of prefuming upon their Priviledges, their Strength, their Graces, and upon that score venture themselves upon occafions of Sin, er bear high above others upon a conceit of their higher attainments, or when they boldly put themfelves upon Suffering, or upon doing while they want that due Humility and care that fhould ballance them. (4.) There is alfo a Prefumptuous Rashness, upon which the Zeal and good Intentions of holy Men may fometimes precipitate them. Such was Uzzabs putting forth his hand to hold the Ark, for which the Lord fmote him. All these inftances put together, will fufficiently demonftrate that Prefumption is one of Satan's Mafter-Designs.

The Second Demonftration of this Truth is from the general fubferviency of other things to this. Moft of Satans indeavours and Temptations aim at this point, and this is the refult and confequence of moft Sins; that muft needs be chief to which fo many things do but ferve and minifter. In this Center do most of the lines of his Policy meet, Pride, Vain-Glory, Conceited-Priviledges, Suppofed-Advantages, and many things more were but Under-Agents to this Temptation, which the Devil attempted upon Christ, as hath in part, and presently fhall be further evidenced.

Thirdly, Having thus proved that Prefumption is one of the great things he aims at, I fhall next discover the Reasons of his earneftnefs and industry in his Design, which are these.

First, 'Tis a Sin very Natural, in which he hath the advantage of our own readiness and inclination. However that fome from a melancholy temper, are inclinable to fears and diftruft at fome time, when thefe black apprehenfions are exalted, yet (thefe excepted) hopes are more predominant than Fears; and Self-love, which provides fewel to thefe hopes, is a Natural Principle in all; when fo many things give him fuch Advantages, and promife him a fuccefs, we may well fuppofe he will not mifs fuch an opportunity.

Secondly, As'tis eafy for Satan's attempt, fo 'tis remote from conviction, and not rooted out without great difficulty: 'tis a Sin that is covered with a pretext of an higher degree of hope: Men in many ways of this iniquity are under perfwafions of Duty, and by reafon of that confidence, Fear (which is the Souls Centinel) is afleep, hence do they not lye fo fairly open to Counfel or Reproof. The Ifraelites, Deut. 1. 27, 28. being under difcouragement, refufe to go up to Canaan, when they were upon the border of the

Land,

Land; but being convinced of their Sin, in diftrufting the Arm of the Lord, by Gods declared Wrath and threatning against them, they fall upon the contrary extream of prefumption, and then ver. 41. they would go up and Fight: and the conviction of their former Sin, made them fo confident that this was their prefent duty, (for thus they argue, we have finned against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us;) that though they were exprefly forbidden from God, ver. 42. Go not up, neither fight, for I am not among you; yet were they fo ftrangely carried by their former perfwafion, that they refused to be convinced, and went presumptuously into the Hill. By which inftance we fee, what great pretences lead on Prefumption, and how difficultly they are removed: which two things do no less than tempt Satan to lay out himself to the uttermoft in that de.fign.

Thirdly, the Greatneß of the Sin when 'tis committed, is another reafon of his diligence in the purfuit of its 'tis not only from a fimple Error or Miftake, but that Error arifeth from intollerable Pride; they fay and do fuch things from the Pride and Stoutneß of their Heart. He that is Prefumptuous, is Self-willed, 2 Pet. 2. 10. Hence these Sins, which we tranflate Prefumptuous, are in the original, called Prides or Arrogancies. Befides,they are contradictions to God's Order, Separating those things that God hath joyned together, as the Means from the End, or the End from the Means, as if the Earth fhould be turned out of its place for us. And in fome cafes, 'tis no less than the open affronting of God, by abufing his own Favours against himself; for thus they deal with him, who are opinionated in Sin because of his Mercy, concluding, by an irrational Confequence, that they ought to be wicked because God is Good, or that they may freely offend because he doth not punish.

Efa. 9.9.

Pfal. 19. 13.

Deut. 17. 12.

Fourthly, The dangerous Iues and Confequences of this way of finning, do not a little animate Satan to tempt to it. In fome cafes it was to be punished by Death, Deut. 17. 12. The Man that doth prefumptuously, Even that Man fhall die: and most usually it is plagued with fad difappointments, by a fevere engagement of God's difpleasure against it. The Hypocrites hope fhall perish, it Job S.13. & 11. fhall be as the giving up of the Ghost. And generally, He that thus 20. bleffeth himself in his Heart, when he beareth the Words of the Curfe, Deut. 29. 19, 20. the Lord will not fpare him, but then the Anger of

the

the Lord and his jealousy shall smoak against that Man, and all the Curfes that are written in this Book fhall lye upon him, and the Lord shall blot out bis Name from under Heaven.

Fourthly, and lastly; I fhall lay before you, the deceitful contrivance of Satan in bringing this Sin about, by fhewing the particulars of his craft against Christ herein. As,

Firft, He takes advantage from his Refolve to rely upon Providence, contrary to the former Temptation of turning Stones to Bread; Chrift had refufed that, telling him it was duty to truft him, who not only by the ordinary means of Bread could feed him, but alfo by any other appointment. To this Satan rejoyns, by offering an irregular opportunity of fuch a trust, in cafting himself from the Pinacle of the Temple; as if he should say, If thou wilt thus rely upon Providence, do it in this. Wherein we may note, that from an obediential dependance, he would draw Chrift to an irregular Prefumption. He retorts Chrifts Argument back again upon him thus, If God is to be relyed upon by a certain trust for Food, by the like truft he is to be relyed upon for Prefervation; if the belief of Supply of Bread, can confift with a neglect or refusal of ordinary means for the procurement thereof, then may the belief of Prefervation in cafting thy Jelf from the Pinacle of the Temple confift also with a neglect of the ordinary Means. Thus like a cunning Sophifter he endeavours to conclude Sin from Duty, from a feeming parity betwixt them, though indeed the cafes were vaftly different. For though it be duty to depend upon Providence, when God (in the pursuit of Service and Duty) brings us out of the fight and hopes of outward means, yet it can be no less than finful Prefumption, for us to make fuch Experiments of Providences, when we need not, and when ordinary means are at hand. After the fame manner doth he endeavour to put Fallacies upon us, and to cheat us into Pre-fumptuous undertakings, by arguing from a necessary trust, in some cafes, a neceffity of prefuming in others, upon a feeming likeness and proportion.

Secondly, It was no fmall piece of Satan's craft to take this advantage, while the Impreffion of Truft, in the want of outward means was warm upon the Heart of Chrift, he hoped thereby the more easily to draw him to an excefs. For he knows that a Zealous earnestneẞ to avoid a Sin, and to keep to a Duty, doth often too much incline us to an extream, and he well hoped, that when Christ had declared himself so pofitively to depend upon God, he

might have prevailed to have stretched that dependance beyond its due bounds, taking the opportunity of his fway that way, which (as a Ship before Wind and Tide) might soon be overdriven. And this was the defign of his Hafte in this fecond Temptation, because he would ftrike while the Iron was bot, and closely pursue his advantage, while the ftrength and forwardness of these refolves were upon him.

Thirdly, He endeavours to animate him to this Prefumption by popular Applause, and to tickle him into an humour of affecting the Glory and Admiration, which by fuch a strange undertaking might be raised in the minds of the Spectators, and therefore did he bring him to the most confpicuous place of a great and populous City, not thinking the matter fo feasible if he had tempted him to it in a folitary Defert.

Fourthly, He propounds to him a plaufible End, and a feeming advantage, viz. the clear and undoubted difcovery of his Divine Nature and near Intereft in God; urging this as a neceffary Duty, for his own fatisfaction, and the manifeftation of his Son-fhip to others.

Fifthly, To drive out of his Mind thofe fears of mifcarrying in his attempt, which otherwise might have been a Block in his way: he is officious in ftrengthning his confidence, by propounding treacherous helps and prefervatives, fuggefting a fafety to him from the Priviledg of the place where this was to be acted, an Holy City and Temple, producing more of a Divine Prefence for his fafety than other places.

Sixthly, To make all fure, he backs all this with a Promife of Prefervation; that nothing might be wanting to his Security.

By this Method applyed to other things and Cafes, he endeavours to bring us to Prefumption.

The confideration of this should put us upon a special care and watchfulness against Prefumption; It is more defigned, and hath a greater prevalency, than Men are aware off. Two things I fhall only at prefent propound for our Preservation, out of Pfal. 19.

12, 13.

First, He that would be kept from Prefumptuous Sins,must make Confcience of Secret Sins, to fearch for them, to mortify them, to beg pardon for them. With what Face or Hope can we ex0 2

Applic.

pect from God help against these, when we provoke him to leave us to our felves, by indulging our felves in the other?

Secondly, He that would avoid them, muft be under the awe and fear of being overcome by them: he that flights and contemns Dikson in loc, futch vifible hazards, fhall not long be innocent. David here,

first shews his Confcience to be concerned with Secret Sins, and then begs to be kept from Prefumptuous Sins, and by fuch earnest begging, he next fhews how much he dreaded fuch mifcarriages.

CHA P. XV..

what

Self-Murther another of his Defigns in this Temptation, How he tempts to Self-murther directly, and upon advantage he urgeth it. How he tempts to it indirectly, and the ways thereof. Of neceffary Prefervatives against this Temptation..

WE have feen and confidered the main End of Satan in this

Temptation. Let us further confider whether this was the fole End that he propounded to himself: we have little reafon to think that he would confine himself to one, when the thing it felf doth fo clearly fuggeft another, which might poffibly have followed. In moft cafes, the Ends of the Devil are manyfold: we Dikson in loc. may therefore eafily fuppofe (and feveral have noted it) that the Capel Tempt. Devil (that great Murtherer) had herein a fecret defign against Part 2. cap. 9. the Life of Chrift, and that he tempted him here (indirectly) to Self-Murther. And indeed (fuppofing that Chrift had attempted to fly in the Air, and had failed in the Interprise,) what else could have followed but Death, and Ruine? Hence let us Note,

Obf. 9.

That Satan feeks the ruine of our Bodies, as well as of our Souls,and tempts Men often to Self-Murther. That the Devil goes about feeking how he may deftroy Men, by putting them upon attempts against their own Lives, is evident, not only from the Experience and Confeffions of fuch as have fuffered under Satan's fuggeftions

to