be the issue 1. Beeing led by the spirit thou wilt follow willingly thou wilt lay aside all reasonings excuses and delayes as Christ did he murmures not delayes not doth not first returne to Nazareth bids not his parents and friends farwell consults not with flesh and blood but was driuen out with a strong motion of the spirit This is the same free spirit which dwelleth in the hearts of Christians he leads them to and they obey and follow Abraham followes him from his owne countrey and Moses into Egypt 2. If thou see the spirit leading thee thou shalt not faynt vnder the crosse no not when thou lookest vpon the greatest danger that can be threatned because the other eye is vpon the spirit which helpeth thy infirmities and according to the measure of affliction ministreth a sound measure of comfort 1. Pet. 4.14 therefore the Saints reioyce in affliction because the spirit of glory and of God resteth vpon them A valiant captaine leading the way encourageth the most timerous souldier to follow with courage and resolution So this spirit which leadeth is a spirit of strength and of power not in himselfe alone but supplying with new strength those that giue vp themselues to be led by him 3. If thou see the spirit leading thee into triall it will keepe thee from seeking to winde thy selfe out by any vnlawfull or vnwarrantable meanes thou wilt follow him to be led out by him aswell as thou wast led in by him thou wilt waite his leisure for the remoouall of thy triall in whose good pleasure it lyeth most seasonably to deliuer thee This is often the reason why God giueth his children to be led by the spirit to try whether they will abide with him in temptation or no. And those who will shift themselues out of trouble by lying swearing and the like or auoid crosses and losses by wicked meanes as pouerty by breaking the Sabbaoth sicknesse by sorcerie and witchcraft what spirit soeuer led them in certeinly the euill spirit hath led them out the remedie is worse then their disease and their escape is made onely by breaking the prison As Christ was led by the spirit in all his course of life so should Christians for as many as are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 So the Apostles in their ministerie went hither and thither stayed or departed preached and prophecied by the spirit they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and Bythinia Act. 16.6.7 and 21.4 certaine Disciples told Paul by the Spirit that he should not goe vp to Ierusalem And it is the dutie of all true beleeuers to resigne themselues in subiection to Gods spirit How shall I know when I am led by the holy Ghost By these rules 1. Gods spirit workes in and by the word therefore if thou enquirest in euery thing what is the good and acceptable will of God Rom. 12.2 thou art led by the spirit 2. Discerne his guidance by the mortification of the deedes of the flesh for the life of the spirit is opposed to the life of the flesh Rom. 8.13 Therefore in any strong motion examine thy selfe whether it tend to thy owne profit credite or lusts if it doe suspect it and cast it off the Apostles in all the motions of the Spirit respected the publike good of the Church not their owne ease and reputation The guidance of the Holy Ghost requires deniall of our owne wills strife against the spirit that beareth rule in the world and against the spirit of a man that lusteth after enuie 3. Know it by the excitation of the spirit which still stirres and mooues the will and minde and raiseth it from vnder the oppression of the flesh and thus preserues and maintaines the gift of regeneration and effectually bends a man to obedience And this duty is necessary 1. in regard of the vnregenerate who are blind and in darkenes and without a guide know not what way to goe the naturall man perceiues not the things of God 2. in regard of the regenerate who are but as little children weake and feeble and cannot goe without a leader And therefore all of vs need the leading of the spirit Into the wildernes This is the fourth circumstantiall point A wildernes is taken in the Scripture two wayes 1. For a place inhabited although not fully peopled as Iosh. 15.61 six cities of the Priests in the wildernes and Iohn Baptist came preaching in the wildernes of Iudea because Zacharie his fathers house was there and 1. King 2. Ioab was buried in his owne house in the wildernesse 2. For a place vtterly desolate not inhabited or frequented of men but possessed onely of wilde beasts and thus it is here to be taken as Mar. 1.13 he was with wilde beasts vtterly separate from the society of men This place Christ makes choice of by the motion of the spirit for these reasons 1. In opposition to the first Adam who was tempted in paradise a place in all the world strongest and fittest to resist temptation in and beeing ouercome was cast out thence into the wildernes as all the world was in comparison But the second Adam to recouer this losse encountreth with Satan in a wildernesse the fittest place in the world to be ouercome in and ouercomming restoreth vs to the heauenly paradise againe 2. That Christ might manifest both his willingnes to be tempted and his courage against his enemie the former in that hee appointeth a place wherein Satan might take al aduantage against him the latter in that like a champion hee challengeth the field where they two alone might try it out A coward will be ready to draw in the streets that dares not looke a man in the face in the field But Christ appoints a field where Satan may haue all his power against him and he no helpe at all and by both these hee shewes himselfe the promised seed appointed to bruise the serpents head 3. That Christ beeing knowne to be the onely combatant and maintainer of the fight all the praise of the conquest ouer Satan might be ascribed to him alone and to bring in no compartners with him as the Papists doe the Virgin Mary and other Saints whereas Christ was therefore the onely conquerour because he was of infinite power as they are not 4. In imitation of Moses at the giuing of the law and Elias at the restoring of it the one beeing 40. dayes in the mountaine the other 40. dayes in the caue of Horeb Christ at the bringing in of the glorious Gospell would be answerable to those figures of him who as they commeth now out of a sequestred place wherein he was fitting himselfe to vndertake so weighty a busines as this is 1. Note hence that no place in the world is free from Satans temptations but he layes his snares in euery place Lot is caught in the caue his wife in the
good Samaritan shewed mercie to the man that fell among theeues and was left halfe dead and wounded Now to gather hence with the Papists that men are but halfe dead in sinne and beeing a little holpen by grace are able to worke out their saluation is to misse the cushion and wander beyond and beside the scope of the place which is to shew who is our neighbour and what charity binds vs to and not what we can doe of our selues Besides beeing a parable it prooues nothing besides the maine scope Else one might hence prooue that of all men Priests and Leuites are most vnmercifull and that there is chance If a doubt rise out of a promise or threat know that they are all conditionall although the condition be not expressed Yet fortie dayes and Niniue shall be destroyed with a secret condition except Niniue repent So a promise of long life is made to the godly and yet they often die young therefore a secret condition must bee vnderstood thus vnlesse God see it better for them to take them away young from the euill to come Isa. 38.1 Set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue yet Hezekiah liued fifteene yeares afterward therefore there must be vnderstood the condition of Gods will which was concealed Gen. 20.3 God said to Abimelech Thou shalt die for the woman yet he died not the exception was Vnlesse thou restore her See this rule at large in Ezek. 33.13.14 Neither sticke too fast to the letter nor yet insist too much in allegory or metaphors The Iewes greatly sinned in the first and are yet held from their conuersion by this plot of the deuill For as the multitude of them in the Prophets time while the Ceremoniall law stood in force stucke to the outward ceremony and letter and offred sacrifices and beasts and did such things as were commaunded but went no further they washed the outside but not the inside they offred the blood of beasts but rose not so high as the blood of Christ they killed the bullockes and sheep but not their sinnes nor tooke notice of that mortification of corruption which these would haue put them in minde of So at this day reading the prophesies of Christs spirituall kingdome set out vnder the types of most flourishing temporall kingdomes they sticke in the letter and loose the sense denying the Messiah to be come because they see not that flourishing estate and temporall happinesse which they grossely and carnally imagine This was the iudgement of God vpon Origen who was in such extremities in both these that although his wit serued him to turne all the Scripture almost into allegories yet he stood most absurdly to the very letter as in that of Matth. 19.12 Some haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen he foolishly interpreted the place and made himselfe be made chaste by men not discerning Christs distinction who speakes of three sorts of Eunuchs some so borne some violently cut and made so by men some voluntarily by repressing their lusts abstinence temperance c. this last he confounded with the former And hee might aswell haue pluckt out one of his eyes because Christ saith It is better to goe into heauen with one eye c. So on the contrary many heretikes haue defended their heresies onely by translating of Scriptures into allegories The Apostle speakes of such as denying the resurrection of the body turne all the testimonies of the resurrection into an allegorie meaning thereby onely the spirituall resurrection of the soule from sinne Of which sort was Hymeneus and Philetus who destroyed the faith of certaine saying the resurrection was past alreadie 2. Tim. 2. v. 17. And of this sort are the Familists at this day The Papists denying the marriage of Ministers hearing the Apostle say that a Bishop must be the husband of one wife turne it into an allegorie I had like to haue said a iest He must they say be the Bishop of one Bishopricke as though his children must not be gouerned in his owne house which is plainely distinguished from his Diocesse 1. Tim. 3.4.5 Thus they defend the sacrifice of the Masse by Gen. 14.18 where it is said that Melchisedec brought forth bread and wine to Abraham and hee was the Priest of the high God with them this must needes signifie that the Priest offers Christ to God for the sinnes of quicke and dead In euery small diuersity and difference in numbers which are historically mentioned we must not suspect errour in the Scripture but our owne ignorance Act. 7.14 All the soules which came with Iaacob into Egypt were seuentie fiue but in Gen. 46.27 they were seuentie soules Here are fiue ods Some say Luke followes the translation of the Septuagint which was famous and of great authority and would not bring his history in disgrace for so small a difference I doubt not but Luke and Steuen and Moses agreed Mr. Iunius thinkes that Steuen mentioneth the foure wiues of Iaacob and his two sonnes Er and Onan that were dead excluding Iaacob himselfe but they came not into Egypt Caluin and Beza thinke there was some errour in the writers which is not vnprobable seeing in writing the Greeke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying fiue beeing in the margent might easily creepe into the text for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth all And thus both Moses and Steuen and Luke may be reconciled who both likely wrote seuenty But howsoeuer according to our rule the Spirit of God often in setting downe numbers vseth the figure Synecdoche a part for the whole and in a diuers respect putteth downe a greater or lesse number As for example 1. King 9.28 Salomon sent his seruants who tooke from Ophir 420. talents of gold 2. Chron. 8.30 he tooke thence 450. talents of gold Here is 30 talents ods Answ. They receiued of King Hiram 450. which they brought to Salomon partly in substance as the 420. partly in account much beeing spent about the charge of the nauie euen the 30. talents 1. Sam. 13.1 Saul raigned two yeares ouer Israel whereas he raigned forty yeares Act. 13.21 Answ. He raigned two yeares well de iure lawfully but beeing reiected from beeing King the other are not numbred Iunius vpon this place prooues this interpretation by foure arguments Matth. 17.1 Christ tooke Peter and Iohn the sixt day after Luk. 9.22 eight dayes after Answ. Both are true in a diuerse respect Matthew accounts onely the intermediall dayes not the two extreame peeces Luke accounts them all Sometimes some numbers are cut off for breuity and to make the number runne more full and round as in Iudg. 20.46 of the Beniamites were slaine fiue and twentie thousand here wants an hundreth as appeares v. 35. for the foresaid reason 2. King 15.33 Iotham was 25. yeares old when hee beganne to raigne and he raigned 16. yeares in Ierusalem yet it is said in the 30. verse in the twentieth yeare
turned to the execution of his most righteous iudgement This serues to rectifie our iudgements in trialls and cleare our eyes to see this hand of God in them commonly we look too low at men who are but dust as though miserie came out of the dust and we looke too neere vs at the staffe or stone which with the dogge we bite but consider not the hand that smites vs. 2. Sam. 16.9 Abishai lookes at Shemâ—i that barked at Dauid and said Why doth this dead dogge curse the King But Dauid could tel him v. 10. the Lord hath bid him curse that is he hath so decreed and ordained and in his secret will bid him Let vs willingly submit our selues vnto temptations because God by his spirit leadeth vs to be tempted as he did his naturall sonne so Christ willingly yeelded himselfe to be tempted beeing led by the spirit hee was lead he was not forced and drawne to it though the triall was as great and fierce as Satan could make it and so let it be with vs. For 1. As we must be cheerefull in doing the will of God so also must we be cheerefull in suffering it True it is that tryalls and persecutions come often by the deuills meanes but neuer from the deuill 2. The Lord knoweth best in his diuine wisedome what is best for vs and in his fatherly goodnesse disposeth to vs what hee knoweth so to be 3. He that leadeth vs into the lists measureth our temptations weigheth our strength and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able he giueth shoulders and fitteth the burden 4. Hee hath promised his presence with vs in 6. dangers and in 7. and goeth out with vs into the field not as a looker on but to supply vs with newe strength and wisedome to helpe our infirmities and vphold vs vnto victorie These considerations are forcible to worke in vs a contentment of minde with Gods fatherly appointment without which we can neuer be chearefull in trials for nature will be working in Peter himselfe and when he is an old Disciple he shall be led where he would not and oftentimes the feare of danger and trouble is greater then the triall it selfe What was it else that mooued Christ in that bitter triall when otherwise he could haue wished the cup might passe from him to say Yet not as I will but as thou wilt but the remembrance that he came to suffer as well as to doe the will of his heauenly Father What else added such courage to Paul Act. 21.13 as to say What doe ye weeping and breaking my heart I am readie not onely to be bound but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord. What else made the Martyrs so inuincible in suffering that often when they might they would not be deliuered but that they found themselues led and bound by the spirit yea strengthned to all long-suffering with ioyfulnes But we pray not to be led into temptation 1. Tentation is twofold as we said before one of triall which we must suffer with cheerefulnes the other of delusion against which we may and must pray 2. Againe there are two leaders into temptation the spirit of God leads Christ and Christians the euill spirit leads the wicked at his will we pray against this leader and not against the former 3. And further we must distinguish betweene beeing tempted and beeing led into temptation in our Sauiours sense the former is a worke of Gods mercy to try exercise or chastise any of his children the latter is a worke of iustice in which God leaues a man to himselfe so as the temptation is preuailing against him Now we pray onely against the latter which is to be left and so ouercome in temptation neither doth God so lead vs into temptation but to make vs in the ende more then conquerours So as still wee may bid temptations welcome and with cheerefulnesse submit our selues vnto them In euery triall see that the spirit lead thee for this is a sure ground of comfort and hath assured hope in it of a good ende Christ was not lead into temptation by priuate motion neither did he thrust himselfe vnto it no more must we rashly runne into or pull dangers vpon vs or thorough presumption obiect our selues vnto temptations if we doe we must needs fall and cannot expect safety because we tempt the Lord and prouoke him to withdrawe his fatherly protection from vs whereas there is no danger in following the leading and guidance of the spirit Many a man is of so strong a faith that nothing can harme him he is for all courses and all companies But how can a man be safe where Satans throne is Peter thought himselfe strong enough to goe into the high Priests hall but he found in the end it was no fit companie for him Others through vaine prefidence of Gods protection runne in times of contagion into infected houses which vpon iust calling a man may but for one to runne out of his calling in the way of an ordinarie visitation he shall find that Gods Angels haue commission to protect him no longer then he is in his way Psal. 91.11 and that beeing out of it this arrow of the Lord shall sooner hit him then another that is not halfe so confident Others are bold-hardy to set vpon the deuill in his owne holds they dare enter into and lodge in houses giuen vp by God to the deuills possession which is if it be out of ones lawfull calling to cast a mans selfe into most probable danger for whereas we ought to vse all good and lawfull meanes for the preuenting of imminent danger this is to seeke danger and hurt and commonly they that seeke it iustly finde it The issue of such presumption we may see in the sonnes of Sceva Act. 19.16 who tooke vpon them to doe as the Apostles did namely to name Christ ouer them that were possessed but the deuill seeing their want of calling thereunto ranne vpon them and ouercame them so as they fled out of the house naked and wounded Others thorough temerity and rashnes bring on themselues much woe who follow the motions of their owne spirits in their courses and neuer or seldome consider whether they haue Gods spirit before them or no they looke not for warrant out of Gods word in the things they doe or speake they begge not Gods direction and assistance they spie not in what ambush Satan lyeth what aduantages he easily taketh and so for want of Christian watchfulnes lay themselues open to many euills and dangers wherein they can meet with no great comfort because they cannot say with a good conscience Lord thou hast led mee into this estate but rather I haue cast my selfe into this danger If therefore thou wouldest find comfort in troubles keep thee in thy way that thou mayest neuer be without the leading of the spirit and then this will
is not repugnant to the analogie of faith or true interpretation of other Scriptures But that Satan should come bodily or assume a shape is not against the scripture but confirmed in the example of Eue and Samuel If it be further asked in what bodily shape he came here I am with the scripture silent Onely he came not in a Monkish habit as the grosse Papists say because there was no such in vse in the world then nor many hundred yeares after And yet it is obseruable that themselues thinke this habit the fittest for the deuill as indeed it hath beene since prooued for neuer did the deuill in any habit so preuaile against Christ in his members as in this Antichristian weed 1. Note hence what mooued Satan thus to come namely his owne voluntary motion and will he came vnsent for Christ comes not but led of the spirit Satan comes of himselfe And the same difference is to be obserued betweene them that are led by the spirit of God and by this vnclean spirit Those that are led by Gods spirit whatsoeuer they be about they will looke to the motion what warrant they haue for it whence it is and whether it tends whether they be led or vndertake things of their owne head they looke whether the thing be good in it selfe whether good in them whether conuenient in circumstances whether it belong vnto them and hence they do it chearfully and with a blessing on it Whereas whom Satan caries they looke for no warrant they set themselues on worke and execute their owne lusts humours and desires yea in the things they doe best they looke for no warrant and therefore if it be in any thing that is good euery thing is begun as with a left hand they are without blessing and protection See this difference betweene Ahab and Iehoshaphat 1. King 22. Ahab saith Let vs goe vp to Ramoth Gilead but Iehoshaphat said I pray thee let vs aske counsell of the Lord and was there not as much difference in the issue yes Ahab was strangely slaine a mighty man by chance drawing a bow hit into a ioynt of his armour and slew him but Iehoshaphat was marueilously deliuered And therefore look to your warrant in your actions aske your hearts whether you be led by the spirit or come of your selues and then you come of your selues when either you haue no word or attempt any thing against the word seeing Gods spirit and word crosse not one another and one neuer directs but by the other So if you be crossed in your actions or attempts cast an eye backe to that which mooued you to it or whether you went by warrant or vpon your owne head If you haue gone and the spirit not leading you what could you expect but to be crossed Looke on the 7. sonnes of Sceua who would take in hand to cast out deuills in the name of Iesus but beeing not led by the spirit the euill spirit tooke aduantage on the want of their commission and ranne vpon them and ouercame them preuailed against them so that they fled out naked and wounded 2. Note Obserue the impudencie and boldnes of the deuill that thus visibly comes against Christ. Had he not heard the voice from heauen or had he forgot it whilest it yet sounded no he begun all his temptations thus If thou be the Sonne of God Or did he doubt that he was the Sonne of God no the deuills confesse him so to be Matth. 8. and he knew by all the prophesies and accomplishments that Christ was he the scepter was gone from Iudah he was borne of a Virgin at Bethlehem whom Iohn went before in the spirit of Elias he knew the shepheards testimony yea the Angels at his birth he knew well he was the Son of God Quest. What could it stand with his policie so visibly to assaile the Sonne of God Answ. 1. God in iustice besotted him that against his knowledge he should encounter Christ for his owne ouerthrow 2. Though â—e knew that Christ was he that should breake his head and that he could not preuaile against him yet his malice made him fearelesse he would set vpon Christ whatsoeuer should be the issue himselfe could be but condemned 3. He would against his knowledge shew his malice to God in molesting and troubling his blessed Sonne for here and daily he sinneth the sinne against the Holy Ghost 4. God hauing him in chaines so ouerruled his malice as it should be turned against himselfe and be a meanes to proclaime Christ in all ages the promised seed who had broken his head He which thus emboldned himselfe to come against Christ wil not feare to come to thee be thou as iust as Iob yea wert thou as innocent as the Lamb of God It is Gods great mercy that hee comes not so bodily and visibly to vs as to Christ we know if God giue him leaue he can possesse euen any of our bodies as appeares in all those demoniaks he can assume a body also to terrifie or delude vs withall if God suffer him as we see in Sauls example So in Gods iust iudgement when men giue vp Gods seruice and vndertake to bee agents for Satan he giues power to the deuill to come to them in a bodily shape for his better familiarity with them as to witches and the like It is Gods mercy that he comes not thus as he did to Christ so ordinarily as he hath done in ignorant and Popish times and we must pray that euen in visible shapes he may neither terrifie nor delude nor grow familiar with vs. But the light of the Gospell hath forced him to come to vs more secretly and spiritually by wicked motions and suggestions partly from himselfe immediately and partly mediately from others And seeing we cannot hinder his comming to vs we must be so much the more watchfull that when he comes he may find vs prepared against him For as we cannot hinder birds from flying in the aire but we may hinder them from making nests on our heads so we cannot hinder the flying motions of Satan but we neede not suffer them to settle in vs. Quest. How shall I know when the tempter comes Answ. By obseruing these two rules 1. Whensoeuer thou art perswaded to any thing that is euill then thou mayest know the tempter comes Sometimes he perswades to sinne by extenuating it why it is but a little one a grain as light as a feather now comes the tempter Gods spirit neuer perswades that any sinne is little Sometimes by the vtility commodity of it Oh it is profitable by one oath or lie thou maiest be a great gainer and why shouldest thou be so nice but now the tempter is come for the holy Spirit commaunds thee not to sweare at all nor to lie for Gods greatest aduantage much lesse thine owne and what profit is it to winne the world with the losse of ones soule Sometimes from
the pleasure of it Wilt thou defraud thyselfe of thy pleasure is it not as sweete as hony why thou art but young thou mayest game and sweare and drinke and be wanton now thou hast an occasion of lust take thy time thou canst not haue it euery day But here the tempter is plainely come for the Spirit of God would wish thee to remember that for all these things thou must come to iudgement that neither adulterers nor whoremongers shall enter into the Kingdome of God Sometimes by remoouing the punishment and terror Why who sees God is mercifull and easily intreated you are a Christian and no condemnation is to them that are in Christ Iesus and repentance wipes off all scores Here the tempter is come for Gods Spirit saith There is mercie with thee that thou maiest be feared and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but withall which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit 2. Rule When thou art disswaded from any good belonging to thee the tempter commeth who as he can make vice seeme beautifull so vertue to seeme vgly He can disswade men from religion in great friendlines 1. From a supposed impossibility How canst thou poore weakling beare such a yoke certeinly thou wilt neuer endure such strictnes thou mayest set thy hand to the plough but thou wilt soone looke backe and prooue an Apostate But here is a tempter come for Gods spirit teacheth otherwise that howsoeuer without Christ we can doe nothing yet it is God that beginneth and perfecteth his good work in vs whose yoke is easie and his burden light 2. From the great trouble and small necessity of it from the disgrace it carries among men and the contempt of such as preach and professe it Here is the tempter come for the Spirit of God teacheth that he that denies Christ before men shall be denied of him before men and Angels Further he can disswade from diligent hearing the word and from reading the Scriptures because they be exceeding long and hard to be vnderstood Why thine owne busines is such as cannot giue thee leaue euer to atteine any thing to the purpose especially because deep knowledge of points belongs not but to Diuines for an vnlettered and priuate man a little knowledge is best Here is a tempter come though he should speake in the voice of an Angel for Gods Spirit bids priuate men search the scriptures because they testifie of Christ and commends priuate Christians because they were full of knowledge Further he can discourage the practise of piety by suggesting that to be strict in life is to sauour of too much purity at least it will be counted but scrupulousnes too much curiosity and If thou wilt be singular and contemne and condemne all men but thy selfe so will men deale with thee Why thou liuest as though men were to be saued by good workes and not by Gods mercy Here the tempter is come for the Spirit of Christ neuer quenched smoking flaxe but encouraged the care of walking in Gods wayes though it be to walke in the straite way and narrow path that leadeth vnto life Lastly in all outward or inward temptations let vs looke to Christ who hath sense of both that he might be compassionate to vs in both If thou be the Sonne of God command these stones to be made bread In this first and fierce assault consider two things 1. the ground of it If thou be the sonne of God 2. the inference Commaund these stones to be made bread which is on a good ground to entice him to euill In which temptation Satan aimes at fowre things directly 1. To impugne Gods truth and word and that notable oracle from heauen testifying that Christ was the Sonne of God 2. To shake the faith of Christ Satan knew well enough he was the Son of God and he makes not this a question as though he would be instructed in it but that he would make Christ doubt whether he was the Sonne of God And note how cunningly he ties his policies together as he did against the first Adam he calls Gods word into question which is the ground of faith which if hee can bring out of credit faith failes of it selfe 3. Because of his present estate to doubt of his fathers prouidence and because of his great hunger and want of meanes to supply it to call his own Diuinitie into question 4. To vse vnlawfull meanes to releeue and sustaine himselfe In these particulars standeth the drift of the temptation As for that which the Papists generally say that it was to bring Christ to the sinne of gluttonie by which they say the first Adam fell there is no sense so to thinke For 1. Christs answer which was directly fitted to the suggestion tended nothing to the sinne of gluttonie 2. Gluttonie is an excessiue eating of more then needs whereas Sathan desires no more then that Christ would at his desire eate to the necessarie sustaining of nature it is no great gluttonie to eate a peice of drie bread in extreame hunger belly-gods and gluttons satiate themselues with other more pleasant and delicate dishes Let vs therefore know that the proper end of this temptation is distrust in God in his word and sufficient and due meanes to releiue his present estate If thou be the Sonne of God that is the naturall Sonne of God equall in power the delight of the Father as the voice pretends then doe this that I may beleeue thee els deceiue not thy selfe because of the voice from heauen thou art but a pure man Note how Sathan doth directly oppose himselfe against the word of God God had said Christ was his Sonne Satan knewe it and after confessed it yet against his owne knowledge he calls it into question although hee had seene it confirmed by two strange signes from heauen of which we haue spoken The like was his practise when he set vpon Eue saying What hath God said thus and thus why he knewe God had said it and that in the day they should eate they should die and yet he labours to make them doubt of that trueth which both he and they knewe too well This was euer his practise 1. Because of his great malice to God who hath euery way set himselfe to confirme his word that his owne truth might shine in his word to all the world Therfore he hath outwardly confirmed it by many powerfull and glorious miracles such as the deuil could neuer make shew of as raising the dead the standing and going backe of the sunne the diuision and standing of the sea and riuers and the bearing of a Virgin and inwardly his holy Spirit perswades testifies confirmes and sealeth vp the word in the hearts of Gods children 1. Ioh. 2.20 2. Cor. 2. Now to make God a lyer and to shew himselfe most contrary to the Holy Spirit he contradicts and opposeth stormeth and rageth 2.
iudgement as the deuills confessed Art thou come to torment vs before the time and yet he so besotteth and blindeth others that they make but a mocke of all as those in Peter who mocked and said Where is his comming 2. Pet. 3.1 Satan knowes that God is all an eye to whom day and darkenes are alike yet in tempting men to secret sinnes he will make them say Tush who sees vs can God see through the thicke cloud The deuill knowes that God is iust and will not take the wicked by the hand and yet he makes the sinner beleeue his case is good enough beeing a most graceles man and makes one wicked man say of another as in Malachi We count the proud blessed c. The deuill knowes that he that goeth on in sinne shall not prosper yet he makes the sinner who turnes from the word to beleeue he shall prosper As this temptation aimed to ouerthrow the word of God so also the faith of Christ in that word namely to bring him from his assurance that he was the Sonne of God Whence we may learne that Satan in his temptations against all the members of Christ aimeth to destroy their faith This Christ himselfe witnesseth that Satan desired to winnow the Disciples but himselfe prayed that their faith might not faile Luk. 22.31 1. Thess. 3.5 for this cause when I could no longer forbeare I sent Timothie that I might know of your faith least the tempter had tempted you in any sort And hence his continuall practise is to bring men to the extreams of faith in aduersity to despaire in time of prosperity to presumption 1. He maligneth faith as beeing a speciall gift and marke of Gods elect because it is giuen to them onely and to all them and therefore is called the faith of Gods elect Tit. 1.1 and to faith is the worke of regeneration ascribed Act. 15.9 2. All Satans temptations tend to breake off the couenant and communion betweene God and his children and therefore must in speciall manner aime against faith for by faith we are made the Sons of God Gal. 3.26 God espouseth marrieth vs vnto himselfe by faith Hos. 2.20 by faith we are brought into the grace by which we stand 3. He knowes that faith is our sheild wherby we both keep off the fiery darts of Satan and quench the same and that faith is the victory whereby we ouercome the world this is it that makes all his temptations forceles for though we haue no power of our selues to withstand him yet faith gets power from Christ and layes hold on his strength which quells all the aduersary-power of our saluation We stand by faith saith the Apostle and Satan sees the truth of Christs speach that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it He hath reason therefore to labour to weaken it and to root it out if it were possible out of the hearts of men and out of the world 4. All his temptations bend themselues to cut off and intercept the course of Gods loue and his fauours to his children hee bursts with enuie at the happinesse of the Saints But vnlesse he gaine their faith he cannot interrupt this for by faith as by an hand we receiue Christ himselfe giuen vs of the Father Eph. 3.17 and with him all his merits and all things belonging to life and godlines We receiue the promise of the spirit by faith Gal. 3.14 yea the presence of the Spirit who dwels in our hearts by faith we receiue the hope and hold of our blessed inheritance hereafter Gal. 5.5 And whereas Satans continuall drift is to estrange God and vs faith only crosseth him by which we haue entrance and boldnes to the throne of grace by our prayers to speake vnto God freely as to our father Eph. 3.12 Hebr. 10.22 yea to aske what we will and obtaine not onely all corporall blessings good for vs but also the sanctified and pure vse of them whereas the vnbeleeuer corrupts himselfe in them continually 5. Satan well knowes that faith is the ground of all obedience without which the word and all Gods ordinances are vnprofitable Heb. 4.2 without which there is no pleasing of God Hebr. 11.6 in any thing for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Hath hee not reason then to assay by all his strength to take this hold from vs Doth not he knowe that the foundation being ouerthrowne the whole building must fâ—ll and the roote ouerturned all the tree and branches come downe with it Seuer a man from his faith he tumbles in impietie and vnrighteousnes hee is odious to God in all things Satan â—ramples vpon him and leads him at his will From all which reasons we see that Satan especially in temptations aimes at our faith as he did at Christs Those who neuer felt any temptation but euer beleeued and neuer doubted as they say neuer had faith for neuer had any man true faith but it was assayled most fiercely neuer was faith laid vp in the heart of any child of God but the combate between nature and grace faith and frailtie flesh and spirit was presently proclaimed Eues faith was wonne from her quickly Abrahams faith was mightily assailed which because in such a combate he retained he was renowned and stiled the father of all the faithfull and faithfull Abraham Moses his faith was shaken and his great sinne was vnbeleefe Iob in his miserie was many waies assailed to distrust God as his words import If hee kill me I will trust in him still and Satans aime was to bring him to blaspheme God and die As the deuill laboureth most against our faith so should we most labour in fortifying it Policie teacheth men to plant the most strength at that fort or part of the wall where the enemie plants his greatest ordnance and makes the strongest assault And nature teacheth vs to defend all our parts but especially our head and heart and such like vitall parts the very serpent will saue his head so long as he can by naturall instinct whatsoeuer become of other parts Our cheife fortresse is our faith we haue no grace but is worth preseruing and sauing yet of them all Faith is as it were the Head and leader it sends the vitall spirits of heauenly life to the whole man Let grace therefore teach vs to saue this grace which is the heart of a Christian aboue all the rest and to beware of the least pricke or cracke in it which is dangerous A man may receiue great gashes and wounds in his armes and thighes or exteriour parts and recouer it well enough not so in the heart or braine Though thy comfort ioy feeling yea and fruits may faile take heed thy faith thy root faile not This is that which the Apostle Peter exhorteth 1.5.9 whome resist stedfast in the faith wherein if a man sit not very fast Sathan will soone vn-horse him And of all
or doe you crush him Answ. It is written God resists the proud 1. Pet. 5.5 and in giuing honour goe one before another and pride goes before the fall and that the haughtie eie is one of the sixe things which the Lord abhorres Prou. 6.17 Obiect 2. But you are a man of knowledge wise and learned what need you be so diligent in hearing sermons especially of such as are farre your inferiours you can teach them not they you Answ. It is written Isa. 5.21 Woe be to them that are wise in their own conceits and Christ hath said Hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Luk. 10.16 and that Iob despised not the counsell of his maide much lesse must I of the least Minister and that we knowe but in part and are to consider not who but what is spoken and that the same Spirit is mightie in one and in another Obiect 3. But you are a man of gifts and authoritie and these will carrie you through all and you may rise and treade such and such vnder your feete who dare say any thing to you Answ. It is written Matth. 18.6 Whosoeuer offendeth any of these little ones that beleeue in mee it were better for him a milstone were tied about his neck and he cast into the midst of the sea and Hee that doth wrong shall receiue according to the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons Coloss. 3.25 Obiect 4. But you may followe the fashions of the world in strange apparell ruffian behauiour monstrous tyres who may els how else should you bee knowne to be a gentleman or a gentlewoman Answ. It is written 1. Pet. 3.3 that euen womens apparelling must not be outward as with broydered haire and gold c. but the hid man of the heart must be vncorrupt for Sarah and other holy women trusting in God did so attire themselues and againe Fashion not your selues according to this world but be renewed in the spirit of your mind Bee euer of the newest fashion there Obiect 5. But it is a small matter and of great credit to sweare and curse and speake bigge words it is a way to get reputation and be respected as a man of spirit Ans. It is written Leuit. 24.16 He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death all the Congregation shall stone him and Iam. 5.12 Aboue all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen nor earth nor any other oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay The fourth instance is in motions to wrong and iniustice Obiect 1. Thou art a great man thou hast tenants thou mayest and must liue by them they are thy seruants and thou must enrich thy selfe by them racke their rents bind them to suit and seruice they cannot resist thee Or thou art a Master keepe thy seruants wages from him make thy vse of it wearie him poore snake what can he doe pay him at thy pleasure he will endure any thing rather then loose thy worke Answ. It is written Iam. 2.13 Iudgement merciles belongs to them that shew no mercie and those that grinde the faces of the poore shall one day be ground vnder the milstone of Gods heauie displeasure and Leu. 19.13 Thou shalt not robbe thy neighbour the workemans hire shall not abide with thee till the morning The reason is in Deu. 24.15 Least thy seruant cry against thee to the Lord surely it shall be sinne vnto thee Obiect 2. But thou maiest make the best of thine owne commodities by hoising the prices and diminishing or corrupting the quantitie or qualitie No man can force thee to sell thy owne in deare times vnlesse thou wilt and much lesse to giue it away to the poore and needy then shut vp thy heart liue to thy selfe let others shift for themselues as thou doest for one Answ. It is written that couetousnesse is the root of all euill and that it is idolatrie and the Lord hath sworne by a great oath euen by his owne excellencie Amos 8.4 that he will neuer forget any of their workes that swallow vp thee poore and make the needie of the land to faile that were wearie of the Sabbath because it hindred their setting of wheate to sale that made the Epha small and the shekel great and falsified their weights and sold corrupt corne that is tooke all courses for gaine Besides the fearefull fruits of couetousnesse in Achan Gehazi Ahah Iudas Obiect 3. But thou lendest thy money too freely ten in the hundred thou maiest take by law but if by cunning trickes and deuises thou canst get twentie in the hundred thou shalt growe rich the sooner Answ. It is written Luk. 6.35 Lend freely looking for nothing againe and Deut. 23.19 Thou shalt not giue to vsury to thy brother and Exod. 22.25 If thou lend money to my people thou shalt not be an vsurer and Leu. 25.36 Thou shalt take no vsurie nor aduantage neither lend him money nor victualls to encrease and what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule Obiect 4. But thou art a poore man and defraudest thy selfe of profit thou mayest by an oath or a lie or a little cunning and sleight get good gaines and why needest thou be so nice Answ. It is written Prou. 22.2 The rich and the poore meete together and the Lord is the maker of them both that is in their persons and in their estates and Leu. 19.11.12 Yee shall not sweare by my name falsly neither defile the name of the Lord thy God and that the curse entreth into the house of the swearer and theife and yee shall not steale nor deale falsly nor lie one to another and that all that loue abhomination and lyes shall be kept without the gates of the holy Citie with dogges Reu. 22.15 and that I must not lie for Gods glory much lesse for my owne profit Obiect 5. But thou maiest reuenge thy selfe vpon thy enemie and make him know whom he hath in hand broach some vntruth or other vpon him and thou shalt at least disgrace him and if thou leâ—st him goe with this euery one will scorne thee Answ. It is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord and Thou shalt not beare false witnesse and Matth. 7.12 Whatsoeuer you would that men should doe to you the same doe you to them and It is the glory of a man to passe by offences Obiect 6. But the cause is good the Catholike cause it is but a title of rebellion or treason indeed it is a meritorious worke and thou shalt be canonized a Romish Martyr if thou shalt kill a King or Queene or Prince that is an heretike but aboue all if thou canst by one terrible blow not onely kill the King Queene and Prince but also the whole Counsell all the Lords all the Iudges all the lawes all the law-makers yea and blow vp the whole Parliament house and with that three hereticall
not for this were contrarie to that vnmeasurable wisedome which was with him And if Satan had had such power ouer the superiour part of the minde of Christ he might likewise haue perswaded him he had not fallen when he did fall or hee did not worship him if he had done so As for the obiection taken from the example of the Prophets I answer Great is the difference between the visions of God and visions from Satan They know their visions to be diuine and not to delude or deceiue them they knew the Spirit of God tooke them vp in diuine visions but here it is said The deuill tooke vp Christ and the text mentioneth that theirs were visions so it doth not here For that which is obiected out of the Euangelists that the temptations were in the wildernesse and if it were not in vision onely the first should be there I answer 1. The Euangelists say that Christ went into the wildernesse to be tempted but none of them say that all these three were in the wildernesse 2. If they should haue said that the temptations were in the wildernesse it had been true for as we haue heard Christ was tempted with other temptations then these in that place within the fourtie daies Whereas it is further said that Christ returned after the temptations into Galily and therefore the last temptation was in vision vpon the plaine and not on the mountaine I answer 1. No one Euangelist saith he returned from the wildernesse 2. That the Euangelist hath reference to the last temptation which perhaps was finished in the mountaine either in that wildernesse or neare it after Christ was led backe from Ierusalem and there the temptations ended And now seeing that his presence in the holy citie and vpon the pinacle was reall and locall not in vision and mentall the next question is How the deuill tooke him vp and set him on Answ. It must necessarily be one of these two wayes either Satan must lead him or else must carrie him The former that Satan tooke him as a companion or a leader seemes not so probable 1. Because Christ of his owne will would not goe for as we haue heard the Spirit led him into the wildernesse to be tempted and he would not of himselfe goe elsewhere because the Spirit of God called him thither and no whither else 2. Christ would not doe it at Satans instigation whom he knewe to be the Temper for neither must we doe any thing at Satans request be it neuer so lawfull for what euer we doe we must haue a word of God to doe it in faith 3. If Christ had yeelded to bee lead as a companion he might haue seemed to haue sought temptation and been a co-worker with Satan against himselfe but it was enough to yeeld himselfe a patient in it 4. The distance of the holy citie from the wildernesse which was as those say that make it the least twelue miles from Ierusalem admitteth not that Christ beeing hungry and readie to faint should follow Satan so many miles The latter therefore seemes to be the right manner of Christs conueyance namely that he was carried by Sathan through the aire who by Gods and Christs permission tooke him vp and transported his blessed body to Ierusalem and set him on the battlements of the Temple For 1. the words hee set him on the Temple signifies hee set him downe who had formerly taken him vp and if he had power to set him there why should he not also haue power to carrie him thither And if he had not carried him thither but Christ had followed him the Euangelist would haue said When they came to the pinacle of the Temple and not set him on the pinacle 2. This was the houre of the power of darkenes wherein Satan was allowed to take all aduantages to further his temptations and he might thinke this violent transportation a meanes either of shaking Christs faith with terror and feare what might become of him being now deliuered into the hands of Satan or else to make him swell with pride and insolencie that he was able to flie in the aire or to be conuaied in the aire from place to place without hurt which an ordinarie man could not and this would well fit the scope of the temptation ensuing Quest. But how could Satan carrie the body of Christ beeing a spirit Or if he could why should he Answ. Hee is a spirit 1. of wonderfull knowledge and experience to diue into secrets of nature to worke strange and hidden things 2. of exceeding great power to shake the earth mooue the mountaines and confound the creatures if God should not restraine him 3. of admirable agility and quicknes proceeding from his spirituall nature whereby he can speedily conuay himselfe and other creatures into places farre remote and distant one from another 4. he knowes to apply himselfe to the creatures and to mooue them not onely according to their ordinary course but with much more speed and quicknes 5. he is able to appeare in the forme of a creature or any person not by deluding senses but by assuming to himselfe a true body and mooue it by entring into it and to vtter a voice in a knowne language as he did in the serpent and so he can in other creatures which haue instruments of speach And thus it is not difficult to him to transport a body Witches and wisards haue beene often by their owne confession transported into remote places by wicked spirits which they call familiars Besides good Angels beeing in their nature Spirits as Satan is are able to transport men hither and thither as Christ was in the aire Act. 8.39 The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip caried him from Gaza to Azotus which was about 36. miles Some vnderstand it of an Angell of the Lord as Mr. Beza noteth But if God by himselfe miraculously did that the additions to Daniel to which as much credit is to be giuen as to any historie which is not Scripture affirme that the Angell of the Lord carried Habbakuk out of Iudea into Babylon by the haire of the head Now why Christ must be thus carried by Satan Answ. 1. It was not against the will of Christ but willingly he puts himselfe into the hands of the deuill to plucke vs out of his hands 2. It was not impotencie or weaknes in Christ but power and resolution who would not recoyle nor shunne any place where Satan would appoint for his assault or would carrie him beeing aswell the God of the mountaines as of the vallies Here therefore we must not admire the power of Satan but the patience of Christ that suffred himselfe to be carried of the deuill beeing it tended to the greater confusion of Satan and the glory of his owne victory 3. Our blessed Lord would be tempted in all things like vnto vs that as a carefull head he might sympathize with his members God for the triall of his
little nearer we shall see it vanishing into nothing but deceit and mischeife For 1. What is this great all that he makes profer of A great catch iust nothing but shadowes and representations of things in themselues nothing at all but the show he had made 2. As this great all was but a show so it was but for a moment for shadowes cannot continue and what were Christ the better if he had beene put in possession of the things themselues if they so suddenly vanish away before he can giue a sight of them 3. His best and largest promises here are but in the transitory kingdoms of this life which all passe away as a shadow so as if he had offred and could haue performed the things themselues it had beene no great matter he neuer offers and makes good any sound grace or the things of Gods kingdome which are things onely worth hearkning after 4. Will he giue all the kingdomes and all the glory of them to Christ alone why what righteousnesse or iustice could be herein will he rob and spoile all other Kings and rulers in the world of their right and soueraignty which God had inuested them in and this all at once and in a moment 5. Whereas he pretends a gift he intends a deare bargaine and offring nothing but pure and vnmixed glory he would rob Christ our head and all his members at once of all ioy and happines both externall and eternall Of this kinde are all his promises be promised to Eue deity but it prooued mortallity and misery he promised Caiâ— respect and loue if he could make Abel out of the way but it prooued the casting of himselfe out from the face of God his fathers family 1. He that meanes not in true dealing to performe any thing may promise as much as he will Satan meant not to giue Christ one kingdome and he may as well promise all as one 2. His enmity and hatred of God and mans saluation makes him large in his promises he knowes how sâ—â—ly temptations on the right hand steale into the heart and that no enemy is so dangerous as he that comes in pretence of kindnesse When he seekes to draw man to hell with him he takes on him to teach him how to become a God When Christ was to suffer he would haue him to spare himselfe to hinder mans saluation he will offer kingdomes all kingdomes with all the wealth and pleasure of them Satan herein deales as Iaacobs sonnes with the Sichemites they made very faire promises that if they would be circumcised they would giue their daughters and take their daughters and dwell together as one people Gen. 34.16 but they talked deceitfully v. 13. intending onely to reuenge vpon them as they did when the males were sore by meanes of their circumcising Satan can promise a victory to Ahab but it is to chase him before his enemie to confusion 3. He knowes mans credulity and follie who is easily taken with faire words which makes fooles faine their eyes beeing wholly vpon things before them Besides howsoeuer our blessed Lord here was fenced that the least inordinate affection could not fasten vpon him although he had all the obiects in the world to mooue him yet he commonly findes men and women fitted for his turne doating vpon the world and needs no such large offers as here are made to Christ but for lesse commodity and glory then that in one kingdome will fall downe and worship him 4. Satan is so much the larger in his promises to imitate God whom he sees encouraging his seruants by making couenant 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 giue thee Now to draw men from Gods couenant if it were possible and to disgrace the same Satan seekes to get men in league with him by larger promises of the world then euer God made to one man because that carrieth their whole desires and as God for the ratifying of his couenant hath appointed Sacraments and seales so the deuill hath certaine words figures characters ceremonies and charmes for the confirmation of his league with them and their faith in that league Hence obserue a difference betweene Gods promises and the deuills 1. They differ in the matter Satan profers earthly shadowes earthly kingdomes things that glance through the sense worldly things which may be perceiued and thrust into the eye and senses all at once the best of which is but a phantasie as Paul calls the great pompe of Agrippa and Bernice things of a moment for continuance that last as long as the fulnesse of the moone scarce seene but vanishing But the matter of Gods promises is the kingdome not of earth but of heauen and the glory thereof to which all earthly things are but appendices things which cannot be shadowed for the eye cannot see nor the eare heare neither can it enter into the heart of an earthly man to conceiue what God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 The great promises of God are matters of faith not of sense and for continuance he promiseth a kingdome vnshaken eternall reserued in the heauens a glory not withering or fading vnlike 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 serue to prouoke and encourage men to lay hold vpon the couenant of life to draw men nearer God in faith and obedience 2. Cor. 7.1 Seeing we haue these precious promises let vs clense our selues from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow vp vnto full 〈…〉 in the feare of God But Satans promises tend to fix 〈…〉 world as here hee would make Christ the greatest 〈…〉 it to withdraw men from God and their couenant with him to pull them from the seruice of the God of heauen to worship himselfe or serue their lusts or embrace the world or bow to any thing but the true God 3. They differ in the accomplishment God is euer as good or better then his word Tit. 1.2 God who cannot lie hath promised To Dauid as Nathan witnesseth in his reproofe 2. Sam. 12.8 he gaue his Lords house his Lords wiues his Lords kingdome and if that had beene little he would haue giuen him more To Salomon he promised long life or wealth or wisedome and in the accomplishment he giues him both life and wealth and wisedome But Satan is neuer so good as his word but a liar in all his promises For 1. He wants power to performe when he promiseth that which is none of his as the kingdomes of the world Or 2. He wants purpose and will to performe his promise For had he a purpose and minde to haue giuen Christ the kingdoms of the world if he had had power Doth not he enuie to euery man the fruition of
humane traditions as the Papists that worship God in images pilgrimages a thousand deuises meere strangers to the Spirit of God in Scripture thrust in by Satan for his owne seruice Conclus 3. Numbers will not be perswaded they worship the deuill when indeed they doe For as then we worship God actually when we serue and obey him so then men worship the deuil when they doe the workes of the deuill Ioh. 8. He that is a slaue a vassall to the deuill is an apparant worshipper of him Yea so neare a seruice is between them that the deuill is said to beget many sonnes in the world Ioh. 8.41 now euery sonne honours his father Thus doe all they that are subtile to peruert the straight wayes of God as Elymas therefore called by Paul the child of the deuill Act. 13.10 because he sought to hinder the word and work of God Thus doe all those tares the children of that wicked one Matth. 13.38 which grow vp in Gods field to the molesting and annoyance of the Lords wheate Thus doe all they who when they should spend the Lords Sabbaths in his worship they worship and serue the world in buying and selling or the deuill in play and gaming in their owne houses falling downe to the worship of the deuill when true worshippers are in Gods house performing their homage and seruice to him Conclus 4. Satan preuailes against numbers by drawing the affections of their hearts from the true God to something besides him to loue trust and follow it more then God as the voluptuous person that makes his bellie his God and so is a louer of pleasure more then of God and the couetous person making his wealth his God whom Paul therefore calls an idolater All these and many moe are worshippers of the deuill and fallen downe to him and cannot possibly worship the true God II. How and by what meanes Satan doth thus preuaile And the meanes are these 1. He hath often the secular arme and humane authoritie 2. Chron. 11.15 Rehoboam ordained Priests for the high places for the deuils and for the calues that he had made Thus Antichrist the beast of Rome Reu. 13.16 by power made all both small and great rich and poore bond and free to receiue his marke in their hands and foreheads So he did in our country by fire and fagot in Queen Maries dayes 2. Sometimes he drawes men to his owne worship by pollicie for he can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light he can preach Christ for a need to ouerthrow the preaching of Christ Mark 1.34 he can be a lying spirit in the mouthes of fowre hundred false prophets 1. King 21. at once and can put on the shape of Samuel beeing still a Sathan 3. Sometimes by faire promises as in our text he will giue a whole world to bring Christ to one sinne Thou shalt haue ease pleasure wealth credite in a word thy hearts desire if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee 4. By perswasion that it is a vaine thing to serue God Malach. 3.14 no ioy for the present no recompence hereafter thus he carries with him innumerable companies with things present not considering the time to come 5. By threatning of crosses losses disfauour as Balaac said to Balaam Thy God hath kept thee from preferment By violent persecutions Reuel 12.13.15 the redde dragon persecuted the woman which had brought forth the man child the serpent cast out of his mouth waters like a flood to cause the woman to be carried away 6. By effectuall delusion by meanes of signes wonders false miracles and sleights which Sathan putteth forth to giue credite to false worshippe as it is spoken of the great Antichrist 2. Thess. 2.9 10. that hee shall come by the working of Sathan with power signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish and thus shall the beast deceiue all those whose names are not written in the booke of life Thus many are deceiued in Poperie by the iugling and craftie conueyances of the Priests and often by magicke making their images appeare to sweate to nodde to roll their eyes to passe voices through them and make blood appeare in the hoast which they would haue their people beleeue and thus Satan mightily drawes them to the worship of himselfe Here let vs learne to bewaile the miserie of men seduced by the deuill and thrust from their God whether more openly or more secretly as 1. Such as ioyne to Poperie renouncing the worship of the true God and fall downe to the deuill to worship him Reu. 13.4 and they worshipped the dragon and the beast noting that the worship of the beast is the worship of the dragon Now they worship the beast that giue him power ouer the Scripture ouer the consciences of men to make lawes to bind them to pardon sinnes to open heauen hell purgatorie and receiue his bulls and canons before the Canonical Scripture A lamentable thing that Satan gets such great ones daily to fall downe and worship him 2. Such as get liuings by bribery symony chopping and changing and such indirect courses here the Chaplein hath fallen downe to the deuill and worshipped him and he hath bestowed the benefice 3. Such as seeke to witches for help or cunning men and wome◠a plaine and open seruice of the deuill by vertue of a league and compact at least secret Should not a people seeke to their God or can all the deuills in hell remooue the hand of God 4. Such as by flatterie dissembling iniustice lying swearing or breaking the Sabbath obtaine wealth or profit All this the deuill hath giuen thee because thou hast fallen downe and worshipped him Whatsoeuer a man doth against the word against his oath or conscience is a falling down to the deuill and a worshipping of him Take heed of comming vnder the power and seruice of the deuill and to that ende obserue these rules 1. Hold thee to Gods word and will in all duties of pietie and iustice both for matter and manner For we must not onely doe our Masters will but also according to his will 2. Heare and foster the motions of Gods Spirit which are euer according to the word It is a note of a man giuen vp to Sathan to haue continuall disobedience breathing in him Eph. 2.2 The fowle spirit sauours nothing but the flesh 3. Renounce the world daily be not a seruant to any lust neither take pleasure in it For when Sathan findes a man seruing pleasures he halters him with them and clogs him with cares of riches and voluptuous liuing Luk. 8.14 4. Walke in the light loue it and such as walke in it It is a signe of a man in Sathans snare to despise thē that are good 2. Tim. 3.3 to make a shew of godlines denying the power thereof v. 5. Satan himselfe pretends light but walkes in darkenesse and leads such as he rules in the same path 5. Contend
adoramus And Augustine epist. 44. Scias à Christianis Catholicis nullum coli mortuorum No Christian Catholike worshippeth any of the dead And some of themselues as Holcot and Durand write that no worship at all is to be giuen to an image neither is it lawfull to worship it And yet Aquinas and others say plainely that the Crucifix and image of Christ must be adored with the same honour as himselfe is yea that honour stayeth in the very image which I hope is more then douleia that is giuen to the image of Christ. But enough of this idle distinction They must as the Midianites fight against themselues and one another that fight against God and his glory And wee must fight against them and take part with our God for his right and assoone ioine our selues with Pagans and Infidells as with Papists one of their worshippes beeing euery way as idolatrous as the other I know there is difference in the persons whom they represent in the image betweene Peter and Paul and betweene Iupiter and Mercury But in the thing there is no difference diuine worshippe giuen to an image of the one beeing as hatefull to God as that which is giuen to the other We worship not the image but God in the image nor the Saints themselues but God in the Saints honour done to Gods friends is done to God himselfe So the Rhemists say As the worship of the image of Antichrist is the worship of Antichrist himselfe so the worshippe of the image of Christ is the worshippe of Christ himselfe In Apoc. 12. § ◠I answer 1. After the same manner the Gentiles maintained their idolatry who instituted idolls vt admoneamur diuinae naturae to put them in minde of God 2. It is false which they say for they worship the images and Saints themselues as appeareth euidently in their forenamed seruices 3. God will be honoured in such signes and meanes as himselfe hath appointed and not condemned neither hath he more condemned image-worship then his worship in an image Besides whatsoeuer the Rhemists say God hath appointed what honour to giue to his friends and hath denied to giue this honour to any of the◠Isa. 42.8 All will-worship is condemned Col. 2.23 No worship pleaseth him that is not commaunded in his word Matth. 15.9 4. Thus might they defend the most grosse idolatry as euer was as for example Iehu worshipped God and was zealous for the Lord of hosts 2. Kin. 10.16 but he worshipped God in the two calues at Dan and Bethel for it is said vers 31. he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam He might with Papists haue said Why I worshippe no calues but God in the calues Yet hee was an idolater The Samaritans and Assyrians in Samaria feared God and serued their images 2. King 17.28.33.41 that is serued God in images But they were not thereby freed from horrible idolatry for which God cast them out Iudg. 17. Micha worshipped the true God in an idoll and could say as much as the Papists I worship not the image but God in the image for v. 3. the siluer was dedicated to the Lord to make an image and v. 13. now the Lord will be mercifull vnto me seeing I haue got a Leuite in my house And yet he was a grosse idolater Exod. 32. the Israelites worshipped not the calfe but God in the calfe for 1. they proclaimed holy-day to Iehoua not to the calfe v. 5. 2. the thing they desired was onely some visible presence of God to goe before them now in the absence of Moses v. 1 3. they could not be so senslesse as to thinke that an idoll which had eyes and did not see and feete but could not walke could goe before them but that God represented thereby and reconciled vnto them should goe before them 4. when they said These be thy Gods Oh Israel which brought thee out of Egypt could they be so blockish as to thinke a dead idoll made but the day before could be that God which brought them many weekes before out of Egypt when it had no being Therefore by a figure of the signe put for the thing signified it is thus meant This is in honour of the God that brought thee out of Egypt Obiect They forgate God Psal. 106.20 Answ. It cannot be meant of all memory of God but that they forgate their dutie and obedience to God together with Gods expresse commaundement to the contrary Yet was this condemned by God and reuenged by Moses as an high idolatry 5. It is false which the Papists say that they worship not the image but God in the image their common practise is to inuocate images to trust for good from them to vow offer and goe in pilgrimage to them and make sure of protection from them This is the honour of images to the great and high dishonour of God 6. The Papists themselues after all their flourishes are glad to leaue this practise as which they had rather hold by way of dispute to toile the Protestants then in sound iudgement to help themselues Chemnitius writes of George Cassander that after long dispute and strife to varnish ouer inuocation of Saints he concluded thus Ego in meis precibus non soleo Sanctos inuocare sed inuocationem dirigo ad Deum ipsum idque in nomine Christi hoc enim tutius esse existimo I for my part vse not to call vpon the Saints but direct my prayers to God himselfe and that in the name of Christ for I take this to be the safer course And Hofmeister a great Papist after he had heaped vp many opinions about inuocation of Saints concludes in the words of Augustine if that booke De visitatione infirmorum was his Tutiùs iucundiùs loquor ad meum Iesum quà m ad aliquem sanctorum spirituum Dei I speake more safely and with more comfort to my Iesus then to any of those blessed spirits that are with God And to those that doe not thus may be applied that in Ier. 2.13 This people hath committed two great euills they haue left the fountaine of liuing waters and digged to themselues wells that will hold no water I will conclude with the concession of Eccius in his Enchiridion wherein he shewes that inuocation of Saints was not deliuered by the Spirit of God in the old Testament neither in doctrine nor commaundement nor promise nor example for two reasons 1. Because that people was so prone to idolatry 2. Because the Fathers were in limbo before Christs passion neither had the blessed vision of God Neither was it deliuered in the new Testament for two reasons more 1. Because the Gentiles were very prone to returne to their old idolatry 2. Least the Apostles should seeme to teach their owne honour after their death Let vs take this Doctor at his word and his reasons as they are though better might be giuen and onely hence inferre thus much If
drawne from the expectation of reward or wages which if their Masters should faile God would not faile to repend vnto theÌ„ knowing that whatsoeuer good thing any man doth that same hee shall receiue of the Lord. Now if the Lord so liberally reward faithfull seruice done to meane and euen wicked men how rich and royall a reward giues he to the faithfull seruice of himselfe If gifts then may mooue vs to serue God the Lord truly saith All these doe I giue thee and more also my Christ my Spirit my selfe and life eternall No man giues such wages no seruant euer had such a pay-master To these might be added sundry other motiues as 1. To serue God is to raigne and to be a king ouer the world fleshly lusts c. and to suite with Saints and Angels 2. God hereby becomes our protector maintainer and reuenger as Dauid often prayeth Lord saue thy seruant teach thy seruant reuenge the cause of thy seruant c. 3. Seruants of vnrighteousnesse meet with the wages of vnrighteousnesse 4. All our comfort in crosses and afflictions stands in our seruice of God and a good conscience or else wee haue none 5. To feare and keepe his commaundements is the whole dutie of a man and that which makes him fully happy Notes of a good seruant of God 1. Labour to know the will of the Lord which he hath reuealed in his word as Dauid prayed Psal. 119.125 For in the Scripture he hath laid out our worke for vs and let vs expect our calling to euery businesse there let vs be ready to heare not lightly absent nor present for custome but conscience 2. Let vs serue him in affection and be glad to doe any thing to please him and grieue when we faile either in doing that we should not or in not doing that we ought or not in that manner that may please the Lord. 3. Be euer imployed in his worke How know I a mans seruant but by his labouring in his masters businesse Yee are his seruants to whom ye obey Rom. 6.16 and Ioh. 15. Yee are my disciples if yee doe whatsoeuer I command you If I see a man spend his time in the seruice of sinne of lusts of games pleasure the world c. I know whose seruant he is certenly he is not in the seruice of God he is not in Gods worke 4. Intend thy Lords profit and glorie A good seruant knowes his time and strength is his Masters and he must be profitable to him and seeke his credit It will be with euery seruant of Christ as with Onesimus Philem. 11. beeing conuerted howsoeuer before grace he were so vnprofitable and pilfering as he was vnfit for any honest mans house and much more the house of God yet now he profits the Lord and credites him and takes not his meat and drinke and wages for nothing 5. A good seruant sets forward his masters work in others he will prouoke his fellow-seruants and not smite and hinder them as the euill seruant did he will defend his Lord hee will venture his life for him he will stand also for his fellow-seruants while they are in their Masters busines he will be a law to himselfe if there were no law no discipline he will not idle out his time his eye is vpon the eye of his Master his minde vpon his account his endeauour to please him in all things VERS 11. Then the deuill left him and behold the Angells came and ministred vnto him HAuing by the assistance of God now finished the two former generall parts of this whole historie which stood in the 1. preparation and 2. the combate it selfe we proceede to the third and last which is the issue and euent of all which affordeth vs the sweete fruite and comfort of all our Sauiours former sufferings from Sathan and of our labours and endeauours in opening the same In this issue two parts are to be considered 1. Christs victorie 2. His triumph His victorie and conquest in that the deuill left him His triumph in that the Angels came and ministred vnto him In both which shine out notably the markes of his diuine power which euen in all his lowest abasements did discouer it selfe to such eies as could see it and gaue shew of a person farre aboue all that his outward presence seemed to promise as for example His conception was by the holy Ghost His birth as meane and base as might be but graced with a starre and the testimony of Angells and his circumcision with Simeons His baptisme performed by Iohn in Iordan but graced by his Fathers testimony and the Spirits descent in a visible shape of a doue Hâ—s ciuill obedience causeth him to pay tribute but he sends for it to a fish His person was called Beelzebub but Beelzebub confesseth him to be the Son of God At his passion what greater infamie then to be hanged betweene two theeues what greater glorie then to conuert and saue one of them At his apprehension they that tooke him fell backward to the ground Ioh. 18.6 In death he trode vpon deaths necke and being shut vp in the graue he opened it So here he is carried and recarried in the hands of the deuil but as one weary of his burden he is forced to leaue him on the plaine field and to giue vp the bucklers because a stronger then he is come This is the great mysterie of God manifest in the flesh 1. Tim. 3.16 In the victory of Christ consider three things 1. The time when the diuell left him then 2. The manner hee departed from him 3. How long he left him and that is in Luke for a season Then this particle may haue reference to three things 1. When the temptations were ended saith Luke namely all those which his Father had appointed him to endure at this time in the wildernes For as the Son of God knew how much to suffer so Satan would not giue ouer till he had spent all his powder and had exercised all his malice in these most hellish temptations wherein he vsed all his skill strength and malice if he might possibly in this seed of the woman ouerthrow all the sonnes of men and in the head kill all the members Whence we may Obserue the obedience of the Sonne of God who stood out resolutely and departed not the field at all nor expected any rest till all the temptations for this time were ended Christ could haue confounded Satan in the beginning of the temptations and so haue freed himselfe from further molestation but he continues and abides all the triall to the end And why 1. His loue to his Father made him submit himselfe to the lowest abasement euen to the death of the crosse and refuse no difficult seruice for which his Father sent him into the world of which this was a principall The speech of Dauid was most proper to this sonne of Dauid Behold here am I let the Lord doe with mee euen
not Dauid ouercome with temptation Answ. Yes iustly when he remitted of his watch and resistance but this was neither totally nor finally The reason is because God puts a man into the hands of the deuill two wayes 1. absolutely 2. with limitation Absolutely as when his iustice giues vp a wicked man to be wholly ruled at his will and caried headlong to destruction With limitation when a man is put into his hand to preuaile ouer him to a certaine measure as Iob and our Sauiour to be in these temptations carried and molested to a certaine measure of time and vexation Thus the Lord sometimes for a time leaueth his owne children into the hand of Satan so as he may tempt them and preuaile ouer them to the committing of fearefull sinnes as we see in Dauid and Peter which sinnes often blinde and harden them and damp their conscience that for a time they see no displeasure of God but lie secure and impenitent as Dauid well nigh a yeare But all this desertion of God was to a certaine measure at length the cloud was gone the mist dispersed the light returnd Satan resisted and forced to flie away And this is the ground of that prayer of Dauid and the Saints Lord forsake me not ouerlong not fearing that the Lord would quite take away his grace from him as the violent Lutherans teach but that he should not withdraw his second grace ouer farre or ouermuch Which prayer is grounded on a promise of God by vertue whereof we may conclude that the battel of beleeuers is not for the ouerthrow but the exercise of their faith This should stirre vp the Christian to chearefull resistance which is the condition of Satans flight Obiect Alasse he is a spirit I am flesh which is great aduantage He is a legion I am but one man he can oppresse me with number He is a principallity as strong as a roaring lyon I am a weake worme He is subtile as a serpent I am foolish and vnwise He is cruell and fierce how can I haue any heart to resist him Answ. 1. There is in euery Christian a Spirit stronger then he Ioh. 4.4 2. There be more with vs then with him 2. Chron. 32.7 feare him not 3. Hee is mighty but what can a strong man beeing disarmed doe 4. He is subtile but in our Lord are treasures of wisedome and he is made wisedome to vs of God 1. Cor. 1.30 5. He is cruell but what hurt can a lyon doe beeing in chaines or a grate Secondly in thy resistance striue lawfully How Two wayes 1. By good meanes 2. In a good manner First the meanes of resisting the deuill must not be such as are of the deuills owne deuising as crosses reliques holy-water exorcismes nor seeking to witches and sorcerers which is to cast out the deuill by Beel-zebub but by meanes appointed by our captaine who was best acquainted with this warre as 1. The word of God the holy Scriptures by which Christ made the deuill flie and so must we 1. Ioh. 2.14 I write vnto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye haue ouercome the deuill which plainely sheweth that not by spells and charmes of Scriptures but by the abiding of it in the heart to rule and order the life Satan is ouercome Satan is subtile but the word giueth wisedome to the simple which ouercomes his subtilty 2. Faith in Gods promises 1. Pet. 5.9 whom resist stedfast in the faith Christ here sets himselfe stedfastly in the word of his Father and so conquers the deuill The victory that ouercomes the world is by faith to leane on the promises of God Faith keeps in sight Christ our victorious captaine and sets the crowne of life in our eye which is laid vp for them that are faithfull to the death 3. Prayer ioyned with fasting and watching Christ entring this combate armed himselfe with fasting watching and prayer for many dayes together Dauid when Goliah drew neere tooke a stone out of his scrip and smote him in the forehead that he fell downe This stone that ouerthrowes the hellish Goliah is prayer While Moses hands are lifted vp all the armies of the Amalekites flie before Israel And S. Iames in his Epistle tells vs that if we would resist the deuill we must draw neere God c. 4. v. 8. and neuer do we draw nearer God then in effectuall and feruent praier Let the disciples vse any meanes without this the deuill will not flie whereof if they aske the reason Christ tells them the deuill is not cast out but by fasting and prayer 4. The practise of true godlines and resolution against all vnrighteousnesse Righteousnesse is called a brestplate Eph. 6.14 which is not onely that imputed righteousnesse of Christ but that inherent righteousnesse of our selues which is the studie and endeauour in a godly life and the Apostle Iames among other directions in resisting the deuill c. 4. v. 8. giueth this for one Cleanse your hearts yee sinners and purge your hearts yee wauering minded and the reason is good seeing by euery sinne and lust being nourished Satan is let in and the yeelding to any corruption is to giue him so much ground in stead of beating him out of our borders He that is in a fight abstaineth from whatsoeuer would hinder him 1. Cor. 9. and therefore from sinne which presseth downe and hangeth fast on Let vs meditate on that law Deut. 23.9 When thou goest out against thine enemies to fight abstaine from euery euill thing For this weakens vs and turnes God against vs and driues his good Angels from vs. 5. Gods Spirit Bee strong in the Lord and in the power of his might our owne strength will easily be turned against vs our own counsells cannot but cast vs downe God resisteth the proud and assisteth the humble As therefore Moses said to Israel at the redde sea beeing naked and weake not knowing what to doe so may we in this case Stand still feare not behold the saluation of the Lord Greiue not the Spirit nor quench his motions who is the spirit of power of wisedome of fortitude and counsell of strength and direction and goe forth in the boldnesse of that Spirit as Ier. 20.11 The Lord is with me like a mighty gyant therefore mine enemies shall be ouerthrowne and shall not preuaile but shall be mightily confounded Secondly the good manner of resisting the deuill that he may flie is this 1. Resist the first temptation and breake the serpents head dash the heads of Babylons brood against the stones Wise men will not let the enemie come neere the walls or the gates much lesse into the market place It is a great aduantage to giue the foyle at the first onset Giue no place to the deuill giue sinne no roome in thy heart or if Satan inwardly suggest any there close it vp let it die and neuer come out as a man that hath a
serpent in a vessell stops it vp and there it dies 2. Resist the least euill motion contemne not the least temptation for Sathan can tell how by one graine of poyson to kill the soule and by one dead flie to corrupt a whole boxe of oyntment The weakest man yea or woman is strong enough to kill a sleepy Sisera The weakest temptation is too strong for a carelesse and secure aduersarie Eue should haue resisted Satan in an apple and Lots wife in a looke No sinne is so light and venial that is not worth resistance For Satan can vse small sinnes as the fisher vseth small haires to hold the fish as fast or faster then greater tackling and secret sinnes to doe more harme in the soule then open 3. Resist stoutly and manfully if he pull one way pull thou the other for so doth he that resists If he tempt thee to pride incline thou so much the more to humilitie If he mooue thee to reuenge prouoke thy selfe to meeknesse and patience If he tempt thee to earthlinesse bend thou thy selfe so much the more to heauenly-mindednesse and thus thou shalt beat him with his owne weapons and take off Goliahs head with his owne sword and all his gaine in tempting thee shall be to set thee faster and nearer vnto God 4. Resist constantly to the last though thou be sore assailed and ready to forsake the field yet resist stil though neuer so weakly Consider that Christ promiseth a place on his throne onely to him that ouercommeth Reu. 3.21 that there is no safetie in flying no peice of armour appointed for the backe If thou beest greatly straightned send Satan to the crosse of Christ there he shall receiue an answer but rather die manfully then flie cowardly By flying thou loosest the victory by dying thou canst not 5. Resist after victorie when Satan seeemes not to resist hold on thy harnesse and expect the enemie when he seemes absent perhaps he faines himselfe foyled when he is but renewing his assalt or as a pyrate hangs out a flag of truce to board vs or dissembles a flight to drawe vs out of our holds and then hath an ambushment against vs and this is his sorest fight or he will seeme to yeeld the victorie to them whom he knowes cannot tell how to vse it but either they will growe proud of it or secure and lay off their watch and then whom he could not in warre ouercome while he was resisted in their peace he spoyles them when they thinke he needs no resistance This reprooues the idle conceit of men who thinke to be safe from the deuill without resistance as 1. Many ignorant men who will spit at the mention of the deuill and blesse themselues from the fowle fiend and yet are sure enough in his power these neuer knew what it meant to resist the deuill they want knowledge in the word and are willingly and wilfully ignorant they want faith and neuer inquire after it they liue according to nature and the fashion and custome of the times are ordinary swearers and Sabbath-breakers and worldlings and they thinke it was neuer wel since there was so much preaching And for the Spirit of God if he were not present to restraine them with common grace it were no liuing neare them but for the renewing of the Spirit to set them out of Satans power and the corruption of their owne sinnes he is so farre from them as they may say truely with Iohns disciples Act. 19.2 We know not whether there bee an holy Ghost or no. Alas how pitifull is the state of these men who thinke Satan is fled from them when he is their onely counsellour and familiar ruling them at his pleasure 2. Many that thinke to resist the deuill but they are loath yet to disease either him or themselues yet a little while they wil hold their sinnes they would faine prouide for their wiues children and rise to such an estate before they giue vp their couetousnesse vsurie deceitfull and iniurious courses they will leaue their voluptuous and adulterous courses when they are old that is when these sinnes must needs leaue them they will repent of their sinnes when they die they would be loath to carrie them to Gods iudgment with them but so long as they liue their sinne shall liue with them Fie vpon such madnesse Are old decrepit men fit for the field Is a man vpon his death-bed a fit man to master a gyant Shall a man so be-foole himselfe as to thinke that then he can easiest resist the deuill when his power is least No no Satan will now triumph and trample vpon his spoile hee knowes well that not one of ten thousand lets his sinne liue so long with him but his repentance dies with him also 3. Others dreame of a victorie ouer the deuil and they are safe but they are not so strict as not to yeeld some equall conditions to their aduersary they care not to giue a little place vnto him They are no great swearers by great oathes but now and then they may forget themselues and say by God or faith or â—oth c. Nor great gamesters that liue by gaming but now and then sit out a number of houres together to spend and passe away their times Nor great drinkers but onely giue Satan aduantages by running into such companie and houses as they be prouoked to drinke a little more then they need Nor open contemners of the word and prayer to speake against it and make their minds knowne but they cannot abide this strictnesse at home Is not the Church the house of praier Nor knowne adulterers they are honest of their bodies but their eies are full of adultery and their mouthes ful of obscene filthy speeches yet they say they thinke no hurt This is to dally with the deuill as friends at foyles that haue capps on the points of their rapiers for feare of hurting one another Here is no spirit ruling but he that rules in the world The deuill flyes not for such a resistance III. Then the deuill left him Namely when Christ bade him be gone Whence we may note that The power of Christ is such as all the deuills in hell are not able to resist If Christ bid the deuill auoide euen then at his word he must be packing Mark 9.25 he charged the vncleane spirit to come out and enter no more into the man so as the deuils cryed for griefe and anger Mark 1.34 a whole legion of diuells submissiuely entreat him not to torment them And this was not onely so in it selfe but in the knowledge of all the Iewes who brought all that were possessed with diuels and he healed them Matth. 15.28 the Canaanitish woman seeking to Christ for her daughter that was possessed acknowledged thereby that his power was aboue all the deuills and our Lord most notably in that storie manifesteth his power ouer them who beeing absent from the maid and did
new creatures created to good workes ioyne that in thy actions which the deuill diuorced the inner man with the outward the subiection of the soule with the obedience of the bodie 2. Examine thy loue in thy obedience that because the loue of God constraines thee thou doest what he commands and whether thou preferrest the commandement of God which is euer ioyned with his glory aboue all the world and thy obedience aboue thy profit credit ease pleasure mens fauour or disfauour whether thou canst obey God against all these This was Abrahams loue to God in so difficult a commaundement as the killing of his sonne But Satan here went away not for loue of God but for feare and beeing forced 3. Examine thy manner of obeying whether it be a willing and readie obedience If I doe it willingly saith the Apostle I haue a reward and Rom. 6.17 Ye haue obeyed from the heart or heartily And such obedience 1. repineth not as giuing God any thing too much though the dearest things of all 2. deuiseth no excuses as Saul when hee did but halfe the commaundement pretended sacrifice and the peoples instance 3. seeketh no delayes I made haste and delayed not to keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal. 119. 4. Doest thou obey in all thy commandements 1. the commaundement of faith in the Gospell aswell as the actuall obedience of the Law for one is as acceptable as the other 2. obeyest thou the commaundement aswell of doing good as of abstaining from euill for the deuill here abstaines from this euill of tempting Christ but can neuer doe any good he ioynes not these commaundements in his practise as Gods spirit doth in his precept Isa. 1.16.17 3. makest thou conscience of the least commaundement aswell as of the greatest for all of them haue a stamp of God vpon them makest thou conscience of small oaths vaine words rouing thoughts 4. doest thou obey constantly for loue is strong as death and much water cannot quench it But alasse much obedience is like that of Dauids false friends Psalm 18.44.45 strangers shall be in subiection to me but they shall shrinke away For a season Luk. 4.13 The THIRD point followeth to be considered namely how long Satan left our Lord not for euer after but for a while and surely he stayed away but a little while For if we looke into the holy story we shall see the whole life of Christ almost to be a continuall temptation and how Satan from time to time partly by himselfe and partly by his ministers assayled him This we shall see how sundry wayes Satan molested him and tempted him 1. in his ministery 2. his life 3. his death 1. In his ministery he was tempted both in his doctrine and miracles For his doctrine the Scribes and Pharises often sought to catch aduantages against him as in the case of the bill of diuorce Mat. 19.1 and of the woman taken in adultery Ioh. 8. which by Moses his law should be stoned but Master what sayest thou The Sadduces also tempted him in the case of the woman that had seuen husbands whose she should be in the resurrection Mat. 22.23 And the Lawyer concerning the great commaundement of the law vers 35. As for his miracles the seale of that doctrine they tell him to his face that he cast out deuills by Beelzebub Mat. 9.34 and 12.24 2. In his life and ciuill obedience The Pharises take counsell together how they might entangle him in his talke about paying tribute to Caesar Matth. 22.15 And when he ate meate in Matthews house Maâ— 9.11 they asked why he did eate meate with Publicans and sinners and therefore he was one of them Simon the Pharise seeing Mary Magdalen annoynting Iesus his feet with precious ointment and washâ—ng them with teares and wiping them with her haires said Surely if this man were a Prophet hee would know that this woman is a sinner and not let her meddle with him How often did they murmure at him and lie in waite for him and take vp stones to stone him and raile vpon him with most despightfull words calling him Beelzebub a Samaritan a glutton a loose companion running vp and downe with noted sinners In all which Satan was the cheife agent 3. But aboue all other temptations those were most fierce and furious with which he was afflicted torne and tormented about the time of his passion and on the crosse For then as himselfe witnesseth the prince of the world came vpon him with all his traine Ioh. 14.30 he came in himselfe and whole legions of wicked Angells with him as the Apostle plainely implyeth Coloss. 2.15 he spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the crosse Now or neuer Satan must win the field this is the last act Christ was neuer so beset with miserie Satan neuer had him at such an aduantage before now Gods whole wrath is vpon him and now the deuill and his Angells set vpon him so sore that in his agonie in the garden he sweates drops of water and blood and on the crosse he cryes out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Those were more secret temptations of Satan and his instruments but let vs see with what hellish darts they pierced him openly vpon the crosse not to speake of those which he endured all the time he was in examination condemnation and leading to execution For 1. They hang him between two theeues as an arch-rebell and of all sinners the greatest and dart against him the same temptation with that in all this history that he was not the Son of God If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the crosse certainly God would not let his Sonne hang there but thou art a deluder and arch-seducer of the people 2. They tempted him with feare of death Matth. 27.42 hee saued others himselfe he cannot saue this is a wise Sauiour indeede hee cannot escape death in whose hands he is sure enough and euen ouercome alreadie of death and yet he will bee a Sauiour 3. They tempted him with vtter reiection from God as the most damned reprobate that euer was He trusted in God now let him deliuer him if he will haue him but he can neither deliuer himselfe nor God will haue none of him he abhorres him and will cast him presently to hell These and a number of the like was our Sauiour molested and tempted withall secretly and openly euen then when the wrath of his Father seased vpon him So as truely the Euangelist might say that Satan left him but for a season Christian life is but an entercourse of quiet and trouble sometime Satan leaues Christ but he comes againe and renewes his temptation so it is with the members who haue much warre but some peace many troubles but some breathing time This truth we will a while discouer both in the state of the whole church of God from time to time as also in some particular members thereof What a night
He hateth the word of God because it is the greatest enemie to his Kingdome euery way resembling God the author and carrying his image It is light and no maruell if the Prince of darkenes resist it it discouers his subtilties and fenceth the Christian against his pollicies it discerneth spirits that let him come as an Angel of light he shall be vncased As he preuaileth in darknes so he worketh in impuritie now here the word resembling God himselfe crosseth him it is pure in it selfe and a purifyer as Christ saith Yee are cleane by my word Further his cheife power beeing in the sonnes of disobedience and in the hearts of infidels here also the word clips his wings beeing the word of faith and Ioh. 17.20 Christ prayed not onely for his disciples but for all those that should beleeue in him by their word In a word seeing he exerciseth his cheife power in the sonnes of perdition who are giuen him to rule at his will here the word is his enemie because it conuerteth sinners and saueth soules called therefore a word of saluation 3. Hee opposeth Gods word through the malice he beareth Gods children for he euer opposed true professors casts them into prison and would neuer let them haue a good day in the world if he might haue his wil and followes them with temptations and with outward afflictions But this is the sword of Gods mouth and the sword of the spirit by which they cut through his temptations and make them forcelesse it is that which comforts them and sustaines them in their troubles and directs them happily to heauen so as no way he can haue his will of them 4. It stands him in hand to oppose Gods word for his long experience hath taught him that so long as men hold to the word they be safe enough vnder Gods protection and hee could neuer winne his captaine-sinners to such high attempts in sinne were it not that he had first shaken the truth of Gods word out of their hearts How could he haue brought Pharaoh to such obstinacy against God and his people as to say Who is the Lord and I will not let Israel goe but that he had brought the word in Moses and Aarons mouth into contempt further then the sting of the miracles forced him When Saul had once cast off the word of the Lord Satan lead him as in a chaine to hunt Dauid to throwe a dart at Ionathan to seeke to the Witch against whom himselfe had enacted a seuere law The like of Ahab Herod Nero Domitian c. 5. The word of God is the sentence and rule of righteousnes which condemneth Satan and therefore no maruell if he cannot endure it and wish it false and loue it no better then the bill of his owne condemnation and death eternall It is a note of a man foyled by the temptation of Satan and of a deuillish spirit to call Gods word into question either to deny it as false or doubt of it as vncertaine either of which if Satan can perswade vnto he hath his wish for he knowes they are no subiects to God that will not acknowledge his scepter but doubt of the rod of his mouth he can easily blindfold them and lead them whether he will that denie the light he can easily vanquish them and lead them captiue to all sinne if he can get them to cast away their weapons Yet what a number of men hath the deuill thus farre preuailed with in this violent kind of temptation Some call in question whether the Scripture be the word of God or no swarmes of Atheists and Macheuillians that hold the word but an humane deuise and policie which is to open a doore to all carnall and bruitish Epicurisme and to confound man and beast together Others doubt not of all but of some bookes and others not of some bookes but of some places of the holy Scripture But we see that Satan would haue Christ but to denie or doubt of one sentence and what Eues calling into question of one speach of God brought on all our necks all we her posteritie feele And it is in our natures when God speakes plainely against that sinne we make ifs and peraduentures at it and so turne it off As for example 1. Our Sauiour teacheth plainly that whosoeuer are of God heare his word and his sheepe heare his voice Either men must beleeue it or denie it and yet how few can we perswade conscionably to heare the word all who must plainely either make the voice of Christ false or themselues none of Gods none of Christs sheepe for not hearing it 2. Our Sauiour saith expressely He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10.16 and that God speakes in the mouthes of his Ministers 2. Cor. 5.20 and that they haue an heauenly treasure in earthen vessels But how fewe are of this minde neuer did any heathens so despise the voice of their Priests and the answer of their Oracles as Christians in generall despise our voice in which God and Christ professe they speake 3. Christ plainely saith this word is the immortall seed of our new birth the sincere milke to nourish the soule the bread of life heauenly food But who beleeue him for generally men haue no appetite no desire to it and can well be content to let their soules languish in grace and be staruen to death And whereas they would goe as farre or farther into other countries as Iacob and his sonnes into Egypt when there was no corne in Canaan to supply their bodies with food this they will not stirre out of their doores for Well take heed of calling diuine truths into question stand not in them vpon thy reason and vnderstanding which are but low and shallow suspect them in things thou canst not reach rather then the truth of Scripture and make good vse of these rules 1. In the rising of any such temptation know that Satan seekes aduantage against thee and would bring thee into the same condemnation with himselfe by the same sinne and malice against God If he durst thwart so diuine a truth so strengthned from heauen and that to Christs owne face he dares and will contradict Gods word to thee 2. Consider if thou sufferest Satan to wrest away the credit of any part of diuine truth or the word of God what shall become of all our religion and the ground of our saluation all which is laid vpon the truth of the word of all which our Sauiour saith that not one iot of it shall faile 3. Know that by yeelding a little to Satan herein God in his iustice may giue thee vp to such strong delusions as the deuill himselfe cannot be so besotted as to beleeue See it in some instances Satan beleeues there is a God and trembleth saith S. Iames and yet he so farre deludes a number as their sottish hearts say There is no God Psal. 14.1 Satan knowes there is a day of reckoning and
carries away their whole heart and yet in the end they are deceiued as he was in stead of his reward he was slaine in his returne homeward Num. 31.8 4. Consider how little ioy there is in that which is receiued at the deuills hand neither Ahab nor his posterity enioyed Naboths vineyard Iudas brought backe his 30. peeces and hanged himselfe According to that of Salomon The wicked rosteth not that which he taketh in hunting 5. Moderate thy affections not to desire the kingdomes of this world and the glory of them but a farre more glorious kingdome in the world to come and all these transitory matters onely to help thee forward to that The condition of Satans profer teacheth vs further that All his drift in his temptations is to draw men from Gods seruice to his owne An example whereof we haue in Saul whom he drew from his hope and trust in God to seeke and sue to himselfe for helpe Hee entred also into Iudas to draw him from his Masters side and seruice to his owne to make him a leader and captaine against Christ Luk. 22.3 Neither faileth he of his purpose and scope but effectually preuaileth in the world and in the children of disobedience Ephes. 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 Gospell they in generall are vassalls to Satan and professe homage and seruice to him in ceremonies and rites as Gods people to God hmselfe 1. Cor. 10.20 Those things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice vnto deuills and not vnto God Which is spoken not in respect of the intention of the worshippers but of the mysterie in that idoll worshipped which indeed tended to the worship of the deuill the deuiser and setter forward of the same And at this day in those newfound countries experience shewes how those heathnish and barbarous people not hauing the true knowledge of the true God doe therefore esteeme the deuill as God and the deuill appearing to them in visible shapes they fall down and worship him and offer many seruices and sacrifices vnto him vpon this ground because God is mercifull and amiable and will not hurt them and therefore they neede not bee so obsequious to him but the deuill is terrible and fearefull and churlish and therefore must bee pleased and worshipped Ne noceat Nay Gods owne people and children are often drawne from the worship of their God to the worship of the deuill in the most base and submisse kind of worship The Iewes themselues offred vnto deuills and not vnto God Deut. 32.17 and what did they offer but their dearest things as Psal. 106.37 they offred their sonnes and daughters vnto deuills A maruellous high wickednes wherein the Israelites themselues imitated the barbarous heathens among whom Satan had brought in this vnnaturall crueltie to kill their little children and offer them to Molech in the vally of Hinnom v. 38. Thus they shed innocent blood by a diabolicall furie and polluted their land at the diuells instigation Thus it was in the time of Ahaz and of Manasseh against which the Lord shewed great indignation and vehemence Ier. 7. and 19. and Ezek. 16. And the rather because it was against a speciall law enacted for this purpose which we would thinke Gods owne people should not need Leuit. 17.7 They shall no more offer to deuills after whom they haue gone a whoring and the sanction followes This shall be an ordinance for euer Yet Gods people forgate Gods institution and natures instinct and so put off all religion and naturall affection And this comes to passe 1. Because of Satans pride and ambition who will not content himselfe with any thing but that honour that is due to God He beeing the Prince of the world and the god thereof Ioh. 14.31 2. Cor. 4.4 will be worshipped by the world as a God and takes vpon him as if he were so indeed whereas he is so onely by his owne vsurpation and affectation and the wickeds delusion and acceptation 2. Because of his malice to God to whom he is most contrarie God hath by the lawe of creation of nature the morall law yea by the law of faith and all other bonds tied man to his owne seruice now Satan seekes contrarily to depriue God of his due homage and drawes men from the knowledg practise of Gods wil that he may rule them after his owne will 2. Tim. 2.26 3. Because of his hatred to mankind to drawe men into the greatest offence and displeasure of God It is an euill thing and bitter to depart from God and his seruice but to giue this to Gods deadly enemie is a sinne most hatefull dangerous 4. It is all the businesse that Satan hath in the world for which he leaues no stone vnturned no meanes vnattempted to set vp his owne kingdome aboue and against Gods kingdome a compendious way wherof is to hinder corrupt or destroy the true worship of God 1. Thess. 2.18 Satan hindered me namely the true worship which Paul sought to establish He corrupted the worship of God among the sonnes of God by the daughters of men Gen. 6. And he sought to destroy all Gods worship in the posterity by destroying Abel Quest. But is it possible that Sathan can so preuaile to drawe men to worship himselfe in stead of God And what meanes vseth he to effect it Answ. Yea it is plaine and vsuall as we shall easily see if we consider 1. the wayes that a man worshippeth the deuill 2. the meanes how he bringeth men thereunto I. The wayes are laid downe in these fowre conclusions Conclus 1. Whosoeuer worshippeth for God that which is not God he worshippeth the deuill for God Deut. 32.17 They offered vnto deuills that is to gods whom they knew not In all diuine worship whatsoeuer is not performed to God is performed to the deuill there beeing no meane between them in worship But how hath the deuill drawne Pagans and heathens to set vp and worship false gods deuills indeed Mars Iupiter c. yea and Gods owne people to worship Dagon and Baal and Molech At this day all the Easterne people of Turkes and Saracens worshippe Mahomet a god of their owne making And the Papists all giue diuine worship to stocks and stones the worke of mens hands to ragges and relliques to their breaden and baked God in the Sacrament as base an idolatry as can be found among the heathens in all which they haue fallen downe to the deuill and worshipped him Conclus 2. Whosoeuer worshippeth God in any other meanes then himselfe hath appointed he worshippeth the deuill and not God If the manner of Gods worship prescribed by himselfe in the Scripture be refused that cannot be Gods worship because the manner is deuised by the deuill Thus doe they who professe the true God distinct in three persons but worship him according to their owne deuises and