The Christians in Complete Armor, Religious treatise · Introduction 4 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the Spirituality of the devils nature, and their extreme wickedneſſe.
Againſt ſpiritual wickedneſſe.
THeſe words are the fourth branch in the deſeription, Spiritual wickedneſſes, and our conteſt or combate with them as ſuch expreſt by the adverſative particle [Againſt] in the Greek, foreign word for word; Againſt the Spirituals of wickedneſſe, which is, ſay ſome, againſt wicked ſpirits; that is, true, but not all. I conceive with many Interpreters, not only the ſpiritual nature of the devil, and the wickedneſſe thereof to be intended, but alſo, yea, chiefly the nature and kinde of thoſe ſins, which theſe wicked ſpirits do moſt uſually and vigourouſly provoke the Saints unto, and they are the ſpirituals of wickedneſſe, not thoſe groſſe fleſhly ſinnes, which the herd of beaſtly ſinners like ſwine wallow in; but ſin ſpirituallized, and this, becauſe it is not foreign, but foreign, not ſpirits, but ſpirituals. The words preſent us with theſe three doctrinal Concluſions.
Firſt, the devils are ſpirits.
Secondly, the devils are ſpirits extremely wicked.
Thirdly, theſe wicked ſpirits do chiefly annoy the Saints with, and provoke them to ſpiritual wickedneſſes. Firſt, of the firſt.
SECT. I.
Firſt, they are ſpirits. Spirit is a word of various acception in Scripture. Amongſt other uſed often to ſet forth the eſſence and nature of Angels good and evil, both which are called ſpirits. The holy Angels, Heb. 1.14. Are they not all miniſtring ſpirits? The evil: There came forth a ſpirit and ſtood before the Lord, and ſaid, I will perſwade him, 1 Kings 22.21. that ſpirit was a devil. How oft is the devil call'd the unclean ſpirit, foule ſpirit, lying ſpirit, &c. Sin did not alter their ſubſtance, for then, as one ſaith well, that nature and ſubſtance which tranſgreſt could not be puniſh't.
Firſt, the devil is a ſpirit, that is, his eſſence is immaterial and ſimple, not compounded (as corporal beings are) of matter and forme: Handle and ſee me (ſaith Chriſt to his diſciples, that thought they had ſeen a Spirit) a Spirit hath not fleſh and bones, as ye ſee me have, Luke 24.39. If they were not thus immaterial, how could they enter into bodies and poſſeſſe them, as the Scripture tells us they have, even a legion into one man? Luke 8.30. one body cannot thus enter into another.
Secondly, the devils are ſpiritual ſubſtances, not qualities, or evil motions, ariſing from us, as ſome have abſurdly conceived. So the Sadduces, and others following them deny any ſuch being, as Angel good or evil: but this is ſo fond a conceit, that we muſt both forfeit our reaſon, and deny the Scriptures to maintain it, where we finde their Creation related, Col. 1.18. the fall of ſome from their firſt eſtate, Jude 6. and the ſtanding of others called the Elect Angels; The happineſſe of the one, who behold Gods face; and their employment, are ſent out to attend on the Saints as ſervants on their Maſters heirs, Heb. 1. The miſery of the other, reſerved in chaines of darkneſſe unto the judgement of the great day; and their preſent work, which is to do miſchief to the ſouls and bodies of men, as far as they are permitted; all which ſhew their ſubſiſtence plain enough. But ſo immerſt is ſorry man in fleſh, that he will not eaſily beleeve what he ſees not with his fleſhly eyes; upon the ſame account we may deny the being of God himſelf, becauſe inviſible.
Thirdly, they are entire ſpiritual ſubſtances, which have every very one proper exiſtence: and thus they are diſtinguiſh't from the ſouls of men, which are made to ſubſiſt in a humane body; and together with it to make one perfect man; ſo that the ſoule, though when ſeparated from the body, it doth exiſt, yet hath a tendency to union with its body again.
Fourthly, they are, though entire ſpiritual ſubſtances, yet finite, being but creatures. God only is the uncreated, infinite, and abſolutely ſimple Spirit, yea Father of all other ſpirits.
Now from this ſpiritual nature of the devil, we may further ſee what a dreadful enemy we have to grapple with.
Firſt, as ſpirits they are of vaſt intellectual abilities. Sorry man, while in this dark priſon of the body, hath not light enough to know what Angelical perfections are; that they excel in knowledge all other creatures we know, becauſe as Spirits they come neareſt by Creation to the Nature of God that made them; the heavens are not lift higher from the earth, then Angels by knowledge from man, while on earth. Man by Art hath leatn't to take the height of the ſtars of heaven, but where is he that can tell how far in knowledge Angels exceed man? 'Tis true, they have loſt much of that knowledge they had, even all their knowledge as holy Angels, what now they know of God hath loſt its ſavour, and they have no power to uſe it for their own good. What Jude ſaith of wicked men, may be ſaid of them; What they know naturally in theſe things they corrupt themſelves. They know the holineſſe of God, but love him not for it, as the Elect Angels do, and themſelves by Creation did. They know the evil of ſin, and love it not the leſſe; but though they are ſuch fooles for themſelves, yet have ſubtilty too much for all the Saints on Earth, if we had not a God to play our game for us.
Secondly, as ſpirits they are inviſible, and their approaches alſo. They come and you ſee not your enemy. Indeed this makes him ſo little feared by the ignorant world, whereas it is his greateſt advantage if rightly weighed. O if men have an apparition of the devil, or heare a noiſe in the night, they cry, The devil, the devil, and are ready to runne out of their wits for feare; but they carry him in their hearts, and walk all the day long in his company, and feare him not. When thy proud heart is clambering up to the pinacle of honour in thy ambitious thoughts, who ſets thee there but the devil? When thy adulterous heart is big with all manner of uncleanneſſe and filthineſſe, who but Satan hath been there, begetting theſe brats on thy whoriſh ſpirit? When thou art raging in thy paſſion, throwing burning coales of wrath and fury about with thy inflamed tongue, where was it ſet on fire but of hell? When thou art hurried like the ſwine into the precipice, and even choakt with thy own drunken vomit, who but the devil rides thee?
Thirdly, as ſpirits they are immortal. Of other enemies you may hear news at laſt that they are dead which ſought thy life, as the Angel told Joſeph of Herod. Perſecuting men walk a turne or two upon the ſtage, and are call'd off by death, and there is an end of all their plots; but devils die not, they will hunt thee to thy grave, and when thou dieſt they will meet thee in another world, to accuſe and torment thee there alſo.
Fourthly, they are unwearied in their motions. When the fight is over among men; the Conquerour muſt ſit down and breathe, and ſo loſeth the chaſe, becauſe not able to purſue it in time. Yea, ſome have given over their Empires, as glutted with the blood of men, and weary of the work, when they cannot have their will as they deſired: Thus Diocleſian, becauſe he ſaw he did but mowe a medow, that grew the thicker for the cutting down (as Tertullian ſpeaks of the Chriſtians martyred) he throws away his Scepter in a pet. Charles the fifth did the like (ſome ſay) upon the ſame reaſon, becauſe he could not root out the Lutherans. But the devils ſpirit is never cowed, nor he weary of doing miſchief, though he hath never ſtood ſtill ſince firſt he began his walk to and fro the world. O what would become of us if a God were not at our back, who is infinitely more the devils odds then he ours?
SECT. II.
Secondly, they are wicked ſpirits; wicked in the abſtract, as in the Text, and call'd by way of eminency in ſin, The wicked one, Mat. 13.19. As God is called the holy one, becauſe none holy as the Lord. So, the devil the wicked one, becauſe he is a none ſuch in ſinne. In a few particulars let us endeavour to take the height of the devils ſinne, and the rather that we may judge of the degrees of ſins, and ſinners among the ſons of men, the neerer God in holineſſe, the more holy; the liker the devil, the more wicked.
Firſt, theſe Apoſtate Angels are the inventers of ſinne; the firſt that ſounded the Trumpet of rebellion againſt their Maker, and led the dance to all that ſinne which ſince hath filled the world. Now what tongue can accent this ſinne to its full? for ſuch a noble creature whom God had ſet on the top as it were of all the creation neereſt to himſelf, from whom God had kept nothing but his own royal diadem, for this Peere and Favorite of the Court without any cauſe or ſolicitation from any other, to make this bold and blaſphemous attempt to ſnatch at Gods own Crown, this paints the devil blacker then the thoughts of men and Angels can conceive. He is called the father of lies, as thoſe who found out any Art, are called the father of it. Jubal the father of all ſuch as handle the harp, and organ; he invented Muſick; and this is a dreadful aggravation, becauſe they ſinned without a Tempter. And though man is not in ſuch a degree capable of this aggravation, yet ſome men ſinne after the very ſimilitude of the devils tranſgreſſion in this reſpect, who as Saint Paul, Rom. 1.30. ſtiles them, are inventers of evil things. Indeed ſinne is an old trade, found out to our hand; but as in other trades and arts, ſome famous men ariſe, who adde to the inventions of others, and make trades and arts (as it wtre) new; ſo there ever are ſome infamous in their generation, that make old ſinnes new by ſuperadding to the wickedneſſe of others. Uncleanneſſe is an old ſinne from the beginning, but the Sodomites will be filthy in a new way, and therefore it carries their name to this day. Some invent new errrors, others new oathes, ſuch as are of their own coyning, hot out of the mint, they ſcorne to ſweare after the old faſhion. Others new devices of perſeuting, as Julian had a way by himſelf different from all before him; and to the end of the world every age will exceed other in the degrees of ſinning Iſhmael and the mockers of the old world, were but children and bunglers to the ſcoffers and cruel mockers of the laſt time. Well take heed of ſhewing thy wit in inventing new ſinnes, leſt thou ſtirre up God to invent new puniſhments. Is not deſtruction to the wicked, and a strange puniſhment to the workers of iniquity? Job 31.3. Sodom ſinned after a new mode, and God deſtroys them after a new way, ſends hell from above upon them. Some have invented new opinions, Monſtrous errors, and God hath ſuited their monſtrous errors with births as monſtrous of their own body.
Secondly, they were not onelyonly the inventers of ſinne, but are ſtill the chief tempters to, and promoters of ſinne in the world, therefore call'd foreign, the tempter; and ſinne called the work of the devil, whoever commits it; as the houſe goes by the name of the Maſter-workman, though he uſeth his ſervants hands to build it. O take heed of ſoliciting others to ſinne; thou takeſt the Devils office (as I may ſay) out of his hand: let him do it himſelf if he will; make not thy ſelf ſo like him. To tempt another is worſe then to ſinne thy ſelf. It ſpeaks ſinne to be of great growth in that man, that doth it knowingly and willingly. Herbs and flowers ſhed not their ſeed till ripe, creatures propagate not, till of ſtature and age. What do thoſe, that tempt others, but diffuſe their wicked opinions and practices, and as it were raiſe up ſeed to the devil; thereby-to keep up the name of their infernal Father in the world? this ſhews ſin is mighty in them indeed. Many a man though ſo cruel to his own ſoul as to be drunk or ſweare, yet will not like this in a childe or ſervant; what are they then but devils incarnate, who teach their children the devils Catechiſme, to ſweare and lie, drink and drab? If you meet ſuch, be not afraid to call them (as Paul did Elymas, when he would have perverted the Deputy) children of the devil, full of all ſubtilty and miſchief, and enemies of all righteouſneſſe. O do you not know what you do, when you tempt? I'le tell you. you do that, which you cannot undo by your own repentance; thou poiſoneſt one with errour, initiateſt another in the devils School, (Alehouſe I mean) but afterwards may be thou ſeeſt thy miſtake, and recanteſt thy errour, thy folly, and giveſt over thy drunken trade; art thou ſure now to rectifie and convert them with thy ſelfe? alas poor creatures! this is out of thy power, they may be will ſay as he (though he did it upon a better account) that was ſolicited to turne back to popery by him, who had before perſwaded him to renounce the ſame, You have given me one turn, but ſhall not give me another. And what a grief to thy ſpirit will it be, to ſee theſe going to hell on thy errand, and thou not able to call them back? thou mayeſt cry out as Lam…ch, I have ſlaine a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. Nay, when thou art aſleep in thy grave, he whom thou ſeducedſt may have drawn in others, and thy name may be quoted to commend the opinion and practice to others, by which (as it is ſaid, though in another ſenſe, Abel being dead, yet ſpeaks) thou mayeſt, though dead, ſinne in thoſe that are alive, generation after generation. A little ſpark kindled by the errour of one, hath coſt the pains of many ages to quench it, and when thought to be out, hath broke forth again.
Thirdly, They are not barely wicked, but maliciouſly wicked. The Devill hath his name foreign, to denote his ſpightfull nature, his deſire to vex and miſchief others. When he drawes ſouls to ſinne, it is not becauſe he taſtes any ſweetneſſe, or findes any profit therein; he hath too much light to have any joy or peace in ſin: he knows his doome, and trembles at the thought of it, and yet his ſpightful nature makes him vehemently deſire and unceſſantly endeavour the damnation of ſouls. As you ſhall ſee a mad dogge run after a flock of ſheep, kill one, then another, and when dead, not able to eate of their fleſh, but kills to kill: ſo Satan is carried out with a boundleſſe rage againſt man, eſpecially the Saints, he would not, if he could, leave one of Chriſts flock alive; ſuch is the height of his malice againſt God whom he hates with a perfect hatred, and becauſe he cannot reach him with a direct blow, therefore he ſtrikes him at ſecond hand through his Saints; that wicked arme which reacheth not to God, is extended againſt theſe excellent on the earth, well knowing the life of God is in a manner bound up in theirs. God cannot outlive his honour, and his honour ſpeeds as his mercy is exalted or depreſſed; this being the attribute God meanes to honour in their ſalvation ſo highly, and therefore maligned above the reſt by Satan. And this is the worſt that can be ſaid of theſe wicked ſpirits, that they maliciouſly ſpite God, and in God the glory of his mercy.
Ʋſe 1 Firſt this may help us to conceive more fully what the deſperate wickedneſſe of mans nature is, which is ſo hard to be known, becauſe it can never be ſeen at once, it being a fountain whoſe immenſity conſiſts not in the ſtreame of actual ſinne (that is viſible, and may ſeem little) but in the ſpring that unceſſantly feeds this, but here is a glaſſe that will give us the ſhape of our hearts truly like themſelves. Seeſt thou the monſtrous pitch and height of wickedneſſe that is in the devil, all this there is in the heart of every man, there is no leſſe wickedneſſe potentially in the tameſt ſinner on earth, then in the devils themſelves, and that one day thou whoever thou art wilt ſhew to purpoſe, if God prevent thee not by his renewing grace, thou art not yet fledg'd, thy wings are not grown to make thee a flying Dragon▪ but thou art of the ſame brood, the ſeed of this ſerpent is in thee, and the devil begets a child like himſelfe; thou yet ſtandeſt in a ſoile not ſo proper for the ripening of ſinne, which will not come to its fulneſſe till tranſplanted unto hell. Thou who art here ſo maidenly and modeſt, as to bluſh at ſome ſinnes out of ſhame, and forbear the acting of others out of fear: when there thou ſhalt ſee thy caſe as deſperate as the devil doth his, then thou wilt ſpit out thy blaſphemies with which thy nature is ſtuft, with the ſame malice that he doth. The Indians have a conceit that when they die, they ſhall be transform'd into the deformed likeneſſe of the devil, therefore in their language they have the ſame word for a dead man and the devil; ſinne makes the wicked like him before they come there, but indeed they will come to their countenance more fully there, when thoſe flames ſhall waſh off that paint, which here hides their complexion. The Saints in heaven ſhall be like the Angels in their alacrity, love and conſtancy to ſerve God, and the damned like the devils in ſinne as well as puniſhment. This one conſideration might be of excellent uſe to unbottome a ſinner, and abaſe him ſo as never to have high thought of himſelf. It is eaſie to runne down a perſon whoſe life is wicked, and convince him of the evil of his actions, and make him confeſſe what he doth is evil; but here is the thicket we loſe him in, he will ſay, 'tis true, I am overſeen, I do what I ſhould not, God forgive me: but my heart is good. Thy heart good, ſinner? and ſo is the devils, his nature is wicked and thine as bad as his. Theſe pimples in thy face ſhew the heat of thy corrupt nature within, and without Goſpel-phyſick, the blood of Chriſt applied to thee, thou wilt die a Leper; none but Chriſt can give thee a new heart, till which thou wilt every day grow worſe and worſe. Sin is an hereditary diſeaſe that encreaſeth with age. A young ſinner will be an old devil.
Ʋſe 2 Again, it would be of uſe to the Saints, eſpecially thoſe in whom God by his timely call foreſtall'd the devils market; as ſometimes the Spirit of God takes ſin in its quarters before it comes into the field, in the ſinnes of youth: now ſuch a one finding not thoſe daring ſinnes committed by him that others have been left unto, may poſſibly not be ſo affected with his own ſinne or Gods mercy. O let ſuch a one behold here the wickedneſſe of his heart in this glaſſe of the devils nature, and he will ſee himſelf as a great debtor to the mercy of God as Manaſſes, or the worſt of ſinners, as in pardoning, ſo in preventing the ſame curſed nature with theirs, before it gave fire on God with thoſe bloody ſinnes which they committed. That thou didſt not act ſuch outragious ſinnes, thou art beholden to Gods gracious ſurprize, and not the goodneſſe of thy nature which hath the devils ſtamp on it, for which God might have cruſht thee, as we do the brood of Serpents before they ſting, knowing what they will do in time. Who will ſay that Faux ſuffered unjuſtly, becauſe the Parliament was not blown up? it was enough that the materials for that Maſſacre were provided, and he taken there with match and fire about him ready to lay the traine; and canſt thou ſay when God firſt took hold on thee, that thou had'ſt not thoſe weapons of rebellion about thee, a nature fully charged with enmity againſt God, which in time would have made its own report of what for preſent lay like unfired ponder ſilent in thy boſome, O Chriſtian, think of this, and be humbled for thy villainous nature, and ſay, Bleſſed be God that ſent his Spirit and grace ſo timely to ſtay thy hand, (as Abigail to David) while thy nature meditated nothing but warre againſt God and his laws.
Ʋſe 3 Again. Thirdly, are the devils ſo wickedly malicious againſt God himſelf? O Sirs, take the right notion of ſinne, and you will hate it. The reaſon why we are ſo eaſily perſwaded to ſinne is, becauſe we underſtand not the bottome of his deſigne in drawing a creature to ſinne. It is with men in ſinning as it is with Armies in fighting; Captains beat their drummes for Voluntiers, and promiſe all that liſt pay and plunder, and this makes them come trowling in: but few conſider what the ground of the Warre is; againſt whom, or for what. Satan enticeth to ſinne, and give golden promiſes what they ſhall have in his ſervice with which ſilly ſouls are won: but how few ask their ſouls, Whom do I ſinne againſt? what is the devils deſigne in drawing me to ſinne? Shall I tell thee? doſt thou think 'tis thy pleaſure, or profit he deſires in thy ſinning? alas, he means nothing leſſe, he hath greater plots in his head then ſo. He hath by his Apoſtaſie proclaim'd warre againſt God, and he brings thee by ſinning to eſpouſe his quarrel, and to jeopard the life of thy ſoul in defence of his pride and luſt; which that he may do, he cares no more for the damnation of thy ſoul, then the great Turk doth to ſee a company of his ſlaves cut off for the carrying on of his deſigne in a ſiege: And dareſt thou venture to go into the field upon his quarrel againſt God? O Earth, tremble thou at the preſence of the Lord. This bloody Joab ſets thee, where never any came off alive. O ſtand not where Gods bullets fly, throw down thy armes, or thou art a dead man. Whatever others do, O ye Saints, abhorre the thoughts of ſinning willingly, which when you do, you help the devil againſt God, and what more unnatural then for a childe to be ſeen in armes againſt his father?