Senn. LXII. but upon themfelves. 441 far the Devil by his temptations is thecaufe of the Sins which Men by compli- ance with thofe temptations are drawn into. Fir(l, It is certain that the Devil is very alive and bufie to Minifter to them the occafions of Sin, and temptations to it. For ever fencehe fell from God, partly out ofenmity to him, and partly out ofenvy and malice to Mankind, he hathmade it his great bufinefs and employment to feduce Men to Sin ; and to this end he walks up and down the Earth, and watcheth all occafions and opportunities to tempt Men to Sin yand fo far as his Power reacheth, and God permits him, he lays baits and temptations before them in all their ways, prefenting them with the occafions and opportunities to Sin, and with fuch baits and allurements as are molt fuitable to their tempers, and molt likely to prevail with their particular inclinations, and as often as he can, furprizing Men with thefe at the eafiefl time of accefs, and with fuch Circumftances; as may give his temptations the greateft force and advantage. Of this the Scripture affures us in general, when it tells usof thefe wiles and devi- ces of Satan, and of the Methods of his temptations ; fo that tho' we do not par- ticularly difcern how and when he Both this, yet we have no reafon to doubt of the thing, if we believe that thereis fuch a Spirit in the World, as the Scripturepar- ticularly tells us there is, that works in the Childrenof d ifobedience, and that God, from whom nothing is hidden,and who fees all the fecret Engines whichare at work in the World, to do us good or harm, hath in mercy to Mankind, given us parti- cular warning of it, that we maynot be wholly ignorant of our Enemies, and their malicious Defigns upon us, and that we maybe continually upon our guard, a- ware ofour danger, and armed againft it. Secondly, The Devil does not only prefent to Men the temptations and occafi- ons of Sin ; but when he is permitted to makenearer 'approaches to them, does excite and ftir them up to comply with thefe temptations, and to yield to them. And this he does, not only by employinghis Inftruments to folicit for him, and to draw Men to Sin by bad Counfel and Example, which we fee frequently done, and probably very oftenby the Devil's inftigation ; (thofe who are very wicked themfelves, and confequently more enflav'd to the Devil, and under his Power, being as it were Fa&ors for him to feduce others;) but betides this, 'Cis not im- probable but the Devil himfelf does many times immediately excite Men to Sin, by working upon the Humours of their Bodies, or upon their Imaginations ; and by that means infufing and fuggefling evil motions into them ; or by diverting them from thofe Thoughts and Confiderations, which might check and reftrain them fromthat wickednefs to which he is tempting them ; or by tome other ways and means more fecret and unknown to us. For the power of Spirits, whether good or bad, and the manner of their operations upon our Minds, are things ve- ry fecret, andof which we can give little or no account, but yet for all that, we have manytimes reafon fufficient to believe athing to be fo, when we are wholly ignorant of the mannerof it. And there is Keafon for what is faid in Scripture tobelieve, that the Devil, in Come Cafes, hath a more immediate power and influence upon theMinds ofMen, to excite them to Sin, and, where he difcovers a very bad inclinationor refolution, to help it forward, and tokeep Men to it ; as when it is faid, John i 3. 27. that the De- vil enter'd into Judas, to pufh him on in that ill defign whichhe hadalready enga- ged in, of betraying our Saviour. And AEI, S. 3. Satan is faid to havefilled theheart ofAnanias, to lie to theHoly Ghofifi, and tokeepback part ofthe pricefor which he had foldhis Eflate ; which expref&ons do feem to intimate tous Come moreimmediate power and influence which the Devil had upon thofe Perlons : but then 'tis very obfervable, that this power is never afcribed to the Devil, but in thecafe of great and horrid Sins, and where Men are before-hand notorioufly depraved, and either by the a&ual commiffion of.fome former great Sin, orbyentertaining fome very wick- ed defign, have provoked God to permit the Devil a nearer accefs to them. For Ju- das had firft taken Council how to betray Chrift, before it is faid the Devil entred into him, to pufh himon to the execution of it. And Ananias his Covetoufnefs had firft tempted him to keepbackpartof his Elate, before it is faid the Devil/llled his heart to lie to the HolyGhoff ; fo that what power the Devil hath over Men, L I 1 they
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