CONVERTED MCHOL'S SERIES OF STANDARD DIVINES. PURITAN PERIOD. Wi'ith ^^iwral preface BY JOHN C. MILLEE, D.D., LINCOLN college; HONORARY CA2s'0N OF WORCESTER; RECTOR OF GREENWICH. DJIMONOLOGIA SACRA; A TEEATISE OF SATAN'S TEMPTATIONS. EICHAED GILPIN, M.D. COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXAKDER, D.D., Professor of Theolog}-, Congregational Union, Edinburgh. JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, Edinburgh. THOMAS J. CRAWFORD, D.D., S.T.P., Professor of Divinity, University, Edinburgh. D. T. K. DRUMMOND, M.A., Minister of St Thomas's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh. WILLIAM H. GOOLD, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Church History, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh. ANDREW THOMSON, D.D., Minister of Broughton Place United Presby- terian Church, Edinburgh. iSentral 42bitor. REV. THOMAS SMITH, D.D., Edinbubgd. tA- ir9Ji ^^^: f^^^ DiEMONOLOGU SACRA; A TREATISE OF SATAN'S TEMPTATIONS. IN THEEE PARTS EICHAED GILPIN, M.D., VICAR OF OBETSTOKE, CCMBEKLAND ; LATER OF NEWCASTLE-ON-TYSE. EDITED, WITH MEMOIK, BY THE REV. ALEXANDER BALLOCH GROSART, LIVERPOOL. EDINBURGH : JAMES NICHOL. LONPON : JAl^IES NISBET AND CO. DUBLIN : G. HERBERT. M.DCCC.LXVII. LOAN STACK CONTENTS. I. Prefatory Note, ..... II. Memoir of Dr Gilpin, ..... III. D^MONOLOGiA Sacra. To the Reader, ...... Chapter I. — The introduction to the text, from a consideration of the desperate ruin of the souls of men — The test opened, expressing Satan's ^llc5> power, cruelty, and diligence, Chapter II. — Of the ^aK^of Satan in particular — The grounds and causes of that"malice— The greatness of it proved; and instances of that greatness given, .... Chapter III. — Of Satan's power — His power as an angel con- sidered — That he lost not that power by^^^]^ly- His dwwg ^ as a devil — Of his commission — The extent of his authority — The efficacy of his power — The advantages which he hath for the management of it, from the number, order, place, and knowledge of devils, ..... Chapter IV. — That Satan hath a great measure of tknowl^dg ^ proved, by comparing him with the knowledge of Adam in innocency, and by his titles — Of his knowledge, natural, ex- perimental, and accessory — Of his knowledge of our thoughts — How far he doth not know them, and how far he doth, and by what means — Of Ms knowledge of things fiiture. and by what ways he doth conjecture them — The advantages in point of temptation that he hath by his knowledge. Chapter V. — Instances of Satan's power — Of ^ntchcraft i what it is — Satan's power argued from thence — Of pyoncTei^ r— Whether Satan can do miracles — An account of what he can do that way — His power argued from apparitions and possessions, . Chapter VI. — Of Satan's ^^Selt^ -Instances thereof in his deal- ing with wounded spirits in ordinary temptations of the wicked and godly, in persecutions, cruelties in worship — His cruel handling of his slaves, .... Chapter VII. — Of Satan's i ^igmg ^ in several instances — The question about the being of spirits and devils handled — The Sadducees' opinion discovered — The reality of spirits proved, /U7 o Chapter VIII. — Of Satan's cunning and craft in the gen eral — Several demonstrations proving Satan to be< geceitf iJ ; and of the reasons why he makes use of his cunning, Chapter IX. — Of Satan's deceits in particular — WhalQemptatijjrf is — Of tempting to sin — His first general rule— TEe"jcpn- sideration of our con dition — His second rule — Of pryvidinf f suitable temp tation s— In what cases he tempts us to things unsuitable to our inclinations — His third rule — The cautious pro posal of the temptation, and the several ways thereof — His fourth rule is to entice — The way thereof in the general, by bringing a darkness upon the mind through lust, . 58-G3 Chapter X. — That Satan enticeth by oun^^s^— The several ways by which he doth it — Of the power and danger of the violence of affections, ...... G3-68 Chapter XI. — Thaijiist)iarkeus the miud— Evidences thereof— ™-^Kj| • The five ways by which it doth blind men : (1.) By^;^^^- SLlS^ ■ 1 rtii^ the exercise of tfeits^ — The ways of that prevention : (T) Secrecy in tempting ; Satan's subtlety therein ; (2.) Sur- prisal ; (3.) Gradual entanglements, . . . G8-72 Chapter XII. — Of Satan's perverting our reason — His second J[" way of hJJnSnj^ — The possibility of this, and the manner of accomplishing it directly, several ways ; and indirectly, by the delights of sin, and by sophistical arguments ; with an account of them, ...... 72-76 Chapter XIII. — Of Satan's ^ diverting our rcasim being the third 3» way of blinding men — His policies for diverting our thoughts — His attempts to that purpose in a more direct manner ; with the j£grccs of that procedure — Of disturbing or ^^ 1» Exacting ou r '•piisrt^, which is Satuyls fourth way of blinoiiig 3r men — His deceits therein — Of g fecipitanc ^, Satan's fifth way of blinding men — Several deceits to bring men to that, . 77-83 l^u^i^^^jm^i^CHAPTEii XIV. — Of Satan's maintaining his possession — His first ne for that purpose is his finishing of sin, in its jeit^Rtj md aggravation — His policies herein, . . "^ . 83-86 Chapter XV. — Of Satan's ^e£jiifl£^lHgjj3et, which is his secon^ 3L ejjginejor keeping his possession, and for that purpose~Eis Tvceping us from going to the light by several subtleties ; also of making us rise up against the light, and by what ways he doth that, ....... 86-91 Chapter XVI. — Of Satan's tliird grnnd__p"1icy f"r maintaining his ^ possession ; which is his fei fflied-T} spa5HZ& : ( 1 .) By ceasing the prosecution of bis design ; and the cases in which he doth it — (2.) By abating the eagerness of pursuit; and how he doth that — (3.) By exchanging temptations ; and his policy therein — The advantage he seeks by seeming to fly — Of his fourth ^ §tojagegi_fur keeping his possession, which is his ^t]ii§lical arguings — His various pleas therein, . . . 100-118 Chapter XVIII. — Satan's second gr and desipju a gain,st di|tifi s is L to spoil them — (1.) In the manner of undertaking, and how he effects this — (2.) In the act or performance, by distracting outwardly and inwardly — His various ways therein, by vitiat- ing the duty itself— How he doth that— (3.) After perform- ance, the manner thereof, ..... 118-125 PART II. Chapter I. — That it is Satan's grand design to cornipt tl^f; n;|jnHa of men with €rro^ — The evidences that it is so — and the reasons of his endeavours that way, . . . 127-140 Chapter II. — Of the advantages which Satan hath, and useth, for the introduction of error — (1.) From his own power of spiritual fascination — That there is such a power, proved from Scripture, and from the effects of it — (2.) From our imper- fection of knowledge ; the particulars thereof explained — (3.) From the bias of the mind — What things do bias it, and the power of them to sway the understanding — (4.) From curiosity — (5.) From atheistical debauchery of conscience, . . 140-158 Chapter III. — Of Satan's improving these advantages for error — I. ^- By deluding: the under standin g directly : which he doth, (L) By countenancing error from Scripture — Of his cunning therein— (2.) By specious pretences of mysteries ; and what these are — Of personal flatteries — (3.) By affected expres- sions — Reason of their prevalency — (4.) By bold assertions — The reasons of that policy — (5.) By the excellency of the persons appearing for it, either for gifts or holiness — His method of managing that design — (6.) By pretended inspira- tion — (7.) By pretended miracles — His cunning herein — (8.) By peace and prosperity in ways of error — (9.) By lies against truth, and the professors of it, . . . . 158-189 Chapter IV. — Of Satan's second way of improving his advan- ■n- tages, which is by working upon the iinHprsLn.nding indirectly -'^' bxJjie affprtiinns.— This he doth, (1.) By a silent, insensible introduction of error — His method herein — (2.) By entangling the affections with the external garb of error, a gorgeous dress, or affected plainness — (3.) By fabulous imitations of truth — The design thereof — (4.) By accomodating truth to a compliance with parties that differ from it — Various instances Chapter X. — Of Satan's chief end in this temptation — His skill in making the means to sin plausible — The reasons of that policy, with his art therein — Men's ignorance his advantage — Of the difl'erences of things propounded to our use, . 355-359 Chapter XI. — Of the temptation to distrust upon the failure of ordmary means — Of the power of that temptation, and the reasons of its prevalency — Of unwarrantable attempts for relief, with the causes thereof — Of waiting on God, and keeping his way — In what cases a particular mercy is to be expected, ..... . 3G0-3G7 Chapter XII. — Of Satan's proceeding to infer distrust of son- ship from distrust of providences — Instances of the proba- bility of such a design — The reasons of this undertaking — Of Satan's endeavour to weaken the assurance and hopes of God's children — His general method to that purpose, 367-376 Chapter XIII. — The preparation to the second temptation — Of liis nimbleness to catch advantages from our answers to temptation — That Satan carried Christ in the air — Of his power to molest the bodies of God's children — How little the supposed hoUness of places privilegeth us from Satan — Of Satan's policy in seeming to countenance imaginary defences — Of his pretended flight in such cases, with the reasons of that policy — Of his improving a temptation to serve several ends, ..... 376-382 Chapter XIV. — That presumption was the chief design of this temptation — Of tempting to extremes — AVhat presumption is — The several ways of presuming — The frequency of this temptation, in the generality of professors, in hyijocritcs, in despairing persons, and in the children of God — The reasons of Satan's industry in this design — His deceitful contrivance in bringing about this sin — Preservatives against it, . 382-390 Chapter XV. — Self-murder, another of his designs in this temptation — How he tempts to self-murder dii-ectly, and upon what advantage he urgeth it — How he tempts to it indirectly, and the ways thereof — Of necessary preservatives against this temptation, ..... 390-306 Chapter XVI. — Of pride, Satan's chief engine to bring on pre- sumption — What pride is, and how it prepares men for sin- ning presumptuously — Considerations against pride — The remedies for its cure — Pride kindled by a confidence of privileges and popular applause, .... 397-401 Chapter XVII. — Of Satan's subtlety in urging that of Psalm xci. 11, 12, to Christ — Of his imitating the Spirit of God in various ways of teaching — Of his pretending Scripture to further temptation — The reasons of such pretendings, and the ends to which he doth abuse it — Of Satan's unfaithful- ness m managing of Scripture — Cautions against that deceit — The ways by which it may be discovered, . . 402-il5 CONTEXTS. XI Chapter XVIII. — The manner of Satan's shewing the kingdoms of the -world — Of Satan's preparations before the motion of sin — Of his confronting the Almighty by presumptuous imi- tation, and in what cases he doth so — Of his beautifying the objects of a temptation, and how he doth it — His way of engaging the affections by the senses— Of his seeming shyness, 4 1 5-423 Chapter XIX. — Satan's end in tempting Christ to fall down and worship him — Of blasphemous injections — What blasphemy is— The ways of Satan in that temptation, with the advan- tages he takes therein, and the reason of urging blasphemies upon men — Consolations to such as are concerned in such temptations^Advice to such as are so afflicted, . . 424-430 Chapter XX. — The nature of idolatry — Satan's design to corrupt the worship of God — The evidences thereof, with the reasons of such endeavours — His general design of withdrawing the hearts of men from God to his service — The proof that this is his design — Upon whom he prevails — That professions and confidences are no evidences to the contrary — His deceit of propounding sin as a small matter — The evidences of that method, and the reason thereof, .... 430-437 Chapter 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 aga,inst that snare, . 438-444 Chapter XXII. — Of Christ's answer in the general— That these temptations were upon design for our instruction — Of the agreement betwixt Eph. vi. and Mat. iv. — The first direc- tion, of courageous resolves in resisting temptations — Its consistency with some kmd of fear — The necessity of this courage — Wherein it consists ; and that there is a courage in mourning spirits, ...... 445-430 Chapter XXIII. — The second direction, that temptations are not to be disputed — The several ways of disputing a temptation - — In what cases it is convenient and necessary to dispute with Satan — In what cases inconvenient, and the reasons of it, 451-458 Chapter XXIV. — The third direction, of repelling a temptation without delay — The necessity of so doing— What a speedy denial doth contain, ..... 459-462 Chapter XXV. — The fourth direction, of repelling a temptation by Scripture arguments — Of several things implied in the direction — The necessity of answering by Scripture argu- ments—The excellency of the remedy- How Scripture argu- ments arc to be managed, ..... 462-4G9 Chapter XXVI. — The fifth direction, of prayer, and of the serious- ness required of those that expect the advantage of prayer — Of God's hearing prayer while the temptation is continued — Of some that are troubled more, while they pray more, . 470-471 Indices, (fee. 472-480 PREFATORY NOTE. Few who know the fine old quarto ' Dcemonologia Sacra ' of Dr Gilpin will disi^ute its right to a place of honour in the Series of later Puritan Divines. To those who have not hitherto heard, — or only heard of it, — we commend it with all confidence and urgency as in various respects a remarkable book by a remarkable man. It will be found — as an early writer says of another — ' mattcr-fuU,' and never- theless suggestive rather than exhaustive — that is, you have many rich lodes of the ore of thought opened, but many others incUcated, not worked ; clear and keen of insight into the deepest places of the deepest things discussed ; wide in its out-look, yet concentrated in its in-look ; sagacious and wise in its general conclusions, and passionate as compassionate in its warnings, remonstrances, and counsels ; fuU of faith in all 'written' in The Word, and i^atheticaUy credulous in accepting testimony when a given fact (alleged) is fitted to barb an appeal ; curious and quaint in its lore ; intense and anxious in its trackings of sin without and within; pre-Kaphaelite in the vivid fidelity of its portrayals of satanic guiles, and guises that are always disguises ; and above all, tenderly ex2oerimental in its consolation to the tried and troubled. The third part is an exposition of the Tempta- tion of our Lord, which may bear comparison for thoroughness and power with any extant. For our Memoir of Dr Gilpin we have had literally to do every- thing, inasmuch as next to nothing has thus far been published con- cerning him — not even his birthplace, or birth or death dates known. If still we feel the result of our ' labour of love ' in prosecuting the necessary researches, to be very inadequate, it is gratifjing that we have secured so much as we have done. XIV FHEFATORY NOTE. As iu the preparation of former ]\Iemoirs, our visits aud investiga- tions have brought us much pleasant intercourse and correspondence with descendants, representatives, and reverers of the old Worthy. Family papers of the most private nature have been unreservedly confided to us — as duly acknowledged in each place where referred to or used ; and altogether the most imgrudging help has been rendered. The various friends mentioned in the foot-notes of the Memoir will be so good as accept this further general acknowledgment. It only remains to state that the present volume has been edited on the same principle with Sibbes and Brooks. The text is given with scrupulous integrity ; references and quotations are traced, and less known names and dates annotated ; every reference or quotation of Scripture verified and filled in ; and copious indices are subjoined ; the two last the more important, that Dr Gilpin liimself seems to have quoted Scripture from memory, and furnished no ' table ' or index beyond the heading of the several chapters as ' contents.' May this revised treatise be used at this later day as in the past, to help in the great warfare against the Adversary. Alexander B. Grosart. *,* It has not been deemed needful to give a list of such slight errata as have come under our eye in preparing the indiecB ; but mark, with reference to the ' Note,' page 2, that for ' Dr ' there is a misprint of ' Mr,' and that ' deficiency' is spelled with an 'i' for MEMOIR OF THE REY. RICHARD Qlh?lK M.D. IN pursuing our investigations for oui- Memoir of Richard Sibbes, we found and noted, that his name — in every one of its odd variations of spelling, numerous as those of Shakespeare and Raleigh — had quite died out at once of his native county and country, being traceable nowhere for fully a centmy of years — the stream which rose at Cony- Weston, Norfolk, in 1524, lapsing in a ' Richard Sibbes, clerk, rector of Gedding, aged 93, February 2, 1737;' and the blood thencefor- ward flowing in the female line.i Very different is it with the name of Gilpin, now before us. From family-mimiments and genealogies intrusted to us by various repre- sentatives, of nearer and remoter kin, it were easy to go back many generations before the earliest-noticed Sibbes ; while at the present day, in nearly all gradations of circumstance, at home and abroad — from the original Cumberland and Westmoreland, to ' the gray me- tropohs of the North ;' from the Castle of Scaleby, to ' huts, where poor men lie;' and from Wyoming of Pennsylvania to Acadie of Evangeline and ' chstant Ind ' — Gilpins, descending from oiu- Worthy, and proud of the descent — sustain the ancient renown of goodness and brain-power. As I sit down to put my collections into shape, I am called to place therein the statesman-like Speech on a great public question of our age, of Charles Gilpin, in the House of Commons — words destined to re-echo again and again, and determine legislation — so grave, wise, patriotic. Christian are they ; and now the Libraries are being besieged for the ' New America ' of William Hepworth Dixon, wherein I was gladdened with a splendid, yet penetrative and measured, eulogy of the Founder of Colorado, William Gilpin ;^ both, as I am informed, as do nearly all of the name — in this re- ^ Works of Sibbes, vol. i. pp. 25, 142. ' New America. By W. H. Dixon. With Illustrations from Original Photographs. 2 vols 8vo. 1867. (Hurst and Blackett.) Vol. i., pp. 134-137. XVI MEMOIK OF RICHARD GILPIN. sembliag the Eogerses of the United States, who all claim descent from John Rogers, proto-martyr of England — counting from Bernard Gilpin, the apostle of the North, the venerable and holy St Bernard of Protestantism ; and so, as we shall see, from our Richard. I place in an Appendix ^ such genealogical-antiquarian details as some readers may look for in a Memoir of a Gilpin ; and summarise here that the author of ' Dcemonohgia Sacra' was sprung of a race such as old Dan Chaucer would have cited in teaching ' who is loorthy to he called genfill ' as we may judge by a few of liis golden lines : — ' The first stocke was full of riglitwisnes, Trewc of his wordc, sober, pitoug, and free. Clene of his goate ; and loved besinesse. Against the vice of slouth, in honeste : And but his heirc love vertue as did he, He is not gentill, though he rich seme. All wcarc he miter, crownc, or diademe.'- Tuming now to Dr Richard Gilpin — whose remarkable book is in the present volume faithfully reprinted ; he was grandson of Richard, a younger brother of the illustrious Bernard, his father being an Isaac Gilpin. We get a glimpse of both grandfather and father in the county History as follows :— ' In a small manuscript by one Isaac Gilpin, — whose father [Richard Gilpin, as be/ore] had been steward of several manors within the barony of Kendal, and died about the .year 1630, at the age of 92 years,— he says he had heard of his father, and observed the same himself, that by general custom within the said barony, if a woman hath an estate, and married, hereby the estate is so far vested in the husband, that he may sell it in his life-time ; but if in his life-time he doth not alter the property, tlien it shall continue to her and her heirs.' 3 This little record takes us to ' the barony of Kendal,' the ' Land ' of Bernard Gilpin ; and thither accordingly, we turned our search. There was a vague traditionary understanding that our Richard Gilpin was born, as of the same family, so in the same region of 'Kentmere;' but nothing definite had hitherto been known. The Kentmere ' Registers ' do not commence until a.d. 1700; and thus we were baffled there. But Kentmere being a chapelry in the old Parish of Kendal, a hope was indulged that in the parent-parish the wished-for facts should be discovered ; nor were we disappointed, for in the Baptism-Register, under date ' October 23, 1625,' there is this entry: — ' Richard, son of Isaac Gilpin, of Strickland Kettle,' 1 Sec Appendix A., lii-lv. ° From above, and other parallels, it will he seen that Burns only put more tersely and memorably an old sentiment in his — ' The rank is but the guinea stamp, The man 's the gowd for a' that.' 3 Xicolson and Burns's Cumberland and Westmoreland, vol. i., p. 26. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. XVll which is our Worthy, as after-dates will shew.i He might be born a week more or less previously, accordtag to the then ' use and wont ' of infant baptism. The same Eegister furnishes another earlier entry, which — if we are correct in surmising that the Isaac Gilpin of Strick- land Kettle in 162.5, was the same with the Isaac of it — informs us Richard was a younger son : — ' 1623, May 3, Henry, y'' soun of Mr Isaacke Gilpin of Helsington.' Elsewhere he is named ' of Gilthroton, co. Westmoreland ;' and seems to have been the same who was clerk to the Standing Committee of county Durham in 1645.2 That Isaac Gilpin was ' steward of several manors ' probably covers the different local designations. There are so many Gilpins, and so many of the same Christian name, that it is hard to decide on given personalities ; but, after considerable com- parison and sifting, such appears to us to be the parentage paternally of Dr Gilpin. Maternally I have come on nothing ; for an Elizabeth Gilpin, widow of Isaac Gilpin, merchant, Newcastle, though of the same stock, was not his mother. This 'widow' was buried in AU Saints, 7th November, 1694.3 Archdeacon Cooper, of Kendal, in transmitting these data, remarks : ' The mode of writing, and the insertion of 3Ir, indicates a person of some importance.' But with reference to ' Mr,' I suspect it is rather accidental, as it is inserted in the one, and left out in the other; and moreover, is frequently omitted when, from other sources, we know the family was of im- portance. Little Eichard must have been just beginning to toddle about when his venerable giandfather's snow-white head [' aged 92'] was laid in the old Church-yard. One delights to picture tlie aged Simeon, before his serene departure, ' blessing ' by prayer his dear little grandchild, after the manner of such ancient Puritans as were the GOpins in every branch. Strickland-Ketel, not Kettle, as in the Eegister and vulgarly,* — now settled to have been the birth-place of Dr Gilpin, — was a most fitting 1 I owe hearty thanks to the Eev. Thomas Lees, M.A., Wreay, Carlisle, formerly Curate of Grej'stoke, for much help in tracing out birtb-plaee, &c., and throughout ; also to Archdeacon Cooper, Kendal, for his prompt and full answers to my queries. ^ See Memoirs of Alderman Barnes, edited for Surteej Society by W. H. D. Long- Etaffe, Esq., of Gateshead, p. 143. As I write this, these Memoirs are passing through the press ; and I am indebted to Mr LongstafFe for early proof-sheets of the notices of Gilpin contained in the Manuscript. No common service is being rendered by Mr L. and the Surtees Society, to Ecclesiastical History, in so lovingly and competently pre- paring these important memoirs, which shed light on innumerable events and names, from sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. An abstract of the more interesting passages was published in 1828 by Sir Charles Sharpe, 8to, pp. vii. and 35. I have to thank J. Hodgson Hinde, Esq., of Stelling Hall, Stocksfield, for this scarce pamphlet. 3 See LongstafFe's Barnes, as before. The Manuscript now belongs to the Literary and Philosophical Society, Newcastle-on-Tyne. 4 So called after Ketel, son of Eldred, son of Ivo de Tailbois, first Baron of Kendal, who came over with William the Conqueror. h XVlll MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. nest for one destined to serve the master-Shepherd so well. It is an English Bethlehem — a rich, kine-fragrant, pleasant, breezy tract of pasture-land, sloping from the west down to the river Kent, its eastern boundary, which river, issuing out of a fair ' mere,' or lake, gives its name to Kent)He>-e Hall, the seat of the elder house of the Gilpins. The hamlet of Ketel itself is on the road from Kendal to the Ferry on Windermere ; and thus partakes of the glory of Wordsworth's poetry, as of Scott's, who in Kokeby celebrates a local incident of the CromweUian time.i It is somewhat noticeable that witliin the space of an ordinarily-sized farm should have been born Bernard Gilpin and Henry Airay,^ and later, Kichard Gilpin. Of the childhood of om* Kichard, we can tell nothing directly. But with the famous ' School' foimded by his honoured ancestor available, we are safe in assuming that he entered it. It is of this School that the later biogiapher of Bernard Gilpin, — himself a Gili)in, — thus wiites : ' The effects of his endowment were very quickly seen. His school was no sooner opened than it began to flourish, and to afford the agreeable I^rospect of a succeeding generation rising above the ignorance and errors of their forefathers.' . . . ' That such might be its effects, no care on bis jiart was wanting. He not only i)laced able masters in his school,. whom he procured from Oxford, but he likewise con- stantly inspected it liimself . "■^ The saintly Apostle was long gone to his rest before the advent of Master Ricliard ; but as bearing the name, and being of the blood of the Founder, he could not fail to be welcomed to all its privileges. The more 's the pity that no memorial seems to have been kept of the scholars of this celebrated Institution. Before proceeding to Houghton, he was probably initiated into learning at the nearer Kendal, then all astir with the enterprise of the Flemings. So I gather from family communications made to me ; and thus we have to think of the ' little lad' trotting down the quiet rural roads among the sunny hills, much as another Richard earlier, fi-om Packenham to Thurston,* . . . ' with his satchel And shining morning face,' ' Canto vi., stanza 33, ' Eobin the Devil ' and Col. Briggs. See also ' Annals of Kendal,' (1861.) pp. 55, 56. " The Commentator on Philippians ; cf . my Memoir of him, prefixed to the reprint of his masterly book, p. vii. Since this Memoir was published, I have discovered that Dr Airay was son of Bernard Gilpin's sister Helen. See the Apostle's ' Will,' in the Surtees' volume of ' Wills and Inyentories, from the Registry at Durham,' (I860,) Part II., pp. 83-94. So that the Gilpins and Airays were related. I have to thank William Jackson, Esq., Fleatham House, St Bees, for calling my attention to this. It explains obscurities In the life of Alray, and gives a key to Bernard Gilpin's special interest in him. " The Life of Bernard Gilpin. By William Gilpin, M.A., Prebendary of Salisbury. With an Introductory Essay by Edward Irving. 1824. Page 123. * That is, Richard Sibbes ; Memoir, as before ; Works, Vol. I. p. xxxi. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIX. XIX not, we may be sure, . . . ' creeping like snail Unwillingly to school.' ' There is a tradition, — reported by variou.s descendants, — that our Gilpin went from ' School' to Queen's College, Oxford. This, it will be remembered, was Bernard Gilpin's own College, and whither he sent his favourite scholars, as Airay, Carleton, Ironside, and others. So that if Richard went to Oxford at all. Queen's would most naturally be selected. No mention of him, however, occurs in any of the College Registers. Therefore he cannot at any rate have graduated.2 I place in Appendix incidental valuable data concerning other related Gilpins gleaned in Oxford.^ In lack of the facts of the case, it is impossible to explain why one so weU-born and well-introduced did not, apparently, follow out a fuU University career. That the circumstances of his own Family and kindred were adequate thereto — apart from the Gilpin ' endowments,' which were open to him specially — and that they were of the right stamp to appreciate a sound, liberal education, is certain from mmierous notices of the house that occur in old records.'* Another floating tradition, — also brought before me by descendants, is, that our Gilpin studied at the University of Glasgow ; which so far receives confirmation from the statement of his bosom-friend Alderman Barnes of Newcastle — of whose MS. ' Memoirs' I have already spoken -^that ' he was educated in Scotland ;' but neither there does his name occur. 5 Equally uncertain is it, — advancing further, — when or by whom Dr Gilpin was ' licensed' or ' ordained' as a Preacher of the Gospel or Clergyman. Barnes again says that he 'administered the Lord's Supper to a small congregation in Durham;' 6 and Calamy, that 'he had been [i.e., before Greystoke] a Preacher in Lambeth, at the Savoy — where he was assistant to Dr Wilkins — and at Durham.' ^ Of all of these, the memorial has perished. Neither under ' Lambeth,' nor ' Shakespeare, As you Like it, ii. 7. ' lu a large quarto manuscript volume of ' Memoirs' of the Gilpins, drawn up by the Prebendary of Salisbury, (supra,) now before me by the kindness of its possessor, Charles Bernard Gilpin, Esq., Juniper Green, Edinburgh, I find the following concerning the above points : ' He was the son of a younger brother, and being born to no estate, applied the first years of his life to the study of physic. But feeling a stronger inclination to divinity, he laid aside all thoughts of practising as a physician, and changing entirely the course of his studies, he took his degrees in divinity; but at what university, I find no account; (page 1.) * See Appendix B. I have here gratefully to acknowledge the painstaking of Mr T. A. Eaglesim, M.A., of Worcester College, Oxford, by himself and the Bursar of Queen's, in examining every likely source of information. * See Appendix C, for some of these. ° Barnes' Memoirs, page 141, as before. The Maitland Club ' Munimenta' of the University of Glasgow, (4 vols. 4to,) gives a ' Kichardus Gilpin, Anglus, entered llth January,' 1717, — none other. " As before, pp. 141 142. ' Account, vol. ii. 157. XX MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. ' Savoy, nor ' Wiikins'— afterwards Bishop of Chester i— nor ' Gilpin,' does Newcourt's Eepertormm'^ mention him ; nor, after considerable investigation in each place, has any trace of him been found beyond the above statements. So that his presentation to the Living of Grey- stoke in Cumberland is really the first definite fact we have, after his now ascertained birth-place, baptism-date, and family connexion. The Eector of Greystoke had been ' sequestered' 3 by Sir Arthur Hasel- rigge and the Parliamentary Commissioners for the Propagation of the Gospel in the four northern coimtics ; which sentence having been appealed against, was confirmed by the Committee for (as they were caUed) Plundered Blinisters. The Eector was William Morcland, M.A., ' bred,' according to Walker of the ' Sufierings,' folio, ' at Jesus College, Cambridge.' ^ Tliis ' ejection' took place m 1G49-50. He was succeeded by ' one West, who died in about two years' time.' 5 Such is all Walker says of AVcst; but from anotlier overlooked authority, we learn a little more of him. In the ' Postscript' concern- ing ' Mr John Noble,' added to Audland's funeral sermon on that notable man, it is said, after mentioning the 'laying aside' of Mr Moreland, ' certain Commissioners appointed others, in his room, to supply the Parish, when John Noble was little turned of twenty years of age;' and then, 'In the year 1G50, Jlr West was sent, a zealous Preacher, and one mighty in prayer, but sickly ; and he soon died of a consumption. His doctrine being exemplified in his own life, was very effectual on many in that Parish, and particularly on John Noble, who received lively convictions of Divine truth and the world to come, and so began earnestly to inquire about the life and power of godli- ness.' 6 Gilpin immediately succeeded Mr West, and thus must have entered on his duties in 1G52 or 1653, wlien he was in his twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth year. 'Wh.B.i influence procured om- Worthy the ' presentation' to this (comparatively) rich benefice,— for it was then worth £300 per annum, now nearly trebled, being from £700 to £800, we do not know ; but among the neighbouring gentry there were intermarriages with the Gilpins, €.g.,i\\e Laytons and Whartons — the former the ancient owners of Dalemain in Dacre,the next parish to Greystoke. The Living was ' The ' Life' of this singularly original and inventive Prelate is so scanty and unworthy of his fame, that ive do not wonder at no notice of his Savoy ministry, or of Gilpin as his assistant. Calamy is rarely wrong in his facts. ' 2 Vols, folio, 1708. ' Walker, ' Sufferings,' page 306. * Ilkl. ' Ibid. In various authorities the ground of lloreland's ejection is given as ' igno- rance and insufficiency' — whatever the latter may mean ; but as Walker, who is usually referred to for it, makes no such statement, I have not adduced it. It is sufficient that the Commissioners were picked men for intellect and character ; and that wherever data remain, their decisions are almost invariably warranted by the premises. ' ' A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mr John Noble of Penruddock, near Penrith, in Cumberland, March 14, 1707-8. By Samuel Audland. To which is added a Post- script concerning the Deceased, by another hand." London (reprinted) 1818, pp. 37, 38. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. XXI held by the family of Arundel — with a branch of whom it remains — but was subject no doubt to the Commissioners of Parliament dming the Commonwealth. We have Kichard Gilpin, then in 1652-53 installed as the 'parish priest' of Greystoke ; and save him of Bemerton, none ever brought a finer spirit, or a more entire consecration, or a more ' ingenuous ' activity, to the service of the one great Master. Visiting Greystoke recently, I found it a quaint-visaged, gray, long, low-roofed church, venerable and time-stained still, though 'restored'— tenderly— in 1848. It is dedicated to St Anckew. It nestles in a ' bit' of woodland such as — flushed with autumnal tints of green and gold equal to the glories of a New England Indian summer among the maples and elms — would have burdened and kindled the eyes of a Euysdael or Gainsborough, aye and until the ' studies' were transferred to imperishable canvas ; and the whole surrounding district, sweet, soft, and tranquil enough for the Valley of Kip Van Winkle's long dreamless sleep — much more so indeed than Irving's own, behind the shaggy bluffs of the Hudson. It is a genuinely English ' parish.' When Gilpin came to it, the 'common jyeojjle' were intelligent and godly after the antique type of the mid-Keformation period, having a spice of sturdy originality of character and speech that is not altogether gone even now. For ' leisure hours,' if the cultured Eector wished it, there were in the country Seats — embracing ducal Castle and his- toric family mansion — men and ' fahe ladyes' of rare force and worth. There ai'e ' Sunny Memories' still — treasured in dim old manuscripts — of the full ' gatherings' from far and near, from hall and hut, from plain and fell, of the ' gentle and simple' over a wide area — to hang on the lips of the ' good Parson,' — as everywhere he came to be named. We have a fine ' testimony' to the integrity and devotedness of the Eector in the ' Postscript' of John Noble's Funeral Sermon, previously quoted : ' Graistock parish was large, had a fair glebe and liberal revenue. It had four chapels : the nearest thi-ee miles distant from the Church. Mr Gilpin provided worthy, preaching ministers for those, and allowed generously for their support ; himself residing at The little ' Chapel' wherein this Sermon was preached still remains, and has now as its minister the Kev. David Y. Storrar, who occupies it as a mission-charge of the United Presbyterian Church (of Scotland). This congregation originated, it is believed, from those who could not remain in the Parish Church of Greystoke after Gilpin left and Moreland returned ; and thus is of the oldest of the Presbyterian congregations in Eng- land. See above tractate, whence we learn that on Dr Gilpin's ' motion,' the Noncon- formists of Greystoke ' called ' another to fill his place for them. Then the Narrative continues : ' Mr Anthony Sleigh, a native of the same parish, and bred in the College of Durham, was obtained to become their minister, and so continued about forty years, though he had only slender [pecuniary] encouragements there. Their meeting was held mostly in the house of John Noble, and sometimes under covert of the night, as Christ's disciples sometimes did,' (page 44.) Xxii MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. Grraistock, where he had a society of communicants preijared by the foregoing efficacy of the word on their minds and hearts, and mani- fested in a new life,' (page 41.) Altogether Greystoke coukl not be other than a most congenial portion of the great ' Vineyard' for one like Richard Gilpin, who breathed the very spirit of saintly George Herbert, and had little taste for the controversies in which some of his contemporaries were engaged. Not very long after his settlement at Greystoke, viz., in 1G54-5, a sad disaster befell the parent or ' Kentmere' house of the Gilpins, springing out of the ' confusions' of the Commonwealth. I shall let the good Prebendary tell it, — preliminary remarks and all, from the manuscript already quoted,— reserving comment: ' In tlie year 1G55, says he, ' Cromwell dissolved his refractory parliament, and the mem- bers of the House retiring to then- several counties, spread everywhere such new matter of discontent that measures were no longer observed. Men were levied in many places against the usuriier, and a general rising was expected. But Cromwell, who had his eyes in all places, soon dispersed every insurrection as it made its appearance. It was at that time he sent his major-generals throughout the kingdom to punish with fines and proscriptions all delinquents. Among the families ruined by the severity of these military magistrates was Mr Gilpin of Kentmere Hall, near Kendal, in Westmoreland. He was the head of the family, and lived respectably on an estate which had been in the hands of his ancestors from the days of King John. It seems probable he had taken an active part against Cromivell in the king's life-time ; but his affairs being composed, lie lived quietly till these new disturbances broke out on Cromwell's violent measures with the parliament. Having joined an unsuccessful insurrection, he be- came a marked man, and was obliged to provide for his safety as he could. To avoid a sequestration he gave up his estate in a kind of trust-mortgage to a friend, and went abroad. There he died ; but in a time of quiet, his heir not being able to get hold of the proper deeds to recover the estate, it was totally lost to the family. In the meanr time Dr Gilpin lived quietly at Greystoke, concerning himself only with his own parish, and lamenting those public evils, which he could not remove.' i One can smile at this time of day at the name ' Usurper' api^lied to England's mighty Protector ; can understand the inevitable royalism of a dignitary of the Church, that holds for ' the king' as against ' the kingdom,' can leave the admissions of former freedom to ' live quietly,' and of an active part ' against Cromwell,' to justify any enforced flight, without either refuting allegations or exposing jireju- dices. But as matter of fact, while Dr Gilpin, in common with many ' As before, pp. 3, i. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. XXIU of his Presbyterian brethren, condemned the execution of Charles, and while the shadow that fell on Kentniere doubtless darkened the rectory of Greystoke, he yet unreservedly accepted the government of Cromwell, and in every way sought to carry out the measures devised by the Parliament. Moreover, far from ' living quietly at Greystolce,' and ' concerning himself only ivith his own jMrish,' it is the very opposite of the facts. Instead of retiring in the timid, nerveless fashion sug- gested, he took a foremost part in organising that modification of Church government which the abolition of Episcopacy demanded. The evidence of this, spite of the wreck and loss of contemporary ' records,' is abundant ; and it is the next landmark in the Life we are telling. It needeth not that in a necessarily brief Memoir such as this we should enter on the merits of the national change of Church ' Polity' which gave supremacy for the time to Presbytery over Prelacy. The materials for judgment lie in fulness in every worthy Ecclesiastical History of England; and the whole story has just been re-wi-itten with fine candour and attractiveness by Mr Stoughton.i Presbyterianism in England during the Commonwealth can hold its own, — lustrous as it is with the names of Edmund Calamy and Bates and Manton, Eichard Baxter and William Jenkyn and Thomas Watson, Samuel Clark and Thomas Wilson of Maidstone, and Thomas Hall of King's Norton, — selecting a few, m'ban and rural, almost at random. Suffice it to recall that, outside of the more ambitious organisation of London, — whose unpublished ' Memorial' lies all but unknown in Sion College Library,^ — there were various voluntary Asssociations which took a semi-Presbyterian mould, in the counties of Chester, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Dorset, Wilts, Worcestershire, and others. These Associations embraced the ' clergymen,' and ' minis- ters' or ' pastors,' and laymen belonging to the Episcopalians, the Presbyterians, and the Independents, and sought to combine the pre- sidency of the fir.st with the union and co-operation of the second, and the freedom of the third ; in short, a federated rather than organic oneness. Subordinating everything else, was an intense yearning after nearness to all who loved the one Lord Jesus, and heroic as devout endeavours for ' discipline,' so as to vitalise and Christianise ' the masses.' It is pathetic to read of the days and nights of these good men's Fasting and Prayer ' unto the breaking of the light,' for one another's Parishes and Charges. Their ideal was lofty, their own practice beautiful, their success marked in changing the face of ere- while godless and heathen-dark communities. What Kichard Bax- 1 Ecclesiastical History of England, from the Opening of the Long Parliament to the Death of Oliver Cromwell. 2 vols. 8vo. 1867. (Jackson, Walford, and Co.) See vol. II., c. viii., et alibi. ' Mr Stoughtou justly speaks of the strange neglect of these important MSS. XXIV MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. TER was in Worcestershire, Kichaed Gilpin was in Cumberland and Westmoreland ; and as the author of ' The Saint's Everlasting Kest' was chosen to draw up the ' Agreement' for his county, so the author of ' Dcenwnologia Sacra' was selected to execute the same office for Cumberland and Westmoreland. The ' Agreement,' — of which the title-page will be found in the list at the close of our Memoir, must be studied by all who would master the problems of the period. It is comprehensive, without being general or ^'ague ; decisive in dogma, but not uncharitable ; high in aim, but most practical ; earnest, but not fanatic ; stern to offences, but hopeful and tender toward offenders ; richly scriptural, but also, and because of it, most human, all a-glow with wide sympathies, and unutterably wistful in its appeals for obli- vion on all lesser matters, so as to set a firm front to the evils and^ passions, the divisions and heart-burnings, the rivalries and recrimina- tions, of the time. The whole is perfumed, so to speak, with prayer. If it was a Utopia, it was a grander and more celestial one than ever More or Bacon imagined ; nor while it lasted was it a mere paper Agreement. For years tlirough all the Counties enumerated the ' good men and true' made their ' gatherings' so many centres of light and love ; and their Parishes were as spuitual Goshens amid the national formalism and barrenness. Seeing that the extent to which ' Dwmonologia Sacra' has gone l)revents our reprinting the minor writings of Gilpin, as we had desired, we shall here give a few brief extracts from the ' Agreement,' to illustrate its aims, tone, and style. Thus he struck the key-note : ' When we compare the present miseries and distempers with our for- mer confident expectations of unity and reformation, om- hearts bleed and melt within us. We are become a byword to our adversaries ; they clap their hands at us, saying, " Is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty ?" Piety is generally decayed, most men placing their religion in " doting about questions" which they understand not; profaneness thrives through want of discipline ; error, blasphemy domineers ; jealousies, di\asions, unmerciful revilings and censurings, are fomented among brethren of the same household of faith ; the weak ones are discom-aged and disti-acted by the multitude of opmions and fierce opposition of each party, and that which is worst of all, God's honour suffers deeply, and the credit of religion is brought very low. "Is this nothing to you, all ye that pass by?"' But having lamented, as with Jeremiah, he assumes a more hoi^eful and en- couraging attitude, thus : ' Though these things can never be suffi- ciently lamented, yet seeing it is not sufficient barely to lament them, without endeavouring to heal them, and considering that it is a duty incumbent upon aU Christians, accordmg to then- several places and abi- lities, to promote the welfare of Zion, especially when we have tasted so MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. XXV much of the bitterness of our divisions, and because a brotherly Union hath so mvich of God in it, and consequently gives so much hope that God will take that course in establishing his Chm-ch when he shall arise to build Jerusalem, and seeing it is an imjustifiable pettishness and peevishness of spirit to be averse from joining together in any- thing because we cannot join in all things, therefore we resolve, [" the associated ministers,"] setting aside all carnal interests, and casting ourselves, ■with all our concernments, at the Lord's feet, to walk to- gether as far as we can for the present, not resting here, nor tying ourselves from further progress in union, as the Lord shall give light and satisfaction, much less binding ourselves from a submission to and compliance with a more general accommodation, if any such thing shoidd hereafter be agreed on, which might be more suitable and fitted for the composure of the difierent principles of brethren throughout the nation.'— (Pp. 1-3.) Hereupon follows the ' Basis' of the ' Agreement,' which was very much the same with Baxter's in Worcestershire, and that of Essex, &c., &c. ' In order,' he proceeds, ' to the carrying on of this great worli:, we lay down and assent unto these general rules as the Basis and Foundation which must support and bear up our following Agreement : — ■ ' 1. That in the exei"cise of discipline it is not only the most safe course, but also the most conducing to brotherly imion and satisfac- tion, that particular churches carry on as much of their work with joint and mutual assistance as they can with conveniency and echfica- tion, and as little as may be, in their actings, to stand, distinctly by themselves and apart from each other. ' 2. That in matters of church cUscipline those things which belong only ad melius esse, ought to be laid aside, both in respect of publica- tion and practice, rather than that the Church's peace should be hindered. ' 3. That where different principles lead to the same practice, we may join together in that practice, reserving to each of us our own 13rinciples. ' 4. That where we can neither agi-ee in principle nor in practice, we are to bear with one another's differences that are of a less and dis- putable nature, without making them a ground of division amongst us. Yet notwithstanding we do not hereby bind up ourselves from endeavouring to inform one another in those things wherein we differ, so that it be done with a spirit of love and meekness, and with resolu- tions to continue our brotherly amity and association, though in those particulars our differences shoidd remain uncomposed,' (pp. 3, 4.) Further, all pledge themselves to be true and faitlifid ambassadors, stewards, workmen, and overseers, and ' to this end we resolve in the coiu'se of om- ministry to observe the temper, disposition, and capacity XXVI MEMOIR OF IlICHAKD GILPIN. of tlie generality of the people, and to suit ourselves not only in our matter to the people's condition, but also in our expressions to the people's apprehension, that so our sermons may he plain, piercing, seasonable, and profitable,' (p. 4.) Speaking next of ' catechising ' from the Assembly's ' Larger and Shorter ' Catechisms, and of ' in- spection,' there are these wise counsels, that there be tender dealing in consideration of 'first, imacquaintedness with the terms and words of the question; or, secondly, from bashfulness or shamefacedncss,' (p. 11.) And in regard to ' supervision,' to be cautious ' lest brotherly insjiec- tion degenerate into an unbrotherly prying,' (p. 15.) And there is this pronouncement on a questio veomta of the period : ' We agree not to press a declaration of the time and manner of the work of grace upon the people as a necessary proof of their actual present right to the Lord's Supper, nor to exclude persons merely for want of that ; yet will we accept it if any will be pleased to ofl'er it freely,' (ji. IC) ; and onwards there is encouraged a ' holy modesty and bashfulness ' in speaking of tlie ' passage and transaction 'twixt God and our soul,' (p. 39.) Finally, the Confession of Faith consists of the Creed para- phrased, and confirmed by texts, (pp. 23-25.) Another incident proved with equal unmistakableness that Richard Gilpin regarded Uliver as no ' usurper,' but the rightful governor of the nation. I must leave the reader to consult tiie authorities on the history of the establislmient of the University of Durham. Every one who knows anything of ' the times ' knows that the efforts to found a University there — which the death of Cromwell delayed, and the Restoration tpiashed — is one of the ' boasts ' of the Protector's reign.i in honoured association with Sir Tiiomas Widdrington, Lords Fairfax, Grey, Wharton, and Falconbridge, Sir Henry Vane, and Sir- Arthur Haselrigge, and other well-known names, Gilpin was appointed one of the ' Visitors.' 2 He had entered into the scheme with enthusiasm and hope. It is difiicult to estimate what was lost herein by the death of Cromwell. If we may conjecture from the ' Model' of the learned and pious Matthew Pool — issued in 1657-58, while the grand jury were addi-essing Richard to complete what his father had begun— it is all but certain that a more strictly theological training woidd liave been inaugurated than any of the gi'eat Universi- ties even to this day suppUes.3 To shew that Dr Gilpin still adhered to his fonner action in Ciiurch matters, it must here be stated that in 1658 he preached a ' Sermon' ' Stoughton, as before, gnh nominibtLs. ' Burton's ' Cromwellian Diary,' ii. 531, where the ' Ordinance ' is given in extenso, with notes by the editor, [Rutt.] ^ I suspect few know this rare and very valuable tractate. Its title page runs, ' A Model for the maintaining of Students of choice abilities at the University, and princi- pally in order to the Ministry. Together with a Preface before it, and after it a Eecom- MEMOIK OF EICHAED GILPIN. XXVll before the ' associated ministers of Cumberland ' at Keswick. By the request of the ' General Meeting ' he published it. The title-page will be found in our list of his wi-itings at close of this Memoir. It was with reluctance the good man consented to give his sermon ' to print/ as he intimated in the 'Epistle Dedicatory.' ' What your commands,' says he, ' have wrested from me — for of that force and prevalency with me are your deshes — I now lay at your feet. If I could have prevailed with you to have altered your vote, or after you had passed it, durst have resisted — this had gone no further than your own hear- ing. But when you would not be persuaded, I endeavoured to con- form myself to those Christians in Acts xxi. 14, and took up with that which put a stop to their entreaties. " The will of the Lord be done,'" (pp. 1, 2.) The Text of this sermon — which is no common one — is Zech. vi. 13, ' Even He shall build the Temple of the Lord,' &c., and hence its title, ' The Temple Kebuilt.' I select a few of the more easily detached sentences. First of all, concerning ' Contro- versy,' he says admirably : ' Disputings, though they have their fruits, yet are they like trees growing upon a rocky precipice, where the fruit cannot be gathered by all, and not by any without difficulty and hazard,' (p. 3.) Again, on the office of the ministry, he exclaims: ' Dream not of ease in an employment of this nature. God, angels, and men have their eyes upon you to see how you wiU bestir your- selves : it is your duty, and not a matter of unnecessary courtesy which you may give or hold back at your pleasure. He that hath com- manded you eV tovtok; elvac, (1 Tim. iv. 15,) to " give yourselves up whoUy to these things," will not take himself to be beholden to you when you have done your best : neither is it any disparagement to you to become even servants to any : so that you may but gain them and forward Christ's work. They that think it below them to trouble themselves so much with catechising, reproof, admonition, and are of Ptolemasus his mind, who changed the title of Heraclides his book, from irovov eyKcofioov to ovov ijKcofiiov : as if laboriousness were nothing but an ass-like dulness, making a man crouch under every burden ; but God having made the ox which treadeth out the corn to be the hieroglyphic of your employment, he doth thereby teach you that labour and patience are so far from being a disgrace to you, that they are necessary qualifications for the calling of the ministry,' (pp. 3, 4.) Lastly — for we may not linger — take a burning and fearless reproof of the lukewarm : ' How cowardly and sinfully shamefaced,' he observes, kindling as he advances, ' are many when they should jDlead for God mendation from the University, [this bears the signatures of Worthington, Arrow- smith, Tuckney, Whichcot, Ealph Cudworth, and William Dillingham ;] and two serious Exhortations, recommended unto all the unfeigned lovers of Piety and Learning, and more particularly to those rich men who desire to honour the Lord with their substance.' [11558-60.] There is a characteristic letter in it from Baxter. XXVlll MEMOIR or RICHARD GILPIN. and truth, as if their own hearts did secretly question the reality of religion ! How strangely do many of the gentry spend their time ! What irreligious, prayerless families do some of them keep, when they should shew better example to the meaner sort ; and yet how confidently can they censure others for hypocrites— sometime unjustly concluding against the strictness of God's ways from the liberty of some professors — not considering what their own carriage and vanity do testify against themselves ! How do we needlessly multiply our controversies and disputes ! and with what bitterness do we manage them, even when the strife is merely about words and method ! and, generally, how is the name of God and religion abused to serve the designs of men ! What strange religious people have we ! Some must needs be religious by taking up a singular conceit and opinion, though a man may easily see their hearts through their lives : others have all their religion on their tongue' s-end : they can have good dis- com-ses, and yet be imconscionable in their callings, shops, and trathng,' (pp. 33, 34.) Thus taking a conspicuous part in all that belonged to the interests of the Church of Christ, our Worthy behind these went out and in before his flock a ' master-builder,' from Sabbath to Sabbath preaching the very gospel of Jesus Christ, with unequalled power, pungency, and pathos combined, while he drew all hearts to himself ; for he acted on the maxim — ■ All worldly joys go less To the one joy of doing kindnesses.'' He was a large-hearted and o|ien-handed man, as well as a faithful ' preacher ' — his life an exemplification of his teaching. He was, says the ' Noble ' memorial, ' a gentleman and a Christian indeed ; one of singular gravity, temper, learning, and all valuable qualifications for a minister ; of a good family too, and an eligible estate; a witness and an honour to the good cause of a further Keformation,' (p. 38.) And so he pm-sued the ' even tenor of liis way ' in his tranquil sphere. He had married shortly after coming to Greystoke ; but, curiously enough, the lady's name has not been preserved in any of the numerous family papers put into my hands. The Greystoke ' Kegisters ' record the baptism of two of his children, William and Susannah. The 'entries' may be given here : — ' 1657. September. Borne the 5th Day in ye aftemoune, and ye 23d day Baptized, William, the Sonne of Mr Eichard Gilpin, p'son, [=parson], of Graistock. ' 1659. Susanna, ye Daughter of Mr Gilpin, p'son, of Graistocke, was borne ye 17th day of October, And Baptized ye 7th of December, 1659.' 2 ' Herbert : The Temple ; Church-Porch. ' Here again I owe thanks to Mr Lees of Wreay, as before , also to Rev. David Y. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. XXIX I have described the parish of Greystoke as tranquil ; but even into it there swept — as the sea-swell sweeps into the smallest nook of shore — the ruffle of that agitation which pervaded the nation in religious matters ; and, inasmuch as it gives colour and tone to not a few pas- sages of the 'Dcemoiiologia Sacra,' — his difficulty with the Quakers — to which I have made reference — falls now to be chronicled. We shall have an after-occasion to notice subsequent interviews with the pre-eminently good, though provoking, Quaker missionary-preacher, Thomas Story. Here I glean my information from the ' Memoir ' of a ' Greystoke ' celebrity, Henry Winder, D.D.' The following, then, is the narrative, omitting irrelevant portions : — ' The Reverend Richard Gilpin, M. D. , was the parish minister of Gray- stock before the Restoration Some time before the Restora- tion Quakerism began to spread in Cumberland and Westmoreland. Among other things remarkable in their behaviour, ihe Quakers would go into the parish church of Graystock, and distiu'b Dr Gilpin in the pulpit during divine worship. And such were their novel phrases and cross questions and answers, that the Doctor seemed sometimes at a loss what to say to them. Upon that, some of his parishioners were stumbled, withdrew from their former communion, and defended the cause of the Quakers. Among others Henry Winder was setluced, to the no small grief of good Dr Gilpin and his friends. A day of humihation and i^rayer was appointed, in which Dr Gilpin, and some of the neighbouring ministers, as well as some of the laity of that parish, took such jDroper methods as to recover some that had fallen, and to confirm and establish those that were wavering, though, before that, the infection had spread far and wide. Then was Henry Winder secretly resolved to comply with the desire of Dr Gilpin and his church, and make some public recantation. But these convictions did not last long. For notwithstanding several conferences with liim, Henry Winder openly joined with the Quakers, and continued among them some years Henry Winder and his [second] wife [finally] left the Quakers, returning to Dr Gilpin's church, in which they afterwards continued.' 2 All this goes far to explain the unusual severity of the ' Dcemono- hcjia Sacra' against Quakers and Quakerism— as also the 'Agree- ment ' — and the grave classification of ' double meanings,' and ' light Storrar, Penruddoek, and the present curate of Greystoke, (Mr Raby), for result of search- ing through the ' llegisters,' which have some curious entries. ' ' A Critical and Chronological History of the Rise, Progress, Declension and Re- vival of Knowledge, chiefly Religious. In two Periods. 1. The Period of Tradition, from Adam to Moses. 2. The Period of Letters, from Moses to Christ. Second edition. By Henry Winder, D.D. To which are prefixed Memoirs of Dr Winder's Life. By George Benson, D.D.' London : 1756. 2 vols. 4to. - I have left unquoted the process by which Winder was (1.) seduced to, and (2.) recovered from Quakerism, though the reader will do well to consult it. XXX MEMOIR OF RICHAUD GILPIN. within,' &c., &c., among evident ' devices' of the Devil. At this later day we \villingly forget the eccentricities and vulgarities and blunders of the early followers of George Fox, and in the spirit of the ' Quakers' Meeting ' of winsome Elia, reverence the service of this once powerful and still honoured and altogether inoffensive section of God's people. With these minor 'troubles' now and again annoying him, — for they ended in the setting up of Quaker ' tabernacles ' in the district, remains of which sm-vive until now,— the Rector of Greystoke fulfilled his 'labour of love,' as a good servant of Jesus Christ, until the Restoration. That event found him with a mind made up and ' ready ' for all loss and sacrifice. Unable to accept the notorious 'Act' of Uniformity, he anticipated the memorable 'Ejection' of 1G62 by withdrawing from Greystoke ; whereupon the former ' sequestered Rector Morland re-entered on possession.' We turn to the Familj'-Manuscript,^ formerly quoted, for the circum- stances of the resignation. ' After the Restoration,' observes Preben- dary Gilpin, ' when Episcopacy again took the lead, the Presbyterian party made what stand they were able. But the Act of Uniformity passed, and was executed with rigour. Dr Gilpin, notwithstanding liis moderation, could not subscribe it in all its parts, and therefore resigned his benefice, trusting God for the maintenance of himself and family, whicli consisted of a wife and five children.' ^ The good Rector was not without a home when he thus left his beloved Greystoke — which was tm-ned into a Bocliim when his ' parishioners ' looked their last upon him. Durmg his incumbency he had invested what ' monies ' he had at his disposal in the purchase from the Musgraves, of the Castle and small estate of Scaleby near Carlisle— filling up the amount of the purchase-money by a mortgage.' Thither accordingly he retired into privacy ; but holding with the old Nonconformists the indefeasibility of his oflSce as a preacher of the gospel by an ordination more sure than that from quasi-apostolic hands, he was wont to assemble his emjiloyes and neighbours in a ' great room ' of the old Castle— origmally a Border-fortalice erected against the Scots — and there ' preach ' to them on the Sabbaths.^ • The ' Noble ' Postscript says, ' Somewhat remarkable happened at his resuming the pulpit, which some living (1703) can tell, but 1 omit it.' Moreover, Morland's return was against the wishes of the parishioners : for the narrative continues, ' After this some offered to put up one Mr Jackson in the pulpit ; which the contrary party did 80 violently oppose with threats to crush them into the earth, that Mr Jackson went with them to the parsonage-house, and preached there,' (p. 43.) M. died in about a year. ° As before, p. 6. 3 ' A good old aunt of mine — mother of the present Mr Fawcett of Scaleby Castle- took particular pride in shewing a certain very large room in her Castle. Her theory was that this was one of the great attractions of the place in Dr Gilpin's view : for here he would have room enough to preach to as many people as were likely to attend, and MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. XXXI Moreover, he resumed his previous medical studies and practice, to the gi'eat advantage more especially of the poor. ' How acceptable,' says our Manuscript, ' his services were among the poor people of those parts, and how much they revered him for wisdom and sanctity, appears from the superstitious respect they paid him. During many years after his death, it was believed among them that he had " laid the devil," as they jjhi-ased it, in a morass not far from his house.' l Besides these semi-professional duties, he set about improving the somewhat dilapidated castle, and the lands, more particularly planted trees extensively ; the result of which was an entire change of the appearance of the estate, and now the fine woodland within which venerable Scaleby lifts its gray towers, stiU worthily held by a de- scendant through the female Kne.^ liberty also : Seal«by, as slae observed, being at just sucb a distance from Carlisle as to place liim beyond the operation of the Conventicle Act.' — Charles Bernard Gilpin, Esq., Juniper Green, Edinhurgli. ' Ibid., p. 9. ' That is James Fawcett, Esq. I do not know how sufficiently to acknowledge the courtesy and kindness of Mr and Mrs Fawcett in furthering my Gilpin inquiries. Besides early drawings and recent photographs of the Castle and grounds, I have had an ancient unpublished family-volume of rare interest confided to me. It is entitled ' An Accompt of the most Considerable Estates and Families in the County of Cumberland, from the Conquest unto the beginning of the Eeign of K. James the First.' The original MS., an inscription informs us, is supposed to have been ' writ by an ancestor of Mr Denton's of Cardow during ye time of his imprisont. (as 'tis said) in ye Tower upon a Contest yt happ'ned to be betwixt him and Dr Eobinson, then Bp, of Carliell.' This ' copy ' seems to have been taken about 16S7. I cull the following memoranda concern- ing Scaleby from this precious little volume : ' Ye Castle . . . took name first of ye buyldiugs there wch they call Scheales or Scales, more properlj- of ye Latin word Scalinga, a caban or cottage. When King Henry Ist had established Carliell [Carlisle] he gave yt lordship unto one Richard the Kyder, whose surname was Tylliolf, who first planted there habitations. From him it descended by one or two degrees unto Symon Tylliolf in ye later end of King Henry 2d's tyme. His son, Piers Tylliolf or Peter, was ward to Geofl'rey de Lucy by the king's grant about ye tyme of K. John. This Geoffi-ey de Lucy did bear ye cap of maintenance before K. Eichard 1st at his coronation. Sr. Peter de Tilliol, kt., son of Sr. Eobt., dyed, a.d. 143i: 13 Henr. 6, having enjoyed his estate 67 years. He had issue one son who dyed without issue in 1435, when the estates were divided between two sisters and co-heirs, Isabella and Margaret. Isabella had married one John Colville, and his son Wm. succeeded and died 1479, leaving two daugh- ters, Phillis and Margaret. The eldest was married to Wm. Musgrave. Jlargaret, the 2d daughter, married to Nicholas Musgrave, and transferred Scaleby, Haydon, and other Lauds to his posterity. Sr. Edwd. Musgrave, Kt., son of ATm., married Katherine Pen- ruddock : he built or repaired part of ye Castle at Scaleby a.d. 1606. . . . Sir Wm. Edwd. Musgrave, Bart,, of Nova Scotia, who afterwards suffering great losses on ye account of his faithful service to K. Charles 1 and K. Charles ye 2d, he was forced to dismember a great part of his estate. He sold Kirklevington to Edmund Appelby, Houghton to Arthur Forster, Eichardby to Cuthbert Studholm, and Scalcbij to Richard Gilpin, who now [1687] enjoys ye same together wth Eichardby, wch he also purchased of Michael Studholm, ^? Cuthberti,' [p. 432.] [On Scaleby, cf. pp. 429-435.] There are similar interesting notices of Greystoke, or Graystock, or Graistock, which is explained to mean 'a badger,' [cf. pp. 311-315,] going back with old lore to Syolf, and Phorne, and Eanulph in the days of the 1st Henry, on to the Dacres, and Norfolks, and Arundel. Scaleby Castle has been much enlarged, together with the Estates, and the visitor of the XXXU MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. KiCHARD Gilpin was top eminent and potential a man to be allowed to withdraw thus from the stage of public events. He had not been long in his retreat when a ' tempting ' offer was made him of a Bishopric, as Bernard Gilpin had been 'tempted' before bun. I recur here again to our Jlanuscript. Following on the passage already given we read, ' The king and council however seemed to have been apprehensive lest this rigorous step against the Presbyterians [' Act of Uniformity '] might have ill consequences. They were much inclined therefore to compound the matter, at least, with some of the leaders of the i^arty ; and, in this view, three or four bislioiirics and many superior dignities in the Church were offered to them. Among others, Dr Gilpin was represented to the king as a person highly esteemed in the Northern parts of England, and as a man of great moderation. According!}', in filling up the vacant bishoprics, his name was inserted for the see of Carlisle : and it was not doubted by his friends but he would get over the few scruples he had to the Act of Uniformity, and accept tlie preferment : lor he had always spoken favourably of the Cliurch of England, and considered the line between the two parties with regard to their religious sentiments as almost an invisible one. But, to the surprise of his nearest friends, he declined the offer.' i The ' friends,' who so lightly estimated tlie ' scruples ' of the ' retired ' Rector, little knew the stamp of man he was. Every- thing before and subsequent goes to shew that Dr Gilpin remained a Nonconformist, with, no doubt, the same reluctance as Baxter and Calamy and the rest, — to whom bishoprics had similarly been offered, and by whom they had similarly been piomptly declined, — but also from the same deep conviction of necessity so long as that ' Act ' out- raged the truth, and ignored conscience. And so, as his ancestor, Bernard Gilpin to Elizabeth,2 did Eichard Gilpin to Charles II. district will find it a delightful pilgrimage. The older trees are all the more venerable that one knows Dr Gilpin himself ' planted ' them. To shew the way Royalists sufTered themselves to speak of even so ' moderate' and so inestimable a man as our Worthy, simply beeause he continued conscientiously a Non- conformist at enormous sacrifices, I add here a quotation from the ' County' History : N. and B.'s Westmoreland and Cumberland, as before, vol. ii. p. 459 : ' .Scaleby : Mr Sandford— in the true spirit of those times — speaking of Scaleby, says, " It was some- time the estate of Sir Edward Musgrave of Hayton, baronet ; but now sold to Mr Gilpin, a quondam preacher of the fanatical parliament, and his wife, Mr Brisco's daughter, of Crofton, brethren of confusion in their brains ; knew what they would not have, but knew not what they would have, if they might chuse." ' This ' reviling' is High Church charity; and it is wondered at that Nonconformists retort sharply when occasion oft'ers. ' As before, pp. 6, 7. "'Life' of Behnakd Gilpin, as before, p. 128, seq. The coincidence is certainly striking of the double offer, at the distance of fully a century, of a bishopric, and the same bishopric, to two Gilpins, and a double declinature and aetualisation of the ' nolo ejiisco- pari.' This and even more remarkable, because more intricate and manifold, repeti- tions, in the Lives of the elder and younger Edwards of America, [Cf. Memoir of tha latter, prefixed to his Works, Vol. i. pp. xxxiii., xxxiv. Andover, U.S. 1842.] have MEMOIK OF RICHARD GILl'IN. XXXIU refuse that mitre which he could not have worn unless at the sacrifice of principles which were dearer to him then all civil or ecclesiastical dignities, and life itself.i We have an incidental allusion — as I read it — in ' Dmnonologia Sacra ' to the ' temptation,' and the casuistic pleas of the ' friends ' alluded to. Speaking of the ' wiles ' of the Tempter, and his many snares to induce to sin, he specially notices this, that ' he extenuates the offence by propounding some smaller good or convenience that may follow that evil,' and he continues, evidently speaking from his own experience of the ' fiery dart :' ' This, though it be a way of arguing directly contrary to that rule, " Do not evil that good may come," yet it oft proves too successful ; and it is like that common stratagem of war when, by the proposal of a small booty in view, the enemies are drawn out of their hold into a fore- contrived danger. Thus Satan pleads. This one act of sin may put you into a capacity of honouring God the more. Some have admitted advancements and dignities against conscience, upon no better ground, hut they might keep out knaves, and that they might he in a condition to he helpful to good men Thus a pretended good to come becomes a pander to a present certain iniquity.' There are other like intimations in the book, which give new significance and a strange passion to the words ; but this one must suffice. Kecurring to our Family-Manuscript — which though somewhat stilted in its style, is generally accurate in its facts — we reach the next point in our Worthy's ' Life.' ' The Dissenters,' remarks the Pre- bendary, ' having now found they could get nothing from government beyond a Toleration, began to sejDarate everywhere into assembUes, and choose pastors of their own ;' and so eyes and hearts turned toward the Doctor, secluded at Scaleby. ' Among other places,' the Narrative proceeds, ' a large congregation united at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where they built a handsome meeting-house, and sent an invitation toDrGilpin to be their minister ; and though he had now taken his measures, and laid liis plan for a life of quiet and repose, he accepted their invitation, and as soon as he could settle his affairs at Scaleby, removed vnih. his family to Newcastle.' ' Here,' continues the Manuscript, ' a new scene of life opened before him. Hitherto he had lived in a country retirement, both at Greystock and at Scaleby, where party prevailed little. But here he was in the midst of a large town, divided by various opinions, where his candour and moderation had an ample field for exercise. In fact, I have heard it said that his meeting-house was a kmd of centre of unity among them all. It was frequented been turned to excellent account in refuting the so-called objections of scepticism and rationalism to the repetition of the incidents and miracles and sayings of the Lord in the Gospels. ' Further on, and in his epitaph, we shall find allusions to the declined bishopric, as having greatly added to the influence of Dr Gilpin, as the acceptance of one by Rey- nolds neutralised even his worth, and stains his memory indelibly. XXXIV MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. as much by Churchmen as Dissenters, and they all found here, what was seldom found in the pulpits of those times, their common Chris- tianity preached, unsulUed by the rehgious contests which everywhere prevailed. His preaching was extremely pleasing and popular. His subject-matter, liis language, his voice, his manner, were aU en- gaging, and made such an impression on the people as was never worn out, but \vith the lives of his contemporaries.' i Gilpin arrived in Newcastle, as the successor of the admirable Samuel Hammond, one of the ejected,2 and the sjiiritual father of Oliver Heyw'ood, — about 1G68-69, that is, in the crisis uf the ' troubles' to all who bore the ' mark ' of Nonconformity. High-Churchmen were ' buQding-up,' as they deemed it, the Church, by persecuting relentlessly those who dared not acquiesce in the ' Act of Uniformity ; ' and accordingly 'Dissenters' had to preach fm-tively, even as 'of old,' — and all was clamom- and confusion. One of themselves, who, if not of kin, was, in vnt and wiseness, of kind, in more than name to Thomas Fidler, — thus vividly describes the period during which the recluse of Scaleby went to his new charge in Newcastle : ' I am ashamed,' says Ignatius Fuller, 'that whilst the Jews' temple was building, there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house, — now when we are raising an house to Him that dwells not in temples made with hands, we should make so much use of iron and steel, and should reckon guns and swords, flames and fagots amongst our means of grace. I am sorry we should seem to have more of Nimrod than Solomon in our building ; that we should partake of the curse poured upon the workmen at Babel — " Let's make the hrolher, The sire and son, not understand each otUcr."'^ Thus plunged into the midst of all manner of ' oppositions' and in- tolerance, Richard Gilpin, for a goodly number of years — as William Durant before him — confined his ' preaching' to his own private house in Newcastle. Very sad is it to come on ' records' such as these from the ' Depositions from the Castle of York, relating to offences committed in the northern counties in the seventeenth century.''* They may be well left to speak for themselves, without a word of comment : — ' clxxvi. Richard Gilpin, Clerk, and others. For holding a Con- venticle. ' Aug. 4, 1669. — Before Ralph Jenison, Mayor of Newcastle, Cuth- ' As before, pp. 9-11. • For information on Hammond, consult Calamj', Palmer, Longstaffes' Barnes, as before, and the different Newcastle ' Histories,' &c. ^ ' Peace and Holiness ; in Three Sermons upon Several Occasions.' By Ignatius Fuller, [of Sherrington, Bucks,] 1672, 12mo, pp. 3, 4, 6, 8. * Surtees Society : edited by Eaine, 1861, pp. m-lli. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. XXXV bert Nicholson, cordyner, [= cordwainer,] saitli, that upon Sunday last, about five or six of the clock in the morneng, he did see a great nom- ber of people goe inn to the house of Mr Kichard Gilpyn, minister, in the White Freers, and afterward, he went to parson Jo"- Shaw, and acquainted him with the premisses. Whereupon the said Mr Shaw togeither with the church-wardens, constables, and serjeants-at-mace, by the comaund of Mr Maor, did repaii-e to the said Kichard Gilpin's howse. And when they came there all the dores were shutt and made fast. And after the dores were broken open, he did see these severall persons come out, \iz., Kobert Johnson, merchant, Dr Timstall, Wm. Cutter, James Hargraves, merchant, Wm. Hutchinson, George Headlyn, fitter, Charles Newton, gent, Humphrey Gill, gent, Jno. Bittleston, tanner, Matthew Soulsbey, roper, Michaell JobUng, pully- maker, Robert Finley, chapman, and diverse other persons to the nomber of fortie.' ' The information of Cuthbert Nicholas, cordwainer, against the persons hereinafter named, for being att meetings and con- venticles :— Mr Richard Gilping, Mr William Deurant, Mr John Pringle, Mr Henry Lever, preachers/ &c. &c. &c. &c. So early as 1663— which would intimate that Gilpin had previ- ously resided and 'preached' in Newcastle — Bishop Cosin wrote to the Mayor of Newcastle, telling him to look sharply after ' the caterpillars^ naming as the ringleaders, ' William Durant, Henry Leaver, Ricliard Gilpin, and John Pringle.' i When we consider who these men were— every one a ' pattern' of godliness and consuming consecration to the Master, and more especially that one of them, viz., Gilpin, had lately refused to elevate liim self to a level with Cosing it is hard to repress indignation ; while the word of scorn, ' cater- pillars,' reminds one of the Popish parallel of Pope Alexander, won- dering how the Signory of Florence could so far have forgotten what was due to him and to themselves as to aid and abet that ' contemptible reptile,' [vermicciattolo] in offending the majesty of the Holy See- the ' reptile' being Savonarola ; or the ' lieretici et hnperiti Iwmines' of Salmeron, as applied to Augustine and Chrysostom, Jerome, et hoc genus omne:^ Very different was the ' letter' of Cosin, Bishop of Durham to the Mayor, from that of another ' in authority,' who had also addressed to his Worship of Newcastle ' a letter,' wherein he had counselled amity and forbearance ; so much so, that Mr Durant and others of the preachers in Newcastle, returned him an answer of thanks for his ' inculcated exhortations to love the whole flock of ' Bourne's ' Newcastle,' s.n. ^ Quoted by Villari, Vita di Savonarola, vol. ii., lib. iv. cap. C : cf. TroUopc's Florence,' iv. 17S, 179. XXXVl MEMOIR OF RICHAKD GILPIN. Christ, though not lualking in the same order of the gospel.' The writer was Oliver Cromwell, i Until the ' Indulgence' of 1672, Gilpin carried on his ' ministry' in the half-public, half -hidden, manner which these deplorable acts indicate. At one time he had to leave liis own house ; for in the Barnes' ' Memoii-s,' we read, ' When the Five Mile Act came out, Dr Gilpin lodged at Mr Barnes his house, for more security. When his goods were destrained upon, Mr Barnes— to prevent their being squandered away — replevyed them.' . . . . ' And wlien there was a design to banish the Doctor from Newcastle, Mr Barnes, by persuading the magistrates of his great usefulness in the town, by his skill in physic, procured him quietness to the end of King Cliarles his reign.' ^ Not however until 1G72 was there anything approaching ' religious liberty' in England, and that only by connivance. Until that year, practically, Nonconformity and Dissent from the Church of England was politically treason, and ecclesiastically ' illegal.' The Reader will have noticed that by Barnes and others, our Worthy is designated ' Doctor,' and that this stood him in stead on one occasion. But the title was not due technically until 1676. In that year he proceeded to Leyden — like Sir Thomas Browne earlier— and there 'took' the ' degree' of M.D. By the kindness of Professor J. Van Hoeden of Leyden, I am enabled — for the first time — to give the ' record' of it from the ' Inscriptions of the Students.' 3 It is as fol- lows: — ' Richard Gilpin, [misspelled " Gulpin,"] Cumbridus,' obtained his degrees July 6, 1676 — post dispidationem privatam de Hisioria Hystericce Passionis medkina> doctor reminciatus est a cJarissimo Kraame—KaA again, Richard Gilpin— Ifed. Candid., anno 50, apud Prof. Sjnnoius, die xxix. Junii 16'76. This second inscription is only a week before ' the promotion, die vi. Julii 1676.' Gilpin ' lodged' with Professor Spinfeus during his brief visit. In the list at close of the Memoir, along with his other Writings, is given the title-page of the medical Dissertation or ' Disputation,' which he read on the occasion and published. In passing, I may remark that the ' Disputation' is entirely technical, so that there is nothing to interest an unscientific reader. 4 ' Carlyle'a Cromwell, vol. iv. 151-153. ' Barnes, as before, p. 142. Besides authorities already named, I am under obligation to Dr Bruce (author of 'The lioman Wall') for Turner's 'Sketch' of his Church in Newcastle ; also to Mr James Clephan, Newcastle, for his valuable Paper, ' Nonconformity in New- castle Two Hundred Years Ago.' A new edition of the latter will doubtless correct certain inadvertencies and misprints in an otherwise well-timed and vigorous tractate. '■' I must cordially acknowledge my obligation to Sir James Y. Simpson, Bart., M.D., for putting me in communication with the Leyden Professor. * Copies of this ' Disputatio,' which Gilpin must have neglected to deposit in Leyden, will be found in the Bodleian and in the British Museum ' Libraries, ' MEMOIK OF RICHARD GILPIN. XXXVU Returned from Holland as Dr Richard Gilpin,— and by this time married to his second wife, a daughter of a Cumberland squire, Brisco or Briscoe of Crofton Hall, — he gave himself to his work with un- flagging zeal, with ever-deepening power and influence, and with most gratifying tokens that he was not labouring in vain, nor spending his strength for nought. He was now in ' easy ' circumstances. ' The purchase,' says Barnes, ' of the Lordship of Scaleby had put him into debt, but he now cleared it off,' and Mr Barnes went with him to Sir Richard Musgrave, and got the conveyances finished, and this because ' by the encouragement his ministry met with from the liberality of the people, and his emoluments by the practice of physic, he [had] raised a considerable estate.' ^ He was vigilant as a ' watchman ' on the walls of Zion ; and as he mellowed into a beautiful old age, sur- rounded by a gifted and affectionate famUy, and having ' troops of friends,' he came to be the representative man of Nonconformity, so that the ' care ' of all their churches, in large measure, came upon him. Very pleasant must have been those holiday ' escapes ' from smoky Newcastle to the sylvan solitudes and brightness of Scaleby, which he interposed between his toils. His Congregation enormously increased — at a bound probably, for, on the death of WilUam Durant in 1681, his ' flock' was received by Gilpin. 2 Accordingly, in the course of years, he received several ' helpers.' One was the excellent William Pell, M.A., who, ' ejected' from Great Stainton in 1662, after being ' seven years minister of a congregation at Boston,' removed to Newcastle, where, says Calamy, ' he became assistant to Dr Gilpin, and died there, aged 63.' This was in 1698. ^ Another was Timothy Manlove, M.D., who settled at Pontefract in 1688, removed to Leeds in 1694, and became assistant to Dr Gilpin in 1698. He died August 3, 1699, and Gilpin preached two ' Sermons ' before his funeral, informed by a fine spirit. They were published ; and the title-page will be found in our list of his Writings at close. As before with the 'Temple Rebuilt,' it was only by constraint that Gilpin issued these Sermons — two in one. ' The following Dis- course,' he says, ' was preached without the least thought of offering it to public view ; and yet I was persuaded to yield to the publica- tion of it to prevent the printing of more imperfect notes.' The ' As before, p. 142. ^ Raine's ' Depositions ' as before : foot-note by Mr LongstafFe, pp. 172,173. Theo- logically, William Durant was unquestionably evaTigelically orthodox, and in no sense, save that the Church-property is held by the Unitarians, can he be called the ' founder ' of their Church in Newcastle. By the same plea Matthew Henry of Chester, and scores of others, might be claimed as ' Founders ' of Unitarian congregations. I state this simply as matter-of-fact, and not controversially. I may observe that Qilpin'a 'Letter' to Stratton (onwards) more probably indicates the commencement of the Unitarian ' separation.' ' See Calamy, and authorities, as before. XXXVUl 1IE3I01U OF KICHAUD GILriX. melancholy duty interrupted a series of Sermons on ' Striving to enter in at the strait gate,' and from Galatians v. 16, 'This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fuliil the lust of the flesh ;' but, he continues, ' having received an intimation that my dear brother and fellow-labourer, now deceased, liad found such comfort in his meditations of this scripture in his prospect of death, that he expressed liis desires that his funeral sermon might be upon this text,' [Romans viii. 35-39,] he had chosen it. I have space for only a very few sentences from these ' Sermons' as follow : — " In all these things we are more than conquerors.' It is a glorious victory to stand in an evil day when Satan hath drawn up all his forces against us. It is a glorious victory not only to escape without loss, but to gain by his opposition. Thus we outshoot him in his own bow ; and all this, sine labore ef sudore, easily through Divine assistance,' (page 17.) Again : " We are led by the Spirit" vcr. 14. Whether we read the sense backward or forward it holds ti-ue, " as many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God," and ' as many as are the sons of God have been and shall be led by the Spirit," (page 30.) He pays affectionate tribute to his departed ' assistants.' ' It hath pleased God Almighty and the all-wise Dis- poser of all things to make another breach upon us. It is not long since he took Mr Pell from us, and now he hath called home Mr Manlove, both of them excellent men, worthy ministers of the Gospel, singularly both of them fitted with abilities for their work. They were successively my dear brethren and fellow-labourers in this part of God's vineyard. It must be acknowledged that it is a stroke to be lamented ; and if we look upon the present Pro\'idence we may have some cause to fear that when God is chscharging His servants from His work, and paying them their wages, that He may shortly break up His house with us,' (page 21.) From what must have been a large correspondence, only two letters of Dr Gilpin have come down to us, in so far as known. The one is an unimjiortant ' note ' given in Horsley's ' Life of Dr Harle,' (8vo, 1730,) — not worth reprinting; the other hitherto impublished, and of much interest and value, as shewing how staunch and true he was to the last in his Nonconformity, and how liis one fear in his ' old age ' was lest the Church of England should absorb his large congregation on his death. This Letter is among the Ayscough MSS. 4275 in the British Museum (Birchiana.) We have transcribed it verbatim. ' Newcastle, Decemh. 13 '98. ' Deare Sr, — Since I writ last to you concerning ye proposed corre- spondence, I received a Ir from you, wherein you give answer to yr two obiections wch I had mentioned to von. Your Ir I communicated to MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIX. XXXIX ye brethren ; but then there arose new mutterings about ye designe of yr late reflections on the circular Ire, [and they] have taken hold of ye same advantages against it : so yt at present little is to be expected of any procedure in yt matter till men see what will become of ye publick outcry against it. ' It hath pleased God to take from me my deare assistant, Mr Pell , by a feaver ; we buryed him last weeke. It is a sad stroke upon us all, but it falls at present most heavy upon me. Ever since his sick- ness, it became necessary for me (such are our circumstances) to preach twice every Lord's day, and I must continue to do so at least every other Lord's day for some time, because there are a small party (and but a very small one) M-ho have formed a designe, and are now encouraged upon this sad occasion to open it. This pai-ty were ye few remainders of Mr Durant's congregation, who have kept com- munion wth ours in all ordinances, wthout making any exceptions, about 15 years; but when old Mr Barnes (their politick engineer) brought home his young son Thomas, fi'om London, they presently shewed their intentions to choose him for their pastor ; but as intro- ductory to that they (in my absence) thrust him into ye pulpit, without so much as asking leave. I was silent, and suffered him to preach in ye evenings; but they being weary of that — few people stay- ing to heare him — they thought it more conduceable to theii- designe to separate from us, and set up at ye Anabaptists' meeting-house ; but no great party would foUow them, and now they have chosen him to be their pastor, though before this he had in our pulpit vented some unsound Crispian notions, and at last had ye confidence to contradict what I had preached about preparation to conversion. For this, I thought it necessary to give him a publick rebuke, and to answer his exceptions. That theii-e designe is to worme us out of or meeting- house, and to breake or congregation, is visible to all : they now openly claime ye meeting-house for their pastor's use, (when he pleaseth,) and pretend old Mr Hutchinson (upon whose ground ye house is built) promised them so much when they contributed towards ye charge of building ; but Mr Jonathan Hutchinson, his son, denyes any such promise, and stands firmly to us, though Mr Barnes (his father-in-law) surprised him wth solicitations ; but we offer to repay them all ye money they contributed towards ye building. ' You see, Sr, how much I need your prayers, and (if it could be) ye nomination of a man of parts, prudence, piety, and authority to assist me at present, and to succeed me when I am gone. Much of ye dissenters' interest in ye North depends upon ye tvel/are of or con- gregation. Tlie Episcopall p)arty have long since made their prognostic, yt ivhen I die, ye congregatimi will he hroken, and then there luill he an end of ye dissenters' interest in Newcastle. I pray give my deare xl MEMOIR OF RICHARD rilLriN. love and respects to all ye brethren wth you, and pardon the trouble given by, Kevd. sr, your afifectionate brother and servant, EicH. Gilpin.' On the 4th page, folio — For the Reverend Mr Richard Stratton, minister of ye gospel, at the house, Hatton Garden, in Loudon. We have little more to tell of the author of Vcemonologia Sacra. He survived his estimable ' assistant' Manic ve but a short time. But to the last he was ' in harness.' Looking over old Papers he came upon a Sermon wliich he had preached so far back as ' 1660,' at the ' Assize' in Carlisle, revised and published it; and it bears the same date of ' 1700' as his own death: so that, like Sibbes, he must have had proof-sheets passing through his hands very near ' the end.' The ' Epistle' or ' Preface' prefixed is as terse and effective as ever; and the ' Sermon' itself manly, outspoken, faithful, and truly characteristic of the man. The title-page will be found in our list.i This ' Sermon' having been preached before Judge Twisselton and Serjeant Bernard and the ' gentry' present at the Assize, is specially searching on ' sins' in ' high places,' for Gilpin acted on the sentiment of Edward Boteler, who, in his own quaint way, says of Earl Mulgrave, ' He knew what great evils evil great ones are ; that they have many followers, go they whither they will, and seldom go to hell alone.' [As after, p. 48.] I detach a single ' particular' from this weighty Sermon : — ' If magis- trates advance not the throne of Christ, they commonly prove fmious against it, and plagues of God's people. If this proceed from a care- less blockish temper, then judgment of itself will degenerate into gall, and the " fruit of righteousness into hemlock." Justice, like water, l)urifies itself by motion, when it " runs down like a stream : " if it be a standing water, it corrupts, and corruptio optimorum pessima. If this neglect proceed from enmity to Christ, then, seeing they have the greatest advantages in their hands to do evil, they may " establish wickedness by a law : " they can " push with the horn, and tread down the jiasture with their feet." [Ezek. xxxiv. 18.] " When the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." [Prov. xxix. 2.] Or if it proceed from apostasy, then " the revolters are profound to make slaughter." [Hosea v. 27.] And this happens not so much from the churlish and cruel dis[)ositions of men, as from God's giving them up judicially to rage against His ways, either as a scourge to liis people, or in order to their own ruin. Hence it is noted that the cniellest persecutions were set on foot by emperors, sometimes of the best parts, and most civil dispositions, as Antoninus Philosophus, Trajan, Severus, Decius, &c. Magistrates are for the most j^art like the prophet's figs, either very good or very bad : they are the heads of the people, and all ^ This Sermon, from some unexplained cause, is extremely rare and high-priced. I was indebted to Mr Wilson, Tunbridge Wells, for a copy. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. xH diseases in the head are dangerous ; so when the leprosy appeared in the head deeper than the skin, the party was pronounced utterly unclean,' (pp. 13, 14.) Calamy and Mr Thompson of Stockton thus record the ' good man's end : ' — ' He went,' says the former, ' into the pulpit the last time he was in it under a feverish indisposition, and preached from 2 Cor. v. 2, " For ia this we groan, earnestly," &c. ; and to the surprise of all, he rather ' groaned' than spake this sermon. The lungs being at that time too tender for work, his disease seized that part, and he was brought home in a peripneumonia, which in ten days put a period to his life.'^ Mr Thompson, in his ' Diary,' 2 thus writes : — ' Dr Gilpin, y' eminent servant of God, died much lamented by all, on (Tuesday) Feb. 13, -|-,QQ about eight o'clock in ye morning. '3 He was interred in the churchyard of All Saints, Newcastle. And the following is the 'entry' in its Register of Burials:— '1699 [=1699-1700] 'Peh. 16. Rich. Gilpin, doctor of physick.' ^ The 'scutcheon of the ' Kentmere' Gilpins was placed on his coffin. He left a widow, who retired, as her husband had asked, with her family, to Scaleby Castle. From point to point of our Memoir, it has been our endeavour to bring out the character of Dr Gilpin under his varying circumstances ; so that, unless I have failed more than I can suppose, my Readers must by this time — even out of the scanty material which has been left to us — have formed an idea of him, such as will bear me out, I anticipate, in characterising him summarily as a man of no ordinary type, large of soul, — with the spaciousness of genius that has been hallowed, — strong and inevitable in his convictions, quick and sensitive in conscience, intense and full of momentum in whatever he undertook ; and, as his ' Dcemonologia Sacra' proves, profound, sagacious, keen in his scrutiny of human and celestial-demoniac problems, and one who must have carried sunshine with him wherever he went. His portrait — pre- served in Nova Scotia by a descendant, Dr Gilpin of Halifax — as en- graved in the earlier edition of Pahner, shews the liquid eye of genius, the mobile lip, the brow compact and packed of brain, a nose some- what audacious, and a touch of sauciness in the chin, while the long cavalier-like cm-led ' locks' of liis wig seem to proclaim the lord of the manor of Scaleby as much as the Preacher; for as Edward Boteler puts ' Account, p. 57. 2 Given in ' A Brief History of Protestant Nonconfoi-mists, and of the Society assem- bling in the Old Meeting-house, High Street, Stockton, 1856,' [by Hev. J. Richmond,] p. 16. Mr Clephan of Stockton was good enough to send me this careful little volume. ^ Turner, in giving the above extract, misled by 1699, imagines it must refer to some other Dr Gilpin. He forgot that the year did not begin then until March 25 ; so that, while under our reckoning it was 1700, under the old it was 1699 ; and hence the mark- ing until the change of the going and coming year, e.ff., 1699-1700. ■* I have to thank Mr Clephan, as before, for getting me this. xlii MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. it of another, with Fullerian alliteration, ' Though he was very humble, yet he knew how to be a man and no worm, as well as when to be " a worm and no man." He knew when to lay his honour in the dust, and when to let no dust be upon his honour.' i I would now bring together several ' estimates ' of our Worthy by those who knew him well, and thus could form an accurate judgment concerning him. First of all, I am fortunate enough to be able to give, from an old, worn, and weather-stained hologi-aph preserved by Prebendary Gilpin, a quaint 'Poem,' which probably represents in portions of it the inscription placed on his ' monument'— long since mouldered away. Here it is, rude and halting in rhyme and rhythm, but biographicaUy interesting : — TO THE MEMORY OF YE EXCELLENT DR GILrlN. * In moiirnfiill numbers I did weep of late, Criton the wise,' and sweet Philander's fate,' And Calvus,'' to yc learned world well known. OpprcBs'd and wth repeated grief borne down, Palajmon's' death succeeding struck me dumb. My tears were all I offer'd at his tomb. Thus th' Eastern sage" wth wondrous patience bore Thrice dismal news, but he could bear no more, Did weep, fall down, and silently adore. My trouble now swells o'er, and artless .strays, Where nature yields, and passion leads ye ways. Thou man of peace ! born in our publick rage, Designed to correct ye giddy age : Thy solid judgment did resist yc flame, In midst of civil fury still ye same. When the grave world run madly uniform, Serene within thou weather'd out ye storm. The miter thou refused with a brow Wch calmness shew'd, and resolution too. Esteemed by ye good, by ill men fear'd. By ye wise admired, and followed by yc herd. Ev'n Satan did trembling on thy lectures wait, When thou display'd his mysteries of state. Uegg'd leave to plague thee, but he begg'd in vain, Vowing revenge upon ye list'ning train. Great prophet ! who could'st prudently dispense, With a becoming warmth, substantial sense ; In such a manner thou thy God addrest ^Vs both thy rev'rence and thy wants cxprest. Thy zeal was not confined to th' sacred chair. But bright through all thy actions did appear. Thy spotless life tliy doctrine best apply'd. Truth recommending wch thou first had try'd. The Worthy of Ephratah,' 1659, 12mo, pp. 46, 47. Mr Pell, [as before.] ' Mr Manlove, [as before.] Dr Gilpin. ' Job. MEMOin OF RICHARD GILRIK. xlui Our honour and defence ' with thee depart. The gift of preaching and ye healing art. J. H. Artes infemas Divin.l Gilpinus arte Detexit, vicit, jam requiescit ovans. Id. Presbyterflm prjcses, proeco optimus, et medicinse Doctor Gilpinus, conditur hoc tumulo. T. P. Fitly accompanying this ' elegy ' and — as verse little superior but — similarly valuable as a 'testimony,' come the lines of Dr Harle, which Horsley thus prefaces : — ' I have oft heard him mention the severe shock the death of Dr Gilpin gave him.' His tribute to Gilpin occurs in a ' copy of verses upon the death of the Eev. John TuriibuU of North Shields.' It is as follows : — ' How oft have we with admiration hung On the angelic Gilpin's pow'rful tongue, Who in perfection had the mighty art. To form the soul and captivate the heart ; Pour Gospel balm into the wounded soul, And vengeance on the harden'd conscience rowl. When he hell's gloomy stratagems did clear ^ Man ceased, and Satan then began to fear His empire's utter ruin drawing near. Great man ! whom goodness did to greatness raise, Nor forced applause, nor warmly courted praise. The tempting dignity he did despise Made him more glorious still in good men's eyes.'' (As before, pp. 20, 21.) I have next to set forth the famous ' story' of Thomas Story the Quaker missionary - preacher — of his interviews with Dr Gilpin ; wherein it will be seen he shews the deepest respect for him, albeit in his self-opinionativeness unconvinced of the erroneous tendency of his ' views ' and practice. These ' notes ' are found in a folio that has now gone out of sight, and become among the rarest of rare Quaker books.* The narrative is too tedious for reproduction in full ; but a specimen will interest. Having told of his conversion to the prin- ' Pruesidium et decus meum. - ' Satan's Temptations.' ^ The Bishoprick of C le. •' A Journal of the Life of Thomas Story : containing an Account of his remarkable Convincement of and Embracing of the Principles of Truth as held by the people called Quakers : and also of his Travels and Labours in the Service of the Gospel : with many other Occurrences and Observations. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, printed by Isaac Thompson and Company, at the New Printing OfKce on the Side, mdccxlvii. Apart from the light under which everything is seen, this book is a perfect repertory of facts on the moral and religious condition of our country at the period. There are innumerable sketches of persons and places of mark all over North and South, given with a trans- parent naivete and occasional raciness of wording that is very taking. Story continued to be received on the most friendly terms by the Gilpins, and by sons and daughters after Dr Gilpin himself was dead. Of, pp. 470-473. Xliv MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. ciples of Quakerism, and more especially of tlie result of the' reading of ' three small books,' he goes on : ' Some time after this, [1G91,] Dr Gilpin, before mentioned, sent his son, a counsellor- [at-law], under whom I had been initiated into the study of the law, and who was one of those at the tavern aforesaid, and still retained a great affection for me— to invite me to his house at Scaleby Castle, and desired to see some of the Quakers' books, supposing I had been imposed upon by reading them; and I sent him, as I remember, all that I had. 8oon after I had parted with these books, I observed a cloud come over my miad and an unusual concern ; and therein the two sacra- ments—commonly so termed— came afresh into my remembrance, and divers scriptures and arguments pro and cm: and then I was apprehensive the Doctor was preparing something of that sort to discourse me upon; and I began to search out some scriptures in defence of my own sentiments on those subjects: but as 1 proceeded a little in that work I became more uneasy and clouded : upon which I laid aside the Scripture and sat still, looking towards the Lord for counsel. For I considered the Doctor as a man of great learning, religious in his way, an ancient preacher and writer too, famous in Oliver's time, and a " throne" among his brethren: and that he might advance such subtilties as I could not readily confute nor would con- cede to, as knowing them eiToneous, though I might not be suddenly furnished with arguments to demonstrate their fallacy ; and so might receive hurt. And then it was clear in my understanding that as he was in his own will and strengtii, though with a good intent, in his own sense, searching the letter [of the Scripture,] and depending upon that and his own wisdom, acquirements, and subtilty, leaning to his own spirit and understanding, I must decline that way and trust in the Spirit of Christ, the divme Author of the Holy Scriptures. And as this caution was presented in the life and virtue of truth, I rested satisfied therein, and searched no further on that occasion. When I went to liis house, he entered into a discourse on those subjects ; and had such passages of Scripture folded down as he purposed to use. And when I observed it, I was confirmed that my sight of him in my own chamber at Carlisle, and of his work some days before, was right, [as if, to intercalate a remark, it needed prescience to foretell that the Doctor's appeal would be 'to the Law and to the Testimony'! !] and ray mind was strengthened thereby. But before he began to move upon the subject, he dismissed every other i)erson out of the room, so that himself and I remained alone. The first thing he said was, in a calm manner, to admonish me to be very dautious how I espoused the errors of the Quakers ; for he had heard of late and with concern that I had been among them, or seemed to incline that way. I answered that I had not been much among them, nor seen any of their books MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. xlv but those I had sent him, and knew not of any errors they held. Yes, said he, they deny the ordinances of Christ, the two sacraments — Baptism and the Lord's Supper ; and then opened his book [his !J at one of his down-fokled leaves, where he read thus, 1 Cor. i. 2, xi. 23, 26 ' Now follows the usual delusive appeals beyond the ' letter,' as ' carnal,' and all the unconsciously-blaspheming, ' set- ting-aside,' of plain words that reveal ' the mind of the Spii-it,' com- mingled with a simple-minded self-superiority which need not be illustrated. Very patient and wonderingly-silent must have been the Doctor with his undoubtedly pious and acute, but most perverse, visitor. He thus closes, ' The Doctor did not oppose this, [about prayer,] but only said I had given him better satisfaction on that point than he had found in the book ; and afterwards he was much more free and familiar with me than before, or than I expected : and so we parted in friendship, and I returned in peace and gladness,' l (pp. 41-45.) But by far the most important, as it is the most elaborate, ' esti- mate' of our Worthy, is that of Calamy, who, usually marked by judicial calm, and chary of praise, glows and burns in the fulness of his admiration. The fervour of his eulogy of Gilpin contrasts with his usual matter-of-fact statements, and surprises by its suddenness and passion. With this I shall close those personal tributes by con- temporaries. Thus the ' Account ' under ' Grastoke ' runs : — ■ ' Kichard Gilpin, M.D. He was designed by God for great work in his chm'ch, and was singularly qualified for it. He had a large share of natural abilities, which he had wonderfully improved by an unwearied industry and long and hard study, so that there was scarce anything that accomplished a man, a scholar, a physician, or divine, but he possessed it in great perfection. ' His stature was of the middle sort, rather inclining to the lesser size ; but his presence was far from being mean. There was a pleasing mixture of majesty and sweetness, affableness and gravity in his aspect. He could readily set his countenance to a severity or 1 It may be well to give in a foot-note Story's account of another and later visit to Dr Gilpin :— ' The same evening I visited Dr Richard Gilpin, formerly mentioned, having stiU a great respect for him and all his family. He was an eminent physician and preacher among the Presbyterians at Newcastle ; to which place he had removed from Cumberland after the Revolution. And with him also I had some discourse about matters of religion ; in which he discovered more passion and prejudice than became his high profession or years, and could not bear any contradiction. But I advised him to beware of that spirit, for it wanted mortification : and this I did in a calm and respectful mind, which reached the better part in him, and brought it over the evil ; and then I left him in a loving temper. For though he was naturally high, and the most eminent and celebrated preacher of that profession in the North, and from his very early days deeply prejudiced, and almost envious, against Friends, yet he heard me with more patience— though that was little— than he ever did any other.'— P. 100. Xlvi MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILPIN. mildness as the business or persons he had to do with required ; and he did it not by any artificial affectation, but naturally and with ease, in such a way as kept up the dignity of his ijrofession, and to such an end as made religion both more awful and more alluring. ' He had a delicate, fine, and pohte fancy, expressing itself in a plenty of words, which gave clear and lively images of things, and kept up the life, strength, and elegancy of the English tongue. ' His memory was strong and faitliful, and gave back with great exactness what he committed to it, though it was a treasuiy of very great residing, and filled with variety of matter in several sciences. ' To these was added a most penetrating, discerning judgment. This enabled him in reading to choose well, and to form a just opinion of the sentiments of others, wliich was always with that can- dour as made another considerable addition to his many excellences. ' He had so well digested all necessary parts of learning that he had them in readiness when he needed them. He used such things in their proper place, and adorned his discourses with them as there was occasion ; and was able to make that which was little else but pageantry appear with a due gracefulness and beautiful in its season. ' As he had a rich fund of sense, learning, experience, and reading to fit him for a divine, so he liad all the qualifications necessary for a preacher in the highest degree tliat can well be thought attaind.ble. The several endowments that make a man a true, divine, orator did jointly meet in him. ' He had a voice strong enough to command the most usual public {)laces of di\ane worship. It was piercing and sweet, and naturally well modelled. He had the true sldll of fixing an accent upon parti- cular words where the matter needed it. There was a force attended his way of speaking without an undue transport. He was vigorous and vehement, but under great conduct. His expressions were con- ceived and his sermons delivered without the use of notes : and he was qualified for that way of preaching. His pregnant memory, his ready invention, his great presence of mind, his natural fluency, that made him able to speak well and gracefully, with ease and assurance, entitled him to it. He could clothe any matter in apt words, wth all the ornaments of a regular elocution. He fell neither into too swift an utterance, nor was forced upon any imbecoming, imguarded expres- sions. There was no restraint upon his delivery by being thus managed. It made him only capable of sjieaking what he did \vith much greater warmth and life and decency of gestiu-e. It liad all the smoothness of style and i:)ropriety of words to make it acceptable. It had all the graces of natural oratory, all the decencies of behaviour to recommend it. And that which completed all, it came from a serious MEMOIR OF RICHARD CxILPIX. xlvil mind, the concera of which was visibly to be read botb in his coun- tenance and expressions. He spoke from his very heart, as appeared sometimes in the force of his words, sometimes in his tears, and usually in both. He spake with solemnity and seriousness, with gravity and majesty, and yet with so much meekness mixed with all, as declared him to be a man of God and ambassador of Christ. There was a lively air of delivery, a sacred vehemence of affection in what he spake, that were very much his peculiar talent. He knew how to temper his discourses with due motion. His gestures were admirably taking and graceful, and further expressive of what he was deUvering. In prayer he was hkewise most solemn and fervent, and usually expressed himself much in Scripture language, and with a flood of affection. The very fountains of it seemed in the performance of that duty to be broken up and the great deep of it opened. It often forced him to silence for a little till it had flowed out at his eyes. In his pulpit discourses he was a very great example, both as to the design and method of them. His design was vast and noble in the ordinary course of his preachings. He usually i^roposed some subject, and pursued it on various texts. Every head with its enlargements was closely studied, and his particulars under each general were admirably chosen. If he had ever so many, none could be wanting ; if never so few, there seemed to need no more. In the handling of any sub- ject, after he had explained and proved what he had undertaken, with a great deal of clearness and affection, he was most plain, familiar, and moving in his applications. His way in these was another particular talent that he had. In all his uses he was excellent, but mostly so in his exhortations. He made them as so many set discourses of per- suasion. They were delivered with most address and greatest warmth and vigour. He entered upon them usually with some rousing, Kvely preface to gain attention, and then offered his motives, which were prosecuted with the most pungent expressions. Here his earnestness increased, together with his voice, and the vehemeucy of it. He had a feeling apprehension of the importance of what he was then urging upon his hearers, and every word was big with concern of mind. He affected an elaborate eloquence at no time, but least of aU then. In easy but moving expressions, and with a distinguisliing ■7rddo<;, he woidd plead with sinners sometimes for a whole sermon together, without flagging in his affections or suffering his attentive hearers to do it in theirs. He was a man of a distinguishing know- ledge and experience in the mysteries of Christianity ; and of a dis- cerning spirit in understanding a work of grace upon the hearts of others. With a clear head and searching skill in divine things, he had a sincere and warm heart. The fire of zeal and the light of knowledge accompanied one another. He kept up a serious temper Xlviii MEMUIR OF RICHARD GIU'IN. at all times and in all places and company, without much discernible alteration or abatement ; but this did not in the least sour his dis- position, which was cheerful, though thinking and solid. His skill in government appeared in the managing a numerous congregation of very different opinions and tempers. His integrity, modesty, and contempt of the world, in refusing the bishopric of Carlisle, as another of the family (Mr Bernard Gilpin) had done before him, consonant to their motto, dictis factisque simplex. The care of the churches lay upon him. His unblamable character had obtained amongst all hut those whose ill-nature would suffer them to sjjcak well of none who dijBfered from them. He was much respected by many for tlie good he had done them as a physician. Among persons of rank and quality in the parts where he lived, all necessary means were scarce thought to have been used if he had not been consulted. He went about doing good to the souls and bodies of men. Tiiis world was not in his eye, none could charge him with anything like covetous- ness.' Be it remembered that these are the ' words ' in every case, of men who knew not to flatter, and spake out of ' perfect knowledge.' Above all, be it specially remembered that I have been quoting from no ' Funeral Sermon,' with its almo.st inevitable exaggerations. It only remains that I give a complete annotated list of tlie extant writings of Dr Gilpin, arranged chronologically as published, also an account of the manuscript of Dcvmonoloyia Sacra, and the destruction of other MSS. I. The Agreement of the Associated Ministers and Churches of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmcrland \sic.\ With some- thing for Explication and Exhortation annexed. London : Printed by T. L., lor Simon Watcrson, and are sold at the sign of the Globe, in Paul's Churchyard, and by Richard Scot, Book- seller in Carlisle. 1656. Pp. 59. 4to. %* In the copy of above in St Patrick's (Cathedral) Library, (Marsh's,) at p. 52, there is a careful correction in Gilpin's autograph of Carolostadius for Oecolompadius, which itself confirms the authorship. There is no name on title- page or elsewhere ; but Calamy gives it in his enumera- tion. Account, vol. ii. p. 157. II. The Temple Eebuilt : a Discourse on Zachery vi. 13. Preached at a Generall Meeting of the Associated Ministers of the County of Cumberland, at Keswick, May 19. By Richard Gilpin, Pastor of the Church at Graistock, in Cumberland. London : Printed by E. T., for Luke Fawne, at the Parrot, in Paul's Churchyard, MEMOIR OF KICHARD GILPIN. xlix and are to be sold by Richard Scott, Bookseller in Carlisle. 1658. 4to. Ep. Dedy., pp. 6, and 40. On reverse of title-page is this note : ' We, the Associate Ministers of the County of Cumber- land, do earnestly desire our reverend brother, Mr Eichard Gil- pin, to print his acceptable Sermon preached this day at om- Generall Meeting. Tijiothy Tullie, 3Iodr. pro Temp. John Jackson, Scribe.' *^* My own copy has inscribed in Gilpin's autograph, 'Ex dono AutJioris,' and again misprints are carefully corrected. III. Disputatio Medica Inauguralis de Hysterica Passione, quam PrfBside Deo Opt. Max. ex autoritate magnifici D. Eectoris D. Johannis Coccii, in Inclyta Lugd. Batav. Academia Eloquentite et Historiarum Professoris celeberrimi nee non amplissimi Senatus Academici, Consensu et Almfe Facultatis Medicfe Decreto, Pro Gradu Doctoratus, Summisque in Medicina Honoribus ac Privi- legiis legitime obtinendis, Eruditorum examini subjicit Eichardus Gilpin, Anglus Cumbriens. Die 6 Julii, loco horLsque solitis, ante merid. Lugduni Batavorum, Apud Viduam et Haeredes Johannis ElsevLrii Academife Typograph. 1676. 4to. Pp. 8. \* The following is the dedication to his (second) father-in- law : ' Celeberrimo et virtute maxime conspicuo viro Gulielmo Brisco de Crofton, in Comitatu Cumbrife Ai-migero, Socero suo venerando. Hanc Disputationem Inauguralem observantije signum offert et inscribit Eich- ardus Gilpin.' lY. Dcemonologia Sacra. 1677. 4to. See our reprint, pp. 2,7, 126, 312, for general and special title-pages. *^* In our ' Prefatory Note,' I have characterised this the most important of Gilpin's works, and add here a little from the Barnes' ' Memoh-s,' (as before,) and from one well capable of pronouncing an opinion. 1. Barnes : ' What had greatly raised Dr Gilpin's fame was his treatise of " Satan's Temptations,' which, in imitation of a book of King James I., he entitled " Dsemonologia Sacra," the largest and completest of any extant upon that subject. Being out of print, both it and an account of its author, and others of his wi'itings, may be given the world when his posterity think it convenient," (pp. 145, 146.) 2. John Eyland, M.A. : ' If ever there was a man that was clearly acquainted with the cabinet-councils of hell, this author is the man,' [in his ' Cotton Mather.'] V. The Comforts of Divine Love : Preached upon the Occasion of the much Lamented Death of the Eeverend Mr Timothy Manlove. d 1 MEMOIK OF RICHARD GILPIK. With his Character, done by another Hand. London. 1700. ■ 12mo. Epistle, pp. 2. Character, pp. 4. Sermons, pp. 46. *^* The Williams' copy is marked contemporaneously ' 16th January 1699.' Prefixed is a portrait of Dr Manlove — for, like Gilpin and Pringle, he too was an M.D.— by Vander Gucht. VI. An Assize Sermon, Preached before Judge Twisselton and Serg. Bernard at Carlisle, September the 10th, Anno 1660. And Now Pubhsh'd and Kecommended to the Magistrates of the Nation, as a Means, by God's Blessing, to quicken them to a serious Pur- suit of the Honourable and truly Eeligious Design, for the Re- formation of Manners, which is now on foot, and Countenanced by the Nobility, Bishops, and Judges, in the late Account of the Societies for tlie Reformation of Manners, and applauded by the Serious and Eeligious Men of all Persuasions. By R. Gilpin, now Minister of the Go.spel in Newcastle-upon-TjTie. London : Printed for Tho. Parkhurst, at tlie Bible and Three Crowns, near Mercers Chappie ; and Sarah Burton, Bookseller at Newcastle. 1700. 4to. I have now to notice the Manuscripts of Gilpin. By the courtesy of the Rev. Bernard Gilpin, Bengeo, Hertford, I have had confided to me the original holograph of ' Dcemonoloyia Sacra,' and in our re- print I have found it clearing up occasional misprints and mis-point- ings. The MS. is not complete ; the collation is as follows : General title and three special titles, pp. 3. To the Reader, pp. 6, signed ' Rich. Gilpin.' Treatise on to Part IL, page 255, (in our edition,) ending in line 21st from top, ' disqui[eting].' The penmanship is clear and legible, with few erasures, and having a margin on either side. On the top of the page whereon Part I. begins, there is the date, ' Newcastle, July 9, 1671.'^ Further : Calamy, in his ' Ac- count,' thus mentions a manuscript treatise of which he had heard : ' Among other things he hath left behind him in manuscript, a valu- able Treatise concerning Tlie Pleasantness of the Ways of Religion ; and in whatsoever hands it lies, it is pity but it should see the light,' (vol. ii. p. 157.) It is to be lamented that this appeal was not re- sponded to, as Prebendary Gilpin records sorrowfully its loss as fol- lows : ' Among his other papers was found a treatise of considerable length, prepared, as it seemed, for the press, " On the Pleasures of Religion." This MS., and several other MSS. of Dr Gilpm's, consist- ing chiefly of heads and divisions of sermons, from which he used com- monly to preach, fell into the hands of the author of this memoir ; and • By the favour of Mr Nichol I have had one hundred large-paper copies of this edition of ' Dsemonologia Sacra ' thrown off— quarto : and prefixed is the portrait of Gilpin, and a facsimile of a portion of this manuscript. JIEMOIK OF niCHARD GILPIX. li being deposited in a box with other papers, and placed in the corner of a closet, were attacked by what is commonly called dry damp, and were almost entirely spoiled. If anjiihing had been interposed between the bottom of the box and the floor so as to have suffered the air to circulate, the mischief had been prevented ;' and what levity in the custodier of so precious a legacy that tliis little care was neglected. Mr Gilpin of Juniper Green writes me concerning these spoiled MSS. : ' Nevertheless [i.e., notwithstanding their utter destruction by the dry-rot] my mother kept the fragments all the days of her Ufe with great veneration. But now these relics— they were little better than ashes — of our ancestor have perished.' I have thus done my best to revivify the story of Kichard Gilpin, His highest ' record' is ' on high ;' but those who love the memory of our Worthy, will, it is hoped, accept kindly our endeavours to keep his grave green, and to import, so to speak, personahty to the name in an old title-page— of one who did vaHant service for The Master : ' Sword and spear he might not wield, But with faith his heart to shield, Marched he to the battle-field.'— [' Para&us Anim(e.'] And so I close with like verses by leal-hearted Sir Egerton Brydges : ' His tongue, the Spirit's two edged sword, Had magic ia.it3 blade ; For while it smote with every word. It healed the wounds it made. Yet, who 80 humbly walked as he, A conqueror in the field ; Wreathing the rose of victory Around his radiant shield ! ' Alexander B. Grosart. MEMOIR OF RICHARD GILI'IX. APPENDIX TO ME.\[OIR. A. — Page xvi. — Ancestry axd Descendants of the Gilpins. The different ' County ' Historians, and Works on the old families of England, give more or less full details concerning the Gilpins in all their many branches. The ' Arms ' are Or, a boar passant sable, armed and tusked Gules. A fine book-plate of this adorns Prebendary Gilpin's Family Manuscript. Tiicse ' Arms ' are hereditarily under- stood to have been derived from tiie fact that a Richard de Gylpyn or Gilpin — who is regarded as the founder of the house — killed a wild boar which had infested the neighbourhood of Kentmere, in the reign of King John. [See Nicholson and Burns' 'Antiquities of West- moreland and Cumberland,' (as before,) vol. i. pp. 135-137.] This is confirmed by Sir Daniel Fleming's Collection of Pedigrees, in the possession of Sir W. Fleming of Rydal, Co. Westm. Bart. a.d. 1713; and is given by Bishop Carleton in his Life of Bernard Gilpin. From these authorities, and various other Family documents, I construct this genealogy of the elder House : — 1. Richard .... founder. He a son, 2. William, who married a daughter of Thomas AjTay, bailiff of Kentmere. He a son, 3. Richard, who married daughter of Fleming of Coningston, from whom many descendants are found in and around Kendal. He a son, 4. William. He a son, 5. Richard. He a son, 6. William, a captain at Bosworth field, and there killed. He a brother, 7. Edwin, two of whose sons were distinguished — viz., (1.) The ambassador of Queen Ehzabeth to the States of Holland. (2.) Bernard, the 'Apostle of the North,' was the fourth son. He, [i.e., Edwin,] a son, 8. William. He a son, 9. George. He a son, 10. William. He a son, 11. George. He suc- ceeded by, 12. Christopher Gilpin, a half brother of George, in whom the (hrect male line ended. The 'Kentmere' estate sold to Sir Charles Philiiison. — [N.ani.B.—ashefore.'] — William, son of Richard, [=the 4th of our list,] married a daughter of Thomas Lancaster of Sockbred, who descended of the baron of Kendal. His son Richard, again [ = 5th in our list,] married a daughter of Sir Rowland Thomborroux, knight of Rampsell. This Richard married as his second wife Margaret Layton = Enwine, second daughter of Thomas Layton of Dalemaine, who had several sons — Anthony, Thomas, Sir William, Sir Bryan, Sir Cuthbert, Sir Richard, all famous men, mostly soldiers, and some Imights of Rhodes. His daughters also intermarried with Redman, MEMOIK OF RICHARD GILPIN. lui Caielton, Olybomc, and Vaux. We may now tabulate the descent. From Richard, and his second wife, Margaret Layton, comes— Kanaall = Sykes. Richard. John. Fra 1 1 George. BerJard 2 daiij i'hters. 'iUiim = Eliz. Washington. G. 1 orge. Randall. 1 Bernard Ricli 1 IM Caly. Mai ler of Isaac, Dr Gilpin. 1 1 1 i-y. Margaret. father of our George. 2dLon. 3d ion. Wffliam = « • • < Sandtorth. 4th Ln. 5th'son. at,lso Vth'son. sLghteral [See Hutchinson's ' History of Diu-ham,' vol. ii. 703, account of the Grilpins, from a paper in the hands of Mr Eob. Sober of Sherburn, near Durham, without date. — Eandall MSS. The last George, at the time of making out Sober's pedigree, is said to be living, and owner of the ancient house of the Gilpins, Kentmere Hall.] Turning to Dr Ricliard Gilpin, I have had two elaborate pedigrees (of descent) entrusted to me, by the former of which, it appears om* Worthy had a very large family by, (as I understand,) his two wives. By this also I find that his second wife was born ' Oct. 15th, 1625,' eldest daughter of William Brisco of Crofton — her name Susannah. I have a suspicion that the first Mrs Gilpin died at Greystoke, and that the Doctor re-married before leaving it ; but ovang to the time-worn state of the Greystoke ' Registers,' all the entries that remain concern- ing Dr Gilpin's family are the two children given in our Memoir. Following William and Susannah were, 1. Isaac, born July 12, 1C58 ; man-ied Ehzabeth, daughter of Thomas Clagget. Then, 2. Susanna, born Nov. 27th, 1659 ; married Matthew Parlis, minister. [The former Susannah must have died as a child.] Then, 3. Anne, who married Sawrey of Broughton Tower, Esq. [On this mai-riage, see Barnes' ' Memoii',' as before, i)p. 142, 143.] She was born December 5th, 1660. Then, 4. Elizabeth, born Aug. 3, 1662 ; died unmarried. Then, 5. Richard: died of a blow of his schoolmaster. Then, 6. Mary, born Dec. 28th, 1666 ; died unmarried. Then, 7. Dorothy, born Aug. 13, 1668 ; married, (1.) Jabez Cay, M.D. ; (2.) Eli Fenton. Then, 8. John, born Feb. 13, 1669. [More of liim immediately.] Then, 9. Francis, born July 27, 1671 ; ob. infant. Then, 10. Bernard, born Oct. 6, 1672, died in his youth at Jamaica, unmarried. Tlien, 11. Francis, born Jan. 27, 1675, died in infancy. Then, 12. Thomas, born July 27, 1677, cUed unmarried, June 20, 1700. Returning upon John, [eighth of this list,] he married Hannah, daughter of Robert Cay, Esq. of Newcastle, and left large issue, as follows: 1. Richard, born April 9, 1700, (soon after his grandfather died,) died unmarried, 1723. 2. Robert, born 17th Aug. 1702, married Ruth, daughter of Reynold Hall of Newbiggen, Esq. [More of this pair immediately.] 3. William, born Jan. 1, 1700 (?), married Mary, daughter of Thomas Dickenson, clerk. 4. John, born 1st Sept. 1705. 5. Thomas, born Jan. 8, 1711, ob. 12 March 1713. 6. Susanna. 7. A daughter. 8. liv APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. Barbara, born 16th May 1710, wife of Braithwaite of Stockton. 9. Susanna, born 28th April 1712, wife of Isaac Cookson of Newcastle. 10. Hannah, born 22d May 1715, wife of ... . Goldsmith. Ke- turning again upon Eobert, [second of the list from John,] he had issue — 1. John, who married daughter of John Cookson of London. He took the name of Sawrey on succeecUng to the Broughton Tower estate. 2. Kichard, died in East Indies. 3. Kuth. 4. 5. Jer. (?). William, [tliird of list from John,] had issue— 1. Thomas, ob. an infant. 2. John, dead 1809. 3. Robert, ih. 4. Hannah, married. 5. William, died 18th September^ a3t. 67. So much for the first paper. Now for the second, which gives the descendants of the eldest son of Dr Gilpin, viz., William, born, as stated in Memoir, at Greystoke, 5th Sept. 1657. He became a barrister-at-law, justice of the peace, and deputy vice-athuiral for county Cumberland, and re- corder of the city of Carlisle ; bought Highfield Moor and the tithes of Crosby ; died at Scaleby Castle, Aug. 14, 1724, ait. G7. He married Mary, eldest daughter and one of the co-heiresses of Henry Fletcher of Talantyre. The issue were — 1. Susan Maria, born at Scaleby Castle, 10th Nov. 1G89, wife of Joshua Dacre Appleby of Kirkleving- ton by whom she had issue — [will be enumerated unmediately]. 2. Anne, born April 14, 1691. 3. Richard, born 6th Feb. 1692, married Mary, daughter of Enoch Hudson. 4. Dorothy, ob. an infant. 5. Henry, ibid. 6. William, born at Whitehaven, married Margaret, daughter of G. Langstaff. 7. Henry, born Oct. 1692, ob. at Jamaica. 8. Jolm Bernard, born at Scaleby, Jan. 24, 1701 , ob. circa 1776, buried at Carlisle Cathedral. He married Matilda, eldest daugthcr of George Langstaff, ob. circa 1773, biu-ied at Carlisle. 9. Dorothy, born at Scaleby, wife of Eaglivfield Griffith, born 4th Nov. 1703. 10. George, born at Scaleby, 29th Aug. 1706, married Elizabeth, tliird daughter°of George Langstaff. Returning on Susan Maria, [eldest daughter,] she had a daughter, Elizabeth, born at Whitehaven, Feb. 12, 1708, ob. an infant, and a son, William, born June 1724, ob. at Whitehaven, 4th Dec. 1779. He married Elizabeth Hodgson, daugh- ter of Robert Hodgson of ^^^litehaven, died at Denbigh Castle, 25th April 1792, aet. (JO. Thev had issue— 1. William Gilpin, born at Whitehaven, 12th Nov. 1758, ob. 15th Oct. 1822, at East Sheen, Sur- rey, having married Sarah, daughter of George Holland, Esq. of London, in 1793. "Finally returning on John Bernard, [eighth, s«jor«,] he was father of the Rev. William Gilpin, vicar of Boldre, prebendary of Salisbury, died April 5, 18U4 at Boldre, ait 80. He will not soon be forgotten,' as his delightful books, with their carefully finished ' Illus- trations' on ' Picturesque Beauty,' are gathering increasing value as they become older. He had issue by his first cousin. John Bernard Gilpin, Esq., who went to Philadelphia, and afterwards became British Consul at Rhode Island. His descendants are now partly in Nova Scotia, [J. Bernard Gilpin, Esq., M.D., Halifax,] and in England and Scotland ; and Rev. William Gilpin, born April 8, 1757, rector— an excellent and venerable man, and clerg}Tnan— in county Salop ; and Sawrey Gilpin, born Oct. 30. 1733, ob. 1808. For the two Papers whence most of the preceding details have been collected, I owe thanks to my friend Joshua Wilson, Esq., Nevil Park, Tunbridge APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. Iv Wells. I may add that in Prebendary Gilpin's Family-Manuscript there are ' Memoirs' of William Gilpin, Esq., the recorder of Carlisle, containing valuable and interesting letters to and from the Lowther family. The ' Eecorder' was a man of mark. His portrait is at Scaleby Castle. Next, severally William ' merchant at Whitehaven.' [See Story, as before.] Henry, of ' the Navy,' Thomas, John Bernard, Anne, Dorothy, Susannah Maria, the eldest daughter, who must have been a lady of imcommon origin aUty and force of character, and largeness of heart. [As above. She was married to Dacre Appleby, Esq. of Kirklinton, contiguous to Scaleby Castle. Curiously enough, their eldest son married a daughter of the Bishop of Carlisle. Mrs Appleby ' was followed by all the country, in tears, to her grave.'] John Bernard, — a very capital ' Memoir' of a gallant soldier. Somer- ville, in ' The Chase,' refers to the Windsor 'roads' constructed under his military supervision. He was a familiar friend of the good Colonel Gardiner. There are glimpses of the Kebellion of 1745 in this Me- moir, throwing light on events at Carlisle. At ' leisure hours' he cultivated painting, and when he lived at Carlisle, he had sometimes half a dozen young people, or more, who used occasionally to attend him for instruction.' Of these some became famous, e.g., John Smith, whom Lord Warwick sent to Eome, Kobert Smirke, Esq., R.A., Mrs Head, &c. The Prebendary, in his MS., here gives also an account of literary society of the period, including Warburton, Dr Brown, and others. There are Letters of this many-gifted man, reveaUng a very beautiful and tender veneration for his departed wife, whose loss he '. mourned unto the grave.' The correspondence between Blr and Mrs Bernard Gilpin is striking and brilliant. Sawrey Gilpin, R.A., of Knightsbridge, their son, became celebrated as an animal painter. Sir J. D. A. Gilpin, another son, was knighted for his long services in America, West Indies, and Gibraltar. He was a friend of Wash- ington's. Catherine, sister of the two last, born at Scaleby Castle, 1738, was a woman of rare intellect, and a fr-iend of Miss Blamire, the sweet Poetess of Cumberland. In a new edition of Miss Blamire's ' Poems and Songs,' recently pubKshed, there are given some by Miss Gilpin, equal to the others. She died at Carlisle in 1811. Even these bare names and dates will suffice to reveal a Family distinguished in well-nigh every department of human achievement, to be placed in their hereditary talent with the Hunters, Gregorys, and Browns, and equally remarkable in their hereditary piety and worth, as well where they belonged to the Church of England as where they held true to Nonconformity, and their descent from the great and good Dr EiGHARD Gilpin. B. — Page xix. — Gilpins at Oxford. The following memoranda are taken from the three Lists of Queen's College, as detailed : — I. From the List of Fellows : 1555. Gilpin. [In another and later hand this note is appended : Ivi APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. ' Bernaidus {ni fallor) R' de Houghton le Spring in Com. Duuelm. V. Batesii Vitas' clar. viroram, p. 284.' The apostle.] 1569. Richard Gilpin. 1572. Joshua Giliiin, II. From the List of Entries : 1594. Term. Mic. Gilpin. 1602. „ Pasch. „ 1610. „ 1614. „ „ „ i, [=' bateller,' or exhibitioner.] 1631. „ „ Samuel Gilpin, h, [ihkl'\ III. From the List of Matriculations : 1602. ) Franciscus Gilpin, Tiancastrensis filius ministri verbi Dei. Oct. 15. I Nat. An. 17. C. — Page xix. — Notices of Gilpins. Tlic following extract from N. and B. ' History,' (as before.) vol. i. p. loO, shews the Gilpins were freeholders in Strickland as early as the days of Queen Bess : ' And in the 14 Eliz. William Parr, marquis of Northampton, died seised thereof \i.c., of the manor of Stiykeland Rogers] and the same was assigned to his widow for dower, and the particulars in the rental made thereof was as follows : manor of Strick- land Roger : freeholders there, Edward Lancaster, Esquire, 268. 8d. : John Master, Esquire, lis. 9d. : William Gilpin, 9s. 9d. Total of the (customary) rent of this manor £15, 14s. 5d.: ten shillings paid yearly by Mr Lancaster's tenants, to be free of their gift from the lord's will, being part of the said sum.' Further, this notice occurs under Chapel of Crosthwaite in parish of Heversham, ' The chancel and steeple of this chapel were built by one WilUam Gilpin, who also contributed largely towards the three bells, in 1626: on which beUs are the fol- lowing inscriptions : on the first bell : " Jesus, be our speed :" on the second bell: " Soli Deo gloria:" on the third bell : ' A young man grave in godlinesa William Gilpin by name Gave forty pounds to make these sounds To God's eternal fame." ' (Vol. I. p. 216] D^MONOLOGIA SACRA. NOTE. For account of the holograph MS. of ' Doemonologia Sacra' — still in the larger portion preserved — see our Memoir in loco. The original edition of the book forms a handsome quarto. The general title-page will be found below:* the special ones of Parts I., II., and III. in their respective places. There have been at least two reprints, but none comparable with the first. Our text is a careful reprint of the Author's own edition, col- lated in all doubtful places with the MS. as above. Mr Gilpin very largely quotes Scripture, without giving the book, chapter, and verse; we have made up the deficiency by filling all in, within brackets. — G. D.EAWNOLOOIA SACRA. OK, A TREATISE Smtani^ (^em{itationif : In Three Parts. By Richard Gilpin. 2 Cor. 2. 11. We are not ignorant of his LONDON, Printed by /. D. for Richard Handel, and Peter Mapliaden, Booksellers in Neic Castle u^on Tine. 1677. TO THE READER. The accurate searches into the secrets of nature which this age hath produced, though they are in themselves sufficient evidences of a com- mendable industry, yet, seeing they fall so exceedingly short of that discovery which men aim at — giving us at best but probable conjec- tures and uncertain guesses — they are become as little satisfactory to men that look after the true causes of things, as those ' ships of desire' whose great undertaking for gold had raised high expectations in their attempts, but in the return brought nothing home for their ventures but ' apes and peacocks,' i [1 Kings x. 22, and 2 Chron. ix. 21.] While men reflect upon themselves under such disappointments, they cannot but check themselves, for over-promising themselves in their adventures, with that of Zophar, ' Vain man would be wise,' [Job xi. 12.] But how happy would it be for men if such failures of expectation might better inform them ! If our attainments in these pursuits will not bear our charges, nor recompense our pains and loss of time with an answerable profit, though we may see cause sometimes, as a diver- tisement or recreation, to use them, yet how shall we satisfy ourselves to make them our chief and sole business ? If we knew of nothing of higher concern to us than these, our neglect of greater matters were more excusable ; but seeing we are sufficiently instructed that we have more weighty things to look after, such as relate to a certain future estate of happiness or misery, the very dis- covery of this to a rational being must needs entitle such things to the first and greatest part of his care. He that knows that there is ' one thing necessary,' and yet sutlers himself to be diverted from the pur- suit of that, by 'troubling himself about many things,' [Luke x. 41,] is more justly chargeable with folly, than he that neglects his estate, and finds himself no other employment but to pursue feathers in the wind. Among those things that religion offers to our study, God and our own hearts are the chief. God is the first and last and whole of our happiness ; the beginning, progress, and completement of it is from him and in him — for in that centre do all the lines meet ; but our heart is the stage upon which this felicity, as to the application of it. TO THE READER. is transacted : upon this little spot of earth cloth God and Satan draw up their several armies ; here doth each of them shew their power and wisdom ; this is treated hy both ; each of them challenge an interest in it ; it is attacked on the one side and defended ou the other. So that here are skirmishes, battles, and stratagems managed. That man, then, that will not concern himself in his inqiurics, how the matter goes in his own heart, what ground is got or lost, what forts are taken or defended, what mines are sprung, what ambuscades laid, or how the battle proceeds, must needs lie under a jtist imputation of the greatest folly ; neither can he be excused in his neglect by the most pressing solicitations of other things that seem to require his attend- ance upon the highest imaginable pretences of necessity : ' For what is he profited, that gains the whole world, if he loses his soul ? ' [Maxk viii. 36.] . : But the exact and faitliful management of such spiritual inquirieR, with their necessary improvement to diligent watchfulness and care- ful endeavours of resistance, is another manner of work than most men tlream of. To discover the intrigues of Satan's policy, to espy his haunts and lurking-places in our hearts, to note his subtle contrivances in taking advantages against us, and to observe how the pulse of the soul beats under his provocations and deceitful allurements, how far we comply or dissent, requires so much attendance and laborious skil- fulness, that it cannot be expected that such men who design no more than to be Christians at the easiest rate, and content themselves with a foiraal superficiality of religion; or such who, having given up themselves to the deceitful sweets of woi'ldly carnal delights, are not at leisure to engage themselves in so .serious a work ; or such whose secret guilt of rebellious combination with the devil against God, makes them fearful to consider fully the hazards of that wickedness, which they had rather practise with forgetfulncss, lest the review of their ways and sight of their danger should awaken their consciences to give them an unwelcome disquiet ; it cannot, I say, be expected that any of these sorts of men, whilst they are thus set, should give themselves the trouble of so much pains and toil as this business doth require. Upon this consideration I might rationally fix my prognostic of the entertainment of the following treatise. What acceptance soever it may find with such as are cordially concerned for their souls and the realities of religion— and of such 1 may say as the apostle Paul con- cerning brotherly love, 1 Thes. iv. 9, as toucliing this matter, ' They need not that I write unto them, for they themselves are taught of God ' to be suspicious of Satan's devices ; and by experience they find his deceits so secret, and withal so dangerous, that any help for further discovery and caution must needs be welcome to them ; yet — to be sure the prince of darkness, who is always jealous of the least attem]its that may be made against his empire, will arm his forementioned subjects against it, and whomsoever else he can prevail upon, by the power of prejudice, to reject it, as urging us to a study more severe or harsh than is consistent either with the lower degrees of knowledge of many, or with that ease which most men desire to indulge to themselves ; or as offering such tilings which they, to save themselves from further TO THE HEADER. 5 trouble, will be willing to call chimeras or idle speculations : and this last I may rather expect, because in this latter age Satan hath advanced so far in his general design against aU Christianity, and for the intro- duction of paganism and atheism, that none now can express a serious conscientious care for holiness and the avoidance of sin, but upon pain of the imputation of silliness or whining preciseness ; and none can speak or write of conversion, faith, or grace, but he shall be hazarded by the scoffs of those that are im willing to judge the private workings of the heart to God-ward, or spiritual exercises of grace, to be any better than conceited whims and unintelligible nonsense : but seeing such men make bold to jeer, not only that language and those forms of speech which the Holy Ghost thought fit to make use of in the Scriptures, but also the very things of ' Faith," ' Grace,' and ' Spirit,' which are everywhere in the sacred oracles recommended to us with the most weighty seriousness — which with them pass for no better than cheats and fancies — we can easily sit under their contempt ; and shaU, as we hope, be so far from being jeered out of our rehgion, that their scorns shall have no more impression upon us than the ravings of a frenzical person that knows not what he speaks. Notwithstanding these, who are no way considerable for weight, there are, I hope, a great many who seriously employ themselves in the inwards as well as the outwards of religion — and who will not suffer themselves to be persuaded that the apostle obtruded an empty notion upon believers, when he recommended that ob.servable truth to them, Kom. ii. 28, ' He is not a Jew which is one outwardly,' &c. ; for their sakes have I undertaken this labom- of collecting and me- thodising the grand stratagems and chief ways of delusion of the great deceiver. To these I must particularly account for some few things relating to this discourse. As, 1. That I have satisfied myself in the reasons of the publication of these papers, and do not judge it requisite to trouble any so far as to tell what these reasons are. They who desire to resist such an enemy, and whose experience doth convince them that all helps are necessary, will not need them ; and those that are men of scorn or of avowed care- lessness will not regard them, though I should declare them. 2. To prevent the misapprehensions, which jiossibly some may otherwise labom withal, of a monstrous product from one text, because they may observe one text in the front, and no other mentioned throughout the first and second parts; they may know that I made use of several in the preaching of these discourses, as suitable foundations for the several particulars herein mentioned ; but in the moulding up of the whole into the method of a treatise, for the ease of the reader, I thought fit to lay aside those intro- ductions — as also many other occasional applications which were proper for sermons, and a great many things which were neces- sary to be spoken for expUcation and illustration of these points to a popular auditory — and have only presented the substance m a more close connexion ; because if there be any little obscurity that may at first appear to any for want of variety of words, the treatise being under their eye, will be at leisure to attend their review in a second or third reading ; which, however, I would recom- b TO THE READER. mend earnestly to those that in these concerns do really design to be ' wise for themselves.' 3. Neither should it seem strange that I have frequently made use of instances from history or other later relations. Whosoever shall consider the nature of the matter treated on will not complain of this as a needless trouble put upon them ; yet withal I have been so careful of doing any persons an unkindness, by making too bold with them, that I mentioned no names but such as upon such occasions have been made public by others before. The rest 1 have only mentioned in the general, discovering their case where it was useful, but concealing the persons. 4 It may perhaps seem a defect, that the several directions, re- medies, or counsels which are requisite to be observed in making resistance against Satan arc not added, except some few hints in the latter end of the third part, and some other things in that part, in the applications of the several doctrines therein, which I thought fit, upon good grounds, to leave in the order of a preaching method ; but such may be pleased to consider that several have performed that part very fully, to whose labours I had rather refer the reader than trouble him with a repetition. It was only my design to endeavour a more full discovery, though every way short of the thing itself, of Satan's craft, because the knowledge of this is so neccs.sary, and withal others have done it more sparingly. Such as it is, accept and improve for thy spiritual advantage ; for that was the end of this undertaking, by him who desires that thy soul may prosper, Rich. Gilpin. D.EMONOLOOIA SACRA. OR, A TKEATISE OF featan^ aTemptatian^ The First Part. CONTAINING A Discourse of the Malice, Power, Cruelty and Dili- gence of Satan. Of his cunning in Temptation in the general. Of his Method of tempting to Sin. Of his Policies for maintaining his Possession. Of his Deceits for the preventing and spoiling Keligious Services and Duties. By R. G. 2 Cor. 2. 11. We are not ignorant of his Devices. London, Printed by /. V. for Richard Eandel, and Peter MapliedeH Booksellers in New-Castle upon Tine, 1677. A TREATISE OF SATAN'S TEMPTATIONS. PART I. e sober, he vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, toalketh about, seeking w/iom he may devour. — 1 Peter V. 8. CHAPTER I. The introduction to the text, from a consideration of the desperate i^in of the souls of men. — The text opened, expressing Satan's malice, power, cruelty, and diligence. The souls of men are ' precious.' The whole world cannot repair their loss. Hence by God are all men in particular charged with care and watchfulness about them. He hath also set up watchmen and overseers, whose business it is to watch over souls, and in the most strict and careful manner, as those that must ' give an account,' [Heb. xiii. 17.] What can more stir up men to the discharge of this duty than the frequent alarms which we have of the assaults of such an adversary, whose business it is to destroy the soul ? ' The Philistines are upon thee, Samson!' [Judges xvi. 9;] he fights continually, and useth all the policy and slrill he hath for the management of his strength. Besides, it is a consideration very aftecting, when we view the ' de- solations that are made in the earth,' [Ps. xlvi. 8,] what wounds, what overthrows, what cruelties, slaveries, and captivities these conquered vassals are put to. It was, as some think, an inexcusable cruelty in David against the Ammonites, when he ' put them under saws, and harrows of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln,' 2 Sam. xii. 31 ; but this spiritual Pharaoh hath a more grievous ' house of bondage,' and iron furnace. Neither is this miserable destruction ended, but will keep pace with time, and shall not cease till Christ shall at his appearance finally conquer him and tread him down. If Xorxes wept to look upon his army through the prospective of de- vouring time, wliich, upon an easy foresight, shewed him the death of Chap. 1.] satan's temptations. 9 so great a company of gallant men, we may well weep, as David at Ziklag, till we can weep no more ; or as Kachel for her cMdren, ' re- fusing to be comforted,' [Jer. xxxi. 15;] while we consider what a great number of succeeding generations, ' heaps upon heaps,' [Judges XV. 16,] will be drawn with him to a consuming Tophet. And could we follow him thither, to hear the cries of his prisoners, the roarings of his wounded, where they ' curse the day' that brought them forth,_and themselves for their folly and madness in hearkening to his delusions, the di-eadful outcries of eternity, and then their ' rage against heaven' in cursings and blasphemings, while they? have no mitigations or ease, nor the refreshment of ' a drop of water to cool theu- tongues,' [Luke xvi. 24,] we woidd sm-ely think we could never spend our time better than in opposing such an enemy, and warning men to ' flee from the wrath to come,' [Mat. iii. 7,] to take heed they come not into his snare. With what earnestness would we endeavour to persuade men ! What dQigence would we use to cast water upon these devoming flames, and to pluck men as brands out of the fire ! It is true, if Satan had dealt plainly with men, and told them what wages they were to expect, and set a visible mark upon his slaves, or had managed a visibly destruc- tive hostility, men have such natm-al principles of self-preservation, and of hatred of what appears to be evil, that we might expect they would have fled from him, and still have been upon their guard ; but he useth such artifices, such sleights and cozenage, that men are cast into a sleep or a golden ckeam ; while he binds them in chains of darkness they see not their end, the snare, nor the pit ; nay, he intoxi- cates them with a love of their misery, and a dehght in helping for- ward their ruin, so that they are volunteers in his service, and pos- sessed with a madness and rage against all that wiU not be as willing as themselves to go to hell ; but especially if they put forth a compas- sionate hand to help any out of that gulf of misery, they hate them, they ' gnash upon them with theu- teeth,' and run upon them with utmost violence, as if they had no enemies but these compassionate Samaritans, [Luke x. 33.] How great is this mystery of darkness ! Who shall be able to open the depths of it? Who shall declare it fully to the sons of men, to bring these ' hidden things to light' ? Especially seeing these liellish secrets which are yet undiscovered, are double to those that have been observed, by any that have escaped from his power. He only whose prerogative it is ' to search the hearts of men ' [Rev. ii. 23] can know, and make known, what is in the heart of Satan ; he views aU his goings, even those paths which the ' vulture's eye hath not seen,' [Job xxviii. 7,] and can trace those- footsteps of his, which leave no more print or track behind them than ' a ship in the sea, or a bird in the air, or a serpent on a stone,' [Prov. xxx. 19.] Yet notwithstanding, we may observe much of his policies ; and more would God discover if we did but humbly and faithfully improve what we know already. It is my design to make some discovery of those haunts I have observed, if by that means I may be useful to you, to quicken and awaken you. And first I shall set before you the strength and power of yom- enemy, before I open his cunning and craft. 10 A TREATISE OF [PaRT I. There are found ui liim wliatsoever may render an adversary dreadful. 1. As, first, 31alice and emnity. 6 AvtiBiko'; is a law term, and signifies an adversary ' at law,' one that is against om- cause ; and the text, as some think, heightens this malice, (1.) By the article 6, which denotes an arch enemy.i (2.) The name Aiu/3oXo<;, which signifies a slanderer or calumniator — for the word is twice in the New Testament used for a slanderer — shewing his hatred to be so great that it will not stick at lying and falsehood, either in accusing God to us or us to God. Nay, it particularly hints that w hen he hath in malice tempted a poor wretch to sin, he spares not to accuse him for it, and to load him with all things that may aggravate his guUt or misery, accusing him for more than he hath really done, and for a worse estate than he is really in.'- 2. Secondly, His poicer. Under the metai">hor of a ' lion,' a beast of prey, whose innate property is to destroy, and is accordingly fitted with strength, with tearing paws, and a devouring mouth ; that as a lion would rend a kid with ease and without resistance, so are men swallowed up by him as with open mouth, so the word KUTairi^ signi- fies, he can sup them up at a draught, d KaraTrivm. 3. Thirdly, His cruel fy: a ' roaring lion' implying not only his innate property to destroy, which must be a strange fierceness, but also that this innate principle is heightened and whetf ed on, as hunger in a lion sharpens and enrages that di.sposition till he get his prey, so that he becomes raving and roaring, putting an awfid majesty ujion cruelty, and frighting them out of endeavours or hopes of resistance, and in- creasing their misery with aflVightments and tremblings. Thus Satan shews a fierce and truculent temper, whose power being put forth from such an imiilacable malice, must needs become rage and fierce- ness. 4. Fourthly, His diligence : which, together with his cruelty, are consequences of Ms malice and power ; he ' goes about and seeks.' He is restless in his pursuit, and diligent, as one that promiseth him- self a satisfaction or joyful contentment in his conquests. CHAPTER II. 0/ the malice of Satan in particular. — The grounds and causes of that malice. — The greatness of it proved, and instances of that greatness given. I shall fust give some account of his malice, by which it shall appear we do not wrong the devil in calling him malicious, the truth of which charge will evidence itself in the following particulars : — 1. First, J7(e devil, though a ' spirit,' yet is a proper subject of sin. We need no other evidence for this than what doth by daily experience result from ourselves. We have sins which om- sijirits and hearts do act, that relate not to the body, called ' a filthiness of the spirit,' in con- Chap. 2.] satan's temptations. 11 tradistinction to the ' filthiness of the flesh,' [2 Cor. vii. 1.] It is true, it cannot be denied but that those iniquities which have a necessary dependence upon the organs of the body, as drunkenness, fornication, &c., cannot properly, as to the formality of the act, be laid at Satan's door, though as a tempter and provoker of these men he may be called the father of these sins ; yet the fore-mentioned iniquities, which are of a spiritual nature, are properly and formally committed by laim, as lying, pride, hatred, and malice. And this distinction Christ himself doth hint : John viii. 44, ' When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own,' where he asserts such spiritual sins to be properly and for- mally acted by himself The certainty of all appears in the epithets given him — ' the wicked one,' ' the unclean spirit ;' as also those places that speak his fall, ' They kept not their first estate,' Jude 6 ; ' The angels that sinned,' 2 Peter ii. 4. If sins spiritual are in a true and proper sense attributed to the devil, then also may malice be attri- buted to him. 2. Secondly, The ivickedness of Satan is capable of increase, a viagis et mimis. Though he be a wicked spirit, and as to inclination full of wickedness, though so strongly inclined that he cannot but sin, and therefore as God is set forth to us as the foimtain of holiness, so is Satan called the author and father of sin, yet seeing we cannot ascribe an infiniteness to him, we must admit that, as to acts of sin at least, he may be more or less sinful, and that the wickedness of his heart may be drawn more out by occasions, motives, and provocations ; besides, we are expressly taught thus much, Kev. xii. 12, ' The devil is come down, having great wrath, because his time is short.' Where we note (1.) That liis wi-ath is called ' great,' implpng gi-eater than at other times ; (2.) That external motives and incentives, as the shortness of his time, prevail with him to ckaw forth gi-eater acts of fury. 3. Thirdly, Whatsoever occasions do draiu out or kindle malice to a rage, Satau hath met loith them in an eminent degree, in his own fall and man s happiness.'^ Nothing is more proper to beget malice than hurts or punishments, degradations fi'om happiness. Satan's cm-se, though just, fills him with rage and fretting against God, when he considers that from the state and dignity of a blessed angel he is cast down to darkness and to the basest condition imaginable. For the part of his curse, which concerned Satan as well as the serpent, ' Upon thy l^elly shalt thou go, and dust shall be thy meat,' implies a state most base, as the use of the phrase pi-oves : ' They shall lick the dust of thy feet,' Isa. xlix. 23 ; ' Thine enemies shall lick the dust,' Ps. Ixxii. 9 ; ' They shall lick tlie dust as a serpent,' Micah vii. 17. Where the spirit is so wicked that it cannot accept the pimishment of its iniquity, all punishment is as a poison, and envenoms the heart with a rage against the hand that afflicted it. Thus doth Satan's fall enrage him, and the more when he sees man enstated into a possibility of enjoying what he hath lost. The envy and pride of his heart boils up to a madness — for that is the only use that the wretchedly miser- able can make of the sight of that happiness which they enjoy not, ' Quia inordinatam excellentiain aflectaudo, ordinatam amiserunt, ideo de aliorum excellentia dolebant, et ad earn oppuguandam maliciose ferebantur. — Am. Med. lib.i. cap. 11. [Amcsius 'Medulla Theologica,' lt;27. 8vo.— G.] 12 A TREATISE OF [PaUT I. especially if, having once enjoyed it, they are now deprived. This begot the rage and wrath in Cain against Abel, and afterward his murder. The eye of the wicked is evil where God is good. Hence may it be concluded that Satan, being a wicked spirit, and this wickedness being capable of acting higher or lower according to occasions, and with a suitableness thereto, cannot but shew an inconceivable malice against us, our happiness and his misery being such proper occasions for the wickedness of his heart to work upon. 4. Fourthly, This malice in Sakm must be great, (1.) First, I/zoe consider the greatness of his loickedness in so great and toted an apostasy. He is so filled with iniquity, that we can expect no small matters from him as to the workings of such cursed principles; not ouly is he wicked, but the spirit and extract of wickedness, as the plu-ase signifies, Eph. vi. 12, [TrveviJMTiKa. ■ni<; 7rovr}pia<;.] (2.) Secondly, Ilie Scripture lays to his charge all degrees, acts, and brandies of malice; as [17] Anger, in tJie impetuous haste and violence of it. Rev. xii. 12, ' Great wrath,' ^v/io?, there signifies excandcsccntia, the inflammation of the heart and whole man, which is violent in its motion, as when the blood with a violent stream rusheth through the heart and sets all spirits on tire ; and therefore this wrath is not only called great, but is also signified to be so, in its tiireatening ' a woe to the inhabitants of the earth.' [2.] Indignation is more than anger, as having more of a fixed fury; and this is applied to him, Eph. iv. 27, in that those tiiat have this ■n-apofr/t.cT/j.o';, are said ' to give place to the de\nl,' which is true not only in point of temptation, but also in respect of the resemblance they carry to the frame and temper of Satan's furious heart. [3.] Hatred is yet higher than wrath or indignation, as having deeper roots, a more confirmed and implacable resolution. Anger and indignation are but sliort furies, ira brevis furor, which, like a land-flood, are soon down, though they are apt to fill the banks on a sudden ; but hatred is lasting, and this is so properly the devil's disposition, that Cain, in hating his brother, is [inj 1 John iii. 12 said to be the proper offspring and lively picture of that ' wicked one,' who is there so called rather than by the name of the devil, because the apostle would also insinuate that hatred is the masterpiece of Satan's wickedness, and that which gives the fullest character of him. [4.] All effects of his cruelty arise from this root ; this makes him accuse and calumniate, this puts him upon breathing after those mm-ders and destructions which damned spirits are now groaning under. (3.) Thirdly, This malice is the result of that curse laid upon Satan: Gen. iii. 15, 'I will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman, betwixt her seed and thy seed.' WMch implies, [1.] A great enmity; and some render it inimiciiias implacahiles, implacable enmities. [2.] A lasting enmity, such as should continue as long as the curse should last. [3.] That this should be his tcork and exercise, to prosecute and be prosecuted with this enmity ; so that it shews the devil's whole mind and desire is iu this work, and that he is whetted on by the opposing enmity which he meets withal. It is the work of his curse, of his place, of his revenge, and that wherein all the delight he is capable of (Jhap. 2.] Satan's temptations. 13 is placed. In that part of the curse, ' Dust shall be thy meat," it is implied, if some interpret right, i that if Satan can be said to have any delight or ease in his condition, it is in the eating of this dust, the exercise of this enmity. No wonder, then, if Christ speak of his desires and solicitations with God to have a liberty and commission for this work : ' Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may winnow thee,' [Luke xxii. 31.] That this curse relates not only to the serpent, who was the instru- ment, but also to Satan, who was the agent, is agreed by all almost. That it was not the serpent alone, but the devil speaking by it, is evinced from its speaking and reasoning. And that the curse reached further than a natural enmity betwixt a serpent and a man, is as evident, in that Christ is expressly held forth as giving the firll accom- plishment of this curse against Satan : 1 John iii. 8, ' The devil sinneth from the beginning ; for tliis purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil,' which is a clear exposition and paraplirasis of the ' woman's seed bruising the serpent's head.' (4.) Fourthly, / shall add to this some few instances of Satan's malice, by which it ivill ajopear to he great. [l.]_ First, That malice must needs be greaXivhich shews itself luhere there is such a load of anguish and horror that lies vpon him. He is now ' reserved in chains of darkness in hell,' 2 Peter ii. 4. He is in hell, a place of torment; or_, which is all one, hell is in him. He carries it about him in his conscience, which, by God's decree, binds him to his horror like a chain. It is scarce imaginable that he should have a thought free from the contemplation of his own misery, to spend in a malicious pursuit of man. What can we tlrink less of it than a desperate madness and revenge against God, wherein he shews his rage against heaven, and hunts after our blood as for a little water to cool his tongue; and when he finds his hand too short to pull the Almighty out of his throne, he endeavours, panther-like, to tear his image in man, and to put man, created after his image, upon blaspheming and dishonouring his Maker. [2.] Secondly, That malice must needs be great that seeks its oionfuel, and provides or begs its oiun occasions, and those such as give no proper provocation to his anger. Of this temper is his malice. He did thus with Job : he begs the commission, caliunniates Job upon unjust sur- mises, presseth still for a further power to hurt him, insomuch that God expressly stints and bounds him — which shews how boundless he would have been if left to his own will— and gives liim at last an open check. Job ii. 3, wherein he lays open the malice of liis heart in three things: [1.] His own pressing urgency: 'Thou movedst me;' [2.] His destructive fury: no less would serve than Job's utter destruc- tion ; [3.] Job's innocency : all this without cause : ' Thou movedst me to destroy him without cause.' [3.] Thirdly, That malice must needs be great that loill pursue a small matter. Wliat small game will the devil play rather than altogether sit out ! If he can but trouble, or puzzle, or affright, yet that he will do, rather than nothing ; if he can, like an adder in the ^ Vide Pool ' Synop.' in loe. 14 A TREATISE OF [PaRT 1. path, but bite the heel, [Gen. xlix. 17,] though his head be bruised for it, he will notwithstanding busy himself in it. [4.] Fourthly, That malice must be great which will put itselj forth ivliere it knoivs it can prevail nothing, but is certain of a dis- appointment. Thus did Satan tempt Christ. Those speeches, ' if thou be the Son of God,' do not imply any doubt in Satan ; he knew what was prophesied of Christ, and what had been declared from heaven in testification of him, so that he could not but be certain he was God and man ; and yet what base unworthy temptations doth he lay before him, as ' to fall down and worship him ' ! Was it that Satan thought to prevail against him ? No surely ; but such was liis malice, that he would put an affront upon him, though he knew he could not prevail against him. [5.] Fifthly, The malice of tvicked men is an argument of Satan's great malice. They have an antipatliy against the righteous, as the wolf against the sheep, and upon that very ground, that they are ' called out of the world.' How great this fury is, all ages have testified. This hath brought forth discord, reviling.s, slanders, im- l)risonments, spoiling of goods, banishments, ])ersecutions, tortures, cruel deaths, as burning, racking, tearing, sawing asunder, and what- ever the wit of man could devise for a satisfaction to those implacable, furious, murderous minds ; and yet all this is done to men of the same image and lineage with themselves, of the same religion with themselves, as to the main ; nay, sometime to men of their own kindred, theu- own flesh and blood, and all to those that would live peaceably in the land. What shall we say to these things ? How come men to put on a savage nature, to act the part of lions, leopards, tigers, if not much worse ? The reason of all we have, John viii. 54, ' Ye are of your father the devil ; he was a murderer from the beginning :' as also Gen. iii. 15, ' 1 will put enmity between her seed and thy seed ;' so that all this shews wliat malice is in Satan's heart, who urgeth and provokes his instruments to such bloody hatreds. Hence whoever were the agents [Rev. ii. 10] in imprisoning the saints, the malice of Satan in stirrmg them up to it, makes him become the author of it ; ' Satan shall cast some of you into prison.' CHAPTER III. Of Satan's poiver. — His poioer as an angel considered. — Tliat he lost not that poioer hy his fall. — His poioer as a devil. — Of his commis- sion. — TJie extent of his authority. — Tlie efficacy of his poiver. — The advantages lohich he hath for the management of it, from the num- ber, order, place, and knowledge of devils. That Satan's poiver is great, is our next inquiry ; where, 1. First, We wiU consider his power as an angel. In Ps. ciii. 20 angels are said 'to excel in strength;' and in ver. 21, as also Ps. cxlviii. 2, they are called 'God's host;' which is more fully expressed, 1 Kings xxii. 19, ' I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the host of Chap. 3.] satan's temptations. 15 heaven standing by him on his riglit hand and on his left ; ' which phrase, though it import their order and observance, yet undoubtedly the main of its intendment is to set forth their power, as hosts are the strength of kings and nations. God himself, in putting on that title, ' The Lord of hosts,' makes it an evidence of his incomprehensible power, that such armies of strong and mighty creatures are at his command. But this only in the general. That which comes nearer to a particidar account of their strength, is that notion of a spirit, by which they are frequently described, ' He maketh his angels spirits ; his ministers flaming fire,' Ps. civ. 4. The being of a spirit is the highest our understanding is able to reach, and that it shews a being very excellent, is manifest in this, that God is pleased to repre- sent himself to us under the notion of a spirit ; not that he is truly and properly such, but that this is the most excellent being that falls under our apprehension. Besides that the term ' spirit' raiseth our understanding to conceive a being of a high and extraordinary power, it doth fm-ther tend to form our conceptions to some apprehen- sions of their nature. [1.] From the knowledge that we have of our own spirits. That our spirit is of a vast comprehension and activity, our thoughts, desires, reasonmgs, and the particular undertakings of some men of a raised spirit, do abundantly evidence. [2.] In that it represents a spiritual being, freed from the clog and liindrance of corporeity. Our own spu-its are limited and restrained by our bodies, as fire, an active element, is retarded and made sluggish by matter unapt to serve its proper force, as when it is in a heap of earth ; which is also sufficiently pointed at in that opposition betwixt flesh and blood, and principalities and powers, Eph. vi. ; shewing that flesh and_ blood are a disadvantage and hindrance to the activity of a spirit. _A spirit then, as incorporeal, may be conceived to move easily without molestation, quickly, imperceptibly, and irresistibly. [3.] This is yet further illustrated by the similitude of wind and fire, which are, to the common experience of all, of very great force. And it is yet fm-ther observable that the Scripture sometime speaks of the power of angels in the abstract, choosing rather to call them ' powers ' than powerful, i^ovaiai. Col. i. 16 ; clearly shewing that angels are beings of vast strength, as indeed the actions done by them do abun- dantly testify. _ Such was the destroying Sennacherib's hosts in a night, the opening the prison doors for Peter, the carrying Philip in the air, and such other acts, which tend to the protection of the faithful, or punishing of the wicked. Though this may fidly satisfy us that angels excel in strength, yet the Scripture suggests another consideration relating to the office and employment of angels, where their commission shews not only a liberty for the exercise of this power, but also doth imply such a power as is fit to be commissionated to such acts. These invisible beings are called thi-ones, dominions, principalities, powers. Col. i. 16. It is indeed a task beyond a sober undertaking to distinguish these words, and to set their true boimds and marks of difference. This Augustine acknowledged ; i yet may we hence conclude, [1.] That these words ' Quid inter se distant quatuor ista vocabula, dicant qui possunt, si tamen possunt pro- bare qu!e dicunt; ego me ista ignorare cojibUor.—Enchirid. ad Laurent., cap. 58. 16 A TREATISE OF [PaRT I. imply a very gi-eat authority in angels ; [2.] A power and strength suitable to their employment, and that God furnished them with power answerable to the work which he intended for them, in his moving the heavens, and governing the world, &c. However, in some cases, God works by instruments every way disproportionable to the service, ' that the excellency of the power might be of God,' [2 Cor. iv. 7;] yet, in the ordinary way of Ms working, he puts an innate, suitable force in creatures, for the acts to be done by them ; as there is an innate power in the wind to blow, in the fire to bm-n, in herbs and plants for medicinal uses. Thus may we conceive of angels, that God using them as his host, his ' ministers to do his pleasure,' he hath endowed them with an innate natural power for those great things which he doth by them, which must not be supposed in the least dero- gatory to the power of God, in his ways of mercies or judgments, seeing all the strength of angels is origmally from God. Hence is it that all the names of angels which we read of m Scripture carry this acknowledgment in their signification ; Micliael thus unfolds itself, 'Who is like God ;' Gabriel thus, ' Tlie glory of God ;' and therefore may we suppose them not so much the proper names of angels, but, as CaWn noteth, Nomina ad cojjium nostrum indita, Names implying God's great power in them.i Such a powerful sjiirit is Satan by creation. But because it will be doubted lest his fall hath bereaved him of liis excellency, and cast him down from his strength, I shall evidence that he still retains the same natural jiower. To wliich purpose it is not unfit to be observed, [1.] That the same terms and names which were given to good angels, to signify their strength and commission. Col. i. 16, and ii. 10, are also given to Satan, Eph. vi. 12. Devils are called ' principalities,' ' powers,' ' rulers ;' and Col. ii. 15, they have the same names wliich in ver. 10 were given to good angels, ' lie spoiled principalities and powers.' [2.] The Scripture gives particular instances of Satan's power and working : as liis raising tempests in the air, commanding fire from heaven — both which he did in prosecution of his malice against Job ; his carrying the bodies of men in the air — as he did with Christ, hurrying him from the wilderness to the moimtain, from thence to the pinnacle of the temple ; his breaking chains and fetters of iron, Mark v. 4 ; his bringing diseases — instances whereof were that crooked woman whom Satan had bowed together, Luke xiii. 16, and the lunatic person, Luke ix. 31, with a great many more. [3.] It is also observable that, notwithstanding, Satan's fall bath made an alteration as to the ends, uses, and office of his power ; yet, neverthe- less, God makes use of this strength in him, not only as an executioner of wrath against his enemies — as when he vexed Saul by this evil spirit ; and through this lying spirit, gave up Ahab to be deluded into his ruin, and inflicted plagues upon Egypt, by sending evil angels among them, 1 Sam. xvi. 14 ; 1 Kings xxii. 21 ; Ps. lxx\iii. 49 — but also for the trial of his own servants. Thus was Job afflicted by Satan, and Paid bufi'eted by his messenger. 2. Secondly, This power of his, as a devil, falls next under our consideration, wherein are divers particulars to be noted : as, ' Instit, lib. i. cap. 14, sec. 8. Chap. 3. J satan's temptations. 17 (1.) First, His commission and autliority. If any put that ques- tion to him which the Jews did to Christ, ' By what authority dost thou these things ? ' or, ' "Who gave thee this authority ? ' we have the answer in John xii. 24, and xvi. 11, where he is called, ' the prince of this world ;' and accordingly the Scripture speaks of a twofold kingdom, of light and of darkness ; and in this we hear of Satan's seat or throne, of his servants and subjects. Yea, that which is more, the Scripture speaks of a kind of deity in Satan ; he is called ' the god of this world,' 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; which doth not only set forth the intolerable pride and usurpation of Satan in propounding himself as such, so drawing on poor blind creatures to worship him, but also discovers his power, wliich by commission he hath obtained over the children of disobedience, [Zanchius.] Hence doth he challenge it as a kind of right and due from the poor Americans, and others, that they should fall down and worship him ; and upon this supposition was he so intolerably presumptuous in offering the kingdoms of the world to Christ for such a service and worship. If it be questioned what Satan's authority is, I shall answer it thus: — [1.] First, His authority is not absolute or unlimited. He cannot do what he pleaseth, and therefore we do find him begging leave of God for the exerting of his power in particular cases, as when he was ' a Ijing spirit' in the mouth of Ahab's prophets, and in every assault he made upon Job ; nay, he could not enter into the swine of the Gadarenes till he had Christ's commission for it. [2.] Secondly, Yet hath he a commission in general — a standing commission, as petty kings and governors had under the Eoman emperor, where they were authorised to exercise an authority and power, according to the rules and du-ections given them. This is clearly signified by those expressions, ' they are captives at liis will,' [2 Tim. ii. 16,] and ' given up to Satan,' [1 Tim. i. 20,] as persons excommunicated ; and when men are converted, they are said to be ' translated from his power,' and put under another jurisdiction, in the 'kingdom of Christ,' [Col. i. 13.] All which would have been highly improper, if a commission for Satan, and an authority for those works of darkness, had not been signified by them. Next, let us view the extent of this authority, both as to persons and things. In relation to persons, the boundary of his kingdom reacheth as far as darkness. He rules in ' the dark places of the earth,' or the darkness of this world ; and therefore his kingdom is hence denominated ' a kingdom of darkness.' This extends, we may well imagine, as far as heathenism reacheth, where he is worshipped as God, as far as any darkness of Mohammedanism stretcheth itself, as far as the darkness of infidelity and blindness upon the hearts of unconverted men ; which, if summed up together, must needs take up the greatest part of the world by far ; which is acknowledged, not only by that large expression luorld, 'prince of the world,' &c., but also by that prophetic speech of Eev. xi. 15, ' The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ,' which acknowledgeth they had not been so before, in the sense wherein we now speak. Neither is his kingdom so bounded but that he also can, when 18 A TREATISE OF [PaRT I. allowed, make excursions and inroads into the kingdom of Christ, so far as to molest, disturb, and annoy his subjects ; as the kings of any nation, besides the power which they exercise in their proper juris- diction, may molest their neighbours. And Christ so far permits this as is useful to his own designs, yet still with straiter reserves and limitations to Satan, and a resolved rescue and conquest for his own people. If we inquire the extent of his power in relation to things, we find the air in a peculiar manner permitted to him ; so that he is named by it, as by one of his cliief royalties, ' the prince of the power of the air.' We find also death, with the powers of it, given up to him ; so that this is a jicriphrasis of him, ' He that hath the power of death,' Heb. ii. 14. And if we take notice of his large proffer to Clu-ist of the kingdoms of the world, 'AH this will I give thee,' we may imagine that his commission reacheth far this way, as re- wards and encouragements to his service ; which wc will the readiUer entertain when we find that, by God's allowance, wicked men have their ' portion in this Ufe,' and that these are called ' their good things.' - 3. Tliirdly, Let us proceed a step further, to the efficacy of this authority; which also, (1.) First, Upon tvicked mat is no less rcttmrlcable than is his com- mission. He is called ' the strong man,' [Luke xi. 21,] in reference to their hearts, which lie fortifies, as so' many castles and garrisons, against God. He also ' rules in them ' without control ; his sugges- tions and temptations arc as laws to them ; he ' fills their hearts,' Acts v. 3, with his designs, and raisctli their aflcctions to a high and greedy ])ursuit of them ; he works in them, and by an inward force doth hurry them on to achieve his enterprises, in all this en- snaring and captivatmg them ' at his pleasure,' Eph. ii. 2 ; 2 Tim. ii. 26. (2.) Secondly, Tlie saints, which are suhjeets of another kingdom, are still fearing, complaining, watching, praying, and spreading out their hands, with lifting vp their eyes to heaven for Jielp against him. They complain of violence and restless assaults from him ; they are sensible tliat he can suggest evil thoughts, and follow them with incessant importunities; that he can draw a darkness upon their understanding by bribing their wills and affections against them; that he can distm'b their duties, and that because of him they cannot do tiie good they would. Many a fear doth he beget in their hearts ; many a disquiet hour have they from him ; their flesh hath no rest, and happy are they if they escape from him without broken bones ; many excellent ones have been cast down by him, and for a time have been like dead men. It is sad to see so just a person as Lot under his feet ; so choice a saint as David wounded almost to the death ; so high an apostle as Peter, by force and fear from him, to open his mouth with curses and imprecations in the denial of his Saviour ; to say nothing of the buifetings of others, which was sufficiently weari- some to Paul, and described by ' a thorn in the flesh,' 2 Cor. xii. 7; which, if a learned man think right, is compared, by a metaphor, to » Ps. xvii. 14; Luke XT. 12, and xvi. 25.— G. Chap. 3.j satan's temptations. 19 those sharp stakes u]»n which Christians were cruelly spitted and burnt. 1 (3.) Thirdly, His quick and ready accomplishment is a further proof of the efficacy of his power. No sooner had God given him a commission in reference to Job, but he quickly raiseth the tempest, brings down the house, slays his children, brings fire from heaven ; and, which would seem strange, hath the troops of the Sabeans and Chaldeans at his beck, as if they had been Usted under his known command ; so that in a little time he puts his malice into act. (4.) Fourthly, If any would slight all this, as being the force of principalities and powers against flesh and blood, we may see he hath so much_ strength and confidence as to ejrapple ivith an angel of light, as he did in the contesting for Moses his body, Jude 9. This was a created angel, else he durst not sure have brought a ' railing accusation ; ' but in tliat he strove, and railingly accused, it shews he wanted not a daring boldness to second his commission and power. 4. Fourthly, It will be also requisite to lay open the advantages he hath in the management of all this p)Ower, whicli are great ; as, (1.) First, The midtitude of devils. That there are many is not denied, upon the evidence of seven cast out of Mary Magdalene, and the legion which were settled in one poor man at once. It may be we may not credit the devil's own account of his strength so much as to believe that their number was exactly answerable to a Roman legion, which, if some speak right, was 6666 ; yet there being so plain an allusion to a Eoman legion, and the Scripture in the recital favom-ing it so far as to consent to a truth in that part of the story, we can do no less than conclude that the number of devils in that person was a very great number, and so great, that the similitude of legion was proper to express it by. Besides, if the Scripture had been silent in this particular, our reason would have clearly drawn that conclusion from such premises as these, that he is the ' god ' of the world, and rules in the 'children of disobedience;' for whatsoever we conceive of his power, we cannot think him omnipotent or omni- present, these being the incommimicable attributes of the great Creator of all things, in which no creatiu'e can share with God. Being then assured that he is the tempter of all men, and that he cannot be in aU places at once, we must needs apprehend the devUs to be many, as is signified by tliat expression, ' the devil and his angels.' (2.) Secondly, He hath also an advantage for the exccutmg of his designs, from that order, tvhich from the fore-mentioned grounds we must be forced to conceive to be among devils. I know the bold determination of the order of angels by Dionysius is justly rejected, not only by Irenseus and Augustine, 2 but also by the generality of protestants, who upon that and other gi'Oimds of like presumption do reject that author as not being the true Dionysius the Ai'eopagite. Neither do some of our protestant authors, as Chamier and others, admit the government of angels to be monarchical, which supposition the papists would gladly make use of, as a foundation whereon to establish the universal headship of the pope, being a thing which ' ap/mKlas, pro omni vencficii genere, quo vol homiuibus, vel jumentis, vel frugibus, seu carmine, sou aliis modis nocetur, accipcre, manifesto patct ex Platonc, lib. s. de Legibus. Et apud Aristot. Hist. Animal., cap. 25, -(h. In this point of diligence our adversary is not wanting. If men are upon the point of error or sin, how industriously doth he labour to bring them wholly over, and to settle them in evil ! One would think at such times he laid aside all other business, and only attended this. How frequent, incessant, and earnest are his persuasions and arguings with such ! The like diligence he sheweth in obstructing, disturbing, and discouraging us when we are upon our greatest services or near our greatest mercies. What part of the day are we more Avandering and vain in our thoughts, if we take not gi'eat care, than when we set about prayer ? At other times we find some more ease and freedom in our imaginations, as if we could better rule or command them ; but then, as Lf our thoughts were only confusion and disorder, we are not able to master them, and to keep the door of the heart so close but Chap. 7.] sat ax's temptations. 47 that these troublesome, unwelcome guests will be erowdiug in, is im- possible. Let us observe it seriously, and we shall find that our thoughts are not the same, and after the same manner impetuous at other times as they ai-e when we set about holy things; which ariseth not only from the quickness of our spiritual sense in our readier obser- vation of them at that time, but also from the devil's busy molestation and special diligence against us on such occasions. Besides, when he fore- sees our advantages or mercies, he bestirs himself to prevent or hinder us of them. If ministers set themselves to study and preach truths that are more piercing, weighty, or necessary, they may ob.serve more molesta- tions, interrujrtions, or discouragements of all sorts, than when they less concern themselves with the business of the souls of men. He fore- sees what sermons are provided, and often doth he upon such foresight endeavour to turn off those from hearing that have most need and are most likely to receive benefit by them. Many have noted it, that those sermons and occasions that have done them most good, when they came to them, they have been some way or other most dissuaded from and resolved against before they came ; and then when they have broken through their strongest hindrances, they have found that all their obstruction was Satan's chUgent foresight to hinder them of such a blessing as they have, beyond hope, met withal. The like might be observed of the constant returns of the Lord's day. If men watch not against it, they may meet with more than ordinary, either avocations to prevent and hinder them, or disturbances to annoy and trouble, or bodily indispositions to incapacitate and unfit them. And it is not to be contemned, that some have observed themselves more apt to bo drowsy, didl, or sleeiiy on that day. Others have noted greater bodily indispositions than ordinarily, than at other times ; all which make no unlikely conjecture of the devil's special diligence against us on such occasions. Let us cast in another instance to these, and that is, of those that are upon the point of conversion, ready to forsake sin for Chiist. Oh, what pains then doth the devil take to keep them back ! He visits them every moment with one hindrance or other. Sometimes they are tempted to former pleasures, sometime affrighted with jDresent fears and future chsappoiutments ; sometime discouraged with re- proaches, scorns, and afllictions that may attend their alteration ; otherwhile obstructed by the persuasion or threatening of friends and old acquaintances ; but this they are sure of, that they have never more temptations, and those more sensibly troubling, than at that time — a clear evidence that Satan is as diligent as malicious. I should now go on to display the subtlety of this powerful, malicious, cruel, and diligent adversary. There is but one thing in the way, which liitherto I have taken for granted, and that is. Whether indeed there be any such things as devils and wicked spirits, or that these are but theological engines contrived by persons that carry a goodwill to morality and the public peace, to keep men under an awful fear of such miscarriages as may render them otherwise a shame to themselves and a trouble to others. It must be acknowledged a transgression of the rules of method to ofl'er a proof of tliat now, which, if at all, ought 48 A TREATISE OF [PaUT I. to have been proved in the beginning of the discourse : and indeed the question at this length, whether there be a devil, hath such affinity with that other, though for the matter they are as different as heaven and hell, whether there be a God, that as it well deserves a confirma- tion, — for the use that may be made of it to evidence that there is a God, because we feel there is a devil, — so would it require a serious endeavour to perform it substantially. But it would be not only a needless labour to levy an army against professed atheists, who with high scorn and derision roundly deny both God and devils— seeing others have frequently done that— but also it would occasion too large a digi-ession from our present design. I shall therefore only speak a few thmgs to those that ovn\ a God, and yet deny such a devil as we have described: and yet not (o all of these neither, for there were many heathens who were confident assei-tors of a deity, that nevertheless denied the being of spirits as severed from coiiTOrcity ; and others were so far from the acknowledgment of devils, that they confounded them in the number of their gods. Others there were who gave such credit to the frequent relations of apparitions and disturbances of that kind, that many had attested and complained of, that they expressed more ingenuity! than Lucian, who pevlinaciously refused to believe, becaiise he never saw them ; ami yet thoiigli they believed something of reality in that that was the atl'^iglltnlent^uld trouble of others, they neverthe- less ascribed such extradrdinary things to natm'al causes, some to the powers of the heavens and stars in tlieir influences upon natural bodies, or by the mediation of certain herljs, stones, minerals, creatures, voices, and characters, under a special observation of the motion of the planets.- Some refer such tilings to the subtlety and quickness of the senses of hearing and seeing, which might create forms and images of things, or discover I know not what reflections from the sun and moon. Some [Pomponatius, Epicureans] fancy the shapes and visions to be esnivicE, thin scales or skins of natural things, giving representa- tions of the bodies that cast them off, or exhalations from sepulchres, representing the shape of the body. Others [Cardan, Acadernics] make them the eftects of our untrusty and deceitful senses, the debility and corruption whereof they conclude to be such, and so general, that most men are in hazard to he imposed upon by delusive appearances. But with far greater show of likelihood do some [Averrhoes] make all such things to be nothing else but the issues of melancholy and cor- rupt humours, which makes men believe they hear, see, and suffer strange things, when there is nothing near them ; or really to undergo strange fits, as in lunacy and epilepsy.3 Leaving these men as not capable of information from Scripture e\-idence, because disowTiing it, let us inquhe what mistaken apprehensions there have been in tliis matter among those that have pretended a reverence to and belief of Scripture. The Sadducees deserve the first place, because they are by name noted in Scripture to have ' denied the resurrection,' and to have ' affirmed that there is neither angel nor spirit,' Acts xxiii. 8, and Mat. xxii. 23. ' ' Ingenuousness.'— G. ° The Peripatetics. Porphyrins. Aug[ustine], De Civ. Dei, ib. x.cap. H. Galen. '■' Cassius ad Brutum ex Plutarch, in vita Bruti. Chap. 7.] satan's temptations. 49 This opinion of theirs, could we certainly find it out, would make much for the confirmation of the ti'uth in question, seeing, whatever it was, it is positively condemned in Scripture, and the contrary asserted to be true. Many, and that upon considerable gTOunds, do think that they do not deny absolutely that there were any angels at all, but that, acknowledging that something there was which was called an angel, yet they imagining it to be far otherwise than what it is indeed, were accused justly for denying such a kind of angels as the Scripture had everywhere asserted and described. For considering that they owned a God, and, at least, the five books of Moses, if not all the other books of the Old Testament — as Scaliger and others judge, not without great probability, for neither doth the Scripture -nor Josephus mention any such thing of the prophets — it is unima- ginable that they would altogether deny that there was angel or spirit at all.i They read of angels appearing to Lot, to Abraham, and met with it so frequently, that, believing Scriptiu-es to be true, they could not believe angels to be an absolute fiction ; for one fable or falsity in Scripture, which so highly asserts itself to be an unerring oracle of the true G-od, must of necessity have destroyed the credit of all, and rendered them as justly suspected to be true in nothing, when appa- rently false or fabulous in anytlung. Again, If we call to mind what apprehensions they had of God, which all consent they did acknowledge, we might more easily imagine what apprehensions they had oi angels, for in regard that Moses made mention of God's face and back-parts, Exod. xxxiii., and that frequently hands and other parts of man's body were attributed to him, they concluded God to be corporeal ; and seeing the best of creatures which God created cannot be supposed to have a more noble being than was that of their Creator, and, at the utmost, to be made according to the pattern of his own image and likeness, they might upon this bottom easily fix a denial of incorporeal spirits, and by consequence that the soul of man was mortal, and therefore that there could be no resurrection ; so that the nature of angels being described under the notion of spiritual substances, they are judged to deny any such thing, supposing that to be incorporeal was as much as not to be at all ; and yet it were unreasonable to deny that they had not some interpretation for those passages of Scripture that men- tioned angels, which in their apprehensions might be some salvo to the truth of those liistorical writings, which they acknowledged ; but what that was we are next to conjecture. And indeed Josephus, by a little hint of their opinion, seems to tell us that they did not so much deny the being of the soid, as the permanency of it ; and so, by consequence, they might not so much deny absolutely the existence of spii-its, as their natural being and continuance.^ Something there was that was called by the name of angel — that they could not but o^vn — and that this must be a real and not an imaginary thing, is evident from the real effect, and things done by them ; yet observing their appearances to have been upon some special occasion, and their ' Vide Spanheim, Dub. Evang. part iii. dub. 29. ' Lib. ii. de Bello Jud. c. 7, *i'X^5 tc ttiv Siafiovi^v, Kai ras KaB' foou rtfiupias Koi Tijuds &vaipovlations, imagining that we may possibly do him wTong in fathering upon him these solicitations and provocations to sin, which we by cxi)erience find to be working and acting upon our minds, thinking that our own fancies or imaginations may be the only devils that vex us; and this they more readily hearken to, from the nature of dreams and visions wliicli hapj)en to men in an ordinary natural way, where our fsmcies play with us as if tliey were distinct from us ; as also from tliis consideration, tliat tlie lunatic, epilej^tic, and frenzical persons are in Scripture called demoniacs, as Mat. xvii. 15, with Luke ix., where the person is called lunatic, and yet said to be taken and vexed by a spirit. So also John x. 20, lie hath a devil, and is mad. But these reasonings can do little with an intelligent, considering man, to make him deny what he so really feels, and is so often forewarned of in Scripture ; for suppose these were called de- moniacs by tlie \Tilgar, it doth not compel us to believe they were so. ]\Ieu are apt to ascribe natural diseases to Satan, and Clirist did not concern himself to cure their misapprehensions, while he cured their diseases.* This some suggest as a reason that may answer many cases, though indeed it cannot answer that of Mat. xvii., because, ver. 18, it is said expressly that ' Jesus rebuked the devil, and he depai'ted out of him,' which would not have been proper to have been spoken on the account of Christ by the evangelist, to express the cure ' Fuit ilia quidem dim Saddiicseorum opinio, per angelos nihil designari quam vel motus quos Deus hominibus aspirat, vel ea qum edit virtntis suse specimina.— Instit., lib. i. cap. 14, sec. 9. - Diodati: his 'Notes' were published in English, 1664, folio, and in various lesser forms.— G. ■' Hobl.es Lev., cap. 34, pp. 212, 214. * Dr More's ' Mystery of Godliness,' lib. iv. cap. 6, sec. 10. Chap. 7.J satan's temptations. 51 of a natural disease, for so would he unavoidably have been rendered guilty of the same mistake with the vulgar. But if we should grant that divers mentioned under the name of demoniacs were men dis- tm'bed with melancholy, or the falling-sickness, all were not so ; for those in Mat. viii. 31, ' besought Christ, after their ejection,' to have liberty ' to go into the herd of swine : ' so that if BIr Jlede intended to assert that all demoniacs were no other than madmen and lunatics, I question not but he was mi.staken, and by his reason, not only must madmen and lunatic persons pass for demoniacs, but all di.seases whatsover ; for the bhnd and dumb were called also demoniacs. Mat. ix. 32, and xii. 22. i But the matter seems to be this, that where men were afflicted with such distempers, Satan took the advantage of them, and acted the possessed accordingly ; as he frequently takes the ad- vantage of a melancholy indisposition, and works great terrors and affrightments by it, as in Saul ; or at least that, where h he counterfeited the fits and furies of those natural and acted some like madmen, and others he made dumb and deaf- which seems to have been the case of those in Mat. ix. and xii., where the deafness and dumbness did depend upon the i^ossession, and was cured with it — others were made to ' fall on a sudden into fire or water,' as those that are epileptic, and therefore might such be called both lunatic or epileptic, and also possessed with a devil. As to that reason which some fetch from dreams, it is rather a dream than a reason against the being of devils, seeing the effects of these infernal spirits are far otherwise than the utmost of what can be imagined to be acted upon the stage of imaginations ; so that the real and permanent being of devils may be easily proved : — [1.] First, From those real acts noted to he done hy angels and devils. The angels that appeared to Lot were seen and entertained in the family — seen and observed by the Sodomites. Those that appeared to Abraham were more than fancied appearances, in that they ' ate and ch-ank ' with him. The devil conveyed Christ from place to place. This could not be a fancy or imagination. Their begging leave to go ' into the .swine ' shews them real existences. ' [2.] Secondly, From the real effects done hy them. We have un- doubted testimonies of men really hurt and tormented by Satan. Of some really snatched away, and carried a great distance from their dwellings. Of others possessed, in whom the devd really speaks audible voices and strange languages, gives notice of things past, and sometime of things to come. The oracles of the heathen, which however they were for the most part false or delusory, yet, in that they were responses from images and idols, were more than phantasms. [3.] Thirdly, From what the Scripture speaks everyivliere of them. Of their malice and cruelty; that devils are murderers from the beginning; their daily waiting how they may devour; their arts, wiles, and stratagems ; their names and appellations, when styled principalities, powers, spiritual wickednesses, the prince of the power of the air, and a great many more to that purpose, shew that, without ' Lib. i. p. S5, on John x. 20. 52 A TREATISE OF [PaRT I. apparent folly and dotage, we cannot interpret these of motions only upon the minds and fancies of men. Besides, the Scripture speaks of the offices of good angels, as their standing continually before the throne, then- beholding the face of God, their accompanying Christ at his second coming, their gathering the elect from the four winds, &c., Dan. vii. 10, which cannot be understood of anything else but real and permanent beings ; and this is also an evidence that devils are, seeing the Scripture mentions their fall and their punishment. [4.] Fourthly, Seeing also the Sa-ipture condemned the opinion of the Sadducees, the contrary of that opinion must be true. And ex- pressly in Acts xii. 9, that which was done by an angel is opposed to what might be visional or imaginary. [5.] Fifthly, The reality of devils and their malignity hath been the opinion of heathens. For there is nothing more common among them than the belief of inferior deities, which they called Bdi.fj.ov€(! or haijxovia, that is, devils; and notwithstanding that they supposed these to be mediators to the supreme gods, yet they learned to dis- tinguish them into good and evil.i The Platonists thought that the souls of tyrants after death became lemures and larva', that is, hurtful devils ; and at last the name devil became of so bad a signification, that to say, 'thou hast a devil,' was reproach and not praise; but what these groped at in the dark, the Scripture doth fully determine, using the word devil only for a malignant spirit.- CHAPTER VIII. Of Satan's cunning and craft in the general. — Several demonstrations proving Satan to he deceitful; and of the reasons ivhy he makes use of his cunning. We have taken a survey of our adversary's strength, and this will open the way to a clearer discovery of his subtlety and craft, which is his great engine by which he works all his tyranny and cruelty in the world, to the luin or prejudice of the souls of men ; of which the apostle in 2 Cor. ii. 11 speaks, as a thing known by the common experience of all discerning persons. His way is to overreach and take advantages, and for tliis end he useth devices and stratagems, which is a thing so ordinary with him, that none can be ignorant of the truth of it : ' We are not ignorant of his devices.' This, before I come to the particulars, I shall prove and illustrate in the general, by the gradual procedure of these few following con- siderations : — First, All the malice, poicer, cruelty, and diligence of which we have spoJcen, with all the advantages of multitude, order, and know- ledge, by tvhich these cruel qualifications are heightened — tJiese are but his furniture and acomplishment which fit him for his subtle con- trivances of delusion, and make him able to deceive ; neither hath he any use of his power and knowledge but in reference to deceit. In ' Mede, 'Apost. Latter Times/ p. 19. August. De Civ. Dei, lib. ix. cap. 11, 19. Chap. 8.] satan's temptations. 53 Eph. vi. 11, 12, which is a place wherein the apostle doth of purpose present Satan in his way of dealing with men, his whole practice is set forth under the term and notion of arts and wiles : ' that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.' This is the whole work of Satan, against which the furniture of that spuitual armour is requisite ; and lest any should think that his power or wickedness are other distinct things in him, which are to be provided against by other means of help, he presently adds, that these are no otherwise used by him but in order to his wiles and cunning, and therefore not to be looked upon as distinct, though indeed to be considered in con- junction with liis subtlety and cunning, as things that make his wiles the more dangerous and hazardous : ' For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places ;' which words do but strengthen the apostle's warning and caution about the forementioned wiles, which are therefore the more carefully to be observed and watched against, because his power is so great that he can contrive snares with the greatest skill and art im- aginable ; and his wickedness is so great, that we cannot expect either honesty or modesty should restrain him from making the vilest and most disingenuous proposals, nor from attesting a conveniency or goodness in his motions, with the highest confidence of most notorious lying. 2. Secondly, The subtlety that the Scripticres do attribute to sin, or to the heart, is mostly and chiefly intended to reflect upon Satan, as the author and contriver of these deceits. In Heb. iii. 13 there is men- tion of the ' deceitfulness of sin,' but it is evident that something else besides sin is intended, to which deceitfidness must be properly ascribed ; for sin being, as most conclude, formally a privation, or if we should grant it a positive being, as some contend, yet seeing the highest no- tion we can arrive at this way, excluding but the figment of Flacius lUyricus, who seems to make original sin indistinct from the very essence of the soid, is but to call it an act.i Deceitfulness cannot be properly attributed to it, but with reference to him who orders that act in a way of deceitfulness and delusion ; which ultimately will bring it to Satan's door. If here the deceitfulness of sin be devolved upon the subject, then it runs into the same sense with Jer. xvii. 9, ' The heai't is deceitful above all things.' But why is the deceitfulness fixed upon the heart ? The ground of that we have in the next words ; it is deceitful, because it is wicked, ' desperately wicked.' But who then inflames and stirs up the heart to tliis wickedness ? Is it not Satan ? Who then is the proper author of deceit but he ? It is true, indeed, that our hearts are proper fountains of sin, and so may be accused possibly in some cases where Satan cannot he justly blamed ; yet if we consider deceitfulness as a companion of every sin, though our hearts be to be blamed for the sin, Satan will be found guilty of the deceitfulness. It may be said a man complies with those things which are intended for his delusion, and so improperly by his negligence may fall under blame of self-deception ; but it is unimaginable that he can properly and formally intend to deceive himself. Deceit then, not ' Vide Barlow, Exer. Metaph., Exer. 2. Flac. Script. Tract. 6, p. 479. 54 A TREATISE OF [PaRT I. Ijcing from siii uor ourselves properly, can find out no other parent for itself than Satan. Besides this, that these texts upon a rational inquiry do charge Satan with the deceitfulness of sin ; they do over and above point at the known and constant way of Satan, working so commoiily by delusion, that deceitfulness is a close companion of every sin. The deceitfulness of one sin is as much as the deceitful- ness of every sin. Nay, further, that text of Jcr. xvii. 9, shews this deceitfulness not to be an ordinary sleight, but the greatest of all deceits above measure, and of an unsearchable depth or mystery ; ' who can know it?' 3. Thirdly, All acts of sin, sometvay or other, come through Satan's fingers. I do not say that all sin is Satan's propr oflfspring, for we have a cui'sed stock of oiu* own ; and it may be said of us, as elsewhere of Satan, sometime we sin out of our own inclination and disposition ; yet in every sin, whetlier it ari.se from us or the world, Satan blows the sparks and manageth all. As David said to the woman of Tekoah, ' Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?' [2 Sam. xiv. 19 ;] so may we say, Is not the hand of Satan with thee in every sin thou committest ? This is so eminently true, that the Scripture indiflerently ascribes the sin sometimes to us, sometimes to the devil. It was Peter's sin to tempt Christ to decline suffering, yet Christ rciielling it with this rebuke, ' Get thee behind me, Satan,' JIat. xvi. 23, doth plainly accuse both Peter and Satan. It is the personal sin of a man to be angry, yet in such acts he ' gives place to the devil ; ' both man and Satan concur in it, Eph. iv. 2G. Paul's ' thorn in the flesh,' 2 Cor. xii. 7, whatever sin it was, he calls ' Satan's messenger.' He that submits not to God, doth in that comply with Satan ; as, on the contrary, he that doth submit himself to God, doth resist the devil, James iv. 7. Neither doth that expression of the apostle, James i. 14, ' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust,' &c., give any contradiction to tliis. It is not the apostle's design to exclude Satan, but to include man as justly cidpable, notwithstanding Satan's tcmi)tations ; and that which he asserts is this, that there is sin and a temptation truly prevalent when there is the least consent of our lust or desire, and that it is that brings the blame upon us ; so that liis purpose is not to excuse Satan, or to deny him to have a hand in drawing or tcmptmg us on to sin, but to shew that it is our own act that makes the sin to become ours. 4. Fourthly, Such is the constitution of the soul of man, that its sinning cannot he conceived u-iihont some deception or delusion;'^ for, granting that the soul of man is made up of desires, and that the soul were nothing else but, as it were, one willing or lusting power diversi- fied by several objects ; and that this power or these faculties are depraved by the fall, and corrupted ; and that man in every action doth consult with his desires ; and that they have so great an influence upon him, that they are the law of the members, and give out their commands accordingly for obedience ; yet still these three things are firm and unshaken principles : — [1.] First, That desires cannot be set upon any object but as it is ' Manton on James i. 14. Chap. 8.] satak's temptations. 55 apprehended truly or apparently good. It is incompatible to a rational Houl to desire evil as evil : Omne appetit honum. [2.] Secondly, The wUl doth not resolvedly embrace any object till the light of the understanding hath made out, some way or other, the goodness or conveniency of the object.^ [3.] Thirdly, There is no man that hath not a competent light for discovery of the goodness or evil of an object presented. Unregenerate men have, (1.) The light of nature. (2.) Some have an additional light from Scripture discovery. (3.) Some have yet more from com- mon convictions, which beget sensible stirrings and awful impressions upon them. (4.) To those God sometime adds corrections and punish- ments, which are of force to make that light burn more clear, and to stir up care and caution in men for the due entertainment of these notices that God affords them. Eegenerate men have all this light, and besides that, they have, (1.) 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, whicli will make them abhor themselves in dust and ashes. Job xlii. G ; Isa. vi. 5. (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 fortify themselves with the strongest resolutions not to give way to sin. Notwithstanding all these, it 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 betwixt them and the light ; some fallacy or other is put upon the understanding some way or other ; the will is bribed or biassed ; there is treachery in the case, for it is unimaginable that a man in any act of sin should offer a plain, open, and dh'ect violence to his own nature and faculties ; so that the whole business is here, evil is presented under the notion of good ; 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 compliance with Satan, are said to deceive, or to put tricks and fallacies upon themselves.^ 5. Fifthly, All kinds of suhtleti/ are in Scripture directly cJiarged upon Satcm, 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. ii. 11, ' We are not ignorant of his devices,' where the word in the original is borrowed from the sophistical reasonings of disputants. 3 Sometime it is expressed in the similitude of political deceits ; as the Scriptm-e gives him the title of a prince, so doth it mark out his policies in the management of his kingdom, Eev. xii. 7, expressly calling them deceits, and comparing him to a dragon or serpent for his subtlety. Sometime he is represented as a warrior : Eev. xii. 17, ' Voluntas sequitur iiUimiiin dictiunen intellectus practici. • James i. 22, 29, napaXoyti'oijm'Oi cavTovs. ■* n-ZjuaTa. Thus Satan, Jude !', disputed, urged sophisms alioiit the hod.v of Mo&cs — bte\cy(TO. 56 A TREATISE OF [PaKT I. ' The dragon was wi-oth, and went to make war,' &c. ; and here are his warlike stratagems pointed at. Mention is made, 2 Tim. ii. 26, of his snares, and the taking of men alive, or captive, directly alluding to warlike proceedings, [i^aypi'ifievoi.] The subtle proceedings of arts and craft are charged on him and his instruments. Men are said to be enticed, James i., as fish or fowl, by a bait ; others deluded, as by cheaters in false gaming : Eph. iv. 1-1, ' By the sleight of men, and the cunning craft of tliose that lie in wait to deceive.' i The over- reacliing of merchants or crafty tradesmen is alluded to in 2 Cor. ii. 11. All these sleights are in Satan, in their highest perfection and accomplishment. He can ' transform himself into an angel of light,' 2 Cor. xi. 14, where he hath an occasion for it ; iu a word, all ' deceiveableness of unrighteousness is in him,' 2 Thes. ii. 10. So that a general -Travovpyia, a dexterity and ability for all kind of subtle contrivances, is ascribed to him, 2 Cor. xi. 3, and that in his very fii-st essay upon Eve, when tlie serpent deceived her ' through subtlety ;' so that whatsoever malice can suggest, or wit and art contrive for delusion, or whatsoever diligence can practise, or cruelty execute, all tliat must be imagined to be in Satan. 6. Sixthly, All this might be further proved by instances. What temptation can be named wherein Satan hath not acted as a serpent ? Who can imagine tlie cunning tliat Satan used with David in the matter of Uriah ? How easily he got him to tlie roof of the house in order to the object to be presented to him ! How he directs hi.s eye, wrought upon his passions, suggested tlie thought, contrived the con- veniences ! What art must tliere be to bring a darkness into David's mind, a forgetfulness of God's law, a fearlessness 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 (1.) 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 subtlety, in reference to what he was about to suggest, is plain from the text, ' Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field.' It had been needless and impertinent to have noted the serpent's subtlety 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 husband's absence, which is probable, if we consider that it is unlikely that Adam should not interpose in tlie 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 ofi', but fetcheth a compass and enters upon the business by an inquiry of the affair, as if he intended not hurt. (6.) He so inquires of the matter — • h Trj Kii;3ei?. . . . irpdt tt)v iKBoUtav t^s TrXdri)!. T\ioi'eKT(iv dicit qui avaritia vel aliis malis artibus lucra comparat. — Beza. Chap. 8.] satan's temptations. 57 ' 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 under- mines the thi-eatening, 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 threatening, for she seems to extenuate it in saying, ' lest we die,' he grows more bold to speak out his mind, and plainly to anniliilate the thi-eatening, ' Ye shall not die.' This he dm-st not do, till he had gained in her mind a wavering suspicion, that possibly God was not in good earnest in that ijrohibition. (9.) Then he begins to urge the con- veniency 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 proliibiting this out of envy and ill- will to them. (11.) In all this there is not a word of the danger, but impimity and advantage promised. (12.) This deadly advice he covers with a pretence of greater kindness and care than God had for them. See in this, as in a clear glass, Satan's way of policy ; after this rate he proceeds in all his temptations. If any inquire why so mighty and potent a prince useth rather the fox's skin than the lion's paw, these reasons may satisfy : — [1.] First, There is a necessity upon him so to rfo.i He must use his craft, because he cannot compel ; he must have God's leave before he can overcome ; he cannot winnow Peter before he sue out a com- mission, nor deceive Ahab till he get a Hcence ; neither can he prevail against us without om- own consent. The Scripture indeed useth some words that signify a force in tempting, as that he ' put it into the heart of Judas,' ' filled the heart of Ananias,' ' provoked David,' ' rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience,' and ' leads them captive at his will,' &c. ; yet all these and the like expressions intend no more than this, that he useth forcible importimities, frames strong delusions, and joins sometime his jjower to his temptations ; as sometime fowlers shew themselves to the birds they intend to ensnare, that so they may be aflrighted into an awe and amazement, to give a better opportunity to spread their nets over them. [2.] Secondly, If he could compel, yet his ivay of craft and subtlety is generally the most -prevalent and successful. Force stirs up an opposition ; it usually alarms to caution and avoidance, and frights to an utter averseness in any design ; so that where force should gam its thousands, subtlety will gain its ten thousands. [3.] Thirdly, His strength is not useless to him. For besides that it enables him to deceive with higher advantage than otherwise he could do, as hath been said, he hath times and occasions to shew his strength and cruelty, when his cunning hath prevailed so far as to give him possession. What was said of Pope Boniface, that he ' Vide Capel. Temp., p. 27 ; Will. Paris in Ames Cas. Consc., lib. ii. cap. 19 ; Good- win, Cliild of Light, p. 47 ; Caryl on Job i. 14. All are volunteei-s ; he never constrains any, neither can he ; the will is never forced by him, neither can it be. 58 A TRKATISE Of [PaRT 1. entered like a fox, and ruled like a lion, may be applied to him ; lie insinuates himself l)y subtlety as a fox or serpent, and then rules with rigour as a lion. CHAPTEK IX. Of Sakin's deceits in particular. — JVliat temptation is. — Of tempting ' to sin. — His first general rule.— The consideration of our con- dition. — His second ride. — Of 2^'oviding suitable temjitatiom. — Li tvJiat cases he tempts 21s to things unsuitable to our inclinations. — His third ride. — The cautious proposal of the temptation, and the several ways thereof. — His fourth rule is to entice. — The ivay thereof in the general, by bringing a darkness upon the mind through lust. Our uext busiuess is to inquire after these ways of deceit in par- ticular ; in which I shall first speak of such as are of more general and vmiversal concernment — such are his temptations to sin, liis deceits against duty, his cunning in promoting error, his attempts against the peace and comfort of the saints, &c. — and then I shall come to some ways of deceits that relate to cases more special. As an introduction to the first, I shall speak a word of temptation in the general. Tliis in its general notion is a trial or cxjieriment made of a thing. The word that signifies to tempt, comes from a word that signifies to pierce, or bore tln-ough,' implying such a trial as goes to the very heart and inwards of a thing. In this sense it is attributed to God, who is said to have tempted AbrahaTii, and to put our faith upon trial ; and sometime to Satan, who is said to liave tempted Christ, though he could not ex2)ect to prevail. But though God and 8atan do make these trials, yet is there a vast difference betwixt tliem, and that not only in their intentions— the one designing only a discovery to men of what is in them, and that for most holy ends ; the other intending ruin and destruction — but also in the way of tlieu- proceedings.2 God by providence presents objects and occasions; Satan doth not only do" tliat, but further inclineth and positively per- suadeth to evil. Hence is it that temptations are distinguished into trials merely, and seduccments ; suitable to that of TertuUian, [De Orat.] Diabohis tcntat, Deiis probat, The devil tempts, God only tries. We speak of temptation as it is from Satan, and so it is described to be a drawing or moving men to sin under colour of some reason.^ By wliich we may observe that, in evciy such temptation, there is the object to which the temptation tends, the endeavour of Satan to incline our hearts and draw on our consent, and the instrument by which is some pretence of reason ; not that a real and solid reason can be given for sin, but that Satan offers some considerations to us to prevail with us, which, if they do, we take them tobe reasons. This may a httle help us to understand Satan's method in tempting to sin, &c., of which I am first to speak. ' Tcipafu a ireipu. " Calv. Instit., lib. iii. cap. 20, sec. 46. '■> Capel. Tempt[ations,l p. 26. fl635, 12mo.— G.l Chap. 9.] satan's temptations. 59 In temptations to siu, we may observe, Satan walks by four general rules : — 1. First, He considers and acquaints himself toith the condition of evert/ mail, and for that end he studies man. God's question con- cerning Job, ' Hast thou considered my servant Job ? ' Job i. 8, doth imply, not only his diligent inquiry into Job's .state — for the original expresseth it by Satan's ' putting his heart upon Job, or laying him to his heart' i — but that this is usual with Satan so to do ; as if God had said. It is thy way to pry narrowly into every man : hast thou done this to Job ? Hast thou considered him as thou usest to do ? And indeed Satan owns this as his business and employment in his answer to God, ' I come from gomg to and fro m the earth, from walldng up and down in it.' This cannot be properly said of him who is a spirit. Bodies go up and down, but not spirits ; so that his meaning is, he had been at his work of inquiring and searching. And so Broughton translates it,2 from searching to and fro in the earth ; as it is said of the eyes of God, that they ' run to and fro,' which intends his intel- ligence, search, and knowledge of things. It is such a going to and fro as that in Dan. xii. 4, which is plainly there expressed to be for the increase of knowledge. The matter of his inquiry or particidars of his study are such as these : (1.) Man's state ; he considers and guesseth whether a man be regenerate or unregenerate. (2.) The degree of his state: if unre- generate, how near or far off he is the kingdom of God ; if regenerate, he takes the compass of his knowledge, of his gifts, of his graces. (3.) He inquires into his constitution and temper ; he observes what disposition he is of (4.) His place, calling, and relation ; his trade, employment, enjoyments, riches, or wants. (5.) His sex. (6.) His age, &c. The way by which he knows these things is plain and easy. Most of these things are open to common observation ; and what is intricate or dark, that he beats out, either by comparing us with ourselves, and considering a long tract of actions and carriage ; or by comparing us with others, whose ways he had formerly noted and observed. The end of this search is to give him light and instruction in point of advantage ; hence he knows where to raise his batteries, and how to level his shot against us. This Christ plainly discovers to be the design of all liis study, John xiv. 30, where he tells his disciples he expected yet another ou.set from Satan, and that near at hand; ' for the prince of the. world' was then upon his motion, he was a-coming; but withal, he teUs them of his security against his assaults, in that there was ' nothing in Christ ' of advantage in any of these forementioned ways to foot a temptation upon. It appears, then, that he looks for such advantages, and that without these he hath little expectancy of prevailing. 2. Secondly, Satan having acquainted himself with our condition, makes it his next care to provide suitable temptations, and to strike in the right vein ; for he loves to have his work easy and feasible, he loves not [to] go against the stream. Thus he considered Judas as a covetous person, and accordingly provided a temptation of gain for ' Caryl, iii. loc. ' lOW, circumspexit, lustravit.— Metaph. 60 A TREATISE OF [PaUT I. him. He did the like with Achan ; and hence was it that he had the Sabeans so ready for the plunder of Job ; he had observed them a people given to rapine and spoil ; and accordingly, Job's goods being propounded to them as a good and easy booty, he straightway prevailed with them. It was easy for him to draw Absalom into an open rebel- lion against his father ; he had taken notice of his ambitious and aspir- ing humour, and of the grudges and dissatisfactions under which lie laboured ; so that, providing him a fit opportunity, he engaged him immediately. According to this rule, where he observes men of shallow heads and low parts, he the more freely uuposeth upon them in things palpably absurd ; where he takes notice of a fearful temper, there he tempts them with terrors and affrightful suggestions. He hath temp- tations proper for the sanguine complexion and for the melancholy ; he hath liis methods of dealing witii the lustful and wanton, with the passionate and revengeful; he hath novelties at hand for the itching ear, and suggestions proper for those that are atheistically inclined. Obj. To tliis may be objected. That experience tells us Satan doth not always walk in this road, nor confine himself to this rule : some- time he tempts to things which are cross to our tcmi)ers and inclina- tions, &c. Ans. It is true he doth so ; but yet the general rule is not preju- diced by this exception, especially if we consider, [1.] First, That Satan J>< iiHj .sliU intd.cr tlie commands and restraint of the Almighty, he canncf nhrni/s hmpt what he ivould, hut accord- ing to a superior order awl vmninnHil. Of this nature I suppose was that temptation of which Paul complained so much ; ' he kept down his body,' 1 Cor. ix. 27, upon this very design, that he might liave it in subjection, and yet is he bufleted with a temptation which expected an advantage usually from the temper and frames of our bodies — lor so much, I suppose, that phrase, ' a thorn in the flesh,' will unavoid- ably imply — thougli it still leave us at uncertainties what the tempta- tion was in particular. Here Satan tempts at a disadvantage, and contrary to this rule ; but then we must know that he was not the master of his own game — God expressly ordering such a temptation as was disagreeing with the apostle's disposition, that it might the less prevail or hazard him, and yet be more available to keep him low, ' lest he should be exalted above measure,' which was God's design in the matter. [2.] Secondly, Sometime our temper alters ; as the tempers of our bodies in a sickness may in a fit be so changed that they may desire at that time what they could not endure at another. A special occa- sion or concurrence of circumstances may alter for the time our con- stitution, and so an unusual temptation may at that time agree with this design. [3.] Thirdly, Sometime by one temptation Satan intends but to lay the foundation of another ; and then of purpose he begins with a strange suggestion, either to keep us at the gaze while he covertly doth something else against us, or to move us to a contrary extreme by an over-hasty rashness. [4.] Fourthly, Sometime he tempts lohen his main design is only Chap. 9.] satan's temptations. 61 to tremble and disquiet us; and in such cases the most unnatural temptations, backed with a violent impetuousness, do his work the best. 3. Thirdly, Satan's next work is the proposal of the temptation. In the two former he provided materials and laid the trains ; in this he gives fire, by propounding his design ; and this also he doth with caution these several ways : — [1.] First, He makes the object speaJc for him, and in many he is scarce put to any further trouble: the object before them speaks Satan's mind, and gains" their consent immediately ; yet is there no small cunning used in fitting the object and occasion, and bringing things about to answer the very nick of time which he takes to be advan- tageous for him. [2.] Secondly, Sometime he appoints a proxy to speak for him; not that he is shamefaced in temptation, and not always at leisure for his own work, but this way he insinuates himself the more danger- ously into our affections, and with less suspicion, using our friends, relations, or intimate acquaintance to intercede for a wicked design. He did not speak himseK to Eve, but chose a serpent : he thought Eve would sooner prevail upon Adam than the serpent could. He tempted Job by the tongue of his wife, as if he had hoped that what so near a relation had counselled would easily be hearkened to. He tempted Christ to avoid suffering by Peter, under a pretence of highest love and care, ' Master, spare thyself,' [Mat. xvi. 23 ;] yet our Savioiir forbears not to note Satan's temptation closely twsted with Peter's kindness. At this rate are we often tempted where we little suspect danger. [3.] Thirdly, If he finds the two first ways unhopeful or unsuitable, then he injects the motion, and so plainly speaks to us imvardly him- self ' Do this act, take this advantage for pleasure or profit,' &c. He thought it not enough to tempt Judas by the object of gain, but he brake his mind in direct terms, and ' put it into his heart,' Johnxui. 2. He did the like to Ananias, whose heart he filled with a large motion for that lie, and backed it with many considerations of the necessity and expediency of it. Acts v. 3. There is no question to be made of this. Dr Goodwin gives clear proofs of it, and so do several others.i When we consider that thoughts are sometime cast upon the minds of men which are above their knowledge, and that they say and do things sometime which are far beyond any of their accomplishments and parts, and yet in the nature of it wicked, we must be forced to run so high as to charge it upon Satan. Saul's prophesying, 1 Sam. xviii. 10, was by the inJluence of the evil spirit ; and this — as Jimius, Tirinus, and others interpret" — must of necessity be imderstood of such a kind of action and speaking as the true prophets of the Lord usually expressed under the influences of the blessed Spirit ; for from the likeness of the action in both must the name be borrowed. The experience that we have of inward disputings, the bandying of argu- ments and answers in several cases, is a proof of this beyond exception. Wounded consciences express an admirable dexterity in breaking all arguments urged for their peace and establishment ; as also in framing ' Child of Light, p. 45. [As before.— G.] ' Vide Pool : Synops. in loc. 62 A TREATISE OF [PART I. objection!? against themselves, so far above the usnal measui-e of com- mon capacities, that we cannot ascribe it to any other than Satan's private aid this way. [4.] Fourthly, The motion being made, if there be need, he doth irritate and stir xip the mind to tJie embracement ofit; and this he doth two ways : — First, By aji earnestness of solicitation ; when he nrgeth the thing over and over, and gives no rest ; when he joins with tiiis an impor- tunity of begging and entreating with the repeated motion ; when he draws together and advantageously doth order a multitude of con- siderations to that end ; and when in all this he doth hold down the mind and thoughts, and keep them upon a contemplation of the object, motions, and reasons. Thus lie provoked Da\id, 1 Chron. xxi. 1 ; and this kind of dealing occasioned the apostle to name his tempta- tions and our resistance by the name of ' wrestlings,' in which usually there appears many endeavours and often repeated, to throw down the antagonist. SecoiuUy, He doth irritate by a secret poiver and force that he hath upon our fancies and passions. When men are said to be carried and led by Satan, it implies, in the judgment of some,' more tlian imjwr- tunity; and that though he cannot force the spring of the will, yet he may considerably act upon it by pulling at the weights and ]ihim- mets— that is, by rao\'ing and acting our imaginations and aflections. 4. Fourthly, The motion being thus made, notwithstanding all his importunity, often finds resistance; in which case he comes to the practice of a fourth rule, which is to draw aicay and entice the heart to consent — as it is expressed, James i. 14, ' Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away and enticed.' 2 I shall avoid here the variety of the apprehensions which some declare at large about the meaning of the words, satisfying myself with this, that the apostle points at those artifices of Satan by which he draws and allures the will of man to a compliance with his motions, which when he cflects in any degree, then may a man be said to be prevailed upon by the temptation. But then here is the wonder, how he should so far prevail against that reason and knowledge which God hath placed in man to fence and guard him agauist athmg so absurd and unreasonable as every sin is. The solution of this knot we have in 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' The god of this world blinds the eyes of men,' draws a curtain over this knowledge, and raiseth a darkness upon them : which dai-kness, though we cannot fully apprehend, yet that it is a very great and strange darkness may be discovered, (1.) Partly by considering the subject of it — man, a rational creature, in whom God hath placed a conscience, which is both a law, and witness, and judge. It cannot be supposed an easy matter to cloud or obliterate that law, to silence or pervert that wit- ness, or to corrupt that judge ; but it will rise higher in the wonder of it if we consider this in a godly man, one that sets God before him, and is wont to have his fear in his heart — such a man as David was, that in so plain a case, in so liigh a manner, so long a time, with so little sense and apprehension of the evil and danger, Satan should so quickly prevail, it is an astonishment : neither will it be less strange if 1 Dr Goodwin, ' Child of Light.' [As before.— G.] - Manton, in loc. Chap. 10. J satan's temptations. G3 we consider, (2.) The issue and effect of this blindness. Some rise up against this law of conscience, arguing it false and erroneous, and making conclusions directly contrary, as Deut. xxix. 19, ' I shall have peace, though I walk on in the imaginations of my heart ; ' ' I have fellowship with him, though I walk in darkness,' 1 John i. 6 ; ' We will not hearken unto thee, but will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our ovm mouth,' Jer. xlv. 16, 17; in wliich cases the a-vvTijpriai';, or principles of conscience, are quite overthrown. Some are hardened, and as to any application of their acts to this rule, quite dead and senseless. Though they rise not up against the light, yet are they willingly ignorant, without any consideration of what they are doing. Here the avve&r)ai<;, or witnessing and excusing power ot conscience, is idle and asleep. Some, though they know the law, and in some measure see their actions are sinful, yet they pass no judg- ment, apprehend no danger : ' No man smites upon his thigh, saying, What have I done ? ' Jer. \dii. G. Nay, some are so far from this, that they presumptuously justify themselves, though they see their o«Ti blame and ruin before them : ' I do well to be angry, and that to the death,' saith Jonah, when Satan had spread a darkness upon liim. What shall we say of these things ? Here is darkness to be felt, Egyptian darkness. To explain the way of it fully is impossible for us ; to do it in any tolerable way is dif3ficult. To make some discovery herein I shall, (1.) Shew that the devil doth entice to sin by ' stirring up our lust ; ' (2. ) That by the power and prevalency of our lust he brings on the blindness spoken of. CHAPTER X. Tliat Satan enticeth hy our lust. — The several ivays hy lohich he doth it. — Of the 'power and danger of the violence of affections. The way, then, by which he doth entice is by ' stirring up our lust.' By ' lust ' I mean those general desirings of our minds after any un- lawful object which are forbidden in the tenth commandment. Thus we read of ' worldly lusts,' of the ' lusts of the flesh,' of 'lustings to envy,' and, in a word, we read of ' divers lusts,' the wliole attempt and striving of corrujit nature against the Spirit being set forth by this expression ' of lusting against the Spirit,' Titus ii. 12 ; 1 Peter ii. 18 ; James iv. 5 ; Titus iii. 3 ; Gal. v. 17. That Satan takes advantage of our own lusts, and so ploughs with our heifer, turning our own weapons against om-selves, is evident by the general vote of Scripture. The apostle James, chap. i. 14, tells us that every temptation prevails only by the power and working of our own lusts. Satan is the tempter, but our lusts are the advantages by which he draws and enticeth. The corrupt principle within us is called ' flesh,' but the way whereby it works, either in its own proper motion or as stirred up by the devil, is that of lust and affection ; and therefore he that woidd stop that issue must look to mortify it in its affections and lusts, Gal. v. 24. We are further told by John, 1 Epist. ii. 16, that all those snares that are in the world are only 64 A TREATISE OF [PaRT I. hazardous and prevailing by our lusts. More generally the apostle Peter speaks, 2 Peter i. 4 ; the whole bundle of actual sins that have ever been in the world came in at this door, ' The corruption that is in the world is through lust.' In the sthring up our lusts Satan useth no small art and subtlety, and ordinarily he worketh by some of these following ways : — 1. First, He useth his skill to dress up an object of lust thai it may be talcing and alluring. He doth not content himself wth a simple pro- l)Osal of the object, but doth as it were paint and varnish it, to make it seem beautiful and lovely. Besides all that wooing and importunity which he useth to the soul by private and unseen suggestions, he hath no doubt a care to gather together all possible concurring circum- stances, by which the seeming goodness or conveniency of the object is mucli hciglitened and enlarged. We see those that have skill to work upon the liumours of men ]ilace a great part of it in the right circum- stantiating a motion, and in taking the tcmjiers and inclinations of men at a right time. And they observe that the missing of the right season is the hazard of the design, even there where the object and inchnation ordinarily are suitable. There is much in placing a picture in a right position, to give it its proper grace and lustre in the eyes of the beholders. When a man is out of humour he nauseates his usual delights, and gi-ows sullen to things of frequent practice. It is likely Eve was not a stranger to the tree of knowledge before the temptation, but when the serpent suggests the goodness of the fruit, the fruit itself seems more beautiful and desirable, ' good for food, and pleasant to the eyes,' [Gen. ii. 9.] Though we are not able to find out the way of Satan's beautifying an object that it may affect with more piercing and powerful delights, yet he that shall consider that not only pru- dence, in an advantageous management of things, adds an additional beauty to objects proposed, but also that art, by placing things in a right posture, may derive a radiancy and beam of beauty and light U])on them, as an ordinary jiiece of glass may be so jjosited to the sim- beams that it may reflect a sparkling light as if it were a diamond, — he that shall consider this, I say, will not think it strange lor the devil to use some arts of this kind for the adorning and setting oflf an object to the eye of our lusts. 2. Secondly, We have reason to suspect that he may have ways of deceit aiid imposture upon our senses. The deceits of the senses are so much noted, that some philosophers will scarce allow any credit to be given them ; not that they are always deceitful, but that they are often so, and therefore always suspicious, i The soul hath no intelli- gence but by the senses. It is then a business of easy behef, that Satan may not altogether slight this advantage, but that when he sees it fit for his purpose, he may impose upon us by the deception of our eyes and ears. We little know how oft om- senses have disguised things to us. In a pleasing object, our eyes may be as a magnifying or multiplying glass. In the first temptation Satan seems to have wrought both upon the object and also upon the senses ; she ' saw it was good for food and pleasant.' Who can question but that she saw the fruit before ? But this was another kind of sight, of more power ' Descartes, Ant. le grand, PhiloBoph. Vet., &c. Chap. 1(X] satan's temptations. 65 and attraction. An instance of Satan's cunning in both the fore- mentioned particulars we have from Austin, relating the story of his friend Alypius, who by the importunity of his acquaintance consented to go to the theatre, yet with a resolve not to open his eyes, lest the sight of these spectacles should entice his heart ; but beiug there, the noise and sudden shouting of the multitude prevailed so far with him that he forgot his i-esolution ; takes the liberty to see what occasioned the shoutmg, and once seeing, is now so inflamed with delight that he shouts as the rest do, and becomes a frequenter of the theatre as others.! What was there to be seen and heard he knew before by the relation of others ; but now being present, his eyes and ears were by Satan so heightened in their oifices, that those bloody objects seemed pleasant beyond all that had been reported of them, and the lust of his heart drawn out by Satan's cunning disposal of the object and senses. 3. Thirdly, There is no small enticement arising from the fitness and suitableness of occasion. An occasion exactly fitted is more than half a temptation. This often makes a thief, an adulterer, Fenner, Epistle Dedicatory to 'Mystery of Saving Grace.' 74 A TREATISE OF [PaRT 1. also to make us believe that we have done well and avoided a tempta- tion, when indeed we have but exchanged it. (3.) Thirdly, He directly binds our understandings in sinfiil prac- tices, by engaging us to corn^pt ojnnions tvhich lead to wicked or careless cours(S. Satan with great ease can put men upon sin, when once he hath prevailed with them to receive an error which directly leads to it. Corrupt principles do naturally corrupt practices, and both these may be observed to meet in those deluded ones whom the Scripture mentions, ' that denied the only Lord God, and Jesus Clirist, turninn- also the grace of God into lasciviousness,' Jude 4 ; false teachers that brought in ' damnable heresies,' coimted it ' pleasure to riot,' had ' eyes full of adulteiy, and could not cease from sin,' 2 Pet. ii. 1, 13, 14. With what confidence and security will sin be prac- tised, when an opinion signs a warrant and pleads a justification for it! (4.) Fourthly, In actions whose goodness or badness is principally discoverable hy the ends upon lohich iheijare tindcHaken, it is no great difficulty for Satan to impose upon men a belief that they act by ends and respects tvhich do not indeed move them at all; and in this case men are so blinded that they do not, or will not know or acknowledge they do evil. The matter of the action being warrantable, and the end being out of the reach of conuuon discovery, they readily believe the best of themselves ; and looking more at the warrantableness of the nature of the act in the general than at their gi-ounds and inten- tions, they think not that they do evil. This was a fault which Christ observed in the disciples when they called for ' fire from heaven upon the Samaritans,' Luke ix. 55. The thing itself Elias had done before, and Christ might have done it then, but they wanted the spirit of Elias, and therefore Christ rejects their motion as unlawful in them, who considered not that a spirit of passion and revenge did altogether influence them ; and instead of shewing a just displeasure against the Samaritans, he shews that Satan had blinded them by their lust, and that the thing they urged was so far from being good, that it was apparently evil, in that they were acted by ' another spirit' than they imagined. This way of deceit is very common. How often may we observe Christians pretending conscientious dissatisfactions about the actions of others, when the private spring that animates them is some secret grudge that lies at the bottom ; and yet because the thing wherein they are dissatisfied may truly deserve blame, they are not apt to condemn themselves, but think they do well. 2. Secondly, Lusts cdso pervert our reason and knmvledge indi- rectly ; and this is, when we are not so far blinded as to believe the thing unto which we are tempted, to be good absolutely ; yet_ notwith- standing, we are persuaded of some considerable goodness in it, and stich as may for the present be embraced. For this purpose Satan hath ready these two engines : — (1.) First, He sets before us the pleasures, jyrofits, and other de- lights of sin. These he heightens with all his art and skill, that he may fix in our minds this conclusion, that however it be forbidden, yet it would conduce much to our satisfaction or advantage if it were practised ; and here he promiseth such golden ends and fruits of sin as indeed it can never lead unto, inviting us in the words of the har- beL Chap. 12.] satan's temptations. 75 lot, ' I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed it with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of these delights,' Prov. vii. 16. Thus he set upon Eve, ' Take this fruit, and ye shall be as gods.' Thus he attempted Christ himself, ' All these will I give thee,' [Mat. iv. 9,] proflering the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. The pleasures of sin are Satan's great bait, and these strongly invite and stir up our lusts ; yet because the fear of the dan- ger may stick in the heart, ' It is pleasant, but oh I dare not,' saith the sinner, ' I fear the hazard or the evil that may follow : ' therefore Satan hath his other engme at hand to blind us, and to carry our minds from such considerations ; and that is, (2.) Secondly, His sophistical arguments, by which the danger may ". Of these his quiver is fuU : as, [1.] First, He urgeth that the sin tempted to is little. ' But a little one ;' it is not, saith he, so great a matter as you make it ; there are other sins far greater, and these also practised by men that profess as much as you. Thus he would shame us, as it were, out of our fear, by calling it severity, niceness, or an unnecessary preciseness. If this prevail not, [2.J Secondly, He hath then another argument : Oh, saith he, be it so, that it is a little more than ordinary, yet it is but once ; taste or try it ; you need not engage yourselves to frequent practice, you may retreat at pleasure. But if the fear of the danger prevail against this, then, [3.] Thirdly, He labours to put us under a kind of necessity of sin- ning, and this he pleads as a justification of the evil. It is not alto- gether right, but you cannot well avoid it. This plea of necessity is large ; occasion, example, command of others, strength of incUnation, custom, and what not, are pleaded by him in this case. Some parti- cularly reckon them up ; ^ and rather than some men will acknowledge the evil, they will blame God's decree, as if they were necessitated by it, or his providence, as Adam, ' The woman that thou gavest me, she gave me of the tree.' David's bloody resolve against the house of Nabal seems to be justified by him, from Nabal's great ingratitude, ' In vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness,' &c., 1 Sam. XXV. 21 ; and as one engaged by a necessity of repaying such wrongs and affronts, doth he determine to cut them off. Aaron, when he was taxed by Moses about the golden calf, excuseth the matter by a pretended necessity of doing what he did upon the -vdolent impor- tunity of such a heady people, Exod. xxxii. 22 ; and that when Moses was not to be found, ' Thou knewest the people, that they are set on mischief.' This that he urged to Moses Satan no doubt had urged to him, and he had acquiesced in it as something that he thought would excuse, or at least mitigate the offence. Yet if the sinner break through this snare, [4.] Fourthly, He comes on with a softer plea of infirmity, and endeavours to persuade men that they may yield under pretence of being forced, and that their strivings and reluctances will lessen the evil to an apparent sin of infirmity ; and thus he bespeaks them, Have 1 Vide Dyke, ' Deceitfuluesa of the Heart," p. 139, &c. 76 A TREATISE OF [PaRT I. not God's children infirmities ? They sin, though with reluctancy, and dost not thou resist ? — doth not the fear that is in thy heart shew an unwillingness ? Mayest thou not plead, the evil that I would not do, that do I ? If tliou yield, will not God account it a rape upon thine integrity ? If this arrow stick not, [5.] Fifthly, Then he extenuates the offeiice by propounding some smaller good or convenience that may follow that evil. And this, though it be a way of arguing directly contrary to that rule, ' Do not evil that good may come,' yet it oft proves too successful ; and it is like that common stratagem of war, when, by the proposal of a small booty in view, the enemies are dra'OTi out of their hold into a fore- contrived danger. Tims Satan jjleads. This one act of sin may put you into a capacity of honouring God the more. Some have admitted advancements and cUgnities against conscience, upon no better ground but that they might keep out knaves, and that they might be in a condition to be helpful to good men. Surely the devil prevailed with Lot by this weapon, when he offered the prostitution of his daughters to the lusts of the Sodomites, that the strangers, as he thought tliem, might be preserved ; by this evil, thinks he, a greater may be avoided. Herod's conscience could not at first consent to the cutting off the head of John Baptist, but when Satan suggests the obligation of his oath, he concludes that in the killing of John he should escape the violation of the oath. Thus a pretended good to come becomes a pander to a present certain iniquity. Now if after all these arguings the conscience carrieth an apprehension of danger, then, [6.] SLxthly, He plainly disputcth the jmssibiUty of the escape of danger, though the sin be committed. All the insinuations of pleasure and advantage by which Eve was tempted could not at first blot out her fears of the consequence of that transgression ; it did stick in her mind still, ' lest we die ;' then Satan plainly denieth the danger she feared : ' Ye shall not surely die.' ' The threatening,' saith he, ' it may be, was but for trial, or without a strict and positive purpose in God to execute it ; there is no certainty that God was in good earnest when he spake so.' The devil usually urgeth the mercy of God, the merits of Christ, his promises of pardon, the infirmities of the saints, their sins and repentances,