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I Have now Finished the First Do∣ctrine; and therefore shall pro∣ceed to the Second that the Words afford;
Viz.
That Satan dares not Enter the Lists with any True, Sincere Believer, except he hath Commission, or (at least) Per∣mission from God.
The Devil (as we commonly phrase it) is held in a Chain: He and his Instruments are under the Restraint of the Power of God.
The Devil dares not Enter the Lists; that is, He dares not so much as Challenge a Believer into the Field, without God bids him: He cannot so much as meddle, touch, or handle, except God gives forth the Word.
That this Comfortable Point of Doctrine may be rightly managed, we shall do Three things.
First, Prove, That Satan dares not meddle with True Believers, except he hath Commission, or (at least) Permission from God. Secondly, Lay down some Reasons for it. Thirdly, Make Improvement thereof by way of Application.
First, For the First; and we need go no further than the Text; in which we have an Account of God's Dealing with Peter, and Satan's Deal∣ing with Peter: Also, And how that
Satan could do nothing to Peter, till he petitioned to God, and had a Grant. But I shall prove this more largly in these Instances follow∣ing.
The First Instance is that of Iob, (Chap. 1.) wherein we have this Threefold Account: 1. Of Satan's Accusing Iob to God. 2. God's giving Commission unto Satan to Tempt Iob. 3. Satan's Tempting Iob upon this Commission or Leave obtain∣ed.
The Second Instance is that of the Herd of Swine: The Devils could not Enter into them, till Christ told them, they might; Matth. 8. 31, 32.
The Third Instance, is that of A∣hab; whom the Devil could not Se∣duce to his Destruction, without Per∣mission; 1 King. 22. 21.
What shall we say? The Devil could not have Entred into Iudas without a Permission; nor Iudas Be∣trayed our Lord without a Permis∣sion.
This may suffice then, to satisfie you in this great Comfortable Point; viz. That the Devil cannot do what he would; That his Power is but a Limited Power: God holds him in, and will not let him go a Jot further than he pleaseth.
The Reasons of this Point of Doctrine are these:
First, Because though Satan has a Power, yet it is not Absolute: His Power is a Limited Power. Though Satan is Potent, yet he is not Omni∣potent: God is above him. Though he is Mighty, yet he is not Al-mighty: Though he is Great, yet he is not Greatest: Though he can Do Many Things, yet he cannot Do All Things. Finally, Satan's Power is narrower than his Will and Malice; other∣wise, he had not left a Church on Earth.
Secondly, As God has set Bounds
and Limits to Satan's Power, as his Power is not Absolute; so it is not Independent: It is Dependent, it hangs upon the Power of God.
Thirdly, Though the Devil is a Spirit, yet he is but a Created Spi∣rit; God only an Uncreated Spirit. Now, the Created Spirit is the Less, the Uncreated Spirit the Greater; and the Less is subject to the Grea∣ter: The Devil therefore is subject to God. The Created Spirit is Finite, the Uncreated Spirit Infinite: The Finite is Over-ruled by the Infinite; Therefore, Satan by God.
Fourthly, Though Satan is a Prince, yet he is but a Captive Prince; and though he hath a little Liberty to go up and down; yet he is under Bail, and in Irresistible Chains of Provi∣dence.
Fifthly, Though Satan is Ruler, yet it is only of this Lower World; not of the Heavenly. The Highest the Devil can go, is the Air, called, The
Prince thereof: He hath nothing to do with the Upper World. Heaven fears no Devil; and therefore, its Gates stand alwayes open. Never durst this Fiend look into that Holy Place, since he was first Expell'd; but Rangeth to and fro here Below, as a Vagabond Creature. Is not then this Matter of Joy, that Satan hath no Power there, where the Saints Hap∣piness lies.
All the Mischief the Devil can do, is in our Way to Heaven; not in Heaven. He cannot come to the Rolls, to blot thy Name out of the Book of Life: He cannot Null thy Faith, make void thy Relation: He cannot dry up thy Comfort in the Spring, though dam up the Stream.
Thus much for the Doctrinal Part; I'le come now to the Application of it.
First, I infer from hence, why it is, that Believers are not Devoured as well as others: It is not because Sa∣tan would not, but because he can∣not.
Hence it is, That he Tempts Be∣lievers as he doth; It is because he can give them no other Hell. The Devil is sure of Unbelievers, and there∣fore lets them alone: He troubles not them about their Salvation, as he doth the Believer. All the Devil doth to Believers, is only Vexing and Molesting of them: He would Devour them. That Believers, I say, are not Devoured, is, because the Devil cannot: Believers, they are kept by the Power of God, through Faith unto Salvation.
Satan designes the Destruction of All; and that All are not Destroyed, is not for want of Good Will in him; but by Virtue of God's Power, and Special Grace.
Secondly, From hence learn, That God is to be Eyed, Observed, and taken Notice of by Believers in their Conflicts, as well as Satan. When we have Combats, we eye Satan, (he being the Instrumental Cause) as if we were to be Instructed by him; or, as if we should do well enough, if we could but make up the Quar∣rel with him: Not minding God all this while, or Praying to him; who only can Restrain the Tempter. For is it not God, that permits us to be Tempted, and that gives the Temp∣ter leave to Buffet us?
Thirdly, From hence we may learn, That the Way to be freed from Sore Conflicts, Temptations and Combats, is by Appeasing the Angry God: And if he doth but call-in his Commissi∣on, Satan must be forced to stop. For it is God, that gives Leave to Satan,
to do what he doth; and therefore, if this God be thy Friend, Satan can do you no Harm, no Hurt, no Mis∣chief. Maintain then intimate and close Communion with thy God; who shall for thee bruise Satan and tread him under thy Feet. Acquaint now thy self with God, and thereby Good shall come unto thee.