with the age of men he knoweth what be their affections what is their nature and what is their disposition hee knoweth what things be offensiue to men hee knoweth also what pleaseth them best in their young age what in their middle age and what in their olde age And as in these things so also hath hee experience in supernaturall things For he remembreth by whom he hath béene resisted and who will not yéeld to him This then must greatly amplifie his knowledge séeing he hath alwayes had such long experience of all things that come to passe As put the case there were one man aliue which were perfect in sense in body in minde in reason and memory and in all the faculties both of the body and the minde that had liued from the beginning of the world vnto this daye and had obserued all things that had fallen out heretofore this man would tell such wonderfull things both past and to come by naturall causes and continuall obseruation that I feare me least many would worship him as a GOD therefore the Diuill must néedes haue great knowledge séeing that he hath had all these But he knoweth more then any man could haue done for hee doth not onely know those among whom he liueth and the things that falleth out amongst them but hee goeth about into euery familie and countrie obserueth what is done and is well acquainted with their conuersation Fourthly besides this hee hath also another meanes to increase his knowledge When the Lord commandeth him to appeare before him to render accounts of all the workes that hee hath done Iob. 1. 16. When the children of GOD that is the good Angels came before the Lord Sathan stood amongst them and the Lord said vnto him Whence commest thou and hee answered From compassing the Earth too and fro and the Lord sayd Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob how there is none like him in the earth an vpright and iust man Sathan answered It is not for nothing that Iob feareth thee hast thou not made a hedge about him and his house and about euery thing which hee hath on euery side but touch all that hee hath and then see whether hee will not blaspheme thee to thy face Sathan knew well enough that man will make shew of religion in prosperitie but in aduersitie by impatience would fall away For herevpon the Lord gaue him libertie to afflict Iob in visiting his body with sicknesse in taking away his children and his goods but whence hath hee this knowledge from the reuelation of the Lord hee knew that Iob should bee visited with great sicknesse and loose his children and his goods when he heard it from the Lord and so he knoweth many other things which are to come to passe and after hee once knoweth them hee goeth to Witches or such like and tels them thereof who like wise tell others of the same before it comes to passe and so deceiue men thereby making them to thinke that they knowe it of themselues but neither they nor the Diuell know it of themselues but by reuelation of the LORD vnto Sathan Fiftly Sathan hath another excellent meanes to increase his knowledge which the Lord hath also granted vnto men for they know what is to come by the Reuelation of the Prophets for if there be any curse belonging to the people the Prophets do denounce the same make the people to know thereof by the preaching of the word whereas therefore the worde is preached there is Sathan present he obserueth the doctrine whether it be of power to bring men from the kingdome of darkenesse to the Lord from sinne vnto repentance If it bee then is he must busie either to step it from the Care or to pull it out of the heart if they haue once receiued it as Math. 13. 19. By this meanes therefore hee increaseth his knowledge that hee may worke more couertly and bee the lesse discerned for hee can turne him-selfe into an Angell of light Sixtly he hath yet another meanes to increase his knowledge and that is by the obseruation of naturall causes If you speake of an Astronomer he can tell that best if yée speake of an Astrologer he is most cunning there in Yea that which men gesse at and as it were groape at in the darke hee beholdeth and knoweth most certainlie and can tell any thing that is to come to passe by the course of the Starres and other naturall causes If we speake of knowledge in the Artes there is none comparable to him hee is most skilfull in all the tongues and there is no time that is hid from him So that by these meanes hee hath wonderfully increased his knowledge But some may say Hath hee knowledge in any thing in which the good Angels haue no knowledge No for they are as diligent for the saluation of the godly as he is for their destruction Psal 91. 11. GOD giueth his Angels charge to kéepe Christ and all that are his in all their wayes nay they pitche their tents about him that feareth the Lord to kéepe him on euery side that no harme befall him any way And therefore as soone as Sathan had left off tempting Christ the good Angels came and ministred vnto him all things that were requisite for him in this life But doth not Sathans knowledge serue to the working of a miracle No for it is a finite knowledge and therfore cannot produce any miracle for euery true miracle is wrought by an omnipotent power The second thing wherein Satans power doth consist in his action or his déed which as his knowledge is great so it is likewise great Let vs therefore see his actions The déede of perswading is great for hee mooued Cam contrary to his knowledge and contrary to Nature not onely to reuile his brother but to kill him hee talked not with Caine but by motions and perswasions in his heart did allure him therevnto But it appeareth more great in his first action against mankinde as when he came to our first parents in the forme of a Serpent which argueth his great power that hee can transforme himselfe into such a creature and abuse the tongue of a Serpent to that end So wee read of his actions also in Exodus when Moses wrought miracles before Pharaoh by the finger of God Satan also by his Enchanters did worke the same miracles yet not true miracles because they did them not by the finger of God but by the power of Sathan So also 1. Samuel 28. Sathan comes to a witch and would also tell the witch what successe Saule should haue in his battell that hee tooke in hand hee came in the shape of Samuel so that Saule thought he had béene Samuell So also would hee talke familiarly with men therefore the Lord gaue a law that if any one consulted with a familiar spirit he should dye which law had béene in vaine if none had consulted familiarly with him So hee was a lyer
CHRISTES MIRACLES Deliuered in a Sermon By ARTHVR DENT Preacher of the word of GOD at South-Shoobery in Essex AT LONDON Printed by G E. for Iohn Wright and are to be sould at his shop at Christ-church Gate 1608. CHRISTES Miracles Iohn 9. 16. Then said some of the Pharisees This man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabboth others sayd How can a man that is a sinner doe such miracles And there was a dissension among them IN this verse is set downe a double opinion which the Pharisees held concerning Christ and especially concerning the workes which hee had wrought among them Some of them haue peremptorilie and flatly condenmed him saying that hee was a man that was not of GOD and they render a reason or rather a shadow of a reason namely because he kéepeth not the Sabboth but their opinion was rashe and their iudgement false and erronious procéeding from the malice and hatred of the person of Christ Also that which they haue vsed for a reason we haue shewed that it is likewise false for Christ was so farre from breaking the Sabaoth or any part of the law that he did in full perfection fulfill the whole law of God Now followeth the opinion of the second sort of Pharisees which sayd How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles as if the holy Ghost should say If our Sauiour Christ were such a prophaner and breaker of the Saboth as you surmise him to be then it were impossible for him to doe such strange and wonderfull miracles as we sée he hath wrought of this wee haue spoken before shal speake more hereafter when we haue spoken generally of Miracles of the workes of them therefore of the power of God in working them also of the power of Angels of Satan of men therein Whereas it is said How can a man that is a sinner doe such miracles these men doe insinuate that sinners can do some wonderfull miracles in the sight of men but to doe such a miracle as to cure a man being blinde from his birthe was impossible for them It is impossible that any sinner should doe this or any such miracles which Christ did wee are therefore to shew first what a miracle is that euery one vnderstanding the nature thereof may make such proper and peculiar vse of the same as he ought A miracle is nothing else but a rare worke apparently wrought by the sole omnipotent power of God cleane contrary to the order and instinct of nature farre aboue nature or naturall causes I vse so many words that I may speake to the capacity of all the people wheras otherwise I might vse fewer we are therefore first to know y ◠it is a worke for indéed it must be in it selfe a true worke déed or fact otherwise it cannot in it selfe and of it selfe make men to muse and maruell at it at least it cannot make wise men to maruell at it If therefore it be a miracle it must be a sensible worke not a worke in shew illusion or deceit but a worke in nature indéed and in trueth If it be but an apparance of a worke it is no miracle If it be onely in illusion of the senses it is no miracle It is then true that the illusions of Satan are no miracles for he doth nothing but delude the senses of men neither is it the celeritie or agilitie of mens hands which are miracles as of Juglers which deceiue the people by an actiuitie in continuing the thing which they doe For they doe not any true worke but by their dexterity deceiue mens senses These therefore are no miracles for euery miracle must be a true worke and fact indéed I therefore first call a miracle a worke to separate it from those that séeme to be miracles and yet are not as be the workes of Satan and his members and also those that are done by agility of man which are workes in shew but not indéed This kind of miracle which is a true worke hath béene wrought by diuers of Gods children as Moses when he was sent to deliuer the people of Israell out of Egipt did worke many miracles to testifie that he was sent of the Lord. He made Frogs not in appearance but indéed he turned the water of the riuer into bloud not in appearance but in déed So also Elias wrought myracles not in shew but in déed So Christ wrought miracles not in shew but in déed For Lazarus being dead indéed he raised him vp againe in déed when the wine wanted at the mariage he turned water in déed into wine in déed as pure wine as any issued out of the Uine and so were all the miracles which he did workes in déed and not only in appearance When therefore wee sée any wonderfull thing come to passe wee must examine it whether it be a worke in déed or onely in appearance If it be not a worke in déed as be the illusions of Satan and of men which deceiue the senses and do not bring any worke to passe then is it not a true miracle For euery true miracle which the Lord hath wrought himselfe or any of the Prophets or our Sauiour Christ haue béene true workes Secondly I call it a rare worke of God for of the workes of God there be some which are vsuall common ordinary as the preseruation of mankind is an ordinary and vsuall worke of God and it is truly said of the holy Ghost that we liue mooue and haue our being in the Lord yet because this is vsuall ordinary and common yea dayly and hourely for the Lord doth ordinarily euery day and houre preserue men otherwise they could not liue I say because it is ordinary dayly and hourely we cannot properlye call it a miracle for it doth make men to maruell to muse to be amased and astonied at it séeing it is so vsuall and ordinary among them For it is the nature of miracles to make men muse and maruell at them and therefore when as in the Euangelists any miracle which our Sauiour Christ wrought is set downe there also immediatly followeth that the people were astonied therefore that which is vsuall and common cannot properly be called a miracle A miracle therefore must be a rare worke of God sildome brought to passe and for this cause we cannot say that repentance or regeneration is a miracle for although repentance be wrought in few yet is it not properly a miracle because it is ordinarily vsually at one time or another wrought in the hearts of all Gods children There be also many strange and wonderfull workes of nature yet because they are not rare but vsuall and ordinarie they be no miracles An Adamant stone wee know not by what force will drawe Iron to it selfe Iron is heauy of it selfe and of it selfe cannot possibly mooue from place to place yet an Adamant if it be aboue it will draw it to it selfe which is
wee haue spoken before which is an vnbeceaueable miracle for it is not done to deceiue any but to magnifie the worke thereof and for the good of them for whom it is wrought and for the profit of those which behold it it is called diuine because it is wrought by the soule omnipotent power of God Besides this there is a false vaine and deceiueable miracle false I say because it is not this for whatsoeuer is not this is a false Miracle and vaine because it cannot haue any good Godly profitable and holy vse to the conscience of man and deceiueable because it deludeth men that are to discerne and iudge of it This is the miracle which the Pharisees here speake of the which is granted to bee done by the wicked Elsewhere in the scriptures wee read who are the workers of this miracle as namely Sathan himselfe doth often-times worke it So also his Ministers do often-times worke the same for the holy Ghost teacheth vs Math. 24. 24. That in the latter dayes there shall come false Christs and false Prophets and shewe great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect. Wée must not imagine that the false Christs shall worke true miracles but they shall worke such strange and wonderfull things that they should carry away many after them nay if the Lord had not decréed in his secret counsell to saue them that they should neuer fall away they would also deceiue them Whereby wee may bee admonished that séeing wee are in the last age of the world that fearefull times are at hand wherein false Christs shall arise and deceiue many And is not Satan now strong in the hearts of the reprobates that they will teach false doctrines Now what if Heretickes and Scismatickes should haue power to confirme their doctrine by miracles and strange wonders would not many beléeue in them Let vs therefore as Paule taught the Galathians prepare our hearts that if an Angell from Heauen teach vs any other doctrine then that which wee haue receiued in the written word of GOD let him bee accursed The Holy Ghost also foretelleth vs 2 Thes 2. 9. That before the comming of CHRIST to iudgement shall appeare Antichrist with all power with signes and lying wonders The Holy Ghost doth before admonish vs hereof That wee should not wauer at euery motion nor fall away at euery tryall but bee constant and hold fast the Doctrine which wee haue receiued from the Lord by his Prophets his Sonne and his Apostles then although wee bee tryed with Hereticks and Scismatickes and séeme to ourselues and to others to be lost yet wee shall bee reserued to eternall saluation But some man may say If Sathan can worke such miracles and the Lord would haue false Christs to arise and worke wonders how shall wee iudge of a miracle that is done whether it proceed from the Lord or from Sathan and his Ministers from a good cause and worker or from an euill and what wee are to holde and thinke of the power of Sathan how farre it reacheth and what it is able to doe I answer that this is a very necessary point to bee knowne and séeing wee haue entred into the handling of miracles wee will shew what miracles can bée wrought by Sathan what is his power where it beginneth and where it endeth The third part of this Sermon Now therfore it remaineth to speake of the power of Sathan Certaine it is and wee are to beléeue it by faith that the power of Sathan is not equall to the power of GOD it is not so strong so large and so wide it is euery way infinitly lesse there is no comparison betwéene that which is infinite and that which is finite If wée compare it with good Angels it will be lesse then some and greater then other some as afterward we shall more plainely sée but if wee compare it with the power of man it is farre greater euery way but yet wee must know that is a finite and naturall power not supernaturall for then none could bee saued it is mightie but yet not Almightie but that we may better conceiue of it let vs lée wherein it lyeth All the power that Sathan hath consisteth in two points First in his knowledge or vnderstanding Secondly in his déed action or worke For according as a mans knowledge is such is his déed so is Sathans as his knowledge is great so also his worke great For his knowledge it is to bee considered whence it ariseth and how hee commeth by it so shall wee better iudge of the greatnesse thereof Hee hath his knowledge by these meanes that follow First from his spirituall Nature for by Nature hee is a spirit and therfore by nature hath the measure of knowledge giuen by GOD to a spirit which is great Wee know that there is a greater measure of knowledge in man then is in a brute beast by reason of that nature which the Lord hath giuen to man aboue beasts So the Diuill is made of a spirituall substance and of that onely so that hee hath not a body which might hinder him to sée into the nature quality and operation of a spirite and therefore being a spirit he hath the knowledge of a spirit In that therefore he is a spirit hee hath a greater famili aritic with our spirites then otherwise hee could haue In regarde therefore of his Nature his knowledge is great Secondarily the measure of his knowledge may bee discerned by his creation GOD created him a good Angell and gaue him the same measure of knowledge that hee gaue to other Angels Looke therefore what knowledge is in a good Angell by creation the same knowledge is in Sathan by his creation It may bee that hee retaineth still that measure of knowledge which hee then receiued albeit as it may bee thought that as man by his fall lost a great measure of that knowledge which hee had by his creation so the Diuill lost a great measure of his knowledge by his Apostacie from the Lord. Further it is to be knowne that the diuil being now fallen is not of the consultation of the Lord as the good Angels are for they stand alwaies before his face ready to doe any thing that hee shall command them for the good of the Elect and therefore they are of the consultations of the Lord but Sathan is not so and therefore hee cannot haue so great knowledge as they haue which is a great comfort to those that be the true children of GOD that the good Angels by the measure of their knowledge are more able to saue and defend vs then the Diuill is by the measure of his knowledge to harme vs. Thirdly the Diuill since his fall hath increased his knowledge both on the things on earth and of the wayes of God by long obseruations and continuall experience who hath alwayes had experimentall knowledge of the nature of man for he is well acquainted