the Devil's work in us 1 John 3. 8. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil And Joh. 8. 34. Whosoever committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin The one cometh from a just God the other from our corrupt Hearts The one is the Act of an Holy God the other the Act of a sinful Creature 4. The Death of Christ falls more directly upon this Benefit exemption from Sin Mat. 1. 21. He shall save his People from their Sins Acts 3. 26. God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities not Troubles or Sorrows but Sins 5. Affliction is a more particular temporal Evil but Sin is an infinite universal Evil Sickness depriveth us of Health Poverty of Wealth c. And every adverse Providence doth but oppose some particular temporal Good But Sin depriveth us of God who is the Fountain of our Comfort the other but of some limited Comfort 6. Afflictions are sent to remove Sin Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Isa. 26. 9. When thy Iudgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness But Sin is not sent to remove Affliction Now the End must be greater than the Means both as to Prosecution and Aversation As to Prosecution To dig for Iron with Mattocks of Gold and Silver So in Aversation If Death were not worse than the Pain of Physick no Man would take Physick to avoid Death 7. Affliction is the Effect of God's Love Heb. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chastneth But to be left to Sin is an Effect of God's Anger God doth not always exempt from Troubles yet if he keep from Spiritual hurt thereby if he sanctify the Trouble support us with sufficient Grace 2 Cor. 12. 9. if preserved from Evil howsoever tempted and exercised 't is enough Vse 1. To reprove our Folly We complain of other Things but we do not complain of Sin which is the greatest Evil. This is contrary to the Spirit of God's Children who rejoice in Troubles but not in Sins 2 Cor. 12. 9. Most gladly therefore will I rejoice in Infirmities that the Power of Christ may rest upon me They groan bitterly under Sins Rom. 7. 23. O wretched Man c. If any Man had cause to complain of Afflictions Paul had In Perils often Whipped Persecuted Stoned But the Body of Sin and Death was the greatest Burden Lusts troubled him more than Scourges his Captivity to the Law of Sin more than Prisons When Affliction sitteth too close Sin sits loose In Affliction there is some Offence done us but in Sin the wrong is done to God And what are we to God Afflictions may be good but Sin is never good The Body suffereth by Affliction but the Soul suffereth by Sin loss of Grace and Comfort which are not to be valued by all the World's Enjoyments The Evil of Affliction is but for a moment like Rain it drieth up of its own accord But the Evil of Sin is for ever unless it be pardoned and taken away Sin is the Cause of all the Evils of Affliction therefore when we complain we should complain not so much of the Smart as of the Cause of it 2. It directeth us 1. How to pray to God against Sin rather than Trouble This is indeed to be delivered from Evil 2 Tim. 4. 18. Paul reckoned upon that He will deliver me from every evil Work When afflicted you should rather desire to have the Affliction sanctified than removed you will be most careful for that Saints do not pray for the Interests of the Old Man rather than the New Man To be freed from Trouble is a common Mercy but to have it sanctified is a special Mercy Carnal Men may be without Affliction but Carnal Men cannot have experience of Grace Bare deliverance is no sign of special Love 2. In our choice 'T was an heavy Charge they put upon Iob Job 36. 21. Thou hast chosen Iniquity rather than Affliction Sometimes we are put upon the trial To loose the Favour of God or the Favour of Men Duty and Danger Here content my self gratify my Lusts and Interests there offend God Out of the Temptation we could easily judg that all the Misery in the World is to be endured rather than commit the least Sin But how is it upon a trial when a Worldly Convenience and a Spiritual Inconvenience is proposed By chusing Sin a Man cannot altogether escape Affliction here or hereafter Wickedness though it prosper a while yet at length it proveth a Snare 3. It directeth us to submit to God's Providence and to own Mercy in it Though God doth not exempt us from Troubles yet if he keep us from Hurt thereby if he sanctify the Trouble and support us with Grace sufficient 't is his Mercy to us For Daniel to be put into the Lion's Den was not so great a Judgment as for Nebuchadnezzar to have the Heart of a Beast To be given up to our own Hearts Lusts to commit any Sin 't is a greater Cross than any Misery that can light upon us therefore let us be patient under Affliction Our great Care should be not to dishonour God in any Condition God hath promised to be with his People in their Afflictions to comfort them but hath never promised to be with his People in their Sins I will be with you in the Fire and in the Water as the Son of God was with the three Childrâ—â— in the fiery Furnace But God is departed whâ— they siâ— I will go to my own place Sin hindreth Prayer but Afflictions quicken it Isa. 26. 16. Lord in Trouble have they visited thee they poured out a Prayer when thy chastning was upon them In Affliction 't is a time to put the Promises in suit it doth not hinder our access to God and the Throne of Grace but driveth us to it But Sin increaseth our Bondage maketh us stand at a distance and grow â—hy of God The Fruit of Sin is Shame Rom. â— 21. 4. It teaches us how to wait and hope for the issue of our Prayers Pray that ye enter not into Temptation yet be not absolute in that but to be kept from Evil that what way soever we are tried we may be kept from the Evil of Sin For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever Amen IN these words we have the Conclusion of all and that which giveth us confidence in the Requests we make to God First The Confirmation is taken from the Excellency of God to whom we pray where there is a declaration of what belongeth to God Secondly The Duration and Perpetuity for Ever Three things are mentioned
say they had sinned more if they had sinned less They are more acquainted with the Wiles and Depths of Satan and Naughtiness of their own Hearts and so are more solicitous 6. To make us more meek to others Gal. 6. 1. If any Man be fallen ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the Spirit of Meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted We are very apt to be severe and fierce upon the failings of others But now when we are tempted our selves we learn more pity and compassion towards them Severe Censurers are left to some great Temptation that they may be acquainted with their own Frailties they are tempted to some Sins to which their Hearts were not so inclinable before Well then that we may pity others mourn over them and have a fellow-feeling of their Condition God will make us know the Heart of a tempted Man that we may have more compassion over poor tempted Souls Possibly that may be a part of the Apostle's sense 2 Cor. 1. 6. Whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation and Salvation or whether we be comforted it is for your Consolation and Salvation Persons in Office in the Church they are afflicted and tempted and it may be have a greater measure of Afflictions and Temptations that they may shew more pity to other Souls Therefore Luther was wont to say Three things made a Minister viz. Prayer Meditation and Temptation When he is much in communion with God much in the study of the Word and hath been exercised in Temptation then he will be of a tender and compassionate Heart over others and that he may help them out of the Snares of the Devil he is more fitted to his Work by Temptation 7. It occasions much Experience of the Care and Providence of God and the Comforts of his Promises A Man doth not know what the Comforts of Faith mean till he be exercised by Temptation And Spiritual Experiences will countervail all other Troubles This is an Hour of Temptation Rev. 3. 10. What should we do in this Hour of Temptation Be not over-confident nor over-diffident in an hour when God casts us upon trying Times Not over-confident in casting your selves upon needless Troubles without cause Mat. 14. 28. Peter said Lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the Water Peter thought he could do any thing in the strength of Christ's Word Peter seeks a Call before it be given him Nor yet be over-backward and diffident to own God and the Truths of God As Paul taxed Peter for dissembling Gal. 2. 12. when those false Brethren were likely to bring great trouble Peter dissembled and runs with them and separates himself from the purer sort of Christians he is taxed there for it We should not run into them without cause nor yet be ashamed to own the ways of God those which are most agreeable to his Holy Word Not be solicitous so much about Events as Duties for God is far more concerned than we and hath a greater Interest than we can have What 's our Interest and the Interest of our Families and our Children to the great Interest of God the Safety of his Children the Safety of his Glory and Cause of his Church Be not troubled about Events for all our Business is to understand our Duty that we may not sin but keep blameless in the Hour of Temptation Vse If Temptations be an usual Evil wherewith we encounter in the present World Then First We should not be dismayed at them Secondly We should be prepared for them First We should not be dismay'd at them as if some strange thing did befal us When we enter into the Lists with Satan resist the Devil Why 1 Pet. 5. 9. For all those things are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the Flesh. They are all troubled with a busy Devil a naughty World and a corrupt Heart And why should we look for a total Exemption and to go to Heaven in an unusual way That we may not be dismay'd by Temptation I shall give you several Considerations 1. We took an Oath to fight under Christ's Banner Baptism it is Sacramentum Militare our Military Oath which we took to fight in Christ's Cause against all the Oppositions and Difficulties we meet with in the World 1 Pet. 3. 21. The Apostle calls Baptism The Answer of a good Conscience towards God An Answer supposeth a Question It is an Allusion to the Questions propounded by the Catechist to the Catechumen When they came to desire Baptism they asked them Abrenuncias dost thou renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil And they answered Abrenuncio I do renounce them So Credis Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ with all thy Heart as Philip propounds the Question to the Eunuch and they answered Credo I do believe Wilt thou undertake to walk in all Holy Obedience and the Answer is I do undertake before God Conscience which is God's Deputy puts the Question in God's Name to those which take the Seals of his Covenant Are you willing to renounce the Flesh and worldly Vanities Will you cleave to God and his Ways what-ever they cost you Whosoever makes this Answer is supposed that he makes it knowingly that he doth understand the Difficulties of Salvation and what he must meet with in his way to Heaven So the Apostle saith You are not Debtors to the Flâ—sh Rom. 8. 12. A Man is a Debtor to another either by the Obligation of some received Benefit or by his solemn Promise and Engagement both are of use in that place They that would seek the well-being of their Souls need not gratify the Flesh. They that are engaged to walk after the Spirit and come under the Bond of an Holy Oath and that are thus solemnly engaged cannot expect to carry on the Profession of Godliness without Conflicts and multiplied Difficulties 2. That is not the happiest Condition which is most quiet and free from the Temptations of Satan for Luke 11. 21. When the strong Man armed keepeth his Palace his Goods are in peace When the Devil hath-quiet possession he doth not trouble Men. The Sea must needs be smooth and calm when Wind and Tide go one way There are some which suspect their Condition because of continual Temptation and others because they have no Temptation Neither is a safe Rule for the time of our Conflict may not yet become But if any have cause to suspect themselves it is the last sort for they that are least troubled may be most hurt they are quiet and secure because Satan hath got them into his Snare and hath a quiet Dominion in their Souls 3. Jesus Christ himself was tempted and therefore we should not be dismayed with Temptations Upon several Accounts is this a Comfort to us partly as it shews that we cannot look for an Exemption for the Captain of our Salvation was thus exercised Heb. 2. 10. Be not disconsolate it becomes good
the other We are not only to obey actively but to love the Commandments of God and to have our Hearts carried out in a greater esteem and to prefer them before Liberty it self but I doubt whether we are so concerning our Afflictions to prefer them before Freedom and Exempâ—â—â—â—â—nd the Welfare of our Nature Well then you see what is meant by the Will of God which is the Matter about which this is conversant Then here 's the Note of Appropriation Thy Will in opposition to our own Will the Will of Satan the Wills of Men. 1. To our own Will which is the proudest Enemy Christ hath on this side Hell and the cause of all the Mischief which doth befall us The great Contest between us and God is whose Will shall stand God's Will or ours In every Sin we slight the Will of God and set up our own We despise the Commandment 2 Sam. 12. 9. Not grosly and formally David did not slight the Commandment and say Tush it is a foolish Law but by necessary Interpretation we slight the Law of God and set up our own Will Therefore when we pray that God's Will may be done we do in effect renounce our own Will those Wills of the Flesh and Mind Eph. 2. 3. which the Apostle speaks of so it is in the Greek The Soul is never renewed until the Will be renewed till the Will be broken And therefore Self-denial is made one of the first Principles of Christianity the denying of our own Will The Will is the leading part of the Soul Tho the New Creature begins with the Mind yet it comes not to any Perfection it is not formed until the Will be subdued to God until Grace be seated in the Heart When a Man treadeth on a dry Hide one part or other will be apt to rebound and leap up against him till he stands in the middle and Center So until Grace be seated in the Heart Corruption will recoil When a Bird's Wings are broken it can flie no longer so when the Will is subdued then the work of Grace begins The Mind is the Counsellor but the Will is the Monarch and Prince which sways and rules all in the Soul Again the Will is more corrupted than the Mind the Understanding is much blinded but the Will is more depraved The Mind hath a little Light and is apt to take God's part sometimes by suggesting good Motions but the VVill doth more abhorr and refuse Good than the Understanding is ignorant of it VVe are convinced often when not converted Therefore this is the main thing that our corrupt VVillâ— may be subdued to God Let thy VVill be done not our own 2. Thy VVill in opposition to Satan's VVill. Our Lusts are called his Lusts Iohn 8. 44. The Lusts of your Father the Devil ye will do They are of his inspiring of his cherishing the grand Incubus of Hell is the Father of these Brats and sinful Productions So 2 Tim. 2. 26. the Holy-Ghost speaks of carnal Men that they are taken captive by Satan at his will and pleasure VVicked Men are at Satan's beck and they do his will The Devil sets such a Lust at work the Man obeys presently The Devil stirs such Lusts by his Arts and Engines and observes such a Lust will be most prevalent at such a time the Man is taken by Satan's Will Now Thy Will c. we desire the Lord's Grace that we may not comply with the Devil's Motions 3. Thy Will in opposition to the Wills of Men. 1 Pet. 4. 2. That he no longer should live to the Lusts of Men but to the VVill of God not according to the Wills of Men but according to the Will of God In our natural State we are apt to be swayed by the Lusts and Humors of others according as the Posture of our interest is determined and therefore it is a good piece of Self-denial to cease from the Lusts of Men from the Humors and Customs of those whom we fear and from whom we hope And until we cease from Men in vain do we expect to serve God Thus for the Matter about which this Request is conversant Thy Will Secondly Here is the Request it self Be done what doth this imply when we say Let thy Will be done 1. We beg a Heart to do it Deut. 5. 29. O that there were such an Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always It is not enough to set our selves to do what God hath commanded but we must get a renewed sanctified Heart 2. We beg Skill to do it Psal. 143. 10. Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God We beg that God would teach us and lead us forth in the Obedience of his Will 3. We beg Strength to do it It is said Heb. 13. 21. The God of Peace through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will We beg Strength that we may do what is pleasing in his Sight In our Will there is a double Mischief it is opposite to and averse from God Rom. 8. 7. The carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be And it is strongly inclined to other things and this both by Nature and by evil Custom There is an Aversation from God which is natural and which is increased by Custom therefore it is God must give us a Heart to do his Will and Skill and Strength Thus God he must draw us off from other things which is called the Circumcising of the Heart Deut. 30. 6. He must draw us off and he must draw us on too As he pares away the Foreskin the Fleshiness which cleaves to our Hearts and inclineth us to seek our own Will in hunting after Pleasures Honours Profits So doth the Lord draw us to himself Cant. 1. 4. Draw me and we will run after thee II. Let 's come to the Circumstances of the Petition In Earth as it is in Heaven First The Place wherein also the Persons are noted in Earth that is by the Men which live upon Earth Why is this mentioned on Earth 1. The Earth is a place of our Exercise and Trial and now is the time to shew our Self-denial and our Obedience to God to deny our own Will and do the Will of God Iohn 17. 4. I have glorified thee upon Earth This is a Work that must not be suspended until we come to Heaven it will not be thank-worthy then when there is no Interruption no Trouble no Molestation there but here I have glorified thee on Earth where so few mind the Work and where there are so many Distractions and Temptations to divert us 2. The Earth is the only place where this Work is begun or else it shall never be done hereafter Instance in any thing that is the Will of God Here we must believe or there we shall never enjoy Luke 2.
Solomon hath a Passage concerning Suretyship Prov. 11. 15. He that is Surety for a Stranger shall smart for it or as the Hebrew will bear it sore bruised or as it is in the Margin shall be bruised and sore-broken And the same word is used concerning Christ that was our Surety Isa. 53. 10. It pleased the Father to bruise him Christ is our Surety therefore he was bruised and broken he suffered what we should have suffered It is true there are some Circumstances of our Punishment which Christ suffered not as a great part of our Punishment in Hell there 's the Worm of Conscience and Dispair and the Eternity of Torments but this was not essential to the Punishment but did only arise from the Guilt and from the Weakness of the Party that is punished because we cannot work through it otherwise Christ paid the full Price which Divine Justice demanded and so made Satisfaction for us 3. Christ satisfying as our Surety all those which had an Interest in his Death they are set free from the Wrath of God they have a Release from this great Debt owed As when the Ram was taken Isaac was let go so when Christ was taken the Sinner is released and discharged Iob 33. 24. Deliver him from going down to the Pit I have found a Ransom Certainly God will not exact the Debt twice of the Surety and of the Principal Person our Surety having paid the Debt for us therefore we go free And therefore if our Consciences should pursue us at Law we may answer Christ was taken for us He was bruised for our Iniquities and he bore the Chastisement of our Peace 4. Christ hath not only satisfied for the Punishment but he hath procured Favour for us wherein he differeth from an ordinary and common Surety Christ does not only free us from Bonds but also hath brought us into Grace and Favour with the Creator Law-giver and Judg. There 's a double Notion of Christ's Death that of a Ransom for the delivery of a Captive and as a Merit and Price which was given for eternal Life The Death of Christ did not only dissolve the Obligation which lay upon us to suffer the Penalty for the Breach of the Law and so deliver us from the Wrath to come but it was a Price that was given to purchase Grace Favour and Heaven for us which is called Ephes. 1. 14. The purchased Possession Now why must our Surety instate us thus into Favour because Christ was such a Surety as did not only pay the Forfeiture but also the Principal that is he did not only make Satisfaction for the Trespass and Offence which is the Payment of the Forfeiture but also he established a Righteousness answerable to the Law which is the Payment of the Principal and of that original Debt which God first required of the Creature for there 's a Debt of Duty and Service which Christ performeth and establisheth as a Righteousness for us 5. From hence in his Name there is proclaimed Redemption to the Captives Freedom to poor Prisoners that were in Debt and weak and could not acquit themselves And therefore the Publication of the Gospel is compared to the Year of Iubilee Luke 4. 19. Christ came to preach the acceptable Year of the Lord. It relates to the Year of Iubilee wherein all Debts were cancelled it was a Year of general Releasement proclaimed by sound of Trumpet that every Man should return to his Inheritance and all Debts dissolved and done away Lev. 25. 9 10. So Jesus Christ saith The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the acceptable Year of the Lord that is to proclaim to poor Captives a Release of all Debts and all Bonds which are upon them 6. All those that come to God by Christ are interested in the Comfort of this Offer and Proclamation of Grace and may plead with God about their Discharge from this great and heavy Debt I put it mainly in that Notion those that come to God by Christ because you will find that 's the Description of those whom Christ means to save Heb. 7. 25. He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Who are those that come unto God by him Those that in Christ's Name do seriously and with Brokenness of Heart deal with him about a Release and a Discharge To come to God by him it is to come in his Name to plead his Propitiation or his Satifaction as the only meritorious Cause and the Promise of God in Christ to blot out our Offences as the only ground of Hope and as to our selves acknowledging the Debt that is in confessing our Sins and our desert of Punishment with a purpose to forsake them 1. There is required an Acknowledgment of the Debt God stands upon it that his Justice may be owned with a due sense according to the Tenor of the first Covenant For though the Satisfaction be made by another and that by a Surety of God's providing yet God will have the Creature know they are under so heavy a Debt that he will have them feel it in Brokenness of Heart not know it only in a general Conviction but confess our Sins 1 Iohn 1. 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins When we come with true Remorse and confess we have offended so just so holy so merciful a Father it must be grievous to us in the remembrance of it You must not only confess Sin as a Wrong but as a Debt Sin hath wronged God and it is also a Debt binding you over to a Punishment we could never indure nor make God any Satifaction for Therefore David when he would have God's Bond crossed and cancell'd see how he pleads Psal. 51. 2 3. O Lord blot out mine Offences for I acknowledg my Transgressions and my Sin is ever before me Blot it out for I acknowledg it that is I submit to thy instituted Course I submit to the Justice of the first Covenant 2. The Satisfaction of Christ must be pleaded also by a Sinner in the Court of Heaven in a believing manner that there may be an owning of the Surety All Parties that are interested in this Business must consent Now God and Christ they are agreed about the business of Salvation God hath agreed to take Satisfaction from Christ and Christ hath agreed to make this Satisfaction to God All the business now is about the Sinner's Consent or about his ready Acceptation of Jesus Christ and we never heartily indeed consent to this that Christ shall be our Surety and he the Person that must release and discharge this Debt until we look upon him by an Eye of Faith as one that tore the Bond and Hand-writing that was against us The Law is called the Hand-writing that was against us there 's the Bond which was to be put in suit now Col. 2. 14. He hath torn or blotted out the Hand-writing of
for your Sins so you ought to humble your selves under the mighty Hand of God When you are vexed with such Temptations as pierce and prick you in your Veins as David speaks when the Devil bears in blasphemous Thoughts upon the Heart they are his Sins but your Corrections justly ordered by God it may be it is for the Correction of your Sin that you have provoked God to afflict you thus and this Rod if it smart it was dipt in your own Guilt and it 's a Fruit of God's Fatherly Indignation for your Folly and Vanity For God may thus manifest it by giving thee up to this severe Discipline to be tempted and vexed by Satan Now 't is your Duty to be sensible of your Sin and say as Sion in her Troubles Lam. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandment 2. Find out and remove the Cause of Sin when God lets loose Satan upon us Paul discerned it presently as usually God's Rod brings Light along with it when he was buffeted with a Messenger of Satan it was that he might not be exâ—lted above measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. Now that which hath provoked God to exercise us with this Discipline that may be known sometimes by the Time when this Temptation surprizeth us if it treaâ— upon the Heels of some immediate and foregoing Provocation that 's the Sin you should humble your selves for Or by that ill Frame and Posture of Spirit wherein the Temptation found you as Paul's Heart was likely puffed up and exalted with his Spiritual Enjoyments therefore God lets loose Satan Sometimes by the nature of the Temptation it self for God suits Punishments to Sins and apt and proper Remedies to every Disease Or else the Sin will be cast up by workings of Conscience in a way of Remorse as in a Tempest that which is at bottom comes on top Or God will discover it by his Spirit when you go and seek to him When Temptation is grievous and sore go to God and say Lord why is it thus with me Job 34. 31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done Iniquity I will do no more Pray for a discovery of your secret Sin and what is the Mind of God in the Dispensation Now when you have found out the cause of the Sin this is the Direction to remove the Cause for until we let the Sin go God will continue the Punishment tho we strive pray and ask Counsel our burden will still be continued upon us until Sin be mortified in us tho in some measure it be removed out of our Hearts But deliver us from Evil. WE come to the Close The Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred either from the Evil One or from the Evil Thing First From the Evil One Mat. 13. 19. Then cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Evil One and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart And 1 Joh. 2. 13. I will write unto you young Men because ye have overcome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Wicked One. And 1 Joh. 5. 18. He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Wicked One toucheth him not Eph. 6. 16. Take the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that Wicked One. In all these Places the Devil is so called because his great business is to draw and drive others to Sin and therefore as God is the Holy One so Satan is called the Wicked One Secondly It may be rendred that Evil Thing Mat. 5. 37. Whatsoever is more than these cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Evil. Mat. 5. 39. But I say unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resist not Evil. We are commanded to resist the Devil and therefore in that Place clearly it is put for the Evil Thing And so in many other Places Now which of these Sences shall we prefer First If it be meant of the Evil One or Satan the Words will bear a good Sence thus If God for our Trial and further Humiliation shall suffer us to be tempted by the Devil yet we desire that he may not have his Will upon us that we be not kept under his Power To make good this Interpretation know the Devil may fitly be called the Evil One for he is the oldest Sinner he sins from the Beginning 1 Ioh. 3. 8. And he is the greatest Sinner therefore he is called Eph. 6. 12. Spiritual Wickedness his Sins are in the highest degree sinful every Sin of his is a Sin against the Holy Ghost against full Light and with Malice and Spight against God and the Saints And he is the Father of Sin Joh. 8. 44. As Iubal was the Father of all such as handle the Harp and Organ Gen. 4. 21. that is he was the first that taught the use of that Instrument So all the Sins in the World are by his furtherance both Actual and Original therefore he may be fitly called the Evil One. Again He hath a great stroke in Temptation that he is the Artificer the Designer the Improver of them therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tempter Mat. 4. 3. Well then Lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from the Evil One Secondly We may render it Indefinitely as we do Deliver us from Evil that is from Sin And â—itly is this so called because it is the greatest Evil above Poverty Sickness and Worldly Loss Every thing which doth harm us that may be called Evil now Sin doth most hurt nothing so much as Sin why Because it doth endamage our inward Man and endanger our Everlasting Hopes 1. It doth endammage our inward Man and hindreth and diminisheth our comfortable Communion with God Other things may harm the Man but they do not touch the Christian and therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 16. For which cause we faint not but though our outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day Breaches made upon the outward Man come not so near as a Breach made upon the inward Man therefore we faint not so long as the inward Man is safe 2. It doth endanger our everlasting Hopes and Concernments and therefore it is the greatest Evil. All Afflictions do but reach our Temporal but Sin reacheth our Eternal Concernments and therefore the Apostle promiseth himself this kind of Deliverance as that which was most worthy 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. I was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil Work and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom Well then you see it may be rendred the Evil One or the Evil Thing The word carrieth it for Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth the Evil of Afflictions and malum poenae as well as malum
Authority over their Hearts yet he exerciseth a tyrannical Power though he cannot rule them yet he ceaseth not to assault them if it were but to vex and trouble them Briefly the Children of God have cause to pray Deliver us from Evil in regard of Satan because Satan hath a hand in their Persecutions and likewise a hand in their Temptations to Sin It is he that instigateth their Enemies to persecute them and it is he that inflameth their Lusts. 1. In stirring up their Enemies to persecute them All the Troubles of the Children of God they come originally from the Devil Luk. 22. 53. This is your Hour and the Power of Darkness We do not read that Satan did immediatly vex Christ and how was that Hour then said to be the Power of Darkness Why by setting his Instruments a-work to crucify him And as he dealt with the Head so with the Members Rev. 12. 12. The Devil hath great Wrath for he knoweth he hath but a short time When his Kingdom begins to totter and shake then he stirs up all his Wrath and inflames his Instruments as dying Beasts bite hardest So Rev. 16. 14. we read of the Spirits of Devils that go forth unto the Kings of the Earth to stir them up against the Saints If you could behold with you bodily Eyes this Evil Spirit hanging upon the Ears of great Men and buzzing into them and stirring them up and the common People and animating them against the Children of God you would more admire at the Wonders of God's Providence that you do subsist O how they are acted by this wrathful Spirit 2. By inflaming our Lusts and Corruptions So 1 Cor. 7. 5. lest Satan tempt you by your Incontinency sets Lusts a boiling either to vex the Saints or to insnare them It is possible he may sometimes prevail with God's own Children to draw them to some particular Act of gross Sin as 2 Sam. 11. 4. as when David defiled himself with Lust that thereby he may dishonour God for by this means the Name of God was blasphemed 2 Sam. 12. 14. Or that thereby he may disturb their Peace for this made David lie roaring Psal. 32. 3 4. his radical Moisture was even wasted and exhausted Or else to Spiritual Sins as Murmuring Repining against God distrust of Providence when under Crosses Or when they are in their Comforts to drive them to Carnal Complacency and neglect of Holy Things disuse of Communion with God Or to inordinate Passions or Spiritual Wickedness such as is not conversant about Carnal Passions or Fleshly Lusts but Spiritual Pride Error and Unbelief Certainly those that have any thing of experience of the Spiritual Life cannot be ignorant of Satan's Enterprizes Well then we had need go to God to deliver us from Evil For outward Evils for the Protection of his Providence for these God hath undertaken Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the Day of Trouble I will deliver thee Satan is in God's Chains he could not enter into the Herd of Swine without leave therefore certainly he cannot get among the Sheep of Christ's Fold It 's the saying of Tertullian If the Bristles of Swine be numbred the Hairs of our Head are numbred therefore you had need go to God Deliver us from Evil that Persecution may not rage over you that he may hedg you in by his Providence Iob. 1. 10. and that he would be as a Wall of Fire round about you As to inward Evils so we go to God for Wisdom and Strength for Satan assaults us both ways by Wiles and Darts when he comes in a way of Violence he comes with fiery Darts but when he doth lie in Ambush there he hath his Wiles to intice us with a seeming Good We 1. Beg Wisdom that you may espy the Wiles of Satan and may not be caught unawares for he is transformed into an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. Mark the Devil doth not care so much to ride his own Horses to act and draw wicked Men to Evil he hath them sure enough but he laboureth to imploy the Saints in his Work if he can to get one which belongs to God to do his Business therefore he changeth himself into an Angel of Light The Temptation is disguised with very plausible Pretences then a Child of God may be a Factor for Satan and an Instrument of the Devil For instance Would Peter have ever made a Motion for Satan if he had seen his Hand O no the Temptation was disguised to him when he perswaded his Master from suffering He covereth his foul Designs with plausible Pretences Carnal Counsel shall be pity and natural Affection Mat. 16. 22 23. Let not these things be Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee He said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan Thou art an Offence unto me At another time the Disciples when their Master was slighted and contemned they thought certainly they should do as Elias did call for Fire from Heaven to consume them Luke 9. 54. Revenge will often go for Zeal for God Revenge or storming at Personal Affronts or Injuries done to our selves is looked upon as Zeal then the Disciples may not know what Spirit they are of Many times we are acted by the Devil when we think we are acted by the Spirit of God and that which seems to be Zeal is nothing but Revenge Therefore we had need go to God Lord deliver us from Evil we are poor unwary Creatures that we may not be insnared by fair Pretences and surprised by his Enterprises And thus we beg Wisdom 2. We pray for Strength to withstand his Darts that we may take the Armour of God and withstand the Evil One Ephes. 6. 13. Alas of our selves we cannot deliver our selves from the least Evil or stand out against the least Assault therefore it is God alone that must keep the Feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2. 9. Therefore we go to him that we may get his Covenant-strength that we may be strong in the power of his Might to conflict with Satan Well then in regard of the first Enemy of our Salvation the Devil we had need pray earnestly That we may not be prevailed over by his Arts 'T is God alone that can keep us 2 dly The World that 's another Evil which is as it were the Devil's Chess-Board we can hardly move backward or forward but he is ready to attach us and surprize us by one Creature or another and draw us into the Snare therefore it is said Gal. 1. 4. That Christ gave himself for us that he might deliver us from this present Evil World That 's one way of being delivered from Evil when we are delivered from an Evil World It concerns us and it is a great point of Religion to be kept unspotted from the World Jam. 1. 27. The whole World is full of Evils and Temptations and we cannot walk any where but we are likely to be defiled