Christs Temptation and Transfiguration, Sermon 2
SERMON. II.
MATTH. 4. 2, 3, 4.
And when he had fasted forty days, and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. And he answered and said, It is written, Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
IN these words there are three Branches:
First, The Occasion.
Secondly, The Temptation it self.
Thirdly, Christs Answer.
First, The Occasion of the first temptation; in the second verse, When he had fasted forty days, and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungred. Where take notice,
I. Of his Fasting.
II. Of his Hunger.
And something I shall speak of them Conjunctly; something Distinctly and Apart.
1. Conjunctly. In every part of our Lords Humiliation, there is an Emission of some beams of his Godhead; that whenever he is seen to be true Man, he might be known to be true God also. Is Christ hungry? There was a Fast of forty days continuance preceding, to shew how as God he could sustain his Humane Nature. The verity of his humane nature is seen, because he submitted to all our sinless Infirmities. The power of his divine Nature was manifested, because it enabled him to continue forty days and nights without eating or drinking any thing; the utmost that an ordinary man can fast being but nine days usually. Thus his Divinity and Humanity are expressed in most, or all of his Actions; Ioh. 1. 14. The word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, as the glory of the onelyonly begotten son of God. There was a Vail of Flesh, yet the glory of his divine Nature was seen, and might be seen, by all that had an Eye and Heart to see it. He lay in the Manger at Bethlehem, but a Star appeared to conduct the Wise Men to him; and Angels proclaimed his Birth to the shepherds, Luk. 2. 13, 14. He grew up from a Child, at the ordinary rate of other Children; but when he was but 12 years old, he disputed with the Doctors, Luk. 2. 42. He submitted to Baptism, but then owned by a Voice from Heaven to be Gods Beloved Son. He was deceived in the Figtree, when an hungred; which shews the infirmity of humane Ignorance; but suddenly blasted, this manifested the glory of a divine Power; Matth. 21. 19. Here, tempted by Sathan; but Ministred unto, and Attended upon, by a multitude of glorious Angels; Matth. 4. 11. Finally Crucified through weakness, but living by the power of God, 2 Cor. 13. 4. He hung dying on the Cross; but then the Rocks were rent, the Graves opened, and the Sun darkened. All along you may have these Intermixtures: he needed to humble himself to purchase our mercies; but withall, to give a discovery of a divine Glory to assure our Faith. Therefore, when there were any Evidences of humane frailty, least the world should be offended, and stumble thereat, he was pleased at the same time to give some notable demonstration of the divine Power. As on the other side, when holy Men are honoured by God, something falleth out to humble them, 2 Cor. 12. 7.
2. Distinctly and Apart. Where observe,
1. That he fasted forty days, and forty nights; so did Moses when he received the Law, Exod. 34. 28. And at the restoring of the Law Elias did the like, 1 King. 19. 8. Now what these two great Prophets had done, Christ the great Prophet and Doctor of the Christian Church, did also. For the number of forty dayes, Curiosity may make it self work enough; but 'tis dangerous to make conclusions where no certainty appeareth. However this is not amiss, that forty dayes were the usual time allotted for Repentance: As to the Ninevites, Ionah 3. 4. so the Prophet Ezekiel was to bear the sins of the People for forty days: And the Flood was forty days in coming on the old world, Gen. 7. 17. This was the time given for their Repentance, and therefore for their Humiliation; yet the forty days Fast in Lent is ill grounded on this Example, for this Fast of Christ cannot be imitated by us, more than other his Miracles.
2. At the end of the forty days he was an hungred, sorely assaulted with faintness and hunger, as any other man at any time is for want of meat. Gods Providence permitted it, that he might be more capable of Satans temptations; for Satan fits his temptations to mens present case and condition. When Christ was hungry, he tempteth him to provide bread, in such a way as the Tempter doth prescribe. He worketh upon what he findeth: When men are full, he tempteth them to be proud, and forget God; when they are destitute, to distrust God: If he sees men covetous, he fits them with a wedge of Gold, as he did Achan: If discontented, and plotting the destruction of another, he findeth out occasions. When Iudas had a mind to sell his Master, he presently sendeth him a Chapman. Thus he doth work upon our Dispositions, or our Condition; most upon our Dispositions, but here only upon Christs Condition. He observeth which way the Tree leaneth, and then thrusteth it forward.
Secondly, The Temptation it self; Verse the third. Where two things are observable.
1. The Intimation of his Address. And when the tempter came to him.
2. The Proposal of the Temptation: If thou be the son of God, &c.
1. For the Address to the Temptation: And when the tempter came to him. There two things must be explained:
1. In what manner the Tempter came to Christ.
2. How he is said to come then to him.
1. How he came to him. Whether the Temptations of Christ are to be understood by way of Vision, or Historically; as things visibly acted and done. This latter I incline unto; and I handle here, because 'tis said foreign, The Tempter came to him. Christ importeth some local motion, and accession of the Tempter to Christ, under a visible and external form and shape. As afterwards when the Lord biddeth him be gone, then the devil leaveth him, ver. 11. A retiring of Satan out of his Presence, not the ceasing of a Vision onelyonly. Yea all along, He taketh him, and sets him on a pinnacle of the temple. And taketh him to an high mountain. All which shew some external appearance of Satan, and not a word that intimateth a Vision. Neither can it be conceived how any Act of Adoration could be demanded by Satan of Christ [fall down and worship me] unless the object to be worshipped were set before him in some visible shape. The coming of the Angels to Christ when the Devil left him, ver. II. all understand Historically, and of some External coming; why is not the coming and going of the Devil thus to be understood also? And if all had been done in Vision, and not by Converse, how could Christ be an hungred, or the devil take that occasion to tempt him? How could answers and replics be tossed to and fro, and Scriptures alledged? So that from the whole view of the frame of the Text, here was some external congress between Christ and the devil. If you think it below Christ, you forget the wonderful Condescension of the Son of God; 'tis no more unworthy of him than Crucifixion, Passion and Burial was: 'Tis true in the writing of the Prophets, many things historically related were onelyonly done in Vision; but not in the Gospels, which are an History of the Life and Death of Christ; where things are plainly set down as they were done. To men the grievousness of Christs Tempations would be much lessened, if we should think it only a piece of Phantasie and imaginary, rather than real. And if his Temptations be lessened, so will his Victory, so will our Comfort. In short, such as was Christs Journey into the Wilderness, such was his Fast, such his Temptation; all real: For all are delivered to us in the same stile and thread of discourse. Yea farther, if these things had been onelyonly in Vision and Extasie, there would have been no danger to Christ in the second temptation, when he was tempted to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple. Surely then he was truly tempted, and not in vision onelyonly: yea it seemeth not so credible and agreeable to the dignity and holiness of Christ, that Satan should tempt by internal false suggestions, and the immission of Species into his fancy or understanding: That Christ should seem to be here and there, when all the while he was in the desert: For either Christ took notice of these false Images in his Fancy, or not; if not, there is no temptation; if so, there will be an Errour in the Mind of Christ, that he should think himself to be on the Pinacle of the Temple, or top of an high Mountain, when he was in the Desert. 'Tis hard to think these suggestions could be made, without some error or sin; but an External suggestion, maketh the sin to be in the Tempter onelyonly, not in the person Tempted: Our First Parents lost not their innocency by the external suggestion, but internal admission of it, dwelling upon it in their Minds. To a man void of sin, the tempter hath no way of tempting, but externally.
2. How is this access to Christ said to be after his Fasting, when in Luk. 4. 2. 'tis said, Being forty dayes tempted of the Devil, and in those days he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, he afterward hungred?
I Answer 1. Some conceive that the devil tempted Christ all the forty days, but then he tempted him invisibly, as he doth other men, striving to inject sinful suggestions; but he could find nothing in him to work upon, Ioh. 14. 30. But at forty days end he taketh another course, and appeareth visibly in the shape of an Angel of Light. He saith he came to him most solemnly and industriously to tempt him. This opinion is probable.
2. It may be answered, Lukes speech must be understood, Being forty dayes in the wilderness, and in those days he did eat nothing, and was tempted; that is, those days being ended. There is by a Prolepsis, some little Inversion of the order. But because of Mark 1. 13. where 'tis said, He was in the wilderness forty dayes tempted of satan, and was with the wild Beasts, take the former Answer.
2. The proposal of the Temptation: If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Certainly every temptation of the devil tendeth to sin: Now where is the sin of this? If Christ had turned stones into bread, and declared himself by this Miracle to be the Son of God; there seemeth to be no such evil in this. Like Miracles he did upon other occasions; as turning Water into Wine at a Marriage Feast, multiplying the loaves in the distribution for feeding the Multitude. Here was no curiosity, the Fact seemed to be necessary to supply his hunger. Here is no superfluity urged, into Bread, not dainties, or occasions of wantonness, but Bread for his necessary sustenance? I Answer, Notwithstanding all this fair appearance, yet this first assault which is propounded by Satan, was very sore and grievous.
1. Because manifold sins are implyed in it, and there are many temptations combined in this one Assault.
1. In that Christ, who was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness to Fast, and so to be tempted, must now break his Fast and work a Miracle at Satans direction: The contest between God, and the devil, is, who shall be Soveraign; therefore it was not meet that Christ should follow the devils advice, and do any thing at his command and suggestion.
2. That Christ should doubt of that Voice that he heard from Heaven at his Baptism, Thou art my beloved son; and the devil cometh, If thou be the son of God. That it should anew be put to trial by some extraordinary work, whether it were true or no, or he should believe it, yea or no. No temptation so sore, no dart so poisonable, as that which tendeth to the questioning of the grounds of Faith; as this did the Love of God, so lately spoken of him. Therefore this is one of the sharpest Arrows that could come out of Satans Bow.
3. It tended to weaken his confidence, in the care and love of Gods Fatherly Providence: Being now afflicted with hunger in a desert place, where no supply of food could be had, Satan would draw him to suspect and doubt of his Fathers Providence; as if it were incompatible to be the Son of God, and to be left destitute of means to supply his hunger, and therefore must take some extraordinary course of his own to furnish himself.
4. It tended to put him upon an action of Vain-Glory, by working a Miracle before the devil, to shew his Power. As all needless actions are but a vain ostentation.
2. Because it was in it self a puzling and perplexing proposal, not without inconveniences on both sides, which soever of the extreams our Lord should choose; whether he did, or did not what the tempter suggested. If he did, he might seem to doubt of the Truth of the Oracle, by which he was declared to be the Son of God, or to distrust Gods Providence, or to give way to a vain ostentation of his own Power: If he did not, he seemed to be wanting, in not providing necessary food for his sustentation, when it was in his own power so to do; and it seemed to be unreasonable to hide that, which it concerned all to know, to wit, that he was the Son of God. And it seemeth grievous to hear others suspicious concerning our selves, when tis in our power easily to refute them, such provocations can hardly be born by the most modest spirits. This temptation was again put upon Christ on the Cross, Math. 27. 40. If thou be the son of God, come down from the Cross. But all is to be done at Gods direction, and as it becometh our obedience to him, and respect to his Glory. Satan and his Instruments will be satisfied with no proofs of principles of Faith, but such as he and they will prescribe, and which cannot be given without intrenching upon our obedience to God, and those counsels which he hath wisely laid for his own Glory. And if Gods children be surprized with such a disposition, it argueth so far the influence of Satan upon them: Namely, when they will not believe but upon their own terms; as Thomas, Ioh. 20. 25. Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. If we will not accept of the graces of Faith as offered by God, but will interpose conditions of our own prescribing, we make a snare to our selves. God may in condescension to a weak Believer, grant what was his fault to seek, as he doth afterwards to Thomas, Ver. 27. but there is no reason he should grant it to the devil, he being a malicious and incorrigible spirit, coming temptingly to ask it.
3. This temptation was cunning and plausible, it seemed onelyonly to tend to Christs good, his refection when hungry, and his Honour and Glory, that this might be a full demonstration of his being the Son of God. There is an open solicitation to evil, and a covert; explicit, and implicite; direct, and indirect. This last here. 'Twas not an open, direct, explicite solicitation to sin; but covert, implicite and indirect; which sort of temptations are more dangerous. There was no need of declaring Christs power, by turning stones into bread before the devil, and at his instance and suit: It was neither necessary, nor profitable; not necessary for Christs Honour and Glory, it being sufficiently evidenced before by that voice from Heaven, or might be evident to him without new proof: Nor was it necessary for Christs refection, because he might be sustained by the same divine power, by which hitherto he had been supported for forty dayes. Nor was it profitable, none being present but the devil, who asked not this proof for satisfaction but cavil; and that he might boast and gain advantage, if Christ had done any thing at his instance and direction: And in this peculiar dispensation, all was to be done, by the direction of the holy, and not the impure Spirit. I come now to the third Branch.
Thirdly, Christs Answer: Ver. 4. And he answered and said, It is written, Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Christs Answer is not made to that part of the proposal, If thou be the son of God; but to the urgent necessity of his refection. The former was clear and evident, the force of the temptation lay not there; but the latter, which Satan sought to make most Advantage of, is clearly refuted: Christs Answer is taken out of Deut. 8. 3. And this Answer is not given for the Tempters sake, but ours; that we may know how to answer in like Cases, and repel such kind of temptations. In the place quoted, Moses speaketh of Manna, and sheweth how God gave his people Manna from Heaven, to teach them, that though bread be the ordinary means of sustaining man, yet God can feed him by other means, which he is pleased to make use of to that purpose. His bare word, or nothing; all cometh from his divine power and vertue, whatever he is pleased to give for the sustentation of Man, ordinary or extraordinary. The tempter had said, that either he must die for hunger, or turn stones into bread: Christ sheweth that there is a middle between both these extreams. There are other ways which the Wisdom of God hath found out, or hath appointed by his Word, or decreed to such an end, and maketh use of, in the course of his Providence. And the instance is fitly chosen, for he that provided forty years for an huge multitude in the desert, he will not be wanting to his own Son, who had now fasted but forty dayes. In the words there is
1. A Concession or Grant, that ordinarily man liveth by bread, and therefore must labour for it, and use it when it may be had.
2. There is a restriction of the Grant, that it is not by bread onelyonly; But by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The business is to explain, how a man can live by the Word of God, or what is meant by it.
1. Some take Word, for the word of Precept; and expound it thus, if you be faithful to your Duty, God will provide for you. For in every command of God, general or particular, there is a promise expressed or implyed of all things necessary, Deut. 28. 5. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. And Matth. 6. 33. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Now we may lean upon this word of God, keep our selves from indirect means, and in a fair way of Providence refer the issue to God.
2. Some take the Word, for the word of Promise, which indeed is the livelyhood of the Saints; Psal. 119. 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever, they are the rejoycing of my heart. Gods people in a time of want, can make a Feast to themselves out of the Promises, and when seemingly starved in the Creature, fetch not only Peace and Grace and Righteousness; but Food and Rayment out of the Covenant.
3. Rather I think it is taken for his Providential word, or commanded Blessing: For as, God made all things by his Word, so he upholdeth all things by the word of his Power, Heb. 1. 3. His powerful word doth all in the World, Psal. 147. 15. He sendeth forth his commandment on the earth, his word runneth very swiftly, he giveth snow like wool. And then in the 18. ver. He sendeth out his word and melteth them. As the word of Creation made all things, so the word of Providence sustaineth all things. This word is spoken of, Psal. 107. 20. He sent his word, and his word healed them, and delivered them from all their destructions. 'Tis dictum factum with God, if he speak but the word 'tis all done, Math. 8. 8. Speak but the word and thy servant shall be whole. So Luk. 4. 36. What a word is this? For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. So of Ioseph 'tis said Psal. 105. 19. untill the time that his word came, the word of the Lord tryed him. That is his power and influence on the hearts of the parties concerned for his deliverance. Well then the power of sustaining Life, is not in bread but in the Word of God, not in the means, but in Gods commanded blessing; which may be conveyed to us by means, or without means as God pleaseth: There is a powerful commanding word which God useth for Health, Strength, Sustentation, or any effect wherein the good of his people is concerned. He is the great Commander of the World. If he say to any thing go, and it goeth: come, and it cometh.
Thus you have the History of the first temptation. Now for the Observations.
1. Observe, That God may leave his children and servants to great streights; for Christ himself was sorely an hungred: so God suffereth his people to hunger in the Wilderness before he gave them Manna. Therefore 'tis said Psal. 102. 23. He weakneth the strength of the people in the way. He hath sundry tryals wherewith to exercise our Faith, and sometimes by sharp necessities: Paul and his companions had continued fourteen dayes and had taken nothing, Acts 27. 33. Many times Gods children are thus tryed, Trading is dead and there are many mouths to be fed, and little supply cometh in; yet this is to be born, none of us more poor then Christ, or more destitute then was Christ.
Secondly, That the Devil maketh an advantage of our necessities, when Christ was an hungred, then the tempter came to him: so unto us. Three sorts of temptations he then useth to us, the same he did to Christ, 1. Either he tempteth us to unlawful means to satisfie our hunger, so he did to Christ, who was to be governed by the Spirit, to work a miracle to provide for his bodily wants at Satans direction: so us, Poverty hath a train of sinful temptations, Prov. 30. 9. Least I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Necessities are urging, but we must not go to the Devil for a direction how to supply our selves, least he draw us to put our hand to our neighbours goods, or to defraud our Brother, or betray the peace of our Conscience or to do some unworthy thing, that we may live the more comfortably. You cannot plead necessity, 'tis to relieve your charge, to maintain Life, God is able to maintain it in his own way. No necessity can make any sin warrantable; 'tis necessary thou shouldst not sin, 'tis not necessary thou shouldst borrow more then thou canst pay, or use any fraudulent means to get thy sustenance. If others be unmerciful, thou must not be unrighteous.
2. To question our Adoption, as he did the filiation of Christ, If thou be the Son of God. 'Tis no wonder to find Satan calling in question, the Adoption and Regeneration of Gods Children, for he calleth in question the Filiation and Sonship of the Son of God, though so plainly attested but a little before, Heb. 12. 5. Ye have forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh unto you as Children, my Son, &c. Certainly what ever moveth us to question our interest in Gods fatherly love, bare afflictions should not; for to be without afflictions is a sign of Bastards. God hath no illegitimate Children, but God hath degenerate Children who are left to a larger Discipline.
3. To draw us to a diffidence and distrust of Gods Providence: this he sought to breed in Christ, or at least to do something that might seem to countenance it, if he should upon his motion work a miracle. Certainly 'tis Satans usual temptation to work in us a disesteem of Gods goodness and care, and to make us pore altogether upon our wants. A sense of our wants may be a means to humble us, to quicken us to prayer, but it should not be a temptation to beget in us unthankfulness, or murmuring against Gods Providence, or any disquietness or unsettledness in our minds. And though they may be very pinching, yet we should still remember that God is good to them that are of a clean Heart, Psal. 73. 1. God hath in himself al-sufficiency, who knoweth both what we want, and what is fittest for us, and is engaged by his general Providence as a faithful Creator, 1 Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator; but more especially as related to us as a Father, Matth. 6. 32. Your heavenly Father knowest that you have need of all these things. And by his faithful Promise, Heb. 13. 5. He hath said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. And he will give us every good thing while we fear him, Psal. 34. 9, 10. O fear the Lord ye his Saints: For there is no want to them that fear him. The young Lyons do lack and suffer hunger: But they that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing. And walk uprightly, Psalm 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and a shield, the Lord will give Grace and Glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. And seek it of him by prayer, Matth. 7. 11. Ask, and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
But you will say, you Preach only to the poor and destitute. I Answer, I speak as my subject leadeth me: It will put the point generally Satan maketh an advantage of our condition. Christ had power to do what was suggested; every condition hath its snares, a full condition most of all, Psal. 69. 22. Let their table be a snare, their welfare for a trap. He hideth his snares, and gins to catch our souls; in all the comforts men enjoy they are apt to grow proud, to forget God, to become mercyless to others who want what they enjoy; to live in vain pleasures, and to forget Eternity: to live in sinful security, in the neglect of Christian duties, to be enslaved to sensual satisfactions, to be flat, and cold in Prayer. This glut and fulness of worldly comforts, is much more dangerous then our hunger.
Thirdly observe, In Tempting, Satan pretendeth to help the tempted party to a better condition, as here he seemeth careful to have bread provided for Christ at his need, yea pretendeth respect to his glory, and to have him manifest himself to be the Son of God, by such a miracle as he prescribeth. This seeming tenderness, counselling Christ to support his life and health, was the snare layed for him. Thus he dealt with our first Parents, he seeketh to weaken the reputation of Gods love and kindness to man, and to breed in the Womans mind a good opinion of himself. That his suggestions might make the greater impression upon her, he manageth all his discourse with her, that all the advice which he seemeth to give her, proceeded of his love, and good affection towards her and her husband; pretending a more then ordinary desire and care of mans good, Gen. 3. 5. as if he could direct him how to become a match for God himself. So still he dealeth with us; for alas, otherwise in vain is the snare layed in the sight of any Bird, Prov. 1. 17. He covereth the snare layed for mans destruction with a fair pretence of Love, to advance man to a greater happiness, and so pretendeth the good of those whom he meaneth wholly to destroy. He enticeth the covetous with dishonest gain, which at length proveth a real loss: The sensual with vain pleasures, which at length prove the greatest pain to body and soul: The ambitious with honours, which really tend to their disgrace. Always trust God, but disbelieve the Devil, who promoteth mans destruction under a pretence of his good and happiness. How can Satan and his instruments, put us upon any thing that is really good for us?
Fourthly, That Satans first temptations are more plausible, he doth not at first dash come with fall down and worship me; but only pretendeth a respect to Christs refection, and a demonstration of his Sonship. Few or none are so desperate at first, as to leap into Hell at the first dash, therefore the Devil beginneth with the least temptations. First men begin with less evils, play about the brink of Hell: a man at first taketh a likeing to company, afterwards he doth a little inlarge himself, into some haunts and merry meetings with his companions, then entreth into a confederacy in evil, till he hath brought utter ruin upon himself, and what was honest Friendship at first, proveth wicked company and sure destruction at last. At first a man playeth for recreation, then ventureth a shilling or two, afterwards by the witchery of Gaming, off goeth all sense of thrift, honesty, and credit. At first a man dispenseth with himself in some duty, then his dispensation groweth into a settled toleration, and God is cast out of his closet, and his Heart groweth dead, dry, and sapless: there is no stop in sin, 'tis of a multiplying nature, and we go on from one degree to another; and a little lust sets open the door for a greater, as the lesser sticks set the greater on fire.
Fifthly, There is no way to defeat Satans temptations, but by a sound belief of Gods all-sufficiency, and the nothingness of the Creature.
1. A sound belief of, and a dependance on Gods all-sufficiency, Gen. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect. We need not warp, nor run to our shifts, he is enough to help to defend or reward us; he can help us without means, though there be no supply in the view of sense, or full heaps in our own keeping, God knoweth when we know not, 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations, &c. or by contrary means, curing the eyes with spittle and clay. He can make a little means go far. As he blessed the pulse to the captive Children, Dan. 1. 15. And made the Widows barrel of Meal, and cruise of Oyl to hold out, 1 Kings 17. 14. And his filling and feeding five Thousand with a few Barly loaves, and a few Fishes, Matth. 14. 21. On the other side he can make abundance unprofitable, Luke 12. 15. A mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. No means can avail unless God giveth his blessing; therefore we should not distrust his Providence, nor attempt any thing without Gods warrant, lest we offend him, and provoke him to withdraw his blessing.
2. The Nothingness of the Creature: Not by bread alone. 'Tis nothing by way of comparison with God, nothing by way of exclusion of God, nothing in opposition to God. It should be nothing in our esteem, so far as it would be something separate from God, or in co-ordination with God, Isa. 40. 17. All nations before him are as nothing, less than nothing and vanity, Iob 6. 21. Now ye are nothing: All Friends cannot help, our foes cannot hurt us, not the greatest of either kind, Isa. 34. 12. All her Princes shall be nothing. In regard of the effects which the World promise to its deluded lovers, all is as nothing: not only that it can do nothing to our needy souls, to relieve us from the burden of sin; nothing towards the quiet, and true peace of our wounded Consciences; nothing to our acceptance with God, nothing for strength against corruptions and temptations; nothing at the hour of death; but it can do nothing for us during Life, nothing to relieve and satisfie us in the World without God. Therefore God is still to be owned and trusted.