for Gold as Chrysostom's Thief did say of himself and he is a Pirate at Sea hanging out false Colours to get in with us he seeks not whom to bite out whom to devour 1 Pet. 5.8 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to swallow up at one mouth-full and that no less than our precious and immortal Souls therefore is he called Abaddon Hebr. A bad one indeed or the wicked one and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek Rev. 9.3 both which names signifie a Destroyer He is a broken Bankrupt himself and ordained for Destruction and therefore his whole work is to involve all Mankind in his own Misery accounting it some comfort to have Companions therein Solamen miseris socios adhibere Doloris He hunts not as Nimrod that Cruel Hunter for our moneys houses lands or liberties but for our very lives as the Harlot doth Prov. 7.23 yea to steal away our Souls from God and the Crown of Glory from us he is called in Scripture by such names as are all of a destroying nature as 1. A Draggon Rev. 12.7 2. A Lion 1 Pet. 5.8 3. A Serpent Isa 27.1 4. A Wolf Jobn 10.12 5. A Murderer John 8.44 6. A Tormentor Matth. 18.34 7. A Fowler and Hunter Psal 91.3 8. Beelzebub Mat. 10.25 12.24,27 9. Devil quasi Do evil often and therefore it is no less than a Miracle of Mercy that we are not all of us destroyed by him through his craft and cruelty his power and policy especially considering how he hath the upper ground of us as he is Prince of the Power of the Air Eph. 2.2 when we are but weak and worthless Worms crawling here below upon the Earth insomuch that his Territories lay betwixt us and Heaven which is our Fathers House therefore was Lazarus's Soul carried by Angels through the Regions of the Air into Abraham's bosom Luke 16.22 Beside it ought to be considered with seriousness how Satan our Adversary as it signifies proved too hard for the Innocentest Man Adam too hard for the Strongest Man Samson and too hard for the Wisest Man Solomon If he could over-master all these Three who were green Trees what can we dry Trees expect Luke 23.31 If this Strong Man yea and Armed too even with Armour of proof Luke 11.21 became a Conquerour over Adam in his state of Innocency how much more may he more easily master the best of us Si hoc Adamo in Paradiso contigisset quid nobis in sterquibunt saith Bernard If this foul fall befell Adam in the Garden of Eden oh what may befall us who are now cast out of Paradise upon the dirty Dunghill of this present evil World Gal. 1.4 It may be said of the best of us as it was said of young Troilus's grappling with great Achilles There was Impar congressus a very unfit and an unequal match betwixt them Yea so bold and daring is this Devil that he dared to Assault the Second Adam as he had done before the First Adam hoping for the same success Even the Son of God himself who only could indeed over-match him not only for himself but more especially for all his Redeemed Moreover Satan is a Restless Adversary out of his unspeakable hatred against God and all goodness as it is said of the Scorpion there is not one minute of Time wherein he doth not thrust out his Sting but keeps it in a continual and speedy motion of poisoning and destroying whatever he can reach even so and much more that Old Serpent will watch night and day to sting our Souls worse than the Fiery Serpents did the Bodies of Israel Numb 21. Consider also how Satan is an Ubiquitary Adversary his Circuit he walks is the whole Earth Job 1.7 2.2 he is call'd the God of this World 2. Cor. 4.4 which lays in wickedness 1 John 5.19 As the True God in the beginning did but speak the word by his Creating Power and every Creature in the whole Creation was perfectly wrought so if Satan do but hold up his finger or give but the least whisper to his Vassals they are at his beck and obedience he leads them captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Yea and this he doth all over the World no Land or Island is free from him but the whole Universe may be called as one part of it is Terra Diaboli the Devil's Land he is the Ruler of the Darkness of this World Eph. 6.12 He is a God in this sense because there is no fleeing from his presence c. as Psa 139.7,8,9 our base hearts and a busie Devil will meet in all Lands Add likewise to the abovesaid how He is an Everlasting Adversary both 1. In respect of the great World He began betimes with the first Man and Woman in the World and he hath continued ever since to this present time and he will continue even to the end until our Lord lays hold on him and chain him up for a 1000 years Rev. 20. And 2. In respect of the little World Man who is as an Epitome of the great World c. Satan begins betimes even at our very Conception for as the Serpent was more subtle than all the Beasts of tbe Field Gen. 3.1 so Satan's subtlety was most manifest in this matter that when his Luciferian Pride had metamorphos'd him from a glorious Angel as he was created into a damned Devil and therefore was cast out of Heaven into Hell and understanding how God designed to fill up that Habitation which he had left with his Angels Jude verse 6. by a Remnant Redeemed out of Mankind Hereupon he is said to be come down or rather cast down having great Wrath and Malice against Mankind Rev. 12.12 hating Man's Redeemer with a perfect hatred and sinning that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost every moment c. and that his Cruelty to us is managed with the profoundest Craft and Policy as is apparent in this that he stayed not to pour his poison into every Vessel as it was brought forth into the World but he pours it into the Fountain or Spring head of Mankind well knowing that in poisoning our first Parents he likewise poisoned all their Posterity in all succeeding Ages to the end of the World Thus saith the Apostle by one Man Sin entred into the World Rom. 5.12 and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all Men for that all have sinned and v. 14. Death hath Reigned from Adam to Moses and so down to us in our day c. even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's Transgression So that Infants are no Innocents being born with Original Sin the first Sheet wherein they are wrapped is woven of sin shame blood and filth Ezek. 16.4,6 c. They are said to sin as they were in the loins of Adam sust as Levi is said to pay Tithes to Melchisedech even in the loins of his Fore-father Abraham Heb. 7.9,10 otherwise Infants would not die for
Healer as our Lord Jesus is there is no kind of Disease can be found Incurable and thus the Prophet saith By his stripes we are all healed Isa 53.5 and tho' man have for his Mallady Satan who is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a roaring Lion seeking whom he may not only bite or scratch but Devour or drink up at one Draught or swallow down at one Mouthful as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. Pet. 5.8 Yet this is our comfort that our Blessed Saviour who is also a Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revel 5.5 He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who saveth us from the wrath to come 1 Thess 1 10. Thus Man's Remedy against all his Malady is his blessed Redeemer but more particularly even from the mouth of our dear Redemer himself in his excellent Parable concerning the strong Man's peaceable possession of his house until the stronger Man came upon him with a writ of Ejectment and dispossession of him c. Luk. 11.21.22 As the former of those two Verses holds forth Mans Malady and Danger which is at large discoursed upon and discovered so the latter Verse gives a most clear demonstration of Man's Remedy and Deliverer namely himself whom he calls the stronger Man and most amply accomplished to effect a compleat Deliverance and Salvation for us sorry Mortals out of all the before-named Miseries In both those Verses we may behold as in a clear Looking-glass and discerne whose we are and whom we Serve as the Apostles phrase is Acts 27.23 whether we belong to Satan or to our Saviour c. as we find the witnessings of Gods Spirit with our Spirits Rom. 8.16 Concerning this possession of the strong Man and the Dispossession of him by the stronger Man c. as our Saviour calls himself in ver 22. which doth represent Gods Champion coming forth to redeem man fallen into misery by the wiles of Satan and one who will not be baffled in any of his Undertakings for our Lord is called Mans Undertaker Isa 38.14 and he saith likewise Oh Mankind thou hath Destroyed thy self but in me is thy Help Hos 13.9 or as another paraphrastick Reading runs what hath Destroyed thee even the mutability of thy will Deceived by the grand Deceiver who was by his Creation an Angel of Light and propably one of those Sons of the Morning who sung Praises to the great Creator for the Creation of the Heavens Job 38.7 Yet afterwards by his Luciferian pride Isa 14.14 was changed into the prince of Darkness Eph. 6.12 that glorius Angel was Turned into a Damned Devil and who first set himself against the great Creator himself saying with proud Lucifer Isa 14.13,14 Ero sicut Altissimus I will be like the most High and when he found that the thing formed was too weak for Him that formed it and that the Potter had power over the Clay c. Rom. 9.20 21. So that the Creature could not prevail against his Creator then Satan falls foul upon God's Creature Man whom he saw Created in the Image of God wherein he Acted like that malicious Traitor who when his devilish designe was disappointed of Assassinating the Kings Royal Person himself he then falls foul upon the Kings Picture and tears it all to peices Thus the Devil did with the first Adam who was Gods Picture by his Creation and prevailed yea and so as that he prevailed not only against Adams Person but also against all Adams Posterity by pouring his Poison into the Spring-head or fountain as is demonstrated before as Adam was the publick Person and Rrepresentative of all the whole Race of mankind hereby we are all born Children of wrath Eph. 2.3 Enquiry how did the Creator take this Affront and Indignity done to him by the Devil in rending his Picture into peices c. was God unconcerned Answer the 1 st Indeed it was once at the least a seeming Divine dispensation concerning bloody Herods Imprisoning and Beheading John the Baptist that famous fore-runner of the Worlds Reedemer yet all that time God seemed to be silent as if not at all concerned therein by any External or sensible Providence of God to testifie his dislike and Abhorrency of such a Barbarous murder Mat. 14,3,4,5 to the 13 th notwithstanding Gods seeming silence as to outwrrd Judgments upon those malicious murderers the Lord gave an Inward plague in perplexing Herods conscience for this bloody Butchery Luke 9.7 where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that Herod pendebat stood amused and amazed and stuck fast in the mud as it were and could not stir his feet but was ready to hang himself as the words import so in an angry Conscience Herod heard an angry God c. But Answer the 2d As to this Original Affront of Satan to his Maker in Defacing the Kings Image by putting the first Adam to the Foil and to that foul Fall the King of Kings is most highly concerned and comes immediately to the very place and spot of ground where this very Villany was newly perpretrated Summons the Offenders personally to Appear and He saith to Satan well Satan thou hast prevailed indeed over the first Adam notwithstanding I have my Glorious ends in it So to over-rule it as to bring forth the greatest good out of that greatest evil by the Chymical Art of my Unsearchable Wisdom but be it known to thee I will send the Second Adam into the world who shall not only match thee but also over-match thee he shall disposseses thee of this thy new possession The seed of the woman shall break thy Head though thou by thy Serpentine subtlety hath now bruised mans Heel and put him into a limping and halting posture Gen. 3.15 I will send my Son in the Similitude of sinful Flesh who through his Death shall Destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil Hebr. 2.14 and tho' thou hast sinned from the beginning yet for this purpose the Son of God shall be manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil as well as the Devil himself 1 Joh. 3.8 Thus the Everlasting Gospel as it is called Revel 14.6 was preached even by God himself in Paradise and seeing God himself was the first Preacher of the Gospel therefore that employ of God's Embassadors is very honourable Work and not so contemptible as the blind World doth unworthily account it to be c. Behold here how our most Gracious Father in Heaven provides and prepares a most Sovereign Plaister made up of the warm Blood of our Blessed and Bleeding Redeemer who was the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World Revel 13.8 So soon as the Strong Man armed had given this mortal Wound to the Root of Mankind even to Innocent Adam in his Paradise-Estate and this Gospel of Peace our good God himself did preach thus early that none of the Spirits of his dear Children though corrupted by the faln Nature might sink in
namely of much smartings burning pains and sorrows if that Sting be not timely dâ—awn out by the Grâ—ce of true Repentance The Lord himselâ— pâ—…ed that Stinging Sermon unto Cain Iâ— thou dost well shalt thou not be accepâ—…d but if thou dost evil then sin lies at thy 〈◊〉 that is like a mighty Mastiff-Dâ—g whâ—ch lies sleeping at the Door and if once awakened he is there ready to pull out the Throat of the Soul Gen. 4.7 And Moses tells the People agreeable to this caution of the great God to Cain and surely your sin will find you out Numb 32.23 that is the Guilt of sin will haâ—… you at your Heels like a Blood-Hound and the punishment of it will ovâ—…ke you c. Yet such as do surely â—…nd â—t their sin by an unfeigned Repenâ—…ce before their sin thus fearfully find 〈◊〉 â—hem even all such as câ—nfesseth and â—…keth their sin shall fiâ—d 〈◊〉 Proâ— 28.13 Then if Death at 〈…〉 â—orth â—y Sting at us ' tiâ— no mâ—re harmâ—ul than an enchanâ—…d Stiâ—gâ— like those Serpents which th◠〈…〉 raised up by their Enâ—…ments Exod. â— 12 they were 〈◊〉 really Serpents but in appearanâ—… only and â—o thâ—ir Stings were like themselves more Phâ—…ms which could not 〈◊〉 sting any one true Israelite and as 〈◊〉 Mâ—…k-Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his real one even so Christ who is Life Essential hath swallowed up Death in Victory as before So that now through the Grace of Christ tho' Death may buzz about our Ears like a Drone-Bee that hath lost its Sting yet it cannot sting us with any mortal Sting for that is quite lost in the death of Christ for all his Redeemed as Christ hath taken away not sin it self but the Guilt of sin So nor hath he taken away Death it self but the Sting of it Thus Augustine doth phrase this double Purchase of Christ for us both in respect of Sin and in respect of Death saying Christus tollit Peccatum Mortem nonne sint sed ne obsint our Lord indeed doth take away both Sin and Death from us yet not that they should not be at all but that they should not be hurtful to those for whom he died And 't is for this glorious Priviledge that the Apostle Paul as one of Christ's chief Heraulds proclaimeth openly to the World and that with a world of Solemnity and Triumph his own Victory over Death by his dear Redeemer 1 Cor. 15.57 and therefore exhorts us to be always stedfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord well-knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord ver 58. The same Apostle saith with such a firm Faith which both took Root downward and brought forth Fruit upward that for him to live was Christ and to die was gain and he longed to be dissolved Phil. 1.21,22,23 5 thly 'T is his returning Home to his Father's House c. because death to a Good Man is the day-break of an eternal Brightness 't is as the Vally of Achor as a Door of Hope into the celestial Canaan Josh 7.24,27 and 15.7 Hos 2.15 even into that Heavenly Country unto which the Holy Patriarchs so earnestly pressed to enter Heb. 11.13,14,15 and as it were hastened Home thither where their Father was and their All also Hereupon for them to die was no more but repaterasse as Father Bernard phraseth it that is to go Home again to their Father's House whither when they come they are assured of a most hearty and of a most happy welcome The Parable of the penitent Prodigal and his compassionate Father's meeting together at Home with Feasting and exceeding great Joy Luke 15.20,23,24 doth illustrate this The Prodigal only came but the Father ran and fell upon his Neck and kissed him and killed the fatted Calf for him and put the best Robe upon him c. to make him welcome yet all this was but a dim shadow of that exceeding excessive and eternal meeting of our Heavenly Father with his dear Children to whom Christ most lovingly speaketh Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Oh the infinite Bowels of a Father yerning over his Adopted Sons and Daughters as if he had thus said Where have you been my dear Darlings all this time of my long absence from you and of yours from me come nâ—w and heartily welcome come now into my Bosom which is now wide open to receive you as the welcomest Guests that oâ—er accosted me ye shall lie warm in my Bosom to all Eternity c. and with Crowns of Glory upon your Heads ye shall sing Hallelujahs unto the Lord for ever and ever NB. Note well To know this upon a dying Bed câ—nnot but be a Rich Cordial to know that death is only Perta Coeli Janua Viâ—… the Postâ—rn Gate to the Heavenly City and the Narrow Door to Everlasting Life that it is our restoration into a better Paradise than that was out of which the first Adam was banished at first by his sinning but this Heavenly Paradise The Second Adam purchased for us by his suffering that death doth now by the purchase of Christ bring to us both Malorum omium Ademptionem Bonâ—rum omnium Adentionem that is the râ—moving of all that is evil and the receiving of all that is good This consideration brought Paul out of his Sâ—râ—it when he had been musing and â—…hting and knew not what he should châ—ose â—…ether Life or Death at last he 〈◊〉 â—orth into this resolve 〈…〉 I desire to be dissâ—lved and to return 〈◊〉 to my Father's House from whom I expect to hear Well done thâ—… good and faithful Servant enter 〈◊〉 into the Joy of thy Lord Matth. 24.21,23 which is a Joy so big so great that it cannâ—… enter into us Quicquid Recipitur recipitur ad Modum Recipientis saith the â—…losopher the Vessel receiving m◠〈…〉 Measure congruous to and c◠〈…〉 the Matter received Now 〈…〉 ouâ— Vessâ—ls are not large en◠〈…〉 Joy to enter into us th◠〈…〉 that we must enter int◠〈…〉 it is such a Joy as is more m◠〈…〉 Lord and Master than for 〈…〉 yet such a liberal Lord do w◠〈…〉 as will honour his Servants with 〈◊〉 matchless Joy We serve a most Honoâ—rable Master who employs us in most Honourable Work and will at last pay us with most Honourable Wages Unto all this aforesaid let me add the Christian's Charter as another pretious Cordial unto a dying Saint namely the large Inventory which the blessed Apostle distinctly describeth that belongeth to every true Believer saying all things are yours whether the World and so you lose nothing when you leave the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's 1 Cor. 3.21,22,23 that is the World is theirs tho' not in possession yet by way of Reduction ye shall