First,1 Satan, he hath a special inclination, and a more peculiar malicious desire,2 to vex and molest the Saints with this sort of temptations, of doubts and disquietness that God is not their God: so as all other his temptations unto sin, are but as the laying in and barrelling up the gun-powder, and making of the train for this great plot of blowing up all. He tempteth Peter to deny his Master, Satan desires to winnow you; but he hath a further reach, a design upon his faith; which Christ foresaw, and therefore did mainly bend his prayer against it, But I have prayed that thy faith fail not: Satan hoped by that gross sin to have drawn him into despair. We may likewise observe how he did place this temptation in the forefront of those three assaults which he made upon Christ; who as in his obedience, so in his temptations is made a complete example unto us; for he was ⟨p. 46⟩tempted in all things, that is, with all sorts of temptations, and also like us for the manner, only without sin, Heb. 4. 15. Now he tempted him not only to vain hopes, when he showed him the glory of the whole would, and to presumption to throw himself down headlong from an now […] ground; But first, and primarily to jealousies and distrusts between him and his Father, and between his humane nature and the divine; For when Christ had newly received that testimony from all the three persons; the Father proclaiming him to be his Son from heaven; the Spirit descending on him at his baptism, (it being the special grace and institution of that ordinance to seal up adoption and regeneration) then comes Satan and tempts him to question that voice, [that it might be but a delusion:] and Christs humane nature never having done any outward miracle as yet, as appears Joh. 2. 11. he would now have had him taken this occasion in the extremity of his hunger, by commanding stones to become bread, to make trial whether he was the Son of God or no, and hypostatically united to the second person: which if God should not do for him, then to question his Son-ship; and think all this to be but a delusion. This was the meaning of it, If thou be the Son of God command these stones to be made bread, &c.
First,1 Satan, he hath a speciall inclination, and a more peculiar malicious desire,2 to vexe and molest the Saints with this sort of temptations, of doubts and disquietnesse that God is not their God: so as all other his temptations unto sinne, are but as the laying in and barrelling up the gun-powder, and making of the train for this great plot of blowing up all. He tempteth Peter to deny his Master, Satan desires to winnow you; but hee hath a further reach, a designe upon his faith; which Christ foresaw, and therefore did mainely bend his prayer against it, But I have prayed that thy faith faile not: Satan hoped by that grosse sinne to have drawne him into despaire. Wee may likewise observe how hee did place this temptation in the forefront of those three assaults which hee made upon Christ; who as in his obedience, so in his temptations is made a compleate example unto us; for hee was ⟨p. 46⟩tempted in all things, that is, with all sorts of temptations, and also like us for the maner, only without sinne, Heb. 4. 15. Now he tempted him not onely to vaine hopes, when hee shewed him the glory of the whole would, and to presumption to throw himselfe downe headlong from an now 〈…〉 ground; But first, and primarily to jealousies and distrusts between him and his Father, and between his humane nature and the divine; For when Christ had newly received that testimony from all the three persons; the Father proclaiming him to bee his Sonne from heaven; the Spirit descending on him at his baptisme, (it being the speciall grace and institution of that ordinance to seale up adoption and regeneration) then comes Satan and tempts him to question that voice, [that it might be but a delusion:] and Christs humane nature never having done any outward miracle as yet, as appeares Ioh. 2. 11. he would now have had him taken this occasion in the extremity of his hunger, by commanding stones to become bread, to make tryall whether he was the Sonne of God or no, and hypostatically united to the second person: which if God should not doe for him, then to question his Son-ship; and thinke all this to bee but a delusion. This was the meaning of it, If thou be the Sonne of God command these stones to be made bread, &c.
- 1§. 1.
- 2Satan hath a special inclination to this kind of temptation.Satan hath a speciall inclination to this kinde of temptation.
