Explication of the Judicial Laws of Moses, Part 4
How the wicked may be inlightned by the Preaching of the Goſpel, and yet become worſe after they be illuminated.
MAT 12. 43 When the uncleane ſpirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through drie places ſeeking reſt, and findeth none, then he faith, I will returne unto mine houſe, &c.
CHRIST having taught long amongſt the Iewes, and illuminated their minds by working ſundry miracles amongſt them, and caſting out Devils; but having wrought no ſanctification amongſt them, he bringeth this ParableThe ſcope of the Parable. of a man diſpoſſeſſed of a Devill, and being caſt out, finding the houſe emptie and trimmed, returneth with ſeven ſpirits worſe than himſelfe.
There is the Parable here, and the application of theThe parts of it. Parable; the Parable is ſet downe at large, and the application in few words, even ſo ſhall it alſo be with this wicked generation.
The Parable it ſelfe hath three parts, firſt, poſſeſſion; ſecondly, diſpoſſeſſion; and thirdly, repoſſeſſion.
Poſſeſſion in theſe words, when the evill ſpirit is gone out of a man: which implieth, that he muſt firſt hauehave poſſeſſion before he be caſt out: ſecondly, diſpoſſeſſion, and when he is diſpoſſeſſed, he wandreth in dry places and findeth no reſt untill he returne; and thirdly, repoſſeſſion, he goeth and taketh with himſelfe ſeven other ſpirits more wicked than himſelfe, and they enter in and dwell there, and the laſt ſtate of that man is worſe than the firſt.
When the uncleane ſpirit is caſt out.] He is an uncleane ſpirit; firſt, in the manner of his apparition; ſecondly, in the manner of his revelation; and thirdly, in the manner of his operation.
Firſt, in the manner of his apparition, he appeareth inSatan uncleane in the manner of his apparition. the likeneſſe of a Goat, a ſtinking and a vile creature, therefore the Lord ſaith, They ſhall no more offer their ſacrifices to Devils, Deut. 17. 7. In the Originall it is [Leſhegnirim] to the hayrie ones; they are called theforeign hayrie ones, becauſe they hauehave appeared in the likeneſſe of Satyres or wilde Goates.
Secondly, the Devill is an uncleane ſpirit in the mannerIn his revelation. foreign Pytho. of his revelation, thou ſhalt not ſuffer [Obh] a Witch to liue, Exod. 22. 18. Obh is called a Bottle or a Bladder, the Witches are ſo called, becauſe Satan gaue his anſwers out of their bellies, and out of the ſecret paſſages of nature, and for this they were called by the Greekes foreign.
Thirdly, he is an uncleane ſpirit in the manner of hisIn his operation. operation, where ever he lodgeth he defileth that ſoule and that bodie, therefore the Scriptures call ſuch ſomtimes dogges and ſwine, Revel. 22. 15. and the filthieft beaſts that are; but the holy Spirit is moſt comely in the manner of his apparition, in his revelation, and operation.
Firſt, in the manner of his apparition, when he appeared it was either in the likeneſſe of a man or a Doue, orHow the Holy Ghoſt appeared. in the likeneſſe of fiery tongues; but he never appeared in the likeneſſe of any filthy beaſt.
Againe, in the manner of his revelation; he revealed himſelfe to his Prophets in a moſt comly manner when he ſpake in them, he ſpake not out of the ſecret parts of nature, they did not foame at the mouth as thoſe who were blaſted by the Devill, but the holy Ghoſt ſanctified their tongues, and in great modeſtie and comelineſſe they ſpake the truth.
Thirdly, in the manner of his operation he is moſt holy, for where ever he lodgeth, he ſanctifieth and purifieth that ſoule and bodie, therefore he is compared in the Scriptures to water and to fire, and to the Fullers ſope, Pſal. 51. 7. Waſh me and I ſhall be whiter than the ſnow: in the originall it is [Tecabbeſeni] play the Fullerforeign upon me. We may know then whether we be poſſeſſed by Satan or not, if we delight in filthineſſe or uncleanneſſe, for uncleanneſſe is the unſeparable effect of the uncleane ſpirit: a man may be overtaken by Satan ſomtimes, and Satan may in part pollute him, but he delighteth not in it; but if he delight to wallow in thatThe godly delight not in ſinne. ſinne, and make no reſiſtance to Satan, then he is certainly the habitation of Satan; when one offered violence to a woman under the Law, Deut. 22. 27. if ſhee cryed out, ſhe was not to die the death; but if ſhe held her peace, and conſented to that villany, ſhe was to die the death: So when Satan commeth to pollute the ſoule and defile the bodie, if he cry out with Paul, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the bodie of this death? Rom. 7. 24. then we are not to die; but if wee hold our peace, & delight in Satans temptations which pollute the ſoule and the bodie, then wee are to die.
Is caſt out of a man.] There is no creature in which SatanSatans delight is to lodge onelyonly in man. delighteth to lodge, but onelyonly in man; when he entred into other creatures, it was but onelyonly to deceiue man, as when he entred into the Serpent, it was for this end, to deceiue Eva; he cared not for the Serpent it ſelfe: ſo when he entred into the Gergeſites ſwine, it was not for the ſwine that he cared, but onelyonly that he might draw the hearts of the Gergeſites from Chriſt by drowning of their ſwine; and the reaſon wherefore he delighteth to dwell in no other creature but man, is, becauſe there is no viſible creature that can commit ſinne but man, where there is not a Law, there is no tranſgreſsion, for ſinne is the tranſgreſſion of the Law, Rom. 4. 15. but no Law is given to any viſible creature but onelyonly to man. This ſhould be a great motiue to humble man,A motiue to humilitie. when he ſeeth ſuch a great change, that he who was the Temple of the holy Ghoſt, ſhould now become a cage for uncleane ſpirits, and to make the houſe of God a den of theeues, Mat. 21. 13. Was not this a great change, when a mans houſe in which he dwelt was made a dunghill? Ezra 6. 11. But this is a farre greater change when man who ſhould be the Temple of the holy Ghoſt, is made a receptacle for uncleane Devils; it was a great change in Naomi, when her beautie was changed into bitternes; and when the Nazarites that were whiter than the ſnow, became blacke like the cole, Lament. 4. 8. and when Nebuchadnezzar, who was a mightie King became a beaſt, Dan. 4. 33. but thoſe changes were nothing to this change, when man who was the Temple of the holy Ghoſt, ſhould become the cage of uncleane Devils.
When the uncleane ſpirit is gone out of a man.
Whether did Satan goe out willingly here, or was Queſt. he caſt out by force?
He was caſt out by force here, he goeth not out willingly Anſw. but by colluſion, this is not foreign, by force toSatan goeth not out willingly. caſt him out, Satan doth not caſt our Satan; but when the Lord caſteth him out by his power, then he is caſt out by force.
Whether is this gift in the Church now or not, to caſt Queſt. out Satan?
This extraordinary gift to compell Satan to goe out Anſw. of a man, is not in the Church now, we hauehave prayer and faſting now, deſiring the Lord to caſt him our, Mat. 17. 21. but to charge him to goe out, or to conjure him, the Church hath no ſuch power; to uſe the ſigne whenNot lawfull to uſe the ſigne when the thing ſignified is not. the thing ſignified is not, this is a great abuſe, if the high Prieſt under the Law ſhould hauehave put in two counterfeit ſtones in the breſtplate, when there was neither Vrim nor Thummim, and promiſed by them, to hauehave the Lord to anſwere him, had not this beene a deluſion; ſo for men now to uſe the words of authority, to charge Satan to goe out, when this power is not in the Church, this is but a deluſion; the Church hath power now by excommunication to giuegive over wicked men into the hands of Satan, but yet they become not foreign, really poſſeſſed, as it was in the Primitiue Church. So the Church now hath power to pray to God for the delivery of the partie, but they hauehave not power with authoritie to charge the uncleane ſpirit; the Church in her infancie had ſome extraordinary gifts which are now ceaſed, as to ſpeake tongues, to cure the ſicke, to caſt out Devils, and to kill, as Peter did Ananias and Saphira, Act. 5. 5. to ſtrike blind, as Paul did Elymas the ſorcerer, Act. 13. 11.
Thoſe gifts which are the beſt gifts God never withdrawethGod never withdrawes from his Church gifts which are ſimply good. them from his Church altogether; but other gifts which are not ſimply the beſt gifts, he withdraweth them; example, to ſpeake diverſe Languages was a gift profitable for the planting of the Church at the firſt, but yet it was not ſimplie neceſſary; Paul ſaid, he had rather ſpeake fiue words in a knowne tongue, than ten thouſand words in an unknowne tongue, 1 Cor. 14. 19. Thoſe gifts which are moſt excellent and ſimply neceſſary in the Church, he taketh not away, I ſhew unto you a more excellent way, 1 Cor. 12. 31. And the Lord hath turned theſe gifts into more excellent gifts, Ioh. 14. 12. He that beleeveth in me, the workes that I doe, ſhall he doe alſo, and greater workes than theſe ſhall he doe.
When Chriſt was here bodily preſent with his Diſciples, his bodily preſence was not ſo comfortable to …hem as his ſpirituall preſence, ſo when he was preſent by miracles, ſignes, and wonders in the Primitiue Church▪ this was but a bodily preſence in reſpect of his ſpirituall preſence with us now; when the LORD wrought theſe miracles then, it was either to convict the Infidels, or to ſtrengthen the faith of the weak ones, theſe miracles were ſignes, not to them that beleeue, but to Why miracles were wrought.them that beleeue not. 1 Cor. 14. 22. When Paul healed the father of Publius the Conſull, of a Fever, he healed him by a miracle, and made him preſently to ariſe, Act. 28. 8. but he healed not Timothy that way, but ſeemeth rather to play the Phyſitian to him, bidding him drinke no longer water but wine, 1 Tim. 5. 23. What was the reaſon of this? Timothy beleeved, therefore he needed not a miracle; but the father of Publius beleeved not, he was an Infidell as yet, and therefore a miracle was more neceſſary for him.
He walketh through dry places.] That is, he counteth all other places but deſerts in reſpect of his former habitation.
Seeking reſt and findeth none.] Satan hath three places;Three places of Satan. firſt, his place of pleaſure; ſecondly, his place of wandring; and thirdly, his place of torment; his place of pleaſure is an uncleane ſoule, in which he delighteth to wallow: his place of wandring is, when he goeth about compaſſing the earth too & fro, ſeeking whom he may devour; and his place of torment is hell. Satan is tormented now when he is in his place of pleaſure, and in his place of wandring, but his full torment is not come, Art thou come hither to torment us before the time, Mat. 8. 29.
So the childe of God hath three places; his place ofThe childe of God hath three places. pleaſure, as Pſal. 84. 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hoſts, my ſoule longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: ſo he hath his place of griefe, Woe is me, that I ſojourne in Meſech, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar, Pſal. 120. 5. and he hath his place of joy in the Heavens.
And findeth none.] Spirits hauehave their reſt, they are notThe ſpirits hauehave their reſt. like quick-ſilver which hath principium motus in ſe, ſed non quietis, but they hauehave principium motus & quietis, the ſoule reſteth when it is delighted, as the bodie reſteth when it lyeth or ſitteth. Satans reſt is ſinne, but this is a reſtleſſe reſt, the true reſt of the ſoule is God onelyonly, therefore David ſaid, returne my ſoule to thy reſt, When the ſoule reſteth.Pſal. 116. 7. When the ſoule is not ſet upon God the right object, then it is extra centrum; and as the Needle of the Compaſſe trembleth alwayes untill it ſtand to Simile. the North-Pole, ſo the ſoule hath no reſt untill it be ſet upon the right object God himſelfe. The rich man ſaid, ſoule take thy reſt, when he had his Barnes full, Luk. 12. 9. But riches cannot bring reſt to the ſoule, for the more that a covetous man hath, the more he coveteth; an example of this we ſee in gold-thirſtie Babel, Eſa. 14. 4. the more they had, the more they coveted: the ſoules of the wicked are in a ſling, 1 Sam. 25. a ſtone in a ſling is violently toſſed about, ſo are their ſoules, and they ſhall get no reſt day nor night, Rev. 14. 11. So David compareth the wicked to a wheele which alwayes turneth about, Pſal. 83. 13. and to a drunken man that lyeth upon the top of a Maſt, Prov. 23. 24. IfHow to finde true reſt. thou wouldſt hauehave true reſt to thy ſoule, disburden it of ſinne; Looke how the poore ſhippe was toſſed, ſo long as Ionas was in her, but when he was throwne into the Sea, the ſtorme was calmed: ſo caſt out ſinne; and then thou mayeſt hauehave reſt. When a man entertaineth his ſinne, he is like a man that is ſicke on the Sea, he runneth from this place to that place to ſeeke reſt, but all in vaine, becauſe he hath the ſickneſſe within himſelfe. God is called by the Hebrewes [Makem]foreign v…l ſ…pius foreign per antiphra ſin quaſi illocali…, infinitus, qui nullo loco capitur, ſed omnibus rebus locum dat. locus, becauſe he containeth all things, and is contained of none; every thing is kept in its owne place, God is the place for the ſoule to reſt in: the Philoſophers ſay, Bonum ex integra cauſa conſiſtit, malum ex quolibet defectu, Goodneſſe cannot conſiſt without the integritie of all the parts, but evill is a defect of any of them, that a man be in good health, it is neceſſary that every humour keepe his juſt temper and proportion, but to make a man ſicke, it is enough that one humour onelyonly be diſtempered: the reſt of the ſoule is GOD, who is all goodneſſe, but any griefe will diſquiet the ſoule; the ſoule is a diſturbed thing, therefore we muſt admire his power who can ſettle it: when Chriſt calmed the winde and the Sea, they ſaid, Who is he that both Sea and winds obey? ſo we may ſay, when God calmeth the ſoule, and putteth it to its reſt; who is thisWhy Satan can hauehave no reſt. that the unſetled ſoule doth obey? Satan being ſo farre from God, who is the place of reſt, he cannot finde reſt.
Then he ſaith, I will returne vntounto my houſe from whence Queſt. I came out.
How can Satan returne to that place out of which he hath beene caſt?
Satan is caſt out two wayes, either partially or totally: Anſw. Partially he is caſt out by illumination, totally by ſanctification; this partiall caſting out of Satan,A twofold caſting out of Satan. is wrought ſundry wayes; firſt, by civill education, as Nero was very meeke the firſt fiue yeares of his Raigne, becauſe he was brought up under Seneca a good Maſter, ſo Iulian ſo long as he was a Reader in the Church, Satan was caſt out of him partially; and ſometimes by the conſtitution of the bodie, as ſomeWicked men how reſtrained from ſinne. abſtaine from ſome ſinnes, becauſe of the conſtitution of their bodies, as they abſtaine from drinke, becauſe they hauehave a weake braine; and ſometimes by ſhame; and ſometimes by the reſtraining power of God; but it is eaſie for Satan to enter in againe when he hath but ſuch barres to hold him out; but where there is a totall ſanctification, he cannot enter in againe there. Now when we call it a totall ſanctification, it is meant totall here in parts, but not in degrees, that is, there is no facultie in the ſoule, but there is grace in it as well as there is ſinne, and therefore Satan cannot enter there againe.
VntoUnto mine houſe from whence I came.
No place can content him ſo well as his former habitation,Satan deſires to goe backe into his ancient habitation. wherein he hath dwelt a long time, and he glorieth more to repoſſeſſe himſelfe in his former habitations, than to purchaſe new places. When Satan was diſpoſſeſſed out of the people of the Iewes in the Wilderneſſe by the doctrine of Miracles which Moſes wrought, he ſought to be repoſſeſſed againe; firſt, by Idolatrie; ſecondly, by Whoredome with the daughters of Moah, and by rebellion: ſo when hee was diſpoſſeſſed out of the Chriſtian Churches in the Eaſt, firſt, he ſought to be repoſſeſſed again by ſchiſmes and hereſies, but eſpecially by Arrianiſme, then he fully repoſſeſſed himſelfe againe by Mahomet. If thouHow to keepe us free from Satan, that he enter not againe. be free from Satans poſſeſſion, looke not back againe as Lots wife d…d; Satan is like a Raven, when he is driven from a dead carkaſſe, he fleeth but a little from it, and is readie to returne to it againe; when a man commeth Simile. out of a Bathe, the Phyſitians preſcribe to him then, that he looke well to himſelfe, for he is readie to catch cold, becauſe his pores are open; ſo when Satan is caſt out, a man hath neede then to be very vigilant, that Satan ſurpriſe him not againe, For if after they hauehave eſcaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt, they are againe intangled, and overcome, the latter end is worſe with them than the beginning, 2 Pet 2. 20.
And when he is come, he findeth it emptie, ſwept, and garniſhed.
This houſe was ſwept and hung, but it was not well furniſhed within.
Obſerue that God never commeth to the ſoule withGod commeth never with an emptie hand. a privation, but as he taketh away ſinne, ſo he putteth in grace, pull up the thornes, and then ſow the wheate, Iere. 4. 3. Ceaſe to doe evill, and then learne to doe good, Eſay 1. The Lord liketh not this privatiue Divinitie, Curſe yee Meroz, becauſe they came not to the helpe of the Lord, Iudg. 5. 23. So when I was an hungred, yee gaue me no meat at all. Mat. 25. 42. Many men doe content themſelues with this, they will doe their enemy no harme, they will hauehave no medling with him, but this is the ſweeping of the houſe onelyonly, but they come not to the poſitiue part, I will doe him good, and therefore Satan may get entrance againe.
Then goeth he, and taketh ſeven other ſpirits with him more wicked than himſelſe.
Here the queſtion may be mooved, whether ſomeWhether ſome Devils be worſe than others? Devils be worſe than others? It may ſeeme there are, becauſe Beelzebub their Prince he is worſt, goe to the hels prepared for the Devill and his Angels, Mat. 25. 41. And as amongſt the good Angels, ſome are Powers, Dominions, and ſome Thrones; ſo it ſeemeth that amongſt the wicked Angels, there are ſome more wicked than others, they are not then called worſe ſpirits, becauſe they are moe in number onelyonly, but they are worſe, becauſe they are more malicious; they are all bad ſpirits, but ſome exceed others in malice and wickedneſſe; many men doe miſtake Satan and his Angels, they thinke that ſome of them are ſpirits which doe no harme, but they are all ſworne enemies to mans ſalvation, therefore Satan is called the red Dragon, the red Dragon delighteth not onelyonly to kill men for hunger, but alſo for ſport to kill them▪ what can we looke for then of thoſe infernall ſpirits of deſtruction?
And the laſt end of that man is worſe than the firſt.
His laſt end is worſe than his beginning in three reſpects;The end of the wicked is worſe than their beginning three wayes▪ firſt, in reſpect of God; ſecondly, in reſpect of himſelfe; thirdly, in reſpect of Satan.
Firſt, in reſpect of God, who juſtly puniſheth him this wiſe, by giving him up unto a reprobate ſenſe, becauſe he loved not the truth: ſecondly, his laſt end is worſe in reſpect of himſelfe, becauſe he is dyed over againe with ſinne; thoſe ſinnes in the Scripture are called Scarlet ſinnes. Scarlet is called Shani or foreign,foreign becauſe it is twice dyed. So men when they fall backe, they are dyed anew againe, and as recidivatio in morbis eſt periculoſa, ſo is the falling into ſinne anew againe. So it is worſe in reſpect of himſelfe, becauſe after that a man is illuminated, he is more readie to become prophane, if he be not ſanctified: Take water and heat it, Simile. and ſet it in the ayre, it will freeze ſooner than cold water; So if a man be illuminated, and hauehave ſome taſte of ſanctification, and then fall backe againe, he is in a worſe caſe than he was in before. Thirdly, he is worſe in reſpect of Satan, for when Satan catcheth him againe, he maketh him twice more the childe of hell. A ſailor hath a priſoner fettered by the hands, necke, and feete, the priſoner beggeth of him, that he would releaſe him, he releaſeth him all to the foote, he ſlippeth his foote out of the fetters and eſcapeth; if the Iailor catch him againe, he layeth a double weight upon him, and fettereth him twice as ſure as he was before; ſo when a ſinner ſeemeth to eſcape from Satan, being enlightned and in ſome ſhew ſanctified, if he fall backe againe, he bringeth ſeven worſe ſpirits with him.
The application of the Parable is, Even ſo ſhall it be The application of the Parable.alſo unto this wicked Generation. As if Chriſt ſhould ſay, when I came amongſt you, yee were in d…rkeneſſe, but by my miniſterie yee hauehave beene illuminated, but maliciouſly now yee impugne this truth, and yee are poſſeſſed with ſeven worſe ſpirits than before, therefore your end muſt be worſe than your beginning.
FINIS.
¶ An Addition. Pag. 122. line 11.
TO raiſe up ſeed to the brother, that is, to the eldeſt brother, Deut. 25. 5. If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, that is, if the firſt or eldeſt die and hauehave no ſeede, then his ſecond brother was bound to raiſe up ſeede to him if he were not married; for the Law ſpeaketh of brethren dwelling together, and not married or foriſ familiate: an example of this we hauehave in Er and Onan, Gen. 38.
Secondly, if he had no brethren, then his neereſt Kinſman was bound to performe this duty to him, if he had not beene married.
But it ſeemeth that this dutie is required of N. Rut. 4. Object. although he had children, for he ſaith, then I ſhould marre mine owne inheritance.
It is onelyonly required of him here to redeeme the inheritance, Anſw. but not to marrie his Couſins wife; this was onelyonly ſtare ſuper nomen defuncti, that is, to make his childe to be reputed as the childe of the dead, and ſo the childe ſhould not be counted his ſonne, but the ſonne of Chilion; thus his inheritance ſhould hauehave beene marr'd, and his name raſed out, and this made N to refuſe, but if the Couſin were not married, then he was bound to marry the wife of his Kinſman.
Erratum.
Page 166. line 13. Dele not.
End of the text · John Weemes, Explication of the Judicial Laws of Moses (1632)