XII. Suggestions of the Devil, are very Volume fecret to us, and imperceptible by us, fo that no man can fay certainly, that this good inclination or action is an immediate Motion of God's holy Spirit in me, or that evil Thought and Defign is an immediate Suggeftion of the Devil; it is fufficient for us, that we are affured from Divine Revelation in general, that the Spirit of God very frequently does, and is always ready to affift good men in the doing or fuffering of God's Will; as the evil Spirit, where God permits him, is always bufy to tempt and feduce men to evil. And this ought not to be strange to us, because our Saviour hath exprefly told us, that the Spirit of God works in men after an imperceptible manner, John 3.8. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: So is every one that is born of the Spirit. Tho' we do not know the manner of the Spirit's working, nor perceive the operations of it upon our minds, yet we find the Effects of it in the renovation and fanctificati оп Sermon on of our hearts. Thus by undeniable Arguments men are affured of a Divine Providence governing the XV. world, tho' men do not always fee, nor can make out to others the particular interpofitions of it, fo as to fay that this or that was an immediate Effect of Divine Providence. To know certainly that a thing is, it is not necessary that we should be able to give a particular account of all its operations, and the manner of them; these may be hidden from us, and yet we may be fufficiently af fured by other Arguments that there is fuch a thing. Men are fure they have Souls, tho' they can give no account how the actions of Underftanding, and Remembrance, and Senfation are produced by them: fo it is in the prefent cafe, we are fufficiently affured from the Word of God, that good and bad Spirits have a great influence upon the Minds of Men, tho' we be not confcious to their operations, and the manner of them. II. The Spirit of God which is in Ff4 XII. Volume good men is greater than he that is in the World; he is more able and ready to affift men to Good Purposes, than the Devil is to tempt and help forward that which is Evil. And this will appear, if we confider these three things. 1. The Spirit of God is more powerful than the Devil; and this is fo evident of it felf, that it needs no proof. 2. The Spirit of God is as forward and willing to affift men to Good Purposes, as the Devil is to the contrary. That extremity of Malicé and Envy which is in evil Spirits does no doubt make them very forward and active to do all the Mifchief they can to Mankind, by tempting and feducing them to fin:but on the other hand, the utmoft Perfection of Goodness which in God is more and greater than the Malice of the Devil, will incline more ftrongly the holy Spirit of God to pity, and aid, and help good men, than the Malice of the Devil can urge him to procure the Harm Harm and Mischief of Mankind; and if we could fuppofe their Will and Inclinations equal; yet our Comfort is their Power is not. Sermon 3. The Spirit of God hath a more free and immediate access to the Minds of good Men,and a more intimate conjunction with and operation upon them,than the Devil. The Spirit of God is always prefent to us, and willing to dwell and abide in us, and ready to help and affift us,if we be ready to obey his dictates, and comply with his holy and bleffed Motions; if we did not refift, and quench, and grieve him, he would always take up his abode and habitation in us, and would be continually exciting, and guiding, and affifting us to that which is good; he knows our Hearts, and fees all the fecrets of our Souls; knows all our Inclinations, knows our weaknefs and our danger, what Affiftance we want, and when it will be most seasonable; and is as intimate to us, and as confcious to all the XV. the Motions of our Spirits, as we Volume our felves are. XII. But now the Devil is under great reftraint, and cannot make nearer approaches to any man than God permits him; he does not know our hearts, nor can pry into the fecret of our thoughts. God knows, but the Devil does but guess at the Thoughts, and Defigns, and Inclinations of men; he hath no power over us, nor no accefs to us, but what we give him, or God permits. By obedience to God's Will, and refifting the Temptations of the Devil to fin and difobedience, we may not only keep out the Devil, but keep him at a great diftance, and make him flee from us, fo that we fhall have little trouble or moleftation from him: for tho' he be unwearied in his malicious Attempts to ruin our Souls, yet becaufe he cannot be every where,he haunts those most where he hath greatest hopes of fuccefs, and is too eager and intent upon Mifchief to employ his time and temptations where he hath been |