[3.] He doth it by internal suggestion : 1 Chron. xxi. 1, ' And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel ; ' that is, by internal suggestion. John xiii. 2, ' The devil put it into the heart of Judas to betray him.' He haunts and pesters the hearts of men by vain thoughts and carnal imaginations. So ' the god of this world ' is said to ' blind their minds,' 2 Cor. iv. 4.
[4.] By stirring up the humours of our body. When he seeth men inclined to wrath, and angry motions, or lust, the devil joins, and makes the tempest the more violent. He knows what use to make of an angry look, a wanton glance ; he knows how to tempt, by awaken- ing the humours of our own body against us.
Take some observations here.
(1.) In all sins Satan joineth; he is not idle, but makes use of every inclination of ours ; as he sees the tree leaning, he joins issue. But some sins are jjurely of his suggestion ; horrid sins, and such as are so very evil, that they could come from no other but from the devil : such sins as could not be acted by man in an ordinary course of sinning. As Judas his treason : though he were devil enough to plot such a thing, yet it is said, Satan put it into his heart. And such singula! diabolical suggestions may be darted into the bosom of believers some- times ; thoughts of atheism, blasphemy, unnatural sins, self-murder, suspicion of the gospel ; these things the devil throws in. Therefore, Eph. vi. 16, believers are warned to quench these fiery darts, that the devil hurls into the souls of men.
(2.) Every man is haunted with special temptations, from temper.
Mat, VI. 13.] the lord's rEAYER. 207
sex, age, custom, calling, company, course of affairs ; these things are often spoken of in scripture. From temper : God makes use of temper ; for though he plants all grace in the hearts of the regener- ate, yet there are certain graces wherein they are eminent ; as Timothy for temperance, Moses for meekness, &c. Thus Paul speaks of the law in his members : Kom. vii. 23. The devil may find forces from the temper of the body to destroy the soul. So also from sex; as he ' be- guiled Eve,' 2 Cor. xi. 3. And from age: we read of ' youthful lusts,' 2 Tim. ii. 22. And how strong the devil is about young ones : 1 John ii. 13, ' I have written unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.' They are most assaulted with pride, with youthful lusts suitable to their age. So from custom and education : Ps. xviii. 23, ' I kept myself from mine iniquity.' Every man hath his iniquity ; that is, such as his education and custom hath wrought upon him, which makes the sin prevail over other sins. A child of God hath a predominant sin, not over grace, for that is inconsistent with sincerity ; but some master-sin which prevails over the rest ; according as the channel is cut, so corrupt nature runs, but some in this channel, and some in that : every man hath his special sin, and accordingly the devil plies him. Then our calling is a special temp- tation : 1 Tim. iii. 6, the apostle speaks that a bishop should ' not be a novice, lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil ; ' — pride, and ostentation of gifts, and vainglory in such public service. Many other sins follow every calling : therefore if you would be skilled in Satan's enterprises, you must mind temper, age, calling. So company : as a man's company is, his soul is insensibly tainted. As a man that walks in the sun is tanned before he is aware, so are the souls of men sullied and defiled by carnal company before they be aware. A man would think, of all sins, passion is so uncomely that it should not tempt another man : yet it is said, Prov. xxii. 24, 25, ' Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go ; lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul : ' for the more accustomed to them, the less odious they seem ; so by little and little, our spirits are shaped and fitted for such a sin. There are certain sins that are more special temptations. Look, as every disease hath a diet which suits with it, so all sins in the soul. Satan knows what baits we will catch at. It may be, a man that is addicted to the pleasures of the flesh may despise profit, and there- fore the devil will not ply him that way. So a man that is addicted to gain despiseth pleasure. The devil suits him with a bait that suits the disease of his soul. It is an opinion the devils have their several wards and quarters ; some for such a sort of sinners, others for another sort. Look, as the heathens had several gods (which were indeed devils), as Bacchus, the god of riot, or patron of good-fellowship; and Venus, of wantonness and love ; and Mars, the devil of revenge- ful and angry spirits : and we read of Mammon for wealth : Mat. vi. 24. I know it is ?ifictio 2Jers(ma\ to make the matter more sensi- ble ; there is a person feigned. But there may be something of this truth in it, that the devils have several quarters, some to humour the covetous, others enticing the wanton, others lie leigers in taverns and drinking- houses, to draw men to beastly excess; and others