Thirdly, When without call we rush into any danger, or throw ourselves into it, with an expectation God will fetch us off again. As if Christ, when nobody went about to thrust him down, should wil- fully have cast himself down. Whether the danger be certain, or inevitable, or very probable, we must not throw ourselves on it ; but, when God calls us, then we may expect his help according to his pro- mise ; as to go into places or houses infected. In spiritual cases it is often done ; men that by often experience have found such and such things to be occasions to them of sinning, yet presume to do the same again ; these tempt God, ride into the devil's quarters, go into dan- gerous places and companies where they are like to be corrupted ; as Peter went into the high-priest's hall, and those that go to live in Popish families. We pray that we be not led into temptations, but when we lead ourselves, what shall become of us ? as we do.
Mat. IV^. 7.] christ'^ temptation. 295
when we cast ourselves upon temptations, and dangerous occasions of sin.
Fourthly, When we undertake things for whicli we are not fitted and prepared, either habitually or actually : as t(j speak largely with- out meditation. When an unlearned man undertakes the handling a weighty controversy, and a good cause wanteth shoulders, we tempt God. When we undertake things above bodily strength, all will con- demn us ;. so to undertake things that we have no ability to perform is unlawful. The sons of Sceva would take upon them to exorcise the devil, * And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded,' Acts xix. 16.
Fifthly, Another sort of tempting God is, when we come to him with an idol in our hearts ; that is, when people are resolved of a thing, they will go and ask counsel of God. In all matters we resolve on we are to take God's leave, and counsel, and blessing ; but they first resolve and then ask God's counsel. And, therefore, God saith, Ezek. xiv. 4, ' Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and puttetli the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, 1 the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols.' Balaam had a mind to the wages of unrighteousness, but yet he durst not go without God, and, till God had permitted him, he would be asking again and again : Num. xxii. 12, compared with the 20th and 22d verses. God answered him in wrath, according to the idol of his heart. Thus you see men tempt God, when, either out of diffidence or presumption, they seek an experience of his wisdom, power, justice, truth, goodness, against his word and command, and the order he hath established ; as the Israelites, when means failed, murmured and pre- scribed time, means, and manner of deliverance, as if they would subject God to their lusts.
II. The heinousness of the sin.
1. Because it is a great arrogancy when we seek thus to subject the Lord to our direction, will, and carnal affections. Prescribing to God argueth too great an ascribing to ourselves. Certainly the Lord can- not endure that his people, who ought wholly to depend upon him, submit to him, and be ruled by him, should prescribe as they please how and when he should help them ; and that his power and good- ness should lacquey upon, and be at the beck of, our idle and wanton humours. The direction of the affairs of the world is one of the flowers of God's crown. Now to dislike of his holy government is a presumptuous arrogancy in the creature ; we will take upon us to model our mercies and choose our means, and will not tarry the time that he hath appointed for our relief, but will anticipate it, and shorten it according to our own fancies. God is sovereign, we are as clay in his hands ; he is our potter, and must prescribe the shape in which we must be formed, and the use we must be put to, Jer. xviii. 6 : ' 0 house of Israel, cannot I do with you as the potter, saith the Lord ? Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, 0 house of Israel.' He hath fidi right to dispose of the creature as he pleaseth, and according to the counsel of his own will, to which
296 ■ Christ's TEMPTATION. [Ser. IV,
we are to be subject without murmuring or repining. We cannot say to him, ' What makest thou ? or why dost thou this ? ' Isa. xlv. 9 : ' Woe unto him that striveth with his maker ! let the potsherd strive witli the potsherds of the earth : shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou ? or thy work, He hath no hands.' Tempting before the event is the same almost with murmuring after the event.
2. It is great unbelief, or a calling into question God's power, mercy, and goodness to us. We should entirely depend upon God for salvation, and whatsoever is necessary to salvation, and that he will supply our wants, and bring us out of every strait, in a way most conducing to our own welfare and his honour. But now we are not satisfied with the assurance God hath given us in those laws of com- merce, which are established between him and us ; we must have extraordinary proofs, or else we question all. Tempting God seemeth rather to be opposed to the fear and reverence that we should have of him ; yet, primarily and in itself, it is rather opposite to our trust.. And though we take it for a sin which argiieth too much trust, or an unwarrantable boldness in expecting unusual ways of help from God, yet generally it belongeth to unbelief and diffidence, and ariseth from it. For, therefore, we put him to proof, tempt, or make trial of God, because we distrust his help, and are not satisfied with his goodness and power, till we have other testimonies thereof, than are ordinarily dispensed. Therefore this reason is given of their tempting Gocl, because ' they believed not God, and trusted not in his salvation,' Ps. Ixxviii. 22. They must have their own salvation, their own way of supply or deliverance, or else they cannot trust God if he doth not help them at their time and by their means.