Spiritual Pride they bitterly curse and speak against those whom they looke upon to be the Enemies of Christ and such as oppose and as they conceive persecute them Neither can they by reason hereof hear any brotherly admonition although never so lovingly and friendly urged but they fly out into Impatiency Indignation Censuring uncivil gestures and perhaps bitter Expressions against those who cannot Close with their Judgement or do oppose it A fourth way by which Satan doth deceive in these Times causing many to pervert and misunderstand the Scripture is by tempting them and drawing them to put allegorical and mystical as they call them Interpretations upon prophetical and Doctrinal Scriptures This work Satan effecteth by taking Advantage of the Excellency of humane learning in many men By which they do not onely scorne to deliver themselves in their discoursing preaching praying or writing according to Scripture Language but they will finde out quaint Expressions high Rapturs and Notions admired by many which must be called the Dictates of the holy Ghost and an excellent Spirit of Utterance which doth prove in a little Time as this Age hath experienced to be onely carnal and artificiall But they will not content themselves with the abuse of Scripture by unwarrantable words but the whole Scripture and every part thereof must be looked upon as an Allegorie and so they will make of it what they please Hereupon much Confusion hath arisen by reason of many vain disputations and the divulging of phantastical Notions Every one of these men making what they please of God Angels Resurrection heaven the word divine union Anoynting Law and Gospel And hereupon the late King Charles was made God the father the then Parliament God the Son and the Lawes the Holy Spirit in a Book intituled the Leaves of the Tree of Life With many other horrid Blasphemies We should take notice of those Scriptures which the holy Ghost doth take allegorically but we ought not to allegorize any Scripture which the holy Ghost would have us to vnderstand literally Again Satan causeth men to misunderstand the Scriptures by putting a Mist before their Eyes so that they cannot see afar off And this he doth effect by causing them to look no further then their present Dispensation For although they may there discern the Truth yet if they look no further they shall never see all the Truth They look upon all things in Scripture with a Spiritual Eye but see not that those things or many of them which are prophetical shall be really accomplished And hereupon some see no Resurrection but the rising to newnesse of Life no Coming of Christ but by his Spirit no Reign nor Kingdome of Christ but by his Spirit in the heart of his Saints No Canaan but the Kingdome of heaven Satan by bringing many into this Snare although he cannot destroy their Soules yet while they lye under this Cloud he doth trouble them with vain Disputations and contentious Arguings in defence of their present thoughts and Apprehensions of the Scriptures and keepeth them in darknesse and ignorance of many excellent and comfortable Truths But Lastly Satan doth draw many to misunderstand pervert the Scripturs by holding forth the mind of God in unwarrantable Expressions and words which Mans Wisdome teacheth Therefore the Apostle said If any consent not to the wholsom words of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. and to the Doctrine which is according to Godlinesse he is puffed up and knoweth nothing but doteth about Questions and strife of words whereof cometh Envy strife railing evil surmising and vain Disputation of men of corrupt minde and destitute of the Truth And assuredly there is much in that Exhortation of the Apostle unto Timothy 2 Tim. 1.13 keep the true Pattern of the wholsome words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love For When Satan hath brought any into this Snare when men will not read the Scriptures that they may be able to understand the language of the holy Ghost then he Satan sendeth them to buy their knowledge at the shop of humane learning and teacheth them this Principle that is That humanity is a helpe to Divinity that Grammer causeth men to write and speake of the things of God congruously that Logick inableth men to finde out the Truths of Divinitie and to reason the more â—blie that Philosophy directeth them to the reason and Cause of things and that by the force of Rhetorick men may more excellently utter and expresse themselves when they speake of Scriptural and divine Mysteries And hereupon they will tell you it was that Isaiah a learned man wrote a more excellent Stile then the rest of the Prophets and Paul who was bred at the feet of Gamaliel was more eloquent and delivered himselfe in better Language then the rest of the Apostles Being brought into this Snare they vilifie and reproach the Scriptures and say that they are darke obscure and imperfect in themselves and therefore it is necessary that men should look upon them by the Candle of humane learning Hereby Satan taketh them off from the study of the Scriptures and setteth them upon the Search of the Knotty schoole-men the contradictory Counsels nay hereby he directeth them to heathen Poets Ethnick Philosophers and fabulous Moralists to finde among their writings what the mind of God should be concerning this or that Scripture Hereupon the world hath been filled with many larg volums of vain and unprofitable Disputations and Controversies Hereby many have been a long time learning but never have come to the knowledge of the Truth And hereby many heresies have arisen and the Scriptures have been wrested into as many formes as there are Notions or varieties of opinions among men to the delusion of some but utter destruction and irreparable and irrecoverable Losse of others And thus much shall suffice to have been written concerning the first Snare which Satan doth lay to intrap and insnare many deluded and onely formal professors of Christianity and if it were possible to deceive the very Elect. For Satan knoweth if the foundation be taken away the building must of necessity fall if the Eye be put out the whole body must be darke and if he can deprive men of light they must walke in darknesse and stumble and fall The second Snare that Satan layeth for those that professe Christianity is by his seducements to cause them to give heed to Dreames and visions And this Satan doth by moving them to apply those Scriptures which promise that men shall Dreame Dreams to their present Generation When men in these Times will desire of the Lord those things which he hath declared shall not come to passe until after Ages it is just with him to give power unto Satan to delude such by Dreames and visions These things are not to be expected in and during the time of the Kingdome of Satan If the Lord denied S. to appear unto his people the
Jewes because Evils were in the Land shall we who are Gentiles and live in the time of Satans Kingdome and in mystical Babylon where all evil doth abound and is committed with an high hand look for such appearances certainly we should deceive our selves if we do so For the Lord will give unto his people during the Reign of Satan and while such Iniquities are committed Night for a vision and Darknesse for a Divination the Sun shall go down upon their Prophets and the Day shall be darke over them But for full Satisfaction in this thing that is to know the time wherein the Lord will manifest himself unto his people by Dreames and Visions there is one plain Scripture upon which many others are grounded that will direct us herein We shall finde it in the Prophesie of Joel Joel 21. to 28. where the Lord saith He will do great things for his People then the Children of Israel shall rejoyce in their God He will give them the Raine of Righteousnesse then their Barnes shall be full of wheat and the Presses shall abound with wine and oyle and they shall never be ashamed AFTERWARDS the Lord will powre out his spirit upon all flesh and their Sons and their Daughters shall prophesie and their old men shall DREAME DREAMES and their young men shall see VISIONS So that we are not to looke for the powring out of the Spirit as the Prophet hath foretold nor Revelations by dreames and visions until the Promise be fulfilled to the Jewes and the Saints be delivered out of Babylon When the Lord delivered the Jews into the hands of the King of Babel Jer. 27 9. 28.8 he told them that they should be subject to him Seventy years yet there were some who did promise great things unto them before that time but the Lord said Heare not your Prophets nor your Soothsayers nor your DREAMERS nor your Inchanters nor your Sorcerers which say unto you you shall not serve the King of Babel Let not your Prophets and Soothsayers which are among you deceive you neither give Eare to your Dreames which you Dreame for they Prophesie a Lye in my Name I have not sent them So I may say the people and Sheep of the Lord are now in mystical Babylon where the Lord hath appointed they shall remain and continue in a scattered Condition until their Shepherd come and gather them and whosoever they are that pretend that the Lord hath by DREAMES and visions made known unto them that those things which he hath foreshewn by the Scriptures should not come to passe until the next Coming of Christ shall be accomplished before that time in our Age and Generation they are not to be beleeved For by such means Satan seduceth the world that is he doth reveal unto many by Dreames and visions those things which the Lord by his Prophets hath spoken should come to passe that they who waite for such Promises may the more easily be deceived But this is his Design he deceiveth them in a Circumstance of Time Places and Persons and by such Dreames and visions keepeth them from searching the Scripture that thereby they may acquaint themselves with the Lords Time This worke Satan doth effect by taking Advantage of a Disposition which is in the Saints and which is naturally in all men viz to give Credit and easie beleefe unto any who will promise those things which they desire and would have come to passe And by this meanes Satan deceiveth both the Dreamers and those that give Credit unto them This was not the practice of the Apostle Saint Paul for he spake not as they who Please men 1 Thes 2.4 5. but God Neither did he use flattering words Another Policy of Satan is to reveale by Dreames and visions many things which have and will come to passe For when any can say I had such and such a thing discovered unto me by a Dreame or a vision and I spake of it long before it was fulfilled and afterwards accordingly it came to passe this doth perswade those that hear of such Dreames that all other things which they afterwards Dreame of will undoubtedly come to passe This is a way by which Satan hath wrought in these Times I will instance in one Foster who was reported of by those who very well knew him to be a great Professor a man of able Gifts upon whom it pleased the Lord to let Satan loose and in January 1650. Satan assaulted him thus I am the Lord of Hosts the holy one of Israel I am come unto thee Then many visions were shewed unto him which since came to passe As the dissolving the Parliaments and other things But Satan deceived him as to times and Persons Many times he was cast into Rapturs and Trances during which Time he sang Hallalujahs and Praises prophetically repeating many things which are written in the Scriptures of the coming of Christ and the Destruction of his Enemies The vanities of these and many other his visions Time hath already discovered Therefore we should be wary how we give Credit unto such Spirits although they foreshew such things as do accordingly come to passe The wayes by which Satan doth effect this that is by which he draweth men in this Age to give heed unto Dreams and visions is first by taking men off from the Rule of the Word perswading them or Rather by his cunning Suggestions tempting them to try the Word by the Spirit of these Dreamers but not to try their Spirits by the Rule of the Word Job 1.6 2.1 Secondly by causing them when they Pray to pray amisse For it is certain that the Saints do never solemnly set themselves apart to Pray but Satan is at their Right-hand He is an invisible Enemy and therefore my beloved friends take it not ill if I acquaint you with his Deceivings Nay if the Sons of God do but assemble together he will be among them The Sons of God whether Angels or Saints for both are the Sons of God And Satan will be among them you may be assured not as an Idle Spectator but as an accuser Rev. 12.10 The time of prayer is the time of Satans Temptation especially when the Saints at extraordinary times meet to Pray together We finde it was thus with Jehosua for when he stood before the Angel of the Lord most probably when he prayed to Christ for the Church and the welfare of the Saints Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zach. 3.1 Thirdly Satan doth seeke to insnare the Saints when he doth indeavour to perswade them to look upon these Dreamers as infallible Guides And thus Satan doth stir them up to Reason with themselves some things they have dreamed which have come to passe which things are declared in the word therefore they are of God they who Dream these Dreames are People that fear God they have eminent Gifts they could not do such things if they were not acted
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