his estate is safe enough and so long as he continueth making resistance he need not feare A happie man he is that seeth the deuill professing himselfe his enemie Vse 4 A censure of scorners who dislike such discourses Fourthly we see by all this how wide they are from the right who like not such treatises such practises such care in examining ones selfe but iest and scoffe and put off all this so necessarie a dutie with a scornfull tush Tush saith one what doe you tell vs of a deuill when did you see him and how doe you know him so well and why doe you affright people with such words of terrour And Tush saith another what needs all this preaching about this matter a goodly Sermon and Hee names the deuill almost at euery word So some haue said of the former discourses simple and blindfolded creatures that they are The Lord open their eyes that they may see how the god of this world hath blinded them 2 Cor. 4.4 and get out of his snare But others haue a tush too and it is cast against them that are so carefull in resisting the deuill as wee haue proued allshould be Oh it is a fit of melancholie a sillinesse a childishnesse and What man take a good heart put such thoughts out of your minde Come follow the world as wee doe make your selfe merry and leaue these vncouth cogitations to them that are so peeuish Note this But stay O man this is not to resist the deuill but to scorne him If this troubled person should take this counsell he should not ouercome this grand enemie of his soule but take truce with him and so by pleasing himselfe in a fond and vaine peace should lose his owne saluation as thou in all likelihood must lose thine Therefore bee aduised what thou wilt doe these are no iesting matters Heare what the Apostle saith Resist the deuill and for time to come yeeld it a duty both lawfull and necessarie that the people of God should thus care and labour and striue in resisting and thou with them Vse 5 This heartneth the godly Finally here is commendation and encouragement for them that so resist the deuill And it shall be of worth against all calumnies and scoffes of those iesters whatsoeuer they be Know O souldiers of the Lord that you are in the right way You haue rightly iudged of your life to be as it is a warfare You fight the good fight of faith and are sure of victorie which when it is atchieued there is a crowne of righteousnesse prepared of old which shall certainly be put vpon your heads You take Gods part against his and your enemies and therefore he will take your part sustaining you and â—â—iling them You are the Angels of Michael and shall see the time when the great dragon the deuill shall be quite cast out and vtterly excluded from heauen no more to molest and vex and disquiet your righteous soules And for the present during the time of this conflict know for your comfort that notwithstanding all his wiles and tricks and close following of his businesse yet vpon your resistance hee must auoid and be gone If you vse the armour described and vse it in the due manner before spoken of hee cannot stand before you So often as he giueth onset doe you giue him battell and then leane vpon this faithfull promise full of consolation which comes now to be handled And he will flie from you The second generall part of this text The euent of other battels is doubtfull victorie altogether vncertaine Though the cause be good and the men valorous stand the field stoutly yet they may goe away vanquished as the Israelites a long time before the Beniamites But here the conquest is certaine before any stroke is giuen wee know wee shall ouercome euery one that will resist shall chase away his enemie though himselfe be neuer so weake his enemie neuer so strong and puissant Quest But how may wee vnderstand this flight of the deuill and how doth he flie away who is so incessant in temptations I answer First Answ I Homil. 7. in Iosue Origen thinkes that the Saints of God resisting the hellish tempters when they prouoke vnto euill doe diminish the armie of the deuils and as it were kill many of them so that it is not lawfull for that spirit which is ouercome of an holy man liuing chastly and graciously againe to set vpon any other man But this is not so for the same deuill which had beene repelled by our Sauiour in his first temptation did trie him with a second and a third Therfore secondly others by the relation of Lombard thinke Lib. 2. distinct 5 H. lit that this of Origen must be vnderstood only of that vice wherein the foule spirit was ouercome as for example If he sollicit any good man vnto pride and be foiled hee may not againe sollicit vnto pride either the same man or any other But this is wholly vncertaine and not materiall to the comfort of a Christian as our text doth intend For if one deuill should leaue such a sinfull motion another would follow it and disquiet him as much as the other could possibly especially there being so many legions of them one to succeed another in their mischieuous intendments And what cares the deuill by what sinne he gains a soule if hee may be sure to gaine it Either of the extremes will serue his turne sufficiently or an habituall neglect of good as well as the wilfull perpetration of euill A twofold flight of the deuill Therefore thirdly the plaine answer is this There is a twofold flying away forced vpon the deuill by the power of God and this his promise One partiall and temporarie the other totall and finall Partiall and temporary That when the child of God is enabled by the wisdome and grace of God to reiect any wicked suggestion and so is rid of the Tempter for that time and so often as the deuill reneweth his temptation so often the Christian reneweth his courage in resisting him and therefore still remaineth conquerour The deuill left Christ but for a season Luk. 4.13 and no longer doth hee leaue the members of Christ He goeth away and returneth and then must goe away againe and so continueth passing to and fro beaten and ouerthrowne so often as he is resisted Faine he would return and re-enter into his old house to take and keepe more sure possession but if a repulse be giuen him he must take the repulse and flie away Totall and finall This that is the totall and finall flight of the deuill is at the end of the warfare and of the Christians life when he most bestirreth himselfe because his time is but short Reu. 12.12 and he would faine lay hold on the righteous soule which hee long molested to carry it among his own fiends in eternall torments Here he is preuented
p. 93. The Deuill accusing God to man p. 95. Man to God p. 96. Man to man p. 98. Man to himselfe p. 100. Vertues for vices and vices for vertues p. 102. In his instruments p. 103. 2. The nature of the resister p. 106. 3. The mischiefes of being foiled Priuatiue p. 109. 3. The mischiefes of being foiled Positiue p. 111. VI. The Vses of the point 1. To bring out of request the easie life of many p. 112. 2. A Caueat against securitie and lukewarmenesse in the godly p. 119. 3. An exbortation to examine our selues where eight markes of right resistance p. 133. 4. A confutation of them who dislike such treatises p. 162. 5. Commendation and encouragement to them that so resist the Deuill p. 166. In the Consolation containing the Devils flight are fiue things I. What it is not p. 171. II. What is it Partiall and temporarie p. 174. Totall and finall p. 176. III. What lesson we learne Victorie shill be to them that resist IV. What reasons here are for it 1. The faithfull promise of the mightie God p. 181. 2. The valor of our Captaine 182. 3. The validitie of our armour shewed in the parts p. 184. 4. We haue a bruised enemie 189. 5. We need some refreshment after skirmishes p. 192. V. What Vses are made hereof 1. Comfort to Gods Warriours where foure Answers to the Obiection concerning the tediousnesse of this combate p. 196. 2. Fond are they that seare perpetuall molestation in Christianitie p. 204. 3. Goe on in resisting p. 208. 4. Vse times of respite well p. 211. 5. It is folly to lay all slips on the Deuill for he flies if he be resisted p. 214. In the Appendix out of Gen. 3.15 gather these things I. Seuen notes of right enmitie against the Deuill 1. If it be of from God p. 220. 2. If it be for God and his glorie p. 223. 3. If we resist him duely p. 226. 4. If we auoid places where hee haunteth p. 232. 5. If wee earnestly begge of God strength against him p. 236. 6. If we be carefull to giue him no aduantage p. 239. 7. If wee zealously endeuour to thrust downe his Kingdome in others p. 343. II. Areproofe to three sorts of men 1. Of them that thinke not on this enmitie p. 247. 2. Of them that embrace the contrarie amitie p. 251. 3. Of them that helpe the Deuill in stead of hindering him p. 255. III. Motiues vnto enmitie against the euill spirits Consider 1. What they are in respect of God p. 259. 2. What they are unto vs. p. 261. 3. What they are in themselues p. 263. 4. God hateth them vnreconcilablie p. 265. 5. So alwaies haue Gods faithfull seruants p. 266. 6. This enmitie is the ground or companion of true grace p. 267. 7. There are certaine Meditations to effect this p. 271. IV. A testimonie of Cyprian with the Application and Conclusion p. 275. A SPIRITVALL TRVMPET IAMES 4.7 Resist the deuill and he will flie from you I Thinke it not needfull to looke after any coherence betweene these words and the rest of the context Our Apostles purpose is to giue good counsell to these scattered Iewes as concerning the life and power of godlinesse For the forme of it none more forward than they and therefore hee prescribes them such substantiall duties as might indeed commend them to God as the other could not Among the rest this is one Resist the deuill and he will flie from you The parts whereof are two Parts 2. a Direction and a Consolation or a Dutie directed vnto and the blessed Fruit promised to them that performe it Doctr. Resistance to be made vpon the deuill From the former we learne that it is the dutie of Gods people to make resistance vpon Satan till they haue giuen him the foile A deuill there is most subtill and malicious who seeks by all means possible to rob vs of the inheritance of the Saints in light and make vs miserable like himselfe and our care must be to oppose to resist to disappoint him With S. Iames accords S. Paul Eph. 4.27 Giue no place to the deuill yeeld not an inch And with them both agreeth S. Peter 1 epist 5 8 9. Your aduersarie the deuill Whom resist stedfast in the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he stands against you therefore doe you withstand him he will bee sure to giue no ground till he needs must therefore turne not your backs vpon him stand your ground Here foure materiall questions come to be answered Foure questions proposed the solution whereof will giue great light to the Christian Combatant Quest I Quest 1. Wherein should we resist the deuill I I. Resist him in his owne person Ans In two things First in his owne proper suggestions He makes not daintie of doing his worke yea in his owne person though the Defendant be neuer so meane and base in the world None so good but he hopes to make him bad None so bad but he hopes to make him worse or at least to keepe him as bad as he is therefore he refuseth not to present himselfe to any but in a diuers manner sometimes visibly sometimes and more commonly inuisibly sometimes pleasingly sometimes terribly sometimes by outward obiects sometimes by inward motions and that more ordinarily Being a spirituall nature he easily applieth himselfe to our spirits our fancies and minds and vnlesse he be well watched and withstood he makes great battery vpon the soule darkens the iudgment benummes the conscience perswades the will and distempers all the affections and then doth his best to conâ—inue this disorder Motions to euill Vnde venis ab homicidijs à sanguinib ab adulterijs c. Orig. in Iob 1.7 As for example The deuill put into Iudas his heart to betray Christ and preuailed Hee put into Dauids heart to number the people and preuailed He put into Eues heart to swallow the forbidden fruit and her owne bane and preuailed likewise So at this day by the instinct of the deuill it is that men are carried along to pride to couetousnesse to vncleannesse and the most loathsome courses Matth. 8.32 as the swine into the lake In this resist him Disswasions from good as 1. from zeale Resist him also in motions to lukewarmnesse or apostasie A chiefe part of his imploiment is to hinder good that either it may not be strengthned or not continued It is he that disswades men from care in the pursuit of religion What need they be so hot and what encouragement doth the world giue them for such peeuish courses Master spare thy selfe Matth. 16.22 it shall not be so vnto thee thou needest not be at so much charges in the matter of pietie Here is a dart of the deuill here resist him and say as Christ to Peter Vers 23. Get thee behinde me Satan for thou art an offence vnto me Many a man he perswades 2. From constancie not
vndermine mee Doth hee not lay siege to the Castle of my soule either to scale the walls of my faith or to batter the bulwarke of my patience or to pull downe the turrets of my zeale and fortitude Hath hee not some fetch or other to draw mee from my hold and then some ambushment to surprise me vnawares Yes he hath a thousand wayes to circumuent such a simple fresh-water souldier as I am as many turnings and windings as ansractuous Meandrus as many heads as the serpent Hydra as many eyes as the neuer-sleeping Argus Therefore seeing the vncircumcised Philistims are still ready to come vpon me and binde me if I sleepe I will surely looke vnto them I will vp and shake my selfe and follow my Christen course more warily more watchfully The Lord grant that thou maiest Vse 3 Thirdly let this be a word of exhortation to all of vs so to resist the deuill thâ—t he may flie from vs. The most hold it fit to resist him but few agree vpon the right manner Therefore let vs deale thorowly in this businesse and neuer rest till wee know wee resist as wee ought Quest How may I know that Markes of right resisting the deuill Answ First if thou resistest thine owne corrupt and rebellious flesh by mortification humiliation watchfulnesse and the conscionable vse of holy meanes For the deuill and our owne flesh are of the same kinde in respect of sinne and fight equally against the soule as 1 Pet. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule and Iam. 4.1 Lusts warre in the members This is an home-bred enemie lurking within our owne walls Of it selfe it worketh many stratagems against vs by mouing to the acts of pride malice reuenge oppression contempt of the Gospell and the like And the deuill is no readier to craue its assistance than it is to afford it working slily as he doth and secretly that the Christian almost needs not to aske that question How shall I discerne the temptations of Satan from the euill motions of mine owne heart Some difference there is and a deuill may be espied by the suddennesse and horriblenesse and vnnaturainesse and importanacie of his suggestions The motions of nature are more slow and more sutable with nature and not so violently pursued as those are But for the most part we need not obserue any such distinction the flesh easily agreeing with the deuill and the deuill shaping his temptations to the desire of the flesh This a good Christian knowes and therfore he lookes homeward principally Especially seeing the deuill cannot foile him without himselfe but himselfe can destroy himselfe without the deuill So that well was it said Ier. 17.9 The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things euen aboue that foule spirit as foule and as blacke as he is Some say of Mary Magdalen Luke 8.2 that seuen deuils were cast out of her that is seuen deadly sinnes pride adulterie and the rest And we may almost say So many sinnes as thou cherishest and maintainest Quot peecata tot daemonia willingly and with delight of thy heart so many deuils thou lodgest vnder the roofe of the house of thy soule Matt. 12.43 They are vncleane spirits because they beare rule ouer men by the vncleannesse of their hearts and liues Now examine thy selfe by this marke So truly and faithfully as thou watchest against the corruptions of thy nature so truly and faithfully thou resistest the deuill And those are easily proued liers who say they defie and scorne the deuill yet obey their owne lusts vse no discipline toward their vnrulie hearts but take their owne swindge in any or all vngodlinesse No no they agree with him well enough he desireth no better weapons against vs than those out of our owne armourie Secondly thou resistest the deuill so long as thou desirest to resist and this desire is euer accompanied with care and watchfulnesse None in the Lords field is yet ouercome who desireth to ouercome yea they that fall by the sleights of Satan and are taken away by violence yet falling in this quarrell Heb. 12.4 and resisting vnto bloud they are still conquerours and more than conquerors God who accepteth the will for the deed accepteth the faithfull purpose of resistance for resistance it selfe euen when the Tempter doth somewhat preuaile make battery vpon the soule Christ taketh notice of the willingnesse of the spirit in his Apostles Matt. 26.41 when hee seeth great weaknesse in their flesh And this note serueth principally for the comfort of afflicted soules which crie out of themselues as foiled and such as haue cast vp the buckler to the deuill in way of voluntary yeelding yet minding to goe on in the skirmish as trustily as euer and keeping the same way as before They must know that their case is good enough and they shall be accepted according to what they haue 2 Cor. 8.12 and not according to what they haue not yea according to that which they desire to haue A man in warre that is halfe dead doth what he can against the enemie by spurning by supplanting or otherwise And so doe you against the grand enemie of your soules therefore shall not bee accounted to haue reuolted but shall bee crowned as well as the rest and it may bee among the first Only continue this desire care still to maintaine the Lords right and watch still to disappoint the aduersarie This shall be reckoned to you for perfection of valour The third marke of resistance is this If thou grieuest when thou art foiled and seekest to recouer thy selfe and make amends by better trustinesse Vndoe the works of the deuill by morning for them by repentance by running to the ensignes of Christ and by doing the contrary works of what kinde soeuer and now know thou hast resisted For the deuils purpose is that thou shouldest continue vnder a foile and hee knowes that if he cannot get thee to lie still in the sinne committed it will doe him no good nor thee harme It is one kinde of resistance to recouer our selues after our falls Otherwise which of the Lords Worthies did euer resist him 1 Chron. 21.1 2 Sam. 24.1 Satan stirred vp Dauid to number the people and he numbred them which was his great sinne so mortally punished but Dauids heart smote him for this fact and hee made his recantation saying I have sinned Vers 17. I haue done wickedly let thine hand be against me and my fathers house and so Satan was altogether disappointed of his malicious proiect against him The fourth marke is If thou art troubled when thou seest the works of darknesse goe forward and gladded to see any thing on foot that ouerthrowes the kingdome of the deuill For he that resisteth him aright would haue him resisted and reiected euery where by others as well as by himselfe hee would haue none obey him or submit to his gouernment he is
of his purpose perfectly The Spirit of God assisteth the Christian heart and vpholdeth it with faith with patience with remembrance of the promises with the sense of Gods mercy and all conuenient supplies according to the seuerall and particular occasions Luk. 16.22 And at last the Angels take the soule as the soule of Lazarus and carry it into Abrahams bosome in endlesse blessednesse And now the whole skirmish is finished the field won the good fight of faith fought to the vttermost and the deuill fled away for euer and euer The point is this Doctr. The deuill resisted fleeth necessarily All the Lords Warriours who resist the deuill as they ought shall ouercome and be rid of him They are as sure of victorie as of trouble His presence is not so tedious and tiresome but his absence which is most certain shall be as ioyous and comfortable We fight not at vncertaintie but know wee shall ouercome It was for want of resistance that our first parents were deceiued and are of the forbidden tree that Dauid lifted vp his heart and numbred the people that Iudas betrayed his Master and so fell into his owne place and that euer any was subdued by the deuil was for want of resistance They that would ouercome did ouercome and could not be foiled Our Sauiour resisted and saw the deuill flying from him The Apostles and Disciples resisted and saw him fall like lightning from heauen Saint Paul resisted and found grace sufficient against the messenger of Satan that buffeted him In a word all the Angels of Michael that fought against the dragon did so thrust him to the walls that hee was cast out and his place found no more Where the Christian findes a heart hands the deuill must finde wings and heeles And why Reason 1 First because of the faithfull promise of the mightie God who is able to doe this for vs and hath said hee will doe it And hee hath said so both here Resist the deuill and he will flie from you and elsewhere The God of peace shall bruise Satan vnder your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 where the Apostle speakes of them that are wise vnto good and simple concerning euil which is all one with resisting of the deuill To such he is a God of peace and will in a little time put an end to all their conflicts For faithfull is he that hath promised who also will doe it Vincatur necesse est quia Christus quem confitemur inuictus est Cyp. de exhort Martyr Secondly the valour of our Captain is such that the enemie cannot stand before him or vs. He himselfe by himselfe did in single combat put him to the worse and made him auoid by whose conduct and conquest wee also shall goe away victors Wee goe not forth against these hellish wickednesses in our owne name and strength but in the name and strength of God by the power of Christ who was neuer ouercome yet but ouercame in euery skirmish Reu. 12.11 They ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe And hereof wee may assure our selues before we set foot out of our tents and campe as the Church of old Psalm 44.5 Through thee will we push downe our enemies through thy Name will we tread them vnder that rise vp against vs. The same voice of Christ that sent away the deuill from himselfe Auoid Satan will send him away from vs also when our temptations as his are ended Thirdly the validitie of our armour is greatly preualent for the foile of this enemie For the excellencie of it it is called the armour of God Eph. 6.13 and for the compleatnesse of it it is called whole armour of God And because of this God will not haue his workmanship so much disparaged as to suffer him that vseth it to take a repulse or suffer the armour it selfe to be broken and mangled The edge of the sword of the Spirit was neuer yet blunted by the hardinesse of the enemie no They ouercame him by the word of their testimonie Reu. 12.11 The Word of God is of an inuincible nature not one tittle of it can passe away it will vphold him that holds it forth so that he cannot perish in his afflictions The shield of faith was neuer yet bored or pierced thorow by any darts of the deuill came they neuer so thicke and violent No this is the victorie which ouercommeth the world 1 Ioh. 5.4 both the Prince of it and the malice and the allurements and the affrightments of it euen our faith Faith as much as a graine of mustard seed can doe wonders The helmet of saluation was neuer yet beat off the head of Gods Warriour So hope is called 1 Thess 5.8 by any snares of fierie temptations which the deuill rained downe vpon him No our hope is a sure anchor so stedfast in apprehending his Obiect that it entreth into that within the veile Heb. 6.19 By our patience wee may possesse our soules Luk. 21.19 euen when our enemies are most vrgent vpon vs and ready to tire vs out Euen then when we loue not our liues to the death wee shall ouercome the dragon Reuel 12.11 By effectuall and feruent praier wee shall preuaile much Iam. 5.16 The Lord neuer heareth that voice which the Archangell spake The Lord rebuke thee Iude 9. but presently he consenteth and saith The Lord rebuke thee O Satan euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee Zech. 3.2 So of all the parts of our Christian armour they are all so cutting and wounding and deadly in slaying that the enemie as Ahab must die of the blow and be glad to retire Fourthly the deuill is indeed an enemie but an enemie already ouercome and smitten with his deaths-wound Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers for vs and triumphed ouer them openly vpō his Crosse Col. 2.15 so that all our resistance is as it were but the kicking of a curst beast whose throat is already cut to let out his life-bloud whereby hee doth yet spurn against vs. There was no more for the Captaines of Israel to doe after the battell ended but onely to tread vpon the fiue heathen Kings whom Ioshua had ouercome Ios 10.24 Come neere put your feet vpon the necks of these Kings The like is the voice of our victorious Ioshua Come here are enemies foiled to your hands vp and trample vpon them Christ puls out the sting of the old hellish serpent and then saith in the words of the Psalmist Ipsi Christo applicat Irenaeus l. 3. c. 38. Thou shalt tread vpon the lion and adder the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet Psal 91.13 Christ put the deuill to his wings when himselfe had beene violently tempted And euer since he hath beene so crazie and fearfull that the weakest member of Christ vsing the same method and meanes of resisting hath beene able to chase him away Also by vertue thereof the