Commentary on Matthew 4:1-11, Sermon 5
CHRIST'S Second Temptation to PRESUMPTION. SERMON V.
MATTH. 4.5.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy citie, and setteth him upon a pinacle of the temple.
WHen the army of Bennahad was routed by Ahab, Benhadad's servants said unto him, 1 Kings 20.23. Their gods are the gods of the hills, therefore they are stronger then we: but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger then they. They conceited that change of place would bring change of success. The devil may seem in my text (as crafty as he is) to befool hims…lf with the same conceit. Though Christ had worsted him in a lowe, flat, level, private wilderness; he hoped to be more happie in a high, lofty, publike place; which made him (though acting the same part) to lay a new Scene. Indeed, in this verse he perfects nothing, but provides and prepares all things for the ensuing temptation, and in this text onelyonly tunes the Instrument. Now whereas routed once, he here …allies his forces, we learn,
Doct.Satan, though f…iled at first, will not finally forsake us, but renew his temptations.
Some impute it to his valour; I ascribe it rather to his malice, conceiving it to proceed not so much from his sprightfulness in himself, as his spightfulness against us.
There is a generation of people, which, Satan-like, triumph to trouble where they cannot conquer; such, whilst Sophisters in the Schools, make abominable wranglers, and defenders of Paradoxes: cunning men in the Country, i… getting a smack of the Law, they prove Barettors, troublesome to themselves and their neighbours: But if they pretend also to Divinity, then they turn, if not Hereticks, to the destruction of themselves, yet Schismaticks, to the destruction of the Church.
This will give us truely to understand those words,James 4.7. Resist the devil, and he will fl…e from you; that is, he will so flee from you, as he will again flee to you. It is said of Marcellus the Romane General, He could not be quiet nec victor nec victus ▪ neither conquered nor conqueror. Yea, it is said of the Parthians, that thei… flight was more to be feared then their fight, having a slight to shoot their arrows over their backe, whereby they galled their pursuing enemies. Suspect Satan even departing: for it is animo revertenai ▪ he will never let thee alone whilst thou art alive.
Object.But it is said (Mark 9.25.) by Christ to the dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him. It seems (contrary to your Doctrine) this man had a Quietus est, or a Writ of …ase, never more to be troubled with temptations.
Neither did our Saviour speak, nor Satan understand these words in this sense. The man had a Supersedeas onelyonly from possession, but not from temptation; to which he was subject, as long as he lived, as well as others.
Here take notice of our Saviours goodness, who in the case of a friend (this poor oppressed man) would discover his Deity, and totally and finally banish the devil from possessing him: But in his own cause (though, no doubt, if he had thought fit, he could have confounded Satan, and confined him to hell) he still remained meer man, suffering Satan to recruit his forces against him in his temptations.
Will Satan return again in tempting?Use. Then if thou hast got any advantage against him, improve it to the utmost: Give no fair quarter to his foul temptations. Kindness to him, is Cruelty to thy self. He is uncapable of courtesie, and his thanks will be in destroying thee. Deal not with him as Ahab did with Benhadad, out of fond pity to spare him, 1 King. 20.42. lest he deal with thee as Benhadad did with Ahab, be thy final ruine and destruction.
The devil taketh him. Luke saith, brought him
Hath Satan such power over Christs Body,Quest. to hale and draw him at pleasure, to any place? This is cold comfort to Christians: The disciple is not above his Master: If he served Christ thus, how cruel will he be to us!
He hath no power of himself over Christ's or our bodies: which plainly appears, because he doth not daily exercise the same. Had he any such power, Scholars should not stay still in their studies, nor Lawyers stand quietly at the Bar, nor any sit undisturbed at meals: none should ever walk unmolested when waking, nor lie undisquieted when sleeping. It is not from store of pity, but want of power in Satan, that he doth not daily hackney and harase out the bodies of Gods Saints till they become skeletons, and more wasted then Pharaoh's lean kine.
Expect not here that I should speak any thing of Witch-bridles, fondly believed by many; as if a witch can bestride any thing into a steed, and mount whither they please on such a Pegasus. I am thus far for Witch-bridles, that God bridles all Witches, and the devil their master, with a confined power. And as for Witches pretended a…ry travels, they are generally delusions of their fancies in dreams, whilst their head never travelled from their pillows; if they be so well stored (as commonly being most poor) to sleep upon them.
But to return to the text: the words he taketh him, imply not any force, seeing the Original, foreign is used Matth. 2.21. And Ioseph arose, and took the young childe and his mother. The same is used, Matth. 17 1. Iesus taketh Peter, and Iames, and Iohn, when he was to be transfigured; who freely went along with him, at his motion. Nor doth foreign, he brought him, Luke 4.9. import any violence, seeing we read, Act… 5.26. foreign, They brought them, but without violence. The sum of all is this: As a chalenger may be said to have took and brought such a one to fight with him on Calice-sands, that i…, by mutual consent, the other being as willing to go, as the chalenger to have him: so Christ confident of his cause, innocence, armour, and Gods assistance, went willingly with the devil, refusing no place of his profering. However, our Divines generally conceive, that God for the present gave Satan power over Christs body to transport it: which may be maintained without any absurdity. For if the Imps of Satan, the Souldiers and Priests Officers, had power to carry him from the garden to Annas, from Annas to Caiaphas, from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, from Herod to Pilate, from Gabbatha to Golgotha; no wonder if Satan himself might have commission to carry him, and Christ shew submission to be carried by him. In a word, as when Pilate boasted what great matters he could do, Ioh. 19.11. Jesus as humbly as sharply returned, Thou couldst have no power against me, except it were given thee from above: So Satan could have no power over Christs body, except God, for his own greater glory, had permitted it unto him.
Into the hely citie.
How can a material citie,Quest. being but an heap of houses, be accounted holy?
As there is none good but one,Answ. God himself; so none holy but he, by original inherent holiness: none holy but Angels and Men, with derivative inherent holiness But a relative holiness belongs to places and things, consecrate or set apart, from civil or profane, to religious or pious uses.
But how could Ierusalem now be accounted holy,Quest. seeing the complaint, Isai. 1.21. was now truer then ever, How is the faithful city become an harlot! What, an holy Harlot? Matth. 28 37. O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest, &c. What, an holy Murderer? Abominable corruptions swarmed therein. The High-Priesthood, which, Iure Divino, ought to have been for term of life, was by a fundamental innovation made annual, Ioh. 11.49. Caiaphas being high-priest that same yeer. Traditions were advanced, not onelyonly to make void, but to check the written Word of God. The Pharisees made the strength of God's Laws to leak with their carnal and restrictive gloss: and could this be still the holy city?
Answ.It was so; because, notwithstanding these corruptions, the vitals of Gods service and mans salvation were therein still continued. There was the holy Altar, (the heart of Religion:) holy, because it held the holy Sacrifices: and they holy, because they were Types of Christ, the Truth, the holy One of God. Separation therefore may be made from the corruptions, not from the fundamentals of a true, though sick Church (such as Ierusalem now was) much depraved, but still the holy citie of God.
Doct.Satan is not deterred from tempting, by the holiness of any place.
For here was a Triplicity of holiness centred together. Holy land, Zech. 2.12. In this holy land, Ierusalem, termed the holy city in the text, as also so called, Matth. 27.53. In this holy city, the holy temple, Psal. 5.7. I will worship toward thy holy temple. A fourth may be added, the Pinacle, which though not the holiest, yet the highest place of the Temple, in a local position. But all these nothing frighted the devil from tempting.
Some have admired at the impudence of those thieves who durst cut purses in Prayer time, in the Kings Chappel, his Majestie being present, and under the Cloth of State. All this is nothing to Satans boldness, who catcheth away that which was sown in the heart, Matth. 13.19. in the Church it self, where the King of heaven is graciously present. And since he tempted Christ on the Temple, fears not to tempt Christians in it, for all the holiness of the place; To tempt the Preachers in the Pulpit to affect popular applause, bow Scripture to his own ends; tempt the Reader in the Desk to have his minde roving, whilst his tongue is reading the Word: tempt the People in their Puts to carp and cavil at the Sermon, and to come thither rather to see and be seen, then to learn and practise.
In a word, no holiness of place d…ters Satan from tempting.
See here the folly of the Papists, who conceive holy water, holy reliques, holy rags, will drive Satan away; when holy land, holy city, holy temple, heavenly pinacle, did not fright him from tempting our Saviour.
Pinacle of the temple.
Understand a Battlement: otherwise Iosephus informs us that the Broches of metal on the top of the Temple, were pointed as sharp as a needle, purposely to prevent birds sitting and defiling upon them.
Two things make a Pinacle:
1. Height.
2. Narrowness.
Both which here met together.
Let those then, first, beware, who stand upon the pinacle of a doubting conscience, and who adventure on those things, the lawfulness whereof is questioned both by themselves and others. Such as use Pastimes on the Lords day, which, for their violence and obstreporousness, seem labour rather then exercises; these stand on a pinacle. Such as being divorced from their wives for adultery proved in them, and marry again, their wives yet surviving, stand on a pinacle. Such as marry their Cousin-german (which I confess not forbidden in Scripture) by reason of their vicinity are conceived by some Divines to stand on a pinacle. And as I wish all such as have taken their station there, firm footing, (unwilling to cast scruple into their consciences;) so it will not be amiss to advise those whose affections are unengaged, and that have the wide world before them, not to adventure on such a pinacle.
Secondly, Let those beware of temptations, who stand upon a pinacle of Distress, as David did, 2 Sam. 24.14. I am in a great strait; when chuse betwixt Famine, Flight, and Pestilence. Time was, when he boasted,Psal. 31.8. Tho hast set my feet in a large room; but see into what straits sin hath now reduced him!
Thirdly, let them beware temptations, that stand on the pinacle of Dignity. 1. Because their falls are more conspicuous. 1 King. 1.20. Bathsheba said to David, The eyes of all Israel are upon thee. 2. Because their fall would be more dangerous: …olluntur in altum ut lapsu, graviore ruant. Now for their comfort, let such examine themselves, whether God …et them on the pinacle, or whether they clambered up themselves. If the former, he that placed them there, will protect them there; he that set them there, will save them there. What makes Tylers▪ Plumbers, Masons, and Carpenters, adventure themselves so boldly on the tops of houses? Two things, namely, their Calling and Custom, begets their Confidence. If God hath called thee and used thee in the height of honour, he will preserve thee therein. But Adonijah, who exalted himself to the pinacle, 1 Reg. 1.5. must beware a downfal: and they who climb up to Greatness by a ladder of their own sins, commonly make but one step in their falling down, from the top to the bottom.
Let me give also this counsel to those who stand on the pinacle of Dignity; Always look upward (not with proud eyes, to contemn your inferiours, but) with thankful eyes to God that gave thee that honour. This will keep thy head steady, and thy brains from being turned with a Vertigo of Pride. Take heed of looking downward, I mean, to finde out a reason of thine advancement in thine own merit and desert; but say always with David, What am I, or what is my fathers house, that thou hast brought me hither, to this Pinacle of preferment?