YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

&MMONOL0G1A SACRA*

OR*

A TREATISE

Of

SATANS TEMPTAflONS.

IN THREM PARTS.

We are hot ignordnt of his devices. 2 Cor. ii. II.

By RICHARD GILPIN, D.D.

EDINBURGH:
PRINT fiD BY THOMAS AND JOHN TURNBULL; CANONGATK.
l8oo.

feg following Chara&er of Sr GlLPWis drawn lytheceh-
brated,Dr Calatny, in bis Lives of the ,EjeBed Minijiers.
" Richard Gilpin, D. D. was defigned by God for great
work in his church, and was fingularly qualified for it. He had
a large Ihare of natural abilities which he had wonderfully imT
proved, by an unwearied induftry, and long and hard ftudy ; fo
that there was fcarce anything that acconrpliftied a man, a fcho-
lar, a phyfician, or divine, but he -poffeffed it in great perfec
tion. " His ftature was of the middle fort, rather inclining to ths
leffer fize ; but his prefence was far from being mean. ' There
was a pleafing mixture of majefty, and fweetnefs, affablenefs,
and gravity in his afpe&. He could readily fet his coutjtenancc
to a feverity or mildnefs, as Che byfiriefs or pprfons he had to
do with required : And he did it not by any artificial affeiEla-
tipn, but naturally, and with eafe, in fuch a way as kept up the
dignity of his profgffion, and to fuch an end as made religion
both more awful and more alluring:
" ,He had a delicate fine and polite fancy, expreffing itfelf L<
a plenty of words, which, gave clear and lively inJages of things ,
and kept up the life, strength and elegancy of the Englifli
tongue. *' His memory was ftrong and faithful, and gave back with
great exadtnefs what he committed to it, though it was a trea-
fbry of very great reading, and filled with variety of matter in
feveral fciences. ,
" To thefe was added a moft penetrating difcerning judgment.
This enabled him in reading to choofe well,, and to form a juft
opinion of the fentiments of others, which was always with
that candour, as made another confiderable addition to his many
excellencies.
. "He had fo well difefted all neceffary parts of learning, that
he'had them in readinefs when he needed them. He ufed fuch
things^ in their proper place, and adorned his difcourfes with
them as; there- was occafion ; and was able to make that which
was little elfe but pageantry, appear with a due graeefulneis,
and beautiful in its feafon.
" As he had a rich fund of fenfe, learning, experience, and
reading to fit him for a divine, fo he had all the qualifications
aeceffary for a preacher in the higheft degree that can well be
-A a thought

4 GharaBer ofDr Gilpin.
thought attainable. The leveral endowments that make ^
man a true divine orator, did jointly meet in him.
" He had a voice ftrong enough to command {he molt ufual
public place of divine' wo rfliip. It was piercing and fweet,
and naturally well modelled. He had the true fldll of fixing
ah accent upon particular words, where the matter needed it.
There was a force attended his way of fpeaking, without an
undue^tranfport. He was vigorous arid vehement, but under
great conduct. His expreflions were conceived, and his fer-
imons delivered without the ufe of notes ; and he was qualified
for that way of preaching. His pregnant memory, his ready,
invention, his great prefence of mind, his natural fluency, that
made him able to fpeak well and gracefully, with eafe and af.
furance, intitled him to it. He could clothe any matter in apt
words, wi(:h all the ornaments of a regular elocution. He fell
neither into too fwift an utterance, nor was forced upon any
unbecoming unguarded expreflions. There was no reftraint
¦Upon his deliyery by being thus managed. It made him only;
capable of fpeaking what he did, with much greater warmth,
and life, and decency of geftiire : It had all the fmoothnefs of
ltile, and propriety of words to make it acceptable : It had all
the grapes of natural oratory, all the decencies of behaviour to
recommend it. And that which completed all, it came from a
ferious mind, the concern of which was vifibly to be read both
in his countenance and expreflions. He fpake from his very
heart, as appeared fometimes in the force of his words, fome
times in his tears, and ufually in both. He fpake with folem-.
nity and ferioufnefs, with gravity and majefty, and yet with fo
much meeknefs mix%,with all, as declared him tp be a man of
God, and ambaflador of Christ. There was a lively air of
delivery, a, facred vehemence pf affe&ipn in what he fpake, that
were very much his peculiar talent. He knew how to temper
his difcourfes with due mption. His geftures were admirably
taking and graceful, and further expreflive of what he was de
livering— Ia prayer he was likew/ife moft fdlemn and fervent,
and ufually exprefled himfelf much in Scripture language, and
with a flood of affection : The very fountains of it feemed in the
performance of that duty po be broken up/, and the great deep
of it ppened. It often fprced him to filenee for a little, till it
had flowed out at his eyes. Jn his pulpit difcourfes he was
a very great example, both as to the defign and method of them.
His defign was vaft and noble in the ordinary courfe of his
preaching. He ufually propofed fome fubje&, and purfued it
fin various texts. Every head with its enlargements was qlofe-

, ' Ch'araBer ofDr Gilpin. i
ly ftudied, and his particulars under each general, were admi
rably chbfen.. If he had ever fo many, none could be wanting :
if never fo few, there feemed to need no more. In the hand
ling' of any fubject, after he had explained, and proved what he
had' undertaken with a great deal of clearnefs and affection, he
was mpft plain, familiar, and moving in his applications. ' His
way in thefe was another particular talent that he had. In all
his ufes he was' excellent, but moftly fo in his exhortations.
He made them as fo many fet difcourfes of perfuafion. They
were delivered with moft addrefs; and greateft warmth, and vi
gour. He entered upon them ufually with feme rouzing live
ly preface to gain attention, and then offered his motives, which
were profecuted with the mpft pungent expreflions, Here his
earneftnefs increafed together with his voice, and the vehemen-
cy of it. He- had a feeling apprehenfion of the importa ce of
,what he was then urging upon his hearers, and every , word
was 'big with concern of mind. He affected an elaborate elo
quence at no time, but leaft of all then. In eafy but moving
expreflions, and with adiftinguifliing^>a^oj,he would plead with
finners fometimes for a whole fermon together, without flagging in
his affe&ioris, or fuffering his attentive hearers tp do it in theirs.
He was a man of a diftinguifhing knowledge and experience in
the myfteries of Chriftianity ; and of a difcerning fpirit, in un-
d^rftanding a work of grace upon the hearts of others. With
a clear head and fearphing Ikill in divine things, he had a fincere
and warm heart. The flre of zeal and the light of knowledge
accompanied one aribther. He kept, up a ferious temper at all
times, and in all places and company, without much difcernable
alteration or abatement ; but this did not in the leaft four his dif-
pofition, which was chearful, tho' thinking and folid. His ikill in
government appeared in the managing a numerous congregation
pf very different opinions and tempers. His integrity, modefty,
and contempt of the world in refilling the Bifhoprick of Carlifle,
as another of the family (Mr Bernard Gilpin) had done before
him, confonant to their motto, J^i&is faBifq; Simplex. The care
of the churches lay upon him. His unblameable character had
obtained amongft all, but thofe whofe ill nature would fuffeu
them to fpeak well of none who differed from them. He was
much refpected by many for the good he had done them as a
phyfician.. Among perfons of rank and quality in the parts
where he lived, all rieceffary means were fcarce thought to have
been ufed, if he had not been confulted. He went about doing
good to the fouls and bodies of men. This world was not iii
Sis eye, none could charge him with any thing' like covetoui-
' ; * ¦ peft.

6 CharaBtr of Br Gilpin.
pefs1. He had been a preacher in Lambeth, at the Savoy*
(where he was afliftant to Dr Wilkihs, at Durham, and at Gray-
ftockj but he lived long in Newpaftle. He went into the
pulpit the laft, time he was in it, under a fevourilh indifpqfi>
tion^ and preached from 2 Cor. v. 2. For in tfiis we groan ear-
ntft!y,%fA. and to the furprife of all, • he rather groaned than
fpake this fermon. His lungs being at that time too tender for
work, his difeafe feized that part, and he was brought home in
a peripneumonia, which in ten days time put a period to his
life,"

TO

T O

T HE Jl E A D E R.

'T'HE accurate fearches into the fecrets of nature which this
-*¦ age hath produced, though they are in themfelves fuflicient
evidences of a commendable induftry 5 yet fseipg they fall fo ex
ceedingly ^koft of that-difcovery which men aim at, giving us at
beft but probable conjectures and uncertain guefles, they are be
come as little fatisfactpry to men that look after the true caufes
pf things, as thofe ftnps of d^fif e, whofe great undertaking for
gold had raifed high expectations in their attempts ; but in the
return brought nothing home for their ventures but apes and
peacocks. While men reflect upon themfelves under fuch dif-
appointments, they cannot but check themfelves, for over-pro-
mifing themfelves in their adventures, with that of Zqphar,
f Vain man would be wife.'
But how happy; would it be for men, if fuch failures of ex
pectation might hotter inform them? If our attainments in
th&fie purfuits. will not hear our charges, nor recompense our
pains and lofs of time., with ah anfwerable profit, though we
may fee c'aufe fometimes -(as a divertifement pr recreation) to
ufe them; yet hpw fhall we fatisfy ourfelves to make them our
ehief and fole, buflnefs ?
If we knew of nothing of higher concern to us than thefe,
our neglect of greater matters were more excufable; but feeing
we are fjifSciently ihftruiEied, that we have more weighty things
to Ippk after, fuch as relate to a certain future eftate of hap-
pinefs or mifery; the very difcovery of this to a rational being,
muft needs intifle fuch things tPJthe firft andgreateft part of his
care. He that knows that there js one thing neceflary, and yet
fuffers himfelf to be diverted from the purfuit of that, by trou
bling himfelf about many things, is more juftly chargeable with
folly, than he that neglects his eftate, and finds himfelf no other
employment, but to purfue feathers in the wind.
Among thofe things that religion offers to pur ftudy, God and
onr own hearts, are the chief. God is the firft and laft, and
whole of our happinefe; the beginning, prpgrefs and compleat-
ment pf it is frpm him, and in him, forin that centre do all the
lines meejt, butfour heart is theftage upon which this felicity
(as to the application of it) is trahfacted : Upon this little fpot
of earth, doth ,God and Satan draw up their feveral armies;
here' doth each of them ihew their power and wifdom ; ithis is
treated by hdth, each of them challenge an intereft in it ; it is
>" attacked

8 73 the Reader.
attacked on the one fide, and defended pn the other; fothM
here are lkirmifhesj battles and ftratagems' managed. That man
then that will not concern himfelf in his enquiries, how the
matter gpes.in his own. hefaft, what ground is g6t or loft, what
forts are taken or defended, what mines are fprung, what am-
bufcade's laid, or how the battle proceeds, muft needs ,lie under
a juft imputation of the gfeateft folly ; neither can he be excufed
in his neglect, by the moft preffing folicifations of other things,
that feem to require his attendance upon the higheft imaginable:
pretences ^of-neceflity ; for what is he profited, that gains the'
whole world, if he lofes his foul?
But the exact and faithful management of fuch fpiritual en-'
quiries, with their neceffary improvement tp diligent watchful-:
nefs, and careful endeavours of refiftance, is another manner p£
Work than moft men dream of: to difcover the intrigues of Sa
tan's policy, to efpy his haunts and lurking places in our
hearts, to note his fubtile contrivances in taking advantages a-
gainft us, and to obferve how the pulfe of the foul beats under
his provocations and deceitful allurements, how far we comply
or diflent; requires fo much attendance and laborious Ikilful-
nefs, that it cannot be expected that fuch men who defign'no
more than to be Chriftiaiis at the eafieft rate,,and content them
felves with a formal fuperficiality Of religion ; or fuch, who
haying given up themfelves to the deceitful fweets of Worldly
carnal delights, are not at leifure to engage themfelves in fo fe-
rious a work; or fuch whofe fecret guilt of rebellious combw
nation with the devil againft God, makes them fearful to con-
fider fully the hazards of that wickediiefs, which they had rathei?
pradtife with iorgetfulnefs, left the review of their ways and
fight of their danger, fliould awaken their confeiences to give
them an unwelcome difquiet ; it cannot, I fay, be expected that
any of thefe forts of men (whilft they are thus fet) fliould give
themfelves the trouble of fo much pains and toil as this buflnefs
doth require.
Upon this Gohfiderationy I might rationally fix rfly prognoftick
of the entertainment pf, the following treatife. What accep
tance foever it may find with fuch as are cordially concerned
for their fouls, and the realities of religion, (and of fuch I may
fay as the apoftle Paul concerning brotherly love, I Theft". iV;
9. as touching this matter, They need not that I write unto
them, for they themfelves are taught of God to be fufpicious
of Satan's devices ; and by experience they find his deceits frf
fecret, and withal fo dangerous,' that any help for further difj
covery and caution, muft needs- be welcome to them ; yet) to be"
fure the Prince of Darknefs, who is always jealous of the leafll
attempts

To the Redder. 9
attempts that may be made itgaihft his empire, will arm his
forementioned fubjects againft it, and whomfoever elfe he can
prevail hpon; by the power of prejudice; to reject it, as urging
us to a ftudy more fevere and harfh, than is corififtent, either
with the lower degrees of knowledge 6f many, or with, that
eafe which moft' men defire tp indulge to themfelves ; or as of
fering fuch things which' they, to fave themfelves from further
trouble, will be willing to call eh'imee'ras or idle fpeculafcions-
and this laft 1 may rather 'expect, beca'ufe in this latter .age
Satan hath advanced fo far ih his general defign againft all
Chriftianity, and for the introduction of Paganifrri and Atheifm
that now nOnecan express a fetious confcientious care for lioli-
nefs, and the avoidance of fin; but upoti pain of .the imputation
Of filinefs, or WhihningprecifehefS; and rioriecan fpeak or write
of converfidn, faith or grace* but he fliall be hazarded by the
feoffs of thofe that are unwilling 'to judge the private workings
of the heart to God- ward, or'fpiritual exercifes of grace, to be
any better than conceited whims arid unintelligible nonfenfej
but feeing fuch men make bold to jeer, not only, that language
apd thofe forms of fpeech which the Holy GhOft thought fit to
feaake, life of in the1 fcriptures, butalfofhe very things of faith,
grace and fpiiritj which are every where in the facred oracles
recommended to us With thb moft weighty ferioufnefs, (which
with them pafs for no better than cheats and fancies) we can
,eafily fit under their contempt; arid fliall, as we hope, be fo
far frorn being jeered out of bur religion, that their fcorns fliall
have lio more imprefiion upon us than the ravings of a frenzi-
cal perfon that knows hot what he fpeaks. .
Notwithftanding thefe, wko are ho way confiderable for
weight, there are, I nope, a great many, who ferioufly employ
themfelves in the inwards, as well as the outwards pf religion,
(and Who will not 'fuffer themfelves to be perfuaded, that the
apoftle obtruded an empty potion upon believers, when he re-
ebriiriierided that dbfervabie truth to them, Rom. ii. 28. He is
not a'JeW which is one outwardly, ^f.) For their fakes haye t
trndettaken this labour of collecting arid methodizing the grand
ftratagems, arid chief, ways of delufidrt of the great deceiver.
To thefe I mpft particularly account for fome few things rela
ting tp this 'difcotirfe : As,
i. That I have fatisfied myfelf in the reafdns of the publica
tion of thefe papers; -and elo hot judge it req'uifite to trouble any
fo far as to tell What the'fe reaforte are. They, who defire to
refill fuch an enemy; and whofe experience doth convince them,
that all helps are neceffary, will not need them, and thofe that
B are

id To- the Reader*
are men.of fcorn, or of avowedcareleflhefs, will not regard them',
though I fliould declare them.
2. To prevent the mifapprehenfions, which poflibly fome may
other wife labour withal, of a monftrous product from one text, ¦,
beca'ufe they may obferve one text in the front, and no other1 ,{
mentioned throughout the, firft and- fecond .parts; they may.
know, that I made ufe of feveral in the preaching of thefe dif
courfes, as fuitable foundations for the feveral particulars herein
mentioned; but in the moulding up of the whole, into the method
Of a treatife, for the eafe of the reader, I thought fit to lay afide
thofe, introductions, as'alfo many other occafional applications
Which were proper for fermons, and a great many things which
were neceffary to be fpoken for explication and illuftration of
thefe pdints to a popular auditory, and have only prefented the
fubftance in a moreclofe connection ; becaufe if there be any
little ohfcurity that may -at firft appear to any, for want of varie
ty of words, the treatife being under their eye -will be at leifure
to attend their review in a fecond or third reading; which how
ever I Wotild recommend earneftly to thofe. that, in thefe con
cerns, do really defign to be wife fer themfelves.
3. Neither fliould it feem ftrange, that I have frequently made
ufe of inftances from hiftory, or other later relations. Who-
foever fliall confider the nature of the matter treated on, will not
complain of this as a needlefs trouble put upon them ; yet with
al I.have been fo careful of doing any perfons an unkindhefs,
by making too bold with them', that I mentioned no names but '
fuch, as upon fuch occaiions have beep made public by others;
before'. The reft I have only mentioned in the general, dif-
covering their cafe where it was -xifeful, but concealing the
perfons. j£
4. It may perhaps feem a defect,- that the feveral cfirecBons,
remedies or counfels which are requifite to be obfervecl in .mak
ing refiftance againft Satan, are not added, except fome Yew
hints in the latter end of the third part, and fome other things
in that part, in the applications of the feveral doctrines therein,
which I thought fit, upon good grounds, to leave in the order
of ar preaching method; but fuch may be pleafed to confider,
that feveral have performed that part very fully, to whofe la- ¦
hours I had rather' referthe reader., than trouble him with a re* ,
petition; it was only my defign to endeavour a m6re full dif-
covery though every way fli'ort of the thing itfelf, of Satan's
craft, becaufe the knowledge of this is fo necefl'ary, and with
al others have done it more fparingly. Such as it is accept,
and improve for thy fpiritual advantage ; for that was the
end of this undertaking, hy him who defires that thy foul may
profpert
RICH. GILPIN.

D1E.MQN0L0GIA SACRA :
OR,
A TREATISE OF SATAN's TEMPTATIONS,

P A R T I.
Containing a Difcourfe of the -malice, power, cruelty
and diligence of Satan. Of his cunning in Tempta^
tion in the general. Of his method of tempting to
fin. Of his policies for maintaining his poffeffion. Of
his deceits for the preventing and fpoLling religious
ferviccs and duties. i Pet. v. 8. ,
fie fober, he •vigilant ,¦ becaufe your qdverfqry the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, feeking yvhom be may devour.
C H A P. I.
The introduBion to the text, from a confideration of the defperate'
ruin of the fouls of men. The text opened, exprefjing Satan's
malice, power, cruelty and diligence. '
HPHE fouls of men are prepious, the whple world cannot re-
¦*• pair their lofs ; hence by God are all men in particular
charged with care and watchfulnefs about them. He bath alfp
fet up watchmen and overfeers, whofe bufinefs is to watch over
fpuls, and in the moft ft.ri.ct and careful manner, as thofe that
muft give an account. •
What can more ftir up men to the difcharge of this duty?
than the frequent alarms which we have of the affaults of fuch
an adverfary, whofe bufinefs it is to deftroy the foul? ' The Phi-
liftines are upon thee Sampfoii;' he fights continually, and ufeth
all the pplicy and fk-ill he hath for the management of his.
ftrength. Befides, it is a confideration very affecting, when we view jhe"
defolations that are made in the earth; what grounds, what o-
yerthrows, what cruelties, flaveries, and captivities thefe con
quered vaflals aire put to. It was, as fome think, an inexcu-
B 2 fable

12 A Trmtife. of Partl.
fable cruelty in Dayidragainft the Ammonites, when he put them
under faws, and harrows of iron, and made them p&fs through
the brick-kiln, 2 Sam. xii. 31. B^ut this fpiritual Pharaoh'hath
a more grievous houfe of bondage, and iron furnace: Neither?
is this miferahle,ri^db;^ction ended,.bnt '.will keep. pace. with time,.
and fliall not ceafe till ehrift fliall at his appearance finally con
quer him, and tread him down. If Xerxes wept to look upon
his army thro' the profpective of devouring time, which, upon
an eafy forefighf, fhewed him the death of fo great a company
of gallant men ; we may. well weep,, as David at Zigjag, till we.
can weep no more; or, as Rachel for her children, refufing to
be comforted; while we confider what a great number of fue-
ceedmg generations* heaps upon heaps, will be drawn with him
to a confuming Tophet. And coidcj we follow, him thither to
hear the cries of his prifoners, th'e roarings of his wounded^
where they curfe the day that brought them forth, and them
felves for their folly and madnefs in hearkening' to his delufions;
the dreadful out-cries of eternity, and then their rage againft
heaven m curlings and blafphemings, while they have no mi:
ligations, or eafe, nor the refreftm/ent pf a drop of water to cool
their tongues, we would furely think we could.never fpend our
tune better than in'oppofing fuch an enemy, and warning men
to fly from the wrath to come, to- take heea they come not into
his fnare; with what earneftnefs would we endeavour to per-
luademen? What diligence would, we ufe to caft water upon
theie devouring flames, and to pluck men as brands out pi the
hre? It is true, if Sa|an had dealt- plainly with men,'and told
them what Wages they were, to exped, and fet a vifible mark
upon his flaves, or had managed a vifible deftrudive hoftilityl
men have fuch natural principles of felf-prefervatipn, and of
hatred of what/appears to be evil, that we might exped they'
would have fled from him, and ftill have been upon their guard :
but he^ufeth fuch arttfees, fuch flights and couzenage, that men
IT fT l ^ .°r a S°lden -*«* while he binds them in
chains of darknefs, they fee not their end, the fnare, nor the pit"
H;- V ^Cate/ them With a love of th* »&ry, ^d a de
light in helping forward their ruin; fo that the/are volun
teers m his a fervice, and pofieffedwith madnefs and rage agS
^11 that wfll not he as wiflihg as themfelves to go toH bu
SSStl^f P¥ ^ 3 r?^ ^ndtohefp'any
Wh Ae feeth a^d 7' 7 "t ^ *"* ^ UP°* th™
tftt ?a ' * rT upon them with- ctmoft viplence as
if they had no enemies but thefe companionate Samaritans '
How great is this myftery of darknefs ? Who fl3 I hJ '»M. ¦¦
to open the depths pf it? Who fcaUdedarek^fo^S

Chap> 5- Satan*s- Temptations- 13'
.of men^ to, bring thefe hidden things to light?' especially feeing
thefe h.ellifli fecretst which are yet undifcovered> are double to.
thofe that have been, pbfer.ved, iby any that have efcaped&oro
h^s. power i he only whofe prerogative it is to feajjoh,: the hearts
of men, can know, and. make, knovja, what is in, the heart of
Satan ; he vjews all his goings, even thofe paths which the vul-r
ture's eye hath not feen ; and can trace thofe foo.tfteps of bis',.
which leave no more print or tract ' behind them, than ac fbip>,
in the i'^a, or a bird in the air, or a ferpent on a ftone.
Yet riotwithftanding we may obferve much of his policies,jand
more would God difcover, if we did but humbly and faithfully
improve what we know already. It is, my defign to make fome
difcovery of thofe haunts I have obferved, if by that means I
may be ufeful to you to quicken and awaken ypu. And firft
I fliall fet before you- the ftrength and power of your enemy,
before I-open his cunning and craft.
There are found in him whatfoever may render an adverfary.
dreadful. As firft, malice and enmity ; q antiflihos is. 'a' law term, and
fignifies an adverfary at law, one that is agair.ft our caufe ; and!
the text, as fome think, heightens this malice, (r.) By the ar
ticle a, which denotes an arch enemy. (2.) The name Diabolos,
which fignifies a flanderer or calumniator; for. the word is
twice in the New Teftament rifed for a flanderer, fliewing his ha
tred to be fo great, that it will not ftickat lying and falfehopd,
either in accufing God tons, or us to God*- Nay, itparticu-i
larly hints, that when he -hath in malice tempted a poor wretch
to fin, he fpares not tp accufe him f°r it, and to load him with
all things that; may aggravate his, guilt or, mifery, accufing hirn.
for more than he Jiath really done, and for a worfe eftate than,
he is really in.
Secondly, His power, under the metaphor of a lion, a beaft
of prey, whofe innate property is to de'ftrdy, and js accordingly
fitted with ftrength, with tearing paws, and a, devouring hjouth;
, that as a lion would rend a kid with eafe, and without refiftance,
fo are men f wallowed' up by him, as with ¦• pperi mputh; fo the;
word HXTxmn fignifies, he can fup them up at a draught.
Thirdly, His cruelty, a roaring lion, implying, not only his
innate property tb deftroy, which muft be a ftrarige fiercenefs,
but alfp that this innate principle is heightened and whetted on,
as hunger in a lion fharpens and enrage^ that difpofition, tjlj he.
get his prey.; fo that he becomes raving and roaring, putting
an awful majefty upon cruelty, and frighting them out of en
deavours or hopes of refinance, and increafing their mifery.
« with.
' * The accuier of the brethren, Rev. zji. 10. Gen. iii. 3. Job. i.

I4 A Treatife ef Part- T>
with affrigtitments' and tremblings. Thus Satan fliews a fierce
and truculent temper, whofe power being put forth from fuch
an implacable malice, muft needs become rage and fiercenefs.
Fourthly, His diligence; which,, tcgether with his cruelty,
are confequences of his mailice and power; he goes about, and-
feeks; he is reftlefs in his purfuit, and diligent, as one that pro-
mifeth himfelf a fatisfadion pr joyful contentment in his coa-
quefts.

CHAP. II.
Of the malice! of Satan in particular. The grounds and caufes of
that malice The greatnefs of it proved ; and inftances of
that greatnefs given.
T SHALL firft give fome account of his malice, by which it
•*• Ihall appear, we do not wrong the devil in calling him ma
licious ; the truth of which charge, will evidence itfelf in the
following particulars.
Firft, The devil, fho' a fpirit, yet is a proper fubjed pf fin,
We need np pther evidence for this, than what doth by daily
experience refult from ourfelves ; we have fins, which our
fpirits and hearts do ad, that relate not to the body, called a
fllthinefs of the fpirit, in contradiftindion to the filthinefs of the
flefli. It is true it cannot be denied, but that thofe iniquities
which have a neceffary dependence upon the organs of the body,
as drunkennefs, fornication, \§c. cannot properly, as to the
formality of the ad. be laid at Satan's door, tho' as a tempter
and provoker of thefe in men, he may be called the father of
thefe fins; yef the forementioned iniquities which are of a fpi
ritual nature, are properly and formally committed by him, as
lying, pride? hatred, and malice. And this diftindiori Chrift'
himfelf doth hint, John viii. 44. When he fpeaketh a lie, he
fpeaketh of his own ; where he afferts fuch fpiritual fins to be
properly and formally aded by himfelf. The certainty of all
appears in the epithets given him — the wicked one, the unclean
fpirit ; as 3K0 thofe places that fpeak his fall, They kept not
their firft eftate, Jude 6. The angels that finned,- 2 Pet ii. 4.
If fins fpiritual are in a true and proper fenfe attributed to the
devil, then alfo may malice be attributed to him.
' Secondly, The wickednefs of Satan is capable ofincreafe, a
magis i# minus, tho' he be a wicked fpirit, and as to inclination
full of wickednefs, tho' fo ftrongly inclined that he cannot but
fin ; and therefore, as God is fet fprth to us, as the fountain of
1 holinefs,

Chap. II. Satan's Temptations. I j
holinefs, fo is Satan called the author arid father of fin.< Yet
. feeing we cannot afcribe an infinitenefs to him^ we. muft admit,
that, as to ads pf fin at leaft, he may be more pr lefs finful,
and that the wickednefs of his heart may be' mere drawn-out, ,
by occafions, motives, and provocations: befides, we are exprefsly
taught thus much, Rev. xii. 12. The devil is come down, hav
ing great wrath becaufe his time is ftiort; where we note, (i.)
That his wrath is called great, implying greater than at other
times. (2.) That external motives and incentives, as the fliort-
nefs of his time, prevail with him to draw forth greater ads
of fury.
Thirdly, Whatfoever occafions do draw out, or kindle malice
to a rage, Satan hath met with them ip an eminent degree, in
his own fall, and man's happinefs*. Nothing is more proper to
beget malice, than hurts or punifliments, degradations frpm
happinefs. Satan's curfe, tho' juft, fills him with rage, and
fretting againft God, when he confiders that from the ftate and
dignity of a bleffed angel, he is caft down to darknefs, and to
the bafeft condition imaginable : for the part of his curfe, (which
concerned Satan as well as the ferpeht) ' Upon thy belly flialt
thou go, and duft.. fliall be thy meat,' implies a ftate moft bafe ;
as the ufe of the plirafe proves, ' They fliall lick the duft. of thy
feet. Thiae enemies fliall lick the dull,' Pfal. lxxii. 9. ' They
fliall lick the duft as a ferpent,' Micah vii. 17. Where the
fpirit is fo wicked, that it cannot accept the punifliment of its
iniquity, Ifa. xlix. 23. All punifliment is as a poifon, and en
venoms. the heart with arage againft the hand that inflided it;
thus doth Satan's fall enrage him, and -the more, when he fees
man enftated into a- pbflibility of enjoying what he hath loft.
Thte envy and pride of his heart boils up to a madnefs (for that
Is the only ufe that the wretchedly miferable can make, of the
fight of that happinefs which they enjoy not; efpecially -if hav
ing once enjoyed it, they are now deprived) ; this begot the rage
and wrath in Cain againft Abel, and afterward his murder. The
eye of the wicked is eyil, where God is good. Hence may it be
concluded, that Satan (being a wicked fpirit, and this wicked
nefs being capable of ading higher or lower according to oc
cafions, and with' a fuitablenefs thereto) cannot but fliew an un
conceivable malice againft us; our happinefs and his mifery be
ing fuch proper occafions for the wickednefs of his heart to
work upon. .1
Fourthly, This malice in Satan muft be great:
Firft, If we confider the greatnefs of his wickednefs in fo
great and total an apoftacy. He is fo filled with; iniquity, that
we
* (Jpia inordinatam excellentiam affeclando, cidinatam, amifcrunt, ideo de.
alio cum excellentia dolcbat, & ad earn oppu^nandain maliciofe fercbatur-
Am. med. I. 1. c. ir.

16 A Treatife & Part. T,
we can es$e& ho TortH matters from hirh, as to the Working
of fneh curfed principles; not only is he wicked, but the fpirit
and extfad pf wickednefs-, as the phrafe fignifies, Eph. vi. 12.
Secondly, The fcripture lays to his chatge all degrees, ads; and
branches of malice; as (1.) Anger, in the impetuous h&fte arid
violent' of it, 4le\r.; xii; great wrath, ttrumos there fignifies ex-
'candefcentitt, the inflammation of the heart and whole mail, tvhieh
is violent iii its motion, as when the blood with a violent Areata
luflielh 'through the heart, ahdfets all fpirits 6n fire; ahd'there-
fore this wrath is hot only called great, but is alfo fignified to be
fo,in its threatning a woe to the inhabitants of the earth."(2.) ftf-
digriation is more Mfemabget, as having more of a fixed fury;
*uid this is applied td him, Eph. iv. 27. in that thofe that have
this pa'ror'gijmos, are faid tp give place to the devil ; which
is trae, not only in point of temptation, but alfo in refped of
the refemlstance they carry to the frafti'e and temper of Satan's
furious heart. (31) Hatred is yet higher than wtath or indig
nation, as having deeper roots, a more confirmed and implaca
ble refolutidn ; anger ahd indignation are but Alert furies *,
which like a land-flood are (von down, thd* they are apt to fill
the hanks ori a Ciidde'ri ; but hatred is rafting, and this is Jfo pro
perly the devil's difpo'fition, Chatham in hating his brother, is
S John iii. 14. -faid to be the proper offspring' and lively pic
ture of that wicked one; whois there fo called, father than by
the nlame of the devil, becaufe the apoftle would alfo mfinuate,
that hatred is the mafter'- piece of Satan's wickedrtefs, and thai1
Which gives the fulleft character of him. (i^) All effeds of his
cruelty arife from this root ; this makes him accufe and calum
niate ; this puts him upon breathing after rhofe murders and
deftructions whieh damhed fpirits ate now groaning under.
Thirdly, This malice, is the refult of that curfe laid upon Sa
tan, Gen. iii. 15. ' I will put enniity betwixt thee and the wo
man, between her Seed and thy feed:' which implies, (1.) A
great enmity; and fome render it, Hfitimicttias implacaiites, iriu
placable enmities. (2.) A lading enrhity,fuch as fliould conti
nue as long as the. curfe fliould laft. (3.)That this flloiildbe his
work and exereife, to profecute and beptbfecuted'whh this en
mity ; fo that it (hews; the devil's whole mind arid defire is in
this work, and that he is' whetted on, by the oppoling enmity
which he meets withal, it is the work of his curfe, of his place,-
of his revenge, and that wherein all the delight he is capable
of, is placed. In that part of the curfe.duff fliall be thy meat ;
it is implied, if fome interpret right, that if Satan cah be
fuid.to have any delight or eafe -ia his condition it is iff
the
• Ira brevis furor.

Chap. II. Satan's Temptations. 17
the eating of this duft *, the exercife of this enemity: no
wonder then if Chrift fpeak of his defires and folicitations with
God, to have a liberty and commifiion for this work; Satan
hath denied to have thee, that he may winnow thee.
That this curfe relates not only to the ferpent who was the
inflrument, but alfo to Satan who was the agent, is agreed by
all almoft, that it was not the ferpent alone, but the devil fpeak-
ing by it, is evinced, from its fpeaking and reafoning ; and that
the curfe reached further than a natural enmity betwixt a ferpent
and a man, is as evident, in that Chrift is exprefsly held forth,
as giving the full accomplilhment of this curfe againft Satan,
1 John iii. 8. ' The devil finneth from the beginning: For this
purpofe was the Son of God manifefted, that he might deftroy
the works of the, devil ;' which, is a clear expofition and para.
phrafis of the woman's Seed bruifing the ferpent's head.
Fourthly, I fliall add to this fome few inftances of Satan's ma*
lice, by which it will appear to be great.
Firft, That malice muft needs be great, which fliews itfelf,
where there is foch a load of anguiih and horror that lies up
on him; he is now referved in chains of darknefs in hell,
2 Pet. ii. 4. he is in hell a place of torment ; or which is all
one, hell is in him, he carries it about with him in his conference,
which by God's decree binds him to his horror like a chain.
It is fcarce imaginable that he fliould have a thought free from
the contemplation of his own mifery, to fpend in a malicious
purfuit of man. What can we think iefs of it, than a def-
perate madnefs and revenge againft God, wherein he fliews his
rage againft heaven, and hnnts after our blood, as for alittle
water to cool his tongue ; and when he finds his hand too ftiort
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 blafpheming and difhonouring his Maker.
Secondly, That malice muft be great, that feeks its own fuel,
and provides or begs its own occafions; and thofe, fuch as give
no proper provocation to his anger. Of this temper is hrs
malice; he did thus with Job, he'begs the commifiion, caium-r
mates Job upon unjuft furmifes, preffeth ftill for a further powd
er to hurt him,, infomuch that God exprefsly flints and bounds
him, which fliews how boundlefs he would have been if left
to his own will, and gives him at laft an open check, Job ii. 3.
wherein he lays open the malice of his heart in three things.
ft.) His ownprefling, urgency, thou moyedft me. (2.) His de-
ftrudive fury, no lefs would ferye, than Job's utter deftruetion-.
(3.) Job's innocency: all this without caufe ; thou movedft me
to deftroy him without caufe. C Thirdly^
* Viii. Pool. Synop. in loc.

1 8 A Treatife of Part I.
Thirdly, That malioe muft be great, that will purfue a
fmall matter. What fmall game will the devil play, rather than
altogether fit up? If he can but trouble, or puzzle, or affright';
yet that he will do, rather than nothing, if he can, like an ad
der in the path, biit bite the heel, though his head be bruffed
for it, he will notwithftandirig bufy himfelf in it.
Fourthly, That malice mu'ft be great, which will put itfelf
forth; where it knows it caii prevail nothing, but is certain of
a difappointment. Thus did Satan tempt Chrift ; thofe fpeeches,
If thou be the Son of God, do not imply any doubt in Satan;
he knew what was prophefied of Chrift, and what had been de
clared from heaven in teftification of him ; fo that he could not
but be certain he was God and man ; and yet what ba'fe un
worthy temptations doth he lay before him, as, To fall down and
worfliiphim? Was it that Satan thought to prevail againft
him? No furely, but fuch was his malice, that he would put
an affront upon him, though he knew he could not prevail a-
gainft him."
Fifthly, The malice of wicked men, is ap argument of Sa
tan's great malice ; they have an antipathy againft the righ
teous, as the wolf againft the flieep, and upon that very
ground, that they are called out of the world ; now great this
fury is, all age's have teftified. This hath brought forth dif-
eord, revilings, flanders, imprifonments, fpoiling of goods,
baniflimenfs,, perfecutions, tortures, cruel deaths, as' burning
racking,' tearing, fawing afunder, and whatever the wit of man
could devife, for a fatisfadion to thofe implacable, furious,
murderous minds ; and yet all this is done to men of the fame
image and lineage, with themfelves, of the fame religion with
themfelves, as to the main ; nay, fometimes to men of their
own kindred, their own flefli and blood, and all to thofe that
would live peaceably in the land. What fliall we fay to thefe
things ? How come men to put on a favage nature, to ad the
part of lions, leopards, tygers, if not much worfe ? The rea-
fon of all we have, John viii. 54. < Ye are of your father the
devil, he was a murderer from the beginning ;' as alfo Gen.
T' I5n <}.wm Put enmity between her Seed and thy feed:' So
that all this fliews what malice is in Satan's heart, who ur-
geth and provokes his inftruments, to fuch bloody hatreds.
Hence whoever are the agents, Rev. ii. xo. in imprifoning the
£m W ^1 . ^ in ^"^ them up to it, makes
to^rifon?6 ^ ' ' SataU fca11 Caft W ofV°» «*-
CHAP.

Chap.. III. Satan's Temptations. 19

CHAP. III.
Of Satan's Power, flis power as an Angel conftdered. That
hejojl not that power by his fall. His power as a Devil. Of
' his commifjion. °Ihe extent ef his authority. The efficacy
of his power. The advantages which he hath for the ma
nagement (fit, from the number, order, place, and knowledge
of devils.
rT,HAT Satan's power is great, is our next enquiry :
¦*¦ Where, Firft, We will confider his power as an angel.
in Pfal. ciii. 20. angels aire faid to excel in ftrength ; and in".
ver. 21. as alfo Pfal. cxlviii. 2. they are called God's hoft ;
which is more fully expreffed, 1 Kings xxiii. 19. ' I faw the
Lord fitting upon his throne *, and all the hoft of heaven f
ftanding by him on hisright hand and on his left ;' which
phrafe, tho' it import their order and obfervance, yet undoubt
edly the main of its intendment is, to fet forth their power, as
hofts are the ftrength of kings and nations. God himfelf in
putting on that title, The Lord of Hofts, t makes it an evi
dence of his incomprehenfible power, that fuch armies of ftrong
and mighty creatures are at his ccmmand. But this only in
the general. That which comes nearer to a particular account
of their ftrength, is that nption of a fpirit, by which they are
frequently defciribed, ' He maketh his angels fpirits, his mi-
nifters flaming fire,' Pfal. civ. 4. The being of a fpirit is the
higheft our underftanding is able to reach ; and that it fliews
a being very excellent, is manifeft in this, that God is pleated
to reprefent himfelf to us under the notion of a fpirit ; not
that' he is truly and properly fuch, but that this is the moft
excellent being that falls under our apprehenfioi*. Befides,
that the term fpirit raifeth our underftanding to conceive a be
ing of an high and extraordinary power ; it doth further tend.
tp form our conceptions to fome apprehenfions pf their nature.
(1.) From the knowledge that we have of our own fpirits ;
that our fpirit is of a vaft comprehenfioh and adivity, our,
thoughts, defires, reafonings, and the particular undertakings
of fome men of a raifed fpirit, do abundantly evidence. (2.) In '
that it repreferits a fpiritual being, freed from' the clog and
hindrance of corporeity ; our own fpirits are limited and re-
ftrained by our bodies, as fire, an adive element, is retarded
and made fluggifli by mattei unapt to ferve its proper force, as
when it is in an heap of earth ; which is alfo fufhcienfly pointed
' C 2 at
* Heir. TSABA. f Heir. SHAMAJTIW. i Heir. TSEEAQTH.

26 A Treatife of Part I.
at in that oppofition betwixt flefli and blood, and principalities
and powers, Eph. vi. fljewing that flefli and blood, are^ a difad-
Vantage and hindrance to»fhe adivity of a fpirit. A fpirit then,
as incorporeal, may he conceived to move eafily. without mo-.
leftation, quickly, imperceptibly and irrefiftibly. (3.) This is
yet farther illuftrated by the fimilitude of wind and fire, wh^ch.
are, to the common: experience of all, of very great force. And
it is yet further oMervable, that the fcripture fometimes fpeaks
of the power of angels in" the abftract, chufing rather to call
them powers than powerful. Col. i. 26. clearly fliewing, that
angels are beings of vaft ftrength, as indeed the adions done
by them do abundantly teftify ; fuch was the deftroying Sen-
na£ herib['s hoft in a night j the opening, the prifon-doors for Pe
ter ; the carrying Philip in the air, and filch other ads, which
tend to the; pratedion of the faithful, or" punifliing of the-
wicked. Though this may fully fatisfy us, that angels excel in:
ftrength, yet the fcripture fuggefts another confideration rela
ting to the office and employment of angels, where their com
mifiion fliews not qnly a liberty for the exercife of this power ;
hut alfo doth imply fuch, a power, as is fit to be commiflionated
to fuch ads ; thefe invifible beings are called thrones, dominions,
principalities, powers, Col. i. 16. It is indeed a talk beyond a
fober undertaking, to diftinguifli thefe words, arid tp fet their
true bounds and marks of difference. This Auguftin acknow
ledged *, yet may we hence conclude, (l.) That thefo words
imply a very great authority in angels. (2.) A power and
ftrength finable to their employment, and that God furnifiied
them with power anfwerable to the work which he intended!
for them, in his moving the heavens, and governing the world,
&c. However, in fome cafes, God works by inftruments every
way difproportionable to the ferviee, < that the excellency of
the power might be of God ;' yet in the ordinary way of his-
working, he puts an innate, fuitable force in creatures,, for the
afts to be' done by them ; as there is an innate, power in the
wind to blow, in the fire tp burn, in herbs and plants, for me
dicinal ules. Thus may we conceive of angels, that God- ufing
them as his hoft, his- .? jtainifters to, do his pleafure.'he hatli en
dowed them with an innate natural power for thofe great things
which he doth by them; which muft not be fupp'ofed in the
Jeaft derogatory to the power of God, in his ways of mercies
or judgments, feeing all the ftrength of angels is originally from
Gpd. Hence is it that all- the names pf angels which we read of
* Qaid inter fe diftant quatuor ifta voca-bjila, dicant qui poftrat, f. tamea
Z™" cpr;8 £qusedieunt' e*° me ift* !Snorarc «»*«£• *&T*

Chap. III. Satan's Temptations. 21
of in fcripture carry this acknowledgment in their fignification.
Michael, thus unfolds itfelf, " Who is like God ?" Gabriel
thus, v The glory of God ;" and therefore may we fupppfe
them not fo much the proper names of angels, but, as Calvin
noteth, Nomina ad captum noftrum indita *, names implying
God's great power in them.
Such a powerful fpirit is Satan by creation. But becaufe it
will be doubted, left his fall hath bereaved him of his excel
lency, and eaft him down from his ftrength, I fliall evidence
that he ftill retains the fame natural power. To which purpofe
it is hot unfit to be < obferved, (1.) That the fame terms and
names which were given to good angels, to fignify their ftrength
and commifiion, Col. i. 16. and i. 10. are alfo given to Satan,
Eph. vi. 12. devils are called principalities, powers, rulers ;
and Col. ii. 15. they have the fame names which in ver. 10.
were given to good angels, ' he fpoiled principalities and pow
ers.' ,(2.) The fcripture gives particular inftances of Satan's
power and working, as his railing tempefts in the air, com
manding fire from heaven, both which he did in profecution of
his malice againft Job ; his carrying the bodies of men in the
air, as he did with Chrift, hurrying him from the wildernefs
to the mountain ; from thence to the pinnacle of the temple ;
his breaking chains and fetters of iron, Mark v. 4.; his bring
ing difeafes, inftances whereof were that crooked woman whom
Satan had bowed together, Luke xiii. 16. and the lunatick per-
fon, Luke ix. 31. with a great many more. (3.) It is alfo ob-
fervable, that notwithftanding Satan's fall hath made an altera
tion as tp the ends, ufes, and office of his power ; yet neverthe-
kfs God makes ufe of this ftrength in him, not only as an exe
cutioner of wrath againft his enemies (as when lie vexed Saul
by this evil fpirit, 1 Sam. xvi. 14. and through this lying fpi
rit, gave up Ahab to fee. deluded into his ruin, 1 Kings xxiL
21. and inflided plagues upon Egvpt, by fending ' evil angels
among them,' Pfal. Ixxviii. 49.) but alfo for the trial of his
own fervants. Thus was Job afflided by Satan, and Paul buf
feted by his meflenger.
Secondly, This power of his, as a devil, falls next Under our
Confideration, wherein are divers particulars to be noted-:
As, Firft, His commifiion and authority. If any put that quef*
tion to him, which the Jews did to Chrift ; ' by what authority
doft thou thefe things?" or, "Who gave thee this authority?"'
We have the anfwer in John xii. 24. and xvi. 11. where he is
called " the prince of this world;" and accordingly the fcrip ture
* InftJt. 1. t. c. 4. fe&. 8.,

22 A Treatife of Part f A
ture fpeaks of a two- fold kingdom of light and of darknefs; and;
in this we hear of Satan's feat or throne, of his fervants and
fubjefts. Yea, that which is more, the fcripture fpeaks of a
kind of deify in Satan ; he is called ' the god of this world,';
2 Cor. iv. 4. Which doth not only fet forth, the intolerable:
pride and usurpation of Satan in propounding himfelf as fuch,,
fo>drawing on poor blind creatures to worfhip him, but alfo dif-
covers his power, which by commifiion he hath obtained over
the children of difobedience. Hence doth he challenge it, as a
kind of right and due from the poor heathens- and others, that
they fliould fall down and worfhip him ; and upon this fuppo- '
fition was he fo intolerably prefumptuous in offering the king
doms of the world to Chrift for fuch a fervice and worfhip.
$>ueft. If it be queftioned, What Satan's authority is ? I
fliall anfwer it thus.
Anf. Firft, His authority is not abfolute or Unlimited ; he
cannot do what he pleafeth; and therefore we do find him beg
ging leave of God for the exerting of his power in particular
cafes, as when he was a lying fpirit in the mouth of Ahab's
prophets, and in every aflauk he made upon Job ; nay, he could
not enter into the fwine of the Gaderens, tilj. he had Chrift's
commifiion for it.
Secondly, Yet hath he a commifiion in general, a Handing
commifiion, as petty kings and governors had under the Ro
man Emperor, where they were authorifedto exercife an au-
, thority and power, according to the rules and diredions given
them ; this is clearly fignified by thofe expreflions, they are
captives at his will — and given up to Satan, as perfons excom
municated ; and when men are converted, they are faid to be
* tranflated from his power,' and put under another jurifdidion,
in the ' kingdom of Chrift.' All which would have been highly "
improper, if a Commifiion for Satan, and an authority for thofe
Works of darknefs had not been fignified by them.
Next, Let us view the extent, of this authority, both as to
perfons and things. In relation to perfons, the boundary of
his kingdom reacheth as far as darknefs ; he rules in the * dark
places of .the earth,' or the • darknefs of this world;' and there
fore his kingdom is hence denominated a ' kingdom of dark
nefs.' This extends, we may well imagine, as far as heathen-
ifm reacheth, where he is worfhipped as God, as far as any
darknefs of Mahometanifm ftretcheth itfelf, as far as the dark*
nefs of infidelity and blindnefs upon the hearts of unconverted
men, which if fummed up together, muft needs take up the
greateft part of the world by far ; which is acknowledged, not.
only by that large expreflibn, ' World, prince of this world,'
Sec. but alfo by that prophetic fpeech of, Rev. xi. 15. ' The
kingdoms

.Chap III. Satan's Temptations. 23
kingdoms of this world, are become the kingdoms of our Lord
and his Chrift ;' which acknqwledgeth they had not beeii fo be
fore, in the fenfe wherein we now -fpeak.
Neither is his kingdom fo bounded, but that he alfo can.
when allowed, make excurfions and inroads into the kingdom
of Chrift, fo far as to moleft, difturb and annoy his fubjects :
as theN kings of any nation, befides the power which they exer-
cife in their proper jurifdiction, may moleft their neighbours.
And Chrift fo far permits this, as is ufeful to his own' defigns,
yet ftill with ftrait referves and limitations to Satan, and a re-
folved refcue and conqueft for his own people.
If we enquire the extent of his power in relation to things,
we find the air in a peculiar manner permitted to himj fo that
he is named by it, as by one of his chief royalties, ' the Prince
of the power of the air ;' we find alfo death, with the powers
of it given up to him, fo that this is a paraphrafis of him,
' He that hath the power of death,' Heb. ii. 14. And if we
take notice of his large proffer to Chrift of the kingdoms of the
world. < All this will I give thee ;' we may imagine that his
commiffion reacheth far this way, as rewards and encourage
ments to his fervice ; which we will the readilier entertain,
when we find that by God's allowance, wicked men have their
portion in this life, and that thefe are called their good things.
; Thirdly, Let us proceed a ftep further to the .efficacy of this
authority ;' which alfo,
ift, Upon wicked men is no lefs remarkable than is his
commiffion ; he is called the ftrorig man, in reference to their
hearts, which he fortifies as fo many caftles and garrifons a-
gainft God : he alfo rules in them without controul ; his fug-
geftions and temptations are as laws to them ; Acts v. 3. he
fills their hearts with his defigns, and raifeth their affediohs
to an high "arid greedy piirfuit of them.; 'he works in them,
and, by an inward force doth hurry them on to atchieve his
enterprifes, Eph. ii. 2. In all this eiifnaring add captivating
them at his pleafure, 1 Tim. ii. 26.
idly, The faihts; which are . fubjects of another king
dom, are ftill fearing, complaining, watching, praying,, and
fpreading out their hands, with lifting up their eyes to heaven
for help againft him ; they complain of violence and reftlefs
affaults from ' him ; they are fenfible that he can fuggeft evil
thoughts, and follow them with inceffant importunities ; that
he qan draw' a darknefs upon their underftanding by bribing
their wills and affedions "againft them; that he can difturb
their duties, and that becaufe of him they cannot do the good
they would : many a fear doth he beget in their hearts ; many
a difquiet hour have they from him ; their flefh hath no reft, and

24 A Treatife of Part I.
and happy are they if they efcape from him without broken
bones : Many excellent ones have been caft dov&i by him, and
for a time have been like dead men. It is fad to fee fo juft a
perfon. as Lot under his feet ; fo choice a faint as David wound
ed, al moft to the death ; fo high an apoftle as Peter by force
and fear from him, to open his mouth with curfes and impre
cations in the denial of his Saviour ; to fay nothing of the buf
ferings of others,; which was fufficienfly wearifome to Paul,'
and defcribed by a thorn iii the flefh, 2 Cor. xii.' 7. which (if
a learned man * think right)' is compared by a metaphor, to
thofe fharp flakes upon which Christians were cruelly fpited
and burnt.
3dly, His quick and ready accomplifliments is, a further
proof of the efficacy of his power. No fooner had God given
him a commiffion in reference to Job, but he quickly raifeth
the tempeft, brings down the hpufe, flays his children, brings
fire from rheaven ; and (which would feem ftrange) hath the.-
troops of the Sabeans and Chaldeans at his beck, as if they
had been lifted under his khown command ; fo that in a little
time he puts his malice into. act.
qtbly, If any would flight all this, as being the force of
principalities and powers againft flefh and blood. We may.fee
he-hath fo much ftrength and confidence, as to grapple with an
angel pf light, as he did in the contefting for Mofes's body,
Jude, ver. 9. This was a created angel, elfehe durft not fure
have brought a railing accufation ; but in that he ftrove, and
railingly accufed, it fliews he wanted not a daring boldnefs to
> fecond his commiffion and power. '
Fourthly, It will be alfo requifite to lay open the advantages
he hath in the management of all this power, which are great : I
As, '
Firft, The multitude of devils: That there are many, is
not denied, upon the evidence of feven caft out of Mary Mag
dalen, and the legion which were fettled in one poor man at
once. It may be we may not credit the devil's own account
of his ftrength fo much, as to believe that their number was
exaftly anfwerable to a Roman legion, which (if fome fpeak
right) was 6666 ; Yet there being fo plain an allufion to a *
Roman legion ; and the fcripture in the recital favouring it fo
far,' as to confent to a truth in that part of the ftofy, we can
do no lefs than conclude that the number of devils in that per
fon was a very great number, and fo great, that the fimilitude
oi legion was proper to exprefs it by. Befides, if the fcrip
ture had been filent in this particular, our reafon would have
Clearly drawn that conelufion from fuch premifes as thefe, that
* m . , he
» § xaoO., Amvif. Traift. Sacr. 1. 3. c. S. §. %.

Chap. III. Satan's Temptatichs. 25
he is the god of the world, and rules in the children of difobe-
dience ; for whatfoever we conceive of his power, we cannot
think him omnipotent^ or omniprefent ; thefe being the incom
municable attributes of the great Creator of all things, in
Which no creature can fhare with God. Being then allured
that he is the tempter of all men, and that he cannot be in all
places at once, we muft needs apprehend the devils to be ma
ny as is fignified by that exprefiion,' the devil and his angels.
Secondly, He hath alfo an advantage for the executing of his
defigns, from that order, which from the forementioned grounds
We muft be forced to conceive to be among devils. I know
the bold determination of the order of angels by DyonifiuS is
iuftly rejeded, not only by Irenaeus and Aguftm *, but alfo
'by the generality of Proteftants, who upon that and othef
grounds of like preemption, do rejed that author as not being
the true Dyonifius the Areopagite. Neither do fome of cur.
Proteftant authors (as Chamier and others) admit the govern
ment of angels to be monarchial +, (which fuppofition the
Papifts would gladly make ufe of, as a foundation whereon to
eftablifli the uriiverfal headfhip of thePopeJ being a thing which
Dyonifius himfelf, (as Chamier affirms) never dreamed of: yet
do none of thefe authors deny an order among the angels, but
willingly grant it, as clearly implied from the term Arch-angel
ufedbyPaul, 1 Theff. iv. 16. t and from their being called
God's hoft or army, where order is neceffary for the, right
management pf their ftrength, and confufionthe way to the rum
Of their defigns; the thing they diflike 1S the bold and per
emptory determination of the particular orders among them |[,
and the aflignment of the feveral charges, employments and
ftations to each ; which whofoever fliall do, muft needs be guilty
of intruding into things Which he hath not feen. It would up
on the fame fcore be a prefumtuous folly to make fuch a deter
mination of the feveral ranks and particular employments of
devils • Yet this hindereth npt, but with a warrantable fobrie-
ty we may believe in the general, that there is an order among
the devils« . Not only do thefe expreflions, Beelzebub, the prince
of devils, the devil and his angels, and. in that they are called,
principalities and powers, warrant us fo to think; but the fore
mentioned c6nfiderations about the | multitude of devils, will
force our reafon to an affent : for if they muft be many, becaufe
all mankind is fenfible of their affaults, they muft have alfo an
Order in the management of their temptations ; mthout which
their defigns of cruelty and malice muft, at leaft in great part,
fall to the ground. Neither do I.know well, how thofe authors,
* Lib. a &~Hr. ci 8- 1 '>«*¦ Vol '». i'. 9- £. «i. * fcfer in loc, J Cat taftit.
1. 1. c. 14. ¦§. S. § Vid- Boy" on mh' V1' "•

26 , . A Treatife of Part I.
may be juftly blamed ,% who proceed a little further in their
fuppofitionsj to tell us, as moft probable, that thefe' infernal
fpirits do fhare the would among them, and are allotted to feveral
countries and places,- as their own proper charge and jurifdic-
tion ; for what other interpretation thofe paflages in Dan. x. 13.
can receive, I cannot fee, The prince of the kingdom of Perfia
withfb.nding the angel one and twenty days; and his help
in that opposition from Michael, cannot, if things be well
weighed, be properly underftood of Cambyfes the foh of Cyrus,
or a conteft with any man. However if we let this go, as a
thing;uhcerfein^ + becaufe this interpretation, is denied by fome,
yet that which is fpoken of their order in the general, and the
advantage thefe fpirits have againft us upon that confideration,
feems tb be paft denial.
Thirdly, The advantage of place among armies -is reckqnejc
much. Satan feems to have fomething this way as an advan*
tags of ground, in that he is ftiled fpiritual wickednefs in high
places. \ What advantage high places may be to devils ana
fpirits, we cannot further imagine, than that they being thus a-
bdve us and about us in the air, fete and know our ways and
adions, and fo receive information from thence for their malici
ous proceedings againft us.
Fourthly, But his greateft advantage is from his knowledge,
which I fhall a little explain in the following chapter*

CHAP. IV.
That Satan hath a great meafure of knowledge, proved by com-
paring him with the knowledge of Adam in innocency, and
by his titles. Of his knowledge natural, experimental, andac-
ceffory. Of his knowledge of our thoughts. How far he doth
flat know them, and how far he doth, and by what means. Of
his knowledge of things future, and by what ways he doth con
jecture them. The advantages in point of temptation thai he
hath by his knowledge.
N the difcovery of Satan's knowledg<e,I fliall" firft give evidence
and derrionftration therepf. To which purpofe,. (1.) Let
us confider the knowledge of Adam in innocency; which being
found td be great,, it will thence be eafily concluded, that Satan's
knowledge is far greater * two notable difcoveries we have of
Adarii's knowledge, the one Was his giving of -names to all
creatures, Gen. ii. 29. Which Was not only a fign. of his do
minion, but alfo a notable inftance of his underftanding, feeing
the names were given according to the natures of creatures;
Whereof Bochartus gives a large account || , as the camel is cal led
* Baynt, ibid. \ Cafoin in loc. \ JSph. vi. 12. | Heinzmo,,, ift Part.

I

Chap. IV. Satan's Temptations. 47
led Gamel, becaufe it is apt to repay injuries ; the Kite, Raaw,
from its fharpnefs pffight; the Pelican is named Kaath, from
its ufual vomiting, &c The confideration of the aptnefs of
names impofed on creatures, made Plato acknowledge, that it
was k work above ordinary capacity. The other difcovery of
Adam's knowledge, was his knowledge of the original pf Eve
at f.rft fight; Gen. ii. 23. he faid, ' This is now bone of my
bones, and fieih of my flefh,' &c. This inftarice Luther made ufe
of to prove the knowledge that we fhall have of one another
in heaven ; which fliews that Adam's underftanding was then
incomparably more fublime than ours, and of a nearer ap
proach to the knowledge which a ftate of glory fliall furnifh us
withal. To this might be added a further proof from the rare
inventions, and excellent difcoveries that fome raifed wits have
made, of things that have lain deep, and far out of the view of
common capacities. Asalfo thofe views, fights, and more than pr,
dinary comprehenfions which the fouls of men have had, When
they were a little freed from the clog and hinderance. of the body,
either in extafies, or by approaching death ; all which .pu£\to-
gether, will go far to prove a very great meafurepf knowledge
in Satan, if we takealong with: us this foundation, that in all
the works of God, we find the higheft knowledge in tneriobleft
being; living creatures are more excellent than ftones or trees ;
and therefore hath God furnifhed them with fenfes, and hath
alfo diftinguiflied them by higher degrees of fagacity, according
to their excellency, above others; thus th.e ape, fox, and ele
phant, &c. have fuch abilities above the worm and fly, £tc,
that fome have queftjoned whether they had not fome lower de
grees of reafon : Yet as thefe are below man, fo doth his reafon
far excel their greateft quicknefs of fenfe. Angels are an high
er beipg than man, for he made him lower than the angels, and
ponfequently, their knowledge is proportionably greater. So
that if Adam in innocency underftodd'the nature of things, how
much more ex^dlyand f ullymuft we imagine Satan tp kno w,them?
Secondly, But the proof is more full apd direct, from thofe
appellations and titles which the fcripture, and the experience
of men, have put upon him -r his ufual name Dcemon^ which
'in Matth. viii. 31. M. ark v. 12. Rev. xvi, 14- we tranflate
devil, properly fignifieth one that is wife, knowing, or fkilfu].
And however the wipkednefs of that fpirit hath fo far difhdh-
oured' this word, that it is always, as fome think, ufed to fig-
•nify unclean fpirits ; yet ftill it carries an evidence of their na
ture in reference to knowledge, that though they are wicked
creatures, yet are they wife and knowing : It is faid, Gen. iii.
1. ' The ferpent was move fobtile than any beaft of the field ;'
which though it be true literally of the ferpent, whole wifdom
D 2 and

28 A Treatife of Parti.
and fubtilty, naturalifts have abundantly npted, yet that ex.
preflion hath an eye upon Satan, who was the principal agent ^
and the ferpent there is called fubtile, as influenced by Satan,
whofe ipflrument he was : which we may believe, not only
upon the credit of Auftin and Lyra, * but more fecurely upon
the teftimony pf other fcriptures, which name him the old fer
pent, Rev. xvii. 9, and impute all that craft in the manage
ment of that temptation, to a particular remarkable fkill and,
jubtilty of Satan ; ' The ferpent beguiled Eve through fubtil
ty,' 2 Cor. xi. 3. and, if Beza conjedure right, the appellation
Jiaimon doth fo fitly fuit this hiftory of the tree of knowledge,
£hat the title, of knowledge feems tq be given him for this ,iin-
' gular mafter- piece of craft.
Thirdly, That Satan hath great knowledge is by thefe argu
ments discovered ; but if further enquiry be made into the na
ture of his knowledge, we fliall be nearer to a fatisfadion in
this particular. And here we may obferve a threefold know
ledge in Satan.
ift, . A natural knowledge, which the fchoolmen have diftin7
guifhed into thefe two. (1.) An evening knowledge, f which
he received from things created, whereby the fpecies of things
were impreffed upon his mind, and fo received, being a know
ledge apqfteriori, from the effeds. of things ; which, becaufe
it is more dark and obfcure than that which arifeth from the
caufes of things, they, termed evening knowledge. (2.) The
other is mprning-knpwledge, which is a knowledge of things
in the power and wifdom of God, in which he faw the ideas
and ilnages of all things. This knpwledge they prefer before
Jhe other, as lines and figures are better known from mathe
matical inftrjidion, than by their bare trad, as written in duft,
zdly,^ Befides this he hath an experimental knowledge,,
which is the improvement of that natural flock, by further
acquisitions and attainments ; and indeed Satan had very high
advantages for an increafe of knowledge; he had a great flock
to begin withal, he hath had fit andfuitable cbjefts to work
upon in his contemplations ; fo that by ccmparing things with
things, m fo large a field of variety, and that for fo many
years together, it cannot be but that he fliould be grown more
experienced and fubtile than he was at firft ; and the fcripture
doth fairly countenance this fuppofition, by telling us of his
divices, t 2 Cor. ii. 11. of his wiles, § Eph. vi. 11. and of his
depths
+ rv„ ¦••* I>"ncJPal»,er ad Piabolum referenda eft calliditas.
I„??„!VPer""let ™««tma, Barth. Sybil!, otium Tl.eol. p. ,6r.
. Idoktfv n 3, tV Cmtat- Dei- Hb' " c 20' Dr Jenif°" Hrighi ohLeVs
Ke al' f. i P ^ crea,u.ram ™liu, iW, h°c eft, in Tapientia Dei, anquaro
in «rte qua fatfa eft quam in ea .pfa fciunt, Aug. civit. Dei. ibid"

Chap I. Satan's Temptations. 29
depths, * Rev. ii. 24., All which phrafes imply, that Satan
hathfo Studied the point of temptation, that he hath now, from
long experience and pbfei-vation, digefted it into an art and me
thod, and that with fuch exadnefs, that it, is become a myf-
tery and a depth, much covered and concealed from the notice
apd obfervation of men.
3dly, To both the former may be added another knowledge,
which, becaufe it is from another fpring, 1 may call it an ac-
ceflbry knowledge, confifting in occafional discoveries made to
him, either when God is pleafed to make known fo much of
his mind and purpofe as he employs him, as an inftrument or
fervant, to execute, as he did in the cafe of Job and Ahab ; or
when he informs himfelf from the fcriptures, or catcheth hints
of knowledge from the church, and the ordinances thereof. If
good angels have an inereafc of knowledge this way, as is evi
dent they have, ' For#to principalities and powers in heavenly
places is made known by the church the manifold wifdom of
God,' Eph. iii. 10. we cannot but imagine that Satan hath
. fome addition of knowledge, from fuch dilcaveries. While we
are upon this point, it will be neceffary to offer fome fatisfac-
tion to two queftions.
Queft. I. Whether- Satan knows our thoughts ?
Anfw. I. It is undoubtedly God's prerogative to know the
thoughts ; he knows them intuitively, which is beyond the
power of any creature, Jer. xvii. 9. ' Who can know it ?' This
is a challenge to all, implying the utter impoffibility of ,it to
any but to God alone ; ' I the Lord fearch the heart ;' he
knows the moft inward thoughts. Rev. ii. 13. ' I am he
which fearcheth the reins, and the heart ;' he knows them evi
dently and certainly, ' all things' are naked and open before him
with whom we have to do,' Heb..iv. 13. Thofe fecret think
ings,, and intendments which are hid from others, and which
we ourfelves cannot diftindly read, becaufe of their fecret in
tricacy or confufednefs, yet the very f infide and outfide of
them are uncafed, % cut up and anatomized by his eye ; in all
which expreSfions God is careful to referve this to himfelf, ' I
the Lord do it,' or I am he that fearcheth, and fignifies, that
none elfe is able to do the like.
Anfw. II. Yet Satan Can do much this way ; for if we con
sider how he can come fo near to our fpirits, as to communicate
his injedions to us, and that he often entertains a difpute with
us in thisTecret way of accefs that he hath to our thoughts ; if
we obferve his arguings, his anfwers and replies to our refufals,
fo dired, fo pertinent, fo continued, we fliall be conftrained to
grant, that he can do more this way thAn is commonly ima
gined.
* Bathe^ \ Gumna. \ Ttirah'diimcna.

30 A Treatife of' Parti.
o-ined, ,That I may explain this with a due refped to God's
prerogative of knowing the heart, I Shall, /
Firft,- Shew that there are' two things which are clearly out
of Satan's reach, (i.) Our future thoughts ; he cannot tell
what Shall be our thoughts for time to come ; he may poflibly
adventure to tell what fuggeftions he refolves to put into our
hearts ; but what Shall be> our refolves and determinations there
upon, he knows not. This is Singled out as one part of God's
prerogative, that he kndweth the determinate purpofes and re
folves of the heart aforehand, becaufe he turneth the heart -as
he pleafeth,. Prov. xxi. I. (2.) Our prefent formed thoughts,
the immediate and imminent ads of the mind he cannot diredly
fee into : He may tell whai floating thinkings he hath put irii
to our heart, but our own proper thoughts, or formed refolves,
he cannot diredly view. This is alfo particularly infifted on
as proper to God alone, John ii. 24, 25. 'Chrift knew all
men,' fo directly, ' that he needed not that any Should teftify
of man.' This Satan Stands in need of ; he fometimes knows
men and their thoughts, but he needs a Sign or notification of
thefe thoughts, , and cannot immediately look into them. The
reafon why Chrift needed not this, is rendered thus : ' For he
knew what was in man,' Matth. xii. 25. that is, intuitively he
knew his thoughts, and could immediately read them.
Secondly, I Shall endeavour to explain how much, or how
far he can pry into pur thoughts. Several things are granted,
which argue Satan can go a great way toward a difcovery: As,
1 ft, That he knows the objeds in our fancy *, or phantafms;
and this as clearly as we do behold things with our eyes ; and
the proof given hereof is this, jjhat there are diabolical dreams \
in Which the devilcannot create new fpecies, and fuch as our
fenfes were never acquainted withal, as to make a blind man
dream of colours, but that he can only call forth and fet in order
thofe objects, of which our imagination doth retain the Shadows
or impreSfions ; and this he could not do, if he did not vifibly
behold them in our fancy.
2dly, It is certain he knows his own fuggeftions" and temp
tations darted into our minds, upon which he can at prefent
know what our thoughts are bufied upon.
3<%, He knows the fecret workings of our paflions, as love,
defire, fear, &c. becaiife thefe depend upon, or are in a conco-
ihitancy of the motions of the blood and fpirits, which he «an
eafily difcern, though their motions and workings may be kept
fecret from the obfervation of all byftanders.
4thly, Some go farther" (as Scotus, referente Barthol. Sybilla)
1 fuppofing

* Dr Jcnifon's Height of Ifracl's Idolatry, p. S5-
f Vid. Goodwin's Child of light, p. 65.'

Chap. IV. Satan's Temptations. 31
fuppofing that he knows what is in our thoughts at any time,
only he knows not to what thefe thoughts incline * ; but I leave
this to thofe that can determine it certainly ; in the mean time,
I proceed, Thirdly, To Shew What a guefling faculty he hath of what
he doth not diredly know ; he hath fuch grounds and advan
tages for conjedure, that he feldom fails of finding our mind :
J\.s, \Jl, His long experience hath taught him what ufually men
do think, in fuch cafes as ate commonly before them ; by a
cunning observation of their adions and ways he knows this.
idly, He by ftudy and obfervation knows our temper and
inclination, and confequently what temptations do moft fuit
them* and how we do ordinarily entertain them.
Tjdly, he knows this the more, by taking notice of our pray
ers, our complainings and mournings, over our defeds.and
mifGarriages, qthly, He is quick and ready to take notice of any exte
rior Sign, by which the mind fignified, as the pulfe, the mo
tion of the body, the change of the countenance f ; all which
do ufually Shew the affent or diffent of the mind, and at leaft
t&U- him what entertainment his offers have in our thoughts.
$thly, Being fo quick lighted, he can understand thofe par
ticular Signs which would efcape the obfervation of the wifeft
men ; there are fome things fmall in . themfelves,, and there
fore unobferved, which yet to wife men are very great in
dicia of things. The like may be faid of us, in reference to
our inclinations, our acceptance or refiftance of temptations,
which yet he hath curioufly marked, put.
Sthly^ No doubt but he hath ways to put us upon a difco
very of our thoughts, while we conceal them, as by continuing '
andjrfofecuting temptations or fuggeftions, till pur trouble or
paffions do fome way difcover how' it is with us. By all which
it appears, that, his gueflings and conjedures do feldom fail him*
It is now time to fpeak to the other queftion, which is, l
Queft. II. Whether and how far Satan knows things to come?
Anfw. To this I Shall return anfwer in thefe two conclusions.
Concluf. 1.] Firft, There is a way of knowing future things,
which is beyond the knowledge of devils, and proper only to
God, Ifa. xii. 23. there God puts the competition betwixt him
felf and idols, about the truth of a "deity, upon this iSTue, That
' he that can Shew the things that are to come hereafter, he. is
God;'
* Queft. peregrinarraivp. 39X Daemones cognofcunt cogitationes noftras,
quantum ad fuhje&unvobjc&utn et affectum, n«n autem quantum ad fiiiem.
Sciunt quid cogitamu*-, fed ignorant ad quem finetn.
t •• DepreKrfcndas aniini tormenta iatentis ex segrotorum facie. Sa-patacens
vocem, verbaque vultus habet.

32 A Treatife of Part £
God ;' which becaufe they cannot do, he doth hereby evince
them to be no gods. If Satan could truly and properly have
done this, he had had a plea for a godhead* In divine predic
tions two things are to be considered, (/.) The matter fore
told, when the events of -things contingent, arid; as to fecond
caufes, cafual, depending upon indeterminate caufes, are fore
told. (2.) The mariner, when thefe things are not uncertainly,
or conjedurally, or darkly ; but clearly, certainly, infallibly,
and fully predided. Of this nature are divine predidions,
which Satan cannot perform, nor yet the angels 'in heaven.
Concluf. 2.] Secondly, Yet Satan hath fuch advantages for the
knowledge of future things, and fuch means and helps for a
difcovery of therri, that his conjedures have often come to pafs.
Firft, He knows the caufes of things, which are fecret to us.
Upon which he feems to foretel many things Strange to- us ; as
a phyfician may foretel the effects, workings, and' iffues of a
difeafe, as feeing them in the caufes, which would pafs for lit
tle lefs than prophefy among the vulgar. Thus an aftrologer
foretels eclipfes, which would be' taken for a divine excellency,
where the knowledge of the ground' of thefe foretellings had
not taken away the wonder.
Secondly, Many things are made known to him by imme
diate divine revelation: We know not the intercourfe betwixt
God and Satan in the matter of Job ; Satan, having obtained
his commiffion to afflid him, might have made a long prophecy
of what Should come to pafs in reference to Job, his children,
and fubftance' ; how many fuch predidions he might make, we
little know.
Thirdly, He hath a deep infight in affairs of kingdoms and
States, and fo might, from his experience and obfervation, eafily
conjedure mutations and alterations. A politician -may do
much this way: For ought we know, Satan's prophecy, in the
likenefs of Samuel, to Saul, of his ruin, and the translation of
his kingdom to David, might' be no more than a conjedural
conqlufion, from his comparing the order of the prefent provi
dence, with former threatenings and proniifes.
Fourthly, He hath a greater understanding of fcripture pro*
phefies, than ordinarily the wifeft of men have ; fo that at fe
cond hand he might be able to foretel what Shall come to pafs.
Whilft we that do not fo clearly fee into fcripture predidions,,
may not be able to find out the matter. Hence by oracle he
foretold Alexander of his fuccefs *, which he knew from the
prophecy of Daniel, chap. xi. Jong before.,
Fifthly, He hath advantage from his nature as a fpirit, by
which' he Overhears and fees the private adings, complottings, ar.d
* Inviaus eris Alexander, Plutarch in vit. Alexandri.

Chap. IV. Satan's Temptations. 33
and preparations of men, in reference to certain undertakings,
and can eafily, by liis agents, communicate fuch counfels or re
folves in remote countries and kingdoms, which muft pafs for
real predidions, if the event anfwer accordingly.
Sixthly, He can foretel, and with probability of fuccefs, fuch
tilings as he by temptations is about to put men upon, efpe-
cially feeing he can chafe fuch instruments, as he, from expe
rience, knows are not likely to fail his enterprize.
Seventhly, To this may be added, the .way and manner by
which he expreffeth himfelf, either in doubtful or enigmatical
terms, or in general expreflions, which may be applied to the
events what way foever it Should happen *. Of thefe, authors
have obferved many inftances, which were fuperfluous to enu
merate. Satan's knowledge being thus explained, it is eafy to imagine
what an advantage it is to him in the management of his temp
tations : For;
Firft, He by this means knows our tampers and difpofitions.
Secondly, And what is moft likely to prevail with us.
Thirdly, How inclinable we are upon any motion made to
us, and what hope to gain upon us.
Fourthly, He knows fit times, feafons, and advantages againft us.
Fifthly, He knows how to purfue fuggeftions, and can chufe
Strong reafons to urge us withal.
Sixthly, He knows how to delude our fenfes, to difturb out
paflions.
. Seventhly, He knows all the ways and arts of affrightments,
vexations, difquietments; hindrances and disturbances of duty.
Eighthly) He by this means is furniShed with Skill for his
public cheats and delufions in the world, how to amufe, aftonifh,
and amaze men into errors and mistakes, which he hath al
ways endeavoured with Very great fucCefs in the world, as we
Shall fee hereafter.

CHAP. V.
Inftances of Satan's power. Of witchcraft, what it is. Sa
tan's power argued 'from thence '. Of wonders. Whether Sa
tan can do miracles. An account of what he can do that way.
His power argued from apparitions and pojfejfions.
T Shall add, in the ffth place, fome particular inftances of
-*- his power, in which I Shall infift upcn thefe four, Witch
craft, wonders, apparitions and poSTeSiipns.
E I. Witchcraft
* Non non foperabit Gallus Apulum. Ibis redibis nuaquam per bella,
peribis.

34 A Treatife of Part. I.
I. Witchcraft, affords a very great difcovery of Satan's pow-i
ef : But becaufe fome give fuch interpretations of witchcraft aS
if true, would wholly take away the, force Of this inftarice. I
'Shall firfl endeavour to eftablifh a true notion of witchcraft, and
fecondly, from thence argue Satan's power.
Firfl, Though the being of witches is not diredly denied,
becaufe the authority of fcripture, Exod. xxii. 18. Deut, xviii.
10. &c. hath determined beyond controverfy, that fuch tljere
are; yet fome will allow no other interpretation of the word,
than a Skill and practice in the art of poifoning, * becaufe the
Septuagint doth interpret the Hebrew word MacBJhephah by
pharmakoii, venifica'm, which apprehenfion they Strengthen by
"the authority of Jofephus, f who giveth this account of the
law, ' Let none of the children of Ifrael ufe any deadly poifon,
or any drug wherewith he may do hurt,' &c. It is eafy to ob
serve, that this conceit arifeth from a great indbfervancy of the
reafon of the application of thefe words pharmakos and veneji*
" cus to witchcraft, in Greek and Latin authors.
Witchcrafts were fuppofed to be helped forward by- the
ftrength of feveral herbs, and thefe by incantations and other
ceremonies at their gathering, imagined to attain a poifonous'
and evil quality or efficacy for fuch. effeds, as were intended to
be produced by them, as appears by Ovid, Virgil, and other'
authors. % Hence was it that the wprd pharmakos became ap
plicable to any fort of witchcraft. To this may be added, that
Such perfons were reforted to, for help againft difeafes, vid,
Leigh. Crit. Sac. in Voc. As alfo that they ufed unguents for
transportations : Hence Godwin, Jew. Antiq. lib. 4. c. 10.
renders Pharmakous Unguentarios. Diafcoridef, Cap. de JXham-
rio, hath an expreffion to this purpofe, that the branch of that
tree, being placed before the doors, doth drive away ton phar-
kon kakourgiaS, witchcrafts -, ft were ridiculous to fay, it
drives away poifonirtgs, which is a fufficient evidence that the
( Graecians ufed that word to Signify another kind of witchcraft, thap
* Scot, diCcovery of witchcraft. 1. 6 c. I. \ Antiq, 1. 4. c. 8.
f Mecfeid'es hr'rbs miftaq'; cum magicis merfa venena fonis. Oir'td. Art.
Amandf, 1, 2. .Has herbas atque hftc ponto mini le&a venena. Ipfa dedit
7"!eris.. .his >go fepe Iupum fieri et fe conderi Sylvis marim, fa;pe animasi-
mis e-iire fepulcfiris, Virg. Eccl, 8.
¦ Pbarmalia, philtrum, et magicas acVones qua? in imaginrbus, et cara^eii-
bus, certis verbis, ac fimilibus confiftunt, fignificat. Unde pharmaceutria
appellamr idyllium fecund. Theocriti. et F.clog. S. Virgilii et antiquos e-
tiam vocabulum fharmatias, pro omni veneficii generi, quo vel hominibut,
vel jnmentis, vel frugibus, (eu carmine, *fcu aliis modis nocetur. acciperi,
mamfefte patet ex Plato'ne lib. 10 de legibus. Et apud Arift. Hift Animal
cap. ij. pburmattde, nominatur. Et Apocal. c. 18. pbarmahia pro prseftieib
ct impoftura funnrur. Dan. Sennert. Tam» 3. lib. 6. part 9. Cap 1

Chap.'V. Satan's Temptations. 33
than that which this miftake would eftabliSh. Befides this the
fcripture doth afford two Strong arguments againft this inter
pretation of witchcraft. (i._) That this word is ranked with
Others, as being of the fame alliance, which will carry the ap
prehensions of any confiderate man, to effeds done by the help
pf Satan, in an unufual way, as Deut. xviii. 10. ' There fliall
not be found among you, any that maketh his fon or his daugh,-
ter to pafs through the fire,' this is not the confoming of their
children 1 to Moloch, * but by way of foftration- a mock bapr
tifm, a piece of witchcraft, f to preferve from violent death,
pr that ufeth divination, an obferver of times, or an inchanter,
or a witch, &c. The very neighbourhood of the witch, will
tell us thai this witch muft be a diviner, $ divination being
the. general term, comprehending the feven particulars follow,-
ing ; It would be an harSh Straining to put in the poifoner in
the fenfe of our oppofites, among the diyiners. Yet the feT
eond argument is more cogent, which is this ; that among
thofe whom Pharaoh called together ,to encounter with Mofes,
Exod. vii. 11. we find witches or forcerers expreffed by the,
jTaaie ward Mecafiephim, which is ufed in Exod. xxii. and
Deut. xviii. What can more certainly fix the interpretation
of the word than this place, where the end of Pharaoh's palling
. them together, wgs not to poifon Mofes and Aaron, but by enT
chantment to outvy them in point of miracles, Which will
Shew that witchraft is not poifoning, bur. the doing of Strange
acts by the aid of Satan. Neither was this the ad of one (man,
,whp might poffibly, together with that prefent age, be under
a miftake concerning witches, though it be a thing not to be
fuppofed, but long after him Nebuchadnezzar in Dap. ii. 4.
being , aftoniflied with his dreams, calls for the forcerers or
witches, and .magicians, || to give him the interpretation ;
which had been a matter very improper for them, if their fkill
had lain only in mixing poifons.
When we have thus filenced this imaginatipn, we have yet
anpther to encounter with, and that is of thofe that think thefe
witches," Of which the fore- cited texts do fpeak, are but mere
cheats, and by fome tricks of delufion and legerdemain, pretend
they can dd things, which indeed they cannot do at all; and yet
finding death threatened to fuch, which in a bufinefs, of mere
jugling, would feem top great a'feyerify? they have framed this
anfwerto it, that the death is threatened not for the jugling jj? ,
but for their prefumptuous and blafphemous undertaking tp
' ¦ * . ' ' '• ' E 2. , do
* Fuller Pifg. Sight. 1. 4. c. 7. p. 1*8. f Maimon vid. Pool in loc.
i Godwin Jews Antiq. 1. 4. c. 10. Pool in loc. || Witchcraft reckoned as dif-t
tii»<3 from murder, in Gal'. 5. K, zl. ' 11 Scot. Witchcraft, 1. 6. c. 2.

36 A Treatife of Part I.
do things that belong to a divine power, and for faking his
name in vain. Or, as others are pleafed to * fay though they
have no real power, they are juftly puniShed for the belief they
have, that they cart do fuch mifchief, joined with their purpofe
to do it, if they can.
In anfwer to this apprehenfion, I Shall not much infift upon
thefe'reafons, which yet are fufficiently weak,' the latter accu
fing God's laws of unreafonabl's feverity \, and the former ac
cufing them of unneceflary redundancy, feeing enough in other
places is provided againft hMphemers, but Shall offer a" con
fideration or two, which I judge will be of force to rectify the
miftake. - "
Firft, Though it cannot be denied, but that a great many
cheats there have been in all ages, by which men have endea
voured to raife the repute and efteem of their own Skill and ex
cellencies, or for other bafe ends ; yet from hence to conclude,
that aU thefe- things that have been done under the' name of
witchcraft were fuch, muft be an unfufferable piece of infolence;
not only denying that credit which all fober men owe to hiftory,,
to the conftant belief of all ages, to the faithfulnefs and wifdom
of judges, jurors, witneffes, laws and fandions, but alfo danger-
bufly overthrowing all our fenfes'; fo that at this rate we may-
well queftion, whether we really eat, drink," move, Sleep, and'a-
ny thing elfe that wc dp ; this reafon is urged by grave and fe-
irious men %
Secondly, It cannot be imagined that fuch things are merely
delufory, where the' voluntary confeffions of fo many, have" ac-
cufed themfelves and others, npt pf thinking or jugling, but pf
really acting, and doing fuch things ; with fuch circumftanels
as have particul'arifed time, place, thing, and manner.
Thirdly, The real effeds done by the power of witchcraft,
Shew it hot to he delufion [| : fuch are the transportation of
perfons many miles from their habitations, and leaving them
there ; their felling things done in remote places; railing' of
ftorms and tempefts ; vomiting of pins, needles, Stones, cloth, lea
ther, and fuch like; and thefe fome of them attefled by Sober
and intelligent perfons who were eye witneffes. Large accounts you
* Hob's Lciath. c. 4. p. 7. T Tcnacn—Hti', Creed, exam. Art. 4 p. 6?.'
t Baiter'. Sin again/ the Holy Gh.fi, p. S3. J. Glamvil. -Confidcrations of witchcraft,
p 6. Tenefon .gamfi Hobs art. 4. p. jo. || Vid. Epitf TX Palrhafari. Han.
M D. .d cake. Ton,. 3. oper. San. Smncrti de fcemina fafcienata, in cusascute,
Jitera N. B. nota. 'Crucis i a capite ad calcem, cum aftronumicorumW ch<-
nneornq, charaaenbus, Rof* figura in dex.ra et trif„lii in finiftri art;fici„fe
pitta cum anno Chnft. 1635 cor Servartorrs felis Uranifixum, et imago fhilli
cum verbo Germamco N~r, procuffibebant. (Dr. More.) Mr; Baser ut fu-
Vt*,-D*h. AW*,,. Tom. 3. Lib; 6, pars, 9. Varias hiftorias enumerate d-
Zfio'tt aInTat'°n£ ' EX' 7°' Lar^' *"»¦*""**, Ci.nl. Ganm

(Chap. JII. Satan's Temptations. 37
you have of thefe in Bodinus, Sprtngerius, and feveral others
£hat have borrowed thefe relations from them.
The notion of poifonings or delufory j uglings, beingbeloW what
the fcripture intends to fet forth, as witchcraft^; it is evident that
witchcraft is a power of doing great things by the aid of the
devil. By which' our way is open to improve thi3 inftance, to
demonfttate, which was the fecond thing prpmifed, that Satan's
power muft' be great: For, .
Firft, It is acknowledged that a great part of thofe things
that are done in this matter *, as concurrent with, or helpful
toward the< promoting of fuch ads, are Satan's proper works,
as the troubling the air, railing ftorms, apparitions, various
Shapes and appearances, transportations from place to place, and
a great many more things of wonder and amazement, all which
exceed human power.
Secondly, Many things of wonder done by fuch perfons; to
which, fome fuppofe the fecret powers of herbs, or things, con
tribute "their natural aids or concurrence, are evidences of Sa-
ta'.r's deep knowledge of, and infight into natural caufes. Of
this nature is that ointment with which witches are faid to
befmear themfelves in order to their transportation; the power
and efficacy whereof, is by fome f imagined to confift in this,
that it keeps the body tenantable, and in a Sit condition to re
ceive the foul by re-entry, after fuch feparations, as, by all
circumftances are concluded, have been really made in piirfuit
of thofe vifionary perambulations and tranfadions. Which
things if they be fo, as they are not improbable, witches have
them from !3atan's diSco very, and they are to be afcribedto
bi& power.
Thirdly, Thofe adions that are moft properly the witches
own adions, apd in, which the power of hurjing dotb, as fome
fuppofe refide, are notwithstanding, either awakened or ir'fluen-
ced by' Satan : So though we grant, what fome f wptild have,
that the power of hurting is a natural power, and a venomous
magnetifm of the witch, and that her imagination, by her eye,
darts thofe malignant beams which produce real harts upon
men, after the manner of' the imagination's force upon a child
}h the womb, which hath, as by daily experience and hiftory
is confirmed, produced marks, impreflions, deformities, and
, Wounds,
, * Helmont. Magnet. Vuln. cura. §87. + Dr. More. Death confift s not
fo much in an actual feperation oFfoul aud body, as in the indifpofition and
unfitnefs of the body for vital union. What is the meaning elfe of that «-
preffion, ' Whether in the body, or out of the, body I cannot lelf except the
foul may be feparated from the body without death, J. Glanvil, Witchcraft,
p. 15. 18
t Helmont ubifupra Aricenna. vid. Barthol. Svbilla. Perig. «luxft.
401. Nefcio quis tcneros oculos, &c. Glanvil, witchcraft, p. 34.

3§ A Treatife of Part il
wounds, and that Satan doth but cheat' the witch into a belief
' 6i his aid in that matter; that with a greater advantage he
may make ufe of her power, without which he could do no
thing; * yet even this , fpeaks his ability, in that at leaSi. he
doth awaken and raife up that magica} force, which otherwife
would lie afleep, and fo ppts the fword into their hand. Yet
fome attribute far more to him, to wit, the infufion of a poi-
fonous ferment, by that action pf fucking the witch in fome
part cf the. body, by which npt only her imagination might be
heightened, by poifonous Streams breathed in, which might in,
fed blood and fpirits with a noxious tindure., ,
The fecond grand inftance of his power, I Shall produce from
thofe adions pf wonder and aftoniShment, which he fometimes
performs, which indeed have been fo great, that they have oc?
cafioned that queftion ;
Q. Whether Satan can dd miracles ?
A. i. To this we anfwer ; (i._) That God alone can work
miracles. A miracle being a real att, done vifibly, and above
the power of nature, f Such works fome haye ranked into
three heads ; J i, Such as created power cannot produce ; as
to make the fun Stand Still, or go backward. 2. Such as are
in themfelves produceable by nature, but not in fuch an order,
as to make the dead to live, and thofe that were born "blind to
fee, which is Strongly argued John ix. 32. to be above human
power ; and John x. 21. to be abpve, the power of devils,
3. Such as are the ufual works of nature yet- produced, above
the principles and helps of natyre, as to cure a difeafe by a
word or touch.
Things that are thus truly and properly miraculous, are pe
culiarly works of God ; neither can it be imagined, that Since
he hath beeh pleafed to juftify his commands, ways, acd mef.
fages, by fuchmighty acts, 2 Cor. xii, 12, Heb. ii. 4. John x. 38,
and alfo hath been put to it? to juftify himfelf and his fole Su
preme Being and Godhead, from falfe competitors, Pfal. lxxxvi,,
10. andlxxii. 18. by his miraculous works ; It cannot be ima
gined, I fay, that he would permit any created beings, much
lefs Satan, to do fuch things.
(2.) Though Satan cannot do things miraculous, || yet he
can- do things wonderful and amazing. And in this point lies
the danger of delufion, as Chrift. foretels, Mat. xxiv. 24.
' Falfe Chrifts Shall arife, and Shew great figns and wonders'.
In 2 Theff. ii. 4. the apoftle tells us, "The coming of Anti, chrift'
* Helmont ut fupra, § toi. Satan itaque vim m'agicam hanc excitat, fe-
cus dormien em et fcientia exterioris hominis impeditam, in fuis mancipiis...
Glan- witchcraft, p. 18. \ Polauus 1634. f Tho. Cont, Gent. lib. 3. c. 101.
cited. by Soater on 2 Thef. 1. 9. 1 '
|| Mira non miracula.

Chap. III. Satan s Temptations. 3^
ehtift Shall be with all power, and Signs, and wonders-;' that
is, as fome * interpret, with the power of Signs and wonders1;
which however they be lying, both in reference to the defign
they drive at, which is to propagate errors, and alfo in their
own nature, being truly fuch, in refped of their form, falfe ;
as miracles, being indeed no fuch matter, but jugling cheats':
Yet notwithstanding there is no fmall cunning and working of
Satan in them, infomuch that the uncautious and injudicious
are ' deceived by thofe wonders that he hath power tojdo,' Rev;
xiii.: 13. In this matter, though we are not able to give a par
ticular account of thefe under-ground adions ; yet thus much
we may fay, '"
Firft, That in many cafes, his great ads, that pafs for mira
cles, are no more but deceptions of fenfe. Naturalists' hav6
Shewn feveral feats and knacks of this kind. Jo. Bap. Porta f
hath a great many ways of fuch deceptions; by lamps, and the
feveral compositions of oils, by which not only the colour*' pf
things are. changed, but men appear without heads, or with
the heads of horfes, &x; The like deceptions are wrought by
glaffes of various figures artd Shapes.' If art can do fuch thingsj
much more can Satan. ':-'  ' ' ''¦''' ¦•''
Secondly, He can mightily Work "upon the fancy and imai
gination ; by which means men are abufed into a belief of things
.that are not:. As in dream's, the fancy prefents tilings which
are really imagined to be 'done and faid, .whereas they are vi
sions of the night, which vaniSh when the man is awake1; or as
in melanpholy perfons, the fancy of men doth fo Strongly im-
pofe upon them, that they believe ftrange abfurd things of-
themfelves, that they have horns on their head, that they are
made of glafs, that they are dead, and; what not :l If fancy,
both afleep and awake, may thus abufe men into an appfehen-
fipn of impoSfible things, and that with confidence, no wonder
if .S^tan, whofe power reacheth thus far; as wasbefore prov
ed, doth take this advantage for amufihg of men with ftrange
things. -Nebuchadnezzar's judgment, Dan. iv. 25. whereby
he was ' driven from men, and eat grafs as oxen,' was not a
metamprphofis, or real change into an ox ; this all expofitors
reject as too hard ; neither Teems it to be only his extreme ne-
ceflity, and low eftate, whereby he feemed to be little better
than a beaft, though Calvin favour this interpretation, but
by that exprefllon, ver. 25. ( * then my underftanding came to
me,') it feems evident, as moft commentators think, that his
underftanding was fo changed in that punifliment, that he ima
gined himfelf to be a beaft, and behaved himfelf accordingly, by
eating
• Sclater in loc. f Magia natural!, 1. 2. c. 17.

4a A Treatife of Part Ii
eating grafs, and lying in the open fields. There are feveral Sto
ries to this purppfe of ftrange transformations, as the bodies of
men into afles, and other beafts, which Auguftine * thinks to
be nothing elfe but the devil's power upon the fancy. .
Thirdly, Therf are wonderful Secrets in nature, which if
cunningly ufed apd applied sto Sit thing? and times, muft needs
amaze vulgar heads; and though fome of thefe are known to
philofophers and fcholars, yet are there many fecret things lock
ed from the wifeft men, whofe powers and natures, becaufe
they know not, they may alfo be deluded by. them. .Auguf
tine f xeckons up many inftances, as the loadftone, the Stone
pyrites, Selenites, the fountain of Epirus that can kindle a
torch, and many more ; and determines that many ftrange
things are dope by the application of thefe natural powers, ei
ther by the wit of man, or diabolical art. To this purpofe he
gives an account of an unextinguilhable lamp, in a temple of
Venus, which allured men tov worfhip there, as to an unques
tionable deity, when in truth the thing was but an ingenious
composition from the Stone AfbeSton ;. -jof which Pliny makes
mention, J that being kindled, it will not be quenched with
water. Of this nature were thofe lamps found in feveral vaults
accompanying the aSb.es of th^ dead, referved there in urns,
both in England and elfewhere.; If men by fuch helps find fuch
eafy ways to delude men, what exadnefs of workmanShip, and
feeming wonders may be expeded from Satan upon fuch ad
vantages ?
. Fourthly, Many of his wonders may challenge an higher rife.
Satan knows the fecret ways of nature's operations, and the
ways of accelerating or retarding thofe works. So that he
cannot only do what nature can do, by a due applicatioh of
active to paffive principles and the help of thofe Seminal pow
ers that are in things, but he may be fuppofed to perform, them
in a quicker and more expeditious manner : Thus worms, flies,
andferpents, that are bred of putrefadfon, Satan may fpeedily
produce ; and who can tell how far this help may reach in his
works, of wonders ?
Fifthly, The fecret way of Satan's movings and adings i'sjio
fmall matter in thefe affairs. How many things do common
juglers by the fwift motions of their hands, that feem incredi
ble ? Thus they make the by-ftanders, believe they change the
fubftances, natures, and forms of things, when-they only, by z
fpeedy conveyance, take thefe things away, and put others in
their room. They that Shall confider Satan as a fpirit, fubtile,
imperceptible, quick of motion, &c. will eafily believe him to
be
* Civit Dei, I. 18. c. 18. f De Civit. Dei. 1. «. c. 5, 6. \ Plin.lib. j8.

-Chap. V. Satan's Temptations. 4r
be more accomplished for fuch conveyances than all the, men in
the world.
Having now feen. the .vffay of, his wonders; let us next confi
der the advantage he hath by fuch .adions. If wc look upon
¦Simon Magus, Ads viii. 10, xx. we find, that he' by 'thefe
ways, had a general influence vippn the people, ' To him they
all gave heed, from, the leaft td the greateft ;' and'that his ac
tions were reckoned no lefs than miraculous, as ddne by the
mighty power pf God. If we go, from hence to the magicians
,,of Pharaoh,.Exad. vii.. ii. it is faid, " They did fo with their
inchantments,"' which, howfoever, the matter was, prevailed fo
with Pharaoh and ,the court, that they faw no difference betwixt
the wonders done by Mofes and them; fdve that, it may be,
they thought Mpfes the more Skilful magician. Rut befides
this, if we confider what they dtd, it will argue much for his
power, if we can imagine, as fome * do, thai* they, turned their
rods into real ferpents, the power is evident : And there is this
that favours that opinion, it is faid, they could not make lice ;
which feems to imply, that, they really did the other things,
and it had been as eafy to delude the fenfes in the' matter of
.lice; as in the rods, . if .it. had been. no. more than a deluSion ;
neither are, fome a- wanting to give a reafon of fuch a power,
viz. Serpents, lice, &c. being the offspring of putrefaction, by
his. dexterous, application of .the femipal principles of things, he
might quickly produce 'them? , If, we go lower, and take up
with the opinion of thofe \, that think they were neither mere
delufions, nor yet true ferpents, but real bodies like ferpents^
though without life, this .will argue a very great power : Or
if we fuppofe, as fome do, that Satan took away the rods, and
fecretly conveyed.ferpents ii; their Stead, or, which is theloweft
apprehenlion. we can hav,e„ that Pharaoh's fight was deceived ;
the matter is {till far, from being contemptible, for as much a3
we fee the fpe;dators were not able to difcern tjie cheat.
III. The next inftance.produceable for evidencing his power,
is that of apparitions. It cannot be. denied, but ;that the 'fancy
of melancholick or .timorous .'.perfons;. is. fruitful enough to
create a thoufand bugbears. And alfo that the.villany of fome
perfons hath been designedly employed to deceive people with
miek apparitions 50/ which abundance pf inftances might be
given from. the knavery. of the papifts,.difc.oyer£d to the world
Beyond contradidion ; but all this will not Conclude, that there
are no real .appearances of .fpirits ot devilsv r Such fad effects in
all a^es there have been of thefe things, that, moft men will
take, it for an undeniable, truth.
Inftead of others,' let . the apparition at Endor to Saul come
F to
* Tho. tfajatan Delrio. f Earth, Sybilla Pereg. Queft. p. 373. Rivetus.

42 A Treatife of Fart I.
to examination : Some * indeed will have us believe that all
that was but a fubtile cheat, managed by that old woman ; and
that neither Samuel nor the devil did appear, but that the wo
man, in another room by herfelf, or with a confederate, gave
the anfwer to Saul. But whofoever Shall read that ftory, and
Shall confider Saul's bowing and difcourfe, and the" anfwers gi
ven, muft acknowledge that Saul thought, at leaft, he faw' and
fpake with Samuel : and indeed the whole tranfaction is fuch,
that fuch a cheat cannot be fuppofed.
Satisfying ourfelves then that there was an apparition, we
muft next enquire whether it was true Samuel or Satan : It
cannot be denied but that many f judge it Was tisie Samuel,
but their reafons are weak.
(i.) That proof from Ecclefiafticus xlvi. 23. is not canonical
with us. 1
(2.) That he was called Samuel is of no force ; feripttrre often
gives names of things according to their appearances.
(3.) That things future were foretold, was but from conjec
ture; in which Satan, yet all things considered, had good ground
for his gueSEng.
(4.) That the name Jehovah is oft repeated, fignifies nothing,
the devil is not fo fcarce of words ; ' Jefus I know,' faith that
-fpirit in the Ads.
(5.) That he reproved fin in Saul, is no more than what tlie
devil doth daily to afflided confeiences in order to defpair.
I muft go then with thofe that believe this was Satan in Sa
muel's' likenefs.
(1.) Becaufe God refufed to anfwer Saul by prophets or
Urim. And.it is too harfh to think he would fend Samuel
from the dead, and fo- anfwer him in an extraordinary way.
(2.)'This>if it had been Samuel, would have given too much
countenance to witchcraft, contrary to that check to Ahaziah,
2 Kings i. 3. ' Is it not becaufe there is not a God in Ifrael,
that ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub.*
(3.) The pr-edidion of Saul's death, though true for lubftance,
failed as tp the exadnefs of time, for the battle was not fought
the next day.
(4.) The acknowledgement pf the witch's power ('Why
haft thou difquieted me?') fliews it could not be true Samuel,
the power of witchcraft not being able to reach fouls at reft
with God.
OO That expreffion of - gods afcending out of the earth,"
is evidently fufpicious.
The reality of apparitions being thus eftabKShed, Satan's
power will be eaiily evinced from it. . To fay nothing of the
bodies
* Seott,; Witchcraft, 1. 7. c; 1 %. f Vid. Pool'« Synop, in loc.

Chap. V. Satan's^ Temptations. 43
bodies in which fpirits appear ; the haunting of places and per
fons, and the pther effeds done by fuch appearances, fpeak a-
bundantly for it.
IV. The laft inftance is of pojjeffions, the reality 'of which
can no way be quefticned. becaufe the New Teftament affords
fo much for it ; I Shall only note fome things as concerning this
head. As,
, ift. The multitudes of men poffeffed : Scarce was there any
thing in which Chrift had more opportunities to Shew his au
thority, than in cafting out of Satan ; fuch objects of compaf-
fion he met with. in every place.
idly, The multitudes of fpirits in one perfon, is a coniidera-
1 tion not to be paffed by.
3dly, Thefe perfons were often Strongly aded, fometime with'
fjercenefsand rage, Matt. viii. 28. fome living without clothes,
and without houfe, Luke viii. 27. fome by an incredible ftrength
breaking chains and fetters, Mark v. 3.
A,thly, Sometime the poffeffed were fadly vexed and afflided,
caft into the Sire and water, §cc.
^thly, Some were Strangely influenced : We read of one,
Acts xvi. 16. that had a fpirit of divination, and told many
things to come, which we may fuppofe frequently .came to pafs 5
eife She could have brought no gain to her mailer by foothfay^
ing. Another we hear of, whofe poffeflion was with a lunacy,
and had fits at certain times and feafons. The poffeffed perfon
with whom Mr Rothwell difcourfed, (within the memory of
fome living) could play the critic in the Hebrew language *.
6thly, In fome the poSTeSfion was fo Strong, and fo firmly
Stated, that ordinary means and ways could not difpoffefs them :
f This kind comes not out biit by prayer and falling," Matth.
xxvii. 21. which Shews that all poffeflion was not of one kind
and manner, nor alike liable to ejedion.
To all thefe may be added obfefftons ; Where the devil af-
Slids the bodies of men, difquiets them, haunts them, or Strikes
in with their melancholy temper, and fo annoys by hideous and
black reprefentations. Thus was Saul vexed by an evil fpirit
from the Lord, which, as molt conceive, was the devil working
ih his melancholy humour. That the devil Should take pofr-
fefiion of the bodies -of men, and thus ad, drive, trouble and
diftrefs them ; fo distort, diftend, and rack their members ; fo
feat himfelf in their tongues and minds, that aman cannot com
mand his own faculties and powers, but feems to be rather
changed into the nature of a devil, than to retain any thing of a
man ; this Shews a power in him to be trembled at.
F 2 Satan's
* Vid. Clark's Lives.

4'4' Afreatife of Part I'-
Satan's power being thus explained and pWyettJ I fliall next.
fpeak' femethirig of his cruelty.

H

CH A P. VI.
Of Satan's cruelty. Inftances thereof iti his dealing with wound*?
ed fpirits, in ordinary temptations of the wicked and godly, in
perfecutions, cruelties in worfhip. £l'is cruel handling of his
filaves. E that Shall confider his malice and power, muft unavoid
ably conclude him to be cruel. Malice is always fo, where
it hath the advantage of a proportionable' Strength and oppor*
t unity for the effeding of its hateful, contrivances: It baniftieth
all pity and commiferatipn, and follows only the dictate of its,
own rage with fuch fiercenefs,- that it is onl}* limited by want
ing power to execute. We may then fay of Satan, That ac
cording to hjs malice, and' power fuch is his cruelty. The truth
of this will be abundantly manifested b»y inftances -. As,
Fir ft, t From his deiperate purfuits of advantage, upon thofe
whofe fpirits, are wounded. The anguifh of a diilreffed con-
fcience is unfpeakably great, infomuch, that many are, as He-
irhan, Pfal. lxxxviii. I y ' even diftraded, while they fuffer'the
terrors of the Almighty. ? Thefe, though they look round a-
bout them for help, and invite all that pafs hy to pity them,
' becaufe the hand of the Lorcf hath touched them ;' yet Satan
laughs at their calamity, and mocks „at them ,under their fears,-
and doth all he can to augment the flame : He fuggdfts dread
ful thoughts of ah incenfed Majefty ; begets terrible apprehen
sions of infinite wrath and damnation ; he aggravates all their
Sins, to make them feem 'unpardonable : Every adion he calls
a fin, and every fin he reprefents as a wilful forfaknig of God;
and every deliberate trairfgreffion he tells them is the Sin againft
the Holy Ghoft. He baffles them in their prayers and fervicesy
and then accufeth their duties for intollerable profanations of
God's name; and if they be at la'ft affrighted from them, he
then clamours that they are forfaken of Goct, becaufe they have
forfaken him ; He, as a right Beelzebub, rakes in their wounds,
as flies are ever fucking where, there is a fore, Their outcries
and lamentations are fuch mufic to him, that he gives them np
reft; aqd with fuch triumph doth he tread upon thofe that thus
lie in the duft, that he makes them fometimes accufe themfeive|
for that which they never did, and in derifion he, infults over
ihem in their greatefl perplexities, with this, ' Where is now .
thy God?' and, ' who Shall deliver thee out of my hand?' This
were

Chap*. VI. , Satatfs Temptations. 45
were enough to evidehee' hird altogether1 void of compaffiom
But, Secondly, He Shews no lefs cruelty irt his' ufage of thofe that
are his Slaves. The forvice that he exads of thofe that are his
moft Willing fervants, is no lefs than the higheft cruelty ; and'
not only, (r.) In regard of the mifery and destruction' which'
he niakes them work out for themfelves, which is1 far greater,
than where men are forced by the moft brutiSh tyrattts,-to buy
their own poifori, or to cut their own threats ; becaufe this is
unfpeakably lefs than the endlefs miferies of eternal' torment :
But, (2.) Alfo in regard of the very flaveiy and drudgiuor toil
,df' the fervice which he exads from them;; he is not pleafed:
that they fin, but the vileft iniquities, moft contrary tb God^
and moft aoorhinable to mail, as the higheft Violations of the
laws of nature and reafon, are the things which he will put
them upon; where &ere are no restraints in his wayt HedraVe
the heathens, as Paul teftifies,- Rom. i. to affedions fo vile and
, loathfome,i that in their Way of finning,- they feemed'; to ad ra
ther like brutes than men; their minds becoming fo injudicious,
that they loft all fen'fe of what was fit and comely. Neither,
(3.) Doth this fatisfy his cruelty that the vyorft of abomi
nations be pra'ctifed, • but he urgeth- them to the higheft defpe-f
ratehefs in the manner of performance, and fo draws theni- otifc
to' the front of the battle, that they might contemn and out
dare God to his face; he will have them Sin with an high band,
and In the higheft bravado of madneSs to ruffi into Sin, as the
horfe into the battle. This cruelty of Safari were yet the lefs,
if he only brought them forth prefumptuoufly, in fome one or
two fet battles upon fpecial occafions. But, (4.) He would
have ihfs to be their conftant Work, the talk of every day; up
on the fame fcorC that Ahitophel advifed Abfalom, to an open'
aiid avouched defilement of his father's concubines, that fo the
breach betwixt them and God might be fixed byarefolnte deter
mination ; and confequently, that their hands might be Strong,
and their hearts hardened in rebellion againft God. And, (5.)
That Satan might not come Short of the utfnOft of what cruel
ty could do : We may yet further obferve, that though Sinners
offer themfelves willingly enough, to conflid againSt God in
the high places of the field, yet as not fatisfied with their for-
wardnefs, he laflieth and whips them on to their Work, and
fometimes Over-drives them in their oWn earneftnefs. Haman
¦was fo hurried and overborn with violent hatred againft Mor-
decai and the Jews, Efth. v. 13. that his oWn advancement, and
the marks of Angular favour from the king availed him not, as
to any fatisfadion and prefent contentment. Ahab, though
king of Ifrae'l, is fo vehemently urged in his defires for Naboth's
vineyard,

46 A Treatife of Parti.
vineyard, that he covered his_face and grew Sick upon it. Thus,,
as galley-Slaves, were they chained to their oar, and forced to
their wprk beypnd their Own ftrength.
Thirdly, There is alfo a cruelty feen in his inceflant pro-
vokings and force upon the children of God, while he urgeth
his loathed temptations uppn them againft their.will. When I
confider Paul's outcry in this cafe, Rom. vii. 15, 19. * That
Which I do, I allow not, the evil which I would not, that do I,'
&c. -my thoughts reprefent him tft me, like thofe Christians
that were tortured in the trough, where water was poured by
a continued Stream uppn their mouths, till the clcth that lay
uppn their lips was forced down their throats ; or like thofe
that had Stinking puddle water by a turniel poured into their
Stomachs, till they were ready tp buril ; and furely he appre
hended himfelf to be under very cruel dealing by Satan, when
he cried out, ' O wretched man that I am ! Who Shall deliver
me?' If we ferioufly confider the mind and endeavours of thofe
-children pf God, that are ftriving againft fin, and have caft it
off as the moft loathfome abominable thing, when Satan urgeth*
them to evil with his inceflant importunities; it is asifthey^
were(forced to ^at their own excrements, or to fwallow down
again their own vomit ; for the devil both but, as it were,
cram thefe temptations down their throats againft their will.
Fourthly, If we caft our eye upon the perfecutions of all
ages, we Shall have thence enough to charge Satan withal, in
point of cruelty ; for he, who is Sliled a murderer from the
beginning, fet them all on foot ; it is he that hath filled the
world with blood and fury, and hath in all, ages, in one place
or other, made it a very Shambles and Slaughter-houfe of men.
(1.) Can we reckon how often Satan hath been at this work?
that is impoSfible. His moft public and general attempts of
this kind are noted by histories of all ages. The perfecu
tions of Pharaoh againSt Ifrael, 'and of the prevailing adver-
faries of Ifrael and Judah, againft both or either of them, are
recorded for the moft part in fcripture : The perfecutions of
the Roman emperors againft Christianity are fufficiently known,
and what is yet to come, who can tell? A great persecution by
Antichrift was the general belief and expedation of thofe that
lived in Auftin's time, and long before * ; but whether this be
one more, to the ten former perfecutions, that fo the parallel
betwixt thefe^and Pharaoh's ruin in the Red Sea after his ten
plagues, might run even, be only to be looked for, or that
others are alfo to be expeded, he thinks it would be prefump-
don and raflmefs to determine : But however, his particular
^Sfaults of this nature cannot be numbered : How bufy is he
' ; ftill
* De civit. Dei lib. IS. c. 53.

•Chap VI. Satan's Temptations. 47
ftill at this work, in all times and places ? infomuch, that ' he
that will live godly in this world muft fuffsr perfecution.' But
(2.) If we withal confider what inventions and devices of cru
elty and torture he hath found out, and what endlefs variety of
pains and miferies he hath prepared, (a catalogue whereof,
would fill a great deal of paper) we can do no lefs than wonder
at the mercilefs fury, and implacable rage of him that contrived
them. Satan the great engineer, doth but give us the pidure
of his mind in all thofe instruments of deftrudion. And when
we fee amongft tyrants, ways of torturing of every member of
the body, and arts of multiplying deaths, that fo thofe that pe-
rifh by their hands, might not have fo much as the mercy of a
fpeedy difpatch, but that they might feel themfelves to die, we
may refled it upon Satan, in Jacob's words to Simeon and Le
vi, ' Curfed be his anger, for it is fierce, and his wrath, for it
is cruel.' (3.) But if we confider what instruments he ufeth,
and againft whom, we Shall fee cruelty in an higher exaltation:
Had he ufed fome of the beafls of the earth, or fome of his apof-
tate affociates, to perfecute and afflid the innocent lambs of
Chrift, it might have been much excufed, from the natural in
stinct or curfed antipathy of fuch agents : or had he ufed only
the vileft of the children of men to ad his tragical fury, the
matter had been lefs ,: But as not content with common revenge,
he perfecutes men by men, though all of one blood and off-
fpring, and fo perverts the ends of nature, making thofe that
Should be the comforts and fupport of men, to be the gteateft
terror and curfe to them ; a thing which nature itfelf abhors,
and in regard of which, that the impreffions of pity might be
more permanent and efficacious, God forbade Ifrael to fyth a
kid in the mother's milk ; nay, he hath prevailed with fome of
good inclinations' and rare accomplishments, for fuch were fome
of the perfecuting emperors, to be his deputies, for authorifing
the rack, for providing fire and faggot ; and, which is ftrange,
hath prevailed fo far with them, that they have been willing to
open theirxears to the moft palpable lies, the groffeft forgeries,
the moft unreafonable fuggeftions that known malice could in
vent ; and then after all, when they were drawn out to butch
ery, and Slaughter, by multitudes, they have made fuch fpedra- <
cles, which might make impreflions upon ap iron breaft, or an
adamant heart, only advancements of their jollity ; and as Ne
ro upon the fight of flaming Rome, took his harp and made me
lody, fo have thefe tormenting furies fired, by the help of com-
buftible matter, multitudes of fuch harmlefs creatures, and then
taken the opportunity of their light for their night fports. And
yet, methinks, the devil hath difcoverecf a keener fury, when
, he hath made them rage againft the dead, and dig their graves, and

-48 A Tre,atife of 'Parti.
and revenge i themfelves, upon their fenfelefs afhes, and whea
they could do no more, feek to pleafe themfelves by executing
their, sage; againSt their pidures or Statues ; which actions, tho'
th§y might: be: condemned- for, follies, yet are they evidences of
.higheft fury, which commonly deftroys the judgment, and fa-
enficeth ..wit, reafon, and -honour, uppn the aldar, of revenge.
That ¦ the devjl . Should . fo ppifon man's nature, that be Should
-thusirife up againft his; fellow* that carries the , fame fpecific
being. with himfelf, Shews enough of his. temper againft man,
but- never more Jthan when, he prevails againft- the engagements
of kindnefs, > blood, , aSEriity, and relation, to; raife a man's, ene
mies ' out of his own haufe,.the father againft the fon, and the
fon.agaiaft the father;, the, daughter ; againft the mother, and
the mother; againft^ the daughter:' For this is little lefs than an
.unnatural mutiny of .the members, againft the body.
.Fifthly, We have yet a more vifible inftance pf his cruelty,
. in his bloody, and tyrannical fuperftitions. . Lock, but into the
-rites and .v/ays pf his worShip, among the heathen, in all ages
.: and .places, and , you, will, find nothing but vile and ridiculous
• fooleries, or infplent.and, defpightful ufages. In the, former^he
hath driven men to villanpus, debaucheries, in the latter to, ex
ecrable cruelties. Of the latter I Shall only fpeak, though, in
the former, by debafing man ,to be; his laughing Stock, he is
cruel in his Scorn i and mockery. Here , I might mention his
tyrannical ceremonies of the Jower order,, fuch as touch not
. life ; . fuch were their tedious pilgrimages, . as in, Zeilan their
, .painful whippings ; as of the. youth-pf Laqedaeinon at the altar
of Diana ; of their priefts, and that with knotted cords upon
'their Shoulders as at .Mexico and New Spain ; their harfh
, ufages in tedious faftings, Slinking drenches, hard lyings upon
Stones, eating earthj ftrid forbearances pf wine, and commerce,
their : tort urings and manglings of their bodies by .terrible lanc-
ings and cuttings *,- for the effufion of blood ; their ; difmem-
bering themfelves, plucking out their eyes,;mangling their flefh
to caft in fhe.idolVface, facrjficing their own blood, as did the
priefts of Bellona and : Deafyria f ; fo did the kings of N«w
Spain at their eledion, as Mpntezuma the fecond $, who facri-
ficedby drawing blood' from his ears, and the calves of his legs.
In. Narfinga and ,Bifnagar, they go their pilgrimages with ,
-knives Slicking in -, their arms and legs, till the wounded flefh
feftered ||. • Some caft themfelves under the, wheels of- the wag
gon, on which their, idol is ; drawn in proceffion. Yet arc all
thefe but fmall matters, in comparifon of the bloody outrages
committed upon: mankind, in the abominable cuftom of facri-
ficing.
* i Kings Xviii. »8. -f Tertul. Apolog. cap. o. i-Purchas. Pilfiri'm. Parti.
1. 8. c. ie. || Idem, Part 1. 1. 5. c. n. h

Chap VI. Satan's Temptations. 49
firing men to him *. Of this many authors give its a large ac
count. The Lacedaemonians, to avert the plague, facrificed a
virgin ; the Athenians, by the advice of Apollo's oracle, fent
yearly to king Minos feven males, and fo many females to be
facrificed, to appeafe the wrath of the god, for their killing of
Androgens f ; the Carthaginians, being vanquished by Aga-
thocles king of Sicily, facrinced two hundred noblemen's child
ren at once ; the Romans had every year fuch facrifices of men
and women, of each fex two, for a long time ; and this was
fo common among the wifer Pagan nations, that whenfoever
they fell into danger, either of war, fickneffes, or of any other
calamity, they prefently, to expiate their offences againft their
fuppofed incenfed gods, and to clear themfelves of their prefent
miferies or dangers, facrificed fome mean perfons %, who for this
reafon were called expiations ,- and to this doth the apoftle al
lude, in 1 Cor. iv. 13. (as Budaeus, Stephanus, Grotius, and
many pthers think) as if he fliould fay, we are as much-defpi-
fed, and loaded with curlings, as thofe that are facrificed for
public expiation. But what cruel ufage may we exped for the
poor barbarous nations of the world, where hehad all poflible ad
vantages for the exercife of his bloody tyranny? Many fad inftances
of this kind are colleded by Purchas in his pilgrimage, in his dif
courfes of Virginia, Peru, Brafilia,' Mexico, Florida, and other
places, whofe Stories of this fubjed are fo terrible, and occur
fo frequently, that they are almoft beyond all belief; all which
for brevity's fake I omit, contenting myfelf to note one in
stance or two out of the fcripture, 2 Kings iii. 27. The king
of Moab ' took his eldeft fon that Should have reigned in his
Stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall :'
Thisjie did, according to the cuftoms of the Phoenicians and
others, being reduced to great ftraits, as fnppofing by this-
means, as his laft refuge, to turn away the wrath of his God.
Of Ahaz it is recorded, 2 Chron. xxviii. 3. ' That he burnt
his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen.'
That this was not a luftration, or confecration of their child
ren, though that alfo was ufed, but a real facrificing, is with-.
out doubt to Jofephus, who exprefleth it thus : * He offered his
fon as an holocauft.' But whatever Ahaz did, it is certain the
children of Ifrael did fo, ' They offered- their fons and daugh
ters to devils,' Pfalm cvi. 37. And if the facrifices of the dead
which they eat in the wildernefs, mentioned ver. 28. be under
stood pf the feafts which were made at the. burning of the
children, as fome think ||,- though many underftand it of their
fenfelefs dead gods, or their deceafed heroes, or for their de-
ceafed friends, then, this cruelty had foon poffeffed them: How-
G ever,
* Iphigeniafacrificata, de qua : Sanguine placaftis ventos et virgine csefa.
Virg. f Plut. Paral. c. 66. \ Goodwin's Mofes and Aaron, 1. 3. c. 8.
J| lightfoot on Aits- vii. 43.

¦ja A Treatife of P^it. if?
ever, poflefs them it did, as appears alfo by the description of
their devcuring Moloch *, which the Jewifli rabbins fay was
an hollow 'brazen image in the form of a man, faving that it
had the head a calf, the arms Stretched in a pofture of receiv
ing, the image was heated With fire, and the prieft put the
ehikl in his arms, where it was burnt to death i in the mean
time; a noife was made with drums, that the cries of the child
might not be. heard ; and hence was it called Tophet, from
Toph, which fignifies a drum ; fo that the name and Shape of
the image Shews that it was ufed to thefe execrable cruelties.
Thefe fcripture evidences, if We Were backward to credit
What histories fay 'of this matter, may-aflure us pf the temper
and difpofition of Satan, and may enable us to believe what
bloody work he hath made in the world, which I Shall briefly
£urh up in thefe particulars.
ift, Thefe inhuman, or rather, as Purchas calls, them, o-
•v-er human facrifices, were pradifed in moft nations, not only
the Indians, Parthiahs, Mexicans, i$c. but Ethiopians, Syri
ans, Carthaginians, Grecians, Romans, Germans, French and
Britons ufed them.
idy, Thefe cruelties were aded not only upon Slaves and cap-
dves, but upon children, whofe age and innocency might have
Commanded the compafllons of thejr parents for better triage.
$dly, Thefe facrifices were ufed upon feveral occafions, as at
the fproutin'g of their com, at the inauguration, coronatftin
and deaths of their kings and noblemen; in time of war, dearth,
peftilenCe^ or any danger ; in a word, as the priefts in Florida
and Mexico ufed to fay, whenever the devil is hungry of fhh>.
Sty ; that is,, as oft as he hath a mind.
qthly, In fome places the devil brought them to fet times.
for thofe Offerings ; fome were monthly, fome annual. The
Latins facrificed the tenth child ; the annual drowning of a boy
and a girl in the lake of Mexico ; the calling of two yearly
from the pons Milvius at Rome into Tyber, are but petty in
ftances in comparifon of the reft.
$tMy, We cannot pafs by the vaft number of men offered up
at one time ; fo thirfty is Satan of human blopd,- that from one
or two, he hath raifedthe number incredibly high ; in fome
facrifices five, in fome ten, in fome a. hundred, in fome a thoil-
fand have been offered up. It was the argument which Mon
tezuma the laft emperor of Mexico ufed to Cortez, to prove
his ftrength and greatnefs byr that he facrificed yearly twenty
thoufand men, and fome years fifty tjhonfand. Some have re
served their captives for that end ;. others have made war, on
ly to furniSh themfelves with men for fuch occafions. 6thlyt
* Goodwin's Mofes- and Aaron j 1, 4-. c. a.

Chap. VI, Satan's Temptations. 51
6thlyr There are alfo. feveral cirQHmftanc.es of thefe diaboli
cal outrages, that may give, a further difcovery of his cruelty,
' as that thefe miferable creatures thus led to be butchered, have
been loaden with all the curfings revilings/ and .contumacious
reproaches, as a neceffary concomitant of their violent deaths.
Thus were thofe ufed, who were forced to be the public ka-
tharmato, or expiation, for the removal of common calamities.
Death alfo was not enough, except it had been mpft torment
ing in the manner of it,s as of thofe that fuffered by the era-
hracements of Moloch, the joy and feaftings of fuch facrifi'eings,
which were in themfelves fpedacles of mourning and Sorrow,
were cruelties to the de«4> and a 'barbarous enforcement a-
gainft the laws of nature in the living. But the dafhing of the
fmoaking heart in the idol's face, and the pulling off the Skins
from the maffacred bodies, that men and women might dance
in them, were yet more cruel eeremonies. And, laftly, In thofe
that have been prepared for thofe folemnities, by delicious fare,
gorgeous ornaments, and the higheft reverence or honours, as
was the manners of feveral countries, yet was this no other
than Satan's infulting aver their miferies, of which we can fay
no otherwife, than that his tendereft mercies are cruelties.
ythly, I may caft into the account, that in fome places Satan,
by a ftrange madnefs of devotion, hath perfuaded fome to be
volunteers in fuffering . thefe tortures and deaths. Some have
caft themfelves under the chariot wheels of their idols, and fo
have been cruihed to pieces. * Some faerifice themfejves to
their gods, firft , they cut eff feveral pieces of their flefh, cry
ing every time, ' For the wprfljip of my god, I cut this my
flefh ;' and at laft fay, * Now do I yield myfelf to death in the
behalf of my g'0(V and fo kills himfelf outright. ,
Sthly, It is wonderful to think, that the devil Should, by
ftrange pretexts of reafon, have fmpothed oyer thefe barbarous
inhumanities, fo that they have become plaufible things in the
judgments of thofe miferable wretches. In piacular facrifices,
they believed, that except the life of a man- were given for the
life of men, that the gods could not be pacified. + In other fa
crifices, both Euchariflical, arid for atonement, they retained
this principle, that thofe things are to be offered to the gods,
that are moft pleafing and acceptable to us ; and that the offer
ing of a calf or a pigeon, was not fuitable to foch an end.'
This maxim they further improved, by the addition of another
of the fame kind, ' That if it were fit to offer an human faeri
fice, it muft alfo be innocent ; and confequently little children
G 3 ar<?
* Purchas Pilg. part 1. 1. 5. c. 11. f ?r0 vi'a bominum nifi vjta hopiipis
rc.ddatur, non pofle deorum pumea plji'cari,..arl}itrantur.

5 2 A Treatife of fart I.
are the fitteft for fuch a purpofe *.' And fome have alfo con-
jedured, that the devil hath not been a wanting to improve the
example of Abraham facrificing his fon, or the law in Lev.>
xxvii. 28. f, or the prophecies concerning the death of Chrift,/
as the great facrifice of atonement, to juftify and warrant his
hellifti cruelty. In fome cafes, cruelty hath arifen from the
very- principles of reverence and love, which children have to
parents, and friends- to friends : X As in Dragoian, when any
are lick, they fend tp their oracle, to know whether the par
ties Shall live or die ; if it be anfwered they Shall die, then their
frtends Strangle them and eat them ; and all this from a kind
of religious refped to their kindred, to preferve,- as they ima
gine, their SleSh from putrifadion, and their fouls from tor- „
xnent. The like they do at Java Major, when their friends
grow old and cannot work ; only they eat not their own friends,
but carry them to the market, and fell them to thofe that do
eat them.
Lqftly, Let us call to mind how long the devil domineered.
in the world at this rate of cruelty. When the world-grew to
a freer ufe of reafon, and greater exercife of civility, they
found out ways of mitigation, and changed thefe" barbarous
rites into more tolerable facrifices ; as in Laodicea, they fubfti-.
tuted an hart to be facrificed inftead of a virgin; in Cyprus, an
ox was put inftead of a man ; in Egypt, waxen images inftead
of men ; images of Straw at Rome were caft into Tyber, in the
place of living men; and the terrible burnings of Moloch,.
which was not peculiar only to the nations near, to Canaan, but
was in ufe alfo at Carthage, and found in the American ISlands
by the Spaniards ; the like brazen images were alfo found in
Ludovicus Vivesls time by the French, 'in an Ifland called
by them Carolina. Thefe were at laft changed into a februa-
tion, and inftead of burning their children, they only palled thern
betwixt two fires ; but it was long before it came to this. In
the time of SoCrates, human facrifices were in ufe at Carthage,,
and they continued in the Roman provinces till the time of Ter
tullian, Eufebius'and Laftantius, though they had been fevere-v
ly forbidden by Augustus Cagfar, and , afterward by Jiberius^'
who was forced to- crucify fome .of the priefts that dared to of
fer fuch facrifices, to affright them from thofe barbarous, cuf-
toms. ' In other places of the world, how long fuch things con.
tinued, who can tell, efpeciajly feeing they were found at Caro
lina not fo very long Since ?
| How impoSfible is it to call up the total fum of fo many large,
«ems ? When thefe terrible cuftoms have had fo general a
* Jean D'Efpahe. popular errors, c. 19.
+ Vid I aud: Capel: de troto Jephta, § 9. Vid. Pool Synopf. Crit. on ,
Kings m. ii. \ Purchas Wg. part r. 1. 5. c. 16. ^

Chap. VI. Satan's Temptations. 53
pradifean moft nations, upon fo many occafions, upon fuch
Seeming plaufible principles, when fuch great numbers have
been destroyed at once, and thefe ufages have been fo long prac-
tifed in the world, and with fuch difficulty restrained ; what
Vaft multitudes of men muft we imagine have been confumed
by Satan's execrable cruelty ?
6thly, There remains one inftance more of the devil's cruel
ty, which is yet different from the former, which I may call
his perfonal cruelties, becaufe they are adedbyhis own imme
diate hand upon certain of his vaffals, without the help or in-
terpofure of men, who, in moft of the forementioned safesj
have been as instruments acted by him. Here I might take
notice of his fury to thofe that are poffeffed : Some have been
as it were racked and tortured in their bodies, and their limbs
and members fo distorted, that it hath been not only matter of
pity to the beholders to fee them fo abufed, but alfo of admira-
tipn, to confider how fuch abides Should be confident with their
lives, andthat fuch rendings and tearings have not quite fepa-
ratedthe foul from the, body. In the Gofpels we read of fome
fuch caft into the fire, and into the water ; others conversing
with tombs and fepulchres in the cold nights without clothes ;
and all of them fpoken of as creatures fadly tormented, and
miferably vexed. The histories of later days tell us of fome,
that vomited crooked pins, pieces of leather, coals, cloth, and
fuch like ; of others fnatched out of their houfes, and tired e-
ven to fainting, and wafte of their fpirits, as Domina Roffa,
mentioned byBodin, with a great many more to this Same pur
pofe. We may take a view of his dealing with witches, who
though he feem to gratify them in their tranfportations from
place to place, and in their feaftings with mufic and dancing,
are but cruelly handled by him very often .; the very work
they are put upon, which is the deftrudion of children, men,
Women, cattle, and the fruits of the earth, is but a bafe em
ployment ; but the account he takes of them, of the full per
formance of their enterpfizesi and the cruel beatings they have
of him, when they cannot accomplifh any of. their revenges, is
no lefs than a fevere cruelty. He gives" them no reft, unlefs
they be doing hurt ; and when they cannot do it to the perfons
defigned, they are forced to do the fame mifchief to their own ,
children or relations, that they may gratify their tyrannical
mafter. Bodin * relates the ftory of a French Baron, who was;
afterward put to death for witchcraft ; that after he had killed
eight children, was at laft upon a defign of facrificing his own1.
child to the devil ; and if at any time they grew weary of fo
execrable a Slavery, or confefs their wickednefs, they are fo
miferably
*'£ag. I8<3.

54 A Treatife of Part I.1
miferably tormented, that they chufe rather to die than live.
And what elfe but cruelty can thefe Slaves exped from him,
when the ceremonies of their entrance into that curfed feryiee,
betokens nothing elfe ; for their bonds and obligations are ufu
ally writ or fubferibed with their own blood, and fome magi,
cal books have been writ with the blood of many children ; be
fides, the, farewel they have of him at their ufual meetings,
is' commonly this thundering threatening, '. Avenge yourfelves,
or you Shall die.' All thefe particulars are colleded from the
confeSfions of witches, by Bodin, Wierus, and others.
'But leaving thefe, let us further inquire into Satan's carriage
toward thofe that in America, and other dark and barbarotis
places, know no other god, and give their devoutefl worfhip to
him. To thofe he is not fo kind as might be expeded,. but his
conftant way is to terrify and torment them, infomuch, that
fome know no other reafon of their worShip, but that he may
not hurt them. And Since the Englifli Colonies went into thefe
parts, thefe Americans have learned to make this diftindion be
tween the Englifliman's God and theirs, that theirs is an evil
god, and the other a good God *; though that diftindion in ci
ther places is in the general far more ancient, where they ac
knowledge two gods, one good, the other bad ; and the worfe,
the god is, the faddeft, moft mournful rites of facrificing were
ufed, as' in caves, and in the night, the manner of the worfhip
fitly expreSfing the nature of the god they ferved. Our coun
trymen have noted of the natives of New England, that the de*
.vil appeared to them in ugly Shapes, and in hideous places, as
in fwamps and wppds. But thefe are only the prologue to the
tragedy itfelf ; for they only ferve to imprefs upon the minds
of his worShippers, what cruelties and feverities they are to ex
pect from him ; and accordingly he often lets them feel his hand,
and makes them know, that thofe dark and difmal preludiums
are not for nothing ; for fometime he. appears to the worfhip-
pers, tormenting and affliding their bodies, tearing the Skfb from
the bones, and carrying them away quick with himf ; fometime
Six have been carried away at once, none ever knowing what
became of them. By fuch bloody ads as thefe, he kept thepodr
Americans in fear and Slavery ; fo that as bad a mafter as he
is, they durft not but pay their homage and Service to him.
All thefe particulars being put together, will Shew we do the
devil no wrong when we call him cruel.
* Porphyrins. 1. -2, de Abftinent. Phtarchus. Lod. Vivcs ix Aug. de civ. Dd.,
\. 8. c. 13. \ Wonder woriing. prov fir N, E lib, 1. cap. 10.
CHAP.

Chap. III. Satan's Temptations. 55

CHAP. VII.
Of Satan's diligence in feveral inftances. ' The queftion about tloe
being of fpirits, and devils handled. The Sadducces opinion
dif covered. °lhe reality of Spirits proved.
•"THE laft particular obferved in the text, is his diligence.
¦*¦ This adds force and ftrength to his malice, power, and
cruelty, and SheWs they are not idle, dead, or unactive princi
ples in him, which, if they could be fo fuppofed, Would render
"him lefs hurtful and formidable. This I Shall difpatch in a few
inftances, noting to this purpofe.
Firft, His pains he takes in hunting his prey, and pursuing
bis -defigns : it is nothing for him to compafs fea and land, to
labour to the utmoft in his employment ; it is all his bufinefs, to
tempt and deftroy, and his Whole heart is in it. Hence inter-
miflion or cfeffation cannot be expeded; he faint's not by his
.abour, and his labour with the fuccefs of it, is all the delight
We can fuppofe him to have : fo that being pufhed and hurried
by the hellifli fatisfadion of deadly revenge, and having 4
ftrength anfwetable to thofe violent impulfes, *fae muff fuppofe,
htm to drtdergO, with a kind of pleating willihgheTs, all imagin
able toil and labour. If we look into our fel ves 'We find it true,
to bur no fmall trouble artd hazard: doth he at any time ea
sily defift, when We give him a repulfe ? Doth he not come a-
gain and again, with often and impudently repeated ifrrjJO'rtuni-
ties ? Doth he not Carry a defign in bis mind for months and
years againft us? and when the motion is not feafifole, yet he
forgets it pot, but after a long interruption begins again where
he left, which (fheWs that be is big with bis projeds, and his
mind hath no reSti he ftf eacheth out 'his nets all the day long ;
we may fay of hmi, trhaft he rifeth up early, and fitteth up late
at his work, and is content tb labour in the very fire,, fo that
he might but either difturb a child of God, or gain a pro'felyte.
Secondly, Diligence is not only difcovered in labdritoUrriefs,
but alfo in a peculiar readirreTs to efpy, and to clofe in with fit
occafions, which may, in probability, anfwer the end We drive
at. In this is, Satan admirably diligent, no occafidn ifrrall flip,
Or through ittadvertancy efcape him: no foon'et are opportuni
ties before lis,-, but we may perceive him fuggefting to us,
* Do this, farisfy that luff, take that gain, pleafe youffe'lVes with
that revengfe.' No footter obtains he a commiffion againft a
Child of God, but prefenfly he is upon his back, as he dealt
with Job, he loft no time,, but goes out immediately from the
prcfence

j6 A Triatife 0/ Part I.
prefence of the Lord and falls\ipon him. Befides what he doth
uponfolemn and extraordinary occafions/ thefe that are com
mon and ordinary are fo carefully improved by him, that eve
ry thing we hear or fee is ready to become our fnare, and Sa
tan will effky to tempt us by them, though they lie fomething
out of the way of our inclination, and be not fo likely to pre
vail with us.
Thirdly, It is alfo a difcovery of his diligence, that he never
fails to purfue every advantage which he gets againft us, to the
utmoft. If the occafion and motion thereupon incline usf fo
that if we are perfuaded by them, he follows it on, and is not
fatisfied, with either a lower degree of ading Sinfully, or with
one or two ads ; but then he preSTeth upon us tp Sin tp the
height; with the greater cpntempt of God, and grievance pf his
Spirit, the greater fcandal and offence to our brethren ; and ha
ving once caufed us to begin, he would never have us to make
an "end. His temptations roll themfelves upon us, like the
breaking in of waters, which by the fiercenefs of their current,
make a large way for more to follow. He knows how to im
prove his vidories, and will not through flofhfulnefs, or pity,
negled to complete them. Hence it is, that fometimes he reaps
.a large harveft where he had fown little, and from one tempta-
tipn, npt only wounds the foul pf him that committed it, but
endeavours to diffufe the venom and poifonous-fteam of ittp the
infedion of- others, to the difgrace of religion, the hardening the
hearts of wicked men, and the turning the ignorant out of the
way of truth. In like manner, if he perceive the fpirits of men
grow distempered and wounded, he then plies them with threat-
nings, fills them with all manner of difcouragements, dreffeth
every truth with the worft appearance; that it may be appre-
hended otherwife than it is, and puts fuch interpretations on all
providences, that every thing may augment the fmart of the
wound, till they be overwhelmed with terrors.
Fourthly, The various ways which he takes, Shews alfo his
diligence; if one plot take not, he is immediately upon another;
he confines not himfelf to one defign, nor to one method ; but
if he find one temptation doth not relifli, he prepares another
more fuitable ; if covetoufnefs doth not pleafe us, then he ur
geth to profufenefs ; if terrors do not affright us to defpair,
then he abufeth mercies to make us carelefs and prefuming. IF
we are not content to be openly wicked, then he endeavoursto
make us fecretly hypocritical, or formal ; fometime he urgeth
men to be profane, if that hit not, then to be erroneous; if he
cannot work by one tool, then he takes another, and if any
thing m his way d.fguft, he will not urge it over-hard, but
Straight takes another courfe ; fuch is his diligence, that we
may

Chap. VII.' Satan's Temptationsr ' $>j
may fay of him, as it was faid of Paul upon a better ground,
he will ' become all things to all men, that he may gain fome.'
Fifthly, Diligence will moft Shew itfelf when things are at the
greateft hazard, or when the hopes of fuccefs are ready to bring
forth. In this point of diligence bur adverfary is not wanting;
if men are upbn the point of error or fin, how induftrioufly
doth he labour to bring them wholly over, and to fettle them
in evil ? One would think at fuch times he laid afide all other
bufinefs and only attended this : How frequent, inceflant, and
earneft are his perfuafions and arguings with fuch ?' The like
diligence he. fheweth in obftruding, disturbing, and difcourag-
ing us, when we are upon our greateft fervices, or near our
greateft mereiesjwhat part of the day are we more wandering and
vain in our thoughts, if we take not great care, than when we fet
about prayer ? At other times We find fome more eafe and
freedom in our imaginations, as if we could better rule or com
mand them Y but then, as if our thoughts were only confufion
and diforder, we are not able to mailer them, and to keep the
door of the-h'eart fo clofe, but that thefe troublefome unwelcome
guefts will be crowding in, Is impoSfible : Let us obferve it fe-
rioufly, and we fhaH. find that our thoughts are not the fame,
and after the fame manner impetuous at other times as they
are, when we fet about holy things, which arifeth not only from
the quicknefs of our fpiritual fenfe in our readier obfervation
ef them at that time, but alfo from the devil's bufy molesta
tion, and fpecial diligence againft us on fuch occafions. Befides,
when he forefees our advantages or me'rcies, he befrirs himfelf
to prevent or hinder Us of them ; if ministers fet themfelves to
Study and preach truths that are more piercing, weighty or ne
ceffary, they may obferve more moleftations, interruptions, or
difcouragements of all forts, than when they lefs concern them
felves with the bufinefs of the fouls of men. He'forefees what
fermons are provided, and often doth he upon fuch fo relight en
deavour to turn off thofe from hearing, that have moft need,
and are moft likely to receive benefit by them. Many have
noted ity that thofe fermons and occafions that have done them.
moft good, \vhen they came to them, they have been fome way
or other moft diSTuaded from, and refetved againft before they
came ; and then when they have broken through their ftrongeft
hinderances, they have found that all their obftrudion was Sa
tan's diligent forefight,, to hinder them of fuch a bleffing as1, they
have, beyond hope, met withal. The like might be obferved of
the conftant returns of the Lord's day, if men Watch not againft
it, they may meet with more than ordinary, either avocations
fo prevent and hinder them, or disturbances to annoy and trou
ble;, or bodily ir.difpofiticns to incapacitate aftif unfit them: And
H «

|g A Treatife of Part. j.
it is not to be contemned, that fome have obferved themfelves
"more apt to be droufy, dull or Sleepy on that day. Otherrhave
noted greater bodily indifpofitions than ordinarily, than at other
times; all which make no unlikely conjedure of the devil's
fpeciaf diligence againft us on fuch occafions.
Let us caft in another inft'ance to thefe, and that is, of thofe
that are upon the poijit of converiioj, ready to forfake fin for
Chrift. Oh ! what pains then doth the devil take to keep
them back ? He vifits them every moment with one hindrance
or other ; fometimes they are tempted to former pleafures,
fometimes affrighted with prefent fears and future disappoint
ments ; fometimes difeouraged with' reproaches, f corns and af-
flidions that may attend their alteration ; otherwhile obftructed
by the perfuafion pr threatening of friends and old acquaint
ances ; but this they are fure of, that they have never more
temptations, and thofe more fenfibly troubling than at that
time ; a clear evidence that Satan is as diligent as malicious.
I Should now go on to difplay the fftbtilty of this powerful,
malicious, cruel, and diligent adverfary. There is but one
thing in the way, which hitherto I have taken for granted, and
that isi, " Whether indeed - there be any fuch things as devils
and wicked fpirits, or that thefe are but theological engines con
trived by perfons that carry a good will to morality, and the
public peace, to keep men under an awful fear of fuch mif-
carriages^ as may l render them otherwife a Shame to theni-
felves, and a trouble to others." It muft be acknowledged a
tranfgreffion of the rules of method to offer a proof of that
now,, which, if at . all, ought to have been proved in the be
ginning of the difcourfe : And, indeed, the queftion at this
length,- whether there be a devil, hath fuch affinity with that
other, (though for the matter they are as different as hea-
Ven and hell), " whether there be a God," that as it well de-
fer'ves a confirmation, for the ufe . that may he made of it to
evidence that there is a God, becaufe we feel there is a de
vil, fo-. it would require a ferious endeavour to perform it
fubftantially. But it would be not only a needlefs, labour,
to levy an army againft profeffed Atheifts, who with high
fcorn and derifion roundly deny both God and devils ; feeing
others have frequently done that, but alfo it would occafion
too large a digreflion from our prefent defign. I Shall there-
fore only fpeak- a few things to thofe that own a God, and
yet deny fuch a devil as we have defcribed, and yet not to all
of thefe- neither ; for there were many heathens who were con
fident affertors of a deity, that neverthelefs denied the being of
fpirits, as fevered from corporeity ; and others were fo far
from the acknowledgment of devils, that they confounded them in

Chap. VII. Satan's Temptations. 59
in the number of their gods ; others there were, who gave fuch
credit to the frequent relations of apparitions, and disturbances
of that kind, that many had attefted" and complained of, that
they expreffed more ingenuity than Lucian, who pertinaci>-
oufly refufed to believe becaufe he never faw them, and yet
though they believed fomething of reality, in that that was the
affrightment and trouble of others, they neverthelefs- afcribed
fuch extraordinary things to natural caufes : Some * to the
powers of the heavens and flars in their influences upon natural
bodies, or by the mediation of certain herbs, ftones, miaerals,
creatures, voices, and charaders, under a fpecial obfervation of ,:
the motion of the planets. Some + refer fuch things to the
fubtilty and quicknefs of the fenfes of hearing and feeing,
which might create forms and images pf things, pr difcover, I
know not what, reflections from the fun and moon. Some
fancy % the fhapes and vifions to be exuviee, thin fcales or fkins
of natural things, giving reprefentations of the bodies that caft
them of, pr exhalations from fepulchres representing the Shape
of the body. Others make them the effeds of our untrufty and
deceitful fenfes, the debility and corruption' whereof, they con
clude to be fuch and fo general, that moft men are in hazard to
be imp'ofed upon by delufive appearances. But with far great
er Shew of likelihood, do fome make all fuch things to be no
thing elfe but the ifiues , of melancholy and corrupt humours,
which makes men believe they hear, fee, and fuffer ftrange
things, when there is nothing near them ; or really to undergo
ftrange fits, as in lunacy and epilepfy. .Leaving thefe men as
not capable of information from fcripture-evidence, becaufe dr
owning it ; let us enquire what miftaken apprehenfions there
have been in this matter, among thofe that have pretended' a
-reverence to, and belief of fcripture : The Sadducees deferye
the firft place, becaufe they are by name noted in fcripture to
have denied the refurredion, and to have affirmed that there is
neither angel nor fpirit, Acts xxiii. 8. Matth. xxii. 23.
This opinion of theirs, could we certainly find it out, would
make much for the confirmation of the truth in queftion, feeing,
whatever it was, it is positively condemned in fcripture, and
the contrary afferted to be true. Many, and that upon confit-
derable grounds, do think, that they do not deny abfolutely
that there were any angels at all, but that acknowledging that
fomething there was which was called an angel, yet they ima
gining it to be far otherwife than what it is indeed, were ac-
cufed juftly for denying fuch a t kind of angels as the fcrip
ture had every where afferted and defcribed-: For considering
H 2 that
* The Pcripaticks. Porphyrius.. f Aug. De Civ. Dei, 1. 10. c. 11. Galer,p
J Pomponatius. Epicureans. || Cardari- S Academicks. ** Avcrroe$
¦¦¦*- <~-i£Eus ad Brutura ex Plutarch, in vita Bruti

co A Treatife of Part. I.
, that they owned a God, and, at leaft, the five books of "Mo
fes, if not all the other books of the Old Tell anient, as Sca-
liger and others judge*, not without great probability.; for nei
ther doth the fcripture, nor Jofephus, mentipn any fuch thing
of the prophets, it is unimaginable that they would altoge
ther deny that there was angel or fpirit at all. They read
of angels appearing to Lot, to Abraham, and met with it fp'
frequently, that believing the fcriptures to be true, they could
not believe angels to be' an abfolute fidion ; for one fable or
falfity in fcripture, which fo highly afferts itfelf to be an un
erring oracle of the true God, muft of neceffity have deftrpyl
ed the credit of all, and rendered them as j'uflly fufpeded to
be true in nothing, when apparently falfe or fabulqus. in any
thing. Again, if we call to mind what apprehenfipns they had of
God, which all confent they did acknowledge, we might more.
eafily imagine what apprehenfions they had of angels ; for in
regard that Mofes made mention of God's face and back parts,
Exod.' xxxiii. and that frequently hands and other parjs of
man's body were attributed to him, they concluded God to be
corporeal; and feeing the bell of creatures which God created
cannot be fuppofed to have a more noble, being than was that
of their Creator, and at the utmoft, to be made according to
the pattern of his own image and likenefs, they might upon,
this bottom eafily fix a denial of incorporeal fpirits, and by
confequence that the foul of man was mortal ; and therefore
that there could be no refurredion ; fo that the nature of an
gels being defcribed under the notion of fpiritual fubftances,
they are judged to deny any fuch thing, fnppofing that to be
incorporeal, was as much as not to be at all ; and yet it were '
unreafonable to deny, that they had npt fome interpretation
for thefe paffages of fcripture that mentioned angels, which in
their apprehenfions might be fome falvo.to the truth of thofe
hiftorical writings, which they acknowledged ; but what that
was, we are next to conjedure. ' And indeed Jofephus -f by a
little hint of their opinion, feems to tell us, that they did not
fo much deny the being of the foul as the permanency of it,
and fo by confequence they might not fo much deny abfolutely
the existence of fpirits, as their natural being and continuancei
Something there Was that was called by the name oi angel, (that
they could not but own) and that this muft be a real, and
not an imaginary thing, is evident! from the real effeds and
things done by them ; yet obferving their appearances to have
been upon fome fpecial pccafion, and their disappearing to have-
been oh a fudden, they might conjedure them to be created by,
God
-f Vid, Spanheim, dub." Evang. Part 3. dub. 29. f Lib. ». de Bello Jud. c, 7<

Chap VII'. Satan's Temptations.' (Jr.
God for the prefent feryice, and then reduced to nothing when
that fervice was done.
Their opinion then of angels feems to be one of thefe two,
either that they were corporeal fubftances created upon a fpe-
cial emergency, but no): permanent beings ; or that they were
but images and impreffions fupernaturally formed in the fancy
by the Special operation of God, to Signify his mind and com
mands to men, upon which they might fitly be called God's
mefSengers and ministers. I put, in this laft into the conjedure,
becaufe I find it mentioned by Calvin *, as the opinion of the
Sadducees, but both are noted by Diodateon Acts xxiii. 8. as
with '• equal probability belonging to them ; his words are,
?' They did not believe they were fubfifting and immortal crea
tures, but tranfitory apparitions, or fome divine actions and mo
tions to produce fome fpecial and notable effed-
Others alfo have been lately hammering out the fame appre-
henfion concerning angels, and profefs themfelves delivered
from it with great difficulty, f differing only in this from fome
of the heathens before mentioned, that what thofe afcribed to
the puiffance of the flars, natural powers, or to wenknefs of
fenfes and corrupt humours, they, by the advantage of the
general notions pf fcripture, have afcribed to God, putting
forth his power upon the minds and fancies of men, or work
ing by the humours of the body: Upon this foundation they
will eafilier make bold with devils to deny, if not their being,
yet their; temptations, imagining that we may poflibly do him
wrong, in fathering upon him thefe folicitations and provoca
tions to fin, which we by experience find to be working and
acting upon pur minds, thinking that our own fancies or ima
ginations may be the only devils that vex Us : and this they
more readily hearken to, from the nature of dream's and vifions
Which happen tp men in an ordinary natural way, where our
fancies play .with us as if they were dift'ind from us : As alfo
from this confideration, that the lunatick, epileptick and fren-
zical perfons are in fcripture called demoniacks, as Matth. xvii.
15. with Luke ix. where the perfon is called lunatick, and yet
faid to be taken and vexed by a fpirit ; So alfo John x. 20. he
hath a devil, and is mad : But thefe reafonings can do little
with an intelligent confiderinri man, to make him deny what
he fo really feels, and is fo oftea forewarned/ of in fcripture :
For fuppofe thefe were called demoniacks by the vulgar, it
doth not compel us to believe they were fo. Men are apt to
afcribe
* In (lit. 1. i.e. 14. feci. 9. Y\i\t ilia quidem olim Sadducrcorum opinio,
per angelos ni'hil defi»nari quam vel motus quos Deus hominibus afyiirat, v*t'
iia qua edit virtutis fus fpecinuna.- f Hob's Lev. e. 34. p. %\ 1 and 114.

62 A Treatife of Part I.
afcribe natural difeafes to Satan, * and Chrift did not concern
himfelf to cure their mifapprehenfions, while he cured their,
difeafes. This fome fuggeft as a reafon that may anfwer many
cafes, though indeed it cannot anfwer that of Matth.. xvii. be
caufe ver. 18. it is faid exprefsly, that ' Jefus rebuked the de
vil, .and he departed out of him,' which would not have been
proper to have been fpoken on the account of Chrift by the
Evangelift, to exprefs the cure of a natural difeafe; for fo would
he unavoidably have been rendered guilty -of the fame miftake
with the vulgar. -But if we Should grant, that divers mention
ed under the name of demoniacks, were men disturbed with
melancholy, or the falling ficknefs, all were not fo ; for thofe in
Matt. viii. 31. befou'ght Chrift after their ejedion, to haveli.
berty to go into the herd of fwine. So that if. Mr Mede in
tended to aflertf, that all demoniacks were no other than mad
men, and lunaticks : I queftion not but he was miftaken, and
by his reafon, not only muft mad men and lunatick perfons pafs
for demoniacks, but all difeafes whatfoever ; for the blind and
dumb were called alfo demoniacks, Matth. ix. 32. and xii. 22.
But the matter feems to be this, that where men were afflicted
with fuch distempers, Satan topk the advantage pf them, and
aded the poffeffed acccrdingly ; as he frequently takes the ad
vantage of a melancholy ihdifpofition, and works great terrors
and affrightments by it, as in Saul, or at leaft that, where he
poffeffed, he counterfeited the fits and furies of thofe natural di
stempers, and -aded, fome like mad men, and others he made
dumb and deaf, (which feems to have been the cafe of thofe in
Mat. ix. 12. where the deafnefs and dumbnefs did depend upon
the poffeSfion, and was cured with it.) Others were made to fall
on a fudden into fire or water, as thofe that are epileptic, and
therefore might fuch be called both lunatic, or epileptic, and
alfo poffeffed with a devil.
, As to that reafon which fome fetch from dreams, it is ra
ther a dream than a reafon againft the being of devils, feeing
the effeds pf thefe infernal fpirits are far otherwife, than. the
iitmoft of what can be imagined to be aded upon the Stage of
imaginations ; fo that the real and permanent being of devils
may be eafily proved :
¦ Firft, From thofe real ads noted to be done by angels and de
vils: The angels that appeared to Lot, were-feen and enter
tained in the family, feen and obferved by the Sodomites. Thofe
that appeared to Abraham were more than fancied appearances,
in that they eat and drank with him. The devil conveyed
Chrift from place to place ; this could fiot be a fancy or ima
gination :
* Dr Morc's Myftery of-Godlinefs. 1. 4. c. 6. feft. 10. f Lib. I. p. Sj.
on John *• *-"•

Chap. V. Satan's Temptations. 63
gination : Theirbegging leave to go into the fwine, Shews them
real existences.
Secondly, From the real effeds done by them. We have un
doubted teftimonies of men really hurt and tormented by Satan.
Of fome really fnatched away, and carried a great distance from
their dwellings. Of others poffeffed, in whom the devil really
fpeaks audible voices, and ftrange > languages, gives nptice of
things pall, and fometimes of things to come. The oracles of
the heathen, which, however they were for the moft part falfe
or delufory, yet, in that they were -refponfes from images and
idols, were more than phantafms.
Thirdly, From what the fcripture fpeaks every where of
them — Of their malice and cruelty — That devils are murder
ers from the beginning — Their daily waiting how they ,may
devour — Their arts, wiles and Stratagems- — Their names and
appellations, when ftiled principalities, powers, fpiritual wick-
edneffes ; ' The prince of the power of the air, and a great
many more to that purpofe, Shew that without apparent folly
and dotage, we cannot interpret thefe of motions only upon the
minds and fancies of men : BeSides, the fcripture fpeaks of the
oSlice of good jragels', as their ' Standing continually before the
throne,' Dan. vii. 10. their ' beholding the face of God, their
accompanying Chrift dt his fecond coming, their gathering the
eled from the four winds,' &c. which cannot be understood of
any thing elfe, but real and permanent beings ; and this is alfo
an eyidence that devils are, feeing the fcripture mentions their
fall, apd their punishment. ¦
Fourthly, Seeing alfo the fcripture condemned the opinion of
. the- Sadducees, the contrary of that opinion muft be true ; and
exprefsly in Acts xii. 9. that which was done by an angel, is
oppofed to what might be vifional or imaginary.
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 cal
led daimones or daimonih, that is devils ; and notwithstanding
that they fuppofed thefe to be mediators to the fupreme gods, *
yet they learned to diflinguifh them into good and evil. The
Platonifts thought that the fouls of tyrants after death became
lemures et larve, that is hurtful devils ; + and at laft, the name
devil became of fo bad a Signification, that to fay, thou haft a
devil, was reproach and not praife ; but what thefe gropped at
in the dark, the fcripture doth fully determine, ufing the word
devil only for a malignant fpirit.
CHAP VIII.
* Mede Apoft: latter Timet) p. 19. f Auguft, dc Civ. Dei. 1. 9. c.'ir.
and c. 19.

64 A Treatife of Part I.
CHAP. VIII.
Of Satan's cunning and craft in the general. Several demonjtra-
tions proving Satan to be deceitful ,- and of the reafons why
he makes ufe of his cunning.
WE have taken a furvey of our adverfary's ftrength, and
this Will open the way to a clearer difcovery of his fub-
tilty and craft, which is his great engine, by which he works
all his tyranny and cruelty in the world, to the rum pr prejtn
dice of the fouls of men ; of which the apoftle, in 2 Cor. 11. 11.
fpeaks, as a thing known by the common experience of all dif-
cerning petfons ; his Way is to over- reach and take advantages,
and for this end he ufeth devices and Stratagems, which is a
thing fo ordinary with him, that none can be ignorant pf the
truth of it ; i We are npt ignorant of his devices.'
This, before I come to the particulars, I Shall prove and il
lustrate in the general, by the gradual procedure of thefe few
following considerations. '
Firft, All the malice, power, cruelty, and diligence of which
we have fpokett, with all the advantages of multitude, order
and knowledge, by which thefe cruel qualifications are height
ened. Thefe are but his furniture and accomplishment which
fit him for his fubtle contrivances of delufion, and make him
able to deceive, neither hath he any ufe of his power and know-'
ledge but in reference to deceit, in Eph. vi. 11, 12. which is a
place wherein the apoftle doth of purpofe prefent Satan in his
way of dealing with men, his whole pradice is fet forth under
the term and notion of arts and wiles ; ' that you may be able
to Stand againft the wiles of the devil.' This is the whole
Work of Satan, againft which the furniture of that fpiritual ar
mour is requisite ; and left any Should think that his power or
wickednefs are other diftind things in him, which are to be
provided againft by other means Of help, he prefently adds, that
thefe ate no otherwife ufed by him, but in order to his wiles
and cunning ; and therefore not to be looked upon as diftinct,
though indeed tb be confidered in cchjundion with his fubtilty
arid cunning, as things that make his wiles the more danger
ous and hazardous; 'For we wreftle not againft flefh and
blood, but againft- principalities, againft powers, againft the
rulers of the darknefs of this world, againft fpiritual wickednefs
in high places ;' which Words do but Strengthen the apqftle's
warning and caution about the forererentioned wiles, which are
therefore the more carefully to be obferved and watched againSt,
becaufe his power is fo great, that he can contrive fnares with
the greateft Skill and art imaginable ; and his wickednefs is fo
' great,

Chap Vlllt Satan's Temptations. 6$
great, that we cannot exped either honefty or- modefty Should
reftrain him from making the vileft and moft difingenuous pro-
pofals, nor from attesting a conveniency or goodnefs in his mo->
tions, with the higheft confidence of moft notorious lying.
Secondly, The fubtilty that the fcriptures do attribute to fin,
or to the heart, is moftly and chiefly intended to refled upon
Satan as the author and contriver of thefe deceits. In Heb.
iii. 13. there is. mention of the deceitfulneis of fin, but it is e-
vident that fomething elfe, befides fin, is intended, to which de-
ceitfulnefs muft be properly afcribed*; for fin being, as m'oft
conclude, formally a privation, or if we Should grant it a pofi-
tive being, as fome contend, yet feeing the higheft notion we
can arrive at this way, excluding but the figment of Flaccus
Illiricus f, who feems to make original fin indiitind from the
very effence of the foul, is but to call it an ad. Deceitfulnefs
cannot be properly attributed to it, but with reference to him
-who orders that ad in a way of deceitfulnefs and delufion, which .
ultimately will bring it to Satan's door : If here the deceitful
nefs of fin be devolved upon the fubjed, then it runs into the
fame fenfe with Jer. xvii. 9. ' The heart is deceitful above all
things.' But why is the deceitfulnefs fixed upon the heart? The
ground of that we have in' the next words ¦; it is deceitful, be
caufe it is wicked, defperately wicked; But who then inflames
and Stirs up the heart to this wickednefs ? Is it not Satan ?
Who then is the proper author of deceit but he ? It is true in
deed, that our hearts are proper fountains of fin, (and fo may
be accufed poflibly in fome cafes where Satan cannot be juftly
blamed); yet if we confider deceitfulnefs as a companion of e-
very Sin, though our hearts be to be blamed for the fin, Satan
will be found guilty of the deceitfulnefs. It may be faid a man
complies, with thofe things which are intended for his delufion,
and fo improperly by his negligence may fall under blame of
felf-deception ; but it is unimaginable that he can properly and
formally intend to deceive himfelf. Deceit then not being from
fin, nor ourfelves properly, can find out no other parent for it
felf than Satan. Befides this, that thefe texts, upon a rational
enquiry, do charge Satan with the deceitfuluefs of fin : They
do over and above point at the known and conftant way of Sa
tan, working fo commonly by delufion, that deceitfulnefs is a
clofe companion of every fin. The deceitfulnefs of fin, is as
much as the deceitfulnefs of every fin. Nay further, that text
of Jer. xvii. Shews this deceitfulnefs not to be an ordinary flight,
but the greateft of all deceits above meafure, and of an unfearch-
able depth or myftery, Who can know it ?
Thirdly, All ads of fin, fome way or other, come through
I Satan's
* Vid Purlow Exer. Metaph, Exer. 2. f Flac. Scrip. Tract. 6. p. 479-

66 A treatife of Chap, VlH<
Satan's fingers. I do not fay, that all fin is Satan's proper off-
fpring, for we have a curfed ftock of our own ; and it may be
faid of us, (as elfewhere of Satan), fometime we fin out of our
own inclination 'and difpofition ; yet in every fin, whether it
arife from us* or the world, Satan blows the fparks, and ma-
ihageth all. As David faid to the woman of Tekoah, * Is not
the hand of Joab with thee in all this ?' So may we fay, Is not
the hand of Satan With thee in every fin, thou committeft? This
is fo eminently true, that the fcripture indifferently afcribes the
fin fometimes to us, fometimes to the devil. It was Peter's Sin
to tempt Chrift to decline fuffering, yet Chrift repelling it with
this rebuke, «' Get thee behind me Satan,' Matth. xvi. ,23. doth
plainly accufe both Peter and Satan. It is the perfonal fin of
a man to be angry* yet in fuch ads he gives place to the devil,
Eph. iv. 26; both man and Satan concur in it. Paul's thorn
in the flefh, whatever fin it was, he calls Satan's meffengety-
2 Cor. xii. 7. He that fubmits not to God, doth ih that comply
with Satan ; as on the contrary, he that doth fubmit himSelf
to God, doth refiffi the devil, James iv. 7. *
Neither doth that expreflion of the apoftle, James i. 14.
' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own
luft,' &c. give any contfadidion to this ; it is not the apoftle's
defign to exclude Satan, but to include man as juftly culpable,
notwithstanding Satan's temptations ; and that which lie afferts ,
is this, that there is fin and a temptation truly prevalent when
there is the leaft confent of our lu.fl or defire, and that it is that
brings the blame upon us ; fo that his purpofe is not to excufe
Satan, or to deny him to have a hand in drawing or tempting
as on to fin, but to Shew that it is our own ad that makes the
Sin to become ours..
Fourthly, Such is the constitution of the foul of man, that it?
finning cannot be conceived without fome deception or delu
fion*: for granting that the foul of man is made up of defires,
and that She foul were nothing elfe, but as it were, one willing
or lulling power diversified by feveral objeds ; add that this
power, or thefe faculties, are depraved by the fall, and corrup
ted ; and that man in every adion doth confult with hisdefires;
and that they have fo great an Influence upon him, that they
are the law of the members, and give out their commands ac
cordingly for obedience ; yet ftill thefe three things are firm and
nufhaken principles,
-, Firft, That defires cannot be fet upon any objed but as it is
apprehended, truly or apparently, good f 5 it is incompatible to
a rational foul to defire evil as evil. Secondly,
* Mauton on Jaraes i. 14 j Omne uppeth bonura.

Chap. VIII. Satan's Temptations, 67
Secondly, The will doth not refolvedly embrace any objed *,
till the light of the underftanding hath made out fome way or
other, the goodnefs or conveniency of the objed.
Thirdly, There is no man that hath not a competent light
for difcovery of the gOodnefs or evil of an objed prefented.
Unregenerate men have. (i.)The light of nature. (2.) Some
have an additional light from fcripture difcovery, (3.) Some
have yet more from common coHvidions, which beget fenfibla
Stirrings and awful impreSfions upon them. (4.) To thofe God
fometimes adds corredions and puniShments,Jwhich are of force
to make that light burn more clear, and to Stir up care and cau
tion in men for the due entertainment of thefe notices that God
affords them. Regenerate men have all this light, and befides
that they have, (1.) The light of their own-experience, of the
yilenefs and odioufnefs of fin ; they know what an evil and
bitter thing it is. (2.) They have a more full difcovery of
God, which will make them abhor themfelves in duft and aShes,
Job xiii. 6. (3.) They have the advantage of a ' new heart, the
law of the Spirit of life, making them free from the law of fin
and death, Ifa. vi. 5. (4.) They have alfo the help and affift,
ance of the Spirit, in its motions, fuggeftions, and teachings,
(j.) They fortify themfelves with the Strongest refolutions not
to give way to fin.
Notwithstanding all thefe, it is too true, that both regenerate
gnd unregenerate men do fin. The reafon whereof cannot be
given from any other account than what we have afferted; viz,
they are fome way or other deluded or deceived ; fome curtain
is drawn betwixt them and the light, fome fallacy or other is
put upon the unddritanding fome way or Other, the will is brib-
ed of biaffed, there is treachery in the cafe; for it is unimagin
able that a man in any ad of fin fliould offer a plain open and
dired viplence to his own nature and faculties ¦; fo that the
Whole bufinefs is here, evil is prefented under the notion of
good; and to make this out, fome cofiderations of pleafure or
profit do bribe the will, and give falfe light to the underftand
ing: hence is it, that in every ad of. fin, men by compliance
"with Satan, are faid to deceive, or to put tricks and fallacies up
on themfelves. James i. 22, — 29.
Fifthly, All kinds of fiibtilty are in fcripture diredly charged
Upon Satan, and in the higheft degrees. Sometimes under, the
notion of logical fallacies ; thofe flights which difputants in ar
guing put upon their antagonifts. Of this import is that ex-
preflion, 2 Cor. ii. II. ' We are not ignorant of his devices,'
whefe the word in the original is borrowed from the fophiftical
reafonings of difputants *, Sometimes it is exprefTed in the fi-
I 2 militude
* Voluntas fequi, tur ultimum dic"tamen intellectus pracTritf,
f Thus Satan, Jude 9. dilputed, urged fophifois about the body of Bflofes,

68 A Treatife of PartL
militude of political deceits ; as the fcripture gives him the ti
tle of a prince, fo doth it mark out his policies in the manage*
ment of his kingdom, Rev. xii. 7. exprefsly calling them de
ceits, and comparing him to a dragon or ferpent for his fubtil
ty. Sometime he is reprefented as. a warrior, Rev. xii. 17.
* The dragon was wroth, and went to make war,' &c. and here
are his warlike Stratagems pointed at. Mention is made, 2
Tim. ii. 26. of his fnares, and the taking of men alive, or cap
tive, directly alluding, to warlike proceedings. The fubtile
proceedings of arts and craft are charged on him and his in
struments: Men are faid to be enticed, James i. as SiSh, or fowl,
by a bait: Others deluded, as by cheaters in falfe gaming, Eph.
iv. 1 4. ' By the flight of men, and the cunning craft of thefe
that lie in wait to deceive*:' The over-reaching of merchants or
crafty tradefmen is alluded to in 2 Cor. ii. 11. All thefe Slights
are in Satan, in their higheft perfedion and accomplishment :
' He" can transform himfelf into an angel of light,' 2 Cor. xi.
14. where he hath occafion for it. In a word, all deceiveable-
nefs of unrighteoufnefs is in him, 2 Thef. Ii. 10. So that a ge
neral panurgia, a dexterity and ability for all kind of Subtle
contrivances is afcribed to him, 2 Cor. xi, 3. and that in his
very firft effay upon Eve, when the ferpent deceived her through
fubtilty ; fo that whatfoever malice can fuggeft, or wit and art
contrive for delufion, or whatfoever diligence can pradife, or
cruelty execute, all that muft be imagined to be in Satan.
Sixthly, All this might be further proved by inftances: What
temptation can be named wherein Satan hath not aded as a
ferpent ? Who can imagine the cunning that Satan.ufed with
David in the matter of Uriah ? How eafily he got him to the
roof of the houfe in order to the objed to be prefented to him?
How he directs his eye, wrought upon his paffions, fuggefted
the thought, contrived the conveniences' What art muft there
be to bring a darknefs into David's mind, a forgetfulnefs of
God's law, a fearleffhefs of his difpleafure, and a negled of his
own danger ; furely it was no fmall matter that could blind
David's eye, Or befot his heart to fo great a wickednefs. But
above all instances, let us take into confideration that of Eve;-;
in the firft tranfgreffion, wherein many things may be obferv
ed : As (1.) that he chofe the ferpent for his instrument; :
wherein though we are ignorant of the depth of his defigny yet
that he had a defign in it of fubtilty, in reference to, what he
was about to fuggeft, is plain from the text. , < Now the fer-
pent was more fubtile than any beaft of the field ;' it had been
needlefs and impertinent to have noted the ferpent's fubtilty as
Satan's agent, if he had not chofen it upon that fcore, as advan
tageous
» Plcontiuin dkit qui avantia vel aliis malis artibus lucra eomparat. Bex*

Chap. VIII. Satafi's Temptations. 6a
tageous for his purpofe. (2.) He fet upon the weaker yeflel,
the woman, and yet fuch, 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 abr
fence, which is probable, if we confider that it is unlikely, that
Adam fliould not interpofe in the difcourfe if he had been pre
fent. (4.) He took the advantage of the objed. It appears
She was within fight of the tree, ' She faw that it was good for
food, and pleafant tp the eyes :' Thus he made the objedl plead
for him. (5.) He falls not diredly upon what he intended, left
that Should have feared her off, but fetcheth a compafs, and en
ters upon the bufinefs by an enquiry of the affair, as if he in
tended no hurt. (6.) He fo enquires of the matter, ' Hath
God faid, ye fliall not eat of every tree of the garden ?' as if
he made a queflion of the reality of the command ; and his
words were fo ordered, that they might caft fome doubt here
of into her mind. (7.) He under a pretence of afferting God's
liberality, Secretly undermines the threatening, as if he had faid,
f ' Is it poffible, that fo bountiful a Creator Should deny the li
berty of" eating of any tree ? To what purpofe was it made, if
it might not be tailed ?'.' (8.) When he finds that by thefe
arts he had gained a little ground, and brought her to fome
kind of questioning of the reality of the threatening, for She
feems to extenuate it in faying, ' Left we die,' he grows more
bold to fpeak out his mind, and plainly to annihilate the
threatening, ' Ye Shall not die ;' this he durft not do, till he
had gained in her mind a wavering fufpicion that poffibly God
was not in good earneft ip that prphibitipn. (9.) Then he be
gins to urge the conveniericy and excellency of the fruit, by
equivocating upon the name of the tree* which he tells her,
could make them knowing as Gods, fio.) He refleds upon
God as prohibiting this,' out of envy' and ill-will to them.
(ii.) In allthis there is npt a Word of the danger, but impu
nity and advantage prbmifed. (12.) This /deadly advice he
covets with a pretence of greater kindhefsi and care than God
had for them. See in this, as in a clear' glafs, Satan's way
of policy; after this rate he proceeds in' all his,' temptations.
If any enquire, why fo mighty and potent a' prince ufeth
rather the fox's Skin than the lion's paw, thefe reaforis may
fatisfy. Firft, There is a rieceflity upon him fo to do : fie muft ufe
. his craft, becaufe he cannot compel * : He muft have God's,
leave before he can overcome f : He cannot winnow Peter be
fore he fue out a commiSnon, nor deceive Ahab till he get a
licenfe ; neither can he : prevail againft us without our own
c.onfent.
• Fid. Capel. Ternp. p. 27. -f Will. Paris in Amef. Caf. Confc. lib. 2. c. 19.

yo • A Treatife of Part. I,
confent*. The fcripture indeed ufeth fome words that fig.
nify a force in tempting, as, that he put it into the heart of Ju
das, filled the heart of Ananias, provoked David, rules in the
hearts of the children of difobedience, and leads them captive
at his will, &c. yet all thefe and the like expreflions intend
no more than this, that he ufeth forcible importunities, frames
Strong delufions, and joins fometimes his power tp his tempta,.
tions + ; as fometimes fowlers Shew themfelves to the birds
they intend to infnare, that fo they may be affrighted into an
awe and amazement, to give a better opportunity tp fpread
their nets over them. ,
Secondly, If he cpuld compel, yet his way of craft and fub
tilty is generally the moft prevalent and fuccefsful. Force Stirs
up an oppofition, it ufually alarms to caution and avoidance,
and frights to an utter averfenefs in any defign ; fo that where
force Should gain its thoufands, fubtilty will gain its ten thou-
fands. Thirdly, His ftrength is not ufelefs to him ; For, befides that
it enables him to deceive with higher advantage than otherwife
he could do, as hath been faid, he hath times and occafions to
Shew his ftrength and cruelty, when his cunning hath prevailed
fo far as to give him pofleSIion. What was faid of Pope Boni*
face, that he entered like a fox, and ruled like a lion, may be
applied to him ; he insinuates himfelf by fubtilty as a fox or fer*
pent, and then rules with rigour as a lion.

CHAP. IX.
Of Satan's deceits in particular. What temptation is. Of
tempting to fin. His firft general rule. The confideration of
pur condition. His fecond, rule. . Of providing fuitable temp*
tations. In what cafes he tempts us to things unfuitable tu
our inclinations. His third rule. The cautious propofal of
the temptation, and the feveral ways thereof. His fourth
rule is to entice. The way thereof in the general, by bringing
a darknefs upon the mind through Ittft.
JTjUR next bufinefs is to enquire after thefe ways of deceit in
^ particular, in which I Shall firft fpeak of fuch as are of
more general and univerfal concernment. Such are his temp
tations to fin, his deceits againft duty, his cunning in promot
ing .error, Ins attempts againft the peace and comfort of the
faints,
• Goodwin Child of.Light, p. 47. f Caryl on Job i. 14. « All are volun
teers, he never cpnfrrains any, neither can he ; the will is never forced by
him, neither can it be.

Chap. IX. Safari's Temptations. 71
faints, &c. and then I Shall come to fome ways of deceits that
relate to cafes more Special.
As an introdudion to the firft, I Shall fpeak a word of temp*
tation in the general. ¦ This in its general notion, is a trial or
experiment made of a thing : The word that fignifies to tempt,
comes from, a word that fignifies to pierce, or bore through,
implying fuch a trial as goes to the very heart, and inwards of
a thing. In this fenfe it is attributed to God, who is faid to
have tempted Abraham, and put our faith upon trial ; and
fometimes to Satan, who is faid to have tempted Chrift, tho'
he could not exped to prevail : But though God and Satan do
make thefe trials*, yet there is a vaft difference betwixt them,
and that not only in their intentions, the one defigning only a •
difcovery to men of what is in them, and that for xrfoft holy
ends, the other intending- ruin and deftrudion ; brat alfo in the
way of their proceedings. God by providence prefents objeds
and occafions ; Satan doth not only do that, but farther inclin-
eth and pofitively perfuadeth to evil. Hence is it, that temp
tations are distinguished into trials merely, and feducements,
fuitable to that of Tertullian f, Diabolus tentat,Deus probat, the
devil tempts, God only tries. We fpeak of temptation as it is
from Satan, and fo it is defcribed to be a drawing or moving
men to Sin under colour of fome reafon J. By which we may
obferve, that in every fuch temptation there is' the objed to
Which the temptation tends, the endeavour of Satan to incline
our hearts, and draw on our coofent, and the instrument by
which is fome pretence of reafon ; not that a real and folid rea
fon can be given for fin, but that Satan offers fome considera
tions to us to prevail with us, which if they do, we take therm
to be reafons. This may a little help us to understand Satan's
method in tempting to fin, Sec. of which I am firft to fpeak.
In temptations to fin, we may obferve Satan walks by fous
general rules,
Firft, He cpnfiders and acquaints himfelf with the cpnditipn
Of every man, and for that end he Studies man. God's queftioH
concerning Job, ' Haft than confidered my Servant Job?' Job i.
8. doth imply, not only his diligent enquiry into Job's State,
for the original expreflefh it, by Satan's putting -his heart up
on Job, § or laying him to his heart, but that this is ufual
With Satan fo to do ; as if God had faid, ' It is thy way to pry
narrowly into every man ; haft thon done this to Job ? Haft
thou confidered him as thou ufeft to do ?' And indeed Satan
owns this as his bufinefs and employment in his anfwer to God,
' I come
* Calv. Iaftitut. 1. 3. c. jp. feci. 46. f De 0rat- I Capel. Tempt, p. 2$..
§ Caryl, in loc.

92 A Treatife of Part ft
' I come from going to and- fro in the earth, from walking up
and down in it.' This cannot be properly faid of him who is a
fpirit ; bodies go up and down, but not fpirits : So that his
meaning is, he had been at his work of enquiring and fearchingk
And fo Broughton tranflates it, * from fearching to and fro in
the earth ; as it is faid of the eyes of God, ' that they run to
and fro', which intends his intelligence, fearch, and knowledge
of things ; it is fuch a going to and fro, as that in Dan. xii. 4,
which is plainly there exprefled to be for the increafe of .know.
ledge, \
The matter cf his enquiry, or particulars of his Study, are
fuch as thefe: (i._) Man's ftate; he confiders and guefleth
whether a man be regenerate or unregenerate. ("2.) The de
gree "of his ftate : if unregenerate, how near or far off he is
the kingdom of God ; if regenerate,' he takes the compafs of
his knowledge, of his gifts, of his graces. (3.) He enquires
into his constitution and temper, he obferves what difpofition
he is of. (4.) His place, calling and relation, his trade, em
ployment, enjoyments, riches, or wants. (5.)Hisfex. (6.) His
age, \$c.
The-way by which he knows thefe things is plain and eafy,
moft of thefe things are open to common obfervation ; and what
is intricate or dark, that he beats out, either by comparing us
with purfelves, and considering a long trad of actions and car
riage ; or by comparing us with others, whofe ways he had
fprmerly noted and obferved.
The end of this fearch is to give him light and inftrudion in
point of advantage ; hence he knows where to raife his batte
ries, and how to level his Shot againft us. This Chrift plainly
difcovers to be the defign of all his Study, John xiv. 30. where
he tells his difciples, he expeded yet another onfet from Satan,
and that near at hand, for the prince of the world was then up
on his motion, he was a coming ; but withal, he tells them of
his fecurity againft his affaults, in that there was nothing in
Chrift of advantage in any of thefe forementioned ways to foot
a temptation upon. It appears then that he lppks for fuch ad
vantages, and that without thefe he hath little expedancy of
prevailing. >
Secondly, Satan having acquainted himfelf with our condi
tion, makes it his next care to provide fuitable temptations,
and to Strike in the right vein ; for he loves to have his work
eafy and feafible ; he loves not to go againft the ftream. Thus
he confidered Judas as a covetous perfon, and accordingly pro
vided a temptation of gain for him. He did the like with A-
chan ; and hence was it, that he had the Sabeans fo ready for
the
|| Heb. (SIIANATH) circumfpexit, luftravit. Metaph.

Chapj IX. Satan's Temptations. 73
the plunder pf Job ; he had pbferved them a people given to
rapine and fpoil ; and acccrdingly Job's goods being propound
ed to them as a good and eafy booty, he ftraightway prevailed
with them. It was eafy for him to draw Abfalom into an o-
pen rebellion againft his father, he had taken notice of his, am
bitious and afpiring humour, and of the grudges and diffatif-
¦fadions under which he laboured ; fo that providing him a fit
opportunity, he engaged him immediately, according to this
rule, where he obferves men of Shallow heads and low parts,
lie the more freely impofeth upon them in things palpably ab
furd 5 where he takes notice of a fearful temper, there he tenets
them with terrors and affrightful fuggeftions ; he hath tempta
tions proper for the fanguine complexion, -and for the melan
choly ; he hath his methods of dealing with theluftful and wan
ton ; with the paffionate and revengeful ; he hath novelties at
hand for the itching ear, and fuggeftions proper for thofe that
are atheiftically inclined.
ObjebJ. To this may be objeded, that experience tells us,
Satan doth not always walk in this road, nor confine himfelf to
this rule; fometimes he tempts to things which are crofs to our
tempers and inclinations, &c.
Anfw. It is true he doth fo ; but yet the general rule is not
prejudiced by this exception, efpecially if we confider,
Firfl, That Satan being ftill under the commands and re
straint of the Almighty, he cannot always tempt- what he would,
but according to a fuperior order and command. Of this na
ture I fuppofe was that temptation, of which Paul complained
fo much, he kept down his body, upon this very defign, that
he might have it in fubjedion, and yet he is buffetted with a
temptation, which expected an advantage ufually from the tem
per and frames of our bodies, for fo much I fuppofe, that
phrafe, ' a thorn in the fleSh,' will unavoidably imply, though
it ftill leave us at uncertainties,' what the temptation was in
particular. Here Satan tempts at a difadvantage and contrary
to this rule ; but then we muft know, that he was not the mai-
ter of his own game ; God exprefsly ordering fuch a tempta
tion as was difagreemg with the Apoftle's difpofition, that it
might the lefs prevail or hazard him, and yet be more availa
ble to keep him ' low, left he Should be exalted above meafure,'
Which was Ged's defign in the matter.
Secondly, Sometimes our temper alters. As the tempers of
our bodies in a Sicknefs may in a fit be fo changed, that they
may defire at that time what they could not endure at another.
A Special occafion or concurrence of Circumftances may alter
for the time our conflitution,. and fo an unufual temptation
may at that time agree with this defign.
K Thirdly,

74 A Treatife of Part 1,
Thirdly, Sometimes by one temptation Satan intends but- to
lay the foundation of another ; and then of purpofe he begins
with a ftrange fuggeftioni either to keep us at the gaze, while
he covertly doth fomething elfe againft us, or to move us to a
contrary extreme by an over-hafty raftmefs. , ,
Fourthly, Sometimes he tempts when his main defign is only
to trouble and difquiet us, and in fuch cafes the moft unnatur
al temptations, backed with a violent impetuoufnefs, do his
wprk the beft.
Satan's next work is the proppfal of the temptation : In the
two former he provided materials and laid the trains ; in this he
gives fire, by propounding his defigtt ; and this alfo he doth
with caution, thefe feveral ways,
Firft; He makes the objed fpeak for him, and in many he
is fcarce put to any further trouble ; the objed before them
fpeaks Satan's mind, and gains their confent immediately, yet
is there no fmall cunning ufed in fitting the objesct and occafion,
and bringing things about to anfwer the very nick of time
which he rake's to be advantageous for him.
Secondly, Sometimes he appoints a proxy to fpeak for him ;
not that he is Shame-faced in temptation, and not always at lei-
filre for his own work, but this way he infinuafes himfelf the
more dangeroufly into onr affections, and with lefs fufpicion
tiling our friends, relations or intimate acquaintance to inter
cede for a wicked defign. He did not fpeak himfelf to Eve,
but chofe a ferpent ; he thought Eve would Sooner preVailup-
on Adam than the ferpent could. He tempted Job by the
tongue of his wife, as if he had hoped, that what fo near a re
lation had counfeiled, would eaSrly,be hearkened to. He tempt
ed Chrift to avoid fuffering by Peter, u'nder a pretence of high
eft love and care, ' Mafter, fpare thyfelf ;' yet our Saviour for
bears not to note Satan's temptation clofely twiffed with Pe
ter's kindnefs. At this rate are we often tempted where we
little fufped danger.
Thirdly, If he finds the two firft ways unhopeful ot urrfiiita--
ble, then he injeds the motion, and fo plainly fpeaks to us in
wardly himfelf. '« Do this act, take this advantage for plea-
fure orprofit,' &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, John xiii. 2. He did the like to An
anias, whofe heart he filled with a large motion for that lie,
and backed it with many cdnfiderations of the neceflity and ex
pediency of it, Ads v. $. There is no queftion to be made of
this ; Dr Goodwin * gives clear proofs of it, and fo did Seve ral
* Child ofLight, p. 45.

Chap. IX. Satan's Temptations.. 7H
ral others. When wc confider, that thoughts are fometimes
caft upon the minds pf men which are above their knowledge,
and that they fay and do things fometimes which are far beyond
any of their accomplishments and parts, and yet ia the nature
of it wicked, we muft be forced to run fo high as to charge it
upon Satan. Saul's prophefying, i Sam. xviii. 10. was by the
influence of the evil fpirit ; and this, as Junius, * Tirinus,
and others interpret, muft of neceffity be underftcod of fuch a
|kiiid of adion and fpeaking, as the true prophets of the Lord
ufually expreffed under the influences of the bleffed Spirit ;. for
from the likenefs of the adion in both, muft the name be bor
rowed. The experience that we have pf inward difputiags,
the baudying of arguments and anfwers in feveral cafes, is a
proof of this beyond exception : wounded confeiences exprefs
an admirable dexterity in breaking all arguments urged for their
peace and eftablifhment ; as alfo in framing objedions againft
themfelves, fo far aboye the ufual meafure of common capaci
ties, that we cannot afcribe it to any other than Satan's private
aid this way.
Fourthly, The motion being made, if there be need, he doth
irritate and ftir up the mind to the embracement of it : And
this he doth two ways.
Firft, By an earneftnefs of felicitation ; when he urgeth the
thing over and over, and gives no reft; when he joins with this
a,n importunity of begging and intrejating with the repeated
motion ; when he draws together, and advantageoufly doth order
a multitude of confederations to that end ; and when in all this
he doth hold down the mind and thoughts, and keep them up
on a contemplation of the objedt, motions, and r.eafons. Thus he
provpked David, i Chron. xxi. i. And, this kind of dealing
occafioned the Apoftle to name his temptations, and our re
finance, by the name of wreftlings, inwhich ufually there appears
many endeavours, and often repeated, to throw down the an
tagonist. Secondly, He doth irritate by a fecret power and force that
he hath upon our fancies and paffions. When men are faid to
be carried and fed by Satan f, it implies, in the jndgement of
fome; more than importunity; and that though he cannot force
the fpring of the will, yet he may considerably ad uppn it, by
pulling at the weights and plummets; that is, by moving and
ading our imaginations and affections.
The motion being thus made, notwithstanding all his impotv
tunity, pfteh finds refiftance ; in which cafe he comes to the
pradice of a fourth rule, which is to draw away and entice the
K 2 heart.
* Vid, Pool's Syuopf. in loc. | Dr. Qoodwin child of light.

75 A Treatife of Part I.
heart to confent * ; as it Is'exprefied James i. 14. ' Every man
is tempted, when he is drawn away and enticed.' I Shall avoid
here the variety of the apprehenfions which fome declare at
large about the meaning of the words, fatisfying myfelf with
this, that the Apoftle points at thofe artifices of Satan by which
be draws and allures the will of man to a compliance with his
motions ; which when he effeds in arty degree, then may a man
be faid to be prevailed upon' by the temptation. But then
here is the wonder how he Should fo far prevail againft that
reafon and knowledge which God had placed in man, to fence
and guard him againft a thing fo abfurd and unreafonable' as
every flu is ? The folution of thisk not we have in 2 Cor. iv. 4.
' The God of this world blinds the eyes of men,' draws a cur
tain over this knowledge, and raifeth a darknefs, upon them;
which darknefs though we cannot fully apprehend, yet that it
is a very great and Strange darknefs may be discovered, (1.)
Partly by considering the fubject of it, man, a rational creature,
in whom God hath placed a confcience," which is both a law,
and witnefs, and judge. It cannot be fuppofed an eafy matter
to cloud or obliterate that law, to Silence or pervert that, wit
nefs, or to corrupt that judge; but it will rife higher in the
¦wonder of it, if we confider this in a godly man, one that fets
God before him, and is wont to have his fear in his heart; fuch
a man as David was, that in fo plain a cafe, in fo high a man
ner, fo long a time, with fo little fenfe and apprehenfion of the,
evil and danger, Satan Should fo quickly prevail, it is an afton-
ifhment. Neither will it be lefs ftrange, if we confider, (2,)
The iflue and effed of this blindnefs; fome rife up againft
the law of confcience, arguing it falfe and erroneous, and
making conclufions diredly contrary, as Deut. xxix. 19. * I fhall
have peace, though. I walk on in the imaginations ofmy heart.
I have fellowship with him, though Iwalk in darknefs,' 1 John
i. 6. ' We will not hearken unto thee, but will certainly do
whatfoever thing goeth out of our, own mouth,' Jer. xiv. 16;
17. in which cafes the funterefis, or principles of confcience'
are quite overthrown. Some are hardened, and as to any ap
plication of their ads tp this rule, quite dead and fenfelefs;-
though they rife not up againft the light, yet are they willing-'
Iy ignorant, without any confideration cf what they are doing,
here the funeidefis, or witneffing and excufing power of con
fcience is idle and afleep. Some though they know the law,
and in fome meafure fee their adions are Sinful, yet they pafs
no judgment, apprehend no danger; * no man fmites upon his
thigh, faying, what have I done(?' Jer. viii. 6. Nay, fome are
fo far from this, that they preiurnptupufly juftify themfelves,
x though
* *Mcnton in loc. '

Chap. IX. Satan's Temptations. 77
though they fee their own blame and ruin before them, ' I do
well to be angry, and that to the death/ faith Jonah, when Sa
tan had fpread a darknefs upon him.
What fhall we fay of thefe things ? Here is darknefs to be
felt, Egyptian darknefs : To explain the way of it fully is im
poSfible for us, to do it in any tolerable way is diSficult. To
make fome difcovery herein I Shall, 1. Shew that the devil doth
entice to fin, by Stirring up our luft. 2. That by the power
and prevalency of our luft, he brings on the blindnefs here fpo
ken of.

CHAP. X.
That Satan enticeth by our luft. The feveral ways by which
1 he doth it. Of the power and danger of the violence of af-
feBions,
npHE way then by which he doth entice, is by Stirring up
¦*¦ our luft. By luft, I mean thofe general defirings of our
minds after any unlawful object, which are forbidden in the
tenth commandment ; thus we read of worldly lufts, Tit. ii. 12.
of the lufts of the flefh, 1 Pet. ii'. 18. of luftings to envy, Jam.
iv. 5. and in a word, we read of divers lufts, Tit. iii. 3. the
whole attempt and ftriving of pur corrupt nature againft the
fpirit, being fet forth by this exprefficn, ' of luffing againft the
Spirit,' Gal. v. 17. ' ' 'ft '-<»•- ; , .
That Satan takes advantage pf our own lufts, and fo plows
with our heifer, turning our own weapons againSt ourfelves, is
evident by the general vote of fcripture, -'. The apoftle James
i. 14. tells us, that every temptation prevails only by the power
and, working of our own lufts : Saian is the tempter, but our
lufts are the advantages by which he draws andenticeth. The
corrupt principle within us is called flefh, but the way whereby
it works, either in its own proper motion-, or as Stirred up by
the devil, is that of lull and affedioh ; and therefore -he , that
would flop that iffue, muft look to mortify it in its affections
and lufts, Gal. v. 24. We are further told by John; rft Epift.
ii. 16. that all thofe fnares that are in the world, are only. ha
zardous, and prevailing by our lufts. More generally the!a^
poflle Peter fpeaks, the whole bundle Of adual fins that have
ever been in the world came in at this door, * The corruption
that is in the world is through luft,' i Pet. i. 4. In the ftir-*
ring up our lufts, Satan ufeth no fmall art and fubtilty, ar.d or
dinarily he worketh by fome of thefe following ways.
xft, He ufeth his Skill to drefs up an objed of luft, that it
may bq taking and alluring ; he doth not content himfelf with
a Simple

5? ¦ A Treatife of Part I,
a Simple propofal of the objed, but doth as it were paint and
vaniifb. it, to make it feem beautiful and lovely ; befides, all
that wooing and importunity which he ufeth to the foul, by
private and unfeen fuggeftions, he hath, no doubt, a care tp
gather together all poffible concurring circumstances, by whicln
the feeming goodnefs or conveniency of the objed is much
heightened and enlarged. ' \Ve fee thofe that have Skill to work
upon ,the humours of men,* place a great part of the right cir
cumstantiating a motion, and in taking the tempers and incli
nations of men at a right time ; and they 6bferve, that the mif
fing of the right feafon is the hazard of the defign, even there
where the objed and inclination ordinarily are fuitable. There
is much in placing a pidure in a right' pofition, to give it its
proper grace and luftre in the eyes of the beholders. - When a
man is out of humour, he naufeats his ufual delights, and grows
fullen to things of frequent pradice. It is likely Eve-was not
a ftranger to the tree of knowledge before the temptation ; but
when the ferpent fuggefts the goodnefs of the fruit, the 'fruit
itfelf feems more beautiful and dejirable, ' good for food, and
pleafant to the eyes.' Though we are not able to find out the
way of Satan's beautifying an objed, that it may affed with
more piercing and powerful delights ; yet he that Shall confider
that not only prudence, in an advantageous management of
things, adds an additional beauty to objects propofed ; but alfo
that art, by placing things in a right pofture, may derive 3
radiency and beam of beauty and light upon them, as an ordi
nary piece of .glafs may be fo pcfited to the fun- beams, that it
may refled a Sparkling light as if it were a diampnd : he that
Shall confider this, I fay, will not think it Strange for the devil
to ufe fome arts of this kind, for the adorning and fetting off an
pbjed to the eye of bur lufts.
%d~ly, We have reafon to fufped, that he may have ways of
deceit and impofture upon our fenfes. The deceits of the fenfes
are (9 much noted, that fome philosophers * will fcarce allow any
credit-to be given them ; not that they are always deceitful,
but that they are often fo, and therefore always fufpicious.
The foul bath no intelligence but by the fenfes ; it is then a
bufinefs of eafy belief, that Satan may not altogether Slight this
advantage, but that when he fees it fit for his purpofe, he may
icnpofe- upon us by the deception of our eyes and ears ; we lit
tle know how oft our fenfes have difguifed things to us. In
a pleafing objed, our eyes may be as a -magnifying or
multiplying glafs. In the firft .temptation Satan feems to
have wrought both upon the object, and alfo upon the fenfes,
¦'* She faw it was good for food, and pleafant.' Who can quef- tion
xf Des Cartes. Ant. le grand, philofoph. vet. tsV.

Chap. X. Satan's Temptations. ft}
tion but that She faw the fruit before ? but this was another
kind of fight, of more -power and attraction. An inftance of Sa
tan's cunning in both the forementioned particulars we have
from Auftin, relating the Story of his friend Alipius *, who
by the importunity of his acquaintance, confented to go to the
theatre, ^yet with a refolve not to open his eyes, left the light
of thefe fpedacles Should entice his heart ; but being there, the
noife and fudden Shouting of the multitude prevailed fo far with
him, that he forgot his refolution, takes the liberty to fee what
occasioned the Shouting ; and once feeing, is now fo inflamed with
delight, that he Shouts as the reft do, and becomes a frequenter
of the theatre as others. What was there to be feen and heard
he knew before, by the relation of others; but now being pre
fent, his eyes and ears were by Satan fo heightened in their of
fices, that thofe bloody objects feemed pleafant, beyond all that
had been reported of them, and the luft of his heatt drawji Out
by Satan's cunning difpofal of the objed and fenfes.
%dly, There is no fmall enticement arifibg^from the fitnefs and
fuitablenefs of occafion ; an occafion exa&ly fitted, is more than
half a temptation. This often makes a thief, an adulterer, &e.
where the ads of thefe fins have their rife from a fudden fit of
humour, Which occafiott puts them in; rather than from defign
or premeditation. Cunningly contrived occafions are like the »
danger of a precipice ; if a map be- fo fooliSh as to take up a
Stand- there, a fmall puSh will throw him over, though a far-
greater might not harm him if he were upon a level. It is Sa
tan's cunning to draw a man within the reach of an occafion.
All the refolves of Alipius Were no Safeguard to him, when
once he Was brought within hearing and fight of the/temptationi
•If he Staid at home, the hazard of Satan's fuggeftions (though
earneft) had not been fo much as the hearing of his ears, and
fight of his eyes. In 2 Cor. ii. 11. Paul's fears of Satan's ta
king advantage againft the Gorinthians, did manifestly arife
from the prefent pofture of their church-affairs ; for if the ex
communicated r perfon Should not be received again into the
church, an ordinary pufh of temptation might either have re
newed or confirmed their contentions, or- precipitated them in
to an opinion of too much fe verity againft an offending brother f,
and that their prefent frame made them more than ordinarily
obnoxious to thefe fnares^ is evident from the apoftle's caution.
inferted here in this difcourfe fo abruptly, that any man may
obferve the neceflity of the matter, and the earneftnefs of his af
fections did lead his pen. The fouls of men have' their general
difcrafia's and difaffedions, as our bodies have, from a lingering
diftemperature,
* Spec"r.av{t, clatnavit, e*arfit, abftulit ikde fecum- infdiiiam qua ftimulire-
tur redire, EsV. f Vid. Calvin in loc.

$o A Treatife of Part tt
diftemperature of the blppd and humours ; ,in which cafe, a fmall
occafion, like a particular error of diet, &c. in a declining body*
will eafily form that inclination into particular ads of fin.
fyhly, Satan hath yet a further reach in his enticements, by
the power which he hath upon our fancies and imaginations ;
that he hath fuch a power was difcovered before. This being
then fuppofed, how fervieeable it is for his end,, it is npw to be.
confidered. Our fancy is as a glafs, which with admirable ce
lerity and quicknefs of motion, can prefent before us all kinds
of objeds ; it can in a moment run from one end of the earth
to the other ; and befides this; it hath a power of creating ob
jeds, and cafting them into what forms and Shapes, it pleafeth ;
all which, our ;underftanding cannot avcid the fight of. Now
the ppwer of imagination is Acknowledged by all to be very
great, not only as working upon a melancholy * and distemper
ed fpirit,' of which authors give us large accounts, but alfo up
on minds more remote from' fuch peremptory delufions, as may
be daily obferved in the prejudices and prepofleSIions of- men,
who hy reafon of the + impreffions oS^ imagination, are not;
without diSnculty, drawn over to the acknowledgment of the
truth of things, and the true underftanding of matters; neither
is the underftanding only liable to a mpre than ordinary heat
and rapture by it^ but the will Is alfo quickened and Sharpened
in its defires by this means. Hence is it, as cne of the forecited
authors obferves, that £ fancy doth often more toward a per-
fnafion by its insinuations, than a cogent argument, or rational
demonstration. This is no lefs a powerful instrument in Satan's hand, than
commonly and frequently made ufe of. Who amongft us doth
not find and feel him dealing with us at this weapon ? When
he propounds an objed to our luft, he doth not ufually exppfe
it naked, under the hazard of dying cut for want of profecu-
tion; but prefently calls in our fancy to his aid, and there
raifeth a theatre, on which he ads before ourminds the fin in
all its ways and poftures. If he put us upon revenge, or up
on lufts of uncleannefs, or cuvetoufnefs, or ambition, we are
Sure, if we^ prevent it not, to have our imagination prefent-
jngrtiefe things to us, as in lively pidures and refemblances, by
which our defires may be enflam'ed and prepared for confent.
$thly, Sometimes he fliews his art, in preparing and Sitting
our bodies to his defigns, or in fitting temptations to our bodies,
and the inclinations thereof. The foul though it be a noble
being, yet is it limited by the 'body, and incommedated by
the crazinefs and indifpofitions thereof; fo that it can no more
"v;""" aft
• Burton's Melanch. Part t. fe.a. 2. p. 93. + Revnold's Treat, of Faffionsi
c. 4. } Reynold's ibid.

Chap* X. Satan's Temptations. 8z
ad SlrenuouSly or evenly to its principles in a difordered body,
than it can rightly manage/ any member of it (in its natural
motions)' where the bones are disjointed. Hence ficknefs or
' other bodily weakneffes do alter the Scene, and add another kind
of bias to the foul than what it had before. This Satan takes
, notice of, and either follows his advantage of the prefent indif.
pofition, or (if he hath fome fpecial defign} endeavours to caft
our body into fuch a diforder, as may belt fuit his intention.
Afa was more eafily drawn to be overfeen in peevifhnefs and
raSh anger in his latter days, when his bpdy grew difeafed. Sa
tan had his advantage againft Solomon, to draw him to idola
try, when old age and uxorioufnefs had made him more dudile
to the felicitation of his wives. * When Solomon was old, his
wives turned away his heart,' i Kings xi. 4. The devil, when
he took^upon him to foretel Job's blafpheming God to his face ;
yet he attempted not the main defign, till he, thought he had
throughly prepared him for it, by the anguiSh and fmart of a
diftempered body and mind ; and though he failed in the great
bufinefs of his boaft, yet he left us an experiment in Job, that
the likelieft way to prevail upon the mind in hideous and def-
perate temptations, is to mould the bpdy to a fuitable frame :
' He prevailed not againft Job to caufe him curfe God ; yet he
prevailed far, ' he curfed the day of his-birth,' and fpake many
things by the force of that diftreSs, which he profeffeth himfelf
afhamed of afterwards. The. body then will be in danger,
when it is difordered, to give a tindure to every adion, as a
diftempered palate communicates a bitternefs to every thing it
takes down.
6tMy, Evil company is a general preparatory to all kinds of
temptation ; he enticeth Strongly that way. For, (1.) Evilfo-
ciety doth infenfibly (leaden the heart, and quench the heat of
the affections to the things of God ; it hath a kind of bewitch
ing power, to eat out .the fear of the Lord in our hearts, and tp •
take off the weight and power of religious duty ; it not only
Stops our tongues, and retards them in fpeaking of good things,
but influenceth the very heart, and poifons it Into a kind pf
deadnefs and lethargy ; fo that our fhpughts run low, and we
begin to think that fevere watchfulnefs pf thoughts, and the
guard of our minds, to be a needlefs and melanchply felf impo
sition. (2.) Example hath a ftrange insinuating force to in-
Stamp a refemblance, and to beget imitation. Jofeph living
where his ears were frequently beaten with oaths, finds it an
eafy thing, upon a feigned occafion, to fwear by the life of Pha
raoh. Evil company is fin's nurfery, and Satan's academy, by
which he trains up thofe, whofe knowledge and hopeful be-
L ginnings

%1 A Treatife of - Part 1
ginnings had made them Shy of his temptations ; and if he can
prevail with men to take fuch companions, he will with a little
labour prefently bring them to any iniquity.
ythly, But his higheft projed in order to the enticing of men,
is to engage their affedions to an height and paflionatenefs.
The fcripture doth distinguish betwixt the epithomias and pa.
thematay the affedions and lufts, Gal. v. 24. clearly implying
that the way to procure fixed defires and adual luftings, is to
procure thofe paflionate workings of the mind.
How powerful a part of his defign this is, will appear from
the nature of thefe paflions, which are :
Firft, Violent motions of the heart *, the very wings and
fails of the foul, and every paSfion in its own working dpth ex-
prefs a violence. Choler is an earneft rage, vpluptupufnefs is
nothing lefs, fear is a defperate hurry of the foul f, love Strong
as death, jealoufy cruel as the grave; each of them Striving
Which Should excel in violence ; fo that it is a queftion yet un-
determined which paflion may challenge the fuperiority.
Secondly, Their fury is dangerous and unbridled, like fo ma
ny wild horfes let loofe, hurrying their rider which way they
pleafe. They mcve not upon the command of reafon, but oft
prevent it in their fudden rife ; neither do they take reafon's
advice for their courfe, proportionable to the occafion ; for of
ten their humour, rather than the matter of the provocation,
gives them 'Spurs ; and when they have evaporated theif heat,
they ceafe, riot as following the command of reafon, but as
weakened by their own violence.
Thirdly, They are not eafily conquered, not only becauSe
they renew their ftrength and onfet after a defeat, and like fo
many Hydra's heads, fpring up as fall as cut of ; but they are
ourfelves, we can neither run from them, nor from the love of
them. Fourthly, And confequently highly advantageous in Satan's
defign and enticement, when they are driven up tp a fury and
paflionatenefs ; for befides their inward rage, whieh the Scrip
ture calls burning, 1 Cor. vii. 9. by which men are pricked and
goaded on without reft or eafe, to * make provisions for the
flefh,' Rom- i. 2?. and to enjoy or ad' what fheir unbridled
violence will lead to in the execution of their defires : They
carry all on b'efore them, and engage the whfle man with the
higheft eagernefs to fulfil every luft", Eph. ii. 3-. to go up to the
Higheft degrees, and with an unfatiable greedinefs to yield them-*
Selves 'Servants ef iniquity utito iniquity,' Rom. vi. 19.
CHAP
* Fid. Fenner Treat, of Affe&iori. \ J. P. Senault of Paffious, p. 30.

Chap XI. Satan's Temptations. 83
CHAP. XI.
That luft darkens the mind. Evidences thereof. The five ways
by which it doth blind men. (1.) By preventing the exercife
of reafon. The ways of that prevention. (1.) Secrecy in
tempting. Satan' s fubtilty therein. (2.) Surprifa/. (3.) Gra
dual intanglements.
THHAT Satan doth entice us by Stirring up our luft, hath
¦*¦ been difcovered ; it remains that I next fpeak to the fe
cond thing propounded, which was,
That by' this power of lull he blinds and darkens our mind.
That the lufts of men are the great principle upon which Satan
proceeds in drawing on fo great a blindnefs, as we have fpoken
of, I Shall briefly evince from thefe few obfervations.
Firft, From the unreafonablenefs and abfurdity of fome ac
tions ih men otherwife fufnciently rational. He that confiders
the ads of Alexander in murdering Califthenes, for no other
crime than defending the caufe of the gods, and affirming thai:
temples could not be built to a king, without provoking a dei
ty ; and yet this fo Smoothed, if * Quintus Curtius reprefent
him right, that he feemed to flatter Alexander with an opinipa
of deificatipn after his death : Whofoever, I fay, fliall confider
this cruelty, will condemn Alexander as blind and irrational in
this matter, and yet np pther caufe can be affigned herecf, but
that his luft after glory and honpur darkened his reafon. The
like may be faid of his killing Epheftipn's phyfician, becaufe he
died. The brutal fury of that cpnful, that made a Slave tp be
eaten up with lampreys, for no other fault than the break
ing of a glafs, can be afcribed to nothing elfe but the boiling
over of his paflion. A fadder inftance of this we have in -f
Theodofius fenior, who, for an affront given to fome of his
officers in Theffalonica, commanded the deftrudion of the ci
ty, and the Slaughter of the citizens, to the number of 700^,
without any diftindion of nocent and innocent. This blind
rage the hiflorian notes, as the fruit of violent and unbridled
luft in a man, otherwife juft and gracious. Thoufands of in
stances of this nature might ¦ be added. But,
Secondly, If we confider the known and vifible hazards to
life ,and eftate, and, that which is more, to that part of them
' . L 3 which
* Ego autem feram immortalitatem praecor regi — Hominein confequitur
aliquando, nunquam comitatur divinitas.' Curt. lib. 8l.
f Immoderate animi concitatioue impulfus ...facinus crudele ut nefarium
commifit. Tracundia.-.velut tyrannus omnia fuo metu gubernans ruptis ha-
benis, et jugo rationis esculTo gladios inic^ue contra omncs diftriiuit. 'lleud
Hift, Ecclef. l.j.p. 587.

84 A Treatife of Part I.
which is immortal ; upon all which, men do defperately ad-
Venture, upon no other ground or motive than the gratifica,
tions of their lufts : We may eafily conclude that there is a
ftrange force and power in their paflions to blind and befot
them; and this notwithstanding, is the common pradice of all
men, where grace, as the only eye-falve, doth not reftore the
fight. The heathens in all thefe pradices of filthinefs and
folly, recorded Rom. i. 29. They had fo far a difcovery of the
danger, if they had not imprifoned that truth and light in un-
rightepufnefs, ver. 18. that they knew the judgment of God,
* that they which commit fuch things are worthy pf death,'
ver. 32. Yet notwithftanding, the vanity of their imaginations
influenced by luft, darkened their heart fo much, that they did
not only do thefe things, of fo great vilenefs and unfpedkable
hazard, but had pleafure in thofe that did them.
Thirdly, The blinding power of luft is yet more remarka
ble : When we fee men glorying in their Shame, and mount
ing their triumphal chariots to expofe themfelves a fpedacle.
to all, in that garb of deformity which their lufts have put
them in.. It is a blindnefs to do any ad againft the rules of
reafon, but it is a far greater blindnefs for men to pride them
felves in them. What have the iffues of moft wars been, but
burnings of cities, devastations of flourishing kingdoms, Spil
ling the blood of millions, befides all the famine and other mi-
feries that follow ? Yet thefe adions, that better befeem tigers,
lions, and favage brutes, than men of reafon, are honoured with
the great triumphant names of virtue, manbood, courage, mag
nanimity; conqueft, &c. If the power and humour of their
lufts of vain glory and revenge had not quite muffled their un
derstandings, thefe things would have been called by their pro
per names of murder, cruelty, "robbery, &c. and the adors of
fuch tragedies, inftead of triumphal arches and acclamations of
praife, would have been buried under heaps of ignominy and
perpetual difgraces, as prodigies of nature, monitors of men,
and haters of mankind.
Fourthly, But there is, yet one evidence more plain, and
convincing, when our hills are up, though reafon offers its
aids to allay the Storm, yet the wifeft of men, otherwife com
posed and calm, are to far from taking the advantage of its
guidance, that oftentimes they trample upon it and defpife it;
and, as if lufts, by fome fecret incantation, had made them
impenetrable, they are not capable of its' light and ipondud,
and can make no more' ufe of it than a blind man can do of
a candle. ^ To this purpofe, let us obferve the carriage of dif
putants ; if men do any way publicly engage themfelves in a
conte4'

.Chap. Xf. Satan's Temptations. 85
conteft of this nature, though truth cannot be but on the one
fide, yet both parties give arguments, and anfwer objedions
with equal confidence of vidory, and a contempt of the reafons
and ftrength of each pfhers difcourfes : And this proves fo fa
tal to him that maintains the miftake or untruth, that not one
of a thcijfand hath the benefit and advantage for the finding of
truth, which free and" unprejudiced byftanders may have ; fo
true is that, Omne perit judicium cum res tranfit in afifeBum,
when affedions are engaged, judgment is darkened. It is a
thing nf common 'obfervation, that when men are difcourfed in
to anger and heat, they prefehtly grow abfurd ; are difabled for
fpeaking or understanding reafon, and are oft hurried to fuch
inconveniences and mifcarriages, that they are aShamed of them
felves, when they cool, and the fit is over, impedit ira animum,
\2c. To all this might be added, the power of luft ih perfons
voluptuous, Who dedicate themfelves to the pleafures of the
flefh. Thofe that ferve divers lufts and pleafures, their flavifh
eftate, their bafe drudgery, do clearly evince that luft unmans
them, and puts put their eyes. Mark Antony by this means
became a Slave to Cleopatra ; never did a poor captive ftrive
more to obtain the good- will of his lord, than he to pleafe this
woman, infomuch that, befotted with his luft, he feemed to
want that common forefightiof his danger, which the fmalleft
meafure of reafon might have afforded to any, and ,fo dallied
himfelf into his ruin. ' From all thefe considerations and in- ,
Stances, it appears our lufts afford fuch vapours and mifts, that
our reafon is darkened by them ; pr rather, they are like a
dofe of opium that Strongly ftupifies and binds up the fenfes.
But yet it remains that the various ways by which our lufts
do blind us be particularly opened, and they are five. (i._)Our
lufts blind us by preventing the ufe and exercife of reafon. (2.)
By perverting it. (3.) By withdrawing the mind from it. (4.)
By difturbittg it in its operation. And, (5.) By a defperate pre
cipitancy. All which I fliall more fully explain.
Firft, Our lufts blind us by preventing and interpepting the
exercife of light and reafon, and Satan in this cafe ufeth thefe
deceits. Firfl, He endeavpurs fo to Stir up our luft,. as yet to conceal
his defign. Secrefy is one of his main engines ; he doth not, in ,
this cafe, Shew his weapon before he Strikes '; and indeed his
policy herein is great. For (1.) By this means he takes us
at unawares, fecure and unprepared for refiftance. (2.) We
are Often enfnared without noife, and before our confideration
of things pan come in to refcue us. (3.) If he get not his
whole flefign upon us this way, yet he oft makes an half vic-
'_' tory

86 A Treatije of ' < Pait.t,
tory ; by this means he procures an half confent, or inclina
tion to fin, before we difcover that we are under a temptation j
for when the foundation of a temptation is laid unefpyed, then
we awaken with the fin in our hand, as Sleeping men awake
fometime with the word in their mouths. If any queftion,
how can thefe things be ? How can he fteal a temptation upon
us with fuch fecrefy ?, I anfwer, He can do it thefe three
ways. ift, He fometimes, after a carelefs manner, and as it were
by the by,, drop's in a fuggeftion into our hearts, and that with
out noife or impprtunity, giving it, as it were this charge,
' Stir not up, nor awaken him :' and then he fits by to obferve
the iffue, and to fee if the tinder will take fire of itfelf. Thus
many a motion thrown into our hearts, as it' were accidentally,
or ever we are avirare, begets a fudden flame.
idly, He fometimes fetcheth a compafs, and makes a
thing far different to be a preamble or introdudioh to his in
tended defign.- Thus, by objeds, employments, difcourfe, or
company, that Shew not any dired tendency to evil, doth he
infenfibly occafion pride, paSfion or luft. How Slyly and fecret-
ly doth he put us upon what he intends as a further fnare?
How unawares, while we think of no fuch thing, are we car
ried fometimes upon the borders of fin, and into the enemy's
quarters ? Satan in this ads like a fowler, who ufeth a Stalk
ing horfe, as if he were upon fome other employment, when
yet his defign is the deftrudion of the bird.
$dly, Another way of fecrefy is his railing a crowd of ci
ther thoughts in the mind, and while thefe are mixed and con-
fufedly floating in the underftanding or fancy, then doth he
thruft in among them the intended fuggeftion, and then fuffer-
ing the reft to vanifh, he by little and little Angles this out asa
more fpecial objed of confideration ; fo that we caft a fudden
glance upon this, and we are -often taken with it before we
confider the danger. In this Satan doth as foldiers, who take
the advantage of a mift to make a nearer approach to their ene
mies, and tp furprife them before difcovery of4he danger':
This he doth with us while we are in a muling- fit, or a melan
choly dream.
A.fiecqnd deceit for the-preventing of a ferious consideration,
js fudden furprifal. In the former he endeavoured to conceal
the temptation while he is at work with us, but in this be
Shews the temptation plainly, only he fets upon us without giv
ing us warning of the onfet ; but then he backs it with all
the violent importunity he can, and by this he hinders the re-
collegting of qurfelves and the aid of reafon, This courfe Sa
tan

Chap. XT. Satan's Temptations. 87
tan only takes with thofe whofe paffions are apt to be very Stir
ring and boifterbiis ; or fuch as being his Slaves and vaffals are
more fubjed to his commands. Thus a fudden provocation to
an apgry man, -gives him not time to confider, but carries him
headlong. A furprife of occafion and opportunity, is frequent
ly a conqueft to thofe that have any earneftnefs of hope, defire,
pr revenge : Surely David was taken at this advantage in the
matter of BathSheba. And here we may note, that good men
tipon fuch a fudden motion, do yield, without any blow or
Struggling, to that which at other times they could not be
drawn to by many reafons. '
Thirdly, Confideration is prevented by gradual intanglements.
Satan fo orders the matter, that fin creeps on upon us as Sleep,
by infenflble degrees : For this end fometimes he diflembles
his ftrength, and fets upon us with lower temptations, and
with lefs force than otherwife he could : He knows we are not
moved to extremes, but by Steps and habits, are, not confirmed,
but by gradual proceedings ; to take too great ftrides, may
fometimes prevail at prefent, but the fuddennefs and greatnefs
of the alteration begetting a ftrangenefs on the foul, may occa
fion after thoughts and recoiling : Therefore he tempts firft
to thoughts, then to a delight in thefe thoughts, then to
the continuation of them, then to refolve, and fo on to pradice.
And in like manner, be tempts fome to make bold with a fmall
matter, which Shall fcarce come under the notion of wrong ;
then to a greater, and fo gradually tp higher things ; and thus
he infenfibly brings on a thieviSh inclination and pradice. Fcr
the fame end fometimes he Shews his Skill in the management
of occafions, he imperceptibly hooks men into fin, by drawing
them firft to be bold with occafions : he tells them they may fit
at the ale-houfe, and yet not be drunk ; that they may keep
familiarity, and yet not be lewd ; that they may look upon a
commodity, and yet not fteal ; and when the occafions are by
this means made familiar to them, then he puts them on a- Step
further, but by fuch flow motions, that the progrefs is fcarce
difcerned till they be in the fnare.

CHAP.

88 A Treatife of Chap. Xlt
CHAP. XII.;
Of Satan's perverting our reafon. His fecond.way of blinding,
- The poffibility. of this, and the manner of accomplijhing it di-
reBly, feveral ways ,- and indireBly, by the delights of Jin,
and by fophiftical arguments ; with an account of them.
THE fecond way by which Satan blinds us through the pow
er of luft, is by perverting and corrupting our reafon,
drawing it to approve of that, which it firft difapproved. That
our lulls have fuch a power upon the underftanding to make
fuch an alteration, need not feem ftrange to thofe that Shall con
fider, that the fcripture propounding the knowledge of the high.
' eft myfteries, doth positively require, as a neceffary prerequi
site to thefe things, that we lay afide all Silthinefs and fuper-
fluity of naughtinefs; in thefe terms, noting the loathfome de
filement of our lufts, that fo we may receive the ingrafted word,
Jam. i. 21. ftrongly implying that our lufts have a power to
elude and evade the ftrongeft reafons, and to hinder their en
tertainment : which our Savipur notes, to have, been alfothe
caufe of the Jews blindnefs, ' How can ye believe which re-
ceive honour one of another?' John v. 44. Their lufts of hon
our Stood in their light, and perverted their reafon.
But becaufe this may feem to fome almoft impoSfible, that
lufts Should turn our fun into darknefs, I Shall a little ex
plain it.
The Underftanding doth ufually, if pradice of fin have not
put out its light, at the firft faithfully reprefent to pur mind
the nature of good and evil in matters of temptation and duty ;
yet its power in this cafe is only diredive and fuafive to the
will, not abfolutely imperative ; the will muft follow the un
derstanding's dictate, but is not under any neceflity of follow
ing its firft advice ; it is the ultimum diBamen, the laft dictate
that it is engaged to follow : However the will, in the cafe laft
mentioned, be dependent upon the underftanding, yet the un
derftanding doth alfo quoad exercitium, depend upon the will,
and as to the ad of confideratipn, is under its command; fo
that after the underftanding hath faithfully reprefented the evil
of a Sin, the will can command it to another confideration, and
force it to new thoughts and confultations about it ; in which
cafe, the will doth prompt the understanding, tells it what ver-
did it wpuld have it tp bring in, and fo dpth really folicit and
beg for a compliance. The

,Chap:. XII; Satan's Temptations. 89
The Understanding is diidile and capable of being bribed, and
therefore fuffers its right eye to be put put by the will, and as
a falfe witnefs; pr a partial' judge, gives fentence as the will
would have it ; and thus, as pne * obferves, the underftanding
and Will are like Simeon and Levi, brethren in evil, mutually
complying with, and gratifying, each other.
The poflibility of lull's pet verting our underftanding being
'difcoveredj, the way and manner how luft doth thus corrupt it,
is needful to be opened.
Luft exercifefh this p'oWer under the management of Satan,
diredly and indirectly.
Firft, Our reafon is diredly perverted, when it is fo far
Wrought Upon as to call that goad, which is indeed plainly and
apparently evil. So great a corruption is not common and or
dinary y neither can the heart of man be eafily drawn to go fo
palpably againft clear light and evidence : It Is therefore only
in Sortie cafes, and in fome perfons; either of weaker faculties,
or of extraordinary debauched principles that Satan can work
lip lull to give fo great a darknefs : However it is evident that
Satan ufeth thefe deceits in this thing. '
ift, He Strives, where the matter will bear it, to put the
haine of virtue or good Upon adions and things that are not fo.
This temptation doth moft appear in thofe things'that are of a
doubtful and difp'utabie nature, or in thofe adions w*hich in
their appearance or pretenfions may feem to be virtuous.
Whatever fin is capable of any paiht of varniffa, that he fakes
the advantage of. Saul's faerificing was a great iniquity, and
yet the pretence of the general goodnefs oj; the adion, being in
itfelf commanded, and the fuppofed neceiuty of Saul's dping it,
becaufe Sartiuel came not, were confiderations upon which his
underftanding warranted to him that undertaking. Paul's
perfecution, though a real gratification of his envious luftings,
by his blinded underftanding was judged duty; what more com
mon than for worldly thindednefs and covetoufhefs, to be cal
led a faithful and dutiful care for the provision of our families?
Lukewarmnefs is often juftified under the notion of moderation
and prudence; and any thing that can but pretend any kindred
to, or refemblance of good, our lufts prefently prevail for an
approbation and vindication of it.
idly, Satan Ufeth the advantage of extremes, for the corrupt
ing of our understandings. To this purpofe he doth all he
can to make fuch an extreme odious and difpleafing, that fo we
may .ruri upon the contrary as matter of duty. Many there
are whofe heads are fo weak, that if they fee the danger of one
M extreme
* Fenner Epiftle dedicatory to Myftery of faving Grace.

o.o A Treatife of Part I.
extreme, they never think themfelves in fafety till they fly to
a contrary excefs, and, then they1 think the extreme they em
brace needs no other justification, than the, apparent evil of what
they have avoided.' Satan knowing this, like the lapwing,
makes the greateft noife when he is furthell from the neft, and
in much feeming earneftnefs, tempts us to fomething that is
moft crofs to our temper or prefent inclination; or endeavours
%a render fomething fo' to us, not with any hppes to prevail with
us there, but to make Us run as far from it as we can into an
other fnare, and alfo to make, us believe that we have done
Well, and avoided a temptation, when indeed we have but ex
changed it. ,
$dly, He diredly blinds our understandings in Sinful practices,
by engaging us to corrupt opinions which lead to wicked or
carelefs courfes. Satan with great eafe can put men upon Sin,
when once he hath prevailed with them to receive an error,
which diredly leads to it. Corrupt principles do naturally
lead to corrupt practices,- and both thefe may be obferved '
to meet in thofe deluded ones, whom the fcripture mentions,
Jude 4. 'that denied the only Lord God, and Jefus Chrift,
turning alfo the grace of God into lafcivioufnefs ;' falfe teach
ers that brought in damnable herefies, counted it pleafure
to riot, had eyes full of adultery, and could not ceafe from
fin, 2 Pet. ii. 1, 13, 14. With what confidence and fecurity
will fin be pradifed when an opinion figns a warrant, and
pleads a justification for it ?
qtbly. In adioiis, whpfe goodnefs or badnefs is principally
difecverable by the ends upon which they are undertaken, it
is no great difficulty1 for Satan to impofe upon men a belief
that they ad by ends and refpeds, which do not indeed move
them at all ; and in this eafe men are fo blinded, that they do
not, or will not know or 'acknowledge they do evil ; the matter
of the adion being warrantable, and the end being out of the
reach of common difcovery, they readily believe the belt of
themfelves; and looking more at the warrantablenefs of the
nature of the ad in the general, than at their grounds and inr
tentions, they think not that they do evil. This was a fault
which Chrift obferved in the difciples, when they called for fire
from heaven upon the Samaritans, Luke ix. 55. The thing it
felf Elisis had done before, and Chrift might have done it then,
but they wanted the fpirit of Elia's ; and therefore Chr,ift' re-
jeds their motion as unlawful in them, who confidered not that
a. fpirit of pafiion and revenge did altogether influence them,
and inftead of Shewing a juft difpleafure againft the Samaritans,
he fhews that Satan had blinded them hy their luft, and that the

Chap. XII. Satan's Temptations. 91
the thing they urged was fo far from being good, that it was
apparently evil, in that they were acted by another fpirit than
they imagined. This way of deceit is very common. - How
often may we obferve Christians' pretending confcientious dif-
fatisfadions about the adions of others, when the priyate fp.ring
that animates Ithem is fome fecret grudge that lies at the bot
tom ; and yet becaufe the thing wherein they are diffatisfied
may truly deferve blame, they are not apt to condemn them
felves, but think they do well.
Secondly, Lufts alfo pervert our reafon and knowledge indi-
redly ; and this is, when we are not fo far blinded as to be
lieve the thing unto which we are tempted, to be good abso
lutely ; yet notwithftanding, we are perfuaded of fome consi
derable goodnefs in it, and fuch as may for the prefent be em
braced. For this purpofe Satan hath ready thefe two engines ;
xfi', He fets before us the pleafures, profits, and other de
lights of fih : Thefe he heightens with all his art and Skill, that
he may fix in our minds this conclufion, that however it he
forbidden, yet it would conduce much to our fatisfaction or
advantage if it were pra£tifed ; and here he promifeth fuch
golden ends and fruits of fin, as indeed it can never lead tanto,
inviting, us in the words of the harlot, Prov. vii. 1$. ' I have
decked my bed with coverings of' tapeftry, with carved works,
with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed it with myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of thefe de
lights.' Thus he fet upon Eve, ' Tafte this fruit, and ye Shall
be as gods.' Thus - he attempted Chrift himfelf, ' All thefe
will I give thee, proffering the kingdoms of the world, and the
glorypf them.' The pleafures of fin are Satan's great'bait, and
thefe ftrongly invite and ftir up our lufts ; yet becaufe the feair
of the danger may flick in the heart, It is pleafant, but I dare
not, faith thefihner; I fear the hazard or the evil that may fol
low : Therefore Satan hath his other engine at hand to blind.
- o t 1 .
us, and to carry our minds from fueh considerations, and that is,
%dly, His fophiftical arguments, by which the danger may be
leflened,; of thefe his quiver is full. As,
1 . He urgeth that the fin tempted to is little. But a little
one, it is not, faith he, fo great a matter as you make it; there:
are other fins far greater, and thefe. alfp practifed by men that
prpfefs as much ,as you. Thus he would Shame us, as it were>
out of our fear, by calling it feverity, nicenefs, or an unnecef-
fary.precifenefs.; If this prevail not,'
2. He hath then another argument. Oh, -faith he, be itfo, that
it is a little more than ordinary, yet it is but once; tafte or try
it, you need not engage ypurfelves tq frequent pradice, you,
M 2 may

b2 A Treatife of Part I.
may retreat at pleafure. But if the fear of the danger prevail
againft this, then, i
3. He labours to put us under a kind of neceftHy of finning^
and this he pleads as a justification of the evil. 1% is not al-.
together right, but you cannot well avoid it. This plea of
neceffity is large, occafion, example, command of others, ftrength
of inclination* cuStom, and what not, are pleaded by him in this
cafe ; fome * particularly reckon them Up : And rather than
fome men will apknowledge the evil, they will blame God's
decree, as if they were neceSfitated by it, or his providence, as
Adam, ' the woman that thop gaveft me, She gave me of the
tree :' David's bloody refolve againft the boufe of Nabai feems
to be juftified by him, 1 Sam. xxv. 21. from Cabal's great in
gratitude, ' In vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the
wildernefs,' &c. and as one engaged by a neceffity of repaying
fucfi wrongs/ and affronts, doth lie determine to cut them off.
Aaron, when, he was taxed by Mofes about the golden calf,
excufeth the matter by a pretended rigceSfity of doing what he
did upon the' violent importunity of fuch an heady people;
and that when Mofes was not to be found, f Thou kneWeSt the
people, ,that they are fet on mifchief,' Exod, xxxiii 22. This
that he urged, to Mofes, Satan no doubt had urged to him, and
he had acquiefced in it, as fomething that he thought wpuklexr
cufe, or at leaft mitigate the offence. Yet if the finner breal^
thrpugh this fnare,
4. He comes on with a fpfter plea pf infirmity ; and endea
vours to perfuade men that they may yield under pretence of
being forced, and that their Strivings apd reludancies will lef-
fen the evil to an apparent fin of infirmity ; and thus he be-
fpeaks them, Have hot God's children infirmities ? they Sin,
though with reludancy, and doft not thou refill? D°th not the
fear that is in thy heart Shew an unwilljngnefs ?*' Mayft thou
not plead, The evil that I would not do, that dp I ; If thou
yield, will not God account it a rape upon thine integrity ? If
this arrow Slick not,
5. Then he extenuates the offence, by propounding Some;
frnaller good or convenience that may follow that eyi}. And
this, though it be a way of arguing, diredly contrary to that
rule, f Do not evil that good may come,' yet it oft proves taq
fnccefsful ; and it Js like that, common ft ratagem of war, whefl
by the propofal of a fmall booty in view, flie enemies are drawji
out of their hold into a fore contrived danger. Thus Satan
pleads, This one ad of fin may put you into' a capacity of ho
nouring God the more.' Some have admitted advancements and;
* Vid. Dylt Deceitfulnefs of Heart, p. .130, Ufe.

Chap, XII> Satan's TfiinpMtions. 93
and dignities againft conscience, upon no better ground, but
.that they might keep put knaves, and that they might be in a
condition to be helpful to good men* Surely the devil preyailr
ed with Lot by this weapon, when he offered the prostitution
ei his daughters, to the lulls "of the Sodomites, that the Stran
gers, as he thought them, might be prgferved; by this evil,
fhinks he, a greater may be avoided. Her°4's conference could
npt at firft confent to the cutting pff the head pf John Eaptift,
but when Satan fuggefts the obligation of his oath, he concludes,
that in the killing of John he Should efcape the violation of the
oathj thus a pretended good to come, \ becomes a pander te a
prefent certain iniquity! Now if after aij thefe grgtaings the
confcience carrieth an apprehenfion of danger, then,
6. He plainly difputeth the poffibility of the efcape of danger,
thdugh the fin be pcmmftfed. AU thp insinuations pf pleafure
and advantage by whiph Eve was tempted, ppuld ppt at firft
blot out her fears of the. confequence pf that tranfgreffion, it did
Stick in her mind ftill, ' left we die ;' then Satan plainly denieth
x\\e danger fhe feared, ' Ye Shall net furely die.;' the threatening,
faith he, it may be was but for trial, qr without a Arid and
pofitive purppfe in God to execute it ; there is no certainty that.
God was in good earneft when he fpake fo, The &&(A nfu-»
afly urgeth the mercy of God, the merits of Chrift, bis pro-
Hiifes of pardon, the infirmities of the faint?, their fins, and re-
pentanpes, &c. From all thefe drawing this coHdufipn, that
we may Venture upon the. temptation wjthQuf, any apparent
hazard. It is but repenting, faith he, and that is ap eafy
Work to a gracious foul, God is ready te be reconciled, ey.en to
a prod igab fon ; he is net fo cruel as to caft away any for a
fmall matter ; he that waits to be gracious will not, lie at catch
for opportunities and occafions to deftroy us j he that delights
not in the death of a finner, will not delight to take ftrid ex,
ceptions againft every failing.
If Satan can prevail with us tq extenuate the fin, tp Slight the
hazard, or any way to leffen it Upon any pf the fore-mentioned
accounts ; then having peSfeffed us before with high apprehen--
sfions of delights and fatiafadipns in the Sin, he quickly perfuades,
to accept the motion, as having a eonveniency and advantage in
it not to be defpifed : And thus dpth he indiredly pervert our
reafon, which is the fecond way by which b§ blinds us thrqugh
^hje, working of bur luft.
CHAP,

94 A Treatife of Part I,
C H A. P. XIII.
Of Satan's diverting our reafon, being the third way of blinding
men. His policies for diverting our thoughts. His attempts
to that purpofe in a more direB manner ; with the degrees of'
that procedure. Of difturbing or diftraBing our reafon, which
is Satan's fourth way of blinding men. His deceits thereini
Of precipitancy . Satan's fifth way ofblindittg men. Several
deceits to bring men to that.
T^Hirdly, Satan blinds the Sons of men by diverting and
-*¦ withdrawing their reafon, and taking it off from the pur-
fuit of its difcovery pr apprehenfions. For fometimes it can
not be induced to go fo contrary to its light, as tp call evil gpod,
either diredly or indiredly: Then is Satan put tp a new pifc*
of policy ; and if the frame of the heart and the matter of the
temptation fuit his defign, he endeavours to turn the flream of
our thoughts either wholly another way, or to ftill them by
turning them into a deadfea, or by fome trick to beguile the
underftanding with fome new drefs of the temptation. So that
we may obferve in Satan a threefold policy in a fubferviency
to this defign : For,
i. Satan fometimes ceafeth his purfuit and lets the matter
fall, and thinks it better to change the temptation than to con
tinue a folicitation at fo great a difadvantage. When he tempt
ed Chrift and could not prevail, he departed for a feafon, Luke
iv, 13. with a purpofe to return at fome fitter time, which
Chrift himfelf was in expedation of, knowing it to be his man
ner to He in wait for advantages, and accordingly when his Suf
ferings drew nigh, which, as he fpeaks to'the Jews, < was their
hour and power of darknefs,' Luke xxii. 53. he foretold his
return upon him, ' Now the prince of this world" cometh :'
However this attempt of his againft the Lord Jefus prevailed
not, yet he Shewed his art and Skill in the fufpending of his
temptation to a more fuitable time. And the fuccefs of this
againft us is fadly remarkable ; for however we refill, and at
prefent ftand out, yet his folicitations are often like leaven,
which while it is hid in our thoughts, doth not a little ferment
and change them, fo that at his return, he often finds our lulls
prepared to raife greater clouds upon our mind. Many there are
that refill ftrongly at prefent that which they eafily Aide into,
when Satan hath given them time, to breathe ; that fay, I will
not, and yet do it afterwards.
2. He fometimes withdraws their confideratipns, hy huffing
them up with a confidence that they are above, the temptation: As

Chap. XIII. Satan's Temptations. g$
As a conqueft in a fmall Skirmifh, begetting an opinion of vic
tory, makes way for a total overthrow over a carelefs andfecure
army. We are too apt to triumph over temptations, becaufe
we give the firft onfet with courage and refolution. Chrift fore
warned Peter of his denial, he Stoutly defies it, and not impro
ving this advertifement to fear and watchfulnefs, Satan who
then was upon a defigh to fift him, took him at that advantage
of fecurity, and by a contemptible instrument overthrew him.
Thus while we grow' Strong in our apprehenfions by a denial
of a fin, and undervalue it as below us, our confidence makes
us carelefs, and this lets in our ruin.
3. If thefe ways of policy fail- him, he feemingly complies
with us, and is content we judge the matter Sinful, but then he
proffers his fervice to bring us off by diftindions ; and here
the fophifter ufeth his Skill to further our underftanding in fra
ming excufes, coining evafions, and fo doth out-Shoot us in our
own bow. The Corinthians had learned to diftinguifh betwixt
pating of meat in an idol's temple in honour to the idol, and as
a common feaft in, civility and refped to their friends that in
vited them : This prefently withdrew their confideration, and
fo quieted them in that courfe, that the apoftle was forced to
difcover.the fallacy of it. The Ifraelites curfed him that gave
a wife to any of the tribe of Benjamin : But when they turned
to them in compaffion, they fatisfied themfelves with this poor
diftindion, that they would not give them wives, but were will
ing to fuffer. them to take them, Judges xxi. 18; 20. It is a
common fnare in matters pf prbmife, or oath, where confcience
is Startled at a direct violation thereof, by fome pitiful falvo,or
filly evafion, to blind the eyes ;' and when they dare not break
the hedge, to leap over" it by the help of a broken reed.
But I muft here further obferve, that Satan doth fometimes
fet afide thefe deceits aforementioned, and tries his'ftrength for
the withdrawing of our consideration from t,he danger of fin*
in a more plain and dired manner ; that is, by continuing the
profped of the fweets and pleafures pf fin under pur eye; and
withal, urging us by repeated folicitations to caft' the thoughts
of, the danger behind our back : In which he fo far prevails
fometimes^ that men are charged with a deep forgetfulnefs of
God, his law, and of themfelves, yet ufually it arifeth fo this
by degrees : As,
. (1.) When a temptation is before us, and our confcience re-
luds it, if there be any inclination to recede from a conviction,
the motion is refifted withafecretregretandforrow. Astheyoung
man was faid to go away forrowfol, when Chrift propounded
fuch terms for eternal life as he was npt willing to hear of:
- , ' ° " Sp

9§ A Treatife of Part." ft
So dd we, dur heart is divided betwixt judgment M& affedidn/
arid we* begin to WiSh that it might be lawful to commit fuch a*
fin, dr that there Were no' danger in it ; nay, often our wifheg
contradid our prayers, and while We defire to be deliverer!
from the terrrptatibrt, our private Withes beg a dehial to thofe
fupplicatirtns. (2.) If We come thus far, We ufually proceed to the next
ftfep\ which is, to give a difmiftion to thofe thoughts that op-
pdfe the fin : We fay to therii, as ' Felix fo Paul, Go thy way
for this time, and when I have a convenient opportunity I wifl
fend for thee.'
(3.) If a plain difmiffion ferve not to repel thefe thoughts;
we begirt to imprifon the truth in unrighteoUfnefs, Rom.,i. icf:
and by a mote peremptory reftifal to Stifle it; and to keep it
UKtfer, and become at laft willirigly ignorant, 2 Pet. iii. 5.
(4.) By this means at laft the heart grows fottrfli and- forget
ful : The heart is taken away, as the prophet fpeaks, and
then do thefe thotlghfs of cortvidion and warning at prefent pe;
rifh together. This withdrawing of our confideration is Sai
taft's third V>ay of blinding us. Follows next,
The fourth way by which otr tuft prevails in Satan's hand
to bbnd knowledge, and that is. by diffracting and disturbing it
in its work. This piece of fubtilty Satan the rather ufeth, be
caufe it is attended With a double advantage, and like a two
'edged fword will Cfct either Way. For (1.) A confufiori ami
diftradioft in the underftanding, will hinder the eVen ahd clear
apprehenfions of things ; fo that thofe principles of knbwledge
cannot reach fo deep, nor be fo firm and full in their applica'-
tion : For as the fenfes, if any Way diftraded or hindered; tho'
never fo intent, muft needs Suffer prejudice in their operations ;
a thick air Or mitt not only hinders the fight of the eye, but
alfo conduceth to a mifreprefentation of objeds : Thus is the:
undemanding hindered by confufibn. Bait (a.) If this fncceed
not, yet by this he hinders the peace and comfort of God's
children: It is a trouble to be haunted with «vil thoughts;
To work this dift'iadioii,
Firft, Satan ufeth a clamorous importunity, and doth fo fol
low US with fuggeftions, that what way foever we turn they
follow ns ; we- can think nothing elfe, or hear nothing elfey they
are ever before us.
Secondly, He workefh'this difturbance in our fh blights by* '
levying a legiort of temptations againft us j many at on6e, and
of feveral kinds, from within, from without, on every fide, he
gathers all from the Dan to the Beerfheba of his empire to op-
prefs us With a multitude ; fo that While our thoughts are di
vided

Chap. XIIL Satan's Temptations. 97
vided about many things, they are lefs fixed and obfervant in
any particular.
Thirdly, He fometimes endeavours to weary us out with long
folicitations. As thofe that befiege a city, when they cannot
ftorm, endeavour to wafte their ftrength and prpvifions by a
long Siege : His defign in this'is to come upon us, as Ahito-
phel counfelled Abfalom, when we are weary and weak hand
ed by watching and long refiftance.
Fourthly, But his chief defign is to take the advantage of a-
ny trouble inward or outward, and by the help of this he dan-
geroufly difcompofeth and diftrads our counfels and refolves.
If any have a fpirit diftempered, or lie under the apprehenfions
of wrath, it is eafy for him to confound and amaze fuch, that
they fhall fcarce know what they do, or what they think. The
like advantage he hath from outward afflictions, and thefe op
portunities he, the rather takes, for thefe reafons :
ift, Ufoally inward or outward troubles leave fome ftarnp of
murmuring and fullennefs upon our hearts, and of themfelves
diftemper our fpirits with a fad inclination, to fpeak in our hafte,
orto act unadvifedly. Job's affliction embittered his fpirit, and
Satan miffeth not the advantage ; then he comes upon him
•with temptations,1 and prevailed fo far, that he fpake many
things in his anguifh, of which he was afhamed afterward, and
hides his face for it; ' Once have I fpoken, but I will not an
fwer : Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further,' Job xl. 5.
idly, By reafon of our burden, we are lefs wieldy, and more
unapt to make any refiftance. God himfelf expreffeth the con
dition of fuch, under the Similitude of thofe that are great with
young, who, becaufe they cannot be driven faft, he gently
leads them. But Satan knows a fmall matter will difcompofe
them, and herein he deals with us, as Simeon and Levi dealt
with the Sechemites who fet upon them when they were fore
by circumcifion.
$dly, Troubles of themfelves occafion confi-,\ion, multitudes
of thoughts, diftradions and inadvertancies. Jf men fee a ha
zard before them, they are prefently at their wits end, they are
puzzled, they know not what to do, thoughts are divided, now1
refolving this, then prefently changing to a contrary purpofe.
It is feldom but as in a multitude of words there is much fol
ly, fo in a diftradion of thoughts/there are many mifcarriages,
and Satan with a little labour can improve them to more ; here-
he works unfeen ; in thefe troubled waters he loves to angle,
becaufe his' baits are not difcerned.
Fifthly, Our confiderations and reafonings againft fin are hin
dered by a bold forward precipitancy. When men are hafted
,N and

9S A Treatife of Part h
and prefied to the committing of fin, and like the deaf adder,,
ftop their ears againft the voice of the charmer : In this cafe
the rebellious wdl is like a furious horfe, that takes the bridle
in his teeth, and inftead of fubmittmg to the government of his
rider, be carries him violently whither he would not. Thus
do men rufti into fin, as the borfe into the battle. The devices
by winch Satan doth forward this, we may obferve to be thefe
among others.
Firft, He endeavours to affright men into au hopeleflnefs of
prevailing againft him, and fo intimidates men, that they throw
down their weapons, and yield up themfelves to the temptation;
they conclude there is no hope by all their refiftance, to Stand
it out againft him, and then they are eafily perfuaded to com
ply with him. To help this forward, Satan ufeth the policy
of foldiers, who ufually boaft high of their ftrength and resolu
tions, that the hearts and courage of their adversaries failing,
the vidory may fall to them without Strokes. The devil ex
preffeth a difdain and "fcorn of our weak opposition, as Goliah
did of David, ' Ara I a dog, that thou comeft to me with Staves?'
Dofl thou think to Stand it out againft me ? It is in vain to
buckle on thine armour ; and therefore better were it to fave
the trouble of ftriving, than to fight to ho purpofe. With fuch
like arguings as thefe, are men fometimes prevailed with to
throw down their weapons, and to over-run their reafon through
fear and hopeleffnefs. '
Secondly, Sometimes he is more fubtile, and by threaping
men down, that they have confented already, he pats them up
on defperate adventures of going forward. This is ufually
Where Satan batkufed many folicitations before, after our hearts
have been urged Strongly with a temptation ; when he fees he'
cannot win us over to him, then he triumphs and boalts we are
conquered already, and that our thoughts could not have dwelt
fo long upon fuch a fubjed, but that we had a liking to it, and
thence would p< rfuade us to go on and enjoy the fuhiefs of that
delight, which we have already Stolen privately, over Shoes*
over boots'. Now, though his arguings here be very weak,-
for though it be granted, that by the flay of the temptation on
our'thoughtS', he hath a little entangled »s, it cannot hence b?'
inferred; that it is our- wiSdom to entangle ourfelves further,
yet are many overcome herewith, and give up themSelves as
,already conquered, and- fo give a ftop to any f u-rther confidera
tion'. Thirdly, When men will not be trapaned into the fnareby
the former delufions, he attempts to work them up to a fudden
and hafty refolve of finning 5" he prepares all the materials cf
the

Chap. XIII. Satan's Temptations. 9$
the Sin, puts every thing in order, and then carries us, as he
did Chrift, into the mountain, to give us a profped of their
beauty and glory : * All thefe, faith he, will I give thee ; do
but eonfent, and aH- are thine.' Now, albeit there are argu
ments at hand, and ferious considerations to deter us from prac
tice, yet how are all laid afide by a quick refolve. Satan ur
geth us by violent hurry, as Chrift faid to Judas, ' what thou
haft to do, do it quickly.' The foul perfuaded with this, puts
on a fudden boldnefs and refolution ; and when reafon-doth of
fer to interpofe, it holds faft the door, becaufe the found of its
matter's feet is behind it. Doth it not fay to itfelf, .Come,
we will hot confider, let us do it quickly, before thefe lively
considerations come in to hinder us. It is loth to be restrained,
and conceiteth, that if it can be done before confcience awaken
and make a uoife, all is well ; as if fin ceafed to be Sinful, be
caufe we by a violent hafte endeavoured to prevent the admoni
tion of confcience. Thus they enjoy their fin, as the Ifraelites
eat their paffbver, ' in hafte, , and with their Slaves in their
hands.' Fourthly, When opportunities and occafions will well fuit it;
he takes the advantage of a paSfionate and fullen humour, and
by this means he turns us clearly out of our biafs ; reafon is
trampled underfoot, andpaSfion quite over- runs it. At this dis
advantage the devil takes Jonah, and hardens him to a ftrange re
folve of quarrellingGod, and justifying himfelf in that infolency.
The humour that Satan wrought upon, was his fretful fullennefs,
raifed up to a great height by the difappointment of his expec
tation; and this makes him break out into a choleric refolution,
* I do well to be angry.' Had he been compofed in his fpirit ;
had his mind been calm and fedate, the devil furely could not
by any arguments have drawn him up to it ; but when the
fpirit is in a rage, a little matter will bind reafon in chains,
andpufhaman upon a defperate careleflhefs of any danger
that may follow, fuitable to that expreflion of Job, chap. xiii.
13. * Let me alone that I may fpeak, and let come on me what
will.' Fifthly, All thefe are but fmall, in comparifon of thofe de
liberate determinations which are to be found with moft Sin
ners, who are therefore faid to fin with an high hand, prefutpp-
tuoufly, wilfully, againft confcience, againft knowledge, and this-
ordirtarily to be found only among thofe, whom a cuftom of fin
hath hardened and confirmed into a boldnefs of a wicked way
and courfe. When the fpirits of men are thus harneffed and
prepared, Satan can at pleafure almoft form them into a deli
berate refolve, tp caft the commandment behind their back,
N? ' ano}

loo A Treatife of Part I,
and to refufe to hearken. When any temptation is offered
them, if God fay, ' Afk for the old paths, and walk therein,' as
Jer. vi. 1 6. they will readily anfwer, 'We will not walk there
in :' If God fay, ' Hearken to the found of the trumpet,' they
will reply, ' We will not hearken.' When the people by a
courfe of finning had made themfelves like the wild afs ufed to
the wildernefs, then did they peremptorily fet up their will
againft all the reafon and confideration that could come in to
deter them, though they were told-the inconveniences, Jer. ii.
25. that this did unfhoe their foot, and afflicted them with thirft
and want ; yet was the advice Slighted, ' there is no hope, faid
they, there is no expedatlon that we will take any notice of
thefe pleadings, for we have fixed our refolve, we have loved
Strangers, and after them will we go.' So Jer. xliv. 16. 'As
for the word that thou haft fpoken unto us in the name of the
Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly dp
whatfoever thing goeth out of our own mouth.' A plain and
full refolve of will difchargeth all the powers of reafon, and
commands its filence. And that this is moft Ordinary among
men, may appear by thefe frequent expreflions of fcripture,
wherein God lays the blame of all that madnefs which their
lives bring forth, upon their will, ' Ye would npt obey ; ye
will not come to me ; their heart is fet to do evil,' &c. It
may indeed feem ftrange, that Satan fhould proceed fo far with
the generality of men, and that they fliould do that that fhould,
feemfo inconfiftentwith thofe principles which they retain, and
the light which muft refnk from thence : But we muft re
member, that thefe wills and fhalls of wicked men, are for the
moft part God's interpretation of their ads and carriage, which
Speak as much, though it may be their minds and hearts do not
fo formally mould up their thoughts into fuch open and bra
zen faced affertions. And yet we ought alfo further to confi
der,; that when the Spirit of God chargeth man with wilful
ness, there is furely more of a formal wilfulnefs in the heart.
of man than lieth open to our view. And this will be lefs.
ftrange to us when we call to mind,
Sixthly, That through the working of Satan the minds of,
men are_ darkened, and the light thereof put out by the preva.
lency pf atheiftical principles *. Something of atheifcn is by
molt divines concluded to be in every fin ; and according to the
neignt ot it in its various degrees, is reafon and confideration
overturned: Ihere are, it may be, few that are profefled a-
theilts in opinion, and dogmatically fo, but all wicked men are
o in pradice ; though they profefs God, yet < the fool faith in
Uis heart there -is no God,' and in their works they deny him.
This
* Cap el. Xempt.

Chap. XIV. Satan's Temptations. 1 01
This is a prinpiple that diredly Strikes at the root ; for if there!
is no God, no hell, or punifliment, who will be feared from
taking his delight in fin by any fuch Gonfideration ? The devil
therefore Strives to inftil this poifon with his temptation. When
he enticed Eve by fecret infinuations, he firft queflions the truth
of the threatening, and then proceeds to an open denial of it,
'f Ye Shall not furely die ;' and it is plain, She was induced to
the fin upon a fecret disbelief of the danger ; She reckons up the
advantages, good for food, pleafant to the eye, to be defired to
make one wife ; wherein it is evident She believed what Satan
had affirmed, that they fliould be as God, and then it was not
to be feared that they fliould die. This kind of atheifm is com-,
mon ; men may not difbelieve a Godhead ; nay, they may be
lieve there is a God, and yet queftion the truth of his threaten-
ings. Thofe conceits that men have of God, whereby they
mould and frame him in their fancies, fuitable to their hu
mours, which is a thinking that he is fuch an one as ourfelves,
Pfalm 1. are fleams and vapours from this pit, and the hearts
of the fons of men are defperately fet within them to do evil,
, upon thefe grounds ; much more when they arife fo high, as
in fome, who fay, ' Doth God know ? Is there knowledge in
' the Moft High ?' If men give way to this, what reafon can
be imagined to Stand before them ? All the, comminations of
fcripture are derided as fo maay theological feare- crows, and
undervalued as fo many pitiful contrivances to keep men in awe.

CHAP. XIV.
Of Satan's maintaining his poffeffion. His firfl engine for that,
purpofe, is his finifhing of fin, in its reiteration and aggrava
tion. His policies herein.
TTAVING explained the five ways by which Satan, through
T-*" the power of luft, caufeth blindnefs of mind, in tempting to
fin, I Shall next lay open Satan's devices' for the keeping and
maintaining his poffeffion, which are thefe :
Firft He endeavours, after he hath prevailed with any man
to commit an iniquity, to finifti Sin, James i. 15. ' After it is
conceived and brought forth, then it is finished ;' which notes
its growth and increafe. This comprifeth thefe two things, its
reiteration, and its aggravation.
1/?, Its reiteration is when by frequent acts it is Strengthened
and cpnfirmed into an habit. There are various Steps by which
men afcend into the feat of the fcornful, nemo repente turpiffmus .
It is not one ad that doth denominate men wife to do evil. In
Pfalm

loa A Treatife of Parti)
Pfalm i. David fliews there are gradations and degrees of Sin,
fome walk in the counfel of the ungodly ; fome, by progrefs
and continuance df fin, Stand in the way of finners ; fome, by a
hardnefs of heart, and fixednefs in wicked purppfes, fit in the
feat pf the feornful. Tp this height dpth he labour to bring
his profelytes, yet he further defigns,
idly, That fin may have its utmoft accomplishments in all
the aggravations whereof it may be capable, he ftrives tp put
men upon fuch a courfe of finning as may be moft fcandalous
to the gofpel, moft enfnaring and offenfive to others, moft hard
ening and defperate to ourfelves, moft offenfive and provoking
to God ; in this he imitates the counfel of Ahitophel to Abfa-
lom, when he advifed him to go in unto his father's concu
bines ih the light of all Ifrael, that fo the breach betwixt him
and his father might be widened to an impoflibility of reconci
liation. Thus he labours that Sinners Should ad at fuch a rate
of open defiance againft heaven, as if they refolved to lie down
in their iniquity, and were purpofed never to think of return
ing, and making up their peace with God. That fin may be
finished in both thefe refpeds, he ufeth thefe policies :
i. After fin is once committed, he renews his motions and
folicitations to ad it again, and then again and fo onward tiH
they be perfed and habituated to it. In this cafe he ads over
again the former method by which he firft enfnared them, on
ly with fuch alterations as the prefent cafe doth neceffitate him
unto ; before he urged for the committing of it but once, how
little is he tp be trufted in thefe promifes, now he urgeth them
by the very ad they have already done, Is it not a pleafant or
profitable fin to thy very experience ? Haft thou not tailed and
feen ? Haft thou not already confented ? Tafte and try again,
and yet further, withdraw not thy hand. A little temptation
Served before, but a lefs ferves now; for by yielding to the firft
temptation, our hearts are fecretly inclined to the Sin-, and we
.carry a greater affedipn to it than before: for this is the Slain
and defijement of fin, that when once committed, it leaves im-
preffions of delight and love behind, which are ftill the more aug
mented by a further progrefs and frequent commiffion, tillatlaSt
by a Strong power of fafcination it bewitches men that they
cannot forbear; all the entreaties of friends, all their own pro
mifes, all their refolves and purpofes, though never fo Strong
and ferious, except God Strike in to refcue by an omnipotent
h^nd, can no more reftrain them than fetters of Straw can hold
a giant. God himfelf owns it as a natural impoflibility, ' Can the
Ethiopian change his Skin ? No more can ye do good;' and the
r eafon of that impoflibility, is from hence, that they are accuf-'
tomed

Chap XIV. Satan's Temptations. 103
tomed to do evil. Such ftrong and powerful inclinations to the
fame fin again are begot in us by a fin already committed, that
fometimes one ad of fin fills fome men with as vehement and
paflionate defires for a further enjoyment, as cuftom and con
tinuance doth others. Auftin reports that Alipius when once
he gave way to the temptation of beholding the gladiators,
was bewitched with fuch a delight, that he not only defired to
come again with others, but alfo before others. Neither is it
any great wonder it fliould be fo, when beSides the inclinations
that are begot in us by any ad of fin to recommit it, fin puts
us out of God's protedion, debilitates and weakens our graces,
Strengthens Satan's arm, and often procures him further power
and commiffion againft us.
2. Satan endeavours to make one fin an engagement to ano
ther, and to force men to draw iniquity with cords of vanity.
Agur notes a concatenation in fins, ' left I fteal and take the name
' of God in vain,' Prov. xxx. 9 Adam finning in the forbidden
fruit, and proclaimed guilty by his confcience, runs into ano
ther fin for the excufe of the former, • the woman that thou
gaveft me,' &c. David affords a fad inftance of this, the fin
with Bathfheba being committed, and She with child upon, it,
David, to hide the Shame of his offence, 1 . Hypocritically pre
tends great kindnefs to Uriah. 2. When that fenred not, next
he makes him drunk, and it may be he involved many others-
in that fin as acceflbries. 3. When this courfe failed, his heart
conceives ' a purpofe and refolution to murder him. 4. He
cruelly makes him the meffenger of his own deftrudion. 5.
He engageth Joab in it. b\ And the death of many of his fol-
diers. 7. By this puts the whole army upon an hazard. 8.
Exeufeth the bloody contrivance by providence. 9. In all u-
fing ftill the height of diffimulation. Satan knows how natural
it is for men to hide the fhame of their iniquity, and according.
Iy provides-occafions and provocations, to drive them on to a
kind of neceSfity.
3. By a perverfe reprefentation of the ftate of godly and
wicked men, he draws on Sin to an high compleatment. How
often doth he fet before us the mifery, affliction, contempt,
eroffes, and fadnefles of the one, and the jollity, delights, plen
ty, peace, honours, and power of the other ? It was a tempta
tion that had almoft brought David to an atheistical refolve a-
garnft all religious duty, and that which he obferved had pre
vailed altogether with many prpfefibrs, Pfal. lxxiii. when they
obferved they were not in trouble like other men, and that
their mouth and tongue had been infolent againft God, without
any rebuke or check from him ;-, when In the mean time the
godly

j.0'4 A Treatife of Chap. Xlffc
godly were plagued all the day, and chaftened every morning 7
Some (that were in profeffion, or eftimation at leaft, God's peo
ple) returned to take up thefe thoughts, and to refolve upon
fuch practices, ver. 10. as jf God, who fees all thefe with fo
much Silence, muft be fuppofed knowingly to give fome coun
tenance to fuch adions. This indeed (when it is profecured
upon our hearts in its full ftrength with thofe ugly furmifes,
jealoufies, and mifapprehenfions that are wont to accompany it)
is a fad Step to a defperate negled of duty, and a careleffnefs in
- finning, in that it infenfibly introduceth atheistical impreSfipns
upon the hearts of men, and fuch are apt to catch hold, even
upon good men, who are but too ready to fay, as David, I have
cleanfed my hands in vain.
4. Satan hath yet another piece of policy for the multiplica
tion and aggravation of fin, which is the enmity and opposition
of the law. Of this the Apoftle Paul fadly complains from his
own experience, Rom. vii. 8. ' Sin taking occafion by the com
mandment, wrought in me all manner of concupifcence.' What
he laments is this, that fuch is the perverfenefs of our natures,
that the law inftead of restraining us, doth the more enrage us;
fo that accidentally the law doth multiply fin : for when-the
reftraint of the law is before us, luft burns not only more in
wardly, but when it cannot be kept in and fmothered, then it
breaks out with greater violence, ' Let us break their bonds a-
funder,' &c. When the law condemns our lufts, they grow fur-
ly and defperate, ' Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die/
ckc. If any wonder that the law, which was given of purpofe
to reprefs fin, and which is of fo great ufe in its authority to
kill it in us, and to hinder temptations, Should thus be ufed.by
Satan to increafo and enrage it, they may confider that it is but
ftill an accidental occafion, and not a caufe, and fin takes this
occafion without any fault of the laW. Satan to this end-watch-
eth ( as .Abfalom's, Servants watched when Amnon's heart was
merry with wine) the time when our hearts are moft earnestly
fet upon our lulls, when our defires are moft highly engaged,
and then by a fubtile art fo oppofeth the law, (letting in its
contradidions in way and meafure fuitable) that our hearts con.
ceive a grudge at reftraint, which, together with its earneftnefs
to fatisfy the flefh, arifeth up to a furious' madnefs, and violent
ftriving to maintain a liberty and freedom to do according to
the defires of their heart ; whereas this fame law, if it be ap
plied to the heart when it is more cooled, and not fo highly en
gaged upon a defign of luft, will break, terrify, and reftrain the
heart, and put fuch a damp upon temptations that they 'Shall not
be able to ftand before it. So great a difference is there in the
various

¦Chip." XV. Satan's Temptations. 105
various feafons of the application of this. law ;, in which' art,
for the enflaming of the heart to iniquity, Satan Shews a won
derful dexterity. ' ¦ ,

' C HA P. XV,
' ', ¦
Of Satan's keeping all in quiet, nqhidh is his fecond fngine for
keeping his pojfeffton, ana]- for that purpofe his keeping us from
going to the, light by feveral fiibtilties ; alfo of making )is rife
up againft the light, and by what way's he doth that.
O ATAN's next engine for the maintaining his poffeffion, is to
*^ keep all in quiet ; which our Saviour notes, Luke xi. 21.
* When a ftrong man-armed keepeth his palace, his goods are
in peace.' He urgeth this againft thofe that objeded to hifn,
"that he caft out devils by Beelzebub, which calumny he coti-
futeth, by Shewing the inconfiflency of that, with Satan's prin
ciples and defign ; it being a thing fufficienrly known and uni-
verfally practifed, that "no man, will difturb or difpute againft
, his o'wte peaceable poffeffion ; neither can it be fuppofed Satan
will do it, becaufe he ads by this common rule of keeping down
and hindering any thing that may difquiet breach pf peace, is
hazardous to a poffeflion; an uneafy government occafions mu
tinies, ahd .revolts of fiibjeds ¦ Yet kvG might think that (the
wages of fin, the light and power of confcience confidered,)- it
were no eafy taSk for the devil tb rule his Slaves with fo much
<juiet, as it is obferved he doth ; his Skill in this particular, and
the Way of managing his interest for fuch an end, we may
clearly fee, in John iii. 10. ' Every one that doth evil, hateth
the light, neither Cometh to the light, left his deeds fhould be
reproved.' From which place we may obferve; (1.) The
great thing that doth difquiet Satan's poffeflion, is light, (a.)
The reafon of that difquietment is the difcovery that light make's,
and the Shame that follows that difcovery. (3.J The way to
prevent that light, and the reproof of it, is to avoid coming to
it; and. Where it cannot be avoided, to hate it. It is Satan's
bufinefs then for keeping all in peace. ' 1. To kfeep us from
the light ; or if that cannot be, then, 2. To make us rife Up
againft it. I ShaU make enquiry after both thef^ projeds of
the devil.
To keep us from coming to the light, he ufeth a great many
fubtilties. ' As,
Firft, For his Own part, he forbears todo any thing that
might difcompofe'or affright entangled foul's : At other times,
0 v and

106 A Treatife of Part'!
and in other cafes he loves to torment and, affright' them, to
caufe their wounds to Slink and corrupt; but in this cafe he
takes a contrary courfe, he keeps off, as much as may be, all
refledions of cpnfciene.e ; , he conceals the evil and danger of fin,
he fings them afleep in their folly, till a dart flrikel through
their liver, and haftens them tp the fnare, as a bird that know-
eth npt that it is for his life,. Prov. vii. 23. They that Shall
Confider, that the. heart of a firtner is hardened through, the de
ceitfulnefs of fin ; and that the greateft paft of the aSFrightment
that moleSts the confeiences of fuch, is from Satan's' fury'and
malice ; they will eafily conceive how much his Single forbear
ance to moleft, may contribute to the peace and eafe of thofe
thjat are, fettled upon their lees : But befides his forbearance,
we may exped that whatever clouds or darknefs he can raife to
; exclude the light, or to muffle the eyes, he will not be negli
gent in the ufe of that power, whatever he can positively do in
the raifing up the confidence of prefumptlon.or fecurity in the
minds of men ; whatever he can do to make them fottifh 01
carelefs, that Shall not be wanting.
Secondly, He Shews no lefs Skill and diligence by fecret con
trivances to< hinder occafioiis of reproof^ and difcovery; hew
much he can practife upon others, that out of pity and conv
paflioh to the fouls of men, are ready to draw a finner from the
error of his way, and to faye a foul from death. We can
fcarce imagine what ways he hath to divert and hinder them,
by what private difcouragements he doth defer .them, who can
tell ? He that could difpufe with the angel about the body of
Mofes to prevent the fecret interment of it, Jude 9. Deut.
xxxiv. -6. He that could give a ftop of one and twenty, days' jo
the angel that was to bring the comfortable meffage to Daniel
of the hearing pf his, prayers, may ihpre eafily pbftrud and op-
•pofe the defigns of a faithful reprover. Sometimes he doth this
by vifible means and instruments, Stirring up the fpirits of
Wicked men to give oppofiticn to fuch as feek to deliver their
fouls from the blood of men, by faithful warnings or exhorta
tions : The devil was fo careful to keep Jeroboam quiet in his
finful courfe of Idolatry, that he Stirs upAmaziah tobanifli'A-
mos frbm the court, left his plain dealing fliould flartle of a-
waken theeonfeience of the king ; Amos vii. 12, ,13, ' Go^fke
thee away into the land of Judah, &c. but prophefy not any
more at. Bethel, for it is the King's Chapel, it Is the King's
Court.' ,
Thirdly, In order tp the keeping put the light from the con
feiences of men, he infinuates himfelf -as a lying .fpirit, into the
mouths of fome of his mercenaries ; and they Speak Smooth things'

Chap. XV, ' Satan's Temptations. 107
things and deceits to Satan's captives ; telling them, that they
are in a good condition ; Christians good enough, and may go
to heaven as well as the.' precifeft : It is a fault in unfaithful
. ministers, they do the deyil thisfervice, God highly complains
of it, Jer. vi. 14.' ' They have healed alfo the hurt of the daugh
ter cf my people Slightly, faying, peace, peace, when there is
no peace.' ^ Ezek. xiii. 10-. ' They have feduced my people,
faying, peace, and there was no peace : And one built tip a
wall, , and others daubed it' with rtntempered morter.' Befides,
this Stratagem is the more likely (9 prevail, becaufe it takes the
advantage of the humour ; and inclinations of men, who natu
rally think the belt of themfelves, and delight that others Should
fpeak What they would have them ; fo that when men by the-
devil's mitigation prophefy deceit to Sinful -men, it is moft like
ly- they Should be heard, feeing, they defire fuch prophets, and
love to have it fo. \
Fourthly, Satan1 keeps off the light, by catching away the
word after it is fown. This policy of his, Chrift exprefsly
•difcove'rs, Matth. -xiii. 19. ' When any one heareth the word
of the kingdom, and underftandeth it not, then cometh the
wicked one, and catcheth away that which was fown in his
, heart : Such opportunities the devil doth narrowly watch ; to
be Sure he will be prefent at a ferrnort, or good difcourfe, and
if he, perceive any thing fpoken that may endanger his peacea
ble poffeffion, how bufy is he to withdraw the heart, fometimes
by the fight of the eyes, fometimes by vain thoughts' of bufi
nefs, occafions, delights, and what not ; and if this come not
up'to his end, then he endeavour's, after men h aye heard, tq
juftle all out by impertinent difcourfes, urgencies of employ
ment, and a thoufand fuch divertifements, that fo men may not
lay the warning- to heart, nor byferious meditation to apply it
to their confeiences.
Fifthly, He fometimes fnuffs out the light by perfecution,
Thofe hearers, Matth. xiii. 20, 21. that had received the word
with fome workings of affedions and joy, are prefently offend
ed when perfecution, becaufe of the word, arifeth. By this,
he threatens men into an acquiefepney in their prefent condi-"
tipn, that if they depart from iniquity, they ihall make them,
felves a prey: Bonds; imprifonments, and hatreds, he fug-
gefts, 'Shall abide them, and by this means he fears men from
the light. " ' •••', ' 1
Sixthly, He fometimes Smothers and'-choaks it with the cares
of the world. As thofe that received feed among thorns ;• by
earneft engagements in bufinefs, all that time, ftrength and, af
fection which Should have been laid out in the profecution of
' Q 2 heavenly

io5 • / A Treatife of Part I.t
heavenly things, are .wholly taken up and Spent on outward,'
things ; by this means that light that Shines intp the.- hearts pf
inen, is negleded and put by. !
Seventhly, He ftaVes off men from coming to the light, by
putting them upon mifapprehenfiona of their eftate, ip judging
themfelves by the common opinion. Satan hath fo far pre
vailed with men, that they are become confident of this conceit,
That men may- take a moderate liberty in finning, and yet ne-
verthelefs be in a good condition ;, that fin is not , fd. great a.
matter in God's eiteem, as in the judgment of fame rigorous
precifian, that he wjll not be fo extreme to mark "what y,;e do
amifs, as fome Arid profeffors are. What can be of, greater.
hindrance, to that ingenuous fearch, Arid examination, and im
partial judging, or Shaming ourfelves for our iniquities, which
the light of fcripture would engage us unto, than fuch a conceit
as this ? And 'yet that this opinion is net' only common, but
ancient, is manifest, by thofe warnings and cautions given by
'the apoftle to the contrary, Gal. vi. 7, • Be not deceived, God
is not mocked ; whatfoever a man foweth, that fliall he alfo
reap,' Eph. v. 6. ' Let no man deceive you with vain words,
for-becaufe of thefe things, cometh the- wrath of God upon tbe;
children of difobedience.' ' If it had hot been ufual for men-- to-
live in uncleannefs,.covetoufnefs, and fuch like offences, which
he calls f owing to the flefh, and yet in the midft of thefe, to
think they were not under the. hazard of wrath ; or if men had
not profeffedly and avowedly maintained fuch an opinion, it had
been fuperfiuoys for the apoftle to have warned us with fo
much earneftnefs, * Be not deprived^ let no man deceive you
with fuch vain words.'
'Eighthly, It is ufual for Satan to ftill and quiet the Stirring
thoughts of finners with hopes' and affurancesof fecrefy. As
children are quieted and pleafeu with toys and rattles, fo are-
finners put off and diverted, from prpfecuting, the discoveries
that the light would make in them, by this confidence, That
though they have" done amifs, yet their mifcarriages' Shall not
be laid Open, or manifested before men. It is incredjhle how
jpuch tl^e hopes of concealment doth fatisfy and delight 'thojft
that have fome fenfe pf guilt. Sometimes men are impudent,
that • they declare their fin as Sodom, they hide it. not,! ISa.
iii. 9. But before- they arrive at fo great an impudency, they
ufually ' feek deep to hide their counfel' from the Lord, and
their works are in the da-rk; an,d they fay, who feefh us?
and who knov>eth us ?' Ifa. xxix. 15. Like" thofe foolifb crea
tures, that think themfelves furEcienfiy concealed by hiding
their heads in a bufli, though all their bodies be ' expofe'd to
open

Chap. XV- Satan's. Timptations.^ ( jog
open view. - If a. xxviii. 15. Thofe that made lies their refuge,
and under falfehpad hid themfelves, became as confident of
their fecurity, as if they had made a covenant with death,
and were at an agreement ;with hell ; and when they have
continued in this courfe for fome time with impunity, the
light is fp baniShed, that they carry it fo, as if God obferved
their adions dpne in the dark, as little as' men do. Job xxii..
13. ' How, doth God(know? fay they, can he judge through the:
darkolouds ? thick clouds, are a covering to him that he feeth
not ;' and hence proceed they to promife themfelves a fafety
from judgments, ' when the overflowing fcourge Shall pafs.
through, it Shall not come nigh unto us, for we have made-
lies our refuge,' §tc.
Ninthly, Satan keeps them from going to the light by de
murs and, dplays. If the light begin to break in upon their
confeiences, then he tells them, that there is time enough af
terward : " Oh, faith he, thou art young, and haft, many -days
before thee; it. is, time enough to repent when you begin to
be old : Or, thou art a fervant, an apprentice under command,
thou wanteft fit opportunities and conveniences for ferious con
sideration ; ' defer till thou becpmeft free, and at thine own dif-
pbfal." That this is one of Satan's deceits to hinder us from
making ufe of the light, befides what common experience may
Jteach every man, may be clearly gathered from the exhorta^
tions of fcripture, which do npt only Shew lis the way wherein
we ought to walk, bnt alfo, prefs us to a prefent embrace-?
. ment pf that ccunfel; ' To-day, to-day,' while it is called to-
day, harden not your hearts;' Heb. iii. 7, ' Now is, the ac
cepted time ; npw is the day of falvation,' 2 Cor. vi. 2. ' Re
member thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil
day cqines,' Ijlcclef. xii. 1. * If ye will enquire, enquire^ yea
return-, come,' Ifa. xxi. 13. • This hafty urgency to clofe with
the offered Occafions, plainly accufe us of delays, and that it is
ufual with us to adjourn thofe thoughts1 to a fitter opportunity,
which we are, not 'willing to comply with for the prefent.
By thefe nine devices he keeps the light from enfnared Sin
ners, or them, from coming to the light. But if all this cannot
draw a curtain before the fun, if its bright beams breaks thrV
all, fo that it cannot be avoided, but there will, be a manifesta
tion and difcovery of the hidden things of darknefs ; then Sa-
*an ufeth all his art and cunning to Stir up in the hearts of men
their hatred againft the .light.
This is bis fecOnd grand piece of policy to keep all in,quiet
under his command, to which purpofe,
Firft, He endeavours to draw on a hatred againft, the light,
' '' ' by

no A Treatije of Part. I.
by.raifing in the minds of men a prejudice againft, the perfon
that brings or offers it : If he that warns or reproves, expreSs
himfelf any thing warmly, or cuttingly againft his; brother's
fin, this the devil prefently makes ufe of ; and thofe that are
concef ned think they have a jult caufe to ftop their ears^ "and
harden their necks, becaufe they conceive, that anger or ill-
will, or fome fuch bafe thing did didate thofe, though juft, re
bukes. -The detil turned the heart of Ahab againft the faith
ful warnings of Micaiah upon a deep prejudice that he had ta
ken tip againft him ; for fo he exprefleth himfelf to Jehofaphat,
' I hate him, for he never propfiefieth good unto me,' i Kings
xxii. 8. In this cafe, men confider not how juftly, how truly,
how profitably any thing is, fpoken, but, as Some infeds that
feed upon fores, they pafs by what is found and good,' and fix
upon that which is corrupt and putrid, either through the
weaknefs and inobfervancy of the reprover, or pretended to be
fuph, by the prejudice pf the party, which dpth altogether diSV
able him to put a right eonftrudipn ,uppn any thing.
Secondly, If this help npt, then he feeks tp get the advantage
of a provoked, paffionate, or otherwife diftempered fit,' and
then hatred is eafily procured againft any thing that comes in
its way.
Thirdly, Satan endeavours to engage our hatred againft the
light, by prefenting our intereft as Shaken pr endangered by it.
If intereft can be drawn in, and made a party, it is not'difficult
to" put all the paflions of a man in arms, to give open defiance
to any difcovery it can make. That great rage and tumult of
kings, and people mentioned in Pfalrtiii. ' combining and takipg
coUnfel againft the Lord,' and his laws, is upon the quarrel of
intereft : y Their fufpicions "and jealcufies that the fetting up of
Chrift uppn his throne would eclipfe their power and greatnefs,
makes them, out of a defperate hatred againft the light,, fall in
to refolyes of open rebellion againft his laws,: ' Let us break
his bands afunder, and caft away his cords from us.' This
pretence of intereft Strengthened the accufaticn of Amaziah a-
gainft Amos, chap. vii. 10. ' Amos hath confpired againft thee
in the midft of-the houfe of Ifrael : The land is not able to
bear all his words.' No wonder then if Jeroboam, inftead of
hearkening to. the threatening, baniSh him out of the land. We
find the like in Afa, a good man, the devil Stirs up his hatred
againft the feer, < he was wroth with him, and put him into
the prifon-houfe, <for he was in a rage againft him,' 2 -Chron.
xvi. 10. The ground of that rage was this ;- the king's inte
reft, in his apprehenfion, was wrapt up in that league with the
king of Syria, ver. 2, jp. fo that he could not bear fo plain a re-
r proof,

Chapi. XVI. ' Safari's Temptetioni. • tit
proof, which diredly laid the axe to the rppt of fo great an in7
tereft, as the fafety of the king and kingdom, which feemed to
depend fo much'upon that league.
Fourthly, Satan Stirs, up hatred againft the light from the
unavoidable -effeds of light, which are difcovery and manifesta
tion. Eph. v. 13. * All things that are reproved are made
manifeft ; for whatfopver doth make manifest, is light. New
the lffue pf this manifestation is, Shame, which, however it be'
.the daughter of fin and light, yet would it naturally deftroy
the fin that bred it; and therefore repentance is ufually ex-
preffed by, being aSha,med and confounded: But that Satan
might avoid this, he turns the edge of Shame againft the light,
Which Should have been emplpypd, againft ifin., , When men
'therefore^ have finned, and are ' as a thief when he is taken,'
Jer. ii. 16. ready, to fall into the hapds of Shame: for the avoid
ing of that, ' they "rebel againft the; light,' Job xiv. 13. The
ground, of this hatred, Ch,rift in John iii. 20. tells us, is, ' left
their deeds Should be reproved,' and they forced to bear their
Shame; to mis pnd they are put upon it to hide themfelves from
Shame, by lies, pretences, exeufes, extenuations, or by any fig-
leaf that comes firft to hand. . And as thofe that live in hotter
regions curfe the fun, becauSp it fporchefh them ; fo dp thefe
curfe the, light : And in/tead of taking its help, raife up an ir-
reconcjleable enmity againft it ; and fo run from it..

C H A P. XVI.
Of Satan's third grand policy for maintaining his poffeffion ;
which is his feigned departure. (1.) By ceafing the profecu
tion of his defign y and the cafes in which he dqth it, (2.) By
abating the eagernefs of purfuit, and how he doth that. (3.)
By exchanging temptations ; and, his policy '( 'herein. The ad->
¦ vantage he feeks by feeming to fly. Of his fourth flratagem
for keeping his poffeffion, which is his flopping all ways^of re
treat ; and how he doth that.
"DEoIDES the two former defigns, of finishing fin, and keep-
¦*-* ing all in quiet, by which the devil endeavours to maintain
his poffeflion, he hath a third grand fubtilty, which is this : He
keeps his hold by feigning himfelf difpoffeSied and caft out. Of
this We have a full account, Luke xi. 24. *' When the unclean
fpirit is gone out of a man, he Walketh thorough dry places,
feeking reft ; and finding none, he faith, I will return unto my
houfe whence I came out.' Chrift had there noted" that it is
Satap's great principle tp do nothing by which his kingdom
1 may

irft A Tretuife of , Part!/;
niay be divided -dr undermined. Satan will hot be divided tt-
gainft himfelf, and'yet very feafonably' he tells us, that for an
advantage he will feem to quit his intereft, and upon' defign hfe
will fometimes fo carry himfelf that he may be deemed and
Tuppofed to be gone otit of a man : • As thofe that befiege forts
ot walled towns, do fometimes raife the fiege and. feign a de
parture^ intending thereby to take a fudderi advantage of the
careleftnefs of the befieged. In the explanation of this' policy,
t Shall, (i.) SheW how many ways he feigns a departure^ (2.)
Upon what defigns he doth it.
• .Thete are three ways, whereby Satan feems tb forfake hift
intereft. > ¦ , ''','' '
Firft, He, frequently ceafeth the prcfecution'ofadefign, which:
yxthe hath in his eye and defire, when trtr perceives that there
are fome things in his way. that render it not feafible, nay, he
forbears to urge men to their darling fins, upon the fame fcore:
And who. would neft think Satan taft put in fuch a cafe"?' When
a man fpits put the Sweet mOrfel which' heretofore he kept uh-
der his tongue, and fucked a fweetnefs from it ; when men of
noted iniquities 'abftain from them,: and become fmooth arid ci*
vil, who would not think but 'that the unclean fpirit were gone?
This way arid courfe he puts in pradice in feveral cSfesV
ift, When he perceives fomt extraordinary occafionpttts any
of his fubjeds into a good mood or humour of •rdrgloh'.1 Wick
ed men are not ordinarily fo highly bent upon evil ways, but
that they may be at fometimes fofteried and relaxed. Pharaoh
(who is moft eminently noted for a beaft judicially hardened)
at the appearance of the plagues upon himfidFand'EgyfftV'uTa-
atiy relented fome what, and would; corifefs he had; Sinned; and
that'.fit would continue upon him for feme little time. But ve
ry frequently it is thus with others^ and extraordinary pecafidn
melts and thaws down the natural affedions of men, as a warm
day melts the fnow upon the mountains, and then the. flream
will for a time run high and Strong, at which time Satan- fees
it is in vain to urge them. Thus men that receive an eminent
kiudnefs. and deliverance from God, what is more, common
than for fuch men to fay, O ! we will never b'efo wicked as1 we
have been, we will never be drunk more, the world Shall; fee us
reformed and new men: thefe are indeed good words, antSyet
thpugh Satan knows, that fuch expreflions are not from a good
heart, -as that of Deut. v. 29. implies, ' they have well faid; 6
that there were fuch an heart in them,' he neverthelefs thinks
it not fit then to prefs them to their ufual wickednefs at that
time; for natural affedions raifecl.high in a profefliort bf reli
gion will, withstand temptations for a fit, and therefore he for
bears

Chap. XIII. Sfttaft's Temptations. 113
beats tirl 'the Stream run lower. What a fit of affedion had
the Iff aelites \vheh their eyes had feed that miraculous deliver-"1
ance at the Red-fear ? What fdhgs of rejoicing had they ? What*
refolves never fodiSlruft him again? Pfal: cvi. 12. ' Then be
lieved they his Words, they fang his praife:' Satan doth net
prefently urge them to murmuring and unbelief, thpugh' that
Was his defign, but he Slays till the fit was ' '6'Vef, and then h'e
cdtild foon terhpt them to forget his WbfrksV How likp a con-
Vert did Saul lobk, 1 Sahi.xxiv. i6.andxxvi. 21. after David had
convinced' him of his integrity, and'had Spared his life iri the cave ?
He weeps and acktt6vvleaget.fi his iniquity, juftiftes David, owns
his kindnefs, stnd feems to acquiefce in his fucceflion to the
kingdom. The devil had, no queftidn, a great fpite at David,
ahd it was his1 great defign to ftir. up Saul againft him, and yet
at that time he cpuld hPt prevail with Mm to deftroy David,
though hd might eafily have done it; he; was then ih £ good
mood, and Satan tvas. forced to give way to nece'ftity, and to
feem to go but of Saul for the prefeht.
idly, He alfo ceafeth from his defign when he fees he cannot
fit his temptation with a fttitable bpportuhity. What could be
more the devil's defign, and Efau's fatisfaction, than to have
had Jacob fliin? Efati prOfeSIeth It was the defign pf his heart,
and yet he refolves to forbear fo long as his father Ifaa6 lived,
Gen. xxvii. 41. ' Thfe days of my father's mourning are at
Sand, then (but hbt till theii) will I flay my brother Jacob.'
The devil often Sows- his feed, and yet waiteth ahd hath long
patience; hot only In watering and. fitting the hearts' of men for
it*, but alfo' in expedahey of fit oppprtunities'; and in the mean'
time, he'forb^ars' to put men upon that, which time and Occa
fion cannot fitly bring forth to pradice. The prophet, Hofea
vii. 4. fpeaks' of that people as ridtorioufly wicked, ' They are
all adulterers;' but withal, he obferves. that they forbear thefe
enormous abominations for want of fk feafohs, their heart was
as ah oven heated by tlfe baker, fufficiently enflathed after their
wickednefs, and yet the baker, after he'had kneaded the dough,
prepared all the ground work of the temptation, ceafed from
raifin'g,flefeping all the night till allwasleaveried; that is.though
itheir hearts were enraged for fin, yet the devil doth wait till
Occafions prefent themfelves, and becomes in the meantime
like' One afl'eep'. NoW while the devil thus- Sleeps, the fire that
is fecretly in the heart, being not Seen, men gain the* good opi
nion of converts with others, and often with themfelves, not
knowing what fpirit they are of, becaufe Satan ceafeth, upon
the1 Want dfbccafiohs, to tempt and provoke' them.
$dly, Our adverfary is content to forbear, when he perceives
P ' that

114" A Treatife of Part L
that a reftraining grace dpth lock up the hearts and hands of-
men,, When , a Stronger than he cometh, who can exped lefs
but tl^iat he Should be more quiet? Ihfrt God doth reftrain men
fometimes when he. doth not change them> needs no proof; that
Satan, knows of theft;, reftrainjts cannot be denied : who can give
an account of thefe communings an4 difcourfes that are betwixt
God and Satan concerning us? His pleadings in reference to
Job, were as unknown to Job; till God | difcovered them, as lus
pleadings concerning ourfelves are, to us. Befides, who can,
teft how much of God's reftraining grace inay lie in this,"of
God's limiting and" Straitening Satan's commiSEon? Now the
devil hafh not fo badly improved his obfervations, but that he
knowsjit is in vain to tempt where Gqd doth Slop his way, and
tie up mens hands. Abimelech Was certainly refolved upon
wickednefs when he took, Sarah from Abraham, Gen, xx. 2.
and yet , the matter is. fo carried for. fometime, how long we
know not, as if the devil had.been afleep, or forgottto haften
Abimelech to his Intended wickednefs ; .for when, God cautions
him, * he had not come near. 'jet,' ye,r/4. The ground of all
this was neither in the devil's, packwardnefs, nor Abimelech's
mpdefly, but Satan lets the 'matter reft, becaufe he knew that
God withheld him, and fuSfered him not to touch her. ,
qthly, When mpn are under the awe and fear of fuch as car
ry an authority in their, countenances and .employments,': for
.the tlifcburaging of fin, Satan, as hopelefs to prevail doth not
folicit to fcandalpus iniquities,. Much of external fapdity', and
faint- like behayjqur, arifeth, from hence.; the face's and prefence
of feme men have fuch a Alining fplendpr, that iniquity bluSheth
and hidpth its head before thera. Sin dare not do whatit would,
fo great a reverence and elteetri of.rfueb pe'r,fons is kept up in
the confeiences of fome, and fo great an awe and fear is thence
derived to others, that they will not, or dare not give way to
an mfoiency inevil. Thp Ifraelites were generally a j wicked
people, yet fuch an awe they' had of JoShua, JoSh. ii. 7V ' and
the elders that outlived JoShua,. who had feen all the great
work's of the Lord,' that Satan feemed ,%p be caft out all their
days. -Who could have thought JoaSh had been fo muph under
Satan's power, that, had obferved his ways all the time' of Je-
hoiada the prieft? 2 Chron. xxiv. 2. ' Then he did that which
was right in the fight of the* Lord ;' Satan was content to let
him alone, becaufe Jehoiada's life and authority did overawe
him, but after his death Satan returned to his poffeflioh, and
tlje king hearkened to the princes of Judah, and ferved groves
and idols, ver. 17. The like is obfevved of Uzziah, 2 Chron.
xxvi. j. the reverence that he had for Zechariah, who had un
derftanding

Chap. XVI. Satan's Temptations. 115
derftanding in the vifipns of God, v. 16. difcouraged the temp
ter from foliciting him to thofe evils .which afterwards1 he en
gaged him in: Satan is willing (when he perceives the awe and
authority of good men Stands in his way) rather to fufpend the
profecution of his defign, than by forcing it againft fo ftrong a
current to hazard the Shipwreck of it.
$thly, He alfo makes as if he were caft out, when he perceives
the confeiences pf men are feared by threatened pr felt judg
ments ; he forbears to urge them againft the pricks, when God
draws his fwbrd,' and brings forth the glittering fpear. , Ba
laam's afs would not run againft the angel that appeared ter
ribly againft him in his way. The devil knows the power pf an
awakened ccnfcience, and fees it is in vain to Strive againft fuch
a Stream ;>andwhen it will be no better, he withdraws. As
great a power as the deyil had in Ahab,. when he was affrighted
and humbled, he gave way, and for that feafon drave him not
on to his wonted pradice of wickednefs. He alfo carried thus
to the Nirievites, when they were awaked by the preaching pf
Jonah, then we fee them a reforming people, the deyil furceafed
to* carry them into their former provocations. How frequent
ly is this feen among profeffors, where the word hath a fearch
ing power and force upon them? Sin is fo curbed and kept un.
der^ that it is bke a root of bitternefs in winter, lying hid un
der ground, Heb. xii. 15. Satan forbearing to ad upon it or to
improve it, till the Storms and noife pf judgments ceafe, and
then ufually it wilj.fpring up and trouble them. If Satan hath
really loft his hold, he ceafeth not to moleft and vex eyen awa
kened confeiences, with urgent folicitations to fin ; but if hp
perceive that his intereft in the hearts of men remains fore to
him arid unfhaken, then, in cafe. of affrightment and fear of
wrath, it is his policy to conceal himfelf, and to diffemble a
departure. • - 6thly, Satan is alfo forced to this, by the prevailing power
of knowledge and principles of light, where, the gofpel in pro-
feSfiori, and preaching, difplays "abroad bis bright beams* then,
whatever Shift men make to be wicked in /ecret, yet the light
is as the Shadow of death to them, and it is even a Shame to
fpeak of thefe things in public, Eph. v. 12. Here Satan can-
hot rage fo freely, but is put to his Shifts, and is forced to be
Silent, whilft the power of the gofpel cuts off half his garments.
,Men begin to reform, fome are clean efcaped from error, 2 Pet.
ii. 18. others abandon their filthy lufts and fcandalous fins, and
fo * efcape the pollutions of the world through the, knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift,' ver. 20. Yet under all
thefe great alterations and appearances of amendment, the devil
P 2 is

ii6 A Treatife of Parti,)
Is but feemingly ejeded ; for in the place mentioned, when the
light decline's, thofe. that were efcaped from error, and thofe,'
that had fled from Sinful ppllutions were both ei&tangkd agair^
and carried to the fame pitch, and a great deal further, of that;
fin and ferror in which they had been formerly engaged*
Thefe a.t4the fix cafes in which Satan ceafeth the profcsuiios,
ftf his defign ; which was his firft policy in feigning himfelf to
be caft out, but he- further diflembles a flight, when he thinks
it not fit to peafe whplly. •
By abating his purfpit, by flacking his courfe: And this
he doth,
Firft, When he tempts ftill, but yet lefs than formerly ; So
great is his cunning and patience, that when be cannot get what
he would have, he contents himfelf Wkh what he ean get, ra
ther than lofe all. He defires, that men would give up then*..
felves fully and freely to bis fervice ;• But if they ],ike not this*.
he is willing to take them, as one fpeaks; as retainers^ * and
to fuffer them to take a liberty, to come and go at pleafure.
He hath two main ends in tempting men to fin, one is to avenge;
himfelf upon God in open defiance and dishonour of his name ;
the other is the ruin and perdition of fouls : If he could, he
would ha>Ve.sthefe two ends meet in every temptation ; yet he
pleafeth himfelf with the later, when he cannot help: it, and ift
that too, he Satisfies himfelf fometimes with als .Small an iatereft
as may be, fo that his. poffeffion and intereft be but prefervedv
He-knows that one fin, loved and, embraced, brings' death for
its wages. A leak unftopped and negleded may fink the Ship
as well as a greajt ftorm ;' and therefore when he perceives the
confeiences of men Shy and nice, he is willing they come to-biffi,,
as Nicoefemus came to Chrift, by night in private, and- that by
Stealth they do him fervice.
Secondly, He fometimes; offers men a -cbmpofition, and fo<
keeps his ho$d privately, by giving, them an indulgence: and to
leration, , to comply with religious duties and observations*
Pharaoh condefcended, that Ifrael Should go and Serve the Lord
in the wildernefs, upon condition, that theiif wives, children
and fubftance were left behind : So Satan faith to fome, ' Got '
and ferve the Lord, only" let your heart be with me, leave your
affedions behind upsn the world.' That ferious warning, of
Chrift, * Ye cannot ferve two matters- j y.e cannot ferve God!
and Maminnn,' evidently Shews,, that the devil ufeth to conceal1
his intereft in the hearts of finnersy by pffering fueh terms ; and'
that men are foap« to think, that Satan is gone out,' when they
have Shared the heart betwixt God and him ; that they Stand in
* Greenham's Works, p. 79.31

Chap XVI. Safari** Teitipfations. 117
in peed pf a full difcovery ei that cheat, and earneft caution, a-*
gainft It. The devil was forced to yield, that Herod Should do
many things at the preaching of John, yet he maintained his- 1
pojjeffiop. of his heart, by fixing him in his refolved luft, in the
matter pf Herod,ias : And this gives juft groupd of complaint
againft the generality of finners ; « Ye return, but not to me,,
not with your whole hearts : Have ye faded to- me ? Have-
yp mourned to me ? they come and fit as my people, but their
hearts are after- their cqvetoofnefs.'
Thirdly, Satan, bath yet another wife by whieh he would
cheat men into a belief, that he is caft out of the heart ; and
this is a fttbtle way that he hath to exchange temptatioos. How
weak and ehildiSh are finners 'that Suffer themfelves thus tp he
abufcd ? When they grow Sick and weary of a Sin, if the de-!
vil take that from them, and lay in the room of it another as
bad> or the fame again, only a little changed: and altered ; they
pleafe- themfelves that they have vomited up the firft, hut con-»
fider not, that they have received into their embracemeot ano-^
ther as bad, or worfe. Concerning this exchange, we 'may.
note two. things : ' ,
Firft, That Sometimes he attains his end, by exchanging one
heinous fin for another as heinous, only not fo much out of fa-
Shion; As the cuftoms, and times, and places give laws and
rules for fafluons ; according to which, the decencies, or inde
cencies of garbs and garments are determined : So is it fome
times with . fin, men and countries have their darling fins ;
times and ages' alfo have their peculiar iniquities, which, in the
judgment of finners, do clothe them with a fithefs and fuitahle-
nefs. Sometimes men grow weary pf fios, becaufe they are e-
very where fpoken againSt ; becaufe men point at them with
th© finger, the devil in this cafe is ready to change with them.
Drunkennefa- hath in 'feme ages and places carried a brand of
infamy in its forehead ; fo bath uncleannefa and other fins :
When finners cannot pxadife thefe with credit and reputation,
then they pleafe themfelves with an alteration t He that was a,
drunkard, is now, it may he, grown ambitious and boafting :
He that was covetous, is become a prodigal or profufe wafter;
the heart is as vain and fottifh as before, only their lufts are let-
out another way; and run in another channel. Sometimes lufts
are changed alfo, with the change of mens condition in- the
Worid' ; poverty, and plenty, a private and a public Station have
their peculiar fins : He that of poor is made rich, leaves his:
fins of diftruft, envy, or deceitful dealing, and follows the biafs
of his prefent ftate to other w-iekedneSies equally remarkable ;
antf

il8 A Treatife of Partli
and yet may be fo blinded, as to apprehend, that Satan is de
parted from him.
Secondly, We may obferve, that Satan exchangeth Sins with
men, in fuch a fecret private manner, that the change is not
eafily difcoverd ; and by this Shift he cafts a greater mift. be
fore the eyes of men :, Thus he exchanged open profanpnefs
into fecret fins : 'Filthinefs of the SleSb, . into filthinefs of the
fpirit.' Men feem to reform their grofs impieties, abftaining
from drunkennefs, fwearing, adulteries, and then, it may be,
they are taken up with fpiritual pride, and their hearts are puf.
fed up with high conceits of themfelves, their gifts and- attain-'
ments ; or they are entangled with error, and fpend their time
in doting about questions' that engender Strife , rather than edi
fying ; Matth. xxiii. 26. or they are taken up with hypocri
sies : Thus the Pharifees left their open iniquities, waShing the
outfidp of the cup and platter ; and inftead of thefe, endeavour
ed to varniSh and paint themfelves over ; fo that in all this
change, they were but as graves that appeared not, Luke xi.
44. Or they acquiefce in formality, and the outwards of re
ligion ; like that proud boafter, ' Lord, I thank thee I am not
as other men are,' &c. In all thefe things the devil feems caft
out, and men reformed, when indeed he may continue his pof
feflion ; only he lurks, and hides himfelf under the Stuff. Thefe
ways of finning are but finer poifons, which, though; not fo
naufeous to the Stomach, nor fo quick in their difpatch, yet
may be as furely and certainly deadly ; fuch fly from the iron
weapon, and a bow of Steel ttrikes them through.
Having thus explained the three ways.by which Satan pre
tends to depart from men, I muft next Shew his defign in mak
ing fuch a pretence of forfaking his habitation.
Firft, That all this is done by him only- upon, defign, may
be eafily concluded from fevgral things hinted to us in the fore-
cited place of Luke xi. As, (n.) He doth not fay, that the
devil is caft out, as if there were a force upon him,; but that he
goeth out, it is of choice, a voluntary departure. (2.) That
his going ou^, in this fenfe, is notwithstanding irkfome and
troublefome _to him. The heart of man, as one obferves J*
is a palace in his estimation, and difpoffeSfion, though upon de
fign, is as a defart to him that affords him little eafe or reft.
(3.) That his going out, is not a quitting of his intereft, he
calls it his houfe ftill ; I will return to my houfe,.- faith he.
(4.) He takes care in going out to lock the door, that it may
not be taken up with better guefts ; he keeps it empty and te-
jaantable for himfelf. He tempts ftill, though not fo vifibly, and
* Greenham, p. 796.

Chap, XVI. Satan's Temptations. ,119
and ftrives to fupprefs fuch good thoughts and motions as he
fears may quite out him of his poffeflion. (5-)i He gees put,
cum .animo revertendi, with, a purpofe of returning. (6.) His
fecelfion is fo dexteroufly and advantageouSly -managed, that he
finds an eafy admittance at his return ; and his poffeSIicn con
firmed and enlarged: They enter in, -and dwell; there. '
Secondly, The advantages that he defigns by this policy, are
thefe chiefly. 1 . By this means men are dangeroufly confirm
ed in their fecurities. Thus the Pharifee blefl'ed himfelf, > Lord,
I thank thee, &c. They pleafe themfelves with this fuppofi-
tion, that the devil is caft. out ; and upon this, they ceafe their
war and watchfulnefs. As Saul when he heard that David had ef
caped, went not out tofeek after him : So thefe trouble not them
felves any further to enquire Satan's haunt's in their hearts; thus
he fits fecurely within, whilft they think he is fled from them.
(2.) By this means alfo he Sits men as instruments to ferve his
turn in other Works of his ; he muft have in fome cafes hand-
fome tools to wprk withal; all men are not fit agents in perfe
cution, either to credit it, or to carry it through, with vigour
and zeal ; for this, end he feems to go out of fome, that un
der a fmoother and profelfiou-like behaviour, when they are"
Stirred up to perfepute, the rigour might feem juft. Thus de
vout and honourable women were Stirred up to perfecute Paul
and Barnabas, Ads xiii. 50. the devil had gone out fo far,
that they had gained the reputation of devout, and then their
zeal .would eafily take fire for perfecution, and withal put a
jrefped and' credit upon it; for who would readily fufped
that to be evil,or Satan's defign, which is carried on by fuch
instruments? Befides, if- he at any time intends to blemiSh
the gopd ways of God, by the mifcarriages of profeffors, he
fetcheth his arrow out of this quiver ufually ; if he brings
a refined hypocrite tp a fcandalpus fin, then doth the mouth of.
wickednefs open itfelf to blafpheme the generation of the juft,'
as -if none were better ; fuch agents could not be fo common
ly at hand for fuch a fervice, if Satan did not in the ¦ ways
aforementioned feem to go out of men. 3. It is another part
of his' defign, after a pretended departure, to take the advan
tage of their Security, to return with greater ftrength and force:
This Chrift particularly notes, * Then taketh he feven fpirits
worfe than himfelf,' &c fuch, as Peter tells us/ being again
entangled, ave totally overcome, * and their latter end is worfe.
with them than their beginning,' 2 Pet. ii. 20. - How many
might I name, if it Were convenient, that I have known and
obferved exadly anfwering this defcription of the apoftle, that
have for fome years' left off their wicked ways, and engaged for a
prpfeffion

iio A Treatife sf PafjrL
ptofeffibfl of religion, and yet at laft 'have, retdrned like, the
dog to his OWn vomit agaim' The devil,, when he Sights ; af
ter the * Parthian manner, is moft to be feaied 5 when he turns
his back, he Shoots/ moft envenomed arrows ; and whom he
fo WGutfds, he commonly wounds them to the death.
The fourth ahd laft Stratagem of Satan forthfei keepirfg, his
poffeffion is" to Stop the way ; to barricade up all paffkgeaj that
there may be no poflibility of efcape or retreat ; wh£ft he per
ceives that his former ways of policy are not fufficient, but that
his flaves and fervartts are fo far enlightened in the difcovery of
the danger, that tbey are,ready to turn back from him, then he '
beftirs himfelf to oppafe cheir reVplt; andas God fometimes
hedged* up the way of Sinners with thorns, Hof. ih 6. that they
SfeodM not follow theif old foyers 3 fo doth Satan : To which
purppfe, tfi, He endeavour^- to turn them off fuch refolutions', by
threatening to fetifaee them wteh a ftrong hand ; here he boats
and vauntS '6f his) pOWei>y aftd finneri weaknefs, as Rabfhekah
did againft Hezekiah^ "What is that confidence wherein,' thou
trufteft ? Have «be geds of Hamath and Arpad, &e. delivered
their land out of my hasd ? Have thofe that have gone before1;
vera been* able to deliver themfelves from me ? Have they bent'
able to fefcae themfelves1 ? Bid I wot force thofe that were'
ftf finger than you ? DM' I not make David number the .pfau.
pie ? DM I mot 6v§FGom# him in the friatfcear of Uriah ? Did I
not compel Peter to deny bis Lord, rioiwithftandiflg tos- Solemn-
profeffibn to the edmrary ? And can y&xt thiflk-.te'bteskawly
from me fo eafily ?". By this meaiSs be would weafeefo their
heart, and enfeeble their resolutions, that they blight fit under
their bondage, as hopelefs ever tot recover theasfelv'es' from
his fnare ; but if thefe affrightrrients hinder not ; if, notwith
standing thefe brags, Sinners prepare themfelves to turn front
tip to God, then,
idly. He- improves all he cart that distance which fin hath'-
made betwixt Gpd and them. SirVs pf ordinary infirmity and
common incurfion do not fo- bj'eak the peace of God's children,-
as fins of art higher nature do: Even in the faints themfelves1
we may obferve, after notorious tranfgreffion, 1. That the ac
quaintance and familiarity betwixt God and them is irnmediate-
ly broken. What a fpeedy alteration is made ? How fuddenly
are all things changed ? God hides himfelf ; the fun that Shined
but now, and did afford a very comfortable and clierifhirig heat,
Jjefore we are aware, is nowi hid in a cloud ; our WaVrfttfr and
refreshments are turned into cold and chilnefs, There' is alfo''
''¦" a change
* T<rga yertentes metuendi Parthi.

Chap, XVI. Satan's. Temptations. \i%
a change on pur part, and that fuddenly ; as in the refurrpdion
we ShaH, be changed in the twinkling of an eye ; fo here in a
moment, our joys flag arid decay, our delights grow dull, our
activity is impaired } we 'are bound and frozen up, and it is al
together winter with the foul. 2. It may be noted, that this
begets an eftrangpment in us, and we fo carry it, as if we had
refolved not to renew our league with God : For though we
are not altogether fo defperate, as to make formal refolittions
of continuing in fin, of calling off God, and bidding an eve.rkft-
mg farewell to our former acquaintance ; though we "do not
fay, we will now undo qlirfelyes quite, and harden ourfelves in
our rebellipn ; yet fin hath left us ih Such amaze, and filled us
with fo. many ,'da.nips and mifgivjng thoughts, ' that we dp noe
think of returning, we are at a Hand, and ' like a mighty man
altoniftied that cannot find his hands.' We perceive we have loft
fo much, and. have run intp fuch great unkindneffes, that, like
broken merchants, nothing' is morekkfoine and tedious, than to-
review our ways, or look into our debt-books ; inftead of this.
We endeavour to divert Our thoughts, to call off care, as if we
conceived that time would eat it out, and that then of courfe we
might fall into the pid channel of freedom and comfort. 3.
When we return at laft, oh ! with what bafhfulnefs and amazed-
nefs do we appear, at our next fupplications ; what blufhing,
what damps, what apology ? Nay fometimes as the man with'-'
out the wedding- garment, We are fpepchlefs. How rightly doth
fuch a man refemble thp publican confefling, and the prodigal
fupplicating, while confulting what to fay for himfelf, he npw
begins to feel, with what fenfe and feeling the prophets and
holy men of old ufed to exprefs themfelves in their confeffipns,
we blufh, we are afhamed, aftonifhed and confounded. This
diftance fin' makes, bptwlxt faints and God fometimes ; but be
twixt God and, the unconverted it is far greater, "Now, when
either an unconverted, firmer, or, a fallen faint puts himfelf to
fook to God for reconciliation, then doth the devil labour to
improve this for their hindrance ; That he acctifeth Us to God,
is evident by Satan's Handing at Joftiua's right hand, Zech. iii.
j .- how he accufeth God to lis we know. He tells us, it is yam
tp feek tp. make up our peace after fo great provocations, urg
ing, that he is a jealous God, of pure eyes, highly refenting
the affronts" we have given him, £ic. Nay, he goesjb high
this way, that God is put to it in fcripture, of purpofe to fur-
nifh us with an anfwer to thefe objedions, to proclaim, that he
is flow to anger, not eafily provoked ; that if men return from
the evil of their ways, he will return tp them, accept, and pi
ty them, &c.
0- 3^,

xii A Treatife of Partid
¦$dly, If this divert, them not, but that they . ftill perfift in
their refolves, then he follows after them with ah high hand;
fometimes, as Pharaoh did with Ifrael, hegtows Severe and im
perious with them, and redoubles the tale of their bricks ; he
forceth them to higher and more frequent iniquities ; fome
times, as the fame Pharaoh, he mutters up all his chariots and
hqrfemen to purine after them, and in the higheft diligence, im-
aginable he brings forth his greateft ¦', power, befetting them oa
all fides with temptations and allurements of pleafure and de
light ;, where he perceives his time to be Short, and his power '
Shaken, he comes down in refolves to try his utriioft ftrength.
And hence is it that converts complain, that when they begin
in earneft to look after God, they are moft troubled -with temp
tations ; -befides this, whatever he can do to make them drive
heavily Shall not be wanting. Sometimes he makes attempts
upon their thoughts and affedions, which are as their chariot-
=wheels ; and if thefe can be knocked off any way, it retards
them. Sometimes he cafts Humbling blocks in their way ; if
any prejudice may divert them; if threatenings or penalties
can hinder ; if the frowning of friends, or any thing elfe can
put a flop to their proceedings, he will have, them ready. Some
times he endeavours to retard them by folicitations of acquaint
ance, offers of former occafions and opportunities of finning, or
whatever elfe, may be as a remora to their intentions.
\thly, But if none of thefe ferve, then as his laft Shift,'Jie
proclaims open war againft them, purfues them as enemies' and
rebels : Now he begins to accufe them, for that which they did
by his advice and temptation. Now Sins that were called little,
are aggravated. Now that day of repentance, which he was
wont to fay was long, he tells them it is quite fpent, that the
fun of their hope is fet. Nothing now doth he fuggeft but hell,
damnation, and wrath : He makes them, as it were, fee it, hear
it, and feel it in every thing; that intereft in their hearts which
he diflembled before, now he' Stands' uponand afferts, and will
not be beat off, defigninginall this, either to make them weary
of thefe' new refolves, by this unufual difquietmertt and hosti
lity, or to precipitate them upon fome defperate undertaking ;
or' at leaft to_ avenge himfelf upon them, in venting his malicij
and rage againft them : But cf this more afterward. ''"

CHAP.

Chap. XVII. Satan's Temptations. . 123
CHAP. XVII.
Satan's deceits againft religious fe'rvices and duties. The grounds
of his difpleafure againft religious duties/. His firft defign a-
gainfl duties, is to prevent them. His feveral fubtilties for
¦ that end, by external hindrances, by indijpofitions, bodily and
fpiritual, by difcouragements ; the ways thereof, by difltke ,•
the grounds thereof, by fophiftical arguings. His various pleas
therein.
/~|Uly next , work is tp take nptice cf the fpite and methbds
^""' pf the ferpent againft the ways pf worlhip and fervice, that
thefe are, things againft which his heart carries an high fury,
and for the overthrow of them employs no fmall part of his
power and fubtilty, needs no proof, feeing the experience of all
the children of God is an irrefiftible evidence in this matter. I
Shall therefore firfl, only fet forth the grounds of his difplea
fure, and earneft undertakings againft them, before I comb to
his particular ways of deceit, which are thefe :
Firfl, By this means, if he prevail, he deprives us of our
weapons. This is a Stratagem of war which we find the Phi-
liftinep pradtifed againft Ifrael, I Sam, xiii. 19, 22. they took-
away all their , fmiths, left the Hebrews fhould make them
fw'ords or fpears : Hence was it that in the battle there was
neither ' fword nor. fpear found in the, hand of any of the peo
ple that were with Saul and Jonathan.' The word of God is
exprefsly called ' the fword of the Spirit ;' prayer is as a fpear,
or rather a general piece of armour : If the devil deprive us of
thefe, he robs us of our ammunition ; for by reafon of thefe,
the church is compared to 'a tower built for an armoury,
wherein hang a'thoufand, bucklers, all Shields of mighty, men,'
Cant. iv. 4. and the apoftle exprefsly calls them ' weapons of
our warfare,' 2 Cor, x. 4. of purpofe given, us, for the pulling
down- of Strong holds, and the demolishing of thofe forts and
batteries of high imaginations that Satan rears up in the hearts
of men againft their happinefs ; if thefe be taken away, our
locks are cut, as Sampfpn's were, our ftrength is departed, and
we become weak as other men, we are open to every inpurfioa
and inroad that he pleafeth to make againft us.
Secondly, If he hinders thefe, he intercepts our food and cuts
off bur provisions. The word is called milk, ' fiiicere milk of
the wprd ;' it is that by which we are born, nourished, and inr
creafe ; it is our cordial and comfort ; Chrift indeed is the' broad
of life, and the fountain of all our confolations, but the word and
'prayer are the conduit pipes that convey all to'us ; if thefe be
'Qjs cut,

124 " ATreattjeof Path jfV
cut, we fade as a leaf, we languish, we confume and wafte, we
became as aSkin, bottle in the fmoke, our nioifture as the drought-'
in fummer, our foul faintethj- our heart faikth, and we becou^
as thofe that go down to thepit ; fo that if the devil gain. his
defign in this, he hath all ; give him this, and give him the king
dom alfo ; this is the moft compendious Way of doiflg his wotk,
and. that which faves him a labour in his temptations. The
ikorageft holds, that cannot otherwife be taken, are eafily Sub
dued by famine; au3, like fig-trees with their ripe figs when
they are fkaken, even, fall into the mouth of the eater, Nahumin.
ii. If our fpiritualfood fail us, of qur own accord We yield
up ourfelves tb .any luft that requires our compliance.
Thirdly, l\S.ies thefe, there is no defign whereby Satan can
Shew more malice and fpite againft God. He doth all he Canto
maintain a competition with the Almighty: His titles of the
God of the world, the prince Of the power of the air, Shew what
in the pride of his Heart he afpires to, as well as what by com
miffion God is pleafedto grant him. Thefe duties of worfhip
and'fervice are the homage of God's children, by which they,
feitify the acknowledgtnehts of his deity ; by Wrefting thefe out
of tfur hands, Satan robs God of that honour, and1 makes the al
legiance of his. fervants to ceafe ; if he could do more againft
God, doubtlefs he would : But feeing he hathvriot an arm like
God, and fo cannot pull him out of heaven, by this means he
fets up himfelf as the God of the world, and enlargefh his ter
ritories, and Staves off the Tubjeds pf the God of heaved from
giving him the honour due tp his name ; and that the devil in
thefe endeavours Is carried on by a fpite againft God, as well as
by an earneft defire of the ruin of fouis, may be abundantly evi
denced; by his way of management of that oppofition that he
s gives to the duties of fervice and worfhip. I Shall only to make
this out, instance in three things: (i.) That where the devil
prevails to- fet up himfelf as an objed of worfhip, there he doth
it in a bold infolent pfefurhptuous imitation of God's appoint?.
rnents in the ways of his fervice; he enjoins covenants, Seais,
facrifices, prayers and fervices to his miferable ftaves; as "may
appear by undoubted hiftories ; of which more in due placfe.
(lVj He never acknowledgeth the truth of God's ways, but
with an evil, mind, 'and Upon defign to bring them under con-
tempt ; his conFefiions have fo much of deceit in them that
Chrift would not accept them ; and therefore we read that
when the devil was fometimes forward to give his teft'imony to
Chrift, as Mark i. 2j. ' I know thee who thou art, the Holy
One of God; Jefus rebuked him, and commanded him to hold
his peace :' He clearly faw that he* ccnfefled him,, not to bo*
nour

ChapiXVII. Safari's Temptations. ll$
nour him, but by fuch a particular acknowledgment to llir up
the r'age^ and futy pf the people againft him. To this end Sa
tan, in Ads xvi. 17. many days together publicly owns Paul
and Silas, ' Thefe men are the fervants of the Moft High God;
Which Shew unto us the Way of falvation.' Though he fpake
fruth, yet had he a malicious, aim in it, which he accordingly
brought about by this means, and that was to raife up perfecu
tion againft them> and to give ground to that accufation which
they afterward met withal, ver.'2i. " That they taught cu'ftottis
which were not lawful to be received.' But* (3.) His particu
lar fpite againft God, in reeking to trnderminte his fervice, is
further manifested in this, that the devil is riot content to root
out the fervice due to God, but When he hath done that, he de-i
lights tb abufe «thofe places Where the name of God was moft
celebrated, with greateft profanations. I Shall not in this iiifift
upon the conjecture of Tilenu's *, that Sylva Dodontea, a place
highly abufed by the dtevil, and tefpeded for an oracle, Was the
feat, or a religious place of Dodanim, mentioned in Gen. x. 4»
Nor upon "that fuppofal mentioned alfo by the' fame author,
that the otacle of Jupiter Hammon was the place, where Cham
pradifed that religious worfhip which he learned in his. father's
houfe. ¦ We have at baud more certain evidences of the devil's
fpite. Such Was his abufe of the tabernacle by the profane
fons of -Eli, who profaned that place with their uncleannefs
artd filthy adulteries. Such was his carriage to the ark Whiie
it Was captiyated by the Philiftinei. Of like nature were his
attempts againft the temple itfelf. Solomon in his latter days
was tempted to give an affront to it, he built an high place for
Cherhofh, ' the aborhination of Mbab, in the hill that is before
Jerufalem,' 1 Kings xi. *j. in the very fight and face of the tem
ple ; but afterward he prevailed to defile the temple itfelf.
Gilgal and Beth-aven are places of fuch high profanation, that
the prophet, Hof. ix. 15. tells them all their wickednefs Was in
Gilgal \, none of their abominations were like to thofe ; and
in Hofea iv. 15. they are dehortsd from going to Gilgal tor
Beth-aven, and yet both thefe' places had been famous for reli
gion before. Gilgal was the place of the general cifcurhcifioA
of the Ifraelites that Were born in the wijdernefs, there was their
firft folemn paffover kept after their entering into the land.
Bethel was a place where God, as it were, kept houfe, the houfe
of God. Here Jacob had his vifion. But the more famous
they had been for duties of worfhip, the devil fought to put
higher abufes upon thtem ; fo that Gilgal became an hatred, and
Bethel became a Bethaven, an houfe of vanity . x
' , Fourthly,
¦* feyntag. Part I. Difpur. i. Thefl". io, sr, 22. f Arrowfmith Trai5t. Sacr.
> 1. 1. c. 5, fed*. ().

126 A Treatife of Part Ii
Fourthly, Satan is the more animated to undertake a defign
againft the ways of religious fervice, becaufe he feldpm.or ne
ver mifleth, at leaft fomething of fuccefs. This attempt is like
Saul and Jonathan's bow, that returneth not empty. In other
temptations fometinies Satan comes off baffled altogether, but in
this work, as it was faid of fome Ifraelites, Judg. xx. x6. < he
can throw a Stone, at an hair's breadth, and not mifs ;' he is Sure
in one thihg or other to have the better pf us; his advantage in
this eafe is from our unfuitabfenefs to our, fervice. What we
do in the duties of worfliip requires a choice frame of fpirit ;
our hearts Should be avved with the moft ferious, apprehenfioiis
of Divine Majefty, filled with reverence, animated with love and
delight, quickened by faith, clothed with humility and Self ab-
hcrency, and in all the procedure, cf duties there muft be a
Steady and firm profecution under the ftrideft watch-fukefs.
Of this nature is our work, which at the firft view would put
a man to afland, and put pf amafement force him to fay, ' Who
is fufficient for thefe things ? Who can fland before fuch an ho
ly Lprd God?' But when we ccme to an impartial confideia-
tion of our manifold weakneffes aud infufficiencies in reference
to thefe fervices, what Shall we fay? We find fuch a Uarrownefs
of fpirit, fuch ignorance, footifhnefs, careleflhefs of mipd,
thoughts fo confufed, tumultuous, fickle, Slippery, and uncon-
ftant, and our hearts generally fo deceitful and defperately wick
ed, that it is not poffible that Satan Should altogether labour, ia
vain, or catch nothing ; this being then a furegain,we may ex
ped it to be under a moft conftant pradice.
Fifthly, If he fo prevails againft us, that the fervices. of wor
ship become grofsly abufed or neglected, then doth he put us
under the greateft hazards and difadvaptages. Nothing fo poi-
fonous as duties of worShip corrupted? for this is to abufe God
to his face; by this, not only are his commands and injunctions
flighted as in other fins, but we carry it fo, as if we thought
him no better than the idols of the heathens, that have eyes
apd fee not, that have ears and hear not. To come without aa
heart, or with our idols in our heart, is it any thing of lefs
fcorn than to fay, Tufh doth the Moft High fee ? Befides, he
hathgiven fuch feyere cautions and commands in thefe matters,
as will eafily Signify the aggravation of the offence. You fee
how Sharply God fpeaks of. thofe that came to enquire of the
Lord, with the Stumbling block of their iniquity before their
face, Ezek. xiv. 4, 7. ' X will- anfwer them according, to- the
multitude of their idols, I will anfwer them by myfelf.' Saul's
mifcarriage in offering facrifice, 1 Sam. xiii. 13. was that great
offence for which God determined to take the kingdom from hint.

Chap. XV. Satan's Temptations. 1 27
him. God's feverity againft Nadab and Abihu, his Stroke
upon Uzzah, do all Shew the hazard of fuch profanations. But
above all, that anger which both Old and NeW Teftament
fpeak of, the hardening of the heart, blinding the eyes, dulling
the ears, that men fliould not hfear, nor fee, nor be converted and
faved, but that the word fhould, inftead of thofe cordial refresh
ing fmells, which beget and promote fpiritual life in the obedi
ent, breathe forth fuch envenomed poifonous exhalations, when
it is thus abufed and profaned, that it becomes the favour of
death unto death, is moft dreadful. No wonder then if Satan
be very bufy againft thefe holy things, when if he catch us at
an advantage of this nature, it proves fo deadly and dangerous
to us ; for what can more pleafe him^ that makes it his delight
and employment to deftroy?
All thefe reafons evince that Satan hath an aking tooth againft
religious fervices, and that to weaken, prevent, or overthrow
them is his great endeavour. Here then efpecially may we ex
ped an aflault according to the advice of Sirach, ' My Son,
when thou entreft God's fervice, Stand faft in righteoiifnefs and
fear, and prepare thy foul for temptation, Eccl. ii. 1,2. •
What are the fubtilties of Satan againft the holy things of
God, I am next to difcover. Duties and fervices are oppofed
two ways, (il) By prevention, when they are hindered. (2.)
By corruption, when they are fpoiled. He hath his arts and
cunning, which he exercifeth inboth'thefe regards.
Firft then, Of Satan's policy for the preventing of religious
fervices, he endeavours by various means' to hinder them. As,
xft, ,By external hindrances. In this he hath a very great
forefight, and accordingly he forefees occafions and opportuni.
ties at a distance, and by along react! of contrivance, he Studies '
to lay blocks and hindrances in the way. Much he doth inthe
dark for this end, that we know not:" As' God liath fecrets of
wifdom that are double to that which is known, Job xi.1 6. fo alfo
hath Satan many ways and actings that are not difcerned by us';
his contrivances ofbufineffes and avocations longaforelVand, are
not fo obferved by us as they might be ; where he'miffeth of
his end, it comes not to light, and often where he is fuccefsful
in hi§ preventions, we are ready to afcribe it to contingencies,
and the accidental hits of affairs, when indeed the hand and po
licy of Satan is in it. Paul that was highly Studied and Skilful
in Satan's devices', obferving how his purpofes of coming to the
Theffalonians were often broken and obftruded; he kr.ew-where
the blame lay, and therefore inftead of laying the fault updn
fick,nefg, 0r imprifonments, or the oppofitions of falfe brethren,
which often made him trouble beyond expedation, he directly
charged!

*2$ A Treatife. of Part J,
chargefh alluppa SaGaji, i-Theff. ii. 18. 'We would have come
unto you, (even I Paul) once and again, but Satan hindered us,'
At the fame rate, underftanding the purpofes, of faithful men,
for the promoting the good of mens fouls, he Often ufeth;, means.
to ftop or hinder them. Some have obferved, haying a watch-,
fui and' jealous eye oyer Satan, that their refolves and-endea#
vours of this nature; have ufually been put to, ftruggle fore in
their birth, when their purpofes for worldly affaiifs andmatters,
gp fmoothly on without ponfiderable o.ppofitioB. , ,,
%dly, He makes ufe of indifpofitions to hiader fervice:: Anj}
here he works fometimes upqn (he body, fometimes upon the
foul, for both may be indifpofed.
, (i.) Sometimes.he takes trie advantage of bodily indifpofi
tions : He doth all he can to create and frame thefe. upon us,
?nd then pleads them as a difcha^ge, to duty. If he can put the
body into a fit of drowfinefs, or diftemper, he will do it : And
furely he can do morp this way than every pne will believe, he
may agitate and ftir the humours. Hence fome have obferv-
ed more frequent and Stronger fits of fleepinefs; and illnefs to
come upon them, on the days and times that require their at
tendance upon God, than on other days, when they ShaU be
lively, adive, and free, of dullnefs uppn common opcafions,, at
fports, fongs, interludes, when they ShaU npt have tbejlkp
command of themfelves in the exereifes of worfhip. Suxply.it
was mpre than an, ordinary drowfinefs that befel the apoftles,
Matth. xxvi. 41. He had told them the ferioufnefs of the. oc
cafion, that hp was betrayed, that his. foul was. exceeding fpr-
rowful ;eveo to thp death : Thefe were considerations that
might have kept their eyes from fjumber. When they flpep,
he awakens them W-ith a piercing rebuke, * Could ye npt wat?jl
Wfth me one hqu-r ?' and adds to this. an admonition of their pvyn
danger, and the temptation, that was uppn them, and jet pre
fently they are ' afleep again, and after that, again: Strange
drowfinefs ! But he gives an excufe for them, which, alfo tells
us the caufe of it, the Spirit is willing ; their ;he>rts were not
altogether unconcerned, but the flefh, that, is the body, (hat
was weak, that is, fubjed to be abufed by Satan, who brought
them into a more than ordinary indifpofition, as, is nqted ver.
43. their eyes were heavy.
(2.) The foul hath alio its indifpofitions which he readily
improves againft duty to hinder it. As,
1 . It is capable pf a fpiritual fluggifhnefs and duflnefs, where
in the fpiritual fenfes are fo bound up, that it.confiders not,
minds not, hath no lift, nor inclination to ads of fervice, What
a ftupifadioil are our fpirits capable of? as David in his adul- ,teiy

Chap* XVII. Satan's Temptations. 129
tery feems not, to mind, not care what he had done. . In like
manner are fome in a lethargy, as the prophet t fpeaks, ' they
care not to feek after God.' Bernard hath a defcription of ir,
Contrahitur animus, fubtrahitur gratia, defervefcit novitius ferUy
vor, ingravsfcit tepor fajlidiofns ,- the Spirit is contracted, grace
withdrawn, fervoUr abates, fluggifhnefs draws on; and then
duties are negleded.-
2. The fpirit is indifpofed by a throng of worldly affairs, and
thefe eft juftle out duty. Chrift tells us, they have the fame
influence upon men that gluttony and .drunkennefs have, and
thefe unfit men' for aSioh, ' Take heed to yourfelves, left at
any time your heart be overcharged with forfeiting and drunk
ennefs, and the cares df this life.' Luke xxi. 34. Thefe then
may at fo high a rate overcharge the fouls of' men, fo as to m
make them frame excufes ; I have bought a farm, or oxen, and
therefore I cannot attend; and by this means may they growfo
neglective, that the day of the Lord m.iy come upon them at
unawares. 3. Sometimes the fotil is difcompofed through: paflion, and
then it is indifpofed, which opportunity the devil efpying; he
clofeth in with it ; fometimes he blows the fire that the heat of
anger may put them upon a careleffnefs ; fometimes he pleads
their prefent frame, as an unfitnefs for fervice, and fo upon a
pretence of reverence to the fervice, and leaving the gift at the
altar till they be in a better humour; many times the gift is
not offered at all, I'Pet. iii. f; The apoftle directs bufbands
td manage their authority over their wives with prudence, for
the. avoiding of brawls and contentions, ' Ye hufbands dwell
With them according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife
as the weaker veffel ;' the reafon. of which advice he gives in
thefe Words, ' that your prayers be not hindered.' Prayers are
hindered partly in their fuccefs when they prevail not, partly
they are hindered when the duty of prayer is put by and fuf-
pended : And this dpubtl'efs the apoftle aims at, to teach us
that contentious quarfel'liqgs in a family hinder the exercife of
the duty of prayer. Elifha, 2 Kings iii. difcompofed himfelf
in his earneft, reproof of Jeho-ram, for with great vehemency
he hatj fpoken to him, ver. 13, 14. ,' What have I to do with
thee? get thee , tp the prophets, of thy father. Were it not that
I regard the prefence of Jehojhaphat, I would riot' look toward
thee, nor fee thee,' But when he fet himfelf to receive the vi-
fions of God he calls for a minftrel, ver. 15. the reafon where
of, as P. Martyr, * and others fuppofe, was this, that how
ever what he fpake to Jehoram, proceeded from '.zeal, yet be
ll ing
*. Rutherford Divine Influences.

ing but.' a nmn.aad fubjed tp(1the like infirmities of, pther m£r^

it~had diffracted and, difpp£p|"pfed his fpirit, which niadehirg
unfit and uncapable to entertain the vifipns, of God. PtjJiq risen
being a natural- means for the compofur.p and quiet of t%nW'
he takes- that courfe to calm and fit himfelf for that; work. ', ;
,4. Ignorance, and prejudice are fpiritual indifpofitions, wh'idi
are not negleded by the devil. Knowledge is the eye..^
guide of the foul \ if there be darknefs there, all ads wbic^deJ
pend upon better inftrudtiqn muft ceafe; The difeiples igno
rance of fcriptures brought in their unbelief ; Chrift notes that
as thp fountain-head of all their backwardnefs, Lukeixxiv,.2j!
' O fools, and flow of heart fo believe all that the prophets have
fpoken.' In like manner, if men. are not dear ,or knowing in
the ways and nepeflities of duty and fervice, tjj.pdeyiican eafi
ly prevail with them to forbear and negled. Prejudice rifeth
up to juftifv the difregard of duty, and offers reafons, which,
it thinks, cannot be anfwered. . , . .u% , i..,uhL
^dly, Satan endeavours to prevent duty, by difcouragemedUi
If he can make the knee's feeble, and the hand's hang down^jrjp
will quickly caufe adlivity and motion tp ceafe. ( The ways, by
which he endeavours to difcourage men from the duties offer-
vice, are thefe :.
(i._) He fets before them the toil and burden of duty. Iia
man fets his face toward, heaven, thus he endeavours tp Scar
him off., ' Is not (faith he) the way of religion a dull melari-
cholyway? Is it not a toil ? A tedious tafk ? Are not thefp «#•
reafonable injundions, pray continually, pray without ceafing;
preach in. feafon and out of feafon ?' This Suggestion,, rthoiM
it be exprefsly contrary to command, yet being fo Suitably to
the idle, andfluggifh tempers of men, they are the>mq're. apt fo
take notice of it ; and accordingly they feek ways and fliifts.of
accommodating the command to their inclinations. In, Arfl'as
viii. 5. the toil of Sabbaths and feftival fervices, as they thought
ir, makes theni weary .of the duty, i' When will the new rrtopn
be por.e, that we may fell corn ? and the Sabbath, that; we may
fet forth wheat?' Thefe men thought their fervices tedious,
and intrenching upon their callings and occupations. Mal. i.13
' They faid, behold what a wearinefs is ir,' looking upon'jt as
an infufferable burden ; nay, they proceeded fq far, as tpfiiuff
at it. Now, when the deyil had fo far prevailed with them,(,it
was eaiy to put them upon negled, which, as the place cited
fpeaks, prefently followed upon it, 'they brought the torn,
and, the lame, and the lick for a facvifice.' , Satan firft prefent
ed thefe fervices as a wearifome burden, then they ShuffecJ at
them ; next they thought any fervice good enough, how mean
Soever,

tihap*? XVII. Safari's Temptations. 13.x
Soever, though to a'ri open violation of the law" 6f worfhip.
AM laft ly, From a pollution of the table of the Lord, they pro
ceeded to a plain contempt of duty : ' The table of the Lovd is
polluted, and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible,'
ver. 12. In the management of this difcouragefrient, the de
vil hath moft fuccefs upon thofe that have not yet tailed the
fweetnefs and eafinefs of the ways of the Lord, ' his yoke i-s in
deed eafy, his burden is light';'' his fervice is a true 'freedom
to thofe that are acquainted with God, and exercifed in his fer
vice. Biit when men are firft beginning to iook after God dnd
duty, and are not yet filled and fatisfied with the fatriefs of his
houfe, this temptation hath theli greater forCe updn them, and
they are apt to be difcouraged thereby. !
(2.) He endeavours to difcourage them from1 the want of
fuccefs in the duties of worfhip. When they hatx Waited long,
arid fought the Lord, then he puts them upon refolves of de
clining any further profecution, as he did with Joram at the
fiege of Samaria, ' Why wait I upon the Lord any longer ?' 2
Kjngs vi. 33. faid he, after he had expected deliverance a long
time without any appearance Of help. When Saul faw that
God ' anfwered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, noi*'
by, prophets,' 1 Sam. xxviii. 6, 7. the devil eafily perfuaded
him to leave off the ordinary ways of attendance upon God,
and to confult with the witch of Endor. The profane per-
fohs motioned in Mal. iii. 14. that had caft off all regard to
Ills laWs, all refped to his ordinances, were* brought to this'
pitch of iniquity, by thp fuggeftions cf want of fuccefs ; they
faid,' It is vain tp Serve God ; arid what profit is it that wc
have kept his ordinances, and that we have walked mournfully
before the Lord of hofts ?' It feems they werelikethe people
fpoken of in Ifaiah lviii. 2, 3. they had failed and prayed, and
God delayed to anfwer them, which they looked upon 'as a dif-
Obligement from duty, and that which they could peremptorily
infill upon as a reafon which might juftify their negled, * where
fore have we faffed, fay they, and thou feeft not ? wherefore
have we afflided 'qur foul, and thou takeft no knowledge?' Nei
ther doth this difcouragement fall heavy only upon thofe whofe
hearts are departed already from God, who might be fuppofed
to be forward, to embrace. any excufe from his fervice • but we
Shall find it bears hard upon the' children .of Gbdl David
was ready to cfive Otfer all as, a rhaii forfaken of God, Pfalm
xxii. 1, 2. 'Why haft thou forfaken me, O my God? 'I cry
in the day-time, but thou heareft not ; and in the night fea
fon, and am not Silent.' We may clearly, gather from his
expreflions, that this temptation had forely bruifed him, and
R 3 that

1-3,2 A Treatife of >' Parti
that upon GocPs delay of .asafwer, he- was ready*' to charge, an
unrighteoufnefs upon God's carriage toward him:;- forin that
he adds, that he keeps his ground, and did not confent tdt it, as
the words. following, •' But thou continueft holy,' : do inaply^it
fhewed what the devil was objeding to him. And-Jelfewfifitfe
in Pfalm lx,i,x,. 3. w-hc-n he had-cried and was not anfweredy he
began to be weary, and his eyes failed ; nay, his flefh and heart
failed; his fpirit funk, as a man almoft vanquished ami overwrap
with the temptation. , ;
(3.) This our adverfary raifeth up difcouragements^ -ta ; us
from the unfuitablenefe of our hearts to our fervices.. Herein
he endeavours to deaden our hearts, to clog our fpirits, to hin
der and moleft us ; and then he improves thefe indifpofitions
and difcompnfures againft the duty, in which he hath a double
advantage : Eor (i.) He> deprives us of that. delight in duty;
which fhould whet on our defires to undertake it; fo that we
come to the Lord's table as old Barzillai, without a tafte orre-
liSh of what we eat or drink. When we come to hear, the ear
that trieth words, as the palate tafteth meat, finds no favour in
what is fpoken; and this Satan can eafily do, by > the inward
deadnefs or difquiet of the heart, even as the anguifh of dif
eafes takes away all pleafures which the choiceft daintiesnaft
ford. As Job obferves, 'When a man is chaftened with pain
upon his bed, his life abhors bread, and his foul dainty meat;*
Job xxxiii. 20. ' And when a man is brought to- loath his du
ties, as haying nothing of that fweetnefs and fatisfadion kj
them which is every where fpoken of, a fmall temptation may
put. him upon negled of them. (2.) He hath platifible and
colourable arguments, by which he formeth an opinion in the
minds of men, that in cafes of indifpofition, they may do bet
ter to forbear than to proceed. He tells them, they ought
not to pray, or prefent any fervice, while they are fo indif
pofed ; that no prayer is acceptable, where the Spirit doth not
enliven the heart, and raife the affedions -, that they do m&
take his name- in vain, and increafe their fin; and that they
fhould wait till the Spirit fill their fails. And -to fay the
truth, it is a great difficulty for a child ef God to bold.hk
feet in fuch' Slippery places. How many have I known com-'.
plaining of this, and perfuading ill em Selves verily, ; that they
might do far better to leave off all fervice, than to perform
them thus ? And Scarcely have I restrained them from a oors>-
pliance with Satan, by telling them, that' indifpofitions are no>
bar to duty ; but that duty is the way to get out indifpofitions
cured. ,'That duty is abfolutely required, and difpofitions to-
be endeavoured ; and that it is a lefs offence to keep to duty
under

Uhaf . XVII. Satan's Temptations. 133
ttnder indifpofitions,ythan wholly: -upon that pretence to negled
it. And indeed, wher«r*thefe indifpofitions are-: bemoaned and
Striven with, the fervices are often more acceptable to God,
than' pleafing to ourfelves. The principle is truly fpiritual
and excellent ; a foundation of fapphires and precious -Stones,
upon which, if we patiently wait, he will build a palace of Sil
ver ; for that fervice is more fpiritual, that is bottomed and
carried on by a confcientioug regard to a comm-and, When there
are no moral motives from fenfe and comfort concurring; than
that which hath mpre of delight tp encourage it, While the
powpr of the command is lefs fwaying attd influential. '
(4.) Meni are oft difcouraged from a fenfe of unWorthinefs
of the privilege of duty, a kind of excels of humility, which
principally relates to the facrameftt of : the Lard's fupper and
prayer ; the accufer of the brethren tells them, that they
have nothing to dd" to take the name of God in' their mouths,
that it is an irifufferable prefumption. Hence, fome, like the
woman with the bloody iffue, dare not come' to Chrift' to afk
a cure, while yet they earnestly defire it"; and would rather,
if they could, privately Steal it, than openly beg iti. The. pub
lican is prefented to us in the parable, as bfce that could
fearee> get over that objcdion ; he is fet1 forth Standing at a
.' distance, not daring to lift up his eyes to heaven ;' -fcarce at
tempting fo fpeak, rather expreSfinghis unworthinefs to pray,
than fetting upon the duty : His fmiting upon. his; breaft, and
faying, ' God be merciful to me a Sinner,' argued, that much
of thefe difcouragements lay upon him. The like we may 4eer
in the prodigal, who it feems had it lorig in difpute, whether he
Should go to his father, whofe kindnefies he had fo abufed ; and
fo long as he could make any other Shift; he yielded to the temp
tation: At laft he came, to that refolve, ' I will arife and go to
my father, and fay, I have Sinned againft heaven, and thee, and
am not worthy to be called thy, fon.' Which Shew, that the
fenfe of this kept him off till neceffity forced him over it. And
this is a difcouragement the more likely to prevail for a negled
of fervice;' becaufe part of it is, neceffary, as the beginning of
thofe convidions of our folly : To have fuch low thoughts" of
ourfelves, that we are not worthyxto come into his prefence,
nor'to look toward him, is very becoming ; but to think, that
we fhould not come to him, beeanfe our, cdnfcience accufeth of
iinworthimefs, is a conelufion of Satan's making, and- fuch as
God never intended from the premifes, but the dired contrary;
Come, faith God, though unworthy. The likp courfe doth tne
devil take to keep men off from the Lord's table ; ' Oh, faith
he, it is a very folemn ordinance ; he that partaketh of it un
worthily, eateth and drinketh , damnation to himfelf: How
dareft

134 A' ' Treatife of 'Part li
dareft thou make fuch bold approaches ?'- ' While the hearts of
men are tender, their confeiences quick and accufing, trie: threat
ening begets a fear, and- they are driven off long, and, deba?
themfelves unpeceffarily from their mercies. ?'
^thly, Satan endeavours to hinder duty, by bringing then}
into 2. diflike and loathing of duty. This is a courfe" moft ef-
fedual, diflike eafily bringeth forth averfatibn ; and witha^
doth ftrongly fix the mind in purpofes of negled and refufal';,
The devil bringeth this' about many ways : As, ,'"'¦'
(i.) By reproaches and ignominious terms. It was an old
trick of the wicked one, to raife up nick-names ' and feoffs a-
gainft the ways of God's fervice, thereby tp beget an odiurn in
the hearts of rneii againft" them. The feat of the feornful is a-
chair that Satan had reared up from the beginning.. By tins
art, (when God was known in Jewry, and his name was great
in Ifrael) were the heathens kept off from laying hold on the
covenant of God. He rendered them, and the ordinances of
worShip ridiculous to the nations : the opprobrium ofcircum-
cifion, and their unreafonable faith, as the heathens thought it,
iipon things not feen, wa^ a proverb in every Oman's mouth';
Credat fudaeus appella—non ego. The Jews were. Slandered
with the yearly facrifipe pf a Grecian. And Apipn affirms *,
that Apitioehus found fuch an one in a bed in the temple ; and
that they worshipped an afs's head in the temple f. Apion
Slandered the Jews with ulcers in their privy parts every fe-
venfh day: Hence he derives Sabbath, of Sabatofis, which with
the Egyptians fignifies an ulcer.
Lyfimachus Slandered the Jews in Egypt, as leprous church-
robbers,, and that their city was hence called Heirofola'f.
When the Gentiles were called into the fellowship, of the gof
pel, it Was afperfed with the like fcoSFs and flouts ; it' was fre
quently called a fed, Ads xxviii. 22. a babling and Strange and
uncouth dodrine, Ads xvii. i8, 28. Befidps, a great many
lies and forgeries that were invented to make it feem odious^
and by this means it was ' every where fpoken againft.' Ma'-
chiavel, that propounded the policy of full and violent calum
niations to render an adverfary odious (knowing that how tfn-
juft foever they were, yet fome impreflion || of jealoufy and
fufpicion would remain) had learned it of. this old accufer, who
had often and long experienced it to be a .prevalent:' Courfe,, 'to
bring the fervices of God under diflike. David'fpeaking of
what, befel himfelf, in this' kind, pfal. lxix. 6,-1 1 2. That'his
zeal lay under reproach ; his weeping and falling became a pro
verb : And that in all thefe, he'was the fong of the drunkard. He
* Jof. contra Apion. f Ibid. lib. 6, 3. f Ibid. lib. 1. II Calumriiare fortiter "
aHuid. adhairebi{, •

Chirp. XVH. Satan's Temptations. *3>'
He expreffeth fuch apprehenfions of the power of this tempta
tion upon the wreak j- that he dbth earneftly beg, that Satari
might not makp, it a fnare to them. Ver. 6. ' Let not them
that wait on thee, 0 Lord, God of hofts, be afhamed for my
fake ; let npt thofe that feek thee be .confounded for my fake.'
And further declares it, as a wonderful preferyation and efcape
of this danger ; that notwithftanding thefe reproaches, he had
not declined his duty. Ver. 13. ' Biit as for me, my prayer
is lihto the Lord.' Paul feems to fpeak his fenfe Of this piece of
policy ; his imprifonment administered matter of reproach to
his profeffion : Though his caiife were good, yet he fuffered
trouble as an evil-doer, 2 Tim. ii. 9. this he knew the devil
would, irrrproye to a Shame and difgrace unto the fervice of God,
and therefore he chargeth Timothy to bb aware pf that temp
tation", 2 Tim. i- 8. ' Be npt thou therefore afharhed of the tef-
timpny of pur Lprd, nor of me his prifoner.' And ver. 16.
He takes notice, of Onefiphorus", that had efcaped that fnare,
an^ was not alhamed of his chain. And we have the greater
reafon to fear the danger of this art, when we find that the
tenipter made.ufe.of it, to, turn away the affedions of the Ca-
pernaumites from Chrift himfelf, iWatth. xiii. 57. When he
had preached in their Synagogues, fo the applaufe and aftoniSh-
ment of all his hearers ; the deyil fearing the prevalency of
his dodrlne, finds out this Shift, tp bring them to a diflike of
him and his preaching ; ' Is not this the carpenter's fon ? And
they were offended in him.'
(2.) Duties are brought under diflike by the hazards that
attencj them : the devil leaves it not untold, what men fhall meet
with from the world, if they ruh not with them into excefs of
vanity and negled; if bonds, imprifonmehtsv banishments, ha
treds, oppofitions, fppiling of goods, Sufferings of all kinds will
divert them, he is fure tp fet all thefe affrightments before them :
Which though they do not move fome from their fteadfaftnefs;
fuch as, Daniel, whofe constancy in duty was not pierced by the
fear of hops ; and the three children, who would not decline the
ways pf the Lord for the tprror of a fiery furnace. Yet thefe
confideratipps prevail with moft, as Chrift hptes, in thpfe that
.received feed in Stony places, whole joy in the word was foon
blafted and they offended at the ways of duty. When tribula
tion and perfecution becaufe of the word arofe, Matth, xiii. 21.
Chrift pronouncing him blefled, that fhould hot be offended in
him, Matth. xi. 6. becaufe of the dangers of his fervice, Shews
that the efcape of fuch a temptation is not a common mercy.
And if we fliall obferve Paul's pradice, upon his firft under
taking of the miniftry, when it pleafed God to call him to
preach

I3<5 A-Treatife sf "', '^m%
preach his Son Chrift among the heathen,_ Qal,. i. i&,we fh^
fee, i. That he was aware of fuch ohjedipns as thefe, 2. That
fleih and blood, are apt to comply with them, and to tajse notice
of them. 3. And that the belt way to avoid them is, to, flop
the ears againft them,. and >^ot to hearken to theni.or confuljt
with them. 4- And that he'thar, muft do jt to purpofe, muft'
without delay, immediately (refolve againft ,fuch hindsrangejf;
it being moft difficult for men, that will be inclining to fuch
motions and hearkening to" what, the devil offers, under pre?
tehee of felf-prefervation, to difengage themfelves, after they
have fuffered.. their fouls to take the improffie-n;, ,: ;
(3.) The meannefs. pf religious appointments, as tft the out
ward view, is alfo made life of, to beget a loathing pf them. - Ift
this the devil .hath this advantage, that howevpr' they are all
glorious within, and as the curtains of Solomoh ; yet are they
as to their outward appeafanpe like the tents of ftedar, with
out any of that pomp and Splendor, which the fons of men affeft
and admire". Chrift himfelf when he had vailed his glory by
our fleflj, was of no exterior form or beauty, The miniflration
of his word, which is the fceptre of his kingdom, feems con
temptible, and, a very foolifhnefs to men ; infomikh, that Paul
Was forced to make an apology for it, in that it wanted thofe
outward braveries of. excellency of fpeech and wifdom, 1
Corinth, ii. 1, 4, 6- by Shewing it was glprious in its pow
er, and was indeed an, hidden wifdom, which though not
like that which the .princes of wifdom, and philofophy afj
feded, among fuch as were perfed. The facraments both
of the Old and New, TeftS&nent feemed very low and coni
temptible things to a common eye; neither need we any o-
ther evidence to Shew, that men are apt to difreliSh them;' and
to entertain ftrange thoughts, of them upoathis very account;
than this, that fome raife up batteries againft thefe ordinances
nppn this ground, that becaufe they feem low and mean to them;
therefore they think it improbable, that God Should have indeed
appointed .them to: be ufed in the literal fenfe, or that at belt
they aro.to be ujed.as. the firft rudiments of Christianity, and
not enjoined upon the more grown Christians^ Neither may
I altogether pafs over that remarkable humour, that is in feme,-
to give additional, ornaments of outward garb and form, for
the greater honour and luftre of thefe injundions of Chrift ; fo
that while they endeavour to Shew their greateft refpeds to
them, they betray their inward thoughts to have carried feme
fufpicion qf their reality, becaufe of their plainnefs; and by
this means whilft they endeavour to put an honour upon
Chrift's institutions, they really defpife them, and fhew theitf
refpefts

Ghap XVII. Satan's Temptations. 137
refpeds to their- own inventipns. But that we may be further
fatisfied, that Satan wprks by this engine, let us cphfider that
pf i Cor. i. 23. The Jews were for fighs from heaven, to
give a credhxand teftimony to that dodrine which they would
receive. The Greeksj who were t then the only people for
learning, were for philofophical fpeculations, and difputes.
Now, faith the Apoftle, the dodrine of the gofpel, which is the
preaching of Chrift crucified, becaufe it came not within the
ccmpafs of what both thefe expeded,. therefore the deyil fo
wrought upon this advantage, that both contemned it, ' It was
to the Jews a Stumbling-block, and to the Greeks fooliShnefs.'
Of this alfo he fpeaks more fully, 2. Cor. xi. 13. where he
Shews that the minds of the Corinthians were ready to be cor
rupted with error, againft the plain import of the gofpel ; and
that which they took offence at, was its Simplicity ; ; they look
ed 'upon it as contemptible, becaufe not containing. fuch gor
geous things as might fuit a foaring and wanton fancy. Now
he refolves all this into a cheat of Satan, taking the advantage
of this, as he did upon Eve from the feeming inconfiderablenefs
of the prohibition of eating a little fruit, to perfuade them, that
fo mean a thing as the gofpel could iiot be of God. ' I fear,' .
faith he, ' left by any means, as the' ferpent beguiled Eve thro'
his fubtilty, fo your minds Should be corrupted from the Sim
plicity that, is in Chrift.' . r-
(4) The fins of profeffors, through the craft of Satan, beget
a loathing of thefe holy things. If God loath his own appoint
ments, and cannot bear them, becaufe of the iniquities of thofe
that offer them ; no wonder, if men be tempted to difgraceful
apprehenfions of them, when they obferve fome that pretend an
high care, and deep rofped for them, live profanely. The fibs
of Eli's fons wrought this fad effed upon the people, that men,
for their fakes, abhorred the offerings of the Lord, 1 Sam. ii. 19.
Thofe that fell off to error, and thence to abominable pradices,
' caufed the way of truth to be evil fpoken of,' 2 Pet. ii. 2. The'
priefts that departed out of the way, -' caufed many to Stumble
at the law,' Mal. ii. 8. Nay, fo high doth Satan purfue this
fometimes, that it becomes an inlet to dired atheifm.
(j.) Satan alfo works mightily in the profane dijpofi'ions of
men, and, ads that principle to a difregard and wearinefs of the
fervices of God ; a flagitious wicked life naturally leads to it :
Thofe that eat up God's people as bread, called, not upon God.
Pfal. xiv. 4. This eats out at laft the very exterior and formal
obfervation of religious duties, in this Satan bends his force a- .
gainft them. i.'By heightening the fpirits of men to an info-
lent defiance of God by a continued profperity : He draws out
the pride and vanity of their Spirits to a bold contempt, Jer. ii.
S 31..

i$8 A Treatife of Paj't Is
31, 'Who is the Lord that we Should ferve him? We.are lord?,
we will come 110 more at thee : our tongues are our own,' &c.
Thus they fet their mouths againft heaven. Elipbaz, tells us
this, as the ufual carriage of thofe that lived in peace and jolli
ty, Jbb xxi. 15.' Therefore fay they unto God, Depart from
ns, for we defire not- the knowledge of thy ways : Who is the
Almighty that we fhould ferve him ?' 2. By hiding from them
the neceflities of duty. Job fpeaking of the hypocrite, (chap.
xxvii. lo.)'defcribes him by thefe negleds of duty, ' Will lie
delight himfelf in the Almighty? will he always call uponGpd?'
Of this he gives the reafon, ver. 9. ' He will call and cry when
trouble comes upon him.' When diftreffes make duties nepeSta.-
ry, then he will ufe them ; in his ' aSflidion he wijl feek him
early,' Hof. v. 15. As the Ifraelites did, Pfalm lxxviii. 34.
* When he flew them, then they fought him, and enquired ear-
,ly after God.' But when he is not thus, pinched, (and Satan will
endeavour in this cafe, that he be as far from the rod of God,
as he can hfcake him) he gives over feeking God, and loaths it;
nay, accounts it as ridiculous fo to do. They mock at his coun
fel, and contemn his advice of waiting upon. him.
(6.) Satan picks quarrels in men, at the manner of perform
ance of duty. When duty cannot be fpoken againft, then'lie
endeavours tp deftrOy it by the modes, circumftances, andyray
of performance : As, 1 . If thofe that ad in them difcover any
weaknefs, as who doth not, when he hath done his beft ? this-
he endeavours to blemifh the duty withal. The bodily .jfafi.
fence of Paul was objeded againft him, as being contemptibly,
and his fpeech as weak ; but the defign of that objedion lay
higher, the devil thereby endeavouring to render the duties of his
miniftry as contemptible, and not to be regarded. 2.. If the
circumftances pleafe not, he tea,cheth' them to take pet with,the
fubftance, and like children to rejed all, becaufe, every thing
Is not fuitable to their wills, 3, If it be managed in any wav
not grateful to their expedatiops ; if too cuttingly and plain,
then they think they may be juftified to fay, they hate it, as-
Ahab d'idMicaiah : If any way too high or abftrufely, then
likewife they fling off. On this point the devil perfuaded ma
ny of Chrift's followers to defert him, John vi. 66. becaufe he
had fpoken of himfelf in comparifons, that they judged too-
high ; when he faid, he was' * that bread that came down from
heaven,' ver. 58. they faid, that was a faying not to be born:
And on that occafion, ' they went back, and walked no more
with him.
(7.) The devil brings a naufeating of the duties of worfhip,-
by a wrong reprefentation- of them,, in the carriage and gefiures, of

Chap1. XVII. Satan's Temptations. 139
of thofe that engage in them. It feems ftrange to fome, that
are but as idle fpedators, to obfprve the poftures of faints :
Serioufly lifting up their eyes to heaven, or humbly mourning,
and Smiting on their breaSts ; thefe the devil would render ri
diculous, and as the fufpicicus- managements of an hiftrionical
or hypocritical devotion : As men at a diftancebeholding the
ftrange variety of adions and poftures of fuch as danpe, being-
out of the fouind of their mufic, fhall think them a company of
mad men, and frantic people. Such perverfe profpeds doth he
fometimes afford to thofe, that come ratfher'to obferve what o-
thers do, than to concern themfelves in fuch duties ; that, not .
feeing their private influencesj nor the Secret fpring that moves
them, they judge them foolifh ; and from thence they contrad
an inward loathing- of the duties themfelves.
Sthly, In order to the hindering or preventing of duty, Sa
tan ufeth - to impbfe upon men, by fallacious arguings : And
by a piece cf his fophiftry, hei endeavours to cheat them out of
their fervices. I Shall note fome of his ; remarkable dealings in
this kind : As,
(1.) He heightens the dignity of God's children, upon a de
fign to fpoil their duty. He tells them, they are partakers of
the divine nature. That they are in God and Chrift, and have
the communications of his Spirit ; and therefore they need not
now drink of the ciftern, feeing they enjoy the. fountain ; and
that thefe fervices, in their attainments, are as ufefefs, as fcaf-
folds are when once the houfe is built. To profecute this he
takes advantage, 1, Of the natural pride of their hearts; 1 Cor. viii,
7. he puff's them up with conceits of the excellency pf theit'
condition ; a thing which all men are apt to catch at with greed.i-
nefs, upon the leaft imaginary grounds : If a man havebut a little
knowledge, ov have attained to any vain Speculations, he is,
prefently apt to be vainly puffed up by his flefhy mind, Col. ii,
18. The fame hazard attends any conceited excellency, which
a man apprehends he hath reached unto. Thofe monfters cf
religion, mentioned by Peter and Jude, that made no ether ufe
of the grace of God, but , to turn it info wantonhefs, Jude 4,
yet were they fo minified with the apprehenfions of their pri
vileges, that whilft they defigned no other thing, than plain li-
centioufeefs, and a wautonnefs in the lufts of the fleSh ; yet, it
feems, they encouraged themfelves, and allured others, from
a fuppofed liberty which their privileges gave them; and to
this purpofe had frequently ' in their months, ' great Swelling
words of vanity,' 2 Pet. ii. 18. even whilft * they walked af
ter, tlieir own lufts, Jude ver. 16. (2.) To ftrengthen their
proud conceits, the devil improves What the fcriptures fpeak,
S 2 of

140 • A Treatife of Part T.'
of the differences of God's children ; that fome are fpiritual,
fome are carnal ; fome weak, others Strong ;, fome perfpd,,fome
lefs perfed ; fome little children, iomt young men, fpme, fa7,
thers, i Cor. ii. i. The end of all this, is to make them ap
prehend themfelves Chriftians of an higher , rank, and order^
Phil. iii. 15. Which alfo makes way confequently fpr a further
inference, viz. That there muft needs be immunities and pri
vileges, 1 John ii. 12; 13.' fuitable to thofe heights, and attain
ments. To this putpofe, (3.) He produceth thefe fcriptures
that are defigned by God, to raife up the minds, of men, to
look after the internal work and power of his ordinances, and
not to center their minds and hopes in the bare formal ufe of
them, without applying their thoughts to God and Chrift; un
to whom they are appointed to lead us. Such as thefe fpri,p,
tures, Rom. ii. 28. ' He is not^a Jew, which is one outward
ly ; neither is that circumcifion which is outward in the flefh :
But he is a Jew, which' is one inwardly, and circumcifion is
that of the heart, in, the fpirit, and not in the letter.' And
Rom'- vi. 7. 'we fhould ferve In newnefs of fpirit, and not, in
the oldnefs of the letter,' 2 Cpr. v. 16. * Whereforjp henceforth
know- we no man after theflefh, yea though we have known
Chrift after the fleSh, yet now henceforth know we him no
more.' Eph.' iv. 13. ' He gave fome apoilles, and fome pro,,
phets,r&c. for the perfeding of the faints — -till we all come in
the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge pf the Spn of Gpd
unto a perfed man.' By a perverfe interpretation pf thefe,
and fome other fcriptures of like import, he would . perfuade
them, that the great thing that Chrift defigned by his ordinan-
-ces, Was, but to train up the weaker Chriftians by thefefrudi-
ments, as the A».B, C, to children, to a more fpiritual and i
immediate way of living upon God : And that thpfe become
altogether ufelefs, when Chriftians have gotten up to any of
thefe imaginary degrees of a fuppofed perfedion. Enough of
this "may be feen in- the writings of'SaltmarSh, Winflantly, and
others, in thclate times, How great a trade Satan drove by
fuch mifapprehenfions not longfince, cannot eafily be forgotten;
fo that God's wotShip did almoftlie wafte ; and in many places,
the way to Sion did mourn.
(2.) He will fometimes confefsan equality of privilege a- .
mong the children of God, and yet plead an inequality of duty,
that God is as good and Strong to us, and that We. have, all an
equal advantage by Chrift, he will readily acknowledge. But
then when we Should propound the diligence of the faints in
their fervices for our pattern, * as of David's praying feven
times
* Grecnham, p. $$¦

Chap. XVII. Satan's Temptations. 14 1
tihies a day; Darnel's three times, Anna's ferving God with
fallings and prayers night and day, \3c. . He tells us, thefe
wefe extraordinary' fervices, and, as it were, works of fuper-
erbgation, more than the command, of God laid upon them.'
So that we are not tied to fuch ftridnpfs ; and, we being na
turally apt to indulge ourfelves in our own eafe, are too ready
to comply with fuch delufibns. And by degrees men are thus
brought to a confident belief, that ,they may be good enough^
and do as much as is required, though they Slacken their pace,
and do not faft, pray, or hear fo often,, as others have done.
(3.) Another fopnifm of his, 2V to heighten one duty to the
ruin of another. He ftrives to make an inteftine, war among
the feveral parts^bf the fervices we owe to God ; and from the
excellency of One, to raife up an enmity and undervaluing dif
regard of another. Thus would he fever, as inconfiStent, thofe
thing* that GbS'h'ad joined together.. As among falfe teachers,
fome fay, Lo here is Chrift; anc^pthers, Lo he is there. So
we find Satan dealing with duties, he puts fome upon fuch high
refpeds to preaching, that, fay they, Chrift is to be found here,
moft frequently, rather than in prayer, or-other ordinances ;
others are made to have the like efteem for prayer,: And they
affirm, in this is Chrift efpeeially to be met, withal. , Others
fay the like of facraments, or meditation. . In all, thefe Satan
labours to beget a diflike and negled of other fervices. ThuSj,
in-" what relates to the constitution of churches, he. endeavours
to fet up purity of churches, to the deftrudion of unity ; or
unity to the* ruin of purity., A notable example hereof, we have
in the Euchytas, a fed of praying heretics, which arofe in the
time of Valentiniah and Valens, *, who,. upon the pretence of
the commands of Chrift and Paul, for praying contipually, or
without ceafing and fainting, owned no other duty ;as neceffary;
vilifying preaching and facraments, as things, at belt, ufelefs
and unprofitable. The like attempts he makes, daily upon
men, where, though he prevail not fo far, as to bring fome ne
ceffary duties of fervice into open contempt; Luke xviii. 1.
yet he carries them into too much fpcret negled, 1 Theff.'xv. 17;
and difregard.
4. He improves the grace of the. gofpel, to infer an unneceffa-
rinefs of duty ; and this he doth, not only from the advantage
of a profarte and carelefs fpirit in fuch as prefumptuoufly ex
ped heaven, though they mind not the way that leads to it:
For with fuch it, is ufual, as one obferves f, for Satan to fever
the means from the end,, in things that are good, to make them
believe, they Shall have peace,, though they walk in the imagi
nations
* Tbcod. Ecclef. Kiftoria. f Grcenhaa, p. 35.

142 A Treatife of Part I.
nations of their heart ; to make them Jean upon the Lord for
heaven, in the apparent negled of holinefs and duty. As in
evil things he fevers the end from the meansf making them
confident ,fhey Shall efcape hell and condemnation; though tbey
walk in the path that leads, thither. But befides this, he abuf.
eth the understandings and affedions of men, by ftrange and
uncouth inferences ; as that God hath received a fatisfadion,
and Chrift hath done' all ; fo that nothing is left for us to do.
The Apoftle Paul was fo much aware of this kind of arguing,
that when he was to magnify the grace of God, he always took
care to fence againft fuch perverfe reafonings ; feverely rebuk
ing and refilling fuch objedions : As in Rom. iii. 7, ,8. where
fpeaking, that ' out cinrightepufnefs did commend the right-
eoufnefs of God,' he falls upon that reply, ' Why then am I
judged as a Sinner ?' Which he Sharply refells, as an inference
of flanderoUs imputation to the gofpel, which hath nothing in
it to give the leaft countenance to that conclufipn, ' Let us do
evil that good may come.' And adds, that damnation Shall
juftly overtake fuch as pradife acccrdingly. The like we
have Rom, v'u 1. ' Shall we continue in fin, that grace may
abound?' which he rejeded with the greateft abhorrency, ' God
forbid !' From both which places we may plainly gather, that
as unfottnd aa fuch arguings are, yet men, through Satan's fub
tilty, are too prone upon fuch pretences, to difpute themfelves
to a carelefs negled of duty.. This might be enlarged in many
other inftances, as that of Maximus Tyrius, who dlfputed all
duties unneceffary upon this ground, That what God will give,
cannot be hindered ; and what he will not give, cannot be ob
tained ; and therefore it were needkfs to feek after any thing.
Much to the fame purpofe, do many argue, If they be predesti
nated to falyation, tbey Shall be faved, though they do never fo
little ; if 'they be not predeftinated, they Shall not be faved, tho'
they do never fo much. In all which inferences the devil pro
ceeds upon a falfe foundation, of fevering the means and the
end, which the decree of God hath joined together : But the
main of the defign, is to hide the neceffity of duty from them.
(j.) By urging a neceffity or conveniency for fufpendkg or
remitting duties. In temptations to fin, he doth from a little,
draw on the Sinner to mere ; but in omiffions of duty, he would
entice us from much to little ; and from little to nothing. Ve
ry bufy he, is with us, to break, or interrupt our conflant
courfe of duty. Duties in order and pradice, are like,fo ma
ny pearls upon one String, .if the thread be broken, it may ha
zard the fcattering of all. If .we be once put out of our way,
we are in danger to rove far before we be fet in pur rank aeain. To

Chap.iXVII. Satanls Temptations. I4j
To effed this, (i.) He will be fure to ftrahea or binder ps in
our opportunities if he can, and then to plead neceffity for *
difpenfation. It is true, indeed, necpSIities, when unavoidable,
as the ifltte of providence rather than our negligence, may ex-.
cufe an omifiion of duty : Becaufe in fuch cafes, God accepting
the wdl for the deed, will have mercy and not Sacrifice. But
neceffity is, at moft but a pretence or coyer tb the flothfulnefe of
profeffors ; and the devil will dp all he can to gratify them in
that humour, <and to prepare excufes for them, from fuch hin
drances or interruptions, as bufinefs, or disturbances can make;
yet if thefe be not in readbefs, he will, (2.) Endeavour to
take off bur earneftnefs, by fuggefting to us our former di
ligence, that we at other times have been careful and adivei
Or (3.) By fetting before us the greater negligence of thofe
that are below us ; the meaning of both which infinuations
is to this one purpofe, that; we may make bald with feme
omiffiofts, without any great hazard of our religious inten^
tions, or fcaodal and offence to others.. Now, it he can by
any of thefe ways, bring us to an abatement pf our wonted
care and exercife, he will then ftill prefs for more, and from
fervency of fpirit to a cold moderation 5 from thence he will
labour to bring us down to feldom performances j from thence
tc nothing. The fpiritual Sluggard, that will be overcome ta
fome hegieds, fhall be found a companion at laft to a waiter,
Prov. xviii. 9. and will be brought to a total negled of all.
The church of Ephefus, Rev. ii. 4, 5. may Sadly give proof*
of thfe, they left their firft love ; and from thence dedined
fo far, that at laft God was provoked to remove the, candle
stick out of its place.
.(6.) Satan puts tricks upon men, in order to the hindering
of duty, by putting us from a fervice prefently needful, with
the propofal of another, in whkh at that time we are not fo
, concerned. In feveral duties of Christianity, there is a great
deal of Skill required to make a right choice, fo? prefent or firft
performance; and to have a right judgment to difeover. the
times and feafons of them, is matter of neceflary Study. Our
adverfary obferving our weakneSfes in this, when no other art
will prevail, endeavours to put us upon an inconvenient choice,
when he cannot make us negled all. As, (1.) By engaging us
In a lefs duty, that we may negled a greater ; he is willing
that we, as the Pharifees, Should tithe mint and annife, uppn
condition that we negled the greater things of the law. This
was the fault of Martha, Luke'x. 41. who buffed herfelf in
making entertainment for Chrift's welcome, and in the mean
time neglededto bear his pleaching, which,, as he notes, was
, . the

144 A Treatife of "fait I;
the only neceffary duty of that time; pne thing is^neceffery;
She is not blamed for doing that which is Simply evil in itfelf,
(for the thing She did was, a duty) but for not making^ right
choice of duty ; for that rebuke, ' Mary hath chofen.the better
part,' is only a comparative difcommendation, as Auftin inter
prets, Non tu malam, fed ilia ~meliorefh ; the thing thou doll is
not evil, if it had not put thee upon a negled of a greater
good. (2.) He fometimes puts men upon what is good: and
neceffary ; but fuch as they cannot come at withodt fin. Thus
facri firing in itfelf was a neceffary duty; and fuch was Saul's,
condition, that it concerned him at that time to make his peace
with God, and to enquire his mind ; yet when the devil upon
that pretence put him upon offering a Sacrifice, 1 Sam. xiii, jj,,
he put him upon no fmall tranfgreflion. The like game Satan
fometimes plays with private Christians, who are perfuaded be
yond their Station and capacity, in reference to fome. ordinances
Of God. (3.) He fometimes puts men upon dangerous under
takings in purfuit of their fancy, of gaining an advantage* for
fome fervice ; and fo are they turned out of the way of pre,
fent obedience, in grafping at opportunities of duty out of their
reach. Saul fpared the Sheep and oxen of the AmaJekites fox
Sacrifice, 1 SamlVv. 15,22. when obedience bad been more ac
ceptable than facrlfice. (4.) There is a further cheat in the
choice of- duty, when Satan employs them to provide for dudes
to, come, to the -negled of duties prefently incumbent upon
them ; whereas, we are more concerned in that which at pre
fent Is neceffary, than in that which may be^fo for the future ;
which' is a miftake, like that of caring for the morrow, while
we* ufe not what God puts in our hand for to-day.

CHAP. XVIII.
Satan's fecond grand defign againft duties, is to fpoil them,* (1.)
In the manner of undertaking ; and how he efifeBs this* (i.Jjfs
the aB or performance , by.diftraBing outwardly and.inward-
ly. His various ways therein, by vitiating the duty itfelf.
How he, doth that. (3.) After performance ; the manner
thereof'
'T'HE chief pf Satan's ways for the hindering and pVeventifi|
•*- pf duty have been noted ; what he comes Short in this de--
fign, he next labours to make up, by fpoiling and depravutt
them; and this he doth endeavour three ways. ¦*"
. Firft, By putting us upon fervices in fuch a manner, as ShaU
render them unacceptable and difpleafing unto God, and unprb- '
Stable

Chap«XVIII. Satan's Temptations. 145
fitabie to us:, As^ (1.) By a^ carelefs and rafb undertaking of
fervice. We are commanded to take heed to burfelves, hpW
we.hear or pray, and to watch-over our hearts, that they be in
a. fit pofture for meeting with God ; becaufe. the heart1 in ferr
vice is that whieh God moft looks at, and our fervices are mea-
fured accordingly. If then by a heedlefs undertaking we ad
venture upon them, not ' keeping our foot when we go into
the houfe of God,' Ecclef. v. 1. we offer no other than the Sa
crifice of fools ; and give occafion to God to com pi; in, that we
do but ' draw near to hipi with our lips, while our hearts are
far from him.'
Secondly, The like fpoil of duty is made, when we adventure
upon it in our own ftrength, and not in the ftrength of Chrift.
Satan fees the pride of pur heart, and how much our gifts may
contribute to it, and hew prone v^e are to be confident of a
right performance of what we have fo often pradifed before ;
and therefore doth he more induftrioufly catch at that advan
tage, to make us forget that our ftrength is in God ; and that
we cannot come to him acceptably, but by his own power.
Chriftians are often abufed this way; when their ftrength is
to feek, duty is oft perverfely fet before them, that they ad as
Sampfon did, when his locks were cut, who thought to Shak6
himfelf, and to ' go out as at other times,' and fo fell into the
hands of the Philiftinqs.
Thirdly, If he can fubftitute bafe ends and principles, as mo
tives to duty, inftead pf thefe that.God hath commanded, -he
knpws' the -fervice will become Stinking and loathfome tp God.
Falling, prayers, aims, preaching, or any, other duty may be
thus tainted, when they are performed upon no better grounds,
than to be feen of men, or out of envy, or to fatisfy humour,
dr when from cuftom rather than confcience. How frequently
did the prophets tax the Jews for this, that, they failed to them
felves, and brought forth fruit to themfelves ? How feverely
did Chrift'condemn the Pharifees upon the fame accouut, tell
ing them, that in hunting the applaufe of men by thpfe devo
tions, they had got all the reward they were like tp have.
Fourthly, When we do our fervices ,unfeafonably, not Only
the grace and beauty of them is fppiled, but pften are they ren
dered unprofitable. There are times to be obferved, not only
for the right management of common adions, but alfo for du
ties. What is, Christian reproof, if it be not rightly fuited to
fpafon and opportunity ? vThe fame may be faid of other fer
vices. Fifthly, Services are fppiled, when men fet upon them with-.
out refolutions of leaving their fins. While they come with
T their

!te$ ¦ ATreatifiof ''Pft'fli
their ' idols in their heart, and the ftumbling-blbck of 'WeirihJ.
i'quity before^ thteir face,- God will not be enquired- of by^eiti,'
Ezek. xiv. 3.^ He requires of thofe that prefieM'ffleSt fetfKes
to him. that, at leaft, they Should not afffbnflrrirn, with d'ire^
purpbfls of continuing in tiieir rebellions againSt him ; nayjhj;
expeds from his Servants, that look for a bleffihg in their dvii
ties, that they come with their ' hearts fprinkled from an^eVil
cbnicieAce, and their bodies walked with pure Water,' Heft', i.
11. If they ccfftie to hear the word, they muft ' lay'afidWall
filthinefs and fupetfluity of naugh'tinefs,' Jam. i. -ii'." If thev
pray, they muft ' lift up pure hands,' 1 Tim. ii. 8. If they
come to the Lord's fupper, they muft eat that feaft ' witbtrie
unleavened bread of fincerity and truth,' 1 Cor. v. 8. And
albeit he may accept .the prayers of thbfey'.'that atefo far'coni-
vinced of their fins, though they be hot yet fandified, that they
are willing to lay down their weapon's; and are touched 'witha
fenfe of legal repentance, (for thus he heard Ahab, arid regain
ed the humiliation of Nineveh) yet while men cleave to the
love of their iniquity, and are not upon any terms of parting
with their fins, God will not look to their fervices, buf abhor
them. Font'hns he declares himfelf, Ifa.'i. 11. * To wnatpur-
pofe is the trrultitude of your, facrifices ? Bring no more vain
oblations — I cannot away with them, it is iniquity, even fhVifr.
lemn meeting — My foil! hateth them, they are a trouble' to
me, I am weary to bear them : When you Spread forth your
hands, I Will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when you make
many prayers, I will not hear.' The ground of all this' is, ftfat
their heart was now-ay feveredfrom the purpbfes', of finhWg,
* Yout hands are full of blood,' Ver. 15. Satan knowing this
fo well, he is willing that they engage in the fervTces. of wfj
if they will keep np their allegiance to him, ard Come wrtri in
tentions to continue wicked Still : For fo while he cannot pre-'
Vent the adual performance of duty, (which yet" notwithstand
ing' he had rather do, becaufe he knows not but God ftajrby
that means fome time or other refcue thefe Slaves of Satiah'out
of his hand) he makes' their fervices nothing worth, and ren-,
flers them abominable to God. r.
Sixthly, In the manner of undertaking, duties are' Spoiled,-
When men haVe not a fubmiffive ingenuity in them, by giving'
themfelves up to" the diredion and difpofal of the' Almigtit^ ;
but rattier confine and limit God to their wills ' and defiles.
Sometimes men by attempting of fervices to God, think there
by to engage God to humour them in their wills and ways;
With foch a mind did Ahab confult the prophets about his
expedition to Ramoth-Gilead ; nbt fo much feeking God's Blind

Cjbjjg^ XVIII. Sat9^s Temptations. 147
q^^jf$9n£el for^iredion* as thinking thereby to engage
God to confirm and. comply with his determination. With the
fame rrund did Johanan and the reft pf the people confult, the-
Lord., concerning their going down to; Egypt, Jer. xiii. ,J.
Though they folemnly protefted obedience to what 'jQ-od -Should
fay, 'whether it weregood.or evil,' yet when the return, from,
God fuited not vfith, their defires and refolutions, they denied
it to be rfae command of God ; and found, an evafic-n to free
themfelves of their engagement, Jer.xliii. 2, Such dealings
as thefe being the evident undertakings pf an hypocritical heart,
muft needs render all done upon that fcore, to pe prefumptuous
temptings of God, no way deferying .tb*. name of fervice.
, Secondly, Not only giro fervices thus Spoiled, in, thpfe wrong
grounds and ways of attempting, or fetting about £ hein, but in,
the very ad, or performance of thern, while they are upon the
wheel, as spotter's vefiel in the prophet, they are often mar
red; and thjs Satan doth two ways. ;.- By disturbing our
thpughts, which Should bejattentive and fixed upon the fervice
in hand. 2. By vitiating the duty itfelf., - ,
' I. By diftraBing • or diftufbing pur thoughts. This is. aij
ufual policy of Satan. Thofe fowls which came ffo,wn upon
Abraham's facrifice, Gen. xv. 12. are fuppofed, by learned ex-
pofitors, to Signify thofe means and ways by which the devil
doth diforder and trouble pur thoughts in, religious fervipes.
And Chrift himfelf compares the devil Stealing our thoughts
from duty, to the fowls of the air, that gather up the feed as
foon as it is fown, Matth. xiii. 4. There are many reafons
that may perfuade us, that this is.one of his .matter- pieces of
pplicy. As, (i.) In that the bufinefs of dift.rad,ip;n; Jjs of t eafi
ly done; our thoughts do not, naturally delight in fpiritual
things, becaufe of their depravern'ent ; .neither can they eafily
brook to be pent in, or confined fo ftridly, as the nature of
fuch employments doth require; fo that there isa kind of pre
ternatural, force uppn our thoughts, when they ire religioufly
employed ; which as it is in itfelf laborious, like the ftppping
of a Stream, .prdriving Jordan back, fo upon the feaft relaxing of
the fpring that muft bend our thoughts h.eayen-ward, they in
cline to their natural bent and current: as, a flone rolled up a
1 hill- hath a renitentia, a ftriving againft the hand that forceth it,
anp]. when tha.t force ffackens, if goes downward. How eafily
jthen is it for Satan to fet our thoughts off our .work ? If we
Slacken our caro-nevpr. fo litj:le they recoil, and tend to their, o'd
biafs;and how eafy is it for him to take off .pur hanrf, v. hen it
is fo much in, his power to injed thoughts and motions into
our hearts ; or to preferit objeds to our, eyes, or founds to our
T 2 ;- ears.

14* ATreatifeof r3Paifti&
ears, which' by a natural force rail eth up our apprfehenfibwic
ad : for in {ucheaks, nott pqfthmus' non' cbgUare ,- wecanifoti-re*
Strain the ad of thinking;' and not, withiotlt'great'-'hfledftilwefe^
can We reftrain - the purfuit' of thofe thinkings and imagiiiai&eitetf
(2.) tSatatioan alfo do it infenfibly ; out diftradions, ©*T<kriflgjfe
of thoughts, creep and fteal upon us 'filently, we no mbteknow
oft, when they begin, than when webegm'' to Sleep j1 or Wheir
webegin to Wander in a journey, Where oft we1 do not take ouri
feives to be out of the way, till We come to fome remarkable*
turning. (3.) And when he prevails to divide our thoughts
from our duty, he always makes great advantage^ for thus he
hinders at leaft the comfort and profit of ordinances. While?
we are bufied to look to OUr hearts, much of the duty goeih^bjji
and- we are but as thofe, that in public affemblies aroemptseyeVl!
to fee to the order and Silence of others, who can be fcarce at ki-
fure to attend for their own advantage. Befides, much ofthe
fweetnefles of ordinances are abated by" the very troubieSofbur
attendance. When we are put'to it, as Abrahanrwas, to be*
Still driving away thofe fowl's that come down upqh ourfacifo
Sice, the yery toil will eat out, and eclipfe much ofthe con>
fort. Thus alfo he at leaft provides matter to objed agafeft
the fincerity ofthe fervants of God; and will affuredly find a
time, to fet it home upon them to thepurpofey that their hearts
were wandering in their fervices. Thus he further gets ad
vantage for a temptation to leave off their duty, and wiUnot
ceafe to improve fuch diftradions, as we have- heard, to an ufe'
ter overthrow of their fervices. Nay, if he prevail to giwe
us fuch diftradions as wholly takes away our mind, and" ferieus;
attentions from the fervice, then is the fervice become nothing
worth, though the outward circumftances of attendance be iea
ver fo exad and faint-like. Who could appear in a mote ,teii&
gious drefs than thofe in Ezek. xxxiii. 31. who came and fat,
and were pleafed with divine fervices, as to all outward difco
very, asGod's people; yet was all fpoiled with this* that theii*
hearts were after their covetoufnefs. .- ' ¦-' : ; •'
Now this diftradion Satan can work two ways. i. •¦'>
xfl, By outward diflurbances. He-can prefent ebjeiSba to the
eyes, on^purpofe to entice our' thoughts after them: "= The ©lo«
Sing ofthe eyes in prayer, is ufed by fome of the1 fenvaib of
God, to prevent Satan's temptations this way. And We -tout
in ^the ftory of Mr. Kothwel, * that the devil tooknotid.of
this in him, that he Shut his eyes to avoid diftradion in prayer;
which implies,, a conceflion in the devil, that by outward ob-
jeds he ufeth to endeavour bur diftradion in fervices. The
, ' ' ' -.«*,.' ' ; ' Iike
* v:4. Clark's Liv.es, '!

Chstp&VIII. xSitotfs Testations. 149
1
Hke he de*b by noifef, and founds. Neither canrfwe'difeoyer
how.much of thefe di&\pibajice;s,..by epughi.ngs^hpmmings*
t^08pliflgs;r &c. which we heajt in-greater affemblies, are from
Satan, by ftirrihg up -others to fuch ijoifes. Wp are fure the
damfel that had an unclean fpirit, Ads xvi. , that grieved ;andj
troubled Paul, going about thefe duties, with, her clamours,
was fet on by that fpirit within her, to diftrad and call off their
thoughts from the fervices, which: they were about to under
take. BefideS; the common ways of giving trouble to the fer-
vants of God in outward disturbances; he: fometimes, though
rarely,.- doth it in an extraordinary manner : Thus he endea^
vOured to. hinder Mr Rothwel from praying for a. poffeffed per
fon, by rage -and-blafpheming., ¦ The like hinderanee we read
he gave Luther and others : And truly foftrid an attendance
In the exercife of our minds, fpiritual-fenfesj and. graces is re
quired in matters of worfhip : And fo weak are jour hearts in
making a refiftance, or beating off jthpfe5 affaults, that a very
fmall matter will difcompofe us, and a fmaller,'difcompofure
wiJhprejudice and blemiSh the duty.
ndly, He diftrads or disturbs us alfp, by inward workings,
and injedions, of 'motions and r-eprefentations of thirjgs to our
minds : And as this is his moStigeneral and ufual, way, fo doth
he make ufe of greater variety of ..contrivance and art in it. As,
¦Firft, By the tro,ublefbme ''impetuoufnefs and violence of his
injedions, they, come uppn us, as thick as hail., No fooner do
we, put by one motion, but 'another is in upon us : He hath
his quiver full of thefe arrows, and our hearts, under any fer
vice, fwarm with them, we are inceffantly infefted by them*
and have no reft. At other times, when we are upon, world
ly bufinefs, we. may obferve. a great eafe and freedom in our
thoughts; neither doth' h.e fo much prefs upon us : But in
thefe Satan is continually knocking at pur door, and calling to
us, fo-that it is a great hazard, that fome or other of thefe in
jedions may flick upon our thoughts, and lead us put of the
\vay : or if they do not, yet it is a great nipleftation or toil
to us.
' . Secondly, He can fo order his dealings with us, that he pro
vokes us fometimes to follow him out of the camp, and feeks
to ehfnareusyby improving our own fpiritual refolution a,nd
batted againSt him ; even as courage whetted on and enraged,
makes a man Venturefome beyondnhe due bounds of prudence
or fafety. iTolthis end he fometimes calls. into our thoughts
hideous, blafphemous arid atheiflical fuggeftions,, which do not
only amaze us, but oftentimes engage us to.difpute agaipft them ;
which, at fuch time, is all he feeks for : For whereas in fuch
cafes

150 A Treatife of . ajPar|:I«
cafes we Should fend away fuch thoughts with a Short anfwer,
* Get thee behind me Satan ;' "we, by taking'up the'buCfe .
arid fword againft them, are draWn off from minding our' pre!
fent duty. . ;, , '';|
Thirdly, He doth fometimes feek to allure, and draw pur,
thoughts to the objed, by reprefenting what is pleafant ana
taking. • (i.) He will adventure to fuggeft good things imper,
tinently, and unfeafonably, as 'When he puts us upon prayil&i
while we Should be hearing ; of while we are praying, he puts,
into our hearts things that we have heard. in preaching: Thefe
things, becaufe good in themfelves, we are not fo" apt to Stajtffi
at, but give them a more quick welcome. (2.) He alfo paa,
allure our thoughts, by the ftrangenefs ofthe things fuggefted;
fometimes we fhall have hints of things which we knew not ben
fore, or fome fine and excellent notions, fo that we can fcarce
forbear turning afide after them, to gaze at them : And yet,
when all is done, except we wholly negled the duty for them,
they will fo vaniSh, that we cah fcarce remember them 'Wheft
the duty is over. (3.) Sometimes he fuits our defires and in
clinations with the remembrances of things that are, at other
times, much in our love and affedion : and with thefe we are
apt to comply : The pleafure of them making us forge! our
prefent duty. Thoughts of eftates, honours, relations^ de
lights, , recreations, or whatever elfe we are fet upon at bthei:'
times, will more eafily prevail for audience now; ''
Fourthly, He hath a way to betray and circumvetit us, by
heightening our own jealoufies and fears againft him , and here
he outfboots us in our own bow : And by a kind of pverdbniK
makes us undo our defired work. For where he obfervpOs
fearful, and watchful againft wandering, he doth alaxWus the
more : So that, (1.) Inftead of looking to the prefent pa'tt'of
duty ; we refled upon what is pail, and make enquiries,, whe
ther we performed that aright ? Or whether we" did not win
der from the beginning ? Thus our fufpicions that we hav^e
mifcarried, bring us into a mifcarriage : By this are we de
ceived, and put off from minding what we are doing at prefent.
0r,-(2.) An eager defire to fix our thoughts on our prefent fer;
vice, doth amaze and aftonifh us into a Stupid inadivity, or in
to a faying, or doing, we know not what ; as ordinarily ithajU
pens to perfons, that out of a great fearfulnefs to offeriifin the
prefence of fome great peifonages, become unable to' dp any
thing .right ; or to behave themfelves tolerably well : Or as-ail
over fleady and earneft fixing the eye, weakens the fight, 'anil
,jrenders the objed lefs truly difeernable to us- /
f Fifthly, Sometimes the exercife of fancy" ading or working
'"' 'according

Ghap'^XVIII. Satan's "temptations. IJI
according to fome miftake which we have entertained 5 as to
the manner of performance, doth fo hold our thoughts doing,
that we embrace a cloud or fhadow, when we fhould have lopk-
ed after the fubftapce. T will give an inftance of this, in re
ference to prayer ; which, I have obferved, hath been a fnare
and miftake to fome, and that is this ; becaufe in that duty, the
fcripture direds us to go to God, and to fet him before us :
Tlierefore they have thought it neceffary to frame an -idea of
God in their thoughts, as of a perfon prefent to whom they
fpeak,. Hence their thoughts are bufied, to conceive fuch a re
presentation ;, and when the Shadow of (imagination varijfheth
their thoughts are again bufied to enquire, 'whether- their hearts
are upon God ? Thus by playing with fancy, they are really
lefs attentive upon their duty.
Sixthly, Satan can lay impreflions of diftradion upon men,,
before they come to religious ferMces, which Shall then work,
and Shew their power to difturb and, divide our hearts ; which
is by a. ftrong prepoffeffion of the heart, with any thing that
we fear, or hope, ov defire, or doth any way trouble us :
Thefe will Slick to us, and keep us company in our , duties,
though we Strive to keep them back. , And this was the
ground of the apoftle's advice, to the unmarried perfons, to-
continue in a Single life, times of perfecution and diftrefs near
ly approaching, that they might • attend upon the Lord with
out diftradion,' 1 Cor. vii. 35. Implying,, that the thought-
fulnefs, and more than ordinary carefulnefs,, which would feize
upon the minds, of perfons under fuch ftraits and hazard's, would
unavoidably follow them in their duties, and fo diftrad them,
idly, The other way, befides this of diftradion, by which
Satan fpoils pur duties in the ad of performance, is, by vitiat
ing the duty itfelf; and this he commonly doth three ways.
I. When he puts men upon greater care for the outward
garb and drefs of a fervice, than '£°r the inward work of it ;
he, endeavours to make fome devotionaries deal with their du
ties:, as the Pharifees did with tlipir cups, walking and adorning
the outfidp, while the infide is altogether Segleded. Thus the
papifts generally are for thp outward pomp and beauty offers
vices ; being only careful, that all things (houldbave th^ir ex
ternal bravery : As "the tombs pf the prophets were painted and
beautified, which yet wereftill of rottennefs. And the gener
ality of Chriftians are more taken up with. this, than with the
fervice of the heart : Paul was 'fo fenfible of this .fnare; in the
work of preaching, where Ordinarily men cared for excellency
of fpeech, ot wifdom, 1 Cor. ii. 1. that he determines another
fSo'ur'fe 0? preaching ; not notions, . or rhetorick; and enticing word»">

152 A Treatife of' ^l'",par*:li
words, but the' dodrine of Chrift' crucified Ih Gncerity '«M
plainnefs. It is not indeetl the outward cbft and fineness oi irrl
dinances that God regards; 'Incenfe from Shfeba^' 'afttrthe fweei
1 cane, from a very far country,' Jer. vi. 2p. ate not to any; pur-
pofe, where "the heart doth not molt defign a fpiritWalTervice'''
for thefe are rather a fatisfadion to the humours of then, than
to pleafe God; an offering to themfelves rather than to him.
And therefore is it, that What Jeremiah confefled they did, chip;
vi. 20. in buying incenfe arid the fweet cane, Ifaiah xllii. 24:
, feems to deny, ' Thou haft bought me no fweet cahe With mo
ney ;' that is, though thou didft it, yet it was tb thyTelf}; rather
than to me : I accepted it not, and fo was it all one as if thou
hadft not done it.
2. Duties and fervices are more apparently vitiated by htfl
mane additions : A thing exprefsly contrary' to the fecondxom-
m'andment, and yet is thefe a ftrange boldnefs' in men this way/
which fometimes rifeth to' fuch an height, that the' plain ara
clear commands of God are Violated, under the fpecibus pre
tence of decency, order, and. humility ; and nothing dbttfmofe'
take them, than what they devife' and find out.' Satan kabws,'"
how difpleafirig, this is to God, and how great an inclination
there is in men to be forward in their inventions,1 and felfcdS-'
vifed worShip ; that he can eafily prevail with the incautious.
This was the great mifcarriage of the JewiSh nation all alo^|;,
the Old Teftament : And of the Pharifees, who, though they
declined the idolatries of their fathers ; yet were fo fond' upon1
their traditipns, that they made their worfhip vain, as Chrift
tells them. And this.hunipur alfo in Paul's time, was insinu
ating itfelf into Chriftians ; managed by a great deal of deceit;
Col. ii. 8. and Shew of wifdom, ver. 23. which accordingly he
doth earneftly forewarn them pf. There are indeed feveral de
grees of corrupting a fervice or ordinance by human additions ;
according to which; It is more or lefs defiled,: Yet, the leaft
jsefumptiort this way, is an offence and provocation.
(3.) Duties are vitiated in their excefs. Natural "worShip,
which .confifts in fear, love, faith, humility, &c can never bs
top much : But instituted worfhip may. Men may preach too
much, and pray too long, a fault noted by Chrift in the Phari
fees, they made long prayers, even in duties a man may be
righteous over much. Timothy was fo, in his great pains and
over abstemious, life, to the wafting of his ftrength, which the
apoftle takes notice of, and advifeth againft it, ' Drink no longer
water,' &c. The Corinthians were fo, when out of a high de-
teftatipn of the mifcarriage pf the inceftuous. perfon, they were
backward to forgive him, and tp receive him into the church again.

¦ Qhap/XVIII. Sqtpn's Temptations. 1^3
again.1- Peter is >ar]pthef,Mift;a{iee, to. us of , excefs, John xiii. 8..
Firft, In a.modeft humility, he refufeth to let Chrift wafh his
feet : IjJut- after, underftanding Jth& meaning of it, then he runs
to the other extreme, and offers not only his feet, but his hands
and his head- When the feryants of God are. cpnfcious of de-
feds in theif fervices, as if they would make amends for jhefe,
\>y the length, and continuance of their fervices, they ai;e eafily
drawn into an excefs, every way difadvantageous to themfelves
and the fervice. ,,
3dly, When, Satan's defigns do not take to fpoil the duties,
eitlier'by the manner of .the attempt, or in the ad ; he then
fejekji to play an after-game, and' endeavours to fpoil them, by
fome after mifcarriage of ours, in reference to thefe fervices,
As,; ' ¦ , ...'-•,•- ,,-. .-.-,..,
.F2r/?,,When be makes vjs proud pf them: We can fcarce per
form any fervice with a tolerable foitablenefs, but Satan . is at
hand tQ iq.ft.il thoughts pf applaufe, vain glory, and boaft-
mg ; and we readily begin to think highly of ourfelves, and
performances,; as if we were better than others, whom we are
apt to cenfure, as low -and weak in eomparifon of ourfelves. .
Though this be an apparent deceit, yet it is a, wonder how much
the -minds, even of the beft, are apt to be tainted with it; even
where there af e confiderable endeavours for humility, and felf-
denial, thefe thoughts are apt to get too much entertainment.
Now, tho' we run well, and attain fome comfortable ftrength,
find, watchfulnefs in the fervices of Gpd ; yet, if they be after
ward, flyjbjown with pride, or if we think to embalm them
with praifes, or referve them as matter of oflentation • though
they.be angels food, yet, like the manria of the Ifraelites, when
kept too Jong, they will putrify and breed worms,' and fo be
good for nothing, after that we have been at, the pains 'of ga
thering it.
Secondly > When well performed fervices are perverted to fe-
curity, then are they alfo fpoiled; we are ready to fay of them,
as ,t,bp rich man of his abundance, 'Soul' take thine eafe, thou haft
much laid up for many years.' Satan is willing, for a further
advantage, that we think ourfelves feciire from him ; and as
^Ste^i a, -foil meal, we are apt to grow drowfy: So after fervices,
we arp aot tp think purfelyes put pf harm's way. The church
after an high featt with Chrift, Cant, v, 2. prefently falls afleep,
and, highly mifearries into fecurity, and negled: By this means
do the beft of faints fometimes lofe the things they have wrought,
&nd, throw down what they formerly 'built up.
V' ' jd^'MON-

D^MONOLOGIA SACRA*.
o«,
A Treatife of Safaris Temptations*
part il
Containing' the matiifold Subtiltres and Stratagems of
Satan, for the corrupting the minds of men with
error ; and for the deflfuciioffi of the peace andcoto-
fort af the children of God*

CHAP. I.
That it is Satan's grand defign to corrupt tlie minds of men witjS/
error. The evidences- that it is fo. An£ the reafohs of Sis
endeavours that way. -
NEXT to Satan's deceits ih temp'tirig to fid and againft ditty;-
his defign of corrupting the minds of meri by error call*
for our fearch ; and indeed this is one of his principal, eride*.
Vours, which takes up a confiderable part of his time arid dili
gence. He is not only called in fcripttfre an unclean fpirit,! but
alfo a lying fpirit, and there are none of thefe Curfed qiialinp*-
tions that lie idle in him : As by his uncleannefs we rhay eafily
conjedure his attempts upon the will and affedions to defile'
them by luft ; f o by his lying we riiay conclude that' he will
certainly ftrive to blind the underftanding by error:- fiutd
clear difcovery of this we may have from thefe cbrifiderati'fffiS '
Firfl, From God's inteteft in truth, in reference to his great
defigns ofholinefs and mercy in the world. Truth isa ray and
beam of him who is the Father of lights *. All revealed truths
are but copies and tranfcripts of that eflential archetypal truth.
Truth is the rod of his ftrength, Pfalm ex. 2. the fceptre of his
kingdom, by which he doth fubdue the hearts of men to his
obedience and fervice in converfion. , Truth is that rock upoli
which he hath built his church, the foundations are the pro*
phets
• Dcus eft prima Veritas cflentialis, verbum Dei prima verit,»sjiotm»liS><
JkTac. Dift'mc. Ibenl, cap. I.

Chap. I. Satan's Temptations. ttj^"
phets and apoftles, Ephef. ii. 20. that is, the dodrine of the
prophets and apoftles, in the fcriptures of the Old and New
Teftamerit. Truth is that , great depqfitum committed to the
*are;of hischprcb, which is therefore called the £)ijlar of truth,
1 Tim. iii. 15. beoaufe as princes pr rulers put their proclama
tions on pillars for the better information of their fubjeds, fo
Jdpth his' church bold out truth to the world, John xvii. 17,.
Holinefs is maintained by truth, our ways av* direded by it,
and by it are we forewarned of Satan's devices. Now the
prince of darknefs carrying himfelf in as full an oppbfition to
the God of truth as he can in all his ways, God's intereft in
truth will fufficiently difcover the devil's defign .to promote er
ror ; for fuch is his hatred of God, that, though he cannot de
ftroy truth., no wore than he can tear the fun out of the firma
ment, yet he will endeavour by corrupting the copy to bit-
grace the original ; though ^e cann°t break Chrift's Sceptre,
yet, by raifing error, be would hinder the Increafe of his fub
jeds ; though he cannot* remove the rock upon which the
church is built, he will endeayour to Shake jt, or tp inter
rupt the building, and to tear down .God's proclamation from
the pillar pn which he hath fet it to be read of all.; and if
, we can tonceiye what an hatred the thief hath to the light,
as it contradids and hinders his defigns, we may imagine
there' is nothing againft which jhe devil will ufe greater con
trivances than againft the light of truth : He neither can, nor
wjU make a league with any, but upon the terms that Na-
hafh propounded to the men of Jabefh-Gilead, 1 Sam. xi. 3..
that' is, that he may ' put out their right eye,' and fo ' lay it
for a reproach upon tlie Ifrael of God.' Jt is the work of
the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth, and by the rule of con
trarieties,' it is the devil's 'work to lead into error!
Secondly, Though the fcripture doth charge the fin and dan
ger of defufion and error upon thofe men that promote it, to
the deception of themfelves and others, yet doth it chiefly
blame. Satan for the great contriver of it, and exprefsly affirms
him to be .the grand deceiver : Instruments and engineers he
muft make ufe of to do him fervice in that work, but ftill it
is the devil .that is a lying fpirit in their mouths ; it is he that
teacheth arid prompts them, and therefore may be ,called, as
Elymas was by Paul, Ads xiii. ic. the children .of the devil,
as Cerinthus of old, the firft born of Satan.
' The church of Corinth, among other diflegapers, laboured un
der dangerous errors, againft which when the apoftle doth in-
duftrioufly fet himfelf, be doth chiefly take notice, i.Ofthe
falfe teachers who had cunningly, wrought them up to an apti-
U 2 ' tude

156 A Treatife of '%?*.!%
tude of declining from the' Simplicity of the gofpel ; ~ thefe he
calls falfe apoftles, as having no commifllon from God', arid Sa
tan's ministers, 2 Cor. xi. 13, 15. thereby informing us who'll
is that fends them out, and employs them upon this errand. 2,
He efpeeially accufeth Satan as the'great coritriver of all this
evil ; if any fhut their eyes againft the light, he. gives this for
the principal caufe, that .{, the god of the world blinded their
minds,' 2 Cor. iv. 4. If any fturnbled at the fimplicity pf the
gofpel, he prefently blames the fubtilty ofthe old ferpent for if,
*2 Cor. xi. 3. When falfe, dodtrine was diredtly taught, and
varniflied over with the glorious pretexts of truth, ftill he.
chargeth Satan with it, ver. 14. i Np marvel, for $ataii himfelf
is transformed into an angel of light ; where he doth not'only
give a reafon of the corrupting or the adulterating thp word of
God by falfe apoftles, as ;vintners, du their wines' by mixtures, a
toetaphor which he makes i.^ of chap. ii. i^- that they learn
ed it'of Satan, ' who abode not in the' truth, but was a liarfrorn
the beginning :' But alfo, he further points at Satan, to furnifh
us wi^th a true account of the ground of that cunning craft
which thefe deceitful workers ufed, while they metamorphcfed
themfelves, by an imitation of the Way and manner, zeal and di
ligence ofthe apoftles of Chrift ; they were' 'taught? by one who
had exadly learned the art of imitation, and who could to, all
appearance, , ad to the life the part of. an angel "of light. Am}
to, take away all objedtion or wonder, that fo many with fuch
Seeming earneftnefs aud zeal, Should give- up themfelves';' to de
ceive by falfe dodrine : 'He tells us that this hath been the de
vil's work, from the firfl beguiling of %;¦<.; ver. 3. and that as<
he then made ufe of a ferpentfor his inftmrnent, fo everfincpin
all ages he hath made fo often', and'^fo much ufe of men as bis
emiffaries, that it fhould now neither feem' a! marvel, nor a great
'matter to fee the devil at this work by his agents.'
Thirdly, That this is Satan's peat defign, may be fuither
cleared frbrri the conllant courfe of his endeavours. The para
ble of the tares, Mat xiii. 25. fhews, that Satan is as bufy in
Sowing tarts, as the matter of the field is in fowing wheat j that
by tares, not errcrrs, in the abftracT, but men are to be urderi
flood, is evident from the' parable itfelf; but that which makes
rnen'to be tares, is fin arid error ; So that" in a complex fenfe wS
are taught how diligent the'devil, who is" exprefsly Signified by
the enemy, ver. 39. is in that employment, much of his time
hath been taken up that Way. ' There were falfe prophets,'
faith Peter, 2 Epift.ii. 1. and ' there Shall be falfe teachers';'
that is,' fo it was of old, and' fb it will be to the end.' The
fliorteftabftrad of Satan's ad's if- this matter, would be'long
and tedious ; judge of the reft by a few inftances. '¦' '¦' ' in

,Cnap>I'. Safaris Temptations. 15^
Iii the apoftles times, how quickly had the devil broached
falfe dodrine? That it was neceffary to be circumcifed, was
early taught, Ads xv. 1 . In Colof. ii. 8. the vain deceit of
philofophy, traditions, and the elements of the world (which
were the body of Mofaical ceremonies). are mentioned as dange
rous intrufiohs; and in ver. 18. the worshipping of angels,' as
it feems, was pleaded for, with no fmall hazard to the church.
The denial of the- refurredtion is exprefsly charged upon fome of
the Cbrinthian' church, 1 Cor. xv. 12. and that the refurredioh
is paft already, 2 Tim. ii. 18. is affirmed to have been the doc
trine of Hymeneus, Phlletus, and others ; but thefe are compa
ratively little, to that grofs'eiror of denying Chrift; Jnde 4. or
tilat Jefus is the Chrift, x John ii. 22. or Jefus ChrlSt is come
in the flefh, 1 John iv. 3. which are branded for antichriftian
errors, ar.d were boldly afferted by many falfe prophets that were
then " gone out into the world,' and to fuch a height came they
at laft, that they taught the lawfulnefs "of committing fornica
tion, iand to eat things offered to idols, Rev.' ii. 20. All thefe
falsehoods took the boldnefs to appear, before all the apoftles
Jtvero laid in their graves : And if we believe what Auftin tells
us from Epiphanius and Eufebius *, there were no lefs than
ten forts of heretical antichrists in the Apoftle John's days, the
JSimonians, M'eneridrians, Saturnilians, &c. This was an incre
dible . iricreafe of falfe doctrine in fo Short a time, and in the
times and preachings of the apoStles themfelves, whofe power
and authority, one would think, might have made Satan fall be
fore them as lightening. What pfogrefs then in this work of de
lufion might be expeded, when they were all removed out,of
the World ? They left indeed behind them fad predidions of
the power of delufion in after times, ' Of yourfelves Shall men
arife, fpeakirig perverfe things. After my departing Shall grie
vous wolves enter,' &c. A£ts xx. 30. ' The Spirit fpeaketh
exprefsly, that in' the latter times fome Shall depart from the
faith,.' 1 Tim. iv. 1. and Paul, 2 Theff. ii. 3. prophefies of a
general apoftacy, upon the revealing of the man of fin, and the
myftery of iniquity, and that thefe Should be perilous timesjj
2 Tim. iii. 1. To the fame purpofe/ John mentions the coming
of the great Antichrift, as a thing generally knbwn and belie
ved, 1 John ii. 18. But before all thefe, Chrift alfo had fully
forewarned his fervants of falfe chrifts, the power and danger ¦
of their delufion, and of the fad revolt from-the faith which
Should be before his fecond coming, ifaatth. xxiv. 24. Arid as
we have heard, fo, have we feen ; all ages Since the apoftles can
; ' ' v '" ' ' witnefs
* Or Hsres.

¦ijSS A TrtatipTnf - Part I;
witnefs that. Satan hath aofwered the prophefies tjiaj: were con.
cerningbim; What, a ftrange increafe of errors hath beeri in
the world Since that time ? Irgeneus and Tertullian made cata
logues Jong Since, after them Epiphanus and Eiuebius 'reckoned
about eighty herefies ; Auftin after them brings the number tb
^eighty-eight. Now, though thprp he juft exceptions agairifftip
largcnefs of their catalogues, and that it is believed by many
that there are feveral branded in their rolls "for heretics, that
merely Suffer upon the account of their name and nation (for
Earbarifm, Scythifm, Hellenifrn, ar,e muStereAin the fronjr) and'
others alfo Stand there, for very fmall matters (as the Quarto
dfcimani, &c.) and thpf, fome ought altogether to be crofffd out
of their books ; yet ftill, it will appear that the number of er
rors js great, and that all thofe hard names haye this general
iignification, that the devil hath made a great ftlr in the world
hy error and opinion: After^times might alfo be fumnio)iedin
to fpeajc their evidence, and our own knowledge and' expedience
mighjt without any other help, fufficienfly inftru,cj us, if it were
.needful, of the truth of this, that error is one of Satan's great
defigns. Secondly, Let us next look into the reafons whip h do fb Strong
ly engage Satan to thefe endeavours, of railing up errors,' If
we fet thefe before us, it will not only confirm us in our
belief, that this is one of his main employments, (for if error
yield him fo many advantages for the ruin of men, and the dis
honour of God, there can be no doubt ol? his readilpeis to pro-
mote it.) This alfo may be of ufe to put us in mind, who jt
is that is at work behind the cur.tain, when we fee filch things
acled upon the Stage, and confequently may beget a cautious
fufpicion in our minds againft his proceedings; the reafons are
fuch as thefe. r
Firft, Error is finfiii, fo that if Satan Should be hindered' in
his endeavo.urs for ' any further rnifehief, thpn the ' corrupting
pf any particular perfon, yet he ,will reckon, that he hath not
altogether loft his labour. Some errors, that overturn funoa-
roentels of faith, are as deadly poifon, and called exprefsly damn
able by the apoftle, 2 Pet. ii. 1. Thefe herefies. ar.e by Paul,
.Gal*., y. 20. recounted among the works of file $e(ji, of which
he pofitiyely affirms, that they that dp fuch things cannot in
herit the kingdom of God; thofe- that are of a lowpr nature,
that do not fo extremely hazard the foul,* can only be capable
, of this apology, that they are lefs evil; yet as they are opposi
tions to truth, propounded In fcripture for quj b.elipf and direc
tion they ceafe not to be Sins, though they may be greater or
lefs evils, according to the importance of thofe truths which they

Chap, t • Safari's Temptations. i$$
they deny, or the confequences that attend tbem ; and if we go
yet a Step fewer, to the confederation of thbfe raSh and bold afi
fertiohs, about things not clearly revealed ; though they may
poffiblybe true, yet the pofitivenefs ¦of'avouchments and deter
minations in fuch cafes, where we Want fufficient reafon to fup-
pbrt what we affirm, (as that of the Pfeudo Dionyfius for, the
hierarchy of angels, and fome adventurous affertioris concerning
God's fecret decrees, and many other things of like nature), are
by the apoftle, Col. ii. ifl. moft Severely taxed for an unwar-
tantable and urijiift ptefumptiori; ih fetting oiir foot upon God's
right ; as if fiich raen would by violence thruft themfelves into
that which God hath referved for himfelf, (for fo much thev
word intruding imports,) the caufe of this he tells us, is the
arrbgancy of corrupt reafon, the flefhly mind, (fuitable to that
exprefiton, Matth. xvi. 17. A Flefh and blood hath not revealed
it;) the bbttohi of it is pride, Which fwells men to this' height j
-stfid the fruit, after all thefe fwelilrig attempts, is rio other than;,
as the apples of Sodom, duft and vanity; ' intruding into thbfe:
things which He hath not feen, vainly puft up by his flefhly
mind :' If then Satan do but gain this, that by error; though
riot diffbfed further than the breaft of the infeded party, truth
is denied, br that the heart be fWeHed into pride and arrOgancy,
br-that He hath hope fo to prevail, it is enough to encourage
. his attempts.
Secondly, But error is a fin of an increafing nature, and ufu
ally flop's riot at one or two falfehoods; but is apt to fpawnihto
many others, as fome of the moft noxious creatures' Have the
riioft rturrierbus broods: for bne error Hath this raifchievous
danger in it, that it taints the mirtd tb an inftability in etery>
truth; arid the bond of fledfaftnefs being once broken, a mart
hath no certainty where he Shall Slay: as a wanton horfe once turned
loofe, may wander far. This hazard is made, a ferious warning
agairift error, 2 Pet. iii. 17. '¦ Beware' ieft ye being led away
with the error of the wicked, fall from yoUr oWrtfteadfaftnefs.'
O'nfe error admitted, riiakes the heart unfteadf; and befides this
inconvenience, error doth unavoidably branch itfelf naturally
iiito many more, as inferences arid'coriclufions refulting fromir,
as circles in -Water multiply themfelves ; grant but .phe abfuri
dity arid many will follow upon it, fo that it is a miracle td
find a Single error. Thefe locufts go forth by bands, as the ex
perience of all ages doth teftify, and befides the immediate con-
fe'cJiVeriees of an error, which receive life and being together with
itfelf, as twins ofthe fame birth. We may obferve a tenden
cy in errors, to others that are more remote, and by the long
Stretch of multiplied inferences, thofe things are coupled together that

*6a ' A Treatife of .Part If,
,,.'. •''.'.¦ '\L ' ^
that are not.very contiguous. If the Lutherans (it is *:TjirPri-
deaux's obfervation), admit univerM grace, th&Hub^gjarts' in
troduce uniyerfal election, the Puccians natural' faith,- the'
i naturalists explode ChriA and fcriptures at leaft as unnpceffaryj
This is then a fair mark for the devil to aim at, if he prevails;
for one error, it is an hundred to-one but he prevails for more.
Thirdly, Satan, hath yet a further reach in. promoting errors
he knows it is a plague that ufually infeds all, round about*
and therefore doth he the rather labour in this work, becaufe!
he hopes thereby, to corrupt others, and infeded perfons. are
commonly the moft bufy agents, even to the compaffing of tea
and land, to gain profelytesto their falfe perfuafions. This har-
veft of Satan's labour, is often.noted in fcripture ; ' Theyfha)i
depeiyem any,' Matth.-xxiy. 24. ' Many.fnall follow their pernio
cious ways,' 2 Pet. ii. 2. How quickly had this leaves Spread-,
itfelf In the church of Gajatia', even to Paul's wonder ? Gal. k<
(5. ' I marvel, that you are fo foon removed from him, that-
calfed you into the grape of Chrift, intp another gofpel-' In«
Stances of the fpreading of error are frequent. Pelagianifm rofe
about the year 41 -j, but prefently fpread itfelf in*Paleftiue,. A-
frica, Greece, Italy, Sicily, France, and .Britain. Arianifm;
Hkf fire in Straw, in a little time brought its flame over the '
Christian world, and left her wondering at herfelf, that She, was
fo fuddenly become Arian. Socinianifm had the .like prevail
ency ; ILadius privately bad lowed- the feeds, and after his
death Fauftus Socinus, his nephew, did fo belli r himfelf, that
within ten years, after his confident appearing, whple congre* ,
gations in Sarmatia fubmitted themfelves to his dictates, as
Calovius affirms, f and .within twenty or thirty years more-
feveral hundreds of churches in Tranfilvania were infeded, and
within a'fewyearsmore, the whole fyrtod was brought over to
fubfcribe to Socinianifm. We have alfo inftances nearer hpnjej
after the reformation, in the reign of Edward fhe Sixth, hoi^ -,
foon did Popery return in its full Strength when Queen Mary
came to the crown ? whiph ocpafioned Peter Martyr, when he
faw young Students flocking tp mafs, to fay, J That the toll
ing of the bell overturned all his dodrine at Oxford. Arid of
late, we have had the fad experience ofthe power of error to
infed ; nn error 'fo abfurd, ridiculous or blafphemous, but,
once, broached, it prefently gained considerable numbers to en,
terrain it!
Fourthly, Error is alfo eminently fervieeable to Satan, for
the
* Si Witlenbergenfes admittant .unijterfalem gratiam, Huheriani introduce^
univerfa'em eledtionem, Pucciani pdem natuiakin, naturaliltx evptodent,
("hriftum tt Seripturas. Prid. Lctf. ,1 p. 34 f Confid. Th. Soc. Froenriali
p. 6$. i Hac una nqtula omneijl ijipaa doiftrinani evertit.

Chap. I. Safari's Temptations. 161
the bringing in> divifions, fchifms, rents, hatreds, heart-burn
ings, animofitiss, revilings, contentions, tumults, wars,- and
whatfoever bitter, fruits, breach of love, and the malignity of
hatred can poffibly produce. Enough of this might be feen in
the church of Corinth ; the divifions that were among them
felves were occafioned by it, and a great number of evils the a-
, poftle fufpefted to have been already produced from thence, as
debates, envyings, wraths, ftrifes; backbitings, whifperings,
fwellings, tumults, 2 Cor. xii. 20. He himfelf efcaped not
from being evilly intreated by thofe among them that were
turned from the fimplicity of the gofpel ; the quarrelfome ex
ceptions that they had -raited againft him betakes notice of:
They charged him with levity, in -negleding his promife to>
come to them, 2 Cor. i. 17. They called him carnal, one that
walked according to the flefh, chap.-x. 2. They taunted him
as a contemptible fellow, -ver. 10.' They undervalued his mi-
niflry, which occafioned, not without great apology, a com
mendation of himfelf ; nay, they feemed tb call him a falfe a-
poftle, and were fo bold as to, challenge him for a proof of
Chrift fpeakirigjn him, 2 Cor. xiii. 3.
if the devil had fo much advantage from error that was but in
the bud, aud that in one church only, what may we imagine
hath he done by it, when it broke out to an open flame in Se
veral churches ? What work do we fee irt families, when an
error creeps in among them? "•' The father riSeth up againft '
the fon, the fon againft the father, the mother againft the daugh
ter, the daughter againft the mother.' What fad divided con
gregations 'have we feen? What fiercenefs, prejudices, Slan
ders, evil furmifes, cenfurings and divisions hath this brought
forth ? What bandying of parties againft parties, church againft
church, hath been produced by this engine ? How fadly hath
this poor ifland felt the fmart of it; the bitter contefts that
have been' betwixt PreSbjterian and. Independent, betwixt them
and the Epilcppal, makes them look more like fadtious cotnbi- A
nations, than churches of Cbrifti The prefent differences be
twixt Conformists and Nonconformists, if we take them where.
they are loweft, they do daily produce fuch effeds, as muft
needs be very pleafing and grateful to the devil ; both parties
mutually objeding fchifm, and charging each other with crime .
and folly. What invectives and railings may be heard in all
companies, as if they had been at the greateft diftaneesin point
of dodrine ? But whofoever lofeth, to be fure the devil gains
by it. Hatreds, ftrife variance, emulations, lyings, railings,
fcorn and cpntempt, are all againft the known duty of brother-,
ly kindnefs, and are undoubted . provocations againft the God.

162 A Treatife of Part H.
of love and peace : What can we then thinly of, that can be
fo ufeful to Satan as error, when thefe above,' mentioned evils
are the infeperable produds of it ? The modefteft errors that
ever were among good men are ftill accompanied with fome
thing of thefe bitter fruits. The- differences about meats and
days, when managed with the greateft moderation, made the
Strong to defpife the Weak, as filly, wilful, fadious hunaqtiftff;
and on the, contrary y the weak judged the ftrong, as profane,
carelefs, and bold defpifers of divine institutions ; for fo much
the apoftle implies, Rom. xiv. 3. 'Let not him that eateth,
defpife him that eateth not ; and let not him which eateth'
not, judge him that eateth.' But fhould we trace error thro'
the ruins of churches, and view the Slaughters and blood-
Shed that it hath occafioned"; or confider the wars and defola-
rions that it hath bf ought forth, we might-heap up matter fit
for tears and lamentations, and make you ceafe to wonder, that
Satan Should fo much concern himfelf to promote it. x
Fifthly, The greateft and moft fuccefsful Stratagem for the
hindering a reformation, is that of raifing up an army of errors,
Reformation of abufes, and corruptions in worfhip or doctrine,
we may well fuppofe, the devil will withstand with his utmolt
might and policy, becaufe. it endeavours to pull that down,
which coft him fo much labour and time- to fet up, and fo
croffeth his end. They who are called out by God to 'jeopard
their lives in the high places of the field,' Judges v. 18. under
take- an hard talk, in endeavopring to check the pcwer of the
mighty, whofe intereft it is tb maintain thofe defilements, which;
their policy hath introduced, to fix them in the poffeffion if
that grandeur and command,' which fo highly gratifies their
humours and felf-feeking afpiring minds : But Satan knowing
the ftrength of that power which hath raifed them up to op-
pofe with fpiritual refolution the current bf prevailing iniquity,
tifually provides himfelf with this referye, and comes upon
their backs with a party of deluded erroneous men, raifed up
from among themfelves ; and by this means, he hopes either to
difcourage the undertakers for reformation, by the difficultysof
their work, which muft needs drive on heavily, when they that
Should afflft prove hinderers, or at leaft to Straiten and limit the
fuccefs : For by this means, (1.) He divides the party,- and Sci
weakens their hands. (2.) He Strengthens tiieir enemeis, who
not only gather heart from thefe divifions, feeing them fo fair a
prognostic of their ruin, but alfo improves them, by retorting
them as an argument, that they are all out of the way of truth.
(30 The erroneous party in the rear of the reformers, do more
'. gall them with their arrows, even bitter words of curfed revil-
.-•'•' • ¦* > , iD^

Cksp."t. Satan's Temptation*. 163
ing, and more hazard them with their f words and fpears of op-
pofition, than their adverfaries in the front, againft whom they
went forth. In the mean while,, they that fland up for truth,
are as corn betwixt two millstones, oppreffed with a double con-
Slid, befet before and behind.' |
This hath been Satan's method iri all ages. And indeed po
licy itfelf could not contrive anything that' would more cer
tainly obftrud reformation than this. When the apoftles, who
in thefe laft days were firft fent forth, were employed to reform
the world, to throw down the ceremonies of the Old Teftament,
and Heathen worShip, Satan had prefently raifed up men of
Corrupt minds, to hinder, their progrefs; what work thefe made
for Paul at Corinth, and with the Galatians, the epiftles to
thofe churches do teftify: The bufinefs of thefe men was to
draw difciples after them from the Simplicity of the gofpel, nay
to another gofpel ; and this they could not do, but by fetting up
themfelves, boafting of the Spirit, carrying themfelves as the
apoftles of Chrift, and contemning thofe that were really fo,
insinuating thereby into the affections of the feduced, as if they
fcealoufly affected them ; and that Paul was but weak and con*
temptibie, nay their very enemy, for telling them the truth.
What unspeakable hinderance muft this be to Paul ? What grief
of -heart?- What fear and jealoufy muft this produce ? He pro
feffeth he was afraid, left he had '> bellowed upon them labour
in vain,* Gal. iv. 1 1 r and that he did no lefs than ' travail of
them in birth- the fecond time,' ver. ig. If one Alexander
could do Paul fo much evil, by withstanding his words^ 2 Tim.
iv. 24. that he complains of him, and cautions Timothy againft
him: If oneDiotrephes, by prating againft John with malicious
wqrds, prevailed with the church, that they ' received not him'
nor the brethren,' 3 Jo. vet. 10. what hurt might a multitude
of fuch be able to do ?
In the primitive times of the church, after the apoftles days-,
when thofe worthies were to, conteft with the heathen' world,
the ' ferpent" caft out of his mouth water as a floodafter the'
woman,' -, which moft interpret to be a deluge of herefies ; and
fome particularly understand it of the Arian herefy, that- he
might hinder the progrefs of the gofpel ; which defign of his
did fo take, that many complaints there were, of hindering the
converfion of the heathens, by the errors that were among
Chriftians. Epiphanius tells us; that Pagans refufed to come
near the Chriftians, and would not fo much as hear them fpeak,/
being affrighted by the wicked pradices and ways ofthe Ptif-
cilianifts. Auftiri complains to the fame purpofe, that lodfe
X 2 an$.

164 A Treatife of Part II.
and lafcivious heretics adminiftered matter of blafpheming to
theidolateous heathens.
In after-times, when religion grew fo corrupt by Popery,
that God extraordinarily raifed up Luther, Calvin, and others,
in the fifteenth and Sixteenth centuries, to difcover thofe abomi
nations, and to bring back , his people from Babylon. The devil
gave them no fmall trouble by a growth of errors; fo that they
were forced to fight againft thp Papifts before, and thofe Philif-
tines behind, inSbmuch that reformation attained not to that
height and univerfality, which might rationally have been ex-
peded from fuch bleffed undertakings. This was the conjec
ture of many, particularly of our countryman Dr Prideaux *,
that if thofe fanatic enthufiafts, which with fo great a fcandal to
the gofpel, then brake forth, had not retarded-and hindered thofe
glorious proceedings, that apocalyptical beaft of Rome had
been not only weakened and wounded, but utterly- overthrown
and Slain. ~ln particular cities, where any of the faithful Ser
vants of Chrift endeavoured to deted the errors of popery,
thefe inftruments of Satan were ready to join with the common
adverfary in reproaches and difturbances. How they oppbfed
Mufculus at Augufta', and with what fiercenefs they called him
viper, falfe prophet, wolf in fheep's clothing, &c. you may fee
In thofe that write his life. How thefe men hindered the go
fpel at Limburg againft Junius, at Zurich againft Zwinglius,
at Aufburg againft Urbanus Regius \, you may alfo fee in
their lives. In all which, and. others of like nature, you will
ftill find, (t.) That there was never a reformation begun, but
there were erroneous perfons to hinder and diftrad the reform
ers. (2.) That thefe men expreffed as great hatred againft the
reformers, and oftentimes more, than againft the Papifts jr and
were as fpitefully bitter in lies^ Slanders, and feorns, againft
them, as the Papifts themfelves.
Sixthly, Satan can alfo make ufe of error^ either fo fix men
• in their prefent mistaken ways and carelefs Coutfe, or as a
temptation to atheifm ; varieties xyf opinions and dodrines do1
amufe and amaze men, while, one cries, ' Lo here is Chrift ;'
and another, ' Lo he is there.' Men arc fo confounded, that
they do not know what to chufe. It is one of the greateft dif
ficulties to Single out truth, from a crowd of fpeeious confident'
pretences,- efpecially feeing truth is modeft, and oftentimes'
outnoifed by clamorous bold error ; yea, fometimes outviedhy
the pretentions' of Spirit and revelation in art antiferipturar falfehood.-
*Eicitata a lutliero bfeftia a'p'ocaly'ptica.ct non irritafa tantutn fdd faSciaw*
rrtuitorum venabulis, ulriinuin fere oinuivVn bonorura jiidicio, efllaffet fpiritum-
nili fpiritus ifti inaufpicau tarn heroico" diftraxliTent et retardaffent impetus.
Prid. Orat. de Spir. Scduct. p. 95. f. Metcb. Adam, iuvi va Tlieol. '

Ghap.T. , Satan's Temptations. i<Jj
falsehood. At what a lofs is an unSkilful traveller, where fo
maay ways meet, while pne party cries up this, ancther that,
mutually charging one another with error? They whofe hearts
are any thing loofened from a fenfe and reverence of religion^
are eafily tempted to disbelieve all. Thus error leads to a-
theifm, and lays the foundation for all thofe Slanderous excep
tions againft fcripture, by which godlefs men ufually juftify
themfelves in their religion. Now, though all wicked men
are not brought to this, becaufe the confeiences of fome do fo
ftrongly retain the feritiments of a deity, that all Satan's art
cannot obliterate thofe charaders ; yet the consideration of the
multitude of errors doth rivet them in the perfuafion of the
truth and goodnefs of that way of religion wherein they had
been educated. Papifts are hardened by this ; and though
they have nO reafon to boaft of their unity among themfelves,
as they have been often told, and now of late by Dr Stilling-
fleet *, who hath manifested, that their divifions among them
felves are as great, and managed, with as great animofity as
any amongft us; yet are their ears fo beaten with the objection
of feds and fchifms elfewhere, that they are generally confirmed
to Slay where they are. , -Befides, this is a Stumbling block'
which the devil throws in the way of poor ignorant people ;
if they are urged to a ferious ftridnefs in religion, they are af
frighted from it by the confideration of feels and parties, and
the wbful mifcarriages of fome erroneous perfons, that at firft
pretended to ftridnefs, imagining, that ftridnefs in religion is
an unneceffary dangerous thing; and that the fober godly*
Christians' are but a company of giddy, unfettled, conceited,'
precife perfons, who will in a little time run themfelves into
madnefs and diftradion, or into defpair. And thus out of fear
of fchifm or error, they dare not be religious in good earneft,
but content themfelves with ' drawing near to God with their
mouths, and confeffing him with their lips, whilft their hearts
are far from him, and ip their works they deny him. '
There is fuch a propensity in the hearts pf men to be Stag
gered by the multitude and boldnefs of errors, that the Apoflle
Paulexprefleth a fenfe of it, and feems tenderly careful tp a-
void that blow, which he knew Satan would readily give thro'
that consideration, by the apology that he makes: for God in his
holy, wife, providential permiffiortof them, i Cor.xi.19. 'There
muft be herefies among you. His intent is not barely to put
them oft* with this, that herefies are unavoidable; but to fatisfy
them, that there is a neCeflity of them, and that they are ufeful, '
as God's furnace and fan, to purify and to cleanfe, that they
which
' * Difcourfe ofthe Idolatry of the Church of Rome.

j 66 A Treatife of ,# Part II;
which are approved may be 'made manifeft. The like care be
hath in 2 Tim. ii. 19, 20. upon the mention ofthe error of
Hymeneus aud Philetus, where he pbviateth the offence that
might arife by reafon ,of their apoftacy, partly by removing
the fears of the upright, in affirming their fafety, whatever be
came of other men, feeing the foundation of God flandeth Sure;
and partly, by declaring it no more fuitable or dishonourable
for God to permit the rife of errors in his church, than for
great men to have in their houfes not only veflels of gold and
Silver, but alfo of wood and of earth ; fome to honour, and fome
to dishonour. By thefe very apologies it appears, that Satan
by this device of error defigns to Shake mens faith, and to drive
them from their religion.
Seventhly, Neither can this, That corrupt dodrines bring
forth corrupt practices, be of any lefs weight with Satan, or
lefs engaging for the purfuit of this defign, than any ofthe fore-
mentioned reafons. ;
Corrupt do&rines are embraced as the very truth of God by
the deluded, arid one way or other, diredly Or confequentiafly,
they lead on pradice ; and that with the- higheft fecurity ano!
confidence, as if they were very truths indeed.
The devil then hath this groat advantage by error, that if he
tan but corrupt the minds cf men, efpecially in the mere weigh
ty and fundamental ppints of religion, then by a great eafe, and
without any more labour, he hath gained them to the pradice
of whatfoever thpfe corrupted principles will lead unto. No
courfe can be taken, that with greater expedition and prevalent
cy can introduce profane debaucheries than this. Thus he con
quers parties and multitudes, as a vidorious general takes cities
and whole countries by furrender ; whereas his particular temp
tations to fin are but inconfiderable, lefs fuccefsful, picquerings
in comparifon ; and when he hath once corrupted the under
standings of men, he hath by that means a command over their
confeiencqs, and doth not now urge to evil, in the notion of a
devil or tempter; but as an angel of light, or rather as an ufur-
per of divine authority, he requires, he commands thefe wicked
pradices, as neceffary duties ; or at leaft gives a liberty there
in, as being harmlefs allowances. This difference was of old
obferved in Satan's management of perfecution and errot, that
in the former he did compel, men to deny Chrift ; but by the
latter he did teach them.
That the lives and pradices of men are fo concerned by cor
rupt dodrines, may, appear to any that are but indifferently ac
quainted with fcripture or hiftory. We are told by the Apoftle
Paul, that faith and confcience Stand fo related to each other, that

Chap. I. Satan's Temptations.. 167
that they live and die together ; and that when the one is fliip-
wrecked, (1 Tim. i. 19.) the other is drowned for company:
In Phil. iii. 2. he feems Severely harSh againft thpfe of the con-
eifion, he calls them dogs; * Beware of dogs, beware of evil
workers.' The reafon of which expreffion,, I apprehend, lies not
fo much ia thefe refemblances, that dogs fpoij the flock by de
vouring, or that they are fawning creatures ; or that they are
induftrious in profecution of their prey, (though in all thefe
particulars falfe teachers may be compared to dogs ; for they
fpare not the flock, they compafs fea and land to gain difciples,
and they entice them with fair fpeeches) but rather he intends
the Similitude to exprefs the profane life and carriage of thefe
feducers ; for dogs are filthy creatures, to a proverb, ' The dog
to his vomit.' And common proftitutes, for their uncleannefs,
were called dogs in the Old Teftament : fo fome expound Deut.
xxiii. 18. ' The hire of a whore, or the price of a dog.' And
we have full and clear defcriptions of feducers, from their wick
ed and abominable pradices, 2 Pet. ii. 10, * They that walk af
ter the flefh iri the luft of uncleannefs, and defpife government ;
prefumptuous are they, felf-willed, they are not afraid to fpeak
evil of dignities. Ver. 14. Haying eyes full of adultery, and
that cannot ceafe from fin ; an heart exercifed with covetous
pradices ; curfed children. Ver. 18. They allure through the
lulls of the flefh, through much wantonnefs.'— Jude ver. 4.
' There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of'
old ordained to this condemnation ; ungpdly men, turning the
grace of God into lafcivionfnefs. Ver. 16. Thefe are murderers,
complainers, walking after their own lufts,' &x. 2 Tim. iii.
'2, — 5. < Men Shall be lovers of their ownfelves, covetous, boaft-
ers, proud, blafphemers, difobedient to parents, unthankful, un
holy, without natural affection, truce breakers, falfe accufers,
incontinent, fierce,, defpifers of thofe that are good, traitors,
heady, high-minded, lovers of pleafures more than lovers of
God. Of this fort are they which creep into houfes.'— All
which do fet forth heretical perfons as the moft fcandalpus wic
ked wretches that we Shall meet with, grofsly filthy to them
felves, corrupted in all, the duties of their relations natural and
civil ; defiled in all the ways of their converfe with men.
Neither are thefe wicked pradices iffuingfromgrofs errors,
to be looked upon as rare accidental, or extraordinary effe£ts
thereof, but as the natural and common fruits of them , for
Chrift makes this to be the very fpecial property and note,
whereby falfe prophets maybe difcovered, Matth. vii. 16. '.Ye
Shall know them by their fruits : do men gather grapes of
thorns, or figs of thiftks?' &c Thefe fruits were not their
' > dodrines

1 68 A, Treatife of Part If.
dodrines, but their lives: ("for to know falfe prophets by
falfe doctrines is no more, than to know falfe dodrine by falfe
dodrine.) If any objed, that many falfe teachers appeared in
¦ the Shape of Seeming holinefs, and ftridnefs of life, they may
be anfwered, from Chrift 's own words; for there he tells us,
to avoid mistakes, that their firft appearance, and it may be
the whole lives of forpe of the firft feedfmen of any error, is
under the form of fandity": they come to you in Sheeps cloth
ing ; in an outward appearance of innocency, and plaufible
prptences: but then he adds, that their fruits" afterward will
difcover them. A tree at its firft planting, is not difcovered
what it is , but give it time to grow to its proper fruitfulnefs,
and then you may know of what kind it is ; fo that we need
not affirm that damnable doctrines produce wicked lives in all
that entertain them at the very firft; it is enough for difcovery,
if there be a natural confequential tendency in fuch doctrines,
to pradical impieties ; vor that at laft, they produce them, tho'
not in all, yet in many.
And that this matter hath been always , found to be fo, all
hiftory dotbconfirm. Such there were in the apoftles days, as is
evident by their complaints. Such there were in the church
of Pergamos, Rey. ii. 14. * Thpu haft them that hold the dob-
trine of Balaam, who taught Balak to caft a Stumbling block
before the children of Ifrael; to eat things facrifiped unto idols,
and to commit fornication.' There were alfo the Nicolaitans,
of whom Chrift declares his abhorrency, ver. 15. In the church
of Thyatira, there was the woman Jezebel, who taught and fe-'
duced many of that church, to the like abominable dodrines
and pradices, ver. 29. Befides thefe, the ApoStle John was
troubled with the abominable Gnofticks. The filthy Carpo-
cratians, who taught, that men muft fin, and do the will pf all
the devils, or elfe they could not evade principalities and pow
ers ; who would no otherwife be pleafed to fuller them to efcape
to the, fuperior heavens . Of thefe men, and their licentious
dodrine doth he fpeak, 1 John iii. 6. &.c. that they that are
born of God indeed, muft not, dare not, cannot give themfelves
up to a' liberty in fuch abominations.
, The fame fruits of corrupt dodrine appeared after the apoftles
days. What was Montanus but an impure wretch? What
were his two companion propheteffe?, Prifcilla and Maximilla,
but infamous adultereffes ? The Prifcillianifts, theManichees and
.abundance more, left the ftirik of their profanenefs behind them ;
by reafon of whom, according to Peter's prophecy, 2 Pet, ii. 2.
f the way of truth Was evil fpoken of.'
Latter times have alfo given in full evidence of this truth, How

Oban* I. Safari's Temptations. 169
How Shameful and . abjpjgaijable were the lives- of John of
L'eyden, and the reft of thofe German enthufiafts ? Who reads
theftoryof Hacket, andCoppinger, without deteftation of their
wicked pradices? ..What better, have the familiits, and liber
tines of New and Old England been ? Some were turned off' to
higheft ranting, in all profane«efs of fvvearing, drinking, adul
tery, arid the defying of a godly life * : And this, , under the
unreafonable boaft of fpirit and perfedion. The heavens may
blufh, and the earth be aftonifhed at thefe things ! But in the
mean time, Satan hugs himfelf in his fuccefs ; and encouragetji
lurnfelf to further, attenipts i^'nrpgagating error, feeing it brings
iri fo great an harveft of fift. ' .
£ig$tly, In this defign 06 falfe dodrine, Satan is never alto-
geiber but : rlf he banript thus defileT their lives, yet it is a thou-
fancLto brie, but he obftruds their graces by it. What greater
hinderance can there be to converfion, than error ? The wprd
bf truth is the means by which Gadj through his Spirit, doth
beget us ; it is part of that image of God that is implanted in
lis.; It is God's voice to the foul, pa awaken it. It, cannot
then be imagined, that God will givp the honour of that work
to any prror : Neither pan truth take place, , or have its-, died
upon,, a foul;,fpa:eftalled with a contrary falfehood. Falfehobd'
in poSTeffipn, will keep truth at the door. Neither (is-, can, ver,.
fibft. only hindered, by fuch errors as direftly contradid con-
ve'&«iStr.Uths ; but sdfo by collateral non fundamental errors.
As Jfiey 'fill, the minds, of men with prejudice againft thofe that
profefi another perfuafipri; fo that for their own beloved errors
€ '.-tw-w ' .'.,, r- '¦ ¦' ¦ ¦,: ¦ '¦¦'.' . /¦ ._. - ' : . r
lake,, men will not entertain a warning, or conviction trom thoxe
that difTent, from their ..opinions :,They firft, account them ene
mies, ant| then they defpife, their menage. Ids no fmall rriat-
tetjiin Sa'aft's way, to have fuch an. obftru£tion at hand, in the
gragd; concern, of converfion. Yet this is further ler-yiceable to
him, ta hit) der, or weaken the graces of the converted already:
If he can fet God's children a madding ' upon error, ,pr make
therrifohd of noyelties, he will by this means pxhauft the vi
gour and ftrength of .their hearts ; fo that the lfubStantials of re
ligion will be negledtsd. For as hurtful plants engrofs all the
mo|ftare and fatnefs ofthe earth wfeeire; they ftand, and impo-
ver.iSh-it into an,, inability, for the novrrifnrngnt of thole that are
of greater' worth : fo doth. error, pofl'efs itfelf .of the Strength of
the- fpirit ; and in the mean time, negleded graces dwindle ;nto
emptinefs, and fade as a leaf . The moft curious queflions arsd.
opinions that are, contribute, -nothing to the, establishment ofthe
hsart; it is only grace that doth that. ,B«b..,.xiii. 9.',.' The,,
'• „ " -...,*K ' 'Y I ''.heart
* See the ftory of Mr Cnpn.

i?o, ' A Treatife' of Part IK
heart' is eftabHSbed with .grace,' and not w'jth difpu|^,about
meats f. Nay, they do grace a prejudice, in that' they make it
Sick atjd languishing : For to that fenfe is fhe.original,in i Tim.
vi, 4. .' doting about queflions,' or growing difeafed, becaufe
of the earneft profecution of opinions.
Ninthly, Error hath yet another, mifchiefin it, which makes
it not a little defirableto Satan ; and that is the judgement,
or puniShment that it brings ; fo that it every way anfwers the
devil's hatred againft both foul and body. The bleflings of
profperity and peace do attend the triumphal chariot of truth.
Pfal. lxxxv. n, 12. ' Truth Shall fpring" out of the earth, and
righteoufnefs Shall look dbwn from heaven.' And then it fol
lows, 'that 'the, Lord fhall give that which is good, and our
landfiiall yield her increafe.' But on the contrary; error doth
more provoke God than men are aware. How often did God
defolate the Ifraelites, Set a fire in their cities, and gave them
into the hands of. their enemies, becaufe of their changingTjthe
truth of God into a lie"; and worshipping and ferving the^eteai
ture more than the Creator ? God left not the church of Per-
gamos and Thyatira without fevere threatenings for the error
of the Nicolaitans, Rev. ii. 16. * Repent, or elfe I will come
untoiliee quickly, ver. 22. I will caft them into greattribula-
tion, "except they repents of, their deeds', and P will kill her
children with death.', And accordingly, God fulfilled his
threatening upon them,, by bringing in the Saracens to defolate
them, and to poffefs their land : As he alfo brought the* Goths
upon the empire, for the Arian herefy. How is Satan pkafed
to labour in a defign that will kindle the wrath ofthe Almighty?

CHAP. II.
-' , - *.-
Of the advantages which Satan hath, and ufeth, for thenntro-
duclion of error,., As (i.} From his own power of fpiritual
fafcinatkn. That there is fetch a power, proved from fcrip-
turet and from the efifeRs of it. (1.) From our imperfeBiott
of knowledge ; the particulars thereof explained, (3.) Ifp*m
the biafs ofthe mind. What things do biafs it ,• and the pw*
er of them to fway the underftanding. (4.) From curiofity,
(5.) From atheiflical debauchery of confcience.
'J'HAT Satan may the better fpeed in his defign, he careful-
,ly takes notice of, and diligently improves all advantages;
Indeed all his Stratagems are advantages taken againft iis,"fer
So the appftlejn his caution to the Corinthians calls his' devices, kit

Cbagjill. /- Satan's Temptations. 171
leftf- Saf an/ Shbuld get an advantage of us, 2 ,Cor. "ii. 11. but
here, I only underftand thofe that are mOre general, whichv.are
the grounds and encouragements to his particular machinations
againft men, and which alfo dired him in his procedure.
Thefe are,
Firft, Satan's own power of fpiritual fafcination, by which
he infatuates the minds of men, and deludes them, as the ex
ternal fenfes are deceived, by' inchantments pr witchcraft.
'That Satan is a cunning fophifter, , and can put fallacies up
on the uriderftandirig ; that by fubtle objedions or arguments
he can obtrude a falfehopd upon the belief of the unSkilful and
unwary j that he can betray the judgment by the affedions, are
things of common pradice with him. But- that, which Tam
npw tp fpeak pf," is of an higher nature, and though it may,
probably, take in much of his common method of ordinary de
lufion, yet in this it differs, at leaft, that it js more efficacious
and". prevalent ; for as his power over the children of difober-
dience is fo great, that he can lead them captive at his will, ex
cept when he is countermanded by the Almighty, fo hajh he,
by fpecial commiffion, a power to lead thofe to error effe&nal-
ly, without jniffing his end, that have prepared themfelves for
that fpiritual judgment by a. fpecial provocation ; and for ought
we know; as he hath-an extraordinary power which he exerts
at fuch times, fo may he have an extraordinary method which
he is not permitted to. pradife daily, nor upon all.
That fuch a- power as this, the devil hath, is believed by thofe,
whofe learning and experience, have made their judgments of
great value withferious men; and thus fome do defcribe it,
It is a delufion with a kind of magical inchantment ; fo Calvin,
Gal, iii.- \. A Satanical operation, whereby the fenfes of men
are deluded ; thus Perkins, Gal. iii. 1, Who after he had af
ferted that Satan can corrupt the fantafy or imagination, he
compares this fpiritual witchcraft to fuch difeafes of melancho
ly, that make men believe that they are, or. do, what they are
not, or do\not, as in the difeafe called Lycanthropia : And to
the inchantments of Jannes and Jambres, who deluded the fen
fes of Pharaoh. Others more fully pall it, * a more vehement
operation of the. great irnpofter, whereby he obtrudes fome nox
ious error, upon thp. mind, and pe.rfoades with fuch efficacy,
that it is embraced w'ith confidence, defended ft renuoufly, and..
propagated Zealoufly.
y % _ | -, _ . a
* rafcinatio eft . fpirit us impurtnris vebementjor operatio, quajioxium ali-
quem errorem in dogm.ate vel praxi, docStrinEe fance contrarium, fed fophi(rici§
prss(tigiis_depii£him, pro veritate in cautis hpmmibus obtendit, iifque ctEca-
citur-perfuadit.ut errorem eum coufidenter ample&datur, Itrenue defendant,
et zelo, non fecundum Dcum propagant. piclcfon. Therapeut. Sacra, lib.
3- cap. 7. /, - , ; '• " ' :' ¦

1.72 ATreatifeof ;partH»
A particular account of the way -and man»e^b|^ which the
devil doth this, is a taSfe beyond fober enquiry; it may fufijee
us to know 'that fuch power he hath,' and this I fhall confirm.
from fcripture, and- from the effeds of fuch delufioh." : '
Firft, There are feveral fcriptures which affett a power in
Saian to bewitch th* minds of men info error, from which I
Shall draw fuch notes as may confirm, and in part explain this
truth in hand. , - - '
And I Shall begin with that of Gal./ iii. 1. ' O foolifh Gala-
tiaus, who hath bewitched you, that ybu Should not obey the
truth,' &c. The word * which the apoftle here ufeth for be
witching, as grammarians and critics note, is borrowed from
the pradice of witches and forcerers, Who ufe by fecret powers:
tobind the feiifes, and to effe& mifchiefs. It is true he fpeaks
of falfe apoftles, but he intends Satan as the chief workman •
and this he transfers to Signify Satan's power upon the'mind)
in blinding the underftanding for the entertainment of error:
Neither can any thing be objected why this place fliould not
prove a fafcinating power in Satan, fuch as we have been Speak
ing of, but this, that it may be fuppofed to intend no more' than
an ordinary powerful perfuafion by arguments : Yet this may
be anfwered f not only from the authority of learned interpre
ters, who apprehend the apoftle' and his- , expreffion to intend
more, < but alfo from fome concomitant particulars in the text;
He calls them foolifh Galatians, as we tranflate it, but the ori
ginal goes a little higher, to Signify a madnefs ; and withal, he
fesms to be furprifed with wonder at the power of Satan upon
them, which had not only prevailed againft the truth, but a-
gainft fuch evident manifeftations of it as they had, when they
were fo plainly, fully, and efficacipufly inftruded ; for before
their eyes Jefus Chrift had been evidently fet forth : Which
expreflions and carriage cannot rationally be thought to befit a
common ordinary cafe. • ' > ¦ ' '
Next to-this", let us a little confider that famous fcripture,:iii
2 Theff. ii. ci, 10, 11. ' Whofe coming is after the working of
Satan, with all power — . — and for this Caufe, God Shall fend
thcni1 Strong deluficns, that they Should believe a lie.'  -I
Shall. from this place obferve a few things, which, if put toge
ther, will clear the truth "we fpeak of :'' As firft, In this delu
sion hpre mentioned^ the apoftle doth notonly fet down extra-
' ( ordinary
* £<^«'/io,£ramrnatici6,(II<£hvm efiu placet quafi pbafiaini>,:\A> eft, tois phaefi-
latum quo pertinct illud., Virg' Nefcio quis teneros, tsV. Vid Pifcator. in loc.
xnti: Ltigt). Crit. Sac ' , ,
t Neque tantum quod fe decipi pafli fuerint eos arguit, fed quadaniveluti
magica incantation e dtladj. Calvin in XoclAmctoi mente alienati:;:eonini lap-
am magi j dementias effe quam ftuhitias, arguens. Calvin.

Q$fj£>. II. Safaris Temptations. ,17-3
ordinary outward means, as figns,"and lying wqndeifs,-but alfo
Suits "thefe extraordinary means with a fuitable concomitant
inward power ; for, by powpr I dp not imderftand, as fome, a
power of Shewing figns, and doing wqnders J, as if the apoftle
had faid, En dunamei fertieioi kai teraton, ' with the power of
figns and wonders,' for the words will not well, bear that with
out fome unnatural ftraining: But I underftand by it, a power '
diftincl: from the figns and wonders by which he moves |heir
¦ hearts to believe, by an inward working upon tiieir minds,
Striking in with the outward means of lying miracles pro »
pounded to -their fenfes. And we may the better Satisfy our
felves in, this interpretation, if we compare it with Rom-iy. 19-
where not only the power of doing wonders is' expreffed by a
phrafe, proper and different from this ofthe text in hand, thro'
mighty .Signs and wonders, or in the power of Signs and won
ders, but ,it is alfo clearly distinguished from the power of the,
Spirit of God, in working upon the hearts to make thofe won-
'dersfeffkacious and perfuafive ; fo that,- as in the Spirit of God
we obferve a power to do wonders, and a power to work upon
the heart- by thefe wonders, we may conclude that this wicked
Jpfrit hatii alfo, in order to Sin and delufion, this twofold power.
%vLt,fecondly, I note further, that this power is called a fpecial
energy of peculiar force and'efiica'cy in its working, the ftrange
inexpreSfibk Strength of it feems tq Stand in need of many words
for explanation : He calls it all power, which as well nptes the
degree and height, as the variety of its - operations, and theu
the energy, the virtue, operativenefs, and Strength of power.
Thirdly, It is alfo to be obferved, that Satan's fuccefs, and ex
ercife of .this ppwer of delufion depends upon thecommiSEon of/
God, and that therefore it is extraordinary, and not permitted
to him but upon fpecial occafions and provocations, ' for this
caufe God Shall fend,' §cc. Fourthly, The fuccefs of this power
when exercifed, is certain. They are not only ftrong deluSions
in regard ofthe power' from whence they come, but alfoinre^
gard ofthe event, thofe' upon whom they come cannot but be
lieve. Infatuation and pertinacioufnefs are the certain fruits
cf it. Fifthly, 'Jh.e proof of all is manifeft in the quality ofthe
errors entertained, for they are palpable grofs lies, and yet be
lieved as the very truths of God, and they are in fuch weighty
points as do evidently determine the foul to ruin, 'lies to be.
damned-,' which two things are fufficient proofs pf fpiritual faf,
cination. It being unimaginable that rational men, and efpe
cially fuch as were inftruded, to a belief of a contrary truth,
fhould fo far degenerate from the"1ight of reafon, as to be de-
ludedby grofs and apparent lies, arid of fuch high importance,
, • 1 except
t Pifcator fcf Selater.

174 A Treatife of Part If.''
except their minds had been Blinded in fome-extraprdiria|f way.
Some further confirmation may be added to this tt)ltS from
i Kings xxii. 21. ' And there came forth a fpirit and Stood be
fore the Lord, and faid, I^will perfuade him — I will go forth,
and I will be a lying fpirit hi the mouth of all his prophets;
and He" faid, fhpu Shalt perfuade him, and prevail alfo.' I might
here take notice of, Satan's readinefs in this work, as Wanting
neither Skill nor, will, if he Were but always furnished with a
commiflion; as alfo the powerful efficacy of fpiritual witchcraft,
where it pleafeth the Lord to permit to Satan the exerciSe of
bis power, ' Thou Shalt perfuade, and prevail alfo.' But; that
which I would obferve here, is fomething relating to the man-*
ner of his proceeding in thefe delufioris : He attempted to de
ceive the falfe prophets, and by them to delude Ahab"; and
both, by being a'' lying fpirit- in the mouth of the prophets':'
Which neceflarily, as Peter Martyr * obferves, implies,' (i.)
That Satan' had a power fo ftrongly to fix -upon their imagi
nary faculty-, the.fpecies, images, or charaders of what was to
rbe fuggefted, that he could not only make them apprehend what
he~ prefented; tp their'minds;* but alfo, make them believe, that
it" was a divine inspiration, and confequently true : For thefe
falfe prophets did not fpeak hypocritically what they knew to
be falfe, but what they confidently apprehended to be true ; as
appears by the whole ftory. (2.) He could irritate, and'in-
flame their defires to publiSh thefe their perfuafions to the king,
after the manner of divine prophecies. (3.) He had a further
power, pf perfuading Ahab, that his prophets fpake truth.
That paffage of Rom. i. 28. ' God gave them over to a re
probate mind,' — doth give fome account how men are brought
-by the devil into thefe falfe perfuafions,. A reprobate mind, is
a mind injudicious ; a mind that hath loft its power of dif-
cerning. It is plain then, that he cian fo befot arid blind the
inind, that it fliall not be Startled at things of greateft abfurdity,
pr inconyeniency.
If any yet further enquire, how he can do thefe things ? We
muft' anfwer, that his particular ways and methods ih this cafe,
we know not ; * only it may be added, that Eph. iv. 17. Paul
tells us, he can make their minds vain, and^darken their under
standings. By mind, the feat of principles is commonly un
derstood. By underftanding, the reafoning, or difeurfive. fa
culty, which is the feat of conclusions: So that his power feems to
* Licet ei, Deo concedente, fpecies, imagines et fimulacra rerum falfarum
eflmgere in imaginaria hominu'm facilitate, italit falfa pro veris eis demon-
#remur, dejnde poteft incemdere atque inflammare appetituirt eorum ad ea
incredibili alacritate pracdicanda, fife. Pttj, Martyr in loc. ReyiiM^tcu, ol
-Paffionjj chap. 4, p. 17.

Chap,, II. Satan's Temptations. 175
to extend to the obliterating of principles ; and can alfo difable
them to make right inference's ; infomuch that he wants no
thing, that may be neceffary tb the begetting of Strong jperfua-
fionsof any falfehopd, which he fuggefts ; accprdingto what is
intimated, Gal. v. 3. ' This perfaafion cometh not of him that
called you ;' that is, not of God, but of the devil.
From all thefe fcriptures then it appears, that this fpiritual
fafcinatiori is a power in Satan which he exerts, by fpecial com
miffion, upon thofe that receive not the truthin the love of it,
by which he can fo ftrongly imprint falfehoods upon their minds,
that they become unable to difcern betwixt truth, and a lie j
and fo by darkening their., underftanding, they are effedually
perfoaded to believe, an error.
Secondly, 'There is yet another proof of this fpiritual witch
craft, from the confideration of the effeds of it upon the de
luded : - And the uncouth, ftrange, unnatural way of its pro
ceeding. Let all particulars of this kind be put together, and
it will not be found poffible-to give any other ratipnal account
of fome errors, than that of extraprdinary delufion. >
ifif Let us take notice of the vile.nefs and odioufnefs'of fome
errors that have prevailed' uppn men ; fome have been plainly
fottifh; fo evidently foolifh, that it cannot be imagined, that
men that entertained them, had at that time the ufe of reafon,
pr any competent underftanding. This- very confideration, the
prophet Ifaiah infifts upon largely, chap, xliv.- from verfe 9.
to verfe 21. where he taxeth them Smartly for »the fenfelefs
doltfShnefs pf their error, in'worShiping idols; he tells them the
matter of it is. the work of nature; a cedar, "oak, cr aSh, that
they themfelves poffibly, had planted, and the rain did nouriSh
it. Verfe 14. he tells them alfo, that the' form of it was from
the art of the workman, the fihifh, or carpenter. Verfes 12,
13. ' The fmith with the tongs, both worketh in the coals,
"and fafhioneth it with hammers, and wqrketh. it with the
ftrength of his arms — The carpenter ftretcheth out his rule, he
marketh it out with a line, he fitteth it with planes, and he
marketh it out with a compafs* — He further minds them,,fhat
without any reverence, they make ufe of the. refidue of the
" materials, but of which they formed their idol, to coitomon fer
vices, of dreffing their meat, and Warming themfelves ; ' He
burnetii part thereof in the fire, with part thereof he eateth
fleSh, he roafteth roaft, and is* fatisfied; yea, warmeth himfelf,
and faith, aha, I am warm, I have ^feen the fire,' verfe 16.
Then he accufeth them of fottifhnefs ; in that, 'the refidue there
of he maketh a god, even his graven image, he fallethdown to
it, and worfhippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and-faith deliver me,
', for

i-j6 ATfeatifeof ¦$¦$$»'
for thbu art yfty god,' verfe 17. And from;, all/ this hj:.con,
eludes, that ;Sfeeing this is fo diredly contrary fo comrnftn reat
ftiffl- and£!nM?r!rttorling, Which in'theordinaryexercifebf it, would
eafily haVe freed them from fuch a dotage ; for if they had but*
knowledge' far undemanding to fay, ' I have burnt part pflt jn
the Sire: I tiavebakebl bread, and Shall I make'thet refidue ati'aj.
beflhirratibn'r'L-^effe Ig.they'could not have been f^'fopjjjjjb^ j£
mitll'thenV of neceffity,' be a fpiritual infatuatipa. '_ Their.ejej}
are ffiut that JMe#' cannot fee, and their hearts, that they can-.,
not iinderSfanrKArer 18. ,' A deceived heart fia£h turned. hi^(
aSIdk* verfe 2a. 0ttler errors there are, that. lead to bea|fe'.
and Uhna'mral'villanies; fticti as diredly crofs all. the Sojier
principles of marikind, the natural principles of modefty^ths;,
moft general andundoubted principles -of religion andholineiy,
as "ivben thfe 'adulteries, fvtrearing, ranting, going naKei^ cruelties,.
murde>rs, oiltragiouS'confufibns, and madnefs, are c^athed^ith
pretences of fpirit, 'revelation, freedom in the ufe, ef the erea-t
ture, exercife bf love,; and'haviqg all things, pomvfro^ .$$,,.$ ,
which fad' inftaricPs have been given more than once. Let any
fober foah'd»rifide"r, how it could come to pafs, that men that
have reafo'n enough to defend them againft fuch, furies,, anffi1^?
knowledge of 'fcripture^ Which every where,, with the gr-e&qb,.
happifiefs imaginable, ahd higheft earneftnefs, <&$* prohibit
fuch pradlcies asiiobft: abominable, and doth dired to a fober, 'life
modefftj htanble^ Inbffenfivelife, fhould entertain notwithft-anding,'
foch errors as transform men into beafts, monfters, or rath^
deviyjf'aiia'rekgirin into the groffeft impieties : and, all this,fas„
the' perfed'ibri arid top of religious attainment, command^cViijit
the word' of God, 01* by his Spirit; and well pleafing tc»j tl^ej.
tooft holy and pure divine majefty? Let it, I fay^ be left.to(the
consideration of men', How it Should be, without fom^ fuck ex* ';
traordi nary caufe, as hath been mentioned? , rWjt
idly, Let it be obferved alfo, that fome errors bring with, thf|^t
fome extraordinary, ftrange, 'unnatural, unufual adipns ; ang,,
put 'men info fuchbdd garbs, poftures, and behaviours, tjiat^-,,
is eafy to fee they are aded by force or power, not humajfej
Some Have "been carried to do things, beyond whatfoevej.rnigh%
have been bxpeded from- the age and capacities of ,fhe,parti«s ;,.
as extafies, trances, and cuakmgs of little children ; their projj
phefying, and fpeakiag , fcripture; threatenings. after fuch fitjsW
Some have been aded Ih a way of extatical f riry ; as * Mott-
,_[ , , ¦' ',' tanusgi
* Fernnt quendaih noittttre'lWontamtm— Kpiritu quodain maligno a,bjr;vS>f »i •
et dc reipemc'fiirore t't mentis mfania exagitatum batxhttrl: atq; mot non fa*

Cap.

Chap. II. Safaris Temptations. t,77
tanus, of Whom Eufebius witneffeth, that fometimes he would
be. Seized upon by a kind of malignant; fpirit, and would fudden-
]y break forth into a rage and madnefs; andprefeiitly utter
rafh and bold fpeeches; ftrange unufual voices; with prophefy-
ings ; infomuch that he was judged by thofe that faw him, to be
aded by the- devil; Others' have been as in a m°re fober fpi
ritual rapture ; an infianee whereof I fhall give you from Mr
Baxter in thefe words * ; I have heard from an ancient godly
man, that knew Arthingtpn and Coppinger, that / they were
poffefled with the fpirit ofthe Grundletonians. The Samp man
affirmed/ that he went but Once among them himfelf,and after
prayer they breathed on him, as giving him the Holy Ghpft ;
and he was fo Strangely tranfported for three days, that he was
not the fame man ; and his family wondered what was the mat
ter with him : He had no confeffion of fin, but an elevated
Strain in prayer, as if he had been in ftrange raptures. And
after three days he was as before, and Came no more at them.
Some have been carried into childtSh, and ridiculous E&ions ;
Such was the behaviour of, John Gilpin \, in his delufion at
Kendal in Weftmoreland ; as his going to the fidler's houfe,
playing upon a bafe-Tjiol; in token of fpiritual melody ; his,
creeping up the Streets upon his hands and knees, in token of
bearing his profs ; his making marks op the ground, andbeat-
ing^ it, as his mortification of fin : And a great many more-
things'of like nature.
Such things as thefe, are. as fpiritual marks and charaders,
engraven upon errors, by which a diabolical power; moving and
adting fuch deluded breatures^ like fo many puppits, is evidently
difcovered. i '
^dly, When we fee not only idiots, and thofe whofe' defe£f of
understanding might put them under the power of an ordinary-
cheat, thus impofed upon ; but men, othertvife intelligent ra
tional, and ferious, blinded with follies, taken with apparent
dotages, admiring trifles, and carried away with things which
comhfon reafon would teach them to abhor :. It is more than
fufpicious, that it is not any probability Of truth; Or excellency
in the error.; that prevails with them, but a fpiritual power
that doth Bewitch them. When wg confider that fuch a learn
ed man as Tertulliart begins to admire fuch a wretch as Mon-
tinus; or fuch ari one as Arthington, led "away wi£h Hacket
and Coppinger ; or fuch a man as Kneperdollin, feduced by
John of Leyden, and efpecially, fuch numbers of vrife,% and
Seemingly fober and religious perfons gping down the Stream,
Z after
* Baxter's Cohfefilon of Faith, p. $. in the, Margin. .
t See his ftory called the' Quaker fliiken.

17$ ' A Treatife of Part If.
after irrational andy plainly irreligious error's ; what elfe can
he apprehended to be- the caufe, but a powerful Satanical dgi
luiion. qthlyi Add we to thefe, the confider ation of the fuddeiiiiefs
of the prevalency of fuch errors, againft plain arid evident truths,
(which is a circumftance taken notice of by the apoftlfe, Gal.
i. 6. '< I marvel that ye are fo foon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Chrift, unto another gofpel.') In
which cafe we may obferve, it ufually falls out, that mens af
fedions prevent their di&overies ; at the firft view they are
taken, before they underftand what the error is ; and they ate
perfuaded before they know.
-. ijthly and laftly, That the earneftnefs of the prbfeeutieh, by
which they maintain and propagate the error, is a kind of un-
natural . fury, which hurries men with violence into an un
yielding ftiffnefs, to the Stifling of all kind of charity and confi-
etefatipn. Thefe things put together, I fay, makes the matter
in hand evident; when men, otherwife rational, are at firft
touch, highly enamoured with, and violent in the purfuit of er
rors, that are fottifh, pr devilifh ; we can refolve it iht'6 no
thing lefs, than into that of the apoftle, # Who hath bewitched
you ?' The. improvement of this firft, and great advantage''for
the introduction pf errors, is more than can|be well expreSSPed ;
but he hath befides, other advantages whieh he nO Way neglects:
among.which, Secondly, Our imperfedicn in knpwledge, is npne pf the leaft;
if cur knowledge had been perfed, it would have beeH a, talk
too hard for the devil, to make us erroneous ; for men do hbt
err, but fo far as they are ignorant : To impofe upon men againft
dear and certain knowledge is impoSfible^ Men cannot believe
that to be true, which they knOw to be falfe. It would be"as
Silly' for Satan to make fuch. attempts, as for a jugler to endea
vour the deception of thofe, that know and fee the ways of his
conveyances as well as himfelf. That our knowledge is im
perfect, I fhall prove and explain in the following particulars.
xft, The Scripture plainly afferts it, the greateft number of
men, which are in an unregenerate eftate, are exprefsly called
fooliSh, blind, ignorant, men that are in darkftefsj men thatdo1
not know, nor confider, that perifh through ignorance. 0-
thers, that, in comparifon to thefe, are called children of flie
light ; and fuch as fee with open face, are notwithstanding,
when compared to a ftate of perfediori, repreferited to be in the
non age of their knowledge, unripe, imperfed ; the apoftle
doth fo exprefs it, i Cor. xiii. g. * We know in part, we pro-
phefy in part.' In the explanation of this, he compares our
.attainment*

ChigrJI. Safap's Temptations. 1 75
att$i|ujjents in this world, to the underftanding* thoughts, and
fpeakings of children, ,y. 11. concludes v. 12. That all, our
knowledge gives us but a dark impeded reftedion of things ;
we. fee through a glafs darkly. • . ...
, idly, Men that have had the cleareft heads, and have been
H% the greateft paips in their enquiries to find out truths, have
brought back, the clear convidion of 'their own ignorance.
Auftin ponfeffeth, that in the fcriptures, which he made. , his
cfuef Study, the things which he knew not, were more than
the things , he underftood. * Chytraeus, in humble modeft y
goes a little further, My deareft knowledge, faith he, is to
know, that I know nothing. And it will be a clear demouftra.-
tion of that man's., ignorance, that boafts of his knowledge ; his
pwn mquth will prpve againft him, that he knows nothing as
he ought. fp know. , iV. .
$dly, The confideration of the nature of the things, wbiph
are, the pbjeds lipOn which we employ our fearch,' will fufti-
ciently convince us, that We do comprehend but very little.
For though the fcripture hath expreffed the main concerns of
eternal life fo fully, that they are as clear as light, <and. need
no fuch Stretch of the brain, but that the meaneft capacities
may as certainly underftand them, as they underftood , any
thing of common bufinefs ; as, ' That Chrift died for Sinn.ers ;
that wifhout faith it is impoffible to pleafe God; that without
holinefs no man Shall fee his face,' ' &c. Yet, as Peter fpeaks,
a, Ppk iii. x6. ' There are many things that are hard to be;un-
derStppd;' there are difficulties, depths, and my Iter ies. Some
.things, whereof we have but dark touches in fcripture;, tho'
enough to let us knpw. that fuch things there aro; and to
humble us for our ignopahce, are in their own nature, fublime,
bounded on all SidpS with rocks and precipices, where our near
and .bold approaches are prohibited: Such are thofe things,
;t.hat concern the decrees of God, the Trinity, &c. Other
things are dark and uncertain to us, from their vpry proximi-
tyto us, as fome are pleafed to fancy the reafon ; fuch are the
nature, faculties, and workings of oUr own fouls within us j
which we cannot diredly fee, as the eye fees not itfelf, and do
but as it were guefs by dark refledions. Some things in fcrip
ture are accidentally obfcure to us, that were plain to thofe
that heard them firft, to whom they were fppken and written:
For now1, to the underftandirfg of a greatmahy paffages, there
is necef&ry the knowledge of the tongues, in which they were
didated, of the histories qf thofe times to which they feverally
V ' Z 2 , related j
* Piura nefcio quamfcio. Epjft, 119. c. ir. Melch. Adam in vita.

i8o ,- v A Treatife of Part ft
related; as alfo, ofthe particular cufloms ofthe Jewifhlaation}
which gave a mold and. form to a great many fcripture-affeg.
tions : All which are eafy, and familiar to, thofe that knew »tfee
exad propriety of fuch languages, Were acquainted throughly
with fuch hiftories, cuftoms, ufages, and manner of Speaking*:
And befides all thefe, the application of general rules, to par
ticular cafes, where a little circumftance may makeagreatral-
t'eratibn, is full of puzzle and intricacy. Infomuch, thatTfbrire
have thought * that there are, feveral cafes, of confcience, !ttat
are riot yet fully determined, and that are like fo to remaipv- ¦
qthly, Neither is the nature of knowledge itfelf^ without an
argument to prove the infufficiency of our knowledge ; t-okjiow,
is properly fo underftand things by their caufes, orat leaft, by
their effects:' And to make a right refuk of particulars. from
a general nraxini. Such a kind of knowledge is neceffary,in re
ligion ; for fetting afide fome particulars of m.yfterious\ height,
about which God hath fet bounds, left men in prefumptuOns
boldnefs Should adventure to break through, unto- the Lord to
gaze. Arid feme things which are the principles. pf nature^nr
their next refults, which are upon that fcpre, beyond all need
of enquiry, in all which it is enough to believe, that what the
fcripture .faith is trrie, without alking a further account : Yet
In other things, the fcripture gives us the grounds, reafons,
and proofs of what it declares or afferts ; as may appear by in
finite examples : < So that to' know Chrift died, or that we o$
juftified by faith, or that Chrift Shall come to judgment; wih-
but'a knowledge cf the grounds, and reafons bf thefe things, is
indeed but grofs ignorance. The iike may be faid of the know
ledge of general precepts, without "the knowledge Qf,theirifti-
ceffary application. .',;,)
But how few are there that do thus know ? The greateft
part of men fatisfy themfelves with the bare sffirmation^of
Scripture, apd they refolve all into this, that thp, word of God
faith fo ; or, That it is the will of God it Should befb?, with
out further enquiry. ' ,((U-\. ,!
Andas for others, though they may know the 'reafons, iof
many things, yet are there a vaft number of particulars,!wh6fe
reafons we know not, though the fcripture may cpntain xbffHf
And as for confequenc'es, and the application, of general rule?,
their juft limitation, and the enumeration of the, cafes wherein
they are true, or falfe : It is that that keeps the.witsjof men
lipbn the rack perpetually. _'..,,-,
' <{thly, The , unfuitablenefs of cur capacities, to thofe. obje$s
of knowledge, maybe particularly confidered as a. farther, copy
"''.''. .... , Sjraiatipa
" D'Efpagnc popular Errors, $ ;. Chap. 12.

¦I&fpftl. 8~athris Temptations. i8t
flrmation of bur ignorance. The incapacity of the vulgar, is
generally obferved ; fome we find fo grofsly ignorant, that they
are'uhcapable to comprehend the eafieft matters : and this makes
their perfuafiori to fome plain truths fo very difficult, that
when they are"; as it were, brayed in a morter by a. multitude
of unreafonable argurnents ; yet their ignorance departs not
from them : But they will Stubbornly hold the conclusion of
their oWn fancy, whatever become of the ptemifes. Thofe
that are pf an higher form, and feem tp underftand a great ma
ny particulars in religipn, are, ordinarily, unable ,to .conjoin all
truths into one intire proportionable body ; they heap up Se
veral notions that they hear here and there, but know hot
their- consistencies ; infomuch, that they either are like children, ¦
who kpOW all the letters of the alphabet, without the Skill to
frame words or fentences out of them, being unable to give an
account how their notions are related orie to another, pr to ,the
whole 5 Or if they attempt fuch a thing, they hang inconiillent
things on the fame thread, and do but humano capiti, cervicem
jungere equinam. , If thefe inftances, and a great many more of
like kind, were not at hand,' yet the very condpfcenSicns of
our great prophet the Lord Jefus, and of his difciples in thein
ways of teaching, do evince, that the capacities of men are low ;
that they are dull of hearing, children in underftanding. The
courfe they took, was to inftrud them in a plain familiar way,
by parables and examples : Thus were they fed as babes in
Chrift, according to the apoftle's, ; fimilitude, i Cor. iii. i.
' with milk, and not with Strong meat, becaufe they were not
able to bear it.' And 'yet Chrift fometimes complained, that
this Would not do : For fo he fpeaks, John iii. 12. - If I have
told you earthly things, (that is divine truth, in earthly and
'Common Similitudes) and ye believe npt, (i.re. cannot appre
hend them)vho>v Shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly
things?' How uhable then would you be to underftand thefe
truths, if I Should fpeak in language arid, expreffion properly
fuitable to their natures ? A great check, to our Slpwnefs of
apprehenfiori. : ''
E'rit poflibly fome may exped higher matter?, from thofe
thaj are exalted above the cotririion rank of then, by the repute
they have of learning. And indeed it cannot be denied, but
fuch have very great advantages for the widening of their ca
pacities : Yet are they not fuch as wholly take away the dis
temper,' hpt Still fo much incapacity may be feen in them, as
will Sufficiently juftify the charge of imperfection, in knowledge
'againft the moft learned- Let us bring in fome instances, and
It will be evident. , i- The

V8i A Treatife of 'Pai'fcll.
i . The greateft errors that have moft diftiirbed the fchuroh
in all ages, have had their rife from learned men j the names
of their authors are marked upon their foreheads. Thefe known
errors are fo many, "that they fill whoje volumes; The rebut
of which confideration, will be this, that learned men have of
ten been very dangeroufly mistaken. 2. The prefent contentions
and disputes of men, managed on all hands with - fo much ear
neftnefs,- wherein one party triumphs over another, and aflj.in
their own apprehenfions,, are vidorious ; inftead of conquefts;
by arguments and anfwers, each party is but more confirmed
in its own appreheniions, and yet the one half is certainly wrongs
and perhaps ih many things both parties are mistaken. This,
I fay, fufficiently Shews the incapacities of the learned : For if
every capacity were truly correfpondent to truth, there would
be no more difputes nor differences. 3. The moft learned find
the bufinefs of their own perfuafion and fatisfadion in many
truths, in which common people have no fcruple nor doubt, ve
ry difficult, becaufe .they fee more pbjedipns to be anfwered,
and more of the weaknefs of arguments than others do ; but
this Shews their capacities are not fo large as fome wpuldj think.
4. Let us once for all, confider that which feems to be the high
eft evidence for knowledge and understanding in the learned*;
and we Shall find upon juft examination, it is no more than an
argument of their ignorance: What is there wherein they feem
more acute, and more eagle-eyed, than in their diftindion9f by
which they would give us the moft minute differences of things;
and appear fo exact, as, if they would divide an atom, and gi*ve
every thing its juft weight and meafure. But let us confider,
that, though all distinctions are not unprofitable, their' multi
tude is become oppreflive and troublefome, and more timenuift
be fpent in learning terms and words of art, than things1; and
their nicety and fubtilty fo great, that they rather darken truth,
and give occafion to bold fpirits, to undertake the defeuce-of
any paradox. Nay, if we could fever thefe clearly from their
abufes, yet feeing it is certain they are more diftindions cf
terms than things ; they will evince, that our knowledgeris
more verbal than jeal, and that often for a mountain of words;
we have but a mole-hill of Substantial matter. Nay, feeing we
make but a forry Shift, at beft, by thefe artifices' to comeato
fome rude conceptions of things, which otherwife we cannot
in any tolerable manner comprehend ; it is as great a proof *of
our imperfedion in knowledge, as the neceflaryufe of -Staves
and crutches is an evidence of lamenefs. If I fhould pafs from
this, to the consideration of the multitude, beyond all number,
pf books that are written, we Shall find them but fo many pro
clamations ,

Chap. II. Satari's Temptations. 1%
clarnations of our ignorance : for if we could believe them aij
to contain fo many whblefome precepts of neceffary truth,
which yet we cannot rationally imagine, this Would imply, that
the greateft part wanted thefe informations ; and that ccmnibri
ignorance is not only a general diftemper, but alio a diftempet
hard to be cured, that Stands in need of fuch multitudes of in
structors, and fuch varieties of helps. But if we believe, that
among this infinite number of volumes there are thoufands of
lies, millions of unproved conjedures, millions of millions of
idle unprofitable fancies ; then do we in exprefs terms pro-
npunce them guilty of ignptance, and of ighbrance fo much the
more dangerous, by hbW much the more bpld it is, to avouch
itfelf in the light, and to obtrude itfelf upon the belief of others,
Who inftead of being better informed by it, Shall but increafe
their cwn blindnefs : Were there nothing to be faid but this,
that there are fuch a vaft multitude of commentators upon the
Bible^ which do all pretend to expound and explain it, it would
of neceffity admit of thefe conclusions : (i .) That the Bible
hath in it things fo dark, or at leaft, our capacities are fo dull,
that there is need of great endeavours to explain the one, of
aflift the Other. (2.) That the knowledge bf men is ittipet-
fed; For if all, or. moft men could certainly interpret the fcrip
ture, there needed not fo many volumes, but that pUe or two
might have fignified as much, as now whole libraries can do.
The imperfedion of our knowledge being thus laid open, it
is eafy to fee what advantages the devil may make out of it, for
the promoting of error ; -for it muft now become our wbnaer,
not that any man errs, but that all do not. We find it eafy to
impofe any thing upon children, it is an eafy matter for a trifle
to cheat them out of all they have. Surely then Satan may do
as much by men, who are but children in underftanding. The
apoftle, Eph. iv. 14. puts us in mind of -this hazard,, under that
very Similitude, ' that we henceforth be no more children toffed
to- and fro, and carried about with every Wind of dodrine.'
How fitly doth he refpmble us, to children ? Their weaknefles
arp; 1. Want pf difcerning, they fee riot the true worth of
things. 2. Credulity, they believe all fair fpeeches, and fpe-
cious promifes ; and the hazard of both thefe is in this, that it
makes them unconftant, uncertain, and fickle ; and fuch are we
made by our ignorance : So little do we truly difcern, fo apt are
we to believe every pretence, for ' the firriple believes every
word,' Proy. xiv. 15. that, as the apoftle's metaphors do tell
us; we are eafily toffed from one conceit or opinion to another,
as a Ship is by the Waves, or a feather in the wind.
Thirdly, A third advantage which the devil takes againft us, in

184 A Treatife of Part Its
in his defigiv of error, is the biafs ofthe mind; were, our un
derstandings purely free, in a juft and even balance toward all,
things propounded to its deliberation , and afient,, though it
were imperfed in its light, the danger were the lefs ; but, nov/
in regard of the bent and Sway it is under; it is commonly par
tial, and inclined to one fide more than to another, and yet the
matter were the lefs, if only one or two noted things had, the
power of fetting up a falfp light before the, mind ; but there
are many things that arc apt, to do us this mifchief, which have-
the fame eSfed upon us, that bribes have upon perfons interested
in -judgment, which not only tempts them to do wrong, but fo
blinds their eyes, that they know not they do fo, or at leaft,
not in fo great a meafure. .The mind is biaffed^
Firfl, Naturally to error, rather than truths; the corruption
of our nature is general, and dpth not only difpofe therwill and
affedions to pradical iniquities, but dpth alfp incline the un
derstanding to error an(d mifapprehenfion. And that Seems to
be the ground of Chrift's aflertion againft the Jews, John v. 43.
' I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not ; if
another fliall come in his own name, him ye will receive,'!
"Which implies, that men are naturally more prone to believe
an impoftor, than one tha,t fpeaks the moft certain and, profita
ble verities : And befides this general inclination to .vanities'
and lies, there are, if feme think right, fome errors that are
formally engraven in the nature of fallen man * ; as that opi
nion, To be faved by works. For not only do all men that
have any apprehenfions of a future eternal ftate, refolve that
queftion of obtaining falvation into works, as the proper caufe,
and indeed no other could have been imagined, if the fcripture
had not revealed the redemption by the blood.of Jefus. But
the Jews, in John vi. 28. when they propound that queftion,
'< What Shall we do, that we might work the works of God?'
take it for granted, that works, of fome kind or other,, are the
caufes of happinefs. Poffibly fome. impreffion of that notion,
while it was a truth, as in the State of innocency it was, may
yet remain Upon our natures, though by the fall, the cafe is al
tered wkh us.
Secondly, The mind is biaffed b<r bodily temper, and corri-
pledional inclination ; the varieties of completions, introduce'
varieties of humours and difpofitions : And the underftanding,'
being neceflitated to look through thefe, as fo many coloured
glaffes, is apt to judge, (that is, to misjudge) according to the'
mifreprefentatipn of objeds.
Thirdly, Sometimes habitual acquirements have the fame in*
, nuance'
* E'Efp'agne'a Popular Errors.

Chap. II. Satan's. Temptations. iSj
fluence upon the underftanding, that natural humours have.
The arts and Sciences We Study, out ways' of education and emV
ployment, are but fo many prejudicate prepoffeSIions that 3o
fberetly taint the' mind. '
Fourthly, There are alfo accidental inclinations, which, tho'
not cuftomary, have the forcfe of a fecohd nature, becaufe their
working is violent and impetuous, and thefe which ire from a
wounded confcience, or exeeffes of melancholy, have a biafs
more than ordinary ; they lay violent hands upon the under
standing, and .with a mighty torrent run it down. So that
if an error be offered, that is fuitable to fuch feats or mif
apprehenfions, it can fcarce mifs of fuccefs. The extraordi
nary turbulencies of fome other paflions ; as attger, lovp, &c.
have the like effed.
Fifthly, Vitious habits do fo much biafs the mind, that the
underftanding muft needs be defiled by them. Nothing can
more prepare the mind to a" wicked error, than a' wicked life.
An error of indulgence, being fo grateful to corruption, may
readily find favour with the underftandings of thofe that know
not to do gOod, becaufe * they have accuftomed themfelves to
do evil.'
Sixthly, There are external things that have ho lefs power
on the underftanding, than -any of the foregoing; and thefe
are cuftom,, education, and intereft; thefe Stick So clofe, and
work fo fubtiHy, that though there are few that are not, in
disputable cafes, influenced by them, yet none are able, or
willing to take notice, how, and by what Steps they do en-?
gage them to: pafs fentence againft truth. And indeed, that
man muft have a Angular meafureof fufpicious watchfulnefs,
and clear integrity, that is not deceived by them. And the
bpft way to keep clear of the mifchief that thefe' may do us,-
is to be fevere in our Suspicions cn that fide tp which cuS-
tom and intereft have their -tendencies.
Seventhly, I might note, that there is fomething confiderable
to, this purpofe, in the nature of fpirits. Some fpirits are un-
fixed, and .volatile; and thefe are foon altered by their own
unfteadinefs. Others are tenacious and inflexible ; arid if fuch
be firft .fet wrong, if is not an eafy thing -that will reduce
them to truth. Others are foft and ductile, perfuaded by good
words as foon as ftrong arguments. And agaiii, fome are of
fuoba rough, four, contradidipus temper, that they will fooner
chufe to run wrong, than comply With the perfuafions of thofe
that offer truth, even for that reafon, becaufe they are perfuad
ed ;to it ; fo that the truth which, if ncne had minded them
they of Uhemfelves wpuld have embraced, they will now re,
A a fufe

1 86 A Treatife of &art II.
' T
fufe when it is prefled upon them, out of a crofs.and thwart-;
ing humour, becaufe they bate nothing more than to do as they
are bidden. , ,
To come 'a little nearer, let us confider how thefe things
Shew their power upon the mind, to fway and incline it. It is
indeed true, that in things that are clearly and ftrongly pro
pounded to the underftanding, it cannot but judge according to
the evidence of truth ; and cannot be guided., by the will, to
judge contrary : Nay, the will, though in things purely SpePii.
lative, it may. retain its averfeuefs ; as alfo in things practical,
, while they are confidered only, as what rriay be done, before
the understanding hath come up to its final refolye, deterriun^
ing that fuch things muft, or ought to be done, cannot but fol
low the 'light and information of the understanding, and that'
according to the proportion of its cdnvidion * ; fo that though
in fome cafes, a man would have things otherwife than he be
lieves them to ,be : Yet, he cannot believe what he will, nei
ther can he refufe to will what is certainlyfreprefented to be
good and neceffary . Notwithstanding all this, the foremen-*
tioned particulars may fo biafs the mind, that it fliall not ac^
truly and Steadily ; as we may fee in thefe three particulars. ;
Firft, In things clearly demonstrated to the understanding;
though the will cinnot diredly oppofe', nor prevail to% have
them judged falfe, yet it can indirectly hinder the procedure of
the understanding \, and divert it from fixing its confideration
upon the truth ; Or from working itfelf into pefitive determi
nations, for bringing it irito pradice. Thus many that cannot
but believe there is a Gpd,,and that his law is true; being
biaffed by their luffs, the power of pleafures, or intereft, &C.
do prevail upon their underftandings, to take up other objects
of confideration; fo that they are faid to forget God, and to caft
his commandments behind their backs ; as alfo not to remember
their latter end, though they cannot but belieye, that they Shall
die. "Truth may be imprifoned, and fettered, where it cannot
be Slain. We read, of* holding the truth in unrighteoufnefs,?
Bom. i. 18. Which was this, that thofe heathens? of whom
the apoftle fpeaks, by reafon of their vitious inclinations and
pradices; though they could not obliterate thofe notices ofe-
quity and religion that were imprinted on their minds , yet they
kept them at .under, as captives in a dungeon, and fuffered them
hot to rife up in a juft pradical improvement. _ Now the wrong
that, is done to truth this way, Is not only by rendering it un
fruitful and ufelefs at prefent, but hereby the devil hath his ad-
¦ ''*';< -;¦¦ yantage.
*Tantum quifque vult, quantum intelligit fe velle- debere. t IntelleAuj
fcquitiir voluntateui quad excfchium, non quad fpecificationem. '

Chap.' III. Satan's Temptations. 187
Vantage indie gaining of time, to gather together more forces
againft that truth; and by frequent, onfets 1 of contrary arguings;
efpecially upon the advantage of the mind's indifferency, and
remiffnefs, begot by long and '1 often diverfions, to fet another
face upon it, and by degrees to overturn. former perfuafions.-
This was the very cafe pf the heathens,in the place laft cited: who
being firft fwayed by their impieties, became unwilling to give
way to thbfe dictates of light and juftice which they had ; and
having thus gratified their lufts, the devil further prevailing
with them, to find evafions from the power of thofe truths, they
began to make unfuitable inferences from thofe premifes,
which they could not deny, and fo became fottiSh and vain in
their reafoniugs, 'changing the glory of the uncorruptible God,
into an image made like unto corruptible man.' And by Such
pradices againft truth, they at laft ' changed the truth into a
lie,' Verfe 25. and at long run obliterated the knowledge of
God out of their minds. This is Satan's old method of over
turning truth at laft, by diverting the mind from receiving the
prefent powerful imprefllons of thofe principles.
Secondly, But in things doubtful, where there is not a clear
certainty, what is truth ? but contrary opinions Strive with fuch
equal confidence, that it is difficult to determine which hath the
cohqueft; there the mind may be fo fwayed by its biafs, that
it may give approbation to. error; nay, where upon' a fair and
indifferent trial, truth hath the greater appearance of ftrength ;
and error nothing elfe, than little Shadows or appearances of rea
fon to Shelter Itfelf under ; yet, that way may the mind be in-
elinedby the aforefaid things. We have a more eafy and fa-
tile belief for what we would have, than . for what we would
not. Though there is nothing more noted by common experi
ence than this, that men are ufually drawn afide by humours,
inclinations, iriterefts, and education, &c. to judge well of that
which an'unprejudiced perfon would eafily fee tb be weak, un-
juft, ridiculous, or unreafonable; yet, how thefe cpnfideratiohs
and tempers do exert their force upon the underftanding to
draw it into a compliance ; or by what/ fecret art they can
heighten' probabilities, and leSTeri objedions; or by What infen-
fible progrefs they move, that rrfen thus carried do not perceive
that th'ey are ' under fuch a force, is not fo very difcernible.
How often niay we obferve, men that are rational enough, tp,
difcover the pitiful Shifts, and poor allegations of others, with
fuch gravity and confidence, where their own interefts are con
cerned to offer fuch low reaforiingsj' and extravagant imperti
nences, that all that hear them, aire ready to laugh at their fol
ly; and yet they themfelves entertain no lefs than perfuafions
A a 2 .of

iSS A Triatife of Part 11/
of the invihciblenefs of their arguipgs? they fo eagerly defire
What they woujd eftabliSh, that they think arty thing is enough
to juftify it, and are apt to imagine, that their Shifts andexcufes
appear as ftrong to others, as to themfelves^ I have known
fome, that by the fway of intereft, have changed their opinions
in religious matters, and have really become otherwife per-
fuaded, than they had; been formerly, and not as fome, who for
advantage will, knowingly take up what they cannpt believe to
be true, and have not been able to fay, that they have met
with new arguments, or new anfwers to cbjedions ; but I know
not how, arguments, which they had contemned, and laid by
for weak, begin tc look big upon them: the argumentsby which
their former perfuafion Was upheld grew infenfihly feeble in
their hands ; the one revived, gathered ftrength, after they had
a little cheriShed them, by thinking there might be 'Something
in them, though before they knew aQ the particulars, and coull
not inftanoe in any thing which they had not formerfy- noti
fied and anfwered; and the other fort of arguments grew
•Weaker and* weaker, till at' laft they parted1 with all good
conceit of them; fo that fuch a change was but" as the turning
of the tables ; that which aded behind the curtain, and wrought
this" change of the fancy, could be np other than fome of the
forementioned things that biaffed theirmind ; for where the ar
guments,/*/^ and con were the fame, the alteration of opinion,
where men are not fo wicked as to go diredly againft their own
light, muft of neceffity be imputed to the different pofitions of
external things, and the different humours and inclinations be
got by them ; eyen as the different Stations of men in the prof
ped of fome pictures, reprefent them varioufly^ one way they
give the Shape of a beautiful face; another way, they expfef*
the ugly deformity of a devil ; or as different refledtons of the
fun-beams upon the fame- objed, clothe it with feveral colours.
The fcripture doth alfo give us notice pf this advantage which
the devil takes from the inclinations of men, to lead- them into
miftakesv That of Micah ii. ii. « If a man walking in the
fpirit of faifehood, do lie, faying, I will prophecy unto thee of
wine and of ftrortg drink, he Shall even be -the prophet of this peo
ple,' hath this for its foundation, that Jet the error be never frf
grofs and palpable, as if a man Should prophecy a liberty for
drunknnefs, if it befukahle to the fway of peoples humoartf, it
will readily enough be embraced ; he {hall be a prophet tb this
pepple, that is, Such a prophet will eafily prevail &ith foch a'
people, > their vitioiis inclinations fit them for any imprcfllon of
a fuitable error. The Apoftle Paul alfo found this too true irt
the herefies of- his own-times; for He tells us that,- feducers had
learned

Chap/H. Satan's Temptations. ¦ - 189
learned that cunning from the devil, to draw men to error by the
fway of their lufts, 2 Tim, iii. 6, ' They creep into boufes; and
lead captive filly women laden with fins, and led away with di-
verfe lufts. As alfo, 2 Tim. iv, 6. he propbefies ofthe future ufe
of this Stratagem, ' After their own lufts Shall; they heap to them
felves teachers.' So that the ufual prevalency of error was and
is from the under ground working of lufts, humours, habits,
and inclinations, which make men willing to entertain an opi
nion, which can but gratify them-witb a fuitahlenefs or fitnefs,.
Thirdly, Where the forementjpned particulars of i$cUnatioa
natural, or acquired humours, euftom, education, &c, do nei
ther divert the understanding, nor engage it to cjofe with error,
yet often do they difoover how powerfully they can biafs- th©
mind, in that thefe prevail with men to modify and mould a
truth according to the bent or form of their inclinations. As a
bowl which is Skilfully aimed at a mark, goes neverthelefs by
a compafs which its biafs forpeth it unto, according tp the ti
lings or fallings* of the ground it meets with ia the way. Men
may arrive at real truth in the main, and yet may Shape it ac
cording to their humours : » For inftance, let us confider the di£-.
ferent mcdes oar forms, in which the fame truth Is reprefented
under the workings of different tempera. A melancholy per
fon conceives of all things under fuch reflections, as feaf and
fadnefs do ufually give ; if he confider God, he looks upon him
in the notion of greateft Severity and juftice ; if upon the ways
of duty, he colours them all in black, and can fcarce account
any thing piety, which is not accompanied with fadnefs and
mourning, ; if he £alls his foul to a reckoning, his conclufiorrs
concerning himfelf are fad, doleful, or at beft fufpicious. On
the contrary, an hikrous cheerful temper cenfures all fadnefs;
for fullennefs, and is apt to accufe thofe, that go mourning in
their way, for unthankful murmurers arid, unbelieving com-
plainers ; it interprets Gc-.l?s favourable candefeenfians to the
weak in the greateft latitude, and is eafily perSuaded to thofe
things that are upon the utmoft blink of liberty, to which o.-
thers of a more timorous difpoiition dare not approach, for fear
of offending. This" puts an higher excellency upon the duties
pf praife, as the ether upon falling and mourning. Thofe men
that are morofe and fevere, they are apt to think that ' God is
fuch an one as themfelves 5,' and though they acknowledge
there is fuch a grace as charity, yet under a pretence of Stride
nefs,, they cannot believe they are hourod to- exercife it towards-
4ny that are under any failing, of which they judge themfelves
to be free ; and therefore fuch men are ufually very difficult,
hai. all cafes wherein condefcenfion is to be ufed, they are hard to
be

t gd A Treatife of Kit W
be reconciled ; and after- the mifcarriage of any perfon j are not
eafily fatisfied of their repentance ; and in cafes of diffent front
their way and pradice of religion; they are Commonly cenfo-
rious, and conclude the worft. They again that are naturally
mild and gentle; under a pretence of charity and meeknefs, are
apt to become remifs in their carriages towards any brother ;
and becaufe charity thinks not evil,, they model their acknow;
ledged duty into the form of their own difpofition, and fo think
they muft fee, and yet not perceive ; and inftead of covering
the infirmities of a brother,'they have a mantle to caft over e-
very tranfgreffion. At the fame rate alfo do they frame tneir
conceptions of God, as if he Was fo merciful," that he would
fcarce reckon any abomination to be above the height of an or
dinary infirmity. Thefe are apt to think, that the mercies of
God, fo much praifed in fcripture, Signify little lefs than an in
dulgence in tranfgreffion-, far above what precifiaris are apt to
imagine ; and that it is as eafy to obtain forgivennefs from God'
for any offence, as ie is to fay ' The Lord be merciful to me a
finner.' Thofe that accuftom themfelves to the-'delights ofthe
fenfes, are apt to bend the way of their religion to that hu
mour, and think, that nothing can be folemn in worShip, that is
not fet out with garnifhings. that may pleafe the eye or ear.
Nay; it is obfervable enough, that religion borrows fome taint
or Shape from the various Studies and Sciences of men ; in fome,
as in many ofthe .fathers, we may fee religion dipt in Plato-
nifm or Peripateticifm. Some introduce the diftindions" and'
definitions' of philofophy ; others compel all fcriptures to Sub
mit to the laws of Arid logical analyfis.. Thus according to
the various mediums that men look through, are truths difco-
loured, and dreffed up in feveral Shapes : It is eafy from thefe
inftances to imagine, .that Satan mutt, have a great advantage a-
gainft us in point of errqr, from the biafs of the mind.
Fourthly, i Adventurous curicfities -is another general advan
tage by which he works. This arifeth partly from a defire of
knowledge,' and partly from pride ; and both thefe make way
for his defign.
A defire < after knowledge is natural, and withal very be
witching. To- know hath fomething more in it than ordinary*.
This is noted in Job xi. 12. 'Vain man would be wife, though
man be born like a wild afs's colt ;' though he be foolifh, yet
he affects wifdom ; and the very delight of knowing doth eh-
gagemen to curious prying fearches, though with much labour
and hazard. Of this temper were the Athenians, Ads xvii. 21.
' They Spent their time in nothing elfe, but either to tell, or to
hear
* Divimun eft fcire quamplurima.

Chap, II. Satan's Temptations. 191
hear fome new thing ;' npt barely in telling news, but in en
quiries after new notions and discoveries ;, and -this made them
willing to hear, Pauk as a fetter forth pf . ftrange gods, and
new dodrine. -,.,,-. ».
- When this defire jifter knowledge is animated- with pride, as
oft it is, for knowledge puffeth up, then it is more dangerous.
When men are upon a defign to feembigher than others, to be
Singular, to fee more than what all men fee, to be admired, to
out-talk their, neighbpurs, what adventures will they not
make ? How fair do they lie open to any ponceit that may
ferve this, end ?, ,....-:
That Satan labours to improve, this. curioSity . is. without
doubt; he carefully affords fuel to this burning, and diligently
blows it up ipto a flame. The firft temptation had that ingre
dient in it, ' Yp Shall be as gods, knowing good and evil ;' and
We may fee it was a great enticement to Eve, that which would
piake one wife vyas therefore defirable. The blame of Ifrael's
firft idolatry Seems to he laid -at tjiis door,, Deut. xxxii. 17.
' They Sacrificed—-to gods whom they knew not, to new gods
fhat came newly up,' implying, that they were drawn afide
from their old eftablifhed way of worfhip, by a curiofity to try
the new ways, pf tfee heathens. Andfogreat an 'hand hath this-
generally in errors, that Paul, ? Tim. iv. 3. makes this itch af
ter novelty the, great ground of that defedion from truth, which
he forefaw was coming, f. They fhall heap to themfelves teach
ers having itching ears. This itch of the ear is the ufual fore
runner of a fcab in the church % becaufe it dqth difpofe men-
tprepeive any kind of teacher,, God indeed doth fometimesstake
the advantage of our natural curiofity for our good; by this
mearis many of John's hearers, who went out into the wilder-
nefsjo him, .as to a ftrange fight, as thofe words imply, 'What
Went ye put intp the wildernefs-to fee ?' were converted. By
this -means, the gofpel afterwards made a large progrefs, as
we fee commonly new teachers, affect moft at firft ; for when
rnen grow acquainted with their gifts, their admiration de
cays, and the fuccefs. of their labours is not fo great many
times. The devil,, alfo, obferving the provalency of curiofity,
and that men are more pleafed with new notions, than with
old, truths ; be endeavours alfo to plow with this heifer, and
oft makes a great harveft by it. There is yet another advan
tage more that hp fometimes ufeth; and that is,
Fifthly, Atheiflical, debauchery, when men by long cuftorn in
Sinning, have arrived to habitual careleflhefs and prefumption,
then they become pradical atheifts ; their vitious habits' work
^ upon
_ * Pluritus auriuni eft fcabies 'ecclefiarum

r§> A Treatife of Part II.
upon their understandings tb obliterate all prinpiples : When
men are gone fo Wv, they aro fit engineers for Satan; for
white, they difbelievfe all things, they can,- to ferve a defign,>- or
to head a party, take up any opinion, arid pretend5 the greateft
ferioufiite'fs ih the propagating it ; though in the nieari time,
they fecretly laugh at thfe credulity of the vulgar.
Thefe men let biit themfelve3, and all their parts to the de
vil, and he knows how to make ufe of them, to bring on the
delufion, and deception bf others. Many ages have given ex
amples of fuch : Thofe feducers mentioned in the New TfeSla-i
ment, were, Some of them, of , this rank,, and therefore called
deceitful Workers. "Such as were not really under thofe per.
fuafions, which they thought to Six upon others ; but up&ir
• defigri> transformed themfelves into the apoftles of Chrift ;'
fuch as fetved not our Lord Jefus Chrift, but their own bellies:
And yet ' by good Words and fair fpeeches, deceived the hearts
of the Simple,' Rom. xvi. t8. Who, through covetoufnefl, with
feigned words, made merchandize of men, 2 Pet. ii. 3. Balaain.'
was fuch, arid*the Wohiari Jezebel that called herfelf a prOphe-
tefs, Rev* ii. 20. Such Was the archbiShbp of Spfllato, Who
for advantagte-could at pleafure take up, and lay down his reli*
gioft. Such an one was the falfe Jew, not fo long Since, diSfee"
yfered ih this place *, Who, being a RomiSh emiflkry, pretended
to be a Jew converted 5 and feeking a pure chureb^ under that
vizOr,v defignihg to overthrow, by private infinuations, the faith
bf the Simple, uncautious admirers : By fuch instruments Satan
works, where he hath opportunity.

C H A P. nr.
Of Satan's fa/proving thefe- advantages for error. (-1 .•) By de
luding the underftanding dirtBly-i Which be., doth, 1. My
countenancing error from fcripture. Of his cunning therein*
1. By fpecious pretences vf myfieries ,• and what thefe arty
Of perfonal flatteries. 3. By wffe&e,d expreffmns, . Reafon of
their prevaltncy. 4. By Sold afifertions. ,The reafons of
that policy. 5. By the excellency oftheperjhm appearing fo»
it, either for gifts or holinefs. His method of managing that
defign: 6. By pretended infpiration. 7. By pretended mi-
racks* His cunning herein. 8. By peace and profipeekyin
ways of error. y.'ByJies againft truth, and^ the profeffert
of it. ' ' .
TllrTHAT are the general advantages which Satan hath to for-1
t Y ward his defign of error we have feen. It tabw remain**
;' " ' that
* Sfe the Narration, tailed, The falfe Jew.

Ghapy. III. ¦ Satan's^ Temptations. I93
that we take an, account of the various ways, by which he im
proves thofe advantages, and thofe may be referred to two
heads: I. They are fuch Stratagems,, as more diredly work
upon the underftanding to delude and blind it. ' Or., 2. They
are fuch as indiredly, by the power ofthe will and affedions,' do.
influence it.
1. Thofe Stratagems, that more immediately concern the
underftanding, are the ufe of fuch arguments, which carry in
thern a probability to confirm an error ; though indeed they
dro but fallacies, fophifms, or paralogiSms : Of which the apof
tle fpeaks, Col. ii. 4. ' Left any beguile you,'— rthat is, left they
impofe upon you, by falfe reafonings. His ufual way of pro»?
ceeding in this cafe is",
Firft, When he hath to do with men that are brought up
with profeflion, and belief of fcripture; he is then ¦ careful to
give an error fome countenance or pretence frpm Scripture : It-
is not bis courfe to decry the fcriptures with fuch men, but to
fuppofe their truth and authority, as, the moft plauSible way to
his defign : For by this means he doth not only prevent a great-
many Startling objections, which would otherwife1- run up a-
gainft him, feeing men brought up yrith fcripture cannot eafily
be brought to call them falfe, but with considerable advantage,
he doth thereby authorize and juftify his error : For nothing
can give more boldnefs or confidence to amiftake, than a be
lief that it is backed with fcripture.
That this is one of his grand Stratagems, may be Sufficiently
evinced from the infinite number of errors that pretend ta
fcripture-Warrant. Thofe that are above, or beyond fcripture,
whichs. acknowledge no dependance upon it, are but few, and
rare: And indeed, among-Chriftians, error cannot well thrive
without a pretence of fcripture. Men would have enough to
(do to perfuade themfelves to fueh errors, but it would be im
poffible to make a party or perfuade others ; fuch errors would
prefently be biffed out of the world. Upon this acount is it,
that atheifm feulks and conceals itfelf, except where generally
tolerated profanenefs gives it more -than ordinary encourage
ment, which is not to be afcribed to any fhame-faced modefty,
that atheifm can be fuppofed to riourifti ; but to the general
diflike of cthersj whp fo flick to the authority of the Bible,
that they rejed all dired contradidions to it with great abhor
rency^ Hence alfo it is, that fome erroneous perfons are for
ced to coritradidions in tbeir practice againft their prbfefled
principles, becaufe they find it .impoffible to propagate their er
rors, Without fome pretence or other to fcripturei. They that
would undermine thefe "Sacred records, are forced to make ufe
B b , of

I94 A, Treatife of , Part H<
of their authority for proof pf what they wpqjd fay. The! Pa.
piils haye a quarrel at them, and envy them the title pf perfec
tion and perfpicuity, upon defign to introduce tuaditipa|^ and
to fet up the Pope's judicial authority in matters of faith.; and
when they have faid all they can, to fubjed the fcriptures to
the Pope's determination, they are forced at .laft to be behold
en to the fcriptures to prove the Pope's determination : They
Would prpve the fcriptures by. the church ; and then the church
by the fcriptures : Which is a circle they have been, often told
of, and of which, fome ofthe wifer Sort among themfelves: are
afhampd. Others "alfo, that will not allow the fcriptures to he.
a general {landing rulp, are yet forced to make it, in fome car
fes, a rule to themfelves, and eagerly plead it to be fo to o-
thers. They that pretend to bs above ordinances, and decry
' outward teachings as unneceflary, or hurtful ; yet, they
teach outwardly, becaufe they fee they are not able to enlarge :
the empire of error, .without fuch teaching. Thofe very,err
rors that make it their chief bufinefs, to render the fcriptures
no' better than: an old almanack ; they yet feek fo fcripture to
countenance their blafphemous affertions ; and if they get any
Scrap or fliread of it, that may by their unjuft torture be wreft-.
e!d to Speak any fuch thing, 2 Pet. iii. 16. or any thing toward
it, they think all their follies are thereby patronized ; and com
monly, Such men either fix uppn fuch places as give warning
of the neceffary concomitancies of the fpirit and heart, with
the outward ad of fervice ; and from hence, feparating what
God hath joined together, they fet up fpiritual fabbaths, fpiri
tual baptifm, fpiritual worShip, to cry down, and cafliier the
external ads of" fuch ordinances : Or they pretend ¦ kindred to
fcripture, as prophefying, or foretelling thofe new administra
tions which they are about to fet up. ' Let H. Nicholas be an
inftance of this, who though he decried the fervice of the lajtf
under- God the Father, and the fervice of the belief under
Chrift, ; and in the rbbm of both thefe, would fet up another
administration, under the" fpirit ; yet, that he might be the bet-
ter believed, he applied. Several fcriptures to Ins purpofe, as
prophetically foretelling H. Nicholas, and his fervices ; and
Would have men imagine, that he was ' that angel flying in
the midft of heaven with the everlafting gofpel," • Rev. xiv. 6.
* And that prophet enquired after by the Jews,' John i. 2t. ' Art
thou that prophet? And that man ordained to judge the world,'
Acts xvii, 31. And that the time.s of his difpenfation, were
the times of perfedion and glory, fpoken of in t Cor. xiii. o.
and Heb. vi." 1. The like pretences ibr new administrations
had Saltmarfti, and feveral others.
, Satan

Ghaf.III. Satan's Temptations. ]95
Satan fixing his foot upon this defign, and taking advantage
bf mens ignbrance, curiofity and pride, %3c. it is impoffible to
teJL what he may do ; he hath introduced many herefies. al
ready, arid none knows what may be behind ; many paffages
of fcripture are dark, fo the wifeft cf men : A great many
more are fo to the. common fort of Chriftians. A great many
wits are employed by him, as adventurers for new difcoveries;
and a fmall pretence is. ground enough for a bold undertaker to
ered a new notion upon ; and a new notion in religion, is like
a new fafhicn in apparel, which bewitcheth the unfteady with
an itch to be in it, before they well underftand what it is' : So
that it is alike impoffible to flint the juft number of errors, as
to adjiift the various pretences from fcripture upon which they
may be countenanced. Leaving therefore this talk to thole
that can undertake it, I fhall only note a particular pr two of
Satan's cunning in affixing an error upon fcripture.
i . In any grand defign of error, he endeavours to lay the
foundation of it as near> to truth as he can ; but yet fo, that
in the tendency of it, it may go as far from it as may be. As
fome rivers whofe firft fountains are contiguous, have notwith
standing a dired contrary courfe in their Streams. For Inflariee,
in thofe errors -that tend to overthrow the dodrine of the gof
pel, concerning Chrift and Ordinances, and thefe are things
which the devil hath a great fpite at, he begins his work with '
plaufible pretences of love and admiration of Chrift and grace ;
he proceeds from thence to the preferice of, purer enjoyments,
from thence to a diflike of fuch preachers and preaching, as
threaten fin, and fpeak out the wrath of God againft iniquity,
arid thefe are prefently called legal preachers, and the dodrine
of duty a legal covenant ; having them once at this point, they
eafily tome to iriimediate affift&nces and fpecial gifts, which
they pretend to have above others ; being thus fet up, they are
for free grace, and the enjoyment of God in fpirit;, from thenca
they come to 'Christian liberty, and by degrees duties are vm-
neceffary, there is no Chrift but within them, and being freed
frpm the law, whatever they do is no tranfgreffion. This is a
path that Satan hath trodden of old, though now and then he
may vary in fome circumftances, and be forced to flop before
he come to the utmoft. of his journey. You may obferve this
method in. the late errors of New England, *¦ in the Familjjfts
of Germany, and in thofe of Old England 5 In all which at the
long- run men are led as far from fcripture, as darknefs is from
light. Now this is not only fo be feen in a progreffive multir
plication of errors, but often may we perceive the fame fubtil-
Bb 2 ' ty
* S te the book called Wonder working Providence for New- England '

196 A Treatife -of ^ Part It
ty of Satan in- a Ample error, as when he takes, up part of a
truth whiph Should ftand< in conjunction with another, and fets
it up alone againft its own companion, where we Shall have the
name and pretence kept up, but the .thing quite destroyed.
God requires fervices of men, and prefcribes to their. ufe, pray.
er, Hearing, facraments, but becaufe. in thefe God is dishon
oured when men only, draw- near with their Ups, he further
tells us, ' That he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, nei
ther is that circumcifion which is of the flefh,? &c. This part
are fome men fo fixed upon, that they think they are difcharg-
ed of the other, and in pradice go quite from thefe duties, and
yet ftill they profefs they are for brdinances and the worfhip of
God ; juft fp are fome, men for Chrift, but then it is but, the
name, not the thing; they own Chrift they fay, but then it is
Chrift in them, and Chrift come in their SleSh, but not that
Chrift that died at Jerufaiem, as a SapriSice for the Sins of men.
idly, Satan takes great care that an error be, in all the ways
of its propagation, clothed with fcripture phrafes ; and the lefe
the" error can pretend to any plauftble ground of fcripture, the
more doth he endeayour to adorn it with fcripture language,, I
linderftand this chiefly of fuch .errors, as are defigned for thp
multitude, fo that though fcriptpre be not ufed to prove thp
error, yet are deceivers taught, tp exprefs_ their conceptions by
it,~and to accommodate the wprde and Sentences of it to their pur
pofes ; for befides pride and confidence, Scriptural eloquence is
a neeeffary ingredient to make a powerful deluder. Obferve;
the ring- leaders pf errors, and you Shall find that prdinarily,
fuch have at firft been Sludipus, of the Scriptures ; and though
never able todigeft them, yet when they turned their earsfroift
truth, they have carried their fcripture language,, which they
had before brought themfelves unto by long cuftom, .away
with them, and , ftill retain it, and exprefs their opinions by it.
Now this is a great advantage to Satan, For, firft, By this,
means the ignorant multitude are often caught without any
more ado ; if they hear fcripture expreffions, they are apt to,
think that all is truth, which is fpoken by them ; and they the
rather believe it, becaufe they will itnaginp fuch teachers to be »
well yerfed in fcripture, and confequently either fo honeft, orfq
knowing that they neither can, nor will delude them. Secondly'%
There is a majefly in Scripture which in Some fenfe, dpth Slick
to the very expreflions of it ; men may perceive tjiat generally
hearers are more aSfeded with fcripture eloquence, than wjth
play-book language ; it bath, as it were, a charm in the' words,
which makes the ear attentive, more than a quaint difcourfe,
Starched up in the drefs of common ihetorick : One gives usan

Chap. III. Satan's Temptations. 197
an obfervation to that purpofe of his own preaching, * and fo
may many ethers. While then men hear fuch language, they
have a reverence to it. And as phyficians cover their pills
with gold, that the patient might more willingly take them ; fp"
do men often fwallow down error without due consideration',
becaufe conveyed to them in a language which they refped.
Secondly, Satan's fecohd care for the advancement of error,
after he hath given it all the countenance he can from fcripture,
is to gild- it over with fpecious pretences ; he fets it off with
all the bravery he can, and then urgeth that as an arguinent of
its truth. Men are apt to judge that what dpth better their
fpiritual condition cannot be a lie or delufion ; and the argu
ment were the more confiderable, if the advantages were fuch
as he pretends them to be: But the very noife and boaft of ad
vantages pleafe the unwary, without a due enquiry into their
reality. The apoftle in Rom. xvi. 18. reduceth all this policy
of the deceiver- to twp heads: (1.) Good words, words that
fet out the profit and advantage of the thing. (2.) And fair
Speeches, fpeeches that flatter the pondition of the party. His
art as to the firft of thefe, is te tell them that the notions offered
to them are fpecial difcoveries, rare myfteries, which have been
bidden from Pthers ; and thenpe infers, that it muft pf neceffity
conduce much to their happinefs, and fpiritual perfedfon tp
know and embrace them. Thofe that troubled the church in
Paul's days with falfe dodrines, ufed this flight of boafting, as
appears by that expreffion in 1 Tim. vi.' 20. oppositions of Sci
ence; it Seems they called their opinions, though they were
but profane and vain babblings, by the name of Science ot know
ledge ; implying that all others, even the apoftles themfelves,
were in the dark, and came .Short of their illumination. The
like we have in Rev. ii. 24. of that abominable prdphetefs Je-
z'ebeL'who recommended her blafphemous filthy doptrinesVun-
der the name of 'depths, prpfundities, or hidden 'knowledge,
though the Spirit of God told that church they were net fuch J,
but if depths, they were depths of Satan, as it is added there
by way of corredion, 'and not of the Spirit of God. We may
trace thefe fobtfteps of Satan in all considerably prevailing er-
.rors : For what hath been more common than to hear men
fpeak of the defigns they have been parrying on, under the Spe
cious titles of Chrift's coming to fet up a righteous kingdom^,
Tthe churches coming out of Babylon, and out of the wildernefs ;
the dawning, of the day of the Lord ; the day of reformation ;
the time of the restitution of all things; with abundance of
brags of the fame kind. I Shall add np particular iriftance ,of
this
* Savonarola triumph. Crucis. 1. 2. c. «.

19,8 A Treatife of part 11^
this nature ; but a few Strains of H. Nicholas, with whom fuch
high promifihg vaunts were ordinary. His Service of love, he
compares to the moft. holy, (Whereas John's dodrine of repent
ance was but a preparatiori to the holy ; and the fervice of
Chrift he allowed to be, no more than as the hdly of the tem
ple) this bis fervice he palls, thfe perfection of life; the comple
tion of prophecies, the perfed cbriclufion bf, the works of God,
the throne of Chrift, the true reft of the chofen of God, the laft
day, the fure word of prophecy, the.new Jerufalem? and what
not? If we make further enquiry into the nature of thefe fair pro-
mifirig-toyfteries, we Shall find that Sataumoft frequently pitch-
eth upon thefe three, ill, He befools men into a belief,, that
the fcriptures do, under the vailof their words and fentenceSj
contain fome hidden notions, that are of purpofe fo difguiSed;
that they may be locked up from the generality of men, at
leaft from learned and wife men ; and that thefe rarities cannot
be difcerned from the ufual Significations" of the words and
jphrafes," as we ' understand other books of the fame language/
but they fancy thefe facred writings to be like the writings oif
the Egyptians *, by which they abfconded their myfteries> efp'e-j
dally like that kind bf writing, whereby under Words of com
mon knbwh fenfe, they intended things which the. words them
felves could not Signify ; and that which occafions this imagi
nation is this, that we read frequently of myfteries in fcriptures,
and hidden wifdom, and the fpecial revelation of thfeto to God's
children, which are very great truths, biit yet not to be fo un
derftood, as this delufion fuppofeth : For thefe' expreffions in
fcripture iritend no more thari this, that the defign of God to
fave man by Chrift is in itfelf a myftery, which never would
have been found out without a fpecial revelation ; and that
though this my&ery is" npw revealed by the gofpel, yet as to
the application of it to the hearts of meh in converfion, by the
operation of the Spirit, it is yet a myftery, But none of thefe
intend any fuch fuggeftion, that there ate private notions of
truth or doclrine that are lying under ground, as it were, in
Scripture words, which the words hi the common language will
not acquafntus withal; naV, the contrary is exproSsly affirmed^.
when we are told that all is plainly laid Open to the very Simple,
So that Srom the Scriptures they may as well underftand the fun-'
damental principles of religion, as they may underftand any
Other thing which their language doth exprefs to them.
However in this Satari takes advantage of men's pride and
, , curiofity,'
* As Ibis a Scarabeo accipitris'p'ulchritndincm participat : By which they
fignified tire nioou borrowing its light, from the fun.

Chap. III. Satan's TpnptatioM. %$$
curiofity, to make them forward in the acceptation pf Such of
fers, efppcially when fuch things are rpprefented, as the only
favjng discoveries, which a man cannot be ignorant of hut with
h^ftrd of damnation.
Secondly, In this boaft of myftery, Satan Sometimes takeg ^
nother courfe Somewhat differing from the former, and that if
to put men upon allegorical refledions and allufions, by which
the historical paflages of fcripture are made (befides the import
qf the hiftory) refemhlances of fpiritual truths ; which fuppp-r
feth the letter pf fcripture to be true, (but Still as no better
than the firft rudiments to train up beginners withal) yet with
al, that the fpiritual meaning of it raifetji the Skilful to a higher
form in ChriSl's School. At this rate^-all are turned into allp,
gories. If tbey fell upon the fii ft -ofGenefis, they think they
then truly underftand- it, when they apply the light and dark
nefs, and G°d's Separating of them, with fuch other paflages,
to the. regeneration of thp foul. The like work makp they
with the fufferings of Chrift. But then the crafty .adverfary
at laft enticeth them on to let go the hiftory, as Jf it were no
thing but a parable, not really aded, but only fitted tp reprefent
notions to us- Allegories were a trap which the devil had for
the Jews, and wherein they wonderfully pleafed themSelves.
How mueh Origen abufed himfelf and the fcriptures by this
buM^r is. known to many ; and bow the devil hath prevailed
generally by it upon giddy geople $a later times, I need npt tell
you. '.'...
sThe pretence that Satan hath for this dealing is raifed from
Some paflages of thp New Teftament, wherein many things bf
the Old Teftament aro feid to have had a myftical Significa
tion of things expreffed or tranfaded then, and fome things are
expreSsly called allegories. . Hpnce Papifts determine the fcrip
tures to have, befides the grammatical fenfe, which all of us
do own, and befides tbetropplpgical fenfe, which is not divers
or diftind from the grammatical ; as when from, hjftories we de
duce instructions of holy and fober carriage, an allegorical
and analogical 'fenfe ; in which dealing men eor.fider not, that
the Spirit of God's interpreting a paflage or two allcgorically,
will never juftify any man's boldnefs in prefuming tb do the
like to any other paflage of fcripture ; and hefides, when any
hath tried his- Skill that way, another may with equal probabi
lity carry the fame fcripture to a different interpretation, and
by this means, the fcripture fhall not only becprne obfeure, but
altogether uncertain and doubtful, and unable to prove any
thing; fo that this doth extremely dishonour fcripture, by
making it little lefs than ridiculous. Porphyry and Julian made

£66 ' A Treatife of ¦ Part It
made themfelves fpoft with it, upon the occafion of Origen's1
allegorizing *, and no wonder, feeing that humour, as one calls
it, is no better than alearned foolery. Notwithftanding this, men
are fometimes tranfported with a ftrange delight in turning all in
to allegories,^and picking niyfteries out of fome by- paflages and
circumftances of fcripture, where one would leaft exped them:
Which I can afcribe to no fecond caufe more than, to the work
ing and power of fancy, which as- it can frame ideas and images
of things, out of that that affords no real likenefs or proportipn;
as men that create to themfelves Similitudes and pidures in the
clpuds pr in the fire, fo doth it pleafe itfelf in its own work,
and with a kind of natural affedion, it doth'kifs and hug. its
own baby. It hath been my wonder fometimesi to fee how
fond men have been of their own fancies, and hpw extremely
they have doted upon a very bable. I might note to you ex
amples- of this, even to naufeoufnefs, in all Studies, as well as
in this of religion. Thofe that affed the Sublimities of chy*
miftry, do ufually, by a ftrange boldnefs Stretch all the Sacred
myfteries of fcripture, as of the trinity; of regeneration, &c.- to
reprefent their Secrets- and proceffes, as may be Seen Sufficiently
in their writings : One of them I cannot forbear to name, and
that is Glauber * ; who doth fo pleafe himfelf with fome
idle, whims about Sal and Sol, that at laft he falls in with
Bernardinus Gomefius, whom he cites and approves, who in
this- one word «»f, which Signifies fait, finds the Trinity, the
generation of the- Son, the two natures of Chrift, the calling
of the Jews and -Gentiles, the proceffion of the Spirit, and
the ccmmunicaticns of the Spirit in the law and gofpel, and
all this he gathers from the Shapes, Strokes, and pofitions of
thefe three letters : A, very fubtle invention ! Not unlike <6
this, were fome of the dotages of the JewiSh Cabala, which
they gathered from the different writing of fome letters irt
the facred text, from the tranfpofing.of them, and from their
myftical arithmetic. R. Elias from the letter aleph, mentioned.
fix times in Gen. i. r. coileded his notion of the world's conv
tinuance for 6000 years, becaufe that letter aleph Stands for a
thoufand in the Hebrew computation. Another Rabbi, men
tioned by Lud. Capellus f, hath a profound fpeculation con
cerning the firft letter of Genefis, which, as he faith,, doth
therefore begin with beth, and not with aleph, to Shew the un
exceptionable verity of God's word, againft which no, mouth
can juftly open itfelf; and this he gathers from the manner of
the
* Whitaker def. lit. fententia adv. Durxura, lib. %. p.-SS. Partnrta doit.,
quandam infania difcrepat. ¦)- Vide Lumen Chymicum. CrollH Bafil. Chy-
mic. in prefatione. Glauber de fignatura Saliam, p. 31. 38. \ Lud. Capptlli
cc . in Eph. vi. lo

Chap\ ill; Safari's Temptations. ioi
the pronunciation of that letter beth, which is performed by
trie clofure ofthe lips. It were not poffible to imagine, that
wife men Should be' thus 'carried away with childiflrfollies, if
therp were not fome kind of incharitment in fancy, which makes
the hit of a conceit, though never fo filly; intoxicate them into
an apprehenfion of a rare difcovery. And doubtlefs this is the
very thing' that doth fo tranfport the allegorizers and inventers
of myfteries, that they are raviShed either with the difcovery
of a new nothing, or with the rare 'invention of ari enigmatical
interpretation, ' ,--.¦-
Thirdly, The devil hath yet another way pf coining' myfte
ries, and that is, a pretence of a more full difcovery • of notions
and ways, -which, as he tells thofe that are willing to believe
him,' are but glanced at in the fcriptures ; and this doth not
only contain his boaft of unfolding prophefies; and' the danger
ous applications of them to times and places that are no way
concerned; which hath more than once put men upon danger
ous undertaking^-, but alfo his large promife of teaching the
way of the Lord more perfedly, and of leading men into a full
eomprehenfion of»'thofe tremendous myfteries* wherein the
fcripture hath as induftrioufly concealed the reafons, way; and
manner of their' being, as !it hath -fully afferted that they are,
(fuch are the decrees'' of God^ the Trinity, &c.) as alfo of un
folding arid teaching at large thofe things- that the fcripture
feems only to hint a*. , In all 'Which points we have inftances
enough at hand, -which will Shew us how the devil- hath played
his game, either by making men bold in things not revealed,
or by drawing mento diflike folid truths; and by puffing them
up with notions,' till- at laft they were prepared for the impref-
fion of forrie grand delufion., ¦> All this- while- 1 have only ex
plained the firft head., of Satan's fpeciou's pretences, which
confifts in the' promife of difcoveries and myfteries.
The next head of-pretences, are thofe that relate to the per
sons enamoured with thefe Suppbfed myfteries, -With thefe he
Strokes^ their heads, and caufeth them to hug' themfelves in a
dream of an imaginary happinefs. For iS they have the know
ledge of myfteries, which are locked up from pther men, they
cannot avpid this conclusion, that they are the only favourites
Of heaven ; that they only have the Spirit, are only taught of
God, &c. Such Swelling words bf vanity have ever, accompa-.
rfi'ed delufion. And indeed we Shall find the confidence of fuch
men more Strong, and their falfe embracements mpre rapturous,
than ordinarily the Ways of truth do afford, upon this account ;
tliat in Such caSes, fancy is elevated, and the delights-of a raifed
fahey are exceflive, arid enfhufiaftical. . It is a kind of Spiritual
C c frenzy.

201 A Treatife of Part II*
, , ¦¦>*'''
frenzy, which extends all the faculties to an extraordinary ac»
tivity ; the devil doing all he can to further it, by his utmoft
contributions. Joy, delight, hope, love, are all vaifed to make
an hubbub in the heart ; whereas, on the cbntrary, truth is
inodeft, humble, fober, and affords a more, Silent joy, though
more eve*n and lafting. ' ;
Here might I fet error before you in it's rant, and give you
a tafte ofthe high-flown Strains of it. Montanus, as vile as he
was, had the confidence to call himfelf the Comforter. Nava-
tus and his brother would be no lefs than Mofes and Aaron.
The Gnpfticks called themfelves the Illuminati. The Swink-
fieldians affumed the title cf the Confeffors of the glory of
Chrift, Tfi,e Family of Love had their evangeUum regni, the
gofpel1 of the kingdom. The Fratricelli distinguished them
felves from others by the. term Spiritual. Muntzer afferted,
that all of his opinion- were God's eled : and that all the chiL
dren of their religion were to be called the Children of God ;
and that all others were ungodly, and defigned to damnation.
H. Nicholas affirms, that there was no knowledge of Chrift noe
fcripture, but in his family. To this purpofe moft of thera
fpeak, that forfeke the ways of truth ; and though thefe fwelk
ings are but wind and^ vapour, yet thofe heights are very fer
vieeable to the devil's, purpofes : Who by this, means confirms,
thofe whom he hath already conquered, and then fits them out
with, the greater confidence to allure others ; and men are apt
enough to be drawn by fair Shews and confident boaftings. But
I proceed. The third' Stratagem of Satan for promoting error, is to afto*
riifti men with ftrange language and affected expreffions. It
Was an old device of Satan to coin an unintelligible gibberifh,
as the proper vehicle of ftrange enthufiaftic dodrine,: and, this
he artificially fuits to his pretended myfteries, ; without this his
rare difcoveries would be too flat and dull to gain upon any ,
man of competent understanding. For if thefe. dotages were
clothed in plain words, they would either appear to be.direft
nonfenfe,-or ridiculous folly. It concerns him when he hath
any feats of delufion in hand,, to Set* them pff, with, a canting
Speech, as jugglers ufe their hard words of aitif, cafyl, maze,
'freflo, millai, §cc. to put their ignorant admirers into a belief
of fome unknown power by which they do their wonders. And'
this is infome fort neceffary '$ extraordinary matters are above
expreffion, and fuch wild expreffions put men, into an expecta
tion of things fublime. This knack Satan hath constantly uSed.
Montanus had his ftrange fpeeches. And: all, along" downward?
to our times, we may obferve, that error hath had this gaudy
drefs ;

Gha|r. Si. Satan's Temptations. ^»3
drefs ; the FamiUfts efpecially abound with it, yob rria'y 'read
whole books full b'f Such a kind of Speaking, as the book called
Theologia Germanictt, or German Divinity ; the books of Ja
cob Behrilen, The bright Morning-Star, &c. Neither are the
Pipifts free-,, one * of lite hath takerithe pains to Shew them
this, arid other follies : Among theihybu may find fuch talk
as this, of being beclbfed in the mid-head of God, and in his
meek-head ; of being fubftantially United to God, of being oned
to God ; as alfo Of the abftradednefs of life, of paffivte unions,
ofthe deiforni fund of the foul ; of a State of introverfion ; of
a Super-eflential life, a ftate Of hothirigriefs, &.c. Jiift like the
ravings bf H. Nicholas, David George, arid Others, who confi
dently difcoUrfe bf being godded With God, of being confub-
ftantiated with the Deity, and of God's being manned with
them.. I have oft confidered, vvhat reafon might be given for the
takingn'efs of fuch expreffions, and have been forced to fatisfy
myfelf with thefe: Firft, Many miftake the knowledge of
words, for the 'knowledge of things. And well may poor ig
norant men believe, they have attained, rib man knows What, by
this device ; when among learned men, the knowledge of words
is efteeihed fo great a pitch of learning, and they nourifh a great
many controversies that are only verbal. Secondly, Some are
pleafed to Be accounted uriderltanflers by others, and reft in
fuch higH Words, as a badge of knowledge. Thirdly, Some are
delighted with fuch an hard language, upon an hope, that it
will lead them to the knowledge of the things at laft : They
think Strange expreffions arte a figh of deep myfteries, I knevv
one that fet hiriifelf tb the reading of Jacob Behmeri's books, .
though at prefent lie cOnfeSSed he was fcarce able to make cbrh-
'thbri fenfe of threb lines together, upon a fecret enticement
that he had from the language to Come to • fofne excellent drf-
, covery, by much pairis drtd reading. Fourthly, Some that have
their fancies heated f, have by this means broken confufed irri-
preffibns of ftrange things In their imaginations, and conceive
themfelves to know things beyond what common language cart
exprefs ; as if With Paul, rapt up into the third heaven, they
hear and fee Wonders uriutterable. But what reafori foever
prevails with men tb take up fuch a way of fpeaking, Satan
makes thferil believe, that it Contains a rich mirie or treafury,
not of comriioh truths, but of extraordinary profundities.
Fourthly, Inftead of argument tb confirm an etro'r, fome times
* Dr Stillingfleel Idolatry of the Church of Rome, f Dicaa eos mera to-
nitrua fonarc, ham comniuiii rerihiine. fpreto, exoticuni nefeio quod idioma.
Sbi fingunt, viii l'unt fuos difcipulos fupra ccelum rapere. Cahiif.'

404 A Treatife of S?art II,
times we have only bold affertions that it is truth, and a con
fident condemning the contrary as an error, urging the danger
of mens rejeding it, backed with threatening of hell and dam
nation ; and all this in the words of fcripture. To be Sure
they are right, and all other men are wrong. This kind of
confidence and fiercenefs hath been ftill the complexion of any
remarkable way of delufion ; for that commonly confines- their
charity to their own party y which is a grear token of an error,
not only may you obferve in fuch extraordinary proclamations
pf wrath againft thofe that will not believe them ; a pradice '
ufed by the mad fanatips of Munfter, who, as our 'Quakers
were wont tb do, go up and down the Streets, crying," Wo, wo;
repent, repent; come out of Babylon; the heavy wrath of God;
the, axpis laid to the root of the tree: But in their more fettled
teaching, they pronouncKall to be Antichrist, and- of the car
nal church, that do oppofe them. Take- for this H. Nicholas's
words : " All knowledge," befides his, " is but witchery and
blindneSs ; and all other teachers, and learners, are a falfe
Christianity, and the devil's Synagogue ; a neft of devils,, and
wicked fpirits ; a falfe being, -the Antichrift, the kingdom-xf
hell, the majefty of the devil,'" &c This piece of art, not on
ly our Quakers, to whom nothing is more familiar, thanuto
Say tb any oppofer, Thou art damned, thou art in the galLpf;
bitternefs, the lake of fire and brimftone is prepared for thee,
pke. but alfo the Papifts commonly pradifey who Shut all out
of heaven that are not ' of their church ; and when they would
affright any from Proteflanifm, they make not nice to tell him?
that there is no poffibility pf Salvatiori but in their way.
The reafons pf this policy are thefe, i. The heart is apttq
be Startled with threatenings, and moved by commands ; efpe-.
cially thofe that are of a more tender and frightful fpirit : And,
though they knownothing by themfelves, yet thefe beget fears,
which may Secretly betray reafon,. and make raeri leave -the
right way becaufe pf affrightment. - i. The confidence of the
aflertors of fuch things hath alfo its prevalency ; for men are
apt to think that they would not fpeak fo, if they .were not
very certain, and had not real experience pf what they faid ;
and thus are men threaped out of their own perfuafions. 3. The
native majefty of fcripture, in a bufin'eSs of fo great hazard,
adds an inexpreSTible force to fuph threatenings ; and though;
being mifapplied, they are no more fcripture threatenings ; yetj
becaufe God hath fpoken his diSpleaSure in thofe words, men
are apt to revere' them; as men cannot avoid to fear a ferpent
pr toad, though they know the Sting and poifon were taken out,
bepufe nature did furniSh them with a fling or venom.
' WW

Chap; HI. Satan's Temptations. 2,0$
[Fifthly, It is an ufual trick of Satan to derive a. credit and
honour to. error, from the excellencies, fuppofed or real,' of
the perfons that more eminently appear for it : So that it fetch-
eth no fmall Strength from the qualities of thofe that propagate
it. The vulgar, that do not ufually dive deep into the natures
of things, content themfelves with the moft Superficial argu
ments, r and are fopner wpn to a good conceit of any opinion,
by the refpeds tbey carry to the author, than by the ftrongeft
demonstration. The excellencies that ufuafly move them, are either their
gifts or their holinefs. If the feedfmen of an error be learned,
or eloquent and affectionate in his fpeaking, men are apt to
fubferibe to any thing he fliall fay, from a blind devotional
admiration ofthe parts wherewith he is endowed. And often.
where there is no learning, pr where learning is decried, as fa
vouring too nyuch of man, if there be natural fluency of Speech,
with a fufficient meafure of confidence, it raifeth them fo much
the higher in the.efteem of the common fort, who therefore
judge him to be immediately taught of God, and divinely fur-;
niShed with gifts. At this point began, the divifions pf the
church of Corinth, they had feveral officers feverally gifted ; '
fome were taken withpne man's gift, others with anpther man's ;
fome are for Paul, as being profound, and nervous, in his dif
courfes; others for Apollo, as eloquent; a third fort were for
Cephas, as, fuppofe, an affedionate preachef ; thus upon perr
fonal refpedts were they divided into parties. And if thefe fe-
yeral teachers were of different opinions, their adherents, im-
braced them upon an affedionate conceit of their excellencies.
And generally Satan hath wrought much by fuch considerations
as thefe. This he urgeth.againft Chrift himfelf, when he let
pp the wifdom and learning bf the rulers and, Pharifees, as an
argument- of truth in their way of.rejeding fuch a Meflias,
John vii\ 48. ,' Have any pf the, rulers,, or of the Pharifees be
lieved on him?' There is no infinuation more frequent than
this ; thefe are learned,_ excellent, able men, and therefore what
they fay,, or teach, is not to be disbelieved ; and though this
be but argqmentum fiultum, a foolifh argument, yet Some that
would be accounted wife, do make very great ufe of it. The
crack of learned dodors among the Papifts, is one topic of
perfuafion to Popery; and fo tp 'other errors, as appears by
this, that all errors abound with large declamations of the prair
fes of their founders and. teachers : And the moft illiterate; er
rors ufually magnify the excellent iufpirements, and gifts of
. utterance of their leaders.
But the other excellency of holinefs in the teachers of error, h

2©6 A Treatife of Part II.
is mere generally and more advantagioufly improved by Satan,
to perfuade men, that all is true doctrine Which Such men pfo-
fefs. Of this delufion Chrift forewarned lis, ' They Shall corrie
in. Sheeps cloathing ;' that is, under the mafk of feeriiing holi-
nefs ; at leaft at firft, notwithftanding beware of them, Matth.
Vii.' 15. Thofe complained of by Paul, 1 Cor. xi. 15-. though
they were. Satan's ministers, yet that they and their doctrihte
might be more plaufibly entertained, they were transformed
as the minifters of righ'teoufnefs ; this cunning we may efpy in
heretic's of all age's. The Scribes and Pharifees ufed a pre
tence of faridity as a main piece of art, to draw others to their
way; their alms, faftings, long prayers, ftrid oBfervatibnsjj,
£sV. Were all delighted as a net to catch the multitude' withal.
The lying dodrines pf Antichrift were foretold by Paul, to
have their fuccefs frorii this Stratagem; all that idolatry and
heatheriilm which he is to introduce, thrift be, and hath been,
through the hypocrify bf a painted holinefs, x Tim. iv. 2. and
where he intends moft tb play the dragon, Rev. xiii. ii: he
there moft artificially counterfeits the innocency and fimplieity.
of, the Lamb. Arch heretics have been arch pretenders tO
fartdity ; arid fuch pretences have great influence upoh rheri :
For hbliheSs and truth are fo hfear of kin, that they -willtyot
readily believe that it can be a falfe dodrine which an holy
mah "tea'cbeth ; they think that God that hath given a teacher
holinefs will not deny hini truth : Nay, this is an eafy and
plaufiblte meafure, which they nave for truth and error. To
enquirb into the intricacies and depths of a disputation; is too
burdenfome arid difficult for ordinary men, and therefore they
fatisfy themfelves with this consideration, which hath little tbfl
in it, and as little certaihty, That furely God will not leave holy
men to a delrifion. It would be endrefs to give all the inftances
that are at hand ih this matter ; I 01311 only add a few things
bf Satan's method ih managing this argument, as, v
Firft, When he hath a defigh of common, or prevailing de
lufion, he mainly endeavours to corrupt fome perfon bf a fndre
ftrid, feriotis and religious carriage, to be the captain anti ring
leader; futh men were Pelagius, Arius, Socimis, &c He
mainly endeavours to have Sit inftruhrents. If he be upon that
defign oS blemishing religion, and to brihg truth into,a dif-efteem?
then," as * one obferves, he perfuades Such into the' ministry,
as he SoreSees- ate likely to be idle, Carelefs, profane, and Scanf.
dalous; or doth endeavour to promote fuch minifterS into more
eonfpicuous places, and provokes them to mifcarriage, that fp
their example may be an objedion againft truth, while in the
. mean
* Acontinus ftratagem. gatanai. Lib. S. P- 405. Oson.

Chap. III. Satan's Temptations. g®j
*
mean time, he is willing that the oppofers of truth Should ppn-
titiue their Smooth carriage; and then he puts a two edged fword
into the hands of the unliable : can that be truth where there
is So much wickednefs. ? and can this, be error, Wbere there is
fo much holinefs ?' '
Secondly, In profecution of this defign, he uSualy puts, men
upon Some more than ordinary ftridneSs, that the pretence of
holinefs may be the more augmented ; in this cafe a courfe of
ordinary fluidity is not enough, they muft be above the com-.
mon pradice ; fome Singular additipns pf Severity and ex^dnefs,
ahoye whs^t is written, are commonly afteded to make them
the more remarkable. Chrift notes this in the Pharifees, con-*
cerning aij their devotions, and the ways of expreSfing them. ;
their, phyladeries Spoken of, Matth. xxiii. 5, as fome think**
were npt intended, by that text, of Lieut, vi- Si- but only that
they Should remember the law, and endeavour pot to forget it ;
a,s tbey do that tie a thread, pr fuch like thing about their fin,-
geif fqr a remembrancer ; according to Proy. iii, 3, ' Bin.d then?
about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart.'
However, if thpy were literally enj pined, they would have them,
ajj Chfi^-telk them> broader than, others', as an. evidence, of their
greater care. TheXathari boaSted of fandity and good works,
and: rejected fecond marriages ; the Apoftolici were fo. palled,
from a, pretended ftri.der imitation of the fingular holinefs off
the affiles. The Valpfian? made themfelves Eunuchs, accord
ing to' the letter, * for the kingdom 'of God.' The Donatifts
' accounted that np true church, where any Spot or infirmity was
found. The MefJalians, or Euchytse were for poriftant jjray-
ing. The Nudipedales for gping barefoot, $cc. The Papifts
urge canonical: hours, whippings, penances, pdgrimages, volun
tary poverty, abstinence from meats, a,nd marriage in their
prfefts, and: votaries, In a word, all noted feds have fomething
of fpeciaj Angularity, whereby they would difference themfelves
from others, as a peculiar chaorader of their greater ftridnefs, ;
and for want pf better fluff, they fometimes take up affedted
geftures, devotipngl Ipoks, and outward garbs ; all which, have
this note? that what they mpft ftapd upon, God hath leaft, or
npt at all required at their hands ; their voluntary humility, or
neglecting ofthe body, being but will- worShip, and a felf-dc-
vifed piece of religion.
Thirdly, When once men are fet in the way of exercifing fe-
verities,, Satan endeavours, by wprking upon their fancies, to
prefs them on further to a delight an.d fatisfadion in thefe
ways
rJerem. Theoph; Lyra, bfa

r-

*tft "„ - AT^caymrf, ^M%

tanVwitH-utfemH but orhers^arfe the more erfijl}* dra3kl^to:jlifc0'
aM'pr'rjftefs the Same things. \< Any feribiis tempers umderfkinjj
ptofefHbhV ibf religion1, eafily comes ? to be dev'SuftpiantSiiieaiik
complies 'with opportunities of evincing its- (fevotio«teyiS8riQfc
Ifefs" "i' And tnepfore We Shall find among heathens;- agitea^ife.
vbtiohalfeve%i#, and fuch' as fat-exceeds all 6fthat-!kiod^w^5
tH8<Fa(|ifta^4fl!railly brag of ;; the Magi abftained-from winej
e^if'-ri^tl^e^toe^iM^ilHg^creatures, and profeSfed"<«p-ir^n|H;
Thel'&dianSB^cltfanSi'did the; like, and befidesi»m^ft-|^^'
folves'to^inc-reelible'hardfHip'j- they laid upon' Skins, -Sustained-
thei-'v,iblen"eevbf" thfe'Sun aridaftdrms-, and exercifed tbemfeitaei
therewith ;'"'fome Spending "thirty Seven years-ihthis ooiUTfe{
others7 -more. We read ftrange things' of this'riaBure" corieeitt.
ittg- the- Egyptian 'priefts, 'and mothers. 4 The MahOmet&rJsSjart
ribtJ wjthout'their religious orders, which 'prereAdSl'BMftesjliul^
ahel< auftere ;life than others ; i and though oftfonJB;; as ofthe
Tbrlachs'-'and 'Dervlzes';"' feveral private villanies are reported}
yet -of others;' as- of the order of Calender, we areaffuredifroin
hiftory; that 'they profefs virginity, ahd:exj»6fe themSeljrfeis.frtf
hardship;1 ahdf a' ftrider devotion in their way; "and generaflysit
is1 faid of all' bf them, that they go' meanly clad or half riakfiir?
fome abftm^rit- in eating arid drinking, profeSuhlgrtpWi$d|^Tei
nbuncirig" the world : Some can endure cuttii^:an#$aSk$i^, as
if they were infehfible ; fome profefs perpetual fiJ^nce^Jtlte^j
urged With injuries and tortures;' others have chains aljOnt
their neckband arms, to Shew that they are bound upfromttia
world; '&c.> If Such things may be found among heathens?^
wonder that error boafts of them ; for in both there-is the foirif-
reafon of ^ens pleafing themfelves in fuch' hardships, whidbis
from a natural devotion; aSfifted by Satan's cunningy. anrkthe'
fame defign driven on by it ; for the devil doth-coiifirm hes?
thehs-and Mahoriietans in- their falfe worShip; by the . reverence'
and ir'efped'they carry to :Siich' pradices. ^ :j - p-' - ¦:.:•: ;:3S.
•"' Ftirirtlftfy, Becaufe religion's" holinefs hath a beauty in it, an*
.isvvery/; lovely ; he-doth' all' he can to affed men "With the higtfc
,6flfreveiIe'nce> for -thefe' pretences of religions ftrictnefs ; fo that
.t*Hey rM'rJ*will::riot be at pains • to ¦pra'dife.tbemj 'Can beftoW aft
^exceflive -rotped and 'aarrSration upbn thofe:*tthat" are grow*
f»<"-o* art,;/; .,'.-,-, •. c»i-.;%--! ,;<.•> -. - ,^9. -»...-; ..- famoo$
,.-!.',,',' ,-: s ., -,.- ¦..,..'.
* Atqr hac ratiohe'lcducaa elt.aftu Safana!,inhumerahomintirn'multfrW, !
qua; ut viam vita ariibirlarot?, ar&am illan* ingreffa eft,^q»lss-iaftiiwa«i Satan*
' per'.a.innaMs'eftad inventio,nis indufta, pofteaquam yidi*fSatan vigmfuam
quaj ad.mprtem ducit, traduci, eo quod fit lataj et quod multi, per illam.vapi-
bulent, £a; piffcutq; quidam ar&am et (tru(5tam qua^ere, qtiie non ter'ereiiir*
'a multis, callido confilio efleci, ut pro vera via vitre, arriperetur ea, qu»'
Quidam eflfct-'flata via verb fits non effet, ftfc. Mufcolus in Mat, vii. i j

Chap. lit. Satan's Temptations. 409
famous iii the ufe of fuch things; and by that means, being al-
moft adored, they are without doubt perfoaded, that all they
teach or do is right, and in a doting fondnefs they multiply; fu-
perflitious errors. Idolatry is fuppofed to have a great part
of its rife from this ; while men endeavoured fo exprefs their
thankful and admiring remembrances of fome excellent perfons,
by fetting up their, pjdures, their posterity began to worShip
them as. gods: pilgrimages were firft fet on foot by the re-
fpeds that men gave to places that were made famous by per
fons and adions of more ¦ than ordinary holinefs * ;¦ and becaufe
the devil found me,n fo very apt to pleaferthemfelves in paying
fuch devotional reverences, he wrought uppn their fuperftitious
hurtibur fo multiply to themfelves the occafions thereof, and by
fabulous traditions. fent them to places no otherwife made me
morable than by dreams and impoftors. Much of this you
might fee if you would accompany a caravan from Cairo to
Mecca and Medina, where yoh would fee the zealousf pilgrims
with a great many orifons and prayers compafling Abraham's
houfe; kiffing a Stone, which they are told fell from heaven,
blefling themfelves with a relrque of the oid velture of Abra
ham's houfe'; wafhing themfelves in the pond, which as their
tradition goes, the angel Shewed to Hagar; Saluting the moun
tain of pardons;: throwing Stones in defiance ofthe deyil, as
their legend tells, them, Ifmael did ; their prayers on themoun-
tainof health, their viiit to the prophets tomb at Medina, &x.
The like might you obferve among the Papifts, in their pilgri
mages to Jerufalem and the Sepulchre, to the lady of Loretto's
chapel and other places. By fuch devices as thefe the un-
obfevant people are tranfported with a pleafure, infomuch that
,they not only perfuade themfelves they, are very devout: in
'thefe reverences, but they alSo' become unalterably fixed to theSe
errors that do Suppprt thefe delightful pradices, or as confe-
quences do iffue from them. '' , ., i ..
Sixthly, A more plaufible argument for error, than the learn
ing and hplinefs pf the perfons that profefs it, is that of inspira
tion, in which the devil Soars alpft, and pretends the higheft
dfvine warrant for his falfehpods ; 'for God |s truth, ' and we
know that 'no lie is ofthe truth.' Now to make men believe
that God by JiisHoIy Spirit datiwa any manner didate fuch
opinions, or certainly reveal ftich things for truths, is one of
the higheft artifices that he can pretend to, and fuch a confir-
mation muft it be^ to thofe that are fo perfoaded, that all dis
putes aud dpubtings muft neceffarily bb Silenced.
That the devil can thus transform himfelf into an angel p£,
light, we are aSTured from fcripture, which hath particularly
P d cautioned
* Furchas Pilg-.Iab. l.' Cap. ic. out of rufeWui. f^i-'f PuTchas Pil". 3. Chap. 5,

2*6 ATreatifo of \ Pfrt, j£-$
cautioned" us againft this cheat-. The apoftacy. °f,the^t%^
times:, r Tirh. iv. i. the apoftle foretells foouldibe' carried on-
byj the; prevalency of tliis i pjseieriee* ' Some Shall depart ^from,
the"' faith, giving heed to Seducing Spirits.' Thai by fpirkat
thews; doctrines are intended rather than dodors^is Mr Meje'|r,
interpretation i*-;'. But it will come all to one,, if. we coolidiig:
that:t!he word fpirit carries more in it, than either dodrine. or
dodor ; for to' Call either the one or the other a fpiri* woijU^he
intolerably harfh,' if rit wei'e not for this,, that tbat^dodbj/is'
hereby-' fuppofed to pretend an infallibility from; the Spirit.^f
Gody orr: which'/ is all one, that he received his dodrine by,
fo'S^i'mmediate revelation of the Spirit ; fo that by feducing
fpirits* muft be, lmen or dodrines that feduce others to believe
thettijbyi.the pretence of the Spirit, or iirfpiration : . And that
text' of i 'John iv. i. doth thus explain.it, ' Beliewenot every
Spirit; but nary the fpirits whether they are of God ;' which, is,
as^rriiijeh. ai -if he. had 'faid, "believe- not. every man or dodiiflel,
thatfhall"pretend he is Sent of God, and hath his Spirit; artel
tl^ reafon there given makes it yet more plain, , becaufe many
' falfe -prophets' are gone out into the world:' So that tjhefefpi-
rits- are falfe prophets, men that pretend infpiration. And the
warning, * Believe not every fpirit/ tells us that Satan doth
with fuch a dexterity counterfeit the Spirits, inspirations, tha*
holy and good men are in no fmall hazard-to be deceivedfherej«
by.' Moft full tp this purpofe is that of 2 Theff.-ii. i. 'That
ye- be not foon Shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by Spi
rit,' nor by word, nor by letter as 'from' us, as that the day .of
Chrift is at hand -,'>¦ where the feveral meaps -of fedudion are
particularly reckoned^ as distinct- from thedoctrine and doc
tors, and by fpirit. can be mpant no other than a pretence bf in
spiration or revelation -f-. ' . ;.
It is evident then that Satan" by this artifice, ufeth to put. a
Stamp of divine warrant upon his adulterate coin ; and: if we
look into his pradice, we fhall in: all ages findhim at this
work.'! Among heathens' he frequently gained a repute to his
fuperft'itious idolatrous worfhip by this device: .The men of
greateft note -arhorfg *hem feigned va fpiritual' commerce with
the gods. : E'rhpedocles - endeavoured «5t» make the people be- -
lieve that there x$ws adcind""o£ divinity in him, and affeding to-
be efteemed more than a miin, caft himfelf into the burnings of
Mongebel, that they 'might fuppofe him to have been, taken up
•tothe godss , Pythigdrasrs fidiori of a journey to hell was up-
on the fame account; Philoflratus and.Cedrenus report po lefs
of Appoloniiis, taantha* he had famiikt converfes with their '
-"" i,:i * :'-:- "' '"!-''. '.-: fuppofed
'Apoftacy of the latter Times, p. 7.'' ^ Pridian* Orat. xLde Spir. Scdurt-

Chap. Ill, SaiM's, Temptations. 2 1 1

fed deities: And the like did they 'believe of ttetr-llagi
and priefts ; infomuch that- fome cunning politicians, oblei*viag
hbw the vulgar were dlideria deep reverence to futh pretences,
gave it orit that tocy had received their laws by divine in'fpir*.
tions.' Numa Ponipiiius feigned he received his inftitutions
from the nymph iEgeria : Lycurgus from Apollo.: Minos the
the law-giver" of Candy, bpaftedthat Jupiter was his familiar.
Mahomet alfo fpeaks as high this way as any, his Alcoran mult
be no lefs than a law received frofti God, and to that end, he
pretends a ftrange journey to ! heaven,' and frequent converl'e
with the angel Gabriel. , ' »>
If we trace Satan in the errors which he hath raifed up upi
der the profeflion of the fcriptures, we may obferve the- fame
method, the Valentinians, Gnofticks, Montanifts, talked as con
fidently of the Spirit, as Mofes or the prophets could do, and a
gfeat deal more ; for fome'. of them blafphemoufly called them-
felves tffie Paraclete or Comforter. Among the mbnfters which
latter a£es produced,' we ftill find the fame Strain ; one faith, he
is Eftoch, another Stiles himfelf the great Prophet, another hath
raptures, ^and all immediately infpired. The Papifts have «*>
much of this -cheat 'among them as-any other, aud fome'of their
learned defenders avouch their lumen propheticum, and miracu-
lorum gloria, 'prophefies and miracles, to be the twp eyes, or
the fun and moon of their church ; nay, by a Strange tranfport-
ment of folly, to the forfeiture of the reputation of learning
and reafon, they have fo multiplied revelations, that we have.
whole volumes of them; as the "revelations of their Saint Brigk
and others; and by wonderful-credulity they have not only ad
vanced apparent dreams" and dotages to the honour of inspira
tions or virions, but upon this Sandy 'foundation they have built
a great many of their doctrines, as purgatory, tranfubftantia-
tion, auricular confeffion, &c. •' By fuch warrants they have
instituted Scftivals, and founded feyeraj orders ; the particulars
of thefe things you 'may fee more 'at large in Dr Stillingfleet
and others. And that there might be nothing: wanting: that
might make them fhamelefsly impudent, theygre-riot content
to equal their fooleries with the Scriptures of' God, as that the
rule of their St Francis- (for I fhall only i'nftance in him, omit-
ting.others for brevity's fake) was not compofed by the wifdom
of man, butby'God himfelf, and infpired by the Holy G'hoft ;
but they advance their prophets above the apoftles, and above
Chrift himfelf. Their' St Benedid, if you will' believe then:,
¦was Wrap!? up to the third heavens,-Where he Saw God face to.
face, arid heard the choir of angels ; .and' their St Francis was .a
npne-fuch for miracles and revelations. -Ne idler may we won-
;•' Ddv ¦ ' ' , der

der that Satan Should be fft^sj^iq^tgii^g thj§ che^ijjheft i^
confider,- '' ' ' ^'"' ' ; ' ,' Z, j n.^.,, . , --s bsoi^vjs mi on'ns'p;^
i . "What , a reverence men nator^Iy barr^taffi^el^p^jlaad
hoW'apt th'ey «* febe fu,r$tjiiep* ^^ with.ah^afl^fpre^Hfity^,,^
old projmecy, pretended tpbe, fcjiind jn a wall, pr taken "c/ut;^
an old^hufetipt, pf I knpy no£ what author^ is .u,fhaj^.,r^pJ?e.
dated ori^tbah'tHe plain ariij infallible rules of. fcripture, :• jjjjj,
we may bbf&ve^ daijy.'and. foreigners dp much blame tfeejj^g,; .
lifli for a facile b^piiefoii' fuch things ; but it is a general fault,
of mankind, and' we find even wife men1 forward in tbeir-fper£s
fuaSions(upon meaner grounds, than thpfe that gain, cjft^it-to
old ' prophecies. Fbr their antiquity, and ftrangenpfj jbf Aife'&H
very, efpfectaiJy at fuch times wherein the prpfbh,t ppft^rei of
affairs feemto'faynur fdch predidions with a Jprpbabj^fj,^fl>
fuch events, are more likely to get credit,, than, J^ffg artiSjcyd.
imitations of the ways and garbs of the pid pro$j\et^ and; dig
cunning legerdemain of thofe that pretend te ^Sfir^ti^ffo \y;.
teeming extafies, raptures, and ponfident decla^atie^l^c^nej,
verthelefs arrant cheats, have by thefe ways decpivpdjnO; mea^;
men. Alvarus acknowledged! *, that he honoured r'a^wpmant
as a faint, that had vifipns and raptures, as if real^ ir^fpiredii
(and the fame' apprehenfions had the bifhopand friars^wh^ -y&fy
afterwards difcovered 'to be a naughty woman,: .WhoibaUdiejrj
think it ftrange that the unobfervant multitude* Should fee d§m
ludedbyfuch'ah art ? , L \mssi
2. Efpecially if we confider, that God himfelf took this;-cou^fgj
to fignify his mind to men; his prophets were divmejy infojrg4?
and the fcriptures were not of any private interpretation : ThfT,
words that the penmen of fcripture wrote, were not the intcjtfc
pretations of their pwn private thoughts ; ' for the prppbgfijfi
came not in old time by the will of man, but holy menoffi^Jf'
fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft,' z Pet., i. ig, fcl>.
Now though the prophecies of fcripture a^e, Sealed, and na,
more is to be added to them, upon any pretence whatfoever l
yet feeing there are promifes left us, of the giving of the Spi5
rit, of being taught and led by the Spirit ; it is an eafy. matteg.,
for Satan to beguilemen into an expedation of prophetic jnfpi^
rations, and 'a belief of what is pretended fo to.be '; For all men,
do not, or will not underftand, that thefe promifes of the Spirit
have no intendment of riexv and extraordinary immediate rev,e«,
lations, but only ofthe efficacious applications of what, isial-i
ready revealed in fcripture. This kind of revelation,, we ac
knowledge and teach, which is, far enough from enthufiafi^
that is, a pretended revelation of new truths, and we have rea- f?n
*Lib. j. cap. 45- p- 87. '

CnlpvrffL l&iiiffiTSmftations. 21$
forF fo aferf^l 'thai internal' pferftiaSionrwithoiit the es^'paj,,
word, are to be avoided as Satan's cozenages.. . ,Bjut, fo.r(lal| thjs,
when menVrninds are Set a'g^fi'hg,' if they meet w,ith Such^
magnify their own" dreams, 'ari^'call "their fancies, ]f.i^m^t^sf(1
iufcableriefs 'if this' to their humc-iir, male's th'em.'toreild,purl4

iriterpretatioris-of thefe promifeVas Talfe, sjtifl fo'^^rl^ad^ thpn^r;
Selves that they are to' be uriderft6'bd''^f!u^
prophets of - old had; arid then they1 prefently ccndude,,they •
are to believe them, left pthprwi'Se they Should refift, ^he^JEioly
Ghoft.' ¦- ;--' " "' ,. " '"' ,'";' ,,."" !,',. ,,
¦ 3. But the advantage which the devil hath fowbtis. d.plufion
.upon by thispretence, is ari'high inotive tp him to p.radjfe up,- ,
on it. For Inspirations, vifions, "voices, ,'impuhjes^ ttrg'ams .*nd.
revelations ate things whereih' wicked impoflors, may \xy many
ways apd artifices'play the Counterfeits' undiscovered ; if is eafy
tQ propheSy falfe" dreams, and to Jay; thus faith the Lord, when
yet they "do but lie, and the Lord never fent them, .n.or, com
manded theni, Jer. xxiii, 31. nay it is eafy by tricks and illu
sions, to put that honour and credit upon their defigns^ which
they could1 hdtf by their bare affertiohs, backed with all their
art of feemmg'ferioofnefs : The inventions pf men,' thatjha^e
been forrnerly^fuccefsful in this deceit, being npw laid opeii to
bur knbvffeage, may make us mpre wary in oyjr truft. A-,
mong the heathens you' may find notable ways pf deceits. of this
nature. The ftory of Hanno and,Pfappho is commonly known,
they1 tamed' birds, and learned them tp Speak, ' Harihp. and PSapv,
pho are gods ;' and then Set them at liberty, that men hearing
Such Strange voices in the woods Srom birds, might imagine
that: thefe men were declared gods by Special difco.yery. Ma
homet's device of making a dove to cbpie frequently to his ear,
which he did, by training'he'r dp fo ah pie of picking corn, out
of it, Served him for an evidence, among the "vulgar beholders,
who knew .pot the true caufe of it, of his immediate, jnfpiratipa
by the Angel Gabriel, who, as he told them whiSpered in his
eatin the Shape of a dove. Thetikp knavery he., pradifed for
the- Confirmation ofthe truth of his Alcoran, by malqng, a. bull,?
tattght before to come at, a" call or Sigh,, to ponae^p himv with.
aehapter Upon bis horns',1 Hedor Boetius tejls^us -cjahke.
Stratagem ofaKjng Of Scots, ivhb? to, animate l^s fajjit,ing fub-
jcers againft the Picts that ^hadbeatentherri/bauS^'d ft m?n clothe.
ecMn the Shining Skihs of flflie,s',v.'4hd with rottpp wood, .which
as aglow wpr'm'in the night, "reprefenfs a fam flight, tp.icjj'me-
'among them in the dark, and through a reed or 1-cllcif; tjurik^.
that the Voice might not appear to be human, to encite them
...•,; t> 7e, v : -to
* Whitakcr cle Author Script, contra Stapletoncni, 1, i. c.'io. p. nr.

fa mmaitflof , ^PartlJ.
to a vigorous ohfet : Thls'^fey took to be an A£l|P&gibg
them this command from heaven, and accordingly fl|gut and
prevailed. ' Crafty Benedid, who Was afterwards^gge uii'der
the name of Bonifacs VlII." made fimple'Cekftifle 'Vit^b-
ver the Popedom, by conveying' to him. a voice tlfrbf^airled
to this purpofe : " Cefeftine, Celpftine, renounce'- the Pa^kpy,
give it over, if" thou'wWdft %e faved, the burfefeJiB beyobfl
iiy ftrength," iSc. The filly man taking this for a reyelat}&-
from heaven, quitted his chair, arid left it format; crafty 'fox
Benedid,' Not very many years Since, the farne,. trick was
played in this' country to aman of rev.elatfons^*\Vhb called
himfelf DavJd hi Spirit,, when he had wearrfdyhis entettainer
with, a long Stay, he quitted himfelf of his company -as I was
Credibly informed, by a policy which he percei^[ would weH
Suit With, the man's conceitednefs ; for through \ "-reed in:'the
night time he tells' him, that he muft go into Wale^'or fpsie
fuch country, and there preach the goSpel ; the next mgtnllg
the man avouches a revelation from God to go elfew«MKand
fo departs. TheSe inftances Shew' you how cimnlri^yicheat-
ing knave may carry on a pretence 'of. revelation -or yi&n.
And yet' this is not all the advantage which the.'devil'bath*'4
this matter, „ though it is an advantage' which -he- fometinYWSs
makes ufe of when he is -fitted ^itb-fuaabll;inftrumetfig^ But
he works moft dan geroufly when he!fo acta* upon meb^'l&at
they themfelves believe they have visions, raptureS>and'j?eyelaL
tions ; for fome are really perfoaded that it is fo wifhtheto.
Npii|h^ is "it Strange, that men Should be deluded* info arrapjMe-
'henfion that-they. hear and fee What : they do riot$ in fevers,
frenzies, and imadtoefs,, we clearly fee it to be fo : Ariel who
can convince fuch perfons of their mistakes, when with as high
•a confidence as may be, they contend that they are;hbt deceiv
ed ? Shall we think it Strange that Satan hath ways bf convey,
ing falfe apprehenfions upon mens minds ? No Surely, do we
not fee that the Senfesmay be cheated, and that the fancies pf
men may be corrupted ? Isit not eaSy Sor him to' cpnyey .voi
ces to the ear, or Shapes and representations to the-eye? AiJQ
in fuch;caies, what can ordinarily hinder a belieS that they hear
or See Such things ? But he needs not always -work upon .the
fancy by the Senfes. If he hath the advantage of a cra^y drf-
tempered fancy, as commonly he hath in melancholy'perforis,
he can fo ftrongly fix his fuggeftions upon them, -and fo effec
tually fet the fancy on work to embrace tham, that without
any appearance of madnefs, they will perfuade themfelves that
they have -difcoVeries from God, impulfes by his Spirit, fcrip-
' ^ v ' tures
,*'*«.- * Paul Ho Won.

Satan's Temptations. • 315
aires fet uppn their hearts,, and w,hat no| ? And becaufe they,
fepl the 'workings of thefe things within them, it is impoSfible
totmake them fo much as fofped that fheyjare, deceived. Do-
but. pohSi4er the power of any fancy in a melancholic perfon,.
and you may eafily apprehend -:,bbw Satan;- works in ,fuch deju-r,
fions. Melpicholy doth',ftraugely pervert the imagination, and
will beget in.meu wpnderfujbmii^pprehenfipns, and that fome
times doth bewitch them: into peremptory uricpntroulable. be
lief of their fancy ; it is a: .-^ehemenf,; cbnfifJent humour, what
way foever it takes, the imagination thus corrupted ihath an-
enormous: ftrength ; fo thftt if itrfix upon,thing& never So abfurd
or irrational,- it is not reducible by ,the ftrongeft. reafons'. If
Such a man ppncejtshimSelf dead,,, b»c;thiatb8 i^ transformed to
a.wolf* or pat, pr that he. is made of glafs ,/jas .many in, this dif-
temperhavedpne; ''there is no, peTSbaSipn.to thf contrary, that
oan>takje placefwjth him. , Now if .this humour he taken up
with divine matters, as ufually it doth, for it hath ' a natural;
inclination, tof religious,: things, it ftill; kclg with fiercenefs and'
confidep&ee.',, and there .are many things #§;ej8.. concomitant to
fuch admgs, that if it mifeonceit inspiration or prophecy,, the
parties: themfeiyes are .not only bpnnd up, under t|jat perfuafion,
biit even unweary Spectators are deluded. For Sometimes a
melancholy ^mf^na^ofcisipot^hojlycorrupt, but only in rp-
Spediof Someone-pr- two -particulars'--- whilft in, other things it
ad>; regularly, and then, neither they pr others, that are unac
quainted wi*h Such caSesKi^^Sij^ptto-friSbectlhat they are m'lf,
taken in Jhefe things, white theJK ad rationally and foberly in"
other/ matters.,. Sometimes thej^^ayje,, vehement fits of furprifal,
for the humour hath its';, ebbings aod Sowings, and this gives.
themtofepafion to apprehpad that fomething doth Supernatuvally
ad bf*raiSe them, and: then wfiep, . the things, ; they Speak,; are
for, the matter of tlipai, of religious concern, ,an,d odd notions,
for thejhumqur flies, high, and bounds not itfelf with, ordinary
things, a,nd„wkhal uttered irl, fcripture rhetoric and with fer
vency and urgency of. fpirit, when thefe fthiqgs concur, there
is fuch an appearance of -fofpiration j- that Ae parties themfeiyes
and others .reft folly perfuaded that jt is fp. . '
Seventhly, Pretended and counterfeit miracles the devil makes
much ufe of, to countenance error, and tlils_ is alfo one .of his
ftrong holds ; for he fuggefts that God himfelf tbears witnefs by
thefe figns, wonders, and miraples to Sufh erroneous d°drine,
as feems to be concerned by them. ' '
• That ,tl;e devil cannot work a true miracle t hath been dlf-
.•,. , -; ., , cpurfed
* Mirrtciiluni voco, qnicquid.artluuin aiifr infolitu.nl', fup.E*tfpem aui faculta.-
tern ir.iramisapparet, Aug. de. iu;Iita!..:cred. contra M.uiieh. cap. 16.

ai 6 A Treatife of "'.Parts It
courfed before"; but that he can perform many ftrange things^
and fuch as may' beget* admiration, none denies; and that by
fuch unwonted actions; he ufually endeavours ' to juftify feUe
dodrines, and to fet them off with the appearance of divine ap-
prbbatiorii we arp Sufficiently forewarned in the-fcrrpturesV Jan-
nes and Jambres refilled Mofes by falfe miracles: In Deut*
xiii. i . God fpeaks of the figns and wonders of falfe prophets
Who would by that means, feek to feduce the people to follow
after other gods. Chrift alfo in Matth. xxiv. 24. fortels that
' falfe chrifts and falfe prophets, fliall arife, and Shew, great
Signs, arid wonders 'infomuch that if it were poffible, they Shall
deceive-the-very eled;' and puts a fpecial- note of caution' up
on it, ' Behold I have told you before.' And to the fame pur
pofe is that of Paul condemning Antichrift, 2 Thef. ii, 9. where
he tells us of powerful figns and wonders by the working of
Satan; who doth all the while only lie and cheat, that he may
draw men to error.
If we make enquiry how Satan hath managed this engine,
1 we Shall obferVe not only his diligence in ufing it, on all' occa
sions to countenance all kind bf errors both in Paganifm and
Christianity, but' alfo his fubtile dexterity by cheating men with
forgeries and falfehood.
fieathferrffh idolatry among other helps for its advancement,
wanted not this, the oracles and refponfes, which were common
before ' the ccming pf Chrift, were efteemed as miraculous
CPnfirmatipns cf the truth of the deities which they worship
ped; the movings and Speakings of their ftatua's were argu
ments that the operative prefence of fome celeftial Numen was
affixed to" fuch an image. In fome places the folemn facrifices
are never performed without a feeming miracle. As in NoVb
Zembla where the priefts trances*, his runninga fwerd into
his belly, his making his head and Shoulder fall off his body in
to a kettle of Hot water by the drawing of a line, and then his
reviving again perfed and entire withpnt maim or hurt, are all
ftrange aftonifliing things to the beholders. Bpf .befides'. fuch
things as thefe which are Standing conftant wonders, we read
of fome that have had as it were a gift of miracles, that they
might' be eminently instrumental to promote and honour Pa
ganifm. Alt hiftories agree1 that Simon Magus did fo many
ftrange things at Rome, as the caufing an image to walk, turn
ing Stones into bread, transforming himfelf into feveral Shapes,
flying in the air, &c. . that he was efteemed a1 god. PhiloStra-
tus and Cedremus report great,, things of Appollonius, as that
he could deliver cities from feorpions, ferpents, earthquakes,
,&c. and that many miracles Were Wrought by him ^ this man
, Sataa.
* Johnfon'a relat. in Hacluic. Tom. 1.

Cha$sfII, -.^faft's Temptations. iij
Si^f raifed up in an extraordinary manner to revive the hoc.-
0«r ,pf Paganif»,- that it n^ighi; S,t, feaft vie.with Christianity;.
An4'^ibugh-,fow,„ever,iaUamed!,to„,that height,, -which A,p-
ppjlqnius ,and Simon, Magus reached unto, yet have.we feypral
mftancesof groat thing? done now -and thpn, -by fornei.fiuguhr
p^rfpnsippou a fpecial occafion, which Satan tmpvpyed _to his'
a^a.ntage.ffuVteSpafian cured ajame ^d->blj:nd,«mflift*';' Adrian-
u,§,p:u,red a.-bjliod woman, and, which is.moreifaftej;'he was dead
b^jthe,- touch' of-.his body, a man .of>Pannonia,_1whp .was bora
fc]uid received, his,; fight. ,,-:;, Valerius, ,Maximus, tel^s -.of; many
ftfahge things 4 and particularly of a'. Y-eftal yirgift. that drew
water.irujoa- fieve, . Ap Livy tells, of anQthe-r^Claudia.by, name %,
Who w^th her girdledrew, the:fbip,,to ..the vfhote), which .carried
ibe^mot^er:"fl£.jrheir gods, twhen, neither, Strength of men nor
'jOXiSp'ftJpul^dO'it.,,: ; -¦',>.¦ | -r _•';,,:._', -¦.)>! ;_ V -
Yi ^trnrs.,rjjndgE<prpfeflipn of. Christianity haveibeen Supported
and propagated by the boaft of miracles. A clear inftance for
th.J3,we haivp in rPppery, that j-ejigjpn bring:,*, perpetual, boalt
of, wonders. ..ToJet pafs their, gte'at -.mlraple qf.tr,anfubStantia-
tion, which? as.J.'pnje.hath latel^c^moriftrated :||,. is, a bundle of
(jfiOjUiaplps, oc.eontradidions, rather, bepaufe it appears, , not to, the
fenSps of any man,' and confequently is pot capabfeof fbeing an
ajja^aent^o.prov^.anyjof thej$copinipns. , r!We.,hayeabiindance
igf^fftjlgff, J^ings, rej ated by .them, as proofs ? qffqrnp dpdtrin.es
jfi^lhgjrs.ip particular, as purgatory,- invocation of faints,, tran-
.jM^jrt'liaticriij, £sc, and of .their, prpJeftjon jn the, general,, devils
,§^;putj,rblindaB4;la!B^^rpd»:'4s?5l- raifed, an4 what; aiot ; it
¦^bnldfljbe.endlefs, to .recite particulars ; ,.it, would take a long
iti.rnp-tp.tell whpt their St Francis, hath done,, how he fetched
••wafer-out of a. rock, how he was homaged, by fowls and fifhes,
.•hpfv^he.madqajfountaiii in Marchia run wine, and- bow far he
,^G§eded.Chrift himfelf in, wonderful feats ** ; Chrift, did nothing
..which, St Francis, did not do, najvhe, diet many more things than
iChrift did : CJhjift,l..iurned, water into wine but once, but St-
Ijjrancis did it-. thrice,: Chrift was;- once transfigured, but .St"
Francis twenty tunes : ,-He and, bis .brethren,' raifed above a
thoufand to life,,,, caft .out moxp.than a thoufand devils, &.c.
Their, Domipfeus raifed three dead men to, life. .Their Zeve-
ri^s,- while-he was, alive. .did: many miracles, and after he was
<fead, his body, lay fifteen months,. fweetly Smelling,, without any
taint of corruption. It .is Jrkferne t,o. repeat their ftorjes ; a-
bundance of fuch fluff might he added out 6f their pwn writ-
, -.,,. ,',.j,. ; E e ,..,: .',., ,,. -,., ' "rings :
. .* Ccjrnel.-Tacir. Hiftor .lib. 4. j JEtius Spartianns in vit., Adriani. f De
fecundo. belVo.-Punico. || JMr Baxter Full and eai'y Satisfaction, „c. 4. ** Ni
hil fecit Chritlus quod'Franciicus non fecit, irrio piura f<rcir''quani'.Chri£tuf.
' 'Barthbl. de pi/is lib. conformitat. Fol. II49.

21 8 A Treatife of , .part IL
ings .: The defign of all, which is to prove, to thofe that are fb
prodigal'. of their faith as to believe them, that they only are
the true church, and that by this note, among others, theytaay
be known to be fo. , .. ,
But let us turn afide a little to obferve Satan's, cunning in
this pretence of rhiracles ; let things be foberly weighed^ and
we may fee enough of the cheat. This great boaft is, as Auftin
hath it, refolved' into one of theSe two, either the figments of
lying men or the craft oS deceitful fpirits, *.
As to the firft of thefe, it is evident, that a great many things
that have been taken by the vulgar, for mighty wondersj werp
nothing but. the knaveries of 'impoftors, who in this matter
have ufed a threefold' cunning-. ', - ,
* Firft, By mere juggling and forgery in confedeiarif^ and
private contrivances they have fet upon the Stage perforis, be
fore inftrrided to aft their parts, or things aforehand prepared,
to pretend to be what they were noit, that others might feerri tp
dp what they did not, and all tp amaze thofe that knew not the
bottom of the matter. Of this nature was Mahomet's dove
and bull, who were privately trained up to that obedience, and
familiarity which they ufed to him. The Pagan priefts were
not altogether to feek in this piece of art. Lutiari tells us Of
one Alexander, who nourished and tamed a ferpent> and made
the people of Pontus believe that it was the god JEfeulapius j
and doubflefs the idol priefts improved their private artificiai
coritriyarices : As of the mpvings of their images, as that of
Venus made by Daedalus f, which, by the mearis of-quick-Sui'
ver inclofed, could Stir itfelf, their eating arid drinking, as in
the ftory of Bel in the apochryphal adjediorts to the boo]?, of
Daniel, their refponfes, and feveral other appearances, as of the
paper head of Adonis or OSiris, which, as Luciah reports^
comes fwimming down the river every year from Egypt t<j
Babylos, &c. thefe and Inch like they improved as evidences
of the power, knowledge, and reality of their gods. And tho'
in the prevalence of idolatry, whete there was no conliderablfe
party to oppofe, their cheats were not always difcovered, yet
we have no reafon to imagine, that the priefts of, 'thofe day?
were fo honeft, that they were only deceived by the devil's
craft, and did not in a villainous defign purpofely -endeavour
the delufion of others. If we had no other grounds for a juft
fufpicion in thefe cafes, the famous inftances of the abufe of
Paulina' at the temple bf Ifis in Rome, inthe reign pf the1 em
peror Tiberius, by the procurement of Mondus, who corrupted
v the
* Vel (igmentahominiiin mendncium, vel portenta fallacum fyirituum.
t Arid. lib. i. de anima. ,\ ,» ¦ „.

Chap, I'H. Satan's Temptations. 219
the prieft* of Anubis to fignify to her the love of their God,
and under that coverture gratified the luft of Mondus, men
tioned by jofephus *. And that of Tyrannus prieft of Saturn
in Alexandria, who by the like pretence of the love of Saturn,
adulterated moft ofthe faireft dames ofthe city, mentioned' by
Ruffimis,, 1 Tliefe would fufliciently witnefs that the priefts of
thofe titties were apt enough to abufe the pebple at the rate we
have been fpeaking of. Ia Popery nothing hath been more or
dinary ; who' knows not the ftory of the holy maid cf Kent,
and the- boy of Bilfon? How common is it with them to play
tricks with women troubled with hyllerical diflempers ? and
fo pretend the catling out of devils, when they have only to
deal with a natural difeafe ? Not very many years fince they
pradifed Upon a poof young woman at Durham, and made
great boaSts of their exorciftns, reliques, and holy water a~
gainft the devil, with whom they would have all believe flie
was poffeffed, when the .event difcovered, that her fits were
only. the fits of the mother. I myfelf, and fome others in
this place, have feen thofe fits allayed by the fume of tobacco
blown into her mouth,, to the Shame and apparent detection
of that artifice. I might mention the legerdemain of Anto-
ni.us of Padua> who ' made his horfe adore the hoft, for the
converfion of an heretic ; the finding of the images of St Paul
and St Dbminick hi a church at Venice with this infcription
for Paul, << By this man you may come to Chrift ;'¦' and this
foe Dominick1, "But by this man you may do it eafilier :"
And the honour put upon Garnet, by his image on ftraW,
found at his execution, in all probability, by him that made
it and threw it dawn, or by his confederate : But thefe are
enough to, Shew the honefty of thefe kind of men. '
Secondly, They have alfo a cunning of afcribing effects to
wrong caufes, arid by that means they make thpfe 'things won
ders that are none. Mahomet called his fits of falling- fick-
nefs, extafies or trariGes. Auftin tells us the heathens were'
notable at this : The7burning lamp in the temple pf Venus f,
though only the work of art, Was;" interpreted to be a con
stant miracle of that deity. The" image which, in another
temple, hung in the air, by ignorant gazers was accounted a
wonder, when indeed the lpadftone in the roof and pavement,
though unfeen, was the caufe of it. The Sydonians were con
firmed in their conftant annual, lamentations of Adonis $, by a
mock miracle of thC/rednefs of the river Adonis ; at one time of
the year cortftantly, they take it to be blood, when it js nothing
' ',- E ei - , elfe
'*, Antlquitat. Judai.l. 18. c. 14. ^cclcf. Hift. I. u. c. 25. f Dc civitat.
Dei.1. »i. c. 6. \ Furclias, Pilg. Afia, lib.i. cap. 17.

%io A Treatife of " , -Part- If;
elfe but the colouring of the water by the duft pf red earth
cr minium *, which the. winds conftantly at that time of the
yefir from mount Libanus do drive into the water.
Neither are the Fapifts out in this point. . I will: only jn>.
Stance ii> that obfervation of Dr Jenifon f, to confirm the doc
trine and practice of invocation': They take the advantage of
Sovereign baths and waters, and where they efpy any fountain
good againft the ftone,or /Other difeafes, prefently there, is the
Statue or image of fome faint or other eroded by it, by whofe
virtue the cure, and miracle muft feem to be, done, or fome cha
pel is erected to this ot that faint, tq whom prayers! before, and
thanks after wafhing, muft be offered. ,
Thirdly, Where the, two former fail, men that deyofe them-
fekre's to this kind of fervice, imitate their father the devil, and
fall to plain lying, and- devifed fables. Idolatry was mainly
underpropped by fabulpus Stories ; and no wonder,' when they
efteemed it a pious fraud, to nourifh piety towards the. gods,
in' which cafej as Polybius J faith, though their writers fpeak
monfters, and write ehildifh, abfurd,:aud impoffible things, yet
are they to be pardoned for their good intent. Among the Pa
pifts what lefs can be expected,' when the fame principle is enter
tained among them? Canus,and Ludovicus Vives mentioned by
Him II*35 alfe fome few others, .do exceedingly blame that blind;
piety of 'coining lies for religion, and feigning, histories for the
credit of theif opinions ; but while they with great freedom
and ingenuity do tax the fables of their own party, they do
plainly acknowledge that they are too much guilty of feigning,
infomuch that not only the author of the Golden Legend is
branded with the 'characters of a brazen face, and a leaden heart,
but alfo Gregory's dialogues, and Bede's hiftory are blamedby,
him§, as containing narrations of miracles taken upon, truft,
from the reports of the vulgar. And indeed the WQnders they
talkbf, are fo ftrp.nge, fo unlikely, fo ridiculous, and abfurd
Some of them, that unlefs a man offer violence to his, reafon,
and wilfully Shut his eyes againft the clear evidences of fufpi-
cion,.he cannot think they are any thing elfe than dreams and
fables, no better than iEfop's ; you may meet with feveral'.ca.,'
talogues of them in Proteftant writers *'*. As their St Swithins
making a whole bafket of broken eggs by the Sign of the crofs.
Patricius's malting the ftolen flieep to bleat in the thief's be^ly,
after he had paten it. Their St Briget's bacon which, in great
charity, fhe gave to. an hungry dog,- was. found again, in her.ket,.
.'¦-.' • : tie.
• * Hcylin's Cofmographjr, p. 6So." + Height of Ifrael's Idolatry, c.'u.
i Hitt. lib. 1 6. J| Loc. I. n. c. 6. 5 Vid. Chamier pauftra, torn. f. lib. z.
rap. 15. ** -Prideaux orat. de rjnpnfl. mendaciis. Rome's Triumphs. Mc
Baxter's fafe religion, p. 1,08. . N ,

Chap. III. SatanTs Temptations. 24 i -
: ' ,'
tie. Dionyfius after he was beheaded carried his head in his
hand three French miles. St Dunftan took the devil by the
nofe with his tongs, .till he' made him roar. Dorninicus ma°-e
him hold the candle till he burnt his fingers. St Lupus im
prisoned the devil in a pot all night. A chapel of the virgin
Mary was tranflated from Palefline toLoretto. A confecrated
hoft, being -put "into a hive of bees to cure them of the mur
rain, was fo devoutly entertained, that the bees built a chapel
in the hive, with doors, windows, fleeple, and bells, eroded an
altar, and laid the hoft upon it, fung their canonical hours, and
kept their watches by night as monks ufed to do in their cloi
sters, &c. Who would ever imagine that men of any feriouf-
nefs could fatisfy themfelves with fuch childifh fopperies >
Thefe are the ufual " ways by which men of defign have raifed
the noife of miracles.
The other part of Satan's cunning relates to himfelf and his
own actions * : When his agents can go no further in the trade
of miracle making, he, as a fpirit, doth often make ufe of his
power, knowledge, and agility, by which he can indeed do
things incredible, and tp be wondered at. It is nothing for
him by his knowledge of affairs at a diflance, of theprivate en
deavours, or expreffed refolves of princes, to prognosticate fu
ture events : By his power over the bodies of men, he can with
the help 'of inclinations and advantages, do imich to bring, a
man into a trance, or take the advantage Of a fit ofthe apoplexy,
and then like a cunning juggler, pretend, by I know not what,
nor whom, to raife a man from death. He knows the fecret
powers arid virtues of things, and by private applications of
them may eafily fupply fpirits, remove obstructions, and fo
cure lariienefs, blindnefs", and many other diftempers, and then
give the honour ofthe cure to what perfon or occafion may beft
. fit his defign : fo that either by the Officious lies of his vaffals,
or the exerting of his own power on fultable occafions; at fit
times, he hath made a great noife of figns. and wonders in the
world. And this Stratagem of his, hath ever been at hand to
gain a repute to falfe dodrine. / And the rather doth he infill
upon this,
Firft, Becaufe true miracles are a divine teftimony to truth.
As NicodemUs argued, John iii. i. ' No man could do thefe
miracles that thou doefl, except God be with him.' And there
¦ Were folemn occafions wherein they were neceffary ; as when
God gave public "difcoveries of his mirid before the fcriptures
were written ; and alfo wheii he altered the ceconomy of thp
Old Tpft'ament, and fettled that of the New. In thefe cafes it
- was
* Portenta fallacium fpirituum.

iii' A Tr-eatifi of " fart- If.'
was ndceffary that God Should cpnfirm his wprd by miracles.
But now, though theSe ends of miracles are ceafed, thoughCprl
hath So Settled, and fixed the rule of pur obedience' and wqvijjjp,
that no other gofpel or rule is to be expeded, and cpnfpguentjy
no need of new miracles, whefe the certain account of tiie'qld
miracles are Sufficient atteftatipns pf pid, and unajttrabfe tnufcs -
nay, though Gad has: exprefsly told us, Deiit. xiii. i. that'no'
miracle, though it Should cpme tp pafs, and cpuld not, fe difcp-. ,
vered to be a lie, Should prevail with . us to % fake the efta-
hlifhed truths, and ways pf fcripture, or tp. entertain, any thijgg
contrary to it ; yet doth Satan exercife herein a Pfoutf; im(ta-
¦ tion of the fupreme Majpfty, and withal doth fo da$tle the
minds of the weaker fort of men, who are more apt to confider
the wonder, than to fufped the defign, that,, without due hee|
given to the caution's which God hath bud; before us in, !
, that particular, they are ready tp interpret thpm tp be God's
witnefs to'this os that dodrine to which they feem- tp be apr
pendant". Secondly, Becaufe Satan bath a more than ordinary advantage'
to feign miracles, he dpth mor? induftribufly fet hirnfelf to
pretend them, and to urge them, for thp accp,mpliSb,mpHt of his'
ends. J.t is an eafy work to prevail with men that are wholly-
devoted to their own intereft under the maSk. pf religipn, tp fay
and; do any thing that may further their deflgn ; and, tb? bufi
nefs of miracles fo imitable by arf, through the ignorance, and!
heedleflheSs af men, that with a fmall labour Satan can dp it at
pfeafure. The fecret powers of nature, fuph as that of th§ load
stone, by a dexterous application brought into ad, in a fi%
contrived fubjed, will feem miraculous to thefe that fee npt the
fecret Springs of thofe adions. There have been artjfiipal con
trivances of motions, which had they been difguifed under' a'
religious form and direded to fuch an end, might have paffed
far greater mirades than many which we have mentioned;;
Such was the dove of Architas which did fly in the air *, as if
it hadheen a living creature. Such was the flee cf Regimon-
tan,us,and the eagle prefented to the emperor Maximilian,, which
in the cbmpafs of their little bodies, contained fo many fprings,
and tvheels as were fufficient to give them motion, and to. di
rect their courfes as if they Had been animated. Albertus Mag-,
mis's artificial man, and the filver gaily, apd tritons made hy '
a- goldfraith at Paris, were rare pieces of art, tiieir motions f o
certain 'arid fleady, that thayfeemed to have life and understand
ing. If art can do all this, how much mor® niay we fuppofp
can Satan do? How eafily can he make apparitions, prefent ftrange
* HeyHn GofmOgraphy. p. sog.

Chap. III. So/tali's Temptations. S'?3 '
ftrange fights to the eye, and voices to the bar? Arid by put
ting out his power do a thoufand things aftoniShirig and wbri -
derful? Eigbtly,Som' elhrtes' Satan pleads for error, from the eafe,
peace, or other advantages Which men pretend they have re-
ceiv'ea, Encei they engaged in fubh a ty&y Ot received Such aper-
fuafion. This is ah argument from the effed, and frequently
ufed to confirfh the minds of men in their opinions; Hence
they Satisfy themfelves. With thefe reafonirtgs'; I was before al
ways under fears and uncertainties, I rtevert was at peace or
reft in my mind, I tried feveral eburfes, followed fevferal par
ties, but I never had fatisfadion or comfort till.noW, and by this
I know that I am in a right way. Others argue after the fame
manner from their abundance and outward profperity; I met with
nothing but croffes arid lofies before, but now God hath bleffed
me with an increafe of fubStahce,profpei-ed my trade and un
dertakings, &.c. . Thefe, though apparently Weak and deceitful
grounds, are reputed Strong arid Conclusive, to thofe that are
firft refolved upon an error. For men are fo willing tb juftify
themfelves in what they have undertaken, that they greedily
catch at any thing that hath thp leaft appearance of probability
to anfWet their ehds..-
This piea of fatisfaction is commonly from one of thefe two
things. "
Firft, From inward peace, and coritentmeftt of thirld. Sataii
kribWs that pdace is thfe- thing to which a mail facrificeth all his
labours and travel ; this he feeks, though often in a wrong
way, and by wrong means : Hd knows alfo that true peace is
only the daughter of truth, the Ways Whereof are pleafantnefs,
arid the paths whereof ate peace ; neither is he ignorant of the
delights which aman hath, by enjoying himfelf in the fweet
repofe of a Contented mind, that he may charm the hearts of
the^errpneous into a confidence and affnrance. that they haye
faken a right courfe, he doth all he canto further a falfe peace
in them, and' to this purpbfe he commonly ufeth this* me
thod:' ... ,' *
tft, He doth all he can to urifettle them from the foundation
pf truth upon Which they were bottomed ; he labours to ten
der things fufpicious, doubtful, or uncertain : This fome have
rioted from i Theff. ii. 2. where Satan's , firft attempts are to
Shake their minds, not only, by difquiet, of which we are next
to fpeak, but by alteration of their judgment; for mind is fome,1
times taken for Sentence, opinion; judgment, as i Cor. ii. 16.
' We have the mind of Chrift,' and 1 Cor. i. 10. 'In the Same
tnind, and in the fr.rric judgment.* : idly,

a 24 AfTreatifeof Part H,
idlyf His fecond approach is to raife a ftorm of reftlefs dif
quiet upon that uncertainty ; and in order to his intended de-
Sign, he uSually fills them 'with the utmoft anxiety of mind,
and makes their thoughts, like a tempeftuousfea, dafh one a-
gainft another. This piece of his art is noted in thcforecited
place, 'that ye be not fhaken in mind or troubled ;' (the word
Signifies a great perplexity. And this is an ufual method which
the falfe teachers among the Galatiaris pradtifed ; they firft trou-
bled them, and then endeavoured by the advantage of* that trou
ble to pervert the goSpd oS Chrift, GaLi. 7. and v. 12. To
effect both thefe, he doth amufe them with all the objections
.that can be raifed. If he can fay any thing of the antiquity of
the error, the number, wifdom, learning or authority of thofe
that, embrace it, they are fore to hear of thefe things to the
full;' the danger of continuing as they were, and the happinefs
ofthe new dodrine, are reprefented with all' aggravating cir
cumftances ; and theSe So oSten, that their thoughts have no
reft :- And if this reltleffnefs.does wound or weaken them, he
purines with an high hand. Thefe ways of ditturbing the 1111-
fettled mind, are hinted to us in the aforefaid place, fpirit,
word, letter; any thing that carries a feeming authority toun-
fettle, or power to amaze and diffrefs. And we may here fur.
ther note,' that where the minds of men are difcompofed with
other fears or difquiets,, Satan is ready. to improve them to this
ufe, fo that commonly when the wbrd of God begins to work
at firft upon the confeiences of men, to awaken them to the
confideration of their Sin and danger, the adyerfary is then very
bufy with theni to inveagle them intp fome error or other.
$dly, Having throughly prepared themind with reftlefs fears,
he, then advanceth forward with the prpffers of peace and Com
fort in the ' way of error which he propofeth; and in this cafe
error will boaft much, ' Come to me, and ye fhall find reft for
your Souls.'* How grateful and welcome the confident proffers
of eafe and fatisfadion are to a toffed and difqiiieted mind any
man will eafily imagine : It is ufually thus, men that are tir
ed out, ,will pafily embrace any thing Sor eafe., A man in, this
paSe may.be wrought upon like wax to receive any imprefiion;
he will faften on any thing true or falfe that doth but promife
comfort. 4thly, The eompleatment of his method is tp pleafe the man
in the fruition of the peace promifed : And this he labours to
do, not only to fix the man in his delufion, but, to make that man
brag of eafe to be a fnare to others. And it is eafy for the de
yil to db this ; for, 1. The novelty of a new opinion doth na
turally pleafe, efpecially if it give any feeming commendation
- , ' ' "for

Chap. III. Safari's Temptations. , 11$
for difcovery or fingulatityi We fee men are fond bf their own
Inventions, and delighted tp be lifted up above others. 2. Sa
tan can eafily allay the ftprrri which he himfelf raifed : he gives
over to moleft with anxious thoughts ; on the contrary he fug
gefts thoughts 'of Satisfaction. 3. And whatever he can do id
a natural way to raife lip our paflionS of joy and delight, he
.will be fure to do it now, to ravishment and excsfs if he can ;
and then he not only makes thefe men fuve^ (for what ar
gument can Stand before filch a confidence?) but hath an adive
inftrUrriertt for the allurement of fuch as cannot difeover thefe
methods. Secondly, Outward profperity is. the other common plea for
error. Though fucbeffes, plenty and abundance of worldly com
forts, argue of themfelves neither love nor hatred, truth nor
falfehood, becaufe the wife providence bf God, for holy ends
..and reafons, often undifcerned by us, permits oSten thetahernaples
of robbers tb profper, and permits thofe that deal treacheroufty
with the truths of God; ' to be planted, to take root, to grow,
yea to bring forth fruit ;' neverthelefs if in a way of error they
meet with outward bleflingSj they* are apt to afcribe all to their
errors, and to fay as Ifrael, Hof. ii. j.- ' I will go after my lo
vers, that .gave me ihy bread and my water, my wool and my
flax, mine oil and my drink,' without any ferio'us consideration
of God's common bounty, which upon far other accounts,
' gives'them corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplies their. Sil
ver and gold, which they prepared for Baal,' ver. §. ' I fhall
riot need to add any thing further for the proof and explanation
of this, than what we have in Jer. xliv. 17. Where the Jews
exprefsly advance their idolatrous wprfhip as the right way,
and confirrii themfelves even to obftihacy in the purfuit of it,
upon this reafori ; ' We will certainly do whatfoever thing go-
eth but of our own mouth, to burn irtcenfe to the queen of hea
ven— for then had we plenty of victuals; and were well, and
faw no evil : But Since we left off to burn incenfe'to the queen
bf heaven; and to pour out^ out drink offerings unto her* we
have wanted all things, "and have, been confumed by the fw.ord;
arid by the famine.'
•Ninthly, Inftead of better Arguments, Satan ufually makes
lies his refuge : And thefe refpect either the truth which he
Would cry downj or the error which he would fet up.
Thofe lies that &£e managed againft truth, are of two forts ;
• miftakes and misrepresentations of its dodrines, or calumnies
againft the perfons and adions of .thofe that take part with
it. ,
Thofe lies that are proper to befpatter a truth withal, are
Ff , fuch

726 , , A Treatife of PartIL
fuch as tend- to render it unlovely, inconvenient, or dangerous.
Satan hath never been awanting to raife up mifts and fogs to
eclipfethe Shinfog beauty of truth. Sometimes he perfeades
men that it is a novelty, andcontrary to the tradition ofthe
fathers : And then if an error had been once upon the Stage
before, and had again been biffed out of the world, when it
peeps out again into the. world, its former impudency is made
an argument for its antiquity, and truth is decried as novel.
Or, if it be but an error of yefterday, and hath only obtained
an age, or two, then the ghofts of our forefathers are conjured
up as witneSIes, and the plea runs current, ' What is become
of yorir fathers ? Or, are you wifer than your fathers ? Are
they all damned ?' Thefe were , infilled on by the heathens:
The gods of the country, and the worShip of their fathers^
they thought Should not be forfaken for Christianity, which
they judged was but a novelty, in comparifon. of Paganifm. Of
the fame extract is that old Song of the Papifts, ' Where was
your religion before Luther ?' And to this purpofe they talk
of the fucceflion of their Bifhops and Popes. And other errors
grow a little pert and corifidentj if they can but find a pattern
or fample.for themfelves among, the old herefies. Sometimes
He endeavours fo bring truth into fufpicion-, by rendering it a
, dangerous encroachment upon the rights and privileges of men,
as if it would turn all upfide down, and introduce factions and
cpnfufions. This clamour Was raifed againft the gofpel, that
it Would fubvert the, dodrine cf Mofes and the law. Some
times he clothes the opinipns of truth with an ugly drefs, and
mifreprefents it to the World, as guilty of ftrange inferences
and abfurdifies, which only ariSe from a wrong Stating of the
queflions : And where it doth really differ from error, he en
deavours to widen the differences to an inconvenient diftance,
fo that if it go a mile from error, Satan will have it to go two ;
if truth teach juftification by faith, error reprefents it as deny
ing all, care of holinefs and good Works ; iS truth Say; bare mo
ral virtues are not fufficient without grace, error prefently ac
cufeth it, as de,nying any neceffary ufe ef morality, or affirm
ing that moral virtues are obstructions and hinderances to Sal
vation. It were eafy to note abundance of fuPh inftances.
As for calumnies againft the perfons arid adions of thofe that
are affertors of truth, it is- Well known for an old thread bare
defign, by which Satan hath gained not a little. Machiavel
borrowed the. -policy from him, and formed it into a maxim,
for he found by experience that where Strong Slanders had Set
in their teeth, though never fo unjuftly, the wounds were ne
ver thoroughly healed : , For fome that heard the report ofthe
Slander

Chap. III. Satan's Temptations, 227
Slander, never heard the vindication, and thoSe that did, were
not always So unprejudiced as to free themfelves from all fuf-
picion, but ftill fomething remained ufually upbn their fpirits
for ever after ; and that, like a fecret venom, poiSons all that
could be faid or done by the perfons, that, wrongfully, fell
under their prejudice, and did not a little derogate from the
authority and power of the truths which they delivered.
The friends of truth have always to their coft found it fo.
Chrift himfelf efcaped not the lies and cenfures of men when He
did the greateft miracles ; they raifed this calumny againft him,
' That he caft out devils by Beelzebub the pfince of devils';?
John viii. 4§. When he fhewed the moft companionate con-
defcenSipns, they called him a man gluttonous, a wine bibber,
a friend of publicans and finners ; and at laft upon -a misinter
pretation of his fpeeches, ' I will deftroy this tempfe, and in
three days I will build it up,' Matth. xxvi, 61: they arraigned
and condemned him for blafphemy '• And his fervants have?
according to what he foretold, drunk of the fame cup; the
more eminent in fervice, the greater draught. Paul a chofen
veffel met with much of this unjuft dealing ;, he was accufed.
Ads xxi. 2$. as fpeaking againft the people, the law, and the
temple ; juid, chap. xxiv. 5. called apeftilent fellow, a mover
of fedition, a profaner of the temple. Neither can we wonder
at this, that the greateft innocency, or higheft degree of holi
nefs, is no armour of proof againft the Sharp arrows of a lying
tongue : When we read this as one of Satan's great charac
ters, that he is the accufer of the brethren, and that his agents
are fo perfectly inftruded in this art, that they are alfosbrand-
ed W'th the fame mark of faJSe accufers,, Jude ver. jo. It is
well known how the primitive' Chriftians were ufed, they were
accounted the filth arid off-Scouring of all things ; there could
be nothing that could render them odious or ridiculous but
they were afperfed. with it, as that they facrificed infants, wor
shipped the fun, and ufed promifcuous uncleannefs ; nay, what
ever plague or difafter befel their neighbours, they were fure
to carry the blame. And we might trace this Stratagem down
to our own days. ' Luther in his time was the common butt
for all the poifoned arrows of the Papifts palumny ; which fo
exceeded all bound's of fobriety and prudence, that they deyifed
a romance of his death, how he was choaked-'of the devil ; that
before he died,- he defired his corps might be carried into the
church, anil adored with divine worfhip, and that after his
death the exepfiive flench of his carcafe' forced all his friends to
forfake him. All this,- and more to this purpofe, tliey pub
lished while he was alive, whofe Slanders, worthy only of laugh-
Ff? ' ten

228 , A Treatife of Part It
ter, he refuted by his Own pen. The like fury they expreffed
againft Calvin, by their Bblfecus,' whom thpy fet on work to
fill a book with impudent 'lies againSt him : Neither did Beza,
Junius, or any other of note, efcape. without fome Slander or
other. How unjuftly the Arians of old -accufed Atnanafius\f
uncleannefs, and of bereavfog Arfenius of his arm, is fuSncient-
ly known in hiftory. * ,'
But the devil's malice doth not always run in the dirty chan- '
nel bf odipus calumnies; he hath Sometimes a more cleanly
conveyance' for his lies againft holy men. In profecution of
the fame defign, it is a fair colour for error, if he cian abufe
the name and credit bf renowned champions of truth, by father
ing an error upon them which they rieyer owned. By this
means he doth not only grace a falfe dodrine with the authori
ty of ap eminent perfon, whofe estimation might be a fnare tq
fome well-meaning perfons, but weakens the truth, by bring
ing a faithful affertor bf it irito fufpicion. of holding, at leaft in
fome points, dangerous opinions ; by which many are affright
ed from entertaining any thing that they write or preach : For
though they may be confefledly found in the moft weighty: doc
trines, yet if it be once buzzed abroad- that they are in any
thing unfound, this dead fly Spoils all the precious ointment:
And the matter were yet the lefs, if there Were any jufteaufe
for fuch a prejudice ;' but fuch is Satan's art, that if a man ex
plain the fame truth but in different words, arid forms of fpeeehj
than thpfe that others have been ufed untP ; or if'hecafts it
into a more convenient mould, that, by laying afide doubtful;
or flexible expreflions, it may be more Safely guarded from the
exceptions of the adVerfaries, efpecially if he carefully chufe
his path betwixt the extremes on either hand ; this is enough
for Satan to catch at, and prefently he bellows upon him' the
names of the very errors which he moft' ftrenuoufly oppoieth ;
nay, fometimes if he mention any thing above the reach or ac
quaintance of thofe that hear him, it is well if he efcapes.fhe,
charge of herefy, and that he meets not with the lot of Virgi-
lius' biShop of' Saltzbury, who was judged no lefsf than hereti
cal, for venting his opinion concerning the Antipodes, f I
know men do fuch things in their zeal, but while they do fo,
they are concerned to confider how Satan doth abufe their good
meaning to trie differvice of truth.
As Satan's defign in befpattering the adions and dodrines of
good men, is to bring, the trrith they profefs into a fufpicion of
falfehood, and to advance the contrary errors to the place and
credit
* Theod. Hill. lib. cap.- 30. + Vide Harvai Prefat. in Sang. Circultt-
et Ileylin Cofmogr. p. 300. ' ' ¦ " , ¦

Chap. III. Satan's Temptations. az9
credit of truth ; fo doth he ufe a Skill proportionable to his de
fign. And though he be fo impudent that he will* not Mufti at
the contrivance ofthe moft grofs and, malicious 'lie, yet withal
he is fo cunning, that he ftudioufly. endeavours feme probable
rife for his Slanders, and commonly he takes this courfe :
Firft, He doth all he can to corrupt the profeflbrs of truth ;
if riches or honours will tempt them to be proud, high-mind
ed, contentious, or extravagant, he plies them with thefe wea
pons ; if the pleafures of the SleSh and world be more likely to
befot them, or tp make them fenfual, earthly or loofe, he in-
ceffantly lays thofe baits- before them ; if fears and perfecutions
can affright them out of duty, if injuries and provocations may
prejudice them into a froWard or wayward temper, he will
certainly: urge them by fuch occafions, and when he hath pre
vailed in any jneafure, he is- Sure to aggravate every circum-
ftance in its utmoft height, and upon that advantage to make
additions of a great many things beyond what they can be juft
ly accufed of. This old device Paul, in Rom. ii. 24. ' takes no
tice of concerning the Jews, whofe breach of the law fo disho
noured. God, that the name of God was blafphemed among the
Gentiles through them. The Jews lived wickedly, and their
wipked lives was a currpnt argument among the . Gentiles, to
confirm them in Paganifm ; for they judged the law of God
could no,t approve itfelf to be better than their own, when the
profeffprs pf it were fo naught. . Tp prevent this mifchief, we
are ferioufly warned to be carefully ftrid in all our ftations,
* that the name of God 'and. his dodrine be not blafphemed,'
I Tim. vi. 1. Tit. ii. 5.
Secondly, Whatever mifcarriages any prpfeffor of truth is
guilty of, Satan takes care that it be prefently charged upon
all the profeflipn. If ariy one. offend, it is, matter of public
blame; much more if any company or party fhall run into ex
travagancies, or do adions ftrange and unjuftifiable^ thofe that.
agree with them in the general name of their profeflion. though
they differ as far from their wild opinions and pradices as their
enemies do, Shall Still be upbraided with their follies. ""' We fee
this pradifed daily by differing parties, according to What was
, foretold in 1 Pet. ii. 2. Falfe prophets Seduce a great number,
pf Chriftians to follow their pernicious ways, and by reafon of
their wild ,ungodly, behaviour, the whole way of truth was
evil fpoken of.-
Thirdly, -The leaft flip or infirmity of the, children o'f truth
the devil is ready to bring upon the Stage; -and they that will
not charge themfelves as offenders for very great evils, will yet
?tye® }° ,fIle difparagement of truth the fmalleft miflakes. of
others ;

{130 A Treatife of Part IL
others ; a mote in the eye of the lovers of truth Shall be efpyed,
when a beam in the eye of falfehood Shall pafs for nothing.
Fourthly, Slanderous afperfions are fometimes raifed from a
Simple miftake of adions, and, their grounds or manner of per
formance, and fometimes from a malicious mifreprefentation.
The devil feldom ads from a Ample miftake, but he will fuborn
the paffionate opppfers to a wilful perverting of the true ma
nagement of things pr will by a falfe account of things take the
advantage of their prejudice, to make, men believe that'Siich
things have been faid or done, which indeed never were. The
Christians in the primitive times were reported to be bloody
men, and that they did kill, men in Sacrifice, and did eat their
flefh and drink their blood; and this was> only occafioned by
their dodrine and ufe of the facrament of the body and blood of
'Chrift. They were accufed for promifcuous uncleannefs with
one another, and this only becaufe they taught that there was no
diftindion of male and female in refped of juftifieation,'and that
they were all brethren and Sifters in Chrift. This account Ter
tullian gives of the calumnies pf thpfe times *, and others have
noted the like opcafipns of other abufes of them. They were
reported to wprShip the fun, becaufe they in times of perfecu
tion were forced to meet early in the fields, and were often feen
undifperfed at fun rifing. They were reported to worfhip Baw
chus and Ceres, becaufe of the elements ofbreadand wineinthe
Lord's f upper.- if they met in private places, and in the night,
it was enough to occafion furmifes of confpiracy and rebellion;
fo ready is Satan to take occafion Where none is given. -
Fifthly } But if none'of thefe. are at hand, then a downright
lie muft do the turn, according to that of Jer. xviii. 18. * Come
and let us deyife devices againft Jeremiah:' AnS'when once' the
Tie is coined, Satan hath officious instruments to Spread it, Jer,
XX. 10. ' Report, Say they, and we will report it.'
TheSe were the lies raifed againft truth; but befides this en
deavour, he ufeth the fame art of lying to inhance the credit of
error. Lying infpiratipns, lying Signs' and wonders we have
fpoken of. T Shall only mention another fort' of lying, which is
that of forgery, an art which error hath ppmmonly made ufe of.
Sometimes books and writings erroneous have been made to
carry the names of men that never knew or faw them. The
Apoftles themfelves efcaped not thefe abufes; you read of the
counterfeit gbfpels of Thomas and Barthplomey, the Acts of
Peter and Andrew, the apofl-dical constitutions, and a great
many more. Later writers \ have by the like hard ufage been
forced
, * Apolpg, cap. 7, S, 9. 39. + Coei Centura Patrum. Dr. James de cor
rupt,. Scrip coricilior. Prideaux de Pefudo Epigraphis.

Chap. III. Satan's Temptations. iji
orced to father the brats of other mens brains. I might hes
large in thefe, but they that pleafe may fee more of this in au
thors, that have of purpofe difcovered the frauds of fpurious,
fuppbfitious books ; the defign is obvious ; error would by
this mearis adorn itfelf with the excellent names of men of
renown, that fo it might pafs for good dodrine with the un
wary:

CHAP. IV.
Of Satan's fecond way of improving his advantages, which is
by wording upon the underftanding indire&ly by the affeBtons.
This he doth, 1. By afilent infenftble introduBion of error.
His method herein. 1. By entangling the affhBions with the
external garh of error, a gorgeous drcfs, or uffeBed plainnefs.
3. By fabulous imitations of truth. The defign thereof. 4. By
accommodating truth to a compliance with parties th&t differ
from it. Parians inftances hereof. 5 . By driving to a con
trary extreme. 6. By bribing the afifeBions with rewards, or
forcing them by fears. 7. By engaging pride and anger. 8. By
adorning error with the ornaments of truth.
HPHE ufual arguments by which Satan doth diredly blind thp
¦*• understanding to a perfuafion to accept darknefs for light,
We have now confidered. It remains that fome account be gi
ven of the fecond way of prevailing upon the underftanding,
and that is by fwaying it through the power and prevalency of
the affedions. In order to this he hath many ' devices, the
principal whereof are thefe :
Firft, By Silent and infenfihle procedure he labours to intro
duce errors ; and left men Should ftartle at a fudden and full
prefentment of the whole, he thinks it policy to infinuate in
to the affections, by offering it in parcels. Thus he prevents
wonderment and furprifal, left men fhould boggle and turn 3-
way, and doth by degrees familiarize them to that, which at
iirfl would have been rejeded with abhorrency. We read in
the parable of the tares, that the envious man which fowed
themy who was Satan, tookbis opportunity, while men Slept,
and then went away in the, dark ; infomuch that the difcovery
was not made at the fowiag, but at their coming up. In pur
suance of this policy, we find the principal instruments of Sa
tan have follpwed the footfteps of their matter ; they ' creep in
unawares,' Jude 4. they ' privily bring in damnable herefies,'
2 Pet. ii. 1. and, as if they were guilty of fome modeft Shame-
facednefs

232 A Treatife of Part II.'
facedrieSs, they ' creep into houfes,' i Tim. iii.' 6. The Steps by.
which the devil creeps into the bofoms bf men tp plant error
in the heart, are thefe :
xft, He endeavpurs tp gain the heart by the ingenipus fweet1
and delightful fociety of thofe that are corrupted already. Er
ror hath a peculiar -art to woo the good- will before it difclbfe
itfelf; it firft Steals the ear and affedions to the perfon, and
thence infenfibly drives it to the opinion. Truth is mafculine,
and per/uades by teaching, but error dpth pften teach by per-
fuading. It, is very difficult to affed the perfon, and not fo
beftow upon the error better thoughts than it deferv.es. Thofe
therefore that are cunning in the art of fedudion, make extra
ordinary pretences of affectionate kindnefs, and as the apoftle'
noted concerning the Seducers pS his time, Gal. iv. 17. they
zealoufly affed »hofe whom they wpuld delude, but not well:
Their art doth alfo teach them not to be over hafty in pro
pounding their opinions, npr So much as to touch upon them.
till they perceive they have gained a firm perfuafion oftheir
amity, and of the reality of thofe kindnefles which they have
madp Shew of: But when they have once gained this point of
advantage, they take opportunity more freely to propound and
prefs their dodrines. Thus are men at laft beguiled with en
ticing words.
It is alfo part ofthe fame defign, that Satan- fometimes makes
ufe of women feducers : For, (1.) They are more apt to be"
deluded themfelves ; filly women are foon led captive. (¦«.) Be
ing deceived, they are moft earUeftly forward in the heat of
zeal to propagate their opinions. (3.) And by the advantage^
of their nature they are moft engaging ; their affedionate<per-
fuafions ufually have a peculiar prevalency. ' The daughters of
Moab, through Balaam's 'counfel, were made choice of, as the
Sitteft instruments to feduce Ifrael to idolatry.' Solomon, tho' a
wife man, was prevailed with by the importunity of his wives,
againft his former pradice arid knowledge, to favour falfe wori
Ship. The woman Jezebel, Rev. ii. 20. was Satan's under a-
ge'nt, to teach aud feduce God's Servants to commit fornication;
and to eat things facrificed to idols. (4.) Befides; they have
a greater influence upOn "their children, to leaven them with
their, own opinions.
idly, Satari alfo obferves a gradual motion in fixing any par
ticular error. If he attempt it immediately without an extef* ^
nal agent, he firft puts men upon the reading or consideration
of Some dark paflages that Seem to look Savourably upon this1
defign; then he Starts the notion or objedion ; then begets.a
fdru'ple or q'ueftioning. Having once proceeded thus far, he
follows'

Chap-, IV. Satan's Temptations. 333
- follows his defign with probable reafons, till be have formed it
into an opinion.' When it is come to'this, a little more begets
a perfuafion, that perfuafion - he ripens into a refolutenefs and
obftinacy, and then at laft fires it with zeal-for, the deluding of
others. Having thus laid, the foundation' by one error, he next
endeavours to multiply it, and then brings in the inferences that
Unavoidably follow ; for as one wedge makeS way for another,
fo from one falfehood. another will eafily force itfelf; and from
two pr three, who .knows how many ? And though the confe-
quences are ufually more abfurd than the principles, yet are
they with a Small labour brought into Savour, where the prin
ciples are firft confidently believed ; So that thoSe errors, which,,
becaufe oS their ugly look, Satan durft not at firft propound,
left, he, fliould fcare men off from their reception, he can now
"with an undaunted boldnefs recommend. It cannot be imagined,
that ever men would at firft have entertained opinions of con
tempt of ordinances and libertiniSm ; and therefore we may ob-
ferVe they ufually come in the rear of other opinions, which by
a long trad of art prepare their way;
: Yet may we note, that though Satan ufually is forced to
wait the leifure of- fome mens tiinoroufnefs arid baShfulnefs,
and therefore cannot ripen error to an hafty birth as he defires,
hehpe is; it, that one man often doth no more for his time, but
only, brew it, or it may be makes only the rude draught of it,
and another vents and adorns it; for fo it was betwixt Ladius
and Fauflus Socinus, betwixt David' George and his fupeeffors:
And though he be fo confined tothe firft prinpiples of error,
which he hath 'inflilled, that he cannot at prefent enlarge them
beyond their own juft confequences ; yet there are forpe choice
principles of his, which if he can but fallen upon the mind,
they prefently open- the gap to aU kind, of errors imaginable ;
they are like the Siring a train of gunpowder, which in a mo
ment blows up the whole fabric of truth. Such are the delu
sions of erithufiafm, infpirations, and prophetic captures ; let
thefe be once fixed, and then there is nothing fo inhuman, irrer
ligious, mad, or ridiculous, but Satan can with eafe perfuade
men to it ; and alfo under the higheft pretences of t-eligion, arid
certainty, the experience of all ages, hath made any further
proof of this altogether needlefs.
This isbis way when he ads alone. But if he ufe inftru.
ments, though he is alfo gradual in his procedure, yet it is in, a
different method : For there he fometimes proceeds from the
abufe of fomething innocent .and lawful, by the help of a lon^
trad of time,, to introduce the groffefl: falfehood.. Thus may.
we conceive he brought idolatry to its .height :- Firft men ad-
G g mired

434' A Treatife ef - - Part If;
mirad the wifdo^.i br famous ads of their progeriitersyor bene.
factofs ; next, they eroded pillars, or images of fuch perfons,
to perpetuate the^pames, honour, aud memory of them' and
their actions. Another age being at a greater diftanee frqm
the things done, and confequently greater ftfangers- to the true
ends and reafons of fuch pradices, which being, as it ufoally
fails out in fuch cafes, abufed by falfe reports pr mifreprefehta.
tions pf things, for time "covers things of. this nature With fo
thick a mift, that it is difficult to difcover the true metal of an
original constitution, they, in a devout ignorance, gave the
images a greater refped than was at firft intended ; then did
they Slide Into a conceit they were not of the ordinary rank of
rnbrtals; or at leaft they were exalted to a condition which or
dinary mortals were not capable of ; thus they fuppofed them
deities, and gave thep wbrfhip of prayers and facrifices :, Hence
they went further, and multiplied gods, and" that of feveral
forts, according tb the .natures of things that were good or
hurtful to them ; and then at laft, confultirig how mean their
offerings were, and bow unlikely tb pleafe their godfhips, they
concluded human Sacrifices moft fuitable, efpecially to expiate
g-reaterprovocatiohs, and in times of great calamity., ,.
The ' burdeofome heap of ceremonious mperftitioris.in po
pery was the work 'of Several ages, they were not brought
in all at once. One in a devotional heat fancied faih a ce
remony as a Sit teftimony of zeal, or- a proper incitement 'cf
his affedions ; ahother devifeth a fecond, and fo all along ;
as the minds of men were beft pleafed with their OWn inven
tions, and had fo much credit or authority to recbmmehd tnern:
to pthers, they increafed the form by new additions, till at laft
they are become a burden not to be b6*n ; and ftill as they
receded from the primitive purity, and becamemcre carelefs
and' corrupt in their lives, for from good biShops they declineA
to be but tolerable archbiShcps, till at laft they are become
incurable Babylbnians *, fo tbey departed gradually ftoin the
Simplicity of the gofpel, and abounded in contrivances' of cere
monies. Thirdly, In corrupting eftablifhed truths. Satan's proceed
ings aro nbt by fudden and obfervable leaps, but by lingering
and flow motions; as flqwers and plants grow infehfibly, and
as men gradually wax old and feeble. Violent and haUy al
terations he knows would beget obfervation, diflike,, and pppo1-
Sltipn ; neither will he make fuch attempts, but where he is
fure of a ftrong prevalent party, which by force and pqwer is-
able to carry all before it : In this cafe he is "willing to en
force
r Matth-: Pridsaiix, Ituroduft. to Hiftory.' ,

Ghap. IV. Satifn's Temptations. 335
force error by fire and fwo\d. Thus he propagated Mahp-
nietifm at firft, and ftill -continueth to dp fo by the conquering
arms of the .Turk's ; but where he hath not this advantages he
betakes himfelf to another courfe, and ftudieth to do his' work
fo that he may not be obferved. The poSfihility of fuch a
change, with the manner of effeding it,- we may obferve' in
many churches, that -have declined Srpm the doclrinp which
they at firft received, but moft of all in the church, at Rome,
which at firft was a pure church, as. the apoftle teftifieth, but
now fo changed from the; truths upon which they were hot*
tomed in their fjrft constitution; as if She had not been the fame
church. They boaft indeed, that as they were at firft, fo they
are now ; but nothing is more'evident than the contrary r And
the poflibility of their infenfible corruption is as demonstrable
' as the alteratiph cf dodrine in any other church. The mani
fold ways that Satan takes in this matter, in the abufe of Scrip .
tore, by railing perverfe interpretations, and unnatural infer
ences, and the advantages of a long fucceffipn in authority ; of
the negligence and ignorance of the common people ; of the
crafty fubtilty ofthe teaphers, efpecially when rehgion began
to he abufed by Secular intereft, is defcribed by Acontius and
others *. If- w,e Should Single put any of their noted errors,
'4nd follow up the hiftory of it to its firft original, wc Shaij
find, that whatever ftrprig current it hath now gotten, it was
very fmall and irtconfiderabfe in tlte fountain. The invocation
of faints, though it bp now an established article among them,
yet its firft rife was from the unwary prpfopopaaa's pf the an
cients, and the liberty of their oratorical declamatory , Stile;
thefe gave occafion to fome private opinions, thefe , opinions to
fome private devotional liberty in pradice, and from private
opinions and practices, at laft it obtained fo Strong, a party, that
it procured a, public injunction. The like method was ufed for
the dodrina pf tranfubftantiatiGn, whofe beginning was from
%he abufe of fuch Sentences as this in ancient writers, That af
ter. Confecration it was no more btead and wine, but the body
and blood of Chrift ; by which expreffion the authors intended
no more thkn this, that the bread arid wine in the Sacrament
were relatively altered, and were more than ordinary bread
and, wine, becaufe they were representatives of the body and
1 blood of Chrift : However, this gave them courage to interpret
literally and ftridly thefe words of Chrift, « This is my body:'
And thus by degrees, from the opinion 'of a few, it became the
judgment of many, ,and from the toleration of a private-opinion.
1 , ¦ G g' 2 of
* StratjjgGSi. Satans, lib. 4,

$36 A Treatife bf * Part It,
of Some dodors and unitnpofed, it obtained at laft a canon to
make it authentic, public doctrine.
qthly, This infenfible proceeding is in nothing more evident
than in the power of cuftom and education; cuftom doth by
degrees take off the Startling of ccnfcierice ¦ And thofe opi&ns
or pradices which at firft look affright it, are by a little fami
liarity, made more fmooth and tolerable. " The diffents of men
by frequent feeing and hearing, become tame arid gende; but
the force of education is incomparably great, for this makes an
error to become as Lit were natural ; they fuck it in with their"?
milk, arid draw it in with, their air. This general advantage
the devil hath over all the children of erroneous parents, efpe
cially where Countries or nations are ofthe fame perfoafion,
infomuch that Turks have as great belief of. their Alcoran- as we
ofthe Bible, and think as reverently of Mahomet, as Christians
dp of Chrift- The children of idolatrous Pagans have as great
,a confidence of the truth of their way of heathenifh worShig, as
we have of God's ordinances and institutions.
Sthly, We may fee fomething of this Stratagem of Silent in-
tariglement in Satan's furp'rifals ; for fometimes he inveigles
'men at utiawa"resi and engageth them in error while they know
not what they are doing. Weak heads cannot fee the far end
of a fmooth- faced dodrine ; and they ufually embrace it by
whblefale, for foffie particular that Strikes upon their fancy, on
gratifies their humour. If they read a book that hath Some
good things in it, or is affedionate, -for the fake of thefe they
fwallow all the reft, though never fo dang?rous doctrine, with
out further -examination. The like advantage he hath from
adions that are bad or tolerable, according to the various re
flects which they have to the ends or confequences that lie, be
fore them; for he frequently doth intereft men in an erroneous
confequence, by concerning therh in adions that lead that way;
and having thus' beguiled them into ari evil miftake, inftead of
drawing their foot out. ofthe fnare, he pufheth them forward-to
maintain their ground, 'and to juftify their proceedings. This
was the cafe of fome ofthe Corinthians, When the heathens
had offered a Sacrifice to an idol, part of the Sacrifice was re
ferved, and either fold at the Shambles,- or ufed in a feaft, tp
which the heathens" fometimes inyited their Christian acquain
tance or relations-. Thofe that went, knowing that an idol
was nothing, eat what was Set before thetrij without any regard
to the idol, and makingno queftion for confidence fake : By,
their example othersthat had not that' knowledge, i Cor. viii. ^
were emboldened, not only to eat againft their fcruples and;
doubts of confidence, which is all that mariy interpreters think: to

Chap. IV. ' Satan's Temptations. 237
to be intended ih that place, but alfo, as the words make pro
bable, with Some pofitive" regard to the idol ; So that by the
examples of thofe that- fat in the idol's temple, eating what was*
fet before them as cpmmon ineat, others misinterpreting their
actions, proceeded to eat with a confcience of the idol, as if thp
idol had been fomething indeed, and deferving a'confcientious
regard. Not unlike to this was that art of Julian, mentioned
by'Sozomen *; whereby he endeavoured to twift fomething of
Paganifm with adtions and things that were lawful or neceffary:
He caufed the images of Mars and Mercury to be placed by
his own, fo that the refpedts that were paid to the emperor's
picture, feem to carry a concomitancy of reverence to thofe
idols: Hp alfo, in profecution of the. fame policy, caufed their
meats and drinks to be fprinkled or mixed with thfe luftral wa
ter, that fo every one that ufed them, might be inured to give
fomb regard tp his idols ; and that fome, at leaft, might beeo-
gaged to a justification. of that and- fuch other practices .v.-
AU thefe are but inftances of Satan's Merit insinuation by
which he fecretly Steals the affedions, and through thefe, taints
the 'judgment. Next follows ¦ .
A Second plot upon the affedions, which is an endeavour.
, to entangle them by the external garb pf error. . In this he
works by two contrary, extremes, that he may the better?pre-
yail with mens different difpofitions.
Firft, He fometimes clothes a falfe dodrine with the moft"
pompous, gprgeous,delightful attire, that like Solomon's har
lot it may entice thofe that are pleafedv with 'the. higheft gratifi
cations of the fenfes, ' I have decked my bed with coverings of
tapeftry, with fine linen* of Egypt,' &c. Moft men that are
given up to an animal life, cannot be pleafed with, any religion
but fuch as may moft pleafe^ the fenfes ; theyfo difrelifli the Sim
plicity pf the gofpel, which is, notwithftanding, its particular
mark and- honour, 2 Cor. xi. 3. that they cannot perfuade them
felves they do anything in religious worfhip, except they a-
bound in cbftly ceremonious obfervances.. Thus do fome in
terpret! that fear ofthe heathens f, .which firft put them upon
images and outward reprefentations of their gods ; they were
afraid they fhpuld not have any religion to their own fatisfac-
tion, except they proceeded in fuch a courfe as might make
their fenfes fore that they were doing fomething : the de^il
knowing well the force of external beauties in religion, prepa
red the way to idolatry by it: They had their coftly- temples,
fome of them admirable for antiquity'and magnificence, enrich
ed with gifts and offerings, excellent for matter and workman-
-'-¦ ''¦¦ :' ¦-, ." fhip
f Sozpmeni Eccl. Hill. 1, 5, c. 16. f Primus in orbe Peos timor fecit.-

43s * A Treatife of k ' Part. II,
fliip, adorned with images, lamps, beds, and tables of gold,
beautified by aft, and naturalpfeafantnefs of Situation: they had
alfp their groves irt the mpft pleafant and delightful places, as
that of the Daphne befides Antiochia, which was invironed with
tall cyprefs. trees, ten miles about, and Within adorned, with the
Sumptuous temples of Apollo and Diana's Sanctuary; in thefe
places they had their mufic and .fblemn festivals, which were
fometimes extraordinary, for coft and continuance. Antiochus
at Daphne continued an incredible folemnity, with a vaft train
and coSlly preparation for thirty days together; and that no
thing might be wanting, they had their annual feafts, Sacrifices}
rites, the adornments of their priefts, their white garments, their
coats of divers colours, their miters, &c. in a word, nothing
was lacking that might- pleafe the eye or ear- Arid doubtlefs
the devil found {his courfe very fuccefsful to win the affections
•f men to GentiliSm. And if it were not for this confideration,
it might be admired that the Jews who were instructed in the
true worfhip of God, Should, notwithftanding, be fo prone to i-
dolatry, and fo hardly drawn from it ; but, furely their Strong
inclinations that way proceeded1 from a natural delight that men
' have in. a fenfual religion; which by a powerful wkphcraft
doth inchant them to an excefs of love. The Same method the
devil takes in Popery, the chief inticement lies in its glpri»us^
external appearance ; all their religions places are dreffed up in '
the higheft bravery, they are beautified with images and pic
tures, with lights and cpftly adornments ; they abpund in rites,
ceremonies, geSturos, andobfervancesj and all this is but to daz. '
zle the eyes, and, to win a reverpnce in men to their worShip;
and accordingly they pradife ip thefe exterior things on purr
pofe to ravilh mens affedions,; their children are brought up fo
ja confirmed delight and refolutiort Sor Popery, by pleafing thej)
With Shews, pictures, repre&ntations, proceSfions, and grateful
observances. If a ftranger of another religion come ajnoflg
them, then, as their firft eflay, they iheW them all their play
things, that their affections may be tickled with the outward
i pomp and prnament of their way; for they know by experience,
that a glittering outfide, and a great deal ado of bodily far,
bour, is the all of moft mens religion; if it have but body
enough, they never enquire Whether it have fpirit or life wifhr
in :,a dead carcafe in robes, /that may put them to the exercife
of their poftures, apd ceremonious complements, dpth make up
a more grateful religion for a carnal man, than a liviogSpiritT1
pal Service, that nepeflarily will put them upon in ward' care and
watchfulnefs in the conftaut . exercife pf holy Spiritual graces,
without affording any considerable gratification to the fenfes jT
hence

Chap. IV. - Satan's Temptations. 239
hence is ittruly more difficult, and yet inwardly more beauti
ful and glorious, to pray in faith and humility, evert in Short
breathings after God, than to fay a thoufand Ave Maria's;
or to perform a taSk of ordinary penance. But as thofe that
have no children of their own, delight themfelves in playing
with a monkey or babbbrfj fo thofe that know hot how to wor
ship God in fpirit arid truth , Seek to fatisfy themfelves in the
performance of exterrialgefture and ceremony. • - '-'
Secondly, On the other Hand, he fometimbs is wiling that
an error Should affed an excefs of plainnefs and Simplicity. ; Irt
this he takes advantage Of fclbfe expreffions in Scripture, where
in the gofpel is commended for its Simplicity, and^he inventions
of men under the pretences of Wifdom^ humility, and neglee-
ting °f the body are condemned. Upon this ground, he runs
men upbn'fuch an excefs of dotage, that they never think the
things of God are rightly managed, but wheh they are brought
down to a contemptible fillinefk. Hy ^hisntearls he arms con*
Cbited ignorant men with exceptions' againft learning, and the*
>neceSIarydecencles of language in preaching; arid with them they
are the only preachers, and molt likely to be infpired, that ufe
leaft Study and preparation 'for their work. It is indeed very
true, that the affected fooleries of a bombaft Stile, or Starch*
difcourSe, arid needlefs citations of Sentences for oftentation with
out any true advantage to the matter irt hand, are things ye#y
pedintic, and exceedingly unfuitable to the gravity of the work.
ofthe ministry, and renders it very ungrateful to a pioUs mind;
but this contrary folly makes the Solemn ordinances oS God So
nauSeous ahd cpntemptible, that it often makes way, by Satan's
cunning improvement of the temptation, to an atheifticar re
jection of all worfhip. In the mean time, it is wonderful tb
ohferye, how fome perfons pleafe therhfelves wkh this .conceit,
that their way of worfhip is plain, and that they fpeak what,
iriiiriediately cpmeS into their mind ; and thongh it be nonfenfe
or contradidions, which Sufficiently evidencetb that it is nothing
of kin to the Spirit's inspiration, which they utter, yet it is ar
gument enough to them, that'iheir bpihions arid ways ate right,
"bf&aule they/proceed in a defigned neglect of all neceffary order,
and under pretence of the Simplicity of the gofpel, they reduce
all they do to childilh fillinefs. Neither is this all the mifchief
which the devil raifeth out of this conceit, for the contempt
and difufe of the facrmenfs, may in great part be afcribed to it-
Thbfe erroneous ways* of worflilp that are moft noted for («-
.crying thofe inftitutions of Chrift, have this for their plea, that
the worfhip which God is beft pkafed with, is fpiritual ; and
that all bodily fervices and external observations are things that
': ' God-

440 -A Treatife of 7 Part IT.
God-Stands not upon, fuch as profit little, and were nb fur
ther iu ufe,: but to. recommend an internal fpiritual commu
nion, with God; fo that the more they rejed thefe things,, they
perfuade themfelves they have a more, true understanding of the
defign of God in religion. Either of thefe ways Satan makes
ue of for the befooling bf men into anhumour of pleafing them
felves-. with errpr. But, , ; ,;¦ ;,=].¦-, '
Thirdly, He hath of old endeavoured to cloud and enervate
the do&rine , of the ,' Bible by traditionary fables., We meet
with many paflages to this purpofe : ; Sometimes he Sets up
unwritten traditions, not only of equal.authority tothe written
word, but as completions and perfedjons of.it,. This he prac
tised among the Jews with fuch fuccefs, that. the traditions of
the elders were of greater force with them, than the commands
of God, as Chrift himfelf noted nf them, Matth. xv. 13^ Of
thefe unwritten' traditions, which they called, the. law .by the
word, of mouth, feigned by them to be given to Mofes whea
he was in the mount, and fo delivered from hand to hand, the-
apo files gave many warnings, and fignified the hazards that
truth flood. in by them, through the, cunning pf Satan; as Co},
ii. 8. ' Beware left any man fpoil you — through the traditions
of men.' 1 Tim- i. 4. 'Neither give head to fables, and endlefs
genealogies.' Tit. i. 14. ' Not giving heed to JewiSh fables,
and corhmahdnaents, of men.'— 2 Tim. iv. 4^^., And they Shall
turn away their ears from the truth, and Shall be turned unto
•fables.' '<¦.. .--,.'.
The Papifts . at this day give the fame entertainment to this'
device that the Jews did pf old, they boaft as high of their tra
ditions, and are eyery whit as-fabulous and foolifh in them a*
they were. Satan in his attempts upon the Gentiles to confirm.
them in their falfe worShip, though, he kept up thp fnbftance
ofthis defign, yet he was neceffitated to alter the Scene a little,
that he might more handfomely accommodate it to their condi
tion ; and therefore he fet up amongft them fabulous imitations
ofthe truths and ordinances of the fcripture,, infomuch. that
there is fcarce any grand myftery, or remarkable hiftory, or
ordinance, mentioned in the fcripture, but we may find fome
thing. among the heathens in. tradition or practice that doth al-,
lude to it. What traditionary imitations had they of the crea
tion recorded in the book of Genefis ? . That, of Ovid concern
ing the chaos and firft beginning of things, is knpwn^to every
fchool-boy. The Phenicians in their theology give an odd ac
count of.it from their Taautus to this purpofe, * ' That the
firft beginnings of all things were, a dark difordered chaos, and
',-. ' ¦ the,
* Furchas Pilg. \. I. c. 17-

ChaprTV. Satan's Temptations. 241
the fpirit of the dark air ; hence proceeded moth, that is mire ;
from thence iSTued the feeds and generatipn pf all creatures in
earth and heaven,' &c. The wickednefs of men before the
flood, mentioned in Gen. vi. 1, 1: is fabuloufly related in an
ancient * book, falfely afcribed tp Enech, wherein the « watch
men or angels are reported tp take them wives pf the daugh
ters of men, arid that from thence was the race of giants. For
the defcription' of Paradife, the heathens had the poetical fidion
of the'Elyfian Fields, as they had the ftory of Deucalion, in
ftead of Noah's ark and the deluge. The ftory bf Lot's wife
was abufed by the fiction of Orpheus's wife, fuddenly Snatched
from him for lpoking back. The hiftory of Sampfon was turn
ed into their ftpry of Hercules and his ten labours! From the
fun Standing Still in JoShha and-Hezekiah's time, came that fic
tion of Jupiter's doubling the night, that he might enjoy Alc-
mena. In fome of thefe difguifes of facred ftory, they go fo
hear in name and circumftances, that it is paft doubt they imi
tated the true^hiftory which they corrupted : For inftance,
Herodotus relates, that .Sethon king of Egypt and prieft of
Vulcan, was helped by bis gpd from heaven againft Senache-
rib, f which plainly relates to Hezekiah king of Judah, and
the wonders that God did for him. So in imitation of Uriah's
letter to Joab for his own' deftrudion, we have in Homer and
others the ftory of Pisetus fending letters to Jobatas by Belle-
rophon, wherein his death was commanded. The near affinity
of the names Joab and Jobatas, Shews with what heifer the de
vil plowed. The hiftory of Abraham's offering up Ifaac, is
by Porphyry applied tp Saturn, who faith, he was by the
Phenicians called Ifrael ; he had by Anobreth pne pnly fon,
called Jeud, an evident allufibn faith Goodwin, Antiq. lib. 4.
cap. 3. tp Gen. xxii. 1. where Ifaac is in the Hebrew called
Jehid, that is, an only begotten, him he' offered up upon an al
tar purpofely prepared ';" here not only the matter, but the
names do clearly Shew, that Abraham's ftory is imitated in this.
The like imitation I might Shew to have been among the hea
then of -dodrinal truths, as ofthe facred myftery of the trinity.
In Peru % they worShip the father, fon and brother ; as alfo
their Tangatauga, which they fay was one in three,' and three*
in one. But their imitation of ¦ ordinances is evpry where re
markable, So that ' I rteed fay nothing of their temples, priefts,
facrifices, and other religious rites ;. only the devil's imitation
of the facraments of the New Teftament deferves particular
obfervation : Inftances of an apifh imitation of baptifm are e-
' H h t very
* Vid. Scalegeri notas in Eufeb. Chron. p. 244. + Lib. 2. mentim)<;d al
fo by Jofephus Antiq. Jews, I. 10. c. 1. t' Purchas PHg. Americ. 1. 9. c, 11,

24a A Treatife of Part IL
very where obvious ; and that of the Lord's flipper or Chris
tian communion was frequently refembled in the chief Peruvian
feafts, *¦ where they carried fmall loaves of bread in great plat
ters of "old, of Which all prefent received, and eat little pieces,
and this as a Sign of honour and profeffion of obedience to their
o-ods and the Ingua. Not unlike tov this were thofe morfels of
pafte, which the Mexican's ufed in their religious feafts, which .
they laid at their idol's feet, confecrating them by Singing and
Other ceremonies, and then they called them the Sfefh and bones
of their good Vitziliputzli, alluding diredly to that of o'ur Sa
viour, This is my body, &c. infomuch that + Acofta thought
the devil mocked their tranfubftantiatiom by it ; this was distri
bute among all, and was eaten with a great deal of reverence,
fear and devotion. , ,
We may fee by thofe inftances, that in thefe fabulous ima
ginations pf truth, the devil hath induftrioufly traded, and that
which he aimed at in this defign may .eafily be conjedured
to be :
i. The def piling and difcrediting of truth ; he renders it, by
this means, fufpicious of fome forgery, as if the fcripture Were
no' better than an uncertain tradition ; as if, at the beft, it
were doubtful, whether fcripture or thefe traditionary fables
had better authority.
2. He further intends the intanglement of the affections to
error by this device ; ' for he doth as it were take the fpoils of
the tabernacle to adprn his Dagon withal, and without doubt,
the heathens were very much hardened in Qentilifm by thefe
traditionary Stories. Hence one % obferves, the devil imitated
the hiftory of the miracle done in favour of Hezekiah, that the
fcriptures might lofe their credit and authority, and that the
glory of fuch a wonder might be transferred to their idols ; and
the confequence of both thefe is, >
3. To deprive the truth of its convincing power upon the
confeiences of men. The principles of fcripture convince by
the evidence of their truth ; if that truth be questioned by the
Substitution of another competitor, it prefently lofeth its force,
and the commands thereof are difregarded, upon a fuppofition
of its uncertainty.
4. Another of his ways to betray, the understanding by the
affedions, is by putting men upon an ' acebnlmodation of truth,
to a compliance with parties differing from it] And this hath
been fo much the more fuccefsful, becaufe it hath begun, and
been
_ * Furehas, ibid.. + Purchas 1. 8. c. ij. \ Ita Diaboluu hoc egif, ut,di- '
Vinum mhracuhim in Judea editum vilefcerftt, fid«m et authoritarem amittcr-
« et.tanti operis glowaad turpiifima idola rediret. Buchoker.

Chap. IV* Satan's Temptations. 243
been eartied on upon the moft fpecious pretences. The avoid
ing of Offences, the fmoothing of the way of religion, for one
gaining of the contrary minded, the prefervation of peace and
unity, are pleas very plaufible ; and really upon the account of
thefe things, the fcripture, both' by its precepts and exarnples,
hath recommended to us condefcenfions and brotherly forbear^
ances. The Jews, who where diffatisfied at the firft publicar
tion of the liberty from the yoke, of Mofaical ceremonies, purr
chafed for us by Chrift, were indulged in the ufe. of circumci
fion, and obfervance of the difference of meats' for. a lpng time,
till they might be the better fatisfied in the truth. Thefe pre
tences the devil makes ufe of to undermine truth. And plea-
Sing his agents with the honour of a pious defign, (and it may
be at firft really fo intended by them) he prevails with them,
not only' for a prefent condefcenfion to men pf contrary pradice,
but to caft the principles of truth intc fuch a fixed mould that
they may carry a more, near refemblance to thofe opinions
which they do moft diredly oppbfe. The appearance of Sanc
tity, peaceablenefs, prudence, and fuccefsfulnefs in fuch an un
dertaking, doth exceedingly animate the well meaning defign-
ers, which Satan ih the mean time carries them beyond all
bounds, and fo- dangeroufty fixeth an unnatural reprefentation
of truth, that it lofetli its own Splendour, and Settles at laft upr
on unfafe" notions. Thus by the continuance of fuch a complir
ance, error begins to recruit itsforces,'and is as likely to draw
over truth wholly to its Side, by the argument of refemblance,
and the confequences following thereupon, a$ truth is wholly
to extirpate and conquer error ; and if it do not that, fucteed-
ing ages, that minded not the firft defign, finding things fp'
continued to them, in deep reverence to their predeceflbrs,
form their prudential condefcenfions into perverSe opinions.
If we follow the trad of time from the firft preaching of the
gofpel, we may find Satan's footfteps all along. In the 'apoftles
times, when the believing Jews were tolerated neceflarily, till
time and .experience might fully convince them, in their obfer
vation of the law of Mofes, which was certainly given of God,
and fo might very eafily occafion an opinion of the continuance
of it, Ads xv. 1, 5. though the apoftles did not at all accom
modate the Handing precepts of the New Teftament to carry
a perpetual refemblance of that opinion ; neither did they ftill
countenance that pradice, but did feafonably and fully deqla re
againft it, exhorting Chriftians ' to ftand in the liberty where
with Chrift hath made them free,* Gal. v. 1, 1. yet Satan was
bufy tp take advantage of the prefent forbearances, which the
Holy Ghoft had direded them unto, infomuch, that inftead of
H h 2, ¦¦;¦ convincing

244 ' A Treatife of , Part II.
convincing all- the dlffenters by that lenity, fome diffenters wax
ed bold to perfuade the Christians to another gofpel./ But af
ter their days, the devil purfuedthis defign with greater Scope:
For inftance, in Conftantine's time, when the Gentiles flocked
into' the church with dirty feet, and in their old r.ags£ they
were tolerated in fome old cuftortis of Gentilifm ; and upon a
defign to win them, they made bpld tp bend the dodrine of
the gofpel toward their former ufages. They thought indeed
it was beft to wink at things, and not to bear top hard upon
them at firft, but that tolerating a leffer evil, they might avoid
a greater inconvenience ; and withal, they deemed they had
done great fervice to the church and Christian religion, if they
could any way divert the heathen from worshipping their idols :
And to effed this the eafilier, they feemedto cheriSh. their cuf-
tpms and rites of worShip, as confonant in the general .to the,
principles of Christianity', only they excepted againft the obr
ject of their worShip as unlawful ; fo that upon the matter they
did no more than change the naihe. The manifold inconve
niences that followed this kind of dealing, they did rtotdifcover
at firft ; but befides the infeding the Simplicity of-Chrifiian re
ligion with the dirt and dregs of Pagahifm, which they might
eafily have feen, time hath Since discovered, that here the de
vil Secretly laid the chief foundations of Popery.
Whofoever fhall impartially compare the rites, cuftoms, u*
Sages and garbs of Popery, with thofe of Paganifm, will, to
his admiration, find fuch an exad agreement and confonancy,
that he muft neceflarily conclude, that either Paganifm imitat-
ed Popery, or Popery imitated PaganiSm ; but the latter is
true, and that theSe corruptions in religion by Popery, came in
by a defignment of conforming Christianity to Heathenifrn;
though it may be upon pious intentions at firft, is no difficult
thing to evince ; for, befides that the rites of Paganifm: were
more ancient,, and fo could not be borrowed from Popery which
came long after, the fcripture did foretel a great defection from
truth, which Should be in the laft days, and this under a pro
feffion of religion ; and the things particularized are fuch, as
fliewr that the defedion Should carry an imitation of Paganifm ;
for no lefs feems to be fignified by i Tim. iy. i. < The Spirit
fpeaketh exprefsly, that in the latter times fome fliall depart
from the faith, giving heed tp feducing fpirits, and doctrines
of devils ;' that is, as Mr Medte, whofe interpretation I follpw,
doth prove * dodrines concerning devils or dEemonS, as in Heb.
vi. ?,. we have the phrafe of dodrines of baptifms, which muft
needs Signify dodrines concerning baptifms, the Gentife theo-
' , ' ' Hy
i K * Apoftacy of the latter times.

Chap. "IV. Satan's Temptations. 845
logy of daemons is the thing which Paul prophefies Should be
introduced into Christianity. How clearly this relates to Po^
pery, may be pvident to any that doth not wilfully blind him-i
felf by prejudice. Their dodrine of daemons was this : They
fuppofed twp forts pf gpds, fupreme and inferior. The fu-
preme they, fuppofed did dwell iii the heavenly lights, fun,
mpon, and ftars, without change of .place : Thefe they judged
were fo fublime and pure, that they might not be profaned
with the approach of earthly things ; and that immediate ap
proaches to them were derogatory to their- Sovereignty." The
inferior order of gods they imagined were of a middle fort, be
twixt the fupreme beings and men, as participating of both ¦
Thefe they called mediators and agents, and fuppofed their bu
finefs was to carry up mens prayers to God, and to bring down
bleffings from God upon men : Thefe were in fcripture called
Baalim, and by the Greeks Daemons : To this purpofe Auftin
and others fpeak. *
Now thefe daemons, they fuppofed, were the fouls of dead
men that had been more than ordinarily famous in their gene
ration. Thus Ninus made an image to his father Belus after
he was dead, and caufed him to be worshipped. Hermes con-
feffeth that ^feulapius grandfather to Afclepius f, and Mer
cury his own grandfather, were worshipped as gods' of. this or
der. Abundance of inftances I might produce to this purpofe ;
but to go on, thefe daemons, becaufe to them was committed
the care of terreftrial affairs, as Celfus argues againft Origen J,
and becaufe of the help and advantage that men might receive
from them, they fuppofed it gratitude and duty to worShip
them, and this worShip they performed at their images, fe-
pulchre"s, and reliques. To this purpofe Plutarch tells us of
Thefeus^s bones ||, and Plato of the thekai or Shrines'of their
daemons. How evident is it that the Papifts in their dodrine and prac
tice about the invocation of faints and angels, have writ after
this copy, and that they are the men that have introduced this
dodrine of daemons, the thing itfelf declares without further
evidence? Had the heathens their dead heroes for agents be
twixt the fupreme gods and men ? fo have the Papifts their
dead faints to offer up\ their prayers. Did the heathen ex-'
ped more particular aids from fome of thefe daemons in fe-'
veral cafes than from others ? fo do the Papifts : Inftead of
Diana for women in labour, and iEfculapius for the difeafed ' they'
* De Civit. Dei. 1. S. c. r4, 18. f Vid. Du Pieffis of tin? truenefs c<"
;hrift,an Religion, c. 22. J Origen. Cont. Celf. 1. S. p. 4r6. II Plutarch ia
ita Thefei et Demetrij.

?

146 A Treatife of Part IL
they have their St Margaret and St Mary for travailing ; Se.
baftian and Roch againft the peftifence; Appollonia, againft
the topthach ; St Nicholas againft tempefts; &c. Did the hea
then pray to thefe daemons for their aid ? fo do the Papifts
to their faints, as their Breviaries, Rofaries, and Ladie's Wal
ters teftify. Had the heathen their feafts, their fiatas fe-
rias, to their daemons ? fo have the Papifts. Had they their
Februalia and Froferpinilia with torches and'lights ? fo have
the Papifts their Candlemas with lights. Did the heathen
fired images and pillars, or keep the afties and Shrines of their
demons ? fo do the Papifts : The one had proceffions and a-
dorations, fo have the other ; and- a great many more things
there are wherein Popery keeps a correspondence with h§a-
theniSm. To this purpoSe you may read enpugh in Monfieur
de Croy, Of the three conformities.
To make it yet more clear, that the corruptions, in rehgion
by Popery came in by the defign of fuiting Christian religion
to Paganifm, I Shall in a teftimony or two Shew you that they
profefledly avouched the defign. Gregory the Great writes
chidingly to Serenus biShop of Marfeilles *, who it feems was
no forward man in this matter, to this purpofe; " Thou Shouldft
have confidered that thou didft converfe chiefly with the Gen
tiles, to whom pidures are inftead of reading, to the en'd that
no offence be given them under colour of lawful zeal where
with thou art not cunningly' pndued." And in another epiflle
to Mellitus f, he adyifeth, that the honours and offerings which
the heathens gave to. their daemons,' Should be transferred to
the martyrs, and their relics, and giveth this reafon for it, " It
is impoffible," faith he, f to cut off all at once from- Stubborn
minds." % Eufebius alfo endeavours to perfuade to Christian
ity by this argument, that the Chriftians cuftom ©f honouring
the memories of the martyrs, and folemnly affembling at their
Sepulchres, did agree with the cuftom of the Gentiles pf doing
the like honour to their daemons |J, and having mentioned what
Hefiod fpeaks, concerning Plato's opinion, that their champions
became daemons, alter death, helpers and protedors of men; for
which caufe they were worshipped at their Sepulchres as gods;
he adds to this purpofe, that " if thefe honours had been given
to the favourites of God, and champions of true religion, if
had been well enough :" And for this purpofe Shews the ex
ample and cuftom of Chriftians then to go to the tombs of
martyrs, there to pray in honour of their bleffeci Spirits. And
although
* Lib 9. Epift. 9. f Lib. 9. Epift. yt. } Nam durii mentibus fimul om
nia aMcindere impoffibile eft.' |j Vide Pe'rkin't PrepaJ. to Demonft. ofthe
Prub. c. 3. Prepar. Kvan. 1. 13. t. 7.

Chap. III. Satan's Temptatims. 245!
although at firft they might be morp modeft in honouring the
martyrs than they now are, according to that of Auftin, "Thefe
observances at the tombs of martyrs," faith he, " are only or
naments pf their memories, not facrifices to them as to gods*."
Yet this foon Aid into greater abufe, infomuch that Lud. Vives,
in his notes on that chapter, blames thofe of his own time for
worshipping faints as gods, and tells us he cannot fee the dif
ference betwixt the opinion concerning faints, as generally
pradifed, and that of the heathens concerning their gods +. J.
might add the pofitiye acknowledgement of Beatus Rhenanus,
Jacobus de Voragine, concerning the burning of candles to the
virgin Mary, which cuftom they confeft was borrowed frorri
the heathens, with a refped to the frowardnefs of .Paganifm,
and a defign not toexafperate them, that they might gain them.
I might alfo Shew, that the mifchief. of this deSign, of accom
modating truth to a compliance with different parties, hath not
only Shewn itfelf in introducing ftrange adions and ceremonies j
but hath alfo difcovered itfelf in leavening mens judgments in
reference to opinion. Calvin conjedures, that thofe confident
aflertions of the powers of nature J, were firft occafioned by an
over officious willingnefs to reconcile the dodrine of the fcrip
ture with the opinions, of philofophy ; and that men, being un
willing to run the hazard of the fcorn which they might meet
with in contradiding the general received principles pf philo-
fophers, were willing to form the dpdrine of truth relating to
human ability accordingly. Abundance of inftances of this
kind may be given. Whence came the dpdrine of purgatory,
but from hence ? It is but [| Plato's philofophy christianized
by the Roman fynagogue. He divided all men into three
ranks ; the virtuous, who are placed by him in the Elyfiaa
fields ; the defperate ungodly, thefe he adjudged to everlafting
fire ; and a third fort, betwixt the perfe&ly virtuous and the
defperately Wicked, he fendeth to Acheron, to be purged by
punifliment. All this § Eufebius makes mention of at large.
That the Papifts derived their Purgatory from hence, is gener
ally affirmed by Proteftants, nay not only in thefe cafes, but in
Very many more, corruptions have entered into Christianity,
by an over eager endeavour to make the dodrine of the fcripl tures
* De eivir. Dei, I. 8. c. ti. Ornamenta funt meraoriarum non facrificia
taortuorttm. f Non video in multis quid fit cfifcrimen inter eorum opinio-
nem de faiHSfcis et id quod Gentiles putab3nt de diis fuU. J Inflitnt. I. j. e. z.
fe&.'4. Veteres mihi videntur hoc coniilin vires humanas fie extuliffe ne fi
impotentiam diferte effent confefli philofopaorum cachinnos excutereȣ
Scripturas do&rinam cum philofophise dogmatibus dimidi'am ex parte conci-
.arefludiumiMsfiiit. J Plato I. ro. de Rep. Dial. £ De Prepar. Evang.
J. n. cap. nit. ^

548 A treatife of Part Af,
tures to" rim even with the fayings and affertibhs of the fchools
of philofophers ; a thing complained of old by Tertullian, who
plainly affirmed the philofophers to be the patriarchs of the he
retics *. To which agrees that obfervation of Dr Owen, That
thofe who either apologized for Christians, or refuted the ob-
jedions of the heathens againft Christianity, frequently cited
the opinions or Sentences of the philofophers, and accommodated
them to their purpofe, that fo they' might beget in their adver*
faries more friendly perfuafions towards the Christian religion,
by evidencingj that the myfteries thereof were not abfurd,
nor diSTonant from reafon, feeing they might be juftified by the
fayings of their own philofophers +. And here was laid, in
this defign and its profecution, (and furely it pleafed its under
takers not a, little) the foundation of that evil which religion
bath Since groaned under, that men made bold with thetremen-
dou? myfteries of Christianity, to accommodate them unwarily,
to the notions of the Gentiles. And this the apoftle Paul fore-
faw in that caution he gave, C°l- "• 8. ' Beware left any man
, fpoil you through philofophy, and vain deceit, after the tradi
tion of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Chrift.' Certainly the fnare is neither unufual, nor weak,
where the caution is fo ferious. It is a, thing naturally plea* _
Sing, to be the inventer of any new thing, or to make new dis
coveries -in religion, to raife new hypothefes, or to adventure in
unbeaten paths, for a reconcilement bf religion to any notion,
or practice, famous for its antiquity, or pretence to beauty and
decency. Men hug themfelves wheii they can make feveral
things to hit right, and an exad Suiting of parallels is inftead
of demonstration. By this fooliSh delight the devil makes men
bold to make effays ; and what doth anfwer their humour,
paffeth current for undoubted truth.
5. He doth fometimes blind the underftanding, by working
up the affedions to fuch an earneft opposition to fome error;
that in a forward hafte they caft the mind upon a contrary ex
treme : So that thrbugh an hafty violent avoidance of one' er
ror, they are caft upon a contrary, and, it may be, as dangerous
,as that they flee from. And this . the devil doth with great
eafe, having the plaufible pretence of zeal, and care to truth ,
wherein the affedions being highly engaged, the mind in a1
carelefs confidence doth eafily overfhpot the truth, which com
monly lies in the middle, and thinks it doth well enotigh, if it
gives the greateft contradidion to the error now to be abomi nated.
* Chemnitii Exam. Concil. Trident, p. 3. inhift. purgator, c I. t Hine
prima mali labes, dum cceleftia my.fteria et tremenda Chriftianarum facra
Gemilium notiopibus et vanis ceremoniis attejnperarc voluerint. Owen
Differ, de Verbo, feci. 16.

Chap. fV. Satan's Temptations. 249
nated. Men Iii this cafe, having their eyes only fixed upon
what they would avoid, confider not fo much whither they are
going; as from what they go. So that feeking, as men in a
fright, to avoid the pit that is before them, they run backward
into another behind them.
This is fuch a noted Stratagem of Satan, that all men take no
tice of it in the general, though all men do not improve the dif
covery for their own particular caution. The wifeft of men
are often fo befooled by their violent refiftance of an untruth,
that they readily o'verfhoot themfelves and mifs the mark.
The fathers in the heat of difpute Said many things fo incon
veniently, that thofe who came after, do fee and lament thefe
hafty oversights; and have no other way to falve their credit, but
by giving this, obfervation in excufe for them. And it may
be obferved, that feme errors which have arifen from this root
at firft, have fo ftrongly fixed themfelves, that they have grown
tip to the great annoyance ofthe truth; while the contrary er
rors that did occafion them are forgotten, and their memories
are perifhed. I fliall but inftance in one inftead of many, and
that fhall be Arianifm; how fadly prevalent that hath been in
its time; all men know that know any thing of church hiftory ;
the Chriflian world once groaned , under it. But that which
gave the firft occafion to Arius to fix himfelf in that error, was
the^dodritje of Alexandei-j who difcourfing of the unity in the
Trinity too nicely, feemedto juftify the error of Sabellius, who
had taught, as alfo Noetus before, that there was but one per
fon in the Trinity, called by divers names, of Father,' Son, and
Spirit, according to different occafions ; the Trinity according
to his dodrine, being not of perfons, but of names and function*.
While Ariuswas diffatisfied with this account of the Trinity,
he ran to a contrary extreme ; and that he might give the
higheft proof of a Trinity of perfons, he affirmed that Jefus
Chrift had a beginning, and that there was a rime when he was
not, &c. JThus Socrates fpeaks of the rife of that herefy *.
We might further follow the footfteps of this device, and
trace it in moft opinions ; where we might find the humour' of
running to a contrary extreme, hath ftill either fet up a con
trary error, or at leaft leavened the truth with harfh and un
justifiable expreffions and explanations. The disputes betwixt
faith and works, have been "thus occafioned and aggravated.
Some Speak fo of'faifh, as if they flighted works ; others fo
urge a neceffity of works, as if they intended to make faith
ufelefs. Some talk of grace to an utter contempt of morality;
Others on the contrary magnify morality to the annihilating cf
I i , grace.
Socr. Ecclef. Hi (lor. 1. 1. c, 3. "

i$d A Treatife of Part It.
grace. Some in their pradife acquiefce in the Outward per
formance of ordinances ? If -they, pray or receive the facraments,
though never fo formally, they are at peace, fuppoflng they
have done all that is required ; others obferving the miftake,
and knowing that God looks more to, the perforinanee of the
foul and fpiritj than to the ad of the body, upon a pretehce of
worshipping God in fpirit, throw off the obfervation ef his or
dinances altogether. Neither is there any thing that doth more
generally and apparently undo us in the prefent diflentions, as
many have complained, than mens violent overdoing, and run
ning to contrary extremes.
6. Satan makes ufe of rewards, or punishments,, on the one
hand to bribe, or on the other to force the affedions ; and they
being ftrongly poffeffed, eafily prevail with the underftanding
to give fentence accordingly. Men are foon perfuaded to take
that for truth which they fee will be advantageous to, them.
Some men indeed take up with a profeffion of truth, which yet
their hearts approve v not ; but thp advantages they have by
their profeffion, do Silence their diffatisfadions ; thefe are faid
to ufe the profeffion of truth as a cloak of covetoufnefs, 2 Theff.
ii. 5. But others go further, and are really brought to an ap
probation of that dodrine or way that makes moft for their
profit, their minds being really corrupted by a fplf-feeking
principle ; they perfuade themfelves, where there is any con-
teft abpu't dodrines, that that dpdrine is true which is gainful,
and will accprdingly difpute for it. Hence that expreffion. in
-I Tim. vi. 5. ' fuppoflng that gain is godlineSs.'
To this may be added, that the affedions are quickly fenfi-
ble ef the, eafe, and fenfual gratifications of any doctrine, and
thefe are ufually thrown into the. fame Scale to make more
weight. Men have naturally a good liking to that doctrine
that promiSethfair, for eafe, liberty, gain, and , honour ; and
this hath madFit an ufual piece of Satan's bufinefs ip all ages
to gild an error with outward advantages, and to corrupt the
mind by fecret promifes of advancement.
s On the other fide, he labours as much to prejudice truth, by
reprefenting it as hazardous and troublefome to the profeffors ¦
of it. And this not only affrights fome from an open confeffioa
•of the truth they believe ; Hut alfo by the help of the affections
doth perfuade fome to believe that to be an error, which una
voidably brings perfecution with it : by this engine are the
minds of men turned about to think well or ill of a dpdrine
prefented to them. This is fo well known, that I fhall forbear a
further profecution of this head, and go to the next courfe that
Satan

Chap. IV. Satan's Temptations. 2JI
Satan takes to corrupt the judgment by the affedions ; which
he doth, '
7. By Stirring up fome particular paffions, which in opinions
do ufually more influence the underftanding. And here I fhall
only infift upon thefe two, pride and anger ; with the peculiar
means that Satan hath to engage them in his fervice.
That pride and anger are the two ufual firebrands of content
tion, and fountains of errpr, all ages have acknowledged and
bewailed. Thefe two companions in evil do fo darken the
mind, that the miferable captive, in whom they .domineer, is
carried blindfold he knows not whither, nor howl Pride ufu
ally begins, and anger follows with all its forces to juftify what
pride hath undertaken. Hence the Apoftle in 1 Tim. vi. 4.
rakes up all the concomitant filth of error, as envy, Strife, rail
ings, evil furmifings,i and perverfe difputings of men, and lays
them at the door of pride ; * he is proud, knowing nothing.-'
For the engaging of thefe two theives, that rob the under
ftanding of its light, Satan hath many artifices in readinefs.
Pride, which is forward enough of itfelf, is fooa excited, by
laying before it an opportunity of a feeming rare difcovery, or
of advancing the glory of knowledge above the common pitch,
of being, feen and admired as more excellent than others, &c
(for upon fuch unworthy grounds have Some dared to adven
ture upon ftrange nptipns) yet there is nothing that doth mpre
firmly engage it, than contention or difpute : For thpugh the
proper end of difputatiOn be the Sifting out of truth ; yet fuch
is rtian's pride, and Satan's advantage by it, that it feldom at
tains its true end in thofe that are engaged. Byftanders, that
keep their minds calm, and unbiaffed, may receive more fatif-
fadtion than the contenders themfelves ; and there needs no o-
ther evidence pf this, than the common experience which men
have of our frequent contentions ; where we have confutations,
anfwers, ahd replies, ' and yet ftill all parties continue in their
opinions without convidion. So that they that would unfeign-
edly feek truth, in my mind? take not the beft courfe in their
purfuit, that prefently engage themfelyes in a public difpute ;
for the ufual heats that are begot in a contention alienate their
minds from a juft impartiality, and the duft they raife blinds
their eyes, that they difcern not truly.' Let us look into this
artifice of engaging pride by difputation, and by it the judg
ment, xfl, We find, that when an humour of contending is
raifed, certain tcuths are negleded* as to their improvement
and pradice ; for fo much of the Strength. of the foul is laid
out upon difputable questions, that little is left for more weigh
ty matters. %dly, In difputes mens credit is fo concerned, that
I i 2 " ' it

2ja A Treatife of Part. IJ.
k is a moft'difficult thing tp preferye a faithful regard to veri
ty, efpecially where they are managed with affronts and contu
melies. They that by calm handling might be induced toac-
knbwledge a miftake, will fcarce come near that point of inge
nuity, when they muft be calfed fpql, knave, or afs for their
labour, Hence ordinarily, though they profefs otherwife, men
Seek rather vi'dory than, truth. $dly, In difputes pride and paf-
Sion are ufually heightened, and the Stronger the paffions are?
the weaker is the judgment- Eager altercations bring a con-
fufion, both upon the matter of which they difpute, and upon
the understanding that Should judge, tyhly. In, the heat of dif-
putation, when the mind is inflamed, men ufually behaye themr
Selves like thofe in a fray, where they Snatch and throw any
thing that comes to hand, and never mind where it hits ; they
will affirm or deny any thing that may feem any way to bring
them off. $thly, Thefe affertions being once affirmed, muft
be maintained, and fo errors and contentions increafe without
end. Difputes fix a man in his perfuafion, and do as it were
tie him to the flake, fo that right or wrong, he will go through
with it. 6{hly, Some difpute in jell againft their prefent judg
ment, and yet at laft difpute themfelves into a belief of what
they wan.tonly at firft affirmed ; as fome tell lies fo long, that
at length they believe them to be true *. !Jthly, A facjderniiS-
chief often .follows a difputing humour, which is an hazard of
the loSs of all truth ; men difpute So long, till they fufpeft all
things, and aSter a Jong trade of fcepticifm, turn atheifts.
After the- fame manner doth the devil engage anger in ajl
difputes and controversies, for it keeps company with pride,
W'herever there is a provocation f. And befides this," anger
Stirring up injuries and wrongs, hath often engaged men as if
were in revenge to change their opinion, and to take up another
way or dodrine. Nay often that Ample mixture pf pride and
anger which we call emulation, hath privately tainted the inte
grity of mind, and prepared it for ,the next fair opportunity pf
error. This is noted of Arms by Theodoret J, that when
Alexander waschofen biShop of Alexandria, he envied him the
preferency, and from thence fought occafions of contention;
which after a little while the devil brought to hjs hand, as we
have heard.
So great is the power of thefe. two paffions oyer the under
standing, that we have caufe to wonder at their fuccefs ; feldom
br never cart it be Shown, that any ringleader in error was not
vifibly"
* Contentionihm amittitiir Veritan, et multi eo adiguntur, ut poQeanih.il
ronftitui pofle cert) fibi pe'rfuadeant, atque ita religionia omne ftudium abji-
-ciant. f Acont. Strat. Sataca', lib'.' I. p. 23. $ Theod.Eccl. Hift. 1. I. c. 2.

Ch.ap._fV. ' Satan's, Temptations, 353
yifibly tainted with pride, or not apparently foilred with dif-
contents and emulation.
8. To thefe ways of blinding the underftanding by the affec
tions, I fliall add but one more, which is this: Satan endeavours
mainly to adorn an errpr with truth's clothing ; hetakes its or
naments and jewels to drefs up a falfe dodrine, that it may
look more lovely and dutiful ; I mean, that he defigns, where
errors are capable of fuch an imitation, to put them into the way,
method, garb and manner, which truth doth naturally ufe. If
truth be adorned with zeal, order, ftridnefs, or have advanta
geous ways of managing itfelf, error muft ftraightway imitate
it in all thefe things ; and though he that looks near, may eafily
difcern, that it is not the natural complexion of error, but an
artificial varnifh, and fuch as doth no more become it, than a
court drefs doth become a coarfe clownifh country perfon, for
you- may at firft look ufually difcover the wolf under fheeps
clothingj and under the garb pf the appftles of Chrift, you may
fee the ministers ofv Satan, yet are the credulous ufually affec
ted with thefe appearances. If they find a profefled ftridnefs,
a feeming feverity, an imitation of the ways of truth, or of the
fruits thereof, they commonly feek no "further, but judge that
to be truth which doth the things that truth doth, and if error
can handjfomejy ftand in competition with truth, upon a pre
tence of being as effedual in good works, and doing things of
.themfelves lovely and of good report, it doth much gain upon
the good liking of thofe, whofe -consideration leads them not
much further than fair appearances. I Shall only exemplify this
by the art and policy which Julian ufed to fet up Paga
nifm, and to ruin Christianity, and thofe who have obferved
the ways which he took to gain his end, will readily acknow
ledge, he was as well Skilled in advancing error, and fuppreffing
truth, as any whofoever, and knew exadly to fuit his defigns to
mens inclinations, he obferving, that Chriftian religion hail fome
particular things in its praftice and way, which made its face
to Shine, as that it had perfons Solemnly Set apart by ordination
for teaching the myfteries .of the gofpel, and for managing the
public worfhip of God ; that thefe perfons were to be grave in
their carriage,.and exemplary in a ftrid holy converfation ; that
the constitutions of religion appointed certain neceffary and ef
fedual ways of discipline, for puniShment and restoring of of
fenders, and bringing them to repentance; that it topk care ofthe
pomfortable maintenance cf thofe that had given up themfelves
to the ministry of the word and prayer ; that it alfp enjoined
a relief of the poor and Strangers, &c. Taking nptice I fay of
jhefe excellencies in Christianity, and how lovely they were in
Ihe eyes of their enemies, he apppiuted the like constitutions
, ' for

&54 A Treatife of Part II,
for Paganifm, and ordained that the idol temples Should be fuit
edinconyeniencyandcomelinefs to Christian churohes ; that there
Should be feats and deSks Sor the chief dodors' and readers pf
Gentilifm, whp at fet times were to exhort the people and pray
with them ; and that colleges and monasteries Should be erected
for them, and for the relief ofthe poor and Strangers. He com
manded difcipline and penances for the chaftifement of offenders:
he required that their priefts Should feriouSJy give up them
felves to the worShip of God, as alfo their families ; that they
mould not frequent Shews and taverns, nor pradife any infa
mous trade and art. Thus Sozomen*i reports him, and gives
jis a copy of his letter tp Arfaicus high prieft of Gratia to
_this purpofe; and all this' he did, to bring Gentilifm into credit
with the vulgar, whom he, had obferved to be affeded to Chris
tianity, Sor its order, ftrifitneSs and government.
i Yet is not this the only inftance that may be given in this
kind ; for obferve but any error, that by Schiftn fets up for
itfelf in a distinct, party, and you Shall fee, that thpugh it de
parts from the truth of the church, and from its communion ;
yet ftill, as the Ifraelites did with the Egyptians, it carries a-
way with it thefe jewels of the church, and keeps to fome con
fiderable part of the church's way, though modified according
to its own bent, that it might have a luftre with ir^ tp make it
.taking with pthers.
Thefe eight particulars are the mpft remarkable ways of
Satan, whereby the affedions are gained to a good liking of
error, and by them the judgment fecondarily corrupted to pall
jit truth.

CHAP. V.
Satan's attempts againft the peace of God 's children evidenced :
(i.) By his malice, (a.) From the concernment of peace to
God's children. JVhat thefe concerns are, explained. (^.)From
the advantages which he hath againft them hy dij quieting their
minds, x . Confufion of mind. i. Unfttnefs for duty, and
how. 3. Rejection of duty. 4. Aftumbling block to others.
3. Preparations of the mind to entertain venomous imprefjionS,
and what they are. 6. Bodily yaeaknefe. 7 . Our miferies Sa
tan's contentment.
*1T^"E have viewed the ways of Satan, by which he tempts tq
** fin, by which he withdraws men from duty and fervice,
by which he corrupts the mind through error : It only now re
mains,
* Soim.Jfccl. Hift. 1. 5. c. 15.

Chap.V. Satan's Tefnptattohs. %S§
mains, that fomething be fpoken of his attempts againft the
peace and comfort of the children of God.
That it is alfo one of Satan's chief defigns to cheat us of out
fpiritual peace, may be fully evinced by a confideration of his
malice, the great concern of inward comfort to us, and the ma
ny advantages which he hath againft us by the difquiet of our
minds. Firft, Whofoever Shall ferioufly confider the devil's implaca
ble malice, will eafily believe, that he fo envies our happinefs,
that he will induftrioufty rife up againft all our comforts. It
is his inward fret and indignation, that man hath any intereft;
in that happinefs from which he irrecoverably fell, and that
the Spirit of God Should produce in the hearts of his peopl*
any fpiritual joy or fatisfadion, in the belief, and expedation of
that felicity ; and therefore muft it be expeded, that his malice,
heightened by the torment of his own guilt, which, as fome
think, are thofe chains of darknefs in which he is referved at
prefent, to the judgment of the great day, will not, cannot leave
this part of our happinefs unattempted. He endeavours to-
fopplant us of our birth. right, of our bleffing, of our falvationy,
and the comfortable Hopes thereof. From his common em
ployment in this matter,, the fcripture hath given him names,,
importing an pppofitipn to ChriSt and his Spirit, in the ways
they take for our comfort and fatisfadion. Chrift is our
Advpcate that pleads for" us, Satan is Diabolos, a calumnia
tor. The Spirit intercedes for us, Satan is hategoras ton adel.
phon, the accufer of the brethren, who accufed them before-
God night and. day, Rev. xii. 10. The Spirit is opr Com
forter, Satan is our diiturber, a Belzebub, who is ever raking;
in our wounds, as flies upon fores. The Apoftle Paul had
his eye upon this, when he was advifing the Corinthians to-
receive again the penitent inceftuous perfon, his caution was.
moft ferious, 1 Cor. ii. n. ' left Satan get advantage of us,'
left he deceive and circumvent us ; for his expreflion relates
to men, cunningly deceitful in trade, that do over-reach and
defraud the unfkilful ; and the reafon of this caution was, the-
known and commonly experienced fubtilty of Satan, ' for we
are not ignorant of his devices,' implying, that he will, and
frequently doth lie at catch, to take all advantages againft us.
Some indeed reftrain thefe advantages* to verfe 10. as if Paul
enly meant, that Sa|jan was defigning to fix the Corinthians
upon an opinion, that backfliders into great fins were not to-
be received again, or that, he laid in wait to raife a fchifm in
the church upon the account pf this Corinthian. Others f re-
, Strain*
* Pifcator in loc. -f Calvin in loc.

ajd A Treatife of <§ztt it;
ftrain this advantage which he waited for, to verfe. j. wheri
the apoftle expreffeth his fear, left the excommunicated periba
Should be Swallowed up of too much Sorrow ; but the caution
being not exprefsly bound up to any one of thefe, Seems to
point at them all, and to tell us, that Satan drives on many de-
figrts at once, and that in this man's caSe Satan' would endea
vour to put the Corinthians upon a Pharisaical rigour, or to
rend the church by a division about him; and to oppreSs the pe
nitent by bereaving him oShis due comfort ; fo that it appears
ftill, that it is one of his defigns to hinder the comfort; and
moleft the hearts of God's children.
Secondly, Of fuch concern is inward fpiritual peace to us,-
that it is but an eafy conjedure to conclude from the'nCe; that
fo great an adverfary Will make it his defign to rob ns of fuch
a jewel : For,
I. Spiritual comfort is the fweet fruit of holinefs, by which
God adorns and beautifies the ways of religious fervice, to
render them amiable and pleafant to the undertakers, f Her
ways are ways of pleafantnefs," and all her paths are peace,'
Prov. iii. 1 7. and this is the prefent reft and refreshment of
God's faithful fervants under all their toil, that when they have
tribulation from the "world, yet they have peace in him,' John
xvi.- 33. and that being juftified by faith; they have peace with
God, and fometimes joy unfpeakable and full of glory, f Pett
i. 8. and this they may the more confidently exped, becaufe
' the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace,'. &c. GaL v. 22.
a. Spiritual comfort is not only our fatisfadion, but our in
ward ftrength and activity, for all holy fervices doth depend
upon it. By'this doth God Strengthen our heart, and gird up
our loins to run the ways of his commandments ; it doth alfo
Strengthen the foul to undergo afflidions, to glory in tribula
tions," to triumph in perfecutions; the outward man is alfo cor
roborated by the inward peace of the mind ; * A merry heart ,
doth good like a medicine, but a broken fpirit drieth the bones,'
Prov. xvii. 22. all which are intended by that expreffion, Neh;
viii. 10. 'The joy of the Lord is 'your ftrength ;' it is ftrength
to the body, to the mind, and that both for fervice and fuStt-
ing; the reafon whereof the apoftle doth hint to us, Phil. iv. 7.
' The peace of God, which paffeth all underftanding, Shall keep
your hearts and minds ;' that is, peace doth fo guard us as with
a garrifon, for fo much the word Rrorqfei imports, that out
affedions (our hearts) being entertained with divine Satisfac
tions, are not, eafily enticed by bafer proffers of worldly de
lights, and our rezfonings (our minds) being kept Steady upon: ftf

Chap. V." Satan's Temptations. 257
So noble an objed, are not fo eafily perverted to a treacherous
.recommendation of vanities.* ,
' 3- Jov an(l peace are propounded te our careful endeavours,'
for attainment and prefervation, as a neceffary duty of great
importance to- us. Rejoicings are not only recommended as
Seemly for the upright, but injoined as fervice, and that in the
conflant practice, ¦' Rejoice -evermore ; in every thing give
thanks,' 1 ThefT. v. 16, 18. ' Rejoice in the Lord alway ; jand,
again 1^ fay, rejoice,' Phil, iv; 4. In the Old' Teftament God
commanded the obfeifvation of feyeralfeafts to the Jews, thefe
though they had their feveral refpective grounds from God's
appointment, yet the general defign of all feems to have been
this, 'That they might rejoice before - the Lord their God,'
Lev. xxiii. 40; as if God did thereby tell them that it was the
comely complexion of religion, and that which was very ac
ceptable to himfelf, that his children might always ferve him
in chearfulnefs of heart, feeing fuch haVe more eaufe to rejoice
than all the warldbpfides. They are then much mistaken, that
think mournful eyes and fad hearts are? the greateft orna
ments of religion, ox that none are Serious in the profeffion of
it; that have a chearful countenance and a rejoicing frame of
fpirit. It is true, tliero is a joy that is devilifti, and a mirth
which is madnefs, to which Chrift hath denounced a wo, ' Wo
be to them that laugh now, for they fhall mourn and weep ;'
but this is' a joy of another nature, a carnal delight in vanity
and Sin, by which men fatten their hearts to ruin ; .arid what
foever is Said againft- this, can be no prejudice to Spiritual, holy
joy in God, his favour and ways.
4. 'Spiritual comfort is alfo a badge of our heavenly Father's
kindnefs. --As Jofeph, the fon of his father's affeflions, had a
fpecial teftimony thereof in' his party coloured coat ; fo have
God's favourites a peculiar token of his good will to them,
when he gives them the garments,, of praife for the fpirit of
heavinefs ; if fpiritual comfort be fo advantageous to us, it will
be- no wonder to fee Satan fo much rage againft it ; it would be
a fatisfadion to him to tear thefe robes- off us, to impede fo '
heedful a duty,, to rob lis of fo much ftrength, and to bereave
usof the fweet fruits of our labours. ' ¦, .-
¦'Thirdly, It further appears that Satan's defign is againft the
comforts of God's* children, by the many advantages he hath
againft them, from the trouble and difquiet of their hearts : T
fhall reckon up the chief of therri : As,
1. From the trouble of the fpirit," he raifetr) confufions and
diftradions of mind : For (1.) It is as natural, to trouble, to
raife up a Swarm of muddy thoughts, as to a troubled fea to
K k caft,

3^8 A Treatife of fart IL-
caft up mire and dirt : And hence is that comparifon, Ifa, Jyij.
'4o. a thoufand fearful furmifes, evil cogitations, refolves, and
couufels, immediately cjffer themfelves. This 4ifotder of
thoughts Chrift took nptice of in, his difeiples when thpy were
in danger, ' Why do thoughts arife in your hearts ?' Luke- xxiv-
38. And David confidered it as matter of great anxiety,
¦wjhich .called for fpeedy'help, Pfal. xciv. 19.' ' In the multi,
tude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my foul.'
Sometimes, one fear is fuggefted, then prefenfljr another ; now
this doubt perplexeth, then another queftion is beget by the
former; they think to take this courfe, then by and by they
are off that, and refolve upon another, and as quickly change
again to a third, and fo onward, one thought fucceedmg ano
ther, as Vapours, from a boiling pot. (2.) Such thoughts are
vexatious and* diftrading, the very thoughts thepajfelves, being
the pcifonous Steam? of their running fores, are fadly affliftive,
and not unfitly called cogitationes onerofee, burdenfome thoughts/
But as they wrap up a man in clouds and darkneSs, as they
puzzle him in his reSelves, non plus him in his undertakings,
diftrad him in his counfels, disturb and hinder him in his en
deavours, %$c. fp do they bring the mind intp a iabyrinth of
cbnfufion. , What advantage the devil hath againft a child of
God when his heart is thus divided and broken info , Shivers^
it is eafy to imagine. And David feems. to be very fenfible of
it, when he put up that requeft, Pfal. lxxxyk 11. ' Unite my
heart to fear thy name.' ¦
1. By difquiet- of heart the devil unfits men for duty or Ser
vice,, Fitnefs for duty lies in the orderly temper of body and
mind, making a man wilfing to undertake, and able to SiniSh
his work with comfortable fatisfadion ; if either the body pg
mind be diftempered, a man is unfit for fuch an undertaking,',
both muft be in a. Suitable frame, like a well tuned instrument,
elfe there will be no melody : Hence, when David prepares!
himfelf for praii'es and, worfhip, he tells us, Pfal, xiv. 1, 2.
cviii. 1, a. his heart was ready and fixed, and then his tongue
was ready alfo, ib was his hand with pfaltery and harp; &H
thefe were awakened into a fuitablp pofture. Tha.t a man 'ii-
or hath been in a, fit order for fervice, may be concluded frotn_.
(1.) 'His. alacrity- to undertake a duty. (2.) His activity iri
the profecution. (3.) His fatisfadion afterward, right grounds
and principles in' thefe things bejng Still prefuppofed. This be
ing laid as a foundation, we fliall eafily perceive how the trou*
bles of the fpirit do unfit us for duty. For,
x. Thefe do take away all alacrity and forwardnefs of the
mind, partly by diverting -it from duty. Sorrows when they"
prevail

Chap. IV. Satan9 s Temptations, I59
'' . , it"* '
prevail, do fo Six the, mind upon the prefent trouble, that it
can think of nothing but its burden, they confine the thoughts
to the pain and Smart, and make a man forget all other things ;
as David in his trouble forgot to eat his bread ; arid lick per
fons willingly difcourie only of their difeafes, partly by indif-
pofing for adion. Joy and hope are a£tive principles, but Sor
row is Sullen and Sluggifh. As the mind, in trouble, is whol
ly employed in a contemplation of its mifery, rather than in
finding out a way to avoid it, So if jit be at leifure at any time
to entertain thoughts of ufing means for recovery, yet it is fo
' tired out with its burden, fo difliea-rtened by its own fears, fo
difeauraged with opposition and disappointment, that it hath no
lift te undertake any thing ; by this means the devil brings the
foul into a fpiritual catocle, fo congealing the Spirits, that it is
made Stiff and deprived of motion.
2.' 'DiSquiets of heart unfit us for duty, by hindering bur
adivity in profecution of duty. The whole heart, foul, and
ftrength Should be engaged in all religious fervices, but thefe
troubles are as clogs and weights to hinder motion. Joy is the
dilatation of the foul, and widens it for any thing which it un
dertakes ; but grief contradts the heart; and narrows all the
faculties?: Hewee doth David beg an enlarged heart, as the
principle of adivity, Pfal. exix. 32. ' I will nip the way
of thy commandments, when thou Shalt enlarge my heart :'
For what elfe can be expeded, when the mind is fo diftraft-
ed with fear and Sorrow, but that it fhould be uneven, tot
tering, weak, and ponfufed ? So that , if it „do fet itfelf to
any things it afts troublefomely; drives on heavily, and
doth very little with a great deal ado ; and yet were the,
unfitneSs the leSs, if that little which it can do, were well
done, but the mind is fo interrupted in its endeavours, that
- SSpmetimes in prayer the man' begins, and then, is preSently
at a Stand; and dare not proceed, his words are ' Swallowed
up, he is So troubled that he cannot fpeak,' Pfal. lxxvii. 4.
Sometimes the mind is kept fo employed, and fixed on trou
ble that it cannot attend in hearing or praying, but prefently.
the 'thoughts are called 'o&f and become wandering.1
3. Troubles hinder our fatisfadion in duty, and hy that means
Unfit "us to prefent duties, and indifpofe us to'futnre fervices
of that kind. Our Satisfaction in duty arifeth, iP Sometimes
from its own luftre and fweetnefs,, the conviction we have' of its
pleafantnefs and the fpiritual advantages to be had thereby ;
thefe render it alluring1 and attradive, and by fuch considera
tions are we invited to their performance, as Ka. ii. 3. ' Come
ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord;  and hp will
K k 2 teaeh

260 A Treatife of Tart. If,
teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.' Hof. vi;
I. ' Come, and let us return- unto the Lord: for heJiafh tonij
mid he will heal us : he hath fmttten and he .will bind us up;'
but trouble of fpirit draws, a black curtain over the excellen
cies' of duty, and prefents us with frightful thoughts about it,
fo that we judge of it according fo our fears, and make it fright
ful to ourfelves, as if it would be to no purpofe, rather a mif
chief than an advantage, t. Sometimes our fatisfadion arifeth
from Some fpecial token of favour which pur indulgent Father
lets fall upon us, while we are in his work. As when he gives
us more than ordinary affiftanoe, or puts joy and comfort into
our hearts. And this, he often doth to make us come again,
and to engage afrefli in the fame, or other fervices, as having
tailed. and feen that the Lord is gracious, and that there is a
bleffednefs in waiting for him. As in our bodies he fo orders
it, that the cdncoded juices become a focceffive ferment to thofe
that fucceed from our daily meat and drink : fo from duties per
formed, doth he beget, and continue fpiritual appetite to new
undertakings. But 0 how Sadly is allihis hinderedby the dif
quiet of the heart? The graces of "faith and love- are ufually
obftrutted, if not in their exercife, yet in their delightfulfruits,
atod if God offer, a kindnefs, inward forrpw hinders the percep-
tion :, as when Mofes told the Ifraelites of' their deliverance,
they hearkened not for hard bondage. If a meffage of peace
prefent itfelf in a promife, or fome consideration of God's merci
ful difpofition, yet ufually this is not credited. Job confeffeth
fo much of himfelf^ Job xix. 16. ' If I had called, and he
had anfwered me, yet would I not believe that he had heark
ened unto my vi'oce.' "David alfo doth the like, Pfal. lxxvii. 2,
3. ' My foul refuted to be comforted: 1 remembered God,;
and was troubled.' Matter of greater comfort is often fo far
from giving eafe, that it augments the trouble. However the
heart is fo hurried with its fears, and difcompofed with grief,
that it cannot hearken to nor confider, nor believe, any kind offer
made to it. * - *
By all thefe ways doth the devil,- through the difquiet of
mind, unfit the Lord's people for duty ; and what a fad advan
tage this is againft us cannot eafily be told. By this means
he may widen the diflance betwixt God and us, keep our
wounds open, make us a reproach to religion; and whatnot?
But, 3. By thefe difquiets he pufheth us on to rejed all duties,
for when he hath tired us out by wearifome endcavpurs under
fo great indifpofitions and uufirnefs, he hath afair advantage to
tempt us to lay all afide. O.ur prefent pofliiredpthfurniSli-hira with-

Chap. V'. Satan's Temptations. i6ss
with arguments,- he forgeth his javelings upon our anvil, i and
they are commonly thefe three; i. That duties are difficult..
And this is easily proved from our own experience, while wc
are broken' or bowed down with forrows; we make many at
tempts for dutyrand-are oft beat off with lofs ; our greateft toil
helps us but to very inconsiderable performances, hence he in
fers, It is foolilhnefs to attempt: that which is above our
ftrength, better Sit , ftill than . toil for nothing. i. That
they are unfruitful, and , this is our own complaint ; for
troubled fpirits have commonly .great exped.ations from-
duties 'at firft, and they run to them (as the impotent and Sick
people to the pool of Bethefda) with thoughts of Immediate eafe
as foon as they Shall Step into them ; but when they have tried,
and waited a while, Stretching themfelves upon duty, (as Eli-
Shah's feryant laid the Staff upon the face ofthe Shunamite's-
fon) and yet-there is no voice nor hearing, no anfwer from God,
no peace, then are they prefently diffatisffed,-,refleding on the
promifes of God, and the counfels of good men, with .this,.
' Where is all thepleafantnefs you fpeak of ?A; What advantage
is it. that we have thus runj and laboured, when we have got
nothing,?' And then it is eafy for the devil to add, , ' And why
do you wait on the Lord any longer-?' 3. His , laft and moft
dangerous argument is, that they are Sinful. TJrtfitnefs for duty
produceth many diftradions, much deadnefs, wandering thoughts,.
great interruptions, and pitifokperforinances. Hence the trou
bled foul comes off from duty wounded and halting, more dif-
treffed when he bath done, than when.he began : Upon thefe
considerations, that all his fervice was fin_* a mocking of God,
a taking his name in vain, nay a very blafphemous affront tp a
divinp majefty. "Upon this the devil Starts the, queftion to his
heart, Whether it be not better to forbear all duty, and to do
nothing? Thus doth Satan improve the trouble ofthe mind, and
often with the 'defigned fuccefs. For a dejected fpirit doth not
only afford the iSiaterials of thefe weapons which the devil
f frames againft it, but is much prepared to,receive_them into its
own bowels. The grounds -of thefe arguments it grants, and
the inferences are commonly, contented to, fo that ordinarily
duty is negleded, either, 1. Through fottifhnefs of heart ; cr,
2. Through frightful fears ; br,'' 3. Through defperatenefs ;
bringing a man to the very precipice of that atheiflical deter
mination, ' I have cleanfed my hands in vain.' '
4. Satan makes ufe; of the troubles of God's children as a
Stumbling-block to others. It is no fmall advantage to him,
that he hath hereby an pccafion tp render the ways of God u n-
lovely to thofe that are beginning tb look heaven-ward ; he fefs'
before

2rS» A Treatife of Part IL
before them theflglxs, groans, complaints, and reftkfs outcries
of ebe wounded in fpirit, to fcare them off from all ferioufnefs
ia religion, and whifpers this to them,; " Will yOu chide aiife
of bitteraefe and Sorrow ^ Can you eat afbes for bread, and min
gle your drink with tears? Will you exchange the comforts
and contents of life, for a melancholy heart, and a dejedeti coun
tenance ? How like you to go mourning all the day, and at
, night to be Scared with dreams, and terrified with vifions? Will
yoR chuSe a life that is worfe tham death, and a condition which
will make' you a terror to yourfelves, and a burden to others?'
Can you be in "love with an heart loaden with grief, and perpe
tual fears altaoft to diftradion, while you fee others in the
mean time enjoy themfelves in a contented peace ?" Thus he
follows young beginners with his fuggeftions, making them be
lieve that they cannot be ferious in religion, but at laft they
will be brought to this, and that it is a very dangerous thing
to be religious over much, and the high way to defpair? fothat
if they muft have a religion, he readily direds them to uSe no
more of it, than may conSift with the plfcafures of fin and the
world, and to make an eafy bufinefs of it, not to let fin lie over
near their heart, left it difquiet them, nor over much to concern
themfelves with fludy, reading, prayer, or hearing of threaten*'
ing' awakening fevmons, left it make them mad, nor to affed the
fublimities of communion with God, exercifes of faith and di
vine love, left it difcottipofe them, and daSk- their worldly jollities
out of countenance. A counfel that is readily enough embraced
by thofe that are almoft perfoaded to be Chriftians ; and the
more to confirm them in it, he Sticks not fometimes tp afperfe
the poor troubled foul with diffimulation (where that accufation
is proper, for the devil cares not how inconfiftent he be to him;
Self, fo that he may but gain his end) affirming all his feriouf
nefs to be nothing but whining hypobrify. So that whether
they judge thefe troubles to be real or feigned, his conclusion
is the fame, and he perfuades men thereby to"hold off from all
religious ftridnefs, holy diligence, and careful watcMulnefs;
5. A further ufe which the devil makes of thefe troubles of
fpirit, is to prepare the hearts of men thereby to give entertain-
ment to his venomous imprefiions. Diilrefs of lieart ufualy^
opehs the door to Satan, and lays a man naked without armour
or defence as a fairma-rk for all his poifoned arrows, and it is
a hundred to one but fome of them do hit. I Shall chufe out
fome of the moft remarkable, and they are thefe :
1 . After long acquaintance with grief he labours to" Sis: them
in it. In fome cafes cuftom doth alleviate higher griefs, a'nd
men take an odd kind of delight ih themy it is fome pleafure to

Chap. V. Safan^s Temptations. t&$
tp complain *, and- men fettle themfelves- in fuch a. epiirfe, their
finger is ever upon their fore, and they go about telling their
fprrows to ajl they cpnverfe with, though to fome this is a ne
ceffity, (for real forrows if they be not top great for "venjt, will
conftrain them to fpeak) yet in fome that have bpen formerly
acquainted with grief, it degenerates at laft into a formality of
complaining; and .becaufe. they -formerly. had caufe fo to do^
they think they muft always do fo: But befides this, Satan doth
endeavour to chain men to their mourning upon two higher
accounts f, i. By a deiufiy-e contentment in forrow, as if our
tears paid Some part of our debt to. God, and made amends for
the injuries dpne tp him. 2. By an obftinate fullennefs and
defperate refolvednefsj they harden themfelves. in forrow, and
fay as Job vii. xx. ' I will not refrain my mouth, I will fpeak
in the anguiSh of my fpirit, I will complain in the bitterneSs of
my foul. Am I a fea or a whale, that thou fetteft a watch o-
ver me ?'
2. Another ImpreSfipn that mens hearts are apt to take, is
unthankfulnefs, for the, favours formerly bellowed upon them;
their, prefent troubles blot out the memory of old kindneffi?s ;
they conclude they have .nothing at all, becaufe they have not
peace ; though G°<1 heretofore bath fent down from on high,
and taken them out of the great wafers, or out of th* mire: and
clay where they were ready to fink ;\ though he hath fent them
many tokens of lpve, conferred pn them many bleffings, yet all
thefe are no more to them, fo long as their forrows continue^,
than Hainan's wealth and honour was to him, fo long as Mor-
decai the jew fat at the king's gate. Thus the deyil often pre
vails with God's children to deal with God as fome unthankful
perfons' deal with, their benefadors ; who, if they be not hu
moured in every requeft_, deny the reality of their loyp, and de
fpife with great ingratitude all that was done for them before.
3. By inward griefs, the hearts of the afflided are prepared
tp entertain the worft interpretation that the devil can put upr
on the providences of God. The various inftances of fcripture,
and the gracious promifes made to thoSe that walk in darknefs,
and See no light, do abundantly forewarn men from making
bad conclusions of God's dealings, and do tell us that God la
defign, for our trial, and for our profit, doth often hide his face
for a moment, when yet his purpofe is to bind us up, with
everlafting compaflions. Now the devil labours to improve
the Sorrows pS the mind to give a quite contrary construction :
If they are afflided, inftead of faying, ' Sorrow may endure for
a night, but joy will come in the morning ;' or that ' for a lit tle
* $ft quaedani etiam dolendi voluptasi, f Collius Cordial, Part z. p. rj4.

S.64 A treatife of IPaft II,
tie while God hath; hidden himfelf,' he puts- them to fay, ' this
darknefs fliall never pafe away.' If the grief belittle, he drives
them on to a fearful expectation of worfe ; as he did with He.
zekiah, Ifa. xxxviii. 1,3. 'I reckoned , till morning, that as a
lion, So will he break all my bones, Srom day even to night
wilt thou make an end oS me.' If God purpofe to teach us by
inward forrows, our pride of hearty carelefsnefs, neglect of de-
pendance upon him, thebitternefs of Sin, or the like: The devil
will make us believe, and W6 are too ready to fubfcribe to him,
that God proclaims open war againft us, and .refolves never to
own us more. So did Job, chap. xix. 6. * Know now that God
hath overthrown me; and compafied me wlfh-bis net:' How
often complained he, ' Thou haft made'me as thy mark, thou
haft broken me afunder, thou haft taken 'riie by my neck, and
Shaken me to pieces?' Sa alfo Heman, Pfalm lxxxviii* 14.
* Why caft-eft thou off my foul? Why hideft thou thy face-
from me ?'
, 4,. Upon this occafion the devil is ready to envenom the foul
with |inful wifties and execrations againft itfelf. Eminent faints
havebeen tempted in their trouble to fay too much this way,
Job folemnly curfed his day^ Job iii. 3. ' Let the day periSh
wherein I was born, and the night in which it was faid, there
is a man-child conceived,' Stc. So alfo Jeremiah, 'chap. xx. 14.
' Curfed be the day wherein I was, born, let not the day where-,
in my mother bare me, be bleffed; curfed be the man who
brought tidings to my father, faying, a man-child is born unto
thee; and Jet that man be as the cities which God overthrew,
and repented not.' Strange raflinefs ! what had the day de-
ferved? Or wherein was the meSfenger to be blamed? Violent
paffions hurried him beyond all bounds of reafpn and modera
tion. When troubles within are violent, a fmall puSh fets men
forward ; and when once they begin, they are carried headlong
beyond what they firft intended.
,5. On this advantage the devil fometimes emboldens them
tb quarrel God himfelf diredly. When Job and Jeremiah
curfed their day, it was a, contumely againft God indirectly,
but theydurft not make bold with God at So high a rate as to
quarrel him to his face. Yet even this are men brought to
often, when their forrows are long-lafling and deep. The de
vil fuggefts, Can God be faithful, and never keep promife for
help ? Can he be merciful, when he turns away his ears from '
the cry pf the miferable ? Where is his pity, when he multi
plies his wounds without caufe ? Though at firft thefe curfed
intimations do a little Startle men, yet when by frequent incul-'-
eating they grow more familiar to the heart, thp diflreffed break

Cbagu V. Satan's Temptations. 16$
break out in their tagei wrth thofe exclamations, Where _is
the faithiulnefs of God? Where are his promifes? Hath
he not forgotten to be gracious ? Are not his mercies clean
gone ? And at laft it may be Satan leads them a flep higher,
that is, v
6. To a defpairing defperatenefs. For when all paflages of
relief are ftopt.up, and the burden becomes great, men are apt
to be drawn into rage and fury; when they think their burden
is greater than they can bear, and fee no hope of eafe, in a
kind of revenge, they exp'refs their anger againft the hand
that wounded them. The .devil is pfficioufly ready with his
advice of ' Curfe God and die,' and they being full of an~
guifli, are quickly made to comply with it.
7. When it is at this height, the devil hath but one, Stage
more, and that is the fuggefting of irregular means for eafe.
Rage againft God doth not quench the inward burning ; blaf-
phemies^, againft heaven eafeth not the pain, the fore runs ftill
and ceafeth not, the, trouble continues, the man cannot en
dure it longer, all patience and hope is gone, what fhall he
do in this cafe ? The devil offers his fervice, he will be the
phyfician, and commonly he prefcribes one of thefe two things/:
1. That it is beft to endeavour to break through all this ,
trouble into a refolved profanenefs ; not to ftahd in awe of
laws, nor to believe that there is a God that governs in the
earth, but that this is only the bitter fruit of melancholy, and
unneceffary ferioufnefs ; and therefore it is beft to eat, drink,
and be merry. If a man can thus efcape out of his trouble,
the devil needs no more ; but oft he cannot, the wounds of
confcience will not be thus healed. Then, 2. He hath another
remedy which will not fail, as he tells them, that is, to deftroy
themfelves, to end, their troubles with their lives. How open
are the breafls of troubled creatures to all thefe darts ? And
were it not that God fecretly fleps in, and holds the afflided
with his right hand, it is fcarce imaginable but that wounded
confeiences fliould by Satan's fubtle improvement of fo fair
an advantage, be brought to all this imifery.
8. Satan can afflift the body by the mind: For thefe two
are fo clofely bound together, that their good and bad eftate
is fhared betwixt them. If the heart be merry, the counte
nance is chearful, the ftrength is renewed, the bones do flou-
rifh like an herb. If the heart be troubled, the health is im
paired, the ftrength is dried ilp, the marrow of the bones
wafted; &c. Grief in the heart is like a moth in the garment,
it infenfibly co'nfumeth the body, and difordereth it. This ad
vantage of weakening tile body fails'" into Satan's hands by ne-
L 1 ceffary

4f5f5' A Treatife of Pafflf,
ceffary confequence, as the, prophet's ripe figs, that fell into1
the month Of the tater. And Surely he is well pleated with ity
as he is an enemy both to body and fold : But it is a greater"
teisfadimi to him, ih that as he can make the forrows of the
mind produce the weaknefs and ficknefs of the body ; So 'can
he makb the diftemper ofthe body, by a reciprocal teqnhal, to
augment the trouble bf the mind. How little can a fickly bo
dy do? It difables a ma'n for all fervices, he Cannot btftptay,'
nor read, nor hea'r. Sicknefs takes away the fwEetnefs inft
comfort of religious exercifes ; this givfes Occafion for them.to
think the worfe of themfeltfes^ they think the foul is weary of
the ways of God, when the body cannot hold 'oat. All fail
ures which wearinefs and fai-ntnefs produce, are afcribed pre-
fently to the bad difpbfition of the mind, and this is like oil
caft upph the name. Thus the devil makes a double gain out
bf fpiritual trouble.
9. Let it b*e alfo reckoned among the advantage^ Which Sa
tan hath againft men from trouble of Spirit, that it is a con
tentment to him to See them in their miferies ; it is a Sport to
him to See them, as Job fpeaks, take their flefh in their teeth,
and cry out in the bitterneSs of their fouls ; their gtoanings are
his mufic : When they 'wallow in aShes, drown themferves in
tears, roar till their throat is dry, Spread oat their hands for
help, then hfe gluts his heart in looking 'upon their woes.
When they fall upon God with 'their unjuft furmifes, etu in
terpretations of providence, queftibning his favour, denying
his grace, withing they had never been born, then he claps
his hands and Shouts a victory. The pleafantefe fight to him,
Is to fee God hiding himfelf from his child, and that child
broken with fears, torn in pieces With griefs, made a brother
to dragons, a companion to owls, under reftlefs anxieties, per
petual lamentations, feeble and fore broken, their Strength
dried like^ a potSnearfl, their throat dry, their tongue cleav
ing fo their jaws, their 'bowels boiling, their bones burnt
with heat, their Skin black upon them, their flefli confumed,
their bones flicking but, chaft'ened with ftrong pain Upon their
bed. This is one of Satan's delightful Spectacles, and for
thefe ends doth he' all he can to bereave them of their comfort,
which we may the more certainly perfuade ourfelves to be
true, when we confider the grounds forementioned, his mali
cious nature, the advantages of Spiritual peace, and the disad
vantages of Spiritual trouble:
CHAP.

Chap, ffi? Satan's Temptations, jj.6^;
€ HAP- VI.
Of the various ways fljt whieh. he hdndexs pease. I. Way by
difcompojures tof fpirit. ^hefe difosmpojur&i explained, by
Jhewmg, x. What advantage he takes from, our natural tern-*
¦ per i and what tempers give him t\ik advantage. K %. By whait
, weafiom he- wQJf&s upon our natural tempers. 3, With what
fuccefs. (1.). Thefe occafions footed ta natural inclinations,
raife great difturbance. (%•) ¥h«y home, a temdancy tafpi-,
ritual trouble- The thing proved, and the manner how dif
covered. (3.), Thtfe dtftuibamoe-i mush mhis power. Gem*
red and particular eoafidevatims obwfi thai power.
HAVING evidenced that one of Satan's principal defigns is
againft the peace and comfort of God's children ; I Shall
next endeavour a difcovery of the various ways by which he
doth undermine them berem., Aty inward troubles are not of
the fame kind in themfelves, neither dpth Satan always produce
the fame, effeds. out of all. Some being in their own na$uve
difquiets, that do nut fo diredly j ^nd immediately overthrow:
the peace and joy pf believing, and the comforts of affurance
of divine favour, as others do. Yet feeing that hy all, he hath
pa fmall advantage againft us, as to Sin atul trouble, and that
any of them at the long-run, may lead us to queftion our inte
reft in graces and the Ipve of God, and may accordingly affiid
us, I Shall fpeak of them all; whfeb that I may do -the mere
diftindly, I fhall r^nfe. thefe troubles into feyeral heads, under
peculiar names, it may not be altogether fo proper, but that
the curious: may find matter pf exception to then), that by them
and thpjr explanation, the differences may the better appear. I
diftinguifh therefore of a four-fold trouble, that the devil doth
endeavour tp work up upon the hearts pfmen. They are,
j.. X^iScgmpoSures. 2. Affrightments. 3. Dejections of fad
nefs.. 4. Diftseffes of horror. QfaJl which I Jball Speak in
their order. And,
X, Qf difcompofures of foul, Thefe are moleflations and
disturbances by whieh the mind is put out of order and made
unquiet J the calm, in which it fhould enjoy itfelf, and by
which it Should be cprnppfe4 fo a, ?eg'u!ar and fteady ading, be-
.jng- disturbed by a, Storm of commotion, and in which the con
fcience pr the peace of it is not prefently concerned. This diJT-
tindion of the trouble of foul from the trouble of confcience is
ppt new, others * have obferved it before, and dp thus explain
Li a ' it,
* Dickfon Therap. Sacr. 1. 1. c. 2. Differunt inter fe cafus animse segrs et
pifus confcientise apgrse, &c. " s -¦¦•-. "',-'•'

a68 A Treatife of Part II.
it, trouble of foul is larger than trouble of confcience ; every
troubled confcience is a troubled foul, but every troubled foul
is not a troubled confcience: For the foul may, be troubled
from caufes natural, civil, and fpiritual, according to variety
of occafions and provocations, when yet a man's inward peace
with God is firm ; and in fome Cafes, as ui infants and in men
diftraded with fevers, \3c. there may be paffions and disturb
ances of foul, when the confcience is not capable of exercifing .
its office ; nay the foul of Chrift was troubled, John xii. 27;*
' Now is my foul troubled,' when it was not poffible that fin
or defpair .fliould have' the leaft footing in him.
For the opening of thefe difcompofures of foul, I fhall,
1. Shew upon what advantage of natural temper the devil is enl
couraged to moleft men. 2. By what occafions he doth work
upon bur natural inclinations. 3. And with what fuccefs of
disturbance tc the foul.
i. As to our natural difpofitions, Satan, as hath formerly
been noted, takes His ufual indications bf working from thence;
thefe guide him m bis enterprises; his temptations being Suited
to mens tempers, proceed more Smoothly and Successfully,
Some are of So Serene and calm a diipofition, that he dpth not
much defign their difcompofure ; but others there are, whofe
paffions' are more Stirring, (fit matter Sor him to work upon:)
And theSe are, ,
(1.) The angry diSpofition. How great an advantage this
gives to Satan to difturb the heart, may be eafily conceived, by
confideririg the various workings of it in Several men, accord
ing to their different humours ; it is a paffion that acts not a-
like in all, and for the differences, fo far as we need to be con
cerned, I fhall not trouble the Schools of philofophers^ but con
tent myfelf with what we have in Eph. iv. 31. where th^
apoftle expreffeth it by three words, not that they differ effen-
jially declaring thereby the various ways of anger's working;
the firft is Pikria, which we tmnflate bitternefs*. This is adif-
jpleafure Smothered : For fome when they are angry cover it, ant}
give it no vent, partly for that they are fometimes aShamed to
mention the ground as trivial or unjuft, partly from fullennefs.
of difpoSition, and oft from a natural refervednefs : while the
flame is th,us kept down, it burns inwardly, and men refolve
in their minds many troublefome vexatious thoughts. The
fecond Word is Thumos, wrath : this is a fierce impetuous anger.
Some are foon moved, but fo violent, that they are prefently
txanfported into rage and frenzy, or are fo peevifhly wafpiSh,
that they cannot be fpoken fo. 1 The third word is Grge, tranf-
' ' , lated
* Idling in loc.

Chap.'V. Safaris Temptations. ' 269
lated here anger, but fignifies fuch a difpleafure as is deep, en
tertaining thoughts of revenge and purfuit, fettling itfelf at laft
into hatred. Any of thefe is enough to bereave the heart of its
reft, and to alarm it with difturbances.
(2.) Others have an, envious nature, always maligning and
repining at other men's felicity ; an evil eye, that cannot look
on another man's better condition without vexation. This
turns a man into a devil, it is the devil's proper fin, and the fu
ry that doth unquiet him, and he the better knows of what a-
' yail it woukl be to help on our trouble.
(3.) Some are of proud tempers, always overvaluing them
felves with the Scorn and contempt of others. This humour
is troublefome to all about them, but all this trouble doth at
- laft redound to themfelves ; thefe think all others Should obferve
them, and take notice of their fuppofed excellencies, which if
men do not, then it pines them, or Stirs up their choler to indig
nation. Solomon, Prov. xxx. 21. mentioning thofe things that
are greatly difquieting in the earth, in'ltanceth in ' a Servant
when he reigneth, and the hand-maid that is heirto her miftrefs,'
intending thereby the proud imperious infolency of thofe that
are unexpectedly raifed from a low eftate to wealth or honour:
He that is of ' a proud heart Slirreth up Strife,' Prov. xxviii. 25.
and as he is troublefome to others, fo doth he create trouble to
himfelf; for he not only molefts himfelf by the working of his
difdainful thoughts, while he exercifeth his fcorn towards o-
thers, (Prov. xxi. 24. .' The haughty fcorner deals in proud
wrath) but this occafions the affronts and contempt of others
again, which beget new griefs to his reftlefs mind.
(4.) ^ome have a natural exorbitancy bf defire, an evil co
veting ; they are paffionately carried forth toward what they
have not, and have no contentment or fatisfadion in what they
do enjoy. Such humours are feldom at eafe, trieir defires are
painfully violent, and when they obtain what they longed for,
they foon grow Weary of it, and then anothet object takes up
their wiShes, So that thefe 'daughters ofthe horfe- leech are e-
yer crying, Give, give,' Prov. xxx. 15.
(5.) Others have a foft effeminate temper, a weaknefs of foul
that makes them unfit to bear any burden, or endure any hardnefs.
Thefe, if they meet with pains or troubles, (and who can chal
lenge an exemption from them?) they are prefently impatient,
vexing themfelves by a vain reludlaticy to what they cannot
avoid ; not but that extraordinary burdens will make the ftronp-
eft fpirit to floop, but thefe cry out for the fmalleft. matters,
which a flout mind would bear with fome competent chearful-
pefs. (6.) And

gja A Treatife of ¥*Vh H.
(6,) And there we other difpofltioas, that are tender, to an
excefs of Sympathy ; fo that they immoderately affed and afflid
themfelves, with other mens forrows,, Though this, he a tem
per more cemmendable than any of the former, yet Satan can
take advantage of this, as alfo of the forenamed difpofltions, to
difcompofe us,, efpecially by fuiting them with fit occafions,
which readily work upein thefe. tempers,,: And this was,
2. The fecond thing to. be explained, which Shall be perform?
ed by a brief enumeration of .them, the chief wherecf are thefe:
i. Cpntempt pr difeftimatioju When a man's perfon, parts,
or opinion are flighted, his anger, envy, pride and impatience
are awakened, and theSe make him Swell and reftleSs within!
Even good men have been fadly disturbed this way. Job, as
holy a man as he was, and who had enough of greater matters
to trouble his mind, yet among other griefs complains of this.
more than once, Job xii., 4. ' I am as. one mocked of his neigh
bour ; the juft upright man is laughed to fcorn.' Job xjx. 15.
' They that dwell in mine houfe, atid my maids count me for
a Stranger-— I called my fervant, and he gave me no aafwer ;
—Yea, young children defpifed me, I rofe up and they fpake
againft me.* ' Thus be bemoans himfelf, and, which is more, .
fpeaks pf it again with fome fmar tnefs of indignation, Jph xxx.
1 . ' Now they that are younger than I» have me in derifiqn,
whofe fathers I would have diSdained to have fet with the dogs
of my flacky payid alSo. who had a flout heart under troubles,
complains that he could hot bear reprpaphes, Pfal. Lxix, ' Re
proach hath broken mine heart> I am full of hea^ineSs,* What
theSe reproaches were and how he was Staggered with them, he
tells us., ver. 10. ' I chaftened my Soul with fafting, that was tp
my reproach. I made Sackcloth my garment, and I became a
proverb to them. They that fit in the gate, fpeak againft me;
and I was the Song of the drunkards. With thefe he was fo
llpiinded, that if he had not patched hold on God by prayer, as he
fpeaks, ver. 13. he had fallen ? ' but as for me, my prayer is un
to thee, Q Lord,' &c and he afterward fpeaks of his Support
under reproaehes, as a wonder pf divine affiftance, Pfal. cxix.
51. ' The proud have had me in derifipn, yet have I hot de-
plined from thy law.'
2. Injury is another occafion by which the devil works upon
pur tempers to difquiet us. Wrongs of injuftice and oppres
sion are hard to bear ; this is a common ground of trouble,
good men cannot always acquit themfelves in this caSe as they
ought. Jeremiah when Smitten by PaShur, and put in, the
flocks, Jer. xx, 2, 7, Sails into a Sad pafliou, « I am a, derifion daily,

Cliap. IVi oatans icmpiaiions. 2<]t
daily; every one mocketh me, I cried out, I cried violence and
fpoil, imitating the paflionate afftightments of, thofe that cry,
murder, murder, &c. No wonder, feeing Splomon gives it as
an axiom built uppn manifold experience, Eccl. vii. 7. Op-
preffion doth not only make a man unquiet, but mad in his
uhquietnefs ; a»d not <o»iy thofe that are 'fooiiSh and hafty, but
the moft confiderate and Sedate perfons. * Oppreffion makes a
wife man mad.'
3. Another occafion of mens difcompofure, is the prosperi
ty of the wicked ; their abundance^ their advancements to honk
ours and dignity, bath always been a grudge to thofe, whofe
condition is below them, and yet fuppofe themfelves to have
better grounds to 'exped preferment than they. This aftonifh
ed Job even to trembling, Job xxi. 7. * When I remember, I
am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flefh ;' and the
matter was but this, wherefore dp the wicked live, become old,,
yea, and mighty in power? <&c. The woufelei that feiseth oa
mens hearts on this occafion, is called fretting, a vexation that
wears out the ftrength of the foul, as two hard bodies wafte
by mutual attrition or rubbing 5 and it takes its advantage from
our envy thiefly, though other diftempers come in co help it
Forward; Pfal. xxxvii. 1. 'Fret wot thy felf becaafe of evilidoers,
neither be thou envious againft the workers of iniquity.' Da
vid 'confelfeeh, that be was apt to fall into this tsoubla, Pfol.
Ixxiii. 3. * I was envious at the "fcoJafli, when I faw the pros
perity «f the wicked.' Againft thfe difquiet we have frequent
cautions, Prov. xxiv. i, i £. and Pfal. Mix. x6. * Be not lafoaid
when one is made rich, when the glory of his houSe is increas
ed.' All which Shew our pronenefs to 'this difeafe.
4. Crofles and aSflidions give Satan an opportunity to work
Upon out paffions. As disappointments of exped-ations, lofs of
friends, of eftate, petrfecutions and fuSe-rings for confcience fake,
&'c. none of thefe in their own nature are joyous, but grievous;
and what trie they have been of to the devil, to difeoaaipofe the
minds ofthe fufferers, is evidenced by common experience.
JThe tears, fad Countenances, and doleful lamentations of men,
are true ^witneffes of the diSquiet of their hearts ; every -one be
ing preffed with 'the fenfe cf his own Smart, is ready to cry out,
Is there any Sorrow like my Sorrow ? I am poor and Pom-fortlefs,
my lovers and my friends have forfaken me, and there is none
to help. Some grow feint under their -burden, whifetheir eyes
'Ml in looking for redrefs^ efpecially wlip'n flew unexpeded
troubles overwhelm their hopes, ' When I looked for good, theft
evil came; and when I waited for light, there came daTknefs,'
Job xx'jr.. 16. ' Why haft thou fmittenus, and there is noheal-

272 A Treatife of rare n.-
ing for us? We looked for peace, and there is no gopd; an<J
for the time of healing, and behold trouble,' Jer. xiv. 19. and
here they Sink, concluding there is no hope. Others that beat*
up better in a bleffed expeaatipn of fpirituabprofit, having that
of David in their eye, ' Bleffed is the man whom thou afflideft,
and teacheft ih thy law:' yet they cannot forbear their com
plaints even to God, Pfal. xxv... 17. 'The troubles, of mine
heart are enlarged, O bring, thou me out of my diftreffesy
look upon mine afflidion and my pain.' May thofe that have
had the higheft advantages of heavenly fupport, whofe hearts*
have been kept in peace, counting it all joy that have fallen in
to thefe trials, and God doth more this way, for thofe that fuf-
fer for the gofppl's fake,:tbanr ordinarily for others, yet have
not thefe been under a ftpical fenfeleffnefs of their trouble; tho''
they, were not diftreffed, they were troubled on every fide; tho'
not in defpair, yet they were perplexed, 2 Cor. iv. 8, though
their afHidiorjs were light, yet.were they afnidions ftill) ;
5. To thefe. may be added the pain or anguifh of ficknefs,
and bodily distemper. Though there are various degrees of
pain, and that fome fickneffes are lefs afflictive than others, yet
none of them forbear to pierce the mind, the whole man is dif
compofed . He that is exercifed with Strong pains upon his
bed, cries put in the bitternefs of.his foul ; and he that by in-
fenfible degrees languifheth, grows ordinarily peeviSh, and his
mind bleeds, by an inward wound ; fo that he fpends his days
in. Sighing, and his.years in mourning. And others there are,
who being before acquainted with bodily pains, grow very.im.
patient in ficknefs, and are able to bear nothing ; and befides
the prefent fenfe of pain, the expedation of death puts feme
into great commotion ; the fears of it, for it is naturally dreads
fui, fills them with difquiet thoughts ; and thofe that approach-,
to the grave by Slow Steps, under confumption or languishing
fickneffes,. they are habituated to fadnefs, and can think of no
thing cheerfully, except they have great affurance of falvation,
and have well learned to die, becaufe the coffin, grave, and
winding- Sheet are Still prefented to them. Thefe, though they
be very fuitable objeds for meditation, and, well improved, of
great advantage for preparation to death ; yet.doth Satan there^
by,, when it is for his purpofe, endeavour to" keep men under
grief, andto bereave them of their peace. .
6. ,Satan takes an advantage ¦ of trouble from the miferies of
others. Sympathy is a C.hriftian grace ; and to bear one ano
ther's burdens, to mourn with thofe that mourn, fliews us to
be fellpw-feeling members of the fame body ; ' for if one mem
ber Suffer, all the members Suffer with it.' Yet are Some men
naturally

Chap. V. Satan's Tempiatiohs. 2.73
naturally of fo tender a constitution, that Satan overdrives
them herein, every common obcafion will wound them : The
ufual effeds of God's ordinary providenoe on the poor, lame,
or Sick, are deeply laid to heart by them ; and inftead of being
not' unfenfible of other mens miferies, they are not fenfible of
any thing elfe, neither do they enjoy their own mercies. And
here, as Satan can every moment prefent them with objeds of
pity, ordinary, or extraordinary ; fo upon a religious pretence
of merciful consideration, they are made cruel to themfelves,
refufing their own peace, becaufe other men are not at eafe.
3. The third particular, promifed to be explained for the
difcovery of thefe difeompofures of foul, was this ; That by a
concurrence of thefe and fuch like occafions, to fuch tempers,
the hearts of men are disturbed, x and their inward peace broken.
This I Shall evidence by thefe three things : 1 . That thefe oc
cafions meeting with fuch difpoSitions, do naturally raife great
diftdrbances in their prefent working. 2. That they have a
tendency to further trouble. 3. That Satan doth defign, and
hath it ordinarily in his power to difcompofe the hearts of men
hereby. 1. That thefe occafions meeting with fuch difpofitiohs, dp
naturally raife great disturbances. This is evident from what
hath been already faid : For (1.) All thefe difpofitions carry
as much fire in their own bofoms, as is fufficient to burn up
the Handing corn of any man's peace. What is anger, but an
inward, burning, a reftlefs confufion of the fpirits, fometimes a
phrenzy, a diftradion, a troubled fea full of rage, a wild beaft
let loofe ? Envy, that is a fretful peevifhiiefg, a vexatious re
pining, needing no other tormentors but its own furies? recoil
ing upon him that bred it, becaufe it cannot wreak its fpite up
on its objeds. An envious perfon is a felf-murderer by the
verdid of Eliphaz, Job, v. 2. .« Wrath killeth the foolifh man,
and envy flayeth the foolilh one.' This is not barely to be un
derftood of its provoking the judge of allthe earth to fend
down its deferved deftrudion, but alfo, if not chiefly, of its
own corroding temper, which, by long continuance, waftes
the ftrength, and confumes the body. Pride is a perpetual
vexation, creating its troubles from its qWn fancy ; Irregular
covetings keep a man ftill upon the rack, they make: a man
like the Tantalus of the poets, they give a man a cuninus appe-
titus, a ftrong appetite, with exceflivegreedinefe, and reftlefs
purfuit, and conftant diflatisfadions, he is ever gaping and ne
ver enjoying. Impatience is a wearifome conflict with a 'bur
den which it can neither bear, nor yet fhake off; where all
the fruit of the vain labour amounts to no better account than
-M m this,

*74 A Treatife of fart II;
this, that the impatient makes his burden the greater, the
bands that tie it on the Stronger, and the ftrength that Should
bear it the weaker. Laftly, An exceSs of pity multiplies
wounds without caufe, it hinders a man to be happy, So long
as there are any that are miferable : He is always, in reference
to his quiet, at the mercy bf other men, the afflided can tor
ment him at a distance ; and by a kind of magic, inahe him
feel the torments , that are inflided upon his image. Who can
deny, but that men that are ridden by fnch vexatious difppfi.
tions, muft lead an unquiet life, and always be toffed with in
ward tempefls. Efpecially, (2.) When we confider how fit
the forementioned occafions are, to draw out thefe humours to
their tumultuary extravagancies : A lighted match and gun
powder, are not more exadly fuited to raife a Shaking blaft,
than thofe occafions and tempers are to breed an inward an
noyance. Some of thefe humours are fo troublefome, that ra
ther than they will want work, they will fight with their own
Shadows, and by a perverfenefs of prejudicated fancy, will
create their own troubles, and the beft of thpm, which' feem
fometimes tp take truce, and- compofe themfelves to reft, while
occafions are out of the way : Yet they are quickly awakened,
like Sleeping dogs that are roufed with the leaft, noife ; what
work then may we exped they will make when, they, are firm-
moned to give their appearance upon a Solemn occafion ? But,
(3.) If we Should deal by inftances, and bring upon the Stage.
the effeds that have been brought forth by thefe concurring
caufes, it will appear that they make disturbances in good ear
neft : Let us either yiew the furious fits, that have been like
fodden flafhes, fooneft gone ; or their more lafting impreSEons,
and we Shall find it true. As to violent fits, raifed by fuch oc
cafions and difpoSitions, examples' are infinite. What rages,
outrages, madneffes, and extravagancies have men run into ?'
Some ifpon provocations, have furiouSly aded favage cruelties,
and fpr fmall matters have been carried to the moft defperate
reyenges. Others, have been brought to fuch violent commoi
tions within themfelves, that the frame of nature hath been
thereby weakened and overthrown. As Scilla, who in a ftrong
paffion, vomited choler till he died. ' Some in their fury, have
aded that which hath been matter of forrow to them all their
days. But, omitting the examples of heathens and wicked
meti, let us confider the wonderful tranSports of holy men.
Mofes, a man eminent, beyond comparifon, in meeknefs, was fo
aftoniflied with a fudden furprfee of trouble, at the fight bf the
golden calf, that he threw down the tables- of the law, and
brake them. Some indeed; obferve from thence, a fignrficancy oi

Chap. VI. Satan's Temptations: ' ._ 275
bf Ifrael's breaking the law, and forfeiting God's protection, as
his peculiar people; but this is more to be afcribed to the de-
fignment pf divine prbvidence, that fo prdered it, than tb the
intendment of Mofes, who no doubt, did not this from a fedate
"and calni deliberation, as purposing by this ad to tell Ifrael So
much ; but was hurried by his grief, as net confiderihg well
what he did; to break them. Afa.a' good man, when he was
reproved by the prophet; inftead of thankful acceptance of the
reproof^ grows angry, falls into a rage; and throws the prophet
into prifon, Elias, difcompoSed with Jezebel's perfecution, de
fires that God would-take away his life. Jpnah, in his anger,
falls out with God, and justifies it when he hath done : Surely
fuch fits as thefe proceeded from great inward combuftion.
Would wife; fober; holy men have faid or done fuch things,
if they had not been transported beyond themfelves ? And tho'
in fuch cafes, the fits ate foon over, yet we pbferye that fome
are apt to fall into fuch fits often, and are fo eafily irritated,
that; like the epileptic perfon poffeffed by the devil, upon every
becafion they are by him caft intp the fire, or into the' wa
ter, and by the frequent return of their diftemper are never at
reft.-' '¦:'
As to others,, whofe tempers are more apt to retain a trou
blefome impreffion, it is very obvious'that their difcompofures
have" as much in length and breadth; as the other had in height.
Yoti may view Haman tormented under his fecret difcontenr,
which his pride and envy formed in him, for the want of Mor-
decai's obeifance : The king's favour, a great eftate, high ho
nour, and wha* el*5 * man could with to make him content^
are all Swallowed up in this gulph; and become nothing to
him. You fee Amnon vexed and fick for his Sifter Tamar,
waxing lean from day to day. You fee Ahab, though a king;
who had enough to Satisfy his mind, in the fame condition for
Naboth's. vineyard. If you fay thefe were wicked men, who
rid their Jufls without a bridle; and ufed the fpur : Look then
upon better men, and you Will fee too much. Rachel fo
grieves and .mourns for Wartt of children, that She profeffeth
her .life inconsistent with her difappointment, ' Give me chil
dren; elfe I die.-' Hanna upon the fame occafion weeps and eats
not, and prays in the bitternefs of her foul, and the abund
ance of her complaint and grief. Jeremiah, being preffed with
difcouragements from the contradidion of evil men, calls him
felf * a man of Strife and contention to the whole earth,' Jer.
xv. lb. his forrows thence arifing, had fo imbittered his life,
' that he puts a wo upon his birth, ' Wo is me, my mother,
that thou haft born me a man of Strife.' Paul had a noble coh-
M m 2 raj>-e

276 A Treatife of Part H.
rige under manifold afflidjoiis, he could glory in the crofs,- and
rejoice in perfecutions.: Neverthelefs, tlte greatnefs of hi3
work, the froward perverfenefs and unfteadinefs of profenbrs,
which put him under fears, jealoufies, and new travail; 1 Cor.
xL 2. Gab iv. 19. the miferies of Chriftians, and the care he
had % the concerns of the gofpel, which was a conftant load
upon his mind, his, heart,' like old Eli's,' trembling ftill for the
ark of God, made him complain as one worn out by the trou
bles of his Heart ; 2 Cor. xi. 27..' In wearinefs, and painful-
nefs/in watchings often, in hunger and tffirft, in faftings often,
,in cold and nakednefs. Befides thoSe things that are without,
that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak ?' &c. Rom. ix. 2. For the
Jews he had great heavinefs and continual Sorrow in his heart;
and Sor the Gentiles he had, perpetual fears. Now though he
had a great Sbikre of divine comforts intermixed, and a more
than ordinary affiftance of the Spirit, to keepJ him from Sinful
difcompofure of fpirit, at leaft to fuch an height as it ordinarily
prevails upon others, yet was he very fenfible of his burden,
and doubtlefs the deyil laboured to improve thefe occafions to
weary out his Strength. For by thefe, and fuch like things, he
frequently yexeth the righteous fouls of the faithful ministers
Of the gpfpel from day to day : So .that their; hearts have no
reft, and their hands grow often feeble, and they cry out, O
the burden ! O the care ! being ready to fay as Jeremiah, chap.
xx. 7. ' O Lord, thpu haft deCeivpd me, and I was deceived '. I
am a derifiori daily, every one mocketh me.' Thus, fay they,
Did we ever think to meet with fuch disappointments, fuch
griefs, from the wilfulnefs, pride, weaknefs, ignoranee, pettifh-
nefs, inconftancy, negligence, and Scandals of friends ? and fuch
hatred, contradictions, Scorns, and injuries from enemies.? Were
We free, what calling would we not rather chufe ? What place
would we not rather go to, where we might fpend the remain
der of our days in fome reft ahd eafe ? Were it not better to
work with our hands for ajnorfel of bread, for fo might pur
Sleep be. fweet to us at night, and we fliould npt fee thefe for
rows ? - At this rate are good men fometimes disturbed, and the
anguiSh bf their fpirit makes their life' a Wurden.
2. Yet is not this all the disturbance that the devil works
upon our hearts by thefe things, though thefe are bad enough,
but they have a tendency to further trouble. Difcompofures
of fpirit, if they continue long, turn at laft into troubles of
confcience. Though there is np affinity betwixt Simple dif
compofure of foul, and troubles of ccnfcience in their own na
ture ; the objeds of the former being things external, no way
relating

Gbap. VI. Satan's Temptations. 277
relating to the ^foul's, intereft in God and Salvation, which, are
the objeds, of_ i the latter; yet the pffeds produced by the pre
valency of thefe ¦ disturbances, are a. fit ftock for the ingrafting
of doubts and queftionings .about pur fpiritual-cpndltion. , Asi
Saul's father firft troubled himfelf for the lofs of his aflps1, and
font his fon to feek them ; but when he Staid long, he forgat
his trouble, and took up a hew grief for his fon, whom he
feared he had loft in purfuit of the affes'. So, is it* fometimes.
with men, who, after they have long vexed. themfelves for in
juries or afflidions, Sec. upon a ferious consideration of the
Working, and power of thefe paffions, leave their former pur
fuit, and begin, to, bethink themfelves in what a condition their
fouls are, that abound with fp muph murmuring, rage, pride,
or impatience, and then the Scene is altered, and they begin to
fear, they -have loft their fouls, and are now perplexed about
their fpiritual eftate, To make this plain I will give fome in
stances, and then add fome, reafons which will evidence that it
is fo, and alfo how it comes to be.fo.
For inftances,, though I might produce a fufficient number
' to this purpofe, from thofe that have written of melancholy,
yet I Shall only infift upon two, or three from fcripture.
Hezekiah when God fmote him with ficknefs, at firft was
difegmpofed upon ,the approhenfipn of death, that he Should fo
foon be depriyed of the refidue of his years, and behold man no
more with the inhabitants of the world, as he himfelf expreST-
eth it, Ifa. xxxviii. 10. afterward his trouble grew greater,
' He chattered as a eran or fwaflow, and mourned as a dove,'
he was In great bitternpfs,, ver. 17, and fadly opprefled there
with, ver. 14. That which thus, diflreffed him was not Simply
the fear of death, we cannot imagine fo pious a perfon would
fo very, much, difquiet himfelf uppn \ that Single account; but
by the, expreffions, which ,he let fall in his complainings, we
.may understand, that fome fuch thoughts as thefe did Shake
him, that, he apprehended God was angry with him, that the
. prefept, Stroke Signified So much to him, all circumftances con
sidered, 2. Kings xx. 6. for he was yet in his ftrength, and Je-
rufalem in great diftrefs,' being at that time befieged by Sena-
cherib's army, * and for him to be doomed to death by a fud-
,,den roeffage, at Such a . time, ; feemed to carry much in itj and
•that furely there was great provocation on his part; and it
.feems upon fearch, ,he charged himfelf fo. deeply with his fin-
fulnpfs, that his apprehenfions were no lefs, than that if God
Should .reftore, him, yet in the fenfe ' of.his yilenefs he Should
never, be able to look up ; ' I Shall go Softly all my years in the
bkternefs of my foul,' ver. 15. y/biph expreffion implies' a'fup-
pbfition
* Vid, Lightfoot Harm, in loc.

278 A Treatife of Fart if;
pofition of his recovery, and A deep fenfe of iniquity, and ac
cordingly when he was recovered, he takes notice chiefly of
God's love to his foul,' and the pardon of his fin; which evi
dently difcover "where the, trouble pinched him, * Thou haft in
love to my foul delivered (it from the pit of cprruptibn, -fot
thou haft caft all my Sins behind thy back,' ver. 17.
Job's troubles were very great, and his cafe extraordinary-
Satan had maliciouSIy ftript him of all outward comforts; this
he bore with admirable , patience, Job i. 21. ' Naked came I
out of my mother's wOmbj and naked Shall I return thither :
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, bleffed be the
name of the Lord.' The devil feeing now himfelf defeated;
obtains a new commiffion, wherein Job is wholly put. into his
handy (life only excepted, chap. ii. 9.) he fets upon him again;
and in his new encounter labours ' to bring upon him fpirituai
diSlreffes, and accordingly improves his lpfles Tand Sufferings td
that end, as appears by his endeavours and the fuccefs ; for as
he tempted him by his' wife to a defperate difregard pf God;
that had fo afflided him, ' Curfe God and die,' fo he tempter!
him alfo by his friends, to queftion the ftate of his foul, and
his integrity, and all from the confideration of his outward mii
Series . To that purpoSe are all ' their diScourSes. Eliphaij
chap. iv. $,6,*j. from his Sufferings and his carriage under
them, takes trccafion to jeer his former piety, as being nb other
than feigned, ' It is come Upon thee,.and thou fainteft : Is not,
this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightnefs of
thy ways ?' That is, is all thy religion come tc this ? And
alfo concludes him- wicked, ' Who ever periihed being innoi
cent ? And. where were the righteous cut off?' Bildad, chap;
viii. 6. 13. chargeth him with hyppcrifyiipon the fame ground;
and while he makes his defence, Zophar plainly gives him the
lie, chap. xi. 3. and at this rate they go their round', and ail
this while Satan, whofe defign it was tp afflid his confcience
with the fenfe of divine wrath, Secretly Strikes in with thefe
accttfations, infomuch, that though Job Stoutly defended his ini
tegrity, yet he was wounded- with inward diftreffes, and con
cluded^ that thefe dealings of God againft him were no lefs than
God's Severe obfervance of his iniquity ; as is plain from his
bemoaning himfelf in Chap. x. 2". ' I will fay unto- God, Do
not condemn me ; ' Shewpne wherefore thou contendeft with me.'
vet. 16, 17. ' ThoU hunteft me as a fierce lion; thou reneweft
thy witneffes againft me,' %3t. 1
David was a man that was often exercifed with ficknefs and
troubles from enemies, and in all the inftances almoft that we
meet with ^.n the Pfalms, of thefe his afflidions, we may obi
ferve

Chap. VI. Satan's Temptations. 279
ferve the outward occafions of trouble brqught him under the
fufpicion of God's wrath, and his iniquity ; fo that he wasieb*
dom Sick, or perfecuted ; but this called on the difquiet of con
fcience, and brought his Sin tp remembrance; as Pfal. vi.
Which was made pn the pcpafionof his ficknefs, as appears from
yer. 5, wherein h.e- expreffeth the vexation' of his foul under
the apprehenfion of God's anger; all his pther griefs running
into this channel, "as little brooks lofing themfelves in a great
river, change their name and nature ; he that was at firft only
concerned for his ficknefs, is now wholly concerned with for
row and finart under the fear and hazard of his foul's condi
tion ; the like we may fee in Pfal. xxxviii. and many pla
ces more.
Having made good the aflertion, that dfeompofures of foul
upon outward pecaficns', by long continuance and Satan's ma
nagement, do often run up to Spiritual diftrefs of confcience : I
Shall next for further confirmation and illuftration Shew how it
pomes to be fo.
1. Difcompofures of fpirit do obftrud, and at laft extinguish
the inward comforts of the foul : So that if we fuppofe the
difcompofed perfon at firft, before he be thus difordered,- to
have had a good meafure of fpiritual joy in God's favour, and
delight in his ways; yet the disturbances, (1.) Divert his
thoughts from-feeding uppn tliefe comforts, or from the enjoy
ment of himfelf in them- The foul cannot naturally be highly
intent upon two different things at once, but whatfoever doth
ftrongly engage the thoughts and affedions, that carries the
whole ftream with it, be it good or bad, and other things give
Way at prefent. When the heart is vehemently moved on out
ward considerations, it lays, by the thoughts of its , fweetnefs
which-it hath had-ih the enjoyment of God-; they are fo con
trary and inconsistent, that either our comforts , will chafe out
of our thoughts bur difcompofures, or our difcompofures will
chafe away our comforts. I believe the comforts of Elias,
when he lay .down under his grief, and defired tp die, and of
Jeremiah, when he cried out of violence; -run very low in thofe
fits of difcontent, and their Spirits were far from an aduaf re
joicing in God ; but this is not the Worft, we may rfot So eafily
-imagine that upon the going, away of the fit, the wonted com
forts return tp their former courfe: For, (2,) The mind be
ing diftraded with its burden, is left impotent and unable to
return to its former exercife ; the warmth which the heart had,
being Smothered and fufpended in its exercife, , is not fo quick
ly revived, and the thoughts which were buffed with difturb-
- ance, like the diftempered humours of the body, are not reduc ed

aSo A Treatife of Part II,
*
ed fuddeniy to that evennefs of compofure as may make them
fit for their old employment. And, (3.) If God Should offer
the influences of joyful fupport, a difcompofed fpirit is not in
a capacity to receive them, no more than it can receive thofe
counfels that by any careful' hand are interpofed for its relief
and Settlement. Comforts are not heard in the midft of noife
and clamour ; the calmnefs of the foul's faculties are prefup.
pofed as a neceffary qualification towards its reception of a mef-'
Sage of peace. Phineas's wife being overcome of grief for the
ark's captivity and her huSband's death, could nbt be affeded
with the joyful news of a fon. But, (4.) Sinful difcompofures
binder thefe gracious and comfortable offers, if we could poffi
bly, which we cannot ordinarily, receive them, yet we cannot
expect that God will give them. The fpirit of confolation
loves to take up his lodging in a meek and quiet fpirit, and no
thing more, grieves, him than bitternefs, Wrath, anger, clam
our; and malice, which made the apoftle, Eph. iv. 30,31.
fubjoin his diredion of putting thefe away from us, with his
advice of ' not grieving the Spirit by which we are Sealed unto
the day ef redemption.' And then, (5.) The former ftpck of
comfort, which perfons diftempered with difcompofures might
be fuppofed to have, will fopn be wafted, for our comforts.
are not like the oil in the cruife, or meal in the barrel,
which had, as it were, their Spring in themfelves'; we are
comforted and fupported by daily communication of divine
aid; fo that if tbev fpring-head be Stopped, the ftream will
quickly grow dry. It is evident then, that inward confola-
tions in God will not ripen under thefe Shadows, nor grow
under thefe continual droppings, feeing a difcompofed fpirit
is not capable to receive mote, nor able to keep what com
fort it had at firft ; we may eafily fee how it comes to pafs,
that thefe difturbances may in time bring bh fpiritual trou
bles : For if our comforts be once loft, trouble of confcience
eafily follows. Where there is nothing to fortify the heart,
the poifon ofmalicious fuggeftions will unavoidably prevail.
2. Difcompofures of foul afford the devil fit matter tp work
uporl. They furnifh him With ftrong objedions againft Sin
cerity of holinefs, by which the peace of confcience being -
Strongly aflaulted, is at laft overthrown. The ufual weapons by
whiph Satan fights againft the' affurance of God's children, are
the guilt- of fins committed," and^ the negled of duty, and the
disturbed foul affords enough of both thefe to make a charge
againft itfelf : For,
1. Where there is much difcompofure there is much fin. If
in the multitude pf wprds there wants npt. iniquity, then much
' more

Chap. VI. Satan's Temptations. 281
more in' the multitude of unruly thoughts. A disturbed fpirit
is like troubled water, -all the mud that lay at the bottom is
raifed up and nrixeth, itfelf >wifh the thoughts ; if any injury or
lofs do trouble the mind, all the thoughts are tindured with
anger, pnde, impatience, or- whatfoever root of bitternefs was
in the heart before ;. we view them not fingly as the iffues*of'
wife Providence, but ordinarily we confider them as done by
fuch instruments, and againft ourfelves as malicious1, fpiteful,
caufelefs, ungrateful wrongs, and then we give too great a1 liber
ty to ourfelves to rage, to meditate revenge, to threaten, to re
proach, aud what not?,' And if our . dlfpofition have not fo
ftrong a natural inclination to thefe. diftempers, yet the thoughts
by difcompofure are quickly leavened (it is the, comparifon u-
fed by the Apoftle, 1 Cor. v. 8. to, exprefs the power of malice,
which is an ufual attendant in this fervice, to infed all the ima
ginations, with a Sharpnefs, which, makes them Swell into exor
bitancy angi- excefs ; hence proceed revilings, • quarrellings, &c
When the tongue is thus fermented, it is a fire, a world, of
iniquity, producing, more fins than can be reckoned, it defileth
the whole body, engaging all the faculties in heady purfuit,
James iii. 6. - , ' ¦¦¦,,¦ '
^.Difcompofuresobftruct duties,'' This is the inconvenience-
which the Apoftle (1 Pet., iii. , 7.) tells us doth arrfe from dis
turbances1 among relations ? if the wife or huSband do- not car
ry well, fo that difcontents or differences arife, their prayers
are hindrerL .Duties then are obstructed, (1.) In the adt.
When the heart is out of, frame; prayer is out of feafon, and
there is an averfenefs to it ; partly becaufe all good things are
in fuch confufions burdenfome to the humour that then prevails,
which eats out all defire apd delight in fpiritual things,: and
partly becaufe they dare not come into God's prefence ^con
fcience of their own guilt, and awe of God hindering fuch ap
proaches. (2.) They pbftrud the. right manner- of performance,
ftraitening the heart, and contracting the fpirit, thatif any thing
be attempted, it. is poorly and Weakly performed. (3.) And
alfo the fuccefs of duty is obstructed by difcompofure. God
will not accept fuch fervices, and therefore Chrift advifeth to
leave the gift before the. altar, though ready for offering,, where
the fpirit is overcharged with offences,' or angry thoughts, and
' firft to go and be reconciled, to our brother,' and then to come
and offer pur. gift,' it being. loft labour to. do it before.'^ From
thefe fins of omiffion and commiffion, Satan can and often doth
frame a dreadful charge againft, thofe that are thus concerned,
endeavouring to prove by thefe evidences, that they aa'eyet,
notwithstanding pretence of converfion, in the gall of bitternefs,
Nn and

a8a A -Treatife of , Part. if.
and bond of iniquity, whereby- the peace of confcience is mueh-
ihaken ; and the (nore, becaufe alSo '_ ,- , ....:,
(3.) TheSe difcompofures of foul give Satan a fit feafon for
the management of his accufation ; ftrong accufatioh* dip pffen
eSFeet nothing, when the feafon, is unfuitabe. Many, a time he
hath as much to fay againft the comforts of men when yet they
Shake all off, as Paul did the viper of his hand, and feel ho harm.
But that which prepares the confcience to receive thei iodide
inent, is a particular difpofition which it is wrought into, by
SuSpicious predulity and fearfulnefs. Thefe make the heart as
wax to the~feal; ready to take any impreliion that Satan will
ftainp uponit; now by long disturbances he works the heart
into this mould very often, and .upon a double account he gains
himfelf a fit opportunity toeharge home hi* exceptions. 1. In
that he. fets Upon the confcience with his accufations,' after the
heart hath been long malefted andconfufed with its otheiEtrou*
bles; for then the heart is weakned and unable to make refift
ance as at other times . An affault with a frefh party after a
long cenflid, diforders its forces; and puts all to flight. 2. In
that long and great difcompofures of mind, bring on i distem
per oftfnelancholy; for it is notoriously known by common ex
perience, that thofe arid humours, producing' this dlftemper,
which have thei^ rife from the blood,, maybe occafioned by
their violent paffions of mind, the aidmal fpiritss becoming iaor,.
dinate, by long difcompofures of fadnefs, envy, terror, and fret*
fui cares, and the motion of the blood being retarded, it by de
grees-departs from its temperament; and is infeded with an
acidity, fo that perfons no way inclined naturally to, me
lancholy may yet become fo, by the difquiets of their troubled
mind. ( 11
Both thefe ways, but chiefly melancholy, the devil hath his
advantage for disturbing the confcience. Melancholy, moft na-
turally inclines men to be Solicitous for |heir fouls welfare 5 but
withal difpofeth them fo ftrongly to fufped the Worft, (for it
is a credulous fufpicious humour in things hurtful) and afflids
fo heavily with fadnefs for what it doth refped, that whesn Sa
tan lays before men of that humour , their mifcarriages under
their difcontents, their impatience, unthankfolnefs, anger, rafh
thoughts and fpeeches againft God or men, &tc. withal fuggeft^
ing that fuch an heart cannot be right with God^ after ferious
thoughts upon Satan's frequently repeated charge, they cry out,
Guilty, guilty, and then begins a new trouble for1. their unre-
, .generate eftate, and their fuppofed loft Souls.
'4; In this cafe ufually Satan hath greater liberty to accufe,
and by his accufations to moleft the confciencs, in that men of
difcompofed'

43hap. TI. SateitPf Temptations. 283
difcompofed fpirits by the manifold evils ftrifing thence provoke
God to defert them, and to leave them in Satan's hand, to be
brought int© an hour af temptation, Satan's commiffion is od-
cafioned by our provocations, and the temptations arifing from
fuch a commifiion, are ufually dreadful ; they are folemn temp*
.rations, -and called 'fo after a Singular manner ; for of thefe J
izke thofe Scriptures to be meant, ' Watch and pray, that ye
enter not into temptation,' Matth. xxvi. 41. ' And lead Us net
into temptation,' Matth. vi, ia. Such temptations are npt cpm-
itnpn temptations, and are of unknown force and hazard to -the.
ibul, whiph way Soever they are defigned, either for fin or ter+
ror. For feveral things do concur in a fqkmn temptation : As*
( i,,). Satan: dpth in a Special manner challenge aman to the com
bat, pr rather he challenges God to give him fuch a man to
•fight with him, as he did concerning Job- This 'Chrift tells 119
' of, Luke xxii. 3*. .'Simon, Satan hath defirod to have you;'
the Word fignifies a challenging pr daring, and it feems the de
vil is qft daring God to give us into his hand, when we little
know pf it. (2-) There is alfo a fpecial fuitablenefs of occa
fion, and foare,.to the temper and ftate of men. Thus hp.toojk
Peter .at as-advantage in the high-prieft's hall, and in die cafe
We now fpeak pf, he takes jadvantage ef mens provocations apd
rnelaneholy, (3,) There is always a violent profeeuticn, which
pur Saviour expfefi|th under the comparison ef Sifting, which
is ajePefs agitation of the com, bringing that which was at
the bottoasi to the top,, and Shuffling the top to the bottom, fp
that the chaff or dirt is always uppermost. (4;) And to aU
.this there is divine permiffion,. Satan let loofe, and we left tp
aar ordinary ftrength ; as .is implied in that expreffion, ' He
hath defired ,to baye you, that he might fift you.' Now then
if the devil have fuch ground to give God a challenge concern
ing fiiph men, and if God do, as he juftly may, leave fuch men
(whofe bitternefs of fpirit hath bepn as f a fmoke in his npftrils
all the day') in Satan's hand, he will fo fhake them, that their
confeiences Shall have no reft. An<! this he, can yet the more
eafily effed, becaufe,
5. Difcompofures of fpirit have a particular tendency, to .in
cline our thoughts, to Severity and harShnefs, fo that thpfe who*
have, had long and great diftuubances upon any outward pecar,
fiqns; of lofs, afflidion, or difappointment, &c. do naturally
think (after a folemn review of fuch troubles) harfhly qf God,
and of themfelves ; they are ready tp conclude that God is fore
ly angry with them, in that he doth afljid them, or that they
have unfandifjed hearts, in that their thoughts are fo fretful
and unruly upon every in confiderable petty occafion. It is fp
N n 2 ordinary

284 A Treatife of Part II.
ordinary for men under- the weight of their trouble, pr under
the fenfe of their fin, to be fadly apprehenfive of Gbd?s wrath,
and their foul's- hazard, that it were* needlefsto offer inftances ;
let David's cafe be inftead of alli That his troubles begot fuch
imaginations frequently, may be feen throughout thebookof thp
Pfalms ; we never read his complaints againft perfecuting ene
mies, or for other afliidions, but ft'ill his heart is' afraid that God
is calling fin to remembrance; in Pfalm' xxxviii. He is under
great diftrefs, and tells how low his thoughts were ; he was
troubled, greatly boWed down, he went mourning all theday
long ; he expreffeth his thoughts to have been, that; God had
forfaken him, ve-r. 21. and his hopes, though they afterward re.
vived, were almoft gone; he cries out of his fins, as having gone
over his head, and become a burden too heavy for him, v/4. and
therefore fets himfelf to confefs them, v. 18. He tremblesat-God's
anger, and feels the arrows of God flicking faft in him, *er. 2.
But what occafioned all this ? The pfalm informs us, God had
vifited hini with ficknefs, ver. 7. befidesthat, (for one trouble
feldom comes alone) his friends were perfidious, ver. 11, his
enemies alfo werebufy laying fnares for his life, ver. 12. Now,
his thoughts were to this purpofe, that forely hp had feme
Way or other greatly provoked God by his fins, and therefore
he fears wrath in every rebuke, andrdifpleafure in eyery chaf-
tifement, ver. 1. The like you may fee in Pfalm eii. where the
prophet, upon the occafion of ficknefs, ver. 3. and 23. and thp
reproach of enemies, ver. 8. is under great trouble, 'and ready
to fail, except fpeedy relief prevent, ver. 2. the reafon whereof
was this, that he concluded thefe troubles were evident tokens
of God's indignation and wrath, ' becaufe of thine indignation
and thy wrath,' ver. 10. From thefe five particulars We may
be fatisfied, that it cannot be otherwife, and alfo how it comes.
to be fo, that fometimes trouble of confcience is brought on,'
by other difcompofing troubles of the mind. For if thefe take
away the comforts which Supported the foul, and afford alfq
arguments tb.^he' devil to prove a wicked heart, and withal a
fit feafon to urge them to a deep impreffion, Gbd in the meaii
time Standing at a diflance, and the thoughts naturally inclined
to conclude God's wrath Srom theSe troubles ; how impoffi
ble; is it thatSatan Should mifs of difquieting the confcience,
by his ftrong, vehement Suggestions of wickednefs "and de^
fertion ? ¦','..» ;. • • • . -.
\ _ ...
In our enquiries after Satan's fuccefs in working thefe dif
compofures of mind, we have difcovered, 1. That the distur
bances, thence atifing are great. 2". That they have a ten
dency to trouble of confcience. There is but one particular more

Chap. VI. Safaris Temptations. < 28$
more to-be Spoken of relating fo his.fuccefs-in this defign, and
that is, . , , ";-',.,
3. Thefe difturbances are much in Satan's power. Ordi
narily he can do it at pleafure, except when God restrains him
from applying fit occafions, or when; notwithftanding thefe occa
fions, he extraordinarily fufpends the effed, which he frequently
doth when men are enraged under fuffering, upon the account
of the- gofpel and , confcience ; for then, though they be bound
up under afflidion and iron, yet, the iron enters not into the
foul ; though they are troubled, they are not diflreffed., Thefe
extraordinaries excepted; he can as eafily difcompofe the fpi-
rits-of men, as,:h,ercan: by temptation draw them into other
fins, which may- be ; evidenced by thefe considerations: ,
>• i.. We may obferve, that thofe; whofe paffionate tempers,
do: uSuallY traufport them into- greater vehemencies, are ne-
yer: out of trouble,,; Their fits frequently return, they are
never out of the fire; • and this is, , becaufe Satan is ftill pro-?
vided of occafions fuitable to their inclinations,
• 2. Thougb-God but ,bf his- common bounty ; to mankind,
hath allowed him a comfortable being in the wprld, yet we find
that generally the fons of men, undeij their various occupations
and Studies, are) wearied, out with: vexations of fpirit. This
Solomon in i-Ecclefialtes difeovers at large in various employ
ments of men, not-exempting the purfuit of wifdom and know
ledge, chap. i. 1?. ' In much wifdom is much grief, and he
thatrincreafeth: knowledge,, inBreafeth forrow,' nor pleafures;
nor riches ; for by all thffe he Shews, that aman is obnoxious
to difquiets ; fp that thengeneml account of man's life is but
this, EccleS. ii. 23. f Alihissdays are Sorrows, and his trayeS
grief^ yea his heart taketh. not reft in the night.' That it-is So,
is teftified by common experience paft denial; but how it comes
to be Sor is the enquiry ; it is either from God, or from Satan,
working by occafions upon, our tempers. Thatit is not from
God is evident ; for though forrow be a part of that curfe
which man was juftly doomed unto, yet hath he appointed ways
and means, by which it might be fo mitigated, that it might
be- utolerable without difeompoSure of fpirit ; and therefore So--
lornon, defigning in his Ecclefiaftes to fet forth the chief good,
Shews, that felicity confifts not in the common' abufe of out
ward things,- becaufe that brings pnly vexation, but in the feat
bf God leading to future happinefs ; and in the mean time, in
a thankful, comfortable ufe of things prefent, without anxiety
of mind. Hence doth he-Jix his conclufipn, as the refult of his
experience, and often repeats it"; ' There is nothing better for
a' than, than that he Should eat and drink^ and" that he fhould
' : ' make

286 A Treatife of .fartvIJ,
make his foul enjoy good in his labour;' EoofeS. ii. 24. and iii.
"12 13. and v. 18, 19. Not that Solomon plays the epicure,
giving advice to* eat and drink, for to-morrow we (fe ;' por
that he fpeaks deridingly to thofe' that feek their felicity in
this life, as if he fhould fay, If ye do terminate your defires
upon a terrene felicity, there is nothing better than to eat and
drink, fee. but he gives a feripus pofbtive advice, of enjoy
ing the things of this life with cheerfuinefs, which be affirms.
proceeds from the Sole bounty pf God; as his Singular gift;
« It is the gift of God,' Eccl. iii. 13. * it is opr portion,', that
is, bur allowance, Eccl. v. 19. for thefe two expreflibnsj tour
portioned God's gift, they are of thp fame figraificataoiie with
Solomon here; and when a man hath- power to enjby^ this
allowance in comfort, it is-? God that -aafweretb-him-in'the
joy of his heart,' ver. 20. - ft is plain, then, that GorTfows
good Seed in bis field ; the Springing iip: therefore of thefe
tares of vexation, which • fo generally affli|d the Sons lof men,
muft be afcribed to this, ' the. enemy hath done it.'.
3. It is alfo a considerable ground, of : Sufpieiori, that Satan
can do mueh ih difcompofures of Spirit;- in that fometiW
thofe Whofe tempers are mo-ft- cool and jtalm, and whofe fin.
gular depehdence upon, and Gommuaidh. with God, muft needs
more Strengthen them againft thefe paflumate. Vexatipnfe,. -Ire
notwithftanding precipitated intp violent commotions. Sfefes
was naturally meijk, above the fc*m«»n difpdfition pf men; and
His very bufinefs W^s pon Verfe with God, whofe ptefencei kept
his heart under a blefied awe ; yet »p6ft the pieople's mi*rmin>
ing, he was fo tranfported with foilifinefs and unbelief at the
waters pf J&eribah, Num. x*. x*}. xl. thajv it went HI with
him,' which David thus exproSTeth; pfalm cvi. 33, ' They pro
voked his Ypirit, fo that he Spake unadvisedly with his, lips.?
Who can fuppofe lefs in this matter, than that, Satan having
him at advantage, hurried him to this rafhnefs? efpecially
feeing fuch yehemencies were not, ufual with Mofes,' and that
his natural ternger led him to the contrary. This hath fome
affinity with the next confideration, which is,
4. That when men meft -forefee the occaStons of their trou
ble, and do moft fear the trouble that might thence arife, and
moft firmly defign fo keep their hearts quiet, yet are they oft
forced, againft aU care and refolution, upon extravagant Heats-
t)avid refolvpd, and ftrenuoufly endeavoured to poffefs his foul
in ferenity and patience, for what could be more than that So
lemn engagement, Pfalm Xxxix. 1. ' I faid I will look to my
frays ?' and what endeavours could be more fevere, than to
peep himfelf as w^h h" m& bridle? What care cpuldihe " more

Chap. VI. Safaris Temptations; ' itj
more hopeful to Succeed, than to .be dumb with Silence ? yet
for all this, he could not keep his heart calm, nor reftrain
his tongue, ver. 3. « My heart waxed hot within me, while
I was muring, the fire burned, then fpake I with my tongue.'
Who fufpeds not the hand of Satan in this?
5. It is alfo remarkable, that when we have leaft reafon to
give way to difcomppSure, when, we have moft caufe tc avoid
all provocations, yet then we have moft occafions Set before
us. When we would moft retire from the noife of the world
for private devotion, when we would moft carefully prepare
ourfelves for a folemn ordinance ; if we be not very Watchful,
we fhall be diverted by, bufinefs, disturbed with noifes, or fome
fpecial occafion of vexation Shall importune us to difquiet our-
Selves, when, yet we fliall obSerVe, iS We have not theSe Solemn,
affairs to wait upon, we Shall have fewer, bf thsefe ' occafions of v
vexation to attend us. This cannot be attributed tp mere
contingency of occafions, nor yet to our tempers Solely ; ' for
why, they fliould be moft apt to give us trouble, when they
are moft engaged to calmnefs, cannot well.be accounted for;
it is evidently then Satan that malicioufly directs thefe occa
sions, for they have not a malicious ingenioufnefs to prepare
themfelves, without fome other chief mover, at fuch times as
he knows would be hiq& tp our prejudice,
Thefe general considerations amount to more than a fufpi
cion, that it is much in Satan's power to give disturbances
to the minds of men ; yet, for the clearer manifestation of
the mattery I Shall Shew, that he can do much to bring about
occafions of difcompofure, and alfo to Stir up the paffions of
men upon thefe occafions.
'X. That occafions are much in his hand, I Shall eafily demoffi-
ftrate. For 1. There being fo many occafions of vexation to a
weak crazy mind, ive may well imagine, that one or other is
ftill occurring ; and while they thus offer themfelves, Satan
needs not be idle for want pf an opportunity. 2. But if com
mon Occafions do not fo exadly fuit his defign, he can prepare
occafions ; for fuch is hjs forefight and contrivance, that he can
put fome men, without their privity to his intentions, or any
evil defign of their own, upon fuch adions as may, through
the Strength of prejudice^ misinterpretation, or evil inclination,
be ah offence to others ; and in like manner, can invite thofe to
"be in the way of thefe offences. I am ready to think, these
Was a contrivance of Satan, if we well confider all circum
ftances, to bring David arid the objed of his luft together;
While BathSheba.was bathing, he might ufe his art in private
motions to get David up to the, roof pf his hpufe. But mme
. , .<•" . .efpecially

'2#8 A}Treatife of Part if;
efpecially can the devil prepare occafions, that do depend upon'
the wickednefs pfhis flayes ; thefe are Servants under his; com
mand, he can ' fay to one, Go, and' he goes ; and fo another,
Come, and he comes.'-. If contempt, or injury, affronts, or
fcorns, fee. be neceffary- for his prefent work againft any whom
he undertakes to difturb, he can eafily put his vaflals up'onthat
part ofthe fervice'; and if he have higher employment for
them, he ever finds them forward. And hence- it was that
When Satan defigned to plunder Job, he could quickly perform
it, becaufe he had the Chaldeans and Sabean's ready at a call,
3. If both thefe Should fail him, he can eafily awaken in us the
memory of old occafions that have been heretofore a trouble to
us : Thefe being raifed out of their graves, will renew old dif-.
turbances, working afrefh the fame difquiets, which the things'
themfelves' gave us at firft.
If Satan's power were bounded here, and" that he could do
no more than fet before men Occafions of vexation, yet' we
might juftly,' on that Single account, call him the trouble* of
the fpirits of men ; considering, that naturally the thoughts of
men are reftlefs, and their imaginations ever rolling. If men
fequefter themfelves from all bufiriefiy if they Shut 'themfelves
up from commerce with men, turn Eremites, as Jefom did on
purpofe to avoid difquiet, yet their thoughts would hurry them
frOm place to place, fometimes to the court, fometimes to the
market, Sometimes to Shows and paftimes, ^Sometimes to quar-
rollings, Sometimes they view the fields, buildings and count
tries. Sometimes they fancy dignities, promotions and boni
ours, they are ever working upon one 'objed or other, real ot
fuppofed ; and according to the objed fuch will the affedions be,
' highorfow, joyful or forrowful; fo that if the utmoft of what
Satan could do, were no more than to provide occafions, difcom
pofures -would follow naturally. The evil difpofitions of men
would be fet a- working, though Satan flood, by as an idle fpec-
tator. The ferpent in our breafts, as Solomon tells us Ecclef.
x. ixj would bite without enchantment, that is, except it were
charmed. ButcSatancan do no more than tempt objedive'-
ly, when he hath provided the fuel he can alfo bring fire : F°r,
2. He can alfo Set our paffions on work, and incenSe them fo
greater fury than otherwife they would arrive at. We fee
perfons that are diftempered with paffion, maybe whetted, up "
to an higher pitch of rage, by any officious 'flatterer, that will
indulge the humour, and aggravate the provocation. Much
more then can Satan do it by whifpering fuch things to Our
'minds as he, knows will increafe the flame; and therefore it is,
that Where the fcripture dpth caution, us againft anger,- as the
proper produS of pur own corruption, calling it our Wrath, Eph.

Chap. VI. Safaris Temptations. 28$
Eph. iv. 16, 27.) There alfo it warns us againft the devil, as
the incendiary, that endeavours to heighten it. And where it
tells us of the tongue, (which, though a little member, can of
itfelf do great mifphief, James iii. 6.) there it alfo teUs us, that
the devil brings it an additional fire from hell, 'It is fet on fire of
hell.' And there are feveral ways by which Satan can irritate
the paffions. As,
1. By prefenting the occafions worfe than they are, or were
ever intended, unjuftly aggravating all circumftances. By this
means he makes the object pf the paffions the morp dlfpleafing,
and hateful ; this muft of neceffity provoke to an higher degree.
2. He canin a natural way move, as it were, thp wheels, and
fet the paffions agoing; if they were of themfelves more dull
and fluggifh ; For he hath a nearer accefe to our paffions than
every one is aware of. I will make it evident thus-: Our paf
fions, in their workings, do depend upon the fluduations, excur
sions and recurfions of the, blppd, and animal fpirits, as natural-
ids do determine * : Now that Satan can make his approaches.
to the blood, fpirits and humours, and can make alterations
upon them, cannot be denied by thofe that confider what the
fcripture fpeaks in Job's cafe, and in the cafes of thofe that
Were by poffeffion ©f the devil, made dumb, deaf, or epilep-
tick' : For if he could aftlid Job with grievous boils, Job ii.
7, it is plain he difordered and vitiated his blood and 'hu
mours, which made them apt to produce fuch boils or ul
cers ; and if he could produce an epilepfy, it is evident that
he could infect the lympha with fuch a fharpnefs, as by vel-
licating the nerves, might caufe a convulfion : And thefe
were much more than the diforderly motions of blood, Spi
rits or humours which raife the paffions of men. If any ob
jed to this, that then, considering Satan's malicious diligence,
we muft expert the paffions of men would never be '^t reft. It
is anfwered, That this power of Satan is not unlimited, but
oft God prohibits him fuch approaches, and without his leave
he can do nothing,, and alfo grace in God's children, working
calmnefs, fubmiffion and patience, doth balance Satan's contra
ry endeavour. For as hurtful and vexatious occafions, being
reprefented by the SenSe to the imagination, are apt to move
the blood and Spirits ; So on the contrary, the ballaft Of pa
tience and other graces, doth fo fettle the mind," that the blood
and fpirits are kept Steady in their ufual courfe.
3, When the paffions are up, Satan can by his fuggeftions
make them more heady and violent. He can fuggeft to the
mind motives and arguments to forward it, and can Stir up our
O o natural
* Vide Willii de anima Brut. cap. S. &S" 9.

290 A Treatife 6f £art IL
natnral corruption, with all its powers, to Strike la with the
opportunity. Thus he not only kindles the fire, but blows
the flame.
4. And he can further fix the mind upon thefe thoughts, and
keep them Still upon the hearts of men. And then they eat in
the deeper, and, like poifon, diffufe their malignity the further.
We fee that men, who are at firft but in an ordinary , fret, if
they continue to meditate upon their provbcation^ they increafe
their, vexation, and if they give themfelves to vent their psf.a
fions by their tongues, though they begin in fome moderation,
yet as motion caufetk- heat, fo their own words whet their rage;
according to Ecclef. x. 13. * The beginning of the words of his
mouth is fobliflmefs, but the latter end of his talk is mif-
chievous hiadnefs.' The fame advantage hath Satan againft
men by holding down their thoughts to thefe occafioHS of
difcompofures. If occafions be fo much in Satan's power, and he hath alfo
fo great an hand over mens paffions, it is too evident that he can
do very much to difcompofe the fpirits of men, that are natu
rally obnoxious to thefe troubles, except God reftrain him, and
grace oppofe him. Thus have I fpoken nry thoughts of the
firft fort of troubles, by which Satan doth undermine the peace
of mens hearts. }

CHAP. VII.
Ofthe fecond way to hinder peace. Affrightments, the general
nature and burden of them,' in feveral particulars. What are
the Ways by which he affrights: x. Atheiflical injeHions.
Obfetriiatiohs of his proceeding in them. v 2. Blajphemtm
thoughts. 3. Affrightful fuggeftions of reprobation Ohferi.
nations of his proceedings in that tourfe. 4, Frightful mo
tions to fin. j. Strong immediate impreffions of feur, 6» Af*
frightful fcrupulofity oj confidence.
•"THE next rank of troubles, by which the devil doth endear.
x vour to moleft us, I call affrightmenis. It is ufual for
thofe that fpeak of temptations, to distinguish them thus : Some
are, fay they, enticements, fome aTe affrightments; * but
then they exteftd thefe affrightments further than I intend, com
prehending under them, all thofe temptations of fadnefs and ter.
ror, of which I am next to fpeak : But by affrightme**^ I
mean.
* Irriumenta tewkulaiuenta.

Chap. VII. Satan"1 s Temptations. igi
i
mean only tbefe perplexities of Spirit into which Satan gafts
men, by over adiog tiieir fears, or aftonifliing their minds, by
injeding umtiual and horrid thoughts againft their cprffents.
Some there are that have thought thofe temptations, $£ which
the apoftle complains, 2 Cor, xii. 7. ' there was given meta
thorn in the fleSh, the meffenger of Satan to buff'et , me,' were
of this kind, that is, horrid injediqns frequently repeated, as
men deal their blows in fighting. Gerfon, fpeaking of thefe,
tells us they fometimes come from the folp fuggeftion of Satan,
troubling the fancy, and Saying, ' Deny Qod, curfe God ;' and
then adds, ' Such was the thorn in the fleSh given to the apof
tle,' * But, whether this was the trouble of the apoftle, or
fome other thing, for feyeral things are conjedured, and no
thing can bp positively, proved, , we are fure, from the fad ex
perience of many, that fuch.troubles he doth often give ; which'
I Shall firft explain in the general, and then give a particular of
thefe frightful, injedions.
1.. To explain the nature and burden of this kind of trouble,
I fliall prefent you with a few obfervation s abont them. As,
1. Thefe aftpnifhing thoughts are purely injedions, fuch as
Satan calls into the mind, and not what the mind of itfelf doth
produce, as one expreffeth it, they are more darting than refled-
ing. , Not but that our natural corruption could of itfelf beget
blafphemous or atheiflical thoughts, hut when they have their
rife from ourfelves folely, they .do not fo ftartle us, having fome
Share, at leaft, of -our confent going along with them, they ap
pear not fo ftrange. But in this cafe in hand, Satan is . the a-
gent, and men are the fufferers, their understandings and fouls
being bufied all the while to repel them, with the utmoft pf
their reludances. And to thofe that do thus ft rive, again ft
them, making refiftance with all their Strength, with, tears and
prayers, they are only their afflidions, but not their Sins. For
the thoughts are not polluted by the Simple apprehenfion pf a
fi-nful objed, np m pre than the pye is defiled by beholding
loathfome and'filthy things,: For then fhould the mind pf Chrift
have been defiled, when Satan propounded himfelf blafphem-
oufly, as the objed of his- worfhip, his mind as truly appre
hended the meaning of that faying, ' .fall dbwn and worfhip me,'
as ours can do,- when hb cafts fuch a thing immediately into
our thoughts, Which is a confideration to be obferved diligent
ly, by thqfe that meet with Such -fad exercife ; if they do truly
apprehend that they'are but their Sufferings, and that God will
not charge the fin upon them, they will more eafily bear a'nd-
overcome the trouble. O o 2 2. There
* In- calce Tpijj. 4. p. 9;?. TalU ftimuhu'dafus fuit ajjoilolo.

292 jb'freatife of Part Hi
2.Thefe injedions are^ommonly impetupus and fudden; fre*
quently cpmpared to lightning: And this is ufually made a note
of diftindion, betwixt wicked blafphemous thoughts riling from
our natural corruption, and darted in by Satan; the. former
being more leifurely, orderly, .and' moderate, according to the
ufual courfeof the procedure of human thoughts, the latter ufu
ally accompanied with an hafty. violence, fubtilty, and inco
herently fhooting into our understandings, as lightning into an
houfe. So* that all the ftrength we have, can neither prevent
them ncr expel them, nor fo much as mitigate the violence of
them. ,,¦¦¦ ¦-''-' > . -."j ¦•
3. They are alfo for the moft part inceflant, and conftant
troublers, where they once begin. Though Satan hath varie
ty, in regard of the matter of thefe amazing injedions, for
fometimes he' affrights one man with blafphemous thoughts, an
other with atheiflical thoughts, a third with grievous unufual
temptations to fin, as murder, fee. yet, ufually, he fixethhis
foot upon what he firft undertakes. And as cunning huntfmen,
do not change their game that they firft roufe, that they may
Sooner fpeed in catching the prey; fo what frightful thought
Satan begins the trouble with, that he perfifts In, and is with7
al fo vehement in his purfuit, that he gives little intensniffion.
He makes thefe unwelcome thoughts haunt them like ghofts
whifherfoever they go, whatfoever they do ; he will give fo-
lemn onfets it may be twenty or forty times in a day ; And at
this rate he continues, it may be for fome confiderable time, fo
that they are not quit of the trouble for feveral, months, or it
may be years. ' >
4, The matter of thefe affrightments are things moft contra-,
ry to the impreffions of nature, or grace; and therefore moft
odious and troublefome. When he is upon this defign, things
that are moft contrary to the belief and inclinations of men are
beft for his purpofe. As men that intend to affright others,
chufe the moft ugly vifbrs, the' ftrangeft garbs and poftures,
and make the moft uncouth inhuman noifes ; and the more
monftroits they appear, t!ys better they fucceed in their pur
pofes. Yet Satan doth not, always chufe the very, word, for.
then rnotl of the troubles of this kind, wpuld be about the fame
thing, but he confiders the ftrength of our perfuafions, our
cftabliflinient in truths, the probability or improbability of an
after-game with us ; and accordingly fometimes refufeth to
trouble us with injedions, contrary to what we aye molt firmly
rooted; choofitig rather that, which, thougli contrary to our
thoughts and refolves, we have not been fixed in, without a great
deal of labour, and which, if there be 'occafion, might moft fitly. be

Chapv VII. Satan's Temptations. 393
be charged upon us as our own, fo that (whereas other fuggef
tions would be Slighted, as apparent malice and feare-crbwsj)
thefe are mbft affliding, (as being an affault againft fuch a fort
which caft us much to rear, and which we are moft afraid to
lofe) and moft liable to his accufatioh after a long continue
ance, as being the iflue of our own unfettlednefs.,.
¦ 5. The;firft and moft obvious effects of thefe injedfons, are
the utmoft abhorrency of the' mind, (which prefently ftarties, at
the appearance of Such odious things) and the trembling ofthe
body, fometimes to an agony and fainting. The :; invafion of
one Single injedion hath put' fome into fuch an heart breaking
affrightrhent, , that they have not recovered, themfelves in a
whole day's time. This trembling of the body, and agony of
the mind, are the ufual confequences of any thing that is fur-
prifing, ftrange, and fearful.; and therefore is trembling of the
body made, by divines, a mark to difeover, that thefe hideous
blafphemous thoughts are caft in by Satan, and have not their
rife from our own hearts*; for the horror of the mind is ufu
ally fo great, when it is fpoken to in this language, that it can
not bear up under its aftonifhment and trouble. Yea thofe ve
ry men that are otherwife, profane, and can with boldnefs com
mit great iniquities, cannot but fhake, and inwardly conceive
an unfpeakable hatred at thefe mpnftrous fuggeftions.
6. Thefe -affrightments are more common'than men are ufu
ally aware of; they are by fome thought to be rare and extra
ordinary : But this miftake , arifeth from the concealment pf
thefe kind of troubles, thofe thaf are thus afflicted,' are often
afhamed to fpeak to others, what they find in their own hearts :
But if all would be fo ingenuous as to declare openly what
fearful imaginations are obtruded upon them, it would ap
pear that Satan very frequently endeavours to trouble men
this way. ' ,
: 7. Thefe are very grievous burdens, and hard to be born
upon many accounts. (1.) Who can well exprefs the inward
torture and moleft^atipn of the mind, wheri it is forced againft
its own natural bent and inclination, to, harbour fuch monfters
within itfelf? Jlovt would nature reluct and abominate the
drinking down of npifome puddled water, or the fwallowing of
toads and ferpents ? and hence it was that perfecutors in their
devilifh contrivances invented fuch kind of tortures, and- what
lefs doth the devil do, when he forceth blafphemies uppn their
thoughts, and commits a rape by a, malicious violence upon
...'..-., -their
• Horrore fui ficimplent aniaium, ut tantum nonpedtus ipfum expectora-
re videantur:::ad quorum prsfentiam n'atura verdepravatiffiniaqontremifcit.
JSrrowfmith Tract. Sacr. I. 2. cap. fedt.. 6.

294 A Treatife of Part II.
their imaginations ? David tiader thefe temptations,, Pfalm
lxxiii, 2 1 . crie3 out, * Thus my heart was grieved, and I was
pricked in my reins :' And it, cannot be otherwise, for the rea
fon already mentioned. . Nature -abhors to be forced to what is
moft contrary to itfelf, and So doth grace. Now the things by
which Satan werks thefe affrightments, are contrary to nature
or grace, or both together ; and as 'they will Strive to the ¦ut-'
moft of their ability to caft out what is fo oppofite to them,
fo mnft the devil, to the utmoSt ©f his ability, if he would
carry his defign, Strengthen himfelf in his force, and from henee,
as when fire and water are committed together, . arifeth a moft
troublefome cbnflid ; and indeed if there were a compliance of
our confent, there would be no affrightment ; neither can> this
kind of temptation be" managed, except there be the utmoft dif-
i'ent of the mind. If any think there is no . great ground for
thefe temptations, becaufe, fome of the particulars, by which
he is faid to affright men, are natural to us, as, for inftance,
atheiflical thoughts, which are by fome called the matter-vein
of our original -corruption, asd hy others faid tp be in the
heart of every man naturally,' and then confequantly not So
troublefome as is imagined, fee. I anfwer,' that when divines
call theSe, or blafphemous thoughts, natural, they do not mean
that they are natural imprefficns engraven on us by creation,"
for they aflert * the contrary, that it is a natural and un-
extinguiShable impreSEon upon every man that thfere is a God,
fee. and ufually give in this for proof, that the greateft a*
tbeifts in fear and extremity will manifeft a fecret belief of
a Deity, by calling out, Q Gbd, fee. or by fome other pot,
turfe, as Caligula by hiding himfelf when it thundered ; but
they mean only, that pur natural corruption may produce
thefe thoughts, and that they are the natural iflues thereaf ;
and therefore Perkins, in anfwer to a queftion of this nature,
tells us f,» that thefe two thoughts, There is a .God, and
There is no God, may be, and are both in the fame heart.
Now as this will giye us the reafon Why Satan doth make
choice of thefe thoughts to trouble us withal, which may
alSo riSe from ourfelves, which I have hinted before, and
Shall prefently again touch upon, So it tells us Still, that whe-
the- thefe thoughts arife from our own corruption, or from
Satan, our natural impr-effioos are Strong againft them, and
withal they cannot be fo affrightful but when Satan dotb
manage them, and when the contrary impreffions of .mature
ar^. awakened to give Strong refiftance, and then that ftrug-
, gling
* Perkins's Cafe? o onfeience, ].,l. cap. iq. fedc. 2. t Treatife of Ima-
natio.i sy cap. 3.

Chap. VII. Satan's Temptations. 295

muft be as the tearing of our bowels, and Still the
worfe in that we aro inceffantly purfued: Satan ftill calling
back, with unwearied labour, the fame thoughts as they are
repulfed and rejeded ; as Soldiers that befiege cities uSe to caft
over the walls their fired granado's. 2. TheSe are alfo'grie*
vous, as they Set the mind upon the rack, and ftretch it under
laborious and doubtful enquiries after the grounds or caufes of
this kind of trouble, for the heart aftoniShed With Such curfed
guefts againft his Will, prefently refleds upon God amd itfelfi
* What have I done ? ahd wherefore am I thus difquieted with
atonfters ? why doth the righteous Lord Suffer Satan to break
open my heart, 'and fill me with fuch fearful thoughts?' But
when mens enquiries are npt fix high, but detained in a confix
deration of the nature of the trouble apd manner of its work
ing, withottt looking Up to the providence of Gbd, then are
their trouble's inpreafed. 3 . As theSe injedions neceffitatp meh
in their own defence, to oppofe, and every way to refill, It is
an increaSe of the burden : What pleadings are they put tp ?
What defiance's? What endeavours to call off the thoughts?
and all to little purpofe ; while the trouble continues, they are
forced to lie bft their armour, and to be constantly in their ward.
4. And yet are they further troublefome in the after gaime that
Satan plays hy thefe thoughts. It is not toll of his defign to af
fright men, but he ufually hath another temptation to come m
the rear of this, and that is to turn thefe affrightments into ac-
cufations, and by urging them long upon the heWts of men, to
make them believe that they are their own thoughts, the iffoes
of their own natural corruption, and after men are by conti
nual aflaults weakened; their fenfes and memory dulled, their
. underftanding confounded, \3v. they eafily conclude againft
themfelves ; the tempter imputes all the horrid blafphetay to
them, boldly calls them guilty of all ; and becaufe their thoughts
have dwelt long upon fuch a fubjed, and withal knowing that
corrupt nature of itfelf will lead men to Such horrid blaiphe-
mies ot villanies, which makes it probable that it might be
their own faults, artd for this reafon Satan makes choice of
fuch injedions as may in the accufation Seem moft likely to be
t'tme * being Strongly charged as gdilty, they yield, and then
begins -mother trouble more fearful than the former : Oh ! What
fad thoughts have they then of themfelves ? as the molt vile
blafphemous wretches ! Sometimes they think, ' That it is
impoffible that other mens hearts fhould entertain fuch intoler
able things within them as theirs 5 arid that none was ever fo
bad as they :' Sometimes they think, *' that if -men knew what
vile imaginations and mwuiftsotas things are in their minds, they
< 1 would
* Vide Dickfon Thcrap.' Sacra 1. 3. £ 26. § 7.

aQ6 ATriatife of fa.it- IL
would In very zeal to God and religion ftpne them, or at leaft
exclude them from all commerce with men ; fometimes, they
think their fin to be the fin againft the Holy Ghoft ; Sometimes
they' think God is engaged in point of honour to ftiew upon
them fome remarkable judgment, and they verily look for
fome fearful Stroke to confound them, and live under fuch a
frightful expectation." ' Thefe and many more to this purpofe
are their, thoughts, fo that "thefe temptations are, every way
troublefome both in their firft and fecond effeds.
Thtts I have in the general expreffed the nature of thefe af
frightments ; what the particular injedions are by which he
Studies to, affright men, I Shall next declare. They are princi
pally^. . '
xfl, Atheiflical thoughts. By injeding thefe into the mind,
he doth exceedingly affright men, and" frequently for that end
doth he fuggeft, that there is no God, and that the: fcriptures
are but delufive contrivances, \$c Concerning thefe I Shall
note a few things. As, •
i. Though there be an obfervable difference betwixt afheif-
tical injections, and temptations to athpifm, not only in the de
fign, (Satan chiefly intending Sedudion in the latter, and af-
frightment by the former) but alfo in the manner cf proceed
ing: For when he defigns chiefly to tempt to atheifm, he firft
prepares his way by debauching the confcienc with vicious or
negligent living. According to Pfal. xiv. i. that which makes
men ' Say in their hearts there is no God,' is this, that 'they
are corrupt, and HaVp dohe abominable works ;' and in this
method was famous Junius tempted to atheifm. But when he
chiefly intends to affright, he fets upon men, that by a watch
ful and ftrid converfation ' cut off from him that advantage, yet
he doth fo. manage himfelf, that he can turn his courfe either
,way, as he finds probability of fuccefs after trial ; for he pref-
feth on upon men moft, where he finds them moft to yield, fo
that thofe who Were but-at firft affrighted, may at laft be So
lemnly perSuaded and urged to believe the fuggeftion to be true,
if they give him any encouragement for Inch a procedure.
2. Contemplative heads and great fearchers are ufually molt
troubled in this manner, partly becaufe thby fee more difficul
ties than other men; and are more fenfibfe of human inability
to refolve 'them, and partly becaufe God, who will not fuffer
his children to be tempted abbye what they are able, doth not
, permit Satan to moleft the weaker, fort of Christians with fuph
dangerous affaults.
3. Perfons of eminent and Singular holinefs may be, and of
ten are, troubled w-kh atheiflical thoughts, and have fad con-
flifts

Chap. Vil. Satan's Temptations. 2.97
Aids about them, Satan labouring, where he cannot prevail for
apofitive entertainment of atheifm, at leaft to difquiet, their
minds by haunting them with his injedipns, if not tp weaken
their affent to thefe fundamental, truths, in which he fometimes
fo prevails, that good men haye publicly prpfefled, that they
have found it an harder matter to believe that there- is a God,
than moft dp imagine. ,
-4. Satan lies at the catqh in this defign, and u/ually takes,
men at the advantage, Suddenly Setting Upon them, either in'
the height of their meditations and enquiries into fundamental
truths, for when they foar aloft, and puzzle themfelves with a
difficulty, then is he atband to .ady/iSe them to cut the knot
which they cannot unloSe, or in the depth pf their troubles, for
when men cannot reconcile the daily afflidions and Sufferings
which they undergo with the love and pare of God toward his
children, then it. is Satan's feafon to tell them that there is no
Supreme difpoSer of things ; in both thefe cafes the devil leaps
uponthem unawares, like. a robber out. of a thicket, whorif he
do. not wound them by the dart of atheiflical injection, at leaft
he' is fore toaftonifti them, and to confound them with amaze
ment. For,
5. Sometimes.be purfoes with. wonderful violence, and will
difpute with admirable fubtilty, urging the inequality of pro
vidence, the feeming contradidions of fcripture, the unSuitable-
nefs of ordinances to an infinite wifdom, ,and goodnefs, with
many more arguments of like kind;, and this with fuch unex-
peded acutenefs, and feeming demonstration, that, the moft ho
ly hearts and wifeft heads fliall not readily know what to an
fwer, but. Shall: be forced to betake themfelves to their knees,
and tobeg of Godvthathe would rohuke Satan, and uphold them
that their fakh failnot: nay he doth not only difpute, but by
urging, and with unfpeakable earneftnefs threaping the conclu
sion upon .men,' dpth almoSt force them fo a perfuafion, fo that
they are, almoft carried off their feet whether they will or no.
Which Was the- very cafe, of David, when the deyil purfoed
him with atheistical thoughts on the occafion of the prosperi
ty of wicked men, and.his daily^ troubles,? Pfal. lxxiii. 2. ' My
feet were almoft. gone, my Steps had well nigh Slipt.'
<:€."Yet forallthis, he fometimes Jays afide.his .fophifttcal
fubtilty, andhetakes lumfelf to, an impudent importunity; for
fometimes he infiSts only, on one argument; not changing that
which he fir.fl took up, nor Strengthening: his fuggeftion with
variety of arguments, but by frequent repetition of the Samp.
reafon perfifts . to urge hls.injeded atheifm. This gives no
difcovery of any deep reach if he defigned to perfuade, for it
Pp is

298 A Tfeatife of Part. II.
is fcarce" rational to imagine, that ferious men, who by many, ar
guments are fully perfoaded there is. a God, Should readily lofs;
their hold, upon the appearance of one objedjon, but it Shews
that he purpofeth only to moleft. And this appears moire evi
dently, when he contents himfelf with weak, and triyial argu
ments, which the afflided party can anfwer fully, and yet .can
not for all that quit themfelves of the trouble,; for infiance^it
is not very many years, fince a ferious and pious perfon came to
me, artd complained, .that1 he could not be at reft for atheiflical:
thoughts that, perpetually haunted him;, and upon a particular.
enquiry into the caufe and manner of his trouble, he told me
the firfl rife of it was from his obfervation, that I had inter
preted fome fcriptures otherwife than be had heard fome others,
to have done ; but withal, he added, that he. knew the reafon of
his perplexity was but filly, and that which he. could eafily an
fwer : This being no juft charge againft th« fcripture,. whofe-
fenfe and truth might for all that be one, and uniform' to itfelf,
but only an implication of human weaknefs appearing in the
different apprehenfions of expositors ; yet notwithftanding, he
affirmed he could not fhake off the troubleranditbat his thoughts
were ever urged with the fame thing for a longtime together.
Nay fuch is his impudehcy in this kind of trouble, that thofe
Who know it is the beft way not, to difpute fundamentals with
Satan, but with abhorrency to rejed him after the example of
Chrift, with a ' get thee behind me Satan,' and accordingly, do
with their utmoft ftrength rejed them, yet they find that he
dotb pot readily defift^
How faflvis this trouble? How are pious perfons affrighted,
to fee the face of their thoughts made abominably ugly and de
formed by'thefe violent and unavoidable injections ? It is not
only wearifome to thofe that know it to be Solely Satan's malice,-
> but it often proves to be an aftonlftung furprifal, like that of a
traveller, who while he pafleth on his way without forefight or
thought of danger, is fuddeniy brought to the top of a great
precipice, where, when he looks down to the vaft deep below,
his head fwims,his heart pants, his knees tremble, and the very
fear of the fudden danger fo confounds him, that he is, through
exoeffive dread, ready to fall intp that which he would avoid;
fo are thefe amazed at fo great hazards before them, Satan
could not by all his art prevail with them to abandon.rhe holy
ways of God, in exchange for the pleafures of fin, and now,
they feem to be in danger to.Iofe all at once, apd yet it is more
aiffrightful by fat 'to thofe that Charge, through Satan's cunning,
all this atheifm upon themfelves.
idly, Another affrighfful injedion is that of blafphemous thoughts

Chap. VIII. Satan's Temptations. 239
thoughts, as that God is not juft, nor compaffiohate, that fcrip-
turesand ordinances are bnt lew and ferry things, fee.
That Satan doth delight to force fuch thoughts upon med is
evident, 1. From his nature. He is a blafphemous fpirit, and
withal fo malicious, that whatfoever, is In his curfed mind, he
will be ready to .yent upon all occafions. 2. From his practice;
for. where he can 'obtain the rule ever men's imaginations (as
in Some diftraded perfons, and thofe that are diftempered with
fevers) he ufually makes them vomit forth oaths,- Surfings and
blafphemies; and this he doth to fome, that, while they have
had the ufe of their reafon, have not been obferved to give
their tongue the liberty of Swearing, or curfed Speaking.
3 . From his proSeffed defign in the cafe, of Job, concerning whom
he boafted to Gbd himfelf, that he wouldfnake him curfe him
to his face, and accordingly tempted him by his wife to curfe
God and die. 4. From tthe fad experience of thofe that have
Suffered . under this afflidipn ; for many have complained of
blafphemous thoughts, and thofe whom he cannot conquer, he
will thus trouble. Neither need we think it ftrange; that the
devil can impreSs blafphemies upon the imaginations of mea
againft their wills, when we confider that he could make Saul
(in his fits) to behave himfelf like an infpired perfon, and caufe
him to utter things beyond and unfuitable 'to his difpbfition
(after ¦' the rate and manner of thofe raptures which idolatrous
priefts ufed to be transported withal :) This in 1 Sam. xviii. 10.
is called ' SanPs prophefying, when the « eyil fpirit from the
Lord vexed him ;' and is the fame with that which is fpoken
concerning Baal's priefts, 1 Kings xviii. 29. :Theyprbphefied
until' the- time bf the offering of the evening Sacrifice ;' that is,
they were exercifcd With trances and rapturous furies; in which
they uttered ftrange founds and fpeeches *\ How eafily then
may Satan poffefs the fancies of men With blafphemies ? fo that
the unwilling may be troubled with them, and thofe that, are
deprived of the benefit of reafon, may (from the power of the
jmpreffion upon their imagination) yent them with a kind of
unwillingnefs. Melancholy perfons do very frequently meet with this kind
of trouble, Satan having a great power over their imagination,
and great advantages from the darknefs of, that humour, to make:
the fear arising f rofn fuch thoughts the more aftoniShing, and
to delude them into an apprehenfion; that they are guilty of all
that paffeth through their- thoughts, and alfo to work this per
plexity to more difmal effeds. . In thefe kind of men he doth
play the tyrant with fuch injedions, abufing them to fuch an
Pp 2 , height,
* Bacchatur Vatcs, Virg.

300. A.Triatife of ' Part II;
height, as if they Were his yaffals and flavgs,* whofe thoughts
and tongues were in his; and not in1 their own, keeping ; and fo
Strongly doth he poffefs them with this perplexity Sometith'es,
that all the -'counfels, reaSoriings, or advice o'f others, cannot in
the leaft, fatisfy or relieve them : yet notwithstanding L have
known- feveral under this afflidion, who (when by phyfic the
ftate of their bodies, hath, been altered) have found themfelves.
at eafe immediately/the. trouble gradually and infenfibiy; ceafing
-of itfelf., ;->,.**
.Others" there are that have great vexation from thefe thoughts,
and thefe are commonly fuch, as' by feme long, and. grievous
pain, ficknefs or other croffes, have their fpirits fretted -add im-
bittered ; then ia Satan ready to fuggeft, that God is cruel; or
regardlefs of his people ; and thefe thoughts ate the more dread*
fui; becaufe fretting and rhurfnuring fpirits have a natural ten
dency to thipk harfhlyof God ;• fo that Satan, in this cafe doth
with the more boldnefs obtrude thefe fuggeftions upofe-them,
finding fo great a forwardnefs toward fuch imaginations:; and
alfo with greater feverity he doth refled upon them; as-'being
in fome likelihood compliant and confenting.' *
: When other perfons, not fo concerned as thefe two- forts of
men above mentioned, are affaulted with blafphemous thoughts,
the fits are lefs permanent, and, becaufe they eafily difcasref
the defign and author of them, not highly affrightfuk; though '
ftill troublefome: '-,'<
' The burden of thefe injedions are much like the former;
very fadly/affhding. for whp can eafily bear the npife of Sa*
tan, while he Shouts continually into their ears odious calum
nies, and blafphemous indignities againft God ? David Could
not hear wicked then blafpheme God, but it was as a fwbroVin
his. bones, exceeding painful. The. impreffions of nature;1 that
teach us to revere and honour God, the power of edtacatioity
that confirms thefe impreffions, the perfuafion of faith; that aft
fures us ofthe reality and infinite -excellency of a' Godhead,
aijd the force, of love, that makes us more fenfibly apprehend
five of any injury, or dishonour done to him whom we Ipve a*
bove all ; all thefe do fuffer by thefe violent incurfions uf Sa
tan, and the. Sufferer finds himSelf to be pairted and tortured in
thefe noble parts. How grievous muft it be to a child of God,
to have his ear chained tb thefe intolerable ungrateful reproach*
es? Efpecially when we confider, that the -devil will in this:
cafe utter the moft dreadful blafphemies, he can devife, which
will ftill add to the afflidion, for even thofe men that- through
habit, can well bear ordinary petty oaths, will yet ftartle .at
outrageous prodigious fwearing ; and therefore whateTer co
vert

CWapvVil. Safaris, ^Temptations. 30*
vent! and podfequentiar bMphenaies may be to fome men,:*hefei
impudent: hideous-abufes of the hply and juft God, muft needs
fadly trouble thofe that are Sproed to hear them ; and! the mot*'
conftant, the greater trouble. Who' would not bewe&ryxof
their lives,, that muft be foreed, to undergo this- vexation : Still
without intermiSSion ? And yet thp devil can advance the'i trou
ble a lktle> higher,, by the apparatus, or artificialdread which he
puts upon the temptation in the manner of the injedion. , As
the roaring of the lion increafeth terror in; the beafts of the
field, who without that would tremble at his prefenoe-; and as
the thundering and lightening at the, giving of the law incrfea-'
fed theifear of Ifrael, fo when Satan is upon this defign, hg
Shakes as it were the houfe, and makes a noife, that the fright
may be increafed.
.tjrf^r Sufpicious fears -of being excluded out of God's eteiv
nahdecupe of eledion, is another of his affrightments. That is,
when Satan boldly, takes upon him to determine God's: fecret
counfel Concerning any man, peremptorily aflerting, that he is
none of God's eleft. In which cafe he of tea doth only injeQ:
"the fufpicion Confidently, without offer of proof; or if he ufe
arguments, they never amount to a proof of his affertiott, nei
ther is it poffihle they Should, for thefe are among , God's fe
rrets, and out of Satan's reach, though poffibly they mayprove
the perfon tb' be not converted at prefent -v fo that this kind: of
trouble differs exeeeth-ngly from thofe difquiets of- temptation;
which frequently men: fuffer about their ftate of regeneration.
And indeed the queftion .Sbouild npt be confounded, it being bf
great concern to men, /when their peace is aflaulted, to be able
to bbfer.ve the difference betwixt thefe two affertions; Thou art
not eleded, and Thou art not yet regenerated. Seeing the lai-
tertbeiBg. granted,: there yet remains a hope of the probability
otspbffibility of (hat man's converfion afterwards : the fufpi-
tions.of non converfion aro more common and not fodangerous.
Nay, In unregenerate perfons, the fears of theiu being yet in
that) Condition, being joined with diligence and care to avoid
the danger, .are neceffary and advantageous .; but the former
being granted, aH hopes, are together, with, that conceffion laid
off; which n»ft needsnnake theaffrightment intolerable. In
this We may obferve, . •
i. That Satan, for the better management of this defign,
Hoth not only injed thefe fufpicions in the moft dreadful lan
guage, as Thou art a loft and damned wretch, hopelefsly mi
ferable to all eternity ; God hath not eleded thee to liftybut
prepared ' for thee, as a veffel of wrath, the lake of fire and
briraftone' for eyer, .-fee. but alfo he doth affert them with th*
higheft

302 A Treatife of Part II.
higheft peremptorinefs imaginable, as if he had authority from
God topronounce a fentence of condemnation againft' a ,man :
This muft needs amaze the afflicted unfpeakabiy.
2. In this he alfo obferves his advantages: For there are
fome men fo Sadly fuited to this defign, that Satan comes better
to Speed upon them, than others. USually he fixeth his eyes,
(i.) Upon young perSons at their firft Serious attendances upon,
and considerations of Scripture truths. ¦ Their hearts are then
tender, (youth bath a natural tender-heartednefs ; we find them
coupled together in Rehbboam's charader, 2 Chron. xiii. 7,
'- When Rehoboam was young, and tender, hearted,') and they
are apt to receive ftrong impreffions. When thofe who were
formerly mindleSs oS their Spiritual concern, begin to be Serious,
they can no Sooner fall upon a confideration of thofe weighty
dodrines : That there are fheep and goats, fome faved and fome
damned ; that the bleffed are few, in cpmparifon of the many
that take the broad way to deftrudion, and that thefe were from
eternity ordained unto life, and thefe only, fee. No fooner, I
fay, begin they to ponder thefe things, but Satan is ready with
this SuSpicion, ' And what doft thou know, but thou art one of
theSe excluded wretches? IS but few are faved, a thoufand to
one thou art none of them ? For why Should God look upon
thee more than another? Thefe are his firft eflays with young
men, beginning to be Serious, in which afterward he proceeds
with' greater boldnefs, as he feeth occafion. (2.) He alfo doth
this to perSbnS that are Some way quickened to a devotional fear
of God, and care of their fouls, but withal are ignorant, and
not able diftindly to apprehend, and orderly to range the doc
trines of the fcriptures into a due confiftency with one another;
Their careful feats tfiake them enquire into what- God hath
faid concerning the everlafting ftate of men ; arid before they
can be able to digeft the principles of religion, Satan fets fome
truths edge-wfays againft them, which puts them into great af-
frightment,, while through their ignorance, other truths, ap
pointed and declared for the fatisfadion of the minds of thofe
that hunger and thirft after righteoufnefs, cannot come in to
their relief. How Startling' mult the truths of God's eledion
be, when they ftand forth alone, and arc not accompanied with
the invitations of the gofpel, that promife pardon and accept
ance to all that will come in and fubmit to Chrift? Satan ufual
ly holds fuch kind of men, to the confideration of thofe truths,
that Have the moft difmal afped, and while they are Stopt there;
they can draw forth no other conclufibns than thefe, ' That they
are in hazard, and for ought they know, utterly loft.' (3.) Sa
tan hath alfo this plot againft thofe that by fome grievous ini
quity,

Chap. VIII. ' Satan's Temptations. 303
quity, or long continuance in fin* have highly provoked the
Lord. Here he ufeth arguments from the heinoufnefs of their
iniquity ; thou art a reprobate, becaufe thou haft committed:
thefe great evils, thefe are marks cf damnation, fee. Which
arguments, thqugh they be of no value, and no way proving
that -for which they are brought, yet Satan injeding fufpicions„
and then-, own confeiences in the mean time'juftly accufing, they
fo fink under their, fears, that they fuffer Satan to make what
conelufion he will, and then they fubferibe tp it. (4.) Above
all, melancholy perSons give the devil the greateft adyantage to.
raife affrightments. That diftemper naturally fills men with
fad thoughts, and is credulous of the worft evil that, can he\ ob-
jeded againft him that hath it. Of itfelf, it can create tho
blackeft conceits, and: faddeft furmifes,. and then believes its own
fancy *. When Satan Strikes in with this humour, they are the
more confirmed in, their fufpicions, and the fright is the greater,
becaufe they are as incredulous of what is- good, if it be told them,
as they are apt to believe what is evil, and tobelieve.it, be
caufe they fear itf ; though no other reafon w»,re offered : But
much more when Satan in a prophetic manner foretels their
mifery, and allures them they muft never be happy.
3. The fufpicions which the devil hath by thefe advantages
raifed up, he doth endeavour to increafe, and to root them deep
ly in the minds, of them, upon whom he. hath thus begun : And
indeed' by frequent- inculcating the fame thing with his conti
nued peremptorinefs: of aflerting the certainty of their non elec
tion, he:atlaft brings up very many to a full perfuafion that it
is fo ; and befides other arts that he may haye, or exercife in
this particular, he commonly pradifeth upon men, by pervert
ing, the true intendment and ufe of the dodrine of eledion.
That there is, fuch a thing as eledion, and that of a'djetermioate
number, are truths undeniable ; and the end ef their difcovery
in the gofpfel, is. the comfort and confirmation ofthe converted.
Here they may fee God's unchangeable love to them,' how
much. they Stand engaged for the freenefs of grace, and that the
foundation of God is. Sure, fee, For to this purpofe doth our
Saviour improve thefe dodrines, John xvii. 6, 7, 9, 12, 15, 16'.
But nothing pf this is fpoken tq^difcourage any'man from his
endeavours, neither can, any man prove that he,, or any other, is
excluded put of the decree, of eledion,/except jn thp cafe ofthe
fin againft the Holy Ghoft ;) neither is it poffible for the devil
to prove any fuch thing againft any man ; neither, ought any
to fuppofe himfelf not eled : But on the contrary, if he is will
ing to forfake Sin, and deSirous. to! be reconciled, to God,- he
.; .' ' ought:
,* Fingu-nfquc credunque. f Dum timet, credit-.'

Jd4, A Treatife of - • " Fart IT.
Ought to apprehend a probability that he is eledpdvbecaufe thp
proffer of Chrift is made to all. that will receive him. And
therefore fhbukji men ftop their ears againft -Skah,» fuggeftions,
and not difpute that with Satan, but rather hearkcnto the,com-
mands, exhortations, and promifes of fcripture, it being .mojEt
certain that thefe Secret things belong to God, Deut. xxix. 29.
and are. no man's rule to walk by, feeing revealed things, only
belon'o- to us. All this the devil perverts, for he endeavours tp
make eledion the immediate objed of our faith,- andour rulp.
to walk by ; as, if it were neceffary that every manknew God's
eternal purpofe concerning him, before he begin his endeavours.
And as lie argues fome men into a perverfecareMHefe iiponthe
ground of eledion; making them to conclude, that if they are
ordained to life, they Shall be faved, though they live wickedly;
if they be not, they Shall be damned, though they endeavour
never fo much to the contrary. So he alSo argues .Some, Srom
this dodrine, into terrible fears of damnation, becaufe they can
not be affured aforehand, that their names are written in. heaven.
And thefe drea*:ul fufpicions he doth labour to ftrengthen, by
fome mens unwary handling of the do£t rine of non eledion; when
fome preachers unfkilfully urge the dangerous fins of reproba
tion, or fpeak feverely of God's decrees, without; duec$autipn
and promife of mercy to all penitent finners. Or .when fome,
unfkilful in- the : methods of comforting the diftfefled -Jm con
fcience, becaufe they are not able to Shew the afflided their con
dition, or to fpeak a word in feafon to quiet their.minds, and
to dired them what courfe to take, do ufoally refer ¦ them t&
God's decree, and tell them, If God have decreed, them to, fab
vation, they Shall be faved. Satan doth induftriouflyhold them
there, by this means he leads them from the promifes and their
duty, and keeps them mufing and poring upon eledion, till they
are bewildered, and cannot find the way out. Thus, have fe
veral continued under their all'rightments for many years.
4; We may obferve, that when Satan hath brought them in
to this fnare, he doth tyrannicaslly domineer over them. -He
doth deride them under their trouble, and mock at them when
their fear comes upon them. And becaufe now the very
thought or hearing of election, is as a dagger to the heart, and a
dreadful found in their ears, he delights to repeat it tp diem ;,for
the very naming of the word, becomes as dreadful as the Sen
tence of condemnation to a malefador, being always accom
panied^ with this refledipn; Oh how miferable. am 1 that have
no part nor portion in it ! Befides he doth bul'y their minds
with imaginary representations of hell, and Sets before them as
in'a Scheme, the day of judgement, the terrors ofthe damned, the

Chap. VIII. Satan's temptations. 305
the Sentence againft the goats on the leSt hand, the intolerable
pains of -everlalting burnings, and (that which is , the mifery of
all thefe miferies) the eternity of all. Thus he forceth their
meditations, but ftill with application to themfelves ; neither
doth he Suffer them Wreft in the nigKr, but, they are terrified
with Sad dreams, and the yifions of" the night do difquiet them-
5. How grievous thisaffrightment is, 1 Should next obferve,
but that is partly expreffed in the aforegoing particulars, and may
yet more fully appear by a confideration of thefe three things.
(i-) That a man hath nothing dearer to him thaii his foul ; a-
las, that cannot be counterbalanced by the gaining ofthe whole
world, and to have no hope or expedancy ofits.falvation^in'uft
needs be terribly "affrightful. (2.) Thefe fufpicions of non
eledion prevailing, aty, promifes and comforts are urged in vainj,
and- they commonly return them back again to thofe that offer
ed them, with this reply ; they are true and ufefulto thofe un
to whom they appertain, bpt they belong not -unto me. Nay,
alt means are rejected as ufelefs. If fuch be advifed to pray,
or read; they win in their fit of affrigbtment refufe all ; Upon
this reafon, that they are not eleded. And then to what purpofe
fay they is prayer^ Or any endeavours? For who can alter his
decree? And indeed, if their affrightments continued at an
height without intermiffion, they would never do any thing;
but this is their help, that fome fecret under ground hopes
which they efpy not, do revive at leaft fometimes, and put
them uppn endeavours, which, through God's 'bleffing become
means of better information. '(3,) Though Satan's injedions of
non eledion be altogether unproveable,' and withal fo terrify
ing, that it might be fuppofed men Should not be forward in
their belief of fo great an unhappinefs; yet pan he prevail fo
far that the perfons above named, efpecially the melancholy,
are made to believe him, and this chiefly by poffefllng their ima-„
•ginatioffl's, with his frequent confident affirmations. We fee it
is a common practice to teach birds mufical notes and founds,
which is only by conftant repetition, till a ftrong impreffion is
made upon their fancy; and thus may one man impofe upon the
imagination of another with his fongs, or fayings ; for what
we hear often- we cannot forbear to repeat in our thoughts, be
ing Strongly fixed upon our fancy. No wonder then, if Satan
by often repeating; thou art not elected, thou art damned, fee.
do form fo Strong an impreffion upon the imagination, that poor
amazed creatures learn to Say after himy and then take1 the e-
choes of their fancy, tc be the voice of confcience condemning
them. Now then if the unhappinefs fufpeded,'be the greateft
beyond all comparifon, if thefe fufpicions entertained cut off all
< Qj\ fuccours

3©5 , A Treatife of <ft$ &
Succours of comfort, ihft. may arife from. t&S ptfemifes, of God,
and the endeavours of man, if Satan can prevail with), men, to,
entertaj-n. l-bem; with any perfuafion, as we fee he, can, hpw
dreadfully will thefe perfuafipns recoil upon a man? And thus
will his thoughts run, I am perfoaded I am not elpdsd;. and
if, not eleded, then comforts, and prayers are all i» yaih ; and
if'thefp.be in vain, there is no poffibiUty Qf falyatiojU, nor . the
leaft hppe pf a who knows, or a, ppradventu-re ;. and if that, Oh
unSpisakably miferabie- ? Under th<?Se: aftpnifhing t^ugh^dsth.
Satan exereiSe their hearts by fufpicions of nm efedVw1; But,
4thly, Sometimes bs takes another- cou-rSe to- aJ^igfel, men,
and that is by injeding- >mptions of fome abominably Sin, or p-
vil into their minds, to the cemmiSfen whereof he Seems ftrong
ly to Solicit ; yet npt with full intention,, or expedat-ign p£pj&-
'valency,; but with a purpofe to moleft and difquidt.. And! far
that end, he 'commonly ehafetb fooh Sins as are .rwoSl v,ikj.n
their own, nature,, and moft opppfi-te, to the diSpoSUions pf men-:
Thus heipjeds thoughts oS uncl'eanneSs, to; a cbafte. pesfe^:
Thoughts of injuftice and wrong to a jnft m.Sn- 5 Thoughts of
. rev.pflg-e- ajsd- CKuelty to, a weak man :- Thoughts' of rejoicing in
the -lpfs. and imfery of others, to the merciful man,.. Or elfe he
injeds motions, to fuch fins, wherein formerly men, have been
overtaken, but have bwn made bitte* by deep repentance; *be
very thoughts whereof are npw become, moft Ipatbfome*, : ¦ ' Afld ,
fometimes, he purfoes men- with, thoughts qf felftfiyyjdev even
while there is nothing of discontent or trouble ia tbek min^%. to
feoondffuch a temptation. By thfe maimer qf projjfedigigjL be*
creates great affrightments to, the beasts of men- For*
i. Thefe are Strange (uirprifals, ; a$d; perfons. under this k«id
, of trouble, cannpt but be amazed tp find Such thought wM»n
them, which are moft contrary to their diSpofitiopg; or thei*
moft ferious- refolves. The chafte perfon tempted to uneleajs-
nefs, or the juft 'man, to revenge; the humhle. perfolo/urged te-
the fame fin that coft him fo dear,. \slc. They- wonder- at. thejsr
.©Wn hearts, and while they miftake thefe temptations, by j*d^>
ing tbcm to be the ifliies of thejs own. inclination, with aftefjiflft.
meat they cry out, ,«, Oh T had, thought that. I: had mortified
thefe lufts,: but what a ftrange heart have I .?.- I fee fin, is. as
ftrong in me- as ever ? And I have caufe to; fesn? niyfejf,' fee
2. And this is yet a- greater, trouble, becaufe ufually Satan
takes them at -fome advantage of an offered occafion^. orT oppor
tunity, therf he giyes them a fudden: puflu and 'with importwuV
ty tirgeth them to, take the time ; this often affrights the.m h>
to toemblmg, and their fears do fo weaken their purpofes* that
their, hazards ' are the, greater, in that they , are, aftoniflied, , into* an

, Chap. Vil. Salon's Temptations. 307
an inadivky. 'So ;th#t in this cafe, the men of might -do not
readily find their- hands. ,-
3. Neither are thefe mbtions Sudden and tranfient glances,
which perifti as foon as they are born, though it be a very fre-
-quent thing with Satan to caft in motions into the heart for trial
fake, without further profecution, but he, in this cafe, purines
with frequent repetitions, following hard after them, to. the
increafe of the afrrightment, ¦' So that for a long time together
men may be afflided with thefe meffengprs of Satan to buffet
them ; and though they may pray earneftly againft them, that
they may be removed, yet they find the motions continue up
on them. Which ' muft need's be an hateful annoyance to an
upright heart, that doth know it .to be only Satan's defign to
affright, much mote muft it afflld thofe that do not perceive
the contriver and end of fuch motions, but judge them to be
the natural workings of their own, evil heart.
4, Satan can alfo affright meh by immediate impreffions of
fear Upon their minds. He cab dp much with the imagination,
efpecially when perfons are diftempered with melancholy ; for
filch are naturklfy fearful, and any imbreflibns upon them have
the deepest, moft piercing operation. They are always fram
ing to 'themfelves difmal things, ahd abound ^.With. black and
datk conceits; furmifing Still the wbrft, and. always incredu
lous of what is good. Hence it is that fometimes men arefek-
ed-upon by fearfulnefs and trembling, when yet they cannot'
give any tolerable account of aeaufe, or reafon, Why it Should
be So with them. ' And Others are exceffively aftoniShed with
the Shadows of their own thoughts, uppn the meaneft pretences
imaginable. That this is the work of Satan, doth appear by unquestion
able evidence. This Was that evil: fpirit which God fent be
tween Abimelech ahd the men pf Sechem, Judg. ix.33. God
permitted Satan, for the punifliment of them both, to raife
fears and jealoufies in the heart, of Abimelech, againft the men
• of Sechem, and in the hearts of the men of Sechem againft A-
biineieeb. They were mutually afraid of one another, and
tHefe fears wrought fo far, that they Were, for the prevention
of a fuppofed danger, engaged in treacherous confbiracies, to '
the real ruin of them both. Th* evil fpirit that, vexed Saul,
1 Sam. xvi. 14.. was nothing elfe but Sudden and vehement fits
of terror, and inward fear which the devil raifed by the work
ing up of his melancholy. For we may obferve thefe fits were
allayed by nuific ; and alfo we might See by bis difpofition out
of His fits, and by "h's carriage, in them, that inward fears were
his tormentors.:" For t Sam. xviii. 9. it is noted, that Saul ey„
Qjl1 a ed

308 , ¦ A Treatife of * Part II,
ed David ; that is, his jealpus. fears began to work concerning
David ; of whpm it is Said exprefsly, ver. 12, ' That he was
<afraid beca'ufe the Lord was with him >' and. when the evil Spi
rit came upon him, his heart was exercifed with thefe fears,-
and accordingly he behaved himfelf when he caffthe javelin at
David with a purpofe to flay him. . Upon any opcafipn,, of
trouble efpepially, the devil was at hand to heighten his, afr
frightment, infomuch that when the fuppofed Samuel told him
of his death, i Sam. xxviii. 20. He was afraid, to fuch an
height, that he 'fell ftraightway all along on the earth, and
there was no ftrength in him.' ,. Neither muft we fuppofe that
Satan in this kind pf wprking, is confined only tc wicked men ;
For thpre is nothing in this manner of affrightnient, which, is
inconfiftent with the condition of a child of God, efpecially
when God giyes him up tp trial, or corredion. Nay, many
of God's Servants Suffer under Satan's hand lathis very manner.
Let us confider the troubles" of Job, and we Shall find that
though Satan endeavoured to deftroy his peace by difcompo^-
fure of fpirit, by queftioning his integrity, by frightful in
jedions of blafphemous thoughts, yet all thefehe vanquifhed
with an . undaunted courage, the bl.afphemy he rejeded with:
abhorrency, his integrity he refolved jje" would not deny fq
long as he lived, his loffes he digefted eafily with a Sober com-
pofed mind, bleffed God. that gives and takes at pleafore, and
yet he complains of his fears, and his frequent SurpriSals there
by, infomuch that his friends take notice that moft of his
trouble arofe from thence; Job. xxii. ic. 1' A fudden fear
trbubleth thee,' and he himfelf confeffeth as much, Job ix. 341
'Let not his fear terrify me, — but -it is not fo with me.' So
that it appears that job's inward diftrefs, was moftly from
Strong impreffions of affrighting fears..
Thefe fears impreffed upon the mind, muft needs be an inex-
preffible trouble, there is nothing that doth more loofen the Si
news and joints of the foul, to the weakening and utter enfep-f
biing of it in. all its endeavours, than fears ; it fea'tters the
ftrength in a' moment. And befides the prefent burden, which
willbow down the backs/of the' ftrongeft, thefe fears have a
Speck] kind of envious magnanimity in them ; For, 1. They,
come by fits, and have times, of more fierce and cruel affaults,
yet in their intervals they leave the heart in a trembling faint
ing poflure, for the devil gives not over the prefent fit, till he
hath rent them fore, and left them, as he did the" man's fon in
Mark ix. 2$. as one dead : $0 that it is no more to bp reckoned
companion, and gentlenefs in Satan toward the afflided that.
their fits are not coiifhnf, than it can be accounted tender- nef s '

Chap, VII. Satan's Temptations. 339
nefs or kindneSs in a tyrant, who, when he hath, racked or
tormented a man as. much as ftrength willhpar without kill-;
ing put of hand, gives over for a time, that the party might
be referved for new torments. 2. Thefe fits ufually return at
fuch times as the party afflided feems to promife himfelf^
Spjme little eaSe, being defigned to give, the greater diSappoint-
ment,-in intercepting his expeded comforts. Sleep and meat
are the two great refreshments of the diflreffed, thefe times
Satan watcheth for his new onfets. Job found it fp in both,
caSes, his meal-times were times of trouble; Job iii. 24. 'My,
Sighing cometh,' that is, the fits of Sighing return, * before I-
eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters ;' and his,
Sleeping times" were no' better, Job vii. 13. ' When I fay my bed
Shall comfort me, my couch Shall eafe my complaint : Then.
thou fcareft me with dreams, and terrifieft, me through vifions,
fo that my foul choofeth Strangling and death rather than life.'
3. Thefe fears do make them feel the weight, not only cf real
prefent evils, but of all others which the imagination can re
prefent to them. So that the fight or hearing of any fad thing
afflids them with furmifes,, that this will be their cafe. Hence
are they full of mifgiving thoughts ; fometimes they fear that
they Shall at laft fall off from God, into, fome Scandalous fin, to
the dishonour of God and religion, as' that they Shall be apo
states, and turn openly profane ;. fometimesthey fear they Shall
meet with fome Signal devouring judgment, by which they
Shall one day petiSh ; as David faid in the like cafe, * I Shall
one day periSh by the hand of Saul:' Thus are they cruci
fied betwixt, their prefent burden, and future expedatipns" of
evil. 6thly, The' laft, and indeed the meaneft, engine for the work
ing of affrightment, is fcrupulofity of confcience. Satan vex-
eth the confeiehce and diftradeth the mind, by railing up need-
leSs, groundleSs Sears concerning a man's pradice. , Where th?
ignorance pSmen, or their timorous difpoSitions do encourage
Satan to this enterprise, there he multiplies Scruples upon
them ; So that though they aSTent to the( doing of "any thing as
good or lawful, yet are they constantly affrighted from it by a
fufpicious fear that it may be otherwife.
This kind of trouble takes in almoft all kind of actions, it.
extends to the way of a man's, calling, the way of his manage
ment of it, the rates he takes, and the prices he gives for hi?
commodities; our very natural actions of Sleeping, ' eating,
drinking, company, repreation, are not unconcerned. In all
which the devil affrights the .tlmc-roUs confcience that, it may
be, he hath*offended:r If he buys or fells, he is difquieted with
a may-b.9

310 A Treatife of Part II,
a may-be, that he hath fold too dear, pr bought <tbo cheap ; if
he eats or Sleeps, he fears he hath been exeefflve, a flnggteasor
a glutton. Thus are fome men, ajolefted in every thing tbey do.
Neither is this kind of affrightment to bedefpifed : For tho*
often it is a groundlefs fear, and fo appears to be to difcerning
Chriftians.; yet thofe thqti are under this moleftation' think k
bad enough : Though it be not as a rack that afflids with Vio-
fent pains, yet if is as thofe kinds of punifhments which at firft
are nothing, but by continuance do tire men out with little
eafe, and fo at laft become intolerable. Befides this is a mul
tiplying trouble ; for one Scruple begets another, and by con
tinuance of fcrupling, the confcience grows fo weak and un
steady, that every thing is Scrupled, and the man 'brought, to a
continual affrightment bf doing wrong in every adion. Nei
ther can all men make ufe of the remedy that is prelfcrlbed for'
thb cure of this diftemper, which is, that when Such' Scruple's'
cannot be. removed by reafon, then either meri Should forbear'
the thinking upon, fuch things from whence fcruples are apt' to
arife, or they fliould break them down by violence, and go o*-
ver the belly of their Scruple to the performance of their ac
tion. I deny not but that fomething may be done and endea
voured this way ; but any may fee that it is not eafy for every
one to do either of thefe * So that this is alfo a troublefome
evil, from which it is not eafy to be discharged.

CHAP, VIII.
Of Satan's, third way to hinder peace by fpiritual fadnefs.
, therein, (i.) Of the degrees of fpiritual fadnefs. (z.}&f -•
the frequency of this trouble, evidenced feveral ways. Ofthfj '
difference betwixt God and* Satan in wamidiprg > the confcience, '<"
- (3-) Ofjhefolemn occafions of this trouble. , (4.) The engines'
by which Satan works fpiritual faa*ntfi.. \flt His fophiftry*
His topics enumerated and explained, x. Scriptures pervevtttkP.i
2. Falfe notions. 3. 'Mifreprefentations of God. 4. Sinsj
how he aggra,wtes, them. 5. Leffining their graces ,• how he-
doth that, idly, His fe(ofi4 engine, fear i how- he forwards
his defign that way.
¦RESIDES the troubles already mentioned Under the, heads of
•^ difcompofures of fpirit, and affrightments, there is a third"
kind, of trouble whkh Satan gives to the children of God, and
this may, -for distinction fake, be called fpiritual fadnefs, Thefe
Spiritual fodnrifes are troubles raifed in the mind, relating to '
the confcience, and fpiritual ftate cr condition- pf men. They ;'"
differ

Chap. VHI. , Satan's Temptations. $tt
differ exceedingly foam the two former .forts of trouble: For,
(i.) Thefe troubles wholly concern the qonlcienpe ih point of
regeneration, and mena foitablenefs thereunto ; whereas Simple
difcompofures of fpirit, firftly relate to outward things, (a.)
In thefe the, confidence is immediately concerned, but in o-
ther troubles., the conScience is either wholly untouched,; or
wounded only Secondarily,, by continuance and progreSs of the
diScpmpofure. of the fpirit, (3.) In thefe troubles; conScience
is the great, instrument by which, the devil works, whereas in
the trourble «f affrightmeats ^he devil, aded. akme,; . the heart
being in , the "mea» time uncompliant, agd refuting., For the
opening ef tWstssuble, I Shall explain, ,-;
Tb& ieyeaial. degrees thereof. It is a trouble-, of conScience-
unduly aggravated by Satan, wherein he tc&nfines himfelf to
tbp: oppfiatisptSj of conScience. But then, a* he fuggefts. the
troubles,, of; ipen by the. voice of confcience, fo he doth all he-
can tp- make; it irregular in- its actings,, and, exceflive in that ir
regularity, Safchat in this cafe, the, confcience is. evil, and em
ploys itifplf im tiba* m^ake^ tp inquire -into mens Kegeneracy
or holinefs, always being either a neuter, or an adverfary, and
the devil helps tfei? forward all he cam.
The, apoftle, in, Heb. x- 2.2.., makes mention of aa evil coni-
foiejjcjqj and that: chiefly as it doth -occafion fear, hindering our
comfortable aecefe to Ged>. This, the confeien«R doth when it
doth wot jesscjftte its office aright,, either in not excufing when
ip oftghfeuPirin a^etifing. when it Should not ;, and thefe falfe aev
cufauiqns caufe diSferent forts of trouhfes,. according, to 'tixei va
riety of the matter for. which it doth condemn- Hence is k
that there- are- «hree,,dfegr«es;ef trouble of conScience,, below the
trouble of deipaijt' :: a ,+ ¦ ," •_'
ii. The loweft degree, i* wheh a regenerate perfon, doth not
poSflti-Melydetermine t&e.cafeof bis foul, whether' he be rege
nerate or not, b.«t is only kept, in {jufpenfe betwixt hope that he
is, and Jea* that he is not,, the ponfeiencE in, the mean time for
bearing tp witnefs for him,, though it. have juSb cauSe to- excuf©
him : This we may call a doubting pr queftioning. coafGip-nPs ;
and though it comes fan fkost of rtrefe diftreSIes in which foraf
men ave plunged upon the: account.©!, their fouls,, yet Is it a
trouble,; for their peace is hereby hindered* and their defires of
fatisfadion frnftrated,:whieh in matters of fo great concern, as
are thefeiof everlaftiog life,, and everkftiag mifery, muft be ver
ry difquieting.. ,- When the affedions pe earneft, their Satisfac
tion cannot be delayed without trouble;, Sor 'hope deferred
majteS the heart: fick,' prov. xiii, 22. nor only dpth it faint tin
der its doubts, but is by that means fo'weak in its purpofes, that it

312 A Treatife of '' Part tt.
it is ; eafily 'drawn to admit of greater inconvenience's, which
may lay the foundation bf more perplexing disturbances.
That the confcience may be in fuch a diftemper/, that it will
not witnefs for a man,, when yet it cannot witnefs againft him
is the obfervation of thofe that have treated1 of the nature of
confcience '* : Sometimes it will not make application of God's
promifes, though it will believe, that he that forfakes fin is re
generate, that he that truly repents Shall be pardoned, yet it
will not . affirm' for a man, that he forfakes Sin or repents, tho'
be really do fo ; or ifit cannot deny that, yet it will fometimes
refufe to make that conclufibn which one would think'wpuld
follow pf itfelf, by natural confequence, and fo refufeth to
'judge the perfon regenerate or -pardoned, though it cannot* de
ny but that he forfakes fin and repents. The greatnefsiipf the
bleSfing, the remainders of unbelief, the deep fenfe of unwor-
thinefs, with other confederations, do keep off the heart frem
making, as I may fay, fo bold with the promifes; but all this
while the devil is doing his utmoft to aggravate thefp* conside
rations, affrighting the confcience from that juft abfplution
which it blight to give.
' 2. Another degree of trouble arifing from an evibcbnfcience,
is when the condition of a regenerate perfon is determined, by
"'confcience, but falfely," to be very bad. I muft here; as fome
others have done t> for want' of better terms, diftihguifh be
twixt the!ftate of 'tegeneracy, and a man's condition in that
¦ftate, though the Words flate and condition are ufed'promifcu-
bufly the one for the other. A man may be in a regenerate
Slate, arid yet his condition in that ftate may be Very bad "and
blame-worthy, as not walking Worthy of fo holy a calling! as
a perfon may1 he, a man, and yet unhealthy or langukfelng.
Thus many of the Afian churches were true churches, and yet
in a bad condition ; fome lukewarm ; fome had a name to live,
and were comparatively dead, becaufe their works were not
full or perfed before God ; and others had left their firft love.
To this purpofe is that ofthe apoftle, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. • Know
ye not your own Selves, how that Jefus Chrift is iu you^'ex^
eept ye be reprobates ?' Where the word reprobate is npttO
be taken in the ftrid Severe fenfe for one npt elefted, but for
one whofe cbnverfatibh is; not fo: found and approved as it
fliould be : For this relates not to their beingin Chrift, but to
their affurance of being in that State, which the apoftle affirms
they might know> except the fault lay in tiieir negligent care*
lefs conversations ¦ ...
This kind of trouble then is of this nature : The confcience"
"¦'.,•• ' dotb
* Ames Caft Confc. I. 1. c. 9. f Dickfon- f hersp. facra, 1. 3. c. r.

Chap. -VIII. Safaris Temptations. 313
dpth not accufe a man to be unregenerate, yet it condemns
him for a carriage unfuitable to the gofpel ; "and this fometimes
when his adioits are not abfplutely evil, but partly good, partly
bad : When the confcience condemns the adions as altogether
Sinful, becaufeof fome mixture of infirmities, in which cafe
we Should imitate the apoftle in Rom; vii, who when by rea
fon of the remainders of firi in him, he could not do the good
he would ; that is, in fuch a manner and degree as he defired ;
nor avoid the evil which he would, fo clearly and fully as he
wiShed, fome imperfediops in his beft endeavours Still cleav
ing to him : Yet his confcience took1 a right courfe, he was
humbled for his imperfedions, but withal acquits himfelf in
point of integrity, his. confcience testified, ver. 16, that he con-
fented to the law as good, and ver: 22. that he delighted, in the
law of God after the inward man. But in this cafe pf fpiri
tual trouble, the confcience takes all in the worft fenfe;; it only
fixeth upon the imperfedions, and makes them to -ferve for
proofs'>againft:thcIfincerity. Thus if a man in-praying be trou
bled with wandering thoughts,,' then a diftempered 'confcience
condemns that prayer as a Sinful profanation of the name of
God : If the great concern of God's glory run along in fuch a
way, as is alfo advantageous to the perfon in outward things,
then will 'fuch a confcience condemn the man for felf-feek-
ing, though his main defign were truly the honour of Gpd.
In all adipns where there is infirmity appearing with the moSl;
ferious endeavours, or where God's glory and man's good are
twifted together, the, difordered confcience, will be apt. to take,
part with Satan, accufing and condemning the adion. Yea ve
ry often when the adions are very good, no way juftly reprov-.
able, the confcience Shall condemn : If he have had peace, he
Shall be judged for fecurify; if he have faith in God's pro
mifes, it will call it prefumption ; if hp have a zeal for God,
it/ will be misinterpreted for carnal- rigour; if he have, joy, It
Shall be misjudged to be natural cheatfulnefs, or delufion ; in a
word, all his graces fhall be efteemed no better than moral vir
tues. At this rate are the children of God ppt to, great trou
ble, lofing, as I may fay, thp things they have wrought, fadly
bemoaning' their hardnefs of heart, or want of faith and love,
when in their carriage and^ complainings they give very high
proofs pf all. In this^alfo Satan is bufy to nourish tjie con
fcience in its jealoufies, and doth fuggeft many objedibns. to
confirm it in its diftemper'. The cpnieienee is .not always of
a peeviSh or perverfe humour ; for- fometimes it will Smites
man for a mifcarriage, as At did to David when he, cut off
the lap of '. Saul's garment, rand yet not break his peace ;
K. r Which;.

314 A Treatife of Part II.
which is a fuSficient evidence that it is put, in this.cafey farvQut
of order ; which advantage Satan works trpoh to difquiet the
heart, to make men unthankful for the mercies they have re
ceived, and to incapacitate them, for more. This, for distinc
tion fake, we may call the trouble of a grieved or dejeded con
science, according to that of Pfal. xiii. 5, 11. * Why art thou
eaSt down, O my foul? And why art thou difquieted within
me?' Though fuch men are under God's favour, yet diey
mifdeem it, and think God is angry with them, their heart
pants, their foul thirfts, their tears, are their meat, they are
ready to fay unto God, ' My rock, why -haft: thou forfaken
me?' And though they have . fome Hopes for fhefuture,. that
God will pommand his loving kindnefs, and that tbey Shall
yet praife him ; yet their prefent apprehenfion of their fpi.
ritual" wants and weaknefles, and of the difpleafure of God,
which they fuppofe they are under,1 makes ' them go mourn.
, ing all the day.
3. The third degree of trouble of confcience is when the
confcience peremptorily denies the ftate of regeneration. Here
by a man that is really regenerate, is concluded to be yet in
the gall of bitternefs and bond of iniquity ; his former hopes
are taxed for felf-delufion, and his prefent ftate to be a State of
nature. This trouble is far greater than the two former ; be
caufe the party is judged to be in greater hazard, and by many
degrees more remote from hope. It is the frequent and fad
thought of fuch, that if death Should in that eftate cut off their
days, Qh ! then they were for ever miserable. The fears and
difquiets of the heart on this account are very grievous, but
yet they admit of degrees, according to the ignorance of the
party, the diftemper of the confcience, the Strength of the ob
jections, or feverity of the profecBtion, in regard the. confcience
is now fadly out of order. We may call this degree of grief,
for diftinaion, a wounded fpirit ; which how hard i$ is. to be
born Solomon tells us, Prov. xviii. 14. by comparing it with
all other kind of troubles, which the fpirit of a man can.make
fome Shift to bear, making this hea'vier than all, and above or
dinary Strength.
Some "make enquiry what may be the difference betwixt a
wounded Spirit in the regenerate and the reprobate ? To which
it may be anSwered, 1. That in the parties apprehenfion there
is no difference at all ; both of them may be compaffed about
With, the forrows of- death, and fuppofe themfelves to be inthr
belly of hell. 2. Neither' is there any difference in the degree'
of the trouble ; a child of God may be bandied with as much
feeming feverity, as he whom God intends for a future tophet.
3. Neither is there any fuch remarkable difference ih the work-

Chap. VIII. Safaris Temptations., ' 315
ing of the fpirits of the one and other; that they themfelves at
preferit, or others that ate by-ftahders caneafily obferve. Yet
a formal difference there is, for grace being in the, heart of the
one, will ih fome breathing or piilfe difcover its life,, And
though Sometimes it ads Sp low, or confiifedly, that God only
can distinguish it ; yet often thofe that are experienced obferyers
will difcover fome real breathings after God, and true loathing
of fin, and other traces, of faith and love,, that, are nbt fo dis
cernible to the parties themfelyes. 4. But in G0(l's defign thp
difference is very great ; the wicked lie under hisilafhias male-
fadors, btit the regenerate are as patients under cure,- or chil
dren under discipline. ,5. And accordingly the iffue . doth de
termine, that God's intention in. wounding their Spirits were
not alike to both ; the one at laft coming out ofthe furnace as
gold, ¦ the other ftill remaining as reprobate filver, or being con
fumed as drofs. Thus have ye feen the nature and degree of
fpiritual fadnefs.
idly, For the further explanation whereof I Shall next Shew
you that this ia an ufual, trouble to the children of God, , ,,, ,
Which, 1. I might evidence from feveral inftances of thqSp
that haV© Suffered much under it ; as David, whofe complaints
in this cafe are very frequent ; and Heman, who left 3 memo
rial bf bis g^kfs in Pfal, lxxxviii. Jonah alfo in the belly of
the whale, had a Sharp fit of it, when he concluded that he
Was caft out of God's fight, and his foul fainted within him,
Jonah ii. 4, 7. Neither did Hezekiah altogether efcape it,
for though his difquiet began upon another ground, it, run
him into fpiritual trouble at laft. But befides .theSe,, innu
merable inftances occur. One Shall Scarce converSe with a-
ny Society of Chriftians; but he Shall meet with fome who, with
fad complaints, Shall bemoan the burden of their hearts, and ,
the- troubles of their confcience. '
2. The provisions which God hath made in his word for
fuch, ' is an evidence that fuch distempers are frequent. He
tltat in a city Shall .obferve the Shops of the apothecaries, and
ihere take notice of the great variety of medicines, pots and
glaffes full of mixtures, confedien and cordials, may from
thence rationally conclude, that it is a frequent thing for men
to be Sick, though he. fliould not converfe with any Sick perfon "
for liis information. Thus may "we ? be - fatisfied from the,,der
derations, diredions, and:bpfifolations of fcripture, that it isa
common cafe for the children of God to Stand in nfied^ fpiri
tual phyficians, and fpiritual remedies to help them,',w^Elen,tbey
are wounded and fainting. Solompn'sexclamationj J .a wounded
Spirit, who' can bear it?' Shews that the Spirit is Sometimes
' . "¦ * " Rr 2 - . *f ..iiwounded.

316 A Treatife of .<Part II.
wounded. The prophet's diredion, ' He that walks in dark
nefs, and* fees no light, let him truft in the Lord,' clearly im
plies that fome there are, -that walk ih darknefs. God's creat
ing the fruit of the lips, peace, peace ; his promifes of reftor-
ing comforts to mourners ; his commands tb others tb comfort
them, do all inform us, that it is a common thing for his chil
dren to be under fuch fadneffes of fpirit, that all this is neeeS"-
iary for their relief. > *
¦ 3. The reafons of this trouble do alfo affure us of the fre-
, quency of it : For of them we may fay, as Chrift- fpeaks of
the poor; ' we have them always with us ;' fo that" the grounds
of fpiritual fadnefs considered, it is no wonder; to find 'many
men complaining under this diftemper. The reafons are,
1. The malice of Satan, who hath no greater revenge a-
gainft a child of God, When tranflated from,' the power of dark
nefs to the kingdom of Chrift, than to hinder him of the peace
and comfort of that condition.
. 2. The many Advantages which Satan hath againft us. For
tlieeffbding of this, we cannot imagine, that one fo malicious,
as he is, will fuffer his malice to Sleep, when fo many fair op
portunities of putting it iri pradice do offer themfelves. For,
1. The queflions to be determined for fettling the peace of the
foul,'are very intricate, and often, of greater difficulty than doc-
,fnnal controversies. How hard is it tp conclude,, what is the
minimum quod fie, the lowefl degrees of true grace ? Or the
maximum quod fie, the higheft degree of fin, confiftent with tru?
grace? To diftinguilh betwixt a child of God at the loweft,
and an hypocrite or temporary believer at the higheft, is diffi
cult. In mixed aftions, to be able to Shew how the foul doth
manage its refpeft to God, when thp man hath alfo a refped to
himfelf, efpecially when it ia tinder any confufion, is not, eafy.
And in thefe adions, where the difference from others of like
kind, lies only in the grounds and motives' of the undertaking,
or where the prevailing degree muft distinguish the ad, in re
ference to different objeds that are Subordinate to one another,
(as our loving pod above the world or ourfelves,- our fear
ing God above men, &x.) it is not eyery one that' can give
a fatisfadory determination. 2. As the intricacies of the doubts
to he, refolved give thp devil aii advantage to puzzle us, fois'
the- advantage heightened exceedingly, by the great injudiciouf-
nefs and unfkilfulnefs-of the greateft part of Christians. Thefe
queflions are in their notion difficult, moredifficulc in their ap-
plication to particular perfons (where the ableft Christian may
eafily be non'pluft), but moft difficult to the weak Chriftians.
Thefe iSatan can baffle with every poor pbjediorj, and impofe
, , what

Chap. VIII.' Safaris Temptations. ^xy
what he., will upon them. 3. Efpecially having the advantage
of the working guilt of confcience, which^he can readily ftir up,
to prefent to ,a man's remembrance all His failings and mifcar-
,Hages,iof what nature foever. And when guilt rageth in all
imSkilful' heart, it mull needs create great difquiet. 4. But molt
. pf all, when our natural fears are aWakened ; as when a, man
hath been under aiiy great convidion, though he be cured of
his trouble, yet it .ufoally leaves a weaknefs in the part, (as
bruifes1 and maims do in any member of the body, which at the
change of weather, or other accidental hurt, will renew their
old trouble); and then, whpn freSh guilt begins to prefs hard
upon the confcience,. not only do the broken bones ake, by the
reviving of former fears, but the impr'eflions of his bid fufpi
cions, bad conceit of himfelf, and jealoufies of the deceitfulnefs
of his heart, which had then' fixed themfelves by a deep rooting,
do now make. him moft fearful of entertaining any good thought
of himfelf; fo thatif any confideration tending to his fupport
be offered, he dare npt come near it, fufpeding his greateft danT
ger to lie on that hand- Thbfe advantages confidered, we fhould
not think it ftrange that any child of God ia driven to fpiritual
fadnefs, as fome do, but may rather bonder, that this is not the
common condition of all Christians.
3. Another reafon that muft be afligned for thefe troubles,
is, divine difpenfation ;- Such are his children, Some So carelefs,
ypthers proud, others Stubborn, many prefumptuous, that God
¦ is forced tp-eorred them by this piece of discipline, and to cure ¦
., them by cafting them into a fever. Others' of his children he
thus exercifeth for other ends, fometimes to take occafion there
from, of making larger difcoveries of his love ;,' Sometimes there-
1 by preventing them from falling under Some grieyOus mifcar-
riage^or for the trial and PxerciSes:of their graces. We may
obferve accordingly, that there are three forts of men that ufu
ally have exercifes of this kind. '
1. Thofe who at their converfion are either ignorant, melan-
pholy, or were grofsly'fcandaloiis, are ufually brought through
with great fear and fadnefs.. *¦ And this is fo obfervable, that,
by the miftake of men, it is made a general rule, that none,arp
converted, but-they are under great and frightful apprehenfions
of wrath and difmal terrors. This indeed is true of fome, but
thefe ordinarily are the 'Scandalous,, melancholy, and ignorant
fort (though fometimes God may deal fb with others^ for who
can limit him?) yet are there many; whofe education hath been
good, and their inftrudion aforehand -great, whofe converfion, is
fo gradual and infenfible, that they are Strangers to thefe' trou
bles of confcience ; and profefs, that if. thefe heights of fear be
neceffary

3 1 8 A i Treatife of Part. II.
neceffary to cbaverfibn, they muft be at a lofs; neither ^an they
give an account .of the titoe of their conversion, as others
may, . " , , ,
2. Tliofe whoSe converfion was eaSy, when after their con-
verfion they mifcarry by any great iniquity, they meet with as
great a meafure of terror and fear (and fome think far greater),
as -thofe whpfe new birth was more difficult. David's greateft
troubles' of foul came upon him after he began to appear more
public in the world ; for then he mgrTwith many temptations,
and great occafions for God's excrctfing his discipline over him.
I believe, when he kept his father's Sheep, "his "Songs' bad more
of praiSes, and lefs of complainings than afterward. It is- the
opinion of fome, that-God's dealing in this kind pf difpenfation,
even when mifcarriage is not, the caufe, is more Sharp ufually
to thofe wHofe converfion hath been moft eafy, • *
3. There is another fort of men, to whom God vouchfafes
but feldpm and Short fits pf fpiritual joy, as breathing times,
betwixt Sharp fits of foul trouble, for neceffary refreshment and
recovery of Strength : but the cpnftant courfe which God holds
with them is to exercife them under fears, while he hides his
face from them, and fuffers Satan to vex them, by urging his
objedionsL againft their holinefs and integrity. Heman was
one of this rank, and the great inftance which God hath given
in his word, for the fupport of others that may be in the fame
cafe ; for" he testifies, Pfal. Ixxxviii. that he Suffered the terrors
of God almoft to diftradion, and this from his youth up. ft
is not fit for us too narrowly to queftion, why God doth thus to
his children, feeing his judgments are unfearchabie, and his
ways pkft finding out; but we may be fore, that God fees this
dealing to be moft fit for thofe that are exercifed therewith; it
may be to keep pride from them, or to prevent them from fal
ling into fome greater inconvenience or fill; unto which he
takes notice of a more than ordinary propenefs in their, dif-
pofition, or for the benefit of others, who may thereby feke
notice, what an evil and bitter thing it is to fin againft God;
and what a, malicious adverfary they have to deal with,
Whpfo Shall confider thefe reafons of fpiritual fadnefs; muft
needs cpnfefs, thajt feeing the advantages, which men" give to
a malicjous devil to ye^t. their confeiences, are fo many and
great, and the weaknefs of God's children fo hazardous, for
the prevention whereof, a wife careful father will neceflarily
be engaged to exercife his difcipline, it cannot be expeded
but that fpiritual troubles flipuld be very frequent amonir the
Servants of God., ,-•' -'
%neft:. Hero it is requisite that I give fatisfadion \o this
1 ' • '" cfiiery:

Chap. VII. Satan's Temptations. 319
query : .Seeing that Gpd doth fometimes wpund the confeiences
pf his children, and that Satan alfo wounds them, what are the
differences betwixt God and Satan in infliding thefe wounds ?
Anfw. For the right understanding of this queftion, I fliall
propound two things :
X. That it is a truth, that God doth fometimes wound the
confcience? of his children; and this, 1. Before converfion; But
in order to it, as preparatory to that change, men are then in
their fins, walking in the vanity of their minds. To translate
them from this eftate, he ;awakens the confcience, Shews them
their iniquities, and the danger of them ; that at prefent they
are in their blood, children of wrath as well as others; and that
without Chrift they are miferable ; the effed of this muft needs
be ferious consideration, deep thoughts of heart with fome trou.
ble; only as to the meafure and degree there Is a great differ
ence ; God doth not in the particular 'application of thefe things
to the confcience, tie up himfelf exactly to the fame manner
and meafure pf proceeding, though he keep ftill to his general
method. Hence, is it, that fome in regawl of God's gentle
leifurely dealing, and the frequent interpofure of encourage
ments, are, if compared with the cafe of others, faidtp be' al
lured, and drawn with cords of love; But others have a, remark
able meafuro. of trouble; Sharp Sits of fear and ang"uifli; and
thofe moft commonly are fuch, whofe converfion is more quick,
and the change vifible from one extreme to another, as Paul,
when converted in tjhe jpidft of his perfecuting rage, . or thofe
, whofe ignorance or melancholy makes their hopes and com-
fortsinaocefEible for the prefent. Thefe troubles God owns to be
the work-pfhis. Spirit ;, the fame Spirit which is. a Spirit of adop
tion to the converted, is afpirit pf bpndage to thefe,Rom. viii.16.
And accordingly wefind, it was fo to the converts in Ads ii. who
being pricked in ' their hearts by Peter's fermon, cried out,
Men and brethren, what Shall we do? . The like did the Jail*
on And the promife which God makes of calling the Jew.s,
Zech. xii. 10. death exprefs Gpd^s purpofe pf dealing with them
in this "very method; * They fhalllook'upon him whom they "have
pierced, and Shall mourn for hina'as onethgt, mpurneth for his only
fpn,.and Shall be in bitternefs for him, --in that day fliall bea great
mourning.' 2. God alfo fometimes wounds the confcience of his
children after converfion; and this, he doth, tp convince and bum
ble them for fome mifcarriage which they become guilty of :
As when they grow fecure *,, carnally confident bf the. conti
nuance of their peace,, when, they are carelefsly negligent of
duty, and; the exercifes of their graces ; when they fall into
grofs and Scandalous fins, or wilfully defert the ways' of truth'; ' 'and
* Vid. Goodwin'. Child of Life.

•32q ,' A Treatife of - Part II.
and in many mote cafes of the like kind. When his children
make themfelves thus obnoxious to divine diSpleaSure, then
God hides his face from them, takes away his Spirit, fignifies'
his anger to their confeiences, threatens them with the danger
of that condition ; ¦ from whence follows grief and fear in the
hearts of his people. In this manner God exprefled his-diS-t
pleafore to David, as his complaints in Pfalm li ido teftjfyi
' Make me to hear j°y and gladnefs, that the bones which thou
baft broken may* rejoice ; hide thy face from my fins".; — Caft
me not away from thy prefence, and take not thy Holy Spirit
from me. Reftore unto me the joy of thy falvatictn,' &e.
2. Notwithstanding aH this,' there is a great diSference be
twixt Gpd and Satan ip this matter,- which mainly appears 'in
two things, r. God doth limit himfelf in all the- trouble which
he gives his children, to his great end of doing them g°°d, and
healing them, and confequently flints himfelf' in the meafure'
and manner of his work to fuch a proportion, as his wifdom fees
will exadly fuit with his end ; fo that his anger is not like the
brawlings of malicious perfons, that know no bounds; He will
not always chide, his* debates are in meafure.; and this, ' left
the fpirit Should fail before him,' Ifa. lvii. *6. So that when
he wounds the confcience before converfion, it is but to bring
them to Chrift, and to prevent their taking fuch cpurfes, as
might through delufion make them take up their Stand Short
of him. So much of .mourning and fear as is requisite for the
true effeding of this, he appoints for them, and no more.
When he wounds after converfion, it is but to let them fe°k
that it Is an evil and bitter thing to ,fin againft him, that their
godly forrow may work repentance fuitable to the offence; and
that they may be fufliciently cautioned for the time to come;.,
to fin no more, left a worfe thing befal them. He that afflicts
not willingly, will put no more grief upon them^ than is ne
ceffary to bring them to this. But Satan when he is admitted,.'
and God doth often permit him, in fubfervien.ee to his defign,
to wound the confcience, he proceeds according to the bound-
lefs fury of his malice, and plainly manifests, that his defire is
to deftroy, and to .tread thpm down, that they may never life
again. This though he cannot effed, for God will' not fuffer
him to proceed further, than the bringing about his holy and
gracious purpofe,- yet it hinders not, but that Still his envious
thoughts boil up in his breaft, and he ads according to his own
inclination. For it is. with Satan, as it is with wicked, men;
if God employ them for the chaftifement of his children, they
confider not who Sets them on work, nor what meafutes pro
bably God would have theni obferve ; but they propefe to
themfelves

Chap. VIII. Safari's Temptations. 321
themfelves more work than' eVer God cut out for them. As
Afiyria, when employed againft Jerufalem, Ifa. x. 7. bad de
figns more large and cruel than was in God's commiffion. God
had ftinted him in his holy purpofe ; yet the-' Affyrian meant
hot fo, neither did" his heart think fo, but it was in his heart to
defttoy and cut off nations not a few.' So that when God is a
'little difpleafed, as he fpeaks, Zach. i. 15. they do all that lies,
in them to help forward the afflidion. Thus doth the devil
endeavour to make all things worfe to God's children, than e-
ver God intended. Here is one difference betwixt God and
Satan, in the wounding of confeiences. But 2. They are yet
further differenced; in that all that God doth' in this work is
ftill according to truth : For if he fignify to the unconverted,
that they are I in a ftate_ of nature, liable to the damnation of
hell, unlefs "they accept of Chrift for falvation upon his terms ;
this is no more than what is true, God doth not mifreprefent
their Pa'fe to them at that time. Again,, if he exprefs his diS
pleaSure to any bf his converted children, that have grieved his
Spirit by their follies, by letting before them the threatenings
bf -his Word, or the examples of his wrath ; he doth but truly
tell them that he is angry with them ; and that de jure, accor
ding to the rigout of the law, and the demerit of their offence,
he might juftly caft them off; but he doth not' positively fay,
that de eventu it Shall infallibly be fo with them. But Satan id
both thbfe cafes goes a great Way further. He plainly affirms
to thofe that are in the way to converfion, that Qbd will not
pardon their iniquities ; that there Is np hope for them ; that
- Chrift "will not accept them; that he never intended the be
nefit of his fufferings for them. And when the converteddo
provoke God; he flicks not to fay, the breach cannot be heal
ed, and that they ate not yet converted ; all which are moft
falfe affertions. ' And though God can make ufe of Satan's ma-
lipe, when he abufeth his children with His falfehoods, to their
great fear, to carry on his own ends by it, and to give a greater
impreflion to what he truly witneffeth againft them ; yet is not
God the proper author pf Satan's lying, for he doth it of his
own wicked inclination. The effed' of thefe defperate falfe
cbnclufions, which is the putting his children into a fear, in
Order to his end; may be afcribed to God; but the falfe
hood of thefe cbnclufions are formally Satan's work, and not
God's ; for he^makes ufe of fo much of Satan's wrath as
may be to his praife, and the remainder of his wrath he doth
reftrain. - ' • "
I have difcovered the. nature and degrees of thefe fpiritual
' S f "troubles

git A Treatife. of •PartJ^
troubles, and that Jt is a common thing for the children o£Gpd
to fall under them. For the further opening of .them, I ShaU
next difcover, ....
¦idly, The ufual folemn occafions that do as it were -mvite
Satan to give his pnfet againft God's children, .and they are
principally thefe fix.
I. The time of converfion: He delights to fet on them when
they are in the Straits of a new birth, for then the confeienpe
is awakened, the danger of fin truly reprefented, fear and for
row, in fome degree, neceffary and unavoidable ; at this time
he can eafily overdrive them. Where theco.nyidions .are deep
and Sharp, ready to weigh them down, a few grains more caft
into the fcale, will make the trouble, as Jpb fpeaks, heavier
-than the fand ; and where they are more eafy or gentle, yet the
foul being unfettled, the thoughts in commotion, they are diS-
poSed to receiye a ftrong impreflion, and to be turned (asjvax
to the Seal) into a mould of hopekfiheSs and defperation. That
this is one of Satan's fpecial occafions, we need no other evi
dence for fatisfadion, than the common experience of converts;
.marty of them do hardly efcape the danger, and after their dif
ficult conqiteft of the troubles of their heart, which at that
time are extraordinarily enlarged, do witnefs, that they, are af-
faulted with defperate fea-rs that their fins were .unpaydonable,
and fad cpnclufipus againft any expe&atipu of favour from the
Lord their God. Thefe thoughts, we are fore, the Spirit of
God will npt be,ar witnefs unto becaufe falfe, and .therefore
we muft leave them at Satan's dopr.
2. Another occafion which Satan makes ufe of, is the time of
folemn repentance for fome great fin committed after converfion.
Sometimes God's children fall, to the breaking of their bones.
What great iniquities they may commit through the force of
temptation, I need not mention. The adultery and murder pf
David, the ineeft of the Corinthian, Peter's denial of Chrift^ .
with other fad inftances in the records of the Scriptures, do
Speak enough of that. Thefe Sins (cpnSidering their heinpuf-
nefs, the feandal pf religipn, the difhpnpur of God, the grie
ving of his- Spirit, the condition of the party offending againSt
Ipve, knowledge, and the various helps which God affords
them to the contrary, with other aggravating cireumfjance?)
being very difpleafiiig to God, their confeiences at leaft (eidier
compelled to examination by God immediately f or mediately
by fome great afflidion, or voluntarily awakening to a Serious-
confideration of what hath been done, by the working .of its
own light, aflifted thereunto by quickening grace, i Cor.xi.31,
32.) call them- to a Arid acpount ; thence follow fear,. Shame, Self

dkpi VIII. Satanls Temptations. 323
felf indignation, bitter weeping, deep humiliation ; then comes
Satan-, he rake* their wounds', and by his aggravations makes
them Smart the more; he pours in corrofives inftead of oil, and
all to make them believe, that e their fpot is not the fpot of
God's children ;' that their backflidings cannot be healed. An
occafion it is, as fuitable to his malice as he could with ; for or
dinarily -God doth Severely teftify his- anger tp them, and doth
not eafily admit them- again to the fenfe of his favour. At
which time the adverfary is' very bufy to work up their hearts
to an excefs of fear and Sorrow. This- was' the courfe which
he took with the inceftuou's Corinthian; taking advantage Of His
great tranfgreflions, ' to overwhelm him with too much for
row,' 2 Cor. ii. 7, n.
3. Satan watcheth the difcompofures of the fpirits of God's
children under fome grievous crofs, or afflidion. This occa
fion alfo falls 'Bt for his defign of Wounding the confcience ;
whert the hand of the Lord rs lifted up againft them, and their
.thoughts difordered by the frroke, fuggefting at that time God's
anger to them ahd their fins ; fie can eafily frame an argument
from- thefe ground's, that they are npt reconciled to God, and
that they,are dealt withal as enemies. David feldom met with
putward trouble, but he at the fame time had a conflid with
Satan about his fpiritual condition,, or ftate, as His frequent
deprecations of" divine wrath, at fuch times do teftify ; * Lord,
rebuke me not in thy wrath,' tiFc. There is1 indbed but a ftep
betwixt difcompofure pf" fpirit, and1 fpiritual troubles ; as hath
been proved before. ^_
4. When Satan hath prepared' the hearts of God's children
by atheiflical, or blafphemous thoughts, he takes that occafion.
to deny their grape and intereft in' Chrift. And the argument
at that time feems u'nanfwerable. Can Chrift lodge in an heart
fo full of horrid blafphemies againft him ? Is- it poffible it
Should be wafhed and fandified, when it produceth fuch filthy
curfed thoughts ?' AH- the troubles of affrightment, of which
before, aEe'ImpvroVea!ble to this purpofe.
5. Another fpiritual ocpafion for fpiritual trouble,, is melan
choly ; few perfons diftempered therewith, do efcape Satan's
hands, at one time or • other, he calls his rt'et oyer them, and
, feeks to ftati fheni with his' weapon. Melancholy indeed af
fords fo ihany advantages to him, and thofe fo anSwerable tp
his defign, that it is no wonder if he make much of it. For,
(1.) Melancholy affeds both head and heart, * it affords both
fear and fadnefs, and deforrtjed, mifhapen, delirious imagina
tions to work upon ; than which, nothing cah be more for his
S f 2 purpofe.
* Willis dV anima Brut. cap. J. de melancholia.

324 A Treatife of , iP.art II,
purpoSe. For where the heart trembles, and the head is dark*'*
ened, there every objed is mifrep'refehted ; the ideas of the,
brain are monftrous appearances, refleded from epake and dark
fpirits, fo that Satan hath no more to do, but tp fuggeft. the
new matter of fear. For that queftibn, Whether the man be
converted, &c. being once Started, to a mind already diftem- ,
pered with fear, muft of itfelf, it being a bufinefs of fp high a
nature, without Satan's further purfuit, Summon the utmoSt
powers, oS SadneSs and m'ifreprehenSiori, to raife a Storm.
(2.) Befides, the impreffions of melancholy, are always ftrong,
it is ftrong in its fears, or elfe tpen would never be tempted tb
deftroy themfelves ; it is ftrong in its miflakes, or elfe they,
could never perfuade themfelves ofthe truth of foolifh, abfurd,
and impoffible fancies ; as that of Nebuchadnezzar, who by a
delufive apprehenfion, believing himfelf to be a beaft, forfook
the company of men, and betook to the fields to eat g'rafs with
oxen. The imaginations of the melancholick are never idk%
and yet Straitened, or confined to a few things ; and then th4
brafei being weakened as to a true and regular apprehenfion, it
frames nothing but bug-bears, and yet with the higheft: confi
dence of certainty. (3.) Thefe impreffions are ufually lafting,
not vanishing as an early dew, but they continue for months and
years. (4.) And yet they have only fo much, underftanding
left them, as Serves to nourifh their fears. If their underftand- .
ing had been quite gone, their fears would vaniSh with them:.
As theflame is extinguished for want of air : * But they have ,
only knowledge to let them fee their rnifery, and fenfe to make .
them apprehenfive of their pain. And therefore will they
pray with floods of tears, unexpreffible groanings, deepeft figh-
ing, -and trembling joints, to be delivered from their fears',
(5.) They are alfo apt after eafe of their troubles, to have fre-i,
quent returns : What d if pofition, all thefe things being conft
dered, can be more exadly Shaped to ferve Satan's turn? If he
would have men to believe the worft pf themfelves, he hath.
fuch imaginations to work upon, as are already miShapeninto
a deformity of evil furmifing. Would he terrify by fears, or
diftrefs by fadnefs? He hath that already ;'and it isbut alteri
ing the objed, "which oftentimes needs npt, for naturally the
ferious melancholick employs all his. griefs upon his fuppofed
miferable eftate of foul, and then he hath Spiritual diftrefs:
Would he continue them long under their forrows, or take,
them upon all occafions nthis pleafure, or ad them to a great
er height than ordinary ? Still the rnelancholick temper .fuits
him. This is fufficient for caution, that we take fpecial care
* Fsel. Piatcrl proi. rncd^cap, 3." de mentis alienatjone.

Chap. VIII. Satan's Temptations, 32,5
pf our bodies for the preventing or abating pf that humour, by ,
ajl lawful means, if we would not have the devil to abufe us at
his will. , ,
6. Sicknefs or death-bed, is another folemn occafion, which :
.the devii feldom miffeth with his will. Death is a ferious
thing, it reprefents the foul and eternity to the life. While.
they are at a distance, men look Slightly upon thefe, but when
they approach near to them, men ufually have fuch a fight of
them, as they never had before. We may truly call ficknefs,
and death-bed an hour of temptation, which Satan will make,
ufe of with the more mifchievous induftry, becaufe he hath but
a Short time for it. That is the laft conflid, and if he mifs
that, we are beyond his reach, for ever. So that in this cafe
Satan encourageth himfelf to the battle, with a npw, or never.
And hence we SInd, that it is ufual for the dying Servants of
God, to undergo moft Sharp encounters ; then to tell them,
when the foul is about to loofe from the body, that they are
yet in their blood; without God, and hope, is enough to af
fright them into the extrenieft agonies ; for they fee no time
Before them anfwerabje to So great a work, if it be yet to do.
And withal,' they are under vaft discouragements from the;
wearinefs and pains of ficknefs* their understandings and facul
ties being alfo dull, and-ftupined ; fo that if at this laft plunge,
God fhould not extraordinarily appear to rebuke Satan, .and to
pluck them but of thefe great waters, as he often doth, by the
fuller interpofition ofthe light of his face, and the larger tefti
mony of his Spirit, after their long and comfortable profeffion
of their faith, and hbiy walking, their light would be put out
in darknefs, and they would lie down in forrow. Yet this I
muft note, that as defirous as Satan is to improyp this occafion,
he is often remarkably disappointed'., and that wherein he, it
may be, and we would leaft exped, I mean in regard of thofe,
Who through a timorous difpofition, or melancholy, or upon
other accounts, are, as I may fo fay, all their lifetime fubjed
to bondage ; thofe men who are ufually exercifed with frequent
fits of fpiritual trouble, when they come to ficknefs, death-bed,
^nd fome other Singular occafions of trouble, though we might
fufped their fears would then be working, if eyCr ; yet God
out of gracious indulgence to them, (considering their mould
, and faShion, or becaufe he- would prevent their extreme faint
ing, i^c.) doth meet than with larger testimonies of his fa
vour, higher joys, more, confident fatisfadions in his love, than
ever they received at any time before ; and this to their won
der, their high admiration, making the times which they were
Wont to fear moft, to be times of greateft confolation. i This
obfervation

32,6 A Treatife of Fart II.
obSerVation f have grounded, not upon one or two instances,
but could produce" a cloud of witneffes fot it. Enough it is1 to-
check our forward fears of a future evil day, and to heal ns of
a Sighing diftemper, while we afflld ourfelves with fuch thoughts
as thefe : < If I have fo many feats in health, . how fhall I be
able? to go through the valley of the Shadow of death ?'
4thly, I havb one thing more to add, for the difcovery of
thefe Spiritual troubles, and that is to Shew you the engines by
which Satan works them, and they are thefe twp, Sophistry
and fears.
xjl, As to his fophiftry, by which he argues the children of
God into a wrong apprehenfion of themfelves, it is very great.
He' hath a Wonderful dexterity in framing arguments againft
their peace, he hath variety of fhrewd objedions and fubtlean-
fwef s, to the ufual replies, by Which they feek to beat. him off.
There is not a fallacy by which a cunning fophiffer Would Seek
to entangle his adverfary te difputation, bat Satan would make
ufe of it ; as I might particularly Shew you,- if it were proper
for a Common auditory. Though he hath fo much Impudence,
as not to bltffh at the moft filly contemptible reafon' that can
be offered; notwithftanding he hath alfo fo'much wit as1 tb urge,
though never true, yet always probable arguments. How
m'uGh) he can prevail upon the beliefs' of men, in cafes relating
to their fouls-, may be conjedured hy the fuccefs he hath upoiit
the understandings- of men, When he argues them into error,
and makes- them belieyg a lie. We ufualy fay, and that truly,
that Satan eannot, in any cafe, force us propbriy to content :
yet considering the advantages which He takes, ahd the' way?
he hath to prepare the hearts of men for his impreffions*, and'
then his very great fubtilty in ^difputing, we may fay that he
can fo order the' matter, that he will feldom mifs of his aim.
It would be an endlefs work to gather up all the arguments
that Satan hath made ufe of, to prove the condition, or flare of
God's' children to be bad: But that I may not altogether difap-
point your Cxpedafions in that thing, I Shall prefent to your
view Satan's ufual topics, the common places, ot heads unto'
which all' his arguments may be reduced. And tbey are,
i. Scripture abufed and perverted. His way isfto't o'rdy tp fug
geft, that they are unregenerate, pr under an evil frame of heart,
but to offer proof that thefe accufations are true. And becaufe
be hath to dr. with them that profefs a belief of fcriptures', as
the pracles of God, he will fetch his proofs from thence, telling
them that he will evidence what he faith from fcripture. Thus
fpmetirnes he aflkvks the Weaker unfkilful fort of Chriftians,
Thou art npt a child of God ; for they that are fo, are enligh tened,

Chap., VIII. Satan's Temptations. 325
tenpd, tranflated from darknefs, they are the children of the
light ; but thou art a poor, ignorant, dark, blind creature, and
therefore no child of God- Sometimes h,e labours tp conclude
the like from the infirmities of God's children, abufing to this
purpofe that of 1 John iii- 9- ' He that is born ,pf Qqd doth
not commit fin ; and h,e cannot fin, becaufe he is born of God,'
Thus he urgeth it, Can any thing be more plainly and fully
afferted ? Is not this fcripture ? Canft thou deny this ? Then
he purines, But thou finneft often, that is thine own complaint
againft thyfelf, thy confcience alfo bearing witnefs to the truth
of this accufatian; therefore thou canft be no child of God.
Sometimes he plays upon words that are ufed in divers fenfes,
(a fit engine for the devil to work by) for what is true in one
fenfe, will be falfe in another -} and his arguing is from that
fahich is true, to that which is falfe., I rernernbeV one that was
long racked with that pf Rev. xxi. 8. ' The fearful and unbe-,
lieving, §tc. Shall have their part in the lake which burns with
fire and brimftone.' From whence the party thus argued : The
proppfition is true, becaufe it is fcripture, and I cannot deny the
afiiimption : Fearful I am, becaufe I am doubtful qf falvatipn ;
and unbelipving I am, for I canpot believe that I ana regenerate,
or in a ftate of grace, and therefore I cannot avoid the conclu-
fion. To the fame purpofe he difputes againft fome, from
1 John iy, 18, ' There is no fear in love, but perfed Jovp caftetb,
out fear ;' but thou art full of fears, therefore thou loveft no?
God. Sometime5 be makes ufe of thofe fcriptures, that make
the prevailing degree of our Ipve and refpeds to" God above the
World, 2nd the things of this life, to be the charaders pf true
grace, a? that of John, ' If any man lpve the world, the love of
the Father is nqt in hjm :' And that of Chrift, * If a man love.
any thing more than mej he js not worthy of me : He that for
fakes not all for mp? cannot be my difeiple,' &c. Then he ur
geth upon them their love of the world, and unwillingneSs to
?art with their eftates ; and fp brings the concjufipu upon them?
nftances might be infinite, but by theSe you may judge of the
reft. Let us now caft our eye upon his fubtilty, hi managing
hi? arguments againft men.
1 . He grounds his arguments on Scripture; becaufe that hath an-,
thority with it, and the very troubled confcience hath a rever
ence-to it. He always fmts his Scriptures, which he thus cites,
to that wh§rein the cpnfeiepce is moft tender; If there be any
thing that affords matter of fufpicion, or fear, he will be fure
to chpfe fuch art arrow out ofthe quiver of fcriptures, as will
diredly hit the mark. ' 3. Though ip the citation of fcripture,
he always urgefha fenfe which the Holy Ghoft never intended: Yet

328 • A treatife of Part if:
Yet there will be always fomething in thofe fciptures whiclt
he makes ufe of; whichin'words, at leaft feeni to favour his
conclusion, as, appears in the inftances now given. For when
he wotild conclude a man not to ,be a child of God becaufe of
his ignorance, fomething of his argument istrtiejit maybe
the man is fenfible that his knowledge is but little, compared
with the meafures which fome others have ; or that he is- at a
lofs, or confufed in many dpdrinal points of religion ; or hatli
but little experience in many pradical cafes, &c. This, as it
is true, fo is it his' trouble ; and whilft he is ppring upon his
defed, Satan claps an'.arreft upon him, of a far greater debt
than God chargeth upon him, and from Scriptures that fpeak
of a total ignorance of the fundamentals of religion, as that
there is a God. that Chrift Jefus is God and man, the Redeemi
er of mankind: by a fatisfadion to divine juftice, ?&£. or of a
¦wilful ignorance of the worth of the proffer of the gofpel, of
its reality, which is difcovered in the refufal of the terms
thereof, he concludestfiim to be in a ftate of darknefs: WhereaS
the. Ignorance whfeh the man complains of, is not the ignorance
¦w,hich;j.t,hpfe fcriptures intend. So in the next inftance, the fins
which' a child of God complains of, are thofe of daily incurfibrii ,
which he labours and ftrives againft ; but that committing fin
mentioned in the text, hath refped to the Gnofticks, who taught
a liberty in finning, and fancied a righteoufnefs confiftent with
the avowed pradice of iniquity : Hence doth John, i John iii. 7.
diredly face their opinion, in thefe terms, ' Little children, let
no man deceive you ; he that doth righteoufnefs is righteous.'
Ahd he that is born of God neither doth, nor can avouch a
liberty of finning, it being contrary to the principles of the
new nature. So that the mifcarriages of infirmity which the
child of God laments in himfelf, are not the fame with that of
the text, upon which Satan grounds the accufation. The like
may be faid of the third inftance, from Rev. xxi. 18. The
threatening there is againft fuch as fear to lofe the comforts of
the world, that they dare not believe the gofpel to be true, and
accept it accordingly ; which is nothing to thofe fears and
doublings that may be in a child of God, in reference to his
happinefs. Thus in all the reft, the fallacy lies in mifapplying
the fcripture, to fuit them to that wherein the confcience'ii
tender, under a fenfe' whieh was never intended by them • yet
in another fenfe, the thing charged upon the confcience is true'.
4. Yet is Satan fo fubtle, that when he difputes by fuch falla
cious arguments, he chiefly endeavours, to draw off the defend*
ant's eye and confideration, from that* part of the argument
wherein its weaknefs lies, which in this cafe is always in the
abufe

Chap. VIII, Satan's Temptations. 329
abufe of, the fcripture to a wrong fenfe ; this he doth, partly
from the advantage which he hath from the reverence that
they tarry to, the fcripture, they believe it tb be true, and are
not wAling to fufped the fenfe ; and many are fo weak, that if
they fliould, Satan is fo cunning that he can eafily baffle them
in any diftindion that, they can make. And partly from the-
fenfe they have of that whereof they are accufed ; they Seel
themfelves fo fore. in that place, and for that very eiid doth Sa
tan dired his fcripture to hlt_.it, that they readily take it for
granted, that the hinge, of the controverfy turns upon it, and
that the whole difpute reft s upon it. Now Satan having thefe
fair advantages, by a further improvement of them, bides the
weaknefs of his argument. For, 1. He takes that fenfe of. the
fcripture, (in which he mifapplies it) for granted, and that with
great confidence, making as .if there were no doubt there.
2, He turns always that part ofthe argument to* them, which
they can leaft anfwer, pre-SEng them eagerly with the matter of
charge, vyhich they are as ready to confefs, as he is to accufe
them of, and aggravating it very bufily. And becaufe the un
skilful have no. other diredion for the finding the knot of the
controverfy, than Satan's buftle, though he, like the lapwing,
makes the greateft noife when he is fartheft from his neft, on
pUrpofe tp draw them into the greater miftake, they look no
further ; ¦ and then not being able to anfwer, they are loon caft,
and Striking in with the conclusion againft ,,_ themfelves, tbey
multiply their forrows, and cry out of themfelves as mifer
able. ,
2. Another piece of his fophiftry is the improving certain
falfe notions, which Chriftians ofthe weaker, fort have receiv
ed, as proofs of their unregeneracy, or bad condition. As there
aro vulgar errors concerning natural things, fo there are popu
lar errors concerning fpiritual things. Thefe miflakes, in a
great part, have their original from the fancies, or mifappre-
hepfions of unfkilful men. Some indeed have, it may be, been
preached and taught as truths, others have rifen, without a
teacher, from mere ignorance, being the conclusions and fur
mifes which weak heads have framed to themfelves, from the
fayings, or pradices of men, which havenot been either fo
cleared from the danger of the miftake, or not fo diftindly ap
prehended as was -neceffary. Thefe fa'.fe .inferences once fet on
foot, are traditionally handed down to others, and in time they
gain, among the fimple,"the opinion of undoubted truths. Now
'wherever Satan finds any pf thefe that arp fit for his purpofe,
(for to be Sure whatlver miftake we entertain, he will at one
time or other caft it in our way) he will make it the founda-
T t "tk.rt

33d A Tretitife of Paft, ffV
tion of an argument againft him that hath received it, and that
with very great advantage : For a falfehood in the premiSeS
will ufually produce a falfehood In the cOftciufion'. And thefe
falfehoods being taken for granted, the devil is riot put to the
trouble to prove them ; if then lie can but bxadly fit them to
fomething in the party which he , cannot deny, he, forthwith
carries the, caufe, and, condemns him by his own coftteSflonS, 'as
out of his own mouth., _
It is fcarce poSfible to number the falfe notions Which ate al
ready entertained among Christians, relating to gf aCe and con
verfion, much lefs thofe that may afterwards arife. But! Shall
mention fome that Satan frequently makes ufb bf, as grblintts
ofobjedipn, i. It is a commort apprehenfion among the weaker fort, that
converfion is always accompanied with' great feat and terrpt.
This is true in fome, as hath been faid, and though ttone ofthe
preachers ofthe gofpel have afferted the univeffality of thefe
greater meaSures of trouble, yet the people taking notice, that
many fpeak of their deep humiliations in converfion ; and that
feveral authors have fet forth, the greatnefs of dittfefs thatSbihe
have been caft into on that occafion, though without ahy inten
tion "pf fixing this into a general rule, have from thence" fup
pofed, that all the converted are brought to their comforts
(through the flames of hell. Upon this miftake, the devil dif-
quiets thofe that have not felt thefe extreme agonies of forrbw
in themfelves ; and tells them that It is a Sure fign that they ate
pot'yet converted, Thcugh it is eafy for a man that fees the
falfehood of the notion, to anfwer the argument, yet he that
hebeves it to be true, cannot tell what to fay, becaufe he finds
lie never was under fuch troubles, and now he begins to be.
trpubled,becaufe he Was not troubled before, or as he SuppO-
feth,, not troubled enough*
2. Another falfe notion is, that a convert can give an ac«.
count of the time and manner of his converfion. This is tfue
in fome, as in Paul and fome others; whofe change hath been
fudden and remarkable, though in many this is far otherwlf% ,
who can better give account "that they are converted, than by
what Steps, degree's, and methods, they Were brought to it.
But if any of thefe receive the notion, they will prefentlv End
that Satan will turn the edge of it againft' them, and will tell
them that, they are not converted,- becaufe they cannot nomi
nate the time when, nor the manner how Such a charge was
wrought. , °l
3. $ome take it for granted, that converfion- is accompanied
with a itmarkabfe meafure of gifts for prayer" and exhortation: and

Cbajv VII, Safaris Temptations, £3*
qp^ thep the deyil phjeds it to them, that they are not convert,-
ed becaufe, ,they cannot pray as others, pr fpeak of the things
of God. fo readily, fluently and .affedionately, as fome others can.
"fhus the paor weak. Christian is baSfled for wapt of abilities to
exprefs himfelf to G<?ft and men.
4, Falfe notions about the nature; of faith, arb a fad Stum
bling block to fome. Many fupppfe that Saving faith is a cer
tain belief that wr fins are pardoned, and that we Shall be fa
yed; making faith, and afiurancp all one,. This miftake is the
deeper rpoted in the minds pfmef], becaufe fome haye diredly
taught fo ; and thofe men of eftimation, whofe words are enter
tained with great, reverence by well meaning Chriftians. For
whom, notwithftanding, this may be pleaded in excufe, that
they haye rather defcribed faith in its height, than in its loweft
meafures. However it be, thofe that have np other under
ftanding of t^e nature of faith, can never anfwer Satan's argu
ment, if hp tikes them at any time at the advantage of fear, or
doubting: Fpr then.he will difpute thus; faith is a belief that
fins are pardoned, but thou doll not believe this ; therefore
thow, baft no faith- Oh, what numbers pf poor doubting
.Chriftians, Jra^e been diftreSfed with this argument ',
5, Some take it for a truth, that growth of grace is always
vifible* and the p^pgrpfs remarkable. And then becaufe they
cap make no Such ddppvery of thefnSelyps, the devjl poncludes
, jJieir grace to be counterfeit and hypwritipal,
6. .Of like nature are fome mistaken figns of true grace, as
that tr,ue grace fears God only for bis goodnefs. And then if
there be any apptehpnfion of divine difpfeafure imprefled upon
, rife heart, though upon the neceffary occafion pf mifcarriage,
they through the devil's mitigation, poncjude, that they are
wnder a fpirit pf bondage, and their fupppfed grape hot true,
, or pQtjgenpine at leaft •' acpording to that'difpofition which the
[ New TeSiament will forniSh a man withal. It is alfo another
mJftaken Sign of grace that it doth dired a man to lpye God
fingly for himfelf, with put the feaft regard to his pwnfalyatipp;"
for that they think is but felf Jove, Now when a child of God
doth not fee his love to God fo diftind, but that h js own falva^
tipn is twifted with it, Satan gets advantage of him; and for-
ceth him to ca.ft away his love as adulterate and felfifh. Like
.to this miftake, but of an higher Strain, Is" that of fome, that
where grace js true, it is fo carried forth fo hpnour G°^> that
the man that bath it can defire God may be honoured, though
he Should be damned. God doth not put lis to fuch queflions
as theSe, but upon Supposition that this is true; the grace' of
moft men will be Shaken by the obj^dion that Satan will make
T t 2 Srom

332 A Treatife of Part II."
Srom thence: He can and wilj prefently put the miflaken to- it,
canft thou Say thou arf willing to go to hell,,' that God may be
glorified ; If.not, where is thy grace? From. 'Such miflakes1 as
thefe, he difputes againft the holinefs of the children bf God;
and it is impoffible but that he fhould carry the caufe, againft
thofe who grant thefe' things to be true. Satan can undeniably
Shew them, that their hearts will not anfwer Such a defcription
of a convert or gracious heart, as thefe falSe- notions will make.
So long then as they hold thefe. -notions, they have no relief al
gainft Satan's conclufions ; no comfort can be administered, till
they be convinced that they have embraced miftakesifor truths.
And how difficult that will be-in this cafe where the confidence
of the notion is great, and the fufpicion ftrong, that the^defed
is only in the heart, hath been determined by frequent experi
ence already. '' ":
3. The third piece of Satan's fophiftry, from whence he rai-
feth falfe conclusions, is his mifreprefentation of God. In this
he diredly croffeth the defign of .the fcriptures, where God in'
his nature and dealings is fo fet forth, that, the,, weakeft, :the
- moft afflided and toffed, may receive encouragement of accept
ance, and of his fatherly care over them in their faddeft trials.
Yet'withal, left men fhould turn his grace into wanfonriefs, and
embolden themfelves in fin becaufe of his: clemency, the Scrip
tures fometimes give us lively defcriptions of his anger againft
thofe that wickedly prefume upon' his goodnefs, and continue
fo to do Both thefe defcriptions of,Gpd fhould be taken to
gether, as affording the only true representation oS him. He
is So gentle to the humbled Senfible tinner, that 'he will not
break their bruifed reed, nor quench their fmoaking flax,' And
So careful of health, that (for their recovery) he will not leave
them; altogether, unpunifhed ; nor fuffer them to ruin themfelves
by a Surfeit upon worldly comforts'; yet ' with the froward,
he will fhew himfelf froward,' Pfal. xviii. 26. And, ' as for
' Such as turn afide" unto their crooked ways, the Lord Shall lead '
thenvforth with the workers cf iniquity,' Pfal. cxxv. 5. He '
will < put out the candle ofthe wicked, for he fets them in Slip
pery places : So that they are caft down into deitrudion, and
brought into deflation as in a moment ; thev are' confumed
with terrors.' Now Satan will Sometimes argue againSt the

aid he bringing down of high looks. By this means He wrefts
the defcnption ot God, to a contrary end, and mifieprefetits
God to a trembling ajlbdsd foul. This he doth, ""
1. By

ChaptVIII. / Satanrs Temptations'. 333
ir. By mifreprefehting his nature: Here he reads a folemn
ledure of the holinefs and juftice of God, but always with
reflcdiort upon the vilenefs artd unworthinefs of the perfon a.
gainft whom he intends his dart. And thus he argues'': ' Lift
tip thine eyes to the heaverts, behold the brightnefs of God*s
glory : confideV his unSpotted holinefs, his infinite juftice. The
heavehs are not clean in his fight, how much more abominable
and filthy then art tHou ! l-lis eyes are pure^'he cannp^ wink at, '
nor approve of the leaft fin ."how canft thou then imagine (ex
cept thou be intolerably impudent) that he hath taken Such an
unclean wretch info his favour ? He is a jealous God, and will
by no means acquit the guilty? Canft thou then with any Shew
of reafoti, conclude tbyfelf to be his child?' He beholds the wic
ked afar off: he fliuts out their prayer ; he laughs at their ca
lamity; he mocks when "their fear comes ; and therefore thou
haft no caufe to think that he' will hear thy cry, though thou
fhouldeft make many prayers. It cannot be fuppofed that he
will" incline his eaf. It is his exprefs determination, that if any
man regard iniquity in his Heart, the Lord will not hear his
prayer.' This, and a great deal more will he fay. And while
Satan fpeaks but at this rate, we may call him modeft, becaufe
his allegations are in themfelves true, if they were applied
rightly. Sometimes he will go farther, and plainly belie God,
Speaking incredible falfehoods of him : But becaufe thefe.' pro
perly appertain to an higher fort of troubles, of which I am
hext to fpeak, I fliall not here mention them. However,' if he
flops here, he faith enough againft any fervant of God, that carries
an high fenfe of his unWorthinefs. For being thus brought to
the view of thefe aftonifhing attributes, he is daffied out of coun
tenance, andean think no other, but that it is very' unlikely,
that (o unworthy a Sinner Should have any intereft in fo'holy a
God. Thus the devil affrights him off, turning the wrong fide
ofthe defcription of God to him ; andtin the mean' time hiding
that patt of it that fpeaks God's wonderful condefcenfions, in
finite compaffibns, Unfpeakable readinefs to accept the humble
broken hearted, weary heavy laden Sinner, that is proftratc at
His footftOol for pardon. All which are ori purpofe declared in
the defcription of God's nature, to pbviate this temptation, and
jta encourage the weak.
;. 2. He mifreprefents God in his providence. If God chaftife
his children by an' afflidion, Satan perverfely wrefts it to abad
conftrudion, efpecially if the afflidion be Sharp or feem to
be above their ftrength, ' or frequent, and moft of all, if it feeni
tb'crofs their hopes' and prayers ;, for then he argues, Thefe
are not the chaftifernents of Sons : God indeed will vifit their
'•*--.' ¦¦*'>¦'¦ tranfereffions,

334 A Treatife of ; Part, II.
mnfgreflions with rods, but his dealing wjth^fhgeis, plainly of
another nature, for he, breaketh thee with, hiSj tempers, .J^nd
whereas he correds bis fans that ferve him in. meafurp,j. t^pu
art bowed down with thy trouble to diftrefs and defpaif; But
he, will lay np more upon bje fqns than they are ablp,to bear,
he will not always chide his Servants ; but. , tijgu, art af&ded
every morning. And befides, if thm wprt pure and upright,
forely now he would awake for thee, an4 make the habitation
of thy righteoufnefs profperous ; Fpr te bis fops he faith, 'Call
upon me in ths day pf trouble, . I wi.H deliver thee,; and thqu
ftiajt glorify me,' Pfal. 1. i $. Hence comes, the complaint of
many, that they aro npt regenerated, beeaujk«,rbey thjnk.God
deils not with them as with others- Qh ! fay they, we know
God chaftifeth every fon whom he receiyefh .- But pur pafe, is
every -way different from, theirs, pur troubles are, plagues, not
rods ; our cry is notheard, our prayers disregarded, our Strength
faijetb ns, our hearts fret, againft the Lord, fo th^t not Pito fye
nature and quality of our affedfons, but the frame pf .eurj^art
under, them, in. fl<d enduring the burden, which, is the grist
charade* of the chaftifempnt of fons, Heb,, xii,, 7, plainly e-
vinceth that we are under God's hatred, and are not bi$chij-
dren.--This objedion, though it might feem eafy tp be an
swered by thofe that aro not at prefent concerned, yet it vriJl
prove a difficult, bufinefs to thofe that are under the fmart. of
afflidfons. How m»cb » holy and wife man may be grave
led by it, ypu may fee in PfaJm Ixxiii. where th? prppbit,
is put to a grievous plunge upon this very occafion, veri" .14;
' AU the day long have I been plagued, and ebaStiSed evgry
morning,' ,
And yet in all this Satan doth but pl$y the Sophifter, work
ing upon the advantages, which the nature of the afflidion, and
the temper of mefes hearts do afford him- For, (l.) Afflic
tions are a great depth, oae of the Secrets oS Gfld, fo that it is
hard to know what Gcd wtewU by them. (2,) The endpf
the Lord is not difcovered at firft, but at feme distance, when the
fruits 'thereof begin to appear, {3.) The mind of the affiled
cannot, always proceed regularly in making 9 judgment, of
'God s defign upon them : ^Specially at firft when it as flour
ed hy the affault, and all things in confufipn, faith is to feek,
patience a wanting, and fove Staggering; after it hath recol-
i tec.ed itfelf, and attained wy calrnnefs, ,to fit it for a review of
tie ways of God, and pf the heart, it is better enabled to fix
fome ground* of hope. Um. uj. , ?>v 30, 2 r, « this J recaj to
ny mind, and therefore have I hope.'. (4.) Afihdions have a
light and a,dark fide, and their appearances are according tp
our

Criap. 'VIII.' Satan's Temptations. 335
our pofture in Which We view them : As fome picWes, w^ich
if We look Upon them one Way, they appear to be angels, if
another Way, they feem devilSi
¦ 5. Some men in afflidion do only bufy themfelves in leak
ing upon the dark fide of afflidion. Their difpofition, either
through natural tirriOronStiefs, Or Strong impreffions bf tempta
tion, is only to meditate terrbrs, ami to furmifa erils. Thefs
men out of the brtjfs, can draw nothing but ttje wormwood and
the gall, While bthers, that have ahother profped of theffly ob
ferve mixtur&s -of htetdy and gehtfehefs, and do melt into fub\.
mifllon and thallkfuhiefs. Thefe, confidered together, are a
great advantage to Satad in difputing againft the peace ef
God's afflided childrotf, and it often falls out* that as he doth
mifreprefent God's defign, fo do they, tirgefl by tei&pSation,
upon that account misjudge themfelves. ¦'" !' <
3. He alfo milreprefents God in the Wbrfes ef his Spirit j
if God withdraw his cpuritenance, or by his Spirit figniffes bis
diSpleaSure' tb the confeiences of afty, if he permit Satjtfl to mo-
ieft them with fpiritual temptatibris, prefently Satan takes oc-
bafion tb p^r'ftisufalfe and malignant interpretation, Upon all:
Hte tells them, that God's hiding his face is his caSting then*
off, that the* threatenings fignified to their toHfcienee, att plata
declatatitnW that their prefent State is" Wrath fcnd darknefs. That
Satan's mdlefratiohis by temptations, Shew them to be yet under
his power -, that the removal of their former peaee, joy, and
fenfible delight which they had in the ways of God, is Beyond
conttadidloh, an evidence that God hath no delighi in them,
nor they in him ; that their faith was but that of temporaries,
their, jpy btlt that of hypocrites, which is bttly for a moment.
HoW often havel heard Christians complaining thus? We can
not be iti a State of grace, out taihfeiences He under the feafe of
God's difpfeafttre, they give teftimony againSt us, and we knaw
that teftimony is ttue, for we feel it. It is true* time was
when we thought we had a delight in hearing, preying, medi->
tating, but flow all is a burden, to us, we can relifh flothing.
We can profit nothing, we can remember nothing : Time was
when we "thought We had aSTurattce, and Out hearts tejoiced in
iii ; fometimes We have ¦ thought oUr he&rts had aS much of
peace and comfort, as they Poultl hpld, now all is vanished, and
We ate tinder fad fears : If God had had a favour to us, would
hfe h'avfe ddalt thus with us.. Thus arfe they cheated into a belief
that they never had ariy grace ; they take all for granted that
is urged againft them : They cannot cdnfider God's defign in
hidihg his face, nor yet can they fee how gtace ads in them
under thefe complainings ; how they exprifs their love to God iu

336 A Treatife of > Par£, Ih
in their defires and. pantings after him, in their bewailing of his
abfence, in abhorring andS; condemning, themfelves, &c but
their prefent feeling, (and an argument from fenfe is very
Strong) bears down all before it. ,. .'
Thus, doth Satan frame his arguments from misrepresenta
tions of God, which, though a right view of Godwould eafily
anfwer them, yet, how difficult it is for a perfon. in an hour of
temptation to difpel, by a right apprehenfion of the ways of
the holy God, doth abundantly appear -from -Pfalm lxxviL'
where the cafe of Afaph,, or whofpever elfe he was, dpfh in
form us, (i.) That it is ufual for Satan, for the difquieting of
the hearts of God's children,, to offer a falfe profped of Go'di
(2.) That this overwhelms their hearts with grief, ver. 3.
(3.) That the more they perfift in the profecution of this me-.
thod, under the mifts of prejudice, they, fee the lefs, being apt
to miScpiiftrue every thing in God to their difadvantage, ver,. 3.
* I remembered God, and was troubled.' (4.) The reafoii,of
all that trouble lies in this, that they can only conclude wrath
and defertion frpm God's carriage toward them. v (j.) That
till they look upon God in another method, and take up belter
thoughts of him and his providences, even while they carry
the appearance of feverity, they can exped no eafe to their
complainings. For before the prophet quitted himfelf of his
trouble-, he was forced to acknowledge his miftake, ver. 1.0. in
the mifconftrudion he made of his dealings, and to betake him
felf to a refolve of entertaining better thoughts of God, ver. 7.
His interrogation, 'Will the Lord caft off for eyer?' &x. Shews
indeed what he.did once think, being milled by Satan, but with-
al that be would never do fo again. ' Will the Lord caft off
for ever?' Is. not here the voice of a defpairing man ? but of
one that through better information hath rectified his judg-.'
ment, and now is refolved ftrongly to hold the contrary to
what he thought before, as if he fhould fay, It is not ppfEble:
that it Should be fo, he will not caft off for ever, and I will ne
ver entertain fuch perverfe thoughts of God any more. (6.)
But before they can come to this, it will cofl them fome pains
and ferious thoughts ; it is not eafy to break thefe fetters,
to anfwer this, argument ; but they that will do fo,. muft, ap- '
peal from their prefent fenfe, to a confideration of the iffues
of thefe dealings upon other perfons, or upon themfelves at .
other times : For the prophet, ver. j. « confidered the days
of old, and the years of ancient times; and ver. 6. he alfo ,
made ufe of his own experience, calling to remembrance,'that
after Such dealings as thefe, God by his return of favour eave
him fongs in the night. '4. Another

Chap. /VIII. Satml's Temptations. 337
4. Another common head from whence this great difputant
ncbath feteh his arguments againft the good-condition and State
of Goil's fervants, is their fin and mifcarriages. Hero I Shall
obferve two or three things in the general' concern ing this, be
fore I Ihetv how he draws his falfe conclusions from thence.
As,- '. r
1. That with a kind of feigned ingenuity, he will grant a
differencebetwixt "fin and Sin, betwixt fins reigning, and not
reigning ; fins mortified, and, not mortified ; betwixt the fins
ofthe converted, and the unconverted : And tipon this Suppo
sition he uSually proceeds. He doth not always, except in'cafe
of great fins; argue Want of regeneration from- one fin for that
argument r ' This' is "a fin, therefore thou art not a "convert,'
would-be eafily anfwered, by one that knows the' faints have
their imperfedions, but He thus deals with men : ' Thefe fins
whereof thoU art guilty, are reigning fins,' Such as- are incon-
Siftent with a Converted eftate, and therefore thou art yet Ain-re-
generated. '•1. He produceth ufually for the backing of his argument,
fiich fcriptures as do truly reprefent the State of men unfandi-
fied ; but then his labeur is to -make the parties to appear -fuit-
able to the defcription of the; unregenerate. And tb that pur
pofe he aggravates all their failings to them : He makes fevere
Onquiries after all their fin's, and if he can charge them with
any notorious crime, he lays load upon that, ftill concluding
that a regenerate perfon doth not fin at fuch a rate as they do.
3. This is always a very difficult cafe.: it is not eafy to an
fwer -the Objedions that he will nrgp from hence : For, (1.) If
there be the real guilt of any grievous or remarkable fcandal
Which' he objeds, the accufed party {though never fo know
ing, or formerly, never fo holy) will be hardly put, lb it to
determine any thing in favour of his eflate. 1. The fad can
not be denied. 2. The fcripture nominates particularly fuch
pffences, as render a man unfit for the kingdom of God,
3. Whether, in fuch cafes, grace be not xvholly loft, is a quef
tion in which all are not agreed. 4. However it will be very
doubtful whether fuch had ever any grace. v The fcriptiire hath
given them np note of difference, to diftingdifh betwixt a re
generate and unregenerate perfon, in the ads of murder,; ad ill-.
tery, fornication, %3c. .It doth not fay the regenerate commits
an ad of grofs iniquity in this manner, the unregenerate in
that, and thai: there is a vifible diftindion betwixt the one and,
the other, relating to thefe very ads. Ahdwhatevermay.be
SuppoSed to bp the inward, workings of grace in the foul, while
it is reduced to fo narrow „a compafs; as a Spark of Sire raked
Uu up

. 338 Ji Treatife of V Part II,'
up in afhes, yet the weight of prefent guilt upon the foul
When it is charged, home, will always poife it toward the worft
apprehenfions that can be made concerning its ftate. Former
ads of hplinefs will be difowned under the notion of hypocrify ;
or if yet owned^ to be true, they will be apt to think that true
grace may be utterly loft. Prefent ads of grace they can fee
none, fo that only the after ads of repentanPe- can difcover
that there is yet a being and life of grace in them, and till then
¦they can never anfwer Satan's argument from great fins. But
(a.) In the ufual infirmities of God's children the cafe is not
fo eafy. For the fcriptures give inftances of fome, whofe con
versations couid not be taxed with any notorious evils.; who
though they were not far from the kingdom of God, yet were
not of the kingdom of God : A freedom then from great fins,
is not pleadable, as an undoubted mark of grace. And if 0-
thers that are not converted, may Have no' greater infirmities
than fome that are, the difference betwixt the one and the o-
thcrrhuft depend upon the fecret powers of grace, giving cheek
to thefe infirmities, and Striving to mortify them : And this
will be an intricate queftion. The apoftle, Rom. vii. nj.
notes indeed three differences betwixt the regenerate, and un
regenerate, in this cafe of fins of infirmity. 1. Hatred ofthe
fin, before the commiffion of it ; 'What I hate, that do I.'
2. Reludancy in the ad : ' What I would, that do I not.'
3. Difallowanceafter the ad : « That which I do, I allow not.'
Yet feeing natural light will afford fome appearances of disal
lowance, and reludancy, it will ftill admit of further debate,
whether the principles, motives, degrees and fuccefs of thefe
Strivings, be fuch as may difcover the being and power of real
crace.
o While Satan doth infift upon arguments from the fins of
believers, for the proof of an unconverted eftate, he only aims
to make good this pdinU, that their fins are reigning fins, and
confequently that they cannot be in fogood'a conditibn as they
are willing, to think. And to make their fins to carry that ap
pearance, _ bis conftant courfe is to aggravate them all he can :
Shis is his defign, and the means by which he would effed it-
His great art in this cafe, is to heighten the fins of the regene
rate ; this he doth many ways. As,
1. From the nature of the fin committed, and the manner bf
its commiffion : And this he chiefly labours, becaufe his ar
guments from hence are more probable, efpecially considering
what he fixeth upon ufually, is that which may moft favour
his conclusion. As, (1.) ]f any have fallen into a great fin,
which a child of God doth but rarely commit,, then he argues
againft

Chap.' VIII. Satan's Temptations^ 339
againft him thus: 'They that are in Chrift, dp mortify, the
flefh with the affedions and lufts, they caft away the works, of
darknefs : And thefe works of the flefh are manifeft,' Gal. v.
19. 'Adultery, fornication, uncleannefs, lafcivioufnefs, idola
try, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, \$c. becaufe of
thefe things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of dif
obedience. Be not therefore partakers with, them^ have rto
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknefs,' Eph. v. 6,
11. ' But thou haft not put thefe away, nor mortified them, as
thy prefent fin doth teftify, therefore thou art no child of "God.'
(2.) If any do more than once or twice relapfe into the fame
fin, (fuppofe It be not fo highly Scandalous as the former,) then
he pleads from thence, that they are backfliders in heart, that
they have broken their covenant with God, that they are in
bondage to fin, . Here he urgeth, it may be, that of 2 Pet. ii.
19,20. ',Of whom a man is overcome, of the fame' is he
brought in bondage ; — The dog is returned to his vomit.' ,
(3.) Or if any have by any offencej more/ remarkably gone a-
gairlSt their knowledge, or violated their confcience, , then he
, tells them, ' that they fin wilfully, that they rejed the counfel
ofthe Lord, that they are the fervants pf fin ; for his Servants
ye are to whom ye obey,' Rom. yi. 16. ' And that where there,
is grace, though they may fall, yet it is ftill againft their wills,'
\§c. (4.) If he have not fo clear ground to manage any of
the former charges againft them, then he argues from the fre
quency of their various mifcarriages. Here he fets their fins
In order before them, rakes them altogether, that he may op-
prefs them by a multitude, when he cannot prevail by. an ac-
cufation from one or two ads : And his- pleading here is,
' Thou art nothing but fin, thy thoughts are evil continually ;
thy words are vain and unprofitable, thy adions foolifh and
wicked, and this in all thy employments, in all relations, at all
times. What duty is there that is not negleded or defiled ?
What fin that is not fome way or other committed ? %£>c. Can
fuch an heart as thine be the temple of the Holy Ghoft ? For
the temple p£ the Lord is holy, and. his people are wafhed and
cleanfed,' \§c. ..'
Thefe are all of them ftrong objedions, and frequently made
ufe of by Satan," as the complaints pf the fervants of. God do
teftify, who are made thus to except; againft themfelves ; ' If
opr fins were but the ufual failings of the converted, we might
comfort ourfelves ; but they are great, they are backflidings,
they are againft confcience, they are many ; what can we judge,
but we Have hitherto deceived ourfelves, and that the work of
converfion is yet to dp ? ' The objedions that are from great
fins, or from recidivatiop, or wilful violation of confcience do,
U u 2 ufually

34Q A Trtgatifeof FartJLr
ufually prevail for Some time ,againft the beft that are charges
able with them ; they cannot determine that they are'converted;.
though they might be fo; fo long as they cannot deny the mat
ter of fad- upon- which the accufation is grounded;, till their
true'' repentance' give them fome light of better mformatioH,
they are in the dark and cannot anfwer the argument,- Jonah
being inriprifoned in the whale'sbelly,for his Stubborn rebellion,
at fiyft concluded himfelf a call-away; Jonah ik 4>, ' Thenl faid
lam1 caft out of thy fight'.' Neither cpulds he think better of
himfelf, till upon his- repentance, he- recovered his- faith and
hope of pardon, 'Yet Will I look again toward thyholy temple,'-
Ye<t; thofe objedions that are' raifed from the multitude and
frequency of leffer failings, though they may be anfwered-by a.
child of God, while his heart is not overfhadowed: with the
mifts- and clouds of temptation, yet' when he is confufed- w-kb
Violent commotions within, his heart will fail him', and tifl he!
can bring himfelf to fome compofur-e of Spirit, he hath not the
boldnefs to, affertiiis integrity. David was gravelled with this
objedion, Pfal. xl. 12. ' Innumerable evils, have Gompafied> me
about, mine iniquities- liave taken hold upon 'me, So that I am
not able to look up; they are more than the hairs on my head^
therefore my heart faileth me.'
2. He aggravates the finfulnefs. of our condition^ from the
frequency and violence of his own temptations. It is an ufuat
thing'fot him to give young converts inceflant Ofefets-of temp
tation to Sin : , Moft commonly he Works upon their natural con
stitution, he blows the coals that are not yet quite extinguished,
and that have greater forwardnefs from their own inclination
to kindle again, as luft and paflion. The firft motions ofthe
one, (though it go no further, than thofe offers and rifirtgsup.
in_rhe heart, and is there damped and kept down by the oppo
sing principle of grace) and the occafional out-breakings- of
the other, (which he provokes by a diligent preparation, of oc-'.
cafion from without, and violent incitations from within)" fur-
iiiShhim with fufficient matter for his intended accufations ;
and fometimes (being as it were wholly negligent ofthe ad
vantages, which our tempers give him, or not being able to-
find any fuch. forwardnefs to thefe evils- inour constitution, as
may more eminently ferve his ends) he fatisfies- himfelf to mo
left us with earneft motion's to any fina. indifferently ; and alt
this to make us believe, that fin is not crucified in us-. Which-
fome are more apt to believe, becaufe they obferve tiieir temp-
rations to thefe fins, to importune them more, and with greater
vehemency than they were wont to do before : And this doth
yet the more aflonifh them, becaufe they had high expedations that

jCttap..VIII. Satan's Temptations. 341
that after their converfion, Satan would fall before them, and
their temptations abate ; that their matures fhould be altered,
and their natural inclinations to) -thefe fins wholly ceafe : But
now finding the contrary, they are ready to cry out, efpecially
when Satan violently buffets them with this objedion, * We
are yet in our fins^ amd under the dominion thereof; neither
can it be that we are converted, becaufe we find fin more adive
and* Stirring than formerly ;, it is not then furely mortified in Us,
Lut lively and ft rong.' Though in this cafe it he very plain
that - temptations are only ftrong, amd fin weak,, and that grace
is faithfully ading Its part againft the fleSh, arguing,, not that
grace is fo very weak, but that Satan is more bufy than ordi
nary ; the fins are not more than formerly, but the light that
discovers them more is greater, and the confcience that relents
the temptation is more tender. Yet all this doth not at .firft,
give eafe te the fears that are now raifed up in the mind ; they
findfin woflking in them, their expedations of attaininga greater
conqueft on a fudden, and with greater eafe, are difappointed,
(and: the defire of having much, makes.a man think himfelf
poor) and withal they commonly labour under fo much ignow
ranee, or perverfe credulity, that they conclude they confent to
every thing which they are tempted to^ infoiriach that it is long
before thefe clouds do vaaiSb, and, the afflided brought to al
right understanding of themfelves.
3. From fome remarkable appearances of God, dothf Satan
aggravate our finfiil condition. If God Shew any notable ad
of power, he makes the beams of that ad refled upon our nn-
worthinefs with a daazling light. When Peter faw die power
of Chrift, in fending a great! multitude of fifties into' his net,
having laboured all night before and caught nothing, it gave
fo deep an impreffion fo the convidion of his vilenefs, that he
was ready to put Chrift from him,, as being altogether unfit for
his bteffed Society, ' depart faith he, from me; for I am a Sinful
man.' If God difcover the glorious fplendor of. his holinefs, it
is enough tp make the holieft Saints, fuch as Jab and Ifaiah, tot
cry out they, are undone,, being men of uijicleaii lips, and to ab
hor themfelves in dull and aShes, Job lxii. 6. Ifa. vi. 5. The
. like- may be faid of any difcovery of the reft of the- glorious-' at
tributes of God, Of all which Satan- makes this, advantage,
that the parties tempted Should have fo deep a confideration of
their unworthinefs, as might induce them to believe; as if it
were by a voice from heaven,, that God prohibts them, any
approaches to him, and that they have nothing to do to take
God's name within their mouths'. And though thefe remark-.
able difcoveries"1 of God, either by his ads. of power, and. provi dence

34«„ , A Treatife of > ' Part: IT.
dence, or" by immediate impreffions upon tlie Soul, in the
height of contemplation, haye ordinarily great effeds upohthe
hearts of his children, but nbt of long continuance: Yet where
they Strike in with other - arguments by which they were al- .
ready Staggered as to their intereft in God, they mightily
Strengthen them, and are taken for no lefs than God's- own de
termination of the queftion againft them. • * ¦ .
But this is not all the ufe that Satan makes of them ; for
from hence he fometimes hath the opportunity to raife. new ac-
cUfaticns againft them, and to tax them with particular crimes,
Which in a particular manner feem to prove them unregenerate.
Fpr what would feem to be a clearer charader of a man dead
in trefpafles and fins, than a hard heart, that can neither be Sen
sible oS judgments nor mercies? This he Sometimes. -chargeth
upon the children of God, from the great disproportion that
they find in themfelves, betwixt the little fenfe that they feem
to have and that which is difproportionable, they reckon to be
nothing, and the vaft greatnefs of God's mercy v or. holinefs. I
have obferved fome to complain of utter unthankfulnefs; andin-
SenfibleneSs of heart, from thence concluding confidently againSt
themfelves, becaufe when God hath remarkably appeared for
them, in deliverances from dangers, or in unexpeded kindnel".
fes, they could,, not render a thankfulnefs that carried; any
proportion to the mercy. While they were in the higheft ad
miration of the kindnefs, faying, what Shall I render to. the
Lord ? they were quite out of the fight of their own fenfe and
feeling, and thought they returned nothing at all, becaufe
they returned nothing equivalent to what they had received.
Others I have known, who from the confufion and amazement
of their fpirits, when they have been overwhelmed with trou
bles, have pofitively determined themfelves to be fenfelefs, Stu
pid, paft feeling, hardened to deftrudioh: when in both cafes a-
ny might have feen the wcrking pf their hearts to be an
apparent contradidion to what Satan charged them withal; for
they were not unapprehensive either of mercies or judgments ;
but on the contrary, had only a greater fenfe of them than they
were able to manage.
4. To make full meafure, Satan doth fometimes aggravate
the mifcarriages of thofe whom he intends to accufe, by com
paring their lives and adions with the holy lives of fome .emi
nent fervants of God, efpecially fuch as they have only heard
of, and not known perfonally.. For fo they have only their
virtues reprefented, without their failings; Here Satan takes a
liberty of declaiming againft them : and though he qould never
fpare a faint a good, word out of refped ; yet that others might be

Chap.VIII. Satan's Temptatietis. 343
be put out, of heart and hope, he will commend the holinefs,
ftridnefs, care, constancy of dead faints to the Skies. , And
then he queries, ' Art thou fuch an one ? Canft, thou fay thou
art any thing like them, for a heavenly heart, ajholy life, a con
tempt ofthe world, a zeal for, God, for good wprks, for patient
-fuffering? &.c. all. this while not a word of their WeakneSSes.
TheSe, faith he, were the fervants of the Moft High ; their
examples thou fhouldeft follow, if thou expedeft their crown.
Had they any, more holinefs than they needed ? And, if thou
haft not 10 much,- thou art nothing. What can humility,, mo-
defty, and fenfe of guilt, fpeak in fuch a cafe? They go away
mourning, their fears increafe upon them ; and what God hath
Set before them in the examples of his fervants for the increafe
of their diligence, they take. to be as a witnefs againft them, to
prove them unconverted. ,
5. The laft part of Satan's fophiftry is to leffen their gra
ces, that fo he may altogether deny them. In this he pro
ceeds upon fuch fcriptures as do.affert the fruits ofthe Spi
rit ; and urgeth for his foundation, that none are the chil
dren of God . but fuch as are led by the Spirit ; and that he
that hath not the Spirit of Chrift, is none. of his. The ne
ceffity of faith, love, patience, humility, with the fruits of
thefe and other graces, he preffeth ; but ftill, in order fo a'
demonstration, as he pretends,- that fuch are not to be found
in thofe, whofe gracious ftate he calls into queftion, and con
fequently that they are not the children of God.
The rule by which he manageth himfelf in this difpute, is
this : The more graqes are heightened in the notions, that muft
give an account of their nature and beings ; the more difficult
it will be to find out their reality in the pradice of them. His
defign then hath thefe two parts. I. He heightens grace in
the notion, or abftrad, all he can. 2. He leffens it into the con
crete, or pradice, as much as is poffible, that it may appear a
very nullity, a Shadow, and not a fubftance. I fhall fpeak a
little of both,
1. As to the firft part of his defign, he hath many -ways by
which he aggravates grace in the notion. We may be fure if
it lie in his way,- he will not flick to give falfe definitions of
grace ; and to, tell men that it is What indeed it is, not. He is a
liar, and in any cafe whatfoever he will lie for his advantage, if
he have hope his lie may pafs for current ; hut he cannot al
ways ufe a palpable cheat in this matter, where the nature of
any grace is positively determined in fcripture, except it be
with. the ignorant, or where the nature of grace is made a bufi
nefs of controverfy amqng men. I will 'not make conjedures what

344 A Treatife of Part it
what Satan may poflibly fay, in belying the -nature of grace, to
make it feem to bV quite another thing than it is ; but fliall ra
ther ffaew you the more ufual plaufiMe ways of - deceit - which
herein, he exercifeth ; and they are thefe that follow." ^
I. As 'the fame graces have different degrees in feveral per
fons, and thefe different degrees have operations Suitable; feme
ads being Stronger, fome weaker, Some more perfed and rip
ened, others more imperfed and immature : So When Satan
comes to defcribe grace, he fets it forth in its higheft excel
lencies, and moft glorious attainments. You Shall never ob-
ferve him to Speak oS graces at their loweft pitch, except where
he is carrying on a defign Sor prefumption, and then he tells
men that any wifhing, or Woulding is grace' ; and every formal
" Lord forgive me," is true repentance ; but on the contrary,
he offers the higheft reach of it, that any faint on earth ever
arrived at, as effentially neeefla-ry to constitute its being ; and
tells them, if they have not that, they have nothing. Let us
fee it in the particulars, i. Grace Sometimes hath its extra-
os-dinaries, as 1 may call them ; we have both precept and ex
ample of that nature in fcripture, which are propounded not as
the common Standard by which the being and' reality of grace
is to be meafured, but as patterns Sor imitation, -to provoke us
to emulation ; and to quicken us in proflmg forward. ^ Of this
nature I reckon to be the example e-f Mofes, defirihg to be
blotted out of God's book, (whatever he meant by it) in his
love to the people ; and the like of the Apoftle Paul, wishing
himfelf to be accurfed from Chrift, for his brethren's fake,
Of this nature alfo we have many precepts ; as * rejoice ever- ,
more,' of waiting and longing for the appearance of Chrift, of
rejoicing when we fall into divers temptations; and many more
to this purpofe. AH which ave heights of grace that do rarely
appear among the fervants of God,' at any time. 2. Grace hath
Sometimes its fpecial afliftances ; this is when the occafion is
(extraordinary, but the grace befitting that occafion is ptomifed
in .ordinary, and ordinarily received. When God calls any
to fuch occafions, though compared with that meafure of grace,
which ufually is 'aded by the children of God upon ordinary
occafions, it is a fpecial affiftance of the Spirit, Of this nature
is that boldnefs which the fervants of Chrift receive, to cpnfefs
Chrift before men in times of perfecution, and to die for
the. truth with conftancy, courage, and joy. 3. There are alfo
fingular eminencies of grace, which fome diligent, careful, and'
chbice fervants. of God attain uhfo, far above what the ordinary
fort arrive at. Enoch had his converfation fo much in heaven,
that he was faid tb walk with God. David's foul was often full

Chap, VIII. Satan's Temptations. 345
full bf delight in God. Some in the height of afliirance rejoice
in God with joy unfpe.akable and full of glory. Mofes was e-
minent in meeknefs, Job in patience, the Apoftle Paul in zeal
for promoting the gofpel, &c. Now Satan when he comes to
queftion the graces of men, he prefents them with thefe mea
fures ; and if they fall Short, as ordinarily they do, he con
cludes them altogether gracelefs. !•
2. Satan alfo can do much to heighten the ordinary work,
and ufual fruits of every grace., His art herein lies in two
things. 1. He gives us a defcription of grace as it ij in itfelf,.
abftraded from the weaknefs, dullnefs, diftradion, and infirmi
ties that are concomitant with it, as it comes forth to pradice.
He brings to our liiew grape in its glory, and withoiit the fpots,
by which our weaknefs and Satan's temptation do much disfi
gure it. 2. He prefents us with grace in its whole body, com
pleted with all it's members, faith, love, hope, patience, meek
nefs, gentlenefs, &c. From both the.fe he fets before thofe-
whom he intends to difcourage a complete copy of an exad
holy Chriftian, as if every true Chriftian were to be founp)
in the conftant pradice pf all thefe graces at all ' times, on
all occafions, and that without weaknefs or infirmity; where- >
as indeed a true Chriftian may be found fometimes evidently
pradifing pne grace, and Weak:, or at prefent defedive in a-
nother. And fometimes the beft of his graces is fo inter
rupted with temptation, fo clogged with infirmity, that its
workings are fcarce difcernible,
3. He hath a policy in heightening thofe attainments and
Workings of foul, in things relating to God and religion, which
are to be found in temporary believers ; which, becaufe they
fometimes appear in the unconverted, as well as in the con
certed, though all unconverted men have them not, are there
fore called common graces. This he doth, that he may from
thence take occafion to difprpve the real graces of the fervants
of God, of whom better things, and things that accompany
falvation (that is, fpecial Saving graces) are to be expeded?
Heb. yi. 9. , His way herein is, I. To Shew the utmoft bravery
of thefe common graces, how much men may have, how far
they may go, and yet at laft come to nothing. For gifts, they
may have powerful eloquence, prophecy, underftanding of myf
teries, faith of miracles. For good works, they may give their
eftates to relieve the poor. In moral virtues they may be ex
cellent, thfeir Illumination may' be great, they may ' tafte the
good word of God, and' the.powers of the world to come,' Heb.
vi. 4. Their converfation may be without offence, and their
confcience boneft, as Paul's was before his converfion. 2. With
Xx thefp'

34g jf Treatife of PartlL
thefe heights of pommori gr'acp he compares theTbw'pft'degfefe
of fpecial' grace.'. And ' beca'ufe' the principles, motives, and'
ehds, which Constitute the difference ' betwixt thefe" two, are, as
it were, under ground, more remote S'rbrii "fenfe an'd obSerVa-"-
tion, an'd oftentimes darkened' by temptation,, he take's the1
boldnefs to'deny the truthof grace, lipbh the account of the
fmall inconfiderable appearance that it makes, confidently a'E
firming, that fpecial grace' muft of n'eceflity make 'a far greater
outward Shew' than thefe common graces. In what' manner,
ahd to what end Safari doth heighten grace" ih tlib abflradj we
ha'v'e'feeh';Bit remains' that we difcover, "
2. How' he doth leffen" grade' in the concrete ; this is the
centre' of his" defigh. He would not' extol grace fp much, but
that he" Hopes thereby to condemn the generation pf the juft,
Eiid to niake it appear that there are few or none that are
truly gracious. When he conies tb apply all' this to the con-
diti'on of any child of God, he deals treacherouSly, arid hi's
cunning confifls of three parts:
r. He compares thepteferi't Slate bf any one with wliom he
deals to the liigheft attainment's arid excellencies of grace, al
lowing nothing to bfe grace, but what' will aiifw'er thefe defcrip-
t ion's" K'e had already given. Here' the tempter doth apparpntly
make life of a falfe balance^ and a bag of deceitful' weights. For
thus he puts them to' if, Thou fayft thou haft' grace, but thou
db'ft altogether deceive tfiyfel^,1 for indeed thou haft 'none at all.
Compare thyfelf with others that were in tlie fcripture noted
as' 'undoubtedly gracious, and thou' wilt fee that ih the balance
thou a'rt lighter than vanity. Abraham Had faith, ' but he fie-"
lieved above hope.' Mofes and" Paul' had love, but they mani
fested it, by preferring their brethrens Happinefs before their
own. David was a faint, but he had a heart raviShed with God-
The mirtyi's fpoken of in Heb". xi. they could4 do wonders ;
they were above fears o£ men, above the love of the world;
they loved riot their lives to the death; How joyfully took they
the fpoiling of tiieir gbods ? HoW courageously did they fuffer
the S&a'rpett torments ? Befides, faith' he, all the children of God
are defcribed as fzfa'difkd throughout, abounding with all fruits
bf righteoufnefs ; their faith is working, their love ftill labo-i
ribiis, their hope pro'duceth conftaht patience. What art thou
to th'efe ? That if) thefe Which thou calleft faith, or love, or pa
tience, Stc. it is not fit to benatoed with thefe. Thy fears may
tell thee, that thou haft nc faith,- ahd fp may, thy works"; thy
murrnurtags under God's hand is evidence fufficient, that thou
haft no patience. Thfe little that thou doft for God, or efpe
cially wouldft do, if it were not for thy own advantage, may
convince

Chap. VIII. .Safari^ temptations. 347
..convince .thee, that thp,u,jhaft. po love- tor trim ; thy.wearjlpefs^pf
fervices apd duties, thy cqnfeffed unprofitabknefs iinder all, do
(.proclaim thou haft no delight, in. G,od, nor fo, his ways. He
.further adds, for; the, confirmation.. of. all„this,, epnfider hpw.f^r
.jtern.pprar,ips. may, go; lbat.fball..neyer; go to heaven. ,Thou art
far. fljort .oS> them, ;, thy. gifts, thy .works,, thy virtues, thy illu
mination, thy converfa.tipn, thy confcigntioufnefs are. nothing
Jike^thejrs : , How is it.poffible then ,;/that fuchta,n,Qpef.as^ thpu,
,a..pitiful contemptible, creature, fhqu^dit, have.any thing of, tpie
f!grace.in:thpe? Thus be .makes the, application ,pf . ail, jthe^ c\if-
covery..ofjjgraee,whieh hetprefen,ted to them. ;,, though. he. needs
hot,urge afl^thgfe thjpgs tqevpjy.one, any one of fheSe^parri-
, .cpjars ; frequently feryps the. turn. When,, a trembling, heart
, compares. itfelf with .theSe, inftances, it turns.its^ack, yields. t^ie
argument, and is. afhamed of its fo.irner hopes,. a^thpfe are.pf
their former pgnS^d^pce jwho^flee frQm.battle. Hen,ce then, do
We bear of thefe, yaripus complaints ; one faith, Alas ! I, haye
no grace, becaufe I live not, as other; faints hay e, done, in all ex -
adnefs. A'.)9,th«r. faith, I have^o. faith, becaufe I cannot be-
lipye above rpafpn,. and contrary to . fpnfe, as Abraham did, ,,A
third cries, He, hath pq.lpve.to Qod,tbrepaufe he cannot find. his
. . foul raviShed with .defire, after him. -Another thipks,. He hajh
a„hard heart, .becaufe, be, cannot .weep for, fin. Another cop-
ollldes, agaipft himfelf* becaufe rhe., findsfnot, a prefent cheerful
refcdve (whjlp.he is, not,, under anyquefiipn for. religion) to^uf-
,.:feis-tqrments, for Chrift. ,,Some,fear themSelves, becaufe tem
poraries in fome particulars have much put gone them. <i You. fee
.hpw complaintsf,may, upon this Score, ,be. multiplied withput pnd;
and yet all this .is but .faflapy., Satan, tells them, what grace is at
the. higheft, but not'a,woid. of what it is at pie. lowed ;.and fo.un-
Jkilful is a tiffed,, weak .Chriftian, that heiii examiping his con-
,ditipn,lopks after the highsft degrees of grace; as affordingdearor
evidence, and not after the Sincerity of it, which, is the.fafeft way
for trial, where, graces are w,eak. , In a^.word, this, kind of ar
guing is no better than, that of children, .who cannot conclude
themfelves to be inen, becaufe their prefent Statute,, is little, and
they are not as tall as 'the adult.
.2.- Another, part of his, cunning. in leffening-the real graces, of
God's, .children, is, to, take them at an advantage, when, their
graces are weakeft, and themfelves mpft out of order. He that
will choofe to meafure a man's, ftatnre while, he is upon, his
knees^ feems, not to defign to give a faithful account of his height.
No, more doth Satan, who, when he will make comparifons, al^
ways takes the' fervants of God at the worft. And indeed ma.
fay advantages do the, children of God give him, infomuch that
XV 2 ' : * 'it

g48 A Treatife of Fart ti.
it is no wonder that he doth fo oft baffle them, but rather a
wonder, that they at any time return to their comforts. 1.
Sometimes he takes them to talk while they are yet young and
tender, when they are but newly converted, before their graces
are grown tip; ' or have had time to put forth any confideraM'e
fruit. 2. Or when their graces are tired out, by long or grie
vous affaults of temptation; for then they are not what they
are at' other times. 3. When their hearts are difcompofed or
muddied' with fear; for then their fight , is bad, and they can
fo Hale judge of fhifrgsrthat differ, that Satan can impofe almoft
anything upon them. 4. Sometimes he comes upon them,
when feme grace ads his part but poorly (as not having its
perfed work) and is "fcarce able to get through, fticking'as it
Were in the birth. 5. Or when the progrefs of grace is fmall
and imperceptible. 6. Or wliile in the abfence of the fun
(which produceth flowers and fragrancy, and is the time of the
linging of birds, Cant. ii. 11, 12.) it is forced to caft off its
fuhimer-fruits of joy and fenfible delights, and only produceth
winter fruits of lamenting after God, longing and panting after
him, justifying of God in his dealings, and 'condemning itfelf ;
all this While Sowing in tears, Sor a more pleafing crop. 7. Or
while expedations are more than enjoyments, the man it may
foe proniifed himSelf large incomes of greater meafures of corn-
forts, eafe or ftrength, under fome particular ordinances or helps
which he hath lately attained to ; and not finding things pre
fently to anfwer what he hoped for, is now fufpicions of his
cafe, and thinks he hath attained .npthing, becaufe he hath not
what he would. 8. Sometimes Satan Shews them his face in
this glafs, when it is fouleft, through the Spots of fome mifcar
riage. 9. Or he takes advantage of fome natural defeds, as
Want of tears, which might be more ufual in former times, but
are now dried up ; or from the ebbings and uncertainty of his
affedions, which are never fure rules of trials. x6. Or in fuch
ads that are of a mixed nature in the principles and motives.
Where it may feem to be uncertain to which the ad muft be
afcribed, as to the true parent. The heart of a gracious perfon
being challenged upon any of thefe points, and under fo great
a disadvantage; being called out to give a proof of Himfelf, efpe
cially in the view of grace fet forth in all its excellency and
glory, (hall have little to plead, but will rather own the accu-
fatioii ; and the rather, becaufe
3. It is another part of Satan's cunning, to Urge, them,
whilft tjiey are thus at a Stand, with a poflib'ility, nay a proba
bility of their miflaking themfelves, by paffing too favourable
an opinion formerly of their adions. To confirm them in this-
apprehenfion,

Chap. VIII. ' Satan's Temptations. 349
apprehenfion, i. He lays before them the confideration of the
deceitfulnefs ofthe heart, Jer. xvii. 6. which (being fo above
all things, and defperately wicked beyond ordinary difcovery)
makes a fair way for the entertainment of a fufpicion of Self
deluflon in all the former hopes which aman hath had of him
felf. Satan will plainly fpeak it, Thou haft had fome thoughts
and workings of mind towards God, but feeing they carry; fo
great a difprOportion to rule and example, and come fo. far
Short of common graces, it is more than probable, that fuch '
poor, weak, confufed appearances are nothing, i How knoweft
thou, that thine adherence to, and pradice of the command
and fervices of God are any more, than from the power of edu
cation, the prevalency of cuftom, or the impreflions of moral
fwafion ? How doft thou know, that thy defires after God,-
and thy delight in him; are any more than the produds of na
tural principles, -influenced by an historical faith of fcripture
dodrine ? It is oftentimes enough for Satan to hint this : A
fufpicious heart '(as it were greedy of its own mifery) catcheth
at all things that make againft' it, and hence complains, that it
bath no grace,' becaufe it fees not any vifible fruits, or makes
not a fufficient appearance at all times, when oppoled or refitt
ed ; or becaufe it wants fenfible progrefs, or gives not the
fummer- fruits of praifes, rejoicings, and delights in God,;
or becaufe it -feems not to meet with remarkable improvements
in ordinances ; or becaufe it cannpt produce tears, and raife the
affedions ; and becaufe the party doth not know, but his heart
might deceive him in all- that he hath done. Which the devil
yet further -endeavOureth to confirm, 2. By a confideration of
the feeming holinefs and graces- of fuch, as believed themfelves
to be the children of God, and were generally by others repu
ted fo to be, who yet after a glorious profeflion turned apof-
tates. This being fo great and undeniable an inftance of the
heart's deceitfulnefs, makes the poor tempted patty conclude,
that he is certainly no true convert.
Thus have we feen Satan's fophiftry in the management ef
thofe five grand topics, from whence he draws his falfe con
clufibns againft the children of God, pretending to prove that
they are not converted ; or at leaft, if they be in a ftate of grace,
that they in that ftate are in a very bad unfuitable condition to
it. For if his arguments fall Short of the firft, they feldom -mifs
the latter mark. This was his firft engine, no w follows,
idly, Thp other engine by which he-fixeth thefe conclufions,
•Which though it be not argumentative, yet it ferves to fharpen
all his fallacies againft the comforts of God's children ; this is
a fear, which together with his objedions he fends into the
rnjnd

, 3 jf o A Treatife pf
mind. That Satan can r?i£e a'ftorm , and \ commotion : in the
heart by fear,; hath been proved before, i L.Shall, now: onlyin.a
j few things -Shew* how he doth forward his defign, by, aftonjfli-
ing the heart with his frightful thunderings,- ^
'lj?,'His objedions being' accompanied i with . affrightments^
they! pafs for ftrong undeniable arguments,, artd their, fallacy is
not >fo eafily deteded. '-. Fear, ¦¦ as ,well-as .anger, darkens .reafon.,
anddifables the. underftanding to makeia true faithful fearohin-
, to things, ot, togive. a right, judgment : - As , darknefs deceives
'the -fenfes,- and makes every buSh-affirigbtfulto the^paffepger ;
or as muddied waters hinder the fight ; -fo do>fears in the heart
-difable-a man to difcover the- fillieft cheat: that Satan, can^put
|>upon it.
¦idly, ¦ They are alfo very credulous. When fear is ,up,. any
¦fuggeftiort takes place. As. fufpicious i incredulity is an effed
of joy, the difciples at firft hearing that Chrift: was rifen„for
'-joy believed it not, fo fufpicious credulity is the effed of tfear ;
, and- we Shall obferve feveral things'. in the fervants, of Gods that
Shew a Strange inclination, as itwere anatural aptitude, to be-
lifeve the evil of their fpiritual eftate which. Satan fuggefts,to
them. ¦ As, i. There is agreatforw-atdnefstatid, precipitancy
in the heart to -cloSe-rwith evil thoughts raifed. up in ius., When
jealbuSies of God's love are injeded,- thera is,a violent haStinefs
¦forthwith,' all cal m^ deliberation being laid afide, -to entertain, a
belief of it. -This- -is i more, than bnce.nsted in the. Bfalms. , Jn
this cafe David acknowledgeth- this: ihafty humour, ' Ifaidiri
my hafte,' Pfal. xxxi.'22iafid Pfali.csaa. ii. This hafty, for
wardnefs to, -determine things that are againft, us, without due
examination, Afaph calls a great, weaknefs, '- This is my, infir
mity,' Pfal. Ixxvii. 10. 2. There is obfervable, in thofe' thai!
are- under fpiritual troubles, a great! kind of delight, if I may
fo call it, to hear threatenings rather than promifes; and fuch
difcourfes as fet forth themifery of a natural State, .rather than
fuch as fpeak of the happinefs of the ccn verted,-, becaufe <tbefe'
things, in their apprehenfion,' are1 .more, fuifable to their condi
tion, iand more needful for them, in order to a greater meafure'
of humiliation, which they fuppofe to be- neceffary 3 however,-
thus theyadd fuel to the flame. 3. They have an aptitude to
hide themfelves from comfort, and with a wonderful nimble-s
nefs of wit -and reafoningj to evade and anfwer any argument
brought for their comfort^ .as- if they.. had been .volunteers in
Satan's fervice, to fight againft themfelves. 4. • They have al
fo fo great a blafting upon their understanding, that Satan's1
tempting them to doubt of their good eftate> is' to them a Suf
ficient"

JGbjap. I&. " Satan's\ Temptations, 351*-.
fitierit reafon to doubt ofit; and that is ground enough for them
to deny it, beeanfe Satan queflions it.
' 5: Thefe fears make, all Satan's Suggestions Strike- the deep
er'; tHey point all His arrows,- and make them pierce, as it
were, the joints and marrow ; they poifon and envenom them,
tbthe great increafe of the torment, and hinderance ofthe cure;
they bind' the- objedions upon1 them, and1 confirm them in a
certain belief that they are all true. We have now viewed 'Sa
tan's engines and batteries againft- the Servants of the Iiotdj for
the deft'rudion of their joy and peace byfpiritualtroubles ; but
thefe are but thp beginnings of forrows, if compared with- thofe
diftreSTes of foul' which he fometimes brings upon them, of'
which next.

C H A P. IX.
Qf his fourth, way to fcinder peace, by fpiritual diftreffesi. 1. The*
nature of thefe diflrejfes,. the ingredients and' degrees of them,
whether all diflrejfes, of foul arife from melancholy, ? 1. Sa
tan's method in working them, the occafions he- makes ufe of,,
thewrgumem-tsi he urgeth, the- fir engthening of them by fears.
3. Their weight and burden explained, in feveral particulars.
Some concluding cautions..
f | 'HE laft fort of troubles by which Satan overthrows the
•*¦ peace of the foul, are fpiritual diftreSJes ; thefe are more
grievous agonies of foul,, under deepeft apprehenfions of divine
wrath; and dreadful fears of everlafting damnation, differing
in- nature and- degree from the. former Sorts of troubles,
though in thefe Satan obferves much, the Samp, general method
which he ufed in fpiritual troubles laft mentioned ; for which
caufe, and alfo that thefe are npt So, common as the other, I
Shall Speak of them with greater brevity. Herein I Shall Shew,
1. Their nature. 2. Satan's method in working them, 3. Their
weight and burden.
xft, The nature of Spiritual diftreSTes will be beft difcovered,
by a confideration oSthoSe ingredients pf which they are made
up, and of the differ' nt degrees thereof.
1,, As to the ingredients, there are feveral things that do. •
concur for the begetting of thefe violent diftrefles. As,: (1.)
There is ufually a complication of feveral kinds of troubles.
Sometimes there are outward troubles, and inward: difcompo
fures pf fpirit .arifing from thence ; fometimes affrightments of
blafphemous thoughts long continued, and ufually Spiritual
troubles, in which their ftate or condition have been called to
queftion^

3J-2 A Treatife of • Part If.
queftion, have gone before. Heman (who is as famous an in
stance in this cafe, as any. we meet withal in fcripture, in Pfal.
Ixxxviii. feems not obfcurely to,- tell us fo much ; his foul was
full of troubles, ver. 3. And in ver. 7. he complains that God
had afflided him with all his waves : And that thefe were not
all of the fame lrind, though all concurred to the fame end, he
himfelf explains, ver. 8, 18. where he bemoans himfelf for the
unkindnefs of his friends : ' Thou haft put away mine acquaint
ance ; lover and friend thou haft put far from me.' (2.) Thefe
troubles -drive at a further end than any of the former; for
their defign was only againft the prefent quietnefs and peace qf
God's children, but thefe defign the rum of their hopes for thp
future ; they are troubled, not for that they are not converted,
but for that they exped never to be converted. This is a
trouble of an high nature^ making them believe that they are
eternally reprobated, cut off from God for ever, and under an
impoflibility of falvation. (3.) Thefe troubles have the con-
, Sent and belief ofthe party. In fome other troubles Satan dif-
quieted the Lord's fervants, by impofing upon them his own
curfed fuggeftions, violently bearing in upon them temptations
to fin and.blaSphemy, or objedions againft their ftate of rege
neration, while in the mean time they oppofed and refufed to
give confent; but in thefe Satan prevails with them,, to believe
that their cafe is really fuch as their fears reprefent it to be.
(4.) They are troubles cf a far higher degree than the former,
the deepeft\ forrows, the (harpeft fears, the greateft agonies.
Heman, Pfal. Ixxxviii. 15, 10. calls them terrors even to distrac
tion: ' While I fuffer thy terrors, I am diftraded ; thy fierce
wrath goeth over me, thy terrors have cut me off. (5.) There
Is alfo God's deferting of them in a greater meafure than ordi
nary, by withdrawing his aids and comforts. And (as Mr Per-
kins notes*) ' If the withdrawing of grace be joined with the
feeling of God's anger, thpnce arifeth the bittereft conflid, that
the foul of apoor creature undergoes.'
2. As to the different degrees of fpiritual diftreffes, we nmft
obferve, That according to the concurrence of all, or fewer of
thofe ingredients (for they do not always meet together, though
,moft frequently they do), and according to the higher, or low
er degrees in which thefe are urged upon the confcience, or ap
prehended and believed by the troubled party,; thefe agonies
are more or lefs, and accordingly we may distinguish them va-
•rioufly. As, ' ' <J 8
1. Some are defperate terrors, of curfed reprobates under
desperation. Thefe terrors in them, are, in the greateft extre mity,
* Treat, of defertions.

(Charj. IX. Satan's Temptations. 353
mity£ the very pit of mifery, of the fame nature with thbfe of
the 'damned in hell, where the worm that never dies, is no
thing elfe but the dreadful vexation and torment of an accufing
conference *. They are commonly accompanied with blaf-
pheming of God, and an .utter rejediort of all means, for reme
dy ; and though ,they fometimes turn to a kind1 of Secure de-,
fperation; by which, when they fee it will be no better, they
harden themfelves in their mifery, and feek to divert their
thoughts, as Cain did, betaking himfelf to the building of ci
ties. And Efau,. when he had ibid his birth-right, defpifed it,
and gave himfelf up to the purfuit of a worldly intereft ; yet
fometimes thefe terrors end in felf-murder, as in Judas, who
being fmitten with dread of confcience, went and hanged him
felf. We have many fad inftances of thefe defperate terrors.
Cain is the firft we read bf, and though the account the fcrip
tures give of hini be but Short, yet it is fufficient to let us fee
What his condition was, Gen. iv. if. to 16. Firfl, He was
curfed from the earth. Of this part of his curfe, there were
two branches ;- (I.) That his labour and toil in tillage fliould
be great; and greatly unfuccefsful ; for thus God himfelf ex
plains it-, ver. 12. ' When thou tilled the ground, it fliall not
henceforth yield unto thee Her ftreiigth.' The earth was curfed
with barrennefs before to Adam, but now to Cain it hath a
double cutfe. (21) That he Should be a man of uncertain a-
bode in any place ; ' A fugitive and a "vagabond (halt thou be
in the earth :' Not being able to Stay long in a place, by reafon
of the terrors of his confcience. His own interpretation of it,
ver. 14. Shews; that herein lay a great part of his mifery.;
* Thou haft driven me out this day from the face of the earth.'
By which it appears, that he was to be as one that was chafed
out of all foeiety, and as one that thought himfelf fafe in no
place. Secondly, He was hid from theface of God; that is, he was
doomed to carry the inward feeling of God's wrath, without
any expedation of mercy. Thirdly^ His mind being terrified
tinder the apprehenfion of that wrath, he cries out, that his fin
Was greater than it cbuld be.pardoned; or that his pUniShmentf
%yas greater than he could bear ; for the word in the original
fignifies both fin and punifliment. Take it which way you
will, it expreffeth a deep horror of Heart. , If in the former
fenfe, then it fignifies a convidion of the greatnefs of his fin to
defperation ; if in the latter fenfe; then it is no lefs than a blaf-
phembus refiedion upon God; as unjuftly cruel, Fourthly,
This horror was fo great; that he was afraid of all he met with,
fufpediag every thing to be armed with divine vengeance a-
. ', Y y gainft
* Ames Cafes of Conlcience,lib. 1. cap. ¦{• Gnavan.

3J4 A Treatife of Part. IL
gainft him ; ' every one that findpth me, Shall flay me,' Or if
that Speech was a defire, that any one that found him nitghs
kill him, as Sonic interpret *, it Shews that he preSerred death
beSore that life of mifery. It feems then, that God Smote
him with Such terror and conflernation of mind, and with
'Such affrightful trembling of body, for his bjoody fad, that he
was weary of, himfelf, and afraid of all men, and could not
Stay long, in a place. By thefe tokens, or Some other way,
God Sets his mark upon him, as upon a curSed mifcreant, to be
noted and abhorred of all. Such another inftance was Lamech^
bf whom the fame chapter fpeaks. i. The Sling of confcience
was fo great, that he is forced to confefs his fault : The inter
pretation's of thofe, that take it interrogatively; 'Have I flain?"
Or^ e If I haVe, what is that to you?' &c are upon many ac
counts improper ; much more are thofe fo, that take it nega
tively; Wi»ich, whether It were the abomination of poliga-
Eiy, as fome think, by which example he had destroyed more
than Cain did. ; or if it were murder in a proper fenfe, as the
words and context plainly carry it, it is not very material to
eu,r purpofe ; however God fmote him with horror, that he might
be a witnefs againft himfelf. 2. He accufeth himfelf for a more
grievous finneir and more defperate wretch by far than Cain: 'If
Cain (ver. 24.)dhall be avenged feven-foHy truly Lamech Seventy
and Seven fold.' Which is as much as to fay, that there was as
much difference betwixt his fin and Cain's, as betwixt feven
and fe venty- feyen. 3. It feems alfo by his difcourfe to his
wives, that he was grievouSIy perplexed with inward fears ;
fufpeding, it may be, his very wives, as well as others, might
have private combinations againft him, for the prevention
Whereof, he tells them by Cain's example of God's avenging
him, Thefe two early examples of defperatioa the beginning
of the world affords, and there have been many morb Since, as •
Efau and, Judas. OS late years we have the memorable in
ftance of Francis Spira, one of the eleareft and moft remarka
ble examples of fpiritual hprror, that the latter "ages of the
World were ever acquainted with ; yet I fhall not dare to be
confident of his reprobation, as of Cain's and Judas's, becaufe ,
the fcripture hath determined their cafe, but we have no fuch
certain authority to determine his.
2. There are alfo diftreffes from melancholy, which maybefur-
t-her differenced according to the ttitenfeiieffs, or remifsnefg, of
the diftemper upon which tbey depend. For Sometimes the
imagination is fo exceedingly depraved, the fears of heart fo
greats and the forrows fo deep, that the melancholy perfe* .
crying out of himfelf, that he is damned, under the curfe of God,
* Ljghtfoor, Harm, in loc.

ChapilX- Satan's. Temptations. 355
&.c. appears to be wholly befides himfelf, and his anguifh to be
nothing elfe, but a delirious irrational disturbance.. There are
too many fad inftances of this: Some I have known, that, for
many years together have laboured- under focli apprehenfions
of hell and' damnation, that they have at laft proceeded to curfe
and blafpheme God in a -moft dreadful manner; fo that they
have been a terror to all their friends and acquaintance. And
though fometimes they would fall into fits of obftiftate Silence,
yet being urged tp Speak, they would amaze all that were, a>
bout them, with the confident averment of their damnation ;
with horrible outcries of their fuppofed mifery and torments,
and with terrible rage againft heaven. Some in this diftemper,
will fancy themfelves to be in hell already, and will difcourfe
as if they faw the devils about them, and felt their torture,
Such as thefe give plain- difcovery by their whole carriage un
der 'their trouble, and fome concomitant falfe imaginations a.
bout other things, when they fancy themfelves to be in prifon,
or fenteaced-tc death, and that torments, ot fire are provided
vfor them by the magistrate, &c that it is only melanchply
perverting their underftanding, that is the caufe pf all their
forrow. Others there are, who are* not altogether irrational,
becaufe in moft other things their underftanding is right ; yet
being driven into ' melancholy upon the occafion of erofles, or
other outward affiidions, they at laft fix all their thoughts up
on their fouls, and now their fancy becoming irregular in part,
the whole of the irregularity appears only in that, wherein
they chiefly concern themfelves. Hence they misjudge them
felves, and condemn themfelves to everlafting deftrudion; fomer
times without any apparent caufe, and fometimes they accufe
themfelves of fuch things as they never did ; they fear and cry
out they are damned, but they cannot give a particular reafon
why they fhould entertain thefe fears, neither can they fhew
any caufe why they fliould refufe the comforts ofthe promifes
that are offered, but they fay they know?, or are perfuadtd it is
fo, upon no better account than this, It is fo becaufe it is fo,
Or if they give reafons of their imagination, they are com
monly either feigned, or frivolous, and yet in all other matters
they are vational? and fpeak or ad like men in their right
minds. Of both thefe kinds of defperation I fliall fpeak no
thing further ; it is .enough 'to have noted that inch there are,
becaufe the cui'e of the former is impoffible, and the cure of
the latter doth wholly depend upon phyfic.
^uefl. Some may poSHbly queftipn, whether all extraordi
nary agonies of foul, upon the apprehenfion of eternal damna
tion, be nbt the fruits of melancholy ? And if not, then what
' Y y 2 - may

356 A Treatife of Part .11^
may the difference be-betwixt thofe that; pfoeeed from rnelan-r
choly, and thofe that are properly the terrbrs of confcience?
Anf. As to the firft part of the queftion, I anfwer, i. That
all Spiritual diftreSTes are not to be afpribed to melancholy ;
For, i. There are feme melancholy perfons, who are never
more free from Spiritual troubles, though frequently accuftom-
ed to them at other times, than when uppn the occafion of fome
fpecial trouble, or ficknefs, threatening death, there is greateft
Caufe to fear fuch onfets upon the increafe of melancholy;
fome Such I have known. 2. Sometimes thefe diftreffes come
fuddeniy, their confcience fmiting them in the very ad of Sin;
and thefe perfons fometimes fuch as are not pf a melanchplkk
conftitution. Spira was fuddeniy thunder-ftruck with terrors
of confcience, upon his recantation of fome truths which he
held ; and fo were fome of the martyrs. Sometimes terror?
that have continued long, and haye been very fierce, are re
moved in a moment. Now it is not rational 'to fay, that me
lancholy only occafioned all fuch troubles, Where in bodies
that are not naturally of that complexion ; and Some fuch have
been furprifed with terrors of confcience, if we will take a li
berty to fuppofe an accidental melancholy, we muft of neceffi
ty allow fome time ; and ufually, Some precedaneb.us occafion,
to mpuld them in Such a diftemper. Nither do the fears of
melancholy ceafe on a fudden, but abate gradually, according
to the gradual abatement of the humour. To fay that Cain's,
or Judas's defpair were the invafions of ftrong melancholy, is
not only beyond all proof, but alfo probability. Neither is it
likely that David, whofe ruddy countenance, and inclination to
mufic, are tokens of a Sanguine complexion^ was always melan
cholick under His frequent complaints of fpiritual trouble.
4. They that read the ftory of Spira,and obferve his, rational
ferious replies to the difcourfes that were offered him for his
comfort, and his carriage all along, will have no caufe to con
clude his trouble to be only melancholy ; neither did the fcbef
judicious by-ftanders afcribe his diftrefs to any fuch caufe.
5. The agony cS Chrift upon the crofs, under the SenSe of
divine wrath for our fins, (though it were without defperation)
is an undeniable proof, that there may be deep fenfe of God's
difpleafijre upon the foul of man ; which cannot be afcribed tp
melancholy. idly, I anfwer, that it is not to be denied, but that God may
make ufe of that humour as his inftrument, Sor the increafe
and continuance of terrors upon the confeiences of thofe, whom
he thinks fit to punifh (for any provocation) with Spiritual de-
Sertion. A5 he made ufe of that diftemper to punifh Saul and
Nebu-

Chap. IX. Safaris Temptations, 357
Nebuchadnezzar* I Speak not here of thofe diftreSTes which
are nothing elfe but melancholy, (fuch as thofe before mention
ed, of which pbyficians *, have given us frequent histories)
though in this cafe, the. Secret ways of God's proyidences are
to be adored with humble Silence ; but of thefe terrors of con
fcience, which have a mixture of melan'chcly to help them forr
ward, yet fo, as that the judgment and. reafon are not thereby
perverted. Spira, -when his cafe was haftily concluded, by an
injudicious friend, to be a Strong melancholy, made this reply :
Well, be it fo, feeing you will needs have it fo ; for thus alfo •
is God's wrath manifested againft me — Which fliews, 1. That
he believed God dothfometimes manifest his wrath ag'ainftmanby
melancholy* And, 2. That he denied this to be his condition}
For he Still concluded, that God fent the terrors pf his wrath
immediately upon his confcience, as the .Sentence of his juft
condemnation for denying Chrift. Now when God dpth make
Ufe of melancholy, as his inftrument in Satan's hand, to make
the foul of man more apprehenfive of his fin and God's wrath,
(though he doth not always make' ufe of this' means, as hath
been faid) while he ftill preferves the understanding from falfe
imaginations. The diftrefs is ftill rational, and we have np
caufe to make any great difference, betwixt thefe troubles that
.have fuch a mixture of melancholy, and fuch as have net. Nei
ther muft we fey. that then it is in the ppwer of the phyfician
to remove, or mitigate fuch fpiritual diftreSTes, For if God
fee it fit to make ufe of melancholy for fuch a purpofe, he can
fufpend the power of phytic, fo that it Shall not do its work till
.God hath performed all his purpofe. And the unfuccefsfulnefs
pf remedies in this diftemper, (while it feems to be wonderful
ly Stubborn in refifting all that can be done for cure) is more to
be afcribed, fo fome cafes, tp God's defign, than every phyfician
doth imagine.
As to the latter part of the queftion ; How the terrors of
melancholy, and thofe of confcience are to be distinguished ? I
Shall only fay this, That, as I faid, we are not "much concerned
to make any diftindion, where the diftreSfed party ads ration
ally. It is true, fomething may be obferved from thefe mix
tures of melancholy; and thence may fome indications be taken
by the .friends ofthe diftrefled,, which may be of ufe to the af
flided party. Phyfick in this cafe is not to be negleded, becaufe
(though God may permit that diftemper in order to the terror
of the conScience) we are not of God's counfel, to know how
high he would haye it to go, nor how lpng to continue ; but it
'is our duty, with fubmiflion to him, to ufe all means for help.
However,
' 'f Vide £?!• Pte'eri obferv, ljb, 1, in mentis al^atione.

358 -^ treatife of Part It)
However, feeing the phyfician is the bnly prppet judge of the
bodily diftemper, it were improper to fpeak of the Signs of me
lancholy in thefe mixed cafes, to thefe that cannot make ufe ci
thern. And as for the diftreSTes of melancholy that are irration
al, they are pf themfelves fo nptoripus, that I need npt give any
account of them. There is ufually a constitution inclining that
way, and often the parents, or friends of the party, have been
handled in' the fame manner before ; or if their natural temper
do not lead them that way, there is ufually fome crofs, trouble,
difappointment, or the like outward afflidion that hath firft
, preffed them heavily, and by degrees hath wrought them into
melancholy, and then afterward they come to concern them
felves for their fouls. (As that woman in Plater's ob-
fervations *, who being long grieved with jealoufy upon
grounds too juft, at laft fell into grievous' defpair, crying out,
That God would not pardon her ; that She was damned ; that
She felt hell already, arid the torments of it, &c.) Or there are
fome concomitant deliriums, imaginations apparently abfurd, or
falfe, &£. all which give plain'difcoveries of irrational diftreSfes.
And if there remained any doubt concerning them, the confi
deration of all circumftances together, by fuch as are fober and
judicious, would eafily afford a fatisfadion.
3. Having now confined the difcourfe to the fpiritual diftref-
fes of God's children, that are not fo oppreSTed with melancho
ly, as to be milled with falfe imaginations ; I muft next, con
cerning thefe diftreSTes, offer another obfervable diftindion,
which is this : That they are either made up of all the five
fore-mentioned ingredients, or only of fome of them, and So
may be called total, or partial ; though in each of thefe there
maybe great differences of degrees. 1. Sometimes then the
children of God maybe brought into totaldiftreffes of confcience,
even with defperation, and, that which is more hideous, with
blaSphemy. If Mr. Perkins's obfervation hold true, who tells
us, + " Thaf they may be fo over charged with forrow, as to
cry out, they are damned, and to blafpheme God." And we
have no reafon to contradid it, when we obferve how far Da
vid went in his hafte, more than once. And whatever may be
the private differences betwixt thefe and the reprobates, in their
agonies, as differences there are, both in God's defign, and
their hearts, though not vifible, yet if we compare the fears,
troubles, and fpeeches ofthe one and the other together, there
appears little or no difference which by-ftanders can certainly
fix upon. If it feems harfh to any, that So horrid a thing as
deSpatr Should be charged upon the eled of God, in the worft of
* Lib. I. de mentis alienatione. f Treat of defertions.

Chap*,IX. Satan's Temptations! #59
of their diftreffes, it will readily be anfwered ; 1. That if we
Jfuppofe not this, we muft fuppofe that which is worfe. If we
like not to fay, that God's children may fall into defpair ; we
muft conclude, yery uncharitably, that they that fall into def
pair, are not God's children. 2. It is eafy to imagine a difr
ference betwixt partial and total defpair, betwixt imaginary
and real. The children of God, under Strong perturbation of
fpirit, may imagine themfelves to do what they do not, and fo
may bear falfe witnefs againft themfelves ; profeffing that all
their hope of falvation is loft, when yet the root of their hope
may ftill remain in their hearts undiscovered. ,"*The habit may
be there, when all vifible ads of it are at prefent fufpended, or
fo difguifed in a crowd of confufed expreflions, that they can,-
not be known. Or, if they have real diftruft of their Sajva*
tion, yet every fit of real diffidence, is not utter defperatenefs ;
neither will it denominate a man to be totally defperate, * any
more than every error, even about fundamentals, will deno*
minate a man an heretic. Fpr as it muft be a pertinacipus er-.
ror in fundamentals that, makes an ''heretic, fo it muft be a
pertinacious diffidence that makes a man truly defperate.
3, But fometimes the children of God have only partial dif
treSTes, That is, they may have a great meafure of fome of
the ingredients, without mixture of the reft. Particularly,
they may have a great meafure of the fenfe of divine wrath and
defertion, without defperation. The ppSEbility pf this is evi
dent, beyond exception, in the example of our bleffed Saviour,
when he cried out, ' My God, my God, why haft thou for
faken me ?' None can afcribe defperation to him, without blaf-
phemy; and if they Should, the very words, ' My God-, my
God,' expreffing his full and certain hope, dp exprefsly contra^
did them. . Such an inftance, of fpiritual diftrefs without defr >
peration, I take Heman fo be. Hpw high his troubles were,
is abundantly testified in PSal. Ixxxviii. and yet that his hope
was not loft,1 appears not only by his prayer for -relief in the
general ; (foT hope is not utterly destroyed, where the appoint
ed means for help are carefully ufed) bujt by the particular a-
vpuchment of his hope in God, in the firft. verfes of that Pfalm,
S OLord God of my .Salvation, I have cried day and night be
fore thee.' ^ ¦ ' ,
4. The laft difference pf fpiritual diftrefles which I Shall ob
ferve, is this ; That fome aro more tranfient fits and flaSh.es pf
terror, under a prefent temptation, which endure not long ;
Others arc more fixed and permanent. The lefs, durable dif
treSTes maybe violent and Sharp, while , they -hold.- Tempta tions
* Ames's Cafes of Conf. lib. 4. cap* 9.

360 A treatife of ¦ Part ill
tions of diffidence may ftrongly poffefs a child of"God, and af!
firft may not be repelled ; and then before their faith dan re
cover, itfelf, they vent their prefent fad apprehenfions of their ,
eftate, as Jonah did, Jon. ii. 4. ' I faid I am- caft .out Of thy
fiffht.' Many fuch fits David had, and in them, complained '
,at this rate, * Why haft thou- forfaken me ? Why cafteft thou
off my foul ?' Pfal. xxxi. 32. < I faid in my hafte, I am cut off
from before thine eybs.' Pfal. cxvi. 1 1 ' I faid in myhafte, all
men are liars.' Which was a great height of diftruft; and tod
boldly relleding upon God's faifchfulnefs, COnfidering the fpe
cial promifes that God had made to him. Such Sharp Sits were
thofe of Bainham, and Bilney, martyrs, whofe confcience^
¦were fo forely wounded for recanting the truth which they pro-
feffed, that'they feemed to feel a very hell within theid.
The more fixed diftreSTes, as they are of longer ccntinuance;
fo they are often accompanied with the very worft fymptoms :
For when in thefe agonies, ' no fun npr Star of cbmfort appeari
to them for many days, all hope that they fhall be faved feemS
tp be taken away ;' and -being1 tired put with cpmplaints and
importunities, without any anfwer, they at laft rejed the ufe
of means. Some have lain many years, as the paralitic mari
at the pool of Bethefda, without cure. Some from their' youth
up, as Heman complains. Some carry their diftreSTes to their
death-bed, and it may be, are not eafed till their fouls are
ready to depart out of their bodies, and then they often end
fuddeniy and comfortably. Some, I could tell you of," who, oil
their death-bed, after grievous terrors, and many out- cries,-
concerning their miferies of blacknefs and darknefs for ever;
lay long Silent ; and then on a fudden brake out into raptures
of joy, and adoring admiration, of the goodnefs of God, lifing
that fpeeeh of the apoftle, Rom. xi. 33. ' O the depth of the
riches, both of the wifdom and knowledge of God ! How un-
fearchable are his judgments,., and his ways paft finding out !*
Others go out of the world in darknefs, without any appear
ance of comfort : Such an inftance was Mr Chambersj (as the
Story of his death testifies) mentioned by Mr Perkins; in hi&"
treatife of defertions, of whom this account is given ; that iii
great agonies he cried out, he was damned; and fo died. The
cafe of Such is Surely very fad to themfelves, and appears no
lefs to others ; yet we muft take heed of judging rafhiy con-.
cerning fuch. Nay, if their former courfe of life hath beefl ;
uniformly good, for wliD'.wUl rejed a fine Web of doth, as
one, fpeaks, for aJittle'coWe lift at the end? efpecially if
there be any ob&ure appearance! of hope. As that exprefi
Sion' of Mr Chambers, « O that'Ihad but one drop of faith !"'

Chap* IX. Satan's Tempations. 733
is by Mr Perkins fuppofed to be.;) we ought to judge the beft
Of them. We have feen the nature of fpiritual diftreSTes, in the
ingredients and differences thereof. We are nowto confider,
idly, Satan's method in procuringthem:. Which cpnfifts(i.)
Jn the occafions which he lays hold on for that end. (2.) In
the arguments which he ufeth. (3.) In tlie working up of their.
fears, by which he confirms men in them.
1. As to the occafions : He follows much the fame courfe.
which hath been defcribed before in fpiritual troubles ; fo that
I need not fay much, only I Shall note two things, (f.) That
it makes much Sor Satan's purpofe, if the party againSt whom
he defigns,, have falleninto fome. grievous fins.. Sins of com
mon magnitude, do. not lay a foundation fuitable to the fuper-
ftrudure which he intends ; he cannot plaufibly argue repro
bation, or damnation from every ordinary fin ; but if he finds
them guilty of fomething extraordinary, then he falls to work
with his accufatlons. The moft ufual fins which he takes ad
vantage from, are,- as Mr Perkins obferves; thofe againft. the-
third, Sixth, and Seventh command,; fometimes thofe againft
the ninth. Murder, adultery, perjury, and the wilful denial of
truth againft confeienpe, are- the crimes upon which he grounds
his charge,- but moft ufually the laft. Upon this the diftreffed
Spira, and fome of the martyrs. As for the other, the more
private they are, Satan hath oft the more advantage againft
them, becaufe God's fecret and juft judgment will by this means
'bring to light the hidden things of darknefs ;' and force their
confeiences to accufe them of that which no man could lay to
their pharge, that he- might manifest himfelf to be * thefearcher
of the hearts, and trier of the reins.' Ttyus'tiave many been
forced to difclofe private murders, fecret adulteries, and to vo
mit up, though with much pain and torture, that which they
have hy perjury, or guile, extorted from others. (2.) Wbere1
Satan hath not thefe particular advantages, he doth endeavour
to prepare men for diftroffes, by other troubles long continued.
All men that are brought tp defpair of their : happinefs, muSt
not be fuppofed to be greater finners than others'; fome are
diflreffed with fears of eternal damnation, that are'in a good i
meafore able to make Job's proteftation in thefe cafes : That
their heart hath.not been deceived by a wpman : That they
have not laid wait at their neighbour's door, Job xxxi. 9, &c
That they have not lift up their hand againft the fatherlefs,
when they faw their help in the gat§ ; that their land doth.
not cry againft them, nor the furrows thereof complain ; that
when they faw the fun when it fhined, or the moon walking in
brightnefs, their heart hath not been Secretly »nti(jed, nor their
?, % mouth,

3rJz * A Treatife of Part II,
mouth kiffed their hand ; that- they rejoiced not in the defeuc..
tion of him that hated them, nor lift np tbemfelves whea evil
found Mm, &c. Notwithftanding all which their feats' are up
on, and prevail againft them. But then before Satan can bring
them to conSent to fuch difmal conclusions againft themfelves^
they mnft be extraordinarily fitted Co take the impteSEon; ei
ther tired out under great affflidiotis, of long exercifed with >
fears about theft fpiriteBal' eftates, without intermixture' of cofel
fort, or eafe, or theirfacuities broken and weakened by mdatu
choly. A.ny of thefe give him an advantage equivalent to that
of great fins. For though he cannot fay to thefe. Your fins
are fo enormous, that they are, considered themfefyes together
with their circumftances, fad figns of reprobation ; yet he will
plead that God's carriage towards them, doth plainly difoover
that he hath wholly caft them off, apd left them to them*
Serves, without hope of mercy,
2. As for the arguments which he ufeth, they are much-
What from the fame topics which he maketh choke of in
bringing cn fpiritual troubles. Only as he aims at the proof
<M a great deal more againft God's children, than that they ate,
not converted ; fo aEcerdingiy he Screws up his medk&Ss1 for
proof to art higher pin. His arguments- are,
i. From fcriptures Wtefted, or mifapplied. His choice of
fcriptures for this purpofe, is of fuch places as either feem to
Speak moft Sadly the dangerous and fearful eftate of men, ac
cording to the firft view and literal representation of fhein,
through the unfltflfulnlefs of thofe that are to be concerned ; or
pf fuch places as do really fignify the miferable* unhappinefs
of fome perfons, who through their own fault,-, have been cut
off from- all hope, and the poflibility of the like to fome Ci
thers for the future. So that in framing arguments from
Scripture, the devil ufeth a twofold cunning, (i.) There ar<J;
Some fcriptures which have the Word damnation in them, ap
plied to fome particular ads and snifearriages of men; when
yet their intendment is not fuch as the wprd feems tp foun4
or ashe Would make them tp believe. Now, when he catcheflt
a child ef God in fuch ads as are there fpecified, if he find*
that his ignorance, or timoroufnefs is fuch, as may render the
temptation feaSible, he prefently applies damnation to then*
by thfe authority of thofe texts. "For inftance, that text of
Rom. xiv. 23. hath been frequently abufed to that end ; ' He
that doubteth is damned, if he eat.' The Word damned there
Strikes deep with a Weak troubled Chriftian,' that is not Skil-
nil m the Word of righteoufnefs.- For whether gatan apply
tt to Sacramental eating, as" fometimes he doth- to the^ igno rant,

.CfcifblXt Satan's Temptations. f$r§
rant, though contrary to the purpofe of the text, or to doubt
ing in the general, he makes this conclusion out of it: Thou
doubteft, or thou haft eaten the feprament doubtiogly, there,.
fore there is no hope for thee ; thou art damned. Whereas aH
this while, the devil doth but play the fophifter in the abufe stf
t-he fignifiaation of wo.rds". For that fcripture evidently relates
to the difference that then was in the church, about. eating thofe
meats that Were unclean by Mofes's law : In which cafe the
apoftle doth positively declare, that the difference betwixt cleaA
and unclean meats,' is taken away ; So that a Chriftian might,
with all freedom imaginable, eat thofe meats, that were for
merly unclean, with this provifo; that he were ' fully perfuade
ed in his own mind.' The neceffity of which fatisfadion, he
proves from this, that otherwife he Should offend his own conT
Science, which in that cafe- muft! needs condemn him, and that is
the damnation that is there Spoken of, as is more evident by
comparing this verfe with the next foregoing ; ' Happy is he
that condemnetb not himfelf.' But he that doubteth, doth con
demn himfelf, becaiufe be eats not of faith ; that is, from full
perfuafion of the lawfulinefs of the thing. This fcripture then
bath nothing at all in it, to the purpofe for which Satan brings
jt ; it doth not fpeak of any final Sentence of condemnation paiffi-
ed upon a man for fuch an act ; all, and the utmtoft that it Saith,
is, only this, that it is a fin tp go againft the'perfuafion of con-
fcieHce, and confeq,aentiy it -puts np man further pff falvation,
than any other fia may do ;, for which, „ upon sepentance, the
finner may be pardoned.
'Another test which Satan hath frequently abufed, to the ve;.
iy greafi prejudice pf many, is that of i Cor.xi. 29. 'He that eat-
eth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
hjmfejf.' With this fcripture he infults over the humble fearful .
Christian, who is fenfible of his unworthinefs of fo great a pri
vilege. Sometimes he keeps him off long from the Sacrament
of the Lord's fupper, upon this very fcore, that Such an un
worthy wretch ought not to make fuch near and familiar ap
proaches to Chrift. And if at laft he is perfoaded to partake
pf this ordinance, then, taking the advantage of the party's con-
fcioufnefs of his great vilenefs, and the very low thoughts which
he entertains of himfelf, he endeavours to perfuade him, that
Bow he bath deftroyed himfelf for ever, and run upon his own
irrecoverable damnation. Thus he pleads it : Can anything
be more plain, than that thou haft eaten and drunken unwor
thily? Thy own confcience tells thee So : And can any thing
be more positively kfferted than this, that he that doth' fo,, eat
eth arid drinketh damnation to himfelf? What then canSt- thou:
Z z 2 J think '

364 A Treatife of Part II. .
think of thyfelfy but that thou art a damned wretch ? Neither
do I fpeak barely, what may be fuppofed Satan would fay in
this matter, but what may be proved by. many inftances he hath
faid and urged upon the confeiences of the weak, who have
from hence concluded, to the great diftrefs of their fouls, that
by unworthy receiving of the facrament, they have»Tealed lip
their own condemnation ; and all this by abufing and perverting
*he fenfe of this text. For the unworthy receiving, doth re
late to the mifcarriages, which he had taxed before, and -it im
plies a carelefs, prcfane eating; fuch as might plainly exprefs
the fmall or unworthy efteem that they had in their hearts for
that ordinance. And the damnation there threatened, is not fi
nal, and irrecoverable damnation, but temporal judgment; as
the apoftle himfelf dothexplain it, in the next verfes: 'F&rnhis
caufe many are Sickly  And if we would judge, ourfelves, we
Should not be judged.' — That is, as he further explains it,, we
Should not be thus chaftened, or afflided ; and the word transla
ted damnation doth fignify judgment. At the furtheft, if we
Should take it for the condemnatio nof hell, all that is threatened
would be no more than this ; that fuch have deferved, and God
in juftice might inflict the condemnation of hell for fuch an of
fence': which is not only true of this fin, but of all ' others,
which ftill do admit of the exception.of repentance. All this
while this is nothing to the poor humbled Sinner, that judgeth
himfelf unworthy in his moft ferious examination, and greateft
diligence. Satan here plays upon the unexadnefs of the tranf-
latiph, and the ignprance of their party criticifms;- for it is riot
every one that can readily anfwer Such captious arguments. (2.)
But he hath another piece of cunning, which is this. He doth
by a fingular kind of art, threap upon men fome fcripture ,
that really fpeaks of eternal condemnation, without aiiy fuf
ficient evidence in matter of fad for the due application of
them,, oifly becaufe they cannot prove the contrary. His pro
ceeding herein is to this purpofe: Firft, After he bath prepared
his way, by forming their minds to a fearful fufpicion of their
eftate, he fets before- them fuch fcriptures as thefe ; God hard
ened the heart of Pharoah : He hath prepared veflels of wrath,
fitted for deftruaion. Chrift prayed not for the world; and
that concerning the Jews, he hath blinded their eyes, and hard
ened their hearts.. Secondly^ He confidently affirms that they
are lucb. Thirdly, He puts them to prove the contrary, and
herein he fends them to the fearch of God's- eternal decrees; iti
Which art,. Satan like an ignis fatuus, leads them out ef the
7^' 1, a- thouSh he cannot poffibly determine what he af-
nrms, he Shifts off the pofitive proof from himfelf,- and leaves it
upon

ChapTIX. Safaris Temptations. 3*63
upon them to make out, that they are not thus determined of
by God's unchangeable purpoSe. And becauSe the tempted,
under So great a clould, have no fuch perfuafion pf their preiedt
'graces, as may enable them to 'make fure their eledion, kby
the fruits of their vocation, they are beaten off from their hold,
and are brought to believe that the argument is unanswerable j
becaufe they cannot Say they are converted, they'conclude they
muft be damned ; overlooking, the true anfwer that theymlgftt
make, by keeping clofe to the poSfihility, br probability that
they may be converted, and fo efcape the damnation pf hell.
•This general hppe being pf fuch high concern to the diftreSled,
for it is the firft thing that muft relieve them, till better evi
dence- come in, it is Satan's great policy tcpheat them ofit,
which he often doth by this method now declared.
1. Satan doth mainly endeavour to mifreptefent God to trou
bled fouls,' and from thence he draweth out arguments againft
„ them. In the former cafe of fpiritual troubles, he mifrepre-
fents God, in that he reprefents only fome attributes of his,, not
only diStind from, but in oppofition to others, by which he
labours to conceal the fweet and beautiful harmony that is a-
mong them ; and alfo to make one attribute, an argument a-
gainft the comfortable fupporting considerations, ¦ which ano
ther would afford. He infifts upon' God's juftice without re
fped of mercy, upon his holinefs, without any regard, of his
gracious condefcenfions to the infirmities of "the weak. But
when it is his bufinefs to bring any under fpiritual diftrefles,
he then mifreprefents God at an higher rate, and Slicks not to
afperfe him with abominable falfehoods. There are two lies
which he commonly urgeth at this time.
1. He reprefents ' God as a cruel tyrant, of a rigorous un
merciful difpolitiortj that delights himfelf in the ruin and mifery
Aof men. To this purpofe he rakes together the harSheft paf-
fages of the fcripture, that fpeak of God's juft feverity againft
the Wilful obftinate finners, that SlUbbornly contemn his offers
of grace. God indeed hath cleared himfelf of this afperfion,by
folemn oath, Ezek. xxxiii. n. ' As I live, faith the Lord God,
I baVe no pleafure in the death of the wicked, but that the wic
ked turn from his^way and live.' Yet the tempted will fooner
believe Satan's fuggeftion than God's oath ; partly becaufe the
fenfe of their vilenefs doth Secretly fway them to think/ there
is reafoti that he fliould be fo ^partly becaufe their fears incline
¦ them to fufped 'the worft ; "and partly the uneafy toffings of
their mind long continued,- reviveth' the natural forwardnefs of
the fpirit againft God. Which; how apt it is (when fretted
with vexation) to entertain harfh thoughts of God, may be feen in

§66 A Treatife of Par* IJ.
in dji' anfwer of the Slothful fervant to his Lord, wbo; returned
his talent back again unimproved, with a refledion : Importing
that his mafter was fuch as none 'could pleafe ; fo Severe, that
he was difpouraged from making any attempt of ferving him
acceptably, Matth, xxv, 24. ije Said, ' Lord, I know thee that
thou art an hard map,- reaping where thou baft not Sawn, and
gathering where thou haft not ftrawed-'
2. He belies God Surther, by representing him as defigning
the ruin and mifery of the tempted perfon in particular- He?
would'make him believe that God had a particular fpleen, as
it were, againft him above other men 5 and that in all his deal
ings with^ pr concerning him, he is but as a bear lying in wait,
and as a lion in fecret places, ready to tak* any _ advantage tp,
cut him off. And accordingly he gives no other interpretation
of all the' ways of God, but fuch as make them look like to
kens of final rejedion of thofe that arp concerned in them. If
there be upon them outward afflidipns, he tells them, thefe
are but the forerunners pf hell : If they lie under inward
fenfe of Wrath, he calls that the firft-fruits of everlaftrng
vengeance : Tf any particular threatening be, impreSfcd up
on their confeiences by the Spirit of God, In order to theis
humiliation and rePentan£e ; he reprefents it as God?s fi
nal Sentence, and abfolute determination againft . them, 1 If
for caution, God fee it fit to fet before them the examples of
his wrath, (as, it is very frequent for him to do, ' left we Should
fall after the fame example pf unbelief,' r Pet, ii, 6. 1 Qov. x. 6.)
Satan perverts this to that which God never intended, for he
boldjy afferts, That thefe examples prognosticate their miferyj
and that God fignifies by them, a predidion of certain unavoidr
able unhappinpfs..
This muft be obferved here, that thefe misrepresentations o$
God, are none of Satan's primary arguments ; he ufeth them
•only as frefti referyes to fecond Others. For where he- finds any
Wmg of bis batajions ready to be beaten, he comes up with,
thefe fupplies tp relieve them. For indeed, thefe consideration?
of God's feverity in the general, or of his fpecial refolve againft
any in particular, are not pf force fufficient to attack a foalj,
that is within the trenches pf prefent peace; -they are not of
themfelves proper mediums to produce fuch a cpnclufion. Thp'
we fuppofe God Severe, (except we Should imagine him to be
an hater of mankind univerfally) we cannot thenpe infer the fi
nal ruin of this, or that individual perfon. And betides,' that
thefe are unjuftifiable falfehoods, they cannot make the final
damnation of any one fo much as probable,, till the heart be firft
weakened in its hopes, by fears, or doubtings, raifed up in it
upon

Chap. IX. Satan's Temptations. 367
upon other grounds. Then indeed men ate Staggered, either:
by the deepfenfe of their urtworthineSs, or Some Sad continuing
calamity, and the Seeming negled of their prayers. If Satan
then tell them of God's feverity j, or that, all his providences
eonfidered, he hath fet them up as a mark for the arrows of his
indignation, they ate ready to believe his report, it being So
Suitable" tp their preSent SenSe and feeling,
3 . Satan alfo fetcheth arguments from the fins of God's chil
dren, but his great art in this is by unjuft aggravatipns to make,
them look like thofe offences, which, by fpecial exception in
fcripture, are excluded from pardon. The apoftle, 1 John v.
16. tells us of a fin that is unto death ; that is, a fin, which if
a man commits, he cannot efcape eternal death, and therefore
he would not haveiueh a Sinner pfayed for. That the PopiSb
diftindion of venial and mortal Sins is not here intended^ fome
e- f the papiSts- themfelves do confefs? * What he means by that
fin he doth not tell us, it being a thing knowfl fufliciently
from other fcriptures. The note Of unpardonablenefs, is in
deed affixed to fins under feve'fal denominatiprts ; the fin againft
the Holy Ghoft, Chrift pronouneeth unpardonable, Mattli. xih
at. Total apbftacy from the truth of the gofpel, hath no lefs
faid of it by tiit apoftle, when h^ calls it a drawing back to
perdition, Heb. »• $9- Whether thefe be all one, or Whether
there' is any other Species of fin Irremiffible, befides that againft
the Holy Ghoft, it is Hot to our purpofe to make enquiry.
Whatever they are in tfeemfelvgs, Satan in this matter^ makes
ufe oS the' texts that fpeak of them diftihdly ; as we Shall pre
fently See. But befides thefe, the fcriptures fpeak df fome,
that Wfete ' given up to vile affedions,- and to a reprobate mind,'
Rom. i. 26, 28. And of others that were given up to harda
nefs of heart, Matth. xiii. 14. Ads xxviii. 16. Now, whofo
ever they are of whom thefe things may be juftly affirmed,
they ate certainly miferable, hopekfs Wretches. Here then is
Satan's cunning, if he cart make any child of God believe that
he hath' done any fuch ad, Or ads of fin, as may bring him
within the compafs of thefe . fcriptures, then be infults over
fhe m, and tells them over and over again, that they are cut
bff for ever. '
To this purpofe he aggravates all their fins. And, 1. If he
find them guilty of any great iniquity, he fixeth upon that, and
labours all he-can tb piake it look m'oft defperatply, that -So he
may call it the fin againft the Holy Ghoft ; and in this he hath
a mighty advantage, that moft men are in the dark about that
En ; All men being not yet agreed whither it be a diftind Spe-
"• / cies
f Lorinus in loc. Earth. Ifctrus in loc,

368 A Treatife of Part II.
cies of fin, or an higher degree of wilfulnefs relating to any
particular fin. Upon this Score, Satan can lay the charge of
this fin, upon thofe that apoftatize from the truth, and through
weaknefs have recanted it. Thus he dealt with Spira, with Bil-
ney, with Bainham, and feveral Pthers. There is fo near a
refemblance in thefe fins pf denying truths, to what is faid of
the unpardonable fin, that theSe men though they were Scho
lars, and men of good abilities, yet they were not able to an
fwer the argument that the devil urged againft them, but it pre-.
vailed to diftreSs them. Upon others alfo, hath Satan the ad
vantage to fix this accuSation : For let the Species of the fin be
what it will, if they have any thing of that notion, that the fin
againft. the Holy Ghoft, is a ptefumtuous ad pf fin, under temp
tation, they will call any notorious crime, the fin againft the.
Holy Ghoft, becaufe ofthe more remarkable aggravating cir..
cumllances that have accompanied fuch a fad- 2. He aggra
vates the fins of God's children from the wilfulnefs of their fin
ning. It is a thing often too true, that a child of God may be.
carried by a violent impetus, or ftrong inclination of affection,
to fome particular iniquity, where the forwardnefs of defires
that way, by a fudden hafte, to Stifle thofe reludancies of mind,
whicli may be expedpd from one endpwed with the Spirit. pf
God-; whole power upon them, doth ordinarily fway them, to.
luft againft the flefh. But it is more ordinary tp Sind. a temp
tation to preyail, notwithstanding that an enlightened mind doth
make fome refiftance ; which, becaufe it is too feeble, is eafily
born down by the ftrong importunities of Satan, wprking up
on the inclinations of the flefh. Both thefe cafes arp improv
ed .againSt 'them, oyer whom Satan hath got any advantage of
doubting of their eftate. If they have refitted but ineffectual
ly, or not refilled at all, he chargeth them with the higheft
jwilfulnefs, and will fo aggravate the matter that they Shall be
put in fear,' npt only that there can be no grace (where Sin
hath fo much power as either to cpntroul fp much light and
endeavours, or hath fo Subjected the heart to its dominion, that
it can command without a contiadidion) but that they can have
no hope ; that they that fin with fo high an hand, ' Should pver
-enter into God's reft. And tp this purpoSe he cornmpnly Sets
before them, that text of Heb. x. 26. ' If we fin wilfully after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there te-
maincth no more Sacrifice 'for fins.' Or that of Heb. vi. 4. ' It
is impoffible for thofe who were once enlightened  if they
fall away, to renew them again to repentance. Both which,
places fpeak indeed, at leaft, Such a difficulty, as in common
ufe of fpeech, is called an imppffibility, if net an utter abfolute
impoflibility,

Chap. IX. Satan's Temptations. 3JS9
impoflibility pf repentance and pardon. ' But. then the finning
wilfully, or falling away there mentioned, is only that of total
ipoftacy ; when men that have embraced the gofpel, and by it
iave met with fuch impreffions of power and delight upon their
learts, which we ufually call common grace, dp notwithftandr
ing, reject that gofpel as falfe and fabulous, and fo rife up againft
t with fcorn and utmoft contempt ; as Julian $he apellate' did-
[f now the true intendment of thpfe fcriptures were confidered,
jy thofe that, are diffireflJed with them, they might prefently fee,
bat they were put into fear, where no fuch caufe of fear was..
But all men have not this knowledge, nor do they fo, duly at-
;end to the matter of the apoftle's difcourfe, as to be able to p\i£
1 tight interpretation upon it ; upon fuch Satan impofeth his
ieceitful glofs,'and tells them, ' Wilfpl finners cannot be refto-
;'ed to repentance, but you have finned wilfully ; when fiu was
jefore ypu, you rufhed into it without, any confideratipn, as the
lorfe into the battle. Or when God ftpod in your way with
:ommands, and advice to the contrary ; when your confeiences
syarned you not tp do fo great wickednefs, yet you would dp
t, You were as thofe tb^t break the yoke apd burft thebonds.'
Upon this fuppofition, that thefe texts fpeak of wilful finning
n the general, how little pan be faid againft Satan's argument ?
3pw many haye I known that have been tortured with thefe
:exts, judging their eftate fearful, becaufe of their wirfuhiefs in
inning ? Who upon the breaking of the fnare pf Satan's mifrer
irefentation, have efcaped as a bird unto the hill, 3. When
:ither of the two former ways will not Serve the turn (that is,
s4mn he meet? With Such againft whom he hath nothing of no-
prious wickednefs to objed, or fuch as have abetter difcerning
if fcripture thp,n fo to be impofed upon) he labours to make a
barge againft themfrpm the number of their riyfearriages. Here
ie takes up all the filth he can, and lays it upon one heap at
heir door. It is, indeed an eafy thing' for Satan to fet the fins
if a child of G°d in or<fer before him, and to bring to mind 'for
lumerabla evils, efpecially to one that is already awakened with
, true difeoyery of the corruption of nature, and the yilenefs pf
ini In which cafe, the more a man confiders, the more he will
lifcpyer; and fins thus fet in battle array, though they be not
aore than ordinary heinous, yet being many, have a very dlf-
ial appearance. ' Satan's defign in this is to bring men under
he affrightments, which feem moft proper to be raifed from a
erverfe afped of the third-rank of fcriptures, which a little be-
pre I pointed at; for the word of God, fpeaking of the final
ftate of men, doth not only difcover the, hopelefs condition of
ame, as to eterna} life, from fome particular ads of fin,- but
3 A '-' alfo'

370 A Treatife of Part II.
alfo the Sat! eftate of others, Srom the, tnanher, degrees, and fre
quency of finning.' The heathens, becaufe they improved not
the knowledge; pf God which they' had from thp works bf crea
tion, neither making thofe inferences in matters relating to his~
worfliip, which th'ofe difcoveries did direct therp unto; nor be
having themfelves in full compliance to thofe rules of virtuous
converfation, which they might have drawn from thefe prinJ.
ciples, and uhtp which in point of gratitude they were "obliged,
Rom- i- 21. f They glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful ; therefore Gcd gave them up to a reprobate mind.'
And generally concerning all others, the Scripture teacheth ns,
, that a return tb a profane 'flefhly life, after fome reformation,
bath a greater hazard in it than ordinary, as appears by the pa
rable in Matth. xii. 45. * Seven more, wicked fpirits re-enter,!
where one that was caft but is received again, and * the laft
Slate of that man is worfe than the firft.' So alfo, 2 Pet. ii. 20.
To this purpofe is that of Solomon, concerning the danger of
continuance in fin, after many reproofs, Proy. xxix. x. 'He
"that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, Shall fuddeniy
be deftroyed, and that without 'remedy.' Thefe and many
Such like Scriptures Satan hath in readinefs, which he plies home
Upon the confeiences of thofe that :ire troubled with the fenfe
of fin,' telling them, That their Hearts and ways being continu
ally evil, notwithftanding all the courfes that God hath taken
to reclaim them ; that they having fo long negleded'fo great
falvatioh; or that after having 'feemed. to entef fain it, became
, more than before. (Which they will eafily believe,' becaufe
they are now more fenfible of fin, and more obferyant of their
mifcarriages than formerly.) ' There pah be no queftion, but
they are given up to vile affedions ; and like the ground that
bears nothing but briers and thorns, they are rejeded, and nigh
unto curling, whofe end is to be burned." The wound that is
made with this weapon is nbt fo eafily healed; as fome others
already mentioned, becaufe (though Satan do unduly wreft theft
.paflages to failures In the children of God, as have little or no
affinity with them'; for they cnly fpeak of falling into' open
profanenefs' with contumacy, yet) they that have deep convic
tions, accompanied with great fears, do ufitally think that there
are none 'worfe, than they are. And though they will grant,
that fome others have more flagitious lives, yet {Key think they
have hearts fo defperately wicked, that they muft needs be' un
der as great Hazards, as thofe wh cle lives feem to be" worfe.
.4. There is but one argument more, that carries^'any prbba-
bihty of proof for everlaftirig condemnation, and that is from
.an hard and impenitent heart. How Satan will manage hirt-

Ghap.|X. Satan's Temptations. 371
felf, to make a. child of God believe, that he hath fpch an heart,
is our laft 'obfervation relating to his fophiftry, and it is this :
He unjuftly aggravates the difcompofures of the fpirits of thofe
that are. troubled for 'fin, and from thence draws his argu
ments of irrecoverable damnation, pleading that their hearts
are^feared, hardened, incapable of repentance, and confequently
of heaven. That final impenitency will conclude damnation,
is certain; and that fome have been given up to fuch a ju
dicial hardnefs Jong before death, that they 'could not repent,
may not only be evidenced from the threatening, of God to-
that purpofe, Mat. xiii. ' Make the heart of this people fat,'
&c. but alfo from the fad inftances of Pharaoh, pf whom it is
Said, that God hardened his heart, and the Jews who were
blinded, Rom. xi. 8. ' God hath given them the fpirit of Slum
ber, eyes that they Should not fee, and ears that they Should
not hear,' But Still the art lieth in this, how to make a child
of God believe that it is fowith him; for this purpofe he muft
take him at feme advantage, he cannot terrify him with this.
argument at all times. While he is acting repentance with an
undifturbed fettled frame of heart, it is not poflible to make
him believe, that he doth not, or cannot, repent ; for this were
to force him contrary to fenfe and experience ; but he muft
take him at fome feafon, which may with fome probability-
admit of his plea, and nothing is more proper for that de
fign than a troubled heart .; fo that he hath in this cafe two
things to do, , , ,
1. He difquiets' the foul into as great an height of ccn-
fufion as he can. That, 2. When he hath melted it into
heavinefsj, and torn it into pieces; he may Work upon its dis
tractions., There are many things that Sail out in the cafe oS great
anxiety of mind, that are capable of improvement for the ac
complishment of this defign. As, 1. Diffracting troubles bring
the heart under the ftupidity of amazement. Their thoughts
are fo broken and disjointed, that they cannot unite them tb a
compofed fettled refolution in any thing ; they can fcarce join
them together, to make out fo much as might Spell out their
diftind defires or endeavours ; they fcarce know what they are
doingj or what they would do. 2. They alfo poifon the thoughts
with harm apprehenfions againft God. Great diffreSTes make
the thoughts fometimes recoil againft the holy Lord with un-
feemly queftionings of his goodnefs ,and compaffion ; and* this
puts men into a bad fullen hr.moiir of untowardnefs, from
whence, through Satan's improvement, arife the greateft
plunges of defpair. 3. Moft ufually in this cafe the greateft
3 A 2 ~ endeavours

37* A Treatife of Part II;
endeavours are ffuitlefs and hnfatisfactory. . Satan,- though he
be nb friend to duty, doth unfeafonably Urge them to' repent
and pray; but it" is becaufe they cannot do eithef with any fa*
tisfadibri,' and theri their failures are matter of argument a*
gainft them. For if they refolve to put themfelves upon a
more fevpre courfe of repentance, and accordingly begin to
think of their fins, fo number . them, or to aggravate them,
they ate ufually affrighted from the undertaking, by the hek
nous appearance of them ; they canhot, they dare not think of
them, the remdteft glimpfe of theni is terrible to an affrighted
confcience ; the raifing of them Up again in the memory, like
the rifing of a ghoft from the grave, . is far more aftonifhirig
than the flrft profped of them aftet commiffion. So true is
that of Luthef, " If a man could fee fin petfedly, it would fe
a perfed hell." If they fet themfelves to beg their pardon by
earneft prayer, they are fo diftraded and confufed m prayer,
that their prayers pleafe them not ; they Cbthe off frohi the du«.
ty more wbimded than when they began. Or if in any mea
fure they overcome thefe difficulties, fo that they do pray and
confefs their iniquities, then they urge and force a forrow or
compundion upon themfelves, but Still to a greater diflatisfac-
tion : Fot'it may be, and this Ufually happens in gteate> dif
treSTes, they cannot Weep nor force a tear, or if they do, ftill
they judge their fotroriv is not deep enough, hot any way fuit*
able to the greatnefs bf their fin. 4. To all thpfe Satan fome.*
times makes a further addition of trouble, by injeding biafs
phemoiis. thoughts : Here he fets the Stock, With an intention
to graft Upon it afterwatd. When all thefe fliftigs are thus irt
readihefs, then comes he to fet fire to the train, and thus he
endeavours to blow up the mine : Is not thy heart hardened to
everlaftlng deftrudion ? How canft thou dphy this ? Art thou
nbt growh Stupid and fenfelefs' of all_ the Hazards that are be-«
fore thee ?' Herb he infills upon the amazement and Confufiort
of their fpirit ; and it is very natural for thofe that ate drunk
with the terrors of the Almighty, to think themfelves flupid;
becaufe of the diftradion of their thoughts. I have known fe
veral that have pleaded that very argument to that purpofe*/
Satan goes on, What greater evidence can there be of an har
dened heart, than impenitettcy ? Thou canft not mourn enoUgEV
Thou haft not a tear for thy fins, though thou couldft weep
enough formerly, upoh every petty occafion ; nay, thou eahft
not Sp much as pray for pardon: Is not this not only a heart
that doth not, but that Cannot repent ? Befides, Saith he-, thoil
knOWeft the fecret thoughts that thy heart is privy to, do they
not boil up in thy breaft againft God ? Art thou not ready to
tax

Chaps IX. Sattiris Temptations. 373
tax him for dealing thus with thee ? What is this "uhtoward-
nefs, but defperate obduratenefs ? And if with all thefe there
be blafphemous injedions, then he tells him it is a cleat cafe
that he is judicially hardened ; in that he ads the part of thfe
damned in hell already. By all, Or fome of thfefe deceits, the
devil dotb often prevail fo far with men, that they conclude
their heart to be fo obftiliate, fo Stupid^ that it is impoffi
ble that it fhould be ever mollified, dt brought into a peni
tential frame, and confequently that there is no hbpe of their
falvation. 3. There is but one thing more, befides the occafions which
he takes, and the arguments which he makes ufe of, relating
to Satan'5 methbd for the procurement of fpiritual diftteffes,
and that is his endeavoilt to Strengthen thefe arguments, by thfe
increafe bf fears in their hearts.
What Satan can do in raiSing up mifgivihgj tormenting fears,
hath been faid, and how fervieeable this is to his defigHj I Shall
{hew in a few particulars, Having only firft noted "this in the
general, that ks his defigh in thefe diftteffes, is raifed to ex-
prpfs liis utmoft height of rtialiee againft men, in puihtng them
Ibrwaid to the greatest mifchief, by excluding them totally
from the loweft degree of the hope of happinefs, and by pen.
fu&ding them bf the inevitable certainty of their eternal mi>-
fery : So that he dbth endeavour by the Strongest impreffions
of fear, to terrify them to the utmoft degree of affrightftil
amazement, And confequently the effeds of that fear are moft
powerful. For,
1. By this means the fpirits of meh ate formed and moulds
ed into a frame' moft Suitable for the belief and entertainment of
the moft difmal impreffions, that Satan can put upon them.
For Strong fears, like fire, do affimtilate every thing to their
own nature, making tliem naturally incline to receive thfe
blackeft, the moft difadvantageous interpretatohs of all things
againft themfelyfes ; fo that they have no capacity to put any
Other fenfe Upon what lies in their way, but the very WOrft;
hence they are poffeffed with no other tlibughts, but that they,
are retnedilefs wretches, defperate mifcreahts, utterly -forfakeft
Of God. They are brought info fuch a woful-partialify againft
their owrt peace, that they eannot judge aright of aiiy acCu'ia-
tion, plea, or argument that Satan brings, for a proof of their
hnhappinefs; but being filled with ftrong prejudices of hell, they
think every fophifm a" Strong argument, every fuppofitibn a
truth, and every accufatiort conclusive of nb lefs than theif eter
nal damnation ; infomuch that their fears do more tb difcetoflt
them, than all Satan's forces. 'A dreadful found being in their
-. ¦ '• ears

374 A Treatife of Part" If.
ears, their ftrength fails them at the appearance of any opposi
tion. As when fear comes upoh an army, they throw away
their weapons, and by an eafy victory give their backs fome
times to an inconfiderable enemy.
2. Men thus poffefled with fear, do not only receive into
their own bowels every weapon which Satan direds on purpofe,
to the wounding and flaying of their hopes ; but by a ftrange
kind of belief, they imagine every thing to be tlie fword of an
enemy. All they hear, or meet with, turns, into poifon to
them,'for they think every thing is- againft them; promifes as
well as theatenings ; mercies as well as judgments; and that by
all thefe, one as well as another, God as with a flaming,;fword,
turning.every way, doth hinder their accefs to the tree of life.
Bilney the martyr, as Latimer in his fermons reports of him,
after his denial, of the truth, was under fuch horrors of confcir
Pnce, that his friends were forced to flay with him night and
day; No comforts would ferve : , if any comfortable place of
fcripture was offered to him, it was as if any man Should cut
him through with a fword. Nothing did him good; he thought.
that all fcriptures made againft him, and founded to his con
demnation. Neither is it fo rare a thing for fears to form the
imagination into fuch miShapen apprehenfions, as that we fliould
think fuch inftances to be only lingular and unufual;but1t is a
common effed of terror, which few or none efcape that are un
der fpiritual diftreSTes. The blacknefs of their thoughts make
the whole fcripture feem black to them: the unfit medium
through which they lcok, doth difcolour every objed. So that
the book of life, as Mrs Katharine Bretterge, in the like cafe
expreffed herfelf concerning the Bible, feems to be nothing elfe
but a book of death to them *,
3. From hence it follows, that no counfel, or advice, can
take place with them. Exceffive fears do remove their fouls
fo far from peace, that they will not believe there is any hope
for them, though it be told them. The moft companionate fe
rious admonitions of friends, the ftrongeft arguments againft
defpair, the cleareft difcoveries ofthe hopes that are before
them, &c. effed but little ; while they are fpoken, it may be,
they feem to relieve them a little, but the comfort abides not
with them, it is foon gone : Though they cannot anfwer the
arguments brought for them, yet they cannot believe them ; as
if their fouls were now deprived of all power to believe any
thing for their good. . Suitable to that expreffion of Spira, in
anfwer to his friends that laboured to comfort him, " I would
believe comfort but cannot; I can believe nothing but what is
" contrary
* Vrdc her ftory in ClarkYfcivei.

Chap. IX. Satan's Temptations. 375
contrary tp my comfort.'? , Nay, when they are told', that ma
ny others have been under the like dreadful apprehenfions of
everlasting mifery, who have at laft been comforted, (and by
manifold experience, we find, that it is the greateft eafe to dif-
treSTed fouls, to hear, efpecially to Speak with, Some that haye
been in the like caSe ; Sor this will off administer fome hope,
that they alfo may af laft be comforted, when the moft com
fortable promifes of the fcripture are a terror to them.) Yet
this doth not effed the leaft eafe for them fometimes, becaufe
Some are So wholly poflefTed with unalterable prejudice againft
themfelves ; that they think none are, or ever were like them.
They compare themfelves to Judas and Cain, and think their
iniquity to be aggravated by many circumftances, far beyond
the pitch of them. Thus Spira. judged of himfelf ; " I tell you,
faith he, my cafe is mine own, it is Singular, none like it."
4. Though fears make the foul unadive to any thing of com
fort, becaufe they wholly deftroy its inclination, and alter its
biafs to hope ; yet on the contrary, they make it very nimhle,
and adive to purfue the conclufipns of mifery, which they
have helped to ' frame. For the fpring of all the faculties of
the foul are. bent that. way. Hence it is, that thofe who are
poffeffed with thefe agonies, will eagerly plead againft them
felves, and with an admirable fubtilty, will . frame arguments
againft their peace, coin diftindions, and make ftrange evafions
to efcape "the force -of any confolafion that may be offered to
them ;-" their understandings are, as it were,, whetted by their
fears to an unimaginable quicbnefs. Who would not wonder
'to hear the replies that fome will give to the arguings of their
friend's, that labour to comfort'them ? What ftrange anfweiV
Spira gave to thofe that pleaded with him? How eafily he
Seemed to turn off the example of Peter denying Chrift, and
thofe fcriptures that fpeak of God's love tp mankind* &c. may
be feen at large in his narrative.
5. Fears, by a ftrange kind of witchcraft, do not only make
them" believe that they Shall be unhappy, but alfo will at laft
perfuade them, that J they feel and fee their mifery already.
How aStoniShirtgly doth Spira fpeak to this purpofe ? " I find he
daily more and more hardens me, I feel it." .Anfwerable to
this, I remember, was the cafe of one who was long imprifon-
ed in deep diftreffes : He told me, that he verily believed that
fcripture of Ifaiah lxvi. 24. was fulfilled upon him; " From one
fabbath fo another, fhall all flefh come to worfhip before- me,
and they Shall go forth and look upon the carcafes of the men
that have tranfgrefled, againft me : For their worm Shall no
die, neither Shall fheir fire be quenched, and they fliall be a
"-'"," ¦' . abhorrin

376 A Treatife qf Part IL
abhorring to all flefh." To his own feeling he. bad the torment
-of confcience, and the fenfe of divine wrath was asa burning
fire within him ; and to his apprehenfion, every fook from o,
thers was a gazing upon him as a mftnftpr gf mifery, abhorred
ofallfleSh. The nature of fpiritual diftreSTes, and Satan's method in
working them, being explained, the kft thing prpmifed is how
to be opened. This is,
$dly, The hunden and weight of thefg diftreCeSj, which how,
grievous, how intolerable it is, may be Sufficiently Seep in
what hath been already faid, and may be further evidenced in
the particulars following.
i. Thofe that are wounded with thefe fiery darts, dqat firft
ufually conceal their wound, and Smother their grief, being a-
Shamed to v declare it; partly, becaufe Some great tranSgref|on,
it may be, hath kindled all this fire in their boSpms, and this
they are unwilling to declare tb others; Partly, becaufe they
fufped though rio one remarkable fin hath occaijoned thefe
troubles, that the difcovery of their e?fe, Will expofe them \q
the wonder and senfures of all that [Shall hear ef th^ffl. By
this means the fire burns with greater yehfimeney : Their fore
runs cpntinually, and having none t» Speak a, word in Seafe*
for the feaft relief, it bf CQIBea . more pajnfal and dangerwft
As bodily difteimpers concealed by a fooliSh modefty from the
phyfician, increafe the trouble, and hazard of the psfiesfc Here
have they many Smugglings within themfelves, many attempts
to overcome their fears, but all in vain ; they Sit ajqne as4
keep Silence, they flee the company and Society of men ; they
labour afte-r Solitary places., where they may weep, withiree-
dom, if their tears be not yet dried up, pr at JeafiV where they
may pour out their complaints againft themfelves ; they medir
tate nothing hut their mifery >} they can fix their thought? up*
on nothing elfe; they chatter as a crane, or fw4l}e;Wsr they
mourn as a dove ; they are as a pelican in the wildernfeSs, as
an owl in the defart, hut ftill without eafe, They are but as
thofe that are Snared in dens, and prifon-,heu.fes ; who the Jon*
ger tbey lie there, haye the lefs patience tp bear the prefent
unhappinefs, and the lefs hope to be delivered from it.
2. When they are tired out with private ponflids* and have
no reft or intermifllan of trouble, then at laft they are forced
to fpeak ; and having once begun tp open their troubles, they
care not who knows it. If there be any heinous fin at the bot
tom, their confeiences are forced to confefs it : Wickednefs,
that was once fweet in his mouth, i$ ' turned in hip bowels, it
is the gall of afps within him,' Job xx. 14, 15. Thus doth God

(Chap. IX. Satan's Templdtions, 377
God make med to vomit up what they had fwallowed down.
Terrors chafe away all Shame, they can now freely fpeak a-
gainft their fin; With the higheft aggravations. And if their
confeiences have not art heinous crime to accufe them of in par
ticular, yet in the general they will judge and condemn them
felves, as the m°ft Stubborn, Sinful, ot hardened wretches,
juftly branded With indelible charaders of the wrath of God.
However the diftrefs becomes greater, if they truly accufe
themfelves of any particular fin, that vomit is not without a
violence offered to nature, which otherwife would 'cover its
Shame. It cannot be done without ficknefs; ftraining arid tor
ture ; and when it is done, they take it for granted, that every
one paffeth the fame judgment upon them, which they do upon
themfelves ; and the frequent fpeaking doth confirm their minds
in their fearful expedations. For what men do accuftom
themfelves to affert; that they do more confidently believe. If
they only complain of themfelves in the general, with any in
tentions Of procurement of pity, as is ufual for the diflreffed
to do, yet while they cry out to others, ' Is this nothing to
you, all you that pafs by' ? Is there any fotroW like to my for?.
row ?' &c. Still they think their Stroke is heavier than their
groaning, and their cry tp others, doth ftrongly fix this appre
henfion in themfelves, that none can be more miferable than
they. Thus are they brought to Job's condition, Job xvi. 6.
' Though I fpeak, my grief is not affuaged ; and though I for
bear, what am I eafed ?'
3, All this while they are under an inexpreffible fenSe of di
vine wrath. Heman fpeaks his apprehenfions of it, under the
Similitude of the moft hideous, and. difmal, comfortlefs impri
sonment, Pfalm Ixxxviii. 6. ' Thou haft laid me in the loweft
pit, in darknefs, in the deeps.' David in Pfalm cxvi. 3. com
pares it to the forrows of death, and, the higheSt- that human
thoughts can reach, the pains of hell : ' The forrows of death
eompaffed me, and the pains of hell gaf hold upon me ; I found
frouble and forrow.' Well might they thus judge, all things
confidered, for fin, that then lies heavy upon them, is a great
weight, a burden, Saith David, greater than I can bear; espe
cially When it is preffed on by an heavy hand, « thy hand pref-
feth me fore,' Sin makes the greateft wound, considering the
ponfeience, which is wounded by it, is the tenderefl part,
and of exquifite fenfe, Hence the grief of it is compared
to the pain of a running fretting ulcer, that distempers the
whole body : ' My Wounds Slink and are corrupted ; my
fore ran , in the night and ceafed not,' Or to the pain,
of broken and Shattered bones, Pfalm xxxyiii. 3. 'There
3 B ».<

378 4 treatife of Part II.
is no foundnefs in my flefh, becaufe of thine anger ; neither is
there any reft in my bones, becaufe of-my fin. The instru
ment alfo that make's the wound is fharp, and cuts deep; it is
Sharper than a two edged Sword, but when the weapon is- poi-
Soned, and Satan hath a way to do to that, then it burns, making
painful malignant inflammation^. The wrath of God expreffed
to the confcience, brings the greateft terror, ^Who knows the '
power of thine anger ?' PfaL xc. n. It is impoffible for the
moft tremblifflg'confcience, or moft jealous fears, to gp to the
utmoft bounds of it, neither can we apprehend any torture great
er ; the rack, tortures, fire, gibbets, &c are all nothing to it.
Hence is it that thofe who were afraid of fuffering for truth,
when by this means they were brought under thefe diftrefles,
could then be willing to fuffer any torment on the body*; yea,
and heartily wiSh to fuffer much more, fo that thefe > tortures
might be ended. Thus it was with Bainham martyr '*, who
in the public congregation bewailed his abjuration ofthe truth,
and prayed all his hearers rather to die by and by, than to do
as he had done. But.that of Spira feems almoft beyond belief;
thus fpeaks he- to Vergerius, " If I could conceive but theieaft <
Spark of hope of a better eftate hereafter, I wpuld not refufe'to
endure the nioSt heavy weight of the wrath of that great God,
yea, for twenty thoufand years, fo that I might- at length at
tain to the end of that mifery." — — What dreadful agonies were
thefe, that put Him to thefe wiihes ? But it is lefs wonder, if
you obferve what apprehdnfions he had of his prefent trouble,
hejudged'it wprfe than hell itfelf; and if you would have a
lively exposition of -David's expreffion, ' The pains pf hell,' &c
you may fetch it from this inftance, " My prefent eftate,' faith
he, I now account worfe, than if my foul feperated from my body,
we're with Judas and the reft of the damned ; and therefore I
defire rather to be there, than thus tp live in the body.?' So. that
if you imagine a man crufiit under the greateft weight, womuT-
fed in the mpft tender parts, and thofe wounds provoked by the
Sharpest corrofives, His bones all disjointed and broken,, pined
alfo with Hunger and thirft, and in that cafe put under the high
eft tortures; yet you have but a very Shadow of divine wrath;
add to all thefe according to Spira's wifh, twenty' thoufand years
of hell itfelf, yet all is nothing to that which a diftreffed mind
fuppofeth, while thev/crd eternity 'prefents the foul with theto- •
tal fum of utmoft mifery all at once. Oh unexpreffible burden of
Ja diftreffed mind J Who can underftand it, truly, but he that
feels it ? How terribly is the mine! of man Shaken with terrors,
as the wilderuefs by a miglity wind ! which' not only prodpu-
' ' '- cert)
* ,A&5 and Monuments, c. 8. p. 938.'

Chap. IX. Satan's temptations. tfg
ceth violent motions, but alfo hideous noife, murmur, and
howling. 4. This burden uppn the mind forceth the tongue to vent its
forrow in the faddeft accent of moft doleful outcries, their whole
language is lamentatibn ; but when the pangs of their agonies
come upoh them, for their diftreffes have their fits, then they
fpeak in the bitternefs of their fouls. Oh ! faid Bainham, I
would not for allithe world's good, feel Such an hell in my con
fcience again. One formerly mentioned, in thefe diftreffes,
cries out (Mrs K. B.) Wb, wo, wo! a woful, a wretched, a
forfaken woman ! It would i forely have made a man's hair to
Stand upright fo.rdread, to have Heard Spira roaring out that
terrible Sentence, How dreadful is it to fall 1 into the hands of
X - •
the' living God ? Or to, have heard his reply to him that told
of his*being at Venice, 0 curfed day! faith he; O curfed day !
O that I had never gone thither, WOuld God I had then died !
&c. The like outcries had David often, Pfal. xxii. 1. 'My
God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me ? Why art thou fo
far from helping me^ and from the words of my roaring?' And
Heman, Pfal. Ixxxviii. 14. ' Lord, why called thou off my foul,
why hideft thou thy face frbm me?' It is true, David's and
Heman's words have a better complexion than thofe others laft
mentioned, but their difquiet of heart feems, at fometimes to have
urged their expreffions with impetuous violence ; as thofe paffa-
jges feem to fay, Pfal: xxxviii. S. ' Ihave roared by reafon of
the difquietnefs of my heart,' Pfal. xxxii. 3. ' My bones waxed
,Old, thrbugh my roaring all the, day long.' Job iii. 24. 'My
roarings, are poured out like water.' If their lamentations were
turned into roarings, and thofe roarings were like the breaking
in of a flood, and that flood Of fo long continuance, that it dried
up the marrow of the bones; we may Safely imagine, that they
Were npt fo milch at leifure to order their words, but that their
tongues might fpeak in that dialed which is proper to aftonifh-
ment, and diftrefs.
5; Though the mind be the principal feat of thefe troubles,
yet the body cannot be exempted from a copartnership in thefe
fbrrows. Notwithstanding this is So Sar from abating the trou
ble, that it increafeth'itby a circulation. The pains of the body,
contraded by the trouble of the mind, are communicated' again
to the fohntain from whence they came, and reciprocally aug
ment the .difquiet of the mind. The body is weakened, their
ftrength poured out like water ; they are withered like gntfs ;
pined as a Skin, become as a bottle in the fmoke : Thus David
frequently complains, Pfalm xxii. 14. he defcribes himfelf as
reduced to a Skeleton : 'lam poured out like water, and all
3 B 2 my

380 A treatife of fmU*
my bones are put of joint: Myheart: jg likf Wax, it is'melfed ,
in the midlt of my bowels ; my ftrength is dried up like: a pot.,.
Sherd, my tongue cleayeth to my jaws, and thqu haft brpugjjt
me tp'the duft of death.' Neither is this! hi? peculiar pafe, hut
the common effed of fpiritual diftreffes, Pfalm *xxix. ix.
' When thou with rebukes doft corred man for iniquity, thftB
makeft his beauty tp confome away like a moth.'
6. Being thus diftreSTed for their fouls, tbey caft pff all. carp
of their bcdies, eftates, Samilies, and all their outward concerns
whatSpever. And no wqnder, Sor being pprfuaded, that they
have made Shipwreck of their fouls, tbey. judge; the' reft arpnof
worth the faving.
7. Giving all for loft, they ufually caft about for fome eafe ,
tp their minds, by feeking after the lower degrees pf mifery,
hearing, pr fuppoflng that all are not tormented, ajjke, they en„
d.eavour to perfuadp themfelves, of a cooler hell. This, if tbey
could reach it, were but poor comfort, and little to. their Satis*
fadion ; but as poor as it is, it i§ ufually denied to them, for
while they judge themfelves to be the greateft Sinners, they
cannot but adjudge themfelvps to the greateft torments : Ajj4
thefe endeavours being frustrated, they return baek to them
felves, as now hopelefs of the leaft eafe, worfe than before;.
Now they fix themfelves upon the deep contemplations pf their
mifery : Oh ! think they, haw great had our happinefs been,
if we had been made toads, ferpents, worms, or any thing
but men ! For then Should we never have known, this un
happinefs ; and this hegets a thoufand yain wifees. Oik that
We had never been born '. Or that death could annihilate; us I.
Or that as Soon as we had been born, we had died ! (As Job
Speaks, Job iii. xx, xi. ( Why died I not from the womb?
Why did I not give up the ghoft, when. 1 came out of the. be}*
ly?') Fox then we had not contraded fo much guilt, Qr that
the mountains and hills could fall upon us, and coyer from the
face of our judge.
8. When all their hopes are. thus daShed, and, like a, Ship-
' Wrecked man on a plank, they are Still knocked dowfl- with
new waves, all their endeavours being ftill fruftrated* they
feem to themfelves to. be able to hold out no. longer ; then}
they give pver all further enquiries, and the ufe of means,
they refufe to pray, read, hear. They perceive, as. Spira foid,-
tha't they pray to their own condemnation ; and that aU is to coi
purpofe. They are weary pf their groaaings, Ffyli vi. fc*
Their eyes fail with looking up ; their knees ave feeble, their
hands hang down. Aud as Heroah, FfaL Ixxxviii. 4, j. they
count themfelves with thofe that go down to, the pit, free among the

Ofp. IX. Satan's Temptations. $Bx
the dead, like the flain that lie in the grave, whom God re-
merohereth no mpre. Thus they lie dpwn undpr their bur
den, and while they find it fo hard to be born, it is ufual for
them to come to the utmoft point ef defpt-ratenefs, (Satan fug-
gelling- and forwarding them.) Sometimes they open their
mouths with complaints againft God, and hlafpheme. And,
as the laft part of the tragedy, being weary of themfelves, they
feek to put an end to their prefent mifery, by putting an end
to their lives.
I have prefented you with Satan's Stratagems, againft the
peace of God's children: The remedies againft thefe, and other
fubtilties of our grand enemy, I fliall not offer you, becaufe
many others have done that already, to whofe writings I muft
refer you. Some principal diredions I have pointed at in the
way, and in the general have done this for "the help of the
tempted, that I Have endeavoured to fhew them the methods
of the tempter, Which is no fmall help to preferve men from
being thus impofed upon, and to recover out of his fnare thofe
that are. It is a great prefervative from ficknefs, and no mean
advantage to the cure, to have a difcovery of the difeafe, and
the caufes of it. I Shall conclude thefe difcoyeries with a cau
tion or two.
(i.) Let none think worfe of the ferious pradice of holy
ftridnefs in religion, becaufe thefe fpiritual diftreffes do fome
times befal thofe that are confeientioufly careful in the ways
of God, while the profane and negligent profeflbrs are Stran
gers; tp fuch trials. Thefe troubles are indeed very fad ;
but a fenfeiefs carelefs ftate is far worfe : Thefe troubles often
end very comfortably, whereas the other end, except God niake
them fenfible, by conviction of their fin and danger, in that
real mifery, the fears whereof occafion thefe forrows to God's
children. And the danger of fpiritual troubles is not fo great
as is that of an hardened heart ; nay, God frequently makes
ufe of them to prevent eternal ruin. For one that goes roar
ing to the pit, there are thoufands that go laughing to hell.
(2,) Let none flight, or feoff at thefe tremendous judgments.
It' is too common with men, either to afcribe fpiritual trou
bles ,to melancholy, as if none were ever thus concerned, but
fuch, as by too much ferioufnefs in religion, are become mad,
(a fair pretence for careleflhefs) or to a whining diffimulation :
To the former I have faid Something before, and as for the
latter, I Shall -only reply in the words of Spira, to one that
objeded hypocrify to him : " I am a caft away, a veffel of
wrath, yet dare you call it diffembling and frenzy, and can
mock at the formidable example of the heavy wrath of God,
' that

38* ' A, Treatife of Part IL
that fliould teach you fear and terror ? But it is nathral tp the
fleSh to fpeak, either,, out of malice or ignorance, perverJeTfcof
,. the work of God ." , ' .> . ¦ " v4 ';. i « . . • \ > .- ' '' i% "'¦ ' ^ " --< V * '
¦(3.) Let none be afraid of this Goliafa, let no man's heart
faint becaufe of him. A fear of ? caution and diligence to a-
Void, his fnares, is a neceffary duty, ('Be Sober, be vigilant;
becaufe your adverfary the devil,' &c.) but a difcouraging
diftruftful fear, is a dishonourable refledion upon God's power
and promifes to help us, and upon the Captain .of our Salva
tion, who goeth out before us : Let us hold on in the practice
of holinefs, and not be afraid. The God of peace fliall tread
-down Satan under our feet Shortly. ' Amen.

DAEMON-

DiEMONOLOGIA SACRA:
OR,
ji treatife of Safaris 'Temptations.

P'ART III.
Containing an account of the Combat betwixt Chrift
and Satan, in Matth. iv. Wherein the deep Subtilty
^pf Satan in managing thofe Temptations, is laid open,
as the grand inftance of the fum of his policy in all
his afliults upon men ; leading to a confideration of
many Temptations in particular, and of fpecial Di
rections for refiftance.

Matth. iy. i. Then was Jefus, led up of the Spirit into the
wildernefs, to be tempted of the 4e,vil.

CHAP- L
The firfl circumftance ofthe combat. The time when it happened:
The two folemn feafens of temptation. The reafons thereof.
I SHALL here confider the great temptation which it pleafed
- our Lord Chrift to fubmit unto, as a moft famous inftancp
for confirmation and illuftration of the dodrine of temptations
already handled.
The firft verfe fets down Several remarkable circumftances of
this pombat ; all of them matter of weight and worth. As,
Firft, The time when this fell out ; not as a loofe and ac
cidental emergency, but as particularly made choice of both by
God and. Satan, being moft fit and proper for the deugn which
each of them were carrying on. This is exprefsly noted in
Matth. iv, i, ' Then was Jefus led up:', But more fully In
Mark' i. 12. ' Immediately the Spirit driveth him into the
wildernefs ;' manifestly direding us to exped fomething wor
thy of our obfervation in that circumftance : Neither can we
raifs of it, when the things unto which this directs us, are fo
fully related immediately before. For we find in both thefe
Evangelifts, which Speak So exactly of the time of thefe temp
tations', that Chrift was baptized of John ; this was in order tp
,,-,.'.. tne

384 -4 Treatife of Part III..
the fulfilling the righteoufnefs of his office. As the priefts un
der the law when they came to be thirty years old *, entered
upon their fundioii by wafhings, or baptizing*; and anointings
^ Levit; viii. 6, 12; fo Chrift', that he might anfwer his type, be
ginning to be about thirty years of age, Luke iii. 23. was fo-
lemnly inaugurated into the great office of the Mediatorfhip by
baptifm, and the extraordinary defeetiding of the Holy Ghoft ;
by which ' he was anointed with the oil of gladnefs above his
fellows.' To this foleriin iriftalmeht the Father adds an heno'ui>
able testimony concerning him ; ' This is my beloved Son; in
whom I am well pleafed. Immediately after this was he car
ried to the place pf combat. Hence we may infer, *
Obf. x .] That our entering upon a fpecial fervice for God,
or reeeiving a fpecial favour from God ; are two folemn fea-
fons which Satan makes ufe of for temptation. Ofteti thefe
two feafons meet together in the faffle perfoto, at the fame time,
Paul,after his rapture into the third heaven, which, as fome/
conceive, was alfo upon his entrance' upon the miniftry, was
buffeted by the mefiertger of Satan, 2 Cor. xii. i, f.
Sometimes thefe two feafons are fevered ; ytst ftill it may
be obferved, that the devil watcheth them. When any fervant
of God is to engage in any particular employment, he will be
upon him. He affaulted Mofes' by perfecution, when he was
firft called to deliver Ifrael. As Soon as David was anointed;
immediately doth he enrage the minds pfSaul and his courtiers
againft him. It was fo prdinary with Luther, that he af laft;
came to thisj that before any eminent fervice, he conftantly ex-
peded either a fit of ficknefs, or the buffeting? of Satan. He
is no lefs fedulous in giving his affaults when any child of God
hath been under peculiar favours, or enjoyments : The church
after an high entertainment with Chrift, is prefently overceine
by a carelefs Sleepy indifpofitiori, Cant. v. 1, 2.
Though this may feem ftrange, yet the harflmefs- of fuch a
providence on God's part, and the boldnefs of the attempt on
Satan's part, may be much taken off by thp consideration cf the
reafons hereof.
Firfl, On Satan's part : It is no great wonder to fee fuch an
undertaking, when we confider his fury, and malice. The mote
we receive from God, and the more we are to do for him; -the
more doth he malign us. So much the more as God is good,
hy fo much is his eye evil.
Secondly, There are, in fuch cafes as thefe, feveral advantages],
which, through our weaknefs and imperfection, we are top apt
to give him ; and for thefe he lietli at the catchf Aa, ,
* JShimb. iv. 3. Vid. Lightfoot's Temple Service and Harmony.

Chap. I. Satan's Temfttations. 385
As, xfl, Security. \ We are apt to grow proud, carelefs, and
confident after, pr upon fuch, employments and favours ; even
as men are apt to Sleep cr furfe.it iipon a full meal, or to forget
themfelves, . when they are advanced to honour. Job's great
peace and plenty made him, as he, ponfefTethj fo confident, that
he concludeth he Should ' die in his neft,' Job xxix. 18. David
enjoying the favour of God in a more than ordinary meafure,
(though he was more acquainted -with viciflitudes and changes
than moft of men) grows fec'ure in this apprehenfion, that he
' Should never be moved,' PSal. xxx. 6. But he acknowledgetli
his miflake, and leaves it upon record as an experience necef
fary for others to take warning by, that when he became warm
under the beams of God's Countenance, then he was apt to fall;
into Security, And, this.it feems was ufual ' with him in all
fuch cafes,, whert he was moft Secure, he was neareft fome trou
ble or difquiet: ' Thou didft hide thy face,' (and then 'to be
fure the devil will fhevV his):' and Iwas troubled.' Enjoy
ments beget confidence ; confidence brings forth carelefihefs ;
Careleffnefs makes God,withdraw; and gives opportunity to Sa
tan to work unfeen. And thus as armies after victory growing
Secure, are oft furprifed ; fo we are oft after our fpiritual ad
vancements thrown down. ,
idly, pifcouragement, and tergiverfation is another thing
the devil watahejh for. By his affaults he reprefents the duty dif
ficult, tedious, -dangerous, .or impoffible, ori purpofe to difcou--
rage us, and. to nuke us fall back. No fobner doth Paul en
gage in ;the gofpel} than' the devil is Upon him, fuggpfting fuch
hazards as he knew were moft prevalent with our frail natures;
if he' had nbt been aware of him, and refufed to hearken to
what flefh and blood would have faid in the cafe, Gal. i. 16.
When God honoured Mofes with the high employment of de
livering Ifrael ; the hazard and danger of the \vork was fo
ftrongly fixed Upon His thoughts, that he makes many excufes;
one while pleading his inability and iiifuSRcien'cy ; ' Who am I,
that I Should go to Pharaoh?' Exod. iii. 11. Another while he
urgeth Ifrael's unbelief, and a feemiog impoflibility to fatisfy
them of his commiffion, Exod. iv. 1. after that he clevifeth ano
ther .Shift, ' I am not eloquent,' ver. 10. And when all thefe
Subterfuges were removed; (Satan had fo affrighted him with'
the trouble and difficulty' of his undertaking) that he attempts
to'break away from' his. duty ; ver. 13. ' Send by the hand of
him whom thou- wilt fend;' that is, fpare me, and fend another.
And till the anger and difpleafure of God was manifested againft
him, he fubmitted not. In Jonah the temptation went higher.
He, upon the apprehenfions mentioned, ran away from his fer-
3 C vice,

386 A Treatife qf Part HI.
vice, and put? God to convince him by an extraordinary pu
nifliment. And' when Satan prevails not fo far, as wholly to
deter men by fuch onfets ; yet at leaft he' doth difhearten and
difcourage them : So that the work lofeth much of that glory,
excellency, and exadnefs, which a ready and chearful under
taking would put upon it, :
. $dly, The fall or mifcarriages of the faints at fuch times is
of more than ordinary, disadvantage ; not only to others, (for
if they can be prevailed with to lay afide their work, or to ne
sted the improvement of their favours others are deprived of
the benefit and help that might be expeded from them) but al
fo to themfelves, A prevailing temptation doth more than or
dinarily prejudice them, at fuch times. The greatnefs ofthe
difappointment under fpecial fervice, the unworthy1 negleft,
and unanfwerablenefs to fpecial favours are extraordinary pro
vocations, and produce more than ordinary chaftifements ; as
we fee in Jonah's afflidion, and the fpoufe's defertion.
Secondly, As we have feen the reafon of Satan's keennefs in
faking thofe opportunities ;, fo may we confider the reafons of
Gbd's \permiffion, which are thefe.
,xfl, Temptations at fuch feafons are permitted for more
eminent trial of the upright. On this account was Job
tempted. . -
idly, For an increafe of diligence, humility, and watchful-
nefs. If thefe privileges and mercies will not difcourage San
tan, what will ? And if Satan fo openly malign, fuch enjoy
ments, we may be awakened to hold them fafter, and fet a
double guard upon them.
Sdly, For a plentiful furniture of experience. Temptation;
is the Shop of experience. Luther was fo groat a gainer by
this, that he became able fo to fpeak to the confeiences and
conditions of his heaters, that the thoughts of their hearts were
manifested by his fpeaking, as if he had an intelligencer in their1
own bofoms. Hence did he commend prayer, meditation and
temptation, as,, neceflary requisites for the accomplishment of a
minister. Applic.~] This may administer matter of counfel to us in both
cafes aforementioned, if we be put upon eminent employments,
or receiye eminent favours.
(i.) We muft not be fo fecure, as to think Satan will be,a-
fleep that while, or that wer are beyond danger. While we
are receiving kindneSTes,. he is devifing plots and laying fnares.
With privileges and mercies, exped exercifes and haiards.
(2.) Ln particular we may receive fomething of advice from
this confideration, in reference to both cafes. 1. If God is
\ abouS

Chap. II. Satitn's Tempations. r 387
abput- to employ us in any fervices, (1.) We have little need
to be confident of Our abilities or performance, when we know
that temptations wait for us. (2 ) We muft not only be fen- ,
fible of our weaknefs, that we be npt confident ; but We muft
be apprehenfive of the ftrength and power pf God to carry us
through, that we be not difeouraged. ("3.) We muft fee our
oppofition, that We maybe watehful ; and yet muft we refufe
to give it the leaft place of confideration in our debates pf duty,
left it fway us againft duty, or dishearten us in it. 2. If God
be pleafed to honour us with peculiar favours:. Then (*•)
Though we nruft improve them to the full, yet muft we not
feed on them Without fear. '(«.) We mpft hot Stay in the en
joyment, or play with, the token ; but- look to the tendency
of fuch favours, and improve them to duty, as to their pro*
per end.

CHAP. II.
The fecond circumftance, Chrift' s being led by the Spirit. What
hand the Spirit pf God hath in temptations. And «f running
into temptation when not led into it.
THE fecond circumftance acquaints, how Chrift was carried
to the Combat. In folemn combats and duels, the per
fons undertaking the fight Were ufually carried to the place
with great Solemnity and ceremony : Chrift in this fpiritual
battle is defcribed as having the ppndud ofthe Spirit,' ' He was
led up of the Spirit,' £tc. What this Spirit was, is, though
by ^ aeedlefs and over officious diligence, questioned by fome ;
but we need not Stay much upon it, if we confider the phrafe
jof the Evangelists, who mention Spirit withbnt any note of
diftindion, which of neceffity muft have been* added, if "it had
intended either his proper fpirit as a ttijui, or the wicked fpirit
Satan, direding thereby to underftand it of him to whom the
word Spirit is more peculiarly attributed, vim. the Holy Ghoft.
Or if we obferve the .clbfe connection in Luke, betwixt that
expreffion of Christ's t being full of the Holy Ghoft,' and his
being led by the Spirit, it will be out of controverfy, that the
Holy Spirit is here intended. Hence was it that Beza tranflates
it moire fully; Jefus being foil of the Holy Qhp'ft, was led
eodem Spiritti, of the fame Spirit ; and the Syriaek in Matthew
doubts not to exprefs it by the Holy Spirit : And what elfe
can he imagined ? When in this .text the Spirit that led him
3 C 1 np?

388 Atreatifeof Part III.
up, and the devil, that tempted, are mentioned, in. So dired.arj
oppofition:' ' He was ^ ofthe Spirit into the wildemefs tq
be tempted of the devil.' ' The manner of his 'being carried
thither, is expreffed by fuch words, as fignify, though not an
external' rapture, like that of Philip, a ftrong, inward motion
and impulSe upon him- The Spirit driveth him,, faith Mark
The Spirit led him, faith Luke, ufing the fame word,by which
the fcripture elfewhere expreffeth the power of the Spirit upon
the children of God,', who are faid to be led hy him.
O'bfl 2.] Hence note, that the Spirit of God hath a hand in
temptations. Chrift, was led by the Spirit to be tempted!
.This' muft not be underftood, as if God did properly teiiipt any.
to fin^ either by inticing' their hearts to evil, or by moving and
Suggesting wicked things to their minds, or by infufing evil in
clinations, or by any proper compliance with Satan, to under
mine and delude us by any treachery or deceit ; n6ne of thefe
Can be imagined, without apparent derogation to the holinefs
of God, who tempteth no man, neither can he he tempted witlj
evil: .But what we are to underftand, by the Holy Spirit's con
cerning himfelf in temptations is included in thefe particulars.
jfl, God gives commiffion to Satan, without which his han4
would be feajed up under an impoflibility of reaching it out, a,
gainft any.
idly, Opportunities apd occafions do depend upon his^ provi
dence, without which nothing comes to pafs. Neither we nor
any thing elfe do or can move without him.
$dly, The Spirit overfees the temptation; as to meafure and
-continuance; the length and breadth of it is ordered by hint.;
£,thly, The iffne and confequences of every temptation are at
his appointment; the ways of its working for our exercife,
humiliation or conviftion, or for any other 'gobd and advantage
whatfoever,' they all bejong to his determination.
So that it is 'not improper to aflert, that God and Satan do
concur in the fame temptation, thdugh the ways of proceeding
with the aims and intentions of both, be diredly different and
contrary. Heiice it is, that the temptations of David, I Sam.
xxiv. i. and i Chron. xxi. i, are upbir feveral regards' attri
buted bothto God and.Satan. ' ' ,.
Appl.xQ This note is of ufe, to remove thofe harfli interpre
tations which poor tempted Chriftians meet withal, common
ly from Such as have not touched their burdens with the leaft
of their fingers'! ^Men are apt in thefe cafes' to judge,
ift, The ways* of religion, as being ways (at feaft in the
more ferious and rigid pradice of them) of intolerable 'hazard
and perplexity ; anpl only upon an obfervation, that thofe who
' ' '' . moft

Chap. II. , Satan's Temptations. 3$g
moft addid themfelves to a true and ftrid obfervance' of duty
and command, ufually complain of .temptations, and ezprefs
fometimes their fears and diftrefs of heart about them. This
is your reading, your praying and hearing. Such preaching,
.fay they, leads men to defpair and perpetual difquiet : And up
on the whole, they conclude it dangerous to be- religious, a-
bove the common rate pf thpfe that profeeute it in a flow and
carelefsindifferency. idly, The like feverity of cenfure do they ufe in reference
to the fpiritual ftate of the tempted, as if they were veffels of
bis hatred, and fuch as were by him given up to the power of
this wild boar of the foreft tO devour and tear. All kind of
diftreffes are obnoxious to the worft of misjudgings from male
volent minds; The fufferings of Chrift produced this cenfori-
ous feoff, ' Let God deliver him, if he will have him.' David's
troubles eafily induced his adverfaries to conclude, that ' God
had forfaken him, and that there was none to deliver him,'
, Pfal. lxxi. i J. But in troubles of this nature, where efpecial
ly there are frightful complainings againft themfelves, men are
more eafily drawn out to be peremptory in their uncharitable
determinations concerning them,', becaufe the trouble' itfelf is
Somewhat tare, and apt to beget hideous impreffions ; and with
al, the vent which the aiflided parties give, by their bemoaning
bf their eftate, in hope to eafe themfelves thereby, is but taken
as a teftihiOny agrinjl themfelves, and the undoubted echoes of
their real feelings.
$dly-, Their fins are upon this ground misjudged and heigh
tened. Unufual troubles with common apprehenfion argue un-
ufual fins. The viper upon Paul's hand, Ads xxyiii. 4. made
jhe, Barbarians confident, he was a mart of more than ordinary
guilt and wickednefs. David's ficknefs was enough to give
his enemies occafion to furmife, that it was the p.vmifhment of
Some great tranfgreffion. ' An evil difeafe, fay they, cleaveth
to him,' Pfal. xii. 8. Thofe that were overwhelmed by the
fall of the tower of Siloam, Luke xiii, 4. and thofe whofe blood
Pilate mixed with their facrifices, were judged greateft finners".
But in inward temptations, this misjudging confidence is every
Way more heightened ; and thofe that are inoft molefted, are
fuppoSed to have given more way to Satan.
4thly,- Temptations are alfo misjudged to be worSe than they
are. (,Thpy are indeed things to be trembled at, but they are
not properly of an aftonilhing, amazing, or defpairing conside
ration, as men are apt to think that view the workings of them
at a distance."
Againft tdl thofe unrighteous furmife.?, the poor afflided Ser-
" -'"•'¦ vants

»o0 A Trecbtifi of Part III,'
vants of Clirift may have relief from this truth in hand, that-
the Holy Spirit of God hath a hand in temptations: And there
fore it is" impoffible, that every where they fhould be of fuch a
fignification. Were they in themfelves no way fervieeable to
God's glory in the gracious exercife of his children, the Spirit
of wifdom and holinefs would not at all have a hand in them.
If under Satan's affaults you meet with thofe that by fuch a
harShnefs of cenfure, would aggravate 'your troubles, and fa
grieve thofe whom God hath faddened ; you may boldly appeal
from them to him that judgeth righteoufly. And indeed if
men would but confider in the faddeft cafe of this nature, either,
(i.) The end of the Lord in-permitting temptations, which; if
feen. would* give an high justification of his dealing, and force
men to applaud and magnify his wifdom, rather than to cenfure
it. Or, (2.) If they could but fee the fecret ways of God's
fupport. How he afts his part, in holding them by the hand,-
In counterworking of Satan^ and confcundmg him under the
exercife of his higheft maliee ; and alfo in the ways of his pre
feryation and ^deliverance. Or, (3.) If the harmleSuiefe , of
temptations when their Sting is taken out were but- weighed*
men would change their' minds as readily, as the Barbarians
did, when they faw the viper not effed that mifchief they Sup-'
pofed upon Paul ; and would fee caufe to Stand amazed at the
contrivances of fo much power and wifdom, as can turn thefe
to quite other ends and ufes, than what they of themfelves feein
to threaten.
Appl. 2, J This confideration will Surther expreSs its ufeful-
neSs, in comforting us under temptations. It might have been
Paul's great difcouragement, that in his anfwer before Nero no
man flood with him, 2 Tim. iv. 16. Buttlus was his fupport,
that God was with him. The like encouragement we have
under all affaults of Satan, that we are not left to ourfelves,
but the Spirit of Gbd is with us ; and that he concerns himfelf
on a defign to overfee, and over-rule his work, and to put a
check upon him when there is need. So that he cannot tempt
as he will, nor when he will, nor in what he Would, nor as long
as he would ; but that in all cafes, we may relie Upon the great
matter, contriver, for relief, help, mitigation, or deliverance, a?
there is need.
1 Qbfi 3.] In that the Evafigelifts do not fay that Chrift caft
himfelf upon a temptation, neither did go to undertake it, till
he was led to it, we note that whatever may be the advantage
of a temptation by the Spirit's ordering of it ; or what Security
from danger we may promife to ourfelves uppn that accpunt,
yet muft we npt run upoh temptations ; though we muft Submit when

Chap, II. Satan's Temptations. 391
when we are fairly led intq them. The reafons of this truth
are theSe :
Firft, There is So much pf the nature of evil in temptations
that they are to be avoided if poffible. Good they may acci-
dentially be, (that is beyond their prpper,.nature apd tendency)
by the over-ruling hand of God ; but being in their own natu
ral conflitution evil, it is inconfiftent with human nature to de
fire them a* fuch.
Secondly, To run upon them would be a dangerous tempting
qf God, that is, making 3 bpld and prefumptuous trial, without
call, whether he will put forth his power (to refcue us or not.
Now he that runs upon a temptation hath no promife fo be de-,
Uyered out of it, And befides,, runs upo'n fo defperate a pro-s
vocation, that in all probability he Shall mifcarry in if, as a juft
punishment pf his rafhnefs,
Queft. But enquiry may be made, when do men run uncal
led, and unwarrantably, upon temptation? I anfwpr many ways.
As, '
Anfw. 1, J xft, When men engage themfelves in fin and ap
parent wickednefs in the works pf the SleSh._ For it can never
be imagined that the holy God Should ever by his Spirit cal|
any to fuch things as his foul abhors.
idly, When men run uppn the vifible and apparent occa
sions and caufes of fin. This is like a man's going tp the peft-,
houfe, thus do they, that though they defign- not to be adors
in evil, yet wiH give their company and countenance to perfons
adually engaged in evil,
2,dly, When men unnecefTarily, without the condud either of
Command, or urging" an unavoidable providence, do put them
felves, though not upon vifible and certain opportunities, yet
upon dangerous and hazardous occafions and fnares. Peter had
ho errand in the, high prieft's hall ; his curiofity led him
thither : he might. eafily have forefeen a probable fnare; but
confiderttlyputtipg himfelf forward, where his danger was more
, than his'bufinefs,he ran upon the temptation, and accordingly fell.
The like did, Dinah,. When She made aneedlefs vagary to fee the
daughters of the land ; Gen. xxxiv, where She met with her Sin
and Shame. Neither do they otherwife who dare adventure them
felves in families, whilft yet they are'tree and may otherwife dif-
pofe of themfelves, where they fee fnares and temptations, will
be laid before them. The cafe indeed isotherwiSe to thofethat are
tinder the neceffary engagement of relation, natural or voluntary,
if, it be antecedent to the hazard, to live in fuch places or cal
lings, PfaL xpi, 11. they have a greater promife of prefervatipn
than otbeis can lay claim to, prov. x. 29. Afhly,

3&> A txeaiifeof , fart lift
_ qthly, Thofe tiin Upon temptation, that adventure apparently
beyond their ftrength, and put themfelves upon actions good?
or harmleSs, difproportionably to their abilities. The apoftle
gives the inftance in marriage abstinence, i- Car, vii.1 5. which
he. cautions may not be undertaken at a carelefs adventure, Sor
fear of a temptation: and by this we may judge other things of
like nature. , , ¦ , ¦ -, V
' $thly. They are alfo. guilty, that defign an adventure unto
the utmoft bounds of lawful liberty. Thofe that'bave a mind
to try conclusions, how near they make their approaches to Sin :
and yet keep off from the defilement; fuch as would divide a hair
betwixt good and evil, have a| beft but a hair's breadth .'bet^jj
them and Sin, ;but how eafily are, they brought o/yer: that.;'', tike
a man that walks upon the utmoft verge of a river's brink, oft-
times meets with hollow ground, and a dangerous flip before he"
is aware. 6thly, Thofe alfo may be reckoned in the number of fuch
as ruSh upon their danger, who go abroad withput their wea
pons, and forget in the midft of daily dangers, the means of
preservation. Thomas by his negled Slid intp a greater un
belief than the reSt of the apoftles. David's unwatchf ulheart
was eafily fmitten by the intelligence which bis eyes hrought\
him. They that would plead their, innocency againft temp
tation, had need to carry their arms and prefervatives ftill wjtn'
them; • '.¦¦¦-;
ApplJ] This truth is a fufficient caution againft the, rafh
' adventuroufnefs of thofe who forwardly engage themfelves la
matters of temptation; As the former' obfervation told us,
temptations are not to be feared, fo this alfo tells thev are not
, to be flighted. The carriage of the Philiftines when the ark
came among them, is matter of imitation to us. We may
tremble juftly when we hear of their approach ; but, our ha-"
zard fliall be the whet-flone pS our courage ; and our danger
Should bring us to refolves of a more Stout refiftance; that we
may quit ourfelves like men. ,
The apoftle, Gal. vi. 1. feems to imply^ when he tells thofe
that were more .fevere and carelefs of others; that they may
alfo be tempted, that the beft of men do little know what a
change a temptation may make upcn them ; a fmall temp
tation m.iy be too ftrong for them, and may carry them to
what they, never thought of; nay, may break down the ftrong-
eft pf their refolves, and fnap their purppfes as a thread in
flame. It did fo with Peter, who was quickly pvercome by
that whieh,he had with fo much confidence undervalued.
chap:

Chap.IH. Satan's Temptations, 393

CHAP. HI.

The third circumftance. the place of the combat. The ads.
vantage given to temptations byfolitude.
T^HE third circumftance, next to be confidered, is the place
¦*¦ oS this combat, the wildernefs. To enquire what or where
this wilderneSs was, is not only impertinent and uSeleSs, as to
any thing we can obServe Srom it in reference to temptation,
but alfo a matter of mere uncertain conjedure ; bnly they that
would underftand it of a place more' 'thinly peopled, are ex
prefsly contradided by Mark i. 13. where it is faid, ' he was
with the wild beafts ;* noting thereby a defolate and dangerous
folitude7 far remote from human Society and comfort.
' It is much more our concern to feek after the 'reafons of his
choice of that place, or rather amopg thefe many that are gi,.
ven to Satisfy ourfelves with, what may haye the greateft ap-'
pearance of truth. They that think Chrift hereby defigiied
to Shew the uncertain changes and yiciflitiides of outward
things in this life j or to point at the future low eftate of His
church in the world, that it Should Sojourn in a wildernefs;
or to dired thofe that have dedicated themfelves to God, to
withdraw from the blandishments and allurements of the earth ;
with a great many more hints of inSjrudion, and documents
of that kind * : They, I fay, that offer no other, feem npt to
attend to the true defign of the chpice of this place ; which'
notwithstanding is evidently difcpyered to have been done in
order to the tpmptation. 'He was led into the wildernefs to
be tempted.' The place then was frrbfervient to the conflid,
as the proper theatre on which fo great, a conteft was to b&
acted ; and if we fliall but mind what Special consideration
was to be had of 'fuch a place, an howling defolate wildernefs,
we may with' eafe pitch upon thefe following reafons :
'Firfl, It pleaSed God tp have an eye, to the glory oS Christ's
ponqueft, when in a Single combat he Should. So remarkably, foil
the devil without any the leaft advantage on his part; there
being none that might be the leaft fupport or encouragement
to him.
Secondly, The condition of the place, gave rife to the firft
temptation. For in that he Hungered in a barren wildernefs,'
il gave occafion to, Satan to tempt him more ftrongly to turn
Stones into bread.
Thirdly, In the chpice pf Such a place, God Seems to offer-
3 D Satarj
* Spanjiein) dub. Evan, in loc.

394 <4 Treatife of fart III.,
Satan a fpecial advantage in tempting ; wbiqb was the Solitude
and danger of, his prefent condition,' '
To omit the two former considerations,, as not altogether,
fo ufeful, further than what 1 fliall be engaged to fpeak tp
afterwards, this laft affords this obfervation. '
Obf. 4.] That Solitude affords a great advantage to Satan in
the matter of temptation. This advantage arifeth from folitude
two ways :
xfl, As It doth deprive us of help. So great and many
are the bleSTed helps arising from the fociety and communist!
of fuch as fear the Lord, as counfel, comfort, encouragement
from their graces, experiences, and prayers, §cc, ,dia,tt§jj!jwae
pronounced to him that is, alone, Ecclef. iv. 10.' is not ground-
lefs. Chriftians In, an holy, combination can do more work;
and fo have a good reward for, their labour. They can mu
tually help one another when they fall ; they can mutpaty*
heat and warm one another ; they can alfo Strengthen one ano.
thers hands to prevail againft an adverSary. fie , then that is
alone, being deprived of thefe advantages, lieth more open tq
the Stroke pf tcmptatipn.
idly, Solitude inpreafeth melancholy, fills the foul with dif
mal apprehenfions ; and withal doth fo Spoil and alter: the tem
per of it, that it is not only ready to take any difadvantageous
lmpreffion, but it doth alfo difpofe it to leaven and four thpfe
very considerations that Should fupport ; and to put a bad con-
ftrudion on things that never were intended for its hurt.
Appf This may warn us, to take heed of giving Satan Sq
great an advantage againSt us, as an unnecefiary folitudpmay
dp, I know there are times and occafions that do juftly re
quire it, to feek a folitary place for the privacy of duty, or
for fecret lamentations, as Jeremiah defired, Jer. ix. 1, 2. or
tp avoid the trouble and Snare arifing from our mixing with an
aflembly of treacherous and wicked men ; this is no more tharj
care and watchfulnefs. But when thefe reafons urge not, or
Some of Hke nature, but either out of pettiSh difcontent, or a
'mopifh refervednefs, we withdraw, from thofe aids and comforts
which are neceffary Sor our Support, we do Strengthen Satan's
Jiands againft us, and weaken our own. ' 

CHAP. S ¦ ' ¦'

fchapi !N: Sata&s Temptations. 305
CHAP. IV.
the fourth circumftance, the end wherefore. Chrift was led to the,
wildernefs. Holinefs, employment, privileges, exempt not from
temptation. Of temptations that leave not impreffions of fin
behind them. How Safaris temptations are diftinguifhedfrom
the lufts of our own hearts.
"T'HE fourth circumftance was the end. There was no other
-*- defign in the main, of Christ's being' led \\\\, and into the
wildernefs, but that he might be tempted. In this two thiiigs
feem to be' matter of equal wonder 1
Firft:, Why Chrift Would fobmit to be tempted. Fbr this,
many great and Weighty reafons maybe given : As,
1/?, Thus was Chrift evidenced to' be the fecond' Adam, and
the feed of the woman; His being1 tempted, and in, fuck' a man
ner, doth' clearly fatisfy us that he was1 true man ; and that in
that natiire hb it was that was promifed to break the Serpent's
head. . ,r
idljr, This wad a fair preludium and earneft of that final
(ebnqiieft over' Satan, and the breaking down of his power,
$dly, There was a more peculiar aim irt God by thefe means
of temptation to qualify him !with pity andpo'wer to help ;
* For in that hfe'TuSfered beirtg tempted, he is able to fUccput'
them that are tempted;' Heb. ii. 18. And' having experience
bf temptation himfelf, He becanie a merciful high-prieft, apt to
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,'iHeb. iv. 15.
qthly, The'cohfeqdeuCe of this experimental compaflion in
Chrift) was* a further' reafon wHy he fubmitted to be tempted,
to wit, that we might have thegreater comfort and encourage
ment, in the expedancy of tender dealing from him. Hence!
the apoftle; Heb. iv. i6. invites' to come boldly to the throne
hf gracp *i any time of need. ¦
Sthlyi A further end God feemed tO Have in this, viz. To
?;ive a Signal and remarkable inftance to us of the nature of
emp'tations; of Satan's fubtilty, his impudency, of the ufual
temptations which we may exped ; as alfo to teach us what
weapons are neceffary for refiftance ; and in what manner we
muft manage them.
Secondly, It feems as ftrange that Satan would undertake
a thing So unfeafible and hopelefs as the tempting' of Chrift.
What expedation could he have to prevail againft him, who
was anointed with the oil of gladnefs above his fellows ? Some
anfwer, xft-, That Satan might poflibly doubt whether Chrift -were
3 D 2 the

396 -A Treatife of "PartllR
the Son of God ot Uo, But the :improba1»fe# ' flf thisij Shall
fpeak of afterwards. d. ¦ -,<"!->1"ta . _¦>
.idly,, Others .attribute it 'to -"his malicei^whkh ^indeed -is
great, and might poffibly blind him to a deSpersree'UndeirtakingV
But, .„, ' " - ' -'-;>-' Y-Jii ->t ,t<
¦$dly, We, may juftly apprehend the power of fin over Satan
to be fo great, that it might enforce him to the bohbatternpt'
of fuch a wickednefs., We fee daily, that wicked: men by the
force of their own wicked principles, are reftlefsly hurrifed upj,
on ads of fin, though they know the prohibition, and are not
ignorant of the threatened danger. Satan is as great a flave to
his own internal Gorrupt principles as any. ¦ And whatfoever
blind fury is Stirred up in man by the power of his lull, we
may Very well fuppofe the like in Satan.- -
qthly, There, is a fuperior hand upon the devil, that Sways^
limits, and ordets him in his temptations. He cannot tempt
when he would ; neither always what hes would ; but in his
own curfed inclinations and the ading of them, , he is forced-tier
be fubfervient to God's defigns. And in this particular, what
ever might be Satai^s proper end or principle,; it is", evident
that God carried on a gracious defign for the inftrudion and
Comfort of- his children. .
The end of Chrift's going to the wildernefs, being that he
might- be tempted ; if together with this, the holinefs and dig
nity of Chrift in refped of his perfon and oSSce^ be confidered,
we may note froto it,
Obf. 5.} That neither height of privilege, nor eminency of
employment, nor holinefs of perfon, will difcourage Satati
from tempting,- or feeure ariy from his affaults. The- beft of
men in the higheft attainments may exped temptations: • Grace
itfelf doth not exempt them.
For, xft, None' of thefe .privileges in us, nor eminCncies of
grace want matter to fix a temptation' upon. Tlie weakneffef
of the beft of men are fuch, that a temptation is not rendered
improbable, as to the SueceSs, by their graces : Nay^ ther%
are' Special occafions and inclinations in them,- to encourages
temptations of pride and negled. He fownd indeed nothing in
Chrift that might offer the leaft probability of prevalency ; but
in the beft of men, in their beft eftate, he can find fome en-«
couragement for his attempt's,
idly, None of us ate beyond the neceffity of fuch exetcifes.-
It cannot be. faid . that we need them not; or- that there may
not be holy ends wherefore God Should nbt permit and order
them for our good. Temptations, as they are in God's difpo«
fat, are a neceffary Spiritual phyfic t, the defign oS them is to
' humble

Ghap. IV. Satan's temptations. 397
* humble us, to prove us, and to do us good in the latter end,*
Deut. viii. 16. Nothing will work more pf care, watchful-*
nefs, .diligence and fear in a gracious heart, than a fenfe of Sa
tan's defignmei»t againft it. . Nothing puts a man more to pray
er, breathing after God, defiriug to be diffolved, and running
to Chrift, than the troublefome and affiidive purfuits of Satan :
Nothing: brings men more from the love of the world, and to
a delight in the ordinances, of God, than the trouble which
here abides them unavoidably from Satan-. This difcipline the
beft have need of;' there are fuch remainders' of pride and o-
ther evils in them, that if Godi Should; not permit thefe prickst
and thorns to bumble them, and thereby alfo awaken them to
laborious watchfulnefs; they would be carelefs, Secure, and
fadly declining. This made Auguftin conclude that it was no
way expedient that we Should want temptations ; * and that
Chrift taught us as much, when he direded us, not to pray
$hat we fhould, not be: tempted, biit that we might hot be led
into the power^. and prevalency of temptation.
: %dly, The privileges and graces of the children of God, do
ftir up Satan's pride, revenge^ and rage againft them. And
though he hath no encouragement to exped fo eafy a conqueft
over thefe, as he hath over others, who are captivated by him
at pleafure; yet hath he encouragements to attempt them, for
the lingular uf& and 'advantage he makes of any fuccefs againSt
them ; the difficulty of the work being recompenced by the
greatnefs of the booty. For the fall of a child of God, efpe
cially. of fuch as are noted above others, ¦¦ is as when a Standard-
bearer fainteth ; or as the fall of an oak that bears down with
it the lower Shrubs that Stand near it. Hpw the hearts of o-
thers fail, for fear, left they Should alfo be overcome. How
the hearts of fome grow thereby bold; and venturefome; how
a general difgrace and diferedit thereby doth acrue to religion,
and the Sincere proSeffion oS it, are things of ufual obfervation.
If fuch men had not in them fomething of fpecial prey in cafe
of conqueft, his pride woull not fo readily carry him againft
the heads and chief of the p ople, while he feems to over-look
the meaner and weaker. O lt-houfes, though more acceffible,
are not the pbjeds of the thief's defign ; but the dwelling houfe,
though Stronger built, and better guarded,, becaufe it affords
hopes of richer fpoil, is uSuaBly affaulted. Neither do pirates
Sbi much Set themfelves to take empty veffels, though weakly
manned ; but richly loaden Ships, though better able to make
refiftance^ are the Ships of their- defire. Applic.
* itfon nobis expedit efle fine tentationibus ; non rdgamm ut non tente-
mur, fed ne inducat in tentationem. Aug. in Pfal. 73.

S9& A treatife of ParClIft
AppUc i.] Firft, This may be applied" i>**thb encburagJ
ing of thofe that think it ftrange that temptations dp fo haurit
them; efpecially, that they foould, in their apprehenfion, be
more troubled by him, when they ftyfiirthefl from -Him. The
confideration of this will much allay thefe thoughts; by thefe
inferences which it affords.
Firft, There is nothing unufual befals ; thefe cbmplainMitfo
Satan frequently doth fo toothers; they cannot juftly fay^f
their caSe is fingular, or that they are aknein fuch disturban
ces ; it is but what is common to man. If they urge the uni
ceffantnefs of the devil's attempts; Chrift and others have felt
the like. If they objed the peculiar ftrangenefs and horridrieS
of the temptation, as moft unfuitable to the ftate of an upi
rioht foul, Chrift met with the like. He was tempted to SeKi
deftrudion, to diftruft, to blafphemy itfelf in the higheft dti
gree. Secondly,- There is a good advantage to be made of them ;
-they are preservations from other fins, that would otherwiffi
grow 'upon Us.
' thirdly, Thefe temptations to the upright do but argue Sai
tan's lofs of intereft in them, and their greater fenfibility bf the
danger. The captivated finners complain not fo much; be*
caufe they are fo inured to temptation, that theyJmdnd not Sa
tan's frequent acpeffies. He that Studies humility, is more fen-i
fible of a temptation to pride, than hethat is proud *.
Secondly, This is alfo of ufe to thofe that are ^pt to be confi
dent upon their fuceeSfes againft fin through grafce. Satan}
they may fee; will be upon them again ; fo that they inuft ber
have themfelves as mariners, who when they have got the
harbour, and are out of the ftorm, mend their Ship, and tack«
ling, and prepare again for the fea.
Laftly, If we confider the unfpotted holinefs of Chrift; and
his conftant integrity under thefe temptations^ that they left
not the leaft of taint or Sinful impreffion upon him \ we: may1
obferve; Obf. 6.] That there may be temptations, vrithout leaving S
touch of guilt or impurity behind them upon thetemptfed,
It is true, this is rare with men, the beft do feldom go down1
to the battle, but in their very conquefts they receive • fomi
wound. 'And in thbfe temptatibns that arife from our own
hearts,- we are never without fault ; but in futh as do folely
arife from Satan, there is a poffibility, that the upright ma/ fe
* Tentationem expiriufltut ac fenthutt hi, qui ex animo pietati ftudtnt.,
Mufculus iu loc.

iChap. IV. Satan's Temptations. 399
fo keep himfelf, |jhat the wicked one may not fo touch him, as
to leave the print of his Singers behind him.
^ueft. But the great difficulty is, how it may be known
when temptations are from Satan, and when from ourfelves?
Anfw. To anfwer this, I Shall lay down thefe conclusions,
Firft,, The fame fins which our own natures would fuggeft
to us, may alfo he ihjeded by Satan. Sometimes we begin by
the forward working -of our own thoughts upon cecafions and
objeds prefented, to, us from without, or from the power of
our own inclination, without the offer of external, objects, and
then Satan Strikes in with it ; fometimes Satan begins with us,
and by his .injeded motions -endeavours to. excite our inclina
tions; fo that, the fame thing may be Sometimes from ourfelves,
and .fometimes from Satan. -
Secondly, There is no fin fo vile, but our own heart might
poffibly produce it without Satan, evil thoughts of the very
worft kind, as of murders, adulteries, thefts, falfe witnefs, and
blafphemies,; may, as Chrift fpeaks, Matth. xv. 19. be produced
naturally from our own hearts : for feminally all fins, the very
greateft pf ajl; impieties are there: fo that from the greatnefs
and vilenefs of the temptation we cannot absolutely conclude,
that it is from Satan, no more than from the commonnefs of
the temptation, or its fuitablenefs to our inclination, we can
conclude infallibly that its firft rife is from ourfelves.
thirdly, There are many cafes wherein it is very difficult,
if npt altogether impoffible to determine, whether our own
heart, or Satan gives the firft life orbeathing to a temptation.
Who can determine in moft ordinary cafes, when our thoughts
are working uppn objeds prefented 'to our fenfes, whether Sa-
Jan or ourown thoughts do run fatter? Yea, when Such thoughts
are not the confequent of any former ppcafipn, it is a work top
hard for moft men to determine which ofthe parents, father or
mother, our pwn heart pr Satan, is firft in the fault ; they are
both forward enpugh^ and ufually jpin hand in hand with fuch
readinefs, that he mu'fthavea curicus, eye that can diSccver
certainly to whom the firft beginning is tp be aScribed.
The difficulty is fo great, that Spme have judged it altoge-
, ther impoffible to give any certain marks by which it -may be,
determined when they are ours, 'and when Satan's *. And in
deed the diScoveries laid down, by Some are not Sufficient for a
certain determination, and fo far I affent, that neither the fud-
dennefs of fuch thoughts, for the motions of our own lufts may
be fudden, nor the horridnefs of the matter of them, are fuffi
cient notes of diftindion. That our own corrupt hearts may^
bring
* Qapel. Tempt, Part 1, c. 4. fee. i, ¦>

4Oo A Treatife >o/V Tart III)
bring forth that which is unnatural and terrible, cannot be de
nied. Many of ,fhe fins of the heathens, mentioned in Rom. i.
were the violent produdions of luft againft natural principles-,
and to afcrihe thefe to the devil as to the firft inftigator, is more
than any man hath warrant to do -? yet though itbeconfeffed
that in fome cafes it is impoffible to distinguish, and that where
a diftindion may be made, -thefe notes mentioned are not fully
fatisfadory, there may, I believe, be fome cafes wherein there
is a poffibility to difcover when the motions are from Satan,
and that by the addition -of fome remarkable circumftances to
the forenamed marks of difference.
Fourthly, Though it be true,whieh fome fay *>' that;- in moft
caSes, it is needleSs altogether to Spend our time in disputing
whether the motions of fin in our minds are firftiy from our
felves or from Satan, our greateft bufineSs being rather to refill
them, than to difference them ; yet there are fpecial cafes, where
in it js very neceffary to find out the true parent of a Sinful mo.
tion, and thefe are, when tender confeiences are wounded and
oppreffed with violent and great temptations, as -blafphemous
thoughts, atheiflical objedions, &c. For here Satan in his fu
rious moleftations aims mainly at this, that fuch afflided and
toffed fouls Should take all thefe thoughts which are obtruded
upon their imaginations, to be the iflue of their.own heart. As
Jofeph's fteward hid the cup in Benjamin's Sack, that it might
be a ground of accufation againft him : So doth the devil firft
bpprefs them with fuch thoughts, and then accufeth them of all
that villany and wickednefs, the motions whereof he had with
fuch importunity forced upon them ; and fo apt are the afflid
ed to comply with accufations againft themfelves, that they be
lieve it is fo, and from thence conclude that they are given up
of God, hardened as Pharaoh, that they have finned againft the
Holy Ghoft, and finally, that there is np hope of mercy for them.
All this befals them from their ignorance of Satan's dealings ;
and here is their great need to diftingui-fh Satan's malice from.
their guilt. '
Fifthly, Setting afide ordinary temptations, wherein it is nei
ther fo' poffible, nor fo material to bufy ourfelves to find out
whether they are Satan's or ours in extraordinary temptations,
fuch as have been now inftanced ; we may difcover if they prow
peed from Satan (though not Amply from the matter of them,
nor from che fuddennefs and independency of them, yet) from
a due confideration qf their nature and manner of proceeding^ '
compared with the prefent temper and difpofition of our heart* Firft,
* Capel. Tempt. Part I. c. 4.

Chap. IV. Satan's temptations. 401
Firft ^ When tlnufual temptations intrude upon Si's with an
higbimpetuofity and violence, while our thoughts are other-
wife: concerned and taken up! Temptations more agreeable
to our inblintatioa *, though fuddeniy arifing from objeds and
occafions prefented, and gradually proceeding/after the manner
of the working of natural paffions, may throng in amidSt other
thoughts, or adions that have no tendency that way, ahd yet
we cannot fo clearly accufe -Satan for them : But when things
that have not the encouragement of our affedions are by a fud
den violence enforced upon us, while we are otherwife' concern
ed, we may juftly fuSped Satan's hand to be in them, ¦-
.Secondly, While Such things are born in upon us, againft the
adual loathing, Strenuous reludancy, and high, complainings of
the Soul, w hem the mind is Silled with horror, and the body with
trembling at the preSence of fuch thoughts f. Sins that owe
their firft original to ourfelves, may indeed be refitted upon
their firft rifing up in our mind ; and though a fandified heart
doth truly loath them; yet are they not without Some lower de
gree of tickling delight upon the affections for the flefh, in thofe
cafes, prefently rifeth up with its,luftings for the Sinful motion:
But when fuch unnatural temptations are from Satan, their firft
appearance to the mind is an horror without any fenfible work
ing of inclination towards them ; and the greatnefs of the foul's
difquiet doth Shew, that it hath met with that which the affec
tions look not on with any amicable compliance. :v '
Thirdly, Our hearts may bring, forth that which is':unnatu-
ral in itfelf, and ma7 g\ve r^e t0 a temptation' that would be
horrid to the thoughts of other men, but that it Should4 of its
own accord, without a tempter, on a fudden bring forth that
which is diredly contrary to its prefent light, reafon, or incli
nation ; as for a man to be haunted with thoughts of atheifm,
while he is under perfuafions that there is a God ; or of blaf-
phemy, while he is under defigns of honouring him, is as un
imaginable, as that our thoughts Should of themfelves contrive
our death, while we are moft felicitous for our life ; or that .
our thoughts fhould foberly tell us it is night, when we fee the
fun Shine. Temptations that are contrary to the prefent State,
poflure, light, and di-fpofition of the foul, are Satan's ; they
.are fo unnatural as to its prefent frame, that the production of
them muft be from 'fome other agent.
Fourthly, Much more evident is it that fuch proceed from
Satan, when they are of long continuance and conftant trouble ;
when they fo inceffantly beat upon the mind, that it hath no
3E reft
' * Arrowf.-niili, Trait. 1. lib. 3. c. 7. fe<SU 6. f Idem- Ib!d-

4/ai, A Treatife af Fait HI/
reft from them, and yet is under grievous perplexities and anx
ieties of mind about them.
Applic.'] The confideration of this is of great ufe to thofe
that Suffer under the violent hurries of ftrange temptations.
xft, In that fometimes they can juftly complain of the affec-"
tipn of fuch temptation,, when they have no reafon to charge it
upon themfelves as their fin. It is one thing to be tempted,
and another to eonfent or comply ; to be tempted; and not to
be brought into temptation, is not evil *. Satan only barks
when he fuggefts, bat he then bites and wounds, when he draws
us to eonfent f.
idly, That not only the fin, but the degree alfo, by juft con
fequence; is to be meaSured by the conSertt of the heart ; if we
oonfent not, the fin is not ours, and the lefe degree of Confent
we give, the lefs is in the fin. ,

Matth. iv 2. And wheri he had fafted forty days and forty
nights, he was afterwards an hungered.

CHAP. V.
'£.
Of Chrift' sf aft, with the defign thereof. Of Spain's tempting.
in an invifible way. Of his inceffant importunities, and how
he flies when refifted. Of inward temptations ± with outward
afftielions. Several advantages Satan hath by tempting in
afiftiblion. ,i ,.,
t AM next to explain the f aft pf Chrift ;' the end and defign
whereof, becaufe it is not exprefsly mentioned, is variously
conjedured ; not to infift in this difcourfe, Which is defigned
for practice, on tKe controverfy about . the quadragifimal fail,
that Which I Shall firft confider is the opinion of Mufeulus J,
who, upon this ground that his faftwas not the principal thing
for which the Spirit led him into the wildernefs,' for he was
led not to fall, but to be tempted, thereupon concludes, that
this wag only a confequent of his folitary condition in the wil,
dernefs, and no other thing than what befel Mofes and Elias:
Who being engage* by God to attend him in fuch a fervice,
where the ordinary means of the fuppotf: of life were want
ing, were therefore kept alive' by Him in an extraordinary way
,io *B"d ?ft tent*ri> a,liud tentationem recipere. Tentari et non in tenia-
tionem fern non eft malum. Aug; de bono perfcver. 1. ». c. 6.
nardMor^fru&forfcnrura *-**- hu?t (°>™ cum f0F*- **

Chap. V. Satan's Temptations. 403
way without them. Thus he thinks the faffing was not (at
leaft principally) defigned; but that he being to undergo a
temptation in a defolate wildernefs, where he had no meat to
eat, there God restrained his hunger, fo that he neither defired
nor needed any. If we acquiefee . in this, it will, afford this
dodrine, DoB. 1.] That when God leads forth his children to fuch
fervices, as Shall unavoidably deprive them of -the-. ordinary
means of help or fupply, there. God is engaged tp give extraor
dinary fupport, and his people may exped it accordingly.
This is a great truth in itfelf, and a great andv neceffary en
couragement to all the children of God that, are called out to
ftraits ; but I Shall not infift on this as the genuine product of
this faft. '
If we look further amongft Prbteftant divines, we Shall ob
ferve it taken for granted, that Chrift fafted upon defign ¦$ and
this is generally reduced to thefe two heads :
Firft, Either for inftrudion, as to fhew that he was God,
by failing fo long, and that under the trouble pf molefling and
difquieting temptations ; whereas the fafts of like date in Mo-;
fes or Elias, were accompanied with the quiet reppfe of their
thoughts ; or to Shew that he was man, in that he really felt
the natural infirmities pf the human. nature, in being hungry ;
or to teach us the ufefulnefs pf fafting in the general, when fit
occafions invite us thereto. Or,
v Secondly, For confirmation of his dodrine, to put an honour
and dignity upon his employment * ; as Elias fafted at the re
storation, of prophecy, and at the reformation ; as Mofes faft
ed at the writing of the law, fo Chrift began the gofpel of the
kingdom with fafting. However, that thefe things cannot be
fpoken againft, being conclufions warrantably deduceable from
this ad of Chrift's ; yet thefe feem not, in my apprehenfion,
to come fully up to the proper end of this undertaking of his,
which feems not obfcurely to be laid, before us in that paflage
of £,uke iv. 2. ' Being forty days tempted of the devil, and in
thofe days he did eat npthing ;' where we See, that his being
tempted Sorty days was the principal thing, and that his fafting
had a plain reference and refped to his. temptation. Thus far,
I fuppofe, we may be fecure, that we have the defign in the ge
neral, that his fafting was in order to his temptation; but then,
- whether this was defigned as an occafion of the temptation, or
as a remedy againSt them, it is not fo eafy to determine. That
one of thofe, at leaft, was intended, cannot be denied by thofe
that will grant, that his faft related to the combat ; and it
feems
* Vid. Light foot Harm, in loc.

404 A Treatife of Part III.'
feems not to labour of any repugnancy or abfurdity, if we
fay, that it is poffible, that both thefe ends might be aimed -
at, and accordingly I Shall proceed to- obferve upon them.
There are only fome pther things to be firft difpatched out of
the way: As, v
The continuance of the faft, why it was forty days, neither
more nor lefs. Though Some * adventure to give reafons for
it, not only-Papilts, who, according to their wpnt, are ridicu
lous and trifling in this matter, but alfo Proteftants, fuppoflng
that fome regard was or ought to be had ¦ to his fulfilling the
times pf the falls pf Mofes and Elias ; yet I think it is neither
pertinent npr Safe to determine any thing about it ; only it
obferves to us, that the continuance of this was a confiderable
time. We are more concerned to enquire, whether Chrift was un
der any conflid of temptation all that time, which though
fome f deny, left they Should favour a feeming contradiction
among the Evangelists ; yet- the words of Luke are fo exprefs,
* being forty days tempted of the devil,' Lukeiv. 2. that no
tolerable evafion can be found to caft thefe temptations to the
end of the forty days ; for he tells us, he' was not only tempted
after the expiration of the forty days, but that he was tempted
during the continuance of the forty days befide ; only there
was a difference in the kinds of thefe temptations, in regard
of the way wherein Satan managed them ; and this alfo is fully
fet down by Matthew, ' And when the tempter came to him,'
which, with the other expreffion of Luke compared, Shews us
that during the fpace of the forty days Satan tempted "Chrift,
and yet came not to him till afterward, that is, he managed
thofe temptations in an invifible way. Hence- we may note,
DoB. 2.] That- Satan dpth uSually tempt in an invifible way
and manner. Tp explain this a little, I Shall evidence it by a
few considerations. As,
Firft, That he hath a hand in all fins firft or laft, and then
it muft needs be in an invifible way, his work is to tempt^ to
go about laying Snares to draw men to fin. ' Wicked men are
oS their Sather the devil,' John viii. 44. « and do his works.',
Carnal defires are his lufts ; giving way to anger is giving
place to the devil, Eph. iv. 26. 27. and refifting qf fin is called
in the general, a refifting of the devil, &c. Jam. iv. 7. In all
this work of Satan men do not fee him ; when he puts evil
motions into their hearts, they do not perceive him, and there
fore doth he his work in an invifible way.
Secpndly,'We have fufficient discoveries of thefe private paths of
* 5panheim dub. Evan, in loc. f Spanheim in loc.

Chapj V. Satan's Temptations. 4°5
oS his : For, i. Sometimes he tempts by friends ; he tempted
Job by his wife, Chrift by Peter. 2. Sometimes by external
objeds, as he drewout Achan's covetoufnefs, and David's un
cleannefs by the eye. 3. Sometimes by injeding thoughts and
motipns to our mind. 4. Sometimes by exercifing an invifible
power upon our bodies, in Stirring up the humours thereof,
to provoke to paffion or exceffive mirth. All thefe ways', of
which I have difcourfed before more largely, are fecret and
invifible, and by fuch as thefe he moft ufually tempts.
Thirdly, The wiles, depths, fecrets, and devices of Satan,
Which the fcripture -tells us are his moft familiar ways and
courfes, they in their own nature imply a Studied or defigned
fecrecy and imperceptibility.
Fourthly, He hath peculiar reafons of policy for his invifi
ble way of dealing ; for the lefs vifible he is, the lefs fufpi
cious are his defigns ; and confequently the lefs frightful, and
more taking. By this way he infinuates himfelf. fo into our
bofoms, that he gets a party in us againft ourfelves, before we
are aware; whereas in vain, he knows, he fliould Spread his
net, if his defigns and enmity were difcovered to us.
Appl.~] This muft teach us to fufped Satan where we fee
him not, and fo to converfe with objeds and occafions, as Still
fearing that there may be anguis in herba, a fecret fnare laid
for us to intrap us at unawares.
If we again caft our eyes upon what hath been faid, that
Chrift was tempted all the, forty days, it will then give us this
obfervation.l Obf. 3.] That Satan is fometimes inceflant in temptations,
and fets upon us with continued importunities.
Here we may note a diftinction of temptations, befides that
of. invifible and vifible, of which I have fpoken, that fome are
moveable and fhort fits, aud as it were fkirmifhes, in which he
Stays not long ; and others are more fixed and durable ; we
may call them folemn temptations, in which Satan doth as it
were pitch down his tents, and doth manage a long liege -a-
gainft us. Of thefe laft fort is this obfervation.
• Thus he tempted Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 8. continuing his aflault
for fome time before he departed. Thus alfo he dealt with
Jofeph, Gen. xxxix. 10. who wa$ folicited day by day for a
Jong time together. Of thefe I Shall note a few things : As,
xfl, Such temptations are not without a fpecial commiffion.
He cannot indeed tempt at all without leave ; but in the ordi
nary courfe pf his temptations, he hath a general commiffion,
under fuch restraints and limitations as pleafeth' the moft High -to

4g6 A. Treatife of ~ Part III,
to put upon him; nut in thefe he muft have a fpecial order, as
we fee in Job's cafe. ... , „. ,
idly, Such temptations have alfo a fpecial ground., Either
the prpfent; ftate and pofture of our conditio^ is fuch, as Satan
apprehends highly advantageous for his defign; and therefore
he defires to have the winnowing of us at fuch a feafon ; or
there are more than ordinary difpoSitions and indinations in
our heart to what we are diredly tempted to, or to fome other
confequent defign. Thefe animate and encourage him to high
refolves pf 'profecuting us mpre cfofely, upon an expectation,
that a continued folicitation is moft likely to prevail, at the
long run. , .
idly, It is poffible that fuch temptations may Stand out a-
gainft the endeavours of many prayers, and that we fliall find
they are not fo eafily Shaken off as the viper that was upon
Paul's hand. Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 8, prayed thrice againft thQ
meffeiiger of Satan, that is, as Ettius aiid others. interpret, he
prayed often and fervently, and yet it departed not.
qthly, £uch temptations give no reft nor intermiSfiou* men
are haunted and dogged by them ; what way foever they go,
they ftill hear the fame things, and cannot- command their
thoughts to give an exclufipn to his motions, but ftill by reT
rtewed difputes and arguings, or by clamorous importunities
they are vexed and tormented, which Surely fliews an high de-
gree of earneftnefs and impudency in Satan.
$thly, Thefe are confequently very burdenfome, exceeding
Jrkfome and tirefome to us. Paul calls them buffetings for
their trouble and mpleftation. Satan fo molefted Job in his
afflidion by inward accufations and troubles of terror, that as
an overwearied man he cries out, he had no quiet, and that he
was difappointed of his hope of eafe in fleep, becaufs he was
then feared with dreams, and terrified with vifions.
6thly, TJhefe are alfo upon a fpecial defign on God's part,
either to find us work, and to keep us doing, or tp prevent fin
and mifcarriage ; to keep down our pride, left we Should be
exalted above meafure ; to awaken us from flothfulnefs and Se
curity, left we fhculd fettle uppn pur lees ; or to be an occa
fion of his grace, and an evidence of his power in our prefer
yation, fatisfying us and others, that in the greateft Shpcks of
our fpiritual battle, his grace is fufficient for us. Uppn thefe,
and fuch like defigns as thefe, dpth the mpft wife God per
mit it.
ythly, Satan doth not attempt temptations of this kind but
upon a fpecial defign, and that either becaufe he hopes by a
violent and pertinacious impetuofity at length to prevail, or
"that

Chap. V. Satan's Temptations. 4° 7
that he would pleafe himfelf to moleft us ; for furely the cries
and- complainings of God's children are mufic in His ears ; or
at leaft, upon a defign to difcourage us in our fervices, and to
make way for other temptations of murmuring, blafphemy,
defpair, &c. which are as a referve or ambufhaient laid in wait
for us. v The inferences from hence are thefe two.
Applic. i.] That the children of God under fuch temptations
may be encouraged under a patient ekpedation, by considering
hat Chrift did undergo the like affaults from Satan ; it is in
titfelf tedious and disheartening, but they may fee,
Fiift, That this way oS trouble is ufual, and that to the beffy
and tHereSore they Should not faint under it.
Secondly, That grace is fufficient tb preferve from the pre-
valeacy of the moft earneft temptations, Pven there where our
heavenly Father thinks it not fit to preferve us from the trouble
of them. When Paul gives the higheft fecurity that the faith-
fulnefs of God can 'afford, that temptations Shall not be above
ftrength, I Cor. x. 13. or the ability that Shall be given them^
he tells them, they are not to expect always fueh aids, as fliall
prefently drive aWay the temptation, that it mult immediately
vanifh, or that their, temptations fhall become light and con
temptible; but that God's faithfiilnefs will be no further en
gaged in the general, than, 1. Tb make tiieir temptations to
lerable, that they may be able to bear them, though n'ot with
out much to do. 2. That the way of efeape Shall be concur
rent with the continuance of the temptation, that though the
temptation abide, yet we Shall be aided under it. 3. That yet
he is as careful of our help in temptations, as he is ready to
oommiffionate tbem, when need requires : his refolves that we
Should be tempted, and his refolves that We fhould be fuccouri
ed, they bear the fame date. 'With the temptation he will
make a way to efcape,'
Thirdly, That fuch temptations do not argue, x. Either a like
lihood, much lefs a neceffity, that they Should prevail. , Nor
1. Any want of care and love in God. Nor 3 Do they always
evidence a more than ordinary pronenefs and inclination in us,
for Chrift, who was mofl averfe to the leaft of fin, who, was
- higheft in God's love, againft whom there was no poffibility
be fliould prevail, yet, was thus tempted.
Applic. 2.] idly, In fuch continued violences, it will concern
tts to make Stout refiftances, according to the counfel of Jam.
iv. 7. ' Refill the devil, aiid he will flee.'
Obj'ecl.J But I have done fo, and yet the temptation is the
fame, and ftill continues.
Anfw. i.J It is not enough to refill, but we muft continue, to
do

4o8. A Treatife of PartJID
dofo. Some make limited refiftances, as befieged perfons, that*
fet a time for their holding out, and then if tbey, be not relie
ved at that time, they yield; but we muft refolve. a perpetua
refiftance, as long as the temptation lafts. When one. hand is
beaten off, we muft hold by another; when both are beaten off,
we muft, as it were, hold by our teeth.
idly, In a faithful refiftance we -may caft the whole matter
upon God, and engage him in the quarrel, as David -, ' I will
fay unto God, why haft thou forfaken me?' &c.
ObjeB.~] But how is it confident with truth that the temp
tation Should continue, when James tells us, that Satan will flee
upon refiftance?'
• Anfw. i,] It may be the refiftance is not as it ought, and So
the blame is ours. If we be not ferious, as fome who defy
the devil in words, andrefift him by croffing themfelves, things
which doubtlefs the devil laughs at, or if in the confidence of
a prefumptuous bravado, or if not with that humility and care
that is requifite, it will be no wonder if he depart not. - • <
idly, He doth flee at every refiftance more or lefs ; he
doth give back and is difcouraged, and is a lofer by every op
position. ¦$dly, Though the fcripture fay that he Shall flee, that is?
fooner or later, yet it doth not fay, that he Shall dpfo immedk
ately, though moft ufually he doth fo, where he is peremptorily
rejeded, but in fome cafes time muft be allowed ; for the devil,
(as it is in Chryfoftom's comparifon) Stands like a fawning dog,
Scratching and waving his tail, and if any thing be given him,-
it makes him importunate for more ; yet though, we give him
nothing, we cannot exped, that the firft or fecond denial Should
make him ceafe his trouble ; as he hath been encouraged by
former compliances, fo will' he not be 'difcouraged,- but with
many and continued denials.
If we confider the faft of Chrift, as an occafion defigned by
God for an advantage to the temptation, and then look upon
his condition in the wildernefs, being" under hazards from wild
beafts, in want of neceffaries, and without a poffibility of fup-r
plies in an ufual way ; and alfo under the difcoraiforts; of cold
and long nights; for according to the conjedures of fome*, this
was about our Odober and November, then we mayobferve,
Obf. 4.] That it is Satan's way to fecond outward diftreffes
and afflidions with inward temptations. We fee the like car
riage of Satan toward Job; his afflidion was followed with
many temptations ; all his friends, in urging him with hypo-
crify, were no other than parties to Satan's defign, though they .
knew
* Lightfoot Harm, in loc.

CJ&pVVt Satan's Temptations. 409
knew it not apparently ; bis wife is fet on by the tempter, as
the ferpent againft Eve, to provoke him ' to curfe God and
die.' Befides all this, whofoever fliall confider;' what inward
workings of heart, fpiritual trouble and conflid, his words
frequently exprefs: They will quiekly find, that when God
put Job into Satan's hand; under that only limitation bf not
touching his life, lie gave Sataqfca liberty to putfue him with
inward temptations; as well aS outward vexations. When If
rael was pinched with the fttaits of the wildernefs, Satan was
moft bufy with them, to put them tippn diftruft, murmuring,
revplt, difobedient ppppfitipns; idolatry, and what not ! Da
vid gives in his, experience to confirm this truth, he never met
with outward . troubles, but he had alfo inward temptations
with them, as fretting, difquiet, fad .apprehenfion^ pf God's
wrath, hafte, diftruft, fear, &e. As the relation of his Seve
ral ftraits do teftify. And, befides thefe,' the generality of
God's children find it fo; outward afflidions Seldom pafs alone,;
wheti they have Sightings without; they have fears within ufu
ally ; feldom have they a ficknefs, or meet with a fad provi
dence, but they, have Satan bufy with their fouls, molefting
their peace, or endeavouring to enfnare them. Thus their
feet are never in the Stocks, but the iron enters info their foul.
And for this reafon is it, that outward afflidions and troubles
are called temptations in fcripture;' Luke viii. 13. becaufe
temptations ufually accompany them; 1 Pet. i. 6. and they are
indeed the folemn feafons, 2 Pet. ii. 9. that Satan defires to
improve for^ that end ; and for that is it that Luke expreffeth
that which we tranflate, a time of temptation, by Kaires pei-
¦ rafmou,- whieh fignifies. an occafion ot opportunity of temp
tation. . The temptations that Satan drives on, upon the advantage
of an afflided eftate ; are thefe;
, Firft, To drive men upon impatient out-breakings againft
God,, as the Ifraelites in the wildernefs, turn upon Mofes with
this; ' Haft thoii brought us into the wildernefs to flay us ?'
To this tended Job's temptation by his wife, ' Curfe God and
die,' as it is in our translation, which cannot in any wife ad
mit bf the excufe, that Beza makes for her, .as if fhe gave
whofefeme advice, to die; blefling of, God ; becaufe he reproves
her Sharply,- as having fpoken fooliShly and wickedly ; but at
beft; it is\an ironical feoff at Job's integrity, dofl thou blefs
God while .thou art killed by his difpleafure ? If it be not a
dired fuggeftion of revengeful defpite. At fuch times men
are too apt to entertain CrueL thoughts of God, and fadly re-
flediye upon his mercy or juftice. N
3F Secondly,

4I0 J Treatife Of Part 111.
Secondly, Iathisf poffntfe of afflidion hfe Strives to put ther^
lipbn direful eohclufionsr. againft themfelves,; as if God called
Solemnly their- fin-- to remembrance, and that they are' forfaken
of God, and marked out for deftrudion ; the pledge ahd ear-
ppft Whereof, Jthey take thefe troubles- to be. We may obferve
thatr David's afflidi&ns awakened? his eonfoience,, to objed
guilt and mifoarriage,. fo that^e is as earneft to deprecate the
marking Sftid remembrance , of his fin, as he is to pray againSt
his troubles. Fo* this Step PfaL xxv. 6, "f. and Pfalv xxxviii.
1, 4. , - '
Thirdly, He puSheth thent ufually upon contempt of religiunji
and abandoning the ways- of God : We are too apt, to; Hame-
religion for all our troubles ; and as we expel! that our own
ing the ways of God Should Secure us from autward aSfiifiusny
fo when we find it otherwife, we are too forward to fay, * We:
have wafhed our hands in vain,,' &c.
Fourthly, The fia of diftruft is another evil that he drives-
at ; he would haye men- conclude that God cannot or will n«t
deliver. * Can God prepare a table in. the wilaeiUefs,?' faid
the Ifraelites, by the power of temptation, when they wer&
diftreffed. Fifthly, Another, evil aimed at in fuch a cafe, is, to put us
upon indired eourfes and ways to efcape from- oiai troubles. *
Saul w*nt to the witch of Sudor* when God anfwered hint
not. DiftreSTes naturally prompt fuch things, and a littltf
temptation makes, us comply, as is noted by the wife man's
defire, ' give me not poverty, left! put out my hand and Steal ;'
diftreffes of poverty put men upon theft and unlawful ways.
The reafons of Satan's tempting the afflided are thefe.-
tftf That outward afflidions are a load and burden-} this
gives a probability,, that his defigns may the better take place.1 '
It is eafy to overthrow thofe that are bowed down, to break
thofe' that are bruifed, to mafter thofe that are weary, and
Weak handed.
idly, An afflided eftate is a temptation of itfelf, and nat*-
ially didates evil things : It is half of his defign brought tp
his hand, it affbrds-variety of matter for a temptation to work
on. >
idly, Such a- condition ftrongly backs a temptation^ and far-'
ttiSheth many arguments for a prevalency ; for troubles are Se
rious things^ they fpeak to the heart, and what they fpeak,
they fpeak fiercely ; they roprefent thingsi other-wife, than com-*
mon difcovery can do, and for* the moft part, they Shew an in-
genaity in multiplying ffears, and aggravating hazard," and afc
pertaining.
* ,Fle<a«re fi nequeo. fujieros, &c.

.Qiapi V. Safaris Temptations. 4*2
certaining Sufpeded events, fo that Satan can Scarce defire a
fairer hit, than what thefe offer him.
qthly, They alfo give him the 'advantage of dacknefs ; -for
to fuch, their way -is hid, and God hath hedged them in, they
neither know where they are, Job iii. 23. whether their trou
ble by a chaStifemeftt of fin, or for trial, or for prevention of
mifcarriage, or to make way for more .comfortable manifesta
tions' ; and as ' little know they how to behave themfelves in
their trouble ; pr how a&d when to get out of it. In fuch'grop-
ping uncertainties, it is fcarce poffible, but they Should be put
wrong. ' ,
Sthly, An afflided condition brings on weaknefs and indifpo-
fition to duty, it makes 'the hands weak, and the knees feeble^
this made Job to faint, Job iv. 5. this dried up David's ftrength.
The firft aflault of an afflidion doth ftoumd-t-he foul, and put it
into fuch a confufion, that hope turns back, and faith is 'to feek,
and eyery -grace fo out of order, that a man ShaU be unable to
do any thing of duty, in a comfortable manner.
6thly, In this cafe men are apt to conclude their prayers arp
Bot heard : ' I cry in 'the day time, and thou hieareft not/ tfays
David. ' Hath the Lord forgotten to 5?e gracious ?¦' And with
fuoh feeming prpbability is this mrged -upon ps by afEidion,
that Job profeffeth, he could not 'believe his own -fenfe and
knowledge in fuch a caSe. •* If I had called, and he had an*
fwerad me, yet' would I not believe that he had hearkened un
to my vbice,' Job ix. x$.
j'thly, "Afflidions ftrongly fix guilt upon us, and repreSent
God * Searching out our iniquities, and fpqulring after our
fin,' Jbb x. 6. •
*~- Sthly, They imbitter the Spirit, and beget imprpSEons- up
on the mind, of very hard' thoughts- of God.
tyhly, They violently pufh then On to fpeak unadvifedly:
There is fuch a Swelling ferment of the old leaven of im
patience and diftruft in the mind, that/ it is matter of pain
and difficulty -to be Silent ; * their belly is as wine that hath
no vent; it is ready to burft like new bottles, and they are,
weary with forbearing and cannot Stay, and muft fpeak, let
ccme pn'them what will,? job xxxii. 19.
All thefe advantages doth an afflided condition bring to Sa
tan; and who can thinly, that he who is fo Studious of our ruin,
jwill be willing to mifs fo fair an opportunity ?
Applic. 1.] Firft, This muft teach us to have a watchful
eye over afflidion, though at all times we muft exped Satan's
ftratagems ; yet ih troubles especially prepare Sor them, ao-
3 F 2 ' - cording

4 1 * -4 treatife ej Part III.
cording to the wife man's advice, f In a diay pf adyerfity con
sider.' ¦ ' , _," ';¦-,'
Secondly, Seeing Satan takes advantage ofthe Sharp humours
of impatience and' diftruft, we muft be particularly careful
not to touch too much upon the harfhnefs pf our troubles, be-
Caufe this is that that fets fretting and diftradihg thoughts oq
work. Afflidions, like the pillar of the cloud and fire in the
wildernefs, have a light and darknefs ; and accordingly, thefe
that con verfe with the dark fide of troubles, enyenon) ,theip
imaginations, and poifon their thoughts with dark and hideous
conclufions, and in a word, draw Sorth nothing bpt the worm
wood and the' 'gall; whereas thofe that ftudy-and view the light
Side qf them, are full of praife and admiration, for the gracious
mixtures,.- comfortable mitigations, encouraging Supports, &c.
which they obferye. . Jt is wifdom theb/ to. keep upon the right
fide of them.
Though it be the defign of God to turn the dark fideof the
cloud to us ; yet may we haye. a competent light to' guide us,
If we would improve ft ; when the fun is fet, the moon may
be up.v Nay it is" our duty to Strive to rpcoyerfhe right fideof
(the cloud ; he hides that we -may feek.
If. this faft .of 'Chrift's be confidered as a remedy againft
temptations,, thpn we may obferve, That folemn temptations
are to be refifted with faftings and -prayer. Of this I Shall for
bear to fpeak, till I come to fpeak of Chrjft's anfwer, and thp
repulfe of Satan.

Mat.th. iv, 3. And when the tempter came to him, he faid, If.
thou be the. Son of God, command that thefe ftones be made,
bread. '• . ,- . ''-".''

¦', CHAP. VI.
That (thrift's temptations were real and not bi vifion; that temp
tation is Satan s employment, with the evidences' and inftances
thereof. Of Satan's tempting vifibly, with the reafons thereof.
^"EXT follows a particular account of thofe more eminent
.T temptations where vtith, Chrift was affaulted by Satan, Be
fore I Speak of thefe, I muft neceflarily remove this Stumbling
block out bf the way, viz. whether Chrift was really tempted,
£r only in'a vifion. That this was but vifionary, hath been
fuppofed, not only. by Some, whofe conceits, in other things,
might juftly render tiieir, fuppofals in this matter lefs worthy of

Chap; III. Sataris. Temptations. 413
of a ferious eonfiieration *; but alfo by very grave and ferious
men, wtiofe reafons notwithftanding are net pf that weight, as
to fway us againft the letter and hiftory of thefe temptations^ ;
Which give us a full account of thefe things as really tranf-
aded, without the leaft hint of underftanding them as.donp on
ly in a vifipn. ' For,
Firfl, It is a dangerous thing to depart from the literal
fenfe of what is historically related ; if we take fuph a li
berty, we may as well underftand pther historical paffages
after the. fame rate, and fo bring the hiflory noti only of
Chrift's fuffering to a vifionary and fantastical crpfs, but al
fp of all the New Teftament to a very nothing X-
• Secondly,' The circumftances of the temptation are fo par
ticularly fet down ; as the devil's cpming tp him, leaving him,
taking him to the temple, &c. that if we may expect in any
thing to fecure ourfelves from a vifionary fuppofition, we may
do it in this hiftory § .
Thirdly, This imagination doth wholly enervate and make
void the very end and defign of Chrift's being tempted: Fqr
where were the glory of this vidory over Satan, if it Were
only a vifionary temptation, and a vifionary conqueft? Or
¦where were the comfort and encouragement which believers,
from the apoftles authority, Heb.ii. 18. and iv. 16. might
reap from this, that Chrift imagined himfelf to be tempted,
when really he was not fo ? Nay how impoffible is it, to make
that expreflion pf the apoftle, 'he was tempted in all points
like as we ate,' to agree to an imaginary temptation, except we
alfo fay, that we are only tempted vifionarily and not really.
Fourthly, Neither is it a plea of any value? againft "this truth,
£hat it feems to derogate too much from the honour and autho
rity of our Saviour, that Satan, fhould fo impudently afl'auk
him with temptations to worfhip him, and flioulcl carry him at
pleafure from place to place ||, when we find that he volunta
rily Submitted to higher indignities from Satan's instruments,,
and turned not, away his cheek from thbfe that fmete him, fpit
upon him, and contumelioufly mocked him, and at laft Sub
mitted to death, even the death of the crpfs.
. As for thpfe objedipns from pterugion ioro, (the pinnacle of
the temple) uppn 'which Scultetus thinks it was impoffible foy
Chrift to ftand ; as'alfo the ohjedion of the impoflibility to
fliew the kingdoms of the World from any mountain : I Shall
r anfwer
* Hotys Leviathan, c. 45. p. 354. f Calvin, Scuhetui. f Teuefon..
Hob's Creed, Exam. p. 65. § Spanheim dub. Evan, in loc,
J Non mini m eft Chriftun^ permififle fe circumduct a diabolo, 'qui permi-r
fit fe a'membris fuis crucifigi. Gregprius.

414 A Treatife of part III.
anfwer them in fhefa proper place, in the mean time I Shall re
turn to the verSe in hand, in which I Shall firft pitch, uppn the
general proemium, or introdudion to thefe fpecial temptations
which is this, ''The tempter came to him.'
In this we are to take notice of the name given to Satan
and alfo the way and manner of the affault, in tha^expreffipn'
he ' came to him.' ' ''
There are three diftind names given tp him in theSe temp
tations, i . His name Satan, Shews his malice and futry, which
is the ground and fountain whence all that trouble proceeds
which we meet with from. him. 2. He is Ailed the Tempter,
and that fignifies to us how he puts forth this maKce, his way
and^exprcue in the exerting of it. $. He is called the Devil' or
Accufer, expreffiwg thereby the end and iffuebf all. From this
name then here given, we may obferve,
Obf. 1.] Firft, That it is Satan's Work sad employment to
tempt men. We need not here difpute whether k be proper
to Satan tovtempt, that is, an foil, et femper compete whether
jt agree to lum only, and always, which fome -indeed affirm
in fuch a fenfe as this *, that men do tempt -men as Satan's
Instruments, the world tempts as it is the objed and matter
of temptations, but Satan tempts as the proper author and
engineer of temptations. Others there are that think, that meo
can, and do properly tempt themfelves, according to James i.
' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own
luft.' But the queftion is altogether needlefs as to us, tboiigh
We. and others may b? true and proper tempters, yet this
jiindereth not but that it is moft true, that Satan makes tempi
tation his very wilrk and bufinefs. And therefore not only here.
but in 1 Thef. iii. 5. pie devil is defcribed by his employment;
* Left by any means' the tempter (or he that tempteth) hatty
tempted you ;' which the ordinary glofs doth thus expteJa,
Biabolus, cufus eft offtcivm tent (ire. This name then is p«rt up;
on Satan iate'xochenhy way of eminenoy ; implying, 1. That
though there be never fo many tempters, yet Satan is the €1116?,
'2. That he makes temptation his proper employment.
That Satan doth fo, I fhall evidence by thefe fe«fi notes.
xft, Temptation is in itfelf a bufinfefs and work : For if we
confider either the work of any one temptation, where Satan is
oft put to it, after fuggeftfon' to perfuade, and after perfoafio.*
to mftigate and provoke, or if we confider what furniture, tools*
means and instruments are requisite, and what it may coft to
bring all things together into fit order and methods or if we
think
^wS^T' PaV: ^'M.-Art a. Homines inftrumentaliter, mundu*
matcnaliter, batanaa efticjenter. Sclater en 1 Thef. 3. 5.

Chap. VI. Safaris Temptations. 41 £
think of the various ways and manners of temptation ; that
Some are mediate, fome immediate; fome inward, Some out
ward : Some moveable, Some fixed and Solemn; Some inticements
to evil, Some affrightments Srom duty, others invafions of our
peace and joy; or laftly, if we call to mind what Study, what
art, what fetches and contrivances the devil is fometimes put
upon, we Shall eafily fee,, that it -keeps him doing, and that he
eats not the bread of idlenefs that hath that employment to
" follow. idly, Satan- gives up himfelf unto it,. Is wholly, in ity he
walks to and fro, goes about feeking advantages of this nature,
compaflfeth Sea and land to proferyte men: to his Skwrefy, ufeth
all means, upon all men, at all times, with all diligence ; hence
Was it, , that Latimer (in his homely way. of Speaking) called
' him,, a bufy bifhop i n his, diocefs-,. and excited the fluggifh tb
learn, laboriou-fuefs of the devil.,
$dly, He takes a delight in it, not only from a natural pro
pensity, which his fall put japon him,, whereby he cannot but"
tempt ; as an evil tree cannot but bring forth evil fruits : But
alfo from the power -of an habit acquired by long exercife,
which- is accompanied with fome kind of pleafure ; and further,
whatever pleafure may be fuppofed to arife from revengeful
prilde, or companioafliip in evil, he hath of that in, fall meafure,
prefied down,, and running over*.
4thly, All-- other'things i« Satan, or in has- endeavours, have
either a SubServiency, qe Some way or other a reference and re.
Sped to temptation. His power, wifdom malice, and other
infernal qualifications-, render him . able to tempt ; his labour
and diligence in other things are but the work pf one that
prepares materials and occafions; his other bufinefs of accufing,
affrighting, destroying,, tormenting,, are but the ends and im-.
provements of tempting.
%thly, He cares, not how it goes on, If that it go on; as a man
that defigns to be rich, cares not how he gets it ; which Shews,
that tempting in general is his defign. Of this we have many.
inftances ,-;. as \. He Sticks not fo lie and diffenable, he will tell
them of the kingdoms of the world, and glory of them,, and a
thoufand fair promifes whieh he never intends. 4. He will
tempt for a fmall matter, if he can but gain a little, or but
moleft us, yet be will be: doing. 3. He will not give over fou
a foil or difappointment. 4. He is not aShamed to tempt con*
tradidofy things; he tempted Chrift againft the work of re
demption, Matter Spare thyfelf. He tempted Judas tq further
it in betraying him. 5. Any temptation that he fees will Hold,
* Solanftn miferis, &c.

416 A Treatife of Part IH>
he takes tip with ; hence is it that' he tetnpt&not the Jews now*
to idolatry, becaufe he hath them faft in another fnare, being
ftrongly led to an ppppfitipn and contempt of Chrift. 6. He
will fometimes tempt where he hath not probability to prevail^,
even againft hope. Thus he tempted Chrift and' Paul. . ,
Appl.~\ The ufe of the obfervation is this :, If it be his bufi-i
neSs to, tempt, it muft be our work to refift.
i . To refift is a labbur, it is not an idle formality; confifting
in words of defiance, or a few ridiculous croffings, and fprink-
lings bf holy water, or fpitting at the name of him, as ignorant
people are wont to dp.
i. We muft give up ourfelves to this work, always fighting
and oppofing.
3. It will be neceffary to make ufe of all helps, as prayer;
fafting, the counfel and fupport of holy and experienced men.
4. We muft alfo caft off all hinderances ; whatfoever in us is
apt to take fire, or give advantage, muft be laid off; as pride
(which doth prognosticate a fall) and fecurity, which betrays
the beft ; or prefumption, which provokes God to leave thofe
of higheft attainments, Neh. xiii. 16.
. Secondly, An this general introdudion, we may Caft our eye;
upon the way and manner of the affault ; when it is faid„ the
• tempter came unto him,' we are unavoidably forced to fup
pofe, another manner pf coming than that whereby he tempted
him for forty days together. And when we call tb mind, that
at his coming here mentioned, he carried Chrift to the temple,'
and from thence to an high mountain, and there propounded
himfelf an objed of worShip ; we, can imagine no lefs, than that
' Satan here came vifibly to him ; but in what Shape or* manner
of appearance, it is altogether uncertain, though it is moft pro-.
bable, it Was not in the form of a br,ute, but in fome luftre of
majefty or glory, as an angel ; becaufe a deformed; or bafe ap- -
pearance, had been unfuitable to the boaft of giving the'king>;
doms of the world, or to his defire that Chrift Should ' fall down
and worShip him.' Hence We may obferve,
Obf. 2.] That Satan fometimes tempts irt a vifible appear
ance,- and by voice.
Firft, The poffibility of this, is evident from the apparitions'
of angels. Satan is Still an angel ; and there is nothing of a na
tural incapacity in him as to an cut ward appearance to our eyes
and fenfes, more than in glorified fpirits.
Secondly, In the firft temptation he did no lefs, when he ttfed
the ferpent, as a trunk to fpeak through, and an inftrument to
ad by ; in pofifeffions he fpeaks atrdibly, and evidenceth a real
prefenee. thirdly,

Ghap.VII. Satan's Temptations. 417
Thirdly, Undoubted inftances may be given of Satan's tempt-
ingand.inoletting vifibly. I deny not but there are a great ma
ny idle Stories of this kind, an'd a number of ridiculpiis figmentp, v
but it would be unreafonable anjd highly prejudicial to the truth
of hiftory, and the commpn faith of mankind, to refufe credit
to the ferious accounts of fober men, becaufe of fome fooli/h
and unwarrantable fables. ' . i '
. What is relatpd of Luther, and his feveral troubles from Sa
tan this way, is evident in thp ftory of his life*. Cyrillus tells
us- of one Eufebius, difciple of Hierom, who, when he was lay
ing, cried out of the devil's appearing to him. The like1 is'
Storied' of St Martin and others ; and of thefe you may read ,
more colleded by Mr Clark, . . v r
If we would enquire into 1 the reafons pf Satan's appealing
thus, we cannot more fitly pitch upon any other than thefe}
(1.) Either he thinks a great affrightment neceffary in fome
cafes, and for .that end appears : Or,
(2.) He fees his appearance needful, to give a greater evi
dence and certainty to the reality of thp pleafures of fin which
He promifeth ; that is the common ground of his appearing in
the ways and' defigns of witchcraft.
(3.) Or in the height, of rage, when, he perceive? other whys
npt available, and when he hath to do with perfons not igpor
rant of his devices, where he fees he hath no need of a vijfbr,
or covert ways of dealing, then he Sticks npt, if permitted,) to
tempt or moleft openly, x «
This muft teach us not to wonder at fuch temptations, much
lefs to judge thoSe that may be So molefted, as if Satan had a
greater Share in them, Seeing Chrift was thus tempted-

3Q CHAP,

* O fratres adjuvate me, np peream, nonne videtis Daemonum agmina, qui
rne debeJIare, et ad 'Tartars'' ducere faftinant, quid hie affaa cruenta beflia ?
Cl: Senarclaeus ih Epift. ad M, Buoerum, t£i. " TeBs of a country man, at
Tribury in Germany, to whom the devil appeared in the fliape of a tall man,
claiming his foul, and offering to fet down hie fin in a Scroll.'!

4i 8 A Treatife of Part IIJ.
A';
CHAP. VII.
Th\e. general. view of thefe temptations.. Of Safaris grfidual pro-
ceediitg in temptations- Of refer ving a great temptation' laft.
What a great temptation is, in what cafes to.be expelled: Of
.Satan's ufing a common road, in comparing thefe temptations
with the ordinary temptations of men". Ofthe advaniagj Sdr
tan takes of natural appetite, fenfe, and affiBions.
I Have done with the proemium to the temptations. Yet be
fore I open them particularly, I fliall take a general view
of them. Fifft, By Comparing thefe with the Other temptations
of Chrift during the forty days. Secondly, By eoriipatHigjthefe
witll the temptations of men.
Firft, Then, 'if we compare thefe with the former tempta
tions, and obferve that we have rio account given us of thofe
temptations, but only in the general, that he was tempted;
whereas thefe: are particularly fet down and recorded, we cannot
apprehend lefs than this, That thefe laft temptations Were cerl
tainly greater and more remarkable temptations. Hence note,
Obf. 3.] That it is Satan?s method to be gradual in his temp
tations, and that he keeps his greateft temptations to the latter
end. #
That Satan is gradual in his temptations, this is true of hita,
if we regard,
1. The manner of his proceeding, that he drives Slowly, en
treats gently, and is very careful, that He do not pverdrive men,
but after they are accuftomed to his way, he puts- on imperii
bufnefs and commands them.
2. If the matter cf temptation be regarded, he is gradual there
alfo. He.tempts to little fins firft, then to greater.
I Shalt' illuftrate both thefe particulars by the example of
Thomas Savage, apprentice to Mr Collins, vintner at the Ship
tavern, iii Ratclifly who Suffered in anno 1668, for murdering
his fellow.fervant : He confeffed that the devil took this courfe
with him ; he firft tempted him to neglect: of duty, then to con
tempt of ordinances, and' profanation of the Sabbath, then to
drinking, then to fornication, then to rob and Steal from his ma-
iter, and laft bf all to murder; and takes particular notice that in
this laft temptation, to kill his fsllow.fervant, there was a vio
lent and-more than ordinary power bf Satan upon Him, to inSti-
gate'him to that wickednefs. All this you may'read 'at large ia
the printed narration of his life,
'The reafons of his gradual proceedings are, * (1.) He

Chap^ tlTI. , Safari's temptations. 41^9
(1,) He would difijover no more of himfelf in any tempta
tion, than he is neceffitated unto, for the gaining his end ; left
be crofs his own deSign, and inftead of drawing men to wicked- '
nefs, Scar or affright them from it. / 1
'(2.),' Sins are mutually preparatory to each other, Smaller
proffers and temptations do inSenfibly prepare, and incline the
heart to greater.
Secondly, That he keeps Hie greateft temptaticns laft, is a con-
Sequence pf the former; for which; befides what is now Spoken,
thefe reafons iriay be gives! : (
xft, There is provocation given him, in reSufing his lefler aS-
Saults,, His head is bruifed by. every refufal, he is fet at defi
ance, Which calls him out to Stronger oppofitiph. He perceives
by often repulfes, that thofe with whom he hath to do are not "
fubjeds bf his. kingdom, and that1 his time is Short, and there
fore no wonder is it, if he aflaiilt moft fprioufly, and with all
his Strength; , '
idly; There is alfo policy in it, when he hath brought down
our ftrength and weakened cur courage, then a violent onfet is
fair fo procure him a viftory. .
But becaufe I mention a great temptation, it -may not be a-
mifs both for the further explaining of thetext, and illuftration
of the matter, to Shew what is a great temptation. Thefe were
great temptations to Chrift; and there are feveral things re
markable in them, which wherever they appear, they will de
nominate the temptation great, and the more of them are con
joined together, and in higher -degree, it may juftly be called
ftill the greater. As,
1 . In thefe temptations, we may note there were ,external
objeds, as well, as insinuated fuggeftions ; inward motions are
teal temptations, but when they have the objeds andthings pre
fented to the eye or the fenfes, then do they ftrongly urge. At
this advantage the devil tempted Eve, he Urged her when the
fruit was within the view ; thus he tempted Achan, when the
gold and garment were in his eye.
1. Thefe temptations were complex, confifting of many va
rious defigns, like a fnare of many cords or noofes.. When
he tempted to turn ftones to bread, it was not one tingle defign,
but many that Satan had in profecution, "As diftruft on one
Hand, pride on another, and fo- in the reft. The more compli
cated a temptation is, it is the greater.
3, Thefe were alfo perplexing entangling temptations ; they
were dilemmatical, fuch as might enfnare, either" in the doing,
or refufal. If he had turned ftones into bread, he had too
much honoured Satan by doing it at his motion. If he did not,
3.G 2 - he

4io ' • ' '., A Treatife of <$MbH& '
he*feemed to negled his own body, in not making .ne'ceffarj* ,
provifions for himfelf, being now hungry.
4, Thefe temptations proceeded upon confiderable, advan
tages, his hunger urged a neceffity of turning ftones into bread".
His prefent 'ftraits, and the lownefs of his condition feemed to
fpeak much for the reafonableneSs of giving proof of hisdivinp
nature, by caftihg himfelf down from the temple, and of do
ing any thing, that' might tend to a more plentiful being and
Support in the world. Advantages Strengthen temptations.
5. TheSe temptatipns were accompanied with a greater pre
sence and power oS Satan, he appeared vifibly in them.and was
permitted to touch and hurry the body of Chrift,, and to de-
paint and fet forth the glory of the world, doubtlefs in the
moft taking way, to-the eye of Chrift. ;
6. The matter of thefe temptations,, or the things he temp- ,
ted. Chrift to, were great and heinous abominations, a diftruft
of Providence, a prefumption of protedion, and a final renun
ciation of the "worShip due to him, and transferring it to -the
moft unworthy objed, God's profeffed enemy, and yet were
they feconded by the ftrongeft, moft powerful, and moSt pre
vailing means,; as his prefent ftraits, his infallible affuranceof
SonShip, pleafure, and glory. Where the matter is weighty,
and the medium Strong and preffing, there is- the temptation
great.- ; , '
•). AU thefe temptations pretended Strongly to the advan
tage and benefit of Chrift, apd fome of them might feem to be
dohe without any blame, as to turn ftones to bread, to fly in,
the air, The more kindnefs a temptation pretends to us, it is
the Stronger. . -
,8. Satan urged fome pf them in a daring provoking way;
'If thou bs the Son of God ?' as if he had faid, I dare thee to
Shew thyfelf what thou pretendeft to be. Thefe kind of pro
vocations are very troublefome .to the moft modeft and felf- de-'.
nying, ¦ who can fcarce forbear to do what they are urged unto
at fuch times.
9. Thefe temptations feem to be defigned for the engage
ment of all the natural powers of Chrift: his natural appetite
in a defign pf food ; his fenfes, in the moft beautiful object;,
the world in its glory; the affedions, in that which is molt
fwaying^ pride, and delight in extraordinary teftimonies ; of
divine power and love, in fupporting him in the air, &C>
10. Some of thefe warranted as duty, and to fupply neceffa
ry hunger, others depending upon the fecurity of a promife,
' He Shall give his angels charge,' &c. IJ'he greater appear- , ance:

Chap. .VII. Satan's Temptations. - 42^
ance bf( duty or warrantablenefs is put upon fin,; the greater is
the temptation.
By thefe ten particulars we may, as by a Standard, judge,
when any temptation is great or lefs. •' , 1
' Applic. 1.] Let us then take heed of fmall temptatipns, or
the fmoother proceedings of Satan, as we would avoid the
greater attempts that are to follow. Whpre he is admitted to
beat our, lufts with a rod or Staff, he may be SuSpeded to
bring the wheel over them at laft. . ,
Let us alfp after our affaults, exped more and greater, becaufe
the greateft are the laft to be looked for. This holds true, in
three cafes, (jc. y In 1 folemn temptations where Satan fixeth
his affaults, there the utmoft rage is drawn out laft. (2.) In
the continuance and progrefs of profeffion, the further we go
from him, and the nearer to God, be fure of the higheft mea
fure Of his fpite. (3.) At the end of our race : For if he riiifs
his prey then, it is efcaped for ever, as a bird unto its hill.
Objetl. But fome may fay, I am but a meffenger of fad tid
ings ; and that by bringing fuch a report bf giants, and walled
cities, I may make the hearts of the people to faint.
Anfw.'] I anfwer ; This is bad news bnly to the Sjuggifh,
fuch as would go to heaven with eafe, and in a fair and eafy
way, but to the laborious refolute foldiers, of Chrift this is no
great difcouragement : .Fpr, (1.) It doth but tell them of their
work, which as they are perfoaded of, fo it is in fome meafurp
their delight, as well as their expedation. (2.) It doth but
tell them, Satan's malice and Sury, which they are aflured of,
and are moft afraid of it fometimes, when it ' feems, to lie idle,
and as afleep. (3.) It doth tell them , that Satan's thoughts
concerning them are defpairing,' he,, fears they are going, or
gone from him. If they were his willing fervants, there
would be no hoftility of this nature- againft them-
I have thus compared thefe fpecial. temptations with thofe
wherewith our Lord Chrift was' exerciSed during the forty '
days. I fhall, ., '-,
Secondly, Compare thefe temptations of Chrift with thofe
that ufually befalbis members, in which there is fo muchfuit-
ablenefs and agreement, both in ' matter apd manner, that it
cannot be unufeful to take notice of' it, which will the better
appear in inftances.
Firft, Then let us confider the firft temptation of Eve, Gen.
iii. 6. ' And When the woman faw that the tree was good for
1 food, and that it was pleafent to the eyes, and a tree to be de
fired to make pne wife,' &e. Here are all the arguments and
ways Summed up, by which Satan prevailed upon her ; it was
' good

44S A Treatife of Part fH.
* good for food ;' here he wrought upon the defire of the natu
ral appetite ; it was ' pleafant to the eyes/ here he took ad
vantage, of the external fenfes ; it was ' to be defired to make
one wife,' here he inflamed the affedions. Let us again .call
to mind the general account of temptations in i John ii. x6.
' All that is in the world, the luft of the fleSh, the luft of the
eyes, and the pride of life ;' where the apoftle defignedly calls
all off from a love of the world, becaufe of the hazard and dan
ger that we be open unto, from the things of the world ftriking
upon and ftirringxup our lufts ; which he ranks into three ge
neral heads, according to the various ways whereby thefe out
ward things do work upon us, in exciting our natural powers
and apprehenfions to Sinful Iuftings : And thefe are fo fully a-
greeing with thpfe three in Eve's temptation, that I need not
note the parallel. Let us now caft our eyes upon thefe temp
tations, and the fuitablenefs of Satan's Ways and dealings will
immediately appear. When he tempted Chrift to turn Stones
into . bread^ there he endeavoured to take advanetge of the luft
of the fleSh, which in i John ii. I underftand in a more re
strained fenfe, not for the iuftings of corrupt nature, but for
the Iuftings of the body in its natural appetite, according to
that expreffion of Chrift, « the fpirit is willing, but the flefli (or
body) is weak':' And if we Should not fo reftrain it in this
place, the luft of the flefh would include the luft of the eyes,
and the pride of life, contrary to the clear Scope of the text,
for thefe are alfo the Iuftings of corrupt nature. When he
further tempted him to caft himfelf down, he puShed him up
on the pride of life , when hesfhewed him the kingdoms of the
world and the glory of them, he attempted to gain upon him
by the luft of the eyes.' From this proportion and fuitablenefs
of temptation to Clirift and his members, obferve,
Obf. 4.] Tliat Satan ufually treads in a beaten path, ufing
knpwn and experienced methods of temptaticn. It is true, in
regard of circumftances, he ufeth unfpeakable varieties in
tempting, and hath many more devices and juggles than can
be reckoned' up, ypt in the general he hath digefted them into
method and order, and the things upon which he- works in us,
are the fame ; thus he walk's his round, and keeps much- what
the fame trad, not only in different perfoqs, but alfo in the
fame men, ufing the fame temptations ever and over, and yet
this argues no barrennefs of invention, or fluggiShnefs in Satan,
but he hath thefe reafons for it :
1 .Becaufe the fame temptations being fuited to human na
ture in general, will with a fmall variation of circumftance fuit, all

Chap, VII. Satan's Temptations. - 423
all men, their inclinatipns generally anSwering to one anpfher,
as-face anfwers to face in water. , ",
2. TheSe Standing methods are famous with him, as gene
rally pbwerful and taking, apd it can be np wpnder if Satan
pradife mpft with thefe things, that have the largeft probatmn
eft pf experience to follow them.
3'. ,The more experienced he is many temptation, the more-
dexteroufly and fucceSsfully ftill can he manage it ; fo that
we may exped him more cunning and able' in what he moft.
pradifeth. Applic.~\ This may be fortie fatisfadion to thpfe that are
apt to think bf' themfelves and their temptations; as Elias
did ih his perfuafion, ' I alone am left.' Where Satan ufeth
any thing of vigour and fiercenefs, we are apt to fay, None
are tempted as we, none in like cafe, we are Singular, they
are peculiar and extraordinary temptations, SfC. But it is a
miftake; even that of Solomon may be applied to thefe,
,* there is nothing new,' nor any thing befallen us, which o-
thers hftve not undergone before us ; and would but Chrif
tians be fo careful to obferve the way pf the ferpent upon
their hearts, as they might, and fo communicative of their
experiences as they ought, the Weak and heavy laden would
not go fo mourning under fuch apprehenfions, as cOmmbnly
affright them, that hone were ever So tempted as they are ; it
would be Some fupport at worft, when the moft hellifh fu
ries do bpprefs them, to, know that others .before them were
in thefe deeps, and as, fearful of being overwhelmed as them
felves, and yet were delivered ; the deliverance of thofe that
have efcaped the danger, is ground of hope to thofe that are at
prefent under it. ¦ •
Obf. 5.] The ufual advantages that Satan takes againft us,
is from bur natural appetite, our external fenfes, or our paf
fions and affedions. All thefe are ufual ways by which Sa
tan works againft us, as. appears from what Hath been faid,
neither are any of, them- fo mean and contemptible, but that
we have caufe to fear the power and influence of them. Hence
the fcripture cautions defcend to the eyes, ' Look not upon the
wine when it isvred in the cup.' 'Be fober, be vigilant,' gtc.
The appetite is not fo eafily kept in, but that it may prevail
¦to' gluttony and drunkennefs : And fome'are fo powerfully
carried by this,' that they are faid to make their bellies their
god. Qf the power of fenfe and affedion, elfewhere hath been
fpoken.
CHAP.

4M A Treatife of Part-Ill.
- 'i/:.C-H AP, VIII. ,,;IW^ ., ,;,„}.,;,
qa; ',' ... - - ,~ t,-;;>i- 3 ,-•• i.'-juoiiT
72,^ «/* pf Chrift's firft temptation. Of Soffits /^"fc^fe
temptations to the conditions of men, . Of tempting, men, npm
the plea; of necejity. The reafons and tfyeats aj , thatylfm
His pretences of friendjhip in tempting, with, $$, danger
thereof • „ . . ,-i .- . »j
- .' ¦ , ¦ - ' . , - - . i -.- ¦" y .-; - ,'-
HAVING thus Confidered thefe. temptations asv they lie be..
fore us in their general profped, I Shall, ;now fpeak pi
this firft fpeciaJj -temptation in particular, in wbjch, , (i.) The,
rife, or occafion, (2.) The temptation itfej|l,. (3.) The arw
gument by which Satan would enforce it, are to be diftm&lj:
npted.. ''&:¦-":¦ '¦ j , ,,..,1,4
Firft, As to the rife ofit, it is questioned ky.fome^wjiy
Satan begins with this firft, the caufe they affign, inpart at,
leaft, is from his firft fuccefs againft Eye, in a temp|atipn a-^
bout eating,- as. if this were the' chief and .moft: hopeful, arrow j
in his quiver. But we need, not go fo far, when the Evangel
lift is fo pundual in fetting it down, in the latter end.ofjhe;;
former verfej he, was an Hungered. This the deyil tppk no
tice of, and from hence' took the rife of his temptation, that by
turning ftones tb bread forthe fatisfadion pf his prefent hun-,
ger, he might be induced to make way for the fecret Strata-;.,
gems which he had prepared againft him on this occafion^
Here, I noI:e,
Obf. 6.] That where Satan hath a defign againft any,, he
doth take the advantage of their condition, and Suits his temp
tation accordingly. Thus, if men be in poverty,, or in theen-
joyments of plenty, in ficknefs or health, if ih afflidions,' un
der wrongs, in difcontents, or carried to advancements and ho
nours, ot whatever elfe may be considerable relating to them,
he obferves it, and orders his defigns fo, as to take in all the.
advantages that they wil) afford. That it is his concern and.-
intereft fo to do, we may imagine, upon thefe grounds :
jft, Our eonfent muft he gained ; this he cannot properly
and truly force, but muft, entice and deceive us to a compliance,
with him.
idly, If our condition fpeak for him, and lie fair for, the
furtherance of any device of his, our eonfent is upon the mat*
ter half gained ; it is much, if fo ppwerful an. advocate, as is
our prefent ftate, do not influence us to an inclination.; ¦ , >'i
$dly, This doth his work eafily and effedually ; he more
generally prevails by this courfe, and with lefs labour. s
, \Appl.

Chap; VI. Safaris Temptations', f 425
Appl.~] This policy, of Satan Should advantage us, by fug-
gefting fit memorials to us, in our expedations of temptation.
Though we know not aU Satan's, thoughts, yet may we know
Where and how he will ufually, make an, order, our condition
will 'tell us what to look for. The diftreffed and afflided may
exped a temptation fuited to their condition, as of murmur
ing, repining, reverigte, diftruft, ufe of indired means, def-
pairings, Sabi They that Have peace and -plenty may be fure
they fhall be tempted fuitably, to pridejj boafting, covetouf-
nefs, oppreffion, contempt of others, fecurity, or whatever
may be fit to be engrafted on that Stock ; the like may be faid
bf any other different condition. How fairly are we forewarn
ed, by an obfervation made upon Satan's proceeding upon thefe
advantages, where to exped him, and how to provide againft
him. Let us proceed to a further, enquiry, How, the devil mana
ged this advantage pf Chrift's hunger ;, he plainly urgeth him
'with a neceffity of providing fupplies for himfelf, fpreading be
fore him his defire fo eat, and the impoflibility of help, in a
barren and defolate wildernefs, as if he had faid, ' The wants of
the body is tp be provided for ; nature and religion confents to
this ; the wildernefs affords p.o help, ordinary means fail ; there
is therefore a neceffity that fome extraordinary courfe be ta
ken, therefore turn ftones to bread ; this is not unfuftable to
the condition and, power of hlni who is the, Son of God.' At
this rate he pleads. .,,. ... ,
,_ 6bf. 7.] Obferve thpn, that Satan ufually endeavours to run
his temptations upon the. plea of neceffity, and. from thence to
infer a dnty.
When he cannot pretend a fair and dired way to irregular
pradices; he would break a door and forpe a way by neceffity.
Under this notion of neceffity, the devil marfhajs all thofe
pretences; that Seem to be of more than ordinary force, in their
ufual prevalences, Thus he teacheth men to think they are
neceflitated, if they be carried by a Strong inclination pf their
own, or if their be an urgency and provocation from others, or
ii" they be. in ftraits and dangers ; and fometimes he. goes fo high,
as to. teach men that a neceffity is included in the- very fabrick
of their natural principles, by which they prefumptuoufly ex
cufe themfelves in. being Sinful, beca'ufe by nature they are fo,
and cannot be changed without fpecial grace; fcarce Shall' we
meet any man with feafonable reproof for his iniquity, but he
will plead fueh kind of neceffities.for himfelf? I could not help
it ; I was Strongly carried, or, I was compelled; I muft do fo,
or elfe I could not efcape fuch. a danger, &c.
3 H The

4-jd A treatife of fart III.
The reafons of this policy, are thefe.
xft, He- knows that neceffity hath- a comp^nivejferce, even,
to things- of, otherwife, greateft abhorrences.: A treafury _p#
inftances is to be had in famines, and befieged places, where, it
is ufual to eat andean things, not pnly creatures .ffiat are, vile,-
but even dung and entrails, Deut. xxviii. 56. nay, fe tyramuv
cat is neceffity, that it makes inrpads into and ccnquefb upon
nature itfelf,, cauSing the tender and delicate womffl,, which
wpuld not adventure the Sole of her foot upon the ground for
delicatenefs; and, tendernefs, to have an evil eyC toward^ the h,uf«
band of her bofom, towards her fon, and towards her daugh
ter. A like force doth it exercife upon the minds and coife.
ences of men, it makes them rife up againft their %ht, it ea>
gagetf* men to lay violent hands upon their own convidioris, to
Stifle and extinguifh tbem. How many mournful examples-
have we of this kind? How many have apoftatized1 from^
truth, being terrified by the urging neceffities i-of < danger, con
trary to the higheft convidions of confcience. , ,, •-;-
%dly, Neceffity can domuch to the darkening of the under
standing, and change of the judgment, by the Strong influence it
hath upon the affedions. Men are apt, to form their appreheir-
fions, according, to the didates of neceffity; what they fee to be
hazardous, they are inclinable to judge to be evil; men in
ftraits nbt only violate their reafon, but fometimes by mfenSr-
bie- Steps unknown to themfelves, Aide into a contrary judg
ment of things diredly crofs to what they have believed and
profeffed. Which perfuafion they ©we not to any further ac-
eeffibn of Kghe, or new difcovery of afgunieirt, (fe* oft-times,
the fame arguments which in the abfence of trouble, they haye
contemned as weak, by the appearance of danger put on another'
face, and feem ftrong) but to the prevalency of their fearsy
stt'd thus many in all ages have altered their judgments and
thoughts, not becaufe they knew more, but becaufe' they fear--
ed more.
The fike neceffities do men form to themfelves from exorbi-*
tant and greedy hopes and expedations of a better condition/
compared to that Wherein they at prefent are, and the like in
fluence it hath in the' alteration of their judgments.' Let the
bifhop of Spafeto be an example of this, who loathed the &cr-
mifh religion firft,- and in England, whither he came for refuge
writ againft it ; but faw a neceffity from' the difappointment of
expedation, to change his ihihd, returned tb Rome again, and
perfuaded himfelf that that was true which he h^ formerly'
pi'cnbunced falfe ; and fo writ againft the church pf England, as
befpre he had done againft the church of Rome. Tb hi'rhwe may

jChap.'VIII. Satan's Temptations. 447
may add iEeeholi.us^ef whom Socrates * .reports, that according
So the various appearings of hazards he changed his religion
feveral times : under Gonftantine, he was ,a Christian .; under
Julian, a Pagan ; and under Jp-vinian, a Christian again j\.
$dly, Neceffity oS&jrs, an excufe, if, pot a juftifibatioh ofthe
greateft mifcariages- Lot offered to expofe his daughters to
.the raging luft 'of the Spdomites, for -the preservation of his
angel-ftrangers, which Surely he would in no! wife haye done,
but that he thought the prefent neceffity might baveexcufed
him. ESau prbfanely SeHs , his birth right, but excufeth the
matter So, ' IJehold & am ait the point to die, and what-profit
-fhall this -birth-sight ,do to me ?' Aaron produceth ,a necef
fity from -the iviolent refolves .of the people, in jjiftification <of
himfelf in the matter of the golden calf, * Thau knowbft that
this people are Set on •mifchief,' Gen. xxv. 32,.
qthly, 'Neceffity is an .univerfal plea, arid fitted. to the con
ditions of all men in aH -callings,, and under all extravagancies.
The tradefman in- hi* unlawful gains or over- reaching, pjeads
a neceffity for it, from the hardnefs of ithe buyer in other
things. The^poor ;man pleads , a neceffity for Stealing, ;andithe
lrich pleads tfbe fame neceffity for .revenge ; and -thus it Serves
all with a pretext. -
TheSe considerations difcovering this courfe fo hopeful, as
to -this defign of the deyil, he will before to put us to this
pinch where hccan. But befides this, we may, obferve, three
-cheats in this -plea -oS «neceffity.
Firft, Sometimes he puts men upon feigning a* neceffity,
where there is, none. S^ul facrificed upon a needlefs SuppoSal,
/that Samuel not coming at the time appointed, there was a ne-
iceffity for -him to do it. He fpa-red alSo the cattle upon thp
like pretence, ithat it was a neceffary ,provifion -for Sacrifice.
And thus -would the devil have perfuaded Chrift, that thero
was an abfolute rneoeffity to turn ftones -to bread? when in truth
there Was no fuch" need.
Secondly, Sometimes he puts, men upon a, neceffity of their
own Sinful procurement. .Herod Sware to gratify the daugh
ter of iH'erodias, and this is prefently pleaded as a neceffity for
the cutting .off Jibhn Baptist's head. Saul forbad '^hetaftihg of'
meat, and Sealed the penalty by an oath and curfe ; and this is
by and by made a neceffity .for the taking away of Jonathan's
life, who had tafted Honey, not knowing his father's curfe, had
not tthe people reScued him.
'" ' , " 3 Mi " Thirdly^,
* Ecclef. Hid. I..3. c. ill. f Antiochus put Eleazar and the Maccabees in
mind of this excufe. Ji; it .he .a .fin to do contrary -to your ,law, compulsion;
4oth excufe it. Jofephus on the lives of the Maccabees.

428 ' A Treatife *6f ^btijHp
'•5%^^;-' -Sometimes he ftretcheth -a nebgfififffertheb than if
ought ; lie knows that God hath fuch a regard to* "teal neoeffii'
ties; thaf upon that ground be will difpenfe '^i«h 'his Sabbath,
and' the prefent performance of duty. Thefe 'inftances he lays
before men, and endeavours to perfuade fcteeasp that- in: ;Mki
manner God will, upon a" neceffity; difpenfe w^th fins, as welf
as with the prefent opportunity of fervice; # What a covering
in all ages,"'1 men' have made of neceffity, for their. higheft out
rages and extravagancies, andwith what' confidehee they have
managed filch pleas, wpiild'be endlefs to rekte.;,i-!
' This muft warn' us, not to fuffef ourfei veV to' be impdfed
upon by the higheft pretences of neceffity.'-' Whatever it'.ina^
difpenfe With (as in Some cafes it will fufpend a prefent'fer-
vice, and warrant the performance of a duty, befides the<eoma
moh rule and way wherein it ought ordinarily to be managed^
it muft never be" pleaded tb give warrant to any thing-ini^
OWn nature Sinful. * Neceffity will not juftify lying,; Stealing;
covetoufnefs, adulteries, &c. *ril!| ' i "¦ : I
Befides, we muft be'wary in judging what is a neceffity;
Men are apt to plead a neceffity where there is none f and if
we give way to a'facile admittance of excufes of this kind, we
fliall prefently multiply neceffities, and' have then." to Serve us
at every turn. Some would warrant" fin by'neceSfity, others
would turn off duty and rule, by pretending a neceffity where
none is ;' both are to be avoided as fnares of Satan.
Once more, before- we difmifs this rife of the temptation of
Chrift in Hand, let iis obferve, that in' perfuading him toturit
ftones to bread, he 'feems 'to exprefs a great' deal bf care and
tendernefs to ChriSt, with an'invidibus refledion upon the love
and providence of God : as if he Should fay, * I fee' thou art
hungry, and this wildernefs affords nothing to eat, and God
hath not taken care to Spread a table Sor thee ; I therefore" pi
tying thy condition, as ' a friend, advife thee to turn Stones to
bread.' ¦
Obf. 8.] Note, That Satan mrtnageth his moft cruel defigns
under the higheft pretences' of friendship. He did fo with Eve,
* The Lord kn'oweth that ye fhall be as gods';' as if he had a
greater regard to them' than God himfelf.* He tempted Chrift
in the mouth of Peter to fpare himfelf, unde* tlie Shew "of great
kiridnefs ; and no lefs are his common pretences to all men.
This is a deep policy ; for by this means the mifchieS intend
ed is the better concealed, and the lefs care and provifion made
againft1 it; aud befides, the'affedfons and defires are Stirred up
¦" .-...; ' - ' '-, tb
* Ferenda raagis omnia neceflitas, fluam nerpetranda aliqua iniquitas.
Aug. ' 'i ' ¦ ¦¦:.¦' ¦ '-..* ]•„.,...,•' ,-,,  <• "'¦ ¦" , '-»

Chap. (IX. ^Satan's Temptations, 429
.to an hafty embracement of the motion, and an eager fw-alJow-
ing of the bait. , ,.„,,,,,. .1 -,' „tt-
0 So great a fubtilty is in this manner of dealing, that thofe
who affed the name of great politicians in. the wprld„thav$
learned from Satan, to Shew greateft, refpeds, anda moft. friend-?
Iy countenance, to thpfe whom ,they moft hate- and dntend to
ruin. Thus our Richard, III. of England constantly dealt with
thofe for whofe blood he lay in wait; and the precepts of Ma--',
chiavel are fitted to this, that it is wifdom tp hug thefe whom.
we defireto deftroy, Ehud's prefent made way for his dagger.
Joab's fword, could not fo well haye difpatched its errand upon
Abner, if he had not ufhered it in with a kifs. .,-j
Applic.~\ This Should make us moft fuSped thofe temptations
that offer us moft kindnefs and advantage, and fuch as are moft
gratifying to our humours and -defires. For cap it be iniagln-.
ed in good earneft, that Satan intends us a real good? ,Can the
gifts of enemies * pafs for cpurtpfies and favours with any, but
fuch as are bewitched into, a blockifh madnefs ?; Satan is more,
to be feared when: he flatters, than, when he rageth ;, and tho'
fnch offers may be looked upon by fome as more benign, and'
lefs odious temptations, as fQme kind of familiar, fpirits are-
more kindly treatedby fome, under the notion of white devils,
yet may we fay, pf them, as Cornelius Agrippa fpeaks of
Some unlawful arts and ways of Thurgia, Eofunt pernitiofiora,
^ub imperitis diviniora, they have the greateft danger that pre
tend the higheft friendfhip. Thus much for the rife of the
temptation. '

C H A P. IX.
A particular confideration of the matter of the firft temptation,
what Satan aimed" at,' in 'bidding him turn ftones into bread.
Of Satan's moving us to things good or lawful ; the end of
fuch a motion^ How to know whether fuels motions are from
Satan or the Spirit. What to do, in cafe they be from Satan.
Of his various aims in one temptation. . What they are, and
of his policy therein. Of his artificial contrivement -of mo
tions, to make one- thing infer another.
' ,•(¦ • ,-,-,-=,'
"VTEXT follows the temptation itfelf, ' Command that thefe;
*<. ftones be made bread.' There is no great difficulty in the.
words. The Greek indeed hath a remarkable fuitablenefs to
;tbq
* Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. '

430 A It&mifi of , fart-1%
.the foppofitioti, ©n which Satan infills, -t^hg^hrift to he.yiev
Son of Gbd^it is very pertinently fpoken, Say or" fpeak,. 'thjf'
4befe ftones be imade fer.ead; for if God fpeak;, /it muJtW
¦done.' _ "',""", ''n[
It is .not worth the while *o infift upon fo fmall a ya^iejtyllf
expreffion^ as is" betwixt -this .EvaingeEft, whb* hath, at'* thefe
Stones,' and Lnke, who Sjpeaks it in the Singular number 'this
itbfle ;' for ^befides «hat, as fomie ftppofe, ,tWs e^preflum <of
Luke might, for -any .tbt^g that -appears to the contrary; he
Satan's lowering bis -j^tquteft-to one jSkme^ when ClhriSi had de-
aiied to :ftvrnimaBy into bread, mponhie firft -aSking, tbis one
ftone in Luke, Jsiken oolledively fer>the -whole heap, wiU'%-
:aify as much as- thefe atones in Msifctbew, er -the phtafe;'* 4h«fe
{Stones,' in Matthew, by an imitation , erf a . common HebraiSin;
jmay be -no -jnone but one -of >fhefe flenes,r<or this ftone, as it is
in Lake ; as it as faidr Jepthwh was iburifid in ihe .cities', of G£-
ilead, that is, in (one of the -cities.
The thing urged, was itfhe'tnrning or Changing -the foxmofa
creature, Which is a wbric truly -miraculous sand wonderful,
and fuch as had neither been unfuited 'to the power of Chrift.
nor unlawful in itfelf. It sis from she-nee jsiflly^uesStioneB,
where 'the iting of *his fuggeftion iky, -or ,in what point wa§
the temptation couched, iff, It was not in the unkwlulnefs
or finfulnefs of the thing .mentioned .; -for Chrift rdid as much as
would amount to aU this, when -be (turned water into wine,
and when he -fed 'multitudes by a miraculous anultijplicatitffliof
£ few loaves and fifhes. , - -¦;-('"'' '
idly, It was not unfuitable to his condition as hungry; for
fo it feemed a duty to provide for himfelf, and which- Satan
took for granted. ' *'•"
Sdly, Neither feemed it any derogation to his power and dt
vine nature, but rather an advantage and fit opportunity to give
a full proof bf it, to the Stopping of Satan's mouth for ever.-
Notwithstanding thefe, there was poiSon andmalignilyun the
fuggeftion, and under thefe green leaves of plaufible pretences,
lay hid many Snakes:' For, (i.) By this was he Secretly tempt'
ed to admit oS a, doubting oS the -truth of the divine testimony/
lately declaring him to be the Son of God. :(*;) As -alfo fur
ther to queftion his Father's providence and Jove. -(3.) Andiun*
neceflarily to run out of the -ordinary way -of fupply,,.and to bei
take himfelf to indired means or extraordinary courSes. (4.)
And all this to the abufe and nndervaluing-of his powefr^in:
proftitutihg it to Satan's diredion or perfuafion ; and the de*
had gained a considerable advantage, if he -Could have prevailed' with

Satanfj. Temptations. 43*
w$hvbim =ta» «io frtpl* a filling, by , his instigation. r^5^), It may
be;,; he1 fertber thought fi^ps raigb/tt entice to- art hig\ e^eenx-of
h|mfelf, .and fo make, way for a vain, oftentatioa, p& his. gwspier>,
and intereft in- God;. All or naoft of thefe feera to be the de,-.
figra^hat the d^yi'l! was driving forward- Several things- are
heape abferyabie^r ,
Obf. 0/.J Thafc where- Satan dotb not judge it his prefent, in*
tereft, to fuggeft ^0 us things in their own nature Sinful, he will
move us to things good in themfelves, in hopesi, thereby to lead
us Into evil. This way of tempting isfreov a rm^ee. refined-.po-
licy, than down-right! motion* to fin; and doabtlefs it is leSs,
fufpeded, and1 consequently more taking. The evils that Satan
would introduce by this method, are fuch- as- thefe ;. ,„.
xft, Sometimes when he tempts us, to- chat which: is good,, k
is, that he might affright us from it ; his approbation is enough.
t<Kput a difcredit, awd difgracefol fafpicion upon any thiuig-
Sueh a defign had he, when he gave teStimoay for Chrift,,
* That he was thp Son of* God,' Matt. viii. 29. or for the apof
tles, that they I were the fervants of the moft high, God, Ads
xvi. if. It was not his intention to honour him or them, by
bearing them, witnefs, but to bring them nnder fufpicion and.
trouble. idly, There are a great many Ways to mifcarry in a lawful
adion,, either by propounding- bad ends, or by failures in.
the manner of performance, oe by a mifimprovement of the
whole. Thefe miScarriages (and the poffib'lity and proba
bility of them} Satan carries in His mind ; yet doth be not
at firft propound them, but moving »s unto the thing, be
hath an expedation that we will Slide into them of ourfelves,
or be inclined by fome Suitable touches of fuggeftipii.upon our
minds ; together with the tendency, or improveablenefs of the-
thing or adion, to Such evils as- are properly consequent to it.
Satan did not here tempt Chrift to thefe finfal ends direfitly,
but to an adion which he hoped might infenfibly produce them.
%dly, Another evil hereby aimed at, is the hinderancc of a
greater good, not only as a diverfion to turn us off a better or
more profitable occafion, but alfo as an unfeafonable interrup
tion of fomething at prefent more concerning as : Thus, he
makes the fuggeftion of good things the hinderance ©f prayer
or hearing.
^ueft. Some will fay, this is a perplexing cafe, that in things
good or lawful in themfelves men Should be in fuch dangers,
and will thereupon defire to know, how thpy.rnay diftingnifb
Satan's ccntrivances and mctipns, from thofe that have no de-
pendamce upon-him, or are from the Spirit of God ? Anf.

4'3* Affnmife of,
Anf. In anfwer to this, i.Let/us, when^We fear thus to. b&
circumvented, look well to what imprefj*pns^ are unon "our fpu'
rjt, when we are moved to what may be lawful, JFor tpgdjjer
with the motion, if it beSatan's, we fhall find either a Corrupt
reafon and end privately rifing up iu our mind ; pr We may
obferve that our hearts are out of order, and perverfely incli
ned ; this is oil unfeejito' ourfelves. When the diScipies mo
ved Chrift to bring down jire Srom heaven, if they had consi
dered tlie prefent revengeSid felfifk frame of their fpirits, which
our Lord tells them they were ignorant of„^they might eafily
have known that the motion had proceeded from Satan.
2. The concurrent circumftances of (fhe thing or. adion, are
to be ferioufly weighed ; for from thenee, we may take a right
meafure. of the conyeniency : or ineonveniency of , the proceed
ing in it. What is from Satan,,: it will be, either unfeafpit-
able as to "the time, place, and perfon; or fome other thing
will appear that may give a difcovery. As here Chrift re*
fufeth to turn ftones into bread, becaufe not only the way and
manner of the propofal. doth Sufficiently lay open, the defign^
but alfo the circumftances of . Chrift's.condition at that time*
fhewed the mption to be unfeafonable and , inconvenient : Far if
Satan had urged the neceffity. of it for the' fatisfadion of his
hunger, Chrift could have anfwered, that ,the experience he had
of God's fupport. for forty days together, was fuSficient to en
gage him to rely yet further upon him. If he had urged far
ther, that by this means he might have had a full prqqf of
God's love ancj care, or, of his Sonfhip : It was at hand to tell -
him, that it was needlefs to feek a further evidence, when God
had given one fo full a little before : If again he had pleaded it
te have been an ufeful occafion to give a teftimony ofhis power
to the fatisfadion of others : He could have told him^ that if
had been impertinent to have done it then* when he was in the
wildernefs, where none could have the benefit of iti Sp thatno-
thing^atan could have propounded as a reafon for that miracle;
but it might have been repelled* from a' confideration of his pre
fent condition.
Applic.'] The inftrudion that may be gathered from this, is,
That we muft not entertain thoughts of doing lawful things;
without a due enquiry into the temper of our own hearts, and
a full confideration of all circumftances round about, with, the
probable tendencies; and confequehces of it.
Queft. But; may fome fay, if I judge fuch- a motion to bd
a thing lawful; which doth proceed from Satan, what am I
todo? Anfw. I anfwer, Firft i Confider whether the good be necef fary

Chap, IsX. Satan's Temptations. 4^3
fary or not ; if it be rieceffary, it is a duty, and npt to be for-
born,",orily theluufes are to be watched againft, and avoided.
rSecindly, If it be a duty, confider whether it be feafonable
br unfeafonable, neceffary or not, as to the prefent time ; if
ijt.be not,, it may be fufpehded, and a fitter opportunity wait
ed for. ...
Thirdly, If it be only lawful, and noi neceffary, we ought
to abftain fromi it wholly; after the example of David, Pfalm
xxxix. 1. who abfl.ained even from good, that is, from lawful
bemoanings of himfelf, or complainings againft Abfalom, . that
had rebelled againft him,: becaufe it was not neceffary, and, the
circumitarices of his condition confidered, Very dangerous, left
yent and way being given, he might have been eafily drawn to
fpeak pafuonately, br diftruftfully againft God, aria foolilhly'a-
gainft providences. , .. . , ' ¦ <
'" That the thing unto which Satan moved Chriib was lawful,
bath been noted. . Next; let' us confider what ends Satan might
propound to himfelf 'in this moti°.n>, and we Shall fee, as hath
been faid, that'he did npt fo narrow and contrad his defign, as
that only one thing took up his intentions, but Several. Hence
have we this observation, . V
Obf. 10.] That in one Single temptation Satan may have va
rious aims artd defigns. ,
Temptation is a complicated thingj a many-headed monfter,
Satan hath always many things in his eye.
Firft, In every temptation there is a di-red and principal de-
Sign, a main thing that the devil would have.
Secondly, There are Several things Subfervient to the main
defign, as Steps, degrees, or means leading to it ;.. thejefler ftill
making way for the greater. If Satan defign murder, he lays
the foundation of his work in inward' grudgings and hatreds ;
next he gives provocations, by reprpachful wprds, or difdainful
carriages and behaviours, (as our Saviour notes in the expref
fions of raca and fool, Matth. v. 22.) and- fo by degrees- enr
ticeth on to murder. The like we may obferve in the lufts of
Uncleannefs, and other things.
Thirdly; Befides thefe, there are ufually referves, fomething
in ambuftimerit to watch' our retreats ; for Satan ppnSjd,ers
what to do in eafe we repel, and refufe his motion, that fo he
may not altogether' labour in vain. A contrary::e»txeme watch
eth thofe that fly from a temptation; pride, fecurity, SelS-confi-
dence; and boafting, are ready to take them by the bsei : So
' truly may it be faid of Satan, that he knoweth the way that
we take ; if we go forward, he is there ; if backward, we may
rdfo perceive him ;-• pn the left hand, he is at work ; and on the
.3.1 "" -right

434 ATtetitifiofi Fart;HjD
right handy he is not idle; All thefe We" rtiif pstrikie&triy fa*
in this temptation In hand : He had a in'airi defi-gny1 (of t»^M
more prefently) he prepares means and Seconds, tb htelprit fotw
ward; Such Were thbfe pleas of ne'ceftity and-> eenveBiefleyfc
VJhich the biihger atid" Want df Chrift did furniflf him •< "wifhab/
and there Wanted not the referves of prefumptiort and felfitei.
gfed in cafe hfe refitted the motiori. ' < ,„w,
the feaforrS of this policy are thefe : ' ' , ; , ,'t
Firft, When Sataiv tempts, he is not Certain of his prev&A
lency, evert Whe'H the probabilities ate the gi?eateft,; and thesb»
fore doth he provide himfelf with Several things at once ; that
if the tempted party' natffeafe bfle' tHirig; there may: be afioifef
in readinefs thdt may pleafe his palate. ' God givers this advise"
to the fpiritual feedfmen, * In the morning fovto- thy feed, and
in the evening withhold not thine hand ; for thou kftoweft net
•what fhall profper, whether this or that;' Satart^ that fefedf-
man bf the tares, Imitates this ; and becaufe he kflowk- not
what Shall profper, therefore dotb he ufe Variety*- -
Secondly, Where many things aire' at Onter;dpfig*iedj( it is ait
hrindred to' One they will not all return empty : It is much if
many fnares mifs, hb that hath broken one or tWo, may riot
bnly be enticed with a third tempfationy (as being eifheiwea-
ried out with the affaults, or made pliable with the allurements
of the former) biit may alfo fit down fecure^ as having, in his
fuppofal, paffed all the danger, and fo unawares fall into an
unfeen or ttnfufjiectetr trap.
Applic] This rnay, i. By way of caution affure us, that We
haye no Pa'ufe tb think that all Se'ar is over, Wrie'n We have a«
voided tlie more obvious and conSpieUous deHgn>m«nW of a
temptation, but rather to fufped fome further tram than tfe
yet have difcovered. 3.' That there is a neceffity for US to fe
cireumfped every way, and Janus-like to have an eye before
and behind, that we may make timely difcoveries df What Sa
tan iiite'rtds againft us.
As we have take/n a view of the various dfefign'ments of
Satan in one temptation, fo it is alfo remarkable, that thefe
varioiis ways of his in this temptation, do give ftrength one
to another, and have as clofe a connediori as ftones in an arch.
Chrift was pleafed to commend the wifdom pf the unjuft Stew
ard, though he intended not the lead approbation , of h-iii diShpfl-
efty : So may we turn aSide and obferve the cunning artifice, of
the devil, in the management of this argument againft Chrift,
which is to this purpofe, as if he had thus proceeded ; < If thott
art the Son of God, as the voice from heaven lately, teftified,
n can be no inconvenience, but every Way an advantage to
give

Qiap/Xf Satatf't temptations. 435
gijreNa'tetherprp.pf pf jt.: Thy prefent cpnditfon of, want and
tanger Seem to contradid if ; fpr how. ftrange. and unbefeeming
isit for the Son of God tq. rbp in fuch ftraits ? Yet if jtbpu^
beeft twhat thou fay? thou ajrt, it is eafy for thee to help -thy,?'
felf ; God that made the world of nothing, by the power pf his
command, .can much more change the forms of .things tha&are
made already; it is but Speaking, ani thefe ftones that aie be
fore thee wUJ be furaed into bread; and befides that, info- doing
thou mayeft fj?afonahly vindicate thyfejf frqm the eclipfe of
thy prefent cpndition. , Neo<e£ity_ and duty, for it is duty tp
Saipply the wstnt of the body, which cannot be fupported with
out its proper nouriShsient, compel the.e unavoidably to it, .ex
cept thou feareft not to cpntrad the guilt of felf destruction,
eiipecially feeing I do not urge thee fo provide delicacies, but
only bread, and fuch as is .needful tp keep in <t^ie liy.es of the
pobreft men, in the ponre-ft maimer,'
Obf. 1 1.] -Hence note, Satan in driving on a temptation, li-
feth fuch an aitifipial>contriyement of motives and things, that
ftill. one dotb infer another,, one Strengthens another. Tempt-
^tions are lice a fore w, which if, once admitted; will improve
its firft hold to draw, (in all the reftr By thefe arts doth
Satan, like a cunning ferpent, wriggle himfelf into the affepr
tions of men.

CHAP. X,
Of Satan's chief end in this temptQitioH, his JkUJ in making the
means tofin plaufible. the reafons of that policy, with his art
therein. Mens ignorance his advantage. Of the differences of
things propounded to our ufe. i
rT'HE various aims of Satan, and their clofs dependance one
•*¦ upon another, having contributed to us their feyeral obfer-
vatipns, it remains, that we aSk after the main and chief thing
tqat principally intended. And to make -way to this, it muft
be noted, that in grand temptations efpecially, the main defign
of Satan comprehends , thefe two :' the chief end, and the chief
means conducing to that end. About thefe fome authors con
jedure varioufly, whofe differences we have no great occafion,
to mention, feeing the text gives fo great a fatisfadion in this
'blatter. ' ' Fpr firft, The main end of Satan, we have, not obfcurely, ex-
to us in thefe words, * If thou be the, Son of God,'

'which if we compare with Matth. iii. 1.7. ' This is^tpybelov-
h<- ' '"¦• •-¦"¦' ¦ 3 1 a ,,, ¦ ed

236 A Treatife of a? Bart I!L
ed Son in whom I am well plea&d,' we fMll»$S|ty fappwhedf*
that here Satan doth but echo'' tb that voice whi^li cametdbsoii
from heaven ; as he did with -Eve, * God had 'faid,-' of the tree
in the midft'-of the" gardertiye fhall nbt eat,' fcSataffl havirtg as^rt
Were the found of this yet in his ears, ina clear reference vwsm,
faith, '* -Yea, hath God faid, ye fhall pot eat ?' So'here.is aHb
an evident refped to God's teftimbn'y concerningChtift, -asdf
he had faidy 'Hath God faid, thou art his Sort?; IFthoubeel
indeed fuch as he testified, give fome proof b*f it/ &c. By
which it appears that his defign was to undermine this teftitno.
hy, or fome way or other' to defeat it; neither need it pais, fcr
an objedion againft this, that Satan dotb not diredly men Am
his doubt or diftruft, nor positively fuggeft to Chrift .a quefr
tioning or mifbelief of his Sonfliip ; 'for it was not fuitafeWtb
his policy, So to lay open his main end ; that muft have been
expefte'd afterward, as" "the laft' in execution, if it had taken
'effed, though it were in intention. '.j.-rf*
'¦ Secondly, The chief means' by which he would haVe brought
this end about,' may be underftood from Chrift's anfwer to the
temptation : ' For it cannot but be imagined, that Chrift knew
the bottom of Satan's policy, and that his anfwer' muft fully
Confront the means by which Satan endeavoured to enfnarehim.
His anfwer was', ' Man lives not by bread alone, but by "every'
word'that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' If We can then
come to a certain underftanding of this fcripture, (which is net
difficult) we- fhall evidently know the mind of the temptation,
to Which this is a dire£t anfwer.
Thefe words are cited but of Deut. viii. 3. which fome inter
pret to this fenfe * ; as if Chrift had faid, Man hath not'only a
life of the body (which is mentioned by bread) tblook after, but
another life of the foul, Which is of fo great concernment, that
the bodily life is to benegleded, rather than that ofthe foulito
be endangered. This is a truth in itfelf, but is apparently be
sides the meaning of Deut. viii. Neither doth it afford fo full
and particular an anfwer, as, doubtlefs, Chrift intended. ^ But
let us confider the text, and we. Shall find more in it ; for Mofes
firft fets down God's dealing'with Ifrael in the wildernefs, in
that he fuffered them to hunger, and took from them the brd*.'
liary means of life, which, as the latter part of the verfe fliews,
is to be underftood of ordinary bread, and then to fupply that
want, he fed them by an extraordinary means, fuch as they had
never heard of before, this was by manna. Next, he makes an
inference from this way of Gotfs proceeding, improving this
particular to a general rule, 'That he might make thee know
. 'that.
* Vide Lightfoot Harmon, in Matth. 4. Pool SynopGs in Deut. 8. '

GHapi'X. Satan's Temptations. 437
$rat man liwes not bf. bread only, but by every wprd that pro
ceedeth out of the mouth pf the Lord doth man live ;' which is
clearly of > this import, that -man lives not by ordinary means
only, buts that God can provide for, his life in an extraordinary
way; by appointing any thing to that end, through -his, mighty
and powerful wprd, -and good pleafure : So that things never
fo unufual, pr unfit in themfelves for nourishment, will become
Strengthening to us, -if he Shall give out his command. Chrift
then applying this, in- this fenfe^ did; as it were, thus fay to Sa
tan, Though I want ordinary means of life, which is bread, yet I
know God can make any thing whiph he pleafeth,to nouritli me
inftead, of it. So that I will not -caft off a dependence upon the
providence ofGod jn this ftrait, and without warrant run to an
extraordinary courfe for fupply. Hence it is evident, that to bring
about this main end, which was to diftruft of his relation toGod,
he ufed this means, that by reafon of his ftrait, in the failure of
prdihary fupply, he fhould diftruft Providence, and without war
rant provide for himfelf. Obferve,
' Obf. 12.1 That where Satan carries on a main defign and end,
he beftbws moft of his pains and Skill in rendering the means to
that end plaufible and taking. The end is leaft in mention, and
the means in their fit contrivance takes up moft of his art and
care. Thereafons whereof are thefe:
Firft, The end is apparently bad, So that it wouldbe a pentra-
diftion to his defign to mention it, it is the Snare and trap itSelf,
which his wifdom and policy direds him to cover; his ultimate
end is the deftrudion ofthe. foul, this he dare not openly i-
Votich to the vileft of men ; he doth not fay to them, Deftroy
your folds, bring eternal miferies upon yourfelves, but only
tempts them to that which will bring this mifery upon them ;
and as for -thofe intermediate ends, which are the formal ads
of 'fin) he ufeth alfo a kind of modefty in their concealment;
he doth not ufually fay. Go and murder, or commit- adultery ;
btrtTarher puts them upon ways pr means that will bring them
up tp thofe iniquities, except that he fometimes have to deal
with thofe that are fo hardened in fin, that they make a fport
to do wickedly, artdthen he can mpre freely difcover his ends
to fuchin'the temptation.
¦Secondly, The means to fuch wicked ends have not only an
innate, and naturab tendency in tjiemfelves, which are apt tp
fway and biafs men that- way,- but are alfo capable of artificial
improvement,, to a further enticement to the evils Secretly in
tended, and thefe require the art and Skill for the. exad fuiting
and fitting of them, The end cannot be rpaphed without the
meaqs,^

438 A Tireatife of Part IJf j?
means, and means fo ordered^ without tlip aid g£ gra&p,- ^riji
Scarce "mifs of the end.", w nn-.J'-.i'.,! '! . is--> \'nnsl:r-
•< Thirdly, The means are eapabfe of a yapnifli and fainy he
can make a Shift to fet themiqff; and colour tibs&AKiQJb »jhat,th#
proper drift of them cannot eafily be difcpyefed; .ffjMf&i^tfte;
ends to which thefe, lead cannot receive, at leaft fo eafily Wh.
fome, fuch fair, Shews. It is fateafier to fkt aff eom^m^i^mgn
ing with the pleafu cable pretences of neceffity or refreihjsflp- di-
vertifement, than to propound dired drunkennefs, the fhjng to/
which company-keepjag tends, under fuch a djasfs*, ' -rrj.
Oguery, If it fee demanded, how and by whajbarts hg renders
the means fo glaufjble.? I Shall endeavour a farisSagfepj^ to that
query, by Shewing the way that $atan took to rfcndef the meajs.*
He made ufe of in this temptatjpra glaufibjej to ChriSl,, H^ielj
were thefe : ;¦>;'<. "••-.)
xft, He reprefepts it as aharmleSs or lawful thing in itfelf;,
Who can Say it had been finf.nl for the Sqn of God tp havp
turned ftones into bread, mpre than to turn water ipto jyjpg ?
idly, He gives the motion a further pretext pf adyjaat&ge or
goodnefs, he insinuated that it might be an wfefiil difeoyer y ©f
his Sonfhip, and a profitable fupply agajnift hunger, ,,
$dly, He feems alfo to put a nec#ffity jippn it, that gthjF '
ways of Help failing, he muft be conftrained fo fo do, or to fuf,
for further want, , ,(,
qthly, He forgets not to tell him, that to dp tlup w?? but
Suitable to his condition, and that it was a thing WsU becoming.
the" Son pf God tp do a miracle,
$thly, He, doth urge it at the rate of a duty, and tbjrt. being
in hunger and want, it would be a Sinful negled not to (fo, what
he could and pughff for his preservation.
The Same way doth he take in. other temptations, in fblTO
cafes pleading all, in Some moft oS jhefe things, by which the
means conducing thereunto may Seem plaufible- If he prefen^
to men opcafions of finning, he will- tell them ordinarily, that
they may lawfully adventure uppja them, that they arebarrn-
lefs, nay of advantage, as tending tp the recreating of the fpi-
rits, and health of tlie body ; yea, that it is neceffary for them
to take fuch a liberty, and that in doing fo, they do but wha|
pthers.do that profefs religion. And often he hath .fuch advan
tage from the circumftances of the thing, and the inclination, of
our heart, that he makes bold.to.te.ll us, it is no lefs than duty.
$uch did the outrage of Demetrius feem to him, when, he cpp-
Sidertd, how much his livelihood did depend upon the Diana of
the EpheSiacs; Paul's zeal made him confident that perfecution
of Chriftians. was his duty : Neither is there any thing whion can

CttIjpTt3£. Satan' sfimftatiatis, 43$
can-pretend to any zeal, advantage or colbttrabfe ground; but
prefently it takes the denomination of duty; 
-Af any wonder that fufeb poor and Shallow pretences. are net!
feeh through by all men, they may know that this ibappenfe
from a fourfold ignorance* ¦ ¦ ¦>. ¦;; ;•
Firft, From an ignorance of the tfhirig itfelf: How *afiby may
they be impofed -UpOn, who know not the nature; - or' the ufual
iSFueS-of things ?¦ As children are deluded to put a value upon
an ufelefs or hurtful trifle j fo arenieu deceived andfeafily im*
psfed upon irt what they do not understand. And forithis ba»fe>
are finners compared to birdS; who arp eafily enticed with the
bait prspofed to tHeif view* as profitable add gsiocL for them,
becaufe they kbdw not thfe Share that lies bid limfcr it :,. This
igfleratice causfing' the miftake mentioned, is not only a Simple
ignorance, but alfo that ignorance whidi owes lt§ rife-tb a wil
ful and perVerfe difpofition, (for there are fome that are wil-.
lingly igrterfent) doth often lay thofe open to a delufion, Who,
thrbdgh pfepoffe'Shron or idknefs, will nbt be at' pains to make
, Secondly^ This alfo comb's. t& pafs frdm an ignorance of our
fpirits : For while we either engage in the things propofed by
Satan Upon the gefteral warrantee t>f a good irttentibni or that
we have ho evil rfleanlfig in it; we ate kept from a difcove^r
bf the intended defign* Hence Paul Saw nothings in his perse
cuting the ehurbh tsf GMj of what Satan aimed at ; bt while
upte the pretende "of a good intention, our fecret corrupt prin
ciples do Indeed move tos underhand to any 4nder«aktng^ we are
as liktie apt ta fee the ends of Satan in \vhat he prbpstods to
lis. Jehu1 and thfe dhfeiplbS pretewding a zeal for God>j Lnkb is.
55. but really carried on by their own fafiotis teriipers; did as
little As dtifefs" fefe what- the devil wasdoing With thebou '
: Thirdly^ The Means ef a temptation are rendered lefs fufpi
cions; from an ignorance of the circumstances, knd concomitants
that do attend them.
Fourthly-, As alfo from an ignorance of bur oivn weaknefs,
and inclination-, While we are confident of greater Strength to re
fift, than ihdefed We Have; ©fa greater avetfenefs, 'than is in us,
to the evil fufpeded 5 We contemn the danger bf the means as
below us, and fo grow bold with the occafions of iniquity, as
pretending no hazard or danger to us.
'' Applic."] This may teach' us a piece of wifdom,' in the imi
tation pf the devil ; we fee his malice ' appears in the bloody
and deftrudive- aims or intendments, which hedifcovers againft
us, but his fkill and cunning in a fuitable difpofal and ordering
of the means. So fhould we learn to employ all our care and
watchfulnefs

440 A Treatife of ParftlL'
watchfulnefs about thofe jflaufibJe ways or introductions to fin;
that Satan puts in our hands ;- and as his eager defire of gain
ing his end, makes him ipduftrious about tbe.offering of means
fit to compafs it, fo our fear bf his defign and end fliould make'
us jealous of every overture propounded -to us. They that from
wilfulnefs or negled Shall admit the means of evil, cannot ex
ped to avoid the evil to which they lead, or if they may, un-
expededly, be refcued from the end, while they ufe the means
(by grace interpofing, as between the cup and the lip), it is no
thanks to them, and often they come not off fo clear,' but that
Some lamenefs or other flicks by them.
§>ueft. I may fufped this will be retorted back as an advice
fcarce pradicable : For if all means leading to fin are to be a-
voided^ then can we ufe nothing, but rather (as the apoftle Saith
in another caSe), ' we muft go out pf the world,' feeing every
thing may lead to evil.
Anfw.'] I anfwer, we are not by any command of God put
into any fuch ftrait ; things that are or may be improvable a-
gainft us may be ufed by us with due care and watchfulnefs ;
yet all things are not alike neither, for we muft look upon things
under a threefold confideration.
xft, If that which is propounded or laid before us, as a means
<*o fin, be in itfelf Sinful, the refufal of both is an undoubted duty;
idly, We muft look upon things under the consideration of
the fufpicioufnefs which they carry with them of a further evil ;
Some circumftances, or poftures of an opportunity and occafion
offered, are of fuch a threatening afped, that they fairly warn
us to hold off. To keep company with a friend may be admit
ted, when yet that fociety in a fufpicious place, as tavern, or
whore-houfe, is to be avoided.
$dly, We muft further confider things as we are free, ot
engaged to them, and accordingly where there is appearance of
danger, or the fear of it, we muft keep at a diflance, if we. are
engaged to fuch things either by the obligatipn of the law of
nature, or lawful calling, pr command of God, or unavoida
ble providence ; 0* relation, where thefe ties are upon us, we
cannot avoid the thing or adion, but are the more concerned
to take heed of being over.reaehed or overtaken by them.

CHAP.

(fehapV'ptl. Sataris temptations. 4fi

CH A P. XL
Ofthe temptation to diftruft iipon the failure of ordinary meatfss.
• Ofthe power (jfithat temptation, and the r.eafons af its pre
valency. Of unwarrantable attempts for relief, with the
caufes thereof. -Of waiting on God, and keeping Ms way. 'In
what cafes a particular mercy is to be vxpeBed.
T HAVE particularly infilled upon the aims of 'Sata-n in this
temptation, in their variety, and alfo the cunning connec
tion and coherences of them : I have alfo fingled out his chief
defign. I am now in the laft place to -prefent you with the
fuitablenefs and refpeds that the jfubordinate means carry to
the principal, and that proportion which may be 'found' in all
thefe to the end defigned by them.
The chief ;*he>h>s, in' reference to the- end defigned, was a dif
truft of prbvidehce ; and the Subordinate means to bring on
that diftruft, 'was toe failure of ordinary means of fupply : For
fo He endeavoured to' improve bis hunger and want in the wil
dernefs, as a manifeft negled of providence towards him, for
Which, as'hp tacitly fuggefts, there was no ground to wait or
rely upon it any further, but to betake 'Himfelf to anotheV
courfe. Hence note,
•Obf. 13.] That the failure of ordinary means of help, is by
Satan improved as his fpecial engine to bring men to a diftruft
of providence, ^and from thence to an unwarrantable attempt
for their relief in an -extraordinary way.
That the failure of ordinary and ufual fupplies bath by -the
devil's .fubtilty brought a diftruft-of Providence, and -run men
beybnd all hopes of help, .is a thing commonly and notorioufly
known. When men are taffiided,, --and brought into unufual
-ftraits, and the ordinary ways of relief are out of fight, they
are foon tempted to diftruft God and .man, -and to conclude they
are cutoff, and that their hope is perifhed, and that their eye
Shall no more fee good, Davjd dift-re-fled proclaims ' all men-liars,'
Pfal. cxvi. n.* concludes that hp. Should at -laft be cut ©fly
Pfal. xxzi. 11. Jonah in the whale's belly thought that all
hope was gone, and that be was caft out of God's fight, Jon.
ii. 4.. The church of Ifrael in captivity forgat pro'fperity, not
withftanding the promife of deliverance after Seventy years,
and thought no lefs, than that her hope and ftrength was pe
rifhed, Lam. iii. 18. And from the fcriptures mentioned, we
3 K may
* Pool Synopfit in loc.

44a i -4 Treatife of Part Ifl.
may alfo fee the ftrength and prevalency qf the temptation, ef
pecially 'when it is reduced to particulars. As,
xft, It is not a thing altogether of no weight, that fuch a
. temptation fhould prevail againft fuch perfons as" David and Jo
nah, and the whole church of Ifrael, that the manifold expe
riences that fome of them have had of God's faithfulnefs in de
livering, and the feafonablenefs of help at times of greateft ha
zard, the particular promifes that all of them haye had, how
difrnal and black foever things have feemed, have given the
; fulleft aflurances imaginable, that what he had fpoken fliould
certainly be performed ; the graciqus qualifications of fuch per
fons, as eminently hply, and Skilled in the duties of trull, and
in- the ways of providence, and the fpecial advantage, which
Some- of 'them, as prophets, have had above others, to enable
them to improve that Skill, 'experience, knowledge and grace,
to a firm adherence tp fuch fpecial promifes, that all thefe"
things Should not be Sufficient to keep them off diftruft, though
at prefent the ways oS deliverance were hid from them, feems
ftrange. idly, It is alfo wonderful, to what an height fuch a prevail
ing temptation hath carried fome of them. David feems to be
a little outrageous, and did upon the matter call God a liar,
when he faid * all men are liars,' Pfal. cxvi. n. which, how
ever that fome interpret, as ifit had been David's trpft in God,
•and his confident avouchment of his enemies prognostications
of his ruin, to be but lies, and that this he fpake from his firm,
belief of the promife, ' I believed, therefore have J fpoken,'
yet the acknowledgment of His hafte, which, compared with
Pfal. xxxi. aa. is declared as' his weaknefs, will force us to
conclude it an ingenuous cofifeflion of his diftruft at the firft,
when he was greatly afflided, though he recovered himfelf af
terwards to a belief of the promife, and that in that diftemper
be plainly reflected upon Samuel, and calls the promifes of
God given by him a very lie.
$dly, It is ftrange alfo, that prefent inftances of God's pro-
• vidences wcrking out unexpeded deliverances, Should not re
lieve the hearts of his faints from the power of fuch diftruft ;
that when they fee God is not unmindful of them, but doth
hear them in what they feared, they Should ftill retain in their
minds the imprefiion of an unbelieving apprehenfion, and not
rather free^ themfelves from their expedations of future ruin,
by concluding, that he that hath and doth deliver, will alfo yet
deliver. David had this thought in his heart, that he Should
' one day perifli by the hand of Saul,' l-Sam. xxvii. i. evert
then when God had fo remarkably refeued Him from Saul, and
forced

Chap. XI. Satan's Temptations. 443
forced Saul not only to acknowledge'his finjn prafecuting him,
but alfo to declare his belief of the promife concerning David.*
One would have expeded, that this Should have ibeen fuch a
demonstration of the truth of what had been promifed,. that he
Should have caft out all fear ; > and yet contrariwife, this pledge
of God's purpofe to him, is received by a heart ftrongly pre-
pofTeffed with mifgiving thoughts, and he continues to think,
that for all this Saul would one day deftroy him. , ,
qtbly, The pangs of this diftruft are alfo fo remarkable,
that after they have been delivered, and have found that the
event hath not anfwered their fears, they have in the review
of their carriage under, fuch fears, recounted this their weak
nefs among other remarkable things, thereby fhewing the un-
roafonablenefs of their unbelief, and their wonder that ;God
Should' pafs by fo great a provocation, and notwithftanding fo
unexpededly deliver them. David in the places before cited,
was upon a thankful acknowledgment of God's love and won
derful kindnefs, which he thought he could not perform, with
out leaving a record of his ftrange and unworthy diftruft ; as if
he had faid, ' So greatly did I fin, and founfuitably did I be
have, myfelf, , that I then gave off, and concluded all was loft.'
Tp open this a little further, I fliall add the reafons why
Satan Strikes in with fuch an occafion as the want of means, to
tempt to diftruft, which are thefe :
xft, Such a condition doth ufually tranfport men befides
themfelves, puts them- as it were into an extafy ; and by a
fudden rapture of aftoniShment and fear, forceth them beyond
their fettled thoughts and purpofes, This David notes as the
ground of his inconfiderate raSh fpeaking ; ' It waS my hafte,
I was tranfported,' &c. Now, as paflion doth not pnly make
men fpeak what otherwife they would not, but alfo to put bad
interpretations upon adions and things, beyond what they will
bear, and Haften men to. refolves exceedingly unreafonable ; fo
doth this Slate of the heart, under an amazement and furprife
of fear, give opportunity to Satan, to put men to injurious and
unrighteous thoughts of the providence ofGod, and by fuch
ways to alienate their minds "from the truft which they owe
him. ,
idly, Senfe is a great help to faith. Faith then muft needs
be much hazarded, when fenfe is &t a lofs or contradicted, as
ufually it is in ftraits.
That faith cloth receive an advantage by fenfe, cannot be
denied. To believe what we fee, is eafier than to believe
What we fee not;, and that in our Slate of weaknefs and in-
3 K*a firmity,
¥ See Chap. xxvi.

444 A Treatife of #art III.
firmity, God dotb fo far indulge us,- that- by his allowanee
¦wo may take the help of our fenfes; is evident by his appoint
ment of the two" facraments,. Where by outward vifible figns
our Mth may be qsuickeaed- to apprehend! the fpiritual bene
fits offered'. Thomas, refolving to fufpend his' belief, till Jip
were fatisfied that- phfift was rifen, by the utmoft- trial that
fenfei cpnld' give, determining not to credit the teftimony of
the reft of the difciples, till by putting his Singer into bis
Side he had made himfelf more certain, Chrift not only con-
defcended to him, but alfo pronounceth his- approbation of his
belief, accepting it, that he had believed becaufe he had Seen.
But When outward ufual helps fail us, cur fenfe (not being afiife
to fee afar oSf) is wholly puzzled and overthrown ; the very
difappearing of probabilities give fo great a Shake to our faith,
that it commonly Staggers at it ; and therefore was it given as
the great commendation of Abraham's faith, that he notwith
ftanding the1 unlikelihood of the thing, Staggered not at the
promife^ noting thereby, how extraordinary it was in him at
that time, to keep up againft the e'ontradidion of Senfe, and
how ufual it is with others to be beaten off all truft by it.
Tt is no wonder to fee that faith, which ufually called fenfe for
a Supporter, fail, when it is deprived of its crutch. And
he that would a little underftand, what disadvantage this might
prove to a good mjan, when Senfe altogether fails his expedatiefti
tie' may confider with himfelf, in what a eafe Thomas might
have been, if Chrift had feSufed to let him fee his- Side, and
to thruft bis finger into the print of the nails, in all ap
pearance had it been foj he had gene'away confirmed in his un,
belief. '" > -
$dly, Though faith can acl above fenfe, and is employed a-
Dout things not feen, yet every- faint at all times doth not aft
his faith fo High. Chrift tells us, that to believe where a man
bath not had the help of fight and SenSe, is noble and bleffed,
John xx. 29. yet withal he hints it to be rare and difficult :; He
that hath not Seen, and yfet hath believed, Implies that it is but
one amongft many that doth So, and that it is the conqueft of a
more than ordinary difficulty. Hence it is that to love God
when he kills, to believe when means fail, are reckoned among
the high adings of Christianity.' "
4thly, When fenfe is' nonpluffed, and' Saith Sails, the Soul of
¦man is at a great lofs ; having nothing to bear it up, it muft
weeds fink;! but having Something to throw it down, befides its
own propenfity downward to dlftruflv it hath the force of fo
great a difappointment to pulh itfprward; and fuch bitternefs of
ipm't) heightened by the maSgnant influence of SatanN, that with
' a violence'

G&ap. XI. Safaris Temptations. 44 £
a violence, like the angels throwing a rn-ilftone into the fea, it
is caft into the bottom of fuch depths of* unbelief, that the
knowledge of former power and extraordinary, providences,
cannot keep it from an abfolute denial of the like for the future.
Ifrael in the wildernefs when they came to the want of bread; tho.'
they acknowledged he clave the rock, and gave them water in
the like ftrait; yet fo far did their hearts fail of that due- truft
in the power and mercy of God, which might have been ex-
peded, that though they eonfeSTed the one, they as diftruftfully
queftion and deny the other. He clave the rock, but can he
provide fleSh ? Can he give bread ? Strange unbelief! that
fees and acknowledgeth omnipoteney in one thing, and yet de
nies it in another.
$thly, Providence hath been an old queftion ; it is an athe
ifm that fome have been guilty of, to ,deny that God ordereth
all affairs relating to his children here below, who yet have not
fo fully extinguished their natural impreffions as to dare to de
ny, the being of God. That God is they confefs, but withal
t-hey think that he walk\eth in the circuit of heaven, and as to
"the Smaller concerns of men, neither doth good nor evil. This
being an olderror, to which moft are but too inclinable, and the
more, becaufe fuch things are permitted, as the punishment of
his children, and their trials, 'while others have all their heart
can with, as feem fcarce confiftent with that love and care which
men look for from him to His fervants, they are apt .enough to
renew the thoughts of that perfuafion upon their minds, (for
which the failure of ordinary ways of help feems to be an high
probability), that he keeps himfelf unconcerned, and therefore
there feems to be no fuch caufe of reliance upon hira. The
Pfalmift fo expreffeth that truth, ' Men Shall fay, verily there
is a God that judgeth in the earth,' that it is difeoverpd to
be a -fpecial retrivement of it, (by many and Signal convincing
evidences) from that diftruft of God, and his providences that
men ufually Aide into upon their obfervation of the many feem
ing failures of outward means of help.
Secondly, The other branch of the obfervation, That from a
diftruft of Providence, he endeavours fo draw them to an un
warrantable attempt fbr their relief, is as clear as the former,
Gen. xvi. 2. Sarah being under a diftruft of the promife for a
fon, becaufe of her age, gave her handmaid to Abraham, that
in that way, the promife feeming to fail, the might obtain chil
dren by her. David, becaufe ofthe many and violent purfuits
of Saul, not only diftrufted the promife, thinking he might one
day perifh by him, but refolves to provide for his own fafety,
by a fpeedy efcape into the land of the Philistines, 1 Sam. xxvii.

44$ A. Treatife of Part III,
i. a courfe which, as appears by the temptations and evils he
met with there, was altogether unwarrantable. That from a
diftruft, men are next put upcn unwarrantable attempts, is clear
from the following reafons :
xft, The affrightment which is bred by fuch diftrufts of pro
vidences, will not fuffer men to be idle. Fear is adive, and
ftrongly prompts that fomething is to he done.
idly, Yet fuch is the confufion of mens minds in fuch a cafe,
that though many things are propounded, in that hurry pf
thoughts they are deprived ufually of a true judgment and de
liberation, fo that they are opprefled with a multitude of thoughts
(as David on the like .occafion takes notice, ' Ini the multitude
of my thoughts within me,' g£c) and, as he expreffeth the cafe
of feamen in a ftorm, they are at their wits end.
$dly, The defpairiag grievance of fpirit makes them take
that which comes next to hand, as a' drowning man, that grafps
a twig or Straw, though to no purpofe.
qtbly, Being once turned off" their rock, and the true flay of
the promife of God for help, whatever other courfe they take
muft needs be unwarrantable ; if they once be out of the right
way, they muft needs wander, and every Step they take muft
pf neceffity be wrong.
jjtbly, Satan is fo officious in an evil thing, that feeing any in
this condition, he will not fail to profer his help, and in place of
God's providence, to fet fome unlawful fhift before them.
6thly, And fo much the rather do men clofe in with fuch
overtures, becaufe a fudden fit of paffionate fury doth drive
them ; and out of a bitter kind of defpite and croflneSs (as if
they meditated a revenge againft God for their difappointment)
they take up an hafty wilful refolve to go that way that feems,
moft agreeable fo their paffion, faying with king Joram, ' What
wait we upon the Lord any longer for ?-' We will take fuch a
courfe, let come on us what will.
Applf\ The Setvice which the observation, well digefted, may
perform for us,, is very fully contained in an advice which Dar
vid gives on the like occafion, Pfal. xxxvii. 34. which is this,
' Wait on the Lord, and keep his way.' Failures of ordinary
means fliould not fill us with diftruft, neither then Should we
run out of God's way for help. He that would pradife this,
muft have thefe three things which are comprehended in it.
Firfl, He muft have full perfuafions of the power aid pro
mife of God, I do not mean the bare hearSay, that. God hath
promifed to help, and that he is able to deliver,; but thefe truths
niuSt be wrought uppn the heart to a full affurance pf them,
and then we muft keep pur eye uppn them ; for if ever we lofp, the

Chap. XI. Satan's Temptations. 447
the Sight of this, when troubles befet us, our heart will fail us,
and we Shall do no otherwife1 than Hagar, who, when her.bottle
of water was fpent, and She faw no way of fupply, fat down,
gave up her fon and felf for loft, and fo falls a weeping over
her helplefs cbnditipn. This was that fight of God (in regard
of his power, gbodnefs, faithfulnefs, and truth, which are things
invifible, Heb. xi. 17.) which kept up the heart of Mofes, that
it funk not under the preffure of his fears, when all things
threatened his ruin.
Secondly, He that would thus wait upon God, had need to
have an equal balance pf fpirit, in reference to fecond caufes ,
defpife or negled them he may not, when he may have them,
for that were intolerable prefumption, and fo to centre our
hopes and expedations upon them, as, if our welfare did cer
tainly depend upon them, is an high affront tp God's omnipo-
teney ; and no lefs than a Sinful idolifing of the creature ; but
the engagements, of our duty muft keep carefully to the firft,
and the confideration Of an independancy of an almighty power,
as to any fiibordinate means or caufes, muft help us, againft
the'other mifcarriage. When all means yifible fail us, we muft
look to live upon omnipotent faithfulnefs and goodnefs, which
is not tied to any thing ; but that without all means, and con
trary to the powers of fecond caufes,' can do what he hath pro-
mifed, or fees fit.
Thirdly, There is .no waiting upon God and keeping his
way, without a particular truft in God, to this we are notpnly
warranted by frequent commands, ' Truft in the Lord, I fay,
truft in the Lord ;' but highly encouraged to it, under the
greateft aflurances of help. Pfalm xxxvii. 5. ' Truft in him,
and he Shall bring it to pafs. ' Truft ih the Lord and do good,
and verily thou Shalt be fed,' ver. 3. The Lord Shall help and
deliver them, becaufe they truft in him. And this We are to
do at all times, and in the greateft hazards, and with the higheft
fecurity. ' I laid me down and Slept, I will not be afraid of
ten thoufahds of people, that have fet themfelves againft me
round about,' PSal. iii. 5, 6. '
^ueft.~] But Some poffibly may Say, Is it our duty to fit ftill
in Such a cafe ? When all the uSual ways oS Supply Sail us, muft
nothing be attempted ?
Anfw. 1.] I anSwer, Firft, At Such times greater care and
diligence is neceffary in outward things, that1 what one lawSul
courfe cannot help, another lawful courfe may ; and as to fpi
ritual diligence, it Should be extraordinary, we Should be more
earneft and frequent in prayer, fallings, meditations, and the
exercife of graces. Idly,

A Treatifeyf 4*ar,t lEfj
idly, While We are in the purfuit of duty, and where the
fubftance of it;may be preferved entire, if our, Straits and wants
unavoidably put us biit of the way, we may be fatisfied to gp
on, though Some circumftances be neceflarily wavJsd; and hi®,-.
dered. Pnineas might kill Zimri and Gozbi upon rthe com
mand of Mofes,, Numb. xxv. 5. And confequently, in puofe.-*
cution of duty, though, other circumftanGes confidered, it .was
in fome refpeds extraordinary.
$dly, But let the Strait be what it will, we aauft not forfake
duty ; for fo we go out of God's way; and do contradid that
truft and hope which we are to keep up to Godward.
$>ueft. -But, it may be further urged, muft we, when all means'
faih positively truft in God for thofe very things which we
might exped in an ordinary way ?
Anfw. 1.] In fome cafes, our duty is fubmiffion to his, will,.
and the particular mercy neither positively to be expected, nor
yet diftrufted. Thus did David behave himfelf, when he fled
from Jerufalem upon Abfalom's rebellion i 'JLet him do what
feetoeth him good.'
But there are other Cafes, wherein it is, our duty tofix»our.:
truft Upon the particular mercy or help. -I Shall name four, ¦
and poflibly a great many more may He added. As;
(1.) When mercies are e-xprefslyand particularly promifed;
as when the kingdom was promifed to David. When a ion
was promifed to Abraham. Whatever had^been the improba
bilities of their obtaining the thing /promifed^ it was their du^
ppfitively tobelieve. This is indeed not a general eafe.
(a.) When God. leadsus into Straits by engaging us in his
fervice, as when Ifrael followed the Lord into the wilderneSs,
in order to an enjpyment of a further mercy, which was the
poffeffion ;of the land of Canaan ; when they had^no water to
drink, nor food to eat, and faw no natural poSfihility of fuppb/i
in that wildernefs, they pught ppfitively to have.expeded Sup
plies from God in an extraordinary way, and it is reckoned up
againSt them as their fin, that they did nbt bdieve. This was
the very cafe of Chrift under this temptation, the Spirit led
him into the wilderneSs upon the profecution of a further de
fign ; when there was no bread there to .Satisfy his hunger, he
refufeth to work a miracle for his fupply, but leans uppn an
extraordinary providence. (,
(3.) When the things we want are common univerfal blef-
Sings, and fuch as we cannot fubfift without ; if we have no
thing to eat, and nothing to put on, yet feeing the body cannot
live without both, we muft pofitively exped Such Supplies
from providence, though we See not the way whence they
fliould

Ghap. XI. Satan's Temptations. 449
fliould arife to us. This kind of diftruft (which refleds upon
the general neceffary providence of God, by which he is engag
ed to preferve his creatures in their ftations, ' To clothe the
grafs of the field, to feed the birds ofthe air,' &e. Mat. vi. 30.)
Chrift doth Severely challenge, ' Shall he not much more clothe
you, O ye of little faith ?' He hath little or no faith (and in
that regard a very prodigy of diftruft_) that will not believe for
neceffaries. Hence Hab. iii. i7. the prophet refolves upon a
rejoicing confidence in God, when neither tree, nor field, nor
flock would yield- any hope in an ordinary way.
(4.) When God is eminently engaged for our help, and his
honour lies at ftake in that very matter; fo that whether God
will help or no, or whether he is able, is become the contro
verfy, upon which religion in its truth, or the honour of God
is to be tried ; then are we engaged to a certain belief of help.
The three children upon this ground did not only affert, that
God was able to deliver them, or that their death and martyr
dom they could bear (which is all that moft martyrs are able
to arife up to) but they afferted positively, that God would dp,-
liver them, and that the fire Should not burn them. They faw
•evidently, that the conteft, whether the Lord was God, was
managed at So high a rate, that God was more concerned to
vindicate his honour by their preservation, than to vindicate
their grace and patience by their constancy in Suffering. Ano
ther inftance we have in Mat. viii. 16. where Chrift rebukes his
diSciples for unbelief, in their fears of Shipwreck in a great
ftorm (not that every feaman ordinarily lies under that charge,
that gives himfelf up to the apprehenfions pf danger;) the
ground of which charge was this, that Chrift was with them;
and confequently it had unavoidably contradided his defigft,
and refleded upon his honour, if he had fuffered his difciples at
that time to be drowned : Their not minding hbw far Cbrift
was engaged with- them, and not fupporting themfelves againft
their fears by that confideration, made Chrift tax them for their
J'lttle faith.

CHAP.

4j0 - ,,, A Treatife of ?ait IJI,
CHAP. XII.
Of Satan's proceeding to infer diftruft of Sonjhip from diftruft of
providences. Inftances of the probability of fuch a defign.
The reafons of this undertaking. Of Satan's endeawitr to
weaken the affurance and hopes of God's children, His g^
nerfll method to that purpofe.
LASTLY, We are to confider the fuitablenefs ofthe jpean9
tp the end; he had, as we have feen, fitly proportioned the
fubordinate means to the chief and principal. The failure of
ordinary means of help was fhrewdly proper to infer a diftruft
of providence. Now let it be noted, how fitly he improVes
this diftruft of providence, tp bring about the end he aimed at,
which was a diftruft of his filial intereft in God, as if he Should
Have thus reafoned : Hb that in ftraits is forfaken, as to all the
pfual fupplies that may be expeded in an ordinary way, hath
no reafon to rely on providence; and he, that hath no reafon to
rely on providence for the body, hath lefs caufe to expea Spi
ritual bleffings and favours for the foul. Hence note,
Obf. 14.] That it is Satan's endeavour to make men proceed
from a diftruft of providence, tp a diftruft pf their fpiritual' fon-
,fhip, or filial intereft in God- ift, I Shall evidence, that this is
Satan's defign ; and next, I fhall give the reafons 0f it. The
former I Shall make gopd'by thefe Several considerations,
Firft, We fee it is an ufual inference that; others make pf rneii.
Whofe heart fails them, under an abfence or difappearahce of all
means of help in their diftreffes ; if Providence doth not appear
for them, they conclude God hath forfaken them. Bildad thus
concludes againft Job, chap, iv. 6. 'Is not this thy fear, thy
confidence, thy. hope, and the uprigbtnefs of thy" ways?'
Which muft not only be underftood as an ironical feoff at the
weaknefs of his confidence 'and hope, as not being able to Sup
port him againft fainting in his trouble, but as a dired accu
sation of the falfenefs and hypocrify of his fuppofed integrity,
and all the hopes and confidence which was built upon it; and
ver. 7. doth evidence, where he plainly declares himfelf to
mean, that Job could not be innocent or righteous ; it being,
in his apprehenfion, a thing never heard of, that fo great cala
mities fliould overtake an upright man, ' Who ever periflied
being innocent ?' The ground of which affertion was from ver.
- 5. 'it is now come upon thee, end thou fainteft.' That is,
Diftreffes are upon thee, and thou haft no vifible means of help,
but defpaireft ever to fee a proyiderice that will bring thee
out;

Chap. 'XII. Satan's Temptations. 451
out ; therefore futely thou haft had no real intereft in God, as
his child. Eliphaz, alfo feconds his friend in this uncharitable
cenfure, ' If thou wert pure and upright, he would' awake for
thee,' Job viii. 6/ that is, becaufe he doth thus overlook thee,
therefore thou art not pure and upright.
If men do thus affault the comforts of God's children, we
have reafon enough to think that Satan will ; for befides that
we may conclude they are fet on work by the devil, (and what
he fpeaks by them, he will alfo by other Ways promote, as be
ing a defign that is upon his heart ;) we may be confident, that
this being a furmife fo natural to thfe heart of man, He will not
let flip fo fair an advantage, for the forming of it in our own
hearts agaiflft ourfelves.
Secondly, The bell of God's children in fiich cafes eScape it
Very hardly, if at all ; which declares not only the depth and
power of that policy, but alfo how tifual it is with Satan to
urge the fervants of God with it. Job, chap. xix. 25. reco
vered himfelf to a firm perfuafion of fonlhip, ' I kliow that
my Redeemer liveth,' &c. but by the way his foot had Well
nigh flipt, when ver. 10, 11, he tries out, ' He hath deftro'yed
me on every fide, and I am gone ; he hath alfo kindled his
wfath againft me, and he couAteth me unto him as one of his
enemies.' His eatheft refolve, not to give up his truft in God,
and the confidence bf his integrity, is fufficient to difcover Sa
tan's eager endeavours to haVe him bereaved of it.
Thirdly, Satan's Success in this temptation over the faints of
God, who fometimes have actually failed, Shews hbw much it
is his wdrk to call down thfeir hopes of intereft in God,- by 0-
verthrowing their truft in his providences. If he attempts
thisj and that fucceSsfully, oh fuch, whofe frequent experien
ces might difcourage the tempter, and in probability fruftrate
his undertaking, we have little caufe to think, that he will be
more fparing and gentle in this affault upon thofe that aro more
weak, and lefs acquainted with thofe clouds and daTkneffes,
that overfhadow the 'Ways bf Providence. David, for all the
promifes that he had received, and notwithftanding the mani
fold trials that he had of feafonable and unexpefted deliveran
ces ; yet wheri' hi was diftreffed, he once and again falls into a
fear of his foul, and a Questioning of God's favour. He com
plains as one Utterly forfaken, * Why haft thou forfaken the ?'
Pfah xxii. i. ''In Pfal. Ixix. he exprefTeth himfelf, ver. 1. fink
ing ih the deep mire, as a man' that had no firm ground to Stand
upon, and that his troubles had btobght hi'm to fear the State
of his foul, not Only as deprived of God's favour, (and there
fore, ver. 17. begs that his face may be ho longer hid) but al-
3 L a fa

452 A Ireatife of PartjIJL
fo as fufpeding the lofs of it, ver, i&V draw nigh unto my
foul, and redeem it,' Pfal. Ixxvii. upon the occafion of outward
troubles. Afaph falls into fuch a fit of fear.;. aboMfhisfpir,ir
tual condition, that no confideration of former mercies couh|
relieve him,' he remembered God, ver. 3. but was troubled-;
he confidered the days of old, called to remembrahcehis fongs
in the night. But none of thefe were effedual, to keep him
from that fad outcry of diftruft, ver. 7. 'Will the Lord caft -off
forever? Is his mercy clean gone for ever ? Hath God for
gotten to be gracious !' &c. Which, upon the review, in the
. compofing of the pfalm, he acknowledgeth an unbelieving mif
carriage; I faid, ' this is mine infirmity.'
Fourthly, It is alfo a common and ordinary thing with moft
to entertain mifapprehenfions of their fpiritual condition, whea
they meet with disappointments of providence. Hence the a-
poftle, Heb, xii. 5, 6. when he would quiet the hearts of men
under the Lord's chaftening, doth of purpofe make ufe of this
encouragement, that God fpeaks to them in the rod, as to chlK.
dren, and fuch as are under his care and love, ' My fon, def
pife not the chaftening of the Lord. Whom the Lord loveth,
he chafteneth,' &e. Which certainly tells us thus much, that
jt is ordinary foremen to doubt their fonihip, becaufe of their
afflidions. We may conjedure what the malady is, when we
know what is prepared as a medicine. This would not have
been a common remedy, (that we may be children, though we
be fcourged;) if the difbelief of this had not been the ufual in
terpretation of afflidions, and a common diftemper.
Fifthly, We may further take notice, that thofe difquiets of
mind, that were only occafioned by outward things,, and feem
to have no affinity, either in the nature of the occafion, or pre
fent inclination of the party, with a fpiritual trouble ; yet if
they continue long, do whplly change their nature ; they that
at firft pnly troubled themfelves for loffes or croffes, forget thefe
troubles, and take up fears for their fouls.
Sometimes this arifeth from a natural foftnefs and timorouf-
nefs pf fpirit, fuch are apt to mifgive uppn any occafion, and to
Say, Surely, if I were his child, he would not thus forfake roe,
his fatheriy compaffions would fome way or other work toi
wards me.
Sometimes this arifeth from melancholy, contraded or height
ened by outward troubles. Thefe when they continue long and
pierce deep; put men into a fpirit of heavinefs, which makeii
them refufe to be comforted. Here the devil takes his advan*
tage : unlawful forrows are as delightfully improved by him,
as unlawful pleafures; they are Diaboli balneum, his bath in
which

Ghapi VIII. Satan's Temptations. 453
Which he Sports himfelf, as the.leyiat.han, in the waters. When
for temporal loffes or troubles men fall into melancholy, if they
be not relieved foon, then^heir, grief changeth its objed, anjd
prefently they difqpiet themfelves, as being out of God's fa
vour ; as being eftranged from God ; as being ofthe number. of
the damned : fuch againft whom the door of mercy is Shut, and
fo cry out of themfelves as hopelefs and miferable. The obser
vations of phyficians afford Store pf inftances bf this kind. Felix
Platerus, gives * one of a woman at Bafil, who firft grieved for
the death of her fon ; and when by this means She grew melan
choly, that changed into an higher trouble ; She mourns that
her fins would not be pardoned, that God would not have mer
cy for her foul. Another, for fome lofs of wheat, firft vexeth
himfelf for that, and then at laft defpairsof the happinefs of his
foul ; with a great many more of that kind.
Sometimes a defperate humour doth (from the fame occafion}
diftrad men into a fury ; of which Mereemvus gives one in
ftance f from his own knowledge, of a perfon who upon the di
ftreffes Which he met with, fell into a rage againft God, utter
ing fpeeches full of horror and blafphemy, not fit to be related.
If there be fuch an affinity betwixt diftruft of Providence,
and diftruft pf fonfhip, that the one Aides into the other natu
rally. If this be common to all men under troubles, to fufped
their fouls ; if the beft do here adually mifcarry ; if thofe that
do not, yet hardly efcape ,;' and if by- Slanders commonly give
this judgment of men in Straits, that there is no help for them
in their God ; we cannot but colled from all this, that it is art
advantage which Satan will not negled, and that he doth very
much employ himfelf to bring it about.
The reafons of it are thefe.
• Firft, Diftruft of Providence hath in it the very formal na
ture of diftruft of fonShip. If the objed of diStiuft were but
changed, it would without any further addition work that way.
He that trufts Providence, acknowledgeth that God knoweth
his wants % ; that he is of a merciful inclination to give what
he fees he hath need of; that he hath manifested this by pro
mife ; that he is fo faithful that this promife cannot be neglect
ed, and that he hath power to do what he hath promifed. He
that trufts not Providence disbelieves, all thefe, confequentially
at leaft ; and he that will not believe that God takes any care
ofthe body, or that he is of a merciful difpofition toward him, or
thinks either he hath made no fuch promife, or will not keep it,
iSanyfuch were made; cannotbelieve (if that doubt were but once
flatted)
* Platerus PratS. Mclan cap. 3,5. + Mercennus ad Gen. t. 11. fo!. 230.
\ Dr. Reynold's Sermon on Hoiea 14. Sermon 4.

454' A Treatife of 'farf'IlL;
Started) that God is his father, or that he hath intereft in the
privilege of a fon, feeing it is impoffible to believe a fonfhip;'
while his care, mercy, promifes, and power are diftrufted. In
this then Satan's work is yery eafy, it is but his moving the
queftion about the Lord's mercy to the Soul, and prefently (as
when new matter is miniftered to a raging flame ;) it takes hold
upon it, arid with equal,, nay greater force, it carries the foul
to diftruft fpiritual mercies, as before it disbelieved temporal
kindneffes. Secondly, The fame reafons, Which any man doth gather from
the feeming negled or oppofition of providence ; upon which
he grounds his diftruft of the Lord's kindnefs in reference to
outward things, will alSo Serve as arguments for a diflruft of
fpiritual' favours. The^ diftreffes of men feem to argue,- (f ,)
That there is fin and provocation on their part, (l.) And- that
there is a manifeftation of anger on God's part. (3.) And
from thefe apprehenfions arifeth bitternefs, anxiety, fear, and
dejedtion of fpirit, which intercepts all the help and confblationf
which might arife from other considerations of the Lord's pro
mife, or mercy, for the quieting of the heart, and fortifying it
againft fuch apprehenfions ; tliefe fame grounds, with the prevail
ing fears- and perplexities, arifing from them, are enough to make
us fufped, that we are not yet under any fuch peculiar favours,
as may befpeak us his children by adoption ; fo that from the
fame premifes Satan will eonclude, that as he hath no cate
for our bodies, fo no love to our fouk ; that We neither leve'
God nor' are beloved oS him, betwixt the one conclnfic* arid
the other there is but a Step, and with a Small labour he eaii
cut the channel, and let in that very diftruft, to run With aH its'
force, againSt our fpiritual intereft in God.
Thirdly, To truft God for the foul is an higher ad, than to
truft him for the body, the foul being of greater excellency1
than the body ; and the mercy neceffary for the happinefs' df if;
being more precious and lefs vifible, it muft require an higher
confidence in God, to affure of this, than fatisfy us in the other;
it is more eafy to believe a leffer kindnefs from a friend, than a
Singular or extraordinary favour; he then that cannot truft God
for temporal mercies, Shall be more unable to believe eternal
bleflings : If we run with footmen, and they have Wearied us;
fliall we be able to contend with horfemen ? If the Shallow brooks
be too ftrong for us, what Shall we do in the fwellings of Jot-
dan ?
, Fourthly, When faith is weakened as to one objed, it is fo
tainted and difcouraged, that it is generally weakened as to all
other ;

Chap,, XII. Safari^ Temptations. &$$
other ; if the hand' be fo weakened that it cannot hold a ring,
it will be lefs able to grafp a crown ; when we are baffled In
pur truft for temporal mercies, if Satan then put us to it not to
believe for fpiritual bleffings, how can we exped but to be
much more at a lofs in them ? So that he is fure pf the victory
before he fights, and he that is fo Sedulous to take advantage
againft us, will not lofe fo confiderable a conqueft for want of
purfuit. There is indeed one thing that may Seem fit to be ob-
jeded againft this, which is, that men may retain their faith ia
one thing, when yet they diftruft in another, as the Ifraelites
diftrufted the power and goodnefs of God for bread and flefh in
the wildernefs, when yet they believed, that as he had given
Wa^r out of the rock, fo he could do it again if there were
need. Pfal. Ixxyiii. 20. ' He, Smote the rock, and the waters
gufhed out, But can he give bread ?' As if they had faid, we
believe he can give water, but it is impoffible he fhould provide
bread. But they that would thus object, may confider, that
the reafon of mens confidence in one thing, whilft diftruft is in
Other things prevailing, is not from any real ftrength of their
faith, but a prefent want of a temptation ; if fuch a confidence
were put to ,it, it would quickly be feen that it were truly no*
thing. -As confident as the Ifraelites were, that they cpuld be-,
lieve for a fupply of water, we find that neither that experience,
nor the other qf fupplying them with manna and quails, were
Sufficient to keep up their fruit in God, but that at the next
ftrait all was to feek, ver. 3a. ' For all this they Sinned Still,
and believed not Sor his wondrous works.'
Fifthly, Befides all the Sorementioned advantages that Satan
hath in railing this temptation, of diftrufting fonfhip out of a
diftruft of Providence, we may, fuppofe him the more earneft
in this matter, becaufe it is fo provoking to God to diftruft
liis Providence ; that he oSten, as a juft chaftifement of that e-*
vil, pupifheth it ; by giving them up to diftruft him for their
fouls ; the height of the provocation may be meafured by this,
that it is not only a denial of God that is above, but ufually
a veiling fome mean and contemptible thing, with thofe attri
butes which only fuit a God infinite and eternal. As Ifrael
did not. only forfake the Almighty by their diftruft, Hof. xiv.
1, 3. but place their hopes upon Afliur, upon their own hor-
Ses and warlike preparations, an^ at laft, upon the works of
their hands, which they called their gods. How offenfive this
is to the Lord, we may obferve by that notable check which
the prophet gave Ahaz, Ifa. vii. 8, 13. notwithftanding his
compliment of refuting a fign, which God offered him for the
Strengthening pf his hope, upon a pretence that he would truft
"' without

4j6 A.Tqatife of , %m UL
without it, though indeed^ he, absolutely diflruftpdjilum,, as,ag-
pe'airs by i Chron. xxviii. 20." that, it was-ia Weanii^an^tyi
ring but the patience of a long fuffering,, God j ' fs. if a -feajj
thing for you to weary men, but 'wilj'yoj* we^ry^rny|--GQd al
fo ?' God is So adive and jealous of all encrba'chrnepj^ of 'this,
kind, that they may exped he willgiye^up Such " pffendef s fo
be'punifhed by the terrors of ah bigher ; diftruft. 'Bip that is
not owned as a God in his Providences, will not be owned is
a Sather, fpr 'Spiritual mercies ; they that will rip|,Own'him fp£
the body, flialj not be able to lay hold upon him, or his ftrength'
to be at peace with him for their fouls ; and hy, this piece of
juft difcipline, he often cures the diftruft of Providence in his'
children, who when they fee themSelves plunged into terrors
and fears about their everlafting welfare, do not only cafrGo'cJ'
juft, and accept of the punifhmen't of their iniquity, in diflrii^:,
ing him for Smaller matt.ers, but now wifli with all their hearts,
that, they might have no greater thing to trouble, them than
what relates- to the bpdy, or this life. „-.,.', ¦ ",.
To fum up air thefe reafons in one wordj Satan Hath, frprri
the forementioned considerations^ a certain expedation of pre
valency. For not only in this cafe doth God^ as"it fvere, fight
for him, by giving them up, to diftruft their filial intereft, that
have provoked him by a diftruft of Providence ; , and pur faith,
is alfo fo weakened by the former overthrow, that it is not a-
ble to maintain its ground in an higher matter, but alfo this
diftruSl carries fhat in the natpre and grounds pf it ; that will,
of itfelf work up to a difbelief of fpiritual' mercies. He knows
then that this piece of the vidory is an eafy confequence ofthe
former, and we may fay ofit, as the Prophet Nahum, chap.
iii. 12. ofthe ftrong holds of Nineveh, it is like ''a fig tree
with the firft ripe figs, if they be fhaken, they fhall. even fall
into the mouth of the eater.' This temptation of diftrufting
our fonfhip falls into Satan's mouth with a little labour, when
once he hath prevailed fo for, as to make us diftruft the Prcvi.,
dence of God in outward matters.
Applic.'] This muft warn and caution us againft any unber
feeming unbelieving entertainment of jealoufy againft the Lord's
Providence ; we are but too apt in our ftraits to take a greater
liberty to queftion his mercy and pbwer, not forefeeiiig how''
clofely this borders upon a greater evil ; we may fay of it. asC
tlie apoftle fpeaks oS babling in controversies, that they lead'to
more ungodlinefs, and that Such words eat as a canker ; So dotn'
this diftruft ufually carry us further, and when we fall out
with, God for fmall matters, he will be angry in earneft^ and'
withdraw from us our confolaUons in greater. In the cjepth
' ' of

Gftap, %il. Satqris Tei$ptgtioris. 4$.'
bf jBr|n| d'dlrefles when ye.ur fea£§ m JfOSPi abo»f ypu, a«4
Q^J S#|f»s to compafs you abpij^ Ffth his. rigt ; wb^en foyer 9?l4
frjenict fnitfakeSj anji when there is aq^apgearsaee of help, en-=
d,eavQnj? for the, keeping hold pf yp,uj: i&te/eSJ in God, 19 her
have yourfelyes aocpfdjng to tb,f fallowing dijediqns.,
Firft, Look upon the providences of God to be as a greag
4epjD, t.he bpttqm of whofe w?-y§ and defign.? you cannp.t reach ;
tbihjs; of them as of ^ myftery, which; indeed ypu giaft ftiidy.
but pot fljjro-yv 'away, becauS/s you cannot at firft up^srftand it.
Providences are not to, be dp^t with %s A.leMJ}4?s di4. by Goi*
dins'? kp^t, who ^bes he ppuld not }@§fe, jt, he ,euj, jt. If yoa
fee not the efl4 Pr" thp I^rdj PF parmqt 9J£et wJA a dopy ©|
hppp in itj yet lay your hand upon yP-Hr mouth, fpeak nff$»
think npt evjl of things ypu know n/#, bjj.t wait tijl the time-
of tfi*4r bringing forth.
Secondly, Ypu mpft keep WP }B yqup h,eaf ts. high %4. ho
nourable thoughts pf Qod, yea, of his mercy .and gpodnsfs,
an4 where you ca nnot fee your way, «>r God?g way befo|ie,$jaji,
yet, as jt were by a kind of implicit faith, muft you believe
that he is holy and good jn all his ways.
Thirdly, Thbugh y°n may read your fins, pr God's difplg%rs
fure, in, tf}frp.» 3!?4 ' accprdingly endeavour to humble yoiurfelve§*
arid; ' call yourfelyes vile, yet muff it be always reHije|Rb.f.re^».
that'efern$J Joye or hatred is not tP be meafured by them.
ffiwthiy, Reftpji) complainings, It. ig indeed an gaf§ \M
complain ,; ' I will Speak, faith Job, that I may be peffplbed^'
Job; X-xxjii. $Q, ^twitbftandjng a yppt, being gjven? ft is (lp-
cult tp keep wifhifl bounds? QHF !?pmplainings entire us to
djftruft, a§j»ay ?pppar in Job, who. took a tedoefs $hi§ way,
more tjjaii was, fit ; as. chap. x. 3. f Ig it g©Q.d unto thee that
thou fbauldeft opprefs? and/ that th<?u flipuldeft defpife ,fhe
work pf thine hands, ?'
All this hathjhe.en faid in th? opening ofthe temptatiop it-,
Splf, now mpft I cpnfidgr the' rnotiye that. Satan ufed to bring
on thp, temptation by; ¦' If thou be the Son pf God,' &e.
The qqeftipn that: is herp mpyed hy feme, is, Whether SaT
tap really knew? or truly dpubte.d Chrift to be the Son ofGod ?,
Seyeral learned men think that he was in doubt, * and the rga-
Spns are yarioufjy conjedpred. Cyprian, ppnceiyes that the iir
nity ofthe two natures, iq ope perSgn did bhnd him, he knew.
it to he iirippflihle that the divine nature Shopld hunger, jai}4
migjn thiqk it ftraiige that the hnman nature Should feft f<3
long. Cprnpliqs, a Lapide, thinks that Satan kne-W t.haf ihere
3 M fllQuhjl'
* Beza, Chemnitius, gerrt?. de jcjunio et tempt.'Chrifll. Unitas natuta-
runj excacavit Safanam,

4j8 ^treatife of '%affflS£
fliould be two' natures united' in one perfon, and that; this oc ,
cafioned Satan's Sail, while he proudly Stoniapr/ed the exahjatyHj
of the human nar ' '"""*  ...... c„,,„,>, ,u„k> „,...f„ r..
a doubtful fenfe
not knowing
Sop ef God.- ,,,-,,, s ,
But notwithftanding thefe apprehenfions, pthers cpncejyg
that Satan knew very well who' Chrift. was, and that b'enig pri
vy to fo many things relating tb him, as the promifes! which
went before and diredly pointed out the tiipe^ the angp^^faluf
tafion of Mary at his conception, the Star that cpu^cji^the
wife men to him, the teftimpny from heaven concemmg jlnim^
with a great many things mpre, he could not ptoflibly ?^eV ig
norant that he was the MeSfias, and the Son ofG.od by nature;
neither doth that expreflion, ' If thou be the Son of God,'- jmi
ply any doubting, feeing that that is ufually exprjfi^p','pjf|thf
greateft certainty and affurance, as in the fpeech of Lamerc|j? 'K
Cain fliall be avenged feven- fold,' that is, as-jcejteinly',he '^a|l
be avenged : So Satan might ufe it to this feHS^ If, or fe|ing
thou art the Son of God. Now whereasit ni'ay feem Strang^,
that he Should fet upon Chrift, if he knew who he wa|, , I have
anfwered that before, and Shall here only add, that. thp ugbSafcin
did believe Chrift to be the Son of God, yet fo ftrpnglydid the
power of malice work in him, t"1E't l*e Would have hadlpm to
have doubted that he was not fo. .From all this, we have this
obfervation, Obf. 1 5.] That the great defign of Satan is to weaken the af
furance and hopes of the children of God, in their adoption..,-
This is the mafter-piece of his defign, the very centre in
which moft of his devices meet ; we may fay pf him, as.Efai*
faid pf Jacob, f is he not rightly called Jacob, a fupplanterj'^he
firft Stole away our birth-right at the creation, and now he Seeks
to take away our blefling in Chrift the Redeemer, ,,
The reafons oS this undertaking I ShalTnot here infift on,;
it is Sufficiently obvious, that the greateft perplexity and for
row ariSeth to the children ofGod Srom hence, and Jba^atrpgp
bf other fpiritual evils, as impatience, fiiry, blafpheroy, and'
many mpre, doth follow it at the heels, befides all fba,t ,Anabj-
lity for fervice, and at laft, plain negled of all duty. AJiTfhall
, further do at this time, Shall be to Shew in a, few partic^fais,
from Satan's carriage to Chrift in this temptation, how ^d af
ter what manner he doth manage that" defign. In which! n'ote^
Firft, That it is his defign to fever us from the promife;: japf
to weaken our faith in that ; when Eve was tempted, thiawas
that he aimed at, that She Should queftiort the good* earrieft of
the

Chap- XII. Safaris^ Temptations. 459
the prohibition, Hath God faid fo ? Wa£;he real in that com
mand, that' you Should nbteat at all? &c. The like he dpth to
iKin'St,, Is if true ? Or can it be fo'as that voice hath declared,
that thou art the Son of , God.? ,...'¦
., Secondly, Though this. be his defign, yet his way to come
to it," is not at firft to deny it, but to queftion and enquire,

I

et after fuclj. a manner^ as may imply and withal fuggeft a
oubting Or fufpicion that it is not fp ;' he doth not .pome to
Chrift thus, Thbii art not the Son of G°d ; or* That vbice that
gave thee that1 teftimony, w^s but a lie or a delufion: 'But
he rather prbceeds by queftioning, which might. feem fp graht,
that he was" fo, 'yet withal might poflibly beget/; a, doubt in "his
mind. ."'",;-
-' Thirdly, Next be more plainly fuggefts fomething that may-
Seeth'tO argue the contrary; for thus he, aggravates Chrift's
prefent condition of want, Can it be that God wpuld leave thee
to thefe bpprefilng ftraits, if thou wert his Son ? At this rate
He deals with lisi improving the failure of outward means of
help, the permiSIibn of temptation, the want of comfort, the
contihuanpe of farfiidion, notwithstanding prayers, &c. as pro
babilities that we belong not to God,
Fourthly, After this, he urgeth Chrift to a Sinful mifcarriage,
to diftruft providence, and to rely no longer on the care of his
Father/; if Chrift had been prevailed with in this, he would
have made ufe of it, as an argument to prove that -he was not
the' Son of God indeed. It is Ufual in his difputings with us
abopt adoption, to put us upon Something, which may be as
an argument out of our own mouths againft us. Chrift might
have anfwered him in this, as the man anfwered Joab, ' If I
Should do fo, then thpu thyfelf wpuldft fet thy felf againft me.'
Fifthly, When at laft he hath gradually afcended to that
confidence as to'deny our adoption, then, at a very great dif-
advantage, he puts us upon the proof, in which hp puts by the
ordinary evidences, and infifts. on extraordinary proofs as ne
ceffary. The fervants' of the Lord that are under this exercife,
do find, that in this cafe the ordinary evidences of repentance,
mortification, love to the brethren, &c. do nothing, for them. '
Satan puts their fpirit upon clamouring for higher evidences,
hbfhing will fei've> except they may view the records of eter
nity, and read their names implied in the everlafting decrees ;
Of except G°d will fpeak from heayen in an extraordinary way,
to teftify of them ; as Thomas refolved, that no lefs Should fa-
tisfy his doubt, than the' feeling and feeing of the print of the
hails. To this purpofe fome ftahd upon no lefs than a miracle,
for propf pf fonfhip, of whiph we have two * inftances pf latter
' ,."' ' f 3 M 2 ' years,
• See their Relations in print.

$S<* v ¦ ' : ATfe'atifetf R£¥at*sll$;

glafs, the other by throwing-ajeup" agatnft the Wall, With lUi
Sf thfe llkfe 6Sp*6ffi3ftf If I ffliUft fee- favpd, thin Ifet not this .glafs
break; A #efp^rgfee temptation ! thfeir manner of dfe'fifing fl-j
ristadib*fis io prb'Vokihg} that it cannot be e^|e^d GbdjWill
give an anfwbr hy it; bat rather trie contrary ; ,'iW Jf h^'flrfofcfcj
nbt condeScend; afehe is not bound (though he -!ftr|nM^pi-es
fetved tte <eu'p. and glafs forembBtioned ftom, breakingjj what g
dangetobs coriclufmH would Skfan dtato ffbm-ic?,' Gt'thfi h2-
flire aha deflgn wis that propafal of Sktah's. tb ;G;hi^|^C6m-
mand that thefe Stones be niade bread,', that is, do it asa'pfdof
of thy Sbnfliip. v ',&-,-. •«% ,,. . ' ,-
.ri^fc&.J By this we muft learn this Skill, nof tbb'e'afiiy fo
give up bur hopes, fet to be ptbdigal bf mir inreeelfl: ii* Unfit,
fo as to paft with it Slenderly;'' If Satan" wOllM ciiej^fot£us
^f thi3, we may learn thence, to put a.price.upbtt thefe jetVfcls,
and to account thai precious, and bf fingulatf, con^ftnpit,
Which' he ufeth fo much curfAffig to bereaVb-iufc of. ¦ itWfitf
ofthe Lord's fervants may jjftly blamb thbttferl^ifof trie'tf
kvifh fiMH'f i'ftiAefs in this matter, whoyo&s if it "wefft-i'-fte&f-
fary piece of niirhility ot modefty; will readily cohdiiue^fint
themfelves, "that they afe fiot God's cKiktreh, that tbey a^ntt
yet bbHv^*|eay&.c; Thus at uftaw'arfa they give up to Safaft
Withbnt a' flfbK,; all fHa? he feeks fot. -,.„-,
^»#?.]'But 'yah Will fay, rriti'ft all men be cbhnoW of a1;
doptjon ? ¦ »¦ ¦
AAfwJ\ No, T mean hot fo ; yet all mert.muft be vViry I16W
they caft aWay their hopfes ; particularly,
ift, Though it be a dangerous afrogancy for a finfiH Wicked
creature to beat himfelf up iii a belief, that h£ is converted,
and adually inflated into the adoption of fobs- J yet it is iti
dangerdus on thfe other Hand for that man to caft off all hope,
and to fay he is reprbbated, ahd fuch a dhe as'canhot bxpeft
jpardsh and grade. ?:!;
idly, Thofe that art converted, though they may and pnght
to humble therflfelv-gS defeply Sor their finfolmifcarfiagp, and
Sincerely acknowledge, that tliey deferve not to be cajled, his
children, yetmtift they 'be careful not tb renounce. their n}ia| hv
tereft. They rhay fay they ate' prodigal, yet keep to fh%ithat
they are Sons} tllbugh tfcgy afe wandering fhetp, yet n?(r]ft they
flick here, that they are Sheep ftill, and that God is ftill * Fa
ther, though a ptbH'c*ea Father; btherwife their follywjii give
ijlbte, thaft all his fury "could1 get, at Ipsft fo qnkkly and eafily.

Cbap,;1£lII. Satan's' testations. 461
'M^ti'. JV.' $l'tftUUthe' devil tti&ethhim uf >' into 'the holy tiiy,
'*J*':r}'! f'ftMptteih:him'vti theptimacle ofthe iempiL
t^'A^Xin.
The prepartititfri to the fecorid temptation. Of his nimblenefe to,
patch adty&faagpsfre/m our anfivers to temptation: -.. That Satan
carried Chrift in the air-. Of his power to mSeft the bodies of
God 'ir chiidrerii How little the fuppofed holinefs, of places pri-
vilegeth us ffiim Satan. Of Satan's policy, in feeming to coun
tenance imag/inur'y defences. Of his pretended flight in fuch
vafes,^ with the -reafons of that policy. Of his improving- et
temptation to ferve feveral ends: „ „
¦If O'Mit Chrift's anfwer to ;tbe;fir,St. temptation at prefent, pur-'
* pofing to handle his anfivers to all thfe temptations together.
And now theufecarid, temptation is before us, in which, Firft, I
fhall /obferve: a, few. things in Satan's preparation to the tempT
iafien, which takes in,. i« The time, a. The manner of his
carrying Himi - 1 3. The place whef e he aded it.
Firfl, For the time, that is noted in thfe word then : Which,
I. Points at the immediate SucpeShOn of this to the former af-
faulti ¥be Evartgeiift Luke puts this temptation laft ; but he
only had refped to the fubftance of the temptation in. his nar
ration, not regarding the order of .them, which Matthew hath
p^undually obferved, as appears by his clofe connecting of , them
with the particles then and again, ver. 5, 8. Befides,. who
foever ShaU "conSider, that in the firft. Satan tempted Chrift to
diftruft, which he repelled, by telling him. that it was his duty>
in the failure -of outward means, to rely upen divine providence,
feeing man lives not by bread alone, &c. he will fee fp much
of connedion , in the matter ofthe temptations, that he will
eafily perfilade himfelf, that- the fecond place belongs to this;.
for this is but, as it were, a fit and pertinent reply to Ghrift's
refufal ; as if Satan had faid, Since thou wilt rely upon the
help and providence of God, in an extraordinary way of
working; give an experiment of that, by calling thyfelf doyin,
which thou mayeft with greater, confidence do, becaufe he
ItatH promifed an extraordinary help, and hath given his. an
gels charge- concerning thee, &-c» Hence obferve;
' Obf. 1.] That Satan isnot.difcoiiraged eafily, , nor doth he
Stlways defift upon the firft- repulfe, but frequently renews the
aflault, 'whenbe is Strongly and refoliitely ^efifted,
: This word then dpth alfo (z.) tell us of Satan's nimblenefs, ia

4*» . 4$?at#f *f?irV#.
in catching a prefent advantage for a pew temptation, from
Chrift's 'MuVer; "he declaVed Md. truft in Prbmeh^'this^hp
prefently lays hold on, as a fit' 'opportunity tb-terngt him to ^re
sumption. : Hete note, ' , • ...ir, T~
Oi/i; 2.] That whert Satah'is upon an/ defign, if an otcafiW
al advantage occur, from pur way of refufal, he'wjll not lent
flip, but improves it to what it may. lead to, though it be'cbni'
trarvto that which hp was firft labouring for. f ¦¦ '[
This was the policy which ^Benhadad's fervants ufed in their
addrefs to Ahab, i Kings xx. 33. the men did diligently obferve
whether any thing would comefrom him, and did HaMy catch-
it: If any thing come from 'tis,' We ate under his. temptation^
he is diligent to Obferve it, and profecutes it accordingly-;
which may ferve to fatisfy the wonder that fome have, con
cerning the contrariety in the temptations to which they ate
urged. They admire how it comes to pafs that their ternp'tav1
tions ShoUkTfo fuddeniy alter,' that when Satan feems to be'To
intent upbh one defign, he Should fo quickly change, an"d*urg£
them prefently to a different, or contrary _tb.frij£j but they"
may know that the devil watcheth the windj atid" Spreads his
fail according to the advantage which arifeth from our anfwer
or repulfe. So that if we would but plow with bur own heifer,
and obferve our frame of' fpirit, we fhould eafily find put this!
riddle. For as it is in difputings and arguings of men, replies
beget new matter for anfwer, and fo do they multiply one a-
¦notber; thus are temptations altered and multiplied, and out
of the aShes of one affault repelled, another doth quickly Spring
VP-' . .
The Second circumftance of preparation is, Satan's taking
him up and fetting him on the temple. That this was not a
vifionary or an imaginary thing hath been proved before. Yet
• granting it to have been real, as in truth it feemsto havebfeerlj
it is difputed what was the Modus, the Way add manner of it.
Some think this was no more than Chrift's voluntary following
of Satan * vVho guided andconduded the way; partly becaufe
the words, paralambanein and ageiri, ate in fcripturfe accommo
dated to a man's taking of any as a .'companion under his guide,
and condud of the way, and to a difpofal of them in any kind"
of Station. Thus, where if is faid, ' Jofeph took Mary? and
the young child to go to Egypt,' Matth. ii. 13. the fame word
is ufed:, And whefr' Chrift tells his difciples, that they Shall
bring the afs and the colt which they fhould find tied, Matth'.
£xii. 2. the fame word which expreffeth Chrift's being fet on
* Spanhcm. dub. Evan, in loc.

EnapfxIII. Safaris 'Temptations. 463'
f'temple, is tji^r& ufed. Pardy alfo, they think, it below the
nicy of Chrtft'to be. jtj^|us y^iol^ntly hurried. ,,
Others think thatSatan was1 permitted to take up the body
of Chrift, and, by, his power to haye conveyed him in the air.
Apd indeed the whole feries of , the narration, with all the cir
cumftances thereof, are evident for it. The distances of places,
the quicknefs and Speedmefs of the removals, the, more proper
applicatipns, of thp, words, taking and fetting, to Satan as the
ador, and the declaration pf his power therein, as able to do
great things;, thefe make the matter fo clear, thaty it feems to
be an unnatural forcing of the text, to give it any^ other inter
pretation. Befides, the former opinion of Satan's taking of
Christ*, as a manuduBor pr guide, feems every way unreafon
able: For if Chrift only follqwed , Satan, then it muft have beeh
either by a land journey on foot, or in the air. This latter it
could pot be ; for if Chrift had Supported himfelf in the air by'
his own power, he had anticipated, the temptation, and it would
have been Solly and madnefs for Satan to have urged him to fly
in the air, after fuch an evidence of his power ; and who can
imagine that Chrift followed, Satan on foot from the wildernefs
to the temple, pr that his accefs to the roof of the temple was>
fo eafy, in fuch a way when the temple was always fo ftridly
guarded? Note hence, ...
Obfi 3.] That Satan is fometimes permitted to exercife his
power upoh the bodies pf thpfe that are dear to God- Thathe
Hath power to carry the bodies cf men in the air, is fufliciently
confirmed by What he doth frequently tp witches*, who are ufually
carried (if we.can give any credit to the. Stories that are writ of
them) in the air, to places far rempte frpm their, dwellings*
And that this ppwer is permitted him upon others, than foch
as are in compad with him, is as evident from what is, testified
of thofe, whofe forward curiofity bath led to imitate witches in'
their anointings, who have thereupon been conveyed after them-
to their affemblies, and when the company hath been .fuddeniy
difmiffed, they have been found many miles diftant from their
dwellings : Such inftances we have in Bodin f, and among p-
ther things, that of Domina Itoffa mentioned by him, whom
Satan would fometimes bind to a tree, fometimes to a tab'lej or
to a bed's -foot, or to a' manger; , fometimes one hand bound to'
another, the dpyil thus moleftedber from eight years old, a long
time., This power of conveying perfons in the air, is not ufual,
yet there are Some in this place [Newcaftle] that have known
one frequently molefted by Satan at this rate. However, if we
take notice of his power, to abufe thp bodies of holy perfons
, more'
* Equitatio cum Diana au't Hcrodiade. f Bodin, page 147.

464 A Treatife of Part IIL
more generally, we Shall find it frequent. Mary Magdalen wa?
poffeffed. Chrift mentions a daughter of Abraham bowed
down by him many years ; Job was fijled with botches ana
fores ; and there are many difeafes wherein Satan hath a greater
hand than is commonly imagined, Phyficians frequently cppr>
elude fo much, while they obferve Some diftempers. to elude fuch
remedies, as are ufually fuccefsful upon other perfons under the
fame difeafes.
Appl.~\ From this we may infer, (1.) The great power af
Satan ; who can tell the extent of it? doubtlefs, if he werp per
mitted, we Should See Sad inftances hereof daily. (2.) This dif-
coyers^the wonderful care and providence of Gqd over us in
our preservation from his, fury. (3.) Wp may further note,
that the abufe of the bodies of meq by Satan, will he no evi
dence, that therefore God doth difregard them, or that they are
npf: precipus tp him, Chrift did undergo this abufe, fp give
fuch as fhall be fo molefted fome comfort iq his example.
The third circumftance, which is that, of place, is fpf dop'5
firft in general, The holy city, that is, Jerufalemj for fo Luke
fpeaks exprefsly, Luke v. 6. Jerufalem was fo called, bpcaufie
of Gqd's worfhip there eftablifhed, and his peculiar prefence
there ; but that it Should be cajlpd fo. at this, time may feetn
ftrange, feeing it might now be lamented as pf old, * flow i.§
the faithful city become aq Ji^rlpt:? RigtitepuSnefs lodged in it,
hut ppw murderers.' Ip anfwer to this, we muft know, that
Gqd haying not yet given her a bill of divorce, he is pleated to
continue her title and privilege- This might, be profitably im,
proved ; but I will not Suffer myfejf tp be diverted from thp
matter of temptation, which is, the only thing I propound tf>
profeeute frprn Hence. I Shall here only obferve,
Qbf. 4.] That the holinefs pr fandity of a place, will be np
privilege againft temptations. He is not fo fearful, as many
imagine, as that he dares not approach a church yard or a
church 5 neither place, nor duty can keep him off. I do not
believe the popifh fidion of their St Benpet's vifion, wherein
they tell of his feeing but one devil in a market, and ten in a
monastery; yet I queftion not the truth of this, that the de-
vil is as bufy at a ferrnon, or prayer, as at any other employ
ment. Buf to fearch a little further into this matter. It feems un
deniable, that Satan had a defign in reference to the place, (of
which afterward ;) and I fee no reafon to exclude our fufpi
cion of a defign from the name and title whic': the Evangelift
here gives to Jerpfalem. It is an expreffion wh;ch, to my re
membrance, we meet not with oft in the New Teftament. At
the

Chap.XIII. 'Satan's Temptatibns. 46*5
the, fuffering ff Chrift> fthen thebpdies of the faints arofe out
of their graves, it is, faid, 'they went into the holy city;'
!Vfatth. xxvii. 53. but it is evident, that it is there fo ftiled up
on fpecial defign, as if the Evangelift would by that ppint at
the ftainiifg pf their. glory ; and thatina little time their boaSl
ofthe temple and holy city Should ceafe, arid that all Should be
polluted with the carcafes of the Slain. And by the fame reafon
may we fuppofej that Satan, intending for Chrift 'a temptation
of prefuniptibn, and ?backing It with the promife of a guard of
angels, had in his eye the ufual confidence that the Jews had
of that city; as a place where the prefence of angelS might be
more expeded than elfewhere ; fo that it feems Satan intended
to inrfpofe upon Chrift a Confidence^ in order to prefumption.
From the privilege of the place here obferve, . ¦
Obf. j.] That Satin is willing to gratify us with nominal
and imaginary privileges and defences againft himfelf; he will
Willingly allow^hs fuch defences, as are altogether irtfigrtificant
and delufive J and. his policy here is centered upon thefe two
things: '¦.•:,--.,
Firft, He doth induftrioufly prompt us to Self devifed inven
tions, Such as were never appointed or blefled of God to smy
Such' ufe; Biit only found out by the bold foperStitions • of men.
Of this we haye an inftance . in Balack, , who carried Balaam
from place to place, in his profecution of his. defign of curSing
Ifrael ; neither cart we imagine, that a pommodious profped'
bf Ifrael was all he aimed at, feeing he difccvers his mind in
this variation of places, ' PeTadventure it will pleafe Gpd
that, thbu mayeft cprfe them from thence;' Num. xxiii. 27.
clearly implying, that hfe had a confidence, that the place might
contribute fomething to his defign, and that there was fome -in
herent virtue in thbfe confecrat'ed places J and, therefore did he
begin with the high places bf Baal; Numb, xxii; 41. and then
to the field pf Zophim, chap, xxiii. 14. and then to the top of
Peor, ver. 28. , Among, the Papifts we find too much of this,
What power they attribute to holy water, blefled fait, Sign" of
the crofs, hallowed earth; confecrated places, relids, baptifed
bells; exbrciSms, and abundance of fuch Stuff, may be feen in
many of their writings, too tedious to be related.
Secondly, He is alfo willing that men ufe thofe real defences
and helps which God hath commanded, fo that they ufe them
in a formal manner, which indeed deprives them of all the life-
and efficacy, that might be expected from an instituted means ;
thus he readily permits ignorant perfons without any disturb
ance 'or moleftat'on, to ufe the repetition ofthe Lord's Prayer,
Ten Commandments and Creed, or any other prayer, while

N . th

e*

<$& A treatife -of Part IU,
they perfuade- thpmfelv^ that the very filing 0f the wanfe*
is a fufficient dsfenpe againft the devj} all that day. .,¦¦¦%
The rpafons of Satan's policy in fuch gratifications! ate
thefe ¦
xfi, While we arp kept doing with thefe, We arp diverted
from th# 'which, Wgb* b> really helpful ; he puts a brokea
repd into our hand, that we might be deprived of a Staff. Ex,
perienpe confirms, thjs; thpfe that with greateftdevption ufe thefe
empty inventions, are ufuafly earejefis ija %b$ »fe of God'-s own
appointment?, idly, Befides that hp thus betrays them by thefe lyjng helpj,
rjp. dpth by this means cafl: them on a. further jaj^Btfy,. of idq},
izing thefe foolifh calves of their own inventipn, In this cafe
men have a prefumptuous expedation frpm ffych ufages, -pf
that which God never promifed to do by them, neither pyer
entered, into hi? #eart So tp do ; Seeing he anfwer? then? all with
this:, ' Whq hath required thefe things at your hands ?< And,
accordingly their pppfeiences are more concerned for the onuf.
Sion pf one of thefe fooleries, than for the negled of the great-
er things of the law ; fuch are more troubled for the negled of
the Sign ofihe croft prbply water, than for their conftant care-
leSfoefs, and want pf faith, by which their hearts fliould be
guarded againft their enemy.
jfily, In the mean time, he makes Work; for bis own triumph
Oyer them, that dote upon thefe fottifli inventions. If we can
fuppofe Satan to have pfeafure or mirth, at any thing, we may
be fare, he wiJI laugh at fuch preparations fpr a fpiritual war
fare ; it being as truly ridiculous for any man to go out with
thefe weapons againft Satan, as for a combatant; to affail a gi
ant, with a- paper -helmet, a wkkejF-fliield, and a, wooden-daf-
ger. And indeed when Satan 'counterfeits a flight, pr fear of
Such matters, as for his advantage he fometimes doth, it is but
In defign to beget pr cpnfixm in men a confidence, of a virtue pr
ftrength in theSe uSages agaipft His power ; that So tbeV may
Sfx upon, thpm to the negled pf God's own institutions, which;
he moft dreads. Thus we read, that he cunningly ceafed his
oracle at Daphne, * uppp. a pretence of the Silencing power of
the bones of the martyr Babilas, which were buried near
the place ; on purppfe to lead unwary Chriftians to the actora-
tion of faints and'their reliques. Many fuch inftances we have.
in Sprenger of thp devil's feigned flight at the fign of the profs, f
the Sprinkling of holy water, the angelical Salutation, St Ber,
nard's Staff, or certain words and verfes hung about the neck, and
* Zonomen, Ecolef. HSft.-L j.-c. 18. f-Mal. Malific P»« ii. Q^n,
«• *i 3>

Chap* XlIL" Solaris Temptations^ 4"7
arid a great deal el Such Stuff Wb may meet With itt moft of f Heir
writers ; all whieh at* but cunning contrivances df Satafi, jto
advance a belief bf tlie Virtue of thefe things, and So tb flop
men ttierb, to the; neglfed df thbfe fpiritual ivfeaponS, which the
fcripture reeemrflends.
Thefe we Hate obferved from the place in general, the holy
eity s Let Sis- go ott te the place in particular, wheie Satan ad-
, ^d adt tbis»- 'the pinnacle 6f the temple.' Varibus are the carw
jeddtes bf ffifeh about this; Whether it Were fo'ide fane, ot the
top of, foMe fpire, or the place "whence the apoftle James ivas
thrown dowiij or the top of the king's porch, which Was erod
ed tb a great height, dver a deep valley, or fome battlement,
JJtc. But- wfeare hot eohderhed in fuch ettqiiiries, bnly here I
fliall take ndti£e of Seultetus, #Hb foppofirig the place to be thd
top of a fane br fpire, and reading iH Jofephus that the points of
fach broaches 'were fo Sharps that a bird could hut reft ttpdri
them, without piefeing its foot ; was therefore willing to cott-
jplude;. that Shefe temptations! were dot really And historically
aded, but -in yiSfon-ohlyi AU this arifeth from a wrong inter
pretation, of the word which our translators render pinnacle*,
whereas it properly Signifies any battlement, or angular promi
nency, jutting out over the reft like a wing, which would af
ford a fufficient footing or fupport.
It is. more profitable to enquire after Satan's reafon for the
choice of fuch a place ; no queftiort but it was upon defign ; for
elfe he might with equal convenience, have" tempted GHrift to
call himSelf down Srom foine free or precipice in the wil
derneSs ; but theft what- that defign Was, is not So eaSy to" de
termine ; it Seems plain* that he might SuppoSe that Chrift might
be the rather animated to the undertaking of flying in the air,
by the hopes of glory, which might be expeded from fuch a
performance, before fo many fpedafors. But fofrib think that
he had a defign alfo tipon the men of Jerufalem f, and intended
fome delufion tb the Jews, which J, am nbt Unwilling to clofe
With, partly becaufe thb experiences that we have of his devices^
afliire us, that ih onb temptation his erids are often manifold ;
, and I cannot hdt think that Satan would make all things fure,
and provide fift His preceding mind) againft all events; fot if
Chrift Should Have yielded and evidenced fo great a power ih the
fight of all the people, it might Have been a .convidion general,
that hb was the MeSfias, about that time qniverfally expeded ;
and partly I am ready to think fo, becaufe (in cafe CHrilt had
ddrte fo) it lay fo fair to confirm the Jews ih a mifapprehenfion
of the perfbiial coming of Elias, bf whom fhey understood the
3 N a prophecy
* £p»nhem. dub. JEvan. in loc. + Lightfoot Harm, in loc ,

468 A Treatife of Part UL;,
prophecy of ;Mal. iii. i. * Behold, I will fend my japefjeriggi;, andj
he Shall .prepare the way before me ; and the Lord' ^horn ye
feek Shall fuddeniy come to his temple, even, the'meiTepgerjpf,
the covenant.'' If the Jews expeded JLlias tp|porn,e ,frpmhea-v
Ven to the temple, how ftrongly would they have been confir;rn-
edin this opinion; if they had feen a 'man fly frqni the templp
in theair, and by this means} John the Baptifi (who Was the,
Elias that was to come) Should -haye been negleded, and Chrif£
jiimfelf (tho' honoured as Ellas) hot'owne^ for the MeS^a's,.; ',"
Qbf. 6-J] Obferve then, that §afan*s defigns, are, Jarge, and
that he projeds the enfnarirtg or deluding pf. others by'fuqh
temptations, as'feem only to cbncbrn thpfe that, argundet the
immediate trbuble of them. He tempts, Chrift to oa'ft himfell
down, and alfo; by it (at leaft) intends a delufion to the Jews j,~
he tempts Ope man upon the back of another, one is temptedto.,
err&r, another by that man's' temptation, is tempted to jtheitin,,;,
and rejeding pf all religion. One man is tempted -to profane
nefs, another is tempted by that to an uncharitable difrefpefl , of
him ; it is paSy to multiply instances pf this.

CHAP. XIV.
That prefumption was the chief defign of this temptation*? Of
• tempting 'to' extremes. " What prefumption «V. The fevtrah
ways of prefumirtgi The frequency of this temptation,1 in the, -
generality of prof effors, in hypocrites, defpairiiig perfons, and:
in the children of God.- The reafons of Satan's fndftftryc i%
this 'defign. 'His deceitful contrivance in hringifig^ about tbii-
fin. Prefervatives againft it. ' ' ' '¦ >i. .;,-.-_- >¦.- h,
"VrEXT tp the preparation which Satan made for the fecond
\ conflid, alteady explained, the temptation ihtende^ offers
;tfelf to pur- view, which is this-,, ' C|aft thyfelf dowm' What
Satan'chiefly intended by it, we may coljed from Chrift's anl
fwer, as well as from the thing itfelf; for he thus replies, >ft
is written, thou Shalt not'tempt the Lord thy God J Chrn|'
doth not ufe this fcripture to any fuch fenfe as' this, that h&(
fliould hereby prohibit Satan tb tempt him, becaufe he was Sap,
tan's Lord and God, but he mentions this fcripture as a rujg
bf obedience, as if he Should fay, I may not caft myfelf down/
and So rely on extraordinary help, Seeing I can go down ano
ther way; for the negled of ordinary means, when we* have
them, is a tempting of God, which may not be done. S^o
that it appears by this, that Satan here'tempted Chrift to pre
fumption.

jQhkp. XIV. Satan's Temptations. w, 463
Sumption. Thefe is only this objedion in our way ; thaj
Deiit. xvi. 16. the place by Chrift cited, refers to jhe tempta
tion of the Ifraelites in Manah? mentioned Exod, xvii. i. where
they chid with Mofes for wafer ; and there it would feem their
tempting the Lord, was rather in. defpairing of his power and
help, than prefuming in the negled pf the ordinary means.
I anfwer; thpugh 'the occafion and matter of that temptation be
different from this of Chrift's, yet the prefumptuous e'xperi*1
ment that they there made of. God's prefence and power was
the fame with this Which Satan defigned: For, ver. 7. where
the account of that tempting is given, it is; faid, '-Beeaufe
they tempted the Lord, faying, Js the Lord among us or not?'
they pat it tb this iflue, that the being and power of Gpd,
fhould be tried by the giving or not giving of water. The
manner then pf that temptation being fo agreeable to this,
Chrift very pertinently applies that command, to it, preSump-
tion being the* thing which ChriSl was tempted to. It might
occafion fome wonder in us, tp fee Sitan take fuch Strange fteps;r
he was before tempting him to defpair, now to prefumption ;
but it is no argument of his lightnefs, or uncertain roving in
his way of tempting, but rather of his depth and fubtilty.
Note then,
v Obf. 7,] That it is Satan's policy in tempting, to run from
one extreme to 'another. The Corinthians werp firfl tempted
to a finful compliance with the adulterous perfon, and were a-
yerfe to his excommunication ; afterwards they were tempted
to the contrary Severity, ^nd were as backward to receive him
again. The fame men that have been overcome by prodigality
and excefs, When they begin to fee the evil of that; are oft
tempted to w°rldlinefs or coyefoufnefs, the contrary difpofi-
tion. Reafons of this policy are,
xft, The avoiding of one extreme gives the Sou! Such a fwing,
if care, be nojt ufed to preyent it, that they ate caft more than.
half way upon the ett)e,r' feter- in an extreme of mpdefty, re-
fnfed the w'afhingpf his ^eet by Chrift ; but when he under,-
flood the danger; he runs as far wrong another way, ' Not my
feet only, but my hands and my head,' Johp xiii. 9. Thuj
fome are fo for purity pf churches, that they exclude the weak;
others fo for unity, that they adniit the open fcandalpus and
profane. idly, While meii avoid one extreme, by running into ano
ther, they carry with them fuch ftrong impreflions of the evil
they would avoid, and Yuch fierce prejudices, that it is not an
ordinary convidion will bring them right, but they are apt to

47<5> A. treatife of Part lit,
be confident ofthe goodnefs, ofthe way they take, and fo afp
the mote bold abd fixed in their mifedrriagbl ""**"
Prefamptibii being the great deflgri of Sarah ih this terhpfai*
tion, We tbay fdrther dbferVe1,
Obf. 8.]. That as diftruft on the Onb Hand, fo prefttrnpfiBH
on the othSr is bne of his grand defigns. Of thefe'two we in&jf
fay, as it Was faid of the fword of Haiael and Jehu> that bf aij
thofe that 'are flain by ;thfe' devil, whofoe Ver hath efeaf«dfhe
fword of diftruft and defpair, the fwbtd bf prefumptibn hatlj
Slain. To" fexplaih this I Shall,
Firft, Shew What prefumptibn is. It is in the gentfiS a can*
fidence Without a ground. Firft, It is made up of axxdatlty,
(which is a bold and daring undertaking of a trfirig,) ahd-fe*
cur ity.
Secondly, The ground of it is an error of judgment a blirid
<pr a milled judgment doth always nourifti it ; alld this is ei«.
Jher a miftake of the nature of futh mearts oh Which wfc fely
for afliftance, as When a man lays as mrtch ftreft upon a thread
as upoft a cable, br expeds as much nouriShflieht 'from1 a ftcffle
as from bread ; or a miftake: of the will of dinars1, from- tflieift
we exped aid and help, without i Warrant Soi Such a cSH*.
fidence. . : "'
Thirdly, In its way of working It is diredly bppoSle'tb flif-
tfuft, and is a kind of exceffive, though 'irregular^ B6tJ£5 fiot
that in this cafe a man believes or hopes over muph, (fwtnere
Can be no excefs properly iq the exercife of divine graces) but
that he hopes too rafhly or lightly, without a Solid founaatiifi
or reafon *> Hope hath for" its objed that which is goo^'iitt.
der the considerations of futurity, pofEbilify, and difficulty*! oft
the brie fide defperation lqbkk upon that good as fbt«iTe*/feit
under So great a difficulty, that it forgets' the* pfjffibility tf'H,
and thereupon furpeafefh all endeavpufs. Prefuirfpfioh dft'the
other Hand is fo keenly apprehenfive of the poSubility; that it
ne'Ver regards the difficulty, and So thrufts forward into1 irre-
fular endeavours or expedations. The nature of rhiS'will be
. etter underftood, when the particular inftances of pfeffcrtpV
tion are before us. ' ¦,
xft then, It is prefumption, when from external or fJibofi&
nate means, meft exped that for which they were never deflgfi-
ed nor appointed of God. Tp exped grapes of thorns, or' figs
¦pf thiftles, would be a prefumption, becaufs God neVet'de?
Signed them for fuch fruits ; and no lefs is" it, when in any
c-thet .cafe men look for high. and extraordinary things fftta aiiy
* Non ideo peccatur, quia nimis fpprat ill Deum... Sect quia nimi* loiter
ac temere line ullo fundamento. Ames Medui. 1. 1, c. ft. feci:. 33.

Chap. &IV. $#MV Temptations. ffr
¦any ideated, gpod* above what God hath put into it by the kw
©f.pjseation. ,,f ,; ,, ,. ',,-;
lily, "When men do exped; thpfe fruits apd effeds from any
thing unto which it is appointed^ iu negled ox oppofition to the.
fupreme caufe, withcut whpfe cpnpurront, influeu** they canqp|
Seach their prpppr ends. . tbat is, pur hopes are wholly center
ed upon means, when in the m6*0 t'me ou? e3fe 's not upon
God. Thus, fo make . gold «mr hope* Job xx^si, 34. to, makq
fleSh, our arm, Jsr« x^jL 5. tp make Afhur a/&tjpi?v, jjof,
xiy. 3. pr to truft tp any cr-eatu^ whatsoever^ is, in. fcripture"
condemned %s a presumptuous reliance j and, in regard pf the;
aeceffary cjifapppjntment, a. tr«Sting in a tie, ? in which fenfe it
is faid, ' that every mart is a liar,' Pfal. Ijrii, 9. The like pre
fumption it is* when we boaft, great things, qf ourfelves* and,
as Peter, make confident engagements, in our own ftrength, tha^
we, wpl aiVbid Such a Sin, or perform Such a, duty j fp* we- are
but frail; and all pur fujficieqpy is, from the Lprd ;, fp that it
can be no lefs tb&nintejkf'abk arrogance,. tP promife wy thing
of ourfpl-jjes without him:; neither can men promife to them-
Selves thp pontigUj^nce °f thaf good <pr advantage, which they
have already,, received from Second eaufes,, if their confidence
builds itfelf upon, that fplp cpniideration, without a juft blame.
Job had Said np Should die in. his neft> and David that he
Should never be moved; biit both. pf them afterwards noted
thefe confidences, tq have been nq other than deceitful pre-
fumptions, ,,, ,, ... . ... ,.,
$dty, It is, f pefumpjion tp esped things apoye tbe reach*
qf qur: prefent State an$ pon,ditipn *; a? for a mean man to beg
qf Gnd aufhprity and rule, pr tp exped; t0 be fpt with princes j,
qr for ordinary Christians to look for m\xades, Signs from,
heaveq, yifiqns, revelations, extraordinary anfwers to prayers,
apd' the like ; all which expedatipn% are groundless, and the
iSTue of a prefumptuous pride,
qthly, Whpq, men exped things, contrary to tLK rules,
that Gp4 hath fet for his diSp^nfatiqns of mercy, they boldly
prefpme uppn his will. God hath promifed preservation to
his children, while . they a^e mood's way; hut if any Shall;
go out qf that way, and finfolly put, himfelf into dangers and
hazards,, it would be prefumption in. him tp e,xped a preferva-
tion. It is the Same in Spiritual things. God promiSeth eter
nal life,, and the buffings of his ; covenant, tp Such as give up
them.felyes to him and His laws,., Will it not.bp intolerable
prefumption for men to bfefs themSelves in their heart, with
expedations of reigning with him, in glory, vyhile in the mean
• time
* Sp.erare Ron fperanda.

47a A Treatife oj f»art HJ.'
time they contradid his own Tule, and negled his order, walky
ipg in profanenefs, and living to, themfelves. ? This is an high
prefumption of mercy againft his exprefs, will. Hence are Such
courfes called prefumptuous fins, PSal. xix. andj,fuch Sinners'
tranfgrefs with an high hand.
• $thly, It is alSc a prefumption to exped any mercy, tho'
common and pfnal, without the ordinary means,' by which
God in providence bath fettled the ufual difpenfations of fuch
favours,; as when men look for his aid and help, for Supply
of corporal wants, while they throw off all care, and refufe
their own endeavours, which are the ways pf God's appoint
ment, in the confcientious uSe whereof fuch mercies are to be
expeded. The heathen, upon the confideration of the- necef
fary connedion of means and the end, have ufually judged Such
fluggiSh expedations to be no better than folemn mockings of
a deity, * In fpiritual things it is no lefs prefumptuous tp ex,-
pied convetfion, and an intereft in Chrift, and heaven, while
they refufe the careful ufe of his ordinances, and therefore we
are commanded to pray for Such bleffings, ' to cry after know-
ledgej and to lift up the voice for understanding,' Prov. ii. 3,
4, 5. and to fecond thefe prayers with our own utmoft endea
vours ; ' tb feek fpr it as for filver, and to fearch for- it as for
hid treafiires,' and in So doing to exped the finding of the know
ledge of God.
6thly, When brdinary or extraordinary mercies are ex
peded for an unlawful end, as when the Ifraelites at Maffa cal
led for water, (which they ought to believe God would fupply
them withal, their condition confiderfed) but for a teft and*
proof of the being bf God 3 for they faid; « Is God among us
or not ?' Exod. xyii. 7. It is by James made a piece of fpiri
tual unfaithfulnefs, and adultery, to afk any thing ofGod with
a defign to fpend it upon a luft. Ahai's refuting a Sign when
God offered it, however he made a Shew of modefty and be
lieving, argued no other thirig, but that he was confcious to
HimSelf, that, in cafe he had accepted it, he Should have abuf-
td that favour to an Unlawful end, and have tempted God by
it,- as {hitting it upon this experiment whether there was a God
br not. This is alfo another ad of prefumption ; when' a man
becomes guilty of any of thefe mifcartiages, he is prefuffip-
tuous. Secondly, j further add to this difccVery of the nature and
kinds of prefumption, that this is one 6f Sa'tan's grand engines ;'
whieh I prove by two demonstrations. . ,
ift, By Satan's common pradice in this kind upon all forts of
* AdmoW mariu' inVocanda eft ]&linerva.

ChapVXlV. Safaris Temptations. 473
of men, ih -moft: occaSions : That which is his freqiient prac
tice upon moft men, and on moft occafions," mtfft of neceffity
be underftood to be chiefly "deflgried. Some men may poffibly
be free from the trouble of fome particular temptations, (as
Hieronimus Wallerus faith of Luther his mailer, that he heard
him often report of himfelf, that he had been affaultfed and'vex-
ed with all kind of temptaticns, faying only that 'of covetouf-
nefs, but none can fay, they have not been affaulted with this.
I fliall make it out by an indudion of particular's.
Firft, Thi generality " of men "that live in the profeflion of
religion, a're^prefumptuous ;s%ay, the greateft part ofthe blind
World are fo ; they prefume of mercy and falvation, the devil
preacheth nothing elfe, but all hope, "no fear, and In thefe gol
den dreams they flidedown tb-hell:-*- If we look into their way
of finning, -and then into their- Hopes, we can "'judge no lefs bf
them, they Stick not at the moft; grievoufe: abominations, the
works of the flefh, and iff thefe1 ibey continue ; Jt is:their trade,
their life,' they make prbviSions ifor them, they' cannot Sleep
except they do wickedly,' he that reproveth is derided by them ;
-they make btff a mock and Sport of thoSe things, which, as the
Shame and : reproach ¦ of mankind^ 'Should rather fly the light,
and hide themfelves, as things of darknefs ; thefe things, they
pradife without'' regret or-forrow of heart, without fmiting
upon the thigh, and in all this they have the confidence to fay,
' Is hot the Lord among us ¦'?'>' They can call themfelves Chris
tians, and have as bold expedations of eternal happinefs, as if
the committing of thefe evils were made by God the neceffary
qualifications to everlafting happinefs ; What is' more common?
and yet v&hat more' prefumptuous? ¦ For, i. Thefe^men au-
dacioufly hope and exped mercy, exprefsly contrary1 tb the per
emptory threatenings ofGod. God faith, 'There "is no peace
to the wicked,' they fay, ' We fhall have peace.' 2., Thefe
rurt upon'the- greateft hazards of ruin -and~wcy with the leaft
fear, in. the contempt of all danger, * as the -hbrfe rnfheth into
the battle, whombcketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither
turneth His back from the fword,' Job xxxix. 11. 3. They
dare God to do- his worft ; they provoke God to jealoufy, and
^that to his face-; hence was it that Nimrod was faid to be a
mighty hunter before the Lbrd, GenV xxxviii. 7. And Err
the fon of Judah, that he was wicked before the Lord ; becaufe
Such audacious finners will not, as we may fay,r go behind his
back to fin, •* • - '• "-.
Secondly, Hypocrites whofe' carriage is more fmooth, they
alfo are ptefumptuoiis : For while they hide 'their fin, they
do againft didates of confcience prefume, « that he that made
3 Q Ap

474 A Treatife of Part III.
the eye dotb not fee,' and that there is a poffibility to cheat
God as well as men ; befides, their boaftings and hopes have a
fpecial mark fet uppn them in fcripture, as audacioufly falfe,
' the hope of the hypocrite fhall be cut off,' their confidence of
the temple of the Lord is but a lie, and fo termed exprefsly hy
the prophet.
Thirdly, Even defpairing perfons are not always free of pre-,
fumption. The ad pf felf murder is a terrible prefuming up
on infinite juftice. Spira's defire to know the worft, was of
the fame kind. Thefe are indeed extraordinary, but there are
fome other kinds pf defpair that come nearer to prefumption,
as that fenfual defpair which arifeth out of an exceffive love of
carnal delights, and a fecure contempt of fpiritual things : Foi
when fenfuality prompts them to eat and drink while they may,
defpairing and hopelefs of a future happinefs, ' for to morrow
they Shall die,' and their pleafure ceafe, they highly prefume
againft the patience and goodnefs of God.
Fourthly, The heft of men are too frequently overcome by it;
i. Not only while they are overtaken with fins more grievous,
-and above the rate of fins of infirmity, to which how liable the
holieft faint may be, (upon temptation) may be gathered from
David's prayer, ' Keep thy Servant from prefumptuous fins,
that they have not dominion over me.' 2. But by their earneft
profecutions of their own wills, when contradided by. Provj.
dence.' It is hy the Prophet Ife. ix. 9. called a pride and ftout-
nefs of heart, to contend with Providence,- to attempt to build
with hewn Stone, when the bricks are fallen, or" to Strive for
cedars, when divine wrath hath cut down the fycamores. 3.
How frequently are they guilty of prefuming upon their privi
leges, their Strength, their graces, arid upon that fcore venture
themfelves upon occafions of fin, or bear high above others up-
on a conceit of their higher attainments, or' when they boldly
put themfelves upon fuffering, or upon doing, while they want
that due humility and care that fhould balanpie them. 4. There is
alfo a. preSumptupus rafhnefs, upon which the zeal and good in
tentions of holy men may fometimes precipitate them. Such
was Uzzah's. putting forth his hand to hold the ark, for which
the Lord fmpte him. All thefe inftances put together, will Suf
ficiently demonstrate that prefumption is ope of Satan's matter
defigns. The fecond demonstration of this truth is from the general
fubferviency of other things to this. Moft of Satan's endea
vours and temptations aim at this point, and this is the refult
and confequence of moft fins; that muft needs be chief to which
.0 many things do but Serve and minifter. In this, center do
- moft

Chap. XIV. Safari* Temptations. 47 S
ifiofr'bf the; Shies' of hfe policy meet, pride, vairi glory, Conceit
ed privileges, fuppofed' advantages, and many things more were
but under' agents to this temptation, which the devil attenrpteii
upon Chrift,' as hath ia pan and prefently Shall be further evi
denced: ' Mv
"Thirdly, Having thus proved that prefumption Is bhe of
tbe great things he aims at, I fhall next difcover the reafon*
of his eartiefbrefs and iriduStry iii his defign) WhM: are theSe.
(i.) ft is a fift very rratnral, in which He hath the advantage
of onr-own readiaefs affld inclination. However that Some Srom
a fflelanPholy temper, are irtcBfoable to fears and diftruft at
fome time, when thefe black apprehensions ate exalted, yet
(thefe excepted^ hopes ate more predominant than fears; and
Self-love, which piwide's fuel to thefe hbpes, is & natural
principle in aft-, when fo many things; give him fuch advantages,
and promife biw a fuccefs, we maly v>ell fuppofe he will not
miffs fuch an opportunity.
(2^/As it is eafy for Satad's" kcempt, So it ii remote from
convidion, and not rooted out without great difficulty : It is a
. Sin that is covered with a pretext of an higher degree of hope :
Men in roafly-wteys" of this- fnfq<uity are utidef perfuafions of
duty, and by reafon of that confidence, fear which is the foul's
certtinel, is afleep, hence dot they not lie fo fairly open to coun
fel or repifoof. The Ifraelites, Deut, i. if, 38. being under
difcpnragenienty refufe to go up>td Canaan, when tfiey" were up
on the border of the land ; but being convinced of their fin, in
diftruft'iflg theraxm of the Lord, by God's declared wrath and
threatenin'g againft them, they fall Upon' the contrary extreme of
prefumption, and then Vet, 4. they would go up and fight; an'd
the convidion- of their formerfln,madethem fo confident that this
was their prefent duty, (for thMs" they argue, ' We Hdve fumed
againft the Lord, we will go Up and fight, according to all that
the Lord our God Commanded us;') that though they were ex
prefsly fothiddenfrom' Godj ?'. 42. «Go not up, neither fight, for
I am not among you ; yet were they fo ftrangely carried by
their former perfuafion, that they, ref ufed- to be convinced, arid
Wertt prefumptuoufly into the hill. By which inftance we fee,
what great! pretences' lead on prefumpfion, and how difficultly
they are removed ; which twtf things do no leSs than tempt Sa
tan to lay out himSelf to the uttermoft in that defign,
(3.) The' greatnefs ofthe fin When" it is bommitted, is ano
ther reafon of his diligence in the puriuit of it ; it is not only
from a Simple error" or miftake, but that error arifeth from in
tolerable pride; they fay and do fuch things, from the pride
a'nd ffioutnefs of their heart, Ifa. ix. 9. He that is prefuthp-
3 O 2 tuous

476 A Treatife of ' Part IIL
tuous is Self-willed, 1 Yet.., ii 1 pv , H.en£ef,thefe,fitis, Wchichwq
tranflate' prefumptuous, are iii the original called .prjdesypr ar-
rogancies, Pfal." xix. 13, Befides, they^ are,cqnitj;ad^n.sj,jtq
God's order, Separating thoSe things that (Jjcod .hath^joined to-,
gether, Deut. xvii. 12. as the means Sronu the end, or, the
end from the means, as if the earth Should be' turned out. of its
place.forus: And iii fome cafes, it. is no lefsthan the open af
fronting of God, by abuling Jiis own favours^ againft himfelf f
for thus they deal with him, who are opinionated in Sin be
caufe Of his mercy, concluding by an irrational confequence,
that they pught to be wicked becaufe God is good, or that they
may freely offend, becaufe he doth not punifh. ^ ' ,,
(4.) The dangerous iffues and confequences of thisway of
finning do not a little animate Satan to temptto it. In fome
cafes it Was to be puniShed by death, Deut. xyji.,Js2. ., 'The
man that doth prefumptuoufly,— Even that man Shall die,' and
moft ufually it is plagued with fad difappointments, by a fevere ,
engagement of God's difpleafure againft it. * The hypoctitesuS
hope Shall perifh, it fliall be as the giving up of theghpft^Job
viii. 13 and xi. 20. And generally, He that 'thus, bkffethjhim-
feif in his heart, when' he heareth the words of the. curfe,
Deut. xxix. 19, 20. the Lord will not fpare him, but then the
anger of the Lord and his jealoufy Shall fmoke againft that
man, and all the .curfes that are written in this book ShaU,
lie upon him, and the Lord Shall blot out his name from under
heaven. Fourthly and laftly, I Shall lay before you the deceitful con- ,,
trivance of Satan, in bringing this Sin about, by- Shewing the >
particulars of his craft againft Chrift herein. As,
1. He takes advantage from his refolve to rely upon Provi
dence, contrary to the former temptation of turning ftones to
bread; Chrift had refufed that, felling him it was duty to
t'tuft him, who not only by the ordinary means pfbread could
feed him-, but alfo by any other appointment. To this Satan ,
rejpins, by pffering an irregular opportunity of fuch a truft, in
palling himfelf from the pinnacle ofthe temple ; as if he .fho,uld-i
fay, ' If ithou wilt, thus rely upon Providence, do it in fhi| ;'
wherein we may not.p,_' That from an obediential dependence,
he would draw Chrift to an irregular prefumption.' He retorts
Chrift's argument back uppn him thus^ ' Jf Gpd is to be, re
lied upon by a cetain truft for food, by the like trutt he is to.be
relied upbrr for preferyation ; if the belief of fupply of bread
can confift with a negled or refufal of ordinary means for the
procurement thereof, then may the belief of preferyation in
eaftitfg thyfelf from the' pinnacle of the temple confift alfo with
a ne*

tlhapiXI^. Satan's Temptations. 477
a negled of ordinary means.' Thus like a cunning fophifler,
He^eHdeavbdrs to Pbnclude fin from duty, from a feeming pa
rity betwixt them; though indeed the cafes were yaftiy diffe
rent. Fcr 'thongjrV it be duty to depend . upon Providence,
when God (in the purSuit of Service and duty) brings us out
of the fight and hopes of outward mpans ; yet it can be no lefs
than Sinful pfeSumption, for us fo make fuch exiperiments of
providences, when We need not, and when ordinary means are
at hand. After the fame manner dpth he endeavour to put
fallacies upon us, and to cheat us Into prefumptuous undertak-
ingS, by arguing from a neceffary truft ip fome caSes, a ne-
ceffity of prefuming in others, upon a feeming likenefs and
proportion. 2. It was no Small piece of Satan's craft to take this advan
tage, while the impreffion of truft, in the want pf outward
means, was warm upon the heart of Chrift, he hoped thereby
the more eafily to draw him to an excefs, Fpr he knows that
a zeajous" earneftnefs to avoid a Sin, and to keep to a duty, doth
often too much incline us to an extreme ; and he well hoped,
that when Chrift had declared Himfelf fo positively to depend
upon God, "he might have prevailed to have Stretched that de
pendence beyond its due bounds, taking the opportunity of his
fway that way, which (as a Ship before wind and tide) might
foon be over driven. And this was the defign of his hafte in
this fecond temptation, becaufe he would Strike while the iron
1 was hot, and clofely purine his advantage, while the ftrength
and forwardnefs of thefe reSolves Were upon him. .
3. He endeavours to animate him to this preSumptipn by
popular applaufe, and to tickle him into an humour of affeding
the glory and admiration, which by fuch a ftrange undertaking
might be raifed In the minds of the fpedatprs, and therefore
did -he bring him to the moft confpicuous place of a great and
populous city, not thinking the matter fo feafible if he had
tempted him to it in a Solitary, defert.
4. ' He propounds to him a plaufible end, and a feeming ad
vantage, viz. the clear and undoubted difcovery pf his divine
nature and near intereft inGcd; urging this as -a neceffary du
ty, for his own fatisfadion, and the manifestation of his Son-
fhipyto others.
5. To drive out of his mind thofe fears of mifcarrying in his
attempt, which otherwife might have been a block in his way:
He is officious in Strengthening his confidence, by propounding
treacherous Helps and prefervatives, fuggefting a fafety to him
from the privilege of the place where this was tp be aded, an
holy

478 A Treatife off Fart'lfr.
holy city andtemplef producing more of a divTwe ' pjfe&jn&'nr
his fafety than other places, ,., "" [\ '" ,. '.'-,' oj '... ;
6, To make all fure, he backs all this with a prpinife ctf pre*.
fervation ; that nothing might be wanting tp his fecurity. ^Ryj
this rnethpd applied to pther things and cafes, he endeavours to
bring us to prefumption, , , '¦'-'"
Applicf\ The consideration pf th$ foquld put us, upon a. Spe
cial care and watchfulnefs againft prefumption jj.it is more de
signed, and hath a greater prevalency, than men. are aware, of.
Two things I Shall only at preferit propound for our preserva
tion, out of Pfal. xix. 12, 13, ~ ,r.,
Firft, He that would He ,'kept from preSqinpt^bgS' Sins, Inauft
make conScience oS Secret Sins, to Search for tKern;,; tq mortify
them, tp„beg pardon for them. With what && or hop©, can,
we exped from God help againft thefe, when we proyofce him
to leave us to ourfelves, by indulging ourfelves in the other ?".
Secondly, He that would avoid them, muft be under the awe
and fear of being overcome by them: He that flights and con
temns fuch vifible hazards, Shall not long be innocent: '*. David
here, firft Shews his confcience to be concerned with Secret £ms,
and then begs to be kept Srom preSumptuoqs Sms ;i and by fuch
earneft begging, he next Shews how muc& he dressed Such tufa
carriages* , '." s

CHAP- XV.
Self-murder another of his defigns in this temptation. How be
tempts to felf- murder direBly, and upoji what advantage' he,
urgeth it. How he tempts to it indircBly, and the "ways there*.
of. Of neceffary prefervatives againft this temptation. ''*
VSTE have feen and confidered the main end of Satan in-th»
** temptation- Let us further confider whether this was
the fole end that he propounded tp himfelf: We have little rea--
Son to think that he. would confine himfelf to- pne, whenvthe
thing itfelf dpth fo clearly fuggeft another, which might* poffibly.
have followed. In moft cafes,, the ends of the devil are mai*j*
fold: We may therefore eafily fuppofe, and Several have' noted
itf, that the devil, that great murderer, had herein- a Secret de
fign againft the life of Chrift, and that he tempted him here, in-.
diredly,, to felf- murder. And indeed (fuppoflng that Ch-rift:
had attempted to fly in the air, and had failed, in the interprife)-*
what elfe, could have followed but death and ruin? Hence lei
us note,- ,-h
Obf.{
* Dickfon in loc. f Dickfon in loc. Capcl Tempt. Part a. cap. 9.

C,^ap« XV. Satan's Temptations. 479
<?hf: 9} Taat Satan Seeks the ruin of our bodies, as well as
of but fouls, and tempts men often to felf-murder. That the
devil goes about feeking how hemay deftroy men, by putting
them upori'tttempts againft their own lives, is evident, not only
from tlMs'experiehce and confeflions of fuch as have fuffered un
der Satari's fuggeftions to that end, (and it is a temptation more
common, than we think of, becaufe moft men are, unwilling to
la^opeft themfelves to others in this matter) but alfo from
"thbfe many fad inftances of men over^whom Safari fo far pre
vails, that they execute upon themfelves this deSign, by destroy
ing themfelves. Yet by' the Way we may note,. That fuch
thoughts are often in the minds of men, where Satan is not in-
duStripufly defigning their deftrudion ; for he often calls m
fuch thoughts, riot only to try how men take with them, but
to affright and difquiet them, and it is ufual ;with men pf fad
ahd melancholy "tempers to miftake their own fears of fuch a
temptation, for Satah's endeavours againft them, when indeed
thbir fear and trouble left they Should be fo tempted, makes
them think they are tempted indeed.
1 Satan drives bn the 'defigh of felf-murder, two ways :
Firft, .Diredly, vJhen in plain terms he urgeth men to de
ftroy themfelves. This (becaufe it is diredly repugnant to the
l#eir of nature', which vehemently urgeth them to felf- preserva
tion) he cannot effed, but by the help of fome advantages ;
yet fome ways and methods, by experience, he hath found to
be fo available to fuch an unnatural refolve, that he frequently
puts them in pradice. As, xft, He works upon the difeontents
of men, and improves the difquiet of their minds, (upon the oc
casion of atty lofs, vexation, difappointment, or difgrace,) to as
great an height as he can, and when their lives are made bitter
to them, and tbey are fufliciently prepared by the uneafinefs of
rbeir condition ; then be propounds death, as the only remedy
to Set them at quiet ; wherein, befides hist ofneioufnefe to pro
vide them with instruments of cruelty and opportunity for their
ufe, he follows them with arguments, drawn from the fenfe of
tiheir prefent condition ; the great intendment whereof is to ag-,
jpSaVate: shei* fmatt, and to make their burden Seem intolerable^
aiad.*- then fetf-ruin is but a natural confequence. We may' fee
tattugb of this blithe difcontents of good men, and that they na-"
t#afiy work this way ; Job Speaks- the general apprehenfions
afwmen in trouble, Job iii. 20, 21. * The bitter in Soul value",
riot -life,, riaey long; for death, and dig for it more than for hid
treaSisres ; they rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they cart
fifffl' the grave.' Jonah in- his- difcontent prefers death before
fife, ' It is better for me to,.die than to live ;' Elias doth the
'''I-; . . -" - , like, .

480 A Treatife, pf Part IH.
like, and -Job feems impatient for kr All tbis.isfM»m;thdpow-
er and working of th,is tprrmtation,. tboughiSodfbeld their k^d
that it ctid. jaot fully. preyaiL in JUiitopheL, the ground of dis
content was mpre a fancieA;than a real.difgrace ; his counfel
was rejeded (which was, in itfelf no great idiShannur) and'fhis
works up Such a perplexing refentment in.hagtmind, that Satefti
prevails, with him to hang himfelf very, deliberatelyi ¦ ; ¦'•
Secondly, He moft frequently draws on men to deftroy them
felves by terj-prs: and defpairing • troubles of confcience y thefe,
as they afford greater difquiet arid diftrefs of , mind than other
kind of difcpntentments,;)Jo doth he more ptevaikhy them ; for
a Wounded Spirit is above ordinary. Strength), and, hard to bear :
Only it may fepm ftrange, that .thofe who fo experimentally
feel how * fearful a thing it is tp fall into -the hands: of the li
ving God,' Should entertain, fuch a temptation, as, to. their api
prehenfiohs and knowledge, will certainly plunge them into the
very ocean of everlafting vengeance. This no doubt Satan finds
to be no fmall obSkudion t« his defign, ;bu]t -here he ufeth his
ikill to open a way for them that would out- run their lives oft
the one hand, as he labours tP purfue them with fenfe of wrath
and indignation on the other hand. . To; this purpofe, he tells"
them, (i.) That all the hell they are to, meet with is iff their
confeiences, and that death will free them from all, or at leaft
that death will give a prefent eafe, and that till the refurrection
they Shall be in quiet. ' Thofe that are willing to receive thefe
apprehenfions, may .eafily be prevailed with to hafteh. their own
' death, feeing they have already fixed this conclusion with them
Selves, that there is no hope nor pardon for, them ; that they
are reprobates and cut off, for their thoughts can meditategnot,
thing but the terrors of fuch conclusions. (2.) He fometimes
endeavours to perfuade them, that by executing this revenge
upon themfelves, they may make fome kind1 of fatisfadion and
amends for the fins they have committed ; which, ^though moft
falfe, yet it is a wonder how far fuch ungrounded furmifes may
poffefs the minds of the defperate. That Judas might have:-
Some Such thought when he destroyed himSelf; is conjedured-
by fome * : But that muft be but a conjedure, feeing none can
pretend to know his thoughts; but we may fpeak with greater-
freedom of thofe, who haye declared the working of -fuch ap-'
prehehfions upon their minds., (3.) A more plaufible- pretext
he uSeth, when he endeavours to perSuade them,: that they may
kill themfelves, and yet go to heaven for all that ; to this pur
pofe the fubtle adverfary is not backward to tell them, what
have been the charitable expreflions of fome men, who havefup-
; . ' . , pofed!,
• Capel Tempt. Part 9. cap. 9. citing Aug. for if.

$tap. XV. Safari's Temptations. 481
pofed-a poSTrbility of repentance, inter pontem et foHtem, as we
fay, betwixt the -Stroke or halter, and the death. Capel * is fo
apprehenfive of the mifchievous improvement of this charity,
:for an encouragement to felf-murder, that he with great ear
neftnefs cautions all ministers againft fuch liberal expreffions.
I- have known Some, and heard of others that have been fo pof-
Seffed with this imagination, of being faved, notwithftanding
that having purpofed to deftroy themfelves, (though God pre-
;*ented them that they did it not) they have firft by prayer re
commended themSelves to God, and fo prepared themfelves to
die. .(4.) Sometimes though fuch afflided ones have no per
fuafion, but .that fr«m death they go immediately to hell ;
vet are they puShed forward, by a certain fearful curiofity
bf knowing the worft. At that rate did Spira exprefs him
felf, when he defired to be freed of his life, that he might
know the utmoft of thofe torments Which he feared; as if
the affrightments of his fearful expedations were worfe than
the real feeling of them. (5.) But moft of all doth he pre
vail againft that objedion of greater mifery aftet death, by
running men up to a defperate diftradion in their terrors;
their prefent anguifh is made infupportable, fo that they haften
out of hfe, without care or confideration of what Shall follow.
¦ Thirdly, He tempts men diredly to deftroy themfelves from
a principle of heroic boldnefs, and feeming fortitude of mind :
A thing wery common among the Romans ; who, impatient of
injuries, and from pride of heart, not willing to Subject them-
Selves to affronts, cfaufed rather to tear their own bowels, than
to live to fee themfelves abufed. Lucretia being forced by
Tarquinius, and "not willing to out-live her difgrace, Stabbed
herfelf. Cato not being able to endure the vidory of Csefar,
puts an end to his days. Innumerable inftances of this kind
hiftories do every where afford f. Thefe, though they con-
Suited their own paffions, and knew of nothing that prompted
them, but their own generality or magnanimity, yet were
they not without a tempter to fuch cruei adions. Satan un-'
doubtedly pleafed himfelf" by exercifing his cruelty upon them
fo; eafily, by the help of fuch an humour, which pafled, among
thefe blind heathens, for the higheft proof of virtue and forti
tude. . To this height it came, infomuch that we find Seneca
highly applauding Cato, for procuring his liberty by his own
death ; and fetting forth that fad as the nloft delightful fpec-
3 P ; tacle-
.'jCapel Tempt, ibid. t Sen. de Providen. c.-». 1,/quet mihi cum majno
fpe&afl'c gaudio deos...dum gladiym farm pe,&Qre iniigit, Non fuit dks iu)-
oiffirtalijbus fatis fpeciare Catoneni femel.

482 A Ireatife of . . J»art III.
tacle to the gods. Though indeed, as Auguftine notes *, it is
not fortitude, but weaknefs, and a clear evidence of impatie'ifice^
whicli cannot bearother mpos infolences, br their owii'harrj-
fhips. And if we examine the matter to the bottom, though
there be audacity in it, to undertake, their own death, yet "Is
this'ledon by no better principles, than pride, impatience, and
defpair : Which may the better be difcovered, if we confider
fuch. kind of attempts, as they arife from more ignoble and:
bafe occafions. Patercufus tells us* of. a Tufcan fOothSayer who
being carried to priSon with his friepd FulyiuSjFlacciisf, 'and
defpairing of pardon, defperately runs his head againft the prfi
Son dp'qr, and dafhpd out his brains; and yet this .man Was
moved to attempt his d eftrudion, upon the fame generalprin-
ciples by which Cato deftroyed himfelfi " 'V1' ';'''*
, Fourthly, It is alfo fufliciently known, that Satan,: by tfte
force of cuftom in feveral countries +, doth as it were51 necessi
tate men to cut off their own lives ; in fome barbarobs places,
at the death of the hufband, the > wife in a brutal aSfedion*'bf
the praife of love and loyalty, calls herfelf to7 be devoured by
.the fame flame, in which the dead body of her huSbahfi'is
confumed. And there are found in other places, cuftoms'of
felf-deftrudiop, for the avoiding the tedious inconvenientes ,bf
old age, where it is ufual for old perfons, with joy to pre
pare their oWn funeral pile, and to make a quick difpatch ;p£
their lives, and rather to die at once, than by piece-mea%* as
Seneca expreffeth it J. Calanus an Indian philpfopherj benig
dyfenterical, obtained leave of Alexander to burn himfelf for
more quick difpatch.
. Fifthly, There is yet another way by which men are temp
ted fometimes, thpugh rarely, to haflen themfelves out ofthe
worid, and that is, by a pretence of an earneft arid impatient
defire of happinefs to come. That longings for fuch enjoy
ments, dc become the beft of faints, and is indeed their excel
lency,, cannot be denied ; but to make fuch a prepofterous hafte,
muft be a' cheat of Satan. That' there is a poffibility - of this,
i*ay appear in the ftory- 1[ of Cleombrotus mentioned alfb'%y
Auguftine $, who reading Plato's Phaedoof the immortality of
the foul ; that be might haften thither, threw himfelf headlong
from a wall, and died. Now, though it be hard to find Web
-'¦ -i,v''an
*Aug de civit. Dei, p. i. c. ia. Major animus merito dicendus fell, Will vi.
lam rerum nofatn magis pored ferre quaiu fugcre. Et humamini judieWm...
pra; cSonfck-ntias luce- ac puritate cor.temnere. f As in the kingdoms #f Bif-
liggar, PurchasPilgr. 1. 5. c. ii. and in the Fhiiinpiaii Iflands, ibid. c".*r<5.
}?Perire membratim et toties per ftillicidia amittere' animain. Sen. L'pifl. ior.
Q^Curtius. ||. Cicero r.Tiif, crueft. Nihil urgebat auti-caUmiuiis aii^crimi"--
ms...fed ad bapeffendant raortcm...Sjla a-ftuit anirni hiaaiii'tudo. ^De civi:.
Bei,l.l. c. a?. * a ' '

Chap. XV. Satan's Temptations. 483
an^nftance among Christians, yet vie have reafon to believe,
that where Satan perceives fuch a temptation may take place,
be,, wjll not be wanting in' the profecution. And if we may
cprjjedure Auguitine's thoughts, by that queftioh which lib
propounds, vik. Whether it be lawful for a man to kill himfelf
fpr the avoiding of fin *? (which he folidly concludes) we
may pqnclude, th>tt Such thoughts were the' uSual temptations
pf good men in his. time +, and the rather becaufe. in the clofe
of that chapter, he, applies ,lhat difcourfe particularly to the
feryanfs pf Chrift, that they Should not think their liyes a

i

Secondly, Satan promotes the defign of felf-murder, not only
diredly, as we have , heard, but alfo by fome indired ways he
undprmines.^he bfe pf man : That is, wheri he doth not for
mally fay to them, deftroy yourfelves, but tempts thenTto fuch
things, as. he knows will let in death upon them. This way
of fubtle maljice I lhall explain under thefe heads.
xft, Upon higheft pretexts of zeal for God's glory, he fome-
imes,:>lays,a ,rfn,are for our lives; I cannot believe but Satan
had a hand in that forwardnefs of ancient Chriftians, who by
, an open prbfeffipn pf their faith before perfecuting judicatures,
did, as it were, court a martyrdom ; and I have the fame p'er-
,, fuaSion of the painful earneftnefs of many holy preachers, Who
.layifh out i,h.eijt ftrength in a prodigality of pains for the good
qf fouls, which, like a thief in the candle, waftes them imme
diately ; t whereas a better hufbanded ftrength might be truly
more advantageous, as continuing the light the longer : And
yet fo Sincere are their ends, fo pleafant is their work, that
they feldom obferve, as they ought, that Satan, when he can
.do, no better, is glad of the opportunity to deftroy them with
Wpir own weapon ; and therefore in this cafe, they may exped
he will do aH he can to heighten and forward their zeal, not
^ only by adding all the fuel he can to their inward propensity
^qjf laborioufnefs, but alfo by outward encouragement, of the
, declared- acceptations and expectations of their hearers.
,' idly, Upon bafer pretences of the 'full enjoyment of fenfual
^features, apd'parnal delights, he doth unawares pufh men
j forward to,deafh-and dangers. Thus the.voluptuous, the glut-
(f-ton, the drunkard, dig their own graves, and invite death to
, cut them off, before ..tbey have lived out half their time.
While Satan tempts men, to Such exceffes of riot, he labours
pot only the deftrudion of the foul,, but alfo of the body ; not
a P 2 only
*'JJe civit. Dti, I. I. c. a>. ' + Non itaque yotiis o fideles, cha'fti, ni tenia
*ita veftra. 'f Vid, Boyle's -Reflections, Sec. a. M«1.-io.

484 ' A'triatifi&f 'FartyHti
only that'they be mifetfable^ trot that- tUM^mAf he' So witfiaU
expedition. •"•¦¦ , "..«.:,., " ; "Hjuiq- v- u, -t i.--?> jr -.aufi
-$dly, Btefldteb'all tbefejfOh^ bath other Syfele'-«ay-iof^Gc^fitV
ing the deat-h df men, by puttiifig them ftpbnways and adiefts
that are 'attehdied with hazard." Thu> he Sought the death of
Chrift not diredlyi but indiredly; by' urging him to an adjbh
which he thought would Unavoidably bring him lb death ; for
a fall from So great a precipice, would eafily have bereaved
any man of life^ And Sometimes when mdn are befotted with
enthufiaftieal delufions, He Catt more eafily beguile thepi with
-fuch Stratagems : That inftance of Stucker is famous* who
wit off his brother's headj upon a foolifh perfuafion, that God
would magnify his great power in- giving "him life again. If
Satan can befool fuch bewitched Slaves into fuch abfurd and un
reafonable apprehenfions in' regard of others, ' What hinders but
that he may fo far impofe upon1 them; that? they may be wil
ling to praftife upon themSelves^ I remember fomething to
this purpofe, of one whom the devil had well-nigh prevailed
•with, to make a hole in his breaft, * which of neceffity muft
have let out his life ; upon a pretended proisife ef giving him
eternal life, and was accordingly forced to take up a knife,
and to carry it to' his throat. In anno 164^ ifl YbrkShire;*a
company of people Were feduced to facriAee certain creatures
to Godj among the reft they facrificed their aged mother-, per-
Suading her ftie fhould rife the third day, !and- for this-' they
were executed at York.
• AppHtf] This may awaken all to be aware of this tempta
tion ; feme are fadly concerned in it, many are the complaints
which fome of us have met withal about it in private, and the
apprehenfions of Such hazards are fadly difquieting. Through •
fuch fears. thoufand's cf God's dear children have paSfed, and
many, too many, have been overcome by this weapon; thpfe
qf us that have not yet known temptations pf this nature, dp
not know how foon we maybe affaulted in this kind :; it is ne
ceffary for all to Stand upon their guard, and for that end, it
behoves' us to have at hand thefe defences againft it.
Firftj It is ufeflil to confider, that this is one of Satan's
great plots ; and when- 'we meet with it clothed with never fo
many pretexts, enforced with never fo many feeming neceffi
ties-, yet muft we look upon it as the counfel of an enemy.
who certainly intends us no kindnefs," let Him pretend what he
will ; and therefore may we be Sure, it will be our Sad incon
venience and disadvantage.
Secondly, It muft be fixed in our minds, that the thing in
.¦:¦„'¦' ,-, ,'",, ' itfelf
* Sec the Narrative of John Gilpin, called the (fakers (haken. I' :

<Shbp. XV. Safaris -Temptations, 4'85
Melf is an high iniquity, a moft grievous provocation ; no in
ftance Of felf murder, properly fuch, can be met withal in
fcripture; as pradifed by an holy perfon. The command is
diredly agamfl.it, f. Thou Shalt hot kill.' If we may not mur
der' another, as Attltin argues, * we may not murder ourfelves -
For he that kills.himfelf kills no other than a man ;; nay we
may much lefs, lay hand upon our, own life. It is a greater
violation of the law of nature and of love. Every man is near-
eft to himfelf ;t and.hisfoye to himfelf, is the pattern of his
love to another.: Self-murder muft then be a fin of higher ag
gravations hy far, than the murder of another perfon. And
the wifer heathens were far from countenancing any fuch cruel
ty; if Plato had; thought.it b-sft for an immediate enjoyment of
- immortality, .which is the higheft pretence of felf-murder ima
ginable, to make ah end of life violently ; he would certainly
have pradifed it himfelf, or recommended it to others, but he
fe fo far frorn:6bJi§v that he fpeaks againft it as a great wicked-
^nefs.f -in !'!:"¦ •: .
Thirdly^ It as neceffary that men keep in mind the danger
¦that follows fuch an ad. Death brings God's unalterable
: mittimus, and Seals up the condition of every man, fo that in
the fame pofture he comes to judgment, it puts an end to all
hopes and endeavours. Suppofe then fuch tempted creatures
to. have fears and terrors as great as you can imagine them to
.be, yet there ia a poffibility that they may be deceived in them,
that their cafe is not So bad as they fear, or, if it be bad e-
jripugh at prefent; that it may be better afterwards (for many
that have in their anguifh refolved againft themfelves, have
.' been prevented of the execution of their refolves, and have
lived to fee the Lord and his falvation;) And who is able to
determine that fecret, ' that their name is not in the book of
life ?' Who can fay, he is certainly excluded out of God's de
cree ? What madnefs is it then to rufh into certain ruin, when
our fears that diftrefs us may be but miflakes. It is not fo
cdrta-inthat men fliall be damned, becaufe of what they feel or
fear at prefent, as it may be if they deftroy themfelves,
'Fourthly, To prevent occafions to this temptation, it muft
^be'our Care not to give way to difcontents for outward things,
- iior tq diftrefling fears, fuch as are defpairing and hqpelefs,
." for our Spiritual eftate ; or if we have a burdeneither way up-
= bn our mind, we muft avoid as much as may be- impatient
-i'fret-fulnefs, left Satan get advantage of us. Difcontented moods and
* De Civit. Dei 1. r. c. lo." Non Decides, non aUefum, efcgb nee te, ne-
t ,,nue enim qui fe occidit, aliud.quam liominem occidit, f AuS' dc Civil- Dei,
l.s.c.iz, Et Gpinent J-od. _yiv.,. ibid. -¦'¦.'

4$6 A treatife of Part III.
and caftiug away hope,!" are fad bPcafipiis for this temptation.
If wp fin4,pip^Cely,es thus burdened, we muft^loqk.tq. it betime^
apd not,^|erl:(,it,'tp.'gq top' far. \ And if thfs ..temptation come,
^e"«m'u^nt)^e\.beed we.^keeg >n~o't,tne, deviPi couqfelj but dif
cover thq^att.pr.tq Some fha^a're wiSe and faithful, able to ad-
vife arid pfay for us"; remembering Still, that if only outward
tbing3ftrou,ble, us, we have. ,a,, bette.jf way fp£-eafe a,nd remedy,
byifubrqittiiig, to, a chafliflng Providence ; if fpiritual troubl|s
mgveib.i? ,waJ. w? Wml^^npirxin tfrqm him,,but rather, re-
fofve to perifh at'his foot, as humble fuppliants. for mercy an^
pardon. , , ,-,,-. ,-,-. , •,,,, ; " _,
Fifthly, The temptation, muft alfo be oppofed, with .faftj,
ing and prayer ; if , thjs be Sincerely pradifed, it will go away
at laft i ' ,r ,, .-., . ,, . ;,,.-.,.-. - 1 -j"-.. . >-,
Sixthly-, Something may alfo be, Said forf caution,! againft ua.
neceffary thrufting ourfelves (while under fuch. temptations)
into places of danger, or into a converfe W^h jnftruments of
death; this may be too great a daring, of the temptation,, and
in the confequence a mifchief -v yet on the Oth^r hand, we muft
not be fe cowardly, as tq be afraid of Such places aq^ihings,
unto which .our callings and lawful employments. do.engage us;
not to dare to go over a bridge, or to walk by a river, o^a pit,
if it bk our neceffary way, is but tp give an advantage to Satan,
to keep us, binder continual. affrightments ; arid therefore. I fub-
. fcjibe tq,|Capel's advice *, * We muft abide by it, apd fight it
out by faith j we, muft not fly the w^ay, the place, the.pmplpjE-
ment, but go on and look to God, aqd at laft we Shall, make.Sji?
tan fly.', . ¦,.. , .. ,..>
Obj.] But if fome objed to this, that their wealyiefsis great,
and their fears arp Strong, and Satan never idle, and' that there
fore they haye tittle ground to expect an efcape. Anfw.'] I Shall
defirp they. W°uld confider ferioufly the inftance pf Chrift in
this particular, when lip was upon the pinnacle of the temple,
a Small pufh might have overthrown him, and, yet it was not
in. Satan's power to do it himfelf, though he tempted Chrift to
¦caft himfelf down ; which may Sufficiently fatisfy us, that there
is a fure hedge of Providence about us ; and that Satan cannot
dp us ^he leaft hurt, by pufhing us, into a pit qr river, or any
frich danger.

CHAP,
Tempt, Part 2, cap, 9.

Chap. XV. Satan's "lemptations. 4^7
'•--¦-"' , '1 ',.'nV , , ,
'¦>''- ' - C,H A P, XVI, ,; ,,,,„, ,..„',,
tijfcfiride, Satan's chief engine to bring on prefrim^tion:1 What
:, P™e "> al}d how it: prepares men for finning prefumptuoufty.
Confiderahons againft pride. The remedies for it s' cure'. Pride
kindled by a confidence ,of 'privileges and popular applaufe.
•iPHE aims of Satan' in this temptation being thus explained,
x I muft now offer to your confideration the means by which
he fought to bring his'end about, which We have noted already
Was pride : This He endeavoured to raife up in Him two ways.
xft, By urging to him the privileges of his condition, as ta
king himfelf to be the Son ofGod. '' !" - 1'- '
idly, By offering him the occafion of popular "applaufe, to
which purpofe he brought him into the holy city, where he
might be fure of many fpedators. I Shall hence" note,
Obfi. 1 o.J That pride is Satan's proper engine to bring men
on to prefumption.
If we flibuld trace the hiftory oS preSumptuous Sins, we Shall
ever find it to have been So. Adam's firft fin was an" high pre
fumption againft God's exprefs command, but pride was the
Stair by which' he1 knew -they muft aScend to it ; and therefore
he ufed this argument to corrupt the hearts of'our firft parents-,
' Ye Shall be as gods.' The prefumption of Uzziah in burn
ing incenfe upon the altar, was from his pride, 2 Chr.xxvi. 16.
' His heart was lifted up, becaufe he was become Strong.' Da
vid's prefumption in numbering the people was from. hence.
Thus might we run through many' inftapces ; but:,Satan's'own
cafe may be inftead of all ; his firft fin (though we have but
conjedure what it was particularly) is concluded by all to^have
been highly prefumptuous, and the fcripture exprefsly afferts,
that it was* his pride that brought him to it, r Tim. iii. 6. He
that is lifted up with pride, ' falls into the condemnation of the
devil.' And in the general, we are told by the prophet, Hab.
ii. 4. ' That the foul that is lifted lip,' cannot be fo upright, as
patiently to waif u'pbri God in a way of believing, but it
will be prefuming, to evade a trouble by indirect contri
vances. To explain the obServationi, I fhall do no more but' fhew
what pride is, and how fit it is to beget prefumption. ^
Pride is a felf idolizing, an over valuation or admiration of
ourfelyes, upon a real or fuppofed excellency, inward or out
ward, appertaining to us. It is in fcripture frequently expref
fed by the lifting up or exaltatio'n of the foul ; and this is done

imon

48S ATreatife qf Part III,
Upon the confideration of any kind of thing, which we apprehend
makes us ezcel others ; fo that inward gifts of mind, as know
ledge, humility, courage, Sac. or outward gifts of the body, as
beauty, ftrength, adivity, &c. or additional advantages of
riches, honour, authority, &c. or any thing well done by us,
gcci may all be abufed to beget and nourifh pride, and to Sill us
With high and lofty thoughts concerning ourfelVes ; and being
thus blown up, we are fitted for any prefumptuous under,
taking. For,
Firft, The mind thus corrupted begets to itfelf apprehenfion?
of a felf fuSSclency ; and therefore, as it is qot apt to ternem,
ber from what fountain all thofe excellencies come, and to
what ends they are to ferve, fo it brings them tq a pontempt
ofpthers, and toa ccnfidence of themfelves, Thus are men
by degrees fo intoxicated by their own humour, that they
mount up to irrational and abfurd conceits, fancying that they
are more than they are, and that they can do far more than is
¦ poffible for them to accomplish, till at laft they become appa
rently fooliSh in the purfuit of their imaginations. I need not
inftanee in the follies of Alexander, who being elated in mind,
would be Jupiter's fon, and go like Hercules in a lion's Skin ;
or in the mad frenzies of Caius, who, as he would need fancy
himfelf a god, fo would he change his godShip when he pleaSeq,
To-day he would wear a lion's Skin and plub, and then he mnl\
he Hercules ; To-morrow in another garb he Conceits himfelf
Appojlo ; a Caduceus made him Mercury? a fword and helmet
made him Mars, &c. or in Xerxes, who would whip the feas,
and fetter Neptune. The Scripture affords enough of this
nature, as the boaft of Nebuchadnezzar ; * Is not this great
Babel that I have built?' In the infolency of Nineveh, Zepb.
ii. 15. ' I am, and there is none befides me.' The blafphemy of
Tyre, Ezek. xxviii. 1. who fet her heart ' as the heart of God,
faying, I am a god, I fit in the feat of God.' The arrogancy
of Sennatherib, Ifa. xxxvi. 19, 20. ' Where are the gods of
Hamath — that the Lord Shall deliver Jerufalem out of my
hand ?' Though all pride in all men arifeth not to fo great an
height of madnefs, yet it is the nature ofit, and none have any
of it, without this humour of conceiting themfelves above them-;
Selves, which ftrangely prepares them for any prefumption.
Secondly, He that is proud, as he looks upon himfelf in a fiat?
tering glafs, and meafures himfelf by the length of his Shadow;
fo doth he contemn and Undervalue things that lie before his
attempts, as eafy and fmall ; hence doth he put himfelf upon
things that are far beyond him. David notes the working bf
a proud heart, Pfal. cxxxi. 1. in this particular, ' Neither do I
exercife

Clap. XIV Satan's Temptations. 480,
eyercife myfelf ,in, great (matter?,, or in things 'fob high for
me; fhewingfthafi itis.the guife of. pride to outbid itfelf in its
attempts. ; , , _
Thirftly, It js, not only forward to attempt, but alfo defoe-
rate ,tp execute, without 'confideration of hazard. Difficulty
an§,sd,.anlSer' ™*W they fland in the .way, Should ufually deter""
men.frpm the^r.enterprife; but prideb'ardens the. heartland iii:
a blind rage engageth it to contemn all inconveniences. If fin
and the breach of Gad's law be.fet before a perfon; whofe pride
engageth him tq an.-,urdawful undertaking; he overlooks it as a
thing of naught, < Through, the. pride of his countenance1 he
will riot feek after.pod, God is not in all his thoughts;' Pfal. x. 4,
Fourthly, Pride arifeth up vto a fcornful competition with .'
any thing that pppofeth it,; and. the more it is oppofed, the
morelit rageth : for the conteft, is for having its will: This was
the voice of pride in Pbaraoh, ' Who is the Lord that' I fhould
ferve him?' TJenp'fi men are laid to defpjfe the commandments'
of God, when in the ftrength pf their prida they are carried oil
to an open conteft for their owq, ways and defires, againft per
emptory comniands and threatenings.
¦Fifthly, AU ,;tlii3 is done by a pleafing allurement'; it is a
witchcraft that ftrongly holds men; and they think they are
fufliciently rewarded if they be but gratified * ; though other1
things go to wreck, yet they apprehend, if credit and honour
-be kept up, it, is .enough. Saul, when Samuel had declared
that God would, forfake him, yet fought to pleafe himfelf, by.
keeping up his efteem and authority, l, Honour me,' -faith he,
'before the people.'
If all thefe particulars be weighed, wh£t prefumptuous aft
can. be propounded by Satan which pride may not lead to? He
that fwplls himfelf to a conceit of abfplutenefs, that 'will needs
be attempting things too high, that contemneth, all hazards,
and is made more, forward by oppofition, and yet pleafeth him
felf in all, as in a golden dream, he is as much prepared for any
figure or Shape that Satan is .ready' to imprefs upon him, as
melted metals for their mould or Stamp.
Applic.~\ Hence muft we be warned againft pride, as we would
avoid prefumption ; and if we admit this, we cannot \\ ell efcape
the other. And we are the more concerned to refift pride,
ift, Becaufe it is a natural Sin; if was the firfl fin, and
bur natures are So deeply tainted with it, that it is a Sin that
firfl fliews itfelf in our infancy : For children will exprefs a
pride in their clothes very early ; and it is a general infection,
from yyhich'none are exempted in Some degree or other. The
apoflle's phrafe, 1 John ii. 16. Shews that out, whole life, and
-5 O all
* Amabiiis infania mentis gratiflimus error.

400 A Treatife of Part III.
all the concerns thereof, is but the Sphere in which pride ads j
and therefore, whereas he restrains other lufts, to «fome< parti
cular ends, or peculiar instruments, he calls this iniquity the
pride of life ; implying how impoSfible it is to confine it in a
narrow compafs.
idly, If is a fubtile Sin, and often lies where ii is leaft fufw
pefted. Every man fees it, a9 it is expreffed in hajjghty looks;
in boafting fpeeches, in gorgeous apparel,- in in-fofcnt beha
viour ; but often men are Infenfibly poffefled with this Sin and
know not ofit : Under an affeded contempt of honours and Sine
clothes, they Secretly hug themfelves in, their private conceits,
and raife up in their own thoughts imaginary trophies of hon
our and victory, for defpifing what others fo much dote upon.-
It was obferved of Diogenus that he did intus gloriari, inwardly
boaft, and with greater pride contemned honour, riches, plenty,
&c. than they were troubled with that enjoyed them. Some
decry pride in others, vehemently declare againft it as a fin, re
commend humility as an ornament of great price in the Sight of
God, and yet are proud that-they are above' others in a fancied
humility ; and In the management of themfelves, in their re
proofs and exhortation s", exprefs fuch fad fymptoms of an in-
fiilting humour, that the latent pride of their heart doth appear
by it.' It is poffible for men to give thanks to the Almighty
for all' they have, and yet to be proud of what is in them :
The Pharifee Was proud (for fo Chrift calls him) that he was-
not as other men, and yet he could thank God, as afcribing
all to him ; may, he that is truly fenfible of the working of this
pride in himfelf,' and dares not approve it, yet he Shall find in
his heart fuch a delight when he is ftroaked' or praifed, and
When fome actions praife- worthy are not taken notice of, the
beft Shall find that, without great watchfulnefs, they fhall not
be able to hold from giving fome hints to others as a memow
rial to them, of cbferving their excellency, or from feme infi
nuations of their own commendation.
¦3,dly, Pride is a fin no lefs dangerous than fubtle ; there are
no attempts fo Strange,- unreafonable, monftrous or abfurd, but
it may prompt to them. It was a. ftrange arrogancy in Herod
to deify himfelf in his own thoughts, and yet the acclamations
ofthe people fwclled him into fuch a blafphemonS imagination^
that God thought, fit to cbaftife him, and inftrud others by fo
dreadful a judgment, as clearly baffled His infolency, and made
him and his flatterers confefs, he was but a poor frail man.
Ordinarily pride is attended with a judgment, it is the very
prognpStic of iruin ;« Pride goeth before deftrudion, and an
haughty fpirit before a fall,? Prov. >\vi. i-8. But thefe jtidg-
, ments'

Chap. XVI. Satan's Temptations,. 49$
meats have fomething in them peculiar (which other judgments
for other fins do not always exprefs) to a manifestation of a
fpecial abhorreney in God againft pride; as x. He commonly
{mites the thing for which they, are proud, Staupitius boafted
of his memory, and God fmpte it : Hezekiah boafted of his
treafure, and for that God defigned them for captivity : David
gloried in the multitude of his people, but G-od leffpned thera
J>y peftilence : Nebuchadnezzar is proud of his Babel, and God
drave him from the enjoyment of it : Men are proud of chilT
dren or relations, and God oft removes them, or makes them
a Shame and forrow. %.. He doth not only this, but alfo orders
the jsidgna^nt fo that it Shall bring a Shame and contempt upon
men in that thing wherein they prided themfelyes ; he will not
only punifh, but alfo Slain their pride,: The haughty daughters
of Sion were not only plagued by removing their ornaments,
bracelets, and the reft of their bravery, but over and above, he
fnjites '.with a Scab. the crown of their head, and difcovprs their
Secret parte* and brings a Stink and baldneSs upon them inftead
' of a fweet Smell, and Weil-Set hair, and burning inftead of
beauty,' Jfa. iii. 17, 24.
So Sad a distemper Stands in need of a fpecial .cure ; aodifor
that end we Should, "
ift, In all things we have or do, not So much confider what
is excellent, or wherein we excel, as what we have not, and
wherein we come Short. We Should be ftrange to o.urfelyes,,
and defign .that tlie right-hand Should npt know what the left-
hand doth, which muft be, by having our eye upon the im
perfedions that attend us at the beft.
idly, It muft be our pare to be fufpicious ef the working of
pride in us, and alfo by &ri induftrious watchfulnefs tp give a
Slop or check to thoughts of this nature when they arife.
$dly, The conqueft of this cannot be p?ppded without a fe-
rions and ponftant labour herein. An humble foul is compared
by David to a weaned child, Pfalm cxxxi. 1. But a child is
pot weaned eafily, wormwood l muft be laid on the breaft, and
time allowed before the child will forget it. He only that is
Content to exercife a difcipline upon himfelf, and by frequent
pradices to habituate himfelf to' low and careful thoughts, is
likely tp overcome it. , '
Pride, we have feen, was Satan's great engjne tp bring on
prefumption, the means by whiph he endeavoureth to beget
pride, as was before noted, were, _
Firft, The confideration of privileges, as being th? ben ot
God, For this expreffion, « If thou art the Son of God, is
now urged in a fenfe different from that which it had m the
firft temptation 5, there he propounded it as unlikely that he
r 3 Qjt, ihonl%

40iV " VW A Treatife of Part III.
Should be the Son of God, and yet be under fuch a difregard of
Providence.. In this fenfe it notably fuited his defign of draw
ing him to a diftruft of God's care, and confequently of his
Sonfhip. Here he is upon a contrary temptation, and there
fore propounds this as a thing" of which Chrift was kffured,
and- from that afftirance he thus difputes, Thou believeft thod
art the Sort ofGod, and'doft well depend on' his care ; there
fore needeft. thou not to diftruft thy pi-efervatibn, if thbu caft-
eft thyfelf down.
Secondly, Ao help his confidence forward to the undertaking,
he fuggefts what credit and'honour it would be to him, in'the
Sight of all. the people to be So miraculoufly kept Srom hurt.
Hfence note, .'¦
Obf. xx.] That Satan doth -ufually kindle and nourish pride,
by a perverfe confidence of our privileges. " ' '
' It is very hard for Chriftians to carry their affurance' even ;
Not but that grace in its proper working begets humility, and
a watchful care againft fin and folly; but fuch is our infirmity^
that we are eafily drawn' to be proud of our mercies, and tb
perfuade ourfelves, that we may fnake bold with G°d, becaufe
we are his children. Hence was that paradox of Mr Fox, That
his fins did him moft good, and his graces moft, hurt; he means^
fins occafioned his humility; whereas His "graces were apt, thro'
his weaknefs, to make him proud. And to hide this pride
from men, 'God is forced to keep them fometimes from the
light of their affurance, or to difcipline them by other temp*
tations, as he did with- Paul, left they Should be exalted above '¦
meafure. ' . "/ ' ¦
Obf. xi.] Note further, That pbpular applaufe Satan finds,
,and ufeth accordingly, to be a great inftigator to pride. '
The great thing that mbved the' PhariSees in their often faft
ings, and large charity, was that' they might have praife of
men *, arid therefore took they care to be feen of men.' The
lieatbens', noted this to be the great 'feeder of that humour
which animated them, as a drum or trumpet animates foldierS
to, adventurous ads +. And fome good men have found no
fmall difficulty to cany fteadily; when they "have been hoifted
-tip by the breath of men's praife ; which hath alfo occafioned
thofe Serious cautions againft the danger oS flattery, and high
commendations, ' A flattering mouth worketh -ruin;' Prov.
Scxvi. 28. ' - s
CHAP,
* Popnlo monfirari, et dicere hie eft. + Quis vero tam bene modulo fuo;
metire fc novit, tit eum aflidua: et immodicx laudationes non raoveant. Hi".
Btepli. ..-..¦ 1 , . . ,

Chap. XVII. Satan's Temptations. 4po
CHAP. XVII.
Of Satan's fubtilty in urging that ofPfalmxci. xx, xi. to Chrift.
, Of his imitating the Spirit 'of God in various ways of teach
ing. Of his pretending fcripture to further temptation. The
¦ reafons offuchpv»tendings, and the ends to which he doth a-
„ bufe it. Of Satan's unfaithfulnefs in managing of fcriptures.
Cautions againft that deceit. The ways by which it may be
difcovered.,
ryHE ways of Satan, hitherto infilled on, to engage Chrift
- ¦*¦ in this; ad of prefumption, were fecret infinuations, and
under-hand contrivances : But that which he openly and ex
prefsly urged to this purpofe, was an argument drawn from
the promife of God, though fadly abufed and mifreprefented,
f He Shall give his angels charge concerning thee,' &c. This
we are next to confider, in which, as cited by him, we may ea.
fily See, (i.) That Satan affefted an imitation of Chrift, in the
way oS his refiftance ; Chrift had urged Scripture before, and
pow Satan endeavours to manage the fame weapon againft him.
(a.) It is obfervable that Scripture is the weapon that Satan
dpth defire tb wield againft him ; in his other ways pf dealing
he was Shy, and did but lay them in Chrift's way, offering on
ly the occafion, and leaving him to take them up ; but in this
he is more confident, and induftrioufly pleads it, as - a- thing
Which he could better Hand to, and more confidently avouch;
(3.) The care of his fubtilty herein, lay In the mifreprefentation
and abufe of it, as may be feen in thefe particulars ; 1. In that
he urged this promife tp promote a Sinful thing, contrary to the
general end bf all Scripture, which was therefore Written, 'that
We Sin not.' 1. But more efpecially in his clipping and muti
lating of it ; he induftrioufly leaves out that part of it, which
doth limit and confine the promife of protedtion- to lawful un
dertakings (fuch as this ^was not), and renders it as a general
promife of abfolute Safety, be the adion what it will. It is a'
citation from Pfalm xci. 11, xi. which there runs thus, '-He
Shall give his angels- charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy
Ways ;' thefe laft words, ' in all thy ways,' which doth dired
to a true underftanding of God's, intention in that promife, he
deceitfully leaves out, as if they were needlefs and unneceffary
"parts of the promife, when indeed they were on purpofe put
there by the Spirit ofGod, to give a defcription of thofe per
fons and adions, unto whom in fuch cafes the accomplifhment of
Ihe promife might be expected : For albeit the word in the ori
ginal, which is tranflated ways, doth Signify any kind of way or.
b' ¦ 1, ¦ ¦ : '* action

494 A! Treatife ^f Part HI,
adion in the general, yet in this place it doth not; for then
God were engaged to an abfolute protedion of men, not only
when they unnecefiarily thruft themfelves into dangers, but in
the moft abominably Sinful adions whatfoever ; which would
have been a dired contradidion to thofe many Scriptures where
in God threatens to withdraw his hand, and leave finners to the
danger of their iniquities ; but it is evident that the fenfe of it
is no more than this, God is with you while you are with him.
We have a paraphrafe of this text to this purpofe, in Prov, iii.
23. 'Then Shalt thou walk in thy Way fafely, and thy foot
fliall not Stumble ;' where the condition of this fafety , (pointed
to in the word then, which leads the promife) is exprefsly men
tioned in the foregoing verfes, ' My fon let them' (that is, the
precepts of wifdom) ' not depart from thine eyes,-— Then,' (not
upon others) * Shalt than walk in thy ways fafely.' The ways
then in this promife (cited by Satan)- are the ways of duty, or
the ways of our lawful callings. The fallacy of Satan in this
dealing with fcripture is obvious, and Chrift might have, given
this anfwer, (a? Bernard hath it) that God promifeth to keep
him in his ways, but not in felf created dangers, for that was
not his way but his ruin; or if a way, it was Satan's way, but
not his. 3. To thefe two Some add another abufe, in a fubtle
concealment of the following verfe, of Pfalm xci. ' Thou Shalt
tread upon tlie lion and adder.' This concerned Satan, whofe
cruelty and poiSonouj deceits, were fitly reprefeoted by the bm
and the adder, and there the promife is alfo explained to have
a refped to Satan's temptations; that is, God would fp ma.
nage his protection, that his children Should not be led into 3
fnare. Obf. 13.] Hence obferve. That Satan fometimes imjtat.es
the Spirit of God by an officious pretence of teaching the jnind_
pf God to men.
This our adverfary doth not always appear in one Shape.
Sometimes he ads as a lipn or dragon in ways of cruelty by
fierceneSs ; fometimes as a filthy fwine, in temptations^tobgiKaJ
uncleanneSs, and femfual lufts; Sometimes he put? on tbegarbof
holinefs, and makes as if he were not a fpiritual adverfary, but
a .Spiritual' friend and counSellor; that this is frequent with
•him, the apoftle tells us, 1 Cor. yi- * Satanhimfdf jstr.ansforr
med into an ange! of light.' Angels of light are thefe blefled
jpirits, fent forth to minifter for the good of the eled, whofe
miniftry God ufeth not only for our,prefervation from bodily
hurts, but alfo for prevention of fin aud furtherance "pf duty.
Satan (as wicked as he is) doth counterfeit that employment,
amd takes upon him to give advice for our good, pretending to

Chap. XIII. Safaris Temptations. 49y
to teach us in the truth, or to dired and further us in our en
deavours*. That he defigns an imitation of God and his Spirit, may be
difcovered by expreffing a great many particulars of God's ways
and appointments, wherein Satan (as God's ape) partly out of
mockery and fcorn, partly upon otb.e* grounds of advantage to
bis intendments, doth cpunterfeit the current ccin ofthe lord's
eftablifhments by a very clofe imitation, kut I Shall here con
fine myfelf tp the ppint pf teaching and inftrudion, wherein
hpw he proceeds, we fliall the better understand by considering
how many ways God hath of old* and now Still doth ufe, in de-
daring his mind to his people ; the fum of all we have, Heb.
i. i, 2. Heretofore he Signified his mind in divers manners by
the prophets, and in thefe laft days by his Son, in all which vi&
ShaU trace the Steps of Satan.
Firft, God revealed himfelf fometimes by, voice, as to Abra
ham, Mofes, and others : the devil hath dared to imitate this.
There want not inftances of it in the temptation, which is npw
under explanation, he did fo ; and his confeffihg Chrift, I know
thee who thou art,&c. doth Shew that he is ready enough to do
it at any time for advantage. Sprenger tells us a ftory of the
devil's preaching to a congregation in the habit and likenefs of
a Prieft, wherein he reproved Sin, aod urgpd truth, and feemed
no way culpable for falfe dodrine -. but I fufped this, for a fa
bulous tale; however it is undeniable, that lie fometimes hath
appeared to men with godly exhortations in his mouth, of liv
ing juftly, and doing no man wrong, Stc. Except we refolve
to diferedit aH hiftory, and the narrations of perfons, and fome
Such are known to fome in this auditory, who Solemnly affirm,
that they have met with fuch dealing from him. <
idly, God hath fometimes revealed himfelf to men in exta-
fies and trances; fuch was that of Paul, Ads xxii. .17. I was
in an extafy or trance. This alfo hath the devil imitated.
Mahomet made this advantage of his difeafe,^the epilepfy or
falling ficknefs, pretending that at fuch times he was in an ex
tafy, and had converfe with the angel Gabriel. But what he
only in knavery pretended, others have really felt; the Stories.
of Familifts and deluded Quakers are full of fuch things, they
frequently have fallen down, and have lain as ift a fwoonr and
when they have awaked, told wonderful Stories of what they
have heard and feen.
%dly, ViSions- and dreams were ufual things in the Old Tef
tament, and famous ways of divine revelation. But Satan was not
* Aug. Civit. Dei, 1. a. c. -.6.

496 A Treatife of 'Part III;
not behind in this matter, his instruments Had their" vifions tops-
In Ezek. xiii. 7. we have mention of vairt vifibris and lying di-
.vinations ; and fuch Satanleal dreams are alfo noted, Deut. xiii.
1. * If there arife among you- a* dreamer of dreams.' Thofe
days of confufion,that are not yet out of memory1, afforded Store
of thefe ; while unliable giddy headed people^egah to dote'on
novelties and queflions in religion, they gave opportunity to
Satan to beguile them ; for he taking advantage of their nau-
feating of old truths, and- their expectation bf fublime' difcove-
ries (which vhad fufliciently prepared them for any imprefficn)
did fo overwork their fancies, that they eafily conceited them
felves to< have had divine revelations ; and nothing was more
ordinary than to hear Stories of vifions and dreams. And this
Spread further by a kind of infedion, for it grew into a religi
ous fafhion, and he was not efteemed, that had Hot fomethinj*
ef this nature to experience. And though the folly and imper-
tinencies of fuch things generally (and fometimes the, apparent
wickednefs of them,, as contradiding truth and the' divine rules
of holinefs) were fufficient difcoveries, that Satan's hand was in
them ; yet until time, experience, and the pbwer of God had
cooled the intemperate heat of this raving humour, it eoqtinned
in the good liking and admiration of the more infcohfiderafe vul
gar. And Sometimes thofe, from whom more ferioufhefs and
ccnfideration might have been expeded, fell into a reverence for
thefe pretences in others, and helped forward this fpiritual witch
craft by their countenance and arguings, often abufing that text
in Ads ii. 17. < Your young men Shall fee vifions, and your'
old men Shall dream dreams,' by applying it to a justification of
thefe apparently fooliSh dotages. And indeed the effed hatli
difcovered they were no better; for many of thofe things which
with greaf ccnfidence were avpuched as certain, were by time
proved to be falfe ; many things were, ufelefs, vain, ridiculous,
and fome were brought to lament and confefs their folly, after
they proceeded far in thefe ways; and at lafl (when the"former
opportunities are worn out) Satan grew weary of that defigrf
(as being no longer proper to be infiftedon) there is now a great
calm ;' So that it is but Seldom that we hear oSSuch things talk
ed of. _ It were needlefs to give particular inftances, when you
may at your leifure fetch them from hundreds" of pamphlets
commonly known.
_ 4thly, One of the moll noted ways by which God difcovered"
his mind Was that of infpiration, by which fome eminent per
fons (called therefore prophets) fpake the will ofGod, 'as they
Were moved or aded by the Spirit of God.' The devil had al
fo his falfe prophets, fuch are frequently taxed in the Old Tef
tament

Chap. XVII. Safaris Temptations, 497
tament; and foretold In the New. < Falfe chrifts and falfe pro
phets Shall arife,' Matth; xxiv. 24. « There Were falfe pro
phets among the people, as there Shall be-falfe teachers among;
you, 2 Pet. 11, i. Many falfe teachers ate. gone out into the
world, buch an one was MontaHus in Tertullian's time, Da
vid George, John of Leydert, Hacket, our countryman, were
fuch, and a great many fuch there have been in all ages ; it is
notoriously known that Satan hath thus infpired poor ppffeffed
wretches, who have uttered threatenings againft fin, and woe
to finners. The fayings of fuch ppffeffed creatures have not
Icng Since been gathered into a volume *, and published as con
taining very perfuafive arguments to repentance and amend
ment of life. Befides thefe, our own times afford too many ex
amples of this kind, many have put on the guife ofthe old pro
phets, in a foolifh, though adventurous, imitation of their ac
tions and prophecies. Some have in our Streets refembled
Jonah in Nineveh, « Yet forty days,' &c. Some fancied to
walk naked like Ifaiah ; others have come with their earthen
pitchers and broken them, imitating thefe and other types by
which Gcd in his true prophets forefignified his judgments to
come ; in all which adions acd garbs, with much earneftnefs,
and in an affeded tone, they have called cut for repentance, in a
confident denunciation of woes and miferies, with a bold limiting
qf the time of forty days (that the fame might carry a parallel
to Jonah's prophecy), and fometimes giving, which is the fureft
way, an nnlimited uncertain time. Hew the devil ads in thefe
matters, and by what ways he feduceth them tp believe they
are infpired pf God, or have real vifions and revelations, . it is
not my bufinefs now to enquire, only let thofe that think fuch
things ftrange, confider, that' the devil hath the advantage of
deep fanciful apprehenfions, and a working melancholy in fuch
perfons, by which he can eafily work' them to conceit any thing,
and confidently to believe what they have conceited.
$thly, Sometimes God notified his mind by figns and mira
cles, Satan hath dfti his lying Signs and wonders ; a power
God hath permitted him this way, which is very great, and
the delufions wrought thereby are Strong, hazarding the decep
tion of the eled. This power of doing wonders the devil ufur
ally applies to falfe dodrines, to Strengthen and countenance er
rors ; the apoftle teftifies, 1 ThefT. ii. g. that Satan fhall employ
this power for the advancement of the man of fin, ' whofe
coming Shall be, with Signs and lying wonders.' The beaft ari
sing put of 'the earth, Rev. xiii. 14, he Shall deceive by the
means of thofe miracles which he hath ppwer tp do. And
' 3 R accordingly
* Jean D'Efpaigne Popular Brrprs, p. 76.

498 A Treatife of Part III.
accordingly tlie Popifli legends are full of Stories of miraeles,
Whereof (though moft be lies; forgeries, and the falfe contrive-'
ments of thofe who fought ia bring the peopfeto receive their
dodrines, the credit and advancement of which they fought by
fuch ways ;) fomb notwithftanding (though not true miracles)
yet were truly aded, to countenance thofe errors which are
pretended to be eftablifhed by them.
6thly, God doth teach and lead his peeiple by impulfes.
Chrift Was' thus led of the Spirit into the wildernefs, and Paul
was bound in Spirit to go to Jernfalem. It is common for Sa
tan to imitate filch impulfes. We have clear inftances of dia
bolical impulfei tb Sin in fcripture ; a Strong irnpulfe was on
Ananias, Satan Silled his Heart ; a ftrong impulfe on -Judas,
Satan entered into his heart : And what then more eafy to
apprehend, than that Satan can counterfeit better impulfes-,
fthd violently Stir up the hearts of men to adions feeiningly
good or indifferent. Some hypocrites are moved ftrongly to
pray br preach (Satan therein aiming at an increafe of pride or
prefumptioh in them ;) ahd they know no other, but that it is
the Spirit of God. God's children may have impulfes from
Satan, Upon pretences of zeal, as the difciples had, when they
balled for fire from heaven. In thefe impulfes Satan doth not
fo kdthe heart of man as the Spirit ofGod doth, whofe com
mands in this Cafe are irrefiftible ; but he only works, by al
tering the difpofition of our bodies in a natural Way ; and then
having fitted us all he can for an impreffion, he endeavours to
fet it on by ftrpng perfuafipns. Spme memorable inftanees of
thefe impulfes might profitably illuftrate this. Matth. Pari*
fiehfis takes notice cf a boy, * in anno 1213, of whom alfo
Fuller makes mention, who, after fome lofs which the Chris
tians had received in the war againft the Turks, went up and
down Singing this riiinte :
fefus Lord redeem our lofs,
Reftore to- us thy holy crofis.
And'by this- means he gafhered'a multitude of boys together',
¦who coul'd, not by the fevereft menaces- of their parents be
hindered from following him to their own ruin. Apother in
stance cf a ftrange impulfe we have in Jofephus ; f one Jefus
the Son of Ananus, about Sour years befort the deftrudion pf
jerufalem, at the feaft of tabernacles; begins to cry out 'Wo,.
wp tp the eaft and weft, tp man and woman,' &c . and coulcV
fcy ho- means be restrained night or day ;- and when his fleflx- was'
* Holy War. 1> i- cap. 24. f Wars of the- Jews, lib. 7. c. tj.

Chap. XVII. Satan's Temptations. 490,
was beaten off his bones, he begged no pity nor «afe, but ftill
continued his ufual prying,
_ fthiy, God doth alfo by his Spirit teach his people in bring
ing things to their remembrance, John xiv. 26. Satan alfo in
imitation of this, can put into the minds of -men, with great
readmefs and dexterity, promifes, or fentences of Scripture, inr
fomueh that they conclude that all Such adings are from the
Spirit oi God, who, as they conclude, fet Such a Scripture up
on their heart:_ Thus dealt Satan with Chrift, he. urgeth the
promife upon him, wherein upon the matter he doth as much,
as when he Secretly fuggefts Such things to the heart without
an audible voice. In this way oS craSt Satan doth very much
refemble the true wprk ofthe Spirit. (1.) In the readiaefs
and quickneSs of Suggesting: (2.) In feeming exad fuiting
fcripture fuggefted, with the prefent eccafion : And, (3.) In
the 'earneftnefs of his urging it upon the fancies of men. Yet
when all this is done, they that Shall feriouSly confider all ends,
matter and circumftances, will eafily obferve it is but the cun
ning work of a tempter, and, not from the Holy Spirit,
Obf. 14.] Obferve alfo. That whatever be the various ways
of Satan's imitation, yet the matter which he works and prac-
tiSeth upon is ftill Scripture : To this he cpnfines himSelS.
Firft, BecauSe the Scriptures are generally, among Chriftians,
received as the undcubted oracles of God, the rule cf our lives
and duties, and the grounds of our hppe. It would be a vain
and bobtlefs labour to impofe upon thofe that retain this belief,
the fayings of the Turkifh Alcoran, the precepts of heathen
philofophers, or any other, thing that may carry a vifible es
trangement from pr ccntradidion to fcripture, he could not
then poffibly pretend to a divine inftrudion, nor could he fo
transform himfelf into an angel of light; But by ufing this
eoyert of divine command, promife, or difcovery, he can more
eafily beget a belief, that God hath faid it, and that there is
neither fin nor danger in the thing proppunded, but duty and
advantage tP be expeded ; and this is the very thing that
makes way for an eafy entertainment pf fuch delufions. , Poor
creatures believe that it is all from God, and that they are adt-
ed by his Spirit, and , that with fuch confidence that they con
temn and decry thofe, as ignorant of divine myfteries, and of
the power pf G^d, who are not fo befotted as themfelves.
Secondly, The fcriptures have a glcribug irrefiftible majefty
in them peculiar to themSelves, which cannot be found in all
that art or eloquence can .contribute to other authors. It is
not play- book language, nor Scrapes of romances that Satan
can effed thefe cheats withal ; and therefore we may obferve
3 R 2 that;

500 A Treatife of , Part III.
that in the higheft delufions men have had pretences of fcrip
ture, and their ftrong perfuafions qf extraordinary difooveribs,
Have Striken men into a reverence of their profeffion, becaufe
pf the fcripture words and pbirafes, with which their boldeft
follies are woven up : For let but men enquire: into the reafon,
of the- prevalency of Familifm of old, upon fo vaft a number of
people as Were carried away with it, and they Shall find, that
the great artifice lay in the words they ufed, a language ab-
ftraded from fcripture, to Signify fuch conceits as the fcripture
never intended* Hence were their expreflions always high,
foaring, and relating to a more excellent and myftical interpre
tation of thofe divine writings. This may be obferved in Da
vid George, Henry Nicholas and .others, who ufually talk of
being ' qonfubftantiated with God, taken up into his love, of
the angelical life, and a great deal more of the fame kind.
The Ranters at firft had the like language, and the Quakers
after them, affected fuch a canting expreffion. And we may
be the more certain bf the truth of this obfervation; that fuch
a kind of Speaking (which borrows its majefty from the Stile
of the fcripture) is of moment to Satan's defign ; becaufe we find
the fcripture itfelf gives particular notice ofit ; the falfe teach
ers in 2 Pet. ii. 18. are defcribed, among other things, bytheir-
f welling words of vanity, which the Syriack renders to be a
proud and lofty way of Speaking, the original, fignifies no lefs ;
they were words f welled like bladders, though being prick
ed, they be found tb be empty founds, and no fubftance : There
are indeed f welling words of atheistical contempt of thofe, who,
as the Pfalmift fpeaks, Pfal. lxxiik 9, ii. Set their mouths ar
gainft heaven ; but this paflage of Peter, as alfo the like in
Jude ver. 16. fignify big fwoln words, from high pretenfions
and fancies of knowing the mind of God more perfectly, fos
they, that ufe them pretend themfelves prophets of God, ver. 1 .
and as to their height in profeffion, are compared to clouds
highly foaring ; and in 2 Cor. xi. 14. they are faid to be trans
formed into the apoftles' of Chrift, and to the garb ofthe mi
nisters of righteoufnefs. And that which is more, this parti
cular defign of Satan, is noted as the rife of all ; ho marvel,
for Satan himfelf is transformed into an angel of light.
Having feen the reafons why Satan chufeth fcripture, as his
tpql tp work by, I fliall next Shew to what bafe defigns he
makes it fubferve. , ,
Firft, He ufeth this artifice, to beget and propagate erro
neous dodrines. Hence no opinion is fo vile but pretends to
fcripture as its pattern. The Arians pretend fcripture againft
fh^ divinity of ChriSt. The Socinians,' Pelagians, Papifts, yea
, * and

Chap. XVII. Safari's Temptations. joi
and thofe that pretend torinfpirations for their rule, and dif-
.olaim the binding: force of thofe antiquated declarations of the
Saints conditions,' as they call them, yet conform all their fay*.
ingi to the Scripture, expreffion; and endeavour' tbi prove "their
mistakes by its authority. . " ,,r ., ,-,i
_ Secondly, He makes; abufed fcripture to encourage Sinful ac
tions ; he can cite pafiagesof God's patience and long-fuSfering,
of his pardpning grace, and readinefs to forgive, and a thou
fand more upon no other defign, than the turning of the grace
of God into wantonnefs. When profeffors turn loofe and ne
gligent, when they adventure too far upon finful pleafures,
they dick themfelves whole, by an over forward grafping at
fuch paflages iof fcripture, which Satan will, with great readi
nefs, .Set upon their hearts, and then they pretend to themfelves
that. their., peace is, made up with God, and that they haye no
lefs than a. fealed pardon in their bofoms ; which notwithftand
ing may be known tohave only Satan's hand and feal at it, by
their overly and formal forrow for fuch mifcarriages, and their
readinefs to return to the fame follies again.
Thirdly, Hy this imitation of the commands and promifes
of God, he doth Strangely engage fuch as he can thus delude,
unto, defperate .undertakings: The Familifts of Germany were
perfuaded by this delufion *, to expofe themfelves unarmed to
the greateft hazards, upon vain pretences of promifes fet home
upon them, as that God would fight for them, that they muft
ftand ftill and fee the falvation of God. Some of latter times
have paid their lives for their bold misapplication oS that pro-
miSe, * One Shall chaSe a thouSand.' Judas of Galilee, and Theu-
das Were prompted by Satan to gather multitudes together, tho'
to their own ruin, upon a vain perfuafion that they were raif
ed. up of God, and that God would be with them f.
iFourthly, He fometimes procures groundlefs peace and,affu-
rance in the heart of carelefs ones, by fcripture mifapplied.
Many you have met with, who will roundly tell you a long
Story, how they wpre caft down and comforted by fuch a fcrip
ture brought to their minds, when (it may be much feared)
they are but deceived, and that as. yet God hath not fpoken
peace to them. .
Zaftly, This: way of Satan's fetting home fcriptures, proves
fadly effedual to beget or heighten the inward diftrefles and
fears of the children of God. It is a wonder to hear feme dif
pute againft themfelves, fo nimble they be to objed a" fcripture.
-.,'.--,' againft
* Puncius in his Chronol. tells the like of one in Crcet, that called himfelf
Mofes. Anno 43 4. who perfuaded .the Jews to folio iv him, fdr the repofft- ffing
{if Canaan, f Jofephus Ami, Jud. 1. zo. c. 2.

502 A Treatife af Part III.
againft their peace, (above their reading or ability) that you
would eafily conclude- there is one at hand that prompts them,
and fuggefts thefe things to their own prejudice. And fome
times a fcripture will be fet fo crofs or edge-way to their good
and comfort, that many pleadings, muqb time, prayers and dif
courfes, cannot remove it, I have known fome that have feriotiSIy
profefled, fcriptures have been thrown into their hearts like
arrows, and have with fuch violence fixed a falfe appyehenfion
upon their minds as that God had cut them off, that they were
reprobate, damned, &c. that they, have born the tedious reft
lefs affrightments of it for many days, and yet the thing itfelf,
as well as the iffue of it, doth declare that this was not the
fruit of the Spirit ofGod, which is a Spirit of truth, and can
not fuggeft a falfehood, but of Satan, who hath been a liar
from the beginning.
Obf i j:J Obferve laflly, Thpugh Satan ufeth fcripture in
thefe deceitful workings, ye he never dpth it faithfully,
xft, Becaufe it is againft his nature, as it is npw corrupted
by his fall, there is no truth in him : ' When he fpeaketh a lie,
he fpeaketbof his own ;' John viii.. 44. for he is a liar, not that
he cannot fpeak a truth, but that he ufually is a liar, and that
he never fpeaks truth; but with a purpofe to deceive.
idly, To deal faithfqlly, in urging fcriptures upon the con
feiences of men, is alfo contrary to his intereft ; he hath a
kingdom which he endeavours to uphold. This kingdom be
ing diredly contrary to that of Chrift's, which is a kingdom
of light, is therefore called a kingdom of darknefs, being
maintained and propagated only by lies and deceits : He can
not then.be fuppofed to ufe fcripture faithfully, becaufe that
is the true fceptre of Chrift's kingdom ; for then Should Satan,
as Chrift argues, Matth xii. 26. caft out Satan, and be divided
againft himfelf.
This unfaithful dealing with fcripture is threefold.
Firft, The un faithfulnefs of his defign, tho' he fpeaks what
is true, yet he doth it with an evil mind, aiming at one of
thefe three things :
xft, To deceive and delude. If he applies promifes, or in
fills upon the privileges of God's cbijdren, it Is to make them
proud or prefumptuous ; if he urge threatenings, or Stir up
the confcience to accufe for fin, it is to bring them to defpair ;
If he bbjed the law, it is to enrage luft ; and that fin by the
pmrnandrnent might become exceeding Sinful.
idly, His defign is Sometimes to bring the Scripture under
fufpicion or contempt ; he puts fome weak Christians upon un
feafonable or imprudent ufe of fpripture, and then tempts others tb

Chap. XVII. Satan's Temptations. 5.03
tqlayigh at them, and to defpife in their hearts thofe ways of
religion, which Some zealots with too much weaknefs do ma
nage. Men are apt enough to feoff at the moft ferious and
weighty duties of holinefs, even when performed in a moft fe
rious manner. If David put on fackcloth, and afffid himfelf
with fafting, it is prefently turned to his reproach, and the
drunkards make a fong ofit; but much more advantage hath
the devil to raife Up from and loathing in the minds of de
bauched perfons, by the affeded and unfkilful ufe of fcripture.
Some by a narrow confinement of the words brother and fifter
tp thpfe of their own fellowship, as if none elfe were to be own
ed by' them, have occafioned the Scoff of holy brethren, (a phraSe
notwithftanding uSed with a grave SeriouSnefs by the apoftle)
is the uSual diScou-rSes of thofe, who wait all Occafions to har
den themfelves againft the power of religion. The like obfer.
yations they make of other ways and forms of Speaking, which
fome have accuftomed themSelves unto, in a confcientious con
formity to fcripture phrafe : In all which the deyil obferving
the WeakneSs and injudiciouSneSs of feme on the one bann, and
the Scornful pride of others on the other hand ; is willing to
provide matter for their atheistical jeers, by putting all the ob-
ligations he can upon the confeiences of the weak, to continue
jh the ufe of thefe eipreffians. For fome proof of this matter,
we may note the fecret deceit bf Satan, in that liberal profeffion
of Chrift to be the Son of God, Mark i. 24. Luke iv. 34. ' I
know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God :* Here was
truth Spoken by him, and, one Would have thought, with great
ingenuity ; but yet he cunningly infinuated into the minds of
the bearers a ground of fufpicion, that he Was not the Son of
God; zttd for that end Calls him Jefus of Nazareth, as if Chrift
had been born there ; he knew well that the Jews expected no
Mefliah from Nazareth, and therefore on fet purpofe ufed he
that expreffion, that he" might draw him into contempt. And
accordingly We find this very miftake, that Chrift was born
at Nazareth, became an argument againft him, John vii. 4r.
While fome were convinced, and Said, ' This is the Chrift^
Others faid, ' Shall Chrift come out of Galilee?'
3'dly, Another part of his defign in the ufe of Scriptures,'
is to put a varniSh upon bypocrify. , He is ready to ferve
men by putting fcripture expreffions in their mouths, and in
uring them t'o a conftant ufe of the phrafes- of thofe divine
writings, that they may lefs SySped themSelves of the pride,,
formality, and fecret wickednefs of their hearts ; and to help
on their mistakes concerning their fpiritual condition, he cart
Urge upon their confeiences thofe Scriptures that Serve to en
gage

5o4 A Treatife of Part Hfc
gage them In external observances of religion. It, may ap
pear by the Pharifees boaft of fafting twice a- week, qf pay
ing tithes, of giving alms, Luke xviii. U. that their con
feiences were fome ways concerned in thefe things, ,fq that
though they were left without check of confcience," to deypu&
widows ho.ufes; yet were' they, urged tp make , long, prayers.
Suitable! to this is that which. Solomon fpeaks qf tlfe, harlot,,
whs to colour over her wickednefs, had tier offerings',, and
vows, and wheq her confcience is, appealed with thefe per
formances, She. can excufe herfelf in her way pf finning, 'She
eats and wipes her mputh, and faith I have dpne no wick
ednefs,' Prov. xxx. 20. Satan doth but Hereby help,to paint
a fepulchre, or gild a potfheard, . and to furnifh, men with ex-
cufes and pretexts in their way of finning. Not unlike to
this was that Service, which the deyil with great readinefs
perSormed, as I was informed frprn fome of gpqd. credit, to a
young Student, who had fallen upon (ome books" pf magic in. a
college library, into which having ftolen privatejy one night,
inpurfuit of that Study, was almoft furprifed by the prefident,
who feeing a candle there at an unfeafonable time, Suddenly o-
pens the door, to know who was up So late, in which Strait
the devil, tp gratify his pupil with a ready, excufe, fnatcheth
away his book, and in a moment lays Montan us's bible be
fore him, that he might pretend that for his employment.
Secondly, Another point of Satan's unfaithful dealing with
fcripture, is his falfe citation of it ; it is nothing with him to
altpr, change, or leave out fuch a part as may make againft
him. If he urge promifes upon men, in order to their fecu
rity and npgligehce, he conceals the condition of them, and ba-
nifbeth the, threatening far from their minds, representing the
mercy of God in a falfe glafs, as if he had promifed tp fave
and bring to heaven eyery man upon the common and eafy
terms of being called a Chriftian. If it be his purpofe to diSj-
quiet the hearts of G°d's children, to promote their fears, or
to lead them to defpair, then he fets home the commands' and
threatenings, but hides the promifes that might relieve them ;
and, which is remarkable, he hath fo puzzled fome, by fetting
ori their hearts a piece of fcripture, that when the next words;
or next verfe might have eaSed them of their fears, and anfwer
ed the fad pbjedions which they raifed againft themfelves Srom
thence, as if their eyes had been holden, or as if a mill had
been caft oyer them, they have not for a long time been able
to confider the relief which they might have had. This hiding
of fcripture from their eyes (fetting afide' what God may dq
for the juft chaftifement of his children's folly) is effeded by
the

Cfiap. XVII. Satan's Temptations. 505
the ftrong imprefuori Which Satan fets upon their hearts, and
by holding their minds down to a fixed meditation of the dread
ful inferences which he prefents to thehi from thence, not fuf
fering them tb divert their thoughts by his inceflant clamours
againft'them. Thirdly, Be unfaithfully handleth fcriptures, by= wrefting the
true import ahd fenfe of them. We read bf fome, 1 Pet. iii.
16. who* wreft the Scripture. The word in the original Signi
fies a racking or torturing' of it, as. men upon a rack are Stretch
ed beyond their due length, to a dislocation of their joints, and
fometimes forced to fpeak What they never did nor intended ;
fo are the fcriptiires ufed. Thbfe that do fo are Satan's fcho-
lars, and taught of him, (though'in regard of thp Spirit's true
-teaching, they are called unlearned) which is fufficient to fhew
Sarah's deceitful dealing: He often lays his dead and corrupt
fenfe (as the harlot did with her dead .child in the room of the
living infant) ih the place of the living meaning of the Scrip
ture : This may be Seen evidently,
1. |n nerefies or errors, thefe are Satan's brood, and^there are
done fo vile (that pretend to Chriftian religion) but they claim
a kindred, to fcripture, and are confident on its authority for
them. Now'feeing truth is but one, and thefe errors pot only
conlradidory to truth, but to each other, Satan could -never
Spin put fuch conclusions from thfe divine oracles, but by wreft
ing them frohv their true intendments ; and he that would. con
template the great fubtilty of Satan in this Ids art, need but
confider what different; ftrange and monftrous fh apes, are -put
upon the fcripture, by the feveral herefies which march under,
its Colours. The Quakers, in their way reprefent . it like an
old almanack out bf date, and withal in the ufe they make of
it, they render it as a piece of nonfenfical furious roving. The
Socinians take down the fublime myfteries of CVift's fatisfac-
tion, and justification by faith, with external rewards and pu
nishments, to a ftrain as low as the Turkish Alcoran. The
Papifts make it like a few leaves of an imperfed book, want*
ing beginning and end, and fo not fit to be fet up/ as a Sufficient-
rule. The Ranters" make it Seem rather like language from
hell, than the commands qf the pure and holy God. Some
will have it to countenance' moft ridiculous inventions in wor
ship,, others will have it to difcharge all outward obfervations
and ordinances, as:Ghildifh rudiments. Some raife it all to the
pitch of enigmatical Unintelligible myfteries; others can find
no more in the. precepts of it than ih Ariftotle's ethics.. Thus
by diftdrtthg and wrefting, Satan hath learned thefe unfkilful
ones tb'oiako it'ferve their vileft lufts and "humours.
2'S" 2. The

5o6 A Treatife of Part III.
2, The fame aitt of wrefting fcripture is obfervable in his
fecret fuggeftions. lf.be would encourage any in fin, be can
Wreft fcripture for that,, and tell him, that God is merciful, that
Chrift died for fitineis, that there is hope of pardon, .that faints"
have done the like ; things very true in .themfelves, but per-.
verted by him to another fenfe than ever they were intended
to by God, .who'hath fpoken thefe ' things that we fin not. If'
he would difcourage a faint, he can tell him, when he finds, him
doubting His eftate, that the ' fearful and unbelieving have
their part in the lake which burns with fire and'brimftooey'
RAv. xxi. 8. when he finds hinl under a known fin, fie tells that
of'the apoftle, ' If we fin wilfully afteir we have; received the
knowledge of the, truth, there remains no more-facrifice for fins.'
When He obferves them difcompofed and wandering in duty,
then he objeds, ' They draw nigh me with their lips, but their
heart is far from me.' If he fees them dull and without con-
folation at tlie Lord's flipper, then to before they hear of him;
* he that eats and drinks unworthily, eateth and drinketh dam
nation to himfelf,' i Cor. xi. 29. If he find him bemoaning that
he is npt fo apprehenfive of mercies or judgments, as he would
be; then he Sets home Some Such fcripture as this, * This peo
ples heart, is waxed grofs, and their ears are dull of hearing,*
&c. Matth. xiii. 15, Thefe Scriptures- are frequently pervert
ed by Satan from the true, and proper meaning of them". I have
had complaints from feveral dejeded Chriftians, of thefe very
Scriptures urged Upon them tc their great trouble, when yet it
was evident, that none of thefe were truly applied by Satan's
temptation againft them. , • ,
Applic] Thefe things give us warning not to take any thing
of t\iii nature upon truft. If Satan can fo imitate the Spirit of
God in applications of fcripture, and bringing it to our re
membrance,- we have great reafon to beware, left we be impo-
fed' u-pbh by Satan's defign clothed in fcripture phrafe ; not that
J would' have men efteem.the fecret fetting of fcriptitre upon
their minds to be in all cafes a delufion, and to be disregarded
as Such. Some indeed there are that fo Severely x remark, the
weaknefies of profeffors of religion, that they raife up a Scorn
to that which is of moft neceffary and ferious ufe ; becaufe'tbe
deyil prevails with fome hypocrites to gild themfelves with
fcripture phrafe, and others through imprudent inadvertaney,-
( Unknown to themSelves) beguiled.by Satan, to misapplications
of fcripture to their own eftate, or to' other things ; they there
fore decry all the inward .workings of the heart, as fancy, or
affeded Singularity : Thefe do but the devil's work. But that
the Spirit ofGod (whom Satan treacherbufly endeavours to i-
mitate)-

Chap. XVII. Salon's Temptations. 5o7
mitate) doth fet home fcripture commands, threatenings and
promifes upon the hearts, of his people,, is not only attefted by
the experience of all that are inwardly acquainted with the
ways ofGod, but is one, of the great promifes which Chrift
Hath given for the comfort of his people in his abfence, John
xiv. 26. < But the Comforter which Is the Holy Ghoft, whom
the lather Shall fend m my name, he Shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to ypur remembrance whatfoever I have
Said unto you.' This .then being granted as a firm unfliaken
truth, our care muft be in discovering and avoiding Satan's
counterfeit ufing of Scripture, ?hd in this we Shbuld be more
wary ;
Firft, Becaufe we are not So apt to. SuSped what we meet
with in Such a 'way, when it is brought to us in the language
of Scripture.
'Secondly, And thofe that are not exercifed in the fcripture,
will be at a fad lofs as not knowing how to extricate, them*
Selves from fuch difficulties, as may arife to them from Satan's
Sophiftry. ) ,
Thirdly, Warinefs is alSo more neceSIary, .becaufe we are
inclinable to believe what Suits our defires* and conScience a-
wakened is averSe to the rejeding of that whiph anfweirs its
fears. ¦ '•'• ''';.'.:
$&uefi. You may fay, what is there of dkedion for us in this
cafe? . .' ' ,,r';' ', '¦
Anfw. The anfwer is ready ; two things' are given us In
charge, (i-.) That we be wifely SuSpipions. A facile hafty
credulity' is treacherous. Chrift forbids (when he foretels the
rifing of falfe chrifts,. Matth. xxiv. 26,) the- forwardnefs of a
Sudden belief, taxing thereby thofe that are prefently taken
with every new appearance. It is childifli to be carried with
every wind; we are warned alSo of this, t Johniv. 1. 'Believe
not every Spirit.', (2.) We are commanded to bring all preten
ces whatfoever to trial, though immediate revelation or vifion
be pretended, or extraordinary commiffion, yet muft all be
brought to the touch-ftone, we mwfl ' prove all things,' 1 TheST.
v. 12. * and try thefe that fay they areapoftles,' Rbv. ii. 2.
Nay, the fpirits are to be tried whefcffer they be of God, 1
John iv. 1 . . .
^ueftl You will fay, How muft we try ? ,
Anfw. Iahfwer, God hath given a public, Sufficient and per
tain rule, which is the. fcripture and all muft be tried by that:
So that if there be impulfes, cr difcoveries, or remembrances of
Scripture upon any,,it.rn,uft not be taken for grantec| that they
are of God, becaufe they'pretend fo high (for fo we Shall make
3 S 2 Satan

£0,8 A Treatife of Ear* III.
Satan judgein fids own caufe) but lay aHrtatillsie Jane, and plum*
met of the written Wbrd, .and. ifit janfwer noti that; patt it (Con
fidently a delufion, and rejed it -as accurfed^ though -it might
Seem, ini other regards, to hase been fuggefted hy-an angel from
heaven. ' . ¦ A,.rrr-»i
pi/V&.But-.it will be- faid; Satan pretends to .this rule, and
It is Icripture'that is urged by him. ¦>ai
Anfw A anfwer, though it be fo, yet he ufeth. not fcripture
in its own.intendmeht, and fenfe, for the difcovery of his un-
faithfot/dpaling. ' • >i / _-;.j -.:.-;. - j,
' xft, Compare the inference of. the fuggeftion with other Scrip
tures, If it be from a dark fcripture, compare it withlkife
that are more plain, arid in everycafe fee whether the general
current of the fcriptures fpeakvthe fame thing-*: For if it be
from Satan, he either plays with the words and phrafes, from
doubtful and equivalent ' terms making- his cdndlufibn^ or h%
citation will be found impertinent, or which is-naoft" ufnal,-con-
traryto truth or holinefs; if anyr.of thefe'appeariby a truer ex
amination of the import of the Scripture which he feeks to a-
foufe,or by comparing it with ,Jfhe' Scope "and genius of other
Scriptures, you may certainly pronounce that it is no.t of God?
but Satan's deceit. ' ', \ -", '
idly, Confider the tendency, of fuch fuggeftioiis ; let no man
fay that tbte will come toe rate, or that it is an after-game :T
do not mean that we 'Should flay fo long, a$ to fee the effeds.;
though this Is alfo a 'certain, difcovery pf.Satab's knavery in
his higheft pretences : ' the fanatic furies of the, (jfprmart ' eh-
thufiafls do now appear plain to all the world to . have beeji
delulions, by their end, fruits and iffue, but that while thefe
conclusions are" obtruded upon us^ we Should obferve to what
they tend ; which we Shall the better know if all circumftan
ces round about be confidered. Sometimes Satan doth .covertly
hint his mind and Send it along with the fuggeftion ; Sometimes
our condition will enough declare it, and therp is no cafe but
it will aSford. Something of difcovery if ferioufly pondered, jf
he either prompt. us to pride, vain glory, or prefumptlpn^ or
that our co'nditjon fway us that {way, it will be Sufficient ground
of fufpicion that ll 's Satan that then urgeth promifes or. pri
vileges upon us. If we are' of a' wounded fpirit. inclined. to
diStruft, or if we be put on to defpair, iris pajt 'derijia|^ that
it is Satan that ¦urgeth the threatenings, and pveffeth the accu
sations of thejjay^' againft us. , He that gathers ftones, timber,
' " _ lime;
* Though it was fctipture that Satan urged to Chnft, yet \ie reje&s his
inferenceas Mfe; becaufe coutrar* to othCrphnlj fcriptures; prohibiting not
to tempt the Lord. - „¦ . . ; ,_¦ . .: . ¦ :

Chap. XVIII. Satan's Temptations. CQ9
lime, and fsch materials together, as are uSually employed in
building dotb diScover his intention, before he adually build
his houfe;- and thus may Satan's end be known by his prepar,
ations, compared with the Sway and indination of our prefent
temper. '',;•.-•
3%, It mufl be remembered that, with thefe endeavours
we.ofteu feek the face.ofthe Lord for help and counfel , and
that we apply ourfelves to Sue: ol the fervants ofGod, as
being more knowing than ourfelves, anddefs prepoffeffed
in their judgments (becaufe not concerned) are better able
to fee into the nature pf our Straits, and tp help us by their
advices.

MATTH. iv.iel. : Agairii.the Devil taketh him up into an exceed^
ing high mountain, and ftjeweth him all the kingdoms of fhg
i world, and the glory of th.em ^
CHAP. XVIII.
Ifhe manner of Safaris fhewing the kingdoms ofthe world. Of
Satan's preparations before the motion of fin. Of his confront-
™&-}fy Almighty by prefumptuous imitation ; and in what
c^fes he doth fo. Of pis beautifying the objeB of a tempta
tion, and how he doth it. His way of engaging the affeBions
t ?jK ffye, fenfes. Of his feeming fhynefs. ¦
rTHIS is the preparation to the third temptation ; in which
_ ¦*¦ we have, i. The place where it was aded. a. The ob
jed fet before him there.
'' Firfl, The place was an exceeding high mountain. What
jho.unfain it Was, Nebo, PifgaH, or any other, it is needlefs to
phqulre : It is of more ufe fo aSk after the reafons of Satan's
'choice of Such a place. The text doth clearly imply one that
has the commodioufnefs of profped ; Satan intending to give
hirh a view of the kingdoms" of the world, chufetb a mountain
aS fitt'eft for that end. But that this was not all the reafon, Is
hbfpnly intimated by Some, * but ppfitively affirmed by o-
th'ers, Y who think that Satan in this imitated the like in God
to MoSes, who was called up to mount Nebo, to view the land
which God pfomiSed' to' Ifrael. Whether thefe" circumftances
¦«<..'* '•' * ' - . pf

r.

Lightfoot Harm, in loc. f Perkins Com. in loc. Deut. 32, 49, and

cjd •:¦'¦• A Ireatife of VartUl.
ofthe mountain, and the View of the kingdoms qf the world,
were pf purpofe contrived to affront God by fuch an imitation,
I will not be pofitiVe in it :-'• JBut we may with greater evi
dence affirm, that'in offering, the kingdoms 6f the world, as
things altogether in his difpofal, he doth diredly out-brave
God by art infolent comparifon of bis power with that of the
Almighty's, whofe is the earth and the fulnefs of it, and to
whom the fovereignty of the difpoS'al of it doth belong.
Secondly, That which Satan Sheweth Chrift from the mounj
tain, is faid to be the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of
them. Here feme bufy themfelves fo conjedure what king
doms' were thus pointed at ;, |ome keep fo ftridly to the. wprd
all, that they are forced to tfie up with that opinion, that all
thefe temptations viere only in vifion ; * for they confider that
no one mountain in the world can give a profped eye* one
whole hemisphere, or if it could, yet no eye would be able to
difcern at fd great a distance.' But the incpnyeniences of this
furmife have been pointed at before, and it is enough to Shew
that the text may admit of ah interpretation, which Shall net
be incumbered with ttys Suppbfe d impoffibility.
Others reftrain this to the land of Canaan, as if Satan' only
Shewed this as a famous inftanpe of the glory of all kingdoms.
Some think the Roman' empire (which was thens moft flourish
ing, and lifted up its head above other kingdoms) was the
great bait laid before Chrift, as- if he bad a defign to divert
ChriSt, from the bufinefs of his office, by offering him the feat
and power of Antichrist : f " But the text runs not fo favoura
bly' for any of thefe opinions, as to conftraiu us to Slay upon
them, Kingdoms of "the world feem to intend more than Canaan^
qr the ;Roman empire, the word kofmqs ufed here, and alfo'
In Luke, which we tranflate the world, do fo apply to onp
another in a mutual accommodation, that we cannqt Stretch the
WQtld to the largefl fenSe ofthe whole .globe ofthe earth, be
caufe, it is "expreffed in Luke by a word which Signifies fuch
a part ofthe world, which is more cultivated and honoured by
inhabitants ; not pah we fo reftrain if tq the Roman empire,
(though when they fpake their apprehenfions qf their own em
pire, they fpem to engrpfs all, Lpkeii. i.) becaufe IVJatfhew
uled the wprd kofnws, a wprd of greater freedpm- ft feems
then that mswy kingdpms, or the moft confiderable kingdoms
of the thpn known world.; wrere here, expofed to his fight. But
then th§ difficulty Still- remains Jiow. the- devil could fhew them
to his eye. That it was not a vifionary difcovery to his mind
hath been Said ; Some think he Shewed theSe partly by ocular,
profpects
* Hob's Leviathan, c. 45. p. 354. -J. Lightfoot Harm, in loc.

Chap. XVIII. Safaris Temptations. jti
profpeds of thofe cities, caftles, towns, vineyards, and fields
that were near, as a compend ofthe whole ; and. partly by dif
courfe of the glory, power, and'extentof other kingdoms that
were out of the reach of the eye : But becaufe the expreffion
which Luke adds, in a moment oftitne, mtimates that the, way
Which, Satan took, was different from Common profpedting or
beholding ; others are not fatisfied with tjhat folution of the dif
ficulty, but fly to this fuppofition, that Satan ufed only jug
gling and delufion, by framing an airy horizon before the eyes
of Chrift ; Shewing not the kingdoms' themfelves, but a phanM
tafm of his own, making. But feeing this, might have been
done in any place, and that an high;mouatain was chofen for
furthering the profped,, I think it is fafeft to conclude that the
profped was ocular, * and not phantaftioal but real, only help*
ed and affifted by Satan's Skill and art, as a great naturalist,
and as a prince of the power of the air, by Which means, in
refledions, or extraordinary, profpedi ves, he might difcover
things at vaft distances; which we may the rather fix upon,
becaufe we know what helps for profpeft, art Hath difcovered
by glafles and telefcopes, by which the bodies ofthe fun,. moon,
and planets, ,at fuch; unfpeakable distance from us, Have in this
latter. age been ^difcoyered, to us, beyond ordinary belief. And
we have reafon to think that Satan's Skill this way far exceeds
any thing that we have come to the ^knowledge of,, and fo
might make real difcoveries of countries far remote,, more than
We can well' imagine, . -
Thefe things thus explained, I fhall note feyeral obfervation s.
Obf. i.] Firft, If we confider this great preparation that Sa-
tan makes, as introdudory to the temptation to follow; wfc
may obferve, That where Satan hath a Special defign, he pro
jeds and makes ready all' things relating to the temptation be
fore fie plainly utter his mind. He provides his materials be
fore he builds, and lays his train before be gives fire. What
is his method we may learn from the pradice of thofe that are
trained up in his fervice. They, in'Rom.ixiii, idt. are faid to
make provifion fpr the flejb, to fore-contrive their fins, and to
projed all circumftances of time, i place, occafion, and advan
tage for their accomplifhment. This is not to be underftood
of all fins ; for ift fome that are inward in the mind, (as vain
thoughts, pride pf heart, gfec.) there needs not fuch provisions ;
we may fay of them, their times are always, and in many ca
fes the houfe Is Swept and garniShed to his hand, he finds all
things ready,- by the forwardnefs of thofe Who are free In his
fervice, and the fudden accidental concurrence of things. But,
•> where
* SO alfo Liicas Brugcnfis thinks in lo!?.

5r2 A'freatifeof ' •Part^II.*'
where the temptation is" folemn, and where1 the, thing defignedy'
in the perfeding of it, relates to exterior ads, there he ufeth
this policy, to have all in readinefs .(though 'it celt Him the la
bour of compaffing fea and land for it, before" he expreTsfy"
fpeak his purpofes. His reafons are thefe ; -¦? ,
Firft, If things neceffary for the encotiragement' and" accom
plishment of a temptation; lay put of the way, and were not
at hand, his fuggeftions would perifh as fboh as* they were born/
and would be rejeded as impoSfible or inconvenient. To tempt
a man to fteal, when he knows not where, nor how, or tb rb-
venge when he hath no enemy, npr provpeation, feeiq to be" no-
other than if they Should be commanded to remove a mountain,'
or to fly in the air, which would quickly be declined, as mo
tions affording no ground of entertainment ; And therefore" that:
his temptations may not bring a reafon of refufal with them,
as being unfeafonable, he takes care to fit his fervants with all
things requisite for the work he puts them upon.
Secondly, As temptations of this kind Would be no .tempta
tions, becaufe not feafible, without their preparations ; fo muft
we not think that it is the bare fuggeftion of Satan that makes
a temptation to pierce. The reafon of its prevalehcy is not
barely becaufe Satan breaks fuch a motion to us, but becaufe
fuch amotion comes accomplished with all fuitable preparations.
When it prevails, it is the Sinful motion that wounds, but pre*
parations ¦ are as the feathers that wing his arrows, without
which they would neither fly nor pierce. -
Appl,] Let us, firft, renew our caution and fufpicion in e-
Very thing, and every place, that Satan is at work againft usy
though we fee no vifible fnare.
Let it put us upon fuch a watchful carefulnefs in every of
our ways, that we may refolve to undertake nothing for which
we have not a good and warrantable Teafon at hand, that if our
confcience fay to Us$ What doft thou here ? we may be able to
give a good account,
J Secondly^ If we mind the behaviour of Satan in thefe prepa
rations and offers, we fee him ad after the pattern of higheft
fovereigtity, difpofing pf earthly kingdpms at filch a rate, as if
all power were in His hand. Hence we may obferve,
Obf.i.] That When Satan tempts' to fin of higheft contempt,
and infolence againft God, he then thinks it concerns him 'to
bear himfelf out; by confronting the Almighty,- ih imitating
his authority and powef. ¦
Tliis carriage of Satan is not to be found in" all his" tempta"i.
tions : For in moft cafes he ads' with greateft fecrefy, and as a
thief- that is afraid bf difcovery, he ufeth all ways poffible for
concealment ;

Chap. XVIII. Safaris Temptations. 513
cefncealment,; but when he fets up himfelf as the god of the
World, and Stands in competition with the Lord, claiming an in
tereft in the fear and devotion of men, then he boldly avouch-
eth himfelf, and labours^ to outvie. God in point of greatnefs,
that he might poffefs them with a belief that he only ought to
be ,feared. _ This arrogancy of Satan againft God, may be feen
in .three .things : '.' /
_ Firft, In imitating divine ordinances and institutions. sTheve
*? nHta?X ??rt of diyine worfhip, the observation whereof Geo
hath^enjHurfeq to men,, but Satan hath fet up Something like it
for himSelf. As God appointed his temple, priefts, altars, Sa
crifices, offerings, -tithes, fanduaries, facraments, &c, fo hath
Satan had his temples, priefts, altars, facrifices, offerings,; Sanc
tuaries., facrampnts, See, This is fufliciently known to any
that, , read, his ljtSrqxies; and I could give a full account of it
from heathen. a.UthoEs, but .that I have done already when I
fpoke of Satan's ^htilty. in, promoting idolatry in the world.
I", Shall only adtipfere that which Varro relates of the books of
I^uniaPompiiius*,. which were caflially caft up by the plough
of one Ter^ntijqs,^cpniing too near the fepulchre of Numa,
vfhere thefe bqoks bad been buried. This Numa was the fe
cond king of the Romans, who., instituted the rites and cere
monies of Pagqq worShip for his fubjeds, and in thefe books,
(Which he thought fit to conceal, by burying them with him)
lie had laid open then bottom of thefe deyiliSh myfteries, fo that
when they were brought to the fenate, they, judging them un
fit to be known, .adjudged them to the fire. Which is a clear
ground of fufpjcipn that he had there difcovered fo,rniichof the
caufes of thefe rites, or of the way whereby he came to be in-
ftruded in them; , ,that the- public knowledge thereof confifted
not with the intereft of their heatheniih religion. This conjec
ture Auftin + hath of the matter, who alfo notes, that Numa:
fretended familiar conyerfe with the nymph iEgeria, as a plaur
ble cover to that deviliSh art of hydromantia, by which he
was inftruded in, ordering the ceremonies of idolatry, which he
eft^blifhed. ";/
Secondly, Satan with no lefe arrogancy, takes upon him to
imitate God, in his ads pf power for the' countenancing of his
WorShip in the, world. He had bis miracles frequently, of
which I haye fpoken elfewhere, fo had b« h's oracles, , as , at
©je^^ps and other places. Here it fliall Suffice to note, that as
the Sending the Lord JeSus into the world, furnifhed with fuch
power of doing miracles,' fot the confirmation of that office and
authority, which he had received from God, for the redemp-
'•'"¦'.. 3 T tion
? Varro jle Cullu Deoruin. f De Civit. Pci, 1. ",. c. 34, and iS-

5 1 4 A Treatife of ." Part HI.
tion of man, was the higheft inftance that can fee given, of the
mighty power, wifdom, and goodnefs of God';*fo Satan fefc.
himfelf with' greateft i ndu ft ry to imitate that.- Chrift was;al-
moft no fooner afpended to thp Father, but we hear of Simon;
Magus, Ads yiii. 9, wno was cried up as ah inftance of ; tlie
great power of God ; and after that at Rome he gave out tha#
he was God, confirming the people in fuch a belief, by |hb
ftrange things which he there did among them, that a Statue
was erected for his honour, with this infcription, To Simon a
great God.' Long after this the devil raifed up Appollon'ius
Tyanaeus; a man of an abfterhious and commendable life ', him
the devil did defign to match Chrift in his miracles, which
were fo many, and fo ftrange, that Philoftratus doth hot only
compare him tb Chrift, but prefer Him as the more honqu&.-
ble perfon.' Chrift himfelf foretold this Stratagem of Satan,
that he Should raife up SalSe chrifts, With lying figns and Won
ders, And to omit inftances of former days, it is not beyond
the memory, of, molt of you, that the devil renewed this- policy
in James Nayler, who in a blafphemous" imitation of Chrift's
riding to Jerufalem, rodp to Bristol with a great company. be-,
fore him, crying, ' Holy, holy,' and ' Hofartna to the fon of
David,' and Strewing the way with branches bf trees : The an-.
thority that was then, taking notice of this and other blafphe
mous outrages, Sentenced him to exemplary puniShment : But
here" alfo the deyil renewed his mockery ; for a certam-fcitizeri;
of London of good note, being overcome with delufion, printed-
a book of Nayler's fufferings, wherein the devil had pppprtu-
nity tp vent his malice more fully ; for he compared all the
parts of his' punishment to the fuSFerings of Chrift ; his whip
ping he faid "was, that it might be fulfilled which was fpoken
by Matthew, ' And Pilate delivered him to be Scourged ; his
Stigmatizing he Said was, that it might be fulfilled which was
fpoken by the prophet, ' His vifage was marred more than any
man's ;' the boring of his tongue with an hot iron, he faid
was the fulfilling of that, ' And they crucifiedhim :' And af
ter other particulars of comparifon, in' all which be equalled
him to- Chrift, be at laft takes notice that the multitude of
Spectators, held off tiieir hats, while his tongue was bored thro'
(a thing commton in a crowd, to give opportunity of fight to
thofe that aro behind), and to this ad he applies that of the E-
vangelifts, * The vail of the temple was rent from the top tq
the bottom.' ' ' :>.',.' . s ,.-
Thirdly, ln.ads of empire andjfovereignry, he imitates God;
that is, as God propounds himfelf as the only Lord God, and
enjoins himfelf to be wcrfhipped accordingly, by promifes of
advantasje

Chap: XVIII. Satan's Temptations. 5i j
advantage in cafe cf obedience; and threatenings cf miferies and
Plagues in' cafe pf difobedience ; fo doth Satan fet up himfelf
-in the World as God to be adored apd worshipped, and him. do
all idolaters worShip, as God testifies, Deut. xxxii. 17. ' They
[Sacrificed unto devils, not tO God.' Pfal. cvi. 37. ¦« They fa-
crificed their fons and their daughters unto.devils.' 1 Cor. x. 20.
" The things which the Gentiles facrifice, they Sacrifice to de
vils, and not to God.' And thougli -it be true, that many of
¦thefe blind worfhippers did not formally worShip the devil, but
.thought they had worshipped God; yet hy fnch cunning did he
engage them to take tip with ways of worShip of his prefcri-
'bing, that it was in reality a fervice done to him. But befides
this, in thofe places of the world, where he hath -greater power,
he formally propounds himfelf to be worshipped, and doth ac
cordingly often appear' to them in a vifible. Shape', fo that many
ef thefe blind heathens acknowledge two gods, one' good, and
another cruel and hurtful, which latter they fay they muft wor
ship, left: he deftroy or harm them. By this Satan conte-fts with
God for an empire in the world;- and to promote it the more,
he fometimes deals by fair promifes of riches, advancement,
pleafure, and fuch other baits; to allure men to his profeffed
fervice ; thus are witches drawn to a compad with him. Thus
Sylvefter the Second gave up Himfelf to the devil for the Pope-,
dom, and fo did feveral others. When this is not enough to
prevail, he adds menacings; and breathes forth cruel threaten-
iihgs; by ; which means many heathens are kept in awe by him,
And. worfhip him, ne nocedt, for no other reafon but to preferve
themSelves from hurt .by him* In this temptation he propounds
himfelf to Chrift as the objed of divine worShip, and boafls of
the kingdoms of the world as things of his difpofal ; by which
he Seeks to draw him to fall-down before him. .'
• This Cojirfe Satan takes for thefe reafons.
Firft, As this proud and malicious pftentation of'his power,
is Some kind of fatisfadion -to his revengeful humour againft
God; So; Secondly, He doth hereby raife 'up himfelf arid his
wicked institutions of idolatry; into credit andefteem with men.
Thirdly; As this is a mockery to true religion, and a Scorn caft
tipoathe ways of God's fervice, to bring it into difgrace aud
diScredit; So, Fdurthly, By this means he hardens- the hearts of
men againft God. This wassthe confideration by which Pha
raoh hardened his heart, when Mofes turned his rod into a fer-t
pent, changed waters to blood, and did So many Signs before
him 3. his magicians did the like ; upon which the king might
thus feafon with himfelf, that Mofes had no other power, but
what his magicians had, though he might think him a more
- T 2 * ' Skilful

.CI<5 A treatife of 'Part III.
Skilful magician ; and therefore there was no reafon to .believe
his meStage :8Sj- being from. God, feeing hb'mirables migfet'be
no other than -the effed of his .art, to countenance a pietended
command from heaven. , , , , . ' ,',' ?-.¦
. Applic] This infolency of S^tan may inform- us, i. Ofthe
.great patience of God, that fees thefe oittr^ebus;; mocMngs, and
yet dothnot by a ftrong band, put a flop tb' them. 2. Of <rhe*
great power and pride of Satan, that he both can (thoiigh not
without permiflion from God) and dare attempt things of this
nature? 3. Tlie, great power of delufion that can fo .bfeM'men,
that they not only are drawn to ad a part- in fuch defigns, bat
belie«e, confidently a divjne impulfe and heavenly warrant for
their fo doing. 4. The miSerable Slavery of Such vaflals of §au
tan, that are thus led by him, who are therefore fadljf'jtq be pi
tied and lamented, as being under fuch ftrong chains; of capti
vity, ¦ • . , ' »
Obf. 3.] Thirdly, We' cannot pafs by the art which, the de
vil here ufeth to fet off the temptation, and to make it plauSible j
he fets before him the world in all its glory. Here obferve,
That Satan in his temptations to worldly piea|y»rei; doth uSually
paint the objed with all its utmoft beajBty.
When I have Sometimes pbferved a mountebank upon a Stage,
giving exceffive commendations of a trivial medicine, afiertog
it good almoft for every difeaSe, and with a great many lie? and
boaftings, enforcing it upon, the, credulous multitude: It bath
put me in mind of this fpiritual mountebankry of the devil*
how dpth he gull and delude the foolifh, by laying out the plea
fures of fin ? And no otherwife doth he keep them at a'gaj&og
admiration of worldly pomp, delights and fatisfadipHj which he'
promifeth them from iniquity, than the ferpent Scytale dotb
with pafiengers, whom fhe flays, by amazing them with her
beautiful colours, till fhe have" Stung them. The art of Satan*
in this matter lies in four things.
xft., If there be any thing that can be called a delight, oir may
any way conduce for a fatisfadion in any Sin, he will be fure to
fpeak of it in its higheft praifes ; he not only ftreachefh his rhe
toric to the height in giving commendations to the mpft noted
pleafures, that men propound to themSelve's : But he feeks out
the hidden things- of delight, and raifeth in men an iteh of de-
Sire after the improvement of delight, by the contrivances of
wit or art- Thus he tells them of jollity, raviShing mirth, high
fatisfadion, and, if they will believe him, of unfpeakable delight
to be had by giving themfelves up rb the worKl,and the courfe
ofit. Nay he hides nothing that will bear aiiy praife,'the leaft
advantage'

fhsip, XVIII. Satan's temptations. 517
^advantage, the fmalleft gratification that any fi» can afford: to
^ujman defire, he wilj he fure tq fpeak of it.
:: Mly, He parries qn this defign by lying ;' he promifeth more
than ever fin can give, and He fends His profelytes out after fin
under the higheft expedations,, and when they come to enjoy it,
they often find the pleafure falls Short of his boaft ; he whifpers
honours, preferments, and riches, in the ear of their hearts,
and often pays them with poverty and difgraces, and gives them
pro ihefaurp carbones, ftones Sor bread, a Serpent for a fiSh.
Witches give frequent accounts of Satan's lying promifes, he?
tells them of feafts, of gold, of riches, but they find themfelves
deluded* he fends them oft hungry away from thofe banquets,
fo that they have no more than when a man dreams he eats.
He gives (that which feems gold in appearance, but at laft they
find it to b£ flates or Shells. We find in this temptation he is
liberal and large in his offers to Chrift, and what he requires
he will bj^ye in. prefent payment, but the reward for the fervice
is future ; It is, his bufinefs to engage men in fin, by his promife
pf .advantage, but being once engaged, he takes not himfelf con
cerned in honour or, ingenuity for performance. Hence doth
the fcripture fitly sail the pleafures of fin, lying vanities,^ vain
,fewi adream? thereby warning men from a forward belief of
Satan's p^qqa|Ce?, in that they find by experience they fliall be
at laft but lies; and disappointments. , .
:•<>.'. 3$y? Tq make bis bait more taking, he conceals aH the in-
conveniencies that may attend thefe worldly delights. He of
fers here the. kingdoms of the world to Chrift, as if all were
made up of pleafure ; thefe cares, troubles, and vexations, that
attend greatnefs and rule! he mentions npt ; their burden, ha
zard, and diSquiet He paSfefh oyer. Thus in common tempta
tions, he is careful to hide from men the miferies that follow
i thefe empty pfeaSuresi So that oSten men do not confider the'
'mifchief, till * a daart Strike through their liver,' ProV. vii. 23.
and till a dear-bqught experience doth inform them of. their
.miflakes. ,
4thly, His" power and work upon the fancies of men, is none
pf the leaft' of his ways, whereby he advanceththe pleafures of
fin. . That be bath Such a power hath been diScourfed before,
. and that a fancy raifed. to a great expedation; makes things
appear otherwife than what they are, is evident from common
experience; the value of moft things.depends rather upon fan
cy than the internal worth of them, and men are more engaged
fo, a, parfuitof' things by the eftimatipn which fancy hath be-
.; got in their minds, than by certain principles of knowledge.
jghjldren by fancy have a value of their toys, and are fo pow
erfully

•Lg A Treatife of ' Part AM.
3 '-?
erfully fwayed by it, that' things of far greater price ca'nnqfj*
flay their defigns, or divert their- courfe. Satan know,s that
thebefl of men kre fometimes chilcufh, apt to be ted about by,
their conceits, and apt in their conceits to apprehend things far
otherwife than what they are in truth.- Hence is it, as one obi
ferves * that of thou'fands of men that return from Jerufalern';1
or from mount Sion, Or from' the; river Jordan, Searee can we
find one, which brings back the admiration which he, had .
conceived before he had feen them. Fancy doth, pre- pccupate
the mind with an high opinion of things, and thefe exorbitant
imaginations, pafs to fuch an excefs, that men thipk to find a
fatisfadion beyond the nature bf thefe pleafures they aim at,
which Hath thefe two inccnveniences: the one, that this effeds
and draws as powerfully, as, if they were all as real; and high
as they are' conceited to be ; the other, that fight and fruition
takes away the estimation, and by a difapppintment, dpth deaden
ahd dull the^aSfedions to what may be really found there. Thus,
Satan by one deceit makes men believe that, fin bath pleafure;
which indeed it hath not, and by that, belief leads them on pow--
erfully to endeavour an embracement of them, .and at laft ur-
geth^them with a 'dpluuori.:
Applic.] In oppofition to thjs deceit of the, devil, we muft
learh to efteem worldly delights as low' as he would value them.
high. And to this purpofe the fcripture fpeaks of them, in
undervaluing language^ calling worldly pomp, ' an opinion,'.
a phantafy, a faShion, or figure, an imagination rather than
a reality ; and further enjoins us not to admire thefe things
in others, not to envy them that enjoyment of them, nor
to fret at our want of them, much lefs to be tranfported
wjth any angry paffion about them, nor to concern ourfelves ih
any earneft purfuit of them f.
Obf. 4. J Fourthly, Satan in this temptation did* nbt bravely
fpeak of thefe things, nbr only make an offer in difcourfe, but;
he thought it moft cohduceable to his defign, to prefent them
to his fight; he knew full well, that the heart is more affeded
by fenfible difcoveries, than by rational difcourfes.
Note here, That- Satan in temptatibns of worldly pleafure,*
•endeavours tq engage the affedions by the fenfes;
- That it is Satan's great bufinefs to work upon, the affedions,
I have Shewed at large. Here he endeavoured tb prepare the afe
fedions of Chrift, that fo the motion (wheH it Came) might
not die, as a fpark falling upon wet tinder, btit that the affect
tions being Stirred up, might eherilh the offer, ahd that thfe of
fer;,
* fo'Efpfrigtie popuJair Errors', Se<&. i. cap. 4. t Plal- xixvii. I. and xiii. 16.
J.s/. sdsr. 5. '

Chap. XVIII. Safaris Temptations. 5*9
fer, by a mutual warmth, might more, enflame thev affedions'
'that were heated before.
-i'To this end he wprks by the fenfes, an^woujd have Chrift's ,
eye to raife his affedions of love, defire, hope, and whatever"
elfe might wing-bis foul to adivity. There is a great connec
tion betwixt the fenfes and the affedion, the fenfes bring intel
ligence unavoidably, and are apt to ftir up our powers to ac
tion : As the jaccal is faid to hunt the prey for the lion, fo ctq
the fenfes for the affedions, and both for Satan.,
: It is alfo remarkable, that Satan endeavouring to, make the
eyes of Chrift traitors to his affedions, and that he thinking
it neceffary to give him a view of what he proffered him, fhould
not give him tithe to take a full furvey of thefe kingdoms, but
Should huddle it up in fuch an hafte, that all, as Luke tells us,
was done in a moment pf time : Was Satan in hafte!? Or wasv
he unwilling to part with what he' fo liberally proffered ? Sure-J
ly no, but this tranfient view was his fubtilty, tp entice him the
afore, and to inflame his Heart with greater defires.' . __^
fObf.-j.'] Obferve then, That where Satan is moft liberal in
his -pVbffers, he there manageth his pyertures pf advantage
wkh 'a feeming fhynefs. And this he doth, xft, To heighten
the worth of them in our eftimation, as if they were jewels
not to be ga?,ed at, or curious pieces, not fit to be exppfed to
Cq^yfioil'view. idly, By this art he makes men more eager
inHhe purfhit. Our natural curiofity preffeth us with great
^arJEfeftnefs^ after things pf difficult appefs, and we have alfo
ftrange defires kindled in us from a prohibition I6, fo that what
We lift not tb chufe if we have a liberty of enjoyment ;" when
we are forbidden, we arc troubled with impatient longings for
It, and cartncf be at quiet till we do enjoy it.
When Satan makes nice with men, offering the pleafures pf
the world, and yet hedging up. the way with difficulties : They
Should make np pther conftrudiori of it, biit that Satan doth, fo
far as he is concerned, more ftrongly entice. them 1. He plays
at ppep with them, that he may make them mpre earneft ta
follow him, and to bid high for the poffeffion .of thefe delights.

CHAP.
. * Nitimur invetftnm. f pilo me Galatea petit.:::Et fugit adfafaces^ e$
fe cupit ante frideri, ' -

pm' A treatife of &*¦** }%>
CHAP. XIX,"
Satan's ends in tempting Chrift to fall etowH and worfhip him. Of
blafphemous injeMonii, What blafphemy is. The ways of
Satan in that temptation, .with the advantages he takes there
in, and the reafon of urging blafphemies upon men. Confola-
<tions to fuch as are concerned in fuch temptations. Advice to
fuch as arefo ajfliBfid..
THESE observations, which the preparation to the tempta>-
tion hath afforded ns, being difpatched, the tempfatip^
itfelf follows, which is this, « Fall down and worShip me.' '.; ,
This motion from fuch an one as Satan> to fuch an one as
Chrift, who was holy and undefiled, God and man, feems to
be an incredible piece of arrogancy, pride, and malice:, For
to propound himfelf as the objed of divine worShip, was cer
tainly a defperate affault. It includes, (i.) The higheft blaf
phemy. (2.) Tlte groSIefli idolati-y1 imaginable *; both thefe
are frequently, noted as the defign of this temptation : But,
(3.) The comprehension of this motion takes in the whole
withdrawing of the mind from God and religion, or the care
of the foul and eternal life; in which fenfe Satan doth frequent
ly pradife this temptation upon men by the motivje of worldly
pleafures. I Shall confider the temptation firft as blafphemous^
and fo it will give Us this obfervation,
Obf. <S.~\ That tlie beft of God's children may be troubled
with moft vile and hideous blafphemous injedions..
Blafphemy in the largeft lenfe, is any thing fpoken or done^
by which the honour and fame of God may be Wounded or
prejudiced ; but the formality of blafphemy lies in the purpofe
or intendment of reproaching God. \ Such was the blafphemy
qf the Ifraelitifb. woman's fon, recorded in Levit. xxiv. si.
wherte blafpheming is explained, by the addition ofthe wor<|
eurfing, which in the original comes from a word that fignifies
to fet light by one. So that hence, and from the circumstances
of the 'ftory, we may fafely conjedure, that this man having an
Egyptian to his father, which probably might in Scorn f be pb-
jeded tp him by his contending adverfary, he more readily
might be drawn out to vilify the true God : But, be it what
it will, it was certainly more than that blafphemy which the
Rabbins fancy, to be in the repetition of naming the word
Jehovah, which in reverence they either leave out, as, when
they fay, the arm, ofthe Almighty \, or change it Into fome
other?
* Perkin's Combat, in loc. Mufculus in loc. ¦)¦ Levis, nullius ponderis, le^
*iter de aliqno fentire. JacWoa ia loc. } Pool, Synopfis'Crit. in 16c.

Chap. XIX. Safaris Temptations. "521
other, as Adonai or the like: And accordingly " we may ob
ferve, that reproaching God, ana blafpheming God, are Joined
together, as Pfal. xliv. 16. Ifa. xxxvii. 23.1 "" *" '!°<
¦V Int blafphemy, (as tlie matter) there muft be thoughts, words
or adions that may aptly exprefs acontempt or reproach ofGod;
fc+a}fo;(as to the form ofit) there muft be an intendment of
iBprdaehing. Now, though this be- a fin which the heart of
a "Servant of God would moft abhor, yet Satan doth fome
times trouble the beft with , it. We have ap in^anpe in Job,
his defign was to bring him to curfe God, for' fo he profef
feth in exprefs terms, chap. i.. 11. and ii. 5.' Lay thine hand
•pon him, and he will curfe thee to thy face.1 And in pro
fecution of this his boaft, he breaks the matter plainly to him,
by his wife, chap. ii. 9. * Curfe God and die.' Whatever
niay be fpoken of the word, as Signifying bleffing, (tho' fome
affirm the word barech in the proper idiom pf that lan
guage, ahd 'npt by an antiphrafis or euphemifmus, as Some
think *, Signifies as properly to curSe as to bleSs, and is de
terminable to its , Signification either way by the circumftances
of the place) or whatever men endeavour to excufe his, wife,
it is plain not only b'y Job's anfwer, that it was"* evil coun
fel, but alfo by Satan's avowed defign, that it was directly
for curfingGod. Befides. this inftance, if we confider the ex
preffion of fiery darts, Eph. vi. we Shall find that this temp
tation is. more common tp all forts qf Chriftians than we would
imagine; it is plain, that thefe winds, .allude to the poifoned
arrows which . Scythians and others uSed; thefe not only
wounded but poiSoned, and the yenom inflamed with a fiery
heat the part or 'member pierced. By this Similitude it muft
be granted, that not common temptations are- hereby under
stood, but Such as were more than ordinarily hurtful, vexing,
and dangerous: It mayJbe perfecutions are one of thefe darts f,
but all reckon temptations* of fpiritual terrors, and iblafphemy
to be undoubtedly pointed at.
.The ways of Satan in this temptation are three. (
Firft, He endeavours to bring men to blafpheme, by fecret
and fubtile ways of enfnaring them, and this is mpftwhat prac
tised in, consequential and covert blafphemies. When thp' men
do not diredly intend an open out-rage againft, God, yet Satan
brings them to that which, might be fo interpreted. This feems
tp have been the cafe p£ Job's fons, according to his jealoufy of
them, Job i. 5. < It may be my fobs haye finned, and eurfed
God in their heart;' not that they were open blafphemers, for
they were forely better educated, neither doth Job exprefs fuch
*• 3 U ', a fear
f Seldenus, Leigh. Cr. Sacr. f Bains «i loc, Awpwfjnith,Tra<3. Sac. 1. 1. e. 8-

j22 ,4 Treatife qf Part III.
a fear of them; but that in their mirth their hearts might Have
been fo loofeiied from the fear of God, that theyjnigbt be
tempted to undue thoughts,' of God, flighting his- threatenings
qr goodnefs. To this purpofe Broughton tranflates *, * They
have little blefled God in their hearts.' The fame thing we
may obferve in Job himfelf, when the devil could not prevail
with him to charge God foolifhly, Job i. 22. yet he prefled him
fo hard by his miferies, that he hoped at laft to bring him td
Utter the anguifh of his mind in impatient and refleding expref
fions, and fo far prevailed, that he bitterly * curfeth the day
wherein he was born,' Job ii. 3. and wifheth that he had 'gi
ven up the ghoft when he came out ofthe bellyi' Which, thp?
it came far Short of what Satan had boafted of in his atchieve-
ment agaihft him, yet it bad fuch an unwarrantable tendency
that way, that when his friend Elipbaa took notice of his
expreflions, as favouring of too much diftruft, he i&fbreed tq
make apology for himfelf, and to excufe it by the defperatenefs
of his condition; Job vi. 26. Do you imagine. to reprove
words, and the Speeches of one that is defpe*ate. In fuch cafes
the devil provokes men beyond their intentions to fpeak is
their hafte fo mc&nfidierateiy,. that they know hotj or mkjd hot
the juft confequence of their fpeeehes. It was a. degree of blaf
phemy in David, to fay (though in his hafte) « that all men
were liars;' it was an unbelieving reflediofl on the premiSe gi.,
ven him by Samuel, In IVIaL iii. 1^. the people did not believe)
that they had fpoken fo much againft "God, when yet their
words had been ftout againft him. \
. Secondly, Szt&n endeavours this by viole&t injedions of blaf
phemous thoughts that are diredly fucb. In thia I fhaH note •
to you, .,--.,.."' ,
_ ift. That the vileft thoughts' of God, of his Ways and pro
vidences, of fcripture, and of Chrift, aire frequently liuggeft«6g
things of greateft outrage againft heayen, and Contempt of th|
Almighty, as Bernard expreffeth it, perribilia fte fide,' horribiha,
de divinitate; as that there is no God; or that he is not juft,
or not faithful to his prpmifes; br that Chrift was but an im-
poftor: IJe fticks at nothing in this kind, though never fo
contrary to the' hope and /perfoai|on of thofe wh&m he thus
molefts. '
idly, Thefe are Srequepfty reiterated upon them, and their
minds So troubled by them, that they cannot free themSelves
from Such thoughts, but- he follows on, and clamours in their
cars, as Gerfon bbfervesf, Nega Deum, maledic Deo.tenyGed,
prSe God. ¦ ' ¦
* Caryl in loc. f Tem. 4. CoK J74,

Chap. XIX . Safaris Temptations. 523
Sdly, And this WJtH fo great a force and impetuofity, that
fhey are compelled to form, thefe theugbts in their minds, and
to fpeak contrary to what tbey would; as if their thoughts and
tongues were not under their own government, the devil not
fatisfying himfelf to bear in thefe thpughts upon them, but he
endeavours, as it were, to make them fay after him, and to
caft his fuggeftions into their own mould, that fo they might
feem properly to be their own: and this they are forced to
whether they will or no, even then when their minds are filled
with horror, their heart with grief, and their body with trem
bling. I have difeourfed with Some who have bitterly ccm-
plained that their tertgaes and their thoughts feemed not to be
their own, but that Satan ruled them at his pleafure: and that
when in oppofition to the the temptation they would have for*
med their tongues to fpeak, bleffing pf Gpd; they have fpo
ken curling inftead of bleffing: and that when a blafphempus
thought had been caft into their mind, they could not be at reft
till- they had thought it again.
qthly, Thefe troublefome temptations are oft of long conti
nuance. Jounes Climacus tells us of a monk that was trou
bled with blaSphemous thoughts for twenty years together, and
could not quit himfelf of them, though he had macerated his
body with Watchings and faftings. Some have them going a-
way, and returning again by fits, according as the prevalency
and ferment of their melancholy gives Satan the advantage of
dealing thus with them. - For if we enquire why it is thus, e-
fpeeially with the children of God, we muft partly refolve it
Wrto the. unfearchable wifdom .of God, who for holy. ends of
teaching ahd disciplining his fervants, permits Satan thus to
moleft thenar and partly into thofe particular advantages which
Satan hath againftthem, .according to the variety of their con
ditions, which ufually are thefe:
\ft, He takes advantage of fuch bodily distempers, as do de
prive men ofthe ufe of their reafon, as fevers, frenzies, mad
nefs ; in thefe he oft forms the tongues of men to horrid blaf
phemous Speeches.
idly, A preffure of outward afflidions gives him his defired
opportunity, and this he knows to be generally fo fuccefsfuK
that he promifed himfelf by this means a vidory over Jobi
Ordinarily Straits and miferies do , produce blafpheming, Ifa.
viii. 21. the prophet notes, that when the people- Should be
hardly beftead and hungry, they Should fret themfelves, and
curfe i their king and .their God, and look , upward,, as avouch.
ing what thay had dene.
idly, Worldly plenty^ fulnefs and pleafure lay often foun-
' datioJte

524 A Ireatife of Part III*.
dations of this temptation ; when, their cups are full, and their
Hearts high, Satan can eafily make them fet their mouth againft
heaven. A proud heart will readily Say, ' oqr tongue is our
own,' or who is the Lord ?' This was the engine which the
devil managed, if it were as Job fufpeded, againft thp fons and
daughters of Job, to make them curfe God in their hearts j
and by this did he feek to prevail upon Chrift in this blafphe~
mous temptation.
<\thly, A melancholy diftemper doth ufually invite Satan to
give blafpherqous fuggeftions ; the disturbed and pliable fan
cies of fuch are the advantages whichhe improves againft them.
$thly, Inward terrors and diftreffes of confcience are alfo an
occafion to Satan to move them, as by a defperate humour, to
utter hard things of God, and againft themfelves.
But there is yet a third way by which Satan tempts, men to
biafpheming, by fudden glances of blafphemous imaginations^
which like lightenings do aftoniSh the heart, and then fuddeniy
vaniffi ; thefe are very common, and the beft of men obServe
them frequently. Satan feems as it were rather to frolick and
Sport himSelfin thefe fuggeftions, than to intend a Serious temp-,
tatibn ; their danger is not So much, yet are they not to be def»
pifed1, left thefe often vifits, carelefsly entertained, and^not dif-
miffed with juft abhorrency, do Secretly envenom the Soul, and
prepare it for Stronger affaults.
I Shall next enquire into the reafons of this trouble, which
Satan gives the children of God.
I. Thefe temptations are very frightening, though they pre-
yail'not, yet they are full of perplexing annoyance. Corrupt
nature Startles at them, and receives them not without dread
and horror ; it is fadly troublefome to hear others blafpheme
God. ' The reproaches of thofe that reproached thee,' faith
David, * fell upon me;' it was as a fword in his bones, to
hear the blafphemous fcpffs of the wicked, when they faid to
him, ' Where is thy God V' And if it were confufion and
Shame to him to hear the enemy reproach and blafpheme, as he
profeffeth it was, Pfal. xliv. 15, 16. how fadly affliding would
k be for any child bf God to obferve fuch things in his own
imaginations ? If there were no more in it than this, it is e-
nough to put Satan upon that, defign, becaufe it is a trouble
fome kind bf* martyrdom.
2. This is alfo a fpiteful revenge againft God, all he can do
is to blafpheme and rage j and it is a kind of delight to put this
force upon thofe that carry his own image ; he would do alt:
. ;.,,.. , - 'he
* Spiritus blafphemix, fcaturigo aft cogitatidnem aduo horribiliunv adeo-
que moleftarum, ut ejus tentatio plerumque quafi nurtyrium eft. GttiU ful
fil, fib. de tema ct refift.

dhap.XIX. Safari's Temptations. 525
he can to make his own children to vilify and reproach their
heavenly Father, and to render curfing Sor bleffing.
3. This temptation, though it have not the eonfent or com
pliance 6f Gbd's children, yet it opens a way to many other
fins, as murmuring, diftruSjt, defpair, wearinefs of God's ways-
and fervices. When we find Satan thus to run upon us, it is
apt to breed ftrange thoughts of God, that thus permits Satan
to take us by the throat, or to make us judge of ourfelves as
rejeded of God, and given up to Satan's power ; and if it do-
this, his labour is nbt in vain: We.are, as one * obferves,
more to fear his fubtilty in bringing us by this intp other fnares,
than the violence of the adverfary in this fuggeftion.
•"4. This is a Stratagem for laying the foundation of direful
accufations ; the devil in this doth as the Ruffians are f report
ed1 to do, they, when they have a fpite- againSt any of their,
neighbours, hide fecretly fome of their goods, in their houfes,
and then accufe them of theft. When blafphemous thoughts-
are injeded," and men refufe to eonfent, theii Satan raifeth an
accufatibn againft them, as Jofeph's miftrefs did, as if they
were guilty of afi that blafphemy that he tempted them unto ;
and it is a difficult talk to perfuade them, that thefe things
fhould be in their minds, and that they fliould not be the pro
per iffues of their own heart. And very often doth he from
hence accufe them of finning againft the Holy Ghoft, becaufe
bf the hideous blafphemies which he had firft fuggefted to
them. Applic.~\ Firft, This will give us considerations of -conSola-
tion, and that, ' 1^. In regard of others ; we obferve often pur
fick friends fpeak what we would not willingly hear, , and it
cannot choofe but be fadly aSnidive, to hear their curfes and
blafphemous fpeeches; but when we confider the advantage
that Satan takes of their diftemper (if their lives heretofore
have been pious and religious, we comfort ourfelves in this,
that it is more his malice than their own inclinations ; neither
Should we fuffer pur hope or charity tp be diftreffed on their
behalf. 2. It is the like ground of cbnfolation for ourfelves
6r others, that are violently afflided with blafphemous thoughts.
For, xft, If we call to mind that our Lord and mailer fuffered
fuch things, we that are of his houfehold need not think we
receive a ftrange or unufual meafure, in that we are molefted
as he was. "' idly, If we confider that Chrift was tempted with
out fin on His part, then may we fetch this conclufion from it,
that it is poffible that fuch thoughts Should be caft upon ns,
-:, :, ¦>.¦>. - and.
* Dickfon Therapeut. facra. lib. 2. c. i<). f Heylin Colmogf.

526 A'friaiifeof Part*!!!;
and yet that we may not he chargeable- with them, as our ini
quities. $dty, We may hence See, that fueh temptations "are?
more frightful than hurtful ^ thefe, as one^* obferves, feld'brh*
take, they carry with thpm fo much horror, (to thofe thai be-(
lieve and love the true God) that It keeps* them from a parti
cipation with Satan in the, fin itfelf, nay it fills them withifeM
and ftriving againft it ; they rather as bugbears,' fear and dif
quiet them, than produce the real effeds of compliance with
them. idly, The confideration of this kind of temptation may fill
the hearts and mouths of thpfe of us, as bavef nbt hitherto been
troubled with it^ with praife for fo merciful a preferyation.
If we have not been under this kind of exercife, it is not frtinf
any good will that Satan hath to us, but becaufe our God with*
holds a commiffion from him. A poor, weak Chriftian won
ders that Satan hath not made him a mark for this arrow1, that
he hath not broken him with this tempeft. To anfwer that
wonder, he may know that the fame tendernefs in God, that
will not put new wine into old crazy bottles,, nor a new Stiff
piece of cloth into an old tender garment, nor^hat will opprefs
the weak and infirm with' ftrong exercife or burdens, that
fame tendernefs of a companionate father doth keep off fnch
trials, becaufe he will not Suffer them to be tempted above-
what they are able. c
Sdly, This temptation calls for advice to thofe that are un
der it, to whom I Shall dired a few things :
xft, When any are troubled with blafphemous thoughts, let
it be confidered in what ftate and temper their body is : If it
be diftempered with melancholy, as is moft ufual, then the
prescription of an able phyfician is neceflary in the firft place,
without which he that would Spiritually adviSe or counfel, Shall
but beat the air, and his Words be So far from the faftnefs of
nails, that they fliall be as wind." I have known many under
great ccmplaints and fears by reafon hereof, that have been
cured hy phyfic alone ; jfor when, in this cafe, the fuel is with
drawn, , the fire, goes out: Corred the melancholy temper
that gives the devil this advantage, and the trouble will
ceaSe. idly, It is of great confequence to underftand the nature of
thefe temptations : If the tempted could fee thefe to be their
Sufferings,' rarher than their fins, they would with greater eafe
bear it as an afflidion. And to thofe that complain, abhor,
refift and pray againft them they are not fins, no more tha*
when an harlot layeth her child at an honeft woman's door, . that
* Capel Tempt, Fart z. c. $.¦

Ghap. XVllI. Satan's Temptations. , *27
that child is to be reckoned as the fruit of her wickednefs. A
giant may daSh the .Son againft his father, but fo far will the
father be from imputWg it as rebellious infolence in his child,
that he will pity him the more, as fuffering by a double injury;
fpr it is not only againft his natural affedion, and reverence to
his parent, but it is a bodily hurt befide : Thus will God
much more pity his phildren under thefe Sufferings.
.^dly, W? nauft not Suffer; Such thoughts *to lodge in us, but
before they Settle, if poffible, We muft repel them ; as Abra-;
bam drove away the. fowls that came down upon his facrifice.
I. know the tempted will fay, this advice is not pradieable;
they find thefe thoughts Swarm about them as bees, and when
one is driven back, another Straight comes in its place. But
to them I anfwer, that blafphemous thoughts are repelled two
ways; i. By Stout and refolute refiftance. This, though it
doth not extinguish them, nor free us of the trouble, yet it
keeps them from fettling upon us, and us from the guilt of
thetti, *• By diyerfion, which the work of a lawful employ
ment, or good Society, and other difcourfes may do ; this may
gtve fome eafe from the moleftation,. and the other pfeferves
us innocent. ...
,t„4*%r> In temptations to blafphemy, confident refufals do
better than difputings, 5 here we are to refift with courage, and
a holy contempt of Satan : * If we be too timorous and fear
ful, he infults.the more upon us : As dogs when they are ob
ferved, follow the paflengerwith greater eagernefs and noife.
Abhorrences and pofitive discharges (like that of Chrift is the
fame cafe* "« Get thee hence Satan') do more for us than to de
bate the:_matter with him,
C H A P. XX.
The nature of idolatry. Satan's defign to corrupt the worfhip
¦' ofGod. The evidences thereof, with the reafons of fuch en
deavours, His general defign of withdrawing the hearts of
men from God to his fervice. The proof that this is bis de
fign, -upon whom he prevails. Thai pmfeffions and confiden
ces are no evidences to the contrary. His deceit ofpropound-
. . ing fin as a fmall matter. ?hs evidences cf that method, and
the reafon thereof.
THUS have I confidered the temptation as blafphemous. I
proceed next to confider it as idolatrous, the words' ean,
pefonprofkunefes, ' if thou wilt fall .down and worfhip,' do give
* Faeda featatJo magic vincitur fogieffefe quam aggtedrendo. Certon tep.
J). Col. 976,

528 A Treatife of Part III.
us the*true notion of idolatry. The word which we call wor
flilp comes from kuo, which fignifies to kifs, or from kuon,
which Signifies a dbg, both being to the fame purpofe, and Sig
nifying any adion of reverence by which we fignify the ref
ped of our minds: To kifs the hand, or to fawn as a dog,
are geftures which exprefs the honour we Would give, and be
ing applied to divine worShip before, or with refped unto an
tmdue objed, is idolatry ; and as fuch, doth Chrift rejed it.in
his anfwer, ' Thou Shalt worShip the Lord thy God, and him
only Shalt thou ferve.' We worShip God, when in ways and
adions commanded or prefcribed, We teftify our belief and re-
fentment of his incommunicable attributes. It is idolatry,
when either we ufe the fame adions of prefcribed worShip" to
that which is not God, or when we teftify our refpeds to' the
true God in an undue way of our own deviling. Here might
1 take occafion to Shew the vanity of the PopiSh fubterfuges,
their diftindion of Latria and Duliais, as Dodor Moore * ob
ferves, hereby overthrown : Satan doth not here fet himfelf
up as the Omnipotent God, for he acknowledgeth one fu'pe-
ribr to himfelf, in that he.cpnSeffeth that- the power he had of
the kingdoms of the wprld was given to him, Luke iv* 6. and
therefore npt the Latria, but the Dulia is required pf him;
and yet this Chrift denies him as being idqlatry, in that no re
ligious wOrShip, for that muft needs be the fenfe of his anfwer,
'Is due to any -but God- alone.' -Their other diftindion bf
worshipping an idol, faint, angel, crofs, &c. and before fuch
a creature, is alfo hereby crpShed, as is commonly obferved,
for what the Evangelist Matthew expreffeth by proflsupefes moi,
Luke calls eiopioh mou, before me ; f fo that the fcripture
makes' no difference betwixt thefe two, Shewing it to be idola
try to ufe religious worShip to that which is not God, or be
fore it, but thefe things I Shall not profeeute ; Keeping there.,
fore to my defign, I Shall obferve. ,
Obf. 7.] That it is one of Satan's great defigns to corrupt the
WorShip ofGod. That this is fo, will appear,
Firft; If we Confider \fyhat varieties of worfhip hath been in
the world. God gave a fixed and. Stable law, and yet this fo
little prevailed, that men were upon new inventions prefently.
I 'Shall not need to reckon up the almoft numberlefs varieties of
this kind among the heathen. The inftance is plain enough, in
thofe that, profefled the name of the true God, they were Still
changing for new fafliipps in religion, bprrowipg patterns from
their neighbours, fo that if there were but a new altar at Da-
mafcus,
P Myftery Of Iniquity, lib. 1. cap. 9. f JVTufculus in loc. Ferkjns in 1
foe.

Gttap. XX. Satarifs Temptations. 529
mafeus, or a new idol in any ftrange city, they muft prefently
havp. the like, till, is the prophet tells them, ' according to their
cities fo were their gods.' He that will call to mind, that the
hufbandman did firft fow good feed in his field, and that there
is fuch variety of tares and falfe worfhip, notwithftanding the
plain- and pofitive command of God;- fixing and determining
his worfhip, muft needs conclude that an enemy, Satan, hath
done it.
.^Secondly, If we call to mind;. How in all ages there hath,
been a conftancy in this, inconilant variety ; we hear of it a-
mong the heathens, we read enough of it among the Jews
and when they were out of the humour of more fhameful ido
latries, they yet corrupted the worfhip of G'od by their tradi
tions ; and of thefe they were fo fond, that they caufed the
law pf Qod itfelf to give place to them, and made it void by
theip.. The times of the gofpel were npt free ; though Chrift
came to feek fuch worfhippers as fliould worfhip him in fpirit
and in truth, yet before the apoftles deaths, while yet they
were perfuading to the contrary,, there arofe up fome that cor
rupted the worfhip, by leading the people back again to the
Je.wifh ceremonies, and others laboured to bring in worfhip-
ping of angels, and at laft to eat things offered to idols, with
greater defilements. ' Since the apoftles days the fame defign
hath been carried, on in the churches. , R,ome hath patched
together a great deal of - Jewifh and Heafhenifh ceremonies ;
and when the man pf fin Shall be revealed, yet an higher flood
of fuph abominations is to be expected. Who hath wrought
all this but Satan ? This is'Still the fame ,defign, and though the
work be not in all, parts like itfeJS, yet the whole of.it eviden
ceth the working of the fame fpirit in all. _ ,
. Thirdly, Let its obferve how early this began. We cannot
fay, but that in the days of Adam, (who doubtlefs had. received.
particular commands from God,, in which he. would not fail to
inflrud his children ;) they were feeking to' themfelves many
inventions, Gen. iv. 26. At the birth of Enos, as fome con
jedure, they were fuch defilements brought into ufe in wor
ship, that Seth had refped to it when he called his Son E-
qos, Sorrowful, as lamenting, that profanation which was then
beo-un in ^calling upon the name of the Lord, for fo' do ma
ny interpret that paflage, which in our Englifti we read thus,
/Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord ;' the
word in the original is Hxjhal, which Signified! both to pro
fane, and to begin, and may be as properly tranflated, ' Then
profaned they in calling unon the na-ne of the Lord.' And
there are feveral reafons that move learned men to fix upon
3 X this

53 o-, A treatife of Paft III.
this tranflation * : As, (i.) That it is not probable that men
*begaq then tp call upon God, pr publicly to do fo, as fome
would interpret, and npt before, as the prefent EngliSh would
irhply-, (i'O Tnat age Was noted as corrupt, and therefore it
is noted as a rarity, that Enpph walked with God, (3.) The
Rabbins generally tranflate hala*. to profane" ; but if we Should
grant the prefent EngliSh, * Then began men to call upon the ,
name of the Lordj' it would imply, that the worfhip pradifed
by Adam and Abel had been corrupted; and now it was re
stored again and reformed, which will make the corruption of
worShip to be yet more early. And after that we read of cor
ruption crept into the family of Seth (as well as now in the.
family of Cain, Gen. vi, 2.) fo that the worShip of God Stood
npt long in its hpupur, thpugh Adam and Seth were aKve to
inflrud them ; which Shews that it was a rebellious departure
from the way, fomented and brought bn by the malignant fpi
rit Satan. ¦ '
Faurthly, But tp make all fure, the fcripture lays all thefe
kinds of corruption of worShip at Satan's door. The defile--
rnents of workup taught in Thyatira by Jezebel, are called the
depths of Satan, Rev. ii. 24. the corruptions introduced by
' iVntichrift, are from the workings pf Satan, 2 Theff. ii. 9.
What was promoted by falfe apoftles to that purpofe they had
it from their great teacher Satan, who transforms himfelf for
fuch ends into an angel of light, 2 Cor. xi. 13, 14., So that
nothing can be more plain than that this is an old and conftant
defign of Satan.
The particular ways by which Satan effeds this defign I
Shall not noW touch, but Shall in lieu of that give you the rea
fons bf his endeavours this way. , *
Firft, He knpws that this is a fin of an high provpcatipn.
WorShip is the proper tribute that is due to GV.od, and it is pe
culiarly his prerogative to prefcribe the way and manner of it;
neither of thefe honours will he give to any other, but will ex
prefs 'his jealoufy when any invafion is made upon thefe his
Sole prerogatives. Now his worfhip cannot be corrupted, but
one of thefe at leaft will ip fome degree or other be touched.
If we fet up another objed of worfhip, we deny him to be
God :, If we worfliip him in a way of our own invention, we
deny his wifdom, and Set up ourfelves above him, as if we
could order his worfliip better than he hath done in his word.
Secondly, If the worfliip be corrupted, all the exercife of
the affections of the heart, ahd all the fervice itfelf is loft, and
become"
• Drufius, Lightfoot, Trend, Sec.

£hap. XX. Satan's Temptations, 531
become unacceptable; he knows that fuch worfhippers fliall
meet with this anfwer, .' who hath required this at your hands?'
Thirdly, Corruption in worfliip, Satan by.', long experience,
knows to have been the ground of thofe hatreds, quarrels, per
fecutions and troubles under which, the church hath groaned
in all ages, every difference impofing their Way artd perfuafion
upon all diffenters, to the disturbance of peace,, breach and de
cay of love, hinderance ofthe growth of piety, to the biting
8(nd devouring of one another.
Fourthly, Befides God is provoked by this to leave his Sanc
tuary, to remove his glory and his candleftick; fp make his
> yineyard a defolation, and his churches as Shiloh,
Fifthly, Satan is the more induftrious in this, becaufe his ways
are capable of many advantages to further his defign, and many
Specious pretences to Cover it. In Col. ii. 8. he rhade ufe of phi
lofophy to corrupt religion, arid by unfound principles of fome
Heathens famous for that' learning, introduced worshipping of
angels : what that could not, effed he laboured to perform by
the traditions of men, and Where that came Short, the rudiments
ofthe world (the Mofaical ceremonies were So-called here, and
ih the epiftle to the Hebrews) were his engine by which he
battered the plain wbtftiip of the New Teftament. And as to
pretences, the apoftle doth there, and plSeWhere note, that de
cency and Order, humility, wifdom, a'nd Self-denial j are things
very taking, and yet ufually pretended for Juch bold innova
tions as may dorriipt the pure.ftreams pf the fanduary.
Applic] Hence may I leave with you a few memorials.
i. This may make- us jealops of any alterations in the way
of God's WorShip. We have reafon under the moft plaufible
pretexts. fo fufpeft the hand bf Satan, becaufe it is one of his
main bufirteSIes to corrupt the worShip.
, 2. This may juftify thofe that out of a cpnfcientipus fear of
"complying with Satan's defign, dare not admit of a pin in thp
jcaberriacle befides what God hath prefcribed, nor leave behind
a Shoe-latchet of what he hath enjoined.
3. This will tell us that that worfliip is beft and fafeft that
hath leaft of mixture of human invention. We cannot offend
in keeping clofe to the rule, though thp worShip thereby 'be
come more plain, and not fo gorgeous in outward appearance.
We may foon overdo it by the leaft addition, and cannot be fo
certain of God's acceptation, as 'we are of pleaSing the fenfes of
men by fuch introducements,
This motion of Satan, ' Fall down and worShip me,' is bow
in the laft place to be confidered as a particular inftance of Sal
tan's general defign, of drawing the hearts of men from God,
3X2 "• his'

532, . J Treatife of _ Part III.
his fervice- and ways, "to the. pleafures of fin: As if he Should
fay to him,' Follow my advice, give up tfiyfelf to my fervice,
and thou Shalt be gratified with all the delights that the world
can give thee : To this doth the bait here offered' moft fitly ay
gree. Hence obferve, ; .
Obf 8.] That it is Satan's general defign to withdraw the
hearts of men from God, that they may be enflayed to" him in
the fervice pf fin.
' That the devil doth level all his endeavours to this, cannp|
be doubted: For, i. He hath a kingdom in this world, from
which he is denominated the Prince pf this world. And
this is not only a rule of exterior force,, fuch as conquerors
have over their captivated Slaves, who are compelled to fubjed
their bodies, while yet their minds are full of hatred againft
him, who hath thus forced them to fubjedion ; but it is a rule
over the hearts and affections of men, working in the children
bf difobedience a love and liking of thefe ways, and begetting
in them the image of Satan ; fo that what work, he impofeth
they are pleafed withal, and love to haye it fo : Therefore he
is not only called their prince, but their God, and their father;
' Ye are of your father the devil,' in that with' a kind of in
ward . devotion they will and endeavour to perform thp lulls.
which he propounds to them. '
Secondly, This kingdom is contrary to God's fpiritual king-
'dom: that being of darknefs, this of light : and it is managed by
Satan with an envious competition and co-rivalShip to that of
God: So that as God invites men to the happinefs of his king
dom, and fends his Spirit in his word and ordinances to per
fuade them, Satan doth the iike; he fends out his fpirit, which
the apoftle 'calls, the fpirit of the world, i Cor ii. xi. and em
ploys- all his agents to engage men for him ; he requires thp
heart as Godrdoth, he promifeth his rewards of pleafure, hon
our, riches, if they will fall down and worShip him. Now it
is So natural to profeeute an intereft thus efpoufed in a way of
Oppofition, efpecially to any other that fet up for themfelves in
a contradictory compditorfhip, that' the very natural laws of
Satan's kingdom will engage him t0 Stand up for it, and to en
large it all he can. ' "','¦'¦¦
Thofe updn whom he prevails are of two forts.
i. Some are vifibly in his fervice ; thefe anfwer the charader
which was given of A.hab, I Kings xxi. 20. ' Who fold him
felf to work wickednefs in the fight of the Lord.' The firfl
expreffion Shews, that Such are wholly in Satan's power and
difpofal, as things fold are in the poffeffion and power pf the
buyer, they are at Satan's will; if he fay tp them, gp,'they go;
and, if he fay, come, they come; their bodies and fpirits are Sa
tan's,

Chap. XX. ' Satan's Temptations. 533
-tan's, they are not their own;, and they: are his for' the ends of
fin, for that employment only ; fo that'they are. wholly corrupt
and abominable. The latter expreffion that he did fo in the
.fight of the Lord, manifests their Shamelefs impudency in fin ;
that they declare- their fin as Sodom, and hide it not, that they
do not blulh, but openly wear the devil's livery, and avouch
his Service: as the Works oS the flefh are manifett, fo thefe in
their practice of fuch works are manifeftly Satan's fubjeds.
Thefe kind of men are frequently in the Old Teftament filled
fons of Belial *, a name very fignificant, fhewing either their d£-
voting of themfelves to the devil's fervice, in that they, rejed
the yoke of. God's law, in that they break his bonds, and caft '
his cords from them ; or their pride, that they will, have none
above them, not considering that there is a God, or that the
moft high rules; or their averfenefs to what is good, being
wholly unprofitable, and to every good wprk reprobate. .
2. Some are fecretly his fervants, they come to the devil (as
Nicodemus did to ,Chrift) by night ; they will not openly pro
fefs him, but yet thefr hearts are wholly his ; fuph are palled
by the name of hypocrites. The Pharifees and Scribes feemed to
declare for God, called themfelves Abraham's feed, fafted,
gave alms, made long prayers, and yet were a generation of vi
pers, and of their father the devil. The fecrecy of this under
hand engagement tcj hell is fuch, that many who ate in a league
with the devil, and at an agreement with death, do neithpr
know nor believe it concerning themfelves. For,
xft, This priyate covenant may bp, where there. are .the
greateft feeming defilements- of Satan, and high profeffions of
fervice to God, Tfie Pharifees (as have been faid) were the
devil's fervants, under all the fair fhew they made of religion
and zeal for the law, and yet when Chrift plainly told .them,
that they were not Abraham's Seed, but the devil's feed, they
with high indignation and fcorn throw back the apcufation
to Chrift, ' Thou art a Samaritan, and haft a devil,' we' are
Abraham's ^children; fo little believed they thp truth whert it
was told them.
idly, This may confift with fome defignment and intention
to give God glory. The Jews though they fubmitted not to
the righteoufnefs of God, yet by the testimony of Baul, they
had a zeal to God, The very heathens that facrificpd to devils
had, not formal intentions fo to do, as appears by their inscrip
tion on the akar at Athens, Ads xvii. 24. ' To the unknown
God.' T^6 true God, though unknown, they propounded as
I thp
-* BELIGNAL, vel a BELI non et HIL Jugum abfque jugo, vel a BELI non
et HAL fupra, vel a BELI non et. IGN AL prof uit homo itfutiiis,

5g4 A Treatife of Part III.
the objed of their worShip : yet falling into thofe ways of d&-
Votion Which the devil had prefcribed, thefe intentions could
not hinder but that they became his fervants.
idly, Men may be fervants to Satan under great affurances
and confidences of their intereft in God ; many go to hell that .
have lived with Lord, Lord in theirmOuths ; thofe mentipned
in Ifa. Xlviii. 2. that had tto intereft in truth and righteoufnefs
when they Solemnly fware by the name of the Lord, yet they
called themfelves of the holy city, and flayed themfelvels upon
the God of Ifrael.
Objetl, If it feem Strange to any that thefe profeffiohs, inten
tions; and confidences are not enough to Secure ' fnen from
this charge, but that they may be feCretly Slaves to hell. I an
fwer, Anfwi i . That thofe dp not neceflarily conclude that the
heart of fuch men is right -with God. Formality, natural
confcience, and' the power of education may do much of this :
for though we grant that foch are not cortfeious to themfelves
of arty real defign of ferving Satan, yet they may either fo far ,
mifs it in the way of their fervice, offering that as well pleafing
to God, which indeed he hates (attd that through wilful ahd
affeded ignorance;) as thofe of whom Chrift fpeaks, John tm,
a. that Should think the killing of God's children a piece- of ac
ceptable fervice : or they may be fo mistaken as to the Sinceri
ty of their hearts, that they may think they have a defign to
pleafe God in doing of what he requires in order thereunto,
when indeed it may not be fingly for God but for themfelves
that they Work, in a felf-gratification of their natural zeal
for their way ; or their efteem, credit and advantage may
privately influence them, • rather than a fpirit ¦ of life and
power. ' Secondly, The work which "they do, and the ends they feryb,
will be evidence againft profeffions and intentions It is a fore
rule, that the work Shews to whom men are related as fervants,
and it is laid down as a certain Standard to meafure the hearts
of men by, when pretences and perfuafions feeni to catty all
before them, Rom. vi. x6. ' His fervants ye are to Whbfll you
obey.' i John iii. 8, ib. ' He that committeth fin is of the de
vil :' In this the children of Gdd Are manifest, and the children
, of the devil ;' that is, when k beecmes a queftion to whom a
man belongs, whofe child arid fervant he is, 'it muft be deter
mined by the works he doth : If he engage in the ways of fin,
he is of the devil, let him profefs what he will to the contrary.!
This fame balance Chrift ufeth to try the truth of the Jews
pretences to God, John viii. 34. « Whofoever committeth fin, is'

^Chap. XXI. * Satan's Temptations. $$$
is the Servant of fin ;' they boafted high, but he Shews them
that feeing their defigns and works were hatred^ envy, murder,
fcjce, which are apparently from Satan, Jt was evident, they
Had learned thefe of him ; and he concludes by this proof, ver,
44. '« that they were of their father the devil.' Thus may we
fay pf thofe that pretend they honour God, they defy the de
vil, they intend well, if yet they give themfelves up to the
pleafing of the flefh, if worldly-minded, if they live in pride,
Strife, envy, maliciouSneSs, Sic. which are wprks of the deyil,
it is not all their pretences that will intitle them' to God :
but they are, for all this, the devil's fervants, as doing his
works. Applici] This may -put men upon enquiries, Who are ye
for? Whpfe fervants are ye? There are but two that can lay
clam to you, and thefe two divide the whole world betwixt
them, there is no Slate of neutrality, ypu ate either God's fer
vants, or the devil's, ye cannot ferve them both ; now if the
Lord be God, ferve him. Satan's fervice is bafe,'diShonourable,
flaviSh ;- the fervice pf God, freedom, honour,, life, and peace :
There is indeed ho comparifon betwixt them. Happy then is
that man that can fay the Lord is his lot and portion, that can
come into God's prefence, and there in his integrity, avouch
the Lord fpr bis God ; that can fland upon it, * My foul hath
faid unto the Lord, thou art my God, and I have none befides
thee ; other lords have had dominion over us, but we will
make mention of thy name only,'
This temptation though it were in itfelf horrid, and as a
brpod of vipers knotted together, which at once could fend out
feveral Slings, and make many wqunds, as hath been npted ;
yet in the way of propounding, Satan feems to infinuate the
largeneSs of his proffer, and the fmallnefs and inconfiderable-
nefs pf the fervice required : As if he fhould fay, See hpw free
I am in my kindnefs, I will not flick to give thee the kingdoms
of the world, : and the glory of them, and all this for fo fmall
a matter, as bowing before me, or doing me a little reverence.
This gives us to obferve, '
Obf. 9.] That when Satan doth defign no lefs than to enflaye
men to his Service, yet he will propound fin as a Small thing,
or but one ad oS fin, as a thing not valuable, to engage them
to him. Not but that he defires to run men to excefs in wick
ednefs, and delights to fee them with both hands earneftly
'work iniquity with greedinefs ; yet Where he fees the con
sciences of men fqueamiffi, and that they cannot hear tempta
tions tp ppen and common profanenefs without danger of re
volt from him, there he feems modeft, and requires but fome
Small

43 6 A Treatife of Part III,
fmall thing at leaft at firft, till the ways of fin become more ,
familiar to them, and then when they can better bear it, he
doubles the tale of bricks, and with greater, •confidence 'can
urge them to things of greater fhame and enormity. That
this is his way, appears,
x/l, From the common argument which he ufeth at firft to
thofe, whom he would draw off from a more careful converfa
tion, which is this : Do fuch a thing, it is but for once, and
but little,, others do the like' and demur not; or the beft do
as great matters as this comes to ; it is but a fmall thing,
considering the ftrait or the advantage that may accrue. This
is hjs ufual note to candidate iniquity, a,s experience of all doth
teftify^ '" , " .'' .'.'"
idly, That this is fo, is alfo evident from a confideration of
the feveral ways and courfes bf Sinners^ Some are tempted ahdE
overcome by one kind of fin, and hot at all urged to others.
Some go to hell in a way of covetoufnefs ; others are pretty
unblameable in moft of their carriages, but are overcome by a
prbud humour; others are given to drink, and yet will not
Steal nor deal falfely : Others take, a more cleanly way to hell,
rely upon their own righteoufnefs, or are engaged in errpr, and
their life ptherwife fmooth and fair. The Jews in Chrift's
time* were qnly engaged againft Chrift, and for their traditions,
but not molefted With temptations to open idolatry, as former
ly. Thofe "who are ignorant are not troubled with temptations
tb defpair, Or inward terrors^ The reafons of his dealing thus
are thefe : •
i. He fees, that one fin Heartily profecuted, is enough to
Signify homage to him, and to give him poffeffion'. As we
take poffeffion of land by a turf or a twig ; fo by one fin admit
ted with full purpofe of mind, Satan is let into the heart. As
a penny will be fufficient earneft for a bargain of a thoufand
pound ; fo may one fm be a pledge or earneft for the whole
Sbui in a league with hell.
2. He knows that one Sin perfifted in may. be enough to
deftroy the Soul ; as one wound may kill, one leak may fink a
Ship. - . '
3. He knpws that one fin breaks the covenant of God, and
turns the heart from -him, if men give upthemfelvesxto it.
4. One fin wilfully purfued makes a man guilty of the breach
of the whole law : it deftroys love and refped to God, under
values his authority, contemns his threatenings and promifes^
5. One fin is enough to make way for more, where Safah
would have, more, yet at firft he is pleafedwith it as a hopeful
'. beginning;

Ghap. XXI.. Satan's Temptations. , 537
beginning ; it makes room enough for the ferpent's head, and
then he will afterward eafily wind in his whole body.
Applf] This may warn us not to be emboldened to any fin
by the plea of diminution ; not to venture becaufe it' may feem
little, or be but for once. A true Chriftian Should be a per
fed univerfalift ; he Should be univerfally .againft all fin, and
univerfally for all duty.

I

CHAP. XXI. '
Of worldly pleafure. Proofs that this is Satan's great engine.
What there is in Worldly delights that make them fo. Counfels
and cautions againft that fnare.
Come now to the argument which Satan ufed for all this,
' All thefe things will I give thee ;' he calls a golden apple
before him, and feeks to entangle him by worldly greatnefs
aud delight. I Shall not examine how true or falfe Satan fpake,
when he called all thefe things his, and that he could give them
to whom he would, it is enough for our purpofe to take notice
of his pretence, fo far as might make his offer probable, and
then obferve,
. Obf. 10,] That the great engine which Satan ufeth to draw
away the heart from God to his fervice, is worldly pleafures
and delights.
I Shall firft Shew, that this is Satan's great engine, and then
explain what is in it, that fits it fo much for his purpofe. The
firft of thefe is evidenced by thefe particulars.
Firft, The fcripture doth particularly note to us a d§peit
or guile to be in worldly pleafures. Chrift in Matth.* xiii.
22. Speaks of the deceitfulnefs of riches; and that deceit is
expreffed by fuch a word, as fignifies a drawing out of the
way;, a misleading; fo that he means npt the uncertainty Of thefe
delights (in which fenfe it is faid, that ' riches take to them
felves wings and fly away,') which often difappoint and deceive
the expedations of thofe that do moft hug them. Nor can
this be underftood of riches in an adive fenfe, as we attribute
deceit to men, who as rational agents can contrive and devife
fnares ; biit it only means, that thefe are fo objective, as things
that are abufed by Satan, to delude and betray the fons of men.
And thefe are fo freqnently made ufe of by him for fuch purpo
fes, and with Such advantages of power and provocation, that
Chrift elfewhere (Matth. xix. 13.) fpeaks of it as a thing almoft
impoffible, to have riches and not to be enfnaredby them : A rich
man Shall hardly eater into the kingdom of heaven, which Mark
3 T ***

53,8 A Treatife of, Part ],!&
and Luke, axpcefs. hjf arLaffediqaate, amazement,. O hq^ hardly
can a rich man be.fi^yed?
Secondly, Thefe are Satan's, great net, which, inplpfeth multi
tudes;; a, general bait, by whicb.moft are. hooked: inta the feryipa
of fin- Moft temptations, come from this, ocean, as fpriings fron*
thp Sea; thpluftof thpflpQj, tbe:lufli of tbeeyes, thepridfof life,,
have their original from the world, i Johaii. i^. _ Chriftffpe.afes?
of this Mammon of unrighteoufnefs, as the only thing that Stands
up in competition for the hearts- of men againft God, Matth.
vi. 24. and the apoftle, % Tim. iii. 4. reckoning up the various)
ways of particular lufts, as cqyetQufnefs, boafting, pride, blaf,,
pheming; gtc. concludes them, all under this, " that- they are-
lovers of plealilres more- than lovers of God;' Shewing us there-
' by, that though the lufts of men- might, run out diverfe way's,
and, ber exewsiSed] upon diverfe paetieular bbjgds, yet they alt
borrow their original from worldly pleafures,, and,- their defigrr
i%npthing but that in. the general. Hence:ia itthatfaaie make-
the world -the great traitor to, God;, fas though, they, reckon up
three great enemies; no. God- and/maa,. the world, tlie; fleJhrao,d
thq.d«vvil, yet- thefe/- three agree in one;, the; pleafing of the; SieSk
is^.the^ great, end and defire of natural men,, the worid is, the
ftore-houfe, from which merf draw out feveral pleaisames. accotn-.
ding, to the. feveral wrfiys-they t-ajse in, gnafififins. their lufts»an4
humours,, and, the. deyil is, only officious V®. Help, all this for
ward, by enticing and perfuading them to make thsfe'provi-
fions fop the fleSh. And" who can think other, but that tuis
muft be. Satan's great engine, when, as hath been.- faidj, fkf|f
the world, and" the, pleafures of it,, is, the fum of all! irtiqui-
ty,. containing in it virtually .or actually, the tranfgreSfioa;of
the whole. laws the root of it is; of- all evil,, x Tfimi Vi. IO.
iaIL profanenefs againft God, all, negled of duty, all, outrage,.
v*r-ong„ pr injuftiqe to man, may (and ufually doth)} fpring
frons; hence,, infomuch that foras have particularly traced it
through eifexy Gominand of the decalogue, and found it guil
ty,, either as principal or aeceffary, pf every iniquity.. (2.)
Our, thoughts may be the more confirmed in this, when we fee
ajlmap entangled by if :. For albeit that fome temptations feem-.
diredly to carry men from a love or care of the world,., as, de
fpair, terrors, of mind',, voluntary humility, negleding of! the
body, and others of the fame kind; yet if the matter hen confi*.
dered, the truth sin handcannpt be prejudiced by fuch an ob
jection. For, ( 1 .) ThoSe, : whp feem. in diftrefs. of; oonfeienc©
moft to loath, the world, were yet firft entangled by/ it, and.
the.Cibnfideration. of thatguilt,, whether at prefent juftly or un-
juftly charged upon- them,, is -the ufual oepafiaa of thefe- trou bles.

•Chap. XXI. JSataris 'temptations. ^§9
Mes. And, -'(^.^ Thbfe who feem to undervalue mbttey, 'rich
es, plenty, <&c. are, it-may'be,'nolefs flaVes to Other Wprldiy
baftfe ; ifbr pleafu'res-of the- World comprehend Whatfoever may
arife from any thing that is in the world, to the delight of life.
Honour, pride, ambition, prodigality, are worldly lulls, as well
as 'oovetonfeefe, and tffefire of power and rule. And thofe that
feem to deny themfelves of faring delicioufly, or wearing foft
raiment, 'may be as much.aiftreffed with an inward defire of
Sjbplttiife and honbttr, as thofe -that would gratify their fenfefe
are %¦ ifetofual lufts .
Wbirdty, H'ow much the woria Stands Satan in ftead, may
fee, obferved from the -force of that temptation, upon thofe that
have very much «ngaged in •ibeir-prbfrffion bf the ways ofGod;
it hath often fetched inff thofe that feemed tc have given up
ttamMves to God. ' ©etnas was once commended by Paul as
his jfeUowJlabonre-r, Phi-lem. ver. 24. yet at laft it fo prevail
ed upon Him, that be cOmplamed, 1 Tim. iv. 10. that Dpmas
had foffakeh him, and turned bis back upon bis profeffion ;
and 'fo far r(if Dorofbeus do him "right) that he became .an idol
prieft in Tbe-flalomca, 'the caufe of which horrid apoftaly was
bis 'love to the prfeSent World. 'Balaam Seemed refolute not to
ad^ahy 'fitting agftinft Ifrael, yet the ways of unrighteoufnefs
So farbrHhdM'him, " that he taught Bahtkto caft a Stumbling-
block before the (Children of Ifrael. The Higheft of nominal
prisfeflors, noted by the thorny ground ih.Matth.xiii. 22. who
feemed to differ from the -good ground only 111 this, that their
fruit was -green and not ripe, as Luke expreffeth it, ' fhey
brought not fruit to perfedioh ¦¦? They were choaked in thefe
fair beginnings an3 offers for holinefs, by the cares and plea
fures j«tf the world. AH ages abound with inftances pf this
kind. JEne&s Sylvius preached againft the Pope, fet up the
cfrBfioil above him, commended the Germans forbppbfing him :
But preferment -made him alter bis bote, and at laft he became
Pope himfelt Bonner the perfecutor feemed at firft a good
man^ a favourer of LutherVdbdrine, but advancement chang
ed him tb a bloody wolf, a cruel tyger. Spalato foffook Po-
pefy; bat miffing thofe dignities which he aimed at in England,
was Upon hopes of greater preferment, induced to lick up his
vomit, arid id" own Popery again. How many examples have
we of thofe who the higher they grew itt the World, became
more carelefs of Teligidn.; as Sixtus 'Quintus, who went as
faft back in religion, as He went forward in promotion : So
tha-t he <that at firft entering into aiders, had a good hope of his
falvation, by that time he came to be Pope, he became fo wick
ed that he defpaired of happinefs. ,
3 Y 2 Fourthly',

J40 A Ireatifo of Part IH*
Fourthly, This temptation is pne of Satan's laft refuges,.and
often prevails -where perfecution cannpt. The thorny-ground
hearers were above thofe of the ftony^ground in this, that they
Stood out the Storm, and bore the Scorching heat of perfecution,
but then the world chpaked. them. Sad experience tells us,
that churches that did thrive and grow as the palm-tree under
their.preflures, were fpoiled by eafe and plenty, which, fo che
rished, the feeds of pride, vanity, and contention, that they
•grew up a- main, and did more to their defolation, than the
cruelty of all their fierceft enemies. Julian who by the great
eft art and policy, . Studied to overthrow the Christian name *
fo obferved this, that he made, it his rule, rather to corrupt
men by honours, than tp compel them by torments : We have
alfo t found, that though the Roman fynagogue join force to
fubtilty in the advancement of their Dagon, yet they have Hill
looked upon this temptation of the world as moll likely to gain
the hearts of their rational oppofers: Cruelty could over- awe
the fenfelefs multitude, and could take out of the way thofe of
whofe opposition they were afraid, but it Seldom with fuccefs,
wrought upon perfons; guided by light and confcience; to a
compliance, that would hold long : For though at firft fome
good menc,.were over-awed to make fubfcription, and to recant,
as it did with Bilney, Bainham, Cranmer,- and feveral o-
thers ; yet upon the working of confeiences after . the. flound
and dazzle of the temptation was over, they recoiled fo refo-
lutely 'upon them, that they_ loft more than they gained that
way:, But thofe that were willing to nibble at preferments,
became theirs wholly. Thus they fet upon Luther* Galeacius
Carracpibliis, Dr Taylor, and a great many more, though to
no purpofe, for they were ready to bid their money periSh with
them, and to bid defiance to their favour as wpll as to their
frowns. Notwithftanding they have made many real conquefts
by this weapon, and accordingly this is reckoned among the
temptations of greateft force, Heb. xi. 37. « They were Ston
ed, they were fawn afunder, they Were tempted*' that is, by
the pleafures and preferments of the world : It feems the Ho
ly Ghoft would point at this, how fair and plaufible Soever it
be, as one of the devil's moft powerful engines.
Next I promifed to difcover what it is in the world which
makes it fo fit for Satan's defigns.
Firft, The world brings or affords Sit matter to he made the
fuel of luft. For this reafon the apoflle in the place aforecited,
I John ii. t6. forbids us fo earneftly to love the world, or the
things
* Honoribus magis homines provocare <yiam tormcntii coecre fluduitr
Nazian.

Chap. XXL Satan's Temptations. 541
things of the World, becaufe there is nothing in it which is not
improveable, as an occafion, or provocation to luft, ' Whatfo
ever is in the world is luft of flefh or eyes or heart ;' and there
is no luft but it may be furnished with a proper objed from
hence, the appetite, fenfes, or affections fetch all their delights
from hence.
Secondly, Befides the common materials of fin that are dig
ged out of this mine, the world hath Something of an aptitude
in it to tempt. Not that it hath properly and formally, ihfi-
diationis animum, an adive fubtilty to lay fnares for men, but
yet it is not fo purely paffive, as to make it altogether inno
cent. There is fomething of a curfe upon it, ever Since by the
fall of man, it was loofened from its proper primitive ends ;
and as the devil fpake by the ferpent, fo doth he urge, fpeak,
tempt, and infinuateby the world, fo that it is ftill an- occafion
of danger to us, and hath a fpecial advantage over our affec
tions upon feveral accounts. As (1.) In that it is in itfelf
lawful to be ufed. (2.) In that it is fuitable to our diftrefs
and tempers. (3.) In Some reSpeds it might be neceffary and
advantageous for the comfort of life, for the fupport' of, fami
lies, and to enable us to be helpful to others. (4.) It is near
to us, under our eye, we have familiar converfe with it, it is
ftill with us. (5.) We have a natural propepfity to be in love
with it ; the fleSh would fain be pleafed, and nothing is more
anfwerable to it than the pleafures of the worldv We need not
wonder then, when we fee it fo bighly captivating the affec
tions of men, and leading them bound in chains and fetters.
Some make it their god, Pfal. xvii. 14. gain is all their god-
linefs and religion y they feek their portion in this life ; this' is
their tfeafure, and here is their heart, and it Would be no lefs
wonder if Satan Should be guilty offo much overfight, as to
negled the ufe of an inftrument which is every way fo- fitted
for his purpofe.
Thirdly, Befides this fair profped which it gives to fin, it
hath an enmity tp God and his ways, which is no lefs advan
tageous to the devil : This is'pofitively affirmed, James iv. 4.
* ThefriendShip of this world is enmity with God;' not only
is this true in a lower fenfe, as a hinderanee, being backward
and averfe to it, but it is a dired oppofition and contrariety to
God and his fervice ; its drawing back, and' hindering, is
charge enough, againft it: For it, 1. Withdraws thofe thoughts,
affedions, time, care, and endeavours, which Should be laid
out upon better things, fo that holinefs muft needs be obftrud-
ed, dwindle and decay by it. 2. It hinders the influence of.
heaven, it Shuts out the tight cafually, quencheth and refifteth the

54a jk Treatife tof <Part IS.
the Spirit, and meritoriously alfo itpEevokes'fGtfa to 'withdraw,
to remove his glory, and to give .over Uais driving with Jthems
But the contrariety that it hath to aH tthe ipatts of iholkiefs ds
yet more, 'Chrift notes it, Matth. vi. 24. Irhefe .two-mafters,
Gad ,and the world, are contrary m their defigns, in ctoeir com
mands, in their natures; fo that it is impoffible for any manito
ferve them both : They both require the heart, and tbey both
require it to contrary :and incoHapatBb4e Services and ends:
Thefe then are fucb maafters, as would be Homhniin foUdum;
mailers of -the whole. * -Now dfbere cannot be two matters of
one thing in tbet, femfe, neither, if there wems, pould the hearts
of men Serve thefe different oommands, but their work would
neceflarily engage their affections, to «me .only ; they would Jei-
ther ia>ve the ione and Hiate*be other, or fooid to fche'oiSe ami.
defpife the e*hers This very oonfideraticm if ifbere were 110
mpre, doth render *sbe world a defir.abte inftrument Ibr Jfiastan.
Fourthly, In all this the world hath fo many -cunning 4i(-
guiSes, aod plaufible Shifts, that it becomes thereby wonderful
ly Serviceable to Satan. It is the perfedion ef wicked ffcliey,.
to manage wicked defigns .under plaiafible f*iete»ees ; thefe Sh©
world hath in readWfe, when it is aocuifed trf ssebfellioa and
treachery, againift God..; the pleas of meeeffity, of profecution of
a lawful ^afliag, raf providing for a family, -of not negtefiing
the benefits ofGod, of idiiearing ithe heart, and takmg the com-
, forts ,p£ the labours of their hands, &aA a gneat massy more, -are
ready; ejocufes to iward off the foirce of die convinoittg word ;
thefe Ithp devil driyes home, -and faiftens diem into Such
ftrcpng perSuafions, that the deluded tfinnec eannot fee the «la*igef
that is before him, nor the fpiritual adultery of idolatry of bis
foul, in his eKceffive l©ve to worldly pleasures.
Fifthly? The world Ihath alfo a ipirifcaal tfafcttiatioa and
¦witchcraft, by which (where it hath onoe prevailed) men are
inchanted to an utter forgetfulnefs of themfelves a'nd God, and
being drwnk with pleafares, they are eafily engaged to a mad
nefs and height of folly. Some, like foolifc children, are made
to keep a great Stir in the world for very trifles, for a vain
Shew ; they think themSelves great, honourable, excellent, and
for this make a great buflle, when the world hatli not added
one cubit to their Stature «>£ real worth. 'Others are by this
circe transformed into Savage creatures, and ad the part of lions'
and tygers. Others like fwine, Wallowin the lufts of unclean-'
nefs. Otheirs are unmanned, putting off all natural affedions,:
care not who they ride over, fo they may -rule, or be made
great. Others are taken with ridiculous frenzies, fo that a'
man-
• Grotius in loc.

Cfoap„XXI. Safaris Temptdtisfis. 543
man that ftands in ship Gaol Shade, of a. fedate eompofure would
jpdge them, out of their wits. It would make a man. admire
to- read of the frifks, of Cains Caligula, Xerxes,, Alexander,
and, many others, who becaufe they were above many men, .
thought. themSelves above human, nature; they forgat they
were bprn, and muft die, and did Such, things as. would- have
saade them, (but that, their greatnefs over-awed it) a laughing
ftock and; common Scorn, to> children. Neither muft we think
that thefe were but feme few or rare inftances of worldly in
toxication,, when the feripture notes k- as a general diftemper
of all that bow down. 60.worfhj.p- this idol, they » live without
God- in the world,'" faith the apoftla ;. that! is,, they So cacry it
as, if there were, no God, to take notice pf them, to chedfc
them fof their madnefs* ' God is not. in, all his ehowghts,^
faith- Dayid, Pfal. x. 4y 5.. The judgments' of. God are fai? abwve
out pf their Sight ; he puffs at his. enemies, and) faithi in* hia
heart, ' he fhall never, be moved>.' &e. The whole pfalm de-
SerifaiBS the wordling,. as a- man that hath loft all understanding,-
and were ading the part of- a, frantic Bedlam ; what then, can;
be a. more fit engine fopthe devii to work, with, than, the pfea*
fates; cf. the world?
AppikJ], 1 Shall briefly apply this* to two; forts- ofi men, thofe
that are.ftBaitsned, with, want and. neceffities,. and, thofe. whofe
cups run, oven, having all: that their hearts can wifhv
xft, To. thofe that think, their, meafure of outwaed comforts*
litde, I would fopm the. dodrine now explained,, telli them that
they h-awe not fo' miich. caufe to, vex and- difquiet themfelves for
their poverty or troubles^ as they apprehend. The world is
nofc.fo deSi-rable a thing; ais-i many dream ;: did but men confider
-how- great at fnare it is, and what dangers attend; the fulnefs of
ity they would not. fo- earnestly covet it, nor fo»paffionately- la
ment, when it flies from them. If thou haft fo much godlinefs
as can quiet thy heart in a contented enjoyment of thy little,
that little which thou. haft,, is better than, great riches- of the
¦wicked;, thou little knoweft- from what pride, infolency,' ccn-
' tempt of? God and men; and many other: temptations and lufts
Godidoth; prefer ve thee,, by denying thee earthly things: Thou*
art* it may be,, often looking, up to God, ftriving to Believe his
Vmvd, often examining: thy heart, labouring to? live upon God1
and'.his-allr-fuffieiency, looking after the bread tha* endures to
eternaL life -;., wben if thou hadftj the temptations: of plenty, it
may be- feared,, thou wpuldft: be another man, and be carried'
away to forget God;, to -be. carelefs of holy walking, and' fo-
Jjaake way far bitternefs • and- fbniaw* at laft.
•*ty idly,

544 A Treatife of Part III.
idly, I would alfo caution poor men not to enlarge their de
fires too much after the world, but to fear the temptations of
the woyld ; it is not only a fnare to thofe that enjoy it, but to
thofe that want it : For while they admire it, and engage fherr
affedifins for it, it enfnares them, in Sinful undertakings, they are
tempted to lie, cheat, diflemble,. to ufe unlawful Shifts, to rob,
fteal, over-reach in bargaining, and to negled the care of the
foul in all. Let fuch call to mind, i. That often the provi
dence of God doth of purpofe thwart and crofs the defigns of
fuch, fo that though they toil and fweat, running from market
to market, rifing early, and fitting up late, yet he blows upon
their gettings, and they wither to nothing, while it is yet in
their hand ; or if they %em to keep them longer, yet all the
end they make with them, is but to put them into a bag with
holes, they perifh by evil travel, Eccl. v. 14. 1. They often
are at a great deal of labour in purfuit, and then when the de
fired objed is within their reach, they ate overwhelmed with
their difappointment, as if Providence defigned to mock them
for their folly. This is excellently fet forth ih the emblem of
a man climbing up a rock, with great labour to reach a crown
that hung upon the precipice, who, when he had Stretched him
felf to grafp it, falls down and breaks his neck. 3. And when
they do by great toil rake together an heap of riches, they are
ftaryed frequently in their plenty, and fo curfed that they have
no more than' the beholding of their goods with their eyes,
Eccl. v. iii in that God denies them a heart to ufe them.
47 Their gettings allay -riot their thirft for more, rHe that lo-
veth filypr, fhall not be fatisfied with Silver,' Eccl. v. 10. 5, Of
ten they are given ag a fcourge and plague ; as the quails given
to the Ifraelites came out of their noftrils. The wife man
notes it, Eccl. v. 23, ' Riches are kept for the owners thereof
to their hurt.'
Secondly, To thofe that have the delights of the world, plen
tiful eftates, full tables, beautiful houfesj rich tradings, honours
and dignities : I would defire to give tlie greateft Caution, that
they take heed to jhemfelves, becaufe they walk in the midft
qf fnares. Thefe Should confider, 1 . That the great God hath
laid moft ferious charges upon them not to love the world, but
%o withdraw their affedions from it, nay to be crucified to it,
va.s to any captivating delight,' and to ufe it with Such an indif-
ferency of mind, that they fhould be In their deportments to
wards it, as if they ufed it not. 2. They Should have their
4anger in their eye. How careful is he of his Steps, that knows
he walks in the midft of ferpents, which are ready to Sting him 5
the thoughts of this Should blunt the edge of our delights. If
vou

Chap. XXII. , Safari's Temptations. ' 545
you were at a feaft where you knew there were poifoned difhes,
you would be afraid to eat any thing. Do you think that
Captain Smith, when he, was ¦ taken by the favages of America,
and had plenty of meat fet before him (which he knew was gi
ven to fatten him, tha,t he might be better meat, when he was
killed) had any Stomach to eat or to drink? Was that feaft plea
fing to him, that fat under a Sharp fword hung Over his head
in a horfe hair, when he expeded every moment it Should Sail
upon him and kill him ? Such are great men, rich men ; with
what fear and care Should they ufe thefe things, when they
know there is hazard of mifchief from them Upon every occa
fion? How much doth Chrift fpeak in that one fentence, ' It is
eafier for a camel to go' through the eye of a needle, than for
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of. heaven ?' He means
not that it is abfolutely impoffible, but extremely difficult, and
the difficulty lies in the hinderances' Which their riches cafts
before them. (3.) They fhould carefully confider, for what
ends God gives thefe, and to what ufe they are to be put. Rich
men are but God's purfers, they do but carry the bag, and
what is put therein, for public ufes ; if accordingly, as faithful
Stewards, they lay it out upon thofe that have need, they Shall
make friends of the unrighteous. Mammon, and it will turn to
a fpiritual account: But if they think that all is for themfelves,
and fo Shut their bowels and purfes from other^; then they carry
the bag no otherwife, than as Judas did, and will be eafily per
fuaded to feU'Chrift and heaven for a little more of earth.

CHAP. XXII.
i
Of Chrift's anfwer in the general. That thefe temptations were
> upon defign for our inftruBioh. Of the agreement betwixt
Eph. vi. and Matth. iv. The firft direBion. Of courageous
refolves in refifting temptations. lis confiftency with fome
kind of fear. The neceffity of this courage. Wherein it
confifts; and that there is a courage in mourning fpirits .
""pHESE anfwers of Chrift to the feveral temptations (which
•*¦ are now to be explained) are different as to their matter,
'yet. the general purport of them being the fame, I fhall
thereforeliandle them together. They may be cofidereu two
ways, xft, As they are fit and pertinent anf wers to particular tempt
ations, of diftruft or prefumption, of debauching the heart by
worldly delights to the fervice of Satan;' and thus-rhay_tljey be
3 Z ufefui

-46 A, Treatife of Part ip.
nfeful in their consideration, to thofe who: are diredly moved
by Satan to fuch Sins. And when at any time we are tempt
ed in fl-raits ; to eaft away our reliance upon the careful provi
dence of God, we may look upon Chrift's anfwer, That man's
life doth not fo depend upon the ufual means but that any o-
ther thing blefled by divine appointment may be ufeSul to that
end. When we are enticed to prefume of extraordinary fup-
ports; then by Chrift's example the temptation may be refitted
" by confidering, that however God be to be trufted, yet he is
at no time to be tempted by unneceffary expedations in the
negledt of the ordinary means. If, our hearts be- wooed by
•worldly delights to caft off our care of God, and religion;
-we may, then call to mind, that this is abominable: idolatry, and
fo may we turn off our hearts from finful compliance, by charge
ing our fouls with the oppofite duties, .upon a true difcovery
of the vilenefs and inconvenience of the . tranfgreffioHs; urged
upon, us.
Bat, idly, They may be confidered as they give instruction
for the management bf our Spiritual armour againft all Saian's
Wiles in the general, and in this fenSe I Shall endeavour to open
them, laying down firfl thefe two conclufions :
Firfl, That the -whole bufinefs of thefe temptations, as per
mitted to Safari, and fnbmitted unto by Chrift, was' certainly
upon- defign. The fame wifdom that contrived the wonderful
method of the" falvation of men by a Redeemer, did alfo order
thefe temptations ; for elfe : Chrift Gould have prevented theifty
or by a divine authority pommanded Silence to the tempter, and
by his power might have chafed him away. As Chrift told
Pilate, ' Thou couldft baye^no power at all againft me except
it were given thee from above ;' thereby manifesting that his
fuffering was- from an higher defign than he was aware of; fo
might he have faid to the devil, ' Except this had been- defigned
by an eterhal council, thou couldft not have made this attempt.'
So that we muft look farther for the fpring and rife of this,
than to any fuppofed occasional outbreaking of Satanical malice
upon him.
Secondly, That this defign, however it touched upon the per
fon and offices of Chrift as Mediator and fecond Adam, (for
thus it became him to overcome the enemy at the fame weapon
by which he overcame our firft parents, and by this perfonal
experience to be fitted with feeling compaffions to be tempted)
yet was- it wholly for our fakes, as may appear by two
things. ,
1. In that Chrift (if his anfwers had only concerned himfelf)
might have given other fit replies to tlie fkft temptation of
turning

Chap. XXII. Satan*s Temptations. , 547
turning ftones to bread,; he could have retorted the argu
ment upon Satan (as Hierora and others obferve) ' If I am
not the Son of God, it is in vain to require a miracle of me ;
if I am, it is in vain to tempt me.' Or he might haye anfwer
ed, « That as the Father hath life in himfelf, fo hath he given
to the Son to have life in himfelf,' and that by this divine pow
er he could fuftain himfelf without bread *. To the fecond it-
might have been a fufficient anfwer, to have excepted againft.
his unfaitMnlnefs in citing that teftimony out of Pfal. xci,
where, by difcovering his wilful omiffion of the . claufe in all
thy ways, < He Shall keep thee in all thy ways,' his temptation
might have fallen to the ground, as no way encouraged from'
that promife. To the third might have been returned Such
anfwers as thefe, that Satan's offer was a lie ; that it was not in
his power to difpofe of the kingdoms of the world ; that thefe
were Chrift's already ; that thefe Were vain arguments to draw
him from the glory of an heavenly kingdom. And finally, that
of all creatures, Sataa (being God's fworn enemy) had leaft rea
fon to exped divine honour.
1. In that all Chrift's anfwers were' from fcripture (which
is properly a light to the Steps of men) and all thefe fcriptures
sited Shew man's duty. He faith not, the Son of God Shall
not live by bread- alone, but man lives not by bread alone. He
faith not, Ghrift muft riot tempt; but thou (man) flialt not
tempt the Lord thy God, &c. By all which we may difcern
that Chrift anfwered, not by arguments peculiarly agreeable to
his perfon and nature, but by fnch as fuit the general ftate of
God's children. And this, certainly was for our advantage, lie
conquered with fuch weapons; not only for any neceffity that he
had to- take that courfe, but for the need that we had pf fuch
inftrudion; for hereby we fee that Satan is conquerable, and
alfo how we muft ufe our weapons. - Jn this alfo he left us an
example, that we Should follow his Steps ; as Gideon faid to his
Soldiers * as you fee me do, fo do you likewife.' Thus as it
were doth our Lord fpeak to us," ' For your fakes fuffered I
thefe temptations, that I might teach your hands to war and
your fingers tb fight; for your fakes I ufed thefe weapons of
yours, rather than my own, that I might Shew yoii the ufe of
your Sword and Shield, and how your adverfary may be over
come by them'; dealing, herein with us as a mafter at arms, it
'is Mufculus's comparison, who for the better inftruding arid a-
ai'mating of his tyro, takes rather his difciple's fword than his,
own, to beat his adverfary withal ; minding not only the con
queft of an enemy, hut alfo the encouragement of a young
Soldier.
3Z2 If
* Mufculus in loc.

548 A Treatife of Part III.
If any carry, a fufpicion irt their mind, that Chrift had not
our instruction fo much in his eye, as hath been feid, becaufe
he gives not fuch particular inftrudions for our Spiritual 'wel
fare, as the apoftle in Eph. vi. expeding that our Saviour
lhould have been more pundual in making particular Applica
tions from every part of his carriage to our ufe, and drawing
out, from thence foihe pofitive coiidufions, or draughts ofthe.
way and manner of refiftance ; they may know, that there is no
other difference betwixt Eph. vi. and Matth. iv. than there i%
betwixt precept and example. What the apoftle there pre
scribed in the theory, here Chrift teapheth in the practice ; here
"we have in their ufe the girdle of truth, the Shield of faith, the
the fword' of the Spirit, the helmet of Salvation, and all the o-
ther parts of that armour; and withal we may know, that
this is a/far' more advantageous way of teaching young be
ginners, to let them fee things in a plain example, than only to
giye general precepts. But befides we are to confider that '
Chrift did. many things, the meaning whereof the difciples then
prefent' with him, did riot know as yet, neither was it expeded
from them that they fhould (like to what he Said to Peter,
John xiii. 17; '• What I do, thou knoweft not now, but thou
ihalt know hereafter') but wCre intended to belaid up in ftore
to be more fully made ufe of, as after diredions fhould come
in to give them information. He therefore that had purpofed
to give further light in this' matter by his apoftle and fer vant,
Was now doing that which his defign led him to in his perfon
al adings, with a fecret refpeft alfo to thofe inftrudions which
he intended after to communicate. We "; have then no reafdril
to be jealous that theSe temptations Were not intended for our
ufe, but the more to affure ourfelves that it was even fo, becaufe
we find that thofe, very weapons which here Chrift in his
own perfon wielded againSt Satan, aie afterwards recpmmer/ded
to ris. ' . ;.
Having'thus laid the foundation, we muft then, if we will
' imitate our Captain, carefully obferve hjs deportment from
point to point, that we may- draw out thofe inftrudions which
he intended for us. ' S
And the firft thing that I Shall take notice of, Shall be the
courage and magnanimity of our leader ; he had endured temp
tation forty days arid nights before, and yet he keeps the field
without any appearance of Shrinking or running away ; Safari
rio fooner terppts, than he is repelled. From' this consideration
we have this inftrudipn, - f
PireB. 1.] That he that would fucceSsfully refift temptations,
¦ " ' " ' ' / ¦¦' ¦ rouft-

Chap. XXII. Satan's, Temptations. 549
muft not fly, but with a.courageous reSoive Set himfelf to op-
pofe. • Chriftians are apt to fear, when Satan comes up againft them,
and ready to turn their backs: As the Ifraelites weredifmayed
at the appearance of Goliah, and fled before him.. But if we
would conquer, we muft, as David, go out againft him in the
name of the Lord: To this we aro called, I Cor. xvi. 13.
f Stand faft in the faith, quit yourfelves like men, be ftrong *»
And Eph. vi. 14. ' Stand, having your loins girt with truth,'
&x. This courage recommended is not a contempt and negli
gent flighting of danger, nor is it a bold adventuroufnefs upon
occafions of fin ; it is an holy humble courage, and doth admit
of a threefold fear,
', Firfl, Of a fear of fin, that- is, a hatred of it. We muft fear
fin as the greateft evil: This is no cowardice, but tends to the
Strongest .rvfolutionj and higheft endeavours againft.it. From
ifhis principle is it, that men oppofe finas their mortal enemy,
' arid excite their utmoft courage to fight againft it. As the
Philistines being afraid of Ifrael, and yet hating to ferye the
Hebrews, mutually encouraged one another, ' Be ftrong, and
quit yourfelves like men, O ye Philistines.' A fear of hatred
begets boldnefs.
Secondly, Courage-admits of a preventing fear, and a provi
dent avoidance. Occafions of fin are to be fled, we are npt with
greater earneftnefs called upon to Stand; than we are warned in
this cafe to flee. So the apoftle often, ' Flee fornication, flee
idolatry, flee-. youthful lufts,' 1 Cor. v. 18: and xJ 14, Occafions
are beit oppofed by fleeing, 2 Tim. ii. 22. wnere calling, and
duty doth not- engage. Prov. iv. 14. ' Enter not into the path
of the wicked,, and go not in the way of evil men.' He fights
belt, that flees moft, where neceffity doth not bid him Stay.
Thirdly., It alfo admits of the fear of an holy jealoufy ; fuch
a diftruft pf .purfelyes, as puts us tp feek to the rock which is
higher than we, for Shelter. God calls us to' turn into our
Strong hold, and to lay hold upon his ftrength. It is rafhneSs
Or deSperateneSs, and not true courage, to adventure ourSel-ves
without our guard or Shield. But however we muft Sear fin,
SuSped our ftrength, and flee ocpafions ; yet Satan we muft not
flee. Here we are bid to Stand.)' Sor theSe reafons.
xft, It is impoffible to flee from him. He can Sollow us where
ere we go : IS we ?o to our affemblies, he can come thither :
If we Shut up ourfelves in our cloSets, he can mpet us. there :'
IS we betake ourSelves to a wilderneSs, or to a crowd, to be Surq.
he will find us out.
%dly, We are exprefsly charged to make refiftance, Jamtiv.?.
* ?' - ' ->' " ' 'Refift

I jo A Treatife of Part III.
* Refift the devil.' I Pet. v. 9.— ' whom refift.' This plainly
fpeaks pofitive endeavours and oppofition on our part.
idly, A fainting fear is an unbelievirig'diftruft. of God's pow
er as if he were not able to Save to the nttermoft, and of Chrift's
compaffioiiate tendernefs, as if he would not faCcour thofe that
are tempted.
4thly, Our fainting makes Satan infult. He triumphs when
we turn our backs, and befides hath the greater advantage to
wound us, or to tread us down at pleafure- It is obferved,
that God provides armour for head and breaft, and all the fore
parts, by a Shield in cafe of refiftance : But if- we flee (fo little
encouragement is there fer cowards) there is no armour for the
' back. Sthly, It is moft fuitable to Christian courage to' die in the
place, and to put it to the utmoft hazard rather than to yield.
According to Vefpafian's motto, Qportet imperatortm flantem .
mori. Every Chriftian fhould fay, ' Shall fuch an one as I
flee ?' One that hath given up my name to God ; one that hath
profeffed holinefs before men ; one that hath fo many advan
tages for refiftance, and fuch fweet encouragements from a vic
torious General.
<$>ueft.] But the great queftion is, What is this fear that is
forbidden, and the courage which is enjoinbd ?
Anfw. The fear forbidden is an unbelieving weaksefe. and
pufillanimity, through which, as hopelefs of Succefs, men throw
down their weapons, and yield themfelves up to Satan, when
the hearts of men fail them to the 'giving up ofthe vidory.
Spiritual courage, on the contrary, is a ferious refolve_ of
fighting it out in the ftrength of the Lord, and it confifts of
thefe two parts.
Firfl, A fincere refolution tb be on Chrift's Side againft all
iniquity, a deliberate unfeigned determination fo Stand for God
and his holy ways, againft Satan and fin. (t.) The ground
of this determination, is a convidion of the eyil of fin,- even to
an hatred of iti He that hath not throughly weighed the mi
fery of living in fin, and fully purpofed within himfelf to for
fake it, can have no true Chriftian courage when it comes to a
pinch, (-2.) From this ground, he lays himfelf under Solemn
engagements to Chrift his general (as Soldiers lift themSelves
under their captains) that he will follow him and obferve his
commands ; he gives up himfelf to God by covenant : So that
now he is no longer his own, but Chrift's fervant, bound for
his work. (3.) And this with fuch or fo much belief of his
promifes for aid and vidory, that he hath fome hopes 'or ex
pedations at leaft, that God may, at laft fo affift him, that he
may

Chap. XXII. Satan's Temptations. 55 j
may attain to fome real degree of the mortification of the flefh
with the affedions. and lufts "thereof.
Secondly, The Second part of this courage Confifts in a fuita
ble management of this undertaking. Courage is not only feen
in the firft onfet, but in the profecution of the warfare : And
this lies in two things. (1.) When there are real endeavours a-
gainit fin, anfwerable to this undertaking, in all Ways of Striv
ing to oppofe it : When mew do Hot engage againft fin with
big words only ; or as the cbildrefl of Ephraim (who arming
themfelves and carrying bows, feemed to have Stout refolves,
but then turned back in the day of battle) but with real and
eonfcientious wreftlings, Setting themfelves with all their might
and care againft every temptation, and ftudying to purfne the
vidory, where in any degree it is obtained, to a greater height.
(2.) When, thefe endeavours are Sincerely perfifted in, without
being quite wearied out or utter fainting; fo that it never comes
to this, though* they may be fometWHes under Satan's feet,
that they rrfinqaiifh their firft folemn engagements, or repent
of their undertaking, and then turn their backs upon Gad, lift
ing themfelves1 under Satan's colours ; fuch a fainting as this
Would bereave men of their crown, ' Ye Shall reap fn due time
if ye faint not/ Gal, vi. 9. Upon this hazard are the children
©f God cautioned, Heb. xii. 3. ' Left ye be wearied, and faint
ii* y&uc mind.' (3.) There is alfo a particular kind of courage
espreSfed in an Holy and bram-ofe contempt! of Satan's fuggef-
tfbns,,* when after all means ufed, they ceafe not tofee trou-
blefome: This is not to flight fin, but to flight Satan:, who
though he refifted, ceafed not ta moleft.
Applic.y I Shall particularly apply this firft ditedion (1.)
To thofe that propound eafe to themfelves in their race 01'
warfare, whkh is a thing impoffible to one that doth the work
of a foldier, not confideringr that work and courageous endea
vours do abide them. (2.} To thofe that pretend themfelves
Chrift's foldiers, courage and Chriftian magnanimity, is your
Cognizance ; by this muft you be known. How do ye Stand ?
what are your refolutions and.' undertakings -? Thofe Chrif
tians- that have joy and peace in believing, can more eafily fa-
tisSy themfelves in this ; but thofe that fight in tears and grief,
in difquiets apd troubled thoughts, are apt to conclude them-
Sdves unbelieving, becaufe. they are fearful ; or to think, that
they look not up tO' Jefus, the author and finisher of their-
faith, becaufe they apprehend themfelves weary andf faint in
their minds. For the eafe and help, of fuch, I Shall Shew in a
few
* Capel Tempt. Part 3. .c. 9. Ames Caf. Conf. lib. 2. c. 1S. § 14.

552 Aflreatifeof Fart.IIL
few things, that there is as real a Chriftian courage in fuch
mourners, as in Some that fing Songs of triumph.
Firft, It is a real courage and undertaking againft, fin, for
any. to refolve his utmoft, out of deteStation. bf it, before he
can fatisfy himfelf that God will accept of i't.^ To oppofe'iin-
under fuch a difcburagement, or at. fuch a" venture is a cou
rageous hatred, and yet fo do thofe mourners. «
Secondly, To be under continual, grievings. becaufe of mif-
carriages, fo that otherthings of outward enjoyment ceafe to
be pleafing, is a courageous hatred,; but this is their- cafe..
" Thirdly, To- wreftle againft fin under Jhigh.diSeqU'ragements,
when afflicted and toffed, when, Satan runs npon,,thprn> and
Shakes them by the neck, and- yet they con tinue , their, wreft-
ling and withstanding, as they are able. : This is faithful re
fiftance, ' a refiftance unto blood, ftriving againft fin,' Heb. xii.
4. that is, if that expreffiqu; be. proverbial, like? .that adfan-
guinem ufque, they refift fin faithfully, .under great hagard^
and inconveniences, even to wounds and blood,- till- theyjha-yp
broken heads and broken faces ; and can fay to God, . thpugh
•wp have been broken in the place ofidragons,, -and haye,ithefe
Wounds to Shew, yet have we not departed ;£rqm.. thee, npr
quitted our defires after thee and holinefs, for all thefe buffet-
ings of Satan ; but this is the character of thefe dejeded ones.
Fourthly, It is a courageous hatred that cannot fuffer a Sin
ful motion to fall upon the foul, but it puts all into a combuf-
tion within, and raifeth difquiet, for it is an argument, that
there is a contrariety betwixt the heart ' and Sin ; but this is
their cafe alfo. ,
Fifthly, It is courage and conftancy to hold on in graqious
endeavours and Strivings ; fo that when they fall,, as foon , as
they can recoiled their Strength, they fet on where they left,
and renew the battle, never changing their firft refolve for ho
linefs againft fin. This is implied in the apoftle's phrafe of
Standing, Eph. vi. ' That ye may withstand, and. when ye have;.
done all; jto Stand.' He is accounted to' Stand, that runs not
out of the field, but Hands to his holy refolve to the laft, tho'
the battle go fore againft him by fits ; but Such, are thpfe mour
ners. There is true courage under mourning and difquiet of heart ;
fo that we may fay to fuch, • O thou afflided and tpffed, fear
.not, the glory of the Lord Shall Shine upon, thee.' Thpy that
are Weak in this Senfe Shall be ftrong as David. 1
CHAP,

Chap. XXIII: Satan's Temptations. 553
CHAP. XXIII.
The fecond direBion; that temptations are not to be difputed. The
feveral ways of difputing a temptation. In what cafes it is
iohveriient and neceffary to difpute with Satan. In what ca
fes inconvenient, and the reafons of it.
fr'T'HE next thing obfervable in Chrift's carriage to Satan' is
¦*• this, that Chrift, though he rejected every temptation, by
giving a reafon of his refufal from the command of God, did
not fuffer Satan to difpute his temptations further than the firft
bropofal; and in his anfwers He takes no notice of the reafons
or motives by which he laboured to make his temptations pre
vailing. In the two firft temptatibns, he gives no reply to what
Satan insinuated by his fuppofition, 'If thou be the Son ofGod;'
neither by affirming that he was fp; nor difcovering to him his
knowledge of the fecrfct fubtilty, which he had wrapt up un
der thefe plaufible pretences. In the third he anfivers not a
word to the vanity and falfehood of his deceitful offer of the
kingdoms ofthe world, though, as hath been obferved, he might
have oppofed ftrong reafons againft them all: And befides,
when Satan became infolent and impudent in tempting Chrift to
fall dpwn and worfhip him; he chafeth him away with a fevere
abomination, ' Get thee henee, Satan.' From which we have a
fecond diredion, which is this,
DireB. 2.] That temptations to fin, are to be oppofed by
peremptory denials; rather than by difputings.
This is a note which moft commentators have on this place ;
¦but it Stands in need of a diftind application, becaufe it is not a
rule fo general; but that the pradtice of God's children have
made exception againft it. For the clearer explanation ofit, I
Shall, '
Firft, Give you the Several kinds of difputings, by which we
may See that all ate not alike : For,
xft, The ferious wqrking of the thoughts in a quick denial of
a temptation, with a reafon implied or expreffed, though it ad
mit not Satan to anyfurther difpute or argument, may, in fome
fenfe, be called a difputing ; for the fcripture ufeth dialogifmos
for any inward ferious thought. Such a kind of difputing as
this is neceSTary ; it candot be wanting to any that refufe a Sin
ful motion, this being, as we Shall fee afterwards, one of thofe
diredions which Chrift intended us by his example, and the ve
ry thing which Chrift pradifed in every temptation : For' he
contented not himfelf to give a naked denial, buf ftill adds a rea
fon of fuch refufal. Thofe who in general terms urge that temp-
4 A tations

£54 . A Treatife of Part III,
rations are not to be difputed, do-not reckon this as any difput
ing. And others that do (taking difputing for the refufal of a
thing, with a reafon affigned) think that his procedure in the
two firft temptations, is not imitable by us, but only that of
the third, wherein he chafed away the devil with an angry de
nial: But the miftake is obvious.
idly, There is a difputing of untieceflary curiofity and confe
rence : This is when a Si§£ul motion injeded into our hearts, is
not diredly confentedto ; but then inftead of a full denial, men
begin to raife queflions, and make objedions of leffer moment,
or fame impertinent queries which Strike not, at the root :_ As-
one obferved oS himSelf, that inftead of denying, a Sinful motion,
he began, to difpute, whether it came from Satan or his own
Inclination, and fo inftead of quenching the fire, he bufied him
felf to enquire whence it came. Men deal with temptations in
this cafe, as they, who being aSked whether they will buy fuch
a commodity, haftily anfwer no, but yet call back the party a-
gain, and alk whence it came ? or what it muft coft ? and by
fuch entanglements of curiofity engage themfelves at laft to buy"
it. Eve failed by fuch an inconfiderate conference with Satan,
for the abrupt beginning of the Serpent's fpeech, ' Yea, hath
God faid ye Shall not eat ?'' &c and the fumming up of the ar
guments which prevailed with her to ekt, ' when the wo'man Saw
that the tree was good for food, and pleafant to the eyes,' &c.
do clearly evidence that there was more difcourfexthan is there .
expreffed, and that alfo tending to afcertain the goodnefs-, plea-
fantnefs, and profit of the fruit. This kind of difputing is al
ways unlawful and dangerous, for it is but a wanton dalliance
with a temptation,, a playing upon the hole ofthe afp, and com
monly ends in a Sinful compliance,
idly, There is a difputing of a deliberating and parlying in*
differency ; this is, when the devil puts a thought of fin into
their minds, and, while they feem not to be forward to embrace
it, leaves it to further confideration, and then they float betwixt
refolved and Unrefolved, betwixt pro and corr, being at a great
difpute within themfelvps what is beft to be done, whether the
eonveniencies on the one hand, will weigh down the inconve*
niencies on the other ; this in cafes of apparent fin, is a wicked
halting betwixt two, always unlawful.
4thly, There are alfo treacherous partial arguings, wherein
the heart takes part with Satan. Thefe are thofe debates that
are to be found in natural men,. about the doing or not doing of
Sinful things. This looks fo like the combat betwixt the fleSh
and the Spirit, that it hath occafioned an inquiry how they may
be distinguished each from other. It is generally concluded, that

Chap. XXIII. Safaris Temptations. 555
that in that Strife of the natural man, the light of the under
ftanding and confcience, gives oppofition to- the bent ofthe af
fedions, and the fame faculties, though fandified in part, in the
regenerate are the parties that give oppofition to each other ;
but with this principal difference, that in this Strife of the fleSh
and fpirit, the man takes part with God, whereas in the other,
the affedions take the devil's part, and in a malignant averfe-
nefs to the light, Strive to put it out, and to get over the con
viction of confcience, fothat the man ftrives to Sin, and to ftop
the mouth of. fuch" objedions as come in to the contrary : This
kind of difputing is always finful.
-$thly, There is yet a difputing in a ftrid fenfe, which is a
full and folemn debating of a Satanical injection, by giving it the
full hearing, and admitting Satan to be a. respondent to our obi
je&ions. Of this it is queried how far it may. be convenient,
and how far inconvenient, becaufe we fee Chrift in this place
did not thus difpute with Satan ; and yet we find inftances in
fcripture of fome holy men that have been unavoidably engaged
JO difpute a temptation to the utmoft.
To anfwer this query, I Shall, fecondly, Shew in what cafes
vit may be neceffary or convenient to enter the lifts with Sa
tan in an holy, arguing, and in what cafes it is inconvenient
"and dangerous. There are foqr cafes in which we may difpute
a temptation. Firft, When the motion is of things doubtful and disputable,
whether they be lawful or not. Here it cannot be avoided ;
for albeit (as the apoftle adyifeth, Rom. xiy. 1 .) doubtful dif r
putations are not to be impofed upon others, fo as to tie them
Up to our perfuafions, yet in thefe things every man, before
he can ad clearly, is to endeavour his own fatisfadion in the
lawfulnefs or unlawfulnefs qf the thing, that fo he may be fuily
perfuaded in his own mind, ver. 5. And he gives two ftrong
¦reafons of this, ver. 22, 23. (1.) From the rack and trouble,
which otherwife the man may be put upon, while his confcience
unfatisfied, condemneth him in that, which by a contrary prac
tice he alloweth: (2.) In that this condemnation of con
science (while he doth that, the lawfulnefs whereof he believ-
eth not) is an evidence pf his fin, as well as an occafion of his
trouble. Secondly, Difputings have place, when a temptation hath
taken hold upon the thoughts," and fo far poffeffed itfelf, that
our corruption rifeth up in the defence of the" fuggeftion. Sal
tan will not quit that hold (though he be an intruder without
our leave,) till he be beat out of his quarters. The apoftle,
Eph. yi. implies fo much by that expreffion, of quenching the
4 A 2 fiery

3 5 5 A Treatife of - - Part III.
fiery darts of Satan. It is not proper to undprftand it of a re
fufal ofthe firft motion of fin, (though interpreters do ufually
make it pomprehenfiye both of the keeping opt of the dar-t,
and the plucking it out) becaufe this evidently fuppofeth, that
the dart hath pierced the- foul, and now begins to burn and en-
flame, ;.which will require more labour for. the quenching of
it than a r refufal of the firft motion"'would put us to. As
¦• when. fire hath taken hold .upoii our houfes; we fhall be for
ced to bring water for the extinguishing of the flame, which
•before it had:,broke out upon the building, an ordinary care
might have prevented. And this we are further taught by a
diftindion which' the fame apoftje ufeth in the fame place of
ftenai, and antiftenai, ftandirig and wi'thftanding. We muft
keep off the temptation that it enter not, by Standing againft
..the affault in a peremptory refufal ; but if it do enter, then wc
muft be put to it, by a force' of holy arguing to pull out the
arrow, and to withftand it.
Thirdly, Much more need have .we of difputing,- when the
prefent ternptation is a motion of fuch a fin which we are ha
bituated unto, and have long pradifed, for thefe kinds of Sin
ful motions 'are not caft out eafily. lathis cafe, David advi-
Seth his enemies^ PSal. iv. who had for" a long time loved.va-
nity, and fought after leafing, that by communing with their
own heart, and by difputing againft their Sinful practices, they
.Should bring themfelves under an holy awe, and by that means
flop the courfe of their' finning, ver. 4. ' This indeed is the
great thing that finners are called to by God, to ponder their
eftate, to confider their ways, to Study the evil and danger- of
fin, to examine themfelves, -and to reafon together with God
about the wickednefs and ingratitude of their adions,: and a-
bout the contrary loveliriefs, bleffednefs and happinefs: of the
¦ways of God, that fo "they may he brought to repentance ; all
which are done only by a ferious arguing of their cafe and
hazard. , .¦'.*.
Fourthly^ it is convenient, and in fome cafes neceffary, to
difpute, a temptation, which Satan offers to Us, by the mouth's
of men, who entice us to Share with them in their wickednefs-. :
For here by arguing, we may not bnly difcourage their-.-further
Sol icitation, and So free ourfelves from the like temptation for
the, future, but we alfo by the exercife of an holy charity, en
deavour to prill them out ofthe fire. When Jofeph's miftrefs
tempted him, he confidered that he had, to deaLboth with tbe
-devil and hismiftrefs, Gen. xxxix. 7, 8. and therefore that he
might refift the devil, he peremptorily refufed, th£. temptation ;
, but that he might take off his miftrefs- from her unlawful pr^-
1 fecutibn

Chap. XXIII. ' Safaris Temptations. $ ffl
fecution, heargues.with her about the ingratitude", danger and
mdawfulnefs of.fuch an ad, < My mafter, woteth not what is
with me in tne houfe, and he hath committed all that he hath
to my hand : There is none greater in this houfe than I, nei-
jher hath he kept any thing back from me but thee, becaufe
thou art his wifpu,-. How then can I do this great wickednefs
and fin, againft God?- When Sinners do entice us to caft in
our lot amongft them, pity to them, and care of ourfelves will
engage us to .argue the folly and danger of their ways with
them, except they .behave1 themfelves as dogs and fwjne : their
.^carriage giving us juft ground to conclude, that they are fo fet
;on wickednefs, that it may endanger us, rather than profit
them,, to debate: with tham.; And . fo was it likely, and the
text feems to hint fo much, \that when Jofeph perceived his
miflrefs was refolved upon^ the purfuit, |and that his reafon-
ings were, not minded, he perfifted in his denial, but forbore
his arguings.
But howeyet it may be convenient to difpute, in the laft
mentioned fenfe; in thefe four cafes, and others may probably
he added, yet there are cafes in which it will be inconvenient
.and hazardous to difpute or argue, and of this order I Shall
reckon four. s
xft, It is not fafe to difpute the matter, in vile infedious
temptations, fuch as are either fuitable to our inclinations, or
pay receive a favourable afped and countenance from the pof-
ture of our affairs and condition. Thefe temptations, even in
our debating againft them, are like the opening of a Sepulchre,
which fends forth a poifonous ftream, which may infed thofe
that loath and refift it. It is dangerous to admit fire into the
fame room where there is gun-powder, though there be no in
dention to kindle it. It hath been an old obfervation, that the
very confeSfion of infedious fins, though defigned to beget
Shame, and refolution againft them- for the future ; have kin
dled a new flame, by the unneceffary declaration of the manner
arid circumftances, fo that they have, returned from the con-
.ieffor more infeded than when they went ; and thofe very per
fons, whofe care it Should have . been to have put the.higheft
difgrace upon Sins, fo sonfeffed,- to the begetting pf loathing,
and abhorrency. in the parties. and themfelves, have by. too cu
rious an enquiry received fuch poifon at the ear, that the heart
hath been forthwith infected. The like hazard remains to thofe
that are willing to debate . fuch fins With Satan ; for though
they begin upon the fcore of refiftance, ¦ yet the very dwelling
on fuch a fubjed (when adriiitted to lay itfelf open) dotb con-
Wy Such amorous looks unto the - treacherous: affedions, that
' •*,- • ': ' -' the

558 A Ireatife of Part III,
the heart is in danger of a fecret poifon. There is no better
way in fuch cafes than to command all fuch "thoughts and con
siderations out of our coafts, and (as we do, when the city or '
town we live in is infeded) to withdraw ourfelves from the air
of fuch a temptation. We may obferve the like care in Jofeph,
though he thought himfelf concerned at firft (as hath been Said)
to oppoSe the unlawful fuit of his miftrefs, yet feeing her de
sperately fet upon her folly, he declined all communication with
her, and ' would not be with her,' Gen. xxxix." fo. and at laft
when She caught him by his garment, * he left it in her hand
and fled,' ver. 12. He might eafily have refeued his garment
from her, had he not been aware that his contefting' againft her,
might have been an occafion of enfnarement to himfelf. Chrift
himfelf, whpn he was tempted by Peter to fpare himfelf, (which
was a temptation very taking to human nature, efpecially when
fuffering and death is in view) is more Short and Sparing in his
reaSoning againft it, than he was when the devil tempted him.
He gives no pofitive reafons againft it, as he did, when he was
tempted to fall down and worfhip the devil, but difchargeth
himfelf from any further confideration of the matter by a de
clared abhorrency of the thing, ' Get thee behind me Satan,
for thou favoureft not the things that be "of God, but the
things which be of men.' Which is as if he had plainly faid,
This is fo apparently from the devil, and fo much abhorred
by me (becauSe So Suitable to my condition) that I will not
So much as diScourfe oS it, or confider it.
idly, Generally in all temptations, (though they have not the
advantage oS our prefent fpecial eftate or inclination, as hath
been noted) of an apparent withdrawment from obedience, or
of things unquestionably Sinful, it is not convenient to difpute
them, but to difraiSs them hy a denial, except Some of the fore-
mentioned considerations do alter the cafe. In known cafes we
need not parly but Stoutly deny. Our refolutions for duty,
qnd againft fin, Should not be to feek.: We are certain that fin is
to be avoided, and duty to be pradifed, here we Should be pe
remptory. Abraham being certain of duty, when God called
him to a place which he Should afterwards receive for an inhe
ritance, he difputed not the uncertainty, the danger, or inconr
venience that poffibly might attend his removal, but went out
not knowing whither he went, Heb. xi. 8. Paul being called by
God to preach among the heathen, though fleSh and blood were
ready with arguments ag&inft it, "yet he would not fo much as
confer with them, but immediately obeyed, Gal, i. 16. Eike
inftances I might fetch from other holy men, Cyprian, when the
prefident gave it to his own choice, whether he would obey or be
-put

Chap. XXIII. Safaris Temptations. 559
put to death, commanding, him to take it into confideration, he
readily replied, In re tarn fanBa non eft deliberandum, that it
was not fit to deliberate in fo plain a cafe, Mrs Anne ASkew,
when at the ftake ready to be burnt, a pardon was offered by
the Lord .Chancellor, fhe would not fo much as look on it, but
returned this anfwer, That fhe came not thither to deny ber
Lord and Mafter. BiShop Hooker in the fame condition had
a; box laid before him with a pardon in it, which when he un
derstood, he was fo afraid of tampering with a temptation, he
cried out, If ye love nay foul, away with it ; if ye love my
foul, away with it. And many others there were in all ages,
fo far from accepting fnch unlawful deliverances, that tbey
would not take into confideration the unrighteous terms upon
which they might have efcaped *.
idly, When a temptation, after all means ufed, continues to
be troublefome, and is rather an annoyance than an infection,
then muft we not difpute itr but by an holy contempt defpife it.
Temptations to blafphemy are oft of this nature, as hath been
noted in its place,, and there are other things by which Satan
creates to God's children great difquiet, while they in the mean
time abhor the Sin, and cry out of the trial. Here when the
meffenger of Satan will not depart, it is an advice that hath the
general approbation of holy experienced men, that we Should de
fpife the temptation, as an approved way to our quiet and eafe ;
for while we think to repel fuch affaults, by Struggling with
arguments, we do but increafe the Sorce of them : As he that
thinks to Shelter Himfelf againft the wind, by holding up his
cloak before him, doth but derive upon himfelf a Stronger blaft.
1 afbly, In temptations of inward trouble and terror, it is not
convenient to difpute the matter with Satan. David in Pfalm
xlti. ir. Seems to corred "himSelf for his miftake, his foul was
caft down within him, and for the cure of that temptation, he
had prepared himfelf by arguments for adifpute ; but perceiv
ing himSelf in a wrong cowcfe, He calls off his foul from difquiet,
to> an immediate application to God and ,the promifes, ' Truft
ftill in God, for I Shall yet praife him ;' but in Pfalm xi. 1 . he
is more aforehand with his work, for while his enemies were
acted by Satan to difcourage him, he rejedts the, temptation at
firft, before it fettled, upon his thoughts; and cliafeth it away as
a thing that he would not give ear to : ' In thee, Lord, do I put"
my truft ; how fay ye then to my foul, flee as a bird to your
mountain ?' And there are weighty reafons that fhould difl'uade
Us from entering the lifts with Satan in temptations of inward
trouble; as, xft, The: determination of the Sincerity of fhe foul, and
~* Luther, torn. 3. f. 396. torn. 3. f. 376. ,Ain«s Cat Confe. lib. 1. c, 6.

36o ATreatife of ' Part III;
and its converted ftate, is a queftion of no fmall difficulty, a:
knotty controverfy, more intricate and abftrufe than thofe con
troversies that in the fchools are of greateft name for difficulty :
For this is liable to more weighty objedions, and ftands in need1
of nicer diftindion. As DrGoodwin obferves *, ' They that
converfe with dejeded fpirits, find fo much quicknefs and nim-
blenefs of reafoning, turning every way to ward off the forces
of an argument brought for their confolation, that even wife and
able heads are oft- put to a Stand, and know not what to anfwer.'
Would.it then be fit to give Satan this advantage, or to admit
him fo far into our reafoning? He that will invite Satan to fuch
a conteft, Shall be fure to have his hands full.
idly, This kind of temptation doth ufually difable men for
arguing; it oftentimes confoundsthe brain, flupifies the under*
Standing, and weakens the memory. Heman complains of him
felf as dill ratted by terrors. Job calls himfelf defperate. Such'
perfons are not furely in a fit cafe -to manage a temptation with
fo cunning a fophifler as Satan.
idly, If tbey defcend into the battle, he is not only too ftrong
for them, but commonly after a while they take Satan's part
againft themfelves, and comply with him, concluding againft
their own peace.
qtbiy, There is alfo a better way at hand than to enter into
a difpute, and that is, by going to God by a prefent faith, love,
or repentance, when the tenth of any of thefe is questioned. It
is a difficult taSk to prove fome time that former ads of faith,
love, or other graces, were Sincere ; this may admit of fuch ob
jedions from a wounded fpirit, that it will be hard to anfwer
them ; but in this-cafe itis a nearer way to fee if there be not
in all thefe complainings, fome prefent ads of thefe graces :
Whether fuch complainants are not willing to embrace Chrift
upon, any terms, whether they do not hate Sin, whether they
would not unfeignedly be reconciled to God, &c. It oft falls
out that this doth Stay the trouble, when examinations of for
mer ads do nothing for them. Some men are at more pains
(as one faith) to repair and fit an old building, than would
ferve to rear «p a new one. Yet muft it be remembered^
that though it were the beft courSe to refift temptations of
this nature at firft, by avoiding unneceffary difputings, not
withftanding when this, (as I noted before of other tempta*
tions) hath feized upon the heart and taken poffeffion, then
fliall we be forced to fill our mouths with arguments," and
Whether we will or no, muft we undergo a conteft: As we
foe in David, who, when his troubles had prevailed upon him,
• Child of Light, cap. 7. p. 41. ,

Chap. XXlIL tfatari* Temptations. 561
him, was forced to plead with God, with himfelf, with the
temptation, and to have recourfe to former experience; the
days of old, and the years of the right-hand ofthe Moft
High, and all little enough.
thirdly, All that I Shall further fay concerning the incon-
veniencies of difputing with Satan, Shall be to give you the
reafons manifefting thefe unneceflary communings with him
to be everyway hazardous and unfuitable. As, .
xft, It is an honour tO' Satan and a difgrace to ourfelves:
Men are loath to be feen contesting with perfons of a far in
ferior rank ; efpecially in fuch things Which have! procured, to
fuch a noted infamy. - It is an ufual piece of generofity in men
of fpirit, that they fcorn to Strive with a- fcold, or contend with
a- beggar, or be found in company of thofe that a reminder an
evil name defervedly : And in matters that are vile and bafe, it
is highly difgraceful to admit them to a debate. Such things
will either get more credit than; they deServe* while they feem
to be countenanced by a difpute; or elfe Shall communicate
their difcredit to thofe that Shall, Shew fuch familiarity with
them. Oldly, By refufing to difpute temptations, we raife up in our
hearts an adive abhorrency of them, and by that abhorrency
we are cautioned and Strengthened againft them; it muft needs
awaken our hatred into a. prefent adivity againft that fin,
which our confideration at firft view prefents to us fo abomin
able, that it deferves no other anfwer, but to be whipt out of
our Sight. And when our heart is thus alarmed, it cannot
but Stand upon its guard. It is a courfe that holy men have
taken, to keep men at a greater distance from fin, to prefent it
as a thing of greateft abhorrency, and that is the intendment of
that expreffion Rom. vi. 1. ' Shall we fin, that grace may a-
bound? God forbid.' The vilenefs of that abufe of gofpel
grace he Shews,, by fetting it below the merit of any ferious
thought; he Sharpens their apprehenfions againft it by an out-
cry of deteftation. . The like he doth Eph. v. 3. where he en
deavours to fet their hearts agairift uncleannefs and covetoufnefs,
by telling them that it was unbecoming faintfhip, that fuch
things fhould be fo much as once named by them.
idly, Difputing is a fecret invitation to the devil to urge
the temptation further ; we dp but toy with him, and give
him occafion to follow us. Eve found the truth of this by
fad experience, fhe fo- managed Herfelf, that She plainly inti
mated She had a mind to hear what the devil could fay, for
the eating of the. forbidden fruit ;and.fo urged the prohibition
of God, and the threatening, that She fought from Satan a con-
4 R firmatior*

562 A Treatife of, Part III.
firrnatipn of her fecret unbelief^ rather than faithfully en
deavoured a repulfe of the temptation ; and .'mentioned the
threatening, under fuch terms of uncertainty and peradventure;
as an objedion which She defired might be removed, rather
than from a firm belief of that death fpoken of, fortifying her-
felf in her duty ; by all which Satan wa3 fo encouraged to pro
ceed, that he prefently confirmed her in her diftruft.
<\thly, Thefe difputings uSually return nothing of advantage
to our account, but to Satan's. • We unneceSTarily enter the lifts
with him, and that upon very unequal terms, he being (as
Saul faid of Goliah arid David) a man of war from his youth,
and we but weak 'and unfkilful Striplings ; we go out of our
trenches, and leave our weapons behind us ; we expofe our na
ked "bfeafts to alibis darts', and by difcourfing with him. he gains
time, wherein thepdifbh may more powerfully work upon our
affedibns. If he Was too hard for our firft parents at this wea
pon, we Whofe hearts are not fo faithful to God, as theirs in
innocency, but corrupted by Satan (who hath alfo a party in
Us) are not likely to come oft? With triumph.
Sthly, Thefe prefage confequently an overthrow. A parley
ing city holds not long out; it implies in itfelf an inclination
fo yield, when armies are willing to treat. Daily examples
of thofe that give up themfelves to fin after communication
With Satan, fadly Witttefs this truth.
The fum of this diredion is this, that when a motion of Sin
is put into our h ear t, inftead of difputing (where it may be a-
Voided J we Should peremptorily deny it, and fend it away with
an angry rebuke, or fevere abomination,, ' I may not doit;
How can Ido this wickednefs? Get thee hence: Or, The Lord
rebuke thee Satan.'

CHAP. XXIV.
The third. direBiori of repelling a temptation without delay ; the
neceffity qffo doing. What a fpeedy denial doth contain.
'^T'HE magnanimity of Chrift, and the peretaptorinefs of his
•*¦ denial we have noted. We mnft farther obferve the im-
mediatenefs of His anftver, He friffered not any of thefe motions
to flay lohg with him ; here Was not a Cras tibi refpondebo,
Come again to-morrow, and I will anfwer ; he would not take
time with fhe devil, but had'his anfwer ready. No fooner was
he tempted, but the temptation was repelled ; for thefe expref
lions * but He anfweted and faid. Jefus faid unto him. Then
faith Jefus unto him,' Shew the quicknefs and fpeedinefs of
thefe

$hap. XXIV. Safaris Temptations, 563
thefe returns, that he anfwered prefently, forthwith. Hence
we have a third diredion in our refifting of Satan which is
this :
DireB. 3.] Temptatations are beft anfwered, when they
are prefently denied and forthwith repelled. The diredion is of
great importance ; it is not for us to pafs by a temptation with
Silence, or to defer an anfwer, for thefe reafons :
17?, The nature of temptations, as dangerous or infectious,
doth fufliciently inforce a neceffity of their fpeedy removal.
Things of danger require a fudden Stop. If poifon betaken in
to the body, we fpeedily labour to caft it up, or to Overcome it
by antidotes. We labour to Slay the Spreading of a gangreen
prefently. Who thinks it fit tq delay, when fire hath taken
hold'upon an houfe. The very opportunity of help is in the
fpeediriefs of the endeavour. It is too lateto bring water when
the houfe is confumed, too late to apply a remedy, when the
the difeafe hath conquered. They that confider what a tempta-r
tion is, will See no reaSon to move Slowly in oppofing.
idly, Silence encourageth Satan. It is not with him as it is
with men ; it is the policy of fome to overlook their petitioners^
and by Silence to fear them from any further addrefles ; but Sa
tan hath more impudence, than to be put out of countenance by
delay, and more adive malice, than to be difcouraged by Silence ;
nay, it doth on the contrary embolden him. Modeft requefts
are difheartened by Silence ; but fuch motions, which by their
nature imply a difgrace, and carry no reafon for their accept
ance, but what they exped to find in the eonfent of thofe tq
whom they are made ; if they be not prefently refufed, they
give encouragement to hope for entertainment. An immodelt
requeft to a chafte matron, if not forthwith exprefsly abomir
nated, encourageth to further attempts. Sin being fo great an
affront to an holy heart, the motion of it cannot be entertained
with filence, but Satan is emboldened to exped -eonfent in time,
and follows his advantage accordingly. He ufually flies at a
valiant peremptory refiftance ; but if the pulfe of the foul beat
Slowly upon the motion, he grounds, his hope upon that, and is
animated to a further procedure.
idly, Our wills are apt to be inclined by delay. Though
grace hath made Straight our crooked natures, yet we Still car
ry fuch a fway to our former difpofitions, that a fmall thing
(having the advantage of our natural biafs and inclination)
makes us (like a deceitful bow) turn to our old Stand. For
the Underftanding and will of the. regenerate are but imperfeaiy
-good", the faculties that Should obey are unruly ; in fuch a cafe,
how dangerous may delays prove? Who will fuffer a Seditious
4 B 2, incendiary-

^64 A Treatife of Part "JII-
incendiary in an army» formerly inclined to mutiny? Who will
permit leaven to remain in that maSs, which he defires may not
be leavened, and not quickly remove it ? Who will negied a
Spark upon dry tinder (that would not have it confumed) and
not inftantly put It out ? If it was fo great a mifchief to, Eve
in innocency, as hath been faid, to delay her peremptory denial,
of how much greater hazard is it to us? Delays are dangerous
to a very proverb, and Silence may end in content.
e,thly, Silenpe is alfo Some degree of eonfent. Jt is ftrange
to find a man delaying an anfwer to temptation, and yet no way
guilty oS conSenting. In things that are to be oppoSed with
care and hatred, no man can withhold his hand without blame ;
he that, is not againft Satan (who is to be perpetually refilled)
is fo far for him, as he is npt againft him. . He that delays "xn.fi.
tice which is due, denies it *. The judge in the parable was
called unjuft, net becaufe he had devoured the widow's houSe,
but becaufe he deferred to do her right. He that hinders not
evil yihen, and as foon as he can, doth command and approve
it +. Thefe are receiyea axioms amongft men, and have the
fame truth in them, if applied to refiftance of temptations.
And this may further appear, by considering, i. The weaknefs
of the will in the regenerate. When our wills are really fet
upon G°4» and againft evil, yet we cannot fay, they are per
fectly for the one, and againft the other, but there is ftill fome
degree of averfenefs to good,- and of inclination to evil in our
wills, or elfe we Should not meet with complainings of imper
fedions under Sincere refiftances ; as in the apoftle, ' Tlie evil
that I would not, that do L' 2. The ads of the will in con
senting may be So Sudden, Short and quick, that they may be
-almoft infenfible, and as Sorward and ready as the motion.
3. The will may be interpretatively voluntary and conSeuting,
when it Sorms not in itfelS any ppfitive approbation ; it may be
guilty, in that it doth more ftrongly and Speedily diffent ; for
the fufpenffori or negation of the will's ad (where it ought to
- aft) cannot avoid the charge of coming fhort of duty.
Sthly, Not. to anfwer prefently, is to lofe the belt ppporv
tunity of anfwering; it is lefs dangerous, more eafy, more
comfortable to be fpeedy in denial. The fooner fire is put
out, or the difeafe is Staid, the lefs hurt is done ; and it is far
lefs labour to quench a fpark than a flame, to pluck up a
young plant than an old ltandard; to kill the cockatrice in the
•egg. A temptation oppofed fpeedily, is with greater eafe o-
yercome, than after it hath fettled, though but a little; for it
prefently makes a party within us, our affedions are Soon en-
... sased»
* Differe, juftiliam eft ncgare juftiijiam, f Qi." non prohibet cum poteft jubet.

Chap. XXIV. Satan's Temptations. $6$
gaged, our underftanding foon bribed, and then we have not
.only Satan, but ourfelves to oppofe; and this felf fo divided,
that when we come to fight, our wills are againft our wills,
our affedions againft our affedions, our wifhes and prayers
clafh and contradid each other. As Auftin * confeffeth of him
felf, ' I prayed (faid he) and then feared left thou Shouldft hear
me too foon; I defired to fatisfy, rather than to extinguish
luft.' At the firft affault, the foul is oft in abetter pofture,
more unanimous and confiftent with itfelf; then is the golden
qpportunity of refiftance. For (as + one faith) it is better to
,do it while reafon is on our fide, than when both reafon and
affedion confpire againft us. And, Lqftly, It would be more
honour and fatisfadion to us, rather not to have admitted fuch
a gueft, than after fuch admittance into our thoughts, to be
forced to caft him out. In the review of our adtions, we Shall
have more comfort to have been refolute againft any fin, than
to hold our peace.
The neceffity of a quick and fpeedy rejedion of a Sinful
motion is then beyond difpute, and there needs no more to be
Said for the explanation of this diredion, but an account of
what is implied in a fpeedy denial; it contains thefe four
things. .Firft, That it muft iflue from a fixed determination againft
fin. . Some refufe a temptation with the fame mind that car
ried Lot's wife put of Sodom, and are forced beyond their
own inclination; but thefe go not far till they look back; and
no wonder; for if he that isfincerely peremtory againSt fin at
the firft motion, may by the Solicitation of the flefh be incli
ned afterward, .there is little expedation that he whom the firft
motion finds indifferent, and but coldly denying, fhould hold
put long. But that refufal that muft give any encouragement
to hopes of fuccefs, muft be an anfwer of holy indignation
againft the offer of temptation, and that confirmed into a feri
ous refolve of heart not to yield.
Secondly, This pofitive denial muft be alfo wifely, jealous of
Satan, in motions that are unlikely, or that may feem light,
little, and not diredly intended. Though it may be but a tran
fient glance, or a thing that is out of our road, yet muft no
thing be contemned or undervalued. Jealoufy will take no
tice of fmall adions or circumftances, and no lefs fufpicious
muft we be of every profer made to us, left Satan by any
means get an advantage againft us.
Thirdly, The refufal muft be fo quick, that it may be ready
te take the temptation by the throat. At the firft motion or

ifin

* Confef. 1. 8. c.J. f Qreenhaiq ?n Pfa!. 119. 104.

S

vgg A treatife of Part III.
rifing pf it in our mind, we muft endeavour to Stifle it in the
birth, that it may be as the untimely fruit of the woman, that
never fees the fun ; We muft not give it time to grow up to a
rod of wickednefs,, but muft nip it in the earlieft buddings of
it. It is the nature of grace (if we do but faithfully, purfue
the inclinations of it) to be quick in its oppofition i fo doth the
apoftle's phrafe teach us, Gal. v. 17, ' The flefh lufteth againft .
the Spirit, and the Spirit againft the fleSh.' The Spirit is as rea
dy to repel, as the fjefh to fuggeft ; no fooner doth the one Stir,
but the other is ready with an oppofition, and the reafon of it
is from the adive contrariety that is betwixt them ; for fo the
word antikeita there ufed would exprefs it ; they are fworn e-
nemies, aniiriated by principles pf conftant oppofition, as water
arid, fire are, which cannot meet in peape together, but a pre
fent noife and combat is rajfed from this conjundion.
Fourthly, When this is done; we muft endeavour to maintain,
and Slick to our firft difallqwance. A child of God, I know, in
Sinful yieldings. of infirmity, may fay as the apoftle, ' What I
do, I allow not ;' that is, (i.) What he then ponfents to, he did
not allow at the firft, till importunity prevailed. (2,) Thoqgh
his affedions incline to fin, yet his conftant fettled judgment, is
againft it ; and though he, do it, he cannot fay he approves it.
Neither of thefe are the things ' I aim at, but this, that as the
firft motions of fins, are difallowed, we Should endeavour to keep
at that, to Stand ourJground, to withhold the leaft after-delight
or approbation ; nbt but that we muft bp forcpd fadly to ac
knowledge the real truth of what the apoftle fpeaks in thp place
laft cited, that thefe different principles, (which of them foe
ver carry the vidory) do fo impede one another, that when
grace carries it, yet it cannpt do the utmoft it wcjuld, or aims
at ; fo that in the ftbuteft oppositions,, there may be fome fecret
degrees of allowance unavoidably.; notwithstanding we muft So
manage our denial, that if it were poffible, we Should not af
ford the fmalleft inclination tqward it; the leaft, the better, and ,
nobler conqueft.
CHAP. XXV.
The fourth direBion. Of repelling a temptation by fcripture.
arguments. Of feveral things implied in the direBion- the
neceffity of anfwering by fcripture arguments. . The excellency
ofthe remedy. How fcripture arguments are to be managed.
^"pBE next particular in Chrft's anfwers, to be obferved by us,
•*¦ is his citations of fcripture, as an invincible reafon againft
all the devil's temptations, he beats them all back with this
weapon^

Chap. XXV. Safari's "temptations. $6j
wqapon, ' It is written *.' That this was written for our lear
ning, and that otherwife than for our inftrudion, he lay not
under any neceffity of ufing this method, hath been evidenced
before, and it is a thing which all commentators do take notice
of. From this we have another diredion, for the right way
and order of refifting temptations, which is,
DireB. 4.J That temptations are beft repelled by arguments
drawn from the word bf God.
For the explanation of this, it may he confidered what is
(k .) Prefuppofed in this diredion : For when it is affirmed that
we muft anfwer by reafons from fcripture, this implies,
_ Firft, That temptations are not to be oppofed by groundlefs
refufals ; it is no way fafe to fay we will not, becaufe we will
ribt, norto infift upon our oWn bare refolve : For this would be
wilfulnefs, rather than an obediential refufal.; and unwarrant
able felfrcbnfidence; rather than an humble wreftling; There
are fome, of whom it may be faid, as the prophet once charged
the Jews, Ifa. xxii. 1 1*. that when Satan comes up againft them,
they look in that day to the armour of the houfe ofthe foreft,
they repair the wall, and caft ditches for fortification ; they pre
pare themfelves to the battle in their own ftrength, but they
look not unto the Maker thereof, to him who by his mighty
power muft faShion our hearts to refiftance. The vanity of fuch
undertakings is enough manifefted in the event, for commonly
fuch men go on in a bravado of refolution, but are fo altered at
the firft appearance of the enemy, that they yield without a
Stroke. Who could be more confident than Peter, that he would
not deny his mafter, whatever others did, and yet how foon did
his heart fail him ? We may warrantably deny a Sinful motion,
without being explicit in our reafon againft it, efpecially in uf-
ual temptations, and when they thruft themSelves into our
minds, at Such times when oUr thoughts are charged with an
attendance upon other duties ; in which nevertheless the heart
hath a fecret and implicit regard to the command of God: But
in no cafe muft we go down to the battle, in -the Strength of a
wilfulnefs, left it go againft us. And thus do they, who When
they are reproved for fome mifcarriage, as of drinking, will
prefently with great confidence make engagements, not to drink
wine or Strong drink, not to go into a tavern or ale-houfe, with
out any humble reSped to duty, or the power of God for the
conqueft ofthe fin: And accordingly we fee, that ufually fuch
promifes and obligations do not hold; either they wilfully break
them,
• Ideo Jfcfus omnesillas tentationes folis facris fcripturis vicit, ut doccret
nos fie pugnare et vincere. Cajet. in loc. Janfen.'&c,

568 Alreatifeof Part IIL
them, or they become Sinfully witty to make evafions for the
pradice of fin, without the breach of bath or promife.
Secondly, The diredion fuppofeth that we muft deny-jhe fin
with the arguments of greateft ftrength and authority. There
were occafiohs and hints of other anfwers to thefe temptations
that offered themfelves in Chrift's way, and yet, he waves them
all, fixing only upon fcripture reafons as tHe'beft and ftrqngeft.
It is no Christian wifdom to urge thofe inferior considerations,
of fhame, lofs, inconvenience, &c Some have no other reafon
betwixt them and fin ; but, What will men fay ? Or, what will
become of me? But befides, that thefe would only, be a train
to bring on difputings, and that it is no way fafe tq venture our
fouls upon fuch defences, when better may be had, (for who
will venture his life upon a Staff when he may have a fword ?)
it is eafy for Satan to break thefe bows, and to cut thefe
'Spears in Sunder ; 'he can balance Such reafons with equal, rea
fons, and preSently make us belieVe, that we have as good rea-
Son to commit the fin, as thofe urged by us, for the not com
mitting of it.
' Thirdly, This diredion of ufing fcripture reafon doth clearly
imply, that the force and power of fcripture is not in the words,
or charders, but in the mind and reafon of it ; that no fcripture
ufed as a charm or fpell (as if the devil were afraid of the
found, and words ofit) can beat back the devil, but it is the
authority of its command, Which works upon the mind the
higheft impreffions of fear and care, and as a ftrong. argument
prevails with us to forbear. Notwithftanding the plainnefs
and undeniablenefs of this inference,' not only do ignorant men
blefs themfelves againft the devil, by repeating fome phrafes or
Sentences of fcripture impertinently, and fuch as have no dired
fignification of the matter In hand betwixt Satan and them, (as
if the devil could not endure to hear the Pater nofter, or durft
"not come within the found of the name Jehovah) but alfo Pa
pifts, and of them, fuch as might be fuppofed more confiderate
than to be carried by fuch conceits, have placed a virtue in the
words and founds of fcripture, and therefore do they command,
though under fome limitations and reftridions *," the hanging of
'fenteuces' of fcripture about the neck in Scrolls, for the driving
away of evil Spirits,' though in a clear contradidion to the rea
son which they give in the general againft this courfe, which
is this, that the power of fcripture is not in the figures and
charaders, but in the mind and underftanding of it; and there
fore profits as pondered in the heart, not as hung about the
neck
* Malleus Mallific. Pare 2, Queft. 11, cap. 6.

Chap. XXV. Satan's Temptations. 569
neck : and upon as flender grounds do they place a more than
ordinary virtue, in the angelical Salutation, in the Seven words
upon the crofs, in the triumphal title, ' Jefus oS Nazareth,
King of the Jews, &c.' Such kind of oppositions are but a
mock to Satan, we cannot think to bore the jaw of this levia
than with a thorn, or to come to him with this bridle, or to
play- with him as with a bird : He durft allege fcripture him
felf to Chrift, and therefore it is not the phrafe or found that
affrights him.
'Fourthly, The diredion doth imply an argumentative, pro
per 'and fit ufe of fcripture commands, or promifes. We fee
Chrift urged not any fcripture indifferently, but he ufed fit
words, and chofe to himfelf fele£t fmooth ftones out of this
brook to fling againft this fpiritual Goliah. Every temptation
had an anfwer that doth moft fully and properly confront it ; he
regarded the main of the temptation, and fuffered not him
felf to be diverted from that profecution, by engaging himfelf
in'that which might have been perplexed arid controversial,
though he had a fit opportunity to reprove Satan for a difhon-
eft craft of reprefenting fcripture in a fenfe of his own making,
and fo might have rejeded the temptation of catling himfelf
down, as leaning upon a falfe foundation, in that God did not
promife in Pfal. xci. to preferve any that fhould prefumptuoufly
exped a protedion whjle they run out of God's ways: yet he
waved this anfwer, and oppofed the affault by a plain fcripture
which chargeth the contrary duty.
idly, Having feen what this diredion doth imply, in thefe
things that are tp be removed from the fenfe and intendment of
it, I Shall next, for afcertaining of the reality and importance of
it, Shew that temptations are to be refilled by fcripture-argu-
ments, by thefe two evidences.
i^,-God's recommending of the commands of fcripture for
fuch a purpofe, Deut. vi. <?. ' TheSe words which I command
thee this- day, Shall be in thine heart — and thou Shalt bind them
for a Sign upon thine hand, and they Shall be as frontlets be
tween thine eyes,' &c. Whether the latter part of the com
mand is to be" underftood literally, as the Jews apprehended and
p'tadifed, though fome think otherwife, is not neceffary to be
afferted, feeing it is granted by all, that they were to haye the
commands of the law fo ready in their minds- and memories, as
if they had been written on their hands, and upon their fore
heads. That God defigned this precept for the refiftance of
fin and temptation, cannot be doubted, and that the advantage
which might hence arife to them, was not only the information
' 4 G . . ?f -
* Barthol. Sibilla. Peregr. qusefl. dec. 3. c. 9. (^9.

579- A Treatife of Part III,
of their minds, in point of fin, and duty, is as uaaayoidable ; for
that, and more is intended by that part ofthe injundiqn; ' Thefe
words which I command thee, Shall be in thine heart-:' But
when ? Befides this information (which ¦„. the knowledge of the
law would afford them) and their , humble compliance with it,
as. juft and good (which. would enable them to fay, ' Thy law,
O Lord, is within my heart'.) he. further enjoins them, the,
quick and; ready remembrances pf thefe laws (as if they1 were
frontlets between their eyes,, and figns on their hands ;) it caq
Signify no lefs than this, that in fo doing, they would be able to
refift thofe. motions, by which Satan would feek to engage them
to the^ violation of thefe commands. Neither need we to doubt
hereof, when Chrift himfelf taught us, by his own example, in
refifting temptations,, the particular ufe of the remembrance of
the law: In the New Teftament the apoftle ig moft exprefs in
this matter, Eph. vi. 17. ' Take the fword of the Spirit, which
is the word ofGod,' where not only the ufe of fcripture- com
mands and promifes againft Satan's fuggeftions is taught, but
alfo the high avail and potency of this weapon in reference to
its end : It is called a fword, and in that comparifon, it fliews
the adive refiftance which may be. made by it; and it is called,
riot a fword of flefh, ', for the weapons of our warfare are not
earnal,' but ofthe Spirit, to Shew how mighty it is in repelling
Satan. idly, Another evidence of its ufefulnefs, is from the fuccefs
which the children of God have had in. the right management
of this weapon. It is obferyahle, that while Chrift anfwered by
Scripture, Satan was Silenced, arid had not what tp reply to the
anfwer, but , was forced to betake himfelf to a new temp
tation. David in many places highly magnifies the power of
fhe command, in the fuccefs he had by it, Pfal. xvii. 4, He
Shews how available it was to preferye him in his common con-
yerfe, from the Sinful fnares laid before him, ' Concerning the
works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from
the paths ofthe deftroyer.' In Pfal. xviii. 22, 23., he tells us
that he was Shielded from the fins, of his inplination and love
(which are hardeft to prevent) by the oppofition that he gave
to, the motions of them, in fettiug up the Statutes ofGod againft
them, ' All his judgments were before me, arid I did not put
away his Statutes from me ; I was alfo upright before him, and
I kept myfelf from mine iniquity.' In Pfal. cxix. x 1. He puts
his probatum eft upon the head of this receipt, and fpeaks of it
as his conftant refuge, ' Thy word have I hid in my heart, that
1 might not fin againft thee.' In Pfal. xxxvii. 31", He fpeaks
of it as a tried cafe of common experience to all the children of
.'••¦•¦ !' ' • " -".''' ''¦' ¦ God

Chap. XXV. Satdh's Temptations. 571
Gbd,^ ' The law of God is in his heart, none of his Steps Shalt
Slide.' I: Shall add to this the' experience 'of Luther, ' When;
faith he, ' the motions of the flefh do rage, the only remedy is,
to take the fword of the Spirit, that is the word of falvation,
and to fight againft them.J^-of 'this, I mvfelf have good expe
rience, 1 have Suffered many great paflions., and vehement, but
fo Soon as I laid hold of any place of fcripture, and Staid my^
felf upon it, as Upon an anchor, Straightway my temptations did
vanifh away; which without the word had' been impoffible for
rtie to endure, though but a littie fpace, much lefs to over--
come.' ' ' ; 1.
Thirdly^ The exerflency of this remedy will further appear
from thefe feltewirig reafons'.
1, In thatit is an uriiverfal' remedy ; there can beino tempt
ation either c;f feducetrtent br of affrightment, but the fcripture
Will afford a Suitable rjrtomife or command to repel it : So that
if (like- the flaming' fword in the cherubim's hand at pa<ralife)
turns every way" to guard'1 th'e: Soul. I need not give inftances
of its pbwer againft fiofut motions, having done that already;
and of fuch temptations whictrwar againft, the pesjceof the foul:
I need but fay this in the' general; that as the nature of fuch'
temptations is to difguife God, and to render hiin dreadful to Us,
in the appearances of Wrath, and mcompaflionate implacablenefs;
(and this- Luther fets down as a certain rule*") So have we irt
fcripture fuch declarations of the mind arid tender inebriations
OfGod, anil filch full ahd clear promifes1 to aftute us df this,
arid thbfe fo adapted to every cafe, to every kind of hard thought
Which We1 might take' up againft him; that We1 may find enough
in them to- break all thofe malicious mifreprefentations of Satanv
and to keep up in our mind right thoughts of God ; which if
we :will adhere to, (not Suffering fuch promifes tobewrcfted
out of our hands, nor our hearts to give Way to malignaut im*
preffions of cruelty, revenge, or un-mercifnlnefs in God)" though
we be Caft into darknefs, into the' deeps, we may find fome bot
tom on which to fix fuch beginnings of hope, as may at laft
grow up to a fpirit of rejoicing in God our Saviour ¦ And in
this' cafe, when" our heart and Satan didate to;us that God is
our enemy, we ought (as it were) to flint our eyes ; to refute
4 C 2 -toe
* Canon eft, quod in omnibus tentationibus aliam fingimas Deum ePe
quam fit, putamu enim Deum tune non efle Deum fed horribile fpectrum, torn.
4. f. 147".! IteclamsY (Sathan) in corde tun, tfr non effe dignum ifta promif-
ones e(l autem opusardenti otatione.ne extorqueatur nobis prpmiffio^Luilrer
in Gen. r. 41. f. 1S8. ' Gor diflat Deum adverfum verbum Dei, fequi debeo
non fenfum meum. Idem torn. 4. f. Ij6. Nulla alia re poteft fanari hoc vul-
luis confeientix quam verbo divina; proraiffionis. Id. torn. 4. f. 4,00.

572 A Treatife of Part IIL
to hearken to our own fenfe and.feeling, and to follqw the word;
but if we once give up the word of promife, it; is impoffible the
Wound of confcience fhould ¦" be healed with any other' con
fideration . ,
2. This remedy is, comprehenfiye of moft other remedies a-
gainft Satan's temptations. Ip Eph. vi. there are feveral other
pieces of fpiritual armour recommended, and yet there is fuch
a manifest mutual, refped betwixt this jand thofe, that any may
conclude that however they be distinguished in their names, yet
they are conjoined in their operation ; thp girdle - (fo far as it
relates to truth of judgement and opinion) depends on the word
of fcripture for information ; the Shoes, which are defensive .re
folves to walk with a Steady foot in the .ways toi religion, not
withftanding the hardships that attend holinefs are prepared to
tis, by the_ comfortable and peace bringing promifes ofthe gof
pel; the righteoufnefs. Which is our breaft plate, is only, fet forth,
and wrought out- to us by the fcripture,. and , its ordinances;
faith, which is our .Shield, and hope, which, is our helmet, they-
neither of them ad without, the warrant and encouragement of
it : and whereas other parts of the armour are defemive, this of
the fcripture is compared to the fword, which not only defends,
but alfo offends, and beats back the enemy. If the matter be
ferioufly cbnfidered, all thefe parts of armour are but thefe two,
the graces , of the Spirit, faith; hopes patience, in their Sincere
exercife, and-the word of fcripture as the inftrument by, and
in which they. Shew, thpir operations; fo that all this armour
being put to ufe; in every particular temptation, it amounts to
Uo more than this we are f peaking of, viz. That Sinful motions
are to be rejected, by a believing, Sincerely refolute oppofing of
them, with arguments from the word^of God.
3. Scripture (as it is the word and command of the 'great
King of Heaven) hath a daunting and commanding .authority
over -the confeiences of men, , ' Where the word of a king is,
there is power,' Eccfef. viii. 4. and fuch is the majefty of a di
vine law, that it hath power over the confeiences of thofe. that
are yet in their fins, and can wound, affright, conftrain, and
bind even thp rebellious : So that fo long as they retain any of
their natural impreffions of a divine power, they have fome
awe for his commands, which may be feen and argued (where
it would be leaft expeded) Srom the enragement oS the hearts -
of finners, when fin' by 'tlie commandment, accidentally, be-
comes exceeding Sinful, Rom. vii. 13, 14. For as that outra
geous Siereenefs doth- arife from the contrariety that is betwixt
a carnal heart, anda fpiritual law; fo that contrariety would
never work, if the authority of that law (having a poWer td
reftrain

Chap. XXV. Satan's Temptatibns. 573
reftrain, and give check to the corruption of the heart) were
not fome way owned by the confcience ; For where no counter
manding law ig owned, there can be.no irritating, provoking
reftraint. This it can do to the vileftofmen: But of how
much more power may we imagine the word to be good with
men,, whofe hearts tremble at the word, when they'bind the
law tupon their heart and charge their. confeiences with it? It
is Surely « quick and powerful *, Sharper than a two-edged
fword.!' Nor doth it only by unlovely affrightment ' terrify
them from fin, but by commanding duty make the heart in
love with It, fo that it becomes a delightful fatisfadion to be
preferved from the fnare.
4. There is, no argument that can be^ufed.againft tempta
tions, that can be more afflidively difcouraging f o Satan : - Sa
tan, as bad as he is, cannot but , believe thofe truths which he
knows, and he. knows that- there are many truths, in fcripture
which .refped himj as threatenings of punishment and divine
vengeance ; he, believes thefe things and.tr£mbles,. Jam. ii. 19,.
His unavoidable knowledgpj or, remembrance of:thefe things
begetshorror in him, be cannot but be -under a dread, of thefe,
truths : .".What can be fuppofed fo to wound him as the bring
ing thefe things to memory, by urging the command of God
againSt him ? Dr Arrowfmith gives two instances of this kind,
t the one of Christopher Haas in Swedland (from the epiftle
dedicatory to the 5 tomes of Brentius's wqrks :) The other of
Daniel Cranmer redor of a School at Stetin in Germany : On
bath which the devil made a bold attempt in a perfonal appear-'
ance.: From the firft demanding a catalogue of his fins in writ
ing; fromthe other demanding a paper in which one of the
Students had obliged himfelS to Satan's- -Service, they both re
ferred him to that text of Gen. iii. 15. ' The Seed of the
Woman Shall bruife the head ofthe ferpent.' And, this was re
torted upon him with fuch a Strong exercife of faith, that he
prefently defifted the fuit and vanifhed.
j. This weapon cannot eafily be wr eft ed out of our Hands.
When we urge a divine prohibition againft a temptation, what
can he fay in anfwer? Hp cannot deny it to be the word of
God, or to be true, of that we are not obliged to it ; he made
none of thefe returns to Chrift, but by his Silence, owned that
if was God's holy command obliging us to duty. Neither
flares he ftand upon thefe exceptions to us, except he find our
faith inclined to waver, or our minds weak and wounded by
inward troubles of fpirit ; and when He puts on a boldnefs to
deny fcripture to be the word of God, or that it Signifies God's
N . . real
, * Aug. Confer. 1. 9,1.. 1. t Tract. Sacr. 1. 1. c. 3. § 6.

574 A Trtatife of Part ill.
real mtefid«ieni& in his threatening (for by begetting unbelief:
ofthe truth of fcripture, and by: fuggefting hopes of efcape
and pardon, notwithftanding the violation of the. commands: of
itj he wrefts, when he doth prevail, this Weapon out of our
hands)*' yet he is forced to fetch a compafe, and by many pre
vious infinuations to. make his way to thefe atheifticah aSfer-
fions^ Thus he did with Eve, firft, ¦ finding her, a little inclin
able, he dropt in privily fomething that might argue, the. im
probability of fhe threatened penalty, and then at lafl ppfitive
ly denied it. But now if we hold to this, That the command)
is 'foiie and holy, and juft and good, he cannot wreft out pleai
from us. ¦ i ' . |
, 6.' Nothing, doth more andiermine temptations^ by render
ing' the reafons and motives thereof vain and empty, than dotb
the contrary commands of Scripture. Temptation hath always
fome enticement of pleafure or profit, and thefe only feem. toi
he taking1 or reafonable, while we Confider not the word of
God, as rotten wood or fifli Shine only in the dark, but when
we are urged with Sinful fleafutes; how mbarij bafe, danger-
Otis, and unlovely be they, when the Command to the contrary
gives information, that they are Snares and fead to death, of
the provocation of the Almighty. i ' '
"j. While we refift wfth . fcripture-arguments, we engage
God, whofe-command We would Hand by, to go down to the
battle with us ; we lay hold upon his ftrength; and put obli
gations upon him, to take- us out of fhe Snare, and to deliver
us from him- who is too ftrong for us.
Fourthly, It 'remains that in a word, I fltew^how the com
mands or arguments of fcripture are to be ufed in refifting Sa
fari, which is thus : When you have any Sinful thought caft
into ybur mind, prefently rejed the offer, by charging your
heart With duty, from fome oppofite command. As if you be
urged toads of uncleannefs, prefently refufe, ihus;'' No, I
mull not, G0(l hath comrtianded the contrary, he hath faid,
* Thou Shalt -not commit adultery.' If a covetous thought arife,
rejed it with this, God hath Said, ' Thou Shalt not covet.' If
you be tempted to pleafe the flefh, and follow vain delights;
anfwer it with this, ' If ye live after the flefh, ye Shall die ;'
and the like muft be done in other temptations.
Obj'etl.] Some rnay perhaps think, that, this is eafy work
and quickly done, and that it feems to ' attribute a virtue and
power to the words of fcripture, as if Satan were charmed by
the language or phrafe.
Anfi] However, at the firfl view this may feem eafy, yet
he that Shall confider hew. much exerciSe cf grace goes fiecef- farily

Chap. XXV. Satan's Temptations. 575
farily to the right ufe of fcripture oppofition, Shall not fee eaufe
to Slight it as common, nor yet to think that any virtue is at
tributed to the words. For,
Firft, The fcripture here is only recommended as a fit in
strument, and no further or higher praife is given ; though
therefore we may not attribute 'the whole of the conqueft to
the inftrument alone, yet this hinders not, but that as an in
strument peculiarly fitted for thefe ends, we may commend it
above all other instruments : As we may juftly commend
bread for nourishing above a ftone, and expert more from ir,
than from a chip ; fo have we reafon to expecl more by the ufe
of fcripture againft Satan, than from other means of defence
which God hath npt fet up for that fervice.
Secondly, It is a concomltancy of divine power and aid that
conquers for us ; the inftrument is fcripture, but the power
by which it works is from God.
Thirdly, Neither is it any carelefs formal ufe pf fcripture-
expreffions, that will give encouragement for expedation of a
divine concurrence, but the ufe of fcripture in this bufinefs
implies an exercife of all graces, for it is an urging of Scrip
ture under a fourfold consideration.
xft, As being certainly perfuaded of their truth, and fully
keeping to that belief.
idly, As being thankfully apprehenfive of the holinefs, good
nefs, and profitableness of the commands, and chearfully ad-
hereing to them, as the only way and means to bring us tp u-
nion with Chrift, and to preferve us in it.
idly, As being highly and indifpenfibly obliged by them to
perform the duty commanded therein, and to avoid the fins for
bidden. e,thly, All this in an humble expedation of a divine help ac
cording to the promife of God. Now he that can plead the
command or promife againft a temptation in this manner, doth
not do an ordinary work, neither will he afcribe the fuccefs to
the' words and phrafe of fcripture.
; Some may, perad venture, wonder why Chrift by his .exam
ple had not recommended prayer feeing it is pf fuch unquestion
able ufe in our undertakings againft Satan. But that enquiry
may be fully fatisfied, if it be confidered, that Chrift did pecu
liarly prepare himSelf to this encounter by folemn fafting, ver.
2. which doth include praying : For fuch complicated duties
sire often denominated by that part which is extraordinary, and
ufually in fcripture a faft is only mentioned where prayer is
chiefly intended. That this faft of Chrift related to the temp-.
c "». •  tation,

576 A.Treatife ,pf Part. III-
tation, and that alfp. as a means of preferyation, <hath been Spo
ken qS in its place ;, it remains only that from hence I add a
fifth diredion.

C H A P.' XXVI.
The fifth direBion of prayer, and of the ferioufnefs .required of
thofe that expeB the advantage of prayer. Of God's hearing
prayer while the temptation is continued. Of fome that are
troubled more, while they pray more,
fiireB. 5. J HPH AT in all our endeavours of refiftance, fre-
¦*¦ quent and earneft prayers are not to be negle&ed.
This is fo frequently recommended", and fo fully handled by
moft authors, that I fliall refer you to fuch authors as particu
larly treat ofit ; noting only, that the apoftle, in Eph. vi, 18.
when he recommends it to us in thefe words, ' Praying always
with all prayer' and fupplicatidn in the fpirit, and watching
thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplication for all faints/
he doth mind us that he- that expedts the advantage of that du
ty, muft be peculiarly fitted, and ferioufly diligent in that work.
For, Firft, He muft have a praying frame of heart, he muft pray
always, or, as the apoftle elfewhere, he muft pray continually.
Not as if this duty muft fwallow up all the reft, and that a
Christian had no other fervices to attend than prayer, but that
he muft be on a defign to wreftle with God by prayer; and this
muft be constantly carried on, though the ads of prayer be in
termitted ; and befides that, in fuch cafes, he may keep his ufual
flated times for that duty, he muft have his heart fo much up
on his defign,, that every occafion or offer of temptation ' will
prefently put him upon the duty; nay, he muft (In refped of
the frequent intercourfe of his heart with God, infrequent eja
culations and breathings of foul) be as a man wholly refolved
jnto that duty, as Paul wis at his firft converfion, who (as that
expreffion, ' behold he prays,' doth intimate) feems to have been
all prayer, and wholly taken up with that duty,
Secondly, He muft pray in the fpirit, his foul muft be truly
in the duty. A more than ordinary earneftnefs is neceffary at
folemn times, he muft put out all his Strength, he riiuft cry
mightily, and with his whole heart.
Thirdly, When his fpirit gtows dull, he muft reinforce it,
watch his heart he muft ; and if it be needful to quieken it up,
he muft add fafting or meditation, or whatever other means
may be helpful.' Fourthly i

"JBhap. XXVI. Satan's Temptations. ^
Fourthly, In thfe ccnirfe he namfl continue without givingoff
the duty, though God behave himfelf as if he minded not his
ery; or tpok nb notice of his hazard, yet without wearinefe
muft our fupplications-foilow him. It muft be continued with
allperfeverance. ' Fifthly, The heart that undertakes this muft not be 'fo -nar
row, as to be centered upon his own concern only, when he is
melted into a fpirit of meeknefs and compaffion for others, and
isnpt fo foliritous for his peace and eafe, that he could huo-
himfelf in his private enjoyment, without concerning himfelf
to tedder and help thbfe .that are in the farnp dangers-, when
his Supplications; are for all faints as well as for himfelf, then
may he exped to receive an olive branph of peace from heaven
in the. return bf his prayer.
ObjeB.^.It is often pbjeded by fuch, that they pray, but are
nbt heard, ; and that temptations continue, notwithstanding ma
riy tries and wrefllings.
Anfw.] xft, It is a great miftake to think that prayers are
not heard, oir do not prevail, becaufe the temptation is not quite
removed ; prayers may be acceptable to God, and recorded a-
riibng his remembrances; where the temptation, for exercife
arid cither holy ends, may be continued.
idly, What God hath promifed: to fuch prayer he fails riot
to, make*gopd, he hath npt promifed to exempt us from temp
tation, but from the power and prevalency of.it. If his grace
be fuffioient for us in the mean time, it, is .an anfwer as good as
Paul got Whep be. was importunate; if together "with the temp
tation he gives an iflue, that we may be able to bear it, there is
his faithfulnefs in -keeping promife; he no where promifedj that
Satan Should not tempt, but that he Should nbt prevail ; while
we pan hold up our hands in the mount to God, (and our pray*
ing frame will afeertain us of this ; for a man is never over
come by a temptation, fo long as he can pray againft it ; for fo
Icing he» delights not in it, fo long be conSents not, and till
he do content, Satan cannot prevail,) prayer will either make
the temptation give way, or the temptation will make prayer
give way; but fo. long as' we hold out with eajueftnefs, the
temptation cannot prevail. - . ' '¦¦ '¦
ObjeB.] Some further objed, that the more they pray, they
are the worfe, and more infefted by Satan than they were be
fore they undertook that. courfe.
Anfw, i,] It may be they may have more trouble from Sa
tan. David thought on God, and" his trouble was -in-created,
and no wonder; Satan's fpite and fury puts him upon giving
greateft moleftations to/ thofe of whom he defpairs to fubdue.
' , . - 4 D Secondly,

578 A Treatife of Part III.
Secondly, But' though they may be more troubled, yet they
may be furtheft frpm conqueft. Thefe difquiets are like the
trouble of the working of phyfic, 'which at firft taking may
make a man more fick, and yet hiring him nearer to a Slate of
health and ftrength : Fear not thpn, faint not, refift faithfully,
and to the utmoft, and God Shall bruife Satan tinder thy feet
Shortly.-

FINIS.

EDINBURGH!
Printed by Thomas and John Turnbull, Canbngate,
I 8.6 O.

The CONTENTS.

CHARACTER of Dr Gilpin, drawn by the celebrated Dr
Calamy, in his Lives of the Ejeded Ministers, Page 3
To the Reader, y
PART I,
Containing a difcourfe of the malice, power, cruelty and dili
gence of Satan. Of his cunning in temptation in the general^
Of his method of tempting to fin. Of his policies for main
taining his poffeffion. Of his. deceits for the preventing and
fpoiling religious fervices and duties. I
Chap. i. — The introdudion to the text, from a confideration of
the defperate ruin of the fouls of men. The text opened, ex-
preffing Satan's malice, power, cruelty and diligence. 1 1
Chap, ii  -Of the malice of Satan- in particular. The grounds
and caufes of that malice. The greatnefs of it prove<d ; and
inftanees of that greatnefs given. 14
Chap. iii. — Of Satan's power. His power as an angel confi
dered. Tfyat he loft not that power by his fall. His power-
as a devil. Of his comrniffion. 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. N ?Q
Chap, iv  That Satan hath a great meafure of knowledge,
proved, by comparing him with the knowledge of Adarri in
innocency, and by his titles. Of his knowledge natural, ex
perimental and acceflbry. Of his knowledge of Our thoughts.
Haw far he doth not know them, and how far he doth, and
• > 4 D 2 by

58o TseC-ONTENT^
by what means. Of his knowledge of things future, andibjr
what ways he. doth conjecture, them. The advantages' in
point of- temptation that, He hath by his knowledge. 16
Chap, "v.— Inftarices: of Satan's power. Of witchcraft; what it
is. Satan's power arg-ued from thence. Of wonders. 'Whe
ther 'Satan can domiracles. An account of whafhecan do
that way. His pbwer argued from apparitions -and pbflefi"
fions, 33
Qjap. vi.— -Of Satan's cruelty. Inftances thereof in hisdeal-
-ing with wounded fpirits, in ordinary temptations ofthe
wicked .and godly, in persecutions, cruelties- in worfhip. His;
cruel handling of his Slaves." V 44
£haf. vi^.- — Of Satan's diligence, in, feveral' inftances.1 The
queftion about the being of fpirits and ^evils handled. . The
Sadducees opinion difcovered. The reality of, fpirits pro
ved.' 55
vi ¦¦ ;.n
Chap, viii — Of Satan's cunning and craft in the genera?...- Se
veral deriionftrations proving Satan to be depeitjjijk And of
the reafons why he makes ufe of his cunning. 64
Chap, ix.— r-Of Satan's' deceits in particular. What temptation
is. Of tempting to fin. His firft general rule. The con
fideration of our condition. His Second, rule. Ofjproviding
Suitable temptations,. -In what cafes he, tempts us '.to things
unSuitable to 'our inclinations. His third rule. The
cautious propofal pf the temptatfori, and the Several ways
thereof. 'His fourth rule is to entice the way thereof in "thp'
general, by bringing a darknefs upon the mind through luft.
;,'• " 70
Chap, x; — That Satan enticeth by our luft. The feveral ways
by which he doth it. Of the power and danger ofthe vio
lence^ affedions. .'., ' '.<.-*.' 77"
Chap, xi.— That luft darkens the mind. Evidences thereof.
The five ways by Which it doth blind men.v (j„). By pre
venting the exercife of reafen. The ways, of that prevention.
(1.) Secrefy in tempting^ Satan's fub(tflty therein., (2.)^lm--
prii'al. • (3 .) Gradual intah'gkments. \\ .,r~8§

The CONTENTS, 581
Chap. xii.. — Of Satan's perverting our reafon, His fecond way
of blinding. The poffibility of this, and the manner of ac-
complifhing it direaiy, feveral ways ; and indiredly, by the
delights of fin, and by fophiflical arguments; with an account
of them. 88
Chap. xiii. — Of Satan's diverting our reafon, being the third
' way of blinding men. His policies for diverting our thoughts.
His attempts to that purpofe in a more dired manner ; with
the degrees of that procedure. Of disturbing or diltracring
our reafon, which is Satan's fourth way of blinding men.
His deceits therein. Of precipitanc; , Satan's fifth way of
blinding men. Several deceits to bring men to that. 94
Chap. xiv. — Qf Satan's maintaining his pofleffion. His fiift
engine for that purpofe is his finishing of Sin, in fts reitera-
tion-and aggravation, his policies he'rein. ioi
Chap, xv — Of Satan's keeping all in quiet, which is his fecond
engine for keeping his pofleffion ; and for that purpofe, His
keeping us from going to the light, by feveral fubtilties : Al
fo of making us rife up againft the light; and by what ways
he doth that., 105
Chap, xvi.— Qf Satan's third grand policy for maintaining his
pofleffion; which is his feigned departure. (1.) By ceafing
the profecution of his defign, and the cafes in which he doth
it. (2.) By abating the eagernefs of purfuit, and how he
doth that. (3.) By exchanging temptations, and his policy
therein. The advantage he Seeks by Seeming to fly. Of his
fourth Stratagem for keeping his pofleffion, which is his Slop
ping all ways of retreat ; and how he doth that. 1 1 1
,CHAp.'xyii.x — Satan's deceits againft religious fervices and du
ties. The grounds of his difpleafure againft religious duties.
His firft defign againft duties, is to prevent them. His fe
veral fubtilties for that end, by external hinderances, by in
difpofitions, bodily and fpiritual, by difcouragements ; the
ways thereof, by diflike ; the grounds thereof; by fophiftical
arguings. His various pleas herein. 123
Chap, xviii.— Satan's fecond grand defign againft duties, is to
fpoil them. 1. In the manner of undertaking, and how he
' j3S"ds this, a. In the ad or performance, by diftrading out-
" " -" wardly

$Z The CONTENTS.'
wardly and inwardly, his various ways therein, by vitiating
the duty itfelf. How he doth that. 3. After performance;
the manner thereof. ¦ ( • ,<• ,144

PART H.
Containing the manifold fubtilties and ftratagems of Satan; for
the corrupting the minds of men with error ;, and for the
deftrudion ofthe peace and comfort of the children of God.
Chap, i— That it is Satan's grand defign to corrupt the minds
of men with error. The evidences that it is fo; and the
reafons of his endeavours that way. 154
-Chap. ii. — Of the advantages Which Satari hath, arid ufeth, for
the introduction of error, fi.) From his own power of fpi-
, ritual fafcination. That there is fuch a power proved from
fcripture, and from the effeds of it. (2.) From the imper-
fedion of knowledge, the particulars thereof explained. (3.)
From the biafs of the mind. What things do biafs it ; and
the power of them to fway the understanding. (4.) From
Curiofity. (5.) From atheiflical debauchery of confcience. 170
Chap, ill  Of Satan's improving thefe advantages for error,
1. By deluding the understanding diredly : Which He doth.
(1.) By countenancing error from fcririture. Of his cun
ning therein. (2.) By Specious pretences of myfteries ; and
what thefe are. Of perfonal flatteries. (3.) By affeded
expreffions. Reafon of their prevalency. (4,) By bold af-
fertions. The reafons of that policy. (5.) By the excel-
' lency of the perfons appearing for it, either for gifts or holi
nefs. His method of managing that defign. ' (6.) By pre
tended inspiration. (7.) By pretended miracles. His cun
ning herein; (8.) By peace and profperity in ways of er
ror. (9) By lies againft truth, and the profeflbrs ofit. 192
Chap. iv. — Of Satan's fecond way of improving his advantages,
which is by working upon the underftanding indiredly by
the aSfeclions. This he doth, (1.) By a Silent infenfible in>
trodudion of error. His method herein. (2.)- By entan
gling the affedions with the external garb of error. A gor-

The CONTENTS. ^%
geous drefs, or affeded plainnefs. (3.) By fabulous imita
tions of truth. The defign thereof. (4;) By accommodat
ing truth to a compliance with parties that differ from it.
Various inftances hereof. (5.) By driving to a contrary
extreme. (6.) By bribing the affedions with rewards, or
forcing them by fears. (7.) By engaging pride and anger.
(8.) By adorning error with the ornaments of truth. 231
Chap, v.— Satan's attempts againft the peace of God's children
evidenced. (1.) From his malice. (2.) From the concern
ment of peace to God's children. What thefe concerns are,
explained. (3.) From the advantages which he hath againft
them by difquieting their minds. 1. Confufion of mind.
2. Unfitnefs for duty, and how. '3. Rejedion of duty. 4.
A Stumbling-block toothers. 5 . Preparation of the mind
to entertain venomous impreffions, and what they are. 6.
Bodily weaknefs. 7, Our miferies Satan's contentment. 254,
Chap. vi. — rOf the various ways by which he hinders peace.
xft, Way, by difcompofures of fpirit. Thefe difcompofures
explained: By Shewing, 1. What advantage He takes from
; our natural temper; and wbat tempers 'give him this, advan
tage. 2. By what occafions he works upon our natural tem
pers. 3. With what fuccefs. (1.) Thefe occafions fuited
to natural inclinations, raife great disturbance. (2,) They
have a tendency to fpiritual trouble. The thing proved, and
the manner how, ,difcovered. (3.) Thefe disturbances
much in his power. General and particular considerations
about that power. 267
Chap, vii  Of the Second way to hinder peace. Affright
ments, the general nature and burden of them, in feveral
particulars. What are the ways by which he affrights. 1 .
Atheistical injedions. Observations of his proceeding in
them- 2. Blafphemous thoughts. 3. Affrightful fuggef
tions of reprobation. Obfervations of his proceedings in
that courfe. 4. Frightful motions to fin. 5. Strong im
mediate impreffions of fear. 6. Affrightful fcrupulofity of
confciehce. 399
Chap, viii.— Of his third Lway t0 hinder peace by fpiritual fad
nefs. Wherein, I. Ofthe degrees pf fpiritual fadnefc. 2.
Of the, frequency, of this trouble, evidenced feveral ways.
Of the "difference betwixt God and Satan in wounding the
confcience.

$4 The CONTENTS.
3. Of the folemn occafions of this trouble. 4. Thp engines
by which Satan works fpiritual fadnefs, (1.) His fophiftry.
His topics enumerated and explained. 1. Scriptures pety
verted. 2. Falfe notions. 3. MifreprefeUtations of God.
4. Sins; How he aggravates them. 5. Leffening their gra
ces ; how be doth that. (2.) His fecond engine; fear ; hoW
he forwards his defign that way. 310
Chap, ix  Of his fourth way to hinder peace, by fpiritual
. diftrefles. 1. The nature of thefe diSlreffe's. The ingredients
and degrees of them. Whether all diftreffes of foul
arife from melancholy. 2. Satan's method in working them.
The occafions he makes ufe of. The arguments he urgeth.
The Strengthening of them by fears. I < Their weight and
burden, explained in feveral particulars. Concluding cau
tions: . -351

PART III.
Containing an account of the Combat betwixt Chrift and Sai
tan, in Matth. iv: Wherein the deep fubtilty of Satan in
managing thofe temptations, is laid open, as the grand in
ftance of the fum of his policy in all his affaults upon men ;
leading to a confideration of many temptations in particular,
and of fpecial diredioris for refiftance.
Chap. i. — The firft circumftance of the Combat. The time
when it happened. The two folemn feafons of temptation.
The reafons thereof. 383
Chap, it *— The fecond circumftance. Chrift's being led by
the Spirit. What hand the Spirit of God hath in tempta
tions ; "and of running into temptation whbn not led into It.
Chap, iii — -The third circumftance. The place of the com
bat. The advantage given to temptations by folitude. 393
Chap. iv. — The fourth circumflance. The end wherefore
Chrift was led into the wildernefs. ' Holinefs, employment,
privileges, exempt not from temptation. Of temptations
that leave net impreffions of fin behind them. How Satan's
temptations

Tm CONTENTS. 385
temptations are distinguished from the lufts of our own
heart. jQij

i

Chap, v.— Of Chrift's faft ; with the defign thereof. Of Sa
tan's tempting in an invifible way. Of his inceflant impor
tunities, and how He flies when refifted. Of inward tempta
tions with outward afflidions. Several" advantages Satan
Hath by tempting in afflidion. , 402
Chap, vi — That Chrift's temptations were real, and not in vi
fion, That temptation is Satan's employment ; with the e-
yidences and inftances thereof. Of Satan's tempting vifibly ;
with t^le reafons thereof. 412
Chap, vii— The general view of thefe temptations. Of Sa
tan's gradual proceeding in temptations. Of referving a
great temptation laft. What a great temptation is. In what
cafes to be expeded. Of Satan's ufing a common road, in
comparing thefe temptations with the ordinary^temptations
of men. Of the advantage' Satan takes of natural appetite,
fenfe, and. affedions. - 418
Chap, viii.— The rife of Chrift's firft temptation. Of Satan
fuiting his temptations to the conditions of men. Of tempt
ing men upon the plea of neceffity. The reafons and1 cheats
of that plea. His pretences bf friendfhip in tempting ; with
the danger thereof. 424
Chap, ix.— A particular consideration of the matter of the firft
temptation. What Satan aimed at in bidding him turn ftones
into bread. Of Satan's moving us to things good or lawful.
The end of fuch a motion. How tpknow whether fuch mo
tions are from Satan, or the Spirit. What to do in cafe
they be from Satan. Of his various aims in one tempta
tion. What they are, and of his policy therein. Of his
artificial contrivement of motions, to make one thing infer
another. 429
Chap, x  Of Satan's chief end in this temptation. His Skill
in making the means to fin plaufible. The reafons of that
"policy, with his art therein. Mens ignorance his advan
tage. Of the differences of things propounded to our ufe.435
Chap. xi.  Of the temptation to diftruft, upon the failure of
4 E ordinary

j86 The CONTENTS.
ordinary means. Of the power of that temptation, and the
reafons ofits prevalency. Of unwarrantable attempts for
rehef ; with the caufes thereof. Of waiting on God, and
keeping his way. In what cafes a particular mercy is to be
expeded 441
Chap, xii  Of Satan's proceeding to infer diftruft of Sonfhip,
from diftruft bf providences. Inftances of the probability
of fuch a defign. The reafons of this undertaking. Of Sa
tan's endeavour to weaken the affurance and hopes oS God's
children. His general methpd to that purpoSe. 450
Chap, xiii  The preparation to the fecond temptation. Of his
nimblenefs to catch advantages from our anfwers to tempta
tion.- That Satan carried Chrift in the air. Of his power
to moleft the bodies of God's children. How little the fup
pofed holinefs of places privilegeth us from Satan. Of Sa
tan's policy in feeming to countenance imaginary defences.
Of his pretepded flight in Such cafes ; with the reafons of
that policy. Of his improving a temptation to ferve feve
ral ends. 461
Chap, xiy.— -That prefumption was the chief defign of this
temptation. Of tempting to extremes. What prefumption
is. The Several ways of prefuming. The frequency of
this temptation, in the generality of profeffors, in hypocrites,
in defpairing perfons, and in the children of God. The rea
fons of Satan's induftry in this defign. His deceitful con
trivance in bringing about this fin. Prefervatives againft it'.
 468
Chap, xv  Self-murder, another of his defigns in this temp
tation. How he tempts to felf-murder diredly, and upon
what advantages he urgeth it. How he tempts to it indi
redly, and the ways thereof. Of neceffary prefervatives a-
gainft this temptation. 478
Chap, xvi — Of pride, Satan's chief engine to bring oh pre
fumption. What pride is, and how it prepares men for fin
ning prefumptuoufly. Considerations againft pride. The
remedies for its cure. Pride kindfed by a" confidence of pri
vileges, and popular applaufe. 487
Chap, xvii.— Of Satan's fubtilty in urging that of Pfal. xci,
II, 12. to Chrift. Of his imitating the Spirit of God in va
rious

The CONTENTS. 587
rio.us ways of teaching. Of his pretending fcripture to fur
ther temptation. The reafons of fuch pretendings, and the
ends to which he doth abufe it. Of Satan's unfaithfulnefs in
-managing of Scriptures. Cautions againft that deceit. The
- ways by which it may be difcovered. 493
Chap, xviii — The manner of Satan's Shewing the kingdoms of
the world. Of Satan's preparations before the motion of fin.
Of his confronting the Almighty by prefumptuous imi
tation ; and in what cafes he doth fo. Of his beautifying
the objecl of a temptation, and how he doth it. His way of
engaging the affedions by the fenfes. Of his feeming Shy-
nefs. 509
Chap. xix. — Satan's end in tempting Chrift to fall down and
worShip him. Of blafphemous injeftions. What blafphe
my is. The ways of Satan in that tempiation, with the ad
vantages he takes therein, and the reafon of urging iblafphe-
mies upon men. Contolations to fuch as are concerned in
fuch temptations. Advice to fuch as are fo afflided. 520
Chap. xx. — The nature of idolatry. Satan's defign to corrupt
the worfhip of God. The evidences thereof, with the rea
fons of friph endeavours. His general defign of withdrawing
the hearts of men from God to his fervice. The proof that
this is his defign, upon whom he prevails. That profeffions
and confidences are no evidences to the contrary. His deceit
of propounding fin as a fmall matter. The evidences of that
method, and the reafons thereof. 527
CHAP. xxi.. — Of worldly pleafure. Proofs that this is Satan's
great engine. What there is in worldly delights, that make
them fo. Counfels and cautions againft that fnare. 537
Chap, xxii  -Of Chrift's anfwer in the general. That thefe
temptations were upon defign for our inftm&ion. Of
the agreement betwixt Ephef. vi. and Matth. iv. The firft
diredion. Qf courageous refolves in refifting temptations.
Its confiftency with fome kind of fear. The neceffity of this
courage. Wherein it confifts ; and that there is courage in
inourning fpirits. 545
Chap., xxiii, — The fecond diredion, that temptations are not to
be difputed. The Several ways of difputing a temptation. In

jSc The C O N T E N T S.
In what , cafes it is convenient and neceffary to difpute with
Satan, jln what cafes inconvenient and the reafons of it. 553
r
Chap. xxiv. — The third diredion. Of repelling a temptation
without delay ; the neceffity of fo doing. What a fpeedy
denial doth contain. 362
Chap, xxv.— The fourth diredion. Qf repelling a temptation
by fcripture arguments.- Of feveral things implied in the
diredion. The neceffity of anfwering by fcripture argu
ments. The excellency of the remedy. How fcripture ar
guments are to be managed, 566
Chap, xxvi — The fifth diredion of prayer, and of the feriouf
nefs required of thofe that exped the advantage of prayer.
Of God's hearing prayer while the temptation is continued.
Of fome that are troubled more while they pray more. 576

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