when he is in the hands of his very enemies Againe this is for the comfort of Gods children for sometime power is giuen to Sathan ouer their bodies to afflict them as we see for a time in Iob or for a time to possesse them as hee did the body of Magdalen for albeit then shee was not called yet euen then was shee an elect woman least therefore the children of God should at any time be discouraged with the like of this to take it for an argument of reprobation or finall deliuery of them vnto Sathan that the Lord for a time permits him to haue power our their bodies the Lord Iesus who would in all things be tempted as we are except sinne did taste of this temptation also for our comfort This being spoken concerning the manner of his carrying now we come to the place which is the holy City Ierusalem more particularly the very Temple which stood in the sight of all Ierusalem Sathan sets him on the platforme of it wherein were turrets with pinacles on their tops this place he takes as most conuenient for his purpose thou hast lurked too long as a priuate man among this people if thou be the Sonne of GOD that promised Messiah the king of Israel here is the time and place to shew thy selfe in the sight of Ierusalem all the people shall admire thee and acknowledge thee for to be the Sonne of God if thou cast thy selfe downe among them which easily thou maist doe without all perill or harme seeing the Lord hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee Concerning the place beside that which we marked in the first temptation how that there is no place so holy on earth wherin we can be free from the temptations of this vnholy spirit In Paradise he tempted Adam at Christs table he tempted Iudas and in the very Temple dedicated to the seruice of God how often finde wee by experience that hee dare tempt vs making vs eyther to turne the house of God into an house of marchandise while hee drawes away our mindes to thinke vpon worldly affaires or else into a den of theeues whilst he carryeth our Eyes to wander after vanitie that so hee may infect the heart or else at least he casts vpon vs the spirit of slumbring that wee cannot with reuerence heare the word of the Lord. Sathan is an enemie to euery good action standing alwayes at Iosuahs right hand to hinder him but specially doth hee resist vs in the Exercâ—ses of the Word and Prayer and seeketh to polluâ—e vs most in those places wherein wee should be most sanctified and therefore as the Iewes in the building of Ierusalem had their weapon in the one hand and their worke-toole in the other so wee when wee come to edifie our selues in the most holy Faith haue neede to haue an eye continually vpon our aduersarie and our weapon ready to resist him And set him on a pinnacle of the Temple FOr what end Sathan set our Lord there is euident out of that which followes that he might from thence cast him downe Sathan in his working is contrary vnto the Lord for the Lord casts downe to the end hee may raise vp so did hee with S. Paul first he cast him to the ground and then raised him vp to the honour of an Apostle but Sathan if he raise vp any man it is for this end that he may cast him downe It is true preferment comes neither from the East nor from the West but from the Lord yet such as come to high places by euill meanes are said to be raised vp by Sathan It were good for men to abhorre such preferments with those famous Martyrs who when offers of honourable Offices were made to them answered Nolumus honorem vnde nobis nascetur ignominia wee will none of that honour which breedes vs ignominie for that honour wherevnto men come with an euill conscience shall assuredly end in shame If thou be THis tentation as wee said is to Presumption and Vaine-glory Before men thou shalt haue great honour if by this Miracle thou manifest thy selfe the Sonne of God and at Gods hand thou needest feare none euill for since thou art his Son thou maist doe what thou wilt hee will not let thee perish This temptation to presumption in this age preuailes mightily ouer many who abuse Gods mercy and turne the grace of God into wantonnesse conceiting with themselues that because God is mercifull and Christ hath dyed for sinners and they haue receiued the seales of the Couenant and are now by adoption the Sonnes of God therefore they may doe what they list And though they cast not their bodies from on high to the ground being loath to endanger their naturall liues yet they spare not to make daily shipwracke of their Soules and Consciences by casting themselues downe head-long into euery snare of the Diuell A lamentable thing that the death of Christ should be abused to entertaine the life of sinne he died to abolish sinne and destroy the workes of the Diuell and miserable man will take boldnesse to sin the more freely because Christ dyed for him Where desperation enters all men see and abhorre it but though this presumption possesse the greatest multitude in this generation yet are they few who perceiue it The other branch of this temptation as I noted tends to a seeking of vaine-glory before men while hee would prouoke our Sauiour to manifest by vnlawfull meanes that hee was the Sonne of God And this is Sathans ordinarie temptation whereby hee assaults such as are endued with graces aboue others If the Apostle S. Paul had neede of counterpoyse against pride alas what haue wee Many doth Sathan so bewitch with a loue of their owne glory that rather then it shall not be manifested they will blaze it abroad themselues in most vaine-glorious manner and so vnawares they cast downe themselues before Sathan for to seeke thine owne glory is not glory But this is strange that Sathan hauing power to set our Lord on the toppe of the Temple puts not to his owne hand to cast him downe but tempts him to cast himselfe downe thus we see how in the greatest libertie Sathan hath hee is alwayes bound and brideled that he cannot doe what he would if hee get a commission or power it is euer with limitation as wee see in Iob loe he is in thine hand but saue his life And except wee our selues giue him armour he cannot hurt for it is by man himselfe that hee gets at any time vantage ouer man Let vs praise the power of God that restraines him let vs marke the impotence of Sathan let vs confirme our harts by grace to resist him so shall hee neuer be able to hurt vs. Last of all as here his voyce is Cast thy selfe downe so is it in the next assault Fall downe and worship mee This is the
the vvant of worldly necessaries The dignitie of Gods sons stands not in aboundance of worldly things Comfort against the want of worldly things How wee shold confirme our selues in the assurance of our Election and Adoption We should do nothing for sathans command though it seeme neuer so reasonable Sathan in his temptations aymeth at this to make vs earthly minded Mat. 4. 3. Many care for this life as if it wer eternall for eternall life as if in a moment it might be obtained Christs reply to Sathans first tentation The word is the sword of the spirit by which we should fight against Sathan Christin Math. hom 2. Papists conuinced who take the vse of the word from the people 〈…〉 vpon themselues a famine of the word Amos 8. 11. Chris. ibid. Two parts of Christs answere Of the first we learne that second meanes ordained by God should not be despised This serues first for weake Christians who through errour of conscience defraud their bodies of necessary foode Next for idle men who neglect the ordinarie meanes by which they should liue And yet we should not trust in the second meanes but in God Who sometime workes without meanes sometime by small meanes and sometime makes the meanes of life instruments of death The nature of the second meanes proues that our life is not by them Experience also confirmes the same This is made more cleare out of the second part of Christs answere Psal. 90. 3. The great stupiditie of men who rebell against God of whom they hold their life Comfort when ordinarie meanes failes In the right wing of Sathans battell stands Presumption Sathan changes tentations for his owne aduantage Sathans second captaine ouerthrowne also by our Lord. After victory in any temptation let vs stand ready for a new battel Christs transportation whether mentall or corporall Offences that may arise of Christs corporall transportation remoued In it the inuincible power of our Lord is made manifest Comfort for Gods children whose bodies are afflicted by Sathan for a time The place of this temptation is Ierusalem the holy City No place on earth free from the temptations of Sathan Yea in most holy places he is a most busie tempter The Lord casts down that hee may raise vp Sathan by the contrary raises vp that he may cast downe The pith of this second tentation The temptation of presumption preuaileth greatly in this age Christs death abused to nourish the life of sinne Sathans tentations to vaine-glory customable among men Pro. 25. 27 Sathan can not hurt vs except wee helpe him Sathans proper voice is Cast downe thy selfe Still seeking mans disgrace destruction The reason vsed by Sathan to strengthen his most vnreasonable desire He seekes to remoue godly fear that hee may bring men to a remediles most fearefull estate Greg. moral lib. 6. This testimony of Scripture is falsely vsed by Sathan in three respects 1 Ioh. 2. 1. That hee makes any place of Scripture to confirme a sin How Atheists Sathans disciples doe learne at him Greg. moral lib. 2. That reciting such a place of Scripture as reproueth his sinne he is touched with no remorse This proceedeth from his obstinacie which lets him not repent By presumption he fell by obstinacie he cannot rise Gods great mercy to vs worthy to be marked His Grace hath put a difference betweene vs and others wher there was no difference by Nature Such as heare their sins condemned by the word and are not moued are here conuinced How the children of God tremble at the rebukes of his word Acts 2. 37. Act. 16. 30. Chrisost. in Mat. hom 6 Thirdly he abuseth Scripture in mutilating of it The promises of God can be no comforts to vs if we neglect the condition wherupon they are made In the right vse of this testimonie we consider two things First the great glory and maiestie of God Dan. 7. 10. Psal. 68. 17 How farre inferiour the most glorious Courts of Kings is to the Lords Court Secondly the fatherly care and prouidence of God toward his Children Sathan should alwayes be refused resisted 2 Tim. 2. 26 The best weapon whereby wee can fight against him is the sword of the Spirit Scripture should be expounded by Scripture The summe of our Sauiours answere to this temptation How men tempt God In his prouidence In his mercie In his Iustice By neglecting the ordinarie meanes Both the wing◠of Sathans army being discomfited he now comes forward with his maine battell Sathan againe seeketh vantage by the place Num. 23. Christ tempted here at the eye with a faire shew at the eare with faire offers How it is that Sathan presented to the eye of our Lord al the kingdomes of the world One of Sathans customable policies is to infect the heart by the eye And therfore if we would keepe the heart we should first haue a care to keepe the eye Augu. Gregor lib. 21. Moral Nazian in deploratio calam animae sua Sathan speakes of earthly kingdomes but not of the heauenly which he hath lost Worldlings by their talke declares that they are of the same spirit Gregor Moral lib. 7. Sathans great subtiltie in shewing the glory of worldly kingdomes but not their misery Earthly kingdomes may be represented not so the heauenly 1 Cor. 29. Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 10. cap. 18. Ephes. 5. 14 Vanitie of earthly pleasures proued by their breuitie Heb. 11. 25. Gregor Moral lib. 15. Sathan hauing assaulted the eye of our Lord now goes about and assaults his eare Psal. 24. 1. In this he makes two notable lyes first in affirming that the kingdomes of the world were his How Sathan is called The God of the world Next he lies in pretending that hee would giue them to Christ which he neuer would albeit he might Sathans promises are alwaies to be distinguished from his performances Yet blinde worldlings follow Sathan as if the world were at his donation Sathan frames his temptations according to the estimation he hath of men He bids but a small price for such as hee knowes may be easily conquered ☜ This is their shame who doe Sathan seruice for small rewards Hee seekes more from men then he is able to giue vnto them If he offer earth it is vpon this condition that wee forsake heauen The blind folly of men bewitched with Sathans offers Many abhorre to be called Sathans worshippers who abhor not to be so indeede As namely they who worship the Lord otherwise then according to his owne will And they in like manner who serue their own beastly affections Rom. 6. 16. Why Christs last answere is sharper then any of the former In worship the Lord can suffer no companion 1 Sam. 7. 3. Papists worshipping others with God guiltie of Idolatry How the distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not excuse them Religious bowing of the knee to creatures a note of Idolaters Leuit. 2. 1. 2 King 18. 4. 2 King 23. 5. An obiection of the Aduersaries answered Worship and the glory of saluation should be reserued to the Lord onely Psal. 19. Ios. 10. 2. Cor. 6. Rom. 10. Psal. 119. 57. Psal. 119. 77. Mal. 2. 15. 1. Pet. 3. Aug. Nazian De ira cap. 5.
and ordained in most solemne manner to doe the office of the Mesias that is of an anointed King Preist and Prophet for our Saluation so that he is now no more a priuate man but a publike by most sure authoritie and in most solemne manner become our head and redeemer And in his temtation we see how immediately after his ordination he encounters with Sathan in a singular combat ouercomming him in the wildernesse who before had ouercome our parents in paradise and so by his first deed after his consecration makes it manifest that he was come to destroy the workes of the Diuell If these three be ioyned together in one wee shall finde them making vp vnto vs a compleat doctrine of Christian consolation The Lord Iesus in regard of his diuine nature is called by the Prophet Zachary Gnamith Iehoua that is the fellow and companion of Iehoua or as Saint Paul expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equall with God In regard againe of his humaine nature Iob calleth him Goel my kinsman In regard of his vnited natures he is called by Esay Emanuel God with vs. Now we know that by the law he who was neerest kinsman had power to reuenge the blood of his brother vpon the Murtherer if hee had found him without a Citie of refuge and therefore was he stiled by the name of an auenger and likewise hee had power to redeeme the inheritance which his brother through pouertie had lost for the word Gaal from which Goel commeth hath in it these two principall significations to redeeme and to reuenge So that heere wee see how the Lord Iesus being neerest of kinne vnto vs as wee may see out of his Genealogie being likewise clad with the power of a redeemer and reuenger as wee shall learne out of his Baptisme commeth immediately after his entrie to the publicke Office of the Messias vpon Sathan that murtherer and finding him out of a Citie of refuge enters into combat with him to reuenge the blood of his Brethren and to redeeme the inheritance which they had foolishly sould for nothing yea moreouer he doth that which no tipicall Goel vnder the Law was able to doe for not onely doth hee ouerthrow the murtherer but restoreth life againe to his brethren that were slaine and murthred by him Yours in the Lord William Cowper THE GENEALOGIE OF CHRIST Declaring how Iehoua becomes Gnimanuel GOD with vs. MATTHEVV 1. 23. Beholde a Virgin shall be with Childe and shall beare a Sonne and they shall call his name Emmanuel which is by interpretation GOD with vs. THE FIRST TREATISE declaring Christ his Genealogie THe Genealogie of IESVS CHRIST our LORD is written for this end that wee might know him and beleeue that Iesus the sonne of Mary is the Christ the sonne of God that blessed seede of the Woman promised to Adam that should breake the Serpents head that seede of Abraham in whom all nations were to be blessed for whom the godly looked in all ages the same is he whom in the fulnesse of time GOD hath exhibited vnto vs a branch of righteousnesse a pllant of renowne sprung of Iuda his tribe according to the flesh Herein haue wee neede to be confirmed that wee wander not in vncertainties but our faith may be stablished and grounded aright in him There are foure which haue written vnto vs the holy Gospell not at one time nor at one place nor yet aduising one with another for so it might haue beene thought there had beene some collusion among them but in that they wrot in seuerall places and times and yet doe speake all as it were with one mouth no difference at all being among them in these Articles that concerne the substance of saluation to wit the Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord it is out of all doubt as Chrisostome calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very great demonstration of the verity Of these foure there are two onely that records his Genealogie vnto vs Saint Mathew and Saint Luke and these write of it diuerso modo sed non aduerso diuersly but not contrarily and the diuersitie being well considered shal be found to make vp the greater harmony as shall appeare in the particular handling thereof For Saint Mathew reckons from the Fathers downeward to the children but Saint Luke reckons from the Children vpward to the Fathers the one lets vs see how both they and wee come from God by his eternall Word Christ Iesus the other how by that same Word incarnate wee assend and returne to God againe We are of him by Christ Creator as his creatures or sonnes by our first creation we goe to him by Christ Redeemer as his new creatures or his sonnes by regeneration the first of these is common to all men the second proper to those onely who are of Christs spirituall kindred and the praise of this communion betweene God and man is to be reserued to CHRIST Iesus onely for it is no lesse absurditie to say that wee can goe to GOD the Father by any other then Christ then if it should be said also that wee came of God the Father by another then Christ. But now for orders sake wee will diuide the whole Genealogie into fiue sections reckoning as Saint Mathew doth from the Fathers to the Children for the better help of our memories the first is from Adam to Noah the second from Noah to Abraham the third from Abraham to Dauid the fourth from Dauid to Zorobabel the fifth from Zorobabel vnto Iesus Christ. In the first and second from Adam to Abraham Saint Luke runnes him alone In the third from Abraham to Dauid Saint Mathew and Luke runne together In the fourth from Dauid to Zorobabel they take different courses for where Saint Mathew goes downe from Dauid by Salomon Saint Luke followes the line from Dauid by Nathan and both of them meets in Salathiel where going on two steps together they part againe and the one takes his course from Zorobabel by Rhesa to Mary the other from Zorobabel by Abiud to Ioseph and in the end both of them meetes againe in Christ Iesus the reason of which diuersitie will appeare God willing in handling the seuerall sections thereof The first then is from Adam to Noah contayning ten Fathers Adam Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iared Henoch Methusalem Lamech Noah Here as I said Saint Luke reckons him alone where Saint Mathew goes no higher then Abraham the reason of this diuersitie is that Saint Mathew in writing had a special respect to moue the Iewes to embrace the Gospell and therefore beginnes it in a manner most plausible to them The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham because it was then most commonly in the mouthes of all men that the Mesiah should be the sonne of Dauid But Saint Luke
the sonne of Dauid 35 Nathan 36 Mattatha 37 Mainan 38 Melea. 39 Eliakim 40 Ionan 41 Ioseph 42 Iuda 43 Simeon 44 Leui. 45 Matthat 46 Iorim 47 Eliezer 48 Iose. 49 Er. 50 Elmodam 51 Cosam 52 Addi 53 Melchi 54 Neri Where S. Mathew cals Salathiel the sonne of Ieconias vnderstand his legall sonne succeding as neerest of kin Salathiel Pedaiah Zorobabel Where S. Luke cals Salathiel the sonne of Neri vnderstand the naturall sonne of Neri S. Mathew reckoneth in this line the forefathers of Ioseph Abiud Eliakim Azor. Sadoc Achim Eliud Eleazer Nathan Iacob Ioseph Ioseph is called by Saint Luke the sonne of Eli because he was his sonne in law S Luke againe reckoneth in this line the forefathers of Mary 58 Rhesa 59 Ioanna 60 Iuda 61 Ioseph 62 Semei 63 Mattathia 64 Maath 65 Naggi 66 Esli 67 Naum. 68 Amos. 69 Mattathias 70 Ioseph 71 Ianna 72 Melchi 73 Leui. 74 Matthat 75 Eli. 76 Marie IESVS CHRIST that blessed seede promised to Adam Noah Sem Abraham Isaac Iacob Iuda Dauid Zorobabel and Mary THus you haue the golden line reaching from ADAM to CHRIST it beginnes at the first Adam and is absolued in the second it containes a roll of the Fathers who through the priueledge of the first borne were ordinary Doctors and cheife lights of the Church till the comming of Christ. Vpon this golden line runnes the whole booke of God he that would read it with profit must remember the course of the spirit of God in the diduction of this line If at any time he diuert from it it is onely to interlace some purpose which may cleare the storie of the line So with the description of the linage of Seth hee adioynes also a description of the house and off-spring of Cham who are not in the line Likewise when he draws the Genealogie of Sem hee entreates of the posteritie of Iaphet and Cham and as hee handles the Historie of Abraham Isaac and Iacob so likewise the historie and posteritie of Nahor Ismaell and Esau. But as we may easily perceiue he insists not in the historie of them who are beside the line but hauing spoken so much of them as may cleare the storie of the line he lets them alone and returnes to his purpose alway following forth the line till he come to the promised Shiloh THE SECOND TREAtise of Christ his Baptisme THe second ground of doctrine we proposed to be entreted of is the Baptisme of CHRIST wherein we haue as I said before his most solemne consecration to the publicke office of the Mesiah Hitherto hee had liued a priuate life for the space of twentie nine yeares and now beginning to be thirtie years of age hee is manifested vnto the world by doing the great worke of a redeemer for which he came for so Saint Peter reckons all the time of his publicke charge and ministration to haue ben from the Baptisme of Iohn to the day of his ascension Many Kings Preists and Prophets hath God sent vnto his Church since the beginning of the world but neuer one like Iesus the great King high Preist and Prophet of the Church and therefore it is not without cause that exordium tanti officii tot est mistriis consecratum Neuer one was sent to doe such a worke as he and therefore neuer one had such a calling and confirmation as hee for now the heauens are opened the holy Ghost in a visible shape discends vpon him and God the father by an audible voice from heauen doth authorise him The principall end of this Treatise will be to teach vs how Iesus is become ours which is a speciall and necessary point for vs to learne The parts of his Consecration are two In the first wee see how the Lord Iesus by receiuing the Sacrament of Baptisme doth come in our place and roome as our kinsman as the first borne of his brethren as the head of his misticall body in a word as our cautioner acting and obligating himselfe to pay our debt and to fulfill those points of righteousnesse which we were bound to fulfill but could not doe by our selues and so to releiue and redeeme his brethren In the second wee see how the father not onely accepts him as debtor for vs but also designes and ordaines him to this great worke by annointing him with his holy spirit And thereafter in a publicke assembly of the people at Iorden in most solemne manner by an audible voice from heauen proclames him to be that great high Preist by whom onely attonement must be made betweene him and vs. These two ioyned together make vp vnto vs a most sure ground of Christian comfort If first we consider that the Lord Iesus for the loue hee bare to the glory of his father and saluation of his brethren voluntarily steppes into our roome and in our name becomes obliged to his father according to that notable Prophesie Psal. 40. 6. 7. which yet were a small thing were it not that the second followes to wit that the Father of his infinit wisedome finding out in Christ a way to preserue both the glory of his mercy and iustice doth of his speciall loue toward vs not onely accept him but ordaine him to doe the worke of a mediator imponing to him that singular law of a redeemer which was neuer imposed to man nor Angell as we shall here hereafter And here wee learne how by most sure right the Lord Iesus becomes ours to wit by the surest right that can be namely the free gift of God hee is giuen for a Prince of saluation to vs according to these testimonies both of Angels and men speaking by inspiration of the holy Ghost Vnto you this day is borne in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Againe God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeues in him should not perish And againe Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Looke then what way any other thing is ours which most properly wee may call ours that same way Christ is ours namely by the free and sure gift of God If we know and beleeue this we shall finde it a most sure ground of comfort to vphold vs in the houre of tentation It is true Gloriatio Ecclesiae est omnis Christi actio Euery action of Christ is the Churches reioycing and comfort but what reioycing shall wee haue in any of his actions if this ground be not first laid that he is ours and what he did hee did it for vs and vnto vs If he had not died for our sinnes and risen for our righteousnesse what could his death and resurrection haue profited vs But here is the ground of all that he is giuen vnto vs of the Father for a Sauiour whereunto most willingly hee condescends and for which worke the spirit annoints him
tempting of God men fall into it many manner of wayes sometime they tempt him in his prouidence as Israel did in the Wildernesse limiting the holy one Sometime they tempt him in his mercy as they who cast themselues into vnnecessary dangers vnder hope that God will deliuer them And somtime they tempt him in his Iustice walking without repentance in their sinnes and yet thinke God will not punish them But most commonly they tempt him by neglecting the ordinarie meanes which God hath appointed to do good eyther to their bodies or soules as at this day many carnall professors doe who contemning the Exercises of the Word and Prayer do notwithstanding vainly conceit that they shall be saued as if now the Lord saued men by miracles as hee did that malefactor on the Crosse and not by the ordinarie meanes appointed by himselfe MATH 4 VER 8. Againe the Diuell tooke him vp SAthan now perceiuing both the wings of his armie discomfited by the armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left wherewith our Lord resisted comes now forward with his maine battell wherein stands the loue of the world with the pleasures and preferments thereof but this he doth with no better successe then he had in the former for this Captaine also with his Fiftie or rather with his Legion is consumed by the fire of our true Elijah the onely Sonne of God hauing in most singular manner Iehouah for his strong God and Father In him I say did the fiery graces of the holy Ghost burne so feruently that all his powers were enflamed with a loue of the glory of God and saluation of his brethren and no place for the loue of the world was left in him In this temptation as in the former the Aduersary takes vantage of the place for now hee carries him from the Temple to the top of a mountaine as Balak King of Moab changed his place three times thinking to get Israel cursed in one place when hee could not in another but all in vaine so here doth Sathan but in vaine also And here we haue first the onset made by Sathan to be considered Secondly the repulse giuen by our Lord. In the onset we haue first to see how hee tempts our Sauiours eye with a shew of the glory of worldly kingdomes Secondly how he tempts his eare with an offer of them all vnto him And thirdly vpon what condition If thou wilt fall downe and worship me By this temptation of worldly things pleasant to the eye did he entangle our first Parents by this since then hath he snared and wounded all their posteritie and by it now as his strongest temptation doth hee hope to preuaile against the Lord Iesus but as wee haue said the successe is not according to his expectation And he shewed him HOw it is that Sathan could shew our Lord all the kingdomes of the world wee are not curiously to enquire seeing by the subtiltie of his wit and knowledge gotten by long experience hee being now almost sixe thousand yeares olde hee can doe many things which wee cannot vnderstand for if a man by the quicknes of his wit hath found out the way to present a view of the whole world in a Mappe or to let a man see himselfe represented in a glasse if this I say man can doe by the helpe of nature who for knowledge is but a childe if he be compared with Angels and for experience but of yesterday why shall wee thinke it strange to heare that Sathan could make a real representation in the Aire of all the glorious kingdomes of the world which we thinke he did But howeuer he did it certaine it is he presents to our Lord a glorious worldly sight for wee will neuer thinke that hee made him beleeue he saw that which he saw not and his end in presenting this pleasant obiect to the eye was out of all question to assay if hee could allure his heart with the loue thereof for this is one of his customable temptations whereby he hath greatly preuailed among the sonnes of men by the eye to encroach vpon the heart He deceiued Euah by looking on the Apple pleasant to the eye he deceiued the Sonnes of God who were of the line of Seth by looking on the daughters of men who were of the house of Cain he deceiued Achan by looking on a wedge of Gold and a goodly Babilonish garment hee deceiued Dauid by looking on the beauty of Bathsheba but so could hee not preuaile ouer our Lord for neither was his nature mutable from good as was Euah in her best estate farre lesse infected with a corrupt inclination to euill by exterior obiects as was Dauids and therefore could not this temptation worke vpon him But as for vs we haue great neede to arme our selues against it by reason of our inhabitant corruption which is easily wakened by exterior obiects vnlesse by holy discipline wee keepe and obserue our senses with no lesse holy care then Lot kept his in Sodome whose righteous soule was vexed but not delighted by hearing and seeing the vnrighteous words and deeds of the Sodomites Potiphars wife first cast her eyes vpon Ioseph Prima adulterii tela oculorum sunt the senses especially the eye saith Gregory sunt quasi quaedam viae mentis per quas for as veniat by which it comes after a sort out of the body to view things which are without by them quasi per fenestras exteriora animus respicit respiciens concupiscit and then doth death come in at our windowes when by our eyes concupiscence of things vnlawfull is wakened in our soules and therefore did Nazian in his lamentations wish that his eyes and eares should neuer open but vnto that which is good Malis autem vtrunque sua sponte clauderetur and Iob protested that hee suffered not his heart to walke after his eye but this will require both circumspection and earnest prayer with Dauid Lord turne away my eyes from regarding vanitie Secondly Sathan shewes our Lord the glorie of worldly kingdomes but he can speak nothing to the commendation of the heauenly kingdome once he was a partaker of it but hee lost it through his pride hee knowes it will neuer be his againe and therefore hee hath no delight to speake of it This I marke for worldlings that they may know of what spirit they are who when the heauen is offered to them in the Gospel hath no delight neither to heare nor speake of it all their talke is of the earth surely euen their speech bewrayes them for hee that is of the earth sanctis viris insolens est intolerabile quicquid illud non sanat quod intus amant but vnto men who are truely holy euery word which sounds not of that which inwardly they loue is not onely vnaccustomed but also intolerable And thirdly here is