Christs Miracles Delivered in a Sermon, Part 3
The third part of this Sermon.
Now therfore it remaineth to ſpeake of the power of Sathan.
Certaine it is, and wee are to beléeue it by faith, that the power of Sathan is not equall to the power of GOD: it is not ſo ſtrong, ſo large, and ſo wide: it is eueryevery way infinitly leſſe; there is no compariſon betwéene that which is infinite and that which is finite. If wée compare it with good Angels, it will be leſſe then ſome, and greater then other ſome, as afterward we ſhall more plainely ſée: but if wee compare it with the power of man, it is farre greater eueryevery way: but yet wee muſt know that is a finite and naturall power, not ſupernaturall; for then none could bee ſaued: it is mightie, but yet not Almightie: but that we may better conceiue of it: let vsus lée wherein it lyeth.
All the power that Sathan hath conſiſteth in two points: Firſt in his knowledge or vnderſtanding. Secondly, in his déed, action, or worke. For according as a mans knowledge is, ſuch is his déed: ſo is Sathans: as his knowledge is great, ſo alſo his worke great. For his knowledge it is to bee conſidered whence it ariſeth, and how hee commeth by it, ſo ſhall wee better iudge of the greatneſſe thereof. Hee hath his knowledge by theſe meanes that follow.
Firſt from his ſpirituall Nature, for by Nature hee is a ſpirit, and therfore by nature hath the meaſure of knowledge giuen by GOD to a ſpirit which is great. Wee know that there is a greater meaſure of knowledge in man, then is in a brute beaſt, by reaſon of that nature which the Lord hath giuen to man aboue beaſts. So the Diuill is made of a ſpirituall ſubſtance, and of that onelyonly: ſo that hee hath not a body which might hinder him to ſée into the nature, quality, and operation of a ſpirite, and therefore being a ſpirit, he hath the knowledge of a ſpirit. In that therefore he is a ſpirit, hee hath a greater famili, aritic with our ſpirites, then otherwiſe hee could hauehave. In regarde therefore of his Nature his knowledge is great.
Secondarily; the meaſure of his knowledge may bee diſcerned by his creation. GOD created him a good Angell, and gaue him the ſame meaſure of knowledge that hee gaue to other Angels: Looke therefore what knowledge is in a good Angell by creation, the ſame knowledge is in Sathan by his creation. It may bee that hee retaineth ſtill that meaſure of knowledge which hee then receiued, albeit as it may bee thought, that as man by his fall, loſt a great meaſure of that knowledge which hee had by his creation: ſo the Diuill loſt a great meaſure of his knowledge by his Apoſtacie from the Lord. Further it is to be knowne, that the diuil being now fallen, is not of the conſultation of the Lord, as the good Angels are, for they ſtand alwaies before his face, ready to doe any thing that hee ſhall command them, for the good of the Elect, and therefore they are of the conſultations of the Lord, but Sathan is not ſo, and therefore hee cannot hauehave ſo great knowledge as they hauehave, which is a great comfort to thoſe that be the true children of GOD, that the good Angels, by the meaſure of their knowledge, are more able to ſaue and defend vsus, then the Diuill is by the meaſure of his knowledge to harme vsus.
Thirdly, the Diuill ſince his fall, hath increaſed his knowledge, both on the things on earth, and of the wayes of God, by long obſeruations and continuall experience, who hath alwayes had experimentall knowledge of the nature of man: for he is well acquainted with the age of men, he knoweth what be their affections, what is their nature, and what is their diſpoſition, hee knoweth what things be offenſiue to men, hee knoweth alſo what pleaſeth them beſt in their young age, what in their middle age, and what in their olde age. And as in theſe things, ſo alſo hath hee experience in ſupernaturall things. For he remembreth by whom he hath béene reſiſted, and who will not yéeld to him. This then muſt greatly amplifie his knowledge, ſéeing he hath alwayes had ſuch long experience of all things that come to paſſe. As put the caſe there were one man aliue which were perfect in ſenſe, in body, in minde, in reaſon, and memory, and in all the faculties, both of the body and the minde, that had liued from the beginning of the world vntounto this daye, and had obſerued all things that had fallen out heretofore: this man would tell ſuch wonderfull things, both paſt and to come, by naturall cauſes, and continuall obſeruation, that I feare me leaſt many would worſhip him as a GOD: therefore the Diuill muſt néedes hauehave great knowledge, ſéeing that he hath had all theſe. But he knoweth more then any man could hauehave done: for hee doth not onelyonly know thoſe among whom he liueth, and the things that falleth out amongſt them, but hee goeth about into eueryevery familie and countrie, obſerueth what is done, and is well acquainted with their conuerſation.
Fourthly, beſides this hee hath alſo another meanes to increaſe his knowledge. When the Lord commandeth him to appeare before him to render accounts of all the workes that hee hath done, Iob. 1. 16. When the children of GOD, that is the good Angels came before the Lord, Sathan ſtood amongſt them, and the Lord ſaid vntounto him, Whence commeſt thou? and hee anſwered, From compaſſing the Earth too and fro: and the Lord ſayd. Haſt thou not conſidered my ſeruant Iob, how there is none like him in the earth, an vpright and iuſt man? Sathan anſwered: It is not for nothing that Iob feareth thee, haſt thou not made a hedge about him and his houſe, and about eueryevery thing which hee hath on eueryevery ſide? but touch all that hee hath, and then ſee whether hee will not blaſpheme thee to thy face. Sathan knew well enough, that man will make ſhew of religion in proſperitie, but in aduerſitie, by impatience would fall away: For herevpon the Lord gaue him libertie to afflict Iob, in viſiting his body with ſickneſſe, in taking away his children, and his goods: but whence hath hee this knowledge? from the reuelation of the Lord: hee knew that Iob ſhould bee viſited with great ſickneſſe, and looſe his children, and his goods, when he heard it from the Lord, and ſo he knoweth many other things which are to come to paſſe, and after hee once knoweth them, hee goeth to Witches or ſuch like, and tels them thereof, who like wiſe tell others of the ſame before it comes to paſſe, and ſo deceiue men thereby, making them to thinke that they knowe it of themſelues: but neither they, nor the Diuell know it of themſelues, but by reuelation of the LORD vntounto Sathan.
Fiftly, Sathan hath another excellent meanes to increaſe his knowledge which the Lord hath alſo granted vntounto men: for they know what is to come by the Reuelation of the Prophets: for if there be any curſe belonging to the people, the Prophets do denounce the ſame, & make the people to know thereof, by the preaching of the word: whereas therefore the worde is preached, there is Sathan preſent: he obſerueth the doctrine, whether it be of power to bring men from the kingdome of darkeneſſe, to the Lord: from ſinne vntounto repentance. If it bee, then is he muſt buſie, either to ſtep it from the Care, or to pull it out of the heart, if they hauehave once receiued it, as Math. 13. 19. By this meanes therefore hee increaſeth his knowledge, that hee may worke more couertly, and bee the leſſe diſcerned: for hee can turne him-ſelfe into an Angell of light.
Sixtly, he hath yet another meanes to increaſe his knowledge, and that is by the obſeruation of naturall cauſes. If you ſpeake of an Aſtronomer, he can tell that beſt: if yée ſpeake of an Aſtrologer, he is moſt cunning there in. Yea that which men geſſe at, and as it were groape at in the darke, hee beholdeth and knoweth moſt certainlie, and can tell any thing that is to come to paſſe by the courſe of the Starres, and other naturall cauſes. If we ſpeake of knowledge in the Artes, there is none comparable to him: hee is moſt ſkilfull in all the tongues, and there is no time that is hid from him. So that by theſe meanes hee hath wonderfully increaſed his knowledge. But ſome may ſay: Hath hee knowledge in any thing, in which the good Angels hauehave no knowledge? No for they are as diligent for the ſaluation of the godly, as he is for their deſtruction. Pſal. 91. 11. GOD giueth his Angels charge to kéepe Chriſt and all that are his, in all their wayes: nay they pitche their tents about him that feareth the Lord to kéepe him on eueryevery ſide, that no harme befall him any way. And therefore as ſoone as Sathan had left off tempting Chriſt, the good Angels came and miniſtred vntounto him all things that were requiſite for him in this life. But doth not Sathans knowledge ſerue to the working of a miracle? No: for it is a finite knowledge, and therfore cannot produce any miracle, for eueryevery true miracle is wrought by an omnipotent power.
The ſecond thing wherein Satans power doth conſiſt in his action, or his déed, which as his knowledge is great, ſo it is likewiſe great. Let vsus therefore ſee his actions. The déede of perſwading is great, for hee mooued Cam contrary to his knowledge, and contrary to Nature, not onelyonly to reuile his brother, but to kill him, hee talked not with Caine, but by motions and perſwaſions in his heart did allure him therevnto. But it appeareth more great in his firſt action againſt mankinde, as when he came to our firſt parents in the forme of a Serpent (which argueth his great power, that hee can tranſforme himſelfe into ſuch a creature, and abuſe the tongue of a Serpent to that end.) So wee read of his actions alſo in Exodus, when Moſes wrought miracles before Pharaoh by the finger of God. Satan alſo by his Enchanters did worke the ſame miracles, yet not true miracles, becauſe they did them not by the finger of God, but by the power of Sathan. So alſo 1. Samuel. 28. Sathan comes to a witch, and would alſo tell the witch what ſucceſſe Saule ſhould hauehave in his battell, that hee tooke in hand, hee came in the ſhape of Samuel, ſo that Saule thought he had béene Samuell. So alſo would hee talke familiarly with men: therefore the Lord gaue a law, that if any one conſulted with a familiar ſpirit, he ſhould dye, which law had béene in vaine, if none had conſulted familiarly with him. So hee was a lyer in the mouth of all the falſe Prophets, although they themſelues did not at that time perceiue it. So he poſſeſſed mens bodies, as in the Goſpell, when our Sauiour had caſt him out of a man, hee ſtraight way went into a heard of Swine, and euen ſo he is able to draw mens bodies after him. Wée may alſo ſée his power by a compariſon with the good Angels. 2. Kings. 19. An Angel of the Lord ſlew an hundreth and 85000. men of Zenacheribs Hoſt in one night. Now the ſame power is in Sathan by his creation, which hereby appeareth to be very great. So when he carried Chriſts body vponupon a Pinacle of the Temple, and vp into a Mountaine to tempt him. And Acts 16. 19. there were exoreiſtes that would caſt forth Diuils in the name of Ieſus, but the euill ſpirit in the man, ranne on them, and ouer-came them, ſo that they ſled out of the houſe naked, and wounded. It is therefore certaine, that Sathan is of a wonderfull power, and that the children of God hauehave oftentimes tried, both in themſelues, & alſo in others. Among many other I remember one that is worthy remembrance. There was a man in Geneua who féeling ſome-thing to fall out contrary to his minde, and for diuers cauſes which is not néedfull to repeate, blaſphemed God, & deſired that if there were any Diuils they might come and take him away, who was preſently in the ayre, and neuer heard of after, ſaue only that his cap fel off his head, which ſheweth that Satan hath great power: This teacheth vsus that mē muſt not be careleſſe, but muſt looke to themſelues: For Sathan is a roaring Lion ſeeking whom hee may ſooneſt deuoure: watch therefore and pray, leaſt yee fall into temptation. But if Satans power be ſo great, how comes it to paſſe, that many men doe ſo well in this world? I anſwer this power is barred and limitted by the Lord, and that by two eſpeciall limits.
The firſt limite, is his Nature, for hee is not able to doe any thing then that which his naturall diſpoſition will permit and ſuffer. The ſecond limit is, the will of GOD: for hee can doe nothing againſt the will of GOD. Except the Lord doe eyther permit him or command him, hee is not able to doe any thing at all. As it is alſo in other creatures, the waters ſhould by nature ouer-flowe the whole earth, yet they doe not becauſe it is the will of God. So alſo is it with Sathan, as appeareth, when the Lord gaue him power of all Iobs goods, beyond the Lords will he could not go, for the Lord will not ſuffer him to doe any thing to his children: but onelyonly th… which ſhall tend to their good. Ar thou in miſery, or in any dangerous diſtreſſe, wherein thou art moſt ſubiect to the cruelty of Sathan? bee of good comfort, Sathan is limited, hée cannot doe any thing to thée, but onelyonly that which the Lord commandeth him. But may not Sathans knowledge and power bee vſed? I anſwere it may. God vſeth it in puniſhing, trying, and correcting his children. Againe the Apoſtles vſed his power for they hauehave deliuered men to Sathan as Paule did. 1. Tim. 1. 20. Himeneus and Alexander, and as hee would hauehave done the inceſtuous Corinths. But may not la man vſe it in familiar ſort, in talking, barganing, and conſulting with Sathan? No. This is forbidden Deut. 18. Leuit. 20. and wee are commanded to reſiſt the Diuill, and to flie from him, wee muſt not therefore conſult with him. He may oftentimes tell the trueth, but wee muſt not accept it. Chriſt gaue vsus example hereof, for hee ſayd, that Chriſt was the Sonne of God, which was a trueth, yet Chriſt commanded him to bee ſilent, to teach vsus, that the truth is not to be receiued from him, for he is the Father of lyes. Héere then all men are forbidden to ſéeke vntounto Sathan, to know any trueth whatſoeuer. And therefore hereby wee condemne thoſe that vſe witcherie, by the counſell of Sathan: and in the former places, the very action of conſulting with Sathan, though no harme come thereby, is flatly death to the partie: I would this law were eſtabliſhed in all Chriſtian Churches, then there would not be ſo many witches in that kinde, as now there are. I confeſſe indéed, there be ſome which be counted witches, which indéed are not, as namely thoſe which hurt Cattell, as Oxen, Horſe, Swine, or ſuch like, or elſe children, not from the counſell of Sathan, but by the traditions of other women, by poyſoning them, in dooing nothing but vſing the naturall cauſes thereof. Thoſe I would hauehave puniſhed, yet not in the name of witches, but in the name of murtherers. Some men thinke that they may ouerrule Sathan by coniuration, in vſing this preparation, which is ſet downe by ſome of late, that they muſt make a Circle, and in it make Triangles, Quadrangles, and Croſſes, and ſpeake certaine words, as ſaying the Paternoſter, and many other ſuch like things that they may call vp Sathan in what ſhape they will, and hee will appeare and doe for them, that which they deſire. But is Sathan a friend of theirs? can any ſuch things make him obedient to man? Doeſt thou thinke that y• canſt ouer-rule him by this means? No ſurely, but hee rather by this meanes deceiueth thée, and all that are of thine opinion. And thus hée deceiueth them that vſe Characters. So there bee Charmes vſed to get away the Head-ache, and Tooth-ache. But doth the Charme get it away? No, Sathan knoweth before that thy headache ſhall goe away, and therefore cauſeth thée to vſe that Charme, and thereby would mooue thée to aſcribe it to the Charme.
But when Sathan whiſpereth men in their eares: how ſhall they know whether it bée hée, or a good Angell that ſpeaketh to them? I anſwer: there be diuerſe manifeſt tokens, whereby thou mayeſt diſcerne this.
Firſt the Lord doth not now vſe ſuch meanes to reueale his will vntounto men: thou art therefore alway to ſuſpect it to be of Sathan.
Secondly, if it be a good Angell, thou maieſt know by this: for if it bee a good Angell, it will tell thée, eyther at firſt or at laſt, what it is, and for what it commeth, and from whence, as in times paſt the good Angels ſhewed themſelues to Abraham and Lot.
Thirdly, if it bee a good Angell, hee will allure thee to kéepe the written word of God, if hee doe not, then ſuſpect him.
The vſe.
The vſe of all this doctrine is to lead vsus vntounto God, to acknowledge him to bee our onelyonly Lord and Sauiour, and to embrace the Sonne of God, as our King. In all things therefore wee muſt goe vntounto him.
But whereas it is ſaid: How can a man that is a ſinner doe ſuch Miracles? it may bee aſked whether Gods enemies can worke any miracles? I anſwer: hee that worketh is not againſt Chriſt, but with him: and wee ſée that thoſe which indeuoured Acts. 16. to worke a miracle could not.
And there was a diſſenſion among them.
Herein we ſée that the Lord doth ſo worke, that Chriſt and his doe finde fauour among their enemies, and that by their diſſenſion among themſelues. Here wee ſée that Schiſme is neither a note of a falſe Church, nor yet of a true Church, heere it is in a falſe Church. Schiſme ariſeth of the diuerſitie of knowledge and iudgement of men: for all men hauehave not one knowledge and iudgement, and all ſée not the trueth, and if they ſhould, yet all hauehave not the like yéelding affection therevnto. Wee are therefore to prepare our ſelues to méet with ſchiſmes, for it is neceſſary that there ſhould be Hereſies, 1. Cor. 11. 10. & that in the Church of God, that thoſe which are approoued might be knowne.
FINIS.
End of the text · Arthur Dent, Christs Miracles Delivered in a Sermon (1608)