Sermons on Various Subjects Volume 1, Sermon 5
SERMON V.
SATAN'S DEVICES.
2 CORINTH. ii. 11.
Leſt Satan ſhould get an Advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his Devices.
THE Occaſion of theſe Words was as follows: In the Church of Corinth there was an unhappy Perſon, who had committed ſuch Inceſt, as was not ſo much as named among the Gentiles, in taking his Father's Wife; but either on account of his Wealth, Power, or ſome ſuch Reaſons, like many notorious Offender… now-a-days, had not been expoſed to the Cenſures of the Church. St. Paul therefore, in his firſt Epiſtle, ſeverely chides them for this Neglect of Diſcipline, and commands them in the Name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, When they were gathered together, to deliver ſuch a one, whoever he was, to Satan, for the Deſtruction of the Fleſh, that his Spirit might be ſaved in the Day of the LORD; that is, in one Word, that they ſhould ſolemnly excommunicate him; which was com… attended with ſome bodily Diſeaſe inflicted by the Devil, under whoſe Power the excommunicated Perſon was for ſome Time delivered. The Corinthians, being obedient to the Apoſtle, as dear Children, no ſooner received this Reproof, but they ſubmitted to it, and caſt the offending Party out of the Church. But whilſt they were endeavouring to amend one Fault, they unhapply run into another; and as they formerly had been too mild and remiſs, ſo now they behaved towards him with too much Severity and Reſentment. The Apoſtle therefore, in this Chapter, reproves this, and tells them, that ſufficient to the Offender's Shame, was The Puniſhment which had been inflicted of many; that he had now ſuffered enough; and that therefore, leſt he ſhould be tempted to ſay with Cain My Puniſhment is greater than I can bear; or to uſe the Apoſtle's own Words, Leſt he ſhould be ſwallowed up with over much Sorrow; they ought, now he had given Proof of his Repentance, to forgive him, to confirm their Love towards him, and ſo reſtore him in the Spirit of Meekneſs; Leſt Satan, ſays he, to whoſe Buffetings he was now given, ſhould, by tempting him to Deſpair, get an Advantage over us; and ſo, by repreſenting you as Mercileſs and Cruel, cauſe that Holy Name to be blaſphemed by which you are called; for we are not ignorant of his Devices: we know very well how many ſubtle Ways he has to draw aſide and beguile unguarded unthinking Men.
Thus then ſtand the Words in Relation to the Context; but as Satan has many Devices, as his Quiver is full of other poiſonous Darts, beſides thoſe which he ſhoots at us to drive us to Deſpair, I ſhall conſider them by themſelves, and in the following Diſcourſe ſhall,
I. Firſt, Briefly obſerve who we are to underſtand by Satan. And,
II. Secondly, point out to you, what are the chief Devices he generally makes uſe of, to draw off Converts from CHRIST, and preſcribe ſome Remedies againſt them.
The Word Satan, in its original Signification, means an Adverſary; and in its general Acceptation, is made uſe of to point out to us the Chief of the Devils, who, for ſtriving to be as GOD, was caſt down from Heaven, and is now permitted, with the Reſt of his ſpiritual Wickedneſſes in high Places, to walk up and down, ſeeking whom he may devour. We hear of him immediately after the Creation, when in the Shape of a Serpent he lay in wait to deceive our firſt Parents.—He is called Satan in the Book of Job; wherein we are told, that when the Sons of GOD came to preſent themſelves before the LORD, Satan alſo came amongſt them.—As the Scripture alſo ſpeaketh in the Book of Chronicles, and Satan moved David to number the People.— In the New-Teſtament he goes under different Denominations; ſometimes he is called the Evil One, becauſe he is evil in himſelf, and tempts us to Evil.—Sometimes, the Prince of the Power of the Air, and the Spirit that now ruleth in the Children of Diſobedience, becauſe he reſides chiefly in the Air; and the whole World, i. e. All that are not born of GOD, are ſaid to lie in him.
He is an Enemy to GOD and Goodneſs—He is a Hater of all Truth; why elſe did he ſlander GOD in Paradice? Why did he tell Eve, You ſhall not ſurely die? And why did he promiſe to give all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glories of them, to JESUS CHRIST, if he would fall down and worſhip him?
He is full of Malice, Envy and Revenge; for what other Motives could induce him to moleſt innocent Man in Paradice? And why is he ſtill ſo Reſtleſs in his Attempts to deſtroy us, who have done him no Wrong?
He is a Being of great Power, as appears in his being able to act on the Imagination of our Bleſſed LORD, ſo as to repreſent to him all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glories of them, in a Moment of Time. As alſo in carrying his ſacred Body through the Air up to a Pinnacle of the Temple; and his driving a Herd of Swine ſo furiouſly into the Deep—Nay, ſo great is his Might, that, I doubt not, was GOD to let him uſe his full Strength, he could turn the Earth upſide down, or pull the Sun from its Orb.
But what he is moſt remarkable for is, his Subtlety; for not having Power given from above to take us by Force, he is obliged to wait for Opportunities to betray us, and to catch us by Guile. He therefore made uſe of the Serpent, which was ſubtle above all the Beaſts of the Field, in order to tempt our firſt Parents; and accordingly he is ſaid, in the New Teſtament, To lie in wait to deceive; and here in the Words of the Text, the Apoſtle ſays, We are not ignorant of his Devices; thereby implying, that we are more in Danger of being ſeduced by his Policy, than over-borne by his Power.
From this ſhort Deſcription of Satan, we may eaſily judge whoſe Children they are, who love to make a Lie, who ſpeak Evil and ſlander their Neighbour, and whoſe Hearts are full of Pride, Subtlety, Malice, Envy, Revenge and all Uncharitableneſs.—Surely they have Satan for their Father—For the Tempers of Satan they know; and the Works of Satan they do. But were they to ſee either themſelves, or Satan, as he is, they could not but be terrified at their own Likeneſs, and abhor themſelves in Duſt and Aſhes.
But to return. The Juſtice of GOD in ſuffering us to be tempted is vindicated from theſe Conſiderations—That we are here in a State of Probation—That he has promiſed not to ſuffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear—And not only ſo, but to him that overcometh, he will give a Crown of Life.
The Holy Angels themſelves, it ſhould ſeem, were once put to a Trial whether they would be faithful or not. The firſt Adam, was tempted even in Paradice. And JESUS CHRIST, that ſecond Adam, though he was a Son, yet was carried, as our Repreſentative, by the Holy Spirit into the Wilderneſs to be tempted of the …. And there is not one ſingle Spirit in Paradice amongſt the Goodly Fellowſhip of the Prophets, the glorious Company of the Apoſtles, the noble Army of Martyrs, and the Spirits of juſt Men made perfect, who, when on Earth, was not aſſaulted by the fiery Darts of that wicked one, the Devil.
What then has been the common Lot of all GOD's children, of the Angels, nay, of the Eternal Son of GOD himſelf, we muſt not think to be exempted from. No, 'tis ſufficient if we are made perfect through Temptations, as they were.—And therefore ſince we cannot but be tempted, unleſs we could unmake Human Nature, inſtead of repining at our Condition, we ſhould rather be enquiring, at what Time of our Lives Satan moſt violently aſſaults us? And what thoſe Devices are, which he commonly makes uſe of, in order to get an Advantage over us?
As the firſt Queſtion, I anſwer, we muſt expect to be tempted by him, in ſome Degree or other, all our Lives long.—For this Life being a continual Warfare, we muſt never expect to have Reſt from our Spiritual Adverſary, the Devil; or to ſay, our Combat with him is finiſhed, till, with our bleſſed Maſter, we bow down our Heads, and give up the Ghoſt.
But ſince the Time of our Converſion, or firſt entring upon the Spiritual Life, is the moſt critical Time at which he moſt violently beſets us, as well knowing, if he can prevent our ſetting out, he can lead us Captive at his Will; and ſince the wiſe Son of Sirach particularly warns us, when we are going to ſerve the LORD, to prepare our Souls for Temptation, I ſhall, in anſwer to the other Queſtion, paſs on to the
Second general Thing propoſed; and point out, and withal give ſome Directions how to overcome thoſe Devices, which Satan generally makes uſe of at our firſt Converſion, in order to get an Advantage over us.
But before I proceed to do this, let me obſerve to you, that whatſoever ſhall be delivered in the following Diſcourſe is only deſigned for ſuch as have actually entred upon the Divine Life; and not for carnal almoſt Chriſtians, who have the Form of Godlineſs, but never yet felt the Power of it in their Hearts. This being premiſed;
The firſt Device I ſhall mention which Satan makes uſe of, is, to drive us to Deſpair.
When GOD the Father awakens a Sinner by the Terrors of the Law, and by his Holy Spirit convinceth him of Sin, in order to lead him to CHRIST, and ſhew him the Neceſſity of a Redeemer; then Satan generally ſtrikes in, and aggravates thoſe Convictions to ſuch a Degree, as to make the Sinner doubt of finding Mercy through the Mediator.
Thus, in all his Temptations of the Holy JESUS, he chiefly aimed to make him queſtion, whether he was the Son of GOD? If thou be the Son of GOD, ſays he, do ſo and ſo. With many ſuch deſponding Thoughts, no doubt, he filled the Heart of the great St. Paul, when he continued three Days neither eating Bread or drinking Water; and therefore he ſpeaks by Experience, when he ſays, in the Words of the Text, We are not ignorant of his Devices, how he will endeavour to drive the inceſtuous Perſon to Deſpair.
But let not any of you be influenced by him to deſpair of ſinding Mercy. For it is not the Greatneſs or Number of our Crimes, but Impenitence and Unbelief, that will prove our Ruin: No, were our Sins more in Number than the Hairs of our Head, or of a deeper Die than the brighteſt Scarlet; yet the Merits of the Death of JESUS CHRIST are infinitely greater, and Faith in his Blood ſhall make them white as Snow.
Anſwer always therefore his deſpairing Suggeſtions, as your Bleſſed LORD did, with an It is written. Tell him, you know that your Redeemer liveth, ever to make Interceſſion for you; that the LORD hath received from him double for all your Crimes: And tho' you have ſinned much, that is no Reaſon why you ſhould deſpair, but only why you ſhould love much, having ſo much forgiven.
Another Device that Satan generally makes uſe of, to get an Advantage over young Converts, is, to tempt them to preſume, and to think more highly of themſelves than they ought to think.
When a Perſon has for ſome little Time …aſted the good Word of Life, and felt the Powers of the World to come, he is commonly (as indeed well he may) moſt highly tranſported with that ſudden Change he finds in himſelf. But then, Satan will not be wanting at ſuch a Time, to puff him up with a high Conceit of his own Attainments, as if he was ſome great Perſon; and will tempt him to ſet at nought his Brethren, as though he was holier than they.
Take heed therefore, and let us beware of this Device of our ſpiritual Adverſary; for as before Honour is Humility, ſo a haughty Spirit generally goes before a Fall; and GOD is obliged, when under ſuch Circumſtances, to ſend us ſome humbling Viſitation, or permit us to fall, as he did Peter, into ſome grievous Sin, that we may learn not to be too high minded.
To check therefore all Suggeſtions to Spiritual Pride, let us conſider, that we did not apprehend CHRIST, but were apprehended of him.—That we have nothing but what we have received.—That the free Grace of GOD has alone made the Difference between us and others; and, was GOD to leave us to the Deceitfulneſs of our own Hearts but one Moment, we ſhould become weak and wicked, like other Men.—We ſhould farther conſider, that being proud of Grace, is the moſt ready Way to loſe it.—For GOD reſiſteth the Proud, and giveth more Grace only to the Humble. And were we endowed with the Perfections of Seraphims; yet if we were proud of thoſe Perfections, they would but render us more accompliſhed Devils. —Above all, we ſhould pray earneſtly to Almighty GOD, that we may learn of JESUS CHRIST, to be lowly in Heart. That his Grace, through the Subtlety and Deceivableneſs of Satan, may not be our Poiſon. But that we may always think ſoberly of ourſelves, as we ought to think.
A third Device I ſhall mention, which Satan generally makes uſe of to get an Advantage over …s, is to tempt us to Uneaſineſs, and to have hard Thoughts of GOD, when we are under Deadneſs and Dryneſs in Prayer.
Though this is a Term not underſtood by the Natural Man; yet, whoſoever there are amongſt you, who have paſſed through the Pangs of the New Birth, they know full well what I mean, when I talk of Deadneſs and Dryneſs in Prayer. And, I doubt not, but many of you, amongſt whom I am now preaching the Kingdom of GOD, are at this very Time labouring under it.
For when Perſons are firſt awakened to the Divine Life, becauſe Grace is weak and Nature ſtrong, GOD is often pleaſed to vouchſ…e them ſome extraordinary Illuminations of his Holy Spirit; but when they are grown to be more perfect Men in CHRIST, then he frequently ſeems to leave them to themſelves; and not only ſo, but permits a horrible Deadneſs and Dread to overwhelm them; at which Times Satan will not be wanting to vex and tempt them to Impatience, to the great Diſcomfort of their Souls.
But be not afraid; for this in no more than your Bleſſed Redeemer, that … Lamb of GOD, has underwent before you: Witneſs his bitter Agony in the Garden, when his Soul was exceeding Sorrowful, even unto Death.—When he ſweat great Drops of Blood, falling on the Ground; when the Senſe of the Divinity was withdrawn from him; and Satan, in all Probability, was permitted, to ſet all his … in Array before him.
Rejoice therefore, my Brethren, when you fall into the like Circumſtances; as knowing, that you are therein Partakers of the Sufferings of JESUS CHRIST.—Conſider, that it is neceſſary ſuch inward Trials ſhould come, to wean us off the Love of ſenſible Devotion, and to teach us to follow CHRIST, not merely for his Loaves, but out of a Principle of Lo…e and Obedience.—In Patience therefore poſſeſs your Souls, and be not terrified by Satan's Suggeſtions.—Still perſevere in ſeeking JESUS in the Uſe of Means, though it be Sorrowing, and though through Benumneſs and Bar…enneſs of Soul you may go mourning all the Day long.—… that the Spouſe is with you, though behind … Curtain; as he was with Mary, at the Sepul… though ſhe knew it not.—That he has wi… drawn but for a little while, to make his … more welcome.—That though he may … ſeem to frown and look back on you, as he did on the Syrophoenician Woman; yet if you like her, cry out ſo much the more earneſtly, JESUS, thou Son of David, have Mercy on us … it will be made known unto you again, either in the Temple, by breaking of Bread, or ſome other Way.
But amongſt all the Devices, that Satan makes uſe of to get an Advantage over us, there is none in which he is more ſucceſsful, or by which he grieves the Children of GOD worſe, than that
Fourth Device I am going to mention, viz. His troubling you with blaſphemous, prophane, impious, unbelieving Thoughts; and ſometimes to ſuch a Degree, that they are as tormenting as the Rack.
Some indeed are apt to impute all ſuch evil Thoughts to a Diſorder of Body.—But thoſe, who know any Thing of the Spiritual Life, can inform you with greater Certainty, that for the Generality, they proceed from that wicked One, the Devil▪ who, no doubt, has Power given him from above, as well now as formerly, to diſorder the Body, as he did Job's; that he may, with the more Secrecy and Succeſs work upon, ruffle and torment the Soul.
You that have felt his fiery Darts, can ſubſcribe to the Truth of this, and by fatal Experience can tell, how often he has bid you, Curſe GOD and die, and darted into your Thoughts a Thouſand blaſphemous Suggeſtions, even in your moſt ſecret and ſolemn Retirements; the bare looking back on which makes your very Hearts to tremble.
I appeal to your own Conſciences; have not ſome of you, when you have been lifting up Holy Hands in Prayer, been peſtered with ſuch a Croud of the moſt horrid Inſinuations, that you have been often tempted to riſe off from your Knees, and been made believe your Prayers were an Abomination to the LORD? Nay, when, with the Reſt of your Chriſtian Brethren, you have crouded round the Holy Table, and taken the ſacred Symbols of CHRIST'S moſt bleſſed Body and Blood into your Hands, inſtead of remembring the Death of your Saviour, have you not been employed in driving out evil Thoughts, as Abraham was in driving away the Birds, that came to devour his Sacrifice; and thereby been terrified, leſt you have eat and drank your own Damnation?
But marvel not, as though ſome ſtrange Thing happened unto you; for this has been the common Lot of all GOD's Children.—We read even in Job's Time, That when the Sons of GOD came to appear before their Maker, i. e. at public Worſhip, Satan alſo came amongſt them, to diſturb their Devotions.
And think not that GOD is angry with you for theſe diſtracting, tho' ever ſo blaſphemous Thoughts: No, he knows it is not you, but Satan working in you, and therefore, notwithſtanding he may be diſpleaſed with, and certainly will puniſh him; yet he will both pity and reward you. And though it be difficult to make Perſons in your Circumſtances to believe ſo▪ yet, I doubt not, but you are more acceptable to GOD, when performing your holy Duties in the midſt of ſuch involuntary Diſtractions, than when you are wrapped up by ſenſible Devotion, as it were, into the third Heavens.—For you are then ſuffering, as well as doing the Will of GOD at the ſame Time; and, like Nehemiah's Servants at the Building of the Temple, are holding a Trowel in the one Hand, and a Sword in the other.—But be not you driven from the Uſe of any Ordinance whatever, on account of thoſe abominable Suggeſtions; for then you let Satan get his deſired Advantage over you; it being his chief Deſign, by theſe Thoughts, to make you fall out with the Means of Grace; and to tempt you to believe, you do not pleaſe GOD, for no other Reaſon, than becauſe you do not pleaſe yourſelves.—Rather perſevere in the Uſe of the Holy Communion eſpecially, and all other Means whatever; and when theſe Temptations have wrought that Reſignation in you, for which they were permitted, GOD will viſit you with freſh Tokens of his Love, as he met Abraham, when he returned from the Slaughter of the five Kings; and will ſend an Angel from Heaven, as he did to his Son, on Purpoſe to ſtrengthen you.
Hitherto we have only obſerved ſuch Devices as Satan makes uſe of immediately by himſelf; but there is a
Fifth I ſhall mention, that is not the leaſt, viz. Tempting us by our carnal Friends and Relations.
This is one of the moſt common, as well as moſt artful Devices he makes uſe of to draw young Converts from GOD; for when he cannot prevail over them by himſelf, he will try what he can do by the Influence and Mediation of others.
Thus he tempted Eve, that ſhe might tempt Adam.—Thus he ſtirred up Job's Wife, to bid him Curſe GOD and die.—And thus he made uſe of Peter's Tongue, to perſuade our Bleſſed LORD To ſpare himſelf, and thereby decline thoſe Sufferings, by which alone we could be preſerved from ſuffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire. And thus, in theſe laſt Days, he often ſtirs up our moſt powerful Friends and deareſt Intimates, to diſſuade us from going in that narrow Way, which alone leadeth unto Life eternal,
But our Bleſſed LORD has furniſhed us with a ſufficient Anſwer to all ſuch Suggeſtions.—Get you behind me, my Adverſaries; for otherwiſe they will be an Offence unto you; and the only Reaſon why they give ſuch Advice is, becauſe they ſavour not the Things that be of GOD, but the Things that be of Men.
Whoever therefore among you are reſolved to ſerve the LORD, prep…, your Souls for many ſuch Temptations as thoſe; for it is neceſſary that ſuch Offences ſhould come, to try your Sincerity, to teach us to ceaſe from Man, and to ſee if we will forſake all to follow CHRIST.
Indeed our Moderniſers o… Chriſtianity would perſwade us, that the Goſpel was calculated only for about two hundred Years; and that now there is no need of hating Father and Mother, or being perſecuted for the Sake of CHRIST and his Goſpel.
But ſuch Perſons err, not knowing the Scriptures, and the Power of Godlineſs in their Hearts; for whoſoever receives the Love of GOD in the Truth of it, will find, that CHRIST came to ſend not Peace, but a Sword upon Earth, as much now as ever.—That the Father-in-law ſhall be againſt the Daughter-in-law, in theſe latter, as well as in the primitive Times; and that if we will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, we muſt, as then, ſo now, from carnal Friends and Relations, ſuffer Perſecution.
But the Devil has another Device, as dangerous as any of the former,—i. e. by not tempting us at all, or rather by withdrawing himſelf for a while, in order to come upon us at an Hour when we think not of it.
Thus it is ſaid, that he left JESUS CHRIST only for a Seaſon; and our Bleſſed LORD has bid us to watch and pray always, that we enter not into Temptation; thereby implying, that Satan, whether we think of it or not, is always ſeeking how he may devour us.
If we would therefore behave like good Soldiers of JESUS CHRIST, we muſt be always upon our guard, and never pretend to lay down our ſpiritual Weapons of Prayer and Watching▪ till our Warfare is accompliſhed by Death; for if we do, our ſpiritual Amaleck will quickly prevail againſt us. What if he has left us? It is only for a Seaſon; yet, a little while, and, like a roaring Lion, with double Fury, he will break out upon us again.—So great a Coward as the Devil is, he ſeldom leaves us at the firſt Onſet.—As he followed our Bleſſed LORD with one Temptation after another, ſo will he treat … Servants.—And the Reaſon why he does … …new his Attacks, is ſometimes, becauſe GOD knows we are yet weak and unable to bear them,—ſometimes, becauſe our grand Adverſary thinks to beſet us at a more convenient Seaſon.
Watch carefully therefore over thy Heart, O Chriſtian, and whenever thou perceiveſt thyſelf to be falling into a ſpiritual Slumber, ſay to it, as CHRIST to his Diſciples, Ariſe my Soul, why ſleepeſt thou? Awake, awake▪ put on Strength, watch and pray, or otherwiſe the Philiſtines will be upon thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldſt not. Alas! Is this Life a Time to lay down and ſlumber in? Ariſe, and call upon thy GOD▪ thy ſpiritual Enemy is not dead, but lurketh in ſome ſecret Place, ſeeking a convenient Opportunity how he may betray thee. If thou ceaſeſt to ſtrive with him, thou ceaſeſt to be a Friend of GOD; thou ceaſeſt to go in that narrow Way which leadeth unto Life.
Thus have I endeavoured to point out to you … of thoſe Devices, that Sata… generally makes uſe of to get an Advantage over us; many others there are, no doubt, which he often makes uſe of.
But theſe, on account of my Youth and Want of Experience, I cannot yet appriſe you of; they, who have been liſted for Years in their Maſter's Service, and fought under his Banner againſt our ſpiritual Amaleck, are able to diſcover more of his Artifices; and, being tempted in all Things, like unto their Brethren, can in all Things adviſe and ſuccour thoſe that are tempted.
In the mean while, let me exhort my young Fellow-Soldiers, who, like myſelf, are but juſt entring the Field, and for whoſe Sake this was written, not to be diſcouraged at the fiery Trial wherewith they muſt be tried, if they would be found faithful Servants of JESUS CHRIST. You ſee, my dearly beloved Brethren, by what has been delivered, that our Way through the Wilderneſs of this World to the Heavenly Canaan is beſet with Thorns, and that there are the Sons of Anak to be grappled with, e'er you can poſſeſs the promiſed Land. But let not theſe, like ſo many falſe Spies, diſcourage you from going up to fight the LORD's Battles, but ſay with Caleb and Joſhua, Nay, but we will go up, for we are able to conquer them. JESUS CHRIST, that Captain of our Salvation, has in our ſtead, and as our Repreſentative, baffled the grand Enemy of Mankind, and we have nothing to do, but manfully to fight under his Banner, and to go on from conquering to conquer. Our Glory does not conſiſt in being exempted from, but in enduring Temptations. Bleſſed is the Man, ſays the Apoſtle, that endureth Temptation; and again, Brethren, count it all Joy, when you fall into divers Temptations: And in that perfect Form our bleſſed LORD has preſcribed to us, we are taught to pray, not ſo much to be delivered from all Temptation, as from the Evil of it. No, whilſt we are on this Side Eternity, it muſt needs be that Temptations come; and, no doubt, Satan has deſired to have all of us, to … us as Wheat. But wherefore ſhould we fear? For he that is for us, is by far more powerful, than all that are againſt us. JESUS CHRIST, our great High Prieſt, is exalted to the Right Hand of GOD, and there ſitteth to make Interceſſion for us, that our Faith fail not.
Since then CHRIST is praying, whom ſhould we fear? And ſince he has promiſed to make us more than Conquerors, of whom ſhould we be afraid? No, though an Hoſt of Devils are ſet in Array againſt us, let us not be afraid; and though there ſhould riſe up the hotteſt Perſecution againſt us, yet let us put our Truſt in GOD.—What though Satan, and the Reſt of his apoſtate Spirits, are power… when compared with us; yet, if put in Competition with the Almighty, they are … weak as the meaneſt Worms. GOD has th… all reſerved in Chains of Darkneſs unto the Judgment of the great Day.—So far as he permits them, they ſhall go, but no farther; and where he pleaſes, there ſhall their proud malicious Deſigns be ſtayed. We read in the Goſpel, that though a Legion of them poſſeſſed one Man, yet they could not deſtroy him; nor could they ſo much as enter into a Swine, without firſt having Leave given them from above. It is true, we often find they foil us, when we are aſſaulted by them; but let us be ſtrong, and very courageous; for, though they bruiſe our Heels, we ſhall at length bruiſe their Heads.—Yet a little while, and he that ſhall come, will come; and then we ſhall ſee all our ſpiritual Enemies put under our Feet.—What if they do come out againſt us, like ſo many great Goliahs; yet, if we can go forth, as the Stripling David, in the Name and Strength of the LORD of Hoſts, we may ſay, Oh Satan, where is thy Power? Oh fallen Spirits, where is your Victory?
Once more therefore, and to conclude, let us be ſtrong, and very couragious, and let us put on the whole Armour of GOD, that we may be able to ſtand againſt the fiery Darts of the wicked One. Let us renounce ourſelves, and the World, and then we ſhall take away the Armour in which he truſteth, and he will find nothing in us for his Temptations to work upon. We ſhall then prevent his malicious Deſigns, and being willing to ſuffer ourſelves, ſhall need leſs Sufferings to be ſent us from above. Let us have our Loins girl about with Truth; and for an Helmet, the Hope of Salvation, praying always with all Manner of Supplication. Above all Things, Let us take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of GOD, and the Shield of Faith, looking always to JESUS, the Author and Finiſher of our Faith, who for the Joy that was ſet before him, endured the Pain, deſpiſing the Shame, and is now ſat down at the Right Hand of GOD.
To which happy Place may GOD of his infinite Mercy tranſlate us all, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
To whom with the FATHER, and the HOLY GHOST, Three Perſons and One Eternal GOD, be all Honour, and Glory, now and for evermore. Amen.