One was their setting God a task of satisfying their conceits and carnal affections: Ps. Ixxviii. 18, 'And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their lusts.' Of this sin they are guilty that snust be maintained at such a rate, must have such provision for them and theirs, or else they cannot believe his truth and care of them. As
Mat. IV. 7.] Christ's temptation. 293
the Israolites, God must give them festival diet in the wilderness, or else they will no longer believe his power and serve him.
The other way of tempting God, with respect to his providence, was by confining him to their own time, ■ manner, and means of working : Ps. Ixxviii. 41, ' Yea, they turned back, and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.' To limit the Holy One is to con- fine him wuthin a circle of their own making, and if he doth not help them by their means, and at their time, as those in the text, they will not tarry God's leisure, they think there is no depending on him for any succour. Thus they set bounds to his wisdom and power, as if he could do no more than they conceive to be probable. Thus also we prescribe means and time to God, take upon us to set rules to him how he should govern the world. And one usual way of tempting God now is, when w^e will not go fair and softly in the path and pace of God's appointing, but are offended at the tediousness thereof, and make haste, and take more compendious ways of our own : Isa. xxviii. 16, ' He that believeth will not make haste ; ' but he that believeth not is precipi- tant, must have God's mercy, power, and goodness manifested to them in their own way and time.
Thirdly, Some will not be satisfied as to their spiritual estate with- out some sensible proof, or such kind of assurance as God usually vouchsafeth not to his people. As suppose they must be fed with spiritual dainties, and overflow with sensible consolation in every holy duty, or else they are filled with disquieting thoughts about their acceptance with God. We must have matters of faith put under the view and feeling of sense, or else we will not take comfort in them. But we must not limit God to give proofs of his love, nor prescribe such signs as are not promised by him, but study our case in the word. For God will not always treat us by sensible experience. Thomas is allowed to touch Christ, but Mary is not allowed to touch him : John xx. 17, compared with ver. 27.
[2dly.] In a way of presumption ; so we tempt God when, without any warrant, we presume of God's power and providence. As here tlie devil tempted Christ to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, to try if he would take the charge of him in the fall ; where- upon Christ replieth, ' Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' Now this is done several ways.
First, When Ave presume upon God's help, forsaking the ordinary way and means. Christ would not throw himself down, when he could go down by the stairs or steps of the temple. Down-stairs and over the battlements is not all one. Christ, that could walk upon the sea in the distress of his disciples, in ordinary cases taketh a ship. Who- soever Avill not use the ordinary means that God hath appointed, but in ordinary cases expects extraordinary supplies, tenipteth God. GckI is able to bring water out of the rock, when there is nothing but rock and stone ; but when we may hope to find spring- water, we must dig for it. God can rain manna out of heaven ; but when the soil will bear corn, we must till it. When Elisha was in a little village, not able to defend him from the Syrians, he had chariots and horsemen of fire to defend him, 2 Kings vi. 17 ; but when he was in Samaria, a strong, walled town, and the king of Israel sent to fetch his head, he
294 Christ's temptation. [Ser. IV.
said to those that Avere with him, ' Shut the door,' ver. 32. Christ in the wilderness miraculously fed many ; but near the city he ' sent his disciples to buy bread,' John iv. 8. When the Church of God had need of able helps at first, gifts were miraculously conferred ; but afterwards every man to his study, 1 Tim. iv. 15, 'Meditate upon these things, give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all' In short, God's omuipoteucy is for that time dis- charged, when we have ordinary means to help ourselves. To disdain ordinary means, and expect extra or din aiy, is as if a man should put off his clothes, and tlien expect God should keep him from cold.
Secondly, When we expect the end without the means. If Heze- kiah had refused the bunch of figs, or Paul's companions to tarry in the ship, they had tempted God. When we desire any blessing, we must not refuse or neglect any good means for attaining of it. In spiritual things this is very usual ; men hope to have the end without the means. In temporal things we will soon confess there must be means used, for ' if any would not work, neither should he eat/ 2 Thes. iii. 10. In warfare no victory is to be hoped for without fighting ; only in spiritual matters we think to do well enough, though we never put to our endeavours to cry for knowledge, and to dig for it ; this is a tempting of God : Prov. ii. 3-5, ' If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding ; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures ; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.' We dream of heaven when there is no mortification, no exercising ourselves unto godliness. A great many say as Balaam did. ' Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his,' Num. xxiii. 10 ; but they care not for living the life of the righteous. If they can but charm themselves into a secure presumption of salvation, they never give diligence to make their calling and election sure. This cometh from hardness of heart, not strength of faith. Many defer their conversion to the last, and then think that in the twinkling of an eye they shall in a trice be in heaven with Elias in whirlwind. It was a prayer of Sir Thomas More, Domine, Deus, fac me in its consequendis operam collocare, pro quihus ohtinendis te orare soleo — ' Lord ! make me to bestow pains in getting those things, for the obtaining of which I use to pray to thee.' Otherwise we tempt God.