horreth the nature of serpents, so doth the soul abhor and dread the diabolical nature. And therefore so far as the devil is seen in a temptation now, so far it is frustrated; till the enmity in nature be overcome by his deceits: and this help nature hath against temptation, which it seems our nature had not before the fall, as not knowing the malice of the devil against us.

There is a natural enmity to the devil himself put into all the woman's natural seed: but the moral enmity against his sinful temptations and works, is put only into the spiritual seed by the Holy Ghost (except what remnants are in the light of nature). I will be brief of all this and the next, having spoken of them more largely in my "Treatise against Infidelity," Part iii.

The devil's names do tell us what he is. In the Old Testament he is called, 1. The Serpent,' Gen. iii. 2. The Hebrew word translated devils,' in Levit. xvii. 7. and Isa. xiii. 21. signifieth hairy, as satyrs are described: and sometimes he-goats; because in such shapes he oft appeareth. 3. He is called 'Satan,' Zech. iii. 1. 4. An evil Spirit,' 1 Sam. xviii. 10. 5. A lying Spirit,' 1 Kings xxii. 22. For he is a liar, and the father of lies,' John viii. 44. 6. His offspring is called A Spirit of uncleanness,' Zach. xiii. 2. 7. And he (or his spawn) is called 'A Spirit of fornication,' Hos. iv. 12. that is, idolatry. 8. A perverse Spirit, causing staggering and giddiness as a drunken man,'

Isa. xix. 14.

a

In the New Testament, 1. He is sometimes called simply 'A Spirit, Mark ix. 20, 26. Luke ix. 39. x. 20. 2. Sometimes veuμara axálapra, unclean Spirits,' Luke vi. 18. as contrary to the Holy Spirit; and that from their nature and effects. 3. And after Aatuóviov, Demons,' a word taken in good sense in heathen writers, but not in Scripture; because they worshipped devils under that name, (unless perhaps Acts xvii. 18. 1 Tim. iv. 1.) And Aaiuwv with respect to their knowledge, and as some think to the knowledge promised to Adam, in the temptation. 4. Пapálov, 'the Πειράζων,

Of the Temptations to hinder Conversion, see before, chap. i.

"Vide Pool's Synopsis Critic. in Levit. i. 17. In these latter the word 'Spirit' signifieth the ill disposition, which satan as a tempter causeth, and so he is known by it as his offspring.

Tempter,' Matt. iv. 5. 'Satan,' Matt. iv. 1 Pet. v. 8. 6. Expos, An Enemy,' Matt. xiii. 28. 39. 7. The strong

17.

12. ‘Belial,'

man armed,' Matt. xii. 8. Angels,' 1 Cor. vi. 3. 2 Pet. ii. 4. Angels which kept not their first state,' Jude vi. 9. 'A Spirit of divination,' Acts xvi. 16. 10. A roaring lion,' 1 Pet. v. 8. 11. A murderer,' John viii. 44. 2 Cor. vi. 15. 13. 'Beelzebub,' Matt. xii. the god of flies.' 14. The prince of this world,' John xii. 21., from his power over wicked men. 15. The god of this world,' 2 Cor. iv. 5., because the world obey him. 16. The prince of the power of the air,' Ephes. ii. 2. The ruler of the darkness of this world.' Ephes. vi. Principalities and powers.' 18. The father of the wicked,' John viii. 44. 19. The dragon, and the old serpent,' Rev. xii. 20. AuΔιάBolos, the calumniator' or false accuser,' often. 21. o'rovnρos, the evil one,' Matt. xxiii. 19. 22. ́ An evil spirit,' Acts xix. 15. 23. Aπоλλúwv, 'the destroyer,' and 'Abaddon,' the 'king of the locusts,' and 'angel of the bottomless-pit,' Rev. ix. 11., (unless that speak of antichrist.)

12.

3. He is too strong an enemy for lapsed, sinful man to deal with of himself. If he conquered us in innocency, what may he do now? He is dangerous, (1.) By the greatness of his subtlety. (2.) By the greatness of his power. (3.) By the greatness of his malice and hence, (4.) By his constant diligence; watching when we sleep, and “seeking night and day to devour."

4. Therefore Christ hath engaged himself in our cause, and is become the "Captain of our salvation." And the world is formed into two armies, that lies in continual war : the devil is the prince and general of one, and his angels and wicked men are his armies: Christ is the king and general of the other, and his angels, and saints are his army. tween these two armies, are the greatest conflicts in the world e.

Be

5. It is supposed also that this war is carried on, on both sides, within us, and without us; by inward solicitations, and outward means, which are fitted thereunto.

a Matt. xiii. 25.

c Heb. ii. 10.

b 1 Pet. v. 8. Rev. xii. 4.

d Heb. ii. 14.

* See my Treatise against Infidelity, as before cited.

lies, and to reChrist hath his Christ's soldiers

6. Both Christ and satan work by officers, instruments, and means. Christ hath his ministers to preach his Gospel, and pull down the kingdom of satan. And satan hath his ministers to preach licentiousness and sist the Gospel and kingdom of Christ. church, and the devil hath his synagogue. do every one, in their places, fight for him against the devil. And the devil's soldiers do every one, in their places, fight against Christ. The generals are both unseen to mortals : and the unseen power is theirs : but their agents are visible. The soldiers fight, not only against the generals, but against one another; but it is all, or chiefly, for the generals' sakes. It is Christ that the wicked persecute in his servants ; and it is the devil whom the godly hate and resist in the wicked.

But yet here are divers notable differences. 1. The devil's servants do not what they do in love to him, but to their own flesh; but Christ's servants do what they do in love to him, as well as to themselves. 2. The devil's army are cheated into arms and war, not knowing what they do; but Christ doth all in the open light, and will have no servants, but those that deliberately adhere to him, when they know the worst. 3. The devil's servants do not know that he is their general; but Christ's followers do all know their Lord. 4. The devil's followers disown their master and their work they will not own that they fight against Christ and his kingdom, while they do it; but Christ's followers own their Captain, and his cause, and work; for he is not a master to be ashamed of.

7. Both Christ and satan work persuasively, by moral means, and neither of them by constraint and force. Christ forceth not men against their wills to good, and satan cannot force them to be bad; but all the endeavour is, to make men willing; and he is the conqueror that getteth and keepeth our own consent.

8. Their ends are contrary, and therefore their ways are also contrary. The devil's end is, to draw man to sin and to damnation, and to dishonour God: and Christ's end is, to draw men from sin, to holiness and salvation, and to honour God. But Christ maketh known his end, and satan concealeth his end from his followers.

f 1 Cor. iii. 5. iv. 1. 2 Cor. ii. 15. Acts. xiii. 8-10.

g Acts ix. 4.

9. There is somewhat within the good and bad for the contrary part to work upon: and we are, as it were, divided in ourselves, and have somewhat in us that is on both sides. The wicked have an honourable acknowledgment of God, and of their greatest obligation to him; a hatred to the devil; a love of themselves; a willingness to be happy; and, an unwillingness to be miserable; and a conscience which approveth of more good than they do, and condemneth much of their transgression. This is some advantage to the persuasions of the ministers of Christ to work upon: and they have reason capable of knowing more.

The soldiers of Christ have a fleshly appetite, and the remnants of ignorance and error in their minds, and of earthliness, and carnality, and averseness to God in their wills; with a nearness to this world, and much strangeness to the world to come. And here is too much advantage for satan to work on by his temptations.

10. But it is the predominant part within us, and the scope of our lives which shew which of the armies we belong to. And thus we must give up our names and hearts to Christ, and engage, under his conduct, against the devil, and conquer to the death, if we will be saved. Not to fight against the bare name of the devil; for so will his own soldiers, and spit at his name, and hang a witch that makes a contract with him: but it is to fight against his cause and work, which is by fighting against the world and the flesh, and for the glory of God.

In opening to you this holy war, I shall First, Shew you what we must do on the offensive part: Secondly, What on the defensive part. And here I shall shew you, I. What it is that the tempter aimeth at as his end. II. What matter or ground he worketh upon. III. What are his succours and assistance. IV. What kind of officers and instruments he useth. V. What are his methods and actual temptations, 1. To actual sin: 2. Against our duty to God.

First, Our offensive arms are to be used, 1. Against the power of sin within us; and all its advantages and helps: for while satan ruleth and possesseth us within, we shall never well oppose him without. 2. Against sin in others, as far as we have opportunity. 3. Against the credit and honour of sin in the world. As the devil's servants would

bring light and holiness into disgrace, so Christ's servants must cast disgrace and shame upon sin and darkness. 4. Against all the reasonings of sinners, and their subtle fallacies, whereby they would deceive. 5. Against the passions and violent lusts, which are the causes of men's other sins. 6. Against the holds and helps of sin, as false teachers, profane revilers, ignorance, and deceit. Only take heed, that on this pretence we step not out of our ranks and places, to pull down the powers of the world by rebellions: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal."

Secondly, As to our defence, I. The ends of the tempter which must be perceived, are these: 1. In general, his aim is at our utter ruin and damnation, and to draw us here to dishonour God as much as he can. But, especially, his aim is, to strengthen the great heart-sins, which are most mortal, and are the root, and life, and spawners of the rest: especially these, 1. Ignorance, which is the friend and cloak to all the rest. 2. Error, which will justify them. 3. Unbelief, which keeps off all that should oppose them. 4. Atheism, profaneness, unholiness, which are the defiance of God and all his armies. 5. Presumption, which emboldeneth them, and hides the danger. 6. Hardness of heart, which fortifieth them against all the batteries of grace. 7. Hypocrisy, which maketh them serve him as spies and intelligencers in the army of Christ. 8. Disaffection to God, and his ways and servants, which is the devil's colours. 9. Unthankfulness, which tends to make them unreconcileable and unrecoverable. 10. Pride, which commandeth many regiments of lesser sins. 11. Worldliness, or love of money and wealth, which keepeth his armies in pay. 12. Sensuality, voluptuousness, or flesh-pleasing, which is the great commander of all the rest. For selfishness is the devil's lieutenant-general, which consisteth chiefly in the three last named; but especially in pride and sensuality. Some think that it is outward sins that bring all the danger; but these twelve heart-sins, which I have named to you, are the twelve gates of the infernal city, which satan loveth above all the rest.

II. The matter and grounds of his temptations are these, 1. The devil first worketh upon the outward sense, and so

h Animi molles et ætate fluxi, dolis haud difficulter capiuntur.