------- ehap.4. according to Se M A T T HE vv. 59 he here the voice from heaven, as a meer impofture. And this hedid out ofdeep and rlefperate malice ; for he could not be ig- norant nor doubtful'. Neither is his dealing othcrwifc with us ( many times) whoare too ready (at his inftigation) to doubt of out fpirituall fonnefhip. We need not help the tempter, by holding it aduty to doubt : this is to light a candle before the de- vil, as we ufe to (peak. Rather let us fettleand fecure this, that we are indeed the fons of God, and heirs of heaven, by palling thorow the narrow womb ofrepentance, that we may be born again, and by getting aneffcauall faith ; the property whereof is to adopt as well as to juftife, viz. ratione ob)eli, by means of Christ the ohie upon whom faith laieth hold, and into whom it engraffs the believer, after an unfpeakable manner. Now ye are all the children of God by faith in Chrift Jefus, Ç4.3 a6. lob. .12. who bath both laid down the price ofthis greateft privi- ledge, He6.9. i 5. Ca1.4.5. and fealed it up to us by his Spirit, crying vtMa Father in oar hearts, what ever Satan or our own mifgivrng hearts objefts to the contrary, gat. 4.6. Rom. 8. i 5, Ephef. I , i 3. Command that thefeffones be made bread.] . And fo diftruff the providence ofGod for relieving thy body in this hunger; help thy feltby working a prepofterous miracle. In this point of Gods providence for this prcfent life. Satan troubled David and 7eremy, and fo he doth many good fouls at this day ; who can fooner truft God with their fouls then with their bo- dies, and for a crown then for a cruft, as thofe Difciples, illatth. r 6, 8, Verfe4. Besthe anfweredand/áid, It is Written] With this hie fire, andgreat and 37rongfwor'dof the Spirit, doth the Lord here punifhLeviathan that crookedpiercingferpent , Ifa. z7.t . With thefe thafts out of Gods quiver, with thefe pibbles chofeti out of the flyer ftrcams ofthe Scriptures, Both he proftrate the Goliah of hell. The WordofGod batha power in it toquail and to quafh Satans temptations, farre better then that wooddendagger, that leaden fwordof the Papiffs, their holy water, crofitags, grains, dirty reliques, &c. It i3 not thefignofthe crofle, but the word of the croffe that overthrowsSatan. He can no more abide by it, thenan owl by thealiningof theSunne. Set therefore the Word againft the temptation, and the finne is laid. Say, I muff not do it, I may not, I darenot : for it isforbidden in fuck a place, and again.
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