c Neither with his Mouth, nor fo much as in his Heart, blaſphe- moutly cait the blame of his Sins upon God, to clear himſelf. 4 So ſtirred up to Sin, as to be drawn to it. e Either follicited by God to Sin, or enforced to it. f Cannot be drawn afide to any thinz that is unrighteous, by any Motion from within, or Impreſ: fion trom without. g Doth no way ſeduce, or enforce to Sin, ſo as to be juſtly chargeable as the Author of it. Obje&f. God 15 ſaid to be tempted, Exod. 17. 2, 7. Deut. 6. 16. Pſal. 18. qr, and to tempt, Gen.22. 1, Deur. 8. 2, and 13. 3- Anſw. Botin are to be underſtood of Temptations of Exploration, or for the diſcovery of ſomethinz that was before hidden, Men tempt God, that they may know what he will do: God tempts Men, that they ( not he, for he knows 1t already ) may know. what themſelves will do, which then appears, when the Temptation draws it out; but neither 1s to be underſtood of the Temptation here ſpoken of, viz. of Sedudi- on, or drawing into Sin. Gecd tempts by giving hard Commands, Gen, 22. 1. by affiiQting, as in Job's cafe, by letting looſe Satan, or other wicked Inſtruments to tempt, 1 Kings 22. 22, by with-hold- inz his Grace, and deſerting Men, 1 Sam. 28. 15. by preſenting Occations, which Corruption within improves unto Sin, and by or- dering and 2overning the evil Wills of Men, as that a Thief ſhould. ſtea] out of this Flock, rather than that; that Nebuchadnezzar ſhould ratiier come againſt Jeruſalem, than Rabbah, Ezek. 21. 21, 22. But God doth not tempt by commanding, ſuggeſting, ſolliciting, or perſvading to Sin,
14 But every man is tempted þ when he is draw: away 2 of his own luſt &, and enticed /.
h He ſhews the great cauſe of Sin; that Luſt hath a in it, than either the Devil, or his Inſtruments, who cannot make us fin without our ſelves : They ſometimes tempt, and do not yrs. vail; but when Luſt tempts, it always prevails, either in whole. or in part, it being a Degree of Sin, to be our own Tempters, i Fi. ther this notes a Degree of Sin, the Hearts being drawn off from God, or the way whereby Luſt brings into Sin, wiz. the [mpety- ouſnefs and Violence of its motions in us. +þ Original Corruption in 1ts whole Latitude, though chiefly with reſpe& to the appeticive Faculties, / Either a farther degree of Sin, enticed by the pleaſant. nets of the Objett, as repreſented by our own Corruption ; or ano. ; ther way of Luſts workiag in us to Sin, viz. by the Dclightfulnef: | and Pleaſure of its motions: In the former it works by a kind of force, 1a this by Flattery and Deceit. It is either a Metaphor taken from a Fiſh enticed by a Bait, and drawn after it, or rather from an Harlot drawing a young Man out of the right Way, and ally. ring him with the Eait of Pleaſure, to commit Fclly with her,
15 Then when luſt hath conceived ww, it bringerh torth 77 fin, and fin » when it is finiſhed p, bringeth forth death g.
m Laſt (compared to an Harlot ) may be ſaid to conceive, when the Heart 1s pleaſed with the motion, and yields ſome conſent to it. n The Birth ot Sin may be the compleat conlent of the Will to jr or the outward a& of it. os Actual Sia the Fruit and Produd of Original. p Sin is finiſhed, when it is not only committed, but continued in, as the Way and Courie of a Man's Life. q Not on- ly temporal, but eternal: Or we may thus take the Order aud Pro- greſs of Sin: The firſt indeliberate mction of Luſt, is the Temptz- tion or Bait, which by its Pleaſantnefs enticerh, and by its Vehe. mency draws the Heart after it ( as the Harlot, Prov. 7. 21, with the flattering of her Lips forced the young Man, telling him of the Pleaſure he ſhould enjoy, ver. 14, 16, 17, 18. and then he goes af. ter her, ver. 22. ) the Hearts I:nzring about, and being entangled with the delightſul motion of Luſt, is its committing Folly with it when the full conſent is joyned, Luſt hath conceived; when the out. ward Act is performed, Sin 15s brought forth; and when Sin is finiſh. cd in a ſettled Courſe, it brings forth Death; which, though every Sin do in the merit of jt, yet Sin ony finiſhed, doth in the Event, 043. Doth not this imply Luft, and its firſt motions not to be Sin ? Anſw. No: for, 1. The leaſt motions of it are forbidden, Matth. 5, 28. Rom. 7. 7. 2ly, It is contrary to the Law and Spirit of God, | Rem. 7. 23, 25. Gal. 5.16, 17. 3ly. It 1s the Fountzein of Impuri- ty, and therefore 1s it ſelf impure, 7ob 14. 4. Matth. 7. 15, 15. Fames 3.11, gly. Evil Thoughts defile a Man, Matth. 15, 19, Atts 8.22, Objeet. How 1s Luſt faid here to bring forth Sin, when Rom. 7. 8. Sin is ſaid to work Luſt? Anfw. Fames calls the corrupt Principle it ſelf, Luſt, and ' the a&tings of it, Sins ; whereas Pu! calls the ſame Principle, Sms, and the aQinz of it Luſts. And to both are true, Luſt, as a Roof, brings forth the ads of Sin is its Fruits ; and Sin, as a Root, brings forth actual Luſts, as its Fruits.
16 -Do not err 7 my beloved Brethren.
r Viz. In imputing your Sins to God, and ſaying, that when you are tempted, you are tempted of him.
greater hang
x of lights y, F with whom is no variablenets, neither
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