prejudiced, profane defpifers, of his word. "It is a small thing for you to be judged of "man's judgement; he that judgeth you is "the Lord *;" and by the unerring rules of his juftice you must finally ftand or fall. Think then whether you can face that justice without difmay; whether you can boldly plead before the tribunal of Christ the sincerity of your unbelief as a bar to your condemnation. That plea may poffibly in some cafes be a good one. God grant it may in yours! But remember this one thing; that 'you stake your own fouls upon the truth

of it.

* 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4.

SERMON

SERMON III.

JAMES i. 13.

LET NO MAN SAY, WHEN HE IS TEMPTED, I AM TEMPTED OF GOD; FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED OF EVIL, NEITHER TEMPTETH HE ANY MAN. I

N

Otwithstanding this general prohibi

tion, there is one fenfe in which it is very allowable to fay (for the facred writers themselves have said it) that men are fometimes tempted of God. And that is, when by tempting any one is meant only trying him, putting his fincerity, his obedience, his faith, or any of his other virtues to the teft. In this fenfe God tempted Abraham, when he commanded him to offer up his fon *. this sense he may be faid to have tempted the Ifraelites in the wilderness, on purpose (as

* Gen. xxii. 1.

9

In

Mofes

Mofes exprefsly tells us) to prove them,

to know what was in their hearts, "whether they would keep his command"ments or no*." And in the fame manner he every day fuffers good men to fall into what is very properly called trying circumstances, for the exercise and improvement of their virtue. To tempt men in this way, is evidently no impeachment, either of God's holiness, mercy, or juftice. For he does it with the best and most gracious intentions, in order to call out into action the latent great qualities of an honeft and a good heart, to hold them up to the observation and applause of mankind, and to reward them in proportion to the severity with which he tried them. At fuch temptations we ought to be fo far from repining, that, as St. James very rightly advises, we should count it all joy "when we fall into them t," should look upon them as excellent opportunities, kindly thrown into our hands by Heaven itself, of demonftrating our affection, our fidelity, our allegiance to the great Sovereign of the universe.

It is not therefore in this fenfe, though a

very fcriptural one, that the text is to be understood, but in that more plain and obvious meaning, which is now almost universally affixed to the word temptation. We are forbid to say that God tempts us, as wicked men do, to commit fin; with a defire to draw us into it, and with fuch powerful folicitations as it is impoffible to refift. This is an affertion fo daring and profane, that one would think the authority of an apostle was not wanting to warn men against it. Yet, from the expreffion he makes ufe of, "Let no "man fay," it should seem, as if some men, in those times of diftrefs and perfecution, had faid it. And even in our own times, though few, if any, are hardy enough to say it in exprefs terms, yet indirectly, and by neceffary implication, it is said and infisted upon with vehemence almost every day. For do we not every day hear men pleading conftitution in excuse for their wickedness, and throwing all the blame of their vices on the ftrength of paffion, or the violence of temptation? And what is this but to say, in other words, that they are tempted of God? What is it but to say, that he who is the author of their conftitution

E