8. Ephes. 6. 16. Psal. 91. 13. Thou shalt walk vpon the Lion and Asp the yong Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder feete Lidia How is this resistance confirmed Paul To confirme this these preseruatiues which follow are very necessary 1. When you are tempted to sinne do not only abstaine from it but earnestly loue and follow after the contrary Iohn 8. 44. 2. Neuer yeeld or consent to Satans words whether he speake the truth accuse falsly or flatter dissemblingly Iohn 8. 44. Ye are of your father the diuell and the lusts of your father ye will do he hath bin a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie then speaketh he of his owne for he is a lier and the father thereof Marke 1. 24. And cried with a loud voice and said What haue I to do with thee Iesus the sonne of the most high God And Iesus said Hold thy peace and come out of him Act. 16. 17. She followed Paul and vs and cried saying These men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of saluation c. August serm 241. 3. One temptation is to be looked for after another and then especially when our enemie after he hath set his snares is at rest for the diuel neuer maketh an end of his malice 1. Pet. 5. 8. Lidia I haue heard how to resist teach me I pray you what is his fall Paul The fall is whereby the souldier through infirmitie fainteth being subdued by the power of the enemie Gal. 6. 1. Brethrē if a man be fallen by occasion into any fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Lidia If I fall how may I rise Paul To this appertaineth the spirituall remedie now a remedie is a thing hauing aptnesse to restore him which is fallen to his former estate Gal. 6. 1. And here two things must alwayes be thought on 1. If there be a willing mind euery one is accepted for that grace which he hath not for that which he hath not 2. Corint 8. 12 For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2. In all these things whosoeuer wil leade a godly life in Christ the power of God is to be made perfect through their infirmitie 2. Cor. 12. 9. And he said vnto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknesse very gladly therefore will I reioyce rather in mine infirmities that the power of God may dwell in me 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions in anguish for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I strong Lidia But since Satan is mine aduersarie instruct me how many his assaults be Paul Assaults are three-fold Lidia VVhich is the first Paul The first is about the Christian mans effectuall calling and the temptation is the enterprise of the Diuell to blindfold mans mind and to harden his hart lest the word of God should work in him to saluation Mat. 1◠4. And as he sowed some fell by the way side and the fowles came and deuoured them vp 5. And some fell vpon stonie ground where they had no◠much earth and anon they sprang vp because they had no depth of earth 6. And when the sun rose vp they were parched for lack of rooting withered away 7. And some fell among thornes and the thornes sprung vp and choked them 19. Whensoeuer a man heareth the word of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not the euill one cometh and catcheth away that which was sowne in his heart and this is he which hath receiued the seed by the way side Lidia How may I resist this assault Paul A resistance in those that are called is wrought by the spirit of God that causeth men to lend their eares to heare and doth ingraffe the word in their hearts that the immortall seed of regeneration may spring in them Psal. 40. 6. Ioh. 6. 44. Act. 16. 14. Iam. 1. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluitie of maliciousnes and receiue with meeknes the word that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules 1. Pet. 1. 22. Seeing your soules are purified in obeying the truth through the spirit to loue brotherly without faining loue one another with a pure heart feruently 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither cā he sin because he is borne of God A resistance in those that are to be called is when in a sincere heart they do ioyne the word which they haue heard with faith Luke 8. 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Heb. 4. 2. Lidia What certaine preseruatiues are to be noted in this resistance Paul 1. Premeditation of the power and vse of the word Eccles. 4. 17. Take heed to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of the Lord and be more neare to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they do euil Cha. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth n◠let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God for God is in the heauen and thou art 〈◊〉 the earth therefore let thy words be few 2. Diligent attentiō of the mind Act. 16. 14. 3. An hungring desire of the heart Ioh. 7. 37. Now in the last and great day of the feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke 4. Integritie of life Psal. 26. 6. 5. The casting away of euill affections Iam. 1. 22. And be ye doers of the word and n◠hearers onely deceiuing your owne soules 6. The inward consent and agreement of the heart with the word preached Act. 2. 37. 7. An hiding of the word in the heart lest we should sinne Psalm 119. 11. I haue hid thy word in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee 8. A trembling at the presence of God in the assembly of the Church Esa. 66. 2. For all these things hath mine hand made and all these things haue bene saith the Lord and to him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Act. 10. 33. Then sent I for thee immediatly and thou hast well done to come now therefore are we all here present before God to heare all things that are commaunded thee of God Lidia The God of power preserue me from this assault by these preseruatiues but how may I fall in this temptation Paul Your fall is either by a coldnesse in receiuing the word and a neglect therof or else by falling into errors Lidia What
least to go about to proue that Christ was not the Sonne of God Another reason may be this since the diuelâ— fell and for his pride was cast downe out of heauen he beares a deadly hatred against theâ— Lord God himselfe and we shall see that 〈◊〉 this question he doth notably bewray hiâ— spite against God for when as the Lord haâ— spoken from heauen saying This is my 〈◊〉 beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased here the Diuell comes and contradicts the voice of God nay goeth about to proue God a lier in that he would make Christ beleeue that he was not the true Sonne of God Hence we may by this practise of Satan learne to discerne false teachers There haue bene many both excellent and learned men which haue denied Christ to be the sonne of God as Ebeon Cerinthus and others onely affirming that Christ was an excellent man and a worthy Prophet Now seeing they denie Iesus Christ to be the true Son of God they shew themselues to be false teachers and such as be the diuels scholers for so saith the Apostle Iohn 1. Iohn 4. 1 2 3. Again in that the diuel seekes to perswade Christ that he is not the son of God though God by his owne voice from heauen had immediatly before proclaimed him to be his Son hence we may perceiue the impudent malice of Satan who seeketh in all things to contradict God himself For if the Lord pronounce a blessing vpon any man the diuell he wil presently pronounce cursing and damnation If God testifie to a mans soule that he is the child of God the Diuell he wil labour to perswade him that he is not the child of God If the Lord affirme a wicked man to be out of Gods fauor and no child of God the diuel will labour on the contrary to perswade him that he is in good estate shal be saued and so fils his heart with extreme presumption maketh him more bold then he ought to be Commaund That is as if Satan should haue said to Christ Bid this or do but speake the word and it shall be done And herein appeareth the maruellous pollicy of Satan who in these few words the better to bring his purpose to passe toucheth three especiall points of Diuinitie First that he which is the son of God is true God equal to the Father which many heretickes haue denied and the Pharisies also did not graunt for to worke a miracle it is the proper and peculiar work of God alone Secondly the diuell confesseth that God is able to make all things of nothing and that without all meanes matter or helpers by his almightie power Thirdly he confesseth that God can effect a true miracle and that is proper to God alone neither can any creature whatsoeuer worke a miracle Now when the diuel acknowledged al this one would haue thought he should haue intended no harme in these words but the truth is we shall see that in the propounding of these points his pollicy was to ouerthrow the faith of Christ and he in propounding of the truth doth it not for any loue or liking to it but that he might more easily deceiue our Sauiour to bring him to doubt whether he was indeed that Sonne of God or not This must admonish vs to take heed that we do not alwayes giue credit to the diuel listen vnto him though he speake the truth for such is Satans pollicie that when he wold seeme most to speake the truth then he meaneth to deceiue vs most and by speaking the truth he seeketh most to ouerthrow our faith in the truth But as our sauiour Christ did refuse their testimonie though the diuels spake the truth and as Paul did not suffer the Diuel to speak in the maid though he did acknowledge the Apostles to be the seruants of the true God so we must beware how we listen to Satan euen when he speakes the truth for he neuer speakes the truth because he loueth the truth but that speaking the truth he might be sooner beleeued and more easily deceiue vs and do vs the greater harme That these stones S. Luke saith this stone in the singular nomber To reconcile these two places whereas Mathew speaks in the plural number of many stones this we must vnderstand that he speakes of Satans temptations as he first set vpon Christ and then in the beginning of his temptation he bids Christ to turne all these stones into bread Luke he saying this stone speaking but of one must be vnderstood as the Diuell vrged and inforced his temptation the better to perswade Christ to yeeld vnto it as if the Diuell should haue said It may be thou thinkest it too much to turne all these stones being so many into bread do but turne this one stone into bread because I would not trouble thee ouermuch that so I may beleeue thou art the son of God By this dealing of the diuel with Christ we may learne that when the diuell hath once begun his temptation then he will be more instant in vrging of it he is very loth to haue the repulse and therefore will vrge it and follow it but if he can gaine but a litle ground at least in some smaller matter he would be content as here to perswade Christ though he would not turne many stones into bread that he would turne but this one stone into bread And therefore we must learne that as the diuell is very instant to inforce and vrge his temptations so we must be as instant to resist them and yeeld no not in the least matter that he tempts vs to Vers. 4. But he answering said Man shall â—ot liue by bread onely but by euerie word that â—roceedeth out of the mouth of God These words containe the most wise and heauenly â—nswer of our Sauior Christ to the first temptation of the diuell and in this answer of his note three points first the answer it self And Iesus answering said secondly whence our Sauior Christ took his answer It is writteÌ„ thirdly the words of his answer Man shal not liue c. First the Spirit of God sets downe the answer of Christ to shew that he was not onely willing to incounter the Diuell but that he was most able to vanquish foile the diuell Now what a singular comfort is this to Gods Church and children to remember that our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus was in â—his base estate of a seruant wheÌ„ he liued here vpon earth able to incounter with Satan to ouercome the diuell notwithstanding all his might and malice how much more is Iesus Christ able now being aduanced vnto the right hand of God his Father in heauen hauing all power and maiestie and being King of Kings and Lord of all Lords how much more able is he now to confound Satan to destroy al the works of the diuel in his members And this may be a great comfort vnto euery
coniured bread and the signe of the crosse and such stuffe can driue away the Diuel from their houses and from their persons and yet we see here that neither the holinesse of Christs person nor yet of the place could hinder Satan but he did tempt him Againe we see it is to small purpose to the ende wee may bee freed from temptations to change the place or to change the aire for what place is there so holy or so sound and wholesome where Satan cannot and will not set his temptation on foote and assault vs Indeed to remoue the diseases of the body these may be of some force to change the ayre c. but to cure the conscience and to help the diseases of the soule this and such like can do nothing at all And set him on a pinnacle of the temple Here is the second part of the Diuels preparatâ—on who hauing caried Christ from the wildernes to IerusaleÌ„ now he placeth him vpon a pinnacle of the temple or a litle wing of the teÌ„ple Some think that it was a sharpe broach gilded to some especiall vse but it is either the battlements which were made by Gods commaundement least any should fall because their houses had flat roofes oâ— else some corner of the temple howsoeuer it was a dangerous place If thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe c. In this verse is set downe the second temptation and in a syllogisme it may be thus concluded If thou be the sonne of God then cast thy selfe downe but thou sayest and art perswaded that thou art the sonne of God therefore thou mayest cast thy selfe downe Here we must marke the scope of the Diuell in this second temptation which is this to tempt our sauiour Christ to presumption to perswade him to presume of Gods mercy and to bring him to a vaine confidence in his fathers protection without vsing lawfull meanes And in this second temptation we may obserue one especial thing which the Diuel aimes at in his temptations namely to perswade him to a vaine presumption of Gods mercy And surely we see the diuel preuails much in these days by this argument for we see how some men crie God is mercifull God is mercifull and so presume grow secure in sinne and take occasion of Gods mercie to sooth themselues in their sins Others they say I am either elected or reiected and if I be elected I am sure I shal be saued howsoeuer I liue if I be reiected I am sure I shall perish though I liue neuer so well and thus men liue as they list Others say I know the Lord will prouide for me and therefore refuse to liue in any calling And as for those which make profession of the Gospell the Diuell he labours to perswade them that it is sufficient to professe religion though they practise not the duties of religion as the fiue foolish virgines who held out their blazing lampes yet wanted the vessel of oile to maintaine their lampes This being so it should admonish vs al to take especiall heed that we be not ouer comâ— of Satan in this kind seeing the Diuell knowes our nature and seeth that to presume and thinke well of our selues it is a thing very fitting and pleasing our nature whereas despaire it is a troublesome thing and brings men often to a greater sight of their misery and the truth is the Diuell preuailes with a thousand to one more by presumption then by despaire despaire kils thousands securitie ten thousands And it is to be noted that when the Diuell had in the former temptation laboured to bring Christ to despaire of his Fathers prouidence now he labours the cleane contrary to bring him to presume of Gods prouidence And here we may see the Diuels exceeding cuÌ„ning that he fought to cary our Sauiour Christ from one extreame to another And thus doth the Diuell deale with all men he seeks to draw men either to presumption or else to despaire and labors to cary them from one extreame to another as from couetousnes to prodigalitie and so of the rest And therefore we must labour to auoide both the extreames neither to presume too much nor yet to be cast downe by despaire but to keepe the golden mediocritie euen as Christ doth in this place Cast thy selfe downe He would haue Christ not to shew by his doctrine but to worke a miracle that he may know him to be the son of God This shewes the nature of all wicked men they care not for the doctrine of God but they crie out for miracles as we may see in Herod he desired to see our Sauiour Christ worke some miracle but he contemned his word and doctrine And the Iewes who persecuted Christ and his Gospel yet when he was vpon the crosse they would haue him worke a miracle to come downe when he was nailed hand and foote And all wicked men are of the same nature more to regard and desire a miracle then to heare the blessed doctrine of Iesus Christ. Cast thy selfe downe The Diuel hauing proued before the faith of Christ to be most coÌ„stant that he would not so much as doubt of his fathers prouidence in his greatest need now he takes occasion from the graces and gifts of Christ to bring him to presume and to haue a vain confidence of his fathers protection And so wil the Diuel deale with all the members of Christ if he cannot preuaile by our weaknesses to bring vs to despaire then he wil take occasioÌ„ by the graces and gifts he sees in vs to make vs presume as often he preuailes by this meanes to make men swell and thinke highly of themselues for some grace they haue receiued of learning wit eloquence c. to puffe men vp with satanicall pride and ouerweening oâ— themselues Then cast thy selfe downe The Lord gaue the Diuel permission to place Christ in a dangerous place but yet the Diuell coulâ— not go any further to hurt Christ there 〈◊〉 cast him downe he had no power but perswades him to cast himselfe downe Where we see the Diuels power is limited his power is not so great as his malice is to mankind but the Lord doth limit Satans power and in all things hath care of his owne children that Satan can do them no harme For the Diuel though he had set Christ vpon the top of the temple could not for his life cast him downe where we may see the Diuell for all his malice can go no further then God giues him leaue And this must comfort vs for as God the Father limits Satan in respect of Christ our head so doth he in vs his members Now followes the reason which the Diuel vseth the better to perswade Christ to yeeld vnto his temptation For it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee When as the Diuell heard our Sauiour Christ alleage Scripture he like an ape imitates Christ and begins to alleage
now followeth the third In this third temptation we are to consider againe three especial points first the preparation of the Diuel ver 8. Secondly the temptatioÌ„ it selfe ver 9. Thirdly Christ his answer ver 10. And first of all seeing the Diuell doth thus arme himselfe and comes prepared three times in three seuerall temptations it should teach vs all on our parts to prepare our selues continually and to be ready to resist his temptations In the Diuels preparation note two parts first he taketh him to an exceeding high monntaine secondly he shewes him all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them But how could the Diuel cary our Sauiour Christ to this high mountaine I answer he might do it two wayes first by vision secondly by reall transporting of his body from Ierusalem to this mountaine Some thinke that this was onely in visioÌ„ but I rather thinke our Sauiour Christ was caried locally and really for our Sauiour Christ his temptations are not imaginary but true and reall temptations and the words import no lesse but that he was really and locally transported from the citie to the mountaine The reasons why the Diuell caried our Sauiour Christ to the mountaine are these First because the Diuell in all things desireâ— to imitate God and to become as it were Gods ape Now we reade that the Lord caried Moses to the mount Nebo to shew him all the land of Canaan so the Diuell to imitate God and by imitating God to match him and so to disgrace the Lord carieth our Sauior Christ to the mountaine as it is likely to imitate Gods dealing with Moses Secondly the Diuell caried our Sauiour Christ to this high mountaine as a most fit and conuenient place to broach this his third and last temptation now in hand In that the Diuell doth carie our Sauiour Christ from Ierusalem to this hill locally hence we learne that he may by Gods permission haue like power ouer the deare children of God not once but twise nay thrise oftentimes We see this true in our sauior Christ the head therefore if the Lord permit Satan and by his permission giue the Diuell libertie to transport our bodies from place to place we must not be discouraged Seeing the same thing befell the head it may also befall his members which we are The second part of the Diuels preparatioÌ„ is this that he shewes him all the kingdomes of the world c. Now concerning this we may not think the Diuell could do this in deed and truth to shew Christ all the seuerall kingdomes of the world as they be here placed vpon earth for that is a thing impossible for there is no hill so high that a man might see them all Nay if a maÌ„ were as high as the Sunne and could see neuer so clearely yet he could but see the one halfe of the earth and therefore we must know he shewed them in a counterfeit vision Now these visions of the Diuell they be either of the outward senses or else of the vnderstanding Of the outward senses as the delusions of the Diuel making men thinke they see that they do not see indeed So the Diuel is said to shew Samuel to Saul in a vision in his proper habite and this was indeed but a couÌ„terfet Samuel not that true Samuel who rested in the graue concerning his bodie and remained in heauen concerning his soule Secondly there be false visions and deludings of the vnderstanding as the Lord speaketh that he will make the false prophets ashamed of their lying visions And some of these visions come vnto men sleeping called dreames Deut. 13. 1. some come waking as to such as haue their braine crased they oftentimes haue visions and thinke themselues to be Kings or Prophets as Iohn Baptist c. Now concerning this vision of Christ offered by the Diuell he did it not onely to the mind of Christ but also to his out ward eye and visibly By this practise of the Diuell we may behold his wonderfull skill and power in that he can resemble to the outward senses in such a strange manner euen as he listeth so great and wonderfull matters And the like is done by Magicians and Coniurers who by the helpe of the diuel can reueale and shew things done in a farre countrey or things that be lost in a glasse or for things long passed can resemble them to outward sense in a glasse or in the aire So that those are deceiued who are of mind that they cannot do this for if the diuell could shew Christ all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them in so short a time then much more can he shew some one particular thing to the eye and sense of man Now let vs marke the diuels drift in this temptation setting before Christs eyes this goodly and glorious sight sure it was to this end that the diuell might by this meanes more easily wind himselfe into the heart of Christ and therefore he sets this thing before his eyes that Christ might be moued by them and take some delight in them and delighting in them might desire them and so Satan might in the end ouercome him and insnare him And this hath bene the auncient practise of the diuell as Genes 3. first to moue Evah to cast her eye vpon the apple to marke the beautie of it then to like it theÌ„ to desire and lust after it and so in the end to tast of it And thus he dealt with Christ first he shewes this glorious sight and the beautie of all these things that if he could he might haue moued him to desire them and so make his temptation take place Seeing this is Satans auncient subtiltie it must warne vs to take great heed of our outward senses especially the two senses of learning namely seeing and hearing The eyes and the â—ares be the two windowes of the Soule and if the diuell can get in his head there he will easily wind in all his bodie and poison our soules We had need therefore to counterguard our hearts to keepe them with all diligence euen aboue al watch and ward and euermore to take heed who what enters into our eyes and eares and to make sure wâ— keep carefull watch at those doores We muâ—â— pray with Dauid O Lord set a Watch before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes and with holy Iob make a couenant with our eyes that they behold no vanitie This if we do death shall not enter in by these doores and windowes but we shall preserue our soules in puritie Now when the diuell shewes our Sauiour Christ this goodly shew let vs mark the maner he shewes Christ all the beautie the glorie and delight of them not the troubles vexations calamities and daungers of them And thus will the diuel deale with vs if he would tempt any one to some sinne he neuer shewes but
euen the seuerall kingdomes of the world it is manifest he knew them all and was well acquainted and had trauelled through them as he confesseth Ioh. 1. 7. And in that he could shew the chiefest glory and beautie of them in such a short time it is cleare he was cunning in them and the seuerall estates and conditions of them all And we see that the Diuel in propounding all these glorious kingdomes vnâ—â— Christ he did tempt him to ambition thaâ— he would set his heart on them and so desirâ—â— them And herein note one of his most principall practises which is the ouerturning 〈◊〉 kingdomes for the Diuell desireth to do the greatest harme and most mischiefe that he can Now in the ouerthrow of a kingdome many go to wracke and to effect this he seekes continually to puffe men vp with ambition that they may desire and gape for preferment and honor The Lord hath in mercy placed ouer vs in this kingdome a gracious Prince and a Christian Queene the Diuell hath long enuied this our prosperitie and sought sundry by-plots and manifold practises to ouerthrowe our state to cut off the head and to cast her crowne into the dust And to this purpose he hath raised vp many wicked and rebellious subiects but the Lord hath in mercie brought all to nought And therefore the remembrance of this should moue vs all to thankfulnesse for this great mercie of God in defending both Prince and people and bringing to nought all such rebellious wretches confounding those ambitious heads and all their vile and trecherous plots and deuices and we must shew this thankfulnesse in the duties of repentance and sincere obedience Secondly this must teach vs to pray vnto God continually for the preseruation of our Prince and kingdome that he would euermore confound and bring to nought all Satans policies and vile plots and practises of ambitious heads And it is our duty in token of true ioy and thankfulnesse to do as the people did in the dayes of Salomon who shouted so loud and cried out God saue king Salomon that the very earth rang againe eueÌ„ so should all true Christians to expresse the ioy of our hearts pray day and night God saue Queene Elizabeth And herein is our comfort that though the Diuell with all his malice seekes to destroy both Prince and people and the whole kingdome and hath his wicked instruments to effect the same yet the Lord God hath his Angels which take care of his Church and people and stand round about them to defend them both by sea and by land that all the Diuels in hell cannot hurt them but the Angels of God defend his children at home and beate back all our enemies from inuading of vs. All these will I giue thee These words are the very words of the Pope of Rome who as Satans vicar hath indeed the two hornes of the lambe but he speakes like the Dragon he makes himselfe equall to God he can as he sayth send to heauen and to hel set vp and pul downe Princes he can do what he list he can open and shut at his pleasure pardon sinnes and I know not what which shewes he speakes the Diuels language the language of Ashdod not of Canaan Luke 4. 6. The Diuell ads a reason further to perswade Christ for he saith All these kingdoms are mine and I caÌ„ giue them to whom I will Where first the Diuell tels a loud lie chalenging to himselfe the right of all the kingdomes of the world for it is the Lord his right alone as we may see Dan. 4. 2â— where the Lord speakes to that proud king Nâ—buchadnezar by the ministerie of Daniel I beare rule ouer the kingdomes I alone sayth the Lord God can giue them to whom I please So then the Diuell hath no power to giue them neither hath any title to them that he can bestow them at his pleasure no that belongs to God alone yet we see Satan will be an vsurper at large Secondly marke the Diuels arrogancie and shamelesse boasting in that he dares chalenge all the kingdomes of the earth to himselfe as though he were soueraigne Lord of them to do with theÌ„ at his pleasure And let vs all learne by this shamelesse lying and notorious boasting of the diuel to take heed that we be not like him in these sinnes but study to be contrary to him and therefore we must desire and study to speake the truth at all times and take heed of boasting yea rather let vs thinke as humbly and basely of our selues as possibly we can which is a good meanes to humble and cast downe our proud hearts and let such know that are giuen to these sins to lying and vaine boasting of this and that which they haue not it argues great pride and shewes they be very like the Diuell himselfe in this point If thou wilt fall downe and worship me Here is the second part of the temptation namely the condition and the maine drift of the Diuell in these words is to bring our Sauiour Christ to manifest Idolatrie euen to worship the Diuell himselfe First seeing the Diuell durst be so bold to tempt our sauiour Christ to Idolatrie and to worship himself heÌ„ce we see that the maine scope of the Diuel is especially to deface Religion and the true seruice and worship of God and therefore he assaults the Church of God and tempts men to bring them to embrace heresies schismes idolatry that he might destroy the church of God and thus he became a lying spirit in the mouth of foure hundred false prophets at one time And when Iehosuah the high Priest came into the Temple to performe the worship of God he stood vp to hinder him when he was praying for the good of the Church And so doth he in these dayes stand vp and seeke by all meanes to hinder Gods Ministers in the building vp of Gods Church When Christ hath sowne good wheate theÌ„ the Diuell soweth tares and wheÌ„ Paul would haue gone to preach the Gospell to the Thessalonians the Diuell hindred him and it is his speciall study to stop the ministery of the Gospell and therefore it is said that the Diuell cast many of Gods ministers into prison Reuel 2. 10. Reu. 16. 13. 14. there came 3 euill and vncleane spirits out of the mouth of the beast which entred into Kings houses to turne theÌ„ from the entertaining of the Gospell because that Kings be either especiall nurses to the Gospell or else if Satan can preuaile with them become greatest enemies to hinder the course of the Gospel Such frogges be these Seminarie Priests Monkes Friers and popish Iesuits which lurke commonly in Kings courts and in the places of mighty men Then seeing the Diuell is so painefull to stop the course of the Gospell to ouerturne true religion the seruice of God it must stirre vp all the Ministers of the word of God to labour and
take paines that their diligence in defending and vpholding true religion and building the church of God may counteruaile Satans diligence in hindering of it Secondly it behooueth all Christians not onely to pray for themselues but seeing the Diuell labours the ruine of the church specially in preuailing with Princes and great men we must pray for the good of Gods Church and children and euery member of it by name for Kings Queens c good reasō is there that we should do so for in the good and flourishing estate of the church we all receiue benefite by it and fare the better for it Thirdly if Satan durst set vpon the Sonne of God and tempt him to idolatrie and to worship the Diuell then much more will he be tempting vs to the like sinne and set vpō sinfull man to moue him to worship him and make him his God But you will say there is none so mad to worship the diuell to make him our God oh we defie him True it is men say they defie the Diuell and spit at him but alas if we consider their dealings we shall see the Diuell sits in their hearts and rules there as God Do but cast your eye vpon the three maine Religions of the world the religion of the Turke of the Iew and of the Papist and it will appeare that most men worship the Diuell and make him their God because the Turke he is ignorāt of the true God the Iew worships God the Father but not by Iesus Christ whom they deny the Papist worships a false and counterfeit Christ forged by themselues and neuer read of in the word of God for they make him a Sauior in part a Priest to be creator or the maker of his Creator That it may appeare that these three sorts of people do not worship the true God but euen the diuell himselfe let vs marke these 2 principles First that al doctrines set downe and inuented by man concerning Gods seruice and worship being against the word of God they be the doctrines of Diuels so saith Paule 1. Tim. 4. 1. 3. that there shall come false teachers which shall teach doctrines of Diuels and what are these Vers. 3. he saith Such as forbid to marrie and teach men that some meates be holy in themselues some vnholy and not lawfull to be eaten The second principle is this all worship of God deuised by man being against the word of God is the doctrine of Diuels So the Gentiles offering to Idols Paule saith they offered to Diuels yet none of them intended that but rather by the idols offered to God So whatsoeuer worship shall be inuented being against the word of God it is indeed the worship of the Diuell not of God Now by these two principles it appeareth that the worship of God performed by the Turkes and by the Iewes it is no worship of God but the worship of Diuels seeing both of them worship the Father out of the Sonne And the worship of God in Poperie it is no better then the worship of the Diuel seeing they worship God out of the true Christ and haue forged to themselues a false counterfeit Christ. And if Paule might truly affirme of the Gentiles that they worshipped not the true God but offered to diuels then mnch more may it be auouched of that abominable sacrifice of the Masse that it is indeed the worship of the diuell seeing it is more vile idolatrie then that of the Gentiles Now it will be said Though the Diuell preuaile thus with them yet he cannot preuaile so with Protestants neither can they be said to worship the diuell I answer That in truth there be thousands of Protestants in the world who do worship the Diuel for all those which do onely in outward shew professe true religion but in heart loue the world set their hearts vpon pleasures profites and preferments such professours do in truth make the diuell their God and may be said to worship the Diuell For to whom soeuer they giue their hearts to them they do giue worship but while they set their hearts on these things they do not loue God neither do they beleeue in God and rest vpon him as their God and therefore they make the world their God and so worship the Diuell Fourthly by this practise of the diuell we see those men confuted who thinke that the diuell cannot make a league with men as with witches coniurers c. For we reade and know such things haue bin done and here we haue a manifest proofe of it for the Diuell offers a league to Christ there was nothing wanting but our Sauiour Christ his cōsent And if sinfull mā had bene in Christs stead questionlesse there had bene a league and for so great gaine he would haue the diuell his seruice Then said Iesus vnto him Auoide Satan c. Now followeth the answer of our Sauiour Christ. And first in Christs answer marke in propounding of it he vseth first a speech of indignation and of defiance to the Diuell and his offer Auoide Satan as though Christ should haue said I haue heard thee blaspheme both me and my Father haue thus long suffered thee but I will suffer thee no longer get thee hence Satan I will not vouchsafe to answer to thy temptations any more Marke here in the answer of Christ that he was content to endure the diuels temptations and reproches which concerned his owne person but when he is so bold to blaspheme God his Father he can endure him no longer Now when he makes challenge and claimes title to all the kingdoms of the world as though he were Lord of them and could bestow them at his pleasure therin he blasphemed God his Father Then this teacheth vs that if we shall heare vngodly wretches blaspheme the name of God we may not endure it but haue indignation great dislike of it And if we heare black-mouthed Rabshekahs blaspheme the holy name of God by swearing cursing banning we must be touched with griefe to heare the glorious name of our God dishonoured and if time and place require manifest our dislike in open reprehension of it Whē Ahab and Iezabel being both wicked heard that Naboth had blasphemed God they rent their cloathes in token of sorrow So when Hezechiah heard the blasphemies of Rabshekah he rent his cloths and was very much grieued for it Whē Dauid heard the Gentiles say where is now their God this blasphemous speech did greatly affect him so as his very teares were his drinke And the bad speeches of the men of Sodome did much affect Lot vexe his righteous soule 2. Pet. 2. 8. And as all men must be grieued to heare wicked men blaspheme the name of God so especially those that be gouernours of others and by name maisters of families as Dauid saith Psal. 101. he would not suffer a talebearer in his house much lesse a blasphemer