The rife of Chrifts firft Temptation. Of Satans fuiting his Temptations to the conditions of Men. Of tempting Men upon the plea of Neceffity. The reasons and cheats of that plea. His pretences of friendship in tempting, with the danger thereof.

Aving thus confidered thefe Temptations as they lye before us in their general Profpect, I fhall now speak of this first fpecial Temptation in particular, in which (1.) the Rife, or Occafion, (2.) the Temptation it felf, (3.) the Argument by which Satan would enforce it, are to be diftinctly noted.

First, As to the Rife of it, It is queftioned by fome, why Satan begins with this Firft, the cause they affign, (in part at leaft) is from his firft fuccefs against Eve, in a Temptation about eating, as if this were the chief and most hopeful Arrow in his Quiver. But we need not go fo far, when the Evangelift is fo punctual in fetting it down, in the latter end of the former verfe, he was an hungred. This the Devil took notice of, and from hence took the rise of his Temptation, that by turning Stones to Bread for the fatisfaction of his present hunger, he might be induced to make way for the fecret Stratagems which he had prepared against him on this occafion. Here I note, ·

That where Satan hath a defign against any, he doth take the advantage of their Condition, and fuits bis Temptation accordingly. Thus, if Men be in Poverty, or in the enjoyments of Plenty, in Sickness or Health, if in Afflictions, under Wrongs, in Discontents, or carried to Advancements and Honours, or whatever elfe may be confiderable relating to them, he obferves it, and orders his defigns fo, as to take in all the advantages that they will afford. That 'tis his concern and Intereft to to do, we may Imagine, upon thefe grounds:

Firlt, Our Confent must be gained; this he cannot properly and truly force,but muft entice and deceive us to a complyance with him.

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Secondly, If our Condition speak for him, and lye fair for the furtherance of any device of his, our confent is upon the matter half gained; 'tis much, if fo powerful an Advocate, as is our prefent State, do not influence us to an Inclination.

Thirdly, This doth his work eafily and effectually, he more generally prevails by this courfe, and with lefs Labour.

This Policy of Satan fhould advantage us, by fuggefting fit Memorials to us, in our expectations of Temptation. Though we know not all Satans thoughts, yet may we know where and how he will ufually make an onfet, our Condition will tell us what to look for. The Diftreffed and Afflicted may expect a Temptation fuited to their Condition, as of murmuring, repining,revenge, diftruft, use of indirect means, difpairings, &c. They that have Peace and Plenty may be fure they fhall be tempted fuitably, to Pride,Boafting,Covetoufnefs, Oppreffion, Contempt of others,Security, or whatever may be fit to be engrafted on that Stock; the like may be faid of any other different condition. How fairly are we forewarned, (by an obfervation made upón Satans proceeding upon the fe advantages) where to expect him, and how to provide against him.

Let us proceed to a further enquiry, How the Devil managed this advantage of Chrifts hunger; he plainly urgeth him with a neceffity of providing fupplies for himfelf, fpreading before him his defire to eat, and the impoffibility of help, ina Barren and DefoJate Wildernefs, as if he had faid, The want of the Body is to be provided for, Nature and Religion confents to this; the Wilderness affords no help, ordinary means fail; there is therefore a neceffity that fome extraordinary courfe be taken, Therefore trun Stones to Bread; this is not unfuitable to the Condition and Power of him who is the Son of God. At this rate he pleads.

Obferve then, That Satan ufually endeavours to run his Temptations upon the plea of neceffity, and from thence to infer a duty.

When he cannot pretend a fair and direct way to irregular Practices, he would break a Door and force a way by Neceffity.

Under this Notion of Neceffity, the Devil marfhals all thofe pretences, that feem to be of more than ordinary force, in their usual prevalencics. Thus he teacheth Men to think they are neceffitated, if they be carried by a firong inclination of their own, or if there be an urgency and provocation from others, or if they be in ftraits and dangers and fometime he goes fo high, as to teach Men that a

neceffity

neceffity is included in the veryFabrick of their natural principles by which they prefumptuoufly excufe themselves in being finful,becaufe by Nature they are fo, and cannot be changed without fpecial Grace;fcarce fhall we meet any Man with feasonable reproof for his iniquity,but he will plead fuch kind of neceffities for himself, I could not help it, I was strongly carried, or, Iwas compelled; I must do so, or elfe I could not escape fuch a danger, &c.

The Reasons of this Policy, are these.

First, He knows that neceffity hath a compulfive force, even to things of (otherwife) greatest abhorrencies: A treafury of Inftances is to be had in Famines, and befieged places, where 'tis ufual to eat unclean things, not only Creatures that are vile, but even Dung and Entrails; nay fo Tyrannical is Neceffity, that it makes inrodes into, and Conquefts upon Nature it felf, caufing the tender Deut. 28. 56. and dilicate Woman, which would not adventure the Sole of her Foot upon the ground for delicateneß and tenderneß,to have an evil Eye towards the Hufband of her Bofom, towards her Son, and towards her Daughter. A like force doth it exercife upon the Minds and Confciences of Men, it makes them rife up against their Light, it engageth Men to lay violent hands upon their own Convictions, to stifle and extinguish them. How many mournful examples have we of this kind? How many have apoftatifed from Truth (being terrifyed by the urging neceffities of danger) contrary to the highest Convictions of Confcience?

Secondly, Neceffity can do much to the darkning of the Underftanding, and change of the Judgment, by the ftrong Influence it hath upon the Affections. Men are apt to form their apprehenfions, according to the dictates of Neceffity; what they fee to be hazardous, they are inclinable to judg to be evil; Men in ftraits not only violate their Reason,but fometime by infenfible steps (unknown to themselves) flide into a contrary Judgment of things, directly cross to what they have believed and profeffed. Which perfwafion they owe not to any further acceffion of Light,or new discovery of Argument, (for ofttimes, the fame Arguments which in the absence of trouble they have contemned as weak, by the Appearance of danger put on another Face, and feem Strong) but to the prevalency of their fears. And thus many in all Ages have altered their Judgments and thoughts,not because they knew more, but becaufe they feared more.

The likeNeceffities do Men form to themselves from exorbitant

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and greedy hopes and expectations of a better condition, compared to that wherein they at prefent are, and the like Influence it hath in the alteration of their Judgments. Let the Bishop of Spalato be an example of this, who loathed the Romish Religion firft, and in England (whither he came for refuge) writ against it; but faw a neceffity (from the disappointment of expectation) to change his mind, returned to Rome again, and perfwaded himself that that was true which he had formerly pronounced falfe; and so writ against the Church of England, as before he had done against Ecclef. Hift. the Church of Rome. To him we may add Ecebolius, of whom lib. 3. cap. 11. Socrates reports, that (according to the various appearings of hazards) he changed his Religion feveral times: Under Constantine, he was a Chriftian; under Julian,a Pagan; and under Jovinian, a Antiochus put Chriftian again.

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Thirdly, Neceffity offers an excuse, if not a Juftification of the in mind of this greateft mifcarriages. Lot offered to expofe his Daughters to the excufe,If it be raging Luft of the Sodomites for the prefervation of his Angela Sin to do cen- Strangers, which furely he would in no wife have done, but that Law, Compulfi he thought the prefent neceffity might have excufed him. Efau on doth excufe profanely fells his Birth-right, but excufeth the matter fo, Behold . Jofephus on I am at the point to die, and what profit shall this Birth-right do to me? the Lives of the Aaron produceth a neceffity, from the violent refolves of the peoGen. 25. 32. ple, in Juftification of himfelf in the matter of the Golden Calf, Thou knewest that this people are fet on mischief.

Macchabees.

Fourthly, Neceffity is an univerfal plea, and fitted to the conditions of all Men, in all callings, and under all extravagancies; The Tradefman in his unlawful gains or overreaching, pleads a neceffity for it, from the hardness of the Buyer in other things; the poor Man pleads a neceffity for Stealing, and the Rich pleads the fame neceffity for Revenge, and thus it ferves all with a Pretext.

Thefe confiderations difcovering this courfe fo hopeful, as to this defign of the Devil, he will be fure to put us to this pinch where he can. But befides this, we may obfervé three Cheats in this plea of Neceffity.

Firft, Sometimes he puts Men upon feigning a neceffity, where there is none. Saul facrificed upon a needlefs Suppofal that Samuel not coming at the time appointed, there was a neceffity for him to 'do it. He fpared alfo the Cattel upon the like pretence, that it was a neceffary provifion for Sacrifice. And thus would the Devil have perfwaded Chrift, that there was an abfolute necef

fity to turn Stones to Bread, when in Truth there was no fuch need.

Secondly, Sometimes he puts Men upon a neceffity of their own finful procurement. Herod fware to gratify the Daughter of Herodias, and this is prefently pleaded as a neceffity for the cutting off John Baptifts head. Saul forbad the tafting of Meat, and fealed the penalty by an Oath and Curse, and this is by and by made a neceffity for the taking away of Jonathans Life, (who had tafted: Honey not knowing his Fathers Curfe) had not the People ref

cued him.

Thirdly,Sometime he ftretcheth a neceffity further than it oughts he knows that God hath fuch a regard to real neceffities, that upon that ground, he will difpence with his Sabbath, and the prefent performance of Duty. These inftances he lays before men, and endeavours to perfwade them, that in like manner God will (upon a neceffity) difpence with Sins, as well as with the prefent Opportunity of Service. What a covering (in all Ages) Men have made of neceffity, for their highest outrages and extravagancies, and with what confidence they have managed such pleas, would be endless to relate.

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This must warn us, not to fuffer our felves to be Impofed upon, Applic. by the highest pretences of Neceflity. Whatever it may dispense with (as in fome cafes it will fufpend a prefent Service, and warrant the performance of a Duty, befides the common rule and Ferenda magis wherein it ought ordinarily to be managed) it muft never be omnis necellipleaded to give warranty to any thing in its own nature finful. tas quam perpetranda aliNeceffity will not juftify Lying, Stealing, Covetoufnefs, Adul-qua iniquitas. teries, &c.

· Befides; we must be wary in judging what is a neceffity. Men are apt to plead a neceffity where there is none, and if we give way to a facile admittance of excuses of this kind, we shall presently multiply neceffities, and have them to serve us at every turn. Some would warrant Sin by neceffity, others would turn off Duty and rule by pretending a neceffity where none is: both are to be avoided as Snares of Satan.

Once more (before we difmifs this rife of the Temptation of Chrift in hand) let us obferve that in perfwading him to turn Stones to Bread, he seems to exprefs a great deal of care and tenderness to Chrift, with an invidious Reflection upon the Love and Providence of God;as if he fhould fay, I fee thou art hungry, and this

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