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faults, think of them with concern, and treat them with mildnefs: love even our enemies, blefs them that curfe us, do good to them that bate us, and pray for them that defpitefully use us, For fo fhall we be the children of our Fa ber, which is in heaven; who maketh his fun to rife on the evil and the good, and fendeth rain on the juft and on the unjust*.

aud perfecute us.

Matth. v. 44, 45

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SERMON LVII.

OUR SAVIOUR'S TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS.

MATTH. iv. I.

Then was Jefus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.

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As the word of God acquaints us with many things of great importance, concerning our present and future condition, which we could not elfe have known: fo it opens to us particularly, a very interefting fcene, in the discoveries which it makes of our connexions with the inhabitants of the invifible world, both good and bad. Indeed, that various orders of rational beings besides man, and fuperior to him, exift in this univerfe, is of itself extremely probable. That fome, even of the higheft of them, fhould become wicked, is only a wonder of the fame kind, as that too many of the best abilities amongst men fhould make the worst use of them. That for their wickednefs they fhould be caft down* from their firft eftatet, and confined to a very different one, is a natural confequence of the divine juftice and rectitude. That, though fufferers already for their crimes, they fhould yet be referved unto the feverer judgement of the great day, is but just the very thing that reafon teaches concerning the finners of the human race alfo. That they fhould be defirous in the mean time of feducing us into tranfgreffion, is very natural: for we fee the profligate amongst ourselves defirous every day of doing the like. That this would be poffible for them, is by no means inconceivable: for, fince the material frame of our earth is confeffedly liable to powerful influences from other

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other parts of the creation, why may not the intelligent natures in it be fo too? That evil fpirits fhould be permitted to affault us in a degree confiftent with our freedom of will, is evidently as reconcilable both to the holinefs and goodness of God, as that we are fuffered to tempt one another, often perhaps full as dangerously. That they should be capable of conveying their fuggeftions to us, and we not know their manner of doing it, can hardly be called ftrange: for we scarce know the manner how any one thing in the world is done, if we examine it to the bottom; not even how we convey our own thoughts to thofe with whom we converfe. And that we fhould be exposed to the fe temptations, without perceiving them to proceed from any fuch caufe, is far from incredible : for we are frequently influenced, and strongly too, by persons of no higher powers and abilities than ourselves, without perceiving that they influence us at all.

But, though every one of these things is rationally supposeable, yet scripture only can fatisfy us, that they are true in fact and fo accordingly it fully doth. For though it tells us, that bad angels are held in everlasting chains under darknefs*, it tells us likewise, that our adverfary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, meaning doubtless, within the extent of his chain, feeking whom he may devourt. And yet, even after the teftimony of fcripture given to thefe doctrines; as they relate to matters which lie out of fight, and therefore affect the mind but faintly, unlefs the truth and importance of them be carefully impreffed upon it, we receive them too commonly with only a wavering kind of half belief, which produces no manner of serious thought about them. And fo by degrees we first overlook, and then doubt, and then reject, one part after another, of what is revealed concerning the hidden regions of the creation; (as, indeed, if once we begin, where fhall we ftop?) till, at length, instead of walking, as chriftians ought, by that faith, which is the evidence of things not feens, we come to confider earthly objects as the only realities, and heaven and hell, and the inhabitants of each, as nothing at all.

Some, it must be owned, far from difbelieving what they understand their bible to teach on thefe fubjects, make it almost a point of religion to believe a great deal more: whereVOL. II.

* Jude 6. ti Pet. v. 8.

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+ 2 Cor. v. 7. § Heb xi. 1.

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as the plain and fafe rule certainly is, to go as far fcripture goes, but alio to flop where fcripture flops. For whatever notions are creduloufly entertained, beyond its warrant, will always, in the event, weaken, inftead of confirming, the perfuafion of its genuine articles. But undeniably, the prevail ing extreme at prefent is, that of queftioning, or flighting, though we do not queftion, whatever is placed a little without the reach of our own faculties, be it ever fo clearly afferted by our Maker himself. This turn of mind is highly undutiful; and tends to mislead us, in the whole of religion fift, and then of common life. The remedies for it are, to think of ourselves with humility, and read and confider the doctrines of God's word with reverent attention. That of our being tempted by invifible powers needs not have any wrong effects upon us, and may have very right ones. For, as these temptations are not diftinguishable by us from thofe which arife of themselves in our own breafts, and may be refifted effectually by the fame methods, the belief of them can by no just confequence drive us either into fuperftition or defpondency. But the confideration of having fuch an additional adverfary, befides the world and the fleih, muft naturally increase our watchfulness, and thankful dependence on the help of divine grace: and the reflexion that, in committing fin, we are complying with the fuggeftions, and gratifying the malice, of the enemies of God, of our own fouls, and of the whole creation, cannot but incline us to a strong abhorrence even of fuch tranfgreffions, as we might elfe have been disposed to view in a pleafing light.

Now, of all the paffages of fcripture which relate to this point of doctrine, there are none more inftructive, than those of the evangelifts, in which we find our bleffed Lord himself affaulted by the tempter: whofe victory, for that reafon, the wifdom of the church hath taken care to fet before our eyes in the gospel for this day, as the propereft admonition to us in the beginning of the present season: the business of which, if we purpose to be at all the better for it, is arming ourselves against thofe temptations with which we may meet hereafter, as well as humbling ourfelves for having yielded to fo many already. And therefore I fhall now endeavour,

I.

I. To explain this part of our Saviour's hiftory. II. To point out, in a few words, the practical ufes that flow from it.

I. To explain this part of his hiftory.

The number of wicked fpirits is reprefented in feripture as very large. And yet one only, denoted by the name of Satan, or the devil, is generally mentioned as indicing men to fin. The reafon of this, in other places of holy writ, may be, that, as they are all united under one head, and engaged in one defign, they are to be regarded by us as one adveriary: for, in the common language of war, we fpeak of the enemy in the fingular number, when yet we mean a multitude. But there is more especial ground for it, in the text, as unquestionably the prince of the demons* himself would perfonally engage in fo arduous a combat, as that with Jefus muft appear likely to prove. That he, who bears ill-will to all men, fhould earneftly wish to mislead and pervert one, whom he could not but fee to be a very extraordinary man, and fent on fome errand of fingular benefit to the human race, was to be expected. And that he thould hope to do it, may be accounted for, partly from hence that as wicked men, though of eminent abilities, are perpetually attempting very abfurd things, fo may wicked fpirits too: as indeed all wickedness implies, in its very nature, the abfurdeft hope and attempt in the world; that of being gainers by difobeying a wife and juft ruler, of infinite power. Befides, the devil had fallen himself, even without a tempter: he had fucceeded by the means of temptation against the fift man, and more or lefs againit all men fince; and probably he knew not diftin&ly what manner of perfon this was whom he affaulted. For though he might know him to have been declared the Son of God, ftill that name is capable of various meanings. Or, if he knew him to be the promifed Mediah, yet he might imagine that this promifc, as well as others, was a conditional one, though no condition was expreffied; and therefore liable to be defeated. Or, at leaft rage might urge him to moleft, though he defpaired to overcome.

But then, why the Lord of allt, who quickly afterwards caft out demons with a word, fubmitted previously to fuch repeated indignities,

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Matth. ix. 34. The word here is not Aixos, nor is that ever used of wicked fpirits in the plural number: and therefore it is properer to ay demons, than devils.

† Acts x. 36.

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