An Expofttion of the E'pijlle ~Hatred to God, and to Chri~, and their Zeal to their own Kingdom, in the pub: Serm.lii. he~ and .general, 1s made the1r ful'rome end. Revenge a~amft God is certainly ~~ their mam Sm, as he that fins agamft the Holy-Ghof'r, havmg received the Sen– tence of Condemnation within himftlf, R.qenge againf'c God is his main Luft Therefore they being united in this end, which is extra fi, and concerneth th~ publick Caufe of them all, ( as I may call it) hence they lay afide all their lower ends, and they agree to attain that encl.. And therefore, tho they eaufe Divifi– ons amongft Men; as they did between Abime!ech, and the Men of Sichem, and f() they do in Kingdoms; yet they all agree in this on.e end, of Hatred to God, and therefore in the putting of Men upon Sin, in.the nttermof'c ways they can. My Brethren, what fhould this teach us? (Give me leave to do that by the way, as I go.) Is there Umon m Hell under one Pnnce, Satan? And flull there not be Union amongft Saints, under one·Head, Chrif'r Jefus, who have a nearer relation ro Chrift, not as a Prince only, but as a Head? The Devil is not pro– perly a Head to thefe as Members. Our Saviour Chrif'r, you know, prayed for his Difciples, and fo for all others that are Saints, that they might be one, as he is one; and they fl1all certainly be on.e, one day.Shallnot Chrif'c now unite us more one ro another, that are Saints, than our own Lufts and CQrrupti8ns fhould fever and divide? I C1id likewife, that among the Devils all lower ends f.tl! down to the Publick,they arc united in one end, extra fe, out ofthemldves,fortheadvancement of their Kingdom; fi10uld it not be loamongf'r Saints? And therefore the Apof'cle, becaulc the Samts agree m one common end, he !.11th, Tho they differ in Opini– ons and Practices, (and he !peaks in Matters ofWorfhip,) one eateth, and ano– ther doth not, yet theyboth do it to the Lord. And certainly, my Brethren, when Men fee them to a1m at the f.1me common end, the advancement of the Kingdom of Chrift, (the great Subf'cantials of it ) Differences in matters of Opinion and Practice ought not to make any Difunion; it cloth not in Hell it felf. And likewile it fhould teach us to prefer the Publick Good to our private ends. The Devils, you fee, prefer the publick Good (as I may call it) cf their Kingdom, (for Co it is to them ) to their lower ends, rho they are proud enough. Therefore now, for the-Safety of a [\mgdom, for the Advancement of a King– dom, of a Church, (and thefe are mtghty thmgs,) Men fhould let all their petty Ends bow, and vail, and not go about t6 hinder the carrying on offuch a Work. Fourthly; This Kingdom of theirs, and thefe Angels he fpeaks of, they have a great Power in them. They are therefore called, the 'Powe1· of the Air; he cloth not call them Angels or Spirits only, but 'Power. And elfewhere they are called Principalities and Powers: Ephef 6. I 2. We wrejllc 11ot, l.1ith he, ag,linji Flejh and Blood : Alas ! the Power of Kings, and Armies, and· Men are nothing: 'But we fight againJI. Principalities and Powm, ag,lim1 Spiritual Wick.sdneffes ; again!! Devils, that mfimtely exceed all the Sons of Men. And .the word IS noi only ~v&p.ts, Potentia phyjica, a phyfical ~c:iwer, of Underlhnding, and Inlinu– ation, &c. but it is <(~.loc. it is Authority too. For his natural Power, Satan is called the Stro11g Man, Mat. I I. 29. A Lion, I Pet. 5· 8. of all Beaf'cs the firongeft, the fierceft. I will not infif'r much upon it: for their Authority, Prin– cipalities and Powers, and the word [Power J here includos both. The Con– fideration of this fhould teach us, (for I fl1all ftill make Meditations and Obfer– vations as I go along, that are ufeful and practical,) to depend upon our Lord and Saviour Jelus Chrift, and to be afraid, in refpefr of what Power Satan may have, to carry a Man bn to Sin. Tl1!ey are not only P01•ers in themfelves, but they are Power likewile ; they all concur. Small things, if they all unite, have a great deal of Strength in them :. Concordia p.1rvJJ res crefc11nt : But if Strength !hall unite, what a Strength wtll Jt be ! How fl1ould we therefo<c hve by Faith upon the Lord Jefus Chrift? We are weak Creatures of our felve!, but in him we are ftrong. How iliould we walk fearful of bemg enfnared by Satan? How lhould we walk with all the Armor of God continually about us? But theJ are not only Powers thus in refpeB: o,f phyGcal Power, but in refpect of Authority. All Power 1s of God, and Satan s. Power IS of God,. at leaf!, by perrniffion. He himfelf (aid, Luk.s 4· 6. that thts World was dehvered unto him,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=