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grand auxiliaries, in managing his hellish designs against Chrift and his feed, which are entirely at his devotion, and under his command; the one is within the believer, and the other without him.

1. I fay, Satan has a strong party within, to wit, indwelling fin and corruption, "a law in the members warring against the law of the mind;" fometimes called " the flesh, which lufteth a gainst the Spirit." This is fuch a crafty, enemy, and its workings, in order to ferve the defigns of Satan, for the ruin of the foul, are fo fubtile, that it is faid to be "deceit fulabove all things, and defperately wicked." David, the man according to God's own heart, through the impreffion of its fubtilty, cries, "Who can understand his errors ?"

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2. The world without us is another main auxiliary of hell; the profits, pleafures, and preferments of the world, called by the apostle, the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life." The apostle James, chap. iv. 4. has a word to this purpose, "Know ye not (faith he), that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whofoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God." From whence it is plain, that that man that will stand upon the Lord's side, must refolve to have the world upon his top. Sometimes the believer has the powers of this world to contend with; efpecially when their commands interfere with the commands of God; as in the cafe of Daniel, the apoftles, and the three children; and in that cafe he may lay his account with rage and violence. In a word, the devil being the god of this world, he hath both the things and the perfons of this world under his power, he pretends to be fole mafter of it; as we fee in his attack he made upon the Son of God in the wilderness, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Sometimes he makes use of the world as a bait to allure us to fin; fometimes he makes use of it as a bugbear to fright us from duty. Thus you fee who is the enemy that comes in like a flood, to wit, Satan and his auxiliaries, both without us and within us.

II. The fecond thing in the method is, to inquire why this enemy is likened to a flood? I anfwer, in the following parti

culars.

1. Because of their noife. What noife has the devil, the world, and the lufts and corruptions of men, made fince the fall of man, by error, perfecution, defections, and violences of all kinds! and what a noife do thefe enemies make in the foul of the believer, when God, for holy and wife ends, lets them locfe! The poor foul is many times put in

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fuch confufion, through the noife of these mighty waters, that it cannot hear the voice of God either in his word or providences.

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2. They are likened to a flood, because of their multitude. A flood confifts of an innumerable multitude of drops of waSo these enemies the believer has to grapple with in his way to glory, they are a great multitude, an innumerable hoft. We may easily gather that the infernal fpirits, that go about to devour us, are innumerable, when we confider, that a whole legion of them had their refidence in one poor man. And how many are the lufts of the heart and the fnares of the world, which we lie every day expofed to? David complains, Pfal.cxviii. that his enemies "compaffed him about like bees;" which many times put the poor believer to cry with Jehoshaphat, "We know not what to do against this great multitude that comes up against us."

3. They are likened to floods, because of their unity in bending all one way in their oppofition against Christ and his cause. Whatever jarrings there may be among them in other things, yet as the waters of a flood, though they may take different channels, yet they keep the fame courfe, and unite their force against the kingdom of Chrift, and the falvation of fouls.

4. Floods are mighty, violent, and rapid in their motion; the waters of a flood they have a mighty ftrength with them. So the enemies of the Lord's people are violent and ftrong in their oppofition to the interest of Christ in the world, and his grace in the foul: Pfal. ii. the Heathen there is faid to "rage against the Lord, and his anointed, faying, Come, let us break their bands afunder, and cast away their cords from us."

5. Floods of water, they are of a fweeping nature, and are ready to hurl down every thing that is not well fixed: if a tree have not its root well fastened in the ground, the flood will bear it down. Juft fo, if a perfon be not rooted in Christ, the floods of temptation, afflictions, and corruptions, will very foon carry him down the. ftream. Hence it is, that loofe profeffors in a day of trial are carried away; their houfe falls, and great is the fall of it.

6. A flood is in a continual motion; fo the actings of fin, and Satan, and the world, against Christ and his cause, are inceffant: "The wicked are like the troubled fea, ftill cafting out mire and filth."

Here I will name feveral fweeping floods that the enemy cafts forth, to annoy and hurt the church and people of God in the wilderness.

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ift, He fometimes cafts out a flood of error; he studies to corrupt the fimplicity of the gofpel, and to turn men away from the pure and precious truths of God. Hell has in all ages of the world been studying to muddy the pure waters of the fanctuary, and never more than at this day, by Arian, Socinian, Arminian, Pelagian, and other herefies.

2dly, Sometimes the enemy comes in with a flood of open perfecution. The boar out of the wood, and the wild beafts of the foreft, are fometimes fuffered to devour the Lord's people, fo that their blood has been poured out like water, and the bodies of God's dear faints cait out like dung upon the streets. Such a flood, of heading, hanging, quartering, banifhing, and imprisoning of the Lord's people has been in this land, and we know not how foon the like flood may break out again.

3dly, Sometimes he comes in with a flood of manifold corruptions upon the visible church. Sometimes he ftudies to corrupt the worship of God by fuperftition, mingling in ceremonies of man's inventions with the pure ordinances of divine inftitution. Sometimes he breaks in upon the government and difcipline of the church, attempting to introduce fchemes of government not warranted by the word of God. Sometimes he ftirs up men of corrupt minds, to pervert the ufe of the keys of difcipline, to the fpoiling and robbing of the church of God of her privileges and immunities he has granted her. Sometimes he comes in with a flood of profanity corrupting the lives of profeffors, to the scandal of religion; fometimes with a flood of neutrality and indifferency about the things of God, under the colour of moderation. Thefe, and many other floods, does Satan caft forth, whereby he fweeps multitudes away to hell. And, O Sirs, take heed to yourselves, for many of thefe floods are running with a mighty current among us at this day.

III. The third thing is, to fpeak a little of the progrefs of the enemy, he is faid to come in.

Quest. How far may he come in?

Anfw. 1. The enemy may come in within the borders of Zion: Mic. v. 5. 6. "This man fhall be the peace when the Affyrian fhall come into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders." Satan and his confederates have their fynagogues even within the confines of the vifible church.

2. The enemy comes in, not only within the borders, but even into the palaces of Zion, her public affemblies for divine worship; these are called the palaces and dwelling-places of Zion, lf. iv. 5. "When the fons of God came to prefent themselves

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before the Lord, Satan came alfo among them," Job i. 6. Sometimes he enters these affemblies and dwelling-places of the church in a more open and visible way, corrupting the worfhip of God with idolatry and superftition; fometimes in a more fecret and invisible way, ftirring up enmity, unbelief, carnality, vanity of heart, to mar foul-benefit and advantage by the ordinances of divine appointment.

3. The enemy may come in, not only to the palaces, but to the pulpits of the church, by an erroneous and corrupt miniftry; what has been, may be again: Jude 4. "There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lafcivioufnefs, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift." The cafe may happen, that men shall appear in your pulpits, pretending to take the care and feeding. of your fouls, who will give you a ftone for bread, and a fcorpion instead of a fish. A corrupt miniftry is the faddeft plague that ever came into the church of God.

4. The enemy may come into the judicatories of the church, which are the thrones of judgement, the thrones of the house of David, where the people of God expect to be protected in their Chriftian liberties, and to have juftice done them, against those who would fpoil and opprefs them; and yet, fo far may the enemy come in, as to influence thefe judicatories to join hands with the spoilers and oppreffors of the people of God, inftead of defending them. The Jewish fanhedrim was an ecclefiaftic court of God's appointment; and yet, fo far was it corrupted, that it condemned the Lord of glory, and excommunicated them that owned and profeffed the name of Jefus ; and all under a fpecious colour, for the fafety and welfare of the church. Chrift muft die, and be crucified, left the Romans come and take away their kingdom.

5. The enemy may come in, not only to the gates of Zion, but alfo to the dwellings of Jacob. Sirs, Satan, the world, and corruptions, may, and I make no doubt, will follow you home to your feveral families; and it will be a wonder, if, after you have been at a communion-table, Satan and his emiffaries do not raise some family form and trouble, to take off any impreffion of God, or of the things of God, that has been upon you on this occafion.. The devil lodgeth in the house of the wicked; and he may come in and work much mischief in the houfe of a godly David; witnefs the murder of Uriah, adultery with Baththeba, Amnon's inceft, Abfolom's rebellion, Adonijah's confpiracy.

6. He may come into your clofets, and go along with you. to your knees, when you would incline to be alone with God, VOL. II.

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in order to divert your thoughts, disturb your minds, or alienate your affections from prayer, meditation, or other private duties that you fet about. When Joshua appeared before the Lord, Satan ftands at his right hand.

7. The enemy may come into your very heart. Satan has very eafy accefs to the hearts of men, by the port of the imagination and outward fenfes : through these gates or windows of the foul, he can very eafily throw in his fiery darts, whereby, if a ftrict watch be not kept, he will infallibly fet the whole combustible matter of indwelling fin and corruption as it were on fire: he has a way of drawing forth, by his temptations, the latent Atheism, enmity, pride, carnality, and unbelief of the heart; he has no more ado, but to hifs upon his confederates in our bofom, and immediately they come forth out of their faftneffes, to affift him in carrying on his affaults. And God knows, how far even a believer may be driven, if the enemy come in thus upon him like a flood. Melancholy inftances thereof are left upon record in fcripture, in the case of Abraham, Mofes, David, Solomon, Peter, and many others, which are fet up, not for our imitation or encouragement in fin, but as beacons, that we may be upon our guard against the inroads of the enemy that wait for our halting.

IV. The fourth thing was, to touch a little at the certainty of all this; for it is not faid, may be the enemy will come, but the enemy SHALL come in like a flood. The certainty of all this will appear from thefe two or three things.

1. Plain fcripture-teftimony, the infallible oracles of Heaven certifying us, that the enemy will be upon us, Rev. ii. 10. "The devil fhall caft fome of you into prifon ;-ye fhall have tribulation ten days." As long as the feed of the woman is within Satan's reach, he will be creating them fome moleftation or other.

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2. The ftate of the believer, while he is in this world, makes it evident. While the believer is hereaway, he is in a militant ftate, ftanding upon the field of battle, furrounded with the armies of hell; and is it to be fuppofed, that the believer can live in quiet, free of the affaults of the enemy?

3. The experiences of the faints of God in all ages confirms this. Chrift, the glorious Captain of our falvation, he was not exeemed; the prince of this world came upon him with his craft and cunning; he entered the lifts with the powers of hell and earth, and with the corruptions of men; and thall any of his followers expect to be exeemed? The ranfomed company about the throne, are fuch as have come out of much tribulation,

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