That the thing unto which Satan moved Chrift was lawful, hath been noted. Next let us confider what Ends Satan might propound to himself in this Motion, and we fhall fee (as hath been faid) that he did not fo narrow and contract his defign, as that only one thing took up his Intentions, but feveral. Hence have we this Obfervation;

That in one fingle Temptation Satan may have various Aims and Obf. 10, Defigns,

Temptation is a complicated thing, a many-headed Monster. Satan hath always many things in his Eye. First, In every Temptation there is a direct and principal defign, a main thing that the Devil would have.

Secondly, There are several things fubfervient to the main defign, as fteps, degrees, or means leading to it; the leffer ftill making way for the greater. If Satan defign Murther,he lays the Foundation of his work in inward Grudgings and Hatreds; next he gives Provo cations, by reproachful Words, or difdainful Carriages and Behaviours, (as our Saviour notes in the expreffions of Racha, Matth. 5.22. and Fool) and fo by degrees enticeth on to Murther. The like we may obferve in the lufts of Uncleannefs, and other things.

Thirdly, Befides thefe there are ufually Referves, fomething in ambushment to watch our Retreats for Satan confiders what to do in cafe we repel, and refufe his motion, that fo he may not altogether labour in vain. A contrary extreme watcheth those that fly from a Temptation; Pride, Security, Self-Confidence, and Boafting, are ready to take them by the Heel: So truly may it be faid of Satan, that he knoweth the way that we take if we go forward, he is there; if backward, we may alfo perceive him; on the left hand, he is at work; and on the right hand, he is not idle. All thefe we may particularly fee in this Temptation in Hand: He had a main defign (of which more prefently :) he prepares means and feconds, to help it forward; fuch were thofe pleas of neceffity, and conveniency which the hunger and want of Chrift did furnish him withall, and there wanted not the referves of Prefumption and Self-neglect in cafe he refifted the motion.

The Reasons of this Policy are these.

Firli, When Satan tempts, he is not certain of his prevalency, even when the probabilities are the greateft, and therefore doth he provide himself with feveral things at once; that if the tempted Party nanfeat one thing, there may be another in readiness that

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may please his Palat. God gives this advice to the Spiritual Seedimen, In the Morning for thy Seed, and in the Evening withhold not thine Hand; for thou knowest not what shall profper, whether this or that. Satan, that Seedsman.of the Tares, imitates this; and because he knows not what shall profper, therefore doth he use variety.

Secondly, Where many things are at once defigned, 'tis an hundred to one they will not all return empty; 'Tis much if many fnares mifs, he that hath broken one or two, may not only be inticed with a third Temptation, (as being either wearied out with the Affaults, or made plyable with the allurements of the former) but may alfo fit down fecure, as having (in his fuppofal) paffed all the danger, and fo unawares fall into an unfeen or unfufpected Trap.

This may (1.) by way of Caution affure us that we have no cause to think that all fear is over, when we have avoided the more obvious and confpicuous defignments of a Temptation, but rather to fufpect fome further train than we yet have discovered. (2.) That there is a neceffity for us to be circumfpect every way, and Fanus-like to have an Eye before and behind, that we may make timely discoveries of what Satan intends against us.

As we have taken a view of the various defignments of Satan in one Temptation, fo 'tis also remarkable, that these various ways of his in this Temptation, do give strength one to another,and have as close a connection, as Stones in an Arch. Chrift was pleased to commend the wisdom of the unjust Steward, though he intended not the least approbation of his dishonefty: So may we turn aside and obferve the cunning Artifice of the Devil, in the management of this Argument against Christ, which is to this purpose, as if he had thus proceeded; If thou art the Son of God, (as the Voice from Heaven lately testifyed) it can be no inconvenience, but every way an advantage to give a further proof of it: Thy prefent condition of want and hunger, feem to contradict it: for how strange and unbefeeming is it, for the Son of God to be in fuch Straits? Yet if thou beeft what thou fayeft thou art, 'tis eafy for thee to help thy felf; God that made the World of nothing, by the power of his command, can much more change the forms of things that are made already; 'tis but speaking, and thefe Stones that are before thee will be turned into Bread; and befides that in fo doing thou maist seasonably vindicate thy felf from the Eclipfe of thy prefent condition, Neceffity and Duty (for 'tis Duty to Jupply

the

the want of the Body, which cannot be supported without its proper nourishment) compel thee unavoidably to it, except thou fearest not to contract the Guilt of Self-destruction, especially feeing I do not urge thee to provide Delicacies, but only Bread, and fuch as is needful to keep in the Lives of the poorest Men, in the poorest manner.

Hence note, Satan in driving on a Temptation, ufeth fuch an Arti- Obf. 11. ficial Contrivement of Motives and things, that ftill one doth infer another, one ftrengthens another. Temptations are like a Screw, which if once admitted, will improve its firft hold to draw in all the reft. By thefe Arts doth Satan, like a cunning Serpent, wriggle himself into the Affections of Men.

CHA P. X.

Of Satans chief end in this Temptation, his Skill in ma king the means to Sin plaufible. The Reasons of that Policy, with his Art therein. Men's Ignorance his advantage. Of the differences of things propounded to our use.

"He various aims of Satan, and their clofe dependance one upThe on another, having contributed to us their feveral Obfervations, it remains, that we ask after the main and chief thing. that Satan principally intended. And to make way to this, it must be noted, that in grand Temptations efpectally, the main defign of Satan comprehends thefe two; The chief End, and the chief Means conducing to that End. About these fome Authors conjecture varioufly, whofe differences we have no great occafion to mention, seeing the Text gives fo great a fatisfaction in this

matter.

For First, The main End of Satan, we have (not obfcurely) expreffed to us in these words [If thou be the Son of God:] which if we compare with Matth. 3. 17. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed, we fhall eafily apprehend, that here Satan doth but eccho to that Voice which came down from Heaven; Ashe

Harmon, in
Matth. 4•

Pool Synopfis

in Deut, S.

did with Eve; God had faid, of the Tree in the midst of the Garden ye shall not eat, Satan (having as it were the found of this yet in his Ears) in a clear reference to it, faith, Tea, hath God faid, ye shall not eat? So here is alfo an evident refpect to God's Teftimony concerning, Chrift, as if he had faid, bath God faid, thou art his Son? If thou beeft indeed fuch as he testifyed, give Some proof of it? &c. By which it appears that his defign was to undermine this Teftimony, or fome way or other to defeat it; neither need it pass for an objection against this, that Satan doth not directly mention his doubt or diftruft, nor pofitively fuggeft to Christ, a questioning or misbelief of his Son-fhip, for it was not fuitable to his Policy, so to lay open his main End, that must have been expected afterward, as the last in execution (if it had taken effect) though it were first in

intention.

Secondly, The chief Means by which he would have brought this End about, may be underftood from Chrift's Answer to the Temptation: for it cannot but be imagined, that Chrift knew the bottom of Satans Policy, and that his Answer muft fully confront the Means by which Satan indeavoured to enfnare him. His Anfwer was, Man lives not by Bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God. If we can then come to a certain underflanding of this Scripture (which is not difficult) we shall evidently know the mind of the Temptation, to which this is a direct Anfwer.

Thefe words are cited out of Deut. 8.3. which fome interpret Vid. Light foot to this Senfes as if Chrift had faid, Man hath not only a Life of the Body (which is mentioned by Bread) to look after, but another life of the Soul, which is of fo great concernment; that the bodily life is to be neglected, rather than that of the Soul to be endangered. This is a truth in it felf, but is apparently befides the meaning of Deut. 8. Neither doth it afford fo full and particular an anfwer as (doubtlefs). Chrift intended. But let us confider the Text, and we fball find more in its for Mofes first fets down Gods dealing with Ifrael in the Wilderness, in that he fuffered them to hunger, and took from them the ordinary means of Life, which (as the latter part of the verfe fhews) is to be underfood of ordinary Bread, and then to fupply that want, he fed them by an extraordinary means, (fuch as they had never heard of before) this was by Manna. Next he makes an Inference from this way of God & preceeding, improving this particular to a general rule. Í't

he might make thee know, that Man lives not by Bread only, but by every Word that procedeth out of the Mouth of the Lord doth Man live: which is clearly of this Import, that Man lives not by ordinary means only, but that God can provide for his Life in an extraor dinary way, by appointing any thing to that end, through his mighty and powerful Word, and good Pleafure; So that things never fo unusual, or unfit in themfelves for nourishment, will become ftrengthning to us, if he fhall give out his command. Chrift then applying this, in this Senfe, did (as it were) thus fay to Satan; Though I want ordinary means of Life, which is Bread, yet I know God can make any thing which he pleafeth, to nourish me instead of it. So that I will not caft off a dependance upon the Providence of God in this ftrait, and without warrant run to an extraordinary courfe for Supply. Hence it is evident that to bring about his main End (which was to Diftruft of his Relation to God) he used this means, that by reason of his ftrait, in the failure of ordinary supply, he fhould distrust Providence, and without warrant provide for himself. Observe,

That where Satan carries on a main Design and End, he bestows most Obf. 12 of his pains and skill in rendring the Means to that End plaufible and taking. The End is leaft in mention, and the Means in their fit contrivance, takes up most of his Art and Care. The Reafons whereof are thefe:

Firft, The End is apparently bad, fo that it would be a contradiction to his defign to mention it, 'tis the fnare and trap it self, which his Wifdom and Policy directs him to cover; His ultimate End is the destruction of the Soul, this he dare not openly avouch to the vileft of Men; he doth not fay to them deftroy your Souls,bring eternal miferies upon your felves,but only tempts them to that which will bring this mifery upon them; and as for thofe intermediate ends, which are the formal acts of Sin, he ufeth also a kind of modefty in their concealment; he doth not ufually fay, go and Murther, or commit Adultery: But rather puts them upon ways or means that will bring them up to those Iniquities, except that he fometime have to deal with thofe that are fo hardned in Sin, that they make a fport to do wickedly, and then he can more freely discover his Ends to fuch in the Temptation.

Secondly, The Means to fuch wicked Ends, have not only an Innate, and Natural tendency in themselves, which are apt to Sway and Byas Men that way, but are alfo capable of Artificial

Improve