The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England WitchesMather, Cotton
History
The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England -- Early works to 1800
It is not _One Devil_ alone, that has Cunning or Power enough to apply
the Multitudes of _Temptations_, whereby Mankind is daily diverted from
the Service of God; No, the _High Places_ of Our Air, are Swarming full
of those _Wicked Spirits_, whose Temptations trouble us; they are so
many, that it seems no less than a _Legion_, or more than twelve
thousands may be spared, for the Vexation of one miserable man. But
because those Apostate Angels, are all _United_, under one Infernal
Monarch, in the Designs of Mischief, 'tis in the Singular Number, that
they are spoken of. Now, the _Devil_, whose Malice and Envy, prompts him
to do what he can, that we may be as unhappy as himself, do's ordinarily
use more _Fraud_, than _Force_, in his assaulting of us; he that
assail'd our First Parents, in a _Serpent_, will still _Act Like a
Serpent_, rather than a _Lion_, in prosecuting of his wicked purposes
upon us, and for us to guard against the _Wiles_ of the _Wicked One_, is
one of the greatest cares, with which our God ha's charged us.
We are all of us liable to various _Temptations_ every day, whereby if
we are carried aside from the strait _Paths of Righteousness_, we get
all sorts of wounds unto our selves. Of _Temptations_, I may say, as the
Wise Man said, of _Mortality_; _there is no discharge from that war._ The
_Devils_ fell hard upon both _Adams_, nor may any among the Children of
both, imagine to be excused. The _Son_ of God Himself, had this _Dog_ of
Hell, barking at Him; and much more may the Children of _Men_, look to
be thus Visited; indeed, there is hardly any _Temptation_, but what is,
_Common to Man_. When I was considering, how to spend one Hour in
Raising a most Effectual and Profitable _Breast-work_, against the
inroads of this Enemy, I perceived it would be done, by a short answer
to this.
CASE.
_What are those Usual +Methods+ of +Temptation+, with which the Powers
of Darkness do assault the Children of Men?_
The _Corinthians_, having upon the Apostles Direction, Excommunicated
one of their Society, who had married his Mother-in-law, & this, as it
is thought, while his own Father was Living too; the Apostle encourages
them to Re-admit that man, upon his very deep and sharp _Repentance_. He
gives divers Reasons of his propounding this unto them; whereof one is,
_Lest Satan should get advantage of them_; for, had the man miscarried,
under any Rigour of the Sentence continued upon him, after his
_Repentance_, 'tis well if the Church itself had not quickly fallen to
pieces thereupon; besure, the Success of the Gospel had been more than a
little Incommoded. The Apostle upon this Occasion, intimates, That
_Satan_ has his _Devices_; by which word are meant, Artifices or
Contrivances used for the _Deceiving_ of those that are Treated with
them well, But what shall _we do_ that we may come to this _Corinthian
Attainment_, _We are not Ignorant of Satan's Devices?_ [_Non cuivis
homini Contingit!_]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account