Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

5. The Temptations themselves are in number three; whereof the first was this: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. What an horrible Entrance is this? if thou be the Son of God; no question Satan had heard the glad tidings of the Angel, he saw the Star, and the Journey, and the Offerings of the Sages; he could not but take notice of the gratulations of Zechariah, Simeon, Anna; and of late he saw the Heavens open, and he heard the Voice that came down from Heaven, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: and yet now that he saw Christ fainting with hunger, as not comprehending how infirmities could consist with a Godhead, he puts it to the question, if thou be the Son of God. Oh here's a point in which lies all our happiness! how miserable were we, if Christ were not indeed and in truth the Son of God? Satan strikes at the root in this supposition; If thou be the Son of God: Surely all the work of our Redemption, and all the work of our Salvation depends upon this one necessary Truth, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If Christ had not been the Son of God, how should he have ransomed the world? how should he have done, or how should he have suffered that which was satisfactory to his Fathers wrath? how should his Life or Death have been valuable to the sins of all the world? If Christ be not the Son of God, we are all gone; we are lost, we are undone, we are damned for ever: O alas! farewell Glory, farewell happiness, farewell Heaven: If Christ be not the Son of God, we must never come there; well Satan, thou beginnest thy assault like a Devil indeed, if thou be the Son of God; but what then? Command that these stones be made Bread. He knew Jesus was hungry; and therefore he invites him to eat Bread only of his own providing, that so he might refresh his Humanity, and prove his Divinity: Come, says he, break thy fast upon the expense of a Miracle; turn these stones into Bread, and it will be some Argument thou art the Son of God. There is nothing more ordinary with our Spiritual enemy, than by occasion of want to move us to unwarrantable courses; If thou art poor, then steal; if thou canst not rise by honest means, then use indirect means: I know Christ might as lawfully have turned stones into Bread, as he turned water into Wine:

5. The Temptations themselves are in number three; whereof the first was this: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. What an horrible Entrance is this? if thou be the Son of God; no question Satan had heard the glad tidings of the Angel, he saw the Star, and the Journey, and the Offerings of the Sages; he could not but take notice of the gratulations of Zachary, Simeon, Anna; and of late he saw the Heavens open, and he heard the Voice that came down from Heaven, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: and yet now that he saw Christ fainting with hunger, as not comprehending how infirmities could consist with a Godhead, he puts it to the question, if thou be the Son of God. Oh here's a point in which lies all our happiness! how miserable were we, if Christ were not indeed and in truth the Son of God? Satan strikes at the root in this supposition; If thou be the Son of God: Surely all the work of our Redemption, and all the work of our Salvation depends upon this one necessary Truth, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If Christ had not been the Son of God, how should he have ransomed the world? how should he have done, or how should he have suffered that which was satisfactory to his Fathers wrath? how should his Life or Death have been valuable to the sins of all the world? If Christ be not the Son of God, we are all gone; we are lost, we are undon, we are damned for ever: O alas! farewell Glory, farewel happiness, farewell Heaven: If Christ be not the Son of God, we must never come there; well Satan, thou beginnest thy assault like a Devil indeed, if thou be the Son of God; but what then? Command that these stones be made Bread. He knew Jesus was hungry; and therefore he invites him to eat Bread only of his own providing, that so he might refresh his Humanity, and prove his Divinity: Come, sayes he, break thy fast upon the expence of a Miracle; turn these stones into Bread, and it will be some Argument thou art the Son of God. There is nothing more ordinary with our Spiritual enemy, than by occasion of want to move us to unwarrantable courses; If thou art poor, then steal; if thou canst not rise by honest meanes, then use indirect means: I know Christ might as lawfully have turned stones into Bread, as he turned water into Wine: