174 Book IV. 1Lrokmg unto jjcfu.s. Chap. I. sea 4· SECT. IV. Of the Fafting and Temptati;,. of Chrift. 3·FOr the Fafling and Temptation ~f Chrifl in the wildernefs. No fooner is Chrit1 . come out of. the water of. ~apufm, but he pref~nt!y enters into the fire of temptauon; .no fooner IS the h?IY Spmt defcended upon h1s head, but he is led by the fame holy 5pmt .to be tempted m the w1ldernefs; ·no fooner doth God,fay, this my (on; but Sat.an puts !I to the G~efl10n, •f th•u be the Son of God; all thefe are but Chrifls prepa– rauves to h1s Propheucal O!fice; m tbe former Sethoo, Chntl was prepared by a folemm Confe~rau?n, a~d now he IS to be furr.her prepared by Satans Temptations; there is much m this pamc11lar, and therefore m the fame method as the EvangeJiit !ayes it \\1at,4,t,to n down, Mat. 4· I, 2, 3, tO v. 12. Ilhall proceed. Then WM 1efru ledt<p of the Spirit into the w•!dernefs tobe tempted of the Devil, &c. In the whole, we may oblerve thefe feve– ral Branches, as, firfl, the. place. wh~re the Temptation was; to wit, the wildernefs. Secondly, the Caufe of Chnfl s gomg mto the w1ldernefs 1 the SpiritJ lc~tding. Third– ly, the end of the Spirits leading ChriH into the wildernefs; to be temptedof the Devil. Fourthly, the time and occafion of the Devils onfet; at the end of forty d,rys fajl, and when he W41 t<n hungred. Fifthly, the temptations themfelves which are in number three . to which are added as many Victories, which Chrifl bad over the Tempter; who there: fore left him, and fothe .Angelsc.<me, and minijfred nnto him. I /hall begin firfr with the place where the Temptation was ; to wit, in the wil4ernefs. This wildernefs was not that fame wildernefs, or not that fame place of the wildernefs wherein John Baptifl lived, Mat. 3. 1. For that wherein [ohn Baptifl lived, was a place inhabited; there was in that place Cities and Towns, and a number of people to who:n John preached; but this wildernefs was devoid of men, full of wild beafls ; fo faith Mark 1 • 1 3• Mark_, He wa.· tempted of Satan, andwa; with the wildBc4ji.r. As .Adam in his Inno– cency lived with wild beails, and they hurt him not ; fo Cbrift, the fecond .Adam lives here in a wildernefs witb wild beafls, and he has no hurt at all; he is .Ad•m-like in his fafety and fecurity; but above .Adam in the re!ifiing of temptation. Some fay that in this wildernef!, during his forty dayes abode, Chrift was perpetually difiurbed and af– faulted with evil Spirits; however the lafl br~nt is only exprelfed, becaufe it wa< moft vi– <>lent; now whether they appeared in any horrid and atfrighting /hapes during that time, itisnotcerrain; but'tis mo/1: likely, that to a perfon of fo great fanctity, and high defignation as Jefus was, they would appear more angelica! and immaterial, and in re– prefentments intellectual, becaufe J efus was not a perfon of thofe low weaknelfes, to be • affrighted or troubled with any ugly phamafmes; 'tis not much material to enquire of this ; bur in the wildernefs (fay they) Chrifl was perpetually tempted; and in thisre– fpect I know not, bnt the Devil had moreadvamage now he had Chrift in a wildernefs; folitarinefs is no [mall help to the fpeed of a temptation; Wo to him that walone, for if he fa!lthereunotafmndto takE himup. Others fay, that in this wildemef<, during b's forry days abode, Chrifl WJS continually exercifed in prayer and fafltng; all that while he had his immediate Addreffes and Colloquies with God i be knew he had agreat work of Redemption to promote; and therefore hi• converfauon ~o~ t!m mterval mua be preparatory to it; in this refpect I know not but the wildernefs mrght be an ad!ant~ge to Cbrifts De/ign : In this folitary place he could not but breath o~~ more pure tnfprra– tion; Heaven ufually is more open, and God ufually is ~wre fam1har and fre_quent rn his Vifits in fucb places. I know not what others expenences may be; but 1t I have found any thing of God, or of his Grace, I may thank a Wood, a W1ldernefs, a Defert, a folirary place, for its accommodation; and have I not a blelfed Pattern bere before me? It WM Solitude and Retirement in which ]efi~< k!;pt hu Vrgds; the de– fort pl.ms heard him pray; in a privacy hewM born, inthe wildernefs he fed hu thoH[ands, npoll a Mollntain apart he wMtransfigt~red, upo;z a Motmtam he dte~, and fro;n a Mo~ntain he afcendrd tohu Father: !make no Gueflwn but m t~efe Rett~ements hJS Devouon received the advantage of convenient Circufllflances, efpecra!ly of u.me and place.. And yet I dare not deny tht firfrer opinion; for I fuppofe both Chnfland the D~vrl bad their advantages of this Wildernefs , the one to pray , and the orLer to tempt. · . . . 2 . 'I'he caufe of Chrifts goin" into the wildernefs was the sp·1ms !eadmg. That w.u .. Jef"'
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