A30241:1421
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, or, Christs prayer before his passion explicated, and both practically and polemically improved by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Did not God keep us the devils rage and enmity is such that he would not ⟨p. 302⟩only destroy the Soul but the body: You see his malice when he had liberty to possess the bodies of many, how miserably he tormented them, and when God gave him leave to afflict Job in his Estate and body, he did it to the utmost; There wanted no evil while he could do it; Now there is no reason why the Devil should not do thee the same mischief continually, but only God binds up this roaring Lyon; The Devil is said to be a Murderer from the beginning, and that for the body as well as the Soul, he tempted Cain to murder Abel, he tempted Judas to betray Christ; Oh then wonder that God keeps thee when there are such Legions of Devils crafty and potent enough to procure thy destruction.
3. Did not God keep us the devils rage and enmity is such that he would not ⟨p. 302⟩onely destroy the Soul but the body: You see his malice when he had liberty to possesse the bodies of many, how miserably he tormented them, and when God gave him leave to afflict Job in his Estate and body, he did it to the utmost; There wanted no evil while he could do it; Now there is no reason why the Devil should not do thee the same mischief continually, but onely God bindes up this roaring Lyon; The Devil is said to be a Murderer from the beginning, and that for the body as well as the Soul, he tempted Cain to murther Abel, he tempted Judas to betray Christ; Oh then wonder that God keeps thee when there are such Legions of Devils crafty and potent enough to procure thy destruction.
4. Did not God keep the godly he would be undone temporally, because of the hatred and malice wicked men bear to every godly man; Therefore Christ said, they were as Sheep among Wolves; Can they hope for mercy from a Wolf? David complained that his Soul was among Lions, and Ezekiel complained he dwelt among Scorpions; Now then seeing the world is so full of malice, and the number of wicked men is like the Sand upon the Sea-shore to them; They are as the Israelites Army seemed to the great power that came against them, like a Flock of Birds; Now what is the reason that wicked men have not their will of destroying the Godly; It is only God that keeps them, yea, God keeps every part of them, He keepeth their feet, Every stone else might be their Death; Yea,