CHAPTER. XII.

Oftempting of God.

1. TEmpting of God is in a singular manner opposed to hearing the word and Prayer. Psal. 95. 7, 8, 9. To day if yee will heare his voyce, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, as in the day of Tentation in the Wildernesse: where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my workes. For seeing that in hearing the word and godly Prayer, we have communion with God, according to this will, if we seeke such like communion beyond his will, then we are properly said to tempt him.

2. To tempt God is to make triall of fome Divine perfection in an unlawfull manner. Psal. 95. 9.

3. This triall is sometime of the power of God, Psal. 78. 18. 19. They tempted God in their heart—and speaking against God, they said, Can God prepare a Table in the Wildernesse? namely, when it is circumscribed by men, and bounds are set to it at their pleasure: at if he shall doe this or that, which they would have him, then let him be accounted omnipotent, otherwise not. Ps. 78. 41. Who tempted God, and limited the holy one of Israel.

4. Sometime triall is made of the Knowledge of God, as when men privily doe something doubting whether God know it or no, Ps. 94. 7. saying, the Lord seeth not, neither doth the God of Iacob regard.

5. Sometime it is of the presence of GOD. Exodus 17. 7. They tempted God, saying, Is the Lord among us or no?

6. Sometime it is of the providence of God, when men leaving ordinary meanes appointed by God, doe yet expect that God should provide for them, at their desire, although he promised no such thing. Mat. 4. 7.

7. Sometime it is of the anger, justice and vengeance of God. 1. Cor. 10. 22. Doe we provoke the Lord to anger? which kind of tempting is in all murmuring, and strife against God o[gap] those sent by God. 1. Cor. 10. 9. 10. Neither let us tempt Christ. Neither murmur yee; whence Massah and Meribah were the names of the same place. Exodus 17. 7.

8. But tempting of God is sometime with an expresse intention to try God, as in unlawfull casting of Lots, and whensoever we presume that of God which he hath not promised.

9. Sometime it is with a secret and implied consent, namely when that is done which of it selfe and in its own nature tends to this, that God may be tried, although he that doth it thinke no such thing.

10. And this is done two wayes, First, when one willeth and expected any thing to be done, and in the meane while refuseth the meanes that are necessary for it: as they doe in naturall things who would have health or continuance of life, and reject medicines, or food: as they also in supernaturall things which would have grace and life, but neglect the Word of God, and Sacraments, with the like meanes of grace and salvation. Secondly, when one exposeth himselfe to danger without urgent necessity, from which he can in no wise or scarsly be delivered, except by a miracle from God: as they doe in naturall things often who seeke vaine glory in contemning death, and those in spirituall things who seeme as it were to love the occasions, and entisements to sinne.

11. This sinne doth oft times flow from doubting or unbeliefe: because he who seekes such triall of God,

doth not sufficiently trust the revealed word of God: but will undertake a new way to know the will of God; and so it is opposed to hearing the word, so far forth as it is to be received of us by Faith.

12. Sometime it flowes from despaire, when men not expecting the promises of God, by a disorderly hastening, will prescribe God, when and how he may satisfy their expectation: and so it is opposed to the hearing of the word, as it cherisheth divine hope in us.

13. Sometime also it flowes from a base esteeme and contempt of God: as when one playing and jesting will try whether God will manifest himselfe according to his desire: and so it is opposed to hearing of the word, as it hath in it a love, and fit esteeme of God.

14. It flowes also from a certaine arrogancy and pride, whereby we refusing to subject our wills to the Will of God, doe seeke to make his will subject to our lust.

15. But it comes most often from presumption, whereby one is confident that God will doe this, or that which he no where promised, or at least did not promise that he would doe in that manner and with those meanes that they expect; whence also it is that every tempting of God is by some referred to presumption: and in respect of arrogancy it is opposed to prayer, wherein we doe humbly represent our will to God, that it may be performed by him as he pleaseth.

16. But it is alwayes opposed to some act of religion, wherby wee depend upon the will of God: because when we tempt God, we doe it that God may as it were depend upon our will.

17. To desire some speciall signe of God, with some speciall reason, inspiration, or instinct, is to tempt God, Matth: 16. 1. The Pharisees and Sadduc[gap]s tempting him, required him to shew them a signe from Heaven.

18. Yet to refuse a signe offered by God, is to tempt

or weary him. Is. 7. 11, 12, 13. Aske a signe. I will not aske, neither will I tempt God. Yee weary my God. Humbly to seeke a signe of God about some particular necessary thing, which otherwise is not sufficiently manifested, a believer may sometime doe without sin. Gen. 15. 8. How shall I know that I shall inherit the Land?

19. Proving or purging of a suspected offence by triall of hot Iron, scalding water and the like, are temptings of God: for there is a certaine miraculous shewing of the power of God expected or required in them to proove an hidden truth, without just cause: because there are other meanes appointed to find out mens faults, which also if they faile, such things may be unknowne without any fault.

20. Of the same kind are single Duells, or monomachies, which of old were permitted by publick authority, and are yet too much frequented: for in them the righteousnesse of the cause is committed to be decided by the singular providence of God from that successe which he is thought to give according to his Iustice, without any certaine and just reason.

21. Beside these temptings which doe properly pertaine to triall, there is also a tempting as it were of inducement, towards God, when there is required, or expected helpe from him to commit some hainous wickednesse.

20. Yet those inducements may fithly enough be referred to temptation of triall: because the Will of God is tried in them. They differ from others in this only, that that object about which the Will of God is tried, is an action in it selfe unlawfull, in which respect, the honour of God is specially hurt and violated: because together with the temptation there is joyned a certaine most foule mocking of God.

23. Tempting or proving of God is sometime taken in good part, and is commanded, Mat. 3. 10. Try

me now in this, saith the Lord of Hosts.

24. But this tempting is an act of Faith, leading us to obey and practise those things which God hath commanded; with expectation of that fruit and blessing which God hath promised.

25. This lawfull tempting of God doth put back all the tentations of the Devill.

26. That unlawfull tempting of God doth lay us open to the tentations of the Devill, neither are wee ever overcome by any tentation of the Devill, unlesse wee doe in a sort tempt God.