more fit Engine for the Devil to work with, than the Pleasures of the World?

I fhall briefly apply this to two forts of Men, thofe that are ftrait- Applic. ned with want and neceffities, and those whofe cups run over, having all that their Heart can wish.

First, To those that think their measure of outward Comforts little, I would from the Doctrine now explained, tell them that they have not fo much cause to vex and difquiet themselves for their Poverty, or Troubles,as they apprehend. The World is not fo defireable a thing, as many dream; did but Men confider how great a fare it is, and what dangers attend the fullness of it, they would not fo earnestly covet it, nor fo paffionately lament, when it flys from them. If thou haft fo much Godliness as can quiet thy Heart in a contented enjoyment of thy little, that little which thou haft,is better than great riches of the wicked: thou little knoweft from what Pride, Infolency, Contempt of God and Men, and many other Temptations and Lufts God doth preferve thee, by denying thee Earthly things: thou art now (it may be) often looking up to God, ftriving to believe his Word, often examining thy Heart, labouring to live upon God, and his Allfufficiency, looking after the Bread that endures to Eternal Life; when if thou hadit the Temptations of Plenty (it may be feared) thou wouldst be another Man, and be carried away to forget God, to be careless of Holy walking, and fo make way for Bitterness and Sorrow at laft.

Secondly, I would alfo caution Poor Men not to enlarge their defires too much after the World, but to fear the Temptations of the World; it is not only a fnare to thofe that enjoy it,, but to thofe that want it for while they admire it, and engage their Affections for it, it enfnares them in finful undertakings, they are tempted to Lye, Cheat, Diffemble, to use unlawful Shifts, to Rob, Steal, over-reach in Bargaining, and to neglect the care of the Soul in all. Let fuch call to mind (1.) that often the Providence of God doth of purpose thwart and cross the defigns of fuch, fo that though they toyland fweat, running from Market to Market, rifing early, and fitting up late, yet he blowes upon their gettings, and they wither to nothing, while it is yet in their band; or if they feem to keep them longer, yet all the end they make with them, is but to put them into a bag with boles, they perish by evil travel, Ecclef. 5. 14. (2.) They often are at a deal of labour in purfuit, and then when the defired object

great

is within their reach, they are overwhelmed with their disappointment, as if Providence defigned to mock them for their Folly. This is excellently set forth, in the Emblem of a Man climbing up a Rock, with great labour to reach a Crown that hung upon the Precipice, who when he had ftretched himself to grap it, falls down and breaks his Neck: (3.) And when they do by great toy! rake together an beap of Riches, they are starved frequently in their Plenty, and fo curfed that they have no more than the beholding of their Ecclef. s. 11. Goods with their Eyes, in that God denies them a Heart to use them. (4.) Their gettings allay not their Thirst for more, He that loveth Silver, fhall not be fatisfyed with Silver, Ecclef. 5.10.. (5.) Often. they are given as a Scourge and Plague; as the Quales given to the Ifraelites, came out of their Noftrils. The wife Man notes it, Ecclef 5. 13. Riches are kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt.

Secondly, To thofe that have the delights of the World, plentiful Estates, full Tables, beautiful Houses, rich Tradings, Honours and Dignities: I would defire to give the greatest caution, that they take heed to themselves, because they walk in the midst of Snares. These should confider (1.) that the great God hath laid moft ferious charges upon them, not to love the World, but to withdraw their Affections from it, nay to be Crucified to it, as to any. captivating delight, and to use it with fuch an Indifferency of mind, that they fhould be in their deportments towards it, as if they ufed it not. (2.) They should have their danger in their Eye.How careful is he of his fteps, that knows he walks in the midst of Serpents whichare ready to fting him; the thoughts of this fhould blunt the edg of our Delights. If you were at a Feaft where you knew there were poyfoned Dishes, you would be affraid to eat any thing. Do you think that Captain Smith when he was taken by the Salvages of America, and had plenty of Meat fet before him (which. he knew was given to fatten him, that he might be better. Meat, when he was killed) had any Stomack to Eat or to Drink? Was that Feaft pleafing to him that fat under a fharp Sword hung over his Head in a Horfe Hair, when he expected every moment it fhould tall upon him and kill him? Such are great Men, rich Men; with what fear and care fhould they use these things, when they know there is hazard of mischief from them upon every occafion? How much doth Chrift fpeak in that one Sentence, it is eafter for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle, than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? He means not that 'tis abfolute

ly

Ly impoffible, but extreamly difficult, and the difficulty lies in the hinderances which their Riches cafts before them. (3.) They fhould carefully confider, for what ends God gives these, and to what use they are to be put. Rich Men are but God's Purfers,they do but carry the Bag, and what is put therein, for publick nfes; if accordingly, as faithful Stewards, they lay it out upon those that have need, they fhall make Friends of the unrighteous Mammon,and it will turn to a Spiritual Account: but if they think that all is for themselves, and fo fhut their Bowels,and Purfes from others, then they carry the Bag no otherwife, than as Judas did, and will be eafily perfwaded to fell Chrift and Heaven for a little more of Earth.

CHA P. XXII.

Of Chrift's Answer in the general. That thefe Temptati ons were upon defign for our Inftruction. Of the Agreement betwixt Ephef. 6. and Matth. 4. The firft Dire ction. Of couragious Refolves in refifting Temptations. Its confiftency with fome kind of fear. The neceffity of this Courage, Wherein it confifts; and that there is a courage in mourning Spirits.

TH

Hefe Answers of Chrift to the feveral Temptations (which are now to be explained) are different as to their matter, yet the general Purport of them being the fame, Ifhall therefore handle them together. They may be confidered two ways.

First, As they are fit and pertinent answers to particular Temptations, of Diftruft, of Prefumption, of Debauching the Heart by Worldly Delights to the Service of Satan; and thus may they be ufeful in their confideration, to those who are directly moved by.. Satan to fuch Sins. And when at any time we are tempted in ftraits; to caft away our reliance upon the careful Providence of God, we may look upon Chrift's Answer, that Man's Life doth not fo depend upon the usual means, but that any other thing bleffed by

Si ad Impe i um ejus fapi pellent fieri panes,ergofru

Divine Appointment may be useful to that end. When we are enticed to prefume of extraordinary supports; then by Chrift's Example the Temptation may be refifted by confidering, that however God be to be trufted, yet he is at no time to be tempted by unneceffary expectations in the neglect of the ordinary means. If our Hearts be wooed by Worldly Delights to caft off our care of God and Religion; we may then call to mind; that this is abominable Idolatry, and fo may we turn off our Hearts from finful compliance, by charging our Souls with the oppofite Duties, upon a true discovery of the vileness and inconvenience of the transgreffions urged upon us.

es

But Secondly, They may be confidered as they give Inftraction for the management of our Spiritual Armour against all Satan's Wiles in the general, and in this Senfe I fhall endeavour to open them, laying down first these two Conclufions:

Firft, That the whole business of these Temptations, as permitted to Satan, and fubmitted unto by Chrift, was certainly upon defign. The fame Wisdom that contrived the wonderful method of the Salvation of Men by a Redeemer, did also order these Temptations; for elfe Chrift could have prevented them, or by a Divine Authority commanded Silence to the Tempter, and by his Power might have chafed him away. As Chrift told Pilate, Thon couldft have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above; thereby manifefting that his Suffering was from an higher defign than he was aware of: fo might he have faid to the Devil, Except this had been defigned by an Eternal Counsel, thou couldst not have made this attempt. So that we must look further for the fring and rife of this, than to any fuppofed occafional outbreaking of Satanical malice upon him.

Secondly, That this defign, however it touched upon the Perfon and Offices of Chrift, as Mediator and fecond Adam, (for thus it became him to overcome the Enemy at the fame Weapon, by which he overcame our firft Parents, and by this Perfonal Experience,to be fitted with feeling compaffions to the tempted) yet was it wholly for our fakes, as may appear by two things.

First, In that Chrift (if his anfwers had only concerned himself) fira tentas, fi might have given other fit replies, to the firft Temptation, of turnautem non fru- ing Stones to Bread: he could have retorted the Argument upon Satan, (as Hierom and others obferve) If I am not the Son of God. 'tis in vain to require a Miracle of me; If I am, 'tis in vain to tempt me,

fra, Filium

Dei fufpicaris.

Or

Or he might have answered, That as the Father bath Life in himself, Jo bath be given to the Son to have Life in himself, and that by this Di- Mufcu!us in vine Power be could fuftain himself without Bread. To the fecond, it loc might have been a fufficient anfwer, to have excepted against his unfaithfulneß in citing that Teftimony out of Pfal. 91. where, by difcovering his wilful omiffion of the Claufe, [in all thy ways, ] He Shall keep thee in all thy ways, his Temptation might have fallen to the Ground, as no way encouraged from that Promife. To the third might have been returned fuchanfwers as thefe, that Satan's offer was a Lye, that it was not in his Power to difpofe of the Kingdoms of the World: That thefe were Chrift's already, that these toere vain Arguments to draw him from the Glory of an Heavenly Kingdom; and finally,that of all Creatures Satan (being God's fworn Enemy) bad leaft reafon to expect Divine Honour.

non fibi vicit.

Secondly, In that all Chrift's Anfwers were from Scripture (which is properly, a Light to the steps of Men) and all these Scriptures cited, fhew Mans Dutys he faith not, the Son of Godfhall not live by Bread alone, but Man lives not by Bread alone; he faith not, Christ must not tempt, but thou (Man) shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, &c. By all which we may difcern, that Chrift answered,not by Arguments peculiarly agreeable to his Perfon and Nature, but by fuch as fuit the general state of God's Children. And this certainly Vide arma was for our advantage, he conquered with fuch Weapons; not for quibus tibi any neceffity that he had to take that course, but for the need that we "ombr." bad of fuch inftruction; for hereby we fee, that Satan is conquerable, and alfo how we muft ufe our Weapons. In this alfo he left us an Example, that we should follow his steps: as Gideon faid to his Soul- non tam Chri diers, as you fee me do, fo do you likewife. Thus as it were doth our Lord fpeak to us, for your fiks fuffered I thefe Temptations, that I might teach your Hands to war, and your Fingers to fight for your fakes Iufed thefe Weapons of yours, rather than my own, that I might shew tamen ille vothe ufe of your Sword and Shield, and bore your Adverfary may be luit,ut nos fuo overcome by them: dealing herein with us, as a Mffer at Arms, ('tis doceret exem. Mufculus's Comparison) who for the better inftructing and ani- plo, perinde mating of his Tyro, takes rather his Difciples Sword, than his own, quidam Gygas to beat his Adverfary withal; minding not only the Conquest of an gashoftem non fuis,fed tyrunEnemy, but alfo the encouragement of a young Souldier..

you

Hæc armatura

to Filio Dei quam nobis 1lius Tyrunculis convenit, uti

atque li fortis

culi fui armis

If any carry a fufpition in their Mind, that Chrift had not our furiat & pro-inftruction fo much in his Eye as hath been faid, because he gives ternat. not such particular Instructions for our spiritual Welfare, as the Apo- Mifculus.

Ale