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The First Plot against the Church, &c.
THis I shall Demonstrate by an In∣duction of Particular Instances (as the Lord shall help me) both out of Sacred and Civil History, to make manifest the marvellous Conduct which the Pillar of Providence hath secured the Church withal in all her passages through the World, as the Pillar of Glory did the Church in the Wilderness.
The 1st. Instance of the wicked Plotting a∣gainst the Church, and the Lords laughing it
to Nothing, is, that first Plot of the Grand Plotter [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] that wicked One, 1 Joh. 5. 18. the Devil, against our first Parents: As of Jacob's Ladder, (which consisted of so ma∣ny rounds or steps as would reach from Earth to Heaven) 'tis said, The Lord was upon the top of it, Gen. 28. 12, 13. So of this Scale of Conspiracies against the Church, (which con∣tains so many Distinct Designs as do Reach from Adam to our present time) it may as tru∣ly be affirmed, That the Devil must be at the top of it. We Read of a Book of the Wars of the Lord, (a Book not extant, but (if not lost) la∣tent,) Numb. 21. 14. However this is extant in the Book of God, that here began the War of the Devil or Dragon against the Church: No sooner was Lucifer faln from Heaven, Isa. 14. 12. and of a Glorious Angel was become a damned Devil, Jude v. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 4. partly for his pride against God, in aspiring to be like the most High; and partly for his Envy at Man, when he first beheld the Honour and Happiness wherein Man was Created, and first heard the charge which God gave the Angels to keep Man in all his ways, Psal. 91. 11. This Command proud Lucifer disdaining, that a superior should wait (like a servant) upon an inferior Creature, Psal. 8. 5. He kept not his first Estate, but left his first Habitation, Jude v. 6. Thus he sinned from the beginning, 1 Joh. 3. 8. and abode not in the Truth, Joh. 8. 44. And now
being come down, (by his Sin) or rather cast down (for his sin) from Heaven; and having great Wrath (Rev. 12. 12.) for being hurl'd out of Heaven into Hell, he had no comfort left him, save onely this miserable and mis∣chievous one, to make Man as miserable as himself, and to bring him into the same Con∣demnation, 1 Tim. 3. 6. For this purpose, he lays a dangerous and Diabolical Plot, consist∣ing of many parts: As
(1st.) He assumes a fit Engine, that Creature which was more subtile than all the Beasts of the Field, Gen. 3. 1. The sharper a Weapon is, it makes a deeper wound, and gives a more deadly blow: the sharpest and subtilest Wits are (of all others) the most mischievous Instru∣ments in the Devils hands against Gods truth. This grand evil Angel made use of this Ser∣pent (which, as some say, was very specious and delightful to the Eye by his comely mix∣ture of lovely Colours) to deceive the first Woman, as the good Angel made use of the Ass to rebuke the mad Prophet, 2 Pet. 2. 16. Numb. 22. 28.
(2dly.) The 2d. part of his proposed and pursued Plot, is, in Assaulting (not the Man, but) the Woman, the weaker Vessel, which is soonest and easiest overcome; where the Hedg is lowest, there the Beast leaps over with the least difficulty: A besieging Enemy raises his Batteries against the weakest part of a besieg∣ed
City; the weaker Sex is most likely to tru∣ckle to his temptations; hence he Essays to break the Mans head with his own Rib, and to make use of this Rib, as of the Round of a Ladder, whereon to climb up so high, as to Reach a blow to her Head and Husband.
(3dly.) He sets upon the Woman when alone: 'Tis supposed, As Adam and Eve walk'd to∣gether in Paradise, Eve stood still, gazing with her fancy upon some Delectable Object, which Adam passed by with less looking on; he got so far before her, as to leave her be∣hind, whereby she was overtaken by the Tem∣pter; the absence of her Head (with its coun∣sel and comfort) gives Satan a fair opportuni∣ty, which he improves to the utmost. Solomon saith, Where Two are, there is Help, Eccle. 4. 10.
(4thly.) While Eve is alone, the Tempter falls a disputing with her, in asking her a Con∣cise and an Abrupt Question, [Yea, hath God said, &c. ?] That he might Enervate the Au∣thority of the Divine Menace or Comminati∣on: Hereupon the weaker Vessel (Eve) gives but a weak Answer, for she might (in her state of Innocency) have that Ignorance which the Schools call a pure Negation, not a depraved Disposition; (which is found in Children, &c.) She might not know whether Serpents could naturally speak, or whether there was now any Devil existing, not hearing of the fall of An∣gels: she did know her protection of Angels,
(as before) so might mistake the Devil (in the Serpent) for a good Angel, and therefore dis∣putes with him, and was deceived by him, (as she confesses, Gen. 3. 13. So dangerous it is to dis∣pute with the Devil, who is better believ'd a∣way, than argu'd away. They do but shoot with Satan in his own Bow, that think by par∣lying with this [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] or subtile So∣phister, to put him off: by this means he draws Eve out of her Trenches of the Di∣vine Praecept, and wrings the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) out of her hand, then doth he what he will with her, yea, wins the Day, when he had disarm'd her.
(5thly.) No sooner had the Woman put in her weak Answer (in this Disputation) to the Devils Question, mincing the matter of the Divine Menace in her. [Least ye Dye] instead of Gods Word▪ [Ye shall surely Dye.] Where∣by she made that Danger doubtful only, which God had made Certain, peremptory, and without a peradventure. Hereupon this sub∣tile Serpent (watching for her halting, and when to have her upon the hip) doth as con∣fidently deny that sentence of Death, v. 4. as God had seriously and severely Threatned it before, Gen. 2. 7. Hereby her belief of Gods Word is batter'd down, and not opposing the certainty of Gods Threatning (which she but seem'd to doubt of in the Disputation) against Satans Insinuation, (in his plain and positive
Denyal of it) she yieldeth. If the Word of God had abode in her, she had overcome the Devil, 1 Joh. 2. 14.
(6thly.) The Tempter tempts her with an Apple from the Forbidden-Fruit-Tree, tell∣ing her (as some say) that there was no death in the Apple, (according to the Divine Threatning) from a proof of his own Experi∣ence, For (saith the subtile Serpent) I do climb the Tree, and eat of the Fruit thereof, and yet am not Dead for so doing. This was (probably) done while Eve looked on, and therefore she said, (at least in her mind) That she saw it was good for Food, v. 6. Hereupon she concluded that Death was not in the Fruit of the forbidden-Tree, and hereupon inclines to take and Eat.
(7thly.) The Devil (to promote his Plot the more) accuses God of Envy, to Eve, (which is truly call'd) Morbus Satanicus, the Devils own Disease; as if God had forbid them the Fruit of this Tree of Knowledge, onely out of Envy, least their Eating thereof should make them Equal with God in Know∣ledge and Wisdom. Thus the Devil abused the very name of the Tree of Knowledge to her, making it far better than (indeed) it was; as if it would make them as Omniscient as God: Thus he mused, as he used, and would have made God as envious as himself, who en∣vyed that either God should be honoured or
obeyed by Man, or that Man should be Gift∣ed and Graced by God: Hereupon he tells her, [Your Eyes shall be Opened,] pretending, to Divine Contemplation, but intending, to Horrible Confusion, as it proved afterwards, when ashamed of their Nakedness: So that (in v. 5.) this Lyar from the beginning, was not so much [Mendax] a Lyar, as [Fallax] a De∣ceiver; according to that Antient saying, [Et si semel videatur Verax, Millies Mendax, & semper Fallax.] Though he sometimes seem to speak truly, yet will he lye a thousand times for it, and be always Fallacious and Deceit∣ful.
(8thly.) He promises to her, [Ye shall be as Gods,] which was more likely to make them Devils (like himself,) or (at least) Beasts that Perisheth, Psal. 49. 12, ••0. What God said I∣ronically and by a sad Sarcasm, Gen▪ 3. 22. The Man is become as one of us. The Beasts might say most truly, and without any figure, The Man is become as one of us. Thus while Sa∣tan makes her Free from Fear, it was only de∣signed by him to make her Free to Sin; here∣upon She took of the Fruit, and gave it also to her Husband, v. 6. to whom she Related all Satans Promises concerning the force of the Fruit, &c. whereby she seduced him, v. 17. in hearkening to her Voice, hoping that accord∣ing to her suggestion from Satan) he might become a God, and his Wife a Goddess. Thus
the plurality of Gods was first taught by the Devil, whose Grammer [Deum pluraliter de∣clinare Docuit] first learnt to Decline God in the Plural Number, and thus he transforms his own sin upon them, [Ero sicut Altissimus] I shall be like the most High, Isai. 14. 12. saith he of himself, and [Eritis sicut Dij.] Ye shall be as Gods; saith he of them.
The 9th. and last part of his Plot, is the Timeing of his Temptation: herein this subtile Serpent hath a singular sagacity: no sooner was he cast out of Heaven, but he Resolves to be Reveng'd of his Maker for this expulsion; and because he could not come at his Creator (God) with his Revenge, he Falls immediately upon his Creature (Man,) the Master-piece of the Creation, upon the same Day wherein he was Created; he loses no time, but about high-Noon the same Day (which was Dinner or Eating-time) he Attempts his Ruine by temp∣ting him to Eat Forbidden-Fruit, and so flat∣ters them out of the True Paradise into a Fools Paradise of their own Dreams and Do∣tage. Thus [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] by the cogging of a Dye, Eph. 4. 14. (like a cheating Game∣ster) he gives them an Apple for Happiness, and Sin, & Misery, for a state of Innocency; not suffering them to Rest (so much as one Night) upon the Bed of Honour and Happi∣ness. This the Psalmist (according to some In∣terpreters) doth Insinuate, Psal. 49. 12. Adam
being in Honour, [Bal Jalin, non pernoctavit] abode not (or lodged not) one Night in Paradise. 'Tis the saying of a Greek-Father, That Adam [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] was made and marr'd all in one Day. Thus he who thought to become a God, became a Beast that perisheth, Yea, Carrion, saith Junius. Here the prime Plot of the principal Plotter, (the Prince of Darkness) hath a shrewd seeming success, yet the Lord laughs at it; and Ridendo irritum Reddidit; he Defeats the Devils Design, and that with Disgrace, for there was a Covenant transacted betwixt God the Father, and God the Son [ab Aeterno] from all Eternity, 1 Pet. 1. 20. Joh. 17. 6. Tit. 1. 2. and 2 Tim 1. 9. This Covenant the Devil knew nothing of, and it was this that spoiled all his Plot: Indeed our first Parents were under this dedolent and dis∣consolate Condition, from Noon to Night, or (at least) to the cool of the Day: (having now most woful Experimental Knowledge both of the Good which they had lost, and of the Evil wherein they lay.) Then commeth Jehovah to Judge them, V. 8. Satan assuredly expected that the Greatly Offended Creator (God) would have met his Greatly Offending Creature (Man) in as much Fury, as he did (afterwards) Moses in the Inn, when he had much ado (as it were) to forbear Killing him, Exod. 4. 24. Or that he would have come to Adam, as the Angel came to Balaam, with a drawn Sword in his
hand, wherewith to destroy him, Numb 22. 32. or that he would have rushed upon this Rebel, as David ran upon Goliah, and cut off his head, 1 Sam. 17. 51. No such Fury is in God against faln Man, Isai. 27. 4. The Devil is disappoint∣ed, for God comes to Man, (indeed,) but not so much a Judge, as a Father, and as a Physiti∣an. 1st. As a Father, saying, (as it were) Though Man be faln by the Devils malevolence, yet he shall be raised up again by my Benevo∣lence, by my Good will to Man, Luk. 2. 14. 2dly. As a Physitian, God hath prepared a So∣veraign Plaister to Apply to the wound that Man had receiv'd from the Devil; God pro∣miseth Christ to be a Redeemer to Man, and (withal) to be a Destroyer of the Devil, Hebr. 2. 14. and of all his Works, 1 Joh. 3. 8. This Plaister was prepared by the good pleasuro of God the Father, Covenanting with God the Son long before Man was in being, much more before he was wounded. No such Plaister was provided to Cure the Fall of Angels, for they sinned upon their own accord, and without a Tempter, Therefore Gods 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, did out-shine his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, His love to Men was greater than his love to Angels, for in coming to Judge Man, such was his Gracious∣ness towards him, that in Wrath he Remembred Mercy, Habb. 3. 2. And giving the Promise of Christ, (in the Seed of the Woman) Adam takes hold of the Promise, and in Faith there∣in,
he calls his Wife, Eve, (which signifies Life,) He (instead of Dying the same Day of his Eating Forbidden-Fruit,) Lives 930 Y. after, and she became the Mother of all Liv∣ing: and though they brought in Death by their Disobedience, yet God Taught them the Ordinance of Sacrificing, so the first thing that Dyed in the World, was a Sacrifice, or Christ in a Figure, the Lamb, slain from the Foundation of the World, Rev. 13. 8. And who opens a pas∣sage into a better Paradise than that which they had Forfeited, Luk. ••3. 43. 2 Cor. 12. 4. Rev. 2. 7. And if that Rabbinical Notion (no way dissentaneous to Truth) be Received, to wit, That the Tree of Knowledge stood upon Mount Calvary, (Paradise being placed in Ca∣naan, the Glory of all Lands, Ezek. 20. 6.) where Christ was (after) Crucified on a Tree, then it follows, that in the same place, and by the same means an Expiation of Sin was made, where & as it was first committed. Thus God o∣vershoots Satan in his own 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and the De∣vil goes off from his first Plot with a broken-Head by the Womans Seed, which makes him weaker in his Projects ever after.