THREE HEAVENLY TREATISES, concerning Christ: 

1 His Genealogy.  
2 His Baptism.  
3 His Combat with Satan.    
TOGETHER WITH devout Meditations, for Christian Consolation and Instruction.  
By Mr. William Cowper, Minister of God's Word.  
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for john Budge, and are to be sold at his shops, at the great South door of Paul's, and at Britain's Burse. 1612.   

TO THE RIGHT Noble Lord, john, Earl of Montrose, Lord Graeme and Mugdok, one of his majesties most Honourable Privy Counsel in this Kingdom.  
My Lord,  
I Have been bold to publish these Treatises, under your Honourable name, not for any light, that by them can accresse to that treasure of knowledge, which is in your Noble mind, but that (so far as I can) I might make evident to others, for imitation, that grace which God hath made so eminent in you.  
I may truly say, there is no quality, which in the judgement either of learned Ancients, or recents, hath been required, to complete Nobility, lacking in you. Your honour being not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only, Noble by birth; but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also, generous by manners, such as retain, yea, by virtue increases, the honour of your honourable Fathers. It passed among the ancient wise men in a proverb, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: because commonly it falls out, that children of worthy men, coming short of their father's virtue, derogates to their glory: aequat rara patrem soboles: And therefore in them qui clariores genere cens●ntur, it was ever thought an high commendation, maiorum famam sustinere; like as no greater shame can be to them of that rank, then when by their ignoble life, they quench the light of their noble stock, et generi suo dedecori sunt.  
It is now twelve hundredth years since your honourable name hath been famous in this kingdom: but which is much more, and wherein, in my judgement, it is marvelous, the first mention of your Tribe, in the story, doth not record the rising thereof from a small estate unto an higher, as it doth in many Peers of the land, who for their virtue also were advanced; but at the first sight, it presents your worthy Predecessor standing in the highest top of Honour, wherein a subject can be: for not only was he then brother in law to king Fergus the 2. but for his Wisdom, Valour, & Manhood, by consent of the Nobles, both Scots & Picts, then gathered to battle, he was chosen, as meetest Chieftain, to demolish that division-wall of Abircorne, stretching from the East sea, to the West, built first by Victorine, and fortified thereafter, more strongly, by Gallio, both of them Roman Lieutenants; but more victoriously, first & last, broken down by the valiant Graeme, in presence of both the Kings, that so a way might be prepared to their armies, to make irruption upon the Romans, for which, unto this day, the remanents of that work, bears the name of Graeme his ditch, when himself is gone. Facta ducis viwnt, 
ovid.  operosaquè gloria rerum. Haec manet.  
It is true, there are many honourrable families in this land, who communicate with you in the same name: but that this is the honour of your house, is evident, not only by the lands, bordering with that wall, possessed as yet by your L. and was, as the story recordeth, one of the motives why that weighty charge was committed to your worthy ancestors; but in this also that the remanant families, who come under the communion of the same name, hold lands of your house, from which, as from a most ancient stock, they as sprouts and branches, have grown and sprung out.  
And of this, as it is evident, that your honourable house is more ancient than the Chronicle can declare, so doth this greatly increase the glory of it, that it hath continued in honour ever since, even to the days of your noble Father of famous memory, who for fidelity to his Prince, love to his Country, equity toward all men, after he had borne many other offices of honour, was in his old age honoured to be his majesties high Commissioner, and also great Chancellor of this kingdom: his house like the open court of Ahasuerus his palace, wherein he banqueted his people, ever plenished▪ and patent to such, as pleased to resort.  
In a word, no less honourable in this Kingdom hath your Family been, than the Tribes either of Leontis, or Aeantis, among the Athenians, for their feats of arms, and glorious victories achieved in battle; or among the Romans, these five principal families, Vitellij, Fabiuses, Antoniuses, Potitij, Mamilij, who for their most ancient descent, were called Aborigines.  
But howsoever these be great things, yet are they not the greatest, which do commend you, Virtute decet, non sanguine niti. It is a miserable poverty, where a man hath no matter of praise in himself, but must borrow it from others.  Miserum est aliorum incumbere famae. 
Yea, the more honourable the parentage is, the greater is the shame of him that degenerates from it, and so becomes indignus genere.  
Perit omnis in illo  
Gentis honour, 
ovid.  cuius laus est in origine sola.  
Here then is your greatest praise, that as you are, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, lineally descended of so Noble, and ancient, a stock (for no writ, nor memory of man, can record the interruption of your Line) so are you the undoubted heir of those virtues, which shined in them, Wisdom, declared in doubtsome and difficult matters: Manhood, tried, as we say, in discrimine: Truth, fit enim quod dicitur, your words are sufficient warrants to such, as know you. Noble manners: Veram nobilitatem testantur facies & mores: these are Insignia numina diwm.  
And beside these, beautified with other two rare graces, whereunto they, in regard of their times, could not attain, at least, in the like measure, Piety and Erudition: your honour being learned, not only in the common languages of the most famous countries of Europe, but in the three most renowned languages, whereby as ye have attained to the knowledge of liberal Sciences, so do ye still conserve and daily increase it, by diligent reading, and conference with the learned: who for learning are loved, and honoured by you: 
Nam quae mox imitere legis nec des●nit unquam, 
Claudian.   
Tecu●…●…rataloqui, Tecum Romana vetustas.   
That which the wise K. Solomon said of Beauty without discretion, the like may be said of Honour without Erudition; It is as a ring in a swines snout: and therefore hath the learned, expressed Erudition, 
Aul. Gal.  by the name of humanity, both because the care and study of Sciences, is committed to man only, among all the creatures, and for that man without Erudition, is liker a beast, than a man. Turpe est viro principi parem dignitatisuae virtutem non afferre.  
And these two, Honour, and Erudition, shine so much the more clearly in you, that they are both crowned with singular and unsimulate Piety, both professed, and practised, and that in a time of revolting, & great defection: yea, in most dangerous places, even there where Satan hath his throne: for this is no small argument of true religion, deeply rooted in your heart, that having traveled through Italy, Rome, and other parts of the Pope's Dominions, heard, and seen all those allurements, which carrieth away instable minded men, not rooted, nor grounded in Christ, after the love of that richly busked Babylonish Whore, your Lordship hath returned home unspotted, neither burnt with their fire, nor blacked with their smoke: not unlike those three children, who came forth out of Nabuchadnezzars fire, and had not so much as a smell thereof on their garments.  
This Piety, even in the judgement of them, who had no more but Nature's light, was esteemed the highest matter of a man's praise, maiorem virtutem religione, 
Plato in Epino.  & pietate in Deum, nullam in humano genere inveniri quisque sibi persuadeat. The reason hereof is given by Divines, illuminate with the light of the word, to be this, that by Piety, and holiness of life, we ascend ad primarium illud bonum unde originem traximus: 
Nazian. Orat. 33. in laud. Hiero.  and therefore the same father speaking in the praise of Cyprian, affirms, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And indeed, since we are the generation of God made, to his image, what greater glory can man have then to conserve that image, and be like unto him, to whose similitude he was made? una itaque nobilitas imitatio dei.  
Go on therefore right Noble Lord, follow the course, which ye have happily begun; show yourself the kindly son of so worthy Fathers: above all, the Son of God, by the new generation; his workmanship created in Christ jesus unto good works. Keep in mind that warning of our Lord, Much will be required of him, to whom much is given: as the double portion obliged the first borne to the greater service, otherways, 
Chrisost.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In all your ways look up to the Lord, he it is, that exalts them of low degree, 
Luke 1. 52.  and puts down the mighty from their seats, 
Hos. 4. 7.  turning their glory into shame, who use not their glory to honour him.  
Pitiful proofs whereof we have in this fearful earthquake (as I may call it) going through this country, by which many Castles, Houses, and Lands, spews out their inhabitants, shaking off the yoke of their ancient Lords, and rendering themselves to be possessed of their servants, because they have also cast off the yoke of the Lord their God, or at least not welcomed his grace, offered in the Gospel, as it became them. The consideration whereof, I doubt not, doth affect your Lordship, as it doth others who are become wise through the fear of God, and learns by the loss of others to gather their thoughts, and make peace with him, whose praise it is, that he builds houses to men, 
2 Sam. 2.  and upholds them: for by him enterprises are established.  
And herewithal remember Right Noble Lord, that as trees, on tops of hills, are subject to the blast of every wind, so men in the height of honour to great temptations; against which they have need to be armed.  
But lest I seem Monere memorem, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, more laborious than need requires, I end: Humbly praying your Lordship to accept these small, and scarse-ripe fruit of my labours, as a testimony of my affection to your Honour, till it may please God some better token come into my hand, whereby to declare it.  
Your Lordships to command, M. WILLIAM COWPER Minister of Perth.   

The Preface.  
IT may justly be spoken of many in this age, which the Apostle Saint Paul spoke of the Hebrews, 
Heb. 5. 12.  When, as concerning the time, ye ought to be teachers of others, ye have need again that we teach you the first principles of the word of God, and are become such, as have need of Milk, and not of strong meat: they profess faith in Christ, but in truth do not believe in him, neither yet can they, because they know him not: they are baptized in his name, but are not bureid with him through Baptism, neither raised up together, through the faith of the operation of God, that raised him from the dead: they carry his cognisance and badge, but are not militant under him in his warfare.  
As the Athenians sacrificed, Ignoto Deo, to a strange God, and the Samaritans worshipped that, which they knew not; so our Atheists, profitentur ignotum Christum, profess a strange Christ: they know not what he is in himself, nor how he is become ours, nor what he hath done for us: and therefore neither in life, nor death, do they express his virtue. They live licentiously, reprobate unto every good work, dishonouring Christ, as if he were a Saviour who had no power to sanctify those which are in him; and they die without comfort, as if Christ by death had not obtained life, and by death did not transport to life, all that are in him; thus while they profess fellowship with him, they declare themselves to be strangers from him.  
It is witnessed by the Lord, in Ezechiel, 
Ezech. 18. 20.  the same soul that sinneth shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son, but the righteousness of the righteous shallbe upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shallbe upon himself. 
A question good to waken drowsy Christians out of their dead security.  If according to this testimony of the word, it be demanded of them, seeing Christ is holy, and righteous, and we are the sinners, how is it that he is punished and we are spared? This is but one of the least of Satan's assaults, by which he impugns the faith of men, and yet if they be required to answer it, they shall soon bewray themselves to be void of knowledge and solid faith, confident only in a naked profession, which will not fail in the end to beguile them. For as an house faulty in the foundation cannot abide the stormy winds, 
Math. 7.  and rain, no more can a Christian not informed with knowledge, not rooted, grounded, and builded in Christ jesus, by faith, endure in the hour of tentation.  
That therefore the doctrine of Christianity may be learned by such as knows it not, 
The doctrine of Christianity comprised in three articles, collected out of his Genealogy, Baptism, and Tentation.  from the very foundation, we have here proposed three most necessary points to be entreated: The first, is Christ's Genealogy: the second, his Baptism: the third, his Tentation. In the first, we are taught what manner of man our Lord is in himself. In the second, what manner of way he is become ours. In the third, what manner of way he did begin to work the work of our Redemption: all most necessary to be known, for the right grounding of our Faith on him. 
The first is to know that jesus the son of Mary, is that promised Messiah.  In his Genealogy we see how jesus, the son of Mary, is that same blessed seed of the woman, whom the Lord promised in Paradise, to whom the Prophets, of all times, pointed, and for whom the godly fathers of all ages waited, and expected, lineally descended from Adam, by seventy and four fathers. In his Baptism we see how he was consecrated, 
The second teacheth us what manner of way he is become ours.  and ordained, in most solemn manner, to do the office of the Mesias, that is, of an anointed King, Priest, and Prophet, for our Salvation, so that he is now no more a private man but a public, by most sure authority, and in most solemn manner, become our head and redeemer. 
The third, how he hath done the work of a Redeemer.  And in his temptation we see how immediately after his ordination, he encounters with Satan in a singular combat, overcoming him in the wilderness, who before had overcome our parents in paradise: and so by his first deed after his consecration, makes it manifest that he was come to destroy the works of the Devil. 
These three joined together make up a complete doctrine of Christianity.   
If these three be joined together in one, we shall find them making up unto us a complete doctrine of Christian consolation. The Lord jesus, in regard of his divine nature, is called by the Prophet Zachary, Gnamith, 
Zach. 13. 7.  jehova, that is, the fellow and companion of jehova, 
☞  or as Saint Paul expounds it, 
john 2. 6.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, equal with God. In regard again of his humane nature, 
job 19 25.  job calleth him Goel, my kinsman. In regard of his united natures, he is called by Esay, 
Esa. 8. 8.  Emanuel, God with us. 
Nomb. 3 5.  Now we know that by the law he who was nearest kinsman, 
How Christ being his father's equal and our kinsman is properly the true avenger and redeemer of his brethren.  had power to revenge the blood of his brother upon the Murderer, if he had found him without a City of refuge; and therefore was he styled by the name of an avenger, and likewise he had power to redeem the inheritance which his brother, through poverty, had lost: for the word Gaal, from which Goel cometh, hath in it these two principal significations, to redeem, and to revenge; So that here we see how the Lord jesus, being nearest of kin unto us, as we may see out of his Genealogy, being likewise clad with the power of a redeemer and revenger, as we shall learn out of his Baptism, cometh immediately after his entry to the public Office of the Messias, upon Satan that murderer, and finding him out of a City of refuge, enters into combat with him, to revenge the blood of his Brethren, and to redeem the inheritance which they had foolishly sold for nothing: yea moreover he doth that which no tipical Goel under the Law, was able to do; for not only doth he overthrow the murderer, but restoreth life again to his brethren that were slain and murdered by him.  
Yours in the Lord William Cowper.   

THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST:  
Declaring how jehova becomes Gnimanuel, GOD with us.  MATTHEW 1. 23. Behold, a Virgin shall be with Child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is by interpretation, GOD with us.  

THE FIRST TREATISE declaring Christ his Genealogy.  
THe Genealogy of JESUS CHRIST our LORD, 
Christ's Genealogy is registered to let us see that jesus is the Christ.  is written for this end, that we might know him, and believe that jesus, the son of Mary, 
Ioh 20. 31.  is the Christ, the son of God, that blessed seed of the Woman, 
Gen. 3.  promised to Adam, that should break the Serpent's head; that seed of Abraham, in whom all nations were to be blessed; for whom the godly looked in all ages; the same is he whom in the fullness of time GOD hath exhibited unto us, a branch of righteousness; 
Ezech. 34. 29.  a pllant of renown, sprung of juda his tribe, 
Heb. 7. 14.  according to the flesh. Herein have we need to be confirmed, that we wander not in uncertainties, but our faith may be established, and grounded aright in him.  
There are four which have written unto us the holy Gospel, 
Four Evangelists agreeing in one, do greatly confirm the truth.  not at one time, nor at one place, nor yet advising one with another, for so it might have been thought, there had been some collusion among them, but in that they wrote in several places, and times, and yet do speak all, as it were with one mouth, no difference at all being among them in these Articles, that concern the substance of salvation, to wit, the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord, it is out of all doubt as chrysostom calls it, 
Chris. in Mat.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a very great demonstration of the verity. 
The diversity between Saint Matthew, and S. Luke, makes up the sweeter harmony. For where Saint Matthew reckons from the fathers downward, Saint Luke reckons from the children upward: and why.   
Of these four, there are two only that records his Genealogy unto us, Saint Matthew, and Saint Luke, and these write of it diverso modo, sed non adverso; diversly, but not contrarily; and the diversity being well considered, shallbe found to make up the greater harmony: as shall appear in the particular handling thereof.  
For, Saint Matthew reckons from the Fathers downward to the children, but Saint Luke reckons from the Children upward to the Fathers: the one lets us see, how both they and we come from God, by his eternal Word Christ jesus; the other, how by that same Word incarnate, we ascend, and return to God again. We are of him by Christ, Creator, as his creatures, or sons, by our first creation: we go to him by Christ, Redeemer, as his new creatures, or his sons, by regeneration: the first of these is common to all men, the second proper to those only who are of Christ's spiritual kindred: and the praise of this communion between God and man, is to be reserved to CHRIST jesus only: for it is no less absurdity to say that we can go to GOD the Father, by any other then Christ, then if it should be said also, that we came of God the Father by another then Christ.  
But now for order's sake, 
The whole Genealogy divided into five Sections.  we will divide the whole Genealogy into five sections; reckoning as Saint Matthew doth, from the Fathers to the Children, for the better help of our memories: the first is from Adam to Noah; the second from Noah to Abraham; the third from Abraham to David; the fourth from David to Zorobabel; the fifth from Zorobabel unto jesus Christ.  
In the first and second, 
The different courses of the two Evangelists.  from Adam to Abraham, Saint Luke runs him alone. In the third, from Abraham to David, Saint Matthew and Luke run together. In the fourth, from David to Zorobabel, they take different courses: for where Saint Matthew goes down, from David by Solomon, Saint Luke follows the line from David by Nathan, and both of them meets in Salathiel; where going on two steps together, they part again, and the one takes his course from Zorobabel by Rhesa, to Mary; the other from Zorobabel by Abiud, to joseph: and in the end both of them meets again in Christ jesus: the reason of which diversity, will appear God willing, in handling the several sections thereof. 
The first section is of ten fathers, from Adam to Noah.   
The first than is from Adam to Noah, containing ten Fathers, Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Iared, Henoch, Methusalem, Lamech, Noah. Here, as I said, Saint Luke reckons him alone, 
Why these are reckoned by Saint Luke, and not by Saint Matthew.  where Saint Matthew goes no higher, than Abraham: the reason of this diversity is, that Saint Matthew, in writing, had a special respect to move the jews to embrace the Gospel, and therefore begins it in a manner most plausible to them: 
Why these are reckoned by Saint Luke, and not by Saint Matthew.  The book of the generation of jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham; because it was then most commonly in the mouths of all men, that the Mesiah should be the son of David. But Saint Luke being, as testifies Eusebius, 
Colos. 4. 14.  by birth a Gentile, borne in Antiochia, learned in medicine, and now a proselyte converted himself, 
Saint Matthew teacheth that the Saviour is to be sought in Abraham's house, Saint Luke shows that he is also a Saviour of the Gentiles.  he writes his Gospel to convert others: wherein especially, for the comfort of believing Gentiles, he draws the line of Christ, by twenty degrees, higher than doth Saint Matthew, the one teaching us to seek the SAVIOUR of the world in the lineage of Abraham, and DAVID, the other again teaching, how all believing people hath their interest in Christ, not they who are of Abraham's posterity only, but they, who are of Adam's also.  
In this section we mark no particular, 
Adam the first son of God, among men, and the first father of Christ according to the flesh.  but this one, that the first father of Christ according to the flesh, reckoned in this Genealogy, Adam, is called the son of God, to wit, both by creation, and regeneration: for in it, we have manifold comforts discovered unto us, if we conjoin the end of this Genealogy with the beginning. For in the beginning thereof we see that the first Adam is the son of God, and the same by divine dispensation; the the first father of Christ according to the flesh, and so as Euthymius said of David, 
Euthym. praef. in Psalmos.  he is, et deifilius, & pater dei. In the end of it again we see, how Christ the son of God, doth also become the son of man. A marvelous dispensation, that man made by God, 
What a comfortable union between God and man is made by Christ jesus.  should become a father to Christ, who being very GOD, would also be made the son of man, that by him men might be made the sons of God. See what a binding cornerstone the Lord jesus is, knitting together not man with man only, Gentiles with jews, but man with God also, and that not by a personal union only, which he hath perfected in himself, but by a spiritual union also, by which he unites all the members of his mystical body in a blessed peace and fellowship with God: and this hath he now begun, and shall perfect in the end.  
O what a comfort is here! 
Zach. 13. 7.  that Gnamith, 
Esa. 8. 8.  jehova, the fellow, or companion of jehova; for so the father styles his son Christ jesus, should now become (Emanuel) God with us, 
Never was there so great a token of God's favour to man declared as in the incarnation of Christ.  yea as job calls him (Goel) our kinsman, nearest to us of flesh and blood, clad with power and might from God, to revenge our blood, to redeem our life, to restore our lost inheritance Where shall we find such joyful tidings as these are? We read that under the Law, the Lord came down to Mount Sinai, 
Exod. 19  and Moses went up; a great favour indeed, that the Majesty of God should come down to visit his own creature, and should honour man, by keeping diet to speak with him in so homely a manner. But under the GOSPEL, in a more favourable manner the Lord shows himself familiar with men, for not only do his holy Angels join in company with shepherds, 
Luke 2. 9  but himself becomes the son of man, walking among men, to make men the sons of God. 
How we should be thankful for so great a mercy.  Let us meditate upon this mercy, that howsoever we be not able to conceive the greatness thereof, yet at least we may grow in thankfulness to our God for it: he came to seek us, he found us imprisoned, bound with the fetters of our sins, he hath loosed our bands, gone up again before us, and bidden us follow him, worthy are we of double shame, and confusion, and that our second woe should be worse than our first, if we will not arise to make haste and follow him. The sins done against the Law may be cured by the grace of the Gospel, but if the grace offered in the Gospel be despised, remains there any other sacrifice for sin? 
Heb. 10. 27.  None at all, but a fearful looking for of judgement, and violent fire. 
The article of Christ's Incarnation confirmed.   
Beside this, we are here confirmed in two other notable points of Christian religion, the one is, of Christ's marvelous Incarnation, by which he became the son of man, the other is of our supernatural Adoption, whereby we become the sons of God. We believe that our first father Adam was a very natural man, yet neither gotten of a man, nor borne of a woman, but form immediately by the hand of God, and that of the earth, being as yet a virgin (so to call it with Ireneus) for neither had the Lord rained upon it, 
Iren. lib. 3. Cap. 31.  neither had the hand of man tilled, or laboured it: 
And that by a comparison taken from the creation of Adam and Eva.  as likewise we believe that Eva was a natural woman, yet neither begotten by a man, nor borne of a woman, but form of Adam's rib, immediately by God. Why then will we doubt that Christ was made a very natural man, 
☜  yet not begotten by man, but form of David's seed in the virgin's womb, by the immediate operation of the holy Ghost? Indeed if the first Adam had been begotten of the seed of man, it might probably have been thought that the second Adam was begotten of joseph, 
How the second Adam hath with the first the same similitude of generation.  but seeing the first Adam was form of the earth, by the hand of God immediately, it was also convenient, that the second Adam, who was to bring home man again to GOD, should be made man by the hand of God, without the operation of man, that so the second Adam, might have with the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Theodoret. Dialog. 1. Cap. 18.  the same similitude and likeness of generation.  
The other point, 
Our spiritual Adoption is here also confirmed.  wherein here we are confirmed, is of our own supernatural Adoption: we see that the son of God is become the son of man; the son of David; of Abraham; of Adam; and why then will we not (saith chrysostom) be strengthened in the faith, 
☞  to give glory to God, 
For seeing we see that God is become the son of man, why shall we think it impossible that man may become the the son of God?  by believing that the sons of Adam and Abraham, following the Adoption, shall also be made the sons of God? surely in man's judgement, it seems more impossible that God should become Man, should walk on earth, in the shape of a Servant, and suffer the ignominious death of the Cross, than that man should be exalted unto heaven, and crowned with glory; yet the first of these we see done, and we believe it, why then shall we any more doubt of the second? 
Chrisost. in Math. Hom. 2.  especially seeing it was not in vain, and for nothing, that the God of glory humbled himself unto so base an estate: No, no but that from our baseness he might raise us up into his glory.  
The second section of this Genealogy is, 
The second section is of other ten Fathers, from Noah to Abraham.  from Noah to Abraham by other ten Fathers, Sem, Arphaxad, Sale, Heber, Peleg, Regu, Sarug, Nahor, Terah and Abraham. In this, we observe no thing, but that of Noah his three sons japhet, Sem, and Cham, from whom all mankind are descended, the Lord makes choice of the second, Sem, to be the father of Christ, according to the flesh; and where Sem also had many sons, he passes by them all, and makes choice of Arphaxad, and so contracting his promises into narrower bounds, he makes up the covenant with the Hebrews, and is content to be named the God of Sem, 
Gen. 9 26.  which is the first time, that ever we read God to have been called the God of one man more than of another. 
Comfort against this that japhet our father is not in the roll of Christ's fathers.   
Where, lest of our weakness, we should faint, and be discouraged, when we hear that japhet our father, of whom we are descended, is not in the line of Christ's parents, let us remember that promise which God made to japhet, and his posterity, at the same time that he entered into covenant with the house of Sem, 
Gen. 9 27.  and we shallbe comforted: for then the Lord promised that he should persuade japhet to dwell in the tents of Sem, 
It is sufficient that when Sem was chosen to be Christ's father, it was also promised to japhet that he should have his part in Christ.  that is, in most loving manner he should allure the posterity of japhet to embrace the covenant made with the house of Sem; like as at this day, praised be God, he hath performed. For now partly obstinacy is come to Israel, till the fullness of the gentiles come in. Sixteen hundredth years did the Lord dwell in the house of Sem, 
Rom. 11. 25.  and now other 1600 years hath he dwelled in the house of japhet; going through the several families thereof: among whom he hath also visited us in these ends of the earth, his holy Name again be blessed therefore for ever: for now we see that unto us no less then to them appertaineth the promises of Mercy, and covenant of Grace.  
And therefore though our parents be not among the progenitors of Christ, 
Though Christ be not come of us according to the flesh, yet if we be come of him by grace, we have comfort enough.  according to the flesh, for that is the privilege of our elder brethren the jews, that theirs are the fathers of whom Christ is come, according to the flesh, yet let us endeavour to make sure this comfort to ourselves that we are come of him, 
Rom. 9 5.  according to the spirit, & grace of regeneration. When that woman in the gospel cried out after our Lord, 
Luk 11. 27.  Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps which gave thee suck, she received this answer from him, 
Math. 12. 47.  yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. 
For the Lord jesus hath always esteemed▪ most of the spiritual kindred.  And when again one told him, behold thy Mother, and thy Brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee, he answered, who is my Mother, and who are my Brethren? & he stretched out his hand, toward his Disciples, and said, behold my Mother, and my Brethren. Now it is known that many of his Disciples were not his kinsmen, according to the flesh, but to remove all scruple, and to show how much he esteems of the spiritual kindred, he subjoins, For who soever shall do my father's will, who is in heaven, the same is my Brother, and Sister, and Mother.  
It is true indeed all Christ's progenitors were blessed, 
Wherein did the greatest happiness of our Lords progenitors consist? See the Rhemists marginal Notes on Luk. 11. 28. out of Bedatract. 19 in joan.  being honoured by him, and endued with faith by his grace (teaching by the way) all children to communicate the best things they have unto their parents, yet is it true of them all, which Beda cited, by the Rhemists themselves, said, of the Virgin Mary, She was blessed indeed in that she was the tempor all mean and minister of the Incarnation, but much more blessed in that she continued the perpetual keeper of his word: that is, blessed indeed in that she was the mother of our Lord, and conceived him in her womb, but much more blessed for conceiving him in her heart by faith.  
Then our instruction is, that though neither our names, nor our Fathers, 
☞  be in the catalogue of Christ's progenitors, yet if we be in the roll of his children and brethren we shall have comfort sufficient: though he be not come of us according to the flesh, if we be come from him, according to the spirit, as his sons, and daughters by regeneration, we shallbe blessed in him, even as they were.  
The third section contains the roll of Fathers, 
The third section is of fourteen Fathers, from Abraham to David.  from Abraham to David; fourteen in number: Abraham, Isaac, jacob, juda, Phares, Esrom, Aram, Aminadab, Naasson, Salmon, Booz, Obed, jese, and David. Where first, it comes to be considered, how is mention made that jacob begat juda and his brethren, more than that Abraham begat Isaac and his brethren, 
That all Jacob's sons are within the covenant, not so all Abraham's what doth it teach us?  or that Isaac begat jacob and his brother: the reason is, that all the sons of Abraham did not belong to the covenant, howsoever circumcised; neither did the Lord choose their posterities to be his Church and peculiar people, as he did choose the sons of jacob, and their children. 
Rom. 9 4.  for unto them all pertained the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law and the service of God, and promises. What a dispensation is this, all the sons of jacob are partakers of the external Adoption, not so the sons of Abraham? 
What cause of thanks giving is this that so many families of japhet pretermitted, we are brought within the covenant?  But so it is, the call of the Lord is freely: he is debtor to none, and therefore they to whom his calling is come, should so much the more acknowledge themselves obliged to his mercy, as this day we are bound to do; considering that he hath passed by so many of the sons of Adam, so many of the families of japhet, more famous and honourable, than we are, and hath been pleased to make his covenant with us; but let us be wise, ever remembering that there are many within the covenant externally Adopted, who do not for all that belong to the election of grace, 
A warning to such as are within the covenant.  and therefore giving thanks to God for the one, that we are in the covenant, and have received the seals thereof, let us press further to be partaker of the other, that is, the grace of the Covenant.  
Next, 
Three reasons given why in this Genealogy, Thamar and Rahab are mentioned among Christ's mothers, not Sara, nor Rebecca.  it is to be considered here, why in this Genealogy Thamar, Rahab, and Bethsabe, are mentioned among the mothers of our Lord, and not Sara, nor, Rebecca, women famous for godliness; whereas this Thamar, howsoever she had an earnest desire of seed, and thereby declared her faith in the promises of God, yet she sought it by an unlawful incestuous copulation with her own father in law; and Rahab by Nation was a Cananite, by conversation a harlot, and Bethshabe the wife of Vriah was she with whom David committed double adultery. The reasons of this are many, but we content us with three: the first is to humble the jews: the second is to comfort sinners: the third to show the great glory of Christ.  
As for the first, 
The first is to repress the arrogancy of the jews, glorying of their progenitors.  it is known how insolently the jews gloried that they were the posterity of Abraham, neglecting the virtues of their fathers, they boasted that they were their children, esteeming their father's virtue a sufficient Apology and defence of all their vices: and therefore to humble them, the blemishes of their parents are purposely showed in this Genealogy. And to teach all men that true Nobility is not in the privileges of flesh, but in the graces of the mind, neither to be sought without us in the prerogatives of our parents, but within our own proper virtues, 
An answer for such as vainly glory of their parentage.  whereby we are rectified. But at this day it may be spoken to many, which, as Nazianzen records, was sometime answered to a Noble man, despising another that was come of mean parentage, & boasting of his own nobility, 
Nazan▪ in nobilem male moratum.  mihi, inquit, probro genus meum est, tu autem generituo: My parentage is a reproach to me, 
The second is, for the comfort of poor penitent sinners, he asumed that nature which once was sinful and did separate it from sin.  but thou art a reproach to they parentage.  
The second reason is to comfort poor penitent sinners. The Lord jesus came into the world non ut judex, sed ut medicus, not as a judge, but as a Physician, non ut nostra fugeret opprobria, sed extingueret potius: that he might not shun our reproaches, but rather that he might blot them out, and heal them. If it had pleased him he might have created man's nature anew, such as had never sinned, as was Adam's nature before the fall, such a one, I say, might he have created, and joined it in a personal union with his divine, but if so he had done, where then should have been the comfort of sinners, we had still remained under desperation, without any hope that this nature of ours, 
See what a comfort is here.  should ever have been delivered from the corruption thereof, but that now he assumed our nature, 
☞  which once was sinful, and hath fully separated it from all sin, it gives unto us lively hope, that he will also sunder us from our sins, so that they shall not be able to hinder our spiritual fellowship, and communion with him.  
The third reason is, 
The third is to manifest Christ his glory, in that he took no holiness from his parents.  to manifest Christ his greater glory, by declaring to the world, that he took no holiness of his fathers. If all his parents mentioned in this Genealogy had been famous for godliness only, it might have been thought a small matter for Christ to be holy, that was come of so holy progenitors; but in that he descended of sinful parents, and yet was borne a holy one, and without sin, it declared him to be that great high Priest, holy, harmless, undefiled, 
Heb. 7. 27  separate from sinners, who giveth holiness to all that are in communion with him, but takes not holiness from any. This is his peculiar glory belonging to himself alonely, and to none other.  
And therefore the Papists, 
It is erroneous doctrine to affirm that the Virgin Mary was conceived and borne without sin.  while as they go about to honour Christ, by affirming that his mother the blessed Virgin was conceived and borne without sin, do in very deed rather dishonour him: as if from her, he had taken the holiness of his nature, or that he could not have been conceived and borne without sin, unless his mother had been conceived and borne without sin before him. They might consider that the holy Ghost, by whom our Lord was conceived, could very well discern the seed of David in the Virgin's womb, from the sinful corruption thereof; he took that seed; he sanctined it, and separated it from sin, and of it framed the human body of our Lord, and this is the true doctrine, reserving to jesus Christ his proper glory, and to poor sinners their necessary comfort.  
But the contrary doctrine of the Adversaries, 
How this errore was condemned long since by Barnard.  long before us, was condemned by Bernard as a presumptuous novelty, the mother of temerity, the sister of of Superstition, the daughter of Levity; so he termed that unadvised attempt of the cannons of Lions, who first did institute a feast of the conception of Mary, to be observed in the Church, in the honourable remembrance of her conception without sin: for it is, saith he, the only prerogative of Christ, who was to sanctify all: he came without sin, to take away the sins of others, 
Ber. Epist. 147. in Canonicos Lugdun.  quo excepto, de caetero universos respicit ex Adamo natos, quod unus humiliter, de seipso, & veraciter consitetur: In iniquitatibus conceptus sum, et in peccato fovit me matter mea. What then willbe the reason of this festival conception? how shall that conception be esteemed holy, which is not of the holy Ghost, but of sin? or how shall it be honoured with a feast, which is not holy? Lubenter gloriosa virgo tali honore carebit, quo vel peccatum honorari, vel falsa induci videtur sanctitas: willingly, says he, will the glorious Virgin want such honour, by which either sin seems to be honoured, 
Among Christ's mothers in the Genealogy, some are Gentiles, foretelling how Gentiles also should have their pa●… in Christ.  or a false holiness brought into the Church.  
In the rest of this section no other particular is to be touched, but that Solomon begets Booz of Rahab, who was a Cananitish woman; and Booz begets Obed of Ruth, a Moabitish woman; both of them Gentiles, yet reckoned in by name among Christ's mothers, according to the flesh, and that for the comfort of the Gentiles also, to let us see that God is no accepter of persons, but that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shallbe saved: 
Galat. 5. 6.  for, in Christ jesus neither Circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but saith which works by love. Both jew and Grecian, bond and free, male and female, are now all one in Christ jesus. 
Gal. 3. 28.  And if we be Christ's then are we Abraham's seed, and heirs by promise.  
The fourth section contains the roll of Fathers, 
The fourth section hath a roll of Fathers from David to Zorobabel.  from David unto Zorobabel; where again Saint Matthew, and Saint Luke takes diverse courses; for where Saint Matthew diduces the line from David by Solomon, Saint Luke brings it down from David by Nathan, not Nathan the Prophet, but another of that name, David's son by Bethshabe, 
1 Chor. 3. 5.  and so Salomon's brother germane. Where if the doubt be moved how our Saviour could descend of them both, they being two brethren, it is answered that by the Law established among the jews, 
Deut. 25. 5.  it was provided that if a man had died without issue, his brother, or nearest kinsman, was bound to marry his wife, and raise up seed unto him: now Salomon's race, 
Salomon's race ends in jeconiah.  we may see, ended in jeconiah, the eighteenth man after him, according to that word of the Lord, 
jerem. 22. 26.  by jeremy. O Earth, Earth, Earth, hear the word of the Lord, thus saith the Lord, write this man childless, for there shallbe no man of his seed that shall prosper, and sit upon the throne of David, or bear rule any more in juda.  
It is true that to this same jeconiah children are ascribed, 
Where jeconiah is said to have children, understand them to be by succession, not generation.  1 Chro. 3. but these are children by succession, not by generation. And therefore jeconiah, as I have said, dying without issue, Salathiel the son of Neri, in the line of the other brother Nathan, comes in, as nearest Heir, and is reckoned by Saint Matthew the son of jeconiah, to wit, Legal.  
For we must understand, 
A double descent usually reckoned among the jews.  that there was a double descent usually reckoned among the jews, the one Legal, the other Natural: the Natural descent was, when as one by Natural generation descended of another, the Legal when one not naturally descended of another, yet succeeded as nearest of kin to the inheritance, now to let us see the agreement of the Evangelists, Saint Luke diduces the Natural line of Christ from David, 
Saint Luke diduces the Natural line of Christ, Saint Matthew the Legal.  making it known how Christ, by Nathan, is the Natural son of David, according to the flesh, but Saint Matthew diduces the Legal line of Christ from David, making it known how Christ, as Salomon's heir and lawful King of the jews, succeeded, as nearest of kin, to sit upon the throne of David his father? For the which also Saint Matthew calls him, borne King of the jews, and the jews themselves could not name any of there nation nearer than he, and therefore having no lawful exception against him, cried out in their wilfulness: We will have no King, but Caesar.  
This is necessary for us to observe, 
Christ jesus is never called the son of Solomon, Natural.  that Christ our Lord is not the Natural son of Solomon, neither read we, that at any time it was promised that so he should be, but he is the Natural son of David by Nathan, 
Christ as man, was borne a noble man of the most honourable and ancient stock that ever was in the world.  and yet Salomon's lawful heir, whereof it is evident that our Lord, even in respect of his manhood was a Noble man, yea, a born King, descended of the most honourable and ancient stock that ever was in the world, and therefore we have no cause to be ashamed, 
☜  neither of him nor of his testimony, but so much the more to love him, who being every way so honourable a person, yet for love of us was content to be dishonoured, yea, to suffer the shameful death of the Crosse.  
And in this sudden decay of Solomon his temporal kingdom, 
The sudden decay of Salomon's kingdom in his son, and of his posterity, in the eighteenth man after him.  & posterity, the one whereof was weakened by the folly of his son Rehoboam, whereby he procured the abstraction of ten parts of the kingdom from him; the other ends in the eighteenth man after him: all men may learn what dangerous sins, the sins of spiritual and corporal whoredom are. Solomon to 'stablish and increase his posterity, he multiplied Wives, contrary to the commandment of God (who did make one woman, for one man, though he had abundance of spirit, 
Malach. 2. 15.  and might have made many, yet he would not, 
Was procured by the sins of harlotry and idolatry.  because he sought a godly seed:) and by this evil he was carried to a greater, for the pleasure of outlandishwomen, he tolerated their abominable idols in a holy land, and was himself at length polluted with their Idolatry. And therefore received he this fearful recompense of his error, that the Lord divided his kingdom, and cut off his posterity, so that of all his seed, which he had multiplied, there was not one to sit upon his throne.  
In the last section the difference is, 
The last section: the Evangelists are showed to agree where they seem most discordant.  that from Zorobabel, the son of Pedaiah and nephew of Salathiel, Saint Matthew reckons by Abiud, otherwise named Hananiah, 1 Chro. 3. the fore fathers of joseph, nine in number: Saint Luke again reckons the forefathers of Mary, eighteen in number from Rhesa: 
Adricho. Chronologia.  this Rhesa was the second governor of Israel after the captivity, called by Philo, Rhesa Mesciola, or as 1 Chro. 3. Meshullam. Now in the end of these lines all the difficulty is, that joseph by Saint Matthew is called the son of jacob, but by Saint Luke the son of Eli, for resolution of it we must understand that he is called the son of jacob, 
Lucidus de emendatione temporum ex Magdeburg. Cent. 1. l. 1. Ca 10.  because jacob was his Natural father, but the son of Eli, because Eli, the Natural father of Mary, was Joseph's father in law.  
And therefore is it to be observed, 
In the Natural line deduced by Saint Luke, joseph is the only man who is not Christ his Natural father.  that in Christ his Natural line, deduced by Saint Luke, joseph is the only man who is not Christ's Natural father, but supposed only of man so to have been, where all the rest are Christ's Natural fathers, according to the flesh, and Eli the Natural father of Mary, 
Heb. 7. 14.  the mother of our Lord, for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of juda.  
Of all this then, 
Great comfort arises of the consideration of Christ's person.  as was said before, if we take a short view, of the person of Christ jesus, unspeakable is the comfort that shall arise unto us: for we shall see how meet and convenient a person he is to do the work, 
He is the companion of jehova.  whereunto he is consecrated. He is called by Zacharie, 
Zach. 13. 7.  Gnamith, jehovae, the fellow, or companion of the Lord: which the Apostle to the Philippians ☜ expounds, when he saith, that he was equal with God; and this is in regard of his divine nature: for these styles do clearly point out in him a nature above the nature of any creature, 
job 19 25.  Angel, 
And yet our kinsman.  or man, he is called again by patient job, Goel, my kinsman: for by the eyes of faith he saw his incarnation long or ever it was accomplished, and this is in respect of his humane nature, for which also jacob calls him in his prophesy, 
Gen. 49.  Shiloh, which signifieth that little skin, 
Why jacob called him the Shiloh.  or tunicle of flesh, wherein infants are wrapped, when they come into the world: thereby pointing out also his human nature: he is also by Es●y called, 
Esa. 8. 8.  Gnimmanuel, God with us, and this is in respect of his united nature.  
here we must understand the word, 
The true redeemer and avenger of his brethren.  Goel, used by job, properly signifieth a redeemer or revenger; from the word Gaal, redemit, vindicavit. Now, by the Law, 
Leuit. 25. 25.  the power to redeem the inheritance belonged to the nearest kinsman, 
Num. 35. 12  as likewise the power to revenge blood, for which it is used, to signify a kinsman, so than our inheritance being lost by reason of our sin, and the posterity of Adam▪ cruelly slain and murdered by Satan, here comes in our kinsman of our own flesh and blood, the son of Adam, to redeem again our inheritance, and to revenge our blood. Yea, to do that which never was done by any tipical redeemer, or revenger: for they might have slain him that flew their brethren, if they had found them out of the City of refuge, but could not give life again to their brethren: but the Lord jesus, hath not only slain the murderer Satan, finding him without a City of refuge, but hath like a mighty conqueror, restored life to his brethren. In this Genealogy we have seen how he is our kinsman, and in the next Treatises we shall see how among all the sons of Adam never any, but he was consecrated and endued with power and calling from above, to be an Avenger, a Redeemer, and a Saviour of his brethren.  REVEL. 7. 12. Praise, and Glory, and Wisdom, and Thanks, and Honour, and Power, and Might, be to our God for evermore. 1 TIM. 1. 17. Unto the King everlasting, Immortal, Invisible, unto God, only wise, be honour and glory for ever, Amen. 

A TABLE SHOWING the Harmony of S. Matthew, and S. Luke, in the diduction of Christ's GENEALOGY.  
here S. Luke reckoneth alone, stepping up by twenty degrees higher in the GENEALOGY of our LORD then Saint Matthew doth.  

God.  
Adam.  
3 Seth.  
4 Enosh.  
5 Kenan.  
6 Mahalaleel.  
7 Iared.  
8 Henoch.  
9 Methusalem.  
10 Lamech.  
11 Noah.  
12 Sem.  
13 Arphaxad.  
14 Sa●e.  
15 Heber.  
16 Peleg.  
17 Regu.  
18 Sarug.  
19 Nahor.  
20 Terah.   
here the two Evangelists reckon on together the Natural line of our Lord, from Abraham unto David.  

Abraham  
21 Abraham.  
22 Issac.  
23 jacob.  
24 juda.  
25 Pharez.  
26 Ezrom.  
27 Aram.  
8 Aminadab.  
29 Naasson.  
30 Salmon.  
31 Booz.  
32 Obed.  
33 jesse.   
From David Saint Matthew reckons the legal line of Christ, to let us see that christ was lawful King of the jews, & succeeded by the law as nearest of kin to sit upon the throne of his father David.  

34 David 

Solomon.  
Roboam.  
Abia.  
Asa.  
josophat.  
joram.  
Ozia.  
joatham.  
Achaz.  
Ezechia.  
Manasse.  
Amon.  
josias.  
Ieconias.     
Here ends the race of Solomon.  
From David Saint Luke reckons the natural line of Christ, to let us see that Christ is the son of David, naturally descended of him by Nathan according to the flesh, for the Messiah was promised to be the son of David.  

35 Nathan.  
36 Mattatha  
37 Mainan.  
38 Melea.  
39 Eliakim.  
40 jonan.  
41 joseph.  
42 juda.  
43 Simeon.  
44 Levi.  
45 Matthat.  
46 Iorim.  
47 Eliezer.  
48 jose.  
49 Er.  
50 Elmodam.  
51 Cosam.  
52 Addi.  
53 Melchi.  
54 Neri.   
Where S. Matthew calls Salathiel the son of jeconias, understand his legal son succeeding as nearest of kin.  

Salathiel.  
Pedaiah.  
Zorobabel.   
Where S. Luke calls Salathiel the son of Neri▪ understand the natural son of Neri.  
S. Matthew reckoneth in this line the forefathers of joseph.  

Abiud.  
Eliakim.  
Azor.  
Sadoc.  
Achim.  
Eliud.  
Eleazar.  
Nathan.  
jacob.  
joseph.   
joseph is called by Saint Luke, the son of Eli, because he was his son in law.  
S▪ Luke again reckoneth in this line the forefathers of Mary.  

58 Rhesa.  
59 joanna.  
60 juda.  
61 joseph.  
62 Semei.  
63 Mattathia.  
64 Maath.  
65 Naggi.  
66 Esli▪  
67 Naum.  
68 Amos.  
69 Mattathias.  
70 joseph.  
71 janna.  
72 Melchi.  
73 Levi.  
74 Matthat.  
75 Eli.  
76 Marie.   
JESUS CHRIST that blessed seed, promised to Adam, Noah, Sem, Abraham, Isaac, jacob, juda, David, Zorobabel, and Mary.  
THus you have the golden line reaching from ADAM to CHRIST: it begins at the first Adam, and is absolved in the second: it contains a roll of the Fathers, who through the privilege of the first borne, were ordinary Doctors, and chief lights of the Church, till the coming of Christ. Upon this golden line runs the whole book of God: he that would read it with profit, must remember the course of the spirit of God in the diduction of this line. If at any time he divert from it, it is only to interlace some purpose, which may clear the story of the line. So with the description of the lineage of Seth, he adjoins also a description of the house and offspring of Cham, who are not in the line. Likewise when he draws the Genealogy of Sem, he entreats of the posterity of japhet, and Cham, and as he handles the History of Abraham, Isaac and jacob, so likewise the history and posterity of Nahor, Ishmael, and Esau. But as we may easily perceive, he insists not in the history of them who are beside the line, but having spoken so much of them as may clear the story of the line, he lets them alone, and returns to his purpose, always following forth the line, till he come to the promised Shiloh.    

THE SECOND TREAtise, of Christ his Baptism.  
THe second ground of doctrine we proposed to be entreated of, 
The time of Christ his public ministration was from his Baptism to his ascension.  is the Baptism of CHRIST, wherein we have as I said before his most solemn consecration to the public office of the Mesiah. Hitherto he had lived a private life, for the space of twenty nine years, and now beginning to be thirty years of age, he is manifested unto the world, by doing the great work of a redeemer, for which he came: for so Saint Peter reckons all the time of his public charge, and ministration, 
Act. 1. 22.  to have been from the Baptism of john, to the day of his ascension.  
Many Kings, 
There was never a King, Priest, nor Prophet, consecrated in so solemn a manner as Christ jesus here is.  Priests, and Prophets, hath God sent unto his Church since the beginning of the world, but never one like jesus, the great King, high Priest, and Prophet of the Church, and therefore it is not without cause, that exordium tanti officii tot est mistriis consecratum. Never one was sent to do such a work as he, and therefore never one had such a calling, and confirmation as he, for now the heavens are opened, the holy Ghost in a visible shape descends upon him, and God the father by an audible voice from heaven, doth authorize him. The principal end of this Treatise will be to teach us how jesus is become ours, which is a special and necessary point for us to learn.  
The parts of his Consecration are two; 
Two things considered in this consecration of Christ to the office of a Redeemer.  In the first we see, how the Lord jesus by receiving the Sacrament of Baptism, doth come in our place and room, as our kinsman, as the first borne of his brethren, as the head of his mystical body; in a word, 
That Christ willingly maketh himself debtor for us.  as our cautioner, acting, and obligating himself to pay our debt, and to fulfil those points of righteousness which we were bound to fulfil, but could not do by ourselves, and so, to relieve, and redeem his brethren.  
In the second we see how the father not only accepts him as debtor for us, 
That the father not only accepts him, but ordains him to this work.  but also designs and ordains him to this great work, by anointing him with his holy spirit. And thereafter in a public assembly of the people at Iorden, in most solemn manner, by an audible voice from heaven, proclaims him, to be that great high Priest, by whom only atonement must be made between him and us.  
These two joined together make up unto us a most sure ground of Christian comfort. 
What sweet comfort arises to us of these two conjoined together.  If first we consider that the Lord jesus, for the love he bore to the glory of his father, and salvation of his brethren, voluntarily steps into our room, and in our name becomes obliged to his father, according to that notable prophesy. Psal. 40. 6. 7. which yet were a small thing were it not that the second follows, to wit, that the Father of his infinite wisdom finding out in Christ a way to preserve both the glory of his mercy, and justice, doth of his special love toward us, not only accept him, but ordain him to do the work of a mediator, imponing to him, that singular law of a redeemer, which was never imposed to man nor Angel, as we shall here hereafter.  
And here we learn how by most sure right the Lord jesus becomes ours, 
How Christ jesus is become ours in most sure manner.  to wit, by the surest right that can be, namely, the free gift of God, he is given for a Prince of salvation to us, according to these testimonies, both of Angels and men, speaking by inspiration of the holy Ghost. 
Luke 2. 11.  Unto you this day is borne in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 
joh. 3 16.  Again, God so loved the world, that he hath given his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish. 
1 Cor. 1. 30.  And again, Christ jesus is made unto us, of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Look then what way any other thing is ours, which most properly we may call ours, that same way Christ is ours; 
Namely by the free gift of God the Father.  namely by the free and sure gift of God. If we know, and believe this, we shall find it a most sure ground of comfort to uphold us in the hour of tentation. It is true, Gloriatio Ecclesiae, est omnis Christi actio: Every action of Christ is the Churches rejoicing and comfort, but what rejoicing shall we have in any of his actions, 
Except we know this we can have no comfort in any of Christ his actions.  if this ground be not first laid, that he is ours, and what he did he did it for us, and unto us? If he had not died for our sins, and risen for our righteousness, what could his death and resurrection have profited us? But here is the ground of all, that he is given unto us of the Father for a Saviour, whereunto most willingly he condescends, and for which work the spirit anoints him, so that now he is not another, nor a stranger to us, but our own, by divine ordination, ☜ and all that he does, is for us. These being premitted, we come now to the particular history of his Baptism, as it is set down by Saint Luke, Chap. 3. Ver. 21.  LUKE 3. 21. Now it came to pass, as all the people were baptized. 
WHat these people were, 
We read not in the Gospel of any Pharise converted but one.  you may understand out of the 7. Chap. ver. 29. 30. for there it is said, that the pharisees and expounders of the Law, despised the counsel of GOD, and would not come to be baptized of S. john. Here then comes poor Publicans, and sinners, and goes before them into the kingdom of God. There are many of every sort of people (as we may read) saved in the Gospel, but of pharisees we find none but one, namely, Nicodemus: no sort of men are further from the kingdom of God then proud iusticiars. 
For a soul filled with a conceit of the own righteousness is not capable of grace.  For as a vessel full of one liquor is not capable of another: so the soul which is filled with a vain conceit of her own righteousness, is not capable of the grace of Christ. Huiusmodi animum gratia non intrat, 
Ber. in Can. Ser. 67.  etc. Grace entereth not into such a soul, because it is full, neither doth grace find any place to dwell therein And again, Non est quo intret gratia ubi, etc. There is no place for grace to enter in, where merit hath possession: what thou attributest to merits is wanting to grace. I will none of that merit which excludes grace.  
But that the Lord jesus comes in among these poor people, 
That Christ comes to be baptized among sinners, shows his great love and rare humility.  it shows his wonderful love, and rare humility: his love, for to the end that he might help us, he would be like us, he assumed our nature, and in it abhorred not the company of poor sinners. Tu cum homo esses, deus esse voluisti, ut perires, ille cum esset deus, homo esse voluit: ut quod perierat, inveniret. Thou being a man didst presume to be as God, and so didst perish, but he being God, would become man, that he might save man who was lost. We see by experience, that if a man fall another cannot raise him, unless he bow himself down unto him, he that will stand in his stateliness can never raise up him who hath fallen before him, the Lord jesus that he might raise us, was content to bow down unto us, and like a Physician among patients, 
The second Adam takes a course flat contrary to the course of the first Adam.  so hath he his conversation among poor and miserable sinners.  
Thus by a course plain contrary to Adam's course doth the LORD JESUS remedy that evil, which Adam brought on himself, and his posterity: for Adam being in honour aspired foolishly to be like unto God, but he not only came short of that whereunto he reached, but lost that good also, which he had before. Then he was clad with the glorious Image of God, now hath he for a garment the skins of beasts, and being so busked, the folly of his presumption is checked and sore rebuked by the blessed Trinity, Ecce, Adam, factus est quasi unus ex nobis. But what the first Adam lost by his proud transgression, to himself and his children, the second Adam hath recovered, 
Mark what comfort by a contrary effect hath he brought unto us.  by his humble obedience: being equal with God, he is found in shape as a servant. Now man may rejoice and say, Ecce deus quasi unus ex nobis, behold God is as one of us. Now jesus is among sinners, Gnimmanuel, 
john 1.  God with us now the word is made flesh: now the tabernacle of GOD is with men: now God is come down, not in the likeness of men only, as they of Listra thought of Paul and Barnabas, 
Act. 14.  but clad with the very nature of man. Let us rejoice in this goodness of our God, for this cause is he among men, that he might raise us up, and set us among Angels in the heavenly places.  
Again it is said by Saint Matthew, 
How he that baptises with the spirit, seeks the Baptism of water from his own servant.  that jesus came to john, to be baptized of him; he might have sent for john, but he comes unto him: he who hath the Baptism of the holy Ghost to give unto all his brethren, doth now come, and seek the Baptism of water from one of his own servants. Why is this done? surely to recommend unto men the reverence of that ministry, 
This he did to recommend a reverence of that ministry ordained by him in his Church.  which GOD hath appointed in his Church: no conceit of thy greatness should make thee disdain it, since the son of God by his example before thee, hath honoured it. He would not teach and baptize the Eunuch by his spirit, he sent Philip to do it: he would not teach, and baptize Cornelius by an Angel, he sent Peter to do it: he would not baptize Paul by himself, suppose he converted him by himself, he sent Ananias to do it. It is an order established in his Church, by the foolishness of preaching to save them who believe: 
1 Cor. 1. 21.  now none can believe unless they hear, they cannot hear but by preaching, and none can preach, except they be sent: let it therefore content men to go to the base servants of CHRIST, in worldly things far inferior to themselves, and seek salvation by such means as God in his wisdom hath thought good to give it, or else be sure they shall never come near it.  
But now let us come and see why jesus is baptized, 
For three reasons was Christ our Lord baptized, when as he needed no washing, being the Lamb unspotted.  seeing he had neither sin to be forgiven, nor nature to be renewed. The reasons are many, but we will especially speak of three, the first is given by himself: for when john refused to baptize him, alleging he had more need to be baptized of him, he received this answer, let alone now, for it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness.  
As for the righteousness of the Law moral, 
First that he might fulfil a point of righteousness never required of any but of him.  he had fulfilled it perfectly from his youth: for he was the innocent Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, never guile was found in his mouth: But now he will say, there is more required of me then the performance of that common Law, given unto all men, there is the singular law of a redeemer, which yet I have to fulfil: a law never imposed to Angel nor man, 
The mystery of our redemption explained for our greater comfort.  but only to the son of God, Christ jesus; by which he was bound so to love his father, that he behoved to vindicate the glory both of his justice and mercy, and so to love his brethren, that he behoved to take the debt of their sins upon him, and satisfy his father's justice for them: this is it will our Saviour say, that high point of righteousness, which yet I have to fulfil, and for which I must be baptized, that by receiving of Baptism, I may become obliged to do that for my brethren, which they could not do for themselves: for as he that received circumcision, by that same very deed, 
Gal. 5. 3.  became bound to fulfil the whole law: so he who receives Baptism, becomes obliged to every condition of that covenant, whereof Baptism is a seal.  
That we may the better understand this, 
Two parts of the covenant of grace, both of them sealed by Baptism.  we are to know, that the covenant of grace, whereof BAPTISM is a seal, hath two parts in it, to wit, GOD'S part, and man's: GOD'S part of the covenant contains promises made to us of the remission of our sins, and renovation of our nature, comprised in this one word, I will be your God. Our part again contains promises made to God by us, of faith and obedience, comprised in this one word, we shallbe his people. Now as Baptism is a seal of God his part, 
As Baptism is a seal on God's part, promising us remission, Christ did not receive it.  confirming the promise of the remission of our sins, and renovation of our nature, under which two all other good things are comprehended, that way Christ our Saviour did not receive it for himself, seeing as I have said, he had neither sin to be forgiven, 
But as it is a seal of our part, promising to God obedience, that way he received it, that he might be bound in our name.  nor nature to be renewed: but as it is a sacrament of the resignation of ourselves to God, and a band, whereby we become obliged to be his, by acceptation of his badge, and mark upon us, that way Christ received it, that by accepting the seal of the promise, he might become obliged in our name, as our head, to fulfil that which we promised, but first behoved to be performed for us by himself, and at last shall in us all, by his grace, also be perfected. And so we see that sicut nobis natus est, ita etiam nobis baptisatus est, as he was not borne for himself, but for us, so was he not baptized for himself, but for us.  
Secondly he was baptized that he might sanctify Baptism to us, 
Christ jesus was baptized, to sanctify Baptism.  and give it authority to become a seal of grace unto us, ut nobis secundae nativitatis consecraret lavacrum, 
Beda.  and a laver of regeneration, as the Apostle calls it. He was washed saith Ambrose in the water of Iorden, 
Ambros. in Lu. Cap. 3.  non mundari volens, sed mundare, not to be made clean by water, but to make the water (wheresoever used to this purpose) clean, for so holy and heavenly a work, that Baptism being consecrated by him, might be an holy mean to consecrat us.  
It is true indeed that Constantine the great deferred his Baptism, till he might be baptized in Iorden, where our Lord was baptized, though by reason of sickness he was forced to receive Baptism elsewhere: but even as the Lord jesus by consecrating bread and wine which grew in Canaan, did thereby sanctify all bread, and wine, in any part of the world, to be a Sacrament of his body, and blood, it being used according to his institution, so by washing in the water of Iorden he hath sanctified water in any part of the world, to be a Sacrament of regeneration, and remission of our sins, if so be it be used according to his institution.  
And thirdly, 
Christ was baptized to seal up his fellowship with us.  he was baptized, to seal his fellowship and communion with us: that cognisance and badge▪ whereby he will have his soldiers and servants discerned from professed infidels, he first taketh it on himself, ut in nullo dissimilis esse● fratribus, ni●i solo peccato: That in no thing he should be unlike his brethren, except in sin alonely. And indeed it should be no small encouragement to us to fight under this badge in the spiritual warfare if we do consider how under this same badge, the Prince of our salvation did encounter with Satan and overcome him, as after shall be showed  
And prayed: 
Our Saviour received his baptism with Prayer. ] The Evangelist saith, that when our Saviour was baptized, he prayed, but what he prayed, he expresses not. Nevertheless, we may gather it out of other places of holy Scripture: wherein we shall find, that he prayed for himself, for his church, and for his enemies. Where if it be demanded, what needed our Saviour to pray for himself, seeing he is very God; the answer is ready, that he is also very Man: and as man had his own fears, dolours, and griefs, proceeding from the sense of the heavy burden of sin, 
How is it that our Saviour did pray for himself?  not his own sin, I say, for he knew no sin, but of our sin, which was laid upon him. As also from the sense of that fearful wrath due to sin; for strength, and comfort against these he prayed to his Father, as witnesseth the Apostle, that in the days of his flesh, 
Heb. 5. 7.  he offered up prayers, and supplications, crying, and tears, to his Father, and was heard also in that which he feared. Which, as we see in the Gospel he did before his Passion, so now before his entry to the work of our redemption; a work greater than the work of our first Creation; for now he hath to satisfy the justice of his Father; to work the confusion of Satan; and to effectuate the salvation of his brethren. And therefore in the entry of this great work he prays, no doubt, for an happy success thereof, and as it is evident by the answer he receives from heaven, he was heard in that which he prayed for.  
And in this also our Saviour learns us by his example to sanctify all our actions with prayer. 
Our Lord by his example teacheth us to sanctify all our actions by Prayer.  When he was baptized, he prayed: when he was tempted he prayed: when he broke bread, he prayed: when he wrought miracles, he prayed: when he was troubled in the garden, he prayed: when he suffered on the Cross, he prayed. As Isaac's marriage could not but prosper, because it was begun with the prayer of Abraham his Father, prosecuted with the prayer of Eliezar his Servant, and finished with his own prayer: so can it not fail, but a blessing must be upon those honest actions which are begun, 
Actions, suppose they be good without prayer, are like bodies without spirits.  continued, and accomplished with prayer: where otherwise, even those actions which in themselves are good to the doer, can not be good, where they are done without prayer. Vere novit recte vivere, qui recte novit or are: He knoweth truly how to live well, who knoweth how to pray well. But best actions without prayer, which obtains grace to them, are like bodies without spirits: yea, as the body without breathing cannot live to do any work competent to a Natural life: so the soul without prayer, can do no work, that truly is Spiritual. Therefore said Macarius, that continuance in prayer was, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Macar. hom. 40.  the head of every good purpose, & the crown of every right, and honest action.  
But here we are to be warned, 
Continuance required in Prayer.  that we content not ourselves, with the shadow of prayer, in steed of the substance thereof; where we are to take heed of these two things: First, that our prayer be not by starts, without making of conscience whether it be or not, but we must continue & persevere in prayer, remembering, he that sows sparingly, shall reap sparingly: 
Fervency and attention in Prayer.  Secondly, that our prayer be not outward, but inward, made with fervency of spirit, and attention of the mind, remembering he is the God of the spirits of all flesh, with whom thou hast to speak in prayer. It is a godly Meditation of Chrisostomes', 
Chris. in Math. hom. 25.  that as a man who seeks a thing which he hath lost in his house, seeks it with such affection, that he forgets all other things; yea, he seeth not those things that are afore him, so fain is he to see that which he is seeking, even such should be the disposition of a Christian, so earnestly desiring mercy, and grace from God, that till he find it, no other thing be in his mind to distract him from seeking it.  
And unto this continuance and fervency in prayer, it should greatly encourage us, that now we see after our saviours prayer the heavens are opened, showing us the great virtue of prayer: if we pray in his name, if we send it up like incense, perfumed with his merit, flowing from faith in him, it opens heaven unto us, & brings us back a favourable answer. Oratio justi clavis est coeli, 
Aug.  ascendit precatio, & descendit dei miseratio. When our Saviour prayed on Mount Tabor, than was he transfigurated, and his countenance changed: when Peter prayed in the top, or platform, of Simon the Tanner's house, in joppes, than did he receive in a trance the heavenly vision: 
The comfortable effects of prayer.  when Daniel prayed, than the Angel appeared to him: when the Disciples prayed, than the holy Ghost descended upon them: such is the virtue of prayer, 
Prayer is the first step of our ascension to God with jesus Christ.  that by it, not only do the heavens open unto men, and out of their treasure send down necessary blessings and consolations to them; but men are also transported and carried up into heaven, and so begin to practise the first degree of their ascension with Christ, for as by newness of life they rise with Christ, partakers of the first resurrection: 
Reu. 20. 6  so by prayer they ascend with Christ, partakers of the first ascension; which is unto them an undoubted pledge of the ascension both of their souls and bodies hereafter. For, if while they are in the body, they get access to the throne of grace many a time, and find heaven opened unto them, how much more when they are separate from the body, shall they find the same. And therefore let us take great delight in this heavenly, and most profitable exercise of Prayer.  

That the heavens were opened.  
HItherto we have heard the first point of Christ his consecration to the office of the Mediator: 
Follows how the Father not only accepts his Son in our room, but ordains him to do the work of a Redeemer unto us.  Wherein we have seen how by receiving the Sacrament of baptism, he did willingly take our debt upon him, and bind himself to make satisfaction to his father's justice for it. Now follows the second, how the Father not only accepts the Son, becoming debtor for us: but also ordains him to do the work of a Redeemer unto us, and to this same effect anoints him, and publicly proclaims and declares him in this great assembly at jordaine, to be that only high Priest, and peacemaker, by whom atonement is made between God, and man.. Let us join these grounds of comfort together, and we shall see what a strong fortress of faith, they make up unto us. Since the Father hath given us Christ for a Redeemer: 
See what a strong bulwark of consolation is here.  Since the Son hath voluntarily aboliged himself, to do the work of our Redemption. 
☜  Since the holy Ghost hath anointed him to this same effect: may we not now say GOD is with us, who can be against us? Let Satan calumniate; let infidelity, call in question: we see whom we have believed. Our salvation is more sure, then that the powers of hell are able to disannul it.  
But here we have to consider, 
Three ways doth the father bear witness to his Son.  how by three sundry strong testimonies, God the father witnesseth the willing acceptation of his Son, to this great office of the Messiah, which now is committed unto him. First, by the opening of the heavens: Secondly, by the sending down of the holy Ghost, in a visible shape upon him: Thirdly, by an audible voice from heaven, proclaiming him to be that beloved Son of God, in whom the Father is well pleased.  
The first than is the opening of the heavens, 
First, by the opening of the heavens.  by which visible sign is plainly declared, that jesus Christ is he, by whom man hath access to the Throne of grace: the first Adam for his transgression, was cast out of earthly paradise, but by the humble obedience of the second Adam, the heavens are opened unto us, & we are advanced to an estate, as far exceeding Adam's best estate in paradise, as the second Adam is more excellent than the first: what was figured by the Ladder of jacob, 
Ephe. 1. 10.  is now performed by jesus: for by him, things which are in heaven and in earth, are now gathered together into one: by him, Angels come down and do service unto men; by him, men go up to the Father, to worship him. Whereof God willing, we shall speak more at large hereafter.   

And the holy Ghost came down in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him.  
THe second way whereby the Father bears witness unto him, 
Secondly, by sending the holy Ghost, on him in the similitude of a Dove.  is as you see, by sending down the holy Ghost upon him, in the similitude of a Dove; whereby his unction, which in itself is spiritual, and could not be perceived, was represented & notified unto all the people: for he was not anointed with any material oil, but with the oil of gladness, according to that prophesy: The spirit of the Lord is upon me, 
Esa. 61. 1.  therefore hath the Lord anointed me, he hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, etc.  
Where for removing of all doubts that may here arise, we must understand that Christ's unction, 
Two things considered in the unction of Christ.  hath in it these two things: the first is, a separating and designing of him to the work of a Mediator; 
The separating or designing of him to the work of a Redeemer.  & this part extends to the whole person of Christ jesus, God, and man.. Now in this action of designation, albeit, the three persons of the blessed Trinity concur, and so jesus be both the designer, and the person designed: yet because the father is first in order, this action is ascribed to him, for him hath the father sealed. 
joh. 6. 1.   
The other part of this unction, is the communicating of the graces of the Spirit unto him: 
The communication of grace sufficient for that work unto him.  and this is extended only to his human nature, so that albeit it be true, that our Saviour was anointed in both his Natures, because he is our Mediator not in any one of them, but in both: yet we must remember the difference, that his anointing in respect of the divine Nature imports only the separating, 
Christ's unction, in regard of his divine Nature.  and designing of the second Person of the Trinity, to work the work of man's Redemption. 
Athanas. de Incar. verbi.  Illius enim opus erat nos restituere, qui ab initio, cum n●n essemus, nos condidit. Nec poterat alius renovare in nobis abolitam dei imaginem, nisi patris imago: For it was his work to restore and redeem us, who from the beginning created us, when we were not, and had no being. Neither could any other restore the image of God blotted out in us, but the image of the Father, that is to say, his Son Christ.  
But his anointing in respect of his human Nature, 
Christ's unction in regard of his human Nature.  imports also the communication of the graces of the holy Spirit unto him, not in measure, as his brethren receives them, but above all measure: for in number he had all graces of the spirit, he wanted none; and next he had every one of them in the full degree: in which respects the Spirit was never communicated unto any, but to jesus Christ alonely.  
Thus we understand how jesus was anointed; 
Here we have the manifestation of Christ's unction.  which unction is not here first made, as if before this he had not been endued with the holy Ghost: for we believe that he was conceived of the holy Ghost; but here is the first declaration, and public manifestation to the world, by a visible sign of the fullness of grace communicated to him, for the doing of this great work, whereunto he is now ordained: and this is done partly for the confirmation of john, who albeit he knew that Christ was come, yet he knew not who he was, till by this token given of God, Christ was pointed out unto him, for so he witnesss himself. And I knew him not, 
john 1. 33.  but he that sent me to baptize with water said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the spirit come down, and tarry still on him, that is he, which baptizeth with the holy Ghost: and partly also for instruction of the people, that by this signs seen of them all, they might know who he was, whom shortly after the audible voice from heaven, proclaimed to be the Son of God.  
And that the holy Ghost descends upon him at this time in the similitude of a Dove, and not in the similitude of fire, 
Why the Spirit descends in the similitude of a Dove, and not of fire.  as thereafter he descended upon the Apostles, it is to declare unto us, both what he is in himself, as also what sort of creatures true Christians are made by his grace.  
As for himself, 
To show his love and meekness toward poor penitent sinners.  he is a meek Saviour: not terrible to penitent sinners, but loving and comfortable, ye shall find that of all those who in the Gospel came to seek mercy, and grace, from him, never one was rejected, but all of them lovingly received, and sent away with a comfortable answer: for it was prophesied of him, that he should not break the bruised Reed, 
Mat. 12. 20.  nor quench the smoking Flax; and no marvel that he was kind to his own, for he was meek toward his very enemies: He prayed for them on the cross, when they were persecuting him to the death, and when his Disciples would have had him bring fire from heaven, to burn the Samaritans, because they held him at the Ports of their city: he gave them this answer: 
Luk. 9 52. 53.  ye know not of what spirit ye are, the Son of man is not come to destroy, but to save.  
The Law was given with fire, 
The law was proclaimed with terror, not so the Gospel.  and thunder, with tempest, blackness, and darkness, in so terrible a manner, that Moses himself did quake for fear: but jesus the Mediator of the new Testament, when he comes to proclaim the Gospel (a doctrine of the joyful tidings of man's salvation) he comes not in a terrible manner: Neither to accuse nor convict of sin, nor to trouble and torment the conscience for sin, for that is the operation of the Law; but as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, 
john 1. 29  he cries peace to the conscience within, of every poor penitent sinner, 
Christ cures his patients by anointing them.  that believes in him: he is such a Physician as being himself anointed of the Lord, he cures his patients, not by burning, or cutting, or by any such hard medicine, but only by anointing them, than the which no gentler kind cure can be. Whatsoever bitterness was in that potion that heals the deadly disease of sin, he drank it himself, and wonderful it is; the Physician drinks the potion, and the Patient is healed. 
☜  And therefore let not penitent and believing sinners fear to go near him.  
And as he is in himself, 
With this same meekness he endues all that are his.  such makes he those who are his, he endues them with the properties of the Dove, he learns them simplicity, lowliness and meekness. As the elect of God, they put on tender mercy, 
Col. 3. 12.  kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and long suffering: but where there is yet bitterness, 
Ephe. 4. 31.  anger, wrath, evil speaking, and maliciousness, by which, after the manner of ravening birds, men devour one another: it is an evident argument that such were never as yet renewed by by the grace of Christ jesus.   

And there was a voice from heaven, saying: Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.  
THe third way, by which the Father beareth witness unto Christ, 
By an audible voice from heaven.  is by an audible voice from heaven: where we have to consider not only the testimony itself, but the circumstances that go before it: as, namely who gives the testimony, 
Three things considered in this testimony.  God the Father: in what manner it is given, by an audible voice: and from what place, from heaven.  
As for the first, the author of this testimony may be collected out of the words, 
The author of it, to wit, God the Father.  to be God the Father: the Son comes to make the Father known unto the world, for no man knows the Father but the Son. 
joh. 1. 18.  No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him: and the Father again makes the Son known unto the world, by the holy Ghost: for even john Baptist, though the greatest Prophet among the children of women, knew not this Son of God, till the Father, as we said, pointed him out unto him.  
Here then for our further comfort we have to consider, 
How the three persons of the blessed Trinity, concur to the work of our Redemption.  how the three persons of the blessed Trinity concur together, to work the great work of our redemption: for here is the father designing, ordaining, proclaiming: here is the Son accepting, and the holy Ghost anointing: these three wrought conjunctly the work of our first creation: in the beginning of Genesis, mention, suppose obscure, is made of them, by a name Plural, Elohim, expressing the Trinity of persons, and a verb singular, Bara, expressing the unity of their Nature, and conjunct operation. But here a more clear and distinct mention is made of the three persons, 
This comforts us against the fear of Satan's power, and our weakness.  yet all working one work, and that for our comfort, that we considering who it is, hath taken in hand to work the work of our salvation, should neither be discouraged, for the power and malice of our spiritual adversary, that withstands it; neither yet for our own manifold wants, and infirmities, for that grace which jesus hath received, is not for himself, but for us; that, as saith the Evangelist, of his fullness we might all receive grace for grace: 
john 1. 16.  which was figured in that ointment, 
Psal. 133. 2  poured on the head of Aaron, it rested not there, but went down to the borders of his garments: even so the grace communicated to Christ, flows from him to the smallest member of his mystical body, in such measure, as shall be sufficient, to prepare and perfect them unto eternal life.  
The next circumstance contains the manner, 
The manner, to wit, by an audible voice from heaven.  by which this testimony is given, to wit, by an audible voice, such as all the people there present might hear, & understand. How this voice was sounded, is needless for us to inquire, the Lord who made the tongue, can speak without the tongue, and frame Organs of voice at his pleasure, by which he can proclaim his will, even to the ears of men, who without a voice cannot hear him. Thus the Lord both by his practice and precept hath declared, 
The Gospel should be preached in such a language as people may understand it.  that he will have his Gospel, which is a doctrine of Christ, preached to the whole world, clearly, distinctly, and in such a manner, as all may hear it: the practice we have here, the precept we have hereafter: for our Saviour commanded his Disciples, that what he told them in the ear, they should proclaim it on the tops of houses; & for this cause, 
Therefore Christ endued the Apostles with the gift of languages.  did the holy Ghost endue them with the gifts of tongues, that unto every people they might speak in their own language, otherwise one language had been sufficient for all people. Whereof it is evident, that they who deliver this doctrine, either by whispering, or muttering in the ear, or else in such a language as people do not understand, declare themselves not to be the Ambassadors of the God of heaven, neither following his practice, nor obeying his precept; but Locusts, proceeding from the smoke that comes out of the bottomless pit, by which Antichrist, that fallen Star, endeavours to obscure both the Sun, and the Air, knowing that the vantage of his kingdom stands in darkness.  
The third circumstance is of the place, 
The place from which the testimony is given.  from which this testimony is given, to wit, from heaven: whereof first we learn that the doctrine of the Gospel is heavenly doctrine, not written by nature in the heart of man, as is the law, but heavenly and supernatural, bred in the bosom of God; proceeding from the deep of God his infinite wisdom, 
This lets us see first, that the Gospel is a heavenly doctrine.  which no creature, neither Angel, nor man, by the light of Nature could ever have imagined, if the Lord from heaven had not revealed it; and therefore even the Angels notwithstanding they be secundaria lumina, 
Nazian.  next unto God, Spirits of greatest light, and understanding, are said to admire this mystery of the Gospel, 
1. Pet. 1. 12  desirous to behold those things, which are taught in the Church concerning it.  
Secondly, 
Secondly, the majesty and dignity of the Gospel.  the majesty & dignity of the Gospel, is here recommended unto us; the Law was given on earth, proclaimed from the top of Mount Sinai: yet, every transgression, and disobedience thereof received a just recompense of reward, 
Heb. 2. 2.  how then shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be preached by the Lord, and afterward was confirmed to us by them that heard him?  
And again we are warned, See ye despise him not that speaks, 
Heb. 12. 25  for if they escaped not, who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him, that speaks from heaven.  
And thirdly, 
Thirdly, no way to bring a man to heaven, but by the faith of the Gospel.  the proclaiming of this doctrine from heaven, as likewise the opening of the heavens, at the first proclamation of it, is to teach us that there is no way, whereby man may learn a ready way to heaven, but by this doctrine of the Gospel, which is come from heaven. Pitiful then is the blindness of worldlings, to whom heaven is opened, and offered by the Gospel: but they will not so much as look upon it, but like those unclean beasts in the Law, do creep, with all four, upon earth, seeking the fatness of the earth for their portion, more miserable than those jews to whom regress was offered to Canaan, 
Miserable worldlings who have heaven opened, but they love the earth better.  but they would not come out of Chaldee: for love of earth, they little esteemed heaven, and therefore justly shall they be deprived of both; the heavens shall not be opened to them to receive them, and their place on earth shall shortly deny them; yea, the earth shall open her mouth, and swallow them; as unworthy to live upon earth, who rejoiced not at this grace of the Gospel, by which the heavens were opened unto them.   

Thou art my beloved Son.  
THe circumstances being permitted; 
A short sum of the Gospel.  now follows the testimony; which may be called, Contractum evangelium: for it contains the sum of the Gospel; first concerning his Person, and next his Office.  
The first, 
How jesus Christ in a singular manner is the Son of God.  we have in these words: Thou art that Son of mine, that beloved, for so the Article imports: Thus the Father speaks of him, to distinguish him from other sons, and other beloved; the Father hath many beloved sons, but none like Christ; he is not the Son of God by creation, as Adam and the Angels; nor by Adoption, as regenerate men are; but he is the Son of God by essential generation, as also by the grace of personal union, that is, as he is the second person of the blessed Trinity; he is the Son of God, by essential generation; 
And that in regard both of his divine Nature.  for the Father begat him from all eternity, by a full and whole communication of his essence unto him, in a manner most marvelous, and unspeakable: and therefore rather to be adored by us, then inquired, and searched out. Again, as man is the Son of God in a most special manner; 
As also in regard of his human.  for he had no man for his Father, but his human Nature was made and form by the holy Ghost, and this Nature thus form, he hath joined, and united unto the divine Nature of Christ, that so in his person it might have the being, and subsistence: And thus the Lord jesus being one Person, in whom are two Natures, in respect of them both, and of their union, in most marvelous manner, is the Son of God.  
Now, 
This doctrine of Christ confirmed unto us by most notable testimonies.  because Satan who durst call it in doubt to the Son of God himself, whether, or not he were the Son of God; will far less spare to call it in doubt unto us: let us oppose against all his blasphemies, this notable testimony of God, proclaimed by an audible voice from heaven, at the baptism of Christ, and repeated again on Mount Tabor, at his transfiguration, as they have reported unto us, who heard it with their ears, for so witnesss not only S. john, in the first Chapter of his first Epistle, but most clearly, S. Peter, in his second Epistle, and first Chapter. 
By Apostles.  We followed not deceivable fables, when we opened unto you the power, and coming of our Lord jesus, but with our eyes we saw his Majesty, for he received of God the Father, honour, and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice we heard, when it came from heaven, being with him on the holy Mount. 
By Angels.  The Angels in like manner bare witness unto him, and many thousands of his Saints hath sealed the truth of this testimony with their blood. 
By the state of the jews.  The miserable estate of the jews, who since the day that they rejected him, and took his blood upon them, and their children, have ever been as vagabonds, and abjects in the world, proves the truth of this Gospel, which declares him the Son of God: yea, Satan himself, hath been forced to confess it as a truth, jesus thou Son of God, 
Mat. 8. 29.  why art thou come to torment us before the time?  
But beside all those, 
By the Prophets.  we have as saith S. Peter, a most sure word of the Prophets, 
1. Pet. 9  to which we shall do well to take heed: for if we well consider, how all those things which the Prophets of old prophesied, were to be done by the Messia, are all accomplished in the person of Christ jesus, we shall find the word like a light shining in darkness, clearly declaring unto us, that jesus the Son of Mary, is the promised Messia.  
It was promised in Paradise, 
Gen. 3. 15.  that he who should trample down the head of the Serpent, 
By consent of the old testament with the new, declaring That he should be the Son of a Virgin  was to be the seed of the Woman: this was made clearer by Esay, that a Virgin should conceive a Son, whose name should be Emmanuel: how this was fulfilled, S. Matthew records, 
Esay 7. 14.  showing how that when Mary was betrothed to joseph, 
Mat. 1. 18.  before they came together, she was found with child of the holy Ghost. Micah 
Mich. 5. 2.  foretold that out of Bethleem, should come that ruler in Israel: 
That he should be borne in Bethleem.  whose goings forth hath been from the beginning, and everlasting. Now that Christ was borne in Bethleem, 
Math. 2. 1.  is evident out of the Evangelists. 
Hos. 11. 1.  Hosea fore-prophesied, 
Called out of Egypt.  that he should be called out of Egypt. And S. Matthew witnesses, 
Mat. 2. 17.  that when Herode sought jesus to destroy him, the Angel of the Lord appearing to him in a dream, commanded him to flee unto Egypt, that it might be fulfilled, saith he, which was spoken of the Lord, by the Prophet: Out of Egypt have I called my Son. 
Mal. 3. 1. & 4. 5.  Malachy foretold, that a messenger should be sent before the Messia, to prepare his way, whom after that, he calls Eliah the Prophet: Who should be, 
Esay 40. 3.  said Esay, a crying voice in the wilderness; Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make strait, in the desert, a path for our God: every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain made low. How this was fulfilled, S. Luke witnesses: 
Luke 1. 17. & 3. 3.  for john Baptist came before the Lord jesus, in the spirit and power of Eliah, and he cried in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, and make strait his paths. Again, it was foretold by Esay, that he should begin his preaching in Galilee: 
He began his preaching in Galilee.  And so indeed witnesss S. Matthew, 
Esay 9 1.  that when jesus heard that john was delivered to prison, 
Mat. 4. 12.  he returned into Galilee, and leaving Nazareth, he went and dwelled in Capern●um, which is near the sea, in the borders of Zabulon, and Nephtalim, 
Specially in the sea borders of Zabulon and Nephtalim.  that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Esay: The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephtalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Iorden, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness, saw great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, light is risen up. In like manner it was spoken by Esay, 
Esay 55. 5.  that he should confirm his preaching with many miracles, 
He confirmed his preaching by miracles, as was prophesied.  as that the blind should see, and the deaf should hear, all which the Evangelists records, was performed by the Lord jesus. 
Zach. 9 9  Zacharie fore-prophesied, 
Mat. 21. 4.  that he should come riding to jerusalem on an Ass, 
He came riding to jerusalem on an Ass. Betrayed by his familiar friend.  which the Evangelists testitestifies was done. It was also foreshadowed in David his type and figure, that his own familiar friend, whom he trusted, 
Zach. 11. 13.  and did eat of his bread, 
He was sold for 30. pieces of Silver.  should lift up the heel against him▪ and that he should be sold for thirty pieces of silver, said Zacharie, with the which thereafter a potter's field should be bought; and so indeed was our Lord betrayed by his own Disciple judas, 
Math. 26. & 27.  and sold for thirty pieces of silver; 
With the which when it was cast again were bought a Potter's field.  which when he had cast again, to them that gave it to him, they bought with it a potter's field, to be a burial for strangers: and of his suffering Esay fore-prophefied, 
Esay 53. 12. & 53 5.  as if he had seen it, that he was counted among transgressors; that he was wounded for our transgressions, 
Counted among transgressors.  the chastisement of our peace laid upon him, & that with his stripes we are healed. 
Psal. 22. 17.  join with this the prediction of David, that they should pierce him hand, 
Psal. 22. 18.  and foot; and when they had crucified him, 
Psal. 69. 22.  they should scorn him, and nod their heads at him, saying, he trusted in the Lord, let him deliver him: 
He was pierced hand and foot, they cast lots on his garments, and gave him Vinegar to drink.  and again, that they should part his garments among them, and cast lots about his vesture, and should give him gall in his meat, and in his thirst vinegar to drink: all which the Evangelists record, most clearly to have been accomplished, in the Passion of jesus Christ: for they executed him between two thieves, scourged him, 
He was buried in the grave of a rich man.  scorned him, and crucified him. Yea, more particularly also have they foretold, that he should lie in the grave of a rich man, 
Esay. 53. 9  that he should rise the third day, 
He rose the third day.  as was shadowed in his figure jonas, 
Psal 68 18.  that he should ascend on high, and lead captivity captive: 
He ascended on high.  all these with many more prophecies, forespoken of the Messias, concerning his person, his actions, his sufferings, his triumphant resurrection and ascension, as more particularly they are collected by Athanasius. 
Athanas de Incarna. verbi.  Since we see them so clearly fulfilled, in the person of jesus Christ, what remains, 
All these prophecies clearly accomplished in Christ proves him to be the promised Messia.  but that we close the mouth of Satan, and of our own infidelity, receiving this for an undoubted truth, which the Lord in this heavenly Oracle delivereth unto us: that this Christ jesus, the Son of Mary, is the Son of God, and that promised Messias, on whom all the Fathers since, the first beginning, fastened their hope, and of whom all the Prophets hath spoken, pointing him out, as it were with the finger, how he was to come to work the work of our salvation, which in all circumstances we see performed by him, as was prophesied by them, to our everlasting comfort.  
We might hereunto add some testimonies of the Gentiles, as of Mercurius Trismegistus, 
Lactan. justit. lib. 1. cap. 6.  little posterior in time to Moses: whose testimony Lactantius calls Divino simile, Divine-like, as likewise out of the Oracles of Sibillae, which were ten in number; so called, because they declared the counsels of God, quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and were by some of the Fathers accounted prophetesses of the Gentiles: for seeing the Lord jesus was to be sent into the world for salvation both of jews and Gentiles, it pleased the Lord long before his coming, to make signification thereof, not to the jews only, by Prophets raised up among themselves, but to the Gentiles also, who because they could not easily embrace the testimony of the jews, in a matter of religion, it pleased him, by their own Prophets, to make predictions, and descriptions of jesus Christ, that when they should come to pass, they might have no exception against them. And therefore is it that the heathen persecuting Emperors, stirred up with hatred by Satan, against the very name of Christians, the mystery whereof they no manner of way understood, nor yet would receive any light, that might bring them to the knowledge thereof, forbade the reading of their own Sibilline Oracles, 
justin. Mart. Orat. ad Anton. Pium.  and that because even their own prophecies, bare witness to the verity of Christian religion. But for the present, we content us with that most sure word of the Prophets, as S. Peter calls it, and rests in this heavenly Oracle, which the Father from heaven proclaimed, concerning his Son: Blessing the Lord our God, who hath opened unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in Christ. By whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to his rich grace. To him be praise and glory, for ever.  
Amen.    

THE COMBAT OF CHRIST WITH SATAN.  
Declaring a working power in our Redeemer, answerable to his vocation.  MATHEW 4. 1. 2. Then jesus was led aside of the Spirit, into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days, and forty nights, he was afterward an hungry. 
LONDON, Printed for john Budge. 1612.   

A TREATISE OF Christ his Temptation.  
WE are now come to the history of Christ his tentation, which being joined with the former two, whereof we have spoken, makes up unto us a complete doctrine of Christian comfort: for in his Genealogy, we have seen what manner a man Christ jesus is. In his Baptism we have learned, how he is become ours, and now in his temptation we see, how he begins to work the work of Satan's confusion, and our Redemption.  
Great joy was there in the camp of Israel, when they saw that David overcame Goliath, cast him to the ground, and cut off his head, for he was a dreadful enemy, he had reviled the host of the living God, and none of Saul his warriors durst encounter with him. But greater joy should be in our hearts, when we see how our David in this singular combat, fights with spiritual Goliath hand to hand, and overcomes him; who ever since the creation hath been a shameless blasphemer of the everliving God, and an spiteful enemy of all true Israelites. In this first combat the Son of God casts him down: In the last combat which he fights with him, on the cross, he bursts his head. Satan tempting the first Adam in Paradise, overcame him, and so carried him away and his posterity, in a fearful captivity, and bondage: but the second Adam suffering temptation by Satan in the wilderness, overcomes him, and by a more glorious victory than Abraham had over Chedarlaomer, doth he recover his own Lots, from the power of this enemy.  
In all we have three points here to be treated of: 
Three things to be considered in it.  first, the circumstances premitted: Secondly the combat itself, consisting of a threefold assault, made by Satan, with their several repulses, given by our Lord: Thirdly, the event, and issue thereof.  
The circumstances premitted are six: 
Circumstances going beforeit, six in number.  First, the time, which is declared to have been immediately after his Baptism: Secondly, the place, expressed to be the wilderness: Thirdly, the motion, by which he is carried thither, to wit, by the spirit: Fourthly, the person who is tempted; namely, jesus, full of the holy Ghost: Fiftly, the tempter, named here the Devil: Last of all, the occasion of the temptation, which is said to be CHRIST his hunger, after that he had fasted fotty days. As for the time it is noted to have been immediately after his baptism: 
The time of Christ his temptation is first noted.  he had lived twenty nine years a private man, and all that time we read not that Satan tempted him; but now when he comes out in public to do the work of a Redeemer, for the glory of God, and good of his brethren, he is assaulted of Satan with all his might.  
Whereof it is evident, 
Persons in high callings subject to greatest temptations, if they be faithful in them.  how Satan intends his greatest malice against them, who are set up into those high callings, in the which greatest good may be done, to the glory of God, and salvation of others: So was it with Moses, so long as he lived a private life, he lived a peaceable life: but when he came forth to be a deliverer of his brethren, from their bondage in Egypt, then was he persecuted by Pharaoh: So also with David, in his private calling he had quietness; but from the time that he had once begun to work the deliverance of Israel, by the slaughter of Goliath, and was anointed King by Samuel, for the greater benefit of that people: then did Satan stir up Saul against him, who hunted him like a Partridge, through the fields and mountains of Israel. The like also may be seen in the Apostle S. Paul, in Sosthenes, and many others. As trees on the tops of hills are object to every wind; so persons in a high calling, if in a good conscience they labour to discharge it, shall find themselves on every side compassed with temptations.  
Neither is it so only with those that are set up in more eminent callings, 
Such as gives their names to Christ, let them look to be tempted of Satan.  but with every Christian also: what malice Satan practised against the head, that same will he practise against the members. So soon as our Lord was borne, so soon was he persecuted by Herod: so soon as he was baptized, so soon was he tempted by Satan; thus as saith chrysostom, 
In Math. hom. 7.  ab ipfis vitae initiis ad tentationes praeparam●r: 
Macar. hom. 47.  then we see that even in the cradle our Lord began to bear the cross, and no sooner we are borne by regeneration to be his, but so soon without further delay, doth Satan set upon us with all his might, like a new Pharaoh, pursuing Israel, to see if he can reduce us to his former servitude, and bondage.  
And this I mark for the comfort of weak and young Christians, 
A comfort for young Christians who after their conversion are exercised with unaccustomed temptations.  who after their conversion find themselves troubled with great temptations, wherewith before they were not acquainted, let them know that it is a cursed peace, to be at peace with Satan, and give thanks to God, who now hath put them in an enmity with him: for thereby they may know they are none of his; but are called to a fellowship and communion with Christ, Diabolus enim non persequitur nisi bonos, 
Aug. de Temp. just. 58.  Satan pursues none but good men, such as hathcast off his yoke: as for the wicked what needs he to pursue them, seeing he possesses them? yea, so far is he from tempting them, that he uses them as his instruments, to tempt others: and therefore let us not be discouraged, but rather confirmed, when we find ourselves tempted by Satan.  
The second circumstance is of the place, 
The place of the combat is next set down.  noted here to be the wilderness: Wherein two things we observe, one in the person of the Adversary; letting us see how he is a restless tempter, sparing no place, not Paradise, nor the wilderness, in the Temple, ubique insidiatur homini, 
Aug. de Temp. 77.  every where he lies in wait for us: neither can we go our way. Wherein he hath not his snares laid before us: 
Ambros.  multi laquei quacunque progredimur, there be many snares wheresoever we go, 
In every piece Satan hath his snare spread out for temptation.  our way on earth, being like the way of Israel, wherein lurks many fiery Serpents to sting us, that hurts us many time before we can perceive them: none of all the children of God, but they have marked this in their own experience, for where is the place, wherein we have not been tempted; yea, wounded by this subtle serpent, and almost slain to the death; if mercy and grace had not come in from God to succour us? The remedy is that we suspect this adversary in every place wherein we come, walking as the Apostle commands us circumspectly, and with fear and trembling: ever looking up for grace, to keep us we fall not into his snare, at least we perish not in it.  
The other thing to be observed here, 
In this combat our Lord gives the Adversary vantage of the place, and why?  is the person of our Lord, who overthrows Satan in so victorious a manner, that no exception can be made against it; for in that Nature which Satan once had overcome doth he encounter with him, and gives him also the vantage of place. Satan tempted the first Adam in Paradise, which was the place in all the world, wherein he should have been strongest to resist the Devil, considering that in it he had very many tokens of Gods great goodness toward him, ever before his eyes; yet in it Satan overcame him: But the second Adam to recover this loss, encounters with Satan in the wilderness, a place of all other in the world, meetest for Satan to tempt a man in; specially to desperation. Thus we see, quemadmodum suis nodis praeiudi●ia resoluantur, 
Ambros in Luke 4. Nazian. Orat. 21. Apologel.  & suis divina beneficia vestigiis reformentur: for the first Adam tempted by Satan, was driven from Paradise to the wilderness, but the second Adam by suffering himself to be tempted of Satan, brings home the first again from the wilderness into Paradise: thus doth he follow the Adversary, as it were, foot by foot, confounding him in all those means, by which before over man he made his conquest.  
The third circumstance is, 
The third circumstance, he is led into the wilderness by motion of the spirit.  that our Lord was led into the wilderness by the motion of the spirit, to wit, that same spirit which before descended on him at Iorden; and wherewith here he is said to have been filled, and replenished. Of this we learn that temptations comes not by accident, 
Temptations are ordered by divine dispensation.  or chance, but are ordered by divine dispensation: In our weakness ofttimes we conceit of our temptations, as if they came to us by the will of Satan: but in very truth it is not so, he is indeed a roaring Lion, but the Lord have bound him in chains, and without the bounds of his chain he cannot go, roar as he will, he is not able to approach unto us, nor move any temptation against us, but as he is a licensed of the Lord, 
Ber. in Psal. qui habit at Ser. 13..  est quidem leo rugiens, sed gratias ago magno illi leoni de tribu juda, rugire iste potest, ferire non potest: he is indeed a roaring Lion, but I give thanks unto the great Lion of the Tribe of judah, he may roar, but he cannot strike me.  
It is therefore good to remember in our temptations, 
Three notable comforts in temptation.  these three things: First, that it is the Lord who takes us by the hand, and enters us within the lists to fight in his name, hand to hand with Satan, as here our Lord is led by the spirit to be tempted: Secondly, that the Lord measures our temptations, and will not suffer us to be tempted above our power: And thirdly, that wheresoever he lead us, he goes with us, not as a spectator only to behold us, which should also greatly encourage us, that we fight under the eye of our King, but as an actor also fight in us; helping our infirmities, and strengthening our weakness, by his grace: and therefore how ever our Adversary be like a mighty terrible Goliath, yet should we not be afraid to go forth against him in the name of the Lord our God.  
In the fourth circumstance we have to consider the Person, 
The fourth circumstance is of the person tempted.  who is tempted, to wit, jesus, full of the holy Ghost. In regard of his nature, he is very man, and so he behoved to be, that he might overcome the Adversary of man, alioqui just victus non fuisset: 
Theodoret. dial. 2. cap. 26.  otherwise, he had not been wholly conquered, but in regard of the quality of his Nature, perfectly holy, and fully sanctified: so full of the holy Ghost, that not so much as a contrary motion of evil could enter into him, no more than liquor can be conveyed into a vessel, which is full already: and this is it, which our Saviour testifies in another place; The prince of this world cometh, 
joh. 14. 30.  and hath nothing in me.  
It is true that john the Baptist, 
Never any full of the holy Ghost as Christ jesus was.  and Stephen the first Martyr, are also said to have been full of the holy Ghost; but that is spoken either in comparison of themselves, who at sometime were more filled with grace, then at another: for in all the godly the Spirit hath his own intention and remission; or else in comparison of themselves, with other men. But as for Christ jesus, it is his singular privilege, that he received the spirit above, and beyond all measure, that of his fullness all his Saints and servants might receive grace for grace, every one a portion in their own measure: whereof it comes to pass, that there being in most holy men, a great vacuity and emptiness; room is made for Satan to enter in, and work upon the corruption he finds there, but in the Lord jesus it is not so.  
But here two things further are to be considered: first, how could Christ be tempted, there being, as I have said, no corruption in him, 
Sundry sorts of temptations.  whereupon any temptation could work: and secondly, for what causes was he tempted. For resolution of the first, we are to consider the sundry sorts of temptations, there is one whereby man tempts God: this is expressly forbidden, 
God tempteth man, and is tempted of man.  as we will show hereafter; one whereby GOD tempts man, so the Lord tempted Abraham, and he is said also to have tempted the Israelites; as, for that which S. james saith, 
Deut. 13.  that God tempts no man; we must know that there is, 
Aug. in joan. tract. 43.  tentatio quae probat, & tentatio quae decipit: a temptation which proveth, and a temptation which deceiveth. 
One man tempts an other: these sin after the similitude of Satan.  By the first of these only the Lord tempts, but never by the second. There is also a temptation, whereby one man tempts another to snare him, or manifest some weakness in him; so the Herodians and pharisees tempted Christ: and this is common to all the wicked men of the world, that not content to do evil themselves, they delight also to tempt others to evil. Let such remember that this is to sin after the similitude of Satan, who not content to rebel against GOD himself, tempted man also to the same rebellion with him: and therefore may they look to be punished, after the similitude of his condemnation: and last of all, there is a temptation, 
Satan tempteth man.  by which Satan tempts man, plain contrary to that which is ascribed to the Lord; for it is not to make man better, nor to manifest any goodness that by grace is in him, but ever to snare him: for which cause the temptations of God are compared to fanning, that drives away the chaff and dust, and so fines the corn: but Satan's temptations are compared to sifting, that lets away the good, but keeps still the worst. 
The temptations of Christ were external only, and could not enter into him.   
Now to return to the question; we must know that the temptations of Christ, in this do differ from the temptations of Adam, and all other men in the world; that his were only external, that is, such as Satan presented by external voices and objects to his ear and eye; but could never carry any further, for incontinent the Lord jesus discerned the vanity of them, by the perfect light of his mind, and instantly repelled them, by the unchangeable holiness of his will; so that he was not so much as affected or moved with them; far less infected, by consenting unto them, and in this, as I said, he far excels, the first Adam, and all his posterity.  
For as for our first Parents Adam and Eva, 
It was far otherwise with Adam and Eva.  in that first onset Satan made upon them, by presenting external objects to their eyes, and voices to their ears, he incontinent fastened his sting into them, by reason that they howsoever made holy; yet being mutable, were easily affected with his allurements, and so wounded by him: but the second Adam, being perfect, and unchangeable in holiness, was in such sort tempted, that he was not, nor could not be perverted, no more than the most stable rocks of the Sea are moved, or removed by the raging waves thereof.  
Whereof great comfort redounds unto us, 
The salvation conquest, by the second Adam, cannot be lost to any of his members.  who now by grace are the generation of the second Adam, and bears his image; as by Nature we were the sons of the first Adam, and did carry also his image. What the first Adam had by creation, he received it not for himself only, but for his posterity also: if he had kept it for himself, he had kept it to them also; and when he lost it to himself, he lost it to his posterity: And the second Adam, the Lord jesus, in like manner, that stock of life in whom, by grace we are grafted, and of whom only, we as Christians have our beginning and being; what he hath received as Mediator from his Father, 
Comfort.  he received it not for himself, but for his brethren, that he might conquer, communicate, and conserve unto us a most sure salvation: for so long as he who have obtained it, cannot lose it, so long we are sure it cannot be lost unto us, seeing of him, and in him we possess it.  
And as for Adam's posterity, 
Our temptations are not external only, but chiefly internal.  now since the fall, our estate is so much by Nature the more miserable, that our greatest temptation comes from our inward corruption, so that albeit there were no external tempter to tempt us with objects of sin, presented to our eyes and ears: yet we are tempted of our own concupiscence within us. Tale quip est vitium malignitatis, 
Chris. in Math. hom. 7.  ut a nullo impulsa plerunque sese ipsa praecipitet: for such is the corruption of our wicked Nature, saith chrysostom, that although it be not moved or enforced by any other; yet it runneth headlong into sin; thus we are like unto a besieged city, that not only hath strong enemies without pursuing it, but in like manner false Traitors within, to betray it. Now have we seen how the temptations of Christ jesus do differ from adam's, and ours.  
The other thing in this circumstance that comes to be considered, 
The ends why Christ was temp.  is the ends for which our Lord humbles himself to be tempted of Satan: and those we shall see do most of all respect us; as for our cause he was in carnate, so for our cause he was tempted: all that he suffered in our Nature, are medicines to cure the infirmities of our nature.  
First, 
First that he might overcome our enemy in a just and lawful manner.  than he was content to be tempted by our enemy, that he might overcome our enemy, and that in so just, and lawful a manner, as against which the enemy could have no exception, for in man's nature he encountered with him, in a place convenient for Sathanin a state and condition most subject to temptation, wanting all necessaries for refreshment of his body, and having none to comfort him; and no doubt it did wonderfully astonish, and confound, that evil one, that having overcome so many since the beginning of the world, now he encounters with a man, over whom he hath so many apparent vantages, and against whom he assayed all his temptations, yet can he not any way fasten his sting in him.  
Secondly, 
Secondly, to let us see how Satan is a spiteful enemy of man's salvation.  to let us see what a spiteful enemy of man's salvation Satan is, for the hatred he bears to the glory of God, he hates man, made to the image of God, and doth all that he can to hinder his salvation. Non enim vult ut ibi simus, 
Aug. hom. 38.  unde ipse deiectus est: for he can not abide that man should be exalted to that place, from which for his sin he was dejected. If we could apprehend this, and take it to heart; what a deadly enemy Satan is unto us, and for what cause, it would encourage us to make stronger resistance to him then we do.  
Thirdly, 
Thirdly, that he might teach us how to fight with Satan.  he undergorth this temptation to teach us, his Servants and Soldiers, how to encounter with him, Pugnat Imperator, ut discant Milites: and therewithal to assure us, that if we will fight against him in the might of our Lord, it is possible, that we (clothed with this same nature) shall overcome him. Since the days of Adam Satan, by sin, hath wonderfully prevailed over men: none have escaped him without a wound; and many hath he slain unto the death: but now in the same nature, the Lord jesus wrestles with him, and overcomes him; 
Theodoret. dial. 1. cap. 28.  that so, radicitus evelleret desperationem ex natura a nostra; that he might pluck up desperation by the root, out of our nature.  
And fourthly, 
Fourthly, that he might comfort us in our temptations.  he humbled himself to suffer temptation, that by experience he might learn wherein the strength of Satan lieth; and so might be the more able to succour us in all temptations: 
Heb. 9 11.  For, we have not an High Priest, that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sin, and therefore is able sufficiently to have compassion on us.  
And, 
Lastly, that we should not apprehend our temptations to come from an angry God.  last of all, that we should not apprehend our temptations to come from an angry God, as commonly of our weakness we do: we see here, that the Lord jesus, who a little before, was proclaimed to be the Son of GOD, in whom the Father was well pleased, is now led by the Spirit of God, to be tempted of Satan.  
The fifth Circumstance is of him that tempteth, 
The fifth circumstance is of the person that tempteth.  called by S. Luke, the Devil; and, by S. Matthew, the Tempter: styles, both of them properly belonging to Satan: for, before him there was no tempter unto evil, nor yet after him, except such as are tempted by him: wherefore Augustine doth thus prettily describe him: Quid est diabolus? 
Aug. in Vigil. nativit. Dom. Ser. 4.  Angelus per superbiam à Deo separatus, à semetipso ceptus, alios decipiens, author mendacij, radix malitiae, caput scelerum, princeps omnium vitiorum: What is the Devil? 
Satan properly called a Tempter, and why.  He is an Angel, through his pride, separated from God, deceived by himself, deceiving others, the Father of lies, the root of malice, the chief head of all wickednesses, the Prince of all sins and vices. In tempting he is restless, sparing no time, no place, no person. It may truly be said of him, which without a reason Esau said of jacob; was he not justly called jacob? that is, a supplanter: for first he stole my Birthright, and now he would steal my blessing. Is not Satan justly called a Tempter? By our first Creation, we were made to the Image of God, and that Satan by tempting our parents, subtly stole from us; and now the blessing of God, in Christ the Redeemer, whereby he offers to advance us to a better estate then that wherein we were created, he laboureth by crafty temptations, to steal from us also. The Lord give us eyes to see his enmity against us, and hearts to resist him.  
But let us mark that he is called a Tempter, 
Satan a Commander of the wicked, a Tempter of the godly.  chiefly in respect of the godly: for in regard of the wicked, he is not so much a tempter, as a commander and possessor of them; 
Ephes. 2. 2.  he is the Prince of the air, that rules in the children of disobedience: They are already in the snare of the Devil, 
2 Tim. 2. 26  taken of him at his will. Worldlings count it strange to hear that any of God's children should be tempted by Satan, and think all well enough, if in word they can say, 
Carnal men in word despise Satan, but in deed do serve him.  I defy the Devil and all his works; but Satan cares not how thou despite him in words, if so be thou pleasure him in thy works, as those miserable men do, who in word defy him and his works, but in deed are ready to serve and pleasure him in any sinful work, whereunto he employs them: they can abhor to hear others are tempted who yet resist him, but cannot lament that themselves, in most miserable manner, are possessed and captived by him. 
Two sorts of Satan's operations  For, there are two of Satan's operations, one is called, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and this expresseth his restless assaulting of the godly, to tempt them: the other is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, expressing his effectual power, whereby at his will he worketh in the children of disobedience.  
We are not therefore to faint, 
Why we should not faint at Satan's temptations.  because we find ourselves tempted by Satan; but rather, as S. james commands us, to count it exceeding great joy when we fall into tentation: for, first of all, it proves we are none of his. As a dog doth not bark at those that are of the household, but at strangers; so, Satan keeps a close mouth to such as are his, and suffers them to brook a false peace; but such as by grace are delivered from his bondage, those he compasseth like a roaring Lion, seeking to devour them.  
And next, there is great profit, and utility, redounding to us by the temptations of Satan: they humble us, chase us to God, and make us more fervent in prayer. That which Luther marked in himself by experience (that Tentation, Meditation, and Prayer, were the three masters, under whom he profited most) all the rest of God's children also find true in themselves: 
It is a great temptation not to be tempted.  maxima tentatio est non tentari; not to be tempted is the greatest temptation. And herein doth the marvelous power and wisdom of our God appear, in overruling Satan so far, that his temptations to evil, whereby he assaults us, the Lord turns them to good: Fit enim mira divinae bonitatis dispensatione, 
Gregor. moral. lib. 2.  ut unde malignus hostis, ●or tentat, ut interimat; inde misericors Deus hoc erudiat, ut vivat; For it cometh to pass, by the wonderful dispensation of God's goodness, that from whence the malicious enemy tempteth the heart, to kill it; from thence doth the merciful God instruct it, that it may live.  
But as the one Evangelist calleth him a Tempter, 
Satan expressed by many names, for the great wickedness of his nature.  so the other calleth him a Devil. There is not one name sufficient to express the wickedness of Satan; neither any creature so evil as is able to shadow it: and therefore God's spirit expresses it by many names, calling him, a Dragon, a Lion, a Serpent, a Satan, a Tempter, a Devil, a Circumuenter, a Deceiver, 
2. Cor. 2. 11.  beside many given him in holy scripture.  
All which may be reduced unto these three; 
They all may be reduced to three, for he is in all his actions either a Tempter, or an Accuser, or a Tormenter.  wherein he is continually exercised: for first, he is a Tempter, enticing man unto sin, and there he behaves himself like a subtle warbling serpent, full of wiles to beguile: Secondly, he is an Accuser, accusing man to God for sin, and there he shows himself a Satan, a hateful Adversary, and a Devil. Thirdly, he is a Tormenter of man for sin, and there he imitates a fiery Dragon, and a roaring Lion: there are the points of his occupation, there is the labour, whereinto night and day he is exercised; he likes no other, he can do no other: 
A singula preservative against Satan his temptations.  If we could remember this, it might serve to us as a singular preservative, to keep us from his subtle snares: for why doth he tempt us? is it not that he may have matter whereupon to accuse us to our GOD, and why accuseth he us? but that if he can, he may receive power and commission, to torment us. O faithless traitor, that first tempts a man to sin, and then for those same sins done, by his instigation, the first accuser of him unto God: and therefore if we be wise, let us resist him in the first, give no place to him, when he is a tempter, so shall we not fear him, when he is an accuser, nor feel him as a tormenter.  
The last circumstance premitted here by the Evangelist, 
The last circumstance is the occasion of the temptation, to wit, his fasting.  is the occasion of the temptation, to wit, our saviours hunger, after that he had fasted forty days: this fasting our Saviour also undertook, partly for our instruction, and partly, for confirmation of his calling unto us; first, for our instruction, to teach us, that a spiritual life, wherein God may be honoured, 
A spiritual life is greatly helped by fasting and prayer.  our own salvation, and the salvation of others procured, can neither be begun nor continued, without abstinence and prayer, by these the godly have obtained at the hand of God, the knowledge of great mysteries, as ye may see in Daniel: by these have they confounded the conspiracies of their enemies, as ye may see in Esther: these have been always the most effectual armour of the Church, to divert evil, to draw down good, to confound their enemies, to confirm themselves, and the one of these strengthens the other. Oratio virtutem impetrat ieiunandi, & jeiunium gratiam promeretur orandi, jeiunium orationem roborat, oratio jeiunium sanctificat. Prayer obtained strength to fast: Fasting obtaineth grace to pray: Fasting strengtheneth prayer, Prayer sanctifieth Fasting.  
And therefore it is, 
By the contrary, carnal lusts are nourished by intemperance.  that Satan, where he will entice any to a carnal conversation, doth commonly begin at the contrary, surfeiting, and drunkenness; by it he drew Lot to incest: Nabal to railing against David: Beltasar to blasphemous abusing those vessels, which were sacred to the Lord; and many a man to that shame, wherein he thought never to have fallen; for drunkenness is Satan's Dalilah, whereby he takes away the strength from the strongest Samson, and so he makes a play-foole of him. Experience hath always proved, that where this sin is welcome, it is easy for sathan to bring in any other sin, whereunto the Nature of that man is inclined.  
But this fasting of our Lord, 
Christ's miraculous fasting was also to confirm his doctrine.  being miraculous, let us see, that he undertook it for this end also, for which he wrought all the rest of his miracles: namely, to confirm his calling and doctrine to us: so then as Moses at the giving of the Law, fasted forty days: and Elias at the restoring of the Law, fasted forty days: the Lord jesus also coming to preach the Gospel, fasts forty days: partly, that he might answer the former types, in them figuring what he was to do, and partly as I said, to confirm unto us, the certainty of his calling.  
Whereof it is evident, 
Christ's fast superstitiously abused by Papists.  how this fact of Christ is vainly, and superstitiously abused by the Papists, for confirmation of their Lenton fastings, they lay this for a ground, that Instructio ecclesiae est omnis Christi actio: every action of Christ, is the church's instruction: which helps them nothing, it is true, all his actions are for our instruction, but not all for our imitation.  
The works of Christ our Lord, 
The actions of Christ reduced.  are of three ranks: the first are works of redemption, as that he was conceived of the holy Ghost, 
Works of redemption, to follow these were blasphemy.  borne of the Virgin Mary, crucified on the cross for our sins, dead, descended to hell, and rose again the third day: these are so proper to the Son of God, the Lord jesus; that if any man would presume to counterfeit him in them, he were to be abhorred, as a most wicked blasphemer.  
In the second rank, 
Works of miraeles: to follow him in these is impossibility.  are his works of miracles, as, that he cleansed the Leper, healed the paralitique, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead, and such like, but no man is so foolish, as to say these stands to us for rules of imitation: for how ever he hath given power to many of his servants to do the like of these, for confirmation of his Gospel: yet have others also received power, to do such miraculous works; who for all that shall never enter into his kingdom.  
In the third rank, 
Moral works: to follow him in these is piety.  are his works moral of a godly life and conversation: such as his humility in washing his Disciples feet: his meekness, patience, and love, in praying for his enemies; his subjection to his Parents: and these indeed stand unto us for rules of imitation. Learn of me saith our Saviour, that I am lowly and meek; he bade us not, said Augustine, learn of him how to make the world, or how to raise the dead; but learn of him that he is lowly and meek. To strive to follow him in the first rank of these, is blasphemy: In the second is impossibility: In the third, is true piety.  
Now we are to know that fasting is either supernatural, 
Fasting is of sundry sorts, according to the ends thereof.  and so miraculous, as the fasting of Moses, Elias, and our Lord; or natural: the natural again is prescribed and undertaken, either for physic, for civil affairs, or for religion: Of the first I speak nothing, save only that it is a shame that men for bodily health can take them to a diet, 
A warning for careless Christians.  use moderation, & abstinence from meat, who for spiritual health will no way regard it: As for the second, that worldlings to redeem the time of their market, or otherwise to overtake their civil affairs, can fast from morn to evening, condemns in like manner careless Christians, who to make unto themselves increase in the gain of godliness, will not dedicate any time to the exercises of fasting and praying: As for the third, fasting for religion, it is either public, such as by public authority is enjoined for urgent causes: as that of Hester and josaphat: or else private; such as private Christians, either by themselves, or with their families, do willingly undertake.  
Now in both these, 
The right end of religious fasting is, to subdue the body by discipline.  we are always to take heed, that fasting be used for the right end, and in the right manner. Then it is used to the right end, when we fast for this cause, that the flesh being subdued to the Spirit, may be the more able to pray. As a natural man delights in the subduing of his enemy, so a Christian in the subduing of his flesh. 
In the battle between the flesh and spirit, we should help that party which we would have victorious.  In a battle between two parties, if the third come in to help any one of them, it is easily conjectured, that the party helped will prevail: there is a continual battle in us, between the flesh and the spirit: for these two lust one against the other: why then do we not help that party which feignest we would have victorious? If we desire the spirit should prevail, then let us help it with fasting, and prayer; for jeiunium est animae auxilium: 
Nazian. Orat. 25. in laudem Gorgorij.  Fasting is an help & furtherance to the soul; if otherwise we bring in surfeiting and gluttony, we strengthen corrupt flesh, we quench the spirit, and so makes ourselves a prey to our enemy.  
This being the end, 
Rules in fasting: first that it be without opinion of merit.  which in fasting should be proposed unto us, let us beware of those evils, that may corrupt it, and we shall find it a most wholesome medicine for a diseased soul And first let us beware of the opinion of merit before God: for this conceit makes even good works an abomination to the Lord; as it is evident in that Pharisee, who boasting of his alms, and fasting, went home without mercy and grace. 
Ber. in Cant. Ser. 67.  Non enim habet quo intret gratia, ubi meritum occupavit. There is no place for Grace to enter in, where merit hath possession.  
Secondly, 
Next that it be without superstition.  we are to take heed that our fasting be without superstition, which then is done, quando neque propter aliquorum imitationem fit, 
Epiph haeres. 33.  nec propter consuetudinem, nec propter diem, velut dies hoc praescrib at: when it is done neither for imitation of any other, nor for custom, nor for the day, as if the day should prescribe the same: such is the fasting of many, undertaken for such a day, or such a custom, and not for cause of conscience: such fasting is plain superstition.  
Thirdly, 
Thirdly that it be not without prayer: to fast, and not to pray is to offer a dead thing to the Lord.  that it be not without prayer. Fasting is good, but such a good as in religion is not to be used for itself, but for another good; namely for prayer: therefore the spirit of God joins these together, fasting and prayer: for fasting without prayer is like a dead body without a spirit, and to offer such a fasting unto the Lord is no less abomination, then if under the Law, any man should have offered a dead thing unto him: and this is also for them who make not the days of fasting, days of prayer, I mean who are no more instant in prayer that day wherein they fast, than other days wherein they fast not; vainly conceiting, that fasting by itself, should commend them to God. 
Fourthly, that it be without ostentation.   
Fourthly, let fasting be without ostentation before men: Our Saviour fasted in secret, in the wilderness, where none saw him. In cities, and in the company of men, he did eat and drink, and this commandment hath he given us, when ye fast look not sour, as hypocrites do, who disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast: but when thou fastest anoint thine head, and wash thy feet, that thou seem not unto men to fast, but unto thy father, who is in secret, and thy father who sees thee secretly, will reward thee openly. But, this condemned hypocrisy is now counted good devotion▪ both among Papists, and carnal professors; for if they have a day of fasting, it is such, as is known to all those who knows them. 
Fiftly, that amendment of life, be joined with it.   
Last of all, let it always be seconded with amendment of life: this is Magnum & deo acceptum jeiunium, 
August.  a great and acceptable fast unto God, when the eye, the tongue, the hand, the foot, and all fasts from the works of unrighteousness: 
Chris hom. 3. ad pop. Antioch.  honour ieiunii non ciborum abstinentia, sed peccatorum fuga: not the abstinence of meats, but the flying of sins, is the honour of fasting: and indeed fasting this way, beautified with abstinence from sin, is not only as Augustine highly commends it, futuri seeuli forma, 
Ad frat. in Erem. ser. 23  a resemblance of the world to come: but as Ambrose also calls it a most forcible and present help of a godly life here. Ind incipio in Christo vi●ere, unde in Adamo victus sum: fi tamen Christus imago patris mihi virtutis sit exemplum, by eating where God forbade me, began my fall in the first Adam, and by abstaining, as Christ the image of the Father, hath taught me, I begin again to live.  

Then the Devil said unto him.  
THe circumstances thus being premitted, 
Satan restless in temptations.  now follows the temptations, which are three in number: for three sundry times doth Satan renew his assaults against the Lord jesus: letting us see how the wicked nature of him is restless in tempting: It is said of his wretched members; they cannot rest unless they have done evil: 
Prou. 1. After one, let us look for another.  but it is true in him, that when he hath done evil: yet can he not rest. If he durst tempt our Lord oftener than once, notwithstanding that he strongly resisted him: what marvel if he be restless in tempting us, over whom he hath so many times prevailed? Let us be assured that where once he hath been harboured, there he thinks to lodge again: and therefore even they who have cast off this yoke, are to prepare themselves for new temptations, and to put on the whole armour of God, that they may resist him.  
The temptations, 
How these temptations are distinguished.  by sundry, are sundry ways distinguished. Elias Cretensis commenting on Nazianzen, thinks that the first of them is, 
Nazian. Orat. 4. de filio  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sive gulae, gluttony: the second, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sive ambitionis, ambition: the third, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sive avaritia, covetousness. Ambrose again so distinguishes them, ut gulae sit unum; jactantia, alterum; ambitionis tertium. These are I confess customable to Satan, and darts dangerous enough, but these which here he shoots against our Lord, if we look more narrowly to them, we shall find them more deadly; for here he opens all his treasures of wickedness, and comes out with his strongest armour to impugn our Lord.  
The battle as ye see, 
The order of Satan's threefold battle.  is threefold: in the right wing stands Presumption: in the left wing Desperation: in the main battle, comes in the love of the World, the honour and glory thereof: these are Satan's three generals, and grand-captaines, under whom are militant all the forces of spiritual wickedness. As the Philistimes sought earnestly to know wherein the strength of Samson lay, that so they might overcome him: so every good Christian should hear learn wherein the strength of Satan lies, that so he may overcome him. 
How a Christian should order the battle against him.  Arm thee against these three; Desperation, Presumption, and the love of the world, and Satan shall not be able to hurt thee: for against Presumption, set thou the fear of God: presume not to sin, because God is merciful, but by the contrary conclude, that because mercy is with him, therefore thou wilt fear him. Again, against Desperation, set faith in Christ jesus: count not bodily wants, or spiritual desertions, arguments of reprobation; but cleave thou to the Lord, resolving with patient job, albeit the Lord would slay me, yet will I trust in him. And thirdly, against the love of the world, s●t thou the love of GOD, and of eternal life. And this have we spoken in general, concerning the nature and order of these temptations.   

Then.  
Sathans' first temptation is to Desperation: 
The time, and occasion of temptation well observed by Satan.  wherein taking vantage of Christ's bodily wants, he labours to persuade him to doubt and distrust that he was the Son of God; the time of it is first noted, Then: namely, when he was hungry. Satan can very well observe the time, and occasion of temptations; he tempted not Eva, when she was with Adam; he tempted not David, when he was in trouble; he tempted not Peter in the company of Christ; thus is he a crafty observer of times, places, and conditions, fittest for his purpose; and we should look the more narrowly unto him.   

The Devil said unto him;  
SAthan is called the Devil, 
What a false and crafty Calumniator Satan is.  because he is a great Calumniator, and false accuser, a lying reporter: he never reports good of God to any of his Saints, neither can he commend to God the good of any of his Saints. If he know any good in them, he extenuates it, or speaks evil of it; if he know any evil, he enlarges it: and so desirous is he to speak evil of us, that rather than want, he will feign. Whereby we may gather how glad he is when we give him any just matter whereupon to accuse us. Cum magno calumniatore habemus negotium, si quaerit fingere quod non est, 
August. de Temp. serm. 234.  ut in job, quanto magis obijcere quod est, We have much to do with a great accuser, if he seek to feign that which is not, as he did in job, how much more to object against us that which is? By the smallest circumstances he ever seeks, if he can make us odious to God, at least infamous among men: And therefore seeing we have to do with so crafty a calumniator, we should always take heed that we give him no advantage against us.   

If thou be the Son of God.  
HIs purpose here, 
In the left wing of Satan's battle fights desperation.  is to impugn that notable Oracle sounded from heaven at Christ's Baptism: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: so said the Father, but this cannot be, now, saith Satan; that voice hath been but a delusion: for, the Son of God is the heir of all things, and hath the Angels for his ministers and Servants; but it is not so with thee; for, here thou art among wild beasts, in great necessity, like to perish for hunger.  
The temptation, 
Two branches of the first re●ration.  if we mark it narrowly, hath two branches, and in them both Satan shoots at one end, which is, to drive Christ to distrust, or else to doubt whether he be the Son of God or no; or else to remedy his present hunger by converting stones into bread; and so to limit the Lord, and bound his providence; as if by no other means the Lord could sustain him, but by bread only; or as if he could make bread no other way but of stones only: and therefore, neither will our Saviour grant the first, nor yet do the second, though otherwise he could have done it, because both of them were proponed to urge him to diffidence,   

If thou be the Son of God.  
SAthan knew that jesus was the Son of God, 
Satan of his great malice fights against his known light.  and afterwards he confesseth it; yet such is the malice of his nature, that he fighteth against his known light. He knew that God had forbidden Adam and Eva to eat of the Tree: he knew that if they did eat they should die; yet was he bold to persuade them the contrary. And that which by an Historical Faith he believeth himself, he persuadeth his wretched captives, either to deny it, as a false thing; or to doubt of it, as an uncertain thing. He believeth there is a God, and trembleth; but how many Fools are there in the world, blinded by him, who have said in their hearts, There is no God. 
And his Scholars profess points of Atheism, which himself dares not avouch.  He believeth there is a judgement to come, wherein greater torment abideth him, than yet is laid upon him; and yet he persuadeth his Infidels to scorn and mock at it, as a thing which never will be. Thus as the pharisees made their Proselytes ten times more the children of the Devil then themselves; so, Satan makes his scholars profess points of Atheism which himself durst never avouch, and to misbeleeve some points of Religion, which he himself believeth to be true.  
Now if Satan durst call this in doubt to Christ, 
Our Election 〈…〉 Satan.  whether or no he was the Son of God, what marvel if he dare call the like in doubt unto us? His principal care is to impugn our Election: for this cause tempts he man to sin, that man may furnish him arguments to prove that man is not the Son of God. He could not be content that the first Adam should live in Paradise, and far less that Adam's posterity should be exalted to inherit those heavenly places which he lost by pride: and therefore either by tempting him to sin, doth he press to hold him back from the dignity of the Son of God: or, if so he cannot, then troubles he him with doubting of his Calling and Election, making him to misconceive, that such a miserable man as he cannot be the Son of God.  
And the reasons, 
The argument in those temptations that Satan useth, is taken from our wants.  which in this tentation commonly he useth are taken from our wants, spiritual, or corporal: for, concerning spiritual desertions; wherein we are troubled with the sight of our sins, and want, for the present, the sense of mercy, than his reasoning is, It cannot be that thou art one of God's Elect; for, they are not ordained to wrath, but to mercy; if thou wert so, then should the favourable face of God be toward thee, and thou shouldest not be vexed as thou art, with the sense of his wrath.  
In all this he is but a false deceiver: 
First, from want of spiritual grace in time of desertion.  for, was not the Lord jesus troubled with the same temporal desertion, when he cried; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 
Mat. 27. 46  and yet notwithstanding he was the beloved Son of God: and that this many times is the manner of his working with his own children, he declares himself; For a little time in mine anger have I forsaken thee, but with everlasting compassion will I embrace thee.  
Again, 
Next, from the want of worldly necessaries  out of the want of worldly necessaries, so he reasons with many; thou hast been so long in sickness, daily crying for deliverance, yet the Lord hath not heard thee; thou art vexed with poverty, and prayest every day for daily bread, but it is not given unto thee; surely this is because thou art none of his, he is not thy Father, neither hath he any favour towards thee, nor cares he for thee: but herein also he is a deceiver.  
For, 
The dignity of God's sons stands not in abundance of worldly things.  the dignity of God's Sons, stands not in the abundance of these worldly things, neither is his favour or anger to be measured by them: for, so he might have proved the rich Glutton to have been the Son of God, and Lazarus an abject: and therefore let us beware upon our wants to infer any such Conclusion, as this Sophist would enforce; that we are not beloved of God, if we be hungry, and have not to ear; remember so was it with Christ: 
Comfort against the want of worldly things.  if we have no earthly possession wherein to rest us, no more had Christ: if our friends be turned into foes, so did Christ's familiar betray him: if our kindred despise us for our poverty, so was it with our Lord; He came among his own, and his own received him not. It is enough for us that the Lord is become our portion, what ever he do with his movables, which he dispenseth to his Children, more or less, as he sees may do them good; let us give him glory, and rest in him: what can we want, that enjoys him, as our Father, in Christ jesus?  
Now seeing this is the point wherein Satan labours chiefly to impugn us; 
How we should confirm ourselves in the assurance of our Election and Adoption.  to wit, that we are not the sons of God; we should by the contrary la●or most carefully to confirm ourselves in it, which we shall do, if we find in ourselves these two things: first, the Seal; next, the testimony of the Spirit: for, if we be the Sons of God, we are sealed by the holy spirit of promise, unto the day of redemption; and as a Signet leaves such an impression in the Wax as is in itself; so the Spirit of God imprints in us the Image and similitude of God. Naturally we bear the Image of the first Adam, but being by grace made the Son of God, then do we bear the Image of the second, another mind, another heart, other affections, words and actions are given unto us, than those which we had by Nature: whereupon will follow the other, to wit, the testimony of the Spirit, not only witnessing, but also persuading our Consciences that we are the sons of God.   

Command.  
THis which Satan requireth, 
We should do nothing for satans command, though it seem never so reasonable.  was such a thing as our Saviour might have done, but he will not; learning us never to do any thing for Satan's command, no, though in appearance it seem never so tolerable: for, Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light, and sometime speak a truth, or give a plausible counsel, or a reasonable command; yea, do some good indeed as it seems to men, but he never doth any of these, but for a greater evil.  
And lastly, 
Satan in his temptations, aimeth at this, to make us earthly minded.  how Satan in his temptations, aims at this, to make the Sons of God earthly minded, caring for things of this earth with distrust of God; If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones may be made bread, 
Mat. 4. 3.  as if no more were to be sought for by the Son of God but bread, bread; to have the things of this World in abundance. And alas how many are so snared with the love of things pertaining to this life, that they forget all care of the life to come; no thought, no speech, no labour, but all for bread. A lamentable thing, we profess the hope of an eternal life, and we affirm that this is a perishing life, and yet we care for life eternal, 
Many care for this life as if it were eternal, & for eternal life, as if in a moment it might be obtained.  as if it would last but for one year; but we care for this life, as if it would never come to an end. Will we look to David, and others of the Children of GOD; what moved him may we think to pray seven times in the day; to water his Couch with tears, when he lay down, and to prevent the morning watch to prayer, but that he knew it was a difficult thing to get through the snares of this life, and attain unto eternal life? But the professors of this age, live as if it were nothing to come to heaven, and they were sure at length to get it for a wish: and therefore they do live busy about many things with Martha, pertaining to the body, but careless of that one thing, needful, commended in Mary. From this blindness of mind the Lord deliver us.   
VERSE 4. And jesus answered, and said. 
HEre the Lord jesus repelleth this first temptation of Satan by a testimony of holy Scripture, 
Christ's reply to Satan's first tentation.  which conveniently he alleges out of the eight of deuteronomy; there Moses showeth the Israelites how that when ordinary food failed them in the Wilderness, God fed them with Manna from heaven, to declare unto them and all others, that it is not by bread man liveth only, but by the word of God: and therefore will our Saviour say to Satan; thou dost wrong to restrain the providence of God to this particular means of Bread, seeing both the written Word testifieth, and GOD by his Word, hath declared, that any means is good enough to preserve the life of man, if God by his Word grant his blessing unto it; yea, his word without all means is able to do it.   

It is written.  
OF this first we learn, 
The word is the sword of the spirit by which we should fight against Satan.  how in our spiritual warfare, we should use the written word, as being the sword of that spirit, by which Satan is confounded. Of this first, Papists are convinced, who debar the poor people from the comfort of the word: alleging it pertains to churchmen, and not to simple people to read the Scriptures: whereas by the contrary, as chrysostom witnesseth, it is much more necessary for them, then for the other. 
Christin Math. hom. 2.  Qui enim versantur in medio, & vulnera quotidie accipiunt magis indigent medicamine: 
Papists convinced who take the use of the word from the people.  for they who comes out in public, and are every day wounded, hath most need of medicine: yea, how can they fight as the good soldiers of Christ, seeing the armour of GOD is taken from them, by such as pretends to be their governors: so that in effect, as if they were in covenant with Satan, they deliver the poor people of God armourlesse unto him, handling them as the Philistimes did the Israelites, who left not a Smith among them, to make them a weapon, that so they being armourlesse, might more easily be kept in subjection.  
And next, 
〈…〉 upon themselves a famine of the word.  careless professors are also reproved, who being commanded to search the scripture, that in them they may find eternal life; and having now in the reformed church, liberty granted them to do so, yet will not use it, but willingly interdict themselves from the comfort of the word of the Lord, 
Amos 8. 11.  threatens the famine of the word as a great plague. 
Chris. ibid.  Quid igitur infoelicius, quam ut, quod deus in panam minatur, hoc tu iam sponte in caput tuum attrahas: what more miserable thing can be then this, to draw that willingly upon thine own head, which GOD hath threatened as a curse?   

Man lives not by bread only.  
THis answer hath two parts; 
Two parts of Christ's answer.  Whereof the first is Negative, denying that necessity which Satan alleged: the other is affirmative. The first is here: wherein our Lord doth not deny, that man lives by bread, if the Lord use it as a mean to nourish him, but that man lives not by bread only.  
Of this first we learn, 
Of the first we learn that second means ordained by God, should not be despised.  that the second means, appointed by God, are not to be despised: for we see our Saviour in this disputation with Satan, excludes them not: for in the right use of them, the power, wisdom, providence, and goodness of God are praised, who hath provided so many good things, for the good of man, and hath given power unto things without life, to help the life of man. And this I mark, first, for weak Christians, who are so far abused by Satan sometime, that they think it not lawful for them to eat and drink, and to nourish that body, 
This serves first for weak Christians who through error of conscience defraud their bodies of necessary food.  wherein sin is harboured against the Lord: it is true indeed every christian ought too have a care, that the nourishment of the body, become not a nourishment of sin in the body, but so that thou run not to the other extremity, to account that evil, which God hath ordained for thy good. Certainly as Satan envies that thou should enjoy the favour of thy GOD; so envies he that thou shouldst enjoy the comfortable use of any creature that ever God made: yea, even of meat and drink. Where he cannot tempt thee to the abuse of it by intemperancy, he doth what he can to defraud thee of it, working upon thy weak conscience, makes thee to conceive a scrupple, where there is none, and binds thee there, where God hath made thee free. 
Next for idle men who neglect the ordinary means by which they should live.  And next the use of the means is marked, for idle men, who are desirous to live, wanting nothing necessary for their life, but they will not work: these, as afterward follows, are tempters of God, despising the means, they will either be fed miraculously by the hand of God, as Israel was in the wilderness, or else impiously will seek their food by unlawful shifts, out of the hands of Satan.  
Next we learn that however the second means are to be used, 
And yet we should not trust in the second means, but in God.  yet are we not to trust in them: as if it were they, and not God's blessing, that did help our life. Physic is good, but because Asa trusted in it, it could not profit him. And flesh is good for nourishment, but because Israel thought that their life was in it, GOD slew them by the same mean by which they thought to live: and therefore the Lord to teach men that the virtue is not in the means, 
Who sometime works without means, sometime by small means, and sometime makes the means of life instruments of death.  but in his blessing. Sometime he works without means, as when he made light without the Sun, fertility of the earth without rain; when he kept the life of Moses without meat, and made corns grow unto Ezechia without sowing: and sometimes to small means he gives great virtue; as when he made one pair of shoes, and one suit of raiment, last Israel forty years. There were many in the days of Elisha, who had more oil and meal than the widow of Sarepta had, but wanted the blessing; she had, and therefore was theirs spent, when her portion, being less, remained to the end.  
Beside this, 
The nature of the second means proves that our life is not by them.  the very nature of the means which we use, may teach us, it is not they that preserves our life; for they being things without life themselves, and such as by time putrefies and rots, what life can they give or keep unto us? Or if they be things endued with life, we see that they must first lose their life, before they become helps of our life, to teach us that however by them we live; yet in them is not that virtue, that conserves our life.  
Last of all, 
Experience also confirms the same.  experience confirms it; if bread preserved the life, than they who are best fed would be most lively, but we see the contrary: more lusty was Daniel upon his pottage, than the other children were on the king's delicates. David in his old days wanted no coverings nor garments, but none of them could get heat to his body. We see by experience, some consuming more than may content other three, yet in the midst of wealth they dwyne away; and poor labourers feeding on the refuse of bread and water, more strong and lively than they: all these do declare, it is not the means which preserve the life, but how it is preserved he declares in the affirmative part that followeth.   

But by every word that comes out, etc.  
THat is, 
This is made more clear out of the second part of Christ's answer.  by every decree and ordinance of God: any mean which he appoints is sufficient to nourish thee. If he decree that thou live without bread, it shall be so with thee as with Moses, and Elias: or if he say the word, that a handful of meal shall serve thee for a long time, so it shall be. And hereof first we learn, how that the life of man hangs on the word of God, to continue, or to cut it short, at his pleasure: Thou turnest man to destruction: 
Psal. 90. 3.  again thou sayest, return ye sons of Adam. But alas, how few considers this, to give unto the Lord the praise of the continuance of their life, 
The great stupidity of men, who rebel against God, of whom they hold their life.  by living to him: but by the contrary, in the blindness and stupidity of their minds, rebels against him, by whom alonely they live. A fearful ingratitude: man can give service to man, of whom he holds his land, and can not give service to God, of whom he holds his life. The Sidoneans would not make war with Herod, because they were nourished by his lands, yet man fears not offend the Lord, from whose hand every day he receives nourishment, without which he could not live.  
And next we learn here how to remedy our faithless cares, 
Comfort when ordinary means fails.  when either ordinary means fails us, or can not profit us: as when in sickness, medicine helps not: in poverty, ordinary means relieves not our want: in trouble no appearance of deliverance, shall we therefore despair? No, far be it from us, but remember it is not by bread, that is, by the ordinary means that man lives (only) but by the word of God, and therefore let us rest in God, and trust in him, who raises the dead; and many timesmakes the second means to fail us, that so we may be chased to run unto himself.   
MATH. 4. VER. 5. Then the Devil took. 
Follows, the second Temptation. Wherein Satan keeps a course plain contrary to the first: 
In the right wing of Satan's battle stands Presumption.  in the former he tempted to Desperation, thy poor & indigent estate proves thou canst not be the Son of God: in this he tempts to presumption. If thou be sure that thou art the Son of God, then do what thou wilt, nothing can harm thee. Thus Satan assaults not the godly always with one temptation, but can craftily change them for his own advantage: such as he cannot draw to one extremity, 
Satan changes temptations for his own advantage.  he labours to draw to another: and albeit by this craft he prevailed nothing with the Son of GOD: yet doth he many time by it speed among men. There are some whom he can not move to be careless in religion, and them he tempts to the other extremity, to be superstitious in religion: some whom he cannot induce to shake off conscience, yet he makes scrupulous in conscience, doubting where they need not; and so of other temptations: for the which we have need to be armed with the armour of God on the right hand and on the left.  
This temptation Saint Luke makes the third: S. Matthew the second: but the difference is nothing, for in the Evangelists describing this History of Christ, do not so much stand upon the precise order of the times, as upon the substance, & matter of things which were done.  
In the first assault we have seen how our Lord did overthrow Satan's first Captain, 
Satan's second captain overthrown also by our Lord.  Desperation, with his followers. Now we shall see how in the other wing of Satan's army, he overcomes his second Captain, Presumption, with his followers.  
Wherein the time first is noted, 
After victory in any temptation let us stand ready for a new battle.  Then: that this temptation ensued upon the end of the former; learning us after victory gotten in any battle against Satan, not to fall into security, but to stand still in our armour, expecting another assault: In bodily conflicts, security after victory hath many times brought destruction to mighty armies: the Amalekites (sitting down to eat and drink, after the burning of Ziklag, suddenly in their security, overthrown by the sword of David) may stand for a proof of it: but in the spiritual battle it is much more dangerous.  
Secondly, 
Christ's transportation whether mental or corporal.  the place is described; the holy City, jerusalem: where first we have to consider, how it is that Satan carries him unto it, whether was this transportation mental or corporal? The first I deny; for, it could not be, that our saviours imagination could be so far abused, as that he should think he was carried, when he was not carried; nothing in him could be deceived. All his temptations (as I said) were external only, and proceeded not to the moving or affecting any of his internal faculties; and therefore I agree unto the second, that this transportation was corporal.  
Where, 
Offences that may arise of Christ's corporal  if it be offensive to any of God's Children to hear that our saviours blessed body should be handled and carried from place to place by that unclean Spirit, 
transportation removed.  let them consider that this was done, not against his will, but with his own will: as afterward willingly he was lead, by Satan's members, like a sheep to the slaughter, so now willingly is he carried by Satan's self, to be tempted of him; and that for the greater glory of his own name, greater confusion of Satan, and greater comfort of his children.  
The Lord jesus permits the adversary to handle his holy body, 
In it the invincible power of our Lord is made manifest.  to carry it, for a time, to such places, as might yield him greatest vantage to tempt it; he permits him to speak what he pleased, and to show what objects he could for his allurement; yea, he is content to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, Satan's instruments, and gives them liberty to abuse his blessed body, to spit upon it, to buffet it, to scourge it, to crucify it, and yet for all that he could do, either by himself, or by his members, he can never prevail against the Lord jesus. Certainly the more liberty Satan had granted to him, in all this, the greater was his own shame and confusion; and the more manifest the glory of our invincible captain, who cannot be overcome, nay not when he is in the hands of his very enemies.  
Again, 
Comfort for God's children, whose bodies are afflicted by Satan for a time.  this is for the comfort of God's children, for sometime power is given to Satan over their bodies, to afflict them, as we see for a time in job, or for a time to possess them, as he did the body of Magdalen (for albeit then she was not called: yet even then was she an elect woman) lest therefore the children of God should at any time be discouraged with the like of this, to take it for an argument of reprobation, or final delivery of them unto Satan, that the Lord for a time permits him to have power our their bodies, the Lord jesus who would in all things be tempted as we are, except sin, did taste of this temptation also for our comfort.  
This being spoken concerning the manner of his carrying: 
The place of this temptation is jerusalem, the holy City.  now we come to the place, which is the holy City jerusalem; & more particularly, the very Temple, which stood in the sight of all jerusalem, Satan sets him on the platform of it, wherein were turrets with pinnacles on their tops, & this place he takes as most convenient for his purpose, thou hast lurked too long as a private man, among this people: if thou be the Son of GOD, that promised Messiah, the king of Israel, here is the time and place to show thyself in the sight of jerusalem, all the people shall admire thee, and acknowledge thee for to be the Son of God, if thou cast thyself down among them: which easily thou mayst do, without all peril or harm, seeing the Lord hath given his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee.  
Concerning the place, 
No place on earth free from the temptations of Satan.  beside that which we marked in the first temptation, how that there is no place so holy on earth, wherein we can be free from the temptations of this unholy spirit: In Paradise he tempted Adam; at Christ's table he tempted judas; and in the very Temple, dedicated to the service of God, how often find we by experience, that he dare tempt us? 
Yea, in most holy places, he is a most busy tempter.  making us either to turn the house of God into an house of merchandise, while he draws away our minds to think upon worldly affairs: or else into a den of thieves, whilst he carrieth our Eyes to wander after vanity, that so he may infect the heart: or else, at least, he casts upon us the spirit of slumbering, that we cannot with reverence hear the word of the Lord. Satan is an enemy to every good action, standing always at josuahs' right hand to hinder him; but specially doth he resist us in the Exercises of the Word and Prayer, and seeketh to pollute us most in those places, wherein we should be most sanctified, and therefore as the jews in the building of jerusalem, had their weapon in the one hand, and their worke-toole in the other; so we, when we come to edify ourselves in the most holy Faith, have need to have an eye continually upon our adversary, and our weapon ready to resist him.   

And set him on a pinnacle of the Temple.  
FOr what end Satan set our Lord there, 
The Lord casts down that he may raise up: Satan by the contrary raises up, that he may cast down.  is evident out of that which follows, that he might from thence cast him down. Satan in his working is contrary unto the Lord; for, the Lord casts down, to the end he may raise up; so did he with S. Paul, first, he cast him to the ground, and then raised him up to the honour of an Apostle: but Satan if he raise up any man, it is for this end, that he may cast him down. It is true, preferment comes neither from the East, nor from the West, but from the Lord, yet such as come to high places by evil means are said to be raised up by Satan. It were good for men to abhor such preferments with those famous Martyrs, who when offers of honourable Offices were made to them, answered; Nolumus honorem unde nobis nascetur ignominia; we will none of that honour which breeds us ignominy: for, that honour whereunto men come with an evil conscience, shall assuredly end in shame.   

If thou be.  
THis tentation (as we said) is to Presumption and Vainglory. 
The pith of this second tentation.  Before men thou shalt have great honour, if by this Miracle thou manifest thyself the Son of God: and at God's hand thou needest fear none evil; for since thou art his Son, thou mayst do what thou wilt, he will not let thee perish.  
This temptation to presumption in this age prevails mightily over many, 
The temptation of presumption prevaileth greatly in this age.  who abuse God's mercy, and turn the grace of God into wantonness, conceiting with themselves, that because God is merciful, and Christ hath died for sinners, and they have received the seals of the Covenant, and are now by adoption the Sons of God, therefore they may do what they list. And though they cast not their bodies from on high to the ground, being loath to endanger their natural lives, yet they spare not to make daily shipwreck of their Souls and Consciences, by casting themselves down headlong into every snare of the Devil. A lamentable thing that the death of Christ should be abused to entertain the life of sin: 
Christ's death abused to nourish the life of sin.  he died to abolish sin, and destroy the works of the Devil, and miserable man will take boldness to sin the more freely because Christ died for him. Where desperation enters all men see and abhor it, but though this presumption possess the greatest multitude in this generation, yet are they few who perceive it.  
The other branch of this temptation (as I noted) tends to a seeking of vainglory before men, 
Satan's temptations to vainglory, customable among men.  while he would provoke our Saviour to manifest by unlawful means, that he was the Son of God. And this is Satan's ordinary temptation, whereby he assaults such as are endued with graces above others. If the Apostle S. Paul had need of counterpoise against pride, alas what have we? Many doth Satan so bewitch with a love of their own glory, that rather than it shall not be manifested, they will blaze it abroad themselves in most vainglorious manner, and so unawares they cast down themselves before Satan; 
Pro. 25. 27  for, to seek thine own glory is not glory.  
But this is strange that Satan 
Satan can not hurt us except we help him.  having power to set our Lord on the top of the Temple, puts not to his own hand to cast him down, but tempts him to cast himself down: thus we see how in the greatest liberty Satan hath, he is always bound and bridled that he cannot do what he would: if he get a commission or power, it is ever with limitation, as we see in job: lo he is in thine hand, but save his life. And except we ourselves give him armour, he cannot hurt: for, it is by man himself that he gets at any time vantage over man. Let us praise the power of God that restrains him: let us mark the impotence of Satan: let us confirm our hearts by grace to resist him, so shall he never be able to hurt us. 
Satan's proper voice is, Cast down thyself.   
Last of all, as here his voice is, Cast thyself down; so is it in the next assault, Fall down, and worship me. This is the proper voice of Satan: Cast thyself down. Never hath he any word for himself or others, to bid them mount up to the Lord, but always to draw them down. He cast himself down from heaven to hell, and if he might would cast down all God's Children from the state of grace, into the state of condemnation. Oh, if we could remember that in effect, this is the sum of all Satan's temptations, Cast thyself down, seeking no other thing, 
Still seeking man's disgrace & destruction.  but our downfall, disgrace, and utter destruction. And yet alas, how many are bewitched by him, to cast down themselves, and wallow in every puddle of iniquity, doing those works of uncleanness, which are base, and most unseemly for a Christian, who in regard both of his first and second creation, is an honourable creature.   

For it is written  
We have heard what Satan craved in this temptation: 
The reason used by Satan to strengthen his most unreasonable desire.  now followeth the reason whereby he would allure our Lord to yield unto him. The end of all is, to take out of Christ's heart the fear of any inconvenience that might befall him by this precipitation of himself.  
And this is Satan's customable policy also to steal out of the heart, the fear of judgement, which he knows God worketh in his own, as a curb to keep them from sin. If you eat of the Tree, whereof I have forbidden you, 
He seeks to remove godly fear, that he may bring men to a remediless, most fearful estate.  (saith the Lord) ye shall die. No (saith Satan) though ye eat of it, ye shall not die. Blessed is he that teacheth his heart continually to fear: Let us therefore keep this fear, that it may keep us from sin. It was Joseph's argument to his Brethren, I fear God, and therefore dare do you no wrong. Fear is called by Gregory, 
Greg. moral. lib. 6.  Anchora cordis, the Anchor of the heart, which holds fast, that it be not driven away by the restless waves of temptations.  
Now in this testimony we have first to see how Satan abuseth it: 
This testimony of Scripture is falsely used by Satan in three respects.  and next how were should use it for our comfort. His abusing of it I gather in three things: first, this is a great abuse, to draw any part of God's Word to serve him in tempting a man unto sin, seeing it is true of it all, which S. john speaks of one part of it; 
1 joh. 2. 1.  My Babes, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not.  
And in this his miserable captives are become his learned disciples, 
That he makes any place of Scripture to confirm a sin.  when they use any sentence of holy Scripture of strengthen themselves, or others, in a sin: so the Drunkard abuseth that saying of the Apostle to cheer up his heart to intemperance: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake, and thine often infirmities: whereas if the Apostle were now alive, 
How Atheists, Satan's disciples, do learn at him.  he would change that precept to our belly-gods, and give them the contrary: Drink no longer wine, but use more water, not only for conscience sake, but even for the stomachs sake: for Intemperance destroys even the natural life. The idle man again, to confirm himself in his sin, abuseth that saying of our Saviour; Care not for the morrow: and many think the less of adultery and murder, because David was guilty of them, and yet a man commended of God: not remembering that the virtues of good men are registered for our imitation, but their sins are recorded for our humiliation Vt casus maiorum, 
Greg. moral. lib. 2.  sit tremor minorum; that meaner men should tremble at great men's falls. This is a piece of Satan's devilish divinity, to confirm thyself in a sin, by any thing that ever thou heardst or readst in the Word of God.  
Secondly, 
That reciting such a place of Scripture as reproveth his sin, he is touched with no remorse.  his abusing of holy Scripture, is evident in this, that rehearsing such a place of holy Scripture as describes the office of Elect Angels, and the blessed estate of Elect men, who are protected of God, by the ministery of Angels, and so might very well have remembered him of that first happy estate, and of his present unhappy condition whereinto he had fallen by pride, yet he makes no profit by it at all: he is not touched with any remorse for his sin, nor once moved so much as to lament, according as he had cause. Alas, that ever I fell from the fellowship of those holy Angels. Alas, that I should abide in this desperate estate, as to impugn the glory of God, which cannot be oppugned, and to fight against his Saints, over whom I shall never prevail. Nay, no such thought or motion enters into his heart.  
This proceeds from his great obstinacy in evil, 
This proceedeth from his obstinacy, which lets him not repent.  which locks him up in final impenitency, in that sin which is against the holy Ghost, that neither can he, nor will he repent, but contrary his light, wilfully, and of malice he sets himself always a contradicter of the Lord. These are Viae Daemonum praesumptio, & obstinatio, the ways of damned Devils, Presumption and Obstinacy: Propter praesumptionem stare non potuit, propter obstinationem resurgere non potest; 
By presumption he fell, by obstinacy he cannot rise.  for presumption he could not stand, for obstinacy he cannot rise: the one casts him into the sin of shameful Apostasy; the other holds him under the sin of fearful impenitency: and these are the sins into the which Satan labours most to draw men, finding by his own experience, they are most forcible to bring men to the fellowship of his condemnation. We cannot deny we are guilty of the first, which is Apostasy; the Lord preserve us from the second, which is impenitency.  
And herewithal let us acknowledge the great love of GOD towards us; 
God's great mercy to us worthy to be marked.  that whereas Apostate Angels have fallen, and shall never rise again; and reprobate men have sinned, but cannot repent, the Lord hath reserved mercy for us, renewing and raising us up daily by the grace of repentance.  
O what a mercy is it! 
His Grace hath put a difference between us and others, where there was no difference by Nature.  we were once plunged with them, into the same deep, but the Lord stretcheth out his hand unto us, to pull us out from among them, and to bring us to an happy fellowship with himself and his holy Angels. Let us rejoice in this kindness of our God: let us be thankful for it: let us daily delight in this grace of Repentance, lamenting our apostasies, recounting our forepassed sins, in the bitterness of our hearts, that so the sense of peace and reconciliation with God; in Christ jesus, may be increased in us.  
And again, 
Such as hear their sins condemned by the word, and are not moved, are here convinced.  here is a warning to all senseless and stupid hearers of the Word of God, who when they hear their sins condemned, are either not moved at all, or else if they be moved, are not mended. So Pharaoh had some motion, and prayed Moses to pray for him, but it was without continuance, being choked by the hardness of his heart. Achab rend his clothes, and put on Sackcloth at the threatening of Elias, but his humiliation continued not. Foelix trembled when Paul preached, but he proceeded no further. Yet even these may condemn the senseless hearers of this age; who, after so long hearing, have been so little moved. And those come over-neare unto the nature of Satan, who is so confirmed in his sin, that no conviction, made by the clear light of the Word of God can move him to repent.  
It is far otherwise with the godly: 
How the children of God tremble at the rebukes of his word.  if the Lord speak they tremble: if his Word condemn any sin in them, they fall down and mourn before him, till he forgive it. So were the Publicans moved, at the preaching of john the Baptist, to cry, What shall we do? So were the jews pricked in their hearts at the preaching of Peter, 
Acts 2. 37.  saying; What shall we do? So cried the jailor to Paul and Silas; 
Act. 16. 30.  What must I do to be saved? And good I●fias his heart melted at the hearing of the Law. Fruits which are unripe will not easily fall, though the tree be shaken by the hand of a strong man, but those which are ripe may be pulled by the hand of a Child: Ita in cordibus electorum sine magna difficultate, 
Chrisost. in Mat. hom. 6  efficax est verbum gratiae, à quocunque tandem annuntietur; The word of Grace is powerful in the hearts of the Elect, without any great difficulty, by whosoever it be preached. When Augustine's hearers with great applause commended his preaching, but mourned not for their sins; it was a notable answer he gave them: Folia haec sunt, nos fructus quaerimus; these are the leaves, we seek for fruit. And the like hath chrysostom; Si haec audientes, doletis, maximas me debere vobis gratias confiteor; quis est enim, qui me laetificat, nisi qui contristatur ex me? If ye, hearing these things, are grieved, I confess that I am greatly indebted unto you: for, who is he that maketh me cheerful, but he who is made heavy and sorrowful by me? Both of them teaching us, that then only is God's word profitable unto us; when it worketh in us that godly sorrow that causeth repentance to salvation, never to be repent of.  
And thirdly, 
Thirdly, he abuseth Scripture, in mutilating of it.  his abuse of the Scripture appeareth in his mutilation of it: for, he leaveth out these words, In all thy ways; because they made against him: for, it is not the way of a godly man to precipitate himself from a height, but to come down some ordinary way. And this is also a piece of Satan's skill, in tempting men, to hide from them that which may restrain them from sin, and only to let them see that which may embolden them unto it.  
And herein also we learn how we should use the promises of God's protection to our comfort, 
The promises of God can be no comforts to us, if we neglect the condition whereupon they are made.  and not abuse them to the offence of our God. It is true, God hath promised protection to his Children; but all his promises are ever with a condition, that we keep ourselves within the ways of God: The Lord is with you while ye be with him. Satan knoweth this very well, that so long, as men walk in the way of God, the Lord is a hedge unto them, and his Angels are as a guard to keep them, and therefore his first care is to draw them out of the way of God, that so spoiling them of their protector, they may become a prey unto him: this is clear in that policy which Balaam taught Balak, and we may see by experience, it is the daily practice of Satan.  
Now, 
In the right use of this testimony, we consider two things: First, the great glory and majesty of God.  having seen how Satan abuseth this testimony, it remaineth that we consider the right use of it. Where, first of all, we have to consider the great majesty, and glorious power of the Lord our God, who hath under his charge these armies of innumerable Angels: for, thousand thousands stand before him, 
Dan. 7. 10.  and ten thousand thousands minister unto him. 
Psal. 68 17  The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels, and the Lord is among them, as in the Sanctuary of Sinai. 
How far inferior the most glorious Courts of Kings is to the Lords Court.  We admire the glory of worldly Princes, when we see them come forth, backed with their strong Guards and pompous train: for, Solomon saith, The glory of a King is in the multitude of his Subjects. But if we did see this host of the living God, wherein are two millions of strong warriors, any one whereof is able to overthrow the army of the most puissant King of the earth, as was declared on Sennacheribs army, then would we say he must be a great and glorious God, who hath so great and worthy warriors, and all of them of his own making, under his charge.  
Again, 
Secondly, the fatherly care and providence of God: toward his Children.  the fatherly care and goodness of the Lord to his children comes here to be considered: his providence itself is sufficient enough to preserve and protect us, and yet for help of our weakness, he hath given us his Angels, as ministering Spirits, to attend upon us; and that in such sort, that as Nurses carry young Children in their arms, or otherwise holds them by both their hands, till they may go forward at their own leisure, upholding them when they are ready to fall; even so hath the Lord given charge to his Angels, with their hands to lift his Children, lest at any time they dash their foot against a stone; otherwise it were not possible for us to step one step forward, without some great inconvenience befalling us, by Satan's malice, if the protection of the Lord our God, by the ministry of his Angels made us not sure.   

And jesus answered, and said unto him.  
HEre followeth our saviours reply to this Temptation: 
Satan should always be refused, & resisted.  wherein (first) we see that as oft as Satan impugns, so oft our Lord defends; ever contradicting and refusing him: teaching us also to do the like. Resist the Devil, and he will fly from you: such as resist not when they are tempted, declare themselves not to be Christ's Soldiers, but Satan's Captives, 
2 Tim. 2. 26  snared of the Devil, and taken of him at his will.  
Secondly, 
The best weapon whereby we can fight against him is the sword of the Spirit.  our Saviour here, by his example, recommends unto us the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word, as a most necessary weapon in our spiritual warfare against Satan. As it were a great oversight in a Soldier, who knows he can at no time go forth but he must fight, to go forth without his armour; so is it much more in a Christian. Where wilfully men neglect to get knowledge by the Word, what marvel Satan easily snare them both in Religion and manners? They have rejected (saith jeremy) the word of the Lord, and what wisdom then can be in them? But of this we spoke in his reply to the first temptation.  
Thirdly, 
Scripture should be expounded by Scripture.  he answers by Scripture; not to oppose Scripture un-scripture, for it cannot be contrary unto itself: but to prove that to be the wrong sense of Scripture, which Satan would have enforced upon it: and out of this also we learn how the best way to attain unto the true sense of Scripture, is to confer Scripture with Scripture.   

Thou shalt not tempt.  
THe sum of our Lords answer is; 
The sum of our saviours answer to this temptation.  As for the truth of that oracle alleged by thee, I doubt nothing of it, so long as his Children keep his ways they are sure of his Fatherly protection: now that this is not the way of God, to neglect the ordinary means appointed by God, that is but a tempting of God, expressly forbidden in the word of God.  
As for the forbidden tempting of God, 
How men tempt God.  men fall into it many manner of ways; sometime they tempt him in his providence, 
In his providence.  as Israel did in the Wilderness, limiting the holy one. Sometime they tempt him in his mercy, 
In his mercy.  as they who cast themselves into unnecessary dangers, under hope that God will deliver them. 
In his justice.  And sometime they tempt him in his justice, walking without repentance in their sins, and yet think God will not punish them. 
By neglecting the ordinary means.  But most commonly they tempt him by neglecting the ordinary means which God hath appointed to do good either to their bodies or souls, as at this day many carnal professors do, who contemning the Exercises of the Word and Prayer, do notwithstanding vainly conceit, that they shall be saved: as if now the Lord saved men by miracles, as he did that malefactor on the Cross, and not by the ordinary means appointed by himself.   
MATH. 4 VER. 8. Again, the Devil took him up. 
SAthan now perceiving both the wings of his army discomfited by the armour of righteousness on the right hand, 
Both the wing● of Satan's army being discomfited, he now comes forward with his main battle.  and on the left, wherewith our Lord resisted, comes now forward with his main battle: wherein stands the love of the world, with the pleasures and preferments thereof; but this he doth with no better success than he had in the former: for, this Captain also, with his Fifty, or rather with his Legion, is consumed by the fire of our true Elijah, the only Son of God, having in most singular manner, jehovah, for his strong God and Father. In him I say▪ did the fiery graces of the holy Ghost burn so fervently, that all his powers were inflamed with a love of the glory of God, and salvation of his brethren, and no place for the love of the world was left in him.  
In this temptation, 
Satan again seeketh vantage by the place.  as in the former, the Adversary takes vantage of the place: for, now he carries him from the Temple, to the top of a mountain, 
Num. 23.  as Balak King of Moab changed his place three times, thinking to get Israel cursed in one place, when he could not in another, but all in vain: so here doth Satan, but in vain also.  
And here we have first the onset made by Satan, 
Christ tempted here at the eye with a fair show: at the ear with fair offers.  to be considered: Secondly, the repulse given by our Lord. In the onset we have first to see, how he tempts our saviours eye with a show of the glory of worldly kingdoms: Secondly, how he tempts his ear, with an offer of them all unto him: And thirdly, upon what condition; If thou wilt fall down and worship me. By this temptation of worldly things▪ pleasant to the eye, did he entangle our first Parents; by this, since then, hath he snared and wounded all their posterity; and by it now, as his strongest temptation, doth he hope to prevail against the Lord jesus, but (as we have said) the success is not according to his expectation.   

And he showed him.  
HOw it is that Satan could show our Lord all the kingdoms of the world, 
How it is that Satan presented to the eye of our Lord all the kingdoms of the world.  we are not curiously to inquire, seeing by the subtlety of his wit, and knowledge gotten by long experience; he being now almost six thousand years old, he can do many things, which we cannot understand: for if a man by the quickness of his wit, hath found out the way to present a view of the whole world in a Map; or to let a man see himself represented in a glass, if this I say man can do by the help of nature, who for knowledge, is but a child, if he be compared with Angels, and for experience but of yesterday; why shall we think it strange to hear that Satan could make a real representation in the Air, of all the glorious kingdoms of the world, which we think he did.  
But however he did it, 
One of Satan's customable policies, is to infect the heart by the eye.  certain it is he presents to our Lord a glorious worldly sight; for we will never think that he made him believe, he saw that which he saw not: and his end in presenting this pleasant object to the eye was, out of all question, to assay if he could allure his heart with the love thereof: for this is one of his customable temptations, whereby he hath greatly prevailed among the sons of men, by the eye to encroach upon the heart. He deceived Eva, by looking on the Apple, pleasant to the eye: he deceived the Sons of God, who were of the line of Seth, by looking on the daughters of men, who were of the house of Cain: he deceived Achan, by looking on a wedge of Gold, and a goodly Babylonish garment: he deceived David, by looking on the beauty of Bathsheba: but so could he not prevail over our Lord: for neither was his nature mutable from good, as was Eva, in her best estate, far less infected with a corrupt inclination to evil, by exterior objects, as was David's; and therefore could not this temptation work upon him.  
But as for us, 
And therefore if we would keep the heart, we should first have a care to keep the eye.  we have great need to arm ourselves against it, by reason of our inhabitant corruption which is easily wakened by exterior objects, unless by holy discipline we keep and observe our senses, with no less holy care then Lot kept his in Sodom, whose righteous soul was vexed, but not delighted by hearing and seeing the unrighteous words and deeds of the Sodomites. Potiphars wife first cast her eyes upon joseph, 
Augu.  Prima adulterii tela oculorum sunt, the senses, especially the eye, saith Gregory, sunt quasi quaedam viae mentis, per quas for as veniat, by which it comes after a sort out of the body to view things which are without: by them, 
Gregor. lib. 21. Moral.  quasi per fenestras exteriora animus respicit respiciens concupiscit: and then doth death come in at our windows, when by our eyes, concupiscence of things unlawful is wakened in our souls; and therefore did Nazian, in his lamentations wish that his eyes and ears should never open, 
Nazian in deploratio. calam. animae sua.  but unto that which is good, Malis autem utrunque sua sponte clauderetur; and job protested, that he suffered not his heart to walk after his eye: but this will require both circumspection, and earnest prayer with David, Lord turn away my eyes from regarding vanity.  
Secondly, 
Satan speaks of earthly kingdoms but not of the heavenly, which he hath lost.  Satan shows our Lord the glory of worldly kingdoms, but he can speak nothing to the commendation of the heavenly kingdom: once he was a partaker of it, but he lost it through his pride, he knows it will never be his again, and therefore he hath no delight to speak of it. This I mark for worldlings, that they may know of what spirit they are, 
Worldlings by their talk declares that they are of the same spirit.  who when the heaven is offered to them in the Gospel, & hath no delight neither to hear nor speak of it: all their talk is of the earth; surely even their speech bewrays them; for he that is of the earth, 
Gregor. Moral. lib. 7.  sanctis viris insolens est & intolerabile, quicquid illud non sanat, quod intus amant: but unto men who are truly holy, every word which sounds not of that, which inwardly they love, is not only unaccustomed, but also intolerable.  
And thirdly, 
Satan's great subtlety in showing the glory of worldly kingdoms, but not their misery.  here is Satan's craft discovered; he shows him the glory of worldly kingdoms, but not the vanity, and misery, that follows them: In appearance it seems to be Paradisus bonorum: but in very deed it is, as chrysostom called it Euripus malorum: but Satan like a crafty fisher, makes a show of the bait, but hides the hook: so he in all his temptations makes a vain show of the apparent pleasure or profit a man may have by sin, but lets him not feel the terror, or pain, comes by it, till he be snared in it.  
Fourthly, 
Earthly kingdoms may be represented not so the heavenly.  we mark here a difference between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of heaven: the kingdoms of this world may be shadowed, and represented, they are seen, and perceived by our senses: yea, the glancing show of their glory, doth far exceed the substance, which in effect any man hath ever found in them; All the glory of flesh, is but like the flower of the field, and but a fantasy: so S. Paul speaking of the great pomp of Agrippa, and Bernice, saith, they came down, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but what figure can represent the glory of that heavenly kingdom as it is? None at all, 
1 Cor. 29.  the eye saw never, the ear heard never, neither is the heart of man able to understand, those things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Here he comforts men by things which he hath made, there he shall satisfy them with himself. 
Aug. de civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 18.  Deus est vita beatae, non de his quae condidit, sed de seipso verissimus largitor. So it is indeed, Sed nemo dormiens solem intuetur: but as no man while he sleeps can behold the sun, & quae putat se videre figmenta sunt, and those things which in his sleep he thinks he sees, are but plain fictions: so cannot a man in whom is no more but the spirit of the world, taste of that glory which is to come. Relinquamus itaque umbram, qui solem quaerimus, deseramus fumum, qui lumen sequimur: let us therefore forsake this shadow, if we be seeking the bright shining sun: let us go forth from this smoke, and darkness, if we be following the clear light. In a word, as we are taught by the Apostle, 
Ephes. 5. 14  let us awake from our sleep, and stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give light unto us.  
And this is yet further confirmed, 
Vanity of earthly pleasures, proved by their brevity.  when it is said, he showed them in the twinkling of an eye. It was a glorious show, but it lasted not; a short time tries the vanity of all earthly pleasures, they quickly vanish, and which is worthy the marking, if they did continue, of pleasures they would turn into pains, and sore displeasures: let us not therefore judge of them by the present show, wherein Satan may deceive us, but by their continuance, which Satan is not able to give. 
Heb. 11. 25.  The pleasures of sin endure but for a season, like the calmness of the sea; like the fullness of the Moon, like the fairness of winter, so is all the prosperity and pleasure of this life: apparet ad momentum disparet in perpetuum, 
Gregor. Moral. lib. 15.  for a moment it appears, and for ever again it vanishes.   

All this power will I give thee.  
Having seen the object which Satan presented to our saviours eye: 
Satan having assaulted the eye of our Lord, now goes about and assaults his ear.  now follows the offer he makes in his ear; both tending to this end, to assay if by them he could infect his heart. In his offer we see two notable lies: first, saith he all these are mine, all this power is delivered into my hands. The Psalmist saith; The earth is the Lords, 
Psal. 24. 1.  and the fullness thereof: and we read in Daniel, 
In this he makes two notable lies, first in affirming that the kingdoms of the world were his.  that honour, glory and dominion are the Lords, he changes kingdoms, etc. and this shameless Bear, says all is his: when in very deed not so much as any beast in the world is his, far less any kingdom thereof: for he could not do so much, for all his pretended power, as enter into a Sow, until the Lord gave him power.  
Where if ye object unto me, 
How Satan is called, The God of the world.  how is it then, that Satan is called by the Apostle, the God of this world? I answer, that is only in regard of the reprobate, whom the Lord in justice hath given over unto Satan, and in whom he commands and works at his pleasure; no otherwise then an executioner, to whom the judge gives power to punish a malefactor, sometime in his goods, sometime in his person, and sometime by taking away of his life: if this executioner should vaunt that he were Lord of life and death, or had power of health and sickness, riches and poverty, such as knew him, would not regard him. It is even so with Satan, he is but a false deceiver: for he being the executioner of God, employed by the Lord, to punish the wicked in their bodies, in their minds, or in their goods, will notwithstanding bear his blinded wretches in hand, as if all this power were his own.  
The other lie he makes, 
Next he lies in pretending that he would give them to Christ, which he never would albeit he might.  is that he pretends he would give all these unto Christ, which as it was not in his power to do, so was it far from his mind: for he envies that man should enjoy any creature, that ever the Lord made; so the end will declare, when he shall bring his miserable captives to such a scarcity, and famine of all good things, that if a drop of water might comfort them, they shall not get it.  
We must therefore put a difference between Satan's promises, 
Satan's promises are always to be distinguished from his performances.  and his performance: liberal in the one, poor in the other: fair in promises, but false in deeds. He promised to make Eva like unto God, but he made her like unto himself: with Laban he can name a Rachel, and give a Leah. Like joab he can kiss with the mouth, and slay with the hand: he can promise victory to Achah, that so he may chase him to confusion: name what he will, what can he give, but a part of his own portion? that is, to make miserable man a partaker with him in his most fearful condemnation.  
And yet alas, 
Yet blind worldlings follow Satan as if the world were at his donation.  how many are daily bewitched by him, to follow him: as if the world were at his Donation: for where as men do seek the things of this world, by stealing, lying, deceiving, oppressing, thinking to be rich and honourable by iniquity: Is not this to take out of the hand of Satan? Such as multiplies children by harlotry, and increases their rents by impiety, can they rejoice with jacob, saying with my staff and bag came I over jordan, and now God hath given me these bands: or can they glory with Abraham, I will not have so much as the latchet of a shoe from the King of Sodom, lest it should be said, he it is that made Abraham rich. Good were it for such men, that the Lord in time of his mercy, and not in his wrath, would give a purgation to cause them vomit by restitution, all that substance which wickedly they have devoured: for even reprobate judas, at length shall cast back again the wages of iniquity: but happy is he, who reputes in time, that ever he took any thing out of the hand of Satan, that so he may get mercy, while it is to be found. 
Satan frames his temptations according to the estimation he hath of men.   
But mark here yet further, in that he offers to give unto Christ, all the kingdoms of the world, how he can frame his temptations to men, according to that estimation, which he hath of them, great things offers he for them, whom he sees cannot easily be conquered, but smaller for those, of whom he accounts lesser: even as an experienced Merchant bids but a small price for that which is little in his estimation; 
He bids but a small price for such as he knows may be easily conquered.  but spareth neither gold nor silver, to give for that which he esteems more precious, or may make him most gain: there are some whom he sees to be so base creatures, that he bids but a small price for them; so bought he Achan, for a wedge of Gold; and Esau, 
☜  for a mess of pottage; and many an intemperate man, like him, for a bellyful of drink; so bought he judas to do him service for thirty pieces of silver, and many a covetous man at this day, doth he hire to lie, to swear, to forswear, and deceive, as we see in buying and selling daily practised, for one very small piece of money: whereas again, of others he esteems so much, that he offers them greater things to become his, as high honours, and rich rents; 
This is their shame, who do Satan service for small rewards.  but to none did he ever make so liberal an offer, as here unto our Lord: All the kingdoms of the world will I give unto thee, etc. And this I mark to make the men of the world ashamed, who for smallest trifles make shipwreck of their consciences, and bow down to Satan to serve him. If there were no more but a spark of true manhood and courage in them, this were sufficient to beget in their hearts a disdain of the Devil, that they see in his estimation, they are but base creatures, and therefore he thinks by smallest trifles to make conquest of them.   

If thou wilt fall down, and worship me.  
HItherto we have heard Satan's offer; 
He seeks more from men than he is able to give unto them.  now followeth his petition: wherein we have to see, what it is he craves for his offer: For, will he, think we, at any time, give any thing, except it be for the better? if he give any thing, it is to get thyself for it. He gave Adam an Apple, and thereby made him his own slave, if mercifully the Lord had not recovered him: he offered Esau a mess of Pottage, conditionally he would lose his Birthright; 
If he offer earth it is upon this condition, that we forsake heaven.  and it is his daily practice, to offer unto men, the things of this World, but with such an hard condition, as of necessity binds them to forego their part of that heavenly Kingdom, and so, like blinded fools, they lose them both. Alas, that men would always remember that warning of our Saviour, If a man should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, what recompense can it be unto him? 
The blind folly of men bewitched with Satan's offers.  What can Satan give unto a man worthy of that which he would have from him? Shall a reasonable soul, made to the Image of God, and redeemed by the blood of God, come under the bondage and servitude of Satan, for the vain show of any perishing pleasure that Satan can offer unto it? The Lord open our eyes to discern the deceit of this crafty juggler, that we may beware of him, that so oft as he makes any offer unto us, we may give him that wise and courageous answer, which the forty Martyrs gave the Deputy: Putas ne tantum te daturum nobis, quantum eripere contendis? Dost thou think that thou canst give us so much, as thou strivest to take from us?  
But here the men of the world (I know) will object and say; 
Many abhor to be called Satan's worshippers, who abhor not to be so indeed.  Is there any man so beastly, as to fall down and worship the Devil? that is an impiety which all men abhor to hear; but would to God, they thought it also an abomination to do it. We are commanded to have no God but one, that is, to trust in him only, to fear him, to love, and obey him. We are also commanded to worship him not after our own will, for that will worship, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is plainly condemned: in which of these soever we fail, we fall in among them who are charged in Scripture, to be worshippers of Satan: 
As namely they who worship the Lord otherwise then according to his own will.  for, there the worshippers of Idols of gold and silver, timber and stone, which have eyes and see not, etc. and the worshippers of Devils, are put in one rank: and though there be many, who by corrupt judgement, fail not this way in the matter of God's worship, yet by reason of their perverse affection, and heart not rightly set to the love and obedience of their God, are charged also among those who have gone after a strange God. Thus is the covetous man called an Idolater; 
And they in like manner, who serve their own beastly affections.  and the intemperate man, said to have his belly for his God. And more generally, every man is declared to be a servant unto that, 
Rom. 6. 16.  whereunto he gives obedience, as he that will not obey the Lord by sanctification of the Saboth, nor by sanctification of his own body in that holy manner which GOD hath commanded him: or he that in the pride and impenitency of his spirit, careth not to deliver all that he hath; yea, himself both soul and body to Satan: If these and such as they be, be examined according to the rule of the Word, it will be found, they are worshippers of Satan in deed, how ever in their words, they say, it is an abominable thing to do it.   

And jesus answered, and said.  
THis last answer, 
Why Christ's last answer is sharper than any of the former.  which our Lord giveth to Satan's last temptation, is sharper than any of the former: teaching us, by his example, that we should not so much as here it required of us without anger, that we should give the glory of God to any other than himself, & especially to his adversary. It is true that Satan in all his temptations should be resisted: but sometime he is to be repelled rather with a disdainful rejecting of him, then with reasoning; as namely, when he dare be so bold as to deny those grounds of Religion, which most justly are to be holden for undoubted truths, then is this answer meet for him; Hence from me Satan.   

For it is written.  
THe testimony our Saviour allegeth against him, 
In worship the Lord can suffer no companion.  is out of Deut. 10. ver. 20. Out of which it is clear, that in the matter of Worship, the Lord will suffer no Companion. 
1 Sam. 7. 3.  If ye come (said Samuel) to the Lord, with all your heart, than put away the strange Gods from among you; for ye cannot keep both. If God be the Lord, (said Elijah) then follow him; if Baal be he, then follow him; the Lord can suffer no halting between two. 
Papists worshipping others with God, guilty of Idolatry.  Out of which it is evident, that the Adversaries, while they part the work of our salvation, ascribing part of it to Christ's satisfaction, and part to human satisfactions: while again they part the work of mediation, joining others with Christ in it. Making some prayers to God, and some to creatures; making some religious bowing of the body to the Lord, and some religious bowing of the body, which they think lawful to give, unto Saints; not reserving falling down for worship to God only, do fail against this Commandment, and how ever they please themselves with distinctions, thinking to hide their sin under a covering of words, yet this most clear word of the Lord doth convince them of the crime of Idolatry.  
They say that the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they give unto God only, 
How the distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, doth not excuse them.  as due unto him. To Creatures, they give no more but the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: But against their own distinction, sometime they teach, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be given to others than unto God. And if we take these words according to the use of Scriptures, it is clear that these two are indifferently used for one: the whole service men owe to Christ is comprised under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 16. 18. And the Apostle condemns the Galathians of Idolatry, because they gave the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to those things which by Nature are no Gods; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: which manner of reasoning were not forcible, if this distinction of the Papists were true, that the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be given to those which are no Gods, 
Religious bowing of the knee to creatures a note of Idolaters.  according to the use thereof in Scriptures.  
But what ever they mean by these words of Worship, why do they bow the knee to things of Gold, silver, and stone? they cannot say, it is for civil reverence; for, their Images have not eyes to see them, nor tongues to answer them. If it be (as it is) for religious Worship; why do they not remember, that by this, the Lord distinguisheth true Worshippers from false; I have seven thousand that never bowed their knee to Baal? and that the three Children are commended, for that they would not bow the knee to fall down and worship Nabuchadnezar's Golden Image? Or how can they excuse their offering of Incense to their Images, seeing it is commanded to be offered unto God himself: 
Leuit. 2. 1.  and the jews are condemned for offering Incense to the brazen Serpent, 
2 King. 18. 4.  and to Baal? 
2 King. 23. 5.   
Where, if they object unto us that we do great wrong, 
An objection of the Adversaries answered.  in comparing their Images, which are of Saints now glorified in heaven, with the Images of Nabuchadnezzar, of Baal, etc. I answer, we acknowledge a great difference between the Saints of God, and those falsely reputed Gods of the Heathen; but, in this point, we affirm, it is no less Idolatry to give religious worship to the Saints, or their Images, than it was for the jews to give it unto Baal. It is true, Paul and Barnabas are more excellent Creatures, being the chosen vessels of the living God, than jupiter and Mercurius, yet to give religious Worship to them, is no less Idolatry, then to give it to jupiter and Mercurius: for, if they be compared in this point, Paul and Barnabas, are no more Gods, than Baal, jupiter, or Mercurius.  
But to return: let us for our own instruction take diligent heed, to those things which the Lord hath reserved to himself only, and be content with those things which he hath offered unto us. Where he saith; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only, 
Worship and the glory of salvation should be reserved to the Lord only.  far be it from us to break that limitation, by giving any part of his worhip unto another: I will not (saith the Lord) give my glory to another; that which the Lord will not give, how dare man be so bold as to give that unto another? what greater glory hath the Lord, than the glory of a Saviour, and Redeemer? he made us, we made not ourselves. What greater glory hath he, than that he is the Father of lights, from whom every good gift doth descend? shall we take this glory, and give it unto another? shall we seek from another the fulfilling of our necessities then from him, is there any either more willing to help seeing he is our father? or more able, seeing he is almighty? Shall I go to him by another Mediator, then by his Son, seeing the Father hath proclaimed; This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased? Or, shall we join other Mediators with him, seeing the Apostle saith; He is able to save perfectly all those that come to God by him. From such impieties the Lord deliver us for his great names sake; to whom be all praise, honour, and glory for ever.  
Amen.  
FINIS.    

MEDITATIONS for Instruction and Consolation.  
Very profitable, and right necessary, for every Christian to read.  PSAL. 119. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways. 
LONDON: Printed for john Budge. 1612.   

MEDITATIONS for Instruction, and Consolation.  

The glory of Britain's Isle.  
EVery Kingdom glorieth of their privileges; we have our own also, wherein we are nothing inferior to them, but let this be the greatest glory of our Isle, that 2600. years ago, the Lord promised to give the ends of the earth for a possession to Christ, which in our time (blessed be his holy name for it, is abundantly performed.  
The Law came forth of Zion, the Word of the Lord from jerusalem, and with a speedy course overshadowed this Isle with the brightness thereof: whether it was by S. Paul, as Theodoret affirms, or by Simon Zelotes, as Dorotheus and Nicephorus witnesseth, or by joseph of Arimathea, as many testify: sure it is, by some, either Apostle, or Apostelique man; soon after the death of our Lord, from Gentilism we were converted to Christianity: long before that Papistry, or papal power was known in the world: for which, by the testimony of the adversaries themselves, even they who dwell in the Northmost part of the I'll, are honoured with the style of ancient Christians; Scoti antiquiores Christiani.   

A warning to the I'll of great Britain.  
AS the going forth of the Sun is from the one end of heaven unto the other; rising in the East, 
Psal. 19  and running on (like a mighty man) in his course, toward the West; so hath the light of the Gospel, from them in the East, shined towards us in the West: where now it stands more marvelously than the Sun did in Gibeon, 
jos. 10.  in the days of joshua, till the fullness of Gentiles in these parts, be brought into the Tents of Sem. And sure we are, it shall stand like a clear light in the Firmament of his Church, till all his Saints be gathered together.  
Now the Candlestick is removed from them in the East, the Sun is gone down over their Prophets, & darkness is unto them in stead of divination. While we have the light, let us walk in the light: for woe shall be to us also, if the Lord depart from us.   

Time of Grace how dispensed by the Lord.  
THe time of grace is called by the Lord, 
2. Cor. 6.  an acceptable year, or day of salvation, to tell us it is but short, and therefore we should redeem the time. Some days are longer, some shorter: but all of them are limited, and come to their end. The jews had a fair long Summer day of Grace, sixteen hundred years dwelled the Lord with them, as with his own peculiar people: and their Father, Sem, was the first, upon whom God vouchsafed this happiness and honour, as to call himself his God, blessed be the God of Sem: from them hath the Lord removed to the house of japhet, and other sixteen hundred years hath he been alluring japhet to dwell in the tents of Sem, offering mercy and grace to their several families, according to his wise and gracious dispensation, and among the rest, he hath also vouchsafed to visit us. Oh that we knew those things which belong to our peace.   

The course of the Gospel.  
OTher Trees when they grow, do fasten their roots in the earth, and send their branches toward heaven, but the Gospel is such a Tree of the Paradise of God, as hath the root of it in heaven: for, it bred in the bosom of the Father, but the branches grow downward, to the earth, that we may eat of the threefold fruit which grow upon it, Righteousness, Peace, and joy.. We need not now to say, Who shall ascend into heaven? 
Rom. 10.  The Word is near thee. If we be not refreshed with the fruit of that heavenly Paradise, the fault must be in the want of good will in ourselves, not the want of a good occasion, seeing the Lord hath turned the branches of this tree of life downward toward us, that the more commodiously we might eat of the fruit thereof.   

The trial of a true gospeler:  
IN the Gospel there is a truth, and a power: the truth is embraced by many professors, the power is known to few. Now it is thought religion good enough, if a man receive the truth (so great is our corruption) not remembering that truth known, shall, but convince them who by the power thereof are not converted to walk after it.   

A golden Rule for the use of things indifferent.  
ALl things which are lawful, are not always expedient: where the lawfulness is certainly known, advise on the expediency; and when thou art resolved of both, yet remember it is not good to come under the power of any thing: custom draws a carnal man to necessity, that he cannot want that which he hath been used to have: but so to use the creature that thou keep thine heart free, unthralled with the servitude thereof, and ready at all occasions to want it, is the perfection of him, who hath learned, while he walks upon earth, to have his conversation in heaven.   

Three helps to a godly life.  
THere are three things which help a man to live godly. as David records, who found it by his own experience: 
Psal. 119. 57  Determination, Supplication, Consideration. Determination is first, by it we resolve and conclude to live a godly life: Supplication is second, for without help obtained of God, our determinations soon vanish: Consideration is the third, whereby we examine ourselves, whether or not, we have done as we determined. Determination helps us to begin to do well, and this purpose would be renewed every morning Supplication holds us forward continuing in well doing: and consideration brings us home, when we have gone astray. I may say, happy is that man in whose life one of these three is always an actor.   

A spur to Repentance.  
He that goes down to the grave, saith job, shall come up no more; namely, to live here on earth, as he was wont to do: he that goes to a far country, goes from his friends, in hope to come back again; it is not so with him that goes to the grave: and therefore it is a point of great wisdom, in time to do what thou hast to do. What we learn not one day, we may learn another, and so long as we have time, what we have left undone at one time, we may do at another: but if we die not well, we shall not return to die better; where the tree falls, there it lies: and such as a man is when he dies, such abides he for ever: let us therefore so live, as learning to die; happy is the man who will not live in that state, wherein he dare not die.   

The gain of Godliness.  
THe Apostle saith, that Godliness is great gain, and the Psalmist, that there is fruit for the righteous, but what we gain by godliness, and what fruit grows on the tree of righteousness, is not well known in this life: here, of all men they who are godly seem to most miserable, because they must suffer many persecutions: but as the sweet grapes of the vine three are gathered in the vintage; and the fruit of the husbandman's labour, comes home in the harvest: so doth the gain of godliness, in the hour of death: when all other comforts forsakes us, than godliness lets us taste of her fruits, peace and joy in the holy Ghost.   

Grace of thanks giving.  
AS a vessel by the scent thereof tells what liquor is in it: so should our mouths smell continually of that mercy, wherewith our hearts hath been refreshed: for we are called vessels of mercy.   

Satan's defiance.  
IT makes no matter what our enemies be, though for number, Legions; for Power, Principalities; for subtlety, Serpents; for cruelty, Dragons; for vantage of place, a Prince of the Air; for maliciousness, spiritual wickedness, stronger is he that is in us, than they who are against us; nothing is able to separate us from the love of God. In Christ jesus our Lord, we shall be more than conquerors.   

A warning to battle.  
HE shall not be in heaven with the Church triumphant, who lives not on earth a member of the Church militant, I, suppose thou hast no enemies without, and knowest no external cross to trouble thee, thy chief enemy and most dangerous is the corruption of thy own heart within thee, against which if thou fight not with the daily weapons of the word and prayer, thou art a captive, and at a cursed peace with Satan. And yet alas how many are so, living in security, never grieved, nor troubled, with their inhabitant corruption?   

gedeon's army.  
OF thirty thousand men, that rose at the sound of gedeon's Trumpet, only three hundredth, after trial, were found meet for the battle: and of many thousands, who now, at the sound of the Gospel, makes a show as if they would follow Christ in his warfare, few will be found after trial, to receive the crown; for many are called, but few are chosen: let every man take heed to himself.   

Three most excellent virtues.  
THese are Faith, Love, and Patience; he who is partaker of them, is a possessor of all good, which is to be desired: for by Faith he possesses jesus Christ, & all his blessings: by Love he possesses his neighbour, and hath joy of all the good which is in them and by Patience he possesses himself.   

A watchword for impenitents, now under grace.  
Sins done against the Law, may be cured by the grace of the Gospel: but if grace be despised also, and the more thou hear the Gospel, the more thou grow in profaneness; wherewith then shall thy disease be amended? may we look for an other Saviour, or is there a new sacrifice to be made for sin? No, it is the last age, God hath sent his last message, and hath applied to men, his last and strongest medicine, if this mend thee not, there remains nothing but a looking for of fearful judgement, and violent fire, which shall devour thee.   

Thamar's reveuge.  
THamar to be revenged upon juda her father in law, alured him to commit incestuous adultery with her. Like unto this is all the revenge of carnal men, who to the end they may hurt others, who hath offended them, spare not to hurt themselves first, and sin against their own soul: he shall be soonest, and best revenged, who remits vengeance unto the Lord.   

True life.  
ALl men naturally love life, but true life is only known to the sons of God. In the Vegetative life, whereby creatures grow from a small estate to an higher, the trees of the field overcomes man. In the sensitive life, many beasts excels him, they see, they smell, they hear, etc. better than he. And as for the reasonable life, do we not see many reprobates hath it, who shall never see the face of God. Yea, Heathen Philosophers, hath excelled Christians in the use of reason. Oh, that men did consider this, who now know no life but this to eat, and drink, and grow: why dost thou place thy life in that, wherein beasts and reprobates are thy companions. Let us seek that life which none can have, but the sons of God. Let thy tender mercy come unto me, that I may live, 
Psal. 119. 77.  for thy law is my delight.   

Sufficiency of eternal life.  
IF one Sun set, by God in the firmament, gives, by course, sufficient light to all the inhabitants of the earth, and yet neither divided, nor diminished in himself. May we not think much more, how that glorious light shall illuminate all, and comfort all the elect of God, not being the less to any one, that many are partakers of it.   

Pleasures of this world.  
MAny things bewrays the vanity of worldly pleasures, but this above all, that if they did continue, they would turn into intolerable pains. Let the worldling make his choice, what best pleases him, let him have it without any exchange, a short time shall force him to confess it is a vexation.   

Beginnings of sin, should be resisted.  
IT is a notable precept ever to be remembered, in all our actions, keep yourselves in your spirit: 
Mal. 2. 15.  if the fountain be dried, the river decay, and if sin be stopped in the heart, the flux thereof is easily dried up, for out of the heart comes murder, and adulteries, etc. As a cockatrice is most easily slain in the shell, so sin in the first conception, before it gather strength: but here is our folly, we fight not with it, when it is weak: and therefore cannot withstand it, when it is strong.   

Vanity of this life.  
IT is strange that men should love to live here, where beasts are partakers with him of all that he hath, and not long to ascend where he shall live a companion to Angels; where we dwell, the Spider builds in our most lightsome lodgings, the Rats usurps a residence, in our carved ceilings; the flies partakes of our meats and drink: yea, the worms with in us, feed upon ourselves and yet it is strange, that man called to a lively hope of a better life, should not long to enjoy it.   

The cursed condition of the wicked.  
IN the same field, wherein Absalon raised battle against his father, stood the Oak that was his gibbet: the mulet whereon he road was his hangman, for the mulet carried him to the Tree, and the hair wherein he gloried, served for a rope to hang. Little know the wicked how every thing which now they have, shall be a snare to trap them, when God begins to punish them.   

An evil conscience.  
THere are many evils flowing from an evil conscience, this is one, it binds up the mouth of the soul, that it dares not cry for mercy, 
1. Pet. 3.  for it is, saith S. Peter, a good conscience that makes request to God. Even among men amity makes liberty, and man dares not speak to his brother offended, before reconciliation: with that boldness than shall he that stands a rebel to God, make supplication to him. If we ask not, how shall it be given us? If we repent not, how shall we ask? Let us therefore by daily repentance, purge our heart from an evil conscience, that so in our need, we may find access to God.  
As the defects of a ruinous house, that is not water-tight is not known in fair weather, but in foul: so an evil conscience seems oft-times to be good enough, till the day of trouble come. Jacob's sons counted little of the selling of joseph, till twenty years after it, they were hardly handled in Egypt. Let us try ourself entirely, and be loath to harbour this guest, which will not fail to trouble us within, so soon as trouble shall arise unto us without.   

Men of honour.  
AS finest garments are consumed by moths and gold, if it rest, by rust, and most excellent trees, want not their own worms, which by time destroy them: so honourable men, hath their own corruptions, but this for common is the disease of them all, that they look more narrowly to that service, which their inferiors are bound to do to them, then to their duties which they are bound to do to their superiors, looking down to take from men, and not up to give to the Lord, that honour, which is due unto him.   

The profit of spiritual exercises.  
he who would entertain fellowship with God, should above all delight, in the spiritual exercises of the word and prayer. The word is as the Mother, and prayer as the nurse of every grace in God's children; by the one God speaks unto man, by the other, man speaks unto God: and therefore is it, that Satan, who envies the fellowship of man with God, troubles man especially in these two, tempting him most craftily then, when he goes to the word, and prayer.   

Bodily exercises.  
BOdily exercise, saith the Apostle, profits little, and therefore should be sparingly used. Many under pretence of the recreation of their bodies, if they quench not the spirit, at least grieves it, like as if one to cool his body of vehement heat, should run so far in the water, that he drowns himself. Experience may tell such, as make conscience of their actions, that immoderate external exercise, increases guiltiness, and diminishes grace. It is a point of great wisdom, here to keep moderation.   

Friendship of the world.  
IT is the surest estate, suppose somewhat sharp, to live contemned of the world, wanting her friendship and allurements: it makes us more humble in ourself, & more wise toward others.   

The deceit of sin.  
HE who will look to the fruit of sin, shall not easily be snared with the deceit of it, that for which a man sins, bides not with him, only the guiltiness remains, which he contracted, to obtain his apparent good: If a man remembered this, he would be loath to make his guiltiness greater for a good, which will not bide with him.   

Mother-sinnes.  
EVery sin would be resisted, but especially Mother-sinnes, professed enemies to virtue, Vipers, which can not live, but upon the life of him that entertains them: such as Pride, Passion, and Pleasure. Every one of these Captains is like Goliath, in Satan's army: unless a man come against them, in the name of the Lord, armed with his grace, he can not stand before them.   

Pride.  
PRide (said Augustine) is grandis in oculo trabes, a great beam in the eye, which neither lets a man get a right sight of his God, nor of himself, nor of his neighbour. It is Primogenitum diaboli, satans first born: by it, the Serpent lurks at the root of every high Cedars, to underdermine it, for he knows there is nothing so high, which by pride is not easily brought low, Lucifer falling from heaven, and Nabuchadnezzars golden head, for his pride soon turned from his throne, to the fields; and manners of beasts, among innumerable more examples, may serve to prove it.   

Antidote for Pride.  
THe best Antidote for this poison is Humility, Superbia tumor est non magnitudo: Pride is a swelling, but no greatness, but this makes a man little in his own eyes: yet in very deed, great both with God, and man.. It is a virtue in any man, but most of all in a man of honour, 
Aug.  Magna prorsus virtus humilitas honorata, the highest buildings, hath the lowest foundations. Magnus esse vis? a minimo incipe. Cogitas magnam fabricam construere? celsitudinis de fundamento prius cogita humilitatis. Wilt thou be great? begin at the lowest degree. Dost thou think to rear a great building of height? think first upon the foundation of humility. 
Nazian.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. This is the beginning of all Philosophy.   

Passion.  
PAssion, or inordinate commotion of the mind, is an unruly evil, 
De ira cap. 5.  said Lactantius: it makes a man rage without moderation, more turbulent than the raging sea; it defaces his countenance, were it never so pleasant, it felters his tongue, were it never so eloquent; it fiereth the eyes, which are conduits of water; it captives the understanding, which is the ruler of the whole man, Perit omne judicium ubires transit in affectum: all judgement is lost, when the matter cometh to passion.   

Remedy of Passion.  
THe best remedy for it, is that heavenly grace of patience, flowing from faith, and love, three of the most rich, and rare jewels, wherewith a Christian can be adorned: for by faith we possess Christ jesus, and have right to all his benefits; by love we possess our neighbour, rejoicing in their good, as if it were our own: and by patience we possess ourselves, and becomes Masters of our own wits, senses, words, actions, and all: this is Christian fortitude, and in very deed, the highest point of manhood: fortior est qui se, quam qui fortissima vincit: He that conquereth himself, is stronger than he which vanquisheth most strong things.   

Pleasure.  
PLeasure is a Pest, so much the more perilous, in that it is more plausible than others, spreading out itself into as many branches, as there are in men affections: for all are not miscarried after one sort. Trahit sua quemque voluptas: Every man as his pleasure leads him. Invincible Alexander vanquished in peace, with the pleasures of his mouth: Wise Solomon, temperate of his mouth, overcome with the pleasures of his flesh: yea if they be not ruled by grace, the conceit of their honour makes them all generally dream of this privilege, and imagine it to be their own, that quod lubet, licet, and in this pit hath perished many a worthy man.   

The remedy of inordinate pleasure.  
THe remedy of this evil, is the fear of God, and therewithal fervent and continual prayer, that the grace of God, which hath appeared, and brings salvation to men, may teach us to deny all ungodly lusts, and to live holily (toward God) soberly (in ourselves) and justly (toward men.)   
A meet answer for David's question, PSAL. 119. 
THere is a question propounded by David, & it were good for us to consider; that we might provide in time an answer to it: whether shall I go from thy presence, or where shall I flee from thy spirit? If I ascend to heaven thou art there: if I lie down in hell thou art there: what then, if there were a way to go from him, yet is there not a way to live without him: all that go a whoring from him shall perish, where away Lord shall we go, seeing thou hast the words of eternal life. Shall we then bide with thee, because we cannot do otherwise: Nay Lord, albeit we might, which is impossible, flee from thee, yet is there none worthy to be loved like unto thee; as we cannot flee from thee for thy power, so we will not flee fro thee for thy mercy. The wrath of man, may be eschewed by flying from him, as jacob did flying from Esau, the Lords wrath is only pacified by running unto him.   

Achitophel's heirs who they are.  
THe men of this world are wise in things without them, but fools as concerning themselves, like to Achitophel, who put his house in order, and hanged himself: what greater folly than this, he ordered his house, and ordered not his heart: and therefore in the perturbation of his mind, went he to the place of confusion. Many heirs hath he left behind him, who orders wisely all things concerning their bodies, but suffers, yea, praecipitates foolishly their souls into perdition.   

Self-murder.  
AChitophel and judas, who hanged themselves, were both worthy to be hanged, yet were they twice miserable, because they died twice guilty: the one of David's blood and his own: the other of the blood of Christ, and his own also. He that is slain innocently, by an other, leaves his blood behind him, that cries for vengeance on him that shed it: but the murderer of himself carries the guilt of his own blood with him, and so goes away both a murderer, and a murdered.   

Desertions.  
I Think a twofold disease may befall a godly man: one, wherein the spirit of God relents in him his former operation, whereof ensues a decay of the sense of mercy, trouble of mind, and great inability to any spiritual good: the other, when by extremities of bodily diseases, reason, and memory deserts him, but sure I am, neither of these can be prejudicial to his salvation, which is grounded not in man, but in the unchangeable God. Because thou art not changed, therefore we are not consumed.   

A Christians answer to Satan's accusations.  
WHy troubles thou me by laying my sins to my charge? I know I have many ways offended my God, but this comfort I have, that what ever I have done to offend him, through his grace, is the matter of my grief, but what I have done against thee, to the hindrance of thy kingdom, I allow it, and rejoice in it, wishing from my heart I were able to do more for the destruction of thy kingdom, both in myself, and others.   

Satan enemy to prayer.  
WHen the Apostles were going to pray, than the Pythoness perturbed them: and no marvel that Satan who interrupts not men in other actions, interrupt them in Prayer: for as hearing of the word preached is the mother, so Prayer is the nourisher of all Christian virtues in us.   

A preachers comfort.  
LYdia converted, entertained the Apostles into her house, and the jailor, who before straited them with iron bands, being converted, ministered to their necessities: such as get grace by the Gospel, will not fail to give comfort to the instruments, by whom they received it. It may content a Preacher that he shall want comfort of none but those of whom GOD wants his glory: where the Lord gets not his part, what marvel thou get not thine?   

After great comfort, look for temptation.  
TWo sundry times was Christ proclaimed the Son of God, by an audible voice from heaven: first, when he was baptized at Iorden, and then immediately was he tempted in the wilderness: Secondly, when he was transfigured on the Mountain, and then shortly after, was he troubled in the garden. As Elias after he had gotten a double portion, got forty days fasting: so God's children, when they receive double comfort, are to prepare themselves for double temptation.   

How the wicked run post unto hell.  
AS they who run post change their horses, when one is weary they mount upon an other: so the wicked, when they are weary of one sin, fall to an other: weary of one beastly affection, they make haste in their madness to mount upon another, as if riding upon one were not sufficient to bring them soon enough thither.   

Their miserable end.  
But if they were wise, they would draw the bridle, consider their course, and think upon their end, they think not in their life, that sin is terrible, they fear and abhor nothing but death: but how far they are deceived, the end shall declare, then shall their sins in such sort terrify them, that to be quit of the sight of sin, they shall seek death, but shall not find it: there will be their last, and desperate voice, Oh that the hills & mountains would fall upon us, and smother us!   

Against sinful lusts.  
ABraham was content for the love of the Lord, to slay and sacrifice his son with his own hands, and the Lord accepted his will for a deed, and a clear declaratour of his love. Now said he, I know thou lovest me. But alas, O my soul, wherein wilt thou show thy love to the Lord thy God, if thou be not content to forego a unlawful pleasure for the Lords sake, and to slay the life, not of thy lawful son, but of thy unlawful affection? If thou do it not, how shall the Lord say of thee, as he said of Abraham? Now I know thou lovest me.   

The patience of God should not be abused.  
LEt men remember, that suppose the mercy of GOD be everlasting, yet his Patience is limited: it is called a long patience, and long suffering, but never a everlasting patience: happy therefore is he, who before the time of God's long patience be finished, gets within the compass of his enduring mercy.   

Pride.  
AS Pride was the first sin powered into our nature, so it is last in departing: for pride is such a sin, as rises of the ashes of other sins.   

The love of Christ.  
IT is not a great thing to love that which is seen, whether truly good, or apparent only; but to love him, whom yet we have not seen. 1 Pet. 1. is the work of a great Faith: yet great reason there is, why we should do so, what visible thing should be loved comparable to him that made it? and the more should we love him, that for love of us, he became like us, but so that he is the fairest among the children of men. When he was transfigured, his face shined like the Sun, but now the brightness of his face far surmounts the glory of the sun: among all the creatures none in beauty comparable to him. Alas that we long not, more than we do to see him.   

A soul stretching out her wings to the Lord.  
O My soul, what hast thou to do here in this earth? thou camest from above. Shall these visible things snare thee, and detain thee from the invisible God, from whom thou came? Except it be to fight, for a time, the Lords battles, that thou mayst be crowned, and so lead so many as thou mayst captives up unto him, that so thou mayst follow the Lord who ascended on high, & for thy sake, led captivity captive.   

Circumspection needful.  
EVah looking where God forbade her: Dinah wandering: David intermitting spiritual exercises, became a ready pray to the enemy, the corrupt nature of man not kept with a narrow circumspection, is easily carried into captivity, but not so easily recovered. The evil may be contracted in one day, which in many days can not be amended. O my soul therefore learn to walk the more circumspectly.   

An awe-band for the heart.  
AS the Lord is omnipotent, so is he omnipresent, he is secret in his ways, and when he goes by us, we see him not. job 9 12: but go where we will, he is always with us, to see us when we see not him, no more than Gehazi, when he took the bribes of Naaman, saw the spirit of Eliah that went with him. Oh, that we could remember this, that what ever we do, we are under the eye of God, that so with Henoch we may walk with God in all that we do, seeking to please him, and be approved of him.   

The desire of a godly soul.  
WHen the Lord came to the grave of Lazarus, he wept, and cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth, and as he commanded so was it done: Oh Lord, that thou wouldst come with the like affection to me, and visit this grave, and monument of my corruptible body, wherein my soul is imprisoned, yea, buried after a sort, that it can not mount up to walk after thee. Cry upon me Lord with thy powerful voice, that I may come out; let me not lye any longer in this grave; command them to lose my bonds, that even while I am in the body, I may go out of the body, and follow thee.   

Three ranks of sins.  
Our sins may be reduced to three ranks. 1 Defections. 2 Transgressions. 3 Rebellions. by the first we fail in doing the good, we should do: by the second we pass our bounds, and do the evil we should not: by the third, men coming to the deep of sin, fall into the contempt of God, and at length to rebellion, of the first and second we are guilty. The Lord deliver us, that we fall not into the third.   

A precept never to be forgotten.  
TAke heed to thyself. This is a precept most necessary to be practised: The Lord is said to number our steps, to ponder our paths, to weigh ourselves: and Satan is said to winnow us, and to consider us: what great need have we then to consider ourselves?   

The fruitless care of worldlings.  
WOrldlings take pains in their life to provide for others, who will not so much as remember them when they are gone, for his place shall know him no more. Where is the fruit of thy labours, O wretched worldling, in the heaven? Thou hast laid up no store for thyself there, for thou never had a care to make thyself friends there of the riches of iniquity: what hope then canst thou have to be received into those everlasting mansions? for comfort of the earth where is it? all the fruit of thy labours thou must leave to another, who will be blithe to bury thee in the earth.  
Oh that men could remember this. Or it belong the earth will refuse to bear thee, thy body will refuse to lodge thee, thy friends will no longer retain thee, and who then shall receive thee? If the Lord also refuse thee and bid thee depart from him, where away wilt thou go for comfort? O man, make peace with thy God in time!   

coverings of sin.  
AS Adam after his transgression covered his nakedness with figtree leaves, so is it Natural to his sons, to seek coverings to their sins; but of all it offends the Lord most, when men seek to cover their sins, under the garment of God, this was objected to the jews, Mal. 2. 16. who covered their adulteries with a shadow of divorcements allowed, as they thought, by Moses, and is yet practised by the Atheists of our time, who bring defences for their sin out of the word of God: for such mockers heavy judgements are prepared.   

Knowledge and Devotion.  
AS a Bird that hath but one wing cannot fly the right way: so a Christian wanting any one of these two, cannot serve God in a right manner: yet seldom go these two together, for some have Knowledge without Devotion, and others have Devotion, but without Knowledge. None of these are good, but the first is the worst of the two: for the servant that knows his masters will and doth it not, is worthy of double stripes.   

A discovery of the vanity of worldly honour.  
MAn in his best estate is altogether vanity; his highest honour is like the vanishing shadow on the tops of mountains when the sun goes down. Put him in his chariot of triumph, let it be drawn with horses of price, yea, if he can, with stately Lions; let him be decked in most gorgeous manner, as Herode was on his birthday, these two interrogators shall soon discover his vanity.  
First what hath he upon him, or about him which is his own: hath he not borrowed from every creature to make up himself a begged glory? garments from beasts of the earth, feathers from fowls of the air, pearls from fishes of the sea, silks from creeping worms, and beasts: and worms, and fishes, at length shall devour his flesh, in a recompense of that, which they have lent him.  
And Secondly, that which he hath, how long shall he have it, the Samaritan Prince, who this day leaned on the king's shoulder, and the next day was trampled under the people's feet, stands up among innumerable examples to witness how mutable, and vain, the glory is of flesh. Surely, as Nabuchadnezzars image had a head of Gold, but feet of Clay, so is it with all worldly honour, glorious in the beginning, but it ends in dust, and ashes.   

Every day should shadow our death.  
THe end of every day is a shadow of the end of our life: our lying down in the bed under coverings of clothes to rest us, till the morning, should remember us of our lying down in the grave, under the covering of moulds. The sting of sinful pleasure not perceived in the day, doth sting more lively the conscience of men in the night, when they examine themselves on their beds, and all are at quiet, no sight presented to the eye, nor sound to the ear to distract the mind, than conscience speaks the more loudly, to warn a man of his sins: and this may forewarn us, that if we do not unfeignedly repent us in time, our sins will much more trouble us in the end of our life: let us not keep such a serpent in our bosom.   

Contentment to die.  
I Desire not to outlive the time, whether it be long or short, appointed to me of the Lord. I know he is permanent jehova, death cannot take me from him, but restore me to him. Prophet's dye, and people to whom they speak, die also, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever: and no word spoken in his name, shall fall to the ground. I know it shall not be well with the wicked, though I see not their end, and thy Saints shall have cause to praise thee, and say there is fruit for the righteous.  
Glory be to God.  Si quid feceris honestum cum labour, labour cito abit, si quid turpe cum voluptate, turpitudo manet, voluptas abit. Awl: Gel. 
FINIS.    

THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST:  
Wherein the typical Goel is compared with the true, and is showed how CHRIST, our kinsman, is made our right REDEEMER.  MARK 1. 9 And it came to pass in those days, that jesus came from Nazaret, a city of Galilee, and was baptized of of john in jordan. 
LONDON: Printed for john Budge. 1612.   

A TABLE OF THE Principal points contained in this Book.  

A  
A Ccusations of Satan, and the Christian man's answer to them. pag. 306  
Adam the first son of God among men, and the first father of Christ according to the flesh. pag. 8  
The evil that Adam brought on himself, and his posterity. 59  
How the second Adam hath the same similitude of generation with the first. 13  
What course the second Adam takes in our Redemption, 58. the effect and comfort thereof. 59  
Our spiritual Adoption how confirmed. 14  
Our Election and Adoption impugned by Satan. 170  
How we should confirm ourselves in the assurance of our Election, and Adoption. 175  
Atheists convinced, 182  
Professors of Atheism. 170   

B  
Baptism of Christ among sinners shows his love and humility. 57  
Christ baptizing with the spirit, seeks the Baptism of water from his own servant, 60. to what end he did so, 61. the reasons thereof. 62  
Christ baptised to sanctify Baptism, 66. and to seal up his fellowship with us. 68 he received it with prayer. 64  
The seal of Baptism, with the promises thereof. 65  
Why Constantine deferred his baptism. 67  
The order of Satan's threefold Battle. 162  
How a Christian should order the Battle against him. 163  
Desperation fights in the left wing of Satan's battle, 167. and Presumption in the right wing. 192  
A warning to Battle. 277  
Glory of Britain's Isle. 265  
A warning to Britain's Isle. 267   

C  
THe fatherly care and providence of God to his children. 223.  
Christ's glory manifested, in that he took no holiness from his parents. 27  
Christ's Line from whence deduced. 34  
Christ never called the natural son of Solomon. 35  
Christ, as man, was borne a Noble man. ibid.  
Christ the companion of jehovah. 39  
Christ our kinsman. ibid.  
Why Christ is called Shiloh. 40  
Christ the true Redeemer, and avenger of his brethren. 40  
Christ most solemnly consecrated King, Priest, and Prophet. 50  
Christ willingly maketh himself debtor for us. 51  
Christ how become ours in most sure manner. 53. 54  
What comfort Christ hath brought us. 59  
Why Christ prayed for himself. 69  
How Christ teacheth us to sanctify all our actions by Prayer. 71  
How Christ cures his Patients by anointing them. 86  
Christ endues his children with meekness. 87  
Christ, how the Son of God. 97  
Christ, his life and doctrine, etc. confirmed unto us, by divers notable testimonies. pag. 99 100 etc. to page 110.  
Why Christ is led into the Wilderness, by the motion of the spirit. 124  
The Actions of Christ, how received. 150  
Christ's transportation, whether mental, or corporal. 195  
Christ tempted at the eye, with a fair show: at the ear with fair offers. 229. 231. 241  
Christ his love. 313  
Warning for careless Christians. 153  
Carnal men in words despise Satan, but in deeds do serve him. 121  
Circumspection needful. 315  
A Comfort in that we be come of Christ by grace. 18  
Comfort for poor distressed sinners. 25. 26  
Comfort arising from the consideration of Christ's person. 39  
A strong Bulwark of Comfort. 77  
Comforts against the fear of Satan's power, and our weakness. 90  
Comfort against the want of worldly things. 174  
Comforts when ordinary means fail. 191  
Comfort for a Christian exercised with unaccustomed temptations. 119  
After great Comfort, look for temptation. 308  
An evil Conscience, what it is. 287  
Consecration of Christ, to the office of a Redeemer, considered: 51. the solemnity thereof unmatchable. 50  
Warning to such as are within the Covenant. 23  
Two parts of the Covenant of Grace, and both sealed by Baptism. 64   

D  
DEath of Christ abused to the nourishing of sin. 205  
Every day should shadow our death. 324  
Contentment in Death. 325  
Desertions Spiritual. 305   

E  
THe agreement of the four Evangelists confirms the truth of the Gospel: 2  
The different courses of the two Evangelists, Matthew, and Luke. 55. Their harmony in the Genealogy of Christ. 43. 44. etc. they agree, where they seem most discordant. 37  
Exercises spiritual, and their profit. 289.  
Bodily Exercises, how to be used. 290   

F  
CHrists miraculous Fasting confirmed his doctrine. 149  
Christ's Fast, abused by Papists. 150  
Fasting how manifold, 152  
The end of Religious Fasting. 154  
Rules in Fasting. 155. 156 etc.  
Blind Folly of men, bewitched with Satan's offers. 250.  
Friendship of the world. 291   

G  
Genealogy of Christ, why registered. pag. 1  
The whole Genealogy divided into Sections. pag. 5. 6. to pag. 37. etc. and described according to the consent of the Evangelists. p. 43. 44. etc. Gentiles have their part in Christ. 30  
Why the Holy Ghost descends in the similitude of a Dove, etc. and not of fire. 84. 85  
Never any full of the Holy Ghost, as Christ jesus was. 127  
God being become the son of man, it is not impossible, that man may become the Son of God. 14  
The gain of Godliness. 275  
Gospel an heavenly doctrine. 94. the Majesty and Dignity thereof. ibid.  
No way to bring a man to heaven, but by the faith of the Gospel. 95  
A short sum of the Gospel. 97  
Gospel, how it should be preached. 92  
The course of the Gospel. 270  
The trial of a true gospeler. 271  
Time of Grace, how dispensed by the Lord. 268   

H  
TO infect the Heart by the Eye, one of Satan's policies. 232  
To keep the Heart, we must first have a care to keep the Eye. 233  
An Awe-band for the Heart. 315   

I  
ARrogancy of the jews, glorying of their progenitors, repressed. 24  
Watchword for Impenitents under Grace. 280  
Incarnation of Christ, a great token of God's favour to man, p. 10. how we should be thankful for so great a mercy. p. 11. The Article of Christ's Incarnation confirmed. 12. 13  
A Rule, for the use of things indifferent. 273   

K  
SAthan speaks of earthly Kingdoms, not of heavenly, 235. his subtlety in showing the glory of them. 236  
Earthly Kingdoms may be represented, not so the heavenly. 237  
Religious bowing of the Knee to Creatures, a note of Idolaters. 257  
Knowledge, and Devotion. 321   

L  
THe Gospel should be preached in a language, the people may understand. 92  
Wherefore, Christ endued the Apostles with the gift of Languages. 92  
The Law was proclaimed with terror, the Gospel was not so. 86  
Spiritual Life, helped by Fasting & Prayer. 147  
Three helps to a spiritual and godly life. 273  
True life, what it is. 281  
Sufficiency of Eternal Life. 283  
Many care for this earthly Life, as if it were eternal: and for eternal, as if it were to be obtained in a moment. 178  
Vanity, of this earthly life. 285  
Carnal lusts nourished by intemperancy. ●48  
Meditation against sinful lusts. 311   

M  
THat the Virgin Mary was conceived, and borne without sin, an erroneous doctrine, 28. and long ago condemned. 29  
Means ordained of God, not to be despised. 184. 185  
We must not trust in the Means, but in God. 186  
God worketh without Means, by small Means, and sometimes against Means. 187  
What to do, when ordinary means fail. 191  
Mercy of God towards us, to be marked. 215  
Public Ministration of Christ, how long it continued. 49  
Murdering one's self, or self-murder. 304   

P  
PApists convinced, for taking the word from the people. 181  
Such as glory of their Parcntage confuted. 25  
Passion, what it is. 298  
Remedy of Passion. 299  
Patience of God; should not be abused. 312  
pharisees, whether more than one converted in the Gospel. 55  
Good actions without Prayer, are like bodies without Spirits. 71  
Continuance required in Prayer. 72  
Fervency and attention in Prayer. 73  
Comfortable effects of Prayer. 74  
Prayer, is the first step of our ascension to God, with jesus Christ. 75  
A Preachers comfort. 307  
Temptation of Presumption, prevaileth in this age. 209  
Wherein the greatest happiness of Christ's progenitors consisteth. 19  
jews such as glory of their progenitors answered. 24. 25  
The promises of God can be no comfort to us, if we neglect the conditions. 220   

R  
Blockishness of men that rebel against God. 190  
Christ our Redeemer. 80  
How the three persons of the Trinity concur to the work of our Redemption. 89  
The mystery of our Redemption explained for our greater comfort. 163  
A spur to Repentance. 274  
Revenge of Thamar. 91  
A soul filled with conceit of it own Righteousness, uncapable of grace. 57   

S  
TWo sorts of Satan's operations. 142  
Satan expressed by many names for the great wickedness of his nature. 144. 145  
Satan a Tempter, an Accuser, a Tormenter. ibid.  
Satan restless in Temptations, 160. he observeth time and occasion for temptation. 164. What a false and crafty Calumniator he is, 165. of his great malice he fights against the known light, 169. his scholars profess points of Atheism. 170  
We should do nothing at Satan's command. 182  
Satan's Temptation to make us earthly minded. 177  
Satan cannot hurt us, unless we help him, 206. he still seeks man's destruction. 208  
Why he is called a Tempter, 129. he is commander of the wicked, a tempter of the godly. 141  
Satan seeks to remove godly fear, that he may bring men to a most remediless, and most fearful estate. 210  
Satan fell by Presumption, and by obstinacy cannot rise again, 214. he should always be resisted, 224. the best weapon wherewith we may fight against him. 224  
Satan seeks vantage of the place. 229  
How Satan is called the God of the world. 242  
His lies, 243. his promises. 244  
Satan frames his temptations, according to the estimation he hath of men, 246. he bids but a small price, for such as he knows may be easily conquered. 246  
A shame for men to serve Satan for small rewards, 247. he seeks more from men, than he is able to give unto them, 249. he offereth earth on condition to forsake heaven. 249  
Satan's defiance. 277. 306  
Satan an enemy to Prayer. 307. he raiseth up, that he may cast down. 202  
Scripture abused by Satan, and by Atheists. 210 211. to pag. 219.  
Scripture must be expounded by Scripture. 225  
Beginnings of Sin should be resisted. 284  
The deceit of sin. 292  
Mother-sinnes. 293  
Reproof of such as hear their Sins condemned, and are not moved. 216  
Three ranks of Sins. 317  
coverings of sin. 320  
Dignity of the Sons of God, stands not in the abundance of worldly things. 173  
A Soul stretching her wings to the Lord. 314.  
The desire of a godly Soul. 316   

T  
TEmptations of Christ, with the circumstances thereof. 115. 116  
Persons in high callings, subject to the greatest Temptations. 117  
Christians must look for Temptations. 118  
In every place, Satan hath his snare for Temptation. 121  
Temptations are ordered by divine dispensation. 124  
Three notable comforts in Temptation. 125  
Sundry sorts of Temptations. 128  
God tempteth man, and is tempted of man. 129  
How one man tempts another. 129  
How Satan tempts a man. 130  
How Adam and Eve were tempted. 131  
Our Temptations are not external only but chiefly internal. 133  
Why we should not faint at Satan's Temptations. 142  
A singular preservative against Satan's Temptation. 146  
It is a great Temptation not to be Tempted. 143.  
After one Temptation, let us look for another. 160  
Temptations, how distinguished. 161  
Satan's temptations from our wants both spiritual and worldly. 171. 172  
He changeth Temptations for advantage. 192  
After victory in any temptation, let us stand ready for a new battle. 194. 195. etc.  
God's invincible power made manifest in temptations. 196  
No place on earth free from the temptations of Satan. 199. 200  
Satan's temptations to vainglory customable. 206  
How many ways men tempt God. 226. 227. etc.   

V  
THree most excellent virtues 279  
Two things considered in the unction of Christ. 80  
Christ's unction in regard of his divine and human nature, 81. 82  
The manifestation of Christ's unction. 83  
A comfortable union made between God and man, by Christ jesus. 9   

W  
WIcked, their cursed conditions, 286. how they run post into hell, 309. their miserable end. 310  
God the Father beareth witness to his Son three ways. 78. 79. 80  
Three things considered in this witness. 88  
The place from which this witness is given. 93  
The Word is the sword of the Spirit, whereby we fight against Satan. 181  
Such as hear their sins condemned by the word, and are not moved, are convinced: 216  
How Gods Children tremble at the rebukes of the word. 217  
Miserable Worldlings have heaven opened, but they love the earth better. 96  
Worldlings by their talk declare that they are earthly. 235  
Blind Worldlings follow Satan, as if the world were at his donation. 244  
Fruitless care of Worldlings. 319  
Many abhor to be called Satan's worshippers, who abhor not to so be indeed. 251. 252. 253  
In his worship the Lord can suffer no Companion. 253  
Papists worshipping others with God, guilty of Idolatry. ibid.  
Their distinction of worshipping God. 256   
FINIS.