First, The saint's enemy described, that in three particulars. First, In its nature, 'wicked.' Secondly, In their imity, 'wicked,' or wicked one, in the singular niunber. Thirdly, Their warlike furniture and provision, M'ith which they take the field against the saints, darts, and they iiery. First, Here is the saint's enemy described by their nature, ' wicked.' Something I have said of this, ver. 12, where Satan is called ' spiritual wickednesses;' I shall at pre- sent, therefore, pass it over with the lighter hand. Certainly there is some special lesson that God would have his people learn even from this attribute of the devil and his limbs, (for the whole pack of devils, and devilish men, are here intended,) that they are represented to the saint's consideration by this name so oft as ' wicked.' 1 shall content myself with two ends, that 1 conceive God principally aims at by this name ; first, they are called wicked, as an odi- ous name, whereby God would raise his people's stomachs to a loathing of them, yea, provoke their pure souls to the greatest hatred of them, and especi- ally of sin, that makes them so odious.
First, They are called wicked, as an odious name, whereby God woidd raise his children's stomachs into a loathing of sin above all things in the world, and provoke their pure souls as to hatred and detestation of all sin, so a vigorous resistance of the devil and his instruments, as STich who are wicked; which is a name that makes him detestable above any other. God would have us know, that when he himself would speak the worst he can of the devil, he can think of no name for the purpose like this, to say he is the ' wicked one.' The name which exalts God highest, and is the very excellency of all his other excel- lences is, that he is ' the Holy One,' and ' none holy as the Lord.' This therefore gives the devil the blackest brand of infamy, that he is the wicked one, and none wicked to that height besides himself. Could holiness be separated from any other of God's attributes, (which is the height of blasphemy to think,) the glory of them would be departed. And could the devil's wickedness be removed from his torments and misery, the case would be exceedingly altered; we ought then to pity him whom now we must no less than hate and abominate with a perfect hatred. First, Consider this all ye who live in sin, and blush not to be seen in the practice of it. O that you would behold your faces in this glass, and you should see whom you look like ; truly, no other than the devil himself, and in that which makes him most odious, which is his wickedness. Never more spit at the name of the devil, nor seem to be scared at any ill-shapen picture of him, for thou earnest a far more ugly one, and the truest of him that is possible, in thy own wicked bosom. The more wicked, the more like the devil; who can draw the devil's picture like himself? If thou art a wicked wretch, thou art of the devil himself. Cain, as it is said, ' was of that wicked one,' 1 John iii. 12. Every sin thou committest is a new line that the devil draws on thy soul. And if the image of God in a saint, which the Spirit of God is di'awing for many yeai's together in a saint, will be so curious a piece when the last line shall be drawn in heaven, O think then how frightful and horrid a creature thou wilt appear to be when, after all the devil's pains here on earth to imprint his image upon thee, thou shalt see thyself in hell, as wicked to the full as a wicked devil can make thee. Secondly, Consider this, O ye saints, and bestow, first, yoiu" pity on those poor forlorn souls that are under the power of a wicked devil. It is a lamentable judgment to live under a wicked govern- ment, though it be but of men ; for a servant in a family to be under a wicked master, is a heavy plague ; David reckons it among other great curses, Psa. cix. 6, ' Set a wicked man over him :' () what is it then to have a wicked spirit over him ! He would shew himself very kind to his friend that should wish him to be the worst slave in Tm'key, rather than the best servant of sin and Satan. And yet see the folly of men. Solomon tells iis, ' When the wicked bear rule, the people mourn,' Prov. ix. 2. But when a wicked devil ndes, poor besotted sinners laugh and are merry. Well, you who are not out of your wits so far,, but know sin's service to be the creature's utmost misery, mourn for them that go themselves laughing to sin, and by sin to hell. And, secondly, let it fill thy heart. Christian, with zeal and iiulignation against Satan in all his temjjta- tions ; i-emcmber he is wicked, and he can conic for no good ; thou knowest the
A-Q ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.