tlie Egyptian : hence come wars ; the fire of persecution never goes out in the hearts of the wicked, who suy in their hearts as they once witli their lips, Christiani ad leoms. Now in all the saints' wars with the wicked, Satan is connnander in chief; it is their father's works they do, his lusts they fulfil. The Sabeans ])lundered Job, hut went on Satan's errand. The heretic broach- eth corrupt doctrine, perverts the faith of many, but in that he is the minister of Satan, 2 Cor. xi. 15. 'I'hey have tlieir call, their wiles, and wages from him. The work of persecutors is ascribed to hell. Is it a persecution of the tongue? it is hell sets on lire. Is it of the hand ? still they are but the devil's instru- ments, Rev. ii. 10 : 'The devil shall cast some of you into prison.'
Use 1. First, Do you see any driving furiously against the truths or servants of Christ ; O pity them as the most miserable wretches in the world ; fear not their power, admire not their parts ; they are men possessed of and acted by the devil, they are his drudges and slaughter-slaves, as a martyr called them. Augustine, in his epistle to Lycinius, one of excellent parts, but wicked, who once was his scholar, speaks thus pathetically to him : O how I coidd weep and mourn over thee, to see such a sparkling wit prostituted to the devil's service ! if thou hadst found a golden chalice, thou wculdst have given it to the clmrch ; but God hath given thee a golden head, parts and wit, and in this, propinas teipsum diabolo, thou drinkest thyself to the devil. When you see men of pov/er or parts using them against God that gave them, weep over them ; better they had lived and died, the one slaves, the other fools, than do the devil such service with tliem.
Use 2. Secondly, O ye saints, when reproaclied and persecuted, look further than man ; spend not your wrath upon him ; alas, they are but instruments in the devil's hand : save your displeasure for Satan, who is thy chief enemy : these may be won to Cluist's side, and so become thy friends at last. Now and then we see some running away from the devJ's colours, and washing the wound with their tears, which they have made by their cruelty. It is a notable pas- sage in Anselm, who compares the heretic and persecutor to the horse, and the devil to the rider. Now, saith he, in battle, when the enemy comes riding up, the valiant soldier, Non irascilur equo, sed eqiiili, tt quantum potest agit ul cqii/fe7ti pcrculiat, eqmon possideat ; sic contra malos hotn'nies orji ndinn, non contra illos, sed ilium qui illosinstigat, ut dum diabolous viiicitur, iiiftBlices quos ille pcssidet libcrentur : he is angry not with the horse, but horseman ; he labours to kill the man, that he may possess the liorse for his use : thus we do with the wicked ; we are not to bend our wrath against them, but Satan that rides them, and spin's them on ; labouring by prayer for them as Christ did on the cross, to dismoimt the devil, that so these miserable souls, luickneyed by him, may be delivered from him. It is more honour to take one soul alive out of ihe devil's clutches, than to leave many slain upon the field. Erasmus saith of Augustine, that he begged the lives of those heretics at the hands of the emperor's officers, who had been bloody persecutors of the orthodox : Cupiehat, saith he, amicus iiicdiciis superesse, quos arte sua sanaret : like a kind physician he desired their life, that if possible he night work a cure on them, and make them sound in the faith.
CHAPTER II.
V/UEREIN IS SUEWN WUAT A rRINCIPALITY SATAN UATU, l!OW UK CAME TO BE SUCH A PKINCK, AiN I) UOW WE MAY KNOW WIIF.TIIEK WE BE UNDER HTM AS OUR PRINCE OR NOT.
But against jirincipalitits and powers, ^-c.
Section I. — The apostle having shewn what the saints' enemies are not, ' flesh and blood,' frail men, who cannot come bu they are seen ; who may be resisted with man's power, or escape hy flight : now he describes tliem positively, 'against principalities and powers,' &'c. Some think the apostle, by these diverse names and titles, intends to set forth ihc distinct orders, whereby the devils are suboitlinate one to anotlier ; so tliev make the de\il, ^'cr. 11, to be
2Q AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES.