apostle mtended to set out the advantage of place wliicli this our enemy, by being above us, hath of us. Indeed this way most intei-pretei-s go ; yet some, both ancient and modern, read the words, not. In heavenly places, but ' In heavenly things.' En tois epnuraniois, saith fficumenius, is as much as if the apostle had said, Emin pale ou peri milcron tinon, alia uper ton en iois epour- aniois pragmaton. We wrestle not for small and trivial things, but for heavenly, yea, for heaven itself, and o\w adoption as he goes on. The same way Chry- sostom carries it ; in ccelesiibus, id e.yt, fro ccelestibus Dei. And after him Musculus, and other modern writers. The reasons which arc given for this interpretation are weighty.
First, The word elsewhere indefinitely set down, is taken for things, not places, Heb. viii. 5. Nay, one observes this word to be used almost twenty times in the New Testament, and never for any aerial place, but always for things truly heavenly and spiritual; the word indeed properly signifies super-celestial, and, if applied to places, would signify, that where the devil never came since his fall.
Lastly, There seems no great argument to render Satan formidable by his being above us in place ; it is some advantage indeed to men to gain the hill, ov be above their enemy, in some place of strength, but none at all to spirits ; but now take it of things, and then it adds v/eight to all the other branches of the description. We wrestle with principalities and powers, and spiritual wicked- ness ; and against all these, not for such toys and trifles as the earth affords, which are inconsiderable whether to keep or lose; but for such as heaven holds forth ; such an enemy, and such a prize, makes it matter of our greatest care how to manage the combat. The word tlms opened, the note will be this.
Section II. — Doct. The chief prize for which we wrestle against Satan is heavenly. Or thus, Satan's main design is to spoil and plimder the Christian of all that is heavenly. Indeed all the Christian hath, or desires as a Christian, is heavenly ; the world is extrinsical, both to his being and happiness ; it is a stranger to the Christian, and intermeddles not with his joy or grief. Heap all the riches and honours of the world upon a man, they will not make him a Clu-istian ; heap them upon a Christian, they will not make him a better Christian. Again, take them aU away, let every bird have his feather, — when stripped and naked, he will still be a Christian, and may be a better Christian. It was a notable speech of Erasmus, if spoken in earnest, and his wit were not too quick for his conscience, Nikilo marfis amhio opes et dignifaf.es, qitam elumbis equus graves sareinas ; he said. He desired wealth and honour no more than a feeble horse doth a heavy cloak-bag. And I think every Christian in his right temper would be of his mind. Satan would do the saint little hurt, if he did bend his forces only or chiefly against his outward enjoyments ; alas, the Chris- tian doth not value them, or himself by them ; this were as if one should think to hurt a man by beating of his clothes when he hath put them off. So far as the spii'it of grace prevails in the heart of a saint, he hath put off the world in the desire of it, and joy of it, so that these blows are not much felt ; and there- fore they are his heavenly treasures which are the booty Satan waits for.
Section III. — ^First, The Christian's nature is heavenly, bom from above; as Christ is the Lord from heaven, so all his ofFspiung are heavenly and holy : now Satan's design is to debase and deflov/er this ; it is the precious life of this new creature that he hunts for ; he hath lost that beauty of holiness which once shone so gloriously on his angelical nature, and now, like a true apostate, he endeavours to ruin that in the Christian, which he hath lost himself. The seeds of this war are sown in the Christian's nature ; you are holy, — that he cannot endure : Miles, feri faciem, was Caesar's speech, when, to fight with the Roman citizens, he bid his soldiers strike at their face ; These citizens, said he, love their beauty ; mar that, and mar all. The soul is the face whereon God's image is stamped ; holiness is the beauty of this face, which makes us indeed like God : his Satan knows God loves, and the saint is chary of; and therefore he labours to wound and disfigure this, that he may at once glory in the Christian's shame, and pour contempt upon God in breaking his image ; and is it not worth engaging limb and life in battle against this enemy, who would rob us of that Avhich makes us like God himself? Have you forgot the bloody articles of peace that Nahash offered to the mon of Jabesli-Gilead ? no peace to lie had
IX HEAVENLY TiilNGS. ] 53