The second temptation is not so sensual; the Devil sees that was too low for Christ, and therefore he comes again with a temptation something more spiritual;1 He sets him on a Pinnacle of the Temple, and saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thy self down, for it is written, he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, &c. He that was content to be led from Jordan into the Wilderness, for the advantage of the first temptation, he yields to be led from the Wilderness to Jerusalem, for advantage of the second; the Wilderness was fit for a temptation arising from want, and Jerusalem is fit for a temptation arising from vain-glory; Jerusalem was the glory of the World, the Temple was the glory of Jerusalem, the pinnacle was the highest piece of the Temple, and there is Christ content to be set for the opportunity of temptation. O that Christ would suffer his pure and sacred body to be transported and hurried through the air by the malicious hand of the old Tempter! But all this was for us, he cared not what the Devil did in this way with him, so that he might but free us from the Devil. Methinks it is a sweet contemplation of an Holy Divine: He supposed as if he had seen Christ on the highest Battlements of the Temple, and Satan standing by him, with this Speech in his mouth, Well then, since in the matter of nourishment, 2thou wilt needs depend upon thy Fathers providence, take now a further trial of that providence, in thy miraculous preservation, cast down thy self from this height; behold, thou art here in Jerusalem, the famous and holy City of the World; here thou art on the top of the Pinnacle of that Temple which was dedicated to thy Father; and if thou beest God, why now the eyes of all men are fixed upon thee, there cannot be devised a more ready way to spread thy Glory, and to proclaim thy Deity, than by casting thy self headlong to the Earth; all the World will say, there is more in thee than a man; and for danger (if thou art the Son of God) there can be none: what can hurt him that is the Son of God? and wherefore serves that glorious Guard of Angels, which have by Divine Commission taken upon them the Charge of thy Humanity? Come, cast thy self down; here lies the temptation, Come, cast thy self down (saith Satan) but why did not Satan cast him down? He carried him up thither; and was it not more easy to throw him down thence?
The second temptation is not so sensual; the Devil sees that was too low for Christ, and therefore he comes again with a temptation something more spiritual;1 He sets him on a Pinacle of the Temple, and saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thy self down, for it is written, he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, &c. He that was content to be led from Jordan into the Wilderness, for the advantage of the first temptation, he yields to be led from the Wilderness to Jerusalem, for advantage of the second; the Wilderness was fit for a temptation arising from want, and Jerusalem is fit for a temptation arising from vain-glory; Jerusalem was the glory of the World, the Temple was the glory of Jerusalem, the pinacle was the highest piece of the Temple, and there is Christ content to be set for the opportunity of temptation. O that Christ would suffer his pure and sacred body to be transported and hurried through the air by the malicious hand of the old Tempter! But all this was for us, he cared not what the Devil did in this way with him, so that he might but free us from the Devil. Methinks it is a sweet contemplation of an Holy Divine: He supposed as if he had seen Christ on the highest Battlements of the Temple, and Satan standing by him, with this Speech in his mouth, Well then, since in the matter of nourishment, 2thou wilt needs depend upon thy Fathers providence, take now a further tryal of that providence, in thy miraculous preservation, cast down thy self from this height; behold, thou art here in Jerusalem, the famous and holy City of the World; here thou art on the top of the Pinacle of that Temple which was dedicated to thy Father; and if thou beest God, why now the eyes of all men are fix'd upon thee, there cannot be devised a more ready way to spread thy Glory, and to proclaim thy Deity, than by casting thy self headlong to the Earth; all the World will say, there is more in thee than a man; and for danger (if thou art the Son of God) there can be none: what can hurt him that is the Son of God? and wherefore serves that glorious Guard of Angels, which have by Divine Commission taken upon them the Charge of thy Humanity? Come, cast thy self down; here lies the temptation, Come, cast thy self down (saith Satan) but why did not Satan cast him down? He carried him up thither; and was it not more easie to throw him down thence?
- 1Ver. 5, 6.
- 2Dr. Hall.
