The Black Devil, Part 4
The manner. foreign.
Is gone: which is rather a forme of speaking with vsus, then a forme of his going out. Yet howsoeuer a Spirit or man leaues the place of his former residence, whether willingly or on compulsion, when he is out, it is said of him, he is gone. Here then is offered to our consideration, the manner of the Deuils departure.
Satan goes not out of an inhabited hart willingly. Where they had locall and substantiall possession, you read in the Gospell that Christ was sayde to cast them out. And among other places, most pregnantly in the 11. of Luke ver. 14. to the iustification Luk. 11. 14.and clearing of this phrase, Iesus was casting out a Deuill, and it was dumbe. And when the Deuil was gone out, the dumbe spoke. Hee was gone out, he was cast out: the one expounds the other. So that this gone out, is rather a passiue then an actiue speach: he neuer went out with his good will: hee frets to be dislodg'd of his chamber. That Legion of deuils in one poore Gadaren. Mark. 5. held it no lesse Mark 5. ….then a torment, to be be cast out of man. I adiure thee by God, that thou torment me not. And art thou come Math. 8. 29.hether to torment vsus before the time? When the King of Heauen, and controller of Hell, cast the dumbe and deafe spirit out of the Childe of a beleeuing Father, Mark. 9. The spirit cryed, and rent him Mark. 9. …6.sore, and came out of him, and he was as one dead; insomuch that many sayde, He is dead. As when a writ of eiection comes to a bad Tenant, that he sees he must out, he fires the house about his eares.
So long as he may foment our corrupt affections, and giuegive vsus complacency and selfe-satisfaction in his vicious obedience; till he make vsus not subiects but slaues, and rather Res then Personas, as the Lawyers speake; he giues to eueryevery one a Dormi-securè. But when we begin to suspect his right, to try his title, and to go to law to cast him out, and to bustle against him: the sculking foxe is turn'd to an Oxe, and puts foorth his goring hornes of tyrranny.
When thou beginst to sue him, 1. Hee will plead prescription. Meum est, meum erit, quia meum fuit. It is mine, it shall be mine, because it hath beene mine. Custome in sinne is a shrewd argument against repentance. Turpius cijcitur, quám non admittitur hospes. A Guest is with better manners not admitted, then eiected. 2. If that wil not serue, he goes to't in plaine force. Hee doth not say as Iacob to Laban, These twenty yeares hauehave I serued thee, &c. but these many yeares hauehave I commanded thee; and dost thou now shake off my seruice? degenerate, rebell, and refuse allegiance? As Rabshaceh in the Embassage of Senacherib to Hezekiah. Now on whom doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Who shall deliuer thee out of my Esay 36. 5.hands? 3. If we answere with that threatned King; The Lord of Hoasts shall deliuer vsus; at whose Name the Senacherib of infernall Babilon doth tremble: so that he must depart; hee will not go out without terror; but teare and afflict the heart, in the parting and desertion of our old delights.
Hence we may inferre, that there is a power superior to Sathan, that must expell him, or hee will not depart. The vncircumcised Philistine insults, till Dauid come. The strong man armed keepes his Luke. 11. 21.Pallace, and his goods in peace: Luke. 11. vntill the stronger man, euen the strength of Israel comes against him. It is he that is able to plucke out Satan by head and shoulders. This is he alone, that can helpe eyther the corporally or spiritually possessed.
The Kings of England and France (as if it were a marke and impression of diuine power in them) doe cure a disease by touch. And I hauehave read it reported (though but reported) that the Kings of Spayne helpe demoniacke & possessed persons. These are but coroporall cures. The Pope challengeth a faculty to cure spirituall impotencies, leprosies, & possessions. Alasse! it is not in his power, though in his pride, and super arrogant glory. Indeed when our anguished soules hauehave bathed themselues in the riuer of Iordan, (An Angel of mercy hauing stirr'd the waters) in our penitentiall teares, in our Sauiours bloud, on the Crosse, in the Sacrament: it is all, if the Pope (and yet not hee more then the meanest Minister, did hee not monopolize mens sinnes by reseruations) may pronounce, who is dispossessed of the power of Satan, who not. But to cast out the Deuils pregnant, and regnant tyranny, whether substantial or spiritual; to rescue a miserable man out of the inchanted wals of Babilon; to set the foote of a weake Christian on the necke of that Leuiathan, to giuegive him insultation and triumph ouer Aspes, Lyons Dragons; is the singular and incommunicable work of God.
Christ throwes Satan out per ictum per dictum, by his Word, by his Sword: the power and operation of his Spirit in the Preaching of the Gospell. Hee breakes his head, He breakes his necke with a Scriptum est. Hence, The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling downe of 2 Cor. 10. 4. 5strong holds: casting downe eueryevery high thing, that exa…teth it se…fe against the knowledge of God, &c. Were his Hold stronger then the seauen-fold walles of Babilon, and his exaltation as high, as euer the imagination of Nebuchadnezzer mounted his owne worth: this shall batter and bring him downe. The Esay. 14.Word casts him out, the Sacraments hold him out: that driues him forth, and these keepe him from cō ming in.