Thirdly, observe. In tempting, Satan pretendeth to help the tempted
Mat. IV. 2-4.] Christ's temptation. 275
party to a better condition ; as here he seemeth careful to have bread provided for Christ at his need, yea, pretendeth respect to liis glory, and to have him manifest himself to be the Son of God, by such a miracle as he prescribeth. This seeming tenderness, counselling Christ to support his life and health, was the snare laid for him. Thus he dealt with our first parents : he seeketh to w^eaken the repu- tation of God's love and kindness to man, and to breed in the woman's mind a good opinion of himself That his suggestions might make the greater impression upon her, he manageth all his discourse with her, that all the advice which he seemeth to give her proceeded of his love and good affection towards her and her husband, ])retending a more than ordinary desire and care of man's good. Gen. iii. 5, as if he could direct him how to become a match for God himself. So still he dealeth with us ; for alas I otherwise ' in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any bird,' Prov. i. 17. He covereth the snare laid for man's destruction with a fair pretence of love to advance man to a greater happiness, and so pretendeth the good of those whom he meaneth wholly to destroy. He enticeth the covetous with dishonest gain, which at length proveth a real loss : the sensual with vain pleasures, which at length prove the greatest pain to body and soul : the am- bitious with honours, which really tend to their disgrace. Always trust God, but disbelieve the devil, who promoteth man's destruction under a pretence of his good and happiness. How can Satan and his instruments ])ut us upon anything that is really good for us ?
Fourthly, That Satan's first temptations are more plausible. He doth not at first dash come with ' fall down and worship me ; ' but only pretendeth a respect to Christ's refection, and a demonstration of his sonship. Few or none are so desperate at first as to leap into hell at the first dash, therefore the devil beginneth with the least temptations. First men begin with less evils, play about the brink of hell : a man at first taketh a liking to company, afterwards he doth a little enlarge himself into some haunts and merry meetings with his companions, then entereth into a confederacy in evil, till he hath brought utter ruin upon himself, and what was honest friendship at first proveth wicked company and sure destruction at last. At first a man playeth for recreation, then ventureth a shilling or two, afterwards, by the witchery of gaming, off goeth all sense of thrift, honesty, and credit. At first a man dispenseth with himself in some duty, then his dispen- sation groweth into a settled toleration, and God is cast out of his closet, and his heart groweth dead, dry, and sapless. There is no stop in sin, it is of a multiplying nature, and we go on from one degree to another ; and a little lust sets open the door for a greater, as the lesser sticks set the greater on fire.
Fifthly, There is no way to defeat Satan's temptations but by a sound belief of God's all-sufficiency, and the nothingness of the creature.
[1.] A sound belief of, and a dependence on, God's all-sufficiency: Gen. xvii. 1, ' I am the Almighty God ; walk before me, and be thou perfect.' We need not warp, nor run to our shifts, he is enough to help to defend or reward us ; he can help us without means, though there be no supply in the view of sense, or full heaps in our own
276 Christ's temptation. [See. Ill,
keeping. God knoweth when we know not: 2 Pet, ii. 9, ' The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations,' &c., or by con- trary means, curing the eyes with spittle and clay. He can make a little means go far. As he blessed the pulse to the captive children, Dan. i. 15, and made the widow's barrel of meal and cruse of oil to hold out, 1 Kings xvii, 14, and his filling and feeding five thousand with a few barley loaves and a few fishes. Mat. xiv, 21 ; on the other side he can make abundance unprofitable : Luke xii. 15, ' A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.' No means can avail unless God giveth his blessing ; therefore we should not distrust his providence, nor attempt anything without God's warrant, lest we offend him, and provoke him to withdraw his blessing.
[2.] The nothingness of the creature : ' Not by bread alone.' It is nothing by way of comparison with God, nothing by way of exclusion of God, nothing in opposition to God. It should be nothing in our esteem, so far as it would be something separate from God, or in co- ordination with God : Isa, xl. 17, ' AH nations before him are as nothing, less than nothing and vanity;' Job vi. 21, 'Now ye are nothing.' All friends cannot help, our foes cannot hurt us, not the greatest of either kind : Isa. xxxiv. 12, ' All her princes shall be nothing.' In regard of the effects which the world promiseth to its deluded lovers, all is as nothing; not only that it can do nothing to our needy souls to relieve us from the burden of sin, nothing towards the quiet and true peace of our wounded consciences, nothing to our acceptance with God, nothing for strength against corruptions and temptations, nothing at the hour of death ; but it can do nothing for us during life, nothing to relieve and satisfy us in the world without God. Therefore God is still to be owned and trusted