very apt to take encouragement to any thing that is bad, from company and example. But neither hath this reafon any place in GOD, who being far from doing evil himself, can have no reason to tempt others to do fo, by way of excufe, and vindication of himfelf.

And when the devil tempts men to fin, it is either out of direct malice to GOD, or out of envy to men, Out of malice to GOD, to fpoil his workmanship, and to pervert that which came innocent and upright

out

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SER M. out of his hands; to rob God of his fubjects, and to debauch them from their duty and allegiance to him; to strengthen the rebellion which he has raised against GoD, and to make him as many enemies as he can. But for this end GOD cannot tempt any man; for this would be to procure dishonour to himfelf, and to deface the work of his own hands.

Another reafon why the devil tempts men, is envy. When he was fallen from GOD, and happinefs, and by his own rebellion had made himself miferable, he was difcontented to fee the happy condition of man, and it grieved him at his very heart; and this moved him to tempt man to fin, that he might involve him in the fame mifery into which he had plunged himself. It is a pleasure to envy to overturn the happiness of others, and to lay them level with themfelves. But the divine nature is full of goodness, and delights in the happiness of all his creatures. His own incomparable felicity has placed him as much above any temptation to envying others, as above any occafion of being contemned by them. He grudges no man's happiness, and therefore cannot tempt men to fin, out of a defire to fee them miferable. So that none of those confiderations which move the devil to tempt men to fin, and evil men to tempt one another to do wickedly, can be imagined to have any place in GoD.

And thus you fee the force of the apostle's argument, that because "GOD cannot be tempted to evil," therefore he can tempt no man." None tempt others to be bad, but thole who are firit fo themselves. I fhall now in the

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Second place, confider the nature and kind of the argument, which the apostle here useth, "let no man

fay

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"fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of GOD; SERMfor GoD cannot be tempted with evil, neither "tempteth he any man." It does not reject this impious propofition barely upon his own authority; but he argues against it from the nature and perfection of GOD; and therein appeals to the common notion of mankind concerning GOD. We might very well have rested in his authority, being an apostle commiffioned by our SAVIOUR, and extraordinarily affifted and witneffed to, by the miraculous gifts of the HOLY GHOST, wherewith he was endowed. But he condefcends to give a reafon of what he fays, and appeals to the common principles of mankind. For all men will readily agree to this, "that God hath all imaginable perfection:" but it is a plain imperfection to be liable to be tempted to evil, and therefore "GOD cannot be tempted "to evil.” And if fo, it is as impoffible "that he "fhould tempt others to it," for none can have either an inclination or intereft to feduce others to evil, but those who have been firft feduced to it themselves.

Now in this method of arguing, the apoftle teacheth us one of the fureft ways of reafoning in religion; namely, from the natural notions which men have of GOD. So that all doctrines plainly contrary to thofe natural notions which men have of GOD, are to be rejected, what authority foevet they pretend to; whatever plainly derogates from the goodness or juftice of GoD, or any other of his perfections, is certainly falfe, what authority foever it may claim from the judgment of learned and pious men; yea tho' it pretend to be countenanc'd from the texts and expreffions of holy fcripture. Be

caufe