Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself

The Gospel, and a good cause seems buried, and weeps in a dungeon. Joseph in the prison, and a sold stranger; yet in the eyes of his brethren he is exalted. The Lord cleared Daniel's cause. Psal. 97.11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. The light and joy of the Saints, are often under the clods of the earth.

1. The Reformation of Religion goes veiled under the mask of Rebellion, and of subverting Fundamental Laws; but God must give to this work, that is now on the wheels, in Britain, the right name, and call it, The building of the old waste places, The rearing up of the Tabernacle of David ; and cause it come above the earth.

2. The cross is that great stumbling block, for which many are offended at Christ and the Gospel. It is a sad and offensive Providence to see joy weep, glory shamed; this is the gall, the worm-wood, the salt of the cross, that the Lord of life should suffer in his own person: yet here is heaven and the Father speaking, and returning a comfortable answer to Christ, in that which he most feared. The cross maketh an ill report of the Gospel and Christ: for this the Apostles are made a theater, a gasing-stock to Men and Angels, a worlds wonder; and Paul would take this away, Ephes. 3.13. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulation. Then Saints may fall a swooning at the very sight of the cross in others. And Peter, 1 Pet. 4.12. saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Be not stricken with wonders, or astonished, as at new things and miracles, Acts 17.20. when ye are put to a fiery trial. The comforts of the cross are the sweet of it, and the honey-combs of Christ, that drop upon that sour tree.

3. That the Father saith from heaven, There shall grow the fairest and most beautiful Rose that ever higher or lower Paradise yielded, out of this crabbed thorn, was much consolation to Christ. Here grows out of the side and banks of the lake of that river of fire and wrath that Christ was plunged in, many sweet flowers: as, 1. A victorious Redeemer, who overcame hell, sin, devils, death, the world. 2. A fair and spotless righteousness. 3. A redeemed, a washed and sanctified Spouse to the Lamb. 4. A new heaven and a new earth ; behold, He hath made all things new, and hath cast heaven and earth in a new mould. 5. A new Kingdom, a new Crown to the Saints, a choiser Paradise then the first that Adam lost. 6. Riches of Free-grace, unsearchable treasures of mercy and love: all these blossom out of the Cross.

4. The Cross is bought by, and in its nature much altered to the Saints. Its true, its become a necess • ry in-let, and an inevitable passage, and a bridge to heaven; but the Lord Jesus, not Satan, keeps the pass, and commandeth the bridge; and letteth in, and leteth out Passengers at his pleasure. But 1. Christ hath strawed the way to heaven with blood and wars, and forbids us to censure his sad Patrimony, in that the servants are no worse then the Lord, and flour of all the Martyrs ; though blood hath been, and must be the Rent and In-come of the Crown of the noble King of Kings, and the consecrated Captain of our salvation. Yet it is short, and for a moment, and Christ hath a way of out-gate, that none of his shall be buried under the Cross, Revel. 7.14. Psal. 4.19. (2.) Christ hath broken the iron chains of the Cross, and the gates of brass: that the Cross hath but a number of free Prisoners, who have fair quarters, and must go out with flying colors, and be ransomed from the grave, John 16.33. Hos. 13.14. (3.) When you are in glory, and in a place above death; there shall be neither mark, nor print; no ceatrix of the sad cross, on back or shoulder, but the very furrow of tears wiped away, and perfectly washen off the face with the water of life, For the former things shall be away. Revel. 21.4. Yea, the saddest of Crosses, the utmost and last blow that the Cross can inflict, is death. I should think that Christ is the Saints factor in the land of death; He was there himself, and though he will not adjourn death, yet hath our Factor made it cheap, and at an easy rate, all tole and custom is removed, and he hath put a negation upon death, Joh. 11.26. He that believeth shall not die. John 14.19. Much dependeth on our wise husbanding of the rod of God ; yet if Christ did not manage, order, and oversee our furnace, it could not be well with us.

I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

This is the fourth considerable point, the matter of the Answer.

Here is a Lord-Speaker from heaven, testifying that the Lord's name shall be, and was glorified: As 1. In Christ's person and incarnation, Joh. 1.14. The word was made flesh, & dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glory. So the Angels did sing at his birth. Luke 2.14. Glory to God on the highest. Christ's laying aside of [unspec 1] his glory, and his emptying of himself for us, was the glory of rich mercy. 2. His Miracles glorified God. Joh. 2.11. This first [unspec 2] miracle did Jesus to manifest his glory. When he cured the Paralytick man, Luk. 2.12. they were amazed and glorified God. When he raised Jairus his daughter. Luke 7.16. There [unspec 3] came a fear on all, and they glorified God. 3. In all his life he went about doing good; and sought ( John 8.49.) to glorify [unspec 4] his Father. 4. In his death, God was in singular manner glorified. When the Centurion (Luk. 23.49.) saw what was done, he glorified God. The repenting Thief preached him on the Cross to be a King: and this was a glorifying of Christ in his greatest abusement and shame. Yea, his glory was preached by the Sun, when it was, contrary to the course of nature, darkened: and by the Rocks, when they were rent, and the Temple cloven asunder, and the Graves opened, when men weakly, or wickedly denied him, and would not only not preach his glory, [unspec 5] but blaspheme his name, 5. He was glorified in his resurrection, being declared to be the Son of God, and obtained a name above all names, and was by the right hand of God, exalted to be a Savior, and a Prince, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins, Phil. 2.9. Ephes. 1.20. Act. 5.31. Act. 3.13. (6.) He shall come again in his glory, Math. [unspec 6] 25.31. And shall be glorified and admired in all his Saints. (2 Thess. 1.10.) The fairest and most glorious sight, that ever the eye of man saw, shall be, when Christ shall come riding through the clouds, on his Chariot of glory, accompanied with his mighty Angels, and with one pull, or shake of his mighty arms, shall cause the Stars to fall from heaven, as figs fall from a fig-tree, shaken with a mighty wind, and blow out all these candles of heaven with one blast of his ire; and A fire shall go before him, and burn up the earth with the works that are therein ; when the higher house of heaven, and the lower of the earth shall meet together, and when Mystical Christ shall be glorified.

If there be so much glory in Jesus Christ, and his sufferings as he must bear the glory, Zach. 6.13. And All the glory of his fathers house be upon him, Isaiah. 22.24. His Crown of glory on his head, must be so weighty, and ponderous, with Rubies, Sapphires, Diamonds, that it will break the neck of any mortal man, King, or Parliament to bear it. None on earth have a head or shoulders, for this so weighty a Diademe; Parliaments have not necks worthy to carry Christ's golden bracelets, nor a back to be honored with his robe Royal; if they will but take his Scepter in their hand, it shall crush them as clay-vessels: this stone hewn out of the Mountain without hands, shall crush the clay-legs of Parliaments, and then how shall they stand?

God properly glorifies himself; Angels and Men are but chamberlaines and factors, to pay the rent of his glory; and because he will give himself, his Son, his Spirit to us, and his grace, and yet will not give his glory to another ; let us beware to intercept the rents of the Crown.

Object. The Lord giveth grace and glory, Psalm. 84. And he hath a crown of glory laid up for his Saints, in the heavens.

Answ. That glory is but matured and ripened grace, God's glory is the eminent, celebrious, and high esteem that Men and Angels have of God, as God, or the foundation of this; to meddle with this is to encroach upon the Crown and Prerogative royal of God. Glory imparted to Saints in heaven, is but a beam, a luster, shadow, or way of that transcendent and high glory that is in God ; and is as far different from the incommunicable glory of God, as the shadow of the Sun in a Glass, or in the bottom of a Fountain, and the Sun in firmament. We may desire the chips, and shadows, and rays of glory, but beware that we meddle not with that which devels and men, always seek after, in a sacrilegious way.

3. We are hence taught, to admire the excellency of the unsearchable knowledge and skill of Divine providence; out of Christ's abasing himself to take on him our nature. 2. Out of his miracles, that were just nothing to blind-natural-men. 3. Out of his death and shame, the Lord extracteth the most eminent and high glory of his name. That Omnipotencie should triumph in the jaw-bone of an Ass, in a straw, in a crucified man, commends the glory of God, and the art of his workmanship; to make Gold out of clay and iron, Diamonds and Rubies out of the basest stones, would extol the art of man. A creation out of nothing ; and Flowres, Roses, Forrests, Woods, out of cold earth, is the praise of the wisdom and power of the Creator ; the baser the matter be, the art of the Author is the more glorious, if the work be curious and excellent.

God here 1. Out of death, shame, sinful oppressing of the Lord of glory, raiseth the high work of man's Redemption. 2. When we spill business and mar all, through sinning and provoking God, then Israel must bring a spilled business to God, that he may right them, Judge. 3.10, 11. God can find the right end of the thread, when matters are ravelled, and disordered. We see now, Nations confounded, enemies rising against: us. But blood, wars, confusions, oppression, and crushing down of Christ and his Church, are good and congruous means, when they have the vantage of being handed by omnipotency. When we work, the instrument must be as big as a mountain, and then our eye cannot see God, for the bigness of the Instrument. God regardeth not the nothings, and the few that he worketh withal. Dead men can sight, when God putteth a sword in their hand; Men shall fall under wounded men : beware of robbing God of his glory. Did ever a decree or a counsel of God part with child? Or can Omnipotencie bring forth untimely births, or prove abortive? You see Christ now in the death-house of Adams sons, and wrestling with hell; yet God by Christ at the weakest, works his end; death is a low thing, sin is far more base; but when God acts at the end of either, they have a scope and end as high as God, to glorify God.

3. If God hath been, and must be glorified in all that is done▪ what do we do, we trouble ourselves to seek glory one of another. We are created for this end, and its our glory to fetch in glory to God. What? can the aiery applause of men be golden stilts for cripples to walk to heaven withal? Or can the people's poor Hosannas be silken sails to our ship, or golden wings, that by these you man sails and fly up to heaven? Where is Belshazzar, who but built a house for the glory of his own name? Where is Herod, who did receive one word of a God, which the people did steal? Do not these fools take little room in print, and at this day, as little in the clods of the earth? The Roman State would not permit Christ to be a God: What was their doom, must not a Kingdom cast its bloome, fall, and wither, that will not suffer Christ to be a King in his Church?

Another effect of the Prayer of Christ, doth follow in the people. They had sundry judgments of this Answer from heaven: Some said it was a thunder ; for they understood it not. Others, nay, but it is above nature; An Angel hath spoken to him.

Doth not any rude shepherd, or the most simple idiot know a thunder? Its a place that holds forth to us, how ignorant we are of God, and of the Gospel-way. Consider what was in this Answer: 1. It was the Gospel. In what language it was spoken, (belike not in a known language) cannot be determined out of the Text. 2. It was a clear expression of that Communion between Christ and his Father. 3. What God means, or what is his sense in his word or works, is unknown to us. 4. That they say the Gospel is a thunder, and a work of nature, is a mere imagination and a dream. Yet these ways are among themselves all false, and they do not agree one with another.

Consid. 1. The Gospel is the will of God from heaven; yet [unspec 1] it is a riddle, a parable not understood, Mat. 13.14. In the Law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people, 1 Cor. 14.21. And, Isai. 29.11. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee. And he saith, I cannot: for it is sealed. Vers. 12. And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee. And he saith, I cannot; I am not learned. 1 Cor. 1.18. For the preaching of the cross is to [unspec 2] them that perish, foolishness.

Consid. 2. God reasoneth not only with men's minds, to convince them; but also with their will and affections. Act. 9. Christ from heaven proposeth a Syllogism to Saul 's fury, Its hard for thee to kick against pricks. God hath Logic against anger, which hath neither cares nor reason; for if he could not out-argue Laban 's hatred, and the haters of the Saints, to whom he saith, Touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm, Psal. 107. he would not speak to their affections, nor would it be said, that in their affections they repute Christ and the Gospel foolishness, if there were not a contrariety between the affections and the Gospel.

Consid. 3. The understanding is a dark-lantern, that hath [unspec 3] some light within, but casts none at all out, to apprehend things above hand: and as the will is irony and stiff to heaven, so is it waxy and apt to receive the impressions of the flesh, except Christ draw-by the curtain of the flesh, to let you see the glory of the Gospel. Otherwise, God speaks, and Samuel saith, Eli, here am I; for thou calledst me. To the woman of Samaria, Jacob is greater then Christ ; and Jacob 's Well, as good as the water of life. Justice often puts one seal on the Gospel, and another on the man's two eye-lids, that the vision is as dark as mid-night.

Consid. 4. The communion between Christ and the soul, [unspec 4] as here between the Son Christ and the Father, is quid pro quo, a thunder, a work of nature, or anything to the natural man; God speaking to the heart, is a mystery to him. Joh. 6.52. The Jews say among themselves, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Very hardly, according to their Papistical fancy of a bodily eating. 2. The high esteem of Christ above other Beloveds, is a mystery to natural Saints, in so far as they are natural. Its a strange question for Professors of the Gospel to say, What more is in Christ then other Well-beloveds? Yet they say it, Cant. 5.9. (3.) The natural understanding is the most whorish thing in the world: There is a variety of fancied gods there. According to the number of thy cities, were thy gods, O Judah, Jer. 2.29. They have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, Hos. 13.2. The understanding, even in the search of truth amongst the creatures, is a rash, precipitate, and unquiet thing; and like a Silk-worm, first makes a work of many threads, and then lies fettered and entangled in that which came out of its own bowels. The mind spins and weaves out of it self, fancies, dreams, lies, and then its work must be spent on these, and so creates its own chains and fetters. But in the matters of God it runs mad, plays the wanton; in the Gospel-knowledge it turns frantic, and when it comes to move and act within the sphere of supernatural truths, it but laughs and sports till it come out again. 1 Cor. 1.23. If Christ preached be foolishness, then Christ himself must be a fool to the Grecians, the excellentest wits in the world. 1 Cor. 2.14. The Gospel cannot come within the brain of a natural man, but as a notional fancy, a chymera. Yea, when the greatest wits came to the borders of divine truth▪ to look on the outside of Divinity, called Theologia naturalis, to look on the Lord's back-parts, and contemplate and behold God in his works, they knew not what to make of God, Rom. 1.23. Some thought God to be a dainty Bird of Paradise; nay, said other great wits, he is a four-footed Beast ; nay, said another, but he is a creeping thing: and the most eminent of them, even head of wit among them, said, he was a corruptible man: yea, all of them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . They turned vain, foggy, reasonlosse, and stark naught in their finer discourses and reasonings, in weighing and poyzing things. Gen. 6.5. The frame of the heart of man is only evil. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gen. 8.21. signifies, a Potters vessel. Isaiah 29.16. Your turning of things up-side-down, shall be reputed as the clay 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the potter: From the root 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to think, desire; to form a thing of clay as the potter doth. From this is the potter named 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Zach. 11.13. Gen. 2.7. Deut. 31.21. I know their imaginations, or earthen pots, that be in the heart, mind, and head of men. Many vain frames are in our heads, as there be variety of pots, bottles, and earthen vessels in the potters house. Many wind-mills, many pitchers and clay-frames are in the vain heart, but they are evil, wicked, and only evil from the womb. But especially, how many devices and new moulds of Religions, and sundry gods are in the heart of men? How many sundry opinions of Christ, are in men's brains? for concerning Christ, Mat. 16.14. Some said he was John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah. 4. The love and affections are most whorish, light, and wanton; if Martha seek not one thing, she seeks many things: no one God is the natural man's God. It may be maintained, that an unrenewed man hath not one predominant, but indefinitely, sin is his king; and as many sins, as many kings. Rom. 5.14, 17. Rom. 6.7, 8, 9. Its true, pride, covetousness, or some particular sins may come to the throne by turns, as either complexion, strength of corrupt nature, or times bear sway; for as Satan is not divided against Satan, so not any natural man will be a Martyr for a false god, or a predominant lust, in opposition to another known false god, though all may oppose the Gospel. The Lord complains of a whorish heart, that playeth the harlot with many lovers, Jer. 3.1. and heaven and saving grace stands on an indivisible point, like the number of seven; one added, one removed, varieth the nature: no man is half in heaven, half in hell: almost a Christian, is no Christian. When Adam fell from one God, he fell upon many inventions ; not upon one only, Eccles. 7.29. Our wandering is infinite, and hath no home: either God is a thunder, or then he is an Angel, speaking from heaven.

Consid. 5. Men think the supernatural ways of God a thunder in the air, which is a most natural work; the ebbing and [unspec 5] flowing of the Spirit, either natural joy or melancholy, naturally following the complexion of the body. Its Grace that puts a right sense on the works of God, as on the word: we are no less heterodox in mis-interpreting the ways and works of God, then in putting false and unsound senses on his word. Emrods plagues the Philistines ; they doubt if chance, or if the God of Israel have thus plagued them. Moses works miracles, the Magicians work miracles, and the Egyptians doubt whether their false god, or the living God that made the heaven and the earth, hath wrought the miracles. When God and Nature both work, natural men, or Saints as natural, betake themselves to the nearest God. As sickness comes, the natural man saith, Neglect of the body, health, the moon, humors, the air, cold weather did it; but he looks not to God. And the believer, guilty of a breach of the Sixth Command, in neglecting second causes, and in needless hurting the body, seeth not this; but fathers all upon God, only in a spiritual dispensation, and considereth only dispensation in God, not sin in himself. 2. Mercies grow invisibly, and we see not; we are ready to sleep at mercies offered. When Christ knocks in love, we are in bed; Cant. 5. (3.) Judgments speak in the dark, but we hear not: the Lord fatteneth some slaughter-oxen for hell, and death, is on some men's faces, even the second death on their person, but they see not. To hear the Lord's rods, and who hath appointed it, is the man of Wisdomes part, Micah 6.9. There is an Orthodox Wisdom and Will, as there is an Orthodox Faith. Will, as well as the mind, can frame Syllogisms; every unrenewed man hath a faith of his own in the bottom of his will. 2 Pet. 3. Some are willingly ignorant ; Some Jer. 9. through deceit refuse to know the Lord ; whereas lusts puts out reason, and takes the chair. Lust hath stout Logic against Christ ; a fleshly mind vainly puffed up, is a badge of bastard wit, out-reasoning all the Gospel. O but grace is quick-eyed, sharp, and a witty thing, to see God veiled in, under the curtain of flesh; to see Christ and heaven through words, and the Gospel with child of so great a salvation.

Consid. 6. What wonder that there be divisions about Christ. Some will have the Lord speaking from heaven, a thunder; others, an Angel. Christ is the most disputable thing in the world, Math. 16.13, 14. there be five Religions, and sundry opinions touching Christ, the Scribes and Pharisees had many sundry opinions, and one of them is the right way only, and ten false. Joh. 7.40. Many say Christ is a Prophet. Vers. 41 Others said, this is the Christ ; Others no: Shall Christ come out of Galilee, and there was a division among them Luke 2.34. Christ is for a sign that shall be spoken against. And amongst Christ's sufferings this is one, Hebr. 12.3. He sustained 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , contradiction of sinners. Math. 24. Many false Christ's shall arise. There is but one heaven, and one way to heaven; and there is but one hell: but there be thousands of ways to hell: from one point to another, you can draw but one straight line; but you may draw ten • thousand crooked, and circular lines. The truth is one, and very narrow, the lie is broad and very fertile, and broodie, error is infinite. Its a blessed thing to find wisdom to hit upon Christ, and adhere to him; there be some dicets and couseners, Ephes. 4.14. that lie in wait to deceive the simple; and they cast the dice for heaven, and can cast you up anything on the dice, either one, or seven; do ye then resign yourselves in this wood of false Religions that now is, to Christ, to be led to heaven. Many now teach, there be some few fundamentals, believe them, and live well, and you are saved. And many false Teachers that turn the Gospel upside down, say, it is the same Gospel, though the head be where the feet should be; and for errors, we wrong not truth, so long as we hold nothing against fundamentals : Should a man remove the roof of your house, cut down the timber of it, and pick out all the fair stones in the wall, and say, Friend, I wrong not your house, see, the foundation stones are safe, and the four corner stones are sure, in the mean time, the house can fence off neither wind nor rain, would not this man both mock you, and wrong you? He that keeps the foundation Christ, shall be saved, though he build on it hay and stubble, 1 Cor. 3. Its true. But it was never the intent of the Holy Ghost, That a man believing some few fundamentals, though he hold, and spread lies and false Doctrines, is in no hazard of damnation; or that he hath liberty of conscience, to add to the foundation hay, and stubble, and untempered mortar: and to daube dirt upon the foundation Christ, and not sin, the place speaks no such thing, but of this else where.

These come nearer to the truth; for they conceive there is more in this voice, then a work of Nature, such as a thunder is; they think, an Angel spoke to Christ ; and they are convinced, that Christ keeps correspondence with Heaven and Angels.

Angels have been, and are in high estimation among men always; and there is reason for it.

1. There is more of Heaven in Angels, and more of God, then in any of their fellow-creatures. Sinnefull men have been stricken with fear at the sight of them; they are persons of a more excellent country then the earth. John the Apostle did overvalue an Angel, Revel. 19. Revel. 21. And fell down to worship him.

2. Angels elect and chosen, never lost their birth-right of creation, as Men and Devils have done; they were created as the Lilies and Roses, which no doubt, had more sweetness of beauty and smell, before the sin of man made them vanity-sick, Ro. 8.20. but they have kept their robes of innocence, their cloth of gold above five thousand years, without one spark of dirt, or change of color, for they never sinned; innocence and freedom from sin, hath much of God. Adam (as many think) kept not his garments clean one day. Courtiers of heaven, and Saints should walk like Angels, and keep good quarters with Christ. Grace is a pure, clean, innocent thing; teacheth Saints to deny ungodliness; and so much the more have Angels of God, that they are among devils and sinful men, and yet by Grace are kept from falling; the more grace, the more innocence. Grace as pardoning hath its result from sin, but is most contrary to sin. Grace payeth debt for sin, but taketh not on new arreares; its abused grace that doth so.

2. But these thus convinced, that the Lord's voice is more then a thunder. Go no further, they say here, others said it was an Angel.

Hence touching conviction.

Pos. 1. Conviction of conscience may be strong, and yet [unspec 1] at a stand. Never man spake like this man, say the Jews, yet they hate him. Joh. 7.28. Jesus cried in the temple, as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am; I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. Vers. 29. But I know him. Then they knew Christ, for conviction, and they knew him not; for, they crucified the Lord of glory ; and if they had known him under the supernatural notion of the Lord of glory, they would not have crucified him, 1 Cor. 2.8. Felix trembles, and is convinced, but imprisons Paul. The Devils believe there is a God, and tremble, I am. 2. but Light is made a captive, and made a prisoner, Rom. 1.18. Its a most troublesome prisoner, it holds the conqueror waking, and yet he cannot be avenged on it.

Pos. 2. Conviction turned to malice, becomes a Devil; the [unspec 2] Pharisees convinced, go on against heaven, and the operation of the Holy Ghost. And the Jews saw the face of Stephen, as it had been the face of an Angel, Acts 6.15. Yet Acts 7.57▪ 58. they run on him, and stone him to death.

Pos. 3. Conviction maketh more judicial hardening then any [unspec 3] sin; it revengeth it self upon heaven; hell near heaven is a double hell. Joh. 12.37, • 8. Though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not. A reason is, [unspec 4] Verse 40. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their

Pos. 4. Omnipotencie of grace can only convince the will. heart.

Preachers may convince the mind, and remove mind-heresy, but Christ only can give • ares to love, fear, sorrow, and remove will-heresy, John 6.45. There be reasonings and Logic in the will, stronger then these in the mind; the will hath reason why it will not be taken with Christ, Joh. 5.40. and a Law, Rom. 7.23. of sin, why it is sweet to perish, and death is to be chosen.

Pos. 5. It is the right conviction of the Spirit, to be convinced; 1. Of unbelief: 2. Of the excellency of Jesus [unspec 5] Christ, that I must have Christ, cost me what it will; say it were all that the rich Merchant hath, Math. 13.45, 46. There is a white and red in his face, hath convinced the man's love, and hath bound his affection, hand and foot; that he takes pains on despised duties that lie under the very drop of the shame of the Cross, Acts 5.4.

Pos. 6. To be willing to do a duty that hath shame written [unspec 6] on it, as to be scourged for Christ, as the Apostles were, and for an honorable Lord of counsel, as Joseph of Arimathea was, to petition to have the body of a crucified man to bury, it being a duty near of blood to the Cross; both apparent loss, and present shame, is a strong demonstration, that the whole man, not the mind only, but the will and affections are convinced. Some duties grow among thorns, as to be killed all the day long, and to take patiently the spoiling of our goods, for Christ. Some duties grow among Roses, and are honorable and glorious duties; as to kill and subdue, in a lawful war, the enemies of God. The former are no sign of wrath, nor the latter of being duly convinced of the excellency of Christ, except in so far as we use them, through the grace of Christ, as becometh Saints ; or abuse them, but it is more like Christ to suffer for him, then to do for him.

Pos. 7. God will have some half gate to heaven, though they should die by the way; some are more, some less convinced: [unspec 7] the more conviction, if not received, the more damnation. The Gospel is not such a messenger as the Raven that returneth not again: Isaiah 55.11. My word that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return to me void, it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. The Gospel, and opportunity of reformation, falleth not in the Sea-bottom, when a Nation receive it not, but it returns to God to speak tidings: We will not give an account of the Gospel, but the Gospel gives an account of us. 2. Even when the Ordinances are rejected, they prosper, Isaiah 55.11. to harden men: they are seed sown, and rain fallen on the earth, they yield a crop of glory to God, even a sweet savor to God, in those that perish, as in those that are saved ; 2 Cor. 2.15, 16. The lake of fire and brimstone, as a just punishment of a despised Gospel, smells like Roses to God.

Now followeth the other effect of Christ's Prayer, toward the world.

1. In general. The Prayer is answered (saith Christ ) not so much for my cause, to comfort me, (for he might otherwise be comforted) as for you, that ye may believe in me, hearing this testimony from heaven. 2. In particular: He sets down the fruit of his death. 1. On the unbelieving world, they shall be judged and condemned. 2. On the spiritual enemies, and by a Synecdoche, the head of them, Satan, the god of this world shall be cast out, and sin, and death, and hell with him. 3. The prime fruit of all, Vers. 32. When I am crucified, by my Spirit of grace, the fruit of the merit of my death, I will draw all men to me.

Christ's well and woe, his joy, his sorrow, is relative, and for sinners. Christ as Christ is a very public person, and a giving-out Mediator. And it addeth much to the excellency of things, that they are public, and made out to many: As the sun, the stars, the rain, the seas, the earth, that are for many, are so much the more excellent: It is a broader and a larger goodness, that is public. Heaven is an excellent thing, because public, to receive so many crowned Kings, and Citizens, that are redeemed from the earth. The Gospel is a public good for all sinners: Eternity is not a particular duration, as time is, that hath a poor point to begin with, and end at; but the public good of Angels and glorified Spirits. Time indeed is a public thing, but because its the heritage of perishing things, it is not public in comparison of eternity. And Christ, because a public Spirit, for the whole family of elect Angels and Saints in heaven and earth, is a matchless excellent one. And its observable, that there is nothing in heaven, that is the seat and element of happiness, and the only Garden and Paradise of the Saints felicity, but it is public and common to all: The inhabitants the glorified Saints and Angels, all see the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, (of degrees of fruition, I speak not;) they all drink of the river of water of life; all have access to eat of the apples of the tree of life, there is no forbidden fruit in heaven; all have the blessing of the immediate presence of the Lamb, and there is neither need of Sun, or Moon, or light of a candle to any; all equally enjoy eternity, there is one Lease and Terme-day to the lowest inhabitant of glory, and that is eternity; there is common to them all one City, the streets whereof are transparent gold; that the poorest inhabitants of a Town, walk on a street of gold of Ophir, is a great praise to the City: it is common to them all that they shall never sigh, never be sad, never sicken, never be old, never die; and eternal life is common to them all: and then all feel the smell of the fairest Rose that Angels or Men can think on, the Flower, the only delight, the glory, the joy of heaven, the Lord Jesus ; all walk in white, and can sin no more. Then, a public Spirit, who is for many, is the excellentest Spirit. Men of private spirits, who carry a reciprocation of designs only to themselves, and die and live with their own private interests, are bad men. When our self is the circle, both center and circumference, we are so much like the devil, who is his own god, adores himself, and would have God to adore him, Mat. 4.9. Now, Christ is the most public, relative, and communicative Spirit and Lord that is. 1. All Christ's offices are for others then himself: He is not a Mediator of one: A Redeemer is for captives, a Savior for sinners, a Priest for offenders and trespassers, a Prophet for the simple and ignorant, a King to vindicate from servitude, all that are in bondage; the Physician for the si • k: and this speaks for you, sinners. 2. Why did he empty himself, Luke 19.10. 1 Tim. 1.15. and come into the world▪ 〈◊〉 sinners. 3. Why was he a fitted Sacrifice to die? Joh. 7.19. For their sake also sanctify I myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 4. His dying was a public and relative good. Joh. 10.10 For his sheep. For, Joh. 15.13. his friends. For, Rom. 5.10. his enemies. For his Wife, to present a Bride without spot or wrinkle to God, Ephes. 5.25, 26. (5.) And he rose again for us, even for our justification, Rom. 4.25. (6.) And whose cause doth Christ advocate in heaven now? Ours. For us, if we sin, 1 Joh. 2.1. he intercedes for us, Heb. 7.25. That we may have boldness to enter into the holy of holiest, Heb. 10.19. (7.) Christ hath so public an heart, that he longs to return again, and to see us, Joh. 14.3. I will come again, and receive you to myself. A Surety is a very relative person, and for another: the head is for all the members, the meanest and lowest: and it is not enough to him to rent the heaven, and dignity a hole in the skies once, when he was incarnate, but he makes a second journey in coming down to rent the heaven, and fetch his Bride up to himself. They are hence rebuked, that so improve Christ, as if he were a Jewel locked up in a Cabinet in heaven, to be touched and made use of by none: Oh, I am a sinner, I am a wretched captive▪ what have I then to do with so precious a Lord, as Christ? But, I pray, (1.) wherefore is Christ a Savior? is he not for sinners? Wherefore a Redeemer? is it that he should lie by God, as useless? was he not a Redeemer for captives? (2.) What if all the world should say so? Christ should be a Savior, and save none; a Redeemer, and ransom none at all; for all are sinners, all are captives. Christ's very office begets an interest in the sick to the Physician: Claime thine interest, O sick sinner.

Now this voice was unknown to those that heard it, and yet it was for men that understood it not: Christ acteth for us, when we are sleeping. The people of God were to be seventy years in Babylon, and were going on in their obstinacy, yet [unspec 1] then God saith, Jer. 29.11. I know the thoughts I think toward you, (you know them not; I love you, but ye know not) even thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Many glorious mercies are transacted in God's mind, without our knowledge: Ere the corner stone of the earth was laid, he had made sure work of our election to glory, Ephes. 1.4. Rom. 9.11. (2.) The everlasting covenant between the Father [unspec 2] and the Son, that blessed bargain of free-redemption in Christ, was closed from eternity, Jer. 32.39, 40. To do us good when we are far-off, and know no such thing, is a great and free expression of love. (3.) We should be narrow vess • ls, not able to contain our joy, without breaking, if we understood [unspec 3] what an house not made with hands were prepared for us in the heavens; but our life is hid with Christ in God, it appears not now what we are. You never saw the Bride the Lambs Wife broidered with heaven, free grace, and riches of glory. Every Saint is a mystery to another Saint, and that is the cause that love to one another is so cold: Every Saint is a riddle, and a secret to himself. It was a privileged sight, even a privilege of the higher House, and of the Peers of Heaven, that John saw, Revel. 21.10. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and shown me the great City, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Vers. 11. Having the glory of God: and the light was l • ke a stone most precious, even like a Jaspar stone, clear as Crystal. Here is a Kings daughter, a beautiful Princesse, in the gold of heavens glory, arrayed with Christ ; who seeth this while we are here? everyone seeth not such a sight of glory.

If there be such an active application on God's part, that Christ is fitted and dressed for sinners, there should be a passive application on our part: O what an incongruity and unsuitableness between Christ and us! he is a Savior for sinners, we are not sinners for a Savior: he is open and forward to give, we narrow and drawing to receive. A Physician that thrusteth his art and compassion to cure, is unfitting for a sick one, froward and unwilling to be cured. We should be for Christ, as for our only perfecting end; but it is not so. Oh, men are for their own gain, from their quarter, Isaiah 56.10. Their eyes and hearts are not but for covetousness; Jer. 22.17. For the glory of their own name, Dan. 4.30. For the continuance of their houses to many generations, Psal. 49.11. For the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof, Rom. 13.14.

If Christ be for the Saints, then all other things are for them; all things are theirs: Death is a Water-man to carry them to the other side of time; the earth the Saints Inns; the creatures their servants; as sun, moon, and stars, are candles in the house for them: Providence for them, as the hedge of thorns, is to fence the wheat, the flowers, the roses, not the thistles, and all because Christ is their Savior. Verse 31. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the Prince of this world be cast out.

Two enemi • s are here judged, the World and Satan.

As touching the former enemy: We are to consider the time. Now ; 2 the enemy, the World: 3 The restrictive Pronoun; This world : 4 That which Christ acteth, he judgeth the world. But what is meant by the judgment of the world. Some understand, that now by Christ's death is the right constitution of the world, as if the world were put in a right frame, and delivered from vanity, and restored to its perfection by Jesus Christ's death. Others think by the world, is meant the sin of the world, or the sinning world; in that Christ condemned sin, in the flesh, by his death. But by the World is meant the reprobate, and wicked world, that are here ranked with Sa • an, for Christ in his death gives out a doom and sentence on the unbelieving World ; because they receive not him; as John 3.19. This is the ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) judgment of the world) that light is come into the world, and men loveh darkness, &c.

Now for the first of these: We see that Hope helps the weak; before Christ yoke with devils, hell, and death, he seeth and believeth the victory: It was now a dark, and a sad providence with Christ in his soul-trouble; but hope lying on the cold clay, prophecieth good; Hope among the worms breathes life and resurrection. Psal. 16.10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave. Vers. 11. Thou wilt show me the path of life. Psalm. 118.17. I shall not die, but live; and declare the works of the Lord. He was at this time, in regard of danger, almost in deaths cold bosom. Saw ye never Hope laugh out from under dead bones in a bed? Boylie, rotten, and half dead, Job Chap. 19. • 6. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day on the earth: Vers. 26. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God. And 2 Cor. 5.1. Hope doth both die, and at the same time prophecy heaven and life: We know, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven. Would any man say, Paul, how know ye that? the Answer is; Faith holdeth the candle to Hope, and Hope seeth the Sun in the Firmament at midnight. We know if this house be destroyed, we have a better one.

2 Hope is one of the good Spies, that comes with good tidings, be not dismayed, God will give us the good land ; [unspec 2] when they were plucking the hair off Christ's face, and nipping his cheeks, Hope speaks thus to him, and to all standers by, Isaiah 50.7. For the Lord God will help me, therefore I shall not be confounded: therefore have I set my face as flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. It is a long Cable, and a sure Anchor; Hebr. 6.19. Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that which is within the veil. Hope is Sea-proof, and Hell-proof, and Christ is Anchor-fast in all storms: Christ in you the hope of glory, Col. 1.27.

3 A praying grace is such a prophesying grace; as both [unspec 3] asketh when he prayeth, Father glorify thy Name, and taketh an answer: so doth Christ here take an answer. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out. He was not yet cast out, but hope in Christ with one breath, prayeth, Father save me from this hour ; and answereth, I shall be saved: the world, and the prince-enemy shall be cast out. Its a wine-battle, all shall be well. Faith and Hope laugh and triumph for tomorrow, Psalm. 6. Rebuke me not, Lord, in thine anger: Vers. 4. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul ; Vers. 8. He takes an answer, For the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping: Vers. 9. The Lord hath heard my supplication. Psal. 35. He prays that the Angel of the Lord would chase his enemies. And he answers himself in Antedated praises, Verse 9. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord. Verse 10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, &c. He makes a bargain afore-hand, Hope layeth a debt of praises upon every bone and joint of his body, Psalm 42. Banished, forgotten, and whithered David, complains to God, and in hope takes an Answer, Verse 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time. We have need of this now. When Scotland is so low, they cannot fall that are on the dust, and more thousands under the dust, with the Pestilence, and the Sword, and the heartbreake of forsaking and cruel friends, that not only have proved broken cisterns to us in our thirst, but have rejoiced, as Edom did, at our fall, then ever Stories at one time, in Ancient records can speak: and God grant friends turn not as cruel enemies, as ever the Idolatrous and bloody Irish have been. Yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. The Lord must arise, and pity the dust of Zion: Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth, as when one heweth wood. Though we sit in darkness, we shall see light. Some say, there is no help for them in God. O say not so, they that are now highest, must be lowest. God must make the truth of this appear in Britain, Ezech. 17.24. And all the trees of the field shall know, that I the Lord, have brought down the high tree, and have exalted the low tree, and have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish, I the Lord have spoken it, and have done it. Others say, we shall be delivered, when we are ripened by humiliation for mercy. No, its not needful it be ever so. God sometime first delivereth, and then humbleth, and hath done it; the Lord delivered his low Church, when they were in their graves, Ezech. • 7. but they were never prouder, then when they loaded the power, the faithfulness, and free grace of God with reproaches, and said, Ezech. • 7.11. Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts.

This is the lost World. 1. Because it is the judged World, John 3.19. (2.) It is that World of which Satan is Prince. The world being the damned, is the worst of the creation; which I prove from the word, and withal shall give the signs and characters of the men of the world.

1. The World is the black company that lies in sin, all [unspec 1] of them, 1 John 5.9. The whole world lies in sin ; They are haters of Christ, and all his. John 15.18. If the world hate you, ye know (saith Christ) that it hated me before you.

[unspec 2] 2. They are a number uncapable of grace, or reconciliation: which is terrible, and have no part in Christ's prayers. Joh. 17.9. I pray not for the world ; nor of Sanctification; the Comforter that Christ was to send, is Joh. 14.17. the Spirit that the world cannot receive.

[unspec 3] 3. It is one of the professed enemies on Christ's contrary side that he overcometh, and we in him. Joh. 16.33. In the world you shall have tribulation. They are the only troublers of the Saints, But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. 1 Joh. 5.4. Whosoever is borne of God overcometh the world.

4. Its a dirty and defiling thing, Pure religion (saith James 1.27.) keeps a man unspotted of the world. It is the praise of the [unspec 4] Church of Sardis, Revel. 3.4. that there was amongst them a few names, that had not defiled their garments ; but kept themselves from the pollutions of the world ; its a sutty Pesthouse: there be drops of sutt that defiles men in it.

5. There can be no worse Character, then to be a child of [unspec 5] the world. It is a black mark, Luke 16.8. You know the Hebraism; Children of disobedience: that is, much addicted to disobedience; as the Son hath the nature of Father and Mother in him: Children of pride, of wrath ; much addicted, and far under the power of wrath, and pride: So the sparks of fire are called, Job 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the daughters of the burning coal : then a child of the world, is one that lay in the womb of the World, one of the worlds breeding, opposed to a Pilgrim and a stranger on earth ; for a stranger is one that is borne in a strange land, Psal. 119.19. Psal. 39.12. Hebr. 11.13. and contrary to a child of light. Who hath the Pilgrimes sigh, ordinarily night and day; Oh if I were in my own Country. Wrong him not; his mother is a woman of heaven, she is a mighty Princesse, and a Kings daughter, Rev. 21.10. the New Jerusalem, the Church of God came down from heaven; Father, Mother, Seed, Principles, and all are from heaven. 2. There is a Spirit called the Spirit of the world, 1 Cor. 2.12. This Spirit is the Genius, the nature, and disposition of the World, 1 John. 2.16. and is all for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life ; and these be the Worlds, all things. Such a soul knoweth not the white stone, and the new name, nor can he smell the rose of the field, and the Lill • y of the valley ; nor knows he the Kings banqueting house, nor the absence, or presence of Christ in the soul; the man's portion is in this world. Psal. 17.14. within the four angles of this clay-globe.

The World, the Lord Jesus judgeth, is this World ; a thing that cometh within the compass of time, and may be pointed with the finger.

1. It is near our senses, therefore called, Gal. 1.4. The present evil world, the world that now is, on the stage: so 2 Tim. [unspec 1] 4.10. D • mas hath forsaken me, and hath loved 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the world that is upon its present Now. The World that is on its Post, and Now, in its flux, motion and tendency to corruption. 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in THIS WORLD, that they be not high minded ; this World is opposed to eternity, and to life eternal, for the which the rich are to lay up a sure foundation, Luke 20.34. The sons of THIS WORLD Marrie, and are given in Marriage ▪ Vers. 35. But these that shall be counted worthy of that World and the resurrection from the dead, neither Marry, nor are given in Marriage. Vers. 36. Neither can they do anymore, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that world ; this puts a great note of excellency on the World to come.

2. This World is a thing that comes under our senses, and [unspec 2] that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a single one creature, that we may point with our finger. Satan from the top of a mountain shown Christ, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , All the kingdoms of the World. and the glory, or opinion of them, Matth. 4.8. and it is, Luke 4.5. all the Kingdoms, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he shown him the phancie of the habitable earth in a point of time ; the life to come cannot come under your senses. Ye cannot point out the throne of God, and the Lamb, and the Tree of life, and the pure River of water of life, that proceeds out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb, there be such various treasures of glory in the infinite Lord Jesus, so many dwelling places in our Fathers house, that ye cannot number then all. The Kingdoms of this world, and the glory of it comes within tale and reckoning; I grant this is meant of the structure and dwellings of the World, but they are the settled home of Reprobate men.

It were good, if we could believe that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the world, the figure and paintrie of this house of lost men, 1 Cor. 7.30. is in a transe, and passing away; ah! are ye conformed to the World? Your condition is woeful. The World swears, and so do you, the World serves the time in Religion, and so do you; the World is vain in their apparel; the World cousens, lies, whores, and so do you; the world hates Christ, and his friends, and so do you; the World lies in sin, it is the fashion of the World, and so do you. Oh! if you would be conformed to the new World, in righteousness and holiness. 1. The in-dwellers are all the children of a King, and Princes, and their mother a Princes daughter. 2. The lowest piece of the dwelling house of that other World, the heavens, we see are curious work; any one pearl, or candle of Sun, or Moon, or Stars, is worth the whole Earth, setting aside the souls of men. 3. The foundation of the City is precious Stones, Revel. 21. &c. What fools are we, who kill everyone another for pieces and bitts of the Lord's lowest foot-stool; for the earth, the seat of the worldly man, is but the foot-stool of God.

How did Christ condemn and pass sentence on the wicked world in his death?

1. He did it Legally, in that his offering of a sufficient Ransom [unspec 1] for sin, there is a seal put on the condemnation of all impenitent men, that they shall not see life, but the wrath of God (that they were by nature under, being the captives of the Law) abideth on them, John 3.36. Because they believe not in the Son of God, John 16.9. Christ's dying day was the unbelievers Doomesday.

2. He condemneth the World, Declaratorily ; in removing the curse from all the persecutions of the ill world; [unspec 2] which was also more then a declaration, it being a real overcoming of the world, John 14.33. He hath removed all offense from the enemitie, and deadly fewd that the World beareth against the Saints. Christ's good will in dying, hath sanctified, sweetened, and perfumed the Worlds ill-will to the Saints.

3. He judgeth the World in his death exemplarily ; as its [unspec 3] said, Hebr. 11.7. Noah condemned the world in preparing an Ark. So Christ's example of obedience in dying for the world, at his Fathers command John 10.16. condemns the Worlds disobedience. Christ dying, and in his thirst, not Master of a cup of water, is a judgment of the drunkard; his dying, being stripped of his garments, is a condemning of vain and strange apparel; his face spitted on, saith beauty is vanity; his dying b • tweene two thieves saith, a high place among Princes is not much, when the Prince of the Kings of the earth was marrowed with thieves; his being forsaken of lovers and friends, condemneth trusting in men, and confidence in Princes, or the Sonn • s of men: all this is for our mortification, that we love not the World, for its Christ's condemned malefactor.

Here two things are considerable. 1. Who is the Prince of this world. 2. How he is, by Christ cast out.

The Prince of this World is Satan, so called, John 14.30. And the Prince that rules in the Children of disobedience, Ephes. 2.2. called with a higher name, 2 Cor. 4.4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . The God of this world. What Princedom, or what God-head can the Devil have in the world? or who gave to him a Scepter, a Crown, and a Throne? For Satan hath a Throne, Revel. 2.3.

[unspec 1] The Devil is not 1. a free Prince. 2. Not an absolute Monarch. 3. Nor a lawful King ; not free, because he is a captive Prince, reserved in everlasting chains of darkness, unto the judgment of the great day, Jude 6. The Son of God is the only free prince in the world, there be none independently free in heaven and earth, but he, John 8.36. The kingdom of grace is an ancient free estate; and never was, never can be conquered, not by the gates of hell, Mat. 16.18. Zach. 12.3. and in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone, though all people of the earth be gathered together against it. Sure, Christ is a free king, by all the reason, and lawful authority in heaven and earth, Psal. 2.6, 7. Hell is no free princedome, all in it are slaves of sin, John 8.34, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44. The liberty of loving, enjoying, seeing, and praising God, and leisure, or thoughts, or cares to do no other thing, is the only true liberty, and liberty to be a King, and absolute over lusts, and wicked will is the only liberty, Psal. 119.45. I shall walk 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in latitude, in breath, in liberty; for I seek thy precepts. (2.) He is not an absolute Prince. 1. He is under [unspec 2] baile, and in chains of irresistible providence: Satan's providence, in power, is narrower then his will and malice; otherwise he had not left a Church on earth. 2. He can do nothing without leave asked and given, against Job ; nor could he winnow Peter, till he petitioned for it. (3.) He is not a [unspec 3] lawful Monarch, but usurpeth; and therefore is called the god of this world, 2 Cor. 4.4. not that he hath any God-head, properly so called.

1. Its true, a black Monarch weareth Christ's fair Crown, [unspec 1] and intrudes on his Throne, in every false worship: as Levite. 17. He that killeth ox, or goat, or lamb to the Lord, in the camp, and bringeth it not to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, unto the Priest, Vers. 7. Offereth sacrifice to devils. 2 Chron. 11.15. Jeroboam ordained him Priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves that he had made.

2. To fear the Devil, the Sorcerer, or him that can kill the [unspec 2] body, (as Satan may bear the keys of prison houses, and the sword, Revel. 2.10.) more then the Lord, is to put a God-head on the Devil.

3. Satan usurpeth a God-head, over that which is the flower and most God-like and divine piece in man, the mind. 2 Cor. 4.4. [unspec 3] In whom the god of this world hath blinded the mind of them that believe not : and he makes a work-house of the souls of the children of disobedience, Ephes. 2.2. they are the Devil 's forge and shop, in whom he frames curious pieces for himself.

4. His crown stands in relations: Fathers, Tyrants by strong hand, and Lord's by free-election were Kings, of old; [unspec 4] so the Devil is a father, hath children, and a seed, Act. 13.10. 1 Joh. 3.10. the world is his conquest, and his vassals, Acts 10.38. 2 Tim. 2.26. 1 Pet. 4 3. & 5.8. are the world which he governs and rules, by the three fundamental principles of his Catholic Kingdom, which he hath holden these 5000. years, The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, 1 Joh. 2.16. Sinners hold the crown on the Devil 's head; their loyalty to Prince Satan acteth on them to die in wars against the Lamb and his followers.

A cause is not good, because followed by many. Isaiah 17.7. in that day, when the Church is but three or four berries on the top of the olive tree, a man, one single man, shall look to his Maker. Men come to Zion, and follow Christ in ones and twoes of a whole Tribe, Jer. 3.14. They go to hell in thousands; a whole earth, Revel. 13. worships the Western Beast; and the Eastern Leopard hath the far greatest part of the habitable world; Indians and Americans worship Satan. Christ's are but a little flock; ah the way to heaven is over-grown with grass, there the traces of few feet to be seen in the way: only you may see the print of our glorious Fore-runner Christ's foot, and of the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and the handful that follow the Lamb. Follow ye on, and miss not your lodging.

There is a twofold casting out of Satan ; one for his first sin, 2 Pet. 2.4. God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, Jude verse. 6. This is a personal casting out, not spoken of here: But Satan must have two hells; for though the Gospel was never intended to Satan, yet Satan is guilty of Gospel-rebellion, in that the Dragon fighteth with the Lamb, and the weak woman travelling in birth, by the Gospel, to bring forth a man child to God. And (2.) as Satan is the mystical head and Prince of that condemned body, he is cast out ; and he hath a power, in regard of the guilt and dominion of sin, both over the elect and the reprobate. Christ's death hath broken hells bars, and condemned sin in the flesh, Rom. 8.3. and dissolved the works of the devil, and taken his Forts and Castles; and, 1 Joh. 3.8. taken many of Satan's Soldiers captives. Death was the Devils Fort-royal; Hell is his great Prison-house, and principal Jail; these he hath taken, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56. Hos. 13.14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from the power of death. O death, I will be thy plague: O grave, I will be thy destruction. And these captives can never be ransomed out of Christ's hand again; for (saith he) repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. When Christ spoils, he will never restore the prey again. He hath overcome the world, Joh. 16.33. and that was a strong Fort: and he hath delivered the Saints from the dominion of sin, because they are under a new Husband; Rom. 6.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Rom. 7.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. All crosses have lost their salt and their sting; even as when a City is taken by storming, all the Commanders and Soldiers are dis-armed: and when a Court is cried down, by Law, all the members and Officers of the Court, Judge, and Scribe, and Advocates that can plead, Pursevants, Jayles, are cried down; they cannot sit, nor lead a Processe, nor summon a Subject: So when Christ cried down Satan's Judicature, and triumphed over principalities and powers, and annulled all Decrees, Laws, hand-writings of Ordinances, that Satan could have against the Saints, Col. 2.14, 15. all the Officers of hell are laid aside; the Devil is out of office by Law, jure, the Jayles and pits are broken, Isaiah 49.9. That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth: to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. Zech. 9.11. When a righteous King cometh to the crown, he putteth down all unjust Usurpers.

If Satan be cast out, we are not debtors to the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof, Rom. 8.12. Sin hath no law over us. There is a law of sin, a dictate of mad reason, by which the sinner thinks he is under the Oath of Allegiance to Satan, and his crown, scepter, and honor he must defend; but there is no reason, no law in hell, and in the works of hell. And if he be once cast out, who is this usurping lawless lord, if you sweep the house to him, and take him in again to a new lodging, one devil will be eight devils ; for Satan, thus cast out, will return with seven devils worse then himself: Remember Lot's wife, if ye be escaped out of Sodom. Look not over your shoulder with a wanton and lustful eye to old forsaken lovers, let repentance and mortification be constant.

But yet to consider more particularly, Satan's Princedom, and Satan's Power: I add yet more of these two heads,

• 1. The Power of Satan.
• 2. The Punishment of Satan.

His Power is held forth, in that he is a Prince.

• 1. In his might and power natural.
• 2. In his power acquired.
• 3. In his power sinful, and judicially inflicted.

The Devil 's Power, he was created in, both in the mind, and will, and executive faculty, by no Scripture or Reason can be imagined to be less, before the fall of these miserable Spirits, then the power of their fellow-Angels.

1. The Angels being all created holy, and according to God's image, they must have been created with their face to God, and in their proper place and sphere; and so with power to stand in their place. Now, what station can these immortal Spirits be created in, rather then in a state of seeing God? 2. Satan abode not in the truth, (saith the Lord Jesus, Joh. 8.44) and the bad Angels left, (saith Jude verse. 6.) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , their proper dwelling. These two places compared together, seemeth to hold forth that truth, and the first truth; God seen and known, though not immutably, was the first element, native country of the Angels: They must then see God and his face.

It is a bold and groundless conjecture of some rotten Schoolmen, to say, That truth from which the Angels are said to fall, was the Gospel-truth ; and that, They envied that man was in Christ, to be advanced above the Angelike nature.

1. Its a dream, that the Gospel was revealed to the Devils before their fall; for then their own fall and future misery, that they were to be kept eternally in chains of darkness, on the same ground, must be revealed to them. What horror and sadness must fill Adams mind, and the Angels spirit, if hell and the necessity of God manifested in the flesh, was revealed to them in the state of happiness? 2. The mystery of the riches of the glorious Gospel was hid, from the beginning of the world ; and the glorious elect Angels come in time, Ephes. 3.8, 9, 10. to learn that manifold wisdom of God ; and delight, in Peters time, to look into it, as to a great secret of God, 1 Pet. 1.12. We have not then reason to think this secret was whispered in the ears of the Devils, before they fell.

2. Its true, Mat. 18. The elect Angels, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , always now behold the face of Christ's Father ; for now they are confirmed, that they cannot look awry, and turn their eyes off God's face; even when they come down as servants, to the heirs of glory on earth, they carry about with them their heaven, and the pleasures of the Court they enjoy; no reason their posting among sinners should decourt them, or deprive them of the actual vision of God: But it followeth not therefore, the fallen Angels never saw the face of Christ's Father ; it follows only, they saw it not immutably, and in a confirmed way of grace, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , always, as now the elect Angels do.

• . Its no Princedom in Satan to know the thoughts of the heart; this is proper to God only, 1 King. 8.39. Jer. 17.10. Psal. 44.21. Nor hath he, or the good Angels, any immediate Princedom over the will, to know what are my thoughts, or to know one another's thoughts, or to act immediately upon free will: not because the thoughts of the heart are objects of themselves so abstruse and high, that they are not intelligible; for a man's own spirit knows the things in himself, 1 Cor. 2.11. Yea, (2.) then they could not be known by revelation; for God cannot, by revelation, cause a finite understanding comprehend an infinite object; because the object exceedeth the faculty in proportion infinitely. The thoughts of a man's heart, cannot so exceed the understanding faculty of a man, far less of an Angel : Therefore God, in the depth of his wisdom, by an act of his own free will, not from any mystinesse or intrinsical darkness of the object, hath cast a covering over the thoughts of man's heart, that they are not seen clearly to any other Men or Angels. Nor could human Societies, now in the state of sin, subsist, if but the father could read the heart of the son.

Nor have Angels, good or bad, any immediate Princedom over free will: nor would I say, Satan is the Author, yea, or the immediate Tempter to all sins: many sinful thoughts, and wicked acts, are transacted in this dark chamber of presence, the heart of man, to which Satan can have no personal access, neither with his eyes to see, nor his hands of power to stir or move in them. The heart is the privy garden, weeds grow there without Satan's immediate industry: he may knock, or cast fire-balls over the wall, or in at the windows, or send letters and messages in, but he cannot immediately talk with the heart, or act immediately on the will: we are to keep this virgin-love of the heart, to Christ ; he can ravish it, and none but he. Its the will that maketh the bargain in sinning: With all keeping keep the heart. We make away the created dominion over free-will, that God gave us in our creation.

3. Satan hath a Princedom in 1. knowledge natural, 2. in acquired knowledge. In natural ; because he is a piece of light, a lamp once shining in heaven; but now, for his sin, smoking and glympsing in hell. The natural intellectualls of the Devil are depraved, not removed. Its a question, if he can remain a Spirit, if that candle were extinct, by which he believeth there is a God, but trembleth, Jam. 2. The acquired knowledge of the Devil is great, he being an advancing Student, and still learning now above five thousand years; and he that teacheth others, becometh more learned himself: He is the great Mint-master and Coyner of knowledge, in Magicians, Wise-men, Soothsayers, Sorcerers, is a careful Reader in turning over the pages of the book of Nature, and the whole works of Creation. But still Satan studieth man, better then man doth himself: he knoweth nature, in general, may sin; and that corrupt nature, must sin: he observeth second inclinations, of humor, complexion, temper of body, disposition, ere he tempt; as no Seaman sails, till he know how the wind bloweth: and he learned that by the Prophets, and experience, which he saith, Luk. 4.34. I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God.

4. He hath a particular Princedom of Power, legally, over mankind, till Christ set them at liberty; as the Executioner hath over the condemned man, from the Judge. Heb. 2.14. Christ took part with the children of flesh and blood, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ; Vers. 15. And deliver them, who, through the fear of death, were all their life time subject to bondage. Satan, from men's sins, hath a sort of conquered Princedom, till the Son of God make us free, Joh. 8.36. And this Princedom he keepeth over all the sons of disobedience, as their father, Joh. 8.44. as the king of the bottomless pit: And we have no ground to say, that Satan at the day of judgment leaveth off to be king, because the damned and the Devil and his Angels are said to be tormented together in everlasting fire, Mat. 25. for communion in pain, maketh not Satan to have no Angels under him, or damned men, whom he torments.

Quest. But how keepeth Satan still power over Job, Peter, to winnow them and afflict them, in this life, if Christ have cast him out of his Princedom?

Answ. 1. Its mere service for the trying of the Saints, and mortifying of their lusts, not dominion, not any legal power, such as he hath over the Sons of disobedience, whom he keepeth captives at his will.

2. In relation to Satan it is a mere grant of permission; as a Noble-man forfeited for treason, and kept, some years, in prison, before he die, hath the life-rent of his own Lands, for his necessity, not by heritage as before, but by a grant or gift of grace, from the bounty of the Prince and State; so hath Satan, not by grace to himself, but by a grant of mere permission, as it were his life-rent to tempt, winnow, and try the Saints, so long as Satan is in the way to his full doom in Hell. Now, if Christ had not spoiled Satan, and dissolved his works ; the use of this power had been, as it were, heritage, to Satan, in regard the Law giveth him a sort of right over sinners, not made free in Christ. Yet I do not say, its his proper right, because Satan sinneth in tempting any to sin; yet the temptation, as it falleth passively on the Sons of disobedience, is a work of Divine justice, and as it falleth on the Saints, an act of spotless, and holy dispensation, for most just reasons known to God.

2. Satan is a prince in regard of magnificence, called a Prince, a Prince of the air, a God, for he hath a royal army under him, the Devil and his Angels, are a great host, Revel. 12.9. The Devil, and Satan, and his Angels, were cast out. Vers. 7. The Dragon and his Angels fought with Michael ; and he hath Legions garisoned in one poor man, he hath kept the fields above these five thousand years, with a huge and mighty army, both by Sea, and Land. Ephes. 6.12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities, and powers, against the rulers in the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Here be great persons in eminent places, and they can lead armies against us, and have in every single soldier, a strong garrison of concupiscence, and fleshly lusts, that war against the soul, 1 Pet. 2.11. And the flesh is a strong Fort-royal, a tower of imaginations, which exalt themselves against a strong King, the Lord Jesus, and cannot be his captives, but by the mighty power of God. 2 Cor. 10 5. The Devil is not a despic • ble and poor enemy to be despised, it is not good war-wisdom to despise a mean enemy, far more should we not sleep, but watch and be sober ; When the Peer • s of hell, and Princes and Rulers in high places, who have the vantage of the Mount above us, are against us.

3. Satan's Princedom is especially seen in tempting to sin, which that it may be better cleared. I shall shortly show what a temptation in general is. 2. Open Satan's power in tempting. To tempt is to take a trial of any, to try what is in them ; therefore the nearest end of tempting is knowledge; Now the ways or manner of bringing out this knowledge, rendereth the temptation good or ill: for God tempteth, and Satan tempteth. So Temptation is a working upon the senses, reason, inclin • tion, affections, by which any is, or may be moved under the color of good, toward that which is offensive to God.

1. Temptation is a working, or an act of stirring in the tempt • , not Physical, but Moral, and Objectiv • ; no tempter, who is only a tempter, can by any real action fire the will. Satan doth but knock, by his Logic, at the outside of the door, but cannot open. Free-will is a tender, excellent, piece of creation; and either the best or the worst of the whole creation of God. See well to it, its a work of your whole life time to watch this door.

2. Tentation is an act of moving, or stirring the powers of the man: As when wine is stirred, and wine and dregs are jumbled through other; or a Fountain troubled, and water and clay mixed in one; hence every tempted person is some way a sufferer, though he know not particularly it is so. As the Fish tempted with the ba • te, the Bird with the Fowlers song, are sufferers, though they know not; there is a breaking in upon the phancie, sense, reason, will, and affections to strike a hole in the soul; So tempting is called piercing, though the fool going to the chambers of death, knoweth not that it is for his life, Prov. 7.23. To be tempted is a matter of great concernment; illumination is most necessary here, and specially to know that God aimeth at the trial of our Faith, and other glorious ends. And that 1. Satan seeks some of his own work in us, as God seeketh to bring out some of his work in us. 2. That Satan aims to go between the believer and his strong hold. 3. That he aimeth at house-room in the soul.

3. The temptation works upon both, the inward and outward man; on senses, fancy, mind, inclination, will, and affection, but hath a special design at the soul.

4. By the temptation any is, or may be moved to sin; for all tempted, are not actually induced to sin. Christ was really tempted of the Devil, but was never induced to sin. Satan shot his arrows at Job for nothing; he lost his labor in seeking the failing, and drinking up of Peters faith. Therefore to be tempted of the Devil, or the World, is not a sin.

5. The temptation worketh under the color of good. The first Printing iron and Master samplar of tempting, hath this Character of apparent good. Gen. 3.6. The Woman saw that the fruit was good. 1. Because tempted persons are reasonable creatures, and as instinct taketh with birds, and beasts, and poor nature swayeth elements in their motion, so reason is a strong tying chain.

2. Every temptation hath a garment, or rather a shirt of truth in the understanding, and coming under the shadow and rooffe of the desiring faculty as good, nothing hindereth it to take, but a marring of the understanding, in apprehending some black spot, in the fairness of it; When Satan sayleth fair with favor of the wind, and cometh in his Whites, and in cloth of Gold, as an Angel of light, we are as readily moved often (such is our childishness) with good-like as with good. Believe not therefore a white Devil, because white. O beware to yield your tongue to lick a honey-temptation, under the veil of sweetness. Receive things rather because lawful, then because good or pleasant. 2. Believe it, there can be no reason for sin, no reason can wash the Devil to render him fair; neither thirst, nor company, can be a reason of drunkenness. An injury cannot justify every War and blood-shed; because injury is a sin, and to wash one sin with another, is as if you should wash a foul face with Inke-water. 3. Believe sin to be folly and darkness, and light of reason can be neither father nor mother to folly and darkness: holiness is white and fair, within and without.

6. The object of the temptation, in the definition; the terminus ad qu • m, is that which is offensive to the majesty of God. That we may understand this, remember four are said to tempt. 1. God, his tempting neither in the condition of the work, or intention of the worker is sin, But the Lord proveth you (saith Moses to Israel) that he might know, whether ye love the Lord your God. 2. Our own lusts tempt and lead aside. Jam. 1.14. And as fire cannot but make fire; so both in the intention of the work, and the worker, the end of temptation is sin. Concupiscence is a mother that cannot bring forth a good daughter. 3. If men tempt to sin, as a Magistrate by good Laws tempteth wicked men, the end is not necessarily sin in the intention of the doer; though no man can formally tempt another to sin, but he sinneth and tempteth to sin both ways. And when Satan tempts, he driveth ever at sin; both ways we are to fear God, to watch, to stand out, when he tempteth

2. Now we are to consider, that though Satan be sentenced already, and as a Malefactor under baile, and in chains, yet hath he leave to walk too and fro in the earth, and is not yet cast in prison, nor are we freed from his temptation, the personal persecution and malice of Satan ; as we are from the persecution of the damned now in hell, who did persecute us here on earth, but cannot now. No doubt but as the good Angels, struck the men of Sodom with blindness, so the ill Angels have the like power on the senses, a man possessed with the Devil, was both dumb and deaf, Job 2.7. Satan smote Job with sore boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown ; and so Devils have power over the senses, and bodily organs; and so of necessity over the blood, to cause rottenness in it, which must be in boils, and to alter and infect the humors. Psal. 78.49. Evil Angels were ministers of the Lord's plagues on the Egyptians. But I shall not think it a good Argument, to prove, that Angels can jumble the humors, to make many things appear without that they are not; and that they can work on the internal senses, the fancy and imagination, because we ourselves, by an act of free-will, can stir up the memory of things, and provoke our fancies to the apprehension of things. Ergo, Angels either good, or evil, can do the like. This is but a sorry poor reason, for we ourselves can do many things within ourselves, which the Angels cannot do; I know the thoughts of my own heart, when they come forth in act, 1 Cor. 2.11. No Angels good or ill can know them; I can with an obediential act of free-will, by grace, set my free-will on acts to command my memory, fancy, imagination, thoughts, to meditate on by-passed experiences of Divine favors, and sweetly solace myself in God, with these thoughts; no Angels in heaven or hell, can determine my free-will to those Spiritual acts; yet, by the grace of God, I can do it. Nor is that true, what ever an inferior power can do, that a superior can much more do ; if there be orders in Angels, a superior Angel cannot determine the will of an inferior, as he himself can do. Sure my knowledge and will are inferior powers, in comparison of Angels, 1 Cor. 13.1. Yet have I greater dominion over my own understanding and will, then th • Angels have over my understanding and will, and can know my own actual thoughts, and determine mine own will, by grace, which no superior powers of Angels, or any else, save the Almighty, can do.

I rather conceive that the outward and inward senses, humors, imagination, fancy, memory, b • ing natural agents; and Scripture clearly showing, that Angels and Devils can, and do work upon natural agents, have a power over all our dispositions, temperature, senses, fancy, imagination, memory; therefore what is natural in the acts of understanding and memory, not moral, Angels do, and may know. What heart-secrets Devils know from the disposition of body, paleness, redness, trembling, dejected countenance, are good conjectures; and surer it may be then we can apprehend, but no certain knowledge.

God only knows all the thoughts of man, and his secrets, 1 King. 8.39. For thou (even) thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men, Prov. 15.11. H • ll and destruction are before the Lord, how much more then the hearts of the children of men. He that can read hell, and destruction, and all the secrets of darkness, can also read, as a book opened at noon-day, the midnight-thoughts of all the children of men. Psal. 44.21. Jerem. 17. Rom. 8.27. 1 Thess. 2.4. Rev. 2.23. Acts 1.24. Prov. 17.3. Prov. 21.2. Joh. 2.24▪ 25. Yea to know the present thoughts is prop • r to God, Matth. 19. • . And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said, wherefore think ye evil in your heart. Nor can Angels see the present thoughts come out in action; for otherwise the man himself knoweth his own thoughts, when he actually thinketh them, 1 Cor. 2.11. else he could not be convinced of the sinnefuln • sse of them, nor comforted in the spiritualness and preciousness of them.

Its a fond opinion of some, who say, Angels can see the thoughts of the heart, when they are, but not what they are, whether they he good or bad, love or hatred ; for that is nonsense, to see Moral acts, and not be able to pass any judgment on them: or that Angels see our thoughts, but not whether they be intense, and vehement; or cold, and remiss; for its proper to God, as the searcher of hearts, to know the secrets of the heart, and all the qualities of it, that he may accordingly judge them. And if Angels see them as Moral acts, they must know the vehemency, or slowness of them, the Scripture placeth also the difficulty of knowing the thoughts, and the distance, and remoteness of them, from the understanding of men, or Angels in the thoughts themselves, not in the vehemency or slowness of the thoughts; and its but an evasion that some have, that Angels may know the thoughts, and acts of the will in themselves, but not know to what end they are directed, and that the intention of the mind is the great secret that God hath reserved to himself; because 1. The Scripture placeth the secrecy of the free acts of will and understanding in the acts themselves, and not in the intention; for so most of the actions of Men and Angels, their speaking this, not that; their walking to this City, their eating, sleeping, now, not another time, their praying, hearing, reading, shall be secrets, known to God only, not to Angels, or Men, just as the acts of understanding, the will, are, because the particular intention, whether we do these sincerely, for a good or bad end; yea, often for what end we do them, is amongst the secrets of the heart as far distant from the understanding of Men or Angels, as any secret can be. 2. The intention of all our elicit acts that issueth from w • ll and understanding, are also acts of the heart and reins, that fall under the present question, and the greatest secrets in man, Hebr. 4.12.

Neither see I any reason, from the disproportion between the knowing faculty and the understanding of Angels ; why Angels may not know the thoughts of my heart, as well as I may know them myself; nor can the reason be, as Suarez saith, Because Angels, though they have sufficient power in the facu • ty of understanding to know these things; yet have not in their understanding the species, the babies, images, and representations of heart-secrets, but with his good leave; this is Petitio principij. For the question is, how cometh it to pass, that Angels, who have the species of higher and more profound things, as of the natural knowledge, that there is a God, that he is infinite, eternal, yet have not the species of an object, far inferior, and yet intelligible, to wit, of the heart-actions of a man. 2. When I ask how cometh it, that an Angel, or a Man, knoweth not this; I ask indeed, how cometh it to pass, that an Angel, or a Man, wanteth such a species of such a thing, so Suarez saith in effect, Angels know not heart-secrets, because they know not heart-secrets. I conceive God hath laid a covering over the hearts of Men and Angels, from his own free and wise will, and reserved that secret to himself: For God gave speech to men, and a way how Angels should communicate their thoughts to Angels, and Men, which is Angel-speaking ; and this gift had been useless, if Angels and Men could intuitively read and behold the thoughts of one another's hearts, nor is it useful for the end of reasonable nature, for love and society that we know the secrets of one another's hearts, for the author of nature giveth not that by nature, which with less impeachment of love, and not without danger of contention and hatred, may by industry be acquired. And we should take heed, what is written in the book of our heart, when such a searching eye readeth it, as God ; and will one day read out to the hearing of Men and Angels, all these secrets, Eccles. 12.14. except we be pardoned in Christ, many state-secrets, many foul contrivances may come out, to our everlasting shame.

And for this cause, we are to bless the Lord, who hath reserved from Satan's Princedom, and left out of his charter any power to compel our will. Its true, Satan hath a bordering or (as it were) some out-land Prince-dome over Saul's will, in that he can sit and ride on his melancholy; so as he is moved to throw a Javeling at Jonathan, and to seek to kill David ; yet so as he, that is so acted by an evil Spirit, is blame-worthy; and then it must be presumed, he hath some dominion over his will. Acts 5.2. Peter saith to Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost? Here the Holy Ghost arraigneth not Satan, but Ananias for a lie, which yet came from the Father of lies. Which is, 1. Because there was fuel and powder in the harth before, and Satan did but blow the bellows, and brought forth the flame. 2. Because we willingly join, and love to have it so. 3. Because the act of sinning, cometh formally from free-will, which cannot be forced, but may keep out the siege without violence, but yet basely rendereth.

If Satan be the Prince of the air, and can raise mighty storms and winds, that can smite the four corners of an house, which is not like an ordinary wind, that bloweth from East, or West, or North, or South, but rather right down, Job 1.19. If he have power of floods, and seas, and be a roaring Lyon, and, by reason of his sagacity and skill in the secrets of nature, can do wonders, though no miracles, as to raise the dead, by applying actives and passives together; no question, the Lord letting loose some links of the chain he is fettered withal, he can work curiously and strongly on the walls of bodily organs, on the shop that the understanding soul lodgeth in, and on the necessary tools, organs, and powers, of fancy, imagination, memory, humors, senses, spirits, blood, so nearly joined with the soul, as will, understanding, conscience, and affections sit in dangerous neighboured, with such malignant Spirits.

It is (no question) hard enough to give an exact delineation of the length and breadth of the borders of the Princedom of Satan ; nor is it necessary, for our edification, to know all the secrets and mysteries of the Devils Power, how he assumeth a body, what he can do in the sphere of nature, how he acts upon men: Sure, he hath some in his snare, as poor birds, who are taken captives by him, at his will, 2 Tim. 2.26. and that he sitteth at the helm, as it were, of some, and acts and stirreth them so, the wind and tide of their lusts complying with him, that they cannot choose but sails, and walk according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, Ephes. 2.2. And that he can borrow tide and fair wind at his nod, and woe the soul by the shop and office-house, the body, the flesh, the senses; and reciprocally, act, indirectly, by foreign Embassies and missive Letters, on the will and understanding, and the lusts, that are domestic friends within, to draw in the senses, and the fancies and imagination, to join with him; as is clear in his first dealing with Eve. It is not his way to deal with the senses only, or with reason only, or to keep such a method, as peremptorily to begin at one before another; but in Satan's first temptation of Eve, he acteth collaterally and reciprocally; he acteth on the ear, by speaking; and on the mind, by speaking reason; Hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree? Doth he so strictly tie you? Is that reason and justice, to put a Law on an Apple? Then you may not eat of every tree, which God hath made for eating. And Satan worketh on the sense by reason, Gen. 3.5. For God doth know, that in the day ye eat, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil. And this wrought upon the sense; for its added, Vers. 6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food. And again, by the sense of seeing, Satan wrought on the will, to bring out the consent; Vers. 6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat. So Satan can make the body a tempter to the soul, and the soul and reason a tempter to the body: As when the husband is leprous, and the wife infected with the pestilence, he rendereth her a leper, and she rendereth him sick with a running botch. When the body is pampered, and the vessels full, it draweth the souls consent to fleshly lust; and the soul findeth reason, but corrupt reason, why the body should be a member of an harlot. And there is mutual help between concupiscence and conscience ; the one tempting with strong acts of lusting, the other tempting with lustful reason, showing it should be so, and may be so: As in a wa • er-work, drawing water from such a place, twenty empty buckets come down, and twenty full buckets come up, and everyone serveth another, for one common work. Nor is it a wond • r, that one Devil doth kiss and embrace another▪

The Prince of this world 's casting out, leadeth us to a further consideration of Satan 's punishment: As there is a double sin in Satan, so a double punishing and casting out. The ill Angels first sin I determine not; They abode not in the truth: They kept not their first and proper station. God made all things good, and placed them all in due and fit houses and stations, and God was the station and house of the Angels ; the Devils first I 〈◊〉 God, and left their own house; its like they would have been high • r, and aff • cted a God-head: They would not sit, contentedly, in the place God set them in. Shifting Spirits, climbing men, that would be higher then God hath placed them, and would be without their own skin, and above their own element and proper sphere, have this, as a grain of the ill seed, that the old Serpent spewed in Eve. The Devil knew how to go out of his own house, and to climb above his own proper station, and he would lead Eve up the stairs, whither he did climb himself, to seek to be like God, knowing good and evil, Gen. 3.5. The whole Creation was like a well-ordered Army, at the beginning, all kept rank, and martched in order; the Devils were the first Soldiers in the Army that spilled the comely rank, and marred the first order: the Prince of darkness, that great Lord of confusion, made the first jarring, and Sampler and prime discord in the sweet music and song of the praises of the Creator, that all creatures did sing: Therefore God the Creator, in his justice, spared not him, and his fellow-mutiners, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them unto chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment, 2 Pet. 2.4. Christ, as Med • ator, did not inflict this punishment on the fallen Angels.

Now, there is a second sin of the Devils, and that is not only the casting down of man, but the continuing without retreiting in the first sin. 1 Joh. 3.8. He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. Joh. 8.44. Satan was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth; because there is no truth in him. What, is not Satan's first sin a transient act gone and past? Is Satan this day in the very act of murthering all mankind, and of murthering Adam and Eve, who many thousand years ago are dead? Its true, the act physically considered, is gone; but morally, Satan is yet on that same sin. 1. Because he did, and doth spin out, in a long thread, the very first sin; and all Satan's life, from that day to this, is one continuated act of apostasy: In 1. the not retreiting, nor repenting his first sin, and his first murder; Satan's hands are wet and hot this very day with the blood of Adam and Evahs soul. 2. In the continuing in, and the approving of the act of his first sinning, by still envying the glory of God, malicing his workmanship and image, so as the guilt of that sin go • th along with him. Hence Christ addeth his seal, as Mediator, to the Lord's first sentence of justice, in casting him out of heaven; and in regard he continueth in that sin, and addeth new soul-murders, to his first transgression, in tempting, tormenting, hating, opposing the redemption of man, the Gospel, the offices of Christ, the Church of Christ, Christ cometh in, by his office, as his Judge, to add to his chains. In which a word,

• 1. Of the punishment of Devils.
• 2. Of Christ, as he is the Judge of Devils.

The punishment hath relation to his first sin: His first sin was against the Holy Ghost, in that being a lamp of light, shining up in the high Palace, and standing before the Throne, wanting not any wicked principle of concupiscence within, or any habitual aversion from God, looking God in the face, and beholding the first truth, he sinned against God, and therefore was made an exemplary spectacle to Angels and Men of pure and unmixed justice, without mercy, and cast down to hell without hope of a Savior, or redemption; Heb. 2.16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham.

The evils of punishment inflicted on Satan, are 1. His being cast out of the presence of God, never to see his face again, nor enjoy his favor. 2 Pet. 2.4. For God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell. Hence from this Schoolmen infer a 2. punishment, a perpetual sadness and dejection of mind, for the loss of that happy fruition of God. But I much doubt, whether sadness for the want of God's lovely presence, can consist with the extreme hatred of God, and fiery averseness, implacable wrath, and burning envy, that Satan hath against the glory of God, or image of God, or anything of God ; especially against the Lamb and his followers ; against whom he warreth continually. A sadness there may be in him, because he is a rational creature, in regard he is fallen from the good of happiness, not of holiness; but conjoined with wrath and hatred against God: and this is without question in all the damned.

2. The pain inflicted on the understanding, is the hurting of his natural speculative knowledge. Sure, if he see not God as the first truth, he seeth all deductions from the will, sovereignty, wisdom, justice of God, &c. more darkly then he did before; but, if his natural speculative knowledge was utterly lost, there should be no foundation remaining in him of wrath and envy against God, and his creatures and image. 2. His true and saving practical knowledge is lost, and in place thereof a crafty, versutious, cunning, deceitfulness and subtlety to deceive and tempt; such as is in the Serpent to sting; such a bloody instinct as is in the Dragon, in the Lyon to devour; but otherwise, the Devil is the first fool of the creation of God, and hath played the fool above five thousand years; for, in rational policy, the tempting of our first Parents to sin, though it was a master-piece of wit, was the ruin of his Kingdom: and the Serpent, even in the crucifying of Christ, did buy a scratch in Christ's heel at a dear rate, with the bruising and grinding to powder the head and life of the Serpent, and the full destruction of his Kingdom. And by experience Satan knoweth he is a loser, in tempting and persecuting the Lord Jesus and his members, yet malice having put out the light of prudence, he knowingly soweth sin, blood, wrath, in Christ's field; and in so doing he sweateth in laboring the vineyard of the Lord, to make an harvest and vintage for Christ.

3. Infused grace Satan hath not at all; because, grace supernatural is a stem and blossom of heaven: its hard to think that since Satan was thrust out of heaven, any of the fruits or blossoms of that Paradise can grow in him. Acquired knowledge Satan may have. And,

4. From this Satan hath faith against his will, Jam. 2.19. Its necessary in the specification rooted in a natural understanding; but in the exercise, as it were, forced, and compelled, he would wish to want the constraining power of a natural knowledge: so as this is a wicked faith, and a tormenting virtue in the Devil, as it is in many wicked men, who desire nothing more then to have conscience cut off from their soul. As some men are so pained with a Gangrene in the foot, that they are willing their leg be sawen off. Or like a man that hath a necessary servant, and most useful, yet because he hath one intolerable gadde, he must put him away. For light addeth fear and terror to some distracted persons, and maketh them out of measure furious; therefore ye must close door and window on them, and they are most sober when they have least light: So here, glancings of conscience serve but to make some see ghosts of hell, and terrifying sights.

5. Satan can have no hope of deliverance, but knoweth his prison-door is locked on him with a sad key, eternal despair, that so long as the Almighty liveth and is God blessed forever, so long shall he be miserable. Would sinners lend their thoughts and faith to eternity, that runneth out in so long a thread as ever and ever, and on pain, horror, and torment forever and ever, it might be they would not run and sweat so much in the way of sin.

6. Obstinacy, and invincible obduration and hardness lieth on the mind, will, and affections of the Devils ; the cause of which is his habitual continuance in, and love of the sin against the fair shining and convincing light of seen and enjoyed God, the justice of God, and the withdrawing of all grace and remedies against willful hardening the heart.

7. The breaking of Satan's hopes and counsels in all his ill attempts, his burning hatred of God, the Lambs victories over the Dragon, the chaining and bordering of his malicious power, &c. are great punishments.

8. I dare not, nor cannot determine what the fire is that tormenteth him; nor the place of hell: its more praise-worthy labor, to seek to be delivered, in Christ, from it, then to search curiously into it.

Satan 's Judge and caster out is Christ ; as may clearly be gathered from the words, Now is the Prince of this world cast out. Hence,

Consid. 1. When Christ came to the office of Redeemer and Mediator of his Church, to deliver his people out of the hands [unspec 1] of Satan, he found Satan under old treason committed against God; for before this he kept mankind captive, and found him under a sentence for it, and cast down to hell: and because Christ was God, and the same God equal with the Father, therefore he made good his Fathers deed, and putteth his seal and Amen to that sentence; and for new treason against God, in man his Image, whom God had made lord and little king of the earth, Christ gave out a new sentence against Satan, Gen. 3.25. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Consid. 2. All punishment on Satan is now inflicted by the Mediator Christ ; for since Satan came in the Play, to appear [unspec 2] a Satan and Adversary to man, he set up another kingdom of darkness, opposite to the kingdom of the Son of God, Col. 1.13. Joh. 14.30. he persecuteth the woman that brought forth the Man-child, Revel. 12.13. he goeth forth in his Instruments to gather the kings of the earth, and the whole world, to the great battle of that great day of God almighty, Revel. 16.14. and maketh war with the Lamb. Revel. 17.13, 14. He is the accuser of the brethren, Revel. 12.10. The king of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon, Revel. 9.11. He is the Arch-destroyer, and destroyeth all in relation to the Man Christ and his Church; therefore is Christ raised up a Redeemer, a Savior, to revenge the cause of his brethren, and came in the flesh to destroy Satan his kingdom and works, to enter in Satan's house to bind the strong man, and spoil him of his goods, Heb. 2.14. 1 Joh. 3.8. Joh. 14.30. Mat. 12.29, 30. Gen. 3.16. Col. 2.15, 16. And when Christ, by reconciling all things in heaven and earth to God, Col. 1.20. became the head of Angels and Men, Col. 2.9. Col. 1.18. Col. 2.10. he was stated in an headship over all the tribes of men and Angels, to confirm the good Angels that they should not fall, and to redeem fallen Men; and when all State-solemnities at the Coronation of Jesus Christ are performed, and the Father had said, Psal. 2.6. Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion, Act. 5.31. he must, by his office and Royal place, reign over the Rebells, that are mixed with the willing Subjects, and bruise them with a rod of iron, whether they will or no: And as when there is fewd and wars between two Houses, and blood on either side, there is an h • ire borne of one of the Houses to make peace between them, and take order with, and subdue the rebellious, who refuse peace, and to revenge the injuries; so were there wars between the Sovereign Majesty of the Lord our God ▪ and both Angel-nature and Mankind. Angels and Men ▪ had highly injured the Lord, and wounded his honor; Christ Jesus, a borne Heir of the seed of David, and of the Royal line of heaven, God equal with the Father, comes to the Crown, and makes peace between the Lord and Men and so far reconcileth the good Angels, that they cannot fall out with God, but stand by the grace of the new Heir; and Christ revengeth upon the Devils and the world the wrongs done to God, and subdueth both under God.

[unspec 3] Consid. 3. It is considerable, what wisdom and counsel is here in war: Satan foiled man, and subdued him as his vassal and slave, to the condemnation he himself was under; and Man must be king, lord and Judge over Devils. Angels who envied Mans happiness, and destroyed mankind, must appear personally, be arraigned, sentenced, and condemned before the Man Christ. Man was shut out of Paradise by the envy of Angels ; now hath the Man Christ the keys of Paradise, of heaven and hell, and death and the grave. Christ's garments are wet and stained, not with Edom's blood, Isaiah. 62. but (to borrow the expression) he goeth to heaven in triumph, and his apparel red with Angel-blood, and so leadeth captivity itself captive. Other Warriours take away the life of the living; but he taketh away the life of death it self. Others subdue captives; never one, save the Man Christ, subdued captivity.

Consid. 4. Victory over Devils, by the man Christ, is more glorious, then if God had interposed absolute Sovereignty [unspec 4] and Power, because mercy, grace, truth, justice, are the sweet ingredients, going out with the blood of God in it, and omnipotency is much seen, in that one little despised man of clay, totally rout • th and destroyeth Satan, and many legions, so that though Devils keep the fields, and daily sight; yet th • y can never make head again against Christ, nor win one battle, or pull one captive out of Christ's hand.

Consid. 5. Heaven is not conquered again, nor Hell and Devils subdued by a sudden surprise, or a stratagem, but in [unspec 5] fair wars, and in an open set battle, Coloss. 2.15. He on the Cross made a show openly, and triumphed over Devils.

Use 1. If God only know the heart, and its secrets, and Men and Angels cannot; we should aim and study sincerity: one witness of integrity here, is more then millions of witness • s; this one witness, the Searcher of hearts, will cast a man, though he had a jury of Angels to absolve him, and all the men on earth were on the Inquest and Assise, to carry him up above the skies, and the heaven of heavens, as more innocent then all the Angels ; and if Angels, all Angels and men were on you jury to condemn you, to be as foul and guilty, as the Prince of Devils, yet Rom. 8. If ye be in Christ. Vers. 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; Vers. 34. Who is he that condemneth? Rest upon the Testimony of no man; there be thousands fair and and spotless standing before the Throne, whom the World condemned to hell, as foul and black; we may instance in Jesus Christ, his Apostles, and the Martyrs of Christ ; and thousands, the blind world have written in heaven amongst the stars, and God's above the clouds, in the Choir of Angels, as Augustus Caesar and thousands of these, whom Jesus Christ did never own, but as enemies. O what is the worth and price of a conscience sprinkled in the blood of the Lamb? And what a precious voice is the testimony of the Spirit? And what a valide Passe and a Magna Charta, a noble testificate, is that in heaven and eternity, if Jesus Christ say, Behold, a true Jsraelite indeed, in whom is no guile.

Use 2. What is light, and knowledge, though you had as much as the Devils have, who are torches and lamps of hell for knowledge, if all your wisdom be against Christ? Its a black commendation, Jer. 4.22. My people are foolish, they have not known me, they are sottish children, and they have no understanding. Yet they are wise as the Devil is, They are wise to do evil, but to do good, they have no knowledge. They go for heads of wit, and wise men, who are deep, politick, profound State-Atheists, who can with their contrivances, roll about the wheels of two Kingdoms, and can stir the helm of Europe, and yet know nothing of God, but all their wit runneth in the Devils channel, to plot, brew, and hatch wickedness, lies, subvert the cause of the just, crush the Widow, and murder and starve the Fatherless, bear down Religion, set up a human, earthly, civil structure of Government in Christ's Kingdom. Let them go for wise men, but they are wise for the Devil, Let the Lord speak to such, Jerem. 8.8. How do ye say, we are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us. Vers. 9. Loe they have rejected the Law of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them? Can these be wise men and great State-wits, and not rather State-sots, who reject the Wisdom of God? Its now counted State-wisdom in Scotland, to patch up a false peace with Amalek, contrary to the Covenant of God, though Saul give the Amalekits, and their Kings peace, God will give them no peace.

Use 3. If Satan be so understanding and subtle, so active a Spirit, Then the Familists err, not knowing the Scriptures ; For they say, the Devil is nothing, yea, not the creature anything; but God: as (saith the Bright-star, cap. 8. pag. 68. 69.) Nothing is but God and his will ; pag. 77. There is nothing in the creature, which is not the Creator himself; and therefore the Sun is no sooner hid, but the beams cease to be; So if God hide himself, and withdraw his hand from the creatures, they suddenly return to their nothing. But as the beam and beat, though they contain nothing but Sun and Fire, yet looked upon essentially, as they are in themselves, they are not Sun and Fire, but only a certain dependant, or a Spark of those: right so the creature, though all it consisteth of, is God; yet considered in the own proper nature depends upon God, its consequently somewhat. And that Blasphemous piece, called Theologia Germanica, written by a Priest in High Dutch, and Englished by Giles Randall, Printed at London 1646 by toleration, saith, Sin and the Devil is nothing, but when the creature will challenge any good to it self; as to live, know, briefly to be able to do anything that can be termed good, as though that good thing were appertaining to it, then the creature averteth it self from God, and that aversion is sin. And the Devils sin was, that he did arrogate this to himself, that he was something, and would be something, and that something was his, and in his right and power, this arrogancy to be I, to myself to be me, and to be mine, was Satan's aversion and fall, and this is still in use. So this Author. Hell and the Devil cannot devise subtiller and vainer blasphemy; for so the creature is not the creature, the Devil is not a creature, not a Spirit, not a tempter, not the Prince of the air, not a roaring Lyon, not a liar ; and the Holy Ghost in terming the Devil an Angel created in the truth should sin. Its true, nothing hath being of it self, and independently, and as the cause of all being, but only God the cause of causes, and prime fountain of being, goodness, and actions: but hence it cannot follow, that creatures are not true beings, by participation of, and dependence from the first Ocean, fountain, and cause of all being, and that goodness and actions, may not be ascribed to them from their derived being they have from God.

2. Christ -man in ascribing to himself that he is man, that he doth the will of his Father, that he loved his own to the death, should sin. Which is blasphemy.

3. It is false for Men or Devils, and sinful arogancy to say, they can subsist, or do keep their being, without a dependence on God, the only first essential being; but it is contrary to all truth, that they sin, when they say, they are the creatures of God, and the dependent rays and beams that flow from God, and the good creatures of God (though by created and dependant goodness) they neither lie, nor sin, not commit any act of arogancie; then should it be sin to say that there were any creatures in the world, which is to belie the Scripture.

4. Its the cursed self-denial of Familists, to say, when they do good or ill, righteousness, or sin; Its not I, but God in me that doth all. And so that there is but one Spirit of life that acteth, and working in all things in heaven, and in earth, and that is essentially God, and the will of God, which is all one with God.

5. That vain annihilation, and nothinging of ourselves, in being and working, yea to the annihilating of the man Christ, under pretence of extolling God, because God worketh immediately all good and evil in us (say they) and we but suffer God's will, and when we thus are mere patient, and suffer G • d to work his will in us, we are God himself, perfect as God, conform to his will, nothing in ourselves, we being no creatures, but the Creator. That God manifested in the flesh, is God manifested in the flesh of all men, that the passion of Christ, in it self is imaginary, but Christ crucified is our pains and tribulation, which we should welcome as Jesus Christ, and so cast all our afflictions into the furnace and flames of Christ's torments. As it is said, Let that mind be in you, that was in Christ. Bright star. cap. 18. pag. 205. This (I say) is the dreadful blasphemy now Printed and Preached at London, without controlment, for the which the judgments of God, sad, and heavy, cannot be far from the Land. I crave the Readers pardon, that I named such non-senses and fooleries.

Use 4. By all means, beware of sins against light, such as the Devils first sin was. 1. To sin with a witness, in the breast, and a witness in heaven, is to laugh at Christ in his face. 2. Its the Devils back fall; he by such a sin, fell first from heaven, by staring God on the face, and out-dating light, God, Conscience, and actual conviction; the Devil, no question, by himself was warned of his sin, and how dear it would cost him, before he sinned. Suppose we, that there is a way in a mountain of ye, where thousands in former times have slidden, and fallen, and bruised all their body and 〈◊〉 to powder, would we willingly climb the same rocks, and dream we should escape the same danger? Legions and millions of Devils fell and bruised their souls to dust, on sins against light and knowledge, yet do we too daringly climb the same rocks, and sin daily, against the Sun-light of the Gospel-grace of God, teaching us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and the warnings of our own conscience; yea, too many go on against supernatural illumination, and we will but leap the damned Devils unhappy leap, we know not that victory over one grain weight of light, leaveth behind it pound weights of disposition, and bentnesse to farther provoking of the Lord: a daring boldness to look God in the face, and sin, turneth quickly in the very sin, as near, in kin, to the Devols sin, as can be; and rendereth its Devilish stonpe, and fall down before the light of a shining command, as the Elect Angels do, who receive God's commands with wings, and flee upon obedience as ministering Spirits.

Use 4. Hearden not your hearts, be not obstinate in evil, that is the plague of Devils also, men render themselves Devils ; with their own hands, they open hell and go in, and lay the Devils chains and fetters on their own will and mind, when they resolutely, and deliberately, resist God, and God in a deep judgment in them bindeth them, and they cry not ; he is deservedly a captive, who twists his own cords and chains about himself. Self-induration is a self-hell, and a self-bondage. How afraid should we be to keep loose watch over the heart, or to give the rains to our own will, to go on against God. For he 1. needs do no more, but loose an Army, and a strong armed Garison of sinful thoughts, as so many Spirits of hell, that are within the town already, and they can destroy us. 2. The Devil is near by to put in our heart all wickedness, he hath the command of the out-works; the humors, fancy, disposition, the spies, and Posts that go in and out, the Sen •• s, we have need to lay the bands of a covenant on the eye, and if the devil be master of all the Forts and Sconces wit • ou • the walls, we are in no small danger.

Use 5. From Satan's power, and opposition against us, we want not both motives and encouragements to watch. For 1. Satan is a great party; he is a Prince, Ephes. 2. And 2. a Prince above us, the Prince of the air. 3. He hath large territories; the Text saith, He is the Prince of this World. 4. He is not a common Prince, he is Prince of Kings; many of the Kings of the earth give their power and strength to him, and so he is a Principalitie, 5. Not that only, but he is a great army, Principalities, Powers, Rulers, Potentates ; we have a mighty army of Lord's and Kings to fight against. 6. The more Spiritual the enemy be, and the more subtle to come in at closed iron gates, and through strong walls, the more dangerous; Satan, for all your keys and locks, will be at the inner door of the heart, ere ever ye know of it: You watch, and he is at your elbow, and covenanting with your watches on the walls, to corrupt them. 7. When the enemy is strong, if he be wicked, so much the worse. Now Ephes. 6.12. we fight against wickedness it self, against spiritual wickedness; the more wicked the enemy is, he hath a greater mind to fire, and destroy. 8. The more active, the worse is the enemy; Satan hath no office, but to be the butcherer and executioner of justice, and hath no distractions to withdraw him, he may attend upon bloods, and soul-murders, and walketh in a circle, compassing the earth too and fro, and goeth about like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may devour. 9. He hath friends within us, every Saint is a divided party.

2. The Quarrell is not Money, civil Liberties, Laws, Houses, Lands, nor corruptible things, yet we run and strive for pence and pounds, but here peace of Conscience, an incorruptible Crown, 1 Cor. 9.25. the Lord's glory is the garland at the stake.

3. We have noble Witnesses. The Father, the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of glory, the glorious Angels, are beholding us.

4. The battle will not last for Centuries, nor for many scores of years, the issue will be quickly, death will end the controversy.

5. We have Christ on our side, he hath spoiled Principalities and powers; the Lord, the master of the game, hath promised us his might, his strength, all his forces, grace, wisdom, power, his Angels, that are stronger then ill Angels ; here Angels against Angels. God engaged against hell.

6. We fight, but with a broken and overcommed Devil, both spoiled, Coloss. 2.15. and disarmed, Hebr. 2.14. 1 Cor. 15.55.56.

7. There is little required of us to the victory, but a strong negative; consent not, render not▪ treat not with the enemy, though he fire, and kill.

8. The loss is the greatest of all, eternal misery, once fully ende, close, and make a covenant with the enemy, and ye can hardly be everable to rebel, or make head against your conqueror, but once a slave, and eternally a slave.

9. The Garland is fair and glorious, The tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God, Revel. 2.7. The hidden Manna, the white stone, and the new name, Vers. 17. Power over the nations, and the morning star. Vers. 26.27.28. To be clothed in white, and his name confessed before Christ's Father, and his holy Angels. Revel. 3.5. And he is made a pillar in the house of God, and on him is written the name of Christ's God, and the name of the city of Christ's God, Jerusalem that cometh down out of heaven, and Christ's new name. Vers. 12. And he sits with Christ on a throne, and with the Father of Christ, verse. 21.

10. The victory is certain, and ours by promise, all which should arm us with sobriety; a drunken warrior is seldom victorious, worldly pleasures and lusts are above our head and strength; and to put on the whole armor of God, and watch, and pray is wisdom.

Use 6. Let us thankfully acknowledge our obligation to Jesus Christ who hath cast out this Prince of this world. What service owe we to Jesus Christ, who hath ransomed us from such an enemy? Sure we are his debtors forever; the captives whole service is little enough for his ransom-payer.

And 1. we cannot be the servants of the World, if Christ [unspec 1] have ransomed us from this present evil world, Galat. 1.4. and from the Prince thereof. It is base to be the vassal of the tyrant, from whose hands we are redeemed; the World is but Satan's vassal.

2. He is a Spirit, who hath redeemed us from a cruel Spirit. Christ-God is a Spirit, outside-service cannot please him. [unspec 2] When corruption, like poison, strikes into the heart, and the hands are pretty clean, its most dangerous.

[unspec 3] 3. Redemption argueth not freedom from infirmities, but from such sins as are called the pollutions of the world. There is sin in all, but in the redeemed; sin desileth the actions, not the person because he is washed; in the Hypocrite it blacketh both person, and actions.

[unspec 4] 4. We cannot serve our ransom-prayer in the strength of false principles, or natural gifts, but of his own grace.

5. Glorify God, by showing forth his glory, for ye can [unspec 5] add nothing really to him, and he will really glorify you, and put a weighty Crown on your head, and also pay you home in your own coin, and declaratorily glorify you. I will confess him (saith Christ) before my Father, &c.

We have spoken of the power of Christ's death, and of his enemies, the World, and Satan. Now Christ speaks of the power of his death on the Elect, in drawing sinners to himself.

The scop of the words is to hold forth the efficacy of Christ's death, in drawing sinners to him. In which we have these considerable points.

1. The drawing it self.

2. The Drawer. I will draw, saith Christ. Christ is good, and of excellent dexterity at drawing of men to God.

3. The persons drawn. All men.

4. The person to whom; the terminus ad quem; To me, saith Christ.

5. The condition. If I be lifted up from the earth. Which is not a note of doubting, whether he would die for us; as we shall hear, but of a sure condition.

6. The way and manner of his lifting up from the earth is expounded, Verse 33. To signify, to the hearers, what sort of death he would die, to wit, the death of the Cross.

Of drawing it self; these are considerable.

1. The expression and Metaphor of drawing.

2. The reasons moving Christ to draw; the fountain • , causes, and the disposition and qualifications going before drawing, in the party drawn.

3. The manner of drawing, or the way, and if it be some other thing then justification.

4. The power and efficacy of drawing.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to draw ; as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Cant. 1.4. Draw me we will run after thee. Is first, a word of violence and strength. 1 King. 22.34. A certain man drew a bow, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Job 41.1. Wilt thou draw Liviathan with thy hook? Joh. 21.11. Simon Peter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , drew a net to land. Acts 16.19. They caught Paul and Silas 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and drew them to the market place to the rulers. 2. Drawing is by wiles, and perswation, or love; (For wiles is covered, or pretended love,) Judge. 4.6. Draw them (by persuasion) to Mount Tabor to battle. Hos. 11.3. I will draw them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 with cords of man, with bands of love. It is such a drawing as is ascribed to the Whore, (though another word) Prov. 7.21. the Whore, which made the young man to decline, with the softness of her lips, in fair words, forced him. Jam. 1.14. Every man is tempted, when he is led, or drawn aside, by his own lust, and enticed. This drawing is by wiles, to steal a man off his feet. So Psal. 10.9. A bird is drawn in the net. It is then a word borrowed from bodily strength, which draweth heavy bodies out of one place to another, by strong hand. The sinner is a heavy creature. Grace is a strong thing to pull the man out of his element. There be then in Christ's drawing. 1. Violence. 2. Perswasions of love, strong love runneth from the heart, through all the nerves and veins of Christ's right arm, to draw a sinner to God. 3. There is art and wiles, which is nothing but masked love, for wiles cannot work upon the soul to draw it, but by the taking of reason, with apprehension of good; Hope is the painted net that draweth men to Christ, and the hope of the prey draweth the Fox to the net, the hope of food, the bird to the snare. The violence that Christ useth, is not on the reason, will, or any vital principles of the soul; no principles of life, can act as principles of life, from external drawings, and stirrings, life is an internal thing; the line, and first point of the line, in motions of life, is from within, all the violence is done to the corrupt accidents, and sinful qualities of the soul, as to darkness, and sinful ignorance, to unbelief; frowardness and sourness to Christ, hatred of God, enmity of the carnal mind to the law of God ; put the will once on moving, and set the wheels a stirring toward Christ, (which is all the difficulty) and the principles of life smile on Christ, and move apace; but the corruption of will must be removed first, as suppose, a millstone were kept fast in the air by a strong chain of▪ iron, there is violence required to snap in pieces the iron chain, but none at all to draw the millstone down to the earth, it falls down of its own accord; this is but a comparison; For the will in its motion to Christ must not only be freed from the dominion of the clog of the body of sin, and these natural chains and fetters; but Christ must put new principles, and a new life, and new wings, and new wheels; and with them act, stir, and move the will, and then, he drawing, we run, Cant. 1.4.

He that is drawn to Christ, Joh. 6.44. is not altogether willing; as the fish hath no propension of nature, to be hailed out of its own element, all the propension cometh from that which setteth the will on work. A child taketh medicine, but his propension is stirred from the sugar, that pleaseth his taste. He learneth, being hired, that which sets him on work, is not the good that he seeth in the book, nor the beauty that he conceiveth to be in virtue and learning, its the apples, the babies you give him as his hire, that acteth him; nor is the will here forced. A hireling caries a heavy burden, not with a forced will, but there is nothing in the burden that doth take his heart; but the sweating under the burden, come all from money, he is hired, and therefore doth all from the stirrings of his will, that ariseth from his wages. Men's coming to Christ, comes not from their natural good-liking they bear to Christ, but from some higher principle within, and the discovered excellency, that the Spirit lays open to the soul▪