VI. An Offended God, sometimes for Sin, gives men up to a Singular Energy of Satan; and Then! Then they go on to Sin, with a very Satanical Fury. There's many a Prayerless Heart, many a Slothful Heart, many a Covetous Heart, ⟨p. 23⟩many a Malicious Heart, many a Lascivious Heart, many an Heart inordinately set upon Sin, after means used for the Cure of it. Some Devil sees this Heart, and puts in, as it were, a Memorial desiring, That he may take a fuller possession of that woeful Heart. The Righteous God permits […]; and it is a Righteous Thing with Him to permit it. God will no longer Defend the Soul of the Sinner from the Efficacy of the Devil. And now, what follows? The Sinner is, Led Captive by the Devil at his will. And, alas, what won't men do, when the Devil is in them? As we read, in 1 King 22.22. There came forth a Spirit, and he said, I will go forth, and I will be a Lying Spirit: — And the Lord said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: Go forth, & do so. Thus, the Devils; They stand ready to Go forth, and be, one of them, a Lying Spirit, another of them, a Sensual Spirit, another of them, a Profane Spirit, in the Hearts of them, that are given over by God: God says, Do, Go, Thou shalt prevail against that miserable Sinner. There is a prodigious Instance of this Thing in profane Swearers. When they have used themselves to Swear Profanely, some Devil takes that possession of their Tongues, that they Belch out Hellish Oaths continually, and Swear so commonly, tha• they know not how to speak without it. Wha• Vile Things did Judas perpetrate, when as it i• said, in Joh. 13.27. Satan Entered into him: An• ⟨p. 24⟩Ananias, when, as it is said, in Act. 5▪3. Satan filled his Heart? Even a Peter, a Child of God, may do very Criminal Things, when Sifted by a Devil: The presence of a Silly Damsel, most wretchedly Entangles him. How much more, will one that is a Child of the Devil, he most heinously Criminal, when he is given up to do the Lusts of his Father? But under this Diabolical Possession, there is no property of the Devil, more commonly to be noted, than that of his being, An Unclean Spirit. An Unclean Spirit often Seizes the Heart of a man, that hath Invited him. And that Heart, then becomes an Oven, that ha's the Fire of Hell, upon every Temptation glowing in it: The Vile Affections of Uncleanness, do then Shake off their Bridles:
VI. An Offended God, sometimes for Sin, gives men up to a Singular Energy of Satan; and Then! Then they go on to Sin, with a very Satanical Fury. There's many a Prayerless Heart, many a Slothful Heart, many a Coveteous Heart, ⟨p. 23⟩many a Malicious Heart, many a Lascivious Heart, many an Heart inordinately set upon Sin, after means used for the Cure of it. Some Devil sees this Heart, and puts in, as it were, a Memorial desiring, That he may take a fuller possession of that woful Heart. The Righteous God permits 〈…〉; and it is a Righteous Thing with Him to permit it. God will no longer Defend the Soul of the Sinner from the Efficacy of the Devil. And now, what follows? The Sinner is, Led Captive by the Devil at his will. And, alas, what won't men do, when the Devil is in them? As we read, in 1 King 22.22. There came forth a Spirit, and he said, I will go forth, and I will be a Lying Spirit: — And the Lord said, Thou shalt perswade him, and prevail also: Go forth, & do so. Thus, the Devils; They stand ready to Go forth, and be, one of them, a Lying Spirit, another of them, a Sensual Spirit, another of them, a Profane Spirit, in the Hearts of them, that are given over by God: God sayes, Do, Go, Thou shalt prevail against that miserable Sinner. There is a prodigious Instance of this Thing in profane Swearers. When they have used themselves to Swear Profanely, some Devil takes that possession of their Tongues, that they Belch out Hellish Oaths continually, and Swear so commonly, tha• they know not how to speak without it. Wha• Vile Things did Judas perpetrate, when as it i• said, in Joh. 13.27. Satan Entred into him: An• ⟨p. 24⟩Ananias, when, as it is said, in Act. 5▪3. Satan filled his Heart? Even a Peter, a Child of God, may do very Criminal Things, when Sifted by a Devil: The presence of a Silly Damsel, most wretchedly Entangles him. How much more, will one that is a Child of the Devil, he most heinously Criminal, when he is given up to do the Lusts of his Father? But under this Diabolical Possession, there is no prop•rty of the Devil, more commonly to be noted, than that of his being, An Unclean Spirit. An Unclean Spirit often Seizes the Heart of a man, that hath Invited him. And that Heart, then becomes an Oven, that ha's the Fire of Hell, upon every Temptation glowing in it: The Vile Affections of Uncleanness, do then Shake off their Bridles:
