Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 71 – Section 72
§ 71.
INdeed, Sathan is not ſo laviſh, How Sathan guls the rude multitude in giving every vice a title, and each vertue a diſgracefull name.as to hurle away either coſt or labour, when it may be ſpared: wherefore ſeeing the rude multitude ſo brutiſh and ignorant, that they will be cheated and guld with any thing; he takes advantage from their darkned ſoules, and to deceive them, (knowing he needs doe no more) onelyonly foules and ſmeares the beautifull face of vertue, with the blacke ſoote of thoſe vices which ſeeme to have ſome affinity with them; as by traducing each Grace thus: conſcience of ſinne, in the Devills language, is called preciſe niceneſſe, and puritaniſme; zeale, madneſſe; faith and confidence, preſumption; ſyncerity, hypocriſie; patience, puſillanimity; humility, baſeneſſe of minde; wiſdome, craft, &c. And on the other ſide, painting vices ugly face with the faire colours of vertue, and ſo preſent her not in her owne proper colours, but guilded over with ſome ſhewes of holineſſe, that it may the more eaſily wind and inſinuate it ſelfe into mens affections, calling luſt, love; enuy, emulation; pride, magnanimity; ſloth, warineſſe; covetouſneſſe, good husbandry; drunkenneſſe, good fellowſhip; ignorance, innocencie; peſtilent hereſie, profound knowledge and deepe learning; Revel. 2.24. worldlineſſe, wiſdome and policy; raſhneſſe, fortitude; &c. as for every ſeverall Jemme that vertue hath, vice hath a counterfeit ſtone, wherewith ſhe gulls the ignorant; and there is no precept nor command of God, but the Devill commands the contrary; he is ever gaine-ſaying what God ſaith; Gen. 2.17. and 3.4.5.
And this is enough, for hereby their poore blind hearts are ſo deceived, with that ſhadow of reſemblance which vice carrieth of vertue; that they embrace and receive groſſe vices, inſteed of glorious vertues, and yet thinke themſelves as well, and that they ſhall ſpeede as well as the beſt. And leaſt one ſhould miſtruſt another, he hath his cleargy to ſpeake for him, and is never without falſe Prophets, which are ready to daube over ſinne with untempered Morter; ſuch as for handfulls of barley, and peeces of bread, will ſowe pillowes under each arme-hole, propheſie out of their owne hearts, and pretend a lying divination; ſuch as ſhall preach unto them, Peace, Peace, and tell them that deſpiſe the Lord, though they walke after the ſtubbornneſſe of their own hearts, no evill ſhall come upon them; yea, ſuch as ſhall even ſlay the ſoules of them that ſhould not dye, and give life to the ſoules that ſhould not live, with lyes make the hearts of the righteous ſad, whom the Lord hath not made ſad; and ſtrengthen the hands of the wicked, that he ſhould not turne from his wicked way by, promiſing him life. Eze. 13. Ier. 23.13. to 22. ſo ſhutting Heaven when they ſhould open it, and opening it when they ſhould ſhut it. And thus are millions deceived, for nothing ſooner wins fleſh and blood, then a Doctrine which tends to licentiouſneſſe.
Indeed, moſt men are ſo greedy, Many ſo greedy of temptation that Satan needs but caſt out his angle.either of profit, or pleaſure, that Sathan needs no helpe from others; for he can no ſooner caſt out his Angle amongſt them, but immediatly, (like the ſoules in Lucian about Charons boate, or Coleminers about a line, when the candles burning blew, tells the dampe commeth) they will faſten upon the bayte. As let Ieraboam onelyonly ſet up Calves in Dan and Bethel, the people are downe on their knees, yea, all, like beaſts in heards, will goe a lowing after them. Yea, were there no harlot, no drunken aſſociate to ſolicite, no Devill to doe his office, wicked men would beget deſtruction on themſelves. If Sathan ſhould not feede them with temptations, they would tempt him for them, and ſnatch their owne bane; in which caſe, Sathan onelyonly ſuggeſts the thought, or ſayes the word, and it is done.
As if he appoint them to lye, Or ſuggeſt the thought.they willy; if h… command them to deceive, they will deceive; if he bid them ſlander, they will ſlander, and that as falſely as he; if he perſwades them to revenge, to perſecute, &c. they will doe it, as ſpitefully and as fully, as he could doe them himſelfe; and ſo of every ſinne, if he but ſay to any of his ſervants, let there be an oath, ſtraight there is an oath; let there be a bribe, inſtantly there is a bribe; let there be a quarrell, immediatly there is a quarrel; &c. juſt as when God ſaid in the beginning of the Creation, let there bee light, and there was light.
§ 72.
THus Sathan comes to us, The many wayes which Sathan hath to ſet upon us.and ſets upon us both wayes, viſible, and inviſible; mediately, and immediatly; by himſelfe, and by others. Yea, this is not all, for that we may the leſſe ſuſpect him, he makes us become our owne tempters, as how many temptations come in by thoſe Cinque-ports, the Senſes? how many more by Sathans injections, preſenting to the affections things abſent from the Senſes? (as we have an army of uncleane deſires, that perpetually fight againſt our ſoules) but moſt of all by luſt it ſelfe (a thing not created, yet as quicke as thought, tumbling over a thouſand deſires in an houre) for you muſt know, that the Devill and our Fleſh meets together every day and houre to ingender new ſinnes, which is the reaſon our ſins are counted amongſt thoſe things which are infinite, as the haires of our head, the ſands of the Sea, the Starres of Heaven: yea, the Devills trade and occupation all the day, and all the yeare long, is onelyonly to make nets, and gins, and ſnares, to catch thee, and mee, and each man ſingle; the wiſdome of Heaven deliver us.
As there is a Sacred Trinity, Sathan the great ſeducer, wieked men are Apprentiſes, or factors under him.provoking to good, the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt: ſo there is a curſed Cerbe rus, intiſeing to ſinne, the World, the Fleſh, and the Devill; but the chiefe of theſe tempters is the Devill, whence he is ſtiled, as by a kind of excellency, the Tempter, as Virgil is called the Poet, Ariſtotle the Philoſopher, and David the King.
It's true, he could not worke his owne ends upon us, if he ſhould profeſſe himſelfe, and appeare to us the very ſame that he is, and not in the perſons of men, yea, in our ſelves, and ſuppoſed beſt friends: yet this hinders not, but Sathan may be the chiefe: for though there be many little ſeducers beſides, which doe us the greatest miſchiefe; yet the Serpent is worſe then all his feede. I'le make it plaine. As there are ſundry other crafts, ſo there is a craft of tempting, whereof Sathan is the crafts maſter, and the reſt are but his Apprentiſes, or Factors under him; for there was never any, of what condition ſoever, from the firſt to the laſt, tempted, but Sathan had a hand in the temptation.
Indeed, ſome make queſtion whether there be a Devill or no, becauſe they never ſaw him; but thou maiſt ſee him in his effects, tempting thee to lewdneſſe, and tempting thee to tempt others; for what he cannot doe immediately by himſelfe, that he doth mediatly by his inſtruments; and when he hath tempted ſome men, he ſets them to tempt other men, beſtowing his bad office upon them, as once he did upon heedleſſe Eve.
As, alaſſe poore ſoules! they are but ſet on by that ſubtile Serpent, as the woman of Tekoa was by Ioab. 2. Sa. 14.3. or as Zebedeas was by her Sons, Math. 20.20. compared with Mark. 10.35. it is but his heart in their lips; for the Devill opens their mouthes, as the Lord, by an Angell, opened the mouth of Baalam's Aſſe, Numb. 22. and ſpeakes in, and by them, as once he did by the Serpent, when he opened her mouth, and cauſed her to ſpeake with mans voice.