SER M. none but Slaves and the vileft of Men were

XI.

ever condemned.

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Thus in general, or thus throughout, did the First of Men, and the Redeemer of Men, tranfact quite different and contrary Parts. But it is only one fingle Part of their Behaviour we are at prefent to compare And that is, how each of them stood the first Trial of their Obedience, which was laid on them severally as the general Representatives of all Mankind. To do this, we must turn again to our first Parents in the Garden of Eden: For there (as I have already faid) they were placed by their indulgent Maker; furrounded on all Sides with Plenty and Delight, and privileged to eat of every Tree and every Fruit even Paradife could produce, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil alone excepted. In this happy Situation, where nothing one would think that Man could defire was wanting to him, the Tempter approaches, and finding the Woman alone by herself, immediately allures her to tafte of this one forbidden Tree. By the Luft of the Flesh, and the Luft of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, 1 John ii. 16. (those sure Baits which have feldom or never failed him in his Attempts upon Mankind fince) did he prevail

XI.

first with the Woman, and then she with the SER M. Man, for the Sake of one unknown prohibited Pleasure (as they imagined) to venture and lose all the real Delights and Satisfactions they had leave to enjoy. For when the Woman faw that the Tree was good for Food, and that it was pleasant to the Eyes, and a Tree to be defired to make one wife; she took of the Fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her Hufband with her, and he did eat, Gen. iii. 6.

Thus fell the first Man, and in him all that were ever naturally to defcend from him. But the second Man, which God raised up to undergo a fecond Trial, we fhall find, and very happily for us, acting a very different Part, Not in a Paradife, with every Thing about him, that could take off the Edge or Whet of Temptation; but lonely in a Defart, the Devil's own Ground, hungry, and in Want not only of the Comforts, but even of the neceffary Supports of Life, Circumftances, one would think, that should make the blunteft Temptations keen. In fuch Place and fuch Extremity does the Devil find him, but yet, as we shall fee, he can find no Bait wherewith to deceive him. The Prince of the World may come, if he will, but he has nothing. in bim, John xiv. 30. Neither Defire, nor

SER M. Pride, nor Ambition can he excite in him, XI. but is foiled at every Temptation he prefents,.

infomuch that the bufy, unweary Devil finding it in vain to press him further, leaves and departs from him, at least for a Season, and Angels come and minifter to him. And Man through Christ, having thus retrieved the first Victory that Man had loft, from hence must we date the Beginning of our Salvation. How our great and victorious Redeemer went on to perfect it, and how it was compleated and finished at last, neither the Scripture before us, nor the Season we are in, lead us to confider. Both the Time and the Text confine me at present to the first Step in the Defarts of Judea: We are not yet to accompany him to Jerufalem, and from thence to Calvary, amidst the Noife and Outrage of a Jewish Rabble; but to follow him into the Wilderness folitary and alone, and there to view his firft Engagement for the Redemption of Man. And here it will be neceffary to confider particularly the Time and the Place of, the Guide and the Preparation to, the Engagement itself, and then the peculiar Manner and Matter of those three efpecial Temptations which the Evangelifts record; fit Subjects to engage our Thoughts during

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XI.

this Season But at present the very Occafion S ER M. of our Lord's going through this Conflict, as it has afforded Matter fufficient at one Time for Inftruction and Doctrine, fo does it alfo for Application and Use.

For from what has been faid we may learn in general that no Chriftian, no Man, nay I may add no Creature, endued with Reason and Choice, is exempt from Temptation: i. e. no Creature is fo privileged as not to ftand a Trial of Obedience. Even the bleffed Angels themselves, before they were fixed in Perfection and Glory, underwent such a Trial: For fome Angels we read of, who kept not their first Estate, but fell: From whence we may infer that any, or all of them might have fallen; and if so, there was a Trial made, which would fall, and which would not.

The Angels, who firft had finned themfelves, Providence, in his Wifdom, makes his Inftruments to try who amongst Men, (whom GOD feems to have created to replenish the Angelick Hofts) are fit to be made like the Angels in Heaven. And therefore scarce do we read of our firft Parents being placed in Paradife, the Porch of Heaven, but the Devil is there to feduce them into Sin, that they.

XI.

SER M. might be driven out of it. And even the Son of GOD himself, you fee, when made Man, was not permitted to tranfact for Man, till the Human Nature he had affumed was again put to a fresh Trial of Obedience, and whether in him it would refift all Temptations to which it was prone. Nor did the Holiness of that Divine Nature, to which it was united, deter the great Tempter and Enemy of Mankind from playing his fubtlety and Wiles against him. Though a Voice from Heaven had proclaimed the Holy Jefus to be the Son of GOD; yet this Divine Testimony, and a Testimony of a Character fo facred and high,、 allayed neither the Malice or Affurance of Satan, but exasperated both. That venomous Serpent, instead of retiring, fwells the more with inward Poison, and makes the greater Haste to affail him. Expect not then Christians to escape the Affaults and Temptations of the Devil, when you fee the beloved Son of GOD could not be free from him: You can never suppose that such Enmity as dared to ftrike at the very Head, will forbear to affail the weaker Members. His Malice be affured will pufh him on to exert his utmost Powers, nor will the Defigns of Providence permit God wholly to restrain his Power.

For