Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness

That's another thing that doth evince the evil […]. Things are according to the causes ⟨p. 197⟩which they arise from. Now Satan is the external cause of this evil. Interpreters observe, that Satan had a bloody and […] causing Eutychus to •all into a profound sleep, when the Apostle was in his Sermon, hoping thereby both to occasion ruin to the Sermon-sleeper, and to cause a great disturbance in the solemn Worship of God. Nor did that Enemy to the good of Souls altogether fail in attaining some par• of his end. Only God according to his infinite power and wisdom, made this fall of Eutychus to be an occasion of glory to his own Name, both in respect of the Miracle which then was wrought, and in that his awful stroke upon Eutychus, must needs make others afraid to do as he did, so that his sleeping hath been a means to prevent many an one […] sleeping at Sermons, which was the thing that the Lord intended, when he permitted Satan so far to prevail as he did; But the Devil had another end; he knoweth that when the Word of God is faithfully dispensed, in case men attend unto what is spoken, good is like to come unto their Souls thereby; and that's the thing that the Devil is afraid of; and therefore he useth all means he can possibly, to cause the good seed of the Word which is sown, to become unfruitful. And one unhappy way, whereby he doth accomplish it, is by causing them to sleep at Sermons. Hence in the Parable concerning the Sower, it is said, of the Seed ⟨p. 198⟩which fell by the way side, that the fowls of the Air came and devoured it up, Mark 4. 4. whats meant by these […] of the Air? you have it expounded in ver. 15. where it is said, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the Word that was sown. How doth Satan rob men of the benefit, which they might receive by the Word of God? he hath divers cunning and cursed Artifices, whereby he can accomplish his design. One (and he hath none greater or more effectual) is to prejudice the minds of men against the Truth, or against the Dispensers of it. God complains of the false Prophets (who were the Devils Factors) that they did steal the Lords words every one from his Neighbour, Jer. 23. 30