that are flesh- Satan knows the flesh loA'es to be gratified, it cries out for ease and liberty ; it will not endure any yoke, unless it be lined and made soft. The devil will be sure so to lay his bait of temptation, as to please and humour the flesh. The word saith, ' Sti'ive as in an agony' to enter into glory, — crucify the flesh, — take the kingdom of heaven by holy violence, — now Satan, to enervate and weaken these scriptures, comes with temptations and flatters the flesh. He tells men, there needs no such strictness, — why so much zeal and violence ? a softer pace will serve, — sure there is an easier way to heaven, — there needs no breaking the heart for sin, — do but confess to a priest, or tell over a few beads, or say some Ai'e Marias, and this will procure you a pardon, and give you admission into paradise. Or, the devil can go another way to work ; if he sees men startle at popery, then he stirs up the flattering Antinomian, and he comes in another disguise, and saith, " What needs all this cost ? what needs repenting tears? these are legal. What need you be so strict in your obedience ? Christ hath done all for you, you may make use of your Christian li- berty." Tiiis temptation draws many a- way ; it takes them off from strictness of life. He who sells cheapest shall have most cus- tomers; the devil knows this is a cheap easy doctrine, which will please the flesh, and he doth not doubt but he shall have customers enough.
22d Subtilty of Satan in tempting, is, in reference to holy duties. His policy is either to hinder from duty, or discourage in duty, or put men too far in duty.
1. To hinder from duty, as 1 Thess. ii. 18., " I would have come once and again, but Satan hindered me." So many duties
OF THE SIXTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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of religion had been performed, " but Sa- tan hindered." The hand of Joab is in this. There are three duties wliich the devil is an enemy to, and labours to keep us from.
(1.) Meditation. He will let men pro- fess, or pray and hear in a formal manner ; this doth him no hurt, nor them no good ; but he doth oppose meditation, as being a means to compose the heart, and make it serious. Satan can stand your small shot ; if you do not put in this bullet, he cares not how much you hear, nor how little you meditate. Meditation is a chewing of the cud, — it makes the word digest, and turn to nourishment ; meditation is the bellows of the aifections, — the devil is an enemy to this. When Christ was alone in the wil- derness, giving himself to divine contem- plations, then the devil comes and tempts him, to hinder him. He will thrust in worldly business, something or other to keep men off from holy meditation.
(2.) Duty, which Satan, by tempting, would keep us from, is mortification. This is as needful as heaven, Col. iii. 5., *' Mortify your members which are upon the earth, uneleanness, inordinate affection." Satan will let men be angry with sin, ex- change sin, restrain sin, which is keeping sin prisoner, that it doth not break out ; but when it comes to the taking away the life of sin, Satan labours to stop the war- rant, and hinder the execution. When sin is mortifying, Satan is crucifying.
(3.) Self-examination, 2 Cor. xiii. 5., " Examine yourselves," — a metaphor from metal, that is pierced through, to see if it be gohl within. Self-examination is a spi- ritual inquisition set up in one's soul ; a man must searcli his heart for sin, as one would search a house for a traitor, or, as Israel sought for leaven to burn it. Satan, if it be possible, will, by his temptations, keep men from this duty ; he useth a great doa\ of subtilty. Here, first he tells them, their estate is good, and what need they put themselves to the trouble of examina- tion ? Though men will not take their mo- ney on trust, but will examine it by the touch- stone, yet Satan persuades them to take their grace on trust. The devil per- euaiW the foolish virgins, they had oil in
will shew men the faults of others, to keep them from searching their own : see what a proud covetous man goes there. He will allow them spectacles to see what is amiss in others, but not a looking-glass to behold their own faces, and see what is amiss in themselves.
2. Satan's policy is, to discourage us in duty. When one hath been about the per- forming of holy duties, then the devil stands up and tells him he hath played the hypo- crite,— he hath served God for a livre, — he hath had sinister ends, — his duties have been full of distraction,— they have been fly-blown with pride, — he hath offered the blind and lame, and can lie expect a reward from God ? Satan tells a Christian, he hath increased his sin by prayer; and, by this temptation, he would make a child of God quite out of c(mceit with his duties, he knows not whether he had best pray or not.