SER M. caufe nothing can be entertain'd as a divine revela CXV. tion, which plainly contradicts the common natural notions which mankind have of GOD. For all reafoning about divine revelation, and whether that which pretends to be fo, be really fo or not, is to be govern'd by thofe natural notions. And if any thing that pretends to be a revelation from GOD, fhould teach men that there is no God, or that he is not wife, and good, and juft, and powerful; this is reafon enough to reject it, how confident foever the pretence be, that it is a divine revelation. And if any thing be, upon good grounds in reafon, received for a divine revelation, (as the holy fcriptures are amongst christians) no man ought to be regarded, who from thence pretends to maintain any doctrine contrary to the natural notions, which men have of GOD; fuch as clearly contradict his holiness, or goodness, or justice, or do by plain and undeniable confeqnence make GOD the author of fin, or the like; because the very attempt to prove any fuch thing out of the fcripture, does strike at the divine authority of those books. For if they be from GoD it is certain they can contain no fuch thing. So that no man ought to fuffer himself to be feduced into any fuch opinions, upon pretence that there are expreffions in fcripture, which feem to countenance them. For if they really did fo, the confequence would not be the confirming of fuch opinions; but the weakning of the authority of the scripture it self. For juft fo many arguments as any man can draw from fcripture for any fuch opinion, fo many weapons he puts into the hands of atheists against the fcripture it felf. CXV. I do not speak this, as if I thought there were S ER M. any ground from fcripture for any fuch doctrine, I am very certain there is not. And if there be any particular expreffions, which to prejudic❜d men may seem to import any fuch thing, every man ought to govern himself in the interpretation of fuch paffages, by what is clear and plain, and agreeable to the main scope and tenor of the bible, and to thofe natural notions which men have of God, and of his perfections. For when all is done, this is one of the fureft ways of reafoning in religion; and whoever guides himself, and fteers by this compafs, can never err much: but whoever fuffers himself to be led away by the appearance of fome more obscure phrases in the expreffions of fcripture, and the gloffes of men upon them, without regard to this rule, may run into the greatest delufions, may wander eternally, and lofe himself in one mistake after another, and fhall never find his way out of this endless labyrinth, but by this clue. If St. James had not been an apostle, the argument which he used would have convinced any reasonable man, "that God tempts no man to fin, because "he cannot be tempted with evil himself," and therefore it is unreasonable to imagine "he fhould "tempt any man." For he argues from fuch a principle, as all mankind will, at first hearing, affent to. And thus I have done with the first thing afferted by the apostle here in the text; "that GOD tempts no man to fin." "Let no man fay, when he is "tempted, I am tempted of GOD; for GOD can"not be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any "man." Before I proceed to the second affertion, 8 "that "that every man is his own greatest tempter," I fhould draw fome ufeful inferences from what hath been already delivered: but I referve both the one and the other to the next opportunity. SERM. SERMON CXVI. JAMES i. 13, 14. . Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of GOD; for GOD cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth be any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luft, and enticed. W HENI made entrance upon these words, I told you, that next to the belief of a GOD and a providence, nothing is more fermon on fundamentally neceffary to the practice of a good this text. life, than the belief of these two principles; "that The fecond "GOD is not the author of the fins of men;" and "that every man's fault lies at his own door." And both these principles St. James does clearly and fully affert in these words. First, "GOD tempts no man to fin." tempter." 66 every man is his own greatest The first of thefe I have largely fpoken to in my former difcourfe; and from what I then faid, I shall CXVI. only draw a few useful inferences, before I proceed S F. RM. to the fecond, viz. thefe which follow. First, let us beware of all fuch doctrines, as do any ways tend to make GOD the author of fin; either by laying a neceffity upon men of finning, or by laying fecret defigns to tempt and feduce men to fin. Nothing can be farther from the nature of GOD, than to do any fuch thing, and nothing can be more dishonourable to him, than to imagine any fuch thing of him; "he is of purer eyes than to "behold evil;" and can we think, that he who cannot endure to fee it, fhould have any hand in it? We find that the holy men in scripture are very careful to remove all thoughts and fufpicion of this from GOD. Elihu, Job xxxvi. 3. before he would argue about God's providence with Job, he refolves in the first place, to attribute nothing to GoD, that is unworthy of him. "I will (fays he) afcribe "righteousness to my maker." So likewife St. Paul, Rom. vii. 7. "What shall we fay then? is the law "fin? GOD forbid." "Is the law fin?" that is, hath God given men a law to this end, that he might draw them into fin? far be it from him. Gal. ii. 17. "IS CHRIST the minifter of fin? GOD for "bid." You fee then how tender good men have always been of afcribing any thing to Gon, that might feem to render him the author of fin. So that we have reafon to take heed of all doctrines that are of this tendency; fuch as are the doctrine of an absolute and irrespective decree to damn the greatest part of mankind; and in order to that, and as a means to it, efficaciously to permit men to fin. VOL. VII. H For CXVI. SER M. For if these things be true, that God hath absolutely decreed to damn the greatest part of men, and to make good this decree he permits them to fin, not by a bare permiffion of leaving them to themselves, but by fuch a permiffion as fhall be efficacious; that is, he will fo permit them to fin, as they cannot avoid it; then thofe who are under this decree of GOD, are under a neceffity of finning; which neceffity, fince it does not proceed from themselves, but from the decree of Gon, does by confequence make God the author of fin. And then that other doctrine, which is fubfervient to this, that God does by a physical and natural influence upon the minds and wills of men, determine them to every action that they do, to bad actions as well as good. I know they who fay fo, tell us that God only determines men to the action, but not to the evil of it. For inftance, when Cain killed his brother, God determin'd him (they fay) to the natural action of taking away a man's life, which in many cafes, may be done without fin. Very true: but if in thefe circumstances the natural action could not be done without committing the fin, he that determined him to the natural action, determin'd him likewife to the fin. I am far from any thought that thofe that maintain these doctrines, had any intention to make GOD the author of fin: but if this be the neceffary confequence of thefe doctrines, there is reafon enough to reject them, how innocent foever the intention be of those who maintain them. Secondly, let not us tempt any man to fin All piety pretends to be an imitation of GoD, therefore let us endeavour to be like him in this., 'Tis true,、 indeed, |