capacity of both Believe and thou shalt be saved eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 True but that life shall be given to none but to those only that run and wrestle and strive and fight to obtain that eternal prize these being the means appointed of God to obtain it so run that ye may t 1 Cor. 9.24 obtain we have not digressed in all this no yet 't is time to look back again to the rock from whence all this is hewen 't is this God is tempted several ways as when a needless nay a sinful experiment is made 1. Of his power 2. Of his Justice 3. Of his Wisedom 4. Of his Fatherly protection over us and in this latter sense is our Saviour's answer here to be understood for to the Divel perswading him to cast himself down from the pinacle of the Temple v. 5. No saith he in sense that lawfully I cannot do Why Because there is another ordinary way to go down and not rashly neglecting my Father's provident care over me to cast my self down and that ordinary way those ordinary means must I use which he hath appointed to preserve me otherwise I shall be guilty of tempting him by trying whether he will so preserve me or not when I am wilfully gone out of my ways but that I may not do neither for it is written and his word shall be my guide in all my ways and his word is Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God v. 7. Thus our Saviour answered and thus also was the Divel even in this his second assault most shamefully repulsed Notwithstanding he soon begins a u Qui audit dominum deum tuum tamen adhuc tentare non desinit Chrysolog de tentati jejunio Christi Serm. 13. third Again the Divel taketh him up into an exceeding high Mountain and sheweth him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them v. 8. And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me v. 9. Then saith Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve verse 10. Lo Here is much more of impudency in this then in the two other temptations and that by the same Tempter against the same Saviour For before v. 3 6. it was but if thou be the Son of God but now it is v. 9. If thou wilt fall down and worship me Satan rather increaseth then decreaseth in his malice The sum of the third and last Temptation whose attempts were now high and lofty and his aim in this third and last temptation was to fill our Saviour's heart with a covetous desire of worldly glory and vast possessions to the end that thereby he might draw him away from the true worship of the true God knowing well enough that covetuousness is w Col. 3.5 Idolatry and if he could but once perswade him to covet all the Kingdoms of the world the way he saw was then fairly opened to perswade him also to fall down and worship him which was the chief end of his temptation for the archieving whereof his limited power was now stretched even to the highest x Tota potestatis commovetur ambitio Hilar in Locum Can. 3. pitch far higher then the pinacle of the Temple though with no better successe then when he was on the pinacle not so high as this exceeding high mountain or when he was in the wilderness a lower place the attempts of a Divel can no where thrive against a Saviour for though a threefold cord as Solomon speaketh be not quickly y Eccles 4.12 broken not commonly and by a weak arm yet if it be of the Divels hoisting left to our Saviour's unhoisting it is quickly broken As Sampson a Judg. 16.9 12. quickly brake the withes and new ropes of the Philistines being in that a type of our Saviour in his whose two-edged b Heb. 4.12 sword it is written was far sharper effectually to cut asunder this subtilly-wreathed temptation of Satan the product of his two first then the sword of Alexander the great was to cleave asunder the Gordian c Quint. Curti. lib. 3. p. 25 26. knot refusing now not only the Kingdom of Asia which that Alexander then coveted and was now boldly offered unto him by the Divel inclusively in the bundle of the whole but also all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them He refuseth them all and will not agree to fall away from his God by falling down to Satan and this is the sum both of the Divels proposal and our Saviour's refusall Parturiunt montes nascetur ridiculus mus And though he were now in the top of an exceeding high mountain probably in the highest region of his own dominion yet there was he once more overtopped overmatched and his lofty attempts confounded by our Saviour But we will search more narrowly into the Text and thence give you several observations Thus Again the Divel taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain v. 8. Again which noteth that this bad angel who had been too too busie in tempting before was as busie still Finis alterius mali gradus est futuri proceeding from one evill to another Again in continual motion he was imitating therein the good Angels though to a bad end Again from the Wilderness to the holy City from the holy City to the Pinacle of the Temple from the Pinacle of the Temple to an exceeding high mountain And all this adoe all this stir all this moving from place to place was again to tempt our Saviour But we will not believe that he thus moved up and down all this time in any other then an oblique motion 't is his nature always to be excentrick and irregular being the cause of all irregularity amongst us yet we find him in d 1 Pet. 5.8 Peter going walking about and in e Job 2.2 Job compassing the earth that is compassing men in everywhere on every side that he might catch them in his net compassing not leaving any corner of the Earth unsearcht for his prey the cause of his going about of his going to and fro and walking up and down in the Earth rather then by any circular motion to attempt any thing which had so much not only of impudency but also of obliquitie and irregularitie in it Again the Divel taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain Taketh him up and brought him thither through the ayre as once he had brought him before from the wilderness to the pinacle of the Temple And though our Saviour did never follow him whithersoever he went yet at this time he yielded his body to be carried by him whithersoever he would not refusing to be taken up into an exceeding high mountain Now Goegraphers make mention of many such as f Vbi in excelsissimam
wholy unto our Saviour yet upon pain if he did it not to be declared not to be the Son of God by Satan a strong a violent Temptation yet easily repelled by our Saviours reply to Satan and his insolency He answered and said it is written Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God v. 4. It is written the Divel begins subtilly with If a doubtful speech as he delivers it but surely not doubtful as he understood it but our Saviour Answers plainly and positively It is written and that Deut. 8.3 where Moses as an Argument to perswade them to be daily more and more obedient puts the Israelites in mind of God's great goodness and favour unto them who fed them extraordinarily forty yeers in the Wilderness and that with bread with Manna from Heaven even in the time of their extreamest want and when they were wholy distitute of ordinary food and sustenance such was God's care of them which our Saviour here in his greatest hunger knowing that the hand of his Father's providence was not yet shortned appropriates and applies to his own Case in particular He was now in the wilderness though it be not expressed here whether in the same wilderness or not there he was hungry and no ordinary means then neer at hand to relieve him yet though he expected not Manna he well knew that his Father was able to satiate his hunger either with or without means and this was his Solace his Contentation this Deus providebit my God will provide for me one way or other even in the wilderness wherefore confident and constant in this perswasion he would not by any means be enticed by the Tempting Divel even though he was an hungred to use any unlawful waies to provide food for himself which in Satans judgement he wanted but not in his own who was not ignorant that there were other waies either to satisfie or sustain his hunger without turning stones into bread and of these means he speaketh here when as a reproach to Satan he saith It is written Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God It is written Lo this even the Word of God that r Ephes 6.17 Sword of the Spirit this was the weapon wherewith our Saviour once now v. 4. and twice afterwards v 7 10. foyled and conquered Satan It is written and this Action of our Saviour in thus repelling the Divel by his Father's word must alwaies be our imitation for surely the same Sword the same Word hath the same power still against the same Adversary though it be now weilded by us far weaker Combatants who though we are weak in faith yet by his power that is the stronger man we shall be enabled to resist the strong man Å¿ Mat. 12.29 and all his Temptations for as it is our Comfort so also it is our Conquest too that our Saviour hath gotten the victory over Satan because to use the words of the Apostle Ephes 6.14 15 c. we being girt about with truth with the testimony of a good conscience having on the breast-plate of righteousness manifested by an holy and a sanctified life holiness to the t Exod. 29.36 Lord shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace which bringeth glad tydings of peace to us in Christ who is our u Ephes 2.14 peace the power whereof being the power of God unto Salvation to every one that w Rom. 1.16 believeth treadeth Satan under foot and having faith for our shield against all the fiery darts of that evil one Salvation the assured hope of Salvation by Jesus Christ for our helmet the Word of God the promises of God made to all penitent sinners in his holy Word faithfully believed and feelingly applyed for our Sword we also in him shall get and keep the victory It is written and written that man shall not live by bread alone shall not live Now there is a Threefold life 1. Of Nature 2. Of Grace 3. Of Glory The first onely is here meant the life of Nature and the meaning is that Man shall not live shall not preserve his natural life by bread alone by ordinary food alone whereof bread is the principal no but there is another way to preserve it even by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Lo this is our Saviours Text and for that reason with all diligence to be hearkned to that his Father's promise included therein of providing sustenance for us as it was in the Case of x 1 Kin. 19.5 6. Eliah even when we see no visible way to provide it may be a solace and comfort unto us in the time of our greatest streights and scarcity I say this is our Saviours Text and the powerful and life-preserving Word mentioned therein which proceedeth out of the mouth of God whereby Man shall live even when he wanteth the common and ordinary means to preserve his life is his Will his Decree his purpose his secret appointment to preserve mans life by some extraordinary way thus or thus besides that of his ordinary word and providence See it illustrated in several particulars thus Sometimes God's Will and Decree is that Man shall live and yet not by ordinary means So the Israelites in the desert were preserved forty yeers together with y Deut. 8.3 Manna and therewith they fared so well even by the immediate providence of God without any ordinary food that the consideration thereof caused the citing of this Text by our Saviour against Satan Sometimes God's word and purpose is that men shall live against means and contrary to the ordinary course of nature as Daniel in the Lyons Den chap. 6 and the three Children in the fiery Furnace chap. 3. Sometimes his Will and appointment is that men shall live for a time without any means at all as Moses in Mount a Exo. 34.28 Sinai Elias in Mount b 1 King 19.8 Horeb and our Saviour at this time forty daies and forty nights in the Wilderness of which extraordinary and miraculous Word proceeding out of the mouth of God for the preservation of mans life the Divel here it seems when maliciously he tempted our Saviour hungry to turn stones into bread pretended himself altogether ignorant or at least subtily concealed his knowledge of it But whether he were wholy ignorant of that or not let it be left if you will as a thing doubtful and uncertain yet of this ignorant he could not be of this that our Saviours repulsive Answer here was every way directly Opposite to his Temptation and such as the Answer was such also the Person was every way Opposite to Satan there is no fellowship between light and darkness no Communion between God and c 2 Cor. 6.14 15. Belial and as touching our Saviours Answer to the Divel herein stands the Opposition Command said the
he were able to give them Water or not chiding with Moses saying Give us Water that we may drink Exod. 17.2 To whom Moses replyed Why chide you with me wherefore do you tempt the Lord In memory of whose chiding with God and Moses after the Lord had manifested his powerful presence among them by giving them water out of the Rock he called the name of that place Massah v. 7. and y Numb 20.2 3 4 13. Meribah that is Chiding or Contention because of the chiding of the Children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord saying Is the Lord among us or not To which manner of tempting the Lord our God this in the Text cited by our Saviour out of Deut. 6.16 hath relation Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as ye tempted him in Massah And with such a kind of tempting God also in respect of his power the Governours of the Inhabitants of Bethulia were upbraided by Judith for making an Oath between God and them that they would deliver up the Citie to the Assyrians unless God within five daies did give them Water a Judith 8.9 10 11 12. to whom she said Who are you that have tempted God this day Secondly In respect of his Justice And so he is tempted when wicked men who run on securely in the un-interrupted course of their sins doe by their obstinacy and impenitency make a needless tryall to their own woe whether God be a just God and whether in his justice he will punish them or not Whereas 't is known that in the hand of the Lord there is a b Psalm 75.9 10. Cup and the Wine is red it is full mixt and he poureth out of the same as for the dregs thereof all the ungodly of the earth shall drink them and suck them out and in this sense the Lord himself complaineth against the Israelites Numb 14.22 saying They have tempted me these ten times and by their re-iterated sins have they so often tempted me Wherefore I cannot but in justice punish them at least with a privation of the promised land as afterwards they found true by experience Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their Fathers saith the Lord Neither shall any of them that provoked tempted me see it v. 23. So that plain it is that God is even then also tempted when the Execution of his severe justice which will inevitably follow incorrigible sinners is not at all feared or regarded Thirdly In respect of his Wisdome And so he is tempted when vain-glorious men as if they were wiser then the All-wise God strive to have that in point of Ceremonious and outward shadows continued which he who ties not himself at all times to the same Rites and Ceremonies hath appointed at least by degrees at such or such a time to be discontinued and abolished A cleer Example whereof we have in that sharp Contention which arose between the Pharisees and Peter with others touching Circumcision and other rites of the Ceremonial law of Moses which in the judgement of Peter and the rest of the Apostles whose judgement in that Case was the judgement even of God himself were at that time fit to be made Null and Cancelled Act. 15. thus Certain men which came down from Judea taught the Brethren and said Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved v. 1. which Paul and Barnabas in Opinion dissenting from them and vehemently disputing against them oppose and deny v. 2. willing to have that Question determined but not willing to meddle therein of themselves without the unanimous consent of the Apostles and Elders v. 2. who being rightly informed by them of the true state of the Controversie in Question as that Circumcision was urged by certain of Judea as a Ceremony most necessary to Salvation v. 1. and that the keeping of the whole law of Moses not only the Morall but also the Ceremonial law was urged by certain of the Sect of the Pharisees which believed v. 5. as necessary also for the attaining of the same end they came together to consider of this matter v. 6. and thus assembled together in Council to consider of this matter Peter by whose mouth it was appointed of God that the Gentiles should hear the Word of God and believe v. 7. after much disputing said unto them Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the necks of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear v. 10. In sense Why thus tempt ye God by urging Circumcision now and other Ceremonies once indeed commanded by the law of Moses but now abolished why urge ye this as a thing absolutely necessary for the attaining of eternal life which in its own nature was never so necessary for v. 11. our Fathers and we are saved no other way but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ more cleerly revealed now to us in the Gospel then in former Ages to our Fathers under the Law see that yoke those Ceremonies in Question were then under the law enjoyned even to believers But now under the Gospel 't was thought fit by the Apostles themselves as most agreeable to the wisdome of God to take that yoke from off the Disciples necks wherefore at such a time as that when the substance when Christ was exhibited I say at such a time as that to quarrell about shadows as those that came down from Judea did Act. 15.1 imposing circumcision as necessary to salvation whereas Paul saith If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you c Gal. 5.2 nothing and not yielding to take off that yoke now newly Antiquated and therefore now useless Ceremonies of the Law which before his comming in the flesh was onely our Schoolmaster to bring us unto d Gal. 3.24 Christ what was this but sleightly to undervalue and presumtuously to call in question the manifold wisdome of e Ephes 3.10 God preferring their own before his which by reason of distinct times requiring a distinct dispensation was to be manifested one way to the Jews another way to the Gentiles the Jews before the comming of Christ must according to the wisdome of God be subject to many rites and Ceremonies that yoke whereof St. Peter speaketh but the converted Gentiles after his comming must not must not be any longer under the Paedagogie and Ritual discipline of the ceremonial Law wherefore Peter here in the name and with the consent of the whole Colledge of the Apostles and Elders rightly charged those with the sin of tempting God who in this case highly extolling their own judgement would not admit of any abolition of those old Ceremonies though abolished they were according to the manifold wisdom of God Fourthly In respect of his Fatherly protection over us And so he is oftentimes tempted when careless men altogether negligent of the ordinary and appointed means doe when there is no cause at all presumptuously try whether God
Divel that these stones be made bread Why to refresh thy self in this time of hunger I need no refreshing by such means Not how then wilt thou live It is written Man shall not live by bread alone not by ordinary means alone how then shall he live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God as by his Will by his Decree by his secret appointment oftentimes to man unknown but is there any such word that proceedeth out of his mouth that proceedeth out of his heart as if it were spoken with his mouth for the preservation of man's life besides his ordinary word there is and by that word shall I d Verè vivit in verbo Dei verbum Dei Chyrsolog ubi supra Serm. 13. live by some extraordinary way or other shall my life be preserved though without bread and I may not I will not submit to thy subtle perswasion Command that these stones be made bread which includes much danger in it 1. A Compliance with thee 2. A Distrustful diffidence which subtilly thou temptest me unto of my Father's Care and providence over me 3. A Diminution both of his and mine own glory as if I were not the Son of God unless I produced more then needful testimonies thereof before Satan wherefore away with thy If thou be command the nature of stones though I can I will not alter I want not bread not ordinary food though I am hungry or if I doe I know where to have it and not be beholding at all to thee for thy seeming double-diligent care of me but there is another that taketh care of me indeed and him will I trust even my God my Father It is written Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man live Which when the Divel heard highly enraged no doubt presently whether out of discontent that at first he had thus lost the field or out of an implacable desire of revenge for that loss or both not convinced even when he was convinced not satisfied as he pretended that that Person whom he Tempted was the Son of God even when there was no just cause to be dissatisfied having evidence enough from what was written of him in the Prophets and from what he had heard at Jordan he cunningly not altogether unlike the twisting of the Foxes tayls together by e Judg. 15.4 Sampson links and joins a Second to his First Temptation making as it were the end of the one the un-interrupted beginning of the other so swift he was in his motion in his Temptation but by their fruits ye shall know f Mar. 7.16 them Men do not gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles nay we cannot gather here either grapes or figs but fruit of a more sowre tast and whether it were an Apple or a Pear or some other kind of fruit the first woman tasted Gen. 3. surely it had a far better relish as to the mouth of the eater though not to the soul then this second Temptation wherein the Divel who had required a Miracle before somewhat answerable to the hardness of his own heart by turning stones into bread peaeposterously proceedeth now from a pretended ignorance of the Deity of the Son of God even to an injurious dealing with the Person of the Son of God not yet openly acknowledging him to be so nor judgeing him worthy to keep his station in the wilderness whither he was led up of the Spirit though he kept his ground still maugre all his hellish machinations but transporting him thence he exalted him probably as an Object of publike scorn to the pinacle of the Temple there to be sollicited to a rash confidence in his Father's Protection whom hither to he could by no means remove from his Filial Confidence in his Providence and though St. Luke chap. 4.9 c. name this temptation in the third and last place not so much observing the order of g August de coâ—â—ens Evangelist lib. 2. ca. 16. Time when it was done as the certainty of Fact that it was done yet manifest it is that St. Matthew here names it in the right place when he makes it the Second and not the Third not the last Temptation for when the Divel was finally conquered he departed from our Saviour v. 11. but as yet he departed not an Argument that as yet he was not finally Conquered and that an Argument that this was not the Third there being but Three in all but the Second Temptation mentioned v. 5 6 7 wherein is plainly declared how our Saviour was assaulted again and how the Divel also was repulsed again Thus Then the Divel taketh him up into the holy City and setteth him on a pinacle of the Temple v. 5. And saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone v. 6. Jesus said unto him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God v. 7. Which words with each Circumstance therein easily admit of a particular Examination As Then the Divel taketh him up v. 5. Then surely the Divel is a good observer of time or rather of opportunity not willing to neglect any occasion that makes for his own Advantage and our ruine he knew which was the fittest time to tempt the woman Gen. 3. and the fittest opportunity to stir up Herod to seek our Saviours life Mat. 2. even when he was but then in swadling clothes when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord then Satan also though uninvited will come amongst h Job 1.6 them no place will he unfrequent no company will he avoid as to mean too intrude himself into their counsels no not though the Lord command Joshua the high Priest to stand before his i Zechar. 3.1 Angel and no time neither will he omit to effect his wicked purposes Then even so soon as he was overcome in one presently he begins another Battel yet not Roman like giving warning of the day thereof before the day nor giving notice of the very Instant of his Assault either by sound of Drum or Trumpet or other vocal Instrument No he that in all Ages hath taught Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites to sound a Trumpet before k Mat. 6.2 6 16. them either when they give Almes or Fast or Pray that they may be seen of men that they may receive glory of men and lose their reward with God left that way of managing and imploying the stock of their own Hypocrisie to themselves still knowing how to play the Hypocrite and manage his own work another way even sleighly subtilly craftily without any noyse or stir at all playing the part of the Serpent still whose pace and motion was hardly descernable in
will protect and preserve them or not without such or such ordinary means some other extraordinary way nothing at all regarding the undeniable truth of that approved f Qui destinat ad finem destinat ad media Maxime that God who ordaineth to the end ordaineth to the means also which lead to that end For instance when Hezekiah was sick unto death the Lord sent his Prophet Isaiah unto him and his Message was to tell him that he should recover of that g 2 King 20.1 5 7. sickness True but not unless he used the means appointed of God for his recovery which was to lay a bunch of figs upon his boil which done as was appointed he soon recovered as was promised but had the means of his recovery been carelesly neglected his boil had not been healed nor he himself restored to his former strength Again Paul being in great danger of Shipwrack in his voyage to Rome was comforted by an Angel appearing to him by night saying Paul God hath given thee all them that sayl with thee in the Ship hath given them their lives unto thee and for thy sake not one of them shall be drowned not if they use the means appointed to save their lives and that means was to abide in the h Act. 27.22 23 31. Ship as Paul himself after he had conferred with the Angel said to the Centurion and to the Souldiers Except these abide in the Ship ye cannot be saved which being punctually observed not one of them perished in the waters But had they not abode in the Ship the means of their safety they could not have promised unto themselves any the least hope of safety because when the means and second causes are rashly neglected the end ordinarily can never be attained Witness that peevish Jew who fallen into an unclean place and refusing to be taken out thence on the Sabbath day whereas it was lawful to pull an Oxe or an Asse out of a pit on that i Luke 14.5 Periculum animae pellit Sabbatum day by that his wilfull tempting God in neglecting the ordinary means to preserve his life he lost it before the next day As many others also doe even by their own presumptuousness and careless neglect of all good means ordained to save their lives And such are they who either obstinately refuse the present and proper help of the Physician in time of sickness or that will not when they are to take a journey be any waies perswaded prudently to decline and avoid this or that imminent and present danger likely to fall upon them by the way knowing that Theeves are there and as dangerous Companions there c. foolishly disputing against themselves thus and thus If God hath ordained that I shall recover of this sickness there is no need of Physick if not all that the Physician can doe is in vain therefore I will not at all meddle with any of his Diets with any of his Potions And again If it be the good pleasure of God to preserve my life any longer I shall be safe even among Theeves if not all my providence all my industry will avail me nothing therefore I will adventure to pass even through the midst of them thou wilt more forward then wise thou wilt but know that in thus peevishly following thine own will thou thereby temptest God and dost not at all obey his will who hath given thee an understanding to discern between good and evil and a will to chuse the good and refuse the evil Now 't is good and acceptable unto God to make use of the Physitian as a means under God to prolong thy life and that of our Saviour which is meant spiritually may be applied corporally also this k Matth. 9.12 they that be whole need not a Physitian but they that are sick where our Saviour grants that they that need a Physitian may lawfully use him but they that are sick need him Neither was Asa blamed because he sought to the Physitians but because he sought not to the Lord but only to the Physitians putting his whole trust in the one in man for his recovery and none at all in the other in God therefore was he l 2 Chro. 16.12 blamed Wherefore that counsel of the wise man is not wilfully to be despised Honour a Physitian with the honour due unto him for the uses which you may have of m Ecclus 38.1 him An argument that in time of sickness it is a lawful means even appointed of God himself for our recovery to use the Physitian and none but such as tempt God will obstinately refuse his medicines when there is present need of them and when they may be had yet still with this care with this caveat that we seek chiefly unto God who giveth the blessing both before and also when we seek unto the Physitian 't is good also in times of danger to use all lawful means under and subordinate to the providence of our good God to escape that danger or else why did David wisely decline the fury of n 1 Sam. 18.11 Saul or why did our Saviour himself until his hour was come decline the layings in wait of the Scribes and o John 5.13 Pharisees or why was Paul to the end that he might escape his hands let down by the wall in a basket when the Governour under Aretas the King sought to apprehend p 2 Cor. 11.32.33 him or when the Jews at an other time took counsel to kill q Acts 9.24 25. him was it not to prove even by example that whosoever will attain the end must not carelesly neglect the means must not despise the middle or second causes subordinate to that end or if they do the effect thereof will be dishonour to God and danger unavoydable to themselves Behold so it is in temporal things God is tempted and the end is not attained when the means leading to that end are wilfully neglected Surely 't is so also in spiritual things Now faith repentance and the preaching of the holy Gospel are spiritual and heavenly means ordained of God to bring us to the end even to eternal life and therefore 't is a blasphemous speech of some who say If it be the good pleasure of God to save me to bring me to Heaven I shall be saved though in the mean time I be altogether carelesse of the means whereby he will do it Not so O man whosoever thou art not so for if thou wilt be saved that which John the Baptist so earnestly required of the unbelieving Jews is also required of thee to repent and believe the r Mark 1.14 Gospel because most true it is that God who created thee without thee will never save thee without Å¿ Qui creavit te sine te non salvabit te sine te August thee without thine own faith without thine own repentance when thou art come to years and in a