THESE words are easily resolv'd into two parts: the first, a Duty; and the second, to incourage the performance, an assurance of an happy issue in the doing it. The 1. the Duty in these words, Resist the Devil; the happy issue in those other, he will flee from you.

For the more practical and usefull handling of these parts, I shall endeavour to doe these three things.

1. View the Enemy we are to resist, the Devil; fee his Strengths, and what are his chief Engines, his main instruments of battery, whereby he shakes, and does endeavour to demolish the whole frame of Vertue in mens lives, shatters and throws down all Religious, holy Resolutions, and subjects men to himself and Sin.

2. See what we are to doe in opposition to all this; and how and by what means we must resist.

[Page 2] 3. Prove to them that do resist, the happy issue which the Text here promiseth.

First of the first.

Though no man can be tempted, (so as to be foil'd by the temptation) but he that is drawn away by his own Lust, and enticed, James I. 14. and all the blandishments of this world, all the wiles and arti­fices of the Prince and God of it, the Devil, are not able to betray one into sin, till his own [...]er. 15. Lust con­ceive that sin, and bring it forth; Man must be ta­ken first in his own nets, and fall into that pit himself hath digg'd, before he can become the Devil's prey: yet Satan hath so great an hand in this affair, that the Tempter is his name and office, Matt. IV. 3. and the warre which is now before us is so purely his, that we are said to fight Ephes. [...]. 12., not against flesh and bloud, (those nests and fortresses of our own Lusts) but a­gainst Principalities and Powers, against the Rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wicked­nesses in high places; that is, against the Enemy here in the Text, the Devil.

Now to bring about his ends upon us he hath several means. The first that I shall name is

Infidelity. With this he began in Paradise, and succeeded by it; for he had no sooner told the woman that she should Gen. III. 6. not surely die, and so made her doubt of, not believe, and consequently not fear, [Page 3] that which God had threatned, but she took of the forbidden fruit, and she did eat, and gave it to her husband too, and he did eat. Now if a Serpent si­ding with her inclination could so quickly stagger and quite overthrow her Faith; if she, because she sees and likes a pleasing Object, can, in mere defi­ance of her own assured conviction, when the Reve­lation look'd her in the face, and God himself was scarce gone out of sight, straight give credit to a Snake, that comes and confidently gives the lie to God her Maker, offers her no proof at all of what he says, but onely flatters her desires with promises and expectations of she knows not what, Gen. III. 4, 5. Ye shall not die, but ye shall be as Gods; if in spite of Knowledge she turn Infidel so soon and easily: 'tis no great wonder if that Serpent do, at this distance from Revelation, prevail on men, whose conversati­on being most with Sense, (their satisfactions also consequently gratifying of their Sense) they do not willingly assent to any thing but that which brings immediate evidence and attestation of the Senses, which the objects of our Faith do not, (especially if it give check to and restrain those satisfactions, as those do;) on such men, I say, that do not care, nor use, in things that are against their mind, to apply the Understanding close and strongly to re­flect on those considerations which should move [Page 4] assent, and work belief. Considerations which I dare affirm, if with sincerity adverted to, (if there be no improbity within to trash their efficacy, no fensual inclination cherish'd that must hinder their admittance, as not being able to endure to lodge in the same breast with those persuasions,) would make Disbelief appear not onely most imprudent, but a thing next to impossible. But in those that give themselves no leisure, have no will thus to advert, 'tis not strange if, through Satan's arts, in things of this remote kind they have onely languid opinions, which sink quickly into doubts, and by degrees into flat Infidelity.

S. Paul does fetch the rise of unbelief of Chri­stianity from hence, II Cor. IV. 3, 4. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; In whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds: that is, If the Christian Doctrine do not appear to be the truth of God to any, 'tis to obstinate persons onely, whom the Devil hath besotted so with the ad­vantages and pleasures of this world, that their af­fections to these will not let the other be admitted. For,

That Carnal prejudice can cast a mist before the mind, or that a bright and glittering Temptation of this world may dazle it so as that it cannot see that which is most illustriously visible, we have this de­monstration.

[Page 5] Those Works which Christ and his Apostles wrought, which made the whole World, that was Heathen then, so many Millions of such distant Nati­ons as could never meet together to conspire an uni­versal change in their Religions, made them yet a­gree to lay aside their dear Gods and their dearer Vices, and doe that to embrace a Crucified Deity, a God put to a vile ignominious death, as one worse then the worst of men, and a Religion that was as much hated, counted as accursed as that God of it, He and his Doctrine crucified a like, and a Religion too that had as great severities in its Commands as in its Persecutions, that did it self enjoyn as hard and cruel things to flesh and bloud as they that hated it inflicted, the duties and the punishments equally seem executed on its followers, and a Religion, whose per­formances had no retributions here but fatal ones, no otherwise rewarded but with fire and faggot, and whose after-promises were most incredible: Those Works that could produce all this had certainly om­nipotent conviction in them; sure we are there must be prodigie of Miracle either in the causes, or in the effect. And yet the Scribes and Pharisees are not wrought on by them. Their carnal Prejudices would not be removed, not by the Finger of God: the mean and despicable, and, as to all their worldly expectations and affections, the unsatisfying con­dition [Page 6] of our Saviour, had so clouded all his works, and their own pride so blinded them, that they could see no argument in Miracle.

Now 'tis the Devil, that God of the World, that hath the power of its Glories, and the managery of its temptations, who, by raising these affections, dazles so and blinds the minds of men, that they should not believe. S. Paul affirms it: and 'tis plain that Vnbelief is no one's Interest but Satan's. For it is not Man's. Not the Vertuous man's certainly: He's con­cern'd as much as Happiness amounts to, to believe there is a God, whose Cares and Providence watch over him, whose Ears and Arms are open to him, whose Bowells yearn for him, whose Bloud did pur­chase him, whose everlasting Blessednesses do await him. 'Tis his Interest to trust that Vertue, which the World so scorns or pitties, was yet worthy God should be incarnated to teach it, die to purifie us in­to it, and will raise us up again to cro [...]n it. Nei­ther is this Unbelief Man's real Interest, abstracting from these prejudices of Religion. For if it were Man's real Interest, then it were every man's wisest course to pursue that Interest. But if every man did so, and should persuade himself into Infidelity, and that Religion and a Deity were but dreams or artifices, and so arrive so farr as to have no fear of God, nor sense of Honestie or Vertue, the whole world [Page 7] must needs return into the first confusions of its Chaos: Villany and Rapine would have right. When those Mounds are thrown down, there is no­thing that can hinder but that every man may law­fully break in upon and invade every thing. There is no fence to guard thy Coffers nor thy Bed, no nor thy very Breast: rather indeed there can be nothing thine. This is, 'tis true, Leviathan's state of Na­ture; and 'tis so indeed with the Leviathans of Sea and Land, the wilde Beasts of the Deep and of the Desert. But to prevent the necessary and es­sential mischiefs of this state amongst us Men, He will have Nature to have taught us to make Pacts and Oaths: but if there's no such thing as Vertue or Religion, then there is no obligation to keep Pacts or Oaths. And why should he observe them that can safely break them? Here it is indeed that Do­ctrine ends; to this their Infidelity does tend. And therefore 'tis no Interest of States or Princes. This the Atheist will confess; Gods and Religions were invented for the mere necessities of Governours, who could not be secure without those higher Obli­gations, and these after-fears. And are they not kind. Subjects then who, by promoting Atheism, labour to break down that fence which themselves account necessary? Or are they not good rational Discoursers too, who labour to throw out a thing [Page 8] as false and vain, because 'tis necessary? So neces­sary sure, that they who weaken these bonds of Re­ligion, quite dissolve those of Allegiance, all whose Sinews are made of those Sacred Ties, which if you untwist, the other Cords are burst as easily as threads of Cobweb. Nay these Doctrines lay Prin­ciples that justifie Rebellion and King-killing. For if there's no such thing as Vertue or Religion, then those are no Crimes. And it is no wonder Treason hath been lov'd, when Blasphemy hath been so. They that hear men droll on God Almighty, raille their Maker, and buffoon with Him, will quickly learn to speak with little reverence of their Supe­riours. There's no Kingdome but the Devil's that can have support from Infidelity; 'tis the Interest of that indeed. His work goes more securely on, when there are no religious apprehensions to check it: allow'd Vice cannot be at ease if it but think those things are true. It is the infinite concern of Wick­edness, that the Laws of Vertue and Religion should be onely Spiders webs, Snares for innocent and lesser flies, while venimous Spiders can pass safely through them, and the Wasps can burst them; are Entanglements onely for the weak, the Phlegma­tick and Hypochondriack: and that there should be no God that can bring them to an after-reckoning. They that flatter and betray, that hugg, and then [Page 9] trip up, or that plot villanies and ruines under fair and godly vizards; must needs be unwilling to be­lieve that there is one who Jet. XVII. 1 tries the reins, and sea [...]hes hearts, and that will render every one ac­cording to his works. The Drunkard, who nor must nor can keep the remembrance of his Cups, cannot endure to apprehend he must be call'd to an account of them. The man whose Lust prevents the Grave, that putrefies alive, and drops by piece­meal into rotten dust ere he return to earth, must needs be loth that there should be a Resurrection, to collect the scatter'd, the foul atomes of his Sin and his Disease, and shew them at that dread Tri­bunal, before God, his Holy Angels, and Mankind. Such as these are the onely men that are concern'd against Religion. Here we see whose Interest such promote who promote Infidelity. And truly 'tis so much the Devil's Interest, that by those very measures that he weakens Faith, he strengthens eve­ry sort of Wickedness: by the steps and degrees of Infidelity men ascend towards the heights of Sin: and when they have surmounted all Religious apprehensions, then they are upon the Precipice of Vice. When the Floud-gates are removed, the Torrent must break impetuously. For what is there that can hinder? Nothing certainly, if pre­sent Interest be not able: But 'tis plain that Thieves, [Page 10] and Murtherers, and Rebells, in fine, every one whom we call Sinners, do pursue that which they account their present Interest: that therefore, if there were no other, would not be sufficient, since the Devil does make use of that to work with under Infidelity. This indeed he batters, makes his spreading ruines with: therefore S. Paul calls him Ephes. II. 2. [...], the spirit that works in filiis diffidentiae, saith the Vulgar: in the unbeliev­ers, so it bears: in filiis insuasibilitatis, in the men [...]oh. III. 36. that will not be persuaded to believe. In these [...] they are his [...], Possest and agitated by him: 'tis he spirits what they doe: their actions are his incitations and motions: In summe, as to wickedness, they are mere Demoniacks. This there­fore is his chief and the first Engine.

2. The second Instrument by which he does de­molish whatsoever hopes of Vertue we are built up to is Want of Imployment: and in order to this, he hath so far prevail'd on the opinions of the world, that they believe some states of men not onely have no obligation to be busied, but to have no Calling is essential to their condition; which is made more eminent upon this account that they have no busi­ness. Wealth, how great soever, if with an imploy­ment or profession, makes a man onely a more gen­tile Mechanick: But Riches and nothing to doe [Page 11] make a Person of quality. As if God had made that state of men, far the most generous part of the whole kinde, and best appointed for the no­blest uses of the world, to serve no other ends but what the Grashoppers and Locusts do, to sing and dance among the Plants and Branches, and de­vour the fruits; and Providence had furnish'd them with all advantages of plenty for no better pur­poses. Such persons think not onely to reverse God's Curse, and In the sweat of others faces eat their bread, but reverse Nature too; for Job saith, Job V. 7. Man is born to labour, as the sparks flie upwards; in his making hath a principle to which Activity is as es­sential as it is to fire to mount; from which no­thing else but force can hinder it: As if man did doe violence to his making when he did doe no­thing; and it were his hardest work and pressure, not to be imploy'd; it were like making flame go downwards. I am sure, it is one of the busiest ways of doing Satan's work. Our Saviour in a Parable in the XII. Ch. of S. Matt. from the 43. v. saith, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he go­eth through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none: Ver. 44. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, 45. swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more [Page 12] wicked then himself, and they enter in and dwell there. Where, under the Similitude of a man cast out of his habitation, who, while he wanders through none but desert places seeking for a dwel­ling, he is sure to meet with none; but if he finde an house that's empty, swept and garnish'd, he hath found out not a receptacle onely, but an invitation, an house drest on purpose to call in and to detain inhabitants: He signifies, that when a Temptation of the Devil is repell'd, and himself, upon some working occasion, by a resolute act of holy courage thrown out of the heart; as he finds no rest in this condition, every place is desert to him, but the Heart of man is indeed Hell to him, for he calls it Matt. VIII. 29. torment to be cast out thence, yea he accounts himself bound up in his eternal chains of Luk. VIII. 31. darkness, when he is restrain'd from working and engaging man to sin; so, while he goeth to and fro, seeking an opportunity to put in somewhere, if he finde that heart from which he was cast out, or any other heart, [...], (so the word is,) idling, not im­ploy'd or busied, (so it signifies,) such an heart is empty, swept, and garnish'd for him, 'tis a dwelling that's drest properly to tempt the Devil, fitted to receive him and his forces too, prepar'd for him to garrison, and make a strong hold of, whence he cannot be remov'd; for he takes unto him seven [Page 13] other spirits more wicked then himself, and they enter in and dwell there. No doubt they are the Patron-Guardian spirits of the seven deadly sins, their Tu­telary Devils. Some of those good qualities that are the attendants of Idleness you may finde decy­pher'd in the Scripture. S. Paul says, when people I Ti [...] ▪ V. 13. learn to be idle, they grow tattlers, busie-bodies, speaking things which they ought not. 'Tis strange that Idleness should make men and women busy-bo­dies, yet it does most certainly in other folks af­fairs. Faction, then which nothing in the world can be more restless, is nurst by it. Where are States so censur'd, so new-modell'd, as at certain of our Refectories, places that are made merely for men to spend their time in which they know not what to doe with? At those Tables our Superiours are dissected; Calumny and Treason are the com­mon, are indeed the more peculiar entertainments of the places. In fine, where persons have no o­ther employment for their time but talking, and ei­ther have not so much Vertue as to finde delight in talking good things, or not so much skill as to speak innocent recreation, there they talk of others, censure, and back-bite, and scoffe. This is indeed the onely picquant conversation; Gall is sawce to all their entertainments: and that you may know these things proceed from that old Serpent, they doe [Page 14] nothing else but hiss and bite. 'Tis the Rom. [...]I. 13. poison of Asps that is under their lips which gives relish to their discourses; 'tis the sting that makes them grateful, veni ne that they are condited with.

More of the brood of this want of Imployment you may finde at Sodome; namely, Pride and Lux­ury: for saith Ezekiel, Ezek. XVI. 49. This was the iniquity of So­dome; Pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of Idle­ness, was in her and in her daughters. And indeed the idle person could not possibly know how to passe his hours, if he had not Delicacies to sweeten some, Wine to lay some asleep, and the solicitous deckings of Pride to take up others: But the stu­dious gorgings of the inside, and the elaborate trim­mings of the outside, help him well away with them.

Good God! that for so many hours my morning eyes should be lift up to nothing but a Looking-glass! that that thin Shadow of my self should be my Idol, be my God indeed, to which I pay all the devotions I perform! And when with so much care and time I have array'd and marshall'd my self, that I should spend as much more too in the compla­cencies of viewing this! with eager eyes and ap­petite surveying every part, as if I had set out, ex­pos'd them to my self alone, and onely drest a pro­spect for my own sight! and since Nature, to my [Page 15] grief, hath given me no eyes behinde; that I should fetch reliefs from Art, and get vicarious sight, and set my back parts too before my face, that so I may enjoy the whole scene of my self! And why all this? for nothing but to serve vain Ostentation, or negotiate for Lust, to dress a Temptation, and start Concupiscence. And that the half of each day should be spent thus! the best part of a reasonable crea­ture's and a Christian's life be laid out upon purposes so farr from Christian or reasonable!

And truely Luxury will easily eat the remainder up, that sure companion of Idleness. For when the Israelites were in the Wilderness, where they could not eat but by Miracle, and the Rock must give them drink; yet, having no imployment, they made Feasls: Exod. XXXII. [...] ▪ They sate down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Nor would eating to the uses of their nature serve them, but they must have en­tertainments for their wantonness. Had they been imploy'd to get their bread, their labour would have made their morsells sweet: but since God, as the Wise-man saies, sent them from Heaven bread prepar'd without their labour, they must have va­rieties to sweeten it; they require him to Psal. LXXVIII. prepare a Table also in the wilderness, 19. and furnish them with choice. 25. And although they had the food of Angels, Wised. XVI. 20, 21. able to content every man's delight, and agreeing to [Page 16] every tast, and serving to the appetite of the eater, it temper'd it self to every man's liking, and what could they fansy more? the latitude of crea­tures, the whole Universe of Luxury could doe nothing else; in every single morsell they had sorts, Variety, all choice; as if that Desert had been Paradise, that Wilderness the Garden of the Lord: Yet so coy is Idleness, so apt to nauseate, that they abhor the constancy of being pleas'd. And though they were not sated neither, Exod. XVI. 18. he that gather'd much had nothing over, onely to his eating, God as well providing for their Health and Vertue, as necessity, and dieting their Temperance as he did their hunger: yet their very liking does grow loathsome to them. When their bodies were thus excellently well provi­ded for, having no imployment, nothing to take up their minds and entertain their Souls, they require Psal. LXXVII. v. 18. [...] meat for their Souls, meat not to serve the uses of their bodies, but to feed their fancies, their extravagant minds. Thus Idleness requires to be dieted. And all this but to pamper and feed high mens inclinations, so to make Temptations irresistible, and by consequence Vice necessary.

It were easie to recount more of those ways by which the Devil does make use of mens want of Im­ployment to debauch their lives, and ruine all the hopes of Vertue in them. S. Jude finds more of its [Page 17] effects at Sodome: Ver. 7. They gave themselves over to Fornication, and went after other flesh, and are set forth for a [...] example, suffering the vengeance of eter­nal fire. Indeed these are most certain consequents of not being imploy'd: Quaeritur Aegysthus—is too known an instance: and II Sam. XI. 1, 2. great, Holy David is another. But its dire influence is sufficiently vi­sible in that which it rain'd down upon those Cities. Since it did fulfill the guilt of Sodome, and made Heaven furnish Hell for it, and God himself turn Executioner of fire and brimstone to revenge it; this shall serve to prove it is one of the Devil's Master-pieces.

3. Next succeed his Ephes. VI. 16. fiery darts, as S. Paul calls them, namely, Persecutions, or Calamities of any kind: which he manageth either by inflicting pres­sures; and he was so confident of the force of those, that he did tell God he would make Job I. 11. Job curse him to his face with them: or if he find men in necessi­ties and pressures, then by tempting them to get from under them by methods which he shall direct; and he had such assurance of the strength of this Temptation, that by it he try'd our Saviour, to find out whether he were the IV. Matt▪ 3. Son of God or no, belie­ving none but he that was so would be able to re­sist it.

Indeed the trials are severe which this Temptati­on [Page 18] does present, to draw men from their Duty, and to overcome their Constancy: whether it solicite by inflicting punishment, (as on the Mother and her Children, II Maccab. VII.) or by offering to withdraw it, if they will submit to their unlawfull terms, (and so they try'd her youngest son there, ver. 24.) or at leastwise by some feigned act, some ambiguous words or practices, will pretend compli­ance, (so they dealt with Eleazar, Chap. VI. 21. whom they would have had to bring flesh of his own provision, such as he might use without offence, and so onely seem to eat forbidden meat.) Each of which is as great a trial also, and to stand against them reckon'd up amongst as vigorous acts of Faith, as those that held out in the greatest tortures persecuting malice could invent: Heb. XI. 37. They were ston'd, sawn asunder, were tempted.

Now to fetch an instance of the sad success of these, I shall not need to go so farr as to those Perse­cutions of Antiochus: nor those of the primitive times of Christianity; when they had no other choices but these, to deliver up their Bibles or their Lives; either to sacrifice to Idols, or at least procure a Ticket which should certifie that they had done it, or to be themselves an Holocaust, and give those Idols a Burnt-offering with their martyr-flames. Which made the Traditores, Lapsi, the Thurificati and the [Page 19] Libellatici to be so numerous. Through God's blessed mercy there is no use of such instances, as there is no fear of such a trial; 'tis not death to be a Christian now: For if the Son of man or Satan's self should come to try us at those rates, 'twere a great doubt whether the one or other would Luke XVIII. 8. find Faith upon the earth; whether they would sacrifice a life to our Religion, who are not content to sacri­fice a little interest or pleasure to it; whether they are likely to Heb. XII. 4. resist unto bloud fighting against sin, who will not resist to tears nor sober resolutions. Alas! what Religion should we be of, if God should raise a Diocletian, come to tempt us with the fiery trial? Martyrs as we are to nothing but our Passi­ons and our Lusts! Nor shall I produce more known and near experiences, when, by reason of such storms of Persecution, men ma [...]e shipwreck, if not of their Faith, yet of good Conscience. When by order or permissions of Providence they were brought to such a streight, that either they must let goe their possessions or their honesty, acting against Principles, and conscience of Duty; I shall not remember, how, when God did shake his angry hand thus over them, they fled to the Devil's kindness, and made Hell their refuge, to save them from their Father's rod: how they grew so Atheistical, as to believe a Perjury or other crime greater security, [Page 20] that would preserve their selves and their condition better then all God had promis'd; were such infi­dels, that they did rather trust their being here to the commission of a sin, then to the Providence and the Engagements of the Almighty. For indeed what need I instance in these greater cases, where the trial was so sharp, as not to offer any easier choice then this, either to part with Conscience or with all they had? God knows, we find less Inte­rests will doe: The Devil by no more then this, driving the Gadarens swine into the Sea, was able to drive Christ out of their coasts. You have the sto­ry VIII. Matt. from the 28 ver. A legion of those evil spirits did possess two men; and finding Christ would cast them out, and by that Miracle so farr shew forth his power, that in probability the whole Countrey would believe on him, they fall upon this project to prevent it; they besought him, if he would cast them out, to suffer them to goe into an herd of swine there feeding; hoping by destroying them to incense the owners against Christ: and, to try them, he permitted this. The possess'd swine ran violently down into the Lake, and perish'd. Now a man would think the virulency of these Devils, which were so destructive when they were at liberty and not restrain'd, would have endear'd the mercy that had cast them out of the poor men, and came [Page 21] to dispossess the Countrey of them; and that their astonishment at so great a Miracle would possess them all with reverence and belief of him; and that they would therefore seise and possess him also, and not let the mercy goe: But, on the contrary, the whole City and Countrey came out to meet Je­sus, and, in consideration of the loss of their swine, desire him to depart out of their coasts. Lo here an equal enemy to Christ and all his Miracles, that was indeed too hard for them. The Senate of Hell had no project to keep out Religion like to this, to make Religion thwart an Interest. Rather no Christia­nity then lose an Earthly satisfaction by it: Ra­ther have the swine then Christ himself.

4. But if he chance to fail in this Assault, (as by our Saviour he was beaten off) he hath yet a Re­serve, in which he places his last, strongest confi­dence; with which he ventured to charge Christ, when it is probable he knew He was the Son of God. IV. Mar [...] 8, 9. He takes him up into an high mountain, and shews him all the Kingdomes of the earth in the twinkling of an eye, and the glory of them, and says, All these things will I give thee. He thought it was impossible for such a prospect not to make impression on the appetite, raise some desire, or stir one Covetous or Ambitious thought: which if it could but doe, he made no scruple then to clog the [Page 22] Gift with such conditions as that there, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 'Tis said indeed, the Eph. V. 5. Covetous man is an Idolater: and here we see the God he does doe homage to, and worship. The Devil does require, that those whom he gives wealth to, (now 'tis he that gives it to the Covetous, to all indeed that get it with injustice or with greediness;) he requires, I say, that these should pay all their Religion to Him­self: and the Ambitious, in however high a place he sets them, must fall down to him. And truly these two dispositions can give worship to no other God but such an one as is Revel. X. 11. Abaddon, the Destroyer of Mankind. For all the great Commotions of the world, all those Convulsions that tear Provinces and Empires, all Seditions and Rebellions, with those armies of iniquities that attend them, and that wage their designs, which are upheld by legions of villanies as well as men, all the Disturbances of States and Church, are but attempts of Covetous and Ambitious spirits, men that are unsatisfied with their condition, and desire a change, and care not how they compass it: they can charge through seas of bloud and sin, over the face of men and Con­science, to get out of that condition, which they therefore are not well content with, because some­thing they like better beckens their ambitious and [Page 23] their covetous desires. Would you see what one of these will venture at? When Christ our Saviour was to be betray'd, when a Person of the Godhead was to be deliver'd up and crucified, the Devil had no passion to imploy on that design so fit as the de­sire of getting money; and when that desire was once entertain'd, we see he enters John XIII. 2, 27. really in person, and possesses such a soul; and when he is there, he designs no farther but to warm and stir that passi­on: 'tis sufficient fruit of his possession, he hath done enough in such an heart wherein he dwells, if he but keep alive that desire of money: for he knows that will make the man adventure upon any guilt; for it made Judas undertake to betray Christ. And as for the other passion which the Devil did de­sign the glories of his prospect to give fire to, though he could not stir it in our Saviour, yet he knew it vanquisht him himself when he was Angel. What height is there which Ambition will not flie at, since it made this Spirit aim at an equality with the Isa. XIV. 14. Most High? Heaven it self was not sufficient to content him, while there was a God above him in it. And since this affection peopled Hell with Devils, 'tis no wonder if it people Earth with Mi­series and Vices.

5. The remaining Trial with which Satan did assault our Saviour, when he tempted him with [Page 24] IV. Matt. 4. Scripture and God's Promises, and sought to ruine him with his own Priviledges: with that also

6. His being a lying spirit in the mouth of all the Prophets; by which long ago he did destroy an A­hab, in the I Kings XXII. 22. But since by sad expe­rience we know, he ruin'd the best King, purest Church, and most flourishing State, by the same stratageme. But these, with those other which S. Paul does call his Eph. VI. 11. wiles, I must omit; suffici­ent hath been said already to inforce the necessity of resisting, which is the Duty, and the next con­siderable.

Resist the Devil: that is, do not you consent to his Temptations: for there is no more requir'd of us, but this onely, not to be willing to be II Tim. II. 26. taken, and led captive by him. For let him suggest, incite, assault and storm us, no impression can be made up­on us till we yield, and till we give consent no hurt is done. It is not here as in our other warrs: In those no resolution can secure the victory, but not­withstanding all resistence possible, we may be van­quisht; yea, sometime men are overprest and die with conquering, and the Victor onely gains a Mo­nument, is but buried in the heaps of his slain Tro­phies. But in these warrs with the Devil, who­soever is unwilling to be vanquisht, never can be: for he must first give consent to it, and will the ruine: [Page 25] for men do not sin against their wills. Onely here we must distinguish betwixt Will, and then Velleity and Woulding. For let no man think when he com­mits deliberate iniquity with averseness and relu­ctancy of mind, allows not what he does, but does the evil that he would not, what he hates that he does; that this is not to be imputed to the Will, that in this case he is not willing, but here the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, and yields through mere infirmity: For, on the contrary, the Devil finds the flesh so strong in this case, that with it a­lone he does assault the mind, and breaks through its reluctancies and aversations, bears down all its resolutions, triumphs over all that does pretend to God or Vertue in him. Where 'tis thus, let no man flatter or persuade himself he does what he would not, when it is plain he does impetuously will the doing it. Let him not think that he allows not, but hates that which he does; when it is certain, in that moment that he does commit, not to allow that which he does resolve and pitch upon and chuse, to hate what with complacency he acts, or to doe that unwillingly which he is wrought on by his own con­cupiscence to doe, and by his inward incitations, by the mutiny of his own affections, which the Devil raises, and when it is the mere height and prevalen­cie of his appetite that does make him doe it, (as it [Page 26] must be where there is reluctancy before he doe it, his desires and affections there are evidently too strong for him,) or at last, to hate the doing that which 'tis his too much love to that makes him doe; are all impossibilities, the s [...]me things as to will a­gainst the will, desire against appetite. But do but keep thy self sincerely and in truth from being willing, and thou must be safe: For God expects no more but that we should not voluntarily yield to our un­doing. He hath furnisht us with his own com­pleat armour for no farther uses of a warre, but to encourage us to stand. Eph. VI. 11. Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil: 13. and again, Put ye on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to with­stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. There is no need to doe more then this, not to be willing and consent to fall; for no man can be beaten down but he that will fall.

It were very easie for me to prescribe you how to fortifie against those Engines of the Devil's bat­tery which I produc'd to you. But that I may not stay upon particulars, directing those whom he prevails upon through want of imployment to find out honest occasions not to be idle; (and here it is the most unhappy thing in the whole world, for any man to be necessitated to be vicio as by his ha­ving [Page 27] nothing else to doe, and because, while the world accounts it a Pedantick thing to be brought up by rules and under discipline, he cannot learn how to imploy himself to his advantage) to pass by these, I say, the universal strength against this ene­mie is Faith. I Pet. [...] 9. Your adversary the Devil, like a roaring Lion, goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the Faith. And that not onely as it frustrates all that he attempts by means of Infidelity, but it also Eph. VI. 16. quenches all his fiery darts; whatsoever bright Temptation he pre­sents to draw us from our Duty, or whatever fiery triall he makes use of to affright and martyr with. For the man whose Faith does give him Heb. XI. 1. evidence and eye-sight of those blessed Promises eye hath not seen, and gives [...] Heb. XI. 1 substance, present solid being to his after hopes, and, whose heart hath swallow'd down those happy expectations which have never entred in the heart of man to comprehend; what is there that can tempt or fright him from his station? To make all that which Satan gave the prospect of pre­vail on such a Soul, the Kingdoms of the earth must out-vie God's Kingdome, and their Gauds out­shine his Glory, and the twinkling of an eye seem longer then Eternity: for nothing less then these will serve his turn, all these are in his expectati­ons. Or what can fright the man whose heart is [Page 28] set above the sphere of terrours? who knows ca­lamity, how great soever, can inflict but a more sudden and more glorious blessedness upon him; and the most despiteful cruel usage can but perse­cute him into Heaven. 'Tis easie to demonstrate that a Faith and expectation of the things on earth, built upon weaker grounds then any man may have for his belief of things above, hath charg'd much greater hazards, overcome more difficulties then the Devil does assault us with. For sure none is so Scepticall, but he will grant that we have firmer grounds to think there is another world in Heaven, then Columbus (if he were the first Discoverer) had to think there was another Earth; and that there are far richer hopes laid up there in that other world, for those that do deny themselves the sinful profits and the jollities of this, and force them from their inclinations, then those Sea-men could expect who first adventur'd with him thither. For they could not think to gain much for themselves, but onely to take seisin of the Land (if any such there were) for others covetous cruelty; cold get little else but onely richer graves, and to lie buried in their yellow earth. Nor are we assaulted in our voyage with such hazards, as they knew they must encounter with; the path of Vertue and the way to Heaven is not so beset with difficulties as theirs [Page 29] was; when they must cut it out themselves through an unknown new world of Ocean, where they could see nothing else but swelling gaping Death, from an abysse of which they were but weakly guarded, and remov'd few inches onely: and as if the dan­gerousest shipwrecks were on shore, they found a Land more savage and more monstrous then that Sea. Yet all this they vanquisht for such slender hopes, and upon so uncertain a belief. A weak Faith therefore can doe mighty works; greater then any that we stand in need of to encounter with our enemy: It can remove these mountains too; the golden ones that Covetousness and Ambition do cast up; yea more, it can remove the Devil also, for if you resist him stedfast in the faith, he flies, which is the happy Issue, and my last part.

Resist the Devil, and he will flie from you. And yet it cannot be deny'd but that sometimes when the messenger of Satan comes to buffet, though S. Paul resist him with the strength of Prayer, (which when Moses manag'd he was able to prevail on God himself, and the Lord articled with him, that he might be Deut. IX. 14. let alone,) yet he could not beat off this assailant, II Cor. XII. 7, 8, 9. When God, either for prevention, as 'twas there, v. 7. or for exercising or illustrating of Graces, or some other of his blessed ends, gives a man up to the assaults [Page 30] of Satan, he is often pleased to continue the tem­ptation long; but in that case he does never fail to send assistences and aids enough against it. My grace is sufficient for thee, saith he to S. Paul there. And when he will have us tempted for his uses, (if we be not failing to our selves) he does prevent our being overcome; so that there is no danger on those Trials from their stay. But yet it must not be de­ny'd but that the Devil does prevail sometimes by importunacy, and by continuance of Temptation; so that Resistence is not always a Repulse, at least not such an one as to make him draw off and flie. It is not strange to find him siding with a natural inclination, with the bent of Constitution, still pre­senting Objects, laying Opportunities, throwing in Examples, and all sorts of invitation, always pressing so, that when a man hath struggled long he does grow weary of the service, not enduring to be thus upon his guard perpetually, watching a weak heart which strong inclinations, busie Devils do lay siege to; and so growing slack and careless, he is presently surpris'd: or else, despairing that he shall be always able to hold out, lays hold upon a tem­pting opportunity, and yields; by the most un­reasonable and basest cowardice that can be, yields, for fear of yielding; lest he should not hold out, he will not, but gives up; and puts himself into [Page 31] that very mischief which he would avoid, merely for fear of coming into it. For which fear there is no reason neither: for 'tis not here as in our other Sieges, where, if it be close, continuance must re­duce men to necessity of yielding, strengths and ammunitions will decay, provisions fail, and, if the Enemy cannot, their own hunger will break through their walls, make avenues for conquest, time alone will take them; but in these Spiritual Sieges, one Repulse inables for another, and the more we have resisted, the Temptation is not onely so much slat­ter, and more weak and baffled, but the inward man is stronger; Victory does give new forces, and is sure to get in fresh and still sufficient supplies. For Jam. IV. 6. God giveth more grace, saith S. Ja [...]es: and, Matt. XXV. 29. they shall have abundance, saith our Saviour. So that where the Devil after several repulses still comes on with fresh assaults, we may be sure he does discern there is some treacherous inclination that sides with him: and although the man refuse himself the satis­faction of the sin, he sees he hath a minde to it, his refusalls are but saint, not hearty; though he seem afraid to come within the quarters of the Vice, he keeps, it may be, correspondence with the incen­tives to it, entertains the opportunities, plaies with the objects, or at best he does not fortifie against him. Now this gives the Tempter hopes, and in­vites [Page 32] his assaults, and does expose the person to be taken by him.

But where he sees he is resisted heartily, his offers are received with an abhorrency, discerns men are in earnest, watch to avoid all opportunities and oc­casions, and prepare, and fortifie, and arm against him, there he will not stay to be the triumph of their Vertue. We may know this by his Agents, those that work under the Devil, whom he hath instructed in the mysteries of waging his Temptations. Where they are not like to speed; (and as to this they have discerning spirits,) they avoid, and hate, and come not near, but study spite and mischief onely there. The intemperate men are most uneasie with a person whom they are not able to engage in the debauch; the rudeness and brutality of their excesses are not so offensive to the sober man, as his stayd Vertue is to them; they do not more avoid the crude egesti­ons, shamefull spewings of their overtaken fellows riot, then they do the shame and the reproch that such a man's strict conversation casts on them, which does in earnest make them look more foul and nasty to themselves. In fine, every sinner shuns the company of those whom he believes Religious in earnest; 'tis an awe and check to them; they are afraid, and out at it, as their Great Master also is, who when he is resisted must be overcome: and [Page 33] as they that are beaten have their own fears also for their enemies, which are sure to charge close, put to flight, chase and pursue them; so it seems he also is afraid of a sincere and hearty Christian, for he flies him: so he did from Christ, IV. Matt. ver. 11. and so the Text assures, If you resist him, he will fly from you.

And now, although we all did once renounce the Devil and his works, were listed Souldiers against him, took a Sacrament upon it, and our Souls, the immortality of life or miserie, depend upon our being true and faithfull to our selves and oaths, or otherwise; nor is there more requir'd of us but re­solution and fidelity, onely not to be consenting to our Enemies conquest of us, not to will captivity and servitude. Yet as if, in mere defiance of our vows and interests, we not onely will'd the ruine, but would fight for it, we may find, in stead of this resisting of the Devil, most men do Acts VII. 51. resist the Holy Ghost; quench not the Ephe [...]. VI. 16. fiery darts of Satan, but the I Thess. V. 19. Spirit and his flames, by which he would enkindle love of God and Vertue in them. If he take advan­tage of some warm occasion to inflame their cou­rage against former fol [...]ies, heat them into resolu­tions of a change; as soon as that occasion goes off, they put out those flames, and choak these heats un­til they die. If he come in his soft whispers, speak [Page 34] close to the heart, suggest, and call them to those joys of which himself is earnest; to all these they shut their ears, can hear no whispers, are not sensi­ble of any sounds of things at such a distance, sounds to which they give no more regard, then to things of the same extravagance with the Musick of the Spheres. Nay, if he come with his more active methods, as the Angels came to Lot, send mercy to allure and Gen. [...]IX. 16. take them by the hand, as they did, to in­vite and lead them out of Sodome; if that will not, judgements then to thrust them out, as they did also, come with fire and brimstone to affright them; they not onely, like the men of Sodome, do attempt a Ver. 4, 9. violence and rape upon those very Angels, but they really debauch the mercies, and profane the judge­ments, having blinded their own eyes, that they might see no hand of God in either: using thus unkindly all his blessed methods of reclaiming them, till they have Ephes. [...]. 30. grieved him so that he forsake and leave them utterly. As if they had not heard that when the Holy Spirit is thus forc'd away, the evil spirit takes his place, I Sam. XVI. 14. As if they knew not that to those who close their eyes and stop their ears against the Holy Spirit's motions, till they are grown dull of hearing and blind to them, God does send a spirit of slumber, that they should not see nor hear; and that for this dire reason, that they may not be converted, [Page 35] nor be sav'd. Isa. VI. 9. Matt. XIII. 14, 15. Five times he affirms it in the Scripture. Yea, once more, in words of a sad Em­phasis, II Thes. II. 12, 13. He sends them strong de­lusions Joh. XII. 40. Act. XXVII. 26. Rom. XI. 8▪ that they may believe a ly, that they all may be damn'd who believe not the truth, but have plea­sure in unrighteousness: and that, because they re­ceived not the love of the truth, that they might be sav'd. Blessed God! Is it so easie for such sinners to believe and be converted, that thy self shouldst in­terpose to hinder it, and hide the possibilities of mercy from their eyes, that they may never see them, nor recover! What can then become of those for whom God does contrive that they shall not e­scape? when instead of those bowels that did make him Ezek. XXXIII. 11. swear he would not have the sinner die, but would have him return and live, he puts on so much indignation at such sinners, as to take an or­der they shall not repent, and take an order that they shall be damn'd.

And yet all this is onely to those men, who, be­ing dull of hearing the suggestions of the Spirit, and not willing to give entertainment to his holy motions, grieve him so, that they repell and drive him quite away; and so by consequence onely make way for the Devil: Whereas there are others that directly call him, force him to them, ravish and invade occasions to serve him. Some there are [Page 36] that study how to disbelieve, and with great labour and contrivance work out arguments and motives to persuade themselves to Atheism: Others pra­ctise, discipline, and exercise themselves to be en­gag'd in Vice. Some dress so as to lay baits, snares, to entrap Temptation, that they may be sure it may not pass them: Others feed high, to invite, and entertain the Tempter, doe all that is possible to make him come, and to assure him that he must prevail, when they have made it most impossible for themselves to stand and to resist.

Some there are indeed whom he does not over­come so easily, but is put to compound with them, takes them upon Articles: for when he would in­gage them to a sin to which he sees they have great inclinations, with some fears, he is fain to persuade them to repent when they have done; to lay hold upon the present opportunity, and not let the sa­tisfaction escape them, but be forry after, and a­mend. For where these resolutions of Repent­ance usher in transgression, there we may be sure it is the Devil that suggests those resolutions. But if he can get admittance once thus, by prevailing with a person to receive him upon purposes of after-Penitence; he is sure to prosper still in his attempts upon the same condition: for Repent­ance will wash out another sin, if he commit it; [Page 37] and so on. And it is evident that by this very train he does draw most men on through the whole course of sin and life: for never doe they, till they see themselves at the last stage, begin repenting. When they are to grapple with Death's forces, then they are to set upon resisting of the Devil: and when they are grown so weak that their whole soul must be employ'd to muster all its spirits, all their strength, but to beat off one little spot of phlegm, that does besiege the avenues of breath, the parts of life, and sally at it, and assault it, once, again, and a third, many times, and yet with all the fury of its might cannot break through, nor beat off that little clot of spittle; when it is thus, yet then are they to Eph. VI. 12. wrestle with, and conquer Principalities and Powers, all the Rulers of the utter darkness II Cor. X. 4, 5., pull down the strong holds of sin within, cast down imagi­nations, and every high thing that did exalt it self against the knowledge of God, and bring into capti­vity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and with those feeble hands that they are scarcely able to lift up in a short wish, or prayer, they must doe all this, resist the Devil, and take Heaven by force.

Now sure to put it off to such a fatal season is a purpose of a desperate concern. In God's Name let us set upon the doing it while there is something left of Principle and vigour in us, ere we have so [Page 38] griev'd God's Spirit, that he do resolve to leave us utterly, and before the Devil have so broke us to his yoke, that we become content and pleas'd to doe his drudgery. We deceive our selves if we think to doe it with more ease when Constitution is grown weaker; as if then Temptations would not be so strong: for the Habits will be then confirm'd, Vice grown Heroicall, and we wholly in the Act. XXVI. 18. power of Satan, dead and senseless under it, not so much as stirring to get out. But if we strive before he have us in his clutches, we have an enemie that can van­quish none but those who consent to, and comply and confederate with him, those that will be over­come: so that if we resist, he must be conquer'd; and Temptation must be conquer'd too, for He will flie, and then by consequence must cease to trouble and molest us. This is the sure way to be rid of Temptations, to put to flight the great Artificer and Prince of them, subdue and overcome Him and our selves: To Rev. III. 21. him that over cometh thus Christ will grant to sit with him on his Throne, as He also over­came, and sat down with his Father on his Throne. To which, &c.