Page:Comer's conflict, or, The beginner's battle with the devil, when essaying to come to Christ by faith.pdf/12

 12 The Comer's Conflict ; or, fort but only mention in the general, that horrid thoughts and blaſphemies trouble you ; they will underſtand what you mean; but, perhaps they had as good Satan ſhould inject ſuch thoughts, as to hear you name them. 4. Pray much againſt theſe blaſphemier and thus ſtudy to be gainers by them, and to be avenged upon Satan, which you may, if you do, as they did, Acts xix. when they heard that ſome would ſpeak againſt their goddeſs Diana, they cried out for the ſpace of two hours, Greater Diana of the Epheſians, ver. 28. 34 : ſo that whoſoever ſhould go about to ſpeak againft Diana could not be heard. Do thon likewiſe when Satan throws in blaſphemons thoughts, break thou forth into bleſſing and praiſing of God; and if thou canſt not do ſo, try to read or ſing ſome pſalm full of praiſes, as Pſa. ciii. cv. cvi. cxlv. &c. : and if thou art private enough, read or ſing them with a loud voice, and when Satan ſhall ſee that thou art the gain- er by his temptations, he will be weary of tempting thee. Theſe blaſphemies are Satan's railings and revilings againſt the God of heaven; therefore yon are to do with them as Hezekiah did with Rabſhakeh's railing letter, Iſa. xxxvii. 14. He went and ſpread the blaſphemy before the Lord. He did not ſo much as read over the letter, but ſpread it before the Lord: ſo without naming over that blaſphemy, you ſhould pray againſt it, that God would ſuppreſs this ſmoke that aſcends out of the bottomleſs pit. 5. You may lawfully diſpute and argue with Satan againſt ſome of his blaſphemies; as when he tempts you to queſtion the being of a God, and the truth of divine revelation, as the archangel diſputed with the devil about the body of Moſes; ſo, when you are tempted, for example, to doubt if the ſcripture be the word of God, you may confider the plain arguments that prove it, and aſk Satan, Why doſt thou fly before it? if the ark were not the ark of God, why doth Dagon fall before it ? if the word of God were not the word of God, why doth Satan tempt thee not to believe it? But do not depend upon thy arguing: Satan is too ſtrong for thy reaſoning; betake thyſelf to the Lord Jeſus by prayer. Tho' Satan may ſtand out againſt thy arguments, he will not be able to ſand the prayer of faith. The archangel ſaid, The Lord rebuke thee. Tho' he will not fly at thy rebuke, yet he will, and must, at