3. It looseneth the bonds of all obedience, because we set up new laws of commerce between God and us ; for when we suspect God's fidelity to us, unless he do such things as we fancy, we suspect our fidelity to him. Therefore disobedience is made the fruit of tempting God : Ps. Ixxviii. 56, ' Yea, they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.' They that tempt God cast away God's rule, and God's terms of obedience, and make others to them- selves. The question is, whether God shall direct us, or we him ? We say, unless God will do thus and thus, we will no longer believe his power and serve him.
4. It is great ingratitude, or a lessening God's benefits and woi'k.s already done for us : Ps. Ixxviii. 20, ' Behold he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed ; can he give bread also ? can he provide flesh for his people ? ' As if what he had done formerly were nothing. Now, God cannot endure to have his benefits lessened, or his former works forgotten and despised.
5. It is wantonness, rather than want, puts us upon tempting of God. There is a humour in men ; we are very desirous to try con- clusions, condemning things common, and are fond about strange novelties. It was told the Israelites, as plain as could be, that they should not reserve manna till the morning ; and they need not to have reserved it, they had fresh every day ; yet they would needs keep it for experiment's sake, to try whether it would stink or no : Exod. xvi.
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20. And though they were forbidden to gather it on the Sabbath-da}-, having on the evening before enough for two days, and it was told them they should find none on the Sabbath-day, yet they must try. Where need is, there a man may commit himself to the providence of God, and rely upon him ; and where means fail us, God can help us by prerogative, that we may say with Abraham, when we have no help present, ' In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen,' Gen. xxii. 14 ; and with Moses, when the Eed Sea was before them, and the enemy was behind them, ' Fear ye not, stand still, and ye shall see the salvation of tlie Lord, which he will show to you to-day,' Exod. xiv. 13. When Elias was in distress, the angel brought him meat, 1 Kings xix. 5, 6 ; when Hagar and Ishmael were in the wilder- ness, and the bottle spent, then God comft)rted her from heaven, Gen. xxi. 17 ; when the three children were in the fiery furnace, then God sent an angel to be their deliverer, Dan. iii. 28. But now, in wanton- ness to desire extraordinary proofs of God's care over us, when he hath in ordinary ways provided for us, is to tempt the Lord: Ps. cvi. 14, ' They lusted exceedingly in the desert, and tempted God in the wilderness.' When they had so many convictions of God's power and providence over them, which should in reason have charmed them into a full and cheerful resignation and dependence upon him, they, remembering the flesh-pots in Egypt, must have their luxuriant appetites gratified ; and because they had not that festival plenty, which could not be expected in the wilderness, they reproached Moses for having brought them out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness ; and now God must show them a miracle, not for the supply of their wants, but to pamper and feed their lusts : Ps. Ixxviii. 18, 19, ' And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust : yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?' A table must be prepared ; he must give them festival diet in the wilderness.
6. It argues impatiency : Ps. cvi. 13, 14, ' They soon forgat his works ; they waited not for his counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.' The word signifies they made haste, took it ill they were not presently brought into that plenty that was promised : Num. xx. 5, ' Wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place ? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink,^ which was the plenty that was promised in the land of Canaan. Thus they made haste, were impatient of stay- ing God's time of giving them this inheritance ; and because they had it not presently, they wished themselves back again in Egypt. Tempt- ing is because we cannot attend the performance of God's promise in his own time. They went out passionately in the pursuit of their plenty, which they looked for ; and as soon as they discovered any difficulty, conclude they were betrayed, not waiting with patience God's time, when he should accomplish his promises made to them.
7. The greatness of the sin is seen by the punishments of it. One is mentioned : 1 Cor. x. 9, ' Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.' They were bitten of serpents, because they tempted God, and murmured because of the length of the way, that they could not get presently into