21.2 Againfl thee Rulers of the fore its gates 'land alwayes open ; never durfl this fiend look into that holy place fince he was fiat expell'd, but rangeth to and fro here below as a vagabond creature, excommunicated the prefence of God, doing what mifchief he can to Saints in their way to heaven; but is not this matter of great joy, that Satan bath no power there, where the Saints happineffe lies ? What haft thou (Chriflian)which thou needefl value that is not there ? Thy Chrifl is there, and if thou loveft him, thy heart al- fo,which lives in the bofome of its beloved. Thy friends, and kindred in Chrifl are there, or expeeled ; withwhom thou fhalt have a merrymeeting in thy Fathers houfe, notwithitanding the fnare on Tabor, the plots of Satan which lie in the way. 0 friends get a title to that Kingdome, and you are above the flight of this Kite. This made yob a happy man indeed, who when the devil had plundered him to his skin, and worried him almofl out of that too, could then vouch Chrill in the face of death and devils to be his Redeemer, whom he fhould with thofe eyes, that now flood full with brinifh teares, behold, and that for himfelf as his own portion.. It is fad with him indeed, who is robbed of all he is worth at once, but this can never be laid of a Saint. The devil took away 7.4.tpurfe, (as I may fay) which put him into tome firaits, but he had a God in Heaven that put him into flock again. Some fpending money thou haft at preterit in thy purfe, in the a&ivity of thy faith, the evidence of thy fon- fhip, and comfort flowing from the fame, enlargement in duty and the like, which Satan may for a time difturb, yea, deprive thee of but he cannot come to the rolls, to blot thy name out of the book of life ; he cannot null thy faith, make void thy relation, dry up thy comfort in the Spring, though dam up the fiream ; nor hinder thee a happy iffue of thy whole war with finne, though worfi thee in a private skirmifh; thefe all are kept in Heaven, among Gods own Crown-Jewels, who is laid to keep us by his power throftgb faith onto falvation, SECT. III. The third boundary of the devils Principality is in regard of his fubjeds, and they are defcribed here to be thedarknefe of this
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=