or power to preserve those impressions of joy, and comfortable apprehensions of God's favour on our spirit, which sometimes we find; as God's presence brings those, so when he goes he carries thorn away with him, as the setting sun doth the day. We would laugh heartily at him who, when the sim shines in at his window, should think by shutting that to imprison the sunbeams in his chamber; and dost thou not shew as much folly, who thinkest because thou now hast comfort, thou therefore shalt never be in darkness of spirit more ? The believer's comfort is like Israel's manna; it is not like our ordinary bread and provision we buy at mai-ket, and lock up in our cupboards, where we can go to it when we will : no, it is rained as that was from heaven. Indeed God provided for them after this sort to humble them, Deut. viii. 16: * Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he miglit humble thee.' It was not such mean food because that God is said to humble them, for it was delicious food, therefore called 'angels' food,' Psa. Ixxviii. 25 ; such as, if angels did eat, might serve them ; but the manner of the dispensing it, from hand to mouth, every day their portion and no more, so that God kept the key of their cupboard, they stood to his inuuediate allowance ; and thus God communicates our spiritual comforts for the same end to humble us. So much for this second sort of spii'itual wickedness.
I had thought to have instanced in some other, as hypoci-isy, unbelief, morality; but possibly the subject being general, what I have already said may be thought but a digression, and that too long.
I shall therefore conclude tliis branch of ' spiritual wickedness,' in a word to those who are yet in a natural and unsanctified state ; which is, to stir them up from what I have said, concerning Satan's assaulting believers with such temptations, to consider seriously, that Satan's chief design against them also lies in the same sins. These are the wickednesses he labours to ingulf you in above all others. If ever you perish, it will be by the hand of these sins. It is yom- seared conscience, blind mind, and impenitent heart, will be your undoing, if you miscarry finally. Other sins, the devil knows, are prepa- ratory to these, and therefore he draws thee into them to bring thee into these. Two ways they prepare a way to spiritual sins ; first, as they naturally dispose the sinner to them ; it is the nature of sin to blind the mind, stupify the con- science, harden the heart, as is implied, Heb. iii. 1.3: 'Lest your heart be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.' As the feet of travellers beat the highway hard, so does walking in carnal, gross sins the heart; they benumb the conscience, so that in time the sinner loses his feeling, and can carry his lusts in his heart, as bedlams their pins in their very flesh, without pain and remorse. Secondly, as they do provoke God by a judiciary act to give them up to these sins. Lam. iii. 65 : ' Give them obstinacy of heart,' so it is in the margin, ' thy curse imto them.' And when the devil hath got sinners at this pass, then he hath them under lock and key. They are the forerunners of damnation ; if God leave thy heart hard and unbroken up, it is a sad sign he means not to sow the seed of grace there. O sinners, pray, as he did request Peter for him, that none of these things may come upon you ; which that they may not, take heed thou rejectest not the oilers he makes to soften thee. God's hardening is a consequent of, and a punishment for, our hardening our own hearts. It is most true what Prosper saith. Potest homo invitus nmittere tem- poralia, non nisi volens amittere spirilualiu : A man may lose temporals against his will, but not spirituals; God will harden none, damn none, against their will.
CHAPTER XII.
SHEWETH WHAT TUE PRIZE IS, WHICH BELIEVERS WRESTLE AGAINST THESE PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESSES FOR,
In high places.
Section I. — These words contain the last branch in the description of our grand enemy ; which have in them some ambiguity, the adjective being only expressed in the original; e» fois epoiiranioix, that is, in heavenlies; the phrase being defective, our translators read it, in higli or heavenly places, as if the
J gg IN HIGH PLACES ; OR,