Christ himselfe as we see here How carefull therefore had we need to be to finde out a fit answere for him For onely to assault vs doth hee reade the Scriptures yea but not to anie good end but euen thereby to deceaue the simplicitie of men as heere to make them put their soules in aduenture to the last hower He hath indeed a grace with some vaine youths of the Court vngodlye Atheists to set them a scoffing at the Scripture as Esay 28. 22. But with others that haue the Scriptures in more high reuerence he goeth another way to worke making it to them the sauour of death Roman chapt 7. vers 10. The words which hee vseth in the name of Samuel hee vseth to make Saule dispaire and here he vseth Dauids words to cause presumption and to make them our bane And not euerie Scripture but if there bee anie Scripture more full of heauenly comfort than another that of all other wil the diuell abuse as indeed the psalms are and of all the Psalmes this 91. especially and in that part if anie one sentence be sweeter than another that of all other will the diuell abuse Mark the second verse here cyted He shall giue his Angells charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes These last wordes the diuell leaues out because they make not for his purpose They shall beare thee in their hands that thou dash not thy foote against a stone And we shall see nothing can be spoken more comfortablie as first in that it is said that the Angels haue charge ouer vs in all our wayes Exod. 23. 20. Behold I send my Angell before thee to guide thee in the way and to comfort and confirme vs as when Iacob was in feare of his brother Esau the Angell met him Gen. 32. 1. and to defend vs in all dangers and succour vs in all necessities spreading their winges ouer vs and pitching their tents about vs Psal. 34. 7. Secondly this charge not only concerneth our head and principal members but also our feet yea Gods prouidence reacheth euen to the haires of our head for they are numbred Mat. 10. 30. Thirdly this charge of theirs is not onely to admonish vs when daunger commeth but they are actually to help vs as it were putting their hands betweene the ground and vs. Mat. 13. 41. they shall take the rubs and offences out of our way Fourthly this doo they not of curtesie as being creatures giuen of nature to loue mankinde but by speciall mandate and charge they are bounde to it and haue a praecipe for it yea the very beasts stones shalbe in league with vs. Iob. 5. 23. This Psalme and these verses conteining such comfort hath the Diuell culled to perswade men that beeing such sweete Children of God they may venture whether and vpon what they will for the Angels attend them at an inch He bids them put the matter in aduenture and then but whistle for an Angell and they will come at first he carieth them vp to the top of the pinacle and shewes them theyr owne case in Annas and Herod and tells them God will require no more of them than he did at their hands all the way as they goe vp he singeth them a Psalm of the mercies of God he carrieth them vp with a song that Gods mercie is aboue all his workes Psalm 145. 9. And with Psalm 103. 8. how gracious and long-suffring God is who rewardeth vs not according to our deserts and Psalm 136. That his mercie endureth for euer God therfore beeing so full of mercie will take all things in good part But this mercye the diuell tells them of differeth from the mercie Dauid meant for the mercie Dauid speaketh of is coupled with iudgement Psal. 101. 1. I will sing mercie and iudgement to thee O Lord and Psal. 85. 10. Mercie truth are met together Iustice and peace haue kissed each other Thus I say they shall haue musique al the way if any at the height thinke it a great way downe no saith the diuell you need but a iumpe from your baptisme into heauen you shall need no staires at all The fift Sermon Matth. 4. Ver. 7. Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God COnsidering that Saint Iames saith chapt 4. 5. The Scripture speaketh nothing in vaine that as our Sauiour Christ saith Io. 10. 35. No scripture can be disappointed it may seeme strange that the diuell comming armed with The sword of the spirite for so is the word of God tearmed Ephes. 6. 17. Christ giues not place but opposeth himselfe to answere Wee see that a message comming in the name of the Lord this verie name abashed Nehemias Nehe. 6. 10. at the first hearing till hee perceaued it was contrarie to the law of God and so came not from him which here we see to bee the cause why Christ dooth not yeeld by and by vpon the hearing of the Woord but sets himselfe to make answere forsomuch as the word is not of force Quia dicitur onely but Quia creditur as Augustine noteth If there bee not the mixture of faith with it whereof Paule speaketh Hebr. 4. 2. it is nothing worth And therfore the badde spirite was nothing abashed or daunted at the hearing of the bare names of Iesus and Paule Act. 19. 15. but answered I know them but who are ye They did not beleeue and therefore could doo them no good but were wounded themselues glorious names would not serue the turne So was it here vsed without faith When the Scripture is heere vrged against one a man would thinke it were not to be answered by cyting an other place of Scripture but by some tradition of the Elders Mark 7. 1. or some glosse or other shift but wee see our Sauiour answereth here no other way but by Scripture Because the wolfe comes somtimes disguised in a sheeps skin it is no reason that therefore the verie sheepe should lay away their fleeces so here because the diuell vseth the word as the slaying letter 2. Corin. 3. 6. or as the sword to kill men with it is no reason why Christ may not therfore vse it in his owne defence Why then wil some say one of these two inconueniences will followe that hereby we shall thinke the Scripture is of the diuells side aswell as of Christs side so diuided as in like sort they make a diuision of Christ when one holdes with Paule another of Apollos 1. Cor. 1. 13. No it is not so Christ alleadgeth not this Scripture in that sort as one nayle to driue out another but by way of harmonie and exposition that the one may make plaine the meaning of the other For albeit the diuell sheweth himselfe to be the diuell in cyting that Text so as might best serue for his purpose in that whereas the Psalme whereout he taketh it hath it thus That he might keepe him in all
balls of wylde fire For being to assault our obedience knowing that faith is our shield to that end he vseth the arrow-head which is distrust in God about which is fire to wit the vsing of vnlawfull meanes to consume our obedience which will consume our shielde of faith and so make way for the dart to kill or wound vs. So that his drift is to bring our adoption or Son-ship to a Si. There is no doubt but Christ was able to haue turned stones into bread but why would he not then folow the diuels aduice The diuell by saying Say vnto these stones seemeth to acknowledge that hee had the force to haue done it euen by his bare word for euen stones are said to heare the voyce of God and to obey his Commaundement and not onely Gods but euen Gods seruants as 1. Reg. 13. 5. when the man of GOD had pronounced that the aulter should rent in sunder it did so And Matt. 27. 51. when Iesus cryed out with a lowde voyce the vayle of the Temple rent in twaine the earth did quake and the stones were clouen The dead men are worse than stones yet they in their graues heard his voyce And not onely was he able to turne stones into bread but into men also as Children to Abraham of stones Matth. 3. 9. If therefore it had pleased him hee was as well able at this time to haue turned stones into bread as after hee turned water into wine Iohn 2. 10. It was no lesse possible to him no doubt to haue saued himselfe when the Iewes scoffingly bad him Matt. 27. 42. as to haue saued others and to haue come downe from the Crosse being aliue as it was after for him not onely beeing dead and buried but a great stone beeing ouer him to remooue it and come out of the graue Matth. 28. 2. Hee had power to both but not will alike to both But why would he not here vse his power for the satisfying of his hunger and followe the diuells aduice In setting downe the Historie of turning water into wine it is thus farther said that he did it that his Disciples might beleeue in him Iohn 2. 11. That was the reason that moued him to the working of that myracle and because there was no such cause here hee did it not For the Diuell would not beleeue in him he knew though hee had done it The Diuell desired him but to haue him shew what hee could doo for a neede onely for a vaunt of his power Wherein wee see the humour of pride that made him at the first to fall It is the same temptation that his kinsfolkes vsed No man dooth anie thing secretly that seeketh to bee famous if thou doost these things shewe thy selfe to the world But see how vnfitly the Temptation hangeth together He should rather haue said If you be hungrie than If you be the sonne of God and then rather haue bid him fast fortie dayes more than turne the stones into bread If it had been to haue made a Sonne of God Christ would haue done it but not to haue shewed himself to be the Sonne of God But it may be asked why did Christ vouchsafe to giue him anie answere at all whereas hee might haue commaunded him to silence and tormented him before his time and haue punished him for his sawcines When Peter tēpted him he cut him vp verie sharply saying Come behinde me Sathan Mark 8. 33. Why did hee not answere the diuel so He might haue enioyned him and throwne him into the bottomlesse pit Luke 8. 31. or at the least bidden him Auoyde Sathan vers 10. Augustine answereth this doubt that Christ answered in the like time to teach vs to aunswere willing vs thereby as Abimelech did his souldiers to doo as hee had doone before Iudg. 9. 48. So Christ is our example Iohn 13. 15. and bids vs doo as he hath done Christ is our Captaine he hath gone before vs and shewed vs how to behaue our selues in fight when the diuell assaulteth vs with distrust then are we to ward it off with a Text of Gods prouidence and so of the rest as he hath done before vs. Our Sauiours shield whereby we see he beareth off all the diuels darts is couered all ouer with Scriptum est Wee haue here a briefe viewe of the Churches armorie Cant. 4. 4. of the Tower of Dauid built for defence Here be the shields wherewith Salomons Temple was hanged and which Paule calleth The weapons of our warfare 2. Cor. 10. 4. not carnall but mightie through GOD to cast downe holds They are in number fiue First a preparation of our selues by the vse of Gods Sacraments that we may be the more strong to sustaine and beare off temptations and to holde out to the ende without fainting Secondly a withdrawing our selues into the desert or some other solitary place there by Meditation to kindle good thoughts Psalm 39. 3. Thirdly fasting Fourthly watchfull prayer Mat. 26. 41. Fiftly the perfecting of our selues in the Scriptures These be the fiue shields wherewith Salomons temple was hanged Now as for the Scripture we are to note that where God speaketh of any good that we are to receiue out of it it is recōmended to vs as a storehouse whether we are to make our resort for the bread of life and the water of life whereof he that tasteth shal neuer thirst Ioh. 6. 35. And from thence are we to draw the waters of comfort out of the fountains of saluation Esa 12. 3. When there is anie ill spoken of which wee are to resist then is it commended to vs as an Armorie whence wee may fetch anie kinde of weapon which we shal need either offensiue as a sword Hebr. 4. 12. or defensiue as a shield Pro. 30. 5. The Scripture is the broad plate that is to beare off the darts our faith is the braces or handle whereby wee take hold Eph. 6. 16. and lift it vp to defend our selues withall For the Scripture is a shield Non quod dicitur sed quod creditur Dicitur there is the strong and broad matter fit to beare off and Creditur that is the handle or braces to it God spake once or twice I haue heard it power belongeth vnto God Psalm 62. 11. So that it suffiseth not that it bee spoken onely by God but we must heare it too neither must we heare it as the voice of a man as Samuel at the first did who when God called him thought it the voice of Eli but as the voice of God that we which were dead in our sins vs hath he quickned forgiuen vs al our trespasses 1. Thes. 2. 13. This is the perfection of our faith Generally of the scriptures this is Christs opinion cōfirmed by his own practise that if the diuell come as a serpent here is a charm for him Ps. 58. 5. or if he come as a lion here is that is able to preuaile against him 1. Pe. 5. 8.
And that the Diuell knowes well enough as appeareth by his mallice that he hath alwayes borne it before it was scripture when it was but onely Dictum For so soone as God had said Let vs make man in our likenes that word was straight a whetstone to the diuells enuie And after the fall when the seede was promised that was and is the cause of all the diuells enmitie Gen. 3. 15. So when the promise was reitterated Genes 22. 18. that was the cause hee so turmoyled all the Patriarchs But when the words was to be written and to become Scripture then his malice began to grow verie hot in so much that he caused it for anger to be broken Exod. 32. 19. For the Fathers are of opinion that all the diuels busie endeuour in making the Israelites to commit idolatrie with the golden Calfe was to the ende that he might so heate Moses in his zeale as that in his anger hee should breake the Tables of the Law by casting them hastely out of his hands We are to note therefore that there is a forceable sound in the word which the Diuell cannot abide not onely the sound but the sight also It is written of Augustine that lying sicke on his bed he caused the seuen poenitentiall Psalmes to be painted on the wall ouer against him in great letters that if after hee should become speechles yet he might point to euerie verse when the diuell came to tempt him and so confute him Blessed is hee that hath his quiuer full of such arrowes they shall not bee ashamed Blessed is hee that hath the skill to choose out fit arrowes for the purpose as the Fathers speake out of Esay 49. 2. Christ saith affirmatiuely of the Scriptures that in them is eternall life Iohn 5. 39. negatiuely that the cause of error is the not knowing of them Mark 12. 24. Dauid saith it was that that made him wiser than his enimies than his teachers and than the Auncients Psalm 119. 98. 99. 110. Knowledge of the truth is the way to amendment after a fall 2. Timot. 2. 26. There is much calling now a daies for the word and others finde fault as fast that it is no better harkened vnto for as the want of obedience and al other abuses which are so much cried out against proceede not onely from the not hearing of the word but as well from the not mingling of faith with it without which mixture it is nothing worth it profiteth not Heb. 4. 2. so the error of the former times was in yeelding too farre to the Diuels policie by sealing vp the scriptures and locking the storehouse and armorie of the people It is the policie Christ tells vs of in the eleuenth chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell the two and twentieth verse A strong man puts the strong armed man out of his house and takes away his armour from him then hee needs not feare him The like policie we read of 1. Sam. 13. 19. when the Philistines had taken away all smythes and armour then they thought they were safe So in the time of darkenesse the Diuell might let them doo their good works and what they list and yet haue them still vnder his lure for hee might offend them at his pleasure that had no armour to resist him All the Children of GOD had a right and propertie in the Lawe of God as appeareth by Christs words Iohn 10. 34. hee answered them that is the common people Is it not wrâ—â—tten in your law As though he should say the Scripture is yours To the young man in the tenth Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell and twentie sixe verse that asked Christ what he should do to be saued Christ answereth What is written in the Law how readest thou Whereuntoo to answere that we cannot read or that the booke is sealed vp Esay 29. 11. is as the diuell would haue it Then hath hee a fit time to offer vs stones to make bread of But this answere with our Sauiour Christ wil not be allowed of Now come we to the speciall point of Christs answere It is written Man liues not by bread onely c. Deut. 8. 3. There is no better kinde of reasoning than that when one graunts all that hath been said by his aduersarie and prooueth it to make on his part and vpon a new conceipt auoyds all that his aduersarie said Here our Sauiour might confesse all that the Diuell obiected as that he is the sonne of God and admit the stones were made bread and that bread were of absolute necessitie and that it were so to be come by which is vntrue were we then in good case This indeede is the diuels position wherewith hee would perswade all those that haue animam triticeam as the Fathers call it that those exterternal things are necessarie to be had and that if they haue enough thereof they are wel enough as we see it to be the minde of the rich man Luke 12. 19. This man hauing a wheaten soule hauing corne enough bad his soule take rest and liue merily for manie yeares But Christ goeth further and saith Though the stones bee made bread it will not auayle except it please GOD by the blessing of his word to giue vertue and as it were life vnto the bread there is no difference betweene it and a stone It is not the plentie or qualitie of victuals howsoeuer some doate vpon such external meanes as they did which sacrificed to their net burnt incense to their yarne Abac. 1. 16. because by them their portion was fat and their meates plenteous For what saith Iob cap. 31. ver 27. If I reioyced because my substance was great this had been an iniquity So that our life is not maintained by bread onely descended out of the mould of the earth The nature of bread stones are not much vnlike they come both out of one belly that is to say the earth Iob 28. 5. 6. and of themselues the one of them hath no more power than the other vnto life for wee know that the Israelites died euen while the flesh of Quayles was in their mouthes Num. 11. 33. Manna heauenly fare being far better than our bread It is the diuels craftie policie to burie a mans life vnder a loafe of bread and as it were to fetter the grace of God to the outward meanes whereas they of themselues are of no more efficacie without the operation and grace of the word than a hammer and a sawe without a hand able to imploy them Dauid saith Psalm 104. 28. The eyes of all things waite on God for theyr meate in due season thou fillest them With what with bread No but with thy blessing and goodnesse Our hearts must be stablished with grace not with meates Hebr. cap. 13. verse 9. It is Gods prerogatiue that as all things had theyr beginnings from him Coloss. cap. 1. vers 17. so hee supporteth and sustaineth them Hebr. cap. 1.
to be maintained as indeede it will if wee powre out too great a quantitie Or if hee cannot quench it either with water or oile he wil see if he can blow it vp with gunpowder As seeing the water of distrust will not extinguish his faith but that hee would trust in God he endeuoureth now by Scriptures that magnifie the prouidence of GOD and the confidence we are to put in him to set him as farre gone in the other extream by presuming or trusting too much that so the fier which before hee would haue quenched maye nowe so flame out as not to keepe it selfe within the chimnie but to set the whole house on fier This is the ball of wilde-fier of this second Temptation and so both we see tend to the consuming nullifying of our faith II. The dart it self is Cast thy self down which consisteth of two poynts First the casting downe secondly that hee himselfe was to cast downe himselfe For the first it is generall the neglect of ordinarie meanes as heere whereas the ordinarie way was down the staires he would haue him leap or throwe himselfe ouer the Battlements And heere a man maye see to what ende the Diuells halting commeth he brings a man vp by little little to some high place that so hee may send him at once with his head downward All the preferments that he bestoweth on a man is not to anie other intent but that hee may doo as the diuell himselfe did who beeing on high did cast himselfe downe and so bee like him Io. 8. 23. that is from beneath not from aboue who fell from heauen like lightning Luc. 10. 18 So that howsoeuer in outward showe he may seeme to befrend vs yet this is his inward intention and scoape As the Edomites in time of the prosperitie of the Israelites pretended great good will to them but in the day of their calamitie they were they that cryed Downe with them downe with them Psalm 137. 7. Gods manner is when he meaneth to exalt a man hee will first humble him and make him low Mat. 23. 12. The diuels manner is we see cleane contrarie Esa. 14. 14. to lift them vp to the clowdes that he may bring them downe to the graue yea to the lowest graue Psalm 86. 13. He carieth them the higher to throwe them downe with the greater violence He lifteth vp Adam with a conceipt to bee like God to the verie top of perfection to the intent he might bee like the beast that perisheth Psal. 49. 20. The second hath some matter of comfort the Diuell is here a suter to him to doo it himselfe Why doth not the diuell cast him downe First it was not in his power or if it had yet would not that haue serued his turne then there had been no sinne of presumption in it There must bee two persons that must concurre in our downfall well may the diuell induce and mooue vs to it but vnles we our selues be consenting cast our selues downe there can be no downe-fall to hurt vs. For as Chrisostome saith Nemo laeditur nisi a seipso so Nullum precipitium nisi voluntarium The Diuell did not cramme Eue with the forbidden frute but when shee saw it shee tooke it and eate it Gen. 3. 6. So the diuell when he entreth into the soule of a man which he counteth his palace hee dooth not breake open the doore no nor so much as drawe the latch but when he commeth he findeth it swept and garnished Luc. 11. 25. and so goeth in There must therfore be a reaching out of the hand an opening of the doore by our selues and so a casting downe of thy selfe or els though the diuell thrust sore at thee that thou maiest fall the Lorde will helpe thee Psal. 118. 13. In Deut. 22. 8. God hath caused battelments to be made on euerie house top by which we may stay our selues the diuell tells God that he had made a hedge about Iob Chapt. 1. 10. so that vnlesse Iob steppe ouer it or breake it downe he is safe III. The diuels dart is Cast thee downe but hee bestoweth some great cost on this With the selfe same armor that Christ bare off the other dart dooth the diuell sharpen and harden this he doth not so in any other of the temptations therefore we are to looke for some great matter he bringeth scripture that he may be the better credited He speaks not now after the maner of men 1. Cor. 9. 8. so that it is not he now that speaketh but Scripture as Paul reasoneth there You see saith he I counsell you to nothing but that the Psalmes will beare you out in The diuell knewe well by his owne fall how dangerous the sinne of presumption is it cost him dearely and so did Dauid likewise and therfore of all other he praieth God to keep him from presumptuous sinnes Psal. 19. 13. He knew also what it was to abuse the goodnes patience and long suffering of God Rom. 2. 4. Therefore he auoucheth it by scripture he tels him it will be long to goe downe the stayers and teacheth him a nearer waye but a iump or to cast himselfe down and to feare no hurt for the Angells haue charge of him And euen so hee perswadeth men now a dayes that they neede not goe downe faire and softly in feare and trembling but to deferre all till theyr dying houre then commend themselues to God and throw themselues vppon Gods mercie and that fierye Chariot that tooke vp Elias shall come and fetch vp them or els an Angell shall carrie them vp let them be sure they shall haue no harme for they be Gods darlings and God doth so doate on them that he will not suffer them in anie case to receaue the least hurt that may be If euer the diuell came in his likenes it was here In the first of Sam. 28. 18. hee came but in the guise of a Prophet so that in stead of saying Is Saule among the Prophets it might haue been said What is the diuell among the prophetes But heere hee hath vsed himselfe so cunningly that if euer hee was transformed into an Angell of light here it is verefied 1. Cor. 11. 14. for he commeth here lyke a white diuell or like a Diuine hee comes with a Psalter in his hand and turnes to the place shewes our Sauiour the 91. Psalm vers 11. and 12. wherein first we are to noate that the diuell readeth Psalmes as well as we and hath the wordes of Scripture in his mouth And 1. Sam. 28. he counterfeited Samuel so right and vsed the verie words that he had vsde that they could not know him from Samuel so heere hee counterfeited the voyce of Dauid Act. 19. 15. This will make vs shake off securitie considering that God doth for our tryall sometime deliuer the aduersarie the keye of the Armourie whereby he is able to hold argument with an Archangell Iude 9. yea with