The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of Sathans ſtratagems.
§. Sect. 1 ANd ſo much concerning our ſpirituall armour, as alſo our preparation to the ſpirituall warfare; now we are to ſpeake of the battaile it ſelfe: where firſt we are to conſider of Sathans ſtratagems, and the manner of his fight; and ſecondly, of the ſpeciall conflicts or temptations wherewith he aſſaileth vsus. Concerning Sathans ſtratagems, wee are to know that they are many and dangerous; with which he will eaſily circumuent and ouerthrow vsus, if wee doe not carefully preuent or cunningly auoide them. For firſt he dealeth not with all alike, neither vſeth the ſame weapons to foyle eueryevery one,Sathan worketh vponupon our owne corrupt affections. but he obſerueth the qualitie and diſpoſition of his enemies, and accordingly he fitteth his temptations, ſo as they may be moſt forcible to preuaile againſt them. And to this end he obſerueth to what ſinnes wee are moſt inclined, either by nature, or by preſent occaſion, and to thoſe he inciteth vsus, thruſting vsus as it were downe the hill, where we are apt to runne headlong of our owne accord; and ſeconding his aſſault with the aide of our corrupt fleſh, which intertaineth willingly his ſuggeſtions, and vrgeth vsus violently to yeeld to his temptations. So that Sathan neuer ſtriueth againſt the ſtreame, but vſeth the tide of our affections to carrie vsus ſwiftly into a ſea of ſinne.
For example, if he finde a man ambitiouſly affected, then he couereth his hooke with the baite of honours: and thus he tempted Abimelech to murther all his worthie brethren,Iudg. 9. that hee might obtaine the ſoueraigntie: thus hee tempted Ioab to ſtab traiterouſly Abner and Amaſa, that hee might ſtill be Captaine Generall: thus he tempted Abſalon to vſurp the kingdome,1. Sam. 14. though it were by the vtter deſtruction of his owne father. And thus he tempted our Sauiour Chriſt to worſhip him, by offering him all the kingdomes of the world, thinking belike that he was inclined to ambition, ſeeing hee profeſſed himſelfe a great King, and had no worldly kingdome in his poſſeſſion. So in our daies he tempteth the ambitious ſubiect to aſpire, without iuſt title, to the Crowne of their lawfull Princes; and thoſe who are Kings alreadie to affect a Monarchie, by vſurping wrongfully their neighbour kingdomes: ſo hee tempteth the Spiritualtie to come by Church-preferments, rather commended by the gifts of the purſe than of the minde; and the Laytie to buy great offices at ſo high a rate that they cannot liue of them, vnleſſe they ſell iuſtice by taking bribes to betray the innocent, and their honeſtie alſo by vſing all extorſion.
If he find that men are addicted to voluptuouſnes, then he tempteth them to ſinne by offering carnall pleaſures; and thus hee tempted Noah to drunkennes, Dauid to adulterie, Salomon to idolatrie and all wickedneſſe. And thus now hee tempteth ſome to good fellowſhip, that is, to ſpend their whole time in drunkennes, belly-cheare, and all riotous exceſſe and Epicuriſme; ſome to luſt, incontinencie, and all voluptuous pleaſures of the fleſh. Or if he cannot bring them to ſuch carnall groſſnes, hee will intice them to vſe lawfull recreations vnlawfully, and immoderatly ſpending all their time in pleaſure, which they ſhould beſtow in the ſeruice of God, by imploying themſelues in the generall duties of Chriſtianitie, and in the ſpeciall duties of their callings.
§. Sect. 2 But if he finde that men are giuen to couetouſneſſe, then hath hee matter enough to worke vponupon: for as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1. Tim. 6.9, 10. They that will be rich fall into temptations and ſnares, 1. Tim. 6.9.10 How Sathan worketh vponupon mens couetouſnes.and into many fooliſh and noiſome lusts, which drowne men in perdition and deſtruction: for the deſire of money is the roote of all euill. With this baite hee allured Laban to deale churliſhly and vniuſtly with Iacob, and his owne children; and to inrich himſelfe by impoueriſhing them, for whoſe ſake he ſhould hauehave gathered his riches. He inticed Balaam to curſe the people whom God had bleſſed, by offring him money the wages of wickedneſſe. He tempted Gehazi to take the talent and chaunge of raiment of Naaman, ſelling for this ſmall trifle Gods honour and his maſters credit. He allured Achab to murther Naboth, that he might purloyne his vineyard, and ſo purchaſe the iuyce of the grape with the blood of his faithfull ſubiect. With this baite he inticed Iudas to betray his maſter, ſelling him for thirtie peeces of ſiluer, whoſe worth could not be valued with many worlds. And hereby alſo hee prouoked Demetrius to oppoſe himſelfe to the preaching of the Goſpell,Act. 19.25. becauſe hee would not loſe his gaine in making ſiluer ſhrines to the Idoll, Act. 19.25. Neither was this argument drawne from profit forcible onelyonly in former times, but now alſo it doth no leſſe perſwade to ſinne. For whom almoſt doth not Sathan catch, or at leaſt intangle in this golden net? Doth he not inſnare as well profeſſors of religion, as profeſſed worldlings, ſo that in greedie ſeeking of gaine it is not eaſie to diſcerne the one from the other? Doth hee not ouercome all ſorts and conditions of men, as well thoſe who abound in al things, as thoſe that enioy little, by proportionating his …ers of riches, according to their ſeuerall eſtates; much to thoſe that hauehave much, and little to thoſe that poſſeſſe little? For hee commeth to Princes, and promiſeth them huge ſummes of money, if they will lay intollerable taxations on their ſ…cts, or rob the Church of her liuings, that is, God himſelfe of his right. He commeth to Magiſtrates and Iudges, and offreth vntounto them great bribes, if they will peruert iuſtice, and ſo purteth out their eyes that they cannot ſee right from wrong; for,Deut. 16.19. reward blindeth the eyes of the wiſe, and peruerteth the words of the iuſt, as it is Deut. 16.19. If he ſee one in office couetous, he promiſeth great reuenewes and ſtately houſes, if hee will deceiue the Prince of their right, and oppreſſe the ſubiect with grieuous extortion: and the like offers he maketh to couetous gentlemen, if they will build their houſes with the blood of their tenants, and by grinding the faces of the poore, and by inhaunſing their rents, and increaſing their fines to ſuch vnreaſonable rates, that the poore tenant can ſcarce with the ſweate of his face earne his bread.
Neither doth hee angle with this baite in the Court and countrie onelyonly, but he thinketh it fit for the citie alſo: for he commeth to the couetous Merchant, and promiſeth him that in ſuch a countrie he ſhall hauehave good trafficke, if hee will diſſemble his religion, that is, denie Chriſt before men: he offereth to the ſhop-keeper increaſe of wealth, if hee will vſe falſe waights & meaſures, and falſe lights, or els ſell ſuch wares as are neither profitable for the Church nor Common-wealth; or adulterate and falſifie his ſtuffe by mixing bad with good; or aske double the price, ſwearing that it coſt him more than afterwards himſelfe is contented to take: in a word, if in buying and ſelling he will vſe fraud, lying, ſwearing and forſwearing, hee promiſeth to make him a rich man, though oftentimes hee dēceiueth him, for in ſtead of increaſing in wealth by theſe vngodly practiſes, oftentimes he becomes bankerupt, the Lord laying his curſe on thoſe wicked meanes, without whoſe bleſſing the builder buildeth and the labourer laboureth but in vaine, as it is Pſal. 127. 1.2.Pſal. 127.1.2. So alſo he commeth to the Artificer, and telleth him that if he will be rich, he muſt make ſale ware: and what is that? ſuch as is ſleight and altogether vnfit for vſe; as though that were moſt fit for ſale which is ſleight and altogether vnprofitable. And ſo common nowadaies is this fault, that no greater diſpraiſe can be giuen, than to ſay it is ſale ware, as though now nothing which is good and ſubſtantiall were fit to be ſold. And with theſe and ſuch like ſnares doth Sathan intangle thoſe that are couetous, and hauehave ſet their hearts vponupon the earthly Mammon; which I hauehave the longer ſtood vponupon, becauſe it is a temptation moſt dangerous; neither doth Sathan by any meanes more eaſily ſacke our ſoules, and ſpoile vsus of Gods graces, than when hee aſcendeth by theſe golden ladders, or maketh a breach in our hearts with theſe rich bullets.
§. Sect. 3 If Sathan ſee men proud and vaine-glorious,How Sathan tempteth the vaine-glorious to ſinne. then he inticeth them to ſinne, by offring them gorgeous attire farre vnfitting their ſtate and callings, and ſo cauſeth them to commit a great abſurditie: for whereas our Sauiour Chriſt ſaith, that the bodie is of more worth than raiment, they make their raiment of more worth than their bodies, in other mens iudgement, and preferre gay apparell before the health of their ſoules, in their owne eſtimation; for that they may iet it out in rich attire, they vſe vnlawful meanes, either by iniuring and oppreſſing their inferiours, or at leaſt by keeping the poore from their right: (for their ſuperfluitie of wealth was not giuen them to ſpend in ſuch exceſſe, but that they ſhould like the Lords Almners relieue the poore with their ſurpluſſage) and by both, they wound their ſoules with ſinne, and without repentance plunge them into euerlaſting death.
So alſo Sathan taketh aduantage of our complexion and temperature; by tempting the Sanguine to pleaſure and luſt; the Flegmaticke to idlenes and ſloth; the Melancholicke to enuie and malice; the Cholericke man he prouoketh to quarrels and braules, and inticeth him to take reuenge by aggrauating the iniurie, and ſuggeſting that it will be great diſparagement to put vp ſuch a wrong. In a word, Sathan carefully obſerueth to what ſinne we are moſt prone by nature, cuſtom or occaſion; and to that he eggeth vsus forward vntounto which our owne luſts leade vsus, changing his temptations as we change our affection. And therefore the Apoſtle Iames telleth vsus, that whoſoeuer is tempted,Iam. 1.14. is drawne away by his owne concupiſcence, becauſe Sathan neuer aſſaulteth vsus, but he is ſure that the fleſh will further him in his temptations.
§. Sect. 4 And thus hauehave I diſcouered Sathans firſt ſtratagem, which he vſeth in tempting vsus to ſinne;Of the meanes to defeate Sathans former policies. which if wee would withſtand and defeate, we are as carefully to obſerue our own nature and diſpoſition, that wee may finde to what vices we are moſt prone, and ſo with greater watchfulnes we may auoide them. For as when a citie is beſieged, the inhabitants will moſt ſtrongly man that place, which by nature is moſt weake and aſſaultable, becauſe they know that the enemie will giuegive the onſet there where he is like to finde the eaſieſt entrance: ſo wee being beſieged with our ſpirituall enemies, are moſt carefully to obſerue where our ſoules are weakeſt to make reſiſtance, and ouer that part wee are to watch with greateſt diligence, aſſuring our ſelues that there Sathan will plant all his engines of batterie, that hauing made a breach hee may enter and ſurprize vsus.Ierem. 17.9. And becauſe the heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things, and none but God know it, let vsus ſummon it often before the throne of Gods iudgement, and examine it by his law, that thereby wee may ſee our ſecret corruptions, and after labour to kill and mortifie them.
If we finde that wee be ambitiouſly affected, wee are to vſe all good meanes that true humilitie may bee wrought in our hearts, and whenſoeuer (honours being offred) we are tickled with ambitious and aſpiring thoughts, let vsus ſuſpect that vnderunder honour Sathan hath hid a hooke to catch vsus. And therefore before wee accept it, wee are to examine our ſelues whether we be fit for ſo high a place, and whether we can attaine thereto by honeſt and lawfull meanes, and whether the place it ſelfe be ſuch, that therein we may glorifie God, benefit his Church, and keepe a good conſcience.
So if we finde that we are addicted vntounto pleaſures, wee are with all care to ſtudie and practiſe true mortification; and when any pleaſures are offred vsus, wee are to looke narrowly into them, that we may diſcerne if Sathan hath not laid vnderunder them a ſnare to intrap vsus, either by tempting vsus to pleaſures which are vnlawfull, or to the immoderate vſe of thoſe which be lawfull; and as we louelove the ſaluation of our ſoules, let vsus auoide the baite when we ſee the ſnare.
In like manner if wee finde that we are prone to couetouſnes, let vsus carefully labour to weane our ſelues from this vice, by conſidering that it is idolatrie,1. Tim. 6.9.10. Eph. 5.5. Col. 3.5. Matth. 19.24. and the roote of all euill; that the rich (that is, ſuch as ſet their hearts vponupon riches) ſhall as hardly enter into Gods kingdome as a Camell thorow an needels eyes; that riches are momentanie and mutable, and wee mortall,Luk. 12.20. and therefore hauehave no aſſurance of them for the ſpace of one day. And when any commoditie is offred vsus, we are to looke twice on it before we accept thereof, examining whether wee may compaſſe it by honeſt and good meanes, and without the hurt of our brethren, and then wee may take it as ſent from God; otherwiſe we may aſſure our ſelues, that how pleaſantly ſoeuer the baite looketh, yet Sathan hath hid vnderunder it a deadly hooke, and therfore if we ſwallow the baite the hooke will choake vsus.
And thus alſo are we to behaue our ſelues in reſpect of all other ſinnes, to which we finde after due examination we are addicted, if wee will be ſafe from the diuels malice and cunning furie, knowing that where we are moſt weake, there he will giuegive the moſt violent aſſaults.