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PREFATORY NOTE.
PREFATORY NOTE.
Few who know the fine old quarto ‘ Dæmonologia Sacra ’ of Dr Gilpin will dispute its right to a place of honour in the Series of later Puritan Divines. To those who have not hitherto heard,—or only heard of it,—we commend it with all confidence and urgency as in various respects a remarkable book by a remarkable man. It will be found—as an early writer says of another—‘ matter-full ,’ and nevertheless suggestive rather than exhaustive—that is, you have many rich lodes of the ore of thought opene
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APPENDIX TO MEMOIR.
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR.
A.—Page xvi.— Ancestry and Descendants of the Gilpins. The different ‘County’ Historians, and Works on the old families of England, give more or less full details concerning the Gilpins in all their many branches. The ‘Arms’ are Or , a boar passant sable, armed and tusked Gules. A fine book-plate of this adorns Prebendary Gilpin’s Family Manuscript. These ‘Arms’ are hereditarily understood to have been derived from the fact that a Richard de Gylpyn or Gilpin—who is regarded as the founder of the
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DÆMONOLOGIA SACRA.
DÆMONOLOGIA SACRA.
NOTE. For account of the holograph MS. of ‘Dæmonologia Sacra’—still in the larger portion preserved—see our Memoir in loco . The original edition of the book forms a handsome quarto. The general title-page will be found below: the special ones of Parts I., II., and III. in their respective places. There have been at least two reprints, but none comparable with the first. Our text is a careful reprint of the Author’s own edition, collated in all doubtful places with the MS. as above. Mr Gilpin ve
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TO THE READER.
TO THE READER.
The accurate searches into the secrets of nature which this age hath produced, though they are in themselves sufficient evidences of a commendable industry, yet, seeing they fall so exceedingly short of that discovery which men aim at—giving us at best but probable conjectures and uncertain guesses—they are become as little satisfactory to men that look after the true causes of things, as those ‘ships of desire’ whose great undertaking for gold had raised high expectations in their attempts, but
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
The introduction to the text, from a consideration of the desperate ruin of the souls of men.—The text opened, expressing Satan’s malice, power, cruelty, and diligence. The souls of men are ‘precious.’ The whole world cannot repair their loss. Hence by God are all men in particular charged with care and watchfulness about them. He hath also set up watchmen and overseers, whose business it is to watch over souls, and in the most strict and careful manner, as those that must ‘give an account,’ [He
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
Of the malice of Satan in particular.—The grounds and causes of that malice.—The greatness of it proved, and instances of that greatness given. I shall first give some account of his malice, by which it shall appear we do not wrong the devil in calling him malicious, the truth of which charge will evidence itself in the following particulars:— 1. First, The devil, though a ‘spirit,’ yet is a proper subject of sin . We need no other evidence for this than what doth by daily experience result from
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
Of Satan’s power.—His power as an angel considered.—That he lost not that power by his fall.—His power as a devil.—Of his commission.—The extent of his authority.—The efficacy of his power.—The advantages which he hath for the management of it, from the number, order, place, and knowledge of devils. That Satan’s power is great , is our next inquiry; where, 1. First, We will consider his power as an angel . In Ps. ciii. 20 angels are said ‘to excel in strength;’ and in ver. 21, as also Ps. cxlvii
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
That Satan hath a great measure of knowledge, proved by comparing him with the knowledge of Adam in innocency, and by his titles.—Of his knowledge, natural, experimental, and accessory.—Of his knowledge of our thoughts.—How far he doth not know them, and how far he doth, and by what means.—Of his knowledge of things future, and by what ways he doth conjecture them.—The advantages in point of temptation that he hath by his knowledge. In the discovery of Satan’s knowledge, I shall first give evide
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
Instances of Satan’s power.—Of witchcraft, what it is.—Satan’s power argued from thence.—Of wonders.—Whether Satan can do miracles?—An account of what he can do that way.—His power argued from apparitions and possessions. I shall add, in the fifth place, some particular instances of his power, in which I shall insist upon these four—witchcraft, wonders, apparitions, and possessions. 1. First, Witchcraft affords a very great discovery of Satan’s power. But because some give such interpretations o
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
Of Satan’s cruelty.—Instances thereof in his dealing with wounded spirits, in ordinary temptations of the wicked and godly, in persecutions, cruelties in worship.—His cruel handling of his slaves. He that shall consider his malice and power, must unavoidably conclude him to be cruel. Malice is always so where it hath the advantage of a proportionable strength and opportunity for the effecting of its hateful contrivances. It banisheth all pity and commiseration, and follows only the dictate of it
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
Of Satan’s diligence in several instances.—The question about the being of spirits and devils handled.—The Sadducees’ opinion discovered.—The reality of spirits proved. The last particular observed in the text is his diligence . This adds force and strength to his malice, power, and cruelty, and shews they are not idle, dead, or inactive principles in him, which, if they could be so supposed, would render him less hurtful and formidable. This I shall despatch in a few instances, noting to this p
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
Of Satan’s cunning and craft in the general.—Several demonstrations proving Satan to be deceitful; and of the reasons why he makes use of his cunning. We have taken a survey of our adversary’s strength, and this will open the way to a clearer discovery of his subtlety and craft, which is his great engine by which he works all his tyranny and cruelty in the world, to the ruin or prejudice of the souls of men; of which the apostle in 2 Cor. ii. 11 speaks, as a thing known by the common experience
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
Of Satan’s deceits in particular.—What temptation is.—Of tempting to sin.—His first general rule.—The consideration of our condition.—His second rule.—Of providing suitable temptations.—In what cases he tempts us to things unsuitable to our inclinations.—His third rule.—The cautious proposal of the temptation, and the several ways thereof.—His fourth rule is to entice.—The way thereof in the general, by bringing a darkness upon the mind through lust. Our next business is to inquire after these w
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
That Satan enticeth by our lust.—The several ways by which he doth it.—Of the power and danger of the violence of affections. The way, then, by which he doth entice is by ‘stirring up our lust.’ By ‘lust’ I mean those general desirings of our minds after any unlawful object which are forbidden in the tenth commandment. Thus we read of ‘worldly lusts,’ of the ‘lusts of the flesh,’ of ‘lustings to envy,’ and, in a word, we read of ‘divers lusts,’ the whole attempt and striving of corrupt nature ag
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
That lust darkens the mind.—Evidences thereof.—The five ways by which it doth blind men: First, By preventing the exercise of reason.—The ways of that prevention: (1.) Secrecy in tempting; Satan’s subtlety therein; (2.) Surprisal; (3.) Gradual entanglements. That Satan doth entice us by stirring up our lust, hath been discovered; it remains that I next speak to the second thing propounded, which was, That by this power of lust he blinds and darkens our mind . That the lusts of men are the great
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
Of Satan’s perverting our reason.—His second way of blinding.—The possibility of this, and the manner of accomplishing it directly, several ways; and indirectly, by the delights of sin, and by sophistical arguments; with an account of them. II. Secondly, The second way by which Satan blinds us through the power of lust is by perverting and corrupting our reason, drawing it to approve of that which it first disapproved . That our lusts have such a power upon the understanding to make such an alte
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
Of Satan’s diverting our reason, being the third way of blinding men.—His policies for diverting our thoughts.—His attempts to that purpose in a more direct manner; with the degrees of that procedure.—Of disturbing or distracting our reason, which is Satan’s fourth way of blinding men.—His deceits therein.—Of precipitancy, Satan’s fifth way of blinding men.—Several deceits to bring men to that. III. Thirdly, Satan blinds the sons of men by diverting and withdrawing their reason , and taking it o
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
Of Satan’s maintaining his possession.—His first engine for that purpose is his finishing of sin, in its reiteration and aggravation.—His policies herein. Having explained the five ways by which Satan through the power of lust causeth blindness of mind in tempting to sin, I shall next lay open Satan’s devices for the keeping and maintaining his possession , which are these:— 1. First, He endeavours, after he hath prevailed with any man to commit an iniquity, to finish sin : James i. 15, ‘After i
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
Of Satan’s keeping all in quiet, which is his second engine for keeping his possession, and for that purpose his keeping us from going to the light by several subtleties; also of making us rise up against the light, and by what ways he doth that. Satan’s next engine for the maintaining his possession, is to keep all in quiet ; which our Saviour notes: Luke xi. 21, ‘When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.’ He urgeth this against those that objected to him, that he cast
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
Of Satan’s third grand policy for maintaining his possession; which is his feigned departure: (1.) By ceasing the prosecution of his design; and the cases in which he doth it. (2.) By abating the eagerness of pursuit; and how he doth that. (3.) By exchanging temptations; and his policy therein.—The advantage he seeks by seeming to fly.—Of his fourth stratagem for keeping his possession, which is his stopping all ways of retreat; and how he doth that. Besides the two former designs, of finishing
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
Satan’s deceits against religious services and duties.—The grounds of his displeasure against religious duties.—His first design against duties is to prevent them.—His several subtleties for that end, by external hindrances, by indispositions bodily and spiritual, by discouragements; the ways thereof, by dislike; the grounds thereof, by sophistical arguings.—His various pleas therein. Our next work is to take notice of the spite and methods of the serpent against the ways of worship and service.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Satan’s second grand design against duties is to spoil them. (1.) In the manner of undertaking, and how he effects this. (2.) In the act or performance, by distracting outwardly and inwardly. His various ways therein, by vitiating the duty itself. How he doth that. (3.) After performance, the manner thereof. The chief of Satan’s ways for the hindering and preventing of duty have been noted; what he comes short in this design he next labours to make up, by spoiling and depraving them: and this he
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
That it is Satan’s grand design to corrupt the minds of men with error—The evidences that it is so—And the reasons of his endeavours that way. Next to Satan’s deceits in tempting to sin and against duty, his design of corrupting the minds of men by error calls for our search; and indeed this is one of his principal endeavours, which takes up a considerable part of his time and diligence. He is not only called in Scripture an ‘unclean spirit,’ but also a ‘lying spirit,’ [1 Kings xxii. 22,] and th
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
Of the advantages which Satan hath, and useth, for the introduction of error; as (1.) From his own power of spiritual fascination. That there is such a power, proved from Scripture, and from the effects of it. (2.) From our imperfection of knowledge; the particulars thereof explained. (3.) From the bias of the mind. What things do bias it, and the power of them to sway the understanding. (4.) From curiosity. (5.) From atheistical debauchery of conscience. That Satan may the better speed in his d
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
Of Satan’s improving these advantages for error: 1. By deluding the understanding directly: which he doth— (1.) By countenancing error from Scripture. Of his cunning therein. (2.) By specious pretences of mysteries; and what these are. Of personal flatteries. (3.) By affected expressions. Reason of their prevalency. (4.) By bold assertions. The reasons of that policy. (5.) By the excellency of the persons appearing for it, either for gifts or holiness. His method of managing that design. (6.) By
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
Of Satan’s second way of improving his advantages, which is by working upon the understanding indirectly by the affections.—This he doth— (1.) By a silent, insensible introduction of error. His method herein. (2.) By entangling the affections with the external garb of error, a gorgeous dress, or affected plainness. (3.) By fabulous imitations of truth. The design thereof. (4.) By accommodating truth to a compliance with parties that differ from it. Various instances hereof. (5.) By driving to a
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
Satan’s attempts against the peace of God’s children evidenced —(1.) By his malice; (2.) From the concernment of peace to God’s children; what these concerns are, explained. (3.) From the advantages which he hath against them by disquieting their minds —1. Confusion of mind; 2. Unfitness for duty, and how; 3. Rejection of duty; 4. A stumbling-block to others; 5. Preparation of the mind to entertain venomous impressions, and what they are; 6. Bodily weakness; 7. Our miseries Satan’s contentment.
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
Of the various ways by which he hinders peace— 1. Way by discomposures of spirit. These discomposures explained, by shewing, (1.) What advantage he takes from our natural temper, and what tempers give him this advantage. (2.) By what occasions he works upon our natural tempers. (3.) With what success. [1.] These occasions suited to natural inclinations, raise great disturbance. [2.] They have a tendency to spiritual trouble. The thing proved, and the manner how discovered. [3.] These disturbance
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
Of the second way to hinder peace.—Affrightments, the general nature and burden of them, in several particulars.—What are the ways by which he affrights: 1. Atheistical injections. Observations of his proceeding in them; 2. Blasphemous thoughts; 3. Affrightful suggestions of reprobation. Observations of his proceedings in that course; 4. Frightful motions to sin; 5. Strong immediate impressions of fear; 6. Affrightful scrupulosity of conscience. The next rank of troubles by which the devil doth
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
Of Satan’s third way to hinder peace, by spiritual sadness.—Wherein, 1. Of the degrees of spiritual sadness. 2. Of the frequency of this trouble, evidenced several ways. Of the difference betwixt God and Satan in wounding the conscience. 3. Of the solemn occasions of this trouble. 4. The engines by which Satan works spiritual sadness. (1). His sophistry. His topics enumerated and explained. [1.] Scriptures perverted. [2.] False notions. [3.] Misrepresentations of God. [4.] Sins: how he aggravate
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
Of his fourth way to hinder peace, by spiritual distresses. 1. The nature of these distresses; the ingredients and degrees of them. Whether all distresses of soul arise from melancholy. 2. Satan’s method in working them; the occasions he makes use of, the arguments he urgeth, the strengthening of them by fears. 3. Their weight and burden explained in several particulars.—Some concluding cautions. The last sort of troubles by which Satan overthrows the peace of the soul, are spiritual distresses
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
The first circumstance of the combat—The time when it happened—The two solemn seasons of temptation—The reasons thereof. I shall here consider the great temptation which it pleased our Lord Christ to submit unto, as a most famous instance for confirmation and illustration of the doctrine of temptations already handled. The first verse sets down several remarkable circumstances of this combat, all of them matter of weight and worth: as, 1. First, The time when this fell out ; not as a loose and a
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
The second circumstance, Christ’s being led by the Spirit.—What hand the Spirit of God hath in temptations.—And of running into temptation when not led into it. 2. The second circumstance acquaints how Christ was carried to the combat . In solemn combats and duels, the persons undertaking the fight were usually carried to the place with great solemnity and ceremony. Christ in this spiritual battle is described as having the conduct of the Spirit, ‘He was led up of the Spirit,’ &c. What t
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
The third circumstance, the place of the combat.—The advantage given to temptations by solitude. 3. The third circumstance next to be considered is the place of this combat, ‘the wilderness.’ To inquire what or where this wilderness was, is not only impertinent and useless, as to anything we can observe from it in reference to temptation, but also a matter of mere uncertain conjecture; only they that would understand it of a place more thinly peopled are expressly contradicted by Mark i. 13, whe
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
The fourth circumstance, the end wherefore Christ was led to the wilderness.—Holiness, employment, privileges, exempt not from temptation.—Of temptations that leave not impressions of sin behind them.—How Satan’s temptations are distinguished from the lusts of our own heart. 4. The fourth circumstance was the end . There was no other design in the main of Christ’s being led up and into the wilderness, but that he might be ‘tempted.’ In this two things seem to be matter of equal wonder:— (1.) Fir
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered. —Mat. iv. 2. Of Christ’s fast, with the design thereof.—Of Satan’s tempting in an invisible way.—Of his incessant importunities, and how he flies when resisted.—Of inward temptations, with outward afflictions.—Several advantages Satan hath by tempting in affliction. I am next to explain the fast of Christ, the end and design whereof, because it is not expressly mentioned, is variously conjectured . Not to insist i
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. —Mat. iv. 3. That Christ’s temptations were real and not in vision.—That temptation is Satan’s employment, with the evidences and instances thereof.—Of Satan’s tempting visibly, with the reasons thereof. Next follows a particular account of those more eminent temptations wherewith Christ was assaulted by Satan. Before I speak of these, I must necessarily remove this stumbling-block out
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
The general view of these temptations.—Of Satan’s gradual proceeding in temptations.—Of reserving a great temptation last.—What a great temptation is; in what cases to be expected.—Of Satan’s using a common road, in comparing these temptations with the ordinary temptations of men.—Of the advantage Satan takes of natural appetite, sense, and affections. I have done with the proæmium to the temptations. Yet before I open them particularly, I shall take a general view of them. First, By comparing t
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
The rise of Christ’s first temptation.—Of Satan’s suiting his temptations to the conditions of men.—Of tempting men upon the plea of necessity.—The reasons and cheats of that plea.—His pretences of friendship in tempting, with the danger thereof. Having thus considered these temptations as they lie before us in their general prospect, I shall now speak of this first special temptation in particular, in which—(1.) The rise, or occasion; (2.) The temptation itself; (3.) The argument by which Satan
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
A particular consideration of the matter of the first temptation, what Satan aimed at in bidding him turn stones into bread.—Of Satan’s moving us to things good or lawful.—The end of such a motion.—How to know whether such motions are from Satan or the Spirit.—What to do in case they be from Satan.—Of his various aims in one temptation.—What they are, and of his policy therein.—Of his artificial contrivement of motions to make one thing infer another. Next follows the temptation itself, ‘Command
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
Of Satan’s chief end in this temptation; his skill in making the means to sin plausible.—The reasons of that policy, with his art therein.—Men’s ignorance his advantage.—Of the differences of things propounded to our use. The various aims of Satan, and their close dependence one upon another, having contributed to us their several observations, it remains that we ask after the main and chief thing that Satan principally intended. And to make way to this, it must be noted, that in grand temptatio
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
Of the temptation to distrust upon the failure of ordinary means.—Of the power of that temptation, and the reasons of its prevalency.—Of unwarrantable attempts for relief, with the causes thereof.—Of waiting on God, and keeping his way.—In what cases a particular mercy is to be expected. I have particularly insisted upon the aims of Satan in this temptation in their variety, and also the cunning connexion and coherences of them. I have also singled out his chief design. I am now in the last plac
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
Of Satan’s proceeding to infer distrust of sonship from distrust of providences.—Instances of the probability of such a design.—The reasons of this undertaking.—Of Satan’s endeavour to weaken the assurance and hopes of God’s children.—His general method to that purpose. Lastly, we are to consider the suitableness of the means to the end. He had, as we have seen, fitly proportioned the subordinate means to the chief and principal. The failure of ordinary means of help was shrewdly proper to infer
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple. —Mat. iv. 5. The preparation to the second temptation.—Of his nimbleness to catch advantages from our answers to temptation.—That Satan carried Christ in the air.—Of his power to molest the bodies of God’s children.—How little the supposed holiness of places privilegeth us from Satan.—Of Satan’s policy in seeming to countenance imaginary defences.—Of his pretended flight in such cases, with the reason
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
That presumption was the chief design of this temptation.—Of tempting to extremes.—What presumption is.—The several ways of presuming.—The frequency of this temptation, in the generality of professors, in hypocrites, despairing persons, and in the children of God.—The reasons of Satan’s industry in this design.—His deceitful contrivance in bringing about this sin.—Preservatives against it. Next to the preparation which Satan made for the second conflict, already explained, the temptation intende
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
Self-murder another of his designs in this temptation.—How he tempts to self-murder directly, and upon what advantage he urgeth it.—How he tempts to it indirectly, and the ways thereof.—Of necessary preservatives against this temptation. We have seen and considered the main end of Satan in this temptation. Let us further consider whether this was the sole end that he propounded to himself. We have little reason to think that he would confine himself to one, when the thing itself doth so clearly
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
Of pride, Satan’s chief engine to bring on presumption.—What pride is, and how it prepares men for sinning presumptuously.—Considerations against pride.—The remedies for its cure.—Pride kindled by a confidence of privileges and popular applause. The aims of Satan in this temptation being thus explained, I must now offer to your consideration the means by which he sought to bring his end about, which we have noted already, was pride: this he endeavoured to raise up in him two ways:— (1.) First, B
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
Of Satan’s subtlety in urging that of Ps. xci. 11, 12, to Christ.—Of his imitating the Spirit of God in various ways of teaching.—Of his pretending Scripture to further temptation.—The reasons of such pretendings, and the ends to which he doth abuse it.—Of Satan’s unfaithfulness in managing of scriptures.—Cautions against that deceit.—The ways by which it may be discovered. The ways of Satan, hitherto insisted on, to engage Christ in this act of presumption, were secret insinuations and underhan
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CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. — Mat. iv. 8. The manner of Satan’s shewing the kingdoms of the world.—Of Satan’s preparations before the motion of sin.—Of his confronting the Almighty by presumptuous imitation, and in what cases he doth so.—Of his beautifying the object of a temptation, and how he doth it.—His way of engaging the affections by the senses.—Of his seeming shyness. This is the prep
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CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XIX.
Satan’s ends in tempting Christ to fall down and worship him.—Of blasphemous injections.—What blasphemy is.—The ways of Satan in that temptation, with the advantages he takes therein, and the reason of urging blasphemies upon men.—Consolations to such as are concerned in such temptations.—Advice to such as are so afflicted. These observations, which the preparation to the temptation hath afforded us, being despatched, the temptation itself follows, which is this, ‘fall down and worship me.’ This
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CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XX.
The nature of idolatry.—Satan’s design to corrupt the worship of God.—The evidences thereof, with the reasons of such endeavours.—His general design of withdrawing the hearts of men from God to his service.—The proof that this is his design.—Upon whom he prevails.—That professions and confidences are no evidences to the contrary.—His deceit of propounding sin as a small matter.—The evidences of that method, and the reason thereof. Thus have I considered the temptation as blasphemous. I proceed n
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CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXI.
Of worldly pleasure.—Proofs that this is Satan’s great engine.—What there is in worldly delights that make them so.—Counsels and cautions against that snare. I come now to the argument which Satan used for all this, ‘All these things will I give thee.’ He casts a golden apple before him, and seeks to entangle him by worldly greatness and delight. I shall not examine how true or false Satan spake when he called all these things his, and that he could give them to whom he would. It is enough for o
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CHAPTER XXII.
CHAPTER XXII.
Of Christ’s answer in the general.—That these temptations were upon design for our instruction.—Of the agreement betwixt Eph. vi. and Mat. iv.—The first direction.—Of courageous resolves in resisting temptations.—Its consistency with some kind of fear.—The necessity of this courage.—Wherein it consists; and that there is a courage in mourning spirits. These answers of Christ to the several temptations, which are now to be explained, are different as to their matter, yet the general purport of th
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CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIII.
The second direction, that temptations are not to be disputed.—The several ways of disputing a temptation.—In what cases it is convenient and necessary to dispute with Satan.—In what cases inconvenient, and the reasons of it. The next thing observable in Christ’s carriage to Satan is this, that Christ, though he rejected every temptation by giving a reason of his refusal from the command of God, did not suffer Satan to dispute his temptations further than the first proposal, and in his answers h
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CHAPTER XXIV.
CHAPTER XXIV.
The third direction, of repelling a temptation without delay.—The necessity of so doing.—What a speedy denial doth contain. The magnanimity of Christ, and the peremptoriness of his denial, we have noted. We must further observe the immediateness of his answer; he suffered not any of these motions to stay long with him; here was not a Cras tibi respondebo , Come again to-morrow and I will answer. He would not take time with the devil, but had his answer ready. No sooner was he tempted, but the te
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CHAPTER XXV.
CHAPTER XXV.
The fourth direction, of repelling a temptation by Scripture arguments.—Of several things implied in the direction.—The necessity of answering by Scripture arguments.—The excellency of the remedy.—How Scripture arguments are to be managed. The next particular in Christ’s answers to be observed by us is his citations of Scripture as an invincible reason against all the devil’s temptations; he beats them all back with this weapon, ‘It is written.’ That this was written for our learning, and that,
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CHAPTER XXVI.
CHAPTER XXVI.
The fifth direction, of prayer, and of the seriousness required of those that expect the advantage of prayer.—Of God’s hearing prayer while the temptation is continued.—Of some that are troubled more, while they pray more. Direct. 5. That in all our endeavours of resistance, frequent and earnest prayers are not to be neglected. This is so frequently recommended, and so fully handled by most authors, that I shall refer you to such authors as particularly treat of it; noting only that the apostle,
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