great Wrath, as knowing or fufpecting that his Time was short.

This was the great Struggle between the Kingdom of Light, and the Kingdom of Darknefs. The Devil's Empire was at stake, and he knew he muft. lofe it in all Places, where the Faith of Chrift prevailed; and therefore he did the more vigorously exert all his Power to baffle and ftifle it.

And as it was reasonable to think the Devil would do thus, fo it was reasonable to believe, that God would fuffer him to raise these Temptations. By them, Chrift's Triumph over the Kingdom of Darkness was rendered more illuftrious; and those very Methods which the Devil made use of for the extirpating Christianity, proved the most effectual Means for the fpreading and propagating it thro' the World. But in the mean Time, I must needs fay, that I believe it was of this Kind of Temptations that the Writers of the New Teftament do fpeak, when they tell us of grievous Temptations, and of the fiery Trials, and of the fiery Darts of the Devil. It was to this Kind of Oppofition that the Apostle refers, when he tells the Chriftians, That they wrestled not against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities and Powers, and the Rulers of the Darkness of this World: It was chiefly with respect to these Storms of Perfecution, which the Devil brought upon the first Chriftians, that St. Paul ftiles him a roaring Lion, that

went

went about, feeking whom he might de

vour.

I fay, many of these Paffages which speak of the Terribleness and Violence of the Devil's Temptations, feem to have refpect chiefly to these first Times, when Chrift and the Devil ftrove together for the Victory; and all the Powers of Hell fet themselves to make one vigorous Effort, against the prevailing of the Gofpel in the World.

But, Fourthly, to come home to the Point in Question; tho' the Devil in the first Times of Christianity, had great Power given him to tempt the Disciples of Chrift, especially in the way of Terror and Affrightment, than he hath ordinarily had fince; yet fo far as we can gather from the Scripture, he hath even yet, at this Day, a Power to tempt both ways, and doth frequently do fo. Our Saviour hath not yet fo fubdued all his Enemies under his Feet, but that there are Enemies left: And these Enemies, tho' they cannot do us fo much Mifchief as they would, or as they once could, yet will they do us what Mifchief they can, and affuredly they do lay Snares and Temptations before us to that end.

But how do we prove this? How can we fhew, that the Devil hath any thing to do with any Chriftian Profeffor now-a-days? To this I answer, How can it be proved, that Chriftians are at this Day, exempted from the Devil's Temptations? If there be no

Promife

Promise made to us of that Kind, we will be bold to conclude, that we ftill are obnoxious to them: Because there are fuch Things faid by our Lord, and his Apoftles, of the Devil's Temptations, as will extend to Chriftians in all Ages, unless they can plead a particular Exemption from them.

Our Saviour, in the 13th of Matt. Ver. 19. tells us, that when any one heareth the Words of the Gospel, and understandeth it not, (that is, does not confider and meditate upon it) then cometh the wicked One, or, as St. Mark has it, then cometh Satan, and catcheth away the Seed that was fown in his Heart. And this (faith he) is he that receiveth the Seed by the High-way. If now it be the Devil's Property to put the Thoughts of God's Word out of Mens Heads, and to hinder them from taking up good Resolutions thereupon, why should we not imagine that he is as bufy with us now, as he was in old Time? Since we fee the Effects of this his Working are as great, as ever they were. Again, our Saviour, in the fame Chapter, giveth us the fame Doctrine in another Parable; he is representing the State of his Kingdom, how it fhould be from the Beginning of it, to the End of the World. And he doth it very aptly, by refembling his Church to a Field, wherein the Lord or Owner of it fowed good Seed, but an Enemy fowed Tares; and both grew up, and no Separation was made of them till Harveft; but VOL. III.

G

then

then the Reapers, by Order of their Lord, gathered the Corn into the Granary, and the Tares they burnt. What is the Application of this Parable? Why our Saviour tells us directly in the 37th Verfe, that he that fowed the good Seed was the Son of Man, that is, our Lord Jefus himself. The good Seed were the right and faithful Profeffors of the Gofpel: The Tares were all wicked Men that profeffed it: The Enemy that fowed them, was the Devil: The Harvest was the End of the World, and the Reapers were the Angels. This now certainly we may gather from this Parable, that fo long as there are wicked ungodly Profeffors in the World (and there will be always till the Harvest, till the End of the World) so long the Devil doth fow Tares, that is to fay, fo long he hath a Hand in making Men bad, and drawing them from the true Spirit and Genius of Christianity. There are feveral other Texts of Scripture I might quote about this Matter; the Reason of which feems to concern all Chriftians to the End of the World, as particularly James iv. 7. where the Apoftle, exhorting all Chriftians against intemperate Anger,, and Envy, and Rage, gives them this Advice; Refift (faith he) the Devil, and he will fly from you. To this let me add the 4th of the Ephef. 26, 27. There faith the Apostle, Be ye angry, and fin not; let not the Sun 80 down upon your Wrath, neither give place to the Devil. Thefe two Texts do plainly fhew, that the

Devil has oftentimes a Hand in the tempting Men to Anger, and Wrath, and Envy, and fuch other uncharitable Works, and that by refifting the Temptations to them, we do refift the Devil; by not yielding to them, we do not give place to the Devil. It is true, as I faid, that the Sins of Wrath, and Envy, and Malice, and the like, are the proper Characters of the Devil's Nature, and it is proba ble, that he is most bufy in tempting to them. But yet, if he tempt to them, it is with great Reason to be prefumed that he tempts to other Sins likewife, fince they help forward his Interests, and the Hurt of Mankind, tho' in another Way. And thus we fee the Temptations to Luft are by St. Paul afcribed to the Devil, That Satan (faith he) tempt you not for your Incontinency, 1 Cor. vii.

5.

But to put this Matter out of Doubt, that Chriftians always were, and always fhall be exposed to the Devil's Temptations, appears very plain, from the Prayer which Chrift left with his Church, to be used by us to the End of the World; I mean the Lord's Prayer, the Conclufion of which is, Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from the evil One, STOT Tong, the evil One, I fay 'right, wicked One. If now we at this Day, were in no Danger from the Devil, what need is there, nay, rather how abfurd would it be for us, every Day to pray to be delivered from him? For that by the evil One, IG 2

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