like by all which God is robbed of his honour And though we condemne the Papists for giuing to Saints diuine worship yet wee must beware of despising the Saints of God in Heauen for there is due vnto them a threefold honour first thanksgiuing to God for them who inabled them by his gifts and graces to be in their times speciall instruments of good vnto Gods church Secondly we are to carrie a reuerent estimation of them being now in heauen as of the friends of God and temples of his holy spirit Thirdly we are to follow the example of their godly conuersatiōs in the duties of godlinesse But from giuing vnto them diuine worship we must carefully abstaine Againe if the diuine worship of saints be heere condemned then much more is the worshipping of their reliques then also is their instituting and obseruing fasting daies and holy daies vnto their saints heere iustly reproued Neither can our Church heerein be condemned with them though wee retaine the names of such daies among vs because it is for another end out fasts are meerely ciuill on such daies and our holy dayes turned from the adoration of saints to the seruice of God whereon also our conscience knowes her libertie giuen of God for honest labour in a lawfull calling as neede requires Further obserue how Christ heere ioines the worship of God and the seruice of God together teaching vs not to content our selues with doing the duties of Gods worship but withall wee must yeeld vnto him absolute seruice and obedience Men commonly thinke they haue done enough if on daies appointed they come to the Church and there performe outward worship vnto God in hearing the word in praier and receiuing the Sacraments these I confesse be worthy workes if they be well performed but heerein is the common errour that when they haue performed this outward worship they make no conscience of absolute seruice the thing which Christ heere ioines to worship they thinke that in their callings they may liue as they list either idly or vniustly by fraud and dissembling but seuer not thou seruice from worship which Christ hath ioyned together lest God say vnto thee forthy worship as hee did once to the Iewes My soule hateth your new moones and your appointed feasts they are a burden vnto me c. What doth God hate that worship himselfe appointed no but he hares the seuering of it from seruice and obedience wherein they should shew foorth to their brethren loue iustice and mercy he reiects all seruice at their hands because their hands were full of blood v. 15. Read Micha 6. v. 6. 7. 8. The offering of sacrifice was a speciall part of worship vnder the Law and yet though a man should bring for his sacrifice thousands of Rammes or ten thousand riuers of oile nay though he brought his first borne the fruite of his body for the sinne of his soule yet all is nothing without iustice mercy humbling himselfe and walking with his God vers 8. Let vs therefore serue God sincerely in our conuersations as wee seeme to honour him in duties of religion let vs shew the feare of God in our liues for worship without seruice is like the cutting off of a dogs head or offering swines flesh c. as I say 66. 3. which is abhomination to the Lord. Thirdly obserue that Christ addeth only to Moses words for the better clearing of Moses meaning which may serue for our iust defence against the Papists they blame vs greatly for teaching that a man is iustified by faith only saying the word only is not in any place ascribed to iustification by faith We answer in all the old testament this word only is not ioyned to this command Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and serue him and yet Christ saith it is written him only shalt thou serue because the restraint and inhibition annexed from giuing this worship and seruice to any other doth in effect include only euen so though in letters and syllables we doe not find this word only adioyned to this sentence man is iustified by faith yet because of the exclusion of workes vsually annexed to that phrase as that we are iustified by faith without the workes of the Law Rom. 3. 28. and are iustified freely by his grace v. 24. and that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Law but by faith Gal. 2. 16. hereupon I say we may hold and teach and that truly according to the true sense thereof following Christs example in this place that the scripture saith a man is iustified by faith only Lastly from this commandement we must learne our duty touching Gods seruice in word we wil all acknowledge our selues to be his seruants but if heerin we will approue our selues to be his seruants we must resolue and labour to yeeld vnto him absolute obedience as well in hart mind will and affection as in outward conuersation The end of the ministery of the word is not onely to reforme the outward man but to cast downe the inward holds of sinne in the Imagination and to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. And this is done when after true repentance a man endeuoureth to yeeld vnto God totall obedience and that from the whole man in soule and body and spirit not for a time but continually VERSE 11. Then the Diuell left him and behold the Angels came and ministred vnto him THese words containe the third part of this description of Christs temptation to wit the happie euent and issue thereof in Christs glorious victory ouer the Tempter which is the principall part wherein consists the maine comfort of Gods church for as in temptation Christ stood in our roome and stead so is this victory not his a lone but the victory of his Church This issue conteines two parts First Satans departing from him Secondly the ministery of good Angels vnto him For the first Then the Diuell left him that is after that by temptations he could nothing auaile then he betakes himselfe to flight In this appeares the vnspeakeable mercie of God vnto his Church in mitigating and in due time putting an end vnto the afflictions and temptations thereof for the case of Christ the head in this conflict is the case and condition of all his members Now heere we see what a gratious issue the Lord put to these great assaults of Satan in due time his enimie flies and so will the Lord deale in all the miseries of his Church children God promiseth to Dauid concerning Salomon that if he sin hee will chastise him with the roddes of men and with the plagues of the children of men that is with such punishments as he shall be able to beare but his mercy he will not take from him The Prophet Habacucke in his complaint against the wrong violence of the wicked done to the iust is somewhat impatient towards God for his delay Hab. 1.
in which we may require a signe of God not tempt him first when God commands a man to ask a signe at his hands so might Azah haue asked a signe of God for his assurance of victorie according to Gods promise yea he is blamed for not asking it when the Lord commanded him Secondly a man may aske a signe of God when it serueth for the necessary confirmation of an extraordinary calling or of some special promise of God made to man in this case did Gedion aske a signe of God for the further confirmation of his extraordinary calling to bee a Deliuerer vnto Gods people And so did Hezekiah for his further assurance in the lengthning of his life by an extraordinary promise fifteene yeares But out of these cases to aske a signe of God is to tempt him as the Pharisies did who would prescribe vnto God what kinde of miracle they would haue euen a signe from heauen not contenting themselues with those miracles which Christ did ordinarilie worke among them Thirdly a man tempts God when he goes on in any sinne against Gods commandements for hereby he makes needlesse triall of Gods iustice mercy and patience The Lord saith of his people they tempted him ten times and haue not obeied his voice Mal. 3. 15. The people murmuringly say they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God are deliuered where working wickednesse and tempting of God are al one Which serues to admonish vs that with al speed we break off the course of our sins by repentance for while we continue in sinne we tempt God and so lie open to all his iudgements depriuing our selues of the guard and protection of Gods holy Angels nay they will become our enemies and insteed of protection execute gods heauy vengeance vpon vs. Fourthly they tempt God that impose vpon Gods people there ligious obseruation of legall ceremonies abolished by Christ Act. 15. 10. Why tempt ye God saith Peter to lay a yoake on the Disciples neckes which neither our Fathers nor we were able to beare This is to make triall of Gods power in the sauing of his people Whereby we may see how wicked and damnable the Romish religion is which wholly stands in the obseruation of ceremonies partly heathenish and partly Iudaical whereto when men submit themselues they do nothing else but tempt God Fiftly they tempt God that refuse or neglect the ordinarie and necessarie meanes of their preseruation either for body or soule as hee that being to goe ouer a water will leaue the bridge which is the ordinarie way and aduenture dangerously through the water for heerein he seekes a needlesse experience of Gods power so doe they also that neglect or contemne Gods holy ordinance for the sauing of mens soules in the ministery of the word Now to this kinde of tempting God doth Christ apply this commandement in this place as if he should say when God hath affoorded vnto men an ordinarie meanes for their helpe and safety they are not to refuse the same and seeke for safety from God extraordinarily I am now in a dangerous place I confesse vpon this pinnacle yet there is some ordinarie way to get down as staires or ladder and therefore vnlesse I would tempt the Lord my God I may not cast my selfe downe and thereby seeke for extraordinarie preseruaiton as thou perswadest me Thus also they sinne that goe into places of great danger without a calling so Peter sinned in thrusting himselfe into Caiphas hal a place of temptation as by lamentable experience he found too true Thus Dauids three Worthies sinned in aduenturing vpon their enemies host for the fetching of a little water out of the well of Bethlehem therfore when it was brought vnto him Dauid would not drinke thereof but powred it out for a sacrifice vnto the Lord 2. Sam. 23. 16. Heere some may aske whether they do not tempt God that aduenture to clime on high places to stand on spire steeples to runne on the ridge of high houses and to goe on ropes a great height from the ground Answ. Men may doe such things in a twofold estate either hauing a lawfull calling thereto as Carpenters and Masons who are to worke vpon high buildings now they without tempting of God may clime and stand on high and dangerous places or else hauing no lawfull calling thereto as they who vse to doe such things to make knowen their actiuity or only to affoord delight and admiration vnto others for their priuate gaine and aduantage and such tempt God fearefully for Christ was better able to haue cast himselfe downe from this pinnacle and haue preserued himselfe without hurt then these men are to saue themselues in their aduentures and yet hee refused so to do because hee would not tempt the Lord his God Thus much for the meaning of this commandement The doctrine for instruction hence is to be gathered from this command applied to the text which the Diuell alledgeth and it is this whosoeuer looketh for the accomplishment of Gods promises vnto him must be carefull to walke before God in the waies of his commandements and in the workes of his calling with all good conscience God indeed hath made many gratious promises in his word of blessings temporall and eternall but they that tempt God shall not find the comfort of them mens sinnes hinder these things from them Gods goodnesse is to bee seene and tasted in the waies of faith and obedience God hath promised the guard of his Angels to his children while they keep themselues in their waies if therefore thou wouldest haue this protection thou must keep thy selfe in those waies that God would haue thee to walke in Also in theri hesse of his loue God hath made a promise of euerlasting life with freedome from eternall perdition to those that beleeue in Christ Iohn 3. 16. Thou therefore that wouldest enioy the comfort of this promise to thine immortality and life must get true faith into thy heart and thereby liue all the daies of thy life The same may bee said of euery promise of God pertaining either to soule or body the fruition of them doth depend vpon the practise of some part of obedience which if thou doest neglect thou doest but presume in making title to the promise Peter tels Symon Magus plainely he had no part with them in the gifts of the spirit while his heart retained a purpose to liue in sinne Act. 8. 21. Breake off therefore the course of sinne and inure thy selfe to the practise of obedience so shall Gods promises be sweet vnto thine heart and the more thou proceedest in obedience the more comfort thou shalt find in Gods gratious promises but if thou doe lay hold on sinne the comfort of the word will depart from thee And thus much for the second temptation VERSE 8. Againe the Diuell tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the
to meane outward diuine worship as if hee should say Thou shalt religiously submit bow or prostrate thy body vnto God in praier or thanksgiuing thereby testifying that thou hast deuoted thy heart and soule vnto him not onely conceiuing him to be the diuine essence omnipotent infinite c. but also that thou doest rest and relie on him as on thy Creator who doth blesse thee with all good things and preserue thee from all euill Besides this worship Christ doth mention a seruing of God which being distinguished from worship must needs import some other thing Seruice in generall is nothing else but the giuing and performing of obedience to the commandement of another This seruice is twofold absolute or in part Absolute seruice is when a man obeies the commandement of another without any condition or exception and that not only in body outwardly but in soule and conscience in thought will affection And this absolute seruice is proper to God alone for wee must neuer call his commandements into question but looke what God commands and as hee commands it so must we simply and absolutely yeeld obedience thereto not only outwardly in body but inwardly in soule and spirit with the powers and faculties thereof and in all the affections of our heart Seruice in part is that which is due to gouernours and superiors from their inferiours in the Lord for God hath giuen power to magistrates heere on earth to make lawes for the good of ciuil estates in yeelding obediēce wherunto their inferiors must doe them seruice yet not absolutely but with restraint to wit in the Lord so far foorth as their commands agree with the wil of God and crosse not his command Againe our obedience vnto them is in body and outward conuersation indeed we must from the heart yeeld seruice and obedience vnto them but yet the conscience properly cannot bee bound by mens lawes they only concerne the outward man in speech gesture and behauiour Now of these two kinds of seruice our Sauior Christ speaketh here of simple and absolute seruice whereby both soule and body with all the powers and parts thereof yeeld absolute obedience and subiection to the will and commandement of God Wee see what worship and seruice is heere required Now wee must obserue the person to whom the same is to be giuen in these words The Lord thy God Diuine worship whether inward or outward and absolute seruice of the whole man must be giuen to no creature Angell or man be they neuer so excellent but to the true God alone The scope and drift of the first and second commandements is to bind euery man to giue so much to his God and to beware of giuing the same to any other besides the Lord. And the practise of the good Angell that talked with Iohn doth shew the same thing for when Iohn fell before his feet to worship him the Angell said see thou do it not worship God Where we see the good angels do striue for the furtherance of Gods right in these duties howsoeuer this wicked spirit tempting Christ doth heerein seeke Gods great disgrace And thus we may perceiue that Christs applying of this text against Satans temptation is most pregnant for Satan requiring of Christ the prostrating of his body before the Diuell in token that he did worship him as the giuer of those kingdomes which he offered vnto Christ is iustly repulsed by this text which bindeth euery man to giue outward diuine worship whereby the inward worship of the heart is signified to God alone and not to any creature Heere then we may learne that it is not lawfull to giue to Saint or Angel or any creature whatsoeuer outward diuine worship or adoration whereby the inward deuotion of the heart is testified This text is plaine to the contrary and the reason we haue heard because diuine prostrating of the body to any thing is a testification that we ascribe diuinity vnto it some way which without the guilt of idolatrie cannot bee done to any creature for let a man worship Saint or Angell by praier or thanksgiuing and therein he doth ascribe vnto them some propriety of the diuine nature as to know the heart to be able to heare to helpe or such like The Papists heere say they doe not thinke the Saints to whom they pray to be God neither do they worship them as God But this will helpe them little for the Diuell mouing Christ to yeeld vnto him outward diuine worship neuer meant that Christ should adore him for God but onely desired that by this outward adoration of prostrating his body before him Christ would acknowledge him to be the giuer of those kingdomes for he durst not be so bold as absolutely to desire to be worshipped for God and yet Christ tels him that outward diuine worship euen in respect of the acknowledgement of such a gift is proper to God alone And yet the church of Rome do giue vnto Saints that which the Diuell demands and Christ denies by appropriating it vnto God for they make seuerall saints deliuerers and protectors from seuerall diseases and dangers as the Virgin Mary from shipwracke S. Roch from the pestilence Raphael from sore aies Apollonia from the tooth-ach And Catharine for al maner of afflictions Yea they make them patrons and protectours of whole countries and kingdomes as Saint Iames for Spaine Saint Denis for France Saint Patricke for Ireland c. Now sith many a one may giue a kingdome that cannot defend it let all men iudge whether they doe not giue more vnto Saints than Satan demanded to be acknowledged vnto him by our Sauiour Christ yea they make them intercessours for the procuring of the sauour of God and life euerlasting they call the Virgin Mary the Queene of Heauen and pray to her that by the authority of a mother she would command her sonne to heare their praiers which is to make Christ a punie and vnderling vnto her which are greater matters then the disposing of earthly kingdomes Heere they say that they may do that to the glorious saints in heauen which is done to earthly Princes for men adore them and in their absence fall downe before their chaire of estate Answ. The adoration giuen to Princes is but a ciuill acknowledgement of their preheminence and kneeling before their chaire of estate is only a ciuil testimony of loyaltie and subiection it is not directed to the Princes person being absent but only serueth to testifie his subiection to that authoritie and power which is set ouer him in the Lord there is no diuine propriety ascribed by either of these vnto the person or authority of the Prince But now in bowing down to pray to Saints there is religious adoration giuen them for therein be ascribed vnto them these diuine properties that they can know the heart heare and helpe afarre off pray for them in particular and such
the waues and winds of troubles and persecution and they shall flie before him as Sysera did before Debora and the Philistims before Ionathan and his seruant And as Christ asking the woman of her accuser she answered There was none so in the end aske a Christian of his troubles and he will say There are none He is a buckler for our left hand and a sword in our right he is an helmet on our head and harnesse for our body We shall looke vpon troubles as Israel did on the Egyptians as the Iewes did on Goliah and as the Grecians did on Hector to triumph ouer them and as the Angell said to Ioseph They are dead that sought the childs life so the Spirit shall say to the afflicted They are dead that did seek your life A day of deliuerance a yeere of Iubile will come and then Ioseph shall be out of prison Iacob out of seruitude and Iob shall lie no more in the dust of the earth Let vs comfort our selues with these words I haue exceeded an Epistle especially to such a small bocke If the wals seeme too great for this city abundans cautela non no cet It is vsuall for students not onely to present their owne labours but also other mens to great personages especially such Workes wherein they haue beene either Translators or ouerseers It were infinit to instance this point I am bolde to doe the like to your Honour at this time This Copie it was brought vnto my hand I haue conferred it with another I haue persued it at the Presse I heard diuers of the Sermons I haue added nothing of mine owne and I desire that of those many baskets full of most delicate diet which this worthy man hath now left behind him there may not so much as any one be lost If any such come vnto my hand surely they shall not be lost By his life had I much comfort and I will seeke to honour him after he is dead I was twenty yeeres acquainted with him I at his request made the first fruits of his labours to speake English And now I am bold to present this his posthume to your patronage Your honorable Nephew his vertuous Lady your worthy sister haue heeretofore accepted the labours of this man If it shall please your good Honor to do the like this Preface of mine shall remaine as a perpetuall testimony of my duty to you and the booke following as fully armed against all such aduersaries as shall speake against it The God of heauen who hath made you honorable in your most honorable Progenitors make you thrice honorable in your future successors that the memoriall of the righteous may be euerlasting when as the name of the wicked shall rot London Saint Martins in the fields Ian. 12. 1604. Your Honours at commandement ROBERT HILL Fellow of S. Iohns Coll. in Cambridge A GENERALL VIEW OF the strange Combate betweene our Sauiour CHRIST and Satan The Description of this Combate betweene Christ and Satan conteineth A Preface or Preparation consisting of Christs going forth to the place of combate Vers. 1. Christs abode and conuersing in that place Vers. 2. The Combat it selfe consisting of three great conflicts First tending to bring Christ to vnbeliefe and it consisteth of Satans preparation thereto Vers. 3. The temptation in selfe Vers. 3. Christes repulse thereof Vers. 4. Second tending to bring Christ to presumption conteining Satans preparation Vers. 5. The assault or temptation Vers. 6. Christs repulse and answer Vers. 7. Third tending to bring Christ to idolatry conteining Satans preparation Vers. 8. The assault or temptation Vers. 9. Christs repulse and answer Vers. 10. An happie issue and euent thereof consisting of Satans departing from Christ Vers. 11. The Angels ministring vnto Christ Vers. 11. Resist the Diuell and he will flee Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you Iam. 4. 7. 8. The true grace of faith enables vs to both for 1. Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith THE COMBATE BETWEENE CHRIST and the DIVELL expounded MAT. 4. 1. Then was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Diuell THE eleuen first verses of this chapter do conteine a briefe description of Christes tēptations wherof I haue chosen to intreat hauing formerly handled the doctrine of Conscience because all that endeuour either to get or keepe a good conscience are most of all subiect to temptations Now here we haue the speciall temptations of the Diuell wherewith he assaulted our Sauiour Christ and in Christs example the best way to auoid the same This description consisteth of three distinct parts First A Preface or preparation to a Combate betweene Christ and the Diuell vers 1. 2. Secondly The combate or conflict it selfe vers 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Thirdly The issue or euent of this combate vers 11. I. Part. The Preparation to the combate hath two parts First Christs going foorth to that place where the combate was to be fought vers 1. Secondly his abode conuersing in that place vers 2. 1. Christs going forth to the place is set out by sundry circumstances of the Euangelists as The time when he went The authour of his going The maner how he went furnished the place whither he went And the end wherefore I. Circumstance The time when Christ went foorth to be tempted is noted in this word Then what time this was we shall see in the end of the former chapter where is set downe the baptisme of our Sauiour Christ by Iohn in the riuer Iordan as also the great honour and maiesty wherewith he was there renowmed for it pleased Christ for speciall end and purpose to be baptized not as we are to put off sinne for he had none but to be ordained a Mediatour for vs that putting on our sin he might beare the burden thereof in our steed Againe in his baptisme he was distinctly proclaimed The doctour of his Church for immediately thereupon The Holy ghost descended vpon him like a doue and a voice came from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Now so soone as Christ was thus solemnly inaugurated into his office and proclaimed from heauen to be the sole Doctor and Prophet of Gods Church euen then immediately without any delay was he driuen forth as Marke saith chapt 1. 12. The vse In that Christ is no sooner baptized but he is presently tempted we learne that all those who are truely baptized into Christ must make account to be tempted and prepare for a combat with the Diuell euen through the whole course of their liues for if Satan durst be so bolde as to encounter with Christ Iesus the head of the Church after his baptisme then doubtlesse he will not spare any
with him therefore as the fisher hides the hooke and shewes the bait to entise the fish so our Sauiour CHRIST with the vaile of his flesh in this base estate and solitary place did couer the glory of his Godhead that Satan seeing him only in this low degree might be the more eager and bolde to set vpon him Thirdly Christ was willing to giue vnto his aduersarie the aduantage of the place that therewithall he might giue him the greater ouerthrow for the Diuell delights in desert and forlorne places and there he would chuse to practise his temptations because in such places men want those helps and comforts which in society they may finde hence Salomon sayth Woe be to him that is alone yea God himselfe sayd of man in the state of his innocency It is not good for man to be himselfe alone And that Satan takes aduantage of such solitarinesse appeares by his tempting of Eue when she was apart from her husband Ge. 3. 1. Fourthly the praise and honour of this victory ouer Satan was peculiar to Christ and not communicable to any creature and therefore Christ chose a desert place for this combate apart from all humane society that no man might challenge any part of this glory to himselfe but that it might be wholly Christs as of right it was Fiftly he went into a desert place for a time that afterward he might thence returne with more credit reuerence and authority to exercise his propheticall office for we see by experience that when a man hath beene abroad for some time he is receiued with more reuerence at his returne The vse From hence the church of Rome would fetch a ground warrant for their monasticall life saying that as Christ went apart into this desert so may men sequester themselues from ordinary societies and liue as Monks and Heremites in cloisters woods and deserts But this collection is absurd as may appeare by these reasons first Christ went not thus apart on his owne head but by the instinct and motion of the spirit of God but the Papists admit and vndertake the state of Eremiticall and Monasticall life without any warrant in Gods word Secondly Christ did thus sequester himselfe but once for a certeine time but with them an Heremiticall estate is ordinary and perpetuall for their whole life Thirdly our Sauiour Christ fasted truly all the while he abode in the wildernesse but Papists in their Cloisters and Hermitages doe plentifully inioy the wealth of the world in great ease and liberty And therefore howsoeuer solitarinesse for a time may be commendable in some cases as to meditate on the works or word of God as Isaac did Gen. 24. 63. or for the exercise of prayer and fasting in more earnest maner yet the Eremites life being a perpetuall forsaking of humane societies is neither warrantable by Gods word nor commendable in Gods child V. Circumstance The end why Christ went into the desert namely to be tempted of the Diuel wherein obserue three points How hee was tempted wherefore and by whom For the first To Tempt in Scripture is ascribed to God to man and to the Diuell God tempteth man when he prooueth him that is when he maketh manifest what is in his heart for sinne or grace which before were hid to the world thus God tempted Abraham in the offering vp of his sonne Gen. 22. 1. and Christ the ruler Luk. 18. 22. Man tempteth God when he prooueth by vnlawfull meanes whether God be so powerfull iust and mercifull as the Scriptures doe affirme him to be and thus the Israelites tempted God when they required meat for their lust and sayd can God prepare a table in the wildernesse Psal. 78. 18. 19. The Diuell tempteth when he allureth vnto sinne by inward suggestions or outward obiects and hereof must we vnderstand Christs tempting in this place to wit that he was led into the wildernesse for this end that Satan might assault him and vse what meanes he could to bring him vnto sinne If any shall thinke it was too much derogatory to the dignitie of Christ to be thus tempted I answer If it had so pleased him Christ could haue confounded the Diuell with the least word of his mouth for as he is Creator of heauen and earth so Satan had no power to tempt him for God can not be tempted with euill Iam. 1. 13. But here Christ stood in our roome and sted as he did vpon the Crosse encountring with Satan for vs as if we in our owne persons had been tempted This therefore must be vnderstood as a part of Christes humiliation in his manhood whereto he subiected himselfe for our sakes otherwise the Diuell could not haue tempted him Obiect This stands not with the holinesse of Christ as he is man to be tempted of Satan Answ. Yes he might be tempted of Satan without sinne as our first parents were before their fall this will plainly appeare by comparing Christ with other men in their temptations The Diuell in tempting a man to sin first conuayes into his minde either by inward suggestion or by outward obiect the motion or cogitation of that sinne which he would haue him to commit Thus he tempted Iudas by casting into him this euill thought Iudas betray thy Master And so dealeth hee with Christ in this temptation he conueyed to his mind or apprehension the vnrighteous cogitations of vnbeleefe idolatry and couetousnesse yet so as Christ receiued them not but with all power of grace repelled them Secondly as Satan conuayes euill suggestions into mens minds so the same are full of trouble sorrow vexation at least to the godly for when Satan presseth vpon man his temptations the whole man is disquieted his thoughts and affections are troubled and his heart is vexed And this also was in Christ he felt sorrow molestation in himselfe through these temptations as appeareth by his Auant Satan vpon his last assault And thus farre was Christ tempted like vnto men Thirdly in temptations vsually be corrupt motions for though a man do not approue neither enterteine with delight the Diuels temptations yet shall he hardly keepe himselfe from the staine and taint of sin because the imaginations of his owne heart are naturally euill Now herein Christ differeth from all men in temptation for being perfectly holy in his humane nature he did not in the least measure receiue any corruption into his minde but by the power of grace did repel them more strongly than they were offered Put a burning match to tinder or gunpowder and it will kindle presently but put it into water and that will quench it straight so it fareth in temptations our corrupt hearts like tinder do easily suffer corruption to kindle in vs but Christes most holy heart did presently like water quench the euill of Satans motions And thus we see how Christ was tempted and yet without sinne The vse Hence we may obserue a good direction for
2. 3. Therefore in the vision afterward shewed vnto him he is bid to waite for deliuerance for though it tary yet it shall surely come and shall not stay Cha. 2. 3. Thus Paul comforteth the Christian Corinthians God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which ye are able to beare but will giue an issue with the temptation that ye may be able to beare it 1. Cor. 10. 13. The bodies of the two Prophets who were slaine for the testimony of the Lord Iesus are suffered to lie in the streetes vnburied for three daies and an halfe that is for some short time which being expired the spirit of life comming from God shall enter into them and reuiue them then feare shall take their enimies but they shall ascend vp to heauen and their enemies shall see it All these doe plainly manifest Gods great mercie in giuing a gracious issue to the troubles of his childrē yea by good experience we may see the truth heereof in the happy issue that the Lord hath put to the most fearefull temptations of sundry in our time who haue beene exercised therein some for a yeare or two other for longer time euen many yeares together and yet in the end haue sung the song of ioyful deliuerance it may be some of Gods children beare the Crosse to their dying day yet the Lord sustains them in it by his grace and in the end shewes them mercy and peace Secondly in this departure of Satan from Christ we may obserue a notable difference between the first Adam and the second The first Adam was tempted and ouercome therein Satan preuailed in that conflict and brings him captiue into his kingdome hauing spiritually taken possession of him The second Adam is tempted also but the Diuell can find no meanes whereby to preuaile with him the prince of this world commeth but hath nought in mee saith Christ Iohn 14. 30. But after his assault is faine to flie away Further in this departure of Christ note two circumstances when Satan departed and for how long a time First when he departed is noted in this word then that is after the third temptation when Christ in indignation for his blasphemy against God had said Auoid Satan and withall had answered his temptation out of the written word then he departs Hence we learne First that the best way to vanquish satain is to giue him no ground but to withstand him manfully at the first Iam. 4. 7. resist the Diuell and he will flie Now Satan is resisted when from our hearts we cast our soules on the promises of God conteined in his word and in the whole course of our liues pray for strength of grace to stand against all his assaults whereby wee may see the great error and deceit of those who accompt of Satans temptations as of fits of melancholie and thinke they may bee remooued by musicke merrie company and such like but these are no weapons to driue away the Diuell Secondly this also shewes their dangerous course who yeeld to Satans temptations for a time taking their pleasure in their youth purposing to resist him when they are olde and then to repent too many take this course but it is fearefull for thus doing they set open al the doores of their heart to the Diuel and suffer him to take quiet possession little considering that it is beyond their power to dispossesse him at their pleasure For indeed heereby they become like to a man that is sick of the dropsie who the more he drinks the more he desires so hee that willingly giues place to Satans temptation the more he sinnes the more he may for the longer he is tempted the more by yeelding is he weakened the greater is the danger of his endlesse confusion therefore learne of Christ to resist betime Secondly in this circumstance note that when Christ rebuketh Satan and bids him auoid hee departs and is presently gone Was this any vertue in satan that hee doth thus readily depart at Christs command no verily though he obey it is not praise worthy for obedience is two fould voluntary and constrained voluntary when the creature doth Gods command without compulsion thus Adam did before his fail and all holy ones that are iustified and sanctified doe thus in part in this life Constrained obedience is when the creature is made to obey God wil he nil he This is like to the obedience of rebels who being attached and arreigned for their treasons in suffering are made to obey the Princes lawes And such was this obedience of Satan forced vpon him by the powerfull command of Christ who is Prince and Lord of all creatures And this is to be marked that when Christ giues foorth his powerfull command then Satan must obey whether he wil or not This is euident by his manifold dispossessions of vncleane spirits who came foorth at his command though they accompted him as their tormenter Now that which heere befals the Diuell shall one day bee verified of all wicked men if they will not now obey God willinglie while in the ministerie of the word he bids them repent and beleeue the Gospell they shall one day bee compelled euen at the dreadful day of Iudgement wil they nil they to obey that wofull voice of Christ Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire Mat. 25. 41. In regard whereof wee must euer be carefull now in the daie of grace to yeeld vnto Christ voluntary and cheerefull obedience vnto all his commandements both of the Law and Gospell lest one day wee be constrained to obey in going to our endlesse wo Satan who is a thousand-fold stronger then man could not resist his power how then shall wee that are but dust and ashes stand before so great a God This circumstance of time is more fully noted by S. Luke saying and when the Diuell had ended all the temptation he departed from him whereby thus much is signified that look what knowledge craft or power the Diuel had that did he imploy to the vttermost in these temptations before he left our Sauior Christ. Whereby it appeareth that Christ was tempted in the highest degree and measure that Satan possibly could attain vnto herein did the Diuell shew the extremity of his fraude and malice against Christ which further appeares by this that the Angels of heauen came and ministred vnto him for his comfort so as though Satan could not taint the sacred heart of our Sauior Christ with the least spot of sin yet in these temptations Christ was troubled with the same forrowes griefes vexations which Gods children vsually feele in their temptations The consideration whereof serues for speciall vse First to keepe all Gods children from despaire in the greatest extremity of their temptations euen when they shall feele their conscience as it were set on an Iron racke and the slashings of hell fire alreadie kindled in their soule for Christ