EDITED, WITH MEMOIR,
BY THE REV. ALEXANDER BALLOCH GROSART,
LIVERPOOL.
EDINBURGH: JAMES NICHOL.
LONDON: JAMES NISBET AND CO. DUBLIN: G. HERBERT.
M.DCCC.LXVII.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
| I. [PREFATORY NOTE], | xiii |
| II. [MEMOIR OF DR GILPIN], | xv |
| III. [DÆMONOLOGIA SACRA]. | |
| [To the Reader], | 3-6 |
| [PART I]. | |
| [Chapter I].—The introduction to the text, from a considerationof the desperate ruin of the souls of men—The text opened,expressing Satan’s malice, power, cruelty, and diligence, | 8-10 |
| [Chapter II].—Of the malice of Satan in particular—The groundsand causes of that malice—The greatness of it proved; andinstances of that greatness given, | 10-14 |
| [Chapter III].—Of Satan’s power—His power as an angel considered—Thathe lost not that power by his fall—His poweras a devil—Of his commission—The extent of his authority—Theefficacy of his power—The advantages which he hath forthe management of it, from the number, order, place, andknowledge of devils, | 14-20 |
| [Chapter IV].—That Satan hath a great measure of knowledgeproved, by comparing him with the knowledge of Adam ininnocency, and by his titles—Of his knowledge, natural, experimental,and accessory—Of his knowledge of our thoughts—Howfar he doth not know them, and how far he doth, andby what means—Of his knowledge of things future, and bywhat ways he doth conjecture them—The advantages in pointof temptation that he hath by his knowledge, | 21-26 |
| [Chapter V].—Instances of Satan’s power—Of witchcraft, what itis—Satan’s power argued from thence—Of wonder—WhetherSatan can do miracles—An account of what he can do thatway—His power argued from apparitions and possessions, | 27-35 |
| [Chapter VI].—Of Satan’s cruelty—Instances thereof in his dealingwith wounded spirits in ordinary temptations of thewicked and godly, in persecutions, cruelties in worship—Hiscruel handling of his slaves, | 35-44 |
| [Chapter VII].—Of Satan’s diligence in several instances—Thequestion about the being of spirits and devils handled—TheSadducees’ opinion discovered—The reality of spirits proved, | 45-52 |
| [Chapter VIII].—Of Satan’s cunning and craft in the general—Severaldemonstrations proving Satan to be deceitful; andof the reasons why he makes use of his cunning, | 52-58 |
| [Chapter IX].—Of Satan’s deceits in particular—What temptationis—Of tempting to sin—His first general rule—The considerationof our condition—His second rule—Of providingsuitable temptations—In what cases he tempts us to thingsunsuitable to our inclinations—His third rule—The cautiousproposal of the temptation, and the several ways thereof—Hisfourth rule is to entice—The way thereof in the general,by bringing a darkness upon the mind through lust, | 58-63 |
| [Chapter X].—That Satan enticeth by our lust—The several waysby which he doth it—Of the power and danger of the violenceof affections, | 63-68 |
| [Chapter XI].—That lust darkens the mind—Evidences thereof—Thefive ways by which it doth blind men: (1.) By preventingthe exercise of reason—The ways of that prevention:(1.) Secrecy in tempting; Satan’s subtlety therein; (2.) Surprisal;(3.) Gradual entanglements, | 68-72 |
| [Chapter XII].—Of Satan’s perverting our reason—His secondway of blinding—The possibility of this, and the manner ofaccomplishing it directly, several ways; and indirectly, bythe delights of sin, and by sophistical arguments; with anaccount of them, | 72-76 |
| [Chapter XIII].—Of Satan’s diverting our reason, being the thirdway of blinding men—His policies for diverting our thoughts—Hisattempts to that purpose in a more direct manner;with the degrees of that procedure—Of disturbing or distractingour reason, which is Satan’s fourth way of blindingmen—His deceits therein—Of precipitancy, Satan’s fifth wayof blinding men—Several deceits to bring men to that, | 77-83 |
| [Chapter XIV].—Of Satan’s maintaining his possession—His firstengine for that purpose is his finishing of sin, in its reiterationand aggravation—His policies herein, | 83-86 |
| [Chapter XV].—Of Satan’s keeping all in quiet, which is his secondengine for keeping his possession, and for that purpose hiskeeping us from going to the light by several subtleties; alsoof making us rise up against the light, and by what ways hedoth that, | 86-91 |
| [Chapter XVI].—Of Satan’s third grand policy for maintaining hispossession; which is his feigned departure: (1.) By ceasingthe prosecution of his design; and the cases in which he dothit—(2.) By abating the eagerness of pursuit; and how he doththat—(3.) By exchanging temptations; and his policy therein—Theadvantage he seeks by seeming to fly—Of his fourthstratagem for keeping his possession, which is his stoppingall ways of retreat; and how he doth that, | 91-100 |
| [Chapter XVII].—Satan’s deceits against religious services andduties—The grounds of his displeasure against religious duties—Hisfirst design against duties is to prevent them—Hisseveral subtleties for that end, by external hindrances, byindispositions bodily and spiritual, by discouragements; theways thereof, by dislike; the grounds thereof, by sophisticalarguings—His various pleas therein, | 100-118 |
| [Chapter XVIII].—Satan’s second grand design against duties isto spoil them—(1.) In the manner of undertaking, and howhe effects this—(2.) In the act or performance, by distractingoutwardly and inwardly—His various ways therein, by vitiatingthe duty itself—How he doth that—(3.) After performance,the manner thereof, | 118-125 |
| [PART II]. | |
| [Chapter I].—That it is Satan’s grand design to corrupt the mindsof men with error—The evidences that it is so—and thereasons of his endeavours that way, | 127-140 |
| [Chapter II].—Of the advantages which Satan hath, and useth, forthe introduction of error—(1.) From his own power ofspiritual fascination—That there is such a power, proved fromScripture, and from the effects of it—(2.) From our imperfectionof knowledge; the particulars thereof explained—(3.)From the bias of the mind—What things do bias it, and thepower of them to sway the understanding—(4.) From curiosity(5.) From atheistical debauchery of conscience, | 140-158 |
| [Chapter III].—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 cunningtherein—(2.) By specious pretences of mysteries; and whatthese are—Of personal flatteries—(3.) By affected expressions—Reasonof their prevalency—(4.) By bold assertions—Thereasons of that policy—(5.) By the excellency of thepersons appearing for it, either for gifts or holiness—Hismethod of managing that design—(6.) By pretended inspiration—(7.)By pretended miracles—His cunning herein—(8.)By peace and prosperity in ways of error—(9.) By lies againsttruth, and the professors of it, | 158-189 |
| [Chapter IV].—Of Satan’s second way of improving his advantages,which is by working upon the understanding indirectlyby the affections—This he doth, (1.) By a silent, insensibleintroduction of error—His method herein—(2.) By entanglingthe affections with the external garb of error, a gorgeousdress, or affected plainness—(3.) By fabulous imitations oftruth—The design thereof—(4.) By accommodating truth to acompliance with parties that differ from it—Various instanceshereof—(5.) By driving to a contrary extreme—(6.) Bybribing the affections with rewards, or forcing them by fears—(7.)By engaging pride and anger—(8.) By adorning errorwith the ornaments of truth, | 190-208 |
| [Chapter V].—Satan’s attempts against the peace of God’s childrenevidenced—(1.) From his malice—(2.) From the concernmentof peace to God’s children—What these concernsare, explained—(3.) From the advantages which he hathagainst them by disquieting their minds—1. Confusion ofmind—2. Unfitness for duty, and how—3. Rejection ofduty—4. A stumbling-block to others—5. Preparation ofthe mind to entertain venomous impressions, and what theyare—6. Bodily weakness—7. Our miseries Satan’s contentment, | 209-218 |
| [Chapter VI].—Of the various ways by which he hinders peace—Firstway, By discomposures of spirit—These discomposuresexplained: by shewing, (1.) What advantage he takes fromour natural temper, and what tempers give him this advantage—(2.)By what occasions he works upon our natural tempers—(3.)With what success—[1.] These occasions suitedto natural inclinations, raise great disturbance—[2.] Theyhave a tendency to spiritual trouble—The thing proved, andthe manner how discovered—[3.] These disturbances muchin his power—General and particular considerations aboutthat power, | 219-237 |
| [Chapter VII].—Of the second way to hinder peace—Affrightments,the general nature and burden of them, in several particulars—Whatare the ways by which he affrights—1. Atheisticalinjections—Observations of his proceeding in them—2.Blasphemous thoughts—3. Affrightful suggestions ofreprobation—Observations of his proceedings in that course—4.Frightful motions to sin—5. Strong immediate impressionsof fear—6. Affrightful scrupulosity of conscience, | 238-254 |
| [Chapter VIII].—Of his third way to hinder peace, by spiritualsadness—Wherein, 1. Of the degrees of spiritual sadness—2.Of the frequency of this trouble, evidenced several ways—Ofthe difference betwixt God and Satan in wounding theconscience—3. Of the solemn occasions of this trouble—4.The engines by which Satan works spiritual sadness:—(1.)His sophistry—His topics enumerated and explained—[1.]Scriptures perverted—[2.] False notions—[3.] Misrepresentationsof God—[4.] Sins: how he aggravates them—[5.]Lessening their graces: how he doth that—(2.) His secondengine, fear: how he forwards his design that way, | 254-286 |
| [Chapter IX].—Of his fourth way to hinder peace, by spiritualdistresses—1. The nature of these distresses—The ingredientsand degrees of them—Whether all distresses of soularise from melancholy—2. Satan’s method in workingthem; the occasions he makes use of; the arguments heurgeth, the strengthening of them by fears—3. Their weightand burden explained in several particulars—Some concludingcautions, | 287-311 |
| [PART III]. | |
| [Chapter I].—The first circumstance of the combat, the timewhen it happened—The two solemn seasons of temptation—Thereasons thereof, | 313-316 |
| [Chapter II].—The second circumstance, Christ’s being led bythe Spirit—What hand the Spirit of God hath in temptations—andof running into temptations when not led into it, | 316-321 |
| [Chapter III].—The third circumstance, the place of the combat—Theadvantage given to temptations by solitude, | 321-322 |
| [Chapter IV].—The fourth circumstance, the end whereforeChrist was led to the wilderness—Holiness, employment,privileges, exempt not from temptation—Of temptationsthat leave not impressions of sin behind them—How Satan’stemptations are distinguished from the lusts of our ownheart, | 322-328 |
| [Chapter V].—Of Christ’s fast, with the design thereof—OfSatan’s tempting in an invisible way—Of his incessant importunities,and how he flies when resisted—Of inwardtemptations, with outward afflictions—Several advantagesSatan hath by tempting in affliction, | 328-336 |
| [Chapter VI].—That Christ’s temptations were real, and not invision—That temptation is Satan’s employment, with theevidences and instances thereof—Of Satan’s tempting visibly,with the reasons thereof, | 337-341 |
| [Chapter VII].—The general view of these temptations—OfSatan’s gradual proceeding in temptations—Of reserving agreat temptation last—What a great temptation is; in whatcases to be expected—Of Satan’s using a common road, incomparing these temptations with the ordinary temptationsof men—Of the advantage Satan takes of natural appetite,sense, and affections, | 341-346 |
| [Chapter VIII].—The rise of Christ’s first temptation—Of Satan’ssuiting his temptations to the conditions of men—Of temptingmen upon the plea of necessity—The reasons and cheatsof that plea—His pretences of friendship in tempting, withthe danger thereof, | 346-350 |
| [Chapter IX].—A particular consideration of the matter of thefirst temptation, what Satan aimed at in bidding him turnstones into bread—Of Satan’s moving us to things good orlawful—The end of such a motion—How to know whethersuch motions are from Satan or the Spirit—What to do incase they be from Satan—Of his various aims in one temptation—Whatthey are, and of his policy therein—Of his artificialcontrivement of motions to make one thing inferanother, | 350-355 |
| [Chapter X].—Of Satan’s chief end in this temptation—His skillin making the means to sin plausible—The reasons of thatpolicy, with his art therein—Men’s ignorance his advantage—Ofthe differences of things propounded to our use, | 355-359 |
| [Chapter XI].—Of the temptation to distrust upon the failure ofordinary means—Of the power of that temptation, and thereasons of its prevalency—Of unwarrantable attempts forrelief, with the causes thereof—Of waiting on God, andkeeping his way—In what cases a particular mercy is to beexpected, | 360-367 |
| [Chapter XII].—Of Satan’s proceeding to infer distrust of sonshipfrom distrust of providences—Instances of the probabilityof such a design—The reasons of this undertaking—OfSatan’s endeavour to weaken the assurance and hopes ofGod’s children—His general method to that purpose, | 367-376 |
| [Chapter XIII].—The preparation to the second temptation—Ofhis nimbleness to catch advantages from our answers totemptation—That Satan carried Christ in the air—Of hispower to molest the bodies of God’s children—How littlethe supposed holiness of places privilegeth us from Satan—OfSatan’s policy in seeming to countenance imaginarydefences—Of his pretended flight in such cases, with thereasons of that policy—Of his improving a temptation toserve several ends, | 376-382 |
| [Chapter XIV].—That presumption was the chief design of thistemptation—Of tempting to extremes—What presumption is—Theseveral ways of presuming—The frequency of thistemptation, in the generality of professors, in hypocrites, indespairing persons, and in the children of God—The reasonsof Satan’s industry in this design—His deceitful contrivancein bringing about this sin—Preservatives against it, | 382-390 |
| [Chapter XV].—Self-murder, another of his designs in thistemptation—How he tempts to self-murder directly, andupon what advantage he urgeth it—How he tempts to itindirectly, and the ways thereof—Of necessary preservativesagainst this temptation, | 390-396 |
| [Chapter XVI].—Of pride, Satan’s chief engine to bring on presumption—Whatpride is, and how it prepares men for sinningpresumptuously—Considerations against pride—Theremedies for its cure—Pride kindled by a confidence ofprivileges and popular applause, | 397-401 |
| [Chapter XVII].—Of Satan’s subtlety in urging that of Psalm xci.11, 12, to Christ—Of his imitating the Spirit of God invarious ways of teaching—Of his pretending Scripture tofurther temptation—The reasons of such pretendings, andthe ends to which he doth abuse it—Of Satan’s unfaithfulnessin managing of Scripture—Cautions against that deceit—Theways by which it may be discovered, | 402-415 |
| [Chapter XVIII].—The manner of Satan’s shewing the kingdomsof the world—Of Satan’s preparations before the motion ofsin—Of his confronting the Almighty by presumptuous imitation,and in what cases he doth so—Of his beautifying theobjects of a temptation, and how he doth it—His way ofengaging the affections by the senses—Of his seeming shyness, | 415-423 |
| [Chapter XIX].—Satan’s end in tempting Christ to fall down andworship him—Of blasphemous injections—What blasphemyis—The ways of Satan in that temptation, with the advantageshe takes therein, and the reason of urging blasphemiesupon men—Consolations to such as are concerned in suchtemptations—Advice to such as are so afflicted, | 424-430 |
| [Chapter XX].—The nature of idolatry—Satan’s design to corruptthe worship of God—The evidences thereof, with the reasonsof such endeavours—His general design of withdrawing thehearts of men from God to his service—The proof that thisis his design—Upon whom he prevails—That professions andconfidences are no evidences to the contrary—His deceit ofpropounding sin as a small matter—The evidences of thatmethod, and the reason thereof, | 430-437 |
| [Chapter XXI].—Of worldly pleasure—Proofs that this is Satan’sgreat engine—What there is in worldly delights that makethem so—Counsels and cautions against that snare, | 438-444 |
| [Chapter XXII].—Of Christ’s answer in the general—That thesetemptations were upon design for our instruction—Of theagreement betwixt Eph. vi. and Mat. iv.—The first direction,of courageous resolves in resisting temptations—Itsconsistency with some kind of fear—The necessity of thiscourage—Wherein it consists; and that there is a courage inmourning spirits, | 445-450 |
| [Chapter XXIII].—The second direction, that temptations are notto be disputed—The several ways of disputing a temptation—Inwhat cases it is convenient and necessary to disputewith Satan—In what cases inconvenient, and the reasonsof it, | 451-458 |
| [Chapter XXIV].—The third direction, of repelling a temptationwithout delay—The necessity of so doing—What a speedydenial doth contain, | 459-462 |
| [Chapter XXV].—The fourth direction, of repelling a temptationby Scripture arguments—Of several things implied in thedirection—The necessity of answering by Scripture arguments—Theexcellency of the remedy—How Scripture argumentsare to be managed, | 462-469 |
| [Chapter XXVI].—The fifth direction, of prayer, and of the seriousnessrequired of those that expect the advantage of prayer—OfGod’s hearing prayer while the temptation is continued—Ofsome that are troubled more, while they pray more, | 470-471 |
| [ Indices], &c., | 472-480 |
PREFATORY NOTE.
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 hitherto heard,—or only heard of it,—we commend it with all confidence and urgency as in various respects a remarkable book by a remarkable man. It will be found—as an early writer says of another—‘matter-full,’ and nevertheless suggestive rather than exhaustive—that is, you have many rich lodes of the ore of thought opened, but many others indicated, not worked; clear and keen of insight into the deepest places of the deepest things discussed; wide in its out-look, yet concentrated in its in-look; sagacious and wise in its general conclusions, and passionate as compassionate in its warnings, remonstrances, and counsels; full of faith in all ‘written’ in The Word, and pathetically credulous in accepting testimony when a given fact (alleged) is fitted to barb an appeal; curious and quaint in its lore; intense and anxious in its trackings of sin without and within; pre-Raphaelite in the vivid fidelity of its portrayals of satanic guiles, and guises that are always disguises; and above all, tenderly experimental in its consolation to the tried and troubled. The third part is an exposition of the Temptation of our Lord, which may bear comparison for thoroughness and power with any extant.