SERMON XVII (2)

Thus our great Michael comes off conqueror in the second assault. And doth not the serpent feel his head bruised enough yet? Not at all: on the contrary, being more and more enraged at such unusual opposition, and want of success, “He again taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, (what mountain is not very material) and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,” St. Luke adds, “in a moment of time:” which confirms the common conjecture, that Satan did not shew our Lord really the kingdoms of the world, (for that must have taken up more time) but only took him up into an exceeding high mountain to humour the thing, and by exerting his utmost art, impressed on our Lord’s imagination all at once, a very strong, and to any but innocence itself, a very striking prospect of the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; not the cares: that would not serve Satan’s turn. He shewed our Saviour crowns, but never told him, those crowns were gilded with thorns; “He shewed him, (says Mr. Henry, my favourite commentator) as in a landscape, or airy representation in a cloud, such as that great deceiver could easily frame and put together, the glorious and splendid appearance of princes, their robes and retinue, their equipage and life-guards; the pomps of thrones and courts, and stately palaces; the sumptuous buildings in cities; the gardens and fields about the country seats, with the various instances of their wealth, pleasure, and gaiety; so as might be most likely to strike the fancy, and excite the admiration and affection. Such was this shew.” Our Saviour very well knew it, only lets Satan go to the full length of his string, that his victory over him might be the more illustrious. And now, says the devil, “All these things (a mighty all indeed; a mere imaginary bubble!) will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” He would fain have it taken for granted, that he had succeeded in the two preceding temptations: “Come, thou seest thou art not the Son of God, or if thou art, thou seest what an unkind Father he is; thou art here in a starving condition, therefore take my advice, disown thy relation to him, set up for thyself, call me father, ask of me blessings, and all these will I give thee; while all that I desire in return, is but a bow, only fall down and worship me.” Here Satan discovers himself with a witness: this was a desperate parting stroke, indeed. It is now high time for thee, O thou enemy of souls, to be commanded to depart! Filled with a holy resentment at such hellish treatment, and impatient of the very thought of setting up for himself, or alienating the least part of his heart and affections from his Father, or dividing them between his God and the world; “Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, (I know thee who thou art, under all thy disguises) get thee hence, thou grand adversary: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve: this is the great commandment of the law; this is the commandment my Father gave unto his Israel of old, and wouldst thou have me, who came to fulfil the law and the prophets, thus shamefully be a transgressor of it? Get thee hence, I will bear thy insolence no longer: thy other temptations were hellish, like thyself, but this intolerably so: get thee therefore hence, Satan: my heavenly Father is the Lord my God, and him only will I serve.”

And now the battle is over: the important combat is ended: Jesus hath won the field: Satan is routed and totally put to flight. “Then,” when the devil found that Jesus could withstand even the golden bait, the lust of the eye and pride of life, in the two last, as well as the lust of the flesh in the first temptation, despairing of the least success, and quite stunned with that all-powerful Get thee hence, Satan, “he leaveth him.”

Hell, we may well suppose, like the Philistines of old, was confounded, and gave a horrible groan, when they saw their great Goliah, in whom they had so long trusted, thus shamefully and totally defeated in no less than three pitched battles. The first Adam was attacked but once, and was conquered; but the second Adam, though thus repeatedly assaulted, comes off without the least sin, not only conqueror, but more than conqueror. Think you not, that there was joy, joy unspeakable in heaven, upon this glorious occasion? Think you not that the angels, those sons of God, and the multitude of the heavenly host, who shouted so loud at our Lord’s birth, did not repeat, if possible, with yet greater extasy, that heavenly anthem, “Glory be to God in the highest.” For a while they were only spectators, orders, we may suppose, being issued out, that they should only wait around, but not relieve their praying, fasting, tempted Lord; but now the restraint is removed: Satan departs, and “behold, angels came and ministered unto him;” they came to administer to his bodily necessities, and to congratulate him upon the glorious and compleat victory which he had gained: some of them, it may be, had done this kind office for Elijah long ago; and with unspeakably greater joy, they repeat it to the Lord of Elijah now. His Father sends him bread from heaven; and by this lets him know, that notwithstanding the horrid temptations with which he had been attacked, he is his own beloved son, in and with whom he was well pleased.

And was there joy in heaven on this happy occasion? What equal, and if possible, what infinitely greater joy ought there to be among the children of God here on earth? For we should do well to remember, that our blessed Lord in this great fight with, and conquest over the dragon, acted as a public person, as a fæderal head of his mystical body the church, even the common representative of all believers. We may therefore from this blessed passage gather strong consolations; since by our Lord’s conquest over Satan, we are thereby assured of our own, and in the mean while can apply to him as a compassionate High-Priest, who was in all things tempted as we are, that he might experimentally be enabled to succour us when we are tempted.

Who, who after hearing of or reading this, can think themselves hardly used, or utterly cast off by God, because they are tempted to self-murder, blasphemy, or any other horrid and shocking crimes? Who can wonder at wave being permitted to come upon wave, and one trial to follow upon the back of another? Who can admire, that Satan follows them to holy ordinances, and tempts them to doubt of the reality of all their manifestations, and of their being God’s children, even after they have enjoyed the most intimate and delightful communion with their heavenly Father? Was not our Lord treated thus? And “shall the servant be above his Lord, or the disciple above his Master?” No, it is sufficient that the servant be as his Lord, and the disciple as his Master.

But not to dwell on a general improvement, let us see what particular lessons may be learned from this affecting portion of holy writ.

And First, was our Lord thus violently beset in the wilderness? then we may learn, that however profitable solitude and retirement may be, when used in due season, yet when carried to an extreme is hurtful, and rather befriends than prevents temptation. Woe be to him that is thus always alone; for he hath not another to lift him up when he falleth, or to advise with when he is tempted. As a hermit in America once told me, when I asked him whether he found that way of life lessened his temptations; “Dost not thou know, friend, (said he) that a tree which grows by itself, is more exposed to winds and storms than another that stands surrounded with other trees in the woods?” Our Lord knew this, and therefore he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Lord, keep us from leading ourselves into this temptation, and succour and support us whenever led by thy providence into it! Then, and then only, shall we be safe amidst the fiery darts of the grand enemy of our souls.

Secondly, Did our Lord by prayer, fasting, and temptation, prepare himself for his public ministry? Surely then, all those who profess to be inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon them the office and administration of the church, should be prepared in the same manner. For though the knowledge of books and men, are good in their places, yet without a knowledge of Satan’s devices be superadded, a minister will be only like a physician, that undertakes to prescribe to sick people, without having studied the nature of herbs. And hence, it is to be feared, many heavy laden and afflicted souls have been sent by certain ministers, to surgeons, to be blooded in the arm, instead of being directed to apply to the blood of Christ to cleanse their hearts. Hence, conviction is looked upon as a delirium, and violent temptations censured as downright madness. Hence, souls that are truly and earnestly repenting of their sins, and as earnestly seeking after rest in Christ, have been directed to plays, novels, romances, and merry company, to divert them from being righteous over-much. Miserable comforters are such blind guides! Surely, they deserve no better titles than that of murderers of souls! They go not into the kingdom of heaven themselves, and those who are entering in they would by this means hinder. Go not after them, all ye young men who would be able ministers of the New Testament; but on the contrary, if you would be useful in binding up the broken hearted, and pouring the oil of consolation into wounded souls, prepare yourselves for manifold temptations. For as Luther says, “prayer and meditation, reading and temptation, make a minister.” If now exercised with spiritual conflicts, be not disheartened, it is a good sign that our Lord intends to make use of you. Being thus tempted like unto your brethren, you will be the better enabled to succour and advise those who shall apply to you under their temptations. What says the apostle Paul? “If we are afflicted, it is for your sake.” And if you are afflicted, it is only that you may save your own souls, and help to save the souls of those who shall be committed to your charge. Be strong therefore in the grace which is in Christ Jesus, and learn to endure hardness, like good soldiers, that are hereafter to instruct others how they must fight the good fight of faith.

Thirdly, Did the tempter come to Christ when he saw him an hungered? Let those of you that are reduced to a low estate, from hence learn, that an hour of poverty is an hour of temptation, not only to murmuring and doubting of our sonship and the divine favour, but also to help ourselves by unlawful means. “If thou be the Son of God, said Satan, command that these stones may be made bread.” This is what Agur dreaded, “lest I be poor and steal.” Learn, ye godly poor, to be upon your guard, and remember that poverty and temptations are no marks of your being cast off by God. Your Lord was an hungered; your Lord was tempted on this account to doubt his sonship, before you. Learn of him not to distrust, but rather to trust in your heavenly Father. Angels came and ministered unto Christ; and he who is Lord of the angels, will send some kind messenger or another to relieve your wants. Your extremity shall be the Redeemer’s opportunity to help you. Make your wants known unto him, he careth for you. Though in a desart, though no visible means appear at present, yet you shall in God’s due time find a table spread for you and yours; “For man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

And may not such among you, who are exalted, as well as those who are brought low, from Satan’s taking the Lord Jesus, and placing him upon a pinnacle of the temple, learn also a lesson of holy watchfulness and caution. High places are slippery places, and are apt to make even the strongest heads and most devout hearts to turn giddy. How necessary therefore is that excellent petition in our Litany, “in all time of our wealth, (as well as in all time of our tribulation) good Lord deliver us!” Agreeably to this, Agur prays as much against riches as poverty; if he was poor, he feared he should be tempted to steal, if rich, that he should trust in uncertain riches, and say, who is the Lord?