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 which words the Circumstances considerable are four and that either concerning The Person that was Tempted 't was Jesus or The Person of whom he was tempted 't was the Divel or The place where he was tempted 't was in the wildernesse Led up thither to that end of the Spirit Or The time when he was tempted Then these are the circumstances in words not much but in matter much We go on in order And First The Person that was tempted was Jesus by Interpretation a l Matth. 1.21 Saviour not a typical but a real not a Joshua the son of Nun to lead the people into the land of Canaan and there by lot divide their earthly possessions among them but a Jesus the son of God able to conduct his people his Flock his Church whom he saveth from their sins safely through all the boisterous stormes and tempests and temptations raised against them by those three grand Enemies of mankind the World the Flesh the Divel on earth to that heavenly Canaan to the haven of eternal rest to the full possession of everlasting glory in the Kingdome of Heaven this is the work of Jesus this at all times to save his m John 10.27 28. people yet at this time such was the condition of Jesus that was tempted Who is Immanuel God with n Esay 7.14 Matth. 1.2 3. us God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily o Col. 2.9 He that but a little before was baptized by John in Jordan Matth. 3.16 who knowing the Worthinesse and Dignity of the Person judged himself altogether unworthy to do it untill by his Masters command suffer it to be so now v. 15. the servant condescended and immediately became obedient to that command He to whom the Heavens were opened He on whom the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost descended like a Dove after he was baptized to Initiate and Consecrate him for the effectuall execution of his Propheticall office He who by his Fathers voyce from Heaven was publickly declared at Jordan to be his beloved Sonne in whom he was well pleased v. 17. which the Divel afterwards so much excepted against v. 3 6. Lo t was this Jesus that was tempted Who though he were a Saviour the Sonne of God the sonne of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God man that in one person though at the time of his Baptism and afterwards so highly honoured that even the Heavens were opened unto him Mat. 3.16 then a present figure of his future glorious Ascention into Heaven foretold by p Psal 24.7 9. Augustin Titleman in locum David Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Though the Spirit of God descended and remained on him to the end that by that Sign John might know him and teach others also to know him Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World q John 1.29 32 34 36. Nay though the Father had acknowledged him for his own onely naturall Son God of God yet none of all these high and incomparable Prerogatives could any waies exempt him at this time from being tempted and that for us tempted Now the reason why for us at any time he suffered himselfe to be tempted the Apostle renders Heb. 2.18 this even to shew that having suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are r Hand ignara mali miseris succurrere disco tempted And again We have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin knowing that we who are fraile and sinfull men want his succour in every temptation not able of our selves without his strength to stand even against the least blast of any temptation But our comfort is that we have such an High Priest who touched with the feeling of our infirmities was tempted that we tempted might not be overcome 2. This Jesus was tempted of the Divel And now chiefly as touching our Saviour who at this time cloathed with humane flesh became a publique Person did that enmity which God threatned to put between the serpent and the womans seed ſ Gen. 3.15 begins to break forth and operate effectually Too too much familiarity had there been before while man stood in a slippery place between the woman and the serpent the one as it were by way of Dialogue mutually entertaining conference with the other The serpent said unto the woman lo he begins the Discourse Gen. 3.1 4. and the woman said unto the serpent v. 2. she continues it Not wise enough either to understand the subtilty of Satan or to prevent the sequel of his temptation which proved ominous to the womans seed for after the woman by the serpents by the Divels motion had tasted the forbidden fruit and the man obeyed the voyce of his wife Gen. 3.6 immediately as a punishment of that sinne was this familiarity turned into enmity and from thenceforth was the sharpest and keenest edge of this irreconcileable enmity turned on the Divels part with all violence against Christ and his Church against his Church even from the fall of man by a long long series of temptations to the worlds end Against Christ himselfe his Church in the mean time being never freed from the sting of that enmity turned it was from the time of his Birth that manifest proof of his Incarnation to the very houre of his death For the Divel from whom our Saviours miraculous conception by the Holy Ghost in that his mother the Virgin Mary was espoused unto t Matth. 1.18 Joseph was purposely concealed u Ignat. citant Haymo Homil. in vigilia Nativit Domint lest he should attempt to destroy the blessed Infant in the womb knowing that he was born at Bethleem of Judea and called by the name of the King of the Jews which no doubt he understood well enough by the Discourse that passed between the chief Priests the Scribes of the people the wise men that came from the East to Jerusalem on the one part and Herod the King on the other part touching this matter w Math. 2 1 2 4 5 7. Soon after his Birth mindfull of that enmity that was between them covertly sought the young childs life under the persecution and bloody massacre of Herod x Matth. 2.13 appearing at first in form of a serpent Gen. 3.1 but then in the form of a Tyrant whose cruelty Joseph wisely declined by flying into Egypt with the young child y Matth. 2.14.22 untill the death of Herod And by his turning aside into the parts of Galilee after his return thence when Archelaus not much inferior to his Father in cruelty a Joseph Antiquit Judaic lib. 17. c. 11 15. reigned in Judaea in the room of Herod and for this cause also not
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God v. 4. Let us well weigh the words and happily from each we may enlarge our short Meditations And when the Tempter came unto him he said v. 3. Lo now the first Battel begins and that on the Divels part though the occasion for a further end then the Divel then took notice of was first offered on our Saviours part to whom the Tempter then confidently came when he observed that he was an hungred The Tempter called the Divel v. 1. that Accuser of the r Revel 12.10 Brethren and Satan v. 10. that Adversary of mankind The Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tempter by a kind of supereminency as being that Fountain that Original of all motions to evil of all Temptations to sin The Tempter one that engrosseth as it were into his own hands the Monopoly of all Temptations forged first in the Shop of Hell and oftentimes so subtilly presented unto men as if they were the good motions of an Angel of light The consideration whereof moved Paul careful of their Spiritual state to write unto the Thessalonians after this t 1 Thes 3.2.5 manner I sent Timotheus our Brother and Minister of God and fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Christ to know your faith lest by some means the Tempter hath tempted you Who he well knew would not be backward to tempt them that was so forward here to tempt our Saviour The Tempter came unto him Came a motion which as it outwardly manifested no speedy pace so also in appearance no hellish purpose He came as if no evil had been intended even when nothing else but evil was intended as u Accessit tentantis dolo non obsequentis affectu Chrysol ubi supra Joab with a treacherous intention came to Amasa 2 Sam. 30 9 10 or rather as the Serpent with a fraudulent intention came to Eve Gen. 3. The Tempter came unto him We may imagine as not without subtiltie so not without impudency and boldness enough as When the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord Satan came also amonst w Job 1.6 them came boldly came impudently And surely he had not yet learnt any better manners when he came so subtilly to assault and so maliciously to disgorge the worst of all his venome against our Saviour who easily foresaw all his malicious practises and therefore strongly arm'd himself both against him and them The Tempter came unto him but whence he came before he thus subtilly and if you will impudently came unto our Saviour in the wilderness whether from Jordan covertly following him from place to place or from compassing the earth as in Job's x Job 1.7.2.2 case or from the bottomless pit released for a time that ere long he might return thither again with the greater horror or from either of the Regions of the aire that to his own advantage who is the Prince of the power of the y Ephes 2. 2. aire the Battel might be fought within the Confines at least of his own Kingdome we will not curiously enquire we cannot positively determine though probably having been present at Jordan for in what place is he not and observed all the Solemnity performed there and knowing that our Saviour immediately after his Baptisme was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted a work peculiarly belonging unto him he thence if not in our Saviours company yet not far behind him sets forward for the wilderness also and not willing to neglect so fair an occasion offered him as now there was by our Saviours hunger he approacheth neerer and neerer unto Jesus and begins his first Temptation in the wilderness The Tempter came unto him but in what form whether of man or beast is not here expressed though probably in the form of man he came unto a Piscat Schol. in locum him yet not altogether too wise in that since he had better success then now he was likely to have when at first he appeared in the form of a serpent Gen. 3. but perhaps he would not appear twice in one and the same form lest his double dealing should the sooner be discovered which notwithstanding in what form soever he appears was now discovered and prevented by our Saviour And when the Tempter came unto him he said What can Divels bad Angels speak it seemes they can And thus it is they who compared with man have no bodies at all of their b Zanc. de simplicitat Angelorum cap. 4. own though compared with God the Case perhaps may be otherwise have notwithstanding a Tongue whâ—n as now this Divel did they assume the body of another whether of man or beast as here the Tempter the Divel said 't was he that spake to the woman by the mouth of the c Gen. 3.1 Serpent as the good Angel did afterwards to Balaam by the mouth of his d Num. 22.22.28 Ass 'T was he that entred into the Oracle at Delphos and other places and thence gave vocal and articulate though uncertain Answers to particular persons and their e Delrio dis quisit Magiclib 4. ca. 2. q. 2. demands as to Philip the Father of Alexander the great concerning his next and immediate f Qu. Curtius lib. 1. p. 8. Successor to Phyrrus King of Epirus touching his so much desired victory over the Romanes to Augustus Caesar demanding what the state of his Empire should be when he was dead though at that time his deceitful practices that way began to vanish and have an end I might enlarge this in sundry other particulars but when I have spent all my store all is to prove no more but this that the Divel who hath no body of his own hath at least a borrowed tongue to speak when for a time he assumeth the body of another as 't is demonstrated here The Tempter came unto our Saviour and said Where he maketh use both of his feet and tongue the integral parts of some other Creature He came he said then beginning first to make use of his Tongue when he first began at this time to make use of his Tempting that was his own work but the Tongue wherewith he spake was that Creatures whose body he had then assumed fitly framing the Organs of speech in another to express the meaning of his own purpose And when the Tempter came unto him he said If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread As if he had said thou wast not long since declared at Jordan to be the Son of God which I make a doubt of but if it be so make it appear unto me by some miracle and the miracle I require for the confirmation of it is this Command that these stones be made bread See! both diffidently spoken and impudently spoken diffidently If thou be the Son of God impudently Command that these stones be made bread Lo this was the
believers Well but did not thy conscience accuse thee when thou thus temptedst our Saviour to commit Idolatry fall down and worship me who hath taught us here below that Idolaters shall not inherit the Kingdome of t 1 Gor. 6. 9. God as if thou hadst had a purpose had it been in thy power to exclude him thence surely if it did not yet his answer could not but smite and terrifie thee when he sent thee away from his presence with a most wrathful word and as dreadful as that shall be to all goats to all reprobates at the last day Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the divel and his u Mat. 25.41 angels and his answer a witnesse with how much disdain and indignation he rejected both thee and thy condition is recorded here v. 10. Then saith Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Then saith Jesus unto him Then See! no sooner was our Saviour tempted even this third time If thou wilt fall down and worship me but as soon also was both the Tempter and his temptation rejected even this third time our Saviour not willing to entertain any long discourse with him in any of his temptations Then 't was not for the advantage of the woman to be too too familiar with the Serpent Gen. 3. 'T is dangerous for any to be too too familiar with Satan or to have any long conference and communication with him only when he tempts us we may speak unto him as our Saviour here did by way of repulse with indignation yet not by way of any the least friendly compliance with delight and contentation Then saith Jesus unto him and this he saith Get thee hence Satan Lo thrice did our Saviour here vouchsafe an answer to the Divel yet no signs of wrath were there in the other two but only in this last answer to the Divel and necessary it was that he should be sent away in fury now who hitherto would not be answered with mildness when Lenitives cannot prevail Corrosives must be applied It is written v. 4. and again It is written v. 7. words of mildeness both without any the least mixture of any bitter reprehension But here v. 10. before it comes so far as this It is written these words of fury are interposed these Get thee hence Satan Or as it is Luke 4.8 Get thee behind me Satan This our Saviour said unto the Tempter who also upon another occasion said once the like to w Mat. 16.21 22 23. Peter when out of his preposterous zeal he disswaded him from suffering many things at Jerusalem tending to the glory of God and man's salvation He turned and said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men 'T is thy will that I should be possessed of an earthly Kingdome but my will is by my suffering death from which thou disswadest me to procure for all that shall believe in me an heavenly and therefore in that thou art of another judgement counselling me be it far from thee x Mat. 16.22 Lord this shall not be unto thee therein thou art like unto Satan that adversary of mandkind always envying their happinesse in a Crucified Redeemer Get thee behind me Satan and know that with much detestation I abhor thy humane counsel Thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men See! so willing was our Saviour to suffer for man's redemption that he was highly offended with any that should any ways attempt to hinder him from suffering for man's redemption and therefore Peter guilty of that hainous crime as our Saviour understood it was more sharply reprehended for but counselling him not to suffer then he was for denying him with cursing and swearing after he was betrayed by Judas the first degree of his suffering Matth. 26. then only the crowing of the Cock put him in mind of his denial and Tergiversation v. 74 75. but now 't is our Saviour himself that sharply checks him for his most unwelcome counsel and presumption He said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan In sense thus much do not thou presume to go before and direct me what I shall do nay that I shall not suffer but get thee behind me be wiser in time to come and follow thou me willingly in all things obeying my will as I do my y Hieronym Erasmus in locum Father's Get thee behind me Satan His offence it seems was very hainous and superlative that deserved so tart and so severe a reprehension but Peter was reestablished and reconciled again unto his Saviour Whereas Satan here was sent away with so much fury and with such a word of dismission that he could never be capable of any favourable re-admission Jesus saith unto him not only Get thee behind me but also Get thee hence Satan Whereas Peter still remained with his Saviour although at that time out of weakness not rightly understanding that it behoved him thus and thus to suffer which the Divel knew and malitiously sought to hinder he had highly provoked and offended his Saviour But 't is the Divel we are now speaking of and our Saviour's wrathful indignation against him Get thee hence Satan The rebuke of Peter was very sharp against the hypocrisie and covetousnesse of Simon Magus Thy heart is not right in the sight of God thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of a Acts 8.20 21 22 23. iniquity Paul's rebuke was sharper against Elimas the Sorcerer O full of all subtilty and all mischief thou child of the Divel thou enemy of all b Acts 13.10 righteousness But this rebuke of our Saviour here against Satan was far sharper and more piercing then all Not so mild as that of God himself at another time and in another case who said unto him The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke c Zechar. 3.2 thee But full of the highest indignation he said unto him Get thee hence get thee behind me Satan Behind me Not suffering him to obtain so much favour as to be set at his left hand which for a short time shall be granted even to all reprobates at the day of d Mat 25.33 judgement but Satan here obtains not so much as that no because his torment one day shall be far greater then the torment of all reprobates and the reason is because the Seducer is far more Culpable then the Seduced and the punishment shall then be proportioned to the quality both of the sin and sinners all are prejudged to an eternal punishment because if they had lived on earth for ever they would all have sinned against the eternal God for ever yet not all prejudged to the same degree of eternal punishment intensively