Book I. Cap. 4 SeCl:. l. fiiaus, whofc !i:e in this Wotld i& a vwfue. 0 friends! b ok after Heaven, for on Earth ismany a Stnre, and many a Gin, and many a plot of S:~tan to undo your Souls , and io !ubject ~ou to his Rule. · . . 3 3 . The fubjcCts ot1>erfons whom he rules, they ore t/;c dar!znefi of d:u world. (1) fuch as have no life of Grace no hg,ht of Knowledge; for by darkzufs IS meant fuch who are in darknefs, and th~y are of two forts: firll, thofe who are in llate of fin, called rbe wm·P,_ rf d"r/z!!Cfi: [<eondly , tlrole who are in (\ate of ign~rance, compared to Ephef. ~; 1i. Jarl<nc!s; Ye were fametimes dark.,ne{J, b11t now are ye ligbt in tbe Lord. But I am Ephel S· 8. difcovering the Prince or Ruler, and not his Vaffal: and therefore J fha!l pretermit this title and come to the 11ext. 4· Spi~itrul tt7ickfdncffi!· !hey are. not fiiled wicked Spirits~ or fpiritual wickeJ ones; but io rhe abllract, spmtual Wzck,sdneJJu. Oh, what Euen,Ies are thefe I r.Tbcy are Spirits, and not Bodies: it we h•d only to deal with fkfh and blood, whether tnen or Ixatts, it were not fo very much, though very terrible; but we wreiUe, not witb jlejh and blood but with fpiritual fubfiane<s, with invitible Spirits: An arm of flefb a– gainll poor fldl>ly Creatures wereooough to llartle us; Oh, what llartlin;?, frighting work have we had within thefe very few years? but how much more flutling is an atm of Spirit,, that can reach to Spirits ) that knpw how to ~ght with u> at all times, in alLcondirionr, in all po!tures; whether we are alone, or tn company, idle,-or itn· ployed; ileepin&, or waking ) that can fight invifibly, when we cannot fee them; for as their nature, !'oar< their affaults , fuch as by the eyes ot flcfb >nd blood c.nnot be fccn l >• They are wick!ine!Ju, as by nature they are Spirits, fo by their condition they are evil and malicious Spirits; fpirituJJwickfdne.!Ju, or Spirits ot wickcdnds, (i.)moll, monflroufiy wicked , aud malkious Spirits. Some obferve, that the Devil bath his name z '"v•d< , the rvick,sd ont, to denote his fpiteful nature; he is not barely wicked, bnt malicioully wicked; he canr.ot endure that Souls of men fhouiJ fare any better rlian himfelf; and therefore he makes it his trade, his delight, his main work to damn Souls. 3• Some yet go highe.r, faying, that thefe fpiriw•l wiclzedm{[e! are fuch, as p10voke men to wickedseffes of a fprritual nature; we wreftle (faith the Apof11e) a– gainfi: whcm? it is in the original "'faf Td. '.r'YiVII-If.TIX4i T1i~ ~ovceictr, (i4) a"ainft tbe fpiritual! of wic't.,tdnefi; as ir thefe wicked Spirits !lJOuld make it their grea~ defign, not only to befet us with grofs ond flefhly fins, but \Yith fins fpiritualized, or with !pi– ritual wickedneffes, fuch as unbeliet, pride, hypocrifie, idolatry, blafphemy, &c. As black as Devils are, they cm, if they will, appear as Angels of Light, and accordingly fuit their tcmpt•tions of the finell make. But what is mcat:t by the.latl word, in Heavwlinefi.? I cannot fay !'feavtnly pla– eu, but Heavenly tlmtgJ: as 1! the Apofile !hould fay , the caufe of th" f1ght is not for Earthly thing<, it is an otherwifc quarrel than is ufual with u< in our Battels: De· •ils will not tight for Lands, or Livings, for Riches, ur Mines of Gold, but for Hea– venly thin~n they would, if they oould,bereave us of our God, our Saviour, Sancti– fier of all our hopes of Salvation, and Glory of Heaven. SECT. I I. Vfi!· ~A'Rc Devils rhus mighty and malicious? then mind this, confider ~hat Enemies Vfi r; you mu!\ fight againll/ Methinks, a ferious confideration of their power fbould tatle up your hearts to blefs that God that keeps you from them. Oh, the mighty ad. vantage they have over you 1 fhould the Lord but give the Chain, what work would they make in the world > how would they rend the Heavens, !hake th~ Eanh, undo 01!1 M<n aud Women in the World in an in!tant) My Bt< thren, I would not have you drcod them too much; and yet becaufe they are !itch mighty malicious Enemies I would not have you flight them too' much: I tell you tl1ere is nothing in this inf~~iour World able to lland before them, uo Creature, no Man. The good Angels indeed can Match and Maller Devils; bur if .God J'lo!) his Angels, and withdraw his hand t.hey would quickly over-run, unquiet, unfi:ttle all the World. Oh I then maintal~ !uch apprehenfions '?f their greatnefs, as that you may for ever blefs that God, who bmds up f"ch Encma:s, that they do not the rnifchief unto which their nature in· cline> them, and inables them. Me Devil• mighty and malicious> then let a\1 tempted ones fly to God, and relie V/e 2·• E>n h" power; be they never fo mighty, .yet the Lord only is AlrniJlhty; he hath all PevHs
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