Matthew 4:9

And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Ver. 9. And he saith unto him, All these things will I give thee] A great catch sure: even just nothing; for he showed our Saviour only shows and shadows, apparitions and resemblances of things. The word also used in the former verse for "glory" signifieth an opinion or imagination (Δυξα .) So St Luke styles all Agrippa's pomp, but a fantasy, Acts 25:23, μετα πολλης φαντασιας. David tells us, that man walketh in a vain shadow, Psalms 39:6. Now a shadow is something in appearance, nothing in substance. So the apostle calleth all these things that the devil proffers our Saviour, σχημα, an accidental mathematical figure, without solidity or substance; and further tells us that this figure passeth away, is ever in transitu,1 Corinthians 7:31, παραγω, like the streams of a river, that passing by the sides of a city, no man can stop: or if we could retain the things of this life, yet, not the world only passeth away, saith the apostle, but the lusts thereof, 1 John 2:17. So that a man cannot make his heart delight in the same thing still. Vota post usam fastidio sunt. We loathe after a while what we lusted after (as Amnon did Tamar), and quickly find a satiety, yea, a dissatisfaction in the creature. For he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, not though he could heap up his hoards to the stars, and engross a monopoly of all the wealth in the world, απαντων η πλησμονη, Ecclesiastes 5:10. Non plus satiatur cor auro, quam corpus aura. You may as soon fill a bag with wisdom, a chest with virtue, or a circle with a triangle, as the heart of man with anything here below. All that earth can afford is fumus aut funus, saith one; nugae et μορμολυκειν, saith another; vanity and vexation, saith Solomon the wise: to whose impartial verdict (grounded upon such good experience) we shall do well to subscribe, without believing the devil's cracks, or trying any further conclusions. The Centurists interpret "all these things will I give thee," thus: I will make thee pope. And indeed many popes were advanced to that see immediately by the devil, as histories relate; who had they but observed what is usually done at their enthronization, would never have been so hasty. For before the pope is set in his chair, and puts on his triple crown, a piece of tow or wad of straw is set on fire before him, and one appointed to say, Sic transit gloria mundi the glory of this world is but a blaze. This is only matter of form and ceremony; as is also that, that one day in the year the pope's alms giver rides before him, casting abroad to the poor certain pieces of brass and lead, saying, Silver and gold I have none, but such as I have I give you; whereas that scarlet whore holds a golden cup in her hand, and her merchants that trade with her are the nobles of the earth, Revelation 18:9,17, and are made rich by her, Revelation 18:15. (Pareus in Apoc.) The Cardinal of Toledo hath a hundred thousand pounds a year coming in; the archbishops of Germany are free princes, many of them, and have revenues accordingly. Petrarch reporteth that in the treasury of Pope John XXII were found after his death 250 tons of gold. And of Boniface VIII the story is told, that when he was taken by Philip the Fair, King of France, and his palace rifled, there was more treasure found than all the kings of the earth were able to show again. Otto, one of the Pope's mice catchers (muscipulatores), as the story calleth them, sent hither by Gregory IX, after three years raking together of money by most detestable arts, at last departing hence, he left not so much money in the whole kingdom as he either carried with him or sent before him. Judge by this what they did throughout all Christendom. The pope, saith one, could never want money so long as he could hold a pen in his hand. It was truly and trimly said by Pope Innocent IV, Vere hortus deliciarum Papis fuit tum Anglia, et puteus inexhaustns. Thus it was then; but how now? Bellarmine complains that since the pope was cried down for antichrist, his kingdom hath not only not increased, but every day more and more decreased. Non mode non crevit eius imperiam, sed semper magis ac magis decrevit. And Cotton the Jesuit confesseth that the authority of the pope of Rome is incomparably less than it was; and that now the Christian Church is but a diminutive. Hereupon also the cardinals (who were wont to meet more often) meet but once a week, because the businesses of the court of Rome grow fewer. And albeit the pope's good and his blood, his honours and manners, rose together; yet abates he as little of his former pomp and pride as the devil doth since his fall (Os Papae et oculus Diaboli, in eodem sunt praedicamento. Sphinx.), in taking upon him here to dispose of all the kingdoms of the earth as his, and requiring our Saviour (the true Lord of all) to fall down and worship him. The cardinals he still createth with these words, Estote fratres nostri et principes mundi, shall be our brothers and leaders of the world. And as another Diocletian (who was the first that affected that honour), he holdeth forth his feet to be kissed, having the sign of the cross shining with pearls and precious stones upon his shoe, Ut plenis faucibus crucem Christi derideat, So with a full gullet he mocks the cross of Christ, saith mine author. Stratagema nunc est Pontificium, ditare multos, ut pii esse desinant. In a word, with his pomp and primacy, gain and glory, rule and riches, fat bishoprics and cardinalships, as he sought to insnare Luther and gain him to his side, so he gets and binds not a few fast to that rotten religion. Pauper Lutherus multos fecit divites, Poor Luther made many rich men, said Erasmus; it being then the ready way to preferment to write and rail against Luther, as Eccius, Coccius, and others found it. But Christ will one day whip such money merchants and their customers out of his house, as he did those in the Gospel, John 2:15; chase them out of his presence, as Nehemiah did Sanballat's son-in-law; curse them with a curse that "run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward," Judges 1:11. Let the Romish Balak offer as large as the devil doth here, every one that hath anything of Christ in him will answer with that noble Italian convert (Galeaceus Caracciolus, Marquess of Vico in Naples), who being tempted by a Jesuit to revolt for money, cried out, "Let their money perish with them, who esteem all the gold in the world worth one day's society with Jesus Christ, and his Holy Spirit. And cursed be that religion for ever," &c. At Augsburg there is a known price of ten florins a year to all who will turn Papists. (Crashaw's Life of Sandys.)

If thou wilt fall down and worship me] Luke saith, "Worship before me." So that to worship before an idol is to worship the idol, whatever the Romanist pretend and plead to the contrary. And not only so, but to fall down, as the devil would have had our Saviour here (though it be not come to worshipping), is a grievous sin. St John had not yet worshipped the angel, but only fallen down, as desirous to worship, and is taken up by the angel for that idolatrous gesture, Revelation 19:10. Woe then to those Rimmonites that plead for an upright soul in a prostrate body; and allege for their warrant that of Apocryphal Baruch, Apc Bar 6:5-6 "Wherefore when ye see the multitude of people worshipping them behind and before, say ye in your hearts, O Lord, it is thou that oughtest only to be worshipped." Serve we God with our bodies also; and say with David and Christ, "Lord, a body hast thou given me; Lo, I come to do thy will therewith,"Psalms 40:8. But what a desperate and detestable boldness was it in the devil to move speech of such a sin as this to our Saviour Christ. It was extreme sauciness in Satan to adjure our Saviour (whom he there calls the Son of the most high God) not to torment him; it was horrible impudence; but nothing comparable to this in the text, to worship the devil in person: than which what can be imagined more odious? We see then to what execrable sins the best may be tempted. A man is to expect (saith Capel on Temptation), if he lived out his days, to be urged to all sins, to the breach of every branch of the ten commandments; and to be put to it in respect of every article of our creed. Have you not been tempted, saith another, in this or that kind? it is because God in mercy would not lead you into temptation. (Bain's Letters.) Yea, this is, in some sort, more to be acknowledged than victory, when ye were tempted. For not to be tempted is more immediately from God, and less in man's power, than to prevail against temptation. For nothing doth overcome us without our will: but without our will doth God lead us into trial; for he knoweth we would taste little of these if we might be our own carvers. "Simon, Simon," saith our Saviour, "Satan hath desired to have you to minnow you," that is to trouble and hurt you, Luke 22:31, ταραξαι και βλαψαι, saith Theophylact, as a challenger desireth to have one of the other side to combat with; as Goliah called for a man to match him. Now either God denies him, or delivers us, so that evil one toucheth us not,1 John 5:18, viz. Tactu qualitavito, with a mortal touch, as Cajetan glosseth that text. "I have prayed for thee," saith our Saviour, "that thy faith fail not." He prayed for all, but especially for Peter, because more violently tempted, as because more shamefully foiled; therefore, "Go tell my disciples and Peter, that I am risen; and that thereby he is justified," Mark 16:7; Romans 4:25. I have prayed; so that the remedy was ready made before the disease, the salve before the sore, or else it might have come too late; as those that are stung by a scorpion, if they be not presently anointed with oil of scorpions, die for it: and as those that have drunk poison, if they take not an antidote immediately, ere it get to the vitals, perish infallibly. God in Christ hath all plaisters and pardons ready made and sealed, else we might die in our sins while the pardon is providing.