Gone out, i.e. as a carnal, profane, or black Devil, for so he may be said to be in all debauched Persons: and in this respect he may be said to be gone out, or thrown out of the Pharisees, and other false and counterfeit Professors; he may not be able to keep them any longer under the Power of open and gross Profaneness. And from hence the Pharisee proudly breaks forth, God, I thank thee, I am not as other Men are, 1Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, or even as this Publican. Why may not Satan be expelled or forced out of his House in some degree, by the common Influences of the Spirit? All generally grant that legal Convictions, and the Operation of common Grace through the Workings of natural Conscience, have some considerable Power in them to reform the Life of a wicked Person. Nor can I think Satan would yield to any Soul voluntarily so far as to let him become so much as civilized if he could help it; therefore I rather think he was forced to give place, as not being able to hold his own (in some respect) as formerly, although whilst the Creature abides in his natural State, not having a changed Heart, Satan hath possession of that Soul still in a great measure; and therefore he leaves, no doubt, a strong Guard behind him, when he is said to go out, though they may be said to hide themselves, or retire into some lurking-holes and Corners of the House, or rather of the Heart. Satan cannot doubtless keep Possession always, so far as to hold Men under the Power of gross and scandalous Sins, or cause them to continue openly profane; such Power and Virtue is there in the common Operation of the Spirit, or in legal Convictions and workings of natural Conscience, together with the help of the external Ministration of God's Word, and by the means of Afflictions, and those severe Providences and Dispensations, under which wicked Men may be exercised, that it may tend to make them become other Men: though it cannot change ⟨p. 5⟩their Hearts, yet it may make a great change in their Lives, by which means they may look like Saints, and talk like Saints and sanctified Persons, and be taken for such too by the truly Godly; nay, and that which is worse, may conclude within themselves they are converted, since their former Enemy, that debauched gross and unclean Spirit is gone out of them.
Gone out, i.e. as a carnal, prophane, or black Devil, for so he may be said to be in all debauched Persons: and in this respect he may be said to be gone out, or thrown out of the Pharisees, and other false and counterfeit Professors; he may not be able to keep them any longer under the Power of open and gross Prophaneness. And from hence the Pharisee proudly breaks forth, God, I thank thee, I am not as other Men are, 1Extortioners, Vnjust, Adulterers, or even as this Publican. Why may not Satan be expelled or forced out of his House in some degree, by the common Influences of the Spirit? All generally grant that legal Convictions, and the Operation of common Grace through the Workings of natural Conscience, have some considerable Power in them to reform the Life of a wicked Person. Nor can I think Satan would yield to any Soul voluntarily so far as to let him become so much as civilized if he could help it; therefore I rather think he was forced to give place, as not being able to hold his own (in some respect) as formerly, although whilst the Creature abides in his natural State, not having a changed Heart, Satan hath possession of that Soul still in a great measure; and therefore he leaves, no doubt, a strong Guard behind him, when he is said to go out, though they may be said to hide themselves, or retire into some lurking-holes and Corners of the House, or rather of the Heart. Satan cannot doubtless keep Possession always, so far as to hold Men under the Power of gross and scandalous Sins, or cause them to continue openly prophane; such Power and Virtue is there in the common Operation of the Spirit, or in legal Convictions and workings of natural Conscience, together with the help of the external Ministration of God's Word, and by the means of Afflictions, and those severe Providences and Dispensations, under which wicked Men may be exercised, that it may tend to make them become other Men: though it cannot change ⟨p. 5⟩their Hearts, yet it may make a great change in their Lives, by which means they may look like Saints, and talk like Saints and sanctified Persons, and be taken for such too by the truly Godly; nay, and that which is worse, may conclude within themselves they are converted, since their former Enemy, that debauched gross and unclean Spirit is gone out of them.
- 1Luke 18. 11.
