21 2. for that it lay neere his house was the cause of all the mischiefe that followed This same foolish vanity of apparell whereof I haue giuen so often warning out of this place comes from hence I saw a fine Babilonish garment and desiring it I tooke it saith Achan Iosua 7 11. So the seeing of the bribe blindeth the eyes of the Iudge Deut. 16 19. So still the sight of the eye allureth the heart to desire The Heathen man therefore wished that vertue and honesty might as well be seene with bodily eyes for then he thinketh that Admirabiles amores excitarent suo So if we could as well see that which God hath for vs as that the deuill here offereth vs we would not regard the deuils largesse Moses and the other Patriarchs saw him which is inuisible which had prouided a better thing for them therfore he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Heb. 11 27. and to enioy the pleasure of sinne But you are not so to take it as though it were a thing simply ill to behold such things or to looke on a cup-boord of plate or to stand on a Pinacle it is dangerous but no sinne especially it is vnfit for an vnstayed and an vngouerned eye Therefore Lot and his wife were forbidden to looke backe at the destruction of Sodome Gen. 19 17. To Abraham it was lâ—ft at large without any restraint for that he was a man of better ruled affections For as there must be one without to take view and to entice so must therebe one within to hearken to it and to condiscend Be sure of that within that it be vpright and then thou maist the better looke with that which is without But euer be warie for the tinder of thy nature will soone take fire Iob said Chap. 31 1. He made a couenant with his eyes why then should he thinke on a maid and that he had not beene deceiued by a woman vers 9. and that his heart had not walked after his eye vers 7. Paul knew how to vse want and how to vse abundance or plentie how pouertie both to be full and to be hungry he had stayed affections Phil. 4 12. IIII. Omnia Regna This was no small offer but euen all the wealth and honour that may be two such things as are most vehemently desired of all men So that as Terome saith Prae auri sacra fama nihil sacrum The desire thereof also is so vnsatiable that it is like the dropsie which the more liquor is ministred to it the more it thirsteth it is perpetuall and vnnaturall The lessetime a man hath to liue and so needs thelesse the more he couets to abound These two do neuer waxe old of all vices gray haires do neuer grow on these This is the baite the deuill laid for Christ and layes for youth and mindes lasciuiously giuen he laies a baite on liue flesh to cholericke natures hee ministreth matters that may encrease their wrath for melancholie he laies baites of enuy and so for euery one according to their naturall inclinations and humours such baites as may entice them soonest Which if he can get them once to swallow his hooke that is within it will hold them sure enough and by his line hee will draw them to him when he list so that hee cares not to let them play with the line then though hee go to twentie Sermons it is no matter with an Apple he caught Adam and Eue and all their posterity Well wee must be as children weaned from this world though it bring weeping with it Psal. 131 2. Gen. 27 38. When Eue was Lady and Mistresse of all the world yet because there was a Godship a higher degree than hers she was not content Princes because they can go no higher by any earthly dignity aspire to be Gods and so would bee accounted as was said to Herod that it was the voyce of God and not of man But as they that are aboue can abide to haue no equals but will be alone by themselues so they that be below can abide no superiour As when Saul was chosen by lot from amongst the Israelites to be King ouer them some wicked men said There is a goodly wise King nay I would I were King I would they might come to me for Iustice 1 Sam. 10 27. 2 Sam. 15 4. Euery one hath this conceit of himselfe that hee is worthier to beare rule than they which are in authority not so much as the silly Fur-bush but it thought it selfe a fit person to make a King Iudg. 9 15. and the Thistle would haue the Cedars daughter married to his sonne 1 King 14 9. The Spider a silly poysonfull thing will yet be in the top of the Kings Pallaces Prou. 30 28. The Gourd starts vp in one night and was gone in the next Ion. 4 6. Goodly Zebedeus wife could finde no lesse thing to aske of Christ for her two sonnes that came the last day from the cart but that the one might sit at Christs right hand and the other at the left in his kingdome Math. 20 20. Balaam could neuer thinke his Asse went halfe fast enough when he rode towards preferment Num. 22 17. The Disciples also longed for the kingdome of Israel to be restored The diuell did not shew all his kingdome to Saul when hee was comming from keeping his fathers sheepe 1 Sam. 9 24. and Samuel feasted him nor after Saul was chosen King 11 5. and he followed his cattell Neither did he shew them to the King bidden to Absolons sheep-shearing 2 Sam. 13 24. nor at such times as Princes withdraw themselues to be priuate Dan. 6 18. But he shewes them at such times as they are in their greatest glory and ruffe when kingdomes were growne to the top of iollitie and Maiesty as the kingdome of Israel was in Salomons time and chooseth such a time as when they were in most triumph and pompe as they were wont to be at the day of the Kings birth or inauguration Hosea 7 5. Cant. 3 11. or at a Coronation or at the receiuing of Ambassadours or at the entertaining of forreine States as when the Quâ—â—â—e of Saba was in Salomons Court 1 King 10. To conclude he sheweth them not when they are in base estate but when they are in greatest pompe Acts 25 23. NOw come we to the second point to wit the Temptation it selfe En haec omnia tibi dabo verse 9. Hauing prepared Christs minde as hee thought by shewing him that he would giue him now hee comes in with a short and pithie Oration All this will I giue thee Here thou seest all thou canst wish for without thee sha'l no man lift vp his hand or his foot in all Egipt as Pharaoh said to Ioseph Gen. 41 44. so as he might make all Captaines and giue to euery one fields and vineyards 1 Sam. 22 7. that he might say to euery one what he list Speakest thou
to me seest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee or to let thee go Iohn 19 10. that his fauour might raise a man so high as Haman was exalted aboue all the Princes Hest. 3 1. and his disfauour or the least word of his mouth quite ouerthrow him as Haman was verse 7 8. by picking some small quarrell against him But this is not all neither for the same garish apparell wherein many do delight is contayned vnder this Haec omnia Not onely embroydered with gold but euen gold it selfe and smels of the finest scent Psal. 45. 8. and 9. And as for the delights of the flesh if he can see any that delight him better than other it is no more than with Dauid 2. Sam. 11 4. to send for her and haue her she was straight at his command Neither must any say it was vnlawfull no not Iohn Baptist if he loue his head Mark 6 17. He may command what he list if any gainesay it he may dispatch him out of the way for hee may kill and wound whom he list Dan. 5 19. Hee may command all mens tongues 2 Sam. 14 10. that they dare not once open their mouth to speake against him Nay he shall haue all mens tongues and pens ready to extoll all that he doth and say The King is like an Angell of God 2 Sam. 19. or that it is the voyce of God and not of man Act. 12 22. Why then to haue all mens hands feet bodies faces tongues and pens this may bee well said All to haue not onely one kingdome but all to haue all the power and glory of those kingdomes here is euen all the kingdome the power and the glory He comes not after a pelting manner he shewes himselfe a franke chapman he saith not that Godlinesse is great gaine and a minde content with his lot 1 Tim. 6 6. and wils him to be content with food and raiment ver 8. He comes not with Illae which we shall not once behold till another world come and whether there be any such or no many doubt He shewes him a mount that may bee touched Heb. 12 18. he comes with haec that is with ready money in his hand he not onely offers but stakes downe And whereas God faith that in the Sweat of our fore-head we shall eate our bread Gen. 3. 19. the Diuell requires no such thing This is a donatiue Haec omnia dabo What say ye now Shal Christ take it or no The Heathen man saith If a man be to violate his faith for any thing it is for a kingdome Christ hath here offered him all kingdomes a very enticing bayt but is there neuer a hooke hidden vnder it The woman was fine and braue and had a cup of gold in her hand but it was full of abhomination Apoc 17 14. So here for all these faire shewes if you will gaine any thing by the deuill you must worship him that is the condition annexed to the grant it is no absolute gift the deuill is not so kinde as to part from all that for nothing It is such a gift as the Lawyers call Excambium that is Exchange I will giue you this if you will giue me that But yet one would thinke it a very large offer to giue so great a lieu for so small a seruice it is but a little externall reuerence the bowing of the knee you may notwithstanding in heart thinke what ye list Well we may thinke there was some what in it that the deuill offered so much for so little and yet Christ refused it Indeed Christ had great reason to refuse it for hee should haue beene a looser by the bargaine I will stand to it he had beene better to haue yeelded to either of the two former temptations than to this hee should full deerely haue bought all his kingdomes hee had beene better to haue cast himselfe downe from the Pinacle For that which the deuill here demaundeth in lieu is as much worth as both the glory of God and the redemption of man Of his glory God saith That he will not giue it to another Esay 42 8. If to no other then not to the deuill of all other And therefore the Angel would not haue a burnt offering offered to him but to God Iudg. 13 16. The Angell would not let Iohn fall downe and worship him but bad him worship God Reuel 19 10. For hee knew that God was very iealous of his honour stood precisely vpon that point If he would not impart this honour with the Angels much lesse would hee with the deuill for there are degrees in idolatry Rom. 1 23. It is not so ill to turne the glory of God into the image of a man as into birds and beasts Secondly if we looke into the desire that he had to satisfie his ancient enuy by the destruction of mankinde wee must needs commend the deuils wit in making such a bargaine It had been the best penyworth that euer was bought For if we marke how Christ rateth one onely soule we may see how he that to gaine all the kingdomes of the world shall loose his owne soule Math. 16 26. makes but a foolish bargaine Then what rate shall be made of all mens soules if one bee worth kingdomes all which had beene lost if Christ had consented to that which the deuill here requireth for then hee could not haue said I restored that which I tooke not Psal. 69 4. By his death he paied the price for the sinnes of the whole World he should then haue had a score of his owne to haue payd and his death could haue beene sufficient but for himselfe onely If he had fallen downe and worshipped him he could no haue sayd That the Prince of this world had nothing to say against him Iohn 14 3. Now let vs apply this to our selues BVt wee will peraduenture say the deuill neuer made vs any such offer and therefore what needs any dmonishment in this behalfe But I answer though the deuill come not in person to vs as he did to Christ yet hee comes by his instruments When Balaac sent to Balaam to come and curse the Israelites and promised him great rewards Numb 22 17. it was not Balaacks messengers that spake but the deuill vsed them as instruments to speake So when Simon Magus would haue bought the holy Ghost with money the Diuell there in tempted the Apostles with Symonie Simon was but the trunke through which the deuill spake Acts 8. Againe there be some that will say they were neuer tempted with Kingdomes it may well be for it needs not when lesse will serue It was Christ onely that was thus tempted in him lay a heroicall mind that could not bee allured with small matters But with vs it is nothing so we esteeme farre more basely of our selues wee set our wares at a very easie price he may buy vs euen dagger cheape as we say he neede neuer carry
vs so high as the Mount the Pinacle is high enough yea the lowest steeple in all the Towne would serue the turne Or let him but carry vs to the Leads or gutters of our owne houses nay vs but stand in our window or in our doores if he will giue vs but so much as we can there see hee will tempt vs throughly we will accept it and thanke him too He shall not neede to come to vs with kingdomes one kingdome is too much what say ye to halfe a one Marke 6 23. No will the diuell say I will giue ye halfe of one If hee would come to vs but with thirtie pence Math 26 15. I am afraid many of vs would play Iudas Nay lesse than so would buy a great sort euen handfuls of barley and peeccs of bread Ezec. 13 19. and Prou. 28 21. Yea some will not sticke to buy and sell the poore for a payre of shooes as Amos speaketh Chap. 8 6. When he commeth then to tempt vs he may abate a great deale of this that he offers Christ hee may strike out Omnia and Haec too in stead thereof put in Hoc and say Holde ye shall haue this to worship me I will giue ye no more I feare me wee will make short worke and take it Hoc aliquid a matter of halfe a crowne or ten groates a paire of shooes or some such trifle will bring vs on our knees to the deuill Is there a pretie commodity to be hâ—d It makes no matter for breaking faith and promise This is that that makes the deuill so good a husband and thriftie and to go neere hand what neede he giue more when so little will serue Whereas if we will stand hucking with him wee might get a great deale more In this temptation as in the former there is both fire to consume our faith and a dart to wound our consciences The fire is the motion of discontent that God is either a poore God not able sufficiently to reward those that serue him or else an vnkinde God that will not reward the duties that are performed by those that serue him By this we come to say Who is the Almighty that we should serue him Iob 21 15. The wicked are they that prosper and encrease in riches I haue cleansed my heart in vaine for daily haue I been punished Psal. 73 12. Then this dart makes vs weary of well doing and then followes that we will serue the deuill Being discontent with Gods seruice we vndertake the seruice of his enemie he requireth nothing but a little falling downe and then if Simon shall come and require any vnlawfull thing at our hands we are ready with Iudas to meete with him and say What will ye give me and I will do it Math. 26 15. though it be to the betraying of Christ. The Deuill here opens his meaning in this Temptation plainly that he would haue him fall downe and worship him with a bare and bold face before hee came disguised and spake in Parables His meaning is not when he saith Dabo to giue them but to barter or exchange one thing for another It is no gift but a flat bargaine men vse not to account it a gift except it be without rendring backe either money or seruice I he render here seruice backe he may well thinke I haue sold my soule for Hoc aliquid Math. 16 76. He may thinke as Esau sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage Heb. 12 16. so hath hee sold his soule his birth-right and freedome for we were all bought with a price 1 Cor. 7 23. the same great high Priest redeemed vs all with his blood No sinnes are so carefully to bee taken heede of as these that haue annexed to adoration donation hee hath Malum with a ioynter If he should haue cast himselfe downe from the Pinacle here is all he should haue had they would haue talkt of it haue wondred a while at it Well we must be thus perswaded that God is as well able and willing to reward vs for any seruice as the Deuill and better too It is hee indeede that reigneth ouer the kingdomes of men Dan. 5 21. and placeth in them wâ—om pleaseth him but when hee giueth or disposeth he giueth indeed freely exacting nothing backe againe vnlesse it be such things as hee were to haue without any such gift such things as are due of meere right with out any stipulation or hyre Iam. 1 5. The Diuels Dabo is as Offices Parsonages are giuen amongst vs that is as vsually sold as horses in Smithfield But if wee could be content to giue indeed let that heroicall minde that was in Abraham be in vs Gen. 14 23. that as hee would not take any thing of Melchisedech so we will not be a shoo-lachet the richer by the deuill If he offer to make vs wealthy let vs answere him Pecunia tua tecum pereat The end of the sixt Sermon THE SEVENTH SERMON Math. Chap. 4. verses 10 11. Then Iesus saith vnto him Get the hence behinde me Sathan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Then the deuill leaueth him and behold the Angels came and ministred unto him THe answering of this Temptation if some had had the answering of it would hauc beene facto by the doing of the thing that the deuill required and not in words standing vpon termes in disputation Insomuch as they would neuer hauc cared for a cushion to kneele on but haue fallen downe straight on their very faces and haue thanked him too If Balaak should say vnto one of them I will promote thee to great honour Numb 22 17. an Angel standing in the way should not hinder them from going The manner of flesh and blood is in cases of preferment to respect nothing that may bring them out of their conceiued hope or desire thereof and therefore whatsoeuer it is that stands in their way be it neuer so holy downe it shall for hast to make the way neerest In regard of this one brother respects not another When Ioseph had had a dreame of his brethren and told it them all brotherly affection was laid aside Gen. 37 5. The sonne and subject Absolon forgetteth his duty as to his father and allegeance as to his Prince seeking his life 2 Sam. 16 11. The mother of Ahaziah Athalia when shee saw her sonne dead makes no more adoe but destroyes al the Kings seed 2 King 11 1. Iehu makes no bones nor is abashed at the sight of heapes of dead mens heads of Kings sonnes that hee had caused to bee slaine but addes more murthers to them 2 King 10 8. What 's a basket full of heads to a Kingdome And Herod stacke not to kill all the male-borne children in Bethlehom Math. 2 16. So that Gregory might well say Ambitio est vita cui etiam innocentes nocent such is the vehement desire of a kingdome So
that a great many would haue made no scruple at the matter neither would they haue counted it a temptatin but good counsell Neither would so haue cut vp Peter as Christ did to bid him go behinde him and turne their backes on him but they would rather haue turnd their backes to God and their faces after Sathan Ier. 2 27. 1 Tim. 5 15. And indeede it must needs be that either our Sauiour was vnwise in refusing so good an offer or else the World in these daies is in a wrong byas Our Sauiour we see doth not onely refuse the thing but also giues him hard words for making the offer and motion For hee doth not onely confute him here by saying Scriptum est but he addes words of bitter reprehension saying Auoyd Sathan Hee might haue giuen faire words as he did before but here he seemeth to haue left his patience The reason why he was more hot in this than in the former lis for that this toucheth the glory of God and the redemption of mankinde the former Temptations touched but himselfe in particular as the turning of stones into bread but for miracle and the casting himselfe downe was but to try God what care hee had of him But this so much toucheth the glory of God as he can hold no longer Also his longing to redeeme man caused the same Neither did he onely answer the deuill so but when his blessed Apostle who meant friendly to him moued him to the like matter he rebuked him sharply Two causes there are wherein Christ is very earnest one in counsell ministred to him tending to the impairing of Gods glory the other in practises tending to the impairing of Gods Church Iohn 2 15. there he was not only vehement in words but made a whippe to scourge them out And so in the old Testament it is said of Moses Numb 12 3. That he was a meeke man aboue all the men of the earth yet when he came to a case of Idolatrie Exod. 32 19. it is said He threw the Tables out of his hands and brake them And so farre did he loose his naturall affection to his people and Country men that he caused a great number of them to be slaine And so in a case of the Church when Corah rebelled Numb 16 15. then Moses waxed very angry for Glory be to God on high and peace on earth is the Angels song and ioy and the deuils griefe as on the other side the dishonour of God and dissention of the Church is the deuils ioy and griefe of the Angels Now besides that he doth in words rebuke him sharply hee doth no lesse in gesture also as by turning his backe vpon him as it is most like he did in saying Anoyd Sathan which is such a despightful disgrace as if that one should offer vs the like we would take it in very great disdaine Which is to vs an instruction that as there is a time when we are to keep the decill before vs and to haue our eye still vpon him and his weapon or temptation for feare least vnawares he might do vs some hurt so is there a place a time and a sinne that we are to turne our backes on and not once to looke at his temptation In affliction patience is to be tried there resist the Deuill stand to him and he will flie from ye Iam. 4 7. Here we are to set the Deuill before vs. But in a case of lust or filthy desire then do ye fly from him 1 Cor. 6 18. So in 2 Tim 2 22. we are exhorted to flye from the lusts of youth and to follow iustice there is no standing to gaze backe on the deuill and his temptations Now to the answer Scriptum est THe disputing or deciding of the Deuils Title that is whether the Kingdomes of the earth were his to giue or no Christ stands not vpon nor vpon this whether the deuill were a man of his word or no. Indeed it might well haue beene doubted whether the deuill be as good as his word his promises are not Yea and Amen as the promises of God are We may take example by Eue to whom he promised that if they did eate of the forbidden fruite that they should be like Gods but were they so indeede after they had eaten No but like the beasts that perish And as true it is that the Kingdomes are his If the Kingdome of Israel had beerie at his disposition we may be sure Dauid should neuer haue beene King as well appeareth by the troubles hee raised against him No nor Hezechi as neither of all other he would neuer choose such We may see his good will in Iob Chap. 2 7. hee could not onely be content to spoyle him of all that he had but also hee must afflict his body and so vpon the Gergashites hogges Math. 8 30. The Kingdomes are none of his but they are committed to him in some sort to dispose as himselfe faith Luke 4 6. He hath as it were an Aduowson of them to present vnto them but yet not as he there saith to giue to whom he list but to whom he is permitted God must first put all that Iob hath in his hands or else he can do nothing Abimelech Iudg. 9. and Herod Mat. 2. came to their Kingdomes by the deuils Patent they be the deuils Officers So we see daily in our daies that he bestowes Offices and presents to Churches So that as Brentius saith Many haue Panem quotidianum that cannot come by Danobis they come not to it by Gods gift yet all the interest that the deuill hath is but to present Pro haec vita tantuns As therefore it may be true that in some fort they may be giuen him so yet not to dispose as he will It is God onely that can say so for his onely they are absolutely The earth is the Lords and all the fulnesse thereof the round world and all that dwell therein Psal. 24 1. It is he the most high God that diuided to the Nations their inheritance Deut. 32 8. By him Kings reigne and Princes haue dominion Prou. 8 15. He brought Nebuchaednezzer to know That the most high God bare rule ouer the Kingdomes of men Dan. 5 21. He indeede may well say Cui voluero doea and to whomsoeuer God giueth he giueth liberally and reproacheth no man Iam. 1 5. The deuill we see exacteth more than the thing is worth and straineth the benefit of his grant with vniust couenants But Christ goes not about to answer the deuill that way but by flying ro the Scriptures as to his surest hold Therefore Dauid prayers that his minde may bee enclined to Gods Law and not to Couetousnesse Psal. 119 36. For there is a medicine for euery disease and power as well against this Temptation of Couetousnesse as against the former the Law of God can as well keepe a man from Couetousnesse as from Desperation Heauen and earth shall passe but no