that antient proclamation of this war he knew well enough, that he should bruise his heel.
The first scene or field of the Combate, was the Desert of Judea, which Luke inti∣mates, when he saith, that Jesus returned from Jordan, and that he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness; that is, from the same coast, or region of Jordan, in which he had been baptized.
The time of his temptations was from the middle of the month Tisri to the end of forty days, that is, from the beginning of our month of October to the middle of No∣vember, or thereabouts: so that he conflicted with cold, as well as want, and Satan.
The manner of his temptations was two fold. First, Invisibly, as the Devil is wont to tempt sinners; and this for forty days: while the Tempter endeavoured with all his in∣dustry to throw in his suggestions, if possible, into the mind of Christ, as he does to mortal men. Which when he could not compass, because he found nothing in him, in which such a temptation might fix it self; Joh. XIV. 30. he attempted another way, namely, by appearing to him in a visible shape, and conversing with him, and that in the form of an Angel of light. Let the Evangelists be compared. Mark, saith, he was tempted forty days: so also doth Luke. But Matthew, that the Tempter came to him, after forty days; that is, in a visible form.
The matter of his Temptations was very like the Temptations of Eve. She fell, by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the Eye, and the pride of Life: which are the heads of all sins, 1 Joh. II. 16.
By the lust of the Eyes: for she saw the fruit, that it was pleasant to the sight.
By the lust of the flesh; she lusted for it, because it was desirable to be eaten.
By the pride of life; not contented with the state of perfection, wherein she was created, affected an higher; and she took of the fruit, and did eat, that she might be∣come wiser by it.
The same tempter set upon our Saviour with the same stratagems.
- I. As Eve was deceived by mistaking his person, supposing a good Angel discoursed with her, when it was a bad: So the Devil in like manner puts on the good Angel here, cloathed with light, and feigned glory.
- II. He endeavours to ensnare Christ by the lust of the flesh, Command, that these stones be made bread: by the lust of the Eye, All these things will I give thee, and the Glory of them: by the pride of life, Throw thy self down, and fly in the air, and be held up by Angels.
VERS. V.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
Upon the pinnacle of the Temple.
WHether he placed him upon the Temple it self, or upon some building within the holy circuit, it is in vain to seek, because it cannot be found. If it were upon the Temple it self, I should reflect upon the top of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Porch of the Temple: if upon some other building, I should reflect upon the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Royal Gallery. The Priests were wont sometimes to go up to the top of the Temple, stairs being made for this purpose, and described in the Talmudick book intitled, Middoth; and they are said to have ascended hither, When fire was first put to the Temple, and to have thrown up the keies of the chambers of the Temple towards Heaven, with these words, O thou eternal Lord, because we are not worthy to keep these keies, to thee they are delivered. And there came as it were the form of a hand out of Heaven, and took them from them: and they leaped down, and fell into the fire.
Above all other parts of the Temple the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Porch of the Temple, yea the whole 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, space before it, may not unfitly be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the wing of the Tem∣ple, because like wings it extended its self in bredth on each side, far beyond the bredth of the Temple: which we take notice of elsewhere.
If therefore the Devil had placed Christ in the very precipice of this part of the Tem∣ple, he may well be said to have placed him upon the wing of the Temple, both because this part was like a wing to the Temple it self, and that that precipice was the wing of this part.
But if you suppose him placed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, upon the Royal Gallery, look upon it thus painted out by Josephus: On the South part (of the Court of the Gentiles) was the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Kings Gallery, that deserves to be mentioned among the most magnifi∣cent things under the Sun: for upon an huge depth of a vally, scarcely to be fathomed by the Eye of him that stands above, Herod erected a Gallery of a vast height; from the top of which, if any looked down, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he would grow dizzy, his Eyes not being able to reach to so vast a depth.