The Drunkards Character, Section 112
§ 112.
THat Sathan is their King, you have it,As they have not bene waiting … in any age. Iohn 14. 30. and the Prince of this world, it is plaine, Iohn, 12. 31. and that he ruleth by, and worketh in all the children of disobedience, Eph. 2. 2. makes cleare: and that they are his servants, kept by the Devill in a snare, and taken Captive of him? at his will, are the very words of the Holy-Ghost, 2 Tim. 2. 26. which being so (considered together with the former proclamation) how should they not seeke his wealth, and honour by fighting for him; How should they not strive to enlarge his kingdome, and the territories of Hell, by winning all they can from Christ, by a continuall warre and skirmish, as they have not beene wanting hitherto in any age?
Yea, I could produce testimonies and examples till darke night, to prove that there hath beene in all ages, is now, and ever shall be (betweene these two Kings, Sathan and Christ, and their regiments, the wicked, and the godly) a perpetual war enmity and strife, according to the Lords prediction, or proclamation; for there is scarce a Page in the Bible, which doth not either expresse, or imply, somewhat touching this warre: yea, as if the Scriptures contained nothing else, the Holy-Ghost …ignificantly calls them, the booke of the battells of the Lord, Numb. 21. 14. as Rupertus well observes.
But because it would take up much roome, and none, except they are blind, will question the same I will wave that.
Satan is not a Captaine of forties, nor of fifties nor of sixties, nor of hundreds; … he is Generall over all which fight not under Christ's Banner; which is but a little flocke.
It's true, every Christian in his Baptisme hath taken presse-money of Christ, to be his Souldier, and to serve him in the Field of this world, against his, and our enemies: yea, I confesse, amongst us Christians, Christ is the subject of all tongues; O that he were the object of all hearts: but whereas the Schoole disputes of him, the Pulpit preaches of him, Hypocrites talke of him, time-servers make use of him, Politicians pretend him, prophane men sweare by him, millions professe him; few love him, few serve him, few care to honour him: godly men, even amongst us Christians, are like timber trees in a wood, here one, and there one. Yea, it is to be feared, that, as once in Israel a thousand followed Baal, for one that followed God; so now many serve the world, and the flesh, and the Devill, for one that truely serves God in sincerity, truth, and holinesse.
Now as when Abimeleck raigned, downe went Gideon's children: so where wicked men beare sway, and sin raignes, downe goes Christ's friends, and the fruits of faith. And when hath the visible Church kept her owne so well, but it might truely be said (not as the women of Saul and David, Saul hath slaine his thousand, and David his tenne thousand, but) Sathan by himselfe and his Host, hath slaine more then his hundred thousand. Yea, of these drunkards, who have taken the Devills oath of allegiance, he is a very meane souldier, that hath not won some from Christs Standard: as amongst the Hungarians, he is not held worhty to weare a weapon, nor reputed a brave gentleman, who hath not kil'd a Turke: Yea, some there are that have wonne more men from him, then they have beene weekes at their owne dispose; as Cato Censorius boasted, he had taken more townes in Spaine, then he had beene dayes in the country. Nay, hath not the Devill made as good use of some famous drunkard, as Sampson did of that Jaw-bone of an Asse, Iudg. 15. wherewith he slew a thousand men?