100 AN EXPOSITION OF [MaT. VI. 10.
to his sceptre. Look, as the Spirit of God works lioly inotions and gracious desires in the hearts of God's children, so the devil is ' at work in the children of disobedience,' Eph. ii. 2, framing wicked devices, carnal desires, evil thoughts against God. Man is such a perfect slave to the devil that he can do nothing but sin.
[2.] This kingdom which Satan exerciseth is an invisible kingdom. The devil doth not sensibly appear to his vassals and slaves. When Christ's kingdom and regiment was more external, so was the devil's also. As when God was served by sacrifices, and delivered his mind by oracles, so men did then more professedly own the devil by observ- ing his prescribed rites of worship, and by being deluded by lying oracles, and answers to their prayers and questions. But now, since the kingdom of Christ is more spiritual, and managed by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of his saints, so is Satan's kingdom invisible. So that men may be Christ's subjects by external profession, and the devil's by internal obedience and constitution of mind, though they worship not by pagan rites, as he ruleth in their hearts, and takes them off from obeying the gospel the)^ profess. ' The god of this world hath blinded their eyes : " 2 Cor. iv. 4. All carnal men, however they defy Satan, and abominate the thought of serving him, yet while they remain in their sin and ignorance, they still hold the crown upon the devil's head. Look, as God's subjects may own him in verbal pretence, yet their hearts may be far from him : Mat. xv. 8. So that wicked men may defy the devil in pretence and words, and cannot endure to hear of him ; but they are under the god of this world, he hath blinded their hearts. So that this kingdom is to be fought for in the heart. Christ made a great inroad upon the devil, beat him out of his quarters ; yet, as the sea gets in one place what it loseth in another, so though the devil hath lost ground in the Christian world as to external profession, whilst people renounce the superstitions of the Gentiles, yet still he gets ground in the hearts of wicked men by their carnal dispositions ; his empire is upheld still, though professedly they are subjects of Christ.
[3.] Until Satan be cast out of the throne, Christ can have no -entertainment in the heart. The ark and Dagon cannot sink and stand together ; either the ark must be removed, or Dagon will down upon his face : so 2 Cor. vi. 14, ' What communion hath Christ with Belial, iind light with darkness ?' It is impossible both kingdoms can stand together, or both kings be set up in the same heart. The marriage-bed will admit no partner nor rival. A man must be under Christ or Satan. Until he be cast out, Christ hath no room to be entertained : Mat. vi. 24, ' No man can serve two masters ; ye cannot .serve God and Mammon.' Look upon the devil under that notion, .as he is Mammon, as he doth entice to worldliness : it is impossible to serve him and Christ. Both masters have work enough for their servants, and tlieir commands are contrary. If two masters consent to employ one man in the self-same business, though they are two men, yet they are but one master. But now to execute the wills of men which differ in their design, and which have a several and full interest in our labours and actions, it is as impossible as to move two contrary ways at once. Well, then, Mammon and Christ. Belial and Christ,
Mat. VI. 10.] THE LORD'S PRAYER. 101
divide the world. It is impossible to be under Belial and Christ ; both have full work for us to do, and their designs are contrary. So that either it must appear we have changed masters, or we are under the power of the devil still. "We must come out of the power of darkness, else we cannot be brought into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, that we may obtain remission of sins.
[4.] Satan may be cast out in part, and yet still retain a supreme interest in the heart. I prove it out of that parable. Mat. xii. 43-45: * When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, but findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house, from whence I came out,' &c. Out of that parable we may plainly conclude there may be a shaking of Satan's empire, Satan may be cast out of a man in some sort, yet the man not plainly re- newed. Well, how may he be cast out, and yet his empire remain unbroken ? He may be cast out partly by conviction and illumina- tion ; yet as long as any lust remaineth there unmortified and unsub- dued, he still keeps his sovereignty in the heart. Many begin to be troubled, and to be thoughtful about eternity, that see better, yet they do that which is worse in the issue. When there is a conflict between corruption and conviction, corruption carrieth it away. As iron often heated and often quenched is so much the harder ; so, when they had some wamblings of conscience, and the heart begins to boggle, and after this sin breaks out the more. This is the scope of that place : they were convinced of a better estate, and had some thoughts of the Messiah, but did not give him entertainment. Again, the devil may be cast out in regard of some external reformation. A man may a little wash his polluted life and abstain from gross sins, yet Satan have full possession of the inner man. A man may abjure his former ill life, and for a while carry it fair, but afterwards retain his former filthiness, and keep a secret league with his lusts, and so he is en- tangled again, and then ' his latter end is worse than his beginning ;' and as it is in 2 Pet. ii. 22, ' The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.' A prisoner which hath made some escape, if ever the gaoler get him into his clutches, is sure to be laden with irons ; so one that hath had some partial reformation, oh, when the devil gets such a man into his power again, he is ten times worse than he was before.