that of covetousness; but none can say they have not been assaulted with this. I shall make it out by an induction of particulars:

So.

[1.] First, The generality of men that live in the profession of religion are presumptuous, nay, the greatest part of the blind world are They presume of mercy and salvation. The devil preacheth nothing else but all hope, no fear, and in these golden dreams they slide down to hell. If we look into their way of sinning, and then into their hopes, we can judge no less of them. They stick not at the most grievous abominations, the works of the flesh, and in these they continue. It is their trade, their life; they make provisions for them, they cannot sleep except they do wickedly; he that reproveth is derided by them; they make but a mock and sport of those things which, as the shame and reproach of mankind, should rather fly the light and hide themselves as things of darkness. These things they practise without regret or sorrow of heart, without smiting upon the thigh, and in all this they have the confidence to say, 'Is not the Lord among us? They can call themselves Christians, and have as bold expectations of eternal happiness, as if the committing of these evils were made by God the necessary qualifications to everlasting happiness. What is more common, and yet what more presumptuous? For (1.) These men audaciously hope and expect mercy, expressly contrary to the peremptory threatenings of God. God saith, There is no peace to the wicked;' they say, ' We shall have peace.' (2.) These run upon the greatest hazards of ruin and woe, with the least fear, in the contempt of all danger, as the horse rusheth into the battle, who mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth his back from the sword,' Job xxxix. 22. (3.) They dare God to do his worst, they provoke God to jealousy, and that to his face; hence was it that Nimrod was said to be a mighty hunter before the Lord, [Gen. x. 9 and Er, the son of Judah, that he was wicked before the Lord," [Gen. xxxviii. 7,] because such audacious sinners will not, as we may say, go behind his back to sin.

[2.] Secondly, Hypocrites whose carriage is more smooth, they also are presumptuous; for while they hide their sin, they do against dictates of conscience presume that he that made the eye doth not see,' and that there is a possibility to cheat God as well as men: besides, their boastings and hopes have a special mark set upon them in Scripture as audaciously false; the hope of the hypocrite shall be cut off,' [Job viii. 13;] their confidence of the temple of the Lord is but a lie, and so termed expressly by the prophet.

[3.] Thirdly, Even despairing persons are not always free of presumption. The act of self-murder is a terrible presuming upon infinite justice. Spira's desire to know the worst was of the same kind. These are indeed extraordinary; but there are some other kinds of despair that come nearer to presumption, as that sensual despair which ariseth out of an excessive love of carnal delights, and a secure contempt of spiritual things; for when sensuality prompts them to eat and drink while they may, despairing and hopeless of a future happiness, for to-morrow they shall die,' [Isa. xxii. 13,] and their pleasure cease, they highly presume against the patience and goodness of God. [4.] Fourthly, The best of men are too frequently overcome by it.

(1.) Not only while they are overtaken with sins more grievous, and above the rate of sins of infirmity, to which how liable the holiest saint may be upon temptation, may be gathered from David's prayer, Keep thy servant from presumptuous sins, that they have not dominion over me,' [Ps. xix. 13.] (2.) But by their earnest prosecutions of their own wills when contradicted by providence. It is by the prophet, Isaiah ix. 9, called 'a pride and stoutness of heart,' to contend with providence, to attempt to build with 'hewn stone when the bricks are fallen,' or to strive for cedars when divine wrath hath cut down the sycamores.' (3.) How frequently are they guilty of presuming upon their privileges, their strength, their graces, and upon that score venture themselves upon occasions of sin, or bear high above others upon a conceit of their higher attainments, or when they boldly put themselves upon suffering, or upon doing, while they want that due humility and care that should balance them. (4.) There is also a presumptuous rashness, upon which the zeal and good intentions of holy men may sometimes precipitate them. Such was Uzziah's putting forth his hand to hold the ark, for which the Lord smote him. All these instances put together will sufficiently demonstrate that presumption is one of Satan's master designs.

The second demonstration of this truth is from the general subserviency of other things to this. Most of Satan's endeavours and temptations aim at this point, and this is the result and consequence of most sins. That must needs be chief, to which so many things do but serve and minister. In this centre do most of the lines of his policy meet, pride, vainglory, conceited privileges, supposed advantages, and many things more were but under-agents to this temptation which the devil attempted upon Christ, as hath in part, and presently shall be further, evidenced.

3. Thirdly, Having thus proved that presumption is one of the great things he aims at, I shall next discover the reasons of his earnestness and industry in his design, which are these:

(1.) First, It is a sin very natural, in which he hath the advantage of our own readiness and inclination. However that some from a melancholy temper are inclinable to fears and distrust at some time, when these black apprehensions are exalted, yet, these excepted, hopes are more predominant than fears; and self-love, which provides fuel to these hopes, is a natural principle in all. When so many things give him such advantages and promise him a success, we may well suppose he will not miss such an opportunity.

(2.) Secondly, As it is easy for Satan's attempt, so it is remote from conviction, and not rooted out without great difficulty. It is a sin that is covered with a pretext of a higher degree of hope. Men in many ways of this iniquity are under persuasions of duty, and by reason of that confidence, fear, which is the soul's sentinel, is asleep. Hence do they not lie so fairly open to counsel or reproof. The Israelites, Deut. i. 27, 28, being under discouragement, refuse to go up to Canaan, when they were upon the border of the land; but being convinced of their sin in distrusting the arm of the Lord, by God's declared wrath and threatening against them, they fall upon the contrary extreme of presumption, and then, ver. 41, 'they would go up

and fight;' and the conviction of their former sin made them so confident that this was their present duty--for thus they argue, ' We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us-that though they were expressly forbidden from God, ver. 42, 'Go not up, neither fight, for I am not among you; yet were they so strangely carried by their former persuasion, that they refused to be convinced, and went presumptuously into the hill.' By which instance we see what great pretences lead on presumption, and how difficultly they are removed, which two things do no less than tempt Satan to lay out himself to the uttermost in that design.

(3.) Thirdly, The greatness of the sin when it is committed, is another reason of his diligence in the pursuit of it. It is not only from a simple error or mistake, but that error ariseth from intolerable pride; they say and do such things from the pride and stoutness of their heart, Isa. ix. 9. He that is presumptuous is self-willed, 2 Pet. ii. 10. Hence these sins, which we translate presumptuous, are in the original called prides or arrogancies, Ps. xix. 13; Deut. xvii. 12. Besides, they are contradictions to God's order, separating those things that God hath joined together, as the means from the end, or the end from the means, as if the earth should be turned out of its place' for us. And in some cases it is no less than the open affronting of God by abusing his own favours against himself; for thus they deal with him, who are opinionated in sin because of his mercy, concluding, by an irrational consequence, that they ought to be wicked because God is good, or that they may freely offend because he doth not punish. (4.) Fourthly, The dangerous issues and consequences of this way of sinning, do not a little animate Satan to tempt to it. In some cases it was to be punished by death: Deut. xvii. 12, 'The man that doth presumptuously, even that man shall die;' and most usually it is plagued with sad disappointments, by a severe engagement of God's displeasure against it. The hypocrite's hope shall perish, it shall be as the giving up of the ghost,' Job viii. 13, and xi. 20. And generally, He that thus blesseth himself in his heart, when he heareth the words of the curse,' Deut. xxix. 19, 20, the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.' 4. Fourthly and lastly, I shall lay before you the deceitful contrivance of Satan in bringing this sin about, by shewing the particulars of his craft against Christ herein. As,

(1.) First, He takes advantage from his resolve to rely upon providence, contrary to the former temptation of turning stones to bread. Christ had refused that, telling him it was duty to trust him, who not only by the ordinary means of bread could feed him, but also by any other appointment. To this Satan rejoins, by offering an irregular opportunity of such a trust, in casting himself from the pinnacle 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 dependence, he would draw Christ to an irregular presumption. He retorts Christ's argument back again upon him thus, If God is to be relied

upon by a certain trust for food, by the like trust he is to be relied upon for preservation; if the belief of supply of bread can consist with a neglect or refusal of ordinary means for the procurement thereof, then may the belief of preservation in casting thyself from the pinnacle of the temple consist also with a neglect of the ordinary means.' Thus, like a cunning sophister, he endeavours to conclude sin from duty, from a seeming parity betwixt them, though indeed the cases were vastly different. For, though it be duty to depend upon providence, when God, in the pursuit of service and duty, brings us out of the sight and hopes of outward means, yet it can be no less than sinful presumption for us to make such experiments of providences, when we need not, and when ordinary means are at hand. After the same manner doth he endeavour to put fallacies upon us, and to cheat us into presumptuous undertakings, by arguing from a necessary trust, in some cases, a necessity of presuming in others, upon a seeming likeness and proportion.

(2.) Secondly, It was no small piece of Satan's craft to take this advantage, while the impression of trust in the want of outward means was warm upon the heart of Christ. He hoped thereby the more easily to draw him to an excess. 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 extreme, and he well hoped that when Christ had declared himself so positively to depend upon God, he might have prevailed to have stretched that dependence beyond its due bounds, taking the opportunity of his sway that way, which, as a ship before wind and tide, might soon be overdriven. And this was the design of his haste in this second temptation, because he would strike while the iron was hot, and closely pursue his advantage, while the strength and forwardness of these resolves were upon him.

(3.) Thirdly, He endeavours to animate him to this presumption by popular applause, and to tickle him into a humour of affecting the glory and admiration, which by such a strange undertaking might be raised in the minds of the spectators; and therefore did he bring him to the most conspicuous place of a great and populous city, not thinking the matter so feasible if he had tempted him to it in a solitary desert.

(4.) Fourthly, He propounds to him a plausible end, and a seeming advantage, viz., the clear and undoubted discovery of his divine nature and near interest in God; urging this as a necessary duty, for his own satisfaction, and the manifestation of his sonship to others.

(5.) Fifthly, To drive out of his mind those fears of miscarrying in his attempt, which otherwise might have been a block in his way, he is officious in strengthening his confidence by propounding treacherous helps and preservatives, suggesting a safety to him from the privilege of the place where this was to be acted, a holy city and temple, producing more of a divine presence for his safety than other places.

(6.) Sixthly, To make all sure, he backs all this with a promise of preservation, that nothing might be wanting to his security.

By this method applied to other things and cases, he endeavours to bring us to presumption.

Applic. The consideration of this should put us upon a special care and watchfulness against presumption. It is more designed, and hath

a greater prevalency than men are aware of. Two things I shall only at present propound for our preservation, out of Ps. xix. 12, 13.

[1.] First, He that would be kept from presumptuous sins must make conscience of secret sins, to search for them, to mortify them, to beg pardon for them. With what face or hope can we expect from God help against these, when we provoke him to leave us to ourselves, by indulging ourselves in the other?

[2.] Secondly, He that would avoid them must be under the awe and fear of being overcome by them. He that slights and contemns such visible hazards shall not long be innocent. David here first shews his conscience to be concerned with secret sins, and then begs to be kept from presumptuous sins, and by such earnest begging he next shews how much he dreaded such miscarriages. [Dickson, in loc.]

CHAPTER XV.

Self-murder another of his designs in this temptation.-How he tempts to self-murder directly, and upon what advantage he urgeth it.-How he tempts to it indirectly, and the ways thereof.-Of necessary preservatives against this temptation.

We have seen and considered the main end of Satan in this temptation. Let us further consider whether this was the sole end that he propounded to himself. We have little reason to think that he would confine himself to one, when the thing itself doth so clearly suggest another, which might possibly have followed. In most cases, the ends of the devil are manifold. We may therefore easily suppose-and several have noted it1-that the devil, that great murderer, had herein a secret design against the life of Christ, and that he tempted him here indirectly to self-murder. And indeed, supposing that Christ had attempted to fly in the air, and had failed in the enterprise, what else could have followed but death and ruin? Hence let us note,

Obs. 9. That Satan seeks the ruin of our bodies as well as of our souls, and tempts men often to self-murder. That the devil goes about seeking how he may destroy men, by putting them upon attempts against their own lives, is evident, not only from the experience and confessions of such as have suffered under Satan's suggestions to that end-and it is a temptation more common than we think of, because most men are unwilling to lay open themselves to others in this matter-but also from those many sad instances of men over whom Satan so far prevails, that they execute upon themselves this design by destroying themselves. Yet by the way we may note, that such thoughts are often in the minds of men where Satan is not industriously designing their destruction; for he often casts in such thoughts, not only to try how men take with them, but to affright and disquiet them; and it is usual with men of sad and melancholy tempers to mistake their own fears of such a temptation, for Satan's endeavours against them, when indeed their fear and trouble lest they should be so tempted, makes them think they are tempted indeed.

1 Dickson, in loc; Capel, Tempt., part 2, cap. 9.