A Century of Sermons, Sermon 17
THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON UPON Our Saviours Tentation.
MAT. iv. 9, 10.
All theſe things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me.
Then ſaith Jeſus unto him, get thee hence Satan.
OUR natural Philoſophers ſay very truly, that a Serpent lays not her eggs one by one, but they come from her in a cluſter, like a rope of beads, and hang one at another in a ſtring. Satan deſerves no better compariſon than a Serpent; the ſins which he ſuggeſts no better compariſon than the eggs of the Serpent; and nothing can be truer than the foreign or application, that one ſin is never hatcht alone, eſpecially if it be a great one, but it hath a train to follow it. God challeng'd his people that they had broken the bond of marriage between him and their ſoul, not with one adultery and no more, but the Prophet chargeth Jeruſalem, fornicata es cum multis amatoribus, thou haſt committed fornication with many lovers, that is with many ſenſual pleaſures. Upon this conſideration virtue is compared to ſalt (have ſalt in our ſelves, ſayes Chriſt to his Diſciples) of which you cannot take up one corn alone upon your knifes point, but many grains will cleave together: and upon the ſame reſpect wickedneſs is compared to the ſands of the ſea, one mote is very rarely ſevered by it ſelf; ſand is a Noun Collective, which ſuppoſeth many motes of duſt; for there is not any ſin but reſpectively to divers parts of diſobedience it may be call'd by divers names. David emplung'd himſelf into many crimes, what with Bathſheba, what with Ʋriah, what with Joab, whom he made his evil inſtrument. Peter fell into three denials one after another. He that will praiſe the Lord as he ought, in the uprightneſs of his life, muſt honor him upon a ten-ſtringed Lute, upon all the Commandments; and he that wilfully fails in one inſtance will put every ſtring out of tune; for he that committeth one ſin is guilty of the whole law.
Theſe funiculi peccatorum, cords of vanity, ſins entwiſted one within another come into my mind from this third Tentation in my Text:Lib. de Pati…n. c. 11. ſo that Tertullian is juſtified in his ſaying by this practice, multiplicia ſpiritus incitamenta jaculantis, the rebellious ſpirit hath more than one ſhaft for his bow, a quiver full at leaſt, as it is Pſal. xi. 2. For lo the ungodly bend their bow, and make ready their arrows within their quiver: For what ſin hath not the Devil committed in theſe words, All theſe things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me: furtum, perduellio, mendacium, blaſphemia, they are all here in the height of their offence: Furtum, the largeſt theft that ever was committed, he would give all the ſubſtance in the world to Chriſt, but then he muſt rob the right owners. Perduellio, a moſt foul attempt of treaſon, he would give him all Kingdoms and honour; but then he muſt depoſe all juſt and lawful Princes. Mendacium, not a plain lie, but a very monſter of untruth, as St. Luke hath it in large, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomſoever I will give it, Laſtly, Blaſphemia, a blaſphemy that vies beyond all the reſt, if thou therefore wilt worſhip me all ſhall be thine. Now I have added to make up my Text at this time, how eaſily God doth cut off all theſe heads of Hydra at once with his revenge and juſtice: for this ſhort rebuke of Chriſt is enough to controul the Devil with all his ſins about him, Get thee hence Satan, or as St. Luke, Get thee behind me Satan. The words then which I have read amount to four parts, the Gift (which I have entirely diſpatcht,) the Giver, the Condition, the Repulſe: The Gift furtum, both to rob private men of their peculiar, and Kings of their Royalty: The Giver mendacium, a lye without all ſhame, that all the honors of the world were at his diſpoſe: The Condition blaſphemia, he bargains that Chriſt ſhould earn all this by falling down to worſhip him: But the Repulſe is juſtitia, Gods vindicative juſtice; Get thee hence Satan, words of anger and revenge, as I will ſhew anon: but firſt I will diſcloſe what a great giver Satan would make himſelf, All theſe things will I, &c.
Twice, as it appears in the two former Tentations, the Devil uſed all his cunning to diſcover if Chriſt were the Son of God: and ſince our Saviour would not reveal what He was, Satan is the more bold to make himſelf the Son of God, as if he were that holy one to whom the Father had committed all power in Heaven and in Earth; All theſe things will I give thee. This will be the eaſieſt way to ſift this ſaying, wherein the wicked one uſurps to himſelf that he advanceth to all honors, to conſider what likelihood of truth there is in thoſe words by accident, and ſecondly what great unlikelihood.
Marvel not that I give it for a concluſion granted, that there is ſome colour and likelihood for Satan to ſay, this is deliver'd to me, and to whomſoever I will give it: for he is the Prince of the power of the air, that ſpirit that worketh in the children of diſobedience, and whoſoever is ſucceſsful in promotion by iniquity, the Devil did ſway the event ſo far, that he calls himſelf their Benefactor. Abimelech and Zimri got Kingdoms by treachery: Joab wrought himſelf into Abners honor to be Captain of King Davids Hoſt by murder: Jaſon and Menelaus in the book of Machabees ſtrived one againſt another for the High Prieſt-hood by Simony: there are not ſo many names of honour as there are ſins, crying ſins, ſins died in ſcarlet that have purchaſt them: The infelicity of it is ſo general, of ſuch long continuance, and ſo deſperate againſt all hope of redreſs, that Satan ſpeaks as if he had forgot that this power was ever out of his hand. For upon the event, we may lament it, but cannot deny it, he brings the baſeſt inſtruments into private favour with mighty men, he beſtows offices, he preſents to Churches: Difficile eſt Satyram non ſcribere, no abuſe in the world will provoke a ſuffering ſpirit ſooner than this, to be ſatyrical: noſtrâ miſeriâ magnus factus es, we may be aſham'd, and our ambition bluſh for it, that the moſt hateful of all Gods creatures ſhould have cauſe to boaſt, that all manner of dignities and titles depend on his beneficence: yet the world is not ſo bad, but that he is a ſhameleſs ſlanderer in that ſaying; far be it from us to number the righteous with the wicked, to beſtain all dignified perſons with an evil reproach, as he doth, to condemn all the worthies of David, that wickedneſs was their original, becauſe ſometimes Satan hath a predominant faction among them. He was a great Prince indeed in the Emperor Tiberius his Court, ſcarce any advancement eſcapt him,Tacit. lib. 4. Annal. but went through his hands; ad Conſulatum non niſi per Sejanum aditus, neque Sejani voluntas niſi ſcelere quaerebatur; Every one that would be Conſul us'd Sejanus for his preferment, and every one that would have preferment, Sejanus us'd him for ſome criminous villany. Thus the eloquence of the Hiſtorian exaggerates the naughtineſs of the times: yet a little after, when things grew much worſe, rather than mended, in the reign of Nero, Paul had many friends, and Chriſt had many faithful ſervants even in Caeſars Houſhold.
The Spirit of God in the holy Scripture doth but very rarely amplifie the numbers of the Saints, nay rather it ſpeaks of them with the leaſt; many are called, but few are choſen: and fear not little flock, it is your fathers pleaſure to give you a Kingdom. But Satan thinks to have credit from his multitudes, and pretends to the whole retinue of them that have power and glory in the world, whereas divers carry the true virtue of nobility in their heart, as well as the title of nobility in their name, and owe no ſervice to him. God doth permit the wicked ſometimes elſewhere to reign for the ſins of the people; his antecedent will is upon all men, eſpecially upon the moſt renowned, that are next and immediately under him, Be ye holy as I am holy; but he permits Ahab and Manaſſes to take their turn in the Kingdom of Iſrael, to ſcourge the people for their ſins, and therein the adverſary prevails againſt Gods velleity and complacency: now that inch which God gives, Satan calls it an ell, and boaſts that all the Princes of the Earth do hold in fee of him. What, ſaies he to Chriſt, do you think to ſit upon the ſeat of your Father David by faſting and prayer, and by retiring for the diſcipline of your ſoul into the Wilderneſs? no, if you will riſe, and be ſome great one, you muſt come to it by me, frame your ſelf to the faſhion of the world; the diſpoſing of all Royalties and Honours are delivered unto me, and to whomſoever I will give them. Omne mendacium eſt in aliquo vero, (that's the ground of this firſt point which I handle) every falſehood leans upon ſome truth, that it may appear not to halt lamely, but to go upright. To that end doth the Tempter cogg in this word foreign, for that is delivered unto me: fatetur tradentem, he doth acknowledge by that word, that there is one above him, who gives the Letters Patents of all honor and glory, he is only intruſted as a Miniſter to deliver it. Well, this will not ſerve his turn: like thoſe conjuring Oracles, which abuſed the Heathen of old, which had alwayes an ambiguous meaning; ſo the Devil in every propoſition he makes, as in this particularly, hath ſome concealed aequivocation. This is delivered unto me: but by whom? let us diſcover his pol-foot, which he would conceal; not by God, he durſt not bely his Maker ſo much, but by the cuſtom and practice of the world, and cuſtom is the ſtrength and ſoul of a Law; we have corrupted the pure ſtream of honour with flattery, with gratuities, with ſlaviſh ſervices, with Simony; they that bid for advancement by ſuch crooked means truſt the Devil to keep ſtakes, and if you will have them, you muſt ask him to deliver them. We have put the conveyance of many promotions into his power, by the ſinful practice of ambition, as if he were our great Feoffee in truſt, as King Darius in the ſtory of Eſdras yielded himſelf up, and all the power of his Majeſty to Apame his Concubine; ſhe might take his Crown from his head, and put it upon her own, and he waited her courteſie to receive it again. In ſuch a ſenſe it is true, Satan hath a great ſhare of honours to beſtow, but he received no ſuch authority in Gods name, as his words darkly convey'd do ſeem to challenge it, for that is delivered unto me, and unto whomſoever I will give it. Some there are that make this climax or gradation to caſt another ſhadow of truth upon his meaning, Man was created Lord of the whole world, and God beſtowed the dominion of all things upon him which this Globe of creatures contains; afterward by tranſgreſſion man became the captive of ſin and Satan, for his ſervants ye are to whom ye obey, that's Goſpel: ſo that the Devil having Lordſhip over him, who was Lord of all, the whole world and the pomp thereof became to be his fee, in our title that were captivated to him. But I liſt not to ſtretch ſo many concluſions to make him ſpeak truth, who was a lyar from the beginning. This ſhall ſuffice for that deceitful likelihood of truth, which is in this motion: it will be more glory to God, and more benefit to our ſelves to examine the unlikelyhood.
The Devils Miniſters have dared to conteſt with thoſe Powers that were ordeined of God: the contentious Hebrew asked Moſes, Who made thee a Prince or a Judg? The Phariſees maundred at Chriſt, By what authority doſt thou theſe things, and who gave thee this authority? and doth the Devil ſuppoſe it ſhall go unaskt, when this imperial ſway was put into his hands, to deliver all Kingdoms to whomſoever he will give them? Promotion, ſays the Pſalmiſt cometh not per ſpiritum ventorum, it cometh neither from the Eaſt, nor from the Weſt, nor from the South: no nor per ſpiritus infernorum, it aſcends not up from the pit with the ſpirits of damnation; for why? God is Judg of the Earth, he ſetteth up one, and plucketh down another, Pſal. lxxv. 6. This exceſſive claim of Satan, to impute unto himſelf that all Kings hold their Scepters of him, calls his whole faith in queſtion: that Charter cannot ſtand with Solomons Verdict which he hath given upon that title, for thus he ſpeaks for the Lord, Prov. viii. 15. By me Kings reign, and Princes decree juſtice; by me Princes rule, and Nobles, even all the Judges of the earth. In true and exact propriety rendred: the learned in the original tongue render the word, not by me Kings reign, but in me Kings reign. God reigns in them as his Deputies, they reign in God as their Author and Authoriſer: wherefore it is elegantly noted by one of our own Writers, that Melchiſedech is the firſt King ſpoken of in Scripture, and he is brought in without Father, without Mother upon earth, to ſhew that Kings are Gods generation, who only his foreign, none can declare his Generation. St. Chryſoſtom ſays very well, that this is foreign, the eſpecial dignity of Kingly eſtate, that it comes from God; and therefore Popes (who now aſſume moſt unchriſtianly, if not anti-chriſtianly, to depoſe anointed Princes, and tranſlate their Kingdoms to their enemies) they were wont to write to Kings with all lowlineſs of ſtile, wiſhing them health and long happineſs in eo per quem Reges regnant, in him by whom Kings reign, that is in God, under whom in their own Dominions they are next and immediately ſupreme Governors. 1 King. i. 30.David ſware by the Lord unto Bathſheba, that Solomon his Son ſh…uld reign in his ſtead: an Oath is the ſtrongeſt proof of humane faith; ſo that by an Oath God and man have put it out of all doubt, that the Moſt High alone doth appoint who ſhall ſit upon the Throne of David: but huic injurato crederem, we would ſooner believe David, though he had not ſworn, that the Power and Principality of Kings depends upon God, than Satan with all his promiſes and proteſtations, that he hath the Monopoly of Scepters and Diadems at his command: All theſe things will I give thee.
And before whom could he have told this tale, to be taken in a lye ſo ſoon, as by driving this bargain with Chriſt? as if a thief ſhould ſteal Plate, and offer to ſell it to the owner: or a Plagiary, filtch a great deal out of a book, and rehearſe it for his own before the Author; ſo the Tempter had rob'd Chriſt of that Honor and Majeſty which was moſt properly his own, (I mean he rob'd him of it by the blaſphemy, and falſhood of his tongue) and then brings it to Chriſt to barter it away for other merchandiſe: Autori quae autoris ſunt repromittit: What theft more palpable than this? the Father gives all things by the Son, by him He made the worlds, by him He hears the prayers and ſupplications of the Church, by him He gives us health and ſalvation, by him He gives Rulers and Princes to go in and out before his People; and yet Satan intrudes, as if he were our Mediator in part at leaſt in ſetling Thrones and Monarchies, he was the means for thoſe things: and it was his hap, I ſay, the more to diſcredit his impudency, to tell this tale to our Saviour, from whom truly and indeed the Kings of the Earth do hold their Royalty: Ʋtrobique regnatur per Chriſtum, he ſets the Crown on their heads that wear them, both in this world, and in the world to come. Obſerve it, that He rides upon the white horſe with many Crowns upon his head, Revel. xix. 12. This is a Viſion, and this is the interpretation of it, that thoſe that honor him He will honor, he ſettles the Royalty on whom He pleaſeth; not one or two Kingdoms, and bequeatheth the reſt to the fortune of war, to the free choice of popular elections; much leſs is any ſuch good thing deliver'd up to our adverſary the Devil. Chriſt had many Crowns on his head, for the whole earth ſhall ſtand in aw of him; he lifteth up whom he pleaſeth, and ſetteth him with the Princes of his people. When Wiſdom proclameth that of Solomon, which I laid for my firſt ground in this point, by me Kings reign, indefinitely it is to be underſtood of God, but reſtrictively of Chriſt the ſecond perſon in Trinity; he is appropriatively the wiſdom of the Father; he is meritoriouſly, and by way of an Impetrator, the conduit pipe of all benefits to high and low, rich and poor; therefore we endear all our prayers to God with this concluſion, per Chriſtum Dominum noſtrum, through Chriſt our Lord.
But what dulneſs was in the Manichaeans to fall upon ſuch Texts as this, and to build upon them, that the God of Heaven made all inviſible bleſſings, and that Satan had diviſum imperium cum Jove, he was Lord of all viſible and material things? What? are any of theſe the ſooner his, becauſe he ſaid they were deliver'd to him, and to whomſoever he would he gave them? Why, it was as cheap in his mouth, and he could have ſaid it with the ſame labour that he could help whom he pleaſed to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the Moſt High that ruleth in the Kingdom of men, and he appointeth over it whom he will, Dan. v. 21. The cauſe of preſervation is the cauſe of conſtitution; God rules the hearts of the Subjects to obey, and gives them commandment for allegeance and fidelity; if any commotion be like to riſe, the Lord ſtilleth the raging of the ſea, and the madneſs of the people: from God is the power of ſoveraignty, and through his good ſpirit the duty of obedience: but Satan ſtirs up ſeditions, jealouſies, and croſs humors in people never to ſubmit; therefore he plucks down the Kingdoms of the world, and obſcures the glory of them: he is not the founder of order, but of confuſion. O but ſayes the Manichaean, if Satan have not the total managing of theſe Powers beneath, yet a ſhare cannot be denied him. They that govern by tyranny and injuſtice, they that lift up themſelves in their pride againſt heaven, ſhall we not yield that theſe are of his ordination? No, why the Prophet Hoſea ſays chap. viii. 5. Ipſi regnaverunt, ſed non ex me, they have ſet up Kings, but not by me, they have made Princes and I knew it not. In my opinion the literal and textual anſwer to that place is, that they choſe unto themſelves Heathen Idols, Gods of ſilver and gold, and forſook the Lord: Howſoever this diſtinction giveth unto Caeſar that which is Caeſars, and unto God that which is Gods. Regnaverunt non ex me quoad viam, ſed quoad poteſtatem: that evil way which they choſe to follow, that perverſe manner by which they reigned and troubled all was not from God; but he gave power to Manaſſes, to Rehoboam, to Ahab, as well as unto David, unto Joſiah, and to the beſt Kings that rul'd with righteouſneſs. Or as another limits it, a Deo bono ſunt poteſtates, a malo Angelo poteſtatis ambitio; the Power on earth is Gods, the ambition to uſurp that Power is the Devils: Take that which is thine Satan, and leave the reſt to Chriſt. When occaſion is given to ſpeak of a wicked Magiſtrate, the Phraſe is Hoſ. xiii. 11. I gave them a King in my anger, angry I was when I gave him, but I gave him though, and that which He gives, we muſt take it, and keep it, be it ſcourge, be it bleſſing: it is moſt foul rebellion to ſay the Lord ſhall not faſten evil upon us, we will not keep that which the Lord hath given us. And ſo much for the claim of the Giver in my Text, whom we have found to have no right or title to deliver unto any one the Kingdoms of the World, and the glory of them. Indefinitely all Kings reign by Chriſt, good and bad, but the juſtice of the good more peculiarly is from the grace of God, the tyranny and ambition of the worſt is from the ſuggeſtion of Satan; and nothing about them is his but that which is worſe than nothing, the iniquity of Princes.
Now I proceed: The gift was furtum, theft in the higheſt degree; that which he profer'd was not his to beſtow: the giver mendacium, he falſified his evidencies, and laid title to that which was only Gods to beſtow. The condition now follows to be handled, which is fire and ſulphur mixt together, blaſphemy and idolatry, he requires that Chriſt ſhould fall down and worſhip him. Let me begin upon this point, as Solomon ſaid, when Adonijah askt Abiſhag to wife, Let him ask the Kingdom alſo. Satan himſelf was not able to ſpeak ſuch another word, I think, for horror and impiety: it exceeds that ſin, for ought we know, by far, which provokt the Lord at firſt to caſt him out of Heaven into chains of eternal darkneſs. For Iſaiah tells us in the Parable of the King of Babylon, chap. xiii. the inſolency of that ſin conſiſted in theſe rebellious terms, ero ſimilis altiſſimo, I will be like the moſt high: but this is more ſuperlative a great deal; let the Son of God fall down and worſhip me, I will be a God above the Moſt High. I do not wonder that ſome Expoſitors go about to mollifie the meaning of the words a little, as it were impoſſible there could be a literal ſenſe of ſuch an horrid propoſition: But their endeavour, me-thinks, thrives not. To adore Satan, ſays one, is any way to obey him, and be ſubject unto him: Adoratio Diaboli ſubjectionis eſt, non devotionis. He did not ask to be ador'd, as if he were an eternal divine eſſence, unto whoſe perſon the devotion of religion was to be directed, but he would have Chriſt ſtoop and bow unto him, and to acknowledge by that geſture, that the honors and riches of the world depended on him: or as another lays his meaning forth on this wiſe, you are the Son of God that come to take my Kingdom from me, do me homage for it, and you ſhall have it without ſtriving: theſe are all the odds in the pretended interpretations, theſe think he requir'd of Chriſt civil reverence and ſubjection; ſuch as great Emperors have from petty Princes, that hold ſomewhat in homage and ſervice under them.
Others much more congruouſly to the Scripture, teach, that he made a flat and plain demand to have religious adoration done unto him, as to the God of this World; whether he would have it done after St. Matthews phraſe, foreign, that his own perſon ſhould be the object worſhipt; or whether in St. Lukes phraſe, word for word, if thou wilt worſhip before me, that is, worſhip God above in me, who am his Vicegerent to communicate riches and honor; theſe two wayes drive at one aim, and do not differ, for certain he would have no leſs than religious ſervice done unto him: for our Saviours anſwer queſtionleſs was ad oppoſitum, and He controuls the Devil for asking that religious honor which was due to God, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve. He had ſtept thus high before the coming of Chriſt, to be ſupplicated by the Heathen Romans in their Idol Vejovis, that he ſhould not hurt the fruits of the earth. Before Chriſt diſſolv'd the works of the Devil he was ſought to, and conſulted with in the Oracles of the Greeks: in thoſe days too he was worſhipt in all the Idols of the Nations, the antient godly men of the Church ſay, that the wicked fiend lurkt ſubſtantially in all graven Images which were ſet up; and when Idolaters bowed to ſtocks and ſtones, he had their homage done unto him: Nay, he had purchaſed ſacrifice to himſelf, and of the deareſt and moſt beloved things, They ſacrificed their Sons and Daughters unto Devils, Pſal. cvi. 37. Satan having been puft up ſo long with the Devotions and Ceremonies of a bewitched people, he would not go leſs, but demands more than ever he had before, when even now he was upon the time to loſe all; If thou therefore wilt worſhip me, all ſhall be thine.
What though Satan be incorrigible? And the labour is loſt to review and reform that blaſphemy which he hath ſpoken, for he will never retract it, and confeſs his fault: Yet ſome things may fall to our profit out of this wicked ſaying, and thoſe things which are written for his condemnation are written for our inſtruction. I will follow St. Ambroſe for my Leader, who hath noted two things remarkable from hence for our uſe: Firſt, that the beginning of this tentation is Covetouſneſs, All theſe things will I give the; and the end of it is Idolatry, if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me. Who would think that theſe two ſins Covetouſneſs and Idolatry had ſuch great affinity between them? Idolatry averts the heart of man more than any ſin from the Creator: The ſtain of Covetouſneſs is, that it converts the heart more than any other ſin to the immoderate love of the creature: Great ſins both, and yet it appears by this they differ toto genere in their formalities. They do ſo, and ſo, many Rivers which riſe not from the ſame Spring-head, flow for many miles in ſeveral Channels, and at laſt cloſe into one ſtream: Thus Idolatry which riſeth out of the ſins of the firſt Table, and Covetouſneſs which is oppoſite to the Commandments of the Second Table, yet both theſe glue together after a while, as if they were inſeparable. St. Paul binds them both like tares in one bundle, Eph. v. 5. No covetous man, who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God and of Chriſt.Gen. xli. 42. And as Pharaohs Dream was doubled twice, becauſe the thing was ſurely eſtabliſhed: So the Apoſtle doubles the ſame Leſſon again, becauſe it was moſt true, and moſt remarkable. Col. iii. 5. mortifie your members upon earth, Fornication, Uncleanneſs, &c. and Covetouſneſs which is Idolatry. It is an Alchymy, wherein Satan is skilful, to turn Gold into Idolatry, and Idolatry into Gold. He put Nebuchadonoſor to great coſt, and much expence of Gold, to advance Idolatry: But he is at fee with them that are poorer, to give them Gold if they will turn Idolaters. So the love of money begets the love of Idols; and he laies his train in that order in my text to buy himſelf worſhip with his money, All theſe things will I, &c.
For Idolatry the Lord rooted out the Canaanites from the Land of their Fathers, and when the Covetous ſhall know what affinity he hath with an Idolater, it will reclaim him, I hope, leſt he be rooted out, like an accurſed Canaanite from the Land of the Living. Divine Expoſitors do ſundry ways teſtifie to the truth of this Propoſition, that Covetouſneſs is Idolatry; ſeveral heads have their ſeveral opinions, yet every opinion hath ſome ſting and Acrimony in it. Clemens of Alexandria begins, Every mans laſt end he puts for is his happineſs; every mans happineſs is his God. And a money-ſcraper projects more for that than he doth for the grace of God. Coelum apertum eſt, & Deum non quaerit, aurum abſconditum eſt, & terrae viſcera recludit; The heaven ſhuts not it ſelf againſt them that call for grace, that is eaſie, he looks not after it: the Ore is hidden in the dark veins of the earth, and he will dig to Hell to find it. St. Chryſoſtom ſays, Id eſt cuique Deus quod maximè amat, à quo vitam & neceſſaria expectat. He is an Idolater without an Hyperbole that will ſin againſt Gods honour rather than offend his own heart in ſeeking profit; from whom doth he expect relief, help, comfort in the time of trouble? If he thinks the lining of his Purſe is beſt able to adminiſter theſe things; he hath ſaid unto his Riches, you are my truſt and my aſſurance; he ſhould have ſaid ſo to God. The ſame Father conſidering in another place, that Chriſt admoniſheth what a baſe Treaſure that is which Thieves may break in and ſteal, breaks out, that a covetous man ſo defrauded, may cry out as Laban did, Who hath ſtoln away my Gods? Tales ſunt Dii tui, ut quis eos furari queat? Are your Gods ſuch traſh, that they cannot keep themſelves from ſtealing? Then let him be your God alone who is the watchman of Iſrael, that keepeth all in ſafety? I alledge St Hierom next, and no man interprets St. Paul more literally that Covetouſneſs is Idolatry; Imaginem ſive ſculpturam nummi colit; His eye is taken with the very Picture and Stamp upon the Coin, and he ſhews it more reverence than becoms a Chriſtian to do to a corruptible thing. St. Auſtins ſuffrage is of moment with the beſt. Fruitur nummo & utitur Deo, quoniam non nummum propter Deum impendit, ſed Deum propter nummum colit; A covetous man makes uſe of God to ſet his ſtay upon his unrighteous Mammon, for he doth not beſtow his riches for Gods ſake, but he loves God for his riches ſake.
I had rather troul over the reſt than be tedious. Gregory diſtinguiſheth that the Covetous is an Idolater, Non exhibitione ceremoniarum, ſed oblatione concupiſcentiarum: Which is thus worded in one of the School-men, Non ex compacto ſed obſequio; Not by an outward ceremonious Adoration (for which St. Hierom in ſome part accuſeth him) but by offering up his heart. And perhaps Aquinas would be ſo underſtood in his diſtinction, that the love of money is Idolatry, Non ſecundum ſpeciem ſed ſimilitudinem; Not that it hath the very Eſſence of Idolatry, but a great likeneſs and ſimilitude. As a Lover may be ſaid to Idolize a Miſtreſs, to whom he is too obſequious: So a man may be ſaid to Idolize his Subſtance when he puts himſelf upon all ſervile baſeneſs to obtain it. And ſo Theophylact concludes it, or rather inverts it from the words of David. David ſays, that the Idols of the Heathen are Silver and Gold: Theophylact turns it, that Silver and Gold are the Idols of thoſe Chriſtians that put their truſt in uncertain riches. I have almoſt panelled a Jury upon this Point; yet if that will not ſerve, he, that is wiſer than the wiſeſt of men, hath ſpoken enough to bewray that Covetouſneſs is Idolatry, Mat. vi. 24. Ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon. He ſerveth Mammon as he ſerveth God, and parts ſtakes between them, and that is groſs Idolatry. Or if it be true that Plutarch ſays, Malice will teach a man more ſometimes for nothing than a ſweet Friend with all his good counſel; learn it from our Adverſary, from the Devil, that he makes one of theſe ſins reach unto the other, and to claſp faſt in one, he begins in Covetouſneſs, and ends in Idolatry, All theſe, &c.
I promiſed you two obſervations out of St. Ambroſe upon the Point, this makes the ſecond, that Satan indents to raiſe up our Saviour to all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them upon theſe Premiſes, that he muſt fall down and worſhip: Now this muſt make him bold to demand it, that Pride will undergo any ſervile Office to win Promotion. Ambitio ut dominetur ſervit, & curvatur obſequio ut honore donetur. Machiavel may write his pleaſure, that Chriſtian humility dejects the ſpirits, and embaſeth a good courage: I croſs his opinion utterly, and ſay, that the truly humble Chriſtian hath the moſt generous and lofty ſtomach of all others, which defies Flattery, and fawning, and Court-crowching, and ſtands upon reſolute terms to be beholding to none but to God and integrity for exaltation. Is not his Spirit more dull and narrow that makes his Fortune out of bowing, and ſcraping legs, and diſeaſing themſelves to be the ſhadows of great men to attend them at all times and hours? Certainly ſo. What bondman could put up more than Ariſtippus did? He wiped off the ſpittle very patiently which a great man had thrown in his face, and excuſed it, that a Fiſherman would endure to be wet all over to catch a few Smelts, why not he then ſuffer ſo little moyſture to catch a Whale? Such ſcorns the Ambitious muſt ſuffer, that are high Projectors, Serviet aeternum qui parvo neſciet uti, ſays the wiſe Poet. No ſervant ſhall drudge more, or endure more than he that will not be contented with a little. They that bear the proudeſt head, you may perceive that they ſtudy to follow new obſervancies, and new Vaſſallage, throwing themſelves down beneath the feet of them that will raiſe them up. Their vote and ſuffrage muſt go with them, of whom they have their dependencies, be the matter never ſo imprudent, and unequal, as if they had chang'd not their conſciences, for there is nothing cheaper with them than that; but even reaſon which makes a man that they may be in the rank of great and glorious; yet baſeneſs becomes them beſt, 'tis pitty their fortune ſhould be mended, Abſolon when he aimed at no leſs than a Kingdom by treachery, could perſwade himſelf to complement to the ground with every Peaſant to win the hearts of the people. They that look to be advanced by Jezebel did ſtoop to Baal. You ſee ſuch as hunt for honour take it in good part to be thrown to the ground like Balls, that they may rebound the higher. Sixtus Quintus was the moſt crowching Frier in all his Cloyſter, the moſt yielding obſervant Cardinal in all the Conclave, but the moſt imperious haughty Pope that ever governed. The heat of the Sun lifts up a vapour from the Dunghil, and in time it becomes Thunder. This is enough to ſhew that the dignity which the ambitious attains unto is mixt with much baſeneſs and ſervitude. Satan did preſuppoſe it, when he called for ſo much homage and bowing down, before he would part with all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. I will conclude it with this deduction from it. Can you endure the waitings, the comes again, Superba faſtidia, the commands, the diſdains which a great man puts upon you in hope of his liberality at laſt? O then take up the Croſs of Chriſt, ſuffer affliction for a ſeaſon, ſit down a little in the loweſt room; worſhip, and fall down, and kneel before the Lord your Maker that he may ſay unto thee, Friend ſit up higher in the Kingdom of heaven.
I have handled before you the ſhameleſs lying of Satan, that challenged unto himſelf power to give all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them: and then his horrid Blaſphemy, demanding that Chriſt would fall down and worſhip him: Now follows our Saviours juſtice, the repulſe which he gave the Tempter, and the vengeance which he took of his enemy; Then ſaith Jeſus unto him, Get thee hence Satan: foreign, a word of anger and imprecation often in that language, as you would ſay, Abi in malam rem; Get you gone with a miſchief. St. Luke puts more to it, foreign, get thee behind me Satan; which confutes thoſe Expoſitors that conſulted no further than St. Matthew, and have made quiddetts upon it, that Chriſt did not reprehend St. Peter, Mat. xvi. with the ſame chiding that the Devil hath here. Yes, even the very ſame, becauſe Peter ſuggeſted moſt carnal counſel from the evil one, he ſuffred this reprehenſion, Get thee behind me Satan. But I leave to touch that any further, it is not in the Verge of my Text. This is the firſt time throughout all the three Tentations that Chriſt calls him by name Satan. And ſurely Cajetan ſays well upon it, Quia manifeſtavit ſe eſſe principem mundi, Chriſtus non ei amplius reſpondit ut homini; Becauſe he manifeſted himſelf to be the Prince of this world, Chriſt communes not with him now in the former key, as if he were a man. And unleſs he had revealed himſelf perhaps our Saviour would have forborn to detect him, that himſelf might have remained undiſcovered to be the Son of God. Well, though the Tempter borrowed ſhapes before to hide himſelf, notice is taken now what he was, and with much paſſion our Lord ſhook him up, Get thee hence Satan. Our Saviour paſſed over the two former Tentations mildly, but purpoſes of Idolatry deſerve no meek anſwer: The irreverent uſage of Gods Houſe when it was defiled with money-changers, and the moſt irreverent abuſe of Gods glory in this Text ſtirred up fire in Chriſt, more than in all other caſes, and made him hot and vehement. Moſes the meekeſt man on earth, that would reſent no injuries againſt himſelf, when God was diſhonoured in the Calf which the Children of Iſrael worſhipped, his anger was ſo kindled, that he threw ſtones at the Idolaters, and broke the Tables which he had in his hand, as who ſhould ſay, the Law is broken: Let not Gods quarrel want a Patron in you, and you ſhall not want an Advocate with the Father in Chriſt.
But what did Satan ſuffer upon this rebuke? What was he the worſe for it? You can ſcarce imagin how to conceive more puniſhment out of ſo few words than ſome contemplative men have collected from theſe.
Firſt, If the High Prieſts ſervants were terrified, and fell backward, when no more was ſaid unto them but Ego ſum, I am he, then what amazement muſt this reproof ſtrike? Get thee hence, get thee far from me thou preſumptuous Spirit. This did not only caſt him to the ground, but even bruize him under our Saviours feet, Rom. xvi. 20. The leaſt check from the Lord is able to make the ſtouteſt ſtomach look pale as death. When thou with rebukes doſt chaſten man for ſin, thou makeſt his beauty to conſume away. O if that dreadful Judge ſpeak one word of anger, who is able to abide it?
Secondly, To be commanded away by one that appeared a man of weakneſs and infirmity, what a great fall was this from that high opinion which even now the Devil had of himſelf? He went away, ſays Chryſologus, and was fain to give glory to him of whom he askt adoration. He boaſted of giving a Kingdom to Chriſt, and Chriſt gives Law to him, and he muſt obey it. Before, he would be Chriſts Leader, he lead him to the Mountain, he took him, nay, carried him to the Pinacle of the Temple; now he is compelled to change places, and come after, Get thee behind me Satan. Yet I do not ſay he hath the dignity to come immediately next after Chriſt, Solo Deo minor, that is the title of anointed Kings upon earth: Nay, this reproachful word, Get thee behind me, depoſeth him under all the ſervants of God. Non retro Chriſtum ſolùm, ſed poſt omnes qui ſpiritum Chriſti habent ire cogitur; He is not only ſet beneath the Son of God, but is an underling far after all thoſe in the Church that have the ſpirit of Adoption.
Thirdly, You know that this word, Get thee behind me, was a word of hoſtility in Jehu's mouth, What haſt thou to do with peace? Get thee behind me: So this rebuke proclaims the Devil an enemy, whom God drives away, and puts him out of his view and ſight, like an antipathy to the Godhead. Ejicitur à facie Dei, as one ſays; he was caſt behind, God hid his face from him, he ſhould never more ſee the beams of that comfort.
Fourthly, It is not expreſſed, whither Chriſt did baniſh him, when he charged him with his Vade, Get thee hence; to ſome woful baniſhment, that is certain, but to what degree of woe is moſt uncertain. The Devils, not long after this ſtory, in ſpight of their infidelity acknowledged him, and trembled for fear which way he would ſend them: Therefore they beſought him that he would not ſend them into the depth, In abyſſum, into that ineſtimable depth of woe in the nethermoſt Hell, Luk. viii. 31. And ſome do ſo interpret, Get thee hence, as if Satan before theſe Tentations were caſt out of heaven into the earth, but from this time that Chriſt rebuked him, and bid him avant further, he was caſt from the earth into the loweſt darkneſs. They are queſtions not to be heeded which ſome move, whether the Prince of the air were bound faſt by theſe words,Tolet. in Luc. 12. Annot. 54. that he ſhould hurt the earth no more by his own perſon, but by his inſtruments: Or rather whether not until anon before our Saviours Paſſion, at thoſe words, Now ſhall the Prince of this world be caſt forth: Or whether the binding is to be accounted from ſome other time, Apoc. xx. Tyrannis vivit, tyrannus occidit. Whether the great dragon, ſo called, be chained up or not, God knows; his tyranny and miſchief lives in the power of other inſtruments, all the Church of God knows that by experience.
Fifthly, Theſe words, Get thee behind me Satan, are our Saviours epinicium, or Song of triumph, that he hath conquered the Adverſary both for his own peace and kingdoms ſake, and for the members of his body. So many groſs ſins were reformed throughout all the world from this time forward, eſpecially in the redreſs of Idolatry, that ſome ſay the malicious weapons of Satan are rebated, and their edge taken off. Indeed, if it be meant with this diſtinction that follows, the doctrine is acceptable; the Devil hath leſs power ſince Chriſt came unto us in the fleſh; then he had before, Non quod demonum ſit imminuta virtus, ſed quod fidelibus per Chriſtum abundantior conceſſa eſt gratia. The Devils are as malicious, as inſtant, as operative, as cunning as ever they were, but ſince the holy Ghoſt hath put upon us the Armour of light, ſince grace hath abounded through Chriſt, we are better able to reſiſt our Ghoſtly Enemies.
To conclude all, whoſoever is tempted of his own evil concupiſcence; let him ſpend no time to pleaſe himſelf with the firſt motions of ſin, but let him rebuke his own heart inſtantly in theſe words, Apage Satana, get thee hence away, depart from me Satan. Conjure the wicked Spirit out of thy breaſt by ſpeaking hatefully and reproachfully to the old man within thee, and to his corruptions. The rod of the wicked ſhall not reſt in the lot of the righteous, leſt the righteous put forth their hands to wickedneſs, Pſal. cxxv. 5. And though in many things we ſin all, and who can ſay he hath not offended? Yet take heed ye commit not ſin with greedineſs as if you delighted in the ſervitude of iniquity; nay, as if you did it with that full reſolution, that you ſaw hell fire before you, and yet you will not be reformed: This is to gaze the Devil in the face, and to have no remorſe of conſcience. But if frailty ſteals upon us, yet extinguiſh not the ardour of zeal, which would fain be delivered from that captivity, let it cry out, I am carried away with the violence of my depraved nature, and the evil which I would not, that I do. This is to commit ſin, but with ſuch a delight as is mixt with great unwillingneſs: The love of God ſtill abideth in us, and we cry out againſt the Tempter, Get thee behind me Satan. Though a good man be carried back ſometime in his pious endeavours, yet he looks towards Gods glory, he minds that chiefly, and he will not caſt his eye off. He moves not willingly toward the Devil, though the Devil tread upon his heel behind him, and ſometimes prevails to pluck him back from God. But remember how David compoſed himſelf, and with that I end, I have ſet God always before me, therefore I ſhall not fall. AMEN.