Expositor of his own law having an occasion here to urge this Text against the Divel who tempted him unto Idolatry concludes thence two things and prepares his way to the following Conclusions either by exchanging one word for another for properly an absolute changing it is not or by supplying the seeming want of one word with another and then whether we read it as Moses doth Thou shalt fear or as our Saviour doth Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God the sense is still full and to fear God is not forbidden when in one place we are commanded to worship him nor to worship him when in another place we are commanded to fear him No because when the one is but mentioned the other also presently is included like Relatives and Correlatives posito uno ponitur alterum as name but a Father and you have said enough to include the name of a Son also and to go on in order upon this ground it is that our Saviour here purposely exchanging one word for another as Timebis thou shalt fear for Adorabis thou shalt worship positively concludeth according to the true meaning of each Text. First That whensoever we come to serve the Lord our God as we ought religiously piously devoutly we must bring both with us both fear and worship both the inward fear and awe of our heart and also an humble lowly and reverent gesture of our body as an outward testimony of that inward fear it being most plain from the compared Texts that in God's service worship and fear must always go together the outward with the inward the humiliation of the body with the humility of the soul the bowing prostrating and humbling of the body when we present our selves before our God by prayer supplication thanksgiving c. with the filial fear of the heart which though sometimes it includeth the whole service of l Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.8 God to be performed by the inner man yet doth it not at any time exclude the inseparable concomitant thereof even that outward adoration and religious worship to be performed separately by the body in that service which is due unto God only it doth not and there can be no stronger argument to confirm the truth of this position then this of our Saviour here saying Thou shalt worship which belongs to the body instead of Thou shalt fear which belongs to the soul meaning that God requires both at once utterly denying unto the Divel all adoration and prostration of his body which he required because even that also as well as the fear of the heart was due unto his Father only which even the Divel himself seemed to acknowledge when he so much desired to obtain it of his Son Wherefore in this case of fearing and serving and worshipping the Lord our God the body cannot say to the soul I have no need of thee neither can the soul say unto the body I have no need of thee no more then the eye can say to the hand or the head to the foot I have no need of m 1 Cor. 12.21 thee Because our Saviour here saith cleer enough to each that God to compleat his whole service hath need of each hath need of both I have need of thee and I have need of thee for the manifestation of the obedience of the whole man towards me when he invocates and calls upon me when he offers the sacrifice of praise prayer and thanksgiving unto me that his obedience and prayers and praises and thanksgivings may be true and reall and acceptable before me I have need of thee the inward fear of the heart and I have need also of thee the outward humble posture and reverent gesture of the body The body in this case being to the soul as the tongue is to the mind each the true Interpreter unto others of one anothers meaning for we cannot judge rightly of the inward but only by the outward man whose gesture if it be not humble and reverent when he cometh to serve the Lord the eye of him that seeth in secret besides what men see discovers thereby if he did not know it otherwise that his heart is not rightly prepared for his service who requires the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the outward worship veneration and adoration performed by the body as the Introduction to and expression of the inward fear and acceptable sacrifice of the heart O come let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker is the pious expression of those who out of a religious fear came to serve the n Psal 95.6 Lord where the latter explains the former words as will you know what it is to worship it is to bow or fall down and kneel that outward posture of the body being the Index of the souls inward bowing and kneeling and humbling it self in God's sight but if he be wilfully and obstinately denied the one he nothing at all regardeth the other who will be glorified joyntly both with our body and our spirit or else he esteem himself not at all glorified with either which though many men will not the Divel himself who here tempted our Saviour only to fall down and worship him as some excellent creature well knew and understood and therefore he made it his whole work here to deprive God of it and gain unto himself first the adoration of the body and he did it the rather because knowing that God little or nothing at all valueth the one if he be denied the other he doubted not but by degrees he should gain unto himself the fear of the heart also attempting to do it by taking away from God that which is peculiarly due unto him in his own service outward adoration And surely this and only this was the direct way to do it for take away one from God and you take away both take away outward worship and you are in the next way to take away inward fear too because such is the heart of man deceitful above all things that surely it is not neither indeed can it be rightly intent to the service and fear of God inwardly when there is no care at all taken outwardly to expresse it but only by a posture slovenly and irreverent which though it be not directly a falling down to Satan which is here forbidden yet is it a direct denying of that which is properly due unto God and here commanded Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Religious worship always presupposing inward fear and that in the service of God always requiring outward and reverent adoration So we preach and so we rightly conclude even from the Text because our Saviour therein rightly interptreteth thou shalt fear by thou shalt worship the Lord thy God And I cannot apprehend what other meaning or purpose he should have by thus exchanging one word for another but only to let all men know that the inward fear which is due to the Lord our God ought
their ministry in the production of his omnipotent works in the beginning for that cause the creation of Angels is concealed there and the ministry of Angels for a time suspended here For that cause that our Creator might not be robbed of his glory by a misconstruction of the one nor our Redeemer robbed of his by a misinterpretation of the other But now when the Temptation was fully ended and the Conquest on our Saviour's part fully obtained there being not the least ground at all left why any creature should presume to engross any part of the honour of that victory as due unto themselves now those glorious Spirits were commanded to do him service again as they had done before and commanded they obey Behold Angels came and ministred unto him Angels ministred unto him Ministred not onely food and sustenance unto him if they did that after his long-fasting as was done by the hand of an Angel to r 1 Kings 19.5 6. Elias in the like case but no doubt they also ministred comfort unto him and there was cause for it because as man he was then in most need of comfort even when he was but newly escaped from the snares and temptations of Satan and cause there was for Angels then men were not fit to do it to minister comfort unto him as at another time one of that heavenly host did when being in a great agony an Angel most opportunely appeared unto him from Å¿ Luke 22.43 Heaven strengthning him Nay I see no cause why I may not also safely affirm that part of this Angelical service and ministry was spent at that time in congratulating his late and happy victory and in singing an Eucharistical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a song of praise and thanksgiving to his Father for delivering his Son from the Temptations of Satan When the Israelites had escaped out of the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians there was joy and thanksgiving for that Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord and t Exod. 15.1 said c. At another time when they were delivered from the Tyranny of Jaâ—in King of Canaan and Sisera the Captain of his Host Judg. 4. there was joy and thanksgiving for that Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Aliâ—â—am on that day saying Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of u Judg. 5.1 2 c. Israel When David after the death of his son Absalon was delivered from the hands of all his enemies round about him there was also joy and thanksgiving for that And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies and cut of the hands of w 2 Sam. 22.1 c. Saul And can we think that our Saviour was delivered out of the hands of Satan a far more potent Adversary then either Saul or Sisera or Jabin or Pharaoh or all can we conceive I say that this was done without an Eucharistical song of praise and thanksgiving unto God Surely no it was not and who were so fit to do it as Angels that holy and heavenly Quire who in multitudes together magnified the Father for the birth of his Son saying Glory be to God on x Luke 2.13 high All heavenly Hallelu-jah's being most properly set to their melodious voice which is Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his y Isa 6.3 glory And John in his vision heard the Angels about the Throne cry out with a loud voice saying Worthy is the Lamb to receive honour and glory and a Rev. 5.11 12. praise Lo the work of praise and thanksgiving all and all at other times performed by the holy Angels Therefore David putting them in mind not of their duty which they always remember but of the constant and continual delight they have in praising God which they never forget saith O praise the Lord ye Angels of b Psal 103.10 his which they continually do and then in particular did when hâ—re praising God for Satans overthrow and our Saviour's victory they came and ministred unto him They ministred unto him And therein they did but that for which they were Created even to be ministring Spirits to be God's messengers from Heaven to Faâ—th and again from Earth to Heaven between him and his Church before his Son's Incarnation afterwards between him and his Son the head presupposeth the body also whole he was here on Earth and now our Saviour being bodily absent and the Angels having no more to do for him on Earth in this matter as touching his own Person Ministring Spirits they still are and shall be between God and his * Angels minister unto Saints Saints so long as they shall remain here even to the worlds end as it hath been ever even from the beginning surely so it is and that it is so the Apostle plainly proves saying They are all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of c Heb. 1.14 salvation Lo the Angels work is to minister as here they did to our Saviour and still do to us Lo they themselves are the Sons of God by d Job 38.7 creation and 't is most proper for such to take care of and diligently watch over those that are his sons by grace and adoption which that their ministry may never cease they carefully do and will do and that both while they live when they die and also after they are dead While we live the holy Angels are appointed to protect and defend us both from corporal and spiritual dangers The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth c Psal 34.7 them When we die they shall carry our souls as they did the soul of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome into f Luke 16.22 heavens and at the last day when the general resurrection shall come though our bodies have long before been resolved into their first principles the son of man shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to g Matth. 24.31 another So sacred are even their very ashes unto him and the dead in Christ in the faith of Christ shall rise h Thes 4.16 first that they first may be glorified both in soul and body before the reprobates be in both eternally punished Lo God never forgets his Church those that shall be heirs of salvation God never forgets them not in their life not in their death no nor after death neither and therefore the holy Angels shall never forget their office which is to minister for the spiritual and eternal good of all those that shall be saved and that they shall never cease to minister unto us an argument it is in that they here came and ministred unto our Saviour
betraying him false witnesse accusing him Pontius Pilate condemning him the souldiers crucifying him yet all together too weak to subdue and conquer him who rose again the third day from the dead and the Divel afterwards never in his own person assaulted him any more who at first after he had tempted him departed from him for a season but our Saviour will never depart from his Church and Chosen not while they are Militant here on earth Lo I am with you always even to the end of the f Mat. 28.20 world and there is no cause to fear his departing from us when we are triumphant in Heaven where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt g Mat. 6.20 and where thieves do not break through and steal nor Satan break through to tempt and destroy But I will not say too much by way of Preface least the Gate become wider then the City the Introduction larger then the Exposition In brief here I say but this or rather the Apostle saith it 2 Tim. 2.3 Be thou careful as a good souldier of Jesus Christ to fight the good fight of h 1 Tim 6.12 faith against Satan and then in and by the power of thy victorious Saviour thou shalt obtain the victory over Satan which is the dayly prayer of him for thee who faithfully believeth by the same power to be made partaker with thee of the same victory Amen Thine to accompany thee in the Way to Heaven JOHN GUMBLEDEN CHRIST TEMPTED the Divell conquered OR A Short and plain Exposition on a part of the fourth Chapter of St. Matthews Gospel In the first Chapter of this Gospel the Evangelist speaketh chiefly of the Genealogie and Birth of Christ In the second of the swise men that came from the East to Jerusalem to worship him and of his speedy flight by night into Egypt for feare of Herod after they had worshipped him In the third of the preaching and Office of John the Baptist the forerunner of Christ who baptized him in Jordan being then about the age of thirty yeers Luke 3.21 23. But in this fourth Chapter a part whereof we have now before us the Evangelist from the first to the twelfth verse beginneth to treat of that which immediately followed afterwards after our Saviour was but then newly baptized of John this Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the divel v. 1. and when he had fasted fourty daies and fourty nights he was afterwards an hungred v. 2. and this we may properly call the preparation or introduction to the whole following narration both touching the single combat between Satan tempting and our Saviour conquering The whole then being thus divided in generall into an Introduction v. 1 2. and a narration in the nine following verses comprehending therein the happy issue of all on our Saviours part in respect of his conquest and the Angels ministring unto him to congratulate his victory we will examine the words in order beginning vers 1. where there is mention both of the Spirit 's work who led up Jesus into the wilderness and also of the Divels work who afterwards tempted Jesus in the wilderness See! different Agents and as different Actions yet all relating to one and the same Subject even to Jesus led up of the good Spirit into the wilderness and to the same Jesus to be tempted of the evil spirit in the wilderness But perhaps at the first hearing this may seem strange unto you that the Saviour of the world should be tempted by the destroyer of the world yet if we rightly consider the first promise made by God to man of a Redeemer to save man strange it is not and the promise in sense is this The Seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents a head giving power notwithstanding even by the samo promise to the same serpent to bruise the heel of the womans seed But who properly was the womans seed Surely the Son of God that promised seed who in the fulness of time was made man of a Gen. 3.15 b Gal. 4.4 woman by the powerful overshadowing of the holy c Luke 1.35 ghost according to his Fathers purpose and intention when he first promised him under the name of the seed of the woman and by the Serpent who doubteth but that the Divel is meant who at that time used the serpent both as his Active and Passive Instrument to beguile the woman there being none of the beasts of the field found so fit as the serpent was to express to the life the craftie subtilties of d Gen. 3.1 Satan that old e Reu. 12.9 serpent who is still suffered to Tempt but not suffered to overcome Suffered by many both outward and inward Tryals and Temptations to bruise the heel of the womans seed of Christ in his members which is still acknowledged to be a real tempting of Christ even by Christ himself Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 Satan Satan why temptest thou me but denyed it is to be any Conquering on Satans part either of Christ or his members the faithful the womans seed also by any of those temptations God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are f 1 Cor. 10.13 able that is not so far to be tempted by Satan as to be overcome by Satan So that it is no new thing to hear of the Divels malice either against Christ or against Christians or of the g 1 Pet. 5.8 lyon and that Lyon of the tribe of Juda. Revel 5.5 of the battel between Michael and the h Rev. 12.7 Dragon Or of the wily and subtile practices of the Divel that i Rev 9.11 Apollyon that destroyer of the world against the Son of God made man that Saviour and Redeemer of the world no new thing at all onely to be malitious proper it is to Satan but to be victorius both for himself and us most proper it is to our Saviour for God who said to the serpent I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her k Gen. 3.15 seed never said that the serpent the Divel should bruise the head and finally prevail against the womans seed never said it will never suffer it and if we had no other proof from the holy Text to confirm us in the full assurance thereof yet this Combate here between Christ and the Divel partly in the wilderness v. 4. partly in the holy City on the pinacle of the Temple v. 7. and partly on an exceeding high mountain v. 10. our Saviour in each place prevailing against Satan is abundantly sufficient to strengthen our saith and confidence in this sacred truth but as yet we are no farther then the Introduction the Gate and entrance into both both to the Combate and the Victory Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Divel v. 1.
in vain neither was Mary espoused to Joseph in that by vertue of this espousal he and none but he was appointed of God b Mat. 2.13 by his Angel to be an Assistant together with Mary to preserve during his minority the life of her Son her first-born Son that being yet but young and tender he might not fall into the merciless hands either of the Divel or Herod And hitherto our Saviour a Minor yet more capable of being killed then of being tempted escaping the on◠was not as yet assaulted with the other all things being calm and quiet for the space of twenty three years at the least c Bellarm. Chronolog pars prior p. 35. even from the time of his return out of Egypt untill he was thirty years of age Luke 3.23 Baptized of John and set apart for the Office of that only Mediator between God and d 1 Tim. 2.5 Man But then the Scene was changed and that old enmity for a time as it were buried in silence breaking forth again he was tempted of the Divel That Calumniator as his name imports e Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellant nos criminatorem vocamus quod crimina in quae ipse illicit ad Deum deferat Lact. Institu divin lib. 2. cap. 9. that Accuser of men to God even of those sins which he himself first by his temptations hath allured man to commit against God that if possible he might always keep that enmity on foot both in Earth and Heaven But we are speaking of this Accuser's tempting our Saviour whom notwithstanding he could not justly accuse no not of the least evill And here by the way that we may leave nothing materiall unexamined we may fitly distinguish of this word to tempt which in holy Scripture is capable of a double sense and that either good which belongs to God or bad which belongs to Satan f Alia est tentatio deceptionis alia probationis Secundum illam tentat diabolus secundum hanc tentat Deus August Epistol 146. A. 23. as it belongs to God it signifies by some high and great experiment to try and prove us to examine our faith and love and filial obedience towards him as plain it is in the case of Abraham when God tempted Gen. 22.1 that is proved and examined his faith and obedience whether at his command though unpleasing to flesh and blood he would offer up his son Isaac his only son for a burnt-offering or not thus God tempted proved Abraham and there was no evill in it but when to tempt becomes the Divels work as now here it was in respect of our Saviour and oftentimes is in respect of us then it signifies craftily to allure unto sin with a purpose to deceive and devoure the Party tempted and enticed unto sin and in this sense was our Saviour tempted of the Divel tempted enticed he was to sin against his father although as the event of the three distinct following temptations will manifest in vaine tempted he was who knew no g 1 Pet. 2.22 sin to sin against his Father in the mean time hear what St. James b Jam. 1.13.14.15.16 saith in vindication of God in this case but in no wise acquitting Satan who by tempting and enticing alwaies cooperates with man in the sin of man Thus let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man not unto sin No but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and is enticed then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Do not erre my beloved brethren do not erre in charging God with your sin which is wholy chargeable on your selves on your own lusts and on the Cherisher and Fomenter of those lusts Satan 3. The Place where our Saviour was Tempted of the Divel was the Wilderness See! John the Baptist who was sent before to prepare the way of the i Mat. 3.13 Lord came Preaching in the wilderness but the Divel came tempting in the wilderness Different Persons different Actions Idem qua idem semper facit idem it being as natural to the Divel to curse and tempt as to the Baptist to bless and preach Lo here is bitter water and sweet but not out of one and the same fountain though probably both in one and the same place both in one and the same wilderness there sweetness flows from John while he preached there bitterness flows from Satan while he tempted John that they might be saved earnestly required faith and k Mat. 3.8 repentance of the Jews but the Divel to satisfie his own curiosity saucily required micracles of Jesus and that in the wilderness v. 3. a solitary place and desolate where he was with the wild beasts Mark 1.13 where none were present at that time but our Saviour himself single and the Divel as in another case none were present in the field Gen. 4.8 when Abel was slain but he himself and Cain who was of that wicked l Joh. 3.12 one Abel and Cain alnoe in the field our Saviour and the Divel alone in the wilderness in the wilderness of m Mat. 3.1 Judea there John began to preach there the Divel began to tempt God appointing one and the same place for both both for the scean of his Son's Triumph and also for the ciruit of his fore-runners Ministry although some doubt whether it were the same wilderness or not But though some doubt there may be of that yet of this that our Saviours tempting in the wilderness was not a matter casual or accidental guided by the hand of chance or fortune◠but fore-ordeined and appointed by the un-erring Providence of God both touching the Person tempted and the place where he was tempted there can be no doubt at all for 't is plaine in the Text that Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness v. 1. up from Jordan where he was baptized led he was to some higher place and that by the Spirit as the impulsive cause by his own Spirit by the Holy Ghost led he was to that place that it might appear that this whole business of our Saviours being tempted of the Divel in the wilderness was wisely guided onely of God and not at all left carelesly either to the n Jesus ductus est in desertum a Spiritu non a Diabolo ut esset potestas dei non esset potestas inimici Chrysolog de jejun tentat Christi Serm. 11. power or to the preposterous disposing of Satan No but as it is Luke 4.1 Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit even by that Spirit by the Holy Ghost wherewith he was filled led he was into the wilderness and thither he was led up of the Spirit the good Spirit to be tempted of the
Divel and as willing he was now to be tempted there no waies seeking to decline the furious strokes of the Divels enmity against him as afterwards he was to be crucified at Golgotha Led then as a Lamb to the o Isa 53.7 slaughter as a Lamb without resistance without reluctancy and led now of the Spirit into the wilderness as one of himself not at all unwilling to liasten to the appointed place for his so much desired p Ducitur non invitus aut captus sed voluntate pugnandi Hieronym in locum Combate with Satan St. Mark cap. 1. v. 12 expresseth it by another word saying the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness See! led up he was of the Spirit in one q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place who driveth r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him in another and both very significant Lod as one very willing of himself driven as one made more willing by the Spirit to make more then ordinary speed into the wilderness there to be tempted of the Divel or if you will the whole in short may be represented unto you thus Our Saviour but then Baptized and in respect of his manhood filled with the Holy Ghost filled then and from thence forth after a more extraordinary manner then before presently at that time neither regarding Bethleem where he was born Mat. 2.1 nor Nazareth where he was brought up v 23. without any delay at all prepar'd himself by the vehement by the driving motion of the Spirit within him to encounter with the Divel in the wilderness A dark resemblance of whose most ready and prompt forwardness in this we have in that undaunted resolution of Paul in another case Acts 21.11 13. who by no means would be disswaded from going to Jerusalem although he were foretold by Agabus that he should there undergoe many tryals and temptations as it came to pass Such is the powerful and efficacious working of God's holy Spirit that he leadeth nay he driveth those whom he hath in a proportionable measure filled to undertake without fear without fainting hard things and difficult To instance in some few cases Steven full of the holy Ghost sharply rebuked his false Accusers though many in number not fearing either their face or fury Acts 7. So Eliah full of the same spirit was not affraid boldly to rebuke Ahab the King for his Idolatry and ſ 1 Kings 18. prophaness and who hath not heard how boldly John the Baptist a mon sent of God John 1.6 preached against the t Mark 6.18 incest of Herod or if there were any touch of fear in these who were meer men yet in this case there could be none at all in our Saviour who full of the holy Ghost and fuller then they set his face his heart towards the wilderness thirsting as the Hart doth aftar the water brooks Psal 42.1 with a longing desire to enter the lists to grapple as it were hand to hand and pes pede vincius to gain but not give any ground to Satan A lively Type whereof we have in that confident boldness of David against Goliah u 1 Sam. 17.45 Thou commest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts in whose Name and Spirit our Saviour now prepar'd himself with much alacrity to expose himself to the utmost malice of the Divel who was then ready to tempt him in the wilderness a solitary and desert place and there even in the wilderness and in no other place would our Saviour be tempted and that for many reasons First That the Divel even by the permission of our Saviour having the advantage of place for the then intended Combate between them his overthrow at the last might be the greater and that he deemeth a wilderness a desert place more advantageous for his purpose then any other appeareth in that he more delighteth in such places then in any other as in dry places such as desarts are Mat. 12.43 in Mountains and Tombes the one not much inhabited the other not much frequented Mark 5.5 And what he most delighteth in may easily be granted to be even in his own judgement whose property it is subtilly and secretly to tempt most advantageous for him in such a place he took his first advantage against Eve Gen. 3. and ever after hoping for the like success he most delighted in such places where there is no outward help no succour no comfort neer at hand as there is in Societies either for a time to hinder or wholy to frustrate his malicious designes and machinations Wherefore what he most delighted in as making most for his own advantage is here of purpose granted him even the wilderness a desart place to tempt our Saviour in that the greater his advantage was in respect of the place the greater his disadvantage and disgrace might be in respect of the event And therefore that it might appear that the Divel to his own shame was a great looser even when confident he was by reason of the advantage granted that he should become a Gainer our Saviour would be tempted in the wilderness Secondly That being for a time thus wholy secluded and separated from the light and society of men not known yet but to few nor what was done and heard at Jordan concerning him not yet divulged to many he might afterwards with the greater Solemnity enter on his Ministry as one immediately sent from God and not chosen out of the Vulgar or sent from men Rarum praeclarum the more rare any thing is the more precious The more rare an eminent Person is and the less frequent with the Multitude the more he will be reverenced and esteemed Thirdly That in the time of this his retirement having no aboad at all in any Citie full of people and fuller of sin but being far remote from all company of men and from the noyse and tumults and troubles of the unquiet world he might by prayer and fasting and other pious Acts of devotion the better prepare himself for the work of God his heavenly Father's business and for his own so much desired victory Sometimes to be alone is a most excellent help not to be alone Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus I am never less then when I am most alone Fourthly That the whole honour of his victory over Satan might redound to himself alone without any relation at all to any of the creatures As afterwards a little before his death All his Disciples forsook him and w Mat. 26.56 fled and in God's intention for that end they all forsook him and fled that none might imagine that man had any share with his Son in the Redemption of man he trod the wine-press of his Father's wrath alone and of all the people there was none with x Isa 63.3 him And therefore all the glory and honour due to the Redeemer was
members cannot expect any better usage 'T is not then as to that point in particular 't is not Apocryphal which is written by the wise man Eccles 2.1 My son if thou come to serve the Lord prepare thy bea rt for temptation because the one is alwaies in separably accompanied with the other the true service and worship of God alwaies attended on in the Faithful and penitent Person with the temptation of Satan So we find it here in the Original and in the Copie truly transcribed we cannot find it otherwise The Original is that then as soon as Jesus was baptized and declared to be the Son of God pres ently in a manner he was tempted of the Divel The Copie is that then also he tempteth us even so soon as we begin to fight under the banner of Jesus as the Sons of God So soon as we begin to depart out of Egypt from the bondage and slavery of sin towards the land of Canaan to the end that we might serve the Lord then he followeth after us as furiously as Pharaoh did after the Israelites Exodus 14.9 with Horses and Chariots an Army of Temptations But blessed be our God who hath taught us a way if not wholy to be freed from while we live in this Tabernacle of flesh yet wholy to resist and break the violent force of all his Temptations and that way is by f 1 Pet. 5.9 1 Joh. 5.4 faith by true faith in Christ crucified who for our sakes was tempted of the Divel that we not left destitute and alone without heavenly grace and assistance to strengthen us in our several Tryals for the is with us might by him be delivered from the power from the poyson of all his Temptations and thanks be unto God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus g 1 Cor. 15.57 Christ And thus far for the first part of the Preparation or Introduction to the following combate with the particular circumstances of Persons Place and Time belonging thereunto ver 1. The Second followeth And when he had fasted forty daies and forty nights he was afterwards an hungred v. 2. We heard before in the first part of Jesus of the Spirit of the Divel the matter then spoken of belonging properly unto them But now in this Second part of the preparation to advance against Satan the whole matter concerneth Jesus himself alone relating either to his fasting or to his hunger and both in the wilderness thither he was led by the Spirit to be tempted and being there he now thus prepares himself to be tempted afterwards to become a conqueror judgeing it the best way for himself who came into the world to satisfie God's wrath for mans sin of disobedience committed by eating Gen. 3.6 to pull down the Divels pride even by humility by abstinence by fasting and hunger if we should look back again to Jordan there we should hear of better tydings but as there is a time to h Eccles 3.4 laugh so also there is a time to weep can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them but The daies will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them and then shall they i Mat. 5.15 fast and such a time was our Saviour now fallen on the bridegroom was taken from him or at least for a time was turned aside no opening of the heavens to him now no visible de scending of the Spirit of God upon him now no vioce heard from Heaven now rather nothing but desolatenss in respect of the place nothing but long fasting in respect of the Person solitary and alone and though it were not so hard with him at this time as it was upon the Cross when the Godhead with drawing all heavenly comfort for a time from the manhood he cryed out my God my God why hast thou forsaken k Mat. 27.45 me yet hard enough it was with him at this time notwithstanding though his condirion were now much changed from what it was not long since at Jordan yet most willing he was to drink of this Cup and the Apostle with relation to all his sufferings gives the reason why he was so willing to drink of it this Jesus for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of l Heb. 12.2 God But it was not come to that yet not to sitting not to resting from all his labours from all his sufferings nor to that John 17.1 Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son or 2.4.5 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O Father glorifie me with thine own self no finishing yet ino glorifying yet but suffering rather and though the time of his death was not then at hand yet the time of his Tempting was and necessary it was in this his preparation both for his tempting and conquering that his fasting and his hunger should immediately go before it as a bait to catch Satan who then presumeth most to prevail in Tempting when he seeth us in the lowest and weakest condition of resisting his Temptations And when he had fasted forty dayes and forty nights he was afterwards an hungred verse 2. In which words we will note two things 1. The Continuance of our Saviour's fasting 2. The effect or Consequence of his fasting and both before he was Tempted First The Continuance of his fasting was for the whole space of forty daies and forty nights not current but compleat The Text is plain and needs no other Key to open it but it self Obj. 2. Two Evangelists Mark 1.13 and Luke 4.2 mention not the nights at all of our Saviour's fasting but onely the forty daies may we not then affirm that he was comfoted with some relief and sustenance all those nights Answ No because by a Synecdoche membri a part being put for the whole they comprehend within that Accompt even the nights also our Saviour no doubt spending all that time of his fasting knowing that the Divel was as busie in the night as in the day in beavenly meditations in devout prayers and supplications to his Father to strengthen him when the time of his Tryal should come when the Tempter should come who he well knew was already in the Wilderness watching and observing both his works and waies as the Serpent was in Paradise before he tempted the woman observing first her gesture and behaviour and which was the best way to assault her before he askt his Tempting Question Yea hath God said Gen. 3.1 Obj. 2. It appears by St. Luke's words ck 4.2 that our Saviour was tempted of the Divel all those forty daies which St. Matthew speaketh of or at least that he was tempted long before the time of his fasting ended Answ It is but an appearance and there is light enough even in the Text and Mark 1.13 rightly read to dispel
the mists or the mistakes rather of any that shall but imagine it for the Text v. 2.3 setteth down plainly and in order 1. Our Saviours fasting forty daies and forty nights 2. His hunger after his so long fasting 3 His Tempting after both the one immediately following the other and in the same order as they are there mentioned as it is also Luke 4.2 3. In those forty daies he did eat nothing and when they were ended he aftewards hungred and the Divel said unto him an Argument undeniable because the Texts positively affirm it that our Saviour's Tempting followed both his fasting and his hunger and was not any waies a Concomitant or coaetaneous with the one nor an Antecedent of the other not a Concomitant with his fasting for the forty daies and forty nights were fully ended before he was an hungred nor an Antecedent of his hunger for thereupon the Divel took the first occasion of his Tempting as after he had fasted so long a time he was an hungred v. 2. and after he was an hungred then the Tempter came unto him and said v. 3. then and not before So that when St. Mark saith 1.13 that he was there in the wilderness forty daies tempted of the Divel and St. Luke 4.2 being forty daies tempted of the Divel they do not mean that our Saviour was tempted either all or any of those daies wherein he fasted no and that the Comma in the Original m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 1.13 between the time of his fasting and the time of his tempting makes plain and manifest and so should our Translation be pointed with the Comma after forty daies thus he was there in the wilderness forty daies tempted of Satan Thus also is that of St. Luke to be understood as Interpreters rightly observe upon the n Ari. Montan. Piscat Schol. place ch 4.2 reconciling the seeming dâ—fference of one by the plain words of another Evangelist And because this of St. Matthew is the plainest it is also for that reason the fittest to interpret the Two others meaning as it fully doth And the true meaning is that our Saviour was not tempted of the Divel until he had fasted full forty daies and forty nights Lo a Fast it was supernatural and miraculous yet meer men I confess have done the like as o Exod. 34.28 Moses and p 1 King 19.8 Elias though not by the strength of meer men no neither did our Saviour who after his long fasting was not at all changed in his natural constitution all that time but was stilas strong and vigorous as he was forty daies before when he departed so speedily from Jordan into the wilderness so was Moses and Elias by the power of God but our Saviour by his Father's and by his own power all fasted so long Moses * Exo. 34.28 when he was sent of God from the Mount to deliver the renewed Tables of the Law unto the people Elias * 1 King 19.8 when he was appointed of God to restore again true Religion very much corrupted and in a manner decayed in his days and our Saviour immediately before he was to enter publikely on his Ministry So that we may easily conjecture that for one and the same reason they all fasted so long and the reason was that each of them in their several times and ages of the world as Moses under the Law Elias in the time of the Prophets and our Saviour under the Gospel bringing their Message immediately from Heaven confirmed by their extraordinary fasting might as some extraordinary Persons be the more honoured among the people and their Message the more willingly received and obeyed when they should plainly perceive that the God of Nature as a means to procure more awful and reverent Authority both unto themselves and doctrine had given them power so far to exceed the ordinary bounds of nature as to fast forty daies and forty nights without any intermission which was the full continuance of our Saviour's fasting Secondly The Effect or Consequence of his fasting was that after he had abstained from all manner of food so long a time he was afterwards an hungred v. 2. which we do not read at all either of Moses or Elias after their long fasting we do not read it because no Pen-man of the holy Ghost hath recorded it neither was there the same reason to mention their hunger meer men after their fasting as there was particularly our Saviours God Man after his fasting and the reasons why our Saviours hunger in particular is here mentioned may be two 1. To manifest to all succeeding Ages that he that was very God the Person here to be tempted was very man also it being incident unto Man also and not unto God to be hungry 2. To note that though the Divel even then were prepared to Tempt yet the occasion thereof to a good end was first offered unto him by our Saviour and offered unto him by his q Permittitur esurive corpus ut Diabolo tentandi tribuatur occasio Hieron in locum Chrysolog de jejun tent Christi Serm. 11. hunger after he bad fasted forty daies and forty nights neither doth this derogate from the wisdom of our Saviour to give the first occasion and as it were provoke Satan to empty out the fowlest dregs of all his malicious envity against him but rather it doth magnifie it to all that shall rightly consider that when in seeming he was weakest and at the lowest ebbe yet even then he was able to Conquer Satan to whom he therefore gave the occasion of Tempting him by his hunger that knowing he would soon swallow the bait and greedily accept the occasion offered he might the more victoriously Triumph over him who thought himself secure enough after he had gained so fit an opportunity to Tempt him when he was an hungred We have now done with the Preparation to this combate on our Saviours part who was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Divel And when he had fasted forty daies and forty nights he was afterwards an hungred v. 1.2 In the Narration which comes next and sets before us the whole matter we will consider 1. The several Conflicts between the Divel and our Saviour 2. The happy issue of all on our Saviours part The particular Conflicts with the particular repulses given to Satan are distinctly and in Order Three and in three distinct places The first in the wilderness v. 3 4. The second on a pinacle of the Temple v. 5 6 7. The third on an exceeding high mountain v. 8 9 10. and the blessed success of all on our Saviours part v. 11. We begin with the first Conflict thus And when the Tempter came unto him he said If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread v. 3. But he answered and said It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by
the same thing and that 1. In prophane writers the Jesuite himself y Vbi supra confesseth with others out of Suidas Xenophon Valla a Lodovic Vives in August lib. 10 ca. 1. de Civitate Dei Pet. Martyr ubi supra Sect. 13. Muscul loc com de cultú Dei. Sect. 1. Pare in cap. 12. ad Roman Dub. 3. p. 1232. Perk. problem p. 530. of worshipping of Saints Phavorinus Nay 2. That even in the holy Scriptures also they are so used sometimes the one sometimes the other and each mutually for one and the same religious worship due unto God only is most plain and manifest in both Testaments First In the Old and that in many places we will name but few Thus Ye shall serve the Lord your God saith Moses Ye shall b Exod. 23.25 serve which the Greek Interpreters from the Hebrew word Abad or Avad which signifies to c Par. ubi supra p. 1231. serve render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again Thou shalt serve the Lord thy d Deut. 6.13 God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and They put away the strange Gods from among them and served the Lord e Judg. 10.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also used in the same sense notwithstanding the same word Abad be the Originall as before as You shall serve the f Deut. 13.4 Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serve the Lord with all your heart 1 Sam. 12.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and serve the Lord with g Psal 2.11 fear rendred also by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now if one and the same Hebrew word Abad be rightly rendred by the Greek Translators sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay by the latter oftner then by the former as touching that Service and Worship which is proper only unto God an Argument undeniable certainly it is that as these words whether it be the Latria or the Doulia signifie both but one and the same thing so also that one and the same Worship meant thereby is to be given to none other but to God only and cannot by any means be communicable unto Creatures Nay even in the Books Apochryphal which the Papists so much magnifie the same word their Doulia whereby they express their Saint or creature-worship is appropriated unto none but only unto God as O Lord Let every Creature serve h Judith 16.17 thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And my Son If thou coms to serve the i Ecclus 2.1 Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly The same is confirmed also in the New Testament as Luke 2.36 37. Anna the Prophetess served God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And saith Paul After the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my k Acts 24.4 Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So to the Israelites belongs the service of l Rom. 9.4 God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turn but the leaf and presently you shall find another word of the same sense expressing the same thing as Act. 20.18 19. I have been with you at all seasons serving the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that in these things serveth m Rom. 14.18 Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again ye serve the Lord n Col. 3.24 Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides Paul oftentimes calling himself the servant of Jesus o Rom. 1.1 Phil. 1.1 Christ expresseth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is enough the words though two in sound are but one in sense and therefore by this frivolous and unwarrantable distinction there can be no sure ground to entitle the Angels and Saints in Heaven to religious worship and adoration God's peculiar due to whom as you have heard both the Latria and the Doulia properly belongeth and if that which is meant by both both signifying but one and the same thing be due unto God only just cause there is that this distinction that being thereby distinguished which in God's word is not distinguishable should be utterly rejected and exploded as it is Neither is that other term of theirs namely the Hyperdoulia or more then Saint-worship worthy of any better acceptance for though under a plausible pretence invented it was at first even to honour the humanity of our Saviour and the person of his Mother the blessed Virgin Mary with religious adoration yet in vain invented it was under that pretence and to that end In vain because the humane nature of Christ simply considered in it self and without any relation at all to his Deity is not God but a meer p Aquin. summ 3. pars q. 25. Conclu 1. creature and therefore not to be worshipped not with the Latria or God-worship as the Jesuite and his party themselves confesse out of q Pet. Lumbard 8. Intent lib. 3. Distinct 9. A.B. Alfons ◠Castro lib. 2. advers hares in verbo Adoratio Aquin. ubi supra conclus 2. Damascene No nor with the Hyperdoulia neither for the rule is Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God but the humane nature of Christ is not God yet considered as it is united by an Hypostatical and personal union to his Deity then with relation to whole Christ God and man God manifested in the flesh then as it so subsisteth indivisibly in one and the same person without whom it never subsisted it is we confesse to be worshipped with one and the same divine adoration that is properly due unto the same divine person So as God and man in one person his Disciples worshipped him after his r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 28.17 resurrection So the wise men also that came from the East worshipped him Mat. 2.2 11. Guided they were to Jerusalem by a star in respect of their journey but surely guided they were by the holy Spirit of God in respect of their judgement apprehending no doubt somewhat divine in him which is the object of religious worship due to God only as preheminency is of civil worship due unto man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they fell down and worshipped him him whole Christ but his manhood single and apart surely neither worshipped neither his Disciples nor the Wise men And as for his blessed Mother that pure Virgin the last mention we hear of her in holy Scripture was that of her Son unto her concerning John Woman behold thy ſ John 19.26 Son woman blessed she was among women even by the Angel's t Luke 1.28 testimony while she was on Earth and no doubt is most blessed among Saints now she is in Heaven Yet because she is a creature she is not to be honoured with divine adoration she is not So Epiphanius fully concerning this u Lib. 3. Haeres cap. 79. cited by Perkins in his Reformed Catholick and by De Pilkington in his Parallela Contr. 7. matter Let none saith he adore Mary who is holy and honoured yet