Mad:'e 1. q. r • Book.lV. Loaking unto '{t:[tu. Cbap. I. Seet.4 WtJOm !ohn preached, but this wi!dernelfc w1s devoid ofmen, full of wild beafts; fo fai.th Mark!, he wad trmpted of Sarhan, ar:d llV'0 with the Jvild betzfl.r. As Adam in his innocency lived with v,ild beafrs, and they hurt him not; fo Chrift the fec0nd A d{lm lives t:ere in a wildernefs with wilde beafrs, and he has no hurt . ar all ; be is v1dam-like in his fafety and fecurity, but above . Adam in tb~ refifring of temptadon. Some fay that in this· wilderneffe during his fortie da.ies abode, Cbriil wa~ perpetually d·il:urbed and aif1ul ted v. ith evil fpirits, however the !aft brunt is only ex preffl.'d, becaufe it was moil: violent; now whether they appeared in any horrid and affrighting ·!hapes during that time, it:is not cert ~ ine; bm 'cis moil: likely. that to a perfon offo great fanCl:it.y, and high defignation as Jefus was, they would appeare more angelical and immaterial,and in reprefentments intellectual, becaufe Jefus was not a perfon of thofe.low weaknelfes, to be affrighted or troubled ~i.th a·ny ugly phan tafmes; '.tis not nmch material to enquire of this ; but in this wilderne[! (fay they) Chrift was perpetually tempted; and in this refped I know nor, but rbe Dev.il had more advantage now he had Chrifl: in a wilderneffe ; folitarindfe .is no fmall help to the fpeed of a tempta- ~on, wo tv him that is alone,for if he fall, thtre is not afrccnd to takf him up. Others fay, that in this wilderneife during h.i.s fourty daies abode, Chrifr was .continually exercifed in prayer and fafring ; all that while he had his immediate addreffes and colloquies with God; he knew he ha.d?. great work of redemption to promote; and therefore his converfation for this interval mufl: be preparatory to it; in this refped I know not but the wildernefs might be an advantage to Chrifl:s deGgne; In this folitary place he could not but breath out mor.e pure infpiration; heaven ufually is more open, and God ufually is more familiar and frequent in his viGts in fuch places. I kn0w not what others expe, rience-s may be, but ifi have found any thing of God, or of his grace, I may thank a wood, a wilderneffe, a defert, a folitary place, for its-accommodation; and have I not a·bldfed patterne here before me ? It was f olitude tmd retirement in which ( efus kspt his vigils, thedcfertplaces he~~rd him pray, in a privacie he was horne, in the wildernejfe hefed his thoufands , upon a mountaine aparthe was tramfigured, upon a mountaine he dyed, and from a mountft,in.e he a[ce1:1drd to his Father; I make no quefl:ion but in thefe. · · retire,.
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