Second Reason. There is a reason in regard of Satan, whose design is as much against the saints’ holiness, as God is for it. He hath ever a nay to God’s yea. If God be for holiness, he must needs be against it. And what should be our chief care to defend, but that which Satan's thoughts and plots are most laid to assault and storm? There is no creature the devil delights to lodge and dwell in as man. When he enters into other creatures it is but on a design against man. When he entered the ‘serpent,’ it was to deceive Eve. The ‘swine,’ Matt. 8:32, he possessed on a design to dispossess the Gergesenes of the gospel. But, might he choose his own lodging, none pleaseth him but man. And why? Because man only is capable, by his rational soul, of sin and unrighteousness. And as he prefers man to quarter in above all inferior creatures, so he had rather possess the souls of men than their bodies. None but the best room in the house will serve this unclean spirit in which to vomit his blasphemies, and spit out his malice against God—and why? but because the soul is the proper seat of holiness and sin. This, one gives as the reason why, amongst all the ways that Satan plagued Job, he did not choose to make a forcible entry into his body, and possess him corporally; for certainly he might —that being short of taking away his life—the only thing reserved by God out of his commission, and being in his power, sure it was not to spare Job that trouble. No pity dwells in a devil’s heart. But the very reason seems to be what an ancient hath noted. The devil waited for a higher preferment; he hoped for to possess his soul, which he longed for a thousand times more. He had rather hear Job himself blaspheme God, while he was compos mentis—his own man, than himself in Job to belch out blasphemies against God, which would have been the devil’s own sin, and not Job’s.
Thus, you see, it is holiness and righteousness his spite is at. No gain comes to the devil’s purse, no victory he counts got, except he can make the Christian lose his holiness. He can allow a man to have anything, or be anything, rather than be truly, powerfully, holy. It is not your riches and worldly enjoyments he grudges, so much as your holiness. Job, for aught we know, might have enjoyed his flocks and herds, his children, and servants, without any disturbance from hell, if the devil had not seen him to be a godly man—‘one fearing God and eschewing evil.’ This angered the wicked spirit. Now he tries a fall with Job, that, if possible, he may unsaint him, and despoil him of his breastplate of righteousness. His plundering of his estate, butchering his children, carbonading, as I may say, his body with sores and boils—which were as so many deep slashes in his flesh—was but like some thieves’ cruel usage of men whom they would rob, on a design to make them confess and deliver up their treasure. Would but Job have thrown the devil his purse—his integrity, I mean —and let Satan carry away his good conscience, Satan would have soon unbound him, and not have cared if he had his estate and children again. The wolf tears the fleece, that he may come to raven on the flesh, and suck the blood of the sheep. The life-blood of holiness is that which this hellish murderer longs to suck out of the Christian’s heart. It is not a form of godliness, or goodly shows of righteousness, the devil maligns, but the power. Not the name, but the new nature itself, brings this lion fell out of his den. Satan can live very peaceably as a quiet neighbour by the door of such as will content themselves with an empty name of profession, this alters not his property, nor toucheth his copy-hold[7]. The profession made by Judas, Satan knew, did not put him a step out of his way to hell. The devil can show a man a way to damnation, through duties and ordinances of God’s worship. That covetous traitorous heart which Judas carried with him to hear Christ’s sermon, and [to] preach his own, held him fast enough to the devil, and therefore he gives him line enough, liberty enough, to keep his credit awhile with his fellow-apostles. He cares not though others think him a disciple of Christ, so he knows him to be his own slave.
In a word, it is not a superstitious holiness which offends him. How can it, when he is the instituter of it himself, and that on a subtle design to undermine the true genuine holiness in the hearts of men? And by this time the church of Christ hath found how deep a contrivance it is. This in all ages hath been to the power of holiness what the ivy is to the oak. The wanton embraces of this mock holiness round about religion, hath killed the heart of scriptural holiness wherever it hath prevailed. It is to the true holiness as the concubine is to the true wife, who is sure to draw the husband’s love from her. This brat the devil hath long put out to nurse to the Romish church, which hath taken a great deal of pains to bring it up for him, and no wonder, when she is so well paid for its maintenance—it having brought her in so much worldly treasure and riches. No, it is holiness in its naked simplicity, as it is founded on scripture-bottom, and guided by scripture-rule, that he is a sworn enemy against. Indeed, this is the flag which the soul hangs out, and by which it gives defiance to the devil; no wonder if he strives to shoot it down. Now, and not till now, the creature really declares himself a friend to God, and an enemy to the kingdom of darkness; and here is the ground of that quarrel, which will never cease so long as he continues an unclean spirit, and they to be the holy ones of God. ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,’ II Tim. 3:12.
Mark, what it is that makes the devil and his instruments take arms and breathe slaughter against Christians—it is their godliness. Many specious pretenses persecutors have to disguise their malice; but the Spirit of God, that looks through all their hypocritical mufflers, is privy to the cabinet-counsels of their hearts, and those instructions they have from the devil, which worketh so mightily in them. He tells us, he that will live godly shall be persecuted. Downright godliness is the butt they level their arrows at.
Again, observe the kind of godliness at which their blood rises, ‘all that will live godly in Christ Jesus.’ There are more sorts of holiness and godliness than one. But all may have fair quarter at the devil’s hands, except this godliness in Christ Jesus. The devil hath an implacable malice against Christ. He hates, as I may so say, every letter of his name. That godliness which is learned of him, and derived from him, he opposeth unto death. Christian blood is sweeter to his tooth, but the blood of the Christian’s godliness is far sweeter. He had rather, if he could, kill that, than them—rather draw the Christian from his godliness, than butcher him for it; yet, that he may not stand out, he will play at small game, and express his cruelty upon their bodies, but it is only when he cannot come at their souls. ‘They were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain,’ Heb. 11:37. That which these bloody men principally desired, was to draw them into sin, and make apostates of them; and therefore they tempted them before they slew them. The devil accounts that the complete victory—when he can despoil them of their armour, and bribe them from their steadfastness in their holy profession. ‘Let her be defiled, and let her eye look upon Zion,’ Micah 4:11. He had rather see saints defiled with unrighteousness and sin than defiled with their blood and gore. Persecution, he hath learned, doth but mow the church, which afterward comes up thicker for it; it is unholiness that ruins it. Persecutors do but plough God’s field for him, while he is sowing it with the blood that they let out; but profaneness—that roots it up, and lays it all waste, consciences and churches also.
