as the the crafty pyrate doth somtime hang out the same colours that the honest Mariner doth thereby to entrappe him So Sathan will sometimes transforme himselfe into an Angel of light As thus he will set out licentiousnesse under the name of libertie drunkennesse under the colour of good fellowship covetousnesse under the name of good husbandry fury under the name of mettle or manhood whoredome under the name of loving a mistresse Simony under the name of gratuity unlawfull sports under the name of honest mirth and recreation Poperie under the name of old Religion or the Catholicke faith Depopulation and enclosing of commons under the name of using ones owne or doing with ones owne as he list c. Thus he dies all his bad clothes in good colours guilds over his false coyne sugars over his temptations and paints the foule faces of sinne with the fine colours of vertues and graces Yea hee will not sticke to adventure to deceive Saul under Samuels mantle O then what need have we to flye to Iesus Christ who dwelleth with prudence What need have we not to be carried with every thing that hath a shew of goodnesse or indifferency But to bring these painted strumpets of the Devill to the light yea and to the heat of the word of God And then their painting shall melt away and we shall see their beauty came out of the Devills boxe Beloved nimium ne crede colori be not carried away with colours and showes The Devill hath a faire colour for the foulest sinne A 7 th trick of the Devill is to put a vizard of evill upon that which is good As to call the Catholicke and Apostolicke doctrine of our Church heresie and the Professors thereof Hereticks so the Papists to call the wholesome discipline of our Church Popish superstition so the Schismaticks To call conscience of sinne and a desire in all things to live honestly precise nicenesse so the carnall Gospellers Thus by calling evill good and good evill hee would bring it to passe that there should be nothing but evill and so in the end nothing but woe For woe shall be to him that calls evill good and good evill Isa 5. 20. Another Stratageme of the Devill is to wound us with our owne weapons even with our very graces As thus if he sees some zealous and fervent in religion so that he can in no wise quench this fire then he will throw his Gun-powder into it and under the colour of zeale bring them to preposterous indiscretion yea to a blind and bold madnesse As to undertake being private men to reforme publick abuses without the Magistrates authority and to make as great fire for the rosting of an egge as for the rosting of an Oxe I meane to bee as zealous for the small as for the weightier matters of the law for the swadling clothes as for the body of religion for the circumstance as for the substance A thing very dangerous to the Church as we may see in the example of Auda Bishop in Persia who in an excesse of zeale throwing downe a Temple of the Pagans was the cause that the king thereby incensed threw downe all temples of the Christians as Theodoret writes Lib. 5. Remember then to keep the meane according to Gods word Isa 30. 21. Be not righteous overmuch make not thy selfe over wise Eccles 7. 16. If ye cannot doe that good ye desire doe that ye can and so bee zealous according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. If with Paul ye cannot put downe Castor and Pollux the badges of heathenisme or Papisme yet doe not run out of the shippe S. Paul did not so Act. 28. 11. or if ye dwell in Ephesus an idolatrous place where the great Goddesse Diana is worshiped so that with S. Paul ye canot hinder it yet for all that doe not in an undiscreet zeale leaue your Minister runne out of Ephesus S. Paul did not so Act. 19. 10. I take it that wisdome is not from above when men will doe nothing unlesse they may doe what they will Surely such fiery zeale hath some of the Devills powder in it Another pollicy of Sathan to overthrow Gods servants and souldiours is to perswade those that bee great wits to prie into the counsells and decrees of their Generall Christ Iesus when they should follow him And to meddle with his Mysteries when they should meddle with their owne businesse knowing that to be the way to bring them out of favour and to be rebuked with Peter for curiosity with Quid ad te what is that to thee follow thou me Ioh. 21. 21. Many other wiles and Stratagems Sathan hath to ensnare and entrap us which I have now no time to relate these be they which be now most in use And by these you see what a dangerous enemy you have What remaineth then but that we shake off all security and provide and prepare to withstand him What remaineth but that wee should bee sober and watch seeing our adversary the Devill goeth about and seeketh so many waies to devoure us That is the counsell of the Apostle in this case let us follow it and watch Specially let us be carefull that wee give him no advantage against us and so betray our selves into his hands There be many waies whereby advantage is given unto Sathan And whereby as it were we tempt the Temptor One is being too wordly minded so much the text here doth teach us for therefore the Devill is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ruler of the world Quia praevalet adversus eos qui mundana cogitant Saith Aretius upon the place that is because he prevailes much against those that are wordly minded And this the Apostle witnesseth more plainely in another place saying that they which be rich fall into temptation and a snare of the Devill 1. Tim. 6. 9. A second way whereby we give advantage unto Sathan against us is by living in the darknesse of ignorance This we are taught also here in the text in that Sathan is here called Rector tenebrarum .i. Ruler of the darknesse of this world for this is because he rules and domineires most over them that live in darknesse and blindnesse of mind in darke and blind ignorance of the Scripture And this our Saviour speakes in more plaine termes saying ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Mark 12. 24. so that if we will not fall into errours and the snares of the Devill we must beware how we live in darke ignorance A third way whereby we give the Devill advantage over us is by yeelding a little to his temptations as to sweare lie or steale a little and the like For if he can get us to yeeld to his motions in a little he will quickly bring us to more If this Serpent can wind in his head hee will quickly draw his whole body after Patente portâ impossibile est malum ulteriùs non procedere Set open but one gate
scope and the occasion of the words Now that I may goe on in a method in the further opening and handling hereof may it please you to observe with me these 2 parts First a conflict Secondly a conquest The conflict in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we wrestle The conquest in these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand In the conflict note with me these three things 1. the combatants 2. the cause of the combate and 3. the time The combatants of the one side as defendants are we we wrestle The combatants of the other side as assaylants are the flesh the world and the Devill We wrestle against flesh and blood against principalities and powers against spirituall wickednesses Indeed the text faith here we wrestle not against flesh blood as if that were not an assayling enemy But the meaning is not so the Apostle in saying we wrestle not against flēsh and blood doth not meane not at all but not so much as Bullinger not alone as Calvin and Zanchius upon the place not only as appeares by collation of scripture For in another place the Apostle saith that the flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5. 17. So then the flesh that is our owne corrupt flesh and blood And againe the flesh that is other wicked men which are flesh and blood as we are these together with Sathan here called principalities and powers are the enemies that we are to combate with The cause of the combate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in coelestibus in heavenly things that is pro coelestibus as Chrysostome Oecumenius aud Musculus upon the place Illud enim in coelestibus est pro eo quod est pro coelestibus The English renders in coelestibus in high places not in heavēly things but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. places the substantive is not in the originall but only the adjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. heavenly so that we may referre the adjective Coelestibus either to locis places or rebus things according as our Church doth elsewhere Dominicall Epist. 21. and both true for it is true that Sathan the enemy of mankind fights against us in coelestibus locis in high places for he is the Prince of the aire Ephes 2. 2. And it is true likewise that hee fights against us in coelestibus rebus about heavenly things as Gods glory our owne salvation the graces of Gods spirit and eternall happinesse And this non ut ipse victoriam adeptus aliquid consequatur not to doe himselfe good sed ut nos privet to doe us hurt And so here he fights against us in coelestibus about heavenly things ut nos illis spoliat that he might deprive us of them And this is the cause of the combate The time thereof is the time present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the text that is there is a wrestling speaking in the present tense And as there is so there will be quamdiù nos principes tenebrarum as long as the servants of God and sonnes of Belial the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent doe last together that is as long as the world lasts that is the limited time of this combate And these be the particulars of the Conflict In the Conquest likewise we have three things to consider 1. the meanes how it is to be obtained 2. The manner how the said meanes is to bee used And 3. the motive The meanes is the armour of God The manner how to use it is to put it on The motive is that ye may stand These bee the parts and particulars both of Conflict and Conquest of which in order And first of the Conflict and therein of the combatants we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we wrestle We that is we that be faithfull in Christ Iesus Ephes 1. v. 1. v. 1. we that come to serve the Lord Ecclus. 2. v. 1. specially we that serve at the Altar and are the Ministers of Iesus Christ as S. Paul we must wrestle and fight the Lords battailes against his and our enemies The condition of the children and servants of God in this life is military 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a warfare upon earth as Iob saith c. 7. v. 1. God that is a man of warre Exod. 15. 3. made man also to be-a man of warre Gen. 3. 15. putting enmity betweene the woman and the Serpent and between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent and saying it shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele And this breaking and bruising this warring and wrestling which the Lord did then proclaime betweene the woman and the Serpent and betweene her seed and his seed hath gone along and continued to this very day even to us so that nobis Lucta we wrestle We all we that have given up our names unto Christ and taken the oath of allegeance unto him in our Baptisme and renewed it by receiving the Lords supper and so professed open hostility against Satan the world and the flesh wee must wrestle Hic in castris ille in rostris in scholis in nemore in agro in pelago in palatio hic ferro corpus ille animum dolis hit argutiis linguam hic pedibus ille equo hic currit ille navigat omnes militant as Petrarch hath it Whosoever will live godly in Christ must warre with the Dragon and his Angels Revel 12. 7. 17. Specially if wee bee any thing zealous for the Lord of hoasts As Elijah 1. Kings 17. or earnest in in Gods cause as S. Paul or forward for the word of God and for the testimony of Iesus Christ as S. Iohn Revel 1. 9 then we must looke for sharpe affronts and hard oppositions harder then if wee be remisse and carelesse in Gods cause Sathan is no opposer of such as live securely in their sinnes His kingdome is not divided against it selfe he is more crafty then so His bent is against the good and the best most The greatest temptation that ever hee made was against Christ and so is still against good Christians He will sift them Luk. 22. 31. they shall be sure to feele his fiery darts they must wrestle Yea and this wrestling or Conflict is not a matter of sport as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime taken but such as maketh the body of him that striveth to shake againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim dicitur quia corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 quatitur The Christians war is a fierce warre Now this being so that our life is a souldiours life a warfare upon earth a continuall wrestling and fighting with Sathan and his complices Let us consider our calling and endeavour to walke worthy of it in shewing our selves good souldiours of Iesus Christ Let us not thinke it enough to take presse money and
into his hands and lead our selues into his temptations contrarie to our forme of prayer And now Beloued we haue no need to doe so we haue no reason at all to giue any oddes or advantage to Sathan in this combate by these or any other wayes for we are not so strong as that we may afford it But especially we may not presume to encounter with this adversarie naked or without our sword the sword of the spirit which is the word of God as the seduced Papists are put to by their most iniurious leaders No no the truth is let us looke to our selues as well as we can and arme our selues as strongly as we can and take all the advantage and helpes that may be had we shall have ennough to doe with these principalities and powers with the Rulers of the darknesse of this world with the spirituall wickednesses or wicked spirits those secret and invisible enemies Yea and more then wee can well acquit our selves of as of our selves for of our selves wee are not sufficient to thinke much lesse to doe it 2. Cor. 3. 5. so that we have no reason to give any advantage herein And beside the cause or matter of the Conflict between Sathan and us non de parvis quibusdam rebus is no small matter that we should be secure and carelesse Sed de rebus quae sunt in coelestibus hoc est pro regno coelorum adoptione nobis lucta saith Aretius upon the place But a matter of heaven and heavenly things a matter of a kingdome and our right and interest to it that is the thing in question the matter of the quarrell and combate betweene us And is not this a weighty matter that we should bestirre our selves about it Surely how light soever we make of it it is a matter of life and death It is such a matter that we must either kill or be killed For if we doe not crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts the flesh will bee our death for to bee carnally minded is death Rom. 8. 6. If the world be not crucified unto us and wee unto the world the world will be our ruine for the world shall bee damned 1. Cor. 11. 32. If we doe not dash Babilons children against the stones suppressing the first motions of sinne and temptations of Sathan they will be sure to dash us to death for the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. So then it concernes us neere to looke to it being a matter of so great consequence and importance a matter of life death the winning or loosing of our heauenly inheritance in high places And that in strife with so potent and politick enemies let us consider then and thinke of the matter that we haue in hand A high place in heauen is worth the striving for specially when it may be had for striving according to that the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 12. 12. It is worth somewhat that Sathan doth so much strive and struggle to get from us A theife will not meddle with a poore begger that hath nothing to loose a pirat will not set upon emptie shippes a mighty enemy will not invade a kingdome or lay siege to a City with great violence to winne it where there is no great matter to be had and so surely it is not for nothing that Sathan with all his forces doth make such fierce and violent assaults upon the servants of God no Coelestia these high places or heauenly things for which he wrestles with us are great things and so let us with great care contend for them Yea and this let us doe without delay even this time for the time of the warfare wrestling with Sathan his forces is now euen this present time The Apostle here sets it downe so saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we wrestle or there is a wrestling and as he sayes it so we find it indeed for as heretofore he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit euen so it is now Now the world is full of such as scoffe at Isaac like Ismael of such as resist the holy Ghost as the stiffenecked Iewes of such as withstand Barnabas and Saul and seeke to turne the Deputie from the faith like Simon the Sorcerer of such as be accusers of the brethren like the Devill Revel 12. 10. of such as greatly withstand the word like Alexander the Copper-smith of such as warre with them that keepe the commandements of God and haue the testimony of Iesus Christ as the Dragon Revel 12. 17. Now the world is full of such warriers and wrestlers against the true worshippers of God yea and neuer more for now the Devill warres with great wrath because he knoweth he hath but a short time v. 12. And seeing it is so that there is such warring and wrestling of the enemies side against us at this time Let us of the other side be as ready and forward to warre and wrestle against them so that we may truly say nobis lucta we wrestle Yea and this let us resolue to doe not for a day or two but for as long as we liue for militia vita hominis super terram as Iob saith the whole life of a Christian is a continuall warfare here on earth Nunquam bella bonis nunquam issidia cessant Et quocum cert et mens bona semper habet Good men must not looke for peace upon earth Christ came not to send it Mat. 10. 34. The Dragon and his Angels will fight with the Michael and his Angells as long as the world lasts so that we must warre as long as we liue They will be sure to warre and wrestle with us either by inward or outward temptations by violent persecutions or fraudulent Heresies by sharpe tongues or sharpe swords or both and we had not need to lie still and to let them alone without any resistance surely no we haue cause to warre and wrestle with them as well as they with us and more too for if we fight the good fight and finish our course and keepe the faith we shall obtaine the crowne of righteousnesse but so shall not they Therefore let us resolue upon it and wrestle against flesh and blood against principalities and powers against Rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places against the Devill and all his forces of persecuting Tyrants of subtill hereticks of pestilent Antichrists of wicked worldlings and carnall Gospellers And this unto the end But here some will say how shall we that are weake and fraile be able to wrestle and encounter with so potent and politicke enemies with so many and malicious adversaries or if we doe presume to wrestle and fight with them how shall we prevaile against them The truth is we cannot prevaile against them by our owne strength
he clapps them over his head in token of victory and triumph Thus the faithfull famously conquer when they seeme to bee conquered by their enemies Though they be cast downe one way either in body goods or good name yet they stand another way the best way they stand in the faith they stand in the grace and favour of God They stand in their soules before the Son of God though they fall in their bodies before the Sonnes of men They stand in great boldnesse before the face of such as have afflicted them and made no account of their labours Wisdom 〈◊〉 â—1 formido sublata est non pugna as Leo saith their feare is taken away though not their fight their feare of being overcome and utterly cast downe So that the state of the faithfull servants and souldiours of Christ is full of comfort and assurance though Sathan and all his forces set against them yet they shall not prevaile Let the Dragon and his Angels doe what they can yet Michael and his Angels shall overcome them by the blood of the lambe and by the world of the testimony Revel 12. 11. 't is not here as in the temporall warre there incertus belli exitus 't is uncertaine which way the victory will goe till the event declare it But here in the spirituall warfare pugna certa victoria est saith Tertullian fight and be sure of victory Having then such encouragement let us put on put on the whole armour all the graces of God here mentioned And then fight the good fight and finish your course in wrestling against flesh and blood against principalities and powers against the Rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places against all the fiery darts and fiery temptations of the wicked Doing so ye shall not neede to feare a small fall ye shall stand as the Apostle saith here Ye shall stand as in the grace of God here so in the glory of God hereafter and receive that crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord hath prepared for them that love him All which the Lord grant us for the alone merits of Christ Iesus to whom with the father and the holy spirit be all glory praise 〈◊〉 power both now and 〈◊〉 AMEN FINIS 1. Tim. 4. 7. 8. Iam. 4. 7. Ephes 4. 27. c. 6. 13. Vtile est plures à pluribus fieoi libros diverso stilo sed non diversa fide Etiam de iisdem questionibus c. August de Trinit l. 1. c. 3. The scope of the text The occasion 2. Cor. 16. 13. Heb. 12. v. 1. The generall parts of the text A Conflict wherein 3. things The combatants of both sides The cause of the combat The time of the Combate A Conquest wherin 3 things The meanes The manner The motive Conflict 1. Part. Combatants of the one side we A Christians life militarie Act. 20. Maâ—k 4. 25. 7 Properties whereby to approve ourselves good souldiours of Iesus Christ Virgil. Deut. 23. 9. Non est in terris mollis ad astra via Ordo est mater conservatrix rerum omnium Arist polit l. 2. Mat. 8. 9. Intenti fuerunt ad Ducis verbum imò ad nutum Curt. l. 4. Xiphlin in vita Trajan Rom. 12. 13. Gal. 6. 2. 10. 1. Tim. 6. v. 8. Mark 13. 33. 37. Rom. 10. 8. Luk. 22. 31. 32. 2. Cor. 5. Psal 1â—6 Gen. 3. 1. 3. 4. Mat. 3. 17. C. 4. 2. Thes 2. 3. 4. 1. Ioh. 11. 12. Mat. 10. 16. Ovid. Eccles 12. 1. 2. Sam. 11. â— Susanna 2. Tim. c. 4. 10. Iudith c. 12. 20. Dan. 5. 2. Isa 36. 4. Finis coronat opus Psal 78. v. 10. Combatants of the adverse part 3. The flesh Prov. 6. v. 10. Iudges 14. 18. Psal 111. v. 10. 7 Things to be done by us because the flesh is an adversary of ours Quocunque ingredimur sequitur unà adest in tuis aedibus unà bibit unà comedit unà dormit Terent. 1 Kings 12. v. 10. 1. Cor. 13. v. 32. Prov. 3. v. 5. 7. Ier. 9. v. 23. Mat. 3. v. 9. Psal 51. v. 5. Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus 1. Cor. 9. 27. 2. Sam. 20. 9. The second adversary of christians the world Iohn 16. 33. The army of the world against christians Aquinas in prima Iohn c. 5. 4. 1. Tim. 1. v. 19. Galat. 6. 12. Sam. 18. 7. Mundus obsidet me utrinque per quinque portas quinque sc corporis sensus sagitiis suis me vulnerat Bern. medit 14. 5 Things to be done because of the enmity of the world 1. Tim. 6. 9. 10. Colos 3. v. 2. 1. Iohn 3. v. 13. Oderunt hilarem tristes tristeque jocosi Sedatum celeres agilem gnavumque remissi Horat. lib. 1. epist 19. Amb. Ser. 87. Ephes 5. v. 11. Ephâ—s 2. 20. 2. Kings 2. 21. Rom. 13. 4. The third adversarie Christians the divell Calvin in so Gregor Moral l. 13. c. 15 Ioh. 12. 31. Ephes 2. v. 2 â—el 12. 3. 4. Gen. 3. 1. 9 Stratagems of the Devill to entrap men in 1. Cor. 5. 6. Mat. 4. v. 9. 1. Tim. 6. v. 6 Act. 28. v. 22. 2. Cor. 11. 4. 1. Sam. 18. v. 14. Prov. 8. 8 Wayes whereby we give the Devill advantage against us Acriùs urgeâ—hostis Ephes 2. 2. Mat. 13. 25. Psal 119. 37. Vrit videndo foemina activè passivè Mat. 8. 31. Vâ—gil 1. Kings 20 â—2 Gen. 19. 32. The cause of the Conflict Psal 137. v. â—9 The time of the Conflict Galat. 4. 29 Act. 7. 51. c. 13. 8. 2. Tim. 4. v. 15. Iob. 7. Ob. Sol â— Generall part 1 Conquest wherein 3 things The meanes of the Conquest Haec sunt sarcasmi Diaboli Chemnitius Ioh. 8. 44. 1. Sam. 17. 9. 10. 2 Sam. 17. 23. Luk. 18. 13. Isa 36. v. 6. 2 Cor. 10. v. 4. Particular meanes of the conquest Ioh. 17. 17. 2. Chron. 28. 9. 1. Pet. 1. 22. Act. 23. v. 1. Non eget Mauri jaculiâ— c. Psal 119. 106. 〈◊〉 1. v. 8. Ioh. 25. 5. Psal 1. v. 1. Exod. 17. v. 11. Eccles 4. 9. Mat. 18. 20. Psal 17. 1. 1. Thes 5. 17. Mat. 17. 21. Why the graces of God are called armour Q R Eccles 2. 8. 1. Pet. 3. 3. 4. The manner how to use the meanes of Conquest Appâ—re quod sis vel esto quod appares Parum sepultae distat iâ—â—rtiae caelata virtus 3 Parts specially to be armed Rom. 6. v. 13 Prov. 4. 23. Iob. 31. 1. Dan. 1. 8. Psal 26. 6. Gods armour to be put on in Gods serviceâ— The abuse of Gods armour Mat. 4. Hos 2. 8. 9. Amos. 6. 4. A passage of the preacher touching the repairing of Pauls Every one is to use Gods armour personally 1. Pet. 5. v. 8. Mat. 25. Rhem. Annot on Luk. 10. 35. 2. Cor. 8. 14. 1. Cor. 9. 16. Philip. 2. 12. We are to use Gods armour vvithout delay Isa 5 5. v. 3. 2. Cor. 6. 2. We are to put on Gods armour constantly Luk. 4. 13. Mat. 12. 44. 1. Sam. 30. 16. Psal 1. The motive to use the said meanes of Conquest Nemo nos laedit nisi qui Deum vincit Mat. 16. 18. Gen. 3. 15. Q R Q R Tertul. Apol. Act. 5. 41. cap. 16. â—â—usebius Rom. 8. 35. 37. Fox Acts and Mon. p. 1447. Leo ser 7. de jejun 10. mensis Mat. 16. 2. Tim. 4. 7 8.