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Job 3. 23.

Job 4.5.

Job 9. 16.

The Reasons of Satans tempting the Afflicted are thefe. First, That outward Afflictions are a load and burthen; this gives a probability, that his defigns may the better take place. Tis eafy to overthrow thofe that are bowed down, to break those that are bruifed, to master thofe that are weary and weakbanded.

Secondly, An Afflicted Eftate is a Temptation of it felf, and naturally dictates evil things. It is half of his defign brought to his hand, it affords variety of matter for a Temptation to work

on.

Thirdly, Such a Condition ftrongly backs a Temptation, and furnifheth many Arguments for a prevalency; for Troubles are ferious things, they fpeak to the Heart, and what they speak, they fpeak fiercely; they reprefent things otherwife, than common difcovery can do, and for the moft part, they fhew an Ingenuity in multiplying Fears, and aggravating Hazard, and afcertaining fufpected Events, so that Satan can scarce defire a fairer Hit, than what thefe offer him.

Fourthly, They also give him the advantage of darkneß; for to fuch, their way is hid,and God hath hedged them in, they neither know where they are; whether their trouble by a chaftifement of Sin, or for Tryal, or for prevention of miscarriage, or to make way for more comfortable manifeftations; and as little know they how to behave themselves in their Trouble; or how and when to get out of it. In fuch groping uncertainties, 'tis fcarce poffible, but they. fhould be put wrong.

Fifthly, An Afflicted condition brings on weakness and Indispofition to duty, it makes the hands weak, and the Knees feeble; This made Job to faint, this dryed up Davids Strength. The firft Affault of an Affliction doth stound the Soul, and put it into fuch a confufion, that hope turns back, and Faith is to feek, and every Grace fo out of order, that a man fhall be unable to do any thing of duty, in a comfortable manner.

Sixthly, In this cafe Men are apt to conclude their Prayers are not heard: I cry in the day time and thou beareft not, fays David. Hath the Lord forgotten to be Gracious? And with fuch feeming probability is this urged upon us by Affliction, that Job profeffeth, he could not believe his own Sence and Knowledg in fuch a cafe. If I had called, and he had answered me, yet would I not believe that be bad bearkened unto my Voice.

Seventhly,

Seventhly, Afflictions ftrongly fix Guilt upon us, and repre

fent God Searching out our Iniquities, and Enquiring after our Job 10.6.

Sin.

Eightly, They Imbitter the Spirit, and beget Impreffions upon the mind,of very hard thoughts of God.

Ninthly, They violently push Men on to speak unadvisedly: there is fuch a fwelling Ferment of the old leaven of Impatience and Diftruft in the Mind, that 'tis matter of pain and difficulty to

be filent,their belly is as Wine that hath no vent; It is ready to burst like Job 32. 19. New Bottles'; and they are weary with forbearing,and cannot fray, and must speak let come on them what will.

All these advantages doth an Afflicted Condition bring to Satan; and who can think that he who is fo Studious of our ruine, will be willing to mifs, fo fair an opportunity?

First, This must teach us to have a watchful Eye over Affliction, though at all times we must expect Satans Stratagems, yet in Troubles especially prepare for them; according to the wife Mans advice, in a day of adverfity, confider.

Secondly, Seeing Satan takes advantage of the sharp humours of Impatience and Diftruft, we must be particularly careful, not to touch too much upon the harshneß of our Troubles, because this is that that fets fretting and distracting thoughts on work. Afflictions (like the Pillar of the Cloud and Fire in the Wilderness) have a Light and Darkneß, and accordingly thefe that converse * with the dark fide of Troubles, Invenome their Imaginations, and Poyfon their Thoughts with dark and hideous conclufions, and in a word, draw forth nothing but the Wormwood and the Gall, whereas thofe that Study and view the light fide of them, are full of praise and admiration, for the gracious mixtures, comfortable mitigations, encouraging Supports, &c. which they obferve. 'Tis Wifdom then to keep upon the right fide of them.

Though it be the defign of God to turn the dark fide of the Cloud to us; Yetmay we have a competent Light to guide us, if we would improve it; when the Sun is fet, the Moon may be up. Nay 'tis our duty to ftrive to recover the right fide of the Cloud; He hides that we may feek.

If this Fast of Chrifts be confider'd as a remedy againft Temptations, then may we obferve; That Solemn Temptations are to be refifted with Faftings and Prayer. Of this I fhall forbear to speak,till I come to speak of Chrifts answer, and the repulfe of Satan.

E 2

CHAP.

Applic. 1.

MATTH. 4. 3.

And when the Tempter came to him, he faid, If thou be the Son of God, command that thefe Stones be made Bread.

CHAP. VI.

That Chrifts Temptations were real and not in Vision; that Temptation is Satans imployment, with the Evidences and Inftances thereof. Of Satans tempting Visibly, with the Reasons thereof.

N

Ext follows a particular Account of thofe, more Eminent Temptations wherewith Chrift was Affaulted by Satan. before I fpeak of thefe, I muft neceffarily remove this StumblingBlock out of the way, (viz.) whether Chrift was really tempted,. or only in a Vifion. That this was but vifionary, hath been fupHobs Levia pofed; not only by fome, whofe conceits in other things, might shan c. 45. p. juftly render their Suppofals in this matter lefs worthy of a ferious. confideration. But alfo by very grave and ferious men, whose reasons notwithstanding are not of that weight, as to fway us against the Letter and History of thefe Temptations: which give us a full account of these things as really tranfacted, without the leaft. hint of understanding them as done only in a Vifion. For,

3546

Calvin.
Scultetus.

Texefon.

Hobs Creed.

Exam. F.65..

Firft, 'Tis a dangerous thing to depart from the literal Senfe of what is hiftorically related; If we take fuch a Liberty, we may as well understand other Hiftorical Paffages after the fame rate,and fo bring the Hiftory not only of Chrifts Suffering to a visionary and. Rhantaftical Crofs, but alfo of all the new Teftament to a very nothing.

Secondly

Secondly, The Circumstances of the Temptation are fo particularly fet down as the Devils coming to him, leaving him, taking him to the Temple, &c. That if we may expect in any thing to fecure our felves from a vifionary Suppofition, we may do it in this Spanhem dub.. History.

Thirdly,This Imagination doth wholly enervate and make void the very end and defign of Chrifts being tempted: for where were the Glory of this Victory over Satan,if it were only a vifionary Temptation, and a visionary Conqueft? or where were the comfort and encouragement which Believers (from the Apostles Authority, Heb. 2.18.& 4.16.) might reap from this, that Chrift imagined him.felf to be tempted, when really he was not fo? Nay how impoffible is it, to make that expreffion of the Apoftle, [he was tempted in all. points like as we are,] to agree to an imaginary Temptation? except we also fay, that we are only tempted vifionarily and not really?

Evan, in loc.

Non mirum eft
Chriftum pre-

Fourthly, Neither is it a plea of any value against this Truth, that it seems to derogate too much from the Honour and Authority, of our Saviour, that Satan fhould fo impudently affault him,with Temptations to worship him, and should carry him at pleasure from mififfe fe cirplace to place; when we find that he voluntarily fubmitted to cumduci a Dihigher Indignities from Satans Inftruments, and turned not away his abolo, qui perCheek from those that smote him, fpit upon him,and contumelioufly bris fuis Cru mocked him, and at last submitted to Death, even the death of the cifigi. Croß.

As for thofe Objections from Tepúzovieps, the Pinacle of the Temple,upon which Scultetus thinks it was impoffible for Christ to ftand; As alfo the Objection of the impoffibility to fhew the King--doms of the World from any Mountain: I fhall answer them in their proper place, in the mean time I fhall return to the Verse in hand, in which I fhall first pitch upon the general proemium, or Introduction to thefe fpecial Temptations, which is this, The Tempter came to him.

In this we are to take notice of the Name given to Satan, and alfo the Way and Manner of the Affault, in that Exprettion, he. came to him.

ons.

There are three diftinct Names given to him in thefe Temptati(1.) His Name Satan, fhews his Malice and Fury, which is the Ground and Fountain whence all that Trouble proceeds, which we meet with from him. (2.) He is filed the Tempter and

thats

mifit fe aMem

Gregorius.

Obf. I.

Art. 2.

Homines in

that fignifies to us, how he puts forth this Malice, his Way and
Exercife, in the exerting of it. (3.) He is called the Devil or
Accufer, expreffing thereby the End and Iffue of all. From this
Name then here given, we may observe,

First, That it is Satans Work and Imployment to tempt Men. We need not here Difpute, whether it be proper to Satan to tempt, that is, an foli, & femper competat, whether it agree to him only, and Aquinas Sum, always, which fome indeed affirm in fuch a Senfe as this, that Part 1. Q114. Men do tempt Men as Satans Inftruments, the World tempts as it is the Object, and Matter of Temptations, but Satan tempts as the ftrumentaliter, proper Author and Engineer of Temptations. Others there are Mundus mate that think, that Men can, and do properly tempt themselves,accordrialiter, Sata- ing to Jam. 1. Every Man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his nas efficienter. own Luft; But the Question is altogether needlefs as to us, though we and others may be true and proper Tempters, yet this hindereth not but that it is moft true, that Satan makes Temptation his very Work and Bufiness. And therefore not only here, but in 1 Thef. 3. 5. The Devil is defcribed by his Imployment; Left by any means the Tempter (or he that tempteth) bath tempted you: which the ordinary Gloß doth thus explain, Diabolus, cuius eft Officium tentare. This Name then is put upon Satan wal gov by way of Eminency. Implying (1.) That though there be never fo many Tempters, yet Satan is the chief. (2.) That he makes Temptation his proper. Imployment.

Sclater on

1 Thef. 3. 5.

That Satan doth fo, I fhall evidence by these few Notes.

First, Temptation is in it felf a Business and Work For if we confider either the Work of any one Temptation (where Satan is oft put to it, after Suggestion to perfwade, and after perfwafion to inftigate and provoke ;) or if we confider what Furniture, Tools, Means, and Inftruments are requifite, and what it may cost to bring all things together into fit order and method; or if we think of the various ways and manners of temptation; That fome are mediate, fome immediate, fome inward, fome outward; fome moveable, fome fixed and folemn; fome inticements to Evil,fome affrightments from Duty, others invafions of our peace and joy; or laftly, if we call to mind, what Study, what Art, what fetches and contrivances the Devil is fometimes put upon, we fhall eafily fee, that it keeps him doing, and that he eats not the bread of Idleness that hath that Imployment to follow.

Secondly,

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