the cracke or noyse and after come great showres of wet and water so God as at the Creation sayth Let there bee light in the time of our Regeneration after we find a strange working in the Soule a Quarrell a Wound and then commeth the sweete dew from Heauen to helpe vs to heale vs. Will you see the reasons of this shall arguments further confirme it Reason 1 Doe we not read in Scripture of a Prince a Chiefetaine or Captaine And shall hee haue no followers must he want his Souldiers No for if the one bee the other is The Father presupposeth a Child the Shepheard a Flocke the cause his effect the shaddow a body and so doth a Captaine Souldiers Souldiers a Combat for these are Relatiue Arguments and the one dependeth necessarily on the other Reason 2 Againe is not mention made of weapons are wee not bidden to take to vs the whole or complete Armour of God If Dauid take his Sling Peter his Sword Ionathan his Bow Sampson his Iawbone and Shamgar his Goad is it not for an end Why then to fight for the Enemies are in Armes the Philistims bee in the Field Goliah is vaunting and daring to Battaile and the Combat prepared Reason 3 And haue not the faithfull foes Doe not the Canaanites campe in the Valleys Are not the Aramites and Arabians in the Mountaines What shall I say The sonnes of Anakim are not all slaine though their father sleepe And these foes bee either forraine or neerer home within vs or without vs without vs first Satan secondly all his Souldiers within vs first corruption secondly death And first for Satan was hee not a Murtherer from the beginning doth he not daily goe about Like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Is not this that Red Dragon that coloureth and choaketh himselfe with the bloud of the Saints Doe you thinke that this Herod is dead Will Time alter his nature or will the death of many satisfie him No he groweth worse and worse and hauing the lesser time to quarrell the greater woe shall be to the Inhabitants of the Earth Wee are commanded to resist the Deuill Then shall he not oppose Was Adam the first Iob the Iust Paul the Prince of the Apostles and Iesus Christ the Righteous tempted wounded buffetted and mooued from place to place by him and dost thou thinke to escape his hote his fierie Darts Let Israel goe out of Egypt to serue his God this Pharaoh will be vp in Armes and pursue Let the Babe Iesus bee borne The Infants shall be beheaded Let a little corne and good seed bee sowne in the furrowes of the Soule This enuious man will be casting in Tares or else hee shall haue his Kingdome weakned his Scepter remooued and not so large a Crop of Cockle at the time of Haruest Againe his friends will also be our foes and dare vs daily to fight If this Iehu but cry Who is on my side who multitudes will follow him this Ahab hath his hundreds of false prophets this Serpent hath brood of his owne bowels that like the Want or Mole can swimme the Sea creepe vnder the Earth transforme themselues into Angels of Light and bee readie to blow vp Prince and Nobles with fire and Gunpowder Hee hath Caine to kill Ismael to scoffe Rabshakeh to rayle especially if they bee intreated to speake in another Language At a word he hath Sanballats Tobiahs Siluer-smiths Copper-smiths and of all kinds of Callings to set vp his Kingdome Esau cryed out hee was vndone Dauid Woe is mee and why for they dwelt amongst a people of polluted lips and that abhorred peace Their throats were an open Sepulchre their Tongues like Razours hote as the coales of Iuniper the poyson of Aspes vnder their lips and their mouthes full of cursing and bitternesse their feete swift to shead bloud destruction and calamitie in their wayes and no feare of God before their eyes Ieremiah complained that his Mother had brought him forth a man of Contention he heard the rayling of many all his familiars watched for his halting saying It may be that hee is deceiued so shall wee preuaile against him and execute our vengeance vpon him For these being of their Father the Deuill his worke they will doe though they goe at the last to ruine and destruction with him And thus much for our forraine foes that seeme the further from vs Our home-bred and more dangerous aduersaries follow being two also And the one of them is corruption so called because that he rotteth and corrupteth as much as in him is his contrarie This olde man will send out whole swarmes of lusts to destroy the new Hence wee are bidden as Strangers and Pilgrimes to abstaine from fleshly lusts that fight against the Soule This pricke or stab was sent to buffet Paul and neuer could he be rid of it till death It is called a pricke in the flesh by which I vnderstand omitting all other interpretations the verie act or motion of the vnregenerate part often called flesh who by his contrarie lusting hindreth a man in the performance of all good duties And the reasons of this interpretation are two first in all probabilitie that which Paul complaines the most against elsewhere is that that he most praid against in this place and it was the bodie of death the Law in his flesh rebelling against the Law of his minde and leading him captiue vnto the Law of sinne which was in his members Secondly thus I also reason that which doth most molest and trouble all Gods Children is it that did the most trouble Paul Paul as a Christian But this prick the act of corruption the stab of the old man doth most molest all Gods Children Ergo Paul why Aske an experienced Professor what doth the most trouble him in any good dutie his answere will bee In Prayer wandering thoughts carrying the mind from God so that like a man who maketh a round Circle fetching a circumference wee neuer come neere him but in the first word Our and last word Amen as the two points in the very period of the Motion and the Circles perfection Also let a man speake or preach the Word of God how is a good man grieued that this pricke buffets him striking his head awry that he aimes not at the right end or marke weakning the spirit that his speech wants Salt to season it Grace to powder it causing the poore Soule when she comes to her selfe and viewes her wandering to cry out What haue I done so that I had the rather apply it to many then one particular sin or act Obiect 1 But it is called the Messenger of Satan Answere True for Satan was the Authour of it at the beginning sinne had his originall from Satan and is the accursed seed of a cursed father Againe Satan is no more willing to send this Messenger but he is as
that is wise imagine that corruption will not sprawle like Esau kicke with the heele and cuffe vs on the face as the High Priest bid Paul and is it possible to liue in Meshek and Kedar and not to bee opposed breathe in the Ayre and feed on the Creatures and not to be mortall Away then with this fond conceit for they that thus erre in vanitie vanitie shall bee their change These Sleepers Crowne shall like Sauls Speare be stolne from them their best hopes shall make them one day ashamed their candle must bee put out their house like the Spyders Web perish for hee that doth not ouercome shall not be crowned Heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Vse 3 And in the third place I might soundly lesson such that haue no care at all to bee acquainted with their Enemies or that thinke all the World is at peace with them or that like a Child being offended casteth downe his weapons as it doth all things in the hand Fye what a multitude of these haue wee of whom we may say that they are like Laish a lazie people some haue the eye of the minde put out and like Saul at his Conuersion goe they know not whither others like Mephibosheth and Adonibezech are lame both of feete and fingers some as Samson when they bee to fight want their weapons and so like puling boyes put the finger in the eye and fall a weeping Alasse alasse how many take Caine for his Keeper the Wolfe for the Sheepe and in stead of the true Shepheard an Hireling They beleeue euery report giue credit to each person and so like the foolish Birds be insnared Satan leadeth some blind-folded as the Prophet did the people vnto Samaria vnto the land of darknesse before their eyes bee opened and their Enemies be discerned only heares the dissimilitude the one found fauour the other shall not be freed Vse 4 And seeing that the Fighters bee faithfull and the faithfull Fighters it may make much for the comfort of such as haue opposition within them or without them for truly this is a sure signe that thou art a Souldier Doest thou imagine that a man can bee broke out of Satans Gaole and he not make hue and cry after him shall the Sinner be put into the endlesse Riuer of Gods running Mercies and shall not the Deuill angle for him Will not the Prince awake when the Subiects are at warre with him And therefore the more that thou art tempted by the Deuill the more cause thou hast to gather comfort for after remission of sinne is placed Lead vs not into temptation Againe doth the World hate thee count thee with Paul a Play-sellow runne with Caine and seeke to kill thee Why know shee loueth her owne cryeth peace vnto them shee affecteth and alwayes lulleth them in her soft and lined lap God would haue a wicked one in the Arke that the Church and Truth might neuer be without opposition Christ hath said that in the World wee shall haue many persecutions the Seruant is not greater then his Master and if they haue done this to a greene Tree alwayes fruitfull what will they doe to a dry that is barren and seldome beareth Therefore neuer bee daunted Satans seede will sting although it cannot kill it will be like Dan and the Adder biting vs by the heele but be thou of good comfort The elder shall serue the younger for Christ hath ouer-come the World And what if we finde a strange change in our selues causing vs cry with Rebeccah when the Twins stroue in her wombe Why am I thus or with Ieremiah Is any mans sorrow like to my sorrow Or with Manoah We shall die for haue we not seene the Lord Yet all this is ground of great ioy matter of exceeding mirth for saluation is come vnto thy house I know that young Conuerts in the pangs of regeneration wonder to see such an alteration in themselues imagining that neuer any person hath found comfort in that condition But vse thou the meanes and thy feare shall be expelled thy spirit healed thy corruption weakned and thou at the last shalt either be able to say with Dauid Now Soule returne vnto thy rest or else with Paul at the last thou shalt heare that pleasant and still voice rowning thee in the eare My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made manifest in weaknesse And be thou assured vntill Satan rage the Flesh pricke the World persecute and Death terrifie thou wast neuer a Christian Souldier entred into the lists of the fight and in possibilitie of heauen For they that are of the Lambs part are called and faithfull and chosen and therefore must vnder-goe in some degree what the Fore-runner and Finisher of their Faith hath suffered Let Satan tempt me corruption like a body lade me the World deride me Death looke grim vpon me Then will I say I either am or shall be a Christian Souldier Vse 5 The fift vse is for our instruction that before we beginne the Battaile for this is Christs counsaile wee would cast vp our accounts and consider of our abilitie lest we seeming to beginne in the Spirit end in the Flesh Wee must take heede that wee doe not rush into the battaile without mature deliberation but well weigh with whom and about what we haue to deale Many haue seemed resolute at the first that haue runne away at the last and so all their labour hath beene lost Young Christians are like young Souldiers strike hard for awhile lay on lode and anon retyre We see in experience that some Gallants standing on the shore and seeing a ship vnder sayle the flags spred hearing the allarum of the Drum sound of the Trumpet and report of the Peeces lanch out valiantly But when they through the smell of the Pumpe or tempest and stormes of the Sea haue beene tossed to and fro tumbled out of their Cabbin and Sea-sicke exceedingly vow that if they once come to land they will be for euer after wiser And the very same for want of consideration befalleth many that beginne this spirituall combat We must beginne the battell as men goe into the water to bathe not too hot nor too cold for extremes in all things are full of danger Vse 1 And last of all seeing that the faithfull are fighters we must labour for what may further vs in this combat and to cast off what might hinder vs in winning the field wee must take to vs the whole Armour of God Our loynes must be girded about with Verity the plate of Iustice vpon our brests the Gospell of peace must couer our feete aboue all we must take the shield of Faith the helmet of Hope and the sword of the Spirit Who will run into the battell vnarmed What man is so mad but will haue his weapons with him else would wee not count such a person desperate Put on therefore
assist him And a greater griefe must it needs be to him for company in suffering is comfortable And there is a woe pronounced to him that is thus left alone 7. And last of all his triall was so hot his foes so fierce that he resisted vnto bloud What should I more say For if wee would seriously ponder of these things we could not but gather life and spirit and like Iehu march on furiously or Deborah valiantly But wee many of vs haue the prize in our hands yet alas wee want hearts Well beloued I can tell you this that when death approcheth and iudgement through her as through a window lookes vs in the face then this fight will bee found to be of worth and a greater good then all the glorie and pompe of the world But if Pauls patterne the goodnesse of the fight and the priuiledges that we aboue many of our Brethren in time past and at this present partake of will not moue vs to fight and fight resolutely let vs then set before vs the fearefull wrath and dreadfull vengeance that is prepared for such as neuer began this fight or if they haue yet endure not to the end And let that also awake vs with Samson when the Philistims were vpon him and cause each of vs to flie for his life For necessitie sometimes makes the faint and fearefull-hearted Souldier valiant Consider therefore what I haue said and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in these things Amen Vse 4 And last of all here might Parents be moued to bring vp their children in the feare of the Lord. It were a blessed thing that we could trayne vp our seed vnder such a Generall to be Captaynes then should we haue comfort in them at our latter end But Parents for the most part busie not themselues with matters of that nature yet they will that their children receiue the presse-money weare weapons goe armed but neuer teach or trayne them vp vnder whom or how to fight the more is the pitty But now be yee better aduised make thy sonnes of Gods Family of Christs Campe of the number of the Faithfull so shalt thou bee a louing Father and tender Mother Otherwise thou hast but made him by nature the Slaue and Souldier of Satan child of perdition And what an honor will it be to Parents at that last Day of appearing when they can say to this great Captayne as he himselfe to his Lord Generall Here am I and the Souldiers that thou hast giuen me For know that yet a very little while and he that will come shall come and will not tarry Doct. 1 Againe where Paul saith Paul hath fought a good fight obserue That it is not a sinne simply to speake the best of ones selfe 2. That a Murtherer may dye a Martyr a Persecuter an Apostle in a word a great Sinner a rare Saint Here we see that a bloudy Persecuter dyed Christs resolute Souldier and the same may befall in our dayes Againe note 3. That Gods Saints on earth haue no abiding Citie Paul must depart his fight is fought his course is finished calling things that are not as though already they were 4. That a well-led life yeelds comfort at the day of death For Paul speaks this with reioycing 5. That a good man in his life wisheth the Church might flourish after his death This was the cause why Paul so prest Timothy to preach hee being ready to depart 6. That certaintie of perseuerance may be had being rightly sought for Besides others that I omit And now all that I haue to say seeing wee are fighters and one of our Worthies fallen is this Let vs be the more watchfull ouer our selues and the closer knit together Let vs goe vp as one man hauing our affections vnited like the Leuiathans skales that no sword can either pierce them or diuide them For a Kingdome diuided against it selfe cannot stand and the diuisions of Ruben will but make great thoughts of heart And because the eye that now seeth me in this place may see me no more and the eare that now heareth mee out of this place may heare me no more my last speech to you my Brethren shall be that charge Ioseph gaue to his brethren at their parting Fall not out neither be stirred one against another by the way Amen FINIS Ephes 6.12 Gen. 1. vlt. Mich. 6.8 Psal 73. vlt. Psal 37.37 Iohn 13.15 1. Pet. 2.21 1. Cor. 11.1 Phil. 3.17 Rom. 15.4 Heb. 12.1 1. Cor. 6.9 Titus 3.3 2. Chron. 33.11 12. Deut. 32.29 Psal 73.17 Iames 5.11 1. Cor. 6.11 Reuel 2.10 Rom. 2.4 Gen. 3.15 32.24 Pro. 8.31 1. Cor. 16.13 1. Tim. 6.12 1. Cor. 9.26 Phil. 1.29 Heb. 10.32 Heb. 2.10 Ephes 6.13 The first enemie 1. Pet. 5.8 Reuel 12.12 Iames 4.7 Matth. 4. The second enemie Rom. 3. Ierem. 20.10 Iohn 8.4 The third enemie 1. Pet. 2 11. 2. Cor. 12.7 Gal. 5.17 Rom. 7.23 The fourth enemie 1. Cor. 15.26 Reuel 2.10 Iob. 14.5 Acts 27. Rom. 8.30 2. Tim. 2.19 2. Kings 6.19 20 Iohn 16. vlt. Psal 116.7 2. Cor. 12.9 Reuel 17.14 Luke 14.31 Ephes 6.13 See Goutch on this place Ephes 5.15 Col. 1.9 Hebr. 12.1 2. Tim. 2.4 Deut. 20.8 Deut. 24.5 1. Tim. 1.18 1. Tim. 6.12 Hos 2.7 Psal 73. vlt. Reasons Gen. 3.15 Reuell 17.14 Matth. 4.1 Gal. 5.17 1. Iohn 3.9 2. Cor. 10.4 Luk. 12.32 Iudg. 11.24 Gal. 6.17 Pro. 10.7 Psal 112.6 1. Tim. 4.8 1. Pet. 1.4 Reuel 10.10 Exod. 18.25 1. Pet. 1.8 Psal 91.11 12. Rom. 8.28 1. Tim. 4.8 Eccles 7.3 1. Cor. 15.55 Luke 16.22 Hebr. 1. vlt. Reuel 14.17 1. Thes 4.6 1. Cor. 15. Phil. 3. vlt. 1. Iohn 3.1 2. Rom. 16.20 2. Thes 1.8 9. 1. Thes 4.17 Psal 16. vlt. Psal 4.6 1. Cor. 11. vlt. Gal 6. 2. Tim. 4.16 Heb. 2.13 Heb. 10.37 Gen. 45.24