BOOK 5. THE MESSAGE.
CHAPTER 1.
5.1.4. Of the Fasting and Temptation of Christ.
Of the Fasting and Temptation of Christ.
For the fasting and temptation of Christ in the wilderness. No sooner is Christ come out of the water of baptism, but he presently enters into the fire of temptation; no sooner is the holy Spirit descended upon his head, but he is led by the same holy Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness; no sooner doth God say, "This is my Son," but Satan puts to the question, "If thou be the Son of God." All these are but Christ's preparatives to his prophetical office. In the former section, Christ was prepared by a solemn consecration, and now he is to be further prepared by Satan's temptations; there is much in this particular, and therefore in the same method as the evangelist lays it down, Matth. iv. 1 ,2,3. to verse 12. I shall proceed, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil," etc. In the whole, we may observe these several branches, as first, The place where the temptation was, to wit, the wilderness. Secondly, The cause of Christ's going to the wilderness, "the Spirit's leading." Thirdly, The end of the Spirit's leading Christ into the wilderness, "To be tempted of the devil." Fourthly, The time and occasion of the devil's onset, "at the end of forty days fast, and when he was an hungered." Fifthly, The temptations themselves, which are in number three, to which are added as many victories, which Christ had over the tempter; who therefore "left him, and so the angels came, and ministered unto him." I shall begin first with the place where the temptation was, to wit, in the wilderness.
1. This wilderness was not that same wilderness, or not that same place of the wilderness wherein John the Baptist lived, Matth. iii. 1. For that wherein John the Baptist lived was a place inhabited, there was in that place, cities and towns, and a number of people to whom John preached, but this wilderness was devoid of men, full of wild beasts, so saith Mark i. 13. "He was tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts." As Adam in his innocency lived with wild beasts, and they hurt him not; so Christ the second Adam lives here in the wilderness with wild beasts, and he has no hurt at all. He is Adam like in his safety and security, but above Adam in resisting of temptation. Some say. That in this wilderness during his forty days abode, Christ was perpetually disturbed and assaulted with evil spirits, however the last brunt is only expressed, because it was most violent. Now whether they appeared in any horrid and affrighting shapes during that time, it is not certain; but it is most likely, that to a person of so great sanctity, and high designation as Jesus was, they would appear more angelical and immaterial, and in representments intellectual, because Jesus was not a person of those low weaknesses, to be affrighted or troubled with any ugly phantasms; it is not much material to enquire of this, but in this wilderness, (say they) Christ was perpetually tempted; and, in this respect, I know not, but the devil had more advantage, now he had Christ in a wilderness; solitariness is no small help to the speed of a temptation. "Woe to him that is alone, for if he fall, there is not a second to take him up." Others say, That in this wilderness during his forty days abode, Christ was continually exercised in prayer and fasting, all that while he had his immediate addresses and colloquies with God; he knew he had a great work of redemption to promote; and therefore his conversation for this interval must be preparatory to it; In this respect, I know not but the wilderness might be an advantage to Christ's design: In this solitary place, he could not but breathe out more pure inspiration; heaven usually is more open, and God usually more familiar and frequent in his visits in such places. I know not what others experiences may be, but if I have found anything of God, or of his grace, I may thank a wood, a wilderness, a desert, a solitary place, for its accommodation; and have I not a blessed pattern here before me? It was solitude and retirement in which Jesus kept his vigils, the desert places heard him pray; in privacy he was born, in the wilderness he fed his thousands upon a mountain apart; he was transfigured upon a mountain, he died, and from a mountain he ascended to his Father, I make no question but in those retirements, his devotion received the advantage of convenient circumstances, especially of time and place. And yet I dare not deny the first opinion, for I suppose both Christ and the devil had their advantages of this wilderness, the one to pray, and the other to tempt.
2. The cause of Christ's going into the wilderness, was the Spirit's leading. "Then was Jesus led of the Spirit into the wilderness," Christ was led by the good Spirit, to be tempted by the evil spirit. O wonder! that the same Spirit which was one with the Father and the Son, that same Spirit whereby Christ was conceived, now drives him or leads him into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; the manner of Christ's leading is a question; some think he was led or catched away from Jordan, in some visible rapture towards the wilderness; but to leave that, and to come to truths more necessary, Christ taught us to pray unto his Father, "Lead us not into temptation," and yet he himself is now led into the same temptation, which now we must pray against, surely this was for our instruction; we are not to thrust ourselves upon temptation, Christ himself would not go into the combat uncalled, unwarranted; how then should we, poor weaklings, presume upon any abilities of our own? Who dares grapple with the devil in his own strength? O take heed, if we are to pray not to be led into temptation, much more are we to pray not to run into temptation, before we are led; and yet for the comfort of God's people, if it be so that we are led, if by divine permission, or by an inspiration of the holy Spirit, we are engaged in an action, or in a course of life that is full of temptations, and empty of comforts; let us look upon it as an issue of divine providence, in which we must glorify God; but no argument of disfavour, or dislove of God, and why? Because Christ himself, who could have driven the devil away with the breath of his mouth, yet was by the Spirit of his Father led to a trial by the spirits of darkness. "My brethren, count it all joy, (saith James) when ye enter into divers temptations, knowing that the trial of your faith worketh patience," James i. 2.
3. The end of the Spirit's leading Christ into the wilderness, it was either immediate or remote.
(a). For the immediate end it was to be tempted of the devil: to this purpose was Christ brought thither that Satan might tempt him.
(b). One would think it a very strange design, that the Son of God should be brought into a wilderness to be set on by all the devils in hell; but in this also God had another remote end, i.e. his own glory and our good.
(i). His own glory appeared in this. Had not Satan tempted Christ, how should Christ have overcome Satan? The first Adam was tempted and vanquished, the second Adam to repay and repair that foil, doth vanquish in being tempted; now herein was the power of Christ exceedingly manifested; the devil having the chain let loose, he lets fly at Christ with all his might; and Christ, that without blows, could not have got a victory, by this furious assault of Satan, he both overcomes him and triumphs over him. And herein were the graces of Christ exceedingly manifested; how was the faith, patience, humility, zeal, and favour of Christ set forth, which they could not have been if he had always lain quietly in garrison, and never had come into the skirmish? Who could have felt the odoriferous smells of those aromatical spices, if they had not been pounded and bruised in this mortar of temptation? It was by this means that the graces of Christ clearly shined forth to his eternal, praise.
(ii). As it was for his glory, so also for our good. Now we see what manner of adversary we have, how he fights, and how he is resisted, and how overcome; now we see the dearer we are to God, the more obnoxious we are to a trial of temptation; now we see that the best saints may be tempted or allured to the worst of evils; since Christ himself is solicited to infidelity, covetousness and idolatry; now we see, "That we have not a Saviour and high Priest, that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but such an one as was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sin; and therefore we may go boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in time of need," Heb. iv. 15, 16.
4. The time and occasion of the devil's onset, it was "at the end of forty days fast, and when he was an hungered." Some say, (as you have heard) that all these forty days, when Christ was in the wilderness he was tempted only invisibly; for Satan during that time, assumed not any visible or conspicuous shape, which at the end of the forty days, (say they) he did: my meaning is not to controvert these points. Howsoever for his tempting, yet for his fasting forty days and forty nights, there is no controversy; and of that we had some types before Christ came into the world, thus Moses fasted forty days at the delivery of the law; and Elias fasted forty days at the restitution of the law; and to fulfil the time of both these types, Christ thinks it fit to fast forty days at the accomplishment of the law and the promulgation of the gospel. In fasting so long, Christ manifests his almighty power, and in fasting no longer, Christ manifests the truth of his manhood and of his weakness, that he might approve that there was no difference betwixt him and us but sin, he both fasted and was an hungered: we know well enough, that Christ could have lived without meat, and he could have fasted without hunger; it had been an easy matter for him to have supported his body without any means of nourishment of life; but to show that he was man, as well as God, and so a fit Mediator betwixt God and man, he would both feed and fast, make use of the creature, and withal suffer hunger. -- And now our Saviour is an hungered, this gives occasion to Satan to set upon him with his fierce and violent temptations; he knows well what baits to fish withal, and when, and how to lay them: he hath temptations of all sorts, he hath apples to couzen children, and gold for men: he hath the vanities of the world for the intemperate, and die kingdoms of the world for the ambitious: he considers the temper and constitution of the person he is to tempt, and he observes all our exterior accidents, occasions and opportunities; but of this hereafter.
5. The temptations themselves are in number three; whereof the first was this, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread," Matth. iv. 3. What an horrible entrance is this? "If thou be the Son of God:" no question Satan had heard the glad tidings of the angel, he saw the star, and the journey, and the offering of the sages; he could not but take notice of the gratulations of Zachary, Simeon, Anna; and of late he saw the heavens open, and heard the voice that came down from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And yet now that he saw Christ fainting with hunger, as not comprehending how infirmities could consist with a Godhead, he put it to the question, "If thou be the Son of God." Oh! here is a point, in which lies all our happiness. How miserable were we, if Christ were not indeed and in truth the Son of God? Satan strikes at the root in this supposition, "If thou be the Son of God." Surely all the work of our redemption, and all the work of our salvation depends upon this one necessary truth, that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God." If Christ had not been the Son of God, how should he have ransomed the world! How should he have done, or how should he have suffered that which was satisfactory to his Father's wrath? How should his life or death have been valuable to the sins of all the world? If Christ be not the Son of God, we are all gone, we are lost, we are undone, we are damned forever: O, alas! farewell glory, farewell happiness, farewell heaven, if Christ be not the Son of God, we must never come there. Well, Satan, thou begins thy assault like a devil indeed, "If thou be the Son of God;" but what then? "Command that these stones be made bread." He knew Jesus was hungry, and therefore he invites him to eat bread only of his own providing, that so he might refresh his humanity, and prove his divinity, "Come, says he, break thy fast upon the expense of a miracle: turn these stones into bread, and it will be some argument that thou art the Son of God." There is nothing more ordinary with our spiritual enemy, than by occasion of want to move us to unwarrantable courses: "If thou art poor, then steal; if thou canst not rise up by honest means, then use indirect means." I know Christ might as lawfully have turned stones into bread as turned water into wine; but to do this in a distrust of his Father's providence, to work a miracle of Satan's choice, and at Satan's bidding, it could not be agreeable with the Son of God. And hence Jesus refuses to be relieved, he would rather deny to manifest the divinity of his person, than he would do any act, which had in it the intimation of a different spirit. O Christians! it is a sinful, impious wicked care, to take evil courses to provide for our necessities. Come, it may be thou hast found a way to thrive, which thou couldst not before: O take heed, was it not of the devil's promoting to change stones into bread, sadness into sensual comforts? If so, then Satan has prevailed. Alas! alas! he cannot endure thou shouldst live a life of austerity, or self-denial, or of mortification; if he can but get thee to satisfy thy senses, and to please thy natural desires, he then hath a fair field for the battle: it were a thousand times better for us to make stones our meat, and tears our drink, than to swim in our ill gotten goods, and in the fulness of voluptuousness.
But what was Christ's answer? Why, thus "it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
(a). It is written, he easily could have confounded Satan by the power of his Godhead; but he rather chose to vanquish him by the sword of his Spirit. Surely this was for our instruction, by this means he teacheth us how to resist and to overcome; nothing in heaven or earth can beat the forces of hell, if the word of God cannot do it. O then how should we pray with David? "Teach me, O Lord the way of thy statutes. -- And take not from me the words of truth. -- Let them be my songs in the house of my pilgrimage, -- So shall I make answer to my blasphemers.
(b). Man shall not live by bread," etc. Whilst we are in God's work, God hath made a promise of the supply of all provisions necessary for us: now this was the present case of Jesus, he was now in his Father's work, and promoting of our interest; and therefore he was sure to be provided for according to God's word. Christians, are we in God's service? God will certainly give us bread; and till he does, we can live by the breath of his mouth, by the light of his countenance, by the refreshment of his promises, by "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God;" every word of God's mouth can create a grace, and every grace can supply two necessities, both of the body and of the spirit. I remember one kept straitly in prison, and sorely threatened with famine, he replied, That if he must have no bread, God would so provide that he should have no stomach; if our stock be spent, God can lessen our necessities; if a tyrant will take away our meat, God our Father knows how to alter our faint, and feeble, and hungry appetites.
The second temptation is not so sensual; the devil sees that was too low for Christ, and therefore he comes again with a temptation something more spiritual; verse 5, 6. "He sets him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee" etc. He that was content to be led from Jordan into the wilderness for the advantage of the first temptation, he yields to be led from the wilderness to Jerusalem; for advantage to the second; the wilderness was fit for a temptation arising from want, and Jerusalem is fit for a temptation arising from vain glory; Jerusalem was the glory of the world, the temple was the glory of Jerusalem, the pinnacle was the highest piece of the temple, and there is Christ content to be set for the opportunity of temptation. O that Christ would suffer his pure and sacred body to be transported, and hurried through the air by the malicious hand of the old tempter! But all this was for us, he cared not what the devil did in this way with him, so that he might but free us from the devil. Methinks it is a sweet contemplation of a holy divine; he supposed, as if he had seen Christ on the highest battlements of the temple and Satan standing by him with his speech in his mouth, (Dr. Hail) "Well then since, in the matter of nourishment, thou wilt needs depend upon thy Father's providence, take now a farther trial of that providence, in thy miraculous preservation, cast down thyself from this height; behold thou art here in Jerusalem, the famous and holy city of the world; here thou art on the top of the pinnacle of the temple, which was dedicated to thy Father; and if thou art God, why now the eyes of all men are fixed upon thee? There cannot be devised a more ready way to spread thy glory, and to proclaim thy Deity, than by casting thyself headlong to the earth; all the world will say. There is more in thee than a man: and for danger, (if thou art the Son of God) there can be none; what can hurt him that is the Son of God? And wherefore served that glorious guard of angels, which have by divine commission, taken upon them the charge of thy humanity? Come, cast thyself down: here lies the temptation, "Come, cast thyself down," (saith Satan) but why did not Satan cast him down? He carried him up thither and was it not more easy to throw him down thence? O no, the devil may persuade us to a fall, but he cannot precipitate us without our own act; his malice is infinite, but his power is limited; he cannot do us any harm but by persuading us to do it ourselves; and therefore saith he to Christ, "Cast thyself down."
To this Christ answers, verse 7. "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Though it is true, that God must be trusted in, yet he must not be tempted; if means be allowed, we must not throw them away upon a pretence of God's protection. We read of one Heron, an inhabitant of the desert, that he suffered the same temptation, and was overcome by it; he would needs cast himself down, presuming on God's promise, and he sinfully died with his fall. Christ knew well enough that there was ordinary descents by stairs from the top of the temple, and therefore he would not so tempt God to throw himself headlong: what, to make trial of God's power, and justice, and mercy, and extraordinary preservation, where there was no need? All the devils in hell could not so tempt Christ, as to make him tempt his God.
The third temptation is yet more horrid: the temple was not high enough, so that now Satan takes him up to the top of an "exceeding high mountain, and he shows him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, saying, All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me," verse 8, 9. Not to insist on those many queries, How should all the kingdoms of the world be presented to Christ's eye, or if they were only presented to his imagination, why could not the valley have served the devil's turn as well as an hill? Or whether was not Rome the object that the devil presented? Because at that time, Rome was the top of all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them? For my part, I think in this temptation the devil united all his power of stratagems, and by an angelical power, he drew into one centre the several species and ideas, from all the kingdoms, and glories of the world, and he made an admirable map of beauties, and represented them to the eyes of Jesus: he thought ambition more likely to ruin him, because he knew it was that which prevailed upon himself, and all these fallen stars, the angels of darkness; and therefore, "Come, (saith Satan) All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." How? God worship the devil? Was ever the like blasphemy since the first creation? Indeed now we have many fearful execrable, cursed blasphemies belched out, and idolatry, I believe is the most spreading sin in the world; but was ever the like blasphemy or idolatry to this, that not only a creature, but the Creator himself, must fall down before the devil, and give worship unto him? The Lamb of God that heard all the former temptations with patience, he could by no means endure this. Our own injuries are opportunities of patience, but when the glory of God, and his immediate honour is the question, then our zeal should be all on a flame. Now Christ bids him avoid, as soon as he observes his demands, so impudent and blasphemous, he commands him away, and tells him, verse 10. "It is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Now was the devil put to flight, and in his stead, "the angels came and ministered unto Jesus," i.e. after his fast, they ministered such things as his necessities required of them.
Use. O Christian, what shall we say to this? If Christ was thus tempted by Satan, what may we look for? Sometimes it cheers my heart to think that Christ was tempted, because thereby he knows how to succour those that are tempted: and sometimes it affrights my soul to think that Satan durst be so bold with Jesus Christ. Oh! what may he do with me? How easily may he prevail against my soul? When he came to tempt Christ, he found nothing in him to join with him in the temptation; but in my heart is a world of corruptions, and unless the Lord prevent, I am quickly gone, I may not here fall upon the doctrine of temptations, only a few words. 1. Of Satan's stratagems. 2. Of some general means to withstand his stratagems; and I have done.
1. His stratagems are very many, and very dangerous; As: --
(a). He observes and fits his temptations to our dispositions; for example, if he find a man ambitiously affected, then he covers his hook with the bait of honours; and thus he tempted Abimelech to murder his brethren, that he might obtain the sovereignty; or if he finds a man voluptuously given, then he tempts him with the bait of pleasures; and thus he allured Noah to drunkenness, David to adultery, Solomon to idolatry; or if he finds a man covetously given, then he lets in the golden hook; and thus he enticed Balaam, by offering him money to curse the people whom God had blessed; and thus he allured Judas, for thirty pieces of silver to betray his Master. But what need we instances, when we see this day so many thousands entangled in this golden net.
(b). He observes and fits his temptations to our complexions; and thus he tempts the choleric to quarrels and brawls, the phlegmatic to idleness and sloth, the melancholy to malice and revenge, the sanguine to pleasure and fleshly lusts; and hence it is that the apostle tells us, James i. 14. that "Whosoever is tempted, he is drawn away by bis own concupiscence." Satan never assaults us, but he is sure there is something within us, that will further him in his temptations.
(c). He observes and fits his temptations to our outward conditions; thus if we are in prosperity, then he tempts us to pride and forgetfulness of God, to contempt of our brethren, to the love of the world, to coldness in religion, carnal security, and the like: or, if we are in adversity, then he tempts us to the use of unlawful means, to the distrusting of God's all ruling providence, and never deceiving promises; or, it may be to despair, murmur, and repining against God: by this temptation, he confidently presumed to have moved Christ to distrust God's providence, and to shift for himself, by turning stones into bread.
(d). He observes and fits his temptations to our spiritual estate; thus if we are notoriously wicked, then he tempts us to atheism, contempt of God's worship, swearing, blaspheming, profaning of the Lord's day, disobedience, murders, adulteries, drunkenness, theft, covetousness, and all devilish practices; or if we are civilized, and run not with others into such an excess of riot and sin, why, then he tempts us to a good opinion of such a condition. "I thank thee, O Father, that I am not as other men," etc. I deal justly and uprightly with all my neighbours; I have a good meaning towards God, though I am ignorant of scripture and of the principles of religion or if we are professors of God's truth, and can tip our tongues with glorious words of religion, holiness, Christ; why, then he tempts us with resting on this; What needs more? If I can but outwardly perform the duties of piety, as the hearing of God's word, receiving of the sacraments, public and private calling on God; In this I am a true protestant, that charity, love, good works, and all the duties of the second table can never justify me, or save me, but only faith; I believe, and I make a profession of religion, and I hope this will suffice Or, if we are sincere professors and but weak in the faith; why, then he tempts us with sad thoughts of our sins; he sets before us their number and nature, and odiousness in every aggravation: and if therewith he cannot overwhelm us, he adds (it may be) unto them some of his own sins. Thus he casteth into our minds many outrageous blasphemies, such blasphemies as he propounded to Christ, to worship him for our God, to deny Jesus Christ as our God, our Lord, our Saviour, our Redeemer; to say in our hearts, there is no God but nature, no scripture; no Holy Ghost: many a precious soul feels these injections of Satan, and I cannot wonder at it, when I see the devil tempting Christ himself to diffidence, presumption, vain glory, yea, and to the worshipping of the devil himself: or, if ye are strong Christians, grown men, and still growing towards the fulness of Christ; why, then he tempts us to sins of presumption against knowledge; or if he cannot so prevail, he will "transform himself into an angel of light," 2 Cor. xi. 14. and tempt us to the doing a less good that we may neglect a greater; or to the doing of a greater good, but very unseasonably, when as some other duties, in respect of present occasion, are more necessary far: thus many times in the hearing of God's word, he will cast into our minds, meditations of this or that excellent subject, on purpose to distract our minds and to make us hear without profit; and in prayer to God he will bring into our memories this or that profitable instruction, which we have heard at such, or such a sermon, on purpose to disturb our spirits in that holy exercise, and to keep us from lifting up our hearts wholly and purely unto God. I might add a thousand of these stratagems of the devil, and yet not perhaps tell one of a thousand: the apostle could say indeed, that he "was not ignorant of his devices," 2 Cor. ii. 11. Eph. vi. 11. Rev. ii. 24. Eph. vi. 16 . And of some of his devices ye see we are not ignorant; but, alas, who can discover all his "methods, wiles, depths, fiery darts?" For my part I cannot do it, I am yet to learn.
2. The general means to withstand his stratagems are such as these: --
(a). A continual reminding of Christ's commands in this very thing, Eph. vi. 10,11. 1 Pet. v. 8. "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; him resist in the faith."
(b). An avoiding of the first suggestions of Satan; if this gliding serpent can but thrust in his head, he will easily make room for his body, and therefore we must nip and bruise him in the head, Eph. iv. 27. "Give no place to the devil."
(c). An objecting of Christ against all his temptations; for example, if Satan tells us, that we are miserable sinners, we may answer, that "Christ came into the world to save sinners; and that he was wounded for our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities, -- and with his stripes are we healed," Matth. ix 13, Isa. liii. 5. If Satan tells us, that we are subject to God's wrath, we may answer, that Christ did bear his Father's wrath, that he might make our peace; if he tell us, that we are subject to the curse of the law, we may answer, that "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, when he was made a curse for us," Gal. iii. 13. If he tell that we are his bond slaves, we may answer, that we were so indeed in times past, but Christ hath paid his Father the price of our redemption, and hath set us free, if he tells us, that we are unjust, and therefore shall be condemned before God's judgment seat; we may answer, that Christ who was innocent, was therefore condemned, that we who are guilty might thereby be acquitted; and that he that came to save us, will himself judge us, and therefore we need not doubt of mercy, if we plead the merits of Christ; or if Satan will not be thus answered by us, why then, Christians! there is no other way but to send him to Christ: to this purpose we may tell him, that Christ is our advocate, and if he will needs dispute, let him go to Jesus; he is both able to plead our cause, and to answer all the suits that are made against ns.
(d). I may add hearing, reading, meditating on God's word, holy conferences, busy employment in the works of our particular callings, living by faith; I must not stay on all these means, only remember amongst the rest that one of Christ, Matth. xxvi. 41. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation;" praying against it, is a denying of it, and a great part of the victory; for it is a disclaiming the entertainment of it; it is a positive rejection of the crime, it is calling in auxiliaries from above, to make the victory more certain to us. Hence one sweetly adviseth, "If temptation sets upon thee, do thou set upon God; for he is as soon overcome as thou art, as soon moved to good, as thou art to evil; he is as quickly invited to pity thee, as thou art to ask him, provided thou dost not finally rest in the petition, but pass into action, and endeavour by all means to quench the flame newly kindled in thy bowels, before it come to devour the marrow that is in thy bones: indeed a strong prayer, and a lazy, incurious, unobservant walking are contradictions in religion: and therefore "watch, and pray; and pray, and watch."