governor for God in the creature, stands out a while, all the other powers, as will and affections, are in a discontent, (like mutinous soldiers in a garrison,) who never rest till they have brought over conscience to yield, or against its command set open the city gate to the enemy, and so deliver traitorously their conscience prisoner to their lusts : but when Clu-ist comes to demand the soul, he meets a scornful answer ; ' Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of the Most High.' ' We will not have this man to reign over us.' With one consent they vote against him, and rise up as the Philistines against Samson, whom they called ' the destroyer of the country.' 'Ye will not come unto me,' saitli Christ. O how true are poor sinners to the devil's trust ! They will not de- liver the castle they hold for Satan, till fired over their heads. Pharaoh opposeth Moses on one hand, and Israel cry out upon him on the other. Such measures hath Christ both at Satan's hand, and the sinner's. That which lessened Alexander's conquests, was, he overcame a people buried in barbarism, without arms, or discipline of war ; and that which heightened Caesar's, (though not so many,) he overcame a people more warlike and furnished. Satan's victories are of poor, ignorant, graceless souls, who have neither arms, nor hands, nor hearts to oppose ; but when he assaults a saint, then he sits down before a city with gates and bars, and ever riseth with shame, unable to take the weakest hold, to pluck the weakest saint out of Cluist's hands ; but Chi'ist brings souls out of his dominion with a high hand, in spite of all the force and fury of hell, which like Pharaoh and his host pursue them.
Use 2. This gives us a reason why the devil hath so great a spite against the gospel. Why ? because this opens a magazine of arms and furniture for the soul ; the word is that ' tower of David,' Cant. iv. 4, ' built for an armoury, wherein there hang a thousand bucklers, all the shields of mighty men.' Hence the saints have ever had their armour, and the preaching of the gospel unlocks it. As gospel-light ascends, so Satan's shady kingdom of darkness vanisheth, Rev. xiv. 16. Thei-e one angel comes forth to preach the everlasting gospel, and another angel follows at his back, ver. 8. crying ' Babylon is fallen, is fallen.' The very first charge the gospel gave to the kingdom of darkness, shook the foundations thereof, and put the legions of hell to the run. The seventy, whom Christ sent out, bring this speedy account of their ambassage : Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name; and Chi'ist answers, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. As if he had said, It is no news you tell me, I beheld Satan fall when I sent you ; I knew the gospel would make work where it came ; and therefore no wonder Satan labours to dispossess the gospel, which dispossesseth him ; he knows that army is near lost, whose magazine is blown up. It is true indeed, under the very gospel the devil rageth more in such swinish sinners as are given over of God to be possessed of that fiend, for rejecting of his grace ; but he is cast out of others, who, before the loving-kindness of God to man appeared in the gospel, were commanded by him, serving divers lusts and pleasures ; but now by the light of the gospel they see their folly, and by the grace it brings, are enabled to renounce him. This, this, is that which torments the foul spirit, to see himself forsaken of his old friends and servants, and this new Lord to come and take his subjects from him ; and therefore he labours either by persecution to drive the gospel away, or by policy to persuade a people to send it away from their coasts ; and was he ever more likely to effect it among us ? What a low esteem hath he brought the preaching of the gospel into ? The price is fallen above half, to what it was some years past, even among those that have been counted the greatest mer- chants upon the Saints' Exchange. Some, that have thought it worth ci-ossing the seas, even to the Indies, (almost as far as others fetch their gold,) to enjoy the gospel, are loath now to cross the street to hear it at so cheap a rate ; and some that come, (who formerly trembled at it,) make it most of their errand to mock at it, or quarrel with it. Nay, it is come to such a pass, that the word is so heavy a charge to the squeamish stomachs of many professors, that it comes up again presently, and abundance of choler with it against the preacher, espe- cially if it fall foul of the sins and errors of the times, the very naming of which is enough to offend, though the nation be sinking under the weight. What reproaches are the faithful ministers of the gospel laden with ? I call heaven
gQ PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD,