sown in their hearts Now ye are not Ignorant of this device of his see well to it Least Satan get an advantage over you in this particular and in this Sermon Let him not take away the word that was sown in your hearts at this Season for ye may prevent and help it if ye will That is if ye keep those sayings in your hearts which ye have heard uttered unto your Ears And so it is of all his other Devices they may be Countermined and Rendred of none effect Whither it was that the Infernal Spirit did see and discern that I was to lay open his Devices herein But I have observed that I have been more let and hindred I have been more untoward and unapt towards the Compiling of this Sermon then of others which yet by the Grace and help of God is brought on thus far I have observed much hereof in my Contemplation and Searching out of Divine Truth how many Avocations Interruptions and Turnings aside of my mind towards other things and little excuses to leave ofâ— or to go to other Business have aâ—ose and I have too often gave way unto it Which is my sin and I am to be blamed herein and I believe that the Lord will shew himself displeased towards me for the same When He that hath set our Iniquities beâ—ore him and our secret sins in the Light of his Countenance Will reprove and set in order before me the several seasons of time I have done thus As also when I have mispent too much of my Precious time When I that know the worth of time the sliding away of time the Irrecoverableness of time do not improve it better and more then I have done The Lord knows the Reason of my neglecting the Word of God to serve Tables Acts 6. 2. To serve the mean necessities of this Life whereas all things relating to that should be brought ready to my hand that I should not mis-employ the least Portion of my time either for Food or Raiment or necessary expence And so indeed it would be if I were righteously and equally dealt withal If of such an Inheritance which God hath set out to such a Famlly a like Share and Portion was assigned to me as is usually unto others Or if the same was supplyed or helped another way My Conscience doth accuse me of mis-pending time about wordly things or even reâ—ating to this Body Tho' yet I do not altogether so waste and consume it neither in Impertinencies or Vanity or useless things as do others This is another Device of Satan to mis-pend Precious time which we should not give way unto no not for a Minute For we should not give Place by Subjection unto this Enemy of our Souls no not for a moment Nor yet for the least matter But withstand the wiles of the Devil Because he is to be blamed In that it is a sin and a fa ult which he would have us consent unto And what shall I more say The time would fail me to tell of all his devices and wiles They do terminate and tend to one of these two heads to commit Sin or omit Duty to Practice Evil or hinder Good and by this you may know them For whatever is of this Nature that same is a device or wile of Satan The same Rule holds and is to be observed towards them all Be sure not to give way unto them I say again to confirm and establish this word Be sure not to give way unto the Devices of Satan as each may know and perceive them in the secret and deep of his own heart And so when we should always keep close unto the Lord God in our hearts and have them always lifted up towards him and approach to the Lord in our hearts Here when the heart Roves and is far from God or when it sinks down to the Earth and becomes Earthly or Wordly or Savours the things of the Flesh and of Men this again and such like is one of the Devices of Satan which we are not to give way unto an hands breadth but to strive and endeavour against it as much as ever we can When Satan stood at the right hand of Joshua to resist him the Lord said unto Satan The Lord Rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem Rebuke thee Is not this a Brand plucked out of the fire Zech. 3. 1. 2. Even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem Rebuke thee which is as much as to say Inasmuch as Jerusalem signisignifies his Church and People that God will have his Elect and Servants Maugre and Notwithstanding all the Temptations or Devices of Satan or the Devil And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never Perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater then all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand John 10. 29 30. Not all the Men upon Earth nor yet the strongest Devil in Hell This is a mighty Word of Consolation and Assurance to all Real and Universal Christians who are within the Covenant Satan may disturb but he shall never be able to destroy ye Tho' David did say through Ignorance Infirmity and Distrust I shall fall one day by the hands of Saul but the Lord knoweth them that are his and I certify and assure all such from the Word of Truth that they shall never be devoured by this Roaring Lion Tho' the Wicked and Ungodly and Sinners may be Snared and broken and taken but this is the Priviledge of the Saints and Servants of the Lord they shall never fall so far into the Snare of the Devil but they shall be retrieved and recovered out of it again Tho' here it will be convenient amidst all his Assaults to lift up ones heart in that Ejaculatory Prayer The Lord Rebuke thee O Satan the Lord Rebuke thee or get behind me Satan or such like I testify and warn ye again Be sure never to consent yeild nor give way unto his Devices Thus having Discoursed of what excellent benefit and use it is not to be Ignorant of the Devices of Satan and having laid down that Caution and Rule Be sure not to give way unto them and then He can never get advantage over us It remains to shew in few Words How the not being Ignorant of the Devices of Satan helps to make a continuing and persevering work of it This ye may quickly perceive and discern for opposite unto continuing and persevering is Apostacy and Falling away Now the Devil was the first and great Apostate and himself having fallen into that Transgression It hath been his continued business ever since to tempt the Children of Men to fall off from God in like manner How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer Son of the Morning Isa 14. 12. Which tho' it be spoken there in reference to the King of Babylon yet it hath allusion unto this fall of
of Propriety and Claiming him to ones self And yet here again because here there may be some doubt and further thought of Soul nothing less can satisfy the Soul of Man then for her to enjoy God in Heaven And so it is here aforesaid That the Lord hath chosen Zion which signifies his People This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it which implies an Union to him So the Language of the Creature speaks again unto him As the heart panteth after the Water Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul Thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42. 1 2. It is evident that the Soul hath a Natural desire to know God not in those who have defaced it with Sensuality and Brutishness Not in those who are Alienated and Enemies through wicked works but in them who exert the Operations thereof Who obey and serve their Creator even as it is meet and right that his Creatures should do So when the Soul comes to be acquainted with him she is in Peace It can be contented for the present and wait some time for the full Enjoyment of him Altho' in this mean while the Earnest Expectation of the Creature waiteth for the Manifestation of the Sons of God There are risings in the Souls of Men and Women a little imperfect measure whereof they have in this Life towards Communion and Union with their God As also because we are given to understand that many will be rejected and cast off from him at the last day altho' they were his Creatures and the work of his hands hence doth arise Great Thought and Searching of Heart least we should be of the Number of them Well to help and remedy that to Encourage People to shew the same diligence unto the full assurance of hope unto the End I do here make known unto ye that the sure way to obtain is to have Faith in God and to Love him with all our Heart and with all our Soul and with all our Strength and with all our Mind There is all the Reason in the World that he should be so loved and served Never any one that did thus believe and love and serve him did Finally and Eternally Perish Moses indeed came on Mount Pisgah He saw an Earthly Canaan and never came into it but now he is in a much better Viz. The Heavenly Men may be and are disappointed in their Pursuits after Earthly things altho' they used Diligence and Wisdom and were ready to lay hold on them But none that doth so as to Heaven who hath the Hope which enters within the vail and such a sight thereof as to overlook present things who takes up this firm constant and continued resolutiâ—n for that will I labour and care all the Days of this Life of Vanity Whatever I take in hand or whatever my hand finds me to do I will bring it all in tendency subordination and subserviency thereto or otherwise I will never do it None such who do thus shall miss thereof Be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. Here again observe it is called Labour for this imports a great deal more then that careless and customary Religion of the Multitude But when it is made a matter of Labour and Striving and it becomes the constant and only business of all our Life long When the Life which we live is by Faith in the Son of God That is when that Faith doth so actuate us throughly and wholly all one as the Soul doth actuate the Body in order to Natural Life to such the Word and Promise of God stands engaged that they Shall not Labour in vain nor yet seek his Face in vain But they shall obtain that which they seek after viz. The Enjoyment of God and a Mansion in their Fathers House in the highest Heavens It is a great and observable Scripture Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obtained it and the rest are blinded Rom. 11. 7. There is many such a thought in Godly and Gracious Souls like unto that of David who after that he had received the Promise of being King over Israel could say I shall fall one day by the hands of Saul And so to whom pertaineth the Adoption the Covenants and the Promises Yet there is in them a secret distrust and mis-giving of heart I shall fall one day into the Paws of the Roaring Lion who walketh about continually seeking whom he may devour Notwithstanding I have already done and yet do so much in order to God I may be a cast-away for all that Indeed there may be some good use of such kind of Thoughts to keep us always on our watch That we may not be high minded but fear and to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and there being a promise left us oâ—… entring into his rest to fear least any of us should come short of it And as when David spake thus of himself in reference to Saul he did all that same time endeavour to flee from avoid and fortify himself against Saul So tho' we have at some times doubtful thoughts least he should prevail and get an advantage over us at the same time we do not give place to the Devil Eph. 4. 27. We resist the Devil and he will flee from us James 4. 7. Then there can be no Great matter of Inconvenience but rather good doth arise thereby in thinking the worst as long as we act to the best in avoiding and arming our minds against his Temptations We had need be upon our continual Watch and Guard Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devil as a Roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the faith He is more cunning then any of us and holds almost all Men and Women by one catch or another either in the allowance of some sin or in the Omission of some Duty or to tempt them to leave off from their waiting and close adhering unto the Lord. Now the Serpent was more subtle then any Beast of the Field which the Lord God had made Mark that well and so he continues at this day to be more subtle then any Man or Woman considered in their meer Natural condition abstracted and separated from the assistances above the Directions of the Word and Spirit And so he pursues near the same methods still to tempt and deceive all Mankind of all Generations and Countreys as He seduced our first Parents into the Transgression as the same may be read throughout Gen. 3. Even to tempt and beguile them into the Breach of as many of the Commandments as ever he can with a pretence that less Evil and more seeming Good will ensue thereupon then really will He suggests to do
sight of the Lord whom Jesabel his Wife did stir up 1 Kings 21. 25. In the Margent it is incited So tho' there is a great deal of Wickedness in the heart of Man by Reason of Original and Inbred Corruption For the heart is desperately wicked Who can know it Yet this Corrupt Nature would never proceed so far especially in Rebellion against and despising of God unless this Infernal Jesabel whose right Name is Belzebub did stir them up Here again People might choose whether they would Yea they might refuse to be stirred up or Instigated by him As the Commandments of God run both ways Cease to do Evil Learn to do well So the devices of Satan are contrariwise both ways to tempt the Sons of Men to all the Evil he can and that they omit or neglect to do well his devices tend either towards the Commission of Sin or the Omission of Good I have several times observed that at Godly Duties either Prayer or hearing the Word amidst them there have fallen out Accidents and Casualties which then occasion Distraction Interruption or Hindrance more then at other times In a Family where hath been Infants and little Children there hath been more unquietness and trouble when the People have been waiting on the Lord in Religious Exercises then at other times For which reason when Paul doth speak as a Man throughout 1 Cor. 7. He rather advises not to Marry That ye may attend upon the Lord without Distraction As also the same is too often seen and experienced that there is more Hatred Reproach rancour and opposition against sound Preaching then there is against a dead and dull Ministry There is much more of the Serpentine Nature shewed forth against the Power of Godliness then is against the form and outside thereof Here Satan hath Great wrath and shews his Teeth where he cannot Bite for God hath limited and chained him where he sees as that Infernal Spirit sees and discerns more then we in the Flesh do any thing that would destroy or lessen his Kingdom here on Earth One said concerning my self That Satan had a great Wrath against me because I had a Zeal for God and would seek to overthrow his Kingdom of Darkness The Truth of which observation I have indeed felt and experienced For I have gone through almost all the Shame and Indecencies which are incidental to Humane Nature whilst I was in the course of my Ministry which was as much carried on by Writing and Publishing as by Preaching with a lively Voice When thou madest us a reproach to our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them that were round about us My Confusion was continually before me and the shame of my Face did cover me for the Voice of him that Reproacheth and Blasphemeth All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant But we have only asserted thy Commandments in the very same manner as thou hast given them and they stand Written and Recorded for us Tho' thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of Death Psal 44. 13 14 15 16 18 19. When thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit in darkness and in the deeps Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy Waves Psal 88. 6 7. Here the Psalmist ascribes them higher then to Satan the Engine of Torment and Persecution who Acts it forth by Incarnate and Visible Instruments even to God himself But as it is elsewhere Written Both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together for to do whatever thy hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done Acts 4. 27 28. So the Devil and his Legions and all those People in the Flesh Our Fellow Creatures they are all but Instruments in the Hand of God for the Devil Acted through Saul in Persecuting David and through Herod and Pontius Pilate in putting Christ to Death For to do whatever thy hand and thy Counsel determined before or suffered to be done And so I look upon all those Afflictions Trials and Temptations which have befaln me As in Good things It is not such a Man but Christ which dwelleth in him who doth the same So in Evil things the Devil Acts through them who do Evil. And over and above all things we may look up unto the Great God Who over-rules and determines all for the Great Ends of his own Glory This same Truth is now taken notice of a third time that ye may understand it aright and throughly and bear and remember it in mind We should endeavour and order things that our Prayers be not hindred which is done by Roving and Wandring Thoughts in them as they are suggested by the tempter who is then busy to spoil and render them of none effect I have several times apprehended and concluded that this device must be from Satan the Enemy and where he would hinder this must be some good thing which would have the favour and acceptance of God if it was not hindred and thereupon it must be Godly Discretion and Soul saving Wisdom to endeavour as much as you can to the contrary that your Prayers be not hindred But attend more diligently on the sâ—me and see to it well that it doth become an effectual servent Prayer which availeth much So it is likewise in the hearing of the Word Satan tryes and endeavours to hinder your hearing How many doth he hinder from coming to the place of hearing by putting this little thing or that little thing into their hearts either by way of excuse or obstinate refusal against it Some vain or false Imagination And again those who come to hear Do they attend upon the Lord and upon the Ministry of his Word without distraction Do not some other Objects or Thoughts or Observations take them off at the very time Do they give the more earnest heed â—o the things which they have heard lest at any time they â—hould let them slip This is the very reason why I do not quote the Chapter and Verse of many Scriptures leâ—st whilst People look after them they let slip many other Sentences of Truth which follow in the course of our Preaching So that either I should make a stop or Pause hereupon or I could shew ye rather a more excellent and compendious way then by turning to it in your Bibles or folding down the leaves Bring rather a Pen Ink and Paper or a Pencil Book And set down only the Chapter and Verse of every material Proof and then turn to them when ye come home which will refresh and bring it again to your memories as ye do Recollect what Truth was spoken of when such a Text of Scripture was alledged But People are ashamed to write after the Preacher and it is not now in Fashion but away with that shame which hinders Godly Edifying Aâ— Satan hinders