Lord in his word teacheth a cleane contrary conclusion the decree of God being vnchaungeable is yet secret and knowne by none other meanes but onely the fruites of it whiche is the holy ghost assuring the conscience and holy conuersation witnessing thereunto and therfore I must labour for the assuraunce of my saluation vnto my self to liue in al holynes godlines whē I finde it still to indeuour more more obedience to the lawes of that most louyng and gracious God that had such care ouer me as to elect me and ordaine me to saluation before he made me But as Sathan deceaueth the world in this pointe so doth he in many other as the free iustification onely by faith in Christ Jesus doth hee set before the eyes of mā to make him neglect good workes and so in all other points of true Religion Iesus sayd vnto him it is written agayne thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God this is the aunswere of our Sauiour Christ vnto the former assault which being in wordes very brief containeth in effect thus much Thou goest about to persuade me to doe that which is not lawfull for thy purpose thou seemest to alledge y t Scripture But know thou this that the place of y t Psalme if it were true as thou alledgest it should be contrary to an other text where it is set downe as a generall decree of all men to bee followed for euer that man must not tempt God by doyng those thyngs that are not warranted In which aunswere before we come to consider the wordes of the law alledged by Christ we haue diuers lessons to be learned for our instruction First in that hee notwithstandyng that Sathan had presumed to vse the sworde of Gods word agaynst him flyeth not to any other weapon as accompting that either abused by the enemy or vnable any way to serue his turne we learne that although the aduersaries of the truth do abuse the Scriptures and peruert them to their owne destruction and though wicked mē will for the defence of sinne and in mockyng maner take y t word of God in their mouthes yet is this no cause either to make vs carelesse in searching y t foode of our soules out of the same or to make it lesse of force to beate back all our spiritual enemies But rather to bee so much the more diligent to meditate in the same day and night that we may attayne vnto the true vnderstanding of that for our owne comfort which they snatching at doe abuse to their eternall confusion A lesson very needefull to be learned for we see that the deuil hath wonderfully preuailed with all mē in y t world the true professours of Iesus Christ onely excepted for if you reason with a Papist concerning any point of doctrine or an Atheist for the conuincing of any sinne and for your warrant doe alledge the worde of God tush say they euery man wil alledge Scripture for his defence so they thinke that they haue notably aūswered the matter But we are to learne by the example of our Sauiour in this place that as the dronkarde abusing drinke is no cause why I should refuse it to quench my thirst and the gluttō gordgeing himself with meate no cause why I should thinke meate thereby abused or the blessing of God lessened in the same vnto me for the satisfieng of my hungry body no more was the abuse of Sathan in peruerting the Scriptures any cause to driue Christ from defendyng his innocencie by the same neither ought the godlesse practises of the wicked in prophaning the Scriptures be any cause why I should not make it still my direction to teach me true doctrine to improue in my selfe and others erroneous opinions to informe me in the way of godlinesse to reproue sinne and wickednesse to comforte me in all calamities and distresses Moreouer if you marke the manner of Christes replye you shall see how netably he pulleth away the visarde from Sathans face and maketh him appeare in his owne kinde to be as he is an abuser of the scriptures to a wicked purpose Which is to be noted in this word agayne wherein Christ maketh a contradiction not betwixt scripture and scripture but betwixt the sence whereunto sathan would apply the text other places of the word of GOD as if he should say thou shewest thy selfe to be a deprauer in that thou wouldest haue a peece of Gods worde so taken as that it must needes cary with it a manifest contrarietie to other places of scripture and therefore thou doest abuse the text A notable example for our direction when we deale with any man that would haue the worde on his side to examine not onely the circūstaunces of the texte as aboue but also to see how that place produced by him in that his sence accordeth with the rest of Gods word and the course thereof wherewith if we finde it to consent it is to be receaued if not by the example of the sonne of God in this place it is otherwise to be expounded This doctrine beyng rightly learned and vsed is many wayes profitable For it is first a most excellēt way when we reason with others that being carnall doe carnally alledge the word to reueale vnto thē if they bee not wilfully blinded their errour and so to teach them to amend it Besides that it is an excellent rule for vs to obserue in the reading or by any meanes searching the true sence of y t word of God for oftentymes we shall meete with such places that either by reason of the figuratiue speach or the phrase of the Hebrew or Greeke text which vnto our English tongue is often straunge seeme to bee hard to bee vnderstoode or diuersly to be taken or els at the first sight is a Paradoxe and straūge opiniō in the course of Religion then will this lesson of our Sauiour Christ Jesus stand vs in good stead namely it wil teach vs to conferre it with other places of scripture and see how it may bee taken agreable vnto them so expounded according to the proportion of fayth And further it will bee a notable shield vnto vs agaynst many and infinite temptatiōs of Sathan wherewith he laboureth to seduce vs. For he almost neuer commeth vnto the godly in his owne name but vnder coulour and pretence of Gods word Now if we haue the right vse of this lesson it will teache vs to wey his drift to examine his proofe and conferre it with the course of true Religion and godlines and then shall we see that howsoeuer the motion that hee suggested into our mynde seemed to haue his foundation from the Scriptures yet was it no better then an illusion of the deuill to entise vs to sinne Moreouer in the manner of his aunswere hee geueth vs an other most excellent ensample for our instruction for Sathan in alledging the Scriptures doth not
instruction If you marke well these thynges that sathan vrged vnto Christ before this you shal finde thē to be of an other kinde namely to concerne him selfe and not God immediatly as this doth for though it bee a dishonour vnto God when a man is vrged to offend in the least poynt of his Religiō yet it concerneth the Lord more nearely when one shalbe sollicited to violate that worship and honour thereof hee is very ielous and which he will not giue vnto an other and accordyng as it is more haynous in the eyes of the Lord so is it to be esteemed a thyng more odious vnto man and therfore to be repelled with more courage Which if you marke well you shall in the practise of our Sauiour in the combate for so long as sathan medled with those things that concerned Christ himselfe as the matter of his body he aunswereth him though alwayes most perfectly yet more mildly but when he commeth vnto this pointe to vrge him vnto those thinges whiche concerne the threatning of God from the iurisdiction of his creatures and depriuyng him of his glory and worship he dealeth no more mildly meckely but rebuketh him in most vehemēt maner and painteth him out in his naturall coulours so that the example of Christ is vnto vs a notable president how to behaue our selues towardes wicked men in the world wherof some are enemies thought to God in deede in pretence onely to our persons some euen in speach behauiour professed foes vnto our Religiō and so immediatly vnto the Lord concerning them that are our enemies for so much as we are to bee patternes of all pacience and to ouercome euill with good we must vse our selues more gently towardes them reprouyng thē with all long suffering and meekenesse to see if it will please God to graunt thē repentaunce deliuer them out of the snares of the Deuill But if they be enemies vnto our Religion then are we to put on an other kind of behauiour towardes them that is to resiste them euen vnto their faces with all courage and boldnesse that they may know y ◠we be zelous for the Lord God of hostes and tender his glory more then our owne estimation or benefite whiche practise if we looke into the scriptures we shall see to be obserued by the most notable instrumentes of Gods glory for that is sayd of Moyses that he was meekest man that was vpō the earth yet none was euer either before him or after him Jesus Christ excepted more filled with zeale courage thē he shewed himselfe to be whē he dealt with them that were enemies to God and his truth The Apostle Paule who in hys doctrine dothe so often exhort vs vnto meekenes and gentlenesse yet looke what singuler boldnesse hee sheweth him selfe to bee of when hee dealt with that sorcerer who would haue peruerted Sergius Paulus from the fayth But to goe no further then our sauiour himselfe who is to vs an example of all perfection doth not hee bid vs learne of him for hee is lowly and meeke doth not hee shew himselfe in the whole course of his life most milde and yet how roughly and sharpely dealeth hee with the Scribes and Pharisies who were deprauers of the truth of the law of GOD. We see then in what manner and at what tymes we ought to be milde agayne when we must be earnest which is a lesson needefull to be learned as generally of all true Christians so particularly especially of vs Ministers for these are suche dayes if not worse as our sauiour Christ spake of that whether we come full or fasting we are refused if we pipe they will not daunce and if wee weepe they will not mourne that is of what spirite soeuer we be whether milde or sharpe whether gentle or rough no way will please them because they will needes be dampned In which peruerse frowardnes this doctrine will stād vs in good stead that is to be patient and gentle in our own cause but zelous and whot in the cause of the Lord and then let the world take exceptions as long and as much as it can our conscience will beare vs witnesse that which GOD commaundeth wherewith whosoeuer is offended sinneth not against vs but the Lord. It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue this is the repulse that Christ giueth vnto sathan such a blowe as made him finally to depart for that time The wordes that are here alleadged be not to be found in so many sillables in any place of the scriptures though the sence and meaning is in many places that whereunto Christ alludeth is written in two seuerall places of Deuteronomy where be these wordes thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God and serue him In stead of feare Christ putteth worship and to the worde serue hee ioyneth onely both whiche are to be considered for the first where Christ taketh worshippe for feare the difference is no more but to set downe the effect in stead of the cause for the feare of God is that reuerent opinion that man ought to haue of God in regard of his greatnes and his own weakenes and the worship of God is that necessary fruite that feare bringeth forth Nowe for asmuch as Sathan challenged vnto hymselfe worshippe which is the fruit of the feare of god and therefore is alwaies included in the worde feare Christ opposing his aunswere to the demaund of the enemie taketh that part of the sence of the commaundement though not the very worde which the aduersary did seeme to arrogate vnto himselfe Now for the worde onelie which Christ seemeth to adde vnto the text if wee marke it well we shall see that it is most agreable to the meaning of the holy Ghost for that sentence in so much as it belongeth to the worshippe of God must be referred vnto the first commandement wherein God excludeth all others and taketh all vnto him selfe the meaninge of it then must needes be that this seruice is onely to be giuen vnto God Agayne we know in the course of the whole scriptures that when god speaketh as we call it indefinitely the sence is euer to be taken generally as when he sayth cursed is he that maketh flesh and bloud his arm he meaneth all and euerie sort of flesh and bloud agayne when hee sayth searche the scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall lyfe hee meaneth in them onely so when he saith thou shalt feare the Lord and serue him he meaneth onely him you see then how the answere of christ though it vary something in the words of the text which he aleageth yet it differeth nothing from the sence and meaning Now if you marke the wordes spoken and lay them to the demaund of Sathan you shall see that they are being thus alleaged much more forcible then otherwise For
body 4 Math. 27 46. 1 Math. 4. 2. 2 Luke 11. 58. 3 Psal. 55. 13. 4 Math. 13 57. 5 Psal. 35. â— 6 Luke 19. 41. 23. 21. 7 Actes 2. 36. The speach of Sathan vnto the Sonne of God Sathan vnder preteÌ„ce of Christian libertie perswadeth to sinne 1 Iude. 4. 2 Rom. 3. 8. 1 Rom. 6. 13. 2 Luke 1. 74. Sathan teÌ„pteth to distrust Gods prouidence 3 Genâ— 12 13. 4 16. 2. 5 19. 8. 6 Exod. 1. 19. 1 Iosu. 2. 4. How he preuaileth with them that would be rich How he preuaileth with theÌ„ that are in extremitie The aunswere of Christ vnto Sathan VVe must fight against Sathan with the word of God 1 Ephes. 6. 17. 2 Heb. 4. 12. 3 Ephes. 6. 16. VVhat a horrible fin it is to take the preachyng of Gods word from men 1 Ezek. 33. 8. The despisers of the preachyng of the Gospell bee wilfull murtherers A comparison 1 Math. 22 29. 2 Iohn 14. 48. SathaÌ„ is not resisted as we thynke good but as Christ hath giuen vs an example 1 Leuit. 19. 17. 1 Ephe. 5. 11. 1 Heb. 10. 24. How the wicked thinke of the enemy of their soules How SathaÌ„ deceiueth the wicked 1 Deut. 8. 3. 1 Luke 12. 15 God is not tyed to meanes but can worke his will with out them as well as with them VVe may neuer vse vnlawfull meanes 2 Dan. 3. 16 17. 18. An example neuer to bee forgotten VVithout Gods blessing no meane can do vs good 1 Tim. 4. 5 VVith what affection we must receiue our ordinarie foode 1 Leuit. 2â— 26. Ezek. 4. 16. 5â— 16. Hag. 1. 6. How the wicked come to goe from their meaâ— 1 Dan. 5. 4. 2 Num 1 20. 3 i. Cor. 10 31. The right vse of worldly blessings Sathan wil not cease when hee hath the repulse VVe may not after one victorie agaynst Sathan looke for continuall quietnes 1 Iob. 7. 1. 2 5. 7. 3 4. 19. It is needful for vs in the end of one trouble to looke for another 1 Luk 9. 62 Gods great loue appeareth in the maner of our afflictions VVhy our troubles be many and short and not ouer large in continuaunce Sathan temteth not the godly vnder the name of sinne but of godlynes 1 Iob. 1. 6. Math. 13. 19. VVhat course he commoÌ„ly taketh in the matter of hearing the worde Note this well VVhat hee doth to defraude thee of the benefit of praier The great abuse of prayer in these daies 1 Eccles. 4. 17. VVith what minde we must come to pray VVhy SathaÌ„ laboureth most to ouerthrowe them of highest estate 1 Pro. 29. 12. 2 Math. 26. 31. 1 â— Cor. 4. 10. 2 Iohn 3. 19. 20. A lesson for maiestrates ministers The speach of Sathan vnto Christ. 1 Rom. 8 37. 2 Ephes. 6 â—2 A lesson how to vse our selues in fighting against SathaÌ„ Sathan afte a repulse vseth often a contrarye temptation to the former 1 Psal. 1. 1. 2. 2 Psal. 119. 105. The subtiltie of SathaÌ„ in the matter of reformation 1 Rom. 12. 10. The nature of vayne glory The cause of gorgeous and disguised apparell 1 2. Cor. 12 7. Man hardly doth any good thyng but hee is proud of it The coÌ„trarie course of God Sathan towardes maÌ„ The end of great callings one aboue another and how Sathan peruerteth them How the wicked abuse their high calling The cause of all misdemenoure in the commoÌ„ weale Sathan will proue his matter out of the scriptures How SathaÌ„ laboureth to bereue vs of the benefite of the worde 1 Psal. 11 15. 1 2. Cor. 11 14. The daunger to professe religion and not labour for sound iudgement by knowledge 1 1. Ioh 4â— 2 Ephes. 4. 14. 3 Mat. 16 18. 4 Psal. 9. 11. 1 Math. 16. 19. 1 Mat. 2â— 20. 2 Ezek 1â— 21. 22. 3 Rom. â— 4. 5. 4 1. Thes. 5. 17. 5 Pro. 2â— 9. How SathaÌ„ teacheth man to sin vnder coulour of the scriptures 1 2. Pet. 1. 5 The answer of Christ vnto Sathan The wicked abusing the word of God make it not the worse for the vse of the godly How the wiked shake of the scriptures when they are aleaged against them A comparison 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Rom. 15. 4. How to discerne the abuse of the text 1 Rom. 3. 31. 2 Iude. 4. There is no vse of the promise of God being seperated from his commaundement 1 Deut. 6 16. VVhat it is to tempt God and what not How God is tempted by Princes and magistrates 1 Psal. 2. 12. In Church gouernours In priuate persons 1 Rom. 6. 17. 2 Isa. 42. 8. VVeemust take heede where and with whom we frequent The inconuenience of euill company By ill places and companie man is often brought to commit that sinne which before he abhorred A needfull aduise to all that wil truly serue God Sathans sleightes agaynst the holyest He first offereth the consideration of the thing to mans sences 1 Mat. 5. 28 2 Psal. 119 37. 3 Prou. 23 31. 32. VVe must take heed of our affections euen in the thinges that be lawfull Sathan in tempting stealeth out of mans mind all thinges that may let his purpose 1 Luk. 16. 2. Reade B. Benthams sermons vppoÌ„ the same text Marke the wisedome of Sathan The excellencie of the mind of man Sathan laboureth most to peruert the best graces of God Euery man is sharpe sighted to sinne but dull to goodnesse 1 Psal. 24. 1 2 Dan. 2. 37. 3 Rom. 13. 1. 4 Psal. 113 7. 5 Deut. 32 8. who beleeue God to rule the world who not An obiection 1 Ioh. 31. 14. 30. 2 1. Cor. 4. 4. Answere 3 Gene. 1. 31. 4 Mat. 10 29. Sathan in thre respects called the prince of this world 1 Rom. 1 28. 2 Ephes. 4. 18. 3 2. Thes. 2 11. 4 Iob. 1. 12 5 Mat. 8. 31 1 Iob. 1. 9 The wickedest man thinketh euery man as bad as himselfe 1 1. Cor. 13. 7. VVich what minde the. godly are liberall VVhom the wicked doe like and whome not 1 Mat. 7. 26. 2 Rom. 6. 16. VVho they be that fall downe and worship the deuill 1 Phil. 3. 19 2 Ephes. 5. 5 Pettie Deuils 1 Pro. 16. 4. VVhat wee are to think when SathaÌ„ is most ferce The vew of the name of Sathan and what it signifieth auaileth to beat him backe 1 Ioh. 8. 44 The fayre offers of an enemie can not be in good meaning 1 Exod. 20 5. VVhen wee are to shew our selues mylde and when sharpe 1 Rom. 12. 21. 2 2. Tim. 2 24. 25. 1 Num. 1â— 3. 2 Exod. 5. c. 3 Ephes. 4. 2. 3. 4 Act. 13 10. 5 Mat. 11 19. 6 Math. 23 23. 1 Luk. 7. 31 c. The peruersnes of the world 1 cap. 16. 13 10. 20. The difference betwixt the feare and worship of God 1 Ier. 17 5. Ioh. 5. 39. An example how to alleadge the scriptures VVhat it is to worship God 1 Ioh. 4. 14 The popish distinction of Latria Doulia ouer throwne 1 Rom. 16. 18. 1 Mat. 7. 23. 2 Iam. 4. 7. 1 Heb. 1. 14 2 Heb. 12 1. c.