CHAP. XVII.

Of Satan's fubtilty in urging that of Pfal. 91. 11, 12. to Chrift. Of his imitating the Spirit of God in various ways of Teaching. Of his pretending Scripture to further Temptation. The Reafons of fuch Pretendings, and the ends to which he doth abuse it. Of Satan's unfaithfulness in managing of Scriptures. Cautions against that Deceit. The ways by which it may be dif covered.

He ways of Satan (hitherto infifted on) to engage Christ in

hand contrivances: but that which he openly and exprefly urged to this purpose, was an Argument drawn from the promise of God, (though fadly abused and mifreprefented) He hall give his Angels charge concerning thee, &c. This we are next to confider, in which (as cited by him) we may easily fee, (i.) That Satan affected an Imitation of Chrift, in the way of his resistance; Christ had urged Scripture before, and now Satan endeavours to manage the fame weapon against him. (2.) 'Tis obfervable that Scripture is the Weapon that Satan doth defire to weild against him; in his other ways of dealing he was by, and did but lay them in Chrift's way, offering only the occafion, and leaving him to take them up; but in this he is more confident, and induftrioufly pleads it, as a thing which he could better ftand to and more confidently avouch. (3.) The care of his fubtilty herein, lay in the misreprefentation and abuse of it, as may be seen in these particulars: (1.) In that he urged this promife to promote a finful thing, contrary to the general end of all Scripture, which was therefore written that we fin not. (2.) But more cfpecially in his clipping and mutilating of it; he industrioufly leaves out that part of it, which doth limit and confine the promise of protection to lawful undertakings, (fuch as this was not) and renders it as a general promife of abfolute

fatety,

ררים

fafety, be the action what it will. It is a Citation from Pfal. 91. 11. 12. which there runs thus, He shall give his Angels charge over thee,to keep thee in all thy wayes; these last words, [in all thy ways, which doth direct to a true understanding of Gods intention in that promife, he deceitfully leaves out, as if they were needlefs and unneceffary parts of the promise, when indeed they were on purpose put there by the Spirit of God, to give a defeription of those PerJons and Actions, unto whom in fuch cafes the accomplishment of the promise might be expected: (for albeit the word in the original which is tranflated [ways,] doth fignify any kind of way or action in the general, yet in this place it doth not; for then God were engaged to an abfolute protection of Men, not only when they unneceffarily thruft themselves into dangers, but in the most abominably finful actions whatsoever; which would have been a direct contradiction to those many Scriptures wherein God threatens to withdraw his Hand, and leave Sinners to the danger of their Iniquities: But 'tis evident that the Sense of it is no more than this, God is with you, while you are with him. We have a Paraphrafe of this Text to this purpose, in Prov. 3.23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way Safely, and thy Foot fhall not ftumble: where the condition of this fafety (pointed to in the word [then,] which leads the promise) is exprefly mentioned in the foregoing verfes, My Son, let them (that is, the precepts of Wisdom) not depart from thine Eyes Then (not upon other terms) shalt thou walk in thy way Safely. The ways then in this promife, (cited by Satan) are the ways of duty, or the ways of our lawful Callings. The fallacy of Satan in this dealing with Scripture is obvious, and Chrift might have given this answer, (as Bernard hath it) that God promiseth to keep him in his ways, but not in felf-created dangers, for that was not viis, nunquid his way but his ruine; or,if a way, it was Satan's way, but not his. in præcipitiis, (3.) To these two fome add another abuse, in a fubtile con- non cft via hæc cealment of the following verfe, in the 91. Pfal. Thou shalt fed ruina, & fi tread upon the Lyon and Adder. This concerned Satan, whofecrael- illius. Bernard, ty and poyfonous deceits, were fitly reprefented by the Lyon and the ibid. Adder, and there the Promife is alfo explained to have a respect to Satans Temptations; that is, God would fo manage his protection, that his Children should not be led into a fnare.

In Pfal. 14. In

via, tua eft non

Hence Obferve, That Satan Sometimes imitates the Spirit of God by Obf. 137 an officious pretence of teaching the mind of God to Men.

tafcalellæ im

This our Adversary doth not always appear in one shape: fometime he acts as a Lyon or Dragon in ways of Cruelty and fiercenefs; fometimes as a filthy Swine,in Temptations to beftial uncleanneß, and fenfual Lufts: fometime he puts on the Garb of Holines, Anthores fevs- and makes as if he were not a Spiritual Adverfary, but a Spiritual mundæque te- Friend and Counfellour; that this is frequent with him, the Apoftantur, perhi- Ale tells us 2 Cor. 11. Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of bentur tamen Light. Angels of Light Angels of Light are thofe Bleffed Spirits, fent forth to fecretisque da minifter for the good of the Elect, whofe Ministry God useth not re quadam bo- only for our Prefervation from bodily hurts, but also for prevention na præcepta de of Sin, and furtherance of Duty. Satan, (as wicked as he is) moribus, qui- doth counterfeit that Imployment, and takes upon him to give electis facra- advice for our Good, pretending to teach us in the Truth, or to ditis fuis, quod rect and further us in our endeavours.

in aditis fuis

bufdam velut

fi ita eft, hoc

ipfo callidior That he defigns an Imitation of God and his Spirit,may be difaduertenda elt covered, by expreffing a great many particulars of Gods ways and convincenda appointments, wherein Satan (as God's Ape) partly out of malitia fpiri- Mockery and Scorn, partly upon other grounds of advantage to his tuum noxio- intendments, doth counterfeit the currant Coin of the Lords esta rum. Aug. Civit Dei.. blifhments by a very close imitation. But I fhall here confine my felf to the point of Teaching and Inftruction, wherein how he proceeds, we fhall the better understand by confidering how many ways God hath of old, and now ftill doth ufe, in declaring his mind to his People; the Sum of all we have, Heb., 1.12. Heretofore he fignified his mind in divers manners by the Prophets, and in thefelaft days by bis Son, in all which we fhall trace the steps of Satan.

2.c.26.

First, God revealed himself fometime by Voice, as to Abraham, Mofes and others: the Devil hath dared to imitate this. There want not infiances of it in the Temptation, which is now under explanation, he did fo; and his confeffing Chrift, I know thee who thou art, &c. doth fhew that he is ready enough to do it at Mal. Malefic. any time for advantage. Sprengar tells us a Story of the Devils Part 2. Q. 1. Preaching to a Congregation in the Habit and Likeness of a Priest,

c. 9.

wherein he reproved Sin, and urged Truth, and feemed no way culpable for falfe Doctrine, but I suspect this for a fabulous tale: however it is undenyable that he fometime hath appeared to Men with Godly Exhortations in his Mouth, of living justly, and doing no Man wrong, &c. Except we refolve to difcredit all Hiftory, and the Narrations of Perfons (and fome fuch are known to fome in

this Auditory) who folemnly affirm, they have met with fuch dealing from him.

Secondly, God hath sometime revealed himself to Men in Exta

fies and Trances: fuch as was that of Paul, Acts 22.17, I was in

an Extafy or Trance. This alfo hath the Devil imitated. Mahomet véwas μè made this advantage of his Difeafe, (the Epilepsy, or Falling-Sick- evensose. nefs) pretending that at fuch times, he was in an Extafy,and had converfe with the Angel Gabriel. But what he only in knavery pretended, others have really felt: the Stories of Familifts,and deluded Quakers are full of fuch things; they frequently have fallen down, and have lain as in a Swoon, and when they have awaked, told wonderful Stories of what they have heard and `feen.

Thirdly, Vifions and Dreams were ufual things in the Old Teftament, and famous ways of Divine Revelation: but Satan was not behind in this matter, his Inftruments had their Visions too: in Ezek, 13.7. we have mention of Vain-Vifions, and Lying-Divinations and fuch Satanical Dreams are alfo noted, Deut. 13.1. If there arife among you a Dreamer of Dreams.Thofe days of confufion, that are not yet out of memory,afforded ftore of thefe: while unftable giddy-headed People began to dote on Novelties and Queftions in Religion, they gave opportunity to Satan to beguile them; for he taking advantage of their naufeating of old Truths, and their expectation of fublime difcoveries, (which had fufficiently prepared them for any Impreffion) did fo over-work their Fancies, that they cafily conceited themfelves, to have had Divine Revelations ; and nothing was more ordinary than to hear Stories of Visions and Dreams. And this spread further by a kind of Infection, for it grew into a Religious Fashion; and he was not efteemed, that had not fomething of this nature to Experience. And though the Folly and Impertinencies of fuch things generally (and fometime the apparent wickedness of them, as contradicting Truth, and the Divine rules of Holine) were fufficient difcoveries, that Satans hand was in them yet until Time, Experience, and the Power of God had cooled the intemperate heat of this raving Humor, it continued in the good liking and admiration of the more inconfiderate Vulgar. And fometime thofe from whom more ferioufneß and confideration might have been expected, fell into a reverence for thefe pretences in others, and helped forward this Spiritual Witchcraft by their countenance and arguings, often abufing that Text in Alls 2. 17.

སྱཱ༢༠;

Your

Tour Young Men fhall fee Vifions, and your old Men fhall dream Dreams, by applying it to a juftification of these apparently foolish dotages. And indeed the effect hath discovered they were no better: for many of those things which with great confidence were avouched as certain, were by time proved to be falfe; many things were ufeleß, vain, ridiculous, and fome were brought to lament and confefs their folly after they proceeded far in these ways; and at laft, (when the former opportunities are worn out) Satan grew weary of that defign, (as being no longer proper to be infifted on) there is now a great calm, fo that 'tis but seldom that we hear of -fuch things talked of it were needlefs to give particular inftances, when you may at your leifure fetch them from hundreds of Pamphlets commonly known.

Fourthly, One of the moft noted ways by which God difcovered his Mind was that of infpiration, by which fome eminent Perfons, (called therefore Prophets) fpake the Will of God, as -they were moved or acted by the Spirit of God. The Devil had allo his falfe Prophets, fuch are frequently taxed in the Old Teftament, and foretold in the New. Falfe Chrifts, and falfe Prophets fhall arife, Mat. 24. 24. There were falfe Prophets among the People, as there fhall be falfe Teachers among you, 2 Pet. 2. 1. Many falfe Teachers are gone out into the World. Such an one was Montanus in Tertullians time, David George, John of Leyden, Hacket our Country-Man were fuch, and a great many fuch there have been in all ages; 'tis notoriously known that Satan hath thus infpired poor poffelfed wretches who have uttered threatnings against Sin, and wo to Sinners. The fayings of fuch poffeffed Creatures Jean D'EL- have not long fince been gathered into a Volume and published, as paigne popular containing very perfwafive Arguments to Repentance, and amendErrors, p. 76. ment of Life. Befides thefe, our own times afford too many ex

amples of this kind, many have put on the Guife of the old Prophets in a foolish (though adventurous) imitation of their Actions and Prophecies. Some have in our Streets refembled Jonah in Nineveh, Yet forty days, &c. Some fancied to walk naked like Ifaiah, others have come with their Earthen Pitchers and broken them: imitating these and other Types by which God in his true Prophets forefignifyed his judgments to come; in all which Actions and Garbes with much earneftness, and in an Affected Tone they have called out for Repentance, in a confident denunciation of Woes and Miferies, with a bold limiting of the time of forty days (that

the