Christ Tempted, Text (3 of 3)

Christ Tempted · Text (3 of 3)

p. 58But 'tis the Divel we are now ſpeaking of, and our Saviour's wrathful indignation againſt him, Get thee hence Satan. The rebuke of Peter was very ſharp againſt the hypocriſie and covetouſneſſe of Simon Magus; Thy heart is not right in the ſight of God; thou art in the gall of bitterneſs, and in the bond of aaActs 8.20, 21, 22, 23.Acts 8:20Acts 8:21Acts 8:22Acts 8:23iniquity. Paul's rebuke was ſharper againſt Elimas the Sorcerer; O full of all ſubtilty and all miſchief; thou child of the Divel, thou enemy of all bbActs 13.10.Acts 13:10righteouſneſs. But this rebuke of our Saviour here againſt Satan was far ſharper, and more piercing then all: Not ſo mild as that of God himſelf, at another time, and in another caſe, who ſaid unto him, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath choſen Jeruſalem rebuke ccZechar. 3.2.thee. But full of the higheſt indignation he ſaid unto him, Get thee hence, get thee behind me Satan. Behind me; Not ſuffering him to obtain ſo much favour as to be ſet at his left hand; which for a ſhort time ſhall be granted even to all reprobates, at the day of ddMat 25.33.Matt 25:33judgement; but Satan here obtains not ſo much as that; no, becauſe his torment one day ſhall be far greater then the torment of all reprobates; and the reaſon is, becauſe the Seducer is far more Culpable then the Seduced; and the puniſhment ſhall then be proportioned to the quality both of the ſin and ſinners; all are prejudged to an eternal puniſhment; becauſe if they had lived on earth for ever, they would all have ſinned againſt the eternal God for p. 59ever; yet not all prejudged to the ſame degree of eternal puniſhment, intenſively; not; for eaſier it ſhall be in the day of judgement for impenitent men, then for monſtrouſly maliticious Divels; though no eaſe at all can there be for unbelieving, and therefore unpardoned men, continually tormented with Divels.

Then ſaith Jeſus unto him, Get thee hence Satan. And then began our Saviour to be thus wrathfully incenſed, when his Father's glory began firſt to be queſtioned; for 'twas not ſo when the Divel tempted him after his long faſting, to diſtruſt and diffidence in his Father's Providence, v. 3, 4. nor was it ſo when he tempted him to vain-glory, by caſting himſelf down from the pinacle of the Temple, v. 5, 6, 7. Satan received then, no rebuke at all from our Saviour; No; and the reaſon was, becauſe in thoſe Two Temptations, the injury was more properly, and more immediately done unto himſelf; and therefore he could without any indignation at all, patiently bear, and ſleight that; But when he ſaw that the Divel had appropriated unto himſelf, the honour that was peculiarly due unto God; All theſe things will I give thee: tempting him to become an Idolater, and ſo fall away from his God, from his Father; If thou wilt fall down & worſhip me, v. 9. then his patient meekneſs was much moved, his wrath was very much kindled, and his fury exaſperated to the higheſt; to teach us, to bear with all patience and long ſuffering, our own wrongs and injuries; But to be more zealous alwaies in God's cauſe, then our own; as our Saviour here eeAquin. 3. pars Sum. q. 41. Concl. 4.was: who juſtly provoked by the wrong done unto his Father, moſt ſharply reproved the Divel that had done that wrong unto his Father; ſaying, Get thee hence Satan, bold, impudent, malitious, exceeding ſinful Satan, Get thee hence; I deteſt thy ſelf, I abhor thy gift; neither am I at all in the leaſt beholding unto thee, in that thou madeſt the firſt offer thereof unto me; who will none of thy promiſes, none of thy Kingdomes, none of thy glory, none of thy power: as Abram ſaid to the King of ffGen 14.22, 23.Gen 14:22Gen 14:23Sodome, I have lift up my hand unto the Lord, the moſt high God, the poſſeſſour of Heaven and Earth, That I will not take from a thred, even to a ſhoo-latchet; and that I will not take any thing that is thine, leſt thou ſhouldeſt ſay, I have made Abram rich. So our Saviour, to his and his Father's malitious Adverſary, Satan here. I will not accept of any thing p. 60thou offereſt me; of any thing thou falſly calleſt thine, or, if it were properly thine own, I abhor and deteſt both it and thee; Therefore away with thy Kingdoms, away with thy promiſes, away with thy gift, away with thy condition, away with thy ſelf: Get thee hence, get thee behind me Satan.

Yet (though wrathfully and juſtly moved thereunto) our Saviour did not thus with indignation diſmiſs and ſend away Satan without a ſpecial Warrant from his Father's word to doe it; he did not; but as twice before, v. 4. 7. So now again, v. 10. he ſtrongly oppoſeth his falſe ſuggeſtions, with full power and authority from the Word of truth; and his authority is, It is written, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve. Note; (him only) which poſitively concludes, that the Divels motion was but in vain, If thou wilt fall down; and wholy excluded him from what he ſo much deſired, even from all manner of religious Worſhip and Adoration, as not at all due unto him; his propoſal conditionally, If thou wilt fall down, being anſwered here in ſenſe, with our Saviour's flat denial, poſitively; I will not fall down and worſhip thee; thou wilt not; Why? for it is written; and one word of my Father's writing is more available to keep me in his fear, then all that thou canſt either ſay or doe, to remove me from it. Thy Ifs and thy Conditions, which are nothing elſe but the forerunners of thy Temptations, ſhall never take at all with me; and though thou wilt not alledge a Text rightly, when it makes for me, againſt thy ſelf, witneſs thy falſe dealing with me on the pinacle of the Temple; yet I do rightly alledge here what makes for my ſelf, and wholy againſt thee: It is written, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve; Him only; and I may not fall down before thee; this is my Father's Word, this is my Father's will, to keep his own Worſhip entire unto himſelf; and ſo will I keep it, and Worſhip him only. Thus and thus did our Saviour Anſwer Satan; partly rebuking his bold impudency, with Get thee hence: and partly denying his ſuit, with It is written; and this his denial (from which we may, we will, open our way to a further diſcourſe) briefly includes in it Two things. 1. A moſt juſt claiming of all Religious worſhip, as peculiarly due unto God onelyonly. And 2. as juſt a diſclaiming from, and a diſavowing of any ſuch worſhip, as due to any creature on any ſpecious pretences p. 61whatſoever, according to the Rule of Affirmative Precepts, which alwaies include in them their Negatives; as on the contrary, the Negatives alwaies include their Affirmatives; Now the Precept here is Affirmative; Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve; therefore the Negative thereof muſt needs be, thou ſhalt not religiouſly worſhip any of the Creatures; no, not the Divel. Let us then weigh the words impartially; knowing that we can have no better Argument to defend the Cauſe of God, then that which is immediately drawn, as this is, from the written Word of God; which is that touchſtone to diſtinguiſh between counterfeit Gold and true; that Rule, to diſcern between ſtreight and crooked; that Ballance, wherein falſhood is overpoyſed by truth; and ſuch a Ballance, ſuch a Rule, ſuch a Touchſtone, is this Word here of our Saviour; It is written.

But, Where is it written? Anſw. Deut. 6.13.10.20. where God's command to the people by the mouth of Moſes, is, Thou ſhalt fear the Lord thy God, and ſerve him; words aequipollent in ſenſe, though (I confeſs) ſomewhat fuller in the Sentence, as it is here in the Text, cited by our Saviour; and if aequivalent they be, and aequipollent in ſenſe, that is ſufficient; Now that the ſenſe is one and the ſame, in both, will evidently appear, by comparing both Texts together. Thus,

Moſes ſaith, Thou ſhalt fear ggTimebis.the Lord thy God. Our Saviour ſaith, Thou ſhalt worſhip hhforeign.the Lord thy God. Where worſhip, is put in ſtead of fear.

Again, Moſes ſaith, And him ſhalt thou iiIpſi ſervies.ſerve. But our Saviour ſaith, And him onelyonly kkforeign, Illi ſoli ſervies.ſhalt thou ſerve; Where this word (onelyonly) is more according to the letters, then is in Moſes; Yet in ſenſe, not more then is in Moſes; the ſound, indeed, varieth ſomewhat, but not the ſubſtance, not the meaning; for our Saviour, who is the beſt Expoſitor of his own law, having an occaſion here to urge this Text againſt the Divel, who tempted him unto Idolatry, concludes thence two things; and prepares his way to the following Concluſions, either by exchanging one word for another (for properly, an abſolute changing it is not) or, by ſupplying the ſeeming want of one word with another; and then whether we read it as Moſes doth, Thou ſhalt fear; or as our Saviour doth, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God; the ſenſe is p. 62ſtill full, and to fear God is not forbidden; when in one place we are commanded to worſhip him; nor to worſhip him, when in another place we are commanded to fear him: No; becauſe when the one is but mentioned, the other alſo preſently is included; like Relatives and Correlatives; poſito uno, ponitur & alterum; as name but a Father, and you have ſaid enough to include the name of a Son alſo; and (to go on in order) upon this ground it is, that our Saviour here purpoſely exchanging one word for another, as Timebis, thou ſhalt fear, for Adorabis, thou ſhalt worſhip; poſitively concludeth according to the true meaning of each Text.

Firſt, That whenſoever we come to ſerve the Lord our God (as we ought) religiouſly, piouſly, devoutly, we muſt bring both with us; both fear and worſhip; both the inward fear and awe of our heart, and alſo an humble, lowly, and reverent geſture of our body, as an outward teſtimony of that inward fear; it being moſt plain from the compared Texts, that in God's ſervice, worſhip and fear muſt always go together, the outward with the inward; the humiliation of the body, with the humility of the ſoul; the bowing, proſtrating and humbling of the body, when we preſent our ſelves before our God, by prayer, ſupplication, thankſgiving, &c. with the filial fear of the heart; which though ſometimes it includeth the whole ſervice of llIſa. 29.13. Mat. 15.8.Isa 29:13Matt 15:8God, to be performed by the inner man; yet doth it not at any time exclude the inſeparable concomitant thereof, even that outward adoration and religious worſhip to be performed ſeparately by the body, in that ſervice which is due unto God only; it doth not, and there can be no ſtronger argument to confirm the truth of this poſition, then this of our Saviour here, ſaying, Thou ſhalt worſhip, (which belongs to the body) inſtead of Thou ſhalt fear, which belongs to the ſoul: meaning, that God requires both at once; utterly denying unto the Divel all adoration, and proſtration of his body, which he required, becauſe even that alſo (as well as the fear of the heart) was due unto his Father only; which even the Divel himſelf ſeemed to acknowledge, when he ſo much deſired to obtain it of his Son. Wherefore in this caſe of fearing and ſerving, and worſhipping the Lord our God: the body cannot ſay to the ſoul, I have no need of thee; neither can the ſoul ſay unto the body, I have no need of thee; no more p. 63then the eye can ſay to the hand, or the head to the foot, I have no need of mm1 Cor. 12.21.1 Cor 12:21thee: Becauſe our Saviour here ſaith cleer enough to each, that God to compleat his whole ſervice, hath need of each, hath need of both. I have need of thee, and I have need of thee, for the manifeſtation of the obedience of the whole man towards me; when he invocates, and calls upon me; when he offers the ſacrifice of praiſe, prayer, and thanksgiving unto me, that his obedience and prayers, and praiſes, and thanksgivings may be true and reall, and acceptable before me; I have need of thee, the inward fear of the heart; and I have need alſo of thee, the outward humble poſture and reverent geſture of the body: The body in this caſe, being to the ſoul as the tongue is to the mind, each the true Interpreter unto others of one anothers meaning; for we cannot judge rightly of the inward, but only by the outward man; whoſe geſture if it be not humble and reverent when he cometh to ſerve the Lord, the eye of him that ſeeth in ſecret (beſides what men ſee) diſcovers thereby (if he did not know it otherwiſe) that his heart is not rightly prepared for his ſervice; who requires the foreign, the outward worſhip, veneration and adoration, performed by the body, as the Introduction to, and expreſſion of the inward fear and acceptable ſacrifice of the heart: O come let us worſhip and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, is the pious expreſſion of thoſe who out of a religious fear came to ſerve the nnPſal. 95.6.Ps 95:6Lord; where the latter explains the former words; as, will you know what it is to worſhip? it is to bow or fall down, and kneel; that outward poſture of the body, being the Index of the ſouls inward bowing and kneeling, and humbling it ſelf in God's ſight; but if he be wilfully and obſtinately denied the one, he nothing at all regardeth the other; who will be glorified joyntly, both with our body and our ſpirit, or elſe he eſteem himſelf not at all glorified with either; which (though many men will not) the Divel himſelf, who here tempted our Saviour only to fall down and worſhip him, as ſome excellent creature, well knew and underſtood; and therefore he made it his whole work here to deprive God of it, and gain unto himſelf firſt the adoration of the body; and he did it the rather becauſe knowing that God little or nothing at all valueth the one, if he be denied the other, he doubted not but by degrees he ſhould gain p. 64unto himſelf the fear of the heart alſo; attempting to do it by taking away from God that which is peculiarly due unto him in his own ſervice, outward adoration. And ſurely this, and only this was the direct way to do it; for take away one from God, and you take away both; take away outward worſhip, and you are in the next way to take away inward fear too; becauſe ſuch is the heart of man, deceitful above all things, that ſurely it is not, neither indeed can it be rightly intent to the ſervice and fear of God inwardly, when there is no care at all taken outwardly to expreſſe it, but only by a poſture ſlovenly and irreverent; which though it be not directly a falling down to Satan, which is here forbidden; yet is it a direct denying of that which is properly due unto God, and here commanded; Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God: Religious worſhip always preſuppoſing inward fear; and that in the ſervice of God, always requiring outward and reverent adoration. So we preach, and ſo we rightly conclude even from the Text; becauſe our Saviour therein rightly interptreteth, thou ſhalt fear, by thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God: And I cannot apprehend what other meaning or purpoſe he ſhould have by thus exchanging one word for another, but only to let all men know that the inward fear which is due to the Lord our God, ought not by any to be ſeparated and diſjoynted from his outward worſhip, from bowing, falling down, and kneeling, when we offer the ſacrifice of our hearts to the Lord our God.

Secondly, Our Saviour here, by ſupplying the ſeeming want of one word with another; as him ſhalt thou ſerve, with him (only) ſhalt thou ſerve; rightly concludeth farther that that (and none but that) was the true meaning of Moſes; although in that place, Deut. 6.13. it was not expreſly written by the pen of Moſes; neither is this ſupplementary word of our Saviour (if I may ſo call it) any reall addition at all to the Text of Moſes; no, but rather a true Expoſition it is of that Text, which the ooforeign.Greek verſion (or if you will Animadverſion) afterwards took ſpecial notice of; whence our Saviour himſelf cites this, and approveth of it as the genuine ſenſe of Moſes; as indeed it was: For he that commands, v. 13. Thou ſhalt ſerve the Lord thy God; and immediately v. 14. forbids, Ye ſhall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people round about you: What doth he but command p. 65in ſenſe (and that is Scripture, which is the true ſenſe of the Scripture) Thou ſhalt ſerve the Lord thy God only: which is fully expreſſed in the like caſe, 1 Sam. 7.3. If you do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the ſtrange gods, and Aſhtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and ſerve him only. You cannot, you may not ſerve God and Idols; God and Mammon; but God only muſt you ſerve, and not Mammon, not Idols; nothing in Competition, nothing in Oppoſition with God, muſt ſo far withdraw us from our duty, as to rob him of his peculiar honour, who is a jealous God, and will not that what is properly his own, ſhould be given to any other; Impatiens conſortis erit; but all the fear, piety, and devotion of our hearts; and all the Religious worſhip, and reverence of our bodies; all our ſervice, whether in outward expreſſion or inward affection; all is due to the Lord our God only; and ſurely there is good reaſon for it, becauſe all that we have, either for the preſervation of our bodies, or for the ſalvation of our ſouls, all is originally from him only; for what haſt thou that thou haſt not pp1 Cor. 4.7.1 Cor 4:7received? and if received, as we have all things corporal, all things ſpiritual, all things temporal, all things eternal from the Lord our God, 'tis but juſt that with the whole man we ſhould fear, and religiouſly worſhip the Lord our God, and ſerve him only; 'tis but juſt.

Thus hitherto the meaning of this Text here cited by our Saviour, againſt Satan, is plainly opened, even to the Conviction of Satan; and we ſee that thou ſhalt worſhip, is not without good cauſe written in the place of thou ſhalt fear; neither is this word (only) a ſuperfluous word, but ſuch as neither Text can ſtand without it; the one wanting the word, but not the ſenſe; the other rightly retaining both word and ſenſe: Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve: which is our Saviour's final anſwer to Satan, directly oppoſite to his Condition, If thou wilt fall down and worſhip me; and ſuch an anſwer it is, that it juſtly claims all religious worſhip, as properly and peculiarly due unto his Father only; and he might not preſume by any means, to give any part thereof to Satan; the claiming of it as properly due to God, being a diſavowing of it as any ways due to any creature; which when the Divel heard, he replied no more: This Get thee hence Satan, was enough to p. 66confound him: but this It is written, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord; thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve, was enough to conquer him and as before v. 4, 7. fully convinced, he had nothing more to ſay againſt the Deity of the Son of God; ſo now fully ſatisfied (no doubt) by this anſwer of our Saviour, that all religious worſhip was due to God only, and none at all to creatures (and therefore none at all to him) he dares ſay no more for any further promoting of Idolatry between himſelf and the Son of God; and that he was fully ſatisfied in this point, acknowledging that what our Saviour ſaid was true, we conclude from his own deep ſilence here, from his own not replying any more.

Yet this is more then the Church of Rome will acknowledge, and willingly ſubſcribe unto; though they cannot but know, that our Saviour in the Text determineth the Queſtion poſitively againſt them; for he who to vindicate his Father's honour, ſaid to the Divel, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve: ſurely never meant that any creature, how excellent ſoever, whether Angels or men; whether Martyrs or Saints departed, &c. ſhould any ways be ſharers with him in his own peculiar right of religious worſhip and adoration; never meant it, but the clean contrary; and ſo the Angel rightly underſtood it, though they will not; for when he ſaw John fall at his feet to worſhip him, he forbad him, ſaying, See thou do it not; I am thy fellow-ſervant, and of thy brethren, that have the teſtimony of Jeſus; worſhip qqRev. 19.10.22.9.Rev 19:10Rev 19:22Rev 19:9God: Thereby both correcting the error of John, who offered that worſhip unto him which was not his due; and alſo directing him to offer it to him only to whom it was peculiarly due; worſhip rrforeign.God: not me, not an Angel. And Paul erred not, when he juſtly condemned the worſhiping of ſſCol. 2.18.Col 2:18Angels; and if Angels may not be worſhipped with religious adoration, much leſſe may men, whether living or dead. Not living men, no; for when Cornelius met Peter, and fell down at his feet and worſhipped him, he took him up, ſaying, Stand up, I my ſelf alſo am a ttAct. 10.25, 26.Acts 10:25Acts 10:26man. A ſtrong Argument that no man living is worthy of any religious adoration. The like we may conclude alſo in this caſe, from that diſcreet and modeſt carriage of Paul and Barnabas, Acts 14. thus after Paul had wrought a Miracle at Lyſtra, on a man that was a creeple from his mothers womb, v. 8, 9, 10. the ſuperſtitious people of that place p. 67would haxe ſacrificed unto them, v. 13. which when the Apoſtles, Barnabas, and Paul heard of, v. 14, 15. They rent their cloaths, and ran in amongſt the people, crying out, and ſaid, Sirs, Why doe you theſe things? We alſo are men of like paſſions with you, and preach unto you, that you ſhould turn from theſe vanities, unto the living God; From theſe vanities; utterly refuſing from them any Religious adoration; knowing that the Maſter's due was not to be aſcribed unto the Servant; nor the peculiar right of the Creator unto the Creature; And if living men, and ſuch as are preſent with us (though of never ſo great Eminency, though Apoſtles, and Apoſtolical men, ſuch as Peter, and Barnabas were) if ſuch are not capable of Religious worſhip, much leſs are dead men and Saints departed, who are abſent from us, and cannot help us; whom we then ſufficiently honour, and as much as God himſelf requireth of us, 1. When we remember them with all Chriſtian reverence, as the Inſtruments while they lived of his uuAuguſt. de Civ. Dei lib. 8. cap. 27.glory. 2. When we thankfully bleſs God for them, and for the benefits he vouchſafed by them unto his Church. 3. When we imitate their vertues, their repentance, their faith, their love, their humility, their meekneſs, their patience, &c. wherein they excelled; But Chriſtian Religion, ſaith wwDe vera relig. cap. 55.Auſtin rightly, teacheth us not, in any wiſe, to worſhip dead men.

Notwithſtanding, though we have expreſs xxDeut. 10.20. Matth. 4.10.Deut 10:20Matt 4:10Scripture (as this we now ſpeak of) & therein alſo ſeveral Examples againſt them, in this Caſe; yet the Romiſh Church (refuſing to be guided by either) regards not at all, either what the Angel ſaid to John, or Peter to Cornelius, or Paul and Barnabas, to thoſe Idolatrous people at Lyſtra or God himſelf to the people, by the mouth of Moſes, or what our Saviour here ſaid to the Divel; It is written, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly ſhalt thou ſerve. A Text ſtrong enough (were not men wilfully obſtinate) to overthrow all Popiſh Idolatry in this Caſe, upheld and underpropped only with certain weak and unwarrantable diſtinctions, repugnant to the Word of God, and forged in their own braines for the promoting of their own Cauſe; And if I ſhould tell them plainly, that in this, they are more malapert then Satan was, I need not go far for evidence cleer enough to prove it; for after the Divel had once heard what our Saviour ſaid as touching this matter, in point of Religious worſhip, wholy denied unto p. 68Creatures, he (though inſolent enough before) immediately ceaſed to reply any more; but theſe, though they daily hear it, yet they ſtill reply; and (too too much relying on their own Inventions) affirm ſtill, that ſome kind of Worſhip and Adoration is properly due to Saints and Martyrs departed: nay, even to their very Reliques, &c. which (ſay what they can) will be found to be Religious worſhip, proper unto God yyQuem ſanctis cultum deferunt Papistae, nihil reipſa differre a Dei cultupalam eſt. Calvin. Inſtitu. lib. 1. c. 12. S. 2.onelyonly, and altogether diſavowed in the Text, as any ways due to any Creature. Lo! this is their doctrine; this is one point of their Religion; and upon this ground, they Invocate and call upon dead Saints, who cannot hear them; and expect help and ſuccour from ſuch who in time of need cannot relieve them; Or, if they could, are not at all to be adored by them; And did but thoſe glorious Spirits now know what were done on Earth, they would ſtill refuſe ſuch Adoration, as Peter, and Paul, and Barnabas did, while they were on Earth.

Now that the Papiſts maintain ſuch forbidden Religious worſhip and adoration, as due to Creatures, thereby to uphold their Invocation of Saints, is more then manifeſt even from their own writings, and by their own practice anſwerable thereunto; for it is the poſitive concluſion of aaControverſ. lib. 1. ca. 13. de ſanctor. beatit.Bellarmine, that to the holy Angels and Saints in Heaven is due (though leſs then divine, yet) more then Civil, or humane honour and worſhip; And if the Jeſuite had not otherwhere fully explained bbIdem, ibid. ca. 12.himſelf, yet plain it is by this, that (to make his own aſſertion the more plauſible) he diſtinguiſheth of three ſorts or kinds of Worſhip. 1. Divine. 2. Leſſe then Divine yet more then Civil. 3. Civil or Humane. The firſt in ſhew, he reſerves for God. The ſecond, for Angels and Saints in Heaven. The third (the Civil or Humane) he maketh uſe of, as an Argument to uphold the ſecond, which he calleth more then Civil; Thus; men civilly honour one another while they live ccIdem, ibid. cap. 12.on Earth: therefore Saints in Heaven muſt be honoured with more then that; No, nor with ſo much as that, as it any ways relateth to religious worſhip; Although we deny not, but that with a pious and precious commemoration of them and their vertues, they ought always to be honoured of us, even now they are in Heaven; This we grant and allow, a pious commemoration of them, but no adoration at all of the Saints in Heaven, do we allow; neither may we, under what name ſoever it be ſubtilly couched, p. 69to enſnare and entice men unto Idolatry; beſides, an Argument thus drawn from Civil worſhip, which is meerly humane, to eſtabliſh that which is meerly divine (as all Religious worſhip is, not admitting of magis and minus, more and leſs, though the Jeſuite without any warrant from the Word of truth, mince and part it into minorem divino, leſs then ddƲbi ſupra.Divine; and majorem civili, more then Civil) will not hold at all in Chriſt's School.

But let us hear the Jeſuites diſtinction, together with what the Fautors thereof ſay firſt, in their own Termes: and then ſee whether it hath any weight at all in it, or not, to grant that worſhip to any Creature, which our Saviour here, diſputing againſt Satan, abſolutely denyes to all. Now their Terms are theſe; Latria, Doulia, and eeBel. ubi ſupra. Joan. de Combis, Compend. Theol. lib 1. c. 58. Boskhi. Ara Coeli Conci. 22. Lodovic. Ʋives in Auguſt. lib. 10. de Civit. Dei, c. 1.Hyperdoulia. The firſt, the Latria, or Divine worſhip, they pretend, they reſerve unto God onelyonly; but in that they give any Religious worſhip at all to Creatures (as by their diſtinction it appears they doe) it is neither againſt ſound reaſon, nor ſacred Religion, to ſay (how fair ſoever their pretences be) that they reſerve none at all to God: who muſt have all, or elſe he accepts of none; All, whole and entire unto himſelf, or elſe he hath none at all unto himſelf.

The ſecond, the Doulia or Saint-worſhip, they reſerve onelyonly for Creatures: granting that to Saints which by our Saviour was here deny'd to Satan; wheras in the word of God, there is no difference at all between the one and the other, between the Latria and the ffDifferentia Latriae & Douliae & nulla est. Par. in cap. 1. ad Roma. v. 9. Feſt. Hom. diſput. 35. adver. ſus Pontifici. Theſ. 1.Doulia; as will appear afterwards; And becauſe among holy Creatures, the humanity of our Saviour doth ſingularly excel, for that it is inſeparably united to the Perſon of the Word; and further, becauſe the Mother of God (foreign) the bleſſed Virgin far exceedeth other Saints; this Doulia or Saint-worſhip, they ſubdivide again into Doulia, properly ſo called, as common to all Saints; and Hyperdoulia, more then Creature or Saint-worſhip, peculiar only to the bleſſed Virgin, and the humane Nature of Chriſt. Lo! theſe are the rotten branches of their own diſtinction, as touching Religious worſhip; and to whom in their judgement it belongeth; The Latria being ſeemingly given to God; the Doulia evidently given to Saints; and the Hyperdoulia really given to the bleſſed Virgin, and the humane Nature of our Saviour.

The Third is Civil and humane worſhip, proper only unto p. 70men alive; as to Parents, to Magiſtrates, to Wiſe men, to Learned men, &c. whom we ought civilly to honour, either for their relation excellent gifts and vertues imitable by us; or for their bounty and goodneſſe unto us: Such was the honour and reverence that Abraham gave the the Sons of Heth, in teſtimony of his thankfulneſſe for their kindneſſe towards him, in granting him a parcel of ground to bury his dead in; He ſtood up, and bowed himſelf to the people of the ggGen. 23.7, 12.Gen 23:7Gen 23:12Land: incurvavit ſe. Such meeting, after they had been deprived for the ſpace of twenty years at the leaſt, of each others company, Gen. 3 i. 38. He bowed himſelf unto the ground ſeven times, until he came neer unto his hhGen. 33.3.Gen 33:3brother. And ſuch alſo was the honour Joſeph's brethren gave unto him, when they fell down before his face, and ſaid, Behold, we are thy iiGen. 50.18.Gen 50:18ſervants: All civil worſhip, warrantable and approvable, all; provided that it be not any way ſowred with the Jeſuites kkBellar. ubi ſupra. ca. 11.leaven; who thence falſlly concludeth, that even creatures (the point in controverſie) are capable of religious worſhip (for ſuch it is they give them under the name of Doulia) becauſe Abraham bowed to the people of the Land where he then was; Jacob to Eſau; and his brethren to Joſeph: Unjuſtly therein condemning Calvin, whoſe Orthodox judgement was, that the actions of all theſe were but teſtimonies of Civil honour, reverence, and deportment, far from the guilt of any religious llInſtitut. lib. 1. cap. 12. Sect. 3.adoration; civil worſhip, then in teſtimony of ſuch honour, reverence, and thankefulneſs as is due to ſuch or ſuch rightly managed, this is every way juſtly allowable, and not at all condemned in the Text; wherefore laying aſide that (as not altogether pertinent to our preſent purpoſe) let us re-aſſume and view again the other part of the Jeſuits diſtinction, fairly ſet forth under the name of Latria, Doulia, and Hyperdoulia; and conſider what colour or ſhew of truth it carries with it: Surely none at all, it being invented and maintained meerly to give the Angels and Saints in Heaven, more then their due, as you have heard; and in the mean time to rob the God of Heaven of his whole due, in point of religious worſhip and adoration; for if we give part of this honour to Saints, and part unto himſelf, as the Church of Rome doth, he eſteems it p. 71as if we gave him none at all: My ſon, give me thy mmProv. 23.29.Prov 23:29heart; thy whole heart: So my ſon, worship the Lord thy God, and worship him only: but if thou worship Saints with the Doulia, which (though the Jeſuite would have it ſo) is no ways proper unto them; thou canſt not at all rightly worship God with the Latria; thou canſt not, becauſe both are his due (though the Jeſuite will not grant it) both the Doulia and the Latria: and hence it is that this diſtinction of the Romane party (though in favour as they pretend of Saints and Angels) is not without juſt cauſe by many of our modern and judicious Divines, quite exploded, and rightly branded with the name of a nnJuell againſt Harding of adoration of Images, Artic. 14. p. 381.ſimple, a counterfeit and ooFulke in his defence of the Engliſh Tranſlations of the Bible, ca. 19. p. 185.bold, a vain, ppPar. in cap. 12. ad Roman. dub. tert. p. 1230.an idle, and an halting qqBoys on the Goſpel, for the firſt Sunday in Lent. Calvin. inſtitut. lib. 1. ca. 12. Sect. 2.diſtinction; and that juſtly too, chiefly for two reaſons.

Firſt, Becauſe it hath not, no not the leaſt foundation at all (as it is made a diſtinction) in the holy word of rrPet. Martyr. loc. com. claſſ. 2. ca. 5. Sect. 13.God; neither was it ever heard of, either in the Apoſtles time, or among the Greek and Latine Fathers in the Primitive Church, until almoſt four hundred years after Chriſt; for (before the Romane faction was hatched) invented it was firſt by St. Auguſtine, who flouriſhed in the fourth Century; a man better ver'ſt in the Latin then in the Greek ſſIdem ibid. Sect. 12. Perk. problem. againſt worſhiping of Saints. Fulke on the Rhemiſh Teſtament, Mat. 4.10.Matt 4:10Tongue; yet indeed by him it was not, in that ſenſe as now it is made uſe of in the Church of Rome, to give the Doulia unto Saints: no; for that Father gave both unto God; to the Lord God; which they do not: the Latria he gave unto him as God; the Doulia, as ttQu. 94 ſuper Exod.Lord; to one and the ſame God both; and according to, his diſtinction, to Saints nothing: uſing it only to diſtinguiſh between religious worſhip, proper only unto the Lord our uuDe Civitat. dei lib. 10. ca. 1.God; and between civil worſhip, proper only unto men, not ſo much as dreaming then that any could ſuppoſe that religious worſhip was communicable unto creatures: No, the Chriſtian world was not ſo ſoon infected with that Idolatry; neither was this word (Doulia) abuſed then (as now it is) to Patronize it.

Secondly, That this diſtinction is but an halting one, appears alſo for another reaſon, and that is, becauſe theſe two words, foreign, and foreign (about which the whole controverſie ariſeth) p. 72are words uſed oftentimes promiſcuouſly, not only in Prophane writers; but alſo in the holy Scripture, to ſignifie one and the ſame, and not different things; there being only a verbal, not any reall, not any ſubſtantial difference at all between them, no more then there is between two Synonymas, as gladius and enſis; both ſignifying a wwFeſt Homm. diſput. 35. Theſ. 1. Par. in cap. 1. ad Rom. v. 9. & in cap. 12. dub. 3.Rom 5:9ſword; and if there be none other then a verbal difference between them, only in pronuntiation, not in ſignification, each or both expreſſing but one and the ſame thing, but one and the ſame religious worſhip, which is due unto the Lord our God only; then ſurely it cannot be, that any reall diſtinction ſhould be raiſed from them; no not though the Church (as the Jeſuite xxBellarm. ubi ſupra. ca. 14.granteth, meaning the Romiſh Church) divide and diſtinguiſh them; for no power hath man to put that aſunder, which God inſeparably hath joyned together.

Now that theſe two words do promiſcuouſly, and interchangeably ſignifie one and the ſame thing; and that 1. In prophane writers, the Jeſuite himſelf yyƲbi ſupra.confeſſeth, with others out of Suidas, Xenophon, Valla, aaLodovic. Vives in Auguſt. lib. 10 ca. 1. de Civitate Dei Pet. Martyr. ubi ſupra. Sect. 13. Muſcul. loc. com. de cultú Dei. Sect. 1. Pare. in cap. 12. ad Roman. Dub. 3. p. 1232. Perk. problem. p. 530. of worſhipping of Saints.Phavorinus. Nay 2. That even in the holy Scriptures alſo they are ſo uſed, ſometimes the one, ſometimes the other, and each mutually for one and the ſame religious worſhip, due unto God only, is moſt plain and manifeſt in both Teſtaments.

Firſt, In the Old: and that in many places; we will name but few; Thus; Ye ſhall ſerve the Lord your God, ſaith Moſes; Ye ſhall bbExod. 23.25.Exod 23:25ſerve: which the Greek Interpreters, from the Hebrew word (Abad or Avad, which ſignifies to ccPar. ubi ſupra. p. 1231.ſerve) render, foreign Again, Thou ſhalt ſerve the Lord thy ddDeut. 6.13.Deut 6:13God: foreign, and They put away the ſtrange Gods from among them, and ſerved the Lord; eeJudg. 10.16.Judg 10:16foreign. Again, the other word (foreign) is alſo uſed in the ſame ſenſe, notwithſtanding the ſame word (Abad) be the Originall as before; as, You ſhall ſerve the ffDeut. 13.4.Deut 13:4Lord; foreign, Serve the Lord with all your heart, 1 Sam. 12.20. foreign and ſerve the Lord with ggPſal. 2.11.Ps 2:11fear; rendred alſo by the ſame word, foreign: Now if one and the ſame Hebrew word (Abad) be rightly rendred by the Greek Tranſlators, ſometimes by foreign, and ſometimes by foreign; Nay, by the latter oftner then by the former, as touching that Service and Worſhip which is proper only unto God, an Argument undeniable certainly p. 73it is, that as theſe words, whether it be the Latria, or the Doulia, ſignifie both but one and the ſame thing; ſo alſo, that one and the ſame Worſhip meant thereby, is to be given to none other but to God only, and cannot by any means be communicable unto Creatures; Nay, even in the Books Apochryphal, which the Papiſts ſo much magnifie, the ſame word (their Doulia) whereby they expreſs their Saint, or creature-worſhip, is appropriated unto none but only unto God; as, O Lord, Let every Creature ſerve hhJudith. 16.17.Jdt 16:17thee; foreign; And my Son, If thou coms to ſerve the iiEcclus 2.1.Sir 2:1Lord foreign.

Secondly, The ſame is confirmed alſo in the New Teſtament; as Luke 2.36, 37. Anna the Propheteſs ſerved God; foreign. And ſaith Paul, After the way which they call Hereſie, ſo worſhip I the God of my kkActs 24.4.Acts 24:4Fathers; foreign. So to the Iſraelites belongs the ſervice of llRom. 9.4.Rom 9:4God, foreign; turn but the leaf, and preſently you ſhall find another word of the ſame ſenſe, expreſſing the ſame thing; as Act. 20.18, 19. I have been with you at all ſeaſons, ſerving the Lord; foreign. And he that in theſe things ſerveth mmRom. 14.18.Rom 14:18Chriſt; foreign. And again, ye ſerve the Lord nnCol. 3.24.Col 3:24Chriſt; foreign. Beſides Paul oftentimes calling himſelf the ſervant of Jeſus ooRom. 1.1. Phil. 1.1.Rom 1:1Phil 1:1Chriſt, expreſſeth it by foreign. 'Tis enough, the words though two in ſound, are but one in ſenſe; and therefore by this frivolous and unwarrantable diſtinction, there can be no ſure ground to entitle the Angels and Saints in Heaven to religious worſhip and adoration, God's peculiar due, to whom (as you have heard) both the Latria and the Doulia properly belongeth; and if that which is meant by both (both ſignifying but one and the ſame thing) be due unto God only, juſt cauſe there is that this diſtinction (that being thereby diſtinguiſhed, which in God's word is not diſtinguiſhable) ſhould be utterly rejected and exploded, as it is.

Neither is that other term of theirs (namely the Hyperdoulia, or more then Saint-worſhip) worthy of any better acceptance; for though under a plauſible pretence, invented it was at firſt, even to honour the humanity of our Saviour, and the perſon of his Mother, the bleſſed Virgin Mary, with religious adoration; yet in vain invented it was under that pretence, and to that end: In vain, becauſe the humane nature of Chriſt, ſimply conſidered in it ſelf, and without any relation at all to his Deity, is not p. 74God, but a meer ppAquin. ſumm. 3. pars. q. 25. Conclu. 1.creature; and therefore not to be worſhipped, not with the Latria, or God-worſhip, as the Jeſuite and his party themſelves confeſſe out of qqPet. Lumbard. 8. Intent. lib. 3. Diſtinct. 9. A.B. Alfonſ. … Caſtro lib. 2. adverſ. hareſ. in verbo, Adoratio. Aquin. ubi ſupra. concluſ. 2.Damaſcene: No, nor with the Hyperdoulia neither; for the rule is, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God: but the humane nature of Chriſt is not God; yet conſidered as it is united by an Hypoſtatical and perſonal union to his Deity, then with relation to whole Chriſt, God and man, God manifeſted in the fleſh; then as it ſo ſubſiſteth indiviſibly in one and the ſame perſon (without whom it never ſubſiſted) it is (we confeſſe) to be worſhipped with one and the ſame divine adoration, that is properly due unto the ſame divine perſon: So (as God and man in one perſon) his Diſciples worſhipped him, after his rrforeign Mat. 28.17.Matt 28:17reſurrection: So the wiſe men alſo that came from the Eaſt worſhipped him, Mat. 2.2, 11. Guided they were to Jeruſalem by a ſtar, in reſpect of their journey; but ſurely guided they were by the holy Spirit of God, in reſpect of their judgement: apprehending (no doubt) ſomewhat divine in him, which is the object of religious worſhip, due to God only; as preheminency is of civil worſhip, due unto man: foreign; they fell down and worſhipped him; him, whole Chriſt; but his manhood, ſingle and apart, ſurely neither worſhipped; neither his Diſciples, nor the Wiſe men: And as for his bleſſed Mother, that pure Virgin, the laſt mention we hear of her in holy Scripture, was that of her Son unto her concerning John, Woman, behold thy ſſJohn 19.26.John 19:26Son; woman, bleſſed ſhe was among women, even by the Angel's ttLuke 1.28.Luke 1:28teſtimony, while ſhe was on Earth; and no doubt is moſt bleſſed among Saints now ſhe is in Heaven: Yet becauſe ſhe is a creature, ſhe is not to be honoured with divine adoration: ſhe is not; So Epiphanius fully concerning this uuLib. 3. Haeres cap. 79. cited by Perkins in his Reformed Catholick, and by De Pilkington in his Parallela. Contr. 7.matter; Let none (ſaith he) adore Mary, who is holy and honoured, yet not to adoration: And God would not have the Angels to be adored, much leſs the bleſſed Virgin; whom her Son a little before his death, called woman, that none too too much admiring her holineſs, might fall into Hereſie and Idolatry. Whereof that the Church of Rome is wilfully guilty, both their vain diſtinction of Doulia, Saint-worſhip; and Hyperdoulia, more then Saint-worſhip: and their practical doctrine thereupon makes clear and evident. But let us return again to our Saviour's anſwer here to the Divel tempting him, to fall p. 75down and worſhip him; No, ſaith our Saviour, for, It is written, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve, v. 9.10. Which (let the Divel, or any whom he hath deluded ſay what they will) poſitively excludes all creatures, how eminent ſoever, from any, even the leaſt claim to religious worſhip and adoration; and (as a learned writer wwDe Fulke on the Rhemiſh Teſtament. Luke 4.8.Luke 4:8ſaith) may as rightly be alledged againſt the Church of Antichriſt, for adoring creatures; as it was by our Saviour, againſt the Divel himſelf; who required nothing of him, but only the foreign a falling down unto him, and that not as unto God, but as to ſome excellent xxCalvin, Inſtitut. lib. 1. cap. 12. Sect. 3.creature; and conſequently nothing elſe required he of him, but that doulia (a term then not invented) which the Papiſts now ſo boldly give unto Saints and Angels; yet even that was utterly denied unto him by our Saviour: Neither was any more offered to the Angel by John; or to Peter by yyIdem ibid.Cornelius; or to Paul and Barnabas, by the ſuperſtitious multitude at Lyſtra; yet neither the one nor the other would any ways accept of what was offered, becauſe they well underſtood that God's due only; a falling down, and worſhipping, was not at all, under any pretence whatſoever, due unto them, who were but creatures; and becauſe not due, though offered it was unto them, yet was it not accepted by them; though Satan (not ignorant that it was not due unto him, even for that reaſon, becauſe he was a creature) impudently required it, and would as willingly have accepted it, had not our Saviour with indignation rejected him, and made him underſtand, that it was not due unto him; ſaying, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve.

Lo! thus was Satan again repulſed by our Saviour, with It is written; and thus repulſed again, then he leaveth him, v. 10. And 'twas high time to leave him then, when he found it not ſafe for himſelf to tempt any more; either to turn ſtones into bread; or to caſt himſelf down from the Pinacle of the Temple; or to fall down and worſhip him: which as it was of all the laſt, ſo was it of all the moſt impudenteſt temptation: Like the Natural motion, which is the moſt vehement in the end. Then the Divel leaveth him: That is, then he ceaſed to tempt any longer, becauſe he clearly perceived that it was but in vain to tempt him any longer; pugnat non aaAuguſt in 1 Epiſt. Johan. cap. 2.expugnat; knowing that p. 76his labour was but loſt to ſtrive with him, who in every Temptation was too mighty for him. Then he leaveth him; or as it is Luke 4.13. When the Divel had ended all the Temptation, he departed from our Saviour for a ſeaſon. Lo! He leaveth him; he departed from him: Words they are (we confeſſe) noting a Ceſſation on the Divels part, in reſpect of his tempting; but no way doth it note any ſlow pace in reſpect of his departing, after he had ended the Temptation: No; for if his motion be fitly compared unto flying, when he is reſiſted by a Saint, as St. James ſaith, Reſiſt the Divel, and he will flee from you, 4.7. He will flee; much more (no doubt) did he now flee, when he was reſiſted by a Saviour; as 'twas time for Cataline to flee, when he was rebuked by the Senate; abiit, exceſſit, erupit, evaſit. Solinus relateth ſtrange things of the ſwiftneſs of one Philippides, and Philonides, two in favour with Alexander the great, for their haſty ſpeed in bbPolyhiſt. cap. 6. p. 53.running: But 'tis no ſtrange thing to hear that Satan is ſwifter then all. I beheld Satan, ſaith our Saviour, after his Goſpel began to be preached, I beheld him as lightning fall from ccLuke 10.18.Luke 10:18Heaven: As lightning; now lightning, we know is as ſoon vaniſhed as ſeen; and as ſoon was Satan here vaniſhed, as ſharply reprehended; Get thee hence Satan. Yet probably in this his great haſte, after he had left our Saviour, he ſtayed in this place, and that place, to ſalute ſome by the way, that acquainting them with his ill ſucceſſe, in the fore-mentioned Temptations, and with his deſire of revenge for that ill ſucceſſe, he might ſubtilly infuſe his poyſon into their hearts, as he did, and make them fit inſtruments to aſſiſt him another way, and at another time, who then left our Saviour, and departed from him but for a ſeaſon. And ſuch as he then ſaluted by the way, notwithſtanding his great ſpeed (we will ſuppoſe) were beſides many other, the malitious Jews, the proud Scribes and Phariſees, the chief Prieſt, and Elders of the people, Judas, the falſe witneſſes, Herod, Caiphas, Pontius Pilate, with the ſcoffing and bloudy Souldiers; who (within three years afterwards) inſtigated thereunto (as his Seconds) by the malice of the now raging Divel, ſo furiouſly aſſaulted our Saviour (not by tempting, but by conſpiring againſt him, by betraying him, by reviling him, by ſ…itting on him, by buffeting him, by ſcourging him, by condemning him) that at laſt they p. 77brought him to his death; which in their purpoſe was wholly to cut him out of the Land of the living, and utterly deſtroy him; but in God's purpoſe it was far otherwiſe, even to raiſe him from death again, and highly exalt him, as he did by his glorious reſurrection: whereby he was declared to be the Son of ddRom 1.4.Rom 1:4God; and the conqueror of Satan: and farther Gods purpoſe alſo herein was (though neither the Divel, nor the obſtinate Jews, who had no ſhare nor part therein, would acknowledge it) even that his Son's grief and ſorrows ſhould procure our joy; that his wounds and bruiſes, and ſtripes, ſhould procure our healing; that his ſufferings, ſhould promote his Churches ſalvation; and that his death ſhould become their life; as it eeMoritur Chriſtus, non ut perdat brevem vitam, ſed ut conferat ſempiternam, &c. Fulgent. Serm. de Epiphan. p. 656. & ca. 8. de Incarnat. & gratia Chrifti, p. 715.did. So that even in this alſo, Satan and all his Hell-infected Inſtruments, had the total overthrow, and were wholly fruſtrated of their wicked deſigns and purpoſes, when our Saviour, both for himſelf and choſen, obtained a Triumphant victory over Hell and them. But we are ſpeaking now of the Divels behaviour, after he had been thrice conquered by our Saviour (before he entred on his Miniſtry) both in the Wilderneſs, on the Pinacle of the Temple, and on an exceeding high Mountain; thus when he found himſelf too too weak to prevail againſt him (not willing to deſiſt, until he was out of all hope of victory) then he leaveth him.

Then; And (had we no other proof for it, yet) this leaving, and departing then, in reſpect of Satan, was a manifeſt ſign that our Saviour then had obtained a ſignal victory over ffPrecedit Tentatio, ut ſequatur victoria Hieron. in Mat. 4. v. 11.Matt 4:11Satan; beſides what he gained afterwards by his death and reſurrection. When that bloudy Battel was fought between Caeſar and Pompey, in the Theſſalian (Pharſalian fields) one Cornelius (a man skilful in Heatheniſh Divination) though at that time far remote from either Army, ſaid, even on that very day that the Battel was fought between them, that he ſaw the miſerable ſtate of the whole Camp on both ſides; and that (after ſundry hot, violent, and bloudly aſſaults on each ſide) ſome yielded, ſome fled, ſome were wounded, and many ſlain; ſuddenly crying out at laſt (as it came to paſſe) that Caeſar was the ggSubito exclamavit, Caeſarem viciſſe. Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. lib. 15. cap. 18.Conqueror. But there was no need of any ſuch divination here, to foretell who ſhould get the victory: No; for even the departing of Satan from our Saviour, and his leaving him, was a ſufficient argument that he was then triumphantly conquered by him: And this happy victory p. 78of our Saviour over Satan, was the bleſſed event and iſſue of his three-fold Conflict and continued Combate with Satan, which then had an end; when Conquered by him, he departed from him; that being then fulfilled which our Saviour ſaid of himſelf afterwards, The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in hhJohn 14.30.John 14:30me: no power over me. And what Caeſar once ſaid of his own ſpeedy victories, veni, vidi, vici; I came, I ſaw, I iiSueton. in vita C.J. Caeſaris. cap. 18.overcame; may far more truly be ſaid here of our Saviour's againſt Satan; for 'tis plain, that by the powerful motion of the holy Spirit, he came into the Wilderneſs, and to other places, there he ſaw his, and our Adverſary, Satan, and there (in every place) he ſoon conquered him whom he ſaw; and being moſt victoriouſly conquered, then he leaveth him. God grant that he may alſo always leave us, who care no more for his company, then our Saviour here did, when he ſaid unto him, Get thee hence Satan; Get thee hence; dictum, factum; and he leaveth him; Exit. And at this time, in reſpect of his Tempting, we will ſpeak no more of Satan; who ſo ſoon as he was departed from our Saviour, Behold, Angels came and miniſtred unto him, v. 11.

**Angels miniſter to our Saviour.Behold! And indeed wonderful ſtrange it is, to conſider what a change here is wrought on a ſuddain; but even now, though not under the power, yet under the temptation he was of Satan; but lo! preſently exempted and delivered he was from all the malice and Temptation of Satan; and delivered, Behold, Angels came and miniſtred unto him.

Behold! Surely 'tis worth a noting, that though heavineſs may endure for a night, yet joy cometh in the kkPſal. 30.5.Ps 30:5morning: Though the rain deſcend, the floods come, the winds blow, yet er'e long a calm will come; though Satan for a time be let looſe, and ſuffered to tempt us, yet the time will come when the violence of his Temptations ſhall be abated, and have an end.—Deus dabit his quoque finem: As here it beſel our Saviour; whoſe caſe is the caſe of his whole Church; the Divel roareth and rageth againſt both, but he ſhall prevail againſt neither; The gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt llMatth. 16.18.Matt 16:18them: but in our greateſt extremities, in our greateſt agonies, in our greateſt Temptations, heavenly aſſiſtance, heavenly help and comfort ſhall come, when there is moſt need, moſt want of it, as here; the Divel having left our Saviour, Behold, Angels came and miniſtred unto him. p. 79Behold! to him they miniſtred, who before had faſted forty days and forty nights in the Wilderneſs, and afterwards was an hungred. To him that was there with the wilde mmMark 1.13.Mark 1:13beaſts, ſolitary and alone, deſtitute for a time of all humane help and company. To him that was there tempted of the Divel: To him that was carried from the Wilderneſs to the Pinacle of the Temple at Jeruſalem; and from thence to an exceeding high Mountain: carried from one place to another, and that by Satan; who tempted him 1. To doubt of his Father's all-ſufficient providence over him. 2. Raſhly to neglect the ordinary means, ſubordinate to his promiſed protection. 3. Flatly to deny his Father, and Idolize him; fall down and worſhip me. Behold! at laſt, Angels came and miniſtred unto him; who for a time was then, and would be wholly deprived of their wonted Miniſtry.

Angels came: Not earthly, but heavenly creatures: Spirits immaterial and nnHook. Eccl. polit. lib. 1. Sect. 4. p. 9. Skeib. ler. Metaphyſ. de Angelis. lib. 2. cap. 4. titul. 2. ex Damaſceno.intellectual; the glorious Inhabitants of thoſe ſacred Palaces, where nothing but light and immortality; no ſhadow of matter for tears, diſcontentments, griefs and uncomfortable paſſions to work upon; but all joy, tranquility and peace, even for ever and ever do dwell.

Angels came: The good Angels; here, as without number, ſo without name; who came not to miniſter to our Saviour, till the bad Angell, that ooRev. 9.11.Rev 9:11Abadon was gone; more deteſting at that time to be there where the Divell was, then John the Evangeliſt did to be in the ſame Bath wherein the Heretick ppIren. adverſ. haereſ. lib. 3. cap. 3. C.Cerinthus was.

Angels came: Angels, in the plural number. Lo! One bad Angell was ſuffered to tempt our Saviour; but many good Angels were ſent to miniſter unto him. Whence our comfort is, that they be more that are with us, then they that be againſt us; as Eliſha ſometimes ſaid to his trembling ſervant, in another qq2 Kings 6.15, 16.2 Kgs 6:152 Kgs 6:16Caſe.

Angels came: And probably they were the very ſame, who not long before pitched their Tents round about him, when he was ſolemnly baptized of John in Jordan; that was their office then, to miniſter unto him when he was baptized; but no miniſtring unto him, by them would God now ſuffer, while he was tempted; and in each Temptation became victorious. And the reaſon might be, leaſt that glorious victory obtained over the p. 80Divel (which was wholly his own) might by men, be in part aſcribed unto them; had they at that time, while the Duell continued, miniſtred unto him. As Moſes, when he wrote what God created in the beginning, Gen. 1. would not ſo much as mention the creation of Angels, leaſt men ſhould conceive that he had uſed their miniſtry in the production of his omnipotent works in the beginning: for that cauſe the creation of Angels is concealed there, and the miniſtry of Angels for a time ſuſpended here. For that cauſe; that our Creator might not be robbed of his glory by a miſconſtruction of the one; nor our Redeemer robbed of his, by a miſinterpretation of the other. But now when the Temptation was fully ended, and the Conqueſt on our Saviour's part fully obtained (there being not the leaſt ground at all left, why any creature ſhould preſume to engroſs any part of the honour of that victory, as due unto themſelves) now thoſe glorious Spirits were commanded to do him ſervice again, as they had done before; and commanded they obey. Behold, Angels came and miniſtred unto him.

Angels miniſtred unto him: Miniſtred not onelyonly food and ſuſtenance unto him (if they did that) after his long-faſting, as was done by the hand of an Angel to rr1 Kings 19.5, 6.1 Kgs 19:51 Kgs 19:6Elias, in the like caſe; but (no doubt) they alſo miniſtred comfort unto him; and there was cauſe for it, becauſe (as man) he was then in moſt need of comfort, even when he was but newly eſcaped from the ſnares and temptations of Satan; and cauſe there was for Angels then (men were not fit to do it) to miniſter comfort unto him; as at another time one of that heavenly hoſt did; when being in a great agony; an Angel moſt opportunely appeared unto him from ſſLuke 22.43.Luke 22:43Heaven, ſtrengthning him: Nay, I ſee no cauſe why I may not alſo ſafely affirm, that part of this Angelical ſervice and miniſtry was ſpent at that time in congratulating his late and happy victory; and in ſinging an Euchariſtical foreign a ſong of praiſe and thankſgiving to his Father, for delivering his Son from the Temptations of Satan. When the Iſraelites had eſcaped out of the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, there was joy and thankſgiving for that; Then ſang Moſes and the children of Iſrael this ſong unto the Lord, and ttExod. 15.1.Exod 15:1ſaid, &c. At another time, when they were delivered from the Tyranny of Ja…in King of Canaan, and Siſera, the Captain of his Hoſt, p. 81Judg. 4. there was joy and thankſgiving for that; Then ſang Deborah, and Barak the ſon of Ali…am, on that day, ſaying, Praiſe ye the Lord, for the avenging of uuJudg. 5.1, 2, &c.Judg 5:1Judg 5:2Iſrael. When David (after the death of his ſon Abſalon) was delivered from the hands of all his enemies round about him, there was alſo joy and thankſgiving for that; And David ſpake unto the Lord the words of this ſong, in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies, and cut of the hands of ww2 Sam. 22.1, &c.2 Sam 22:1Saul. And can we think that our Saviour was delivered out of the hands of Satan, a far more potent Adverſary, then either Saul or Siſera, or Jabin, or Pharaoh, or all? can we conceive (I ſay) that this was done without an Euchariſtical ſong of praiſe and thankſgiving unto God? Surely no, it was not; and who were ſo fit to do it as Angels, that holy and heavenly Quire? who in multitudes together, magnified the Father for the birth of his Son; ſaying, Glory be to God on xxLuke 2.13.Luke 2:13high: All heavenly Hallelu-jah's being moſt properly ſet to their melodious voice; which is, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hoſts; the whole earth is full of his yyIſa. 6.3.Isa 6:3glory: And John in his viſion, heard the Angels about the Throne, cry out with a loud voice, ſaying, Worthy is the Lamb to receive honour and glory, and aaRev. 5.11, 12.Rev 5:11Rev 5:12praiſe Lo! the work of praiſe and thankſgiving all; and all at other times performed by the holy Angels. Therefore David putting them in mind, not of their duty, which they always remember, but of the conſtant and continual delight they have in praiſing God, which they never forget, ſaith, O praiſe the Lord, ye Angels of bbPſal. 103.10.Ps 103:10his; which they continually do; and then in particular did, when h…re (praiſing God for Satans overthrow, and our Saviour's victory) they came and miniſtred unto him.

They miniſtred unto him; And therein they did but that for which they were Created; even to be miniſtring Spirits: to be God's meſſengers from Heaven to Fa…th; and again from Earth to Heaven, between him and his Church, before his Son's Incarnation; afterwards between him and his Son (the head preſuppoſeth the body alſo) whole he was here on Earth; and now (our Saviour being bodily abſent, and the Angels having no more to do for him on Earth in this matter, as touching his own Perſon) Miniſtring Spirits, they ſtill are, and ſhall be between p. 82God and his **Angels miniſter unto Saints.Saints, ſo long as they ſhall remain here, even to the worlds end, as it hath been ever, even from the beginning; ſurely ſo it is; and that it is ſo the Apoſtle plainly proves, ſaying, They are all miniſtring Spirits, ſent forth to miniſter for them who ſhall be heirs of ccHeb. 1.14.Heb 1:14ſalvation. Lo! the Angels work is to miniſter, as here they did to our Saviour, and ſtill do to us: Lo! they themſelves are the Sons of God by ddJob 38.7.Job 38:7creation: and 'tis moſt proper for ſuch to take care of, and diligently watch over thoſe that are his ſons by grace and adoption; which (that their miniſtry may never ceaſe) they carefully do, and will do; and that both while they live; when they die; and alſo after they are dead: While we live, the holy Angels are appointed to protect and defend us, both from corporal and ſpiritual dangers; The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth ccPſal. 34.7.Ps 34:7them. When we die, they ſhall carry our ſouls, as they did the ſoul of Lazarus into Abrahams boſome, into ffLuke 16.22.Luke 16:22heavens; and at the laſt day, when the general reſurrection ſhall come (though our bodies have long before been reſolved into their firſt principles) the ſon of man ſhall ſend his Angels with a great ſound of a trumpet, and they ſhall gather together his Elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven, to ggMatth. 24.31.Matt 24:31another: So ſacred are even their very aſhes unto him; and the dead in Chriſt (in the faith of Chriſt) ſhall riſe hhTheſ. 4.16.firſt, that they firſt may be glorified both in ſoul and body, before the reprobates be in both eternally puniſhed. Lo! God never forgets his Church, thoſe that ſhall be heirs of ſalvation; God never forgets them; not in their life; not in their death; no, nor after death neither; and therefore the holy Angels ſhall never forget their office; which is to miniſter for the ſpiritual and eternal good of all thoſe that ſhall be ſaved; and that they ſhall never ceaſe to miniſter unto us, an argument it is, in that they here came, and miniſtred unto our Saviour; their diligent attendance on the head, while he was on earth, is our full aſſurance, that they will never fail to take care of the body while it is on earth: Myſtically the body is the Church; the whole company of all true believers through the whole world; Chriſt alone is their head; the Angels really came and miniſtred unto him; and aſſuredly they will come, and upon all occaſions (as God ſhall ſee it beſt for us and our ſalvation) as really miniſter unto us, till we ſhall all be like them in heaven.

p. 83But'tis now time to make an end; and well may the lamp fail, when the oyl is ſpent; the Temptation is ended; and the Expoſition is ended; the ſum whereof is briefly this; our Saviour (led up of the Spirit into the Wilderneſſe) was thrice tempted of the Divel, after he had faſted forty days and forty nights; and the Divel likewiſe was as often conquered by our Saviour, with the ſword of the Spirit, It is written; and thus conquered, he leaveth him; but not until our Saviour with indignation ſent him away; Get thee hence Satan: And thus in fury diſmiſſed and ſpeedily gone, the good Angels (not willing at all to defile themſelves with the Divels company) came and miniſtred unto him: Miniſtred comfort unto our Saviour, who ſo lately had ſo many conflicts with Satan; and their miniſtring unto him, concludes by an argument drawn from the greater to the leſſe, that they are alſo appointed of God, to miniſter unto us; and that they are appointed of God to miniſter unto us, unto thoſe that ſhall be heirs of ſalvation, is moſt true, and comfortable.

Firſt, Moſt true it is, or elſe the Book of truth hath failed me, for do but ask the Queſtion, whether this doctrine be true or not, and preſently God's word will reſolve us to the full, in the Affirmative: As, who delivered righteous Lot from the rage and fury of the vicious Sodomites? iiGen. 19.15, 16.Gen 19:15Gen 19:16Angels. Who brought the welcome meſſage to Abraham, that Sarah his Wife ſhould bear a ſon; that meſſage including a promiſe of a Saviour; and that promiſe manifeſting God's favour to Abraham? kkGen. 18.10.Gen 18:10Angels. Who comforted Jacob when he fled from the face of his brother Eſau? llGen. 32.1, 2, &c.Gen 32:1Gen 32:2Angels. Who reſtrained the natural heat of the fire, when Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego were in the furnace, ſeven times more hot then it was wont to mmDan. 3.19, 28.Dan 3:19Dan 3:28be? Who ſhut the hungry Lions mouths when Daniel was in the Den? God by his nnDan. 6.22.Dan 6:22Angel. Who warned Joſeph in a dream to take the young child (Jeſus) and his mother, and flee into Egypt from the cruelty of Herod? An ooMatth. 2.13.Matt 2:13Angel: who at that time, even in that alſo, miniſtred unto our Saviour; as many Angels now did, when he was newly releaſed from Satan. Who opened the priſon doors, and brought forth all the Apoſtles at one time, perſecuted for preaching in the name of ppActs 5.19.Acts 5:19Jeſus? Who delivered Peter out of the hands of qqActs 12.7.Acts 12:7Herod? Who comforted Paul p. 84with a promiſe of ſecure ſafety in his dangerous voyage to Rome, at another time? An Angel: The Lord by an rrActs 27.23.Acts 27:23Angel. Now as there is the ſame God ſtill, ſo (no doubt) when there is cauſe, there is the ſame miniſtry of Angels ſtill, commanded by the ſame God to guard and protect us; a truth which none but a Divell will impugne, can deny.

Secondly, Moſt comfortable it is; and to thoſe only that ſhall be heirs of ſalvation, moſt comfortable it is; 'twas ſo to Abraham, who had the happineſſe to receive Angels into his ſſGen. 18.5, &c.Gen 18:5houſe; 'twas ſo to Lot, who alſo had the ſame happineſſe, Gen. 193. 'twas ſo to Manoah the Father of ttJudg. 13.15.Judg 13:15Sampſon; 'twas a comfort unto them that they received Angel into their houſes, knowing they were ſuch as bare good will unto them; and that they were (God appointing it to be ſo) and would be their Guardians to protect them, in any time of trouble; the conſideration whereof ſhould alſo be a comfort unto us; who (though we now receive them not into our houſes viſibly, as they did) yet if we truly ſerve the Lord our God, we have a promiſe that we ſhall never be left deſtitute of their help and protection, as they never were; He ſhall give his Angels charge over uuPſal. 91.11.Ps 91:11thee; and they who by God's appointment have a particular charge over us, will never fail (when God ſendeth them forth) to be watchfully preſent with us, though to the outward eye not diſcernable. Some put their truſt in Chariots, and ſome in horſes, but we will remember the name of the Lord our wwPſal. 20.7.Ps 20:7God. We will remember him with joy and thankefulneſſe, with all comfort and cheerfulneſs; becauſe he never forgetteth us; but as he inſtructeth us by his word, ſanctifieth us by his ſpirit, ſaveth us by his Son; ſo alſo in the way to that end, he moſt powerfully defends us, and moſt graciouſly miniſters unto us, by his holy Angels; whereof we reioyce. Jacob in his dream ſaw them aſcending and xxGen. 28.12.Gen 28:12deſcending; that right motion noting what their dayly office is, even always to come down from God to man; and (when their work is done on earth) to return from man again to God in Heaven; and all for the good of man; and who hears of this, and is not comforted with this? When the wiſe men that came from the Eaſt, ſaw the Star Stand…ver the houſe where the young Child was, they rejoyced with exceeding great yyMatth. 2.10.Matt 2:10joy. And ſurely if we rightly conſider that the Angels p. 85of God, commanded to watch over us, all our life long, and keep us in all our ways, ſtand oftentimes (though now inviſible) over our houſe, nay, in our houſe, if we belong unto him, we alſo have juſt cauſe to rejoyce with exceeding great joy; all is but this; God hath ſeveral ways to bring us unto himſelf; one whereof is, by the miniſtry of Angels; who as their duty was came and miniſtred unto our Saviour; and as their office is, will in all times of need miniſter unto us; and becauſe all is for our good, all ſhould alſo be for our comfort: But above all, let all be for the glory of God, the Creator of Angels; to whom let us always give praiſe, both with heart and tongue, even in the Angels own words of thankſgiving, Glory be to God in the aaLuke 2.14.Luke 2:14higheſt; who though he hath made us lower then the Angels, yet (when we want it, and he ſeeth it moſt expedient for us) hath vouchſafed us for our comfort the never failing ſervice of Angels. But more of this in the Sermon following.