Chapter 22: While You Kill the Fish with Art — Perhaps the Devil's Hook Sticks in Your Gill

While you by are the silly Fish dost kill, Perchance the Devils Hook sticks in your Gill.

OBSERVATION.

There is skill in Fishing; they that go to Sea in a Fishing Voyage, use to go provided with their Craft (as they very fitly call it) without which they can do nothing. They have their Lines, Hooks of several sizes, and their Bait. They carefully observe their Seasons; when the Fish falls in, then they ply their business day and night.

APPLICATION.

But how much more skilful and industrious is Satan to ensnare and destroy Souls? The Devil makes a Voyage as well as you; he has his Baits for you, as you for the Fish: he has his Devices and Wiles to catch Souls, 2 Corinthians 2:11. Ephesians 6:11. He is a Serpent, an old Serpent, Revelation 12:9. Too crafty for Man in his perfection, much more in his collapsed and degenerated State, his understanding being cracked by rhe Fall, and all his Faculties poisoned and perverted.

Divines observe four steps, or degrees of Satan's tempting Power.

First. He can find out the Constitution-evils of Men; he knows to what sin their Natures are more especially prone and inclinable.

Secondly. He can propound suitable objects to those Lusts, he can exactly and fully hit every Mans humour. As Agrippina mixed her Poison in that Meat her Husband loved best.

Thirdly. He can inject and cast motions into the Mind, to close with those tempting objects; as it is said of Iudas, Joh. 13. 2. The Devil put it into his heart.

Fourthly. He can sollicite, irritate, and provok[•] the Heart, and by those continual restless sollicitations weary it; and hereby he often draws Men to commit such things as startled them in the first motion.

All this can he do, if he find the work stick, and meet with rubs and difficulties; yet does he not act to the utmost of his skill and power, at all times and with all persons; neither indeed need he so to do, the very propounding of an object, is enough to some, without any further sollicitation: The Devil makes an easie conquest of them.

And beside all this, his Policy much appears in the election of place, time and instruments to tempt by: And thus are poor Souls caught, as Fishes in an evil Net, Ecclesiastes 9:12. The carnal Man is led by Sense, as the Beast; and Satan handles and fits him accordingly. He useth all sorts of Motives, not only internal, and intellective, but external and sensitive also; as the sparkling of the Wine, when it gives its color in the Glass: the Harlot's beauty, whose eye-lids are snares; hiding always the Hook, and concealing the issue from them. He promises them gain and profit, pleasure and delight, and all that is tempting, with assurance of Secresie. By these he fastens the fatal Hook in their Jawes, and thus they are led captive by him at his Will.

REFLECTION.

And is Satan so subtil and industrious to entice Souls to sin? Does he thus cast out his golden baits, and allure Souls with pleasure to their ruine? Then how does it behove you, O my Soul, to be jealous and wary! How strict a guard should I set upon every sense! Ah, let me not so much regard how sin comes towards me in the Temptation, as how it goes off at last. The day in which Sodom was destroyed, began with a pleasant Sun shine, but ended in Fire and Brimstone. I may promise my self much content in the satisfaction of my Lusts: But O, how certainly will it end in my ruine! Ahab doubtless promised himself much content in the Vineyard of Naboth, but his blood paid for it in the portion of Iezreel. The Harlots Bed was perfumed to entice the simple young man, Proverbs 7:17. But those Chambers of Delight proved the Chambers of Death, and her House the way to Hell. Ah, with what a smiling face does sin come on towards me in its temptations! How does it tickle the carnal phantasie, and please the deceived heart? But what a dreadful Catastrophe and Upshot has it? The delight is quickly gone, but the guilt thereof remains to amaze and terrifie the Soul with ghastly forms, and dreadful representations of the wrath of God: As sin has its Delights attending it to enter and fasten it, so it has its horrours and stings to torment and wound: And as certainly as I see those go before it to make away, so certainly shall I find these follow after, and tread upon its heels. No sooner is the Conscience awakened, but all those Delights vanish as a Nightvision, or as a Dream when one awakes; and then I shall cry, Here is the Hook, but where is the Bait? Here is the guilt and horrour, but where the delight that I was promised! And I, whether shall I now go? Ah my deceitful Lusts! You have enticed and left me in the midst of all miseries.

THE POEM.

There's skill in Fishing, that the Devil knows;

For when for Souls Satan a fishing goes,

He Angles cunningly: He knows he must

Exactly fit the Bait to the Lust.

He studies Constitution, Place, and Time,

He guesses what is his delight, what your;

And so accordingly prepares the Bait;

While he himself lies closely hid to wait

When you will nibble at it. Dost incline

To drunken Meetings? then he baits with Wine:

Is this the way; if to this he'll smell,

He'll shortly pledge a Cup of Wrath in Hell.

To Pride or Lust is your vile Nature bent?

An Object suitable he will present.

O think on this, when you cast in the hook,

Say, Thus for my poor Soul does Satan look.

O play not with Temptations; do not swallow

The sugar'd Bait, consider what will follow.

If once he hitch you, then away he draws

Your captive Soul close Prisoner in his paws.