fome workings of affections and joy, are prefently offended when Perfecution, because of the Word, arifeth. By this, he threatens Men into an acquiefcency in their prefent condition, that if they depart from iniquity, they shall make themselves a prey: Bonds, Imprifonments, and Hatreds (he fuggefts) fhall abide them, and by this means he scares. Men from the Light.

Sixthly, He fometimes mothers and choaks it with the Cares of the World. As thofe that received Seed among Thornes; by earneft engagements in bufinefs, all that time, firength and affecti on which should have been laid out in the profecution of Heavenly things, are wholly taken up and spent on outward things; by this means that Light that fhines into the hearts of Men, is neglected and put by.

Seventhly, He staves off Men from coming to the Light, by putting them upon misapprehensions of their Eftate, in judging themfelves by the common opinion. Satan hath fo far prevailed with Men, that they are become confident of this conceit, That Men' may take a moderate liberty in Sinning, and yet nevertheless be in a good condition; that Sin is not fo great a matter in God's esteem, as in the judgment of fome rigorous precifian, that be will not be fo extream to mark what we do amifs, as some strict Profeffours are. What can be of greater hindrance to that ingenuous fearch, Itrict examination, and impartial judging, or fhaming our felves for our iniquities, (which the Light of Scripture would engage us unto ) than fuch a conceit as this? and yet that this opinion is not only common, but ancient, is manifeft by thofe warnings and cautions given by the Apostle to the contrary. Gal. 6.7. Be not deccived, God is not mucked, whatsoever a Man foweth,that shall be also reap. Eph. 5.6. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of thefe things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of difobedience. If it had not been usual for Men to live in Uncleanness, Covetoufnefs and fuch like offences (which he calls forving to the flesh) and ! yet in the midst of thefe, to think they were not under the hazard of Wrath; or if Men had not profeffedly and avowedly maintained fuch an opinion, it had been fuperfluous for the Apofile to have warned us with fo much carnettnels, B: not deceived, let no man deceive you with fuck vain words.

Eighthly, Tis ufual for Satan to fill and quict the firring thoughts of Sinners with hopes and affurances of fecrefie. As children are quieted and pleafed with toyes and rattles, fo are Sinners

put

Ifa. 3.9.

Job. 22. 13.

Heb. 3.7.
2 Cor. 6. 2.
Ecclef. 11. 1.

lia. 21. 12.

put off, and diverted from profecuting the difcoveries that the
Light would make in them, by this confidence, that though they have
done amifs, yet their miscarriages shall not be laid open, or manifefted
before Men. 'Tis incredible how much the hopes of concealment
doth fatistie and delight thofe that have fome fenfe of Guilt.
Sometime Men are Impudent, that they declare their Sin as Sodom,
they hide it not: But before they arrive at fo great an Impudency,
they ufually feek deep to hide their counfel from the Lord, and their
works are in the dark; and they Jay, who feeth us? and who knoweth
us? Ifa. 29. 15. Like thofe foolish Creatures that think them-
29.15.
felves fufficiently concealed by hiding their heads in a Bush, though
all their bodies be expofed to open view. Ifa. 28. 15. Those that
made lies their refuge, and under falfhood hid themselves, became as
confident of their fecurity, as if they had made a covenant with
death, and were at an agreement with bell; and when they have con-
tinued in this courfe for fome time with impunity, the Light is
fo banished, that they carry it fo, as if God obferved their Actions
done in the dark, as little as Men do. How doth God know? ( fay
they) can be judge through the dark clouds? thick clouds are a cove-
ring to him that be feeth not; and hence proceed they to promise
themselves a safety from judgements, When the overflowing Scourge
Shall pass through, it shall not come nigh unto us, for we have made lies
our refuge, &c.

Ninthly, Satan keeps them from going to the Light by demurrs and delays. If the Light begin to break in upon their Confciences, then he tells them, that there is time enough afterward: Ob (faith he) thou art young and haft many days before thee, 'tis time `enough to repent when you begin to be old: or, thou art a Servant, an Apprentice under command, thou wanteft fit opportunities and conveniencies for ferious confideration defer till thou becomest free, and at thine own difpofal. That this is one of Satan's deceits to hinder us from making ufe of the Light; (befides what common experience may teach every Man) may be clearly gathered from the exhortations of Scripture, which do not only fhew us, the way wherein we ought to walk, but also prefs us to a prefent embracement of that Counfel; To day, to day, while it is called to day, birden not your hearts. Now is the accepted time; Now is the day of Salvation. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth before the evil day comes: if ye will enquire, enquire, yea return, come. This hafty urgency to clofe with the offered occafions, plainly accufe us of delays, and

that

that it is ufual with us to adjourn thofe thoughts to a fitter opportunity, which we are not willing to comply with for the prefent.

By thefe nine devices he keeps the Light from enfnared Sinners, or them from coming to the Light. But if all this cannot draw a curtain before the Sun, if its bright beams breaks through all, so that it cannot be avoided, but there will be a manifeftation and difcovery of the hidden things of darkness; then Satan useth all his art and cunning to ftir up in the hearts of Men their hatred against the Light.

This is his Second grand piece of Policy to keep all in quiet under his command, to which purpose,

Firft, He endeavours to draw on a hatred against the Light, by railing in the minds of Men a prejudice against the person that brings or offers it: if he that warns or reproves, exprefs himself any thing warmly, or cuttingly against his brothers Sin, this the Devil prefently makes ufe of; and those that are concerned think they have a just cause to stop their ears, and harden their necks, because they conceive, that anger, or ill-will, or fome fuch base thing did dictate those (though juft) rebukes. The Devil turned the heart of Ahab against the faithful warnings of Micaiah upon a deep prejudice that he had taken up against him; for fo he ex-. preffeth himself to Jehofaphat, I hate him, for he never prophefieth King. 22. 8. good unto me. In this cafe; Men confider not how justy, how truly, how profitably any thing is spoken, but (as fome Infects that feed upon Sores) they pafs by what is found and good, and fix upon that which is corrupt and putrid, either through he weakness and inobservancy of the reprover, or pretended to be fuch, by the prejudice of the party which doth altogether difable him to put a right conftruction upon any thing.

Secondly, If this help not, then he feeks to get the advantage of a provoked, paffionate, or otherwise diftempered fit, and then hatred is cafily procured against any thing that comes in its way.

Thirdly, Satan endeavours to engage our hatred against the Light, by prefenting our intereft as fhaken, or endangered by it. If Intereft can be drawn in, and made a party, 'tis not difficult to put all the Paffions of a Man in arms, to give open defiance to any Discovery it can make. That great rage and tumult of Kings and People mentioned in Pfal. 2. combining and taking counsel

S

against

I

against the Lord, and his Laws, is upon the quarrel of Intereft: their fufpitions and jealoufies that the fetting up of Chrift upon his Throne would eclipse their power and greatnefs, makes them (out of a defperate hatred against the Light) fall into refolves of open Rebellion against his Laws: Let us break his bands afunder, and caft away his cords from us. This pretence of Interest ftrengthned the accufation of Amaziah against Amos, Chap. 7. 10. Amos bath confpired against thee in the midst of the house of Ifrael: the Land is not able to bear all his words. No wonder then if Jeroboam instead of hearkning to the threatning, banish him out of the Land. We find the like in Afa (a good man) the Devil stirs 2 Chr. 16. 10. up his hatred against the Seer, he was wroth with him, and put him in the Prifon-boufe, for he was in a rage against him. The ground of that rage was this; the King's Intereft(in his apprehenfion) was wrapt up in that League with the King of Syria, verf. 2,3. fo that he could not bear fo plain a reproof, which directly laid the Axe to the Root of fo great an Intereft, as the safety of the King and Kingdom, which feemed to depend fo much upon that League.

Jer. 2. 26.

Job 24. 13.

Fourthly, Satan ftirs up hatred against the Light from the unavoidable Effects of Light, which are difcovery and manifeftation. Ephef.5.13. All things that are reproved are made manifeft: for whatfoever doth make manifeft, is Light. Now the iffue of this manifeftation is fhame, which however it be the daughter of Sin and Light, yet would it naturally deffroy the Sin that bred it; and therefore Repentance is ufually expreffed by being ashamed and confounded: but that Satan might avoid this, he turns the edge of fhame, against the Light, which fhould have been employed against Sin. When Men therefore have finned, and are as a Thief when he is taken, ready to fall into the hands of fhame; for the avoiding of that, they rebel against the Light. The ground of this hatred, Chriftin Job. 3.20 tells us, is, left their deeds should be reproved, and they forced to bear their fhame; to this end they are put upon it to hide themselves from fhame, by lyes, pretences, excuses, extenuations, or by any fig-leaf that comes firft to hand. And as those that live in hotter Regions curfe the Sun, because it scorcheth them; so do these curfe the Light and instead of taking its help, raise up an irreconcilcable Enmity againft it; and fa run from it.

CHAP.

CHAP. XVI.

Of Satan's third grand Policy for maintaining his Poffeffion which is his feigned Departure. (1.) By ceafing the profecution of his defign; and the cafes in which he doth it. (2.) By abating the eagerness of purfuit; and how he doth that. (3.) By exchanging Temptations; and his Policy therein. The advantage he seeks by feeming to fly. Of his (4.) Stratagem for keeping his Poffeffion, which is his stopping all ways of retreat; and how he doth that.

Efides the two former Designs (of finishing Sin, and keeping

Poffeffion, he hath a third grand fubtilty, which is this; He keeps bis hold by feigning himself difpoffeffed and caft out. Of this we have a full account, Luk. 11. 24. When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man, he walketh thorow dry places, seeking rest: and finding none, he faith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. Chrift had there noted that 'tis Satan's great Principle to do nothing by which his Kingdom may be divided, or undermined. Satan will not be divided against himself, and yet very seasonably he tells us, that for an advantage he will feem to quit his Interest, and upon defign he will fometimes fo carry himself that he may be deemed and supposed to be gone out of a Man: As thofe that beliege Forts or walled Towns, do fometimes raise the Siege and feign a departure, intending thereby to take a fudden advantage of the carelefness of the befieged. In the explanation of this Policy, I fhall, (1.) Shew how many ways he feigns a departure, (2.) Upon what defigns he doth it.

There are three ways whereby Satan feems to forfake his Intereft.

First, He frequently ceafeth the profecution of a Defign, which yet he hath in his Eye and Defire, when he perceives that there are fome things in his way that render it not feasible, nay he forbears