The Christians in Complete Armor, Religious treatise · Introduction 3 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Satans ſubtilty in managing his temptations, where ſeveral ſtratagems uſed by him to deceive the Chriſtian, are laid down.
THe ſecond way wherein Satan ſhews his tempting ſubtilty, is in thoſe ſtratagems he uſeth to deceive the Chriſtian in the act of temptation.
Firſt, he hangs out falſe colours, and comes up to the Chriſtian in the diſguiſe of a friend, ſo that the gates are opened to him, and his motions received with applauſe, before either be diſcovered; therfore he is ſaid to transform himſelf into an Angel of light, 2 Cor. 11.14. Of all plots 'tis moſt dangerous when he appears in Samuels mantle, and ſilvers his foul tongue with faire language. Thus in point of errour, he corrupts ſome in their judgements, by commending his notions for precious Goſpel-truths, and like a cunning Chapman puts off his old ware, (errours I mean that have layen long upon his hand) only turkening them a little after the mode of the times, and they go for new light, under the skirt of Chriſtian liberty; he conveys in Libertiniſme, by crying up the Spirit; he decries and vilifies the Scripture by magnifying faith: he labours to undermine repentance, and blow up good works; by bewailing the corruption of the Church in its adminiſtrations, he drawes unſtable ſouls from it, and amuſeth them, till at laſt they fall into a vertigo, and can ſee no Church at all in being. And he prevails no leſſe on the hearts and lives of men by this wile, then on their judgements. Under the notion of zeal, he kindles ſometimes a dangerous flame of paſſion and wrath in the heart, which like a raſh fire makes the Chriſtians ſpirit boile over into unchriſtian deſires of, and prayers for revenge where he ſhould forgive; of which we have an inſtance in the diſciples, Luke 9.55. where two holy men are deſiring that fire may come down from heaven. Little did they think from whence they had their coal, that did ſo heat them, till Chriſt told them, Ye know not what Spirit you are of. Sometimes he pretends pity and natural affection, which in ſome caſes may be good counſel, and all the while he deſires to promote cowardiſe and ſinful ſelf-love; whereby the Chriſtian may be brought to flie from his colours, ſhrink from the truth, or decline ſome neceſſary duty of his calling; this his wile Chriſt ſoon ſpied, when he got Peter to be his ſpokeſman, ſaying, Maſter, pity thy ſelf: who ſtop't his mouth with that ſharp rebuke, Get thee behinde me, Satan. O what need have we to ſtudy the Scriptures, our hearts and Satans wiles, that we may not bid this enemy welcome, and all the while think it's Chriſt that is our gueſt.
A ſecond policie he uſeth is to get intelligence of the Saints affairs. This is one great wheele in the Politicians clock, to have Spies in all places, by whom they are acquainted with the counſels and motions of their enemies, and this gives them advantage, as to diſappoint their deſignes, ſo more ſafely to compaſſe their own. 'Tis no hard matter for him to play his game well, that ſees his enemies hand. David knew how the ſquares went at Court, Jonathans arrowes carried him the newes, and accordingly he removed his quarters, and was too hard for his great enemy Saul. Satan is the greateſt Intelligencer in the world, he makes it his buſineſſe to enquire into the inclinations, thoughts, affections, purpoſes of the creature, that finding which humour abounds, he may apply himſelf accordingly, which way the ſtream goes, that he may open the paſſage of temptation, and cut the channel to the fall of the creatures affections, and not force it againſt the torrent of nature. Now if we conſider but the piercing apprehenſion of the Angelical nature, how quick he is to take the ſent which way the game goes by a word drop't, the caſt of an eye or ſuch a ſmall matter (ſignal enough to give him the alarm) his experience in heart-anatomy, having inſpected, and (as it were) diſſected ſo many in his long practice, whereby his knowledge is much perfected, as alſo his great diligence to adde to both theſe, being as cloſe a Student as ever, conſidering the Saints, and ſtudying how he may do them a miſchief, as we ſee in Jobs caſe, whom he had ſo obſerved that he was able to give an anſwer ex tempore to God what Jobs ſtate and preſent poſture was, and what might be the moſt probable means of obtaining his will of him; and beſides all this, the correſpondence that he hath with thoſe in and about the Chriſtian, from whom he learnes much of his ſtate, as David by Huſhai in Abſaloms counſel: all theſe conſidered, 'tis almoſt impoſſible for the creature to ſtir out of the cloſet of his heart, but it will be known whither he enclines; ſome corrupt paſſion or other will bewray the ſoule to him, as they did David to Saul, who told him where he might finde him,1 Sam 24 1. in the wilderneſſe of Engedi. Thus will theſe give intelligence to Satan, and ſay, If thou wouldeſt ſurprize ſuch a one, he is gone that way, you ſhall have him in the wood of worldly employments, over head and eares in the deſires and cares of this life, ſee where another ſits under ſuch a bower, delighting himſelf in this childe, or that gift, endowment of mind, or the like; lay but the lime-twig there, and you ſhall ſoon have him in it. Now Satan having this intelligence, lets him alone to act his part; he ſure cannot be at a loſſe himſelf, when his ſcholars, (the Jeſuites I mean) have ſuch agility of minde, to wreath and caſt themſelves into any forme becoming the perſons they would ſeduce. Is ambition the luſt the heart favours? O the pleaſing projects that he will put ſuch upon! how eaſily having firſt blown them up with vain hopes, doth he draw them into horrid ſins? Thus Human, that he may have a monopoly of his Princes favour, is hurried into that bloody plot (fatal at laſt to himſelf) againſt the Jewes. Is uncleanneſſe the luſt after which the creatures eye wanders? Now he'll be the Pander, to bring him and his Minion together. Thus he finding Amnon ſick of this diſeaſe, ſends Jonadah a deep-pated fellow, 1 Sam. 13.3▪to put this fine device into his head of feigning himſelf ſick whereby his Siſter fell into his ſnare.
Thirdly, in his gradual approaches to the ſoul. When he comes to tempt, he is modeſt & asks but a little, he knows he may get that at many times, which he ſhould be denied if lie ask't all at once. A few are let into a city, when an army coming in a body, would be ſhut out, and therefore that he may beget no ſuſpition, he preſents may be a few general propoſitions, which do not diſcover the depth of his plot; theſe like Scouts goe before, while his whole body lies hid as it were in ſome ſwamp at hand. Thus he wrigled into Eves boſome, whom he doth not at firſt daſh bid Take and eat, no, he is more mannerly then ſo, this would have been ſo hideous, that as the fiſh with ſome ſudden noiſe, by a ſtone caſt into the river, is ſcared from the bait, ſo would ſhe have been affrighted from holding parley with ſuch a one: no, he propounds a queſtion which ſhall make way for this, Hath God ſaid? art not miſtaken? could this be his meaning whoſe bounty lets thee eat of the reſt to deny thee the beſt of all? Thus he digs about and looſens the roots of her faith, and then the tree falls the eaſier the next guſt of tempta…ion. This is a dangerous policy indeed. Many have yielded to go a mile with Satan, that never intended to go two; but when once on the way, have been allured further and further, till at laſt they know not how to leave his company. Thus Satan leads poor creatures down into the depths of ſin by winding ſtaires, that let them not ſee the bottom whither they are going; Firſt he preſents an object that ocaſions ſome thoughts, theſe ſet fire on the affections, and theſe fume up into the braine, and cloud the underſtanding, which being thus diſabled, now Satan dares a little more declare himſelf, and boldly ſolicite the creature to that it would even now have defied. Many who at this day lie in open profaneneſſe, never thought they ſhould have roll'd ſo far from their Profeſſion but Satan beguiled them, poor ſouls, with their modeſt beginnings. O Chriſtians, give not place to Satan, no not an inch in his firſt motions; he that is a beggar and a modeſt one without doors, will command the houſe if let in; yield at firſt, and thou giveſt away thy ſtrength to reſiſt him in the reſt, when the hem is worne, the whole garment will ravel out, if that be not mended by timely repentance.
The fourth way, wherein Satan ſhews his ſubtilty in managing his temptations, is in his Reſerves. A wiſe Captain hath ever ſome freſh troops at hand to fall in at a pinch, when other are worſted. Satan is ſeldom at a loſſe in this reſpect, when one temptation is beat back, he ſoon hath another to fill up the gap, and make good the line. Thus he tempts Chriſt to diffidence and diſtruſt, by bidding him turne ſtones into bread, as if it were time now to carve for himſelf, being ſo long neglected of his Father, as to faſt fourty dayes, and no ſupplies heard of; No ſooner had Chriſt quench't this dart with that, It is written, Man ſhall not live by bread alone, Mat. 4 4, 5but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, but he hath another on the ſtring which he let flie at him, tempting him to preſumption, v. 5. Then the devil taketh and ſets him on a pinacle, and bids, Caſt thy ſelf down headlong, for it is written, He ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, &c. As if he had ſaid, If thou haſt ſuch confidence on God and his Word, as thou pretendeſt, ſhew it by caſting thy ſelf down, for thou haſt a Word between thee and the ground, if thou dareſt truſt God; and truly, though Chriſt had his anſwer ready, and was prepared to receive his charge on the right hand and on the left, being ſo compleatly arm'd that no temptation could come amiſſe, yet note we, Satans temptations on Chriſt, were like the Serpents motion on a rock, (of which Solomon ſpeaks) that makes no impreſſion, no dint at all, but on us they are as a Serpent on ſand or duſt,Pro. 30.19 that leaves a print, when not in the heart, yet in the fancy, colours that which is next door to it, and ſo the object there is ready to ſlip in, if great care be not obſerv'd, eſpecially when he doth thus change his hand, as when we have reſiſted one way, fall on afreſh another, yea, plant his ſucceeding temptation upon our very reſiſtance in the former. Now it requires ſome readineſſe in our poſtures, and skill at all our weapons to make our defence, like a diſputant, when he is put out of his road, and hath a new queſtion ſtarted, or argument unuſual brought, now he is tried to purpoſe. And truly this is Satans way when he tempts the Chriſtian to neglect of duties of Gods worſhip (from his worldly occaſions, the multitude of them or neceſſity of following them) and this takes not, then he is on the other ſide, and is drawing the Chriſtian to the neglect of his worldly calling, out of a ſeeming zeale to promote his other in the Worſhip of God. Or firſt, he comes and labours to dead the heart in duty, but the Chriſtian too watchful for him there, then he is puffing of him up with an opinion of his enlargement in it, and ever he keeps his ſlieſt and moſt ſublimated temptations for the laſt.
Fifthly, in his politick retreats you ſhall have an enemy flie as overcome, when it is on a deſign of overcoming; this was Joſhua's wile, by which he catcht the men of Ai in a trap, Joſh. 3.8. We reade not only of Satans being caſt out, but of the uncleane ſpirits going out, (voluntarily) yet with a purpoſe to come again, and bring worſe company with him, Matth. 12.43. Satan is not alwayes beat back by the dint and power of conquering grace, but ſometimes he drawes off, and raiſeth his own ſiege, the more handſomely to get the Chriſtian out of his faſtneſſes and trenches, that ſo he may ſnap him on the plaines, whom he cannot come at in his works and Fortifications. Temptations ſend the Saint to his Caſtle, as the ſight of the dog doth the coney to her Burrough; Now the ſoule walks the rounds, ſtands upon its guard, dares not neglect duty, becauſe the enemy is under its very walls, ſhooting in his temptations continually; but when Satan ſeems to give the ſoule over, and the Chriſtian finds he is not haunted with ſuch motions as formerly, truly now he is prone to remit in his diligence, faile in his duty, and grow either infrequent or formal therein; As the Romanes, whoſe valour decayed for want of the Carthaginian troops to alarm them; let Satan tempt or not tempt, aſſault or retreat, keep thou in order, ſtand in a fighting poſture, let his flight ſtrengthen thy faith, but not weaken thy care. The Parthians do their enemies moſt hurt in their flight, ſhooting their darts as they run, and ſo may Satan do thee, if thy ſeeming victory makes thee ſecure.