had even momentary place in the Savior's mind, that to act upon Satan's
suggestion, provided of course the outcome proved to be such as he had
indicated, would have been to insure public recognition of Jesus as a
Being superior to mortals. It would have been a sign and a wonder
indeed, the fame of which would have spread as fire in the dry grass;
and all Jewry would have been aflame with excitement and interest in the
Christ.

The glaring sophistry of Satan's citation of scripture was unworthy a
categorical reply; his doctrine deserved neither logic nor argument; his
misapplication of the written word was nullified by scripture that was
germane; the lines of the psalmist were met by the binding fiat of the
prophet of the exodus, in which he had commanded Israel that they should
not provoke nor tempt the Lord to work miracles among them. Satan
tempted Jesus to tempt the Father. It is as truly a blasphemous
interference with the prerogatives of Deity to set limitations or make
fixations of time or place at which the divine power shall be made
manifest as it is to attempt to usurp that power. God alone must decide
when and how His wonders shall be wrought. Once more the purposes of
Satan were thwarted and Christ again was victor.

In the third temptation the devil refrained from further appeal to Jesus
to put either His own power or that of the Father to the test. Twice
completely foiled, the tempter abandoned that plan of assault; and,
discarding all disguise of purpose, submitted a definite proposition.
From the top of a high mountain Jesus looked over the land with its
wealth of city and field, of vineyard and orchard, of flocks and of
herds; and in vision He saw the kingdoms of the world and contemplated
the wealth, the splendor, the earthly glory of them all. Then saith
Satan unto Him: "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall
down and worship me." So wrote Matthew; the more extended version by
Luke follows: "And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give
thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to
whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all
shall be thine." We need not concern ourselves with conjecture as to
whether Satan could have made good his promise in the event of Christ's
doing him homage; certain it is Christ could have reached out, and have
gathered to Himself the wealth and glory of the world had He willed so
to do, and thereby have faile