The harmony of the Gospels in the holy history of the humiliation and sufferings…

The order of the time of these Temptations, is not strictly to be insisted upon, as appeareth by Luke, who placeth that Temptation second, which Matthew placeth third. And besides, this Temptation which they all place first, was not acted till the end of the forty days fasting: because the Text saith, that he was an hungry, which gave Satan his opportunity, and it may very well be, that the other Temptations which are recorded, were acted, before this at the end of the forty days, for the Text saith, that he was tempted forty days. Satan plied him every day, having liberty so to do, he would not stay till the forty days of his liberty were ended, before he began his Temptations.

The order of the time of these Temptations, is not strictly to be insisted upon, as appeareth by Luke, who placeth that Temptation second, which Mathew placeth third. And besides, this Temptation which they all place first, was not acted till the end of the forty dayes fasting: because the Text saith, that he was an hungry, which gave Satan his opportunity, and it may very well be, that the other Temptations which are recorded, were acted, before this at the end of the forty dayes, for the Text saith, that he was tempted forty dayes. Satan plyed him every day, having liberty so to do, he would not stay till the forty dayes of his liberty were ended, before he began his Temptations.

2. When he had brought his Phansy into an apprehension of danger then he stirs up fear, and this urges to approve (in Phansy) some unlawful shift to avoid the danger, as he dealt with Abraham, to devise a way of escape on, or upon an imagination that such a danger might befall him. And Satan doth sedulously labour to put us upon false confidence in a misapplied or misinterpreted promise, as it was Josiahs case, 2 Chron. 34.28. he had this promise, I will gather thee to thy Fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, a misinterpretation of this promise, made Josiah over bold to fight against Pharaoh Netho, 2 Chron. 35.20