Dæmonologia Sacra; or, A Treatise of Satan's Temptations In Three Parts

Few who know the fine old quarto ‘_Dæmonologia Sacra_’ of Dr Gilpin will dispute its right to a place of honour in the Series of later Puritan Divines. To those who have not hit...

_Of Satan’s improving these advantages for error: 1. By deluding the understanding directly: which he doth—_(1.) By countenancing error from Scripture. Of his cunning therein. (...

when he concluded that he was ‘cast out of God’s sight,’ and his ‘soul fainted within him,’ Jonah ii. 4, 7. Neither did Hezekiah altogether escape it, for though his disquiet be...

_The fifth direction, of prayer, and of the seriousness required of those that expect the advantage of prayer.—Of God’s hearing prayer while the temptation is continued.—Of some...

_Of his fourth way to hinder peace, by spiritual distresses. 1. The nature of these distresses; the ingredients and degrees of them. Whether all distresses of soul arise from me...

_Of the various ways by which he hinders peace—1. Way by discomposures of spirit. These discomposures explained, by shewing, (1.) What advantage he takes from our natural temper...

_Of Satan’s second way of improving his advantages, which is by working upon the understanding indirectly by the affections.—This he doth—(1.) By a silent, insensible introducti...

_Of the advantages which Satan hath, and useth, for the introduction of error; as (1.) From his own power of spiritual fascination. That there is such a power, proved from Scrip...

_Of the second way to hinder peace.—Affrightments, the general nature and burden of them, in several particulars.—What are the ways by which he affrights: 1. Atheistical injecti...

ordinances, were brought to this pitch of iniquity by the suggestions of want of success; they said, ‘It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordina...

_Satan’s attempts against the peace of God’s children evidenced—(1.) By his malice; (2.) From the concernment of peace to God’s children; what these concerns are, explained. (3....

_Of Satan’s third grand policy for maintaining his possession; which is his feigned departure: (1.) By ceasing the prosecution of his design; and the cases in which he doth it....

satanical dreams are also noted, Deut. xiii. 1, ‘If there arise among you a dreamer of dreams.’ Those days of confusion, that are not yet out of memory, afforded store of these....

He that shall consider his malice and power, must unavoidably conclude him to be cruel. Malice is always so where it hath the advantage of a proportionable strength and opportun...

_The manner of Satan’s shewing the kingdoms of the world.—Of Satan’s preparations before the motion of sin.—Of his confronting the Almighty by presumptuous imitation, and in wha...

_The second direction, that temptations are not to be disputed.—The several ways of disputing a temptation.—In what cases it is convenient and necessary to dispute with Satan.—I...

_That presumption was the chief design of this temptation.—Of tempting to extremes.—What presumption is.—The several ways of presuming.—The frequency of this temptation, in the...

_Of Christ’s fast, with the design thereof.—Of Satan’s tempting in an invisible way.—Of his incessant importunities, and how he flies when resisted.—Of inward temptations, with...

_The fourth direction, of repelling a temptation by Scripture arguments.—Of several things implied in the direction.—The necessity of answering by Scripture arguments.—The excel...

The last particular observed in the text is his _diligence_. This adds force and strength to his malice, power, and cruelty, and shews they are not idle, dead, or inactive princ...

Next to Satan’s deceits in tempting to sin and against duty, his design of _corrupting the minds of men by error_ calls for our search; and indeed this is one of his principal e...

mighty, whose interest it is to maintain those defilements which their policy hath introduced, to fix them in the possession of that grandeur and command which so highly gratifi...

_Self-murder another of his designs in this temptation.—How he tempts to self-murder directly, and upon what advantage he urgeth it.—How he tempts to it indirectly, and the ways...

_Of Satan’s proceeding to infer distrust of sonship from distrust of providences.—Instances of the probability of such a design.—The reasons of this undertaking.—Of Satan’s ende...

_Of Satan’s diverting our reason, being the third way of blinding men.—His policies for diverting our thoughts.—His attempts to that purpose in a more direct manner; with the de...

_The preparation to the second temptation.—Of his nimbleness to catch advantages from our answers to temptation.—That Satan carried Christ in the air.—Of his power to molest the...

_Satan’s second grand design against duties is to spoil them. (1.) _In the manner of undertaking, and how he effects this. (2.) In the act or performance, by distracting outward...

_Satan’s ends in tempting Christ to fall down and worship him.—Of blasphemous injections.—What blasphemy is.—The ways of Satan in that temptation, with the advantages he takes t...

_Of Christ’s answer in the general.—That these temptations were upon design for our instruction.—Of the agreement betwixt Eph. vi. and Mat. iv.—The first direction.—Of courageou...

_The fourth circumstance, the end wherefore Christ was led to the wilderness.—Holiness, employment, privileges, exempt not from temptation.—Of temptations that leave not impress...

_That Satan hath a great measure of knowledge, proved by comparing him with the knowledge of Adam in innocency, and by his titles.—Of his knowledge, natural, experimental, and a...

[1.] First, _He knows that this is a sin of a high provocation_. Worship is the proper tribute that is due to God, and it is peculiarly his prerogative to prescribe the way and...

_Of Satan’s deceits in particular.—What temptation is.—Of tempting to sin.—His first general rule.—The consideration of our condition.—His second rule.—Of providing suitable tem...

_Of Satan’s keeping all in quiet, which is his second engine for keeping his possession, and for that purpose his keeping us from going to the light by several subtleties; also...

_Of pride, Satan’s chief engine to bring on presumption.—What pride is, and how it prepares men for sinning presumptuously.—Considerations against pride.—The remedies for its cu...

_Of Satan’s perverting our reason.—His second way of blinding.—The possibility of this, and the manner of accomplishing it directly, several ways; and indirectly, by the delight...

_A particular consideration of the matter of the first temptation, what Satan aimed at in bidding him turn stones into bread.—Of Satan’s moving us to things good or lawful.—The...

_The general view of these temptations.—Of Satan’s gradual proceeding in temptations.—Of reserving a great temptation last.—What a great temptation is; in what cases to be expec...

_Of Satan’s chief end in this temptation; his skill in making the means to sin plausible.—The reasons of that policy, with his art therein.—Men’s ignorance his advantage.—Of the...

2. The second circumstance acquaints _how Christ was carried to the combat_. In solemn combats and duels, the persons undertaking the fight were usually carried to the place wit...

and prevailing by our lusts. More generally the apostle Peter speaks, 2 Peter i. 4; the whole bundle of actual sins that have ever been in the world came in at this door, ‘The c...

_The rise of Christ’s first temptation.—Of Satan’s suiting his temptations to the conditions of men.—Of tempting men upon the plea of necessity.—The reasons and cheats of that p...

prepared to defile the temple itself. Gilgal and Beth-aven are places of such high profanation, that the prophet Hosea, chap. ix. 15, tells them ‘all their wickedness was in Gil...

this place, where the end of Pharaoh’s calling them together was, not to poison Moses and Aaron, but by enchantment to outvie them in point of miracles? which will shew that wit...

_Of the temptation to distrust upon the failure of ordinary means.—Of the power of that temptation, and the reasons of its prevalency.—Of unwarrantable attempts for relief, with...

world, because there is nothing in it which is not improveable, as an occasion or provocation to lust. Whatsoever is in the world is lust of flesh, or eyes, or heart; and there...

I shall first give some account of his malice, by which it shall appear we do not wrong the devil in calling him malicious, the truth of which charge will evidence itself in the...

Next follows a particular account of those more eminent temptations wherewith Christ was assaulted by Satan. Before I speak of these, I must necessarily remove this stumbling-bl...

_That lust darkens the mind.—Evidences thereof.—The five ways by which it doth blind men: First, By preventing the exercise of reason.—The ways of that prevention: (1.) Secrecy...

_Of Satan’s power.—His power as an angel considered.—That he lost not that power by his fall.—His power as a devil.—Of his commission.—The extent of his authority.—The efficacy...

We have taken a survey of our adversary’s strength, and this will open the way to a clearer discovery of his subtlety and craft, which is his great engine by which he works all...

The magnanimity of Christ, and the peremptoriness of his denial, we have noted. We must further observe the immediateness of his answer; he suffered not any of these motions to...

_Of Satan’s third way to hinder peace, by spiritual sadness.—Wherein, 1. Of the degrees of spiritual sadness. 2. Of the frequency of this trouble, evidenced several ways. Of the...

I come now to the argument which Satan used for all this, ‘All these things will I give thee.’ He casts a golden apple before him, and seeks to entangle him by worldly greatness...

I shall here consider the great temptation which it pleased our Lord Christ to submit unto, as a most famous instance for confirmation and illustration of the doctrine of tempta...

[2.] Secondly, Yet such is _the confusion of men’s minds in such a case, that though many things are propounded, in that hurry of thoughts they are deprived usually of a true ju...

Having explained the five ways by which Satan through the power of lust causeth blindness of mind in tempting to sin, I shall next lay open Satan’s devices for the _keeping and...

within bounds. Our complainings entice us to distrust, as may appear in Job, who took a boldness this way more than was fit, as chap. x. 3, ‘Is it good unto thee that thou shoul...

_Of Satan’s subtlety in urging that of Ps. xci. 11, 12, to Christ.—Of his imitating the Spirit of God in various ways of teaching.—Of his pretending Scripture to further temptat...

greedy pursuit of them; he works in them, and by an inward force doth hurry them on to achieve his enterprises, in all this ensnaring and captivating them ‘at his pleasure,’ Eph...

_Satan’s deceits against religious services and duties.—The grounds of his displeasure against religious duties.—His first design against duties is to prevent them.—His several...

_The nature of idolatry.—Satan’s design to corrupt the worship of God.—The evidences thereof, with the reasons of such endeavours.—His general design of withdrawing the hearts o...

The souls of men are ‘precious.’ The whole world cannot repair their loss. Hence by God are all men in particular charged with care and watchfulness about them. He hath also set...

or serpent for his subtlety. Sometime he is represented as a warrior: Rev. xii. 17, ‘The dragon was wroth, and went to make war,’ &c.; and here are his warlike stratagems pointe...

upon the people, ‘To him they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest;’ and that his actions were reckoned no less than miraculous, as done by ‘the mighty power of God.’ I...

rhetoric, and enticing words, but the doctrine of Christ crucified in sincerity and plainness, 1 Cor. ii. 2. It is not indeed the outward cost and fineness of ordinances that Go...

3. The third circumstance next to be considered is _the place of this combat, ‘the wilderness.’_ To inquire what or where this wilderness was, is not only impertinent and useles...

that are presently taken with every new appearance. It is childish to be carried with every wind. We are warned also of this: 1 John iv. 1, ‘Believe not every spirit.’ (2.) We a...

_Instances of Satan’s power.—Of witchcraft, what it is.—Satan’s power argued from thence.—Of wonders.—Whether Satan can do miracles?—An account of what he can do that way.—His p...

it, makes them weary of the duty, ‘When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?’ These men thought their services tedious...

Some make inquiry what may be the difference betwixt a wounded spirit in the regenerate and the reprobate? To which it may be answered, (1.) That in the party’s apprehension the...

come, which we may suppose frequently came to pass, else she could have brought ‘no gain to her master by soothsaying.’ Another we hear of whose possession was with a lunacy, an...

The way, then, by which he doth entice is by ‘stirring up our lust.’ By ‘lust’ I mean those general desirings of our minds after any unlawful object which are forbidden in the t...

which is by working upon the understanding indirectly by the affections—This he doth, (1.) By a silent, insensible introduction of error—His method herein—(2.) By entangling the...

By deluding the understanding directly: which he doth, (1.) By countenancing error from Scripture—Of his cunning therein—(2.) By specious pretences of mysteries; and what these...

sadness—Wherein, 1. Of the degrees of spiritual sadness—2. Of the frequency of this trouble, evidenced several ways—Of the difference betwixt God and Satan in wounding the consc...

fears of shipwreck in a great storm—not that every seaman ordinarily lies under that charge, that gives himself up to the apprehensions of danger—the ground of which charge was...

way, By discomposures of spirit—These discomposures explained: by shewing, (1.) What advantage he takes from our natural temper, and what tempers give him this advantage—(2.) By...

first temptation, what Satan aimed at in bidding him turn stones into bread—Of Satan’s moving us to things good or lawful—The end of such a motion—How to know whether such motio...

evidenced—(1.) From his malice—(2.) From the concernment of peace to God’s children—What these concerns are, explained—(3.) From the advantages which he hath against them by dis...

possession; which is his feigned departure: (1.) By ceasing the prosecution of his design; and the cases in which he doth it—(2.) By abating the eagerness of pursuit; and how he...

his nimbleness to catch advantages from our answers to temptation—That Satan carried Christ in the air—Of his power to molest the bodies of God’s children—How little the suppose...

comparing him with the knowledge of Adam in innocency, and by his titles—Of his knowledge, natural, experimental, and accessory—Of his knowledge of our thoughts—How far he doth...

is—Of tempting to sin—His first general rule—The consideration of our condition—His second rule—Of providing suitable temptations—In what cases he tempts us to things unsuitable...

the introduction of error—(1.) From his own power of spiritual fascination—That there is such a power, proved from Scripture, and from the effects of it—(2.) From our imperfecti...

the worship of God—The evidences thereof, with the reasons of such endeavours—His general design of withdrawing the hearts of men from God to his service—The proof that this is...

way of blinding men—His policies for diverting our thoughts—His attempts to that purpose in a more direct manner; with the degrees of that procedure—Of disturbing or distracting...

the general nature and burden of them, in several particulars—What are the ways by which he affrights—1. Atheistical injections—Observations of his proceeding in them—2. Blasphe...

11, 12, to Christ—Of his imitating the Spirit of God in various ways of teaching—Of his pretending Scripture to further temptation—The reasons of such pretendings, and the ends...

distresses—1. The nature of these distresses—The ingredients and degrees of them—Whether all distresses of soul arise from melancholy—2. Satan’s method in working them; the occa...

temptation—Of tempting to extremes—What presumption is—The several ways of presuming—The frequency of this temptation, in the generality of professors, in hypocrites, in despair...

of the world—Of Satan’s preparations before the motion of sin—Of his confronting the Almighty by presumptuous imitation, and in what cases he doth so—Of his beautifying the obje...

duties—The grounds of his displeasure against religious duties—His first design against duties is to prevent them—His several subtleties for that end, by external hindrances, by...

Satan’s gradual proceeding in temptations—Of reserving a great temptation last—What a great temptation is; in what cases to be expected—Of Satan’s using a common road, in compar...

temptations were upon design for our instruction—Of the agreement betwixt Eph. vi. and Mat. iv.—The first direction, of courageous resolves in resisting temptations—Its consiste...

he lost not that power by his fall—His power as a devil—Of his commission—The extent of his authority—The efficacy of his power—The advantages which he hath for the management o...

worship him—Of blasphemous injections—What blasphemy is—The ways of Satan in that temptation, with the advantages he takes therein, and the reason of urging blasphemies upon men...

to spoil them—(1.) In the manner of undertaking, and how he effects this—(2.) In the act or performance, by distracting outwardly and inwardly—His various ways therein, by vitia...

ordinary means—Of the power of that temptation, and the reasons of its prevalency—Of unwarrantable attempts for relief, with the causes thereof—Of waiting on God, and keeping hi...

engine for keeping his possession, and for that purpose his keeping us from going to the light by several subtleties; also of making us rise up against the light, and by what wa...

Christ was led to the wilderness—Holiness, employment, privileges, exempt not from temptation—Of temptations that leave not impressions of sin behind them—How Satan’s temptation...

from distrust of providences—Instances of the probability of such a design—The reasons of this undertaking—Of Satan’s endeavour to weaken the assurance and hopes of God’s childr...

suiting his temptations to the conditions of men—Of tempting men upon the plea of necessity—The reasons and cheats of that plea—His pretences of friendship in tempting, with the...

five ways by which it doth blind men: (1.) By preventing the exercise of reason—The ways of that prevention: (1.) Secrecy in tempting; Satan’s subtlety therein; (2.) Surprisal;...

way of blinding—The possibility of this, and the manner of accomplishing it directly, several ways; and indirectly, by the delights of sin, and by sophistical arguments; with an...

to be disputed—The several ways of disputing a temptation—In what cases it is convenient and necessary to dispute with Satan—In what cases inconvenient, and the reasons of it, 4...

Satan’s tempting in an invisible way—Of his incessant importunities, and how he flies when resisted—Of inward temptations, with outward afflictions—Several advantages Satan hath...

temptation—How he tempts to self-murder directly, and upon what advantage he urgeth it—How he tempts to it indirectly, and the ways thereof—Of necessary preservatives against th...

presumption—What pride is, and how it prepares men for sinning presumptuously—Considerations against pride—The remedies for its cure—Pride kindled by a confidence of privileges...

is—Satan’s power argued from thence—Of wonder—Whether Satan can do miracles—An account of what he can do that way—His power argued from apparitions and possessions, 27-35

in making the means to sin plausible—The reasons of that policy, with his art therein—Men’s ignorance his advantage—Of the differences of things propounded to our use, 355-359

by Scripture arguments—Of several things implied in the direction—The necessity of answering by Scripture arguments—The excellency of the remedy—How Scripture arguments are to b...