The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Now there are two ways, whereby the blood of Christ thus brake the power of Satan, that he shall not lead those always captive at his pleasure, nor rule in them, as Children of disobedience, in the behalf of whom his power was so broken.

Now there are two waies, whereby the bloud of Christ thus brake the power of Satan, that he shall not lead those alwaies captive at his pleasure, nor rule in them, as Children of disobedience, in the behalfe of whom his power was so broken.

1. First, He subdues him by taking away all that Right and Title, which he had by sin, to rule over them: I speak of the Elect of God. By the entrance of sin, the Devil entered upon a two fold rule in reference to sinners; First, A Rule over them with the terror and dread of death and Hell; they are in bondage by reason of death,¹ all their days, Heb: 2. 15. And the Devil hath the power of that death upon the World, whereunto they are in bondage. The death, that is in the Curse, is put into his hand to manage it, to the dread and terror of sinners; and by it he hath always kept many, and to this day doth keep innumerable souls in unexpressable bondage: putting them upon Barbarous Inhumanities, to make Atonement for their sins: and forcing some to inflict revenge and destruction upon themselves, thinking to prevent, but really hastening that which they fear. As of old, this power of his lay at the bottom of all the Abominations,² wherewith men provoked God, when they thought to Atone him, as by burning their Children in the fire, and the like. Mic. 6. 7, 8. So at present is it the principle of all that superstitious Will-worship,³ and Religious drudgery, which is spread over the Antichristian World:⁴