Of the Malice of Satan in particular. The Grounds and Causes of that Malice. The Greatness of it proved; and Inftances of that Greatneß given.
Of Satans Power. His Power as an Angel confidered. That be loft not that Power by his Fall. His Power ds a Devil. Of his Commission. The Extent of bis Authority. The Efficacy of his Power. The Ad- vantages which he hath for the management of it, from the Num- ber, Order, Place, and Knowledg of Devils.
That Satan bath a great meafure of Knowledg, proved, by comparing him with the knowledg of Adam in Innocency, and by his Titles. Of his Knowledg Natural, Experimental, and Acceffory. Of bis knowledg of our Thoughts. How far he doth not know them, and how far he doth, and by what means. Of his knowledg of things future, and by what ways he doth conjecture them. The Advantages in point of Temptation that he hath by his Knowledg.
Inftances of Satan's Power. Power argued from thence.
Of Witchcraft, what it is. Satan's Of Wonders. Whether Satan can do
Miracles. An account of what he can do that way. His Power
argued from Apparitions and Poffeffions.
Of Satan's Cruelty. Inftances thereof in his dealing with wounded Spirits, in ordinary Temptations of the Wicked and Godly, in Per- fecutions, Cruelties in Worship. His cruel bandling of bis Slaves. Chap. 7.
Of Satan's Diligence, in feveral Inftances. The Question about the Being of Spirits and Devils handled. The Sadducees Opinion dif covered. The Reality of Spirits proved.
Of Satan's Cunning and Craft in the general. Several Demonftrati- ons proving Satan to be deceitful: And of the Reasons why he makes ufe of his cunning.
Of Satan's Deceits in particular. What Temptation is. Of tempting to Sin. His first general Rule. The Confideration of our Condition. His fecond Rule. Of providing futable Temptations. In what cases be tempts us to things unfuitable to our Inclinations. His third Rule. The cautious Propofal of the Temptation, and the feveral ways there- of. His fourth Rule is to entice the way thereof in the general, by bringing a darkness upon the Mind through luft.
That Satan enticeth by our Luft. The feveral ways by which he doth it. Of the power and danger of the violence of Affections.
That Luft darkens the Mind. Evidences thereof. The five ways by which it doth blind Men. (1.) By preventing the exercife of Reafon. The ways of that prevention; (1) Secrefy in tempting, Satan's fubtilty therein. (2.) Surprifal. (3.) Gradual Intanglements.
Of Satan's perverting our Reafon. His fecond way of blinding. The poffibility of this, and the manner of accomplishing it directly, Seve- ral ways and indirectly, by the delights of fin, and by fophiftical Arguments with an account of them.
Of Satan's diverting our Beafon, being the third way of blinding Men. His policies for diverting our Thoughts. His attempts to that pur- pofe in a more direct manner; with the degrees of that procedure. Of disturbing or distracting our Reason, which is Satan's fourth way of blinding Men. His deceits therein. Of precipitancy, Satan's fifth way of blinding Men. Several deceits to bring Men to that.
Of Satan's maintaining his Poffeffion. His firft Engine for that pur- pofe, is his finishing of Sin, in its reiteration and aggravation. His Policies herein.
Of Satan's keeping all in quiet, which is bis fecond Engine for keeping bis Poffeffion; and for that purpose, his keeping us from going to the Light, by feveral fubtilties: also of making us rife up against the Light; and by what ways he doth that.
Of Satan's third grand Policy for maintaining his Poffeffion; which is his feigned Departure. (1.) By ceafing the profecution of his design, and the cafes in which he doth it. (2.) By abating the eagerneß of purfuit, and how he doth that. (3.) By exchanging Temptations, and his policy therein. The advantage be feeks by feeming to fly. Of his (4.) Stratagem for keeping his Poffeffion, which is his stop- ping all ways of retreat; and how he doth that.
Satan's Deceits against Religious Services and Duties. The Grounds of bis difpleasure against Religious Duties. His first defign against Duties, is to prevent them. His feveral fubtilties for that end, by external hindrances, by indifpofitions, bodily and fpiritual, by difcouragements; the ways thereof, by diflike; the grounds thereof; by fophiftical arguings. His various pleas herein.
Satan's Second grand defign 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 outwardly, and inwardly, his various ways therein, by vitiating the duty it felf. How he doth that (3.) after performance; the manner thereof.
"Hat it is Satan's grand defign to corrupt the minds of Men with
to and the Reasons of bis
Of the Advantages which Satan bath, and ufeth, for the Introduction of Error. (1) From his own power of Spiritual fafcination. That there is fuch a Power proved from Scripture, and from the Effects of it. (2.) From the imperfection of Knowledg, the particulars · thereof explained. (3.) From the byass of the mind. What things do byaß it; and the power of them to fway the understanding. (4.) From Curiofity. (5.) From Atheistical Debauchery of Con-- fcience.
Of Satan's improving thefe Advantages for Error. 1. By deluding the Understanding directly: which he doth (1.) by countenancing Error from Scripture. Of bis cunning therein. (2.) By fpecious pretences of Mysteries; and what these are. Of perfonal flatteries. (3.) By affected Expreffions. Reafon of their prevalency. (4.) By. bold Affertions. The Reafons of that Policy. (5.) By the excellency of the Perfons appearing for it, either for Gifts or Holine. His method of managing that defign. (6.) By pretended Infpiration. (7.) By pretended Miracles. His canning herein. (8.) By peace and profperity in ways of Error. (9.) By lyes against Truth, and the Profeffors of it.
Of Satan's fecond way of improving his Advantages, which is by working upon the Understanding indirectly by the Affections. This be doth (1.) by a filent infenfible introduction of Error. His method herein. (2.) By entangling the Affections with the external garb of Error. A gorgeous dress, or affected plainneß. (3.) By fa- bulous imitations of Truth. The defign thereof. (4.) By accomoda-.. ting Truth to a complyance with Parties that differ from it. Various inftances bereof. (5.) By driving to a contrary extream. (6.) By
bribing the Affections with Rewards, or forcing them by Fears. (7.) By engaging Pride and Anger. (8.) By adorning Error with the Ornaments of Truth.
Satan's Attempts against the Peace of God's Children, evidenced. (1.) From bis Malice. (2.) From the concernment of Peace to God's Children. What thefe Concerns are, explained. (3.) From the Advantages which he hath against them by difquieting their Minds. 1. Confufion of Mind. 2. Unfitness for Duty, and how. 3. Re- jection of Duty. 4. A stumbling-block to others. 5. Preparation of the Mind to entertain venomous Impreffions, and what they are. 6. Bodily Weakness. 7. Our Miferies Satan's contentment.
Of the various Ways by which he hinders Peace. ift Way, by discom- pofures of Spirit. Thefe Difcompofures explained: by Shewing, 1. What advantage he takes from our natural Temper and what Tempers give him this advantage. 2. By what occafions he works upon our natural Tempers. 3. With what fuccefs. (1.) Thefe Occafions Suited to natural Inclinations, raife great disturbance. (2.) They have attendency to Spiritual Trouble. The thing proved, and the manner how, difcovered. (3.) Thefe Disturbances much in his Power. General and Particular Confiderations about thar
Of the fecond way to hinder Peace. Affrightments, the general Nature and Burthen of them, in feveral Particulars. What are Ways by which he affrights. 1. Atheistical Injections. Obfervations of his proceeding in them. 2. Blafphemous Thoughts. 3. Affrightful Suggestions of Reprobation. Obfervations of his proceedings in that courfe. 4. Frightful Motions to Sin. 5. Strong immediate Impreffions of Fear. 6. Affrightful fcrupulofity of Confcience.
Of his third way to hinder Peace by Spiritual Sadness, Wherein, 1. Of the Degrees of Spiritual Sadness. 2. Of the frequency of this trouble, evidenced feveral ways. Of the difference 'twixt God and Satan in wounding the Confcience. 3. Of the folemn Occafions of this Trouble. 4. The Engines by which Satan works fpiritual fadnefs. 1. His Sophiftry. His Topicks enumerated and explain- ed. 1. Scriptures Perverted. 2. Falfe Notions. 3. Mifrepre- Sentations of God. 4. Sins; how he aggravates them. 5. Les-
« AnteriorContinuar » |