904 THE DEVIL CALLED THE GOD OF THIS WORLD. Book. IV. 8. He was broken in Judgment, he fed on the Wind, and followed after the Eaft ·wind: Hof xii. 1. He purfued after Vanity, and the empty Things of this World. And that was another of his Gray·Hairs. Many more I might mennon, they were in– deed thick upon him, he was become very gray in Wickednefs. N F E R E N C E. LET us take heed we have not Gray-Hairs upon us, and know it not. Is not England, and the Church of God in E11gland, grown here of late gray-headed? 0 what Signs and Symptoms of Ruin arc there upon us! I will leave you to find them out. Where is that Love and Zeal that was once? Is not the World got into the very Hearts of Proferrors? Do they not follow after the Wind, and purfue the !::.aft Wind? Are they not like an empty Vine! Doth not every one mind his own carnal Interell? Have not Strangers devoured our Strength? Are we not become like a filly Dove without an Heart? Is not Whoredom and Superltition among{\ us? Doth not our Pride teflify again{\ us? And is not our Goodnefs like the Morning Cloud ? Where is that Love and Bowels which Owuld be in us towards one another? Arc not fame of the Things, yea, the great Things of God's Law, accounted by us as !\range Things? Search fur– ther, and more Grey-l-Jairs will appear. Are we not divided and broken in Judg– men·? Can a Nation divided againft itfelf, long ftand ?-Are there not manv faithful Mini{\ers fnatched away in a fhort Time? Is not this the Forerunner of lame difmal Calamity ? Have not we had many fearful Signs in the Heavens? And are not the Evening-Wolves come out of their Holes? Befides all this, let every Soul fearch and fee what Grey-Hairs he bath upon himfelf. THE DEVIL CALLED THE GOD OF THIS WORLD. In whom the God of this World hatb blinded the Minds of them which beliec•e 11ot, 2 Cor. iv. 4· THE Devil here is called a God; not that he is a God, either by N"atme, or bath thi' Name conferred upon him by the Almighty, in refpeCl: of his Office; but ra– ther he is called fo in refpeCl: to wicked Men, who ferve and obey him as their Goe, and in whom he rules and works effeCtually, as in his own People and SubjeEls. Properly there is but one God : Though there are many who are c,alled Gods, yet they are not Gods by Nature; I am God and n011e elft..Unto us there is but one God: · Jfa. xlv. 22. One eternal, immenfe, infinite, and incomprehenfible Maje{\y. And this God is either confidered E((emially, God is a Spirit, John iv. 24. or elfe Perfonally, viz. t,he Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; '!here are th1·ec that bear Witmfs in .Heaven, &c. and theft thrte are one. Improperly, ( 1.) Idols are called Gods; (2.) The Ark, I. Sam. iv. 7· (J.) Ma– giftrates, I have made thee a God to Pharaoh, Exod. vii. 1. 'l'hcu jha!t uot rcdle the Gods.; .Exod. xxii. 28. the Cha!dce faith, Rab, that is, a Maller; the Hebrew E!ohim, God, as Mr. /linfworth obferveth upon the Place, is attributed to Judges and Magiflrates, Ifaidye are Gods, Pfal. lxxxii. 6. thefe are Gods by Office. (4.) Satan as in this Text, who would be looked upon and worfhipped as a God, he is properly an Angel, once an Angel of Light; God created him; and before he fell, h·· was a <>ood Angel, as other Angels are who kept their fir{\ Eflate; he is called a God; but 0 there is one Word that confines his Power and Sovereignty, and greatly degrades him, limits him, and fpoils his Divinity, makes him but a poor petty God, he is but the God of this World, both for Extenfion and Duration; he bears no Rule above, nor fhall he bear any Sway in the World to come: If the God of this World, it is by Uiurpation; he is like an audacious Traitor who rebels and !hives again{\ his lawful Sovereign, For the Earth is the Lord's, and the Fulnep thereof; Cbrilt is Heir of both Worlds, though he admits Satan to god it here for a while, he is a falfe God, an Enemy to God, and no Gml. D I S P A R I T Y. QOD is without Beginning; the Devil had a Beginning: God is an uncreated Spirit; the Dev1l an Angel and a created Spmt, I do not fay he was created a Devil, Sin made h1m a DeVIl. God can do what he_pleafeth, he hath an unlimited Power; the 3 .Devil's
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