wilderness." The second Evangelist uses a stronger term than the other two employ. He says the spirit driveth him; the other says he was led. We suppose without coercion or compulsion, a strong disposing influence was upon him, which determined his proceeding in the direction indicated. As his mind was always in perfect sympathy with the divine will, he was prepared to follow whither the spirit led. In this matter of being conducted by the Spirit he may be classed amongst the prophets of the Old and of the New Testament, as like things are recorded of them. Let the reader turn up the marginal references in his Bible, 1 Kings xviii. 12; 2 Kings ii. 16; Ezek. iii. 14, viii. 3, xi. 1; Acts viii. 39. The place whither he was led is worthy of notice. He was led into the wilderness, a term used to distinguish the country from the town or city, not always indicative of barrenness and dreariness, for there were some very fruitful wildernesses. It often means simply a rural region, where tillage and industry procure simple means of livelihood. In this instance, however, the nature of the narrative requires it to be understood of some naked solitude, away from human society, the home and haunt of wild beasts. The precise locality is disputed. Quarantaria, near Jericho, is generally regarded as the place, though some think it was the Arabian desert of Sinai, whither Moses and Elijah retired in their long fasting time. According to Matthew, it was some wild upland, for he was led up. Wherever it was, it was a wilderness, in the strictest sense, a wild unpeopled waste, bleak, barren, sterile, unfit for human tenantry. It was at the cold season of the year, too, the time of short days and long nights, when the beasts were most hungry and fierce. Forty days separation from human intercourse in such forbidding and repulsive quarters was of itself no common trial, without any positive temptation being added. The company of wild beasts would be no relief, but rather an annoyance and a source of danger, from which he would require protection, or over which he would require to exercise his own proper divine power. Yet this deprivation of society was not the temptation. Nor was the long fast the temptation. These were but the back-ground, or basis, and circumstance of the conflict. On this ground he was met by Satan, whether early within the specified period, or not till about its close, may be doubted. Mark's narrative, and Luke's, would lead us to suppose that the temptation covered the entire time, although Matthew names only what temptation he had toward the end of the time. It is better to accept of this additional light from the other two writers and adopt this view, and draw thence this practical lesson that Satan will tempt us through the entire season of Lent, and through the whole period of life, forbearing only when he is forbidden.

As it is time we entered on the subject, we will not detain the reader with the parallel facts that took place in regard to Moses and Elijah, who both fasted the same length of time, the former doing it twice over. Also, we wish to ignore the dispute, whether all this befell the Saviour in vision or in plain matter of fact. We will assume that every thing occurred just as it says, not by suggestion to the mind Christ or in visionary representation, but simply and really just as it stands. Accordingly we proceed on the vulgar idea that Satan, the tempter, came in some visible shape, and stood in presence of him he tempted. We will suppose he came in the likeness of a man, as better answering his purpose, than as a serpent he crept into paradise. It has been thought by his quoting scripture that he came in the guise of a clerk or scribe, an ingenious thought, as we fear he is often found in company of men of letters. At a point of time, when Jesus was sensible of the sharp call of hunger, he was pressed with the first temptation here recorded to:

I. A DISTRUST OF PROVIDENCE. Ver. 3. "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Satan times his temptations, and adapts them to our circumstances. A hungry man he tempts in one manner, a full man in another. Poverty and wealth are not open at the same points. Knowing that Jesus was hungry, and remote from ordinary means of supply, he prompted him to work a miracle in his own favour, rather than wait till relief and aid might reach him through other means, which, to have done, would have argued impatience and a want of confidence. Besides, to have had recourse to miraculous energy to establish the point in dispute, whether he was or was not the Son of God, would have argued a dissatisfaction with the splendid proofs of messiahship given at the banks of Jordan. It was enough that the divine nature of Jesus was doubly testified, first, by the visible presence of the Spirit, and next, by the audible voice of the Father, which had not been heard for centuries before, if indeed it had ever been heard. Did not Satan know that these two witnesses had vouched on his behalf? But when was Satan ever satisfied with a fair amount of evidence? or when were his infidel children ever content with reasonable proof? Give them volumes of evidence, they still clamour for more. It was a most convenient proposal, at once to prove his messiahship and produce food for his craving appetite. It was well-timed ingenuity to propose the transmutation of stone into bread, as food was just then a pressing necessity. This stroke was parried off by the dexterous use of the sword of the Spirit. The reply was "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," a very pertinent quotation, since it bore reference to the circumstances of the covenant people, just in

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such place and plight as he was then in. At a distance from gardens and corn-fields, where the soil would not yield, and natural supplies failed, they were in trying straits. After the pinch of necessity had been felt, (which is needful to enhance our blessings and secure our gratitude) miraculous agency came to their aid. When the earth would not grow wheat, the heavens dropped manna. In the stillness and darkness of night it fell all round the camp like a snow-fall. Omnipotence is not bound to the slow methods of tillage and natural process. What the barren womb of the desert refuses the windows of heaven shall supply.

The tempted Saviour gave satan to understand that life was not dependent on bread, but that any other kind of food that his Father might appoint would do as well; or, he could uphold life without food, of which proof had been given in his long fast. Although the special power had been withdrawn from him, which caused him to feel the call of hunger, that power might return to him to sustain him other forty days, or his Father might please to send him a rich manna-fall. If neither was done, he would die rather than violate right. Thus he waited for timely relief, teaching us not to run before providence, nor to use illicit means when we are in straits.

To this day the Tempter repeats on the members the same temptation which he tried on the Head. Under the pressure of poverty he will goad you with doubts of your affiliation and adoption. If thou be a child of God, why does he leave thee in this narrow condition? Would he not have removed thee into a broad place? Does this beggar-like penury consist with the honour of adoption? This empty cupboard, this scanty table, this thread-bare faded garment, this ill-furnished house, are these the tokens of fatherly goodness? So Satan runs on and tries to provoke poor saints, pointing out to them the fine houses, the superior apparel, and more sumptuous fare of some who live regardless of God and eternity. He would have us to turn stones into bread, to cast off conscientious scruples, to break through the restraints of education, and help ourselves to improved circumstances by any means whatever, without fettering ourselves with notions of rectitude. We have need of patience that we may not hurry out of a condition that providence has led us into, or into a state that we have not been called to by clear providential indications. We do not find Jesus coming out of the wilderness and hastening back to the tables of his friends in the middle of the forty days, or as soon as he felt hungry. He waits his time. Nor will he prematurely try the force of that miraculous power that slumbered in him, to create food for himself. He uses it afterwards for the good of hungry thousands. To himself he denied that kindness.

He knew the time. When he makes bread he will

know for whom he makes it, and by whose counsel and advice. Be of good cheer, poor saint, thy Saviour lived in a wilderness, but after he endured, the angel came to his aid! Thus the enemy was worsted in the the first move. Foiled in one dierction he tries another and tempts his antagonist to

II. PRESUMPTION. "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God," &c., ver. 5, 6, 7.

It is proper to pause here and ask a question. As the third evangelist reserves this temptation to bring up the rear in his narrative, and places Matthew's third temptation second, which of the two writers are we to regard as giving the successive order? The maturest reflection determines us to prefer Matthew for the order, and to accept Luke's narrative as faithfully giving all the particulars, though transposed. We conclude thus for three reasons. In the first place,

Matthew's order is philosophical and natural.-Presumption is the opposite of despondency. Not succeeding to make Jesus despair of timely help, it was natural to push him to the other extreme, which his ascertained state of mind already lay in the direction of. Warm with confidence, the mind will more easily run into boldness and rash assurance, just as when humbled and abased it is likelier to sink into despair and give up hope. Finding his confidence strong, the enemy thought to work upon it and to hurry him over the sober medium where virtue is said to lie mid-way between extremes. Baffled in his attempt to crush his opponent down, he endeavoured next to bear him up to the pinnacle of pride.

Matthew's order shows the authority of Christ over Satan. If we adopt Luke's narrative for the order, we would have the Tempter remaining on the ground to try again after he was peremptorily dismissed. This would be out of order. It is more fitting that Satan should do as his master commanded him. The devils were subject to the disciples in Christ's name. And the devil was subject to Christ in person, and being ordered away must obediently retire. So Matthew has recorded it. And, in fine,

Philology settles the question. The third evangelist makes use of the connective conjunction (KAI and) which serves to tie things together, without denoting close succession; whereas the first uses adverbs of time (TOTE and PALIN), which expressly indicate what occurred next to something previously stated. For these reasons, briefly touched on, we follow Matthew for the order. This adjusted, we proceed with our observations on this second temptation. Satan seems to have had power over his person for the time being, and could shift him from place to place. By a somewhat speedy locomotion, he took him along with him to the holy city,

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about which there can be no mistake, as it only can Jerusalem, which, in its most degenerate days, was still the holy city, because it was the seat of the priesthood and the college of theology. The right for it to be called the "holy city" had been forfeited, and was at that time under forfeit, by the sins of its inhabitants, and its rulers and chief men. But it retained its name on account of what it was intended for and had been devoted to. It was the city of "the great king," the fountain of religious truth and ceremony. Into this city the tempter brought Jesus, taking him to the holiest place, the temple, and conducting him to one of the loftiest stand-points a person could occupy about that edifice. The "pinnacle" of the temple is commonly allowed to have been the king's gallery or porch, which overhung a valley beneath, sinking sheer down full seven hundred feet. It was a bold proposal to prove his Sonship by so dangerous a leap. It was plausibly seconded by a quotation from scripture, promising angelic aid and succour. In this quotation satan stands accused of artful dealing, false application or omission. On the face of the affair he evidently leaves out an important clause of the place he quotes from. The place reads thus:-"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways,” Ps. xci. 11. "In all thy ways" is the omitted clause. In the way and out of the way makes all the difference. We have no warrant to expect divine aid, or angelic succour, unless we keep within the beaten and approved paths of duty. There was a proper way down from the pinnacle without leaping down. There was a staircase, and if it was steep and difficult of descent the angels might be near to prevent a slip-step. But over the battlements was no

Woe betide the luckless soul, that, greedy of adventure and distinction, climbs over the railings and leaps into va uity to render himself conspicuous. His bones will pay the penalty of his rashness, to say nothing of his life. It is not in vain that it is written, "He keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken," Ps. xxxiv. 20. The promise means something within the sphere of lawful duty, but does not reach so far as to include gratuitous tests to which our folly or sin may lead us to put it. Upon the turnpike, and in the ways of duty, our heavenly guards may be expected to keep an eye to us, and use their wings in our favour. Off the way, among crags and precipices, whither fancy leads us, or the false voice of the syren lures us, we have no right to look for an interposition. This would be tempting the Lord our God. If you choose to turn religious aeronauts, and make a way through the atmosphere, which is not your lawful sphere, you may expect a damaging fall. Even as we have seen it, through the eyes of observation, those who aspire to be thought prodigies, and to be gazed at as favourites of heaven, destined to a more than common

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