Second///, Satan tempts to sin by the baits and allurements of the world. Foenus peci(nia>J'tinns anima:. One of Christ's own apostles was caught with a silver bait. Such as the devil cannot debauch with vice, he will corrupt with money : " all these things will 1 give thee," was his last temptation, Mat. iv. 9. Achan was deluded by a wedge of gold. Sylvester H. did sell his soul to the devil for a popedom.
Thirdly, Satan tempts to sin, sub specie honi, under a mask and shew of good ; his temptations seem gracious motions.
1. He tempts men to duties of religion. You would think this strange, that Satan should tempt to duty ; but it is so. 1. He tempts men to duty out of sinister ends. Thus he tempted the Pharisees to pray and give alms, that they might be seen of men. Mat. \\. 5. Prayer is a duty, but to look a-squint in prayer, to do it for vain-glory, this prayer is turned into sin. 2. T le tempts to duty, when it is not in season. Numb, xxviii. 2., " My offering and my bread for my sacrifices, shall ye offer unto me in their due season." Satan tempts to duty when it is out of season; he tempts to read the word at home, when we should be hearing
the word ; he will so tempt to one duty, as it may hinder another. 3. He tempts some to duty, out of design that it may be a cloak for sin. He tempts them to frequency in duty, that they may sin and be less sus- pected. He tempted the Pharisees to make long prayers, that they might devour wi- dows' houses under this pretence. Mat. xxiii. 14. Who would suspect him of false weights, that so oft holds a Bible in his hand ? Thus cunning is Satan he tempts to duty.
2. He tempts men to sin, out of a shew of love to Christ. You Avill think this strange, but there is truth in it. IMany a good heart may think what he dotli is in love to Christ, and all this while he may be under a temptation. Christ told Peter he must suffer at Jerusalem ; Peter took him and rebuked him, " Be it far from tliee, Lord," Mat. xvi. 22., as if he had said to Christ, Lord thou hast deserved no such shameful death, and this shall not be un- to thee. Peter, as he thought, did this out of love to Christ, but Peter was all this while under a tem])tation. What had be- come of us, if Christ had hearkened to Pe- ter, and had not suffered ? So when Clirist washed his disciples' feet, Peter was so mannerly that he would not let Christ wash his feet, John xiii. 8., " Thou shalt never wash my feet." This Peter did (as he thought) out of love and respect to Christ; Peter thought Christ was too good to wash his feet, and thei'efore would have put Christ off; but this was a temptation, the devil put Peter upon this sinful modesty, he struck at Peter's salvation, insomuch that Christ saith, *' If I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me." So agjiin, when the Samaritans would not receive Christ, the disci i)les, James and John, said, " Lord wilt thou that we command fire from hea- ven and consume them?" Luke ix. 54., they did this, as they thought, out of love to Christ ; thcv would wisjj for fire to con- sume their enemies, but tiiey were under a temptation ; it was not zeal, but the wild fire of their own passion : " ye know not (sjiith Christ) what spirits ye are of."
Fourthly, Satan tempts to that sin which a man's heart is naturally most inclinable to ; he will not tempt a civil man to gross
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Bin, tliis is aMiornnfr to tho. Hjjlit of nature. Satan never sets a dish before men tliat they <lo not love : but be will tempt a civil man to pride, and to trust in bis own righ- teousness, and to make a Saviour of bis ci- vility. The spider weaves a web out of lier own bowels ; the civil man would weave a web of salvation out of bis own rigliteousness. See then in what danger we are, when Satan is continually lying in ambush with bis temptations.
Brancb 2. See man's inability of himself to resist a temptation. Could be stand of himself against a temptation, this prayer were needless, " Lead us not into tempta- tion ;" no man bath power of himself to re- sist a temptation, further than God gives him strength, Jer. x. 23., " O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself !" If Peter who had true grace, and Adam who had perfect grace, could not stand a- gainst temptation, much less can any stand by the power of nature ; which confutes the doctrine of free-will ; what freedom of will hatb man, when be cannot resist the least temptation ?