thou art freed out of this miserable condition Ply Christ with thy prayers and take no nay at his hands till he set thee free hee hath the Keyes of Heaven and hell and if Revel 1 18 Ioh 8 30 he make thee free thou art free indeede Confesse thy selfe to bee a wretched creature and without his helpe undone powre forth thy soule in sence of thy misery before the Throne of grace and say Father I have sinned Luk. 15 18 against heaven and against thee and not worthy to be called thy sonne O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespasse is growne up into the heavens Ezra 9. 6. crying for vengeance to fall downe upon me Lord I am a sinfull creature and thou art a God of infinite puritie and holinesse Sinne hath left me no good thing all is wounded all is poysoned how shall I appeare before thee whose glory the Angels cannot behold I was conceived in sinne borne in sinne and all my daies have lived in sinne My heart is a seed-plot of sinne and corruption my eyes the windowes of vanity my eares the eares of folly my mouth the mouth of deceipt my hands the hands of iniquity and every part of my body and faculty of my soule which thou hast created for thy service hath dishonoured thee My understanding apprehendeth nothing but sinne my will delighteth in nothing but wickednesse my memory retaines nothing but evill things which dishonours thee As for thy holy precepts and heavenly ordinances I have not observed but have prophaned thy Sabbaths contemned thy Sacraments and lived in contempt of thy providence all my dayes I have beene so farre from keeping any part of thy law that I have added transgression unto blindnesse malice to ignorance and rebellion to sinne And because thou hast spared mee and wayted for my repentance and hast suffered me with such patience to run on in my sinnes and because thou hast beene so mercifull unto me and multiplyed thy favours towards mee I have tooke liberty to my selfe to commit great sinnes against thee so that the same medicine which thou hast appointed to purge out my sinnes I have made a provocation unto sinne Yet Lord for thy names sake thy mercy sake thy truths sake take away all mine iniquities and magnifie thy mercy in the pardoning of my sinnes which I have committed against thee mine owne knowledge and many motions of thy Spirit and purposes of my heart I doe acknowledge I have beene dull and unprofitable in thy service I have not had care and zeale which I should have had to serve thee I have beene weary of well doing and have not taken to heart my misery as I should nor mourned for my transgressions against thee my God as becommeth such a notorious offender as I am but have hardned my heart against thy judgements and have walked stubbornly before thee in the light of thy countenance Psal 90. But though I am full of wickednesse yet thou art full of goodnesse Lord thou madest me at the first of nothing save mee now I pray thee which am worse than nothing It is thou O Lord which knowest my heart and it must bee thou which must renew and change it Take it therefore into thy owne hand and take from it the hardnesse deadnes and dulnesse which the custome of sinne hath brought upon it and frame it according to thy owne liking cast out of it all the cursed fruits of the flesh which fight against thy grace and my soule Enlarge my understanding and encrease my knowledge that being guided by thy wisedome and assisted by thy Spirit I may understand and perceive those things which may please thee and refraine those things which may dishonour thee that so being directed by thy grace and guided by thy Spirit I may clearely see what thou requirest of mee and what may make for my peace and future happinesse Lord this must bee thy worke for I confesse that my reason is blinde my will is froward my wit is crafty ready to deceive me my understanding is quite estranged from thee but Lord dispell these clowds of errour and ignorance and rectifie the perversnesse of my understanding and indue me with thy holy Spirit of grace and wisedome that my soule may be cleansed from the corruption of this sinfull world and the eyes of my understanding opened to embrace the mystery of redemption by Iesus Christ Make thy word unto me like the starre which led the wisemen to my Saviour in the time of his infancy make thy benefits and graces like the Pillar which conducted thy people to the land of promise Kindle thy love in my heart that in respect of thee and thy service I may despise whatsoever is against thee and thy truth Confirme my faith in thy promises that by thy Spirit I may be assured that thou hast forgiven my sinnes and that thou wilt not reject me a poore sinner that relyeth wholly upon thee Lord thou desirest not the death of a sinner but hast promised that if I repent thou wilt bee pleased thou onely canst raise me out of the grave of sinne for I am dead and buried in trespasses and sinnes quicken mee by thy grace that I may praise thy name Let mee not want any mercy whereby I may be fitted for thy service and so dispose and guide the remainder of my life in such manner as that thou mayest bee honoured and my soule comforted which grant unto me for the Lord Iesus Christs sake my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen Thus wee have proved the truth â—f the proposition that Sathans â—ower must give place unto Christ We have also confirmed it by Scripâ—ure proved it by reasons and have made use and application of it to our selves In the next place wee are to examine the measure of his going out Sathan is so expelled out of the godly as that hee shall never returne againe But he goeth out of hypocrites so as that he still remaineth For if hee were once reallie cast out as wee have heard he could never returne againe But this speech of going out is rather a forme of speaking than a reall action This phrase of speech is used with other of like signification as Heb. 10. 6. If wee sinne willingly after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne Againe the same Author saith It is impossible for those which were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted Heb. 6. 4. the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if they fall away to renew them by repentance Then from hence I reason thus If a man may receive the truth and yet sinne willingly and then forsake the truth be inlightned and tast of the heavenly gift and be made partakers
and so justify thy selfe in thy transgression or on the contrary canst thou not be quiet and at rest till thou hast humbled thy selfe before God and craved pardon for thy sinnes And then canst thou more comfortably rejoyce in the favour of God than in any earthly blessing whatsoever Then if thou canst finde these or the like markes of salvation in thy soule then I pronounce unto thee out of the word of God that this uncleane spirit is gone out of thee For if hee held thee under his bondage he would not suffer thee to take notice of thy darling sinnes but rather to justifie thy selfe in thy transgressions Hee would not have thee question thy want of faith inward pride malice covetousnesse or foolish speaking conforming thy selfe to the corruptions of the time These with many other sinnes he would not have thee take notice of by which thou maist conclude that God in mercy hath freed thee from the bondage of this Tyrant Hath Christ by the powerfull worke of his Spirit cast this uncleane spirit out of thee Vse 2 Then be exhorted all yee that feare God to submit your selves unto Christ to bee guided by his word for he is able to 2 Tim 1 22 Rom. 14. 18 keepe that which is committed to him And by this meanes yee shall be accepted of God and approoved of men else wee shall be in danger to revolt and then wee may see our 2 Pet 2 21 fearefull case and condition Therefore having received so great a benefit let us bee sure to give God the Revel 12 10 praise of his mercies for he deserves it and it is all that he lookes for and Psal 50 15 there is great reason he should have it Gratiarum Actio est ad plus dandum in vitatio Chryâ— in Gen. Hem. 52. because we shall neede his helpe another time And thus much for the former uses Come we now to the latter which is an use of terrour unto all that are under Sathans bondage Vse 3 Come hither and behold thy fearefull estate and condition thou whoever thou bee that remainest in this fearefull bondage and slavery Sathan is their god which hath blinded 2 Cor. 4 4 the eyes of all unbeleevers least the light of the Gospell of Christ should shine unto them He is thy Father and Ioh. 8 44 workes his owne worke in thee and 1 Ioh. 3. 8 makes thee to resemble him in pride and disobedience and to fight for him against God and his word which he makes thee to hate and to oppose and to draw others from the worship of God and to lay a stumbling blocke Revel 1 15 in their wayes to cause them to sinne Deut. 32 33 And so makes thy best workes like the poyson of Dragons hatefull unto God and dangerous unto men Besides all this hee holds thee as a slave and keepes thee in ignorance and Ephe. 4 18 2 Cor 2 14 Luk 8 12 robbs thee of the use of Gods word And while thou remainest in this miserable estate there is no goodnesse in thee nor nothing good can come from thee Thy reason is blinde thy heart is rebellious and thy wisedome is enmity against God and Rom. 8 7. art uncapable of the meanes of salvation and art given over to a reprobate sence to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse And remaining in Ephe. 4 19 this estate thou art without Christ and so a stranger from the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world So long as thou continuest in this estate thou art under the rigour of the Law which exacteth at thy hands the performance of all it requires and also the blessings of the Lord they tend to thy damnation for so he saith I will Mal. 2 2 curse your blessings yea I have cursed Pro. 1 32 them already Againe The prosperity of fooles destroyeth them And as All Rom. 8 28 things worke for good to Gods children so all things worke thy hurt and ruine Thy table is made a snare and that Psal 69 22 which should have beene for thy welfare Rom. 11. 9. is become a trap Yea Christ himselfe which is unto the godly a sweet smelling savour of life is unto thee a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence Rom. 9 23 Crosses and afflictions which God useth to purge out the sins of his children these work in thee hatred against God stirres up thy corruptions to murmure to be impatient and still to shun the gracious presence of God and to hate the meanes of salvation Thus wee see the miserable estate of all those which are under Sathans bondage how miserable they are in this life and how miserable they shall be in the world to come But alasse how may wee lament the desperate estate of many in our age who though they remaine in so fearefull an estate yet they are unwilling to come out of it Tell the drunkard that this uncleane spirit must bee cast out of him else hee shall not inherit the kingdome of God and hee will for your paines give you a squib or watch opportunity to doe you a mischiefe Tell the Prophaner of the Lords Sabbath and the filthy livers of our time that this uncleane spirit must be cast out of them and you shall heare them roare like the divell in the Gospell that they will not be tormented before their time Oh! what a lamentation may we take up for the desperate sinnes of our time which furiously march to hell under Sathans colours and will not be reclaymed God hath offered them the meanes and hath shewed them the way how they may be freed from this fearefull bondage and yet they will not but had rather be Sathans vassalls in the Egypt of sin than the Lords freemen in the land of Canaan The servant under the Law that would not bee free from his masters service when he might was to have his eare boared through with an aule and so to bee made a servant for ever So it is just with God to let such willing and carelesse men to be slaves to Sathan for ever Question But may some say if their state be so miserable how comes it to passe that they doe not see and feele their miserable condition Answer Sathan blindes their eyes with the pleasures and profits of sinne which are very agreeable to their nature that they never consider of their miserable condition and so at last the Custome of sinne takes away the insuetudo occandi â—llit sensum â—eecate feeling of sinne Againe they were never sensible of any better estate and therefore no marvaile if Sathan hoodwinkes them to their destruction Let the consideration here of moove all men to labour in time to see their miserable condition and to repent least they bee plunged under Gods judgements before they are aware Spare no paines then and give no rest unto thy soule untill thou art assured that
Ans In many things wee sinne all and 1. Ioh. 1 8. If we say we have no sinne wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Yet the divell dwelleth not alike in all for those which with consent of heart entertaine his suggestions hee hath full hould of them but the godly when they give place to him through infirmity they let him come into the Suburbs and out places but Christ by his Spirit dwelleth in their hearts by faith from which he forces him to retire As for the wicked if Sathan get advantage as hee will be restlesse in his temptations as you have heard so hee will be in his torments hee will spare none old nor young as you may see Luk. 9. 39. 42. and if hee be so cruell to children which for want of knowledge have done him no hurt how cruell will hee be to those which have set themselves against him He taketh with him seaven other spirits more wicked The spirits are described by their number they are seaven which is a certaine number put for an uncertaine by which is meant a number of capitall sinnes These Divells are lestlesse when Sathan entred into Iudas he gave him no rest till hee had betrayed his Master hee called and allured him by covetousnesse to get the money and when hee had it he stirred up such stormes in his conscience that hee could not be at rest till he had hanged himselfe These spirits are more wicked than the former because they make those whom they possesse more wicked and sinne may be increased and made more wicked and that in divers respects and that 1. In the greatnesse of the mercy offered thus Iudas his sinne in betraying his Master was worse than the Iewes in conspiring his death Iudas had many watchwords to take heede of the treason and yet for all this hee would not rest till hee had brought the blood of his Saviour upon his owne soule Sinne is increased in regard of the mercy offered How shall we escape if we neglect so great Heb. 2 3 1 Sam. 2 17. salvation Thus the sinnes of Elies sonnes was greater than the peoples because they should have exceeded them in holinesse 2. Sinne is aggravated in regard of the tendernesse of Gods love without any difference of respect or desert God invites all wearie and Math. 11 28. Esa 55 â— heavy laden soules To come unto him againe Every one that thirsteth and hath made a firme promise that they shall not come in vaine I will ease you Math. 11 29. and you shall finde rest to your soules and therefore hath sent his servants to 2 Cor. 5 29. 2 Cor. 6 entreat men to be reconciled unto God And not to receive The grace of God in vaine And therefore hee laments the folly of men that they will neglect grace when it is offered O that they were wise that they understood â—ut 32 this that they would consider â—l 8 13 their latter end Now when the patience â— 48 18 and mercy of God is thus neglected and abused sinne is augmented and this sottish negligence is inexcusable because they doe reject such gracious favour when it is offered 3. Sinne is made worse in respect of the time Thus to sport and play and follow our worldly businesse upon the Lords day is a great sinne because the time is holy and ought to be imployed in his service which must be an item to victualers and Inhoulders that they doe not set open their doores to receive idle companions to drinke and tipple in their houses when Gods house stands open to receive his servants to heare his word Else if they doe they open their doores to the contempt of Gods ordinance 4. Sinne is made worse in regard of the place for swearing and fighting in a Church or Church-yard is worse than in a Taverne or other place for God will have even the skirt of his Sanctuary kept holy Levit. 19 30 Then out of the premisses wee may conclude that if sinne may be augmented in regard of circumstances then by the same reason seaven new spirits may make a sinner more wicked than he was when the first left him The more meanes any one hath to escape the snares of the divel the greater shall be their punishments if they neglect the meanes to escape them Then hee taketh to him seaven spirits worse than the former Hence then wee may learne that there is a difference of sinnes sinners and consequently of punishments The first was said to be an uncleane spirit yet the latter are seaven worse Sinne is very fruitfull how many Quot criâ— mina tot demonâ—â— evills therebe so many divells There is alwayes a fruitfull croppe â—ccati fruâ—fera seget â—â— de morâ—l of sinne If covetousnesse be rooted up lust springeth up if lust be vanquished ambition succeedeth and so one sinne followes another hand in hand according to the Proverbe An evill weede growes apace Now these sinnes encrease from one degree of comparison unto another and creepeth like a Canker which commeth to maturity by degrees Sinne getteth strength by committing as figures in Arithmeticke by numbring The first figure standeth but for one the second for ten the third for one hundred and so increasing their value according to their places so it is in sin â—atth 5 Anger without cause is liable to judgement Exasperating gestures to the punishment of a Counsell but railing speeches are worthy of hell fire Iudas was first a cunning dissembler Secondly a close fisted theefe Thirdly a bloody traytour And lastly which is worst of all a desperate reprobate But I would not so be understood as if I did lessen and extenuate sinne for The wages of sinne is Rom. 6 23. death yet some sinnes shall feele the â—orments of death more than other Baâ—abas murther was great but Iudas vilâ—any in betraying his Master was greaâ—er in so much that it had bin good â—or him if he had never beene borne If sinne be so fruitfull and bee increased Vse by circumstances then let it â—e our wisedome in time to roote â—p those plants whose increase is so dangerous and whose sappe is so veâ—emous About holy matters let all In rebus sacris nulla sit deliberatio Cyp. delay bee absent Secondly seeing sinne proceedeth from footing to rooâ—ing and from rooting unto shooting forth to encrease let us weaken the â—bility of sinne by taking away the â—rops and sustainements of sinne If â—he currents and passages bee stopt â—hat leadeth to a Lake it will at â—ast be dryed up take away the props and foundation of a house and it will at last fall of it selfe So sinne if it be not cherished will quickly bee extinguished But if men will not make use of the meanes and mercies God hath given them to withstand sinne but will give the reines unto their affections to wallow in sinne with greedinesse not resting till they have gon
Godlinesse 13 The Godlies infirmities their triumphs Of the Devill and his instruments 75 79 He bends his forces against them 94 Yet he cannot prevaile 94 The Devill is a chargeable guest 159 Grace of God must be stirred up 156 Dangerous to oppose the Grace of God 8 170 Hindrances in Gods service a griefe to the Godly Godly 29 Wicked mens conversation their griefe 29 They will not justifie themselves 29 It is a signe of a gracelesse man to plead for sinne 30 Gifts of Nature if they be not sanctified by grace fit preyes for the Devill 48 Gospell a great blessing 173 The meanes to expell Satan 174 H THe Devill labours to hinder the Godly 135 He envies their happinesse 74 The Devill knowes what men love and hate 71 He knowes the heart by outward signes 73 God requires the heart 131 Mans heart Satans den 118 Full of filthinesse 109 Ready to open to Satan 119 Tale-bearers compared to Hell 82 Wicked men hardned in prophanes 123 Happinesse of the Godly a grief to Satan 19 Heaven would bee full if sinfull pleasures would send them thither 129 Men must take great paines to get thither 36 37 Hypocrites are covetous 7 They are garnished with hypocrisie 110 They are Satans house 118 They have all maner of furniture to entertaine him 110 They are his resting place 108 They are a swept house 108 They have roome enough for many sinnes 160 They Indent with God for a dispensation 131 They will not part with their darling sinnes 45 They are temporisers 4 7 50 How farre they may go ibid. 49 51 They deceive the world 162 Their morrall vertues 47 They discover themselves 50 Hypocrisie odious 132 Swept what it signifies 108 Godly never empty houses and why 125 I IEwes ingratitude 2 Their Religion full of blind Ceremonies 7 Their malice paid home 172 How they prophaned their temple 7 Ignorant men Satans bond-men 32 Their estate fearefull 32 Idlenesse the Devils pillow 90 118 The mother of mischiefe 123 A fit subject for the Devill to worke upon 123 124 Condemned by the heathen 124 God severely punishes it 123 Inconstancy in Religion fearefull 171 K KNowledge and practise must goe together 171 God regards not the quantity but the quality 48 It must not floate in the braine 172 But men must make use of it 172 L LAw how it prepareth the heart 19 Satans power limitted 22 Lets and hinderances in Gods service a grief to the godly 29 To pretend Religion and intend vilany one of the Devils lessons 134 Lukewarmnesse dangerouse 170 To forsake our first love fearefull 170 Makes Men loose all their labours 89 Fleshly Lusts Satans porter 14 M THe Divels malice is to destroy 12 15 83 He is a murtherer 64 A bloody midwife 95 The godly have must an eye to the Devils malice 162 Wicked mens malice limitted 96 99 Disapointed 101 Tale-bearers malice to the godly 81 Ministers how tempted 67 87 113 Their duty 29 Mercy despaired damnable 121 173 Man quickely made miserable 128 He perceives not his misery 36 ad 40 N SLuggish Nature to be awakened 88 The Devill by observing our Nature tempts us to sinne 115 Naturall men Satan bond men 16 38 Negligence dangerouse 4 O VVIcked men oppose the grace of God 8 They use variety of objects to satisfie their lusts 78 The Devill wakes by outward objects 66 Hee waites his opportunity 7 8 Originall sinne 15 38 Vniversall obedience a signe of sineerity 28 The tryall of Faith 172 The onely way to be approved of God 31 Occasions of sinne Satans baite 136 They must be avoided 139 Stopped 143 P THe Devill deceived our first parens 14 Perseverance crownes Religion 168 Piety rewarded 119 Prophane men wil doe that in Gods presence which they are ashamed to doe in mans 90 Their company dangerous 91 They are hardned in sinne 123 The Devill labours to batter our patience 92 His power limited 95 He hath no power but from God 103 He cannot prevaile against the godly 95 22 There is an howre appointed for the power of darkenesse 99 Gods children are pretious in his sight 98 He miraculously preserves them 96 99 Their prayers are very profitable 163 Persecuters loose their labours 168 106 They fight against God 106 Heaven would bee full if sinfull pleasures send men thither 129 Sinfull lusts Satans porter 14 The devil in Adam poisoned all man kind 15 He will keepe a pawne and pledge in his hand and why 135 Dangerous not to profit under the Word 174 Popery darknesse 173 Q HOw the Devill may be said to be gone out of a man and yet remaine in him 44 45 He labours to quench mens zeale 87 How the Divell can tempt all man kind 71 R SAtan restlesse to doe mischiefe 64 What rest he seeks 62 Hypocrites his resting place 108 109 Repentance a hard work 169 It begins when sinne is forsaken 27 Counterfeit repentance 4 Swept house 125 Of no worth 130 Men must be reformed or else they have not repented 130 Relapses dangerous 270 Men must make a league with Religion 171 Religion whence it came first 144 Men must resolve to come out of their sins 136 Piety rewarded 87 Men must learne of the Devill to be resolute 87 Covetous men will dig to hell for riches 115 Revengefull man Baalberiths pallace 118 It is a dangerous thing to be ashamed of Religion 123 Iewes religion full of blind ceremonies 7 8 Mans redemption wonderfull 19 20 S PRophaners of the Sabboth loath to forsake their sinne 35 Soule must be committed unto God in well doing 172 It is no easie thing to be saved 129 The best time must be spent for it 88 Wicked men have filthy soules 172 It hath enemies 93 Security in sinne dangerous 154 156 Satan dwels in sinners 158 What he workes in them ibid. He sets a false varnish on sinne 159 Sinne will not be cleansed with sweeping 125 It poysons all good things 37 Penitents must take revenge on themselves 127 Sinners are slovens 128 Darling sinnes are the Devils windowes 130 Originall sinne 3â— Sinne how aggravated 149 How made worse 150 151 It gets strenght by committing 152 Proppes of sinne must be removed 152 Compared to the soares of the body 169 The Devill hath a great band of souldiers 70 His instruments allure to sinne 74 The Devil laies his snares over all the world 83 Solitary places Satans walke 90 His undaunted courage 111 His great strenght 111 Vpon what he relies 113 Security dangerouse 119 The Devill makes men secure 115 He is a spirit 10 His sinne 12 T TAle-bearers the Devils Champions 79 They are archers 81 They carry their swords in their mouths 81 They are worse than Crowes 81 Compared to hell 82 Their malice to the godly 81 Temples of our body must be kept holy 136 Wicked mens trade is to drawe one another in sinne 32 74 Devill worse than a theefe 83 No place free from his temptations 11. 6 He began to
in power a spirit and in nature and condition an uncleane spirit one that for his pride and rebellion was cast out of Heaven therefore woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth for hee will doe as much mischiefe as he can he knowes his time is but short and therefore he will loose no opportunitie but will labour by all meanes to make all mankinde as filthy as himselfe Thus he made Caine swell in envie Gen 4 8. to his brother and to bathe his hands with cruelty in his blood Achan with theft Gehazi and Annanias Iosu 7. 1. 2 King 5. 22. Act. 5. 1. and his wife with lying and dissembling Thus hee defiles all men with sin and pollutes the land Ezek 23. 18. with transgressions For every sinne as it dishonours God so it holds the sinner in perpetuall bondage For whosoever committeth Iohn 8. 34. sinne is the servant of sinne Then in this bondage and Captivitie all naturall and unregenerate men remaine bound under the curse of the Law untill the custome of sinne hath taken away the sence of sinne and then this Tyrant plunges them under the curse of God before they are aware As every sinne is uncleane in the Concreat so there is a sinne called uncleannesse in the Abstract as if it were in a speciall manner breathed out of the mouth of this uncleane spirit This uncleane and filthy sinne is the sinne of Adulterie and Fornication which though it seeme a Paradise to the desire yet it is a Purgatory to the purse and a hell to the soule and dishonours the noble name of a Christian And though the wanton minions of this age extenuate it and say it is but a tricke of youth yet let them know that it is a sinne hatefull in the sight of God who will not let them goe unpunished for whoremongers and Adulterers Heb. 13. 14. God will judge But of the filthinesse and fearefulnesse of this sinne I have spoken at large in a Treatise Intituled The Worldlings looking Glasse When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none In these words is contained Sathans departure and demeanour when he is gon In his departure observe these particulars 1. The manner of his going out 2. The measure of his going out First for the manner of his going out Sathan will not depart but by compulsion for he keepes possession like a strong armed man which will not be amooved till a stronger even the strength of Israel come against him he alone and none but he can Math. 17 19 master and subdue him The disciples were unable to doe it and by his owne good will he will never depart Math. 8 29 Mark 5. 7. He loves his dwelling so well that he accounts it no lesse than a Torment to be cast out And so envious hee is to mankinde that he will never leave him till hee have brought him to destruction because he is greeved that mankinde should enjoy that happinesse he himselfe hath lost Secondly In regard of the curse that was given him in Paradise that the seede of the woman should bruise Gen. 3 15. his head Therefore he pursues mankinde with deadly hatred and implacable malice that either he may frustrate the truth of Gods word or bring mankinde into perpetuall bondage Yet for all his power and malice there is a time when he must be gon and that is when the Lord by the powerfull working of his Spirit dispelleth the blindnesse of nature and the sinfull corruptions thereof out of the hearts of his children and doeth inlighten them with the saving knowledge of himselfe This he doeth when by the ministery of the Law he convinceth their consciences of sinne and sheweth them the heynousnesse and fearefulnesse thereof and then the grievous punishments due to them for the same which are Levit. 26. Deut. 28. not onely all the plagues and punishments denounced in the Law but also the eternall torments of Hell for ever and ever And that no mortall man is able to free them from this condition no not all the world is able to make satisfaction for one soule for The Earth is the Lords and all that is Psal 24 1 therein Nay if all the Angells in Heaven should offer themselves they were unable to deliver one soule because they are ingaged to God for their creation and they were created but a finit temporarie good are not able to make satisfaction for infinite sinnes committed against the majesty of a most holy and glorious God Thus when the Lord hath 1 King 19. 11 12. brought his children to the gates of Hell and by the strong winde of his wrath hath broken their hearts and by the Earthquake of his judgement awakened their soules and by the fire of his spirit ransackt their consciences and by the ministery of his word hath plowed up the fallow ground of their hearts and by the terrours of conscience made them to despaire of salvation in respect of themselves Then he makes them to heare the still voyce of his Spirit by which he revealeth to them his infinit mercy and free grace and his eternall love to â—hem in Christ Iesus with all his meâ—its then he worketh in their soules â—aith whereby they apprehend Christ â—nd rest upon him alone for their salvation and in their judgements a wonderfull esteeme of Gods mercies and Christs merits from whence and by whom they receive and obtaine remission of all their sinnes This assurance of Gods favour worketh in their soules a hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse and in their wills a constant resolution to rest upon him alone for justification and salvation And in the whole course of their lives a detestation and hatred of all sinne whatsoever And stirres up in them a care and conscience to use all good meanes whereby they may be assured that they shall have their part in the mercies of God and in the merits of Christ Then God joyneth them unto him as the head unto the body and then as soone as Christ is joyned to them they are made members of his body who by his Spirit reneweth their will and affections and frameth in them a spirituall life that they may serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luk. 1. 74. all the dayes of their life Thus the Lord by these meanes casteth this uncleane spirit out of the hearts of his children so that he shall never totally regaine his former possession for it is a certaine Maxime in Philosophie that two contraries cannot stand together at one time in one and the same subject There can be no agreement betweene light and darkenesse God and Belial but when grace comes in vice must goe out When the holy Spirit taketh possession the uncleane spirit must packe away So then from the truth of the premisses wee may conclude That Sathans power must give place Doctr. to Christs This was
infaelix Therefore when Bion saw an envious man sorrowfull hee would Laertius in vita Bion. aske him whether some evill had happened to him or good to his neighbour Envie is ostium iniquitatis the doore of iniquity by which death entred into the world By this Habel was persecuted of his brother Iacob of Esau David of Saul and Christ of the Iewes 2. Envie is Toxicum charitatis the bane of Charity for if it were not for envie every one would rejoyce at another good and grieve for their harmes Therefore Augustine saith Take away envie and that which I Tolle in vidiam tuum est quod habeot emeum est quod habes have is thine and that which thou hast is mine 3. Envie is putredo sanitatis the corruption of health for by envying Diez Con. 1. â—n festo Ioa. Bapt. others men consume themselves And therefore one saith well An envious man hath a great deale of lesse wit in his malice than the brute beasts for whereas no fowles nor fishes are taken in a snare without baits the spitefull wretch is brought to the devills hooke without any pleasant baite The voluptuous man hath a little pleasure for his soule The covetous man a little profit for his soule The ambitious man a little honour for his soule But the envious man hath nothing of the devill for his soule but a little hearts griefe and yet for all this the wretch toiles out himselfe in Sathans service Thus you have heard how Sathan hath his servants at command to worke the ruine of Gods Children and hee is restlesse in his owne endevours as you have heard Hee hath many by-wayes to bring men to hell and therefore he hath set infinite snares before our feete and hath filled all Eoce teteâ— dit â—â—te peâ— nostros laequeos infintâ—s omnâ— vias nostra decipulis râ—ple vit ad câ—piendas anâ—mas nostra quis effâ—giet Laqueos pâ— suit in divâ— tijs laqueo posuit in pâ—pertate laqueos teteâ— dit in ciboâ— in potis â— August Soâ—loq cap. 1 our wayes with traps to catch our soules and who can escape them He hath set snares in riches snares in poverty hee hath laid snares in our meate in our drinke in our pleasure in our sleepe Nay hee layes snares for us in our best workes in the duties of godlinesse which we performe and is ready to make us proude of our knowledge overweene our selves as you have heard before All his malice tends to this end to deprive us of happinesse Theeves and robbers steale our goods to inrich themselves but Sathan hee labours to deprive us of grace not to doe himselfe any good but to doe us mischiefe Thus you have seene the truth of the doctrine that Sathan watches all opportunity to doe mischiefe This doctrine is also usefull and that for exhortation reprehension and direction 1. Seeing the whole world is Sathans Vse circuit then remember in what danger we are in by reason of his malice There is no place but that he watches his opportunity in to doe us mischiefe There are but two places in the world where men may be safe and they are the places of Gods worship and the place of our particular callings The former because God is present in the Congregation of his Saints and the latter because he hath promised to keepe his in all their â—sal 91. wayes Yet for all this Sathan is not affraid to set upon us at Church in the time of Gods worship and to divert our thoughts from that we heare and fill our mindes with sleepinesse and drowsinesse and after we have heard by casting other thoughts into our hearts before the seede of the word is harrowed by meditation Now this advantage he hath against us by our owne carelesnesse because wee doe not by prayer and meditation prepare our hearts before wee come into Gods presence and when we are come doe not so reverently carry our selves as we should Hence it comes to passe that God hath no delight in our Sacrifice and therefore gives Sathan leave to deprive us of the benefit of the word 2. He tempts us in our particular callings and makes us carelesse in them or to use some indirect courses to raise our selves by unlawfull meanes that thereby he may deprive us of the Lords protection In each of these places we had neede to looke about us as if the devill were alwayes at our elbowes and with feare and trembling checke our selves for giving way to such a dangerous enemie and when wee feele his temptations begin to worke then say to our soules Surely this uncleane spirit is here and I was not aware Vse 2 This doctrine is usefull for reprehension seeing Sathan is so malicious for estlesse in his temptations then this reprooves many that make light account of such an adversary whose power is so great Ephe. 6 12. and therefore called a roaring Lyon 1 Pet. 5. 8. A red Dragon Revel 12. 1. A Prince of the ayre Ephe. 2. 2. The God of the world 2 Cor. 4. 4. having great interest in us by reason of our sinnes which mightily take his part and yet for all this they will walke without their spirituall armour and carelesly thrust themselves into the middest of his armed souldiers and so with Peter in the high Priests Hall fall fearefully before they be aware and so their case becomes fearefull because they have had so many watch words and yet will not be warned Vse 3 This doctrine is usefull for direction seeing Sathan and his instruments are so resolute to doe mischiefe and will not bee hindred in their enterprises if they cannot prevaile one way they will try another Let us learne of them to bee resolute in well doing and not to be discouraged or driven backe from any good purpose and intendment This is a point necessary to bee urged in these times wherein the divell labours to coole zeale to hinder us in the practise of piety sometime he puts on the sheeps skin to hide his woolvish nature hee comes to the Minister and perswades him to pitty himselfe and not indanger his health and life by preaching so often and the rather because the people do not regard it and would thinke better if he preached not at all or preached pleasing things But against these temptations Gods children must take examples of his vassals who are diligent and constant in his service who will reward them here with shame and eternall torments hereafter Then should not Gods servants bee resolute in their Masters cause who in his mercy will cover their sinnes and crowne their weake endevours which he himselfe worketh in them in such a manner as that a cup of cold water shall not goe unrewarded The consideration hereof should make us diligent in our callings for can we spend our time better than to glorify God and save our soules therefore let every one of us say to our soules as
once the Prophet did to Ahab Get thee up eate and drinke for there is a sound of much raine So should we say to our sluggish natures up and be doing Get thee to thy study to preaching and praying loose no time for there is a sound of much trouble We may be deprived of the word before we are aware wee may be stopped in our courses and pious intendments suddenly wee may be deprived of our lives in a moment the night of sickenesse adversity death wil come and then we cannot worke Oh what a comfort will it be to our soules when death approacheth if then wee can say in sincerity of heart with godly Hezekiah Remember â—sa 38 3. O Lord I have walked before thee with an upright heart Therefore bee not weary of well doing remember it is a fearefull thing to begin in the spirit and to end in the flesh therefore let every one of us say to Sathan and his discouraging Instruments as once Nehemiah did to his crafty Counsellers What should such a one as I flie Nehem. 6 11. No I will not loose my labour and that crowne of life that is promised to all them that are faithfull to the Revel 2 10 death to please Sathan and his instruments 2. Seeing Sathan is so restlesse in his temptations and is so diligent a walker be exhorted to keep out of his walkes though he walke in all places yet hee frequents some places more than the rest and they are the Ale-houses the gaming houses and the whore house unto which hee hath other walkes and they are gardens of pleasure and solitary walkes in these places hee eyes us and many times finds them fit places to set his temptations on worke in these places he prevailed over Eve Lot David c. These places like him well and into such places he drave those which hee possessed Luk. 8. 29. and there usually shewes himselfe to witches Solitarie places be his walkes and in these he delights because hee is the Prince of darkenesse and hates the light because his workes are evill he knowes how ready man is to sin when he is alone and when mans eye is not over him to hinder him he knowes that many dare doe that in the darke in the presence of God which they would blush and bee ashamed to doe in the presence of a mortall man Therefore the godly must bee carefull to shunne and avoyd idlenesse which is Sathans pillow by which hee takes many tripping and lulls them asleepe to their eternall destruction Therefore when we are alone let us alwayes be speaking to God by our prayers or â—rayses or meditating of his goodâ—esse hereby we shall bee fitted for â—ur callings and made more watchâ—ull over our wayes thus if wee be â—mployed though Sathan be alwayes walking and in continuall action let him walke whither he will for we are â—n our calling walking with God And if at any time hee set upon us in our solitary walkes let us take the benefit of companie as soone as we can but herein learne wisedome Let your company be good and such as feare God else wicked and prophane company are worse than solitarinesse For wee heare of many who when they are troubled by Sathan runne to sinfull company and spend their time in Carding dycing drinking and so thinke to cast out the divell by Beelzebub the Prince of divells but therein they deceive themselves and harden their hearts against the meanes of their salvation 3. Seeing Sathan goes about to tempt and to doe what mischiefe hee can let Gods children take the quite contrary course and endevour to doe as much good as they can by provoking one another to good workes and shewing themselves patternes of all goodnesse For shall our enemy watch for our destruction and shall not we watch for our preservation Sathan is a Fox and therefore subtill he layes siege to the Castle of our soules and labours mightily eyther to scale the walls of our faith or to batter the Bulwarke of our patience or to undermine the Turrets of our zeale and fortitude or one way or other to drive us from our hould and then by some Stratageme or other to surprize us before wee are aware Wee had neede therefore to looke about us and say to our soules as Dallilah did to her husband Vp Sampson the Philistims be upon thee So O my soule stand upon thy guard and looke to thy selfe What hath thy purse enemies on the highway and â—hy goods enemies about thy house â—nd hast thou no enemies for thy â—oule Sathan is malicious therefore â—e will spare none strong therefore â—e will feare none up therefore and â—and upon thy guard Sathan is walkâ—ng to doe thee a mischiefe thereâ—ore bee thou watching and praying â—o resist and withstand all his temptaâ—ions For Sathan is vigilant and watchfull ready and cunning to abuse â—ll outward objects to our hurt Hee â—abours by all meanes to dishonour God and to crosse him in his proviâ—ence and to deprive all mankinde â—f happinesse Therefore he labours â—o draw such to sinne which have most â—eanes to withstand it and have had â—ore mercies to encourage them to â—oe forward in Gods service and if â—ee can overcome them by his tempâ—ations he knowes how to dishonour God in a high degree If hee can get â—dam to sinne in Paradise he knowes how to fill the world with sinners quickly If hee can tempt David â— man after Gods owne heart to commit adultery and murther he is suâ— hee can make The name of God to bâ— 2 Sam. 12 24. blasphemed 2 Sam. 12. 24. If hee caâ— make Iudas one of the twelve to betray his Master hee thinks hee hatâ— shaken Christs kingdome and if heâ— can make Peter that great Champion to deny and forsweare him then hâ— doubts not but to lay his honour iâ— the dust So at this day if hee caâ— make the professers of the Gospâ— carelesse and prophane he thinks hâ— hath notably dishonoured God iâ— making his ordinance unfruitfull aâ— unprofitable Seeing therefore heâ— is so malicious and so diligent let â— labour to resist him stedfastly and coâ—stantly Iam. 4 7. and then he will flye from â— And thus much for his labour aâ— diligence hee walketh through dâ— places seeking rest Come wee now to the issue anâ— event he findeth none Hee walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Hence then we may learne That though Sathan seeke the godlies Doctr. overthrow yet hee shall be prevented hee shall be disappointed of his expectation Though Sathan bee strong and mighty whose power no mortall man is able to resist yet the victorious Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah is stronger and will rescue his servants and make him know that his chosen are kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 5. through faith unto salvation And though the godly bee as sheepe appointed to destruction by the malice of Sathan yet they are not so in the
therefore wee had neede to have a vigilant eye over all the parts and faculties of our soules and bodies least they become windowes to let in Sathan to take possession And thus much for his courage and resolution contayned in these words I will returne Come we now to the Terminus ad quem or whither hee will returne I will returne to my house Sathan calls the hypocrites heart his house and so it is indeed but not by creation So every man is Gods house 1 Cor. 3. 16. cap. 6. 19. but by the wilfull refusall of Gods mercies they then become denns for Sathan to lodge in Thus the proud mans heart is a house for Lucifer to lodge in The Adulterers heart an Inne for Asmodius to roost in The envious mans heart a Cage for Beelzebub to lurke in The revengefull mans heart is a pallace for Baalberith to domineere in The drunâ—ards heart a stie for Beelphegor to reside in The idle mans heart is a Turret for Ashtaroth to keepe Rande vowes in Though men may flatter themselves and thinke they are in good case yet while they live and remaine in their sinnes they are in Gods account no better than uncleane houses for Sathan to roost in though they fare daintily and have sumptuous houses yet all this while they are but filthy Parlours for Sathan Here we may take up a bitter lamentation Heu domâ—s antiqua c. and with Ieremy weepe day and night for the miseries which are befallen the sonnes of men Man was created holy and for Gods service but now these glorious houses are become denns for Sathan to dwell in Where pride and malice domineers and carnall security beares sway vice and all manner of wickednesse let in and piety and the feare of the Lord shut out Pride and carnall security hath barred the doore against the Lord the holy one of Israel he stands knocking but wee will not let him in If pride malice and revenge knocke we are ready to open and willingly embrace them but the motions of Gods Spirit wee chocke and grieve and will not entertaine them The Lord lay not our sinnes to our charge The Lord hath wooed us by his Ministers invited us by his mercies and drawne us by the bands of love and would have married us to himselfe ose 2 20. but wee like desperate wretches and despightfull creatures will marry our selves to our pleasures to our delights to our sinnes nay to Sathan himselfe O! consider this all yee that forget God and so preferre hell before Heaven The Gaderens were branded for infamous wretches for preferring their swine before Christ the Saviour of the world And the Iewes accursed for choosing Barrabas a filthy murtherer before Iesus a meeke Saviour But O alas how shall wee bee registred for infamous wretches if wee neglect so great salvation Let the consideration hereof move every one of us to consider of these things which belong to our peace and now to make up an agreement with our adversary while wee are in the way with him It followes I will returne to my house See heere what love Sathan beares to his former house and his wisedome and policie to provide him a resting place if hee may not be where hee would yet he will be where hee may If he cannot be a king in heaven he will reigne as a god in earth and if he cannot rest in the hearts of Gods Children then he will dominere in the children of disobedience He had rather be in any place than in hell therefore he will consider his future place before hee will leave his former habitation hee would not goe Math. 8 31. out of the man hee possessed before hee had liberty to goe into the swine He had rather be in the hogs than no where While hee is in earth he torments others but while hee is in hell he is tormented himselfe And therefore like an envious wretch he thinks hee finds rest if hee can revenge himselfe upon mankinde or any thing that belongs to man Hee can finde no rest in a Papist or Atheist for hee knowes that their worme-eaten consciences lackes nothing but searing with the hot Iron of Gods wrath he is sure enough of them because they are hardned in their prophanenesse and so the custome of sinne hath taken away the sence of sinne yet for all this if hee cannot prevaile against Gods Children hee will to his old house againe there he is like to have good entertainement which is better to him than to walke in dry places where he findes so much resistance Come we now to see what entertainement he findes the house is emptie that is voyd of the graces of Gods Spirit he findes the hypocrite after he is inlightened fitter to receive him than hee was before hee findes the house empty The Divell shall never want roome wheresoever hee comes he shall not be troubled with inmates nor with any thing which shall offend him There are many professors now adayes will cast off good motions and the performance of many good duties to please Sathan and his Instruments rather than they would be tearmed Puritans and Precisians Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Hee findes it empty both of faith and good workes Now this emptinesse proceeds from idlenesse which is the mother of all mischiefe An empty house is a cage for all uncleannesse So an idle man is a fit subject for Sathan to worke upon he knowes God cannot endure idlenesse but punished it in the men of Sodome Gen. Ezek. 16. 49. 19. 24. and the men of Laish Iudg. 18. 27. And wise men in all ages have condemned it Cato by natures light tells Iomines â—ihil agen â—o discunt â—alo agere us that men by doing nothing learne to do evill and Themistocles termed idlenesse the Toombe or grave of such as are alive and sayd that there was little difference betweene an idle man and one that is dead for none of them doe any good Therefore the ancient Romans would not suffer men to walke in the Streets unlesse they carried their manuall instruments with them all which shewes how they hated idlenesse When men are idle then Sathan hath most advantage against them When David was walking 2 Sam 11. upon the roofe of his house then Sathan stirred up lust in his heart and made him goe to his neighbours bed and so caused the name of God to be blasphemed so that hence wee may conclude that the end of lazinesse is the beginning of lewdnesse When Sathan findes his house empty tennantlesle no marvaile if hee make it a cage for all filthinesse Sathan cannot finde this emptinesse in the children of God for their hearts are filled with the grace of Gods Spirit faith stands as a Porter armed with the sword of the Spirit which drives backe all the temptations of the Devill The next thing that mooved Sathan to make his reentry is he findes the house swept what a swept
house is you have partly heard how that a little counterfeit repentance will not serve the turne to get out the dirt and filth which is baked and seated in nature A house that is made foule and filthy by much resort of people will not bee made cleane by a little sweeping there must be paring and scraping with a paring Iron else the filth will hang on and will not be remooved Even so these temples of our bodies these earthly houses will not bee clensed and purged from the corruption of sinne with the beasome of counterfeit repentance but the sharpe knife of the law must be set on worke there must be a searching of the heart a plowing up of the fallow ground there must bee a mortifying of the fruits of the flesh there must be a de 〈…〉 of our selves in our profits plea 〈…〉 s and delights a little crying of God mercy will not serve the turne 〈◊〉 there must bee an aggravation of 〈…〉 e by circumstances sinne must be â—mâ—lified in regard of the meanes that we had to resist it if we had had grace to use them aright therefore when we have failed in using our spirituall weapons then we must condemne our selves and take a holy revenge upon our nature which did inâ—ice us to such and such sinnes Wee Luk 1â— must doe as Mary Magdalen did shee had abused her eyes to wantonnesse and her haire to pride therefore upon her repentance shee tooke revenge of her selfe she made her eyes a fountaine of teares to wash her Saviours feete and her haire a towell to wipe them so must we if wee have offended by gluttony or drunkennesse wee must bring under our bodies by fasting and humiliation Thus did David when he had sinned against his neighbour in giving way to sinfull lusts and uncleannesse so when he had desired to drinke of the waters of Bethleem 1 Chro. 11 18. and after hee did see it was brought with the jeopardie of the lives of his three Worthies then he tooke a holy revenge of himselfe hee would not drinke of it but powred it out as a sacrifice before the Lord. Thus the cunning men being converted by the preaching of the word and brought to repentance burned their Bookes Act. 19 19 that were deere unto them for a revenge upon themselves for their sinne by which they shewed both an indignation in their affections and a just revenge in their actions thus if men would judge themselves they should 1 Cor. 11 37. not be judged of the Lord. Man is made miserable quickely but hee is not so soone made happie againe Esau suddenly lost his birth-right but hee could not gaine the blessing with many teares A swept house will not serve the turne it must bee a sorrowfull and contrite heart that God delights to dwell in Let us then set uppon our sinnes and up with them by the rootes downe with pride covetousnesse and all manner of sinne that offends God and grieves our neighbour else we are but deceiptfull hypocrites and garnished and swept houses for Sathan If swept houses will not serve the Vse turne then how may we bewaile our times wherein so many slovens delight themselves in all manner of sin and prophanenesse How many are there to bee found in our dayes that thinke it an easie matter to be saved But brethren deceive not your selves these filthy soules which have beene defiled with so many sinnes will not be so easily cleansed We have many wayes defiled our selves with vaine and unsanctified thoughts many foule and unsavory words have proceeded out of our mouthes and doth not this shew that wee have filthy soules Againe how many lewde and sinfull acts have wee committed and doe commit from time to time and will a small repentance make amends for all these transgressions No no there must be striving and preassing to enter in at the straight gate The Luk. 13 24. kingdome of heaven suffers violence and the violent take in by force But alasse how many of us sit still sporting our selves in our pleasures and delights If eating and drinking swearing and swilling would send us to heaven there are a great many would come thither There are many also to be found that when they are rebuked for their sinnes and perswaded to amend their lives they will give good words and wish that they could doe as they should but how few of many are willing to plucke up their sinnes by the rootes Many will use the broome of repentance in sweeping the house of their soule lightly and superficially but they will leave still behind their evill customes and wicked habit of sinne which cleaveth fast to them and is as deare as their right eye Wee see by experience that many griping Vsurers will hate adultery make conscience of swearing and forswearing c. these cobwebbes they will sweepe away but for the filthy habit and wicked trade of Vsury because it is a gainefull sinne and brings them an easie life the broome shall not come so farre So againe many Adulterers though well monied hate Vsury because it is unlawfull and condemned by God Psal 15. Ezek. 18 but for adultery their beloved sinne this dirte this filth must remaine unswept The like may bee said of all other sinnes Thus hypocrites will indent with God as if he kept a court of Faculties to dispence with their darling their beloved sinnes which they are loath to forgoe But brethren marke I pray you the policy of Sathan If he can keepe but one corner in this spirituall temple it shall suffice him he knowes how to keepe possession well enough but brethren deceive not your selves if the divell have any part in your heart God will have none he will not admit of a Corrivall he will be aut Caesar aut nihil he will have the whole or else let the divell take all therefore learne wee to use violence against our beloved sinnes and let the divell have no crevisses to looke into our hearts lest he circumvent and surprise us before we are aware as he hath and doth many deceiving them daily with outward shewes and the leaves of religion without substance and through-reformation of the heart but if we will be a swept house for the Lord wee must cast away all our sinnes outward shewes will not delight him he cannot endure a divell in Samuels Mantle It is garnished The house swept and garnished is a similitude borrowed from the use and custome of men who delight to have all things handsome cleane and comely when they are to entertaine their friends But the divell hee delights in no such matter this uncleane spirit hee delights in all manner of filthinesse and all manner of ungodlinesse nothing pleaseth him better The beastly drunkard the abominable swearer the lustfull talker the filthy liver these men are garnished houses for him These men are as a princely pallace for him to domineere in When men have bidden farewell to God and all
godlinesse then they are fit houses for him when the feare of God is choaked in mens hearts and the remembrance of Gods judgements is not before their eyes When the house is swept from all godinesse and vertue garnished with the damnable sins of swearing lying all maner of wickednes then behold these are trimmed houses for Sathan to roost in Sathan delights to have his house garnished that thereby hee might seeme Gods Ape for God will have his house garnished saith the Apostle For this is the will of God even our 1 Thess 4 sanctification that every one should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour God will have the beames of his house Cedar and the Galleries firre hee will have sanctification for the groundworke holinesse of life for the ornament So the devill he will have his house garnished also but the beames of his house are the ougly workes of darkenesse and the galleries sin and all manner of prophanenesse Now if hee can get this house whited over with a counterfeit it shew of Religion then this is a house well trimmed and garnished for him to dwell in Sathan will allow his servants sometime to make shew of sanctity that thereby they may doe the more mischiefe and to pretend Religion in shew that they may act wickednesse in substance He is loath to discourage his servants therefore he will gratifie them a little sometime give them the bridle in their hands Thus hee was contented Abimelech should entertaine Abraham in the best of his land and that Iudas should be Christs disciple he cared not seeing he could allure the one to Adultery and perswade the other to betray his Master If he can alluâ—â— any to the love of any one sinne â—en he is well enough Sathan deâ—â—es with sinfull men as Pharaoh did with the Israelits when he was compelled by the judgement of God to let them goe then hee would have some pawne to remaine in his hand goe saith he and sacrifice to the Lord your God but leave your sheepe and your cattell behind you What had Pharaoh any neede of their goods No no it was not their goods that hee aymed at hee had a further reach He knew that the Iewes were covetous and worldly minded and therefore if they should bee punished with want in the Wildernesse hee knew they would remember their cattell in Egypt and quickly come backe againe for them So Sathan deales with those he hath a long time kept in bondage if at any time he be commanded by Moses and Aaron that is by the powerfull preaching of Gods word to let the Lords people goe and come out of the Egypt of their sinnes and to travell in the desert of repentance then how many blocks and hinderances doth he cast how many stormes doth hee raise to discourage them and to hinder them in their journey to the Caelestiall Canaan And if he cannot hinder us then hee labours to make our mindes wander after our profits and pleasures but as Moyses and Aaron were resolute that they would not leave any of their goods behinde them to please the King but were resolved to obey the Lords commaund so must wee when God calls unto us to come out of sin wee must not retaine any of them to please Sathan but must keepe the temples of our bodies pure that they may be a garnished house for the Lord to dwell by his Spirit He findes it garnished Wee have heard how a garnished house pleases Sathan and how an hypocrite may be sayd to be a garnished house we will notwithstanding all that hath beene sayd spend a little more time in examining what is meant by the word Garnished by the garnished house wee may not unfitly understand also the occasions of sin for the occasions of sinne are Sathans â—aites whereby he is invited to make re-entry therefore the Apostle would â—ave us not only abstaine from sinne but also from the appearance of evill 1 Thes 5 22. If we cast out sinne and doe not cast but the occasions of sinne we leave a Pignus aâ—ud damonem relinquimus pledge in the devils hands which he knoweth we wil at one time or other returne backe to fetch again and then he will surely hould us captived Take heede then of the occasions of sin for â—t is the occasion that makes the theefe Occasio faecit furem If by the mercy of God thou hast repented thee of thy sinnes take heede of the occasions of sinne Hast thou beene a whoremaster Now take heed of wanton company alluring harlots â—ascivious talking amorous songs wanton pictures idlenesse and the â—ike which are occasions of sinne If â—hou hast forsaken the damnable custome of swearing and by the mercy of God hast bound thy tongue to the good behaviour shunne also the company of prophane swearers If thou have forsaken the beastly sinne of drunkennesse abandon also thy boone companions for the occasions of sinne are the divells baites which he layes to ensnare silly soules Iron is hard yet at last fire will dissolve it so a holy man by familiarity with sinners will quickly be brought to sinne It fares with our corrupt nature as it doth with a little fire which though it be almost out yet a little Gunpowder or Brimstone will revive it and make it flash out againe so every little occasion will make a godly man breake out into sinne Familiarity with sinners giveth occasion to sinne See this in Ioseph a holy and Familiaritas saepe occasionem dedit godly man his mistresse could not allure him to follie but yet the prophane Courtiers of Pharaoh quickly taught him to lye and dissemble and to sweare by the life of Pharaoh How Gen. 44. quickly did the daughters of Moab intice the Children of Israel to sinne for which the judgement of God brake out upon many thousands of â—em Our nature is like unto dry Num 25. 1. â—ood which is apt to kindle as soone â—s fire is put to it Occasion is the way Occasioâ—nim iter est quod ducit ad peccatum â—hat leadeth unto sinne There needs â—o divell to tempt us for if any occaâ—on be offred we are ready to tempt â—ur selves Thus Moses knew well Nemâ— lâ—ditur nisi ase â—nough therefore when the people â—ad committed Idolatry with the golden calfe which Aaron had made Eoxd 32. â—e burnt it in the fire and ground it â—o powder and strewed the ashes upon the water and then made the people drinke it He would not have any remembrance left which might put them in minde of their former Idolatry When godly Hezekiah saw that the people burnt incense to the brazen 2 King 18 4. serpent though it were made by Gods appointment yet when it was abused by Idolatry hee brake it in peeces and called it Nehushtan a peece of Brasse Our Savious Christ teacheth us that if our right eye offend us we must
that wee may stand fast make use of these or the like directions 1. Be carefull to avoyde the least sinne least it usher in a greater for sinne and Sathan as you have heard winde themselves in by some small temptations till at the last like the sores of the body which at first are vicious humors then swelling tumors and after that impostumate and so become uncurable so the sores of sins waxe greater and greater till they breed bring eternal death therefore when thou art fallen thinke of our Saviours counsell remember whence Revel 2 thou art fallen repent and amend confesse your sinnes daily and crave pardon for them Let a man turne by Redcat hâ—â—o â—er quotidianâ—â—â—menta unde corruit per vanâ— dâ—lecta mentâ— Aug. de temp Ser. 182. daily lamentations to that from which he is fallen by vaine delectation Take heede of lukewarmnesse in religion and of backsliding If Christ have washed thee in his blood bathed thee in his wounds and cured thee with his stripes and tooke off this burthen from thy shoulders take heede of lading thy selfe againe by new transgressions but if thou be made whole sinne no more least a worse thing happen Ioh 5 14 unto thee 2. Take heed of sinne in generall so in a speciall manner take heed of vilifying the worke of grace that shines in Gods servants and is made evident to your consciences by the word or worke of God This was the fearefull sinne of the Iewes that daily saw the divine power of Christ shining in their consciences yet they did oppose themselves against him and charged him that hee borrowed helpe of the divell and that hee cast out divels by Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 3. Take heede of in constancy in religion and of time-serving Some thinke that if they bee young Saints they may proove old divells therefore they slacke their zeale in youth to conforme themselves to the time and resolve to bee more religious in their old age but wee see such flutter with Noahs Raven and hardly recover themselves againe but if wee finde our affections running with an irregular motion let us stay our selves and make a league with religion as Ruth did with Naomi resolve never to part 4. What vertue soever you finde in the Saints endevour to imitate and what God reveales unto you be carefull to practise God lookes that his talents should be imployed to his glory therefore let not your knowledge swimme idlie in your braines for vaine speculation but let it be fruitfull in your lives for others imitation 5. Labour for the Spirit of prayer and suplication for this is an invincible bulwarke against Sathans darts Crave daily the Lords assistance and commit your soules unto him daily in well doing and daily examine your heart by the rule of Gods word by which try whether you have faith to beleeve Gods promises if you have it will make you carefull to obey his Commandements thus he that keeps the forte of faith towards God and a cleare conscience towards the world Sathan may assault him but shall never Oppugnat diaboluineâ—â—â—â—ugnal subdue him for whosoever can practise these directions shall be sure to stand fast and firme The application doth now follow Even so shall it be to this wicked generation Wee have at large shewed you Gods mercy to the Iewes and their ingratitude to him againe and that God hath paid them home and made them spectacles of his wrath for all ages to looke upon therefore we will leave them unto Gâ—ds mercy and in his good time to open their eyes that they may behold their crucified Saviour and see what may make for their everlasting good and apply this doctrine to our owne soules If I should begin to number the mercies the Lord hath continued unto the Land in generall I might spend much time and yet not report the one halfe of an infinite number take a few We were all possessed with the spirit of blindnesse as other nations were and were tempted to as much uncleanenesse as ever the Pagans were but yet it pleased the Lord to expell the darkenesse of Popery and to send the light of the Gospell amongst us which we have enjoyed in peace and purity this threescore and thirteene yeares so that we have had peace within our walls and prosperity within our pallaces and no complayning in our streets And by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell Sathan this uncleane spirit hath beene cast out of us now let us take heede least hee creepe into us againe by hypocrisie and unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and so make us thinke that our religion stands in shewes and consists in outward formality least wee abusing the Lords mercies and grow leane and ill favoured after wee have devoured so many yeares of store and plenty under the powerfull preaching of the word wee arme our enemie against us who regaining entrance brings seaven spirits worse than he did before and so fortifie his habitation with hypocrysie and other foule sinnes for our unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and then there shall bee more prophanenesse than there was before But that this fearefull judgement may not overtake us let us speedily amend our lives and turne to the Lord with all our hearts and then our latter end shall be better â—han our beginning Walafridus Strabo lib. de rebus Ecclesiasticis Siquid in hoc Lector placet assignare memento â—d Domino quicquid displicet hocce mihi What here is good to God ascribed bee What is infirme belongs of right to mee FINIS