A Body of Practical Divinity

I. The Occasion of it: The Serpent's Temptation; the Devil did creep into the Serpent, and speak in the Serpent, as the Angel in Balaam's Ass; where consider, 1. The Subtlety of Satan's Temptation; his Wiles are worse then his Darts. Satan's Subtlety in Tempting, 1. He dealt all along as an Impostor, he ushered in his Tentation by a Lye: He heaps up many Lies, 1. That though our first Parents did eat of that Tree, they should not die, Gen. 3.4. Ye shall not surely die. 2. Lye, that God did envy our first Parents their Happiness, Verse 5. God knows that in the day ye eat, your eyes shall be opened; q. d. 'Tis God's envying your Felicity that he forbids you this Tree. 3. Lye, that they should be thereby made like unto God, Verse 5. Ye shall be as gods. Here was his Subtlety in Tempting; the Devil was first a Liar then a Murderer.

I. The Occasion of it: The Serpent's Temptation; the Devil did creep into the Serpent, and speak in the Serpent, as the Angel in Balaam's Ass; where consider, 1. The Subtilty of Satan's Temptation; his Wiles are worse then his Darts. Satan's Subtilty in Tempting, 1. He dealt all along as an Impostor, he usher'd in his Tentation by a Lye: He heaps up many Lyes, 1. That though our first Parents did eat of that Tree, they should not die, Gen. 3.4. Ye shall not surely die. 2. Lye, that God did envy our first Parents their Happiness, Verse 5. God knows that in the day ye eat, your eyes shall be opened; q. d. 'Tis God's envying your Felicity that he forbids you this Tree. 3. Lye, that they should be thereby made like unto God, Verse 5. Ye shall be as gods. Here was his Subtilty in Tempting; the Devil was first a Lyar then a Murderer.

2. In that he set upon our first Parents so quickly, before they were confirmed in their Obedience. The Angels in Heaven are fully confirmed in Holiness; they are called Stars of the Morning, Job 38.7