CHAPTERXXIII. 543 the baptist was serft with a commission to baptize men, Jesus offered himselfat the river Jordan to be baptized, that he might fulfil all righteousness, though he had no need to bewashed from sin ; Mat. iii. 14, 15. 4. Q. What testimony did he receive from John the Bap- tist ? A. John declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world ; and that he himself who baptized with water was not worthy to loose the shoes of Jesus, because he was appointed to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire ; Mat. iii. 11. 5. Q. What miracle attended this baptism ? A. When Jesus came from the water, the Spirit of God like a dove des- cended upon him, and a voice from heaven was heard, saying, " This is mybeloved Son in whom I am well pleased ;" Mat. iii. 16, 17. 6. Q. Whither did he go for bis retirement, after be was baptized ? A. He was led into the wilderness, not only to en- dure temptation, and conquer the tempter there, but probably to spend forty days in meditation and prayer, and converse with God, as Moses before his giving the laws to Israel, spent forty days with God on mount Sinai ; Mark i. 12, 13. 7. Q. Was this the place of his contest with the tempter ? A. Yes, the devil assaulted him here'with three powerful temp- tations ; Mat. iv. 1 -11. 8. Q. What was the first temptation ? A. The devil per- suaded him to turn stones into bread, because he was a hungred, having fasted forty days. 9. Q. How did Christ answer him ? A. By chewing him that man doth not live by bread alone, but by the power and blessing of God ; Dent. viii. 3. 10. Q. What was the second temptation ? A. The devil set him upon a pinnacle of the temple, and bid him cast himself down, for there was a promise in Ps. xci. 11. that angels should bear him up, so thathe should receive no hurt. 11. Q. How did Jesus resist the temptation ? A. By skewing that we must not tempt the providence of God any way ; Deut. vi. 16. and therefore we must not venture upon dangers without necessity. 12. Q. What was the third temptation ? A. The devil promised to give him all the kingdoms of this world, if Jesus would fall down and worship him. 13. Q. How was this temptation vanquished ? A. By declaring that God only was to be worshipped ; Deut. vi. 13. and x. 20. 14. Q. Whence did Jesus derive his answer to these several temptations ? A. From several texts of scripture which he cited upon this occasion, and all out of the book of Deuteronomy.
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