The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 123

the inscrutable myst.ery of the union of the Divine and human natures. We know that in his early youth he was continually advancing in wisdom. His mind unfolded itself gradually; perhaps the conception of the mystery of his Being, the wondrous memories of the glory which be bad with the Father before the world was, the know- ledge of his sacred mission, of his blessed office, dawned little by little on bis holy human soul. Now be had reached his thirtieth year; be was in the full strength of manhood, bodily and iutellectua~ be had received an august consecration, He was declared by the heavenly voice to be the beloved Son of God; the holy Dove had revealed him to the Baptist as the Christ, desceadiag upon him with a message of peace from God to man, as, ages before, the dove had brought to the ark the welcome tokea that the wrath of God had passed away. He was "full of the Holy Ghost," strengthened for his work by that sacred Presence, as afterwards he was strengthened by the angel in his awful agony. But great joy is often followed by great sorrow; very high spiritual experiences are often succeeded by seasons of peculiar temptation. It was so with Christ the Lord; it is so with advanced Christians now, The abundant grace vouchsafed unto them, the felt presence of the Holy Spirit, is granted to prepare them for the coming trials. '!'hey are strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man, that they may be able to bear themselves maufully in the dread conflict, and to win the victory through his assisting grace. 2. The wilderness. The Spirit led him thither; it may be, to the dreary solitudes ol Quarantana; it may be, to the rocks of Sinai. There was need of lonely meditation, of sustained prayer, of solitary preparation for his momentous task. Such an episode of solemn calm occurred in the lives of Moses, of Elijah, of St. Paul. Such an episode was interposed now between the wondrous manifestations of the Divine Presence and the hurry of hard, wearying labour that was to follow. The Lord was made like unto us. In his perfect humanity he needed, as we do, time for quiet thought, time to collect himself, to bro.ea himself for the coming trials, to realize the great change that was at hand, the strange con- trast between the life that was coming, crowded with works of power and labours of love, and the peaceful seclusion of Nazareth which was now for ever past. We need our quiet days, time for recollection, self-examination, and solemn thought. We must find time for meditation, if we are to advance far in the spiritual life. The Spirit led our Lord into the wilderness; the Spirit leads us from time to time to retirement for solitary de,otionnl. exercises. 3. The tempter. (1) The tempter found our Lord in the wilderness. SoEtude bas its dangers, as well as busy life. The hermits, who in old times used to retire from the busy haunts of men, had their own peculiar trials. They could in some degree escape from outward temptations; they could not escap~ from their own thoughts, their own sinful hearts, the power and allurements of the evil one. 'fheir temptations were different, but to the full as great as those of active life. Pro- bably the danger was greater; for God did not create us for the wilderness, for solitude; he has given us work to do for him. That work commonly lies in the world, among men. Work is a necessity for 118. It was a curse; it becomes a blessing if it is performed in faith and loving obedience. Work is e. great safeguard agair.st tempta- tion. Without work the thoucrhts run wild; often they wander into sinful fancies; often, turned always inward, they become morbid and unnatural. Solitude is good sometimes, for a while; but it should be an episode in a life of active work for God. (2) The Lord was absolutely pure and holy. No sinful thought ever arose in his sacred heart; in his case there could be no temptation from within. But Satan tempted him. The temptations came from without, from the direct agency of t~e evil spirit. '!'hey did not harm him; they glanced off from the clear surface of his holy soul. But they were real temptations. He hurigered, as we do; be bad all our natural longings for food, for rest, for other objects of human desire. The suggestions of the wicked spirit solicited liim., harassed him; he felt the appetite, the rising desire. Dut he crushed it down by the streogth of a holy will. He set us an example; he over~ came Satan for us. (3) The 8pirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted.. It was part of his humiliation, part of his suffering, part of his redeeming work. It was neceseary that he should learn, by his own experience in his sinless human ne.t~re, the bitter trials of t€mptation; that, having himself suffered being tempted, he mrght be able to succour them that are tempted; that we might have the help of his Divine 11ym1>atby in our temptations. It was necessary for our salvation that he should in cm. 1v. 1-25.] 'rHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 113