The Black Devil, Part 17 – Part 19
3. The measure of their malice. More wicked.
They are called more wicked, because they make the possessed more wicked. This is spoken of the Deuill, who is alwayes pessimum, the worst; in some degree of comparison: not so much secundùm naturampropriam, but secundùm operationem in alijs: not so much in regard of his owne nature, as in respect of the effects which he works in man. That it shal go worse with this blacke Deuils person, the conclusion will shew: here consider, that his sinnes are made more wicked. One and the same sinne (euen respecting the Identity of it) may be worse in a quadruple regard.
1. Ratione perpetrantis. In respect of the Committer. Ionah's sleepe was worse then the Mariners. Iudas his conspiracy worse then the Iewes. Wickednesse in a Christian worse then in an Infidell.
2. Ratione loci. In regard of the place. So wrangling in a church is worse then in a tauern. Theeuery in the Temple more wicked thē theeuery in the market. Amos. 2. They lay themselues downe vponupon clothes Amos. 2. 8.layde to pledge, by eueryevery Altar: and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God. which was more horrible, then the same wickednes done in another place. This appeared by Christs actuall punishing that offence, ouen with those hands, that we neuer else read gaue any blowes. For Sacrilege is the worst of all thefts.
3. Ratione temporis. In respect of the time. For to play when thou shouldst pray; to sweare when thou shouldst sing; when thou shouldst blesse, to curse; and to be drunke in a Tauerne, when thou oughtest to serue God in the Temple, is worse then the same offence at other times. Those Vintners and Victuallers are greeuously guilty, that doe in prayer time at once open their owne doore, and a doore to irreligion and contempt of Gods holie worship.
4. Ratione naturae, in quam peccatur. In regard of that nature, against whom the sinne is committed. If a Traitor condemned for some notorious conspiracy against his Prince, shall receiue at those maligned hands a gracious pardon; and yet renew his treason with a second attempt: this latter facte, though the same in nature, (for all is but treason) is more wicked in measure, by reason of the Conspirators vnthankfulnesse for his Soueraignes goodnesse. Hee ill requites Gods mercy for deliuering him from one foule Deuil, that opens a willing dore to the entry of seuen worse. The more familiar acquaintance we hauehave had with the blessings of God, the greater condemnation abides vsus for ingratitude. If the sinne may be thus made more wicked, why not the person that commits it? Seuen newe spirits more wicked hauehave made him more wicked then the first left him. Lesse had bene his woe, if that one vncleane Spirit had kept possession alone, then vponupon his priuation, to hauehave the position of seauen worse.
Three inferences from hence must not passe away vnobserued.
1. That there is difference of sinnes, sinners, & consequently of punishments. The first was said to be an vncleane spirit, yet are the latter seuen worse. By the witnesse of Christ we hauehave it already. Mat. 5. Math. 5, 22.and by his Iudgement shall finde it heereafter, that an angry affection is liable to Iudgement: a prouoking gesture to the punishment of a Councel: but railing inuectiues are worthy of hell-fire. Chorazin & Bethsaida shal speed worse then Tyre and Sidon, and yet these were already in hel. The seruant that knowes his Maisters will, and doth it not, shal bee beaten with many stripes. Simple nescience hath an easier iudgement, then sinfull knowledge. If Barbaria wring her hands, that she hath knowne so little; Christendome shall rend her heart, that she hath knowne so much to so little purpose.
Parity of sinnes is an idle dreame: a Stoickc and Ioni…an imagination. For though the wages of all sinne be euerlasting death; yet some sinnes shal feele the torments of that death more violent and terrifying, then others. I hauehave other-where shewed, that Iudas his villany inbetraying his Master, was more horrible, then if a Barrabas, a notorious butcherer had done the deed. So our Sauiour insinuated to Pilate. He that deliuer'd me vntounto thee, hath the greater Iohn 19, 11.sinne. That Babilonian Tyrant committed a more haynous offence, in taking the holy things out of so holy a place, Gods consecrated vessels out of Gods Temple; then if he had stolne more precious ones out of a priuate place. Doe you not thinke that a Cot-purse playing the theefe at a Sermon, is more worthy of hanging, then a robber that standes in the highway!
This Dauid instanceth, Psal. 1, 1. Blessed is he that hath not walked in the counsel of the vngodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sate in the chaire of the Scorner. Walking is bad enough, but it is worse to stand then to walke, and to sit then to stand in the waies of wickednesse. Though idle wordes be an vncleane spirit, yet actuall disobedience is a fouler Deuill. A Christian vsurer is worse then a Turkish. An Indian Idolater to Gold is not so damnable as a Spanish. All reprobates shall finde hel-fire hot enough; but this Blacke Deuill so much the hoter, as he was once purged of his vncleane spirit.
2. God doth seuerely reuenge himselfe vponupon Ingratitude for his graces: & squares out his iudgement according to the proportion of the blessing conferred & abused. He that would not be thankefull to God for the expulsion of one vnclean spirit, shal in a iust quittance be pesterd with seuen more, and more wicked. If Christ be so kinde to Iudas, as to minister the Sacrament to him, and he so vnkinde to Christ, as to lay it vponupon a foule stomacke, a polluted heart, the Deuill shall enter with it.
There is a nescio vos giuen to those that hauehave eaten and drunke in the presence of Christ, and hauehave heard Luke. 13, 26.him teach in their streets; (it is all one) that hauehave feasted at the Communion-table, and heard Christ in their Pulpits. Euen our reading, hearing, praying, when they are done of custome more then of conscience, shall be but a meanes of Satans introduction. The word of God, like the dew of heauen, neuer fals on the earth of our hearts, but it makes either hearbs or weeds shoote vp quicker and thicker on them. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that commeth oft vponupon it, and bringeth foorth hearbes Heb. 5. 7.meete for them, by whom it is dressed, receiueth blessing from God. But that which beareth thornes & bryers, is reiected, and is nigh vntounto cursing, whose end is to be burned.
If they were condemned, Rom. 1. and giuen ouer to a reprobate sense, that had …o other glasse to see the Deitie in, but nature: for Seculum: peculum, the worlde is a glasse: what shall become of those that hauehave had the booke of the Gospell, yet are stomacksicke at Manna, and beate away the hand of merciemercy reached fo…th vntounto them: what, but a triple reprobate sense; and heere, a septuple possession of Satan?
Thus God in iustice (for contempt of his merciemercy) admits a stronger delusion of the Deuill: not to make them two-fold more the children of hell. Math. 23, 15. as Proselytes; but seuen fold as Deuils. That Mat. 23, 15.their bewitched and infatuated soules shall do seruice to him that murthers them: as Ahaz did sacrifice to the Gods of Damascus that smote him. 2 Chron. 2. Chr. 28, 23.28. As our treacherous and fugitiue Seminaries that adore the Babilonish Beast, who profusely carowseth vp their blood that serue him: and whiles he builds vp the Tower of his vniuersall Monarchy, to ouerlooke and command the Christian world, he sets them to ciment and morter the wals with their owne bloods.
Worse then the Indians, in some of their blinde and Idolatrous sacrifices; offering not for a Ne noceat, but for an vt noceat; crouching not for a blessing, but a curse: and buying with great expence the malediction of God and men. God threatens Israel, that for the multitude of their rebellions, he will septuple their punishments. Leuit. 26: And if ye will not yet for all this hearken vntounto me, I will punish Leuit. 26. 18. 21.you seauen times more for your sinnes. And ver. 21 If ye walke contrary, and will not hearken vntounto me, I will bring seauē times moe plagues vponupon you, according to your sinnes. So frequently in the first and second chap. of the Prophesie of Amos. For three transgressions, and for foure; which are seauen, which are Amos. 1.many, which are innumerable, I will not turne away your punishment, saith the Lord. According to their sinnes, by weight and measure, proportion and number, shall be their sorrowes. As they hauehave swallowed vp the poore, and deuoured the people of God, like bread, impouerished the common-wealth, vndone the Church; and all this vnderunder colour of long prayers, and of a fiery-hot deuotion; so they shall receiue greater damnation. This is Babilons finall Luk. 20. 47.recompence. Reuel. 18. Reward her euen as she rewarded Reuel. 18. 6.you, and double vntounto her double according to her workes: in the cup which shee hath filled, fill to her double.
3. As seauen worse spirits are the reward to him, that makes much of one bad and vncleane: So are seauen better spirits bestowed on him, that vseth one good well. One Talent well employed, shall gaine tenne: and the more we hauehave, the more will God delight to loade vsus. God is as kinde to those, that traffique his graces to his glory, as he is seuere against those that throw his pearles to swine. And as this Apostates recidiuation is rewarded by the accession of seauen more wicked Spirits: so our sanctified and confirmed hearts shall bee honoured with those seauen most pure spirits. Reuel. 1. which are before the throne of God. These seauen spirits are taken Reuel. 1, 4.eyther for the seauen gifts of Gods spirit; prefigured by the seauen eyes in one Stone. Zach. 3. and seauen Zach. 3, 9, 4. 2.lampes in one Candlesticke. Zach. 4. Which are by some gathered from Esay 11. 2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest vponupon him, the spirit of wisedome, & Esay. 11, 2.of vnderstanding, the spirit of counsell and of might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the feare of the Lord. The first is the Spirit of Piety, the second is the Spirit of Wisedome, the third is the Spirit of Vnderstanding, the fourth is the Spirit of Counsell, the fift is the Spirit of Might, the sixt is the Spirit of Knowledge, the seauenth is the Spirit of the feare of the Lord. Or by putting a certaine number for an vncertaine, all the guifts and graces of Gods Spirit are here intended; Seauen being a nūber of perfection, and signifying in the Scriptures, Fulnesse.
God doth so requite his owne blessings, that where he finds thankfulnesse for his goodnesse, he opens his hands wider: and where drops of grace take well, he will rayne whole showres of mercy. It is his delight to reward his owne fauours, & crown his owne blessings: as if he would giuegive, because he had giuen. Thus a greater measure of godlinesse shall possesse vsus; a greater measure of wickednesse, this Apostate, then eyther in eyther kind formerly was had. When we receiue grace of God, wee also receiue grace to employ that grace: so that if we thriue not in the growth of godlines, wee may causefully call our sanctity into question. As he à malo adpeius from euill to worse, descends gradually to hell: so must we by ioyning vertue to faith, and to vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, 2 Peter 1, 6.&c. as per scansum, climbing by degrees, get vp into heauen.
I hauehave described the Associates; now for the Assault. Wherein briefly obserue, 1. their Inuasion. 2. their Inhabitation. 3. their Cohabitation.
1. Their Inuasion. They enter.
Alas! what should hinder them: when a sauage Troupe, appointed at all hands, armed with malice and mischiefe cap ape, assaults a poore weake Fort, that hath nothing but bare walles, and naked gates, (and those set wide open) to defend it selfe? If Lot were in Sodome, if (but) Faith stood in the Turret of the conscience, there might be some beating back of their forces: but there is no reluctation, where there is no enemy. S. Paul describes the Christians Armour. Ephe. 6. Stand, hauing your loynes girt about with truth, hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnes: Eph. 6, 14.your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace. Aboue all take the shield of Faith, wherewith yee shall bee able to quench the fiery dartes of the wicked. Take the helmet of saluation, and the Sword of the Spirit, &c.
This Apostate hath not a piece of it, to warde the least blow, wheresoeuer it strikes him. He is to deale with cunning Fencers, and hath neyther offeusiue nor defensiue weapons. Not Truth but error is the girdle of his loynes: and for the brest-plate of righteousnesse, hee knowes not how to put it on. His f…ete were neuer shod with the preparation of the Gospell, he had not so much time to spare from his nimble gadding after vanities. The fiery darts of these wicked spirits may burne and wound him to death; he hath no Shield of Faith to coole or quench them. The helmet of saluation is farre from him; he knowes not in what Armory to find it. And for the sword of the spirit, he cannot tell how to handle it. He is an vnwalled city, an vndefenced Fort, an vnarmed man. No maruell, if th…se foule spirits enter, when there is neyther contention nor intention to repell them. Omnia tradentur: portas reserabimus hosti.
2. Their Inhabitation. Dwell.
The Deuil dwelleth in a Man, not tanquàm corpus locatum in loco, as a bodye seated in a certaine place: for spirits are not contained in any place. Incorporeall created substances doe not dwell in a place locally or circumscriptiuely, as bodies doe; but definitiuely. Nor dwell these in him, tanquam forma in materia, as the forme in a substance, as the soule in the body. For the Deuill is a simple substance of himselfe, not compounded of any aliene or second matter.
But they dwell in him by a secret and spirituall power; darkning their mindes. 2. Cor. 4. that the light 2 Cor. 4, 4.of the glorious gospel of christ shold not shine vntounto t…ē. Poysoning their affections; that being past feeling, they might giuegive themselues ouer to lasciuiousnesse, to Eph. 4. 19.worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse. Hardening their hearts, Rom. 2. til they treasure vp to themselues wrath against the day of wrath, and reuelation of the Rom. 2. 5.righteous Iudgement of God. All which is no other in effect; but damming vp the lights and windores of this Fort, ramming vp the gates, and fortifying the walles. Thus they dwell in him, like witches in an inchanted Castle: and who shall breake their spels & deliuer him! You see then, this blacke Deuil hath but sorry guests, that purpose longer stay with him then a night; to dwell, yea to dominere, till they hauehave eaten him quite out of house and home.