should the People do Pray for All in Authority 1 Tim. 2 2. that they may have in their Heads and Hearts as well as in their Hands to do it to do it quickly before the Decree be sealed and the Nation prepared for universal Desolation Ezek 9.4 And what we cannot Prevent be we sure to Lament that the Man with the Pen and Ink-horn may mark us from destruction Hezekiah rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth c. Isai 37.1 2 3 14. when he heard the Blasphemies of Rabshekah That day of Blasphemy was a day of Trouble and vexation to him though the Blasphemy was from an Assyrian And shall the days of greater Blasphemies be days of less trouble and grief to us not from professed Assyrians but from professing Christians What Christian heart that hath any true blood of Christianity running in the veins of it can chuse but be deeply affected and afflicted with it I fear we do not generally not cordially enough sigh and cry for all the Abominations that be done in the Land That the Man clothed in Linnen with the Writers Ink-horn by his side may set a mark upon our foreheads from a National Destruction which the suggestions of my fear make me bold to prophecy wherein my love to my Nation would make me glad to be found a false Prophet And now I beseech you to consider with me the wonderful Patience and compassionate Forbearance of our God with us who though his Soul abhor sin infinitely though he cannot go out of sight and hearing as we may but must see and hear all the unpunished blasphemous impious Dishonors done to the Three Dearest to him in all this world more to him then all the world His Name and Worship His Word and Truth His Saints and Children Though Heaven and Earth even sweat again under these Provocations yet hath God Patience to see and hear all Oh! Then come you my Brethren in Christianity Who are we that we must not be crost in the least Toy or Trifle that doth occur of Body Goods or Name but we must run presently to the hard hasty Arguments of Steel and Iron Not only as Zedekiah pleaded with the Prophet a word and a blow 1 King 22.29 2 Sam. 13.22 Cap 20.10 but as Absalom with Amnon a blow without a word strike and say nothing Our sword like Joabs dropping forth upon all occasions discoursing with a neighbor as he did with Amasa in the fifth rib speaking Daggers points unto him Who are we that we cannot put up any Illations of wrongs and injuries with quiet minds Are we Christians Nay are we Men that we will not we cannot bear with men as God bears With men as God did I say Nay with God himself He must showre and shine when we will have him strike and stroke when we will have him else we question sometimes his Power sometimes his Truth sometimes his Providence Oh shame Be we more patient as our Father which is in Heaven is patient Be we Followers of God as dear Children Who are we Oh! Then come you my Brethren in the Ministry Is God so wounded with Blasphemous Reproaches in his Word in his Name and bears it and must not we be toucht in ours Mat. 10 25 Shall the Master of the House be called Beelzebub and must not we of the Houshold be miscalled Remember Uriah's words 2 Sam. 11.1 The Ark and Israel and Judah dwell in Tents and my Lord Joah and his servants abide in the open fields and shall I then go into mine house to eat and drink c. And say we every one Shall my Lord Jesus in his Ordinances the Tokens of his Presence be threatened with Tents and exposed to all the Injuries incident to the open field and shall we then go secure to our houses and enjoyments from all threats of violence and disturbance Lord who are we Men we are as they are and that is for their sakes because they cannot hear the voyce of God himself and live Sinful we are as they are and that is because we are men Mortal we are as they are and that is because we are sinful Yet still though men sinful and mortal 2 Cor. 5.2 we are the Messengers of God and Embassadors of Christ Now in that we suffer as men sinful and mortal Mic. 7.9 Lam. 3.22 we should bear it patiently and give God his Glory the Glory of his Justice that we are Afflicted and the Glory of his Mercy too that we are not Consumed But in that we suffer as Ministers eo nomine as Ministers If our Adversaries should write a Book against us we might with holy Job Take it upon our shoulders and bind it to our heads as a Crown Job 31.35 36 we should bear it gladly Rejoycing with the beaten and abused Apostles That we are counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Acts 5.41 For alas the worst is not Ours but Theirs whilest Christ himself suffers in our wrongs as his Ministers Exod 16 8 And what are we said Moses and Aaron Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord He that rejecteth Me Joh. 12 48. and receiveth not my Word There Christ interested himself in the quarrels of his Word He that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 There Christ interested himself in the quarrels of his Ministers as his Ministers The mighty Nimrods of our Times deal with us as Hunters do with Hedges leap over them or tread them down in the pursuit of their Pleasure and Game and run to them for shelter in a Storm When God shall restore them to their right minds his Word and Ministers shall be restored to their Honors again Then they will glorifie God and honour his Word and Ministers in the day of Visitation 1 Per. 2 12 And till then my Brethren let it be accounted scandalous to receive Honour at their hands or tongues by whom Gods holy Name is blasphemed his holy Son dishonored his holy Spirit resisted his holy Word and Ordinances despised 1 Tim. 5 17 Should such ungodly Miscreants present us with their double or single Honour it were not a proud but an holy disdain to fling it back into their faces again as unworthy of the honour 1 Sam. 2.30 to honour the servants of Christ whom God doth honour Now no more of this Question Will you bear but one Question more Question 3 Why the Devil seems more familiar with men in our Time then in former Days Why Witchcraft so much abounds As Examples shew in other Circuits abroad and would there had been none in ours here at home Shall we say it is because of Reformation that the Devil so bestirs him beyond former wont Reformation is a good word yea glorious both name and thing such as would rather provoke the Devil unto his most outragious Tyranny then invite him unto Familiarity Oh that we were an
of our Evil will be layd unless by serious and seasonable Repentance and Reformation it be averted and avoyded The open impudent professed Blasphemies Reproaches Despights Contempts of a People Against their God making him as Man that he should sin and be the Author not only of the act but also of the sinfulness of it Against his Holy Son Jesus some denying his Divinity as No God others disgracing his Humanity calling him Bastard Against his holy Word the Scriptures accounting them but an humane Invention a meer Shadow a false feigned History a Scarcrow to keep fools in awe Against his holy Ordinances with all their vital Circumstances of publique Persons Places Times of Worship some by their hypocritical formal frequenting others by their ignominious contemptuous neglecting aspersing and vilifying of them c. These spiritual Wickednesses and Church sins so rife in the Land may be called the Church-door at which our Evils lie These whilest remaining will prove the Achan and accursed thing to trouble the whole Host of Israel Iosh 7 25 the Jonah to trouble all the Mariners until it be cast if not with That into the fire of some fit and just punishments * In peccatas evidentiam in poenis edificationem Jonah 1.15 or at least with This into the Water and Sea of repentant Tears and Lamentations There have been great thoughts of heart amongst us about Malignant Parties But These These are the Edomites that are most like to make a short Cut in our Peace a long Crack in our Hope and give our whole State a blow that will hardly be healed These These are the Enemies that are most likely to ring our Knells and to proclaim our Funerals My meaning is not that All Differences in Judgment should make breach in Charity and Affections among men Nor that All Errors in Opinions should be punished by Men But rather by Christian means of prayer and endeavor 2 Tim 2.25 26. provided if God will open the eyes of our Dissenting Brethren and give them Repentance to the Acknowledgment of the Truth that they may Recover out of the Snares of the Devil and be saved Phil. 3.15 patiently waiting for Gods days of Revealing either in This their day when God shall reveal even This unto them or in That his Day of Revelation and Appearing 2 Cor. 5.10 when All both persons and things shall appear as they are for get we holiness to come but once safe to Heaven and we shall clearly look through all doubts and difficulties in a moment And yet I can tell you what some Divines of no small note have publiquely preached and by Order printed Mr Vines Mr Obad. Sedgwick That Liberty of All Opinions and Religions may be justly called the Golden Calf of these Times whereunto many are not unwilling to contribute their strength and policy and whose Birth-day they would call Festum Jehovae an Acceptable Day unto the Lord Are not the Errors which are rife amongst us either by infecting Persons of Place and Quality grown into that Boldness Or by carrying away Barnabas also crept into that credit Or by spreading far and wide risen to that strength that they do face if not put into danger of routing our common Faith publique Worship authorized Ministry long and much expected and promised Reformation as hoping to be able to bid fair for a Toleration Whereby we at home may wonder at our selves and our sympathizing Brethren abroad do wonder also at us That we should be made the common Sewre to receive the Garbage of other Churches and that their stinking Snuffs should be allowed Candlesticks here in England That Flood-begetting Maxim viz. a Catholique Liberty and Toleration of all Opinions is to be abhorred and crushed There was a Religion as one once spake before you Omnium Deorum of all Gods amongst the old Romans And there is a Religion Omnium Sanctorum of all Saints now amongst the Papists And if the Serpent could but wriggle in a Religion Omnium Opinionum of all Opinions amongst the English the Devil himself needs to desire no more as knowing that if men can step from one Religion to All they will soon fall from All Religion to None But let this pass And let be that Question Whether any men should be punished for their Religion and suffer for their Opinions though never so erroneous I say let that Question be made stated qualified and resolved how it will Shall it be a Question also Whether men shall suffer in any kind or measure for their open professed and practised Irreligion though never so Devilish and Blasphemous Against a most holy God his holy Christ his holy Spirit Word and Ordinances c. If an unhapyy Boy shall foul or spoyl or lose his clothes the rod shall whip him and if he curse and spit in the face of his father stab the heart and rend the bowels of his mother shall there be none to correct him but many to smile upon him If one man sin against another the Judg shall judg him 1 Sam. 2 25 And if a man thus sin against God to the highest shall there be none to condemn him but many to entreat for him Can Christian Magistrates be such unchristian Gallio's Act. 18.17 as to care for none of these things Will godly Rulers be such ungodly Tiberius's as to say That the Gods alone must remedy the Injuries offered unto themselves Surely if Christian if Godly such they cannot such they will not be nay if men fearing God such they dare not be for the danger of Gods coming himself in anger Eccl. 3 17. Ezek. 34.5 11. and snatching his Work out of his Servants hands in wrathful displeasure saying I will judg the righteous and the wicked Shall God bid his servants and be put to do it himself Then his whole house shall rue and ring on 't Christian Magistrates and People too were best look to it The one to Rule well the other to be Ruled well lest God suffering by us in his Honour be provoked to dash us in pieces one against another We have been told of a witty piece of Justice done in the Camp by the fire of an hot Iron through a tongue that was set on fire of Hell Iam. 3 6 for casting forth of his mouth sulphureous sparks of Blasphemies Luk. 3.14 The Souldiers in Luke came After all both people and Publicans with their Religious Question What shall we do And have been censured as the lothest because there the latest and slowest in that pious motion But some Souldiers now it seems have gone before All in their zealous and holy Indignation And shall the Godliness and Righteousness of an Army exceed the Godliness and Righteousness of Court City and Country I say again Christian Magistrates and People all were best look to it consider and do it Psal 82.8 lest God come yet in heavier Judgments saying I will do it my self Why what
universally throughly really Reformed People as we ought Then how Prosperous and Victorious might our Nation be how flourishing our Church and State yea how terrible to Satan Zech. 2.5 as armed with terror and walled with fire round about so that he durst not come so near us as to insinuate for Familiarity with us As that most Artificial Painter having painted a Boy with a Basket of Grapes in his hand Zeuxes and seeing the Birds flying in flocks to peck at the Grapes as if true and natural to the silly peoples admiration he was sore displeased with himself disclaimed his Art saying Had I painted the Boy which was the chief part of my Picture as well as I have done the Grapes which were but a by accident and ornament the Birds durst never have been so bold Your thoughts may forerun me in this Application Were we indeed as careful and Conscientious in the Substantials and Essentials of true Religion and Devotion for Faith Life and Worship as in shew Curious in the Circumstances Accidents and Ceremonies thereof the Devil and this kind of Fowls Mat. 13.4 19 these ravenous Birds of prey durst never have been so bold Therefore I impute not the Causality of Witchcraft unto Reformation for this will not make the Devil familiar but mad rather 2 Cor. 1 24 1 Cor 7.25 But if I may give my Judgment not as having dominion over your Faith yet as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful with submission to better Judgments I conceive It is because of the proud prophane blasphemous Rejections and Aspersions of the holy Word of God by so many of the people as imperfect and deficient to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.17 Iob. 20.31 and 5.39 Acts 8 9 nay as a meer Shadow and humane Invention let St Paul and St John and Christ himself say what they will of its Sufficiency and Perfection and holy Inspiration Some giving out that themselves are such great ones as to be Above Ordinances above Rules above Scriptures and all that is written pretending to the sole guidance of the Spirit of God as he that said I am for Christ 1 Cor. 1 12. meaning I am for none of you all What For the Spirit of God and of Christ even against their Word and their Will revealed with Despight unto it O God! That ever the Devil should get so much Advantage for his subtil Insinuations with Man by his despising that same Word of God Ioh. 12 48 2 Cor. 11.14 1 Joh. 4.1 that shall judg him at the last Day For the Devil is a Spirit though an evil one and a transforming one God is a Spirit the only Good one And we are bid to try the Spirits and forbid to beleeve every Spirit And how shall we try them but by that which ennobled the Bereans above others viz. Act. 17.11 Searching the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so But where the Touchstone and Rule of Tryal is rejected and exploded the evil Spirit and any Error may be admitted As a Goldsmith or Lapidary without a Touchstone may be easily deceived with counterfeits and undone Therefore if any be minded to be familiar with Devils let them slight or scorn or burn their Bible And this is vendere animam lucro selling of a Soul for a little profit Mat. 16.26 or rather perdere animam nihilo cast it away for nothing As he said that sold his Bible Now have I sold that which should teach me to sell all to buy it meaning the Truth of it Pro. 23 23 which may for all the strangeness and must be bought and not sold But as many as desire to be acquainted with God 2 Pet. 5 9. and to resist the Devil Thank God that your Bibles speak Engglish Wipe off the Dust of Neglect and the Dirt of Contempt from them Let not this Rule and Touchstone so great and good Hos 8.12 given us of God be accounted of us as a strange thing strange to our Judgments by Ignorance to our Thoughts by earthly-mindedness to our Affections by Indisposedness to our Mouths by rotten and prophane speeches But receive the Word of God as it is in truth the Word 1 The. 2.13 Joh. 12 48 Jam. 1 21 not of Man but of God which shal Judg may save your Souls Receive it as it is indeed our best friend next God yea the very friendship of God Receive it therfore not as a stranger with a few cold Complements at the Door or to come in only for an hour Col. 3.16 but entertain it as a friend Let it dwell in you And because it brings with it Rich Treasures of the best store Let it dwell in you Richly And because it may be abused by Ignorance Indiscretion Folly Affectation Unprofitableness Vain-glory and Hypocrisie Let it dwell in you Richly in all Wisdom Speak and preach it in Wisdom hear read and meditate of it in Wisdom not only in some but in All Wisdom So Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom Not using it as a Spell or Charm against the Devil by laying the Bible at the Beds head or in the Chamber window only that 's not in wisdom or by naked quoting of Scripture only Luk. 4.10 Psa 91.11 12 that 's not in wisdom for the Devil himself can do so and gloss upon it too but by So quoting it as by Faith Affection and Obedience to cleave unto it This is the right using of the Sword of the Spirit in Wisdom Ephe 6.17 Let it so dwell in us Not only sub ratione veri as Truth in the general while it only pleads it self but also as the Schools distinguish sub ratione contrarii as Reproof in the particular when it presses upon our selves and not as the Fryar wittily told the people that the Truth he preached was like holy water which every one called apace for yet when it came to be cast on them they would turn aside their faces Some that call fastest for Truth cannot abide to have it cast into their faces could like Truth if it would only shew it self and yet can mislike it when it comes thus to shew them themselves Could find in their hearts to love Truth Lucentem Shining Jer 13 15. Obevi equasi Obaudire Iudg. 9.7 but not Retarguentem Reproving c. Hear ye give ear be not proud the Lord hath spoken He is proud that will not harken unto God against himself and all the world Harken unto me ye men of Shechem That God may harken unto you said Jotham Secret things belong unto the Lord our God Deu. 29 29 but revealed things unto us and our children said Moses 'T is not Secret Purpose of God but Revealed Precept must be Mans Rule Take we heed of pretending to the Spirit of God against the Word of God For there is no Promise of Gods Spirit being a Guide where his
milk and butter in a lordly dish till he sleeps and then nothing but the hammer and the nail till he dyes So the Devil disclaim he what Cruelties and profess he what Kindnesses he will be we sure of this He never seeks to possess any man but to tyrannize over him to ruine him and spiritually undo him if he can Whosoever credits a Lyar is deceived but he that will credit the known Father of Lyes John 8 44 loves to be deceived and undone And next to keep him out two things are necessary Iam. 2.17 18 1. To See him by Faith 2. To bolt the Door against him by Works of Obedience 1. To See him Some Rules should be borrowed from the Opticks for the seeing things exactly with our bodily eyes That it is requisite that the Object be rightly placed that is In a direct Opposition and not too near us We cannot see a thing in its compleat proportion on the same side we are neither behind us nor if it be placed just beside us If a man would plainly and perfectly in each Dimension behold one in this side of the Room he must step over to the other side So he that would see the Devil in his Pride shall never perceive him so long as he is proud himself for so long he stands on the same side the Devil doth But if he go over unto the other side of Humility then he shall plainly see the Devil in his Pride so in his Malice and Hypocrisie c. The reason why so few discern him in his Slights and Deformities is because so many stand on the same side Then be sure we stand not too near for if the Organ be too near the Object the beams of the sight will be confounded There must be a Mediocrity of distance the Eye not too near nor too far off for if a man would perceive the Art of a prospective Picture he must go a distance from it and look on it not with Natural eyes only but with the help of Artificial eyes or Spectacles fitted for the purpose else no discerning of the Mystery in it Semblably if a man would plainly see this mysterious Prospect of the Devil with all his deep Shadows and profound Devices and Deceits he must endeavor to go from him that he may perceive him and then look not with the eyes of Nature or Reason which hardly or never discern him 1 Ioh 2 20. but with the eye of Faith cleared with Gods Word and anointed with Gods Spirit which will plainly discover him The next Means to keep the Devil out of Possession is to shut the Door against him by good Works of holy Obedience for Conscience sake Christian diligence in lawful Callings even in the lowest places of hewing wood and drawing water especially if the heart be fortified with the spirit of Grace and Prayer is no small means to keep out the working Devil who hath Idleness for his Anvil Gen. 2.15 Adam was set by God to work in Paradise Hieronimus ad Rusticum ut quando Diabolus venit inveniat occupatum but was idle when the Devil was at work with him by Temptations And therefore let me advise you as He did his Friend To be always doing of some good thing that when the Devil comes he may find you busie The Door shut against him and you not at leasure to give him entertainment And then let every Soul earnestly observe quid genus Daemonum what kind of evil Spirit it is that doth most strongly beset if not possess it For as there are Diversities of Devils and Diversities of Sins so are there Differences in Casting out of Sins Though in respect of Gods absolute Power all are alike easie yet in regard of mans capacity or incapacity some sins are cast out and some Souls cured with the less and some with the greater difficulty Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil spirit of Unbelief Heb. 3.12 Joh. 20.25 27 Incredulity Vain-glory and Hypocrisie this kind cannot come forth easily Bribery Perjury Cruelty this kind is cured hardly And of like kind are Drunkenness Uncleanness Covetousness Rebellion Witchcraft And especially beware of any customary and presumptuous sins this is a kind not to be cast out ordinarily For as there was no little ado to restore to life Jairus his daughter dead in the house Mark 5 41 Luke 7.14 More about the Widows son carryed out dead in the gate but Most of all about Lazarus buried dead in the grave so long till he stank Ioh. 11.44 for Martha wept and Mary wept and the Jews wept yea Jesus himself wept and groaned in his spirit Semblably There goes Much besides private Admonition to Raise the secret shame-fac'd Sinner Mat. 18.15 that with Jairus his daughter is but dead as in the house and within doors Mat. 18.16 17 Ezek. 2.4 And More besides publique Reprehension to Raise the open impudent Sinner that with the Widows son is as dead in the gate without doors like Absalom in the face of the Sun But Most of all besides weeping and groaning and with Mary lamenting Lord Ioh. 11 21. if thou hadst been here my Brother had not dyed to Raise the customary stinking Sinner that with Lazarus is as dead and buried in the grave of Custom for this is the worst kind pleading Custom and most hard to be cast out It were good to pray Davids prayer with Davids spirit Psal 19.12 13. Cleanse thou me from secret sins for even this is an evil kind not easily cast out But it were good to heat the furnace of our Devotions yet seven times more then it was wont to be heat if possible when we come to this Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me Then shall I be upright and innocent from the great or much Transgression For this is the worst kind very hard to be cast out Take we heed therefore of giving Dispensations of witting or willing Allowance and Indulgence to any sin for beleeve it the least sin committed presumptuously will weigh too heavy in the ballance of the Sanctuary And finally If an evil Spirit of any kind hath got possession that Christs Ordinances cannot cast out Mark 9.18 as Christs Disciples here in this kind could not Then be sure to remember the words of the Lord Jesus Vers 19. Bring him unto me If neither Word nor Sacrament will do it try what Prayer will do Present thy heart as that father did his son to Christ and say Lord here is my heart possest with an evil spirit of Infidelity or of Obduracy or of Pride or any other Impiety c. I have often carried it to the Word and to the Sacrament and to other of thine Ordinances that they should cast him out and yet They could not Now sith thou hast said Bring him unto me behold Lord in Obedience to thy Command and in Confidence of thy Promise I here present it naked and prostrate before thee Strike where thou wilt so thou cure Handle it how thou pleasest so thou cast it not out of thy hands Lord I beleeve help thou my unbelief Speak thou but the word and my heart shall be dispossessed mollified humbled and sanctified c. Pray I say and I say again Pray who can tell what Prayer may do Oh the Wonders of Salvation wrought by Prayer in all the Elements from the highest Heaven to the lowest Hell Aug. Deo sacrificium Homini subsidium Daemonibâ—â— flagellam as a Sacrifice to God Help to Man and Scourge to Satan And indeed if the Spirit of Grace and Adoption beget it if the Spirit of Grace and Regeneration conceive it and if the wings of Faith and Fervency do carry it through the Angels hand c. what can hinder it Iam. 5.16 Rev. 8.4 Not for the meer excellency that is in it self nor for the bare Faculty of it but for Gods Institution and Appointment of it to this end singling of it out to this purpose in his own Acceptance This is it that does it whereby Prayer rightly Rooted and rightly Regulated can do Miracles when nothing else can do it even cast out Devils as here in the present Case of our Text This Kind can come forth by nothing but by Prayer and Fasting Which might be easily brought up but that the Well is deep and I doubt here is no Bucket to draw Therefore so much shall serve for this time of this thing 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what is said and God give you understanding in all things Amen FINIS
Word is not a Rule Therefore make we the Word of God to be our Rule and then hopefully may we beg the Spirit of God to be our Guide and hold we there if we be wise Now by this I hope you are Resolved in part About the Devils Rage with Man About his Greatest Rage in Christs Time With Application to Ours Wherein if I have seemed in any thing too uncharitable or peremptory I humbly crave but two things of you in my Apology That such only may be my Judges who have sadly considered the state of the Times and of their own Souls at their Judgment I am content to stand or fall That such candor may be shewed me as was due unto the Prophets of old Ier. 5.1 Ier. 9.2 Psal 12.1 Isaial 1.6 speaking thus largely There is not a man to be found that executeth Judgment and seeketh the Truth They be All Adulterers An Assembly of Rebels There is not one godly man left From the sole of the foot unto the head c. From the least of them even to the greatest c. They would in all be understood as lamenting at the generality of Corruption not as besoting every particular person of Magistracy Ministry and Commonalty without exception and so would I Not loving the froward wont of wayward men so to bemoan what we want as not to bless God for what we have There are some Christian hearts I hope amongst us in all our Ranks God encrease their Number their Graces and their Comforts For I fear me 't is but as the shaking of an Olive-tree Isai 17.6 Ier. 3.14 Isai 24.13 in Isaiah Two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough four or five in the utmost branches One of a City two of a Tribe Or As the gleaning of Grapes when the Vintage is done Yet with this comfort That God is dealt and prevailed with by his Servants more in their Weight then in their Numbers Gen. 18. Ten righteous Souls would in Gods Ballance outweigh all the Godless ones in Sodom One Christian all the Christless ones in Jerusalem Ier. 5.1 For as he said Iudg. 8.2 The gleanings of Ephraim are better then the vintage of Abiezer By this Measure here set by me I see room little enough left me in time and patience for this short Application First 1 Instruction For Instruction in two particulars 1. Of Mans vain Credulity which does him most injury in trusting his Enemy too far not taking him to be so much our Adversary as Gods Word doth make him to be nor beleeving that he seeketh our Destruction so much as Gods Ministers declare him to do 1 Pet. 5.8 Mat. 24 22 Gen. 3.1 But we may be perswaded that the Devil is not called our Adversary nor compared to a Roaring Lyon and to a subtil Serpent for nothing feeding upon our Corruptions as the Serpent doth upon dust 2. Of the Devils Tyranny which if so malicious to our Bodies though he least minds them as to dismember them whereof are divers Examples besides this in the Gospel How great may we suspect his Malice towards our Souls seeking to dismember them by making us blind when we should see Gods Works and deaf when we should hear Gods Word and dumb when we should confess our sins or bless his Name Isa 33 14 Mat 9 43.44 And if his Cruelty be so terrible in this life how tormenting will it be in the life to come in those everlasting burnings in Hell fire Next For Exhortation 2 Exhortations to praise God for not giving us over as a prey into his Teeth but that our Souls are escaped as Birds out of the snare of this Fowler Psalm 24.6 7 8. For he is a poor experienced Christian that doth not dayly find the Power of God in preserving him from Satans Temptations and Terrors 2 Tim 4 8 which are the Paws and Jaws of that Roaring Lyon that would devour him Common Prose is too low and dull to express the due thanks for such a Deliverance The Soul in this should be advanced to the height and courage of a Song Not a Christian Soul but hath matter enough given it of God to make Songs of his Praise being thus like Davids Soul compassed about with Songs of Deliverance Psal 32 7. and 28 7. What now the Importance of your Affairs which occasion this Concourse will not permit me to express I crave leave only to intimate in few words touching The Disease and Cure in our Text and so conclude The Malady or Disease This Kind 1. Mat 9 33. The dumb Devil was always held the worst kind of Devils and therefore we find that upon the effecting of this Miracle the people were all amazed and marvelled saying It was never so seen in Israel because it was such an extraordinary Cure to heal one possessed with a dumb Devil Here were occasion of a Discourse about the Nature Order Malignity and Diversity of Evil Angels wherewith I might fill your heads sooner then warm your hearts which makes me the less sorry for being taken off from speaking any more Now therefore no more but this As there are Diversities of Devils so are there Diversities of Sins their name is Legion too for they are many Mark 5.9 Sins are Diversified 1. In respect of the Cause which may be Voluntary or Involuntary such as are either of Ignorance or of Presumption But know we that voluntary and presumptuous sins are the worst kind Psa 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins c. 2. In respect of the Act either of Commission or of Omission Is 65.2 3. Ezek. 2.4 Commissive sins are the worst kind Sins in deed are held more provoking and impudent 3. In respect of the Subject thereof The same sin for the matter is capable of aggravation from the person that commits it be he Prince or Subject Master or Servant Minister or People c. Sin may proceed and commence take an higher degree according to the height and degree of the person that acts it the higher the worse kind 4. In respect of the Object So Blasphemy against God is a worse kind then Calumny against a Neighbor 1 Sam. 2.25 5. In respect of the Matter So detracting from the Word of God is a worse kind then clipping the Kings Coyn. 6. In respect of the Manner or Measure So reiterated multiplied continued sins are a worse kind then single sins but once committed This might be serviceable for divers Uses 1. As for their Confutation who make no difference of sins but judg All alike because that Sin is nothing but a Privation and Privation say they admits of no Degrees But by their leaves they may be told if not taught that Privations are not all equal some are more meer and simple Privations then others But I cannot stay to teach them now 2. So for their Confutation also who spitefully