Heart, as Fancy, or affected fingularity: thefe do but the Devils
work. But that the Spirit of God (whom Satan treacherously
endeavours to imitate) doth fet home Scripture Commands,
Threatnings and Promifes upon the Hearts of his People, is not
only attested by the Experience of all that are inwardly acquainted
with the ways of God, but is one of the great Promises which
Chrift hath given for the comfort of his People in his abfence.
Joh. 14.26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father fhall fend in my Name, he shall teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrance what foever I have faid unto
you. This
then being granted as a firm unfhaken Truth, our care must be in
discovering and avoiding Satan's counterfeit ufing of Scripture,
and in this we fhould be more wary;

First, Because we are not fo apt to fufpect what we meet with in fuch a way, when 'tis brought to us in the Language of Scripture.

Secondly, And those that are not exercifed in the Scripture, will be at a fad lofs as not knowing how to extricate themselves from fuch difficulties, as may arife to them from Satan's Sophifry.

Thirdly, Warinefs is alfo more neceffary, because we are inclinable to believe what fuits our Defires, and Confcience awakened is averse to the rejecting of that which answers its fears.

You may fay, What is there of direction for us in this Cafe? Queft. The Answer is ready; Two things are given us in Charge. Anfw. (1.) That we be wifely fufpicious. A facile hafty credulity is treacherous. Chrift forbids, (when he foretels the rifing of falle Chrift's, Math. 24. 26.) the forwardneß of a fudden belief, taxing thereby those that are prefently taken with every new appearance. 'Tis childish to be carryed with every Wind, we are warned alfo of this, 1 Joh. 4. 1. Believe not every Spirit. (2.) We are com-' manded to bring all Pretences whatsoever to Tryal, though immediate Revelation or Vifion be pretended, or extraordinary Commif fion, yet must all be brought to the Touch-Stone, we must prove all things 1 Thef. 5.21. and try thofe that fay they are Apostles, Rev. 2.2. Nay, the Spirits are to be tryed whether they be of God, 1 Joh.

4. I.

You will fay, How must we try?

Queft.

I Anfwer, God hath given a Publick, Sufficient and Certain rule, Anfw. which is the Scripture, and all must be tryed by that: fo that if

Object.

Answ.

there be Impulfes, or Discoveries, or Remembrances of Scripture upon any, it must not be taken for granted that they are of God, because they pretend fo high, (for fo we shall make Satan Judg in his own Caufe) but lay all to the Line and Plummet of the written Word, and if it answer not that, call it confidently a delufion, and reject it as accurfed, though it might feem (in other regards) to have been fuggefted by an Angel from Hea

ven.

But it will be faid, Satan pretends to this Rule, and it is Scripture that is urged by him?

I Anfwer, though it be fo, yet he ufeth not Scripture in its own Intendment, and Senfe, for the difcovery of his unfaithful dealing.

First, Compare the Inference of the fuggeftion with other Scriptures. If it be from a dark Scripture, compare it with those that are more plain, and in every cafe, fee whether the general Current Though it was of the Scriptures fpeak the fame thing: for if it be from Satan,he Scripture that either plays with the Words and Phrafes, from doubtful and equiSatan urged to volent terms making his conclufion; or his citation will be found Chrift, yet he rejects bis in Impertinent, or (which is moft ufual) contrary to Truth or Holiference as falfe nefs; if any of these appear, by a true examination of the Import because con- of the Scripture which he feeks to abufe, or by comparing it trary to other with the Scope and Genius of other Scriptures, you may plain Scriptures prohibi-certainly pronounce that it is not of God, but Satan's deting not to

ceit.

tempt the Lord. Secondly, Confider the tendency of fuch Suggestions: Let no Man say that this will come too late, or that it is an after game: I do not mean that we should stay so long, as to fee. the Effects; (though this is alfo a certain difcovery of Satan's knavery in his highelt pretences; the Phanatick Furies of the German Enthusiasts do now appear plain to all the World to have been Delufions, by their End, Fruits, and Ifue) But that while these Conclufions are obtruded upon us, we should observe to what they tend: which we shall the better know, if all Circumstances round about be confidered. Sometimes Satan doth covertly bint his Mind, and fend it along with the fuggeftion; fometimes our condition will enough declare it, and there is no cafe but it will afford fomething of dif covery if feriously pondered. If he either prompt us to Pride, Vain-Glory, or Prefumption, or that our condition fway us that way, it will be fufficient ground of Sufpition that 'tis Satan that

then

then urgeth Promifes or Priviledges upon us. If we are of a wounded Spirit inclined to Diftruit, or if we be put on to despair, it is paft denyal, that 'tis Satan that urgeth the Threatnings, and preffeth the Accufations of the Law against us. He that gathers Stones, Timber, Lime, and fuch Materials together, as are ufually imployed in Building, doth difcover his intention, before he actually Build his Houfe, and thus may Satan's End be known by his Preparations compared, with the fway and Inclination of our prefent Temper.

Thirdly, It must be remembred that with thefe endeavours, we often feek the Face of the Lord for help and Counfel; and that we apply our felves to fuch of the Servants of God, as being more knowing than our felves, and leß prepossessed in their Judgments (because not concerned) are better able to fee into the Nature of our Straits, and to help us by their Advices.

CHAP.

MATTH. 4. 8.

Again the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high Mountain, and fheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glory of

them.

CHA P. XVIII.

The manner ef Satan's fhewing the Kingdoms of the World, Of Satan's Preparations before the Motion of Six. Of his confronting the Almighty by prefumptuous imi tation; and in what cafes he doth fo. Of his beautifying the Object of a Temptation, and how he doth it. His way of engaging the Affections by the Senfes. Of his Seeming fhiness.

His is the Preparation to the third Temptation; in which we have, (1.) The Place where it was Acted. (2.) The Object fet before him there.

First, The Place was an exceeding high Mountain. What Mountain it was, Nebo, Pisgah, or any other, 'tis needless to enquire. 'Tis of more ufe to ask after the Reasons of Satan's choife of fuch a Place. The Text doth clearly imply one that was the commodioufness of Profpect; Satan intending to give him a view of the Kingdoms of the World, chufeth a Mountain as fitteft for that end. But that this was not all the Reafon, is not only intimated by fome, but pofitively † affirmed by others, who think that Satan in this imitated the like in God to Mofes, who was called up to

Mount

Mount Nebo to view the Land which God promifed to Ifrael. Whether these Circumftances of the Mountain, and the view of the Kingdoms of the World, were of purpofe contrived to affront God by fuch an Imitation, I will not be Pofitive in it: but we may with greater Evidence affirm, that in offering the Kingdoms of the World, as things altogether in his difpofal, he doth directly out-brave God by an infolent Comparison of his Power with that of the Almighty's, whofe is the Earth and the fulness of it, and to whom the Sovereignty of the difpofal of it doth belong.

Secondly, That which Satan fheweth Chrift from the Mountain, is faid to be the Kingdoms of the Word, and the Glory of them. Here fome bufy themselves to conjecture what Kingdoms were thus pointed at, fome keep fo ftrictly to the word [all,] that they are forced to take up with that Opinion, that all these Temptations were only in Vifion; for they confider that no one Mountain in the World, can give a Prospect over one whole Hemisphere, or if it could, yet no Eye would be able to difcern at fo great a distance. But the inconveniencies of this Surmife have been pointed at before, and 'tis enough to fhew that the Text may admit of an Interpretation which shall not be incumbred with this fuppofed impollibility.

Hobs Leviath.
C. 45. P. 354.

Harm, in loc.

Others restrain this to the Land of Canaan, as if Satan only fhewed this as a famous Inftance of the Glory of all Kingdoms. Some think the Roman Empire (which was then molt flourishing, and lifted up its Head above other Kingdoms) was the great Bait laid before Chrift, as if he had a Defign to divert Chrift from the business of his Office, by offering him the Seat and Power of Lightfoot Antichrift: But the Text runs not fo favourably for any of these Opinions, as to conftrain us to ftay upon them. [Kingdoms of the World] feem to intend more than Canaan, or the Roman Empire, the Word nosos ufed here, and oinsufún in Luke, which we tranflate the World,do fo apply to one another in a mutual accommodation, that we cannot ftretch the World to the largest Senfe of the whole Globe of the Earth, becaufe 'tis expreffed in Luke by oins, which fignities fuch a part of the World which is more cultivated and honoured by Inhabitants; nor can we fo reftrain it to the Roman Empire (though when they fpake their apprehenfions of their own Empire, they feein to engrofs all, Luke 2. 1.) because Matthew ufeth the word nosos, a word of greater free

dom.