Satans Temptations in Three Parts, Part 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. A particular conſideration of the matter of the firſt Temptation, what Satan aimed at, in bidding him turn Stones into Bread. Of Satans moving us to things good or lawfull. The end of ſuch a Motion. How to know whether ſuch Motions are from Satan or the Spirit. What to do in caſe they be from Satan. Of his various aims in one Temptation. What they are, and of his Policy therein. Of his Artificial contrivement of Motions to make one thing infer another.
NExt follows the Temptation it ſelf. Command that theſe Stones be made Bread. There is no great difficulty in the words. The Greek indeed hath a remarkable ſuitableneſs to the Suppoſition, on which Satan inſiſts, taking Chriſt to be the Son of God, foreign.'tis very pertinently ſpoken, Say or Speak that theſe Stones be made Bread; for if God ſpeak, it muſt be done.
Tis not worth the while to inſiſt upon ſo ſmall a variety of expreſſion, as is betwixt this Evangeliſt, who hath it [theſe Stones,] and Luke, who ſpeaks it in the ſingular Number [this Stone:] for beſides that (as ſome ſuppoſe) this Expreſſion of Luke, Spanhem, dub. Evan. in loc.might (for any thing that appears to the contrary) be Satans lowering his requeſt to one Stone, when Chriſt had denyed to turn many into Bread, upon his firſt asking) this one Stone in Luke, taken collectively for the whole heap, will ſignify as much as theſe Stones in Matthew, or the phraſe (theſe Stones) in Matthew (by an imitation of a common Hebraiſm) may be no more but one of theſe Stones, or this Stone, as it is in Luke; as 'tis ſaid, Jepthah was buried in the Cities of Gilead, Lightfoot Ha…. in loc.that is, in one of the Cities.
The thing urged, was the turning or changing the form of a Creature, which is a work truely miraculous and wonderful, and ſuch as had neither bee unſuited to the power of Chriſt, nor unlawful in it ſelf. 'Tis from hence juſtly queſtioned, where the ſting of this ſuggeſtion lay, or in what point was the temptation couched. Firſt, It was not in the unlawfulneſs or ſinfulneſs of the thing mentioned. For Chriſt did as much as would amount to all this, when he turned Water into Wine, and when he fed Multitudes by a miraculous multiplication of a few Loaves and Fiſhes.
Secondly, It was not unſuitable to his condition, as hungry; for ſo it ſeemed a Duty to provide for himſelf, and which Satan took for granted.
Thirdly, Neither ſeemed it any derogation to his Power and Divine Nature, but rather an advantage and fit opportunity to give a full proof of it, to the ſtopping of Satans Mouth for ever.
Notwithſtanding theſe, there was Poyſon and Malignity enough in the ſuggeſtion, and under theſe Green Leaves of plauſible pretences, lay hid many Snakes. For (1.) By this was he ſecretly tempted to admit of a doubting of the truth of the divine Teſtimony, lately declaring him to be the Son of God. (2.) As alſo further to queſtion his Fathers Providence and Love; (3.) and unneceſſarily to run out of the ordinary way of ſupply, and to betake himſelf to indirect means or extraordinary courſes. (4.) And all this to the abuſe and undervaluing of his power, in proſtituting it to Satans direction or perſwaſion; and the Devil had gained a conſiderable advantage, if he could have prevailed with him to do ſuch a thing by his inſtigation. (5.) It may be, he further thought this might entice to an high eſteem of himſelf, and ſo make way for a vain oſtentation of his power, and Intereſt in God. All or moſt of theſe ſeem to be the deſign that the Devil was driving forward. Several things are hence obſervable.
That where Satan doth not judge it his preſent Intereſt, Obſ. 9.to ſuggeſt to us things in their own nature ſinful, he will move us to things good in themſelves, in hopes thereby to lead us into evil. This way of tempting is from a more refined Policy, than down-right motions to Sin; and doubtleſs 'tis leſs ſuſpected, and conſequently more taking. The Evils that Satan would introduce by this Method, are ſuch as theſe:
Firſt, Sometime when he tempts us to that which is Good, it is, that he might affright us from it; his approbation is enough to put a diſcredit, and diſgraceful ſuſpition upon any thing.Mat. 8. 29. Such a deſign had he, when he gave teſtimony for Chriſt, That he was the Son of God; or for the Apoſtles, that they were the Servants of the moſt high God. Act. 16. 17.It was not his intention, to honour him or them, by bearing them witneſs, but to bring them under Suſpition, and Trouble.
Secondly, There are a great many ways to miſcarry in a lawful Action, either by propounding bad ends, or by failures in the manner of performance, or by a miſimprovement of the whole. Theſe miſcarriages (and the poſſibility, and probability of them) Satan carries in his mind; yet doth he not at firſt propound them, but moving us unto the thing, he hath an expectation that we will ſlide into them of our ſelves, or be inclined by ſome ſutable touch… of ſuggeſtion upon our minds; together with the tendency, or improveableneſs of the thing or Action, to ſuch evils as are properly conſequent to it. Satan did not here tempt Chriſt to theſe ſinful ends directly, but to an Action which he hoped might inſenſibly produce them.
Thirdly, Another Evil hereby aimed at, is the hindrance of a greater Good, not only as a diverſion to turn us off a better or more profitable occaſion, but alſo as an unſeaſonable interruption of ſomething at preſent more concerning us: Thus he makes the ſuggeſtion of Good things, the hindrance of Prayer, or Hearing.
Some will ſay,Queſt. This is a perplexing caſe, that in things good or lawful in themſelves Men ſhould be in ſuch dangers, and will thereupon deſire to know, how they may diſtinguiſh Satans Contrivances and Motions, from thoſe that have no dependance upon him, or are from the Spirit of God?
In anſwer to this.Anſw. (1.) Let us (when we fear thus to be circumvented) look well to what Impreſſions are upon our Spirit, when we are moved to what may be lawful. For tog…ther with the motion (if it be Satans) we ſhall find either a corrupt reaſon and end privatly riſing up in our Mind; or we may obſerve that our hearts are out of order, and perverſly inclined; this is oft unſeen to our ſelves. When the Diſciples moved Chriſt to bring down fire from Heaven, if they had conſidered the preſent revengful ſelfiſh frame of their Spirits, (which our Lord tells them, they were ignorant of) they might eaſily have known that the motion had proceeded from Satan.
Secondly, The concurrent Circumſtances of the thing or Action, are to be ſeriouſly weighed; for from thence we may take a right meaſure of the conveniency or inconveniency of the proceeding in it. What is from Satan, it will be either unſeaſonable as to the Time, Place, and Perſon, or ſome other thing will appear that may give a diſcovery. As here Chriſt refuſeth to turn Stones to Bread, becauſe not only the way and manner of the Propoſal doth ſufficiently lay open the Deſign, but alſo the Circumſtances of Chriſt's condition at that time, ſhewed the motion to be unſeaſonable and inconvenient: for if Satan had urged the neceſſity of it for the ſatisfaction of his hunger; Chriſt could have anſwered, that the experience that he had of Gods ſupport for forty days together, was ſufficient to engage him to rely yet further upon him. If he had urged farther, that by this means he might have had a full proof of Gods love and care, or of his Sonſhip: It was at hand to tell him, that it was needleſs to ſeek a further evidence, when God had given one ſo full a little before: If again he had pleaded it to have been an uſeful occaſion to give a teſtimony of his Power to the ſatisfaction of others: He could have told him, that it had been impertinent to have done it then, when he was in the Wilderneſs, where none could have the benefit of it: So that nothing Satan could have propounded as a reaſon for that Miracle, but it might have been repelled from a conſideration of his preſent condition.
The Inſtruction that may be gathered from this,Applic▪ is, That we muſt not entertain thoughts of doing lawful things, without a due enquiry into the temper of our own Hearts, and a full conſideration of all Circumſtances round about, with the probable tendencies, and conſequences of it.
But (may ſome ſay) If I judge ſuch a motion to be a thing lawful, Queſt▪which doth proceed from Satan, What am I to do?
I anſwer.Anſw. (1.) Conſider whether the Good be neceſſary or not: if it be neceſſary, 'tis a duty and not to be forborn, only the abuſes are to be watched againſt, and avoided.
Secondly, If it be a duty, Conſider whether it be ſeaſonable or unſeaſonable, neceſſary or not, as to the preſent time; if it be not, it may be ſuſpended, and a fitter opportunity waited for.
Thirdly, If it be only lawful, and not neceſſary, we ought to abſtain from it wholly, after the example of David, Pſal. 39. 2. who abſtained even from Good, (that is, from lawful bemoanings of himſelf, or complainings againſt Abſalom, that had rebelled againſt him) becauſe it was not neceſſary, and (the circumſtances of his condition conſidered) very dangerous, leſt vent and way being given, he might have been eaſily drawn to ſpeak paſſionately, or diſtruſtfully againſt God, and fooliſhly againſt Providences.
That the thing unto which Satan moved Chriſt was lawful, hath been noted. Next let us conſider what Ends Satan might propound to himſelf in this Motion, and we ſhall ſee (as hath been ſaid) that he did not ſo narrow and contract his deſign, as that only one thing took up his Intentions, but ſeveral. Hence have we this Obſervation;
That in one ſingle Temptation Satan may have various Aims and Deſigns.Obſ. 10.
Temptation is a complicated thing, a many-headed Monſter. Satan hath always many things in his Eye. Firſt, In every Temptation there is a direct and principal deſign, a main thing that the Devil would have.
Secondly, There are ſeveral things ſubſervient to the main deſign, as ſteps, degrees, or means leading to it; the leſſer ſtill making way for the greater. If Satan deſign Murther, he lays the Foundation of his work in inward Grudgings and Hatreds; next he gives Provocations, by reproachful Words, or diſdainful Carriages and Behaviours, Matth. 5. 22.(as our Saviour notes in the expreſſions of Racha, and Fool) and ſo by degrees enticeth on to Murther. The like we may obſerve in the luſts of Uncleanneſs, and other things.
Thirdly, Beſides theſe there are uſually Reſerves, ſomething in ambuſhment to watch our Retreats; for Satan conſiders what to do in caſe we repel, and refuſe his motion, that ſo he may not altogether labour in vain. A contrary extreme watcheth thoſe that fly from a Temptation; Pride, Security, Self-Confidence, and Boaſting, are ready to take them by the Heel: So truly may it be ſaid of Satan, that he knoweth the way that we take; if we go forward, he is there; if backward, we may alſo perceive him; on the left hand, he is at work; and on the right hand, … is not idle. All theſe we may particularly ſee in this Temptation in Hand: He had a main deſign (of which more preſently:) he prepares means and ſeconds, to help it forward; ſuch were thoſe pleas of neceſſity, and conveniency which the hunger and want of Chriſt did furniſh him withall, and there wanted not the reſerves of Preſumption and Self-neglect in caſe he reſiſted the motion.
The Reaſons of this Policy are theſe.
Firſt, When Satan tempts, he is not certain of his prevalency, even when the probabilities are the greateſt, and therefore doth he provide himſelf with ſeveral things at once; that if the tempted Party nauſeat one thing, there may be another in readineſs that may pleaſe his Palat. God gives this advice to the Spiritual Seedſmen, In the Morning ſow thy Seed, and in the Evening withhold not thine Hand; for thou knoweſt not what ſhall proſper, whether this or that. Satan, that Seedſman of the Tares, imitates this; and becauſe he knows not what ſhall proſper, therefore doth he uſe variety.
Secondly, Where many things are at once deſigned, 'tis an hundred to one they will not all return empty; 'Tis much if many ſnares miſs, he that hath broken one or two, may not only be inticed with a third Temptation, (as being either wearied out with the Aſſaults, or made plyable with the allurements of the former) but may alſo ſit down ſecure, as having (in his ſuppoſal) paſſed all the danger, and ſo unawares fall into an unſeen or unſuſpected Trap.
This may (1.) by way of Caution aſſure us that we have no cauſe to think that all fear is over,Applic. when we have avoided the more obvious and conſpicuous deſignments of a Temptation, but rather to ſuſpect ſome further train than we yet have diſcovered. (2.) That there is a neceſſity for us to be circumſpect every way, and Janus-like to have an Eye before and behind, that we may make timely diſcoveries of what Satan intends againſt us.
As we have taken a view of the various deſignments of Satan in one Temptation, ſo 'tis alſo remarkable, that theſe various ways of his in this Temptation, do give ſtrength one to another, and have as cloſe a connection, as Stones in an Arch. Chriſt was pleaſed to commend the wiſdom of the unjuſt Steward, though he intended not the leaſt approbation of his diſhoneſty: So may we turn aſide and obſerve the cunning Artifice of the Devil, in the management of this Argument againſt Chriſt, which is to this purpoſe, as if he had thus proceeded; If thou art the Son of God, (as the Voice from Heaven lately teſtifyed) it can be no inconvenience, but every way an advantage to give a further proof of it: Thy preſent condition of want and hunger, ſeem to contradict it: for how ſtrange and unbeſeeming is it, for the Son of God to be in ſuch Straits? Yet if thou beeſt what thou ſayeſt thou art, 'tis eaſy for thee to help thy ſelf; God that made the World of nothing, by the power of his command, can much more change the forms of things that are made already; 'tis but ſpeaking, and theſe Stones that are before thee will be turned into Bread; and beſides that in ſo doing thou maiſt ſeaſonably vindicate thy ſelf from the Eclipſe of thy preſent condition, Neceſſity and Duty (for 'tis Duty to ſupply the want of the Body, which cannot be ſupported without its proper nouriſhment) compel thee unavoidably to it, except thou feareſt not to contract the Guilt of ſelf-deſtruction, eſpecially ſeeing I do not urge thee to provide Delicacies, but only Bread, and ſuch as is needful to keep in the Lives of the pooreſt Men, in the pooreſt manner.
Hence note, Obſ. 11.Satan in driving on a Temptation, uſeth ſuch an Artif…cial Contrivement of Motives and things, that ſtill one doth infer another, one ſtrengthens another. Temptations are like a Screw, which if once admitted, will improve its firſt hold to draw in all the reſt. By theſe Arts doth Satan, like a cunning Serpent, wriggle himſelf into the Affections of Men.