of his members who are but weake sinfull men Again in baptisme a man giues vp his name vnto God promising therein for euer to renounce all seruice to the Diuell the flesh and the world and contrariwise to beleeue in God and to serue him and this vow being thus made it is the will of God he should be tempted that in the schoole of temptation he might learn to practise his baptisme But here most men wil say they neuer felt by experience in themselues the trueth of this doctrine for they haue not perceiued any such combate in themselues though they haue bene baptized many yeres agone Answ. Such men whatsoeuer they be haue indeed the outward baptisme of water but they neuer yet receiued the inward baptisme of the spirit they weare Christs liuery but as yet they do seruice vnto Satan And though they haue been made partakers of the seales of the couenant yet still they abide within the kingdome of darkenesse for Christ heere teacheth by his owne example that all those who haue receiued the inward baptism of the spirit whereby they haue effectually put off sinne and put on the Lord Iesus are as sure to be tempted by Satan as himselfe was therefore let such persons as neuer yet felt in themselues this spiritual conflict now begin to reform their liues and to performe their vow of baptisme and they shal vndoubtedly find in themselues the truth of this doctrine That all that are baptized into Christ shal be tempted of the Diuell So long as the children of Israel continued vnder Pharaos bondage they were not pursued by his army but when they set their faces toward the land of Canaan then presently he makes after them with all his might and malice euen so while men liue in sinne and submit themselues to Satans spirituall bondage he will suffer all things to be in peace with them but if once they set their hearts on the heauenly Canaan and giue themselues syncerely to Gods seruice then will he with all his force pursue them meet them with armies of temptations to turne them backe into their olde way of sinne againe The silly bird that is in the snare or vnder the net so long as she lieth still feeles no harme but when she stirs offers to get away then begins her paine and the more she striues the more she finds her selfe ensnared So fareth it with silly men while they liue in sinne securely they are not troubled with Satans temptations but when they beginne to leaue their badde courses and settle themselues to serue the Lord then presently the Diuel seeks to spread his net to intangle them in his snare The consideration whereof must teach vs to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation and as Paul saith to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the assaults of the Diuell Ephes. 6. 11. Secondly in that our Sauiour Christ after his solemne inauguration into his mediatorship was immediatly to go to be tempted we learn that all those that are set apart by God to any speciall calling euen at their verie entrance thereinto must looke for temptations This befell the head and therefore all the members must reckon for it When Moses was first called to be the guide and conducter of Gods people out of Egypt hauing slaine an Egyptian in defence of one of his brethren vpon knowledge of the fact he was fain to flie from Pharaos court into the land of Madian and there to liue a shephers life for many yeres with his father in law Iethro And Dauid was no sooner appointed by God to be king ouer his people Israel but Saul began to persecute him and so continued all his dayes And our Sauiour Christ hauing called his Apostles to their office of preaching his kingdome tooke them soone after to the sea and there falling asleepe suffered their ship to be so tossed with waues in a great tempest that they looked for nothing but present drowning so as they cried out Master saue vs we perish And this the Lord doth in great wisedome for the good of his children first to teach them that no man is able of himselfe to carry himselfe in any acceptable course of his calling without Gods speciall assistance and grace Secondly to stir vp in them those good gifts and graces which he hath formerly bestowed on them as the feare of his name the loue of his maiesty the gifts of prayer faith patience and many other which he would haue tried in the entrance of their callings and exercised in the continuance therein vnto the end Thirdly seeing Christ begins his propheticall office of treaching his church with temptations This should admonish all Ministers of the word that howsoeuer all Gods people must prepare themselues against Satans temptations yet they must doe it aboue the rest for looke as in a pitched field the enemy aimeth principally at the standerd-bearer euen so Satan and his instruments do among all Gods people bend their greatest forces against the ministers of Christ which holde vp his scepter and display his banner in the preaching of the Gospel When Iehoshuah the high priest stood before the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zak. 3. 1. And when Ahab went to fight against the king of Syriah Satan became a lying spirit in the mouth of 400. prophets mo 1. King 22. 22. This is that great red dragon that with his taile drew downe the third part of the starres of heauen that is of the ministers and preachers of the word and cast them to the earth Reuel 12. 13. 4. This is he that desired to winnow the Disciples as wheat Luk. 22. 31. And as the king of Aram said of Ahab fight not against small nor great but against the king of Israel only 1. King 22. 31. So Satan fighteth not against any so much as the Prophets of Israel the ministers of the Church Fourthly in that Christ is tempted before he go to preach we learne that it is good and profitable for Gods ministers to be exercised with temptations euen of satan himselfe that for sundry causes first that they may know what temptations meane Secondly that they may be the more able to minister helpe and comfort to those that are tempted Thirdly to make them vnderstand the word of God aright for many places of Scripture can not so well be vnderstood by bare study onely as by temptations therewithall and it is true which one sayth well Reading meditation prayer and temptation make a diuine II. Circumstance The author or efficient cause of Christes going foorth to wit the Holy ghost noted in these words was led by the spirit The word led in the originall signifieth thus much that Iesus was carried apart by the spirit which must not bee vnderstood of any locall transportation of his bodie from the riuer
to the wildernesse as Elias was caried from earth to heauen or as Philip was taken away from the Eunuch and carried to Azotus but it was a motion of the Holy ghost wherewith Christ was filled aboue measure and made willing to encounter with Satan in that combat for so are the words by S. Luke being full of the Holy ghost hee returned from Iordan and was led by the spirit into the wildernesse that is by the inward motion and instinct of Gods spirit Againe S. Marke saying the Spirit droue him into the wildernesse giueth vs further to vnderstand that this motion in Christ from the spirit was a peculiar motion not forced or constrained but voluntary and yet very strong and effectuall Again by the spirit here is not meant the Diuell or an euill spirit but the Holy spirit of God he it was that moued Christ to goe into the wildernesse so that the meaning is this After Christ was baptized in Iordan by Iohn hee willingly tooke his iourney into the wildernesse being moued thereunto by a speciall and strong instinct of Gods holy spirit wherwith he was filled aboue measure If any aske how Christ could be led by the spirit seeing hee sends the spirit Answ. These two may well stand together for Christ must be considered two wayes first as man in the forme of a seruant secondly as God euen the sonne of God yea God himselfe Now as Christ was man he was subiect to Gods prouidēce and so was led and guided by the Holy ghost but as he is God he is not subiect to prouidēce but is the author therof and is not himselfe led or sent but together with the father sendeth the spirit The vse In this circumstance we may obserue first the exceeding holinesse of Christs manhood in that he moued not from one place to another without the speciall instinct and direction of the spirit of God By which example we are taught to suffer our selues to be ordered and guided by the spirit of God in euery thing we take in hand yea in all our thoughts words and deeds for this is the true note of euery child of God to be led by the spirit Rom. 8. 14. where the Apostle vseth the same word that S. Luke doth speaking of this leading of our Sauiour to be tempted we must therefore labour to be of Dauids disposition to haue our harts pliable to all Gods testimonies when God said Seek ye my face Dauids hart answered I seeke thy face O Lord Psal. 27. 8. and thus doing we shall suffer our selues to be directed and guided by the Holy ghost for he teacheth and guideth men by the word Secondly from this that Christ was led vnto temptatiō by the spirit of God we learne That temptations come not by chance nor yet by the will and pleasure of the Diuel only for he could not touch Iob or ought he had till God gaue him leaue nor enter into the heard of swine till Christ said go but temptations come by Gods most iust permission and not without his speciall prouidence appointment This combat of Christ with Satan was decreed of God by his speciall appointment in his eternall counsell And therefore was Christ led by the spirit to encounter with the Diuell that he might performe this one worke of a mediator namely in temptation ouercome him who by temptation ouercame all mankind And as God appointed this combate of our Sauiour so hath he also ordained the temptations of euery Christian and the circumstances thereof The theater or place of this combat is this present euill world the actors are Satan and euery Christian the beholders are men and Angels 1. Cor. 4. 9. The vmpire and iudge is God himselfe who ouerruleth Satan so as the issue cannot but be happie and blessed to those that fight manfully for hee casteth away none that be mighty valiant of courage Iob. 36. 1. he will giue an issue with the temptations 1. Cor. 10. 13. from whence we learne sundry good instructions First when we are tossed and tried by manifolde temptations we must not thinke it strange but rather count it exceeding great ioy Iam 1. 2. because it is Gods blessed will and ordinance that Satan and euery Christian should enter combat and conflict for the triall of his graces in them Secondly we are hereby taught to labour with patience to beare all trials and afflictions not vsing vnlawfull means to winde our selues out of them because they come by the speciall prouidence of the Almighty Thirdly Christ went not to be tempted till he was led by the spirit therfore no man must wittingly put himselfe into danger without a calling from God left therein hee tempt God indeed a man may be moued extraordinarily to offer himselfe into places of danger thus Paul went bound in the spirit to Hierusalem that is he willingly followed the motion of the Holy ghost which inwardly enforced him to go thither And the same may be said of many holy Martyrs who though they might haue escaped by flight yet did willingly offer themselues into the hands of their persecutours and endured the violence of their torments which wee must thinke they did by a special motion of the Holy ghost otherwise for a man to offer himselfe into danger without all warrant from God is to swarue from the practise of Christ in this place Fourthly Christ being ledde by the spirit did not seeke to shrowd himselfe from this combate so likewise if a man follow his calling according to Gods will and thereupon fall into troubles and temptations he may not seeke to escape them by neglecting his duty but with courage and patience must inure himselfe to beare them wayting on the Lord by wel-doing for his deliuerance Heere it may well be asked whether a man can lawfully and with good conscience abide in those places which are certainly knowen to be haunted with euill spirits Answ. Some indeed are so venturous bold that they feare nothing yet the trueth is no man ought on his own head abide or lodge in such places vnlesse it be within the compasse of his calling or els haue a true extraordinary motion of Gods spirit so to doe we are therefore rather to auoid them than wittingly and willingly thrust our selues into the danger of such places for if God haue giuen liberty vnto Satan to possesse such places as haue been consecrated to Idolatry or defiled by oppression and bloud or such like abhominations why should wee without warrant from God put our selues into his hands This also may serue to reprooue those men who presume so much vpō their strong faith that they neuer sticke to thrust themselues into most lewd company but let such persons beware for places of bad company are places of danger by reason of that power and liberty which Satan hath among them for there he hath a throne Reuel 2. 13. How then can it be that
this a man would not thinke that herein he should intend any hurt to Christ or to his church but in very trueth his drift heerein is to destroie the faith of Christ in that word of his father which spake from heauen and to ouerthrow the foundation of the church by proouing that Iesus Christ the Sonne of Marie was not true God Heere then obserue a tricke of the Diuels cunning when he speaks a truth he doth it not to confirme the same as louing it but indeed his meaning is to ouerthrow the truth therby which must admonish vs that when Satan shall any way assault vs in temptation wee neuer giue credit vnto him no not then when he speaketh the trueth because therein his purpose is to deceiue vs and to destroy the truth hence it was that Christ forbad the vncleane spirits to testifie of him though they acknowledged him to be the holy one of God hence also Paul was grieued at the testimony of the foule spirit that was in the maid though in it selfe a most worthy truth to wit that they were the seruants of the most high God which shewed vnto mē the way of saluation Further in comparing our Euangelist Matthew with S. Luke there may seeme some difference between them in propounding this temptation for in Matthew the words are thus command these stones c. And in Luke thus command this stone But they are reconciled thus Matthew sets downe this temptation as the Diuell first propounded it and S. Luke shewes how the Diuell vrged it for first the diuel comes to Christ and bids him if he be the sonne of God command all the stones which he saw round about him to be made bread this S. Matthew sets downe or if that seemed too much command one stone to be made bread and it should suffice and this S. Luke noteth The vse By this comparing of the Euangelists we may obserue that when the Diuell hath once begun to tempt a man he will not easily leaue off but will set an edge vpon it and enforce and vrge it by all the meanes he can that if it be possible it may preuaile Which should teach vs on the other side to be most earnest and resolute in resisting Satans temptations he will take small aduantage before he leaue we therefore must not giue place nor yeeld one iot vnto him Resist the Diuell and he will flie This must euery member of the Church do the Minister by sound and through applying of euery part of Gods truth to the heart whereby it may be armed against the enemie and the people by faithfull embracing and obeying of the same as also by earnest praier vnto God for the assistance of his grace in all assaults VERSE 4. But he answering said It is written Man shall not liue by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God THese words conteine Christs gratious answer whereby he repelled the diuels temptation and in it we may obserue three points first that Christ did Answer Secondly whence he borrowed his Answer Thirdly the very words of his Answer For the first that Christ did answer is noted by the holy Ghost in plaine words And Iesus answering said Wherby he would giue vs to vnderstand that Christ Iesus our Sauiour being in the wildernesse was not onely willing and ready to encounter with Satan but also able to withstand him yea and to vanquish Satan without receiuing any foile at his hands Which is a point of singular comfort to Gods Church and children for was Christ Iesus able in this low and base estate of a seruant being disaduantaged also by a desert place and bodily hunger was he then I say able to encounter with Satan and to ouercome him in his most violent and subtile assaults Then how much more is he now able euen in all his members to giue Satan the foile hauing spoiled him in his death seeing he is aduanced to the throne of maiestie and glorie and set at the right hand of his father hauing a name aboue all names giuen vnto him at which euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and in the earth and vnder the earth We therfore may now say with that lowd voice Now is saluation in heauen and strength and power and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of the brethren is cast downe The second point heere noted is whence Christ borroweth his answer namely from the Scriptures It is written It had beene an easie thing for Christ being the sonne of God to haue confoūded the Tempter with the breath of his mouth or to haue commanded innumerable legions of holy Angels to haue driuen him away but he betakes himselfe to the written word for his defence And this he did especially for our instruction namely that we might know that the written word of God rightly welded by the hand of faith is the most sufficient weapon for the repelling of Satan and the vanquishing of him in all his temptations hence Paul calleth it the sword of the spirit because it serues not onely for our defence but also to wound Satan and to put him to flight The vse I. This fact of Christ doth discouer and condemne the damnable practise of the Church of Rome who locke vp the word of God from their people in an vnknowen tongue and commend vnto them for their defence against spirituall enemies other deuices of their owne as holy water crossing crosses c. which they highly commend as meanes of speciall strength and force to vanquish the Diuell when as indeed the word of God is the onely true and trustie weapon whereof while they depriue their people they send them forth naked and vnarmed to encounter with Satan Secondly heere also behold the miserable estate of all those that either through couetousnesse or any other profanenesse are drawen to neglect or contemne the written word of God their case is most fearefull for they cast away those weapons whereby they should defend themselues against the Diuell and quench all his firie darts and so betray their owne soules into his hands And doubtlesse all contemners and neglecters of the word are guilty of their own damnation because God hath giuen vs his word for our defence and for the confounding of Satan so as without guilt of wilfull murther not of our bodies but of our soules we cannot neglect this heauenly weapon Thirdly heerby we may see the cause why sinne so much abounds in all estates euery where namely the want of loue vnto knowledge in the word of God whereupon the most are ignorant of it or else know not how to handle this spirituall weapon whereby Satan is resisted and foiled Hosea 4. 2. The Lord complaineth of lying swearing killing stealing and whoring yea of bloud touching bloud and the cause is laid downe in the first verse There is no knowledge of
God in the land This Dauid knew well and therefore said He hid Gods saying in his heart that he might not sinne against him Psal. 119. 11. For as Sauls speare stood in readinesse at his head euen when he slept so should Gods word which is the sword of the spirit be euer in our hearts as it were ready drawen that to what sinne soeuer the Diuell allures vs we may be able to say for our defence It is written through want hereof it comes to passe that the Diuell at his pleasure leads men captiues into all impieties Lastly this excellent vse of the word vnderstood beleeued and obeied must moue all ignorant persons to labour for knowledge heerein and with all endeuor after growth in knowledge by holy obedience to shew foorth their faith If we had an enemy that had sworne our death and vowed to see our bloud how carefull would we be for our naturall life both to get vs weapons and also some knowledge to vse the same not only for our defence but also for the annoyance of our deadly foe Oh then how carefull should we be for the safetie of our soules to put vpon vs the whole armour of God and to learne to vse aright this sword of the spirit that when we meet with Satan our irreconciliable enemy in the field of temptation which is this miserable world we may be able both to award his blowes and to wound his head It is lamentable to see how ignorant people will blesse themselues in their ignorance and say they defie the Diuell and spit at him in defiance and yet they know not how they are intangled in his snares of their owne sinnes he little regards such defiance so long as their soules lie naked and bare before his deadly darts let two men meet that be at enmity the one armed the other naked what will it auaile for the naked man to defie his enemie with bigge words while in the meane time his armed enemy takes away his life Lo Satan is this strong man armed and ignorant persons are poore naked caâ—â—ffes they defie the Diuell and spit at him with their mouth but in the meane time the diuel wouÌ„ds their soules vnto death They wil say they feele no such wounds and therefore they feare him not but they must know that the lesse they feele the more cause they haue to feare for Satans wounds are most deadly when they are least felt The third point is Christs Answer it selfe Man shall not liue by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This answer is borrowed from Deuteron 8. 3. And it is that lesson which Moses sought to teach the children of Israell after the Lord had fedde them with food from heauen in that barren wildernesse where they were afflicted with hunger The words are something hard and therefore I will shew the meaning of them Man shall not liue that is shall not preserue his temporall life in this world for of eternall life neither Moses nor Christ did intend to speake By bread only that is onely by such ordinary meanes as food and raiment sleepe physicke c. which God hath appointed in his prouidence for the ordinary preseruation of natural life But by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This title word betokens diuers things in scripture I. The substantiall word of God the second person in Trinity Ioh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the word and the word was God II. It is vsually taken for the written word conteined in the bookes of the olde and new Testament 1. Pet. 1. 25. Thirdly it is sometime taken for Gods will and decree and it is called his good pleasure so Heb. 1. 2. Christ sustaineth all things by the word of his power that is according to his will and decree by his powerfull appointment and by this word were all things made in the beginning and heerby haue they been preserued euer since this is that word that melteth the Ice Psal. 147. 18. And in this last sense must we vnderstand word in this place meaning that man doth not preserue this naturall life by ordinarie meanes onely but withall by Gods good pleasure will and decree sanctifying the meanes for his good Note further that it is said by euery word and therein lieth the substance of this sentence for the vnderstanding whereof wee must know that this powerfull working word of God may be distinguished according to the matter whereabout it is occupied Thus sometime God will haue men to liue by bread the ordinary food of naturall life and this is his ordinary word Sometime his will and appointment is that man shall liue by extraordinarie meanes as the Israelites did in the wildernesse while they liued vpon Mannah and this is his extraordinary word Otherwhiles hee ordaines that man shall liue without all meanes as Moses did in mount Sina Elias in mount Horeb and our Sauiour Christ in this wildernesse for the space of fortie daies and fortie nights together And lastly he ordains sometime that man shall liue against meanes and contrary to the course of nature Thus Daniell liued in the Lions denne and the three children in the firy furnace both which last may be called Gods miraculous word So that wee see good reason of this clause euery for heereby we learne that man doth not preserue his life only by ordinary means ordained of God but likewise by euerie word proceeding out of the mouth of God that is by euery appointment and decree of God whether extraordinary aboue the vsuall meanes or miraculous without all means or against the course of nature this we must labour to know and be perswaded of Nature teacheth that man liueth by Gods blessing and appointment in ordinary meanes But nature knowes not this that God preserueth mans life by his worde aboue meanes without meanes yea against meanes The beleeuing hart will hardly yeeld to this which Moses would teach the Israelites and therefore wee must take the more paines to be resolued of it If any shall thinke hereupon that a man may liue by the written word without meat and drinke he is deceiued for Christ meaneth not that euery word that God hath spoken shall preserue naturall life but that whatsoeuer way he hath appointed whereby man shal liue whether by ordinary or extraordinary meanes whether without meanes or against meanes the same shall be effectuall for mans preseruation Thus much for the meaning The applying of this testimony to the Diuels temptation is thus to be conceiued the Diuels temptation was this If thou be the sonne of God then commaund these stones to be made bread But thou canst not make these stones to become bread Therefore thou art not the sonne of God To this Christ answers by denying the proposition or first part of this argument the ground whereof was this which the Diuell tooke for granted that when a man is hungry
God he can tempt Christ yea transport his body and set him in a dangerous place for thus far God permits him to goe but to cast Christ downe from the pinnacle he cannot therein comes Gods restraint So it fareth with Gods children for the triall of his graces in them and to chastise them for some sinnes he suffers Satan to buffet them but yet one iotte of his malice beyond Gods permission he cannot shew as in Iobs affliction by him may notably appeare Which wee must carefully remember for our special comfort in our most grieuous assaults Gods will permitting Satan so farre must make vs patient and yet his power restraining Satan from doing worse must giue vs comfort Thus much for the temptation itselfe The reason whereby Satan enforceth his temptation is taken from a testimony of Scripture For it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee c. Satan hearing Christ alledge scripture for his defence against the first assault comes now vpon him with his owne weapon that if it were possible he might foile him after this sort Thou shewest thy selfe to be the Doctor of the Church by thine alleadging of Scripture and that it seemes thou makest the rule of thine actions well then thou maiest well and safely cast thy selfe downe hence if thou bee the Sonne of God for it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp c. From this dealing of Satan wee are taught not to embrace an opinion in religion because a shew of proofe by testimony of Scripture may bee giuen for it But we must trie the spirits that is the doctrines of men whether they be of God or not 1. Ioh. 4. 1. For the Diuell can alleadge Scripture to mooue Christ vnto presumption and it is his vsuall practise when he caries men into schisms errors and heresies Reason with a man that minds to liue in sinne and tell him of that dangerous state by reason of the shortnesse and vncertainty of this life will he not tell you straight he will doe as he does and repent when he is old for it is written At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord And some thinke three or foure good words at a mans last end wil serue his turne for the thiefe on the crosse said no more but Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome And all such as are trained vp in the schoole of Satan can easilie alledge scripture to further them in euil But let vs come to the scripture which the Diuel doth notoriously abuse by his allegation it is written in the 91. Ps. v. 11. In the alledging whereof he would seeme very carefull and precise at the first not omitting so much as this particle for which might haue beene left out and yet nothing haue been wanting to the force of his reason But heerein is the deepenesse of his policy to cause Christ not to suspect any falshood afterward for towards the end hee leaueth out that on which the promise is grounded of being kept by the Angel to wit to keepe thee in all thy waies that is in all the good duties of thy lawfull calling wherein thou shalt glorifie God and doe good to others to such as so walke in their waies doth that promise belong Heere then behold Satans notable fraud and craft that can so cunninglie leaue out that which makes not for his purpose and so peruert the true meaning of scripture this is his vsuall practise in enmity against the word to depraue the true meaning by cutting off some part when hee cannot vtterly ouerthrow the whole The like is the dealing of all heretickes who by cutting off and leauing out play legerdemaine with the scripture The Arrian holds the Bible for the word of God but such places as serue to proue the godhead of Christ he doth notably abuse and peruert The familie of Loue also doth hold the bible for the word of God but come to the true meaning of it therein they faile turning all into Allegories euen most true histories as the fall of our first Parents and such like which are maine grounds of religion in their naturall sense and the Apostaticall Church of Rome doth hold with vs the bookes of the old and new Testament but yet they put in and take out at their pleasure and take from it all sense and meaning which agrees not with the determination of their holy father the Pope and thereby they ouerturne the word of God and strongly maintaine their mystery of iniquity This dealing of Satan and his wicked miscreants with the scripture must make all Gods children willing to spend their strength in searching out the Scripture for that is the onely way to descrie their fraude in deprauing of it This caused Christ to bidde the people in his time to search the Scriptures to learne to know him to bee the true Messias which the Iewish teachers did then deny In regard whereof wee must say with Moses oh that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them oh that all could reade and vnderstand the word of God! This is it wherein all that either be or intend to be ministers must labour especially euen to get sound knowledge and iudgement in the text of Scripture The Minister must not only be able to teach the truth but also to discerne to discouer and to confure errors and heresies which hee can neuer foundly doe without good vnderstanding in the text it selfe The Diuell knowes the whole Scripture and he will spare no text therein it hee can corrupt it therfore to resoue Gods truth out of his hands who is the father of lies the Minister must shew himselfe a good souldier of Iesus Christ as Paul exhorteth Timothy giuing such attendance to the word that all men may see his profitting therein yea with Ieremie the Minister must eat the bookes of God and digest them in his vnderstanding and rejoice therein labouring to feele them the joy of his heart The Diuell knowes that Scripture truely vnderstood and well applied is the onely engine for the battery of his kingdome and therefore euen from the beginning but specially since the comming of Christ hee hath laboured by all meanes to keepe men from the knowledge and true vnderstanding of them hee it is that hath brought men from the reading of the Scriptures to betake themselues to the writings of men as schoolemen fathers and such by this meanes hee hath for many yeares euen to this day in the Church of Rome locked vp the Scripture in an vnknowen tongue yea euen in Gods church the Diuel works mightily this way by stealing away the affections of yong students from the Bible and rauishing them with delight in the writings of men for thus he keeps them from the
in which we may require a signe of God not tempt him first when God commands a man to ask a signe at his hands so might Azah haue asked a signe of God for his assurance of victorie according to Gods promise yea he is blamed for not asking it when the Lord commanded him Secondly a man may aske a signe of God when it serueth for the necessary confirmation of an extraordinary calling or of some special promise of God made to man in this case did Gedion aske a signe of God for the further confirmation of his extraordinary calling to bee a Deliuerer vnto Gods people And so did Hezekiah for his further assurance in the lengthning of his life by an extraordinary promise fifteene yeares But out of these cases to aske a signe of God is to tempt him as the Pharisies did who would prescribe vnto God what kinde of miracle they would haue euen a signe from heauen not contenting themselues with those miracles which Christ did ordinarilie worke among them Thirdly a man tempts God when he goes on in any sinne against Gods commandements for hereby he makes needlesse triall of Gods iustice mercy and patience The Lord saith of his people they tempted him ten times and haue not obeied his voice Mal. 3. 15. The people murmuringly say they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God are deliuered where working wickednesse and tempting of God are al one Which serues to admonish vs that with al speed we break off the course of our sins by repentance for while we continue in sinne we tempt God and so lie open to all his iudgements depriuing our selues of the guard and protection of Gods holy Angels nay they will become our enemies and insteed of protection execute gods heauy vengeance vpon vs. Fourthly they tempt God that impose vpon Gods people there ligious obseruation of legall ceremonies abolished by Christ Act. 15. 10. Why tempt ye God saith Peter to lay a yoake on the Disciples neckes which neither our Fathers nor we were able to beare This is to make triall of Gods power in the sauing of his people Whereby we may see how wicked and damnable the Romish religion is which wholly stands in the obseruation of ceremonies partly heathenish and partly Iudaical whereto when men submit themselues they do nothing else but tempt God Fiftly they tempt God that refuse or neglect the ordinarie and necessarie meanes of their preseruation either for body or soule as hee that being to goe ouer a water will leaue the bridge which is the ordinarie way and aduenture dangerously through the water for heerein he seekes a needlesse experience of Gods power so doe they also that neglect or contemne Gods holy ordinance for the sauing of mens soules in the ministery of the word Now to this kinde of tempting God doth Christ apply this commandement in this place as if he should say when God hath affoorded vnto men an ordinarie meanes for their helpe and safety they are not to refuse the same and seeke for safety from God extraordinarily I am now in a dangerous place I confesse vpon this pinnacle yet there is some ordinarie way to get down as staires or ladder and therefore vnlesse I would tempt the Lord my God I may not cast my selfe downe and thereby seeke for extraordinarie preseruaiton as thou perswadest me Thus also they sinne that goe into places of great danger without a calling so Peter sinned in thrusting himselfe into Caiphas hal a place of temptation as by lamentable experience he found too true Thus Dauids three Worthies sinned in aduenturing vpon their enemies host for the fetching of a little water out of the well of Bethlehem therfore when it was brought vnto him Dauid would not drinke thereof but powred it out for a sacrifice vnto the Lord 2. Sam. 23. 16. Heere some may aske whether they do not tempt God that aduenture to clime on high places to stand on spire steeples to runne on the ridge of high houses and to goe on ropes a great height from the ground Answ. Men may doe such things in a twofold estate either hauing a lawfull calling thereto as Carpenters and Masons who are to worke vpon high buildings now they without tempting of God may clime and stand on high and dangerous places or else hauing no lawfull calling thereto as they who vse to doe such things to make knowen their actiuity or only to affoord delight and admiration vnto others for their priuate gaine and aduantage and such tempt God fearefully for Christ was better able to haue cast himselfe downe from this pinnacle and haue preserued himselfe without hurt then these men are to saue themselues in their aduentures and yet hee refused so to do because hee would not tempt the Lord his God Thus much for the meaning of this commandement The doctrine for instruction hence is to be gathered from this command applied to the text which the Diuell alledgeth and it is this whosoeuer looketh for the accomplishment of Gods promises vnto him must be carefull to walke before God in the waies of his commandements and in the workes of his calling with all good conscience God indeed hath made many gratious promises in his word of blessings temporall and eternall but they that tempt God shall not find the comfort of them mens sinnes hinder these things from them Gods goodnesse is to bee seene and tasted in the waies of faith and obedience God hath promised the guard of his Angels to his children while they keep themselues in their waies if therefore thou wouldest haue this protection thou must keep thy selfe in those waies that God would haue thee to walke in Also in theri hesse of his loue God hath made a promise of euerlasting life with freedome from eternall perdition to those that beleeue in Christ Iohn 3. 16. Thou therefore that wouldest enioy the comfort of this promise to thine immortality and life must get true faith into thy heart and thereby liue all the daies of thy life The same may bee said of euery promise of God pertaining either to soule or body the fruition of them doth depend vpon the practise of some part of obedience which if thou doest neglect thou doest but presume in making title to the promise Peter tels Symon Magus plainely he had no part with them in the gifts of the spirit while his heart retained a purpose to liue in sinne Act. 8. 21. Breake off therefore the course of sinne and inure thy selfe to the practise of obedience so shall Gods promises be sweet vnto thine heart and the more thou proceedest in obedience the more comfort thou shalt find in Gods gratious promises but if thou doe lay hold on sinne the comfort of the word will depart from thee And thus much for the second temptation VERSE 8. Againe the Diuell tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the
2. Coloss. 1 10 5. c. 2. 2 14. 15. 13. c 2. 51. c. 1. 1. Thessal 2 18 41. c. 1. 3 5 12. c. 2. 1. Tim. 3 6 9. c. 1. 4 1. 3. 41. c. 2. Â 7 13. c. 1. 6 9 22. c. 1. Â 17 22. c. 2. 2. Tim. 2 11. 12. 53. c. 2. Hebr. 1 2 20. c. 2. 2 10 53. c. 1. Â 17. 18. 9. c. 1. 54. c. 1. 11 6 13. c. 1. Iames. 1 2 4. c. 2. 53. c. 2. Â 13 7. c. 2. 3 14. 15. 9. c. 1. 4 7. 13. c. 1. 18. c. 2. 49. c. 2. 1. Pet. 1 25 20. c. 2. 2 9 5. c. 2. 4 17 31. c. 2. 5 7 23. c. 1. Â 8 9. c. 1. 13. c 1. 2. Pet. 1 5. 16. c. 1. Â 10 16. c. 1. 28. c. 1. 2 8 43. c. 1. 1. Iohn 4 1 29. c. 2. Iude. 0 4 27. c. 2. Reuela 2 10 41. c. 1. Â 13 5. c. 1. 11 8. 9. 10. 49. c. 1. 12 3. 4. 3. c. 1. Â 9 9. c. 1. Â 10 19. c. 1. 13 11 40. c. 2. 16 13. 14. 41. c. 1. 18 4 26 c. 2. 19 10 46 c. 1. A Table of the speciall points to be obserued in this Exposition The first number notes the Page the second the Columne b notes the beginning of the columne m the middle and e the end A ADoption Satan would driue vs from assurance of our Adoption 16. 1. b. We must specially labour for assurance of our adoption ibid. m. Affections how to moderate them in all estates 23. 1. b. Alleaging of Scripture Christ and his Apostles therein respected the true meaning therof 44. 2. e. In alleaging scripture they expound it 44. 2. b. Ministers should be carefull not to wrest it in their allegations 31. 1. m. Ambition a bait for Satan in the subuersion of kingdoms 40. 1. b. Angels The bond their ministery vnto Christ and his children 51. 2. e. Their number that doe minister vnto men 52. 2. b. Each one hath not a good Angell and a bad 52. 2. m. B Baptisme why Christ was baptized 1. 2. m. Blasphemers how wee should behaue our selues towards them 42. 2. e. Blasphemers of God ought to die 43. 1. e. Boasting vaine boasting ought to be auoided 40. 2. e. C Calamity Gods children haue specaill protection in common calamities 31. 2. m. Callings A man must not leaue his calling for the trouble thereof 4. 2. e. Men set apart for speciall callings are other men 5. 1. e. Christians should walk worthy their calling of grace 5. 2. m. Whom God calleth hee fitteth thereto 6. 1. m. Carking care how auoided 22. 1. e. Cary Satan may carry men in the aire 24. 2. m. Yea God children 36. 2. m. Christstemptation The time when 1. 1. e. He was led by the spirit to be tempted 3. 2. b. How he went furnished to be tempted 3. 2. e. Christ was tempted in the highest degree that Satan could 50. 1. e. Church no iudge of scripture 32. 2. e. Euery one ought to seeke the good of Gods church 41. 2. b. Church militant in this world as in a wildernesse 11. 1. e. It hath entercourse of temptations 51. 1. e. Comforts to Gods church Christs power in subduing Satan in his humility 19. 1. b. Christ moderates their afflictions and temptations 48. 2. e. Company none ought to thrust himselfe into bad company 5. 1. b. Contentation in extreame misery how gotten 22. 2. m. D Danger no man must runne into danger without a calling 4. 2. b. Deferring of resistance to Satan very dangerous 49. 2. m. Desert see wildernesse Desertion of Spirituall desertion 52. 2. e. Despaire how Satan works it in a guilty conscience 38. 1. b. Comfort against despaire 50. 2. b. Diuell see Satan Diligence in our calling hath special prerogatiue 32. 2. b. Diuinity ascribed to a thing foure waies 45. 1. m. Doctrine Carnall men neglect Christs doctrine but affectmiracles 28. 2. m. E England Gods true church 25. 2. b. Enticers to idolatrie how to be respected 43. 2. b. How to be auoided 44. 1. m. F Faith Satan seekes especially the ruine of our faith 15. 2. m. Fasting three kinds of fasts 9. 2. e. How long a man may fast and yet liue 10. 1. e. Why Christ fasted forty daies 10. 2. b. Lent-fast misfounded on Christs fast 10. 2. e. Filled Christ was alwaies filled with the Spirit 5. 2. e. yet hee increased therein 6. 1. b. Food and raiment How to Consider rightly thereof 21. 2. b. We ought to sanctifie it vnto vs by praier 22. 1. b. Francis Spira too rashly iudged a castaway 50. 2. e. G Gainsaying of Gods truth a property of Satan 17. 2. m. Godhead of Christ infringed by satan 17. 1. e. And by his followers ibid. 2. b. Guide Gods spirit must guide vs in euery thing 4. 1. b. H Holy daies obserued to the honour of Saints vnlawfull 47. 2. m. Holinesse of Christs humane nature 3. 2. e. No holinesse of place on earth can debarre Satan from tempting 26. 2. m. Hunger Christ was an hungred 12. 1. m. and why ibid. e. I Idolatrie Satan seekes to bring Christ to commit it 38. 2. m. Hereby he seekes the ruine of religion 41. 1. m. Ierusalem why called the holy city 25. 1. e. Ignorant persons should labour for knowledge in Gods word 19. 2. e. Iudgement Rash iudgement against men that are tempted by Satan vnlawfulll 50. 2. m. and deceitful 51. 2. e. Iustification by faith onely 48. 1. m. K Kingdomes Satans enmity to Christs kingdome 39. 1. e. Satan knowes all worldly kingdomes and the policies thereof 39. 2. e. How hee seekes the ruine of worldly kingdomes 40. 1. b. Earthly kingdomes are preserued from Satans malice by Gods prouidence 40. 1. e. Kneeling before a chaire of estate 47. 1. m. L League some doe make a league with Satan 42. 2. b. Led how Christ was led to be tempted 3. 2. b. Life of a Christian a continuall intercourse of temptations 51. 2. b. Limite not God in thy praiers 34. 1. b. Lying Satans sinne 40. 2. e. M Magicians may shew strange representations 37. 1. e. Masters of families should be especially zealous against blasphemers 43. 1. e. Meanes neglected a tempting of God 34. 2. e. Melancholy Satans bait 14. 2. m. Ministers especially must looke for temptations 3. 1. b. It is good for them to be tempted and why ibid. e. They ought to get sound knowledge in the text of Scripture 30. 2. m. And be wary of wresting any text 31. 1. m. Monasticall life not warrantable by Gods word 7. 1. m. O Obedience absolute must be giuen to God 48. 2. b. And voluntary 50. 1. m. Occasions of sinne must be watched against 12. 1. b. P Papists are Idolaters 46. 2. e. And 47. 1. b. Papists tempt God in looking now for miracles 34. 1. m. They sacrifice to Satan in their Masse 42. 1. m. Pope of Rome that beast