Required reading
A treatise on Satan's temptations by Richard Gilpin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 20 and 21 of Part 3.
My summary
This week Gilpin continues to discuss the temptation of Christ given in Matthew 4:8 'Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them'.
Gilpin observes that:
(vii) it is one of Satan's great designs to corrupt the worship of God;
(viii) it is Satan's general design to withdraw the hearts of men from God, that they may be enslaved to him in the service of sin;
(ix) when Satan doth design no less than to enslave men to his service, yet he will propound sin as a small thing, or but one act of sin, as a thing not valuable, to engage them to him;
(x) the great engine which Satan useth to draw away the heart from God to his service is worldly pleasures and delights.
What grabbed me
I appreciated this statement of one of Satan's methods: 'From the common argument which he useth at first to those whom he would draw off from a more careful conversation, which is this : Do such a thing, it is but for once, and but little ; others do the like, and demur not, or the best do as great matters as this comes to. It is but a small thing, considering the strait, or the advantage that may accrue. This is his usual note to candidate iniquity, as experience of all doth testify.'
Yes, I too can testify that I have been subject to this strategy of Satan.
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 22 and 23 of Part 3.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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