angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him," Rev. xii. 7-9. And even John himself, the penman of my text, speaks very strongly of the universal possession of Satan when he says, "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." The first step taken in destroying the devil's works, was The incarnation of Christ; for, as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he likewise took part of the same. This bringing Godhead and manhood together brought God and man together; hence he is called Emmanuel, or God with us. To this the Psalmist alludes when he says, "Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the Son of man, whom thou hast made strong for thyself." The strength of this man lies in the union between the two natures, which was to answer all the good purposes of God towards men in destroying the devil's works, and in setting up an empire of grace on its ruin. The Son of God was manifested, or, as Paul says, "Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." Now the Godhead was manifested by the miracles he wrought. "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory." By raising the dead; by rebuking the sea and the winds; by his authority over the devils, and their fears and tremblings at his presence; by the adoration and worship given him both by men and angels; by the Father's voice three times from heaven giving testimony to him; by the visible descent of the Holy Ghost upon him; by the power, wisdom, and majesty, of his word; by the communications of pardoning and every other grace; by eternal life attending his voice; by the heavenly light that shone into the hearts and souls of men; by the change made in the worst of sinners; by his transfiguration on the mount; by his patience, humility, and fortitude in death; by the prodigies that appeared in the earth, in rocks, graves, and the veil of the temple rending, when he yielded up the ghost; by his resurrection from the dead, and his appearances to his own followers afterwards; by his ascension into heaven in sight of eleven witnesses; by the coming of the Holy Ghost, as the fruit and effect of his mediation; by the miraculous power displayed in the apostles; by the conversion of Jew and Gentile; by the unparalleled fortitude of his martyrs; and by the irresistible spread of his kingdom in the world, in the face of all opposition, both from men and devils, and by its continuance to this day; "God was manifest in the flesh." Men with their bodily eyes saw his flesh, before his death and after his resurrection, and no more; but the eye of faith saw God shine in it, and shine through it. "God was manifest in the flesh.” 2. At eight days old Emmanuel was circumcised, and by that ordinance he became a debtor in man's room; yea, we put off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, Col. ii. 11; and if we put off our sins by Christ's circumcision, then, by the same ceremony, he took them on himself. In the life of our surety a perfect obedience was given to every precept of the law. He bore our sins in his own body; he received our sentence; he endured the curse, by being made a curse for us; he suffered all the wrath revealed in a broken law, and died in our stead, the just for the unjust; and in this he effectually destroyed the works of the devil for us. Upon this finished work the law was magnified and honoured for evermore. God was reconciled and well pleased, the debt-book cancelled and nailed to the cross, iniquities were removed in one day, and an act of grace took place in heaven, that, by the blood of the covenant, a gaoldelivery should be proclaimed to all the king's debtors. And upon the resurrection of Christ our discharge was obtained, truth was cleared, and the covenant confirmed; the wrath of God was appeased, the sword of justice sheathed, sins purged, and man was ransomed; the grave was vanquished, death swallowed up in victory, the devil's works by Christ destroyed, and apostate and apostatizing man made nigh to God by the blood of Christ. But he destroys the works of the devil in us as well as for us; for, upon the accession of Christ to the right hand of God, the Holy Ghost is received and sent forth to take possession of the Lord's purchased inheritance; and upon his coming the devil is cast out of the human heart, the atonement of Christ is applied to purge the conscience, the imputed righteousness of Christ is put on for justification, and condemnation is removed; the washing of regeneration defaces the devil's image, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost reinstamps once more the image of God, while the poor sinner stands wondering at the sight, and melting in the power. "All we, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." This blessed image is, 1. Glorious light. 2. Renewed in knowledge. 3. In uprightness of heart. 5. In true holiness. 6. In heavenly-mindedness. 7. In the life of faith. 8. In peace and friendship with God. And in these stand the kingdom of God, and in no"Put on the new man, which after thing else. God is created in righteousness and true holiness." This new man is the whole work of grace, and the whole of implanted grace; and in this stands the kingdom of God; for, "Even so shall grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." Christ's seed are Christ's subjects. Christ reigns over his own children: "Let the children of Zion rejoice in their king." Christ's children bear his image. We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. And his kingdom stands in his own image. The kingdom stands in righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost. But they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his; for he produces all grace in us, and sets up and maintains the Messiah's kingdom in the heart. This cuts off and casts out all that make a fair show in the flesh; and, to complete this work, we are delivered from the law under which all the seed of the serpent continue, being under the curse that was passed upon Satan, and on all his seed in him; and we are brought under the everlasting love, grace, and mercy, of God in Christ Jesus, which are all secured to us by covenant. The remains of Satan's corruption, by the saints called the old man, is to continue in being until death, as a spur to our diligence, and to magnify the grace and power of God in us; both which are allsufficient, and evidently appear to be so when we are the most weakened and dismayed by this body of death. The working of it consists chiefly in unbelief, |
