The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^15. What if he tempt you in these words: If you were a Christian, you would do miracles, as many Christians have done? You, deceived by a wicked suggestion, would tempt the Lord your God, so as to say to Him, If I am a Christian, and am before Your eyes, and Thou dost account me at all in the number of Your own, let me also do something like the many works which Your Saints have done. You have tempted God, as if you were not a Christian, unless you did this. Many who desired such things have fallen. For that Simon the sorcerer desired such gifts of the Apostles, when he wished to buy the Holy Spirit for money. He loved the power of working miracles, but loved not the imitation of humility....What then, if he tempt you thus, “work miracles”? That you may not tempt God, what should you answer? What our Lord answered. The devil said to Him, “Cast Yourself down; for it is written, He shall give His Angels charge concerning You,” etc. If You shall cast Yourself down, Angels shall receive You. And it might indeed, my brethren, happen, if our Lord had cast Himself down, the attending Angels would receive our Lord's flesh; but what does He say to him? “It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” You think Me a man. For the devil came to Him with this view, that he might try whether He were the Son of God. He saw His Flesh; but His might appeared in His works: the Angels had borne witness. He saw that He was mortal, so that he might tempt Him, that by Christ's temptation the Christian might be taught. What then is written? “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Let us not then tempt the Lord, so as to say, If we belong to You, let us work a miracle.