Manten on Jam. 1. 14. him to have a hand in drawing or tempting us on to Sin, but to fhew that 'tis our own act that makes the Sin to become ours. Fourthly, Such is the conftitution of the Soul of Man, that it's finning cannot be conceived without fome Deception or Delusion: for granting that the Soul of Man is made up of Defires, and that the Soul were nothing elfe, but as it were, one willing or lufting Power diverfified by feveral Objects; and that this Power, or thefe Faculties, are depraved by the Fall, and corrupted; and that Man in every action doth confult with his Defires; and that they have fo great an influence upon him, that they are the Law of the Members, and give out their Commands accordingly for Obedience; Yet ftill these three things are firm and unfhaken Principles, First, That Defires cannot be fet upon any Object but as 'tis Omne appetit apprehended (truly or apparently) good: 'tis incompatible to a rational Soul to defire evil as evil. bonum. mum dictamen Яtici. Secondly, The Will doth not refolvedly embrace any Object, Voluntas fe- till the light of the Understanding hath made out (fome way or quitur ulti- other) the goodnefs or conveniency of the Object. intellectus pra- Thirdly, There is no Man that hath not a competent Light for difcovery of the goodnefs or evil of an Object prefented. Unregenerate. Men have (1.) The Light of Nature. (2.) Some have an additional Light from Scripture difcovery. (3.) Some have yet more from common Convictions, which beget fenfible stirrings and awful Impreffions upon them. (4.) To those God fometime adds Corrections and Punishments, which are of force to make that Light burn more clear, and to ftir up care and caution in Men for the due entertaniment of thefe Notices that God affords them. Regenerate Men have all this Light, and besides that, they have (1.) The Light of their own Experience, of the vilenefs and odioufnefs of Sin; they know what an evil and bitter thing it is.. (2.) They have a more full difcovery of God, which will make them abhor themselves in dust and ashes. (3.) They have the advantage of a new Heart, the Law of the Spirit of Life, making them free from the Law of Sin and Death. (4.) They have. allo the help and affiftance of the Spirit, in its Motions, Suggestions and Teachings. (5.) They fortifie themfelves with the ftrongest Refolutions not to give way to Sin. Job 42.6. Notwithstanding all thefe, 'Tis too true, that both Regenerate and Unregenerate Men do fin. The reafon whereof cannot be given from any other account than what we have afferted; to.. μένοι ἑαυτές. to wit, they are fome way or other deluded or deceived; fome Curtain is drawn 'twixt them and the Light; fome Fallacy or other is put upon the Understanding fome way or other; the Will is bribed or byaffed, there is treachery in the cafe, for 'tis unimaginable that a Man in any act of Sin fhould offer a plain open and direct violence to his own Nature and Faculties; fo that the whole bufinefs is here, Evil is prefented under the notion of Good; and to make this out, fome confiderations of pleasure or profit do bribe the Will, and give falfe light to the Understanding: Hence is it, that in every act of Sin, Men (by complyance with Satan) Jam. 1. 22, 29. are faid to deceive, or to put tricks and fallacies upon themselves. παράλογιζο Fifthly, All kinds of Subtilty are in Scripture directly charged OS SAUTÉS. upon Satan, and in the highest degrees. Sometime under the notion of Logical fallacies; those fleights which Difputants in arguing put upon their Antagonists. Of this import is that expreffion, 2 Cor. 2. 11. We are not ignorant of his Devices, where the vonuata. word in the Original is borrowed from the Sophiftical reafonings Thus Satan of Difputants. Sometime 'tis expreffed in the fimilitude of Poli- (Jud.9) difputical deceits; as the Scripture gives him the title of a Prince, fo ted, urged So- doth it mark out his Policies in the management of his Kingdom, the body of phifms about Rev. 12. 7. exprefsly calling them Deceits, and comparing him Mofes. to a Dragon or Serpent for his fubtilty. Sometime he is represent- διελέγετο. ed as a Warriour, Rev. 12.17. The Dragon was wroth, and went to make War, &c. and here are his Warlike Stratagems pointed at. ποδέιαν πλά Mention is made (2 Tim. 2. 26.) of his Snares, and the taking wyshuevos..? of Men alive, or Captive, directly alluding to Warlike procecdings. The fubtile proceedings of Arts and Craft are charged on him and his Inftruments: Men are faid to be enticed, Jam. 1. as Fish, or Fowl, by a Bait: Others deluded, as by Cheaters in falfe Gaming, Eph. 4. 14. By the fleight of Men, and the cunning craft of cv Tổ KUCeid, thofe that ly in wait to deceive: The over-reaching of Merchants or es TWW MEcrafty Tradefmen, is alluded to in 2 Cor. 2. 11. All these fleights are in Satan, in their highest perfection and accomplishment: He πλεονεκτειν can transform himself into an Angel of Light, 2 Cor. 11. 14. where dicit qui avahe hath an occafion for it. In a word, all deceiveableness of unrigh- ritia vel aliis teousneẞ is in him, 2 Theff. 2. 10. So that a general veziα, a malis artibus dexterity and ability for all kind of fubtile Contrivances is afcribed rat. Beza. to him, 2 Cor. 11. 3. and that in his very firft effay upon Eve, when the Serpent deceived her thorow fubtilty's fo that whatfoever Malice can fuggeft, or Wit and Art contrive for Delution, or M 2 whatsoever lucra compa whatsoever Diligence can practife, or Cruelty execute, all that must be imagined to be in Satan. Sixthly, All this might be futher proved by Inftances: What Temptation can be named wherein Satan hath not acted as a Serpent? who can imagine the cunning that Satan used with David in the matter of Uriah? How cafily he got him to the roof of the house in order to the Object to be prefented to him? How he directs his Eye, wrought upon his Paffions, fuggefted the Thought, contrived the Conveniencies? What Art mult there be to bring a darkness into David's mind, a forgetfulness of God's Law, a fearlefnefs of his displeasure, and a neglect of his own danger; furely it was no fmall matter that could blind David's Eye, or befot his Heart to fo great a Wickedness? But above all Inftances, let us take into confideration that of Eve, in the first tranfgreffion, wherein many things may be observed: as firft, That he chose the Serpent for his Inftrument, wherein though we are ignorant of the depth of his defign, yet that he had a defign in it of fubtilty, in reference to what he was about to suggest, is plain from the Text, Now the Serpent was more fubtile then any Beast of the field; it had been needlefs and impertinent to have noted the Serpents fubtilty as Satans Agent, if he had not chosen it upon that fcore, as advantageous for his purpose. (2.) He fet upon the weaker Vessel, the Woman, and yet fuch (as once gained,) he knew was likely enough to prevail with the Man, which fell out accordingly. (3.) Some think he took the advantage of her Husbands abfence, which is probable, if we confider that 'tis unlikely, that Adam fhould not interpofe in the discourse if he had been prefent. (4.) He took the advantage of the Object. It appears the was within fight of the Tree, She faw that it was good for food, and pleafant to the Eyes: thus he made the Object plead for him. (5.) He falls not directly upon what he intended, (left that fhould have fcared her off,) but fetcheth a compass and enters upon the business by an enquiry of the affair, as if he intended not hurt. (6.) He fo enquires of the matter, [ Hath God faid, ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden,] as if he made a queftion of the reality of the Command; and his words were fo ordered, that they might caft fome doubt hereof into her mind. (7.) He under a pretence of afferting God's Liberality, fecretly undermines the threatning, as if he had faid, Is it poffible that fo bountiful a Creator fhould deny the liberty of eating of any tree? to what purpose purpose was it made, if it might not be tafted? (8.) When he finds that by thefe Arts he had gained a little ground, and brought her to fome kind of questioning of the reality of the threatning, (for the feems to extenuate it, in faying, left we die,) he grows more bold to speak out his mind, and plainly to annihilate the threatning, Te shall not die; this he durft not do, till he had gained in her mind a wavering fufpition, that poffibly God was not in good earnest in that prohibition. (9.) Then he begins to urge the conveniency and excellency of the Fruit, by equivocating upon the name of the Tree, which he tells her, could make them knowing as Gods. (10.) He reflects upon God as prohibiting this, out of envy and ill-will to them. (11.) In all this there is not a word of the danger, but impunity and advantage promised. (12.) This deadly advice he covers with a pretence of greater kindneẞ and care than God had for them. See in this, as in a clear Glafs, Satan's way of Policy; after this rate he proceeds in all his Temptations. Will, Paris in Confc. 1.2.c.19 Child. Light If any enquire, why fo mighty and potent a Prince ufeth rather the Fox's Skin than the Lyon's Paw, these reasons may fatify. First, There is a neceffity upon him fo to do: He muft ufe his Vid. Capel. craft, because he cannot compel: He must have Gods leave before Temp. p. 27. he can overcome: He cannot winnow Peter before he fue out a Commiffion,nor deceive Ahab till he get a License; neither can he prevail against us without our own confent.The Scripture indeed ufeth fome words that fignify a force in tempting, as, that he put it into the heart of Judas, filled the heart of Annanias, provoked Da- P. vid, rules in the hearts of the Children of disobedience, and leads them captive at his will, &c. yet all thefe and the like expreffions intend Volunteers, he no more than this, that he ufeth forcible Importunities, frames never conArains any, Strong Deluftons, and joyns fometime his Power to his Temptati- neither can he ons; as fometime Fowlers.fhew themselves to the Birds they the Will is ne intend to enfnare, that fo they may be affrighted into an awe and yer forced by amazement to give a better opportunity to fpread their Nets over him, neither can it be. them. Secondly, If he could compel, yet his way of craft and fubtilty is generally the most prevalent and fuccefsful. Force ftirs up an oppofition, it ufually alarms to caution and avoidance, and frights to an utter averfnefs in any defign; fo that where Force fhould gain its thousands, Subtilty will gain its ten thousands. Thirdly, 47. Caryl on Job 1. 14. All are Thirdly, His Strength is not ufeleß to him: For befides, that it enables him to deceive with higher advantage than otherwife he could do, (as hath been said,) he hath times and occafions to fhew his Strength and Cruelty, when his cunning hath vailed fo far as to give him poffeffion. What was faid of Pope Boniface, that he entred like a Fox, and ruled like a Lion, may be applyed to him, he infinuates himself by fubtilty as a Fox or Serpent, and then rules with rigour as a Lion. pre CHAP. IX. Of Satan's Deceits in particular. What Temptation is. Of tempting to Sin. His first general Rule. The Confideration of our Condition. His fecond Rule. Of providing futable Temptations. In what cafes he tempts us to things unfutable to our Inclinations. His third Rule. The cautious Propofal of the Temptation, and the feveral ways thereof. His fourth Rule is to entice. The way thereof in the general, by bringing a darkness upon the Mind through luft. O Ur next bufinefs is to enquire after thefe ways of Deceit in particular, in which Ishall first speak of such as are of more general and universal concernment. Such are his Temptations to Sin, his Deceits against Duty, his cunning in promoting Error, his attempts against the Peace and Comfort of the Saints, &c. and then I fhall come to fome ways of Deceits that relate to Cafes more fpecial. As an Introduction to the firft, I fhall speak a word of Temptation in the general. This in its general notion, is a Tryal or Experiment made of a thing: the word that fignifies to tempt, miega comes from a word that fignifies to pierce, or bore thorow, implyπειράζω ing fuch a Tryal as goes to the very heart, and inwards of a thing. In this fenfe 'tis attributed to God, who is faid to have tempted Abraham, and to put our Faith upon tryal; and sometime to πείρω. Satan |