Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant
of his devices—2 Cor. 11
IN this fifth verse, the apostle shews, that the incestuous person had by his incest sadded those precious souls that God would not have sadded.! Souls that walk sinfully are Hazaels to the godly, 2 Kings vill. 12, ef seq., and draw many sighs and tears from them. Jeremiah weeps in secret for Judah’s sins, Jer. ix. 1; and Paul cannot speak of the belly-gods with dry eyes, Philip. iii. 18, 19. And Lot’s righteous soul was burdened, vexed, and racked by the filthy Sodomites, 2 Peter 1. 7,82 Every sinful Sodomite was a Hazael to his eyes, a Hadadrimmon to his heart, Zech. xii. 11. Gracious souls use to mourn for other men’s sins as well as their own, and for their souls and sins who make a mock of sin, and a jest of damning their own souls. Guilt or grief is all that gracious souls get by communion with vain souls, Ps. cxix. 136, 158.
In the 6th verse, he shews that the punishment that was inflicted upon the incestuous person was sufficient, and therefore they should not refuse to receive him who had repented and sorrowed for his former faults and follies. It is not for the honour of Christ, the credit of the gospel, nor the good of souls, for professors to be like those bloody wretches, that burnt some that recanted at the stake, saying, That they would send them into another world whiles they were in a good mind.”
In the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th verses, the apostle stirs up the church to forgive him, to comfort him, and to confirm their love towards him, lest he should be swallowed up with over much sorrow,” Satan going about to mix the detestable darnel, Mat. xiii. 25, of desperation with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent heart. It was a sweet saying of one, ‘ Let a man grieve for his sin, and then joy for his grief.’ That sorrow for sin that keeps the soul from looking towards the mercy-
seat, and that keeps Christ and the soul asunder, or that shall render the soul unfit for the communion of saints, is a sinful sorrow.
In the 11th verse, he lays down another reason to work them to shew pity and mercy to the penitent sinner, that was mourning and groaning under his sin and misery; 4.e. lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. A little for the opening of the words
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us; lest Satan over-reach us. The Greek word mAsavexrndsuey, signifieth to have more than belongs to one. The comparison is taken from the greedy merchant, that seeketh and taketh all opportunities to beguile and deceive others. Satan is that wily merchant, that devoureth, not widows’ houses, but most men’s souls.
We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices,” or plots, or machinations, or stratagems, Nojuara. He is but a titular Christian that hath not personal experience of Satan’s stratagems, his set and composed machinations, his artificially moulded methods, his plots, darts, depths, whereby he outwitted our first parents, and fits us a pennyworth still, as he sees reason.
The main observation that I shall draw from these words is this:
Doct. That Satan hath his several devices to deceive, entangle, and undo the souls of men. I shall, 1. Prove the point. 2. Shew you his several devices; and, 3. The remedies against his devices. 4. How it comes to pass that he hath so many several devices to deceive, entangle, and undo the souls of men.
5. I shall lay down some propositions concerning Satan’s devices.
I. For the proof of the poiat, take these few Scriptures: Eph. vi. 11,. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” The Greek word that is here rendered wiles,’ is a notable emphatical word.:
(1.) It signifies such snares as are laid behind one, such treacheries as come upon one’s back at unawares. It notes the methods or waylayings of that old subtle serpent, who, like Dan’s adder in the path,’ biteth the heels of passengers, and thereby transfuseth his venom to the head and heart.! The word M:dodeias signifies an ambushment or stratagem of war, whereby the enemy sets upon a man ex insidiis, at unawares.?
(2.) It signifies such snares as are set to catch one in one’s road. A man walks in his road, and thinks not of it; on the sudden he is catched by thieves, or falls into a pit, &c.
(8) It signifies such as are purposely, artificially, and craftily set for the taking the prey at the greatest advantage that can be. The Greek pebodiag, being derived from were and dos, signifies properly a waylaying, circumvention, or going about, as they do which seek after
their prey. Julian, by his craft, drew more from the faith than all his persecuting predecessors could do by their cruelty. So doth Satan more hurt in his sheep’s skin than by roaring like a lion.
Take one scripture more for the proof of the point, and that is in 2 Tim. ii. 26, ‘ And that they might recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” The Greek word that is here rendered recover themselves,’Avavplwaw, signifies to awaken themselves. The apostle alludeth to one that is asleep or drunk, who is to be awakened and restored to his senses; and the Greek word that is here rendered taken captive, signifies to be taken alive, Zwygnuiva. The word 1s properly a warlike word, and signifies to be taken alive, as soldiers are taken alive in the wars, or as birds are taken alive and ensnared in the fowler’s net. Satan hath snares for the wise and snares for the simple; snares for hypocrites, and snares for the upright; snares for generous souls, and snares for timorous souls; snares for the rich, and snares for the poor; snares for the aged, and snares for youth, &. Happy are those souls that are not taken and held in the snares that he hath laid!
Take one proof more, and then I will proceed to the opening of the point, and that is in Rev. ii. 24, But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you no other burden but to hold fast till I come.’ Those poor souls called their opinions the depths of God, when indeed they were the depths of Satan. You call your opinions depths, and so they are, but they are such depths as Satan hath brought out of hell. They are the hispering: and hissings of that serpent, not the inspirations of od.
11. Now, the second thing that I am to shew you is, his several devices; and herein I shall first shew you the several devices that he. hath to draw the soul to sin. I shall instance in these twelve, which may bespeak our most serious consideration.