The Christian in Complete Armour

A second policy he useth is to get intelligence of the Saints affairs. This is one great wheel in the Politicians clock, to have Spies in all places, by whom they are acquainted with the counsels and motions of their enemies, and this gives them advantage, as to disappoint their designs, so more safely to compass their own. 'Tis no hard matter for him to play his game well, that sees his enemies hand. David knew how the squares went at Court, Jonathans arrows carried him the news, and accordingly he removed his quarters, and was too hard for his great enemy Saul. Satan is the greatest Intelligencer in the world, he makes it his business to enquire into the inclinations, thoughts, affections, purposes of the creature, that finding which humour abounds, he may apply himself accordingly, which way the stream goes, that he may open the passage of temptation, and cut the channel to the fall of the creatures affections, and not force it against the torrent of nature. Now if we consider but the piercing apprehension of the Angelical nature, how quick he is to take the sent which way the game goes by a word dropped, the cast of an eye or such a small matter (signal enough to give him the alarm) his experience in heart-anatomy, having inspected, and (as it were) dissected so many in his long practice, whereby his knowledge is much perfected, as also his great diligence to add to both these, being as close a Student as ever, ⟨p. 100⟩considering the Saints, and studying how he may do them a mischief, as we see in Jobs case, whom he had so observed that he was able to give an answer ex tempore to God what Jobs state and present posture was, and what might be the most probable means of obtaining his will of him; and besides all this, the correspondence that he hath with those in and about the Christian, from whom he learns much of his state, as David by Hushai in Absaloms counsel: all these considered, 'tis almost impossible for the creature to stir out of the closet of his heart, but it will be known whither he inclines; some corrupt passion or other will bewray the soul to him, as they did David to Saul, who told him where he might find him,¹ in the wilderness of Engedi.

A second policie he useth is to get intelligence of the Saints affairs. This is one great wheele in the Politicians clock, to have Spies in all places, by whom they are acquainted with the counsels and motions of their enemies, and this gives them advantage, as to disappoint their designes, so more safely to compasse their own. 'Tis no hard matter for him to play his game well, that sees his enemies hand. David knew how the squares went at Court, Jonathans arrowes carried him the newes, and accordingly he removed his quarters, and was too hard for his great enemy Saul. Satan is the greatest Intelligencer in the world, he makes it his businesse to enquire into the inclinations, thoughts, affections, purposes of the creature, that finding which humour abounds, he may apply himself accordingly, which way the stream goes, that he may open the passage of temptation, and cut the channel to the fall of the creatures affections, and not force it against the torrent of nature. Now if we consider but the piercing apprehension of the Angelical nature, how quick he is to take the sent which way the game goes by a word drop't, the cast of an eye or such a small matter (signal enough to give him the alarm) his experience in heart-anatomy, having inspected, and (as it were) dissected so many in his long practice, whereby his knowledge is much perfected, as also his great diligence to adde to both these, being as close a Student as ever,