Sect. 3. Some observations upon Sathans tempting Christ. Mat. 4.

LEt us view the members by the head, and see what Satan will do to the Saints in this Page  45matter by his setting upon Christ the Lord of the Saints. Mat. 4.

1. When he saw him an hungry and were there was no bread, he tempts him to impatiency of it, and to an unusual way to put an end to his hunger by turning stones into bread, as if God that led him to a condition wherein he denyed him the ordinary means of refreshing, was not able to (or would not) preserve him by his word with∣out those means: or as if he could not be con∣tent as well to live upon Gods word without the means when not afforded, as upon the means extraordinarily procured. And surely Satan is of∣ten busie with the Saints to make them impatient in their wilderness of waiting upon God, and carries many inordinately after those and those means where they cannot in an ordinary way injoy them, as if their life consisted in them, and not chiefly in the word of God believed by them, and united to them; many a Saint he draweth down to a discontentedness for want of visible means in outward things; or because he injoys not such an ordinance or means in the time while he is the wilderness, as he thirsts or hungers for, but God in his providentiall way affordeth not: yea by that means sometimes he stirs them up to many irregularities and com∣bustions: yea and often when they have, though irregularly gotten what their souls thirsted for, by assuming power as the Sons of God to make Page  46what they have not, they take up their rest too much in such enjoyments, as if they lived by them and not by the word of God that pro∣ceedeth from him. But yet behold a more sub∣tle temptation, in which is discovered more spi∣rituall wickedness. For Christ no sooner had resisted that temptation, being stedfast in faith and in the word of God as having it written in his heart; but then,

2. He sets upon him in another way; in which he playes the Angel of light indeed, and fight against him with his own weapons: tempts him to confidence in God, and brings the promise to him (which he knew must needs appertain to him, he being the Son of God) to animate him to step out of the way of God. He takes him and carries him upon the top of an high pinac•… of the Temple, and bids him thence to cast down himself, for he being the Son of God, no∣thing could harm him, and it is written that God had given his Angels charge over him to keep him, and to bear him up by their power that he should not dash his foot against a stone. Oh subtle temptation? whom would not this deceive, but him that holds fast the word, and hath it dwelling in him in all wisdom teaching and admonishing him? how many souls lifted up on high have been precipated with this suggestion? When the Devil turns a preacher and presents Gods promises to further his inticements, whom will Page  47not his subtilty overthrow from Gods Temple? this is a temptation fitted to persons that minde spirituall things; persons that look for promises to be given in to them may be easily thus snared. How many when they have met in some mea∣sure with a baptism unto Christ, and some spi∣rituall communication from Christ, in which they have tasted of his heavenly gift, and the power of the world to come, and have re∣joyced and made their boast of him, and looked upon themselves as called by him, and made sons in him, and have thought the promises belonged to them; yet by such a temptation to confidence with the promises set before them, have been per∣verted from the right way to salvation? a temp∣tation taking with high minded pesons, filling them with a careless fearlesness of their conditi∣on: how many doth Satan teach to reason after this manner? am not I acquainted with the goodness of God? have not I met with such light and knowledge of God? am not J•a child of God? did not God at such a time and in such a way make me feel and taste of such heavenly vertue, eat his spirituall Manna, drink his com∣forts, taste of the heavenly gift? are not all the promises of God my portion there? can I ever fall away or misse of my portion? what if I neglect such ordinances and assemblings of our selves together? I am above them all: and my not waiting on God in them can do me no harm Page  48at all: all his promises for keeping, guiding, pre∣servation and everlasting glory are mine, and am sure to attain them. He hath promised t• give his Angels charge over me, and they sha•… keep me that I get no harm; therefore I wi•… not be tyed up any longer to such and such means to use them though God afford them; let other cry I am of Paul, and I am of Apollo, I wi•… neither regard one nor the other, I will on•… immediately betake my self to Christ: Scrip∣tures, exhortations, prayer, ordinances & are fit for novices and such as have not so gre•… attainments as I have, I have no need of the• nor of any Brethren in such wayes. I wi•… hear whom I please; let them be what they wi•… and say what they will, they cannot harm me for •o I am a child of God, and God is ingage• to preserved me: thus this subtile serpent buzz•… into the members (as well as he did into th• head) hurtfull conceptions, which many drin• down the more fearlesly because they s•em to b• the workings of faith and confidence in them and think fear too low a thing for them; no• considering what the Holy Ghost hath said, tha• the wise man feareth and departeth from evil, b•… the fool is confident and rageth: Prov. 14.16. [〈◊〉 passeth on:] those that think themselves to stan• and to be of the stronger part, and to have rea∣ched to high attainments, are oftentimes here snared. And whats the issue of these, but neg∣lecting, Page  49yea contemning Gods appointed way of preservation; some venture upon evil Compa∣nies, and fall into horrid wickedness and scanda∣lous courses; some sleight the Scriptures, despise their brethren, follow their fancies; for having turned the back upon Gods way, Satan as an Angel of Light meets with them, and perswades them he is the Angel of God sent to bear them up from falling; and having gotten the credit of a good Teacher, leads many of them to think the Gospel of Christ an empty low Doctrine, Christ a fleshly Christ, the Doctrine of the Resur∣rection, and of his personal appearance meet de∣ceits, yea & rushes them into all the heighth and strength of delusion; that whereas they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, they might be overwhelmed in unrighteous delusi∣ons till they be damned; 2 Thes. 2.10.11. being cheated with tempting God in stead of trusting him, and separating the Promises of God from the way of God, being herein also strengthened through some mistakes of some men that preach the absoluteness of Gods Covenant, and the in∣•allibility of salvation, and mind not rightly to whom such doctrines appertain, viz. to those that with honest hearts believe and have the Word of God so mixed with faith in them, that they are thereby kept from such presumption, in 〈◊〉 awful fear of trusting themselves, or depart∣ing Page  50from Gods way: thence also the subtile d•∣vil lef out that word, in all thy wayes, the w•… that he suggested being none of the wayes th•… God prescribed to him.

Saints, whoever you are, take heed of this de∣ceit; separate not Gods Promises from his waye• and prescriptions. The Jews had a promise 〈◊〉 entring into Canaan, but they understood n•… Gods Language, but erred in their hearts, an• therefore they not walking in his way of faith they entred not into his rest: Believe not ever spirit, no though it come with pretence 〈◊〉 Scripture, and lead to confidence and bold fea• lesness, and to a certain floating joy, as assure• of your happiness; if it lead to neglect God• wayes, and draw from his Commandment know there is something of Satan in it; thoug• the thing held forth may happily be true, y•… then there is, as so used, a perverting Truth to 〈◊〉 wrong end. Marke that of David, Psal. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his way, and he shall ex∣alt thee to inherit the Land; Separate not tho• two; in the way of the Lord, is strength, and in h•… fear is sure confidence: but though God shoul• say unto thee, thou shalt surely live; yet if tho• beest drawn to trust in thine own righteousnes• and commit iniquity, all thy righteousness shall not be remembred, but in the iniquity that tho• committest thou shalt die, for the mouth of th• Page  51Lord hath spoken it. Ezeck 33.13. He only is in a sure standing that hath the Word of God so abiding in him that it keeps him from presuming to depart from him.

Take heed of Satan in this temptation. As the common people use to say, He may alwayes be discerned when he appears in a humane shape by his cloven foot; so its true in this matter, in the foot, the issue and tendency of his temptati∣on he may ever be discerned, if thou hast the Word and Spirit of Wisdom to guide thee in it; he ever comes to divide from God; even while he tempts to lean upon him, his temptation tends to separation from him; to leave his way, and yet expect his Promise made to those that walk in his way; so he prevailed with the anci∣ent Jews, Mica 3.10.11. When they built up Sion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity, yet they would lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord amongst us? no evil can come upon us. Take heed yet again I say of this spiritual wickedness in heavenly things. If a Spirit should come with a great deal of light and force, & whisper to thee that thou must cease from man; and in this perswade thee (not only not to build thy faith upon the parts, wis∣dom, holiness of this or that, or any man, but also) not to attend to the Gospel ministred by men, because they that minister it are men, but neglecting such Ministration to waite only upon Page  52Christ immediatly; or to put no difference be∣tween men preaching the Truth or Error; much more to take thee off thy confidence from the man Christ, who is appointed to be the hiding place for men, know its a delusion, the Word o• God in the mouth of Satan, because in these end• and intimations its contrary to the Word o• God; for God hath both appointed the Ma• Christ Jesus to be our Mediator, and to be ou• way unto the Father; and men also to be instru∣ments of proclaiming his Truth, and as member of Christ, and partakers of his spiritual riches t• help forward the growth of one another; an• so they are to be owned and acknowledged i• love as helpers of our joy, though not as maste• of our faith; and God is to be attended upon i• the ministration of their gifts: And so if th•… come to thee, Ye need not that any teach you, 〈◊〉 as that Ʋnction teacheth you, with this intima•…¦on in the foot of it, that ye need not any furth•… exhortation or watching over by any brethre• or you need no information out of the Scrip∣tures, because that Unction ye have receive• shall teach you all things without those medium• and so that come to divide you from Brethr•… and Fellowship in the Gospel and its Ordinanc• in which ye have met with him: Know its st•… the tempter, bidding thee throw thy self dow• headlong: for, God saith not, Ye need no mi•∣stration Page  53or instruction by any men because of the unction in you (for then it had been needless for the Apostle to have writ to them; he might as well have spared that pains in regard of them) but he says they needed not that any teach them but as that anointingt taught them: •hat that suited not with it, but was besides it and •ew to it, another doctrine and light then that •hey had received from the beginning, not agree∣•ng with that, such teaching they had no need of; •n abiding in what they had received and been •aught, they should be saved.

I have instanced these two places, that none might mistake them and abuse them, as I know some do; and to prevent your falling into the •emptation of Satan when comming to any in such a way. Surely my friends, if you think what∣ever spirit comes unto your hearts, and hints in • otions and doctrines, or conceptions, or brings •ny Scripture or Promise, its the Spirit of God, •e are much mistaken, and may quickly be led •nto a delusion, as many that attend to such mo∣•ions and flashes of joy and light, and have not •he Word of God abiding in them with under∣•tanding, usually are. I wish there be not too •any of you that have had some gratious ope∣•ations upon your hearts, and of you that ac∣•ount your selves Saints, and in a sure conditi∣•n, taken in this snare of Satan; learn so to lean Page  54on God as not to live upon means, and run out inordinately after them where God afford• them not; nor yet to despise his wayes and means when afforded, presuming that God wi•… keep you safe, and leave you right without them; believe in God, but do not tempt him• And where both of these are escaped, beware o• the third; in which

3. He set upon Christ to worship him, that 〈◊〉 might have the glory and dignity of the worl• given him; a strong and impetuous temptation• and oftentimes takeing where the other two ar• avoided, as they that are like the seed in Thorn• ground go further then the other two ground• A temptation to Coveteousness, Vain-glory an• Ambition to be great amongst men; and this be∣ing suited to our sense and natural inclinations, taketh often with those that have attained to much, Satan knowing how to make all attain∣ments contribute something to pride and high• mindedness, which the more its fed, the more 〈◊〉 setteth open the soul to entertain such advant•∣ges as suit therewith: Against this the Apost•… John, writing to children, young men and f•∣thers opposes this advice and counsel; Love n•… the world, nor the things of this world; for the lo•… of the world and of the Father stand not together 1 Joh. 2.16,17. But because this is not so subt•… (though oftentimes more catching then the fo•∣mer Page  55from its pleasingness to flesh) as also be∣cause I toucht upon it before in the preceding Chapter, I shall not inlarge so much upon it; this being not faln into so much for want of dis∣cerning as by love of carnal worldly injoyment of earthy satisfaction or excellency, and so needs •ot so many words to discover it, as to per∣•wade men not to listen to, but avoid it.