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"Look to this man, keep him in safety, see that he come to no harm; whoever offends, do you defend him; wherever he goes, go you with him; wherever he lodges, stand you as a guard about the house; while he sleeps, do you watch; see that he want for nothing, let no hurt come to him:" if this were thy case, in what great security wouldst thou count thyself. But 0, what is a life-guard of men to a guard of mighty angels? "Fear not, little flock;" in heaven your angels behold the face of God, and in earth they have pitched their tents round about you.

II. THE POWERS OF DARKNESS are delivered over in the covenant: Satan and all his instruments. We are naturally in bondage to Satan, held "captive by him at his will,” 2 Timothy, 2:26; his prisoners, his slaves, his vassals. By the blood of the covenant, the Lord hath brought forth his prisoners and redeemed his captives, Zech. 9:11, and also hath spoiled principalities and powers, and led captivity captive. In this covenant there is deliverance of the prisoners, and a delivery over of them by whom they were helda jail-delivery, and a delivery of the jailers into their hands; and they are delivered over bound, the god of this world in chains, limited, spoiled, banished, and cast out. "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matt. 16:18. The gates of cities were anciently their special strength, and in them were their great councils held for the contriving and managing of all their concerns. By "hell," understand all that belong to that dark region, Satan and all his instruments,

the dragon with his armies, the serpent and all his seed. By "the gates of hell," understand the power and policy, the combination and counsels of Satan and his whole party. These gates of hell shall not prevail against it, that is, against the church; neither against the Head nor any member of it: they "shall not prevail;" that involves two things.

1. They shall fight against it; they are all combined and listed against the church, making a war upon it. "Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof. Down with it, root and branch; let it not have a being, let it not have so much as a name under heaven." Particular quarrels there may be between devil and devil; Herod against Pilate, and Pilate against Herod; yet the tails of these smoking firebrands are united against the Lord and his anointed ones—against their profession, against their religion, against the soul of every saint. Whatever veils or specious pretences they varnish their quarrel with, this it is that lies at the bottom of all their counsels and machinations; in this all their aims are concentrated—to root out godliness, and the professors of it, from the earth; to deceive and destroy souls for ever.

2. Though they shall fight against the church, yet they shall not overcome. They shall not prevail against it; that is, not finally: in the end the victory shall be the saints'. Jerusalem shall be "a burdensome stone for all people," Zech. 12:3; such a stone that they shall not be able to lift, or move it out of its place; it shall stand as a rock, against which the impetuous waves may dash themselves, but they can

not move it. Neither shall they be able to bear it. It shall crush those who burden themselves with it. Those who shake the church are pulling a house about their ears, a rock upon their loins; it shall break the backs of all those who contend against it; they shall be cut in pieces that burden themselves with it, though all the earth, yea, and hell too, be gathered together against it. It is a vain design that Satan and his partakers are driving on. "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" Psalm 2:1. It is a vain design, and it is a fatal design to themselves: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

In the first dawning of this glorious daylight, it was promised that the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head. "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Gen. 3:15. Gen. 3:15. "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." John 12:31. Cast out; whence? Why, cast out of his kingdom, out of his hold, cast down from his throne and dominion. His prison is broken, and now the prey is taken from the strong, the captives of the mighty are taken away.

But you say, "Was this indeed done at the death of Christ, to which these words refer? Does not Satan still reign? Is he not still the god

of this world, and the prince of the power of the air?

Yea, what a hold has he yet of the saints that are in the earth! What a tyrant is he to them; how does he entangle and

ensnare them; what havoc does he make in their consciences; lording it over them, leading them captives by lusts and temptations; what a strong party has he still within them, bearing arms against their Lord, fighting against their souls. What sad inroads does he make upon their grace, upon their peace; they cannot rest for him day nor night, abroad nor at home, alone nor in company; he is ever following them; whithersoever they go, the devil is at their backs; they cannot pray, nor read, nor spend a thought, nor cast a look, nor dispatch a sigh towards the Lord, but Satan stands by to resist and hinder them. What a yoke has he still upon their neck; what clogs and weights has he still upon their loins; how do they mourn in their souls while he vexes them from day to day; how do they groan, and travail in pain, sighing in themselves and waiting for their redemption. How is it then said, Now is he cast out?" Because now he hath received his judgment: "The prince of this world is judged." John 16:11. Now is the fatal blow given, now is the serpent's head broken, though he still may bruise and hang on the saints. The blow he levelled at our Lord has rebounded on his own head. Though he be as Gad, a serpent in the way, yet you may now tread upon this serpent and it shall not hurt you. The strong man is now bound; if he be a god still, he is a god in chains, a prince in fetters; he must ask leave of your Father, ere he can touch one 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; 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 from that soul.

Though he be an adversary still, yet is he such an adversary as may be resisted: "Whom resist, steadfast in the faith." 1 Pet. 5:9. And if you will resist, he shall flee from you. James 4:7. Stand, and your enemy runs.

Nay, more, he is not only a conquered enemy, but is made your servant. This viper shall yield you medicine against his own poison. His smitings shall be an excellent oil; the messengers he sends to buffet you, the 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. 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 harbor. Some men need a tempest to save them from a

wreck.

Nay, once more, he is not low enough yet; he shall be brought yet lower. You have assurance of his total and final overthrow. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Romans 16:20. "The devil shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone." Rev. 20:10. It is but a little while, and when he has done his work he shall be sent to

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