Mat. xiii. 22,—who seemed to differ from the good ground only in this,
that their fruit was green and not ripe, as Luke expresseth it, ‘They
brought not fruit to perfection,’—they were choked in these fair
beginnings and offers for holiness by the ‘cares and pleasures of the
world.’ All ages abound with instances of this kind. Æneas Sylvius
preached against the pope, set up the council above him, commended
the Germans for opposing him; but preferment made him alter his note,
and at last he became pope himself. Bonner, the persecutor, seemed at
first a good man, a favourer of Luther’s doctrine, but advancement
changed him to a bloody wolf, a cruel tiger. Spalato forsook popery,
but, missing those dignities which he aimed at in England, was, upon
hopes of greater preferment, induced to lick up his vomit, and to own
popery again. How many examples have we of those who, the higher they
grew in the world, became more careless of religion; as Sixtus Quintus,
who went as fast back in religion as he went forward in promotion; so
that he that at first entering into orders, had a good hope of his
salvation, by that time he came to be pope, he became so wicked that he
despaired of happiness.

4. Fourthly, _This temptation is one of Satan’s last refuges, and
often prevails where persecution cannot_. The thorny-ground hearers
were above those of the stony ground in this, that they stood out the
storm, and bore the scorching heat of persecution, but then the world
choked them. Sad experience tells us that churches that did thrive and
grow as the palm-tree under their pressures, were spoiled by ease and
plenty, which so cherished the seeds of pride, vanity, and contention,
that they grew up amain, and did more to their desolation than the
cruelty of all their fiercest enemies. Julian, who, by the greatest
art and policy, studied to overthrow the Christian’s name, so observed
this, that he made it his rule rather to corrupt men by honours than
to compel them by torments.[467] We have also found that though the
Roman synagogue join force to subtlety in the advancement of their
dagon, yet they have still looked upon this temptation of the world
as most likely to gain the hearts of their rational opposers. Cruelty
could overawe the senseless multitude, and could take out of the way
those of whose opposition they were afraid, but it seldom with success
wrought upon persons guided by light and conscience, to a compliance
that would hold long; for though at first some good men were overawed
to make subscription and to recant, as it did with Bilney, Bainham,
Cranmer, and several others,[468] yet upon the working of conscience,
after the stound and dazzle of the temptation was over, they recoiled
so resolutely upon them, that they lost more than they gained that way.
But those that were willing to nibble at preferments became theirs
wholly. Thus they set upon Luther, Galeaceus, Carracciolus, Dr Taylor,
and a great many more, though to no purpose, for they were ready to bid
their money ‘perish with them,’ and to bid defiance to their favour
as well as to their frowns. Notwithstanding they have made many real
conquests by this weapon, and accordingly this is reckoned among the
temptations of greatest force: Heb. xi. 37, ‘They were stoned, they
were sawn asunder, they were tempted,’ that is, by the pleasures and
preferments of the world. It seems the Holy Ghost would point at
this, how fair and plausible soever it be, as one of the devil’s most
powerful engines.

Next, I promised to discover what it is in the world which makes it so
fit for Satan’s designs.

(1.) First, _The world brings or affords fit matter to be made the fuel
of lust_. For this reason the apostle in the place afore-cited, 1 John
ii. 16, forbids us so earnestly to love the world, or the things of the
world, because there is nothing in it which is not improveable, as an
occasion or provocation to lust. Whatsoever is in the world is lust of
flesh, or eyes, or heart; and there is no lust but it may be furnished
with a proper object from hence. The appetite, senses, or affections
fetch all their delights from hence.

(2.) Secondly, Besides the common materials of sin that are digged
out of this mine, the world hath something _of an aptitude in it to
tempt_. Not that it hath properly and formally, _insidiationis animum_,
an active subtlety to lay snares for men, but yet it is not so purely
passive as to make it altogether innocent. There is something of a
curse upon it ever since, by the fall of man. It was loosened from
its proper, primitive ends; and as the devil spake by the serpent, so
doth he urge, speak, tempt, and insinuate by the world, so that it is
still an occasion of danger to us, and hath a special advantage over
our affections, upon several accounts. As, [1.] In that it is in itself
lawful to be used. [2.] In that it is suitable to our desires and
tempers. [3.] In some respects it might be necessary and advantageous
for the comfort of life, for the support of families, and to enable us
to be helpful to others. [4.] It is near to us, under our eye; we have
familiar converse with it, it is still with us. [5.] We have a natural
propensity to be in love with it; the flesh would fain be pleased,
and nothing is more answerable to it than the pleasures of the world.
We need not wonder then, when we see it so highly captivating the
affections of men, and leading them bound in chains and fetters. Some
make it their god; gain is all their godliness and religion; they seek
their ‘portion in this life,’ Ps. xvii. 14; this is their treasure, and
here is their heart; and it would be no less wonder if Satan should be
guilty of so much oversight, as to neglect the use of an instrument
which is every way so fitted for his purpose.

(3.) Thirdly, Besides this fair prospect which it gives to sin, it
hath _an enmity to God and his ways, which is no less advantageous to
the devil_. This is positively affirmed, James iv. 4, ‘The friendship
of this world is enmity with God;’ not only is this true in a lower
sense, as a hindrance, being backward and averse to it, but it is a
direct opposition and contrariety to God and his service. Its drawing
back and hindering is charge enough against it: for it [1.] withdraws
those thoughts, affections, time, care, and endeavours, which should be
laid out upon better things, so that holiness must needs be obstructed,
dwindle, and decay by it. [2.] It hinders the influence of heaven; it
shuts out the light casually, quencheth and resisteth the Spirit, and,
meritoriously also, it provokes God to withdraw, to remove his glory,
and to give over his striving with them; but the contrariety that it
hath to all the parts of holiness is yet more: Christ notes it, Mat.
vi. 24. These two masters, God and the world, are contrary in their
designs, in their commands, in their natures, so that it is impossible
for any man to serve them both. They both require the heart, and they
both require it to contrary and incompatible services and ends. These,
then, are such masters as would be _domini in solidum_, masters of the
whole.[469] Now there cannot be two masters of one thing in that sense;
neither, if there were, could the hearts of men serve these different
commands, but their work would necessarily engage their affections to
one only; they would either ‘love the one and hate the other, or hold
to the one and despise the other.’ This very consideration, if there
were no more, doth render the world a desirable instrument for Satan.

(4.) Fourthly, In all this the world hath so many _cunning disguises,
and plausible shifts, that it becomes thereby wonderfully serviceable
to Satan_. It is the perfection of wicked policy to manage wicked
designs under plausible pretences. These the world hath in readiness
when it is accused of rebellion and treachery against God. The pleas
of necessity, of prosecution of a lawful calling, of providing for a
family, of not neglecting the benefits of God, of cheering the heart,
and taking the comforts of the labours of their hands, and a great
many more, are ready excuses to ward off the force of the convincing
word. These the devil drives home, and fastens them into such strong
persuasions, that the deluded sinner cannot see the danger that is
before him, nor the spiritual adultery or idolatry of his soul, in his
excessive love to worldly pleasures.

(5.) Fifthly, The world hath also _a spiritual fascination and
witchcraft_, by which, where it hath once prevailed, men are enchanted
to an utter forgetfulness of themselves and God, and being drunk
with pleasures, they are easily engaged to a madness and height of
folly. Some, like foolish children, are made to keep a great stir in
the world for very trifles, for a vain show; they think themselves
great, honourable, excellent, and for this make a great bustle, when
the world hath not added ‘one cubit to their stature’ of real worth.
Others are by this Circe transformed into savage creatures, and act the
part of lions and tigers. Others, like swine, wallow in the lusts of
uncleanness. Others are unmanned, putting off all natural affections,
care not who they ride over, so they may rule or be made great. Others
are taken with ridiculous frenzies, so that a man that stands in the
cool shade of a sedate composure would judge them out of their wits.
It would make a man admire to read of the frisks of Caius Caligula,
Xerxes, Alexander, and many others, who because they were above many
men, thought themselves above human nature. They forgot they were
born, and must die, and did such things as would have made them, but
that their greatness overawed it, a laughing-stock and common scorn to
children. Neither must we think that these were but some few or rare
instances of worldly intoxication, when the Scripture notes it as a
general distemper of all that bow down to worship this idol. They live
‘without God in the world,’ saith the apostle, [Eph. ii. 12,] that
is, they so carry it as if there were no God to take notice of them,
to check them for their madness. ‘God is not in all his thoughts,’
saith David, Ps. x. 4, 5. ‘The judgments of God are far above out of
their sight;’ he puffs at his enemies, and saith in his heart, ‘he
shall never be moved,’ &c. The whole psalm describes the worldling as
a man that hath lost all understanding, and were acting the part of
a frantic bedlam. What then can be a more fit engine for the devil to
work with than the pleasures of the world?

_Applic._ I shall briefly apply this to two sorts of men, those that
are straitened with want and necessities, and those whose ‘cups run
over,’ having all ‘that their heart can wish.’

(1.) First, To those that think their measure of outward comforts
little, I would from the doctrine now explained tell them that _they
have not so much cause to vex and disquiet themselves for their poverty
or troubles as they apprehend_. The world is not so desirable a thing
as many dream. Did but men consider how great a snare it is, and what
dangers attend the fulness of it, they would not so earnestly covet it,
nor so passionately lament when it flies from them. If thou hast so
much godliness as can quiet thy heart in a contented enjoyment of thy
little, that little which thou hast is better than great riches of the
wicked. Thou little knowest from what pride, insolency, contempt of God
and men, and many other temptations and lusts, God doth preserve thee,
by denying thee earthly things. Thou art now, it may be, often looking
up to God, striving to believe his word, often examining thy heart,
labouring to live upon God and his all-sufficiency, looking after the
bread that endures to eternal life; when if thou hadst the temptations
of plenty, it may be feared thou wouldst be another man, and be carried
away to forget God, to be careless of holy walking, and so make way for
bitterness and sorrow at last.

(2.) Secondly, I would also caution poor men not _to enlarge their
desires too much after the world, but to fear the temptations of the
world_. It is not only a snare to those that enjoy it, but to those
that want it: for while they admire it, and engage their affections for
it, it ensnares them in sinful undertakings; they are tempted to lie,
cheat, dissemble, to use unlawful shifts, to rob, steal, overreach in
bargaining, and to neglect the care of the soul in all. Let such call
to mind, [1.] That often the providence of God doth of purpose thwart
and cross the designs of such, so that though they toil and sweat,
running from market to market, ‘rising early and sitting up late,’ yet
he blows upon their gettings, and they wither to nothing, ‘while it is
yet in their hand;’ or if they seem to keep them longer, yet all the
end they make with them is but to put them into a ‘bag with holes,’
[Haggai i. 6,] they ‘perish by evil travail,’ Eccles. v. 14. [2.] They
often are at a great deal of labour in pursuit, and then when the
desired object is within their reach, they are overwhelmed with their
disappointment, as if providence designed to mock them for their folly.
This is excellently set forth, in 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 himself to grasp it, falls down and breaks
his neck. [3.] And when they do by great toil rake together a heap of
riches, they are starved frequently in their plenty, and so cursed that
they have no more than ‘the beholding of their goods with their eyes,’
in that God denies them a ‘heart to use them,’ Eccles. v. 11. [4.]
Their gettings allay not their thirst for more, ‘He that loveth silver,
shall not be satisfied with silver,’ Eccles. v. 10. [5.] Often they are
given as a scourge and plague; as the quails given to the Israelites
‘came out of their nostrils.’ The wise man notes it, Eccles. v. 13,
‘Riches are kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.’

(3.) Thirdly, To those that have the delights of the world, plentiful
estates, full tables, beautiful houses, rich tradings, honours, and
dignities, I would desire to give the greatest caution, that they take
heed to themselves, _because they walk in the midst of snares_. They
should consider, [1.] That the great God hath laid most serious charges
upon them, ‘not to love the world,’ but to withdraw their affections
from it, nay, to be crucified to it, as to any captivating delight,
and to use it with such an indifferency of mind, that they should be
in their deportments towards it as ‘if they used it not.’ [2.] They
should have their danger in their eye. How careful is he of his steps
that knows he walks in the midst of serpents which are ready to sting
him; the thoughts of this should blunt the edge of our delights. If you
were at a feast where you knew there were poisoned dishes, you would be
afraid to eat anything. Do you think that Captain Smith[470] when he
was taken by the savages of America, and had plenty of meat set before
him, which he knew was given to fatten him that he might be better
meat when he was killed, had any stomach to eat or to drink? Was that
feast pleasing to him that sat under a sharp sword hung over his head
in a horse hair, when he expected every moment it should fall upon him
and kill him?[471] Such are great men, rich men. With what fear and
care should they use these things, when they know there is hazard of
mischief from them upon every occasion! How much doth Christ speak in
that one sentence, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven’! [Mat.
xix. 24.] He means not that it is absolutely impossible, but extremely
difficult, and the difficulty lies in the hindrances which their riches
casts before them. [3.] They should carefully consider for what ends
God gives these, and to what use they are to be put. Rich men are but
God’s pursers; they do but ‘carry the bag,’ and what is put therein,
for public uses. If accordingly, as faithful stewards, they lay it out
upon those that have need, they shall ‘make friends of the unrighteous
mammon,’ and it will turn to a spiritual account: but if they think
that all is for themselves, and so shut their bowels and purses from
others, then they carry the bag no otherwise than as Judas did, and
will be easily persuaded to sell Christ and heaven for a little more of
earth.

CHAPTER XXII.

 _Of Christ’s answer in the general.—That these temptations were upon
 design for our instruction.—Of the agreement betwixt Eph. vi. and
 Mat. iv.—The first direction.—Of courageous resolves in resisting
 temptations.—Its consistency with some kind of fear.—The necessity
 of this courage.—Wherein it consists; and that there is a courage in
 mourning spirits._

These answers of Christ to the several temptations, which are now to be
explained, are different as to their matter, yet the general purport of
them being the same, I shall therefore handle them together. They may
be considered two ways:—

1. First, _As they are fit and pertinent answers to particular
temptations, of distrust, of presumption, of debauching the heart by
worldly delights to the service of Satan_; and thus may they be useful
in their consideration, to those who are directly moved by Satan to
such sins. And when at any time we are tempted in straits to cast away
our reliance upon the careful providence of God, we may look upon
Christ’s answer, that man’s life doth not so depend upon the usual
means, but that any other thing blessed by divine appointment may be
useful to that end. When we are enticed to presume of extraordinary
supports, then by Christ’s example the temptation may be resisted, by
considering, that however God be to be trusted, yet he is at no time to
be tempted by unnecessary expectations in the neglect of the ordinary
means. If our hearts be wooed by worldly delights to cast off our care
of God and religion, we may then call to mind that this is abominable
idolatry, and so may we turn off our hearts from sinful compliance by
charging our souls with the opposite duties, upon a true discovery of
the vileness and inconvenience of the transgressions urged upon us.

2. But, secondly, They may be considered as they give _instruction for
the management of our spiritual armour against all Satan’s wiles in the
general_; and in this sense I shall endeavour to open them, laying down
first these two conclusions:—

(1.) First, _That the whole business of these temptations, as permitted
to Satan, and submitted unto by Christ, was certainly upon design_. The
same wisdom that contrived the wonderful method of the salvation of
men by a Redeemer, did also order these temptations; for else Christ
could have prevented them, or by a divine authority commanded silence
to the tempter, and by his power might have chased him away. As Christ
told Pilate, ‘Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except
it were given thee from above,’ [John xix. 11;] thereby manifesting
that his suffering was from a higher design than he was aware of; so
might he have said to the devil, ‘Except this had been designed by an
eternal counsel, thou couldst not have made this attempt.’ So that we
must look further for the spring and rise of this, than to any supposed
occasional outbreaking of satanical malice upon him.

(2.) Secondly, That this design, however it touched upon the person and
offices of Christ, as mediator and second Adam, for thus it became him
to overcome the enemy at the same weapon by which he overcame our first
parents, and by this personal experience, to be fitted with feeling
compassions to the tempted, yet was it _wholly for our sakes_, as may
appear by two things:—

[1.] First, In that Christ, if his answers had only concerned himself,
might have given other fit replies to the first temptation, of turning
stones to bread. He could have retorted the argument upon Satan, as
Jerome and others observe.[472] 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 have answered, ‘That as the Father hath life in himself,
so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, and that by this
divine power he could sustain himself without bread.’[473] To the
second it might have been a sufficient answer to have excepted against
his unfaithfulness in citing that testimony out of Ps. xci., where,
by discovering his wilful omission of the clause, ‘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 promise. To the third
might have been returned such answers as these: that Satan’s offer was
a lie; that it was not in his power to dispose of the kingdoms of the
world—that these were Christ’s already; that these were vain arguments
to draw him from the glory of a heavenly kingdom; and finally, that
of all creatures Satan, being God’s sworn enemy, had least reason to
expect divine honour.

[2.] Secondly, In that all Christ’s answers were from Scripture, which
is properly a ‘light to the steps of men,’ and all these scriptures
cited shew man’s duty. He saith not, ‘the Son of God shall not live
by bread alone,’ but ‘man lives not by bread alone;’ he saith not,
Christ must not tempt, but thou, man, shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God, &c. By all which we may discern that Christ answered not by
arguments peculiarly agreeable to his person and nature, but by such as
suit the general state of God’s children. And this certainly was for
our advantage. He conquered with such weapons, not for any necessity
that he had to take that course, but for the need that we had of such
instruction; for hereby we see that Satan is conquerable, and also how
we must use our weapons.[474] In this also he left us ‘an example, that
we should follow his steps;’ as Gideon said to his soldiers, ‘As you
see me do, so do you likewise,’ [Judges vii. 17.] Thus, as it were,
doth our Lord speak to us: For your sakes suffered I these temptations,
that I might teach your hands to war, and your fingers to fight; for
your sakes I used these weapons of yours, rather than my own, that I
might shew you the use of your sword and shield, and how your adversary
may be overcome by them; dealing herein with us as a master at arms,—it
is Musculus’s comparison,—who, for the better instructing and animating
of his tyro, takes rather his disciple’s sword than his own, to beat
his adversary withal, minding not only the conquest of an enemy, but
also the encouragement of a young soldier.[475]

If any carry a suspicion in their mind that Christ had not our
instruction so much in his eye as hath been said, because he gives
not such particular instructions for our spiritual welfare[476] as
the apostle in Eph. vi., expecting that our Saviour should have been
more punctual in making particular applications from every part of
his carriage to our use, and drawing out from thence some positive
conclusions or draughts of the way and manner of resistance, they may
know that there is no other difference betwixt Eph. vi. and Mat. iv.
than there is betwixt precept and example. What the apostle there
prescribed in the theory, here Christ teacheth in the practice; here we
have in their use the girdle of truth, the shield of faith, the sword
of the Spirit, the helmet of salvation, and all the other parts of that
armour; and withal we may know that this is a far more advantageous way
of teaching young beginners, to let them see things in a plain example,
than only to give general precepts. But besides, we are to consider
that Christ did many things, the meaning whereof the disciples then
present with him did not know as yet, neither was it expected from
them that they should; like to what he said to Peter, John xiii. 7,
‘What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter;’ but
were intended to be laid up in store to be more fully made use of, as
after-directions should come in to give them information. He therefore
that had purposed to give further light in this matter by his apostle
and servant, was now doing that which his design led him to in his
personal actings, with a secret respect also to those instructions
which he intended after to communicate. We have then no reason to be
jealous that these temptations were not intended for our use, but the
more to assure ourselves that it was even so, because we find that
those very weapons which here Christ in his own person wielded against
Satan, are afterwards recommended to us.

Having thus laid the foundation, we must then, if we will imitate our
captain, carefully observe his deportment from point to point, that we
may draw out those instructions which he intended for us.

And the first thing that I shall take notice of, shall be the courage
and magnanimity of our leader. He had endured temptations forty days
and nights before, and yet he keeps the field without any appearance of
shrinking or running away. Satan no sooner tempts than he is repelled.
From this consideration we have this instruction:—

_Direct._ 1. _That he that would successfully resist temptations, must
not fly, but with a courageous resolve set himself to oppose._

Christians are apt to fear, when Satan comes up against them, and ready
to turn their backs: as the Israelites were dismayed at the appearance
of Goliath, and fled before him. But if we would conquer, we must, as
David, go out against him in ‘the name of the Lord.’ To this we are
called, 1 Cor. xvi. 13, ‘Stand fast in the faith, quit yourselves like
men, be strong;’ and Eph. vi. 14, ‘Stand, having your loins girt with
truth,’ &c. This courage recommended is not a contempt and negligent
slighting of danger, nor is it a bold adventurousness upon occasions of
sin; it is a holy, humble courage, and doth admit of a threefold fear.

(1.) First, _Of a fear of sin_, that is, a hatred of it. We must
fear sin as the greatest evil. This is no cowardice, but tends to
the strongest resolution and highest endeavours against it. From
this principle is it that men oppose sin as their mortal enemy, and
excite their utmost courage to fight against it. As the Philistines
being afraid of Israel, and yet hating to serve the Hebrews, mutually
encouraged one another, ‘Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye
Philistines.’ A fear of hatred begets boldness.

(2.) Secondly, Courage admits _of a preventing fear and a provident
avoidance_. Occasions of sin are to be fled. We are not with greater
earnestness called upon to stand, than we are warned in this case ‘to
fly.’ So the apostle often, ‘fly fornication,’ ‘fly idolatry,’ ‘fly
youthful lusts.’ Occasions are best opposed by flying, where 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 best that flies
most, where necessity doth not bid him stay, 1 Cor. vi. 18, x. 14, and
2 Tim. ii. 22.

(3.) Thirdly, It also admits of the fear _of a holy jealousy_; such a
distrust of ourselves, as puts us to seek to ‘the rock which is higher
than we’ for shelter. God calls us to ‘turn into our stronghold,’ Nahum
i. 7, and to ‘lay hold upon his strength,’ [Isa. xxvii. 5.] It is
rashness or desperateness, and not true courage, to adventure ourselves
without our guard or shield. But however we must fear sin, suspect our
strength, and fly occasions, yet Satan we must not fly. Here we are bid
to stand, for these reasons:—

[1.] First, _It is impossible to fly from him_. He can follow us
wherever we go. If we go to holy assemblies, he can come thither. If we
shut up ourselves in our closets, he can meet us there. If we betake
ourselves to a wilderness or to a crowd, to be sure he will find us out.

[2.] Secondly, _We are expressly charged to make resistance_: James iv.
7, ‘Resist the devil;’ 1 Peter v. 9, ‘whom resist.’ This plainly speaks
positive endeavours and opposition on our part.

[3.] Thirdly, _A fainting fear is an unbelieving distrust of Gods
power_, as if he were not ‘able to save to the uttermost,’ [Heb. vii.
25,] and of Christ’s compassionate tenderness, as if he would not
‘succour those that are tempted,’ [Heb. ii. 18.]

[4.] Fourthly, _Our fainting makes Satan insult_. He triumphs when
we turn our backs, and besides hath the greater advantage to wound
us or to tread us down at pleasure. It is observed that God provides
armour for head and breast, and all the fore parts, by a shield in case
of resistance; but if we fly, so little encouragement is there for
cowardice, there is no armour for the back.

[5.] Fifthly, _It is most suitable to Christian courage to die in
the place, and to put it to the utmost hazard rather than to yield_.
According to Vespasian’s motto, _Oportet imperatorem stantem mori_.
Every Christian should say, ‘Shall such a one as I fly?’ [Neh. vi. 11;]
one that hath given up my name to God; one that hath professed holiness
afore men; one that hath so many advantages for resistance, and such
sweet encouragements from a victorious general!

_Quest._ But the great question is, What is this fear that is
forbidden, and the courage which is enjoined?

_Ans._ The fear forbidden is an unbelieving weakness and pusillanimity,
through which, as hopeless of success, men throw down their weapons and
yield themselves up to Satan, when the hearts of men fail them to the
giving up of the victory.

Spiritual courage, on the contrary, is a serious resolve of fighting it
out in the strength of the Lord, and it consists of these two parts:—

_First, A sincere resolution to be on Christ’s side against all
iniquity_, a deliberate unfeigned determination to stand for God
and his holy ways, against Satan and sin. [1.] The ground of this
determination is a conviction of the evil of sin, even to a hatred of
it. He that hath not thoroughly weighed the misery of living in sin,
and fully purposed within himself to forsake it, can have no true
Christian courage when it comes to a pinch. [2.] From this ground
he lays himself under solemn engagements to Christ his general, as
soldiers list themselves under their captains, that he will follow him
and observe his commands; he gives up himself to God by covenant. So
that now he is no longer his own, but Christ’s servant, bound for his
work. [3.] And this with such or so much belief of his promises for aid
and victory, that he hath some hopes or expectations at least, that God
may at last so assist him that he may attain to some real degree of the
mortification of the ‘flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof,’
[Gal. v. 24.]

_Secondly_, The second part of this courage consists in _a suitable
management of this undertaking_. Courage is not only seen in the first
onset, but in the prosecution of the warfare; and this lies in two
things. [1.] When there are real endeavours against sin, answerable
to this undertaking, in all ways of striving to oppose it. When men
do not engage against sin with big words only; or as the children
of Ephraim—who, arming themselves and carrying bows, seemed to have
stout resolves, but then ‘turned back in the day of battle;’ but with
real and conscientious wrestlings, setting themselves with all their
might and care against every temptation, and studying to pursue the
victory, where in any degree it is obtained, to a greater height. [2.]
When these endeavours are sincerely persisted in, without being quite
wearied out or utter fainting, so that it never comes to this, though
they may be sometime under Satan’s feet, that they relinquish their
first solemn engagement, or repent of their undertaking, and then
turn their backs upon God, listing themselves under Satan’s colours.
Such a fainting as this would bereave men of their crown; ‘Ye shall
reap in due time if ye faint not,’ Gal. vi. 9. Upon this hazard are
the children of God cautioned, Heb. xii. 3, ‘Lest ye be wearied and
faint in your mind.’ [3.] There is also a particular kind of courage
expressed in a holy and humble contempt of Satan’s suggestions, when
after all means used they cease not to be troublesome. This is not to
slight sin but to slight Satan, who, though he is resisted, ceaseth not
to molest.[477]

_Applic._ I shall particularly apply this first direction, [1.] To
those that propound ease to themselves in their race or warfare,
which is a thing impossible to one that doth the work of a soldier,
not considering that work and courageous endeavours do abide them.
[2.] To those that pretend themselves Christ’s soldiers, courage and
Christian magnanimity is your cognizance. By this must you be known.
How do ye stand? what are your resolutions and undertakings? Those
Christians that have ‘joy and peace in believing’ can more easily
satisfy themselves in this; but those that fight in tears and grief,
in disquiets and troubled thoughts, are apt to conclude themselves
unbelieving, because they are fearful; or to think that they look not
up to Jesus, the ‘author and finisher of their faith,’ because they
apprehend themselves weary and ‘faint in their minds.’ For the ease
and help of such, I shall shew in a few things that there is as real
a Christian courage in such mourners as in some that sing songs of
triumph.

[1.] First, It is a real courage and undertaking against sin for
any to resolve his utmost, _out of detestation of it, before he can
satisfy himself that God will accept of it_. To oppose sin under such a
discouragement, or at such a venture, is a courageous hatred; and yet
so do these mourners.

[2.] Secondly, _To be under continual grievings because of
miscarriages, so that other things of outward enjoyment cease to be
pleasing_, is a courageous hatred; but this is their case.

[3.] Thirdly, _To wrestle against sin under high discouragements_,
when afflicted and tossed, when Satan runs upon them and shakes them
by the neck, and yet they continue their wrestling and withstanding
as they are able; this is faithful resistance, ‘a resistance unto
blood, striving against sin,’ Heb. xii. 4; that is, if that expression
be proverbial, like that, _ad sanguinem usque_, they resist sin
faithfully, under great hazards and inconveniencies, even to wounds
and blood, till they have broken heads and broken faces; and can say
to God, though we have been ‘broken in the place of dragons,’ and have
these wounds to shew, yet ‘have we not departed from thee,’ [Ps. xliv.
19,] nor quitted our desires after thee and holiness, for all these
buffetings of Satan; but this is the character of these dejected ones.

[4.] Fourthly, It is a courageous hatred that cannot _suffer a sinful
motion to fall upon the soul, but it puts all into a combustion
within, and raiseth disquiet_; for it is an argument that there is a
contrariety betwixt the heart and sin; but this is their case also.

[5.] Fifthly, It is courage and constancy _to hold on in gracious
endeavours and strivings_; so that when they fall, as soon as they can
re-collect their strength they set on where they left, and renew the
battle, never changing their first resolve for holiness against sin.
This is implied in the apostle’s phrase of ‘standing,’—Eph. vi., ‘That
ye may withstand, and when ye have done all, to stand.’ He is accounted
to stand that runs not out of the field, but stands to his holy resolve
to the last, though the battle go sore against him by fits; but such
are these mourners.

There is true courage under mourning and disquiet of heart, so that we
may say to such, ‘O thou afflicted and tossed,’ fear not, ‘the glory of
the Lord shall shine upon thee,’ [Isa. lx. 1.] They that are weak in
this sense shall be strong as David.

CHAPTER XXIII.

 _The second direction, that temptations are not to be disputed.—The
 several ways of disputing a temptation.—In what cases it is convenient
 and necessary to dispute with Satan.—In what cases inconvenient, and
 the reasons of it._

The next thing observable in Christ’s carriage to Satan is this, that
Christ, though he rejected every temptation by giving a reason of his
refusal from the command of God, did not suffer Satan to dispute his
temptations further than the first proposal, and in his answers he
takes no notice of the reasons or motives by which he laboured to make
his temptations prevailing. In the two first temptations he gives no
reply to what Satan insinuated by his supposition, ‘If thou be the Son
of God,’ neither by affirming that he was so, nor discovering to him
his knowledge of the secret subtlety which he had wrapped up under
these plausible pretences. In the third he answers not a word to the
vanity and falsehood of his deceitful offer of ‘the kingdoms of the
world,’ though, as hath been observed, he might have opposed strong
reasons against them all; and besides, when Satan became insolent and
impudent in tempting Christ ‘to fall down and worship him,’ he chaseth
him away with a severe abomination, ‘Get thee hence, Satan;’ from which
we have a second direction, which is this:—

_Direct._ 2. _That temptations to sin are to be opposed by peremptory
denials rather than by disputings._

This is a note which most commentators have on this place; but it
stands in need of a distinct application, because it is not a rule so
general but that the practice of God’s children have made exception
against it. For the clearer explanation of it, I shall,

1. First, _Give you the several kinds of disputings, by which we may
see that all are not alike_; for,

(1.) First, _The serious working of the thoughts in a quick denial of
a temptation with a reason implied or expressed, though it admit not
Satan to any further dispute or argument, may in some sense be called
a disputing_; for the Scripture useth διαλογισμὸς for any inward,
serious thought. Such a kind of disputing as this is necessary. It
cannot be wanting to any that refuse a sinful motion, this being, as
we shall see afterward, one of those directions which Christ intended
us by his example, and the very thing which Christ practised in every
temptation; for he contented not himself to give a naked denial, but
still adds a reason of such refusal. Those who in general terms urge
that temptations are not to be disputed, do not reckon this as any
disputing; and others that do, taking disputing for the refusal of a
thing with a reason assigned, think that his procedure in the two first
temptations is not imitable by us, but only that of the third, wherein
he chased away the devil with angry denial; but the mistake is obvious.

(2.) Secondly, _There is a disputing of unnecessary curiosity and
conference_. This is when a sinful motion injected into our hearts
is not directly consented to, but then instead of a full denial men
begin to raise questions and make objections of lesser moment, or some
impertinent queries which strike not at the root; as one observed of
himself, that instead of denying a sinful motion, he began to dispute
whether it came from Satan or his own inclination; and so, instead of
quenching the fire, he busied himself to inquire whence it came. Men
deal with temptations in this case as they who being asked whether they
will buy such a commodity, hastily answer no, but yet call back the
party again and ask whence it came, or what it must cost, and by such
entanglements of curiosity engage themselves at last to buy it. Eve
failed by such an inconsiderate conference with Satan, for the abrupt
beginning of the serpent’s speech, ‘Yea, hath God said ye shall not
eat,’ &c., and the summing up of the arguments which prevailed with
her to eat, ‘When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
pleasant to the eyes,’ &c., [Gen. iii. 6,] do clearly evidence that
there was more discourse than is there expressed, and that also tending
to ascertain the goodness, pleasantness, and profit of the fruit. This
kind of disputing is always unlawful and dangerous, for it is but a
wanton dalliance with a temptation, a playing upon the hole of the asp,
and commonly ends in a sinful compliance.

(3.) Thirdly, _There is a disputing of a deliberating and parleying
indifferency_. This is when the devil puts a thought of sin into their
minds, and, while they seem not to be forward to embrace it, leaves
it to further consideration, and then they float betwixt resolved and
unresolved, betwixt _pro_ and _con_, being at a great dispute within
themselves what is best to be done, whether the conveniences on the one
hand will weigh down the inconveniences on the other. This, in cases of
apparent sin, is a wicked halting betwixt two, always unlawful.

(4.) Fourthly, _There are also treacherous partial arguings, wherein
the heart takes part with Satan_. These are those debates that are to
be found in natural men, about the doing or not doing of sinful things.
This looks so like the combat betwixt the flesh and the Spirit, that
it hath occasioned an inquiry how they may be distinguished each from
other. It is generally concluded that in that strife of the natural
man, the light of the understanding and conscience gives opposition to
the bent of the affections, and the same faculties, though sanctified
in part in the regenerate, are the parties that give opposition each
to other; but with this principal difference, that in this strife of
the flesh and Spirit the man takes part with God, whereas in the other
the affections take the devil’s part, and in a malignant averseness
to the light, strive to put it out and to get over the conviction of
conscience, so that the man strives to sin, and to stop the mouth of
such objections as come in to the contrary; this kind of disputing is
always sinful.

(5.) Fifthly, _There is yet a disputing in a strict sense, which
is a full and solemn debating of a satanical injection, by giving
it the full hearing, and admitting Satan to be a respondent to our
objections_. Of this it is queried how far it may be convenient and
how far inconvenient, because we see Christ in this place did not thus
dispute with Satan, and yet we find instances in Scripture of some holy
men that have been unavoidably engaged to dispute a temptation to the
utmost.

To answer this query, I shall, secondly, shew in what cases it may
be necessary or convenient to enter the lists with Satan in a holy
arguing, and in what cases it is inconvenient and dangerous. There are
four cases in which we may dispute a temptation:—

[1.] First, When the motion is of things _doubtful and disputable,
whether they be lawful or not_. Here it cannot be avoided; for albeit,
as the apostle adviseth, Rom. xiv. 1, ‘doubtful disputations’ are not
to be imposed upon others, so as to tie them up to our persuasions, yet
in these things every man, before he can act clearly, is to endeavour
his own satisfaction in the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the thing,
that so he may be ‘fully persuaded in his own mind,’ ver. 5. And he
gives two strong reasons of this, ver. 22, 23: (1.) From the rack and
trouble which otherwise the man may be put upon, while his conscience,
unsatisfied, ‘condemneth him in that which,’ by a contrary practice,
‘he alloweth.’ (2.) In that this condemnation of conscience, while he
doth that, the lawfulness whereof he believeth not, is an evidence of
his sin, as well as an occasion of his trouble.

[2.] Secondly, Disputings have place, when _a temptation hath taken
hold upon the thoughts, and so far possessed itself that our corruption
riseth up in the defence of the suggestion_. Satan will not quit
that hold, though he be an intruder without our leave, till he be
beat out of his quarters. The apostle, Eph. vi. 16, implies so much
by that expression, of ‘quenching the fiery darts’ of Satan. It
is not proper to understand it of a refusal of the first motion of
sin—though interpreters do usually make it comprehensive both of the
keeping out of the dart, and the plucking it out—because this evidently
supposeth that the dart hath pierced the soul, and now begins to burn
and inflame, which will require more labour for the quenching of it,
than a refusal of the first motion would put us to. As when fire hath
taken hold upon our houses, we shall be forced 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 distinction which the same apostle useth in the
same place, of στῆναι and ἀντιστῆναι, standing and withstanding. We
must keep off the temptation, that it enter not, by standing against
the assault in a peremptory refusal; but if it do enter, then we must
be put to it, by a force of holy arguing, to pull out the arrow, and to
withstand it.

[3.] Thirdly, Much more need have we of disputing, when the present
temptation is _a motion of such a sin which we are habituated unto, and
have long practised_; for these kind of sinful motions are not cast
out easily. In this case, David adviseth his enemies, Ps. iv. 2-4, who
had for a long time, ‘loved vanity, and sought after leasing,’ that by
‘communing with their own heart,’ and by disputing against their sinful
practices, they should bring themselves under a holy awe, and by that
means stop the course of their sinning, ver. 4. This, indeed, is the
great thing that sinners are called to by God, to ponder their estate,
to consider their ways, to study the evil and danger of sin, to examine
themselves, and to reason together with God about the wickedness and
ingratitude of their actions, and about the contrary loveliness,
blessedness, and happiness of the ways of God, that so they may be
brought to repentance; all which are done only by a serious arguing of
their case and hazard.

[4.] Fourthly, It is convenient, and in some cases necessary, to
dispute a temptation which Satan offers to us, _by the mouths of men,
who entice us to share with them in their wickedness_; for here, by
arguing, we may not only discourage their further solicitation, and so
free ourselves from the like temptation for the future, but we also,
by the exercise of a holy charity, endeavour to ‘pull them out of the
fire,’ Jude 23. When Joseph’s mistress tempted him, he considered that
he had to deal both with the devil and his mistress, Gen. xxxix. 7, 8,
and therefore that he might ‘resist the devil,’ he peremptorily refused
the temptation; but that he might take off his mistress from her
unlawful prosecution, he argues with her about the ingratitude, danger,
and unlawfulness of such an act, ‘My master wotteth not what is with me
in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand: there
is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept anything
back from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do
this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ When sinners do entice us
to cast in our lot amongst them, pity to them, and care of ourselves,
will engage us to argue the folly and danger of their ways with them,
except they behave themselves as dogs and swine; their carriage giving
us just ground to conclude, that they are so set on wickedness, that
it may endanger us, rather than profit them, to debate with them. And
so was it likely—and the text seems to hint so much—that when Joseph
perceived his mistress was resolved upon the pursuit, and that his
reasonings were not minded, he persisted in his denial, but forbore his
arguings.

But however it may be convenient to dispute, in the last mentioned
sense, in these four cases—and others may probably be added—yet there
are cases in which it will be inconvenient and hazardous to dispute or
argue, and of this order I shall reckon four.

[1.] First, It is not safe to dispute the matter in _vile, infectious
temptations, such as are either suitable to our inclinations, or
may receive a favourable aspect and countenance from the posture of
our affairs and condition_. These temptations, even in our debating
against them, are like the opening of a sepulchre, which sends forth
a poisonous stream[478] which may infect those that loathe and resist
it. It is dangerous to admit fire into the same room where there is
gunpowder, though there be no intention to kindle it. It hath been an
old observation, that the very confession of infectious sins, though
designed to beget shame, and resolution against them for the future,
have kindled a new flame, by the unnecessary declaration of the manner
and circumstances, so that they have returned from the confessor
more infected than when they went; and those very persons whose care
it should have been to have put the highest disgrace upon sins so
confessed, to the begetting of loathing and abhorrency in the parties
and themselves, have by too curious an inquiry received such poison at
the ear, that the heart hath been forthwith infected. The like hazard
remains to those that are willing to debate such sins with Satan; for
though they begin upon the score of resistance, yet the very dwelling
on such a subject, when admitted to lay itself open, doth convey such
amorous looks unto the treacherous affections, that the heart is in
danger of a secret poison. There is no better way in such cases than to
command all such thoughts and considerations out of our coasts, and,
as we do when the city or town we live in is infected, to withdraw
ourselves from the air of such a temptation. We may observe the like
care in Joseph, though he thought himself concerned at first, as hath
been said, to oppose the unlawful suit of his mistress, yet seeing her
desperately set upon her folly, he declined all communication with
her, and would not be with her, Gen. xxxix. 10; and at last, when she
caught him by his garment, ‘he left it in her hand and fled,’ ver. 12.
He might easily have rescued his garment from her, had he not been
aware that his contesting against her might have been an occasion of
ensnarement to himself. Christ himself, when he was tempted by Peter
to spare himself, [Mat. xvi. 22,]—which was a temptation very taking
to human nature, especially when suffering and death is in view,—is
more short and sparing in his reasoning against it, than he was when
the devil tempted him. He gives no positive reasons against it, as
he did when he was tempted to ‘fall down and worship the devil,’ but
dischargeth himself from any further consideration of the matter by
a declared abhorrency of the thing, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan, for
thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things which be
of men.’ Which is as if he had plainly said, This is so apparently
from the devil, and so much abhorred by me, because so suitable to my
condition, that I will not so much as discourse of it or consider it.

[2.] Secondly, Generally in all temptations, though they have not
the advantage of our present special estate or inclination, as hath
been noted, _of an apparent withdrawment from obedience, or of
things unquestionably sinful, it is not convenient to dispute them,
but to dismiss them by a denial, except some of the forementioned
considerations do alter the case_. In known cases we need not parley,
but stoutly deny. Our resolutions for duty, and against sin, should
not be to seek. We are certain that sin is to be avoided, and duty to
be practised; here we should be peremptory. Abraham being certain of
duty, when God called him to ‘a place which he should afterward receive
for an inheritance,’ he disputed not the uncertainty, the danger or
inconvenience that possibly 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 against it, yet he would not so much as confer with them,
but immediately obeyed, Gal. i. 16. Like instances I might fetch from
other holy men. Cyprian, when the president gave it to his own choice
whether he would obey or be put to death, commanding him to take it
into consideration, he readily replied, _In re tam sancta non est
deliberandum_, that it was not to deliberate in so plain a case. Mrs
Ann Askew, when at the stake ready to be burnt, a pardon was offered by
the Lord Chancellor; she would not so much as look on it, but returned
this answer, that she came not thither ‘to deny her Lord and Master.’
Bishop Hooker,[479] in the same condition, had a box laid before him
with a pardon in it, which when he understood—he was so afraid of
tampering with a temptation—he cried out, ‘If ye love my soul, away
with it; if ye love my soul, away with it.’ And many others there were
in all ages, so far from accepting such ‘unlawful deliverances,’ that
they would not take into consideration the unrighteous terms upon which
they might have escaped.

[3.] Thirdly, _When a temptation, after all means used, continues to be
troublesome, and is rather an annoyance than an infection, then must
we not dispute it, but by a holy contempt despise it_. Temptations to
blasphemy 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
disquiet, while they in the meantime abhor the sin, and cry out of the
trial. Here when the ‘messenger of Satan’ will not depart, it is an
advice that hath the general approbation of holy experienced men,[480]
that we should despise the temptation, as an approved way to our quiet
and ease; for while we think to repel such assaults by struggling with
arguments, we do but increase the force of them; as he that thinks to
shelter himself against the wind, by holding up his cloak before him,
doth but derive upon himself a stronger blast.

[4.] Fourthly, _In temptations of inward trouble and terror, it is
not convenient to dispute the matter with Satan_. David in Ps. xlii.
11, seems to correct himself for his mistake; his soul was ‘cast down
within him,’ and for the cure of that temptation, he had prepared
himself by arguments for a dispute; but perceiving himself in a
wrong course, he calls off his soul from, disquiet to an immediate
application to God and the promises, ‘Trust still in God, for I shall
yet praise him;’ but in Ps. xi. 1, he is more aforehand with his work,
for while his enemies were acted by Satan to discourage him, he rejects
the temptation at first, before it settled upon his thoughts, and
chaseth it away as a thing that he would not give ear to: ‘In thee,
Lord, do I put my trust; how say ye then to my soul, Flee as a bird to
your mountain?’ And there are weighty reasons that should dissuade us
from entering the lists with Satan in temptations of inward trouble. As,

[1.] First, _The determination of the sincerity of the soul and
its converted state is a question of no small difficulty_—a knotty
controversy, more intricate and abstruse than those controversies that
in the schools are of greatest name for difficulty; for this is liable
to more weighty objections, and stands in need of nicer distinction. As
Dr Goodwin observes,[481] ‘They that converse with dejected spirits,
find so much quickness and nimbleness of reasoning, turning every way
to ward off the force of an argument brought for their consolation,
that even wise and able heads are oft put to a stand, and know not what
to answer.’ Would it then be fit to give Satan this advantage? or to
admit him so far into our reasoning? He that will invite Satan to such
a contest, shall be sure to have his hands full.

[2.] Secondly, This kind of temptation doth usually _disable men
for arguing_; it oftentimes confounds the brain, stupifies the
understanding, and weakens the memory. Heman complains of himself
as ‘distracted by terrors,’ [Ps. lxxxviii. 15.] Job calls himself
desperate, [chap. vi. 26.] Such persons are not surely in a fit case to
manage a temptation with so cunning a sophister as Satan.

[3.] Thirdly, If they descend into the battle, he is not only _too
strong for them, but commonly after a while they take Satan’s part
against themselves, and comply with him, concluding against their own
peace_.

[4.] Fourthly, _There is also a better way at hand than to enter into
a dispute_; and that is, by going to God by a present faith, love or
repentance, when the truth of any of these is questioned. It is a
difficult task to prove sometime that former acts of faith, love, or
other graces were sincere. This may admit of such objections from a
wounded spirit, that it will be hard to answer them; but in this case
it is a nearer way to see if there be not in all these complainings
some present acts of these graces; whether such complainants are not
willing to embrace Christ 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
former acts do nothing for them. Some men are at more pains, as one
saith, to repair and fit an old building, than would serve to rear
a new one. Yet must it be remembered that though it were the best
course to resist temptations of this nature at first, by avoiding
unnecessary disputings, notwithstanding when this—as I noted before
of other temptations—hath seized upon the heart and taken possession,
then shall we be forced to ‘fill our mouths with arguments,’ and
whether we will or no, must we undergo a contest. As we see in David,
who when his troubles had prevailed upon him, was forced to plead with
God, with himself, with the temptation, and to have recourse to former
experience, ‘the days of old, and the years of the right hand of the
Most High,’ [Ps. lxxvii. 10,] and all little enough.

All that I shall further say concerning the inconveniences of
disputing with Satan, shall be to give you _the reasons manifesting
these unnecessary communings with him to be every way hazardous and
unsuitable_. As,

(1.) First, _It is an honour to Satan, and a disgrace to ourselves_.
Men are loath to be seen contesting with persons of a far inferior
rank, especially in such things which have procured to such a noted
infamy. It is a usual piece of generosity in men of spirit that they
scorn to strive with a scold, or contend with a beggar, or be found
in company of those that are under an evil name deservedly; and in
matters that are vile and base, it is highly disgraceful to admit
them to a debate. Such things will either get more credit than they
deserve, while they seem to be countenanced by a dispute, or else shall
communicate their discredit to those that shall shew such familiarity
with them.

(2.) Secondly, _By refusing to dispute temptations, we raise up in
our hearts an active abhorrency of them, and by that abhorrency we
are cautioned and strengthened against them_. It must needs awaken
our hatred into a present activity against that sin, which our
consideration at first view presents to us so abominable, that it
deserves no other answer but to be whipped out of our sight. And when
our heart is thus alarmed, it cannot but stand upon its guard. It is a
course that holy men have taken to keep men at a greater distance from
sin, to present it as a thing of greatest abhorrency; and that is the
intendment of that expression, Rom. vi. 1, ‘Shall we sin, that grace
may abound? God forbid,’ The vileness of that abuse of gospel grace he
shews by setting it below the merit of any serious thought; he sharpens
their apprehensions against it by an outcry of detestation. The like
he doth, Eph. v. 3, where he endeavours to set their hearts against
uncleanness and coveteousness, by telling them that it was unbecoming
saintship that such things should be ‘so much as once named by them.’

(3.) Thirdly, _Disputing is a secret invitation to the devil to urge
the temptation further_. We do but toy with him, and give him occasion
to follow us. Eve found the truth of this by sad experience; she so
managed herself, that she plainly intimated she had a mind to hear
what the devil could say for the eating of the forbidden fruit; and
so urged the prohibition of God, and the threatening, that she sought
from Satan a confirmation of her secret unbelief rather than faithfully
endeavoured a repulse of the temptation, and mentioned the threatening
under such terms of uncertainty and peradventure, as an objection which
she desired might be removed, rather than from a firm belief of that
death spoken of, fortifying herself in her duty; by all which Satan
was so encouraged to proceed, that he presently confirmed her in her
distrust.

(4.) Fourthly, _These disputings usually return nothing of advantage
to our account, but to Satan’s_. We unnecessarily enter the lists
with him, and that upon very unequal terms, he being, as Saul said
of Goliath and David, a ‘man of war from his youth,’ and we but
weak, unskilful striplings. We go out of our trenches and leave our
weapons behind us. We expose our naked breasts to all his darts, and
by discoursing with him he gains time wherein the poison may more
powerfully work upon our affections. If he was too hard for our first
parents at this weapon, we, whose hearts are not so faithful to God as
theirs in innocency, but corrupted by Satan, who hath also a party in
us, are not likely to come off with triumph.

(5.) Fifthly, _These presage, consequently, an overthrow_. A parleying
city holds not long out. It implies in itself an inclination to yield,
when armies are willing to treat. Daily examples and experience of
those that give up themselves to sin after communication with Satan
sadly witness this truth.

The sum of this direction is this, that when a motion of sin is put
into our heart, instead of disputing where it may be avoided, we should
peremptorily deny it and send it away with an angry rebuke or severe
abomination: I may not do it; How can I do this wickedness? Get thee
hence; or, ‘The Lord rebuke thee, Satan.’

CHAPTER XXIV.

 _The third direction, of repelling a temptation without delay.—The
 necessity of so doing.—What a speedy denial doth contain._

The magnanimity of Christ, and the peremptoriness of his denial, we
have noted. We must further observe the immediateness of his answer;
he suffered not any of these motions to stay long with him; here was
not a _Cras tibi respondebo_, Come again to-morrow and I will answer.
He would not take time with the devil, but had his answer ready. No
sooner was he tempted, but the temptation was repelled; for these
expressions—‘But he answered and said;’ ‘Jesus said unto him;’ ‘Then
saith Jesus unto him,’—shew the quickness and speediness of these
returns, that he answered presently, forthwith. Hence we have a third
direction in our resisting of Satan, which is this:—

_Direct._ 3. _Temptations are best answered when they are presently
denied and forthwith repelled._ The direction is of great importance;
it is not for us to pass by a temptation with silence, or to defer an
answer. For these reasons:—

(1.) First, The nature of temptations, _as dangerous or infectious,
doth sufficiently enforce a necessity of their speedy removal_. Things
of danger require a sudden stop. If poison be taken into the body,
we speedily labour to cast it up, or to overcome it by antidotes. We
labour to stay the spreading of a gangrene presently. Who thinks it fit
to delay when fire hath taken hold upon a house? The very opportunity
of help is in the speediness of the endeavour. It is too late to bring
water when the house is consumed, too late to apply a remedy when the
disease hath conquered. They that consider what a temptation is, will
see no reason to move slowly in opposing.[482]

(2.) Secondly, _Silence encourageth Satan_. It is not with him as it is
with men; it is the policy of some to overlook their petitioners, and
by silence to scare them from any further address; but Satan hath more
impudence than to be put out of countenance by delay, and more active
malice than to be discouraged by silence; nay, it doth on the contrary
embolden him. Modest requests are disheartened by silence, but such
motions which, by their nature, imply a disgrace, and carry no reason
for their acceptance but what they expect to find in the consent of
those to whom they are made, if they be not presently refused, they
give encouragement to hope for entertainment. An immodest request to
a chaste matron, if not forthwith expressly abominated, encourageth
to further attempts. Sin being so great an affront to a holy heart,
the motion of it cannot be entertained with silence, but Satan is
emboldened to expect consent in time, and follows his advantage
accordingly. He usually flies at a valiant peremptory resistance; but
if the pulse of the soul beat slowly upon the motion, he grounds his
hope upon that, and is animated to a further procedure.

(3.) Thirdly, _Our wills are apt to be inclined by delay_. Though grace
have made straight our crooked natures, yet we still carry such a sway
to our former dispositions, that a small thing, having the advantage of
our natural bias and inclination, makes us, like a deceitful bow, turn
to our old stand. For the understanding and will of the regenerate are
but imperfectly good, the faculties that should obey are unruly. In
such a case how dangerous may delays prove! Who will suffer a seditious
incendiary in an army, formerly inclined to mutiny? Who will permit
leaven to remain in that mass, which he desires may not be leavened,
and not quickly remove it? Who will neglect a spark upon dry tinder,
that would not have it consumed, and not instantly put it out? If it
was so great a mischief to Eve in innocency, as hath been said, 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 consent.

(4.) Fourthly, _Silence is also some degree of consent_. It is strange
to find a man delaying an answer to temptation, and yet no way guilty
of consenting. In things that are to be opposed with care and hatred,
no man can withhold his hand without blame. He that is not against
Satan, who is to be perpetually resisted, is so far for him as he is
not against him. He that delays justice which is due, denies it. The
judge in the parable was called unjust, not because he had devoured the
widow’s house, but because he deferred to do her right.[483] He that
hinders not evil when and as soon as he can, doth command and approve
it. These are received axioms amongst men, and have the same truth in
them if applied to resistance of temptations. And this may further
appear by considering, [1.] The weakness of the will in the regenerate.
When our wills are really set upon good and against evil, yet we cannot
say they are perfectly for the one and against the other, but that
there is still some degree of averseness to good, and of inclination
to evil in our wills, or else we should not meet with complainings of
imperfections under sincere resistances; as in the apostle, ‘The evil
that I would not, that do I,’ [Rom. vii. 19.] [2.] The acts of the
will in consenting may be so sudden, short, and quick, that they may
be almost insensible, and as forward and ready as the motion. [3.] The
will may be interpretatively voluntary and consenting, when yet it
forms not in itself any positive approbation. It may be guilty, in that
it doth not more strongly and speedily dissent: for the suspension or
negation of the will’s act, where it ought to act, cannot avoid the
charge of coming short of duty.

(5.) Fifthly, Not to answer presently, _is to lose the best opportunity
of answering_. It is less dangerous, more easy, more comfortable to
be speedy in denial. The sooner fire is put out, or the disease is
stayed, the less hurt is done; and it is far less labour to quench a
spark than a flame; to pluck up a young plant than an old standard;
to kill the cockatrice in the egg. A temptation opposed speedily, is
with greater ease overcome, than after it hath settled though but a
little: for it presently makes a party within us; our affections are
soon engaged, our understanding soon bribed, and then we have not only
Satan but ourselves to oppose; and this self so divided, that when we
come to fight, our wills are against our wills, our affections against
our affections, our wishes and prayers clash and contradict each other.
As Austin confesseth of himself: ‘I prayed,’ said he, ‘and then feared
lest thou shouldst hear me too soon; I desired to satisfy, rather than
to extinguish lust.’[484] At the first assault the soul is oft in a
better posture, more unanimous and consistent with itself; then is
the golden opportunity of resistance. For, as one saith,[485] it is
better to do it while reason is on our side, than when both reason and
affection conspire against us. And, lastly, it would be more honour
and satisfaction to us, rather not to have admitted such a guest,
than after such admittance into our thoughts to be forced to cast him
out.[486] In the review of our actions we shall have more comfort to
have been resolute against any sin than to hold our peace.

The necessity of a quick and speedy rejection of a sinful motion
is then beyond dispute, and there needs no more to be said for the
explanation of this direction, but an account of what is implied in a
speedy denial. It contains these four things:—

[1.] First, _That it must issue from a fixed determination against
sin_. Some refuse a temptation with the same mind that carried Lot’s
wife out of Sodom, and are forced beyond their own inclination, but
these go not far till they ‘look back;’ and no wonder: for if he
that is sincerely peremptory against sin at the first motion, may by
the solicitation of the flesh be inclined afterward, there is little
expectation that he whom the first motion finds indifferent and but
coldly denying, should hold out long. But that refusal that must give
any encouragement to hopes of success, must be an answer of holy
indignation against the offer of temptation, and that confirmed into a
serious resolve of heart not to yield.

[2.] Secondly, _This positive denial must be also wisely jealous of
Satan, in motions that are unlikely, or that may seem light, little,
and not directly intended_. Though it may be but a transient glance,
or a thing that is out of our road, yet must nothing be contemned
or undervalued. Jealousy will take notice of small actions or
circumstances, and no less suspicious must we be of every proffer made
to us, lest Satan by any means get an advantage against us.

[3.] Thirdly, _The refusal must be so quick, that it may be ready to
take the temptation by the throat_. At the first motion or rising of
it in our mind, we must endeavour to stifle it in the birth, that it
may be as the ‘untimely fruit of a woman that never sees the sun,’ [Job
iii. 16;] we must not give it time to grow up to a rod of wickedness,
but must nip it in the earliest buddings of it. It is the nature of
grace, if we do but faithfully pursue the inclinations of it, to be
quick in its opposition. So doth the apostle’s phrase teach us, Gal. v.
17, ‘The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the
flesh:’ the spirit is as ready to repel, as the flesh to suggest. No
sooner doth the one stir, but the other is ready with an opposition,
and the reason of it is from the active contrariety that is betwixt
them; for so the word, ἀντίκειται, there used, would express it; they
are sworn enemies, animated by principles of constant opposition, as
water and fire are, which cannot meet in peace together, but a present
noise and combat is raised from this conjunction.

[4.] Fourthly, When this is done, _we must endeavour to maintain and
stick to our first disallowance_. A child of God, I know, in sinful
yieldings of infirmity, may say as the apostle, ‘What I do, I allow
not,’—that is, [1.] What he then consents to, he did not allow at the
first, till importunity prevailed. [2.] Though his affections incline
to sin, yet his constant settled judgment is against it; and though he
do it, he cannot say he approves it. Neither of these are the things
I aim at; but this, that as the first motions of sins are disallowed,
we should endeavour to keep at that, to stand our ground, to withhold
the least after-delight or approbation. Not but that we must be forced
sadly to acknowledge the real truth of what the apostle speaks in the
place last cited, that these different principles, which of them soever
carry the victory, do so impede one another, that when grace carries
it, yet it cannot do the utmost it would or aims at; so that in the
stoutest oppositions, there may be some secret degrees of allowance
unavoidably; notwithstanding we must so manage our denial, that, if it
were possible, we should not afford the smallest inclination toward it;
the least, the better and nobler conquest.

CHAPTER XXV.

 _The fourth direction, of repelling a temptation by Scripture
 arguments.—Of several things implied in the direction.—The necessity
 of answering by Scripture arguments.—The excellency of the remedy.—How
 Scripture arguments are to be managed._

The next particular in Christ’s answers to be observed by us is
his citations of Scripture as an invincible reason against all the
devil’s temptations; he beats them all back with this weapon, ‘It is
written.’ That this was written for our learning, and that, otherwise
than for our instruction, he lay not under any necessity of using
this method, hath been evidenced before, and it is a thing which
all commentators[487] do take notice of. From this we have another
direction for the right way and order of resisting temptations, which
is,

_Direct._ 4. _That temptations are best repelled by arguments drawn
from the word of God._

For the explanation of this, it may be considered what is first
_presupposed in this direction_; for when it is affirmed that we must
answer by reasons from Scripture, this implies—

(1.) First, _That temptations are not to be opposed by groundless
refusals_. It is no way safe to say we will not, because we will not,
nor to insist upon our own bare resolve; for this would be wilfulness,
rather than an obediential refusal, and unwarrantable self-confidence,
rather than a humble wrestling. There are some, of whom it may be
said, as the prophet once charged the Jews, Isa. xxii. 11, that when
Satan comes up against them, they look in that day ‘to the armour of
the house of the forest,’ they ‘repair the wall,’ and ‘cast ditches
for fortification;’ they prepare themselves to the battle ‘in their
own strength, but they look not unto the maker thereof,’ to him who
by his mighty power must fashion our hearts to resistance. The vanity
of such undertakings is enough manifested in the event, for commonly
such men go on in a bravado of resolution, but are so altered at the
first appearance of the enemy, that they yield without a stroke. Who
could be more confident than Peter that he would not deny his Master,
whatever others did? and yet how soon did his heart fail him. We may
warrantably deny a sinful motion, without being explicit in our reason
against it, especially in usual temptations, and when they thrust
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 secret and implicit regard to the command of God; but in no case
must we go down to the battle in the strength of a wilfulness, lest it
go against us. And thus do they who, when they are reproved for some
miscarriage, as of drinking, will presently with great confidence make
engagements not to drink wine or strong drink, not to go into a tavern
or alehouse, without any humble respect to duty, or the power of God
for the conquest of the sin; and accordingly we see that usually such
promises and obligations do not hold; either they wilfully break them,
or they become sinfully witty to make evasions for the practice of sin,
without the breach of the oath or promise.

(2.) Secondly, The direction supposeth that _we must deny the sin with
the arguments of greatest strength and authority_. There were occasions
and hints of other answers to these temptations that offered themselves
in Christ’s way, and yet he waives them all, fixing only upon Scripture
reasons as the best and strongest. It is no Christian wisdom to urge
those inferior considerations of shame, loss, inconvenience, &c. Some
have no other reason betwixt them and sin, but _What will men say?_
or _What will become of me?_ But besides that, these would only be a
train to bring on disputings, and that it is no way safe to venture our
souls upon such defences, when better may be had; for who will venture
his life upon a staff when he may have a sword? It is easy for Satan
to break these bows, and to cut these spears in sunder. He can balance
such reasons with equal reasons, and presently make us believe that we
have as good reason to commit the sin as those urged by us for the not
committing of it.

(3.) Thirdly, This direction of using Scripture reason doth clearly
imply that _the force and power of Scripture is not in the words or
characters, but in the mind and reason of it_; not that Scripture used
as a charm or spell, as if the devil were afraid of the sound and words
of it, can beat back the devil, but it is the authority of its command
which works upon the mind the highest impressions of fear and care, and
as a strong argument prevails with us to forbear. Notwithstanding the
plainness and undeniableness of this inference, not only do ignorant
men bless themselves against the devil by repeating some phrases or
sentences of Scripture impertinently, and such as have no direct
signification of the matter in hand betwixt Satan and them, as if the
devil could not endure to hear the _paternoster_, or durst not come
within the sound of the name Jehovah, but also papists—and of them
such as might be supposed more considerate than to be carried by such
conceits—have placed a virtue in the words and sounds of Scripture,
and therefore do they command, though under some limitations and
restrictions, the hanging of sentences of Scripture about the neck
in scrolls, for the driving away of evil spirits, though in a clear
contradiction to the reason which they give in the general against
this course, which is this, that the ‘power of Scripture is not in the
figures and characters, but in the mind and understanding of it;’ and
therefore profits as ‘pondered in the heart,’ not as ‘hung about the
neck;’ and upon as slender grounds do they place a more than ordinary
virtue, in the angelical salutation, in the seven words upon the cross,
in the triumphal title, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,’ &c.[488]
Such kind of oppositions are but a mock to Satan. We cannot think to
‘bore the jaw of this leviathan with a thorn,’ or to come to him with
‘this bridle,’ or to ‘play with him as with a bird,’ [Job xli. 2;] he
durst allege scripture himself to Christ, and therefore it is not the
phrase or sound that affrights him.

(4.) Fourthly, The direction doth imply _an argumentative, proper,
and fit use of Scripture commands or promises_. We see Christ urged
not any scripture indifferently, but he used fit words, and chose to
himself select smooth stones out of this brook to sling against this
spiritual Goliath. Every temptation had an answer that doth most fully
and properly confront it. He regarded the main of the temptation, and
suffered not himself to be diverted from that prosecution, by engaging
himself in that which might have been perplexed and controversial,
though he had a fit opportunity to reprove Satan for a dishonest craft
of representing scripture in a sense of his own making, and so might
have rejected the temptation of casting himself down, as leaning upon a
false foundation, in that God did not promise in Ps. xci. to preserve
any that should presumptuously expect a protection while they run out
of God’s ways; yet he waived this answer, and opposed the assault by a
plain scripture which chargeth the contrary duty.

Secondly, Having seen what this direction doth imply in these things
that are to be removed from the sense and intendment of it, I shall
next, for ascertaining of the reality and importance of it, shew that
temptations are to be resisted by Scripture arguments, by these two
evidences:—

(1.) First, _God’s recommending of the commands of Scripture for such
a purpose_: Deut. vi. 6, ‘These words which I command thee this day,
shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine
hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes,’ &c. Whether
the latter part of the command is to be understood literally, as the
Jews apprehended and practised, though some think otherwise, is not
necessary to be asserted, seeing it is granted by all that they were
to have the commands of the law so ready in their minds and memories,
as if they had been written on their hands and upon their foreheads.
That God designed this precept for the resistance of sin and temptation
cannot be doubted, and that the advantage which might hence arise to
them was not only the information of their minds, in point of sin and
duty, is as unavoidable; for that and more is intended by that part of
the injunction, ‘These words which I command thee, shall be in thine
heart;’ but when? Besides this information, which the knowledge of the
law would afford them, and their humble compliance with it, as just
and good, which would enable them to say, ‘Thy law, O Lord, is within
my heart;’ he further enjoins them the quick and ready remembrances
of these laws, as if they were ‘frontlets between their eyes, and
signs on their hands.’ It can signify no less than this, that in so
doing they would be able to resist those motions by which Satan would
seek to engage them to the violation of these commands. Neither need
we to doubt hereof, when Christ himself hath so fully taught us, by
his own example, in resisting temptations, the particular use of the
remembrance of the law. In the New Testament the apostle is most
express in this matter: Eph. vi. 17, ‘Take the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God,’ where not only the use of Scripture commands
and promises against Satan’s suggestions is taught, but also the high
avail and potency of this weapon in reference to its end. It is called
a sword, and in that comparison it shews the active resistance which
may be made by it; and it is called, not a sword of flesh, for ‘the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal,’ but ‘of the Spirit,’ to shew
how mighty it is in repelling Satan.

(2.) Secondly, Another evidence of its usefulness is from _the success
which the children of God have had in the right management of this
weapon_. It is observable that while Christ answered by Scripture,
Satan was silenced, and had not what to reply to the answer, but was
forced to betake himself to a new temptation. David in many places
highly magnifies the power of the command, in the success he had by
it; Ps. xvii. 4, he shews how available it was to preserve him in his
common converse from the sinful snares laid before him, ‘Concerning
the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the
paths of the destroyer.’ In Ps. xviii. 22, 23, he tells us that he was
shielded from the sins of his inclination and love, which are hardest
to prevent, by the opposition that he gave to the motions of them, in
setting up the statutes of God against them; ‘All his judgments were
before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me; I was also
upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.’ In Ps. cxix.
11, he puts his _probatum est_ upon the head of this receipt, and
speaks of it as his constant refuge, ‘Thy word have I hid in my heart,
that I might not sin against thee.’ In Ps. xxxvii. 31, he speaks of it
as a tried case of common experience to all the children of God, ‘The
law of God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide.’ I shall
add to this the experience of Luther, when, saith he, in Epistle to
the Galatians, ‘the motions of the flesh do rage, the only remedy
is, to take the sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of salvation,
and to fight against them; of this I myself have good experience; I
have suffered many great passions and vehement, but so soon as I laid
hold of any place of Scripture, and stayed myself upon it, as upon an
anchor, straightway my temptations did vanish away, which without the
word had been impossible for me to endure, though but a little space,
much less to overcome.’[489]

(3.) Thirdly, The excellency of this remedy will further appear from
these following reasons:—

[1.] First, In that it is _a universal remedy_. There can be no
temptation, either of seducement or of affrightment, but the Scripture
will afford a suitable promise or command to repel it. So that it,
like the flaming sword in the cherubim’s hand at paradise, turns every
way to guard the soul. I need not give instances of its power against
sinful motions, having done that already, and of such temptations
which war against the peace of the soul. I need but say this in the
general, that as the nature of such temptations is to disguise God,
and to render him dreadful to us, in the appearances of wrath and
incompassionate implacableness—and this Luther sets down as a certain
rule—so have we in Scripture such declarations of the mind and tender
inclinations of God, and such full and clear promises to assure us of
this, and those so adapted to every case, to every kind of hard thought
which we might take up against him, that we may find enough in them
to break all those malicious misrepresentations of Satan, and to keep
up in our mind ‘right thoughts of God;’ which if we will adhere to,
not suffering such promises to be wrested out of our hands, nor our
hearts to give way to malignant impressions of cruelty, revenge, or
unmercifulness in God, though we be cast into darkness, into the deeps,
we may find some bottom on which to fix such beginnings of hope, as
may at last grow up to a spirit of rejoicing in God our Saviour; and
in this case, when our heart and Satan dictate to us that God is our
enemy, we ought, as it were, to shut our eyes, to refuse to hearken to
our own sense and feeling, and to follow the word; but if we once give
up the word of promise, it is impossible the wound of conscience should
be healed with any other consideration.

[2.] Secondly, _This remedy is comprehensive of most other remedies
against Satan’s temptations_. In Eph. vi., there are several other
pieces of spiritual armour recommended, and yet there is such a
manifest mutual respect betwixt this and those, that any may conclude
that however they be distinguished in their names, yet they are
conjoined in their operation. The girdle, so far as it relates to
truth of judgment and opinion, depends on the word of Scripture for
information; the shoes, which are defensive resolves to walk with a
steady foot in the ways of religion, notwithstanding the hardships
that attend holiness, are prepared to us, by the comfortable and
peace-bringing promises of the gospel; the righteousness which is our
breastplate, is only set forth and wrought out to us by the Scripture
and its ordinances; faith which is our shield, and hope which is our
helmet, they neither of them act without the warrant and encouragement
of it; and whereas other parts of the armour are defensive, this of
the Scripture is compared to the sword, which not only defends, but
also offends and beats back the enemy. If the matter be seriously
considered, all these parts of armour are but these two, the graces
of the Spirit—faith, hope, patience in their sincere exercise, and
the word of Scripture as the instrument by and in which they shew
their operations; so that all this armour being put to use, in every
particular temptation, it amounts to no more than this we are speaking
of, viz., that sinful motions are to be rejected by a believing,
sincerely resolute opposing of them, with arguments from the word of
God.

[3.] Thirdly, Scripture, as it is the word and command of the great
King of heaven, hath _a daunting and commanding authority over the
consciences of men_. ‘Where the word of a king is, there is power,’
Eccles. viii. 4, and such is the majesty of a divine law, that it hath
power over the consciences of those that are yet in their sins, and can
wound, affright, constrain, and bind even the rebellious; so that so
long as they retain any of their natural impressions of a divine power,
they have some awe for his commands, which may be seen and argued,
where it would be least expected, from the enragement of the hearts
of sinners, when ‘sin by the commandment,’ accidentally, ‘becomes
exceeding sinful,’ Rom. vii. 13, 14. For as that outrageous fierceness
doth arise from the contrariety that is betwixt a carnal heart and a
spiritual law; so that contrariety would never work if the authority of
that law, having a power to restrain, and give check to the corruption
of the heart, were not some way owned by the conscience; for where no
countermanding law is owned, there can be no irritating, provoking
restraint. This it can do to the vilest of men; but of how much more
power may we imagine the word to be with good men, whose hearts tremble
at the word, when they ‘bind the law upon their heart,’ and charge
their consciences with it? It is surely ‘quick and powerful, sharper
than a two-edged sword,’ [Heb. iv. 12;] nor doth it only, by unlovely
affrightments, terrify them from sin, but by commanding duty make the
heart in love with it, so that it becomes a delightful satisfaction to
be preserved from the snare.[490]

[4.] Fourthly, There is no argument that can be used against
temptations that can be more _afflictively discouraging to Satan_.
Satan, as bad as he is, cannot but believe those truths which he knows,
and he knows that there are many truths in Scripture which respect
him, as threatenings of punishment and divine vengeance; he believes
these things and trembles, James ii. 19. His unavoidable knowledge or
remembrance of these things begets horror in him, he cannot but be
under a dread of these truths. What can be supposed so to wound him
as the bringing these things to memory, by urging the command of God
against him? Dr Arrowsmith[491] gives two instances of this kind, the
one of Christopher Haas in Sweedland—from the epistle dedicatory to
the five tomes of Brentius’s works—the other of Daniel Cramer, rector
of a school at Stettin in Germany; on both which the devil made a bold
attempt in a personal appearance; from the first, demanding a catalogue
of his sins in writing; from the other, demanding a paper in which
one of the students had obliged himself to Satan’s service; they both
referred him to that text of Gen. iii. 15, ‘The seed of the woman shall
bruise the head of the serpent.’ And this was retorted upon him with
such a strong exercise of faith, that he presently desisted the suit
and vanished.

[5.] Fifthly, _This weapon cannot easily he wrested out of our hands_.
When we urge a divine prohibition against a temptation, what can he
say in answer? he cannot deny it to be the word of God, or to be true,
or that we are not obliged to it. He made none of these returns to
Christ, but, by his silence, owned that it was God’s holy command
obliging us to duty. Neither dares he stand upon these exceptions to
us, except he find our faith inclined to waver, or our minds weak and
wounded by inward troubles of spirit; and when he puts on a boldness
to deny Scripture to be the word of God, or that it signifies God’s
real intendments in his threatening—for by begetting unbelief of the
truth of Scripture, and by suggesting hopes of escape and pardon,
notwithstanding the violation of the commands of it, he wrests, when he
doth prevail, this weapon out of our hands—yet he is forced to fetch
a compass, and by many previous insinuations to make his way to these
atheistical assertions. Thus he did with Eve, first, finding her a
little inclinable, he dropped in privily something that might argue the
improbability of the threatened penalty, and then at last positively
denied it. But now if we hold to this, that ‘the command is true and
holy, and just and good,’ he cannot wrest our plea from us.

[6.] Sixthly, _Nothing doth more undermine temptations, by rendering
the reasons and motives thereof vain and empty, than doth the contrary
commands of Scripture_. Temptation hath always some enticement of
pleasure or profit, and these only seem to be taking or reasonable,
while we consider not the word of God, as rotten wood or fish shine
only in the dark; but when we are urged with sinful pleasures, how
mean, base, dangerous, and unlovely be they, when the command to the
contrary gives information that they are snares and lead to death, or
the provocation of the Almighty.

[7.] Seventhly, _While we resist with Scripture arguments, we engage
God, whose command we would stand by, to go down to the battle with
us_. We ‘lay hold upon his strength,’ and put obligations upon him
to take us out of the snare, and to deliver us from him who is ‘too
strong’ for us.

(4.) Fourthly, It remains that, in a word, I shew _how the commands or
arguments of Scripture are to be used in resisting Satan_, which is
thus, When you have any sinful thought cast into your mind, presently
reject the offer, by charging your heart with duty, from some opposite
command; as if you be urged to acts of uncleanness, presently refuse,
thus; No, I must not, God hath commanded the contrary, he hath said,
‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ If a covetous thought arise, reject
it with this, God hath said, ‘Thou shalt not covet.’ If you be tempted
to please the flesh, and follow vain delights, answer it with this, ‘If
ye live after the flesh, ye shall die;’ and the like must be done in
other temptations.

_Obj._ Some may perhaps think that this is easy work and quickly done,
and that it seems to attribute a virtue and power to the words of
Scripture, as if Satan were charmed by the language or phrase.

_Ans._ However at the first view this may seem easy, yet he that shall
consider how much exercise of grace goes necessarily to the right use
of Scripture opposition, shall not see cause to slight it as common,
nor yet to think that any virtue is attributed to the words. For,

[1.] First, The Scripture here is only recommended _as a fit
instrument, and no further or higher praise is given_. Though therefore
we may attribute the whole of the conquest to the instrument alone,
yet this hinders not, but that as an instrument peculiarly fitted for
these ends, we may commend it above all other instruments, as we may
justly commend bread for nourishing above a stone, and expect more
from it than from a chip; so have we reason to expect more by the use
of Scripture against Satan, than from other means of defence which God
hath not set up for that service.

[2.] Secondly, _It is a concomitancy of divine power and aid that
conquers for us_. The instrument is Scripture, but the power by which
it works is from God.

[3.] Thirdly, _Neither is it any careless formal use of Scripture
expressions that will give encouragement for expectation of a divine
concurrence_; but the use of Scripture in this business implies an
exercise of all graces, for it is an urging of Scripture under a
fourfold consideration.

_First_, As being certainly persuaded of their truth, and fully keeping
to that belief.

_Secondly_, As being thankfully apprehensive of the holiness, goodness,
and profitableness of the commands, and cheerfully adhering to them
as the only way and means to bring us to union with Christ, and to
preserve us in it.

_Thirdly_, As being highly and indispensably obliged by them to perform
the duty commanded therein, and to avoid the sins forbidden.

_Fourthly_, All this in a humble expectation of a divine help,
according to the promise of God. Now he that can plead the command or
promise against a temptation in this manner, doth not do an ordinary
work, neither will he ascribe the success to the words and phrase of
Scripture.

Some may, peradventure, wonder why Christ, by his example, had not
recommended prayer, seeing it is of such unquestionable use in our
undertakings against Satan. But that inquiry may be fully satisfied,
if it be considered that Christ did peculiarly prepare himself to this
encounter by ‘solemn fasting,’ ver. 2, which doth include praying;
for such complicated duties are often denominated by that part which
is extraordinary, and usually in Scripture a fast is only mentioned
where prayer is chiefly intended. That this fast of Christ related to
the temptation, and that also as a means of preservation, hath been
spoken of in its place; it remains only that from hence I add a fifth
direction.

CHAPTER XXVI.

 _The fifth direction, of prayer, and of the seriousness required of
 those that expect the advantage of prayer.—Of God’s hearing prayer
 while the temptation is continued.—Of some that are troubled more,
 while they pray more._

_Direct._ 5. _That in all our endeavours of resistance, frequent and
earnest prayers are not to be neglected._

This is so frequently recommended, and so fully handled by most
authors, that I shall refer you to such authors as particularly
treat of it; noting only that the apostle, in Eph. vi. 18, when he
recommends it to us in these words, ‘Praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance, and supplication for all saints,’ he doth mind us that he
that expects the advantage of that duty must be peculiarly fitted, and
seriously diligent in that work. For,

(1.) First, _He must have a praying frame of heart_; he must ‘pray
always,’ or, as the apostle elsewhere, he must ‘pray continually.’ Not
as if this duty must swallow up all the rest, and that a Christian
had no other services to attend than prayer, but that he must be on
a design to wrestle with God by prayer; and this must be constantly
carried on, though the acts of prayer be intermitted; and besides
that, in such cases, he may keep his usual stated times for that duty,
he must have his heart so much upon his design, that every occasion
or offer of temptation will presently put him upon the duty; nay, he
must, in respect of the frequent intercourse of his heart with God
in frequent ejaculations and breathings of soul, be as a man wholly
resolved into that duty, as Paul was at his first conversion, who, as
that expression ‘behold he prays’ [Acts ix. 11] doth intimate, seems to
have been all prayer, and wholly taken up with that duty.

(2.) Secondly, _He must pray in the spirit_, his soul must be truly
in the duty. A more than ordinary earnestness is necessary at solemn
times, he must put out all his strength, he must cry mightily, and with
his whole heart.

(3.) Thirdly, When his spirit grows dull, _he must reinforce it_, watch
his heart he must; and if it be needful to quicken it up, he must add
fasting or meditation, or whatever other means may be helpful.

(4.) Fourthly, In this course _he must continue without giving off the
duty_. Though God behave himself as if he minded not his cry, or took
no notice of his hazard, yet without weariness must our supplications
follow him. It must be continued with ‘all perseverance.’

(5.) Fifthly, _The heart that undertakes this must not be so narrow
as to be centred upon his own concern only_. When he is melted into a
spirit of meekness and compassion for others, and is not so solicitous
for peace or ease, that he could hug himself in his private enjoyment
without concerning himself to tender and help those that are in the
same dangers, when his supplications are for ‘all saints’ as well as
for himself, then may he expect to receive an olive branch of peace
from heaven in the return of his prayer.

_Obj._ It is often objected by such, that they pray but are not
heard; and that temptations continue, notwithstanding many cries and
wrestlings.

_Ans._ [1.] First, _It is a great mistake to think that prayers are not
heard or do not prevail, because the temptation is not quite removed_.
Prayers may be acceptable to God, and recorded among his remembrances,
where the temptation, for exercise and other holy ends, may be
continued.

[2.] Secondly, _What God hath promised to such prayer, he fails not
to make good_. He hath not promised to exempt us from temptation, but
from the power and prevalency of it. If ‘his grace be sufficient for
us,’ 2 Cor. xii. 9, in the meantime, it is an answer as good as Paul
got when he was importunate; ‘If together with the temptation he gives
an issue, that we may be able to bear it,’ 1 Cor. x. 13, there is his
faithfulness in keeping promise. He nowhere promised that Satan should
not tempt, but that he should not prevail. While we can hold up our
hands in the mount to God, and our praying frame will ascertain us of
this; ‘for a man is never overcome by a temptation so long as he can
pray against it;’ for so long he delights not in it so long he consents
not, and till he do consent Satan cannot prevail. Prayer will either
make the temptation give way, or the temptation will make prayer give
way; but so long as we hold out with earnestness, the temptation cannot
prevail.

_Obj._ Some further object, that the more they pray they are the worse,
and more infested by Satan than they were before they undertook that
course.

_Ans._ 1. _It may be they may have more trouble from Satan._ David
‘thought on God, and his trouble was increased,’ [Ps. xxxix. 3,]
and no wonder. Satan’s spite and fury puts him upon giving greatest
molestations to those of whom he despairs to subdue.

_Ans._ 2. Secondly, But though they may be more troubled, _yet they may
be furthest from conquest_.[492] These disquiets are like the trouble
of the working of physic, which at first taking may make a man more
sick, and yet bring him nearer to a state of health and strength; fear
not then, faint not, resist faithfully, and to the utmost, and ‘God
shall bruise Satan under thy feet shortly,’ [Rom. xvi. 20.]

FINIS.

INDEXES, &c.

I.—TEXTS ILLUSTRATED.

  CHAP.           VER.        PAGE
  Genesis  2.       23          21
     ”     3.        1          22
     ”     4.    11-16         288
     ”     4.       26    431, 432
     ”    10.        4         102
     ”    49.       17          14
  Exodus  22.       18          27
  Deut.    6.       16         382
     ”     8.        3         356
     ”    18.       10      27, 28
     ”    23.       18         137
  Judges  21.   18, 20          78
  1 Kings 20.       33         377
  Job     11.       12           3
  Psalms  37.       34         364
     ”    91.   11, 12    402, seq.
  Proverbs 3.       23         402
  Isaiah  41.       23          25
  Jerem.  18.        9          23
  Ezekiel 33.       11         298
  Daniel  10.       13          20
  Malachi  3.        1         381
  Matthew  4.     1-11    313, seq.
     ”     4.        1     313-328
     ”     4.        2     328-336
     ”     4.        3     337-341
     ”     4.        4    341, seq.
     ”     4.        5     376-382
     ”     4.        6    382, seq.
     ”     4.        7    402, seq.
     ”     4.        8    415, seq.
     ”     4.        9    430, seq.
     ”     6.       24    441
  Luke    11.       24     91, seq., 97
  John     2.   24, 25     24
     ”     8.       54          14
     ”    12.       24          17
     ”    16.                   17
  Romans   1.       28         143
     ”     3.     7, 8         116
     ”    14.       23         296
     ”    15.       19         142
     ”    16.       18         162
  1 Cor.   4.       13          40
     ”    11.       29         297
  2 Cor.   2.       11          55
     ”     4.        4          62
     ”    11.        3         112
     ”    12.        7         238
     ”    13.        5         256
  Gal.     1.       16         111
     ”     5.     1, 2         200
     ”     5.   20, 21          28
     ”     6.        1         320
  Ephes.   3.       10          23
     ”     4.       17         144
     ”     4.       27          12
     ”     6.       12          20
  Philip.  4.        7         210
  Col.     1.       16      15, 16
     ”     2.        8         203
  1 Thes.  4.       16          20
  2 Thes.  2.     9-11         142
  1 Tim.   1.       20          17
     ”     6.       20         162
  2 Tim.   2.       16          17
     ”     2.       26          56
  Heb.     3.       13          53
     ”     6.        4         301
     ”    10.        2         255
     ”    10.       26         301
     ”    11.       37         440
  James    1.       14          54
     ”     1.   22, 29          55
     ”     4.        4         441
  1 Peter  5.        8      8, seq.
  2 Peter  3.       16    411, 412
  1 John   3.        8          13
     ”     3.       12          12
     ”     5.       16         299
  Jude               9      19, 55
  Rev.     2.       24         162
     ”    11.       15          17
     ”    12.       12          11

II.—GENERAL MATTERS.

  Abhorrency, 457, 458.

  Absconded, 163.

  Accusations by Satan, 231, 232;
    direful, 428.

  Acontius, 169, 193, 207.

  Acosta, 198.

  Acquirements, 152.

  Actions, of wonder and astonishment, by Satan, 30;
    unreasonableness of some, 68;
    mistake of, 188, 189;
    Satan uses Scripture to promote sinful, 408.

  Activity in duty, 212.

  Adam, Melchior, 135, 147.

  Additions, 124.

  Admiration, 43.

  Adonis, 180.

  Adoption, Satan seeks to weaken, 374;
    are all to maintain their? 375.

  Adrianus, 178.

  Advantage pursued by Satan, 45, 46, 251, 258, 259, 345, 346.

  Adventurousness, rash, 320.

  Adversary, Satan an—malice, enmity, power, cruelty, diligence, 10.

  Æsop, 181.

  Ætius Spartianus, 178.

  Ætna, 173.

  Affections, Satan uses, 67.

  Afflicted, reasons for Satan’s tempting the, 335, 336.

  Afflictions, 222, 223, 273, 274, 335, 336, 427.

  Affright, Satan seeks not to, 86, 87.

  Affrightments, 238, 240;
    grievous, 249, 427.

  Afraid, be not of, Goliath, 311.

  Agathocles, 40.

  Aggravations, of sin, 83, 278, 279;
    unjust, of sins of God’s children, 299, 300.

  Aims, Satan, various, in a single temptation, 353.

  Alacrity, in duty, 212.

  Alexander, 26, 68.

  Alexander, (heretic,) 204.

  Allegorical reflections, 163.

  Allurement, 399.

  Alterations, be jealous of, in worship, 433.

  Alvarez, 174.

  Alypius, 65.

  Amazement, 303.

  Ambrose, 446.

  Americans, 17, 44.

  Ames, or Amesius, 10, 57, 255, 288, 293, 384, 449, 456.

  Androgeus, 39.

  Anger of Satan, 12, 206;
    angry disposition, 220.

  Angel, Satan an, power of, 14, 15;
    angels, strength of, _ib._;
    Sadducees, opinions on, 49, 50.

  Anguish and horror of Satan, 13.

  Annoyance, temptation an, 456.

  Answers, of Christ to Satan, 445, _seq._;
    fit and pertinent, 445;
    best from Scripture, 462, _seq._

  Antichrist, 38.

  Antiochus, 109.

  Antony, M., 70.

  Antony of Padua, 180.

  Apion, 109, 110.

  Apish imitation of divine things, 198.

  Apochryphal adjections, 179.

  Apollonius, 173.

  Apollonius Tyanæus, 419.

  Apostasy of Satan, 12.

  Apostolici, 170.

  Apparitions, 33.

  Appearances, remarkable, of God, 279.

  Applause, popular, 401.

  Apprehensions, against God, 303.

  Aptitude in the world to tempt, 441.

  Aquinas, 31.

  Arguings, fallacious, 113, 114;
    partial, 452.

  Arguments, deny sin with strongest, 463;
    of Satan, 295, 296.

  Arianism, 131.

  Aristotle, 27, 179.

  Arius, 204.

  Armour, management of spiritual, 445.

  Arrowsmith, 19, 102, 240, 327, 425, 467.

  Arrogancy, 375;
    of Satan against God, how shewn, 418, _seq._

  Art, of Satan in setting forth temptations, lies in four
    things, 421, 422.

  Arthington, 146.

  Askew, Ann, 455.

  Assaults, of saints, by Satan, 18.

  Assays, 247.

  Assertions, bold, 167.

  Aspersions, slanderous, 188.

  Atheists, 48;
    principles of, put out light, 82;
    thoughts, 242;
    persons troubled with atheistical thoughts, 243.

  Authority of Satan, 17;
    nature of, explained, 17, 18;
    over persons and things, _ib._;
    efficacy of, 18, 19.

  Augustine, 15, 19, 22, 32, 38, 48, 52, 65, 117, 129, 147, 177,
    179, 180, 201, 202, 324, 328, 393, 394, 395, 403, 418, 461, 468.

  Averrhoes, 48.

  Avicenna, 30.

  Awe of sin, 93, 94.

  Baal-zebub, 36.

  Bad end, evident, 357.

  Barlow, 53.

  ‘Barricades’ of Satan, 98.

  Baxter, 29, 146, 178, 181.

  Bayne, 20, 220, 425.

  Belief, facile, 154.

  Bellona, 39.

  Benedict, St, 174.

  Bernard, 328, 403.

  ‘Beside,’ 195.

  Best, of God’s children hardly escape under temptation of
    distrust, 368.

  Beza, 22, 56, 373.

  Bias, 151;
    to error rather than truth, 151, 152;
    by bodily temper, 152.

  Bisnagar, 39.

  Blasphemous thoughts congenial to Satan;
    (1.) from his nature, 244;
    (2.) practice, 245;
    (3.) professed design, _ib._;
    (4.) sad experience, _ib._;
    injections, 304, 424, 425;
    how Satan works to get man to, 425;
    violent injections of, 426;
    sudden glances of, imagination, 427;
    reasons of this temptation, 427, _seq._;
    advice to those tempted by, 429, 430.

  Blessings, universal, 366.

  Blinds, Satan, 62, 63;
    by stirring up lust, proved, 68, _seq._;
    how lust, 70, 71.

  Bochart, 21.

  Bodies, 66;
    afflicted by mind, 218;
    in co-partnership of sorrow, 309, 310;
    Satan permitted to have power over, 378.

  Bodin, 43.

  Bœhmen, 166, 167.

  Boldness, heroic, a snare to self-murder, 392.

  Bolsecus, 187.

  Boniface, Pope, 57, 58, 175.

  Boyle, 394.

  Bretterge, Mrs, 305, 309.

  Bribes of Satan, 205.

  Bridget, St, 173.

  Broughton, 59.

  Bucholcer, 199.

  Burden of injections by Satan, 241.

  Burton, 66.

  Business, Satan’s, to tempt, ours to resist, 339;
    and how, 339, 340.

  Cain, 288, 289.

  Cajetan, 33, 462.

  Calisthenes, 68.

  Calovius, 132.

  Calumnies, 186.

  Calvin, 16, 20, 32, 50, 58, 65, 142, 167, 187, 210, 337.

  Campian, 164.

  Camus, 181.

  Capel, 57, 58, 82, 326, 390, 392, 396, 428, 429, 449.

  Cappellus, 165.

  Cardan, 48.

  Care, distressed, cease all, 310.

  Carthaginians, 39.

  Caryl, 57, 59, 425.

  ‘Catching away’ the word, 87, 88;
    Satan lies at ‘catch,’ 243.

  Cathari, 170.

  Cato, 393.

  ‘Catoche,’ 212.

  Causes, Satan knows, of things, 25;
    second, 365.

  Caution, great against Satan, 417.

  Cedremus, 178.

  Celestine, v., 175.

  Chambers, 294.

  Chamier, 19, 20, 181.

  Change, Satan blinds by, a temptation, 77, 95, 96;
    of nature of temptation, 369.

  Cheats, 29.

  Chemnitius, 203, 373.

  Children, 151.

  Chokes, Satan, the word, 88.

  Cicero, 393.

  Clarke, 35, 121.

  Cleombrotus, 393.

  Climacus, 426.

  Coccius, 189.

  Collinges, 215.

  Comforts, inward, extinguished, 228, 229;
    disturbances, scatter thoughts of, 229;
    stock of, wastes, 229;
    outward, little, 443.

  Company, evil, 67.

  ‘Composition,’ Satan gives a, in religious duty, 95.

  Complainings, 373.

  Complies, Satan, 78;
    compliance with parties, 199, 200;
    though not yet, opens way to sins, 428.

  Confederacies and contrivances, 179.

  Consent, ‘threaped,’ 80.

  ‘Concealing,’ 70;
    concealment of wounds, 307;
    Satan tempts by, 421, 422.

  Conclusions, direful, 334.

  Condition, Satan takes advantage of our, in temptation, 346, 347.

  Confident, warning from temptations, to the over, 325.

  Confronting of Almighty by Satan, 418.

  Conscience, wounded, 61;
    in man, 62;
    scared, 94;
    molested, 231, 232;
    scrupulosity of, 253;
    doubting, 255;
    evil, 255, 256;
    denying, 257;
    how distinguish between terrors of, and melancholy, 292;
    total distress of, 292, 293;
    terrors of, 391.

  Consent, by silence, 460.

  Consolation, for those troubled by blasphemy, 428.

  Contrary commands of Scripture to temptations, 468.

  Contrasts, between Christ and Satan, 209.

  Coveting, 221.

  Contempt, 221;
    of religion, 334;
    Satan seeks to bring Scripture under, 410.

  ‘Contemplative’ heads, 243.

  Contentions and disputes, 149.

  Continuance, troubles of long, 295;
    temptations of long, 426.

  Contrivances, 87;
    curious, 183.

  ‘Conversation,’ careful, 437.

  Conversion, time of, temptation, 47;
    easy, 260;
    conscience wounded, before and after, by God, 261, 262;
    false notions concerning, 270, 271;
    not always with terror, 270;
    nor able to tell exact time, _ib._;
    nor always accompanied with gifts of prayer, _ib._

  Coppinger, 139.

  Corinthian, church, 128.

  Corrupted, duties worst of all, 103;
    doctrines lead to corrupt practices, 137;
    ingenuous, society of those who are, 190;
    Satan seeks to corrupt God’s worship, 431, 432;
    reasons, 432, _seq._

  Corruption stirred, 453.

  Cortez, 41.

  Courage, commanded, 448;
    what spiritual, is, 449.

  ‘Courses’ of sinners, 437.

  ‘_Crack_,’ 169.

  Craft, (see _Subtlety_.)

  Cramer, 467.

  Credulous, 286.

  Cross, Satan tempts by things, to our temper, why, 60.

  Croy, de, 202.

  Cruelty of Satan, 36-44.

  Curiosity, adventurous, 156, 157, 451, 452.

  Curse, of Satan, 12.

  Curtius, Q., 68.

  Custom, power of, 193, 194;
    force of, 393.

  Cyprian, 373.

  Dædalus, 179.

  ‘Damnation’ misapplied, 296.

  Damocles, 444.

  Darkness, Satan ruler of, 17.

  Daunting, power of Scripture, 467.

  David, temptations of, 56, 84.

  Debauchery, atheistical, 157.

  Deceits, 58;
    in use of Scripture, 410.

  Deceptions, 31;
    all the devil’s qualifications for ‘deceit,’ 52, 53.

  Degrees, of misery, 310.

  Delay, 459.

  ‘Deliberate’ determinations, 81, 82.

  Deliberating, 452.

  Deluded, 144.

  Demons, 201.

  Demoniacs, diseases, 50;
    Mede on, 51.

  Demonstrated, things, 153.

  Demurs and delays, 89.

  Denials, not disputing, in temptation, 451, _seq._;
    best, and why, 459, _seq._

  Departure, feigning, 91.

  Dervises, 171.

  Descartes, 64.

  Designs, large, of Satan, 382;
    unfaithful, of Satan in use of Scripture, 409;
    Christ’s temptations permitted by design, 445.

  Desires, 54;
    enlarge not, 443.

  Despagne, 42, 148, 151, 405, 422.

  Despair, 217;
    is presumptuous, 386.

  Devices, 23.

  Devil, though a ‘spirit,’ a proper subject of sin, 10, 11;
    wickedness of, capable of increase, 11;
    has great occasions for malice, _ib._;
    fall of, 11, 12;
    power of, as a, 16, 17;
    meaning of, as a word, 22;
    denial of existence of, 48.

  Devils, large number of, 19;
    order among, 19, 20;
    reality of existence of, argued, 51, 52;
    believed in by the heathen, 52.

  ‘Devotional,’ 168.

  Diana, 39.

  Diascorides, 28.

  Dickson, 141, 219, 242, 255, 390, 428.

  Differences, in God’s children, 114.

  Dignity of God’s children, a snare by Satan, 114.

  Diligence, of Satan, 45;
    instances of, 45, _seq._

  Diodati, 50.

  Dionysius, 19.

  Directly and indirectly, Satan blinds, 73, _seq._

  Disadvantage, fall of saints special, 315.

  Disappointment of Satan certain, 14.

  Discomposures of soul, 219;
    effects of, 229;
    devil works on, 230;
    much sin in, _ib._;
    obstruct duties, 230, 231;
    devil accuses by, 231.

  Discontents, 391.

  Discouragements, 106;
    Satan not easily discouraged, 376, 377;
    Scripture, afflicting discouragement to Satan, 467, 468.

  Discovery, Satan’s contrivances to hinder, 87;
    full of notions, and ways of, 165.

  Disguises, the world’s, 442.

  Dispensation, divine, of spiritual sadness, 259, 260.

  Disputes, 206, 207.

  Disputings, kinds of, 451, _seq._;
    actual, 452;
    when we may, a temptation, 453;
    when not, 454, _seq._;
    a better way than, 457;
    reasons why not, with Satan, 457, _seq._

  Disquiet, Satan sometimes seeks only to, 61;
    disquiets, 184;
    advantages to Satan by, 211.

  Distance between God and man by sin, Satan uses, 98.

  Distempers, bodily, 427.

  Distinctions, 78;
    of the learned, show ignorance, 150.

  Dismission of thought, 78.

  Distractions in holy seasons, 46, 47, 79, 120;
    before religious services, 123;
    Satan raises, 211;
    unfits for duty, 212.

  Distresses, spiritual, 287;
    complicated, _ib._;
    have a further end, _ib._;
    consent of the party, 287, 288;
    higher degree, 288;
    not all from melancholy, shewn, 290, 291;
    God’s deserting, _ib._;
    weight of, 307.

  Distrust, 335, 361;
    of providence, passes to, of Sonship, 367.

  Disturbances, outward, 121, 122, 224;
    in Satan’s power, 233.

  Diverting of reason, 77.

  Divisions, 134, 135.

  Doctrine, false, in gorgeous attire, 195;
    erroneous, 408.

  Dominicus, 179.

  Domineer, Satan doth tyrannically, 249.

  Dominis de, 158.

  Dreams, 404.

  Dury, John, 164.

  Duty, burden of, 106, 107;
    want of success in, 107, 108;
    dislike of, 109;
    unnecessariness of, 115;
    suspending, 116, 117;
    vitiated, 123, 124;
    hindered, 212;
    difficult, 214;
    unfruitful, _ib._;
    sinful, _ib._

  Dyke, 75.

  Earnestness, take off, 117.

  Ease, wrongly sought, 217.

  Ecstasies, 404.

  Effects, ascribed to wrong causes, 180.

  Effeminacy, 221.

  Egyptians, 162, 163.

  Election, terrors about, 246, 247;
    suspicions of non-election, 250.

  Ellis, 164.

  Empedocles, 173.

  End, and means, 116.

  Endeavours, constant course of Satan’s, 129.

  Endeavours, 303.

  Endor, witch of, 34.

  Ends, of things, used to blind, 74;
    base, 119.

  Enemies and rebels, Satan pursues men as, 100.

  Enemy, ‘sword of an,’ 305.

  Engines by which Satan works: sophistry, 266;
    Scripture abused, 267, 268;
    false marks a sign of unregeneracy, 269-271;
    misrepresentation of God, 271, _seq._;
    comparisons with holy lives of others, 280;
    lessens graces of saints, _ib._;
    fear, 285, _seq._

  England, New, appearances of Satan in, 44;
    errors in, 160.

  Enigmatical speaking of Satan, 26.

  Enmity to God, 441, 442.

  Enmity of Satan, 12, 13.

  Ensnaring, ways of Satan, 425.

  Entanglements, 71, 72.

  Entice, 62.

  Enticing to temptation, 454.

  Entrance on special service, a time of temptation, 313, 314.

  Envious disposition, 220.

  Epiphanius, 129, 135.

  Equality and inequality of privilege and duty, 115.

  Error, 127;
    Satan, great contriver of, _ib._;
    reasons of Satan in, 130;
    is sinful, 130, 131;
    of an increasing nature, 131;
    a plague, _ib._;
    errorists, 131, 132;
    leads to schisms, &c., 132, 133;
    hinders reformation, 133, 134;
    fixes atheism, 135, 136;
    obstructs graces, 139;
    punishment it brings, 140;
    vileness of some, 144, 145;
    unusual actions for, 145, 146;
    blind even the wise, 146;
    suddenness of prevalency, _ib._;
    fury in spreading, _ib._;
    from learned men, 149;
    approbation given to, 154;
    arguments for, 158;
    countenance of Scripture for, 158, 159;
    foundation of, laid near truth, 160;
    promoted by excellence of those holding, 168;
    captain and ringleader in, 169;
    the ease and peace it brings, 183;
    proffers of peace from, 184;
    insensible procedure of, 190;
    gradual fixing, 191;
    garb of, 195;
    avoidance of one for another, 204;
    puts on truth’s clothes, 207;
    Satan uses Scripture to promote, 408.

  Escape, possibility of, from penalty, 76.

  Eusebius, 129, 145, 198, 202, 203.

  Eve, temptation of, 56, 57, 82.

  Evil company, 67.

  Example, evil, 67.

  Excess, 124, 125.

  Exchange, a temptation, 95, 96;
    secret, 96.

  Execrations, against self, 216, 217.

  Experience of Satan, 24.

  Extenuations of sin, 76.

  External things, 152.

  Extreme, Satan runs from the, and why, 383.

  Extremes, 73.

  Fables, lying, 181;
    instances, _ib._;
    traditionary, 197.

  Failure of God’s children under temptation of distrust, 368.

  Faith, false notions of nature of, 270;
    weakened, 371.

  False citation of Scripture, 411.

  Familists, 160.

  Fancy, fancies, 31, 123;
    Satan works on, 422.

  Fascination, 140, 141, 442.

  Fashion, sins out of, 96.

  Fast of Christ, 328, _seq._;
    why, 329, _seq._

  Favour, special, a time of temptation, 314.

  Favourable, too, opinion of self, 285.

  Fears, suspicious, 246;
    impressions of, 251, 252;
    come by fits, 252, 253;
    return, 253;
    add to the weight of other troubles, _ib._;
    not always accompanying conversion, 270;
    an engine of temptation, 285;
    increase of, 304;
    prepare for Satan’s most dismal suggestions, 365;
    make all seem the sword of an enemy, _ib._;
    no advice eases, 305, 306;
    lead to conclusions of misery, 306;
    threefold, 447, 448;
    what, forbidden, 448, _seq._

  Februation, 43.

  Feigning departure, 91.

  Fenner, 67, 73.

  ‘Finishing’ of sin, 83, _seq._

  First temptation, Christ’s, 346, _seq._

  Fixes, Satan, thoughts, 237.

  Follows, Satan, with a high hand, 99.

  Food of the soul, Satan robs of, 101.

  Foretell, Satan can, 26.

  ‘Formal’ use of defences, Satan allows, and why, 380, _seq._

  Forsake, three ways Satan seems to, designs, 91, _seq._

  ‘Forty days,’ 329, 330.

  Foxe, 308, 440.

  Frances, St, 174.

  Fratricelli, 166.

  Friends, Satan tempts by—examples, 330.

  Fruition of peace, 184.

  Fuel, Satan seeks his own, 13;
    of lust, 441.

  Fuller, 28, 406.

  Funckius, 408.

  Furious fits, 225;
    Bible examples, 225, 226.

  Future, whether Satan knows the, 25.

  Galen, 48.

  Game, after-, 242.

  Garnet, 180.

  Gellius, 182.

  Gerson, 238, 426, 430.

  Gilpin, John, 146, 395.

  Glances, transient, 251.

  Glanvil, 29, 30.

  Glauber, 164.

  Gnostics, 166.

  God, the source of all happiness, 3, 4;
    quarrelled, 217;
    misrepresentation of God’s nature, 272;
    providence, 272-274;
    in the works of his Spirit, 274, 275;
    misrepresented as a tyrant, 298;
    as designing men’s ruin, 299.

  Gods, false, 201.

  Godwyn, 28, 40, 198.

  ‘Goeth out,’ _not_ ‘cast out,’ 97.

  Gomesius, 164.

  Good, seeming, 351, 352;
    hindrance of greater, 352.

  Goodwin, (misspelled Godwin,) 24, 57, 61, 62, 261, 456.

  ‘Gospels,’ counterfeit, 189.

  Grace, restraining, 93;
    growth of, not always visible, 271;
    mistaken signs of, _ib._;
    Satan lessens, of saints, 280, _seq._;
    tempts in relation to, 281, _seq._;
    extraordinaries of, _ib._;
    special assistances, _ib._;
    eminencies, _ib._;
    Satan tempts when, is weakest, 284, 285;
    hinders not temptation, and why, 323, _seq._

  Gradual, Satan in temptations, 341, 342;
    reasons, 342.

  ‘Great’ temptation, what, 342;
    external, complex, perplexing, _ib._;
    proceeded on advantages, greater power of Satan, to abominations,
      professed benefits, provoking, engagement of all natural powers,
      some warranted as duty, 343.

  Greenham, 95, 97, 115, 116, 461.

  Gregory, 338, 440.

  Gregory the Great, 202.

  Grief fixed, contentment in, 215, 216.

  Grievous sins, 295.

  Grotius, 442.

  Guessing of Satan, 24.

  Haas, 467.

  Habits, vicious, 152.

  ‘Habituated’ sin, 24, 453, 454.

  Hacket, 139.

  Han, 29.

  Hakluyt, 178.

  Happiness, impatient desire of, 393.

  Harvey, 187.

  Haste in sinning, 81.

  Hatred against Satan, 122.

  Hatred of Satan, 12.

  Hazard, 46;
    to life by some lusts, 69;
    and disadvantage by abuse of services, 103;
    of duties, 110, 111;
    ways of religion said to be of intolerable, 317;
    ways of, 394, 395.

  Heart, the stage of all action, 3, 4;
    God and Satan meet in, 4;
    the ‘deceits’ of, point to Satan, 53;
    enticed, 62;
    sottish, 78, 79;
    prepared for venomous impressions, 215;
    hard and impenitent, 302, 303;
    Satan seeks to withdraw, from God and to enslave to sin,
      shewn, 433, 434;
    prevails, 434, 435;
    not right with God, 435.

  Heathen, 153.

  Heightening of duty, 115;
    of jealousies and fears against Satan, 123;
    of the sins of the tempted, 318, 409.

  Heightens, Satan, grace, 280, 283.

  Hell, 9.

  Helmont, 30.

  Hephæstion, 68.

  Heresies, 412.

  Heylin, 180, 182, 187, 428.

  Hiding, necessity of, duty, 113.

  Hindrances, external, 104.

  Hobbs, 29, 50, 337, 416.

  Hobson, Paul, 176.

  Honeywood, 375.

  Honour, God’s, at stake, 366.

  Hooper, 455.

  Hope, 46;
    give not readily up, 375.

  Hopelessness of prevailing, 80.

  Horace, 109, 173, 401.

  Huffing = hoving, or heaving, or swelling, 77.

  Humility, excess of, 108, 109.

  Humours, 224.

  Hunger of Christ, 347.

  Hunting of his prey, by Satan, 45.

  Hypocrites are presumptuous, 386;
    varnish on, 410, 411.

  Ignorance variously shewn, 147, _seq._;
    conversion of the ignorant, results, 260.

  Ignorant devout, humbled by Satan, 247, 248.

  ‘Imaginary,’ 143.

  Imagination, Satan’s use of, 65, 66, 250.

  Imitations of divine services and Bible incidents, 102, 198, 419;
    Satan imitates God by pretence of teaching, 403.

  Impetuosity, 426.

  Impressions, dismal, of Satan, 305.

  Importunity, 79;
    impudent, 243, 244.

  Impotent, mind rendered, 229.

  Impulses, 406.

  Incas, 198.

  Incessant, Satan in temptation, 331;
    things relating to such, 331, 332;
    encouragement under, 332.

  Inclinations, 66, 152, 155.

  _Indicia_, 25.

  Indignation of Satan, 12.

  Indisposition of body, 104, 105;
    of soul, 105.

  Indirect courses, 335.

  Infectious, temptations, 459.

  Infirmity, 75, 76, 188.

  ‘Ingenuousness,’ 48;
    submissive, 120;
    feigned, 275.

  Injects, Satan’s temptations, 61;
    impetuousness of, 122;
    injections of terror, 238;
    impetuous, 239;
    incessant, _ib._;
    odious, 239, 240;
    abhorrency, 240;
    difference between atheistical injections and temptations, 242;
    of abominable sin, 250, 251.

  Injury, 222.

  Insight, Satan has deep, 26.

  Insolency, 418.

  ‘Inspiration,’ false, 172, 405.

  Insult = triumph, 448.

  ‘Intercepting’ of light by Satan, 70.

  Interest, Scripture contrary to, 409.

  ‘Interest’ shaken by light, 90.

  ‘Internal’ work, 114.

  Inventions, self-devised, 379, 380;
    human, in divine worship, 434.

  Invisible, Satan in temptation usually, 330.

  Invitation, secret, to Satan by disputing, 458.

  Invocation of saints, 201.

  Inward temptations and outward distresses, 333;
    terrors and trouble, 456;
    reasons for not disputing with Satan in, 456, _seq._

  Irenæus, 19.

  Jackson, 424.

  James, 189.

  Jenison, 22, 24, 180.

  Job and Satan, 13.

  Josephus, 27, 40, 49, 110, 179, 198, 406, 409.

  Jostle, 105.

  Joy not received, 229.

  Jugglers’ words, 166.

  Julian, 164, 194, 208.

  Junius, 242.

  Karsten, 173.

  Kent, maid of, 180.

  Kimchi, 381.

  Kingdom of Satan, 433, 434.

  Kneperdollin, 146.

  Knowledge of Satan, 21, _seq._;
    measured by that of Adam in innocency, 21;
    by names given to him, 22;
    nature of, 22, 23;
    natural, experimental, accessory, _ib._;
    imperfection of, 147;
    nature of, 148;
    unsuitableness of our capacities, 148, 149.

  Lacedæmonians, 39.

  Lamech, 289.

  Language, strange, 166.

  Lapide, a-, 373.

  Lathbury, 180.

  Law, enmity and opposition of the, 85.

  Lawful, seeming, 351, 352;
    to be seriously weighed, 353.

  Leaving, of, sins, 119.

  Legion of temptations, 79.

  Leigh’s _Critica Sacra_, 10, 27, 141, 425.

  Leyden, John of, 139.

  Libanius, 195.

  Light of nature, of Scripture, &c., 55;
    Satan opposes, and how, 90, 91;
    prevailing power of, 94.

  Lightfoot, 40, 227, 289, 313, 329, 333, 351, 356, 381, 415, 417.

  List, 294.

  Livy, 178.

  Loretto, 172.

  Lorinus, 300.

  Lucas Brugensis, 416.

  Lucian, 48, 179.

  Lust, Satan acts on, 63;
    how, 64.

  Luther, 21, 340, 456, 466.

  ‘Lying’ spirits, 87;
    downright, 189;
    Satan carries on his designs by, 421.

  Lyra, 22.

  Lysimachus, 110.

  Maccovius, 127.

  Machiavel, 110.

  Maimonides, 28.

  Malice, of the devil explained and evidenced, 10, 11;
    very great, 12, 13;
    instances of, 13, 14;
    of wicked men, 14;
    against God, 101;
    against believers, 258.