Make present and peremptory resistance against Satan's temptations, bid defiance to the temptation at first sight. It is safe to resist, it is dangerous to dispute. Eve lost herself and her posterity by falling into lists1 of dispute, when she should have resisted, and stood upon terms of defiance with Satan. He that would stand in the hour of temptation must plead with Christ, 'It is written.' He that would triumph over temptations must plead still, 'It is written.2 Satan is bold and impudent, and if you are not peremptory in your resistance, he will give you fresh onsets. It is your greatest honour, and your highest wisdom, peremptorily to withstand the beginnings of a temptation, for an after- remedy comes often too late.
Mrs Catherine Bretterege once, after a great conflict with Satan, said, ' Reason not with me, I am but a weak woman ; if thou hast anything to say, say it to my Christ ; he is my advocate, my strength, and my redeemer, and he shall plead for me.'3
Men must not seek to resist Satan's craft with craft, sed per aperturn Martemn, but by open defiance. He shoots with Satan in his own bow, who thinks by disputing and reasoning to put him off. As soon as a temptation shews its face, say to the temptation, as Ephraim to his idols, ' Get you hence, what have I any more to do with you ?' Hosea xiv. 8. Oh ! say to the temptation, as David said to the sons of Zeruiah, ' What have I to do with you V 2 Sam. xvi. 10. You will be too hard for me. He that doth thus resist temptations, shall never be undone by tempta- tions, &c.4
Make strong and constant resistance against Satan's temptations. Make resistance against temptations by arguments drawn from the honour of God, the love of God, your union and communion with God; and from the blood of Christ, the death of Christ, the kindness of Christ, the intercession of Christ, and the glory of Christ ; and from the voice of the Spirit, the counsel of the Spirit, the comforts of the Spirit, the presence of the Spirit, the seal of the Spirit, the whisperings of the Spirit, the commands of the Spirit, the assistance of the Spirit, the wit- ness of the Spirit; and from the glory of heaven, the excellency of grace,
1 ' Artifices.' Cf. Ilalliwcll, sub voce. — G.
* Winn Constantino the emperor was told that there was no means to euro his lep- rosy but by bathing his body in the blood of infants, lie presently answered, Malo semper wgrolarc quam tali remedio convalescere, I had rather not be cured than use such a remedy.
* See ' Two Funeral Sermons for Mrs Catherine Bretterege;' the one by W. Harrison, the other by W. Legh. lf>05.'— G.
4 1 have road of one, who, being tempted with offers of money to desert Christ, gave this excellent answer : Let nut any man think that he will embrace other men's goods to forsake Christ, who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ.
2 Cor. II. 11.] against satan's devices. 117
the beauty of holiness, the worth of the soul, and the vileness or bitter- ness and evil of sin — the least sin being a greater evil than the greatest temptation in the world.
And look that you make constant resistance, as well as strong resist- ance ; be constant in arms. Satan will come on with new temptations when old ones are too weak.1 In a calm prepare for a storm. The tempter is restless, impudent, and subtle ; he will suit his temptations to your constitutions and inclinations. Satan loves to sail with the wind. If your knowledge be weak, he will tempt you to error ; if your conscience be tender, he will tempt you to scrupulosity and too much preciseness, as to do nothing but hear, pray, read, &c. ; if your con- sciences be wide and large, he will tempt you to carnal security ; if you are bold-spirited, he will tempt you to presumption ; if timorous, to desperation ; if flexible, to inconstancy ; if proud and stiff, to gross folly ; therefore still fit for fresh assaults, make one victory a step to another. When you have overcome a temptation, take heed of unbend- ing your bow, and look well to it, that your bow be always bent, and that it remains in strength. When you have overcome one temptation, you must be ready to enter the list2 with another. As distrust in some sense is the mother of safety, so security is the gate of danger. A man had need to fear this most of all, that he fears not at all. If Satan be always roaring, we should be always a-watching and resisting of him. And certainly he that makes strong and constant resistance of Satan's temptations, shall in the end get above his temptations, and for the present is secure enough from being ruined by his temptations, &c.
For a close of this, remember, that it is dangerous to yield to the least sin to be rid of the greatest temptation. To take this course were as if a man should think to wash himself clean in ink, or as if a man should exchange a light cross, made of paper, for an iron cross, which is heavy, toilsome, and bloody. The least sin set home upon the conscience, will more wound, vex, and oppress the soul, than all the temptations in the world can ; therefore never yield to the least sin to be rid of the great- est temptation.3 Sidonius Apollinarius relateth how a certain man named Maximus, arriving at the top of honour by indirect means, was the first day very much wearied, and fetching a deep sigh, said, ' Oh, Damocles ! how happy do I esteem of thee, for having been a king but the space of a dinner ! I have been one whole day, and can bear it no longer/ * I will leave you to make the application.
IV. The fourth thing to be shewed is,
The several ways and devices that tSatan hath to destroy and en- snare all sorts and ranks of men in the world.
I shall begin with the honourable and the great, and shew you the devices that Satan hath to destroy them. I will only instance in those that are most considerable.
Device (1). His first device to destroy the great and honourable of
1 Luke iv. 13, ' And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.' Christ had no rest until he was exactly tried with all kinds of temp- tations. [Calvin in loc.—G ] 2 ' Course.' — G.
3 He that will yield to sin to be rid of temptation, will be so much the more tempted, and the less able to withstand temptations.
4 Opera: Sidonius C. S. Apollinaris, sub nomine (Paris, 1652, by Sirmond).— G.
118 PRECIOUS REMEDIES [2 COR. II. 11.