5. Is God the true God,1 Then how great and heinous a sin is it to have any communion or commerce with the devil or his instruments, and yet this is a sin too commonly practised. If men have lost any thing, if they be in any pain or disease, then they presently run to such as they call wise men, though they be indeed the devils fools: What is this but to renounce God and to renounce your baptism? If you have lost your goods, you will go and lose your souls to: We read of Ahaziah, 2 King. 1.6. when his child was sick, he would go to Baal, to know whether his child should recover or no; but with what a dreadful message doth Gods Prophet entertain him, telling him, his child should die, withal saying, Is it because there is not a God in Israel that thou doest so? May not we say so, when you go to the devils instruments, witches, wise men and sorcerers, Is it because there is not a true God in heaven? Some have questioned whether such as compact with the devil, and use familiar spirits can possibly repent and be saved, they doubt whether they are in a capacity of ever having eternal life; but that is too rigid, for we read of Manasseh, a great sinner in this kind, one that was given to witchcraft, and used a familiar spirit, yet he prayed and humbled himself, and God accepted of him: So we read of some converted by the Apostles preaching, that brought in all their conjuring books and burnt them, Act. 19.19. Though therefore no doubt is to be made but upon their repentance God will forgive, yet it is a great and a grievous sin, it's a renouncing of God and your Baptism. Take heed then of ever doing so, and if thy heart hath been so graceless and wicked heretofore, oh abhor thy self, let thy conscience cry out, I have committed a great and abominable sin, thou art the chiefest sinner of many thousands. We ought to have no communion with the devil, though he had power to foretell and so do good to thee, as he hath not any further then God may reveal to him. When the devils confessed Christ was the true Son of God, he rebuked them, and would not own such a confession: So Paul also, Act. 16.16. would not own a confession though true, because by one possessed by the devil. Be ashamed of the name of a Christian, and renounce thy baptism if thou shouldst over do such sins again.
5. Is God the true God,1 Then how great and hainous a sinne is it to have any communion or commerce with the devil or his instruments, and yet this is a sin too commonly practised. If men have lost any thing, if they be in any pain or disease, then they presently run to such as they call wise men, though they be indeed the devils fools: What is this but to renounce God and to renounce your baptisme? If you have lost your goods, you will go and lose your souls to: We reade of Ahaziah, 2 King. 1.6. when his childe was sick, he would go to Baal, to know whether his childe should recover or no; but with what a dreadfull message doth Gods Prophet entertain him, telling him, his childe should die, withall saying, Is it because there is not a God in Israel that thou doest so? May not we say so, when you go to the devils instruments, witches, wise men and sorcerers, Is it because there is not a true God in heaven? Some have questioned whether such as compact with the devil, and use familiar spirits can possibly repent and be saved, they doubt whether they are in a capacity of ever having eternall life; but that is too rigid, for we reade of Manasses, a great sinner in this kinde, one that was given to witchcraft, and used a familiar spirit, yet he prayed and humbled himself, and God accepted of him: So we reade of some converted by the Apostles preaching, that brought in all their conjuring books and burnt them, Act. 19.19. Though therefore no doubt is to be made but upon their repentance God will forgive, yet it is a great and a grievous sinne, it's a renouncing of God and your Baptism. Take heed then of ever doing so, and if thy heart hath been so gracelesse and wicked heretofore, oh abhorre thy self, let thy conscience cry out, I have committed a great and abominable sinne, thou art the chiefest sinner of many thousands. We ought to have no communion with the devil, though he had power to foretell and so do good to thee, as he hath not any further then God may reveal to him. When the devils confessed Christ was the true Son of God, he rebuked them, and would not own such a confession: So Paul also, Act. 16.16. would not own a confession though true, because by one possessed by the devil. Be ashamed of the name of a Christian, and renounce thy baptism if thou shouldst over do such sins again.
- 1Use 5.Ʋse 5.
