in Contriving Man's i(edemption. him at his pleafure. Tn th~ rime of Chritt greJt numbers wer~ polfell:: For t~e. Devil ~-----. perceiv ing rhc Ruin of his Kingdom approaching, would extend the Limics of 1t here, Ch 'P· '10. and by rhe pertect po~etiin~ of Sinners, begin their Torment, whkh is one Aft of his~ P rincipll ity. The cak of rhofe Perfons was mof\ compailionable. fo r in that clofe Fight the Soul was difarmed of its defe-nfive Vv'eapons, being hindered in a grear meafure of the free ufe of irs Faculties. Whereas in orher Temptations he Works by ourward Objects at a dill:ance, here he makes a violent affault on both parts. 'Tis the true anticipation of Hell, fo rthe polfell: Per[on is not exempted from Suffering, the Privilec~ge of De.Hh., nor enjoys the free Power of doing the etfe{l- of Life. Now the ejeCting of this Enemy was above rhe force of any humane means; nomJ.terial Applications had power over immater ial Spirits. But our Saviour by a Word commanded 1hem forth of their Garirons: and the Evangelif\s ob[erve that the light of it a!felled the People, in an extraordinary manner above what his other Miracles did . 'fis f.1.id, Mat. 1. 2 7, 29. they wen all .wutzed, in fo much that they qucjlioned among themfelvcJ, faling, l'llhat thing iJ tbis, rvhat new Doarifle i.r this? For with Authority roi;Wlel11deth he even the uncletm SpiritJ, and they obey him. His Empire over evil Spirits was more admired th::m over Difeares, or Death it ftlf. Thofe who were inrenfi,ble of his tmmer Miracles, received impreffion from rh is : They were ajlo11ijhed at the Mighty Power ofGod, confij}illg t!Jat it was never fo Jceu ill f/1-t~ef, Luk. 9· 43· And another time they faid, Is notth;; tbe So11 of David? (Mflt.9·33 ) i. e. tbe Meffiah. The Pharifees, his obfiinate Enemies, were more troubled abcut this, than any other Altion; and to elude the prefent Conviltion tl)at he came frdm God, a:Cribed it to a fecret compatl: with Beelzeb~tb, as if there were a collufion between the Evil Spirits, a ]effer Oevil retired that the Prince might reign. But fo great was the Evidence of the Spiri' of God in that aCt of Jurifdietion over the Devils, that our Saviour charges them with unpardonable Guilt for their wilful denying it. The number of his Miracles was [o great, that St. 'John faith, If all >vere written, the l'Vorld could not contain the Book.! . We may in part conjeCture how numetom they were, by taking notice how many he performed in one day. He dined '"ith Matthew at Caperna~tm, Mar. 9· 1 0, 11. whil{l he was there, Jairus entreats him to go to his Daughter newly dead, v. 18. as he went, the Woman with the Bloody !tfue touch'cl the Hem of his Garment, and was healed, v . 20, 21, 22. he raifed the dead Maid ; in his returning he cured two blind Men, and immediately after cafi out rhe Devil from one that was Dumb. And in all there miraculous Operations the Glory of God"s Power was clearly manifef\ed. 4· The Divine Power admirably appeared in making the Death of Chrif\ viCtorious over all our Spiritual Enemies. Now to fhew what an eminent degree of Power was txercifed in the effetling this, we muft confider, that after Satan was can out of Heaven for his Rebellion, he [et up a Throne on the Earth, and ufurp'd an abfolute Empire over Mankind. His PowerwasGreat, andhisMalicewasequal to his Power. The ApoJIIe repre[ents him with his black Army, cphe[. 6 12. under the titles of Principfllitiet and Porvers, the Rttfers ·of the Dark.,zefs of this World, fpirit1Ml t·Vickedncffes in heavenly Places; as in refpel:t of the Order among them, [o in re[pe{t of their Dominion they exercifed in the World. His Principality bath two parts: To tempt Men powerfully to lin, and to execute the Wrath ofGod upon them. He work_s ejfetl~talfJ in the Children of Difobedience. He tires their Luf\s, and by ,the thick afcending Smoke darkens their Minds, and hurries them to do the vilef\ ACl:ions. And he hath the Po,ver of De.th, to torment Sinners; God juf\ly permitting him to exerci[e his Cruelty upon tho[e who comply with his Temptations. Now in the Time of Chrifl, [eeing many ravilbed out of his hands, and tranOated into rhe Kingdom of God, he grew Jealous of his Stare, and by his lnf\rumenrs brought him to a cruel and "fbameful Death. He then in appearance obtained a compleat Conquef\, but in Truth was abfolutely overcome. And from heuce the glorious Power of Chrif\ is mof\. clearly manifef\ed. As he that will take the_ height of a Mountain _muf\ de[cen?' to the lowef\ part of the Valley, where fixmg bts lnf\rument, he may d>fcover the aiflance from the Foot to rhe top of it: So we_muO: de_fcend to ~he lowel1 degree of our Saviour's Aba[emenr, w underfbnd the he_1ght of hts ~xaltat10n. By Death ?e overcan1e k;m that had the Power of De at~, that 11, the Devil, Heb. 2. T 4· For h1s cruel Emptre was founded in Man's Sin; Jus Greatnefs was builr o~ our !1-uins. All the penal 8v ils he brings on Mankind are upon ~he Account of ~ur OtfobedJe~ce, an? his mighty Power in Teniprations , is from our mward Corruptton ; Orhenv1fe he nnght furround, but could not furprife us. Now ~he Lord Chrif\ by his Death hath taken away the Guilt and Power of Sin: The Guilt m endurmg ~he Cur[e of the Law, and thereby [atistying Eternal Juflice, which all theCreatures m Heaven and Earth could not do: and the Power of it, B1 cmeijjing Ii
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