The second device that Satan hath to ensnare and destroy the great and honourable of the earth is, i
Device (2). By engaging them against the people of the Most High, again those that are lis jewels, his pleasant portion, the delight of his i eye und the joy of his heart. Thus he drew Pharaoh to engage against the children of Israel, and that was his overthrow, Exod. xiv. So he 1 Self-seekers, with Esau, prefer a mess of pottage above their birthright, and with the
engaged Haman against the Jews, and so brought him to hang upon that gallows that he had made for Mordecai, Esther vii. So he engaged those princes and presidents against Daniel, which was the utter ruin of them and their relations, Dan. vi. So in Rev. xx. 7-9, And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. And he shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. And they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from heaven and consumed them.
Now the remedies against this device are these:
Remedy (1). The first remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That none have engaged against the swints, but have been ruined by the God of saints. Divine justice hath been too hard forall that have opposed and engaged against the saints, as is evident in Saul, Pharaoh, Haman, &c: “He reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, nor do my prophets no harm,” Ps. cv. 15. When men of Balaam spirits and principles have been engaged against the saints, how hath the angel of the Lord met them in the way, and justled their bones against the wall! how hath he broke their backs and necks, and by his drawn sword cut them off in the prime of their days, and in the height of their sins I’ Ah! what a harvest hath hell had in our days, of those who have engaged against the Lamb, and those that are called ~ chosen and faithful! Ah! how hath divine justice poured out their blood as water upon the ground! how hath he laid their honour and glory in the dust, who, in the pride and madness of their hearts, said, as Pharaoh, We will pursue, we will overtake, we will divide the spoil, - our lusts shall be satistied upon them. We will draw our sword, our hand shall destroy them,” Exod. xv. 9. In the things wherein they have spoken and done proudly, justice hath been above them. History abounds in nothing more than in instances of this kind, &e.
Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, To dwell some time every morning upon the following scriptures, wherein God Lath engaged himself to stund by his people and for Lis people, and to make them victorious over the greatest and wisest of their enemies? Associate yourselves, saith the Lord by the prophet, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us’ Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel: I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them, and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the holy One of Israel” No weapon that is formed against thee shall 1 As they said once of the Grecians in the epigram, whom they thought invulnerable, We shoot at them, but they fall not down; we wound them, and not kill them, &ec. Tanto plus glovie referemus, quoniam eo plures superabimus. The number of opposcrs makes the Christian’s conquest the more illustrious, said Pedarelus in Erasmus.
$ Ucciai poterant, sed vinci non poterant, said Cyprian of the Christians in his time.
prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” Now also many nations are gathered together against thee that say, Let us be defiled, and let our eye look upon Sion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel; for he shall gather them as sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Sion: I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoof brass, and thou shalt beat in pieces many people, and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.’ Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about. when they shall be in the siege, both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”