Of Tempting Christ, Section 1 – Section 3
SECT. I.
The Introduction, Context, and propoſed Method of the following Diſcourſe.
WE experience the mighty Force of Example, to draw or to diſſwade; when bare Counſel will not move, and naked Precept makes little Impreſſion. It is eaſier to oppoſe and contradict the moſt poſitive Rule, to deſpiſe and make light of the plaineſt Prohibition, and Caution againſt Sin, than when we ſee the Evil of it as in a Glaſs, by ſome remarkable Inſtance of Divine Severity. On this Account the Hiſtorical Part of the Holy Scriptures is of excellent Uſe; and accordingly the Examples of God's Antient People the Jews, are frequently referr'd to in the New Teſtament. They are ſaid to be Types, and Patterns unto us, to inſtruct us what we may expect, if we imitate their Tranſgreſſions, by the Righteous Judgments of god, that followed them.
A GOOD part of this Chapter is imployed by the Apoſtle, in admoniſhing and warning theſe Corinthians againſt ſeveral particular Sins, from the Conſideration of the Puniſhments which God inflicted upon the Iſraelites for the like. Tho they were his peculiar People, he would not ſpare them, but did rather execute Vengeance with the greater Severity and Speed. They enjoyed many Advantages above the reſt of the World; eſpecially as to them belonged the Covenant, and the Adoption: On which Account they are called their Fathers, ver. 1. which the Jews could not otherwiſe be to theſe Corinthians, who were Heathens, and ſome of the Firſt-fruits of the Gentile Church. Types, and Examples unto us, ver. 6. to warn us againſt ſuch and ſuch particular Sins, from what they ſuffered in the Wilderneſs for the like. Adding, that theſe things are written for our ſakes, ver. 11. on whom the Ends of the World are come. That is, on our account, who live in the latter Ages of the World; when thoſe latter Days are begun, in which the great Change, foretold by the Prophets to be made by the Meſſiah's Kingdom, doth take place; which Kingdom is to laſt, and increaſe to the end of the World, without the expectation of any other conſiderable Change of that Nature. It is for our ſakes, on whom the Ends of the World are come, that theſe things are written. That thereby we may know and be convinced, that, whatever the Difference may be imagined between Chriſtians and Jews, between Moſes and Chriſt, between the Law and the Goſpel, between the Typical Egypt, Wilderneſs, and Canaan of the Jews, and the Antitype to theſe things amongſt us Chriſtians; whatever the Difference may be between us and them, and whatever Advantages may lie on our ſide; yet if we will not take warning by their Example, we muſt expect the like Severity of Divine Juſtice, as they experienced.
AMONG other Provocations, of which the Jews were guilty, and which the Apoſtle takes notice of in this Chapter, This in theſe words deſerves to be conſidered; Neither let us tempt Chriſt, as ſome of them alſo tempted, &c.
1. I SHALL conſider the Example of the Antient Jews, and what Sin that was which is here referred to, and the Puniſhment of it. 2. How We may be ſaid to tempt Chriſt; what is the Nature of that Sin, or how many ways we may be guilty of it. 3. Cloſe with a Practical Exhortation, to impreſs and improve the whole.
SECT. II.
Of the Perſon tempted, and ſinn'd againſt by the Jews, Jeſus Chriſt. His Exiſtence before his Incarnation prov'd againſt the Socinians.
I. LET us conſider this Example of the Jews. We are cautioned not to tempt Chriſt, as They alſo tempted him. Before I ſpeak to the Nature of their Sin, and the Puniſhment of it, whereof we have a more particular account, Numb. 21. it will be neceſſary to enquire who is the Perſon offended, how the Jews in the Wilderneſs can be ſaid to have tempted Chriſt ſo long before his Incarnation; which is the Apoſtle's Charge here, and the Ground of his Admonition to us, not to incur the like Guilt.
THE Socinians, and others who diſown the Divinity of our Bleſſed Saviour, are here perplexed, to evade the force of the Argument for the Exiſtence of Jeſus Chriſt, before he was born of the Virgin Mary: For the Scripture ſpeaks frequently concerning the Jews as tempting Jehovah, and of their being puniſhed for it in the Wilderneſs; and it is plain that this Paſſage refers unto that time, by the mention of their being deſtroyed by Serpents. Now it was for tempting of Chriſt, ſays the Apoſtle, that they were ſo deſtroyed: Therefore Chriſt is Jehovah, the true God, and did exiſt before his Incarnation.
THERE are three things they pretend, whereby to weaken the Force of this Argument. 1. Some of them will have it to be a Created Angel who led the Jews in the Wilderneſs, and whom they tempted, and ſinned againſt. Others ſay that Moſes is to be underſtood by the word Chriſt, and that their Sin was in tempting him. A third ſort find fault with our Tranſlation, and that this Verſe ought to be read, either thus, Neither tempt ye God, as they tempted him; or thus, Neither tempt ye Chriſt, as they tempted God.
I. AS to the firſt Evaſion, concerning a Created Angel: Not only is there no ſuch Charge againſt them in the Hiſtory, as tempting of an Angel; nor is an Angel any where ſaid to be tempted by the Jews. But the Angel of the Covenant who conducted them in the Wilderneſs, is ſaid to be Jehovah, who led them by a Pillar of Cloud by Day, and of Fire by Night, Exod. 13.21. compared with Chap. 23. ver. 21. where he is called an Angel. But what is ſaid of him will by no means agree to a created Angel. Behold I ſend an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, obey his Voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your Tranſgreſſions, &c.
II. WITH as little reaſon is Moſes pretended by Socinus to be here meant, as the Perſon tempted by the Jews. It is true, they ſpake againſt Moſes, and ſtrove with him, Exod. 16.2, 4. and God was provoked by it, as if it had been done againſt himſelf. *See Mr. Daillé Serm. in loc. and J. Placaei Diſput. 12m in loc. 4to. p. 130. de Argumentis quibus efficitur Chriſtum prius ſuiſſe quam in utero B. Virginis, &c.But they are never ſaid to tempt Moſes. And he himſelf doth plainly diſtinguiſh their Sin here referred to, from their ſtriving with him, and ſpeaking againſt him, Exod. 17.2. and ver. 7. compared. And Moſes ſaid unto them, Why chide ye with me? Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And he called the Name of the place Maſſah, and Meribah, becauſe of the chiding of the Children of Iſrael, and becauſe they tempted the Lord, ſaying, Is the Lord amongſt us? To pretend therefore that this is the ſenſe, Neither tempt ye Chriſt as they tempted Moſes, is neither agreeable to Grammar or Reaſon: For the ſame Perſon ſinned againſt by them, we are cautioned not to offend; not to ſin after the like manner, againſt the ſame Object; not to tempt Chriſt, as they did. The Greek Particle foreign, or foreign, will ſo carry it.
III. THE other Pretence or Cavil againſt our Tranſlation, hath as little Strength. There is one Manuſcript here in England, we are told, wherein this Verſe is thus read, Neither tempt ye God, as they tempted him. But tho that Manuſcript be pretended to be very antient, there are others of greater Antiquity that read it as we do: And, except one or two of the antient Writers of the Church, who read it the Lord, Neither tempt ye the Lord, and explain it ſtill of Chriſt; except them, it hath been proved againſt the Socinians that all Copies of this Epiſtle, Manuſcript and Printed, and all the Verſions of the Greek and Latin Fathers, from the end of the ſecond Century until now, do all read it as we do; Neither tempt ye Chriſt, as they alſo tempted him.
BUT others will ſay it may be read thus, Neither tempt ye Chriſt as they tempted God. It were enough to reply to this, that there is no ſuch word in the Text. But what the Socinians would gain, if we ſhould allow it, I cannot ſee. Neither tempt ye Chriſt, as the Jews tempted God. Hereby they equal at leaſt, if not prefer Chriſt unto God. As Chriſtians ſinning againſt Chriſt, anſwers to the Jews ſinning againſt God; ſo Chriſt tempted by Chriſtians, anſwers unto God tempted by the Jews: And therefore if the Sin and Puniſhment of the Iſraelites be propoſed as our Warning, the Force of the Example is loſt, if it be not an equal Sin, or greater, for us to tempt Chriſt, than for the Iſraelites to tempt God. And if it be propoſed as a Type, the Argument is yet ſtronger, and the Preference is given unto Chriſt. Either way will conclude that he is not a Creature, and that he did exiſt before his Incarnation; otherwiſe theſe Jews in the Wilderneſs could not have ſinned againſt him. And thus for the Perſon ſinned againſt, Neither tempt ye Chriſt, as they alſo tempted him.
SECT. III.
What was the particular Sin of the Jews, in the Wilderneſs, here called a Tempting of Chriſt.
II. THE particular Sin referred to of the Iſraelites, was their impatient *Numb. 21.4, 5, 6.Murmuring and Diſcontent, their Diſſatisfaction and Complaint, concerning the way which God took to lead them into Canaan, and of the Proviſions he made for them in the way, and of the Time and Seaſon of it. For in their March through the Wilderneſs they had ſome Succeſs againſt the Canaanites, who came out of their own Country to fight againſt them; and thereupon being puft up with their Victory, they ſuppoſed they ſhould as eaſily prevail againſt the Idumeans, who refuſed them leave to paſs through their Country. They hoped that with the like Succeſs againſt them, they might directly and ſpeedily enter into the promiſed Land. But, inſtead of this ſhort and eaſy way to Canaan, God reſolves to ſpare the Idumeans at this time, and commands the Iſraelites to compaſs the Land of Edom, and take a long Circuit round the Mountains of Idumea. Upon this occaſion, we find this People break out into Diſcontent againſt God their Leader, forgetting all the former Wonders of his Goodneſs and Power. And this is that which the Apoſtle calls a tempting of Chriſt, who as the Angel of the Covenant conducted them in the Wilderneſs. As he calls the Sufferings and Afflictions which the Iſraelites indured in Egypt, the Reproach of Chriſt; it being part of the Commendation of Moſes by the Apoſtle, and an Inſtance of his Faith, that he preferred the Reproach of Chriſt before the Treaſures of Egypt.
UPON this, and ſeveral other Occaſions, they complained and murmured; and are therefore ſaid to have tempted God ten times, after they had ſeen his *Numb. 14.22.Miracles, and had abundant Proof of his Preſence and Care. The Jewiſh Writers do particularly reckon up the ſeveral ten Temptations; but whether the exact number of ten be intended in the Expreſſion, is very doubtful; it may rather import repeated, multiplied Temptations; as when Jacob told Laban, †Gen. 31.41.Thou haſt changed my Wages Ten Times; that is, very frequently.
THEIR Sin might very properly be called a tempting of him: For they were not content to go to Canaaan in the way which he would have led them, nor were they ſatisfied with the Proviſions that he made for them in the way; but complained of their Manna, as light Bread, deſpiſing of it. They would have every thing they had a Mind to, and in that way and manner which they themſelves would chuſe; and thereupon would have put the Power and the Wiſdom, the Truth, and the Goodneſs of God, to farther trial: And by falling often into ſuch a Sin, they tempted his Patience, to ſee how long he would bear with them. How often, ſays the Pſalmiſt, did they provoke him in the Wilderneſs; and tempt him in the Deſart? Yea, they turned back and tempted God; and limited the Holy One of Iſrael. Pſal. 78.40, 41.