6 And faith unto him , IF thou be the Sg «; God, calt thy felt down :. for it is written, He thay give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they 1hall bear thee up, leſt at any time they dath thy foot againit a ſtone.
Betore the Devil had Tempred cur Lord ro Diffdence «+ Diſtruſt in God's Providence, and the uſe of Means not allowed by God to ſupply himfelt : Here he Tempts him to an wary ans, ble Preſumption , and Confidence of , and concerning the Divine Pie. tedion. In rhe tormer Temprat!on, the Devil uled no Scripture: bur having been repelled in chat Ailaulr, by the Sword of the $i. rit, which is the Word of God , Eph.6.17. he here takes up — {ame Weapon : The thing to which the Tempter ſoliciceth _s Saviour, was the throwing himſelf down from a Precipice 5 a Tenn; .. tion 1n Effect, ro deſtroy himſelt, ( which is one of thoſe Fiery Darts, which he commcnly throwerh at the People of God. i their hours of Melancholy, or undergreat Pretfures of Affidtion, but the uſual Argument which he uteth to them, is, Deliver ”_ from their Terrors, the preventing of Wanr, or avoiding Shame, The Argument he uſeth to our Lord is quite of another Natur the ſpecial Prote&ion of God, promiſed ro God's People, Pal. 51 V. 11, 12, Herein he transtormerh himſelf into an 4rgel of Lich according to 2 Cor. 11.14, and lets us know, Thar Truch may be abuſed to the Patronage of Lies; and thar there is no Hock mgro dangerous ro the Members of Chriſt, chan rhat which is baited with Scripture miſ-intcrpreted, and mil-apphed : Which Holy yrir always 1s, when it is fo interpreted, or 1o applicd as ro be made an Argument to fin. This Porcion of Holy writ 1s both; 1, x17, cited, and, 2. As ill applied. In che Quoration, the Tcmpter lea our thoſe Words, | in oll thy Ways. ] This was none of cur Saviour's Ways; he had no Ca#, no Warrant from God to decline tne Stirs by which he might have gone dovn , and to thruy himfelt down. God j1ad never promiſed , nor cver eiven ary; the Protetion cf Angels, in ſinful and forbidden Ways, 2, He mij-applieth this Text , uſing it not to inftru&, bur ro deceive; dividing berwixt Man's Duty , and God's Providence ; making this Word a Promite ro be tulfilled upon Chriſt's neglc& cf }: Duty ; extending the Promiſe of /pecial Providence, as to Danzer inco which men voluntarily throw themſelves : Putting Go upon working Miracles ro declare Chriſt ro be his Son, where there was no need, and of which there was no ufe : Mocking our Saviour's true uſe of Scnpture, with Scripture abuſed, and many other ways; but he had ro do with one nor ignorant of his devices. | |
7 Jeſus ſaid unto him, It is written again, Thou ſhalt not tempt rhe Lord thy God.
This 1s written , Deut. 6. 16, To make an undye, and ws: rantable Trial of God, is to Tempt God;, whether the Trial reſpedh Pſal. 78.18. Iſa. 7.12. chap. 16.1. By this Anſiver Chril is the Devil know that he abuſed Scripture in his Quotation of t Such a caſting of himſelt down, when he had a plain way to ba down by the Stairs, would not have been an AG of Fiith, hr Preſumpriom ;, not a Truſting God upon his Word, bur a Temitir: of God, expreſly contrary to his Command, Der. 6. 16. Wo
8 Again, the Devil taketh him up into an exceed: ing high Mountain, and {hewerh him all che Kin: doms of the World, and the Glory ot them. : 9 And ſaith unto him, All theſe things wiill giv thee, if thou wilt tall down and worſhip me.
This in the third Temptation , by which the Tempter ſolu our $.rviour to fin, and ct all other the moſt Impudenr. For what can be more Impudenr, than for che Creature to expet an #0 maze © him, trom him who was his Creator. Wl:at 361: this was, and how our Szviour was ren vp into if, are hin not revealed, and »f very little concern for us to know. Tie Texr reils us It was exceeding high, yer not high enough , tron whence one Kingdom could be feen , in the extent of it, It ! taeretore moſt probable, that Dr. Lizhtfot judseth moſt rruis, That the Devil, being the Prince of the Power of rhe Air, firmed Airy FErizon before the Eyes of Chris, Cirrying ſich Poingous ard Glorious appearance of Kingdoms , St.ites, and Foyalties in the Eco it, as if he had feen thoſe very Kingdoms and States indeed, Sic things the Devil can do, and doth do, by condeniating tic Air firſt,chen ſhaping, and figuring, and laſtly fo colouring it, 1." ic may repreſent what he intendeth. Al! Theſe things be jr fed to give our Saviour , if he would Fall down cond Wor \hio /Mi's The fame eminent Perſon well obſerves, that what Tuk? cs 1Worſhirping before the Devil , Matthew cails Wer ſhipping the Pri and concludes ſolidly , That if to Wirſhip before the Devil, (21 Wirfhip tne Devil, Worſhipping before an Tmage ( as the Papi, 6) miuSt be Worſhipping the Image. "ro hi
The Devil here arrogates ro Im ſelf, whar was God's alone to give; and ſuch ordinarily are it Devil's Promiſes, of things, as to which he hath go Power to 147 fil what he Promiſeth,
10 Then faith Jeſus unto him, Get thee hence. , Satan: for it is written, * Thou ſhalt worſhip ths Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve.
As this was of all the three the moſt impudent Temprario!, fo cur Lord receivech ir with the higheſt Dereſtarion , 113't5 Get thee hence, Satan / By which words, he doth nct cn!y ſhe" t11s Dereſtation of this Temptation , but ajfo chides him cf 75m E any furcher Tempring him. The Senſe is, Satan, I know 0 8”
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3 of GOC Je; / p P..4 is 1| Coxpuy > Command of God, Dex. 6. 13. and 10. 20. It 1> allo obſervable, © cur SavICUr CPPoIetn Os tg the Devil's words, cy meorv nr "ws wt, If thou falling down wilt Worjhip me ; aud TTFOTE :
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