α. The sin of pride: by causing Him to perform a miracle, so as to prove Himself to be the Son of God, and thus to dispel the doubt of the querist. β. The sin of doubt: by causing Him to question the declaration from Heaven; for Satan’s _if_ implied that God, had He meant that Christ were His Son, would not have left Him to starve. II. That it does not behove us to question the dealings of God’s providence, though He suffer us to want, nor if He refuse to hear our petitions. Perhaps we ask for what is wrong, unsafe, or contrary to His will. _Command that these stones be made bread._ Here note— 1. God wills to draw us from temporal things to things spiritual, but the devil obtrudes carnal matters, to draw us from spiritual things to things temporal. 2. The temptation of Christ bears some analogy to that of our first parents. Eve was tempted by the sight of the fruit which was good for food, Christ by the cravings of natural hunger. 3. Satan tempts us through our need for the necessaries of life. Thus some steal, others cheat, others live unchaste lives, under the excuse that they do it for a livelihood. 4. If Christ by a word can change stones into bread, can He not change bread into His true and sacred Flesh? 5. Satan tempts Christ to make more than was necessary, _these stones_, so that He might fall into the sin of gluttony. 6. Satan tempts Christ to a false humility, by urging Him to make bread, the plainest food of the poor, instead of costly viands. 7. Satan never offers what can satisfy. The prodigal son was given but the husks, and here Satan presents nought but stones. 8. Christ left Satan still in doubt as to whether He were the Son of God or not: teaching us pious reserve on the subject of spiritual favours. _And He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God._ Here note— 1. Christ implies that God’s power is not limited to the means prescribed by Satan. God can satisfy His own sons in ways of His own devising. 2. Christ passes over the challenge, _If Thou art the Son of God_, teaching us that our spiritual privileges are not to be proclaimed, but rather concealed, that pearls are not to be cast before swine, nor the children’s bread to be given to dogs. 3. Christ’s words imply the full inspiration of Scripture: He says, that man shall live by _every word_; not by the general sense.