To conclude, many of our sinful fears and consternations flow from the influences of Satan upon our phantasies. They say winds, and storms are of• ⟨p. 47⟩times raised by Satan both by sea and land, and I never doubted but the Prince of the power of the air by Gods permission can, and often doth put the world into great frights and disturbances by such tempests, Job 1. 19. He can raise the loftiest winds, pour down roaring showers, rattle in the air with fearful claps of thunder, and scare the lower world with terrible flashes of lightning. And I doubt not but he hath by the same permission a great deal of influence and power upon the fancies and passions of men. and can raise more terrible storms and tempests within […] •han ever we heard or felt without us: he can by leave from God approach our Phantasies, disturb and trouble them exceedingly by forming frightful Idea's there; for Satan not only works upon men mediately by the ministry of their external senses, but by reason of his Spiritual angelical nature, he can have immediate access to the internal sense also, as appears by diabolical dreams, and by practising upon that power of the Soul, he influences the passions of it, and puts it under very dreadful apprehensions and consternations: Now if Satan can provoke and exasperate the fury and rage of wicked men, as it is evident he can do, Rev. 2. 10. and so disturb our Fancies and influence our passions, as there is no reason to doubt but by leave from God he can do, as well as he can go to the magazines and store-houses of thunder, lightnings, and storms. O what inward storms of Fear, can he shake our hearts withal, and if God give him but a permission how ready will he be to do it? seeing it is so conducible to his design: for by putting men into such frights he at once weakens their hands in duty as is plain from his attempt this way upon Nehemiah, Chap. 6. 13. and if he prevail there, he drives them into the snares, and trains of ⟨p. 48⟩his temptations, as the fisherman and fowler do the birds and fishes into their nets, when once they have flushed and frighted them out of their coverts. And thus you have some account of the principal and true causes of our Sinful Fears.
To conclude, many of our sinful fears and consternations flow from the influences of Satan upon our phantasies. They say winds, and storms are of• ⟨p. 47⟩times raised by Satan both by sea and land, and I never doubted but the Prince of the power of the air by Gods permission can, and often doth put the world into great frights and disturbances by such tempests, Iob 1. 19. He can raise the loftiest winds, pour down roaring showers, rattle in the air with fearful claps of thunder, and scare the lower world with terrible flashes of lightning. And I doubt not but he hath by the same permission a great deal of influence and power upon the fansies and passions of men. and can raise more terrible storms and tempests within 〈…〉 •han ever we heard or felt without us: he can by leave from God approach our Phantasies, disturb and trouble them exceedingly by forming frightful Idea's there; for Satan not only works upon men mediately by the ministry of their external senses, but by reason of his Spiritual angelical nature, he can have immediate access to the internal sense also, as appears by diabolical dreams, and by practising upon that power of the Soul, he influences the pastions of it, and puts it under very dreadful apprehensions and consternations: Now if Satan can provoke and exasperate the fury and rage of wicked men, as it is evident he can do, Rev. 2. 10. and so disturb our Fansies and influence our passions, as there is no reason to doubt but by leave from God he can do, as well as he can go to the magazines and store-houses of thunder, lightnings, and storms. O what inward storms of Fear, can he shake our hearts withal, and if God give him but a permission how ready will he be to do it? seeing it is so conducible to his design: for by putting men into such frights he at once weakens their hands in duty as is plain from his attempt this way upon Nehemiah, Chap. 6. 13. and if he prevail there, he drives them into the snares, and trains of ⟨p. 48⟩his temptations, as the fisherman and fowler do the birds and fishes into their nets, when once they have flusht and frighted them out of their coverts. And thus you have some account of the principal and true causes of our Sinful Fears.
