The humiliation of the Sonne of God by his becomming the Son of man, by taking the forme of a servant, and by his sufferings under Pontius Pilat, &c. Or The eighth book of commentaries vpon the Apostles Creed: continued by Thomas Jackson Dr. in Divinitie, chaplaine to his Majestie in ordinarie, and president of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford. Divided into foure sections.

CHAP. X. How the Sonne of God did conquer Satan at those weapons, wherewith hee had conquered our first Parents.

1. THat the Sonne of God was manife∣sted to dissolve the works of the Devill, our Evangelist S. Iohn hath taught us: and S. Iohn Baptist had told him, and others as much be∣fore. I knew him not (saith this his forerunner) but that he should be manifested unto Israel, therefore I come baptizing with water, And Iohn bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a Dove and it rested upon him, Ioh. 1.31, 32. But did this manifestation declare, or manifest his purpose to dissolve or destroy the works of the Devill? Yes. Immediatly upon his baptisme, hee gave Israel and the world just proofe, that the end of his manifestation, was to take away the sinnes of mankinde, and for this reason hee began to untwist that triple cord, wherewith our first Parents, and in them their whole poste∣rity were bound by Satan. For albeit the first sinne found entrance into our nature by incogi∣tancy, and had its period or accomplishment in pride; yet were not pride or incogitancy the on∣ly strings of that snare, wherein Satan had taken us. The bonds and ties by which hee tooke, and holds us captive, are mentioned by S. Iohn in his first Epistle, 2. Chap. ver. 15, 16. Love not the world,

nor the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. From these three heads or sources, all the overflowing of ungodlinesse may be deri∣ved; and these found entrance into this visible world through our first Parents folly, and Satans subtilty. For albeit the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, tooke their di∣stinct specificall being, or live-shape from the first sinne, yet were the seeds of all these sinnes sowen by Satan in our first Parents soules and senses, before the body of sinne with its mem∣bers were framed, or animated.

There was an extravagant desire of the eye, an irregular ap∣petite of the flesh, by which the Serpent tolled on the first woman to eat the forbidden fruit; and the eating of it did hatch this three-fold brood in kinde.

The woman (saith Moses Gen. 3.6.) saw (through false spectacles of Satans ma∣king) that the tree was good for food: (here was the embryon or seed of the lust of the flesh) and that it was pleasant to the eye; (here were the first lineaments of the lust of the eye) and a tree to bee desired to make one wise: (this was the inchoation of the pride of life) And shee tooke of the fruit thereof and did eate, and gave also to her husband, and hee did eate: and by their eating, the former desire of forbidden food was turned into the lust of the flesh: The curiosity of the eye was turned into the lust of the eye; and the desire of know∣ledge

or proper excellency, was changed into the pride of life. So that the truth of S. Iames his ob∣servation, Chap. 1. ver. 13, 14. was remarkably ex∣perienced, in the manner of our first Parents fall. Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot bee tempted with evill, neither tempteth be any man. But every man is tempted when hee is drawen away of his owne lust, and entised. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sinne; and sinne, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Now to dissolve these three temptations or cords of vanity, wherewith our first Parents were taken captives: the Sonne of God, immediatly upon his Baptisme, was led by the Spirit into the wil∣dernesse to be tempted.

2. Our first Parents being placed in Paradise (a place furnished with variety and plenty of food) by too much indulgence unto their appe∣tite, or by incogitancie to bridle it by reason, could not abstaine from that fruit which onely was forbidden them. Power they had to have abstained: but they did not use it, when they had no necessity, no urgent provocation to eate at all, much lesse to eate of that fruit. The Sonne of God made a man more subject to bodily harmes by long forbearance of meat, than our first Parents were: after forty dayes continuance in a vast and barren wildernesse, wherein no food or fruit did grow, could not in his hunger bee tempted to eate any food which the ordinary providence of God did not reach unto him. In∣geus iedam necessitas, Necessity (as we say) hath no

law: there is no fence against it: Cogit ad turpia, it makes men, otherwise honest, to doe many things which are not comely. And, for this rea∣son the great tempter at the first bout, assaults our Saviour with this fiery dart of necessity. If thou be the Sonne of God, command that these stones be made bread. As if he had said, Long fasting hath made it apparant that thou art a man subject to weak∣nesse and infirmity; and (if thou be withall the Sonne of God) thou canst, and a necessity is laid upon thee, as man, to provide thy selfe of food, for without food man cannot live. Yet this fiery dart (though steeled and pointed with the temp∣ting delight of manifesting his owne worth or excellencie) is wholly diverted by that shield of Faith: It is written, Man shall not live by bread one∣ly, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God: So Moses had said unto Israel, I fed thee with Manna, to teach thee, that man liveth not by bread, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God, doth man live.* 1.1 Israel then did live for a long time both by Manna, and by the word of God; on which, without Manna, they would not have relied. Manna was as the body, and the word of God spoken by Moses, as the soule, or spirit of that food, by which they lived: both Manna, and that word of God, make but an Em∣blem or type of the eternall Word of God, who is the food of life; Life it selfe; and yet at this time (as man) was an hungred. So then, as hee was the Sonne of God, hee was able of stones to make bread, and as he was a man subject to infir∣mities,

hee had just occasion at this time to use his power. Yet as man invested with the forme of a servant, he could not be induced to use this power. For as hee often professeth, he came not to doe his owne will; no not in things lawfull and most agreeable to nature: but the will of him that sent him, though that did enjoyne him to doe or suffer things most displeasant to nature. This was the time, wherein he was by his Father appointed to conquer the irregular appetite of the sense of taste, and the lust of the flesh.

3. Our first Parents being Gods Vicegerents here on earth, Lords of all his visible creatures, not therewith content, by Satans inticements as∣pired to be like unto God, higher than Angels, than other powers or principalities. The Sonne of God, albeit hee were by nature Lord of men, and Lord of Angels; cannot be allured to exer∣cise his command over them, albeit they were commanded to attend him. Satans pretence in his second assault was very faire, and seemed to be countenanced by Scripture. If thou bee the Sonne of God, cast thy selfe downe, for it is written; Hee shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall beare thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. * 1.2 Fitter occasion to any mans seeming could not be offered for the exquisite verification or exact fulfilling of this Prophecy, than by this adventure to throw him∣selfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple. But the Sonne of God, who gave the Law, be∣ing now made under the Law, submits himselfe

unto that legall precept; Thou stalt not tempt the Lord thy God; and with this Scripture retorts Sa∣tans attempted blow upon himselfe. But what temptation of God had it been in the Sonne of God to have throwen himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple, to have given proofe that hee had been that just man, over whom God had given his Angels charge? Some there bee, who reply, that Satan did alledge this Scripture imper∣tinently, imperfectly. For the Psalmist saith, He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keepe thee in all thy wayes. Now the wayes of men are not in the aire, but upon the earth. This interpretation I neither much dislike, nor altogether approve; because our Saviour doth not taxe Satan for his impertinent, or imperfect allegation of the for∣mer Scripture. Nor doe I see any reason why flying in the aire might not be one of the wayes of the Sonne of God made man, as well as wal∣king upon the Sea in a tempest; if so it had plea∣sed him, or his heavenly Father, by whose ap∣pointment or disposing hee did doe or suffer all things. Now it was his Fathers will, that by his walking on the water he should manifest himselfe to be the Sonne of God, able to command either winde or water. It was likewise his Fathers will, that at this time as man hee should conquer the pride of life, or that deepely implanted desire in all men of proper excellency, or advancing them∣selves before due time. By this free resignation of his authority over the Angels, hee makes satis∣faction for our first Parents pride in seeking to

advance themselves above the Angels.

4. Againe, Paradise did affoord our first Pa∣rents as full satisfaction for the delight of the eye, as it did for food: and yet desire of that food which they needed not, found entrance into their hearts or fancies by their eyes. But the Sonne of God being made the Sonne of man, having neither place to lay his head, nor any pro∣spect for the present to please his eye; had all the kingdomes of the earth, and their glory repre∣sented unto him, with proffer of their sale or do∣nation rather, onely upon condition that hee would doe that homage unto this great Prince of the world, which many Princes doe to Kings or Emperours: or Emperours themselves had done to Popes or Prelates. The pretence was faire, and the temptation the strongest of all the three. For what man, who is but meere man, would not adventure upon any practice for the gaining the Kingdome or Monarchy which their Ancestors had foolishly lost. Now Adam was Lord and Mo∣narch of this visible world, untill hee suffered himselfe to bee conquered by Satan, who did re∣maine de facto, if not by right of conquest, the Prince of it, and Lord of men; untill the Sonne of God made man did throw him out of posses∣sion. But that houre of his was nor yet come: so farre was hee from affecting the kingdomes of this world, that hee was yet acting the part of a servant in it; but a servant to his father onely, not to men or Princes in this world. Of how meane a condition soever he were as man, yet he

disdained to worship men or Angels though but with civill worship, for any preferment: and therefore dismisses this great Usurper thus with indignation, Avoid Satan. Satan, it seemes had a prenotion or suspition that Christ was that Just and holy man, whom the Psalmist describes, Psal. 91. Or such a Sonne of God, as they were which appeared before the Lord, when he was permit∣ted to tempt Iob. That hee was the onely Sonne of God, or equall with God, was more than hee then knew.

5. These three temptations wherein our Savi∣our foiled Satan, are parallel'd to the first tempta∣tion of Iob, which was losse of worldly substance; more generally all the evills which the Sonne of God did suffer in our flesh, or whilest he was con∣versant with men in the forme of a servant, did beare Analogie to the Evills which Iob did suffer, but for particulars more in number, and more grievous: there was no evill that comes ab extra which hee suffered not in greater measure, than Iob did any. As for losse of goods or worldly substance, Iob made no reckoning: the Sonne of God, though heire of all things, did not vouch∣safe so much as to grace these by being owner, or possessor of them: He renounced the world, and all things in the world before he came into it: he would not be intangled or medle with them, that he might please him, who had chosen him to be his souldier, his onely champion in this great con∣flict with the Prince of darknesse. But to parallel Iobs other temptations with our Saviours.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Deut. 8.3.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 91.11, 12.