Fourthly, They are unwearied in their motions. When the light is over among men, the conqueror must sit down and breathe, and so loseth the chase, because not able to pursue it in time. Yea, some have given over their empires, as glutted with the blood of men, andweary of the work, when they cannot have their will as they desired. Thus Dioclesian, because he saw he did but mow a meadow that grew the thicker for the cutting down, (as Tertullian speaks of the Christians martyred,) he throws away his sceptre in a pet. Charles the Fifth did the like (some say) upon the same reason, because lie could not root out the Lutherans. But the devil's spirit is never cowed, nor he weary of doing mischief, though he hath never stood still since first he began his walk to and fro in the world. O what would become of us if a God were not at our back, who is infinitely more the devil's odds than he ours ?
Section II. — Secondly, They are wicked spirits ; wicked in the abstract, as in the text, and called byway of eminency in sin, ' The wicked one,' Matt. xiii. 19, as God is called the Holy One, because ' none holy as the Lord ;' so the devil the wicked one, because he is a nonsuch in sin. In a few particulars let us endeavour to take the height of the devil's sin, and the rather, that we may judge of the degrees of sins, and sinners, among the sons of men : the nearer God in holiness, the more holy ; the liker the devil, the more wicked.
First, These apostate angels are the inventors of sin ; the first that soiuided the tnnnpet of rebellion against their Maker, and led the dance to all that sin which since hath filled the world. Now what tongue can accent this sin to its full ? P'or such a noble creature, whom God hath set on the top, as it were, of all the creation, nearest to himself, from whom God hath kept nothing but his own royal diadem ; for this peer and favourite of the court, without any cause or solicitation from any other, to make this bold and blas- phemous attempt to snatch at God's own ci-own, this paints the devil blacker than the thoughts of men and angels can conceive. He is called ' the father of lies,' as those who have found out any art arc called the father of it. ' Jubal, the father of all such as handle the harp and organ ;' he invented music. And this is a dreadful aggravation, because they sinned without a tempter. And though man is not in such a degree capable of this aggravation, yet some men sin after the very similitude of the devil's transgression in this respect, who, as Paul, Rom. i. 8, styles them, ' are inventors of evil things.' Indeed sin is an old trade, found out to our hand : but as in other trades and ai'ts, some famous men arise, who add to the inventions of others, and make trades and arts as it were new ; so there are ever some infamous in their generation, that make old sins new, by superadding to the wickedness of others. Uncleanness is an old sin from the beginning, but the Sodomites will be filthy in a new way ; and therefore it carries their name to this day. Some invent new errors, others new oaths, such as are of their own coining, hot out of the mint ; they scorn to swear after the old fashion : others new devices of persecuting, as Julian had a way by hunself dif- ferent from all before him : and to the end of the world every age will exceed other in the degrees of sinning. Ishmael and the mockers of the old world were but children and bunglers to the scoffers and cruel mockers of the last time. Well, take heed of shewing thy wit in inventing new sins, lest thou stir up God to invent new punishments. ' Is not destruction to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity V Job xxxi. 3. Sodom sinned after a new mode, and God destroys them after a new way, sending hell from above upon them. Some have invented new opinions, monstrous errors, and God hath suited their monstrous erroi-s with births as monstrous of their own body.
Secondly, They were not only the inventors of sin, but are still the chief tempters to and promotei-s of sin in the world, therefore called Peirazon, the Tempter: and sin called ' the work of the devil,' whoever commits it; as the house goes by the name of the master-workman, though he useth his servants' hands to build it. O take heed of soliciting others to sin ! Thou takest the devil's office, as I may say, out of his hand ; let him do it himself, if he will ; make not thyself so like him. To tempt another, is worse than to sin thyself. It speaks sin to be of great growth in that man, that doth it knowingly and
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