from heauen to be the sole Doctor and Prophet of the Church of God presently without delay as is Marke 1. 12. he was led aside to be tempted of the Diuell In that Christ is no sooner baptised but he is presently tempted it sheweth vs that all those which haue bene baptised and giuen vp their names to Christ must make account to be tempted and looke for temptations For if Satan durst be so bold to set vpon Iesus Christ the head who was not onely man but very God how much more will he be bold to set vpon vs who be but weake and sinfull men And therefore so soone as we haue truly giuen vp our names to God and become the faithfull souldiers of Christ and refuse to serue sinne and Satan then will the diuell incounter vs and set vpon vs and we must looke for to be tempted preparing our selues to this spirituall battell and put vpon vs the whole complete armour of God Ephes 6. 11. But most men will say this doctrine is not true for they neuer felt any such combat in themselues though they haue bin baptized many yeares I answer such men whatsoeuer they be they haue onely the outward baptisme of water and neuer receiued the inward baptisme of the Spirit and such men do indeed weare Christs liuerie but do seruice to the Diuell his enemie And therefore let such persons reforme them selues turne from their wicked and sinfull liues and seeke to serue the Lord and then they shall find this doctrine most true For the children of Israel so long as they liued vnder Pharaoh in Egypt they were not persecuted by Pharaoh but when they did set their faces towards the land of Canaan then presently he pursued them with all his malice and might So all the while men liue in Egypt that is in sin and wickednesse and serue the diuell he will let them be at quiet but if euer we once set our hearts on that heauenly Canaan and giue our selues to the seruice of God then he will with open mouth pursue vs follow vs with many armies and cast an hundred temptations in our way And as a poore bird which cometh to the shop and when she thinketh to get away then cometh all her paine and the net is spread ouer her so when men begin to leaue their euill courses and to set themselues to serue the Lord presently the Diuell doth spread his net to intangle them This must teach vs to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation Secondly in that our Sauiour is no sooner baptized ordained to be the great Doctor of the Church but he is presently tempted and encountred by Satan hence we learne that all those which be appointed of God to any speciall office in the Church or common-weale they must make account they shall be tempted and looke for Satans temptations one way or other it was that which befell the head and therefore let vs all that be his members reckon of it Example of this we haue in Moses who so soone as he was new called to be the guide and deliuerer of the children of Israel he was faine to flie when he had killed the Egyptian And Dauid was no sooner appointed by God to be King of Israell but Saule did persecute him As soone as our Sauiour Christ had called the Apostles to that office he brought them to the sea and there by his diuine power raised a storme so as they cried out Maister saue vs or else we perish And this the Lord doth in great wisdome for by this meanes he sheweth a man that he is not able of himselfe to execute the duties of his particular calling without the speciall grace of God and by these temptations and trials the Lord stirreth vp a greater loue of his Maiestie in the hearts of his children and with it many other graces as prayer patience c. and maketh these graces the better to shew themselues Seeing that our Sauiour Christ begins his propheticall office of teaching the Church of God with temptations this should admonish the Ministers of the word of God that they of all other men are subiect to Satans temptations because they be the Lords Standard-bearers and his Lieutenants against whom Satan and al his souldiers bend all their forces as souldiers often do against the standard-bearer When as Iehoshua the high Priest stood before the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to hinder him Zach. 3. 1. He was a lying spirit in the mouth of foure hundred false Prophets and this old red Dragon Reu. 12. with his taile draweth downe the third part of the stars of heauen he desired to winnow Peter and to trie him by temptations Luke 22. And as the king of Aram said of Acab Fight not against small or great but against the king of Israel so Satan fighteth not against any so much as the Prophets of Israel the Ministers of the Church So then we may see that temptations are necessary for the Ministers of the word that they may both know what they be and also learne how to comfort others in time oâ— temptation Also to teach vs the true vse of the word of God and the force of it in resisting temptation For certaine it is that temptations teach men many things which they could neuer learne by bare studie So that one sayd well Reading meditation prayer and temptations these foure make a Diuine The second point to be considered is what was the cause which moued our Sauior Christ to go into the wildernesse which was the leading of the Spirit Iesus was led aside of the spirit Luke 4. 1. or as the word signifieth he was caried apart Mark 1. 12. not by a forced but a voluntary motion This was not a locall transportation of the bodie of Christ as that of Eliah and of Philip from the Eunuch but by the inward instinct of the holy Ghost he was mooued and made willing to go as the word which Luk. 4. 1. vseth sheweth plainely And by the Spirit here is not meant the Diuell or an euill spirit but the holy Spirit of God euen the third person in the Trinitie And so we see that Christ may both guide the Spirit and be guided by the Spirit for Christ as he is man is led and guided by the Spirit but as he is God he doth guide and send his Spirit Obiection Christ sendeth the holy Ghost therefore cannot be led by it Ans. As Christ was man he was guided by Gods spirit as he was God he sent the Spirit Hence we may behold the exceeding holinesse of the manhood or humane nature of Christ who as he was man was guided by the Spirit of God euen in his mouing from one place to another And it is that which euery one should desire to be like vnto our Sauiour Christ in this viz. to suffer our selues to be guided directed by Gods holy spirit
in all our thoughts words and deeds for this is a true note of Gods children Rom. 8. 14. but as many as are not led by the Spirit of God the same are none of his Rom. 8. 9. And therefore let vs all become plyable to the motions and directions of Gods blessed spirit so as we can say as Dauid saith When thou saydst Seeke ye my face my heart answered vnto thee O Lord I will seeke thy face Againe from this that Christ was led vnto temptations by the spirit of God we learne that temptations come not by chance nor yet by the diuels will and appointment for he could not touch Iob or any thing he had till he had leaue giuen him by the Lord and he could not so much as enter into swine till Christ gaue him leaue but they come by his â—ust permission and the speciall prouidence â—nd appointment of God For as God deâ—reed that he which had ouercome all mankind should be ouercome by Christ so he â—ath appointed this combat by temptations â—o all men the place where it is tried is the world as a theater the persons as souldiers tried are Christians the person tempting is Satan our aduersarie the beholders are men and Angels the Iudge or vmpire is the Lord himselfe so that the issue shall be good And therefore when we be tempted we must not thinke it strange but rather as Iam. 1. 2. Accompt it exceeding ioy when we are tempted for the triall of our faith and obedience And also seeing they come by Gods appointment it should moue vs all to endure them patiently seeing they cannot be auoyded Seeing Christ was led to be tempted hence we learne that no man must wittingly of his own head cast himself into places of danger for Christ went not into the place of temptation til he was led by the spirit of God And so indeed if a man find himselfe moued by some extraordinary motion and instinct of the spirit he may offer himselfe vnto danger So Paul went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem that is he did willingly follow the motion 〈◊〉 Gods spirit which inforced him to go to Ieâ—rusalem And so many of the Martyrs thougâ— they might haue fled yet being moued 〈◊〉 the inward motion of the holy Ghost diâ—â—stand to the truth abide the danger and enâ—dured the fire But otherwise no man is wittingly to cast himselfe into danger yet if the Lord send any danger vnto a man in the performance of his calling and vocation walking according to Gods word he is patiently to endure it and may not seeke to auoide the same Here may be demaunded whether a maâ— may with good conscience and safely abidâ— in such places where it is certainely knownâ— that euill spirits do haunt and vse to be Although some be so venturous and bold that they feare nothing yet it is no wisdome neither is it lawfull for men to frequent and abide in those places but rather to shunnâ— them seeing the Lord hath deliuered them vp into the power of the Diuell And therefore such men as frequent such places knowâ— to be possessed do wilfully tempt God and cast themselues into needlesse danger vnlesse they haue extraordinary warrant from God This may serue to reprooue those men who say they care not into what companie they come for they perswade themselues that no companie can hurt them but let such men beware for how can it be but they shall be infected with the sinnes of those whose companie they vsually do haunt and vse He that walketh with the wise shall be wise but a companion of fooles shall be like vnto them He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled and if sinners intice thee yeeld not vnto them Againe here we see that so long as Christ liued a priuate life at home with his father in his trade all this while the Diuell lets him alone neither hath he these gifts of the holy Ghost but after he was once installed to the office of a Mediator presently the Diuell sets vpon him and when he must now be another kind of man in teaching the people of God he is led now by the spirit of God and furnished for this high and excellent calling Hence then we must learne that when we are appointed of God to any speciall office either in Church or Common-weale we must then become new men fit for those places and carie our selues sutable to our callings Thus when Saul was annointed to bâ— King he became another man thus wheâ— Dauid became of a shepheard a King he beâ— haued himselfe as a King thus the Apostle at the first were poore ignorant fisher-men but being called to be Apostles they leâ—â— their old trade and became new men eueâ— messengers of Christ to preach the Gospel to all nations This confuteth those which pleade extraordinary callings as those men who caâ— themselues Elias Iohn Baptist c. for if thesâ— were such men and had such extraordinariâ— callings they should be endued with extraordinarie gifts fit for their calling but they are not nay we see they be but ordinary men Againe by nature we be all borne the children of wrath and enemies to God but by grace are called to be Christians now theâ— it behoueth vs all to become new men to leade new liues fitting and sutable to our holy calling giuing our selues wholy to the seruice and worship of God Now if any askeâ— how Christ was furnished with these gifts â— answer out of S. Luke that he was filled with the holy Ghost chap. 4. vers 1. If any furtheâ— obiect that if he were so filled after his baptisme then he was not filled before I answerâ— againe that as in his infancie he had a meaâ—ure of gifts fit for that age so from time to â—â—me he increased in grace and after his bapâ—â—sme had a greater appearance and measure â—f gifts then before his calling to preach It followeth Into the wildernesse Here is â—he third circumstance namely the place into â—he wildernesse or desert place which place Christ did of purpose choose to be tempted â—n There be diuers opinions concerning this place some thinke it to be a litle wildernesse betwixt Ierusalem and Iericho others iudge â—t to be the desert of Arabia where Elias faâ—ted fortie dayes and fortie nights and where â—he children of Israel wandred fortie yeares But seeing the holy Ghost doth not shew what wildernes it was we are not curiously â—o inquire after it but onely know it was a desert and solitary place Let vs rather seeke the reasons wherefore he was tempted in the wildernesse first because Christ comming into the world to be â—ut Mediator tooke vpon him the base estate of a seruant and came in humiliation therefore when he was now baptized he would not go to Ierusalem to publish his honour but he went into the desert a solitary wildernesse Againe he went into the wildernesse thaâ—
And the Magistrate is especially bound to looke to this seeing it is the law of God that the blasphemer should be stoned to death now this law is perpetuall And if a man for speaking a word of disgrace against the person of the Prince wittingly and willingly shall iustly lose his life then he that is a blasphemer and speakes to the disgrace of the eternall God is much more worthie to die a thousand deaths Secondly by this answer of Christ we learne how to behaue our selues when any shall go about to perswade vs to depart froÌ„ his Church to renounce true religion we must accompt of them in that respect as the instruments of Satan If the father should seeke to withdraw his owne child from the true religion the sonne must not spare the father but must cast the first stone at him Deut. 13. And when Peter would haue disswaded Christ from going to Ierusalem he saith Get thee behind me Satan though he was an excellent Apostle yet in this Christ accompts of him as of the very diuell Againe in that Christ bids Satan now auoide and will dispute no longer with him we must hereby learne how to answer the diuell in his temptations though at the first when his temptations be more mild we may reply by the word of God yet when Satan shall be more violent in his assaults we must imitate our Sauior Christ bid him auoide and dispute no more with him And whatsoeuer he shall bring against vs when we are not able to answer him yet let vs hold the maine conclusion in the word of God not vouchsaâ—ing him an answer It is written Seeing our Sauior Christ now the third time answers the Diuell by the scriptures saying It is written we learne that the written word beleeued and vnderstood is the most sufficient weapon to confute to confound Satan his vile teÌ„ptations else Christ wold not now eueÌ„ the third time haue made choise of this weapon It is written againe This confutes the Papists who make two Scriptures one vnwritten and inward which is traditions the consent of the fathers which haue liued in all ages the other written in the holy scriptures Now they do make their vnwritten scriptures as they call them and the consent of fathers to be of equall authoritie with the written word of God which our Sauior Christ doth shew here to be the most powerfull meanes to repell all Satans temptations And the holy scriptures which they call a dead letter and make as though it had no power in it eueâ— this alone is the sword of the spirit to confound satan and therefore damnable is that their doctrine which so abuseth the holy Scriptures sets vp the erronious tradition of sinfull men For if the written word had bene but a dead letter our sauiour Christ would neuer haue made choise of it abouâ— all other weapons three seuerall times to confute Satan euery time answering It is written Secondly by this answer of Christ saying It is written we learne how to behaue our selues when any shall seeke to turne vs from true Religion to embrace false Religion though we cannot answer their arguments but they set such a colour on them by their wit and eloquence and seeme to dazle our eyes that we can not see their deceits yet we must sticke to the scriptures and cleaâ—â— fast to the text of the Bible and if we find but one sentence in al the Bible to perswade vs of the truth of Religion we must hang vpon it with both hands and let not oâ— hold go nay it must be of more force credit with vs then a thousand arguments that tend to the contrary Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only In these words is contained the answer of our sauiour Christ to the third temptation of the Diuell The words are takeÌ„ out of Deut. 6 13. where they are read thus Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him Now there may seeme to be some difference in the words as they be alleaged by Christ for in that place of Deuteronomy it is said Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God our sauiour Christ saith Thou shalt worship Againe our sauiour Christ addes a word which is not added by Moses in that place namely Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God onely this word onely is not in that text of Moses But if we vnderstand two points concerning the alleaging of scripture there will appeare to be no difference the first is this that Christ and his Apostles in their alleaging of scripture do not so much sticke to the very â—illables as aime at the sense of the scriptures which they alleage The second thing is this that our sauiour Christ in alleaging scripture seekes to expound scripture and to open it in alleaging of it and so doing he may well adde a word when as the word he addeth maketh much for the meaning of the text And thus Christ in this place chaungeth the word not mistaking of it but rather to expound Moses for whereas Moses saith Thou shalt feare the Lord he meaneth that religious feare whereby we feare God and worship him Now our sauiour Christ he saith Thou shalt worship shewing Moses meant that feare whereby we do with reuerence and bowing of the body and adoring of God worship him moued thereunto by religious feare either in praying for some mercy we want or giuing thankes for some benefite receiued Againe Christ in alleaging this text of Scripture he addes a word yet so as he doth it without any fault for though this word alone be not in Moses his text expresly set downe yet it is included and in sense it is vnderstood for where he saith in the thirteenth verse Thou shalt feare the Lord and ads no more in the fourteenth verse he saith Thou shalt not walke after any other gods so that a maÌ„ may easily perceiue he did in seÌ„se include it though not expresse it in words and thus we see our sauiour Christ cleared In the text of scripture alleaged by Christ note two points first what this worship and feare is secondly to whom worship is due First worship taken generally signifieth the giuing of honor and reuerence to another Now this honour is either ciuill or diuine Ciuill honour is that outward reuerence we giue to men by â—rostrating of the body or bowing of the knee and the end of this ciuill worship is that thereby we might acknowledge another to be our superiour therfore it is giuen of subiects to Princes or of inferiours to those that by some meanes are their superiours And thus Iacob worshipped that is gaue ciuil worship to Esau seuen times Genes 33. 3. This reuerence Abraham gaue to the Hittites Gen. 23. 7. Lot to the Angels bowed himselfe to the ground Gen. 19. 1. where he gaue them onely ciuill worship and honour So then it is manifest by these examples that we may lawfully bow and bend the
Scripture roundly as wel as he And therfore we must be wary how we entertaine doctrines of heretikes and false teachers though they seeme to proue them by the Scriptures for the Diuel he hath his scriptum est it is written as ready as may be But we must learne to proue the spirits that is the doctrines of men whether they be of God or not 1. Iohn 4. 1. lest the Diuel and wicked men deceiue vs for we see here how the Diuel can alleage Scripture and that fitly for his purpose And it is the subtil practise of the diuel to alleage Scripture that so he may perswade men to receiue his damnable doctrines and become heretickes and scismatickes And to this end he doth grosly abuse the Scriptures yea when he would perswade men to liue in sinne he hath his Scriptum est very ready and can tel them At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne he shall haue mercie and truly by his abusing of Scripture he preuailes with many The wordes which the diuell alleageth are taken out of the fourescore and eleuenth Psalme the eleuenth verse For he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes c. Now the Diuell in alleaging and propounding the words is very precise and sheweth himselfe very carefull in repeating of the words in so much as he will not leaue out no not this particle For which might well haue bene left out Yet in the end he stickes not to leaue out a whole clause which is the maine point and ground of Gods promise namely this to keepe thee in all thy wayes Where we may see how the diuell doth most vilâ—ly abuse the Scriptures of God and it is vsuall with him in his allegations to put in or to put out something or some way or other to depraue them or to corrupt the sense and meaning of the Scriptures to serue his owne turne And as this is the diuels manner in his alleaging and dealing with the Scriptures so do the Papists as his scholers For though in word they hold the Scriptures yet it is vsuall with them to put in or leaue out or by some meanes to corrupt and depraue theÌ„ in the sense and meaning as might be shewed by example Well seeing the diuell is so skilfull in the Scriptures and can alleage them so readily and so fitly for his purpose and withall is so malicious to mince them and depraue them it should make all men to studie the holy Scriptures that so we might be acquainted with them and be able to disclose and to descry Satans fallations and subtilties and we should wish with Moses that all the Lords people could prophecie But especially the Ministers of the word they must labour to be thorowly acquainted with the booke of God to obserue euen the circumstances of the text else the diuell will cast a mist before their eyes and beguile them with his subtill fallations and therefore they must do as Ezechiel did eate vp the book of God And that we might not perceiue Satans subtilties and deceit he labours to keepe men in ignorance of the word and by all meanes to haue the Scriptures hid and darke and if it were possible to root out the schooles of learning and that the Bible might be burned And as he preuailes in Poperie to bring men to this that all religion and the Scriptures might hang on mens deuises and mans learning as they do in Poperie ground all vpon Lumbard the maister of the Sentences and barre the common people from the Scriptures locking them vp in an vnknowne tong so with Christians he taketh the like course for he perswades them that the Scriptures are hard to be vnderstood and very obscure and troublesome and therfore he drawes menâ— minds from the studie of them to reade the writings of men because they seeme to be more pleasant and delectable that so 〈◊〉 being not acquainted with the text might not descrie his deceipts and subtilties Againe seeing the diuell can alleage the word of God and say It is written and that he can bring in Scripture fit for his purpose what a shame is it for Christians if they do not labor so to know the Scriptures of God that they may alleage them as occasion shall serue that not as some do to heape place vpon place without all reason but to alleage them fitly and to the purpose Lastly seeing this is a diuellish and satanicall practise in alleaging the Scriptures to depraue and corrupt them to leaue out and put in at his pleasure it must warne vs that when we are lawfully called we do speake and vtter the words of other men euen all no more but all neither putting to them nor taking from theÌ„ and that without changing their words or the sense and meaning of them He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee The true sense of the place is this that the Lore had a speciall care of his people and when he sent any iudgement vpon the Israelites he gaue them this comfortable promise that in the middest of all their troubles he himselfe would protect them And as this promise was made to them so it is generall to the whole Church of God and belongs to vs. For in all common iudgements and calamities the children of God which walke in his waies shal be sure to haue protection and securitie for the Angels of God by his appointment do hold them vp as it were in their hands In which words there is a comparison taken from nurses who hauing children committed to their care do hold them very charily and tenderly in their hands and dare not let them go out of their armes euen so the Angels of God by his appointment become euen as nurses to his children in all their lawful wayes and do attend vpoÌ„ them and are very carefull to protect them from danger so long as they keepe themselues within the compasse of Gods word It is true indeed that iudgement begins at the house of God and he often afflicts his dearest children to trie their faith and patience yet is is most certaine that in commoÌ„ calamities the children of God shall haue protection and security yea the Angels of God as it were nurses shal hold them in their hands and defend them so long as they keepe themselues in the wayes of God and within the compasse of his will in his word But if they leaue the way of Gods commandements and waÌ„der in by-paths and go out of their lawfull callings they haue no assuraÌ„ce of Gods protection neither haue Gods Angels any charge to watch ouer them Seeing then God hath made so mercifull a promise of protection to all them that walke in his wayes and within the compasse of his commaundements it should warne vs all to beware how we go out of our wayes and lawfull callings but that we studie the law of God and as we looke for