doth thus change his hand, as when we have resisted one way, fall on aft'esh another, vea, plant his succeeding temptation upon our very resistance in the former. Now it requires some readiness 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 hrought, now he is tried to piu-pose. And truly this is Satan's way when he tempts the Christian to neglect of duties of God's 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 zeal to promote his other in the worship of God. Or first, he comes and labours to deaden 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 keeps his sliest and most sublimated temptations for the last.
Fifthly, In his politic retreats. You shall have an enemy flee as overcome, when it is on a design of overcoming ; this was Joshua's wile, by which he caught the men of Ai in a trap. Josh. iii. 1. We read not only of Satan's being cast out, but of the ' unclean spirit's going out' (voluntarily), yet with a purpose to come again, and bring worse company with him. Matt. xii. 43. Satan is not always beat back by the dint and power of conquering grace, but sometimes he draws oiF, 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 plains 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 burrow : now the soul walks the rounds, stands upon its guard, dares not neglect duty, because the enemy is under its very walls, shooting in his temptations con- tinually ; but when Satan seems to give the soul over, and the Christian finds he is not haunted v/ith such motions as fomierly, truly now he is prone to remit in his diligence, fail in his duty, and grow either infrequent or formal therein ; as the Romans, 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.
CHAPTER III.
OF satan's subtilty in choosing instruments fit for his turn to
CARRY on his TEMPTING DESIGN.
3. The third particular in which Satan shews his subtilty as a tempter, is in the choice of those instruments whom he useth for the carrying on this his design ; he, as the master workman, cuts out the temptation, and gives it the shape ; but sometimes he hath his journeymen to make it up; he knows his work may be carried on better by others, when he appears not above-board himself. Indeed there is not such a suitableness between the angelical nature and man's, as there is between one man and another, and therefore he cannot make his approaches so familiarly to us as man can do to man ; and here, as in other things, he is God's ape. You know this very reason was given why the Israelites desired God might not speak to them, but Moses and God liked the motion; ' They have well said,' saith God, ' I will raise up a prophet from the midst of them like unto thee,' Deut. xviii. 17. Thus Satan, he useth the ministry of men like ourselves, by which, as he becomes more famihar, so he is less suspected, while, Joab-like, he gets another to do his errand. Now it is not any will serve his turn for this employment, he is very choice in the instru- ments he pitcheth on : it is not every soldier is fit for an embassage to treat with an enemy, to betray a town, and the like. Satan considers who can do his work to his greatest advantage ; and in this he is unlike God, who is not at all choice in his instruments, because he needs none, and is able to do as well with one as another; but Satan's power being finite, he must patch up the defect of the lion's skin with the fox's. Now the persons Satan aims at for his instru- ments are chiefly of four sorts.
E 2
52 THAT YE JIAV BE ABLE TO STAND
First, Persons of place and power. Secondly, Persons of parts and policy. Thirdly, Persons of holiness, or at least reputed so. Fourthly, Persons of re- lation aiul interest.