(2.) God doth it to show himself unto man, and that, —
[].] In a way oi preventing grace. A man shall see that it is God alone who keeps from all sin. Until we are tempted, we think we live on our own strength. Though all men do this or that, we will not. When the trial comes, we quickly see whence is our preserva-
1 Gen. xxii. 1, 2.
94 OF TEMPTATION.
tion, by standing or falling. So wa.s it in the case of Abimelech, Gen. XX. 6, " I withheld thee."
[2.] In a way of renewing grace. He would have the temptation continue with St Paul, that he might reveal himself to him in the sufficiency of his renewing grace, 2 Cor. xii. 9. We know not the power and strength that God puts forth in our behalf, nor what is the sufficiency of his grace^ until, comparing the temptation with our own weakness, it appears unto us. The efficacy of an antidote is found when poison hath been taken ; and the preciousness of medi- . cines is made known by diseases. We shall never know what strength there is in gi-ace if we know not what strength there is in tempta- tion. We must be tried, that we may be made sensible tof being preseiTed. And many other good and gracious ends he hath, which he accomplisheth towards his saints by his trials and temptations, not now to be insisted on.
2. For the ways whereby God accomplisheth this his search, trial, or temptation, these are some of them: —
(1.) He puts men on great duties, such as they cannot apprehend that they have any strength for, nor indeed have. So he tempted Abraham by calling him to that duty of sacrificing his son; — a thing absurd to reason, bitter to nature, and grievous to him on all accounts whatever. Many men know not what is in them, or rather what is ready for them, until they are put upon what seems utterly above their strength ; indeed, upon what is really above their strength. The duties that God, in an ordinary way, requires at our hands are not proportioned to what strength we have in ourselves, but to what help and relief is laid up for us in Christ; and we are to address ourselves to the greatest performances with a settled persuasion that we have not ability for the least. This is the law of grace ; but yet, when any duty is required that is extraordinary, that is a secret not often discovered. In the yoke of Christ it is a trial, a temptation.
(2.) By putting them upon great sufferings. How many have unexpectedly found strength to die at a stake, to endure tortures for Christ! yet their call to it was a trial. This, Peter tolls us, is one way whereby we arc brought into trying temjitations, 1 Pet. i. fi, 7. Our temptations arise fiom the " fiery trial;" and yet the end is but a trial of our faith.
(3.) By his providential disposing of things so a.s that occa- sions unto sin will bo administered unto men, which is the case mentioned, Deut. xiii. 3; and innumerable other instances may be adjoined.
Now, they are not properly the temptations of God, as coming from him, with his end upon them, that are here intended; and there- fore I shall set these apart from our present consideration. It is, then,
TEMPTATION BY SATAN. 95
temptation in its special nature, as it denotes an active efficiency to- wards sinning (as it is managed with evil nnto evil) that I intend.
In this sense temptation may proceed either singly from Satan, or the world, or other men in the world, or from ourselves, or jointly from all or some of them, in their several combinations : —
(1.) Satan tempts sometimes singly by himself, without taking advantage from the world, the things or persons of it, or ourselves. So he deals in his injection of evil and blasphemous thoughts of God into the hearts of the saints ; which is his own work alone, with- out any advantage from the world or our own hearts: for nature Avill contribute nothing thereunto, nor any thing that is in the world, nor any man of the world; for none can conceive a God and con- ceive evil of him. Herein Satan is alone in the sin, and shall be so in the punishment. These fiery darts are prepared in the forge of his own malice, and shall, with all their venom and poison, be turned into his own heart for ever.
(2.) Sometimes he makes use of the ivorld, and joins forces against us, without any helps from Avithin. So he tempted our Saviour, by " showing him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them."^ And the variety of the assistances he finds from the world, in per- sons and things which I must not insist on, — the innumerable instru- ments and weapons he takes from thence of all sorts and at all sea- sons,— are inexpressible.
(3.) Sometimes he takes in assistance from ourselves also. It is not with us as it was with Christ when Satan came to tempt him. He declares that he " had nothing in him," John xiv. 80. It is otherwise with us: he hath, for the compassing of most of his ends, a sure party within our own breasts, James i. 14, 15. Thus he tempted Judas: he was at work himself; he put it into his heart to betray Christ ; Luke xxii. 3, " he entered into him " for that purpose. And he sets the ivorld at work, the things of it, providing for him " thirty pieces of silver" (verse 5, " They covenanted to give him money"); and the men of it, even the priests and the Pharisees; and calleth in the assistance of his oiun corruption, — he was covetous, " a thief, and had the bag."