is when a man useth any superstitious or diabolical means for the effecting of his desire which hee knows neither in themselves not from Gods institution have any such power to effect things but from the power of the Devil aâ— the use of Charms or spells figures character Anâ—â—ieâ— Sâ—â—atching of a Witch or the like which having no power in themselves not by Gods Ordinance can do no good but by a secret saith in the Devil who by Gods permission puts power in them to heal men for their delusion Secret consent unto the Devil is yet more common than the former though the former bee the common cure of common people namely when Satan secretly suggesteth and offereth to make a Covenant and bargain with a man without any expresse form of contract but by inward temptation putteth the motion into the heart as of Judas that if he will use such an unlawfull means or upon such a condition hee will effect his purpose which hee earnestly desireth to attain now the party blinding his own judgement by the eagerness of his affection gives his consent to Satan and accepts the condition which mutual and silent consent of party with party is a real bargain and covenant Satan solicites the heart and the heart consents to Satan here is a secret compact by which numbers of men are in league with the Devil that would bee loath to bee thought so to bee Yea numbers there are that receive the greatest part of their earthly portion at the hands of the Devil by vertue of this compact secretly beleeving or consenting unto him Vse 1. This serves to let us see the difference between Gods gifts and the Devils in four things 1 Gods gifts come all from Grace and Love hee freely bestows his blessings for his love is everlasting before our own being and our inheritance is eternal above our merit and in the Heavens above our reach But Satans gifts proceed out of his endless hatred and are wages of unrighteousness 2 Gods gifts are derived to us by good and warrantable means diligence labour prayers Satans for the most part by wicked means Gods conditions are profitable and safe Satans hurtful and dangerous by the breach of some Commandement by impiety or injustice 3 Gods gifts are first bestowed upon us and then obedience is required as a testification of Thankfulness not as merit Satans are after our work as a merit and wages of sin first fall down and worship mee and then I will give thee all these things 4 Gods gifts are in mercy for our salvation and comfort and incouragement in his service Satans to draw us from his service and to drag us to destruction Use 2. Let this Doctrin make us afraid to receive any thing from the hand of the Devil and accept of nothing but God offers For 1 God is more able and willing to do us good than the Devil is unless wee think with those wicked ones that it is in vain to serve the Lord. 2 An enemy is never so dangerous as when hee flattereth and fawneth hee never kisseth but killeth with Joab or betrayeth with Judas his gifts are dear bought his conditions are intollerable hee will have a better thing for it even our pretious souls 3 A little from Gods hands is far better than if wee could receive all the World and the glory of it at the Devils for this comes with blessing with Promise with Contentment with good conscience so doth not the other Therefore bee the just mans portion small or great it is ever pretious it hath no sorrow added to it as Solomon speaketh Quest How may I know I receive any thing from the Devil Answ When any thing is gotten by the breach of any Commandement of God as by Swearing Lying Deceit Oppression and the like this is a gift of the Devil and the wages of unrighteousnesse Use 3. Note here how like the Usurer is to the Devil the Devil saith hee will give so the Usurer saith hee will lend which should bee free as gift but then comes a condition of ten in the hundred which is more than the lending is worth Satan is an enemy to all charity and so is hee The like may bee said of Covetous men who will do no good but where they look for return of the like or more as like the Devil as may bee and altogether unlike to God who doth good where hee can receive none sowes where hee reaps not Use 4. See the misery of men who accept of Satans profers 1 Such as are in open league with him as Wizzards who bind themselves to renounce God and their Baptism and Redemption by Christ and to beleeve in the Devil to expect aid from him and give him Body and Soul for that help which is the substance of the solemn Leagues made by such limbs of Satan hee is of the sure side with them they can gain nothing by him unless hee gain themselves first And such by Gods Law ought not to live 2 Worldly-minded men with whom hee deals as with Esau hee gives them a messe of pottage but on condition to sell their birth-right a silly match is made presently an exchange of Earth for Heaven 3 Men impatient in Losses or sicknesse who run to the Witch as not knowing what to do with themselves But Satan never easeth the body of temporal pains but to cast the Soul into eternal 4 Ambitious and discontented persons that take preferments of Satan upon base conditions Absolom shall have a Kingdome on condition hee will rebell against his own Father Zimri a Captain under Baasha 1 King 16.10 shall have the Kingdome of Israel if hee will rebell and slay his Master Discontented Papists shall divide the Land among themselves if they will blow up the Parliament-House Now if wee would avoid the dangerous compacts with Satan let us observe these rules 1 Beware of prophanenesse which is a sin where men carelesly lose Heaven and the joies thereof for these lower and earthly things as Esau to satisfy his lusts despised the blessing Heb. 12.16 Let there bee none such amongst us 2 Beleeve the truth of Gods profers and promises to relye on them and thou shalt bee senced from Satans lies 2 Thess 2.10 3 Consider how easily men pour out themselves for Balaams wages Covetousness carries away their whole heart and yet in the end they are deceived as hee was instead of his reward he was slain in his return homeward Numb 31.8 4 Consider how little joy there is in that which is received at the Devils hand neither Ahab nor his posterity injoyed Naboths Vineyard Judas brought back his thirty peeces and hanged himself According to that of Solomon The wicked resteth not that which hee taketh in hunting 5 Moderate thy affections not to desire the Kingdomes of this World and the glory of them but a far more glorious Kingdome in the World to come and all these transitory matters onely to help thee forward to that The
the self-same Body which was born of the Virgin Mary educated in Aegypt and Galilee which was apprehended condemned crucified and laid in the Grave came out of the Grave a living body God by the ministery of the Angels removing all lets loosing the bands and apparrel of death from oft his blessed body by the earthquake tumbled away the stone that held him down drove away the Souldiers for fear who would have assayed to have killed him the second time if they had seen him rise and so opened the Grave that all might see the body was gone Thirdly the whole Humanity was raised glorified For 1 His Body put off all such infirmities and passions as he pleased to make trial of for our sakes that he might be a more merciful High Priest such as are hunger thirst cold wearinesse pain and death it self and contrarily put on such excellent qualities as are fit for a glorified body Christus gloriam corpori suâ— dedit naturam non abstulit such as are agility brightnesse incorruption immortality and the like But here two rules must be remembred the former that none of these qualities are Divine properties for although the Deity personally inhabiting this Humane nature doth adorn it with all perfection of most excellent qualities yet must they still be conceived as finite and created accidents which destroy not the nature of a body they beautifie it but deifie it not they make it not omni-present nor yet invisible for then should it cease to be a body and become a spirit to which only these can agree The latter rule is that although Jesus Christ rose most glorified yet did hee still while he was up on earth veil his Majesty and shewed not himself in that perfect glory the degrees of which he was now entred into not only because he would reserve the fuâ—l manifestation of it until the last Judgement but also in regard of his Disciples and faithful ones that they might bee able to discover the self-same body which they had formerly well known and that his surpassiâ—g glory shâ—uld not hinder or affray them from that further familiar converse with him whereby they being to be his witnesses might be confirmed and fitâ—ed to their testimony by seeing hearing yea and touching him Hence was it that while he was on earth after his Resurrection hee would carry the sâ—ars and prints of the spear and nayls that they might put their fingers into them for their better discerning of him Hence also although he rose naked out of the Grave and left the cloaths behind him for that was agreeable to the state of a Glorified body which standeth no more in need of cloathing for necessity nor ornament than Adam did in the state of innocency yet in respect of their infirmity to whom hee was to appear hee used clothes and although hee needed neither meat nor drink yet for their sakes and ours hee ate and drunk as wee shall after see Secondly as for the soul of our blessed Saviour it was beautified with such a measure of knowledge as excelled all creatures Men or Angels even such as was meet for such an head the God-head revealing unto it all things which either it wâ—uld know or in regard of his glorious Office ought to know The like is tâ— be said of Righteousness Holiness and the rest of his Graces wherein hee was set so far above all Creatures as they all are not able to comprehend them and yet in regard of God all of them finite as his soul it self is III. The third point in this rising of Christ is the fruit or benefits of it which will appear to bee not so many as great if wee attentively consider either 1 The Evils that hereby hee hath removed or 2 The good things hee hath prâ—cured unto his people The former is manifest in that hence all the enemies of mans salvation are not onely utterly subdued but made not onely not formidable and terrible as before but after a sort friendly at least beneficial unto Beleevers the which point after wee have a little cleared wee will procâ—â—d to the second sort of benefits hence also accrewing Joâ—huah in leading the people Joshuah a singular type of Christ wherein and putting them in possession of the land of Canaan w s in many things a singular type of Jesus Christ As that hee beginneth where Moses endeth his calling was confirmed to him by the voice of God himself the end of his calling to guide the people to the promised Land of Canaan the destroying and casting out all the enemies that lifted up hand against them the dividing of the Land according to their Tribes and so preparing after a sort to every one his mansion the establishing of Laws and Ordinances to be observed of all the Subjects of that Kingdom the peoples acknâ—wledgment of him for their Captain their promise of frank obedience and o subjecting themselves to whatsoever hee commanded them In one word the whole History doth represent our true Joshuah or Jesus who is the accomplisher of all Gods promises concerning the heavenly Canaan and the leader of Gods people to true felicity but in no one action did this worthy Captain of the Lords Hosts more lively resemble the Truth or true Joshuah than when at one time in one Cave hee slew five Kings who being deadly enemies against the people of God made out a strong head and united their forces to hinder their peaceable possession For our Joshuah or Jesus which is all one went into the Grave or Cave where hee was buried and there met with and slew five mighty Tyrants and came out a most glorious Conqueror The names of these five Kings were 1 Sin 2 Death 3 Hell 4 Satan 5 The World over all whom Christ by his powerful resurrection most gloriously triumphed The first enemy soyled by Christ is sin The first of these enemies is Sin who had for ever reigned in us to death and held us under his power if Christ had not brâ—ken his power by his Resurrection So saith the Apostle if Christ bee not risen again Wee are yet in our sins 1 Cor. 15.17 But it is plain this enemy is soiled for if the guilt of one sin had remained unabolished and Christ had not payed the uttermost faithing hee had never risen again A great questâ—on answered at large But against this will bee objected that not withstanding Christs rising wee see sin rule and reign in the most and hath as much dominion and power as it ever had or can have and if wee look at the best they have many sinful actions found in their hands plainly arguing that sin moveth and stirreth and is not dead in them How say wee then that Christ by his resurrection hath slain it Answ Wee must here observe a two-fold distinction whereby wee shall more easily loose this knot First of persons some are members of his body and some yea the most are not some are
it was the top of an exceeding high mountain 2 How Christ came thither the Devil took him into c. 3 Why he chose that place 2 a vision represented here 1 What it was All the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them 2 How he represented them Hee shewed him 3 How long the sight lasted in a moment saith Luke 2 Dart it self in it 1 A profer All these will I give thee 2 A reason for they are mine and to whom I will I give them in Luke 3 The condition in it 1 the matter worship mee 2 the manner fall down if it be but externally 2 Repulse in it 1 The denial But Jesus answered 2 The manner Avoid Satan sharp in the Title Satan Commandement Avoid 3 the reason from a testimony of Scripture in it 1 Allegation It is written 2 precept in it 1 Person to whom Thou every man the whole man in Soul Body 2 matter shalt worship serve i. divine worship 3 object the Lord thy God and him only 3 The issue 1 Christs victory 1 The time when the Devil left him Then 1 When Christ had stoutly resisted 2 When all the temptations were ended in Luke 3 When Christ had said Avoid Satan 2 The manner Hee departed from him 3 How long for a season saith Luke 2 His triumph 1 A note of attention set as a star before it And behold 2 What we must behold 1 the coming of the Angels unto Christ here 1 When they come 2 To whom they come 3 Manner of their comming 2 Their ministery unto him where 1 How they ministred unto him by Adoring him as Conquerour comforting his soul vexed with temptation body pined with fasting 2 why they did so Not for necessity on Christs part But their own duty as to Their Lord. The head of the Church AN EXPOSITION OF Christ's Temptations MATTH 4. Vers 1 Then was Jesus led aside of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil 2 And when hee had fasted fourty daies and fourty nights hee was afterwards hungry 3 Then came the Temper to him and said If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread 4 But he answering said It is written Man shall not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God 5 Then the Devil took him up into the holy City and set him on a pinacle of the Temple 6 And said unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written That he will give his Angels charge over thee and with their hands they shall lift thee up lest at any time thou shouldst dash thy foot against a stone 7 Jesus said unto him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 8 Again the Devil took him up unto an exceeding high Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them 9 And said unto him All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship mee 10 Then said Jesus unto him Avoid Satan for it written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve 11 Then the Devil left him and behold the Angels came and ministred unto him OUR Lord Jesus Christ having passed the former part of his preparation to his Ministry and Office by his most holy Baptism of which wee have spoken at large in the former words now he proceedeth to the second which standeth in Temptation For as in the former he publikely revealed himself to bee that Messiah so long expected in whom salvation is purchased to all beleevers of Jews and Gentiles so herein hee sheweth himself most evidently to bee that promised seed of the woman who was to break the serpents head and him who was set a part and sent from his Father to destroy and dissolve the works of the Devil And therefore this holy doctrin bringing us such glad tidings of Satans confusion and our own rescue out of his hands must bee most welcome to us whereof if we would taste the sweetnesse and benefit we must stir up our best attentions affections petitions to hear with readiness receive with gladnesse and practise with fruitfulnesse such holy instructions as this Treatise will abundantly afford unto us Wherein must bee handled three things 1 The preparation to Christs combate vers 1 2. 2 The combate it self with the several assaults from vers 3. to vers 11. 3 The issue and event vers 11. The preparation hath three parts 1 Christs entring the lists by going into the wilderness 2 His expecting of the enemy by his abode and converse there 3 The entrance of his adversary The first part is inlarged by sundry circumstances as 1 The time when this combate was Then 2 The person opposed Jesus 3 His guide hee was led by the Spirit 4 The place into the wilderness 5 The end why hee came thither to be tempted of the Devil In the second part three points are afforded out of the three Evangelists 1 How hee was furnished Hee was full of the Holy Ghost Luke 4.1 2 What company hee had Hee was with the wilde Beasts Mark 1.13 3 What was his imployment 1 Hee was tempted Luk. 4.2 2 Hee fasted forty daies and forty nights and afterwards was hungry which was both the effect of his fast and the occasion of the first temptation The third general part namely the entrance of our Saviours adversary stands in three circumstances 1 The time then 2 The name of the adversary she Tempter before called a Devil 3 The manner of his entrance he came The first circumstance in the preparation is the circumstance of time noted in the word Then which is not a word of supplement but of reference unto the former History of Christs Baptism which this immediately succeedeth as Mark 1.12 Immediately the Spirit driveth him note the present tense into the wildernesse so as Christ went directly from Jordan into the wilderness Then 1 When Christ undertook his high-office 2 When hee was baptised 3 When the Spirit had descended upon him 4 When hee had received testimony from Heaven that hee was the Son of God and Doctor of his Church Doct. The more God graceth his children the more Satan letteth himself to disgrace and molest them Hence note That the more God doth grace any man or advance him in gifts or place the more doth Satan set himself to disgrace and molest him Wee read not that the Devil did ever set upon Christ while hee lived as a private man though perhaps hee did but now his Father setting him apart to work mans redemption baptizing him powring his Spirit upon him and giving testimony with him that hee is the Son of his love now hee is assailed with most violent temptations No sooner is hee set apart to his office therein to glorify God and gratify man but hee is set upon by Satan a deadly enemy to both Moses was
quiet enough till God set him apart to deliver his Brethren and after that hee was never at quiet The like may bee said of David an eminent type of Christ while hee kept his fathers sheep hee was at rest but if hee will set upon Goliah and bee annointed King by Samuel let him look to himself Saul will hunt him like a Partridge and so narrowly espy his haunts that himself will say hee must surely one day fall by the hand of Saul Zech. 3.1 when Jehoshuah the High Priest another type of Christ commeth to stand before the Lord in his service the Devil commeth and standeth at his right hand to resist him The Apostle Paul so long as hee was of the strict sect of the Pharisees hee was highly esteemed and lived quiet enough but when hee became an elect vessel to carry the Gospel among the Gentiles then hee was tryed and buffeted now hee knows that bonds and imprisonment abide him every where 2 Cor. 7.5 6.5 1 Satans hostility against God and his glory and the means of it Reasons forceth him to hinder whatsoever may further Gods Kingdome and hinder his own While the Prisoner is in fetters under bars and bolts the Jailor sleeps quietly and while the strong man keeps the hold all is in peace but disturb him a little and you shall hear of him Hence it is that the more weighty any calling is and the more conscionably a man sets himself to discharge it which wee see in Christ himself the more vigilantly doth Satan watch to hinder it Reach once at Satans head and hee will surely reach as high as hee may at thine 2 This is not without the good providence of God who hereby will prove his servants to whom hee will commit some special work whether they will shrink or no hee will have them also to have good proof and trial of his strength and faithfulnesse in supporting them that they may the better commit themselves unto him in time to come who hath upheld them formerly and go on undaunted in constant walking with him through the experience of his goodness 3 God seeth though Satans malice blindeth him that his children without such strong trials should not bee so fitted for his service It is a training of them to great employments and makes them not onely more expert in themselves but also far more able to help others in any kinde God would not exempt his natural and only Son from temptations that hee might know how to help others that are tempted Heb. 2.18 nor the Apostles for the same end 2 Cor. 1.4 6. Use 1 All sorts of men the more they set themselves to glorify God in their places the more they should expect trialls A Christian can no sooner give his name unto Christ nor the Spirit descend upon him but Satan with all his malice will assault him Christ was no sooner baptised but hee must go forth to bee exercised with Satan and his Members also who not onely by outward profession but inward sincerity also make a league with God to renounce Satan sin and this evil world shall not want all the molestation that Satan can create them Rev. 12. the red Dragon watcheth for the Child to bee born to devour it and such is his malice Whom Satâ—â— cannot 〈◊〉 in the endâ— which is salâ—â—tion bee wâ— trouble theâ— in the wayâ— that whom hee cannot hinder of Salvation hee will hinder of their peace and joy as much as hee can if hee cannot chase vertue out of the world hee can disgrace it and if he cannot quite hinder all good proceedings hee will by molestation delay them as long as hee may Hee is subtile if hee cannot do the greatest evil that hee would hee will do the lesser that hee may as by Sanballat hee did hinder the re-edifying of the Temple The condition of the child of God is military in this life Hee hath Satan and all his Army of wicked ones mortal foes against him Many deceive themselves who mean to profess Religion so long onely as they may injoy peace and credit and the applause of the world so long as they may see Christ with a golden crown and scepter and follow him into Jerusalem with Hosanna But they have not cast their accounts right nor weighed the difficulties of sound profession of Christ and therefore like the foundation of the foolish builder when winds and floods rise they fall down right with shame they forsake Christ and religion and all they look back and run back to the filthinesse of the world they embrace a course which standeth with their own ease but never shall they have the honor of honouring God or of effecting any thing which shall bring God true praise and themselves true peace It will bee the wisdome therefore of every Christian undertaking any commendable action so to look and begin with God that ever hee have another eye upon Satan and his malice both to expect it and resolve not to bee beaten off for it Shall the Israelites being set out of Egypt run back again because Pharaoh pursues them no but hye them more hastily away Shall I give â—â—er my profession because the greatest part of men hate and reproach it no I must see Satans old malice renewed who casts a flood of poysoned water against Christ himself who should not avoid the same measure of obloquie and reproach if hee lived again upon earth Was it thus with the green tree it is no marvail then if it bee so with a dry Shall I neglect my duty to which God and good conscience ties mee A wise Christian may stop the mouth of Satan but never his malice because I would not displease men and bee thought no medler then farewel Gods glory if I go about to stop the Devils mouth which if I could yet I shall never stop his malice Use 2 The more publike a mans calling is the more doth Satan aim at him to cast him down who doth conscionably intend it as for example 1 The Magistrate Satans chief aim is against Chiefâ—â—inâ— in Church and Common-wealth Satan stirs up David to number the people 1 Chron. 21.1 2 The Minister being the Lords standerd-bearer the Devil seeks to winnoâ— him especially and begges leave to bee a lying spirit in the mouths of four hundred false Prophets at once And both these because God hath specially instituted these callings for the beating down of Satans Kingdome and lifting up the Scepter of Christ and again if Satan can foil the Leaders the bands are soon overcome smite the Shepheard and the sheep will bee scattered cast down Cedars and they will crush many shrubs with their fall Hence must both these bee more careful of themselves than ordinary men as being in greater danger as men set upon steep and slippery hills beset with enemies to cast them down And the less that men see these oppositions the less service do they to God or his
this Miracle and the Gospel it self 4 That hereby he might bid battel offer opportunity and provoke his adversary to the combate for this was the end both of his fasting and going into the Wilderness and of his hunger Wherein also this fast of Christ may not be imitated for we are not to offer any opportunities or advantages to Satan who is ready enough to seek and take enough as we may not tempt God so we may not tempt the tempter but pray that we may not be lead into temptation by him and watch lest we fall into temptation Mark 14.38 yea we must cut off and prevent his advantages and shun all occasions wherein hee might assault us as knowing our own weakness The third thing in Christs fast is the continuance of time III. Christ fasted no longer nor shorter time than forty days for five reasons Moses in monâ—e ante legem Elias in itinere sub lege Christus in deserto sub gratia forty days and forty nights Quest Why did he fast so long why no more nor no less Ans For these reasons 1 To bee answerable to the types As Moses fasted forty days at the institution of the Law and Elias at the restitution of it so would Christ here at the manifestation of the Gospel 2 He exceeded not his number lest he should seem too inhuman and cruel against himself for he did no more than Moses and Elias had done men subject to infirmity In our time he is no man that cannot strain one trick above others but Christ being in the shape of a Servant takes not upon him above his fellow-servants 3 He would not fast less because he would not seem less than the Prophets nor unlike them 4 He would not fast more because he would not have his Deity now acknowledged by the Devil 5 He would not give occasion to Hereticks to doubt of the truth of his body and human nature If he had fasted longer than Moses and Elias he might have been thought no true man but only in shew incarnate Quest Why is it added that he fasted forty nights Ans For these reasons Forty nights added for two reasons 1 To shew that it was not such a fast as the Jews used to keep who fasted many days together but ate at nights as Daniel fasted for three weeks of days chap. 3. vers 10. Nor like the Turkish fasts who so soon as they see a starre eat any thing on their fasting days but that which is strangled or Hogges flesh Nor yet like the Papists fast who though they say they fast forty days both to imitate Christ and to give God the tithe of the year yet can feed well and fare deliciously every night 2 To shew that Christ had a care to spend his nights well as well as his days not spending them out in sleep but in watching and prayer as well as in fasting for by the same power his body was preserved without sleep as it was without meat Farre unlike the Papists who in their fasting-days spend the night in gluttony luxury and all uncleaneness Doct. Fasting a most necessary duty This example of Christ teacheth us of what great necessity this exercise of fasting is both for the entrance and comfortable continuance of the duties of our calling both general and special This Nehemiah knew well when hearing of the calamity of Jerusalem and his brethren the Jews hee fasted certain daies and prayed before the God of heaven chap. 1. v. 4. And Ezra proclaimed a fast to seek the right way homeward and safe from their enemies chap. 8. v. 21. see also Act. 13.3 Reasons 1 Fasting in an holy and religious manner helpeth forward graces that are necessary for our calling as 1 the grace of conversion and therefore is made an adjunct of it Joel 2.12 Turn you with all your heart with fasting and weeping 2 The grace of prayer for as Prayer sanctifieth fasting so fasting strengtheneth prayer Otherwise to place Gods worship in fasting is to make the belly the God 3 It helps forward the knowledge of the mysteries of God and godlinesse Dan. 9.3 conferred with 20.21 as Daniel was praying and fasting Gabriel was sent to instruct him and revealed to him the mystery of the seventy weeks 4 It addes strength and courage in the Christian combate between the flesh and the spirit it is as a third that comes in to take the spirits part and so helpeth to the victory by subduing the flesh 2 The necessity and profit of this exercise appeareth in respect of our selves for 1 If wee want publike or private benefits fasting joyned with prayer is the means wherein God will have them sought and obtained The Benjamites after two sore overthrows by this means got the victory Jud. 20.28 Annah by the same obtained her Samuel and David fasted for his childes life 2 If wee bee in danger of publike or personal judgements by the same means they are to bee diverted religious fasting is a chief part of the defensive armour of the Church as wee may see in the examples of Hester saving her people from Hamans devise and of the Ninivites turning away the destruction threatned by Jonah by fasting and humbling themselves 3 If wee bee to attempt publike or private duties hereby wee must fit our selves and obtain success and blessing So did Nehemiah and Ezra as wee saw before and when Paul and Barnabas were separated to the work of the ministery they fasted and prayed Act. 13.3 Yea Christ himself spent a whole night in fasting and prayer before he chose his Disciples Luk. 6.12 13. 3 Daily experience shews the necessity of religious fasting for 1 How many men observe in themselves that for want of this duty they grow dull in their profession and heavy in holy practices yea empty of grace so as they may think the Spirit is departed from them yet when they have renewed this exercise they finde themselves more ripe and ready more quick and able to good duties as if they had new soules given them 2 Do wee not see that the more conscionably a man carrieth himself the more busily Satan doth bestir himself against him and had hee not need so much the more fence himself with coat-armour and flye to God for strength and protection If a good Magistrate or Minister bee to bee brought into any place how doth Satan storm and bend his forces against him because hee thinks that then his Kingdome must down Therefore if a man mean to be serviceable to God in any place it is meet hee should first sanctify it by fasting and prayer as Christ did Vse 1. This serves to rebuke the great want of this so needful a duty What Magistrate or Minister against whom Satan most shooteth entreth thus into his calling as Christ by fasting and prayer but by gifts favour or otherwise get livings and offices but to God they go not and this is the cause that so little good is done
must labour to espye Satans suggestion in it together with our own inclinations to swallow down all such temptations and forthwith to cast our eyes upon such Scriptures as may bee back-biasses to our natural motion Satan alloweth his servants stones for bread Vse 3. Note the cold comfort that Satan affords his followers when they need bread hee offers them stones as with Christ here Matth. 7.9 What man is there among you that if his Son ask him bread will give him a stone as if hee had said No Father that loveth his childe can bee so unnatural but Satan who cannot but bee an unnatural murtherer here for bread offers the Son of God a stone It is clean otherwise between God and his children for if Fathers which are evil can give good things to their children much more our heavenly Father giveth good things to them that ask him even things according to their need Your heavenly father knoweth that yee stand in need of all these things If they have need of Christ the bread of life he gives them this bread of life If they need the Holy Ghost hee gives the Holy Ghost to them that ask him that is not only beginnings of grace but increase of it in greater measure and a comfortable feeling and fruition If they need temporal mercies he gives them more than they ask as Salomon yea above all they are able to ask or think VVho would not think himself happy to bee Gods favourite rather than stand to the Devils wages who for bread will reach him stones Use 4. The way to get bread Gods way to get bread contrary to the Devils in three things is not at the Devils appointment to turn stones into bread or use unlawful means but 1 To fear and serve the Lord Exod. 23.25 If thou wilt serve the Lord thy God he shall bless thy bread and thy water the good land and all the fruits of it were promised to the Israelites so long as they were Homagers to God no good thing shall be wanting to such Psal 34.10 If we serve him we shall never need turn stones into bread even as Christ here did not who refusing Satans offer was refreshed of the Angels 2 To live in an honest and lawful trade of life painfully Gods ordinance is that in the sweat of thy brows thou must get thy bread the earth brings not forth so naturally now as at first yet at first Adam must Till the ground 3 In our lawful Calling to depend upon Gods blessing which maketh rich leaving all the success to God and this will make us content with that estate which God maketh our portion by good means Vers 4. But hee answering said It is written Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God IN this answer of our Saviour repelling the Tempter four things are to bee considered 1 The manner 2 The affection negative But. 3 The matter of it a testimony of Scripture It is written 4 The parts of this testimony 1 Negative Man lives not by bread only 2 Affirmative but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The manner and quality of the answer appears in the whole answer that it was 1 A reasonable 2 A meek 3 A modest answer First it was a reasonable answer our Lord did not shake off the Temper without an answer though he deserved none but to shew that hee did not refuse the motion of a wilful mind but upon just ground he makes him a sufficient answer whence our Saviour would teach us that Doct. If we be to deal with our most deadly adversaries Christiâ—â— must be reasâ—â—able to most â—nreasonable â—dversaries Reasons suppose them as malicious as Satan to Christ yet we must doe nothing nor speak nothing of a wilful mind but take the guide of reason and the ground of conscience with us For 1 The will of man not ordered by reason is like a wilde Colt without a Rider most untamed and untractable most hateful to God and most hurtful to men and a note of man reserved to the Judgement of the Great Day to bee punished is to bee presumptuous and stand in his own conceit 2 Pet. 2.10 2 Reasonable men must have reason for their actions at the least for herein is a difference between the beasts and men they are lead by sense and appetite but men by reason from which if men depart they degenerate into beasts being lead with sensuality 2 Pet. 2 1â— 3 Our Saviours example carrieth us further that we should not only bee lead by reason in our affairs but by reason sanctified and renewed reason directed by the word and this not only here but in all his course of life Mar. 10 40. when he refused the unreasonable request of the Sons of Zebedeus hee gave a just reason saying It is not mine to give but shall bee given to them for whom it is prepared I must not give the chief seats in my Kingdom according to kindred and affection but according to my Fathers election When he rebuked Peter and called him Satan he giveth a reason for such unwonted sharpness For thou art an offence unto me thou savourest not the things of God thou wouldest hinder mans Redemption and Satan could have done no more Matth. 16.23 Acts 1.7 when the Disciples would know of Christ at his ascension when he would restore the Kingdom to Israel he denies their request and gives a reason It is not for you to know this my father hath put times and seasons in his own power yee have another task to bee witnesses to me c. intend this look to your Apostleship Vse This reproves the frowardness and unreasonable wilfulness of men and especially in their dealings with their adversaries taking violent courses not respecting conscience religion nor reason it self but standing upon their will and saying This I will doe let see who shall hinder me and let him undoe it if he can Now perswade this man Oh but let not passion guide you but shew your self a man cast away this impotent and womanish reason to such as are bruitishly destitute of reason I will because I will No hee is an enemy to all your perswasion his will out-runs his wit and reason his lust is his law his conscience and his religion But if any thing can reclaime such a man if he be not rather an Heathen than a Christian let him set Christs example here before him who would not be wilful without reason to the Devil himself in a most devillish motion and wilt thou to thy brother to thy neighbour yea to thy wife children c. Either set thy self to walk in thy Lords steps or get thee another Master Five reasons of Christs meekness to Satan Secondly this answer of Christ was a most meek answer Christ was omnipotent able with a book to have confounded the Devil hee might by his power have driven him back
many and mighty powerful miracles which were signs from heaven shewing that hee was from heaven And yet for all this they beleeved not So Matth. 27.42 the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees said If hee bee the King of the Jews let him come down from the Cross and woe will beleeve him No doubt Christ could but bee would not not onely because it was an hour of darknesse but because hee know they would never have beleeved him Psal 22 2â— 23. I will declare thy name to my brethren to the seed of Jacob to Israel Reasons 1 This practice of Christ is answerable to his precept Matth. 7.6 Cast not holy things to doggs nor pearls before swine By holy things and pearls are meant the things of Gods Kingdom Christ and his merits c. so called both to shew the excellency of them in themselves being above all pearls Prov. 3.14 as also our duty to prize and lock them up in our hearts and keep them as we doe our pearls safely in our memories By Doggs and Hoggs are meant malicious and obstinate enemies convicted of enmity against Gods Word of whose amendment there is little hope every man naturally is an enemy to God and his Word and so a dogg and a swine as Christ called the Heathens and Gentiles It is not lawful to take the children bread and cast it to doggs Now to such as these we must preach and offer the Sacraments yea Christ offered himself and came to call sinnets but when his Word and Miracles were rejected and himself evil intreated as among the Pharisees then saith Christ Let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind 2 Christ shews himself unto none but such as he loveth and love him Joh. 14.11 and this was the ground of Judas his speech Lord what is the cause that thou wilt shew thy self to us and not to the world the world sees him not for none seeth him but to whom he sheweth himself and he sheweth himself to none but such as love him and none love him but such as love his word and keep it vers 23. 3 This was one cause why Christ spake so many things in Parables that such as would be blind might not see and such as would not make a right use of his holy doctrin might not understand Matth. 13.13 For many that heard them let them goe without further question in a careless manner whereas the Disciples of Christ inquired of him his meaning and one learned of another and so that which for the difficulty drave others away became in this manner of teaching much more easie and familiar yea much more perspicuous and clear than any other 4 Never could extraordinary means convert such as beleeved not the word the ordinary means and therefore Christ never or seldome gratified the Scribes and Pharisees with Miracles or extraordinary means because they resisted his Doctrin Person and Works or if any wicked men saw any of his mighty VVorks and Miracles they saw not himself in them as Pharaoh what a number of Miracles saw he yet he was never the better he would not acknowledge God nor his servants and in the Wilderness they who saw Miracles every day and moment yet not beleeving the VVord of God in them were never the better the arm of the Lord was not made bare unto them Vse 1 Ignorant persons that know not Christ nor desire to know him are in a woful estate being such as Christ counts unworthy to reveal himself unto and therefore he either keeps the means from them or leaves them without grace to make an holy use of them Numbers of men to whom Christ never revealeth himself Vse 2. In worse case are they that have the means and yet no tast of them no reformation by them their covetousness their pride their drunkenness and uncleaneness will not be left as many that come to Church to hear the VVord and receive the Sacraments and yet are no better than Doggs and Swine and altogether unreformed in their lives and courses Some draw the VVord of God into question and would be taught by Angels or Miracles as Satan here but Christ will not make himself known to them no more than to him so saith Abraham to Dives in Hell when he denied his request They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not beleeve them neither would they beleeve if one should rise from the dead Some are resolved to live as they list let the Preachers say what they can whereas he that is in Christ to whom he reveals himself is a new Creature for Christ speaks to the heart not to the ear only Others say they are decreed to life or death and therefore doe what they can they cannot change Gods mind and hence never goe about to change themselves But had Christ shewed himself to these he would have directed them to the means of saving knowledge namely to the Scriptures which testifie of him Joh. 5.29 and to faith which unites to him and to the fruits of faith which testifie the truth of it to his glory and their comfort Others will be saved by saith alone and by a profession of the Gospel and so neglect the works which justifie it and the power of godliness whereas if Christ in the Ministry had revealed himself to such he had quickned their faith and not left it as a Carkass for faith without works is dead Others poor simple people will be saved by mercy alone and never labour for knowledge faith or true feeling of their own estate and care not how sin abound that mercy may abound much more But had Christ met with them hee would let them see their misery in the causes and effects and teach them to hunger after mercy in the means and having obtained it to goe and sin no more lest a worse thing follow Others disclaiming the doctrin of mortification and self-denial therefore dislike the VVord as too straight a Doctrin stripping them of their pleasures and profits and hence some hold on in their lusts some return with the Swine to their wallowing in the mire they cannot dye to sin they cannot live without laughter mirth and sports Whereas had Christ revealed himself unto them he would have taught them that his yoke is an easier yoke than the yoke of sin Three properties of such as to whom Christ will make himself known and that there is no sound comfort but in mortified affections and actions Vse 3. VVhosoever would have Christ reveal himself fully unto him must labour to be thus qualified 1 He must be humble for he teacheth the humble in his ways Psal 25.9 but the proud hee sends empty away as rain makes vallies fruitful but falls off the mountains which are therefore barren 2 He must long and desire to meet Christ in his Ordinances for Christ is the scope of the VVord and Sacraments therefore desire to know nothing but Christ Crucified goe to the tents of Shepheards where
ground under the milstone of Gods heavie displeasure and Levit. 19.13 Thou shalt not robb thy neighbour the Work-mans hire shall not abide with thee till the morning The reason is in Deut. 24.15 Lest thy Servant cry against thee to the Lord surely it shall be sin unto thee Obj. 2. But thou mayest make the best of thine own commodities by hoysing the prices and diminishing or corrupting the quantity or quality No man can force thee to sell thy own in dear times unlesse thou wilt and much lesse to give it away to the poor and needy then shut up thy heart live to thy self let others shift for themselves as thou doest for one Ans It is written that covetousness is the root of all evil and that it is Idolatry and the Lord hath sworn by a great oath even by his own excellency Amos 8.4 that he will never forget any of their works that swallow up the poor and make the needy of the Land to fail that were weary of the Sabbath because it hindred their setting of Wheat to sale that made the Epha small and the shekel great and falsified their weights and sold corrupt corn that is took all courses for gain Besides the fearful fruits of covetousness in Achan Gehezi Ahab Judas Object 3 But thou lendest thy money too freely ten in the hundred thou maiest take by Law but if by cunning tricks and devices thou canst get twenty in the hundred thou shalt grow rich the sooner Answ It is written Luke 6.35 Lend freely looking for nothing again and Deut. 23.19 Thou shalt not give to usury to thy brother and Exod. 22.25 If thou lend mony to my people thou shalt not bee an Usurer and Levit. 25.36 Thou shalt take no usury nor advantage neither lend him money nor victuals to increase and What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his own soul Object 4. But thou art a poor man and defraudest thy self of profit thou mayest by an oath or a lye or a little cunning and sleight get good gains and why needest thou be so nice Answ It is written Prov. 22.2 The rich and the poor meet together and the Lord is the maker of them both that is in their persons and in their estates and Levit. 19.11 12. Yee shall not swear by my name falsly neither defile the name of the Lord thy God and That the curse entereth into the house of the swearer and thief and Yee shall not steal nor deal falsly nor lye one to another and that all that love abomination and lyes shall bee kept without the gates of the holy City with dogs Rev. 22.15 and that I must not lye for Gods glory much less for my own profit Object 5 But thou maiest revenge thy self upon thy enemy and make him know whom hee hath in hand broach some untruth or other upon him and thou shalt at least disgrace him and if thou leâ—st him go with this every one will scorn thee Answ It is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord and Thou shalt not bear false witnesse and Matth. 7.12 Whatsoever you would that men should do to you the same do you to them and It is the glory of a man to pass by offences Object 6. But the cause is good the Catholike cause it is but a title of rebellion or treason indeed it is a meritorious work and thou shalt bee Canonized a Romish Martyr if thou shalt kill a King or Queen or Prince that is an Heretick but above all if thou canst by one terrible blow not only kill the King Queen and Prince but also the whole Council all the Lords all the Judges all the Laws all the Law-makers yea and blow up the whole Parliament-house and with that three heretical Kingdomes together Answ Here wee can hold no longer but in such a temptation as is so direct a worship of the Devil with our Lord say Avoid Satan bee packing foul Devil for It is written Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject to the higher powers and 1 Pet. 2.14 Submit your selves to all manner ordinance of man and the fearful judgement of Corah Dathan and Abiram with their complices betide such Catholike rebels as dare lift up their hands against the Lords annointed not to cut off his lap but his life which is the life and breath of all his people Use 2. The scripture the hammer of heresies Instance in justification by works The like use hath the Scripture in the right use of it against all errors and heresies as wee may see in these instances 1 If the Papists would teach us justification by workes Answ It is written Rom. 3.20 By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified and the like in Gal. 3.3 4 5. And Paul had as many merits as any yet he would not bee found in his own righteousnesse Phil. 3.9 and our righteousness is but as filthinesse or filthy clouts and after our best indeavours wee are but unprofitable Servants 2 If they urge us with transubstantiation and real presence Answ It is written that after Christ had given the Sacrament In transubstantiation hee went into the garden and suffered which hee could not if hee had been eaten before and not being glorified and 2 remembrance is of things absent 3 He continues in heaven till his comming to judgement Act. 3.21 4 The Fathers are the same Sacramental bread 1 Cor. 10.3 and yet Christ was not then in the flesh 5 There is no alteration in the sign of Baptism and there is the same use of the sign of the Lords Supper In the seven Sacraments 3 If they object unto us seven Sacraments Wee reply against their five bastard ones as in that of Matrimony for the rest thus 1 It hath no sign instituted by God when he brought Eve to Adam here is matrimony but no sign the ring which they make a sign is not 2 It is not proper to the Church as Sacraments are but common to Jews Turkes and Infidels 3 Every Sacrament belongs to every Member of the Church but matrimony belongs not to their Priests and Votaries 4 All Sacraments serve to confirm faith so doth not matrimony Adam in innocency had no need of saith but hee had need of matrimony In orig nal sin after baptism 4 If they tell us that by Baptism Original sin is quite washed away Wee Answer No true Baptism takes away the guilt but not the being of sin and it is written of David Psal 51.5 that hee confessed hee was still in Original sin see also Rom. 7.7 and Jam. 1.13 In absolute necessity of Baptism 5 If they would thrust upon us the absolute necessity of Baptism Answ It is written that Circumcision being the same in signification and use with Baptism was omitted in the wildernesse forty years and that David doubted not of his uncircumcised childs salvation and that children are holy through their beleeving
Parents 1 Cor. 7.14 In communion in one kind 6 If they will administer the Communion but in one kinde Against this their sacrilegious practice wee have Christs institution and the example of the Apostles besides the Primitive Church Vse 3. This mighty effect of the Word in the right use of it shews the Scriptures to bee of God and the authority of God and not of man as the Papists teach us not of the Church of Fathers Counsels Popes in Peters fictitious chair or the company of Cardinals What writing of man can have authority over mens consciences as Gods Word hath Or who will beleeve the Church that will not beleeve the Scripture Is not the Word Truth and all men lyars and subject to error Now shall that which is not subject to error bee subject to that which is subject to error Vse 4. Whatsoever writing doth indeed confirm error is not Canonical Scripture for this confutes all error in practice and in judgement therefore Apocryphal Books are not Canonical and divine Scripture 1 because in every of them there is some repugnance to the Scripture 2 because they were not written by any Prophet nor in Hebrew not 3 given to the Jews as Gods Oracles as all the Old Testament was Rom. 3.1 2. 4 because Christ and the Apostles cited not any of them This I speak not against the books which contain in them many good Morals and in my judgement mâ—â—â— of all humane Histories bee best used but against the Papists who would thrust upon us Invocation of Saints and Prayer for the dead c. from their authority Vse 5. See hence the Reason why Satan and all his instruments were ever enemies to the true Preaching and professing of the Word namely because in the right use it is the onely hammer of the Kingdome of darkness Hee storms not at frothy and foolish delivery or at professors that are loose and ungirt and can take liberty for any thing they list Onely faithful Preachers and Professors that rightly preach and profess bear the burden of Satans and the Worlds malice Christs innocency and the Apostles power could not fence them from it Use 6. Lastly acknowledge it a singular priviledge of the Church so beset with enemies to have so sufficient and perfect a word 1 written that all men might have the benefit of it 2 Preached and rightly divided according to every mans particular necessity It is a great comfort that poor as well as rich base as well as noble have a share in it in an equal large manner The chief priviledge of the Church of the Jews was to keep Gods word in the letter Psal 147.19 20. and Rom. 3.2 but it will bee our preheminence above them if wee lock up the true sence of it in our hearts Job 22.22 and Prov. 22. It is a sure stay and a shield to them that walk uprightly No theef nor robber can steal it no it cannot bee taken away with our lives It is Maries good part which was never taken from her neither can bee from us being a perpetual freehold IV. Now followeth the fourth thing in this allegation of Christ to wit the parts of the Divine testimony 1 Negative Man lives not by bread only 2 Affirmative But by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God First Of the sence of the negative part Man that is a meer common and ordinary man and much less I that am the Son of God Liveth not that is preserveth not the natural life of his body By bread is meant all necessary and ordinary means of meat drink rest sleep physick recreation for so it is also used in the fourth petition of the Lords prayer Onely here bread is not opposed to other means of sustenance as flesh fish c. but to Gods blessing without which it cannot sustain our bodies But by every word that is every thing a common Hebraisme verbum for â—es and more specially for the decree and ordinance of God appointed to sustain man so the words following imply That commeth out of the mouth of God that is whatsoever God hath decreeed commanded or promised that it shall preserve life Now the sum of Christs answer in more words is this Thou sayest I must now have bread to satisfy my hungry or else I cannot live but thou speakest like thy self If my Fathers word bee to sustain mee without this means I shall live thereby without bread my Father is not tyed to ordinary means for preserving of life who is all-sufficient and Almighty and doth what and how hee will And this cannot bee doubted of seeing it is written in Deut. 8.3 by Moses that when the Israelites were in the wilderness as I am hungry and having nothing to eat no more than I have hee fed them with MAN forty years to teach them that man liveth not by bread onely for they had none but by every word and means which himself appointed Besides if I should distrust my Fathers providence and turn all these stones into bread yet if his word come not to give vertue and life unto them all this would not help all this bread would bee no better than stones as it was before And therefore I will still expect his word and not turn stones into bread at thine The negative part affordeth us this lesson that Doct. Outward and ordinary means are not of themselves sufficient to sustain and preserve the life of man Luke 12.15 mans life standeth not in abundance Outward means not sufficient to sustain the life of man If wee make an induction of all the chief means either of the being or well being of mans life wee shall easily see their insufficiency 1 Bread is a special means appointed to strengthen the heart Psal 104.15 1 Bread but yet there is a staft of bread which is another thing than bread and this being broken wee shall not bee strengthened but fade in the middest of bread Hence is the sentence accomplished against many Lev. 26.26 Ye shall eat and not hee satisfied The Lord gave the Israelites Quails in the wildernesse enough to maintain six hundred thousand footmen for many daies but a secret poison was in it that the more they had the more they dyed as of an exceeding great plague so as the place was called the graves of lusting Numb 11.33 Yea although our bread did not grow out of the earth but fell from heaven as Mannah did yet our Saviour saith Job 6.49 Your Fathers did eat Mannah in the wildernesse and are dead 2 Clothes are a special means to preserve a man in natural heat 1 Clâ—thes but yet raiment of it self cannot keep him warm Hag. 1.6 Ye clothe you but yee bee not warm and of David in his age it is said that they covered him with clothes but no heat came to him 1 King 1.1 3 Physick 3 Physick is a remedy appointed by God to regain health and strength distempered or decayed but Asa
with sound comfort when all outward means doe fail if the heart can say to it self What if God doe not give me my desire by this means or that Faith in this word strengthneth the heart many ways I know God hath more words than one more blessings than one and man liveth by every word And faith strengthens the heart 1 By setting before the eye Gods power in this word how that one word of his mouth is enough to help us one word is able to create innumerable armies of Angels and Creatures one fiat is enough to make all Creatures and all this to come or goe or stand still as most dutiful servants to their Master Matth. 8. the Centurion coming to Christ for the health of his Servant desires him not to come within his roof for he was not worthy of that favour nor to send him any receit or physick to doe him good but only to speak the word and he was sure his servant should be healed A strong faith in a strong word It is but a word with God then how easily how presently how certainly will God doe me good if he see it good for me 2 By assuring the heart that his will is as ready to doe us good as his word is able and it sets the promise before us that nothing shall be wanting to them that fear God The former in the example of the Leper Matth. 8. Lord if thou wilt thou caâ—st make me clean and in the next words to shew he is as willing as able he saith I will be thou clean by which word proceeding out of the mouth of God his Leprosie was instantly cured his will was his word and his word was his work The latter in the example of Abraham whose faith set before his eyes Gods promise that in Isaac his seed should be called and that by Isaac he should be a Father of many Nations and therefore when at Gods word he went out to offer Isaac and Isaac asked him where was the Sacrifice he answered God will provide One eye was on Gods word commanding him to slay his Son another upon this other word that God was able to raise him up from the dead whence after a sort hee received him and that hee also would doe so before his promise should bee frustrate 3 By setting before the Christian heart the blessed issue and success of unwavering confidence in the word of God The Israelites going out of Aegypt and wandring in the Wilderness so many years by the appointment of Gods word he did supply all their wants by his Word and it became all things unto them which their hearts could desire 1 He paved them a way in the Sea and suddainly made the waters a wall unto them 2 He gave them bread from Heaven even Angels food and that in our text was by his word 3 He gave them water out of a rock and that by his word he bade Moses speak to the rock 4 Having no means for clothes his word kept their garments for forty years from waxing old But what need we goe out of our text in which the example of our Head and Lord may best confirm us for wanting bread in the Wilderness hee would not turn stones into bread but waited on the word of his Father till the Angels came and ministred unto him even so the adopted Sons of God treading in the steps of our Lord shall by vertue of the same word always find relief one way or other Who would have thought that ever Job should have swum out of that misery having lost all his Cattel substance and Children but because when the Lord was a killing him in his own sence hee trusted in him the Lord raised him and doubled the wealth and prosperity he had before Who would have thought that ever Daniel should have escaped the Lions denne and teeth being cast in amongst them or that Peter should have escaped Herods sword being bound in Chains and watched of Souldiers to be brought out to death next day But trusting in the Lord this word shut the mouthes of the Lions and opened the Prisons iron doors and brake in sunder the chains and so both of them were wonderfully delivered Surely this Doctrin well digested is full of comfort and quietness and would set the heart at rest and make all outward troubles easie If a man could once get his heart to trust in the word as David did Psal 119.42 it would sustain the soul in many troubles and bring in so sweet a contentment as the world is a stranger unto On the contrary whence is it that mens hearts fail them and they sink in their troubles but because they trust to the means and not to the Word of God at least not to every word of God If God crosse them one way they think hee hath no other way to doe them good Vse 3. If man live by every word of God then take heed of making that a means of living which God hath never warranted but see that what thou livest by proceed out of the mouth of God How doth hee live by every word of God that gets his living either in whole or in part contrary to Gods word Obj. But we see such as use no good means but maintain themselves in good estate by robbing stealing oppressing usury gaming false wares or weights it seems that even these creatures have a word of God to sanctifie them and put vertue in them to such persons or else they could not live by them Ans We must distinguish between the things themselves that are gotten and the unjust manner of getting them The creatures themselves are by a general word of God sanctified and set apart by God to feed and maintain good and bad as well the wicked as honest getters of them even as the Sun and Rain shines and falls upon the just and unjust And the unrighteousness of particular persons cannot alter Gods general decree But if wee consider the special manner of getting such goods that is not sanctified but condemned by the word of God 1 Because the person is not in Christ who restores our right unto us and then he is but an usurper and a bankrupt who builds his houses goes fine in apparel decks up himself and his and spends most liberally but it is all with other mens money He that knows not this thinks him a rich man but he that doth knoweth that he is not either thrifty or wealthy the Creditor comes and casts him into prison and makes his bones and body pay the debt 2 As his person so his course is accursed for the only way to get a blessing from God on the means is to use his own means who hath commanded first to seek the Kingdom of God and then other things and hath accursed all that wealth and maintenance of the body for which a man doth hazard or lose his soul 3 When a man doth live by bread against the word that
infers two contrary conclusions both contrary in themselves and both contrary to Gods word 3 Hee knows there is but one good and strait way to heaven that the Lord hath commanded us to walk in that way without turning to the right or left hand that hee hath placed the vertue in the mean and the refore hee cares not in which extream hee can thrust us so as wee keep out of that mean appointed Hee hateth nothing but vertue and grace which God loveth 4 Hee knowing the propensity and inclination of our corrupt nature which desires to know no mean but is rather disposed to any vice in extremity than to rest in obedience unto Gods Commandement fits us according to our inclination and casts us first in one extream then in another and holds us there where we best please our selves Hence wee account extreames vertues 5 Many are the by-waies that lead to hell on all hands there being but one truth and the Devil carrieth such incessant malice to man that hee cares not in which of them a man come to hell so he come at length Vse Beware then of Satans subtlety of his contrariety and extremities In matters of Gods worship his scope is to make a man either prophane and cast off all care of Religion or if men will not bee drawn from some devotion then hee seeks to make them superstitious in which extream hee holdeth the blinded and devout Papists who worship both false gods and the true God with a false and vain worship Act. 17. the Apostle having charged the Athenians with superstition hee addes this reason because hee saw an Altar to an unknown God The same of those who will worship God in devices which hee never commanded and place it in things which indeed hinder it And so some hate Popery but not prophaneness Satan aims also at the Minister to make him idle and negligent in preaching and is well pleased with that because where vision failes people perish But if hee cannot hold a man in idleness then hee seeks to get him to Preach either of pride or envy or flattery or for preferment or vainly and unsoundly and then the more hee preacheth hee likes him never the worse or maliciously against good men and good waies and then hee preacheth nothing else but what Satan if hee must needs preach would do In hearing the word hee would first have men slack of all conscience of doing or obeying that hearing their Masters will and not doing it their stripes may bee the more If hee cannot do that but sees a man make conscience of his waies then hee will make him scrupulous and make needlesse questions of every thing and to hinder his peace he will make more sins than ever God made In judging of ones own estate hee will make a man beleeve that God never elected such a wretch as hee hee never had truth of grace all is hypocrisy God never loved him so many sins so great falls such unworthinesse as never was in any childe of God On the contrary if faith withstand this temptation then comes pride in stead of former dejection and makes him think his election so sure as though hee take all unlawful liberties hee shall bee saved oh the Son of God cannot do amiss nor the Father hate him Sometimes to destroy boldness of faith hee will suggest that sin is so great in such and such circumstances as it cannot bee forgiven now the heart is heavy and lumpish and hath no cheerfulnesse in God But this being a little blown over he wil bring the same man by degrees to think what a fool he was for his sins now are not so great so dangerous as others bee nor himself so great a sinner and now the sadnesse of sin being shaken off hee grows merry and too too light forgetting all his former heaviness In the course of life hee gets beyond many in these extream courses In spiritual things numbers of men are held in a prophane and wicked scorning of religion of Preachers and Professors whose names they cannot abide Some of these are sometimes called out of the snare of the Devil and then Satan is in a contrary corner he will have them zealous but not according to knowledge If the Master will not send his servants to pluck up all the tares before harvest they will stand no longer in the field of the Church but grow resolute in schism and separation In Civil things how many examples of men have we extreamly covetous in their youth but prodigal and voluptuous in extremity in their age and so on the contrary and in divers other instances Rules to avoyd these extremities of Satan 1 Look we still to the word which pointeth us our way for the warrant of our actions and the manner of doing them and saith This is the way walk in it Isa 30.21 2 Watch we the fickleness of our nature which may be seen in the Barbarians Act. 28.4 6. who accounted Paul a God and a Murderer at one time 3 Consider we what it is that we are eagerly set upon and suspect it because our nature is to be in extreams and Satans hand is likely in it to set it forward Never are wee so violent for Gods Kingdom as for the world Cast thy self down In the scope of this temptation which was to presumption for the allegation following would perswade him that God would preserve him whatsoever he did though he threw himself from the pinacle wee learn this point of instruction that Doct. Satan doth incessantly labour to draw men unto presumption and vain-glory as here he did the Head And this presumption in a word is nothing else but a vain confidence that we are this or that or can doe this or that without any word or ordinance of God A vain hope without warrant is the very being of presumption 1 Sam. 4.3 Israel went to warre against the Philistims and were slain about four thousand men but they would make another on-set more warily as they thought than before they would send for the Ark from Shilo to save them and when it came into the Host all Israel gave a shout that the earth rang of it presuming that now they were safe enough But all this was done of their own heads and without warrant and therefore God discomfited them with an exceeding great slaughter of thirty thousand foot-men and the Ark wherein they were so vainly confident was taken the Priests Hophni and Phineas slain Eli breaks his neck and such a confusion there was that the Ark never came at Shilo more Numb 14. After the men were sent to search the Land of Canaan and had returned and told the Israelites that the Land was good and fat but the walls reached up to Heaven and there were Sons of Anak Gyants then the people murmured and distrusted But the sentence of the Lord passing against them that they should wander forty years in the Wilderness according to the forty days
in searching till that age were all wasted none of which should come into the Land except Caleb and Joshua vers 40. then they up betimes in the morning and they were ready against the Word of God to goe Moses forbids them tells them God was not with them yet forty four presumed obstinately to goe and were pitifully consumed 2 King 14.10 Amaziah King of Judah having gotten a notable Victory against Edom presuming of Gods hand and help with him but not asking God counsel would also make warre against Israel but unhappily as such attempts prove for he was overcome and Jehoash King of Israel took Amaziah and broke down Jerusalems wall and spoyled the house of the Lord and the Kings house of all the Treasure there Josiah a good King presuming of Gods assistance without his word undertook an unwarrantable warre against the King of Aegypt hee might have thought God would help him who sought the Lord with all his heart against an open Idolater but not seeking the Lord in this he was mortally wounded and left his Kingdom in great trouble and confusion 2 King 23. Reasons Now Satan is most usual in temptations to presumption for these reasons 1 He hath experience how easily we are foyled with this kind of temptation how soon hee foyled our first Parents in the state of innocency how good David was overthrown presuming of his own strength when he forced Joab to number his people And those whom hee could never shake with distrust he hath quite overthrown with presumption 2 Satan knows that of all temptations this is most agreeable to our corrupt nature It is pleasing to us to conceive of Gods mercy and power towards us in any course our selves affect whereas temptations to despair are irksome and grievous to the flesh and have not ordinarily so much help from the flesh to set them forward as this hath and therefore the Devil is sometimes but not half so often in them Again hee knows it goeth with our nature and stream to presume of our own goodness strength and vertue Peter and the rest of the Disciples presumed they should not be offended at Christ nor forsake or deny him but yet not long after even they who professed they would dye with him rather than deny him lest him and fled away Matth. 26.33 c. 3 He knows that presumption is an extream of faith and hope and doth no less extinguish faith than despair nay more often doth foyl it seeing a man in despair is more fearful more watchful but a presumptuous man is fearless careless and will easily thrust himself upon any adventure as fearing no sin 4 Satan knows that presumptions are great sins prevailing sins Psal 19.13 a tempting of the Lord as the answer of our Saviour implies when wee leave his way and means and will try our own a sin which doth much provoke God to displeasure we see it in Peter who fell fearfully above all the Disciples Ubi dixisti sufficio ibi desecisti ubi tibi placuisti ibi periisti Aug. because hee was most presumptuous of all of whom Augustine saith When thou beginnest to say I have enough thou beginnest to fayl when thou hast an over-weening opinion of thy self thou art undone Quest What may we think of Jonathans action who himself alone with one man his Armour-bearer went out against a whole army of the Philistims Was it not a strange tempting of God and a great disorder in time of pitched battel 1 Sam. 14. Ans It may seem so at first but indeed it was not temerity in him for 1 He was guided by a secret and strong instinct of Gods Spirit 2 He had a general promise that so long as his people feared God one should bee able to chase a thousand and two ten thousand and therefore took no more with him than one being fully assured that God would goe out with him and fight for him against Gods and his enemies 3 Hee set God before him with whom he said it was not hard to save with many or with few ver 6. Besides he knew they were Gods enemies saying Let us goe to the uncircumcised 4 The event was a singular deliverance of God in that needful time for God sent a fear among the enemies and an earth-quake c. and armed Jonathan with such a spirit and power that the enemies fell before him for fear even at the sight of him Object But the instinct of the Spirit is strong and not doubtful as this was vers 6. It may be the Lord will be with us Ans The first instinct drew him to the place where hee was to receive a sign of confirmation from God as vers 9 10. If they say Come up wee will goe a sign they were lazie If they say Tarry till we come we will not that was a sign of their courage And this was a certain sign which strongly assured him vers 10 12. Quest Is it lawful now for any so to doo Ans No it was a singular fact not to be drawn into example unless a man can alleadge a new promise seeing all the ordinary promises of Scripture joyn the means and end together Use 1. We must conceive all this doctrin of Christs temptations above an ordinary History not only relating a thing done but belonging also to us to make our use of it as of other Scripture And hence let us learn to beware of these temptations to presumption which are many ways darted against us both in things spiritual and temporal I. In spiritual things 1 When men cast aside the known Word of God they dare swear and curse and blaspheme they dare adventure to break the Sabbath dare lye and be unjust against their conscience they dare doe any thing against the Justice of God though they know his will to bee contrary and all because they presume of Gods mercy which in their conceit hath eaten up all his justice But in Job 19.11 Christ inlargeth the sin of the Jews and Judas because it was against their conscience He that delivered me hath the greater sin he was warned he heard my Doctrin saw my Miracles and so did you And thou that knowest thy Lords pleasure and darest goe against it shalt know how fearful a thing it is to fall into his hands It thy Conscience condemn thee God is greater than thy conscience 2 Others are perswaded that Christ dyed for all and therefore they may be the bolder in their sins grace hath abounded what though sin abound much more Christ hath bloud enough and merit enough what need they fear But here is presumption without warrant For in Christs death before it can be fruitful to us there must be two things 1 An actual accomplishment 2 An effectual application to the soul in particular Physick though never so soveraign if it be in the pocket unapplied doth the Patient no good And if the death of Christ be applied to thee it worketh the death of thy sin
the extream corruption of his nature who is pleased with desire of hurt and mischief hating God and his Image with deadly and perpetual hatred a Murtherer from the beginning Joh. 8. that is the first Murtherer and the author of murther clean opposed to God who is the first goodness and author of all goodness life in himself and in his creature It cannot be shewed that ever God erected any good or excellent thing in the Church or Common-wealth but Satan out of the abundance of his wickedness did one way or other seek even in the beginning of it the corruption or destruction of it He presently destroyed Gods Image in our first Parents presently corrupted Gods worship in Cain and in the rest of the posterity of the Fathers before the floud till all flesh had corrupted their ways When God had given his Law and set up his pure VVorship he presently cast his people down within forty days before the Call and after before other Idols of the Nations which was their destruction So soon as ever Christ was called to his Office he must either cast himself down from the pinacle or cast himself down to worship Satan as we shall see in the next temptation And as a Serpent never vents any thing but poyson so Satan never speaks in other language but the issue and effect is Cast thy self down From this corruption of his nature he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one and hee that can fill his agent with wickedness as Elimas was called the Childe of the Devil Quod efficit tale Illud ipsum est magis tale because hee was full of subtilty and mischief Acts 13.10 must needs be full himself Vse 1. Seeing then Satans whole drift is to cast us down note what a wonderful mercy of God it is that we stand and are upheld especially such as stand upon higher pinacles and places than other against whom hee redoubleth his forces Yee stand by grace saith the Apostle It is not the goodness of nature yea if it were cloathed with innocency that can support us no if it were Angelical It is the grace and strength of our invincible Captain that we are not every moment cast down to Hell seeing there wants neither skill nor malice nor diligence in our adversary no nor advantage or inclination in our selves Let us therefore acknowledge that by the grace of God we are that we are and say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.12 I thank God which hath made me strong Use 2. We must learn from this incessant industry of the Devil to cast us down to be so much the more watchful against him Quest How shall I doe this Ans By observing these rules Rules 1 Take heed thou suffer him not to lead thee to a Pinacle for although our Lord and Saviour being filled with the Spirit and lead by the Spirit gave him leave to set him on the Pinacle yet must not thou follow him thither who art not so fenced or furnished For hee never sets any on a Pinacle but as Christ here to cast him down And then the Devil sets the man on a Pinacle when by wicked or base Arts a man riseth to wealth or honour or any publick place in the Church or Common-wealth he will willingly lend his help and hand thus to exalt and set up men but as the Hang-man helps the Thief up the Ladder to turn him off with a break-neck Haman was advanced to great honour but was it not to his greater ruine and downfall Did not he help up Herod by pride and ambition almost above the Pinacle when he spake Oh it was the voyce of God and not of a man But was it not to cast him down lower than all his people to bee presently eaten with Lice He sends up Nebuchadnezzar to the pinacle of his Palace and that was great Babel which hee had built for the honour not of God but of his Kingdom and by the might not of God but of his own power But the issue was to be cast down among beasts and not a sit companion for Princes or his people till he knew who the Lord was From Princes to Counsellers Achitophel was on an high Pinacle when his counsel was accepted as an Oracle of God but the end was that when it was despised he should cast himself down and hang himself From them to their inferiours but rich and great David saw the wicked man in great prosperity on an high Pinacle strong spreading like a green Bay-tree but suddenly he was cast down and he could not find where hee had been Psal 37.35 The like of the rich man in the Parable Thou fool this night shall they fetch thy soul c. From these to great Church-men Judas was set in the Apostleship Satan finding him there cast him down to Hell he went to his place so woeful a spectacle as beseemed the sonne of perdition and the betrayer and murderer of the just and innocent Son of God How many examples of men have wee who out of pride and ambition flattery and corruption have advanced themselves into chief places and as the times called on them against their consciences were cast down into horrible practices against the Church and after into woful outward misery as Cardinal Poole Gardiner Bonner and the like Compare their lives with their deaths Others raising themselves by multiplying chopping and engrossing of Livings have been cast down from their gifts their reputation their profiting of the Church from their sobriety and civility and some from the outward Wealth they so lay about them for so eagerly and dyed Beggers Lucri bonus est odor ex te Qualibet Juvenal Other ordinary men are raised by Satan to a great state of wealth as Usurers Oppressors and unjust persons that think all savour of gain sweet though it be never so filthy on Gods Sabbaths out of Labourers lives and bellies But Satan hath cast them down already into the Curse of God and only the execution of the sentence awaiteth them Others stand upon the pinacle of Pride and Satan sets every man upon this pinacle if he can as knowing that pride goeth before a fall Did not he suggest to our first Parents that they should be as Gods if they are the forbidden fruit that by lifting them up in their own conceit he might cast them down from their happiness It was the same suggestion which he would here fasten upon the Son of God If thou wilt here cast thy self down all Jerusalem must needs confess thee to be the true and undoubted Son of God and honour thee accordingly Rule 2 Vse the means to bee established in grace seeing all Satans labour is to cast us down from the grace of God 2 Tim. 2.1 My son bee strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus Train thy self to humility for God gives grace to the humble and ever humbles his children that hee may exalt them Waters
where the Scripture doth not Which soever it was the text saith it was an exceeding high one II. How came Christ thither Ans After the same manner that he was formerly transported unto the top of the pinacle as we have shewed in the former temptation 1 The more to humble and abase Christ 2 To terrifie him if it might be to see himself so carried and tossed by Satan III. Why did Satan make choise of this place Ans 1. Because it best fitted his temptation and furthers his purpose for if he had stood in a valley and made a show of the world and the glory of it Excelsa pro mittit in excelâ—o it might more easily be discovered to be a delusion and deceit But here is a brave prospect 2 He is to promise mountains and great matters and thâ—refore brings him to a mountain there to view his commodities which hee would barteâ— 3 Some say he chose a mountain in way of imitation of God or rather we may say in exprobration of him who in the mount Nebo let Moses see all Canaan but Satan doth more 1 Moses must goe up that mounâ— God carries him not but the Devil carries Christ 2 God lets Moses see only the Land of Canaan the Devil lets Christ see all the Kingdoms and glory of all Countries 3 God will give a small Country to a Company of people to possess so long as they give him his worship and service but the Devil will give all the world to Christ alone if he will but once fall down and worship him Hence note Satan had Christ in the Wilderness a low and solitary place he could doe no good upon him he raiseth him extraordinarily to the pinacle of the Temple and Christ is too good for him there now he thinks him not yet high enough but if he can get him to the top of an exceeding high mountain he despairs not but to obtain his purpose against him This policy of Satan teacheth us that Doct. Those that are in highest places are in greatest danger of falling And when he useth one temptation against a man in the Wilderness in a low and mean estate he doubles his forces and secondeth his assaults against a man set aloft and in the mountain as his practice against our Saviour teacheth Saul while he was in a low and private estate was dutiful and humble but being raised into the throne of the Kingdom how did Satan prevail against him till God utterly rejected him Nay David himself while hee was in the valley was holy full of vows prayers watchfulness he was meek and merciful but being set in the chief seat of the Kingdom as it were in the mountain how â—oul bloudy proud became he by Satans malice as in adultery murther and numbring the people was manifest Reason 1 Satan as he thought to have great advantage against our Saviour even by the place so he knows that the mountain that is the high places will afford him advantage against us For whereas low estate keeps us careful and respective of our selves the mountain makes us forgetful proud insolent voluptuous as good Hezekiah in his sickness could pray weep and be humble enoâ—gh but no sooner recovered he his mountain but he prides himself in his wealth and treasures David confesseth of himself that in his prosperity hee said he should never be moved because God had made his mountain strong Psal 30.7 Thus easily doth vain confidence creep on him that sees himself stand on a mountain though otherwise his heart be according to God No marvel then if ease stay the fools and the prosperity of the foolish destroy them Prov. 1.32 If Satan have them in the mountain hee needs no more their own state will over-throw them 2 Satan as he desires men in the mountain that is in high place to sin so he desires that every sinner were in a mountain or high place because as the place it self will draw forth that corruption which is within so it will hold them in their sin For great men commonly are not more licentious than incorrigible hardly are they reclaimed and who dares call them to account And besides their sins are more infectious and scandalous for all the eyes of inferiours are upon them A man that stands upon an high mountain is a fair mark and may be seen of millions at once So as if in the Common-wealth Rehoboam commit Idolatry all Judah will doe the like under every green tree and under every green hill 1 King 14.22 In the Church if the High Priest contemn Christ the people will buffet him and spit in his face Matth. 26.67 In the family if the Fathers eat sour grapes the Childrens teeth are set on edge Commonly the Proverbs are verified Like Prince like subjects Like Priest like people Like Mother like daughter Nothing can lye on the mountains but it easily slideth down into the vallies 3 Satan herein directly opposeth God in his course and proceedings for the Lord advancing men and carrying them into these mountains of the Church Common-wealth or Family he therefore raiseth them that they should bee greater instruments of his glory and mans good Now Satan mightily strives to have these the greatest instruments of Gods dishonour and hurt of humane society Well he knows that the punishment of such mens sins ceaseth not in their own persons but descendeth on the vallies round about them If Ahab make all Israel to sin all Israel shall be scattered as sheep without a shepheard David numbers the people all his people are plagued hee sins with the sword and the sword shall never depart from his house good Josiah met with that threatning four hundred years after The Devil cannot bring a greater mischief into the earth than by throwing down such as stand in high places of the Church and Common-wealth Vse 1. Therefore let prayer be made especially for all in authority and eminency 1 Tim. 2.2 Not only in respect of the burthen of their calling and the hazzard and peril of their persons but especially because of Satans special malice against them and the multitude of their temptations the place is slippery and dangerous to fall How doe we puffe up our selves when our small things goe well with us How could wee bee easily carried away with the tickling of vain-glory and pleasure who scarce taste of them Of how much strength therefore may these be conceived in Kings and Princes who have a sea in comparison of our drops Which forbids us to marvel when we see the most excellent Kings David and Salomon altogether impotent to withstand the waves of temptation Besides the Devil keeps not only in the Country but in the Court and his malice against us stirreth up his rage against our chief Rulers as when the Devil had a malice to Israel hee set upon David to number the people Which one consideration should stir us daily in our prayers to bee mindful of our Prince and Governours
that as our provocations bring temptation upon them so our petitions for them may help them through all Vse 2. Such as are in any eminency or place above others must be so much the more watchful and let this meditation bee as an antidote to expel the poyson swelling and inflammation of pride that the higher thy hill is the more is Satans malice and plots against thee If a man stand upon the top or any part of Mount Sion that is be a Teacher in the Church hee must know that he is a light set upon an hill or mountain all eyes are upon him and therefore Satan that stood at Jehoshuahs right hand will not bee far from him let him make right steps to his feet lest hee treading awry many be turned out of the way Let such as are eminent in profession above others bee more watchful than others Satan is more busy with thee because thou shalt open many mouthes against thy profession and hee will wound many through thy sides hee will make many ashamed because of thee and because of thee hee will make Gods enemies to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 Thy slip or fall shall make all Gath and Askelon ring of all thy profession for they are all alike never a good one of them all c. Such as are carried into the mountain of earthly prosperity must labour for more strength and wachfulnesse than if they were in a lower estate else Satan will make this condition as the dead sea in which no grace can live Shew mee one excepting our Lord Jesus that ever came better from the mountain that is was the better man for his prosperity Numbers there are that have come out like Gold brighter and puâ—â—er out of the fire of affliction but so dangerous it is to stand upon this mount as the Lord once and again forewarned and charged his own people that when they should come into the good land which he had given them then to beware that they waxed not fat and forgetful and rebellious against him We know that the Moon being at full is furthest from the Sun and commonly fulness and abundance withdraw us from our Sun of righteousness whence wee have all influence of light and grace Vse 3. Let this point work contentment in our hearts and cause us to prize a mean and comfortable estate wishing no mountains but that holy mountain of God where wee shall bee free from all gun-shot and safe from all temptation Here is an holy ambition to affect and aspire to a Kingdome wherein wee shall reign as Kings In the mean time if wee desire superiority or command let us labour to overcome sin the Devil our selves and our Lusts let us depose them from reigning in our mortal bodies And if at any time we begin to admite our selves and others for outward prosperity and greatnesse in the World let us turn our eyes another way and esteem Gods Wisdome and fear above all outward happiness This was the Wisdome of Solomon with which God was so well pleased that having it in his choice to ask Riches or long Life or Victory hee asked Wisdome before them all and God gave him bâ—â—â— that and them Let this ever bee our wisdome to affect goodness not greatness this brings Satan upon us that drives him away from us The second thing in the preparation is the sight represented in which consider these things I what was the sight All the Kingdomes of the World and the glory of them 2 How Satan represented them hee shewed him 3 How long this sight lasted in a moment saith Luke I. The sight was all the Kingdomes of the earth both the Kingdomes themselves and the Majesty Beauty Glory and order of them yea their wealth and whatsoever was in them by which the minde of our Saviour might bee rapt into the admiration of them and after to desire them For the end of his temptation is Idolatry and his means is covetousness Quest But were there not many sorrows vexations and tumults in the World why doth Satan shew none of these Answ 1 His policy and subtilty would not make show of any thing which would hinder his temptation but did all to further it His scope was to bring Christ into love with the World and for this purpose hee must make it as lovely as hee can as a cunning fisher must hide the hook and shew nothing but the bait 2 Hee knew that by this very trick hee overthrew the first Adam to whom hee shewed nothing but the fair side of the Apple and benefit and bettering of their estate how by eating of it they should bee as Gods but hid all the inconvenience that it was a breach of Gods Commandement and that the issue was death And so he goes about to circumvent the second Adam II. The manner of this sight And shewed him Some think in a Map But hee needed not have carried him into a Mountain for that Neither in a vision illuding his minde and phantasy because this hee might have done in the Wildernesse or on the Pinacle if it could agree so well to the perfection of Christs mind But I take it hee offered the images and representations of them all sensibly and actually after a wonderful and strange manner making their Images to appear to his senses And if a man by his Art can represent to the senses in a glass any person or thing so lively by which hee that sees not the thing it self discerneth a notable image of it how much more may wee think that Satan by his Art and Cunning can represent to the sense the Images of things which are not indeed present A lively confirmation whereof appeareth in his lumber I mean Sorcerers and Juglers who by the Devils help most cunningly delude the senses But Christ did indeed see the Images and most glorious representations of the World and the Kingdomes of it the which that hee might think to bee the things themselves and the better to perswade him that hee saw the things indeed hee set him on an exceeding high mountain notwithstanding hee knew that the highest mountain of the World could manifest but a small part of the whole and if it could yet the strongest eye of man could reach but a little way and were not able at least in so small a time to distinguish the particulars thereof III. The time how long this sight lasted In a moment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In accurate consideration a moment is the fortieth part of an hour for a point of time is a quarter of an hour and a moment of time is the tenth part of a point of time But I think wee are not to take the word so strictly which here noteth a very short time much shorter than the fortieth part of an hour and with Chemnitius I think it to bee the same with that in 1 Cor. 15.52 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a moment and explained in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
shadow so as if he had offered and could have performed the things themselves it had been no great matter he never offers and makes good any sound grace or the things of Gods Kingdom which are things only worth harkning after 4 Will he give all the Kingdoms and all the glory of them to Christ alone why what righteousness or justice could be herein Will he rob and spoyl all other Kings and Rulers in the world of their right and soveraignty which God had invested them in and this all at once and in a moment 5 Whereas he pretends a gilt he intends a dear bargain and offering nothing but pure and unmixed glory he would rob Christ our Head and all his members at once of all joy and happiness both external and eternal Of this kind are all his promises he promised to Eve Deity but it proved mortality and misery he promised Cain respect and love if he could make Abel out of the way but it proved the casting of himself out from the face of God and his Fathers family Reasons 1 He that means not in true dealing to perform any thing may promise as much as he will Satan meant not to give Christ one Kingdom and he may as well promise all as one 2 Hâ—s enmity and hatred of God and mans salvation makes him large in his promises he knows how slily temptations on the right hand steal into the heart and that no enemy is so dangerous as he that comes in pretence of kindness When he seeks to draw man to Hell with him he takes on him to teach him how to become a God When Christ was to suffer hee would have him to spare himself to hinder mans salvation he will offer Kingdoms all Kingdoms with all the wealth and pleasure of them Satan herein deals as Jacobs sons with the Sichemites they made very fair promises that if they would be circumcised they would give their Daughters and take their Daughters and dwell together as one people Gen. 34.16 But they talked deceitfully vers 13. intending only revenge upon them as they did when the Males were sore by means of their circumcising Satan can promise a Victory to Ahab but it is to chase him before his enemy to confusion 3 He knows mans credulity and folly who is easily taken with fair words which make fools fain their eyes being wholly upon things before them Besides howsoever our blessed Lord here was fenced that the least inordinate affection could not fasten upon him although he had all the objects in the world to move him yet he commonly findes men and women fitted for his turn doating upon the world and needs no such large offers as here are made to Christ but for less commodity and glory than that in one Kingdom will fall down and worship him 4 Satan is so much the larger in his promises to imitate God whom hee sees encouraging his servants by making covenant with them and promising them all the good things of this life and that to come as to Abraham All that thou seest I will give thee Now to draw men from Gods Covenant if it were possible and to disgrace the same Satan seeks to get men in league with him by larger promises of the world than ever God made to one man because that carrieth their whole desires and as God for the ratifying of his Covenant hath appointed Sacraments and Seals so the Devil hath certain words figures characters ceremonies and charms for the confirmation of his league with them and their faith in that league Vse 1. Hence observe a difference between Gods promises and the Devils 1 They differ in the matter Satan profers earthly shadows earthly Kingdoms things that glance through the sense worldly things which may bee perceived and thrust into the eye and senses all at once the best of which is but a phantasie as Paul calls the great pomp of Agrippa and Bernice Acts 25.23 things of a moment for continuance that last as long as the fulness of the Moon scarce seen but vanishing But the matter of Gods promises is the Kingdom not of Earth but of Heaven and the glory thereof to which all earthly things are but appendices things which cannot be shadowed for the eye cannot see nor the ear hear neither can it enter into the heart of an earthly man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 The great promises of God are matters of faith not of sense and for continuance he promiseth a Kingdom unshaken eternal reserved in the heavens a glory not withering or fading unlike the glory of flesh of all which the Prophet saith it is like the flower of the field Isa 40.6 2 They differ in the scope and aime of them Gods promises all serve to provoke and encourage men to lay hold upon the Covenant of life to draw men nearer God in faith and obedience 2 Cor. 7.1 Seeing wee have these precious promises let us clense our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and grow up unto full holiness in the fear of God But Satans promises tend to fix men in the world as here hee would make Christ the greatest worldling in it to with-draw men from God and their Covenant with him to pull them from the service of the God of Heaven to worship himself or serve their lusts or embrace the world or bow to any thing but the true God 3 They differ in the accomplishment God is ever as good or better than his word Tit. 1.2 God who cannot lye hath promised To David as Nathan witnesseth in his reproof 2 Sam. 12.8 he gave his Lords house his Lords Wives his Lords Kingdom and if that had been little he would have given him more To Salomon he promised long life or wealth or wisdome and in the accomplishment he gives him both life and wealth and wisdom But Satan is never so good as his word but a Lier in all his promises For 1 Hee wants power to perform when he promiseth that which is none of his as the Kingdoms of the world Or 2 He wants purpose and will to perform his promise For had he a purpose and mind to have given Christ the Kingdoms of the world if he had had power Doth not he envie to every man the fruition of any creature of God Can hee willingly afford a good man a good moment And did not he more malign Christs good and comfort than all other because he exceeded all other in grace and Gods Image Or 3 Wherein he hath power and purpose to be an honest Devil of his word it is with a farre more mischievous purpose as here if hee could have given the whole world he would for Christs overthrow for what cares he for the world or what use can he make of it but to make it a bait and train to catch man by it into his own destruction The ground hereof is this As every promise of God is a testimony
of his love so every promise of Satan is a token of his malice An example of the Devils faithfulness we have in our own Chronicles In the reign of Edward the first when the Welch-men rebelled their Captain resorted to a Conjurer for counsel whether he should goe on in the intended warre against the King or no yes said the Devil goe on in thy purpose for thou shalt ride through Cheap-side with a Crown on thy head and so he did indeed but it was cut off and he was carried in triumph as a prey to the King This may justly reprove and shame many professed Christians that will scarce give Gods promises of grace and life the hearing though they are founded in Christ in whom they are all yea and amen flowing from his love and tending to our eternal happiness with himself Many will not bee brought to hear them many hardly when they have nothing else to do and many hear them as things not concerning themselves for then would they take more delight in them But if Satan promise any earthly Kingdome or profit hee hath our ears our hearts at command all our speech runs upon the World our desires and hopes are for earth and earthly things and being thus earthly-minded how expose wee our selves to Satans assaults and offer our selves to bee won by his most treacherous promises Vse 2. This teacheth us what to think of that Doctrin and Religion that teacheth men to be Promise-breakers what may we think of it but to bee a treacherous unfaithful Diabolical Religion But such is the Romish Religion as wee may easily see in two or three instances 1 In that Article of the Council of Constance That Faith is not to bee kept with Hereticks that is Protestants and so brake promise with John Hus who had not the Emperours onely but the Popes safe-conduct Against the Examples of good Joshua who kept Promise though rashly made with the Gibeonites and with the Harlot of Jericho and of David who kept Truth and Promise with Shimei a seditious and cursing wretched Traytor 2 The Church of Rome teacheth by the Doctrin of Equivocation to break the Promise of a lawful Oath before a lawful Magistrate and teacheth the lawfulness thereof But the Scripture condemneth a double heart and the deceitful Tongue and proclaimeth woe against them that trust in lying words In lib de fide cum haretic is servanda Jer. 7.8 and that make falshood their refuge Yea Molanus a great and learned Papist concludes syncerè faedera juramenta sunt intelligenda all leagues and especially Oathes are sincerely to bee understood and condemns plainly such mockeries and dalliance with Promises and compacts by one or two instances as of him that made truce with his enemy for thirty daies and wasted his Enemies Countrey and Camps only in the night and of Aurelianus the Emperour who comming afore a Town Tijana and finding the Gates shut to animate his Souldiers with great anger said I will not leave a Dog in the Town they hoping for the spoil beestirred themselves to Ransack the Town but being won hee would not give them leave to spoil it but bad them leave never a Dog in it and let the goods alone This was but a dalliance condemned by the Papist himself and yet had more colour of truth than Popish Equivocation can have 3 The Romish Church teacheth men to break Promises and Oaths with lawful and Christian Princes exempting subjects from obedience and putting Swords Dags Daggers Powder and all deadly plots into their heads and hands against the Lords anointed A treacherous and Devillish Doctrin Vse 3. Wee see also what house treacherous and deceitful persons descend of such as care not how much they promise and how little they perform men most unlike unto God and resembling their Father the Devil who is most lavish and prodigal in his promises when hee knows hee hath neither power nor purpose to perform men of great tongues which swell as mountains but of little hands not performing mole-hills Of these Solomon speaks Prov. 25.14 Hee that glorieth of a false gift that is speaketh of great things that hee will do for his Neighbour but failes in the accomplishment is like a cloud and wind without rain A Cloud seems to offer and promise Rain but the winde takes it away and frustrates a mans expectations And the same is true of all windy Promises Which wee must carefully avoid and use these rules against slipperiness in promise 1 If a man would bee like God who cannot lye in his promises hee must strive against it But Satan is a Lyar from the beginning and the Father of Lyes and Lyars 2 Faithfulnesse in contracts is the sinew of humane society which Satan would have crackt that hee may bring all to confusion 3 The Heathens that were given up by God to a reprobate sense are branded with this mark they are truce-breakers Rom. 1.31 4 It is a mark of a man in the state of grace who hath obtained remission of sins that in his spirit is no guile Psal 32.2 5 A note of a man that shall dwell in Gods holy and heavenly mount is this hee speaks the truth from his heart Psal 15.2 and Revel 14.5 They onely shall stand on Mount Sion and sing before the Throne who have no guilt in their months Especially wee must bee careful of two promises whereof God and the Congregation have been witnesses as 1 That of Baptism which wee must have a special care to look unto for if wee fail in keeping touch with God no marvail if wee fail with men 2 That of Marriage which the Prophet calls the Covenant of God Mal. 2.14 THE second thing in this profer is the reason annexed Luk. 4.6 For it is delivered unto mee and to whomsoever I will I give it The Devil like a desperate man that is sure in this bout to kill or bee killed laies about him with all the skill and strength hee hath yea hee is put to his shifts so as no base or mischievous devise comes amiss by which hee may either in fair combat or cowardly attempts oppress his adversary and that which hee cannot do by strength and power hee will attempt by falshood and lies which hee heaps up here together most like himselfe the Father of lies that stood not in the truth And here he challengeth the power and glory of the World to bee his 1 In Possession 2 In disposition First Hee affirmeth it to bee his but not directly but indirectly by Gift It is delivered unto mee But this is a most notorious lye for the earth is the Lords and all that therein is the world and all that dwell therein Psal 24.1 and Deut. 10.14 Behold the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy God and the earth with all that therein is And where read wee that ever hee committed these into the hand of the Devil Object 1. Joh. 14.30 Hee is called the Prince of
the World therefore hee speaks true Answ 1 Hee is called the Prince of the World not simply but as it is corrupted the Prince of this World saith the Text which world this which lyeth in malice and hostility against the Son of God and the means of salvation 2 Hee is not so a Prince as having any right unto any creature for hee cannot possess a Pig without leave but by tyranny hee forceeth and commandeth as a Prince the wicked World unto his obedience for the World departing from God to his Adversary God in justice giveth Satan leave to prevail and rule in the Sons of disobedience But will it follow that because hee ruleth in the world by sin and death being the prince of darkness and having the power of death therefore the parts of the world must needs bee his Object 2 He is called the God of the World 2 Cor. 4.4 Ans True not in respect of dominion over things created but 1 In respect of Corruption for hee is the God of the evil in the world the Author Ring-leader and Nourisher of all evil 2 In respect of Seduction for hee is bold to use all earthly things which are made to Gods glory to serve to set forward his temptations and wicked mens lusts and so to set up his own kingdom 3 In respect of opinion or estimation because the people of the world make the Devil their God But this no more proves him to bee indeed the God of the World than an Idol is proved to bee a true God onely because Idolaters so esteem and make it Secondly The Devil affirms it to be in his disposition that hee may give it to whom hee will which must needs bee another lye because it is not his in possession for nothing can give that which it hath not 2 The Scriptures ascribe this to God as a perogative and peculiar to him By him Kings reign Prov. 18.15 All powers that are are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 Hee maketh low and hee maketh high It is the most high that beareth rule over the Kingdomes of men Dan. 4.22 The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away Job 1.21 3 Another notorious lye is that having them to dispose of hee will dispose them to Christ which is impossible seeing Christ had them already disposed unto him and had received them of his Father so as he only could say Matth. 11.23 All things are given to mee of the Father and Joh. 3.35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hands Therefore the Devil offering him the Kingdomes of the World must needs lye Psalm 2.8 Ask of mee and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession If then Satan say All this power will I give thee it is a lye for all power was given him in Heaven and in earth of his Father Matth. 28.18 So as in this profer hee belies the Fathers gift and the Sons right and derogates from the glory both of the Father and of the Son 4 Another lye is his false boasting making himself Lord and Casar of all when hee hath not one foot of all hee speaks of like Solomons Bragadocio There is one that maketh himself rich when he hath nothing and when hee pretends his unjust usurpation in the World to bee a just possession and title to the World And thus wee have examined the substance and truth of this Reason and have found neither substance truth nor reason in it Here note that Doct. Bad causes must ever bee thrust forward by bad means Satan had a naughty matter in hand as no better can beseem him namely the overthrow of the Son of God and all the salvation of mankinde and the means by which hee would effect his purpose is suitable lying and falshood and boasting and hee is no changeling never a true word comes out of his mouth 1 King 21. Jezabel had a wicked end to bring to passe namely the dis-inheriting of Naboth and setting Ahab into his possession and what means doth shee use but bribery perjury and murther of Naboth and his Children and all this under a colour of Religion and revenge of Gods cause a fast being proclaimed before it Matth. 26. the Jews had as wicked a cause as ever was undertaken viz. the oppressing and murther of the Son of God and what means must they use for what had the just man done They must accuse falsly and suborn false witnesses and deprave his words and make him speak what they list And what other means used they to falsify and suppress the truth and glory of his resurrection In this place Satan aims to bring Christ to Idolatry and the means is covetousness Peter had an ill cause in hand to hinder Christ from being apprehended and his means was bad unwarrantable striking Reasons And this must needs bee 1 In respect of God when a bad action is undertaken hee leaves it and as hee permits the action onely so hee permitteth bad means but never appoints or approves any means to bad and VVicked purposes which therefore must bee Wicked and Unhappy 2 In respect of Satan who seeks to make every action as sinful as possibly may bee hee knows that all instruments of falshood are hateful to God and therefore the more wicked means are used the more detestable and damnable the action is 3 In respect of men themselves for those that make no conscience of bad ends maâ—e none of the mâ—ans as we may see in David himself whose conscience being so sleepy as to take another mans wife he will make no bones to hide it by murther of his faithful Captain 4 In respect of the means themselves which are near enough at hand bad means are easily sound and attempted What might be more difficult than to pick matter against the Son of God to bring him not only under disgrace but unto death Yet the Jewes could easily find a Law by which Law he was to dye or if they had had none they could easily make one If they wanted true witness they could suborn false If they wanted witness from others they could make use of his own We our selves have heard him what need wee any other witness Vse 1. This teacheth us to suspect those causes and actions that are brought about by bad means as 1 When men run out of Gods Ordinances and will not live by some honest calling and means of life but by Cards Dice Bowls Bets Cousnage and such instruments and means of injury and wrong they are convinced to live a lewd and wicked life for a good and honest life is blessed by God and carried by good and lawful and honest means such as these be not 2 All such goods as are gotten by lying swearing deceiving Sabbath-breaking over-reaching or helping forward sin in any man are here not only to be suspected but condemned and sentence passeth against them as such which the Devil hath
condition of Satans profer teacheth us further that Doct. 2. All his drift in his temptations is to draw men from Gods service to his own An example whereof wee have in Saul whom hee drew from his hope and trust in God to seek and sue to himself for help Hee entered also into Judas to draw him from his Masters side and service to his own to make him a Leader and Captain against Christ Luke 22.3 Neither faileth hee of his purpose and scope but effectually prevaileth in the World and in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2.2 For if we look to that part of the World which is indeed the World not visited by the light of Grace and the Gospel they in general are vassals to Satan and profess homage and service to him in Ceremonies and Rites as Gods people to God himself 1 Cor. 10.20 Those things which the Gentiles sacrifize they sacrifize unto Devils and not unto God Which is spoken not in respect of the intention of the Worshippers but of the mystery in that Idol Worshipped which indeed tended to the Worship of the Devil the deviser and setter forward of the same And at this day in those new-found Countries experience shews how those Heathenish and barbarous people not having the true knowledge of the true God do therefore esteem the Devil as God and the Devil appearing to them in visible shapes they fall down and worship him and offer many services and sacrifices unto him upon this ground because God is merciful and amiable and will not hurt them Non est nocent natura Deus Cic. and therefore they need not bee so obsequious to him but the Devil is terrible and fearfull and churlish and therefore must bee pleased and worshipped No noceat Nay Gods own people and children are often drawn from the worship of their God to the worship of the Devil in the most base and submiss kind of worship The Jewes themselves offered unto Devils and not unto God Deut. 32.17 and what did they offer but their dearest things as Psa 106.37 They offered their sons and daughters unto Devils A marvellous high wickedness wherein the Israelites themselves imitated the barbarous Heathens among whom Satan had brought in this unnatural cruelty to kill their little children and offer them to Molech in the valley of Hinnom vers 38. Thus they shed innocent bloud by a Diabolical fury and polluted their Land at the Devils instigation Thus it was in the time of Ahaz and of Manasseh against which the Lord shewed great indignation and vehemence Jer. 7. and 19. and Ezek. 16. And the rather because it was against a special Law enacted for this purpose which we would think Gods own people should not need Levit. 17.7 They shall no more offer to Devils after whom they have gone a whoring and the sanction follows This shall be an ordinance for ever Yet Gods people forgat Gods institution and natures instinct and so put off all religion and natural affection Reasons And this comes to pass 1 Because of Satans pride and ambition who will not content himself with any thing but that honour that is due to God He being the Prince of the world and the god thereof Joh. 14.31 2 Cor. 4.4 will be worshipped by the world as a God and takes upon him as if he were so indeed whereas he is so only by his own usurpation and affectation and the wickeds delusion and acceptation 2 Because of his malice to God to whom he is most contrary God hath by the Law of Creation of Nature the Moral Law yea by the law of faith and all other bonds tied man to his own service now Satan seeks contrarily to deprive God of his due homage and drawes men from the knowledge and practice of Gods Will that hee may rule them after his own will 2 Tim. 2.26 3 Because of his hatred to Mankind to draw men into the greatest offence and displeasure of God It is an evil thing and bitter to depart from God and his service but to give this to Gods deadly enemy is a sin most hateful and dangerous 4 It is all the business that Satan hath in the world for which he leaves no stone unturned no means unattempted to set up his own kingdom above and against Gods Kingdom a compendious way whereof is to hinder corrupt or destroy the true worship of God 1 Thess 2.18 Satan hindred mee namely the true worship which Paul sought to establish Hee corrupted the worship of God among the Sons of God by the Daughters of men Gen. 6. And hee sought to destroy all Gods worship in the posterity by destroying Abel Quest But is it possible that Satan can so prevail to draw men to worship himself in stead of God And what means useth he to effect it Ans Yea it is plain and usual as we shall easily see if we consider 1 The ways that a man worshippeth the Devil 2 The means how he bringeth men thereunto I The ways are laid down in these four conclusions Conclus 1. Whosoever worshippeth for God that which is not God he worshipeth the Devil for God Deut. 32.17 They offered unto Devils that is to gods whom they knew not In all Divine worship whatsoever is not performed to God is performed to the Devil there being no mean between them in worship But how hath the Devil drawn Pagans and Heathens to set up and worship false gods Devils indeed Mars Jupiter c yea and Gods own people to worship Dagâ—n and Baal and Molech At this day all the Eastern people of Turks and Saracens worship Mahomet a god of their own making And the Papists all give Divine worship to Stocks and Stones the work of mens hands to Raggs and Reliques to their Breaden and baked god in the Sacrament as base an Idolatry as can be found among the Heathens in all which they have fallen down to the Devil and worshipped him Conclus 2. Whosoever worshippeth God in any other means than himself hath appointed he worshippeth the Devil and not God If the manner of Gods worship prescribed by himself in the Scripture be refused that cannot bee Gods worship because the manner is devised by the Devil Thus doe they who profess the true God distinct in three Persons but worship him according to their own devises and humane traditions as the Papists that worship God in Images Pilgrimages and a thousand devises meer strangers to the Spirit of God in Scripture thrust in by Satan for his own service Conclus 3. Numbers will not be perswaded they worship the Devil when indeed they doe For as then we worship God actually when we serve and obey him so then men worship the Devil when they doe the works of the Devil Joh. 8. He that is a slave a vassal to the Devil is an apparent worshipper of him Yea so near a service is between them that the Devil is said to beget many sons in the world Joh. 8.41 now every
the Church as it was in the Ark so was it like the Ark of Noah against which the waters had a time to increase and a time also of decreasing What a night of trouble was the Church in all the while it was in Aegypt a stranger for four hundred years especially when they were oppressed with burdens and had their infants drowned in the river but a change came God sent and saved a Moses by whom hee will deliver his people but so as they must be acquainted with this continual enterchange in their estate they must be no sooner delivered out of Aegyps but be chased into the bottom of the Sea but there God makes them a way and no sooner out of the Sea but into the Wilderness and from thence the good Land takes them and in that good Land they never rested in one estate but sometimes had the better of their enemies and sometime for sin their enemies had the better of them as all the History of the Judges witnesseth In the time of the Kings how was the Church troubled and wasted in the time of Ahab and Jezabel when all Gods Prophets were slain and true religion was quite troden down But what a sudden change was there even when things were at the worst did the Lord bring a strange alteration by Elijah who slew all the Prophets of Baal and restored true religion How great misery suffered the Church in the time of Manasseh and Ammon but how happily was it changed by the piety of good Josiah in whom God made his people more happy than formerly miserable But who would have thought but that the Church had been utterly wasted in the seventy years captivity wherein it sate in the shadow of death Yet it was happily restored by Cyrus But when his godly Decrees concerning the building of the Temple were hindered by Cambyses his Son God stirred up Darius who favoured the Church and commanded the continuance and perfection of the work but not without many vicissitudes of stormes and calmes even after their return as appeareth in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah What a raging storm was that wherein our Lord and Head of the Church was put to death now the whole Church lay bleeding and dead with him But what a change was there the third day by his glorious resurrection In the Apostles daies how was the Church wasted when Saul had letters from the High Priests to carry bound to Jerusalem whosoever called on the Lord but when hee that breathed out nothing but slaughter and threatning was once converted then the Church had for a whilâ— rest and peace Act. 9.31 After the Apostles what a continual storm arosâ— against Christians which lasted three hundred years under the ten monsters of men those bloody men Nero Domitian Trajan Antoninus Severus Maxâ—minus Decius Valerianus Aurelianus and Dioclesianus whose rage was such as a man could not set his foot in Rome but tread upon the graves of Martyrs But after this night a fair Sun rose up in the East Constantine the Great who chased before him that horrible darknesse and brought a blessed calm But this lasted not long but his second Son Constantius far short of his Fathers piety with all his strength set up and maintained that Arrian heresy which his good Father had condemned in the Nicen Council by which as bloody persecution sprung up in the Church as ever was before which lasted almost eighty years until Constance the youngest Son of Constantine for up again the Nicen faith in the Western part of the World as Italy Greece Africk Illiricum and banished the former poyson After this what a black darknesse of Mahometisme possessed the Eastern part of the World under which it lies sunk at this day And as pitchy and palpable darkness of Antichrist and Popery occupied the Western part of the World But what a light did the Lord raise up in the midst of Popery his zealous servant Luther since whom the light hath mightily prevailed to the blasting of Anti-Christ and the consuming of him upon his nest Yet not this without a cloud for To speak of our own Church After the long darknesse like that of Egypt had prevailed and covered for many hundred years the face of our Countrey it pleased God that the light of the Gospel should peep into our Land in the daies of King Henry the eighth but yet much clouded and opposed almost all his daies In his Son Edward the sixt Englands Josiah it began to shine more brightly and a more thorough reformation was undertaken But this Sun-shine lasted not long but in Queen Maries daies the truth was again cast into the fire and the bodies of Gods Saints pitilesly destroyed God in mercy for his Elecâ—s sake shortened those daies and raised up our late Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory in all posterities who was semper cadem in the maintenance of the faith and left Christ sitting in his Kingdome and the truth triumphing over Popery and Anti-Christian falshood which by Gods mercy wee enjoy under our gracious King This hath been the changeable estate of the Church from the beginning and cadem est ratio totius ac partium the same truth discovers it self in the particular members As for example Abraham now a poor man in Egypt presently enriched and made heir of the Land of Promise now rejoycing in his Isaac and a while after stretching out his hand to kill his only Son who also herein was a notable type of the Church now bound and presently loosed and raised up after a sort from the dead Jacob was now afraid of Esau when he came in warlike manner to meet him with four hundred men at his heels but in a little season God lets him see a suddain change who had inclined his Brothers heart to do him no harm against his often former purposes to slay him Joseph is now hated of his brethren after a season honoured of them now sold as a slave to the Ismaelites afterward made a governour of Potiphar a Princes house now accused by his Mistresse and cast into Prison but after fetched out by Pharaoh and made ruler of all his Princes and the whole land of Egypt David sometimes cast down and God hath forgotten him a while after so confident in God that hee will not fear to walk in the vale of the shadow of death sometimes pursued by Saul as a traytor and rebel sometimes by Saul acknowledged his good Son and more righteous than himself and when Saul is dead and ceaseth his persecution his own son Absolons shall rise against him to depose him from his Kingdome And Jobs messengers of evil tydings still overtook one another And to spare further examples our own experience can teach us that for the most part wee have not rid our selves out of one temptation but another insueth such are our changes in this present estate And why 1 Satan goeth for a while from Christ himself Reasons his holy flesh in
the dead 1 Pet. 1.3 and for this cause our Saviour was careful after his departure hence to send out his Spirit in more plentiful and abundant manner than before that hee might continually inspire his people with ardent desires after the beginnings of that life eternal unto which Christ himself is risen who then manifest themselves members of such an advanced head when this new life manifesteth it self in them Thirdly our perfect salvation is also hence fully assured us for if our Lord Jesus hath soyled all the powers of Hell Death and Darkness in himself when hee was yet dead how much more doth hee it for us his members being now alive if hee could drive back and disperse all spiritual enmitles even when hee was in Hell it self after a sort how much more now being ascended far above all moveable and aspectible Heavens Eph. 4.10 for wee must not behold the victory and triumph of Christ What or who shâ—ll separate us from the love of God seeing it is Christ that is dead or rather risen from the dead as performed onely in and for himself but as the ground and pledge of the victory and conquest of all the Beleevers in the World Look upon this Son of David prostrating the great Goliah of Hell for all the Israel of God casting out the strong man not only out of his but of our possessions that he might take us up for his own use spoyling him of his kingdome and weapons for us yea and in us And hence as out of a well of consolation wee shall draw this comfort to our selves that look as the gates of Hell could not prevail against him our head no more shall they ever be able to prevail against us his members although they never so fiercely and forcibly assayl us And it spiritual enmities shall not be able to cut us short of our Salvation much less shall temporal dangers for by vertue of this resurrection also even in the most troublesome deeps when the waves of sorrows overtake one another and go over our souls when with Jonas we are ready to say We are cast from the face of the Lord Jonah 2.4 even then we have hope to rise out of such evils and because out head is above in short time comfortably to swim out Adde hereunto that death itself nor the grave shall stand between us and home for this rising of Christ is both the cause and confirmation that we shall rise again If the head bee risen so shall also the members if Christ the first fruits of them that sleep be raised so shall also the whole bulk and body of beleevers if we beleeve that Christ is risen from the dead even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess 4.14 and if the same spirit which raised Jesus from the dead dwell in us then he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies Rom. 8.11 for Christ hath not redeemed the soul alone from death but the body also else had this second Adam been interiour to the first if not able to save by his rising all that which was lost by the fall of the former Oh how would this meditation well digested sweeten the remembrance of death and the grave when a Christian shall consider that look how it was with Christ when his soul and body were separated yet both of them were united to the Deity which brought them together again even so I am taught by the Scriptures that when my soul and body shall bee separated yet shall neither of them be sundred from Christ my head but he will reunite them like loving friends that they may participate in his own glory How would this meditation bring the soul not only to be content but to desire to bee dissolved and bee with Christ accounting that the best of all Phil. 1.23 III. The third benefit befalling us by the resurrection of Christ iâ— that because Christ is risen we know it shall not only goe well with us but with all the Church of God the prosperity of which so many as would prosper must rejoyce in for hence it is that Christ calleth a Church out of the world which after a sort riseth even out ot his own grave hence is it that being ascended on high he gave gifts to men for the gathering and preserving of his Church hence is it that the Church shall alwaies have the light of the Gospel Pastors Teachers and the Ministry till we all meet to a perfect man hence is it that this Church shall bee defended from Wolves and Tyrants seeing â—one is stronger than he nor able to pluck any ot his sheep out of his hands Let the Church be pressed it shall never be suppressed Let the Kings of the earth band themselves and forces against it the Lord hath set his Son upon his holy Mountain and he shall crush them like a Potters vessel Let Hereticks and Antichâ—ist send armies of Locusts Jesuites and seducing vagrants to waste the Church and bereave it of the truth and light leading to life they shall only seduce such as whose names are not written in the Book of life and of the Lamb for seeing Christ is risen so long as hee who can dye no more liveth he will preserve his darling he will send out the Stars that are in his right hand for her relief who like Davids Worhies shall break through the Hosts of the enemie and bring the pure waters of the Well of Life as we are for ever thankfully to acknowledge in those worthy restorers of our religion Lastly let flouds of persecution rise and swell so as this Dove of Christ cannot find rest fo the sole of her foot one means or other Christ will use for her help for he will either send her into the Wildernesse or the earth shall help the Woman and drink in the waters that they shall not hunt her or he will provide for her one of the chambers of his providence as he did for Joash against the rage of Athaliah wherein she shall be safe till the Storm bee blown over These are the principal benefits procured us by Christs resurrection which belong not unto all but only to such as are risen with him Quest How shall we know that we are risen with Christ How to know that we are risen with Christ that they mat assuredly belong unto us Ans The Apostle setteth himself to resolve this question Col. 3.1 where he maketh the seeking of things above where Christ is and infallible mark of our rising with him for as when Christ was risen he minded not things below any more but all his course was a preparation to his ascension to which all things tended so now if thou be risen with him Heaven will be in thine eye and thine affections are ascended thither where Christ is if Christ were on earth thou mightest fix thy soul and senses here on earth and yet be a Christian
bread by using some unlawful means Abraham to save his life may lye and entreat Sarah so to do David thou art in danger flye to Achish play the fool and dissemble thou seest no way else left devise a way of safety beyond Gods Peter thou art now in the midst of thy Masters enemies if thou turnest not stones into bread and help thy self by lying swearing cursing and denying thy Master look for no other than to dye with him Thou that art a poor man seest hard times as if thou wert in a Wilderness and here is nothing but stones no way but to turn them into bread thou canst not live if thou doest not lye or steal or swear or be unjust poverty and danger shall come armed upon thee 2 If wee cannot thus help our selves but the evil continues then Satan soliciteth us to repine and murmur within our selves Psalm 116.11 I said in my distresse that all men are lyars and 31.22 I said in my hast I am cast off and this to bring us to disclaime confidence and waiting upon God any longer as Jehoram said 2 King 6.33 This evil is from the Lord and shall I attend any longer upon him Thus hee daily shews us our crosses as so many stones to move us to impatiency and gain from us our affiance in God that hereby he may both pull and draw us from our strength and help and glory from God Both these are apparent in this dart against Christ II. In the purchasing of some apparent good Numbers have learned this trade of the devil to make stones bread hee knows the haste of our unbeleeving hearts as well as in the former and how easily wee are brought to turn stones into bread In the matter of the world what a number of men are there of this trade which we may fitly call the Devils Alchymistry Some by extortion usury and oppression make stones bread as many Land-Lords just of the Devils last that by racking their rents would have their Tenants get bread out of stones nay not so merciful as hee for no doubt if Christ had made bread of stones he would have let him eat it but so will not these but eat up bread and sweat and all This is called bread of violence and oppression Prov. 4.17 and because being made of stones it is hard of digestion it needeth a cup of Wine which is at hand too for they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence Others by deceit and subtlety turn stones into bread and glory when they can go beyond their brethren by trickes of wit or cunning and this seems to go a step beyond the Devil who would have Christ turn stones into bread that is something into something but these would turn nothing into bread but only live by their wits Solomon calls all bread thus cunningly changed stoln bread and bread of deceit which seems sweet in the mouth but that yee may know whence it comes hee tells you that for all that it returns to his former poverty Prov. 20.17 The bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterward his mouth is filled with gravel Both these the Apostle condemneth 1 Thess 4.6 Let no man defraud or oppresse his brother in any matter for the Lord is the avenger of all such In procuring health in sicknesse or helping our selves to recover our losses hee easily perswades us to Witches Sorcerers and to try many unwarrantable conclusions and enforceth them strongly perswading us else that we shall miscarry and perish by our own negligence Satan never commeth without one stone of other Vse 1. This shews us that Satan never comes without stones that is objects of his temptations at least hee hath one stone which if hee offer hee seemeth reasonable Hee hath not onely a Bathsheba for David but every man hath his several Bathsheba some dear lust or other which Satan will still bee feeding his eyes and senses upon Nay as Mar. 5.5 in the parties possessed hee armed them with stones against themselves and made them beat themselves with stones so out of our own scrip hee fetcheth stones against us hee knoweth the inclination of our wills the stream of our affections the constitution of our humours the predominant desires of our hearts and accordingly assaulteth us Nay not onely in evil things but in the best of all hee wants not one stone or other against us Even the tree of life it self a Sacrament of Gods Covenant of life will serve his turn and hee wisheth not Eve to eat all the apples on it but seems very reasonable whiles hee offers but one In comming to the Word and Sacraments and Prayer hee is content if a man bring but one stone in his heart one sin either hardness of heart that the seed may fall in stony ground or unbeleef for how know you that this is the word of God or covetousness which is as thornes to choak all or malice and envy for then God will put none of his pretious liquor into such a fusty vessel or wandring thoughts or dislike of the Preacher or any other lust though but one hee cares for no more Wee should therefore never go without our fence in our own houses or in Gods houses that wee may escape the danger of this battry Yea let us watch Satan in base and despised things as an apple or a stone in idle words or unfruitful speeches in the matter of a pin or any small trifling matter for even in these things he can get much advantage and sow discord between the nearest of all even the husband and wife Satan lesseneth men rather than to want bread to get it out of stones Vse 2. This teacheth us That the scope of all Satans proffers is to make men earthly-minded hee cares not how much men be addicted to seek bread yea he would have them so eager of bread as rather than want it to get it out of stones for 1 Hee would fill the heart with these base desires that there might bee no room for better 2 Hee knows that if hee can make a man a servant to the world hee cannot serve God hee cannot serve two Masters commanding such contrary things 3 Hee knows this runs with nature and in the channel of our corruption since the fall to which wee are easily perswaded and very hardly if ever recovered back again God in his word deals clean contrary and every where reigneth us in where Satan spurs us forward that calls us out of the World forbids us to seek that is immoderately the bread that perisheth calleth us to heavenly mindednesse to converse and traffick in heaven and send our affections above to seek after Christ the bread of life to give all diligence to make our election sure to seek the Kingdome of God From whence when wee find our selves strongly set upon this World with neglect of better things to scrape and gather bread and things for the body wee