I. For the clearing of the places of scripture. They are of divers ranks ; there are some places tiiat seem to say that Grod doth tempt, as Gen. xxii. 1, ' God tempted Abraham ; ' so in many other phices ; but that was but a trial of his fliith, not a solicitation to sin. There is a temptinp^ by way of trial, and a tempting by way of seducement.i God trieth their obedience, but doth not stir them up to sin. But you will say, there are other places which seem to hint that God doth solicit, incite, and stir up to sin ; as 1 Chron. v. 26, ' God stirred up the s])irit of Pul, the king of Assyria, to carry away the Jews captive ; ' but that was not evil, to punish an hypocritical nation, but just and holy, a part of his corrective discipline ; and God's stirring implieth nothing but the designation of his providence, and the ordering of that rage and fury that in them was stirred up by ambition and other evil causes, as a correction to his people. So also 2 Sam. xxiv. 1, ' The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David to number the people.' But compare it with 1 Chron. xxi. 1, and you shall see it is said, ' Satan stood up and provoked David to number the people ;' and so some explain one place by the other, and refer that he to Satan, ' The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he,' (that is, the devil) ; or it may be referred to the last antecedent, the Lord, whose anger is said to be stirred up ; he moved, that is permitted Satan to move, by withdrawing himself from David. God moved permissive, Satan efficaciter : God suffered, Satan tempted ; for God is often in scripture said to do that which he doth but permit to be done ; as to ' Awaken the sword against the man his fellow,' Zech. xiii. 7, that is, to stir up all that rage which was exercised upon Christ ; and the reason of such expressions is because of the activeness of his providence in and about sin, for he doth not barely permit it, but dispose circumstances and occasions, and limit and overrule it, so as it may be for good. Thus also Ps. cv. 25, ' He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal subtilely with his servants.' The mean- ing is, God only offereth the occasion by doing good to his people. The Egyptians pursued them out of envy and jealousy. God, I say, only gave the occasion, did not restrain their malice; therefore he is said to do it. There are other places which imply that God hardeneth, blindeth sinners, delivereth them over to a reprobate sense, sendeth them a strong delusion ; asPtom. i, 2; Thes. ii. 11, and in many other places. I answer in general to them all : — God, by doing these things, doth not tempt the good that they may become evil, but only most justly punisheth the evil with evil : this hardening, blinding, is not a withdrawing a good quality from them, but a punishment according to their wickedness. Particularly God is said to harden, as he doth not soften ; he doth not infuse evil, but only withhold grace ; hardness of heart is man's sin, but hai-dening, God's judgment. So again, God is said to make blind as he doth not enlighten, as freezing and dark- ness follow upon the absence of the sun : he doth not infuse evil, nor ^ ' Diabolus tentat ; Deus probat.' — Teriul. de Orat.
90 AN EXPOSITION", WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 13.
take away any good thing from them, but only refuseth to give them more grace, or to confirm them in the good they have. So also God is said to give up to lusts when he doth not restrain us, but leaveth us to our own sway and the temptations of Satan. So God is said to send a strong lie when he suffereth us to be carried away with it. God in- deed foreseeth and knoweth how we will behave ourselves upon these temptations, but the foresight of a thing doth not cause it.
Some urge that 1 Kings xxii. 22, ' Thou shalt be a lying spirit ; go forth and do so, and thou shalt prevail with him.' But tliat is only a parabolical scheme of providence, and implieth not a charge and com- mission .so much as a permission.
Others urge those places which do directly seem to refer sin to God ; as Gen. xlv. 5, 8, ' Be not grieved nor offended, it was not you that Kent me hither ; it was not you, but God.' The very sending, which was a sinful act, is taken off from man and appropriated to God. So 1 Kings xii. 15, ' The king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was from the Lord ; ' that rebellion there is said to be from the Lord. I answer — These things are said to be of the Lord because he would dis- pose of them to his own glory, and work out his own designs and decrees. There are some other places urged, as where God is said to deliver Christ, to bruise and afflict him, which was an evil act, &c. ; but these only imply a providential assistance and co-operation, by which God concurreth to every action of the creatures, as shall be cleared elsewhere.