xi. 13, 14; so that nothing can be more plain than that this is an old

and constant design of Satan.

The particular ways by which Satan effects this design I shall not now touch, but shall in lieu of that give you the reasons of his endeavours this way.

[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 manner of it. Neither of these honours will he give to any other, but will express his jealousy when any invasion is made upon these his sole prerogatives. Now his worship cannot be corrupted, but one of these at least will in some degree or other be touched. If we set up another object of worship, we deny him to be God; if we worship him in a way of our own invention, we deny his wisdom, and set up ourselves above him, as if we could order his worship better than he hath done in his word.

[2.] Secondly, _If the worship be corrupted, all the exercise of the affections of the heart, and all the service itself is lost, and become unacceptable_. He knows that such worshippers shall meet with this answer, ‘Who hath required this at your hands?’ [Isa. i. 12.]

[3.] Thirdly, _Corruption in worship_, Satan by long experience knows to have been the ground of those hatreds, quarrels, persecutions, and troubles under which the church hath groaned in all ages, every difference imposing their way and persuasion upon all dissenters, to the disturbance of peace, breach and decay of love, hindrance of the growth of piety, to the biting and devouring of one another.

[4.] Fourthly, Besides God is provoked by this to _leave his sanctuary_, to remove his glory and his candlestick, to make his vineyard a desolation, and his churches as Shiloh.

[5.] Fifthly, Satan is the more industrious in this, because _his ways are capable of many advantages to further his design, and many specious pretences to cover it_. In Col. ii. 8, he made use of philosophy to corrupt religion, and by unsound principles of some heathens famous for that learning, introduced ‘worshipping of angels.’ What that could not effect he laboured to perform by ‘the traditions of men,’ and where that came short, ‘the rudiments of the world’—the Mosaical ceremonies were so called here, and in the Epistle to the Hebrews—were his engine by which he battered the plain worship of the New Testament. And as to pretences, the apostle doth there and elsewhere note that decency and order, humility, wisdom, and self-denial, are things very taking, and yet usually pretended for such bold innovations as may corrupt the pure streams of the sanctuary.

_Applic._ Hence may I leave with you a few memorials.

[1.] First, _This may make us jealous of any alterations in the way of Gods worship_. We have reason under the most plausible pretexts to suspect the hand of Satan, because it is one of his main businesses to corrupt the worship.

[2.] Secondly, _This may justify those that out of a conscientious fear of complying with Satan’s design, dare not admit of a pin in the tabernacle beside what God hath prescribed, nor leave behind a shoe-latchet of what he hath enjoined_.

[3.] Thirdly, _This will tell us that that worship is best and safest that hath least of mixture of human invention_. We cannot offend in keeping close to the rule, though the worship thereby become more plain, and not so gorgeous in outward appearance. We may soon overdo it by the least addition, and cannot be so certain of God’s acceptation, as we are of pleasing the senses of men, by such introducements.

This motion of Satan, ‘Fall down and worship me,’ is now in the last place to be considered as a particular instance of Satan’s general design _of drawing the hearts of men from God his service and ways, to the pleasures of sin_; as if he should say to him, follow my advice, give up thyself to my service, and thou shalt be gratified with all the delights that the world can give thee. To this doth the bait here offered most fitly agree. Hence observe,

_Obs._ 8. _That it is Satan’s general design to withdraw the hearts of men from God, that they may be enslaved to him in the service of sin._

That the devil doth level all his endeavours to this, cannot be doubted; for,

(1.) First, _He hath a kingdom in this world_, from which he is denominated ‘the prince of this world.’ And this is not only a rule of exterior force, such as conquerors have over their captivated slaves, who are compelled to subject their bodies, while yet their minds are full of hatred against him who hath thus forced them to subjection; but it is a rule over the hearts and affections of men, working in ‘the children of disobedience’ a love and liking of these ways, and begetting in them the image of Satan; so that what work he imposeth they are pleased withal, and ‘love to have it so.’ Therefore he is not only called their prince, but their god and their father: ‘Ye are of your father the devil,’ in that with a kind of inward devotion they will and endeavour to perform the lusts which he propounds to them.

(2.) Secondly, _This kingdom is contrary to Gods spiritual kingdom_, that being of darkness, this of light; and it is managed by Satan with an envious competition and co-rivalship to that of God; so that as God invites men to the happiness of his kingdom, and sends his Spirit in his word and ordinances to persuade them, Satan doth the like. He sends out his spirit, which the apostle calls ‘the spirit of the world,’ 1 Cor. ii. 12, and employs all his agents to engage men for him. He requires the heart as God doth, he promiseth his rewards of pleasure, honour, riches, if they will fall down and worship him. Now it is so natural to prosecute an interest thus espoused in a way of opposition, especially to any other that set up for themselves in a contradictory competitorship, that the very natural laws of Satan’s kingdom will engage him to stand up for it, and to enlarge it all he can.

Those upon whom he prevails are of two sorts—

(1.) First, _Some are visibly in his service_. These answer the character which was given of Ahab, 1 Kings xxi. 20, ‘who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord.’ The first expression shews that such are wholly in Satan’s power and disposal—as things sold are in the possession and power of the buyer—they are at Satan’s will. If he say to them, ‘Go, they go,’ and if he say, ‘Come, they come.’ Their bodies and spirits are Satan’s, they are not their own; and they are his for the ends of sin, for that employment only, so that they are ‘wholly corrupt and abominable.’ The latter expression, that he did so ‘in the sight of the Lord,’ manifests their shameless impudency in sin, that they ‘declare their sin as Sodom, and hide it not,’ that they do not blush, but openly wear the devil’s livery and avouch his service. As the works of the flesh are manifest, so these in their practice of such works are manifestly Satan’s subjects. These kind of men are frequently in the Old Testament styled ‘sons of Belial,’[465] a name very significant, shewing either their devoting of themselves to the devil’s service, in that they reject the yoke of God’s law, in that they ‘break his bonds, and cast his cords from them,’ or their pride that they will have none above them, not considering that there is a God, or that the Most High rules, or their averseness to what is good, being ‘wholly unprofitable, and to every good work reprobate.’ [Titus i. 16.]

(2.) Secondly, _Some are secretly his servants_. They come to the devil, as Nicodemus did to Christ, by night. They will not openly profess him, but yet their hearts are wholly his. Such are called by the name of hypocrites. The pharisees and scribes seemed to declare for God, called themselves Abraham’s seed, fasted, gave alms, made long prayers, and yet were a ‘generation of vipers,’ and ‘of their father the devil.’ The secrecy of this underhand engagement to hell is such, that many who are in a league with the devil, and at an agreement with death, do neither know nor believe it concerning themselves. For,

[1.] First, _This private covenant may be where there are the greatest seeming defilements of Satan and high professions of service to God_. The pharisees, as have been said, were the devil’s servants, under all the fair show they made of religion and zeal for the law, and yet when Christ plainly told them that they were not Abraham’s seed but the devil’s seed, they with high indignation and scorn throw back the accusation to Christ, ‘Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil; we are Abraham’s children,’ [John viii. 48,] so little believed they the truth when it was told them.

[2.] Secondly, _This may consist with some designment and intention to give God glory_. The Jews, though they submitted not to the righteousness of God, yet, by the testimony of Paul, they had a zeal to God. The very heathens that sacrifice to devils had not formal intentions so to do, as appears by their inscription on the altar at Athens, Acts xvii. 23, ‘To the unknown God.’ The true God, though unknown, they propounded as the object of their worship; yet falling into those ways of devotion which the devil had prescribed, these intentions could not hinder but that they became his servants.

[3.] Thirdly, _Men may be servants to Satan under great assurances and confidences of their interest in God_. Many go to hell that have lived with _Lord, Lord_ in their mouths. Those mentioned in Isa. xlviii. 2, that had no interest in truth and righteousness when they solemnly sware by the name of the Lord, ‘yet they called themselves of the holy city, and stayed themselves upon the God of Israel,’ [Isa. xlviii. 2.]

_Obj._ If it seem strange to any that these professions, intentions, and confidences are not enough to secure men from this charge, but that they may be secretly slaves to hell, I answer,

_Ans._ 1. First, _That those do not necessarily conclude that the heart of such men is right with God_. Formality, natural conscience, and the power of education may do much of this; for though we grant that such are not conscious to themselves of any real design of serving Satan, yet they may either so far miss it in the way of their service, offering that as well-pleasing to God, which indeed he hates, and that through wilful and affected ignorance, as those of whom Christ speaks, John xvi. 2, that should think the killing of God’s children a piece of acceptable service; or they may be so mistaken as to the sincerity of their hearts that they may think they have a design to please God in doing of what he requires in order thereunto, when indeed it may not be singly for God but for themselves that they work, in a self-gratification of their natural zeal for their way; or their esteem, credit, and advantage may privately influence them, rather than a spirit of life and power.

_Ans._ 2. Secondly, _The work which they do, and the ends they serve, will be evidence against professions and intentions_. It is a sure rule, that the work shews to whom men are related as servants, and it is laid down as a certain standard to measure the hearts of men by, when pretences and persuasions seem to carry all before them: Rom. vi. 16, ‘His servants ye are to whom ye obey;’ 1 John iii. 8, 10, ‘He that committeth sin is of the devil: in this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil’—that is, when it becomes a question to whom a man belongs, whose child and servant he is, it must be determined by the works he doth. If he engage in the ways of sin, he is of the devil, let him profess what he will to the contrary. This same balance Christ useth to try the truth of the Jews’ pretences to God: John viii. 34, ‘Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin;’ they boasted high, but he shews them that seeing their designs and works were hatred, envy, murder, &c., which are apparently from Satan, it was evident they had learned these of him; and he concludes by this proof, ver. 44, ‘that they were of their father the devil.’ Thus may we say of those that pretend they honour God, they deify the devil, they intend well, if yet they give themselves up to the pleasing of the flesh, if worldly-minded, if they live in pride, strife, envy, maliciousness, &c.,—which are works of the devil,—it is not all their pretences that will entitle them to God, but they are, for all this, the devil’s servants, as doing his works.

_Applic._ This may put men upon inquiries, _Who are ye for? whose servants are ye?_ There are but two that can lay claim to you, and these two divide the whole world betwixt them. There is no state of neutrality: you are either God’s servants or the devil’s. Ye cannot serve them both; ‘now if the Lord be God, serve him.’ Satan’s service is base, dishonourable, slavish; the service of God, freedom, honour, life, and peace; there is indeed no comparison betwixt them. Happy, then, is that man that can say the Lord is his lot and portion; that can come into God’s presence, and there in his integrity avouch the Lord for his God—that can stand upon it. ‘My soul hath said unto the Lord, Thou art my God, and I have none besides thee; other lords have had dominion over us, but we will make mention of thy name only,’ [Isa. xxvi. 13.]

This temptation, though it were in itself horrid, and as a brood of vipers knotted together, which at once could send out several stings, and make many wounds,—as hath been noted,—yet in the way of propounding, Satan seems to insinuate the largeness of his proffer, and the smallness and inconsiderableness of the service required, as if he should say, ‘See how free I am in my kindness; I will not stick to give thee the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and all this for so small a matter as bowing before me, or doing me a little reverence.’ This gives us to observe,

_Obs._ 9. _That when Satan doth design no less than to enslave men to his service, yet he will propound sin as a small thing, or but one act of sin, as a thing not valuable, to engage them to him._ Not but that he desires to run men to excess in wickedness, and delights to see them with both hands earnestly work iniquity with greediness; yet where he sees the consciences of men squeamish, and that they cannot bear temptations to open and common profaneness without danger of revolt from him, there he seems modest, and requires but some small thing, at least at first, till the ways of sin become more familiar to them, and then when they can better bear it, he doubles the tale of bricks, and with greater confidence can urge them to things of greater shame and enormity. That this is his way appears,

[1.] First, _From the common argument which he useth at first to those whom he would draw off from a more careful conversation_, which is this: Do such a thing, it is but for once, and but little; others do the like, and demur not, or the best do as great matters as this comes to. It is but a small thing, considering the strait, or the advantage that may accrue. This is his usual note to candidate iniquity, as experience of all doth testify.

[2.] Secondly, That this is so is also evident from a consideration of _the several ways and courses of sinners_. Some are tempted and overcome by one kind of sin, and not at all urged to others. Some go to hell in a way of covetousness; others are pretty unblameable in most of their carriages, but are overcome by a proud humour; others are given to drink, and yet will not steal nor deal falsely; others take a more cleanly way to hell, rely upon their own righteousness, or are engaged in error, and their life otherwise smooth and fair. The Jews in Christ’s time were only engaged against Christ, and for their traditions, but not molested with temptations to open idolatry as formerly. Those who are ignorant are not troubled with temptations to despair, or inward terrors. The reasons of his dealing thus are these:—

[1.] First, _He sees that one sin heartily prosecuted is enough to signify homage to him, and to give him possession_. As we take possession of land by a turf or a twig, so by one sin admitted with full purpose of mind, Satan is let into the heart. As a penny will be sufficient earnest for a bargain of a thousand pounds, so may one sin be a pledge or earnest for the whole soul in a league with hell.

[2.] Secondly, _He knows that one sin persisted in may be enough to destroy the soul_; as one wound may kill, one leak may sink a ship.

[3.] Thirdly, _He knows that one sin breaks the covenant of God_, and turns the heart from him, if men give up themselves to it.

[4.] Fourthly, _One sin wilfully pursued makes a man guilty of the breach of the whole law_. It destroys love and respect to God, undervalues his authority, contemns his threatenings and promises.

[5.] Fifthly, _One sin is enough to make way for more_. Where Satan would have more, yet at first he is pleased with it as a hopeful beginning. It makes room enough for the serpent’s head, and then he will afterwards easily wind in his whole body.

_Applic._ This may warn us not to be emboldened to any sin by the plea _of diminution_; not to venture because it may seem little, or be but for once. A true Christian should be a perfect universalist; he should be universally against all sin, and universally for all duty.