XIII.

SER M. and Providence over us: Let us not fret ourfelves, left we be moved in any wife to do evil, Pf. xxxvii. 8. Let us be neither angry or impatient; be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication, with Thankf giving let our Requests be made known to GOD, Phil. iv. 6. Let us learn with the Apostle, in whatsoever State we are in therewith to be content, ver. II. For we may be affured that he, who wants not Power if he pleases, to turn even Stones into Bread; and the Goodness of whofe Nature moves him to be always more compaffionate, than the tendereft or most affectionate Father on Earth can be, will fupply us, if not according to our wanton Defires, yet according to our real Neceffities and Wants. Caft thy Burthen therefore upon the Lord, (as the Pfalmift directs) and be fhall fuftain thee, Pfal. v. or as St. Peter (in like Words) Caft all your Care upon GOD, for he careth for you, 1 Peter v. 7. Be fober, be vigilant, because your Adverfary the Devil (as you may learn from my Text) like a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour; whom therefore refift (after the Example of Chrift here fet before you) stedfaft in the Faith.

SERMON

SERMON XIV.

Chrift tempted to Prefumption.

MATT. iv. 5, 6, 7.

Then the Devil taketh him up into the Holy
City, and fetteth him on a Pinnacle of the
Temple,
And faith unto him, If thou be the Son of
GOD, caft thyself down: For it is writ-
ten, He fhall give his Angels Charge con-
cerning thee, and in their Hands they fhall
bear thee up, left at any Time thou dash thy
Foot against a Stone.

Jefus faith unto him, It is written again,
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy GOD.

W

XIV.

HEN the Angel that wrestled with SER M. Jacob faw that he was not able to prevail against him, Gen. xxxii. 24, &c. he would have left him and gone his way: But it is not fo here it seems with the Devil: Who, when he finds his firft Affault upon our Lord to fail, is for trying another: Juft as he had VOL. I.

E e

done

SER M. done with Job of old, whom when he could

XIV.

not move to blafpheme GoD, by the firft
Power he had to rob and deprive him of his
Substance, Servants, Children and every thing
elfe he was poffeffed of; fues for and obtains
another Commiffion to grieve and afflict him
by Sores and Pains in his Flesh and Bones.
By these Solicitations he gives us to under-
ftand, that it is not one Foil that can put this
bold and daring Spirit out of Countenance, or
make him give over.
He is not only content
to take a Foil; but out of the very Foil
itself he invents Matter for a new Temptation.
Since Chrift will place his Truft and Confi-
dence in his Father's Care and Providence over
him, rather than ufe unlawful Means to pro-
vide for himfelf; he will move him next to
trust still more, to presume fo much upon
Father's Protection, as to throw himself into
Danger with no other Purpose, than that he
might fend his Angels to fave him. If he
cannot drive him down to Defpair, he will la-
bour to lift him up to Prefumption. Either
Extreme being all one and the fame to him,
provided he can but fucceed by it to tempt
and mislead to Evil. As his firft Temptation
therefore was grounded upon a Suppofition
that his Father's Care of him was wanting;

his

this now before us infinuates the Divine Pro- SER M. vidence and Watchfulness over him to be ex

traordinary and abundant.

But to give the

whole Paffage it's due Confideration, I shall treat of it in the fame Manner I did of the former, i. e.

I. FIRST, I shall make some cursory Óbfervations upon this Tempter's Suggestions and our Saviour's Reply: And then

II. SECONDLY, I shall shew the practical Refult of the whole and conclude.

I. My Obfervations on the Temptation I fhall begin with pointing out to you the Condefcenfion of Jefus in ftill yielding to the Devil the Advantage of Situation and Place. As he was content to be led from Jordan into the Wilderness, that Satan might have the more convenient Opportunity and Handle to fet upon him; fo now he yields to be led again from the Wilderness to Jerufalem, that the Devil might again have him in a Place favourable to his Defign. The Wilderness was fit for a Temptation arifing from Hunger and Want; but not for one that was to move to Vain-glory. A populous City was a much likelier Place for fuch a Temptation: And

XIV.

XIV.

SERM as Jerufalem was at that Time the Capital of Judea, the Temple, almoft in the Center of Jerufalem, and the Pinnacle, (or highest Battlement of the Tower) the moft confpicuous Place of the Temple; there is our Saviour content to be set for the Opportunity of Temptation. And here the Devil, ftanding by him, faith unto him, my Text tells us, If thou be the Son of GOD, caft thyself down, for it is written, &c. These general Words only the Evangelifts record, it being only their Design just to hint to us the fubject Matter of the Temptation: But fince the Words, as short and general as they are, let us into the Devil's Drift; we may fuppofe that the Intent and Meaning of them might be something like this: "Since in the Matter of Nourish

ment and Food, thou wilt needs depend

upon thy Father's Providence, that he can "fuftain thee without any cutward and vifi"ble Provifion; make now a further Trial "of his Care of thee, by cafting thyfelf "down, that Angels may catch thee. Thou "art now at Jerufalem, the famous and Holy

City of the World; here thou art on the "Top of the Pinnacle of that Temple which "is dedicated to GoD: And if thou art his

"Son, there cannot be devised a more ready

"Way