Sermons Preached on Several Occasions Volume 2, Sermon 7
The Seventh Sermon.
Matt. IV. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungred, &c.
IN the former part of this Chapter we have the History of our Saviour's Conflict with, and Victory over the Devil. The two first verses contain only what is antecedent, and preparatory to the Conflict. In the eight verses following we have the Conflict it self, consisting of three several Temptations of Satan, together with Christ's reply to them. And then in the eleventh verse we have the issue of this Conflict. I begin with what is antecedent and preparatory to the Conflict, in the first and second verses.
In which we have, 1. Christ's withdrawing of himself into the wilderness in order to his being tempted; Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil, v. 1.
And 2d. His Fasting and Hunger there, And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred, v. 2.
In Christ's withdrawing himself into the Wilderness, there are several things considerable: Namely,
1. The Time when.
2. The Manner how.
3. The Place whither.
4. The End for which he withdrew himself.
Every one of these Particulars will afford us something that may be of use to us. I shall speak to them all briefly.
1. The Time when Jesus withdrew, is implied in the first word, then; which relates to what is set down in the close of the former Chapter: There we read that Christ being Baptized of John in the River Jordan, as he went up straightway out of the water, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him▪ and lo, a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. We must not think that the ends and purposes of Christ's Baptism, were the same with those of our Baptism. To us Baptism is the Laver of Regeneration, as the Apostle calls it, Tit. 3.5. and by it our Sins are washed away, Acts 22.16. in some sense; that is, Sacramentally, Baptism being a sign and seal of our Regeneration, and of the forgivness of our Sins. But Christ being the Holy One of God, a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Pet. 1.19. perfectly free both from the pollution, and from the guilt of all Sin, he needed neither Regeneration nor Pardon. Wherefore the reasons and intentions of Christ's Baptism were far different; he by his Baptism, attended with the descent of the Spirit of God upon him like a Dove, and that Voice from Heaven, was solemnly Initiated, and, as it were, Inaugurated in the Office of Mediator. He had hitherto led a Life of more privacy and retirement from the World; but now being to enter upon the publick execution of the Office of Mediator between God and Man, these solemnities were requisite at his entrance thereof. Now after these things when he had been Baptized, when the Spirit of God had descended like a Dove, and lighted on him, when the Heavens being opened, a voice had been thence uttered, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; then it was that he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. Whence several things may be observed: The Devil's Tempting Christ at that time may be considered, either with relation to God's permitting him then to assault him, or the Devil's making choice of that time. That God was pleased then to permit Satan to assault him, was,
1. Because then Christ was endued with an extraordinary measure of the Holy Spirit, whereby he was fortified against Temptations, and enabled to repel and beat back all Satan's fiery darts. St. Luke having spoken of the Baptism of Christ, and of the descending of the Holy Spirit upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove, chap. 3.22. adds concerning him, in the beginning of the Fourth Chapter, That being full of the Holy Ghost, he returned from Jordan (where he had been Baptized) and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness; namely, to be there tempted of the devil, as St. Matthew relates, the end of his being led thither.
And herein we may take notice of the singular Goodness of God to his People, that ordinarily he doth not let the Devil loose upon them, until he hath in some measure prepared and fitted them for the Conflict. Some good measure of strength he furnisheth them with to make resistance and maintain the Fight, before he suffers the Devil to fall upon them. And then besides, amid the Conflict he ever stands by them, and is in a readiness to interpose and come in to their succour when need requires; and as the Apostle speaks, he suffers them not to be tempted above what they are able, but with the temptation makes a way to escape, that they may be able to hear it, 1 Cor. 10.13.
I say ordinarily thus he deals with his children; though it be also true that sometimes he withdraws from them, and suffers them to be for the present worsted by Satan, when he sees it needful, that for their humiliation, and to make them more watchful, more distrustful of themselves, and more careful to rely on God for strength, they should have experience of their own weakness. For such gracious ends as these, the best may sometime be foyled by the Enemy of Souls; but then in the issue they are gainers by their falls, and rise again more established and confirmed against the like Temptations, if the Tempter should again come on to assault them.
2. God was then pleased to permit the Devil to tempt our Saviour, when now upon his Baptism he was to enter upon the publick execution of his Mediatory Office, that he might thereby be the better fitted for the discharge of it. Temptation doth very much conduce to the preparing and qualifying men for publick service, especially for that service which promotes the salvation of souls.
For (1.) By being exercised in the School of Temptation, they come to be acquainted with Satan's Wiles, Devices, and Artifices, which he makes use of to compass the ruin and destruction of souls.
(2.) By being exercised in the School of Temptation, they come to understand how the Combat between the tempted Soul and Satan is to be managed, how the Devil must be resisted, and how all his attempts against the soul may be defeated.
(3.) By being exercised in the School of Temptation themselves, they come to know how to lay open and discover to others the subtile and malicious practices of the Devil against mens souls; and to be able from their own experience to advise, direct, comfort, and encourage those that are tempted. He that hath not some experimental acquaintance with these matters, must needs be very unfit for that service, the design whereof is to save souls, and in order thereunto to recover men out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will, as St. Paul speaks, 2 Tim. 2.26. And so much concerning God's permitting the Devil to tempt our Saviour at that time.
2. His being then tempted, may be considered with relation to Satan's making choice of that time rather than another. God's ends in permitting it were such as you have heard, most wise and gracious; but Satan's ends in making choice of that season, were of another nature.
1. Now that Christ had been newly baptized, and the Spirit of God had descended on him like a Dove; now that he was full of the Holy Ghost, and had from Heaven received that honourable Testimony, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased; the Devil was full of envy and rage against him, and therefore he took the next opportunity of venting his malice against him: He had no sooner withdrawn himself into the Wilderness where the Devil thought he had some advantage against him, but he falls upon him. These three Temptations indeed which are here mentioned, were not till after that he had been in the Wilderness, and there fasted during the space of forty days and forty nights; but 'tis evident that he was tempted of the Devil all that while, though the particular Temptations with which the Devil assaulted him, are not mentioned. This is manifest from the account which St. Luke hath given us hereof, Luke 4.1, 2. who expresly affirms, that he was led by the spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. Now whereas the Devil took the next opportunity of setting upon Christ, and of assaulting him with his Temptations, after that he had received that honourable Testimony from Heaven:
We may observe, That as any man is more beloved of God, and hath been dignified with more eminent testimonies of his Favour, so is the Devil the more enraged, and the more maliciously bent against him. That wicked Spirit is full of pride, envy, and malice; and he being so, 'tis no wonder that he should hate those most, whom God most loves, and malign those most, whom God most favours.
This may teach the best men, and such as God favours most, to expect to be most maligned, and most furiously assaulted by the Devil. That proud and envious Creature cannot endure to see any man so much beloved of God, as to have been honoured with any special marks of his favour.
2. Then did the Devil assault Christ, because he was to make his entrance upon the Publick Execution of the Functions of his Mediatory Office. And hence we may observe,
That they who are employ'd in promoting the salvation of souls, shall be sure to meet with opposition from the Devil. The design of this Employment, is the advancement of the Glory of God, the setting up and enlargement of the Kingdom of Christ, and the pulling down of the Kingdom of Satan; upon all which accounts the Devil is concerned to hinder it as much as he is able. And none have reason to look for more violent and furious opposition from the Devil, than they who are engaged in this service most sincerely and zealously. Men of low and base designs, who in this Employment seek themselves and their own things more than the things of Christ, may have little disturbance from Satan. He sees they are not likely to do the Kingdom so much prejudice, as that he needs to bestir himself much to hinder them. But let any man serve Christ faithfully and zealously, let him drive on the great work of converting and saving souls heartily and vigorously, and the Devil will bear him a grudge. He will not be so much wanting to the support and upholding of his own Kingdom, as to let such a man alone. Further then God is pleased to chain him up and restrain him, he will not fail to give him all the trouble and molestation that his restless malice can possibly create unto him. Wherefore let none that have devoted themselves to the service of Christ and of his Church, in the work of the Gospel, and that set themselves to serve him faithfully therein, dream of leading a quiet, easy, and pleasurable life. As long as there is a Devil in Hell, and as long as that Devil hath so many wicked Instruments here on Earth, good men that really design the Glory of God, and the Salvation of Souls, may not think to be free from molestation and disturbance.
This may suffice to have been spoken concerning the Time which Satan, God permitting him so to do, made choice of for assaulting our Saviour with his Temptations. The next thing to be spoken of, is the Manner how Christ withdrew himself into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil; the Text saith, be was led by the spirit; that is, by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, which had descended and lighted on him in the shape of a Dove; by the motion and instinct of this Spirit he was led into the Wilderness to be tempted.
And here we may observe, 1. That Christ did not unwarrantably expose himself to the Temptations of the Devil; what he did in withdrawing himself into the Wilderness, was in compliance with the motion and leading of the Holy Spirit. We may not therefore think that the Example of Christ will be a sufficient warrant to us for running presumptuously upon Temptations, and for our even tempting the Tempter himself to set upon us. Though Christ withdrew himself into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil, yet 'tis our duty to shun and avoid all manner of Temptations as much as we can. What Christ did herein was of an extraordinary nature, and never intended for a President to be imitated by us. He was perfectly free from sin, and strong to resist Temptations; we are sinful, frail, and weak Creatures: He had the motion and leading of the Holy Spirit for his warrant; we can never plead the motion of the same Spirit when we venture upon Temptations. We may assure our selves the Spirit of God never moves us to do any thing that is contrary to the Rule, which it should do if it did move us and draw us on to offer our selves to Temptations.
2. Whereas Christ was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil, we may further observe, That our Temptations are ordered by God. He permits them, and disposeth of all the Circumstances of them. 'Tis by his order and permission that Satan assaults us at such a time, and in such a place; and that he sets upon us with such particular Temptations rather than with other. He sees what Temptations will do us most good, and when they will most conduce to our spiritual advantage, and accordingly permits Satan to tempt us. The sound belief and serious consideration hereof would much quiet our minds, and free us from a great part of that trouble which the Temptations of the Devil through our weakness create to us.
We often think that we could submit to be assaulted with any kind of Temptation, rather than that which God is pleased to exercise us with. But God seeth that Temptation to be fittest for us, and of all other best suited to the condition and exigencies of our souls.
Again, sometimes the horrible nature of the Temptation so amazeth and affrights us, that we think our selves the most wretched and miserable Creatures in the world; no sorrow, no affliction is like unto ours. But if we did here also believe and consider, that the very kind of Temptation is ordered by God, and is such as his Infinite Wisdom judgeth meetest for us, and as shall do us most good in the end, we should be much less discomposed and disquieted, amazed and distracted, than we are.
There is yet one thing more observable from the Manner of Christ's withdrawing himself into the Wilderness; 'tis said, He was led by the spirit into the wilderness. He was not violently driven or hurried into the Wilderness, that's more suitable to the Devil; he forcibly impels and hurries us on; but the Holy Spirit gently leads, sweetly attracts and draws us on to do what is acceptable to God. This leading of the Spirit the Apostle speaks of, Rom. 8.14. As many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the children of God. And again, Gal. 5.18 If ye be led by the spirit, ye are not under the law.
This may afford us some help for distinguishing between the Instigations of the Devil, and the Motions of the Spirit of God. When you are impetuously transported and hurried on, you may justly suspect the Devil to have had some influence upon you. These furious transports and violent hurries are so ordinary and familiar with some, that scarce one day passeth without them. And they are so much the more dangerous and the more incurable, when men are so far from suspecting Satan in them, and the corruption of their unquiet and distempered spirits giving Satan an advantage, that they discern no evil in them, but upon all occasions plead for them, and justify themselves in them. This argues a strange degree of self-love, blindness of mind, and hardness of heart as to this particular. Besides, it is much to be feared that Satan hath gotten so much within the spirits of such persons, that he will not easily be dispossessed. For how should they be freed from his violent workings in them, who will neither own nor see any evil in their excesses, nor think themselves in the least concerned to be humbled for them, and strive against them?
So much concerning the Manner how Christ withdrew himself: Now follows the Place whither he withdrew; He was led by the spirit into the wilderness. And why into the Wilderness? Why should that be thought the fittest place? Might not the Devil have assaulted him any where else?
Ans. 1. In the Wilderness the Devil would have the greatest advantage against him, and consequently the greatest encouragement to assault him. In the Wilderness there would be none to lend Christ any assistance in this Combat, so as the Devil might there hope to prevail, if ever.
2. For Christ to have overcome the Devil where he had so much advantage, would both render Christ's Victory over him so much the more glorious, and the Devil's defeat so much the more shameful and confounding. Now though Christ, knowing his own strength, might well give Satan this advantage; yet we knowing our own weakness, may not: Solitariness is a great advantage to the Devil; and therefore they do very ill who being melancholick, and subject to many Temptations, affect to be alone. Two are better than one, but wo be to him that is alone, saith Solomon, Eccles. 4.9, 10. However the Wise-man there intended it, 'tis most true, and fitly applicable in the present case. A man that is alone, hath none to help him out when a Temptation puzles him, and the Tempter is too hard for him; but a prudent Friend at hand might offer that which might foil the Tempter, and relieve the tempted.
Add hereunto, That the Devil is not so forward and busy with his Temptations, when men are in company of knowing and experienced Christians, who are able to detect and lay open his cunning devices and mischievous stratagems against the soul, as when they are alone. The presence of such is some discouragement to him, as solitariness is his encouragement. In short, the Devil will still have too many advantages against us, when we have done all that we can to cut off advantages from him. Let us not therefore be so regardless of our own safety, as to put advantages into his hands.
Again, Whereas the Devil finds out Christ in the Wilderness, whither he had withdrawn himself, we may observe, that there is no place free from the temptations of the Devil. Let a man withdraw himself whither he will, the Devil will still follow him, and have access unto him. Until we are withdrawn from this world, and have gotten to Heaven, we shall never be secured against his assaults. When we come to Heaven indeed we shall be above his reach; that's the only place from which he is excluded. The consideration hereof should make us long to be in Heaven, where Satan shall never any more molest us to eternity; and while we are here, seeing no place in this inferior world is free from him, we should stand upon our watch in all places, and ever keep our selves in a ready posture to encounter him whensoever or wheresoever he shall make an assault upon us.
There is yet one thing more considerable in Christ's being tempted in the Wilderness: There is no question to be made, but that Christ while he was in the Wilderness spent the time in Meditation and Prayer, and in Converse with God, further than the temptations of the Devil interrupted him. And yet amid his Converse with God in those holy exercises, the Devil is bold to interpose, and to attempt to give him all the trouble that he can.
Whence we may observe, That Satan is ready to assault us, and by his temptations to occasion disturbance to us, amid our most sacred Employments, and holiest Duties. He is ever at hand to molest and disturb us when we are hearing the Word, when we are offering up our Prayers and Praises to God, when we are giving our attendance on him at his Table, when we are sequestring our selves for Meditation and Self-examination; when we are searching our hearts, and enquiring into our spiritual estate. The holiness of no duty or employment frights him away from us; yea rather, the better we are employed and taken up, the more maliciously and industriously will he endeavour to disturb us. Let us not therefore at any time think, that for the present we are safe enough from Satan, because we are so well employ'd. Let us be ever watchful against him; but let's then be most watchful, when we are exercised in those things which more immediately relate to the Glory of God, and the Benefit of our Souls. For in these things above all other, the Devil will attempt to give us whatever molestation and disturbance he is able.
And so I should have done with the Place whither Christ withdrew himself, but that it may not be amiss before I pass on, to touch at what St. Mark, chap. 1.13. takes notice of, though St. Matthew passeth it by in silence; to wit, That Christ was in the Wilderness with the Wild Beasts: This, by the way, gives us to understand what kind of Wilderness it was whereto Christ was led by the Spirit; namely, a perfect Wilderness, utterly void of any Inhabitants; and not a Wilderness improperly so called, because thinly inhabited. But how could Christ safely be with the Wild Beasts? How was it that they did not offer violence to him, and prey upon him?
Answ. 1. How fierce and ravenous soever any of them might be in their own natures, it was most easy for Christ by his Divine Power to stop their mouths, rebuke their hungry and ravenous appetite, and for the present so to tame and becalm their fierce dispositions, as that he might safely pass up and down among them, and meet them at every turn.
2. We know that before man sinned, there was such an awe of him upon the rest of the Creatures, that none of them, not the fiercest among them all, not the strongest, the boldest, and most couragious among them all, durst rise up against him, or attempt to do him any hurt. Besides, till man had by his sin made God his Enemy, all the Creatures were friendly to him. So by their now rising up against man, they do but revenge the quarrel of their Creator, against whom he hath rebelled. Wherefore seeing Christ was perfectly free from sin, why may it not be that the Creatures had the same impressions of awe upon them in reference to him, which they had while man continued in the state of Innocency? As for us, we may thank our selves for what injuries we receive from the Creatures. By our Rebellions against God we have armed them against us. As often therefore as we suffer from the irrational Creatures, it behoves us to reflect and consider wherein we have provoked God to let loose the Creatures upon us. If we could carry our selves more dutifully, obediently, and friendly towards God, we should then meet with fewer molestations and injuries from his Creatures; he that is at Peace with God, and is careful to please him, shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with him, Job 5.23.
So at length from the place whither Christ was led by the Spirit, I come to speak of the end for which he was led thither; he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Here we may consider Two things:
1. The holy Spirit's leading Christ into the Wilderness to be Tempted.
2. Christ's giving himself up to be led; or his voluntary compliance with the leading of the Spirit.
From the former of these, the holy Spirit's leading Christ into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil,
We may observe, That God may and doth sometimes so dispose of his Children, as that they may be assaulted and tempted of Satan. He doth not stir up or thrust forward Satan to Tempt them, but he brings them into those circumstances in which Satan will be sure to set upon them, if God refrains him not, but lets him alone, and leaves him to act as his wicked and malicious Nature inclines him. The last Petition in the Lord's Prayer, wherein we beg that God would not lead us into Temptation, clearly implies, That God may and sometimes doth, in this sense, lead his People into Temptation. But though God may sometimes do it, yet our Saviour hath taught us to pray against it, in regard of our weakness and sinful inclinations to yield to Temptations, when we are assaulted with them.
And so much concerning the holy Spirit's leading Christ into the Wilderness to be Tempted.
2. Christ's willingness to be led by the Spirit, or his voluntary compliance with the leading of the holy Spirit, is the other thing to be spoken to. Now this his compliance with the leading of the Spirit, I shall consider,
1. More Generally.
2. More particularly with relation to the present case, his being led to be Tempted of the Devil.
For the former of these, our Saviour was led by the Spirit; that is, he freely gave himself up to be led by the Spirit; for so much is implied when 'tis said, That he was led by the Spirit: We may not apprehend that he was led against his will, or involuntarily carried into the Wilderness, whether he would or no; he knew that it was the Holy Spirit that moved and inclined him, and therefore he most freely and readily went whither the Holy Spirit moved him to go; so that he was not merely Passive, but Active, yea most readily and freely Active therein. And what he did, that should we do. We also should most readily and freely comply with every motion of the Holy Spirit; we should give up our selves to be led by him; whensoever we perceive our selves to be moved by the Holy Spirit to do any thing, we should immediately, readily, chearfully, apply our selves to the doing of it. But here two things must be looked to, and carefully heeded, that we be sure that we are indeed moved by the Holy Spirit to do any thing, and that we be not mistaken therein; and then being upon good grounds satisfied therein, that we suffer not any thing to take us off, or divert us from doing what by the Holy Spirit we are moved to do.
1. We must be very careful that we be not mistaken, that we think not those motions to be from the Spirit of God that are not. And herein our care and heedfulness must be the greater, because 'tis very easy to be deceived, both from the deceitfulness of our own hearts, and from Satan.
1. Our own Hearts are deceitful; and they may perswade us that those inward motions are from the Spirit of God, that are purely the motions of our own Spirits, or, it may be, the motions and workings of our Corruption.
2. Satan can transform himself into an Angel of Light, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 11.14. he can so impose upon us and delude us, as that we shall think his suggestions and motions to be from the Spirit of God. How many in our times, as well as in former Ages of the Church, have been thus deluded by him! the teaching of the Holy Spirit is pretended to by those who hold and teach the most dangerous and destructive Errors and Heresies; and the leading and motions of the Spirit have been also pretended to by those who have given and addicted themselves to the most vicious and abominable practices.
But you will say, How then may we be able to distinguish between those motions that are from the Spirit of God, and those that are not?
A. 1. The leadings and motions of the Holy Spirit are not contrary to the Word, and Revealed Will of God: The Word and the Spirit go together; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth; shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, Isai. 59.21. 'Tis no other than a seducing and lying Spirit that would lead us into any way which is not agreeable to the Word. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there it no light in them, Isa: 8.20.
2. The Spirit of God ordinarily moves no man to act beyond the line of his place and calling. I say ordinarily, to obviate an Objection that may be made from what Phineas did, Numb: 25. whose call to that heroical action was extraordinary; concerning which I have spoken more largely in my Discourse on that portion of Scripture. It moves not a private man to attempt that which belongs to the Magistrate. A private Person may be apt to think he acts from a principle of true zeal for God's Glory, and that he is influenc'd by the Spirit of God, when he undertakes to punish Sin, and to reform abuses in Church and State; whereas these things belonging to publick Persons, and to them only, may not be taken in hand by any private Man without Sin, unto which the Spirit of God cannot, without Blasphemy, be said to move any Man.
3. The Spirit of God never moves any to what is good in it self unseasonably, and when some other duty should be attended on; puts no man upon Reading or Discoursing of good things, when he should be Hearing the Word or Praying. It puts him not upon the performance of Duties of Piety, with the neglect of those works of Mercy which the present necessities of his Brother rather call for; God in such cases will have mercy, and not sacrifice, Hos. 6.6. He will have the duties of Piety for the present to give way to works of Charity; and therefore we may be sure that the Spirit of God doth not move us to set upon one duty, when God would have us rather to be exercised in another.
4. The Spirit of God doth not offer an impetuous force or violence to us; he doth not hurry us on, and drive us headlong to do or undertake any thing, as the Devil, our own head strong passions, and unruly lusts, are wont to do. 'Tis true, the motions of the Holy Spirit are many times most Powerful, and yet withal they are calm, gentle, and sweet; we are by them most effectually, and yet most freely and quietly drawn on to do our duty, not boisterously and forcibly pull'd on.
But you will say, the Apostle St. Paul speaks of his being pressed in the spirit, Acts 18.5. and …s by all acknowledged that there are inward impulses of the Spirit.
A. That whereas St. Paul saith concerning himself, that he was pressed in the spirit; in those words Two things may be implied:
1. That he was so convinced of his duty and obligation to testify unto the Jews, That Jesus was the Christ, that he could not satisfy himself to hold his peace.
2. That he was also inwardly moved to speak, so as he could not but speak; he could not forbear to speak, having those convictions and those motions of the Spirit to speak, accompanying them. But neither his convictions concerning his duty, nor those inward motions of the Holy Spirt, nor both of them together, amounted to any violent and forcible impressions upon his Spirit, or to any impetuous thrusting him on to Preach Christ to the Jews. His meaning only is, That being so convinced, and so moved, he could not wave or neglect the Duty. Then as for Divine Impulses, they are much of the same nature; they are when a man feels himself so convinced of his duty, and so inwardly moved to the performance of it, that he hath no satisfaction or rest in his own Spirit, until he hath done the thing; though all this while he is not hurried on against his will, but without the least infringement of, or prejudice to his liberty, freely engaged therein.
But whatever impulses there may be, if they be not regular and agreeable to the Word, they are not Divine, but Human or Diabolical, and accordingly they must be opposed and resisted. When a man feels himself inwardly urged and impelled to do any thing which God hath forbidden, he may certainly know and conclude that such impulses are not from God; for 'tis impossible that he should put a man upon doing that, which he himself hath made unlawful lawful to be done. This were to make him the author of sin, and consequently to disenable him to punish it; For how can he justly inflict punishment for that which he himself is the cause of? 'Tis therefore a most dangerous thing for any man to heed and follow inward impulses, before he hath fully examined whether the things which those impulses would ingage him in, be such as are agreeable to the Revealed Will of God. The danger hereof lies in Two things.
1. He that shall give himself up to follow impulses blindfold, may, so doing, give himself up to the leading and conduct of the Devil for ought that he knows, and so be carried on to the perpetration and commission of the most horrid wickedness in the World.
2. When he hath done it, he involves God in the guilt thereof together with himself; for taking those impulses to be Divine, he makes God to have ingaged him in what he hath done.
And so much touching the first thing, that we endeavour to be very sure, and to be fully satisfied, that those motions which we comply with and follow, be from the Spirit of God.
2. Being satisfied concerning it, our next care must be, that we suffer nothing to take us off from pursuing those motions. Herein our weakness and frailty often appears. At first we seem to comply fully with the good motions of the Holy Spirit, and pursue them earnestly; but anon our zeal and forwardness is cold; we begin in the spirit, but end in the flesh, as the Apostle speaks, Gal. 3.3. We follow the motions of the Spirit, and give our selves up to his conduct for the present, but we do not follow on, as the Prophet's Phrase is, Hos. 6.3. After a while we consult with flesh and blood, we listen to carnal Wisdom, and yield to the solicitations of our corrupt Affections, or we are weary of well-doing, and give way to our slothful nature, and so at length the good notions of the Holy Spirit are smothered and stifled in us. O how often do we in this manner, grieve and quench the Spirit, and, as much as in us lies, render all his good motions insignificant and fruitless to us!
And thus I have done with the more general consideration of Christ's ready compliance with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
2. I now come to consider it with its particular relation to his being tempted of the Devil. And herein we may see just matter of admiring the unspeakable condescension of Christ, the Eternal Son of God, who would vouchsafe to stoop so low, and so far to humble himself, as to be willing to be tempted of Satan. If the most virtuous and chaste Prince or Emperor in the world, should be solicited and tempted to Lewdness by the basest, the most dirty and abominable Strumpet in all his dominions, all this were nothing in comparison of Christ's being tempted of the Devil. And yet to this degree of humiliation and abasement was Christ willing to stoop and bow down himself for our sake. A dispensation so strange, as that 'tis hard to say which of the two is therein more to be admired, his Condescension, or his Love, both which are matchless and incomparable.
But here a double Question may be moved, Why Christ would be tempted of the Devil? And how he could be tempted of him? To the former of these, Why Christ would be tempted of the Devil, something hath by the way been said already. To say nothing of his Father's good pleasure that he should be tempted, and the Holy Spirit's leading him into the Wilderness to be tempted, with both which he readily complied.
1. He was willing to be tempted of the Devil, to let us know what we all must look for, namely, that the Members herein be conformable to the Head. If Christ was assaulted by the Devil, who amongst us all may expect to be free from his Temptations?
2. That he might by his own Example teach us how we are to withstand the Devil, and resist his Temptations.
3. That he might from his own experimental acquaintance with the bitterness of Temptation, be the more tenderly and compassionately affected towards those that are tempted. This account the Apostle gives of his being tempted, Heb. 2.17, 18. In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people; for in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
4. That by his Victory over Satan, he might encourage us to withstand him, he being our head, and both tempted and victorious in our nature. Wherefore his Victory over Satan is unto us as it were a Pawn and Earnest of our Victory, if we be not wanting to our selves, and do not through our sloth and cowardise betray our selves into the hands of our Spiritual Enemy. These are some of the reasons why Christ would vouchsafe to be tempted; which was the first question.
2. How could Christ be tempted? How could he who was most holy, and perfectly free from sin, and who was himself the Eternal Son, God over all, God blessed for ever, be subject to Temptation? Besides, St. James saith expresly, That God cannot be tempted with evil, James 1.13.
Answ. Christ could not so be tempted of the Devil, as to be effectually drawn into sin, or to receive any sinful impressions from temptation. Our Saviour being truly God, it was utterly impossible that he should be so tempted. We, in regard of our weakness, in regard of the corruption of our hearts, and our natural propensions to what is evil, soon warp and decline, every temptation turns us aside; but God being perfectly and immutably holy, cannot be influenced or wrought upon by temptations. There was nothing in Christ to incline or dispose him to yield to or comply with temptations; and therefore all Satan's fiery darts, with how much rage and violence soever they were cast at Christ, were instantly repelled and beaten back again.
By what hath been spoken it appears how far Christ might be tempted.
1. He could not at all have been tempted, but by his own free condescension and permission. Assoon as ever the Devil attempted to assault him, he might have confounded him, and turned him into nothing; or he might have so rebuked him, as that he should have had no power, as much as to have made any attempt to assault him.
2. But however, with Christ's permission, he might tempt him both outwardly and inwardly; notwithstanding the perfect Holiness and Purity of his nature.
1. Externally; Either by an audible voice and words, or by proposing to him, and laying before him objects that might have drawn any of us into sin.
2. He might also tempt him internally, by offering to his mind, and representing to his thoughts such things as would have drawn a frail corrupt man, such as we are, into sin. Neither had any of these ways of tempting him been any stain or prejudice to the absolute Purity and Holiness of his Nature; so long as we suppose, as still we must, that there was not the least degree of consent or compliance on his part, but a perfect hatred and abhorrence of whatever evil he was tempted to. 'Tis not our being tempted, that defiles us, but our consent to, or compliance with temptations, and those corrupt and sinful impressions which our frail nature receives from them.