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SERM. Bread fhowered down immediately from Heaven, as he did the Ifraelites for forty Years. He can either fend new Provifions by repeated Miracles, as he did to his Prophet by the Ministry of a Raven, 1 Kings xvii. 4, &c. or by one fingle Miracle he can multiply the Provifions we have already, as he did the Widow's Oil and Meal, in her Barrel and Crufe, ver. 14, &c. It is true indeed that in ordinary Cafes, we are fed and nourished by ordinary Food: Yet even in all Food the Power that fuftains, is the Power that comes forth entirely from GOD. For without his Providence, even the Bread we eat would have no Quality or Power to feed us: Should he but withdraw his Bleffing from it, we fhould perish immediately, though in the Midft of the greatest Plenty and Abundance. We are not therefore to fix our Eyes fo intenfely on the Means, as not to look up to that Hand, from whence alone it's Sustenance proceeds. But (to ufe a devout and elegant Expreffion in the Book of Wisdom) Thy Children, O Lord, whom thou lovest, should know that it is not the growing of Fruits that nourifbeth Man, but that it is thy Word which preferveth them that put their Trust in thee, Wisdom xvi. 26.

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Having thus feen the Nature and Subtlety SER M. of the Devil's Temptation, with the Strength and Force of our Saviour's Reply, I am to proceed in the

II. SECOND Place to make a practical Obfervation or two upon the real Intent and Defign of the Temptation; which I have already fhewed was to bring our Saviour either to fufpect the Voice from Heaven that had pronounced him the beloved Son of GOD; or elfe to miftruft his Father's further Providence over him, and therefore to have Recourse to his own Abilities and Power to provide for himself. And these are the two Ends which the Devil ftill vigorously pursues, or endeavours to compafs among the Difciples of Chrift: But for our more orderly Procedure, let us confider each of them a little diftinctly.

First then, as Satan, in the Temptation before us, would have raised in our Saviour a Doubt whether he was the Son of GOD; fo ftill is it one of his main Bufineffes in the World, to fuggeft, by his Emiffaries, Objections against his Divine Authority; to make Men doubt whether he was truly fent of Gop; to question the great Truths he

came

SER M. came to reveal, to represent them as unrea

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fonable and abfurd, and ftill to adhere to those poor and barren Apprehenfions of the Deity, which the dark and Heathen World take up with, as preferable to what is now discovered by Chriftian Light and Gospel Revelation. This I fay is the principal Attempt of the Devil; well knowing that doing this, i. e. doing it with Success, he keeps Men still under his own Empire and Dominion. There being no Way left for the Recovery of fallen and finful Man, but a full Faith, a firm Affurance, that he who came to raise and fave us, is not only Man but GOD. For how should he elfe have ranfomed the World? How fhould he have done, how fhould he have fuffered, that which was fatisfactory to his Father's Wrath? How fhould his Actions or Paffion have been equivalent to the Sins of the whole univerfal World? Since therefore all our Comfort, all our Hopes reft on this fingle Point entirely; here without Doubt we must expect a Battery; and therefore here we must be on our Guard.

But fecondly, If the Devil could not work upon our Saviour to doubt of his being the Son of GOD; he will try, if he can, to bring

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him to mistrust his Father's Care and Provi- SER M. dence over him. He is hungry, and the Devil prompts him to be in a hurry, and to wait no longer for Relief from GOD, but to provide for himself through the Power that was in him, by turning the Stones of the Wilderness into Bread. But the Answer Jefus vouchfafes to make him, will teach us, that fo long as the ordinary Providence of GOD is fufficient for our Provifion or Support; Extraordinary Ways of fatisfying our Neceffities are not to be undertaken: In all our Wants GOD must be relied upon; His Time must be waited for with Patience, his Manner of Relief be received with Submiffion, and his Measure with Thanks. Jefus we see refused a Supply it was in his own Power to procure, rather than he would do an Act which had in it an Intimation of Diffidence, or might be expounded as a Mistrust of his Father's Care over him. And yet there is nothing more ufual or common with our spiritual Enemy, than by Occafion of Want to move us to purfue unwarrantable Courses. Thou art needy, faith the Devil, to many a poor Wretch, and therefore go, feal: Thou canst not rife by honest Means, therefore ufe indirect: And from a listening

to

SERM. to these Suggestions of the Tempter, the un

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happy Creatures first betake themelves to petty Frauds and little Tricks, to over-reaching in Bufinefs, or Extortions in Trade, to Knavery and Injustice, and at laft to downright Rapines and Thefts, to Murders and Villanies which the Devil never fails to tempt Men to, when once he has brought them to a Dependance on himself.

But how much better, as well as furer, is it, to depend upon God, to follow the Ends, and wait the Means that he prescribes. For if a fingle Sparrow, (two of which are fold for a Farthing) is not forgotten before GOD; what Occafion have we to fear, we whofe very Hairs of our Head are all numbered, and who are of abundant more Value than many Sparrows. If therefore be feems to detain or withhold, what we at prefent seem to want; it furely proceeds from his Wisdom and Love, because he fees it not really for our Good; it being inconfiftent with his infinite Goodness to detain that of which we are really in need. For what MAN is there of you, who, if his Son afk Bread, will be give him a Stone? or if he afk a Fish, will he give bim a Serpent? If ye then being evil, know bow to give good Gifts to your Children, how much more shall your Father which is in Hea