in the Faith And Fourthly Hereby he causeth them to put private Interpretations upon the Scriptures applying them at their pleasures to particular Times Places and Persons Whereas the Scriptures and divine prophesies as they came not in old time by the will of man but holy men spake at they were moved by the holy Ghost so they are not to be interpreted according to the will of man with any private Interpretation but according to the mind and spirit of God which we can only find out by searching the Scriptures and comparing spiritual things with spiritual A Third way by which Satan bringeth many to a misunderstanding of the Scriptures and a perversion thereof is by keeping them in Ignorance of the present Dispensation they are under hereby causing them in Gospel-Times to walke chiefly by the Rule of the Law and to look for the performance and accomplishment of those things in their Daies which are not to be fulfilled until future Times This Satan doth by making use of Ignorant and unfaithful shepherds who knowing not the Scriptures themselvs or unfaithfully dispencing them somtimes contrary to the Convictions of their own hearts Light and knowledge to maintain their temporal Advantages and to keep up the principles of their artificial and scholastic Theology do impose such Doctrines upon the world that they lay the weight of a mans Justification upon his duties and performances thereby destroying as far as in them lyeth the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ And although in their Doctrines and words they will speak of Justification by Faith yet in their works and practizes they deny it Laying heavy burdens works and duties upon men which neither they nor their forefathers were able to bear And hereby Satan causeth them either to omit or pervert and wrest those Scriptures which hold forth Justification freely by Faith in Christ without the works of the Law Secondly Satan doth by his Seducements and subtile Suggestions cause many to mistake diverse prophetical Scriptures as to Time by perswading them that the accomplishment of those Promises will be in their Daies And this he doth by taking Advantage of an earnest desire which is in many professors to see the fulfilling of those things which are conteined in those Prophesies because they are perswaded that thereby the Lord would be exceedingly glorified And therefore the Saints in these Times should very carefully watch over their Zeale which in most men is rather a passion then a Grace especially if it be fixed upon a wrong Object The Jewes were Zealous of the Law of Moses but being ignorant of the Law of the Gospel of Christ their zeale was dissalowed of by the Apostle saying Rom. 10.2 they have a zeale but not according to knowledge for they being ignorant of the Righteousnesse of God went about to establish their own Righteousnesse And so far did this zeale hurry them that they persecuted the most precious Saints of Jesus Christ Thus Paul persecuted the Church Luk 9.51 to 56. Phil. 3.6 and thus Satan took Advantage against the Disciples working upon their Zeale who were then Ignorant of their present Dispensation and work which Christ was then to do in the world For when Jesus Christ was to go to Jerusalem on a certain time he sent some before him who prepared his lodging in a Town of the Samaritans The Samaritans being professed Enemies to the Jewes finding that Christ intended to go to Jerusalem to worship refused to receive him Whereupon James and John moved with Zeale taking for example Elias the prophet but being at that Time ignorant of the work which their Master then came to do moved the Lord to command fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans But the Lord answered Ye know not of what Spirit ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them And assuredly Satan doth work thus in the world taking advantage of a great zeale which is in many Saints who are zealous of the glory of God and tender of his honour who set before them the Examples of many Zealous Saints who were acted by an immediate hand of God and they call for fire Judgements blastings and wrath upon many whom they see do dishonour God and as they conceive do carry on the work of Satan against Christ Not considering that yet we are under the tenders of the Gospel and a door of mercy is open unto all men To all sorts of sinners excepting those who sin against the holy Ghost to whoremongers and Idolaters to drunkards and blasphemers so that he that is a persecuter of Christ and his Saints to day may be a converted Paul to morrow Not considering that the day of wrath vengeance and utter destruction is the Day of the Lord the Day of his next coming and appearing Untill which time his Disciples should be merciful as their father which is in heaven is merciful who maketh his Sun to arise on the evil and good Mat. 5.44 45 46. and sendeth Rain on the Just and unjust Wherefore the Saints in these Daies should watch over their zeale and have a Care that it be bounded with love on the one hand and knowledge on the other and be circumspect that they fix their zeale on a right Object according to that of the Apostle It is good to be zealous or earnest in a good thing Gal. 4.15 16 17 18. We should zealously love when the Lord would have us do good but we should not hate zealously when the Lord would have us to love nor Curse when he would have us to blesse nor deprecate any when he would have us to pray for all Men. Satan having caught any in this Snare that is blinded their Eyes that they are not able to know the things that belong to their present Dispensation and having wrought upon their zeale and fixed it upon a wrong Object In the first place he doth deprive the Saints who are thus deceived by him of many gospel Comforts which do arise from the apprehension of the Love of God grounded upon free Grace and applied unto us by and in Jesus Christ Secondly hereby that is by altering the nature and property of true zeale which is alwaies attended with love knowledge and humility he increaseth spiritual Pride in them which may be thus discerned when they begin to have low thoughts of all men but of themselves and of such as agree with their Judgements when they seperate themselves from their Brethren supposing them to be Low flat dead backward and lesse zealous in the worke of God then themselves when they will passe a Judgement upon others and say this man is guilty of the sin against the holy Ghost this man is faln from the Faith and his former professions this man is an hypocrite this man is a Persecuter of the Saints this man is not to be pray'd for this man ought to be cut off again by reason of this
the Traditions of their Forefathers And whether they were such as concerned divine worship or civil manners they alwaies had a reverend esteeme of them imbracing them for their Antiquity It being accounted a great Heresie among the generalitie of men to question the Judgement of their Ancestours concerning any law or Custome approved of or exercised by them as if long continued use or allowance of any thing could make that lawful and good which in it selfe is unlawful and discommendable or that the Judgement of ancient men who lived in former Ages were not to be questioned by succeeding Generations This maketh men so loath to leave off nay even to reason or consider the lawfulnesse of the traditions of their Elders And hereupon it is that most men in the world can give no better an account and Reason of their pinciples upon which they ground their salvation and eternal welfare then this thus my Forefathers did thus they worshiped God and thus they beleeved and so will I. Are we wiser then our Forefathers did not they understand the Scriptures as wel as we were they not as learned as we are Here Satan taketh Advantage And to nourish Ignorance hereby in them he doth suggest many Arguments unto them to strengthen and confirme them in this rediculous Errour Whereas Reason will dictate this that no man ought to allow or approve of any thing implicitly Agreeable hereunto is that inconsiderate Custome among men to pin their opinions upon the Judgements of other men living in their owne Time whom they account learned and juditious The great Designe of Satan in all these things is to hinder men from searching into the Scriptures knowing that they are the onely light to guide us in this dark Age and Touchstone to try the Spirits in our selves and other men For take men off from this from the search of the Scriptures and it is an easie thing to impose any thing upon them as easie as to deceive a blinde man in the choice of Colours Satan having thus deluded any and brought them into this Snare how freely will they receive any colourable Interpretation of Scripture and how apt will they be to wrest and pervert the same according as he shall tempt them thereunto A second way by which Satan bringeth men to a misunderstanding of the Scriptures a perversion of them is by perswading them to consult with their own Reason in finding out the mind of God concerning spirtual things This Satan effecteth by taking Advantage of an Excellency which men suppose they see in natural Reason by which they think they are able to discern of spiritual Truths But can the Creature who hath all his knowledge conveyed unto him by sence know those things which the sences cannot reach unto How can the Eye discerne that which it hath not seen or the Eare that which it hath not heard or the heart that which never came into it Can Reason tell a man without divine Manifestation what God hath prepared for those that love and fear him these things Reason cannot informe us of neither can the spirit of a man know them but they must be revealed by the same Spirit which was in Jesus Christ By the Spirit which naturally is in us we are capable of knowing those things which belong to our Generation but no more And if a mans Spirit cannot know the things of other Creatures much lesse can it discern the things of God even those Mysteries which were determined by him before the world began For it is a certain Truth that the natural Man knoweth not the things of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11. And although the Scriptures are written in no other words then such with which we do usually speake one unto an other yet it is no easie thing to understand the minde of the holy Ghost therein Some words are allegorically others mystically others literally to be understood some all these waies Some expressions are typical others comparative and others prophetical some prophesies hold forth things past some things present and others things to come some all of these Yet there are some and too many such there are when they read a Text of Scripture will take upon them by the consideration of the very words to declare the meaning and purpose of the holy Ghost therein Hereby the world is filled with so many ill begotten opinions Others say look into that Light which is in you meaning the Light of Reason walke by that Light What need say they have men to looke into the Scriptures or to preach the word while they have a light within them When as alas the light of the natural man as Reason knowledge and the like as to the things of God is darknesse Ephes 5.8 untill the Lord by a supernatural worke of Grace do enlighten them and then they are said to be Light in the Lord or as the Apostle in an other place Ye are the children of the Day and not of the night 1 Thess 5.5 that is ye are not now in a natural and unregenerate Condition but new-borne and enlightened by the Spirit of God By ascribing that unto Reason which onely is the worke of the Spirit they force the Creature to depend upon his owne strength they put him upon a worke which he is not able to do they cast their Eyes onely upon self-sufficiency and neglect a dependance upon God by Faith they lay the whole weight of the Duety of a Christian upon the performance of some outward things which consist chiefly in Touch not Taste not Handle not in perishing services and in the Doctrines and commandements of men by which they are deceived because there is in these things a shew of wisdome in voluntary Religion and humblenesse of minde and in not sparing the body Col. 2.21 22 23. Satan having caught any in this Net bringeth them hereby to a neglect of comparing Scripture with Scripture They often read the Word but they judge of it by their own Reason which Reason they call the Light which God hath given them And demand of them why they interpret Scripture thus or thus they will answer that their Reason telleth them so And so by not comparing Scripture with Scripture they remain not onely ignorant of the true meaning thereof but they fill the world with a multitude of heretical Notions perverting the Scriptures when and how they please Secondly hereby Satan maketh them to contemn all Interpretations of Scripture which their Reason will not allow of And if the Truths of God conteyned in the word be declared unto them they are so wedded to their own Judgements that they have neither Patience to hear them nor consider them Thirdly Hereby Satan seeketh to destroy their Faith causing them to remain in unbeliefe of those things which their Reason cannot approve of For if Faith come by hearing then they that stop their Eares against any thing but the dictates of their own carnal Reason must needs remain weak
by a further Spirit and power then their own From these and such like things many conclude that their Dreames and visions are of the holy Ghost and therefore they ought to be the Rule and Ground of their Actions Prayers and Performances But if men did minde that which the Apostle prophesied of they would not be too forward to do so For Saint Paul did foreshew that in the latter Time some should depart from the Faith and give heed unto Spirits of Errours and Doctrines of Divils 1 Tim. 4.1 for this is Truth that whatsoever Spirit doth set men upon the doing of those things that are contrary unto the word of God we should not be guided by it Satan is very busie even among the best of the Saints and therefore they cannot be too watchful Wherefore I shall indeavour to try the Spirits that are in the world even the Spirits of Delusion comparing them with the commands of the Spirit of God The Spirit of God saith search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 and compare Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 but the Spirit of delusion saith Judge of Scripture by natural Reason which is the Light that God hath set up in you The Spirit of God saith no Scripture is of any private Interpretation 2. Pet. 1.20 the Spirit of Delusion saith you may make any Interpretation of Scripture either mystical prophetical literal or what you will The Spirit of God saith let every one esteem others better then themselves Phil. 2.3 the Spirit of Delusion saith I am more holy then such an one I am more instant in Duties then such The Spirit of God saith Judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come 1 Cor 4.5 the Spirit of Delusion saith this man is guilty of the Sin against the holy Ghost this man is falne from Grace this man is not to be prayed for this man is a hypocrite The holy Ghost saith blesse and Curse not Rom. 12.14 the Spirit of Delusion saith Curse such an one for he hath persecuted the Saints The Spirit of God Saith Let Prayers be made for all men 1 Tim. 2.1 the Spirit of Delusion saith we may Pray for those who are our Enemies but not for those who are the Enemies of Christ I could try these Spirits in many other Particulars but I will indeavour by the Scriptures to try the Spirits of those who say they Dreame Dreames and see visions of God but are false Dreamers 1. Such Dreamers say they doe Dreame in the Name of the Lord when they prophesie the vision of their owne heart Jer. 23.25 26. 2. By their Dreames they cause the People to forget the Name of the Lord. v. 27. they give more heed unto their Dreames then unto the Word of the Lord 3. These Prophets have sweet Tongues and say Thus saith the Lord and make the People to erre by their Lyes and their flatteries deceiving them v. 31.32 Jer. 29.8 4. They speake vain things and comfort in vain Zach. 10.2 and 5. These false Dreamers cause many to despise Government and speake Evil of them that are in Authority Jude 8. Having thus shewed how we should try the Spirits that are in the world I will declare how these Temptations cunning Practises of Satan may be prevented Therfore In the first place the Apostle doth exhort to Sobrietie Sobrietie doth not onely consist in the moderate use of Meat and drink but in beleeving Loving and trusting in the Lord. He is a sober Christian that continueth stedfast in the Faith that abideth in the commandements and trusteth in the Lord. 1 Thess 5 6 7 8. He is a Sober Christian that is indued with wisdom and Gravitie Tit. 1.8 not given to wantones and Levity He is a Sober Christion that wil not give confidence to the Dreams and delusions of men but doth trust on the Grace that is brought unto him by the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 that walketh by the Rule of the Word which was written by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost and Revelation of Jesus Christ He is a Sober Christian who is not carelesse or negligent but vigilant and instant in Prayer 1 Pet. 4 8. He is a Sober Christian that arrogateth not unto himselfe those Gifts which he hath not nor boasteth of those Gifts which he hath Rom. 12.3 He is a Sober Christian who liveth Righteously as towards men and godly as towards the Lord in this present world Tit. 2.12 So that this exhortation of the Apostle is very necessary for that in it is conteyned those Duties which hold forth stability and Constancy in our Resolutions Because that Satan taketh great advantage against those who are unstable minded 2 Pet. 2.14 not endued with Sobrietie Secondly the Apostle doth exhort to vigilancy or Watchfulnesse To watch over our hearts over others over the drawings out of our affections over our Zeale over our Principles over the world and over Satan To watch because the Coming of Christ is uncertain Mat. 24.42 43 44. To watch Rev. 3.3 least Satan take Advantage of our weaknesse in the Faith 1 Cor. 16.13 To watch over our Prayers continually Col. 4.2 To watch in all things 2 Tim. 4.5 And if a Christian ought to watch in all things even in the Least things much more over the malice Rage and Subtilty of Satan Thirdly that the Saints may avoid the Designes of Satan the Apostle exhorteth to prayer Prayer and watchfulnesse must alwayes go together Watch and Pray Mar. 13.33 Be ye Sober watching in Prayer 1 Pet. 4.7 Sober and Stedfast in our resolutions watchful over every enemy and earnest in Prayer to call for divine assistance If Satan doth tempt the Saints when they pray and God doth require that they pray according to his minde and will then it is their duty to try and weigh every Petition which they put up by the Word and not to desire any thing of the Lord but what the word doth allow of for the word is the Revelation of the minde and will of God The holy Ghost doth help the Saints to call for those things onely which are agreeable to the minde and will of God that is to his Word And if their hearts be drawn out to other things they are not to give heed unto the motions of their hearts Also in their Prayers the Saints should have respect not only to those things which God hath promised but to the Times Places and Persons to which they relate Otherwise the Lord may draw out their hearts as to the thing promised but Satan may tempt them to pray amisse as to circumstances A Fourth remedy to prevent the designes of Satan is to hold fast to the Faith resist Satan stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.9 saith the Apostle Peter So likewise St. Paul exhorteth Above all take the shield of Faith wherewith yee may quench the fiery Darts of the wicked Eph. 6.16 He that is Sober will not easily be tempted He that is
taken away and since that time there is neither Jew nor Gentile Circumcision nor uncircumsion but a new Creature Now the Gospel is tendered to all and so farre as the mercy of God doth extend which is to all so farre our mercy should reach Luke 6.35 36. Fourthly Satan would perswade the Saints that they are the litle Stone spoken of in Daniel which must break the great Image And because the Kingdome of Christ must be set up in the dayes of those Kings spoken of in Daniel therefore Satan would perswade them that before the comming of Christ they must oppose the Kingdomes of the world and powers thereof and so endeavours to stirr them up to insurrection and rebellion contrary to that in Daniel The Horne shall make Battel against the Saints and prevail until the ancient of dayes come and the time approached that the Saints possessed the Kingdome Dan. 7.21 22. So that until Christ come the Horne must prevaile and the Saints must not have a Kingdome and until Christ come to set up his Kingdome the little Stone or Kingdome must not break the Image in pieces Fifthly Satan telleth them that they must beare testimony against all ungodliness and that is truth but he would hereby stirre them up to beare their testimony in such a way that they may justly be esteemed to be railers revilers Incendiaries to rebellion disswaders of divers from their obedience to the Magistrate Whereas Michael when he strove against the Divel and disputed about the body of Moses durst not blame him with cursed speaking and hereby he stirreth them up to all bitternesse and uncharitablenesse and to look upon none as brethren but those who are of their own Judgements and opinion in all or most things and they whom they look upon otherwise they suppose are the enemies of Christ and therefore they ought not to pray for them Lastly Satan in these last times stirreth up the Saints to Judge of one another by their outward actings whether they be natural failings or such things as they do amisse by reason of the subtile frequent and powerful temptations of Satan And to this purpose there is a Text very much abused which is By their fruits you shall know them Math. 7.20 And indeed by the actions we may see what for the present is in the poor sinful and corrupt heart yet hereby we cannot Judge of any ones interest in Christ notwithstanding from this Scripture Satan doth tempt and provoke many very hardly and unchristianly to censure others nay not only to passe a Judgement on their actions wherein there may be a mistake by reason of misrepresentation misapprehension misunderstanding misinformation and the like but of their intents and purposes when none is able to judge of the sincerity of the heart but only the Lord nay of their spiritual condition when no man can tell whose name is written in the Book of life and whose not it being a secret which God hath reserved unto himselfe and to strengthen them in this unchristian practice Satan moveth them to Judge of others by the Letter of the Law and then they say they have a warrant for what they do As sometimes they Judge a man to be a backslider from his former professions and who can say he is not a backslider and then they censure him a Castaway alledging that in Luke He that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh back is not fit for the Kingdome of God Luke 9.62 And sometimes they Judge a man of hypocrisie and then they look upon him as utterly lost alledging that in Job The Hypocrites hope shall perish Job 8.13 Not considering that by the workes of the Law no flesh shall be justified and if the Lord should Judge them that thus Judge others by the letter of the Law their condition would be very sad Not considering that they whom they Judge may belong unto Christ for ought they know not considering that Christ is tender of the temptations of his Saints and that he might be so he was in all things tempted in like sort not considering that although the unjust of whom Peter speaketh 2 Pet. 2.9 10. shall be reserved unto the day of Judgement yet the godly shall be delivered out of temptation Therefore Brethren we should not Judge one another by the letter of the Law but by the rule of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which biddeth us to Judg no man neither our Brethren nor those who are without For we are not under the Law but under grace Thus Satan by these fallacies and delusions and such like doth breake in sadly among the Saints and those who professe Religion in these last Times And now having discovered many Subtilties of Satan and the way by which they may be perceived and by mercy prevented I will lay down some particulars as a Rule for the Saints to walk by in the Last Times which indeed is their Generation worke They must continue in the things which are conteined in the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.14 to 17. they must be diligent and peaceable without spot and blamelesse and grow in Grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.3 14 18. they should edifie themselves in their most holy Faith they should pray in the holy Ghost they should keep themselves in the Love of God looking for the mercies of Jesus Christ and have compassion of some in putting difference Jude 18. to 22. watching and preparing themseves for the Coming of Jesus Christ Math. 25.1 to 14 They must love their Enemies blesse them that Curse them and do good to them that hate them praying for them that despitefully use them and persecute them Math. 5.43 to 48. They should blesse and Curse not Being defrauded they should intreate 1 Cor. 4.12 13. They should not revile the Gods nor Curse the Rulers of the People Exod. 22.28 They should shew out a good Conversation by their works with meeknesse and wisdom Jam. 3.8 to 18. They should not speake evil of their brethren nor Judge them Jam. 4.11 12. Rom. 14.4 10 13. Math. 7.1 2. Joh. 8.15 12 47. They should Judge nothing before the time until the Lord Come 1 Cor. 14. 15. and as they ought not to Judge their brethren so they should not Judge those that are without 1 Cor. 4.12 13. They should forgive their Enemies Math. 6.14 15. They should not be tossed and carried too and fro with Every winde of Doctrine but speake the Truth in Love Eph. 4.14 15. They should pray for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority according to the Rule of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godlinesse he is proud knowing nothing 1 Tim. 6.3 4. whosoever abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God and if any come and bring not this Doctrine receive him not neither bid him God speed 2. Job 10.11 for there are some that pervert the Gospel of Christ but if any though an Angel from heaven Preach any other Gospel then what Christ and the Apostles have preached let him be accursed Gal. 3.7 8. Neither beloved friends be ye too credulous of all those things which you heare spoken by the most precious Saints untill you try them by the Scriptures For Satan hath not onely Power to enter into the Saints before their conversion Mar. 16.9 but hath great power to tempt them after the Lord hath called them Math. 16.23 and over those who are only seeming Professors although they may be indued with many excellent gifts of the Spirit he hath Power even to tempt them to their utter Destruction Act. 5.3 Yet here is the Comfort of the Elect that there is a time appointed in which Satan shall be troden underfeet Rom. 16.20 and until then notwithstanding Satan doth endeavour to winnow them like wheate they shall be preserved by the Intercession of the Lord Jesus Luk. 22.31 32. It is a difficult thing to know the depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 for he taketh Advantage not onely against the sins of the Saints but of their best Gifts As of their zeale knowledge desires after God and of their very Prayers but especially of their coldnesse of Love and want of Charity 2 Cor. 2.1 to 12. Therefore Brethren often consider and endeavour to the utmost to practise the Apostles Rule and Exhortation Be sober and watch for your Adversary the Divil as a roaring Lyon goeth about seeking whom he may devour FINIS