Thirdly, Men may be Servants to Satan under great affurances and confidences of their Interest in God; many go to Hell that have lived with Lord, Lord in their Mouths; thofe mentioned in Efa. 48. 2. that had no intereft in Truth and Righteousness when they folemnly sware by the name of the Lord, yet they called themfelves of the Holy City, and stayed themselves upon the God of Ifrael.

If it seem strange to any that these Profeffions, Intentions, and Object. Confidences are not enough to fecure Men from this charge, but that they may be fecretly Slaves to Hell. I Anfwer,

First, That thofe do not neceffarily conclude that the Heart of Anfw. fuch Men is right with God. Formality, natural Confcience, and the power of Education may do much of this: for though we grant that such are not confcious to themselves of any real design of ferving Satan, yet they may either fo far mifs it in the way of their Service, offering that as well pleafing to God, which indeed he hates(and that through wilful and affected Ignorances) as those of whom Christ speaks, Joh. 16.2. that should think the killing of God's Children a peice of acceptable Service; Or they may be fo mistaken as to the Sincerity of their Hearts, that they may think they have a defign to please God in doing of what he requires in order thereunto, when indeed it may not be fingly for God, but for themselves that they work, in a felf-gratification of their natural Zeal for their way; or their Efteem,Credit, and Advantage may privately influence them, rather than a Spirit of Life and Power.

Secondly, The work which they do, and the Ends they serve, will be evidence againft profeffions and intentions. 'Tis a fure rule, that the work hems to whom Men are related as Servants,and it is laid down as a certain Standard to measure the Hearts of Men by,when pretences and perfwasions seem to carry all before them. Rom. 6. 16. His Servants ye are to whom you obey. 1 Joh. 3. 8, 10. He that committeth Sinis of the Devil: in this the Children of God are manifeft, and the Children of the Devil; that is, when it becomes a queftion to whom a Man belongs, whofe Child and Servant he is, it must be determined by the works he doth: if he engage in the ways of Sin, he is of the Devil, let him profefs what he will to the contrary. This fame Ballance Chrift ufeth to try the truth of the Jews pretences to God, Joh. 8. 34. Wbfoever committeth Sin, is the Servant of Sin; they boatted high, but he fhews them that feeing their defigns and works were Hatred, Envy, Murther, which are

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apparently from Satan, it was evident they had learned these of him; and he concludes by this proof, ver. 44. that they were of their Father the Devil. Thus may we fay of those that pretend they honour God, they defie the Devil, they intend well, if yet they give themselves up to the pleafing of the Flefh, if worldly minded, if they live in Pride, Strife, Envy, Maliciousness, &c. which are works of the Devil, it is not all their pretences that will intitle them to God; but they are (for all this) the Devils Servants, as doing his works.

This may put Men upon enquiries, who are ye for? whofe Servants are ye? There are but two that can lay claim to you,and thefe two divide the whole World betwixt them, there is no ftate of Neutrality, you are either God's Servants, or the Devils, ye cannot ferve them both; now if the Lord be God, ferve him. Satan's Service is Bafe, Difhonourable, Slavifh; the Service of God,Freedom, Honour, Life and Peace: there is indeed no comparifon betwixt them. Happy then is that Man that can say the Lord is his Lot and Portion, that can come into God's Prefence, and there in his Integrity, avouch the Lord for his God; that can stand upon it, My Soul bath faid unto the Lord, thou art my God, and I have none befides thee; other Lords have had dominion over us, but we will make mention of thy Name only.

This Temptation though it were in it felf horrid, and as a Brood of Vipers knotted together, which at once could send out feveral ftings,and make many wounds (as hath been noted ;) yet in the way of propounding, Satan feems to infinuate the largeness of his proffer, and the fmalneß and inconfiderableness of the Service required: as if he fhould fay, See how free I am in my Kindness, I will not stick to give thee the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glory of them, and all this for fo fmall a matter, as bowing before me, or doing me a little Reverence. This gives us to Obferve,

That when Satan doth defign no less than to enflave Men to his Service, yet he will propound Sin as a small thing, or but one act of Sin, as athing not valuable, to engage them to him. Not but that he defires to run Men to excefs in Wickedness, and delights to fee them with both hands earnestly work Iniquity with greedineß; yet where he fees the Confciences of Men fquemifh, and that they cannot bear Temptations to open and common Prophanenels without danger of revolt from him, there he seems modeft, and requires but fome fmall thing at leaft at firft, till the ways of Sin become more

familiar

familiar to them, and then when they can better bear it, he doubles the tale of Bricks,and with greater confidence can urge them to things of greater Shame and Enormity. That this is his way, appears,

Firft, From the common Argument which he useth at firft to those whom he would draw off from a more careful Converfation which is this: Do fuch a thing, it's but for once,and but little, others do the like and demur notior the best do as great matters as this comes to 'tis but a fmall thing, confidering the Strait or the Advantage that may accrew. This is his ufual Note to candidate Iniquity, as experience of all doth testify.

Secondly, That this is so, is also evident from a Confideration of the feveral ways and courfes of Sinners. Some are tempted and overcome by one kind of Sin, and not at all urged to others. Some go to Hell in a way of Covetoufnefs: Others are pretty unblameable in most of their carriages, but are overcome by a proud Humour: Others are given to Drink, and yet will not Steal nor deal falfely: Others take a more cleanly way to Hell, rely upon their own Righteoufnefs, or are engaged in Error, and their Life otherwise smooth and fair. The Jews in Chrift's time were only engaged againft Chrift, and for their Traditions, but not molefted with Temptations to open Idolatry as formerly. Those who are Ignorant, are not troubled with Temptations to defpair, or inward Terrours. The Reasons of his dealing thus are thefe;

First, He fees that one Sin heartily profecuted, is enough to fignify Homage to him, and to give him Poffeffion. As we take Poffetlion of Land by a Turf, or a Twig: fo by one Sin admitted with full purpofe of Mind, Satan is let into the Heart. As a Penny will be fufficient earneft for a Bargain of a thousand Pound: fo may one Sin be a Pledg or carneft for the whole Soul in a League with Hell.

Secondly, He knows that one Sin perfifted in may be enough to destroy the Soul; as one Wound may Kill, one Leak maylink a Ship.

Thirdly, He knows that one Sin breaks the Covenant of God, and turns the Heart from him, if Men give up themselves to

it.

Fourthly, One Sin wilfully purfued, makes a Man guilty of the Breach of the whole Law, it deftroys love and refpect to God,

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undervalues his Authority, contemns his Threatnings and Promifes.

Fifthly, One Sin is enough to make way for more, where Satan would have more, yet at firft he is pleased with it as a hopeful beginning; it makes room enough for the Serpents Head, and then he will afterward eafily wind in his whole Body..

This may warn us not to be imboldned to any Sin by the plea of diminution not to venture because it may seem little, or be but for once. A true Christian should be a perfect Univerfalist, he fhould be univerfally against all Sin, and univerfally for All. Duty.

Obf. 10.

CHA P. XXI.

Of Worldly Pleasure. Proofs that this is Satan's great. Engine. What there is in Worldly Delights, that. make them fo: Counfels and Cautions against that. Snare.

I

Come now to the Argument which Satan used for all this, All thefe things will I give thee; he cafts a Golden Apple before him, and feeks to entangle him by Worldly Greatnefs and Delight. I fhall not examine how true or falfe Satan (pake, when he called all these things his, and that he could give them to whom he would, 'tis enough for our purpose to take notice of his pretence, fo far as might make his Offer probable, and then obferve,

That the great Engine which Satan ufeth to draw away the Heart from God to his Service, is Worldly Pleafures and Delights.

Ishall first fhew, that this is Satans great Engine, and then explain what is in it, that fits it fo much for his purpose. The first of thefe is evidenced by these particulars.

First, The Scripture doth particularly note to us, à Deceit or Guile to be in Worldly Pleasures. Chrift, in Matth. 13.22. fpeaks of the deceitfulness of Riches; and that deceit is expreffed by fuch a

word

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word as fignifies a drawing out of the way, a misleading; fo that dál, ab a he means not the uncertainty of thefe delights (in which fence 'tis Priv. &æátOfaid, that Riches take themselves Wings and fly away,) which often difappoint and deceive the expectations of thofe that do most hug them. Nor can this be understood of Riches in an active fenfe, as we attribute deceit to Men, who as rational agents can contrive and devife Snares; but it only means that thefe are fo Objective, as things that are abufed by Satan, to delude and betray the Sons of Men. And these are fo frequently made use of by him for fuch poses, and with fuch advantages of Power and Provocation, that Chrift elsewhere (Matth. 19. 23.) speaks of it as a thing almost impoffible, to have Riches and not to be enfnared by them: A rich Man fhall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, which Mark and Luke exprefs by an affectionate amazement, O how hardly can a rich Man be faved!

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Secondly, Thefe are Satans great Net, which inclofeth Multitudes; a general Bait, by which most are hooked into the Service of Sin. Molt Temptations come from this Ocean, as Springs from the Sea; the Luft of the Flesh, the Luft of the Eys, the Pride of Life, have their Original from the World, 1 Joh.2.16. Chrift speaks of this Mammon of unrighteousneß, as the only thing that stands up in competition for the Hearts of Men against God, Matth. 6. 24. and the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 4. reckoning up the various ways of particular Luits, as Covetousness, Boafting, Pride, Blafpheming,. &c. concludes them all under this, that they are lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God; fhewing us thereby, that though the Lufts of Men might run out diverfe ways, and be exercised upon diverfe particular Objects, yet they all borrow their Original from Worldly Pleafures, and their defign is nothing but that in the general. Hence is it that fome make the World the great Traptor to God;for though they reckon up three great Enemies to God and Man, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, yet these three agree in one, the pleafing of the Flesh is the great end and defire of natural Men, the World is the Store-house, from which Men draw out feveral Pleafures according to the feveral ways they take in gratifying their Lufts and Humours, and the Devil is only officious to help all this forward, by inticing and perfwading them to make these provisions for the Flesh. And who can think other, but that this must be Satans great Engine, when (as hath been faid) firft, the World, and the Pleasures of it, is the fum of all. Iniquity, containing in