THE POWER AND POLICY OF SATAN, BOUNDED AND BAFFLED BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

THE POWER AND POLICY OF SATAN,

BOUNDED AND BAFFLED

BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. *

A Sermon
BY
RALPH ERSKINE (1685-1752)
 

[* This subject was handled in three sermons, preached on Saturday, Sabbath, and Monday, before, in time of, and after the celebration of the sacrament of the Lord’s supper at Stirling, June 13, 1742.]

Luke xxii. 31, 32.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon; behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.


THE quarrel between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent is ancient, mortal and implacable. It is almost as old as the world, Gen. iii. 15. This enmity is maintained between the church militant, and the church malignant; between the synagogue of God, and the synagogue of Satan; as between the Israelites and the Philistines. Each of these parties have their champion; as the Israelites had David, and the Philistines, Goliath.—Satan’s armies are legions of evil spirits, and evil men, seduced by errors, deceived by false promises, and hired by the wages of unrighteousness: their general is the Devil or Satan.—CHRIST’s armies are the good angels, who encamp about them that fear God, as so many horses and chariots of fire, as Gehazi saw, when his eyes were opened; and saints, who are as an army with banners; with banners displayed, ready to fight, having put on the whole armour of God: But the great General and Captain of the host, is the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who did encounter our grand enemy two remarkable times, once in the wilderness, and once on the cross: and both times killed him with his own weapons, once by scripture, and once by death, as David cut off the head of Goliath with his own sword: and so, “Through death, did destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” and, in sign of victory, brought away the keys, Rev. I. 18. “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen: and have the keys of hell and of death.” For evermore! There is our part, and our hope. He is alive for evermore, until he shall tread down Satan under our feet, Rom. xvi. 20. 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25. Till then, we must neither look for peace nor truce, but stand upon our ground with our swords drawn, and our watch set, and our armour girt on; knowing that our cause is good, our captain great, our conquest certain, and our crown immortal, that fadeth not away.


This enmity in Satan proceeds from malice and envy, two active and stirring principles; malice to God, and envy to men: for, not being able, with his poison, to reach God, he casts it out upon man, his image-bearer. Now, as the quarrel is old, so it is deadly. He is a murderer from the beginning; a serpent, a lion, a dragon, an enemy, an accuser, a destroyer: yea, the older the subtler; having still the more experimental subtlety. And knowing that his time is short, he rages the more; as a stone moves fastest, when it comes nearest the centre. He is now the old serpent, the red dragon, Rev. xii. 3. the roaring lion, 1 Pet. V. 8. “A murderer from the beginning,” John viii. 44. Satan practiced his cruelty upon the first pair of men that ever were in the world, and prevailed, when Cain slew his brother; and upon the old quarrel, because Abel’s works were good, and Cain’s evil, 1 John iii. 12. Ever since the blood of Abel, red hath been the church’s colour, and sanguine hath been her complexion; their constancy in suffering being an evidence of the truth they suffered for. Yet they had not been more sorrowful than fruitful; for, the blood of the martyrs hath still been the seed of the church. From Abel’s time, to this day, the serpent hath never been idle: the Devil hath never been asleep: never hath he changed in his mind, abated in his malice, nor desisted in his mischief, wherein he hath prevailed upon the children of men. His method hath still been either by subtlety or cruelty; sometimes as a crooked serpent, by the insinuation of error, heresy, and delusion, wherewith the church hath been dangerously infested; at other times, like a flying dragon, or a roaring lion, by the fury of threatening and tortures, battering down and devouring with tyranny and persecution. Hard and difficult is it to tell in which of these he hath been most successful. No sooner had the church rest and peace from the bloody sword, but they fell out in factions; insomuch that the church hath grown most, when most oppressed, as Israel multiplied in their bondage. It was so from the beginning; it was so in the first and best days of the church; as a serpent he began, and he will be but the old serpent still. It was so when Christ himself was present in the army; “Simon, Simon; Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat,” &c.


Thus powerful, and thus malicious is our enemy; thus vigilant and thus implacable. What then shall we do? Shall we hang down our heads in despair? Or, like cowards, trust to our heels, as if they were better soldiers than our hands? No, says our Lord; as David of Goliath, 1 Sam. xvii. 32. “Let no man’s heart fail because of him;” more are with us than against us: yea, “If God be with us, who can be against us?” Rom. Viii. 31. is the motto of the Christian warrior. Christ, the captain of our salvation, is surely more vigilant for the safety of the church, than Satan can be for their ruin. He can break the lion’s teeth, and take away the serpent sting. His wisdom can baffle the subtlety of Satan, unbutton his depths, and defeat his wiles; easily break thro’ his forces; yea, “The God whom we serve, is able to deliver us:” for, as he hath promised, “The gates of hell shall not prevail.” Neither his subtlety nor cruelty shall be able to overthrow the faith of the elect, as the text assures us: Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.


In the words, viewed more generally, we have, first a Premonition; and then an Admonition.


1. We have a Premonition; Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. And therein we may observe two things; first, the temptation, and then the success of it.


In the temptation you may observe, 1. The person warning of the temptation, Christ. 2 The person tempted, Simon. 3. The quality of the temptation, a winnowing. 4 The limitation of it; it is a desiring to winnow you.


In the success of this matter, observe, 1. The grace assaulted, his faith. 2 The power of this assault, tending to make faith to stagger and fail. 3. The protector in this case, Christ our defense, the seed of the woman. 4. The mean, and prevalence thereof, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.


2. The latter thing observed in the words, is the Admonition here given to Peter; When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.




The subject being too copious for any one doctrine we would just offer some remarks,



I. Upon the circumstances of the time and occasion wherein these words were spoke.

II. Upon the circumstances of the text.

III. Upon the warning itself. I. We are to offer some remarks upon the circumstances of the time and occasion wherein these words were spoke. Here the circumstances are to be considered, namely, 1. The time that Satan chose. 2. The occasion, Christ’s suffering and passion. Hence observe,


1^st, The afflictions of the godly are stumbling-blocks: so it was with the suffering of the Head; the smiting of the Shepherd occasioned the scattering of the sheep, Zech. Xiii. 7. The afflictions of the godly are stumbling-blocks through Satan’s policy. The cross of Christ is called a scandal. Paul’s chain and bonds were matter of offence to many. But it is said of Onesiphorus, he was not ashamed of my chain, 2 Tim. I. 16. “For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain,” Acts xxviii. 20. But there are two ways whereby Satan makes the trials of the godly, and their afflictions, stumbling-blocks; and that,


1. By corrupting our judgments. The devil persuades men that the religion that is persecuted is not good. On this account Eliphaz was tempted to condemn Job, chap. iv. 7. “Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or, where were the righteous cut off?” When the wicked prosper, and the godly seem to perish, and be cut off in this life, it is a great temptation even to the godly; as it was to Asaph, who got not over this stumbling-block, till he went to the sanctuary, Psal. Lxxiii. 3,—17. When we served the queen of heaven, we were in a better state, said the idolatrous Jews, Jer. xliv. 17,—19.


2. By stirring up base affections, self-love, and selfish inclinations; base fears. The Israelites were valiant till they arrived at the Red-sea; and till they heard of the Anakims. Set down, therefore, what religion will cost you. Expect not to go to heaven in a chariot. Lay your account with the worst. Choose with Moses, to suffer affliction. Mortify your base affections, and get on a resolution to suffer. No fearful soldier should go to war. Love of God and the world cannot stand together.


2^dly, Observe from the time, that Satan is wary and watchful in taking opportunity to tempt: “The devil walketh about like a roaring lion, 1 Pet. V. 8. He goes to and fro in the earth, and walketh up and down it,” Job i. 7. We read, Eph. vi. How the whole armour of God is to be put on, to note, or point out to us, the vigilance of the enemy, his sleights and ambushments, snares and gins. We have a remarkable instance of the cunning and subtlety of Satan, in the first temptation, when he assaulted Eve. 1. He tempts the weaker vessel. 2 When she was alone. 3. By a subtle lie; “Yea hath God said, Ye shall not eat of the tree?” intermixed with some truth, to make the lie the more taking, “Ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil;” a truth, but the dreadfulness of it covered: for they were to be indeed as devils, knowing good and evil to their fearful experience. 4. By a solemn attesting God himself to confirm this truth; for, “God knows, says he, that your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods.” Where learn, that Satan’s strongest attacks to delude are in God’s name. If he did not father his lies, deceits, delusions upon God, they could not be so successful. Satan’s slaves, and these that are tempted and deluded by him, are most ready with their solemn appeals to God, that he knows this or that to be a truth, which yet is but a lie: “God knows that you shall have your eyes opened, and be as gods, knowing good and evil.” He then said, God knows you shall know; and now he is ready to suggest, saying, God knows that you do know. What if Satan, at this day, be making some to say, ’God knows that now my eyes are opened; I see what I did not see? God knows that I know some good and evil, that I did not know: God knows that a good work is wrought upon me; I am so sure of it, that I can attest God in the matter: I am so sure of it, that no man shall make me think otherwise.’ People may have confidence of this sort, and yet be under a devilish delusion. Satan teaches them to say, God knows that my eyes are opened, and I see what I did not see, &c.


This should teach us to be wise and wary, because we are weak; “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour,” 1 Pet. v. 8. The devil will have some, advantage, tho’ we were never so watchful; but, the more watchful we are, the less he will have.
1. We are to watch and observe the time. It is like, when we are weak in body and mind, distempered and discouraged, he will set upon us, and most successfully prevail against us.


2. When we are alone. Some sins are not committed but alone. The enemy sets upon his adversary alone, and too often prevails most powerfully over him.


3. When a faithful ministry is absent and forgot. Thus the Israelites turned to the golden calf in Moses’s absence. In time of gospel-preaching, people do not provide for the time of temptation, but forget the instructions they have got, and so lay open to snares.


4. When we are in evil company. Joseph in Egypt, learns to swear; Peter, in the judgment-hall, to forswear. Put a coal in the fire, and it receives the colour of the fire. The very sight of gaunting and yawning smites others with the same disease: a fit of laughter will provoke others to laugh; and so will the weeping and wailing of one or two set an hundred a-weeping and wailing, which may be merely the fruit of a natural sympathetic tempter in a people. But when these take footing in places of temptation, especially spiritual and devout assaults of the enemy; the infection may prove very dangerous and dismal: and that even,


5. When we are in good company. So Peter was a temptation to Christ, and afterward to Barnabas, when carried away with the dissimulation: Aaron and Miriam were a temptation to Moses. So may good men and ministers be great temptations, through the power and policy of Satan.


6. When the occasions of sin are present, and tempting objects are in view; then we need to be most watchful and wary: “Look not on the wine when it is red, when it giveth the colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright,” Prov. Xxiii. 31. When occasions of sin are of a ruddy and beautiful colour; when the cup of temptation moves itself aright; when spiritual temptations, and religious ones, have a fair and glorious like appearance; look not then upon them; beware of them, they are like water and wind to a mill.


Again, if Satan be so wary and watchful, we need to take heed of four sins that are his opportunities; as, 1. The sin of our calling; such as we are liable to therein. 2. Sins of custom, that you have been long inured unto. 3. Sins of constitution; for, tho’ all sins be like weeds in a garden; yet, some are such as overtop the rest. 4. Sins that easily beset, and sins that the present occurrence makes you most liable unto. So, when Christ had fasted long, then he is tempted to turn stones to bread, at the devil’s motion. When people have prayed long, and not been heard; then he tempts to say, Why should we wait any longer? O Sirs, look to an once tempted Jesus, who suffered being tempted, that he might be able to succour them that are tempted, Heb. ii. 8.


II. We proposed next to offer some remarks upon the circumstances of the text; which are these four. 1 The person warning, namely, Christ. 2 The person warned, Simon. 3. The ingemination and doubling of the name, Simon, Simon. 4. The solemnity of the warning, BEHOLD, Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat, &c.


1^st, The person warning, namely, Christ, here called the Lord; And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat. Here we may observe that Christ is a LORD, the Lord of lords; the Lord of hosts; Lord over heaven, earth, and hell. He hath right by nature, as God, and by donation, as Mediator, to the universal government. All the devils in hell are under his check and control, being far exalted above all principalities and powers; and head over all things to the church.


2^dly, The person warned, Simon. But, perhaps, it may be enquired, Why doth Christ address himself to Simon, when the danger was general? The word here is, He hath desired YOU; but I have prayed for THEE. The reason may be either from the eminency of the person, or the imminency of Peter’s fall, which Christ foresaw.


1. The reason may flow from the eminency of his person: for we can allow a pre-eminency and priority of order, tho’ not of office. To them all was committed the word of reconciliation, the administration of sacraments, and the power of the keys, as well as Peter: nor is the promise here made to him, as a promise peculiar to him, and to his successor, the bishop of Rome, as a privilege of infallibility in judgment, and indeficiency of faith; as the flatterers of the Roman faction gather from hence: but, as a stake in a hedge, well shaken and knocked, should stand the faster; so, Peter being tempted, and then converted, should strengthen others as he soon attempted, in going first in to the sepulcher, though John was first there; for, though love be nimblest, faith is boldest.


2. The reason may arise from the imminency of Peter’s fall, which Christ foresaw, and gave him a swatch of it here; but more expressly anon, ver. 34. with a Peter, I tell thee, that the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Christ saw where Satan had aimed his poisoned arrow, and warned him. He saw that he lay open by his presumption, and so calls upon him as Delilah did upon Samson, but with more sincerity, ‘The Philistines are upon thee, Samson:’ so Christ here, Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you. As fine a web as that spider, Satan, can spin, to inwrap the souls of men; the nimble eye of Christ can espy it out, and when he pleases, he can sweep it down.


If any ask, Why did he not prevent what he foresaw, and could hinder?


I answer, 1. The grace of God is not debtor to any man; God cannot be unrighteous in suffering that, which he is not bound or obliged to hinder.


2. God would not suffer evil in, or upon, his children, if he did not know how to bring good out of evil; yea, the greatest good out of the greatest evil. So, out of Judas’ treason, in betraying Christ to death, he brought the life and comfort of all the world. God suffers temptations to take place for many good reasons, as we may see afterward; but, here I shall only say, from Simon’s case, “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.”


Here we may remark, That these whom GOD advances to the greatest excellencies, SATAN assaults with the greatest violence. As the sun beats hottest upon the rising bank; so is Satan’s envy leveled most against these whom God hath advanced above others, either in grace or honour. God had no sooner marked out Job for his uprightness, but Satan marked him out for envy and mischief. So the king of Syria commanded his soldiers to bend all their force against the king of Israel 1 Kings xxii. 31. When Joshua stood before the angel of the Lord, Satan stood at his right-hand to resist him, Zech. Iii. 1. Our first parents escaped not long, as we see from Gen. iii. 1,—5. Yea, he set upon Christ himself with all his forces, Mat. iv. 3,—11.


QUEST. Why does God permit this?


Answ. 1. God permits it for the trial, and so for the honour of his graces in them; “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, tho’ now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness thro’ manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, tho’ it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” 1 Pet. I. 6, 7. Thus he turned Satan loose upon Job. As a cutler taking a sword, and striking it against an anvil; why, he knows what metal it is made of: so God knows what metal his servants are made of, and what Satan can do, what he would do, and what he shall do. By this means, God designs the advancement of his own glory, in the victory of faith, in the issue: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown,” James i. 12.


2. God’s grace is increased in his children by being exercised. Temptation is a school for training up Christ’s soldiers; as a sword glisters by using, which would rust in the scabbard. Exercise is good for our spiritual health; especially, such as God designs for high and honourable service: he will have them well tried; as we dig low when we have a mind to build high.


Again, as GOD has his ends; so Satan has his. And his design is, 1. To oppose God: out of envy, hating them most whom God honours most. 2. This is his subtlety; by a compendious way of mischief to strike at the root, and so the branches must wither; to cut off the head, and then the body must die; to poison the fountain, and then the streams must needs be deadly; to cut off the captain, and then the common soldiers must needs yield or fly.—Therefore, they that are most eminent must be most fiercely assaulted.


1. Hence learn, That we should pray for all; especially for those that are in eminent stations; as all the members of the body run to the succour of the head. We must pray for them, that our petitions may prevent Satan: Pray for us, say the apostle, and for me. We have many enemies, we that are ministers; especially, if aiming at the overthrow of Satan’s kingdom, and the advancement of Christ’s. The devil came with open mouth against Christ: “Why doth thou trouble us before the time?” The preaching of Christ crucified, and calling men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, troubles the devil exceedingly: and, alas! How many enemies did he inflame against Christ; Scribes, Pharisees, lawyers, Herodians; and the people?


2. Let men be content with a low state, if God has put them into it; for, the more honour, the more danger. The chimney and the weather-cock are the highest in the building; but the one most foul, the other most shaken. The foundation that lies lowest, lies surest. Let every one be content with his own place: God knows how to dispose of us. Again,


3. Men in eminent place may expect to be much assaulted. There was never any tall cedar but was well shaken; and, if not well rooted, in great danger.


4. Hence see, that you should pity these whose eminent place expose them to be shaken. Peter did not well understand himself when he said, “Tho’ all men forsake thee, yet will not I.” A coward may buckle on his harness, and break the air with great words; but, when he comes into the midst of the enemy, then his valour is put to it; as a pilot’s skill is most seen in a storm. It is easy to discourse of wars and storms, and dying for Jesus Christ; but it is another thing to meet with them.


3^dly, Another circumstance of the text is, the ingemination and doubling of the name, SIMON, SIMON: Behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. This ingemination of names in Scripture is usual; and useful in these three respects.


1. It expresses an ardency of love and affection; as in David to Absalom. ‘Absalom, Absalom! My son, my son!’ And our Lord Jesus to Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How oft would I have gathered thee, as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!”


2. As it points out the dearness of love, so the nearness of danger to the person beloved: so the angel to Abraham, when he had his knife drawn in his hand to kill Isaac, the angel cries out, Abraham! Abraham! His words made haste, one after another, lest they come too late to relieve Isaac, that lay trembling on his father’s knife.


3. It implies the security of the person thus in danger; as if one word would not awaken him. Thus, Christ called to Saul out of heaven, “Saul! Saul! Why persecuteth thou me?” Acts ix. 4. So Christ here, Simon! Simon! For any, or all of these reasons complexly viewed: for,


(1.) What greater love can be than that which is shewed to the soul? And what love comparable to the love of Christ? It is love infinitely surpassing the love of Jonathan. This moves Christ to double and ingeminate his name, Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, &c.


(2.) What greater danger than this of Simon, running into the mouth of the roaring lion, without fear or armour? Yea, his own security had stript him naked of his strength: therefore Christ, in commiseration of him, doubles his name, Simon, Simon!


(3.) Security deafens us to counsel, and hardens us to danger; and therefore there is need, sometimes, of wakening ingeminations, Simon, Simon! We need sometimes to give hasty intelligence of what danger is a-coming, lest the advertisement come too late at another time.


4^thly, Another circumstance of the text, that I observe is this, the solemnity of the warning, BEHOLD, Satan hath desired to have thee, &c. Behold is a word like a beacon fired on a hill-top, that betokens some extraordinary thing, calling men’s eyes to look to it; or as a trumpet that begets silence and commands attention. Here Christ is the preacher and the crier.


Here we may remark, ministers are called watchmen; and they should watch over the souls of men. Watchmen ought neither to be blind nor dumb; and we, whose office it is, should be seers, to look out; and criers, to cry out, when we spy a danger; as good shepherds do over the flock, when they spy the wolf coming, and endeavour to gather them to the fold.


It is our duty, and we must tell you, all places are full of temptations. You trade upon ice; you go among snares. Satan is laying snares for you everywhere. There is a snare in your profits, pleasures, and honours. There is a snare, and temptation in your meat, and drink, and sleep; a snare in your discourse, your communication and company. Every night’s sleep is a representation of death: and, as Satan, the prince of darkness, never sleeps; so, you have need, when you sleep, to close your eyes toward heaven, and sleep every night, as Christ died, with a “Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit.” Every one of your senses is a window to let in temptation, if there be not a watch set upon them. Eve found Satan in an apple; Achan, in a wedge of gold; Gehazi, in two talents of gold. Yea, there is a temptation in your good works. When you hear, when you pray, take heed. Good works may be made great temptations to pride of duty: yea, good ministers may be made great temptations; as was Simon, once and again: “Blessed is the man that feareth always.—Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” You need to prepare for evils before they come; for, when they come, it will be too late to prepare. In plenty, we should think of want; in health, prepare for sickness; in a calm, prepare for a storm. But, alas! When men are most in danger, they are most presumptuous: so Jonah, in the danger of the storm, is fast asleep; and will not be wakened, unless he be called upon by name, and again called upon, with a Simon, Simon.


III. I am next to offer some remarks upon the warning itself; Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. On which we offer the following remarks.


Remark 1. “There is no temptation of Satan, but our Lord is privy unto.” And, 1. In regard to his omnisciency; for, “All things are naked and open unto him;” as a man anatomized: so, all the depths of Satan are naked to him. His eye is like the eye of a well-drawn picture, that is in every corner of the room, and looks you straight, whatever way you view it. 2. In regard of his observing office: and he is called therefore a Shepherd, a Watchman; the Watchman of Israel, &c. This is ground of comfort to believers.


Our Lord Jesus is very observant of the devil’s desires. He observes what way the devil goes; and he never goes to God, but Christ observes him. The devil goes to God, but Christ observes him. The devil goes to God sometimes to accuse the saints; Christ observes that: sometimes to seek advantage against them; Christ observes that; with many other such like designs. But why doth Christ so strictly observe Satan’s designs against the saints? Why, 1. Christ is interested in his people. 2. He is our Advocate with the Father. 3. He is the friend, Satan the foe. When the devil gets leave to tempt them, yet Christ undertakes to baffle his temptations. O how great is the love of Christ to his children!


Remark 2. “The devil is an adversary, as his name Satan doth import.” To whom is he an adversary? Why, he is an adversary to all the creatures of God, and man in particular, and to God’s people in a special way. Why so? 1. Because of the quarrel in paradise; enmity placed between them; and a contrariety of nature. 2. Because he hates God, and consequently the image of God. How long will he be an enemy? He will remain always one. Why so? Because God ties him up: he is a chained adversary. O Sirs, be apprehensive of the devil’s malice and enmity. Christ requires us to love our enemies; that is, such as are curable; but devils are incurable. Oh! Keep out of the devil’s reach; and keep out of his ground. Watch against him, as David against Saul. Watch in prayer, in hearing. If he tempt to pride; answer him with a scripture, such as that, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” Whatever be the temptation; repel him with a Thus saith the Lord; or, a Thus it is written. After the example of our blessed Lord, Mat. Iv. 1,—11.


Remark 3. “The devil assaults the best of men.” What does the devil herein aim at? He aims at two things: 1. He credit: he strikes at the greatest; and if he be foiled, it is the less discredit: if he can overcome them, it is the greater honour; if not, it is the less dishonour. 2. His advantage. By pulling down the pillars of the house, he makes all fall. Thus he pulled down Adam; and then all fell. Thus he would pull down Christ, that he might destroy all.—But what doth God aim at in allowing him? Why, he likewise aims at two things: 1. His own glory; that he might be glorified. 2. That the graces of his people may be stronger. Great shaking winds make the trees take better root. Hence, want of temptation is an ill sign.


Again, The devil is most desirous to tempt the best of God’s saints. Why? 1. Because the best saints may carry the richest treasures. 2. Because the devil knows that, if he can get an eminent saint down, he will be sure to get down many more with him, as Gal. ii. 11, 12, 13. 3. It is the greatest disgrace to the scripture: Hence, “Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.” A child of God many be cast down, though he shall not be cast away.


It is the devil’s great and earnest desire of God, that he may tempt. There are times when the devil goes to God, and seeks to have leave to tempt; as, 1. In time of carnal security. 2. In time of spiritual pride. 3. After the soul hath been sealed, and had communion with God. 4. After Christ’s approbation of a soul. So Job chap. i. 1. 8, 9. ii. 3. 7. So Peter, Mat. Xvi. 17. 23. Therefore they need to be always keeping their armour about them.


Remark 4. “The devil cannot tempt the saints without God’s leave and commission.” This is plain, 1. From God’s absolute power over all the world: hence the devils are at his beck, Mark ix. 25. 2. From God’s gracious promise, setting bounds and limits to Satan’s temptations; “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way of escape,” 1 Cor. x. 13.


Remark 5. “Sifting is all that the devil can do to the “children of God.” He may trouble and tempt, but he cannot overthrow. The devil, indeed, in his temptations, aim at soul, and body, and all. But it may perhaps, be enquired, Why does the devil sift and winnow them? And why can he do no more? To which we reply, 1. Because they are a people in covenant with God. 2. They are a people whom God loves; therefore the devil hates them. 3. They are set up for great designs of God in the world; “This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise.” 4. Because God hath given all believers to Christ, that he should secure them: He takes care that none of them be lost. See John vi. 39. x. 28. xvii. 12. Therefore, tho’ the devil may cast down a child of God, yet he cannot keep them down.


Hence see the great love of God to his people. It is not because he does not love them, that they are tempted; but that he may take occasion the more to shew his delight in them. See also the great care that the Lord Jesus takes of his children, that Satan cannot hurt them, but sift them.


Remark 6. “Christ’s prayers are opposite to the devil’s prayer.” Christ prays for his people’s good; but the devil for their hurt. The devil seeks that our faith may be destroyed; Christ that our faith fail not. And, though the devil’s prayer should be heard sometimes, so as he may get leave to tempt and toss a child of God, yet Christ’s prayer is heard always. And hence, though the devil should get the better in a cabinet, yet he shall never win the war; the victory shall be upon Christ’s side: for, though Satan may seem to vanquish the saint for a while; yet, as Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers, they shall in him be victorious at last. The devil can never go to God, but Christ prevents him, and goes before him: I have prayed for thee.


Remark 7. “Neither former sins nor future provocations can hinder Christ’s prayer for his children.” Peter had formerly tempted Christ; and, for the present, he is presumptuous; and, for the future, Christ foresaw how he would forswear: yet all this does not hinder Christ’s prayer for Peter; but made him pity Peter the more, and pray for him the more, instead of casting him off. O the permanency of the love of Christ!


Remark 8. “The children of God ought to make particular improvement of Christ’s intercession; I have prayed for thee.” It is not enough to say, Christ intercedes for his saints, his sinning saints on earth; but his sinful people, while in a sinning world, with their sinful nature cleaving to them, ought to make particular use of Christ’s intercession for themselves. Christ says, it is for thee; and you may say, therefore, it is for me: O! he loved me; he laid down his life for me; he died for me; he rose for me; he ascended for me; and he liveth for ever to make intercession for me.


Remark 9. “The falls of the godly are owing to the failures of faith; an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” By unbelief they lose sight of the Captain of their salvation; and then they are discouraged and discomfited. By faith we stand, because by Christ we stand. The many falls, at this day, amongst the saints, argue the main failures of faith. This gives a vast advantage to the enemy. Satan would not get such advantage, if we were strong in the faith, giving glory to God.


Remark 10. “If any be established in the faith, and are kept from total falling; it is owning to the author and finisher of faith, Christ, who says, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” You would loose hold of me quite, might he say, if I did not keep the grip of you. A praying Jesus, by his prayer, takes hold of God, and takes hold of your faith; and so you are kept by the power of God, thro’ faith unto salvation. Pray, pray, then; but rely upon Christ’s prayers.

[The following observations and meditations were, most of them, delivered upon the Monday. And though some of the heads here seem to coincide with the former, yet the enlargements are distinct.]

[The second Sermon on this Text.]

AFTER what I have formerly said, I propose, at present, only to do these two things.


I. T offer some observations concerning Satan and his temptations.


II. Some meditations on the whole text.


I. We are to offer some observations concerning Satan and his temptations.


Observ. 1. “The tempter is Satan, which signifies an adversary.” His hand is like Ishmael’s, against every man. O that every man’s hand were against him! His name is full of danger and terror: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood,” Eph. vi. 12. Not with Pharaoh, or Sisera, or Sennacherib; not against Goliath, or the sons of Anak; but against the devil and his angels. You have a terrible description of Goliath, 1 Sam. Xvii. 4,—7.; of his prodigious height, with his helmet of brass, and coat of mail; but yet little David laid him at his length, and overcame him. But Satan is a more terrible enemy, if you consider these following particulars.


1. His nature, as a spirit; and such a one as can see and not be seen; do hurt to others, and suffer none himself.


2. His quality; being of wonderful activity and nimbleness; able to mingle with our fancies, and delude our imaginations, and work deceitfully against the souls of men. He can actuate a body, and make it move and speak; as in the experiment of the witch of Endor, in bringing up Samuel in his mantle. By reason of this spiritual and active quality, a legion of devils were in one man. Evil spirits are able to convey themselves from place to place, as nimbly as thought; and their projects are undiscovered, except by the spiritual watchman.


3. His power. Devils are called powers, Eph. Vi. 12. Not infinite, but limited powers; called “The prince of the power of the air;” whose power is conceived to extend to the shaking of the earth; the swallowing up of whole cities; the disturbing the course of the clouds, in causing storms of wind, and thunder, and lightening, when permitted. We read of the strength that the possessed man had, that no man could tame him; and how he broke asunder all his chains and fetters, Mark v. 3, 4.; and what power there was in one angel. The same reason is in good and bad angels, for that natural power they have, when armed with God’s command and permission. Of Satan’s power you read in the first chapter of Job. See also, 2 Kings xix. 35. Where you will find a hundred and fourscore and five thousand destroyed, in one night, by one angel, in the camp of Assyria.


4. His subtlety. His knowledge is much improven by experience: though he cannot know the thoughts of the heart, till they be formed into words or actions; nor foretell things future, except such as follow by order or nature, and such as God hath revealed to him, by using his service for the punishment of the disobedient, whom he gives over to strong delusions to believe lies, 2 Thes. ii. 11. By this subtlety, knowing the several tempers, complexions, and inclinations of men, and how to fit his temptations thereto; God, in his righteous judgment, suffers him to delude and infatuate many.


5. His envy and deadly hatred against mankind: hence called the accuser of the brethren, Rev. xii. 9, 10.; the great dragon, the devil, the deceiver of the whole world, the roaring lion, 1 Pet. v. 8. Lightening from heaven; “I beheld Satan, as lightening, fall from heaven,” Luke x. 18. Smoke from hell represents some of his terrible temptations; but lightening from heaven is what may be more dangerous; or, his appearance as an angel of light. The more glorious, bright, and heaven-like he appears in his attack, the more his hatred and enmity is exercised, and yet covered.


6. His numbers: his name is Legion, for he is many; and called principalities and powers, in the plural number.—Here are the tempters.


Observ. 2. “Satan is a limited enemy; Behold, Satan hath desired to have you.” For all his power and wisdom, natural and experimental, his malice and multitude; yet, he is limited and under authority. His power is not absolute, but limited; his actions, not authoritative, but under command and control: he is glad to go to God by petition. Satan, pray observe it, can do nothing against men, but by God’s permission: he must first ask leave. Tho’ he be the prince of the air, and the god of this world, Eph. ii. 2. 2 Cor. iv. 4. Yet he is but a tributary prince, a semi-deus, or a demi-god, as the heathens called some of theirs; not the chief prince, not the great God. For as furious and fiery as he is, God hath his hook in his nose, and his bridle in his jaws, as God said of Sennacherib, 2 Kings xix. 28. We have two eminent examples of this truth.


1. In the case of Job, till he had his life signed from God, he could not touch his body; nay, nor his servants, nor his camels, nor asses. See how expressly God inhibits him from touching his body; “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand,” Job. i. 12. And then commits his body to him, but reserves his life; “Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life,” Job ii. 6.


2. In the gospel; where a legion of devils become suitors to Christ for leave to enter into the swine, Luke viii. 26,—33. Into unclean swine; a fit habitation for unclean spirits: yet into such he dare not enter, but by leave first obtained of Christ. And are ye not better than many swine? Ye, to whom Christ is offered? He cannot touch your life; no not your skin; no not your swine at your gate; nay, a legion of them together dare not venture without God’s warrant.


The devil may, 1. Present the object, as the fisher lays in his bait. 2. He may corrupt the organ, and so deceive; as a juggler casts mists before the eyes of his spectators. 3. He may persuade, as a cunning sophist, with feigned arguments. And, 4. He may take advantage of predominant humours in the constitution, as an experienced philosopher.—Further, he cannot go to any thing upon us, or within us, without God’s permission, and without our free consent. For, till we open the door, he cannot enter. He may knock and intreat, and persuade and promise. The spark is his; but we are the tinder, else it could not kindle. The bait is his, but we must take it, else we cannot be taken. It is our yielding to his temptations, that hides his arrows, and makes them dangerous to us: For, if we consent not, and cast not ourselves in the way of temptation; the sin is upon his score. It is only a punishment to be tempted; but it is a sin to yield to the temptation. Hence,


(1.) This observation reproves many that attribute only to the devil many things whereof they are not able to give a reason, as extraordinary storms in the air, and the like, but presently forget God. Satan, no doubt, can do great and marvelous things: but shall we not remember that Satan is but a hammer in God’s hand? Whatsoever the rod be, it is the hand of God that strikes you. Satan had inflicted a heavy evil upon Job, and taken away all that he had; yet Job says, “The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken,” Job I. 21. He saith not, The Lord giveth, and the devil taketh away. Satan is but an instrument, chained up till God let him loose; a poor, slavish, tributary, beggarly spirit. He is but the base executioner of God’s just vengeance: and it is but our guiltiness and faithlessness that arms his malice against us.


(2.) This observation is full of comfort to poor believers in all their temptations, that God hath set his bound to Satan, as well as to the sea; and can rebuke him, as he did the winds and waves, and they obeyed him. It is comfort also, that more are with us, than against us; for our God is stronger than the strong man armed: “Resist the devil, and he will fly from you;” for, your “God will not suffer you to be tempted above measure.” When we fight, the Lord helps; and, when we conquer, he crowns.


(3.) Is it Satan’s desire to tempt us? Then let our desire prevent his desire. He desires to have you: but let it be your desire that he may not have you at his will. So Christ taught you, “Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;” or, deliver us in it. No doubt, your desire and petition will be sooner heard than Satan’s; sooner accepted than his; because your’s tends to good, and his to evil. Put your petition and desire in the hand of the great Saviour, who is the favourite of heaven, whom the Father heareth always, and to whom God can deny nothing. Pray continually, that God may not deliver you to the mercy of Satan, which is cruel; his tender mercies are cruelty; and his most glorious appearances are deceit and delusion. One would wonder to hear Satan at his prayers. That legions of devils besought Christ; and here they desire. Think not strange that hypocrites can pray, and Pharisees make long prayers; for here is Satan praying. Yet Satan had rather pray as them; for he prays that he may make a prey of them: Satan’s aim is their end and ruin.


(4.) Is Satan desiring to have you? Alas! Sirs, let this put you in mind that Christ is desiring to have you. Satan is desiring to have you, that he may destroy you; but Christ is desiring to have you, that he may save you. There are two suitors, then, about you this day, that have a great desire after you. O Sirs, tell me, which of them shall have you? Which of them will you yield unto? A praying devil, or a praying Jesus? The devil is praying to God that he may have you; and praying you to come to him, and serve him, as the god of this world, and offering you all worldly advantages. Christ is praying to God that he may have you; and praying you to come to him, and sending us to pray you in his stead, that you may be reconciled to God. O! come, come to Jesus; and plead upon his prayer and intercession. Then surely your desire, and not Satan’s, shall prevail; for Christ’s desire is heard of God. O! shall not his desire to be heard of you? If you neglect Christ this day, you give way to the devil’s getting his desire about you. Therefore, O! come, come; come to Jesus, and you are safe, though Satan should exert his utmost to obtain you.


Observ. 3. “It is the constant endeavour of Satan to way-lay the children of God, that he may spoil and rob them of their graces and comforts.” Here we may, 1 Prove the point. 2. Speak of his sifting and winnowing work. 3. Give the reasons thereof. 4. Apply what may be said.


[1.] For proof hereof, see 1 Pet. v. 8. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.” The devil is not idle, but walking about; not harmless, but as a roaring lion; not blind, but seeking; not to do good, but to devour. Hence Paul gives warning to be armed, and equipped with the while armour of God, Eph. vi. 11,—18. Satan is an assiduous enemy, Job i. 7. ii. 2. Still going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down it, seeking whom he may devour; as the great red dragon stood before the woman, to devour her child as soon as it was born, Rev. xii. 4. There is not a child of the church born in Zion, but Satan is ready, if he can, to strangle it in the birth, or smother it in the cradle, as the Egyptians did the Israelites children, and as Herod did the innocents in Bethlehem; especially if it be a male child, as Rev. xii. 5. of greater gifts, or place, or hopes. He goes up and down like a pack-horse in a market; and if he can spy an opportunity, he will be making his assaults. A cheerful spirit, he will tempt to presumption; a sad and dejected spirit, to despair; young men to lust, and old men to covetousness. He has a bait for every fish, as a highway thief has his false faces, all to deceive.


[2.] I come next to speak of his sifting and winnowing work. He seems to sift as wheat. It is a phrase borrowed from husbandmen, that sift their corn to separate the wheat from the chaff, or the flour from the bran: and, applied to a spiritual sense, God is said sometimes to sift his people; “For lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve; yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth,” Amos ix. 9. And here Satan would be sifting the apostles; but with a vast difference: for God’s end is to take away the dross, the husks, and leave the corn; but Stan’s end is to take away the flour, and leave but the bran. God would purify his people, but Satan would poison and corrupt them.


Now in sifting, there are four things, elevation, agitation, separation, and dejection. So there is a fit resemblance herein, to Satan’s temptations.


1. In sifting there is elevation, or lifting up. So in temptation there is an uplifting by pride of graces and excellencies. Paul was in danger to be puffed up thro’ abundance of revelations. As the eagle carries up the shell high to throw it down upon some rock; so Satan, when he puffs men up to a conceit of their own goodness, he intends their ruin; and, by flattering them, to tickle them to death.


2. In sifting there is agitation, or shaking the corn together. This shaking of God’s people is usually done by threatening, stripes, imprisonments and persecutions, to vex, and trouble, and dishearten them, as we see clear from Acts xii. 1,—24. So the Holy Ghost told Paul, that in every city bonds and afflictions did abide him, and he must abide them, Acts xx. 23.


3. In winnowing there is separation or scattering. This way Satan attempts, by dividing, to rule; and so to dissolve the communion of saints; to drive them to a cave, as Elijah was left alone, and these of whom the world was not worthy; “They wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; they wandered in desert, and in mountains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth,” Heb. xi. 37, 38.


4. There is dejection, or casting down upon the earth: as he endeavours to puff up some to pride and presumption, so to deject others to sadness and despair. He labours by any means to make men more remiss in the service of God: either by the sun or by the wind, to make the traveller lay aside his cloak; to enervate our faith; to quench our zeal; to make the anchor of our hope to fail; and some way or other to spoil us of our graces or comforts, and to rob us of our security, and rob God of his glory.


[3.] What are the reasons why Satan is allowed to sift and winnow? We shall assign the following six reasons why he does so.


1. It must be, because we must be tried. As offences must come, and there must be heresies; so, there must be temptations. A good seaman is known in a storm; a good soldier in the day of battle. The seed that is sown among stones, a may appear fair to the eye, till the sun rise. As fire consumes the hay, but purges the gold; so, temptation discerns the good from the bad, the sound Christian from the hypocrite, the firm from the unstable.


2. To humble us, by letting us know our own strength, and how little we can do, when we are put to it. David said in his prosperity, “I shall never be moved;” but God hid his face, and he was troubled. As the kind nurse lets the forward child take fall, to make it look to its feet, and prevent a worse danger: so, God takes away his hand, and then we fall by some temptation. But he withdraws himself to make us hold faster, and stick the closer to him.


3. To increase our faith, and patience, and zeal in praying, which would all of them greatly languish without exercise; as water corrupt swith standing, and clears with running.


4. To make us know the worth and excellency of grace, that it is more precious than gold that perisheth, 1 Pet. i. 7. And lets us see how rich we are. Thieves brake not into barns filled with husks or snares. It is a good religion that men and devils persecute.


5. That God may be glorified in destroying the work of the devil in the issue. A greater revenue of glory redounds to the Lord, by vanquishing and dispossessing the strong man, than there would have done had he made no assaults upon them.


6. That his people may be honored: fo they, by whom temptations are conquered, are sure to be crowned. God suffers his children sometimes to be tempted, knowing they shall come off with honour, and be crowned overcomers of their enemy.


[4.] For application of this point, we may observe these four things.


1. Let none please themselves with this thought, that they were never tempted or assaulted by Satan. Carnal ease is no good evidence of spiritual safety.


2. Let no poor Christian be disquieted or discouraged, because Satan is busy about them. He set upon Christ; and, “Shall not the disciple be as the Master? When the strong man armed keeps the house, all is quiet. The devil rent the child grievously, when he was going out.”


3. Let us be always in readiness with our armour on. Let us be sober, and watchful, and vigilant, that the enemy prevail not successfully against us.


4. In sifting and winnowing times, let us look to Jesus, that our faith fail not, and so the adversary overcome us.


Observ. 4. “Satan’s temptations are very subtle and delusive.” His sieve may be very narrow. His sifting and winnowing time is a time of great and strong delusion. Here I would offer some remarks concerning Satan’s delusions.


Remark 1. “That there are two extremes to be much avoided, namely, the calling the work of the Spirit of God a delusion, and the calling the delusions of Satan the work of God’s Spirit.” To call the work of God’s Spirit a delusion, and to do it knowingly, is a doing despite to the Spirit of God: and again, to call the delusions of Satan the work of God’s Spirit, is an ascribing too much to the devil; giving him the place of God.


Remark 2. “That the devil is God’s ape.” Christ was evidently demonstrated to be the true Messiah: yet he said there should be false Christ’s; “Take heed that no man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect,” Mat. xxiv. 4, 5. 24. There are deep things of God, and also the depths of Satan, that we read of, 1 Cor. ii. 14. Rev. ii. 24.


Remark 3. “That the delusions of Satan are as large “as the operations of the Spirit of God.” The devil hath his false apostles, his false comforters, his false light, his false assurance. He is said to fill Ananias’s heart; i.e. made his heart audacious and bold, as some explain it. He hath also his false prophecies and foretelling events. The devil told Saul what should befall him. He may know some things to come, by revelation from God, for the punishment of these that shall be seduced. Amongst the Anabaptists in Munster, when a law was made for all to bring their good to the common stock, the maids could tell, as Peter did of Ananias, how much every man had hid at home of his goods. See Deut. Xiii. 1, 2. “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder: and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them: thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet,” &c.


Remark 4. “That Satan accommodates his temptations to the times.” The time of the Reformation was a time of the deep delusions of Satan prevailing. The Reformers were reviled, as men concerned about the letter, not the spirit of the gospel, by these that pretended to extraordinary revelations.


Hence, they had bitter conflicts, not only with Papists, but with men that pretended to be more enlightened than the Reformers were, and to have high teachings of the Spirit of God, even above the scriptures. These that did adhere to the scripture, and would try the spirits and revelations by it, were called, Literistas et Vocalistas, “Literists and Vocalists;” men acquainted only with the words and vowels of the scripture, having nothing of the Spirit of God. Luther was inveighed against as having published nothing but carnale evangelicum, a carnale gospel. Where-ever Reformation-light broke out, there these tares came up, whereby great divisions were raised, and the Reformation was made abominable and odious to the world. Such seem to be the attempts of Satan at this day, when the standard of a testimony is lifted up for a covenanted Reformation* [*As a key to this, and some similar passages both in this, and some subsequent sermons, it may not be improper to observe, that, without doubt, our Author here has his eye upon what was called, The extraordinary Work at Cambuslang, which first commenced, Feb. 18^th, 1742.; and afterwards diffused itself through several parts of the kingdom, much promoted by Mr. Whitfield’s ministrations, and perusing his Journals; and approved by many, both ministers and people, and attested by not a few, as a genuine work, and remarkable down-pouring of the Spirit of God, though alleged by others, to be a delusion of Satan; in regard it was divested of the positive and permanent evidences of a real work of conversion, held forth by the Spirit of God in the scriptures: the subjects of it being strangely agitated by strong convulsions, fearful extortions, loud out-cryings, imaginary sights, visionary representations, great swooning, foamings, faintings, &c.; which led them off from the righteousness of Christ, without them in the word, to build upon something wrought in them as the ground of their hope: filled them with a vain apprehension that the Spirit was poured down in a remarkable manner upon the church, though going on in a deep course of defection and apostasy; breeding in them lax principles of religion, and an indifferency with respect to all professions; filling them with bitterness of spirit against all who did not approve of the work, though never so eminent in piety and holiness; and begetting in them an utter aversion to our Reformation principles.—The event, indeed, greatly confirmed the allegation; many of the most eminent subjects of this work, turned out to be very naughty persons: and the work itself soon entirely evanished.]. The power and policy of hell is at work to bring any such endeavour after Reformation under contempt; which, we are forewarned, Satan may get leave to do, by strong delusions and lying wonders, as in the forecited, Deut. Xiii. 1, 2, 3. Where a false prophet is said to give a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder is supposed to come to pass. But observe there,


1. The devil’s design, verse 2. Namely, to seduce, saying, “Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them.” Thus the present temptation seems to be, let us go to some other god, or some other way of worshipping God, or some other form of church-government and discipline, than what we have known and sworn to be founded upon God’s word; let us, after vows, make inquiry, and inquire after some new god, new worship, new government of the church. Why, here is a new prophet risen, giving signs and wonders that come to pass. Here is Satan’s design. But,


2. Observe why God permits this. Why, as it may be for hardening a backsliding generation, in his righteous judgment; so for trying of his people, ver. 3, 4. “The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul;” whether you will cleave to him and his truth, even when truth is persecuted, reproached, and brought into discredit by Satan’s delusions. O then, Sirs, with what holiness, humility, and circumspection ought the children of God to walk in such times of temptation and delusion, “That they be not soon shaken in mind, by spirit, or by word, or by letter,” as you have the expression! 2 Thes. ii. 2. We are told, that, “In the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,” 1 Tim. iv. 1.


Remark 5. “That the ordinary effects of delusion are violence and confidence.”—Violent motions are ordinarily from an evil spirit, hurrying the soul beyond all due bounds and limits, effecting very sudden alterations and strong passions; whereas, the Spirit of God is more sedate and composed. It is true, the power and efficacy of the Spirit of God is sometimes demonstrated by the appearing of fiery cloven tongues, and by a mighty rushing wind; but, at another time, appearing in the form of a dove; demonstrating, that it is such a fire and power, as is consistent with the other graces of meekness and humility, and with holy fear and trembling.—Confidence is also an ordinary effect of delusion; self confidence, ostentation. The holy Ghost descended in the shape of a dove, to shew how meek and humble the operations of the Spirit are in these whom he dwells. The deluded are usually confident, because the delusions are strong; because they come by way of judgment, for abusing former light, and not receiving the truth in the love of it. These four hundred false prophets, in Ahab’s time, are thought, by the learned, to have been true prophets at first, and such as were of the company and college of the other prophets; but, abusing that gift to the pleasing of men, to the seeking of themselves, and siding and complying with the times, they were justly delivered up of God to such a false way: and they were hardened like Pharaoh; hardened of God in their deceitful way, as you see in Zedekiah’s impudence, 1 Kings xxii. 24. when he struck Micaiah on the cheek, saying, “Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speak unto thee?” Spiritual judgments make men secure, and full of self-flattery, and confirm them more to believe a lie.


Remark 6. “That as the spirits are to be tried by the scripture; so there are signs and marks, whereby delusions of Satan may be known, and distinguished from the saving operations of the Spirit.”


Quest. When are impressions and impulses evidently delusive?


Answ. Beside what is said already, we offer you the following six particulars, for a solution of this important matter.


1. When the impression carries a man out of his sphere, and turns private persons to be public preachers, without being called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. v. 4. In a regular way to the sacred office: and when one is persuaded to that which is good, but without a commission or warrant. Uzziah’s holding up the ark was good; but he had no commission; and therefore was slain.


2. When public devotion is brought in and practiced, to the prejudice of our particular callings. God calls men to be diligent of our particular callings. God calls men to be diligent in business, as well as fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, Rom. xii. 11. But when one duty excludes another, from time to time, it is delusive work.


3. When people are persuaded to duty unseasonably and immeasurably. The righteous bringeth forth his fruit in his season, Psal. i. 3. God hath made every thing beautiful in his season. The God of order, by his Spirit, put not a man upon irregular duties.—The duty is not from the Spirit of God that is unmeasurable, no more than that which is quite unseasonable. As duty misplaced differs little from sin, if it be not just turned into sin; so a man is persuaded to duty immeasurably when he is tempted to such a multitude of duties as to weary out his spirits, and exhaust them, to the ruin even of the body. But he that came to save souls, came not to destroy bodies.


4. When any truth is advanced, in order to make way for error, for one truth to the prejudice of another. Devils may confess Christ and his truths, to serve a turn, Mark i. 24. Acts xvi. 17. It may be to divide Christ in his offices, and to disparage some other truths. He may allow false prophets to teach something Christ has commanded, providing men be not taught to observe all things whatsoever he has commanded, as in Matth. xxviii. 20. The devil may possibly extol Christ, as a Prophet, in his doctrine; that he may dethrone him, as a King, in his government: for, he cannot endure that Christ should reign. He may suffer the flowers of gospel doctrine to be spread, upon condition he can get the hedge of discipline and government, that should be about God’s garden of flowers, overthrown; with a design, that the flowers themselves may be trampled on, and ruined in the issue.


5. That which hath no will and inclination to be tried is delusive. Truth seeks the light, and is willing to be searched: “Every one that doth evil, hateth the light; neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved: but he that doth the truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God,” John iii. 20, 21.


6. That which hath a native tendency to promote sin and security in delusion. If it tend to encourage sin and corruption, whether personal or public corruption; and tend to discourage reformation, personal or public reformation, then it is evidently delusion: for, unholiness cannot be from the holy Spirit. Thus, these that endeavoured to discourage Nehemiah in building the wall of Jerusalem, shewed thereby what a delusive spirit they were of; “My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear,” Neh. vi. 14. That cannot be of God, which opposes the work of God, and of reformation.—Again, if it tend to lead to security, it is a delusion; “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” Rev. iii. 17. Now, they think they are rich, they want nothing; but the Spirit of God thinks otherwise, and tells them they want all things.*


[*In the above-mentioned extraordinary commotion, which took place at Cambuslang, and some other places in the west of Scotland, all the particulars now mentioned were ingredients in it. Many private persons became public exhorters, praying publicly in the midst of vast crowds of people; multitudes lest off business; gave themselves wholly to these matters night and day; and could not endure to be tried.]


Remark 7. “That God may justly let loose a spirit of error and delusion.” This he may do,


1. To punish the sin of a visible church in not receiving the truth; 2 Thes. ii. 11. “And for this cause, (namely, Because they received not the love of the truth, ver. 10.) God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.—Psal. lxxxi. 11, 12. My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me: so I gave them up unto their own hearts lust; and they walked in their own counsels.” I shall not say how far God may punish a church that are corrupt, and will have none of God’s counsel, by leaving them to their own counsels; and, when they reject a testimony for God, by allowing them to receive a lying testimony, and to believe a lie.


2. To glorify himself, and wipe off the reproach of his people, by discovering them; for, “There must be heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest,” 1 Cor. xi. 19.; that they may appear to be men of conscience.


3. That the truth may be cleared by opposition: truth still gained, never lost grounded by opposition. The opposition that the Sadducees made to the doctrine of the resurrection, made Christ clear it from some Old Testament scriptures, wherein we could never otherwise have known to have sought it.


4. To purge out practical errors in his own people. When we have low thoughts of the scripture, then he lets loose Deists, that we may conceive the higher value for the word. When low thoughts of the Son of God, then he lets loose Arians to deny his divinity, that we may begin to conceive more highly of Christ. When we have low thoughts and wrong conceptions of the Spirit, in his operations, then he lets loose a delusive spirit, that we may prize and value the gracious and saving operations of the Spirit the more.


Remark 8. “That special direction is necessary in a time of error and delusion, and in a sifting and winnowing time.” For clearing this, I here offer these four things.


1. Take not truth upon trust or report, but drink it from the fountain of holy writ; otherwise we will err not knowing the scriptures.



2. Labour to find the truth, in the good thereof, from your experience; “I will never forget thy precepts; for with them thou has quickened me,” Psal. cxix. 93. You may as well shape a coat for the moon, as fix men in divine truth, that know nothing of the sweetness and savory relish of divine truth. This and that, and other persuasion, is all alike to them.


3. Fortify yourselves against a time of trial; “These things have I spoken unto you, that you should not be offended: they shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service,” John xvi. 1, 2.


4. Take heed of that light which cometh in an hour of temptation; for, though it may be right, yet it needs to be well tried; because, at such a time, Satan is busy to come in with wild fire, that misleads the traveler. Hence special keeping is necessary in the hour of temptation, Rev. iii. 10.; for then we are apt to favour that light that leads to shun the cross, and to side with the times.


When Satan’s sieve is very small, people need a very strong faith. If there be a picture of conversion drawn by the devil, as an angel of light, how hard may it be to perceive the depths of Satan? Think not strange, though Satan should counterfeit conversion: for, I know none of the graces of God’s Spirit but he may pretend to work. And we are sure he can cite scripture, as he did to Christ himself, Matth. iv. 3,—11.


Quest. How shall I know a scripture given by Christ, and one given by the Devil?


Answ. I shall here observe, that the word that the devil brings in, tends always to some wicked effect; either to make the soul secure or desperate; either to depress it too much to despair, or elevate it too much to presumption. It tends either to disturb and discompose the soul, or else to fill it with false peace and comfort. But it may be still enquired, what if the soul that has been seemingly or really convicted of sin be afterward comforted by the word; how may that be known to be of God, or to be of the devil? To which we reply, We are sure that Satan may give false comfort and joy by words of scripture. The stony-ground hearers received the word with joy, Matth. xiii. 20. But consult the place, in order to find the difference between that joy and the joy of the true believer, that he gets by the word.


1. The seed is said to be received in a stony place. The heart of stone was never made a heart of flesh.


2. ‘They hear the word, and anon with joy receive it:’ no mention is here of their receiving Christ in the word. Their sudden joy was suspicious, when let in upon a stony heart, not melted with the rising of the Sun of righteousness, in his glory, upon their souls, giving light and heat; the light of life, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the mind and understanding; giving life and heat to the heart and affections. Sudden joy without this, is deceitful and delusive.


3. It is said, “They have no root in themselves;” no inward root. True joy is rooted in the inward knowledge of Christ, and Christ revealed in the soul. It is rooted in the faith of the Son of God, “In whom believing we rejoice.” It is rooted in Christ the true vine, and built upon the sure foundation.


4. It is said to endure but for a while; like John’s hearers, that rejoiced in his light for a while; for, “When tribulation and persecution arises, because of the word, by and by they are offended:” they turn enemies and opposites to the persecuted cause of Christ, and have no mind to suffer for any such thing.


These four things discover their joy to be false and delusive. Though it come by the word, yet, when it hath these four defects, that here the Spirit of God speaks of; then it says, that the word that gives them joy comes not right, but by some evil spirit.


II. We proposed next to offer some Meditations upon the whole text.


Medit. 1. “Our Lord Jesus Christ would not have his children discouraged, though they have a powerful and political enemy to oppose them.” For the time of Satan’s tempting is the time of Christ’s praying. Satan, as described, 1 Pet. v. 8. is,


1. A lion, the strongest of all the beasts: a most powerful enemy.


2. A roaring lion. There are several roarings of the lion of hell: as, when he persuades you that you have sinned against the holy Ghost; that you are a reprobate; that the day of grace is over; that there is no mercy for you: when he tempts you, as he did Christ, to worship himself; to kill yourself; to curse God and blaspheme. When he persuades you that duty is sin, and sin duty. However, Christ hath him in chains: He is the lion of the tribe of Judah. He hath the command of that lion in hell.


3. Satan is a spiritual restless enemy. He never sleeps: if he seems to do so, it is with open eyes. He sees us when we see not him: and being a spirit, he walketh through stone-walls and iron bars; no place can resist him.


4. A cruel enemy; “Seeking whom he may devour:” a devourer; yea, “A murderer from the beginning.” Watch most earnestly, after the greatest duty, and the greatest fervency: for there may be sudden cools after the greatest heats. When the apostles told Christ that the devils were subject to them, then he took them aside to pray. If you obtain mercy, pray; and watch unto prayer.


Medit. 2. “Satan is a great adversary to all true believers.” He makes it his work to divide between the soul and God; because he knows the great love that is between God and believers, and that they have no such friend as God: therefore he would have them divided. He accuses God to them, and endeavours to fill them with hard and harsh thoughts of God. He accuses them to God; and therefore he is called the accuser of the brethren. He leaves no stone unturned to draw them from God. Hence no wonder the men of this world, who are influenced by the god of this world, set themselves such hatred to oppose the children of God, and the cause of God, and the Kingdom of Christ, and any testimony for it. That is from the enmity between the serpent and the woman’s seed.


Medit. 3. “Satan cannot so much as lift up a finger against a child of God, until he have leave asked and given.” God hath him in his chain: not only in the chain of his justice, but in the chain of his providence; that he cannot go one whit further than he gets leave. This is a part of his torment, that he cannot do what he would. Hence the devil cried out, “What have to do with thee? Art thou come to torment us before the time?” Luke viii. 28. Intimating, it was a torment to them, that they could keep possession of these souls no longer. This may be quieting to tempted ones, and such as are under Satan’s buffetings, that he can do no more than God lets him. He cannot put one vexatious thought into the soul, further than he gets leave; nor one blasphemous thought. God hath him in his chain; and, when he will, he will rebuke him; and, when he rebukes him, he must come off. Let this support you that commit yourselves to Jesus.


Christ hath a threefold title to dominion over devils. 1 He is their Maker. It is true, as devils, they made themselves: but, as creatures, he made them. 2. Their conqueror: “He spoiled principalities and powers: he made a shew of them openly;” not only on the cross, but in his triumphant ascension. 3. Their Judge, John xii. 31. They are his prisoners in chains: yet not close prisoners, but like malefactors in chains, that go abroad, reserved to the judgment of the great day.


Learn, hence, to whom you owe your safety, that you are not destroyed; and to whom to fly for the time to come. To whom should you commend your soul, body, and family, morning and evening? Christ rules in the midst of his enemies, the devil, and his instruments that have the venom of the devil in their heart, and are of their Father the devil. The church and people of God, and the cause of Christ, shall be maintained and preserved though every malignant opposer were a devil. Fear not the devil; otherwise, you shew yourself weak in faith; you dishonour Christ; you worship the devil. Resist the devil confidently: for, in Christ, you have overcome him already. Christ’s victory was not for his own sake, but for ours. If you are believers, you are delivered already from his ruling power, though not from his tempting power.


Medit. 4. “Satan loves to be vexing these whom he cannot ruin.” He desires to sift and shake them, tho’ he knows he cannot prevail: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea; for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth he hath but a short time,” Rev. xii. 12. It is a great affliction to be under Satan’s temptations: they are like thorns in the flesh very grievous. Therefore when we are freed by the Son of God, we ought to be thankful, saying, “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.” Psal. cxvi. 7.


Medit. 5. “God does sometimes hear Satan’s desire, and he may get part of it; Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you; but I have prayed for thee.” Satan hath prayed; and it is not said, I will free you from his sifting temptations; but, I have prayed for thee. Thus God gave Satan leave to tempt Job.


QUEST. But how does God give leave to Satan to tempt his children, since he is a Father to them?


ANSW. God does it in a holy way. It is no sin to be tempted, though it is a sin to yield. The evil of a temptation is from the devil and ourselves: the good of it is from God; for God doth it wisely; he knows how to deliver us out of the temptation, and how to bring good out of it.


Again, God does hereby commend himself to us in all his attributes; as 1. In his love. Though he suffers the evil one to tempt and sift you, he shall never be able to destroy you. 2. He commends to us his truth and faithfulness. God had promised, that the feed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent: and what he made good to Christ, he makes good to them; “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,” &c. 1 Cor. x. 13. 3. He commends his wisdom to us herein; that, notwithstanding all Satan’s temptations and devices, yet he counterplots the enemy, and comforts his people in their tribulation, 2 Cor. i. 4. In this very way that God suffers Satan to bruise our heel, he will break his head.


Again, God suffers it for the believers own good; that, by shaking temptations, they may be the more firmly rooted. Their faith is hereby tried.


Hence, do not suddenly entertain suspicious thoughts of God, because he suffers you to be tempted: nay, he injoins you to count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, James i. 2.


Medit. 6. “There is not temptation befalls the Lord’s people, that Christ does not foresee, before it come upon us.” He knows what is in our heart, and what is in the devil’s heart, before it is in act. “Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days,” Gen. xlix. 1. If Jacob could, by the Spirit of God, tell his children what should befall them for many ages to come; then much more can Christ tell Peter beforehand what death he should die, and here also what temptation he should come under, and how far the tempter should prevail. O! he knows all your temptations, before they come. Nothing can befall you unawares. But Jesus Christ, the Captain of salvation, foresees even all the wiles of the devil, and will preserve you to his heavenly kingdom.


Medit. 7. (From Stan’s desire and getting leave to tempt,) “It is not always a sign or token of the love of God to us, to bestow upon us the things that we desire.” Satan here desires; and God gave him, so far, his desire. God may give us our desire, and give it in anger; Psal. lxxviii. 29, 30, 31. “He gave them their desire. But, while their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, &c. Psal. cvi. 15. He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. Psalm lxxxi. 12. I gave them up unto their own hearts lust.” We find God gave Israel their wish, Num. xiv. 2. They said, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt; or, would God we had died in the wilderness:” and ver. 28. God, in his judgment takes them at their word; “Their carcasses fell there.”


Hence God in love to us, many times withholds from us what we would have, and what our desire goes out after, and gives us that which is better. God knows, that through the weakness of our faith, and the remainder of our corruption, we are set upon these things that would do us no good.


Medit. 8. “Tho’ Satan may, for a time, shake us in sieve of temptation; yet it shall not be long: it will be but like the sifting of wheat; a few shakes, and so set down again.” Tho’ temptations be grievous, yet they shall be but for a time; and then God will rebuke the enemy: for God’s anger is but for a moment. “Fear none of these things, which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days,” Rev. ii. 10. We have it limited sometimes to two days, Hos. Vi. 2. “After two days will he revive us,” &c. yea, sometimes limited to an hour, Rev. iii. 10. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation:” yea, sometimes limited to a little moment, Isa. lvi. 7, 8. “For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment,” &c. So that tho’ Satan may have leave for a time to sift and winnow you, it shall be but for a short time: and that upon the accounts following.


1. Because of God’s love to his children; “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him,” Psal. ciii. 13.


2. Because while they are afflicted, he is afflicted in all their afflictions; “In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them,” Isa. lxiii. 9.


3. God knows how frail we are, and how weak to bear the assaults of the enemy; and therefore will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear: “He knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust,” Psal. ciii. 14. And “He will not contend for ever, neither be always wroth, lest the spirit should fail before him, and the souls which he hath made,” Isa. lvii. 14. He knows, that if the rod of affliction and temptation should remain long upon our back, we would put forth our hands to wickedness, Psal. cxxv. 3. God knows, if the temptation should be long, we would be weary and faint; Psal. cxix. 82. “Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? Psal. cii. 2. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble: incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call, answer me speedily.” This is encouragement, that tho’ trials be heavy, they shall not be long, at least in their extremity.


4. There is a need-be for these temptations for a season, 1 Pet. i. 6. That his people may be stirred up to more earnestness in seeking to God. So it is said of Christ himself, when he was in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, Luke xxii. 44. So does the Psalmist, Psal. lxxxviii. 1, 2. “O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry.” And when God’s children come and cry to him, he cannot but relieve them: as a tender parent, when he hears his child cry, he cannot but look to it, and see what it wants. Thus God, when the children of Israel cry to him; “I have surely seen the affliction of my people, which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, by reason of their task-masters: for I know their sorrows. And I am come down to deliver them,” &c. Exod. iii. 7, 8. They have the advantage of intercessions going up to God for them.


(1.) From their fellow brethren, pleading with God in a trying time; they cannot let God alone, and so must be heard, Psal. cii. 13,—22.


(2.) From Christ, the great Intercessor with God for the tempted ones. He is always at God’s right hand, pleading for them, and the Father cannot deny him; but will hear speedily.


Hence, every one of us should look after our interest in Christ, that we may be among his Simons, whom he will undertake for to God against Satan; otherwise, how shall we stand? If the Simons, that belong to Christ, may come into Satan’s sieve, what shall become of others? “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and ungodly appear?”


Hence, see the duty of believing, ye that are sometimes assaulted, and perhaps grievously molested by Satan. O Sirs, do not cast away your confidence. Be not cast down, as if you were now cast out of God’s favour. Though the temptation be smart, it shall not be long: “The vision is for an appointed time; and it will speak:” therefore, wait with patience. When the trial is most grievous, the deliverance is nearest. O! how short are your temptations, in regard of what Satan would have, and would be at! Also, in respect of eternity, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” 2 Cor. iv. 17.


Medit. 9. “However great and grievous Satan’s temptations may be, and however fierce his fiery darts, Christ hath placed a But against them,, that they shall not prevail altogether.” The gates of hell shall not prevail against Zion: “God shall help, and that right early;” particularly,


1. When matters come to an extremity, and their strength be almost quite gone; “For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and that there is none shut up or left,” Deut. xxxii. 36.


2. When men and means fail, and the help of these is vain; “Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of men,” Psal. cxvi. 12. See Matth. xvii. 16, 17. He remembers us when we are brought low; “I was brought low, and he helped me,” Psal. cxvi. 6.


3. When the power of Satan and his instruments has so far prevailed, that now they think they are sure to overcome; then will the Lord come with deliverance. When Pharaoh and his host have Israel hammed in between them and the Red-sea, then God shews his salvation nearest, when the enemy’s hope is highest.


Hence see, this should encourage the faith of God’s children under any affliction or temptation. Though they sigh and groan at present, yet they are to live by faith on Christ: for, when we are lowest, and our strength gone, and means fail, and enemies insult, then is God’s time to help, and Christ’s time to set up his but in the way: “BUT I have prayed for thee.”


Medit. 10. “Our strength and comfort, in an hour of temptation, lies not in any grace already received, or in what is with us; but in what Christ hath prayed for, and is with him.” Your relief lies in what I have prayed for; and, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. The centurion said, Matth. viii. 8. “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed:” so, when we see the greatness of our own prevailing corruptions, and the smalness of our faith, yet we may take encouragement in this, that Christ hath prayed for us; That, may the believer say, he hath prayed for me, and spoke a word for me: and, if he but speak the word, I shall be healed. So, when the prophet’s servant saw a great host, the prophet forbids him to fear; for, ’There be more with us than against us,’ 2 Kings vi. 16. Rom. viii. 34. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” So, when Moses was praying for the people of Israel, when fighting against Amalek, Exod. xvi. 11, 12. And when Aaron and Hur held up his hand, and he prayed, then Israel prevailed. Moses, you know, was the typical mediator; and there was that force and virtue in his prayer, that, while he was praying, the Israelites prevailed: and, O how much power and efficacy is there in the prayer and intercession of Jesus Christ! One word of Christ can rebuke the devil, and command him to be gone, as Mark xix. 25. “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee to come out of him.”


Hence see the reason we get not more power over Satan, and our prevailing corruptions within us, or the devil’s temptations without us; even because we look too much to our own strength, and look too little to the strength of Christ’s prayer, and to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We, sometimes, are ready to neglect duties and ordinances; and, at other times, rely too much on duties and ordinances, and do not live by faith upon Christ Jesus, in the use of means.


Medit. 11. “Satan cannot be more ready with his desires and designs against us, than Jesus Christ is ready in his love and mercy; and well prepared to undertake for us.” Satan hath desired you, that he may sift you; but instantly, Christ steps in to pray for us. And there is more power and virtue in Christ’s prayer to help us, than there can be in Satan’s malice to hurt us. When the people of Israel were to go against Jericho, Joshua v. see how the captain of the Lord’s host stood with his drawn sword in his hand, ready to help them, verses 13, 14. Why, his people are his covenanted ones in Christ, and his by donation: they are given to him of the Father, that he should lose none of them. Again, he is their elder brother; and therefore he cannot endure to see his brethren under the power of the envious one, but will step in for their help.


Hence, our strength lies in Christ his praying and appearing for us. So, when Joshua came to stand before God, Satan was at his right-hand: but then the Lord Jesus prays for him, and rebukes the devil, Zech. iii. 1, 2. Rom. viii. 34. “It is Christ that died: yea rather, that is risen again, and maketh intercession for us.” There is not one day’s temptation, but we should be overcome by it, were it not that Christ upholds, as it is said, Mic. v. 5. “This man shall be the peace.” Habitual strength will not do against the grand enemy. He was too strong for Adam, in innocence; and he has manifold advantages more against us: For,


1. Our graces are very weak. Adam in innocency, when entering the lists with Satan, he had a power to have stood; and yet he was overcome.


2. We have a great deal of flesh and corruption; which Adam, in that state, had not. But the prince of this world hath enough in us to side with him. Therefore, we may easily be conquered.


3. Satan can now come within us. He hath this advantage, which he had not of Adam in innocence: therefore, he can soon overcome us, if left to ourselves.


4. The very corruption that remains within us, would be too hard for our graces; and much more, when Satan joins with these corruptions to attack us. Satan is very strong, called, The strong man: and how shall we, who are such impotent creatures, deal with such a strong man! He is called the god of this world; how shall we stand before such a god, if we had not the true God upon our side, IMMANUEL; God with us? As Satan’s name, so his nature, shews him to be strong; he is an angel by nature. How shall we stand out against an angel of darkness, or against an angel of light? For he is both the one really, and the other seemingly.


Why then, see the need for betaking ourselves to Christ. We may be confident in him, though a legion of devils were against us. He can discomfit them with a word, either by his own immediate word, or even by his ministerial word, in the power and strength of Jesus; for the deign of the ministry of this gospel, is to open mens eyes, and to bring them from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, Acts xxvi. 18. There is not one converted, but hath many devils cast out of him. So that herein lies all our strength, even in flying to Jesus, as Hezekiah did, Isa. xxxviii. 14. “I am oppressed, undertake for me.” Go and plead with God in Christ’s name, to undertake for you. Alas! Sirs, why do we prevail so little over our corruptions and temptations, but because we go not out of ourselves more into Jesus to undertake for us? If you would live by faith on Christ, you should not be so inslaved to your lusts. Give up yourselves wholly to him, and put yourselves under his shelter.


O Sirs, be persuaded to set the power of Christ against the power of Satan. I will tell you the nature of the devil’s power.


1. All his power is but a derived power. It is but derived from Christ, who can soon cut him short. See Isa. liv. 16. “Behold I have created the waster to destroy.—Job xii. 16. The deceiver and deceived are his.” It may be said of the great waster of souls, and the great deceiver of souls, he would not have any power, were I not given him. Thus our Saviour speaks to Pilate, “Thou couldst have no power against me, were it not given thee of my Father:” Even so it may be said of Satan’s power.


2. As his power is a derived, so it is a conquered power. It is already conquered by Christ, who hath judged the prince of this world.


3. As it is a derived and conquered, so it is a limited power, Job xxxviii. 8,—11. It is a limited power in a double sense:


(1.) It is limited in regard he hath not the power he would gladly have: he would willingly know what is in our heart; he hath a good guess at what is there; but he cannot search the heart: that is God’s prerogative. He would incline not only to tempt us, but he would also have power to force us to sin; but this he hath not: he hath a tempting, but not a compelling power. He desires Christ to cast himself down, but he had no power to cast him down. So, he desires us to cast ourselves down into the mire of sin; but he hath no power to force us thereto.


(2.) It is limited in regard he cannot use the power he hath, any further than Christ will suffer him.