Fourthly, Our Dear Jesus was yet further humbled in his life, by the horrid temptations wherewith Satan assaulted him; than which nothing could be more grievous to his holy hear•. The Evangelist gives us an account of this in Luke 4. from the first to the 14. verse. In which context you find, how the bold and envious spirit meets the Captain of our Salvation in the field;1 comes up with him in the wilderness, when he was solitary, and had not a Second with him. verse 1. There he keeps him fasting forty days, and forty nights, to prepare him to close with his Temptation. All this while Satan was pointing and edging that Temptation ⟨p. 241⟩with which at last he resolves to try the breast of Christ, by an home-thrust. Verse 2. By this time he supposes Christ was an hungry, (as indeed he was) and now he thought it was time to make his assault, which he doth in a very suitable Temptation at first, and with variety of Temptations; trying several Weapons upon him afterward. But when he had made a thrust at him with that first Weapon in which he especially trusted, command that these stones be made bread, verse 3. and saw how Christ had put it by, verse 4. Then he changes postures, and assaults him wi•h Temptations to blasphemy; even to fall down and worship the Devil. But when he saw he could fasten nothing on him, that he was as pure Fountain water in a Chrystal vial, how much soever agitated, and shaken, no dregs, or filthy sediment would rise, but he remained pure still: I say, seeing this, he makes a politic retreat, quits the field for a season, verse 13. yet leaves it cum animo revertendi, with a resolution to return to him again. And thus was our blessed Lord Jesus humbled by the Temptations of Satan; and what can you imagine more burdensome to him, that was brought up from eternity with God, delighting in the holy Father,2 to be now shut into a wilderness with a Devil, there to be baited so many days, and have his ears filled though not defiled with horrid blasphemy? Oh how was the case altered with Christ! from what, to what was he now come? A chaste woman would account it no common misery to be dogged up and down and solicited by some vile Russian, though there were no danger of defilement.
Fourthly, Our Dear Jesus was yet further humbled in his life, by the horrid temptations wherewith Satan assaulted him; than which nothing could be more grievous to his holy hear•. The Evangelist gives us an account of this in Luke 4. from the first to the 14. verse. In which context you find, how the bold and envious spirit meets the Captain of our Salvation in the field;1 comes up with him in the wilderness, when he was solitary, and had not a Second with him. verse 1. There he keeps him fasting forty daies, and forty nights, to prepare him to close with his Temptation. All this while Satan was pointing and edging that Temptation ⟨p. 241⟩with which at last he resolves to try the breast of Christ, by an home-thrust. Verse 2. By this time he supposes Christ was an hungry, (as indeed he was) and now he thought it was time to make his assault, which he doth in a very suitable Temptation at first, and with variety of Temptations; trying several Weapons upon him afterward. But when he had made a thrust at him with that first Weapon in which he especially trusted, command that these stones be made bread, verse 3. and saw how Christ had put it by, verse 4. Then he changes postures, and assaults him wi•h Temptations to blasphemy; even to fall down and worship the Devil. But when he saw he could fasten nothing on him, that he was as pure Fountain water in a Chrystal vial, how much soever agitated, and shaken, no dregs, or filthy sedement would rise, but he remained pure still: I say, seeing this, he makes a politick retreat, quits the field for a season, verse 13. yet leaves it cum animo revertendi, with a resolution to return to him again. And thus was our blessed Lord Jesus humbled by the Temptations of Satan; and what can you imagine more burdensom to him, that was brought up from eternity with God, delighting in the holy Father,2 to be now shut into a wilderness with a Devil, there to be baited so many daies, and have his ears filled though not defiled with horrid blasphemy? Oh how was the case altered with Christ! from what, to what was he now come? A chast woman would account it no common misery to be dog'd up and down and sollicited by some vile Russian, though there were no danger of defilement.
- 1Maxima & frequ •tissima te•ta•di occasio illi est, quum reru• secularium appetentes, & ef•ie•tes ro•videt. Sicut A•ceps •ete suum praepa•at b•uma•• po•issimum tempore, qua•do non est quod a•es comedant. Stapletonis prompt. p. 4.4.8.
- 2Quantum mutatus ab illo?
