Apprentice under command thou wantest fit opportunities and conveniencies for serious consideration defer till thou becomest free and at thine own disposal That this is one of Satan's deceits to hinder us from making use of the Light besides what common experience may teach every Man may be clearly gathered from the exhortations of Scripture which do not only shew us the way wherein we ought to walk but also press us to a present embracement of that Counsel To day to day while it is called to day harden not your hearts Now is the accepted time Now is the day of Salvation Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth before the evil day comes if ye will enquire enquire yea return come This hasty urgency to close with the offered occasions plainly accuse us of delays and that it is usual with us to adjourn those thoughts to a fitter opportunity which we are not willing to comply with for the present By these nine devices he keeps the Light from ensnared Sinners or them from coming to the Light But if all this cannot draw a curtain before the Sun if its bright beams breaks through all so that it cannot be avoided but there will be a manifestation and discovery of the hidden things of darkness then Satan useth all his art and cunning to stir up in the hearts of Men their hatred against the Light This is his Second grand piece of Policy to keep all in quiet under his command to which purpose First He endeavours to draw on a hatred against the Light by raising in the minds of Men a prejudice against the person that brings or offers it if he that warns or reproves express himself any thing warmly or cuttingly against his brothers Sin this the Devil presently makes use of and those that are concerned think they have a just cause to stop their ears and harden their necks because they conceive that anger or ill-will or some such base thing did dictate those though just rebukes The Devil turned the heart of Ahab against the faithful warnings of Micaiah upon a deep prejudice that he had taken up against him for so he expresseth himself to Jehosaphat I hate him for he never prophesieth good uâ—â—o me In this case Men consider not how justy how truly how profitably any thing is spoken but as some Insects that feed upon Sores they pass by what is sound and good and fix upon that which is corrupt and putrid either through he weakness and inobservancy of the reprover or pretended to be such by the prejudice of the party which doth altogether disable him to put a right construction upon any thing Secondly If this help not then he seeks to get the advantage of a provoked passionate or otherwise distempered fit and then hatred is easily procured against any thing that comes in its way Thirdly Satan endeavours to engage our hatred against the Light by presenting our interest as shaken or endangered by it If Interest can be drawn in and made a party 't is not difficult to put all the Passions of a Man in arms to give open defiance to any Discovery it can make That great rage and tumult of Kings and People mentioned in Psal 2. combining and taking counsel against the Lord and his Laws is upon the quarrel of Interest their suspitions and jealousies that the setting up of Christ upon his Throne would eclipse their power and greatness makes them out of a desperate hatred against the Light fall into resolves of open Rebellion against his Laws Let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us This pretence of Interest strengthned the accusation of Amaziah against Amos Chap. 7. 10. Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel the Land is not able to bear all his words No wonder then if Jeroboam instead of hearkning to the threatning banish him out of the Land We find the like in Asa a good man the Devil stirs up his hatred against the Seer he was wroth with him and put him in the Prison-house for he was in a rage against him The ground of that rage was this the King's Interest in his apprehension was wrapt up in that League with the King of Syria vers 2 3. so that he could not bear so plain a reproof which directly laid the Axe to the Root of so great an Interest as the safety of the King and Kingdom which seemed to depend so much upon that League Fourthly Satan stirs up hatred against the Light from the unavoidable Effects of Light which are discovery and manifestation Ephes 5. 13. All things that are reproved are made manifest for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light Now the issue of this manifestation is shame which however it be the daughter of Sin and Light yet would it naturally destroy the Sin that bred it and therefore Repentance is usually expressed by being ashamed and confounded but that Satan might avoid this he turns the edge of shame against the Light which should have been employed against Sin When Men therefore have sinned and are as a Thief when he is taken ready to fall into the hands of shame for the avoiding of that they rebel against the Light The ground of this hatred Christ in Joh. 3. 20 tells us is lest their deeds should be reproved and they forced to bear their shame to this end they are put upon it to hide themselves from shame by lyes pretences excuses extenuations or by any fig-leaf that comes first to hand And as those that live in hotter Regions curse the Sun because it scorcheth them so do these curse the Light and instead of taking its help raise up an irreconcileable Enmity against it and so run from it CHAP. XVI Of Satan's third grand Policy for maintaining his Possession which is his feigned Departure 1. By ceasing the prosecution of his design and the cases in which he doth it 2. By abating the eagerness of pursuit and how he doth that 3. By exchanging Temptations and his Policy therein The advantage he seeks by seeming to fly Of his 4. Stratagem for keeping his Possession which is his stopping all ways of retreat and how he doth that BEsides the two former Designs of finishing Sin and keeping all in quiet by which the Devil endeavours to maintain his Possession he hath a third grand subtilty which is this He keeps his hold by feigning himself dispossessed and cast out Of this we have a full account Luk. 11. 24. When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man he walketh thorow dry places seeking rest and finding none he saith I will return unto my house whence I came out Christ had there noted that 't is Satan's great Principle to do nothing by which his Kingdom may be divided or undermined Satan will not be divided against himself and yet very seasonably he tells us that for an advantage he will seem to quit
by its Authority Secondly He makes abused Scripture to encourage sinful Actions he can cite passages of God's Patience and long-suffering of his pardoning Grace and readiness to forgive and a thousand more upon no other design than the turning of the Grace of God into wantonness When Professors turn loose and negligent when they adventure too far upon sinful pleasures they lick themselves whole by an overforward grasping at such passages of Scripture which Satan will with great readiness set upon their hearts and then they pretend to themselves that their peace is made up with God and that they have no less than a sealed Pardon in their Bosomes which notwithstanding may be known to have only Satans Hand and Seal at it by their overly and formal sorrow for such miscarriages and their readiness to return to the same follies again Thirdly By this imitation of the Commands and Promises of God he doth strangely engage such as he can thus delude unto desperate undertakings The Familists of Germany were perswaded by this delusion to expose themselves unarmed to the greatest hazards upon vain pretences of Promises set home upon them as that God would fight for them that they must stand still and see the Salvation of God Some of later times have paid their lives for their bold misapplication of that Promise One shall chase a thousand Judas of Galilee and Theudas were prompted by Satan to gather Multitudes together though to their own ruine upon a vain perswasion that they were raised up of God and that God would be with them Fourthly He sometimes procures groundless Peace and Assurance in the hearts of careless ones by Scripture misapplyed Many you may meet with who will roundly tell you a long Story how they were cast down and comforted by such a Scritpure brought to their minds when it may be much feared they are but deceived and that as yet God hath not spoken peace to them Lastly This way of Satans setting home Scriptures proves sadly effectual to beget or heighten the inward distresses and fears of the Children of God 'T is a wonder to hear some dispute against themselves so nimble they be to object a Scripture against their Peace above their reading or ability that you would easily conclude there is one at hand that prompts them and suggests these things to their own prejudice And sometimes a Scripture will be set so Cross or edg-way to their Good and Comfort that many Pleadings much time Prayers and Discourses cannot remove it I have known some that have seriously professed Scriptures have been thrown into their Hearts like Arrows and have with such Violence fixed a false apprehension upon their Minds as that God had cut them off that they were reprobate damned c. that they have born the tedious restless affrightments of it for many days and yet the thing it self as well as the issue of it doth declare that this was not the Fruit of the Spirit of God which is a Spirit of Truth and cannot suggest a falseshood but of Satan who hath been a Lyer from the Beginning Observe lastly Though Satan useth Scripture in these deceitful workings yet he never doth it faithfully First Because it is against his Nature as 't is now corrupted by his Fall there is no truth in him When he speaketh a Lye he speaketh of his own for he is a Lyer not that he cannot spake a Truth but that he usually is a Lyar and that he never speaks Truth but with a purpose to deceive Secondly To deal faithfully in urging Scriptures upon the Consciences of Men is also contrary to his Interest he hath a Kingdom which he endeavours to uphold This Kingdom being directly contrary to that of Christ's which is a Kingdom of Light is therefore called a Kingdom of Darkness being maintained and propagated only by Lies and Deceits He cannot then be supposed to use Scripture faithfully because that is the true Scepter of Christ's Kingdom for then should Satan as Christ argues Mat. 12. 26. cast out Satan and be divided against himself This unfaithful dealing with Scripture is threefold First The unfaithfulness of his Design though he speaks what is true yet he doth it with an evil Mind aiming at one of these three things First To Deceive and Delude If he applies Promises or insists upon the Priviledges of God's Children it is to make them Proud or Presumptuous if he urge Threatnings or stir up the Conscience to accuse for Sin 't is to bring them to dispair if he object the Law 't is to enrage Lust and that Sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful Secondly His Design is sometime to bring the Scripture under Suspition or Contempt he puts some weak Christians upon unseasonable or Imprudent use of Scripture and then tempts others to laugh at them and to dispisen in their Hearts those ways of Religion which some Zealots with too much weakness do manage Men are apt enough to scoffat the most serious and weighty Duties of Holiness even when performed in a most serious manner If David put on Sackcloth and afflict himself with Fasting it is presently turned to his reproach and the Drunkards make a Song of it but much more advantage hath the Devil to raise up scorn and loathing in the Minds of debauched Persons by the affected and unskilful use of Scripture Some by a narrow confinement of the words Brother and Sister to those of their own Fellowship as if none else were to be owned by them have occasioned the scoff of Holy Brethren a Phrase notwithstanding used with a grave seriousness by the Apostle in the usual Discourses of those who wait all occasions to harden themselves against the Power of Religion The like Observations they make of other ways and forms of speaking which some have accustomed themselves unto in a conscientious conformity to Scripture phrase in all which the Devil observing the weakness and injudiciousness of some on the one hand and the scornful Pride of others on the other hand is willing to provide matter for their Atheistical jears by putting all the Obligations he can upon the Consciences of the weak to continue in the use of these Expressions For some proof of this matter we may note the secret Deceit of Satan in that liberal profession of Christ to be the Son of God Mark 1. 24. Luke 4. 34. I know thee who thou art the Holy One of God here was Truth spoken by him and one would have thought with great Ingenuity but yet he cunningly insinuated into the Minds of the Hearers a ground of Suspition that he was not the Son of God and for that end calls him Jesus of Nazareth as if Christ had been born there he knew well that the Jews expected no Messiah from Nazareth and therefore on set purpose used he that Expression that he might draw him into contempt And accordingly we find this very mistake that Christ was born at Nazareth
the most Beautiful Object the World in its Glory The Affections in that which is most Swaying Pride and delight in extraordinary Testimonies of Divine Power and Love in supporting him in the Air c. Tenthly Some of these warranted as Duty and to supply necessary hunger others depending upon the security of a promise He shall give his Angels charge c. The greater appearance of Duty or warrantableness is put upon Sin the greater is the Temptation By these ten Particulars may we as by a Standard judg when any Temptation is great or less Let us then take heed of small Temptations or the smoother proceedings of Satan as we would avoid the greater attempts that are to follow Where he is admitted to beat out our Lusts with a Rod or a Staff he may be suspected to bring the Wheel over them at last Let us also after our Assaults expect more and greater because the greatest are last to be looked for This holds true in three cases 1. In solemn Temptations where Satan fixeth his Assaults there the utmost rage is drawn out last 2. In the Continuance and Progress of Profession the further we go from him and the nearer to God be sure of the highest measure of his spite 3. At the end of our race for if he miss his prey then it is escaped for ever as a Bird unto its Hill But some may say I am but a Messenger of sad tidings and that by bringing such a report of Gyants and Walled Cities I may make the hearts of the People to faint I answer This is bad news only to the sluggish such as would go to Heaven with ease and in a fair and easy way but to the laborious resolute Souldiers of Christ this is no great discouragement for 1. It doth but tell them of their work which as they are perswaded of so it is in some measure their delight as well as their expectation 2. It doth but tell them Satans Malice and Fury which they are assured of and are most afraid of it sometimes when it seems to lye Idle and as asleep 3. It doth tell them that Satans thoughts concerning them are desparing he fears they are going oâ— gone from him If they were his willing Servants there would be no hostility of this nature against them I have thus compared these special Temptations with those wherewith our Lord Christ was exercised during the forty days I shall Secondly Compare these Temptations of Christ with those that usually betal his Members in which there is so much suitableness and agreement both in matter and manner that it cannot be unuseful to take notice of it which will the better appear in Instances First Then let us consider the first Temptation of Eve Gen. 3. 6. And when the Woman saw that the Tree was good for Food and that it was pleasant to the Eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise c. Here are all the Arguments and ways summed up by which Satan prevailed upon her It was good for Food here he wrought upon the desire of the natural Appetite It was pleasant to the Eyes here he took the advantage of the External Senses It was to be desired to make one wise here he enflamed the Affections Let us again call to mind the general Account of Temptations in the 1 Joh. 2. 16. All that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life where the Apostle designedly calls all off from a love of the World because of the hazard and danger that we lye open unto from the things of the World striking upon and stirring up our Lusts which he ranks into three general heads according to the the various ways whereby these outward things do work upon us in exciting our natural powers and apprehensions to sinful lustings And these are so fully agreeing with those three in Eves Temptation that I need not note the Parallel Let us now cast our Eyes upon these Temptations and the suitableness of Satans ways and dealings will immediately appear When he tempted Christ to turn Stones into Bread there he endeavoured to take advantage of the Lust of the Flesh which in the 1 Joh. 2. I understand in a more restrained Sense not for the lustings of corrupt Nature but for the lustings of the Body in its Natural Appeâ—ite according to that exâ—â—â—ssion of Christ the Spirit is willing but the Flesh or body is weak And if we should not so restrain it in this place the Lust of the Flesh would include the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life contrary to the clear scope of the Text for these are also the lustings of corrupt Nature When he further tempted him to cast himself down he pushed him upon the Pride of Life When he shewed him the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them he attempted to gain upon him by the Lust of the Eyes From this proportion and suitableness of Temptation to Christ and his Members observe That Satan usually treads in a beaten path using known and experienced Methods of Temptation 'T is true in regard of Circumstances he useth unspeakable varieties in tempting and hath many more Devices and Juggles than can be reckoned up yet in the General he hath digested them into Method and Order and the things upon which he works in us are the same thus he walks his round and keeps much-what the same Track not only in different Persons but also in the same Men using the same Temptations over and over and yet this argues no barrenness of Invention or sluggishness in Satan but he hath these reasons for it First Because the same Temptations being suited to humane Nature in General will with a small Variation of Circumstance suit all Men their Inclinations generally answering to one another as Face answers to Face in Water Secondly These standing Methods are Famous with him as generally powerful and taking and it can be no wonder if Satan practise most with these things that have the largest Probatum est of Experience to follow them Thirdly The more Experienced he is in any Temptation the more dexterously and successfully still he can manage it so that we may expect him more cunning and able in what he most practiseth This may be some satisfaction to those that are apt to think of themselves and their Temptations as Elias did in his perswasion I alone am left Where Satan useth any thing of Vigour and Fierceness we are apt to say none are tempted as we none in like case we are singular they are peculiar and extraordinary Temptations c. But 't is a mistake even that of Solomon may be applyed to these there is nothing new nor any thing befaln us which others have not undergon before us and would but Christians be so careful to observe the way of the Serpent upon their hearts and as they might and so communicative of
Lusts of our own Heart Chap. 5. Of Christ's Fast with the Design thereof Of Satan's tempting in an invisible way Of his incessant Importunities and how he flys when resisted Of Inward Temptations with outward Afflictions Several Advantages Satan hath by tempting in Affliction Chap. 6. That Christ's Temptations were real and not in vision That Temptation is Satan's Imployment with the Evidences and Instances thereof Of Satan's tempting visibly with the Reasons thereof Chap. 7. The general view of these Temptations Of Satan's gradual proceeding in Temptations Of reserving a great Temptation last What a great Temptation is In what cases to be expected Of Satan's using a common Road in comparing these Temptations with the ordinary Temptations of Men. Of the Advantage Satan takes of Natural Appetite Sense and Affections Chap. 8. The Rise of Christâ—s first Temptation Of Satan's suiting his Temptations to the conditions of Men. Of tempting Men upon the Plea of Necessity The Reasons and Cheats of that Plea His pretences of friendship in tempting with the danger thereof Chap. 9. A particular Consideration of the Matter of the first Temptation What Satan aimed at in bidding him turn Stones into Bread Of Satan's moving us to things good or lawful The end of such a Motion How to know whether such Motions are from Satan or the Spirit What to do in case they be from Satan Of his various Aims in one Temptation What they are and of his Policy therein Of his Artificial Contrivement of Motions to make one thing infer another Chap. 10. Of Satan's chief end in this Temptation His skill in making the Means to Sin plausible The Reasons of that Policy with his Art therein Mens Ignorance his Advantage Of the differences of things propounded to our use Chap. 11. Of the temptation to distrust upon the failure of ordinary Means Of the Power of that Temptation and the Reasons of its prevalency Of unwarrantable Attempts for relief with the Causes thereof Of waiting on God and keeping his way In what cases a particular Mercy is to be expected Chap. 12. Of Satan's proceeding to infer distrust of Son-ship from distrust of Providences Instances of the probability of such a Design The Reasons of this undertaking Of Satan's endeavour to weaken the assurance and hopes of God's Children His general Method to that purpose Chap. 13. The preparation to the second Temptation Of his nimbleness to catch Advantages from our answers to Temptation That Satan carried Christ in the Air. Of his Power to molest the Bodies of God's Children How little the supposed holiness of places priviledgeth us from Satan Of Satan's Policy in seeming to countenance imaginary Defences Of his pretended flight in such cases with the Reasons of that Policy Of his improving a Temptation to serve several Ends. Chap. 14. That Presumption was the chief design of this Temptation Of tempting to Extreams What Presumption is The several ways of presuming The frequency of this Temptation in the generality of Professors in Hypocrites in despairing Persons and in the Children of God The Reasons of Satan's Industry in this Design His deceitful Contrivance in bringing about this Sin Preservatives against it Chap. 15. Self-murther another of his Designs in this Temptation How he tempts to Self-murther directly and upon what advantages he urgeth it How he tempts to it indirectly and the ways thereof Of ne-necessary Preservatives against this Temptation Chap. 16. Of Pride Satan's chief Engine to bring on Presumption What Pride is and how it prepares Men for sinning presumptuously Considerations against Pride The Remedies for its Cure Pride kindled by a confidence of Priviledges and popular applause Chap. 17. Of Satan's subtilty in urging that of Psal 91. 11 12. to Christ Of his imitating the Spirit of God in various ways of Teaching Of his pretending Scripture to further Temptation The Reasons of such Pretendings and the ends to which he doth abuse it Of Satan's unfaithfulness in managing of Scriptures Cautions against that Deceit The ways by which it may be discovered Chap. 18. The manner of Satan's shewing the Kingdoms of the World Of Satan's Preparations before the Motion of Sin Of his confronting the Almighty by presumptuous imitation and in what cases he doth so Of his beantifying the Object of a Temptation and how he doth it His way of engaging the Affections by the Senses Of his seeming shiness Chap. 19. Satan's end in tempting Christ to fall down and worship him Of Blasphemous Injections What Blasphemy is The Ways of Satan in that Temptation with the Advantages he takes therein and the Reason of urging Blasphemies upon Men. Consolations to such as are concerned in such Temptations Advice to such as are so afflicted Chap. 20. The Nature of Idolatry Satan's Design to corrupt the Worship of God The Evidences thereof with the Reasons of such endeavours His general Design of withdrawing the Hearts of Men from God to his Service The Proof that this is his Design upon whom he prevails That Professions and Confidences are no Evidences to the contrary His deceit of propounding Sin as a small Matter The Evidences of that Method and the Reasons thereof Chap. 21. Of Worldly Pleasure Proofs that this is Satan's great Engine What there is in Worldly Delights that make them so Counsels and Cautions against that Snare Chap. 22. Of Christ's Answer in the general That these Temptations were upon design for our Instruction Of the Agreement betwixt Ephes 6 and Matth. 4. The first Direction Of couragious Resolves in resisting Temptations It s consistency with some kind of fear The necessity of this Courage Wherein it consists and that there is courage in mourning Spirits Chap. 23. The second Direction that Temptations are not to be disputed The several ways of disputing a Temptation In what Cases it is convenient and necessary to dispute with Satan In what Cases inconvenient and the Reasons of it Chap. 24. The third Direction of repelling a Temptation without delay the necessity of so doing What a speedy denial doth contain Chap. 25. The fourth Direction Of repelling a Temptation by Scripture Arguments Of several things implyed in the Direction The necessity of answering by Scripture Arguments The excellency of the Remedy How Scripture Arguments are to be managed Chap. 26. The fifth Direction of Prayer and of the seriousness required of those that expect the advantage of Prayer Of God's hearing Prayer while the Temptation is continued Of some that are troubled more while they pray more DAEMONOLOGIA SACRA OR A TREATISE OF Satans Temptations The First Part. CONTAINING A Discourse of the Malice Power Cruelty and Diligence of Satan Of his cunning in Temptation in the general Of his Method of tempting to Sin Of his Policies for maintaining his Possession Of his Deceits for the preventing and spoiling Religious Services and Duties By R. G. 2 Cor. 2. 11. We are not ignorant of his Devices London Printed by J. D. for Richard Randel and Peter Maplisden Booksellers in New-Castle
Scripture speaks of a two-fold Kingdom of Light and of Darkness and in this we hear of Satan's Seat or Throne of his Servants and Subjects Yea that which is more the Scripture speaks of a kind of Deity in Satan he is called the God of this World 2 Cor. 4. 4. Which doth not only set forth the intollerable pride and usurpation of Satan in propounding himself as such so drawing on poor blind Creatures to worship him but also discovers his Power which by Commission he hath obtained over the Children of Disobedience Hence doth he challenge it as a kind of right and due from the poor Americans and others that they should fall down and worship him and upon this Supposition was he so intollerably presumptuous in offering the Kingdoms of the World to Christ for such a Service and Worship If it be questioned What Satan's Authority is I shall answer it thus First His Authority is not absolute or unlimited he cannot do what he pleaseth and therefore we do find him begging leave of God for the exerting of his Power in particular Cases as when he was a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of Ahab's Prophets and in every Assault he made upon Job nay he could not enter into the Swine of the Gaderens till he had Christ's Commission for it Secondly Yet hath he a Commission in general a standing Commission as petty Kings and Governours had under the Roman Emperor where they were authorised to exercise an Authority and Power according to the Rules and Directions given them this is clearly signified by those Expressions they are Captives at his Will and given up to Satan as Persons Excommunicated and when Men are converted they are said to be translated from his Power and put under another Jurisdiction in the Kingdom of Christ All which would have been highly improper if a Commission for Satan and an Authority for those Works of Darkness had not been signified by them Next let us view the Extent of this Authority both as to Persons and Things In relation to Persons the boundary of his Kingdom reacheth as far as Darkness he rules in the dark places of the Earth or the darkness of this World and therefore his Kingdom is hence denominated a Kingdom of Darkness This extends we may well imagine as far as Heathenism reacheth where he is worshipped as God as far as any darkness of Mahumetanism stretcheth it self as far as the darkness of Infidelity and blindness upon the hearts of unconverted Men which if summed up together must needs take up the greatest part of the World by far which is acknowledged not only by that large Expression World Prince of this World c. but also by that Prophetick Speech of Rev. 11. 15. The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ which acknowledgeth they had not been so before in the sense wherein we now speak Neither is his Kingdom so bounded but that he also can when allowed make Excursions and Inroads into the Kingdom of Christ so far as to molest disturb and annoy his Subjects as the Kings of any Nation besides the Power which they Exercise in their proper Jurisdiction may molest their Neighbours And Christ so far permits this as is useful to his own Designs yet still with straiter reserves and limitations to Satan and a resolved rescue and conquest for his own People If we enquire the Extent of his Power in relation to things we find the Air in a peculiar manner permitted to him so that he is named by it as by one of his chief Royalties the Prince of the Power of the Air we find also Death with the Powers of it given up to him so that this is a peraphrasis of him He that hath the Power of Death Heb. 2. 14. And if we take notice of his large proffer to Christ of the Kingdoms of the World All this will I give thee we may imagine that his Commission reacheth far this way as Rewards and Encouragements to his Service which we will the readilier entertain when we find that by God's allowance wicked Men have their Portion in this Life and that these are called their Good Things Thirdly Let us proceed a step further to the Efficacy of this Authority which also First Upon wicked Men is no less remarkable than is his Commission he is called the strong Man in reference to their Hearts which he fortifies as so many Castles and Garisons against God He also rules in them without controul his Suggestions and Temptations are as Laws to them he fills their Hearts with his Designs and raiseth their Affections to an high and greedy pursuit of them he works in them and by an inward force doth hurry them on to atchieve his Enterprises In all this ensnaring and captivating them at his pleasure Secondly The Saints which are Subjects of another Kingdom are still fearing complaining watching praying and spreading out their hands with lifting up their Eyes to Heaven for help against him they complain of violence and restless Assaults from him they are sensible that he can suggest evil thoughts and follow them with incessant Importunities that he can draw a darkness upon their Understanding by bribing their Wills and Affections against them that he can disturb their Duties and that because of him they cannot do the good they would many a fear doth he beget in their Hearts many a disquiet hour have they from him their flesh hath no rest and happy are they if they escape from him without broken Bones many excellent ones have been cast down by him and for a time have been like dead Men. 'T is sad to see so just a Person as Lot under his feet so choice a Saint as David wounded almost to the death so high an Apostle as Peter by force and fear from him to open his Mouth with Curses and Imprecations in the denial of his Saviour to say nothing of the Buffetings of others which was sufficiently wearisom to Paul and described by a Thorn in the Flesh which if a Learned Man think right is compared by a Metaphor to those sharp Stakes upon which Christians were cruelly spitted and burnt Thirdly His quick and ready accomplishment is a further proof of the Efficacy of his Power No sooner had God given him a Commission in reference to Job but he quickly raiseth the Tempest brings down the House slayes his Children brings Fire from Heaven and which would seem strange hath the Troops of the Sabeans and Chaldeans at his beck as if they had been listed under his known Command so that in a little time he puts his Malice into Act. Fourthly If any would slight all this as being the Force of Principalities and Powers against Flesh and Blood We may see he hath so much strength and confidence as to grapple with an Angel of Light as he did in the contesting for Moses his Body Jude v. 9. This was
matter of Job Satan having obtained his Commission to afflict him might have made a long prophesie of what should come to pass in reference to Job his Children and Substance how many such Predictions he might make we little know Thirdly He hath a deep insight in Affairs of Kingdoms and States and so might from his Experience and Observation easily conjecture Mutations and Alterations A Politician may do much this way for ought we know Satan's Prophesy in the likeness of Samuel to Saul of his ruin and the translation of his Kingdom to David might be no more than a conjectural conclusion from his comparing the order of the present Providence with former threatnings and promises Fourthly He hath a greater understanding of Scripture Prophecies than ordinarily the wisest of Men have so that at second hand he might be able to foretel what shall come to pass Whilst we that do not so clearly see into Scripture-Predictions may not be able to find out the matter Hence by Oracle he foretoled Alexander of his Success which he knew from the Prophesy of Daniel Chap. 11. long before Fifthly He hath advantage from his Nature as a Spirit by which he over-hears and sees the private Actings Complottings and Preparations of Men in reference to certain Undertakings and can easily by his Agents communicate such Councels or Resolves in remote Countries and Kingdoms which must pass for real Predictions if the event answer accordingly Sixthly He can foretel and with probability of success such things as he by temptation is about to put Men upon especially seeing he can chuse such Instruments as he from experience knows are not likely to fail his Enterprise Seventhly To this may be added the way and manner by which he expresseth himself either in doubtful or enigmatical Terms or in general Expressions which may be applyed to the Event what way soever it should happen Of these Authors have observed many Instances which were superfluous to enumerate Satan's Knowledg being thus explained it is easie to imagine what an advantage it is to him in the management of his Temptations For First He by this means knows our tempers and dispositions Secondly And what is most likely to prevail with us Thirdly How inclinable we are upon any Motion made to us and what hope to gain upon us Fourthly He knows fit Times Seasons and Advantages against us Fifthly He knows how to pursue Suggestions and can chuse strong Reasons to urge us withal Sixthly He knows how to delude our Senses to disturb our Passions Sevently He knows all the Ways and Arts of Affrightments Vexations Disquietments Hinderances and Disturbances of Duty Eighthly He by this means is furnished with skill for his publick Cheats and Delusions in the World how to amuse astonish and amaze Men into Errors and Mistakes which he hath always endeavoured with very great success in the World as we shall see hereafter CHAP. V. Instances of Satan's Power Of Witchcraft what it is Satan's Power argued from thence Of Wonders Whether Satan can do Miracles An account of what he can do that way His Power argued from Apparitions and Possessions I Shall add in the fifth place some particular Instances of his Power in which I shall insist upon these four Witchcraft Wonders Apparitions and Possessions First Witchcraft affords a very great discovery of Satan's Power but because some give such Interpretations of Witchcraft as if true would wholly take away the force of this Instance I shall first endeavour to establish a true Notion of Witchcraft and secondly from thence argue Satan's Power First Though the being of Witches is not directly denyed because the Authority of Scripture Exod. 22. 18. Deut. 18. 10. c. hath determined beyond controversie that such there are yet some will allow no other interpretation of the word than a skill and practice in the Art of Poysoning because the Septuagint doth interpret the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venificam Which apprehension they strengthen by the Authority of Josephus who giveth this account of the Law Let none of the Children of Israel use any deadly Poyson or any Drug wherewith he may do hurt c. 'T is easie to observe that this conceit ariseth from a great inobservancy of the reason of the Application of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and veneficus to Witchcraft in Greek and Latin Authors Witchcrafts were supposed to be helped forward by the strength of several Herbs and these by Incantations and other Ceremonies at their gathering imagined to attain a poysonous and evil quality or efficacy for such Effects as were intended to be produced by them as appears by Ovid Virgil and other Authors Hence was it that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 became applicable to any fort of Witchcraft To this may be added that such Persons were resorted to for help against Diseases Vid. Leigh Crit. Sac. in Voc. As also that they used Vnguents for Transportations Hence Godwin Jew Antiq. lib. 4. c. 10. renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Vnguentarios Diascorides Cap. de Rhamno hath an Expression to this purpose That the Branch of that Tree being placed before the Doors doth drive away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Witchcrafts it were ridiculous to say it drives away Poysonings which is a sufficient evidence that the Graecians used that word to signifie another kind of Witchcraft than that which this mistake would establish Besides this the Scripture doth afford two strong Arguments against this Interpretation of Witchcraft 1. That this word is ranked with others as being of the same alliance which will carry the apprehensions of any considerate Man to Effects done by the help of Satan in an unusual way as Deut. 18. 10. There shall not be found among you any that maketh his Son or his Daughter to pass through the Fire this is not the consuming of their Children to Moloch but by way of Lustration a Mock-Baptism a piece of Witchcraft to preserve from violent Death or that useth Divination an observer of Times or an Inchanter or a Witch c. The very Neighbourhood of the Witch will tell us that this Witch must be a Diviner Divination being the general tearm comprehending the seven Particulars following It would be an harsh straining to put in the Poysoner in the sense of our Opposites among the Diviners Yet the second Argument is more cogent which is this That among those whom Pharaoh called together to encounter with Moses Exod. 7. 11. we find Witches or Sorcerers expressed by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used in Exodus 22. and Deut. 18. What can more certainly fix the interpretation of the Word than this place where the end of Pharaohs calling them together was not to poyson Moses and Aaron but by Enchantment to outvy them in point of Miracles Which will shew that Witchcraft is not Poysoning but the doing of strange Acts
they are not apt to condemn themselves but think they do well Secondly Lusts also pervert our Reason and Knowledg indirectly and this is when we are not so far blinded as to believe the thing unto which we are tempted to be good absolutely yet notwithstanding we are perswaded of some considerable goodness in it and such as may for the present be embraced For this purpose Satan hath ready these two Engines First He sets before us the Pleasures Profits and other delights of Sin These he heightens with all his Art and Skill that he may fix in our Minds this conclusion that however it be forbidden yet it would conduce much to our satisfaction or advantage if it were practised and here he promiseth such golden ends and fruits of Sin as indeed it can never lead unto inviting us in the words of the Harlot I have decked my Bed with coverings of Tapestry with carved Works with fine Linnen of Egypt I have perfumed it with Myrrhe Aloes and Cinnamon Come let us take our fill of these delights Thus he set upon Eve Taste this Fruit and ye shall be as Gods Thus he attempted Christ himself All these will I give thee proffering the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them The pleasures of Sin are Satans great Bait and these strongly invite and stir up our Lusts yet because the fear of the danger may stick in the Heart 'T is pleasant but O I dare not saith the Sinner I fear the hazard or the evil that may fellow Therefore Satan hath his other Engine at hand to blind us and to carry our Minds from such considerations and that is Secondly His Sophistical Arguments by which the danger may be lessened of these his Quiver is full As First He urgeth that the Sin tempted to is little But a little one 't is not saith he so great a matter as you make it there are other Sins far greater and these also practised by Men that profess as much as you Thus he would shame us as it were out of our fear by calling it severity nicenss or an unnecessary preciseness If this prevail not Secondly He hath then another Argument Oh saith he be it so that it is a little more than ordinary yet it is but once taste or try it you need not engage your selves to frequent practice you may retreat at pleasure But if the fear of the danger prevail against this then Thirdly He labours to put us under a kind of necessity of sinning and this he pleads as a justification of the evil 'T is not altogether right but you cannot well avoid it This plea of necessity is large occasion example command of others strength of inclination custom and what not are pleaded by him in this case some particularly reckon them up and rather than some Men will acknowledg the evil they will blame Gods decree as if they were necessitated by it or his providence as Adam The Woman that thou gavest me she gave me of the Tree David's bloody resolve against the house of Nabal seems to be justified by him from Nabal's great ingratitude In vain have I kept all that this Fellow hath in the Wilderness c. and as one engaged by a necessity of repaying such wrongs and affronts doth he determine to cut them off Aaron when he was taxed by Moses about the golden Calf excuseth the matter by a pretended necessity of doing what he did upon the violent importunity of such an heady People and that when Moses was not to be found Thou knewest the People that they are set on mischief This that he urged to Moses Satan no doubt had urged to him and he had acquiesced in it as something that he thought would excuse or at least mitigate the offence Yet if the Sinner break through this Snare Fourthly He comes on with a softer plea of infirmity and endeavours to perswade Men that they may yield under pretence of being forced and that their strivings and reluctancies will lessen the evil to an apparent sin of infirmity and thus he bespeaks them Have not Gods Children infirmities they sin though with reluctancy and doest not thou resist doth not the fear that is in thy heart shew an unwillingness mayest thou not plead the evil that I would not do that do I if thou yield will not God account it a rape upon thine integrity If this Arrow stick not Fifthly Then he extenuates the offence by propounding some smaller good or convenience that may follow that evil And this though it be a way of arguing directly contrary to that rule Do not evil that good may come yet it oft proves too successful and 't is like that common stratagem of War when by the proposal of a small booty in view the Enemies are drawn out of their Hold into a fore-contrived Danger Thus Satan pleads This one act of Sin may put you into a capacity of honouring God the more Some have admitted advancements and dignities against Conscience upon no better ground but that they might keep out Knaves and that they might be in a condition to be helpful to good Men. Surely the Devil prevailed with Lot by this Weapon when he offered the prostitution of his Daughters to the lusts of the Sodomites that the Strangers as he thought them might be preserved by this evil thinks he a greater may be avoided Herod's Conscience could not at first consent to the cutting off the head of John Baptist but when Satan suggests the obligation of his Oath he concludes that in the killing of John he should escape the violation of the Oath Thus a pretended good to come becomes a pander to a present certain iniquity Now if after all these arguings the Conscience carrieth an apprehension of danger then Sixthly He plainly disputeth the possibility of the escape of danger though the sin be committed All the insinuations of pleasure and advantage by which Eve was tempted could not at first blot out her fears of the conscquence of that trangression it did stick in her mind still lest we die then Satan plainly denyeth the danger she feared Ye shall not surely die the threatning saith he it may be was but for trial or without a strict and positive purpose in God to execute it there is no certainty that God was in good earnest when he spake so The Devil usually urgeth the Mercy of God the Merits of Christ his Promises of Pardon the Infirmities of the Saints their Sins and Repentances c. From all these drawing this conclusion that we may venture upon the Temptation without any apparent hazard 'T is but repenting saith he and that is an easie work to a gracious Soul God is ready to be reconciled even to a Prodigal Son he is not so cruel as to cast away any for a small matter he that waits to be gracious will not ly at catch for opportunities and occasions to destroy us he that delights not in the
his Interest and upon design he will sometimes so carry himself that he may be deemed and supposed to be gone out of a Man As those that besiege Forts or walled Towns do sometimes raise the Siege and feign a departure intending thereby to take a sudden advantage of the carelesness of the besieged In the explanation of this Policy I shall 1. Shew how many ways he feigns a departure 2. Vpon what designs he doth it There are three ways whereby Satan seems to forsake his Interest First He frequently ceaseth the prosecution of a Design which yet he hath in his Eye and Desire when he perceives that there are some things in his way that render it not feasible nay he forbears to urge Men to their darling sins upon the same score and who would not think Satan cast out in such a case When a Man spits out the sweet Morsel which heretofore he kept under his Tongue and sucked a sweetness from it when Men of noted Iniquities abstain from them and become smooth and civil who would not think but that the unclean Spirit were gone This way and course he puts in practice in several cases First When he perceives some extraordinary occasion puts any of his Subjects into a good mood or humor of Religion Wicked Men are not ordinarily so highly bent upon evil ways but that they may be at sometimes softned and relaxed Pharaoh who is most eminently noted for a heart judicially hardned at the appearance of the Plagues upon himself and Egypt usually relented somewhat and would confess he had sinned and that fit would continue upon him for some little time But very frequently 't is thus with others an extraordinary occasion melts and thaws down the natural affections of Men as a warm day melts the Snow upon the Mountains and then the stream will for a time run high and strong at which time Satan sees 't is in vain to urge them Thus Men that receive an eminent kindness and deliverance from God what is more common than for such Men to say Oh! we will never be so wicked as we have been we will never be drunk more the World shall see us reformed and new Men These are indeed good words and yet though Satan knows that such expressions are not from a good heart as that of Deut. 5. 29. implyes They have well said O that there were such an heart in them he nevertheless thinks it not fit then to press them to their usual wickedness at that time for natural affections raised high in a profession of Religion will withstand Temptations for a fit and therefore he forbears till the stream run lower What a fit of affection had the Israelites when their Eyes had seen that miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea What Songs of rejoycing had they what resolves never to distrust him again Psal 106. 12. Then believed they his words they sang his praise Satan doth not presently urge them to murmuring and unbelief though that was his design but he stays till the fit was over and then he could soon tempt them to forget his works How like a Convert did Saul look after David had convinced him of his integrity and had spared his life in the Cave he weeps and acknowledgeth his iniquity justifies David owns his kindness and seems to acquiesce in his succession to the Kingdom The Devil had no question a great spite at David and 't was his great design to stir up Saul against him and yet at that time he could not prevail with him to destroy David though he might easily have done it he was then in a good mood and Satan was forced to give way to necessity and to seem to go out of Saul for the present Secondly He also ceaseth from his design when he sees he cannot fit his Temptation with a sutable opportunity What could be more the Devil's design and Esau's satisfaction than to have had Jacob slain Esau professeth it was the design of his heart and yet he resolves to forbear so long as his Father Isaac lived Gen. 27. 41. The days of my Father's mourning are at hand then but not till then will I slay my Brother Jacob. The Devil often sows his seed and yet waiteth and hath long patience not only in watering and fitting the hearts of Men for it but also in expectancy of fit opportunities and in the mean time he forbears to put Men upon that which time and occasion cannot fitly bring forth to practice The Prophet Hosea 7. 4. speaks of that People as notoriously wicked they are all adulterers but withall he observes that they forbare these enormous abominations for want of fit seasons their heart was as an Oven heated by the Baker sufficiently enflamed after their wickedness and yet the Baker after he had kneaded the dough prepared all the ground-work of the Temptation ceased from raising sleeping all the night till all was leavened that is though their hearts were enraged for Sin yet the Devil doth wait till occasions present themselves and becomes in the mean time like one asleep Now while the Devil thus sleeps the fire that is secretly in the heart being not seen Men gain the good opinion of Converts with others and often with themselves not knowing what Spirit they are of because Satan ceaseth upon the want of occasions to tempt and provoke them Thirdly Our Adversary is content to forbear when he percieves that a restraining grace doth lock up the hearts and hands of Men. When a stronger than he cometh who can expect less but that he should be more quiet that God doth restrain Men sometime when he doth not change them needs no proof that Satan knows of these restraints cannot be denyed who can give an account of these communings and discourses that are betwixt God and Satan concerning us his pleadings in reference to Job were as unknown to Job till God discovered them as his pleadings concerning our selves are to us Besides who can tell how much of God's restraining grace may ly in this of God's limiting and straitning Satan's Commission Now the Devil hath not so badly improved his observations but that he knows 't is in vain to tempt where God doth stop his way and tye up Mens hands Abimeleck was certainly resolved upon wickedness when he took Sarah from Abraham Gen. 20. 2. and yet the matter is so carried for some time how long we know not as if the Devil had been asleep or forgot to hasten Abimeleck to his intended wickedness for when God cautions him he had not come near her vers 4. the ground of all this was neither in the Devil's backwardness nor Abimeleck's modesty but Satan lets the matter rest because he knew that God withheld him and suffered him not to touch her Fourthly When Men are under the awe and fear of such as carry an Authority in their Countenances and Imployments for the discouraging of Sin Satan as hopeless to prevail doth not solicite to
former hopes are taxed for self-delusion and his present state to be a state of Nature This trouble is far greater than the two former because the Party is judged to be in greater hazard and by many degrees more remote from hope 'T is the frequent and sad thought of such That if Death should in that estate cut off their days Oh! then they were for ever miserable The fears and disquiets of the Heart on this account are very grievous but yet they admit of degrees according to the Ignorance of the Party the Distemper of the Conscience the Strength of the Objections or Severity of the Prosecution in regard the Conscience is now sadly out of order We may call this degree of grief for distinction a wounded Spirit which how hard it is to be born Solomon tells us Prov. 18. 14. By comparing it with all other kind of troubles which the Spirit of a Man can make some shift to bear making this heavier than all and above ordinary strength Some make enquiry what may be the difference betwixt a wounded Spirit in the Regenerate and the Reprobate To which it may be answered 1. That in the Parties apprehension there is no difference at all both of them may be compassed about with the Sorrows of Death and suppose themselves to be in the Belly of Hell 2. Neither is there any difference in the degree of the trouble a Child of God may be handled with as much seeming Severity as he whom God intends for a future Tophet 3. Neither is there any such remarkable difference in the working of the Spirits of the one and other that they themselves at present or others that are by-standers can easily observe Yet a formal difference there is for Grace being in the Heart of the one will in some breathing or Pulse discover its Life And though sometimes it acts so low or confusedly that God only can distinguish yet often those that are experienced observes will discover some real Breathings after God and true loathing of Sin and other traces of Faith and Love that are not so discernible to the Parties themselves 4. But in God's design the difference is very great the wicked lye under his Lash as Malefactors but the regenerate are as Patients under Cure or Children under Discipline 5. And accordingly the Issue doth determine that Gods intention in wounding their Spirits were not alike to both the one at last coming out of the Furnace as Gold the other still remaining as reprobate Silver or being consumed as dross Thus have ye seen the nature and degree of Spiritual Sadness 2. For the further explanation whereof I shall next shew you that this is an usual trouble to the Children of God Which 1. I might evidence from several Instances of those that have suffered much under it as David whose complaints in this case are very frequent and Heman who left a memorial of his griefs in Psal 88. Jonah also in the Belly of the Whale had a sharp fit of it when he concluded that he was cast out of Gods Sight and his Soul fainted within him Jon. 2. 4. 7. Neither did Hezekiah altogether escape it for though his disquiet began upon another ground it run him into Spiritual trouble at last But besides these innumerable instances occur One shall scarce converse with any Society of Christians but he shall meet with some who with sad complaints shall bemoan the burthen of their Hearts and the troubles of their Conscience 2. The provisions which God hath made in his Word for such is an evidence that such Distempers are frequent He that in a City shall observe the Shops of the Apothecaries and there take notice of the great variety of Medicines Pots and Glasses full of Mixtures Confection and Cordials may from thence rationally conclude that 't is a frequent thing for Men to be Sick though he should not converse with any Sick Person for his information Thus may we be satisfied from the Declarations Directions and Consolations of Scripture that 't is a common case for the Children of God to stand in need of Spiritual Physitians and Spiritual Remedies to help them when they are wounded and fainting Solomon's exclamination a wounded Spirit who can bare shews that the Spirit is sometimes wounded The Prophets direction he that walks in darkness and sees no Light let him trust in the Lord clearly implies that some there are that walk in darkness God's creating the fruit of the Lips Peace peace his promises of restoring Comforts to Mourners his commands to others to comfort them do all inform us that 't is a common things for his Children to be under such Sadnesses of Spirit that all this is necessary for their relief 3. The reasons of this trouble do also assure us of the frequency of it for of them we may say as Christ speaks of the poor we have them always with us so that the grounds of Spiritual Sadness considered 't is no wonder to find many Men complaining under this Distemper The reasons are 1. The Malice of Satan who hath no greater revenge against a Child of God when translated from the Power of Darkness to the Kingdom of Christ than to hinder him of the Peace and Comfort of that condition 2. The many advantages which Satan hath against us For the effecting of this we cannot imagine that one so malicious as he is will suffer his Malice to sleep when so many fair opportunities of putting it in practice do offer themselves For 1. The Questions to be determined for setling the peace of the Soul are very intricate and often of greater difficulty than Doctrinal Controversies How hard is it to conclude what is the Minimum quod sic the lowest degrees of true Grace Or the Maximum quod sic the highest degree of sin consistant with true Grace To distinguish betwixt a Child of God at the lowest and an Hypocrite or Temporary Believer at the highest is difficult In mixt actions to be able to shew how the Soul doth manage its respect to God when the Man hath also a respect to himself especially when it is under any confusion is not easie And in thâ—se Actions where the difference from others of like kind lies only in the grounds and motives of the undertaking or where the prevailing degree must distinguish the Act in reference to different Objects that are subordinate to one another as our loving God above the World or our selves our fearinâ— God above Men c. 't is not every one that can give a satisfactory determination 2. As the intricacies of the Doubts to be resolved give the Devil an advantage to puzzle us so is the advantage heightned exceedingly by the great injudiciousness and unskilfulness of the greatest part of Christians These Questions are in their notion difficult more difficult in their application to particular Persons where the ablest Christian may easily be non-plust but most difficult to the weak Christians These Satan can
to instigate and provoke or if we consider what Furniture Tools Means and Instruments are requisite and what it may cost to bring all things together into fit order and method or if we think of the various ways and manners of temptation That some are mediate some immediate some inward some outward some moveable some fixed and solemn some inticements to Evil some affrightments from Duty others invasions of our peace and joy or lastly if we call to mind what Study what Art what fetches and contrivanees the Devil is sometimes put upon we shall easily see that it keeps him doing and that he eats not the bread of Idleness that hath that Imployment to follow Secondly Satan gives up himself unto it is wholly in it he walks to and fro goes about seeking advantages of this nature compasseth Sea and Land to Proselite men to his Slavery useth all means upon all men at all times with all diligence Hence was it that Latimer in his homely way of speaking called him a busy Bishop in his Diocess and excited the sluggish to learn laboriousness of the Devil Thirdly He takes a delight in it not only from a natural propensity which his fall put upon him whereby he cannot but tempt as an evil Tree cannot but bring forth evil Fruits But also from the power of an habit acquired by long exercise which is accompanied with some kind of pleasure and further whatever pleasure may be supposed to arise from revengeful Pride or companionship in evil he hath of that in full measure pressed down and running over Fourthly All other things in Satan or in his indeavours have either a subserviency or some way or other a reference and respect to Temptation His Power Wisdom Malice and other infernal Qualifications render him able to tempt his Labour and Diligence in other things are but the work of one that prepares Materials and Occasions his other business of accusing afrighting destroying tormenting are but the ends and improvements of tempting Fifthly He cares not how it goes on so that it go on as a Man that designs to be rich cares not how he gets it which shews that tempting in general is his design Of this we have many Instances as 1. he stick not to lie and dissemble he will tell them of the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them and a thousand fair promises which he never intends 2. He will tempt for a small matter if he can but gain a little or but molest us yet he will be doing 3. He will not give over for a foil or disappointment 4. He is not ashamed to tempt contradictory things he tempted Christ against the work of Redemption Master spare thy self He tempted Judas to further it in betraying him 5. Any Temptation that he sees will hold he takes up with hence is it that he tempts not the Jews now to Idolatry because he hath them fast in another snare being strongly led to an opposition and contempt of Christ 6. He will sometime tempt where he hath not probability to prevail even against hope Thus he tempted Christ and Paul The use of the Observation is this If it be his business to tempt it must be our work to resist First To resist is a labour 't is not an idle formality consisting in words of defyance or a few ridiculous Crossings and sprinklings of Holy Water or spitting at the name of him as Ignorant People are wont to do Secondly We must give up our selves to this work always fighting and opposing Thirdly It will be necessary to make use of all helps as Prayer Fasting the Counsel and Support of Holy and Experienced Men. Fourthly We must also cast off all hinderances whatsoever in us is apt to take fire or give advantage must be laid off as Pride which doth prognosticate a fall and Security which betrays the best or Presumption which provokes God to leave those of highest attainments Secondly In this general Introduction we may cast our Eye upon the way and manner of the Assault when 't is said the Tempter came unto him we are unavoidably forced to suppose another manner of coming than that whereby he tempted him for forty days together And when we call to mind that at his coming here mentioned he carried Christ to the Temple and from thence to a high Mountain and there propounded himself an Object of Worship we can imagine no less than that Satan here came visibly to him but in what shape or manner of Appearance it is altogether uncertain though 't is most probable it was not in the form of a Brute but in some lustre of Majesty or Glory as an Angel because a deformed or base appearance had been unsuitable to the Boast of giving the Kingdoms of the World or to his desire that Christ should fall down and worship him Hence we may observe That Satan sometimes tempts in a visible Appearance and by Voice First The possibility of this is evident from the Apparitions of Angels Satan is still an Angel and there is nothing of a natural Incapacity in him as to an outward Appearance to our Eyes and Sences more than in glorify'd Spirits Secondly In the first Temptation he did no less when he used the Serpent as a Trune to speak through and an Instrument to act by In possessions he speaks audibly and evidenceth a real presence Thirdly undoubted Instances may be given of Satans tempting and molesting visibly I deny not but there are a great many Idle-Stories of this kind and a number of ridiculous Figments but it would be unreasonable and highly prejudicial to the truth of History and the common Faith of mankind to refuse credit to the serious Accounts of sober Men because of some foolish and unwarrantable Fâ—bles What is related of Luther and his several Troubles from Satan this way is evident in the Story of his Life Cyrillus tells us of one Eusebius Disciple of Hierom who when he was dying cryed out of the Devils appearing to him The like is storyed of St. Martin and others and of these you may read more collected by Mr. Clark If we would enquire into the reasons of Satans appearing thus we cannot more fitly pitch upon any other than these First Either he thinks a great affrightment necessary in some cases and for that end appears or Secondly He sees his appearance needful to give a greater Evidence and certainty to the reality of the pleasures of Sin which he promiseth that is the common ground of his appearing in the ways and designs of Witchcraft Thirdly Or in the height of rage when he perceives other ways not available and when he hath to do with Persons not ignorant of his devices where he sees he hath no need of a Visor or covert ways of dealing then he sticks not if permitted to tempt or molest openly This must teach us not to wonder at such Temptations much less to judg those that may be
House and thus may Satan's End be known by his Preparations compared with the sway and Inclination of our present Temper Thirdly It must be remembred that with these endeavours we often seek the Face of the Lord for help and Counsel and that we apply our selves to such of the Servants of God as being more knowing than our selves and less prepossessed in their Judgments because not concerned are better able to see into the Nature of our Straits and to help us by their Advices MATTH 4. 8. Again the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high Mountain and sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them CHAP. XVIII The manner ef Satan's shewing the Kingdoms of the World Of Satan's Preparations before the Motion of Sin Of his confronting the Almighty by presumptuous imitation and in what cases he doth so Of his beautifying the Object of a Temptation and how he doth it His way of engaging the Affections by the Senses Of his seeming shiness THis is the Preparation to the third Temptation in which we have 1. The Place where it was Acted 2. The Object set before him there First The Place was an exceeding high Mountain What Mountain it was Nebo Pisgah or any other 't is needless to enquire 'T is of more use to ask after the Reasons of Satan's choise of such a Place The Text doth clearly imply one that was the commodiousness of Prospect Satan intending to give him a view of the Kingdoms of the World chuseth a Mountain as fittest for that end But that this was not all the Reason is not only intimated by some but positively affirmed by others who think that Satan in this imitated the like in God to Moses who was called up to Mount Neho to view the Land which God promised to Israel Whether these Circumstances of the Mountain and the view of the Kingdoms of the World were of purpose contrived to affront God by such an Imitation I will not be Positive in it but we may with greater Evidence affirm that in offering the Kingdoms of the World as things altogether in his disposal he doth directly out-brave God by an insolent Comparison of his Power with that of the Almighty's whose is the Earth and the fulness of it and to whom the Sovereignty of the disposal of it doth belong Secondly That which Satan sheweth Christ from the Mountain is said to be the Kingdoms of the Word and the Glory of them Here some busy themselves to conjecture what Kingdoms were thus pointed at some keep so strictly to the word all that they are forced to take up with that Opinion that all these Temptations were only in Vision for they consider that no one Mountain in the World can give a Prospect over one whole Hemisphere or if it could yet no Eye would be able to discern at so great a distance But the inconveniencies of this Surmise have been pointed at before and 't is enough to shew that the Text may admit of an Interpretation which shall not be incumbred with this supposed impossibility Others restrain this to the Land of Canaan as if Satan only shewed this as a famous Instance of the Glory of all Kingdoms Some think the Roman Empire which was then most flourishing and lifted up its Head above other Kingdoms was the great Bait laid before Christ as if he had a Design to divert Christ from the business of his Office by offering him the Seat and Power of Antichrist But the Text runs not so favourably for any of these Opinions as to constrain us to stay upon them Kingdoms of the World seem to intend more than Canaan or the Roman Empire the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Luke which we translate the World do so apply to one another in a mutual accommodation that we cannot stretch the World to the largest Sense of the whole Globe of the Earth because 't is expressed in Luke by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such a part of the World which is more cultivated and honoured by Inhabitants nor can we so restrain it to the Roman Empire though when they spake their apprehensions of their own Empire they seem to engross all Luke 2. 1. because Matthew useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of greater freedom It seems then that many Kingdoms or the most considerable Kingdoms of the then known World were here exposed to his Sight But then the difficulty still remains how the Devil could shew them to his Eye That it was not a visionary discovery to his Mind hath been said Some think he shewed these partly by Ocular Prospect of those Cities Castles Towns Vineyards and Fields that were neer as a Compend of the whole and partly by a Discourse of the Glory Power and Extent of other Kingdoms that were out of the reach of the Eye but because the Expression which Luke adds in a moment of time intimates that the way which Satan took was different from common prospecting or beholding others are not satisfied with that Solution of the difficulty but fly to this Supposition that Satan used only Jugling and Delusion by framing an airy Horizon before the Eyes of Christ shewing not the Kingdoms themselves but a Phantasm of his own making But seeing this might have been done in any Place and that an high Mountain was chosen for furthering the Prospect I think 't is safest to conclude that the Prospect was Ocular and not Phantastical but real only helped and assisted by Satan's Skill and Art as a great Naturalist and as a Prince of the Power of the Air by which means in reflections or extraordinary Prospectives he might discover things at vast distances which we may the rather fix upon because we know what helps for Prospect Art hath discovered by Glasses and Telescopes by which the Bodies of the Sun Moon and Planets at such unspakeable distance from us have in this latter Age been discovered to us beyond ordinary belief And we have Reason to think that Satan's Skill this way far exceeds any thing that we have come to the knowledg of and so might make real discoveries of Countrys far remote more than we can well imagine These things thus explained I shall note several Observations First If we consider this great Preparation that Satan makes as Introductory to the Temptation to follow we may observe That where Satan hath a special Design he Projects and makes ready all things relating to the Temptation before he plainly utter his Mind He provides his Materials before he builds and lays his Train before he gives fire What is his Method we may learn from the practice of those that are trained up in his Service They in Rom. 13. ult are said to make provision for the Flash to fore-contrive their Sins and to Project all Circumstances of Time Place Occasion and Advantage for their accomplishment This
is not to be understood of all Sins for in some that are inward in the Mind as vain Thoughts Pride of Heart c. there needs not such Provisions we may say of them their times are always and in many cases the House is swept and garnished to his Hand he finds all things ready by the forwardness of those who are Free in his Service and the sudden accidental Concurrance of things But where the Temptation is solemn and where the thing designed in the perfecting of it relates to Exteriour Acts there he useth this Policy to have all in readiness though it cost him the labour of compassing Sea and Land for it before he expresly speak his purposes His Reasons are these First If things necessary for the Encouragment and Accomplishment of a Temptation lay out of the way and were not at hand his Suggestions would perish as soon as they were born and would be rejected as impossible or inconvenient To tempt a Man to steal when he knows not where nor how or to revenge when he hath no Enemy nor Provocation seem to be no other than if they should be commanded to remove a Mountain or to fly in the Air which would quickly be declined as Motions affording no ground of entertainment And therefore that his Temptations may not bring a Reason of refusal with them as being unseasonable he takes care to fit his Servants with all things requisite for the work he puts them upon Secondly As Temptations of this kind would be no Temptations because not feasible without their Preparations so must we not think that it is the bare Suggestion of Satan that makes a Temptation to pierce The Reason of its Prevalency is not barely because Satan breaks such a Motion to us but because such a Motion comes accomplished with all suitable Preparations When it prevails it is the sinful Motion that wounds but Preparations are as the Feathers that wing his Arrows without which they would neither fly nor pierce Let this First renew our Caution and Suspition in every thing and every place that Satan is at work against us though we see no visible snare Let it put us upon such a watchful carefulness in every of our ways that we may resolve to undertake nothing for which we have not a good and warantable Reason at hand that if our Conscience say to us What dost thou here we may be able to give a good Account Secondly If we mind the behaviour of Satan in these Preparations and Offers we see him act after the Pattern of highest Sovereignty disposing of Earthly Kingdoms at such a rate as if all Power were in his Hand Hence we may observe That when Satan tempts to Sin of highest Contempt and Insolency against God he then thinks it concerns him to bear himself out by confronting the Almighty in imitating his Authority and Power This carriage of Satan is not to be found in all his Temptations For in most cases he acts with greatest secresy and as a Thief that is afraid of Discovery he useth all ways possible for Concealment but when he sets up himself as the God of the World and stands in Competition with the Lord claming an Interest in the Fear and Devotion of Men then he boldly avoucheth himself and labours to out-vie God in point of greatness that he might possess them with a belief that he only ought to be feared This Arrogancy of Satan against God may be seen in three things First In imitating Divine Ordinances and Institutions There is not any part of Divine Worship the Observation whereof God hath enjoyned to Men but Satan hath set up something like it for himself As God appointed his Temple Priests Altars Sacrifices Offerings Tyths Sanctuaries Sacrament c. So hath Satan had his Temples Priests Altars Sacrifices Offerings Sanctuaries Sacraments c. This is sufficiently known to any that read his Histories and I could give a full Account of it from Heathen Authors but that I have done already when I spoke of Satan Subtilty in promoting Idolatry in the World I shall only add here that which Varro relates of the Books of Numa Pompilius which were casually cast up by the Plough of one Terentius coming too near the Sepulchre of Numa where these Books had been Buried This Numa was the second King of the Romans who instituted the Rites and Ceremonies of Pagan Worship for his Subjects and in these Books which he thought fit to conceal by burying them with him he had laid open the Bottom of these Devilish Mysteries so that when they were brought to the Senate they judging them unfit to be known adjudged them to the Fire Which is a clear ground of Suspition that he had there discovered so much of the Causes of these Rites or of the way whereby he came to be instructed in them that the publick Knowledg thereof consisted not with the Interest of their Heathenish Religion This conjecture Austin hath of the Matter who also notes that Numa pretended familiar Converse with the Nymph Aegeria as a plausible cover to that devilish Art of Hydromantia by which he was instructed in ordering the Ceremonies of Idolatry which he established Secondly Satan with no less Arrogancy takes upon him to Imitate God in his Acts of Power for the countenancing of his Worship in the World He had his Miracles frequently of which I have spoken elsewhere so had he his Oracles as at Delphos and other places Here it shall suffice to note that as the sending the Lord Jesus into the World furnished with such Power of doing Miracles for the Confirmation of that Office and Authority which he had received from God for the Redemption of Man was the highest Instance that can be given of the Mighty Power Wisdom and Goodness of God so Satan set himself with greatest Industry to Imitate that Christ was almost no sooner ascended to the Father but we hear of Simon Magus Acts. 8. 9. who was cryed up as an Instance of the great Power of God and after that at Rome he gave out that he was God confirming the People in such a belief by the strange things which he there did among them that a Statue was erected for his Honour with this Inscription To Simon a Great God Long after this the Devil raised up Apollonius Tyanaeus a Man of an Abstemious and Commendable Life him the Devil did design to match Christ in his Miracles which were so many and so strange that Philostratus doth not only compare him to Christ but prefer him as the more Honourable Person Christ himself foretold this Stratagem of Satan that he should raise up false Christs with lying Signs and Wonders And to omit Instances of former days it is not beyond the Memory of most of you That the Devil renewed this Policy in James Nayler who in a blasphemous Imitation of Christ's riding to Jerusalem rode to Bristol with a great Company before him Crying Holy
Holy and Hosanna to the Son of David and strewing the way with Branches of Trees The Authority that was then taking notice of this and other Blasphemous outrages sentenced him to exemplary Punishment but here also the Devil renewed his Mockery for a certain Citizen of London of good note being overcome with Delusion Printed a Book of Naylers Sufferings wherein the Devil had opportunity to vent his Malice more fully for he compared all the parts of his Punishment to the Sufferings of Christ his Whipping he said was that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Matthew And Pilate delivered him to be Scourged His Stigmatizing he said was that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet his Visage was marred more than any Mans the Boring of his Tongue with an hot Iron he said was the fulfilling of that and they Crucified him and after other particulars of Comparison in all which he equalled him to Christ he at last takes notice that the multitude of Spectators held off their Hats while his Tongue was bored thorow a thing common in a Croud to give opportunity of Sight to those that are behind and to this act he applys that of the Evangelists The Vail of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom Thirdly In acts of Empire and Sovereignty he Imitates God that is as God propounds himself as the only Lord God and enjoyns himself to be worshipped accordingly by Promises of Advantage in case of Obedience and threatnings of Miseries and Plagues in case of Disobedience so doth Satan set up himself in the World as God to be adored and worshipped and him do all Idolaters worship as God testifies Deut. 32. 17. They sacrificed unto Devils not to God Psal 106. 37. They sacrificed their Sons and Daughters unto Devils 1 Cor. 10. 20. The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God And though it be true that many of these blind Worshippers did not formally worship the Devil but thought they had worshipped God yet by such cunning did he engage them to take up with ways of Worship of his prescribing that it was in reality a Service done to him But besides this in those places of the World where he hath greater Power he formally propounds himself to be worshipped and doth accordingly often appear to them in a Visible Shape so that many of these blind Heathens acknowledg two God's one Good and another Cruel and hurtful which latter they say they must worship lest he destroy or harm them By this Satan contests with God for an Empire in the World and to promote it the more he sometimes deals by fair Promises of Riches Advancement Pleasure and such other Baits to allure Men to his Professed Service thus are Witches drawn to a Compact with him Thus Sylvester the second gave up himself to the Devil for the Popedom and so did several others When this is not enough to prevail he adds Menacings and breaths forth cruel Threatnings by which means many Heathens are kept in awe by him and worship him ne noceat for no other reason but to preserve themselves from hurt by him In this Temptation he propounds himself to Christ as the Object of Divine Worship and boasts of the Kingdoms of the World as things of his disposal by which he seeks to draw him to fall down before him This course Satan takes for these Reasons First As this Proud and Malicious Ostentation of his Power is some kind of satisfaction to his revengeful Humour against God So Secondly He doth hereby raise up himself and his wicked institutions of Idolatry into Credit and Esteem with Men. Thirdly As this is a Mockery to true Religion and a scorn cast upon the ways of God's Service to bring it into disgrace and discredit So Fourthly By this means he hardens the Hearts of Men against God This was the Consideration by which Pharaoh hardened his Heart when Moses turned his Rod into a Serpent changed Waters to Blood and did so many Signs before him his Magicians did the like upon which the King might thus reason with himself that Moses had no other Power but what his Magicians had though he might think him a more skillful Magician and therefore there was no reason to believe his Message as being from God seeing his Miracles might be no other than the Effect of his Art to countenance a pretended command from Heaven This Insolency of Satan may inform us First of the great Patience of God that sees these outragious mockings and yet doth not by a strong hand put a stop to them Secondly Of the great Power and Pride of Satan that he both can though not without permission from God and dare attempt things of this Nature Thirdly The great Power of Delusion that can so blind Men that they not only are drawn to act a part in such Designs but believe confidently a Divine Impulse and Heavenly warrant for their so doing Fourthly The miserable Slavery of such Vassals of Satan that are thus led by him who are therefore sadly to be pittied and lamented as being under such strong Chains of Captivity Thirdly We cannot pass by the Art which the Devil here useth to set off the Temptation and to make it plausible he sets before him the World in all its Glory Here Observe That Satan in his Temptations to Worldly Pleasures doth usually paint the Object with all its utmost Beauty When I have sometime observed a Mountebank upon a Stage giving excessive Commendations of a trivial Medicine asserting it good almost for every Disease and with a great many Lyes and Boastings enforcing it upon the credulous Multitude It hath put me in mind of this Spiritual Mountebankery of the Devil how doth he gull and delude the Foolish by laying out the Pleasures of Sin and no otherwise doth he keep them at a gazing Admiration of Worldly Pomp Delights and Satisfaction which he promiseth them from Iniquity than the Serpent Scytale doth with Passengers whom she stays by amazing them with her beautiful Colours till she have stung them The Art of Satan in this matter lyes in four things First If there be any thing that can be called a Delight or may any way conduce to a Satisfaction in any Sin he will be sure to speak of it in its highest Praises he not only streacheth his Rhetorick to the height in giving Commendations to the most noted Pleasures that Men propound to themselves but he seeks out the hidden things of Delight and raiseth in Men an Itch of desire after the improvement of Delight by the contrivances of Wit or Art Thus he tells them of Jollity ravishing Mirth high Satisfaction and if they will believe him of unspeakable Delight to be had by giving themselves up to the World and the Course of it Nay he hides nothing that will bear any Praise the least Advantage the smallest Gratification that any Sin can afford to Humane
Desire he will be sure to speak of it Secondly He carries on this Design by Lying he promiseth more than ever Sin can give and he sends his Proselytes out after Sin under the highest Expectations and when they come to enjoy it they often find the Pleasure falls short of his Boast he whispers Honours Preferments and Riches in the Ear of their Hearts and often pays them with Poverty and Disgraces and gives them pro thesauro carbones Stones for Bread a Serpent for a Fish Witches give frequent Accounts of Satan's lying Promises he tells them of Feasts of Gold of Riches but they find themselves deluded he sends them oft hungry away from those Banquets so that they have no more than when a Man Dreams he Eats He gives that which seems Gold in Appearance but at last they find it to be Slaits or Shells We find in this Temptation he is liberal and large in his Offers to Christ and what he requires he will have in present Payment but the reward for the Service is future 'T is his business to engage Men in Sin by his Promise of Advantage but being once engaged he takes not himself concerned in Honour or Ingenuity for Performance Hence doth the Scripture fitly call the Pleasures of Sin lying Vanities a vain Shew a Dream thereby warning Men from a forward Belief of Satan's Promises in that they find by Experience they shall be at last but Lyes and Disappointments Thirdly To make his Bait more taking he conceals all the inconveniencies that may attend these Worldly Delights He Offers here the Kingdoms of the World to Christ as if all were made up of Pleasure these Cares Troubles and Vexations that attend Greatness and Rule he mentions not their Burthen Hazard and Disquiet he passeth over Thus in common Temptations he is careful to hide from Men the Miseries that follow these empty Pleasures So that often Men do not consider the Mischief till a Dart strike through their Liver Prov. 7. 23. and till a dear-bought Experience doth inform them of their Mistakes Fourthly His Power and work upon the Fancies of Men is none of the least of his ways whereby he advanceth the Pleasures of Sin That he hath such a Power hath been discoursed before and that a Fancy raised to a great Expectation makes things appear otherwise than what they are is evident from common Experience the value of most things depends rather upon Fancy than the Internal worth of them and Men are more engaged to a pursuit of things by the Estimation which Fancy hath begat in their Minds than by certain Principles of Knowledg Children by Fancy have a value of their Toys and are so powerfully swayed by it that things of far greater price cannot stay their Designs nor divert their Course Satan knows that the best of Men are sometimes childish apt to be led about by their conceits and apt in their conceits to apprehend things far otherwise than what they are in Truth Hence is it as one observes that of thousands of Men that return from Jerusalem or from Mount Sion or from the River Jordan scarce can we find one which brings back the Admiration which he had conceived before he had seen them Fancy doth preoccupate the Mind with an high opinion of things and these exorbitant Imaginations pass to such an excess that Men think to find a satisfaction beyond the Nature of these Pleasures they aim at which hath these two inconveniencies the one that this Effects and draws as powerfully as if they were all as real and high as they are conceited to be the other that Sight and Fruition takes away the Estimation and by a disappointment doth deaden and dull the Affections to what may be really found there Thus Satan by one deceit makes Men believe that Sin hath Pleasure which indeed it hath not and by that belief leads them on powerfully to endeavour an embracement of them and at last urgeth them with a delusion In opposition to this deceit of the Devil we must learn to esteem Worldly Delights as low as he would value them high And to this purpose the Scripture speaks of them in undervaluing Language calling Worldly Pomp an Opinion a Phantasy a Fashion or Figure an Imagination rather then a reallity and further injoyns us not to admire these things in others not to envy them that enjoyment of them nor to fret at our want of them much less to be transported with any angry Passion about them nor to concern our selves in any earnest pursuit of them Fourthly Satan in this Temptation did not bravely speak of these things nor only make an offer in Discourse but he thought it most conduceable to his Design to present them to his Sight he knew full well that the Heart is more affected by sensible Discoveries than by rational Discourses Note here That Satan in Temptations of Worldly Pleasure endeavours to engage the Affections by the Sences That 't is Satan's great business to work upon the Affections I have shewed at large Here he endeavoured to prepare the Affections of Christ that so the motion when it came might not die as a Spark falling upon wet Tinder but that the Affections being stirred up might cherish the Offer and that the Offer by a mutual warmth might more enflame the Affections that were heated before To this End he works by the Senses and would have Christ's Eye to raise his Affections of Love Desire Hope and whatever else might wing his Soul to Activity There is a great connection betwixt the Senses and the Affection the Senses bring Intelligence unavoidably and are apt to stir up our Powers to Action as the Jaccall is said to hunt the Prey for the Lyon so do the Senses for the Affections and both for Satan It is also remarkable that Satan endeavouring to make the Eyes of Christ Traytors to his Affections and that he thinking it necessary to give him a view of what he proffered him should not give him time to take a full Survey of these Kingdoms but should huddle it up in such an hast that all as Luke tell us was done in a moment of time was Satan in haste or was he unwilling to part with what he so liberally proffered Surely no but this transient view was his Subtilty to entice him the more and to enflame his Heart with greater desires Observe then That where Satan is most liberal in his Proffers he there manageth his Overtures of Advantage with a seeming shyness And this he doth First To heighten the worth of them in our Estimation as if they were Jewels not to be gazed at or curious Peices not fit to be exposed to common view Secondly By this Art he makes Men more eager in the pursuit Our natural Curiosity presseth us with great earnestness after things of difficult access and we have also strange desires kindled in us from a prohibition so that what we list
by which Satan effects this Design I shall not now touch but shall in lieu of that give you the reasons of his endeavours this way First He knows that this is a Sin of an high provocation Worship is the proper Tribute that is due to God and 't is peculiarly his Prerogative to prescribe the way and manner of it neither of these Honours will he give to any other but will express his jealousy when any invasion is made upon these his sole Prerogatives Now his Worship cannot be corrupted but one of these at least will in some degree or other be touched If we set up another Object of Worship we deny him to be God if we worship him in a way of our own invention we deny his Wisdom and set up our selves above him as if we could order his Worship better than he hath done in his Word Secondly If the Worship be corrupted all the Exercise of the Affections of the Heart and all the Service it self is lost and become unacceptable he knows that such Worshippers shall meet with this Answer who hath required this at your hands Thirdly Corruption in Worship Satan by long experience knows to have been the ground of those hatreds quarrels persecutions and troubles under which the Church hath groaned in all ages every difference imposing their way and perswasion upon all dissenters to the disturbance of Peace breach and decay of Love hinderance of the growth of Piety to the biting and devouring of one another Fourthly Besides God is provoked by this to leave his Sanctuary to remove his Glory and his Candlestick to make his Vineyard a desolation and his Churches as Shilob Fifthly Satan is the more industrious in this because his ways are capable of many advantages to further his design and many specious pretences to cover it In Col. 2. 8. he made use of Philosophy to corrupt Religion and by unsound Principles of some Heathens famous for that Learning introduced worshipping of Angels what that could not effect he laboured to perform by the Traditions of Men and where that came short the rudiments of the World the Mosaical Ceremonies were so called here and in the Epistle to the Hebrews were his Engine by which he battered the plain Worship of the New Testament And as to pretences the Apostle doth there and elsewhere note that Deceny and Order Humility Wisdom and Self-denyal are things very taking and yet usually pretended for such bold Innovations as may corrupt the pure streams of the Sanctuary Hence may I leave with you a few Memorials First This may make us jealous of any alterations in the way of God's Worship We have reason under the most plausible pretexts to suspect the hand of Satan because 't is one of his main businesses to corrupt the Worship Secondly This may justify those that out of a conscientious fear of complying with Satans design dare not admit of a Pin in the Tabornacle beside what God hath prescribed nor leave behind a Shoe Latchet of what he hath enjoyned Thirdly This will tell us that that Worship is best and safest that hath least of Mixture of humane Invention We cannot offend in keeping close to the Rule though the Worship thereby become more plain and not so gorgeous in outward appearance We may soon overdo it by the least addition and cannot be so certain of God's acceptation as we are of pleasing the Senses of Men by such introducements This motion of Satan Fall down and worship me is now in the last place to be considered as a particular instance of Satans general design of drawing the hearts of Men from God his Service and ways to the pleasures of Sin as if he should say to him follow my advice give up thy self to my Service and thou shalt be gratified with all the delights that the World can give thee to this doth the bait here offered most fitly agree Hence Observe That it is Satans general design to withdraw the hearts of Men from God that they may be enslaved to him in the Service of Sin That the Devil doth level all his endeavours to this cannot be doubted For 1. he hath a Kingdom in this World from which he is denominated the Prince of this World And this is not only a rule of Exteriour force such as Conquerous have over their captivated Slaves who are compelled to subject their Bodies while yet their minds are full of hatred against him who hath thus forced them to subjection but it is a rule over the Hearts and Affections of Men working in the Children of Disobedience a love and liking of these ways and begetting in them the Image of Satan so that what work he imposeth they are pleased withal and love to have it so Therefore he is not only called their Prince but their God and their Father Ye are of your Father the Devil in that with a kind of inward devotion they will and endeavour to perform the Lusts which he propounds to them Secondly This Kingdom is contrary to God's Spiritual Kingdom that being of Darkness this of Light and it is managed by Satan with an envious competition and Corrivalship to that of God so that as God invites Men to the Happiness of his Kingdom and sends his Spirit in his Word and Ordinances to perswade them Satan doth the like he sends out his Spirit which the Apostle calls the Spirit of the World 1 Cor. 2. 12. and imploys all his Agents to engage Men for him he requires the Heart as God doth he promiseth his rewards of Pleasure Honour Riches if they will fall down and worship him Now 't is so natural to prosecute an Interest thus espoused in a way of opposition especially to any other that set up for themselves in a contradictory Competitorship that the very natural Laws of Satans Kingdom will engage him to stand up for it and to enlarge it all he can Those upon whom he prevails are of two sorts First Some are visibly in his Service these answer the Character which was given of Ahab 1 Kings 21. 20. Who sold himself to work Wickedness in the sight of the Lord. The first expression shews that such are wholly in Satans Power and Disposal as things sold are in the Possession and Power of the Buyer they are at Satans will if he say to them Go they go and if he say Come they come their Bodies and Spirits are Satan's they are not their own and they are his for the ends of Sin for that imployment only so that they are wholly corrupt and abominable The latter expression that he did so in the Sight of the Lord manifests their shameless impudency in Sin that they declare their Sin as Sodom and hide it not that they do not Blush but openly wear the Devils Livery and avouch his Service As the works of the Flesh are manifest so these in their practice of such works are manifestly Satans Subjects These kind of Men are frequently in
the Old Testament stiled Sons of Belial a name very significant shewing either their devoting of themselves to the Devils Service in that they reject the Yoke of God's Law in that they break his Bonds and cast his Cords from them or their Pride that they will have none above them not considering that there is a God or that the most High rules or their aversness to what is good being wholly unprofitable and to every good work reprobate Secondly Some are secretly his Servants they come to the Devil as Nicodemus did to Christ by Night they will not openly profess him but yet their hearts are wholly his such are called by the name of Hypocrites The Pharisees and Scribes seemed to declare for God called themselves Abrahams Seed Fasted gave Alms made long Prayers and yet were a Generation of Vipers and of their Father the Devil The secresy of this underhand engagement to Hell is such that many who are in a league with the Devil and at an agreement with Death do neither know nor believe it concerning themselves For First This private Covenant may be where there are the greatest seeming desilements of Satan and high Professions of Service to God The Pharisees as have been said were the Devils Servants under all the fair shew they made of Religion and zeal for the Law and yet when Christ plainly told them that they were not Abrahams Seed but the Devils Seed they with high indignation and scorn throw back the accusation to Christ Thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil we are Abraham's Children so little believed they the truth when it was told them Secondly This may consist with some designement and intention to give God Glory The Jews though they submitted not to the Righteousness of God yet by the Testimony of Paul they had a Zeal to God The very Heathens that sacrifice to Devils had not formal intentions so to do as appears by their inscription on the Altar at Athens Acts 17. 23. To the unknown God The true God though unknown they propounded as the Object of their Worship yet falling into those ways of devotion which the Devil had prescribed these intentions could not hinder but that they became his Servants Thirdly Men may be Servants to Satan under great assurances and confidences of their Interest in God many go to Hell that have lived with Lord Lord in their Mouths those mentioned in Esa 48. 2. that had no interest in Truth and Righteousness when they solemnly sware by the name of the Lord yet they called themselves of the Holy City and stayed themselves upon the God of Israel If it seem strange to any that these Professions Intentions and Confidences are not enough to secure Men from this charge but that they may be secretly Slaves to Hell I Answer First That those do not necessarily conclude that the Heart of such Men is right with God Formality natural Conscience and the power of Education may do much of this for though we grant that such are not conscious to themselves of any real design of serving Satan yet they may either so far miss it in the way of their Service offering that as well pleasing to God which indeed he hates and that through wilful and affected Ignorance as those of whom Christ speaks Joh. 16. 2. that should think the killing of God's Children a peice of acceptable Service Or they may be so mistaken as to the Sincerity of their Hearts that they may think they have a design to please God in doing of what he requires in order thereunto when indeed it may not be singly for God but for themselves that they work in a self-gratification of their natural Zeal for their way or their Esteem Credit and Advantage may privately influence them rather than a Spirit of Life and Power Secondly The work which they do and the Ends they serve will be evidence against professions and intentions 'T is a sure rule that the work shews to whom Men are related as Servants and it is laid down as a certain Standard to measure the Hearts of Men by when pretences and perswasions seem to carry all before them Rom. 6. 16. His Servants ye are to whom you obey 1 Joh. 3. 8 10. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil in this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil that is when it becomes a question to whom a Man belongs whose Child and Servant he is it must be determined by the works he doth if he engage in the ways of Sin he is of the Devil let him profess what he will to the contrary This same Ballance Christ useth to try the truth of the Jews pretences to God Joh. 8. 34. Whosoever committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin they boasted high but he shews them that seeing their designs and works were Hatred Envy Murther c. which are apparently from Satan it was evident they had learned these of him and he concludes by this proof ver 44. that they were of their Father the Devil Thus may we say of those that pretend they honour God they defie the Devil they intend well if yet they give themselves up to the pleasing of the Flesh if worldly minded if they live in Pride Strife Envy Maliciousness c. which are works of the Devil it is not all their pretences that will intitle them to God but they are for all this the Devils Servants as doing his works This may put Men upon enquiries who are ye for whose Servants are ye There are but two that can lay claim to you and these two divide the whole World betwixt them there is no state of Neutrality you are either God's Servants or the Devils ye cannot serve them both now if the Lord be God serve him Satan's Service is Base Dishonourable Slavish the Service of God Freedom Honour Life and Peace there is indeed no comparison betwixt them Happy then is that Man that can say the Lord is his Lot and Portion that can come into God's Presence and there in his Integrity avouch the Lord for his God that can stand upon it My Soul hath said unto the Lord thou art my God and I have none besides thee other Lords have had dominion over us but we will make mention of thy Name only This Temptation though it were in it self horrid and as a Brood of Vipers knotted together which at once could send out several stings and make many wounds as hath been noted yet in the way of propounding Satan seems to insinuate the largeness of his proffer and the smalness and inconsiderableness of the Service required as if he should say See how free I am in my Kindness I will not stick to give thee the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them and all this for so small a matter as bowing before me or doing me a little Reverence This gives us to Observe That when Satan doth design no less
than to enslave Men to his Service yet he will propound Sin as a small thing or but one act of Sin as a thing not valuable to engage them to him Not but that he desires to run Men to excess in Wickedness and delights to see them with both hands earnestly work Iniquity with greediness yet where he sees the Consciences of Men squemish and that they cannot bear Temptations to open and common Prophaneness without danger of revolt from him there he seems modest and requires but some small thing at least at first till the ways of Sin become more familiar to them and then when they can better bear it he doubles the tale of Bricks and with greater confidence can urge them to things of greater Shame and Enormity That this is his way appears First from the common Argument which he useth at first to those whom he would draw off from a more careful Conversation which is this Do such a thing it 's but for once and but little others do the like and demur not or the best do as great matters as this comes to 't is but a small thing considering the Strait or the Advantage that may accrew This is his usual Note to candidate Iniquity as experience of all doth testify Secondly That this is so is also evident from a Consideration of the several ways and courses of Sinners Some are tempted and overcome by one kind of Sin and not at all urged to others Some go to Hell in a way of Covetousness Others are pretty unblameable in most of their carriages but are overcome by a proud Humour Others are given to Drink and yet will not Steal nor deal falsely Others take a more cleanly way to Hell rely upon their own Righteousness or are engaged in Error and their Life otherwise smooth and fair The Jews in Christ's time were only engaged against Christ and for their Traditions but not molested with Temptations to open Idolatry as formerly Those who are Ignorant are not troubled with Temptations to despair or inward Terrours The Reasons of his dealing thus are these First He sees that one Sin heartily prosecuted is enough to signify Homage to him and to give him Possession As we take Possession of Land by a Turf or a Twig so by one Sin admitted with full purpose of Mind Satan is let into the Heart As a Penny will be sufficient earnest for a Bargain of a thousand Pound so may one Sin be a Pledg or earnest for the whole Soul in a League with Hell Secondly He knows that one Sin persisted in may be enough to destroy the Soul as one Wound may Kill one Leak may sink a Ship Thirdly He knows that one Sin breaks the Covenant of God and turns the Heart from him if Men give up themselves to it Fourthly One Sin wilfully pursued makes a Man guilty of the Breach of the whole Law it destroys love and respect to God undervalues his Authority contemns his Threatnings and Promises Fifthly One Sin is enough to make way for more where Satan would have more yet at first he is pleased with it as a hopeful beginning it makes room enough for the Serpents Head and then he will afterward easily wind in his whole Body This may warn us not to be imboldned to any Sin by the plea of diminution not to venture because it may seem little or be but for once A true Christian should be a perfect Vniversalist he should be universally against all Sin and universally for All Duty CHAP. XXI Of Worldly Pleasure Proofs that this is Satan's great Engine What there is in Worldly Delights that make them so Counsels and Cautions against that Snare I Come now to the Argument which Satan used for all this All these things will I give thee he casts a Golden Apple before him and seeks to entangle him by Worldly Greatness and Delight I shall not examine how true or false Satan spake when he called all these things his and that he could give them to whom he would 't is enough for our purpose to take notice of his pretence so far as might make his Offer probable and then observe That the great Engine which Satan useth to draw away the Heart from God to his Service is Worldly Pleasures and Delights I shall first shew that this is Satans great Engine and then explain what is in it that fits it so much for his purpose The first of these is evidenced by these particulars First The Scripture doth particularly note to us a Deceit or Guile to be in Worldly Pleasures Christ in Matth. 13. 22. speaks of the deceitfulness of Riches and that deceit is expressed by such a word as signifies a drawing out of the way a misleading so that he means not the uncertainty of these delights in which sence 't is said that Riches take themselves Wings and fly away which often disappoint and deceive the expectations of those that do most hug them Nor can this be understood of Riches in an active sense as we attribute deceit to Men who as rational agents can contrive and devise Snares but it only means that these are so Objectivè as things that are abused by Satan to delude and betray the Sons of Men. And these are so frequently made use of by him for such purposes and with such advantages of Power and Provocation that Christ elsewhere Matth. 19. 23. speaks of it as a thing almost impossible to have Riches and not to be ensnared by them A rich Man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven which Mark and Luke express by an affectionate amazement O how hardly can a rich Man be saved Secondly These are Satans great Net which incloseth Multitudes a general Bait by which most are hooked into the Service of Sin Most Temptations come from this Ocean as Springs from the Sea the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eys the Pride of Life have their Original from the World 1 Joh. 2. 16. Christ speaks of this Mammon of unrighteousness as the only thing that stands up in competition for the Hearts of Men against God Matth. 6. 24. and the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 4. reckoning up the various ways of particular Lusts as Covetousness Boasting Pride Blaspheming c. concludes them all under this that they are lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God shewing us thereby that though the Lusts of Men might run out diverse ways and be exercised upon diverse particular Objects yet they all borrow their Original from Worldly Pleasures and their design is nothing but that in the general Hence is it that some make the World the great Traytor to God for though they reckon up three great Enemies to God and Man the World the Flesh and the Devil yet these three agree in one the pleasing of the Flesh is the great end and desire of natural Men the World is the Store-house from which Men draw out several Pleasures according to the
in the neglect of the ordinary means If our Hearts be wooed by Worldly Delights to cast off our care of God and Religion we may then call to mind that this is abominable Idolatry and so may we turn off our Hearts from sinful compliance by charging our Souls with the opposite Duties upon a true discovery of the vileness and inconvenience of the transgressions urged upon us But Secondly They may be considered as they give Instruction for the management of our Spiritual Armour against all Satan's Wiles in the general and in this Sense I shall endeavour to open them laying down first these two Conclusions First That the whole business of these Temptations as permitted to Satan and submitted unto by Christ was certainly upon design The same Wisdom that contrived the wonderful method of the Salvation of Men by a Redeemer did also order these Temptations for else Christ could have prevented them or by a Divine Authority commanded Silence to the Tempter and by his Power might have chased him away As Christ told Pilate Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above thereby manifesting that his Suffering was from an higher design than he was aware of so might he have said to the Devil Except this had been designed by an Eternal Counsel thou couldst not have made this attempt So that we must look further for the spring and rise of this than to any supposed occasional outbreaking of Satanical malice upon him Secondly That this design however it touched upon the Person and Offices of Christ as Mediator and second Adam for thus it became him to overcome the Enemy at the same Weapon by which he overcame our first Parents and by this Personal Experience to be fitted with feeling compassions to the tempted yet was it wholly for our sakes as may appear by two things First In that Christ if his answers had only concerned himself might have given other fit replies to the first Temptation of turning Stones to Bread he could have retorted the Argument upon Satan as Hierom and others observe If I am not the Son of God 't is in vain to require a Miracle of me If I am 't is in vain to tempt me Or he might have answered That as the Father hath Life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have Life in himself and that by this Divine Power he could sustain himself without Bread To the second it might have been a sufficient answer to have excepted against his unfaithfulness in citing that Testimony out of Psal 91. where by discovering his wilful omission of the Clause in all thy ways He shall keep thee in all thy ways his Temptation might have fallen to the Ground as no way encouraged from that Promise To the third might have been returned such answers as these that Satan's offer was a Lye that it was not in his Power to dispose of the Kingdoms of the World That these were Christ's already that these were vain Arguments to draw him from the Glory of an Heavenly Kingdom and finally that of all Creatures Satan being God's sworn Enemy had least reason to expect Divine Honour Secondly In that all Christ's Answers were from Scripture which is properly a Light to the steps of Men and all these Scriptures cited shew Mans Duty he saith not the Son of God shall not live by Bread alone but Man lives not by Bread alone he saith not Christ must not tempt but thou Man shalt not tempt the Lord thy God c. By all which we may discern that Christ answered not by Arguments peculiarly agreeable to his Person and Nature but by such as suit the general state of God's Children And this certainly was for our advantage he conquered with such Weapons not for any necessity that he had to take that course but for the need that we had of such instruction for hereby we see that Satan is conquerable and also how we must use our Weapons In this also he left us an Example that we should follow his steps as Gideon said to his Souldiers as you see me do so do you likewise Thus as it were doth our Lord speak to us for your sakes suffered I these Temptations that I might teach your Hands to war and your Fingers to fight for your sakes I used these Weapons of yours rather than my own that I might shew you the use of your Sword and Shield and how your Adversary may be overcome by them dealing herein with us as a Master at Arms 't is Masculus's Comparison who for the better instructing and animating of his Tyro takes rather his Disciples Sword than his own to beat his Adversary withal minding not only the Conquest of an Enemy but also the encouragement of a young Souldier If any carry a suspition in their Mind that Christ had not our instruction so much in his Eye as hath been said because he gives not such particular Instructions for our spiritual Welfare as the Apostle in Ephes 6. expecting that our Saviour should have been more punctual in making particular Applications from every part of his carriage to our use and drawing out from thence some positive conclusions or draughts of the way and manner of resistance they may know that there is no other difference betwixt Ephes 6. and Matth. 4. than there is betwixt Precept and Example What the Apostle there prescribed in the Theory here Christ teacheth in the Practice here we have in their use the Girdle of Truth the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit the Helmet of Salvation and all the other parts of that Armour and withal we may know that this is a far more advantagious way of teaching young Beginners to let them see things in a plain Example than only to give general Precepts But besides we are to consider that Christ did many things the meaning whereof the Disciples then present with him did not know as yet neither was it expected from them that they should like to what he said to Peter Joh. 13. 7. What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter but were intended to be laid up in store to be more fully made use of as after-directions should come in to give them information He therefore that had purposed to give further light in this matter by his Apostle and Servant was now doing that which his design led him to in his Personal Actings with a secret respect also to those Instructions which he intended after to communicate We have then no reason to be jealous that these Temptations were not intended for our use but the more to assure our selves that it was even so because we find that those very Weapons which here Christ in his own Person weilded against Satan are afterwards recommended to us Having thus laid the Foundation we must then if we will Imitate our Captain carefully observe his deportment from point to point that
time if ye faint not Gal. 6. 9. Upon this hazard are the Children of God cautioned Heb. 12. 3. lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind 3. There is also a particular kind of courage expressed in an holy and humble contempt of Satan's Suggestions when after all means used they cease not to be troublesome this is not to slight Sin but to slight Satan who though he is resisted ceaseth not to molest I shall particularly apply this first Direction 1. to those that propound Ease to themselves in their Race or Warfare which is a thing impossible to one that doth the work of a Souldier not considering that work and couragious endeavours do abide them 2. To those that pretend themselves Christ's Souldiers Courage and Christian Magnanimity is your cognizance by this must you be known How do ye stand what are your resolutions and undertakings Those Christians that have Joy and Peace in believing can more easily satisfy themselves in this but those that fight in Tears and Grief in disquiets and troubled Thoughts are apt to conclude themselves unbelieving because they are fearful or to think that they look not up to Jesus the Author and finisher of their Faith because they apprehend themselves weary and faint in their Minds For the ease and help of such I shall shew in a few things that there is as real a Christian Courage in such Mourners as in some that sing Songs of Triumph First 'T is a real courage and undertaking against Sin for any to resolve his utmost out of detestation of it before he can satisfy himself that God will accept of it To oppose Sin under such a discouragement or at such a venture is a couragious hatred and yet so do these Mourners Secondly To be under continual grievings because of miscarriages so that other things of outward enjoyment cease to be pleasing is a couragious hatred but this is their case Thirdly To wrestle against Sin under high discouragements when afflicted and tossed when Satan runs upon them and shakes them by the Neck and yet they continue their wrestling and withstanding as they are able This is faithful resistance a resistance unto Blood striving against Sin Heb. 12. 4. that is if that expression be proverbial like that ad Sanguinem usque they resist Sin faithfully under great Hazards and Inconveniencies even to Wounds and Blood till they have broken Heads and broken Faces and can say to God though we have been broken in the place of Dragons and have these Wounds to shew yet have we not departed from thee nor quitted our desires after thee and Holiness for all these buffetings of Satan but this is the Character of these dejected ones Fourthly 'T is a couragious hatred that cannot suffer a sinful Motion to fall upon the Soul but it puts all into a combustion within and raiseth disquiet for it is an Argument that there is a contrariety betwixt the Heart and Sin but this is their case also Fifthly 'T is Courage and Constancy to bold on in gracious endeavours and strivings so that when they fall as soon as they can recollect their Strength they set on where they left and renew the Battel never changing their first resolve for Holiness against Sin This is implyed in the Apostles Phrase of standing Eph. 6. That ye may withstand and when ye have done all to stand He is accounted to stand that runs not out of the Field but stands to his Holy Resolve to the last though the Battel go sore against him by fits but such are these Mourners There is true Courage under Mourning and disquiet of Heart so that we may say to such O thou afflicted and tossed fear not The Glory of the Lord shall shine upon thee They that are weak in this Sence shall be strong as David CHAP. XXIII The second Direction that Temptations are not to be disputed The several ways of disputing a Temptation In what Cases it is convenient and necessary to dispute with Satan In what Cases inconvenient and the Reasons of it THe next thing observable in Christ's carriage to Satan is this That Christ though he rejected every Temptation by giving a reason of his refusal from the Command of God did not suffer Satan to dispute his Temptations further than the first Proposal and in his Answers he takes no notice of the Reasons or Motives by which he laboured to make his Temptations prevailing In the two first Temptations he gives no reply to what Satan insinuated by his supposition If thou be the Son of God neither by affirming that he was so nor discovering to him his knowledg of the secret Subtilty which he had wrapt up under these plausible pretences In the third he answers not a word to the Vanity and falsehood of his deceitful offer of the Kingdoms of the World though as hath been observed he might have opposed strong Reasons against them all and besides when Satan became Insolent and Impudent in tempting Christ to fall down and worship him he chaseth him away with a severe Abomination Get thee hence Satan From which we have a second Direction which is this That Temptations to Sin are to be opposed by peremptory denials rather than by disputings This is a Note which most Commentators have on this place but it stands in need of a distinct Application because it is not a Rule so general but that the practice of God's Children have made exception against it For the clearer Explanation of it I shall First Give you the several kinds of disputings by which we may see that all are not alike For First The serious working of the thoughts in a quick denial of a Temptation with a reason implyed or expressed though it admit not Satan to any further dispute or Argument may in some sense be called a disputing for the Scripture useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for any inward serious Thought Such a kind of disputing as this is necessary it cannot be wanting to any that refuse a sinful Motion this being as we shall see afterward one of those Directions which Christ intended us by his Example and the very thing which Christ practised in every Temptation for he contented not himself to give a naked denyal but still adds a Reason of such refusal Those who in general terms urge that Temptations are not to be disputed do not reckon this as any disputing And others that do taking disputing for the refusal of a thing with a reason assigned think that his procedure in the two first Temptations is not imitable by us but only that of the third wherein he chased away the Devil with angry denyal but the mistake is obvious Secondly There is a disputing of unnecessary Curiosity and Conference this is when a sinful Motion injected into our Hearts is not directly consented to but then instead of a full denyal Men begin to raise Questions and make Objections of lesser moment or some impertinent Quaeries