[2.] How is this access to Christ said to be after his fasting, when, in Luke iv. 2, it is said, * Being forty days tempted of the devil, and in those days he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, he afterward hungered ' ?
270 Christ's temptation. jER.IL
I answer — (1.) Some conceive that the devil tempted Christ all the forty days, but then he tempted him invisibly, as he doth other men, striving to inject sinful suggestions ; but he could find nothing in him to work upon : John xiv. 30. But at forty days' end he taketh another course, and appeareth visibly in the shape of an angel of light. He saith he came to him, most solemnly and industriously to tempt him. This opinion is probable.
(2.) It may be answered, Luke's speech must be understood: 'Being forty days in the wilderness, and in those days he did eat nothing, and was tempted ; ' that is, those days being ended. There is, by a prolepsis, some little inversion of the order. But because of Mark i. 13, where it is said, ' He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts,' take the former answer.
II. The proposal of the temptation, ' If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.' Certainly every tempta- tion of the devil tendeth to sin. Now where is the sin of this ? If Christ had turned stones into bread, and declared himself by this miracle to be the Son of God, there seemeth to be no such evil in this. Like miracles he did upon other occasions ; as turning water into wine at a marriage feast, multiplying the loaves in the distribu- 'tion for feeding the multitude. Here was no curiosity ; the fact seemed to be necessary to supply his hunger. Here is no superfluity urged — into bread, not dainties or occasions of wantonness, but bread for his necessary sustenance. I answer, Notwithstanding all this fair appearance, yet this first assault which is propounded by Satan was very sore and grievous.
1. Because manifold sins are implied in it, and there are many temptations combined in this one assault."
[1.] In that Christ, who was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to fast, and so to be tempted, must now break his fast and work a miracle at Satan's direction. The contest between God and the devil is, who shall be sovereign ? therefore it was not meet that Christ should follow the devil's advice, and do anything at his command and suggestion.
[2.] That Christ should doubt of that voice that he heard from heaven at his baptism, ' Thou art my beloved Son ; ' and the devil Cometh, ' If thou be the Son of God.' That it should anew be put to trial by some extraordinary work, whether it were true or no, or he should believe it, yea or no. No temptation so sore, no dart so poison- able, as that which tendeth to the questioning of the grounds of faith ; as this did the love of God, so lately spoken of him. Therefore this is one of the sharpest arrows that could come out of Satan's bow.
[3.] It tendeth to weaken his confidence in the care and love of God's fatherly providence : being now afflicted with hunger in a desert place, where no supply of food could be had, Satan would draw him to suspect and doubt of his Father's providence, as if it were in- compatible to be the Son of God and to be left destitute of means to supply his hunger, and therefore must take some extraordinary course of his own to furnish himself.
[4.] It tended to put him upon an action of vainglory, by working
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a miracle before the devil, to show his power; as all needless actions are but a vain ostentation.
2. Because it was in itself a puzzling and perplexing proposal, not without inconveniences on both sides, whichsoever of the extremes our Lord should choose ; whether he did, or did not, what the tempter suggested. If he did, he might seem to doubt of the truth of the oracle, by which he was declared to be the Son of God, or to distrust God's providence, or to give way to a vain ostentation of his own power. If he did not, he seemed to be wanting, in not providing necessary food for his sustentation when it was in his power to do so ; and it seemed to be unreasonable to hide that which it concerned all to know, to wit, that he was the Son of God. And it seemeth grievous to hear others suspicious concerning ourselves, when it is in our power easily to refute them ; such provocations can hardly be borne by the most modest spirits. This temptation was again put upon Christ on the cross : Mat. xxvii. 40, ' If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.' But all is to be done at God's direction, and as it becometh our obedience to him, and respect to his glory. Satan and his instruments will be satisfied with no proofs of principles of faith, but such as he and they will prescribe, and which cannot be given without entrenching upon our obedience to God, and those counsels which he hath wisely laid for his own glory. And if God's children be surprised with such a disposition, it argueth so far the influ- ence of Satan upon them, namely, when they will not believe but upon their own terms : as Thomas, John xx. 25, ' Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.' If wc will not accept of the graces of faith as offered by God, but will interpose conditions of our own prescribing, we make a snare to ourselves. God may in^ condescension to a weak believer grant what was his fault to seek, as he doth afterwards to Thomas, ver. 27 ; but there is no reason he should grant it to the devil, he being a malicious and incorrigible spirit, coming temptingly to ask it.