Temptation of beholding the Gladiators, was bewitched with fuch a delight, that he not only defired to come again with others, but alfo before others. Neither is it any great wonder it fhould be fo, when (befides the Inclinations that are begot in us by any act of Sin to recommit it) Sin puts us out of God's protection, debilitates and weakens our Graces, ftrengthens Satan's Arm, and often procures him further power and commiffion against us.

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Secondly, Satan endeavours to make one Sin an engagement to another, and to force Men to draw Iniquity with cords of Vanity. Prov. 30.9. Agur notes a concatenation in Sins, left 1 fteal and take the Name of God in vain. Adam finning in the forbidden Fruit, and claimed guilty by his Confcience, runs into another fin for the excufe of the former, the Woman that thou gavest me, &c. David affords a fad inftance of this, the fin with Bathsheba being committed, and the with Child upon it, David to hide the fhame of his offence (1) Hypocritically pretends great kindness to Uriah. (2.) When that ferved not, next he makes him drunk, and it may be he involved many others in that fin as Acceffories. (3.) When this courfe failed, his heart conceives a purpose and refolution to murther him. (4.) He cruelly makes him the Meffenger of his own deftruction. (5.) He engageth Joab in it, (6.) And the death of many of his Souldiers. (7.) By this puts the whole Army upon an hazard. (8.) Excufeth the bloody contrivance, by Providence. (9.) In all uling ftill the height of dithimulation. Satan knows how natural it is for Men to hide the fame of their iniquity, and accordingly provides occafions, and provocations to drive them on to a kind of neceffity.

Thirdly, By a perverse representation of the state of godly and wicked Men, he draws on Sin to an higher compleatment. How often doth he fet before us the Mifery, Affliction, Contempt, Croffes, and Sadneffes of the one, and the Jollity, Delights, Plenty, Peace, Honours, and Power of the other? It was à Temptation that had almost brought David to an Atheistical refolve against all religious duty, and that which he obferved had prevailed altogether with many Profeffors, Pfal. 73. When they obferved they were not in trouble like other Men,and that their Mouth and Tongue had. been infolent against God, without any rebuke or check from him; when in the mean time, the Godly were plagued all the day, and chaftned every morning: fome (that were in profeflion, or etti

mation at least, God's People) returned to take up thefe thoughts, and to refolve upon fuch practices, verf. 10. as if God who fecs all these with fo much filence, mult be fuppofed knowingly to give fome countenance to fuch actions. This indced (when 'tis profecuted upon our hearts in its full ftrength with thofe ugly furtifes, jealoufies, and mifapprehenfions that are wont to accompany it) is a fad step to a desperate neglect of duty and a carelefriefs in finning, in that it infenfibly introduceth Atheistical impreffions upon the hearts of Mcn, and fuch are apt to catch hold, even upon good Men, who are but too ready to lay, as David, I bave cleanfed my hands in vain.

Fourthly, Satan hath yet another piece of Policy for the multiplication and aggravation of Sin, which is the enmity and oppofition of the Law. Of this the Apofile Paul fadly complains from his own experience, Rom. 7. 8. Sin taking occafion by the Commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupifcence. What he laments is this, that fuch is the perverfness of our natures, that the Law in Atead of reftraining us doth the more enrage us, fo that accidentally the Law doth multiply Sin for when the reftraint of the Law is before us, Luft burns not only more inwardly, but when it cannot be kept in and fmothered, then it breaks out with greater violence, Let us break their bonds afunder, &c. When the Law condemns our Lufts, they grow furly and defperate, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die, &c. If any wonder that the Law (which was given of purpose to reprefs Sin, and which is of fo great ufe in its authority to kill it in us, and to hinder Temptations,) fhould thus be used by Satan to encrease and enrage it, they may confider that 'tis but ftill an accidental occafion, and not a caufe, and Sin takes this occafion without any fault of the Law. + As Abfalom Satan to this endt watcheth the time when our hearts are moft ear his fervants neftly fet upon our Lufts, when our defires are most highly en- watched when gaged, and then by a fubtile Art so oppofeth the Law (letting was merry in it's contradictions in way and measure futable) that our hearts with Wine. conceive a grudge at reftraint, which together with its earnestnes to fatisfy the Flesh, arifeth up to a furious madness, and violent firiving to maintain a liberty and freedom to do according to the defires of their heart; whereas this fame Law, if it be applyed to the heart when 'tis more cooled and not fo highly engaged upon a defign of Luft, will break, terrify, and reftrain the heart, and put fuch a damp upon Temptations that they fhall not be able to stand

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before it. So great a difference is there in the various feasons of the application of this Law; in which Art, for the enflaming of the heart to iniquity, Satan fhews a wonderful dexterity.

Of Satan's keeping all in quiet, which is his fecond Engine for keeping his Poffeffion, and for that purpose his keeping us from going to the Light by feveral fubtilties; alfo of making us rife up against the Light, and by what wayes he doth that.

Atan's next Engine, for the maintaining his Poffeffion, is to keep all in quiet: which our Saviour notes, Luk. 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. He urgeth this against those that objected to him, that he caft out Devils by Belzebub, which calumny he confuteth, by fhewing the inconfiftency of that, with Satan's Principles and Defign; it being a thing fufficiently known and univerfally practifed, that no man will disturb or difpute against his own peaceable Poffeffion; neither can it be fuppofed Satan will do it, because he acts by this common Rule of keeping down and hindring any thing that may difquiet breach of Peace, is hazardous to a Poffeffion; an uneafie Government occafions mutinies and revolts of Subjects: yet we might think that (the wages of Sin, the light and power of Conscience confidered,) it were no eafie task for the Devil to rule his Slaves with fo much quiet as 'tis obferved he doth; his skill in this particular,and the way of managing his intereft for fuch an end, we may clearly fee, in 70.3.20. Every one that doth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved. From which place we may obferve: (1) The great thing that doth difquiet Satan's Poffeffion,is Light. (2) The reafon of that difquietment is, the difcovery that Light makes, and the shame that follows that difcovery. (3) The way to prevent that Light, and the reproof of it, is to avoid coming to it and where it cannot be avoided, to hate it. 'Tis Satan's bufinefs then for keeping all in peace.

(1) To keep us from the Light; or if that cannot be, then (2) To make us rife up against it. I fhall make enquiry after both thefe projects of the Devil.

To keep us from coming to the Light, he useth a great many

fubtilties: as,

Firft, for his own part, he forbears to do any thing that might difcompofe or affright entangled Souls: at other times, and in other cafes he loves to torment and affright them, to cause their Wounds to flink and corrupt but in this case he takes a contrary course, he keeps off (as much as may be) all reflections of Confcience; he conceals the evil and danger of Sin, he fings them asleep in their folly, till a dart ftrike through their liver, and haftens them to the Prov. 7. 23. fnare, as a bird that knoweth not that it is for his life. They that shall confider, that the heart of a finner is hardned through the deceit-fulness of Sin; and that the greateft part of the affrightment that molefts the confciences of fuch, is from Satan's fury and ma-lice they will eafily conceive how much his fingle forbearance to moleft, may contribute to the peace and cafe of thofe that are fet-led upon their lees: but befides his forbearance, we may expect that what ever clouds or darkness he can raife to exclude the Light,or to muffle the eyes, he will not be negligent in the ufe of that power whatever he can pofitively do in the raifing up the confidence of prefumption or fecurity in the Minds of Men; what ever he can do to make them fottish or careless, that shall not be wanting.

Secondly, he fhews no less skill, and diligence by fecret contrivances to binder occafions of reproof, and discovery; how much he can practise upon others, that out of pity and compaffion to. the Souls of Men, are ready to draw a finner from the errour of his way, and to fave a Soul from death. We can fcarce imagine what ways he hath to divert and hinder them, by what private difcou ragements he doth defer them, who can tell? He that could difpute with the Angel about the body of Mofes to prevent the fecret in- Jud. 9. terment of it: he that could give a stop of One and twenty days Deut. 34. 6. to the Angel that was to bring the comfortable Meffage to Daniel, of the hearing of his Prayers, may more easily obstruct and oppofe the defigns of a faithful reprover. Some time he doth this by vifible means and inftruments, ftirring up the Spirits of wicked men to give oppofition to fuch as feek to deliver their Souls from the blood of men, by faithful warnings or exhortations: The Devil was fo careful to keep Jeroboam quiet in his fin

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ful courfe of Idolatry, that he stirs up Amaziah to banish Amos from the Court, left his plain dealing should startle or awaken the Confcience of the King; Amos 7. 12, 13. Go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, &c, but Prophefie not any more at Bethel, for it is the Kings Chappel, it is the Kings Court.

Thirdly, In order to the keeping out the Light from the confciences of Men, he infinuates himself as a lying Spirit, into the mouthes of fome of his mercenaries; and they fpeak smooth things and deceit to Satan's Captives; telling them, that they are in a good condition; Chriftians good enough, and may go to Heaven as well as the precifeft: 'tis a fault in unfaithful Ministers, they do the Devil this fervice, God highly complains of it. Fer. 6, 14. They have bealed also the hurt of the daughter of my people flightly, Saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. Ezek. 13.10. They have Seduced my people, faying, Peace, and there was no peace: and one built up a Wall and others danbed it with untempered morter. Befides, this Stratagem is the more likely to prevail, because it takes the advantage of the humours, and inclinations of Men, who naturally think the best of themselves, and delight that others should speak what they would have them; fo that when Men by the Devil's inftigation prophefie deceit to finful Men, 'tis moft likely they fhould be heard, feeing they defire fuch Prophets, and love to have it fo

Fourthly, Satan keeps off the Light, by catching away the Word after it is forn. This policy of his,Chritt exprefly discovers, Math. 13. 19. When any one beareth the Word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catchetb away that which was fown in his heart: fuch opportunities the Devil doth narrowly watch; to be fure he will be prefent at a Sermon, or good difcourse, and if he perceive any thing spoken that may endanger his peaceable Poffeffion, how bulie is he to withdraw the heart, fometime by the fight of the Eyes, fometimes by vain thoughts of bufinefs, occafions, delights, and what not; and if this come not up to his end, then he endeavours, after Men have beard, to juftle all out by impertinent Difcourfes, urgencies of Imployment, and a thousand fuch divertisements, that fo Men may not lay the warning to heart, nor by serious meditation to apply it to their Confcien

ces.

Fifthly, He fometimes fnuffs out the Light by Perfecution. Thofe hearers Mat. 13.20, 21. that had received the Word with

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