Satana noåemata, or, The wiles of Satan in a discourse upon 2 Cor. 2. 11 / by William Spurstow ...

SECT. III.

A Third Demonstration, which may farther evince the abilities of Satan in Tempting, is, that it is the onely design and business that he hath propounded unto himself, and hath prosecuted with most unwearied dili∣gence, ever since he hath become of an holy Angel an impure Devil.

First, It is the grand and sole business in which he layes out himself, and thereby becomes not onely more dexrerous in it, but also more formidable. It is an Ita∣lian Proverb, Liberamea ab homine unius negotii: Lord deliver me from a Man who hath but one business to do; he will be sure to minde and tend it, and thereby get many advantages against an incumbred adversary, who can never obtain the least against him. For it is with the powers and faculties of rational beings, as it is with other things, which become more or less active, and vigorous, according to the combination or division which they undergoe: Many small wax lights, which of themselves burn faintly, when put into one Totch or Taper, send forth a bright and shining flame: ma∣ny little Bells which tinkle together to the pleasing of Children, when melted, and cast into one great Bell, do affect the ear with a more solemne and awfull

sound: and many single Threads, which snap asunder with the least touch, when twisted together make a strong Cable, which can withstand the fury and vio∣lence of a storm. So it is with the Mind, the more it is scattered and divided through multiplicity of ob∣jects, the more weak it is; and the more it is fixed on one single Object, the more masculine and strong are the operations of it, either in good or in evil. And therefore David, who desires to excell in holiness, makes it his Prayer, Psalm 86. 11. that God would unite his heart to fear his Name: Hierome reads it, Unicum fac cor meum; Make my heart one: that is, incline it onely to thy fear; implying thereby, that divided in∣terests in the heart do both distract and weaken it: When the Scripture likewise would set forth the won∣derfull depravation of Mans estate, it saith, That every Imagination of his heart was onely evill continually, Gen. 6. 5. There is not the least contrary Principle to check, or to restrain those ebullitions of lust, which slow and ascend from the heart, as water from a Fountain, and sparkes from a Furnace. Now thus it is with Sa∣tan, he is wholly bent to evil, and makes it his onely study to dive and search into Men, that he may the bet∣ter fasten his temptations upon them. It is the question which God puts to him, Job 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job? or as the Septuagint renders it, Hast thou attended with thy Minde? In which is implyed what his practise and end is, in going too and fro in the earth; he doth not travel it as a Pilgrim, but as a Spy, that observes narrowly every person and thing as he passeth along: He sets not forward a step but he doth as it were debate every Mans estate, temper, age, calling, company, that so he may with the greater ad∣vantage tempt to evil, and thereby bring Men into the

same misery and condemnation with himself. And in∣deed whosoever duly weighes the perfect antipathy that is in Satan, both unto God and Holiness, can hardly con∣ceive in what other thing he should exercise himself, then to tempt and solicit Men to sin. For such is the greatness of his malice, that, as the Schooles deter∣mine, it cannot admit any farther degree of augmen∣tation, his will being immovably fixed to evill as its ul∣timate end. Needs therefore must his malice and hatred dispose him to the doing of such evills as may bear a proportion to the greatness of it. And wherein can it in a higher way discover it self, then in design∣ing, and effecting the ruine of the souls of Men by pernicious Counsells and devices? If there be any one thing in which so discontented a Person, as Satan is, can take delight, it is in his Trade of Seduction, and De∣struction, in making others as irrecoverably lost and mi∣serable as himself.

Secondly, As tempting and ensnaring of Men is his onely business, so his diligence in it is matchless. He was going too and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it in Jobs time, Job 1. 7. and in Peters time he was a roaring Lyon, walking about, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5. 8. The Beasts of the earth, though they hunt after their Prey, yet when the Sun ari∣seth, and Man goeth forth to labour, they gather them∣selves together, and lay them down in their Dens, Psalm 104. 22. But this infernal Lyon is restless in his motions, and compasseth the earth with as much unweariedness as the Sun doth the Heavens. It is true be tempts others to idleness, but himself is never idle. The Fowler is desirous that the flying Bird would alight upon the ground, or perch upon some Tree; but all the while he is in motion, that when it so doth it

may the better become his mark: So the Devil, he doth what he can to lull others asleep in idleness and sloth; but he then ceaseth not to shoot his darts, and to spread his snares. When Samson was asleep on Da∣lilahs knees, she caused his Locks to be cut off, Judges 16. 19. and wrought all that mischiefe upon him, that terminated not in the loss of his eyes, but in the loss of his life. While the Servants slept the enemy came and sowed his Tares, Matth. 13. 25. Oh! how well would it go with Christians, if the diligence of their Adversary would provoke them to watchfulness, and kindle in them an holy industry unto all good, that so they might approve themselves to be Dei Milites, Gods Souldiers, to sight against all evil: and Operarii Dei, Gods Workmen and Servants in doing all good. Sure it is their complaints would be fewer, and their comforts would be greater. But alass! what a sad complaint may I now take up, and whilest I speak of the diligence of the Evill One, mourn over the securi∣ty and negligence of most Professors, amongst whom a waking Eye, and a working Hand are as rare to be found as a Sword and a Spear among all the People of Israel, 1 Sam. 13. 22? How few are there that have taken the alarum though they be called upon, so as to stand upon their Watch against temptations? How hard is it to perswade Men that to walk circumspectly is a duty? or, that to be diligent in their Callings is one of the best Antidotes to preserve the Soul from the putrefaction of lusts, and to fence it against the Incursi∣ons of an Affiduous Tempter? It is a common Pro∣verb that the Lyon is not so sierce as he is Painted; and it it a received opinion that the Devil is not so hurtfull an Enemy as he is represented to be. It is no wonder then if his designs be so successfull, and his Triumphs

many, when the greatest part of Men are no way anxi∣ous to proportion their care and watchfullness, either to the greatness of their own danger, or their adver∣saries diligence.