Book I\[. T H E D E V I L A p R I N c E. Devil's Power is limited, he can go no further than God permits him. God hath a jurt and rightfu( Power, Satan hath only an ufurped Power, &c. God is infinite, im– ment"e, &c. But fome may fay, in what Senfe is Satan faid to be God of this World? What \'Vorld? &c. The Word Vlforld is a controvertible Phrafe, and here I under– fiand it is to be taken for the Inhabitants of the World; I mean the Wicked, difiinCt: from the Godly. He is the wicked Man's God three \'i'ays, 1. By Devolution, they have fallen off from God to Satan, they have departed from the true God, and his Service, and have clofed in with the Devil; and fo Satan owns them to be his Subjects. The whole World is divided into two Parts, two Bodies, an? are under two Heads, either Subjeth of Chrifi's Kingdom, or of the Kingdom and Power of Satan; they are either of the Army of Light, or Regiment of Darknefs. 2. The Devil is the wicked Man's God by voluntary Submiffion, His Serva;zts )'t are to whom you .obey, Rom. vi. 16. Wicked Men are Satan's Volunteers. 3· By God's jurt Defertio.n, as they have cafi off God and his Service, and defire not the Knowledge of his Ways; fo God bath cafr them off, and fuffered Satan to polfefs them, &c. D E V I L A P R I N C E. '!'he Prince of the World cometh, &c. Johll xiv. 30. Accm·ding to the Prince of the Po.wer of /be Air, Eph. ii. 2. And tbey had a King o·ver them, which is the A11gel ofthe bottomlefs Pit, Rev. ix. I r. THE Devil is in thefe Scriptures called a Prince, Prince of Darknefs, Prince of the Power of the Air, King of the bottomlefs Pit, &c. P A R A L L E L ~ I. pRINCE is a Term that denotes Power.and Sovereignty; Satan hath great Pow~r over wicked Men, &.c. There is alfo, no Doubr, fame kind of Supremacy or Superiority amon~fi the evil Angels; we read of the Prince of Devils, He cajfs out De– vils by Beelz.ebub, the Priilce ofDevils. Allo fame of thtfe wicked Angels are called Prin– cipalities and Powers, which fignifieth Eminency of Place, above others. What Degrees or Order there is amongfr Devils is hard to find out, whatever Order there is amongO: them, yet we know he is the Mafter of mif-rule amongft Men, &c. 11. A King or Prince ruling and reigning importS a Kingdom: For what is a King .vithout a Kingdom and Dominions over which he reigns ? The Devil hath a King– dom. There is a twofold fpiritual Kingdom fpoken of, viz. the Kingdom of Light, and the Kingdom of Darknefs, called lometimes the Kingdom and Power ofDarknels. 1. His Kingdom is in the Heart.s of ungodly Men, he rules and reigns there. 2. His Kingdom takes in all the Confines and Territories of Anti-Chrifl:, and all other falfe and corrupt, erroneous and tyrannical States whatfoever, throughout the whole Earth, where his Power is owned, and his Authority fubjecred to. 3· He is faid to be King of the bottomlefs Pit. 111. The Name of fame Kings puts an awful fear upon Men: So the Name and Power of Satan is fuch, that it makes many Souls to dread and quake at the Thoughts of him. l V. Some Kings have been .great Tyrants. There is no Tyrant in the World, nor ever was, fo vile as the Devil. True, fome have afred like Devils, they feemed more like Devils than Men, as Nero, who caufed the Bowels of his own Mother to be ripped up to f~e where he lay, &c. See Liorr and Dragou. V. Some Kings are mighty in Power, and their Dominions very large: Satan is a mighty King, he hath a Power that no m;.er human Force can _!land againfl:, hence called the jfrong Man armed; none ever feemed a Match for hm1 but the Prince of Peace. Befides, he rules over all the Nations of the Ungodly, and by Force or Fraud enfiaves to his hellifi1 Scepter Millions of Souls; there is no Kingdom, or Nation, in the whole Univerfe, but he pretends to fome Right, Supremacy, and Authority in it; the World is full of his Creatures; nay there are more Souls who are his Vall"als, than the Son of God hath faithf"l Subjefrs. to X
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