2g OfSatanrfitrength. tie andpower ouerthe faithful!, that it is limited andreflrai- ned in refpeéì of the meanef}creatures; for a whole legion ofdiuelscould not fomuch as enter intooneheard offesine, . till by carnet} intreatie they had obtained leaue ofour Sa- uiourChrif,Luk.8.3 1.32. And therforemuch leffe canthey . preuaile againf}anyofGodschildren, feeing thevery haires oftheirhead are numbred, Matth.io.29. Well may Satan malignevs and earnef}lie delire our deftru6lion,wellmay he feeke to lift vs like wheate,as heedid `Peter; butour Sauiour Chrifmaketh interceflion for vs, fo that our faith Thal neuer faile,Luk.22.3I. This alto is manifeft by plaine teftimonies, Iude 6. it is faid,that the Lord hath reprised the wicked angels in euerla- flingchains vnderdarknes,vnto the judgement ofthegreat lay. 2.Pet.2.4. Godfeared not the Angels that hadfinned, but cal themdonne Into hell,anddelivered them into chainsofdarknes tobekept vntodamnation.SoApoc.2o.2. Satan is faid to haue been bound by the Angell ofthe Lord fora thoufand yeres, fo that hee couldnot flirre till the Lordfuffered him to bee loofed.Byall which the holie Ghoft noteth vnto vs, that Sa- tan is no moreable todoe vs hurt, then a malefa&or who beingboundhandandfoote iscal into a deepe dungeon,or then a band-dogwhich is fafl tied vp in flrongchaines, till the Lord loofethhimandgiuethhim leave. Buthere fome man mayobieét, that Satan is Paid in the Scriptures,to refill Godand to oppofe himfelfe againf} him, andeucn to fight a battaile againf our Sauiour Chrif}him- felfe andhis bleffedAngels,Apoc. r 2.7. I anfwere, that this refif}ance and fight dependeth on Gods permit lue proui- dence,neither couldhe fómuch as flirre.againfl God, ifhee did not fuller him. He is indeedemof}' malitiouflie difpofed againf the Lord, and by this his malice is firred vp to doe thofe things which hee thinketh moll difpleafant in Gods eies:but becaufe the Lord chaineth and curbeth him inwith his omnipotent power, he is onelyable to doe thofe things that Godpermitteth him, and, will he nill he,he is confirai- ned to obeyhis Creator and tobe at his commandement. Seeing therefore Satans power is refrainedby the om- nipotent
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=