A Century of Sermons

Egypt. I do not like such Prophets, though Micaiah was wrongfully reputed such a one, by Ahab, that never prophesy good but evil; nor such Disciples, as would show their authority by calling down fire from heaven; nor such unlucky spirits that are like the malignant Planets, which produce nothing but maleficous effects. When Songs were sung in every Street of Greece that Philip had eraced the fair City of Olynthus, O but when will he build up such a City? Says a silly woman, and then I would sing too. An ill turn is quickly watched; for beside the venomous inclination of our own nature to do hurt. You shall have the Devil to boot to help it on, he counsels like an enemy, no miracle which brings good with it to mankind, but destruction, Mitte te deorsum; Cast thyself down.

Let me discover another property of the Tempters out of these words, that it is his art to bring a man up by little and little to some high place, that so he may send him at once with his head downward; as the Eagle carried the shell-fish aloft into the air to let it fall upon a Rock, and crack in pieces. First, He made Herod's Flatterers canonize him like some Deity, It is the voice of God and not of man, immediately he see him abased so low as to be eaten up of worms. First he lifts up Adam with a conceit to be made like unto a God, knowing good and evil, to the very top of perfection, to the intent he may be made like unto the beasts that perish. First, Nebuchadonosor admires his own greatness and excellency; Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my Power, and for the honor of my Majesty? Presently he was driven from men into the Wilderness to eat grass like an Ox. All Tyrants and Usurpers that have held their dignity by ill means, and lost it with great shame, are the amplification of this matter; many of them set up for so short a time, and so hastily pulled out, that it may appear to all men Satan meant that nothing but their ruin should be remembered. Dionysius the Tyrant fell very far from the height of the Pinacle upon which he stood, his Princely condition being altered into the life of a poor School-Master; but for Heathen Examples Valerian the Emperor is sufficient to stand for all; a Monarch at the height of the Roman Empire, his name venerable at home, and terrible abroad, so accounted of for some good parts, Ut puderet virum altius extollere, says the Historian, that modesty would not permit to extol any man more. Well, the great Enemy of the Church had raised him thus high to persecute the poor Christians very furiously for all his good qualities, and then he gave him up into the hands of Sopores the Persian to be his Vassal, his footstool, and at last the subject of the extremest cruelty. If the meditation hereof will not prick the Conscience of them that get advancement by Bribery, by flattery, by offering themselves to be instruments of base designs I know not what will terrify them. It is an easy matter to get the Devil lend you his hand to help you up, but take heed, he will pluck you back with a mischief. The Edomites pretended good will to the Israelites, but in the day of their calamity, they cried, Down with them, down with them unto the ground.

This is the Lord's manner, when he means to exalt a man, he will first humble him, and cast him down; the Devils method is quite contrary, first exalt the man whom he means to cast down; first mount them up to the clouds that he may swing them off to the bottom of the nethermost Pit. As it is happy to have been miserable, since the Lord will recompense the low estate of them that feared him, so it is miserable to have been happy by wicked means, for Satan will bring those to shame that have been promoted by him. It was but a small descent for Christ to come down from a Pinacle of the Temple into the outward Court, in respect of that great abasement which he did undergo for out Redemption; he stepped from the highest Heaven, from the glory of the Godhead to be enclosed in a Virgins womb; he humbled himself to the death, even to the death of the Cross; but did his Father leave him there? No, therefore he was highly exalted, therefore he had a name given him above all names. And all those that are conformable to his Ignominy and Passion shall be conformable to his Glorification. If you find Joseph in the Prison, read on, and you shall find him the chief Ruler over all the Officers of Pharaoh. Job was not left upon the dunghill, but raised up again to be the mightiest of all the Inhabitants of the East. The latter end of David was not to follow the Ewes great with young, but to be advanced above all the house of Israel. Or if this World do not make the righteous amends for their humiliation, trust unto him that cannot lie, how for a momentary affliction they shall have a far abundant exceeding weight of glory. This is God's liberality, many that are last shall be first: But this is the inconstancy of the Devils favors, many that are first shall be last. The root of a tree the longer it grows it shoots deeper and deeper to the Center of the earth; so misfortune puts a period quickly to the prosperity of all those that are the Sons of Belial, the longer they stand the more they are in declension, the faster they fall down: But the righteous are like the young Plants, the longer they grow the more they shoot up their branches toward Heaven. Behold, my Beloved, here is a double fortune to be run, and the election is yours; Will you begin from the lowest foundation of humility, and so rise up by the hand of God; Or will you hoist up to the Battlements of the Temple, to a Pinacle of Presumption?. Quando quis estimaverit se consistere in sanctimoniae summitate, positus est super pinnam templi, says Aquinas; He that thinks he is as holy as holiness can make him, he is on the top of all the Temple; I beseech you make a wise choice. No man can fall from humility to do himself hurt, Non habet unde cadat; A man may fall from a Pinacle of vain opinion, and be dashed in pieces.

This Point cannot be left before one Observation more close it up; beware of leaping from the top of the Temple to the bottom, go down by steps and fair degrees; remember, I pray, that it is Satan's motion Desilire non descendere, to skip down from the Pinacle to the ground, and not to come down by even paces in order. God hath ordained means to bring every good end to pass; he that thinks to jump into the end without using the leisure and use of the means flies upon the Devils wings, he goes not in that line which the Word of God directs him. The Apostle speaks of some that make hast to be rich, they will not expect to thrive by honest labor, and by competent gains, but it must be had presently by any Art or Device. This is quite to skip that course which Justice and a good Conscience prescribes. The holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is many times made ready for us, but there are many preparations required, that you should make yourselves ready for it. There must go before a due examination both of your Sins, and your Repentance, a remembrance of Christ's Passion, and a good spirit to apply his bloodshedding to your own benefit, a charitable reconciliation of yourself to God and man. Now if you will take one of the Devils strides, he will bid you pass over these things, and come to that heavenly Banquet without these preparatory steps, and so you shall eat and drink your own damnation. It is fit likewise that all our life should be a meditation of our death, to number our days one by one as we go down to the grave: No, says the Tempter, jump down from the Pinacle to the bottom; it is a melancholy cogitation, never think of it till it comes, do not go down fair and softly with fear and trembling, but defer all your repentance to the last hour, and then commend yourself to God. And none are more in fault in this kind than they who begin at the top of the golden Chain at Election, and Predestination, and straight leap into the assurance of their Glorification; they are Predestinated to his Kingdom, therefore theirs is the Adoption of Sons, theirs is the inheritance without more ado. Soft and fair, this is a jump from one end to another without steps, there must be a ladder of practice to come to these things or your boasting may be in vain, and you may fail of that Salvation wherein you falsely glory. Examine your Love if it be sincere, examine your Repentance if it be very mournful, and make you most resolute to be a new Creature; Examine your Faith if it be steadfast and immovable, prove it by such fruits as will grow upon a living tree, and then God hath given you leave to rise up upon these degrees, to ascend in these effects from one to another till you lay hold of the highest Link, and say with the Prophet, I am thine, O save me; I am thy Child by Adoption and Grace, and thou art my Father who hast elected me before the foundations of the World. But beware of these desultory motions to fall down from aloft, and not pass by such steps and stairs as God hath ordained. And so much for this motion to which the Tempter persuaded Christ, Jace teipsum deorsum; Cast thyself down.

Next let us see how the Tempter would have Christ take his fall from the Pinacle of the Temple, why he would have it to be his own voluntary act, Cast thyself down. And subtly continued to palliate this horrid Vice, as if it had been humility. Humility must be home-born, flow from our own willingness, without the least compulsion or constraint, Cast thyself down: For they that are pressed down, and would get higher if they could, they are not humiles, but humiliati; it is their cross fortune, not their mortified affections that they are not upon the top of a Pinacle. But as I have said already, you can taste no such thing as pious humility in the Devils counsel. But first, as St. Jerome shows, he doth much betray his own weakness in this, to commend the execution of this temptation to Christ himself, and not to take it into his own hands. He can persuade, he cannot precipitate a man whether he will or no. Nemini potest nocere nisi ipse se deorsum miserit; It is not in his power to throw you down if you will save yourself. No Sorcerer, no worker with familiar spirits had ever the power to hurt the meanest Magistrate in the Commonwealth that examined them, or any Officer of correction that did chastise them. His Dominion is inhibited that he can take away no man's life by hostile violence: It is one of the flowers of God's own Royalty that life and death are before him only; he giveth breath, and he calls it away when he pleaseth. And as Satan cannot hurt the body of man but by our own consent, and by our own permission; so he must ask us leave, and work it by our own perverse will if he ensnare our soul in any iniquity. He cannot break open the door, no, nor so much as draw the latch, but if he find the door open, and the room swept and garnished, then he enters in, Luk. xv. Some ungodly ones think they have made a fine excuse when they cast their faults upon the Devil. If you have blasphemed or reviled, it was he, I wiss, that was the cause of it; if you have spilled blood, it was he that did direct your hand to this heinous fact; if you lived in malice, it was he, no doubt, that crossed you from many purposes to be reconciled; what cares he to let you run on in these excuses? You deceive yourselves, your Debts increase, and I am sure he will never pay the score for you. I allow it unto you, that he is as subtle to cast scandalous objects in your way as malice can make him; as forward to excite you to all evil as diligence will suffer him; as vigilant as a restless spirit can be to divert you from all good. But what of all this? If you will not lend him your own freewill to practice with he is quite excluded. All those Antecedents are but invitations to evil, not compulsions: Malorum immissor non impulsor. If you will not cast yourself down head-long he cannot thrust you into wickedness. In this Text he confesseth that the last and complete power is in ourselves to hurt ourselves, and not in him, all precipitations are his counsels, but our own motions, Cast thyself down.

Then the Tempter could not cast our Savior down, it is his restraint and weakness, moreover he would not though he could. For Nullum praecipitium nisi voluntarium est praesumptio; No tumbling cast had born the guilt of presumption with it, unless it had been voluntary, and of his own doing. And now I am come to the most horrid part of this second Tentation, wherein Christ was provoked to destroy himself with his own will, to be guilty of his own murder, the most irremediable sin, as much as I can perceive, that can be committed. Though he would not come down from the Cross and save himself, but was led with all patience as a Lamb unto the slaughter, yet his death was inflicted upon him by Pilate's Soldiers, he was not his own Executioner. The Jews never spake more despitefully against him than when they asked, Will he kill himself, because he says, whither I go ye cannot come, Job. viii. 22. No, let Satan put such desperate resolutions into the heart of Judas the Traitor to make himself away. And some Historiographers would persuade us that the Devil obtained this very request of him, which he moved to Christ to cast himself down from some lofty Pinacle. St Matthews words must be true that he hanged himself; and St. Luke's words must be true, that falling down headlong he burst asunder in the midst, Acts i. 18. Theophylact says, the bough of the tree bended to the ground upon which he hung, and since he could not dispatch his life that way, he brake his neck down a steepy Mountain and burst in twain. And now all Ages call him Reprobate, as well for this desperate conclusion of his life as for betraying Christ. There were some Heretics, of whom I think one Petileus was the Author, these did foully err, and hold, that a man being conscious to himself of some sin that was worthy death might put himself to death, that it was an act of justice, yea, and a Martyrdom, and upon this ground, whether shouId I say, more foolish, or more impious, they Canonized Judas for a Martyr. But St. Austin shows that their Argument jars against two common principles: Nemo potest esse judex & reus; It is incompetible that the same man should be both the guilty person and the Judge. 2. Nocentem hominem privata potestate occidere non licet; It is murder for any private man, not authorized by a lawful Magistrate, to execute death upon a Malefactor. Judam execramur quamvis sceleratum hominem occidit. Judas was a Malefactor, and could not kill a worse man than himself, yet that sin alone without the rest was damnation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the slaying of himself.

Remember the Commandment, Thou shalt not kill; Whom not? Neither yourself, nor your neighbor, for you have no more power to hurt yourself than another, the body is God's, and the Temple of the Holy Ghost. And who gave you leave to pluck down a Temple? Nature inclines a man to the conservation of himself, and what a detestable thing it is to violate the chief Maxim of Nature? Which is this in St. Paul's words, No man hates his own flesh, but loves and cherisheth it. No man indeed, but he that makes hast to be no man, that he might the sooner be a Devil. The Heathen went thus far, that a man is put into this world as a Soldier is put into some File, or some place of the Watch, from that station he must not stir till his General calls him, Et majori supplicio afficiendus est desertor vitae quàm desertor militia; And is not he more worthy of punishment, that leaves the place where God did put him, before he was summoned, than he that comes off from the Watch, before the General calls him? If the love of your soul, the dreadful expectation of Hell-fire will make you decline a sin; take heed of this, for God's sake, above all others. All other sins when they are committed have yet some leisure to beg mercy, and at what time soever a sinner, &c. but how can the Lord put such a sin out of his remembrance, where it is impossible there should be time to repent? Ut laqueo respiratio, it a prohibetur desperatione spiritus sanctus, as Bedae said of Judas; they stop their own breath, and with that desperate act exclude the Holy Ghost from inspiring any sanctified cogitation into them.

What can befall a man in this world to defy Heaven and Earth at once? And to die the death of the damned without redemption? Bethink yourselves judiciously; it cannot be want, torture, or calamity, for though these be very sharp, especially to those that are impatient, yet they are not so smartful as the stinging of a Be, nor the biting of a Flea, compared with the Lake of Brimstone, into which they irrecoverably send their own soul, that let out of the body with their own violent hand. Nor should it irke a man to stay God's leisure till he be dissolved, for any reproach or ignominy that he hath incurred, for so your former dishonor is not forgotten, but ten times more divulged and increased. See how public shame, which followed such desperate persons after their death, did work with some of Miletum, as Plutarch reports it. Many of the Milesian Virgins, through the persuasions of some Diabolical Philosophers, hanged themselves. To stop this unnatural fury, when no reason would revoke them, the Magistrates made a Law, that the bodies of all such should be left naked in the open Market-place for ten days, and the fear of that worldly shame did forever after rectify those who were living that they held their hands from violence. But what other impulsive cause can be named? Can the remorse of sins past breed such a destructive melancholy in any man's disposition? God forbid. This is to cast Mountains upon Mountains, and to make all worse. Sins are not covered by heaping one upon another, but blessed is the man whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. There is another life given to expiate your iniquities, and not your own, even the blood of Christ. Repent you seriously, and be merciful unto yourself, and then God will be merciful unto you. Yet Achitophel with all his politick reach could not make use of these plain notions, but confounded himself, partly with the guiltiness of his rebellion, partly with the fear of his reputation. For it is very likely he shuffled his Game thus: If Absalom overcome King David, Hushai hath given the better counsel, and so I shall live in disgrace: If David prevail, which is very likely, he will take away my life because of the pernicious Plots which I have laid against him. See how this witty Wretch could forget that David was a merciful Prince, and did not execute one of his enemies in cold blood. But God lets the wits of the wisest turn addle, who meditate to be Authors of their own ruin, and to cast themselves down from a Pinacle upon the Devils suggestion.

But God keeps all those from this sin whom he means to have converted and be saved. The Jailor took out his Sword, and was ready to have fallen upon it, but Paul cried out at the instant, Do thyself no hurt; and soon after he was baptized, and believed, he and his house. Paul may loath this world, and desire to be dissolved, but he must wait the Lord's leisure, and not hasten his dissolution. It was the blessing of the Lord upon mankind, Increase and multiply. To replenish the world is a Benediction; to take one of God's Servants away, unless by the hand of justice, and that the Magistrate doth in the person of God, is a Malediction. What spirit was in the Tridentine Fathers to make the second book of Maccabees Canonical? Wherein Razias is commended in most fluent phrases that killed himself. I know St. Austin says, Razii mors narratur non laudatur; it is but a narration of the fact, not an Encomium. Let any child read, Chap. xiv. toward the end of it, and judge if he be not extolled for it with most artificial commendation. The same Father is more Orthodox in another place, that pious reason is to be preferred before examples, Quae tanto dig niora sunt imitatione, quanto excellentiora pietate; which are no further worthy of imitation than they excel in Piety. And again I may say, Why did the Roman Martyrology Canonize the Virgins of Aquileia, Who drowned themselves to avoid certain barbarous Ravishers. For as Aquinas treats upon the fact: 1. Fornication were a less sin than violent murder. 2. If they had not refused that carnal sin as much as they could, yet Repentance might have washed away the spot of that crime; in the other act of unnatural violence there is no insequent time to call for grace and mercy. But 3. since violence overcame them, the sin was none of theirs, but the Ravishers. As St. Austin said of Sextus Brutus, and Lucretia, Duo fuerunt & unus commisit adulterium; the sin was wrought between two, and yet one only committed adultery, because Lucretia was forced. But you will say, and why doth St. Paul put Samson in the bedroul of the Patriarchs, that had obtained the Promise, if everyone that is guilty of his own violent death be a Reprobate? St. Austin's answer is, Latenter à spiritu sancto jussus est. Samson had departed out of this world a Cast-away if he had not been prompted to pull down the Theater of the Philistines by some inward motions sent from God. But some litigious one will say, Was any sin ever committed but such an answer will make it a virtue? Beloved, Samsons case was not every man's, for first he had extraordinary Revelations of the Spirit, God did work many Miracles by his hands. Secondly, Samson prayed that his strength might be restored, that he might be avenged of the Philistines, and the Lord did give him strength for that purpose beyond the capacity of a natural man. Put these together and they make a particular case, that he above any other of the like sort was directed by the Spirit to pull down the house upon his enemies. But in my own private judgment I have ever thought that Samsons care was not to bring certain death upon himself, but only to hazard his life in a great venture, which is lawful in Military Stratagems against enemies; as to enter a breach upon the mouth of a Canon, a Soldier may come off with safety, but it is odds he dies for it. A Seaman being boarded blows up the Deck, he may escape himself, but his chance is very hazardous; and for ought any man is able to say to the structure of this house which Samson plucked down, he saw no possibility but he might escape, although he professed he would adventure to die with his enemies, a mixed case it was, not very hopeful, nor quite desperate. Howsoever St. Austin's answer, as I have illustrated it unto you, is very satisfactory, that he was moved unto it by some special instinct from God. And so far upon this Point, wherein I have labored to let you see that the Devil hath not a more poisonous Arrow in his Quiver than to excite one to kill himself. Bear with me if I have been copious in it; Who can say enough against a sin so horrid, so unnatural, so unpardonable? It did not content the Devil that Christ should fall from the Pinacle, unless it were his own voluntary act, If thou he the Son of God cast thyself down.

After this demand of Satan's, I propounded to entreat upon what supposition it was demanded, If thou be the Son of God. This thorn is yet in his foot and pricks him, he would fain put it out of doubt whether this were the eternal and only begotten Son of God. And he follows the search in these words, as if he were no Infidel, but by way of Concession yielded this, thou art the Son of God, therefore it can be no harm to thee to cast thyself down from a Pinacle of the Temple. Which is as St. Paul writes, If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead, he was certain to atttain unto it, and therefore that IF is a Particle of Modesty, not of Hesitation. As Ribadenira says of Father Ignatius, that he halted of the wound which he received at Pampelune, but so little that the most curious could scarce discern that he halted: So Satan distrusts whether Christ were the promised Messias, but so artificially, that he would not seem to be distrustful. But distrust he did, and did rather presume Christ was no more than some excellent Prophet than otherwise. For he knew that God could not be tempted, the crafty Angel had that understanding, therefore he hoped mainly he did but bicker with a man. And a certain Expositor plays wittily upon this notion, that St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke deliver the manner of this temptation, but St. John speaks not a word of it. For as he collects, the other three begin their Gospels with Christ's temporary Generation, how he was made man; St. John begins thus, In the beginning was the Word, from the generation of God; but because God cannot be tempted at all he found no place in his Gospel for this story. Well, because Christ eschewed the Tempters craftiness in the former bout, and held him yet in suspense; he lifts at him now with all his strength, and thinks to be upon the rack no longer; this second, If thou be the Son of God shall discover all, he doth not doubt it. Et verbo & facto est exploratio; It is an exploration driven home both by word and fact. 1. He took him up to the Pinacle. Would he be taken along by him if he were the mighty Son of God? Why not? As an invincible Champion, that dare fight upon any ground with his Adversary. 2. The Messias was expected both at the holy City, and at the Temple, and he brings him unto both to see if he would acknowledge his Kingdom. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion, Psal. cx. 1. And again, The Lord shall suddenly come to his Temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in, Mal. iii. 1. Yet Satan could gather nothing from this, for he made himself invisible in this transportation, and was not seen. Hereafter, at his own season, the whole City and Temple shall ring of him, Behold thy King cometh unto thee meekly upon an Ass. 3. He popp'd in a place of the Psalm (but hereafter more of that) very perversely, hoping Christ would declare himself, and say, the application of this Psalm belongs to all the holy Saints, but not to me that am greater than Saints and Angels. But Christ spared that labor, and gave him Scripture for his Scripture. 4. Upon the temptation itself he presumed it would perfectly come to light who he was. For if he cast himself down, thinking he should be safe as when he passed through the air, and yet catch hurt, it is as he could wish: Or if he catch no hurt, and cast himself down, that Miracle must allow him to be the Son of God. All this the wisdom of our Redeemer declined, proving that man's life must not be cast into danger where there is no necessity; thus you see the Devil labored hard and yet could not resolve the Riddle that troubled him, If thou be, &c.

And now let me show you, that this vile Connection which he hath made is against all reason and consequency, If thou be the Son of God cast thyself down. There is as little Logic in this Hypothetical Proposition as there is Divinity in that verse of David's Psalm, as he hath quoted in the words following. And as some observe, he was out as much in the choice of place to which he carried our Savior: For Battlements use to encompass the Roof in an high building, that they who walk upon the open Leads may be preserved from falling: Now the Devil would make use of Architecture the clean contrary way, that he should cast himself down from the Battlements; like Cacus the Thief, he draws all things backward to a wrong use. So he wrings reason in these words quite of one side, If thou be the Son of God cast thyself down; Cum convenientius diceret, si filius Dei es ascend ad coelum, says Chrysologus. It had been a better Inference to say, Because you are the Son of God ascend up to heaven. If your Fathers Kingdom be above look after your inheritance, and seek those things which are above. And as Christ answered the Jews, so he might put off Satan, Vos deorsum estis, ego de supernis; You are from beneath, I am from above, Joh. viii. Elijah removed himself from the presence of Ahaziah to the top of an hill; and Ahaziah sent one of his Captains and fifty men with him, saying, O man of God, thus the King hath said, come down quickly; and Elijah answered, If I be a man of God let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty; and ye know two Captains and their Companies were served so. For if he were a man of God why would they be Instruments to a Tyrant to fetch Elijah to be slain? So fire and brimstone remain unto the Devil and his Angels for this temptation. For if Christ be the Son of God, why should he fly down upon the wings of presumption to dishonor God and his own body?

I see now who is the author of that fallacy which, I fear, hath cost many a soul the loss of eternal life, that such as assure themselves they are elect ones, they are the Sons of God, may make bold with their Fathers mercy, may rely upon it, and now and then transgress his Commandments for their pleasure, or profit, or some other fleshly consideration, there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; God sees no sin in the righteous, though they fall they shall rise again, and many more such deluding Axioms as they apply them, which I beseech you return back again to Hell with him that invented them. Lay the redemption which you have in Christ's blood, and the hope which you have through him to be partaker of everlasting glory, and all other benefits which you have received, and that when we were enemies we were reconciled to God; put your own unworthiness and disdeservings to these, and lay them all straight together, and then consider if you are not tied in all strict obedience to do all which the Lord hath commanded you. No such motive in the world to an ingenuous conscience to live a most strict and austere life as because the mercies of Jesus Christ are infinite. St. Paul knew that he bad fought a good fight, and therefore a Crown of life was laid up for him, yet how chary he was to walk in a straight rule, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left? He would wrong no man, defraud no man; nay, he would depart from his own right for the Kingdom of heavens sake. All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient; which Tertullian put into these words, Timeo ab omnibus indulgentiis Domini mei; I refuse some things which God hath allowed me; he would eat no flesh while he lived rather than offend his brother. The Devil could not entice him to this or that liberty upon such a supposition as this, If thou be the Son of God; but rather thus, I am the Child of God, therefore I will not hearken to an enticer; I am the Son of God, therefore I will not dishonor him that hath begotten me again by his grace; I am his Liege-man, and have taken his Sacrament, I must not rebel against him; I have washed my garments white in the blood of Christ, how should I defile them again?

But this is the Devils use to urge mighty things at their hands that take themselves to be the best Sons ef God rather by presumption than by true vivification. He will buz into their ears, if you were a notable Christian above your fellows you would cast out Devils, raise the dead, cure diseases, you would do some famous miracle: and so he sets on others, if you have good gifts of the Spirit, though you be an illiterate man, and have no ordinary calling to dispense God's Word, yet you may Interpret Scripture, Preach, Expound, Rehearse, Prophesy. Ambitio sanctitatis ad insaniam usque nonnullos perduxit; The ambition to appear more holy than others enforceth some men to Phrantiqueness and Lunacy. It is Salmeron the Jesuits rule upon my Text, and a true one; but because he hath not illustrated it by examples I will do it for him. The Sectaries of Montanus, that claimed to have his Spirit, thought it belonged to their Church to have four times as many public Fasts as all other Christians. The Circumcelliones among the Donatists would break their necks down from an high Wall rather than resort to any Congregation but their own, as if they were purer than all others, and this they boasted to be Martyrdom. Praecipitia facit, sic martyrs facit in Affricâ, says a Father upon my Text. A mere Heathen man Empedocles threw himself into the raging fire of Aetna to be called a God. Deus immortalis haberi dum cupit Empedocles ardentem frigidus Aetnam insiliit. But what were those that Cassianus speaks of but mad men through affected zeal? As this, Certain Novices were sent by their Abbot with some food to an Hermit, and lost their way in the Desert, and rather than eat of that which they were bidden to deliver to the Hermit, they would starve for want of sustenance. And one Mucius a Monk was bidden cast his crying Child into a River and drown it, which he did, and his Governor told him it was like the faith of Abraham. O phrantique Hypocrisy! Into what incredible attempts it will drive a man? Gonzaga the Jesuit, so much extolled by the Fatherhood, was exceeding pensive if any man was friendly and loving to him, forsooth he would have the World to hate him; and this is pretty, that they say he did affect to preach ridiculously that he might be scorned and laughed at. In a word, all their blind obedience, which is an indefinite undiscoursed surrendering of themselves to the will of a Superior, a swallowing down anything that is commanded, and never chewing the cud why or wherefore, it is but a mad affectation of holiness, of men stupid in foolery, that would seem to be dead unto the world. This is that obedience by which they say, if a man were dignified so much as to talk with an Angel, if his Superior called him, he must come instantly away. These are whimsies in the head, when the Devil prompts them to do some strange tricks, more than ordinary Christians are able; even as he would have put our Savior upon a supernatural shall I say? Nay, upon a contra-natural exploit, because he was the Son of God. Whereas the true marks of Filiation, and Adoption are these, Humility, awful Fear, Faith that works by Love, hate of Vain-glory, Denying of ourselves, giving all honor to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

THE TWELFTH SERMON UPON Our Savior's Tentation.

T Hey that meditate mischief against others, usually they begin with persuasion, and end in hostility; their first way is subtlety, and their last is violence. As Themistocles told the men of Andria, that he had brought two great Goddesses with him to exact Tribute of that Island, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Perswasion and Necessity: First, I pray do it, and then you must do it. The Devil held our Savior play all the while he was on the Earth with the same method. For a long space he laid his train privily to overcome him with Art and Tentation, at length he made his assault openly to bring him to his Death and Passion: Vulpes in primo congressu, leo in crucifixione; at this bout he made towards him like a Fox with many trim persuasions, but when he stood out persuasions, he rose against him like a Lion; as David prophesied, They would tear my soul in pieces like a lion, while there is none to deliver me. In this story of Scripture, upon which I insist, he practiseth the Arts of the Fox, upon which subtle creature Gregory lends this Observation to our present matter, Nunquam rectis itineribus sed tortuosis anfractibus currunt; they never run straight on, when they are hunted, but make an hundred windings and doublings, that it may be more difficult to trace them.

So Satan never went right on with any Proposition which he made to our Savior, sometimes he urgeth one way, sometimes another, comes forward, and falls back, practiseth like Pharaoh with Moses, who professed he would deal subtly with the people of Israel. One while Pharaoh makes an offer to let the men of Israel go serve the Lord in the Wilderness, but not their Children, nor their Cattle; then he changeth his Sentence, and detains them all: Then he gives them leave to take their Children with them, but nothing else; at last he gives order to let them all be gone, Children, and Herds and Flocks, Bag and Baggage, they should have all to be rid of them. Beloved, there can be no good meaning where there is so much alteration and inconstancy. Square dealing stands upon one firm base, hold fast to that without being removed: Delusions and devices hop about like Ignis fatuus. This holds very right on the Tempters part in my Text. You see he shifted ground from the Wilderness to the Temple, and then he flies back from the Temple to the Mountains in the Wilderness. He tries if he can make him despair, then he falls off, and ventures to make him presume. Upbraids him at first that God would give him no bread: Perswades with him by and by that God will give him all his Angels: First, he would put the working of a miracle into Christ's hands, command that these stones be made bread: Next he refers the work of power to the Angels, He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up. Thirdly, He assumes the doing of great matters to himself, All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. He labored with our first Parents neither to believed God, nor the Word which he spake, now he makes a show that he would have Christ both trust in God, and in his Angels, and in his Word the holy Scripture, For it is written, He shall give his Angels charge, &c. The whole verse was thus distributed to you before. First in order I propounded the demand which Satan made, Cast thyself down. 2. Upon what supposition, If thou be the Son of God, (there I ended with the hour.) 3. Upon what Authority? Why, upon the warrant of the holy Scripture, For it is written. 4. Upon what assistance? Why, the best in the world, which here is twofold, Supreme and Instrumental. The Supreme is God, He will give his Angels charge concerning thee: The Instrumental helps are the first Instruments of all Creatures, the whole host of good Angels, In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

And first I must meditate hereupon at this time, that the wicked one hath quoated the best Authority which the Church hath to justify the lawfulness of his demand, Scriptum est enim, for it is written. Perhaps he had never thought of Scripture at this time but that Christ put him in mind of it in the fomer Tentation; and it was his old sin, Ero similis altissimo, I will be like the most High, do everything as Christ did, not out of pious imitation, but out of perverse affecting an equality. And because Christ had the start of him to fly first to the Word of God, therefore the Devil doth both quote Scripture, and carry him to the Temple, as if he would show Religion and Sanctity double as much as our Savior did. Joab in his necessity will fly to the horns of the Altar for sanctuary, as if the Lord would protect a Rebel, that had set up a concurrent against his lawful King: So the Devil will fly to the Scripture for a need, as if there were any refuge there for him that had been a Traitor to his God. Occasio fallendi est maxima, ubi est maxima authoritas, says St. Ambrose; the most perilous way to deceive is under pretence of the greatest authority. Therefore the Tempter comes like a Divine with a Psalter in his hand, you know how well he counterfeited Samuel, putting on the shape of that good Prophet to abuses Saul, and here he counterfeits David, nay, therein he counterfeits the very Spirit of God. A man would have thought Satan would have skipt the Book of the Psalms though he had searched over all the Scripture beside. It is the Volume of joy, of consolation, of alacrity, the very Songs of Angels. Is any man merry? Let him sing Psalms, says St. James. Is there any use of that sweet harmony for him that lives in perpetual torment?

But they that mean to abuse the Sacred Text, instance in those places, where you would least expect to find them. From the Commandment to sanctify the Sabbath day the Pharisees wrung in their exception, that it was not lawful for Christ on that day to exercise the works of Charity, to cure the sick, to heal the impotent. The Donatists pen'd up the Church of Christ within the limits of Africa, for in the Song of Solomon God says to the Spouse mystically, Ubi pascis? Ubi cubas sub meridie? Cant. i. 7. Tell me (O thou whom my soul loveth) where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon? As if the true Church therefore were limited to those Southern parts or Meridian. Is it not as wonderful to fetch the Cardinalitian dignity of the Church of Rome from this Text, 1 Sam. ii. 8. Domini sunt cardines terrae? The Pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them. Or Adoration of Images from this Text, that Jacob worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff? Heb. xi. 21. And is not a Lay Presbytery screwed in to govern the Church instead of the most ancient Hierarchy of Bishops from this quite mistaken Citation, 1 Tim. v. 17. Let the Presbytery, the Elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honor, especially they that labor in the Word and Doctrine. I will not put myself to the task to go any further in this reckoning; for all Schisms and Heresies, and almost all sins will shroud under the Patronage of the Word of God. Yet such is the pureness of that Fountain, that it is not pudled, though dirty Swine do wallow in it, nay, though the Devil himself run headlong into it, as he did into the Sea. Here he tumbles about in this Psalm to cast dirt upon it, yet the Psalm is no whit less sacred and venerable than it was before. Et male quod recitas incipit esse tuum; as he did use it most blasphemously it was not Scripture, but rather Magic and Incantation. For first, according to St. Jerome, the Psalm pertains not to Christ, but to his Members, they have the promise that they shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, and the Arians, who did mainly contend against the Orthodox that David made the Hymn upon Christ, and not upon pious men, do but follow the Exposition of the Devil. But of this hereafter. 2. He did quite abuse the meaning of the Prophet. The Angels are appointed by God to keep the faithful in safety against their enemies; but the promise extends not to him that will throw himself into danger, and be his own greatest enemy. 3. He curtalled the holy Scripture, and left out these most emphatical words, In omnibus viis tuis; that God shall keep thee in all thy ways. Surely he was ashamed to mention these words, for it can be none of a man's ways to cast himself down from a Pinacle of the Temple. Diaboli est truncare autoritates; this is a devilish craft which God abhors, to lop off somewhat of the Scripture, that the remainder may do hurt. If any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. God is most highly abused when his sayings are mangled and misreported: How much more when a whole Commandment, and of principal consequence against worshipping of Images, is omitted in many Missals, I know not upon what pretence of brevity? Even among men 'tis taken for the sign of a most contumelious affection to report one Sentence, or one Comma of a man's speech without the supplement of all Circumstances, As Serapion served Severianus, If thou diest a good Christian, says Severianus, and not an arrant Reneigo, Christ was never made man. Serapion brings him to his answer for this Heresy, that he maintained Christ was never made man. Thus the Devil had what he pleased, and made use of what he lust in the Psalm, and so, like a broken glass, it was for no service.

Fourthly, says St. Ambrose, why did he not go on to the end of the Psalm, at least why did he not take in the very next verse, Psal. xci. 13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder, the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet: Quare siles super Aspidem & Basiliscum, nisi quia tu es Leo & Basiliscus? Satan is the Lion and the Adder, whom not only Christ, but every good member of his flock should tread under his feet; these were his own names, therefore he durst not recite them. And yet the time was, I can tell you, when the Devil made as good use of that verse as he did of the precedent verse when he tempted Christ; it seems he loves to be tempting with this Psalm, but thus it was. Pope Alexander the third persecuted the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa by Arms and Excommunications till he brought him upon his knees, and lower than his knees in all servile and base submission, and Alexander setting his foot upon the Emperors neck (a scorn which Alexander the Great never put upon Darius ) insulted over him with that verse which next follows the Devils quotation in my Text, Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder, and shalt trample the Dragon under thy feet. Nothing makes worse corruption than that which is best of all wnen it is marred and spoiled, and nothing makes worse sense than the Oracles of God when they are perverted. And as Samson having his Locks cut off, wherein consisted the spirit of Fortitude, was weak as another man, so the Scripture mutilated and mangled, having not the native and wholesome interpretation wherein the efficacy of the Spirit consists, is of no force or validity. The Devil himself was not afraid of the name of Jesus when it was not rightly used. Acts xix. The holy Incense was to be offered up in the Lord's Censors, so the Scripture hath a right savor in it when it is offered up with the meaning of the Holy Ghost, Delaiah brought a false Prophesy to Nehemiah to hide himself from his enemies in the Temple, but Nehemiah would not hear him, Chap. vi. 10. 'It is a grace of God which everyone of us should beg often upon our knees that he would open the true meaning of the Scripture unto us, Who hath the key of David, that openeth, and no man shutteth; that we may not distort those good Lessons to our perdition, and by our own ill digestion convert the most sincere milk of the Word into the rankest poison.

These two cautions shall be the conjunct uses of this Point. First, that ignorant men be not removed from the truth by misconceiving such doubtful places of Scripture, which are fittest to be argued by them that sit in Moses Chair. It is a laudable conjecture of a modern Author; that the Devil knew our Savior was not brought up in the Schools of knowledge; all the Jews could descant upon it; Whence hath this man learning? Is not this the Carpenters Son? And therefore he mis-scited the Scripture unto Christ as unto an illiterate person that could not discover him. Every man is not an Apollos, mighty in the Scripture, some such the Lord doth ever provide for the building up of his Church, who are able to convince the gain-sayers, and the weaker brethren must be satisfied by them, whose lips the most wise hath appointed to preserve knowledge. Secondly, Beware to trample upon Pearls as Swines do; beware to touch the Scripture with defiled hands: He that dispenseth this portion of meat to his fellow-servants should not only be a wise Steward, but ought to have a clean heart, and a sincere conscience. I dare say it prospers much the better with a good man. Let Paul deliver anything out of profane Authors and he makes it profitable: Let Satan deliver anything out of the Prophets, or the Gospel, and he makes it abominable. Origen compared it so before me, Paulus assumpsit verba de his quae foris sunt ut sanctificet ea. Paul did sanctify Poetry and Philosophy with his gifts, the Devil did pollute Divinity with his distorsions. What more pithy than this of Solomon? Prov. xxvi. 7. The legs of the lame are not equal, so is a Parable in the mouth of fools: For as the legs of the lame will not reach one another, so the Scripture never fits his purpose that doth not use it to the glory of God. When Plato said, that certain Daemones, I know not what aerial Spirits, offered the Prayers of mortal men to the God's. Says St. Austin, what Prayers do they offer? Incantations? Or holy Petitions? Si magicas nolunt tales Dii, si licitas nolunt per tales; If they be Charms God will reject that they bring, if they be good Prayers he would not have them to bring them. So I may say, Why do the Devil and his Angels, or why do the Sons of Belial usurp those words which the Prophets and Apostles have written? Unto the ungodly said God, why dost thou take my Covenant into thy mouth? If it be true and entire Scripture, God will not hear it from them; if it be ill applied Scripture, God will not hear it at all. Aquinas puts forth a question, Whether a man may expound Scripture who hath committed any mortal sin whereof he hath not repented? He answers it, if it be a sin secretly committed he may do it; for God will make Reprobates Instruments of his glory; but if the sin be publicly known, it is better for such a one to hold his peace because of the scandal, I see no reason but rather to say, whether the sin be secret or public such a one should not dare to take God's Laws into his mouth until he have made atonement for his iniquities by newness of life and repentance. Obmutescit facundia, si aegra sit conscientia; The tongue will lose its cunning to persuade where the conscience is defiled. I doubt not therefore but Satan's woe and torments shall be increased for mixing Scripture with his most presumptuous temptations. They are not worthy here to be answered that baul at the Reformed Churches, because they allege Scripture for their Reformation, but none of their Doctors wrought Miraracles to commend their Doctrine. Nec Diabolus à Scriptures abstinuit, says one of them; no Sir, Nec à miraculis. The Devil, says he, did fly to the Scriptures, but once Sir in these three Tentations to the Scriptures, but twice here, and often after and before to miracles. It is for a faith newly planted to advance it upon miracles, not for the most ancient faith emerging out of darkness, where it was much obscured. In that case our Doctors quote the Scriptures, not like the Devil, as these Rabshekahs say, but like Christ in the verse following, when he confuted the Devil. And so much for the third general Point, upon what authority he moves Christ to tumble headlong, Scriptum est, It is written.

In the last part of all Satan would be our Savior's remembrancer what assistance he may promise unto himself both Supreme and Instrumental. The Supreme is God, the Instrumental are the Angels. Ille mandabit; He shall give charge. It was some modesty in the Devil that he would not name God with his blasphemous throat, but understands him by the Pronoun of excellency; and none other can be meant, because he calls them his Angels, that is, his Domestiques and his Family. There is nothing strange in these words, how the very Devil knew that God is tender to preserve his Children. Every living thing, nay, every inanimate thing hath some instinct, that he supports all things with the word of his power. When the Sea wrought tempestuously, Jonas i. Every Mariner called upon his God. An Atheist, that in his jollity will know no God, put him suddenly in fear of death, then he will find a God to call upon. O testimonium animae naturaliter Christianae; When malicious wit is surprised unawares, that it cannot corrupt Nature, Nature being left to itself will fly to the Almighty for defense. Quench not this spark of Nature, I beseech you, but call upon the Lord in time of trouble and he will hear you. Take the Devil at his word, that our heavenly Father will give his Angels charge concerning you. Do not distrust that for shame which Lucifer durst not deny: But first take this Weapon by the handle, and turn the point against the Devil, St. Jerome shows you how. If God will keep me in all my ways, as you confess, certainly he will preserve me from you. He will not give you over to him above all enemies in the world that he should oppress you. He was not so busy about Peter but God was more vigilant. Peter, Satan hath desired to winnow thee, but I have prayed that thy faith should not fail. Secondly, This tender charge unto which we are committed bids us by all means regard our safety, and avoid our enemies. Non tam magna pro nobis in coelo sollicitudo gereretur, si non magna nobis necessitas incumberet; All the powers of heaven would not be so solicitous for us, but that we are thrust upon great necessity. God hath placed us in the midst of so many and so great dangers, that we may keep ourselves within the Walls of a good Conscience, and within the Fortress of Prayer and supplication. He that understands what hard adventures he must undergo will provide accordingly, and he that is solicitous to be saved did never want Salvation.

Thirdly, Let not an innocent man be afraid of those enemies whom the Devil in all likelihood doth raise up against him; be not out of hope because your foes are visible, and your help is invisible. If you were steadfast in faith an intellectual comfort is far greater than a sensible; yet all things are knit together in such a link of Charity, that if men be not Recreants, and forget that heavenly order, which puts the weaker under the protection of the stronger, all people may feel and handle the succor which is appointed for them. Not to draw your attention so high yet as the custody of Angels, observe in this lower Region God hath committed the Children to the nurture of the Parents, the Woman to the safeguard of her Husband, the Subject injured to the justice of the Magistrate, the Sick and Impotent to the refection of them that are whole, the Poor and Naked to the liberality of the Rich. Every weak and distressed is appointed his Protector by God's Ordinance that is strong and whole; and that Patron that looks not to those poor Clients, with whom he stands incharged, let him take heed that himself wants not a Patron when he looks for Christ to be his Advocate. But when a whole Nation of true Believers, nay, when a whole world of Christians have been persecuted all at once, Who looks to that? God. And will give them the wages of wicked Servants, that should have been nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his precious Portion, and yet had their chief hand in the Tragedy against it. And because the whole earth sometimes fails of their duty towards the Church, therefore the Lord hath his Angels in store as the last and infallible refuge, that the less we are beholding to the Earth, we may acknowledge ourselves the more beholding to Heaven. If David's bowels earned for a rebellious Son, and gave all the Captains charge, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom: Verily the Lord will put his Ministers upon that good Office to be a Wall of protection to his obedient Sons. Aut eripient periculum, aut eripient animam; Either they will take your afflictions from you, or take you from your afflictions. The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him, and will deliver them.

And though the Devil meant nothing less than truth in his Sermon, since he would needs preach, let us lay hold of this for a true ground, that the good Angels are very certain to keep their charge, as they are commanded; they are like the diligent Soldiers under the Centurions authority, He says unto one go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh. But their charge is set and appointed them, it is not in their own free choice to lend their assistance where they please. So the Schoolmen draw many questions to this Principle, Non sunt liber â potestate praediti, sed ministri ad nutum Domini. The reason is twofold: First, All things must be done in order, and without direction and appointment, whom the Hosts of heaven should guard, how far, and at what time; the Discipline would be altogether confused in that heavenly custody. Secondly, The knowledge of those blessed Spirits is finite, they are not present at all our troubles which we suffer on earth, they being far remote in heaven; they know not the groanings of the heart, it is out of their Sphere to apprehend what succor is needful for Infants that cannot moan themselves, that cannot ask it; of all these things they must be made acquainted, and then their Province is allotted unto them by the especial Commission of God. Wherefore as they are given by nature and grace to love Mankind, so by a special Mandate and charge they are bound unto it. Peter imputes his deliverance out of Prison to the Angels Ministry, but principally to the Lord's word and authority; he doth not say, that the Angel pulled him out of danger of his own motion, but now know I that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from the expectation of all the people, Acts xii. 11.

It was a good speech of Jonathan's, 1 Sam. xiv. 6. There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many, or by few; Had he but added one thing more the speech had been complete, and full of faith, there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many, or by few, or by none at all. Then to what use serves the Auxiliary custody of Angels when the strength of all protection is in God alone, without the subordinate performance of any Creature? To dissolve this Question into many Answers: First, They that say their Creed and understand it, that God is the Father Almighty, and have the Theorie that his virtue by itself is all-sufficient; yet when it comes to the experience and practice, they will boggle, and be much unconfident of their own security, if some powers which are ordained of God, and more familiar to us than his infinite Essence, be not promised to relieve us in the day of our Visitation. Israel had great cause to have strong affiance in him that had brought them out of the Land of Egypt, yet a weak Plant had need of a Prop to be bound unto it, and therefore their Charter was thus enlarged, Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared, Exod. xxiii. 20. This was ex abundanti, somewhat given above that which needed, for the rudeness and infirmity of our faith. Secondly, The Ministry of those blessed Spirits is used here below, not for the defect of the supreme power, but to show his Majesty and Dignity; as earthly Princes have their Stipatores, some bands of Noble Gentlemen to stand about their Person, rather for Pomp than necessity: Yet it begets obsequiousness and awe unto their Majesty. Pavorinus, a man of rare skill in Learning, whensoever Hadrian the Emperor discoursed with him, condescended in all things to let the Emperor overmatch him; and when his friends thought it too much obsequiousness, Favorinus thus excused himself, I will permit him to be more learned that hath thirty Legions of Soldiers under his command: So the employment of that heavenly Host lends no assistance to God, but proclaims him that hath so many terrible Ministers to command to be most dreadful, and glorious, and who is able to stand before his Host? Thirdly, The Angels and Saints shall make up one Triumphant Church in heaven, the whole body of things in heaven, and things on earth being gathered under Christ the head, therefore they are knit together in these good Offices of defense and guardianship as a taste of that unity which shall be complete hereafter. And indeed it is through Christ that these parts are recollected together, which were disjoined before. It pleased the Father to reconcile all things unto himself in him, whether they were things in heaven, or things in earth. He is that Ladder upon which Jacob saw Angels ascend and descend; and so Christ, speaking of that reconciliation which he had wrought, told the High Priests, Hereafter ye shall see the heavens open, and Angels ascending and descending. Fourthly, Aquinas doth thus excogitate: There are two ways wherein man stands in need of help, to have grace infused into him, and to be guided and assisted in perfecting that which is good, Deus immediate hominem inclinat ad bonum, infundendo ei gratiam; God only and immediately doth infuse supernatural grace into the heart. Sed inveniendae sunt congruae viae ad perficiendum bonum; But in the ways which are of advantage to finish and absolve that which is good, we are under the care and diligence of those ministering Spirits, even as Satan hath confessed it in my Text, He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee. And so much for the Supreme assistance, which the Devil did promise Christ; I have begun to touch upon the instrumental helpers as they were under the Lord's appointment, but now I will finish the time with a more large Explication of their aid and protection, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, &c.

Hortensius the Orator commended the brave quality of Eloquence to the heavens, that himself might be lifted up to heaven in the commendation: So the Tempter spares not to give the Angels their due, and much more than their due, that his own presence and assistance might be the more regarded; For this is the cunning of it; Habes Angelorum custodiam, & ego ipse Angelus lucis sum; The Angels are all your Servants to attend you, and I that am so near at hand unto you am an Angel of light. Well, for his part he shall be detected to his shame what he is after the third Tentation, howsoever he roves extreme wide from the scope of the Prophet David, Scriptum est ad corporis consolationem, non ad capitis; This promise of Angelical safeguard belongs not to the tuition of the head, who is above all, but to the consolation of the body. The beginning of the Psalm receives the righteous into the Sanctuary of the most High, and he shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; but Christ is that Almighty under whose shadow the Angels themselves are received. So Origen retorts, should the Angels watch left he dash his foot against a stone? Nisi Jesus adjuverit Angeli offendent pedem suum; yea, unless Christ be about their paths, and about their ways the Angels shall dash their foot against a stone, and never rise; they borrow their illumination, their confirmation in grace, their whole subsistence from Christ, and not he from them. What could be more spitefully cast forth than this comparison of the Tempters? What could be more contemptuous to Christ's glory than to make him a Pupil of the Angels? What more opprobrious to all faith? As if we did fly to such a Savior who was not sufficient to keep himself, but had a convoy of God's best Servants to deliver him. So the Jews, following their Father the Devil, frumpt him upon the Cross, Let us see if Elias will come and help him, when he called not upon Elias, but twice together upon God. The Lamb of God, when he was so flouted by the Jews, yielded up the Ghost, and did not contradict them, because they deserved for the hardness of their heart to live and die in their error; so he did not vindicate himself from this indignity of Satan's, that he was Lord of the Angels, and not under their Pupillage, Satan would have laid his ear to that, but it might not be discovered unto him, that he might still lie upon the rack of doubtfulness, and infidelity, manger all his Tentations.

Christ was not ashamed to let his Prophets and Apostles say, thou madest him a little lower than the Angels, Heb. ii. 7. But the next words do recompense that humiliation, Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. But how lower than the Angels, will some man say? Not ration naturae assumptae; not because he took flesh of the blessed Virgin; for he keeps that body in his glory, and yet as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , God and man, he is Prince of all the Angels: But thus it is best read, thou hast made him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for a little while lower than the Angels, in his Mortality, in his Passion, while he lay in the Grave, before he rose from the dead, but after that no longer in any respect lower than the Angels. Satan shall see and malign that after the temptation is finished, at the eleventh verse of this Chapter, Angels will come and minister unto him, as honorable Servants, not as Jobs Friends, who were his Allies and equals: He shall see at his Agony an Angel from heaven comforting him, Non ad necessitatem sed ad servitutis exhibitionem, says Remigius. Not as one that had need to bring help, but that ought to give attendance. Nay, because you read, Acts i. passively that Christ was taken up into heaven, and that two men, meaning two Angels, stood by in white apparel; therefore St. Austin says that Angels bore him up in their hands into heaven, not because he should fall if they had taken away their hands, but they were delighted marvelously in that homage and employment. And thus the Father amplifies it, The Lord hath said, heaven is my seat, Quia coelum portat, & Deus sedet, ideo coelum melius non est; If the heaven be his seat and carry him, yet is not he much better that sits upon it? So is Christ much better than all the Angels though it should be granted to Satan that they did bear him in their hands.

But for our part, to whom this benefit is meant, let us own it, and confess it is our Psalm, it is our consolation, those hands of the Angels are reached out to hold us weak ones up, left at any time we dash our foot against a stone. They plucked Lot and his Family out of Sodom, they guarded Jacob from the wrath of Laban, they went before the Israelites through the Wilderness, and through all their trouble, they filled all the Mountains round about to protect Elisha, they destroyed the Host of Sennacherib, and saved the holy City. We are not only Oves in medio luporum, Sheep in the midst of Wolves, but also Oves in medio Angelorum, Sheep in the midst of Angels; over every Wolves head there is an Angel, so that we are hoop'd about both above, and below: Above, for our defense; below, for our perdition. What should move the very Heathen to harp upon this string? Or who did light their Candle to find it out? One of them speaks thus roundly to the matter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , there are certain Angels appointed about the earth, who are Guardians and Bishops, or over-lookers of all human actions. Surely, that which moved them to this Sentence must be, to consider what plots and conspiracies against the innocent are often revealed in a way clean contrary to the reach of man's wit; what mischiefs are prevented by that which we call Chance and Fortune, that is, by the way of God's secret Providence, which cannot be discerned: And what comforts flow into the minds of the distressed, which no mortal man could administer? Good reason will conclude, some heavenly Ministers must be the Instruments of these strange and unlook'd-for blessings, or they could never come to pass. In these straights of time take these Aphorisms briefly upon it. As Solomon says, The righteous may be bold as a Lion. We have such to fence us, of whom more may be said than of the valiant Israelites, one of them shall chase a thousand, and two of them shall put ten thousand to flight. Nedum Angeli, sed & Christus ipse, says one; if thou think not them enough, you are under the tuition as well of Christ as of his Angels. Yet secondly, man's life must needs be full of enemies that even the Cherubims of heaven are so solicitous of our safeguard, Non tam magna pro nobis in coelo & in terrâ sollicitudo gereretur, &c. Bernard doth often rouse up himself to think that God sees we are in more danger than we ourselves can perceive, because he provides such an Army to be on our side against all hostility. Thirdly, Si homines requirant Angelorum auxilium, necesse est ut suum officium faciant; You must look to your own quarter, and the Angels will look to theirs: Set your affections upon heaven, and your hopes upon God's protection, yet do not separate the wit of the Serpent from the innocence of the Dove. It is the best sign that the powers of heaven are watchful over a man when that man is watchful over his own safety. But where God is angry with a sinner, he makes the good Angels cast him out of their hands to be trodden down of his enemies. When the Lord was angry with the Synagogue of the Jews, which he calls his Vineyard, to which he had been wanting in no grace and favor; Go to, says he, I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard, I will take away the hedge thereof, Isa. v. 5. Auferam sepem ejus, i.e. Angelorum custodiam; I will take away the fence of the holy Angels from it, and leave it to be trodden down. And why hath he committed us to the tutelary help of Angels? Not to adore them, for Christ says within three verses following, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Nor to pray unto them; for there is neither Pattern nor Precept to authorize it, but to prevent us from dangers, to assoil us from our Ghostly enemies, to bear us up in their hands, lest at any time we dash our foot against a stone.

He shall give his Angels charge, and they shall bear thee up; This Commission granted to a Plurality of Angels doth note, that one Angel is not here deputed to a man, but all to every man; Stapleton, and others of that side, do rather strive to rail Calvin, than to dispute him out of this opinion. Set aside the conjectures of many ancient learned Authors, there is not one tittle in Scripture to reprove what Calvin says, Figmentum de binis cujusque geniis profanum est; It is but a profane excogitation to say, that every man, as soon as he is born, is molested with the impugnation of a bad Angel, and is committed to the defense of a Good: against the former part, that every man hath one evil genius to oppugn him, how improbable it is, since we read, that Legions of evil Spirits have entered into one man? And that bad men have their good Angel Guardian, where is their evidence to prove it? Nothing, but because it was an old Platonique rule, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , everyone, good and bad, hath his Daemon or his Genius like a Page to wait upon him; and then the Schoolmen do thus divine, that bad men had need of a good Angel to wait upon them, Ne noceant aliis quantùm possint, to debar them that they may not do so much hurt as they would. But that every good man hath his Angel Guardian I confess is more generally maintained, and yet not without this diversity, some say he is deputed to every good Christian after he is baptized, some say, to every Elect one from the first moment of the Nativity; and so say all that follow St. Jerome, magna est dignitas animarum, ut unaquaeque habet ab ortu nativitatis Angelum deputatum; Yet again these Opinionists jossle, for some quote Austin, that an Angelical power is deputed to tender every visible thing in this World. In Rev. xiv. mention is made of the Angel that had power over the Fire; of another, Rev. xvi. that had power over the Water, as if every Element had its Angel Guardian. But if every visible Element and every material thing be under the custody of an Angel, that reason of Aquinas, which all the Schoolmen suck up for the guardiancy of all men's souls, must needs fall to nothing: But thus he; Men are incorruptible, not only in the Species, but also everyone in his particular form: Now he infers, the divine Providence is conversant chiefly about incorruptible things, therefore that Providence doth as much tend one man as an whole Species of Beasts and Plants, therefore one Angel is allotted to everyone man as to everyone whole kind of other things to perish. Thus you see there is no agreement but rangling about this Point, because it hath no foundation in Scripture; therefore Lombard, though some of his fellows pinch him for it, concluded very wisely, that it is to be doubted whether every man hath his particular tutelary Angel.

In the search of holy Scriptures this Text remits us to believe, that the Angels compass us about by troops and multitudes: We find Lot, his Wife, and his two Daughters taken out of Sodom by no more than two that came unto them: We read of innumerable Chariots in the Mountains that did appear to succor Elisha and his Servant. There is but one Angel set over Greece, and one more over Persia, Dan. x. they that contend for the opposite either name one verse. Mat. xiii. which speaks not of one, but of many Angels, Their Angels do always behold the face of your Father which is in heaven; or that other refuge out of a Text many ways expounded, Acts xii. 15. When the Maid affirmed how Peter knocked at door, whom all that were present supposed to be in prison, they said it is his Angel. Theophilact and Bede say, they meant it was his soul, he being newly slain by Herod, as they feared and suspected. Some holy Fathers, otherwise of great learning, did dream that the souls of good men departed did visit their Friends; which when Vigilantius denied, St. Jerome very harshly, Quare martyrs post sanguinis effusionem tenebuntur inclusi? Why should the souls of the Martyrs be locked up, and not permitted to wander abroad? A question of more anger than reason. Well, if the words be not to be construed as if it were the soul of Peter, but a very Angel, yet Cornelius à Lap. dares to call this Angel Michael, the great Prince; and surely they will not say he was the particular Guardian of St. Peter. Strange excursions are made upon it, how the Angel Guardian will personate a man so verily, that every man shall take it to be the very man; the same Jesuit tells, how a Priest being asleep, his Angel celebrated Mass for him; and that an Angel fought for another Soldier while he was at Mass. Among the Miracles of Ignatius Loiola reported at his Canonization, this was affirmed, that he, being at Rome, did appear unto one at Cullen, and transact business with him; but whether he at Cullen that told this were drunk or sober it is not reported. A thousand gulleries and fictions have been raised from the conceit of the Angel Guardian, and all grounded upon this, that the people within said Peters Angel was without; Now to end this Point, and to cut off all credit from that Text, it must needs be most ignorantly and inconsiderately spoken, for an Angel doth not use to knock at door, and desire to be let in, who is a Spirit, and could come in, though the doors were shut.

Coronidis vice, to cast up the whole account of this Text, suffer me to add both the intension of the Angels care over us, and the extension, and so I will conclude. The intension consists in this, that they will put their hands between us and harm, in their hands they will bear thee up. In wnich figure we alas are compared to Infants, they to Nurses, or Mothers, that will keep us in their own arms to save us from falling. Surely, they will not stick to carry so mean a similitude for our sake; for that you may not dread God's Majesty, he compares himself but to a Hen that clucks her Chickens under her wings, Mat. xxiii. The Chicken which is under the wing, though it be very safe, yet it is out of sight, but that which is held in the hand the eye will be carefully cast upon it; therefore this is a phrase of as tender pity and compassion as almost can be devised. Were it in this style, they shall admonish you of dangers at hand, it were a loving part, but we are admonished of dangers every week, and yet fall into the snares of Satan. Did the consolation run in this form, they shall go before you, or compass you about, they shall look to your going out and coming in, it would deserve to have God's name blessed for that appointment; yet though Angels go before us, unless they will carry us out of our own ways we shall run into the broad path that leadeth to destruction. Well, admit it were as God said to Israel, I have born thee on Eagles wings, and brought thee to myself, Exod, xix. 4. Yet it comes short of this love. The Eagle carries her young ones on her back, but to lift up a thing upon the shoulders is to make it a burden, and not a delight; that which is born in the hands is nearer to the bosom, ever in remembrance, most tenderly provided for, therefore out of infinite love Judah was comforted, I will grave thee in the palms of my hands, Isa. xlix.

This is the intension of their care, which is yet amplified by the extension, the Angels will support you, and hug you in their hands, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Burno Herbipolensis is more figurative in his Exposition than the very figure of the words: Says he, the Law was written in Tables of stone, but these Guardians will take care that you offend not against the Law. He might as well have said, and better, they will provide that you sin not against Christ, who is called a Stone, against which who so offends it will grind him to powder: but literally we may confide, that every part of our body is under the charge of God's holy Ministers, not only our head, but our feet; yea, the very hairs of our head are numbered. And this difference is prudently noted between those evils, from which all good men shall be awarded. First, They shall tread the Lion and the Dragon under their feet, in which all infestious dangers are understood of malicious persons, that devise to hurt the Innocent; then it is further promised they shall not hurt their foot against a stone, that is, no mischances or misadventures, shall fall upon them. So Job hath connected them, Chap. v. 23. Thou shalt be at peace with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee: That is, neither meditated mischiefs, nor ill luck shall overthrow thee; thy life shall be kept charily from thy professed enemies, yea, thy very foot from all disastrous contingencies. This is the Lord's doing, and his Name be glorified both for his own providence, which is always about our paths, and about our bed, and for the charge and tuition of his holy Angels. To God the Father, &c.

THE THIRTEENTH SERMON UPON Our Savior's Tentation.

T His is the second repulse which was given to the Tempter, who had disputed, as he thought, upon good supposition, If thou be the Son of God: Upon good authority, For it is written: Upon good assurance, For he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee. This was an Argument subtly compact together, and yet it is fully answered. Beloved, I reduce it to this head of Admonition, when the wicked have done all they can, and disguised their plots with as much safety, as wit can invent, yet the Lord will find a flaw in their contrivance, and say, here I will make a breach, here I will enter in. As Ahab was admonished of his death by the Prophet Micaiah if he went to Battle against Ramoth in Gilead, yet he thought to meet with no harm in spite of the Prophesy, for he had buckled his Armor about him from head to foot; but a certain man drew a Bow at a venture, and smote him between the joints of the Harness that he died. The Lord directed the man's Arrow to that place where Ahab lay open to death though he thought he had been impenetrable. Goliath came down to fight with any Champion that Saul should send against him, with his Shield of Brass, his Coat of Male, his Greaves of Brass, his Helmit of Brass, and so impudent he was in defying God, that I may say his Forehead was of Brass. This Giant that thought himself invulnerable all over David smote with a stone in his brazen forehead that he died. I could be luxuriant in Examples, I will speak but once more. The Jebusites were within the strong hold of Zion, and they boasted it could not be taken, therefore they derided David, but David found a way to send up his men by the Gutter, and smote the Jebusites; they were surprised at one weak passage which was not fortified, and never dreamt of it.

I lay all this down at the door of their conscience that dare venture upon any conspiracy or injustice, if they think their work so strong that it will hold out all detection. I tell you when you have made your Covenant with Hell by forgery, false witness, perjury, corruption, subornation, and with all the forms of damnable iniquity beside, God will start an Objection, which was never foreseen, that shall unmasque all their villainy. You cannot stop your gaps so close but he will break open your hedge: for here is a president in my Text, the wittiest Juggler in the world, and the Father of devices, he could not wind up his reasons so well but Christ did easily find an end to unravel them. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. The answers of our Savior grow stronger and stronger; before he replied affirmatively, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; Here he decides the Objection with a Negative Rule, (and Negative Precepts are stronger than Affirmative,) tenent ad semper, they bind a man at all times, at every minute of his life. Again, Christ answered to the first temptation, Non est necessarium, he might have made stones become bread, but there was no need of it. Unto this Tentation he answers, Non est bonum; not it may be spared and left undone well enough, but it must not be done, it is unlawful. But at both times our Savior's answer was a true Elench most pat against that which the Tempter urged, and that in two respects. First, here is Christ's Scriptum est against Satan's, Scripture to counter-poise Scripture, he censures the Devils malicious interpretation of Scripture by Scripture truly applied, Again it is written. Secondly, Satan blew the coals of presumption, Cast thyself down, &c. Christ puts them out with the still waters of Siloah with godly fear and circumspection, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. These are the contents of the Text, which you shall make yours by attending unto them, and I by opening and enlarging them.

Will a Thief sue a true man in the Law whom he hath robbed and despoiled by violence? No surely, he will avoid the Law, if he can shift it, for it will certainly condemn him. Yet Satan hath persuaded Christ to rebel against heaven, he hath robbed God of his honor, and yet pleads his cause out of the holy Scriptures, and flies to them: Our Savior was glad to catch him there, and holds him hard to Scripture whether he would or no, Rursum Scriptum est, again it is written. The evil Spirit perceived his own error, that it was unadvisedly done to deal with those Tools, and remove his suit out of that Court in the next Tentation. And because he was once beaten upon that ground, he would never meddle more with Scriptures. But Christ goes them over and over, Again it is written; for the oftener you use the Word of God, you shall speed the better with it. If anything in the Prophets or Apostles be strange unto you, blame yourself if it be for want of acquaintance; every man will be to seek in the way where he goes but seldom. The more you use that sharp Sword of the Spirit, the more expert you will be to handle it. Threaten the Devil that you will lay this stone in his way if he shall approach you, that you will betake you to the Testament of God again and again if he come against you; and while the Scripture lasts there is no conquering of a righteous man, for his defense is impregnable.

But after what sort doth Christ meet his enemy in the face? Again it is written. What, doth he knock Scripture against Scripture? Is there civil discord in the Word of God within itself? Are there Twins of several natures and conditions in it, like Esau and Jacob in the womb of Rebekah? Not so Beloved; Christ alledgeth Moses against the place of the Psalm which the Tempter quoted, not, as we say, to drive out one nail with another, but by way of Harmony and Exposition, to show that the Devil did misalledge the Psalm of David, because he gave it a sense repugnant to the Text of Moses. It was a blasphemous assertion of Pighius, let his Pew-fellows salve it as they will, that the Sacred Bible, without the Gloss and Exposition of the Church, was like a Nose of Wax, you might pull it straight, or turn it which way you would. If it speak not clearly of itself, but be obnoxious to a good sense or a bad by men's interpretations, they might pass that censure upon it, which is horrid to be spoken, that a man of a clear notion and style might endite a Book of less danger to give offense than that which was inspired throughout by the Eternal Spirit. Aristotle could say there was no use of an Indefinite Rule, because there was no certainty in it: Such, says he, was called a Lesbyan Rule, it was made of lead, flexible, and would bend to anything that you would measure with it. To settle reason by the example of men's actions, and not to reduce men's actions to the notions of common reason, were it not ridiculous? To apply the Law to men's manners, and not to make men's manners be directed by the Law, were it not preposterous? So let the Scripture expound unto men the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven. But if men will teach the Scriptures how to expound themselves, were not that most arrogant and most blasphemous? If the Trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the Battle, says St. Paul? 1 Cor. xiv. 18. The Scripture is the Trumpet of God, that Trumpet of which St. Jerome speaks, that it always sounded in his ears, Surgite mortui, venite ad judicium; Arise ye dead and come to judgment. And how uniform the sound of it is, no way dissonant from itself, I read it in an Allegory, Num. x. 2. God spake unto Moses, Make thee two Trumpets of silver, of one whole piece shalt thou make them, that thou mayst use them for the calling of the Assembly. The two Trumpets are the two Testaments, they call the Assemblies together, all Nations from the East unto the West to serve the Lord, and they are made of one whole piece, because they do nowhere vary or contradict themselves. As the whole world, before the confusion of Babel, was of one Speech, and of one Language: So the whole mass of Scripture is of one consent, and one harmony; they may make discords in it indeed, that are building Heresies in their own fancy like the Tower of Babel.

I recollect all this to one Head, That Christ replied out of the Law to confound that which Satan quoted out of the Psalms; not as if Scripture were made to jossle against Scripture; not as if it were a fencing School, that had foyls for the Challenger, and for his Antagonist that answered him, for then we should never have peace; but to show that the Devil had stained the true Word of God Christ produced another place of the Word to parallel it; and if this Text do prohibit unnecessary daring, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, then Cast thyself down from a Pinacle of the Temple is unauthorized, albeit the Promise goes, He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, &c. To dispatch this out of hand, the misconstruing the Word of God is the beginning of all strife; the true Allegation of it is the end of a Controversy. Therefore upon the surging of Heresies the holy Fathers were wont to convene in Councils, or great Assemblies, Positis in medio sacris Scriptures; the holy Scriptures ever lying in the midst, they were the Center of all their opinions, and by them they built up the Church in unity, which was divided before. By them the Faithful stopped the mouths of Lions that they could roar no more. And as Socrates says, when Babylas the Martyrs bones were buried near to the Oracle of Apollo, the Oracle spake no more; so the clamours of all Satanical men are husht by the sound of the two silver Trumpets. By one blast of the Trumpet Satan was outed from his first temptation, and by another blast in these words from a second temptation; Rursus scriptum est, Again it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

I pass from these few gleanings in the first part of the Text to the full sheaves in the second. A Medicine works upon a Disease to expel it partly by similitude, partly by contraries: So our Savior provided an Antidote against the Devils pernicious counsel, partly by similitude, giving him like for like, Again it is written: partly by contraries, resisting presumption with modesty, with fear and reverence, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. This Precept is so full of cases and instances, that it is like a thick over grown Wood, and the ambiguities so many, that I can light upon no man that hath made a clear path to go through; and the reason is, that there are such multiplicious significations in this phrase, to tempt God, that you cannot describe it in one Proposition. The great Schoolman was fain to shuffle it up thus, Tentare Deum est explorare an Deus sciat, velit, aut possit id quod ei proponitur; To tempt God is to inquire unnecessarily what God hath folded up in his Knowledge, or laid up to do in his secret Will, or comprehended in his mighty Power. You perceive plainly, this is not to draw one straight Rule, but to spread an ambiguous thing into many branches: I am purposed therefore to impart my apprehensions upon the point unto you on this wise. First, how many ways God may be tempted without offense. Secondly, how many ways it is sin to tempt him. Thirdly, wherein the trespass doth consist to tempt the Lord. From hence the ordinary hearer shall learn some instances for his share, and the intelligent Auditor may apply all cases, which I must omit for brevity to these general Rules.

The first Doctrine to be passed over is, how many ways the Lord may be tempted without offense. One, and the prime instance is, when we cannot help ourselves by any natural means, where all the possibilities, which human Providence can imagine, have failed us, therein to cast our burden upon the Lord, and to look for some extraordinary deliverance from his protection is a temptation of Faith, and not of Presumption. This Psalm xci. from whence Satan drew his Text to inveigle our Savior, He shall give his Angels charge, &c. I say, this Psalm goes very far to strengthen my observation; for if you mark it, those perils from which the most High hath promised to deliver us, are not such things which we may avoid, Proprio Marte, by our own Arm, but they are things quite out of our own defense, as the snare of the Hunter, the Pestilence, the flying Arrow. What good can we do ourselves against such invisible mischiefs? If we had means to help ourselves, thank God for that supply; but his Omnipotency is for that time discharged. But the Promise of the Psalm doth extend to them who fly to extraordinary Providence when ordinary industry will not serve the turn. Luther says very well therefore, that the Contents of that xci Psalm are not for every man's humor nowadays; he means, it is not for those who will expect what the Lord is able to do for them in some strange way, when necessity doth not thrust them upon it to have such expectation. The usual similitude of the School is this, he that gallops an horse, only to mark how swift he is of pace, Tentat equi virtutem, he doth it to find out the metal of the horse; but he that puts him to his speed upon a journey, doth it not to find out the worth of the horse, but to rid the way for his business: So one man leaves the event of his affairs totally to God's especial succor, that he may try his goodness or his omnipotency; another man flies to the same goodness and omnipotency, because necessity hath enclosed him about; the former temptation cannot be approved, the latter cannot be condemned. I will fit the Point with an example to make it easier. Every sickness is not unto death, and therefore the Lord hath appointed Drugs for the maladies of the body. Altissimus creavit medicinam, says the Son of Sirach, The most High hath created Medicines, and a wise man will not despise them; therefore they chose an ill matter to commend, who praised St. Agatha, that she would never take any remedy for the infirmities of her body, Habeo Dominum Iesum qui solo sermon restaurat universa; this was rash adventuring. Far otherwise, that woman in the Gospel, diseased with an Issue of blood twelve years, and had spent all her means upon Physicians; when no receipt of man's skill would do her good, she put her faith in a Miracle, and came near to touch Christ, to explore if she should be cured by laying her finger upon the fringe of his Garment, and so it came to pass. First, the course of Nature had failed, and then the Lord blessed her for relying upon a supernatural Medicine. When we have nothing, and see nothing like to fall unto us, we may resolutely say with Abraham, God will provide; and as Jehoshaphat said, There is no strength in us to stand against this great multitude, now we know not what to do, our eyes are toward thee, 2 Chron. xx. 12.

This is the declaration of the first instance, that it is no unlawful tempting of God, when it is not wantonness, or curiosity, but the last and most extreme necessity that puts us upon it. The next instance is thus framed, such as had commandment, or Prophetical instinct from God to ask a sign from heaven, or to look for some wonderful effect, these did not offend by unlawful temptation. The Disciples, when they were sent abroad two by two to preach in several Cities, had a Rule given them by Christ, To take no provision with them for their journey; they did so, as they were bidden, and that bidding made it no intrusion upon their Fathers Providence. The Lord also bad Gideon bring his Soldiers down unto the water, and he would try them by a sign which of them should go against the Midianites, the Lord did say it, and therefore it was fit for him to obey that miraculous direction. And Divines agree, that it was not a fair answer in King Ahaz, when God bid him ask a sign either in the depth beneath, or in the height above; he answered, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord; for the favor was propounded unto him both for his own part to increase his faith, and much more for the instruction of all the people, therefore he should have asked it. But sometimes, though upon no express command, yet holy Prophets upon some divine instinct, have tempted God to grant them a sign above the common and ordinary way of nature, and yet their asking was laudable, as Gen. xv. God is very gracious to Abraham in all the passages, I, and commends him for his faith; yet Abraham says, Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit this Land of Canaan? And a miracle was wrought to establish the Promise unto him. Thus you must interpret, wheresoever in holy Scripture you find such eminent men ask a sign, to whom God talked familiarly, or poured Revelations into them, or spake unto them in Visions, that they had a Prophetical instinct for it, which makes their case different from us that walk by ordinary faith. Now I pray you mark, that many times wicked people undertake things of a strange condition by instinct, and bring them to pass, but it is not Prophetical; for it is an instinct of which themselves are not aware; as the Mariners were prompted by instinct, no doubt, to cast lots, and the Lot fell right upon Jonas, yet they had no feeling that the hand of the Lord was in it: But it is a Prophetical instinct which makes the act warrantable when the party employed in it by God, knows it, and understands it to be such, and concurreth with God as well in will as in the work. Eliezer, Abraham's Servant, was sent to provide a Wife for Isaac, and coming to Mesopotamia, to the City of Nahor, he makes this Prayer, O Lord God of my Master Abraham, send me good speed this day: Loe I stand by the Well of water, grant that the Maid to whom I say, bow down thy Pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, if she say, drink, and I will give thy Camels drink also, may be she that thou hast ordained for thy Servant Isaac: And it was so in the event. The Scripture makes no description of this Eliezer for a Prophet, yet if he felt a motion from God to try the Marriage this way good and lawful: if not, howsoever God let it come to pass for Abraham and Isaac's sake, the course was not excusable, but superstitious. The like judgment I pass upon Jonathan, for God only knows by what inspiring or revelation he did this; he went up against the Philistines with his Armor-bearer, and he resolves, if they say come up unto us, we will go up, For the Lord hath delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign unto us. Though some say, this was not to doubt of God's excellency, but of their own act, yet that distinction avails not to explore the success of your own act by means unordained for that use, unless divine instinct do help, it is a vicious temptation. Yet this I will add, Jonathan's act may be rescued from being tax'd for a tempting of God, and exposing themselves to most doubtful peril, in that two of them fought with an whole Host; for the place was narrow, where they could grapple but one to one, and Jonathan had the upper ground; and the Promise was ratified in the Book of Moses, That one of them should chase an hundred, and two of them put a thousand to flight. Therefore God's Command, or his Promise, or a Prophetical instinct do qualify those things to be virtuous actions, which otherwise were temptations ill adventured to anger the Lord.

Thirdly, Weighty and extraordinary callings had need of a mighty faith to undergo them; and such men of old had a liberty allowed unto them, to try their Vocation by some sign, or some powerful work of God, both for themselves, and principally for the people that were committed to their governance. As Moses pleaded when he was destined to be the Captain that should bring Israel out of Egypt, Loe they will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice, they will say the Lord hath not appeared unto thee; presently he was satisfied, God bad him cast forth his Rod and it became a Serpent. This the Lord did bear withal, and let him require an extraordinary Warrant for an extraordinary Function. So Gideon being a poor Thresher was called upon by the Angel to sight for Israel against the Midianites, he deprecates, that the Angel would take it no offense if he desired the encouragement of a Miracle to raise his faith to an eminent pitch; Be not angry with me, let me prove thee once again with the Fleece, let it now be dry only upon the Fleece, and let dew be upon all the ground. To a private man this demand had been sin, but to Gideon to sustain that excellent person which the Angel imposed on him, at least it was tolerable.

Fourthly, and finally, there is a speculative inquiry or Antecedent to prove God's will and power by Signs and Tokens, and that is unlawful; and there is an experimental or consequent one to inquire after God's goodness in a man's own self by descending into the effects and enumerations of his mercies, and proving our own Spirit, and that is lawful. So Mal. iii. 10. Bring ye all the Tithes into the storehouse, and prove me therewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven unto you. It were sinful to pay Tythes to that end, as if you would tempt God by that conclusion whether he could open the windows of heaven, and help you with store; but consecutive, the trial is good, do you that, and God will do this; put it to the success, if the Lord do not treble his bounty unto those that pay him his Tythes and Offerings; this is to taste and try how gracious he will be to our obedience, not to put him to such effects, as we imagine in the capreols of our own fancy, for that is a culpable temptation.

So this Point being traversed as much as I intend, and the time will give me leave, I leave it behind me, and proceed to the next, What are the general heads of those presumptuous ways, wherein the party sins that tempts the Lord, And surely one principal and notorious offense is committed, when a man exposeth his life to unnecessary dangers, upon an ill-grounded confidence, that God will bring him off with safety. Upon this instance our Savior toucheth in my Text alone, and upon no other. The Rule is written in Moses, and it is large and copious, Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, Deut. vi. 16 Not you of the house of Israel in no case, I know not how the 72 Translators came to read the words in the Singular, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Thou shalt not tempt the Lord; but our Savior doth so quote the words, and makes them serve for this case, that it was most profane to urge a man to fall from a Pinacle of the Temple upon a falls assurance that the Angels would be at hand to prevent the danger, for no man must wittingly throw himself into the jaws of destruction, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Life is a gift of Nature, it is common to Beasts and Fowls of the air, to the Plants of the Garden: Now natural things must be kept and sustained on our part by natural means; we must not depend upon supernatural and miraculous protection, that happens so seldom, that there is no Rule or certainty when it shall be done; sometimes it is done, not for our fleshly and natural benefit, but for God's glory.

Paul would not have had the Centurion put to Sea in stormy weather, and when they would not hearken to him it cost them the loss of all they had but their lives, so much was God displeased with such adventurous enterprises. When man loseth his wit, that he is not tender to save himself, it is a sign that God gives him over to mischief, and will not be his deliverer. It was a desperate senseless speech of Ignatius Loiola, that he would put forth to Sea without Sail, or Oars, or Tackling, if his Superior bad him; for God hath made no Promise to conduct a man in safety that leaves himself to such tyrannous commands upon blind obedience. Says Solomon, A wise man feareth and departeth from evil, but a fool rageth and is confident, Prov. xiv. 16. David ended the matter conscionably, but began it presumptuously, when he desired that some would give him of the waters of the Well of Bethlehem by the Gate. This was a desperate demand, for his three Captains were fain to fetch it with the imminent peril of their life, breaking through the whole Host of the Philistines: But David rolling things in his second cogitations his heart smote him; says he, O Lord, far be it from me to drink it, is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? God taught man this provident respect, to decline his own peril, and not to tempt him by wading into dangers farther than unavoidable necessity pushed him. I say the Lord commended it in a certain Law, Lev. xiii. that he who had the uncleanness of Leprosy upon him, should dwell alone without the Camp, and that no clean person should come near him because of the Contagion. The whole must not mix themselves with the unsound, where diseases have a dispreading infection. They that come necessarily to succor others, either in a spiritual or a temporal way, are not to be dissuaded, because it is to be yielded that the blessing of God's mercy will go along with them that bring necessary reliefs of charity. But promiscuous Visitants are to be admonished, that they tempt the Lord whose presence is no way needful, but are mere rash adventurers. I have an example that may deter the refractory, if they will mark it: When the Plague was great in Israel David went up to the threshing flour of Araunah to offer Sacrifice. You will say, Why not to the Altar before the Tabernacle? That was the true form of Religion. Why, the Tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the Wilderness, and the Altar of burnt Offerings, was at that season in the high places of Gibeon, and David could not go before it to ask counsel at God, for he was afraid of the Sword of the Angel of the Lord: That is, the place was much infected with the Pestilence, that is the Sword of the Angel, therefore David durst not go up to Gibeon. Qui amat periculum peribit in illo; He that loves to walk dangerous ways shall perish in them. Even King Josiah, one of the most lovely Darlings of God's favor among all the Kings of Judah, fell under the Sword for pressing further against his enemies than the word of the Lord did permit him. The ancient Eliberitan Council Enacted that all those who plucked down the Idols or Temples of the Heathen should not be accounted Martyrs, though they died for the faith of Christ, because they plucked Persecution upon themselves, and provoked their own Martyrdom. Paul fled away from his enemies, where his life was sought, not that he said untruly, he desired to lay down his Tabernacle, and be with Christ. Neque quasi non credendo in Deum, says St. Austin, sed ne Deum tentaret, si fugere noluisset: Nor as if he had no hope in God's assistance, but because no providence was to be omitted, to preserve life, lest he should tempt the Lord his God.

2. In another way the Lord is tempted, when we will not believe him, unless we see Signs and Wonders, and provoke him to let us see some print of his Omnipotent hand, or we will fall off, and trust in him no more. When once our faith grows so dainty and queamish, that it will be fed with miracles and wonders, it will pine away to nothing. When we have a little miracle, we will ask a greater, and a greater after that will not serve the turn. Thus it was with the Pharisees, for when Christ had been long among them, and done such mighty works, as the like were never heard of, yet these Tempters urge him to do some new feat for their sake, Master we would see a sign from heaven. Why, they had scarce wipt their eyes since they had seen one; and now they call for a sign a fresh, as if those were none which they had seen before. God hath threatened such signs and tokens to show them openly to the world, that these who ask so boldly for signs would be out of their wits to see them, There shall be signs and tokens in the heavens, the Sun shall be turned into darkness, and the Moon into blood. If God should terrify them with these sights they would say, Lord show us no signs. Yes, if you will tempt the Lord, and stint, and prescribe him to work Miracles, you shall have these or none. Have you lost all your Humility, that you should hope or desire that God would produce the most noble effects of his omnipotent hand for such a sinner as you are, which he reserves only to magnify his holy Name? note that therefore for the second way to tempt the Lord.

And thirdly, there is another crooked branch, much like unto the former, growing out of the same root; not simply by declining natural means, but by declining all means; having no calling, using no labor, cashiring all providence, and yet expecting to live and thrive, as well as they that eat the bread of carefulness by the sweat of their brows. They look to be God's Sparrows, that lay up nothing; neither sow nor reap, and yet hope to be fed. But Solomon's Pismire is so little, that they cannot see the similitude, that the sluggard should lay up for Winter, and tread after the providence of that forecasting creature. When Christ was in the Wilderness far from any provision, he made use of his transcendent power, to multiply many portions of food out of five loaves and two fishes: but when he was near a Town, he sent his Disciples to buy some food, John 4. There is a way to use this world, as if we used it not; these tanquam non utentes, God loves exceedingly; such as seek for necessary means of life, as if they sought it not: such as possess that portion of riches which they have freely, charitably, being willing to communicate, as if they possessed it not. Finally, such as use the delights of the world, yet sparingly in offensively, as if they used it not. These I say are tanquam non utentes: but wretchless regardless humors, such as are absolutely non utentes, that will not seek after the natural benefits which God hath given, but let his benefits drop down in their mouths like Manna, and come to them; these contemn Art and Nature, and industry: these are one rank of them that tempt the Lord.

Then they shall stand for the fourth, that make holy vows, and bind themselves in a perpetual obligation, where God hath given no promise of assistance, that they shall be able to perform them. The Apostles were offended with them that enjoined Christians to observe Judaical Ceremonies, after Christ's Ascension into Heaven; not merely because the Levitical Law was not only dead and buried, but even become mortiferous to them that used it, but because there was no promise any longer, that the grace of Christ would assist them that undertook that kind of Worship, which was discharged and abrogated. The words of Peter are plain to this sense, Acts xv. 10. Why tempt ye God to lay a yoke upon the necks of the Disciples? God is tempted, when ye expect his Grace to bless you in those inventions of Will-worship, where he never engaged himself to be present with his holy Spirit. I step into this observation: some have the gift to be Virgins, without any dangerous reluctancy against the rebellion of the flesh, all the days of their life: but there is no express and punctual promise made, that such as will endeavor it, pray for it, be earnest to attend it should be able to lead a vowed single life, without the remedy of Matrimony: therefore it is a gross presumption, and no modest assurance, for any one to bind himself by Vow to perpetual Virginity; for such a man or woman will seem to engage God to give them victory over all Concupiscence, that they may not be beholding to his holy institution of Matrimony. But we see it by woeful experience, and they are too impudent that deny it, how such presumption and tempting of God, instead of unspotted Virginity, falls very often into most gross carnality.

Fifthly, to use such things again, which either always, or for the most part have been unto us an occasion of sinning, is to tempt the Lord, whether he will let those things prevail against our souls, which so often have proved unto us an occasion of falling. Look not on the wine while it is red in the glass, says Solomon; and that's a proverb too which the Prophet useth, Put not your finger upon the hole of the asp: listen not to a smooth enticing tongue, though you think yourself and your constancy as impenetrable as flint, yet a little rain wears out the hardest stone insensibly, we know not how, falling drop by drop upon it. We do not read what became of Naaman after he craved leave to bow down sometimes in the house of Rimmon, I fear his integrity suffered some detriment; but I am sure both he and all men else are guilty of those sins, towards which they drew near and approached, when they might have kept further off. I am sure we do read of Amnon what an hell of iniquity he brought upon himself, when he entreated that his Sister Tamar might stand before him: a conscionable man that feared to do evil, would have turned away his eyes as from a Basilisk,; a moral man could do it barely to be renowned and spoken of, and for no further end. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , says Alexander; he would not look upon those eye-sores, the fairest of the Persian women, for fear of incontinence. Shall not Religion make us as cautelous as popularity made the heathen? he that dares sail near the Sirens within hearing, hath forfeited himself to unlawful pleasure; he that dares come close to the threshold of sin shall be plucked into the doors, for he hath tempted the Lord his God.

And sixthly, this smells of a most audacious spirit, provoking wrath, and urging the patient God to indignation, when you make slight of all the terrors and minacies in the Law, as if they were high words: but do what you will they shall never fall upon you: this was the first imposture that Satan put upon our first Parents. The threatening of the Lord is very strict indeed, but nequaquam moriemini, do you not regard it, you shall not die. O how it exasperates the Divine Justice, and draws down severity, when any one deludes himself, that the vengeance denounced against him is, but, as one said of the Popes Bull, vacui murmur culici • , the humming of a poor empty gnat. Some dispute it with Originists, that at the end of certain years the damned shall be released from Hell: As for the sentence of eternal fire, Magis minaciter quam veraciter dictum. Those words have more terror in them then verity. Some would make it good by their wit, that the souls of Reprobates shall have no sense of roasting and burning in fire; but only be damnified and deprived of eternal happiness, not to stand before the face of God; at least that nothing but the loss of the beatifical presence was threatened against the disobedience of our first Parents. And some men's hearts are hardened against all the thundering of Judgments, which shall be discovered at the last day, as if they were Chimera's or poetical fictions. Such as these do most strongly tempt the terrible Judge, to open the earth immediately, and swallow them up quick into Hell like Dathan and Abiron, that their bodies and souls may feel the pains of Hell sooner then all other men, because they provoked him with their infidelity.

I have reserved to speak of one strong temptation in the seventh and last place. To ascribe some notable effect unto a thing, unto which it was not enabled or appointed by nature, or by the Divine Ordinance revealed for such power and efficacy: therefore it is very ancient Canonical Law which forbad that any person endicted for a fault secretly committed, and therefore accused either upon bare suspicion, or upon the mouth of one witness, should purge himself by dipping his arm in hot scalding water, or by walking between plow-shares red hot, unequally laid, which was called the Ordeal Fire: for these creatures thus employ'd have no force by nature to manifest a truth, and much less is any promise annexed unto them, to be the instruments of examinatory Justice by Divine Revelation. If it be pretended that God appointed the woman suspected for Adultery to drink a draught of bitter waters, which should discover whether she were innocent or no; I answer, That this one instance was peculiarly enacted by God, who no doubt would assist such miraculous proceedings, as were of his own institution: but it is an unpardonable boldness to imitate him in his Omnipotent Ordinations; and to ascribe unto other human causes, that they shall reveal hidden things, which cannot be searched by man's wit, which is proper only to the Creator, is to commit Idolatry obliquely, and to seek that from a poor contemptible creature, which is to be expected only from Almighty God. Nor doth my Doctrine hold only in things that are common and profane; but even things of the Divinest use are abused, when we would wring out from them to detect Thefts, or Murders, or other Trespasses, which cannot be discovered by the ordinary way of Justice. Therefore this Canon of a Provincial Council in Worms is dislik'd by grave Authors, That if any things were stolen in a private Monastery, where some Monk must needs be the Thief, and all denied it, everyone of them should receive the Holy Sacrament, with these words pronounced, Corpus Domini nostri sit tibi ad probationem, Let the Body of our Lord be thy trial or probation. This was an insolent temptation, for the Sacrament is taken to Commemorate Christ's Death until he come; not to detect such as were suspected of pilfering.

And however the sifting out of truth, to discover the enemies of God's Anointed, and to lay open perilous talk against his Sacred Person, may require such means and trials, as are justly to be denied to all other cases; yet we see the renowned Piety of his most Religious Majesty, that would not have truth decided by the sharpness of the Sword; no, not in a matter that concerned his own Royal Safety: and when the Laws of the Realm did directly put that course into his hands, and when his Royal Ancestors in this Island, and sundry Princes in other Kingdoms have often used it: for all this his excellently guided Conscience would not hazard the blood of an Innocent, (as one party must needs be so) where there is no certainty of assistance promised from God, that the guiltless should be the Conqueror. My Text hath directly led me to praise God, that hath so guided the heart of his Majesty, not to tempt the Lord. I did not strain to bring this note in by force, for I wish no mercy if I do not vehemently abhor slattery.

But how ill is this noble example followed by the vulgar? no toy can be lost, no secret which we desire to know be kept in obscurity; but being impatient to want their will, an hundred senseless Charms, and old Wives devices, and casting Figures, and casting Lots, shall be sought after; which God hath no more appointed to manifest hidden things, then the wagging of a Feather; or the shaking of a Leaf before the Wind. Beloved, mark this Rule, Si non potest sciri, quare inquiritis? secreta ad Dei tribunal spectant. It may be the thing we inquire after concerns us deeply, and would give us much quiet and content to find it out: but where God hath denied you the ordinary means of discovery, it is a sign that he means to reserve it in his own power and knowledge; therefore to fly to these extraordinary ways, (ways after our own hearts, but never allowed in the word) is to endeavor by force to pluck it out of God's bosom. If the Lord should offer you a miraculous, or supernatural assistance to unrip any secret wickedness, it were not to be refused: as in a few examples, the casting of Lots is granted in Scripture, either to reveal some hidden truth, or to foreknow somewhat to come; but out of those cases such things are not to be meddled with, nor in no wise to be taken into your consultation. For it is not in the power of those that use the Lot, nor in the nature of the Lot to effect that necessarily, whereunto it is employed: therefore I damn it as an indirect means, that is taken up against or beside the will of the Lord. Let me give you to see, that one word of excuse which is very trivial is very erroneous, and I will hasten to conclude. Many do object that the Scripture hath no pregnant place in it, which condemns the decision of truth, or the finding out of hidden things by Duels, by Ordeals, by Lotteries, by other Divinations. I, but can you show me where the Scripture hath bid it to be done? or else you have said nothing: for where no Faith is, the act which you undertake cannot be free from sin; but where there is no warrant of the Word of God, there can be no Faith. Do you think it is possible to build Faith hereupon, that such a course is not directly forbidden, it cannot be: for Faith without the Word, and without promise is not Faith but presumption. So I have delivered my mind, how many ways it is offensive to tempt the Lord.

I have prepared all things before, to say little to the last point: wherein the trespass consists to tempt the Lord. In two things: first, in Infidelity: secondly, in want of due reverence to the Divine honor. 1. It is a token of little Faith, yea of Infidelity, to be uncertain, or unskillful in any of the Divine Attributes: but he that tries God, it makes his action guilty, that either some whole Attribute of the Divine Nature, or some degree of excellency in it is unknown unto him: as Ananias and Sapphira put it to the trial, if God had so much knowledge to discover their dissimulation. Zacharias tempted him, whether the message which the Angel brought were verily the Divine Will. The Israelites mis-doubted his power, when they said, Can he prepare a Table in the Wilderness? Secondly, He that tempts a thing upon no necessary cause, esteems light of it, and makes no reverential account of it as he ought; but that he may toy with it at his pleasure: as he that will pluck a Lion by the lip, certainly he neither fears the anger, nor the strength of the Beast: So he that will assay what God can do, only to satisfy his own curiosity, it is evident he sets very little by the Divine Honor. But we were not best to make sport with Sampson, as the Philistines did, lest he pluck the house about our ears. Do we provoke the Lord to anger? are we stronger then be? O provoke him not, lest he swear that ye shall not enter into his rest: but with holy reverence, and steadfast faith submit yourselves to his revealed will. Amen.

THE FOURTEENTH SERMON UPON Our Savior's Tentation.

T He Scripture makes mention that there is a season at the return of the year when Kings go forth to battle. This is not the time, all men know it well enough; quite contrary, now it is usual that the wearied Soldier should draw himself out of the Field into Garrison. But all times and seasons are alike unto our Adversary the Devil, all the changes and quarters of the year will serve his turn to fight against us, who walks about continually seeking whom he may devour. Wherefore I bring him out before you, to let you see how he laid about him in his last skirmish, for this third is his last temptation. As the Carthaginians in their third Punic War lost their City and Kingdom to the Romans, and never bore Arms more; so you shall see Satan so repulsed at this onset, that he left the Field to the Conqueror, and never after propounded any blasphemous temptation in a visible shape to the Son of God. David was much emboldened to fight with Goliath, and assured himself of Victory, because he had grappled with two savage beasts, and slain them both, and thus spake cheerfully to Saul, Thy servant slew both the Lion and the Bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them: So the first temptation was unto our Savior like a ravenous gluttonous Bear, Command that these stones be made bread. The second was like a ramping and a roaring Lion, all boldness and presumption, Cast thyself down from a Pinacle of the Temple; Now he that escaped both these, out of the paw of the Lion, and out of the paw of the Bear, shall triumph most victoriously over this great Goliath in the last and most bewitching temptation, which begins in this form, Again the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him, &c.

How divers is Satan from himself? How unlike is this course to that which he took before? Since Christ was so tender of his safety, that he would not fall head-long, the Tempter casts his Net on the other side of the Ship, and promiseth as much as any man can wish in this world that loves himself. The odds therefore are very great between the former motion, Cast thyself down from a Pinacle of the Temple, and between this motion, Behold all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, &c. The one is Passio corruptiva, make away yourself, utter ruin and corruption: This is Passio perfectiva, the perfection and solace both of the eye and the heart to see the pride of the earth, and all the excellency of it as upon a Theater. The ways indeed are divers, but the malicious intention is the same, or rather far greater in this, which I will demonstrate piecemeal as I handle the several particulars, of which these are to be considered in this present Verse: 1. The importunity of Satan, he is upon our Savior again, Again the Devil taketh him up. 2. The variety of his shifts, from the Pinacle of the Temple he taketh him up to an exceeding high Mountain. 3. Note by what gate or passage he would enter his temptation, by the eye, Ostendit illi, he shows a goodly object unto him. 4. The dignity of the Object, he shows him Kingdoms. 5. For the amplitude and generality, All the Kingdoms of the world. 6. In their most amiable and desirable shape he shown them in their glory, All the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. 7. Satan shown himself to be an arch Juggler, or Praestigiator, as Artists call it, for St Luke adds, that he showed all this in a moment of time; these are all distinctly to be handled; and first of his importunity, Again the Devil taketh him up, &c.

A close Solicitor, and a diligence worthy to be commended, if it had been in a good cause: But they that are in a wrong way are most zealous in their course, and negotiate for hell more urgently than we do for heaven. Many a soul is lost for want of teaching and instruction, it is very dreadful to remember how God will require it at our hands; but in this Satan triumphs, that never any soul escaped him for want of instance and prosecution. And I hold it for a true Position, that many times he is assiduous to subvert good men, where there is no hope of speeding, to provoke God to be angry with our lazy negligence, upon the comparison. I believe the Devil never thought to proceed so far as to a second temptation with our Savior, much less to a third, but to get what he looked for at the first motion, yet since he found an hard match of it, and was twice repulsed with such evidences of Scripture as could not be answered, he redoubles his boldness, and thinks in the end to weary out our Savior, as Delilah did Samson, with importunity. St. Paul besought the Lord thrice that the Messenger of Satan might depart from him: The one prayed often, the other pricked him often. The evil Spirit vied it with the good Apostle; the one exceeded in the number of devout Prayers, the other was not one whit behind in the number of fleshly temptations. St. Austin compared the Devil to a Mastive Dog, Qui nec percussus ab hominis laceratione separatur; Beat him, thrust him away, stave him off, break his teeth in his head, yet he flies upon you, till he have torn and devoured you: So this incensed Adversary, never to be reconciled, will not be quite driven from you with Vows, with Fastings, with Supplications, but listens to hear you say, as one discouraged with perplexity, I am weary of my groaning, until this tyranny be overpass'd.

But that tyranny is uncessant, the hatred of the Devil hath no stint; expect it, be ready for it, and let it not sting your conscience with horror, if you find somewhat within you always warring against the Spirit; temptations are not like some diseases, which are not incident to a man above once in his life, scape once and secure forever, but like hereditary infirmities which are ever recurring to torment the flesh. A quotidian is more like to be cured, if it be well looked to, than an Ague whose Paroxysms keep longer distance. Nor shall the Tempter again, or his importunities bow down our neck under the yoke of sin, these quotidian fits shall not weaken the inward man if the fear of the Lord be ever in our heart, and his name often between our lips to conjure down the Regiment of the Prince of darkness. Invidiâ coelum tundimus, non solùm voluit orari, verùm etiam pulsari, says Tertullian. God would not only be called upon, but bids us beat at door, knock and cease not, till we overcome him with importunity. Make this Collection moreover from the Point; none so good but by continual assault Satan thinks he may pervert them; so none so bad but by continual instruction we may reclaim them. The Conversion of the very Mohammedans is to be hoped for; for if your Doctrine fall drop by drop upon their stony hearts, why may not those Flints be worn in pieces? Even the Calling of the Jews is to be labored for, though they be dry sticks cut off from the tree, from the natural Olive, yet being perpetually watered with instruction they may live again. Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season, so Paul wrote to his Timothy. Which Text is an Hyperbole; for as Gregory says, the Word would hurt itself, Si habere importunitas opportunitatem nescit; If that which is preached out of season were not fitted to be seasonable, if importunity did not watch an opportunity. But the Greek Fathers do generally follow St. Chrysostom's qualification, Opportunum est libenter audienti, importunum invito; The Word is ever in season to him that is willing to learn, but always out of season to him that hateth to be reformed. Yet he that thinks Reformation an untunable Song, may be brought about with continual instancing, and inculcation. Shall the good Shepherds be weary to seek that which is lost, and gone astray? When the Devil will have no nay, but tumbles out temptation upon temptation to destroy souls? And so far upon his importunity, again he taketh him up, &c.

His variety of shifts is the next thing considerable, that he removed from a Pinacle of the Temple to an exceeding high Mountain. Hereupon some have taken needless pains to commit a great error; I mean those that have searched out Geographically for the highest hill upon earth, as if the Devil had taken up Christ to that Altitude from whence he might behold the furthest prospect. Some conceiting the Mountains of Ararat to be the nearest to the Firmament, because the Ark rested upon them when the waters were asswaged: Some contending for the Mountains of Teneriffa to exceed them, for they are higher, says Aristotle, than all that part of the air, which hath either clouds, or winds, or vapors, or any disturbance in it: Others pleading for the Riphaean hills, whose Promontory to the Basis casts a shadow of thirty miles and more, which exceeds all other parts of the earth in height, by that measure and proportion. But if these were ten times higher than they are, they should no whit necessarily concern my Text, for they are all of a vast distance from Jerusalem, and are quite out of the Land of Canaan; but we have no warrant to say that Christ in his bodily presence did remove farther upon earth than the Land of Judea but when his mother fled with him into Egypt. Neither was it the advantage of the hill altogether whereby Satan shown all the Kingdoms of the world unto our Savior, as I will explain by and by.

Not to insist much upon Topography, but thus in brief, Jerusalem itself was environ'd with many delicate hills, Her foundations are upon the holy hills, says David, some of those excelled in bigness; some of a lower scantling; Zion and Hermon were but little, Libanus did over-peer these two, and so did Basan, Even an high hill as the hill of Basan, Psal. lxviii. 15. It is not evident which of those higher Satan made his choice, but without contradiction it was an high hill, as the hill of Basan. A spire or Pinacle of the Temple was a lofty eminence, what did drive him to leave it for the top of a Mountain? Why is it not so with all Projectors to shift inventions, and try new conclusions, as fast as the old couzenages are detected? and there is a superstition in some, weakly grounded, God knows, to change the place which hath not been lucky unto them. Balak the King of Moab was a great practiser in this kind; when Balaam had rather blessed Israel than cursed them, upon the high places of Baal, says Balak, Num. xxiii. 13. Come I pray thee with me unto another place, and curse me them from thence; and when Balaam had no power to speak evil against Israel there, but said there was no enchantment against Jacob, nor divination against Israel, Balak changed again, ver. 27. I will bring thee to another place, to the top of Peor, peradventure it will please God that thou mayst curse me them from thence. But it is not the shifting to this place or that place that breeds contrary affections in a good man: Coelum non Animum mutant; Where there is an inward principle of goodness firm and sure under every cope of heaven the mind is unalterable; Such as are like Reuben, unstable as water, and therefore should not excel, as his dying Father told him, such let them but cross the Seas, and change air, and they change their Religion: For such ungrounded resolutions the best counsel is, to keep quiet at home, where they may serve God with an upright heart, and not be carried away with Satan from the true Temple of Christ to those high Mountains, or cities of seven hills, where they shall be tempted to Idolatry.

Now what if this mountain, which Satan took up like the throne whereon he would reign, what if it had been devoted to most gross Idolatry before? Would it not be thought the fitter place for such wicked service now? For that black hellish motion which follows, All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me: Nay further, what if the wisest, and one of the most illuminate Servants of God, did miscarry upon that Mountain? Had not Satan some hopes then to pervert Christ? Whom he took to be a Son of God, not the eternal and only begotten Son. I dare propound my conjecture, I call it no more, that Solomon did commit Idolatry upon this very Mountain, 1 Kings xi. 7. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the Children of Ammon; assent unto this as you like it. I will only add to this Point, that the place was chosen to raise a great expectation upon that which should be propounded. Parturiunt montes, if it were divine doctrine; a Mountain was thought a fit place to deliver it to call up the attention of the Auditors. So that excellent Sermon was delivered to the Apostles on the Mount, Mat. v. Docturus Apostolos culmen perfectionis montem conscendit, says St. Austin; Christ taught them from on high, because he exhorted them to the top of perfection. Or if they were Prophetical Visions, so God did use; one of the Angels carried John in the Spirit to a great and an high Mountain, and shown him the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Rev. xxi. 10. So the hand of the Lord brought Ezekiel, and set him upon a very high Mountain to see the new City, and the new Temple, Ezek. xl. 2. Yet these were but raptures or illuminations of the fancy after a divine manner, and no more. But if Satan plaid the Mimick to imitate God specially in this action, there is much likeness in a case which I have not yet remembered; But thus: The Lord spake unto Moses, Deut. xxxiv. to go up to the top of Mount Nebo before he died, and from thence he shown him all the goodly Land of Promise, from Dan even to the Land of Jericho, which the Children of Israel should possess, whom he had brought out of Egypt: This is it certainly which the Tempter imitated, and, like a presumptuous fiend, placeth, not Moses a servant of the Family, but Christ more excellent by far than Moses; not upon Mount Nebo without the Land of Canaan, but upon an hill near unto Jerusalem: not to see one Territory, and there to die and not enjoy it, but to see all the Kingdoms of the world, and to take them in possession. A man may see with half an eye, this was to vilify God's Miracles and Promises, and to extol his own. But that must be more copiously touched in the sequel. Enough of the second Point, the third is to this purpose, by what gate or passage the Devil would bring in his Tentation, and that is by the eye, Ostendit illi, He shows him all the Kingdoms of the World.

There is nothing so soon enticed, and led away as the eye; We are almost all like Laban's Sheep, every man's heart conceives as the delight of his eye doth impress upon his fancy. O these fair Orbs, which the Workman made to be the casements of light, but they open to let in death into the soul. There it began to show itself to be an Instrument that had lost all purity when Adam and his Wife were called, and hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the Trees of the Garden. Whereupon, says St. Austin, when Adam had a pure conscience he had a single eye, and loved to stand before the Lord, Postquam peccato sauciatus est oculus caepit lucem formidare divinam; But when his eye grew sin-sore, his guiltiness would not let him look upon the divine splendor, Refugit in tenebras, veritatem fugiens, umbras appetens; Now it had rather seek out secret places, and dark empty shadows than the eternal truth. Here the eye began to fall from its primitive honor, and ever since it became pernicious. Says the Son of Sirach, What is created more wicked than an eye? wherefore it weepeth upon every occasion, Eccles. xxxi. 3. St. John reduceth the whole brood of sin to these three Seed-plots, all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. First, there is Achan's eye, that lusteth after Silver and Gold, and costly Babylonish Garments; such eyes commit thievery upon all costly things that they behold: Some would have all as far as they can look. Hell and destruction are never full, so the eyes of man are never satisfied, says Solomon, Prov. xvii.

But this is not all, there is Shechems eye that lusteth after the beauty of Dinah, Nay, less than the lively Person, a very Picture is able to strike the eye, and dead colors can inflame it with lasciviousness. Ask Ezekiel if it be not thus, Cha. xxiii. 16. Aholibah saw men portrayed upon the Wall, the Images of the Chaldeans, as soon as she saw them she doated upon them, and sent Messengers unto them into Chaldea. And not unusually this malignity hath extended to spiritual fornication; for it is often alleged, that the workmans cunning, and beauty of the Image hath bewitched the eye, and drawn the vain beholders to commit Idolatry; and these fair lights thus degenerating to be the brokers of wanton sins are called by Plato, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Panders and Bawds to corrupt the Soul. And yet there is another capitol mischief imputed to the eye by St. Austin, Ad concupiscentiam oculorum pertinet nugacitas spectaculorum; Gazing after all manner of vanities and spectacles of bravery, filling the mind with rank effeminateness and idleness, casting away most unthriftily the good hours of our life to see, and to be seen. The Theaters are not large enough nowadays to receive our loose Gallants Male and Female, but whole Fields and Parks are thronged with their concourse, where they make a muster of their gay clothes, acd that day is counted the luckiest of the Week, not wherein they have done God most faithful service, but wherein they have glutted their eyes abroad with gaudy Gallantry. Did Solomon mean such as these (can you tell?) when he said, The eyes of a fool are in every corner of the earth? But I am sure they are of a condition much better than these whom Christ meant, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Mat. v. 8.

Such as are not of a very strict conscience to look to their integrity think they may easiy defend themselves against this charge; for is not everything which is visible made to be seen? And more fit to be seen, if it be a comely piece of Art or Nature. St. Bernard brings in Eve excusing herself for looking upon the forbidden fruit, Oculos tendo non manum, non est interdictum ne videam, sed ne comedam; That is, May I not cast mine eye toward the Tree? I do not reach out my hand to it. The Tree is pleasant to the eye, and though I am forbidden to eat, yet I am not denied to look at it. The Father takes upon him to answer, as if he had been by to talk with her, Hoc etsi culpa non est, culpae tamen indicium est. The darting of the eye formally is not the transgression of the Commandment, but it begets the transgression of the Commandment. Behold the heaven, and the earth, and all the works of the Lord which he hath made in such manifold wisdom, the invisible things may be understood by things which are seen, and the well-governed eye shall teach the heart to glorify God. Wherefore mark the consequent, what passions your eyes beget in your soul, examine your own frailties, prove your strength and your weakness, keep your innocence, and look your fill, but turn away your eyes when you perceive that the devil shows the Object. Job said, his heart should not walk after his eye, that his eye should not stray from reason. But what if the heart chance to wander after the eye? What remedy then? Christ never gave a more angry Precept in all the Gospel than upon this occosion, If thy right eye offend thee, pull it out and cast it from thee. 'It is an Hyperbole, so all conclude: For the world in a short time would be left as blind, as ever Bartimaeus was, if it were a literal Lesson. It is not the defacing of the body, but the bridling and killing of concupiscence which the Precept commands. The body must not be defaced, because of the quarrel which we have against the Law in our members, and the sting that is in our flesh: That was the barbarous Religion of the Priests of Baal to cut and mangle themselves with knives. St. Paul testifies for the Galatians how obedient and respectful they were unto him, and that if it had been possible they would have plucked out their own eyes and have given them unto him, Gal. iv. 15. There is no doubt of the natural possibility, but they could have plucked out their eyes, possible therefore is as much as lawful; it was not possible to do it with a safe conscience, and with the fear of God: Therefore Christ bad no more but cut out the concupiscence, and vanity of the eye and cast it from thee, but preserve the Instrument. We meet with that Adverb of Admiration ( Ecce, behold) in above an hundred Verses of the Gospel to command our eyes from transitory things, and to bring them to those spectacles of grace and happiness. He that meditates seriously upon some inward thoughts takes no notice of that object for the present upon which he fastens his eye; so a mortified man, that is dead to the trash of this world, and alive to God, shall see all these Kingdoms, and the glory of them which Satan presented to our Savior, and never be dazzled with the Object. All these enticing baits shall stand before him, and be neglected as if he never beheld them. Non refert quid, sed qualis: All things in the world are fit to be seen, but everyone hath not the Poets sullen eye, Oculo irretorio spectat acervos; everyone hath not fitness to see them. For example, Lots Wife was forbidden to look towards Sodom, for the compassion towards her native dwelling would make her murmur at the Lord who rained fire and brimstone from heaven upon it: But Abraham was a sure man, he rose up early in the morning, and looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and saw the smoke of the Country go up as a furnace. It is manifest by this, that unstaid, and ungoverned eyes must not take that liberty to wander abroad which Abraham may, whose heart is steadfast with the Lord. Learn to know how far you may use all your bodily senses, and your eye especially, without prejudice to Justice, Temperance, Chastity, Modesty, and venture no further. And though it be not in man to guide himself, yet it is in man to direct his prayers to God for assistance, as David did, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way, Psal. cxix. 37. Here I shut up the third Point, that the Devil would bring his great Tentation through the passage of the eye. Ostendit illi, he represented a gaudy show, he shown him, &c.

The next thing to be considered is, that Satan would put no small mote in our Savior's eye, but the greatest beam he could find out, the fairest Commonwealths and Dominions of the world, Ostendit illi regna, he shown him Kingdoms. One large delightful Lawn hedged with even rows of trees, one flowery Meadow with a purling stream running by it, one beautiful Garden, a Belvidere with rare figures of composures; any one of these is a Feast for the eye to glut itself upon; but the variety of all these over the face of the whole earth to be presented in one Landskip, had been able to have struck any mortal man with sensuality: nor were these things offered to be viewed as parcels of private Inheritances, but as the annexes of Empires and Kingdoms, rebounding names to rattle in the ears of ambition. How many appetites have been even sick of longing to see someone Monarchy in the very height of the victory; the Historian himself was struck with passion when he wrote of Alexander 's Conquests in the East, and bemoans all Grecians not born in those days, who were not so happy as to see that Monarch set in the Throne of Darius, for then was Greece at the top of her glory. The Roman Empire was no less goodly sight at this season in the days of our Savior, having left but few Kingdoms beside itself to be seen in the known and habitable world. I speak of these things now only as they were set forth to be seen, and not as they were offered to be given, till I come to the next verse.

And meddling with it no further, it will admit these brief deductions: First, that it is more advantage to the Devil to make us partakers of the sight of these things, than to make us Masters of the actual possession: hold the cherry bobbing at our lips, and we are eager to catch it; when 'tis tasted 'tis gone, and no more regarded: let us be placed where we may see the dignities and Kingdoms of the world like pictures in a Gallery, and our covetous affections will be ravished with the desire; and the way to keep us in love of those things, is to keep us in longing: but when we enjoy them, our appetite will be turned into disdain, because they do not answer our expectation. St. Ambrose cut this path into my Text, for our meditations to walk in. Saith he, there are treacheries, disturbance of rest, violence, injustice, a thousand angariations in the Kingdoms of the world, none of these are perceived while you stand off, and look upon them: all's well while you gaze on these transitory things from the top of the Mountain, bona terrena pluris sunt cum non habentur, & desiderantur, quàm cum possidentur: they are more worth upon the seeing, than upon the possessing; therefore he shown him all the Kingdoms of the world.

Secondly, though Satan did not perfectly know Christ, yet he saw him composed to a most sanctified way; therefore he sets before him his great glass of vanities to fill his fancy with muddy cogitations; Kingdoms, and Dominions, and glory are not a spiritual man's Element; secularia negotia vehementer à spiritualibus avocant, these secular objects do entice the mind from heavenly musings. Christ preached in the Temple, in the Synagogues, in the Streets, in a Ship, in a Mountain, in the Wilderness; but in the Court of Herod, and in the Judgment Hall of Pilate he held his peace: he was Master of his eloquence, as well as of silence, and could have spoken there: but it was to show that in the midst of Princely pomp and secular negotiations you may speak heavenly things, but you shall be heard at leisure. Let Satan be a Statist, and a medler with Kingdoms, as this Text shows he is, that's a pattern for none, who are altogether set apart for religious service, but for the Order of the Jesuits, who wriggle themselves in to be the Cabinet Counselors both to great and petty Princes, not only in Europe, but beyond the Line in Peru and Goa, in more Kingdoms than I think verily the Devil showed our Savior. The general Constitutions of their Order, as we may read them in print, do strictly command them in severest manner no way to meddle in State matters, or in Kings affairs. But verte folium, I would we could see the other leaf of special instructions; for in their practice the world never saw the like Corporation for stickling in all Kingdoms and Civil Governments, but I leave them with him that useth to show all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them upon the top of a Mountain.

Thirdly, this is the Tempters way, if not to show to the eye, yet to buz into men's thoughts, and to possess them with strong apprehensions that they are not unlikely to get Kingdoms, and Glory, and Exaltation; fools men with imaginations of strange fortunes and advancements: as the Bramble in Jotham’s Parable thought itself fit to be a King over the Trees of the Wood; and the Thistle in another Parable would have the Cedars Daughter married to his Son. The Holy Ghost thought it fitter to deliver these senseless, impossible, ambitious projects of men in Parables, than to speak plainly, how folly and melancholy make some men suck at the Dugs of hope, and fill themselves with wind and vanity. Luther expresseth this madness in this phrase, that every man hath a Pope in his belly. It seems the truth of his saying may go far, if such mean persons as the Mother of Zebedees Children, the Wife of a silly drudging Fisherman, could make such a Petition, that one of her Sons might sit at the right hand of our Savior in his Kingdom, the other at his left. Who had greater fortunes than David? and who did expect less? Psal. 131. I do not exercise myself in great matters, which are too high for me, but I refrain my soul, and keep it low, like as a Child that is weaned from his Mother: he restrained his soul, and would not let it wander in ambitious speculations; he weaned it as a Child from his Mother; from the Earth, which is the Mother of us all, and from her transitory abundance.

But though all which Satan did show could not move Christ one jot, yet in the next point the amplitude and generality of the object I am sure is worth our admiration, he showeth him all the Kingdoms of the World: and St. Luke adds, that he did not carry him about in any long travail, but so suddenly, that it is expressed in a momentary motion, in the twinkling of an eye. There hath been some shame and disorder, some soul blur upon every Realm and Territory in the earth, therefore the Devil durst show all, and every parcel without any prejudice to his own proceedings. The description of a Platonique Common-wealth, an Utopia, or new Atlantis is to be found in ink and paper, but never among men. There have been treacheries, tyrannical intrusions, disinheriting the true and lawful Successors, deposing of anointed Princes in every Government of the world; such horrid things have passed everywhere to get Kingdoms by blood and violences, and all kind of cruelties; that Kingdoms so set forth are fit only for the Devil to show, 'tis pity any History should record them, qua terra patet fera regnat Erinnys, as David said, the whole earth is full of darkness and cruel habitation. Satan hath quite mar'd this world, and made it fit for himself, and for his own children to look upon. Omnis seculi honor est diaboli negotium, says St. Hilary; that is, all kind of honor is so degenerated and stained, that the wicked Fiend makes it his business to represent it all unto our Savior. Nay but Satan shown all the Kingdoms and the glory of them, therefore none of their soils and deformities. Very right indeed, as St. Ambrose catcheth at that word, ostendit regna & gloriam, celavit taedia & labores, he shown the best outside of Kingdoms, the pomp, power, attendance, and riches; but he did not represent within this pleasing object the multitudes of cares, the distractions, the fears and jealousies, all those restless vexations that dance within the circle of a Crown, and cannot be separated from Sovereignty: well be it granted that these were kept out of sight: I concur with St. Ambrose that they were, yet I deny that he was able to show the true and essential glory of the Kingdoms of the world, for the first original beauty and integrity which they had is quite gone, irreparably lost, and never to be recalled. All the foundations of the earth are out of frame, says the Psalmist; the ancient Land-marks are removed, all Nations have been invaders, have been invaded, every man means for his own ends, and not for the public: peace is loathed if it be long kept: Princes would over-rule, and Subjects would but half obey; how can the glory of Kingdoms be shewn, when almost nothing is in that fashion wherein God ordain'd it. Do you think a large Territory of Land, a fruitful Soil, a rich People, a ruffling Gentry, a war-like Nation, terra potens armis atque ubere glebâ; do you think, I say, that these are the original and essential glory of a Kingdom: belike Satan would have ye believe so, and since he could show no more, my Text speaks after his meaning and purpose, He shown him all the Kingdoms, &c.

But admit he had not presumed to medle with the glory of the Earth, it is enough to take up our admiration that he shown every quarter and parcel of it, yea, and that in the twinkling of an eye: and upon this, whether miracle or delusion, I will spend the time, arguing two ways, in what manner this could not be done, in what manner possiby it was done; but since the Scripture is silent concerning the modus, no man must define resolutely thus it must be done.

First then it must not be conceived, as if Satan did, or could show anything which was not manifest to Christ before. Ostensio fit quasi ignoranti, to take upon him to show the world unto Christ, was to suppose there was ignorance in him, before whom all things lie naked, and unto whom all the foundations of the world are discovered, the attempt comes to one pass, as if a mortal man would teach an immortal Angel what incomprehensible glory is laid up in heaven; nay the odds are far greater, if I would go about to amplify it. The metaphysical Maxim is, duo accidentia ejusdem speciei non possunt esse in eodem subjecto; as two sweetnesses cannot be in the same lump of sugar, nor two hardnesses in the same piece of steel; so the knowledge of all the Kingdoms of the world was in Christ's mind before, in him were all the treasures of wisdom, therefore the Devil could not cause any knowledge there; for two knowledges of the same thing cannot be in the same understanding.

Secondly, neither did the evil spirit fortify the sight of Christ, or put virtue into his eye to make it see more than the organ did see before, non quod visum ejus qui omnia videt, amplificaverit, the Lord of Heaven and Earth indeed is able to put strange perspicacie into the eye of man, if he please, to make him see things clearly and distinctly at a mighty distance: so he caused Moses at 120 years of age to go up to mount Nebo to look upon the land before him, and to die there. First God put courage into his heart to go thither to die, with as much cheerfulness as if he had been invited to some Festival entertainment; secondly he put virtue into his aged eye to see all the remote Regions as perfectly as if they had been Valleys close by, and all lying under mount Nebo, on which he stood. Now as for the eye of Christ's body, surely it needed no such amplification of visual virtue; for assume it for granted, that all parts of his human nature were so perfect, that his eye could clearly behold anything though at never so far distance, I mean how far soever the visible object could cast a species, no gross opacous body casting itself between: for Christ being made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted, I allow no possibility to any created one to see through the thick interposition of earth and stones, that Lynceus was able to do so, Poets did invent in in a Midsummer Moon: But I resume no species could multiply to our Savior's sight, and fall upon it with never so acute angles, though the distance as long as between a star in the highest Region, and this earth, but he could clearly receive the object, as present at hand before him. Having such virtue in his eye, he could receive no amplification, neither could any visual virtue upon the highest Mountain on earth make him to see all the Kingdoms of the World ot once; for Philosophers grant enough, that an object may appear in one Horizon to an excellent sighted eye three hundred miles off, and more they think impossible.

Nor thirdly did Satan work any perturbation in Christ's fancy, to make him imagine he saw that, which indeed he did not. To be conceited that things are present, and before a man, which indeed are not, if it fall out in ones sleep it is no more than a dream: if it come to pass by God's working supernaturally, it is a prophetical illumination; so God wrought such wonderful passions upon the fancies of Ezekiel and St. John; and the Monks say that it pleased the Lord to show unto St. Bennet in a trance, a little before he died, all the Kingdoms and Empires upon the face of the earth: but if such a thing come to pass by the Devils mists and devices, then it is praestigiation or delusion; but Satan had no such power to abuse the senses or the spirits of our blessed Lord, moving disorder in his body, or in his head, by which course only he can procure fanciful and vain imaginations of things that are not. Besides if this show had been no more but deluding the fancy, to make it credulous he saw the whole world when he did not, what needed he make choice of an exceeding high mountain to go up to that? That might be done everywhere: and he might as easily work it into his fancy, that he was upon a mountain when he was not, as to see a most ravishing object of all the earth when he did not. But that which I said before is most convincing; that Satan had no power to disturb our Savior's fancy inwardly; neither is He that is above the wisdom of men and Angels subject to delusion.

As it was impossible to be brought to pass after these ways that I have touched upon, to represent all the Kingdoms of the World before our Savior, so there are other ways how this might be done, without any flat contradiction or absurdity.

As First, Satan is able, if God permit him, to compose certain species or models of all the Kingdoms of the world, bubbles as I may call them in the air, to last for a little while, for the twinkling of an eye, and so to vanish; and for the better color of his juggling, that they were the real Kingdoms of the World, and not their counterfeits; he assumed Christ up into a most lofty prospect. These are delusions not in Christ's fancy, which I disclaimed before, but without him. Nor were they any delusions unto Christ at all, because he knew them what they were, that they were not true, but feigned images. The most piercing objection that can be made, is, then he did not show any Kingdom unto Christ, but only the glasses and models of them all. So it must be indeed by this description; yet they are called the Kingdoms of the World per modum signi, because the glory of the World was cunningly displayed in those counterfeits.

Secondly, though it be past the skil of man to perform (for I am no Rosicrucian ) yet it is not past the capacity of man to imagine it possible, how Satan might make the species of all the Kingdoms of the World conjointly be seen before Christ's eye by refractions, (per artem speculorum positorum in commodâ habitudine,) one terse clear body, like a Glass receiving the shadows or species of things from one to another, and in a very quick instant all displayed in the air round about that Mountain, being fitly prepared to receive such fractions. But I will not trouble you nor myself with such intricate optical Philosophy as must make this good.

But thirdly, I am most strongly possessed with that way which is most easy and obvious; though it be pelted with objections, that Satan shown our Savior all that pleasant Country that might be seen from the top of the Mountain, and did indigitare or monstrare, show the rest by pointing to the flourishing Monarchies of the World, which way they lay, as in a Cosmographical Sphere. But this exposition will be cavil'd with, that he could not be said properly to show all Kingdoms. Not so properly, indeed, as He that travails through every Region, but secundum ultimum posse, he showed him all as far forth as his skil and power would permit him. Neither is it necessary to hold so hard to the Text, that every angle of the world was made apparent, and nothing unshewn. The note of universality stands oftentimes for multitude: He showed him the most part of the Kingdoms of the world, or perhaps all that had glory in them, that is Victory, Peace, Civility; not barbarous savage Nations, who had neither Cities of munificence, nor Laws of good government, nor wealth, nor honor, nor anything desirable.

Others that can oppose this opinion, and yet give no sensible reason of their own to expound this Text; but these object, that discourse must take up some time, if Satan spake upon all the Kingdoms of the World, this could not be done in the twinkling of an eye. But no man can read an Author, but he will find many such hyperbolical speeches. The Syrian Paraphrast translates St. Luke in brevissimo tempore, Satan did it in a trice, in a very short time, beyond the imagination of man to think how it should be done so quickly; that's the meaning of the Holy Ghost. It was his subtlety to hurry over things, that Christ might have no time of deliberation, but be surprised of a sudden, before He could give a well meditated answer. I know it may be descanted upon likewise, that such things told upon relation could not move any man's appetite so well as to muster them before the eye. Segnius irritant animos dimissa per aures, &c. therefore I say, this was a mingle of temptation, all that could be was shown unto the eye, and the rest was supplied by narration. Use which of these last opinions you will, or if none do satisfy, yet believe the Text to be true, for that must be believed, though the manner be unsearchable. The Lord will come at the blast of a Trumpet, and all flesh shall be gathered together in the twinkling of an eye, and then all mysteries shall be opened to us; among other things that are not yet discovered, how the Devil took our Savior up into an exceeding high Mountain, and showed him all the Kingdoms of the World, and the glory of them in the twinkling of an eye.

THE FIFTEENTH SERMON UPON Our Savior's Tentation.

B Ernard meditates upon our Savior's suffering on the Cross, that there were tria pungentia, three sharp pointed Instruments that ran into his flesh: But the first more lightly; The second much more sensibly; And the last made a further entrance into his body than all the rest. The thorns platted on his head raced the skin, the Nails went through his hands and feet: But the Spear made a ruder and a deeper wound through his side into his very heart: So these three Tentations of the Devil succeed one another like those tria pungentia, everyone had a sharper point, and a greater sting to do mischief than the other, but it was not possible they should stick like thorns and nails in the Son of God. The temptation to make stones of bread was an advice to make bad provision for the sustenance of this life; there was Spina necessitatis, Satan would have pricked Christ on with the thorns of want and necessity. The temptation to cast himself down from the top of the Temple, was to draw him to a violent and a presumptuous death, as bad as that nail, if he could have fastened it, which Jael struck into the head of Sisera. The third temptation is a mash of all the venom which the Devil had left, Peccata peccatis producta; here are sins hanging upon sins, one at the end of another, to make up the length of a Spear. In a word, here is a brood of sins in a nest, four apparently without all subdivisions. First, Peccatum habendi, he offers him the sin of Covetousness to give him all the Possessions of the world. Secondly, Peccatum regnandi, he would rub Ambition upon him, and put into his hands all the Kingdoms and Power of the world. Thirdly, Peccatum male credendi, he would seduce him to believe that all these things which God alone brings forth from his treasure were his to dispose. Fourthly, Peccatum turpiter adorandi, he durst ask that which is so horrid, that it is able to curdle a man's blood to repeat it, that Christ would fall down and worship him.

Aquinas builds the gradation of these three Tentations on this sort: First, The evil Spirit demanded no more of Christ, Quàm quod appetunt quantumcunque veri spirituales; which the holiest men in the world, and most endowed with the Spirit must use, but to refresh and feed his body. Secondly, He required that which holy men ought not to do, yet it is incident through frailty now and then for holy men to do it, to jump down from a Pinacle out of ostentation, and to be gazed upon for vain glory. But he climbs up in the third temptation to such a motion, as never any spiritual and holy man can commit, to be bribed with wealth and honor to forsake the Lord, and to adore his foulest enemy. Therefore in both the former temptations he began with this preface, If thou be the Son of God, but he leaves out those words when he makes this Proposition in my Text, for the Son of God would never commit such black Idolatry, though he could give more than all; yet he lays all at the stake for this venture, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Though Satan's Kingdom be not divided, yet his Tentations may. But first I will read you my Text as St. Luke hath enlarged it, that we may miss nothing which the Spirit of God hath uttered upon these words. Thus that Evangelist, Chap. iv. 6. All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will give it; if thou therefore wilt worship me all shall be thine. Now, I suppose, we may charge these particulars upon the Text made up out of both the Evangelists. First, Wherein the enticement of this temptation consists, why in giving, in most liberal remuneration pretended, Dabo, I will give. Secondly, What, and how much he will give, and that is twofold. As a Mammonist of Wealth, he will, he says, put into his hands all the Riches and Possessions that the eye can see, All these things will I give thee. And as a Lucifer of pride he tells him that he will give him title to all the honors of the world, all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them. Thirdly, he shows Christ his evidences, Quo jure, by what right and authority he can make over all this unto him: In these words, For that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will give it. Fourthly, and lastly, Every Bait hath his Hook under it: So this promise is laid upon a most impious condition, if Christ will fall down and worship him. Set your minds now upon these things, and I will deliver them in their order.

Every temptation had some clawing provocation in it peculiar to itself; now the sharpness and dangerousness of this temptation is in giving, that is the first Point, Dabo tibi, I will give thee; that is a speeding word, we must confess it to the shame of the world. Everyone is a friend to him that bringeth gifts, says Solomon. All Satyrical Invectives, Fables, or Morals, Writings of every cut and fashion are full of this, that these things which Satan requires are commonly to be bought, Worship, Homage, and what you will: The Tongue of man, the Knee, the Heart, nay, Body and Soul together are to be purchased: As you bring with one hand, you shall carry away Favor and Justice in the other. The access of profit carries the main stroke in everything; The Heads judge for reward, and the Prophets divine for money, Mich. iii. 11. They that should be most clear from this fault you see are chiefly in the reprehension. No man knows with what stint he would spend, or how much he would lay up, therefore, unless where the conscience is much refined from greediness, it is a pleasure to sacrifice to our net, and above all things to catch at that, which comes in with so much easiness, as Dabo, I will give thee. Hazael King of Syria must have a present, even all the hallowed things that were dedicated to the Lord, that he might not come up against Jerusalem. Felix the Governor without a feeling would not set Paul at liberty. The corruption of the times was such in Israel, that men thought the Prophets as greedy as themselves, and would not ask them counsel of the Lord without a gift in their hand. Benhadad sent a Present of all the good things in Damascus, even forty Camels burdens to Elisha to inquire if he should recover of his sickness. And Saul more apparently being counseled to go to Samuel to ask which way he should return home, made a stand at it, saying, What shall we give to the man of God? There is not a present left. This polling Covetousness was very ordinary, no doubt, in that Land when the People knew nothing, but the Prophets were devourers of gifts, and would not open the Oracles of God unto them without Satan's complement, Dabo, I will give thee.

The giver that would corrupt another, such as the High Priests that delivered Judas thirty pieces of Silver to betray his Master, such a one, you see by the instance of my Text, doth supply the place of the Devil. I am sure God gave no man wealth to this end, to buy another out of his honesty; the eternal Law says that virtue only should be rewarded, and he that keeps the Commandments; therefore to give a Pension to man or woman to be vicious is to cross that supreme fundamental Law by which heaven and earth are governed. Fie that so good a virtue as Liberality should be so scornfully imitated. No virtue is more often commended by God than bounty and giving, but above all moral qualities it is most plausible 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Aristotle hit the reason in a word, it redounds to the common benefit of others, more than any other virtue, which begets it favor and affections. Now to cast dirt in the face of this virtue Satan sets up a liberality, which is of a most different condition, and nothing of kin to it, when the great Patrons of sin care not what they bestow upon them that serve their turn for flattery, for injustice, for lust, for sensuality. When poor Lazarus wants a draught of cold water, a shower of Gold shall rain down into the Lap of Danae; the wages of an Harlot are far greater, for the most part, than the recompense of most faithful and honest service. The Egyptian Rhodope out of the gifts of her Lovers was able to dispend enough to build a Pyramis, an expense so great that few Kings in Egypt could accomplish it. If the Daughter of Herodias show herself lascivious and immodest, Herod will cast away half his Kingdom upon her, or if that be too little, he leaves her to be her own carver; she may ask anything, Dabo quodcunque volueris, I will give thee whatsoever thou wilt ask. O that noble qualities were as sure of Patronage as Instruments of wickedness are sure of means and maintenance. As Suetonius said of his Nero, Pecuniae fructum non alium putabat quàm profusionem; He thought there was no use of riches but waste and profusion: So in the Line that Satan draws out there is no use of giving but to procure Idolatry, to fall down and worship him. Cursed be those hands that open themselves wide to any one, man or woman, to make them the child of perdition. Judah gave his Ring to Tamar to hire her unto Fornication. I believe he repented him with many tears of bitterness because old Jacob did so abundantly bless him: but let me propound unto him that is prone to do the like; will you abuse those blessings, those temporary blessings which God hath given you to buy Souls for the Devil? Christ hath given a ransom out of his blood to redeem that soul from Hell, and will you give Gold and Silver to buy it into Hell again? Was there no poor Member of Christ whose body you might save with that money wherewith you destroy a soul? He that giveth to the needy lendeth to the Lord, but he that purchaseth any one to be sinful by his bounty, he lendeth to the Devil.

This that I have spoken of was the sin of Balak to barter, and be at a price with Balaam to do an evil act, to curse them whom the Lord had blessed; and it is the Chapman that makes the Market, woe be to the giver that tempts the weakness of man with such a forcible provocation, Aureo pugillo ferreus murus frangitur, says the Heathen; A Hammer of Gold will beat down a Wall of Iron: Yet is there nothing to be said to the receiver? Shall his hand be clear that hath taken when he is called to answer? Nay, none more accused by the Spirit of God, none more criminous: They are companions of thieves, everyone loveth gifts, and followeth after reward, Isa. i. 23. Neither is robbery their alone indictment, but the worst of sins against the Second Table, Blood and Murder. Shut not up my life with the blood-thirsty, in whose hands is wickedness, and their right hand is full of gifts, Psal. xxvi. 9. He that takes reward to do evil takes a fee to lose his own salvation. Nay, what toil and drudgery some will undergo to earn the wages of iniquity? Minori labor margarita Christi emi poterat, says St. Jerome; You might accompass that invaluable Pearl in the Gospel, whereof the Parable speaks, that the Merchant sold all he had to buy it; I say, that Pearl might have been gained with less danger and industry, the whole treasure of the Kingdom of heaven. Espencaeus, being a Romish Doctor, and a most learned, may be bold with his own friends, who hath revealed more corruption and bribery in the Roman Court than a modest Protestant could almost believe: As Pensions taken not only for the punishment of incontinence past, but to lay down somewhat beforehand for the time to come: What if the Visitors met with such as resolved to be chaste, yet the common Levy was exacted of such a one, Habeat si velit. O shameless word, he may use the sin if he will. Then the Taxa Camerae, as they call it, is far worse than it, which was a Table, wherein everyone may know what it will cost him for any sin committed: Omnibus absolutio empturientibus est proposita; no delinquent could want absolution, but he that came short of payment, I will rip up no more, and I had as lieve you should see the ugly visage of most sordid covetousness by their glass, as in any corrupt customs of our own. An unjust taker runs upon the Devils score, and he shall be delivered over to the Tormentor till he have paid the utmost farthing.

But will you confound Satan? And leave him not one tool in all his ware-house, and invention to work upon you; learn that Lesson perfectly which Tacitus puts in the mouth of a worthy Magistrate, Nihil venale in nostris penatibus, aut ambitioni pervium; I am not to be won either with money or promotion. Give them their bribe back again, and put every man's Silver in the mouth of his own Sack, and let them take it home again, as Joseph dealt with his Brethren: And as Abraham kept his hands from the Presents of the King of Sodom, I would not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldst say, I have made Abraham rich. Gen. xiv. 23. More sharply St. Peter to Simon Magus, when he would have given to have received the Holy Ghost, Thy money perish with thee, Acts viii. The Clementine Constitutions say upon that passage, that if the Apostles had taken that Sorcerers money they themselves had lost the gifts of the Holy Ghost forever, even as Adam by eating the forbidden fruit lost Innocency and immortality. It is no bad answer which Esau gave, when he refused Jacob's Present, he had plenty and enough of his own, as who should say, a man of his fair Possessions was in better case to give than to take. I would we had not lost Esau's conscience nowadays; for I fear none shark so ravenously, or gripe gifts faster than they that have abundance. Qui minus habent semper aliquid addunt ditioribus; they that are neediest and barest must pay to the rich man's Box. Upon those words, Acts xxiv. that Felix expected Paul should give him somewhat to be set at liberty. St. Chrysostom asks where Paul should have it? How could he come by Silver or Gold to cast into that Sack of corruption? The Father conjectures wittily, that Paul came to Jerusalem with money which he had collected at Corinth, Macedonia, and other places for the poor Saints, and Felix his teeth watered to devour all that which was gathered for the poor Christians of Jerusalem. Well, Esau was in good case to keep his hand clean from gifts: And is not he in better case whose conscience is fixed upon this Memento; He that hateth gifts shall live, Prov. xv. 17. And he that is greedy of gain troubleth his own soul. If wealth will not increase but by the wicked Mammon, I shall spend less in Luxury here, and have my wages increased an hundred fold hereafter in the Kingdom of heaven. Fabricius spurn'd away all the Treasure which Pyrrhus sent him, and yet a man so short of Revenue, that Pyrrhus his Messengers found he kept house with nothing but Herbs and Sallads. Three things, says Gregory, are most Evangelical Sacrifices, Castitas in juventute, parcitas in ubertate, liberalitas in paupertate; A chaste youth unspotted touching the flesh, sobriety in plenty, and a liberal heart which could not be corrupted in poverty. I believe Satan thought his Dabo, I will give thee, would soon conquer our Savior, because he had so little: Certain charitable women ministered to him of their substance, and maintained him. If he were put to pay Tribute to Caesar, he put the Fishes of the Sea to pay it unto him. Dominus noluit habere quod perderet, & ideo pauper huc venit, ut Diabolus non haberet quod auferret, says St. Ambrose. Our Lord had no Riches to lose, but came into the World as poor as ever any did, for, that the Devil might not use him as he did Job, he had nothing to be taken away. But because the subtle Serpent learnt in Jobs case the surer way was to give Riches than to take away, therefore he plies our Savior's Poverty with this offer, Dabo, I will give thee: But Christ came to sanctify Poverty in his own Person, that it might not stumble at golden Balls, and fall into evil; for God hath chosen the poor of this world to be strong in faith and integrity. And so far I have dilated that the sting of this third Tentation is in this word, Dabo, I will give thee.

But the noise and wonderment is in the muchness or quantity, what mighty boon Satan promiseth to give, all the Riches and Possessions that eye could see, All these things will I give thee. This was no pidling, but so round an offer, as he could go no higher; and so much he stakes down at once, that he would make himself unable to give forever after. I could tell you of most bountiful Donations given by some of the Heathen Emperors. Those vast Principalities, and masses of Gold which Nero gave to Tiridates are beyond my Arithmetic, and almost my belief, the Crown of Armenia, a Million in Cash, and more than the whole Kingdom of Armenia was worth in entertainment. It was a most munificent somewhat indeed, yet a sum that is quite drowned if you name it with this offer in my Text, which hath no stint and measure, Haec omnia tibi dabo; I will give you all the riches of the earth, not a drachma debated. We say Proverbially, It is an ill wind that blows no man profit, and an ill bargain that makes no man the richer: So these very embers of Hell shall give us some light, and these baits of Satan shall abound unto the use of our knowledge in these following Observations.

First, That which whispers into us immoderate desires, and a vast expectation of earthly things is an evil Genius. Satan propounds a world of Wealth at once, and cannot speak under Millions: But Almighty God, howsoever he distributes a mighty Inheritance to some, yet he prepares all men by his Gospel for Poverty, and Banishment, and loss of all they have. He bids us pray for no more than our daily bread, and having food and Rayment let us be therewith content, 1 Tim. vi. 8. A little water is a great blessing if Samson can get it out of the Jaw-bone of an Ass to save his life; A morsel of bread and flesh Morning and Evening is Elias his dimensum; A handful of Meal, and a Jar of Oil was the whole Provision of the Widow of Sarephath: The distributions of temporary Fortunes, when God gives them, are thrifty and sparing, that everyone may have a little as the Apostle Andrew said. Jacob wondered at his own increase that he was grown a rich Shepherd, With my Staff I passed over Jordan, and now I am become two Bands, Gen. xxxii. 10. Such another example is scarce to be found as that of David, whose Cup was filled brim-full. God magnifies his bounty towards him by the mouth of Nathan, I gave thee thy Masters house, and the house of Israel and Judah, 2 Sam. xii. 8. yet these were but the narrow Territories of the Land of Canaan, far from this insatiable Possession, All these things will I give thee. The prodigal Child in the Parable, though a most rank consumer, yet this evil Spirit had not entered into him, for he desired no more of his Father than the portion of goods which fell unto him: But the Devil cuts out no portions for his Minions, he disciplines everyone of them to aim at all that can be gotten, to be like a rolling Snow-ball, ever gathering, and growing bigger and bigger. Quis metus aut pudor est unquam properantis avari? There is no such bridle as shame and modesty in the heart of him that makes haste to be rich, I say, he wants the bridle of shame, I do not recall my word. Either cruel Usury, or pestilent Couzenage, or base Corruption, or sordid Penuriousness, or unchristian slackness in Charity; some of these must concur to raise up a mountain of Wealth from a mean beginning. When Sylla, that powerful Roman, made very witty Apologies for those evil courses he took to oppress the Commonwealth, one choked him with an unanswerable Objection, that he could not be througly good that had scrap'd so great wealth together, and was born to nothing. God will bless and reward industry with gainful success, that is to be presupposed and granted for the encouragement of those that are diligent in an honest Calling; but these boundless gatherers, that would know no end of getting, have their Bank in the Devils Mart, for it is he that bids them carry more and more, that they shall never have load enough, All these things will I give thee. St. Austin very truly lays the crime of Covetousness, not upon that abundance which a good rich man hath, but upon the corruption of his will, and upon that which he would have; Avaritia est esse velle divitem, non jam esse divitem. It is no breach of God's Commandment to be rich, but to long and thirst for more. They that will be rich, says St. Paul, fall into temptations and snares, and many hurtful desires; Dives qui fieri vult, & cito vult fieri. Let fortune come in quickly though the Devil lead it by the hand. Beware of these swelling purchasing imaginations, that are ever reckoning upon more: confine your heart to moderate contentation if you will live in peace. Nay, St. Chrysostom says, the less you desire and want, the less you shall live like a mortal man, and the more like an immortal Angel. Quanto paucioribus indigemus, tanto magis Angels appropinquamus. But above all remember, that God directs the soul to be contented with a little, the evil Spirit would have you ingross the whole earth, and perhaps he could suggest devices how a luxurious man might be able to spend all the wealth in the world if he had it: but immense Projections, for riches come from the motion of the evil one, All these things will I give thee.

In the next place let us declare against these words of Satan, that his gift is not more spacious than it is unjust. He presents before Christ the whole earth and the fullness thereof, and our