2d/i/, Satan hinders, by putting men upon doing duties in a wrong manner. 1 . In a dead formal manner, that so they may fail of the success. Satan knows duties done super- perficially were as good to be left undone- That prayer which doth not pierce the hearty will never j)ierce heaven. 2. He puts thena. upon doing duties for wrong ends. Finis- specijicat actionem ; he will make them look a-sqiiint, and have by-ends in duty, Matth.. vi. 5., " Be not as the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." Prayer is good, but to pray to be seen of men, this was a dead fly in the box of oint- ment ; the oil of vain-glory feeds their lamp ; sinister aims corrupt and fly-blow our holy things. Here is Satan's policy^ either to prevent duty, or pervert it; either to take men off from the use of moans, or make them miscarry in the use of means.
9//t Subtilty. Satan can colour over sin with the name and j)retence of virtue. Al- eibiades hung a curtain curiously embroi- dered over a foul picture of satyrs ; so Sa- tan can put tlie image of virtue over the foul ])icture of sin. Satan can cheat men with false wares ; he can make them be- lieve, that presumption is faith, — that iii^
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OF THE SIXTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S TRAYER.
temperate passion is zeal, — revenge is pru- dence,— covetousness is frugality, — and pro- digality good hospitality. " Come, see my zeal for the Lord," saith Jehu. Satan ])er- suaded him it was a fire from heaven, when it was nothing but the wildfire of his own ambition ; it was not zeal, but state-policy. This is a subtle art of Satan, to deceive by tempting, and put men off with the dead child instead of the live-child, — to make men believe that is a grace, which is a sin, — as if one should write balm-water upon a glass of poison. If Satan hath all these subtle artifices in tempting, are we not in great danger from this prince of the nir? and had we not need often pray, " Lord, suffer us not to be led into tempta- tion ?" As tlie serpent beguiled Eve with his subtilty, 2 Cor. xi. 3., let us not be be- guiled by the snares and policies of this liellish Machiavel. Satan hath a dexterity in subtle contrivances ; he doth more hurt ;is a fox, than a lion ; his snares are worse than his darts, 2 Cor. ii. 11., " We are not ignorant of his devices."
\Oth. The next subtilty of Satan is, he la- bours to ensnare us by lawful things. In Ileitis perimus omnes. More are hurt by lawful things, than unlawful, as more are killed "with wine than poison ; gross sins affright, but how many take a surfeit and die, in using lawful things inordinately ? Recreation is lavvful, — eating and drinking are lawful, — but many offend by excess, and their table is a snare. Relations are law- ful, but how oft doth Satan tempt to over- love ! how oft is the wife and child laid in God's room ! Excess makes things lawful become sinful.
]\th Subtilty of Satan is, to make the duties of our general and particular calling hinder and justlc out one another. Our general calling is serving God, — our parti- cular calling is minding our employments in the world. It is wisdom to be regular in both these, when the ])articular calling doth not eat out the time for God's service, nor the service of God hinder diligence in a calling. The devil's art is to make Chris- tians defective in one of these two ; some spend all their time in hearing, reading, and under a pretence of living by faith, do not live in a calling ; others Satan takes off du-
ties of religion, under a pretence that they must provide for their families, — he makes them so careful for their bodies, that they quite neglect their souls. This is the sul>- tilty of the old serpent, to make men negli- gent in the duties either of the first table or the second.