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SERMON XXIII.

ON SATAN'S TEMPTATIONS, AND THE MAN

NER OF RESISTING THEM.

EPHES. vi. II.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to ftand against the wiles of the devil.

T

of mankind.

THE devil is the profeffed and inveterate enemy Ever fince his apoftafy from God, partly out of enmity to him, and partly from envy to men, he has made it his bufinefs to feduce them to fin. This is the chief thing at which he aims; the end of all his endeavours; becaufe by this means he knows that he will make us wretched and miferable like himself. But, in the accomplishment of this, who can defcribe the various artifices which he employs? From his fubtilty and deceitfulnefs, he is styled in fcripture the Old Serpent; and we are told that he can transform himself into an angel of light. His fuperior ftrength is implied in his titles of Prince of the power of the air," and "Ruler of the darkness of this world." His malice is implacable. His activity is unceafing and unwearied. He is reprefented in fcripture, as going a

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bout continually, like a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour. Hence, we have the greatest reason to be always on our guard; and, as the apoftle exhorts us in the text, to" put on the whole armour "of God, that we may be able to ftand against the "wiles of the devil.”

By the wiles of the devil, we are evidently to underftand his temptations; they are called his wiles, because of the fubtilty and cunning he employs in feducing men; and, for the fame reafon, they are elsewhere ftyled his fnares and devices. That we may be able to withstand and repel thefe, we are exhorted to put on the whole armour of God. The apoftle, in this and the following verfes, compares Chriftians to foldiers; and the methods of their defence against the powers of darkness, to the proper use of such arms as were anciently used in war; and by these it is evident he means the graces of the Christian life; for, in the 14th verfe, and downwards, he mentions thofe graces as the Chriftian's spiritual armour: And here in the text, he exhorts us to put them on; that is, to have them not only implanted in our fouls, to be as it were clothed with them like a foldier, who is completely armed for the day of battle, but to have them in conftant readinefs for repelling the attacks of the enemy.

In farther difcourfing on this fubject, I fhall endeavour, by Divine afliftance, First, To give you fome account of Satan's temptations, which the apoftle in the text calls his wiles: Secondly, Explain to you the method of defence and refiftance to which we are here directed: and, Laftly, Conclude with a thort practical improvement.

I. I begin, then, with giving you fome account of Satan's temptations.

The temptations of Satan are of various kinds; but the great intention of them all, is to defeat the

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gracious defign of God for the recovery and falvation of mankind; for he beholds with averfion every thing that tends either to the glory of God, or the happinefs of man. I pretend not to give a full account of the various temptations which proceed from the art and malice of our fpiritual enemies: all I defign is, to give a few inftances, by which we may understand fomething of his wicked devices, and thereby be enabled to trace the defigns of our great enemy, and our own danger, in an infinite variety of cafes which we cannot pretend to enumerate.

1. He fometimes tempts men to doubt, or practically to deny the being or attributes of God. Of this we have a remarkable inftance recorded in the facred fcriptures. When Ananias and Sapphira attempted to deceive the apoftles, by bringing only a part of the price of the land they had fold, by which they in effect denied the infinite knowledge of God, Satan is faid to have filled their hearts for the purpofe of inciting them to do fo:" Why," fays Peter," hath "Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghoft, " in keeping back part of the price of the land (†)?” This kind of temptation he fo frequently ufes, that our Saviour calls him a liar from the beginning, and the father of lies. Such, therefore, as are addicted to this abominable vice, would do well to confider whence it comes, and whom they imitate and ferve. Sometimes, again, he tempts men to deny the power of God, or to distrust that powerful Providence, which is their fureft guard and protection. Thus he is faid to have provoked David to number Ifrael (s). That a king thould know the number and ftrength of his fubjects, appears, when confidered in itfelf, to be innocent and prudent. But God, who fees not as man fees, knew that this action of the king proceeded from vainglory, and confidence in the arm of flesh. And this fhews us, that even the 2 B 2 doing

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doing things harmlefs in themfelves, may proceed from the temptation of Satan, when the principles by which we are actuated, and the ends we have in view are not fincere and upright. At other times, he tempts mankind to call in queftion the goodness of God. This was the manner in which he tempted our first parents: "God knoweth," fays he, "that "in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes fhall be open❝ed, and ye fhall be as gods, knowing good and "evil" As if he had faid, however gracious you may think God is to you, yet you are capable of much greater honour and happiness than that which he has allowed you to poffefs, even an honour and happinefs like his own; and becaufe he grudges this to you, he restrains you from eating of the fruit of this tree, which would confer it.-To give only one inftance more: Satan tempts men, by raifing doubts in their mind concerning the faithfulness of God, and that both as to the fulfilling of his promifes, and the exe cuting his threatenings. He would have us prefumptuously apply the promises to ourselves, when we are not in that way of duty in which they are fulfilled to us. Thus he would have tempted our bleffed Saviour himfelf: " If," fays he, thou be the "Son of God, caft thyfelf down; for it is written, "He shall give his angels charge concerning thee (i)." But our Saviour refutes this fophiftry, by answering, "It is written, Thou fhalt not tempt the Lord thy "God (n)." He likewife tempts men to call in queftion the truth of God's threatenings. Of this we have a remarkable instance in the attack he made upon our first parents. God had faid to them, " În "the day that ye eat of the tree of knowledge of

good and evil, ye fhall furely die:" But the ferpent, in direct oppofition to this, fays, "Ye fhall << not surely die." He feemed to infinuate, that the threatening was denounced against them, for the purpose

(i) Matt. iv. 6.

(n) Matt. iv. 7.

purpofe of alarming alone, without the intention of being executed. Thus, you fee how Satan ftrives, by his temptations, to undermine the very foundations of religion, which is built upon the belief of the being and attributes of God.

2. He tempts alfo, by counterfeiting the perfections and works of God. Thus, we are told that "the coming of Antichrift is after the working of "Satan" and the meaning of the expreffion is explained in the following words, "With all power, and "figns, and lying wonders, and deceivableness of "unrighteoufnefs." Has he not, by this means, kept the heathen world under his dominion for many ages? Nay, fo miferably are they deceived by thofe lying wonders, and pretended oracles, that fome of them pay direct homage and adoration to him. And is not the idolatry of the church of Rome fupported by the fame diabolical artifice? The miracles pretended to be wrought by the relicts of their faints, as they are bafe impoftures, fo they are one of the chief engines by which Satan deludes vaft numbers in that. corrupt church. But, further, the fuperftition which has exifted among all men, Chriftians as well as heathens, may be fairly afcribed to the devices. of the devil. His art confifts in, firft exciting unwarrantable curiofity, and then directing men to improper means to gratify it. He has his emiffaries. in the world, who affume to themselves that knowledge of future events which belongs to God alone. To the blinded votaries of fuch fuperftition, we may deliver the meffage which God fent by his prophet to the king of Ifrael: "Is it not because there is no "God in Ifrael to inquire of his word, that thou haft "fent to inquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron ?"

3. He tempts, fometimes, by infolently pretending that he will beftow a more certain reward upon his followers than God does on his. Thus, we find he affaulted our bleffed Saviour: "He took him up in

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