MATTH. 4. 5. Then the Devil taketh him up into the Holy City, and fetteth him on the Pinacle of the Temple. CHA P. XIII. The preparation to the fecond Temptation. Of his Nimble nefs to catch Advantages from our Answers to Temptati on. That Satan carried Chrift in the Air. Of his Power to moleft the Bodies of God's Children. How little the fuppofed Holiness of places priviledgeth us from Satan. Of Satan's Policy in feeming to countenance imaginary Defences. Of his pretended Flight in fuch cafes, with the reasons of that Policy. Of his improving a Temptation to ferve feveral ends. I Omit Chrift's Anfwer to the firft Temptation at present (purpofing to handle his Anfwers to all the Temptations together.) And now the fecond Temptation is before us, in which, firft, I fhall obferve a few things in Satan's preparation to the Temptation, which takes in (1.) the time, (2.) the manner of his carrying him, (3.) the Place where he acted it. Firft, for the Time, That is noted in the word [then:] which (1.) points at the immediate Succeffion of this to the former Affault. The Evangelift Luke puts this Temptation last, but he only had respect to the substance of the Temptation, in his Narration; not regarding the order of them, which Matthew hath punctually obferved, as appears by his clofe connecting of them, with the Particles,Then and Again, ver. 5, 8. Befides, whofoever fhall confider, that in the firft, Satan tempted Chrift to diftruft, (which he re Obf. I. Obf. 2. pelled, by telling him that it was his duty (in the failure of outward means) to rely upon Divine Providence, feeing Man lives not by Bread alone, &c.) he will fee fo much of connection in the matter of the Temptations, that he will eafily perfwade himself that the second place belongs to this, for this is but (as it were) a fit and pertinent reply to Chrift's refufal; as if Satan had faid, Since thou wilt rely upon the Help and Providence of God, in an extraordinary way of working, give an Experiment of that, by cafting thy felf down, which thou mayft with greater confidence do, because be bath promifed an extraordinary help, and hath given his Angels charge concerning thee, &c. Hence Obferve, That Satan is not difcouraged eafily, nor doth he always defift upon the first repulfe, but frequently renews the Affault,when he is strongly and refolutely refifted. This word [then] doth alfo (2.) tell us of Satan's Nimblene in catching a prefent advantage for a new Temptation from Chrift's Anfwer, he declared his truft in Providence, this he prefently lays hold on, as a fit opportunity to tempt him to prefumption. Here note, That when Satan is upon any defign, if an occafional advantage occur, from our way of refufal, he will not let it flip, but improves it to what it may lead to, though it be contrary to that which he was firft labouring for. This was the Policy which Benhadad's Servants used in their addrefs to Abab, 1 Kings 20. 33. the Men did diligently obferve whether any thing would come from him, and did haftily catch it : If any thing come from us, we are under his Temptation, he is diligent to obferve it, and profecutes it accordingly; which may ferve to fatisfy the wonder that fome have, concerning the contra riety in the Temptations to which they are urged. They admire how it comes to pass that their Temptations fhould fo fuddenly alter, that when Satan seems to be fo intent upon one defign, he fhould fo quickly change, and urge them prefently to a different, or contrary thing; but they may know that the Devil watcheth the Wind, and spreads his Sayl according to the advantage which arifeth from our answer or repulle. So that if we would but plow with our own Heifer, and obferve our frame of Spirit, we ihould easily find out this Riddle. For as it is in difputings and arguings of Men, Replies beget new matter for Answer, and fo do they multiply one anothers thus are Temptations altered and multiplyed, tiplyed, and out of the Afbes of one affault repelled another doth The fecond Circumftance of preparation is, Satan's taking him up, and Setting him on the Temple. That this was not a vifionary or an imaginary thing hath been proved before. Yet granting it to have been real, (as in truth it deems to have been) it is difputed what was the Modus, the way and manner of it. Some think this Spanhem, dub. was no more than Chrift's voluntary following of Satan, who Evan, in loc. guided and conducted the way; partly because the words, παραλαμβάνειν and ἄγειν, are in Scripture accomodated to a Mans taking of any as a Companion under his guide, and conduct of the way, and to a difpofal of them in any kind of station. Thus, where 'tis faid, Jofeph took Mary, and the young Child to go to Mat. 2. 13. Egypt, the fame word is ufed: and when Chrift tells his Difciples, that they shall bring the Afs and the Colt which they should Mat. 22. 2. find tyed; the fame word which expreffeth Chrift's being fet on: the Temple, is there used. Partly also, they think it below the Dignity of Chrift to be thus violently hurried. Others think that Satan was permitted to take up the Body of Chrift, and by his Power to have conveyed him in the Air, And indeed the whole feries of the Narration, with all the Circumstances thereof are evident for it. The distances of places, the quickness and speediness of the removals, the more proper applica tions of the words, taking and setting, to Satan as the actor, and the declaration of his Power therein, as able to do great things; these make the matter so clear, that it seems to be an unnatural forcing of the Text, to give it any other Interpretation. Befides, the former opinion of Satans taking of Chrift, asa Manuductor or Guide, feems every way unreasonable: for if Chrift only followed Satan, then it must have been either by a Land Journey on foot, or in the Air. This latter it could not be; for if Chrift had fupported himself in the Air by his own Power, he had anticipated the Temptation, and it would have been folly and madnefs for Satan. to have urged him to fly in the Air, after fuch an evidence of his Power; and who can imagine that Chrift followed Satan on Foot from the Wilderness to the Temple, or that his access to the roof of the Temple was fo cafy, in fuch a way when the Temple was always fo ftrictly Guarded? Note hence, That Satan is fometime permitted to exercise his Power upon the Bodies of thofe that are dear to God. That he hath Power to carry. M 2 the Obf. 3. the Bodies of Men in the Air, is fufficiently confirmed by what he Equitatio cum doth frequently to Witches, who are ufually carried (if we can Diana aut He- give any credit to the Stories that are writ of them) in the Air, rodiade. to places far remote from their dwellings. And that this Power is permitted him upon others, than fuch as are in compact with him, is as evident from what is teftifyed of those, whofe forward curiofity hath led to imitate Witches in their Anointings, who have thereupon been conveyed after them to their Affemblies, and when the Company hath been suddenly difmiffed, they have been found many Miles diftant from their dwellings; fuch instances we have in Bodin, and among other things, that of Domina Roffa Bodin, p. 147. mentioned by him, whom Satan would fometime bind to a Tree, fometime to a Table, or to a Beds-foot, or to a Manger fometime one hand bound to another, the Devil thus molested her from eight years old, a long time. This Power of conveying Persons New-Cafle. in the Air, is not ufual, yet there are fome in this place, that have known one frequently molefted by Satan at this rate. However, if we take notice of his Power, to abuse the bodies of Holy Perfons more generally, we fhall find it frequent. Mary Magdelen was poffeffed, Chrift mentions a Daughter of Abraham bowed down by him many years; Job was filled with Botches and Sores; and there are many Difeafes wherein Satan hath a greater hand, than is commonly imagined. Phyfitians frequently conclude fo much, while they obferve fome Diftempers to elude fuch Remedies, as are ufually fuccessful upon other Perfons under the fame Diseases. Applic Luke 5. 6. From this we may infer (1.) the great Power of Satan; who can tell the extent of it? doubtless (if he were permitted) we fhould fee fad inftances hereof daily. (2.) This difcovers the wonderful Care and Providence of God over us in our preservation from his fury. (3.) We may further note, that the abuse of the bodies of Men by Satan, will be no evidence, that therefore God doth difregard them, or that they are not precious to him. Christ did undergo this abufe, to give fuch as fhall be fo molested, fome comfort in his example. The third Circumftance, which is that of place, is fet down firft in general, The Holy City, that is Jerufalem, for fo Luke speaks exprefly. Jerufalem was fo called, becaufe of God's Worship there eftablifhed, and his peculier prefence there; but that it should be called fo, at this time may feem ftrange, feeing it might now be be lamented as of old, How is the Faithful City become an Harlot? Righteoufneßlodged in it, but now Murtherers. In anfwer to this, we muft know, that God having not yet given her a Bill of Divorce, He is pleased to continue her Title and Priviledg. This might be profitably improved; but I will not fuffer my felf to be diverted from the matter of Temptation, which is the only thing I propound to profecute from hence. I fhall here only Ob ferve.. That the Holineß or Sanctity of a Place, will be no Priviledg against Obf. 4 Temptations. He is not fo fearful (as many imagine) as that he. dares not approach a Church-yard or a Church, neither Place, nor Duty can keep him off. I do not believe the Popish Fiction of their St. Bennets Vision, wherein they tell of his feeing but one Devil in a Market, and ten in a Monaftery; yet I question not the truth of this, that the Devil is as bufy at a Sermon, or Prayer,as at any, other Imployment. But to fearch a little further into this matter. It feems undeniable, that Satan had a defign in reference to the place, (of which afterward;) and I fee no reafon to exclude our fufpicion of a defign from the Name and Title which the Evangelift here gives to Jerufalem. 'Tis an expreffion which (to my remembrance) we meet not with oft in the New-Teftament. At the Suffering of Chrift, when the bodies of the Saints arofe out of their Graves, 'tis faid, they went into the Holy City; but 'tis evident, that it is there fo ftyled upon special defign, as if the Evangelift would. by that point at the ftaining of their Glory,and that in a little time their boaft of the Temple and Holy City fhould ceafe, and that all should be polluted with the Carcaffes of the Slain; and by the fame reafon may we fuppofe, that Satan (intending for Chrift a Temptation of prefumption, and backing it with the Promife of a Guard of Angels) had in his Eye the ufual Confidence that the Jews had of that City, as a place where the prefence of Angels might be more expected than elfewhere. So that it seems, Satan intended to impofe upon Christ a Confidence,in order to presumption. From the priviledg of the Place, here obferve, Mat. 27 $3 That Satan is willing to gratify us with Nominal and Imaginary Obf. 5 Priviledges and Defences against himself; he will willingly allow us fuch defences, as are altogether infignificant and delufive, and his Policy here is centred upon these two things |