to go to seek them where they are not; more like to find
the Devil at a Market, than in a Wilderness. Thus there∣fore
seems not to be the sense—.
Why may not, saith he, these dry Places be the Saints
on Earth, the Fountain of whose Blood is dried up? in
whom the Sun hath dried up their Dirt and Mire, in
which this Swine loves to wallow, &c. [He seeketh Rest]
this notes two things.
1. When the Devil is gone out of any Person, he is ne∣ver
at Rest till he is gotten in again, either thither whence
he went out, or into some other Habitation, where he may
do more Mischief: Like Children, like Father, 'tis said
of them, so 'tis much more true of him, He rests not but in
doing Mischief.
2. The Devil loves to dwell where he may be at Rest;
that is, not from Work (his Rest is his Work) but from
Resistance or Opposition, i. e. in carnal and unclean
Hearts, &c.
[Seeking Rest and finding none.] He goes, saith he, through
these dry Places, from Saint to Saint, from Heart to Heart,
in hope to find Entertainment, but is still disappointed;
here's little Rest for me to be had, these dry Places I see are
no Places for me, here's watching and wrestling and warring
against me; so much praying, complaining against me,
that there's no stay for me here:—Ile go back to my old
Habitation: And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept,
and garnished, a little cleaner and handsomer than when
he left it. The Devil can allow Sinners a little Reforma∣tion;
but though it be a little cleansed and garnished, yet
it lies empty still, there's no Tenant hath taken it up, though
the Devil went out, Christ was not let in, but there it lies
void for the next that comes.
Then he goeth and taketh seven other Spirits more wicked than
himself, and they enter in, and dwell there; and the last state of
that Man is worse than the first. Beware of a returning De∣vil;
the Devil at his return often makes sevenfold worse
Work than before he did. Allen's Godly Fear, p. 213, 214,
215, 216.