Commentary on Matthew 4:1-11, Sermon 10
CHRIST'S Third Temptation to IDOLATRY. SERMON X.
MATTH. 4.9.
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Or as it is more large, Luke 4.6.7. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for t…at is delivered un…o me, and to whomso…ver I will, I …ive it, If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
THese words contain a bargain, and sale endeavoured, though not effected.
Wherein observe,
First, The Seller, Satan. For, though he boasts himselfe for a giver, Will I give thee; it was not donum, but excambium, wherein he desired to have quid pro quo, yea an over-valuable consideration. Thus Simoniacal Patrons boast, how frankly and freely they give their Livings, when indeed they sell them to unworthy Incumbents, either by retention of tithes, or receiving of money.
Secondly, The things to be sold. Lawyers charge their Deeds with words enough, seemingly to the same purpose, though certainly the Learned know a necessary difference in them: Profits, Emoluments, Hereditaments, Obventions, Appendants, Appurtenances, &c. The Devil compriseth them in one word, All; but afterwards brancheth it into two parts, foreign, and foreign, power, and glory.
Thirdly, The sellers power to make a good state: Nihil dat quod non habet; Nothing can give to another, what it hath not it self, formally, or vertually. Satan herein pretends conscience; he would not deceive our Saviour by felling him a crack'd title, but shews his evidence, how he came possess'd of the same: All these things are delivered unto me.
Fourthly, The condition: Satan would not give Christ the world in Frank-almonage, but on the price of being worshipped: Yea his worship must be performed according to the best fashion, with all state, solemnity, and ceremony thereof, with falling downe. Observe the Devils subtilty, he will trust nothing, but to make sure work, would have all paid him, before he would part with any thing; No worship first, no worldly wealth for it.
Lastly, One thing is wanting (and that a material one) to strike up the bargain, viz. a chapman; and we have him half in the text, one desired and sought for; but not found out, and obtained. For Christ refused Satans termes, which marr'd his market, seeing no indented Deed can be perfected, without full consent of both parties.
How comes Satan now toQuest. omit that preface general, u…ed by him in both his former Temptations, viz. If thou beest the Son of God.
Answ.Is there not a cause? Satan out of designe suppressed it, as sensible that now it made as much against, as formerly for his advantage. For, should Christ seriously consider, that he was the Son of God, he would never ask a blessing at the hands of him, who was his Fathers professed Enemy.
Observe,
Doct. 1.Christians consulting their divine extraction, would disdain to do many many base sins which now they commit.
He that is born of God, committeth not sin, 1 Joh. 3.9. that is, makes it not his work, especially whiles remembring his Princely pedigree.
Quest.Is it a truth, or falshood that Satan here affirmes, that the glory of the whole world was delivered unto him?
A noto…ious falshood,Answ. God only being the true proprietor thereof.
And because it is a point of right, we will prove it both by record and practice.
First, by Record, Psal. 24.1. The earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Now, let Satan produce the Patent, with witnesses attesting the same, when, where, and for what consideration, God passed away this power unto him. For fond is all flying to poetical fiction, which makes Pluto, the God of hell, the giver and governour of wealth.
2. By Practice. Had the Devil had the disposing of this world, never had just Iob got wealth, chaste Ioseph gained honour, holy David become a King, pious Mordecai been a favourite: The Devil would have blasted their preferment in the bud, and with his negative voice had hindred their election to honour, had he had the ruling of rule and riches in this world.
But the Devil may seem the undoubtedObject. patron of all worldly advancement, because (though sometime some good men slip into preferment) his Chaplains chiefly are presented thereunto. Thus Psal. 17. and Psa. 73. David largely bemoaneth the prosperity of the wicked, that it almost made him to despair.
Answ.Consult the Psalm first cited, vers. 14. where David discribeth the outward happiness of wicked men; and speaking of them to God, he saith, Whose bellies THOU fillest with THY hid treasure. THOU; It is God that filleth them: THY; it is out of Gods wealth, that the wicked are fill'd; though under him, Satan is instrumentally active to confer riches upon them.
Object.But Christ himself seemes to consent to Satans soveraignty over the world, when stiling him thrice, namely, Ioh. 12.31. and 14.30. and 16.11. Prince of this world.
Quest.The Devil is Prince of this world, not by Gods creation, and legal investing him therein, but partly by his owne usurpation, and partly by Gods toleration, permitting him (for some reasons known to us, and more conceal'd unto himself) to do those ill offices, which good Angels neither can, nor will perform. Now the Devil mis-interprets Gods permission, for a commission; Gods connivence at, for Gods conveyance of worldly rule unto him: but Gods silence herein is not consent, as the wicked mistake, Psal. 50.21.
Besides, the Devil lyed ab…minably when he said, he could give foreign power, or properly, authority: for, Rom. 13.1. foreign. for, there is no authority but from God. The devil, by Gods permission, might give him foreign, power, (such as a thief hath over an honest man when he robbeth him) but authority truely founded and bounded, Satan could not bestow upon him.
Wherefore, though in his first temptation to Despair, Satan affirm'd no falshood, yet in his second to Presumption, he supprest some necessary truth, in all thy ways; and in this last to Idolatry, vented a most impudent and abominable lye, when boasting, for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it.
Doct 2.It is a dangerous thing to accept worldly wealth as the devils donative.
Now wealth is the devil's gift, when atchieved by unwarrantable ways; wrong, and robbery; fraud, and flattery; corruption, and bribery; extortion, and cruelty.
What said Abraham to the King of Sodom? Gen. 14.23. I will not take any thing that is thine, le…t thou shouldst say, I have made Abraham rich. But let it never be said, that the devil hath made us rich. Such wealth of his giving, will never prove prosperous at last.
We read, 2 Kings 12.9. how I…hoiada bored an hole into the lid of a chest, into which the Free-offerings for the Temple were put. But God bores an hole, not in the lid, but bottom of those chests, wherein ill-gotten goods are laid up. They put them, (Hag. 1.6.) into bags with holes, thorow which insensibly their wealth leaketh out. The deceitfulness of riches (Matth. 13.22.) is pronounced of all wealth in general: even well-gotten goods are deceitful in this; they promise that contentment which they cannot perform: but ill-gotten goods have a double deceitfulness; in their getting (like bread of deceit, Prov. 20.14.) and in their event, they will prove deceitful to them that rely upon them.
The devil at last will be found a grand impostor in all his promises.Doct. 3.
Sometimes not performing them at all. One Darius a Persian Prince, infamous for never-performed promises, is syrnamed Darius Doso, or, Darius I will give. The evil spirit in my Text may be named The devil Doso; all in the future tense, nothing presently paid and perfected. Sometimes he performs them, but in a sense clean contrary to the expectation of him with whom he contracted.
Henry Huntington.It is reported of King Canutus, that he promised to make of him the highest man in England, who should kill King Edmund Iron-side, his corrival: which, when one had performed, and expected his reward, he commanded him to be hung on the highest Tower in London.
Satan, who loves the sin, but hates the sinner, will finde some such trick, querk, or equivocation, thereby to frustrate and defeat those who depend on his promises; as he deceived Eve, Gen. 3. with the fallacie of knowing good and evil.
Use.Trust then rather the Lord of heaven, whose promises are,
First, truely propounded. Satan (as was afore said) deals falsly in his Propositions, shews onelyonly the best, the glory; conceals the worst, the grievances of the world. God in his profers truely states things; tells us what to trust to, Mark 10.30. Shall receive an hundred fold, houses, and children, and mothers, &c. WITH PERSECUTIONS. He acquaints us as well with the trials we must expect, as with the triumph we shall obtain.
Secondly, ever performed, All Gods promises in Christ being Yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20.
Thirdly, They are over-performed: 1 Cor. 2.9. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Fall down, and worship me.
The fig-tree would not forsake his sweetnese, olive-tree his fatness, vine his wine (whereby he cheareth the heart of God and man) when the bramble (fitter to make a fire then a king of) accepted of the Soveraignty of the trees of the wood, Iudg. 9▪
When the good Angel that appeared unto Manoah, Judg. 13.16. would not accept of a burnt-offering: when the good angel, Revel. 19.10. would not accept of Saint Iohn's Worship: and when the good angel, Revel. 22.9. refused the same; the Devil desires divine worship to be given unto him. Asperiùs nihil est humili cum surgit in alium. Set the devil on Gods throne, and whither will he mount?
Now, seeing Satan would have the copie of his, agree with the original of God's adoration, in all particulars, and expresly in the posture of prostration▪ Fall down, and worship me; we gather,
Doct. 4.Outward bodily reverence is necessary in divine worship.
Now the body of man can scarcely be contrived into a decent posture, which in Scripture hath not been hanselled by some good man or other, with Gods worship therein.
The humble Publicane prayed standing, Luke 18.13. Sick Hezekiah lying upon his bed, 2 Kings 20.2. Aged Iacob, leaning on his st…ff. Heb. 11.21. Devout Saint Paul, kneeling on his knees, Ephes. 3.14 Valiant Ioshua, flat on his face, Josh. 7.6. Faithful Elijah, with his face between his knees, 1 King. 18 42. when he prayed for raine. To shew how humbly importunate we ought to be, when we pray for so necessary a creature. The said Elijah elsewhere, namely, 1 Kings 19.4. prayed sitting under a juniper-tree; but it was, when his minde was vexed with passion, and his body wearied with travel. Otherwise it is a posture fitter for attention, then devotion, as partaking so much of ease, and repose, inconsistent with the reverence required in Gods worship.
The result of all is this, being ignorant of mens particular infirmities, and occasions, we cannot constantly con…ine them to one posture in Gods worship. But let them use that, which expresseth most reverence, with their present convenience, and God will accept it, though no posture but falling down, would please Satan's palate here in my text.
Quest.Such Parents as expect their Children should crave their blessing on their knees, Whether do they not assume to themselves too much Reverence, and therein intrench upon Divine Honour?
Answ.No: Such Genuflection being onelyonly a Civil posture to express their Humility; and is performed to Princes and Parliaments, by their Petitioners: and therefore may be required by Parents, Monarchs over their own Children.
For my own part, should my sons knees (how old soever) be too stubborn to beg my Blessing, I believe mine arm would be too stiff to reach out Maintenance unto him.