Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 70
CHAP. LXX. Of Temptation.
GOd tempteth vsus not as the diuell, or the wicked doe to euil, but to trie in what measureHow God tempteth vsus. we hauehave profited by his mercies, and yet by the same meanes that the diuell doth, but to a far other end, as to let vsus see our vnworthinesse, and weaknes of our faith. If wee did throughly beleeue this, that as many benefits or afflictions wee hauehave, so many baites are for the diuell, and so many meanes for God to crowne his owne mercies, we should bee very carefull to finish our saluation with feare and trembling.
2 If wee doe truly acknowledge God to be he that preserueth vsus in merciemercy from euill,Phil. 2. 14. 15. and wee hauehave the testimonie of a good conscience: then if the Lord trie vsus with want of things, with disquietnesse of minde, &c. wee shall sustaine our selues, because wee knowe it is not for sinne, but for the triall of our faith, because we hauehave walked in our wayes, and taried in our calling, hee hath some ende in it which wee know not, and therefore wee may looke for his helpe and comfort in his good time, and that hee will giuegive vsus wisedome to beare it, or else recompence our wants in spirituall graces.
3 The Israelites had a great temptation, yet many thinke they were not tempted, to bee brought into a wildernes without meate: if hee should trie vsus so now, we would bee as readie to murmur (though we thinke the contrarie now) as they were, seeing wee repine if wee want but a little.
4 It is certaine that the Lord doth as wel trie men by benefits, as by want, and a dangerousDeut. 29 21. temptation is it: for as the Israelites were at the bitter waters tried by want; so also wereGod trieth men as well by benefits, as by wants. they tried by enioying the goodnes of God in the Manna: Seeing thē that both waies men are tried, eueryevery man hath to trie what his temptation is, and against what he hath to fight, as if hee be in prosperitie, he hath to fight against pride, securitie and contempt, or smal regarding of Gods creatures, with which we must continually striue, or else he shall hauehave no triall of his faith, nor comfort in that he hath receiued. Againe, if a man bee in aduersitie, then hath hee to fight against distrust, murmuring, repining, vnpatiencie, and such other, which will ouercome vsus, if by faith we do not resist them, and so shall we spoyle our selues of the goodnes of the Lord.
5 Herein hath also eueryevery man to discerne his temptation: a man is sicke, and yet not altogether cast downe; a man is poore, and yet not oppressed therewith, euen here doth the Lord trie him whether he louelove him or no, whether he worship him in truth or not. Herein doth the Lord tempt eueryevery one of vsus still, when hee commandeth vsus to pray but only for daily bread, wee ought therefore herein to take a triall of our selues, but the ouer … hartnesse of our nature is such, that wee can neuer looke to our owne estate present, wisely to thinke of that, but if we be in pouertie, oh then we would serue God indeed if we were rich: if we be in sicknes, we would serue God if we had our health, Againe, being in health, we thinke we would serue God if we were somewhat tamed with sicknes: if wee be rich, wee thinke we should well serue God if we were in pouertie; in the meane time not studying to glorifie God in sicknes, riches, & health, by thankefulnes for them, and the right vsage of them, to that ende, for which he hath giuen vsus them, neither yet regarding in our sicknes and pouertie, with faith and patience to waite on the Lord, being contented to serue andThe triall of our seruice and zeale of God. worship him with whatsoeuer he shal lay vponupon vsus: for by the want of these things the Lord doth proue vsus, whether wee worship and serue him for these outward things, or for the louing zeale that we hauehave of his name and glorie: so that if wee cannot willingly come to reade and heare Gods worde, to pray, and receiue the Sacraments, though wee be pinchedThe Diuels obiectiō Iob. with want of things, but we bestow more study, care, and time vponupon them, then of this worship of God, it is a manifest signe, that for these things we serue the Lord, or else we would1. Doth Iob feare God for nothing. not.
6 By the example of the Israelities, we are taught to take heed that our hearts be rightly & wholy with God, that not onelyonly in the plentifull abundance of things, we can be content to serue him, but also euen in want, and in greatest afflictions, knowing that by this meanes the Lord doth take triall of vsus, euen as siluer is tried in the fire, that the drosse may bee burnt and taken away. Secondly, that the mettall bee more pure and fine; euen so wee by such trials should not onelyonly hauehave our great corruptions purged, but wee should also bee made more fit for the vse and seruice of the Lord. For of our selues whether we be tempted on the right hand, or on the left, wee are not able to stand, as we see in the Israelites. So long as the Lord continueth true Religiō with this gouernment, eueryevery man thinketh he shall euer stand: but when there shall come a change, there will be a triall: so when God sheweth vsus tokens of his louelove, wee may thinke we trust in him, but when hee deniethTrial of faith these tokens vntounto vsus; there is the triall. When the children of Israel were either in a moderate estate, or in some new deliuerance, they liued very godly, and are commended, but if abundance of things did once make them wanton, they fell to Idolatrie, and when they were in miserie they murmured: where wee see that it is easie to come to generall obedience, but in particular to embrace it in eueryevery place and time, this is harder. Againe, that is onelyonly true faith, which in trouble and want holdeth out constantly, and faileth not for any temptation.
7 The Lord doth trie his people many waies, yet but with one thing at once: as some times with want of bread, or with want of meate, or with want of water, he doth not powre all his punishments at once, to let them see the corruption of their harts, because they are ready to distrust for eueryevery thing: and againe, to let them see, that for many things they cannot be thankfull. This is the ordinarie dealing of the Lord with vsus, he doth vsus good many waies, he trieth vsus sometime one way, somtime another way: & doth not lay all his punishments on men at once, vnlesse their sins be come to the full, and they deserue it: or els if he be minded to take some singular triall of men, as he dealt with Iob, & thus he dealeth with vsus, to beare with our weakenes, and to try vsus, whether the hauing of many blessings would moue vsus rather to follow the Lord, than the want of some one thing would cause vsus to forsake him. This may be seene in particular trials, as when he giueth a man many things, andWe are as ready to mur mur as the Israelites. letteth him want his health. If we consider this, we shall see that we are as ready to murmur as euer they were: for if the Lord giuegive a man two yeeres health, yet one yeeres sicknes doth more make him to murmur, than many yeers of health doth make him thankful. For the want of this will make men deny God, and the Gospell, and to be ready to goe to witches for their health, and will not looke for helpe at the Lords hands. The infidelitie of the Isralites was greatly herein bewrayed, for did God make the waters of Egypt blood? dried vp the red sea? made bitter waters sweete? would not that God also make waters to come out of the rockes in the wildernesse? their murmuring is here therefore very manifest, and our murmuring is now as great as theirs was. For though men thinke that this people did euill to murmur, & think that now there are greater occasions thē they had: let vsus cōsider their temptation, and we shall see it will excuse them, and greatly accuse vsus. For what temptation was it to hauehave many children and cattell, and not to know where to hauehave water for them? We vponupon lesse occasions will murmur, for though we confesse that we are in better case thē our fathers were, yet because some hauehave lesse than others hauehave, therfore they are ready to murmur, though they hauehave otherwise sufficient: Much more therefore would men murmur if they had nothing, and then would they bid God and his word and all farewell. And hath not God dealt with vsus as mercifully as with them? Yea surely, if we hauehave harts to consider Gods prouidence, for who cannot see that the Lord hath deliuered him often from dangers? Whom hath not the Lord dealt his mercy most liberally to? Therefore are we as much without excuse as euer they were.
8 Moses finding the Israelites to murmur for water, calleth the murmuring, a tempting of God, because it did not proceed of infirmitie, seeing they had tasted of, and felt the wonderfull mercies of God for them, farre greater than this was to giuegive them drinke: for by the former miracles they knew that God was able and also willing to helpe them, and therefore seeing they still murmured, Moses calleth this a tempting of God, whereas before when they murmured diuers times, yet he did beare with them, as such as did offend of infirmitie. Where we see that God dealing with vsus as with them, hath borne with the time of our ignorance, and we may al confesse, that the Lord doth not deale with vsus according to the workes of our owne hands: but if we will be ignorant still, and despise instruction, or after we hauehave had experience of his goodnesse, if then we will presume to tempt God, it is fearefull, when we know the great goodnesse of the Lord, and hauehave experience of the same in our selues, Psal. 93. 2. When we know it is a sinne which we commit, and yet we will tempt God whether he will punish or no, as Peter rebuked Ananias, Act. 5. and Paul rebuked those who in vaine excuses would eate in Idols temples, saying, doe you prouoke the Lord, 1. Cor. 10. And this was the temptation with which the diuell temptedWhat it is to tempt God. our Sauiour, saying, cast thy selfe downe. But Christ answered and said, if I should so doe without Gods commandement, I should denie his prouidence which only watcheth ouer men in their waies. And thus he putteth away the diuell; this then is to tempt God, and this Moses meaneth when he rebuked the people, saying, why tempt yee the Lord? that is to say, You know your sinne well enough, the dealing of the Lord with you is manifest, and mine also; now adde not rebellion vntounto sin, but if you sinne, then do you tempt the Lord: The Lord in Psalm. 95. passeth ouer other sinnes, and maketh th… or… of temptation. … be sware, &c. Now let vsus consider when wee fall into some sinne which we know no…, the Lord is mercifull, but if we then, when we know it is a sinne by the law of God, and when we hauehave felt eueryevery way the hand of God vponupon vsus, and the spirit of God checking vsusTo sin against knowledge is a tempting of God. for it, and that the Lord hath vsed meanes to bring vsus out of it, if then (I say) we sinne, this is a plaine tempting of God. And this wee must apply to our seuerall transgressions, as if a man hauehave bin an adulterer or an angry person, or c…uetous before his knowledge, the lord will beare with it, but after the Lord hath dealt with vsus in these seuerall sinnes as before is set down, then if men doe sinne, this is the tempting of the Lord, and this is the beginningGod beares long with the offences of our ignorance. of the wrath of God. And such men stand in a very fickle estate, and are in great daunger to fall into the hands of the Lord. This is then a comfortable doctrine, to heare that the Lord will heare with the offences of our ignorance, and will not lay them to our charge, if then we will goe cheerefully forward, when hee giueth vsus knowledge and other meanes to draw vsus vntounto him: but if we refuse instruction, and will not be drawne from our sinnes, thisTo refuse knowledge is a tempting of God. is a tempting of God, and this shall be laid to our charge: as wee see that the Lord saith to Dauid, that he was in all things vpright before him: but in the case of Vriah▪ because his other sinnes which he committed, both often and grieuously, were but of humane infirmitie, and this was contrarie to knowledge, and againe he sought meanes to hide his sin, and was not easily brought from it, yet did hee obtaine pardon, because this was but once, andDauids sins. he was much humbled for it: But Saul often doing the same, at last asked counsaile of a familiar spirit by a Witch, which he before had punished, wherein he did cleane contrary to his knowledge, euen for this it was said, that the Lord did cut him off. Wherefore we hauehave to pray with Dauid. Psal. 19. Lord who doth vnderstand the errors of his life? then purge vsus from our secret sinnes, and keepe vsus that no presumptuous sinnes doe beare rule ouer vsus. so shall we be free, &c. For if a man sinne against man there may be an arbiter, but if a man sinne against the1. Sam. 2. Lord, who shall deale for him? As Eli saith to his Sonnes q d. If you had done this being ignorant, it had beene a small matter, but now you that hauehave beene taught of me the contrary, hauehave now made the sacrifice of the Lord to stincke, and so hauehave tempted the Lord.
9 As it is a great comfort that no temptation doth inuade vsus, but that which hath taken1. Cor. 10. hold of the nature of man, so this ought to make vsus with profit to humble ourselues, that there is no temptation vppon any man, but the same may take hold on vsus in time also.
10 Wee are neuer the further from temptation for misliking it, but the nearer, vnlesse as in iudgement we mislike it, so in affection we humble our selues in feare and prayer before the Lord, as knowing the same in time may inuade vsus.
11 Wee must not keepe our hearts too close in dangerous temptation, nor denie merciemercy to others, least God denie merciemercy to vsus.
12 If wee be tempted, let vsus examine it by prayer, whether it be contrarie to the word, for sinne by the law is reuealed and rebuked; if it be sin, then it bringeth the curse, for the Lawe accurseth the sinner; if it bring a curse, then must we tremble▪ if we tremble not, let vsus suspect that our nature liketh the temptation, and let vsus apply prayer: if we tremble inTo tremble in tēptation truth, we will neuer doe the thing whereunto we are tempted.
13 When Satan cannot get vsus to omit grosse sinnes, hee will assaile vsus with spirituall temptations.
14 Those temptations are most dangerous which hauehave most holy ends.
15 If wee conceale our temptations long, it is the policie of Sathan to make vsus keepe his counsell.
16 The Lord through grace doth quench in vsus those temptations, which would quench in vsus his spirit.
17 Temptations being resisted to bring a proofe of that grace that is in vsus; temptation being receiued argueth corruption in vsus. Adam should not hauehave been worse for his temptation, no more than Christ, but that the one yeelded, the other did not.
18 They that tremble in the temptation, shal triumph after the temptation: our faith is as a pots mouth which being large receiued much, and being narrowe receiueth but littleSimile.
19 The godly see their temptations oft, much, and with profit; the vngodly see them seldome, scant, and without profit.
20 Being both feeble in body and sicke in minde, when hee felt the Lords strength in his sicknesse, nourishing him: as also that he did cleere his iudgement, and more and more giuegive him a misliking of euill, and a liking of good: hee knewe his temptation should goe away in the end.