same and under Satan's Power and Dominion O how miserably are some Men deceived thinking if they are reformed and become zealous for external Ordinances and have taken up this or that form of Religion and are taken for Saints by Men that all is well and they shall be saved How did the Pharisees glory in their seeming Zeal and Piety and flatter themselves and yet wofully blinded and in a damnable State and Condition Note also that 4. Morality external Gifts and common Grace are but like a vain Paint a mere empty and artificial Garnish They make a fair show in the Flesh they pride it in themselves and Men praise and admire them but what doth all this signify they are still under a diabolical Power and Influence and twofold more the Children of the Devil than they were before Nay as I shall hereafter shew rather seven times worse than when they were openly wicked and prophane APPLICATION 1. A Terror to Sinners Tremble you that live wicked Lives remember the unclean Spirit dwells in you and has Power over you your Hearts are his Habitation he rules in you and takes you Captive at his Will If in this State you die you are undone for ever 2. See to it you that are Professors lest you are also deceived What is a reformed Life without a changed Heart To cast off the gross Acts of Sin will not avail you any thing without the evil Habits are broke and you renewed in the Spirit of your Mind Though you seem to be godly to Men yet God knows your Hearts and how they stand affected to him and to true real Godliness A form of Religion will never save you and though you may have got some ground against Satan and he seems to have left you or is gone out yet take heed he does not return again with greater strength and get you into stronger Bonds now than he had before But because this will be more fully opened in the next place I shall at present say no more to it now 3. This also affords much Comfort to God's People Satan sets upon you and fain he would subject your Souls to himself and take Possession of your Hearts but he cannot prevail you have got one in you who is stronger than Satan who will preserve you to his Heavenly Kingdom But no more at this time I shall leave what I have said to the Blessing of God THE unclean Spirit that goes out Of Men that vicious are Doth oft-times seek and search about For rest both here and there And fain would he make his abode In places dry and clean And ruin all the Saints of God Which hath been often seen But thou O Lord dost them preserve And in them thou dost dwell So that from thee they cannot swerve To be o're-come by Hell Which Satan seeing strait-way goes To his own Dwelling place And with him brings more dismal Woes On such who want thy Grace Who of it being empty quite Tho swept and garnished He enters in and with strong might They captive all are led And overcome by him again Through curst Hypocrisy And in them he does rule and reign Which few are brought to see What cause have such thy Praise to sing Who are renew'd by thee Whose Heart thy Habitation is They always happy be SERMON II. On MATTH 12. 43 44 45. When the Vnclean Spirit is gone out of a Man c. THE last Day I opened the several Parts of this place of Holy Scripture in the usual Method I have all along taken in my Exposition of other Parables which I have already spoken to according to that small measure of Light and Knowledg the Lord hath been pleased to bestow upon me There remains one thing further to be done and that is indeed the chief and most material of all which is to shew you the sad State of the false and counterfeit Professor out of whom the Unclean Spirit is said to be gone but yet is returned again with seven other Spirits more wicked than himself Our Blessed Lord saith The last State of that Man is worse than the first Now in what respect a painted Hypocrite or one garnished only with common Gifts and Graces of the Spirit may be said to be in a worse State than the open Prophane I shall endeavour God assisting to demonstrate 'T is said Satan returned with seven other Spirits c. Seven is a number of Perfection I judg our Saviour designed hereby to shew that the Devil hath now got stronger hold and possession of such a Person by many degrees many unclean Spirits or worse and more dangerous Sins cleave to him than before so that he is like to be perfectly miserable But to proceed First That which renders false Professors or counterfeit Christians to be in such a deplorable Condition which also evidently appeared in the Pharisees and other People in that Generation to whom primarily our Saviour refers as the close of the 45th Verse shews is that great Ignorance that cleaves to them notwithstanding their common Illuminations which usually does consist in these Respects following 1. They know not their own miserable State looking upon themselves to be rich and increased with Goods and to have need of nothing as appears by that Charge of the Lord Christ against the Church of Laodicea who were fallen into the like Condition they think none knows more than themselves insomuch that they secretly contemn him who tells them how it is with them and this rises from the consideration of that great Knowledg they conceit they have above others But now ye say Ye see therefore your Sin remains If your Ignorance were simple as if Christ should say and not affected or were you sensible of your blindness then your Disease would not be so incurable But now you say you see and you doubt not but you are in a state of Happiness and are the only People of God and yet presumptuously refuse the way of your Relief and Salvation and do not conclude you are under Guilt and Wrath as indeed you are Prophane Persons though their State is bad and very miserable yet are not generally so blind as once to imagine their Condition to be good but act and do those abominable Deeds of Darkness against the Light and Dictates of their own Consciences And though Satan hath got power over them and their Lusts predominate in them yet are they commonly possessed at certain times with fear about their eternal State unless wholly given up to a reprobate Mind having their Conscience seared with an hot Iron and that which seems to bear up their Spirits is the hopes they have of future Repentance for the thoughts of dying in the present Condition they are in is grievous to them Nay and the false Professor whilst he abode under the Power of the Unclean Spirit being openly prophane might tremble as seeing himself posting headlong to Hell but now through the
little ground or is worsted in one Soul he will try what Power and Success he can find in another 3. It shews that he is an unquiet and restless Spirit being cast out of Heaven he can rest no where and if he be forced out of some Men at one time he will tempt others nay if the Servant hath a little worsted him he to revenge himself will fall perhaps in the next place upon the Son if he lose some place in his own House he will see if he cannot get into the Temple of the Holy Ghost or if he is forced to leave wet and filthy places in which he delights he will walk through dry places and see what he can meet with there 4. Satan's great Work which he imploys himself in and about is no doubt to get into the Heart of Men to dwell nay rule there and so subject them to himself and defile and polute them one way or other Dry places seeking Rest and finding none i. e. where there is no Water or Moisture or not enough to refresh him he has a cruel Thirst upon him and unless he can meet with that he seeketh which is to make a Prey of the Souls of Men he is in a restless state like a thirsty Person who walking through dry Places can find no Water There are some sorts of Men that aford Satan no Content nor Satisfaction he seeketh for that oft-times which he finds not he is not pleased to be as a Travellor to pass through a place and stay as it were but for a Night but would fain find Rest i.e. have a Place or Heart to dwell in and take sole Possession of I find one of the Ancients who writing on this dark Expression speaketh thus So long as he dwelleth not in me he is said to seek Rest he is grieved and vexed c. 1. Dry Places are commonly clean Places or Places where there is no Dirt or Mire and Satan that unclean Spirit is like a Swine i. e. he delights in filthy and mirery Places which may signify his assaulting the Saints or seeking to get into sanctified Hearts or Hearts renewed by the special Grace of God and throughly purged by the Blood of Christ in whom that filthy sink of Sin and Polution is not only dryed up but the Heart is changed and made new and so no more a House or Habitation for this unclean Spirit but is become the Temple of the Holy Ghost or a Habitation for God through the Spirit And these Men's Hearts are unto Satan like dry Places to a thirsty and restless Person for as the Holy Spirit cannot rest nor take up his abode in filthy and poluted Hearts so the Devil that wicked Spirit can find no Rest nor Place of abode in renewed and sanctified Hearts And as it is no suitable House or Habitation for him so likewise Believers have one dwelling in them strong enough to keep Satan out for stronger saith the Apostle is he that is in us than he which is in the World and again he saith Ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the Wicked one He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and the wicked one toucheth him not shall not so touch him as to enter into his Heart and take up his Dwelling or get Possession of him any more and therefore these Men's Hearts i. e. the Hearts of true sanctified Christians I conclude are meant here by our Saviour which are to Satan as dry places where there is no dwelling or abiding for him 2. As dry Places are clean Places so likewise they are commonly barren Places Places where little or nothing will grow Satan is for such Hearts that will receive his evil Seed i. e. suited and fit to close in with his cursed Temptations which are like to moist or mirery places such as all corrupt and unregenerate Hearts are in others that bitter and evil Seed which this unclean Spirit sows will not take root Or if it should so fall out that through the Carelesness and Negligence of Believers and Strength of Temptations Satan should drop some of his cursed Seed in them and it should meet with a little of the old corrupt Nature there being in the best of Men an unregenerate part yet it would soon wither and come to nothing for their Hearts are as I said before no proper Soyl for the Seed of the wicked one therefore if he gets in a little he is soon turned out again so that in a Word according to the Import of this Saying of Christ as I conceive these Mens Hearts are to the Devil like dry places where he can find no Rest 3. Dry Places are for the most part places least inhabited for want of Water the Hearts of Saints are like uninhabitable Places to Satan in them he cannot find those proper Accommodations which he needs and must have where he dwells But since he can find no Dwelling here no Diabolical Comfort nor Refreshment i. e. no abode in Godly Hearts he saith I will return into my House from whence I came out ver 44. I will return Not that he was quite routed and vanquished before 't is called still his House he lays claim and pleads Propriety in him and Interest still Therefore this Man's Heart was not become the Temple of the Holy Spirit he was gone out or forced out before as a Swearing Cheating Whoring or drunken Devil c. and this might inrage him and move him to attempt some greater Enterprize which we have already spoken to Satan doth not love to loose or let go any strong hold he hath of carnal and prophane Persons but seeing he had received some small Defeat he sets upon the truly Godly Christian like as when he was cast out of Heaven unto the Earth he presently persecuted the Woman which brought forth the Man-child Rev. 12. 13. When he saw he could not uphold his Kingdom by Paganism nor farther execute his Malice by Pagan Emperors but was routed and overcome as to that Power he had as our late Annotators observe to let us know that he retains his Malice though he hath lost his former strength he goes on in pursuing the Church of God Even so I say he having been forced to give way before as was hinted he walks about to seek Revenge upon the Saints but they being to him like dry Places to a thirsty Man or as an Inn to a Traveller viz. no resting Place he resolves to return to his own House that is the Hearts of hypocritical Professors such as the Pharisees were And this returning of his into his old House imports as I conceive his coming again in another form or shape and with a Resolution to get better and more firmer and surer Possession than he had before Now he appears as an Angel of Light Nor can we suppose he had no Party left in the said House when he went out Parables must not he
strained too far We ought not to scrue or make too severe a Scrutiny upon every Phrase therefore we cannot think when he is said to return to his former House or attempt afresh the false and counterfeit Christian that he hath quite given over his Designs in assaulting sanctified Persons but he cannot indure to be an Underling he is for kinging it in the Souls of Men would fain reign and sway the Scepter there and where he cannot rule and domineer he harh no Rest nor can be satisfied And therefore he may be said to return as an exiled Prince and lest he should be discovered he puts on a new Garb and is now contented his Captive should become religious that so the deluded Sinner might not discern him but take him for his lawful Sovereign as if he should say I will yield to you now if you will be a Professor and become religious ye shall but I will dwell with you notwithstanding here is room enough for me as a white Devil tho not as a black one And when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Empty That is the Spirit of God was not there true Grace was not there Christ dwelleth not there that House may well be said to be empty where God and Jesus Christ are not nor is it a hard and difficult thing for the unclean Spirit to enter into such a Soul since there was no Enemy strong enough to keep him out but contrariwise the place seems to be rather prepared and made fit for him to take up his abode in this new religious and spiritual Appearance nay here is not only room for himself but the House is so empty that many other unclean Spirits more wicked than himself may have their abode and dwelling there also Satan saith I will return to my House c. He speaks as if he was sure enough that this sinner was his own and therefore should without any difficulty enter in in that new Disguise in which he now appears and accordingly 't is said he findeth it empty and also swept but doubtless some Dirt and Filth was yet in some Hole or Corner For like as a lazy and slothful House-wife uses to sweep a little of the loose Dust and Filth in the open and middle of the Room and lets many secret Corners lie foul as before and may be leaves the Dirt behind the Door out of the publick view of People So the false and counterfeit Christian reforms his Life in the sight of Men or like the Pharisees makes clean the out-side of the Cup and Platter but their Hearts are still polluted and as vile as ever Swept but not with a proper and fit Broom 't is said to be swept but alas 't was only with the Beesom of legal Reformation and how far that will cleanse the unclean and wicked Person is known to all understanding Men it only takes away the Filth of gross and scandalous Sins therefore said by St. Peter To escape the Corruption that is in the World that is the prophane World i. e. vile and notorious Sins and Pollutions And garnished or painted which may signify that seeming Sanctity moral Vertue and the common Graces of the Spirit Our Saviour elsewhere compares Pharisaical Holiness to painting or garnishing of a Sepulchre Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but within are full of dead Mens Bones and all Vncleanness Ye build saith he the Tombs of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchres of the Righteous And thus Pharisaical and Hypocritical Professors may be said to be garnished i. e. they seem glorious to Men who only judg by the outward Appearance and know not the Heart there may be a great change of Life a beautiful outside and yet the evil and vitious Habits and Pollutions of the Heart may be still the same and not changed And remarkable is this Phrase of our Saviour garnished which we know is commonly a curious piece of Art Men by their Ingenuity strive to imitate Nature they will draw the Face of a Man c. with curious Painting very exact so that it much resembles the Person 's natural Face yet 't is not the same 't is but a piece of Paint an artificial Invention Even so in like manner by the Improvement of a Man's natural Parts common Grace Light and Knowledg he may appear in the view and sight of Men as a true Child of God and may talk and discourse like a Saint read and hear God's Word nay and pray also with much seeming Devotion and Piety and may likewise bridle many unruly Lusts and gross Enormities of Life and give Alms to the Poor insomuch that he may very exactly resemble a true and sincere Christian and be taken by all Godly People to be indeed such an one but notwithstanding all 't is but an artificial Piece 't is but like a curious Paint or vain-glorious Garnish it is not the Image of God it is not the new Creature though it looks like it much resembles it yet it is not the same for the Man is a meer Hypocrite a counterfeit Christian the work upon him being only the Product of natural Improvements and not the Effects of the saving Operations of the Holy Spirit Nay and Satan though an unclean Spirit likes to dwell in such a House I mean such a Heart thus swept and garnished as well as in the Heart of a vile and debauched Person And evident it is that this sweeping or external cleansing with the Broom of outward Reformation or the Garnish of moral Righteousness common Gifts and Graces of the Spirit Prayer hearing the Word partaking of the Sacraments and doing many good Works cannot secure the Soul against Satan's Attempts in order to his taking up his Habitation in such Persons Hearts After I had preached these two Sermons a Godly Friend who heard them told me he had met with a Treatise of Mr. Richard Allen's Author of Vindiciae Pietatis who gives the same sense on this mysterious place of Scripture He helped me to the Book which I was ignorant of and Mr. Allen being a very worthy Person I shall give you some brief Hints of what he hath said When the unclean Spirit goeth out of a Man c. That Sinners are vile and abominable saith he it is from that wicked Spirit Satan that dwells in them Every Sinner is a Person possessed of a Devil when a little reformed they seem for a time to be dispossessed c. He walketh through dry Places what these dry Places may be is not easy to determine Some by these loca arida understand loca vacua void empty Places the Deserts and Wastes of the Earth where he finds no body to attempt or molest But could Satan saith he think to find Rest there where was no House for him to lay his Head in Would the Tempter waste his time in seeking whom to
necessity of Faith and Regeneration These are not only averse to all humane Innovations and Traditions of Men and so contend for God's Holy Institutions in respect of his visible Worship as I told you before but seem to be inlightned very much into that internal Work of God's Grace upon the Soul c. but never come themselves under those saving Operations of the Spirit but rest in the Speculative Knowledg of those Mysteries and are meer empty and formal Persons and Strangers to that Divine Life and sacred Change of which they speak and yet possibly may not be throughly convinced of that deceit and delusion they are under but may hope all is well with them but since they are not savingly renewed but only reformed having not Jesus Christ dwelling in their Hearts nor the Power of the Holy Ghost to enable and influence their Souls in the performance of their Duties and in mortification of their Sins and Corruptions they are frequently overcome by Satan and horrid Evils prevail and predominate in them by which means they bring great reproach upon Religion and all those who do profess it hence the Apostle calls this sort the Enemies of the Cross of Christ Phil. 3. 18. and this further aggravates their Sin and Misery for whilst openly prophane and not pretending to Religion and Godliness they could not injure the Name of God nor expose the Gospel and Professors thereof to that scorn and reproach as now they do Sinners openly wicked though notorious and vile Enemies to God yet the hurt and wrong they do is especially to their own Souls but these by their carnal earthly Prâ—â—â— loose and formal walking hinder the promulgation of the Gospel and Conversion of the Souls of Men besides their weakning the Hands and grieving the Hearts of the truly Godly Moreover they also pollute and defile too often the Church of Jesus Christ and bring great trouble upon the same Hence there is in most Congregations who keep up a strict and regular Discipline 〈◊〉 so much Church-work which makes the Communion of the Saints the more uncomfortable to them for though it cannot be denied but sincere Persons may fall under Sin and Temptation and so all the trouble of Churches and Reproach that falls upon Religion doth not arise from these counterfeit Christians or formal Professors yet doubtless the chiefest part of them do It is said Offences will come but wo to them by whom the Offence comes From all which considerations their state seems worse in many degrees than before Sixthly The wicked Spirit or abominable Sin that some of these Mens Souls are also possessed with is Legality And though this clearly appears by what I have already said yet I shall speak a little more fully and distinctly unto it All that these Persons do and perform is in a legal Spirit and that I may shew you what I mean by Legality in short it is this i. e. They act and do for Life look upon themselves to be under a conditional Covenant and whilst they live up to that Law or Rule which they judg they are bound to observe and keep in order to Justification they have Peace rendring the Gospel and Covenant of Grace by their false Apprehensions of it no better than a legal Ministration or conditional Covenant as was hinted before in respect of another sort of Men For like as the Jews of old acted in a legal Spirit and sought to be justified by the Works of the Law so these perform all their Services and Duties in the same Spirit viz. not from Life or a Divine Principle of Saving-Faith but for Life To keep the Commandments of God and live religiously is absolutely necessary But then this must be done from a renewed Nature and flows from Faith it being the proper Effect or Fruit thereof but to strive to live a sober and holy Life and obey God's Precepts and rest upon their so doing and look to be accepted with God and justified thereby is that which too many of this sort of People do and this is to act in a legal Spirit Possibly a Man may say I know I cannot perfectly keep the Law but I will do by the help of God what I can and wherein I through weakness do transgress the Lord is merciful and I trust will forgive me But let me remember what God saith viz. That he will in no wise clear the Guilty Moreover what the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that all Mouths may be stopped and the whole World become guilty before God 'T is evident as God will not forgive an impenitent Person so he will not forgive the Penitent except they believe in Jesus Christ 'T is not for the sake or worth of Repentance that God forgives any Man the Penitent as well as the Impenitent are guilty all have broke the Law all are under Sin and Wrath Repentance will not do a holy Life will not do Prayer and hearing Sermons will not do By the Deeds of the Law and by any thing we can do no Flesh shall be justified If Men believe not on Christ let them be what they will Professors or Prophane they shall die in their Sins God pardons no Sinner as a simple Act of his Mercy without a respect had to the Satisfaction Christ hath made to his offended Justice by his Death And hence it is that the Apostle saith All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Therefore God doth not accept of our Obedience in keeping the Precepts either of the Old or New Testament and forgive all our Deviations as a meer Act of his Mercy for if this way Righteousness and Justification were attainable 't is evident Christ died in vain as I said before for could not God have done this if Christ had never come to shed his precious Blood I remember some Years ago I heard of a Man who lying on his Death-bed when a Godly Person desired him to look out for a Christ answered He had lived a godly Life all along and why said he do you tell me of a Christ or to that effect He thought 't is evident none needed a Christ but prophane Persons and I fear many are of his Mind tho they express it not as he did with their Tongues But possibly some may say We do not think that our Righteousness justifies us any otherwise than through Christ ' s Merits To which I answer 'T is not throug our personal Righteousness though joined or coupled with Christ's Merits that we are justified but through the personal Righteousness of Christ alone and the Merits of his Blood received by Faith 't is in this way
it would or might carry them away to all horrid Words and Blasphemy And then presently after brings in this parabolical Speech When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man c. 'T is not a speaking of hard words against Christ and the Holy Ghost but a speaking them as the Pharisees did out of spite designing to destroy him and render him odious This is dangerous 1. 'T is a sinning wilfully after a Person has received much knowledg it is a Sin knowingly committed against the operations of the Holy Spirit casting contempt or highest reproach upon Christ and the Holy Ghost contrary to the rational Convictions of their own Consciences 2. There is also it appears Malice against Christ and his Spirit in the Hearts of those Men who are guilty of it they are said to do despite to the Spirit of Grace they desert the Assemblies where he manifesteth his Gifts and Graces they reject him viz. the Holy Spirit with them and treat as one observes his Gifts and Motions as if they were mere Delusions and Impostures of an evil Spirit and this is done wilfully out of Malice to Christ his People and Religion 3. Also doubtless Apostacy is another ingredient thereof in some they fall away c. they utterly disown that Religion they have professed 4. Final Impenitency appertaineth to it likewise for what Sins we truly repent of we shall be forgiven But of these 't is said 'T is impossible to renew them again to Repentance because God is withdrawn from them and hath left them for ever so that no Means used can do them any good As God will not renew them again so none else can do it they sin therefore without remorse of Conscience after they have made shipwrack of Faith and that seeming good Conscience they once had for Paul intimated he had a good Conscience before he was converted or whilst a Pharisee Act. 23. 1. But those who are unsound at Heart who do not fall away from their seeming Holiliness and profession of Religion and so die not in Apostacy yet if they never come to be savingly wrought upon or to pass under a Divine Change they all nevertheless perish in Hypocrisy so that every way their State and the State of all of them is and will be at the last miserable And from the whole we may note That the State of the Self-righteous and Pharisaical Persons is far worse than the State of gross and prophane Sinners These are sick and know it not wounded but see no need of a Physician Sinners but see no want of a Christ They may conclude they are converted and therefore seek not after Conversion We always think his State is sad who though mortally wounded yet feels no pain Some Sinners are said to be past feeling their Enemy is hid in them they think he is gone when 't is no such thing for he another way has faster hold of them than ever 'T is a hard and difficult thing to bring a Pharisaical Person one that looks upon himself to be a religious Man to see his woful State and Condition Men may be civilized and make a great Profession of Religion and go for Saints on Earth that are not such in the sight of God in Heaven We may also from hence infer 'T is a most dangerous thing to make a Profession of Religion without true Regeneration be first wrought in the Soul better be no Professors at all than not so as to be sincere Hypocrisy is a most cursed and dangerous Sin these Persons Satan hath commonly the strongest hold of of all others The State of sincere Christians is happy though Satan doth attempt to get into them and destroy them yet he cannot do it there is no abiding for him he may foil them but cannot give them a final fall though they fall they shall rise again Satan cannot be said to be quite thrown out of that Man's Heart where the true Grace of God is not implanted nor the Soul renewed None but the Lord Jesus who is stronger than Satan can bind this strong Man armed and set the Soul at liberty Where the Heart is not changed Satan can return in one way or another at his pleasure he takes them captive at his Will Mortality or all external Gifts and common Graces though it may seem to sweep the House yet is the House empty and all is but like a vain Shew or Garnish all Reformation is nothing without Regeneration APPLICATION This may inform us of the Cause and Reason there is so great Reproach brought upon Religion and on the Ways of God and on the People of God by some who profess the Gospel Alas many of them who are called Saints we may justly fear are but counterfeit Christians such who never experienced a true Work of Grace they may have knowing Heads but unsanctified Hearts And from hence it is there are so many proud Persons in many Congregations who with brazen Foreheads will brave it out with impudent Faces in the presence of Christ's faithful Ministers and though reproved and told of their cursed Pride and abominable Dresses high and shameful Towers hateful to God and good Men yet reform not will not deny themselves of their filthy Lusts tho the Name of God and Religion is exposed to great Reproach and Contempt thereby and the Hearts of sincere Christians wounded and mourn for it bitterly before the Lord. If they had but a spark of true Grace could they ever stand it out thus against the Gun-shot of Heaven How fearless do they seem under the ratling Peals of the Thunder of Heaven They regard not the whetted Sword of the Almighty nor the bending of his dreadful Bow nor mind the Arrows that are just upon the String who is ready to send forth his Anger with Fury and his Rebukes in Flames of Fire Moreover from hence it is also there are so many covetous earthly and hard-hearted Professors and Members in Churches Alas you may tell them of this abominable Sin a thousand times over and all to no purpose their Hearts 't is to be feared are set upon their Covetousness they love the World more than the Word nay more than God or Jesus Christ and yet under a Cloak of Religion shelter themselves as if all was well and they good Christians And because they covet no Man's Goods but their own and so are not guilty of Theft they conclude they are not chargeable with this Sin of Covetousness though Christ's poor Members are not regarded the Naked are not clothed nor the Hungry fed nor the Sick visited They will give something 't is true but not according to the Need and Necessity of the Poor nor according to their Ability nor is it out of Love to Christ nor to his poor Saints neither they give what they do give may be to free themselves from Reproach or to quiet their own Consciences
devour in those waste Places where he knew well enough there were none to be found He knows too well where Sinners dwell to go to seek them where they are not more like to find the Devil at a Market than in a Wilderness Thus therefore seems not to be the sense Why may not saith he these dry Places be the Saints on Earth the Fountain of whose Blood is dried up in whom the Sun hath dried up their Dirt and Mire in which this Swine loves to wallow c. He seeketh Rest this notes two things 1. When the Devil is gone out of any Person he is never at Rest till he is gotten in again either thither whence he went out or into some other Habitation where he may do more Mischief Like Children like Father 't is said of them so 't is much more true of him He rests not but in doing Mischief 2. The Devil loves to dwell where he may be at Rest that is not from Work his Rest is his Work but from Resistance or Opposition i. e. in carnal and unclean Hearts c. Seeking Rest and finding none He goes saith he through these dry Places from Saint to Saint from Heart to Heart in hope to find Entertainment but is still disappointed here 's little Rest for me to be had these dry Places I see are no Places for me here 's watching and wrestling and warring against me so much praying complaining against me that there 's no stay for me here I le go back to my old Habitation And when he comes he finds it empty swept and garnished a little cleaner and handsomer than when he left it The Devil can allow Sinners a little Reformation but though it be a little cleansed and garnished yet it lies empty still there 's no Tenant hath taken it up though the Devil went out Christ was not let in but there it lies void for the next that comes Then he goeth and taketh seven other Spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that Man is worse than the first Beware of a returning Devil the Devil at his return often makes sevenfold worse Work than before he did Allen's Godly Fear p. 213 214 215 216. He modestly offers this as his Thoughts on the Place and I find others confirming by some brief Hints the same things I thought it not amiss to recite this Passage of his as a farther Confirmation of the Exposition I have briefly given you of this dark Place of Scripture not doubting but 't is the sense and meaning of our Saviour But now to draw towards a Close take two or three Points of Doctrine Observe 1. Satan is an unclean Spirit As God is the Author and Original of all true Holiness so is Satan of all Sin and Wickedness And as God's Nature is pure so the Devil in his Nature is impure all Purity proceeds from God and all Sin proceeds from Satan God strives to promote the one and the Devil labours to promote the other As God's Kingdom is set up in the World and maintained by Holiness and spiritual Sanctity so the Devil's Kingdom is set up and upheld by Sin and Filthiness As God by his Spirit dwells in sanctified Hearts so the Devil dwells in polluted and sinful Hearts And as Christ makes that Man or Woman holy and clean where he makes his abode so Satan makes those Souls where he takes up his Dwelling unclean and abominably wicked Moreover as he who is truly sanctified and made Holy is said to be of God so they that are wicked and ungodly are said to be of the Devil All those who are spiritual and truly gracious are like to God or bear some Resemblance of him and all unclean and wicked Persons are like to the Devil These things considered no marvel Satan is called an unclean Spirit 2. All prophane notorious and ungodly Sinners are in a woful state the unclean Spirit is in them their Hearts are Satan's Habitation The Heart of Man was not originally Satan's House nor hath he any just Right or Propriety in it 't is his by Usurpation and Conquest as Men yield up themselves to him and entertain his Temptations Man both Body and Soul is the Lord's he is his Creature nor ought he to suffer any to dwell in him much less to rule and sway the Scepter over him but the Holy God But as all Men as they come into the World have wretched and cursed Natures through original Depravity so ungodly Men actually have cast off God their lawful and only Sovereign and have imbraced the wicked one they have received and do subject themselves to Satan that unclean and filthy Spirit he is King and Lord over them The Devil hath got Possession by Craft he inticed our first Parents to open the Door to him they gave him the first Entertainment 't was then he took Possession and thereby at once corrupted all that are in the House I mean all the Faculties of the Soul to such a Degree that they all naturally side with Satan and are for him and are filled with Enmity against God and oppose and resist his Spirit and rebel against the Light Wicked Men had rather be under the tyrannical Government of the Devil than to be ruled and governed by Jesus Christ And from hence 't is no wonder they rather chuse to have wicked earthly Rulers and tyrannical Kings to be over them than to be subject to a Prince who is an Enemy to Wickedness Tyranny and Oppression This shews the Blindness and miserable State and Condition of all wicked and ungodly Men. We may further note also 3. That Satan may lose some ground in Sinners Hearts he may seem to be gone out of them and they may become sober and civilized and yet may be in the Gall of Bitterness and their Hearts notwithstanding may be still Satan's Habitation Let these Men change their Lives and become other Men in the View of the World alter their course of Life yet they are miserable Satan has spiritual Power and Dominion over them he has a strong party in their Hearts when he seems to be gone out and knows they are his still and owns them as his dwelling place When he cannot meet with Entertainment in other places when Saints afford him no Incouragement but displease and defy him and their Hearts are as dry places he can nevertheless return at pleasure to his old Habitation and there he enters and dwells Let them change their Religion yet they are Satan's Slaves still he matters not if they leave Popery and cleave to Prelacy and so become Protestants in general nay imbrace a more refined sort of People and take upon them a more strict Profession of Religion yet still they belong to him if they are not truly regenerated and renewed in their Souls let them be Presbyterians Independents or Baptists it signifies nothing they are still the
That by the drawing here is not meant of any coaction or force upon the Will is out of Question the Will acts freely according to the Nature of that Faculty but as it is acted and influenced by the Spirit according to that Text in the Psalms My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power But that it is to be understood only of a rational drawing by Arguments used in the Ministry of the Word we do deny though in this sense some do take it and conclude it is of the same import with that compelling mentioned Luk. 14. 23. for the Ministers of the Gospel as one observes have no other Power to compel But the Act of drawing here is not ascribed to the Servants but to the Master not the Preacher but the Father therefore doubtless it signifies a Divine Power put forth upon the Soul of Man by which the Lord opens the Heart as he did the Heart of Lydia so that he is made obedient to the call of God and willing to close with the Offer of Christ And that this must be the meaning of the Text it is rational to conclude considering the nature of the motion in coming unto Christ which is the motion of the Soul to a sublime spiritual Object to do which as no Soul hath any power of it self such is the darkness of the Mind the obstinacy of the Will and pravity of the Affections unless influenced and wrought upon by the Spirit So in like manner nothing is proud Man naturally more averse to cannot indure to think he is such a poor Miscreant a mere beggarly Wretch that he has not so much as a bit of Bread to eat nor a Garment in a spiritual sense to cover him but must be beholden to his Neighbour for all For as no Soul is able without supernatural Grace to apprehend spiritual Things cannot discern them so there is in his mind enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be From all which I have said it appears Faith as before hinted is not the Condition of Justification tho the Way or Means appointed to receive that Righteousness that doth justify the Sinner so likewise Faith is God's Gift Yet 't is foolish to say Man doth not believe but rather the Spirit for him because he cannot believe by any natural Power inherent in him till he is divinely influenced by the Holy Ghost For such may as well say Lazarus did not live or it was not his Life which he had after quickned because it was infused into him by the Power and Spirit of Christ Therefore this and the former Objection are both gone and the supposed Condition of the New Covenant vanquished since Faith it self being the Fruit of it cannot be the Condition thereof But saith the Objector If Faith and Repentance be not Conditions of the Covenant of Grace then those whom God hath appointed to Salvation shall be saved whether they believe or repent or no. To which we answer That Faith and Repentance c. are Promises of the New Covenant as well as Justification and Eternal Life and he that hath ordained the End hath also ordained the Means I will put my Law into their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing them good but I will put my Fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart from me That God who hath promised to make us Happy hath also promised to make us Holy he hath promised Grace to us here and to change our Hearts of Stone and to give us Hearts of Flesh as well as he hath promised to give us Glory hereafter Our being called in Time is but the effect of God's eternal Love before Time because he hath loved us with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness hath he drawn us We are called by the free Grace of God according to his purpose as well as justified and eternally saved We are predestinated that we may be conformable to the Image of his Son in Holiness here on Earth as well as in Heaven hereafter If Men are left under the power of their Sins or only to the bare improvements of their own natural Abilities in a meer reformed Life and never brought by the free Grace of God to believe in Jesus Christ and so to have real Union with him 't is an evident sign they shall never be saved they being none of them that the Father hath given to Christ for saith he all that the Father giveth to me shall come unto me and in these only are infused the Divine Habits of Saving-Grace The Apostle positively affirms that God hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in love not only chosen to Salvation which is the End but to Holiness as the Means Not because we are Holy are we chosen but that we may be Holy but this ought not to take any Soul from the use of the Means And as a clear demonstration and illustration of this I might mention that passage concerning Paul's Voyage to Rome in respect of that assurance God gave him of the Lives of all that were with him in the Ship the Angel of God appeared to him and said And lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee Wherefore Sirs be of good chear for I believe God that it shall be as it was told me This Promise was absolute yet see what Paul said to them Except ye abide in the Ship ye cannot be saved That God that hath promised us Salvation doth not save us without the use of Means although the efficaciousness and truth of the Promise does no ways depend upon the virtue of the Means but the Means are made effectual by virtue of the Promise yet whoever neglects the Means under any pretence of a free Promise he does but tempt God but doth not as some observe rightly believe in him Seventhly Amongst the wicked Spirits that are entred into this Man namely into this Counterfeit Christian that horrid and wicked Spirit of Unbelief must not be left out for tho this Sin of Sins is in all unconverted Persons yet it reigns and triumphs more in this sort of People than in others Prophane Persons are kept up by a false Faith depending as they will tell you on the Death and Merits of Christ tho 't is only cursed presumption in them for that cannot be a true Faith which changes not the Heart and Life of the Creature But they believe not by reason of love to their Sins which they are not as yet willing to forgo But these believe not on Christ because of that love which they have to their own seeming Righteousness which in point of Trust
Notions of Religion though may be false and corrupt Notions but if they can but bring a Person to receive their Principles and external Ordinances then they glory tho hereby he is made twofold perhaps sevenfold more the Child of Hell than before the poor deceived Wretch thinking this change of Religion is a true Conversion and so never looks out for any other but speaking Peace to his own Soul judging all is well within They doubt not but they have Religion enough when it doth commend them to Meâ— and are taken for Saints by Saints their greatest Labor is to keep up their Name and Credit in Religion so that if they may pass unsuspected amongst their Fellow-Creatures or have the Approbation of Men and that if none can charge them justly with any immoral Actions they rest satisfied whereas the greatest Care of a true Child of God is so to walk and labour that he may be accepted of God and have his Approbation 7. Self is commonly in the bottom In all they do they aim not at the Glory of God but have a carnal Design Self-Advantage or Self-Applause c. This moves and quickens them and animates them in all they perform in religious Services and if they miss of their end be it what it will they soon are weary and grow cold and flat in their Spirits and become quarrelsome and seek Offences and disturb the Peace of the Church to whom they belong 8. Moreover they are not the same at Home which they are Abroad not in Private what they seem to be in Publick may be seldom pray either in their Family or Closet or if they do 't is with little Zeal Enlargedness or Affection to God There are divers other Marks and Characters of Hypocrites and of these false Professors which I must pass by because I would speak a word or two of Application In the last place The latter State of these Men is worse than the first 1. Because God oftentimes leaves them to judicial Blindness and to the hardness of their own Hearts According as it is written God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber Eyes that they should not see and Ears that they should not hear unto this day Even thus as God dealt with the Unbelieving Jews or the People of that Generation so I say he oftentimes deals with other formal Hypocrites c. and for the very same Cause Doubtless it was for those Spiritual Sins Unbelief and Hypocrisy the Pharisees and other People of Israel were rejected and cast off And O what Wrath were they laid under the Wrath of God is said to come upon them to the uttermost Moreover some of these false and counterfeit Professors also fall into the very same Sins and horrid Abominations they were guilty of before they made any profession of Religion nay and they prove more vile and notorious in Wickedness than ever It hath often been seen that this sort of Men who forsake the Ways of God which they seemed to own and profess have at last appeared more impudent in Sin than the vilest Men being ring-leaders to all lewd and cursed Practices and Deeds of Darkness so that the same unclean Spirit returneth into some of them in the same shape also though I cannot see any ground to believe it happens so to them all for doubtless many of them retain their seeming Zeal and external Profession of Religion and outward Holiness until they die Evident it is our Saviour applies this direful Doom on the People of that Generation viz. the Jews particularly to the Scribes and Pharisees see the 38th verse Yet certain it is many of them never turned to open Prophaneness but died in their Unbelief whilst they abode proud and zealous Pharisees Yet I see no reason to question but this returning Devil and those seven other Spirits more wicked is applied to them as well as to others who fell away from their seeming Piety and Profession But of some of them especially it hath happened according to what St. Peter speaks For if after they have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledg of Jesus Christ and are again overcome the latter end of that Man is worse than the first that is such a knowledg of Christ as brings with it or doth produce an outward reformation of Life For as the Elect cannot be deceived so they cannot fall finally having the seed remaining in them cannot sin unto Death they are said to have eternal Life abiding in them Because saith Christ I live ye shall live also He that hath begun that good work in them will perform it to the Day of Christ They are passed from Death unto Life and shall not come into condemnation But as to these false-hearted or hypocritical Persons it happeneth to them that is to some of them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own Vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire The Apostle comparing them to Dogs and Swine shews what fort they were viz. such who never passed under an effectual change of Heart but were whilst they made a great or high profession like unclean Beasts A restraint may be put on an evil Beast or on a filthy and unclean Nature where there is not a change of nature 't is one thing to have the Life washed or cleansed and another to have the Heart cleansed Furthermore Some of this sort who have received those high though common Illuminations of the Spirit even to such a degree as they are said to be inlightned and to have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. that is in the common Gifts and Graces thereof and yet after all they fall away nay and so fall that they can never be renewed again by Repentance Therefore some of these Persons are they who sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost that shall never be forgiven Prophane Persons doubtless do not sin this Sin nor can true Christians commit it they cannot sin unto Death No no these are those miserable Souls those cursed Apostates who are liable and in danger to sin the unpardonable Sin Nay and observable it is that the Lord Jesus in the verses before he spake this Parable intimates that those very Pharisees c. were guilty of or in danger of being charged with this Sin see vers 30. they shewed so much Malice against our blessed Saviour as to charge him with a Devil and that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub But when the Pharisees heard it they said This Fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils And from hence he said All manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven to Men but the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men. And therefore he bids them to make the Tree good intimating whilst the Heart was evil and under diabolical Influences