Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Ver. 5. Then the devil taketh him] Not in vision only or imagination, but really and indeed, as he was afterwards apprehended, bound, and crucified by that cursed crew. Spiritual assaults may be beaten back by the shield of faith; bodily admit no such repulse. A daughter of Abraham may be bound by Satan,Luke 13:16, a Mary Magdalene possessed, a Job vexed, a Paul boxed, &c. κολαφιζη , 2Co 12:7 As for the souls of the saints, they are set safe out of Satan's scrape; shake his chain at them he may, muster his forces, Revelation 12:7, which may band themselves and bend their strength against Michael and his angels, Christ and his members; but they are bounded by God, who hath set his own on a rock that is higher than they,Psalms 61:2. So that the floods of temptation (that the serpent casts out of his mouth after them) cannot come so much as to their feet, Psalms 32:6. Or if it touch their heel, Genesis 3:15, yet it can come no higher. There is no sorcery against Jacob, because God was a unicorn, Numbers 23:22,23, to take away the venom (saith Balaam the sorcerer); as waters, when the unicorn's horn hath been in them, are no longer poisonous, but healthful.
Into the holy city] Things are called holy either by nature, as God, who is truly, alway, and only of himself holy; or by separation, or being set apart to a holy use or end; which Origen calleth (Homil. xi., Num.) sancta sanctificata, by accession of external holiness from without: so Jerusalem is here called holy, because the city of God, where he was daily worshipped. And for the same cause was the ground whereon Moses and Joshua trod, called holy ground, and Tabor, the holy Mount, 2 Peter 1:18. And when we stand in our churches, saith Chrysostom, we stand in a place of angels and archangels, in the kingdom of God and heaven itself (αυτος ουρανος, Homil. xxxvi., 1Co 11:10), which they that profane, may justly fear to be whipped like dogs out of the heavenly temple, and city too. And surely it were to be wished that such profane Esaus today, as dare prate, or sleep, or laugh, and play the parts of jesters, or do anything else unbeseeming the service of God, would keep themselves from God's sanctuary, or that we had such porters to keep them out as they had under the law, 2 Chronicles 23:19 .
And setteth him upon a pinnacle of the temple] Height of place giveth opportunity of temptation. The longest robe contracts the greatest soil: neither are any in so great danger as those that walk on the tops of pinnacles. Even height itself makes men's brains to swim: as in Diocletian, who not content to be emperor, would needs be adored as a god; and Caligula, of whom it was said that there was never any better servant than he nor worse lord. Vespasian is reported to have been the only man that ever became better by the empire conferred upon him. Accepto imperio melior factus est. It is both hard and happy not to be made worse by advancement. Τιμη signifies both honour and loss; chabad, heaviness and honour; honoro and onero show that honour goeth not without a burden. Fructus honos oneris, fructus honoris onus. (Cornel. a Lapide in Num 11:11) Pope Plus Quintus said thus of himself, Cum essem religiosus, sperabam bene de salute animae meae; Cardinalis factus extimui; Pontifex creatus, pene despero. When I was first in orders, without any further ecclesiastical dignity, I had some good hopes of my salvation; when I became a cardinal, I had less; since I was made Pope, least of all. The same thoughts of himself had Clement VIII, his immediate successor, saith the same author. (Non insulse Autor ocul. moral. cap. 12.) Praepositioni quot accident? Unum. Quid? Casus tantum. Quot casus? Duo. Qui? Accusativus, et ablativus. Haec enim Praelatum oportet timere, accusari a crimine, et auferri a regimine, et sic ignominiose cadere.