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FINALLY as for the devil himself, when he was tempting Him with every
show of allurements, and overly art of his wickedness, what was it that in
his ignorance he suspected, or wanted to find out by tempting Him? Or what
so greatly moved him, that he sought God under the humble form of man? Had
he learned that by previous proofs? Or had he known of anyone who came as
God in man's body? Most certainly not. But it was by the mighty evidence of
signs, by mighty results of actions, by the words of the Truth Himself that
he was driven to suspect and examine into this matter: inasmuch as he had
already! once heard from John: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who
taketh away the sin of the world." And again from the same person: "I
have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" The dove also
which came down from heaven and stopped over the Lord's head had made
itself a clear and open proof of a God who declared Himself. The voice too
which was sent from God not in riddles or figures had moved him, when it
said: "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased." And though
he saw a man outwardly in Jesus, yet he was searching for the Son of God,
when he said: "If Thou art the Son of God, command that these stones be
made bread." Did the contemplation of the man drive away the devil's
suspicions of His Divinity, so that owing to the fact that he saw a man, he
did not believe that He could be God? Most certainly not. But what does he
say? "If Thou art the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."
Certainly he had no doubt about the possibility of that, the existence of
which he was examining into. His anxiety was about its truth. There was no
security as to its impossibility.
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