Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

Inference VIII.

WHat enemies are they to the Souls of men, who are Satans instru∣ments to draw them into sin, or who suffer sin to lie upon them?

When there were but two persons in the World, one drew the other into sin; and among the Millions of Men and Women now in the World, where are there two to be found, that have in no case been snares to draw some into sin? Some tempt de∣signedly,

taking the Devils work out of his hands: others virtually and consequentially by examples which have a compelling power to draw others with them into sin: the first sort are among the worst of Sinners, Prov. 1.10. the latter are among the best of Saints: see Gal. 2.14. Whose Conversation is so much in Hea∣ven, that nothing falls out in the course thereof which may not farther some or other in their way to Hell?

Among wicked men there are five sorts eminently accessary to the guilt and ruine of other mens Souls. (1) Loose Professors, whose lives give their lips the Lie: whose Conversations make their Professions blush. (2) Scandalous Apostates, whose fall is more prejudicial, than their Profession was ever beneficial to o∣thers. (3) Cruel Persecutors who make the Lives, Liberties; and Estates of men the occasion of the ruine of their Consciences. (4) Ignorant and unfaithful Ministers, who strengthen the hands of the wicked, that they should not return from their wicked∣ness. (5) Wicked Relations, who quench and damp every hope∣ful beginning of conviction and affection in their friends: of all which I shall distinctly speak in the next Discourse, to which therefore I remit it at present.

And many there are who suffer sin to lie upon others, without a wise and seasonable reproof to recover them.

O what cruelty to Souls is here! The day is coming when they will curse the time that ever they knew you: 'tis possible you may repent, but then it may be those, whose Souls you have help'd to ruine, are gone, and quite out of your reach. The Lord make you sensible what you have done, in season, lest your re∣pentance come too late for your selves and them also.