_A particular consideration of the matter of the first temptation,
what Satan aimed at in bidding him turn stones into bread.—Of Satan’s
moving us to things good or lawful.—The end of such a motion.—How to
know whether such motions are from Satan or the Spirit.—What to do in
case they be from Satan.—Of his various aims in one temptation.—What
they are, and of his policy therein.—Of his artificial contrivement of
motions to make one thing infer another._
Next follows the temptation itself, ‘Command that these stones be made
bread.’ There is no great difficulty in the words. The Greek indeed
hath a remarkable suitableness to the supposition, on which Satan
insists, taking Christ to be the Son of God. It is very pertinently
spoken, ‘Say or speak’—εἶπε—that these stones be made bread; for if God
speak, it must be done.
It is not worth the while to insist upon so small a variety of
expression as is betwixt this evangelist, who hath it ‘these stones,’
and Luke, who speaks it in the singular number, ‘this stone;’ for
besides that, as some suppose, this expression of Luke might, for
anything that appears to the contrary, be Satan’s lowering his request
to one stone, when Christ had denied to turn many into bread upon his
first asking; _this_ one stone in Luke, taken collectively for the
whole heap, will signify as much as _these_ stones in Matthew; or
the phrase ‘these stones,’ in Matthew, by an imitation of a common
Hebraism, may be no more but one of these stones, or this stone, as it
is in Luke; as it is said, Jephthah was buried in the cities of Gilead,
that is, in one of the cities.[389]
The thing urged was the turning or changing the form of a creature,
which is a work truly miraculous and wonderful, and such as had neither
been unsuited to the power of Christ, nor unlawful in itself. It is
from hence justly questioned where the sting of this suggestion lay, or
in what point was the temptation couched.
(1.) First, It was not in _the unlawfulness or sinfulness of the thing
mentioned_. For Christ did as much as would amount to all this when
he turned water into wine, and when he fed multitudes by a miraculous
multiplication of a few loaves and fishes.
(2.) Secondly, _It was not unsuitable to his condition, as hungry_; for
so it seemed a duty to provide for himself, and which Satan took for
granted.
(3.) Thirdly, Neither seemed it _any derogation to his power and divine
nature, but rather an advantage and fit opportunity to give a full
proof of it_, to the stopping of Satan’s mouth for ever.
Notwithstanding these, there was poison and malignity enough in the
suggestion, and under these green leaves of plausible pretences lay
hid many snakes. For [1.] By this was he secretly tempted to admit of
a doubting of the truth of the divine testimony, lately declaring him
to be the Son of God. [2.] As also further to question his Father’s
providence and love; [3.] and unnecessarily to run out of the ordinary
way of supply, and to betake himself to indirect means or extraordinary
courses. [4.] And all this to the abuse and undervaluing of his power,
in prostituting it to Satan’s direction or persuasion; and the devil
had gained a considerable advantage if he could have prevailed with
him to do such a thing by his instigation. [5.] It may be he further
thought this might entice to a high esteem of himself, and so make way
for a vain ostentation of his power and interest in God. All or most of
these seem to be the design that the devil was driving forward. Several
things are hence observable.
_Obs._ 9. _That where Satan doth not judge it his present interest to
suggest to us things in their own nature sinful, he will move us to
things good in themselves, in hopes thereby to lead us into evil._ This
way of tempting is from a more refined policy than downright motions to
sin, and doubtless it is less suspected, and consequently more taking.
The evils that Satan would introduce by this method are such as these:—
(1.) First, Sometime when he tempts us to that which is good, it is
that he might _affright us from it_. His approbation is enough to put a
discredit and disgraceful suspicion upon anything. Such a design had he
when he gave testimony for Christ, ‘that he was the Son of God,’ Mat.
viii. 29; or for the apostles, that they were the ‘servants of the most
high God,’ Acts xvi. 17. It was not his intention to honour him or them
by bearing them witness, but to bring them under suspicion and trouble.
(2.) Secondly, _There are a great many ways to miscarry in a lawful
action_, either by propounding bad ends, or by failures in the
manner of performance, or by a misimprovement of the whole. These
miscarriages, and the possibility and probability of them, Satan
carries in his mind; yet doth he not at first propound them, but moving
us unto the thing, he hath an expectation that we will slide into them
of ourselves, or be inclined by some suitable touches of suggestion
upon our minds, together with the tendency or improvableness of the
thing or action to such evils as are properly consequent to it. Satan
did not here tempt Christ to these sinful ends directly, but to an
action which he hoped might insensibly produce them.
(3.) Thirdly, Another evil hereby aimed at is _the hindrance of a
greater good, not only as a diversion to turn us off a better or more
profitable occasion, but also as an unseasonable interruption of
something at present more concerning us_. Thus he makes the suggestion
of good things the hindrance of prayer or hearing.
_Quest._ Some will say, This is a perplexing case, that in things
good or lawful in themselves, men should be in such dangers, and will
thereupon desire to know how they may distinguish Satan’s contrivances
and motions from those that have no dependence upon him, or are from
the Spirit of God?
_Ans._ In answer to this:—
[1.] Let us, when we fear thus to be circumvented, look well _to what
impressions are upon our spirit when we are moved to what may be
lawful_. For together with the motion, if it be Satan’s, we shall find
either a corrupt reason and end privately rising up in our mind, or we
may observe that our hearts are out of order and perversely inclined.
This is oft unseen to ourselves. When the disciples moved Christ to
bring down ‘fire from heaven,’ if they had considered the present
revengeful selfish frame of their spirits, which our Lord tells them
they were ignorant of, they might easily have known that the motion had
proceeded from Satan.
[2.] Secondly, _The concurrent circumstances of the thing or action are
to be seriously weighed_, for from thence we may take a right measure
of the conveniency or inconveniency of the proceeding in it. What is
from Satan it will be either unseasonable as to the time, place, and
person, or some other thing will appear that may give a discovery. As
here Christ refuseth to turn stones to bread, because not only the way
and manner of the proposal doth sufficiently lay open the design, but
also the circumstances of Christ’s condition at that time shewed the
motion to be unseasonable and inconvenient; for if Satan had urged
the necessity of it for the satisfaction of his hunger, Christ could
have answered, that the experience that he had of God’s support for
forty days together, was sufficient to engage him to rely yet further
upon him. If he had urged further, that by this means he might have
had a full proof of God’s love and care, or of his sonship, it was at
hand to tell him that it was needless to seek a further evidence when
God had given one so full a little before. If again he had pleaded
it to have been a useful occasion to give a testimony of his power
to the satisfaction of others, he could have told him that it had
been impertinent to have done it then, when he was in the wilderness,
where none could have the benefit of it. So that nothing Satan could
have propounded as a reason for that miracle, but it might have been
repelled from a consideration of his present condition.
_Applic._ The instruction that may be gathered from this is, _that
we must not entertain thoughts of doing lawful things without a due
inquiry into the temper of our own hearts, and a full consideration
of all circumstances round about, with the probable tendencies and
consequences of it_.
_Quest._ But, may some say, if I judge such a motion to be a thing
lawful, which doth proceed from Satan, what am I to do?
_Answ._ I answer, [1.] Consider whether the good be necessary or not.
If it be necessary, it is a duty and not to be forborne, only the
abuses are to be watched against and avoided.
[2.] Secondly, If it be a duty, consider whether it be seasonable or
unseasonable, necessary or not, as to the present time; if it be not,
it may be suspended, and a fitter opportunity waited for.
[3.] Thirdly, If it be only lawful and not necessary, we ought to
abstain from it wholly, after the example of David, Ps. xxxix. 2,
who ‘abstained even from good,’ that is, from lawful bemoanings of
himself or complainings against Absalom, that had rebelled against him;
because it was not necessary, and, the circumstances of his condition
considered, very dangerous, lest vent and way being given, he might
have been easily drawn to speak passionately or distrustfully against
God, and foolishly against providences.
That the thing unto which Satan moved Christ was lawful, hath been
noted. Next, let us consider _what end Satan might propound to himself
in this motion_, and we shall see, as hath been said, that he did not
so narrow and contract his design as that only one thing took up his
intentions, but several. Hence have we this observation:—
_Obs._ 10. _That in one single temptation Satan may have various aims
and designs._
Temptation is a complicated thing, a many-headed monster. Satan hath
always many things in his eye.
[1.] First, In every temptation there is _a direct and principal
design, a main thing that the devil would have_.
[2.] Secondly, There are several things _subservient to the main
design_, as steps, degrees, or means leading to it; the lesser
still making way for the greater. If Satan design murder, he lays
the foundation of his work in inward grudgings and hatreds; next he
gives provocations, by reproachful words, or disdainful carriages and
behaviours, as our Saviour notes in the expressions of _raca_ and
_fool_, Mat. v. 22, and so by degrees enticeth on to murder. The like
we may observe in the lusts of uncleanness, and other things.
[3.] Thirdly, Besides these there are usually _reserves, something in
ambushment to watch our retreats_; for Satan considers what to do in
case we repel and refuse his motion, that so he may not altogether
labour in vain. A contrary extreme watcheth those that fly from a
temptation; pride, security, self-confidence, and boasting are ready
to take them by the heel. So truly may it be said of Satan, that
he knoweth the way that we take: if we go forward, he is there; if
backward, we may also perceive him; on the left hand, he is at work;
and on the right hand, he is not idle. All these we may particularly
see in this temptation in hand. He had a main design, of which more
presently; he prepares means and seconds to help it forward; such were
those pleas of necessity and conveniency which the hunger and want of
Christ did furnish him withal, and there wanted not the reserves of
presumption and self-neglect in case he resisted the motion.
The reasons of this policy are these:—
(1.) First, _When Satan tempts, he is not certain of his prevalency,
even when the probabilities are the greatest_; and therefore doth he
provide himself with several things at once, that if the tempted party
nauseate one thing, there may be another in readiness that may please
his palate. God gives this advice to the spiritual seedsman, ‘In the
morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for
thou knowest not what shall prosper, whether this or that,’ [Eccles.
xi. 6.] Satan, that seedsman of the tares, imitates this; and because
he knows not what shall prosper, therefore doth he use variety.
(2.) Secondly, _Where many things are at once designed, it is a hundred
to one they will not all return empty_. It is much if many snares
miss; he that hath broken one or two, may not only be enticed with a
third temptation—as being either wearied out with the assaults, or
made pliable with the allurements of the former, but may also sit down
secure, as having, in his supposal, passed all the danger, and so
unawares fall into an unseen or unsuspected trap.
_Applic._ This may [1.] by way of caution, assure us that we have no
cause to think that all fear is over, when we have avoided the more
obvious and conspicuous designments of a temptation, but rather to
suspect some further train than we yet have discovered. [2.] That there
is a necessity for us to be circumspect every way, and, Janus-like, to
have an eye before and behind, that we may make timely discoveries of
what Satan intends against us.
As we have taken a view of the various designments of Satan in one
temptation, so it is also remarkable, that these various ways of his
in this temptation, do give strength one to another, and have as
close a connexion as stones in an arch. Christ was pleased to commend
the wisdom of the unjust steward, though he intended not the least
approbation of his dishonesty. So we may turn aside and observe the
cunning artifice of the devil, in the management of this argument
against Christ, which is to this purpose, as if he had thus proceeded:
‘If thou art the Son of God,’ as the voice from heaven lately
testified, it can be no inconvenience, but every way an advantage to
give a further proof of it. Thy present condition of want and hunger
seem to contradict it; for how strange and unbeseeming is it for the
Son of God to be in such straits! yet if thou beest what thou sayest
thou art, it is easy for thee to help thyself. God, that made the world
of nothing, by the power of his command, can much more change the forms
of things that are made already; it is but speaking, and these stones
that are before thee will be turned into bread; and besides that, in
so doing thou mayest seasonably vindicate thyself from the eclipse of
thy present condition. Necessity and duty—for it is duty to supply
the want of the body, which cannot be supported without its proper
nourishment—compel thee unavoidably to it, except thou fearest not to
contract the guilt of self-destruction, especially seeing I do not urge
thee to provide delicacies, but only bread, and such as is needful to
keep in the lives of the poorest men, in the poorest manner.
_Obs._ 11. Hence note, _Satan in driving on a temptation, useth such
an artificial contrivement of motives and things, that still one doth
infer another, one strengthens another_. Temptations are like a screw,
which if once admitted, will improve its first hold to draw in all the
rest. By these arts doth Satan, like a cunning serpent, wriggle himself
into the affections of men.