730 2. Deil. Ephefians, Chap.6. V E R.IO. before the eyes ofthe minde, and fo the facecovered : Ifone doe live inunrightcoufneffe and unholineffe, hound with the bands ofmany trefpatfes (whofe finsyou (hall loofe:) Ifone lie in the littlecafeofan evil! confcience, whetherhe be in a drunken fleepeand feele nothing, or if he be waking, fuch a party is in the power ofSatan; for the Devil is but the Jayler and hangman to the JufticeofGod. Wherefore let us examine our felves, and confider how it is with us : for we would bleffeour felves, we would be loth to have one mereus, come into fuch condition for the outward man,fo fhamefull, fo miferable : but let us looke our foulesbe not inworfe hands. It is fo with us,That theeye fees nor, the heart dreadsnot ; yea we count our chaises and imprifonment the only liberty ; and to know nothing, nor to care for any thing in mattersof Religion, the pleafant life. Mcn love darkneffe better then light ; and bccaufe they have ever beetle in this hell, they think there is noother heaven : but ifyou be thus impri- foned indarkneffe of undcrftanding, in unrighteoufnefiè under Gods dilplcafure 5 know this, there will come a dayofexecution tooToone uponyou. Secondly , we muff ftirre up our felves to thankfulneffe, who are nowmade light in the Lord ; for if the Devils territories reach no further then darkneffe,we are delivered fromhis kingdome, who have received the light ofunderftandingand holineffe inany meafure. This made the Apoftle, co/.1.r z. breake out into thankfgiving. Is it not amerry time when the gaole- delivery comes, when their fees are payed,when their Irons are tooke off, and themfelves difcharged,that they now may walkeat liberty it is merry with them, though they halt a little after : fo with us , though wee limp by reafon of the chains we carried fo long, we fhould tell this treafure often. The fourth thingto be marked from hence is, that the devils are called fpirituall wickedneffe, or fpirirs ofwickedneffe, that As wewill have nothing to doe with the¡mill, fo mint we flee from hiswickednefc ifwe let in bite wickedneffe we cannot brat give him entertainment : for, the dcvill cometh unto us in fuegeftions ofunrighteoufnefiè ; if wee content to them, we enterta`ne the devill. Ananias and.Iudzs , when they contented to the wicked motions the devil! infp:red into them ; thedevill is laid to fill the heart ofthe one, and to enter into theother, Lithe a 2.3. Alls 5.3. Andnot onclyofthefeenormous finners, but of all that walke in evil! : and for the devil! he bath a dwelling in them ; The ftrongmanarmed keepeth thehoule, chat. t z. yea,the godlyif they liften to wickedneffe , they give place to the devill, Eph.4. For Tooke, as when God knocked)at our hearts by a holy motion, if wee open in obeying, the Lord Both come, and further dwell in us, Apoc. 3.2 r. So when thefe wicked (pints doe reach out their wickedneffe unto us, ifwe confent to it , the come topoffeffe us after a fort , and have adwelling in us. Butyou will fay then, Whohath not thedevil! dwellingwithhim:' for, who doth not often yeild to evil! c None
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