Secondly, The devils arc s])iritual substances, not qualities, or evil motions arising from us, as some have al)s\n-dly conceived. So the Sadducees, and otliers following tliem, deny any such being as an angel, good or evil ; but this is so fond a conceit, that we must both forfeit our reason, and deny the Scriptures to nuiintain it, where we find their creation related. Col. i. 18 ; the fall of some from their first estate, Jude 6 ; and the standing of others, called the elect angels. The hapi)iness of the one, who behold God's face ; aiul their employ- ment— being sent out to attend on the saints as servants on their master's heirs, Heb. i. The misery of the othei", reserved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day ; and their present work, which is to do mischief to the soids and bodies of men, as far as they are permitted. All of which shew their subsistence ])lain enough. But so inunersed is sorry man in flesh, that he will not easily believe what he sees not with his fleshly eyes ; upon the same account we may deny the being of God himself, because invisible.
Tliirdly, They are entire spiritual substances, which have every one proper existence : and thus they are distinguished from the souls of men, which are made to sul)sist in a hiunan body ; and together with it to make one perfect man, so that the soid, though when separated from the body doth exist, yet hath a tendency to union with its body again.
Fourthly, They are, though entire spiritual substances, yet finite, being but creatures. God only is the uncreated, infinite, and absolutely simple Spirit, yea, Father of all other spirits.
Now from this spiritual nature of the devil, we may further see what a dreadful enemy we have to grapple with.
First, As spirits, they are of vast intellectual abilities. Sorry man, while in this dai"k prison of the body, hath not light enough to know what angelical per- fections are; that they excel in knowledge all other creatures, we know, because as spirits they come nearest by creation to the nature of God that made them ; the heavens are not lifted higher from the earth, than angels by knowledge from man while on earth. Man by art hath learnt to take the height of the stars of heaven ; but where is he that can tell how far in knowledge angels ex- ceed man ? It is true, they have lost much of that knowledge they had, even all their knowledge as holy angels ; what now they know of God hath lost its savour, and they have no power to use it for their own good. What Jude saith of wicked men, may be said of them, ' What they know naturally, in these things they cornipt themselves.' They know the holiness of God, but love him not for it, as the elect angels do, and themselves by creation did. They know the evil of sin, and love it not the less ; but though they are such fools for themselves, yet have subtilty too much for all the saints on earth, if we had not a God to play our game for us.
Secondly, As spirits they are invisible, and their approaches also. They come, and you see not your enemy. Indeed this makes him so little feared by the ignorant world, whereas it is his greatest advantage, if rightly weighed. () if men liave an apparition of the de\il, or hear a noise in the night, they cry. The devil, the devil ! and are ready to run out of their wits for fear ; but they carry him in their hearts, and walk all the day long in his company, and fear him not. When thy proud heart is clambering up to the pinnacle of honour in thy ambitious thoughts, who sets thee there but the devil ? When thy adult- erous heart is big with all manner of uncleanness and filthiness, who but Satan hath been there, begetting these brats on thy whorish spirit ? When thou art raging in thy passion, throwing burning, coals of wrath and fin-y about with thy inflamed tongue, where was it set on fire but of hell ? When thou art hurried like the swine down the precipice, and even choked with thy own drunken vomit, who but the devil rides thee ?
Thirdly, As s])irits, they are immortal. Of other enemies you may hear news at last that they are dead which sought thy life, as the angel told Joseph of Herod. Persecuting men walk a turn or two upon the stage, and are called off by death, and there is an end of all their plots : but devils die not, they will
\2Q AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
hunt thee to thy grave, and when thou diest they will meet thee in another world, to accuse and torment thee there also.