milk and butter in a lordly dish till he sleeps and then nothing but the hammer and the nail till he dyes So the Devil disclaim he what Cruelties and profess he what Kindnesses he will be we sure of this He never seeks to possess any man but to tyrannize over him to ruine him and spiritually undo him if he can Whosoever credits a Lyar is deceived but he that will credit the known Father of Lyes John 8 44 loves to be deceived and undone And next to keep him out two things are necessary Iam. 2.17 18 1. To See him by Faith 2. To bolt the Door against him by Works of Obedience 1. To See him Some Rules should be borrowed from the Opticks for the seeing things exactly with our bodily eyes That it is requisite that the Object be rightly placed that is In a direct Opposition and not too near us We cannot see a thing in its compleat proportion on the same side we are neither behind us nor if it be placed just beside us If a man would plainly and perfectly in each Dimension behold one in this side of the Room he must step over to the other side So he that would see the Devil in his Pride shall never perceive him so long as he is proud himself for so long he stands on the same side the Devil doth But if he go over unto the other side of Humility then he shall plainly see the Devil in his Pride so in his Malice and Hypocrisie c. The reason why so few discern him in his Slights and Deformities is because so many stand on the same side Then be sure we stand not too near for if the Organ be too near the Object the beams of the sight will be confounded There must be a Mediocrity of distance the Eye not too near nor too far off for if a man would perceive the Art of a prospective Picture he must go a distance from it and look on it not with Natural eyes only but with the help of Artificial eyes or Spectacles fitted for the purpose else no discerning of the Mystery in it Semblably if a man would plainly see this mysterious Prospect of the Devil with all his deep Shadows and profound Devices and Deceits he must endeavor to go from him that he may perceive him and then look not with the eyes of Nature or Reason which hardly or never discern him 1 Ioh 2 20. but with the eye of Faith cleared with Gods Word and anointed with Gods Spirit which will plainly discover him The next Means to keep the Devil out of Possession is to shut the Door against him by good Works of holy Obedience for Conscience sake Christian diligence in lawful Callings even in the lowest places of hewing wood and drawing water especially if the heart be fortified with the spirit of Grace and Prayer is no small means to keep out the working Devil who hath Idleness for his Anvil Gen. 2.15 Adam was set by God to work in Paradise Hieronimus ad Rusticum ut quando Diabolus venit inveniat occupatum but was idle when the Devil was at work with him by Temptations And therefore let me advise you as He did his Friend To be always doing of some good thing that when the Devil comes he may find you busie The Door shut against him and you not at leasure to give him entertainment And then let every Soul earnestly observe quid genus Daemonum what kind of evil Spirit it is that doth most strongly beset if not possess it For as there are Diversities of Devils and Diversities of Sins so are there Differences in Casting out of Sins Though in respect of Gods absolute Power all are alike easie yet in regard of mans capacity or incapacity some sins are cast out and some Souls cured with the less and some with the greater difficulty Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil spirit of Unbelief Heb. 3.12 Joh. 20.25 27 Incredulity Vain-glory and Hypocrisie this kind cannot come forth easily Bribery Perjury Cruelty this kind is cured hardly And of like kind are Drunkenness Uncleanness Covetousness Rebellion Witchcraft And especially beware of any customary and presumptuous sins this is a kind not to be cast out ordinarily For as there was no little ado to restore to life Jairus his daughter dead in the house Mark 5 41 Luke 7.14 More about the Widows son carryed out dead in the gate but Most of all about Lazarus buried dead in the grave so long till he stank Ioh. 11.44 for Martha wept and Mary wept and the Jews wept yea Jesus himself wept and groaned in his spirit Semblably There goes Much besides private Admonition to Raise the secret shame-fac'd Sinner Mat. 18.15 that with Jairus his daughter is but dead as in the house and within doors Mat. 18.16 17 Ezek. 2.4 And More besides publique Reprehension to Raise the open impudent Sinner that with the Widows son is as dead in the gate without doors like Absalom in the face of the Sun But Most of all besides weeping and groaning and with Mary lamenting Lord Ioh. 11 21. if thou hadst been here my Brother had not dyed to Raise the customary stinking Sinner that with Lazarus is as dead and buried in the grave of Custom for this is the worst kind pleading Custom and most hard to be cast out It were good to pray Davids prayer with Davids spirit Psal 19.12 13. Cleanse thou me from secret sins for even this is an evil kind not easily cast out But it were good to heat the furnace of our Devotions yet seven times more then it was wont to be heat if possible when we come to this Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me Then shall I be upright and innocent from the great or much Transgression For this is the worst kind very hard to be cast out Take we heed therefore of giving Dispensations of witting or willing Allowance and Indulgence to any sin for beleeve it the least sin committed presumptuously will weigh too heavy in the ballance of the Sanctuary And finally If an evil Spirit of any kind hath got possession that Christs Ordinances cannot cast out Mark 9.18 as Christs Disciples here in this kind could not Then be sure to remember the words of the Lord Jesus Vers 19. Bring him unto me If neither Word nor Sacrament will do it try what Prayer will do Present thy heart as that father did his son to Christ and say Lord here is my heart possest with an evil spirit of Infidelity or of Obduracy or of Pride or any other Impiety c. I have often carried it to the Word and to the Sacrament and to other of thine Ordinances that they should cast him out and yet They could not Now sith thou hast said Bring him unto me behold Lord in Obedience to thy Command and in Confidence of thy Promise I here present it naked and prostrate before thee Strike where thou wilt so thou cure Handle it how thou pleasest so thou cast it not out of thy hands Lord I beleeve help thou my unbelief Speak thou but the word and my heart shall be dispossessed mollified humbled and sanctified c. Pray I say and I say again Pray who can tell what Prayer may do Oh the Wonders of Salvation wrought by Prayer in all the Elements from the highest Heaven to the lowest Hell Aug. Deo sacrificium Homini subsidium Daemonibâ—â— flagellam as a Sacrifice to God Help to Man and Scourge to Satan And indeed if the Spirit of Grace and Adoption beget it if the Spirit of Grace and Regeneration conceive it and if the wings of Faith and Fervency do carry it through the Angels hand c. what can hinder it Iam. 5.16 Rev. 8.4 Not for the meer excellency that is in it self nor for the bare Faculty of it but for Gods Institution and Appointment of it to this end singling of it out to this purpose in his own Acceptance This is it that does it whereby Prayer rightly Rooted and rightly Regulated can do Miracles when nothing else can do it even cast out Devils as here in the present Case of our Text This Kind can come forth by nothing but by Prayer and Fasting Which might be easily brought up but that the Well is deep and I doubt here is no Bucket to draw Therefore so much shall serve for this time of this thing 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what is said and God give you understanding in all things Amen FINIS
and shame The first Occasion 2. Upon the Churches just sentence of Excommunication Clave non errante rightly and duly administred for some crying sins and scandalous offences An heavy Ordinance which casts men out of the Church into ghostly torments and spiritual agonies in Conscience by Satan St Paul may well say 2 Cor. 2 6. Sufficient is this Punishment c. which cutteth men off from communion with the Saints of God Sufficient indeed which cutteth men off from communion with God himself the God and all the Good of the Saints Sufficient indeed for dismal Consequences the hiding and withdrawing of the light of his Countenance the witness of his Spirit and the comforts of his gracious Presence Sufficient to such a one c. He needs no more punishment to be sure created Nature being capable of no greater here This is the Case of the incestuous Corinthian and it admits of two heavy Aggravations in that very Text 1 Cor. 5.4 5 both from the Judg and Executioner 1. In the Name and with the Power of the Lord Iesus Christ Verse 4 That is by a Commission from Christ which issuing out in his Name when the Church proclaims it on Earth Christ signs it in Heaven And this is an heavy case to be cut off and cast out by Christ the Redeemer by Jesus the Saviour It is not a small cloud that will hide this Sun Rev. 6 16 not a light matter that will anger this Lamb. 2. Vers 5. 1 Pet. 5.8 Rev. 12.9 Psa 27.12 To deliver such an one unto Satan the grand Adversary of Mankind the Devil And this also is an heavy case David deprecates it as a fearful evil To be given over unto the will of his enemies though but corporal and temporal Of how much deeper deprecation may it be thought worthy to be delivered up unto the will of The Enemy spiritual and immortal who is big with Malice never satisfied but with blood and death 1 Sam 22.18 Fall upon him Doeg was an hard saying of Saul Fall upon him Devil a harder saying of God And yet that same Text affords as many Extenuations both from the Restraint and End 1. For the destruction of the flesh Lo Satan is restrained in destroying Ps 104 26 Iob 38.11 That Leviathan hath bounds set him as well as that Element he plays in Hitherto shalt thou come and no further Iob 1.12 and here shall thy proud waves be stayed As there in Job's case first restrained to his Goods and Children Hitherto and no further Iob. 2.6 then to his Body only Hitherto and no further So here in the Corinthians case the Destroyer is restrained to the flesh For the destraction of the Flesh Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed 2. For the destruction of the flesh That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Lo Satan is ordered and overruled to another End then he intends not to accomplish 1 Tim. 1.19 2 Tim. 3.13 2 Pet. 2.20 but to spoyl his own works however he get his own end with Hypocrites carrying them on to more sin waxing worse and worse their latter end worse then their beginning but with Gods own he is compelled to Gods end 2 Cor. 12.7 As there in Pauls case That he might be humbled to that end and no other So here in the Corinthians case That his flesh might be destroyed and his spirit saved to this end Rom. 6.6 Rev. 3 2. and no other That sin might decrease and grace increase That the old man might be crucified and the new enlarged in him Thus by the Devils Commission upon the Churches Censure for scandalous Crimes which is the second Occasion 3. Upon Gods own Excommunication by Divine Desertion the Church neglecting her office in that kind God himself sometimes doth cut off and cast out as it were excommunicate mens spirits from his gracious Presence and deliver them up to the Devil by terrors to fright them back and whip them home to himself again As in the cases of Job and David giving them occasion to say of such terrors preventing sin as David to Abigail preventing blood Blessed be thou of the Lord that thou hast met me this day 1 Sam. 25.32 and blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me c. God often sets the Devil to hedg up the way of Christians with his Terrors and evil men with Afflictions and Persecutions as it were with thorns as was threatened or promised the Church of old Hosea 2.6 I will hedg up thy way with thorns c. And blessed thorns which hide and stop every path to sin Upon all these Occasions God grants the Devil some power in commission in common as it were over Good and Bad but with great difference Over the Bad Ephe. 6.12 Ephes 2.2 2 Tim. 2.26 1 Cor 12 2 2 Cor 4.4 as their Ruler The Rulers of darkness of this world as their Head Working in the Children of Disobedience as their Conqueror Taken captive by him c. as their God The God of this world hath blinded their minds c. Over the Good only as a Jaylor over his Prisoners For a righteous Judg may commit his own son that is a Malefactor into the hands of a Jaylor not at his absolute arbitrary power to kill or rack or whip at his will and pleasure but according to warrant and commission And thus God commits some of his own into the hands of this Jaylor as by the particular warrant appears This Warrant is recorded by which the Jaylor is in greater Chains then the Prisoners Rev. 2.10 Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that ye may be Tryed And ye shall have Tribulation Ten days The Church of Smyrna whom it concerned is bid Behold Behold their Jaylor as well as themselves his Prisoners Behold their Jaylor in Chains of Three Limitations Limitations in all the Circumstances of Persons Time and Place of Affliction 1. In the Persons and Number of the Afflicted The Devil would have All in his hands but he is there in Chains Not All but some of you 2. In the Place and Nature of the Affliction The Devil would have it Hell and Destruction but he is there also in Chains Not so but into Prison and Tribulation that ye may be Tryed 3. In the Time and Duration The Devil would have it like his own Chains Everlasting but he is here too in Chains of Limitation Not so but for Ten days And then shall be heard the saying that was prophecyed Prisoners go ye forth and ye that are in darkness shew your selves Isai 49.9 Therefore Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer but be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life And thus for the Manner and Occasions of Gods granting the Devil such Power
universally throughly really Reformed People as we ought Then how Prosperous and Victorious might our Nation be how flourishing our Church and State yea how terrible to Satan Zech. 2.5 as armed with terror and walled with fire round about so that he durst not come so near us as to insinuate for Familiarity with us As that most Artificial Painter having painted a Boy with a Basket of Grapes in his hand Zeuxes and seeing the Birds flying in flocks to peck at the Grapes as if true and natural to the silly peoples admiration he was sore displeased with himself disclaimed his Art saying Had I painted the Boy which was the chief part of my Picture as well as I have done the Grapes which were but a by accident and ornament the Birds durst never have been so bold Your thoughts may forerun me in this Application Were we indeed as careful and Conscientious in the Substantials and Essentials of true Religion and Devotion for Faith Life and Worship as in shew Curious in the Circumstances Accidents and Ceremonies thereof the Devil and this kind of Fowls Mat. 13.4 19 these ravenous Birds of prey durst never have been so bold Therefore I impute not the Causality of Witchcraft unto Reformation for this will not make the Devil familiar but mad rather 2 Cor. 1 24 1 Cor 7.25 But if I may give my Judgment not as having dominion over your Faith yet as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful with submission to better Judgments I conceive It is because of the proud prophane blasphemous Rejections and Aspersions of the holy Word of God by so many of the people as imperfect and deficient to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.17 Iob. 20.31 and 5.39 Acts 8 9 nay as a meer Shadow and humane Invention let St Paul and St John and Christ himself say what they will of its Sufficiency and Perfection and holy Inspiration Some giving out that themselves are such great ones as to be Above Ordinances above Rules above Scriptures and all that is written pretending to the sole guidance of the Spirit of God as he that said I am for Christ 1 Cor. 1 12. meaning I am for none of you all What For the Spirit of God and of Christ even against their Word and their Will revealed with Despight unto it O God! That ever the Devil should get so much Advantage for his subtil Insinuations with Man by his despising that same Word of God Ioh. 12 48 2 Cor. 11.14 1 Joh. 4.1 that shall judg him at the last Day For the Devil is a Spirit though an evil one and a transforming one God is a Spirit the only Good one And we are bid to try the Spirits and forbid to beleeve every Spirit And how shall we try them but by that which ennobled the Bereans above others viz. Act. 17.11 Searching the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so But where the Touchstone and Rule of Tryal is rejected and exploded the evil Spirit and any Error may be admitted As a Goldsmith or Lapidary without a Touchstone may be easily deceived with counterfeits and undone Therefore if any be minded to be familiar with Devils let them slight or scorn or burn their Bible And this is vendere animam lucro selling of a Soul for a little profit Mat. 16.26 or rather perdere animam nihilo cast it away for nothing As he said that sold his Bible Now have I sold that which should teach me to sell all to buy it meaning the Truth of it Pro. 23 23 which may for all the strangeness and must be bought and not sold But as many as desire to be acquainted with God 2 Pet. 5 9. and to resist the Devil Thank God that your Bibles speak Engglish Wipe off the Dust of Neglect and the Dirt of Contempt from them Let not this Rule and Touchstone so great and good Hos 8.12 given us of God be accounted of us as a strange thing strange to our Judgments by Ignorance to our Thoughts by earthly-mindedness to our Affections by Indisposedness to our Mouths by rotten and prophane speeches But receive the Word of God as it is in truth the Word 1 The. 2.13 Joh. 12 48 Jam. 1 21 not of Man but of God which shal Judg may save your Souls Receive it as it is indeed our best friend next God yea the very friendship of God Receive it therfore not as a stranger with a few cold Complements at the Door or to come in only for an hour Col. 3.16 but entertain it as a friend Let it dwell in you And because it brings with it Rich Treasures of the best store Let it dwell in you Richly And because it may be abused by Ignorance Indiscretion Folly Affectation Unprofitableness Vain-glory and Hypocrisie Let it dwell in you Richly in all Wisdom Speak and preach it in Wisdom hear read and meditate of it in Wisdom not only in some but in All Wisdom So Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom Not using it as a Spell or Charm against the Devil by laying the Bible at the Beds head or in the Chamber window only that 's not in wisdom or by naked quoting of Scripture only Luk. 4.10 Psa 91.11 12 that 's not in wisdom for the Devil himself can do so and gloss upon it too but by So quoting it as by Faith Affection and Obedience to cleave unto it This is the right using of the Sword of the Spirit in Wisdom Ephe 6.17 Let it so dwell in us Not only sub ratione veri as Truth in the general while it only pleads it self but also as the Schools distinguish sub ratione contrarii as Reproof in the particular when it presses upon our selves and not as the Fryar wittily told the people that the Truth he preached was like holy water which every one called apace for yet when it came to be cast on them they would turn aside their faces Some that call fastest for Truth cannot abide to have it cast into their faces could like Truth if it would only shew it self and yet can mislike it when it comes thus to shew them themselves Could find in their hearts to love Truth Lucentem Shining Jer 13 15. Obevi equasi Obaudire Iudg. 9.7 but not Retarguentem Reproving c. Hear ye give ear be not proud the Lord hath spoken He is proud that will not harken unto God against himself and all the world Harken unto me ye men of Shechem That God may harken unto you said Jotham Secret things belong unto the Lord our God Deu. 29 29 but revealed things unto us and our children said Moses 'T is not Secret Purpose of God but Revealed Precept must be Mans Rule Take we heed of pretending to the Spirit of God against the Word of God For there is no Promise of Gods Spirit being a Guide where his