THE COMBAT BETWEENE CHRIST AND THE Diuell displayed OR A COMMENTARIE vpon the Temptations of CHRIST Preached in Cambridge by that reuerend and iudicious Diuine M. WILLIAM PERKINS The second edition much enlarged by a more perfect copie at the request of M. Perkins Executors by Tho. Pierson Preacher of Gods word Hereunto is prefixed an Analysis or generall view of this Combat and a twofolde Table added one of places of Scripture the other of speciall points to be obserued ROM 16. 20. The God of Peace shall tread Satan vnder your feet shortly LVK. 22. 28. 29. You are they which haue continued with me in my temptations Therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdome euen as my Father hath appointed vnto me LONDON Printed by Melchisedech Bradwood for E. E. and are to be solde in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Swan Anno 1606. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Sir William Russell L. Russell Baron of Thornhaugh with the vertuous Lady his wife Grace and Peace VPon that strange battel in heauen betweene Michael the great Prince and Satan that olde Serpent was heard a loud voice sounding foorth ioy and woe ioy to the heauens and to them that dwell therein because the accuser of the brethren is cast out thence but woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea that is to the sonnes of men in this vale of teares for the Diuell is come downe vnto them with great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time In this voice right Honourable are two things affirmed touching Satans first that his casting out of heauen is ioifull to the Saints next that his comming downe on earth is wofull vnto men Is the matter of our woe ioy to the Saints Nothing lesse but that the Diuell might be knowen to be an euill guest where euer he comes the heauens doe reioice for his departure and sea and earth ought to mourne for his approaching so that he is or at leastwise ought to be no where welcome except it be in hell and all such persons may well perceiue themselues not heauenlie but plainly hellish minded as giue more kinde welcome vnto Satan in their cheerefull practise of the works of darkenesse then they do vnto Iesus Christ who knockes at the doore of their hearts promising to come in and suppe with them if they will heare his voice and open vnto him But what do the heauens gaine by Satans casting downe And how doth his descending to the earth work man such wo Ans. For heauens gain they are wel rid of the malitious accuser of the brethrē Who would know more must striue to get to heauen and if more be needfull there his information shal be certaine As for mans woe by Satans company here on earth who so doubts heerof may well suspect himselfe to haue already receiued of him that deadly hurt in blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart whereof none saue Iesus Christ the good Physitian of our soules by the eie-salue and anointing of his spirit can worke the cure Is it not wofull to the flockes and to the heards when rauenous beasts do frequent their pastures then wo to man because of Satan for the perill of the lambe from the woolfe of the kid from the leopard of the fat beast from the Lion and of the sucking child from the Aspe is nothing comparable to the danger of man from this olde serpent who in craft and cruelty yea in euery hurtfull property goes beyond them all Other deuouring creatures keepe their circuites and obserue their times they are sometime weary and not alwaies hungry some are vnfit for the darke and others afraid of the light whereby their sillie pray gets some respite but Satan is a prince of the darknesse of this world who yet for his aduantage can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light so as the day and night are to him both alike for the working of our woe he is euer greedy and neuer weary and therefore alwaies seeking and if wee dreame of any restraint to him for time or place we deceiue our selues for he was a murtherer from the beginning and so will continue till time shall be no more and he compasseth the whole earth walking in it to and fro euen like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure With other creatures wo is ended when the pray is once deuoured but to Satans pray it is not so for vnlesse his snare be broken and they deliuered in this life their woe continues easelesse endlesse and remedilesse after naturall death Indeed the naturall man doth not perceiue that working of Satan which doth procure his woe it may be he hath seene the plaiers and the painters Diuels some blacke horned monster with broad eies crooked clawes or clouen feet and till some such thing appeare vnto him he neuer feareth hurt by Satan little doth he thinke that ignorance in the scriptures neglect of Gods worship profaning Gods sabbaths with greedy affecting the wealth pompe and pleasures of this world doe giue aduantage vnto Satan against his soule and therefore while the matters of this life do answer his desire he can sing to himselfe this pleasant requiem soule soule take thy rest But our voice from heauen cries woe to all such inhabitants of the earth because of Satan for they are of this world and he is their prince and their God who hauing blinded their minds worketh in their hearts and so keepes them sure in his possession Indeed like a seeming friend he suffereth all things to be in peace but woefull peace like to Absalons wine which he gaue to Ammon that when his heart was most merrie therewith his least suspected deadlie wound might light vpon him Euerie one by nature is the childe of wrath and so of himselfe ful of all miserie but mercilesse Satan seekes the increase heerof by causing the root of mans corruption to spread foorth the branches of all transgressions indeed he is not the beginner of euery sinne for much impiety flows from mans inbred impurity yet so sure a friend is Satan to corruption in the workes of darkenesse that if nature doe but stretch foorth the hand Satan will thrust at the elbow doth Caine hate Abel then will Satan bring this hatred from the heart to the hand and cause Caine to kill Abel Is Iudas couetous then wil Satan for the satisfying of that desire make him traiterous let him find but a sparkle he will soone kindle it to a flame so that wofull is his comming to all naturall men But doth the child of God escape his hands no verily Satan is a professed deadly foe to all such he is their aduersarie and accuser that which should procure them good he seekes to hinder and what euer may worke them woe he will be sure to further if they fall into sinne he seekes to bring them to despaire and
crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him It is commanded by God practised by Christ yeelded to by the Saints assigned by Gods prouidence and good for vs ech way We are Gods trees we shall groe better by pruning Gods pomander smell better by rubbing Gods spice he more profitable by bruising and Gods conduits we are the better by running Let vs suffer afflictions they are momentany in respect of time fauors if we respect Gods loue and a meanes to bring vs to the kingdome of God If they did consume vs we might wish them an end but they doe purge vs let vs be content They are Gods fan we are Gods wheat they are Gods boulter we are Gods meale they are Gods flame we are Gods bush they are Gods cords we are Gods sacrifice they are Gods fornace we are Gods gold The wheat will not be good without the fan nor the meale without the boulter nor the bush without the flame nor the sacrifice without the cords nor the gold without the fornace they are trials not punishments if we be sonnes punishments not trials if we be slaues Let vs then beare them they will haue an end ioy will follow they shew vs our weekenesse they moue vs to pray they shew we are in the path way to heauen and make vs contemne this present world By them we learne to repent vs of sinne past to take heed of sinne present and to foresee sinne to come By them we receiue Gods spirit are like to Christ are acquainted with Godspower haue ioy in deliuerance know benefit of prosterity made more hardy to suffer and haue cause to practise many excellent vertues They cause vs as one saith to seeke out Gods promise the promise to seeke faith faith to seeke praier and praier to finde God Seeke and yee shall finde call and he will answer waite and he will come I am to write an Epistle I must not be long Iobs messengers came not so fast on him but Iobs afflictions may come as fast vpon vs. Hath Dauid slain a Beare he shall encounter with a Lion hath he killed a Lion he must fight with Goliah hath he subdued Goliah he must make a rode vpon the Philistims are the Philistims conquered Saul wil assault him Remember Dauids troubles and feresee what may be our troubles The more righteous we are the more manifold are our troubles and he better we are the better we may indure them But as our troubles are many so are our deliuerances many God will deliuer vs out of all He that deliuered Noah from the floud Lot from Sodome Iacob from Esau Ioseph from Potiphar Moses from Pharaoh Israel from Egypt Dauid from Saul Eliah from Achab Elisha from the Syrians Naaman from his leprosie Hezechiah from the plague the three children from the fire Daniel from the Lions Ioseph from Herod the Apostles from the Iewes and Christ from the Diuell he euen he will either deliuer vs from trouble or comfort vs in trouble or mitigate troubles when they come vpon vs. He he hath promised to doe it and he that hath promised is able to do it And this he doth sometimes by no meanes sometimes by small meanes sometimes by ordinary meanes sometimes by extraordinarie sometimes contrarie to all meanes By no meanes be cured a creeple at Bethesda by small meanes he fed fiue thousand in the desert by ordinary meanes he was brought from the pinnacle by meanes extraordinary he was prouided for in hunger and contrarie to all meanes were the three children preserued in the fornace of fire I haue good cause to thinke of Gods gracious deliuerance being my selfe deliuered from a great trouble Since the time I was vnkindly dismissed from my poore charge where I would haue continued if malice had not hindred me I haue liued in an end of this City dangerously in respect of the sicknesse poorely in regard of maintenance and painfully in respect of my ministerie yet till this time hath the Lord deliuered me and as Paul said he will deliuer me if that he see it be best for me Let man therefore comfort himselfe in the Lord after two daies he will reuiue vs and the third day he will raise vs vp againe Heauiensse may endure for a night but ioy will come in the morning Doubtlesse there is a reward for the righteous verily God retaineth not his wrath for euer Could he ouercome the world and can he not ouercome many troubles in the world Yea let one plague follow another as one quaile sings to another yet as the viper leaped on Paules hand and forthwith leaped off againe so one trouble shall leape vpon the righteous and anon leap off againe though he fall he shall rise againe the righteous shall not be forsaken for euer if he hath deliuered vs from the guilt of our sinnes he will deliuer vs from the punishment of our sinnes Let vs then therefore be patient in trouble constant in hope rooted in loue let vs waite and he will come call and he will heare beleeue and he will performe repent vs of our euill committed against him and he will repent of his euils intended against vs. He is ouer vs by his prouidence about vs by his Angels in vs by his spirit with vs by his word vnder vs by his power and vpon vs by his Sonne In him is our helpe from him is our comfort by him is our victory and for him is our trouble In thee haue I trusted saith a king who euer was confounded that trusted in the Lord said a friend and as Elkanah was to Hannah in stead of many sons so God is to his in stead of many comforters Of other comforters we may say as Iob did of his frinds Silly comforters are you all They will leaue vs as mice doe a ruinous house but the Lord like Ruthe to Naomi will neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs Especially in the houre of death which is in remembrance bitter to great men in that houre of death he will be with vs and command his Angels to take charge of our soules the earth to be as a bed for our bodies that so the one may goe into glory the other reserued in hope of like glorie and be made one day like vnto the glorious body of Christ Iesus Thus right Honorable you haue seene the righteous in affliction as Israel was in Babylon and that the Lord like Zorobabel is ready to deliuer them Though in troubles Christs seemes as in the ship to sleepe yet in deliuerance he awakes as a man out of sleepe and as a Giant refreshed with wine He will rebuke
pinnacle of the temple Now if hee had power to set him there why might hee not also cary him thither God ordaining this as well as his temptation The vse By this we see that men may be transported by the Diuell from place to place as the records of all ages do report this one thing yet obserued wherin the common opinion faileth that the Diuell cannot conuey a man aliue so far in a little time as many men thinke as a thousand or two thousand miles in an houre for no man is able to endure such violent motion and yet liue as experience teacheth let a man fall from some high steeple and his breath wil be gone and hee dead before hee come at the ground by reason of the violence of his motion Indeed the Diuell can carrie a man very swiftly but yet for the safetie of mans life he must prolong his time far more than otherwise of himselfe hee needs to doe Secondly hence wee learne that by Gods permission the Diuell may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods owne children which are true beleeuers to transport them from place to place for dealing thus with the head Christ Iesus why may hee not doe so with any of his members besides we find that God permitting him hee hath done more than this to the Saints of God hee may possesse their bodies as he did the woman of Canaans daughter Mat. 15. 22. He may torment them long as hee did exceeding grieuously bow the body of a daughter of Abraham eighteen years Luk. 13 16. Yea he may kill the body as he did to Iobs children who no doubt were holy persons Iob. 1. 19. And therefore much more may hee transport them from place to place Heere this question may fitly be answered whether a true beleeuer may be bewitched Answ. Hee may there is none vpon earth so faithfull and holy but if God permit Satan can afflict their bodies grieuously and therefore also they may be bewitched It is but the fancy of presumptuous persons when they say their faith is so strong that all the witches in the world cannot hurt them for if God permit Satan can grieuously afflict mans body as he did the body of Iob. yea he can kil the body as hath been shewed Salomon speaking of outward things saith truly All things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked now the wicked man may be bewitched as al will grant why then may not the godly also seeing it is but an outward euill This therfore must abate their pride that stand so much on their strong faith behold this fact of Satan to the holy body of Christ and heereby learne for thy humiliation that if God permit Satan is able to bring vpon thy body great affliction Further obserue the place whither Satan caries our Sauiour Christ into the holy city that is Ierusalem Quest. Why is it called holy seeing now it was a polluted place full of sinful people Answ. It is called holy for these causes 1. because heere was the Lords temple the place of his solemne worship wherein were the holy rites and ceremonies prescribed for Gods worship Secondly in Ierusalem as also in all the synagogues of Iudea was Moses chaire the law and the Prophets were read expounded Thirdlie Ierusalem was the mother City of all the world in respect of religion heere God ordained that his church should first be planted and from hence must religion bee deriued to other nations The vse Hence we may obserue that at this time Ierusalē was the true church of God indeed it was very corrupt both for doctrine and maners as Christs seuere reproofe of both doth plainely shew Mat. 5. 21. c. and Mat. 23. 13. 14. c. and yet a true Church else the holy ghost would not haue called it the holy city Now if Ierusalem at this time were the true church of God then then may wee well say that in England God hath his true church for let the corruptions of our Church bee as they are yet shall it match Ierusalem in the prerogatiues of Gods church They had the law and the Prophets read and expounded so haue wee and the Gospel also which is the power of God to mans saluation They had the Sacraments and ceremonies of the Law answerable thereto wee haue the Sacraments of the Gospell and also a true and holy forme of seruing God Their Ierusalem was a mother city and though wee cannot say so much in that behalfe yet hath our Church beene a nurce to neighbour Churches in Germany France and other places round about for many yeares in regard whereof the Lord no doubt hath bestowed many blessings vpon vs. And therefore though our sinnes and abuses be many and grieuous yet in regard of Church prerogatiues we may be called a holy nation and a true member of the Church of God so that as our Sauiour Christ and his Disciples ioined themselues to the congregations of the Iewes in their legal seruice and forsooke them not till they became no Church so ought it to be among vs till we separate from Christ none should seuer themselues from our church ministery seruice of God Those therefore that make a separation from our Church because of corruptions in it are farre from the spirit of Christ and his Apostles If any shal say this makes wel for the church of Rome if so corrupt a place as Ierusalem in regard of Church prerogatiues were an holie city for they haue as many prerogatiues for religion as the Iewes then had and therefore are the church of God and so we do not well to separate from them Answ. Some indeed that are no Papists say the Church of Rome is the Church of God but the truth is the present Church of Rome is spirituall Babylon the mother of abhominations no spouse of Christ but a strumpet But they plead their prerogatiues as first their succession from Peter Secondly true baptisme for substāce according to the first institution Thirdly the Apostles Creed which they hold and beleeue Fourthly the word of God in the writings of the Prophets Apostles And Lastly that theirs is the mother church Answ. All this is nothing when the truth appeares for first succession in person without succession in doctrine is no note of a church now let them shew succession in the Apostles doctrine and we yeeld Secondly their baptisme alone though for substance true baptisme cannot prooue them a true Church Circumcision was the Sacrament of Gods church yet Samaria and Colchis were not the Church of God though they vsed it againe the thiefe may shew the true mans purse but that proueth him not to be true and honest no more doth baptisme iustifie the church of Rome to bee a true church Lastly though they haue outward baptism yet indeed they ouerthrow inward baptisme the life of that sacrament to wit imputed righteousnesse and renued holinesse which
God he can tempt Christ yea transport his body and set him in a dangerous place for thus far God permits him to goe but to cast Christ downe from the pinnacle he cannot therein comes Gods restraint So it fareth with Gods children for the triall of his graces in them and to chastise them for some sinnes he suffers Satan to buffet them but yet one iotte of his malice beyond Gods permission he cannot shew as in Iobs affliction by him may notably appeare Which wee must carefully remember for our special comfort in our most grieuous assaults Gods will permitting Satan so farre must make vs patient and yet his power restraining Satan from doing worse must giue vs comfort Thus much for the temptation itselfe The reason whereby Satan enforceth his temptation is taken from a testimony of Scripture For it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee c. Satan hearing Christ alledge scripture for his defence against the first assault comes now vpon him with his owne weapon that if it were possible he might foile him after this sort Thou shewest thy selfe to be the Doctor of the Church by thine alleadging of Scripture and that it seemes thou makest the rule of thine actions well then thou maiest well and safely cast thy selfe downe hence if thou bee the Sonne of God for it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp c. From this dealing of Satan wee are taught not to embrace an opinion in religion because a shew of proofe by testimony of Scripture may bee giuen for it But we must trie the spirits that is the doctrines of men whether they be of God or not 1. Ioh. 4. 1. For the Diuell can alleadge Scripture to mooue Christ vnto presumption and it is his vsuall practise when he caries men into schisms errors and heresies Reason with a man that minds to liue in sinne and tell him of that dangerous state by reason of the shortnesse and vncertainty of this life will he not tell you straight he will doe as he does and repent when he is old for it is written At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord And some thinke three or foure good words at a mans last end wil serue his turne for the thiefe on the crosse said no more but Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome And all such as are trained vp in the schoole of Satan can easilie alledge scripture to further them in euil But let vs come to the scripture which the Diuel doth notoriously abuse by his allegation it is written in the 91. Ps. v. 11. In the alledging whereof he would seeme very carefull and precise at the first not omitting so much as this particle for which might haue beene left out and yet nothing haue been wanting to the force of his reason But heerein is the deepenesse of his policy to cause Christ not to suspect any falshood afterward for towards the end hee leaueth out that on which the promise is grounded of being kept by the Angel to wit to keepe thee in all thy waies that is in all the good duties of thy lawfull calling wherein thou shalt glorifie God and doe good to others to such as so walke in their waies doth that promise belong Heere then behold Satans notable fraud and craft that can so cunninglie leaue out that which makes not for his purpose and so peruert the true meaning of scripture this is his vsuall practise in enmity against the word to depraue the true meaning by cutting off some part when hee cannot vtterly ouerthrow the whole The like is the dealing of all heretickes who by cutting off and leauing out play legerdemaine with the scripture The Arrian holds the Bible for the word of God but such places as serue to proue the godhead of Christ he doth notably abuse and peruert The familie of Loue also doth hold the bible for the word of God but come to the true meaning of it therein they faile turning all into Allegories euen most true histories as the fall of our first Parents and such like which are maine grounds of religion in their naturall sense and the Apostaticall Church of Rome doth hold with vs the bookes of the old and new Testament but yet they put in and take out at their pleasure and take from it all sense and meaning which agrees not with the determination of their holy father the Pope and thereby they ouerturne the word of God and strongly maintaine their mystery of iniquity This dealing of Satan and his wicked miscreants with the scripture must make all Gods children willing to spend their strength in searching out the Scripture for that is the onely way to descrie their fraude in deprauing of it This caused Christ to bidde the people in his time to search the Scriptures to learne to know him to bee the true Messias which the Iewish teachers did then deny In regard whereof wee must say with Moses oh that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them oh that all could reade and vnderstand the word of God! This is it wherein all that either be or intend to be ministers must labour especially euen to get sound knowledge and iudgement in the text of Scripture The Minister must not only be able to teach the truth but also to discerne to discouer and to confure errors and heresies which hee can neuer foundly doe without good vnderstanding in the text it selfe The Diuell knowes the whole Scripture and he will spare no text therein it hee can corrupt it therfore to resoue Gods truth out of his hands who is the father of lies the Minister must shew himselfe a good souldier of Iesus Christ as Paul exhorteth Timothy giuing such attendance to the word that all men may see his profitting therein yea with Ieremie the Minister must eat the bookes of God and digest them in his vnderstanding and rejoice therein labouring to feele them the joy of his heart The Diuell knowes that Scripture truely vnderstood and well applied is the onely engine for the battery of his kingdome and therefore euen from the beginning but specially since the comming of Christ hee hath laboured by all meanes to keepe men from the knowledge and true vnderstanding of them hee it is that hath brought men from the reading of the Scriptures to betake themselues to the writings of men as schoolemen fathers and such by this meanes hee hath for many yeares euen to this day in the Church of Rome locked vp the Scripture in an vnknowen tongue yea euen in Gods church the Diuel works mightily this way by stealing away the affections of yong students from the Bible and rauishing them with delight in the writings of men for thus he keeps them from the