that wee may stand fast make use of these or the like directions 1. Be carefull to avoyde the least sinne least it usher in a greater for sinne and Sathan as you have heard winde themselves in by some small temptations till at the last like the sores of the body which at first are vicious humors then swelling tumors and after that impostumate and so become uncurable so the sores of sins waxe greater and greater till they breed bring eternal death therefore when thou art fallen thinke of our Saviours counsell remember whence Revel 2 thou art fallen repent and amend confesse your sinnes daily and crave pardon for them Let a man turne by Redcat hâ—â—o â—er quotidianâ—â—â—menta unde corruit per vanâ— dâ—lecta mentâ— Aug. de temp Ser. 182. daily lamentations to that from which he is fallen by vaine delectation Take heede of lukewarmnesse in religion and of backsliding If Christ have washed thee in his blood bathed thee in his wounds and cured thee with his stripes and tooke off this burthen from thy shoulders take heede of lading thy selfe againe by new transgressions but if thou be made whole sinne no more least a worse thing happen Ioh 5 14 unto thee 2. Take heed of sinne in generall so in a speciall manner take heed of vilifying the worke of grace that shines in Gods servants and is made evident to your consciences by the word or worke of God This was the fearefull sinne of the Iewes that daily saw the divine power of Christ shining in their consciences yet they did oppose themselves against him and charged him that hee borrowed helpe of the divell and that hee cast out divels by Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 3. Take heede of in constancy in religion and of time-serving Some thinke that if they bee young Saints they may proove old divells therefore they slacke their zeale in youth to conforme themselves to the time and resolve to bee more religious in their old age but wee see such flutter with Noahs Raven and hardly recover themselves againe but if wee finde our affections running with an irregular motion let us stay our selves and make a league with religion as Ruth did with Naomi resolve never to part 4. What vertue soever you finde in the Saints endevour to imitate and what God reveales unto you be carefull to practise God lookes that his talents should be imployed to his glory therefore let not your knowledge swimme idlie in your braines for vaine speculation but let it be fruitfull in your lives for others imitation 5. Labour for the Spirit of prayer and suplication for this is an invincible bulwarke against Sathans darts Crave daily the Lords assistance and commit your soules unto him daily in well doing and daily examine your heart by the rule of Gods word by which try whether you have faith to beleeve Gods promises if you have it will make you carefull to obey his Commandements thus he that keeps the forte of faith towards God and a cleare conscience towards the world Sathan may assault him but shall never Oppugnat diaboluineâ—â—â—â—ugnal subdue him for whosoever can practise these directions shall be sure to stand fast and firme The application doth now follow Even so shall it be to this wicked generation Wee have at large shewed you Gods mercy to the Iewes and their ingratitude to him againe and that God hath paid them home and made them spectacles of his wrath for all ages to looke upon therefore we will leave them unto Gâ—ds mercy and in his good time to open their eyes that they may behold their crucified Saviour and see what may make for their everlasting good and apply this doctrine to our owne soules If I should begin to number the mercies the Lord hath continued unto the Land in generall I might spend much time and yet not report the one halfe of an infinite number take a few We were all possessed with the spirit of blindnesse as other nations were and were tempted to as much uncleanenesse as ever the Pagans were but yet it pleased the Lord to expell the darkenesse of Popery and to send the light of the Gospell amongst us which we have enjoyed in peace and purity this threescore and thirteene yeares so that we have had peace within our walls and prosperity within our pallaces and no complayning in our streets And by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell Sathan this uncleane spirit hath beene cast out of us now let us take heede least hee creepe into us againe by hypocrisie and unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and so make us thinke that our religion stands in shewes and consists in outward formality least wee abusing the Lords mercies and grow leane and ill favoured after wee have devoured so many yeares of store and plenty under the powerfull preaching of the word wee arme our enemie against us who regaining entrance brings seaven spirits worse than he did before and so fortifie his habitation with hypocrysie and other foule sinnes for our unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and then there shall bee more prophanenesse than there was before But that this fearefull judgement may not overtake us let us speedily amend our lives and turne to the Lord with all our hearts and then our latter end shall be better â—han our beginning Walafridus Strabo lib. de rebus Ecclesiasticis Siquid in hoc Lector placet assignare memento â—d Domino quicquid displicet hocce mihi What here is good to God ascribed bee What is infirme belongs of right to mee FINIS
in power a spirit and in nature and condition an uncleane spirit one that for his pride and rebellion was cast out of Heaven therefore woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth for hee will doe as much mischiefe as he can he knowes his time is but short and therefore he will loose no opportunitie but will labour by all meanes to make all mankinde as filthy as himselfe Thus he made Caine swell in envie Gen 4 8. to his brother and to bathe his hands with cruelty in his blood Achan with theft Gehazi and Annanias Iosu 7. 1. 2 King 5. 22. Act. 5. 1. and his wife with lying and dissembling Thus hee defiles all men with sin and pollutes the land Ezek 23. 18. with transgressions For every sinne as it dishonours God so it holds the sinner in perpetuall bondage For whosoever committeth Iohn 8. 34. sinne is the servant of sinne Then in this bondage and Captivitie all naturall and unregenerate men remaine bound under the curse of the Law untill the custome of sinne hath taken away the sence of sinne and then this Tyrant plunges them under the curse of God before they are aware As every sinne is uncleane in the Concreat so there is a sinne called uncleannesse in the Abstract as if it were in a speciall manner breathed out of the mouth of this uncleane spirit This uncleane and filthy sinne is the sinne of Adulterie and Fornication which though it seeme a Paradise to the desire yet it is a Purgatory to the purse and a hell to the soule and dishonours the noble name of a Christian And though the wanton minions of this age extenuate it and say it is but a tricke of youth yet let them know that it is a sinne hatefull in the sight of God who will not let them goe unpunished for whoremongers and Adulterers Heb. 13. 14. God will judge But of the filthinesse and fearefulnesse of this sinne I have spoken at large in a Treatise Intituled The Worldlings looking Glasse When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none In these words is contained Sathans departure and demeanour when he is gon In his departure observe these particulars 1. The manner of his going out 2. The measure of his going out First for the manner of his going out Sathan will not depart but by compulsion for he keepes possession like a strong armed man which will not be amooved till a stronger even the strength of Israel come against him he alone and none but he can Math. 17 19 master and subdue him The disciples were unable to doe it and by his owne good will he will never depart Math. 8 29 Mark 5. 7. He loves his dwelling so well that he accounts it no lesse than a Torment to be cast out And so envious hee is to mankinde that he will never leave him till hee have brought him to destruction because he is greeved that mankinde should enjoy that happinesse he himselfe hath lost Secondly In regard of the curse that was given him in Paradise that the seede of the woman should bruise Gen. 3 15. his head Therefore he pursues mankinde with deadly hatred and implacable malice that either he may frustrate the truth of Gods word or bring mankinde into perpetuall bondage Yet for all his power and malice there is a time when he must be gon and that is when the Lord by the powerfull working of his Spirit dispelleth the blindnesse of nature and the sinfull corruptions thereof out of the hearts of his children and doeth inlighten them with the saving knowledge of himselfe This he doeth when by the ministery of the Law he convinceth their consciences of sinne and sheweth them the heynousnesse and fearefulnesse thereof and then the grievous punishments due to them for the same which are Levit. 26. Deut. 28. not onely all the plagues and punishments denounced in the Law but also the eternall torments of Hell for ever and ever And that no mortall man is able to free them from this condition no not all the world is able to make satisfaction for one soule for The Earth is the Lords and all that is Psal 24 1 therein Nay if all the Angells in Heaven should offer themselves they were unable to deliver one soule because they are ingaged to God for their creation and they were created but a finit temporarie good are not able to make satisfaction for infinite sinnes committed against the majesty of a most holy and glorious God Thus when the Lord hath 1 King 19. 11 12. brought his children to the gates of Hell and by the strong winde of his wrath hath broken their hearts and by the Earthquake of his judgement awakened their soules and by the fire of his spirit ransackt their consciences and by the ministery of his word hath plowed up the fallow ground of their hearts and by the terrours of conscience made them to despaire of salvation in respect of themselves Then he makes them to heare the still voyce of his Spirit by which he revealeth to them his infinit mercy and free grace and his eternall love to â—hem in Christ Iesus with all his meâ—its then he worketh in their soules â—aith whereby they apprehend Christ â—nd rest upon him alone for their salvation and in their judgements a wonderfull esteeme of Gods mercies and Christs merits from whence and by whom they receive and obtaine remission of all their sinnes This assurance of Gods favour worketh in their soules a hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse and in their wills a constant resolution to rest upon him alone for justification and salvation And in the whole course of their lives a detestation and hatred of all sinne whatsoever And stirres up in them a care and conscience to use all good meanes whereby they may be assured that they shall have their part in the mercies of God and in the merits of Christ Then God joyneth them unto him as the head unto the body and then as soone as Christ is joyned to them they are made members of his body who by his Spirit reneweth their will and affections and frameth in them a spirituall life that they may serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luk. 1. 74. all the dayes of their life Thus the Lord by these meanes casteth this uncleane spirit out of the hearts of his children so that he shall never totally regaine his former possession for it is a certaine Maxime in Philosophie that two contraries cannot stand together at one time in one and the same subject There can be no agreement betweene light and darkenesse God and Belial but when grace comes in vice must goe out When the holy Spirit taketh possession the uncleane spirit must packe away So then from the truth of the premisses wee may conclude That Sathans power must give place Doctr. to Christs This was
promised that The seede of the woman should bruise his head Gen. 3 15 This Christ performed in his temptations Luk. 4. 8. for which the divell doth feare him so much Matth. 8. 29. His chiefest labour in the dayes of his flesh was to overthrow his kingdome and cast him out Matth. 9. 33. Luk. 11. 14. Ioh. 12. 31. Act. 10. 38. which was a Type of this spirituall deliverance This was foretold that hee should bring out the prisoner from the Prison Esa 43 6 and them that sate in darkenesse out of the prison house and proclaime liberty to Esa 61. 1. the captives and the opening of prison Luke 11 22 to them that are bound Hereby he manifested his power prevailing against the strong man whose power Gamaliel acknowledged Act. 5 39 This he performed by his death when he spoyled Principalities and powers Col. 2 15 and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them And led captivitie Ephe 4 8 captive And by his death destroyed him that had the power of death Heb 2 14 Ioh 10 29 that is the divell Hereby he shewed himselfe greater than all and stronger than all For all power is given him Math. 28 18 in heaven and earth And hath made good his power by the preaching of his word which Sathan was not able Act. 6 10 Act 8 Revel 12. 15. to resist though hee raised up persecution and cast out floods to drowne his children and by sorceries laboured to turne away their hearts from him Yet hee pulled his children Act 8 9 out of his hands and daily Added Act. 4 4 to the Church such as he had appoinpointed to be saved And for all his power and malice at the last he will give his children power to tread him Rom 16 20 under their feete And thus we have confirmed the truth of the doctrine by evidence of Scriptures that Sathans power must give place to Christs The ground of this truth is 1 For this very purpose the Sonne of 1 Ioh 3 5 8 God was manifested in the flesh that hee might destroy the workes of the divell Esa 49 1 5 And take away the captives from the Luk 1 74 mighty and deliver his subjects out of his hand for the Lord is stronger than Sathan and hath a better title to his children than he 2 Sathan is his enemy and labours to set up the kingdome of sinne which Ephe. 2 2 3 he hates and to governe his subjects in all righteousnesse 3 His honour is deepely ingaged for the delivery of his Church because Sathan labours to overthrow his kingdome and continually annoyes his subjects by persecuting Revel 2 10 Math. 13 25 them and corrupting them And if he should not deliver them it would bee a great disgrace for him to let his subjects be overcome by his mortall enemy And if he did not preserve his servants he could not bee king of his Church nor rule his subjects in peace 4 If he did not deliver his children hee should want a people to call upon his Name for they cannot serve him till they bee freed from the devills power Thus also wee have proved the truth of the point by evidence of reasons Come wee now to make use and application This doctrine is usefull and that in Vse a threefold respect 1. For examination and tryall 2. For comfort and consolation 3. For Terrour We will begin with the first Must Sathans power give place unto Christ then examine thy heart and try thy wayes whether this uncleane spirit be cast out of thee or no Thou must try it by the meanes which God useth to make entrance and to take possession of his children for his owne service which is by the ministery of the word of God For when the flesh with the lusts thereof are terrified with the canon shot of legall threatnings making a great breach into the heart and conscience wounding and smiting it for the breach of Gods Commandements which workes feare and shame in the soule for offending so gracious a God and then by the Trumpet of the Gospell remission of sinnes and eternall salvation is offered to all that beleeve and repent and when the humbled soule doth embrace the grace of God when it is offred then this triumphant Captaine maketh his entrance and taketh possession of his soule for a Temple for himselfe to dwell in 2. We may try whether this uncleane spirit bee cast out of us by the reformation of our lives and conversations for by vertue of the sanctification of the heart Gods children are brought to a sight of the danger of their naturall estate and what neede they have of repentance and of Christ and of inward purging from their corruptions Regeneration begins at repentance and repentance begins when sinne is forsaken let every one of us then consider our thoughts and actions and try our sanctification thereby consider I say thy thoughts and thy actions when thou art alone is thy care then to meditate upon Gods righteous judgements and doest thou strive with thy selfe how thou mayst advance Gods glory and benefit his Church Doest thou strive by all meanes to cast out this uncleane spirit out of thy soule whose power consists in the corruption of nature the maine pillar whereof is ignorance and unbeleefe And dost thou labour for knowledge and sanctification that thereby thou maist be enabled to yeeld obedience to all the cōmandements of the Lord though they crosse thy nature and curbe thee in thy profits and delights yet for all this thou strivest to walke in all Gods ordinances without reproofe Luk 1 75 and doest so walke in thy calling towards the world as if Gods eye did alwayes behold thee and were privie to all thy actions Againe dost thou so carry thy selfe with reverence to the glorious majesty of God in thy private devotions as if the eye of man did alwayes behold thee Doest thou labour also to subvert the kingdome of Sathan in others If thou bee a private man in love and Charity by exhortation to moove to good workes shewing thy selfe by practise in obedience to God and Tit. 2 7 the king a patterne of all goodnesse If thou bee a Magistrate to restraine from evill by the power of the sword If a Minister to allure to vertue by the power of the word and unblamable conversation Art thou troubled and greeved in thy minde when thou meetest with hinderances and lets whereby thou canst not serve God in such manner as thou wouldest And dost thou carefully redeeme the time for thy soules good Is it a vexation greefe for thee to live among such people as have not the feare of God before their eyes and are carelesse to use those meanes wch God hath appointed for their salvation If at any time thou hast fallen into some scandalous sinne how stands the case betweene God and thy soule dost thou extenuate or defend thy faults
thou art freed out of this miserable condition Ply Christ with thy prayers and take no nay at his hands till he set thee free hee hath the Keyes of Heaven and hell and if Revel 1 18 Ioh 8 30 he make thee free thou art free indeede Confesse thy selfe to bee a wretched creature and without his helpe undone powre forth thy soule in sence of thy misery before the Throne of grace and say Father I have sinned Luk. 15 18 against heaven and against thee and not worthy to be called thy sonne O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespasse is growne up into the heavens Ezra 9. 6. crying for vengeance to fall downe upon me Lord I am a sinfull creature and thou art a God of infinite puritie and holinesse Sinne hath left me no good thing all is wounded all is poysoned how shall I appeare before thee whose glory the Angels cannot behold I was conceived in sinne borne in sinne and all my daies have lived in sinne My heart is a seed-plot of sinne and corruption my eyes the windowes of vanity my eares the eares of folly my mouth the mouth of deceipt my hands the hands of iniquity and every part of my body and faculty of my soule which thou hast created for thy service hath dishonoured thee My understanding apprehendeth nothing but sinne my will delighteth in nothing but wickednesse my memory retaines nothing but evill things which dishonours thee As for thy holy precepts and heavenly ordinances I have not observed but have prophaned thy Sabbaths contemned thy Sacraments and lived in contempt of thy providence all my dayes I have beene so farre from keeping any part of thy law that I have added transgression unto blindnesse malice to ignorance and rebellion to sinne And because thou hast spared mee and wayted for my repentance and hast suffered me with such patience to run on in my sinnes and because thou hast beene so mercifull unto me and multiplyed thy favours towards mee I have tooke liberty to my selfe to commit great sinnes against thee so that the same medicine which thou hast appointed to purge out my sinnes I have made a provocation unto sinne Yet Lord for thy names sake thy mercy sake thy truths sake take away all mine iniquities and magnifie thy mercy in the pardoning of my sinnes which I have committed against thee mine owne knowledge and many motions of thy Spirit and purposes of my heart I doe acknowledge I have beene dull and unprofitable in thy service I have not had care and zeale which I should have had to serve thee I have beene weary of well doing and have not taken to heart my misery as I should nor mourned for my transgressions against thee my God as becommeth such a notorious offender as I am but have hardned my heart against thy judgements and have walked stubbornly before thee in the light of thy countenance Psal 90. But though I am full of wickednesse yet thou art full of goodnesse Lord thou madest me at the first of nothing save mee now I pray thee which am worse than nothing It is thou O Lord which knowest my heart and it must bee thou which must renew and change it Take it therefore into thy owne hand and take from it the hardnesse deadnes and dulnesse which the custome of sinne hath brought upon it and frame it according to thy owne liking cast out of it all the cursed fruits of the flesh which fight against thy grace and my soule Enlarge my understanding and encrease my knowledge that being guided by thy wisedome and assisted by thy Spirit I may understand and perceive those things which may please thee and refraine those things which may dishonour thee that so being directed by thy grace and guided by thy Spirit I may clearely see what thou requirest of mee and what may make for my peace and future happinesse Lord this must bee thy worke for I confesse that my reason is blinde my will is froward my wit is crafty ready to deceive me my understanding is quite estranged from thee but Lord dispell these clowds of errour and ignorance and rectifie the perversnesse of my understanding and indue me with thy holy Spirit of grace and wisedome that my soule may be cleansed from the corruption of this sinfull world and the eyes of my understanding opened to embrace the mystery of redemption by Iesus Christ Make thy word unto me like the starre which led the wisemen to my Saviour in the time of his infancy make thy benefits and graces like the Pillar which conducted thy people to the land of promise Kindle thy love in my heart that in respect of thee and thy service I may despise whatsoever is against thee and thy truth Confirme my faith in thy promises that by thy Spirit I may be assured that thou hast forgiven my sinnes and that thou wilt not reject me a poore sinner that relyeth wholly upon thee Lord thou desirest not the death of a sinner but hast promised that if I repent thou wilt bee pleased thou onely canst raise me out of the grave of sinne for I am dead and buried in trespasses and sinnes quicken mee by thy grace that I may praise thy name Let mee not want any mercy whereby I may be fitted for thy service and so dispose and guide the remainder of my life in such manner as that thou mayest bee honoured and my soule comforted which grant unto me for the Lord Iesus Christs sake my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen Thus wee have proved the truth â—f the proposition that Sathans â—ower must give place unto Christ We have also confirmed it by Scripâ—ure proved it by reasons and have made use and application of it to our selves In the next place wee are to examine the measure of his going out Sathan is so expelled out of the godly as that hee shall never returne againe But he goeth out of hypocrites so as that he still remaineth For if hee were once reallie cast out as wee have heard he could never returne againe But this speech of going out is rather a forme of speaking than a reall action This phrase of speech is used with other of like signification as Heb. 10. 6. If wee sinne willingly after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne Againe the same Author saith It is impossible for those which were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted Heb. 6. 4. the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if they fall away to renew them by repentance Then from hence I reason thus If a man may receive the truth and yet sinne willingly and then forsake the truth be inlightned and tast of the heavenly gift and be made partakers
of the holy Ghost and yet fall away then by the same reason Sathan may bee said to goe out of a man and yet still remaine in him Therefore wheresoever we finde such phrases of Scripture as these of Sathans going out or of being made partaker of the holy Ghost and yet by the sequell of the words wee reade of their Apostacie and falling away we must not thinke that such men were ever effectually called and indued with the Spirit of God but that the Lord would have us take notice of the riches of his merâ— offered unto hypocrites in the outâ—ard meanes of salvation as the â—ord and Sacraments for the casting â—t of Sathan out of them And also â—e may see what a desperate judgeâ—ent they bring upon themselves â—hich neglect and contemne the â—eanes God offers for their delivery Mat. 23 37 â—nd this made our blessed Saviour â—ourne for the hardnesse of the Iewes â—earts that looked for a Saviour â—hich should free them out of their â—isery and when he was come to seeke â—nd to save the lost sheepe of the house of â—srael then they scorned and contemâ—ed him This uncleane spirit may bee sayd â—o farre to goe out of a man and yet â— reprobate as the good spirit of God may be said to depart from a Childe of God and yet still remaine the chosen of the Lord. That the spirit of God may seeme to depart from a Childe of God let David a man after Gods owne heart speake heâ— prayes Cast me not away from thy presence Psal 51 11. and take not thy holy Spirit froâ— mee And in another place he bewailes the absence of Gods Spirit Psal 77 8. yet for all this hee had it still For The gifts and callings of God arâ— Rom. 11 29. without repentance yet they may lyâ— hid without feeling as fire under â— heape of ashes which cannot beâ— seene or perceived till the ashes beâ— stirred so this uncleane spirit may lye hid a while till hee be stirred up by some scandalous sinne or other 2. So farre may this uncleane spirit seeme to goe out as the minde iâ— inlightned this the Apostle affirmes may be in a reprobate Hee may bee inlightned and yet fall away Seâ— this in Herod he amended many things at the Preaching of Iohn and this uncleane spirit seemed to begon out in regard of outward reformation forâ— when an hypocrite hath understanding of Gods word hee may acknowledge the truth as Balaam did and leave his sinnes for a time as Simon Magus did his Sorcery when hee beleeved and was Baptized and may humble himselfe for his sinnes as Pharaoh and Ahab did yet for all this hee may lye frozen in the dregges of his sinnes and this â—ncleane spirit may keepe possession for an hypocrite will not part with his darling sinne but rather part with his first borne yea loose his owne Micha 6 6. soule rather than leave it as may be seene by the love which Herod bare to his Herodias An hypocrite will cleave unto Christ so farre as the world will â—et him and if hee may share with him in his benefits and not bee hindred in his profits and pleasures but â—f he must part with them this is so hard a saying that they cannot abide â—t By which we may see that their obedience is but for feare of Gods â—udgements and their understanding â—s but inlightned with historicall faith which consists in quickenesse of wiâ— and plausibility of speech this faitâ— is effectuall to inlighten the understanding but not to save the soule Now so farre as this speculative faitâ— is admitted so farre this uncleane spirit is sayd to goe out God in thâ— knowledge regards not the quantitâ— so much as the quality an Hypocritâ— may exceede a childe of God in thâ— gifts of nature which God esteeme no better than shining sinnes Mistake me not I would not have knowledge vilified but rather rectified anâ— vertue added to knowledge else the gifts of nature if they be not sanctified by grace are fit preyes for the Divell 3. So farre this uncleane spirit iâ— gon out of an hypocrite as he hath received some sparckles of conversion For by the illumination of his mindâ— hee may behold the kingdome oâ— Christ to be glorious and in many degrees to exceede the glory of thâ— world This made the mother of Zebedees children thinke that if she could procure a place for her sonns that one might sit at Christs right hand and the Mat. 20 21. â—ther at his left in his kingdome shee would have beene abundantly satisfied Another thought him a happy Luk. 14. 15. man that might eate bread in the kingdome of God This also made Balaam earnestly desire to dye the death of Num. 23 10. the righteous and that his last end might be like theirs Now what may bee the reason of this that hypocrites are so ravished with the apprehension of future glory and happinesse Surely this they perceive that Gods kingdome is full of happinesse and they see a possibility of obtaining this happinesse for themselves for they have tasted of the heavenly gifts floting in their braines which makes them imbrace the Gospell and to doe many things that they are commanded therefore they hope they shall be saved On the contrary they see this sinfull world to bee full of trouble and vexation and they feare that there will bee great bitternesse in death Therefore hearing of a full deliverance by Christ from these dangers they are content to yeeld obedience to the Word but yet for want of the Ioh. 5 34 sappe of grace this abides with them but for a season And so for all their outward conformity they may bee rotten and unsound For they doe not love the truth for the truths sake but for some private ends as to gaine estimation of men and to be accounted good Common wealths men and so thought fit to live in a societie As for their desire after the Word it is either with Eve to get knowledge or with Simon Magus to make gaine of it or with the Pharisees to get a name by it for they discover themselves in the time of temptation and are either allured with the baits of prosperity or pinched with crosses and afflictions so that at last they fall away and become Apostates from the faith 4. This uncleane spirit is so farre gone out of a man as he lies hid and covered Hee may keepe his hold though he doe not shew himselfe in hostile manner he can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and will make a shew of holinesse that he may doe the more wickednesse he cares not though Abimelech entertayne Abraham and give him the best of his land if he can but make him to commit adultery with his wife Hee cares not though Iudas become a Disciple and a professor of Christ if he can fill his heart with covetousnesse to betray his Master Hee cares not though Annanias and
Saphirah sell their goods for the Churches good if he can make them lye and dissemble Hee cares not though many of us come to Church to heare Gods word if hee can make our mindes wander after our profits and pleasures then hee knowes he can wrap us under the curse of the Lord in doing his worke negligently Hee will be content to bee expelled out of an ignorant heart if so be he can corrupt his knowledge with faction and Schisme He can be content to bee cast out in one sinne if he can be entertained in another He cares not if he be cast out of an Idolatrous heart if he can keepe possession by prophane Atheisme then he hath as much as he desires And by this one sin he markes them for his owne 5. This uncleane spirit may be cast out in the opinion of the partie in whom he dwells and not in the worlds account for every man is ready to deceive himselfe in this particuler seeming pure in his owne eyes though he be not washed from his filthinesse Pro. 30. Let us see how nature occasions this deceipt and how many delude themselves in thinking they are some Gal. 6 3 body when as indeede they are no body 1. Deceipt is to make a man thinke he is a good Christian because hee leades a civill life and is just and upright in his dealings This is indeede an excellent vertue in it selfe and a good step to Christianity and it were to be wished that all Gods Children would be carefull to walke unblameably in respect of the world But yet for all this this Commendable vertue is made evill by accident so becomes a dangerous outward meanes to exclude grace For civill honesty if it be severed from true piety is nothing else but glorious iniquitie For the ornament thereof is to rest in the performance of outward actions as to deale justly and uprightly with their neighbours and to be free from the reproachfull crimes of the world Now here they rest and thinke themselves good Christians though all this while they bee ignorant of the true God and the grounds of his worship And in their honest dealing with men they ayme not at Gods glory that by their unblameable conversation his name may be magnified yet for all this because the world cannot condemne them they rest contented with a probable errour of being in the state of grace and the rather because they know that if they should step forwards in religion and labour for inward sanctification they should not onely stirre up against themselves many thundring stormes and the contemptuous Censures of this spitefull world but also from the bottome of hell many disturbances and fearefull temptations therefore Sathan labours to keepe them in this estate and perswades them that this civill righteousnesse will carry them to heaven and that God will exact this precise and strict obedience at the hands of the Preachers and those which are better learned than themselves But these men must know that though their workes make a glorious shew in the sight of men yet they are odious in Gods sight if they bee not done in obedience to his Commandements and in zeale for his glory 2. Men will not be perswaded they are so bad as indeed they are Will you see how this deceipt is also occasioned It is because they compare themselves with those that are Sathans outragious revellers whom they doe excell in regard of their civill moderation and morall cariage now finding themselves in a better condition they are in their owne opinions Canonized Saints and so neede no reformation Thus it comes to passe that the proud man will not be perswaded that hee hath a filthy Lucifer in him The covetous man will not be perswaded that Mammon rules in him The fornicator and Adulterer will not be perswaded that Asmodeus a filthy and uncleane spirit reignes in him The envious man will not be perswaded that Beelzebub an irefull divell governes him The contentious man he will not beleeve that Baalberith a troublesome Divell is in him The drunkard hee will not beleeve that Beelphegor a beastly Divell domineers in him The idle person he doth not thinke that Astaroth a lazie Divell is in him Thus all men are ready to deceive themselves but we must know that where the workes Vbi opera â—bi operans are the workemaister is at hand And though the world cannot detect them for their sinnes yet the Allseeing God is privie to their corruptions The Scribes and Pharisees were just and upright men to the world in regard of their austere life and strict observations but yet our Saviour tells his Disciples and in them us That except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse Mat. 5 20. of the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall in no case enter into the kingdome of Heaven These men were carefull to abstaine from such sinnes as the world takes notice of but the Lord Iesus the wisedome of his Father detects Mat. 23. them of much hypocrisie So he knowes these Iusticiaries well enough and though they bee not Papists in ignorance and prophanenesse or in Idolatry making their good meaning their God their wit and policie their God nay peradventure their money or their belly their god And Phil. 3 19. for all their civill honesty Sathan sees them make little conscience of prophaning the Sabboth swearing by their faith or troth Masse or our Ladie Now because they count these small sinnes the devill holds them fast enough as his vessales and slaves 3 Many men deceive themselves because upon some good motions of Gods Spirit by the powerfull ministerie of the Word their consciences are awaked and they brought to a sight of their sinnes so that they begin to hate those sinnes they delighted in and to performe some holy duties and so now they thinke that this uncleane spirit is gone out of them but for want of watchfulnesse he comes againe and allures them to the committing of one sinne or other or else by covetousnesse sets them as deepe in their gainefull sinne of Vsury deceipt gaming and the like as ever they were so with Iudas they receive the soppe and the Divell againe and so their former righteousnesse is but a morning dew and their unrighteousnesse by little and little returnes againe and they become as disordered in their courses and as sinfull in their practices as ever they were 6. This uncleane spirit may seeme to bee cast out in the opinion of the godly and not of the partie himselfe Thus the Disciples had a good opinion of Iudas because of his outward conformity to the word and because Christ had put him in trust with the bagge therefore when our Saviour told them that one of them should betray him they suspected themselves rather than Iudas and yet all this while Christ knew he would prove a Traitor to him and a butcher to himselfe and Iudas himselfe knew that he had a covetous envious
tempt 84 He is never weary 113 64 66 116 Wicked men tempt themselves 143 Evill thoughts are stirred up by Satan 66 Triall of a mans state how made 26 27 28 Time cannot be better spent than upon God to glorifie him and upon our souls to save them 87 Time servers are miserable 171 Men must not conforme themselves to the sinfulnesse of the times 171 A sinne of times ibid. Satan is the head of Tyrants 111 Their malice limited 99 God hath a hook in their nostrils 100 Their malice cannot compell the fire to burne us ibid. Thankefulnesse opens Gods hand 154 Gods Talents must be imployed to his honor 171 V THe Devill will ensnare men by their Vertues or their Vices 67 Saints vertues are to be imitated 171 The Devill is a vanquished slave 104 Vsury unlawfull 130 Vnbeleevers miserable 32 W VVAlke what it signifies 61 The Devill walketh any way to do mischiefe 76 His walkes are dangerous 89 Where his walke are 86 90 Watchfulnesse needfull 87 112 Required 92 93 Why neglect of it full of danger 116 117 Wicked mens trade is to draw men to sinne 70. 74 They are restlesse in sinne 77 They are the Devils standards bearers 70 They rejoyce at the fall of the godly 75 79 They are enemies to godlines 75 They are hatefull to God and hurtfull to men 32 They are quiet among themselves 160 They use variety of objects to satisfie their pleasure 78 They run from one extreme to another 78 The world is the Devill circuit 84 He knowes how to handle his weapons 157 Mans weakenesse encourages him 114 Spirituall weapons must be used 126 It is not enough to fight with Gods weapons unlesse we borrow his arme 105 Gods children shew their weakenesse in dangers 104 Words must bee weighed in the ballance of wisedome and tend to edification 45 Gods Word is the star that leads to Christ 41 Y ADultery a sinfull trick of Youth 17 Z THe Devill labours to coole and undermine our Zeale To decrease our Zeale dangerous 171 FINIS ERRATA Mens works have faults since Adam first offended And those in these are thus to be amended PAge 57. l. 8 supply Papists in profession yet many of them are Papists in ignorance and prophanes c. p. 67. l. 1. r. Iehosuah p. 62. l. 6. put out Satan seek l. ult r. bodies p. 66. l. 18. r. so now p. 81. in margent r. habeo meum p. 110. p. 24. Courage l. 4 r. plowing p. 144. in the margent r. scintilla p. 144. r. after evill spirits q. 148. l. 8. r. restlesse THE PARABLE OF THE VNCLEANE SPIRIT Matth. 12. 43. When the uncleane Spirit is gone out of a man hee walketh through drie places seeking rest and findeth none Then he saith I will returne into my house whence I came out when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished OVr Saviour Christ in great humility and mercy came to save and to seeke the lost sheepe of Israel unto whom hee came not empty handed neither did hee leade an unprofitable life among them but all his workes were witnesses of his love to their soules and bodies in curing the one and feeding the other for he went about Act. 10. 38. doing good curing all that were oppressed of the divell Yet for all his manifold mercies manifest miracles which he wroght among these stubborne Iewes they requited him with inveterate hatred and maliciously interpreted his workes to be wrought by the power of the Divell for so they say This fellow doth not cast Vers 24. out Divells but by Beelzebub the prince of the Divells But our blessed Saviour knowing their cursed malice and obstinate wickednesse by sound arguments confutes their calumnies and discovers their intollerable blasphemie So that in this Story the holy Evangelist doth lay open a double conflict ofour Saviour the first is against Sathan the enemy of mankinde in the body of a poore man the other in the tongue of these obstinate pharises In the one he was a blinde dumb divell in the other a seeing and perverse adversarie Now because violence doth not make an enemy so dangerous as cunning and craftie therefore our Saviour casts him presently out of the blinde and dumbe man Where in he shewed himselfe by force but out of these subtill and malicious Pharises he did not so easily cast him out but is forced to come from sound arguments which might have stopt their mouths to passe a doome upon them in the conclusion of Vers 45. this Parable Even so shalt it be also to this wicked generation When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man Whether these words were directed to the poore man out of whom the divell was gone out or to the stubborne Iewes may seeme a Question No doubt but it may very fitly be applyed to the former that having received so great a benefit he should not be unthankefull to the Lord for his deliverance or grow secure and carelesse least by his negligence and misdemeanour the devill which now was cast out of him should returne and take possession of him againe and so his last end should be worse than the beginning Or else these words may serve to be a witnesse against these perverse Scribes and Pharises to seale up their further damnation It may serve for both and bee as a patterne for the godly to imitate to teach them to order their speech that their words being weighed in the ballance of wisedome and powdered with the salte of discretion may tend to edification and minister grace to the Col. 4. 6. hearers For many times the standers by doe more heedefully marke what is delivered than those unto whom the speech is directed When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man This uncleane spirit which keepes possession by the power of sinne was after a sort formerly cast out of the Iewes when they received the Law of Moses and so were taught to worship the true God aright then this uncleane spirit with his filthy troope being destitute of so convenient a lodging walked through drie places amongst the Gentiles to seeke rest whom hee corrupted in such a vile manner that hee made them leese both sence and humanity and fall into all manner of blindenesse and Idolatry as we may see Rom. 1. 24. in so much that being seduced by him they worshipped and served him with manifold Idolatries so that at the last hee had so farre infatuated their understanding that they also worshipped Catts Serpents and other filthy creatures as may appeare by the testimony of divers historians Hesiod as Eusebius observes saith There was worshipped upon the earth 30. thousand gods In which Idolatrie the Gentiles continued untill the Lord Iesus preached the truth of his Gospel amongst them which glad tydings they embraced and forsooke their former errours and beleeved in him and when they saw his miracles they spake very honourably of him and acknowledged him to be
Saviour of the world of whom it was foretold by the Prophet that He Esay 35. 6. should open the eyes of the blinde and unstop the eares of the deafe Then Sathan this uncleane spirit was forced to goe out of them also But the Iewes unto whom Christ the Saviour of the world was sent opposed and disgraced him in his workes and miracles and by all means laboured to withstand him Sathan finding this opportunity returned backe againe unto these stubborne Iewes whose Religion he found stuffed with a number of blinde Ceremonies and pharisaicall traditions contrary to the Law of God In the Temple in stead of Pastors to teach the word he found Drovers Brokers making of sale In stead of pues for prayer tables for Vsurers money changers and in stead of a Congregation for the Saints he found a denne of Theeves Sathan I say finding this opportunity enters into them and houlds them in blindnesse and ignorance so that their last end is worse than their beginning For now they are deprived of their Temple and liberty and are as vagabonds upon the face of the earth as appeares this day By which we may see what a wofull judgement all those are liable unto which oppose the grace of God when it is offered unto them They doe as much as in them lyes lay themselves open to the malice of Sathan who having gained any opportunity will hardly be driven from them Thus having sayd as much as is needefull for the understanding of this present Parable yet that we may receive the greater profit by it we will for methods sake which is memories guide reduce the matter therein contayned under these foure heads 1. Wee will shew the manner and the measure of Sathans departure from the soule of man and then how he demeaneth himselfe when he is gone 2. His diligence to regaine his former possession with the reasons that induce him thereunto 3. When he hath regained possession how forciblie hee sences himselfe to prevent expulsion 4. The miserable estate of all those hee repossesses how and wherein their end is worse than their beginning These 4. points by Gods grace shall be the substance of my ensuing discourse of which in their order We will begin with the first contayned in these words When the uncleane spirit is gone out c. In these words is contained the uncleane spirits departure and demeanour when he is gone This uncleane spirit is here described 1. By his essence he is a spirit 2. By his quality or condition an uncleane spirit He is a spirit The word spirit in Scripture sometime doth signifie the essence of the god-head as God is a Spirit Iohn 4. 24. 1 Iohn 5. 6. Sometimes the third person in the Trinity called the Spirit of truth Sometime the gifts and graces of the Spirit as the Angell did foretell of Iohn that he should be Luk. 1 15. filled with the holy Ghost Sometime it signifies the soule Luk. 23. 46. Psal 3 1 5. of man as Father into thy hand I commend my Spirit But that wee may not spend our time about the divers acceptation of the word Spirit we are to know that whensoever wee finde the word Spirit set downe without any other word to expresse the meaning of it then we are to know that the third person in the Holy Trinity is meant as Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit helpeth our infirmity But when it is set downe with his adjective the nature and quality of his adjective will easily demonstrate what the substantive importeth as the evill spirit vexed 1 Sam. 16 15. Saul that is the Divell And in this place he is called An uncleane spirit whereby his nature is expressed to be uncleane And thus much for his essence He is a Spirit Come wee now to speake of his quality and condition He is uncleane The divell is an uncleane spirit but not in regard of his creation but in respect of the condition hee brought upon himselfe The Scriptures teach that the Divell was not created evill For God saw every thing that he had Gen. 1. 31. made and behould it was very good He was created an Angell of Light and a spirit without mixture of body immortall without feare of corruptiō intellectuall with exceeding promptnesse of wit free that nothing could force his will wise with fulnesse of naturall knowledge powerfull above all inferiour creatures wholy decked with admirable vertues capable of seeing God clearely with promise of this glory if he persevered in his service But not being content with this his estate but seeking to pry into the majesty of the deity Esay 14. 12. and to usurpe the glory of his maker was therefore dejected and cast into hell and so from being a blessed Angell in Heaven he is become a damned devill in hell As he derived his nature from God so he is good but this depravation of his nature is from himselfe An Angell he was of Gods making a divell of his owne And now being deprived of the glory of God he delights in all uncleannesse is an utter enemie to all holinesse Therefore he useth all meanes to make mankinde as unhappie as himselfe and to wrappe every mothers Childe under the curse of God As soone as our first Parents were set in Paradise though they were furnished with the invincible army of innocencie and righteousnesse so that he was not able to conquer them by force and violence yet out of an inveterate hatred which he bare to the Image of God shining in them and out of envie to their happinesse hee entered into a treacherous parlie with our Grandmother Eve and so bewitched her sences with flattery that he caused her to wandor from the truth of Gods Word and to intice her husband to transgresse Gen. 3 16. the Commandement of God whereby they put off the Armour of innocencie and righteousnesse and entertayned into their soules a troupe of his ambitious tentations and then having gayned the possession he sought for presently he ransacked their soules and deprived them of all spirituall graces and brought them like inferiour Captives under his dominion And that he might the more securely keepe them under subjection he did not onely kill and wound Gods graces in their soules but in stead of them hee placed a strong Garison of carnall corruptions and fleshly lusts which should be as a Porter to open passage to his temptations whensoever he please to make any entrance Thus having so poysoned the fountaine and head spring of all mankinde all men now they are conceived in sinne and brought forth in iniquitie And are deprived Psal 51. 5. Rom. 3 23. of the glory of God And remaine under the governance of this uncleane spirit And in this miserable condition every one had remained if the wisedome of God had not found out a way to redeeme us out of this his bondage and servitude Thus we have discovered our adversarie to be
and so justify thy selfe in thy transgression or on the contrary canst thou not be quiet and at rest till thou hast humbled thy selfe before God and craved pardon for thy sinnes And then canst thou more comfortably rejoyce in the favour of God than in any earthly blessing whatsoever Then if thou canst finde these or the like markes of salvation in thy soule then I pronounce unto thee out of the word of God that this uncleane spirit is gone out of thee For if hee held thee under his bondage he would not suffer thee to take notice of thy darling sinnes but rather to justifie thy selfe in thy transgressions Hee would not have thee question thy want of faith inward pride malice covetousnesse or foolish speaking conforming thy selfe to the corruptions of the time These with many other sinnes he would not have thee take notice of by which thou maist conclude that God in mercy hath freed thee from the bondage of this Tyrant Hath Christ by the powerfull worke of his Spirit cast this uncleane spirit out of thee Vse 2 Then be exhorted all yee that feare God to submit your selves unto Christ to bee guided by his word for he is able to 2 Tim 1 22 Rom. 14. 18 keepe that which is committed to him And by this meanes yee shall be accepted of God and approoved of men else wee shall be in danger to revolt and then wee may see our 2 Pet 2 21 fearefull case and condition Therefore having received so great a benefit let us bee sure to give God the Revel 12 10 praise of his mercies for he deserves it and it is all that he lookes for and Psal 50 15 there is great reason he should have it Gratiarum Actio est ad plus dandum in vitatio Chryâ— in Gen. Hem. 52. because we shall neede his helpe another time And thus much for the former uses Come we now to the latter which is an use of terrour unto all that are under Sathans bondage Vse 3 Come hither and behold thy fearefull estate and condition thou whoever thou bee that remainest in this fearefull bondage and slavery Sathan is their god which hath blinded 2 Cor. 4 4 the eyes of all unbeleevers least the light of the Gospell of Christ should shine unto them He is thy Father and Ioh. 8 44 workes his owne worke in thee and 1 Ioh. 3. 8 makes thee to resemble him in pride and disobedience and to fight for him against God and his word which he makes thee to hate and to oppose and to draw others from the worship of God and to lay a stumbling blocke Revel 1 15 in their wayes to cause them to sinne Deut. 32 33 And so makes thy best workes like the poyson of Dragons hatefull unto God and dangerous unto men Besides all this hee holds thee as a slave and keepes thee in ignorance and Ephe. 4 18 2 Cor 2 14 Luk 8 12 robbs thee of the use of Gods word And while thou remainest in this miserable estate there is no goodnesse in thee nor nothing good can come from thee Thy reason is blinde thy heart is rebellious and thy wisedome is enmity against God and Rom. 8 7. art uncapable of the meanes of salvation and art given over to a reprobate sence to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse And remaining in Ephe. 4 19 this estate thou art without Christ and so a stranger from the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world So long as thou continuest in this estate thou art under the rigour of the Law which exacteth at thy hands the performance of all it requires and also the blessings of the Lord they tend to thy damnation for so he saith I will Mal. 2 2 curse your blessings yea I have cursed Pro. 1 32 them already Againe The prosperity of fooles destroyeth them And as All Rom. 8 28 things worke for good to Gods children so all things worke thy hurt and ruine Thy table is made a snare and that Psal 69 22 which should have beene for thy welfare Rom. 11. 9. is become a trap Yea Christ himselfe which is unto the godly a sweet smelling savour of life is unto thee a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence Rom. 9 23 Crosses and afflictions which God useth to purge out the sins of his children these work in thee hatred against God stirres up thy corruptions to murmure to be impatient and still to shun the gracious presence of God and to hate the meanes of salvation Thus wee see the miserable estate of all those which are under Sathans bondage how miserable they are in this life and how miserable they shall be in the world to come But alasse how may wee lament the desperate estate of many in our age who though they remaine in so fearefull an estate yet they are unwilling to come out of it Tell the drunkard that this uncleane spirit must bee cast out of him else hee shall not inherit the kingdome of God and hee will for your paines give you a squib or watch opportunity to doe you a mischiefe Tell the Prophaner of the Lords Sabbath and the filthy livers of our time that this uncleane spirit must be cast out of them and you shall heare them roare like the divell in the Gospell that they will not be tormented before their time Oh! what a lamentation may we take up for the desperate sinnes of our time which furiously march to hell under Sathans colours and will not be reclaymed God hath offered them the meanes and hath shewed them the way how they may be freed from this fearefull bondage and yet they will not but had rather be Sathans vassalls in the Egypt of sin than the Lords freemen in the land of Canaan The servant under the Law that would not bee free from his masters service when he might was to have his eare boared through with an aule and so to bee made a servant for ever So it is just with God to let such willing and carelesse men to be slaves to Sathan for ever Question But may some say if their state be so miserable how comes it to passe that they doe not see and feele their miserable condition Answer Sathan blindes their eyes with the pleasures and profits of sinne which are very agreeable to their nature that they never consider of their miserable condition and so at last the Custome of sinne takes away the insuetudo occandi â—llit sensum â—eecate feeling of sinne Againe they were never sensible of any better estate and therefore no marvaile if Sathan hoodwinkes them to their destruction Let the consideration here of moove all men to labour in time to see their miserable condition and to repent least they bee plunged under Gods judgements before they are aware Spare no paines then and give no rest unto thy soule untill thou art assured that
once the Prophet did to Ahab Get thee up eate and drinke for there is a sound of much raine So should we say to our sluggish natures up and be doing Get thee to thy study to preaching and praying loose no time for there is a sound of much trouble We may be deprived of the word before we are aware wee may be stopped in our courses and pious intendments suddenly wee may be deprived of our lives in a moment the night of sickenesse adversity death wil come and then we cannot worke Oh what a comfort will it be to our soules when death approacheth if then wee can say in sincerity of heart with godly Hezekiah Remember â—sa 38 3. O Lord I have walked before thee with an upright heart Therefore bee not weary of well doing remember it is a fearefull thing to begin in the spirit and to end in the flesh therefore let every one of us say to Sathan and his discouraging Instruments as once Nehemiah did to his crafty Counsellers What should such a one as I flie Nehem. 6 11. No I will not loose my labour and that crowne of life that is promised to all them that are faithfull to the Revel 2 10 death to please Sathan and his instruments 2. Seeing Sathan is so restlesse in his temptations and is so diligent a walker be exhorted to keep out of his walkes though he walke in all places yet hee frequents some places more than the rest and they are the Ale-houses the gaming houses and the whore house unto which hee hath other walkes and they are gardens of pleasure and solitary walkes in these places hee eyes us and many times finds them fit places to set his temptations on worke in these places he prevailed over Eve Lot David c. These places like him well and into such places he drave those which hee possessed Luk. 8. 29. and there usually shewes himselfe to witches Solitarie places be his walkes and in these he delights because hee is the Prince of darkenesse and hates the light because his workes are evill he knowes how ready man is to sin when he is alone and when mans eye is not over him to hinder him he knowes that many dare doe that in the darke in the presence of God which they would blush and bee ashamed to doe in the presence of a mortall man Therefore the godly must bee carefull to shunne and avoyd idlenesse which is Sathans pillow by which hee takes many tripping and lulls them asleepe to their eternall destruction Therefore when we are alone let us alwayes be speaking to God by our prayers or â—rayses or meditating of his goodâ—esse hereby we shall bee fitted for â—ur callings and made more watchâ—ull over our wayes thus if wee be â—mployed though Sathan be alwayes walking and in continuall action let him walke whither he will for we are â—n our calling walking with God And if at any time hee set upon us in our solitary walkes let us take the benefit of companie as soone as we can but herein learne wisedome Let your company be good and such as feare God else wicked and prophane company are worse than solitarinesse For wee heare of many who when they are troubled by Sathan runne to sinfull company and spend their time in Carding dycing drinking and so thinke to cast out the divell by Beelzebub the Prince of divells but therein they deceive themselves and harden their hearts against the meanes of their salvation 3. Seeing Sathan goes about to tempt and to doe what mischiefe hee can let Gods children take the quite contrary course and endevour to doe as much good as they can by provoking one another to good workes and shewing themselves patternes of all goodnesse For shall our enemy watch for our destruction and shall not we watch for our preservation Sathan is a Fox and therefore subtill he layes siege to the Castle of our soules and labours mightily eyther to scale the walls of our faith or to batter the Bulwarke of our patience or to undermine the Turrets of our zeale and fortitude or one way or other to drive us from our hould and then by some Stratageme or other to surprize us before wee are aware Wee had neede therefore to looke about us and say to our soules as Dallilah did to her husband Vp Sampson the Philistims be upon thee So O my soule stand upon thy guard and looke to thy selfe What hath thy purse enemies on the highway and â—hy goods enemies about thy house â—nd hast thou no enemies for thy â—oule Sathan is malicious therefore â—e will spare none strong therefore â—e will feare none up therefore and â—and upon thy guard Sathan is walkâ—ng to doe thee a mischiefe thereâ—ore bee thou watching and praying â—o resist and withstand all his temptaâ—ions For Sathan is vigilant and watchfull ready and cunning to abuse â—ll outward objects to our hurt Hee â—abours by all meanes to dishonour God and to crosse him in his proviâ—ence and to deprive all mankinde â—f happinesse Therefore he labours â—o draw such to sinne which have most â—eanes to withstand it and have had â—ore mercies to encourage them to â—oe forward in Gods service and if â—ee can overcome them by his tempâ—ations he knowes how to dishonour God in a high degree If hee can get â—dam to sinne in Paradise he knowes how to fill the world with sinners quickly If hee can tempt David â— man after Gods owne heart to commit adultery and murther he is suâ— hee can make The name of God to bâ— 2 Sam. 12 24. blasphemed 2 Sam. 12. 24. If hee caâ— make Iudas one of the twelve to betray his Master hee thinks hee hatâ— shaken Christs kingdome and if heâ— can make Peter that great Champion to deny and forsweare him then hâ— doubts not but to lay his honour iâ— the dust So at this day if hee caâ— make the professers of the Gospâ— carelesse and prophane he thinks hâ— hath notably dishonoured God iâ— making his ordinance unfruitfull aâ— unprofitable Seeing therefore heâ— is so malicious and so diligent let â— labour to resist him stedfastly and coâ—stantly Iam. 4 7. and then he will flye from â— And thus much for his labour aâ— diligence hee walketh through dâ— places seeking rest Come wee now to the issue anâ— event he findeth none Hee walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Hence then we may learne That though Sathan seeke the godlies Doctr. overthrow yet hee shall be prevented hee shall be disappointed of his expectation Though Sathan bee strong and mighty whose power no mortall man is able to resist yet the victorious Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah is stronger and will rescue his servants and make him know that his chosen are kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 5. through faith unto salvation And though the godly bee as sheepe appointed to destruction by the malice of Sathan yet they are not so in the
therefore wee had neede to have a vigilant eye over all the parts and faculties of our soules and bodies least they become windowes to let in Sathan to take possession And thus much for his courage and resolution contayned in these words I will returne Come we now to the Terminus ad quem or whither hee will returne I will returne to my house Sathan calls the hypocrites heart his house and so it is indeed but not by creation So every man is Gods house 1 Cor. 3. 16. cap. 6. 19. but by the wilfull refusall of Gods mercies they then become denns for Sathan to lodge in Thus the proud mans heart is a house for Lucifer to lodge in The Adulterers heart an Inne for Asmodius to roost in The envious mans heart a Cage for Beelzebub to lurke in The revengefull mans heart is a pallace for Baalberith to domineere in The drunâ—ards heart a stie for Beelphegor to reside in The idle mans heart is a Turret for Ashtaroth to keepe Rande vowes in Though men may flatter themselves and thinke they are in good case yet while they live and remaine in their sinnes they are in Gods account no better than uncleane houses for Sathan to roost in though they fare daintily and have sumptuous houses yet all this while they are but filthy Parlours for Sathan Here we may take up a bitter lamentation Heu domâ—s antiqua c. and with Ieremy weepe day and night for the miseries which are befallen the sonnes of men Man was created holy and for Gods service but now these glorious houses are become denns for Sathan to dwell in Where pride and malice domineers and carnall security beares sway vice and all manner of wickednesse let in and piety and the feare of the Lord shut out Pride and carnall security hath barred the doore against the Lord the holy one of Israel he stands knocking but wee will not let him in If pride malice and revenge knocke we are ready to open and willingly embrace them but the motions of Gods Spirit wee chocke and grieve and will not entertaine them The Lord lay not our sinnes to our charge The Lord hath wooed us by his Ministers invited us by his mercies and drawne us by the bands of love and would have married us to himselfe ose 2 20. but wee like desperate wretches and despightfull creatures will marry our selves to our pleasures to our delights to our sinnes nay to Sathan himselfe O! consider this all yee that forget God and so preferre hell before Heaven The Gaderens were branded for infamous wretches for preferring their swine before Christ the Saviour of the world And the Iewes accursed for choosing Barrabas a filthy murtherer before Iesus a meeke Saviour But O alas how shall wee bee registred for infamous wretches if wee neglect so great salvation Let the consideration hereof move every one of us to consider of these things which belong to our peace and now to make up an agreement with our adversary while wee are in the way with him It followes I will returne to my house See heere what love Sathan beares to his former house and his wisedome and policie to provide him a resting place if hee may not be where hee would yet he will be where hee may If he cannot be a king in heaven he will reigne as a god in earth and if he cannot rest in the hearts of Gods Children then he will dominere in the children of disobedience He had rather be in any place than in hell therefore he will consider his future place before hee will leave his former habitation hee would not goe Math. 8 31. out of the man hee possessed before hee had liberty to goe into the swine He had rather be in the hogs than no where While hee is in earth he torments others but while hee is in hell he is tormented himselfe And therefore like an envious wretch he thinks hee finds rest if hee can revenge himselfe upon mankinde or any thing that belongs to man Hee can finde no rest in a Papist or Atheist for hee knowes that their worme-eaten consciences lackes nothing but searing with the hot Iron of Gods wrath he is sure enough of them because they are hardned in their prophanenesse and so the custome of sinne hath taken away the sence of sinne yet for all this if hee cannot prevaile against Gods Children hee will to his old house againe there he is like to have good entertainement which is better to him than to walke in dry places where he findes so much resistance Come we now to see what entertainement he findes the house is emptie that is voyd of the graces of Gods Spirit he findes the hypocrite after he is inlightened fitter to receive him than hee was before hee findes the house empty The Divell shall never want roome wheresoever hee comes he shall not be troubled with inmates nor with any thing which shall offend him There are many professors now adayes will cast off good motions and the performance of many good duties to please Sathan and his Instruments rather than they would be tearmed Puritans and Precisians Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Hee findes it empty both of faith and good workes Now this emptinesse proceeds from idlenesse which is the mother of all mischiefe An empty house is a cage for all uncleannesse So an idle man is a fit subject for Sathan to worke upon he knowes God cannot endure idlenesse but punished it in the men of Sodome Gen. Ezek. 16. 49. 19. 24. and the men of Laish Iudg. 18. 27. And wise men in all ages have condemned it Cato by natures light tells Iomines â—ihil agen â—o discunt â—alo agere us that men by doing nothing learne to do evill and Themistocles termed idlenesse the Toombe or grave of such as are alive and sayd that there was little difference betweene an idle man and one that is dead for none of them doe any good Therefore the ancient Romans would not suffer men to walke in the Streets unlesse they carried their manuall instruments with them all which shewes how they hated idlenesse When men are idle then Sathan hath most advantage against them When David was walking 2 Sam 11. upon the roofe of his house then Sathan stirred up lust in his heart and made him goe to his neighbours bed and so caused the name of God to be blasphemed so that hence wee may conclude that the end of lazinesse is the beginning of lewdnesse When Sathan findes his house empty tennantlesle no marvaile if hee make it a cage for all filthinesse Sathan cannot finde this emptinesse in the children of God for their hearts are filled with the grace of Gods Spirit faith stands as a Porter armed with the sword of the Spirit which drives backe all the temptations of the Devill The next thing that mooved Sathan to make his reentry is he findes the house swept what a swept
godlinesse then they are fit houses for him when the feare of God is choaked in mens hearts and the remembrance of Gods judgements is not before their eyes When the house is swept from all godinesse and vertue garnished with the damnable sins of swearing lying all maner of wickednes then behold these are trimmed houses for Sathan to roost in Sathan delights to have his house garnished that thereby hee might seeme Gods Ape for God will have his house garnished saith the Apostle For this is the will of God even our 1 Thess 4 sanctification that every one should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour God will have the beames of his house Cedar and the Galleries firre hee will have sanctification for the groundworke holinesse of life for the ornament So the devill he will have his house garnished also but the beames of his house are the ougly workes of darkenesse and the galleries sin and all manner of prophanenesse Now if hee can get this house whited over with a counterfeit it shew of Religion then this is a house well trimmed and garnished for him to dwell in Sathan will allow his servants sometime to make shew of sanctity that thereby they may doe the more mischiefe and to pretend Religion in shew that they may act wickednesse in substance He is loath to discourage his servants therefore he will gratifie them a little sometime give them the bridle in their hands Thus hee was contented Abimelech should entertaine Abraham in the best of his land and that Iudas should be Christs disciple he cared not seeing he could allure the one to Adultery and perswade the other to betray his Master If he can alluâ—â— any to the love of any one sinne â—en he is well enough Sathan deâ—â—es with sinfull men as Pharaoh did with the Israelits when he was compelled by the judgement of God to let them goe then hee would have some pawne to remaine in his hand goe saith he and sacrifice to the Lord your God but leave your sheepe and your cattell behind you What had Pharaoh any neede of their goods No no it was not their goods that hee aymed at hee had a further reach He knew that the Iewes were covetous and worldly minded and therefore if they should bee punished with want in the Wildernesse hee knew they would remember their cattell in Egypt and quickly come backe againe for them So Sathan deales with those he hath a long time kept in bondage if at any time he be commanded by Moses and Aaron that is by the powerfull preaching of Gods word to let the Lords people goe and come out of the Egypt of their sinnes and to travell in the desert of repentance then how many blocks and hinderances doth he cast how many stormes doth hee raise to discourage them and to hinder them in their journey to the Caelestiall Canaan And if he cannot hinder us then hee labours to make our mindes wander after our profits and pleasures but as Moyses and Aaron were resolute that they would not leave any of their goods behinde them to please the King but were resolved to obey the Lords commaund so must wee when God calls unto us to come out of sin wee must not retaine any of them to please Sathan but must keepe the temples of our bodies pure that they may be a garnished house for the Lord to dwell by his Spirit He findes it garnished Wee have heard how a garnished house pleases Sathan and how an hypocrite may be sayd to be a garnished house we will notwithstanding all that hath beene sayd spend a little more time in examining what is meant by the word Garnished by the garnished house wee may not unfitly understand also the occasions of sin for the occasions of sinne are Sathans â—aites whereby he is invited to make re-entry therefore the Apostle would â—ave us not only abstaine from sinne but also from the appearance of evill 1 Thes 5 22. If we cast out sinne and doe not cast but the occasions of sinne we leave a Pignus aâ—ud damonem relinquimus pledge in the devils hands which he knoweth we wil at one time or other returne backe to fetch again and then he will surely hould us captived Take heede then of the occasions of sin for â—t is the occasion that makes the theefe Occasio faecit furem If by the mercy of God thou hast repented thee of thy sinnes take heede of the occasions of sinne Hast thou beene a whoremaster Now take heed of wanton company alluring harlots â—ascivious talking amorous songs wanton pictures idlenesse and the â—ike which are occasions of sinne If â—hou hast forsaken the damnable custome of swearing and by the mercy of God hast bound thy tongue to the good behaviour shunne also the company of prophane swearers If thou have forsaken the beastly sinne of drunkennesse abandon also thy boone companions for the occasions of sinne are the divells baites which he layes to ensnare silly soules Iron is hard yet at last fire will dissolve it so a holy man by familiarity with sinners will quickly be brought to sinne It fares with our corrupt nature as it doth with a little fire which though it be almost out yet a little Gunpowder or Brimstone will revive it and make it flash out againe so every little occasion will make a godly man breake out into sinne Familiarity with sinners giveth occasion to sinne See this in Ioseph a holy and Familiaritas saepe occasionem dedit godly man his mistresse could not allure him to follie but yet the prophane Courtiers of Pharaoh quickly taught him to lye and dissemble and to sweare by the life of Pharaoh How Gen. 44. quickly did the daughters of Moab intice the Children of Israel to sinne for which the judgement of God brake out upon many thousands of â—em Our nature is like unto dry Num 25. 1. â—ood which is apt to kindle as soone â—s fire is put to it Occasion is the way Occasioâ—nim iter est quod ducit ad peccatum â—hat leadeth unto sinne There needs â—o divell to tempt us for if any occaâ—on be offred we are ready to tempt â—ur selves Thus Moses knew well Nemâ— lâ—ditur nisi ase â—nough therefore when the people â—ad committed Idolatry with the golden calfe which Aaron had made Eoxd 32. â—e burnt it in the fire and ground it â—o powder and strewed the ashes upon the water and then made the people drinke it He would not have any remembrance left which might put them in minde of their former Idolatry When godly Hezekiah saw that the people burnt incense to the brazen 2 King 18 4. serpent though it were made by Gods appointment yet when it was abused by Idolatry hee brake it in peeces and called it Nehushtan a peece of Brasse Our Savious Christ teacheth us that if our right eye offend us we must
Matth. 18 19. plucke it out In many places of Scripture we finde how carefull the Saints have beene to shunne the occasions of sinne Iob to prevent Adulterie made Iob 31 1. a covenant with his eyes that hee would not looke upon a maid Happy had it beene for David if he had done the like Solomon to prevent drunkennesse would not have men looke upon Pro 23 the wine in the Cup when it is red and to prevent gluttony would have men offer a knife to their throat Paul when hee had received a commission from the high priests to persecute all that call on the name of the Lord Iesus and to bring them bound backe to Ierusalem But being converted Act. 9 19 from heaven and made a chosen vessell to carry the Lords name before the gentiles see how carefull he was to shun the occasions which might coole his zeale and hinder him in his holy intendments hee did not goe backe to the High priests which had set him a worke for they would have befooled him as they did the souldiers which they sent to apprehend Christ What will you be one of his disciples which he knew well enough therefore hee joynes himselfe to the Disciples that hee might bee the more strengthened in the knowledge of God So Abraham the Father of the faithfull having received Gods commandement to offer in sacrifice his Sonne his onely Sonne the Sonne of the promise hee did not consult with flesh and blood Gen. 22 2. nor with his wife Sarah but early in the morning to prevent any occasion that might hinder him he makes himselfe ready to obey Gods Commaundement When Peter Matth. 27. that godly man had denyed his Master in the High priests Hall amongst those wicked servants when hee came to the sight of his sinne he fled away out of their company as if it had beene for his life So when Ioseph was tempted to Adultery by his uncleane Mistresse he shunnes the occasion by rushing out of her presence whose practise and example teacheth Mora dat vires the godly to take heede of the occasion of sinne and to stop the course thereof in the beginning least by entertayning them they are plunged over head and eares in sinne before they are aware One sinne drawes Non Solum gravia sed et levâ—a peccata sunt cavenda Multa enim levia vnum grande efficient Bernard on another and great sinnes spring out of small occasions bee carefull then to avoyd the least occasion of sinne least it usher on a greater and the occasions of sinne also the garnishing of the house for this uncleane spirit to roost in Then how may we lament the carelesnesse of many in our age that are so farre from shunning the occasions of sinne as that they lay themselves open to all manner of temptations and so become dangerous instruments for Sathan to tempt others to sinne like Thamar that sate in the highway Gen. 38 to tempt Iudah her father in law to whoredome and like the whoorish woman which saluted the young man Pro. 7 13 in a bould and wanton manner and to entice him to take his fill of love with her But let us learne to stop the course of sinne in the beginning and to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to say with the spouse in the Canticles I have put off my coate Cant. 5 3. how shall I put it on againe I have washed Qui minima asperniâ—cadit in maiora Peccatum nulluÌ„ adeo parâ—um est quod non cresâ—at neglectum August de vera falsa penitentia cap. 8. Flumina magna viâ—es parviâ— de fontibuâ— orta Ovid. my feet how should I defile them againe If God have washed thee by his Spirit and pulled from thee the filthy raggs of sinne take heede of alluring objects For hee that despiseth small sinnes doth easily fall into greater For there is no sinne so little but if it be neglected it will increase The drops of raine are but little in quantitie yet they cause great floods which beares all before them We see by experience that little Parva scintellâ— câ—ntempta magnum excitavit incendium Quâ—t Curt. Ephe. 4 19 sparkes of fire neglected cause great burning Therefore if wee would not commit sinne with greedinesse let us learne to take heed of the beginnings of sinne If there bee nothing but a a little dust in our Chamber a broome will sweepe it away but if the dirt and filth be hard and baked on there must bee a spade to dig it out so if sin be resisted at the first it will not easily grow and encrease Wee must not give sinne entertainement least it prove our ruine As men are carefull to kill Serpents in the shell Ravens in the nest so must we doe with our sinnes we must strangle them in the birth and not suffer them to grow to perfection else if wee doe not wee shall remaine a garnished house for Sathan Motives to induce us to shunne the occasions of sinne Nature hath made the creatures carefull to prevent bodily danger The horse that hath beene plunged in a Quagmire will not easily come into it againe but will shun it with all his might The fish which hath beene Ictus Pisciâ— fugit hamum wounded with the hooke will warily shunne the baite Then if the creatures by natures light shunne the occasions of danger what a shame is it for man which hath not onely natures light but also is indued with reason and hath the light of Gods word to be a Lanthorne to his feete and a light to his steps if hee doe not shunne the occasions of sinne And thus much for Sathans entertainement he findes his house empty swept and garnished Then goeth hee and taketh with himselfe Vers 45. seven other spirits more wicked than himselfe and they enter in and dwell there And the last state of that man is worse than the first In these words we may observe Sathans policy to fortifie himselfe hee encreases his strength his confederates are heere described 1. By their essence they are spirits 2. By their number they are seven 3. By their malice they are more wicked 4. By their victory they prevaile they enter in and take possession 5. The issue and event the lamentable estate of that man is not onely miserable but it is worse than the first The enemies that strive for possession are spirits and so unresistable they come in the suggestion of unrighteousnesse and if we consent unto them then wee entertaine them When Ananias and Iudas consented to the wicked motions that the divell inspired into them the divell is sayd to fill the hearts of the one Act. 3. and to enter into the other Luk. 22. 3. So all those that walke in evill evill hath possession of them But it may bee replyed and said Quest What man is there that doth not sin and so give place to the divell
Ans In many things wee sinne all and 1. Ioh. 1 8. If we say we have no sinne wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Yet the divell dwelleth not alike in all for those which with consent of heart entertaine his suggestions hee hath full hould of them but the godly when they give place to him through infirmity they let him come into the Suburbs and out places but Christ by his Spirit dwelleth in their hearts by faith from which he forces him to retire As for the wicked if Sathan get advantage as hee will be restlesse in his temptations as you have heard so hee will be in his torments hee will spare none old nor young as you may see Luk. 9. 39. 42. and if hee be so cruell to children which for want of knowledge have done him no hurt how cruell will hee be to those which have set themselves against him He taketh with him seaven other spirits more wicked The spirits are described by their number they are seaven which is a certaine number put for an uncertaine by which is meant a number of capitall sinnes These Divells are lestlesse when Sathan entred into Iudas he gave him no rest till hee had betrayed his Master hee called and allured him by covetousnesse to get the money and when hee had it he stirred up such stormes in his conscience that hee could not be at rest till he had hanged himselfe These spirits are more wicked than the former because they make those whom they possesse more wicked and sinne may be increased and made more wicked and that in divers respects and that 1. In the greatnesse of the mercy offered thus Iudas his sinne in betraying his Master was worse than the Iewes in conspiring his death Iudas had many watchwords to take heede of the treason and yet for all this hee would not rest till hee had brought the blood of his Saviour upon his owne soule Sinne is increased in regard of the mercy offered How shall we escape if we neglect so great Heb. 2 3 1 Sam. 2 17. salvation Thus the sinnes of Elies sonnes was greater than the peoples because they should have exceeded them in holinesse 2. Sinne is aggravated in regard of the tendernesse of Gods love without any difference of respect or desert God invites all wearie and Math. 11 28. Esa 55 â— heavy laden soules To come unto him againe Every one that thirsteth and hath made a firme promise that they shall not come in vaine I will ease you Math. 11 29. and you shall finde rest to your soules and therefore hath sent his servants to 2 Cor. 5 29. 2 Cor. 6 entreat men to be reconciled unto God And not to receive The grace of God in vaine And therefore hee laments the folly of men that they will neglect grace when it is offered O that they were wise that they understood â—ut 32 this that they would consider â—l 8 13 their latter end Now when the patience â— 48 18 and mercy of God is thus neglected and abused sinne is augmented and this sottish negligence is inexcusable because they doe reject such gracious favour when it is offered 3. Sinne is made worse in respect of the time Thus to sport and play and follow our worldly businesse upon the Lords day is a great sinne because the time is holy and ought to be imployed in his service which must be an item to victualers and Inhoulders that they doe not set open their doores to receive idle companions to drinke and tipple in their houses when Gods house stands open to receive his servants to heare his word Else if they doe they open their doores to the contempt of Gods ordinance 4. Sinne is made worse in regard of the place for swearing and fighting in a Church or Church-yard is worse than in a Taverne or other place for God will have even the skirt of his Sanctuary kept holy Levit. 19 30 Then out of the premisses wee may conclude that if sinne may be augmented in regard of circumstances then by the same reason seaven new spirits may make a sinner more wicked than he was when the first left him The more meanes any one hath to escape the snares of the divel the greater shall be their punishments if they neglect the meanes to escape them Then hee taketh to him seaven spirits worse than the former Hence then wee may learne that there is a difference of sinnes sinners and consequently of punishments The first was said to be an uncleane spirit yet the latter are seaven worse Sinne is very fruitfull how many Quot criâ— mina tot demonâ—â— evills therebe so many divells There is alwayes a fruitfull croppe â—ccati fruâ—fera seget â—â— de morâ—l of sinne If covetousnesse be rooted up lust springeth up if lust be vanquished ambition succeedeth and so one sinne followes another hand in hand according to the Proverbe An evill weede growes apace Now these sinnes encrease from one degree of comparison unto another and creepeth like a Canker which commeth to maturity by degrees Sinne getteth strength by committing as figures in Arithmeticke by numbring The first figure standeth but for one the second for ten the third for one hundred and so increasing their value according to their places so it is in sin â—atth 5 Anger without cause is liable to judgement Exasperating gestures to the punishment of a Counsell but railing speeches are worthy of hell fire Iudas was first a cunning dissembler Secondly a close fisted theefe Thirdly a bloody traytour And lastly which is worst of all a desperate reprobate But I would not so be understood as if I did lessen and extenuate sinne for The wages of sinne is Rom. 6 23. death yet some sinnes shall feele the â—orments of death more than other Baâ—abas murther was great but Iudas vilâ—any in betraying his Master was greaâ—er in so much that it had bin good â—or him if he had never beene borne If sinne be so fruitfull and bee increased Vse by circumstances then let it â—e our wisedome in time to roote â—p those plants whose increase is so dangerous and whose sappe is so veâ—emous About holy matters let all In rebus sacris nulla sit deliberatio Cyp. delay bee absent Secondly seeing sinne proceedeth from footing to rooâ—ing and from rooting unto shooting forth to encrease let us weaken the â—bility of sinne by taking away the â—rops and sustainements of sinne If â—he currents and passages bee stopt â—hat leadeth to a Lake it will at â—ast be dryed up take away the props and foundation of a house and it will at last fall of it selfe So sinne if it be not cherished will quickly bee extinguished But if men will not make use of the meanes and mercies God hath given them to withstand sinne but will give the reines unto their affections to wallow in sinne with greedinesse not resting till they have gon