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DISCOURSE II.

MATT. IV. 1.

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil.

THE words before us direct our atten. tion to that important conflict into which the mighty Conqueror entered with the destroyer of mankind, for the purpose of undoing the evil work that had been wrought in the world; when Jesus Christ in the character of the second Adam, as man's representative, personally met the devil, as it were, in the field, and compleatly prevailed over him with weapons of the devil's own choosing.

This temptation in the wilderness, has by some able and pious men been supposed

posed not to have been a real transaction, but only a vision or prophetic trance, similar to that described by Ezekiel ch. viii. But for such supposition there does not appear to be any just reason. For it is a

rule established by the most judicious interpreters, that in explaining the sacred writings, we ought never, without the most apparent necessity, allow ourselves the liberty of departing from the plain, obvious, and literary meaning of the words. In the present instance there is certainly no such necessity. On the contrary, the narrative to which our attention is directed, carries with it every appearance of reality.

As the relation then of this extraordinary conflict which took place between our blessed Saviour, and the tempter in the wilderness stands on the same ground of authenticity, with all the other facts recorded by the Evangelists; and as all Scripture, we have been told, was given by inspiration of God, among other poses, "for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect;" -the conclusion from the premises is, that

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this otherwise unaccountable transaction, formed a necessary part in the divine economy, subservient to the grand design in which our Saviour was engaged of rescuing fallen man from the dominion of satan; and as such, that it was intended to minister to Christiau edification; by becoming in some way instrumental in confirming the faith, and directing the prac tice of the Christian professor. That man being made acquainted with his own history, as it stands recorded in the pages of Revelation, might thence attain unto à true and saving knowledge of himself. And that knowing whence man is fallen, and the consequences of that Fall, he might know how rightly to appreciate the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; and with humble gratitude embrace the plan that divine wisdom has set on foot, for his renewal unto holiness, and consequent admission to glory.

With this view, the reasons for the trans. action in question, so far as the light of Scripture may enable us, with any degree of probability, to discover them, should be ascertained; on this ground of assurance,

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that the Son of God would not have been personally engaged in the transaction under consideration, could the object of his interference have been equally ac complished in any other way.

One of the personages who made a prominent figure in this scene, in the wilderness, the Evangelist has described under the distinguishing title of the devil, the tempter; with the view, it may be supposed, of leading back the mind of the Christian Professor, to that origin of all evil in Paradise; when this same tempter, "that old serpent, called the devil," Rev. xii. 9. by the prevailing success of his insidious conduct over the primeval innocence of our first parents, introduced sin and death into the world. " God," we are expressly told, "made not death." And it is impossible that the fountain of all good should be the author of sin. Both these evils, sin and death, must then have been the original work of that malevolent spirit, whose object, since his fall, it unceasingly has been, to counteract, and, só far as in him lies, effectually to defeat God's gracious purpose, in the formation of his

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