Required reading
A treatise on Satan's temptations by Richard Gilpin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 1 of Part 2.
My summary
This week Gilpin discusses Satan's grand design to corrupt minds by error.
Firstly he shows us that Satan does corrupt minds by error because of:
(i) God's interest in truth;
(ii) the Scripture blaming Satan for error;
(iii) the constant course of Satan's endeavours.
Secondly Gilpin examines the reasons why error is raised up by Satan:
(i) error is sinful;
(ii) error is a sin of an increasing nature;
(iii) error is a plague that usually infects all round about;
(iv) error brings in divisions;
(v) error hinders reformation;
(vi) error fixes men in their mistaken ways;
(vii) error brings corrupt practices;
(viii) error obstructs graces;
(ix) error brings judgement.
What grabbed me
I liked this point: 'Secondly, But error is a sin of an increasing nature, and usually stops not at one or two falsehoods, bid is apt to spawn into many others— as some of the most noxious creatures have the most numerous broods ; for one error hath this mischievous danger in it, that it taints the mind to an instability in every truth ; and the bond of steadfastness being once broken, a man hath no certainty where he shall stay: as a wanton horse, once turned loose, may wander far. This hazard is made a serious warning against error: 2 Pet. iii. 17, 'Beware lest ye, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.' One error admitted, makes the heart unsteady ; and besides this inconvenience, error doth unavoidably branch itself naturally into many more, as inferences and conclusions resulting from it, as circles in water multiply themselves. Grant but one absurdity, and many will follow upon it, so that it is a miracle to find a single error. These locusts go forth by bands, as the experience of all ages doth testify, and besides the immediate consequences of an error, which receive life and being together with itself, as twins of the same birth, we may observe a tendency in errors, to others that are more remote, and by the long stretch of multiplied inferences, those things are coupled together that are not very contiguous.'
Give up one truth and you will soon give up many truths.
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 2 of Part 2.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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