36 MATTHEW, IV. 1. [l28G.
Christ's temptation.
Matt. iv. 1. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilder- ness to he tempted of the devil.
THE agency of Satan in the affairs of man cannot be doubted by any one who really believes the repre- sentations given us in the inspired volume. His great employment from the very first has been to seduce men to sin. And from the success wliich he obtained over our first parents in Paradise, he is said by our Lord to have been " a murderer from the beginning ^" Even our blessed Lord himself did he assault, in the hope of prevailing against him, and of thereby de- feating the great ends and purposes for which he was sent into the world. This, in the counsels of the Most High, was permitted, in order that that great adversary of God and man, who liad been the means of introducing sin into the world, might be himself con- founded ; and man, his wretched victim, be rescued from his dominion. I say, this conflict was permitted by God himself: for we are told in my text, that " Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."
To unfold to you this mysterious transaction, I shall, L Consider it in all its leading circumstances — H. Shew what interest we have in it —
The first thing to be noticed is the seaso/i which Satan chose for making his assaults on our blessed Lord —
[It wa.s, in part, a season of peculiar elation, and, in part a season of more than ordinary depression.
Our Lord's Messiahship had just before been audibly attested by a voice from heaven ; " This is my beloved Son, in wliom I am well pleased^" Now this would appear to us the most unfit season that could be imagined, since by such a testimony as had been given him, our Lord's mind, so to speak, w ould be doubly fortified against every temptation. But Satan knew, that exalted enjoyments are apt to put us off our guard ; as David had evinced; " In my prosperity I said, I shall never
^ John viii. 44. b Matt. iii. 17.
1286.1 Christ's temptation. 37
be moved : Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong*^." Accordingly he is wont to embrace all such opportunities of assaulting man. It was when Paul had been caught up into the third heavens, that Satan buffeted him with more than ordinary force '^. And he actually vanquished Peter immediately after the highest honour had been conferred upon him''. It should seem that Satan particularly availed himself of the occasion now afforded him, because he founded his temptations upon the testimony itself: "If thou be the Son of God," do so and so.
To counterbalance this testimony, our Lord had now been left forty days without food : and consequently, it seemed as if he were neglected by his heavenly Father. Satan therefore took advantage of this circumstance to urge upon our Lord yet more strongly the expediency of dissipating without delay the doubt which the occasion suggested, and the expediency of giving to the world some satisfactory proof of his Messiahship. It was in the absence of her husband that he had prevailed against Eve ; and he hoped to prevail against Jesus also, now that his heavenly Father had in appearance withdrawn him- self from him. Thus, whether our Lord was in a state of light and joy, or of darkness and distress, Satan hoped to make his condition the means of forwarding the object which he had in view.]
The particular siiggestlojis whereby Satan tempted our Lord must next be distinctly stated —
[The period allotted for this conflict being now come nearly to a close, Satan renewed with still greater energy the assaults which had more or less been made on our Lord during all the days of his temptation. He tempted our Lord, to a distrustful questioning of his Fatliers care. Both Moses and Elijah, the one the giver, and the other the restorer, of the law, had fasted forty days : and it seemed good to Almighty God, that Jesus, when introducing a new dispensation, should fast in like manner, and for the same period of time. But Satan strove to impress our Lord with the thought, that he was forsaken by his heavenly Father, and that it was therefore expedient for him to relieve his own wants, by " commanding the stones to be made bread." This, however, as casting a reflection on his heavenly Father, Jesus would on no account do. Indeed, without the Father's blessing, no such supply would be of any avail. Tliis our Lord shewed from the Scrip- tures of truth, wherein it is said, " Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of