to the EPHESIAN S. 45 The flrlt Obfervation is this,, That this great Kingdom o:Satan's elpccially li<:s, ~Ji for the matter of tt, m Sm. Its clear out ofthe coherence, Ye were dead ( fa1th ~ the Apoltle) in jiHsand treJPajJes, in which ye wnl~d nccordmg to the Prmce of tl•e . , power ofthe Air. His Princedom therefore hcs tn matter ofSm; and Men are Cub- Obferv. ' · jeCl: to him, as to a Prince, chiefly as they walk in Sin. As the K1ngdom ofChrilt co.nfilteth not in Meat and Drink, hut in RighteouuJds :tnd Peace, and Joy iri the HolyGholt: So Satan's kingdom lies not in difpofing ofRichcs or Honours;fimp· ly Co confidered, further than in order Come way to the advancing df his own Kingdom, and as Men fin in the purfuit ofthem. It was a lye theDevil ioldChrilt, when he C1id he had all the Kingdoms of the World to chfpofc of; that's proper only to God, as you have the expreffion mDan-4- 2 1. But now anhe Pope pte· tends to a Spiritual Pmt1er, and C1ith he bath power in Tempdrals in ardine ad Jlnritualia, in order unto Spirituals; Co the Devil, and tbefe Rulers of the World, they are Spiritual Wic~dneffes, as they are called, EpheJ6. but yet ui order to advance this their Spiritual Kingdom ofSin, they do deal in thegreat Aff.1irs ofthe World, and in turning things up and down: but yet !till, I f.1y, their Kingdom properly, the object matter .of it, lies in matter ofSin; and thcrefqre in Eph. 6. 12. ifyou mark it, they are [aid to be the Rulers ofthe World, oftbi.r Darkmfl, ( [o the words are to be read) that is, they are Rulers only ofthe Darknefs ofthe World, that is, theSin ofthe World. And were it not for Sin, they !11ould have no power over Men. The Princeofthi.r World cometh, G1ith Chrilt, and he hathnothi11g in lvfe; ( becaufe Chrift had no Sin.) Satan's Kingdom cloth not lie here,fi:er to torment men, for then we might fear him ; Fear him that Cdll caft both Body 4/td Soul il1tO Hell. Torment, the punifhrilent ofSin in Hell, is God's work; burihe Devil's proper work is Sin. . . Now, my Brethren, it is thus, both in Satan's intention, and in his conf!ant courte to this day: .when he firlt fet up his Kingdom,he did not aim fo muc!J to have the difpofure of all the Honours and Glory in the World ( though in order to ad– vance his Kingdom he hath done it, and he bath had it) but his princip'l aim was to fet Sin up in the World againlt God: therefore, in r John<:;. 8. Sin is qlled the worA.,ofthe Devil; that is, it is his great ProjeCt, his great Defign. Ancj the Apoltle [peaks the;-e of Satan's Kingdom in Men's Hearts: for he C1ith, th"t Chrift came to {iijfolve the worA.,ofthe Devil, therefore not in his o\Vn heart, but in Men's; Every Kingdom,you know,hath an Inrerelt ofState; and lf Men be true to their lnterelt, they follow it clofe, and purfue that above all things elfe: Why the In~ terelt of State that is in Satan's Kingdo..1is tO advance Sin: Therefore while you walk in Sin, you w'lk according t:> ,the Prince of the power ofthe Air. There is this difference between·us poor men, that are by nature the Captives ofthis great Prince, and the Prince hinifelf: We are gulled the niolt.extremely that can be; our deltgn is, tO have Riches, Honours, and Plenfi.1res here in the World: we do not aim to fin ( unlcfs it be fuch as have finn'd againlt the holy· Gholt) we would be glad to have thefe things without fin : But becaufe we aim at thefe things, and cannot attain tHem without Sin, therefore it is that we fin; But it is otherwife with Satan; for to have Men fin agoinfl God is his great defign;. it is the Kingdom that he hath fer up. Therefore now we are like a company of poor filly Rebels~ that are led into the field by a_n arch Traitor, 'nd fome go for Plunder and Spoil; but he goes to yex hJS Prmce, to oppofc h1m, to rebel again{( him. And that's the great Defign ofthis great Mmiarch the Devil. Now, my Brethren; the Meditation that you may have for your ufe fi·om hence is this, and it is next to the Glory ofGod and the Difhonour ofGod, the greatelt Confideration can be had in the World to deter aMan from Sin, confider but this;· That by finning ye do' plearure the Devil ten thou[and times more than your felves. Therefore faith Chrilt, his !ttftsye will do; and when ye do his lufts, that which hewould have you do,you give him CitisfaCl:ion,yon bring hiin in ple~fure ,, you advance his kingdollJ. It is the motive that John ufeth why Me11 !110uld not fin; Sin,.faith he, is the Devil's work, artd wiH you advance his defign ~ t John 3: 8, If y-;m mark the Coherence, it is clearly fo. And it is the work of Chrilt td ddfolve Sm; He hath appeared (faith he) .to dijfolve Ihe worA.,oflhe De'vil, in the fa~e ,rlace.. So that now;as Chrilt's Kingdom and his Powe.r lies, and the intenli oftt IS to dt!folve Sin; [o the Devil's kingdom; and his aim IS to fet up' Sin, All ·.~m
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