As to inward evils, so we go to God for wisdom and strength ; for Satan assaults us both ways, by wiles and darts : when he comes in a way of violence, he comes with fiery darts ; but when he doth lie in ambush, there he hath his wiles to entice us with a seeming good. We—
(1.) Beg wisdom, that you may espy the wiles of Satan, and may not be caught unawares, for he is ' transformed into an angel of light,' 2 Cor. xi. 14. Mark, the devil doth not care so much to ride his own horses, to act and draw wicked men to evil ; he hath them sure enough ; but he laboureth to employ the saints in his work, if he can, to get one which belongs to God to do his business ; therefore he changeth himself into an angel of light. The temptation is disguised with very plausible pretences ; then a child of God may be a factor for Satan, and an instrument of the devil. For instance, would Peter have ever made a motion for Satan if he had seen his hand ? Oh, no; the temp- tation was disguised to him when he persuaded his Master from suf- fering. He covereth his foul designs with plausible pretences. Carnal counsel shall be pity and natural affection ; Mat. xvi. 22, 23, ' Let not these things be ; be it far from thee, Lord : this shall not be unto thee. He said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan ; thou art an offence unto me.' At another time, the disciples, when their Master was slighted and contemned, they thought certainly they should do as Elias did, call for fire from heaven to consume them, Luke ix. 54. Revenge will often go for zeal for God. Revenge, or storming at per- sonal affronts or injuries done to ourselves, is looked upon as zeal ; then the disciples may not know what spirit they are of. Many times we are acted by the devil when we think we are acted by the Spirit of God, and that which seems to be zeal is nothing but revenue. There- fore we had need go to God : Lord, deliver us from evil ; we are
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poor unwary creatures ; that we may not be ensnared by fair pretences and surprised by his enterprises. And thus we beg wisdom.
(2.) We pray for strength to withstand his darts, that we may take the armour of God and withstand the evil one, Eph. vi. 13. Alas ! of ourselves we cannot deliver ourselves from the least evil, or stand out against the least assault ; therefore it is God alone that must keep the feet of his saints, 1 Sam. ii. 9. Therefore we go to him, that we may get his covenant strength, that we may be ' strong in the power of his might,' to conflict with Satan. Well, then, in regard of the first enemy of our salvation, the devil, we had need pray earnestly, that we may not be prevailed over by his arts ; it is God alone that can keep us.
[2.] The world, that is another evil which is, as it were, the devil's chessboard ; we can hardly move backward or forward but he is ready to attack us and surprise us by one creature or another, and draw us into the snare. Therefore it is said, Gal. i. 4, that Christ ' gave him- self for us, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.' That is one way of being delivered from evil, when we are delivered from an evil world. It concerns us, and it is a great point of religion, to be ' kept unspotted from the world,' James i. 27. The whole world is full of evils and temptations, and we cannot walk anywhere but we are likely to be defiled. The things of the world, the men of the world.
(1.) The things of the world. All conditions of life become a snare to us, prosperity, adversity : Prov. xxx. 8, 9, ' Give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food convenient for me,' &c., ' lest I be full, and deny thee,' &c. Either condition hath its snares. A garment too short will not cover our nakedness, and too long proves lacinia prce- pendens, ready to trip up our heels ; and therefore both the one and the other condition are very dangerous. Many carry themselves well in one condition, but quite miscarry in another. As Ephraim was as a cake not turned, baked on the one side, Hosea vii. 8, quite dough on the other. Or as it is said of Joab, 1 Kings ii. 28, ' He turned after Adoni- jah, though he turned not after Absalom.' Some miscarry in adversity, others in prosperity. Indeed more under prosperity. Diseases which grow out of fulness are more rife than those which grow out of want ; and fat and fertile soils are more rank of weeds. God's children most miscarry when all things are prosperous and flow in upon them, when they have lived in plenty. David was not soiled while he wandered up and down in the wilderness ; but when he walked upon the terrace of his palace in Jerusalem, then he fell to lust and blood. The un- soundness of a vessel is not seen when it is empty ; but when filled with water, then we see whether it be stanch, or leaky or no.