1 Then Jesus was led up of the spirit iuto the wilderness to be tempted of the de%dl.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was after- ward an hundred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro- ceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto hiin, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it is written. He shall give his angels charge concerning thee : and in iheir
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is writ- ten again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Agaiu, the devil taketh iiim up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them ;
9 And saith unto himj All these things v;-ill I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him. Get thee hence, Satan : for it is vsritten, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
! 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered I unto him.
The first event in our Lord's ministry which St. Matthew records after His baptism, is His temptation. This is a deep and mysterious subject. There is much in the history of it which we cannot explain. But there lie on the face of the history plain practical lessons, to which we shall do well to take heed.
Let us learn in the first place, luliat a real and mighty enemy we have in the devil. He is not afraid to assault even the Lord Jesus Himself. Three times overhe attacks God's own Son. Our Saviour was '^ tempted of the devil."
It was the devil who brought sin into the world at the
MATTHEW, CHAr. IV. 25
beginning. This is lie, who vexed Job, deceived David, and gave Peter a heavy fall. This is he, whom the Bible calls a "murderer," a " liar," and a " roaring lion." This is he, whoso enmity to our souls never slumbers and never sleeps. This is he, who for nearly 6000 years has been working at one work, to ruin men and women, and draw them to hell. This is he, whose cunning and subtlety pass man's un- derstanding, and who often appears " an angel of light."
Let us all watch and pray daily against his devices. There is no enemy worse than an enemy who is never seen and never dies, who is near to us wherever we live, and goes with us wherever we go. Not least let us beware of that levity and jesting about the devil, vv^hich is so unhappily common. Let us remember every day, that if we would be saved, we must not only crucify the flesh, and overcome the w^orld, but also " resist the devil."
Let us learn in the next place, that ice must not count temptation a strange thing, " The disciple is not greater than his master, nor the servant than his lord." If Satan came to Christ, he will also come to Christians.
It would be well for all believers, if they would remem- ber this. They are too apt to forget it. They often find evil thoughts arising within their minds, which they can truly say they hate. Doubts, questions, and sinful ima- ginings are suggested to them, against w^hich their whole inward man revolts. But let not these things destroy their peace, and rob them of their comforts. Let them remember 'there is a devil, and not be surprised to find him near them. To be temj^ted is in itself no sin. It is the yielding to the temptation, and giving it a place in our hearts, which we must fear.
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