Of Tempting Christ, Title page – Table of contents
A DISCOURSE OF TEMPTING CHRIST.
By JOHN SHOWER.
LONDON, Printed by J. D. for John Lawrence, at the Angel in the Poultrey. 1694.
To the READER.
I Shall not need to urge the Ʋſefulneſs of aſſerting the Divinity of our Bleſſed Saviour, from every Scripture-Medium, that will prove, or illuſtrate it, to argue the firſt part of this Diſcourſe to be ſeaſonable, ſo far as this Text may be improv'd to confirm it. And the the many ways of Tempting God (particularly with reſpect to his Providence) which are afterwards mention'd, may help the Conviction and Recovery of ſome who are guilty, and prevent the Sin of others in the like kind.
What I preach'd on this Subject, (at a Time when many in this City needed it) againſt laying great Wagers upon the future Determinations of Divine Providence, (as to the Succeſs of Fleets and Armies abroad, &c.) it offended ſome who had been drawn into the Snare, and it may be got Money by it; while others, having ſmarted for their Raſhneſs and Preſumption, thank'd me for the Warning, and promiſed to take it, wiſhing they had done it ſooner.
To the Inſtances of Tempting God, as to his Power and Providence, may be added the falſe and lying Wonders, which the Jews were addicted to. Their Rabbins, and their Talmud mention ſtrange Stories of this kind. They had frequent Exorciſms by Invocation of the God of Jacob. They had Amulets, and Ligatures, and confident Aſſertions, that God gave Power to his Law, his Name, and Attributes, when thus *Lightfoot Hor. Heb. in Mat. 24. Vol. 2. p. 243.applied by them, to heal Diſeaſes, and work Signs and Wonders, becauſe their Law was of Divine Original.
A Deſcription of a Charmer (Chober) among the Jews is thus given by †Maimonides de Idolat. c. 11. §. 10, 12.Maimonides. He is a Charmer who ſpeaks words of a ſtrange Language, and without Senſe, and in Fooliſhneſs thinks that theſe words are profitable: That if one ſay ſo or ſo to a Serpent or a Scorpion, it cannot hurt a Man; and he that ſaith ſo or ſo unto a Man, he cannot be hurt, &c. He that whiſpereth over a Wound, or readeth a Verſe out of the Bible; likewiſe he that readeth over an Infant, that it may not be frighted, or that lays the Book of the Law, or the Philacteries upon a Child that it may ſleep; ſuch are not only among Enchanters or Charmers, but of thoſe that generally deny the Law of God, becauſe they make the words of the Scripture, Medicine for the Body, whereas they are not, but for the Soul, as it is written, Prov. 3.22. They ſhall be Life unto thy Soul.
Many ſtrange and undoubted Inſtances may be given of Evil Spirits exorciſed and diſpoſſeſt, by the Invocation of the God of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, even by Pagans, as well as by Jews; or by Chriſtians mentioning the Name of Jeſus Chriſt: that many who did not own the Faith, either of Jews or Chriſtians, yet atteſted upon their own Experience *See many Authors cited by Dr. Whitby, in his Excellent Diſcourſe of the Certainty of the Chriſtian Faith in general, &c. 8o. 1671. Annot. on Ch. 1. §. 3.the Virtue of thoſe Names. It would yet be a Tempting of God, for us to uſe thoſe Names, and expect the like Succeſs, becauſe without a Warrant.
As to what is ſaid of Tempting Providence, by uſing unlawful or ſuſpected Methods to accompliſh our Deſires, and by raſh Appeals to Heaven to decide in doubtful Caſes, &c. I might add †P. Molinaei Vates, lib. 3. c. 21, 22, 23. de Judicio per ſingulare Certamen, quae vulgaris Purgatio in Jure Canonico appellatur. De Purgatione per Aquam ferventem, aut prunas, aut ferrum candens, & per Aquam frigidam, &c.many more Examples, particularly concerning Waters of Probation: ‖Dr. Whitby, Ib. chap. 1. §. 5.Waters which had Virtue to diſcover and chaſtiſe the Sinner, whilſt they cleared the Innocent; as Heathen Writers affirm of Olachas, and other Rivers, which were wont to put off their Natures, and become Fire to the guilty Perſon; of the Crateres Palichorum, and the Sardinian Fountains, which did ſtrike the Thief, or perjured Perſon, blind or dead; of the Indian Brachmans probatory Waters, and many others of that kind. And as the Jews ſay, with much better ground, of thoſe of Jealouſy, which being uſed according to the Preſcription of their Law, to try the Chaſtity of any Woman, of whom her Husband ſhould be jealous, did cauſe the guilty Thigh to rot, and had no like Effect upon the Innocent; I ſay with better ground, for had they failed upon Trial, the Jews could not have own'd that Law for Sacred, which left them ſuch a ſtanding Lie. But for us to expect God's Deciſion of Right and Wrong, of Innocence or Guilt, by ſuch like Methods, would be to Tempt him.
I ſhall only add a Paſſage out of a late. *Mr. Freke's ſelect Eſſays, 8o. of Divination and Aſtrology, p. 23, 24.Author to the purpoſe of the tenth Section. What ſhall I ſay of our common Croſſes and Charms? The Devil fights with us like a Parthian flying; pretends himſelf to be vanquiſh'd by us, that he may the better conquer us, through Superſtition, by his Flight? So what ſhall I ſay to your other ſet Forms of Words, the Sieve and Sheers, and ſuch other Trifles and Gewgaws? If Words do any thing really, it muſt be through Faith; and if Faith be once ſo powerful, it can eaſily effect without a ſet Form like Conjuring; but if Words prove powerful without Faith, latet Anguis in Herba, we have all the reaſon in the World to apprehend ſome Deluſion from our common Enemy the Devil.
There is one thing, which may be reducible to this Head of Tempting Chriſt, which may be objected againſt ſome Paſſages in a little Book I lately printed, viz. Some Account of the Holy Life and Death of Mr. Gearing, &c. that they may encourage People, under Trouble of Mind, to expect, that by opening the Bible, the firſt place they look into, ſhould by Divine Direction be ſuitable for their Support and Relief; or it may add to their Affliction and Melancholy, if they do not ſucceed in ſuch an Attempt, as others have done. 'Tis true, I there relate only Matter of Fact, as I found it written, without intimating that I approve or diſapprove of ſuch a Practice. But leſt any ſhould take occaſion to expect the like, and be troubled if they do not; I muſt freely acknowledg, that I know of no ground we have, in that way to look for preſent ſuitable Counſel, or Conſolation. The Holy Spirit is not limited, and may ſometimes direct, and guide an humble doubting Chriſtian. But 'tis more adviſable to conſider, and enquire what Promiſes and Examples of Holy Scripture, are moſt adapted to your Caſe, and proper for your Support.
To open the Book, and expect that the firſt Chapter, and Verſe you caſt your Eyes on, ſhould juſt anſwer your Caſe, and adminiſter Reſolution or Comfort, is without ſufficient Ground or Warrant, and is a kind of limiting God, and ſo a Tempting of him. For what reaſon hath any Man to believe, that God will certainly diſcover, and reveal himſelf that way, to fatisfy his Doubts?
May a Divine Bleſſing accompany this ſerious Admonition and Warning, to take heed how we Tempt God, by any of the various Methods here explain'd.
J. S. London, March the 8th, 169¾
The CONTENTS.
Sect. 1. THE Introduction, Context, and propoſed Method of the following Diſcourſe. page 1.
Sect. 2. Of the Perſon tempted, and ſinn'd againſt by the Jews, Jeſus Chriſt. His Exiſtence before his Incarnation prov'd againſt the Socinians. p. 5.
Sect. 3. What was the particular Sin of the Jews, in the Wilderneſs, here called a Tempting of Chriſt. p. 12.
Sect. 4. Of the Puniſhment by Fiery Serpents. The Wiſdom of Providence therein. Of the Serpent in Paradiſe. Ʋpon what Accounts Serpents have been reckon'd Sacred and Venerable by the Heathens. p. 16.
Sect. 5. How we may be guilty of the like Sin, Explicitly and Directly, or Implicitly. Two Inſtances of the former. p. 25.
Sect. 6. The many ways of implicit, indirect Tempting Chriſt. Some Inſtances with reſpect to his Truth. p. 36.
Sect. 7. Of Tempting God, and Chriſt, with reſpect to the Divine Power, in ſeveral Inſtances. p. 41.
Sect. 8. Of Tempting Chriſt, with reſpect to his Knowledg. p. 50.
Sect. 9. Of Tempting God, and Chriſt with reſpect to his Providence, in ſeveral Inſtances. p. 53.
Sect. 10. It is a Tempting of Providence, to uſe unlawful, or ſuſpected Means to accompliſh our Deſires, or ſupply our Wants. p. 62.
Sect. 11. Of laying Wagers concerning the future Determinations of Divine Providence. p. 67.
Sect. 12. Of Tempting Chriſt with reſpect to his Inward Grace, and the Aſſiſtance of the Holy Spirit: Eſpecially by bold venturing upon Temptation, and the Occaſions of Sin. p. 70.
Sect. 13. Of Tempting God and Chriſt, as to his Patience. p. 85.
Sect. 14. The Improvement of this Diſcourſe, for Conviction of Sin, and Humiliation. The Aggravations of this Tempting Chriſt. The Danger of it, as applied to our Nation, from this Example of the Jews. p. 87.
Sect. 15. An Exhortation to all ſorts of Perſons, inſtead of Tempting Chriſt, to make Trial and Proof of his Goodneſs and Faithfulneſs, in a way of Duty, Obedience, and Dependance. p. 97.
A DISCOURSE of Tempting Chriſt.
1 COR. x. 9.
Neither let us tempt Chriſt, as ſome of them alſo Tempted, and were deſtroyed of Serpents.