Part 151

Thus is the tempter foiled in the first onset; but he hath other arrows in his quiver, with which he will farther strive to wound the immaculate Lamb of GOD. Since he cannot draw him in either to distrust, or despair, he will now try if he cannot prevail on him to presume. In order to effect this, “He taketh the blessed JESUS up into the Holy City,” or _Jerusalem_, called by our Saviour, the city of the Great King, and here called holy, because the holy temple was in it, and, we would hope, many holy people. This was a populous place, and therefore, would greatly befriend the devil’s design. And not only so, but “he setteth him on a pinnacle,” a battlement or wing, “of the temple,” the top of which was so very high, that, as _Josephus_ observes, it would make a man’s head run giddy to look down from it. And some think this was done at the time of public worship. How the holy JESUS suffered himself to be taken hither; whether he was transported through the air, or whether he followed Satan on foot, is uncertain; but certainly it was an instance of amazing condescension in our LORD, that he should permit so foul a fiend, to carry or lead his holy body about in this manner. Well! Satan hath now gotten him upon the pinnacle of the temple, and still harping upon his old string, “If thou be the Son of GOD, (says he) cast thyself down,” and thereby shew to this large worshipping assembly, (who will assuredly then believe) that thou art GOD’s beloved Son, under the special protection of heaven, and art that Messiah, “who was to come into the world.” This was artful, very artful. But he seems to improve in cunning: for he brings his Bible with him, and backs his temptation with a text of scripture; “For it is written, (says he) he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” But is _Saul_ also among the prophets? Does the devil quote scripture, yea, and seemingly such a very apposite one too? I suspect some design, without doubt: for herein, he would mimic our LORD, who, he perceived, intended to fight him with this weapon; and not liking the sharp edge of it, he thought that if he quoted scripture, the LORD JESUS would not employ it against him any more. “It is written, (therefore said he) he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone: and therefore, since thou art sure of such protection, thou needst not fear to cast thyself down.” This was plausible, and by the length of it, one would be apt to imagine, it was a fair quotation; but Satan takes care, not only to misapply, but also to maim it, purposely omitting these important words, “in all thy ways.” It is true, GOD had given charge to his angels, concerning his children in general, and his beloved Son in particular, that they should keep him in all his ways; but, if our LORD had at this time, at the devil’s request, and to gratify pride, thrown himself down from the pinnacle, and thereby unnecessarily presumed on his Father’s protection, he would not have been in GOD’s way, and therefore, would have had no right to the promised protection at all. Satan was aware of this, and therefore slily left out what he knew would not suit his purpose. But is scripture the worse, for being abused or perverted by the devil, or his emissaries? No, in no wise. Our LORD, therefore, lets him know, that he should not throw aside this important weapon upon this account, but puts by this home thrust, with another scripture: “It is written _again_, Thou shalt not tempt the LORD thy GOD.” Still our LORD quotes something out of the book of _Deuteronomy_, and hath his eye upon _Israel_ in his wilderness state. Originally these words were directed to the _Israelites_ in general, and accordingly are in the plural number; but here our LORD, as before, makes a particular application of them to himself: Satan bids him cast himself down, assuring him, GOD had promised in his word, to order his angels to take care of him: Now, says our LORD, “It is written in another part of his word, that the _Israelites_ should not tempt the LORD their GOD, by distrusting his goodness on the one hand, or presuming on his protection on the other: And, therefore, as I would not command the stones to be made bread, needlessly and distrustfully set up to provide for myself; neither will I now presume unnecessarily upon GOD’s power, by casting myself down, though placed by thee in such a dangerous situation.”