Observe, 1. The great humiliation of the Son of God, how exceedingly was he humbled by the horrid temptations wherewith he was assaulted, than which nothing could be more grievous to his holy heart. What could be more burdensome to him that was brought up from eternity with God the Father, than to b... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, How the divine power upheld the human nature of Christ without food. What Moses did at the giving of the law, Christ doth at the beginning of the gospel namely, fast forty days and forty nights. Christ hereby intended our admiration, not our imitation: or, if our imitation, of the act... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The occasion of the temptation. 2. The temptation itself. The occasion was our Savior's hunger and want of bread. Learn thence, That when God suffers any of his dear children to fall into want, and to be straitened for outward things, Satan takes. mighty advantage thereupon, to t... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, The weapon which our Savior made use of to repel the temptation, and to vanquish the tempter and that is the word of God, IT IS WRITTEN. Learn, That the scripture, or the written word of God, is the only sure weapon wherewith to vanquish Satan, and to beat back all his fiery temptatio... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, Satan, by God's permission, took up his body and carried it in the air, and set it upon one of the battlements of the temple. Learn hence, 1. What. mighty power evil spirits have over our bodies, if God permits them to excute and exercise their power upon them. 2. That it is owing to the... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have observable, first, the sin which Satan tempts Christ unto; and next, the argument which he tempts him from. The sin tempted to, is the sin of self-murder; CAST THYSELF DOWN. Whence we learn, That self-murder is. sin which Christ himself was, and the best of saints may, by Satan, be te... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, Though the devil had wrested and abused scripture, yet still Christ alleges scripture. The abuse of the holy scriptures by heretics and seducers is no argument against the use of them. We must not throw away our Bibles because the devil quotes scripture: but as Christ here compares scr... [ Continue Reading ]
The next sin, which Satan tempts our Saviour to, is the sin of idolatry, even to worship the devil himself.. thou impudent and foul spirit! To desire thy Creator to adore thee, an apostate creature! Surely there can be no sin so black and foul, so gross and monstrous, but that the christian may be t... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. With what zeal and indignation of spirit our blessed Saviour repels and beats back this temptation of Satan: GET THEE HENCE. Note thence, That the greater the sins are which the devil tempts us to, the greater our zeal and indignation ought to be in opposing and resisting the tempt... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The issue of this combat; Satan is conquered, and quits the field! THEN THE DEVIL LEAVETH HIM: teaching us, That nothing like. vigorous resistance of temptation causes the tempter to flee from us; RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. Observe, 2. Our Lord's triumph over his... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. Our Savior, hearing of John's imprisonment, provides for his own safety, by departing into Galilee. As our holy Lord avoided persecution, so may we. Observe, 2. The place in Galilee he comes to, Capernaum. Christ had three cities which he called his own; Nazareth, where he was bred... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our Savior begins to enter upon his prophetic office, and by preaching to make known the will of God to mankind; and observe, the doctrine which he preached is the same that John the Baptist did preach, namely, the doctrine of repentance, REPENT YE: and the argument is the same also, FOR THE KI... [ Continue Reading ]
Our blessed Saviour, as he was the great prophet of his church, had power and authority to appoint teachers under him; and accordingly here he begins to call his apostles to that great work; and in his call we have several particulars very observable: as, 1. The meanness of the persons whom he calls... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Savior having called Peter, James, Andrew, and John, to be disciples in order to their being apostles to preach the gospel, in the foregoing verses; this verse acquaints us how he went himself along them forth as his curates to labour, and lie at home himself upon his couch at ease. What shall w... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. That although our Savior's doctrine needed no confirmation beyond his own authority, yet he was graciously pleased to exert the power of his godhead in working miracles for the establishment of our faith. Observe, 2. That the miracles which Christ wrought were not judicial, but ben... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, How affecting our Saviour's ministry was at first: multitudes throng after him; they come from all parts to attend upon his ministry, when he first began to preach among them. His ministers find it thus also; at their first coming amongst. people, their labours are most acceptable, and... [ Continue Reading ]