a strong wind to spread and carry it on its wings, whither will it fly ? Oh, how hard to quench it ! A whole legion of devils are as soon cast out of the body as one lust out of the soul ; yea, sooner. Satan likes his lodging better in the heart than in the house. He came the more willingly out of the man into the swine. Matt. viii. 31, because, by coming oiit of his body, and contenting himself awhile with a meaner house, he hoped for a fairer way thereby to get fuller possession of their souls, which indeed he obtained, Christ leaving them most justly to his rule, who were so soon weary of his sweet company. Now the word is the only weapon (like Goliath's sword, none to equal this,) for the hewing down and cutting off this stubborn enemy. The word of God can master our lusts Avhen they are in their greatest pride : if ever lust rageth at one time more than another, it is when youthful blood boils in oiu- veins. Youth is giddy, and lust then is hot and impetuous : his sun is climbing higher still, and he thinks it a great while to night ; so that it must be a strong arm that brings a young man off his lusts, who hath his palate at best advantage to taste sensvial pleasure : the vigeur of his strength affords him more of the delights of the flesh than crippled age can expect, and he is farther from the fear of death's gun-shot, as he thinks, than old men who are upon the very brink of the grave, and carry the scent of the earth about them, into which they are suddenly to be resolved. Well, let the word of God meet this young gallant in all his bravery, with his feast of sensual delights before him, and but whisper a few syllables in his ear, give his conscience but a prick with the point of its sword, and it shall make him fly in as great haste from them all, as Absalom's brethren did from their feast when they saw Ammon their brother murdered at the table. When David would give the young man a receipt to cure him of his lusts, how he may cleanse his whole course and way, he bids him only wash in this Jordan, Psa. cxix. 9. By what means, or ' wherewithal shall a yoimg man cleanse his way ? By taking heed thereto, according to thy word.' It is called the 'rod of his strength,' Psa. ex. 2. God, we know, wrought these great miracles whereby he plagued the Egyptians and saved the Israelites, with the rod in Moses's hand : by that he tamed proud Pharaoh, making him and his people at last to let go their hold of the Israelites, yea, in a manner to thrust them out from them, and be as glad of their room as before of their comjjany ; by that he divided the sea for Israel's passage, and covered the Egyptians in its waves; by that he smote the rock; and by this rod of his word he doth as great wonders in the souls of men ; by this he smites their consciences, cleaves the rocks of their hard hearts, divides the waves of their lusts, and brings poor sinners from under the power of sin and Satan. Never could Austin get a jail delivery from his lusts till he heard that voice, Tolle lege, tolle lege; upon which, as himself tells us, [Lib. Confess, viii.,) he presently took up the Bible, and that one place, Rom. xiii., to which his eye was directed, like a mighty earthquake so shook the powers of his soul, that the prison-doors of his heart immediately flew open, and those chains of lusts which, with all his skill and strength, he could never file off, did now on a sudden fall off. Never man, by his own confession, was more a slave to his lusts, and tied with a stronger chain of delight to them, than himself; as he saith, he tumbled in the puddle of his filthy lusts with as much delight as if he had been rolling in a bed of spices, and anointing himself with the most precious ointments; yet this one word came with such a commanding power to him, that it tore them out of his very heart, and turned his love into a cordial hatred of them, who before would have sooner let his heart be plucked out of his bosom, than to be deprived of these. And as the word is the weapon by which he with a strong hand brings poor sinners out of the power of Satan and sin into a state of freedom, so he uses it to defend his saints from all after-storms of temptations. David will tell us how he stood upon his guard, and made good his ground against his enemy, Psa. xvii. 4 : ' Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer:' as if he had said. Would you know how it comes to pass that I escape those ungodly works and practices which men ordinarily take liberty to do ? I must ascribe it to the good word of God ; it is this I consult with, and by it I am kept from those foul ways whereinto others, that make no use of the word for their defence, are carried by Satan the destroyer. Can we go against sin and Satan with a better weapon than Christ used to vanquish tlie tempter with? And certainly Christ did it, to set us an
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