The Power of Godliness, Book 6 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of the Sixth Petition. What Temptation is, with the several Kinds thereof. How God is said to Tempt his servants, and for what end he doth it. How man Tempts God, and how Satan, the World and the Flesh Tempt man.
Question: WHat is the Sixth Petition?
A. And lead us not into Temptation.
Q. Why is this Petition annexed to the former?
2 Cor. 2.11. 2 Cor. 7.5. 2 Cor. 1.2.7. Eph. 6.11, 12. Luk. 11.21.A. 1. Forgiveness of sinnes and grievous temptation are inseparable companions. For the Sonnes of God having obtained pardon of their offences, when they set themselves to walk before God, and to perform all duties of piety and love, as the Word requireth; the enemy of man-kind doth devise all arts, and prepare his engines to cast them down, that he might bring them again into slavery and bondage. 2. We cannot rightly desire God to forgive us our sinnes, unless we crave also power to abstain from the like in time to come.Joh. 8.11. & 5.14. Mat. 12.43, 44, 45. Cant 5.3. Prov. 26.11. 2 Pet. 2.22. For who being delivered from a great disease, will return to it again, and will not rather desire a diet whereby he may escape it? Swine indeed after they are washed, and Dogs after their Vomit, return, the one to their water, the other to their Vomit: but those that are truly washed with the blood of Christ, will never give themselves over to their sinnes again. 3. God hath ordained Prayer one means of keeping the faithfull from revolt; and they ought to be so much the more earnest in Prayer [their enemies being many, mighty, malitious, subtile and powerfull, and they very feeble and weak of themselves] as they are more subject to be beaten and buffeted with tentations,Mat. 4.3. Joh. 8.44. 2 Cor. 11.14. Eph. 6.12. 1 Pet. 5.8. Rev. 12.3. Gen. 6.5. Job 15.16. Mat. 15.19. Rom. 7.14, 18. than others. 4. The condition of them that are called to the hope of life, will be worse than the state of those that never tasted of the good Word of God, if they give themselves to evil; as a relapse in diseases is more dangerous then the first sickness was.
Q. What is Temptation?
Deut. 4.34. & 7.19. & 29.3. Psal. 26.2. foreignA. Temptation is any action whereby we make proof or experience of any matter. The Original word in Hebrew hath the signification of lifting up for a sign, or essaying some high thing.
Q. What are the several kinds of Temptations that we read of?
A. We read of three Temptations: First, Gods tempting man, which is called temptation of probation. Secondly, Mans tempting God. Thirdly, The Devils, the Worlds, and the Fleshes tempting man; which is called temptation of seduction.
Q. What is Gods temptation of man?
Gen. 22.1. Heb. 11.17. Job 9.23. & 34.36. Deut. 13.3. Job 23.10. Luk. 18.22.A. It is an action of God, whereby he proveth and makes experience of the Faith, love, repentance, loyalty and obedience of his servants.
Q. How is God said to try or prove his Servants?
A. 1. By sending afflictions and deferring to help them. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Psal. 66.10.11 Psal. …05.19. Exo. 15.25, 26. & 16.4. Rev. 2.10. 1 Pet. 4 12. 1 Cor. 10.13. Exo. 1.8, 9. Psal. 10….25.Ʋntill the time that his Word came, the Word of the Lord tried him. And this kind of temptation by outward judgments is most grievous, when the Lord layeth his own hand so grievously upon his servants, that they think themselves to be quite forsaken. 2. By offering occasions and objects to try whether they will sinne or no. A man suspecting his servant which in word promiseth fidelity, layes a Purse of Money in his way, to try if he will steal it: which if he steal, he hath found by watching, that he is a secret thief, and so laid him open for stealing any more. Now this trying of him is no sinne, though he sinne in stealing. In the same manner God tempteth his servants to try their stedfastness and constancy.Deut. 13.3. Thou shalt not hearken unto to the words of the Prophet or Dreamer of Dreames: for the Lord thy God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart. 3. God tempteth his servants by leaving them to themselves, and withdrawing his graces from them. We read of Hezekiah, that God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. 2 Chro. 32.31.4. He tryeth them by some strange and extraordinary Commandement, wherein some high and great experiment of their love and obedience is required. As Christ biddeth the young man, Go, and sell all that thou hast, and giv… to the poor. Mat. 19.16.And under this kind is comprehended the temptation of Abraham, Gen. 22.1, 2.when he was commanded to offer his Sonne Isaac in Sacrifice. 5. I do not find that phrase in Scripture, that God is said to try his Children by prosperity, but we find it to be a slippery state, in which the godly have taken the foyl. Give me not riches, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Deut. 8.16. Prov. 30.9.Who is the Lord?
Q. For what ends doth the Lord tempt his people?
A. 1. To manifest the graces he hath bestowed upon them; and thus he tempted Abraham. Gen. 22.1. Jam. 1.3. 1 Pet. 1.6, 7.My Brethren (saith James) count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Ye are in heaviness (saith Peter) through manifold temptations, that the tryal of your faith, being much more precious then gold that perisheth, might be found unto praise. There must (saith Paul) be Heresies among you, 1 Cor. 11.19. Psal. 44.14, 15, 17. Deut. 8.3. 2 Chro. 32.31.that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 2. To make man see his weakness, and how unable he is to stand without grace from above, or to manifest hidden and secret corruptions, partly to a mans own self, and partly to the world. There is much sinne that lurketh privily in the heart of good men, which never comes to knowledg, till temptation manifest it unto them.
Q. God knoweth what is in man, and what he will do, long before, Joh. 2.25. Psal. 139.1, 2.and needeth not to make tryal of any man.
A. God makes tryal of his servants, not for himself, but for our sakes; not that he might learn any thing, for all things are manifest in his sight, but that he might shew to others what is most evident to him. To others I say, both they themselves that are tryed, whom it specially concernes, that they prove and know themselves; and others,Psal. 26.1, 2. & 139.23, 24. who seeing the faith and obedience of the Saints, might learn to imitate them; or their weakness and levity, might learn to deny themselves and walk in humility.
Q. God tempteth no man.
A. 1. Temptation often signifieth a soliciting and provoking to evil,Jam. 1.14. Mat. 4 1. Jam. 1.14. which is the action of Satan, the world, or our own corruption: and thus God tempteth no man, that is, he doth not stirre up or move any mans heart to sin. 2. There is a good temptation, which is the tryal of the heart; and an evil, which is the wicked suggestion of Satan, the world, or the flesh, and solicitation to sin. The good temptation is the work of God, not the evil.
Q. How are these Temptations Good and Evil differenced one from another?
A. 1. In the efficient cause. The good is alwaies of God: the evil of Satan,1 Thes. 30.5. Ma…. 4 3. Joh 6.5. 2 Cor. 12.7. and our own concupisence. Therefore Satan is called the Tempter, that is, the Author of evil temptation. 2. In the matter or objects; For God tryeth us by Commandements that are grievous to the flesh, by abundance of outward blessings, by outward afflictions; by deferring to help, by false Prophets,1 King. 22.22. by Satan himself, whom he suffers to buffet us. But external good things, or evil, are only accedential occasions of evil tentations; Internal evils, as concupisence, is the proper cause of it. 3. In the form. Good temptation is the tryal and discovery of some grace or corruption lying hid in man; of strength or weakness, piety or impiety, faith or infidelity, patience or impatience, sincerity or hypocrisie, constancy or levity: which tryal is a thing good in its kind, and in some sort to be desired. But evil Temptation is the inticement or allurement of the heart to evil thoughts, counsels, acts and works; which is a thing it self evil, and hurtfull. 4. In effect; For in good the Lord doth ever obtain what he doth intend. For alwaies by the tryal of probation, either the faith and constancy, or the infidelity and weakness of men is brought to light. In the evil, Satan doth not ever effect what he intendeth, but when we give way to the temptation, and do not manfuly resist unto the end, nor earnestly crave aid or defence of God. 5. In the the end; For God tempteth to a good end, either that the glory of his grace might be more illustrious by our faith, patience, obedience, constancy, and that others by our example might be provoked to holiness; or that the pride of our flesh might be humbled, fierceness tamed, security shaken off, hypocrisie detected, faith and repentance increased in us. But Satan, the world, and the flesh, tempt to an evil end; For they tempt the godly to turn them from the study of godliness, or to make them slothfull, or proud and insolent of that they have, and so plunge them into destruction. They tempt the wicked, lest they should repent of their sinnes, and turn unto God. 6. In the manner: for Satan tempteth a man to sinne against the will of God; God tempteth a man to do some thing against his reason or affections.
Q. For what Reasons is God pleased to try his Servants?
A. To whom God vouchsafeth a greater measure of grace, to them he appointed singular tryals, and temptations above other men; First, Because Gods graces do better appear in temptations then out of them, as gold is best tried in the fire, and thereby proved most pure and perfect. Secondly, Temptations serve to abase the servant of God, and to bring him down in his own conceit, that he be not proud of those things that are in him, or puffed up with conceit that there is more in him, then indeed there is. This we see in Pauls example; He was buffeted of Satan, lest he should be exalted with abundance of Revelations. A type hereof we find in worldly affairs; The best Ship that floateth on the Sea, when it carrieth in its most precious Jewels, is ballaced with gravell or sand, to make it sinke into the water, and so sail more surely, lest floating too high, it should be unstable: even so dealeth the Lord with his servants; when he hath given them a good measure of his graces, then doth he lay temptations upon them, lest they should be puffed up in themselves.Luk. 11.16. Exo. 17.2. Psal. 95 9. Psal. 78, 19, 20 Mat. 4 7. Deut. 6.16. Psal. 91.11.
Q. How doth man tempt God?
A. When leaving his ordinary way of waiting on God in meanes, he will put him to it, to shew his power, mercy, &c. before his time. Thus God is tempted many waies; First, By contemning the means which we have, and requiring extraordinary. Secondly, When means are wanting by prescribing God time and manner how to work for our preservation. Thirdly,Num. 14.22. Mal. 3.15. 1 Co…. 10.9. Num. 21.6. By provoking God with our sins, and trying whether he be true and able to punish them that transgress. Fourthly, Israel did oft tempt the Lord by murmuring and dispising his present mercies vouchsafed unto them. Fifthly, He tempteth God, that casteth himself rashly into dangers, presuming of the absolute power of God, when he is not called thereunto. Sixthly, Concerning things indifferent wh…ch do not edifie, but are rather joyned with scandall, danger of offence and impiety;1 Cor. 10.22. Act. 15.10. Paul saith, Do we provoke the Lord? Seventhly, Peter saith, they did tempt God, who imposed the yoke of the Law upon the Disciples, though they did it with great zeal, and peradventure with no evil intention; Because they kn…w whether the Law of Moses, which was given to the Jews, might not be imposed upon the Gentiles.
Q. What are the Temptations of Satan, the world, and the flesh?
A. They are perswasions, inticements, or allurements,Mat. 26.41. Luk. 22 40, 46. 1 Cor. 7.5. 1 Thes. 3.5. 2 Sam. 24.1. 1 Chro. 21.1. Act. 5.3. Jam. 1 14. 1 Chro. 21.1. Joh. 13.2. 2 Sam. 11.2, 3 Mat. 4.3, 4, 8. Jer. 44.17. Gen. 3.6. & 39.7. Job 29. Mat. 16.22. 1 Reg. 33.8. Act. 21.12. Deut. 13.2. Jam. 1.14. Obad. vers. 3. 1 Pet. 2.11. Job 31.1. Mat. 4.3, 8. Josh. 7.21. Prov. 23.31. 1 Joh. 2.16. Numb. 24.11. Prov. 7.16. 2 Tim. 4.10. whereby they labour to draw us into sin, or withdraw us from God to our temporal and eternal destruction Satan, the world, and the flesh tempt by inticing alwaies unto sin. Satan by inward suggestions, and outward objects; the wicked of the world by bad examples, or wicked perswasions, alluring or terrifying. The flesh tempteth when we are inticed of our own concupiscence. The things of this world, though good of themselves, do much hurt unto us by accident; as Wine, though good of it self, doth much hurt unto persons intemperate. Look as a sick man is much endangered, by the presence of things which provoke his appetite, but feed his sickness: So the presence of those things which disdiet the soul, and provoke lusts, are very dangerous, the occasions of many temptations. These are the enemies that do assault us, but the most pernicious is the flesh; for without it neither the world, nor the Devil can have any power over us. In vain should one knock at the door where there is none within to look out and answer: In vain should the Devil by his perswasions knock at our hearts, did there not dwell in them these lusts which will look out to him too readily. Satan prevailed indeed with our first Parents, but the reason was, their willing and ready listening to his allurment, which they might have withstood but would not. Again, though the Devil be a furtherer of all provocations to lust, (as unclean persons do help complexion with the painting box) doth make them seem to us good in farre greater degree then they are, yet they would not be able to tempt us effectually, had we not this lust in us. Look as a man while he is now in a hot fit of his Ague, while this heat doth possess him, O he thinketh drink the only thing, and counteth them happy that may drink enough; but when this distemper is over, though the pot were by him, careth not to taste it; So these earthly things, when concupiscence is up, Oh alass (such false glasses these are) that our judgment and estimation do think them so good that we may not forbear them, when the same things at another time (when lust is somewhat subdued) do little or nothing stirre our desires; that he would think his phantasie and senses were by some jugling delusion corrupted.