1. By offering Occasions in the course of his Providence; God puts us upon trial there, sometimes by want, sometimes by fullness. By Want. John 6. 5, 6. Whence shall we buy Bread that these may eat? saith Christ to Philip. And this he said to prove him; for he himself knew what he would do. Christ will have the weakness of his Followers tried, as well as their strength. And he trieth his People often by this kind of trial, when there are many Mouths, and no Meat; and a Man cannot see which way his visible Supplies shall come in, this he doth to prove them, to see whether they will look only to outward likelihood and probabilities, or rest themselves upon God's Promise and All-sufficiency: or else by Fullness, and outward Prosperity, to see if they will forget him. I confess, I do not remember where this is called a trial in Scripture, unless there be somewhat in that place, Deut. 8. 16. He fed thee with Manna in the Wilderness, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter End. Possibly the trial there might lie in this, because they had but from hand to mouth; or, because it was not that Meat which their Lusts craved, but that which God saw fit for them. But however, though Prosperity be not called so, yet certainly it is in it self a trial. Prov. 30. 9. Give me not Riches, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Lust in us makes it to be a Temptation; and the Godly have been often foiled by it; and they need learn ⟨p. 411⟩how to abound, as well as how to be abased, Phil. 4. 12. They need learn how to avoid the Snares of a prosperous Condition. David, it was a trial to him; while he was wandering in the Wilderness, he had such tenderness, that his Heart smote him, when he cut off the Lap of Saul's Garment; while he was chased like a Partridge upon the Mountains, wandering up and down, from Forrest to Forrest: But when he was walking at ease, upon the Terrace of his Palace in Jerusalem, then he falls into Blood and Uncleanness; And therefore his Estate was a trial, and he lieth in it, notwithstanding all his former tenderness of Heart, until he was roused up by Nathan the Prophet. And certainly, as to the Wicked, it is a very great Temptation, judicially inflicted, disposed of to them by God's Judgment, they are plagued by worldly Felicity;
1. By offering Occasions in the course of his Providence; God puts us upon trial there, sometimes by want, sometimes by fulness. By Want. John 6. 5, 6. Whence shall we buy Bread that these may eat? saith Christ to Philip. And this he said to prove him; for he himself knew what he would do. Christ will have the weakness of his Followers tried, as well as their strength. And he trieth his People often by this kind of trial, when there are many Mouths, and no Meat; and a Man cannot see which way his visible Supplies shall come in, this he doth to prove them, to see whether they will look only to outward likelyhood and probabilities, or rest themselves upon God's Promise and Alsufficiency: or else by Fulness, and outward Prosperity, to see if they will forget him. I confess, I do not remember where this is called a trial in Scripture, unless there be somewhat in that place, Deut. 8. 16. He fed thee with Manna in the Wilderness, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter End. Possibly the trial there might lie in this, because they had but from hand to mouth; or, because it was not that Meat which their Lusts craved, but that which God saw fit for them. But however, though Prosperity be not called so, yet certainly it is in it self a trial. Prov. 30. 9. Give me not Riches, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Lust in us makes it to be a Temptation; and the Godly have been often foiled by it; and they need learn ⟨p. 411⟩how to abound, as well as how to be abased, Phil. 4. 12. They need learn how to avoid the Snares of a prosperous Condition. David, it was a trial to him; while he was wandring in the Wilderness, he had such tenderness, that his Heart smote him, when he cut off the Lap of Saul's Garment; while he was chased like a Partridg upon the Mountains, wandring up and down, from Forrest to Forrest: But when he was walking at ease, upon the Tarras of his Pallace in Ierusalem, then he falls into Blood and Uncleanness; And therefore his Estate was a trial, and he lieth in it, notwithstanding all his former tenderness of Heart, until he was roused up by Nathan the Prophet. And certainly, as to the Wicked, it is a very great Temptation, judicially inflicted, disposed of to them by God's Judgment, they are plagued by worldly Felicity;
