hair of your heads. He cannot tempt you, nor cast a bank against you, nor shoot an arrow at you, without a commission from Heaven. The devils are subject to you. He is cast out, and in your Lord's name you may cast him out. "In my name shall ye cast out devils;" out of possessed bodies, out of possessed souls; you may be instruments to bring many a soul to repentance, that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil, who are held captive by him at his will. Every sinner that is converted by you, you have cast out a devil out of that soul.

Though he be an adversary still, yet such an adversary as may be resisted; "Whom resist stedfast in the faith," 1 Pet. v. 9. And if you will resist, he shall flee from you, James iv. 7. Stand, and your enemy runs.

Nay, more; he is not only a conquered enemy, but made your servant. This viper shall yield you medicine against his own poison. His smitings shall be an excellent oil; his messengers he sends to buffet you, his thorns he sticks in your flesh, shall be a prevention of greater evils. The very destruction he intends to bring upon you shall promote your salvation. "Deliver such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus," 1 Cor. v. 5. Behold, the devil is the church's servant, and such a servant as in their present state they cannot well want. The execution of their censures. A commonwealth may as well want a jailer, or a hangman, as the church a devil. Behold Satan divided against Satan; the devil without, against the devil within; the destroyer of souls become the destroyer of sin.

"Deliver such an one to Satan for the

destruction of the flesh." Though much against his mind, his hand is against his own party. He is made to kill his own friends, which otherwise would kill the soul. Whether he will or not, the very tormentor is made a saviour; “that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Christians, as much as you feel of the devil's malice, you could ill want his service; there is many a soul lost and undone by a sleeping, that might have been recovered and roused by a raging devil. His winds shall blow off your chaff, his floods shall wash away your filth, his earthquakes shall open your prison-doors, his tempests shall drive you to harbour. Some men want a tempest to save them from a wreck.

Nay, once more; he is not low enough yet; he shall be yet brought lower. You have assurance of his total and final overthrow. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly," Rom. xvi. 20. "The devil shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone," Rev. xx. 10. It is but a little while, and when he hath done his work he shall be sent to his place, where he shall be shut up, and a seal set upon him; whence he shall come out no more for ever. He shall tempt no more, vex no more, deceive no more, destroy no more, torment you no more; he shall be thrust out, he shall be chained up; the tormentor shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Stand, christians, stand your ground a little while; follow your work, hold up your holy profession, hold on your holy course; keep your hearts, keep your garments, keep on your armour, keep under corruption, resist temptation, bear your affliction; hold out faith and patience, fight again your adversaries, watch with your Lord this one hour, and behold, he

that shall come, will come; he cometh quickly, and he that is in the world shall be consumed with the breath of his mouth, and destroyed with the brightness of his appearing. He shall be cast out, he shall be cast down, and rise no more for ever.

CHAPTER VII.-Death in the Covenant.

GOD hath put death into the covenant. "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, all are yours," 1 Cor. iii. 21. Death! there is a great purchase, you will say; what advantage is that? Yes, death is advantage. To die is gain. For,

I. The commission of death is changed. It was once, Take him jailer; away with him, carry him down, to prison with him, there to be reserved to the judgment of the great day. It is now, Take him, janitor; take him, porter; take him in, give him an entrance into his master's joy. Death doth but take the bride when she is ready, and lodges her in the chamber of the bridegroom; this made death the apostle's desire; "I desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better,” Phil. i. 23.

II. Death is conquered. What does this mean? Your enemy is yours; other than this, your enemy is conquered to you; a conquered enemy is made a tributary; death is disarmed, it hath lost its sting. When a serpent hath lost its sting, you may take it into your bosom.

He that can say, "Death, where is thy sting?" may go on and add, "Thanks be to God, which hath given me the victory." A signet sent from heaven, with a death's head, is a precious token. Come, christians, be of good courage, set your feet on the neck of this king of terrors.

III. Death is at once the destruction of all their enemies. When once death hath done its office upon them, then farewell Edom, and Ammon, and Amalek, and Egypt; farewell the pricking brier and the grieving thorn; then farewell sin and sorrow for ever; the Egyptians they have seen, and feared, and felt to-day, they shall never see again for ever. It destroys itself, their last enemy, by destroying them; it hath its welcome and farewell the same moment; it is but welcome death, and farewell death for ever. Death dies with them; once dead, they die no more for ever; mortality is swallowed up of life, death is cast into the lake of fire; that is its region; there, there they die, and die, and die again over and over, for ever and ever; but for the saints-it doth but set them on the banks of that good land, whither it cannot follow them. Our Lord by death, by ours as well as his own, hath delivered those who, for fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage.

Christians, you may now not only with patience, but with desire, expect the assault of this king of terrors. What! shall tribulation, and persecution, and famine, and nakedness, and peril, and sword; shall sorrows, and fears, and mortality die with me? Yea, shall sin die with me? then welcome death. Lord strengthen me this once, let me die with the Philistines. Would it be good for thee to be with thy Father? in the bosom of thy bridegroom? the presence-chamber of thy Lord and love? would it be a mercy to thee, to weep no more, fear no more, suffer no more, be tempted no more, sin no more; to be unclothed of corruption, and be clothed upon with immortality and incorruption? Then bid death welcome.

Blessed souls, when you come ashore, and see the light, the love, the joy, the rest, the glory, that is on the other side, you will then more fully understand what this meaneth, Death is yours. He knew something, who said, I cannot tell you what sweet pain and delightsome torments are in Christ's love; I often challenge time, that holdeth us asunder; I have for the present a sick life, much pain, and much love-sickness for Christ; O what would I give to have a bed made to my wearied soul in his bosom ! O when shall we meet! O how long is it to the dawning of the marriage-day! O sweet Lord Jesus, take wide steps: come over the mountains at one stride. O my beloved, flee as a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of separation! O if he would fold the heavens together like an old cloak, and shovel time and days out of the way, and come away!

CHAPTER VIII.-The Kingdom in the Covenant.

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GOD hath put the kingdom into this covenant; "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven," Matt. v. 3. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," Luke xii. 32. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O thou city of God. I might here enlarge in describing the glory of this kingdom; but when I have said all, I must at last leave it within the vail; and therefore shall only tell you from the apostle, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," &c. 1 Cor. ii. 9. When by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, the eyes of your understandings are opened, ye shall know what is the hope of his calling, and what

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