they will repent and refoi-m, and what not ! but in few days they have repented of their repentance, and deformed their reformings, which shews they were drunk with some passion, when they thought or spake this ; and no wonder they reverse all when they come to their true temper. Now because Satan has many policies, by which he useth to keep his hold of sinners, I shall discover some of them, which if thou canst withstand, it will be no hard matter to bring thee out of his power and rule.
First, Satan doth his utmost, that sinners may not have any serious thoughts of the miserable state they are in, while under his ride ; or hear anything from others, which might the least unsettle their minds from his service. Con- sideration, he knows, is the first step to repentance : he that doth not consider his ways, what they ai'e, and whither they lead him, is not like to change them in haste. Israel stirred not, till Moses came, and had some discourse with them about their woful slavery, and the gracious thoughts of God towards them ; and then they begin to desire to be gone. Pharaoh soon bethought him what consequence might follow upon this, and cunningly labours to prevent by doubling their task : ' Ye are idle, ye are idle, therefore ye say. Let us go, and do sacrifice to the Lord. Go therefore and wox-k,' Exod. v. 17, 18. As if he had said, Have you so much spare time to think of gadding into the wilderness, and have you your seditious conventicles, Moses and you, to lay your plots together ? I will break the knot ; give them more work, scatter them all over the -land to gather straw, that they may not meet to entice one another's hearts from my service. Thus Satan is very jealous of the sinner, afraid every Christian that speaks to him, or ordinance he hears, shoidd inveigle him. By his good-will he shoidd come at neither ; no, nor have a thought of heaven or hell from one end of the week to the other; and that he may have as few as may be, he keeps them full-handed with work. The sinner grinds, and he is filling the hopper, that the mill may not stand still. He is with the sinner as soon as he wakes, and fills his wretched heart with some wicked thoughts, which as a morning draught may keep him from the infection of any savour of good, that may be breathed on him by others in the day-time. All the day long he watcheth him, as the master would do his man that he fears will run away. And at night, like a careful jailor, he locks him up again in his chamber with more bolts and fetters upon him, not suffering him to sleep as he lies on his bed, ' till he hath done some mischief,' Luke xv. Ah, poor wretch ! was ever slave so looked to? As long as the devil can keep thee thus, thou art his own, sure enough. The prodigal 'came to himself,' before he came to his father. He considered with himself what a starving condition he was in ; his husks were poor meat, and yet he had not enough of them neither ; and how easily he might mend his commons, if he had but grace to go home, and humble him- self to his father. Now, and not till now, he goes. Resolve thus, poor sinner, to sit down and consider what thy state is, and what it might be, if thou wouldst but change the bondage of Satan for the sweet government of Jesus Chi-ist. First, Ask thy soul whether the devil can, after thou hast worn out thy miserable life here in his drudgery, prefer thee to a happy state in the other world, or so much as secure thee from a state of torment and woe? H" he cannot, whether there be not one Jesus Christ, who is able and willing to do it? and if so, whether it be not extreme cruelty to thy precious soul, to stay any longer under the shadow of this bramble, when thou mayest make so blessed a change ? A few of these thoughts abidingly laid home to thy soul may, God striking in with them, shake the foundations of the devil's prison, and make thee haste as fast from him as one out of a house on fire about his ears.
Secondly, Satan hath his instruments to oppose the messengers and over- tures which God sends by them to bring the sinner out of Satan's rule. When Moses comes to deliver Israel out of the Egyptian bondage, up starts Jannes and Jambres to resist him. When Paul preaclieth to the Deputy, the devil hath his chaplain at court to hinder him ; Elymas, one that was ' full of all subtilty and mischief.' Some or other, to be sure, he will find, when God is parlying with a sinner, and persuading him to come over to Christ, that shall labour to clog the work. Either carnal friends, these he sends to plead his cause, or old companions in wickedness, these bestir them, one while labouring
DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. J J J