The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 99
MEDITAT. XCIX. Of the Devil, conſider'd as a Nature.
COnſidering the Devil as a Nature, I cannot but cry out, where ever I obſerve Pride, Envy, Wilfulneſs, Wrathfulneſs, Revengefulneſs, Uncharitableneſs, Ingratitude, or the like, Here and there is the Devil. For if Men and Devils agree in the ſame temper and diſpoſition, it is no great matter though they differ in Name. The Devil is content men ſhould call themſelves by what Names they pleaſe, yea, Puritans or Jeſuits; ſo that in the mean time they will be content to Be, what he is.
As I doubt not but that there are many men, who love God, and reſemble him, and are in the beſt ſenſe Godly, (that is, God-like men) who yet cannot diſcourſe of him Metaphyſically, nor underſtand clearly (as to the Notion) what Relation they ſtand in to him: So it is not to be doubted, but that many who are ſtrangers to the perſon of the Devil, are, in a Scripture ſenſe his children, whilſt they are and do all that in truth, which he is and does.
Yea many that are afraid of the perſon of the Devil, and almoſt tremble at the mention of his name, and cry, God bleſs us from him, do by the impreſſion of a devilliſh nature, maintain converſe, and familiarity with him. If one had been preſent then, and ſeen … playing with his Rod that was in his hand; would he not have wondr'd and ſaid, Is not this the Serpent that this very … even now ran away from? And who can but ſtand and wonder to ſee the aſtoniſhment, and fright of men, at a diſcoutſe of the Devil and his pranks, to ſee them Cro…ng, and hear them Bleſſing themſelves againſt him; and yet at the ſame time taking him by the hand, yea hugging him in their boſom, running away from the miſchievous Devil, but gladly entertaining the unclean Devil.
Many that hate the Devil and defie him, and ſwagger againſt him with all the anathema', imaginable, are yet very good friends with him: For however they curſe his name, and the number of his name, yet they receive his Mark, not upon their Foreheads, but upon their very Hearts. Yea I believe one may ſay of the Devil, (as the Proverb ſays of the Fox) that he is no where better entertain'd, than where he is moſt defi'd and bann'd. No man, ſays the Apoſtle, ſpeaking by the Spirit of Chriſt, calleth Chriſt accurſed; but doubtleſs men curſe the Devil by a Devilliſh Spirit. Perhaps the hatred of the perſon of the Devil is not a thing ſo divine as ſome take it to be: For my own part, I am more enclin'd to pity, than to hate him. Men do by the Devil, as they ſay the Trojans did by the Grecians; they hated them, and yet at the ſame time unawars open'd their Gates for them, and receiv'd them into the very Heart of their City.
Yea, how many People that ſeem zealous for Religion, and forward Reformers of the ill manners of the World, may be ſuppos'd to be reconcil'd to, yea, and acted by the Deviliſh Nature? And ſo Satan may caſt out Satan, and yet no dividing of Satan againſt himſelf neither.
I need not employ my Thoughts ſo far off, as to tell how the Devil of Cruelty, and Covetouſneſs in the Spam…ds, went about to reform the Devil of Idolatry amongſt the Indians. If we look nearer home, we may ſee that true concerning falſe Chriſtians, which was faſtly ſaid concerning Chriſt, They caſt out Devils …; the Devils of Hereſie and Stubbornneſs, by there …zebub of Covetouſneſs and Ambition; they … the Devil of Diſſention, by the Devil of Revenge; like King Jehu, caſting out Baal, to make room for the Golden Calves; and ſhewing much zeal for the Lord, (as they would have it thought) when indeed they are acted by the Satanical Spirit of Pride and Malice, and their deſign is nothing but to Rule, or be Reveng'd. If a man had as good eyes as Jacob had, he might ſee the Rams that leap upon theſe Cattle, to be ſpeckled and grizled, the Spirit that impregnates them to be no other than the Spirit of Apoſtaſie, and a black Incubus aſcending up out of the Bottomleſs Pit.
Neither let any one think that the ſpiritual Sins of Pride, Malice, and the like, are only to be called the Deviliſh Nature. For what though the perſon of the Devil do neither eat nor drink, nor heap up Silver and Gold, nor acquaint himſelf with ſtrange Fleſh? Yet Drunkenneſs and Gluttony, Covetouſneſs and Laſciviouſneſs, are really Branches of the Deviliſh Nature, and belong to the Spirit of Apoſtuſie: For ſo it is deſcrib'd by our Saviour, Mat. 16. 23. That is Satanical, be it what it will, that ſavoureth not the Things of God—Get thee behind me Sathan. And why Sathan? Becauſe he, though ignorantly, oppos'd the redemption of Mankind. True; but our Saviour puts it into a more general Phraſe, Thou ſavourest not the Things of God; implying, That whatſoever oppoſes the Will and Ways of God, is Satanical.
Men fear Hell, as a bad place, rather than as an evil and wicked ſtate; and ſo they hate and bann the Devil, as a Name, or Perſon at moſt, rather than as a ſinful and apoſtate Nature.
We read indeed of the Devil poſſeſſing the Bodies of men, which ordinarily occur'd in the days of the Son of man: But (though it be not ſo much obſerv'd, nor does ſo much aſtoniſh) the poſſeſſion that he has of the Souls of men, is much more common, and far more dreadful. Is it not much more lamentable, that the Devil ſhould poſſeſs the Souls of men, than their Bodies? And does he not really poſſeſs all unregenerate minds? Is not that Spirit, that apoſtate Nature which worketh in the Children of Diſobedience, he? Is not Diabolical Impreſſion, a real Impregnation? As good men are the Children of God, and pleni Deo, more than wicked men, by a God-like Nature; ſo are all unregenerate men, all Lovers of the World, Children of the Devil, under his Dominion, poſſeſt by him, impregnated by him; and indeed by Scripture-warrant, they are ſo many Satans in the fleſh, and Devils incarnate.
Learned men think that in Zech. 3. 1. the word Satan is to be read Apoſtate, as if the Spirit of Apoſtaſie did denominate the Devil. And the wicked and apoſtate Nature, wherever it is found predominant, denominates men deviliſh; otherwiſe Judas was no more a Devil than any of us.
The Deviliſh Nature is miſchievous and unrighteous, and ever oppoſing and perverting the right ways of the Lord. And they that are acted by it, are upon this very account, by the Apoſtle, call'd Children of the Devil, Acts 13. 10.
The War that the Captain of our Salvation manages, is not ſo much againſt the damned Regiments, the Apoſtate Spirits, (though he has plainly triumph'd over them, and (I ſuppoſe) his bright Legions do ſtill under his Banner oppoſe and rout them; as manifeſt Hoſtility being kept up amongſt them, as we read of between the Troops of Joab and Abner) as againſt that wicked nature, and thoſe wicked works, which eſtrange the Souls of Men from God; as the Apoſtle John compendiouſly tells us, when he deſcribes the deſign and errand of the Redeemer, he ſays, It was to deſtroy the works of the Devil. So then, all that work the works of darkneſs and wickedneſs, are his Followers, and each man of them in his meaſure, a little Devil. Or whether you call them his Subjects, Servants, Slaves, Children, Apprentices, (with relation to his work) his inſpired ones, his Scholars; the Scripture will warrant all theſe.
Lord, How unpleaſant and weariſome a Meditation is this! What an univerſal Defection is here! How ſtrong is the Conſpiracy! What a numerous Iſſue hath the God of this world; who although they are thy Creatures, yet are his Children! What, no leſs than a world wondring after the Beaſt! No leſs than a whole world lying in wickedneſs! No fewer than all men ſeeking their own Things! Sure there is ſomething Tropical in theſe ſad expreſſions. Yes; for beſides the whole world that lies in wickedneſs, there are a certain number, there are a We that are of God, 1 John 5. 19. The Apoſtaſie is not ſo Epidemical, but that there are Seven thouſand knees that have not bowed themſelves to Baal: The whole rational Nature hath not ſo herded it ſelf under the Beaſt, but that there remains a little Flock. The whole Field of the World is not ſo overſpread with Tares, but thou haſt ſome handfuls of Wheat in it. Bleſſed be thou, O God, who hast not quite thrown away the World out of thy hands; who hast not utterly forſaken thy own Workmanſhip; or rather, hast not ſuffer'd them utterly and everlaſtingly to forſake thee!
Be comforted, O my Soul, in the great number of Glorious, Angelical, Loyal Natures, who are yet Faithful, and reign with their God: And do not deſperately conclude, but that there may be abundance of other intellectual Beings, pure and unſpotted, who ſtill deſerve to be called the Children of God.
Be comforted in what thou haſt ſeen, and dost ſee daily; I mean, the great Shepherd of Souls reſcuing out of the mouth of the Liou, two Legs, and a piece of an Ear, Amos 7. 12. The Lord of the Harvest gathering ſ…m… gleaning Grapes, two or three Berries in the top of the uppermoſt Bough, four or five in the outmoſt fruitful Branches, … 17 6. The mighty Angel with the everlaſting Goſpel in his hand, calling now and then one of a City, and two of a Tribe, out of darkneſs into his marvellous light. And oh ceaſe not to pray the Lord of the H…vest, the compaſſionate Father of Spirits, that … will mercifully look down upon the miſerable apoſtate World, rebuke the Power, retrench the Dominious of the Wicked One, and reap unto himſelf a more plentiful Harvest of Souls.