accompany it is a sad step to a desperate neglect of duty and a carelesness in sinning in that it insensibly introduceth Atheistical impressions upon the hearts of Men and such are apt to catch hold even upon good Men who are but too ready to say as David I have cleansed my hands in vain Fourthly Satan hath yet another piece of Policy for the multiplication and aggravation of Sin which is the enmity and opposition of the Law Of this the Apostle Paul sadly complains from his own experience Rom. 7. 8. Sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence What he laments is this that such is the perversness of our natures that the Law instead of restraining us doth the more enrage us so that accidentally the Law doth multiply Sin for when the restraint of the Law is before us Lust burns not only more inwardly but when it cannot be kept in and smothered then it breaks out with greater violence Let us break their bonds asunder c. When the Law condemns our Lusts they grow surly and desperate Let us eat and drink for to morrow we die c. If any wonder that the Law which was given of purpose to repress Sin and which is of so great use in its authority to kill it in us and to hinder Temptations should thus be used by Satan to encrease and enrage it they may consider that 't is but still an accidental occasion and not a cause and Sin takes this occasion without any fault of the Law Satan to this end watcheth the time when our hearts are most earnestly set upon our Lusts when our desires are most highly engaged and then by a subtile Art so opposeth the Law letting in it's contradictions in way and measure sutable that our hearts conceive a grudge at restraint which together with its earnestness to satisfy the Flesh ariseth up to a furious madness and violent striving to maintain a liberty and freedom to do according to the desires of their heart whereas this same Law if it be applyed to the heart when 't is more cooled and not so highly engaged upon a design of Lust will break terrify and restrain the heart and put such a damp upon Temptations that they shall not be able to stand before it So great a difference is there in the various seasons of the application of this Law in which Art for the enflaming of the heart to iniquity Satan shews a wonderful dexterity CHAP. XV. Of Satan's keeping all in quiet which is his second Engine for keeping his Possession and for that purpose his keeping us from going to the Light by several subtilties also of making us rise up against the Light and by what wayes he doth that SAtan's next Engine for the maintaining his Possession is to keep all in quiet which our Saviour notes Luk. 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace He urgeth this against those that objected to him that he cast out Devils by Belzebub which calumny he confuteth by shewing the inconsistency of that with Satan's Principles and Design it being a thing sufficiently known and universally practised that no man will disturb or dispute against his own peaceable Possession neither can it be supposed Satan will do it because he acts by this common Rule of keeping down and hindring any thing that may disquiet breach of Peace is hazardous to a Possession an uneasie Government occasions mutinies and revolts of Subjects yet we might think that the wages of Sin the light and power of Conscience considered it were no easie task for the Devil to rule his Slaves with so much quiet as 't is observed he doth his skill in this particular and the way of managing his interest for such an end we may clearly see in Jo. 3. 20. Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved From which place we may observe 1 The great thing that doth disquiet Satan's Possession is Light 2 The reason of that disquietment is the discovery that Light makes and the shame that follows that discovery 3 The way to prevent that Light and the reproof of it is to avoid coming to it and where it cannot be avoided to hate it 'T is Satan's business then for keeping all in peace 1 To keep us from the Light or if that cannot be then 2 To make us rise up against it I shall make enquiry after both these projects of the Devil To keep us from coming to the Light he useth a great many subtilties as First for his own part he forbears to do any thing that might discompose or affright entangled Souls at other times and in other cases he loves to torment and affright them to cause their Wounds to stink and corrupt but in this case he takes a contrary course he keeps off as much as may be all reflections of Conscience he conceals the evil and danger of Sin he sings them asleep in their folly till a dart strike through their liver and hastens them to the snare as a bird that knoweth not that it is for his life They that shall consider that the heart of a sinner is hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin and that the greatest part of the affrightment that molests the consciences of such is from Satan's fury and malice they will easily conceive how much his single forbearance to molest may contribute to the peace and ease of those that are setled upon their lees but besides his forbearance we may expect that what ever clouds or darkness he can raise to exclude the Light or to muffle the eyes he will not be negligent in the use of that power whatever he can positively do in the raising up the confidence of presumption or security in the Minds of Men what ever he can do to make them sottish or careless that shall not be wanting Secondly he shews no less skill and diligence by secret contrivances to hinder occasions of reproof and discovery how much he can practise upon others that out of pity and compassion to the Souls of Men are ready to draw a sinner from the errour of his way and to save a Soul from death We can scarce imagine what ways he hath to divert and hinder them by what private discouragements he doth defer them who can tell He that could dispute with the Angel about the body of Moses to prevent the secret interment of it he that could give a stop of One and twenty days to the Angel that was to bring the comfortable Message to Daniel of the hearing of his Prayers may more easily obstruct and oppose the designs of a faithful reprover Some time he doth this by visible means and instruments stirring up the Spirits of wicked men to give opposition to such as seek to deliver their Souls from the blood of men by faithful warnings or exhortations The Devil was so
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
wrought out to us by the Scripture and its Ordinances Faith which is our Shield and Hope which is our Helmet they neither of them act without the warrant and encouragement of it and whereas other parts of the Armour are defensive this of the Scripture is compared to the Sword which not only defends but also offends and beats back the Enemy If the matter be seriously considered all these parts of Armour are but these two the Graces of the Spirit Faith Hope Patience in their sincere exercise and the word of Scripture as the Instrument by and in which they shew their Operations so that all this Armour being put to use in every particular Temptation it amounts to no more than this we are speaking of viz. That sinful Motions are to be rejected by a believing sincerely resolute opposing of them with Arguments from the Word of God Thirdly Scripture as it is the Word and Command of the great King of Heaven hath a dâ—â—nting and commanding Authority over the Consciences of Men. Where the Word of a King is there is Power Eccles 8. 4. and such is the Majesty of a Divine Law that it hath Power over the Consciences of those that are yet in their Sins and can wound affright constrain and bind even the Rebellious so that so long as they retain any of their Natural Impressions of a Divine Power they have some awe for his Commands which may be seen and argued where it would be least expected from the enragement of the Hearts of Sinners when Sin by the Commandment accidentally becomes exceeding sinful For as that outragious fierceness doth arise from the contrariety that is betwixt a Carnal Heart and a Spiritual Law so that contrariety would never work if the Authority of that Law having a Power to restrain and give check to the corruption of the Heart were not some way owned by the Conscience for where no countermanding Law is owned there can be no irritating provoking restraint This it can do to the vilest of Men but of how much more Power may we imagine the Word to be with good Men whose Hearts tremble at the Word when they bind the Law upon their Heart and charge their Consciences with it 't is surely quick and powerful sharper than a two edged Sword nor doth it only by unlovely affrightments terrify them from Sin but by commanding Duty make the Heart in love with it so that it becomes a delightful satisfaction to be preserved from the Snare Fourthly There is no Argument that can be used against Temptations that can be more afflictively discouraging to Satan Satan as bad as he is cannot but believe those Truths which he knows and he knows that there are many Truths in Scripture which respect him as threatnings of Punishment and Divine Vengeance he believes these things and trembles Jam. 2. 19. His unavoidable knowledg or remembrance of these things begets horrour in him he cannot but be under a dread of these Truths What can be supposed so to wound him as the bringing these things to memory by urging the Command of God against him Dr. Arrowsmith gives two instances of this kind the one of Christopher Haas in Sweedland from the Epistle Dedicatory to the 5 tomes of Brentius's works The other of Daniel Cramer Rector of a School at Stetin in Germany on both which the Devil made a bold attempt in a personal Appearance from the first demanding a Catalogue of his Sins in Writing from the other demanding a Paper in which one of the Students had obliged himself to Satan's Service they both referred him to that Text of Gen. 3. 15. The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Head of the Serpent And this was retorted upon him with such a strong exercise of Faith that he presently desisted the suit and vanished Fifthly This Weapon cannot easily be wrested out of our hands When we urge a Divine Prohibition against a Temptation what can he say in Answer he cannot deny it to be the Word of God or to be true or that we are not obliged to it he made none of these returns to Christ but by his silence owned that it was God's Holy Command obliging us to Duty Neither dares he stand upon these exceptions to us except he find our Faith inclined to waver or our minds weak and wounded by inward troubles of Spirit and when he puts on a boldness to deny Scripture to be the Word of God or that it signifies God's real intendments in his threatning for by begetting unbelief of the Truth of Scripture and by suggesting hopes of escape and pardon notwithstanding the violation of the Commands of it the wrests when he doth prevail this Weapon out of our hands yet he is forced to fetch a compass and by many previous insinuations to make his way to these atheistical assertions Thus he did with Eve first finding her a little inclinaable he dropt in privily something that might argue the Improbability of the threatned Penalty and then at last positively denyed it But now if we hold to this that the Command is true and holy and just and good he cannot wrest our plea from us Sixthly Nothing doth more undermine Temptations by rendring the reasons and motives thereof vain and empty than doth the contrary commands of Scripture Temptation hath always some inticement of pleasure or profit and these only seem to be taking or reasonable while we consider not the Word of God as rotten wood or Fish shine only in the dark but when we are urged with sinful pleasures how mean base dangerous and unlovely be they when the command to the contrary gives information that they are snares and lead to Death or the provocation of the Almighty Seventhly While we resist with Scripture-Arguments we engage God whose Command we would stand by to go down to the Battel with us we lay hold upon his strength and put obligations upon him to take us out of the snare and to deliver us from him who is too strong for us Fourthly It remains that in a word I shew how the Commands or Arguments of Scripture are to be used in resisting Satan which is thus When you have any sinful thought cast into your mind presently reject the offer by charging your heart with duty from some opposite command As if you be urged to acts of Uncleanness presently refuse thus No I must not God hath commanded the contrary he hath said thou shalt not commit Adultery If a covetous thought arise reject it with this God hath said thou shalt not Covet If you be tempted to please the Flesh and follow vain delights answer it with this If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die and the like must be done in other Temptations Some may perhaps think that this is easy work and quickly done and that it seems to attribute a Virtue and Power to the words of Scripture as if Satan were charmed by the language or phrase However
The Light of their own Experience of the vileness and odiousness of Sin they know what an evil and bitter thing it is 2. They have a more full discovery of God which will make them abhor themselves in dust and ashes 3. They have the advantage of a new Heart the Law of the Spirit of Life making them free from the Law of Sin and Death 4. They have also the help and assistance of the Spirit in its Motions Suggestions and Teachings 5. They fortifie themselves with the strongest Resolutions not to give way to Sin Notwithstanding all these 'T is too true that both Regenerate and Unregenerate Men do sin The reason whereof cannot be given from any other account than what we have asserted to wit they are some way or other deluded or deceived some Curtain is drawn 'twixt them and the Light some Fallacy or other is put upon the Understanding some way or other the Will is bribed or byassed there is treachery in the case for 't is unimaginable that a Man in any act of Sin should offer a plain open and direct violence to his own Nature and Faculties so that the whole business is here Evil is presented under the notion of God and to make this out some considerations of pleasure or profit do bribe the Will and give false light to the Understanding Hence is it that in every act of Sin Men by complyance with Satan are said to deceive or to put tricks and fallacies upon themselves Fifthly All kinds of Subtilty are in Scripture directly charged upon Satan and in the highest degrees Sometime under the notion of Logical fallacies those sleights which Disputants in arguing put upon their Antagonists Of this import is that expression 2 Cor. 2. 11. We are not ignorant of his Devices where the word in the Original is borrowed from the Sophistical reasonings of Disputants Sometime 't is expressed in the similitude of Political deceits as the Scripture gives him the title of a Prince so doth it mark out his Policies in the management of his Kingdom Rev. 12. 7. expressly calling them Deceits and comparing him to a Dragon or Serpent for his subtilty Sometime he is represented as a Warriour Rev. 12. 17. The Dragon was wroth and went to make War c. and here are his Warlike Stratagems pointed at Mention is made 2 Tim. 2. 26. of his Snares and the taking of Men alive or Captive directly alluding to Warlike proceedings The subtile proceedings of Arts and Craft are charged on him and his Instruments Men are said to be enticed Jam. 1. as Fish or Fowl by a Bait Others deluded as by Cheaters in false Gaming Eph. 4. 14. By the sleight of Men and the cunning craft of those that ly in wait to deceive The over-reaching of Merchants or crafty Tradesmen is alluded to in 2 Cor. 2. 11. All these sleights are in Satan in their highest perfection and accomplishment He can transform himself into an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. where he hath an occasion for it In a word all deceiveableness of unrighteousness is in him 2 Thess 2. 10. So that a general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dexterity and ability for all kind of subtile Contrivances is ascribed to him 2 Cor. 11. 3. and that in his very first essay upon Eve when the Serpent deceived her thorow subtilty so that whatsoever Malice can suggest or Wit and Art contrive for Delusion or whatsoever Diligence can practise or Cruelty execute all that must be imagined to be in Satan Sixthly All this might be futher proved by Instances What Temptation can be named wherein Satan hath not acted as a Serpent who can imagine the cunning that Satan used with David in the matter of Vriah How easily he got him to the roof of the house in order to the Object to be presented to him How he directs his Eye wrought upon his Passions suggested the Thought contrived the Conveniencies What Art must there be to bring a darkness into David's mind a forgetfulness of God's Law a fearlesness of his displeasure and a neglect of his own danger surely it was no small matter that could blind David's Eye or besot his Heart to so great a Wickedness But above all Instances let us take into consideration that of Eve in the first transgression wherein many things may be observed as first That he chose the Serpent for his Instrument wherein though we are ignorant of the depth of his design yet that he had a design in it of subtilty in reference to what he was about to suggest is plain from the Text Now the Serpent was more subtile then any Beast of the field it had been needless and impertinent to have noted the Serpents subtilty as Satans Agent if he had not chosen it upon that score as advantageous for his purpose 2. He set upon the weaker Vessel the Woman and yet such as once gained he knew was likely enough to prevail with the Man which fell out accordingly 3. Some think he took the advantage of her Husbands absence which is probable if we consider that 't is unlikely that Adam should not interpose in the discourse if he had been present 4. He took the advantage of the Object It appears she was within sight of the Tree She saw that it was good for food and pleasant to the Eyes thus he made the Object plead for him 5. He falls not directly upon what he intended lest that should have scared her off but fetcheth a compass and enters upon the business by an enquiry of the affairs as if he intended not hurt 6. He so enquires of the matter Hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden as if he made a question of the reality of the Command and his words were so ordered that they might cast some doubt hereof into her mind 7. He under a pretence of asserting God's Liberality secretly undermines the threatning as if he had said Is it possible that so bountiful a Creator should deny the liberty of eating of any tree to what purpose was it made if it might not be tasted 8. When he finds that by these Arts he had gained a little ground and brought her to some kind of questioning of the reality of the threatning for she seems to extenuate it in saying lest we die he grows more bold to speak out his mind and plainly to annihilate the threatning Ye shall not die this he durst not do till he had gained in her mind a wavering suspition that possibly God was not in good earnest in that prohibition 9. Then he begins to urge the conveniency and excellency of the Fruit by equivocating upon the name of the Tree which he tells her could make them knowing as Gods 10. He reflects upon God as prohibiting this out of envy and ill-will to them 11. In all this there is not a word of the danger but impunity and advantage promised 12.
Herodias and this gives just ground of complaint against the generality of Sinners Ye return but not to me not with your whole hearts have ye fasted to me have ye mourned to me they come and sit as my people but their hearts are after their covetousness Thirdly Satan hath yet another wile by which he would cheat men into a belief that he is cast out of the heart and this is a subtile way that he hath to exchange Temptations How weak and childish are Sinners that suffer themselves thus to be abused When they grow sick and weary of a Sin if the Devil take that from them and lay in the room of it another as bad or the same again only a little changed and altered they please themselves that they have vomited up the first but consider not that they have received into their embracement another as bad or worse Concerning this exchange we may note two things First That sometimes he atteins his end by exchanging one heinous Sin for another as hainous only not so much out of fashion As the customs and times and places give laws and rules for Fashions according to which the decencies or indecencies of Garbs and Garments are determined so is it sometimes with Sin Men and Countries have their darling Sins Times and Ages also have their peculiar Iniquities which in the judgment of Sinners do cloath them with a fitness and suitableness Sometimes Men grow weary of Sins because they are every where spoken against because Men point at them with the finger the Devil in this case is ready to change with them Drunkenness hath in some Ages and Places carried a brand of Infamy in its forehead so hath Uncleanness and other Sins when Sinners cannot practise these with credit and reputation then they please themselves with an alteration he that was a Drunkard is now it may be grown ambitious and boasting he that was Covetous is become a prodigal or profuse Waster the heart is as vain and sottish as before only their Lusts are let out another way and run in another channel Sometimes Lusts are changed also with the change of Mens condition in the World Poverty and Plenty a private and a publick Station have their peculiar Sins he that of poor is made rich leaves his Sins of Distrust Envy or Deceitful Dealing and follows the Byas of his present state to other wickednesses equally remarkable and yet may be so blinded as to apprehend that Satan is departed from him Secondly We may observe that Satan exchangeth Sins with Men in such a secret private manner that the change is not easily discovered and by this shift he casts a greater mist before the Eyes of Men thus he exchanged open Prophaness into secret Sins Filthiness of the flesh into filthiness of the Spirit Men seem to reform their gross Impieties abstaining from Drunkenness Swearing Adulteries and then it may be they are taken up with Spiritual pride and their hearts are puffed up with high conceits of themselves their gifts and attainments or they are entangled with error and spend their time in doting about Questions that engender strife rather than edifying or they are taken up with Hypocrisies thus the Pharisees left their open iniquities washing the out-side of the Cup and Platter and instead of these indeavoured to varnish and paint themselves over so that in all this change they were but as Graves that appeared not Or they acquiess in Formality and the outwards of Religion like that proud Boaster Lord I thank thee I am not as other Men are c. In all these things the Devil seems cast out and Men reformed when indeed he may continue his Possession only he lurks and hides himself under the stuff These wayes of Sinning are but finer poysons which though not so nauseous to the stomack nor so quick in their dispatch yet may be as surely and certainly deadly such fly from the Iron Weapon and a Bow of Steel strikes them through Having thus explained the three wayes by which Satan pretends to depart from Men I must next shew his Design in making such a pretence of forsaking his Habitation First That all this is done by him only upon Defign may be easily concluded from several things hinted to us in the fore-cited place of Luk. 11. As 1 he doth not say that the Devil is cast out as if there were a force upon him but that he goeth out 't is of choice a voluntary departure 2 That his going out in this sense is notwithstanding irkesome and troublesome to him The Heart of Man as one observes is a Palace in his estimation and dispossession though upon Design is as a Desart to him that affords him little ease or rest 3 That his going out is not a quitting of his Interest he calls it his House still I will return to my house saith he 4 He takes care in going out to lock the door that it may not be taken up with better Guests he keeps it empty and tenantable for himself he tempts still though not so visibly and strives to suppress such good Thoughts and Motions as he fears may quite out him of his Possession 5 He goes out cum animo revertendi with a purpose of returning 6 His Secession is so dexterously and advantagiously managed that he finds an easie admittance at his return and his Possession confirmed and enlarged They enter in and dwell there Secondly The advantages that he designes by this Policy are these chiefly 1 By this means Men are dangerously confirmed in their securities Thus the Pharisee blessed himself Lord I thank thee c. They please themselves with this supposition that the Devil is cast out and upon this they cease their War and Watchfulness As Saul when he heard that David had escaped went not out to seek after him so these trouble not themselves any further to enquire Satan's haunts in their Hearts thus he sits securely within whilst they think he is fled from them 2 By this means also he fits Men as Instruments to serve his turn in other works of his he must have in some cases handsom tools to work withal all Men are not fit Agents in Persecution either to credit it or to carry it through with vigour and zeal for this end he seems to go out of some that under a smoother and profession-like behaviour when they are stirred up to Persecute the rigour might seem just Thus devout and honourable Women were stirred up to Persecute Paul and Barnabas the Devil had gone out so far that they had gained the reputation of devout and then their Zeal would easily take fire for Persecution and withal put a respect and credit upon it for who would readily suspect that to be Evil or Satan's Design which is carryed on by such Instruments Besides if he at any time intends to blemish the good ways of God by the miscarriages of Professors he fetcheth his Arrow out of this
not kill If we may not murther another as Austin argues we may not murther our selves for he that kills himself kills no other then a Man nay we may much less lay hand upon our own Life 'T is a greater violation of the Law of Nature and of Love Every Man is nearest to himself and his love to himself is the Pattern of his love to another Self-Murther must then be a Sin of higher aggravations by far than the Murther of another Person And the wiser Heathens were far from countenancing any such cruelty If Plato had thought it best for an immediate enjoyment of Immortality which is the highest pretence of Self-Murther imaginable to make an end of Life violently he would certainly have practised it himself or recommended it to others but he is so far from this that he speaks against it as a great wickedness Thirdly 'T is necessary that Men keep in mind the Danger that follows such an act Death brings God's unalterable Mittimus and seals up the Condition of every Man so that in the same posture he comes to Judgment it puts an end to all Hopes and endeavours Suppose then such tempted Creatures to have Fears and Terrors as great as you can imagine them to be yet there is a possibility that they may be deceived in them that their case is not so bad as they fear or if it be bad enough at present that it may be better afterwards for many that have in their anguish resolved against themselves have been prevented of the Execution of their resolves and have lived to see the Lord and his Salvation And who is able to determine that secret that their name is not in the Book of Life Who can say he is certainly excluded out of God's Decree What madness is it then to rush into certain ruine when our Fears that distress us may be but mistakes It is not so certain that Men shall be damned because of what they feel or fear at present as it may be if they destroy themselves Fourthly To prevent occasions to this Temptation it must be our care not to give way to discontents for outward things nor to distressing fears such as are desparing and hopeless for our Spiritual Estate or if we have a burthen either way upon our Mind we must avoid as much as may be impatient fretfulness lest Satan get advantage of us Discontented Moods and casting away Hope are sad occasions for this Temptation If we find our selves thus burthened we must look to it betimes and not suffer it to go too far And if this Temptation come we must take heed we keep not the Devils Counsel but discover the matter to some that are wise and faithful able to advise and pray for us remembring still that if only outward things trouble us we have a better way of ease and Remedy by submitting to a chastising Providence if Spiritual Troubles move this way we should not run from him but rather resolve to perish at his Foot as humble Suppliants for Mercy and Pardon Fifthly The Temptation must also be opposed with Fasting and Prayer if this be sincerely practised it will go away at last Sixthly Something may also be said for caution against unnecessary thrusting our selves while under such Temptations into places of Danger or into a converse with Instruments of Death this may be too great a daring of the Temptation and in the consequence a mischief Yet on the other hand we must not be so cowardly as to be affraid of such Places and Things unto which our Callings and lawful employments do engage us not to dare to go over a Bridg or to walk by a River or a Pit if it be our necessary way is but to give an advantage to Satan to keep us under continual affrightments and therefore I subscribe to Capels advice We must abide by it and fight it out by Faith we must not fly the way the place the imployment but go on and look to God and at last we shall make Satan fly But if some object to this That their weakness is great and their fears are strong and Satan never idle and that therefore they have little ground to expect an escape I shall desire they would consider seriously the Instance of Christ in this particular when he was upon the Pinacle of the Temple a small push might have overthrown him and yet it was not in Satans power to do it himself though he tempted Christ to cast himself down which may sufficiently satisfy us that there is a sure hedg of Providence about us and that Satan cannot do us the least hurt by pushing us into a Pit or River or any such danger CHAP. XVI 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 THe aims of Satan in this Temptation being thus explained I must now offer to your consideration the Means by which he sought to bring his End about which we have noted already was Pride this he endeavoured to raise up in him two ways First By urging to him the Priviledges of his Condition as taking himself to be the Son of God Secondly By offering him the occasion of Popular Applause to which purpose he brought him into the Holy-City where he might be sure of many Spectators I shall hence note That Pride is Satan's proper Engine to bring Men on to Presumption If we should trace the History of presumptuous Sins we shall ever find it to have been so Adam's first Sin was an high Presumption against God's express Command but Pride was the Stair by which he knew they must ascend to it and therefore he used this Argument to corrupt the Hearts of our first Parents Ye shall be as God's The Presumption of Vzziah in burning Incense upon the Altar was from his Pride 2 Chron. 26. 16. His Heart was lifted up because he was become strong David's Presumption in numbring the People was from hence thus might we run through many Instances But Satan's own case may be instead of all his first Sin though we have but conjecture what it was particularly is concluded by all to have been highly Presumptuous and the Scripture expresly asserts that it was his Pride that brought him to it 1 Tim. 3. 6. He that is lifted up with Pride falls into the Condemnation of the Devil And in the general we are told by the Prophet Hab. 2. 4. That the Soul that is lifted up cannot be so upright as patiently to wait upon God in a way of believing but it will be presuming to evade a trouble by indirect contrivances To explain the Observation I shall do no more but shew what Pride is and how fit it is to beget Presumption Pride is a self-idolizing an over-valuation or admiration of our selves upon a real or
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
Deut. 6. 6. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine Heart and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine Eyes c. Whether the later part of the Command is to be understood literally as the Jews apprehended and practised though some think otherwise is not necessary to be asserted seeing 't is granted by all that they were to have the Commands of the Law so ready in their Minds and Memories as if they had been written on their Hands and upon their Foreheads That God designed this precept for the resistance of Sin and Temptation cannot be doubted and that the advantage which might hence arise to them was not only the information of their Minds in point of Sin and Duty is as unavoidable for that and more is intended by that part of the Injunction These words which I command thee shall be in thine Heart but when besides this information which the knowledg of the Law would afford them and their humble complyance with it as just and good which would enable them to say Thy Law O Lord is within my Heart he further enjoyns them the quick and ready remembrances of these Laws as if they were frontlets between their Eyes and signs on their Hands it can signify no less than this that in so doing they would be able to resist those Motions by which Satan would seek to engage them to the violation of these Commands Neither need we to doubt hereof when Christ himself hath so fully taught us by his own Example in resisting Temptations the particular use of the remembrance of the Law In the New Testament the Apostle is most express in this matter Eph. 6. 17. Take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God where not only the use of Scripture-Commands and Promises against Satan's Suggestions is taught but also the high avail and potency of this Weapon in reference to its end 't is called a Sword and in that comparison it shews the active resistance which may be made by it and 't is called not a Sword of Flesh for the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but of the Spirit to shew how mighty it is in repelling Satan Secondly Another Evidence of its usefulness is from the success which the Children of God have had in the right management of this Weapon 'T is observable that while Christ answered by Scripture Satan was silenced and had not what to reply to the Answer but was forced to betake himself to a new Temptation David in many places highly magnifies the Power of the Command in the success he had by it Psal 17. 4. He shews how available it was to preserve him in his common converse from the sinful Snares laid before him concerning the works of Men by the word of thy Lips I have kept me from the Paths of the destroyer In Psal 18. 22 23. he tells us that he was shielded from the Sins of his inclination and love which are hardest to prevent by the opposition that he gave to the Motions of them in setting up the Statutes of God against them All his Judgments were before me and I did not put away his Statutes from me I was also upright before him and I kept myself from mine Iniquity In Psal 119. 11. He puts his Probatum est upon the Head of this Receit and speaks of it as his constant refuge Thy Word have I hid in my Heart that I might not sin against thee In Psal 37. 31. He speaks of it as a tryed case of common experience to all the Children of God The Law of God is in his Heart none of his steps shall slide I shall add to this the Experience of Luther When saith he the Motions of the Flesh do rage the only remedy is to take the Sword of the Spirit that is the Word of Salvation and to fight against them of this I my self have good experience I have suffered many great passions and vehement but so soon as I laid hold of any place of Scripture and stay'd my self upon it as upon an Anchor straightway my Temptations did vanish away which without the Word had been impossible for me to endure though but a little space much less to overcome Thirdly The Excellency of this remedy will further appear from these following reasons First In that it is an Vniversal Remedy there can be no Temptation either of seducement or of affrightment but the Scripture will afford a suitable Promise or Command to repel it So that it like the Flaming Sword in the Cherubims hand at Paradise turns every way to guard the Soul I need not give instances of its Power against sinful Motions having done that already and of such Temptations which war against the peace of the Soul I need but say this in the general that as the Nature of such Temptations is to disguise God and to render him dreadful to us in the appearances of Wrath and incompassionate Implacableness and this Luther sets down as a certain rule So have we in Scripture such declarations of the Mind and tender Inclinations of God and such full and clear Promises to assure us of this and those so adapted to every case to every kind of hard thought which we might take up against him that we may find enough in them to break all those malicious misrepresentations of Satan and to keep up in our Mind right thoughts of God which if we will adhere to not suffering such Promises to be wrested out of our hands nor our Hearts to give way to malignant impressions of Cruelty Revenge or Unmercifulness in God though we be cast into Darkness into the Deeps we may find some Bottom on which to fix such beginnings of Hope as may at last grow up to a Spirit of rejoicing in God our Saviour and in this case when our Heart and Satan dictate to us that God is our Enemy we ought as it were to shut our Eyes to refuse to hearken to our own Sense and Feeling and to follow the Word but if we once give up the word of Promise 't is impossible the wound of Conscience should be healed with any other consideration Secondly This Remedy is comprehensive of most other Remedies against Satan's Temptations In Eph. 6. There are several other peices of Spiritual Armour recommended and yet there is such a manifest mutual respect betwixt this and those that any may conclude that however they be distinguished in their Names yet they are conjoyned in their Operation the Girdle so far as it relates to truth of Judgment and Opinion depends on the word of Scripture for Information the Shoes which are defensive resolves to walk with a steedy Foot in the ways of Religion notwithstanding the hardships that attend Holiness are prepared to us by the comfortable and peace-bringing Promises of the Gospel the Righteousness which is our Breast-Plate is only set forth and