Of Tempting Christ, Section 5
SECT. V.
How we may be guilty of the like Sin, Explicitly and Directly, or Implicitly. Two Inſtances of the former.
BUT I proceed from the Conſideration of their Sin, and Puniſhment, to enquire into the Nature and Kinds of our Tempting Chriſt, how far we may now be guilty: That we may not tempt Chriſt as They did. And conſidering that all Power and Authority is committed unto him, that the Government of the World is upon his Shoulders, that the Father hath committed all Judgment unto the Son, that the Adminiſtration of the Kingdom of God in this World, is in the Hands of Chriſt the Mediator; every undue and unneceſſary Trial which we make of the Truth, or Power, or Knowledg, or Grace, or or Providence, or Patience of God, is a Tempting of Chriſt: unto whom we are related as our Lord and King, under whoſe immediate Government we all are, and by owning of our Chriſtianity avow our ſelves to be. Therefore every tempting of God is a tempting of Chriſt. And by reaſon of our clearer Knowledg of the Meſſiah, and our Chriſtian Profeſſion, we may be guilty of a more criminal tempting of Chriſt than ever the Jews were, and with many higher Aggravations.
IN general, to tempt God or Chriſt, is to make a needleſs undue Trial, or Inquiry concerning his Attributes, or his Will; what God doth know, or can do, or will do. And this may be either implicitly, as the Language of our Hearts and Lives; or by a more direct and explicit Tempting of him. The Former is more common: but let me name two ſpecial Inſtances of the Latter. As,
I. WHEN we demand an unneceſſary Diſcovery of the Divine Power, to confirm and prove that which is ſufficiently proved already. This is a direct explicit tempting of God and Chriſt. Tho God had given the Jews ſufficient Evidence of his Power, in the various Miracles which he wrought for them in Egypt, and in the aſtoniſhing manner of their Deliverance out of it, and afterwards at the Red Sea, and in the Wilderneſs; yet we have frequent Inſtances of their Unbelief and Murmur, doubting of the Divine Power upon every Occaſion. *Pſal. 78.17, to v. 20.Can he furniſh a Table in the Wilderneſs? Can he give Bread alſo, and provide Fleſh? Tho he gave Manna in the Morning, and Quails in the Evening, and their Bread was miraculouſly rained down from Heaven; yet they queſtioned whether he can give Water too. And ſome of the Jews tell us, the Manna had the virtue to quench the Thirſt, as well as to ſatisfy Hunger. And tho God had condeſcended, twice to give them Water out of a Rock, as at Rephidim, and at Horeb; yet do they demand another Proof of his Power and Preſence, viz. a Table furniſhed with Fleſh. This was a direct tempting of God.
THUS the Scribes and Phariſees, after our Saviour had ſufficiently proved his Divine Commiſſion by many undeniable Miracles, they would have him do ſome new Feat for their ſakes. *Mat. 8.11. & 16.1.Maſter, ſay they, we would fain ſee a ſign from Heaven. They would try whether he could do ſuch things, as the Prophet Elias did. They had ſcarce wiped their Eyes, ſince they ſaw a Sign and a Miracle, ſufficient to convince them; but that is not enough, they would ſee another; as if he had not wrought any before. To the like purpoſe they ſpeak when he was upon the Croſs, if he would then come down; that is, if he would give them a Miracle in their own way, and of their own chuſing, then they would believe.
IT is well known, that the Ceſſation of Miracles is one pretence of Infidelity in our Age, tho a very unreaſonable one. Not to mention the late Account of †Viz. The Cure of the French Girl, and of Mrs. Savage.ſome Wonders of Providence that are matter of Diſcourſe amongſt us at preſent, (as what is next to Miracle at leaſt; for I leave theſe things to be further conſidered, enquired into, and reflected upon, by thoſe that have Opportunity, and Capacity for it.) The Pretence is unreaſonable, not to believe the Scripture for want of more Miracles, when the New Teſtament, and the Divine Commiſſion of Chriſt, has been already confirmed by many and ſufficient Signs and Wonders. It is therefore a Tempting of God, to demand a further Diſcovery of his Almighty Power, in this, and in every Age, to confirm that which was proved by Miracles in former Ages. And that the ſame Doctrine of the Goſpel was atteſted by Miracles formerly, we have as great Aſſurance, as the Nature of the thing is capable of: And he is very unreaſonable who will deſire more Evidence, or not be ſatisfied with that. But our Lord has told us, that, with moſt Men that make this Objection, it is meer Cavil: For if they will not believe Moſes and the Prophets. And we may add upon the like ground, If they will not believe Chriſt and his Apoſtles, after the Evidence of ſo many Miracles; neither would they believe, tho one ſhould riſe from the dead. (The Miraole, of all others, which theſe Men are moſt like to pitch upon, if they might have their Choice.) No, nor if all the Miracles mentioned in the Goſpel were done before their Eyes.
II. IT is a direct Tempting of God, and Chriſt, to demand ſome Extraordinary Divine Manifeſtation, to atteſt his Kindneſs, and prove his Preſence, when he has ſufficiently done it already. When, notwithſtanding the Promiſes that God hath made, and the Experience that we and others have had of his Fidelity to them; we muſt have ſome Extraordinary Sign of his Love and Favour to encourage us, or we will not believe. The Jews in the Wilderneſs are charged with this, Exod. 17.7. And the place was called Maſſah, Temptation, as a Memorial of it: as it was alſo called Meribah, upon the account of their childing, ſtriving, and contending there. They queſtioned whether God was among them, unleſs he would do thus and thus, as they deſired. After all the Proof which they had of his Preſence, they would not believe it without farther Teſtimony, and Evidence in their own way. Now to doubt and disbelieve the Divine Favour and Preſence, after ſuch peculiar Experience, and Atteſtation as he had given them, is plainly to Tempt him. They believed not God, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, and truſted not in his Salvation. Tho he had commanded the Clouds from above, and opened the Doors of Heaven. They ſinned ſtill, and believed not for his wonderous Works. They turned back, and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Iſrael. They remembered not his Hand, nor the Day when he delivered them from the Enemy. Pſal. 78.22, 32, 41, 42.
AFTER this manner, the Devil tempted Chriſt to throw himſelf down from the Pinacle of the Temple; *Matth. 4.6.If thou be the Son of God. To which our Saviour replies, It is written, Thou ſhalt not tempt the Lord thy God. That is, I am ſufficiently ſatisfied that God is my Father, I do not queſtion his Care over me, I am ſatisfied of his gracious Preſence with me, I need no ſuch new Trial of his Kindneſs and Love.
IF at any time we are ingaged in any ſpecial Work and Duty, and meet with Oppoſition therein; but have the Promiſe of God to encourage us to go on, and have the Experience of his former Goodneſs and Power in difficult Caſes, as thoſe Jews had: For us to diſtruſt God, without farther and new Signs of his Favour, is directly to Tempt him. The Iſraelites fell often into this Fault: tho they had ſeen his Works of Power, as in dividing of the Sea; ſome Works of Majeſty and Terror, as in the Thunder and Lightning, Fire, Smoke and Earthquake, at the giving of the Law; ſome of his Severity againſt Sin, as in drowning of the Egyptians, in the Puniſhment of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and the Plagues that befel themſelves; and had alſo Experience of many Works of Favour, Kindneſs and Grace, and of a watchful Providence for their conſtant Protection and Supply, Guidance and Conduct; and hereby had the higheſt Security that God would accompliſh his Promiſes to them: They yet queſtioned and doubted after all. They ſometimes profeſſed their Faith and Confidence in God, upon ſome new Appearance or ſome mighty Work of Providence for their ſakes. Upon ſuch an Occaſion we read that the People feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his Servant Moſes, Exod. 14.31. But upon the next difficult Trial, they forgat the Kindneſs of Heaven, they renounced their own Experience, they deſpiſed the Faithfulneſs of God, which before they acknowledged, and are again guilty of Murmuring and Unbelief.
THIS kind of tempting of God many amongſt us may be guilty of: when, after eminent Preſervations in a time of Danger, or wonderful Deliverances from threatning Death, or other peculiar Favours of Divine Providence, we will not thereby be led to Repentance and Obedience, to Truſt and Dependance; but overlook all that God has done for us, as if it were nothing, unleſs he will do ſomewhat more. As if all his former Works had nothing in them of Value, or Obligation, or Encouragement. Which leads me to conſider the next thing.