SERM. THIRD Place, that Jefus was led up of the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil, i. e. He was led up into the Devil's own proper Fortress and Hold: Into that Wilderness into which the Scape-Goat (as our English Bible expreffes, but which ought to be tranflated, the Goat for AZAZEL*, i. e. for the strong Apoftate, or for the Devil, Jefus, I fay, was led into that Wilderness whither this Goat) on the great Day of Atonement was fent, bearing the Iniquities of all the People Into a Land not inhabited, but defolate and forlorn: And fuch Places the Scripture frequently represents to be the Habitations of Devils. Both old Babylon and new, when destroyed and made defolate, are exprefly faid to become the Habitations of Devils, and the Hold of every foul Spirit, Baruch iv. 5. and Rev. xviii. 2. And accordingly St. Luke acquaints us, that when the Devils got Poffeffion of the miferable Gadarene, they drove him into the Wilderness, Luke viii. 29. that there they might have the greater Power over him. And indeed a Wilderness, fuch a one at least, as this is described by St. Mark to be, a Defart where none but wild * See Spencer p. 1040. &c. Beafts XII. Beafts inhabit, Marki. 13. the Lion of the SER M. Forest, and the roaring Lion of the Wastes of Hell, is fit for Temptation, as naturally filling those that are in them with Horror and Difmay. Hither therefore Chrift is led of the Spirit to meet the Devil'; that the Devil having all the Advantage that might be, as to Opportunity and Place, his Foil and our Saviour's Victory might be the greater. Befides, in this Place of Loneliness and Solitude, Jefus has no Second or Affiftant to help him; but enters into the Engagement entirely alone. And indeed in all his remarkable Conflicts, in all his Diftreffes, he was always fequeftered from the Help of Man. In his Agonies in the Garden, whilft he was fweating Drops of Blood, his Difciples were repofed at fome Distance from him, and faft asleep. And when he was apprehended, it is particularly noted, that they every one of them forfook him and fled. This was to fhew, that the whole Work of our Salvation lay upon him; that he had no Fellow-Helper or Affiftant in it: But, as the Prophet speaks in his Perfon and Name,-I have trodden (faith he) the Wine Prefs alone, and of the People there was none with me: I looked and there was none to help, and I wondered that SER M. there was none to uphold: Therefore mine own XII. Arm brought Salvation unto me, and my Ifai lxiii. 3, 5. But to proceed We are told in the Zeal it upheld me, Ifai Ixiii. FOURTH Place, That in this Wildernefs our Saviour continued for forty Days. He was there in the Wilderness forty Days, Mark i. 13. to which St. Luke adds, that in those Days he did eat nothing, Luke iv. 2. The Temptation that was approaching Jefus very probably knew beforehand: And therefore might spend those Days in Fafting and Prayer, that he might the better prevail with God for his Affistance, and that the Holy Spirit might abide with him. The Reason why the particular Number of forty Days were affigned was, perhaps, that as Mofes twice at the Delivering of the Law, and Elias once at the Reftitution of it, had fafted this Number of Days before him; and that as the Ifraelites were condemned to wander the fame Number of Years in the Defart, the fame Defart where Mofes and Elias had kept their Fasts, and that probably the fame where Christ was fafting now; For this Reason it may be, that Chrift humbled himself thus for forty Days, at the Accomplishment of the old Law, and the XIL the Promulgation of the New, to the End that SER M he might fulfill thofe former Types. Not that any of these Fafts were natural, or fuch as any Man could bear of himself: For it is plain they were miraculous, especially this of our bleffed Lord, who, (it appears from the Evangelifts) was not an hungry all that while. For fo they tell us that when he had fafted forty Days and forty Nights, i. e. when the Days were ended, (and not before,) he was afterwards an hungred, compare Mat. iv. 3. with Luke iv. 2. And this first Discovery of his real Humanity, and that he was fubject to fuch Wants, as Human Nature is fubject to, gave the Devil the first Handle or Opportunity for his Affault. Not but that during all the Time, he' might have been under fome Degree or other of Temptation. For St. Mark and St. Luke both feem to fay that he was forty Days tempted of the Devil. Though the last Attack only, as the most violent of all, is particularly related. We may affure ourselves indeed that the Devil's Eye was not off from our Saviour at any Time of his Sequeftration. But now because he fees one Part of him lie more open, he applies himself to it, with all his Might : Which leads me to the first of his great Temp XII. SER M. tations, which I have undertaken particularly to confider... But as each of them will afford Matter for an entire Discourse, I fhall conclude my prefent one with fome useful Inferences and practical Improvements from the curfory Observations we have now been making. And from hence in the firft Place we are furnished and supplied with comfortable Doctrine wherewith to allay the Doubts and Mistrufts of many good Chriftians, who, because they find their religious Duties often followed by violent Temptations, conclude that they have not performed them as they ought to have done, and confequently that their Service was not accepted. But now a due Attention upon the Scripture before us will teach them that such Affaults following fo immediately upon their Sacraments and Prayers, are a Sign that they are the better and not the worfe (as they fear) for the Duties they have been doing, and that the Devil now attempts them with the greater Violence and Force, because he knows they are now in higher Favour with GOD. For Jefus, you fee, had all the Marks of Affection and Love that God could fhew him. John who baptized him, publickly declared that he himself had much more need to be baptized of him. The Holy Ghoft defcend |