Twenty Sermons, Sermon 6
CHRISTS TEMPTATION, THE SAINTS SUPPORTATION.
A SERMON Preach'd Decemb. 9. 1657.
Heb. II. 13.
For in that he himſelf hath ſuffered, being tempted, he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted.
THE ſcope of the Apoſtle in the former Chapter is to prove that Jeſus Chriſt is truly God, therefore far above the Angels; for ſays he in the fifth verſe of that Chapter, Ʋnto which of the Angels ſaid he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? In this Chapter the Apoſtle proves that Jeſus Chriſt is truly man, and therefore in that reſpect inferiour to the Angels, Verſe 9, But we ſee Jeſus, who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the ſuffering of death, crowned with glory and honour. And becauſe it might be demanded, But why is it needful that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould be man? why did he not take on him the nature of Angels, but he took on him the ſeed of Abraham? Verſe 16. The Apoſtle give us four reaſons, why our bleſſed Saviour would be man, why he took our human nature upon him.
Firſt, He did it for the ſanctification of our nature, and that reaſon is ſet down in v. 11, For both be that ſanctifieth, and they who are ſanctified, are all of one; that is, they are all of one and the ſame nature: we come all from one common root; Chriſt came from the ſame root that we did, namely from Adam; and this he did, that he might ſanctifie our nature.
Secondly, The Lord Jeſus Chriſt became man, that he might in our nature, and for our benefit, deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil: that is ſet down in Verſe 14, Foraſmuch then as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood, he alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame, that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.
Thirdly, He became man, that he might deliver us not only from the hurt of death, but deliver us alſo from the fear of death; and that's ſet down in Verſe 15, And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time ſubject to bondage.
Fourthly, He became man, that by the experience of his ſufferings in our nature, he might be a merciful and faithful High-prieſt in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the ſins of the people; and that's ſet down in Verſe 17. And the ground of this Aſſertion the Apoſtle lays down in the words of the Text, which I have now read unto you, For in that he himſelf hath ſuffered, being tempted, he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted. So then the Text contains in it a ſingular benefit and advantage that believers have by Chriſts temptations, namely, a ſanctified uſe of temptations, and a gracious ſupport under temptations. For the clearing of this, you muſt know, all that ever our Lord and Saviour did here upon earth as Mediator, was done not for himſelf alone; but was done for us, and for our good. For example, He took our fleſh in the womb of a Virgin, that he might ſanctifie our nature: He was born of a woman, that he might ſanctifie our birth: He ſuffered in the fleſh, that he might ſanctifie our ſufferings; He was buried in a grave, that he might ſweeten and perfume the grave, that he might make the grave as a bed of ſpices; He roſe again from the dead, that he might aſſure us that we ſhall be raiſed by his power, 1 Cor. 6.14, And God hath both raiſed up the Lord, and will alſo raiſe up us by his own power: And he was tempted, that he might be able to ſuccour us when we are tempted. Let me firſt open the words to you, and then draw out the Doctrine I intend to pitch upon. I ſhall diſpatch this Text in one Sermon.
For in that he himſelf hath ſuffered. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſuffered indeed; He was a great ſufferer; nay, the greateſt ſufferer that you read of in the whole book of God: He ſuffered in his Circumciſion: when he was but eight days old, he cond… ſcended to that painful Ceremony, that painful Sacrament: He ſuffered a painful pilgrimage for three and thirty years together; and although he was. heir of all things, all the Kingdoms of the world were his, yet he had not a houſe to hide his head in; The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have neſts, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Mat. 8.20. He ſuffered by Satan when he was led into the Wilderneſs to be tempted for forty days together, which was a greater abaſement to the Son of God, than if the greateſt Empreſs in the world ſhould be ſolicited in her chaſtity by the baſeſt Scullion that ever was. Oh how did Satan hurry the body of our dear Lord and Saviour, firſt to the pinacle of the Temple, then he hurried it to a Mountain, and carried it from one place to another! Oh that the precious body of Jeſus Chriſt ſhould be thus baſely uſed, by a Vaſſal, by a curſed Fiend, by a curſed creature! So he ſuffered by Satan.
And he ſuffered by men; he ſuffered the contradiction of ſinners; he ſuffered himſelf to be reviled, ſcorned, reproached, blaſphemeed, when they ſaid, Say we not well, Thou art a Samaritan, and haſt a Devil? Joh. 8.48, And he is mad, and hath a Devil, why hear ye him? Joh. 10.20. He ſuffered on the Croſs a ſhameful, painful, and curſed death; He ſuffered in his body, but moſt of all he ſuffered in his ſoul, when he ſaid, My ſoul is heavy unto death, is girt about with death, Joh. 12.27, Now is my ſoul troubled, and what ſhall I ſay? He ſpeaks as if he had been non-pluſt; My ſoul is ſo troubled, ſays he, that I know not what to ſay, I know not what to do. So you ſee the Lord Jeſus Chriſt he ſuffered. Further, the Text ſays he ſuffered being tempted: Jeſus Chriſt you know was tempted by Satan for forty days together, and he was tempted by his Enemies: the Phariſes they required a ſign of him, tempting of him, Luk. 11.16. Then he was tempted by the Herodians, when they came with that captious queſtion, Shall we give tribute to Caeſar, or ſhall we not? Mat. 22.17, 18. Chriſt anſwered them, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? He was temptted by one of his Diſciples, Peter; ſays he to him, Maſter; ſpare thy ſelf, and do not go up to Jeruſalem; inſomuch that Chriſt ſharply reproved him, and ſaid to him, Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me, for thou ſavoureſt not the things that be of God, but thoſe that be of men, Mat. 16.22, 23. And he was tempted even by his own dear Father when his Father hid his face from him, when he ſeemingly did forſake him, when he cryed out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Mat. 27.46, So you ſee, that our Saviour ſuffered, and our Saviour was tempted: And why was he tempted? that he might ſuccour them that are tempted, ſaye the Text. Why, may ſome ſay, did the ſufferings and temptations of Jeſus Chriſt add any thing to his ability to ſuccour his tempted Servants, which he had not before? To this I anſwer, You muſt know he had an ability of Power, which was irreſiſtable; he had an ability of Power, as he was God: but the Apoſtle ſpeaks here, of an ability of Compaſſion, or of an ability of Experience, as he was man; as he ſays in the like caſe, Heb. 5.8, He learned obedience by the things which he ſuffered: How did he learn it? he learnt it experimentally: So here, by his ſuffering, and temptations, he learnt to ſuccour them that are tempted; he learnt compaſſion by his temptations: How did he learn compaſſion? he learnt it experimentally; for now he hath learned by experience, to know the kinds of temptations, to know the wounds that temptations make in the ſoul of a poor ſinner, and to know the proper means and medicines for the curing of temptations: ſo that if you ask, But why was the Lord Jeſus Chriſt tempted? I anſwer, he was tempted for theſe three ends eſpecially.
Firſt, That he might teach us this Leſſon: If Satan was ſo bold with him that was the dear Son of God, he will be much more bold in tempting us poor creatures; If he was ſo bold with the Maſter, much more will he be bold with the Servants; If he were ſo bold with the Captain of our ſalvation, much more will he be bold with his Soldiers; If he were ſo bold in tempting him who was the King of glory, a pure and ſpotleſs Saviour, a Lamb without ſpot and blemiſh, in whoſe mouth could be found no guile, 1 Pet. 2.22. Oh, he will be much more bold with us, that are poor ſinful creatures, that have ſuch impure and defiled natures: How abominable and filthy is man! Job 15.16. When the Devil came to tempt our Lord and Saviour, he found nothing in him, he found no matter to work upon, he found no corruption on which he might faſten his temptation, Joh. 14.30, The Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. All the temptations of Satan upon our Saviour were but like the jogging of pure and clean water in a Chryſtal glaſs, where is no mud at all: but now Satan never comes to us, but he finds matter enough, and ground enough to work upon; there is a great deal of mud at the bottom, therefore he prevails on us when he comes. But that is one end, that he may teach us to expect temptations, he himſelf was tempted: then certainly much more muſt we expect to be tempted.
Secondly, Jeſus Chriſt was tempted, that he might know how to compaſſionate us in our temptations.
Thirdly, He was tempted, that he might take out the ſting, the poiſon, the venom of every temptation, that though we be ſorely aſſaulted by Satan, yet we may not be conquered by Satan. That that David ſpeaks to Saul, Pſal. 188.13, Thou haſt thruſt ſore at me, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The like may Believers ſay of Satan, Thou haſt thruſt ſore at me, if it were poſſible to thruſt me into hell, but the Lord is my helper; nay, God can ſo order it, when Satan thruſts his foreſt darts at us, he can ward off the blow, or at leaſt ſo order the temptation, that it ſhall kill our ſins, and not hurt our ſouls. As I have read a ſtory of one Pareus Jaſon, who was conflicting with his adverſary, when his adverſary thought to have run him through with his ſword, God did ſo order it, that it did open an impoſthumation, which all Phyſicians could not heal, ſo that inſtead of killing of him, he preſerved his life; ſo God can ſo order it, when Satan is thruſting ſorely at us with his temptations, they ſhall kill our ſins, but ſhall not hurt our ſouls. So then the words being opened to you, the way to the Doctrine is made plain, which is this:
Doct. Chriſts temptations and his ſufferings for us, ſtir up in his heart a tender compaſſion to ſuccour us in our temptations, and in our fufferings.
That which God commands Iſrael, is ſuitable to this, Exod. 23.9, Alſo thou ſhalt not oppreſs a ſtranger, for ye know the heart of a ſtranger, ſeeing ye were ſtrangers in the land of Egypt. So the Lord Jeſus Chriſt knows the hearts of tempted ones, and knows how to pity tempted ones, becauſe he himſelf was tempted. That which the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Cor. 1.4, God comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we our ſelves are comforted of God. I may apply it thus: The Lord Jeſus Chriſt knows how to ſuccour us, to comfort us, to ſupport us in our temptations, with the ſame ſpirit that he had in his ſufferings, and in his temptations, though his temptations were ſo great, that he himſelf needed an Angel to come and comfort him. For the better explication of this point, there are two Quaeries that would be ſatisfied.
Firſt, Why Chriſts ſufferings and temptations ſtir up in his heart ſuch tender compaſſion towards us, to ſuccour and relieve us in our temptations and ſufferings?
Secondly, How the Lord Jeſus Chriſt does ſuccour and relieve poor tempted ones, in their diſtrſſes and ſufferings?
For the firſt, Why does Chriſts ſufferings and temptations, ſtir up in his heart ſuch tender compaſſions towards us? I anſwer, The reaſon is plainly this; becauſe the Lord Jeſus Chriſt his ſuffering in our Nature, makes him not only a merciful God, but a merciful Man alſo; the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as he is God equal with the Father to all Eternity, ſo his mercies are from everlaſting to everlaſting, Pſal. 103.17. But now his ſufferings in our fleſh, makes him not only a merciful God, but a merciful man alſo, a merciful Mediator between God and man; ſo he hath not only beams of Majeſty, but bowels of mercy; his ſufferings made him a merciful Highprieſt, that is touched with the ſenſe of our infirmities, as you read Heb. 4.15, for (ſays he) We have not an High prieſt which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without ſin. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſuffered all our natural infirmities, though he did not ſuffer our ſinful infirmities; He was tempted in all things like unto us, yet without ſin: a merciful High-prieſt he is: and this is that, that makes him ſo tender-hearted to the ſufferings and infirmities of his People: Oh, what bowels of compaſſion hath Jeſus Chriſt towards the ſouls of poor People, Mat. 9.36, the Text ſays, When he ſaw the multitude, he was moved with compaſſion on them, becauſe they fainted and were ſcattered abroad as ſheep having no ſhepheard; His bowels did earn towards them, as the word foreign ſignifies; he had compaſſion on their ſouls, becauſe they wanted thoſe that might inſtruct them in the way of life and happineſs. And what compaſſion had he on the bodies of poor ones, that waited on his Doctrine? Mat. 15.32, Then Jeſus called his diſciples to him, and ſaid, I have compaſſion on the multitude, becauſe they have continued with me now three days, and have nothing to eat, and I will not ſend them away ſaſting, leſt they faint in the way. And what compaſſion had he towards the poor Widow, that had loſt her only ſon, and they were now carrying him to the Grave; the Text ſays, he had compaſſion on her, his Bowels did earn towards the poor Widow; therefore he touched the Coffin and raiſed him up again, Luke 7.13. Look as a Child-bearing woman, that hath felt the bitter pangs and pains of Childbirth, hath more compaſſion towards a woman in that diſtreſs, than a barren woman that never felt thoſe pangs and ſorrows; or, as a man that hath been ſorely afflicted with the Gout or Stone, pitianother man that is afflicted with the ſame diſeaſe, more than one that never felt the torment of that diſeaſe; and as it is ſtoried of Queen Elizabeth, when ſhe paſt once through an Hoſpital where ſhe ſaw many poor Orphans, and Fatherleſs, and helpleſs Children; Oh, ſays ſhe, I was once an Orphan, a poor helpleſs creature when I was ſhut up in priſon, therefore, ſays ſhe, I have taſted of the ſufferings of Orphans, and I cannot but be merciful to Orphans: and as it is ſaid of Luther, That he was a rare and and excellent man in comforting afflicted conſciences, thoſe that were tempted and afflicted, why? becauſe he himſelf was exerciſed with temptations for three years together; ſo here, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is a moſt rare and excellent Comforter, a Phyſician good at all diſeaſes, eſpecially at binding up broken hearts, and comforting tempted ſouls; why, becauſe he himſelf had experience of the ſting and venom of temptations: but ſome may ſay, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is now in heaven: hath he not left the bowels that he had on earth? I anſwer, No, the Text ſays, Iſa. 63.9, In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the Angel of his preſence ſaved them: in his love, and in his pitty he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. Act. 9.4, the Lord Chriſt cryes out, Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me? when a man treads upon another mans little toe, the tongue complains, why do you hurt me? Jeſus Chriſt when he is now in heaven, he complains of himſelf being perſecuted in his Members, he hath ſuch a ſimpathy with them, That's the firſt Quaery.
Secondly, It may be demanded, How does Jeſus Chriſt ſuccour and relieve his ſervants in their temptations? I anſwer, he ſuccours and relieves them theſe five ways.
Firſt, By diſcovering to them that it is a temptation: for many there are that miſliſte their temptations; ſome take temptations for the impulſeſs, or impreſſes of Gods ſpirit, not conſidering that there are tempting providences, as well as approving providences: ſuch a providence was that which you read of, when David had Saul at an advantage, 1 Sam. 26.8, When Saul lay ſleeping in his trench, and his ſpear ſtuck in the ground at his bolſter, then ſaid Abiſhai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day: now therefore let me ſmite him, I pray thee, with the ſpear, even to the earth at once, and I will not ſmite him the ſecond time: Abiſhai thought that this was an approving medicine, that God had delivered Saul into the hands of David, and now he may be avenged upon him, and cut his throat, and ſmite him preſently; nay, nay, ſays David to Abiſhai, deſtroy him not; for who can ſtretch forth his hand againſt the Lords anointed, and be guiltleſs? David ſaw it was a tempting-providence, not an approving-providence; he would not have a hand in his blood; he would not ſlay the Lords anointed, though his enemy, though a wicked man, though a man guilty of blood, for he had ſlain Fourſcore of the Lords Prieſts at one time, commanding Doeg to fall upon them and deſtroy them: But ſays David, I will not have a hand in the blood of the Lords anointed, though he hath delivered him into my hand: this was but a tempting-providence, not an approving-providence: this is a certain Rule, that there are tempting providences as well as approving-providences; to follow providence without the Word, is dangerous; to follow providence againſt the Word, is damnable; but to follow providence with the Word, that only is ſafe and comfortable: now David he had a providence here, but he had not the Word of God going along with that providence, and therefore he looks upon it as a tempting-providence. Now Jeſus Chriſt ſuccours his people by diſcovering to them which is a tempting-providence, and which is an approving-providence.
Secondly, The Lord Chriſt ſuccours and relieves them by his Gracious Supportation; he does ſupport them under their tryals; that is a precious Scripture, that tempted ones ſhould be continually meditating upon, 1 Cor. 10.13, There hath no temptation taken you, but ſuch as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not ſuffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation alſo make a way to eſcape, that you may be able to bear it. God ſometimes draws the Bow to the Arrow head, but he will not break the Bow; if God lays heavy loads on poor tempted ones, then he will make their ſhoulders ſo much the ſtronger by his Gracious Manutency, or holding them by the hand, Pſal. 73.23, Nevertheleſs, I am continually with thee, thou haſt holden me by my right hand: And when God holds a poor tempted ſoul by the right hand, though he fall, he ſhall not utterly be caſt down, becauſe the Lord upholds him, Pſal. 37.24.
Thirdly, Jeſus Chriſt relieves and ſuccours tempted ones by his gracious interceſſion; for he ſits at the right hand of God to make interceſſion for them, Heb. 7.25, and if ſo be thou art but one that does but deſire to believe in Jeſus Chriſt, and take hold of him, though it be but with a trembling hand, know thus much for thy comfort, in every temptation that thou meeteſt with, Jeſus Chriſt does nominate thee to his Father, he nominates thee in particular, and he ſays to thee as he did to Peter, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, Luke 22.32.
Fourthly, Jeſus Chriſt does ſuccour and relieve tempted ones by making a diverſion ſome way or other of them; by a leſs temptation ſometimes he prevents a greater, that would even cruſh a poor ſoul to pieces; ſometimes by an outward affliction upon the body, he prevents a greater affliction and trouble that would lye upon the ſpirit: It is better a thouſand times to be afflicted in the body, than afflicted in the mind.
Fifthly, The Lord Chriſt doth ſuccour tempted ones by a gracious Abolition, as I may call it; by a total removal of the temptation, when he treads Satan under our feet, as he hath promiſed, Rom. 16.20, And the God of peace ſhall bruiſe Satan under your feet ſhortly. And when he gives Charge to Satan, as he did to him concerning the poor Child that was poſſeſſed with a dumb and deaf ſpirit, I charge thee that thou come out of him, and that thou enter into him no more, Mark. 9.25. Thus you have the point opened: Now briefly to apply it, two Uſes I ſhall make of it. Friſt for Information. Secondly for Conſolation.
Firſt, For information: you may learn this Leſſon by way of Inference, That Gods own people, his Elect, true Believers, muſt look for temptations, nay they muſt look for divers temptations, Jam. 1.12, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: in 1 Pet. 6, Wherein ye greatly rejoyce, though now for a ſeaſon if need be, ye are in heavineſs through manifold temptations. They muſt look for temptations of all ſorts; as the Apoſtle ſaith in the like caſe, All that will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus, muſt ſuffer perſecution: ſo all that will live godly, muſt look for temptations. Gods People may be tempted theſe four ways:
Firſt, Sometimes they may be tempted by their godly friends; ſo was St.Paul, Acts 11.12, when the Prophet Agabus foretold, that Paul ſhould be bound at Jeruſalem, and ſuffer ſo many things of the Jews: Pauls godly friends diſſwaded him from going thither: but Paul lookt upon it as a temptation; for, ſays he in the next verſe, What mean ye to weep, and to break my heart? for I am ready, not to be bound only, but alſo to die at Jeruſalem for the name of the Lord Jeſus, Acts 21.13.
Secondly, Gods people are ſometimes tempted by wicked men, as Joſeph was by his wanton and laſcivious Miſtreſs.
Thirdly, Gods people are tempted ſometimes by Satan, they are tempted to preſumption on the one hand, and to deſperation on the other hand: For theſe are two great Rocks upon which thouſands of ſouls ſuffer ſhipwrack; but there are more that periſh on the rock of Preſumption, than of Deſperation.
Fourthly, Gods Children are ſometimes tempted by God himſelf: it is ſaid, God tempted Abraham to try him, Gen. 22.1, And it came to paſs after theſe things, that God did tempt Abraham: and ſaid unto him, Abraham; and he ſaid, behold, here I am: But yet remember this withal, God tempts only by way of probation, God does not tempt by way of ſeduction: God tempts none but by way of probation. If it be ſo, then Chriſtians ſhould be expecting temptations: when you foreſee a dart that is ſhot againſt you, you may the more eaſily avoid it; if you be forewarned, you may the more eaſily be fore-armed.
The ſecond Uſe, it is for Confolation; Here is matter of unſpeakable comfort to all tempted ones: It may be I ſpeak to ſome ſuch in this Congregation this day. We find every Lords day ſome that ſend their Bills to be prayed for, that are battered and bruiſed with temptations. Now I do not know one portion of Scripture in the whole Book of God, that affords more ſweet Soul-ſupporting comfort, than this Text: though you ſee matter of diſcouragement to you from your temptations, yet you may look for matter of encouragement from Chriſts temptations. Art thou tempted to diſtruſt thy adoption, whether thou art a child of God, or no? ſo was Jeſus Chriſt; If thou be the Son of God. If thou art tempted to diſtruſt the Providence of God, ſo was Jeſus Chriſt; If thou be the Son of God, command that theſe ſtones be made bread, when he was led into the Wilderneſs, and was there forty days, and had nothing to eat. Art thou tempted to preſumption? ſo was Jeſus Chriſt, that he ſhould caſt himſelf down headlong from the pinacle of the Temple. Art thou tempted to ſelf-murther? ſo was the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, when Satan would have had him caſt himſelf down from the pinacle of the Temple to deſtroy himſelf. Art thou tempted to blaſphemy? ſo was Jeſus Chriſt; for it was the moſt horrid blaſphemy that could be named, that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhould fall down and worſhip a curſed Vaſſal, Satan: that he ſhonld give that honour to that curſed wretch that was due only to God: there was no ſin ſo horrid, nor heinous, nor helliſh, to which Chriſt was not tempted: he was tempted to the vileſt ſin that is, but he yielded not. Hence you may obſerve, that it is not ſin to be tempted to ſin, but it is ſin to yield to temptations; therefore do not yield to temptations. Art thou tempted either to Preſumption, or Deſperation, Atheiſm, or Blaſpemy? do not yield to that temptation, but run to Jeſus Chriſt under that temptation, even as the chickens run under the Hens wing, when they ſee the Kite coming: and ſay, O Lord Jeſus, thou waſt tempted, that thou mighteft fuccour me when I am tempted. O do not lead me into temptation, but deliver me from the evil, that I do not faint under them, nor be foiled by them: Lead me not into temptation: that is, leave me not in temptations, but lead me out of them: for I flye to thee.
But may be you will ſay to me, What means or helps may we uſe, that we may be ſtrengthned againſt temptations, thoſe temptations wherewith Satan aſſaults us? For anſwer to this, let me briefly give theſe ſeven or eight practical Rules. which I earneſtly beg of you that you would make uſe of.
The firſt practical Rule is this: Let not Satan know all that is in thy heart, for thereby Satan may get a great advantage againſt you; do not ſpeak all that thou thinkeſt: if thou be one inclined (for example) to the ſin of Pride, do not ſhew it in thy gayiſh Apparel; if thou be one inclined to the ſin of uncleanneſs, do not ſhew it in thy wanton geſtures; if thou be one inclined to covetouſneſs; do not ſhew it in thy earthly, greedy, gaping after riches; let not Satan know what is in thy heart.
2dly, Do not tempt the Tempter to tempt thee; my meaning is this, be not bold with thoſe ſins for which thou haſt before ſmarted: for by foſtering any unmortified luſt, thou putteſt a weapon into Satans hand to wound thee with: be not bold with the occaſions of ſin; do not venture into the Devils quarters, as St.Peter did you know; when he went into the High-Prieſts hall, there he met with an occaſion to ſin: he tempted Satan to tempt him.
Thirdly, Do not think by yielding to one temptation, thou ſhalt be freed from all the reſt; for if thou yield but to one temptation, Satan will be more violent in tempting thee, than he was before. I have read of a young man that was tempted to three grofs ſins: to kill his Father, to abuſe his Mother, and to be Drunk; the Devil told him, if he would yield to one of theſe, he ſhould be tempted no more; at laſt he yielded to that which was the leaſt of them, namely to be drunk: but when he had yielded to one, the Devil prevailed with him after to do the two other: ſo that he kill'd his Father, abuſed his Mother; ſo that by yielding to one temptation, thou doſt ſtrengthen Satan, but it weakens thy own hands. As they ſay of the French in their fighting, at the firſt onſet they are like Lions: but if they be ſtrongly reſiſted at the firſt, then they are very Cowards: So it is here, the Devil at his firſt Aſſault is violent; the ſecond Aſſault, if he be reſiſted, is weaker: If he be reſiſted in his third Aſſault, he is a very Coward; therefore, reſiſt the Devil, and he will flye from you, James 4.7. hold thy weapon in thy hand, though it be beaten to thy head. As they obſerve of the Crocadile in Nilus, if you run away from the Crocadile, then he will follow you; but if you come up to follow him manfully, then he will run away from you: So if Satan be reſiſted, he is a very Coward.
Fourthly, The fourth practical Rule is this: Do not lay all the blame upon Satan for thy temptations, but lay the blame in a great meaſure upon thy ſelf, upon thy own receptive tinder-like diſpoſition; Oh complain to God, and ſay, true Lord, the Devil is continually ſtriking fire, but my heart is too ready to take the fire: I have a tinder-like heart, more ready to take fire, than the Devil is to ſtrike; and therefore thou ſhouldſt wet thy tinder with thy tears, that the fire of temptation may not take hold of thy heart. You may read of our Grand-mother Eve, ſhe layed all the blame upon the Serpent, The Serpent deceived me, and I did eat. But David on the contrary, having a holy frame of heart, laid the blame upon himſelf: when Satan tempted him to number the People, 2 Sam. laſt: he complains not of Satan, but himſelf; ſays he, Lo I have ſinned, I have ſinned, I have done wickedly; as for theſe ſheep, what have they done? So I ſay, lay the blame on thy Tinder-like heart.
Fifthly, Obſerve, Satan in his firſt temptations is more modeſt than he is uſually afterwards: his firſt temptations are uſually of a finer-ſpun thred, that ſo he may draw into greater ſins: for Example, When he tempted our Saviour, his firſt temptation was this: ſays he, Matth. 4, Cauſe theſe ſtones to be made bread: thou mayſt as well turn ſtones into bread, as water into wine; but then afterwards, he comes to more groſs and grievous temptations, to caſt himſelf down headlong, to murther himſelf, and commit the horrideſt Idolatry that can be named. So Satan is modeſt at the firſt: he will perſwade thee to tell a merry jocond lye, to tell a lye in jeſt, that is no great matter; from a jeſting lye, he perſwades thee to tell an officious lye, for an advantage to thy ſelf, or neighbour; from an officious lye, he will tempt thee to a pernicious lye, to tell a lye for thy neighbours ruine; for the ruine of thy neighbours Name, or Goods, or Life. Oh, obſerve the wiles of Satan, his temptations are at fiſt more modeſt.
The ſixth Rule is this: Do not think when one temptation is conquered, or reſiſted, that therefore thy corruption is mortified: or, that the Devil is quite vanquiſned, or quite hath left thee: no, for Satan leſt our Saviour but for a ſeaſon, Luke 4.13, after he was ſhamefully vanquiſhed and foiled, he left him for a ſeaſon; he came to him again, as he did in John 4.30, The Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. The Devil, like a Ram, ſometimes retires, that he may come forwards with the greater violence.
Seventhly, Would you be ſtrengthned againſt temptations? then above all, take the Shield of Faith, that is the Apoſtles Rule, Eph. 6.16, Above all take the ſhield of faith, whereby you may quench all, the fiery darts of the devil; Faith is the eye of the ſoul. Now as a cunning Fencer, when he is ſtriving with his Adverſary, the firſt thing that he aims at, is to ſtrike out the eye of him with whom he is conteſting; if he can but ſtrike out the eye, then he knows he hath a great advantage: ſo the Devil this cunning Fencer, he ſtrikes at the eye of Faith; if he can but conquer thy Fath, he knows he ſhall conquer thy ſoul; therefore, ſays he, I fight neither againſt ſmall nor great, but againſt this King-Grace; I fight againſt Faith; therefore our Savour prays that Peters Faith ſhould not fail; ſo long as his faith did not fail, though his other Graces be routed, and broken, yet Faith will recover all. That was an admirable Captain, who when the Battel was loſt, recovered it again himſelf when all his Soldiers fled and left him; namely, Shammah, 2 Sam. 23.12, He alone ſtood to the battel, and conquered a whole Troop, and ſlew many of the Philiſtines: Faith may be compared to Shammah; when other Graces are foyled, and routed, our Faith will recover all again; Now how ſhould we ſtrengthen Faith? Faith is compared to a Shield; now this Shield is compoſed of four or five plates:
Firſt, The gracious Promiſes that God hath made; this is one plate that makes the ſhield of Faith: you cannot be caſt into ſuch a condition, wherein you may not meet with ſome Promiſe; therefore ſtudy the Promiſes, ſuch as theſe: When thou paſſeſt through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the Rivers, they ſhall not overflow thee: when thou walkeſt through the fire, thou ſhalt not be burnt, neither ſhall the flame kindle upon thee, Iſa. 43.2. So that is an excellent Scripture, Iſa. 42.19, And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkneſs light before them, and crooked things ſtraight; theſe things will I do unto them, and not forſake them. What a precious Promiſe is that! though God leads his people through a dark Wilderneſs, as I may ſay, and they ſee not one beam of light; yet notwithſtanding, if they lean upon the Lord, he will cauſe darkneſs to be light before them.
A ſecond Plate that the ſhield of Faith is compoſed of, and made up of, is, the glorious Attributes of God: Gods Wiſdom, Power, Mercy, Goodneſs, Truth; all theſe put together, do ſpell All-ſufficiency: the wiſdom of God to guide us, the power of God to protect us, the mercy of God to pity us, and the like.
Thirdly, Another Plate is this: the triumphant victory of Jeſus Chriſt; he hath conquered our Enemy, bleſſed be his Name; our Saviour he hath cruſht the head of the Serpent, as Luther ſaid excellently, Why ſhould we fear a conquered world, when the Conqueror himſelf is on our ſide? ſo, why ſhould we fear a conquered Enemy, a curſed Enemy, when the Conqueror himſelf is on our ſide?
The fourth Plate is this: The former Experiments we have had of Gods goodneſs, 2 Cor. 1.10. Who delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we truſt that he will yet deliver us. And when the Prophet David was in thoſe ſtraits, when he cryed out, Will the Lord caſt off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? hath God forgotten to be gracious, hath he in anger ſhut up his tender mercy? Oh, ſays he, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the moſt high. Pſal. 77.7, 8, 9, 10, I will remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Nizar; there I had a deliverance, and there I had a deliverance; and when my ſoul is caſt down within me, I will remember thee at ſuch a place, and at ſuch a place, where thou didſt work a great deliverance for me, Pſal. 42.
Fifthly, The laſt Plate the ſhield of Faith is made up of, is, Gods infinite love in giving of Jeſus Chriſt; He that ſpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how ſhall he not with him freely give us all things? If God hath given us Jeſus Chriſt, he will give us ſupportation under trouble, and he will give us deliverance out of trouble.
The laſt Direction is this; Give not over praying: Although for the preſent thou ſeeſt not the fruit of thy prayers, give not over praying; but remember, he that was tempted for thee on earth, is now interceding for thee in heaven: Satan cannot be more ready to aſſault thee, than Jeſus Chriſt to aſſiſt thee; Satan cannot be ſo buſie on earth to hurt thee, as Jeſus Chriſt is buſie in heaven to help thee; and prayer through the interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt can caſt out Devils. Mr. Fox in his book of Martyrs in the ſecond Volume, ſpeaking of Luther in the life of King Henry the eighth, mentions a ſtory of a man that was poſſeſſed with the Devil, that had ſold his ſoul to the Devil at Wittenburg: But Luther got a company of praying Chriſtians together, to ſeek God on his behalf, and would not give over ſeeking, till they had received an Anſwer: So at laſt, the Devil in a great wind threw the Indenture in at the window. Sometimes Prayer caſts out the Devil; God ſometimes gives ſuch ſignal teſtimonies of hearing Prayer, for the enocuragement of his Servants; therefore do not give over reſiſting Satans temptations, nor praying againſt him. Do as that bleſſed Saint Katharine Bretter, when ſhe was continually haunted with Satans temptations: ſaid ſhe, Satan, I am but a weak woman, I am not able to anſwer all thy cavils and objections, but I will turn thee over to my Advocate; I have an Advocate in Heaven to plead my cauſe; and after that, ſhe was never ſolicited by him. So do you, turn over thy caſe to thy Advocate, as a poor Client does that has got a learned and faithful Advocate, leaves his cauſe with him: turn over all to thy Advocate, that appears in the preſence of God continually for thee, Heb. 9.24, For Chriſt is not entred into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven it ſelf, now to appear in the preſence of God for us: he appears as our Advocate. And if God do not anſwer thee ſpeedily, or if he do not anſwer thee in the Letter of thy requeſt, yet if thou canſt but get ſuch a frame of heart as thoſe three Worthies had, Dan. 3.17.18, Our God whom we ſerve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery-furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O King: But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not ſerve thy gods, nor worſhip thy golden-image which thou haſt ſet up. So do thou ſay to Satan, God is able to deliver me out of thy hands; but yet, if he do not, I am reſolved I will not yield unto thee, Satan; but I will lye at the feet of God, and look up. If God do but give ſuch a gracious frame of ſpirit as this, thou mayſt be confident this Text ſhall be fulfilled to thee; and that heaven and earth ſhall paſs away, before this truth ſhall paſs away, held forth in this Doctrine, That Chriſts ſufferings and temptations ſtir up in his heart a compaſſion to ſuccour and relieve us in our ſufferings and Temptations.