CHAPTER VII.
The general view of these temptations.—Of Satan’s gradual proceeding in temptations.—Of reserving a great temptation last.—What a great temptation is; in what cases to be expected.—Of Satan’s using a common road, in comparing these temptations with the ordinary temptations of men.—Of the advantage Satan takes of natural appetite, sense, and affections.
I have done with the proæmium to the temptations. Yet before I open them particularly, I shall take a general view of them. First, By comparing these with the other temptations of Christ during the forty days. Secondly, By comparing these with the temptations of men.
1. First then, If we compare these with the former temptations, and observe that we have no account given us of those temptations, but only in the general, ‘that he was tempted,’ whereas these are particularly set down and recorded, we cannot apprehend less than this, that these last temptations were certainly greater and more remarkable temptations. Hence note,
Obs. 3. That it is Satan’s method to be gradual in his temptations, and that he keeps his greatest temptations to the latter end.
That Satan is gradual in his temptations; this is true of him, if we regard,
(1.) First, The manner of his proceeding, that he drives slowly, entreats gently, and is very careful that he do not over-drive men, but after they are accustomed to his way, he puts on imperiousness and commands them.
(2.) Secondly, If the matter of temptation be regarded, he is gradual there also. He tempts to little sins first, then to greater.
I shall illustrate both these particulars by the example of Thomas Savage, apprentice to Mr Collins, vintner at the Ship Tavern, in Ratcliffe, who suffered in anno 1660, for murdering his fellow-servant. He confesseth that the devil took this course with him: he first tempted him to neglect of duty, then to contempt of ordinances and profanation of the Sabbath, then to drinking, then to fornication, then to rob and steal from his master, and last of all to murder; and takes particular notice that in this last temptation, to kill his fellow-servant, there was a violent and more than ordinary power of Satan upon him, to instigate him to that wickedness. All this you may read at large in the printed narration of his life.
(1.) The reasons of his gradual proceedings are,
[1.] First, He would discover no more of himself in any temptation than he is necessitated unto for the gaining his end, lest he cross his own design, and instead of drawing men to wickedness, scare or affright them from it.
[2.] Secondly, Sins are mutually preparatory to each other. Smaller proffers and temptations do insensibly prepare and incline the heart to greater.
(2.) Secondly, That he keeps his greatest temptations last, is a consequence of the former; for which, besides what is now spoken, these reasons may be given:—
[1.] First, There is provocation given him in refusing his lesser assaults. His ‘head is bruised’ by every refusal, he is set at defiance, which calls him out to stronger opposition. He perceives by often repulses that those with whom he hath to do are not subjects of his kingdom, and that his ‘time is short,’ and therefore no wonder is it, if he assault most furiously and with all his strength.
[2.] Secondly, There is also policy in it. When he hath brought down our strength and weakened our courage, then a violent onset is fair to procure him a victory.
But because I mention a great temptation, it may not be amiss both for the further explaining of the text, and illustration of the matter, to shew what is a great temptation. These were great temptations to Christ, and there are several things remarkable in them, which, wherever they appear, they will denominate the temptation great, and the more of them are conjoined together, and in higher degree, it may justly be called still the greater. As,
(1.) First, In these temptations, we may note there were external objects as well as insinuated suggestions. Inward motions are real temptations, but when they have the objects and things presented to the eye or the senses, then do they strongly urge. At this advantage the devil tempted Eve. He urged her when the fruit was within the view. Thus he tempted Achan, when the gold and garment were in his eye.
(2.) Secondly, These temptations were complex, consisting of many various designs, like a snare of many cords or nooses. When he tempted to turn stones to bread, it was not one single design, but many, that Satan had in prosecution. As distrust on one hand, pride on another, and so in the rest. The more complicated a temptation is, it is the greater.
(3.) Thirdly, These were also perplexing, entangling temptations. They were dilemmatical,[384] such as might ensnare, either in the doing or refusal. If he had turned stones into bread, he had too much honoured Satan by doing it at his motion. If he did not, he seemed to neglect his own body, in not making necessary provisions for himself, being now hungry.
(4.) Fourthly, These temptations proceeded upon considerable advantages. His hunger urged a necessity of turning stones into bread. His present straits, and the lowness of his condition, seemed to speak much for the reasonableness of giving proof of his divine nature, by casting himself down from the temple, and of doing anything that might tend to a more plentiful being and support in the world. Advantages strengthen temptations.
(5.) Fifthly, These temptations were accompanied with a greater presence and power of Satan. He appeared visibly in them, and was permitted to touch and hurry the body of Christ, and to depaint and set forth the glory of the world, doubtless in the most taking way, to the eye of Christ.
(6.) Sixthly, The matter of these temptations, or the things he tempted Christ to, were great and heinous abominations: a distrust of providence, a presumption of protection, and a final renunciation of the worship due to him, and transferring it to the most unworthy object, God’s professed enemy; and yet were they seconded by the strongest, most powerful, and most prevailing means, as his present straits, his infallible assurance of sonship, pleasure, and glory. Where the matter is weighty, and the medium strong and pressing, there is the temptation great.
(7.) Seventhly, All these temptations pretended strongly to the advantage and benefit of Christ, and some of them might seem to be done without any blame, as to turn stones to bread, to fly in the air. The more kindness a temptation pretends to us, it is the stronger.
(8.) Eighthly, Satan urged some of them in a daring, provoking way; ‘If thou be the Son of God?’ as if he had said, I dare thee to shew thyself what thou pretendest to be. These kind of provocations are very troublesome to the most modest and self-denying, who can scarce forbear to do what they are urged unto at such times.
(9.) Ninthly, These temptations seem to be designed for the engagement of all the natural powers of Christ; his natural appetite in a design of food; his senses in the most beautiful object, the world in its glory; the affections, in that which is most swaying, pride, and delight in extraordinary testimonies of divine power and love, in supporting him in the air, &c.
(10.) Tenthly, Some of these warranted as duty, and to supply necessary hunger, others depending upon the security of a promise, ‘He shall give his angels charge,’ &c. The greater appearance of duty, or warrantableness, is put upon sin, the greater is the temptation.
By these ten particulars may we, as by a standard, judge when any temptation is great or less.
Applic. 1. Let us then take heed of small temptations, or the smoother proceedings of Satan, as we would avoid the greater attempts that are to follow. Where he is admitted to beat out our lusts with a rod or a staff, he may be suspected to bring the wheel over them at last, [Isa. xxviii. 27, seq.]
Let us also after our assaults expect more and greater, because the greatest are last to be looked for. This holds true in three cases. [1.] In solemn temptations, where Satan fixeth his assaults, there the utmost rage is drawn out last. [2.] In the continuance and progress of profession, the further we go from him and the nearer to God, be sure of the highest measure of his spite. [3.] At the end of our race: for if he miss his prey then, it is escaped for ever, as a bird unto its hill.
Obj. But some may say, I am but a messenger of sad tidings; and that by bringing such a report of giants and walled cities, I may make the hearts of the people to faint.
Ans. I answer; This is bad news only to the sluggish, such as would go to heaven with ease, and in a fair and easy way; but to the laborious resolute soldiers of Christ this is no great discouragement: for, [1.] It doth but tell them of their work, which as they are persuaded of, so it is in some measure their delight, as well as their expectation. [2.] It doth but tell them, Satan’s malice and fury, which they are assured of, and are most afraid of it sometimes, when it seems to lie idle and as asleep. [3.] It doth tell them that Satan’s thoughts concerning them are despairing, he fears they are going, or gone from him. If they were his willing servants, there would be no hostility of this nature against them.
I have thus compared these special temptations with those wherewith our Lord Christ was exercised during the forty days. I shall,
Secondly, Compare these temptations of Christ with those that usually befall his members, in which there is so much suitableness and agreement both in matter and manner, that it cannot be unuseful to take notice of it, which will the better appear in instances. First, then, let us consider the first temptation of Eve: Gen. iii. 6, ‘And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,’ &c. Here are all the arguments and ways summed up by which Satan prevailed upon her. It was ‘good for food;’ here he wrought upon the desire of the natural appetite. It was ‘pleasant to the eyes;’ here he took the advantage of the external senses. It was ‘to be desired to make one wise;’ here he inflamed the affections. Let us again call to mind the general account of temptations in 1 John ii. 16, ‘All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life;’ where the apostle designedly calls all off from a love of the world, because of the hazard and danger that we lie open unto, from the things of the world, striking upon and stirring up our lusts; which he ranks into three general heads, according to the various ways whereby these outward things do work upon us, in exciting our natural powers and apprehensions to sinful lustings; and these are so fully agreeing with those three in Eve’s temptation, that I need not note the parallel. Let us now cast our eyes upon these temptations, and the suitableness of Satan’s ways and dealings will immediately appear. When he tempted Christ to turn stones into bread, there he endeavoured to take advantage of the ‘lust of the flesh,’ which in 1 John ii., I understand in a more restrained sense, not for the lustings of corrupt nature, but for the lustings of the body in its natural appetite, according to that expression of Christ, ‘The spirit is willing, but the flesh’—or body—‘is weak.’ And if we should not so restrain it in this place, the lust of the flesh would include the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, contrary to the clear scope of the text, for these are also the lustings of corrupt nature. When he further tempted him ‘to cast himself down,’ he pushed him upon ‘the pride of life;’ when he shewed him ‘the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,’ he attempted to gain upon him by the ‘lust of the eyes.’ From this proportion and suitableness of temptation to Christ and his members, observe,
Obs. 4. That Satan usually treads in a beaten path, using known and experienced methods of temptation. It is true, in regard of circumstances, he useth unspeakable varieties in tempting, and hath many more devices and juggles than can be reckoned up; yet in the general he hath digested them into method and order, and the things upon which he works in us are the same. Thus he walks his round, and keeps much-what the same track, not only in different persons, but also in the same men, using the same temptations over and over; and yet this argues no barrenness of invention or sluggishness in Satan; but he hath these reasons for it:—
[1.] First, Because the same temptations being suited to human nature in general, will, with a small variation of circumstance, suit all men: their inclinations generally answering to one another, as face answers to face in water.
[2.] Secondly, These standing methods are famous with him, as generally powerful and taking; and it can be no wonder if Satan practise most with these things that have the largest probatum est of experience to follow them.
[3.] Thirdly, The more experienced he is in any temptation, the more dexterously and successfully still he can manage it; so that we may expect him more cunning and able in what he most practiseth.
Applic. This may be some satisfaction to those that are apt to think of themselves and their temptations as Elias did in his persuasion, ‘I alone am left,’ [1 Kings xix. 14.] Where Satan useth anything of vigour and fierceness, we are apt to say, ‘None are tempted as we,’ none in like case, we are singular, they are peculiar and extraordinary temptations, &c.; but it is a mistake. Even that of Solomon may be applied to these, ‘There is nothing new,’ [Eccles. i. 9,] nor anything befallen us which others have not undergone before us; and would but Christians be so careful to observe the way of the serpent upon their hearts as they might, and so communicative of their experiences as they ought, the weak and heavy laden would not go so mourning under such apprehensions as commonly affright them, that none were ever so tempted as they are. It would be some support at worst, when the most hellish furies do oppress them, to know that others before them were in these deeps, and as fearful of being overwhelmed as themselves, and yet were delivered. The deliverances of those that have escaped the danger, is ground of hope to those that are at present under it.
Obs. 5. The usual advantages that Satan takes against us is from our natural appetite, our external senses, or our passions and affections. All these are usual ways by which Satan works against us, as appears from what hath been said; neither are any of them so mean and contemptible, but that we have cause to fear the power and influence of them. Hence the Scripture cautions descend to the eyes: ‘Look not upon the wine when it is red in the cup,’ [Prov. xxiii. 31;] ‘Be sober, be vigilant,’ &c., [1 Peter v. 8.] The appetite is not so easily kept in, but that it may prevail to gluttony and drunkenness; and some are so powerfully carried by this, that they are said ‘to make their bellies their god,’ [Phil. iii. 19.] Of the power of sense and affection, elsewhere hath been spoken.