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
Saviour of the world of whom it was foretold by the Prophet that He Esay 35. 6. should open the eyes of the blinde and unstop the eares of the deafe Then Sathan this uncleane spirit was forced to goe out of them also But the Iewes unto whom Christ the Saviour of the world was sent opposed and disgraced him in his workes and miracles and by all means laboured to withstand him Sathan finding this opportunity returned backe againe unto these stubborne Iewes whose Religion he found stuffed with a number of blinde Ceremonies and pharisaicall traditions contrary to the Law of God In the Temple in stead of Pastors to teach the word he found Drovers Brokers making of sale In stead of pues for prayer tables for Vsurers money changers and in stead of a Congregation for the Saints he found a denne of Theeves Sathan I say finding this opportunity enters into them and houlds them in blindnesse and ignorance so that their last end is worse than their beginning For now they are deprived of their Temple and liberty and are as vagabonds upon the face of the earth as appeares this day By which we may see what a wofull judgement all those are liable unto which oppose the grace of God when it is offered unto them They doe as much as in them lyes lay themselves open to the malice of Sathan who having gained any opportunity will hardly be driven from them Thus having sayd as much as is needefull for the understanding of this present Parable yet that we may receive the greater profit by it we will for methods sake which is memories guide reduce the matter therein contayned under these foure heads 1. Wee will shew the manner and the measure of Sathans departure from the soule of man and then how he demeaneth himselfe when he is gone 2. His diligence to regaine his former possession with the reasons that induce him thereunto 3. When he hath regained possession how forciblie hee sences himselfe to prevent expulsion 4. The miserable estate of all those hee repossesses how and wherein their end is worse than their beginning These 4. points by Gods grace shall be the substance of my ensuing discourse of which in their order We will begin with the first contayned in these words When the uncleane spirit is gone out c. In these words is contained the uncleane spirits departure and demeanour when he is gone This uncleane spirit is here described 1. By his essence he is a spirit 2. By his quality or condition an uncleane spirit He is a spirit The word spirit in Scripture sometime doth signifie the essence of the god-head as God is a Spirit Iohn 4. 24. 1 Iohn 5. 6. Sometimes the third person in the Trinity called the Spirit of truth Sometime the gifts and graces of the Spirit as the Angell did foretell of Iohn that he should be Luk. 1 15. filled with the holy Ghost Sometime it signifies the soule Luk. 23. 46. Psal 3 1 5. of man as Father into thy hand I commend my Spirit But that wee may not spend our time about the divers acceptation of the word Spirit we are to know that whensoever wee finde the word Spirit set downe without any other word to expresse the meaning of it then we are to know that the third person in the Holy Trinity is meant as Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit helpeth our infirmity But when it is set downe with his adjective the nature and quality of his adjective will easily demonstrate what the substantive importeth as the evill spirit vexed 1 Sam. 16 15. Saul that is the Divell And in this place he is called An uncleane spirit whereby his nature is expressed to be uncleane And thus much for his essence He is a Spirit Come wee now to speake of his quality and condition He is uncleane The divell is an uncleane spirit but not in regard of his creation but in respect of the condition hee brought upon himselfe The Scriptures teach that the Divell was not created evill For God saw every thing that he had Gen. 1. 31. made and behould it was very good He was created an Angell of Light and a spirit without mixture of body immortall without feare of corruptiō intellectuall with exceeding promptnesse of wit free that nothing could force his will wise with fulnesse of naturall knowledge powerfull above all inferiour creatures wholy decked with admirable vertues capable of seeing God clearely with promise of this glory if he persevered in his service But not being content with this his estate but seeking to pry into the majesty of the deity Esay 14. 12. and to usurpe the glory of his maker was therefore dejected and cast into hell and so from being a blessed Angell in Heaven he is become a damned devill in hell As he derived his nature from God so he is good but this depravation of his nature is from himselfe An Angell he was of Gods making a divell of his owne And now being deprived of the glory of God he delights in all uncleannesse is an utter enemie to all holinesse Therefore he useth all meanes to make mankinde as unhappie as himselfe and to wrappe every mothers Childe under the curse of God As soone as our first Parents were set in Paradise though they were furnished with the invincible army of innocencie and righteousnesse so that he was not able to conquer them by force and violence yet out of an inveterate hatred which he bare to the Image of God shining in them and out of envie to their happinesse hee entered into a treacherous parlie with our Grandmother Eve and so bewitched her sences with flattery that he caused her to wandor from the truth of Gods Word and to intice her husband to transgresse Gen. 3 16. the Commandement of God whereby they put off the Armour of innocencie and righteousnesse and entertayned into their soules a troupe of his ambitious tentations and then having gayned the possession he sought for presently he ransacked their soules and deprived them of all spirituall graces and brought them like inferiour Captives under his dominion And that he might the more securely keepe them under subjection he did not onely kill and wound Gods graces in their soules but in stead of them hee placed a strong Garison of carnall corruptions and fleshly lusts which should be as a Porter to open passage to his temptations whensoever he please to make any entrance Thus having so poysoned the fountaine and head spring of all mankinde all men now they are conceived in sinne and brought forth in iniquitie And are deprived Psal 51. 5. Rom. 3 23. of the glory of God And remaine under the governance of this uncleane spirit And in this miserable condition every one had remained if the wisedome of God had not found out a way to redeeme us out of this his bondage and servitude Thus we have discovered our adversarie to be
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
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
promised that The seede of the woman should bruise his head Gen. 3 15 This Christ performed in his temptations Luk. 4. 8. for which the divell doth feare him so much Matth. 8. 29. His chiefest labour in the dayes of his flesh was to overthrow his kingdome and cast him out Matth. 9. 33. Luk. 11. 14. Ioh. 12. 31. Act. 10. 38. which was a Type of this spirituall deliverance This was foretold that hee should bring out the prisoner from the Prison Esa 43 6 and them that sate in darkenesse out of the prison house and proclaime liberty to Esa 61. 1. the captives and the opening of prison Luke 11 22 to them that are bound Hereby he manifested his power prevailing against the strong man whose power Gamaliel acknowledged Act. 5 39 This he performed by his death when he spoyled Principalities and powers Col. 2 15 and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them And led captivitie Ephe 4 8 captive And by his death destroyed him that had the power of death Heb 2 14 Ioh 10 29 that is the divell Hereby he shewed himselfe greater than all and stronger than all For all power is given him Math. 28 18 in heaven and earth And hath made good his power by the preaching of his word which Sathan was not able Act. 6 10 Act 8 Revel 12. 15. to resist though hee raised up persecution and cast out floods to drowne his children and by sorceries laboured to turne away their hearts from him Yet hee pulled his children Act 8 9 out of his hands and daily Added Act. 4 4 to the Church such as he had appoinpointed to be saved And for all his power and malice at the last he will give his children power to tread him Rom 16 20 under their feete And thus we have confirmed the truth of the doctrine by evidence of Scriptures that Sathans power must give place to Christs The ground of this truth is 1 For this very purpose the Sonne of 1 Ioh 3 5 8 God was manifested in the flesh that hee might destroy the workes of the divell Esa 49 1 5 And take away the captives from the Luk 1 74 mighty and deliver his subjects out of his hand for the Lord is stronger than Sathan and hath a better title to his children than he 2 Sathan is his enemy and labours to set up the kingdome of sinne which Ephe. 2 2 3 he hates and to governe his subjects in all righteousnesse 3 His honour is deepely ingaged for the delivery of his Church because Sathan labours to overthrow his kingdome and continually annoyes his subjects by persecuting Revel 2 10 Math. 13 25 them and corrupting them And if he should not deliver them it would bee a great disgrace for him to let his subjects be overcome by his mortall enemy And if he did not preserve his servants he could not bee king of his Church nor rule his subjects in peace 4 If he did not deliver his children hee should want a people to call upon his Name for they cannot serve him till they bee freed from the devills power Thus also wee have proved the truth of the point by evidence of reasons Come wee now to make use and application This doctrine is usefull and that in Vse a threefold respect 1. For examination and tryall 2. For comfort and consolation 3. For Terrour We will begin with the first Must Sathans power give place unto Christ then examine thy heart and try thy wayes whether this uncleane spirit be cast out of thee or no Thou must try it by the meanes which God useth to make entrance and to take possession of his children for his owne service which is by the ministery of the word of God For when the flesh with the lusts thereof are terrified with the canon shot of legall threatnings making a great breach into the heart and conscience wounding and smiting it for the breach of Gods Commandements which workes feare and shame in the soule for offending so gracious a God and then by the Trumpet of the Gospell remission of sinnes and eternall salvation is offered to all that beleeve and repent and when the humbled soule doth embrace the grace of God when it is offred then this triumphant Captaine maketh his entrance and taketh possession of his soule for a Temple for himselfe to dwell in 2. We may try whether this uncleane spirit bee cast out of us by the reformation of our lives and conversations for by vertue of the sanctification of the heart Gods children are brought to a sight of the danger of their naturall estate and what neede they have of repentance and of Christ and of inward purging from their corruptions Regeneration begins at repentance and repentance begins when sinne is forsaken let every one of us then consider our thoughts and actions and try our sanctification thereby consider I say thy thoughts and thy actions when thou art alone is thy care then to meditate upon Gods righteous judgements and doest thou strive with thy selfe how thou mayst advance Gods glory and benefit his Church Doest thou strive by all meanes to cast out this uncleane spirit out of thy soule whose power consists in the corruption of nature the maine pillar whereof is ignorance and unbeleefe And dost thou labour for knowledge and sanctification that thereby thou maist be enabled to yeeld obedience to all the cōmandements of the Lord though they crosse thy nature and curbe thee in thy profits and delights yet for all this thou strivest to walke in all Gods ordinances without reproofe Luk 1 75 and doest so walke in thy calling towards the world as if Gods eye did alwayes behold thee and were privie to all thy actions Againe dost thou so carry thy selfe with reverence to the glorious majesty of God in thy private devotions as if the eye of man did alwayes behold thee Doest thou labour also to subvert the kingdome of Sathan in others If thou bee a private man in love and Charity by exhortation to moove to good workes shewing thy selfe by practise in obedience to God and Tit. 2 7 the king a patterne of all goodnesse If thou bee a Magistrate to restraine from evill by the power of the sword If a Minister to allure to vertue by the power of the word and unblamable conversation Art thou troubled and greeved in thy minde when thou meetest with hinderances and lets whereby thou canst not serve God in such manner as thou wouldest And dost thou carefully redeeme the time for thy soules good Is it a vexation greefe for thee to live among such people as have not the feare of God before their eyes and are carelesse to use those meanes wch God hath appointed for their salvation If at any time thou hast fallen into some scandalous sinne how stands the case betweene God and thy soule dost thou extenuate or defend thy faults
divel within him Thus we have seene how farre an hypocrite may go by natures light and how they may attaine to much knowledge and so may shine in outward profession and yet for all this gallop to hell under Sathans colours And though they are well perswaded of their owne estate yet Gods Word doth discover that they are miserable and are hoodwinked of Sathan to their owne destruction Because by the shining lampe of outward profession and standing upon the goodnesse of their nature and their correspondencie with the world they deprive themselves of the benefit of godly admonition which is a notable meanes ordayned of God to reclayme many desperate sinners from their sinfull courses and to bring them home by repentance Now because they post off this to others which are more scandalous to the world and so doe not feele that they stand in neede of Christ to purge them from their sinnes therefore they remaine strangers from the covenant of Ephe. 2 2 promise and without God in the world And thus wee have seene the measure of Sathans going out of an hypocrite he so seemes to goe as that he alwayes continewes We are now to consider of his demeanour when he is gone contayned in these words He walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none In which words observe 1. His labour he walkes 2. His station in dry places 3. The end of his walking he seekes rest 4. The issue or event he finds none He walketh through dry places c. We will first indeavour to free the words from obscurity and then draw such conclusions as may be profitable for our edification He walketh This word is a metaphor or borrowed speech taken from Travellers who out of a desire they have to come to their journeyes end put forth all their strength to the end they may the more speedily obtaine their desires And this speech being applyed to other actions noteth celerity and continuance of that thing unto which it is applyed Which speech being applyed unto Sathan noteth his restlesse diligence hee doth not Arentia lota dicuntur respectâ— Sathanae illa talia sunt omnia quae eum excludunt qualiâ— sunt â—ectorâ— fidelium Aret. in locum goe drowsily or sleepily but couragiously and constantly for so much the word walketh importeth He walketh through dry places is also a metaphor taken from dry ground which for want of moysture cannot bring forth fruit so that by dry places as afterwards shall appeare is meant the hearts of Gods children his banishment froÌ„ them is as uncomfortable to him as a drye wildernesse is to a thirstie Traveller seeking rest What rest doth he seeke Sathan seeke Doth he seeke to be reconciled unto God No. Would hee bee reconciled unto man whom hee hath so much wronged No. What rest doth hee then seeke Surely this to doe all the mischeefe he can doe to mankinde to deface Gods Image in our soules and to wrap all mankinde under the curse of God The hearts of Gods children which are watred with faith and repentance whereby he is excluded with all his temptations are sayd to be dry places because they yeeld him no moysture whereby hee may set his temptations a working so that when he cannot hurt us in our soules then he labours by all meanes to plague us in our bodies If he cannot mischeefe us in our bodies then he labours to hurt us in our states and if hee cannot hurt us in our substance then he will vex us in our good names and reputations and cast out floods of reproaches against us and if he cannot prevaile against us herein then hee will destroy the fruits of the earth fish in the Sea and if he cannot hurt us in them then hee will corrupt and infect the ayre that thereby hee may infect our bodies with noysome diseases and if God will not give him leave to annoy us in these or the like then hee is sayd to walke in dry places for he accounts all those places dry and uncomfortable to him in which he can doe no mischeefe And thus you have the sence and meaning of the words When the uncleane spirit is gone out Doct. of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest Hence learne That Sathan 1 Pet. 5. 8. is very diligent to watch all opportunity to doe as much mischeefe as he may to mankinde therefore hee is said to walke about like a 1 Pet 5 8. roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure Hee goes not about as a king in Progresse for delight but his going about is to devoure Hee is no idle spectator but a diligent tempter he is one that will never be weary for hee will never give over his temptations till there bee an end of time He began earely as soone as our first Parents were created he set upon them and rested not till they were turned out of Paradise and wrapped under the curse of God Yet for all this he was not content but as soone as Adam had two sonnes by whom mankinde might be increased he laboured to destroy the body of one of them and the soule of the other Therefore he filled Caines heart with envie and made him kill his innocent brother And then the first age of the Gen. 4. world hee so corrupted and filled with iniquitie which did so provoke the Lord that he drowned all the world And after the world was to be repayed by Noah and his Family presently he filled it with Idolatry Gen. 6 and ever since hee hath shewed himselfe an enemy that is never wearied with toyling nor weakned with watching but at all occasions is plyant and watchfull and labours by all meanes to molest the godly and make himselfe sure of the wicked His hand like Ismaels is against every man but especially against the godly Hee beguiled Evah in the likenesse of a Gen. 3 Serpent and deceived Saul in Samuels mantle He is very forward to offer his service if God call Who shall 1 King 2â— 22 goe forth to deceive Ahab Hee is at hand and sayes Send mee for now still he is at hand to tempt all men He puts into our hearts evill thoughts into our mouths lewde speeches into our members sinfull actions When we are awake hee stirreth us up to unlawfull deedes and when wee are asleepe hee stirreth up in us filthy dreames If wee be merry then hee maketh us wanton if sad and melancholy then he labours to bring us to despaire Hee tempts all men and in all places and by outward objects he stirrs up inward corruptions Hee tempted our Saviour Christ presently after his Baptisme he was not affraid of the holinesse of his person though hee were proclaymed from heaven to be the Sonne of God Hee tempted David a man after Gods owne heart to number the people Peter to deny and forsweare his Master Neither the holinesse of the place nor action can hinder his temptation He set upon Iudas in the
stop the devills mouth For if wee studie to please men rather than God then wee cannot be the servants of God Let us then couragiously shew our selves on Christs side by taking his part against the enemies of his truth because there is no peace to be expected with Sathan or his instruments unlesse it be upon dishonourable conditions Sathan is like to Nahash the Ammonite that would not 1 Sam. 11 make a league with the men of Iabesh Gilead unlesse hee might put out their eyes so Sathan will not admit of any conditions unlesse he may coole our zeale and hinder us in the meanes of our Salvation and therefore wee had neede to stand upon our guard for if hee prevaile hee will leade us captive unto sinne and inthrall our bodies and soules to miserable bondage and therefore let us shew our selves valiant and encourage one another as the Philistins did and quite our 1 Sam. 4 selves like men and fight it out away with base cowardice wee shall prevaile Sathan hath no power but from God nor is able to molest us without his permission to incourage us to fight let us remember hee is but a vanquished slave Christ our Captaine hath overcome him Heb. 2. 14. with all his ayds the world Ioh. 16. 33. the flesh Rom. 8. 1. Againe he hath promised wee shall prevaile and that if we resist the divell he shall flie from â—m 4 7. us and hath promised to tread him under foot Rom. 16. 26. as hee hath beene by the godly before us 1 Ioh. 2. 14. This is a point necessary to bee considered in our dayes wherein Sathan and his instruments so much prevaile over Gods people abroad the consideration hereof makes many a poore soule stagger as if God had cast off the care of his people and therefore they discourage themselves with needelesse feares and begin to fawne and curry favour with Sathan and his instruments Papists Atheists and the like as if God were like to have the worst and his Children were like to goe to the wall But let us renew the battell for Christ seemes to â—ll from heaven as Iehu once Who is â—n my side Who Let us then cry to â—od for helpe and manfully use those â—eapons hee hath sanctified for that â—urpose the word which is mighty â—rough God to the pulling downe of â—rong houlds 2 Cor. 10. 4. The shield of â—aith whereby we shall be able to quench â—ll the fiery darts of the wicked Ephe. 6. â—6 And remember above all things â—hat it is not enough to fight with Gods weapons unlesse wee borrow his Arme and therefore when wee prevaile let him have the glory Psal 50. 51. 2. This doctrine is usefull for terrour to all Sathans instruments that march under his colours against Gods Children they doe but loose their labour and kicke against the prickes for God must prevaile and will disappoint all his enemies of their hopes and let the world see they doe but loose their labour and plucke downe vengeance upon their soules for God will speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore dispeasure Psal 2 5 And thus much for Sathans departure and demeanour when he is gone He walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Then he saith I will returne into my Vers 44. house from whence I came out when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Wee are now come to the second generall point propounded wherein we are to observe Sathans diligence to regaine his former possession and to examine the reasons that induce him thereunto Then he saith I will returne to my house The divell being ignorant of Gods secrets and so not knowing whose names are written in the Booke of life hopes to gaine the day upon the best of Gods Children and if he cannot prevaile hee will not cease to be an enemy but will come on with more and more malice and if he cannot prevaile by policie hee will see what he can do by furie Then he saith I will returne In the words observe these particulars 1. Sathans undaunted resolution contained in these words I will returne 2. The Terminus ad quem or place whither To my house which hee exemplifies by the affection he beares to it My house whence I came out 3. The reasons that induce him to make his re-entrie and they are described by 3. adjuncts 1. The house is emptie Emptie Per pigritiam et negligentiam 2. It is swept 3. It is garnished Wee will first endeavour to free the words from obscurity and then according to the method proposed gather such instructions as naturally arise He findeth it emptie Ob. What is meant by this An. To be empty is to be voyd of faith and hee that hath no faith is also empty of good works For true faith is never alone though in the worke of justification it justifies alone without any dependencie of good workes yet in the declaration and manifestation thereof it is alwayes joyned with good workes Iam. 2. which are inseparable companions of faith But hypocrites are empty of faith the mistresse and good workes the handmaide and so being empty of both they are fit places for Sathan to set up his rest 2. He findeth it swept Ob. What Swept Per consuetudinem peccati is meant hereby An. Hypocrites content themselves with a little counterfeit repentance and to make shew of a little humiliation for the sinnes which the world takes notice of These are swept over slightly and superficially with the besome of hypocrisy but the sinnes of profit and pleasures these are baked on but if wee will be a swept house for God then all our darling and pleasing sinnes must be scraped and paâ—ed away by greater labour than â—weeping A stayned and defiled cloth â—s not easily made cleane there must bee washing and cleansing and great paines An old inveterate sore saith the wise man troubleth the Physitian So old inveterate sinnes which are baked and caked to our nature will not easily bee sweeped away it is a hard matter to bring men to repentance which are dyed in graine in sin there must be much scraping and digging to cast out this filth sweeping will not serve the turne for sinne by long continuance have defiled these houses which are our bodies How will this appeare may some say Doe but consider how much rotten and unsavorie communication proceeds out of our mouth how much envie and malice boiles in our hearts doth not this shew that there is much filthinesse within and doe wee then thinke a little counterfeit repentance will serve the turne no no there must be powing paring and scraping out of the uncleannesse of our nature much purging out of the drosse out of our soules else wee are but swept houses of Sathan It is garnished Ob. What is that An. The hypocrites heart is Garnished Per hypocrysim garnished with hypocrisie and counterfeit holinesse his heart
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
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