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SERM.dom of his Power, but his Kingdom of X. Righteousness; and the very nature and ef

fence of a Kingdom of Righteousness, is, to prevail, not by Force, but by the Victory of Virtue over the oppofition and the Deceits of Wickednefs. This obfervation may be of confiderable Ufe, both for the right ap prehending the nature of God's Supreme Government, and for the true understanding of feveral parts of Scripture. When we read of the Devil's first rebelling against the Almighty, and exalting his throne above the Stars of God, and prefuming to be like the moft High; for which offence he was caft down from Heaven; 'tis evident the meaning is not; (as fome have childishly suppofed, or poetically reprefented,) that he rebelled against God, as hoping to prevail by Force. No; Thofe Angelick Spirits, had their Knowledge been but equal to ours, as indeed it was far fuperior; but had it been equal only to that of Men, yet they could not poffibly have been fo abfurdly ignorant, as to imagine that Finite could prevail by Force againft Infinite, or not know that the Almighty could, if he pleased, annihilate them as fwift as Thought, and withdraw their very Being from them in

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a moment, and deftroy them for ever SER M. with the leaft blaft of his mouth. Force X. therefore, 'tis evident, they could not think of; But the meaning of the Devil's rebelling, is; that he prefumptuously tranfgreffed the Law of the most High; and preferred his own Will, as wicked Men alfo do, before the Commandments of God; and probably first deceived himfelf with the very fame Temptation, wherewith he afterwards deceived our First Parent; In the day thou doft this Thing, furely thou shalt not die. We read indeed, Rev. xii. 7, that there was War in Heaven; Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his Angels; And prevailed not, neither was their place found any mere in Heaven And the great dragon was caft out, that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; and his Angels were caft out with him. But the meaning of this paffage is not literal, as if the Devil had Power to fight against the Angels or Minifters of God's government; But according to the fublimity and loftinefs of the prophetick ftyle, 'tis evident it must be understood as a highly figurative deQ 2

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SER M. defcription, how wonderfully the Gospel X. of Chrift prevailed in the primitive times,

by the courage aud conftancy of the Martyrs, against Heathen Idolatry, then poffeffed of the Powers of the whole Earth. For fo the careful and attentive Reader may clearly fee it explained in the very next words, ver. 10. Now is come falvation and ftrength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the Power of his Chrift; For the Accufer of our Brethren is caft down

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And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their Tefiimony; and they loved not their lives unto the Death. 'Tis therefore a great Error in good men, to magnify the Power of the Devil, (as has fometimes been done) to such a degree, as to become either an Objection against the Truth of Religion, or too great a Difcouragement in the practice of it: Whereas on the contrary our Saviour declares to his Difciples, St Luke x. 18. I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven; Behold, I give unto you Power over all the Power of the Enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you: And St Jude affures us, ver. 6. that the Angels which kept not their first estate, but

left

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left their own habitation, he hath referved SER M.
in everlasting chains under darkness, unto
the judgment of the great day: And St Paul
hath taught us, I Cor. x. 13, that God is
faithful, who will not fuffer us to be tempt-
ed above That we are able, but will with
the temptation also make a way to escape,
that we may be able to bear it : And
St James accordingly exhorts, ch. 4. 7.
Refift the Devil, and he will flee from you.
The apprehenfion therefore that many
melancholy pious perfons have fometimes
entertained, of the great Power of the
Devil, is very erroneous and groundless.
But 'tis a much greater Fault in bad men,
to magnify the Devil's power, as they are
very apt to do, in order to excuse their
own Crimes: As if, because the Devil
tempted them to do ill Things, therefore
the doing thofe ill things was a lefs fault
in themselves. Which is an Error arifing
from a very false Notion of the Devil's
temptations.
For had the Devil any
Power at all over mens Wills or Actions,
it would indeed be, if not an Excufe
for their Wickedness, yet at least an ex-
tenuation of it in the
and Man, to be able

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Sight both of God to allege they were influenced

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SER M. influenced by fome fuperior Power. But if the Devil's power of tempting men, be nothing more, but like that of wicked mens tempting one another; viz, the fetting before them opportunities of doing evil, and representing to them the unrighteous pleasure or profit they may be masters of thereby; 'tis evident this is no excufe for a man to allege in his own behalf, that he did a wicked action, becaufe a fair opportunity of doing it was laid before him, or because he faw it would bring him fome pleasure or profit. And yet This is plainly all the Power the Devil generally has over Men. Let no man fay (fays St James) when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; that is, let no man think that God permits the Devil to have properly any Power or Influence over him; For every man (faith he) is then only tempted, when he is drawn away of his own Luft and enticed, Jam. i. 13. The Devil did indeed enter into Judas, when he refolved to betray our Saviour; but 'twas the Covetoufnefs of his own Heart only, that gave him admiffion. And St Paul tells us of perfons in the fnare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his

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