p. 43.44.45.46.47 A story of one guided and conducted by an Angel out of Bodin his first booke of the history of sorcerers p. 47. Objection What do you leave to Christ and the spirit Answered p. 48. Coroll from the administration of Angels p. 49. The Angels an ordinance continually by us p. 50. A spirituall substance assisting proportionable to the divell who opposeth us ibid. Walke holily in respect of the Angels ibid. Every ordinance valuable because conveying something from God therefore should love the Angels p. 51. Reverence the Angels learne to converse with them ibid. The whole creation serviceable to man the Angels not excepted p. 52. The use to be made thereof ibid. Aspire after Angelicall worke p. 53. The second part of this treaty which is of the evill Angels ibid. Of the sinne of the evill Angels p. 54. Coroll from thence p. 55. Of the punishment of the evill Angels and first of the place p. 56. Which admits of a double consideration ibid. The place of the sixt of Iude considered p. 57. The divels not yet in their utmost tearme p. 58. Coroll from what hath been last treated on ibid. The whole universe of rationall creatures under chaines and bonds ibid. The use to be made thereof p. 59. Of the spirituall punishment of the evill Angels p. 60. Their wound in their will ibid. Their knowledge great p. 61. Their wound in their knowledge ibid. In some respects perfectly blinde p. 62. Their punishment demonstrated from their names and titles ibid. Corollaries p. 63. Dread the spirituall punishment of sinne ibid. This considerable to the saints also ibid. Of the ministery of the evill Angels p. 64. The principall ministery of the evill Angels to tempt and induce to sinne p. 65.66 Whence the evill Angels had power for this ministery p. 66. Why the divels are invested with this ministery by God p. 67. Severall reasons in respect of God ibid. Also in respect of men first of wicked men p. 68. Then of the saintes p. 69. Severall Coroll from hence p. 70. Let the Saints blesse God for their ministry ibid. Wonder not that evill men are so wicked ibid. Do not the divells work ibid. Expect not the present destruction of men extreamly wicked ibid. Be secure on Gods side notwithstanding this ministry p. 71. How the evill Angells operate in order to temptation and sinne p. 72. Corollaryes from hence p. 73. Whether the divell concurre to the temptation of all sinne p. 74. Men may sinne without the temptation of the Divell but de facto usually he hath a part in all temptations ibid p. 75 76. Whether usually hath the start herein our owne corruptions or the divell p. 77. Severall corollaryes p. 78 79. How the ministryes of the evill Angells are distributed whether to vices or persons p. 80. Corollaryes from the praeceding discourse p. 81. A shame for the saints to give ground and fayle as others that want their aides ibid. The saints and the wicked fall very differently under the power of the Divell p. 82. Which wayes especially the divells are laid out towards mankinde in matter of temptation p. 83. The divell would hinder the worship of God and in order to that the knowledge of him ibid. The divell amongst his most assured vassalls pretends to a shap'd and form'd worship as appeares by the confession of witches p. 84. The divells the greatest enemyes of Christ and the Gospel ibid. Gospel worship and Gospell preaching most opposed by the divell and his instruments p. 85. Coroll from this ibid. Exalt what the divell opposeth most ib. The Divell exerciseth his ministry especially against the church of Christ. p. 86 87. Some more instances of the Divells usuall martches in the discharge of his ministry p. 88. One the lusts of the flesh ibid. The excesses of no beasts so great as those of mankind in bodily things ib. This frame infinitly contrary to God appeares so to be by two things especially p. 89 90. The Divell where he reignes most absolutely subjects persons to the actuall commission of what ever we call uncleanenes p. 90. The Scripture particularly intitles Sathan to this temptation p. 91. Another beaten path of the divell pride ibid. That men are which they are to God p. 92. No thing more contrary to God then pride ibid. The imaginations of proud men how scattered by God ibid. The honour and advantage of humility p. 93 94 95. Only by pride comes contention how understood p. 95 96. Pride makes us contend with our conditions with God himself p. 96 97. How the Divell is intituled to this temptation p. 97 98. Another eminent temptation of the divels coveteousnesse p. 99. The seate of this lust the basest spirits ibid. Coveteousnesse extreamely fertill of ill ibid. and p. 100. Why this sinne stil'd Idolatry p. 100 101. Men of this humour extreamely deluded p. 101. The comfort and injoyment of things is the portion of the saintes p. 102. Coroll particularly from this last head ibid. Generall Corollaryes drawne from these common roades of temptation p. 103. The misery of sinne lyes in sinning ibid. The happines of a holy spirit p. 104. The divell spinnes his web finer for the saints but his But and End is the same p. 105. Provocations to fight ibid. The divells power and operation upon us in communicating himself to our understandings and inward man must be fetcht from what hath been said of the good Angells largely p. 36 37 38. ibid. The divell an inveterate enemy his evill nature ever intended p. 106. His power wonderfully great ibid. The contentions for things of the greatest moment p. 107. The prize of other warres nothing to ours p. 108. A great advantage to fight for a love and in the presence of a love and so do we ibid. The third part of the discourse wherein of the armour fitted for this warre p. 109. No weapons fit for combatt with the divell but Gods ibid. Lusts will take their turnes and give place one to another p. 110. Something 's which looke like vertues are but the ignorance of ill ibid. The incompassing of temptations ibid. Some men strong in the divell and in the power of his might p. 111. What 's intended by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Every one will do a little in Religion ibid. and p 112. Difficulty in Religion lyes in universality and exactnes p. 112. What our parts are in this combatt p. 113. The more mighty any supreame agent is the more it intends and fills the instrument ibid. The end and use of the Armour p. 114. Dayes of temptation evill dayes ibid. Things incouraging to fight the necessity of it the glory and pleasure of victory p. 115. Cowards have but the pleasure of Idlenes and the misery of slavery p. 116. 2 Tim. 2.3 open'd ibid. p. 117. The bonds and restraints that lye upon the divell are considered for incouragement sake p. 118. The particular peeces of armour first the girdle
AN History of Angells BEING A Theologicall TREATISE of our Communion and Warre with them Handled on the 6 th Chapter of the Ephesians the 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. Verses By HENRY LAWRENCE a Member of this present PARLIAMENT LONDON Printed by M. S. and are to be sold by William Nealand in Duck Lane 1649. To my Most deare and Most honour'd Mother THE LADY LAWRENCE Most honour'd Mother DVring this busy time in the which our country subjected to those calamities of which by faith we see the catastrophe glorious hath beene the stage of so much action and the field of so many battailles my lot was cast to be from home and in this retirement if I injoyed not the happinesse of his wish to have otium cum dignitate leisure with dignity for I pretend but to an excuse yet it was without any just cause of reproach for the warre found me abroad not sent me thither and I have beene onely wary without a just and warrantable reason to ingage my selfe in that condition from which a providence seem'd to rescue mee But of all the peeces of our life wee are accountable for those of our greatest leisure whereas publike and visible imployment gives its owne account It was said of Cato that hee conflicted vvith manners as Scipio did vvith enemyes The conflict with manners as it is a kind of warre from which no condition will free us so leisure and retirement is commonly the opportunity of it for such enemyes will find us soonest in that condition as on the other side wee have an advantage by it to seeke out and improove all the strengthes and aides that are requisite for our owne defence and the incommodating of our enemyes In this warre therefore to which my leisure more eminently expos'd me and to which also it more fitted determin'd me I was diversly acted according to the severall methods and occasions of warre by the great Generall of all his people Iesus Christ sometimes conflicting with the knowne otherwhiles persuing the discoveryes of the unknowne corruptions of my owne heart and others I found assuredly That a mans foes vvere them of his ovvne houshold and that to be delivered from the ill men our selves vvas to be avovved as a rich and high mercy But as most warres that have their rise and beginnings at home and from within are not determin'd and concluded within that circle but to greaten and assure their party and prevailing seeke the assistance of forreigne aides or find at least their homebred differences and divisions made use of by neighbouring powers who while they pretend to helpe their friends serve themselves or some third state to which their proper interests ingages and determines them So did I conceave that in this spirituall warre there were not wanting aides and assistances from without that were of mighty influence in the businesse of our fighting and who by stratagems and methods as well as by fine force contributed exceedingly not onely to the last issue of the warre but to the successe almost of every battaille And these though they were of wonderfull moment yet me thought were generally little considered but men terminated their thoughts within the compasse of themselves or if they went farther lookt presently and immediately upon God as in every thing it is an easy and vulgar step from the last effect to the highest cause whereas those hoasts of Angells which on either side more immediatly managed and improoved this warre as they are spirituall and invisible beings so they passe with us unseene and undiscerned in a great proportion and we who are the subjects of this warre and whose interests are especially concern'd in it by not knowing or considering can neither improve our most active and most powerfull friends or enemyes to our advantage I was guided therefore by such thoughts as these to the ensuing meditations and as we usually are more sensible of our enemyes then our friends so the first designe I had was to discover what influence the evill Angells have upon us and our actions what parts they act how they communicate themselves to us and affect us for ill But as commonly things have not the same place in the execution which they have in the designe so I found it necessary in the method of this discourse to consider first of the Angells in their pure naturalls and then as of the most eminent patterne of Angelicall power and influence of the good Angells and after that with the due difference of the abate of power and strength which sinne had caus'd of the influence and effects which the evill Angells have upon mankind which every one experienceth though few enough know it or consider it And because in a subject of this nature nothing is more easy then to wander even to the loosing of our selves in the speculative part I endevoured to remedy that inconvenience throughout by certaine practicall Corollaryes which might reduce the notionall part of the discourse to the use and end intended and might let us see how much our interest is concern'd in the right knowing and improoving these mighty spirits And lastly because the Scripture I first pitcht my thoughts upon in order to these things furnisht me with proper armes for this holy warre I judg'd it would be a good accesse to this discourse of which also it might constitute a third part to shew those armes and to give what light I could to the right wearing and using of them For other thinges I pretend neither to such a method or language or what ever else of that kinde as is wont to begett a reputation with many readers for besides the vanity of such affectations in a subject especially so serious these thoughts were form'd for a more private use then their present condition leads them to nay such thinges as were but necessary as a division of this discourse into chapters of which it was easily capable a more correct printing and some other perfectings of a like consideration have by reason of the busines of my owne occasion and a mistake somewhere beene wanting this I pretend to to magnifie God in those mighty hoasts of spirituall substances which he manageth wonderfully and differently for the good of his children to gratifie and serve the good Angels who if I may judge of others by my self have been too little considered in order to them or our selves and to professe and as much as in me lyes to assist to an irreconcileable and everlasting warre with the greatest and most inveterate enemies of God and man the divell and his Angells And last of all which I mention'd in the beginning to give one instance that I have not beene idle in these busy times nor without the thoughts and designes of warre in an age when warre is become almost the profession of all men Why I inscribe these papers to you My dearest Mother will neede no larger account then this Nature and your ovvne
goodnesse have form'd you ablest to pardon me in any thing vvherein I shall neede it And of all I have knovvne of either Sexe I have mett vvith fevv more diligently inquisitive or pertinently reasoning of things of a raised and abstracted nature especially vvhich might have influence into the good of another life then your self To which I adde That I professe to have infinite ingagements to avovv my self before all the vvorld Most honoured Mother Your most obedient Sonne Most Humble servant HENRY LAWRENCE A Treatise of our Communion and warre with Angells Ephes. 6.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18 Put on the vvhole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the vviles of the Divell For vvee vvrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against povvers against the Rulers of the Darknes of this vvorld against spirituall vvickednesse in high places c. THE great externall cause of all our evills is the Divell who hath such a kinde of relation to our sins as the holy Spirit hath to our graces saving that hee findes a foundation within us to build upon matter out of which hee extracts his formes whereas the holy Spirit doth that worke as well as the other and is put to the paine of foundation worke as well as building I call him the externall cause in opposition to the working of our owne corruptions which are our owne properly and most of all within us In other respects hee may be sayd to be the internall cause also for hee mingles himselfe with our most intimate corruptions and the Seate of his warfare is the inward man Now because hee hath a greater influence into us then perhaps wee consider of and the knowledge of our enemy is of great concernement to the warre wee must have with him I desire a litle to inquire into this mighty enemy of God and man that wee may knowe him and dread him so farre as to fit us for conflict and that wee may knowe him and discover him for hee is a perfect Iugler hee raignes not much when his tricks are discovered and that wee may knowe him and resist him if hee shall embolden himselfe to stand his ground as often hee doth The Apostle from the beginning of the 4 Chap. had taught them how they should live in generall first among themselves then with relation to those that are without ver 18. Then hee condiscends to particuler duties of Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants and last of all before hee concludes returnes to that which hee had mentioned in the 3. Chap. ver 16. where hee beggs of God as the most desireable thing in the world that they might be strengthened according to the riches of his grace in the inner man Heere hee turnes his prayer into an exhortation wherein hee provokes them to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might ver 10. That is to say though you have all faith and all knowledge and worke well yet you must persevere yee must goe on and you must doe it with strength It is a great matter to come into the lists but it is great to runne also and to fight when you are there for you shall meete with those that shall oppose you and conflict with you therefore be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might that is with the Lord by his Spirit which is his mighty Agent shall worke in your hearts Be not strong in your owne strength in your owne purposes in the freedome of your owne wills so was Peter who got nothing by it but in the Lord his Spirit can strengthen can raise can confirme you Ver. 11. Put you on the whole Armour of God God is able to preserve you but hee will doe it by your fighting and your Armour must be sutable to the hand that wields it which is the Spirit of God in you and the enemy it conflicts with which is the Divell Againe it must be the whole Armour if you want any one piece that place will be exposed to danger also All for offence and defence that you may save your self by destroying your enemy that yee may bee able to stand against the wiles of the Divell that is that yee may hold your ground though you should receive wounds and thrusts yet that you may not give way as ver 13. that yee may withstand in the evill day The day of temptation is an evill day a day of trouble a day of tryall and often in respect of the event evill therefore deliver us from evill And having done all to stand that is if you doe all in this fight God commaunds you and omit nothing by the vertue of God you will stand but there is no dallying with such an enemy your standing must be a fruit and result of doing all The wiles of the Divell the word is Methods that is the divell like a cunning fencer hath his faints knowes how to take his advantages and like a great commaunder hath his stratagemes by which hee doth as much as by fine force and these are well laid there is a Method in them to make the worke the surer one thing depends upon another and all contribute to make the result firme For wee wrastle that is de conflictu est sermo non de ludo we speake of conflicts not of play or sport not against Flesh and Blood that is that which wee have onely in our eye is flesh and blood wicked men that wounds us and persecute us where note that God calls all wicked men all the enemies of his Church but flesh and blood now they are the most perishable things when God will blowe upon them for all flesh is grasse though the enemies be never so great and mighty they are but as grasse and stubble Or secondly flesh and blood by which may be understood your carnall lusts the concupiscence of the flesh and the boyling and ebullition of the blood to anger and all passions it is not so much or it is not especially against these you wrestle but rather against him that acts them and makes use of them to your ruine and dis-dis-advantage which is the divell and this hee may perhaps speake against the opinion of the Heathen who understood not the operation of the divell but thought all our conflicts was against internall passions But against Principalities hee seemes to describe the divels heere which are our enemies first from the principality of their nature by which the eminency and raisednes of their nature in respect of this visible world is set forth that as the state of Princes differ eminently from other men so the nature of divells as Princes excells the nature of men and of all visible things Against Powers hee calls them Powers simply without any addition to shewe the eminency of their power aswell as of their natures that as they have a nature farre above flesh and blood fitted for great things so they have a power
reliefe to deale with your enemies as David did your faith is your victory whereby you overcome the world 1. Iohn 5.4 that is in Christ it is the power of his might that makes us strong Christ hath a might a mighty abilitie hee is endowed with power from above which being put forth in us gives us a power to be strong and to stand our ground as ver 10. for in those words the habit seemes to be distinguish't from the energy and operation when a man is acted by the Divell either by an immediate possession or some eminent strong way of lusting that hee is strong in the Divell and in the power of his might that is you shall finde a power full operation of the might of the Divell upon him so as did wee not see a humane shape wee should thinke it were the Divell indeed so greatly is his might acted upon men with power Now after this manner should wee be strong in the Lord by the influence of his spirit by the strength of his armour other strengths will proove but weaknesse so much for that point Secondly it is not without its observation that it is called heere and before the whole armour of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no man pretends so little to religion but hee will doe a little hee will pretend to some graces hee will make some sallyes as if hee would fight but the difficulty and the wisedome and the strength lyes in the universality there is a chaine in graces you loose all if you loose one as Iames saith Hee that breakes one command is guilty of all and God that gives you armes not to clog you but to defend you hath given you nothing to much it is not the beauty but the use of an armed man which hee considers That place which is open to be sure the Divell will strike in for hee knowes the bare places and one open place will serve to kill you aswell as an hundred therefore God hath made a defence for all therefore the Scripture calls for a growing up in all grace or in all things Eph. 4.15 2. Pet. 1.5 Therefore Peter calls for an addition of one grace to another till you be compleate Adde saith hee to your faith vertue c. For if these things be in you and abound that is if you have all those parts and that in a way of height and eminency if they be not scanty and narrow then you will abound also that is you will neither be barren nor unfruitfull I beseech you consider this it is the universality it is the whole armour of God that will alone serve our turnes and which alone wee sticke at All difficulty lyes in exactnesse in bringing things to their end and their perfection every one is a beginner and a pretender to learning to knowledge to arts to religion it self but the exactnes the universality is the portion but of a few let us doe otherwise How good is God who hath given us a whole armour let us not shew our selves at once enemyes to our selves and unthankfull to him unlesse wee feare neither God nor the Divell on the other side let this comfort us that there is a whole armour there is a whole Divell that nature is improoved to the utmost capacity of a rationall nature for ill for hurt if there were not a whole armour wee were undone Thirdly wee are commanded to take unto us this whole armour of God and ver 11. to put it on God makes it God gives it hee makes it efficacious but there are our parts also wee must take it to us and put it on there is a sluggishnesse in mens natures if God would doe all and men might sleepe the whilest perhaps they would lye still and let him trusse on their armour but this is not the law wee live by this is not the tearmes wee stand in with God what wee cannot doe God will doe for us but what wee can doe that wee must doe Hee doth not worke with us as wee worke with a hatchet or a dead instrument but as the soule workes with the body that is in it and by it so as the body doth its part and feeles the labour the soule at first gives life to our body so doth God to our soules when they are dead in sins and trespasses hee quickens them Also the soule gives guidance to the body and direction and assistance so doth God hee never failes us hee is still by us at our right hands but wee have our parts our reason and understandings our will and our affections they come into play every day and if God can do nothing by them hee will do nothing without them This when men beleeve so much in other things as they will scarce trust God with any thing they will see a reason and a meanes sufficient to produce every event they will be at every end of every businesse why doe they devolue all upon him in religion without stirring at all Because they minde it lesse which is the meanes to make God minde it not at all Therefore I beseech you let us do our parts fetch assistance from God and worke under him receive influence and spirit from him and use them intend mightily what wee doe for it is to God and for him those that worke under any Agent though never so mighty do so and this know that the more mighty any supreane Agent is the more it intends imployes and fills the instrument as hee that serves a wise man though hee do nothing but by the direction and appoyntment of his master yet hee shall finde his understanding intended and imployed for a wise directer doth more intend and fill the subordinate instruments and Agents not contra Now hee comes to the end and use of the Armour that they might be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to resist to stand against you see heere is a reall combate as your enemies are great which you have heard of before so is the combate it will cost you resisting and fighting and there is a day appointed for it an evill day that is a day of battaile our whole life is so many evill dayes therefore sayes the Apostle Redeeme your time because the dayes are evill Eph. 5.16 that is troublesome and full of temptations if you would make any thing of your lives of the opportunities you meet with all of the occasions that fall out you must redeeme them a little time and opportunity is worth much it will be lost to you if you redeeme it not So all our dayes are evill as Iacob said but some more especially may be called by way of eminency the evill day All the dayes of Iob were in a manner evill because none were without some molestation and trouble I had no rest sayes hee neither was I in quiet yet trouble came Iob 3.26 But the great evill
sutable and fitted to act this nature as may be seene by their effects both upon us and upon the world though wee are not so to judge of their power as the Manichees who feigned two supreame powers a good and a bad which conflicted perpetually each with other for their power falls as farre below Gods as it is above us and infinitely more Against the Rulers of the darknesse of this world Heere the Divels are described from the universall dominion they have in this world they are called the Rulers of the darknesse of this world to shewe what the Divell is conversant about all his worke is to bring in darknes and to shewe principally the seate of his Empire Hee is not the ruler of the world that is Gods Territory but of the darknes of this world the children of darknes though hee ceaseth not to interpose and excercise rule even over the children of light and within the Saints so farre as darknes possesseth them It is also called the darknesse of this world to shewe the terme of his Empire it is but in this life in another himselfe shal be subject to darknes and eternall torments Against spirituall wickednesse in high places Beza translates it spirituall malices the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirituallnes of evill and wickednesse carnall wickednesses are inferiour to spirituall wickednesses which occupieth the highest part of the soule which possesses the understanding more and are not laid out in carnall passions and concupiscences so as the Divell hath a most excelling malice Hee layes out himselfe in the excercise of and provoking us to the most spirituall wickednesses though hee is in the other also and labours to make even carnall sins as much spirituall as is possible by causing them to be acted against light and against love and engagements In high places the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza translates it in sublimi on high that is in high places your enemy hath the advantage ground hee is on high hee hath gained the hill hee is in the aire how mighty an advantage this is in a combate you knowe but it signifies in Heavenly as in the margent of your bookes which may have relation aswell to things as places and then it shewes the things about which his malicious studyes are conversant that is to take all heavenly things from us and to deprive us of what ever is heavenly And now what say you to your Antagonist heere is a dreadfull enemy formed already you have heard fables of Giants heere is a Gyant indeed great in subtilty excellent in nature mighty in power large in dominion above all eminent in ill and malice wee are apt to feare onely what wee see but invisible things are the best and worst they are the greatest as our originall sin which wee see not but by its effects and this great invisible prince that casts so many darts at us the blowes of which wee feele but consider not the hand that gives them whence comes all our mischeife I would set out this enemy a litle in his owne coulours that wee may knowe him and knowe how to deale with him wee shall surely finde him as blacke as wee can paint him the ignorance of our evills may cover them but not relieve them let us knowe him and wee shall knowe how to deale with him there is strength and might in Iesus Christ God hath but raised him up as Pharoah to make his power knowne upon him wee have weapons can reach him and an arme strong enough but wee must arme our selves but wee must use it wee shall overcome but wee must fight Put on therefore a firme courage for before all be done your enemy will appeare extreamely blacke and dreadfull and yet to comfort you greater is hee that is in you then hee that is in the world Now for a more perfect knowledge of this great enemy wee will launch a litle into that comon place of the nature of Angells yet keeping neere the Scripture and not departing from our assured rule the word of God nor intending so large a compasse of discourse as the thing will beare though the knowledge of it is of very great use in many respects but so farre forth as it may afford a full light to the discourse wee have undertaken And first how excellent soever their nature is that they are creatures there is no question though Aristotle will needs have them eternall substances a thing altogether derogatory to God who onely is eternall and therefore as the first cause must needs be the former and maker of all other things It is true that Moses doth not particularly describe their creation accommodating himselfe to the rudenesse and ignorance of that time in which hee writ and therefore particularizes onely in visible things But that they were created wee have cleare scripture for it Coloss. 1.16 For by him were all things created whether in heaven or earth visible or invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him Wee shall not insist heere upon the particuler titles but you see heere creation of things in heaven aswell as in earth and invisible aswell as visible so Psal. 148.5 Let them praise the name of the Lord for hee commanded and they were created What was created all that hee had named before the heavens and the Angells Hee begins with the first and most eminent peeces of creation If you aske when they were created certainely not before the created matter of the visible world for Moses saith In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth if they had bene therefore created before there should have bene a beginning of time and working before that besides it s said God wrought all his workes in sixe dayes and rested the seaventh If you aske what day they were created in all likelyhood the first day with the supreame heaven in respect of the similitude of their nature they give also another reason Job 38.7 When the morning starres sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joye because they seeme there to applaud God in the workes of his creation vizt when the highest heavens and first matter was created out of which other things was formed 2. These excellent creatures are true substances and doe really exist contrary to the opinion of the Saduces that denied Angells and Spirits that is that thought by the name of Angells was meant nothing but good or ill inspirations or motions or els the wonders and apparitions which were wrought by God but nothing is more absurd then this for First they were created therefore they were substances and not accidents in another subject 2. They are endowed with understanding and will by virtue of which they were capable of sinning and departing from the truth of obeying or standing out against God 3. From their office they appeare before God they serve God wee are commaunded to
Angells of the order of the Angells wee speake not now but that there is a subordination in their state and imployment appeares evidently But heere you see the ministery of the Divell in the most eminent branch of it which is to tempt to draw men into snares and to leade them to misery If you aske whence hee had his power for all ministery implyes a power from whence it is derived I answer from God for there is no power but of God Rom. 13.1 which is generally true of Angelicall power aswell as humane thou couldst have no power at all except it were given thee from above saith Christ to Pilate Therefore this power this considerable ministery to us is from God it must needs be so because els you would set up another chiefe another supreame from whence they must derive it and so another God every kingdome is under a greater kingdome and what ever power there be it falls under a greater till you come to that which is the greatest and highest therefore the same reasons that make the Divells creatures make them also subject and if they be subject then the power and the mannaging of it is from God Now wee come to consider some reasons why God gives this ministery to the Divells why it is invested in them by God First that the excellency and power of his grace might appeare and be illustrated and what can doe it more then to see the effect and efficacy of it in weake man which yet through God is begirt with might and made able to grapple with this mighty adversary So Paul when hee grappled with Sathan and doubted of his strength and therefore would faine have bene quit of such an adversary and sought God earnestly in the matter had this answer Be content my grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2. Cor. 12.9 which when Paul understood hee gloried in his infirmities and distresses that the power of Christ might rest upon him They say of some fields that they are good for nothing but to be the field of a battell Paul had rather have his soule be the field of that battell where Christ should overcome then be in the greatest rest or beare any other fruit But if you object that the inefficatiousnesse of grace is aswell discovered by this because even the Saints are sometimes overcome First by that the Divell is no gainer that little ground hee gets tends but to his greater confusion when hee is not able to make it good but is beat from his strong holds and forced to quit the field after a victory As the Amalekites that robbed David at Ziglag got nothing for David recovered his spoyle and besides that the other heards that they drove before these other cattle and which hee called Davids spoyle 1. Sam. 20.30 A man may be a victor in the battell and not in the warre The Saints at last spoyle the Divell unthrone him degrede him as fruits of their revenge upon him Secondly for God his grace is magnified in some sort by our falls that is it is shewen that it is grace that it is freely given and therefore when his assistance withdrawes as it runs not alwayes in an equall tenour wee fall before every touch not onely of the Divell but of the meanest of his instruments Thirdly it is Gods way and it illustrates exceedingly his goodnes and bounty rather to bring greater goods out of evill then to permit no evill at all els no evill would befall his neither sinne nor affliction so as Gods glory is still illustrated either by enabling us to stand or at least to gaine afterward to the confusion of Sathan and his owne greater glory in the issue so as the reason on Gods part stands good But there is secondly a reason also of this ministery in respect of men first for wicked men and reprobates God will have them hardened hee will have them deceived there is a worke to be done upon them that they may be surely damned if you aske the reason of this I will aske what art thou ô man that disputest against God and if God will give men up to beleeve lyes and send them strong delusions as in 2. Thess. 2.11 who is so fit to be the messenger as the father of lyes who will doe it most hartily and most efficaciously and therefore 1. Kings 22.22 one of those spirits presented himself for that worke I will be a lying spirit sayes hee in the mouth of all his Prophets So when God will have men filled with all unrighteousnes fornication wickednes as Rom. 1.29 who is so fit to blowe those bellowes as the uncleane spirit and since God ordinarily converseth with men not immediately but by Mediums and instruments by men and Angells by Ministers and ordinances who is so fit for this base imployment as the worst of creatures the Divell But secondly there is great reason also for it in regard of the Saints of the glory and crowne which they shall gaine by victory A man is not crowned except hee strive lawfully 2. Tim. 2.5 Now how shall hee strive if hee have not an adversary and if for a crowne hee must have a great adversary in some sort proportionable to the prize Every Saint is a souldier as in the same chapter of Tim. ver 3. God hath put us into the lists he hath armed us and given us mighty aydes wee have a glorious king and Captaine Iesus Christ fellow souldiers the whole Host of Angells and Saints and for prize a Crowne of righteousnes a Crowne of glory therefore wee have a mighty enemy whose worke and ministry is to oppose assayle and tempt one fitted at all points for a combate that knowes all the wiles in warre and is mighty in strength and the end is that great victories might have great glory through Iesus Christ but besides this there are other reasons as that this great enemy this adversary might drive us to God and cause us to sticke close to him God would have us alwayes heere with him in a spirituall converse as heareafter wee shall be in a personall Nothing will make us keepe our strength as the assurance of a mighty enemye if you depart from God but a little you are sure to be overcome Now God that loves our company hath formed this meanes to drive us to him and there to keepe us on such tearmes as wee may not dare to depart from him And thirdly that wee might be kept in an humble watching praying that is in a holy frame What afflictions doe that should temptations doe also because they are of an higher nature and more considerable to us First that if there be such a ministery as tempting to sin and departing from God let the Saintes blesse God for their ministery which is so much otherwise that is both the ministery they are for which is to serve God to doe good to drawe men to God to incite
the Divell already But secondly let this difference in our state cause a difference in our working and resisting it should be a shame for the Saints to fall and faile as doe the wicked alas they have not those aides those sights and visions those contrary whisperings where is the good Angells that should conflict with the other they want the contrary principle they want the externall helpes they have some darke sights of God some whisperings of conscience though in great sins a louder speaking but they want the spirit the good Angells a new nature therefore in these respects the sins of holy men are capable of greater aggravations then the wickeds are and God is more displeased with them they are not left to the wide world they have custodes and testes morum those which are witnesses of their manners and keepers also God is at the charge of giving them tutors and governours great and holy guards they must breake many cords many bonds before they can reatch a sin Let this consideration strengthen us and begirt us to holines and incite us to pitty and helpe wicked men which that wee may doe the more and may more fully fall under our governours and tutors given us by God and may see reason why wee should not sin as do others Let us consider a little out of the Scripture how exceedingly the wicked fall under the Divell beyond what the Saints doe by the decree and permission of God Eph. 2.2 In them hee workes sayes hee that is efficatiously hee workes his will in all the pieces of disobedience Also 2. Cor. 4.3.4 Our gospell is hid to them that are lost whose mindes the God of this world hath blinded So 2. Tim. 2.26 they are said to be taken captive by him at his will hee hath them in a string hee can drive them to any madnesse or folly to oppose the truth as in the preceding verse though it be clearer then the day or any other thing Therefore els where Sathan is called The God of this world and the wicked the children of the Divell who fall under his lawes easily and naturally as children doe now none of these things is spoken of the Saints Why because they are under another God another Tutor other Guardians hee hath neither that power nor those meanes of deriving it if Sathan stand at our right hand our good Angell stands there also if the Divell use all his arts God hath his methods also Therefore let it be no matter of our glory that wee are not as the wicked are but of our shame that wee come neere them in any measure and of our glorying and prayse to God who hath put us in the other predicament where though you have the Divell who assaults us with all violence yet hee prevailes not because you have God and the good Angells to oppose him In the next place under this head of the Divells ministery for temptation wee may consider which way hee layes himself out towards mankinde that is toward the Saints and others for though his power be limitted towards some more then others the temptations in respect of the subject matter of them the things to which hee tempts are the very same Hee will venture upon the Saints even the greatest things though perhaps in some difference of method that wee may see by his temptations to Christ and the reason is because hee is not ever assured who is a Saint and who is not they may be of his owne And because a little ground gained of them is a great victory and because if as sometimes hee doth hee can bring them very low hee makes Trophyes and glories in their blood and shame very much To handle this at large were to make a treaty of temptations which I at all intend not in this subject for as I told you there is scarce any temptation with which the Divell mingles not but to point at some heads onely which the Scripture mentions or experience And first as greatest haters of God and his glory the Divells oppose with all their might the worship of the great God and in order to this they would hinder the knowledge of him they would ecclipse the light with the greatest and thickest darknesse how much they are in this appeares in that bold tempting of Christ when the divell durst venture upon a motion of worshipping him in plaine tearmes and offered all for it This all auntient and moderne stories witnesse the first thing the Divell makes out for amongst his is an alienation from God and a shaped and formed worship to himself for which purpose hee hath his assemblings where hee appeares personally as appeares by the confession of many hundreds And therefore Antichrist his eldest sonne whose coming is after the working of Sathan 2. Thess. 2.9 that is who workes even as Sathan workes hee doth the like ver 4. Hee opposeth and exalteth himself above God so that hee as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that hee is God So as now to be of his party is to be of Sathans party to obey him is to obey the Divell let them consider this who are bold to vary in doctrine or worship from the word of God they fall under a mighty temptation of the Divell it is his most naturall temptation they strike at the root of all obedience that strike at the rule which is the head of worship this is to draw men cleerly and immediately from God let us advance the glory of God and the worship of God so yee shall be fighters against Sathan as the others are fighters against God thinke the promoting of the knowledge of God and the worship of God to be the greatest service you can do to God and the greatest head you can make against the Divell Secondly as I told you formerly they are the greatest enemies of Christ and the gospell which was in all likelihood the occasions of their fall Hee shall bruise thy heele was prophesied of him of old that is hee can goe no higher but what ever hee can hee shall doe Before Christ came hee opposed the beleeving of the Messiah laboured in his instrument to destroy the whole nation of the Iewes by Antiochus when hee was borne would have destroyed him by Herod Math. 2. Fell fiercely upon him in the wildernesse tooke him at an advantage carries himself so in every respect that Christ calls him the enemy The enemy came and sowed tares Math. 13.39 And as at other times more grossely so amongst the Saints more refinedly hee opposeth gospell-worship gospell-preaching would mingle some things of worke and merit with the free doctrine of justification some thing of doubt and slavish feare with the free glorying in our portion with joy unspeakeable and glorious some thing of pompe or slavery with the free and simple governement and administration of the worship and discipline of Christ so as pure and naked gospell is little knowne or preached by the ministers
holines and righteousnes sutable to which bond and excellent alliance there is a series of spirituall lustings proportionable to the soule the subject of them and to God the object of them which should leade both body and soule captive to an holy and intimate converse with so great and excellent a husband whose comelynesse should alwayes be in our eye and whose beauties should ever inflame our hearts to whom wee should be holy that is separate both in body and spirit 1. Cor. 7.34 whose loves draw out our affections strongly but orderly whose converse fills our minde and enlargeth it altogether which is health to our navell and marrow to our bones quite contrary to the effects of other lustings which give men occasion to mourne at last when their flesh and their body are consumed Prov. 5.11 Now for this excellent spirit to be out-bid by so base and harlotry love that can make no satisfying returnes to have a spirit stollen from him and layde under chaines for these lustings are deepe pits out of which onely an almighty spirit can rescue to be cast of as not faire or not worthy cannot but be deepe in Gods heart Manet altâ repostum judicium Paridis spraetaeque injuria forma In a word to espouse the Divell his enemy by the mediation of filthy and base lustings it is no wonder that men are abhorred of the Lord when they thus fall Prov. 22.14 Another thing that shewes how hatefull these lustings are to God is that these fleshly lusts in that branch properly called uncleannes are made the greatest punishment of the greatest sinnes Rom. 1. from ver 21. to 28. If you aske mee how I intitle the Divell to this besides what was said in the beginning of this head that the Divell who shoots at the soule knowes those lusts ruine it and therefore useth this great engine against it first how can you make a more proper match then betweene the uncleane spirit and those lusts which are properly stiled by God himself uncleaunesse in the abstract as being of all others most eminently uncleane and impure besides looke upon men the Divell acts and possesseth most fully and immediately their God is their belly they fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the minde which is ingaged as deepe as the body is in these lustings and evill affections 2. Eph. 2.3 and not to prosecute this further it is extreamely observable that where the Divell keeps open court reignes personally and absolutely as hee doth amongst infinite numbers in this world though wee are not acquainted with such assemblings therein all beastly shapes and manners hee doth subject them to the actuall commission of what ever wee call uncleannes although oftentimes greatly contrary to their wills and desires that suffer such things from him but the bond of their obedience is strickt and they can refuse nothing who have subjected their necks to that yoake this innumerable and joint confessions of witches and sorcerers accord upon of which I could give you account enough upon as good record as story can give us of any thing although which also wee may consider the Divells are altogether uncapable of any pleasure from such fleshly acts who as being spirits have neither flesh nor bones nor blood they do it onely to debase mankinde and by the most sensuall lusts which fight against the soule to keepe them at the greatest distance from spirituall and heavenly employments by which onely the humaine nature is perfected and improoved To conclude this besides what hath bene said already the Scripture saith expresly that not onely in generall amongst mankinde but even in the Church and therefore considerable to us all It is Sathan which tempts men for their incontinency 1. Cor. 7.5 And it is from him that the younger women waxe wanton against Christ and turne after Sathan 1. Tim. 5.11.15 so as there is cause enough to entitle Sathan to this high way of perdition to these lusts of the flesh that fight against the soule and therefore cause enough for us to watch him and our selves in this high way of perdition in which every step wee take is a departing from Christ our spouse to follow Sathan for the Scripture calls it a turning after Sathan Men are apt to thinke that it is but a turning after their loves a turning after pleasures but besides which you leave which is Christ your husband you follow indeed Sathan in that disguise which should keepe us at the greatest distance in every degree or steppe that way A fifth beaten path of the Divell is Pride the pride of life you may know that to be the Divells way from which God calls you of so earnestly and so effectually first by his denouncements against the proud and pride Pride goeth before destruction Prov. 16.18 as the herbenger or usher that makes way a man acted and filled with pride is upon the very brincke of the precipice of ruine hee is dropping into destruction God delights to debase every one that is proud hee doth but stay till they are proud enough that they may be more capable of ruine and destruction that they may fall deeper Therefore when pride cometh then cometh shame Prov. 11.2 and they come both together pride onely hath the upperhaud Will you see how God sets himself against this evill Iob 26.12 By his understanding hee smiteth through the proud Hee divideth the sea with his power as it is said before but imployes his wisedome and understanding to smite through proud men that is to do it most assuredly to doe it most seasonably for their ruine so Prov. 16 5. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Nothing proud men looke after more then to be had in esteeme and in honour to be admired and to be to others the objects of their envies and the measure of their wishes the rule and modell of their actions but saith hee Hee is an abomination to the Lord that men are which they are to God and that they shal be within a while to all the world that is they shal be a loathing and an abhorring and therefore the things which they would establist shal be scattered the houses they would build shal be pulled downe for so sayes Mary Hee hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts Luk. 1.51 that is there is a concentration of thoughts castles that men build for themselves the imaginations the thoughts of mens hearts drive to some height to some high marke or But sutable to the fountaine from whence they flow a proud heart and when they have wrought them up to a due height and proportion and looke for the product or result of all then God comes as with a whirlewinde and scatters them and shewes how ill compacted every building is how loosely it is layde which is formed without him so for the other place which I hinted the Lord will destroy the house of the proud as it
glory in our condition and to improove it how sweet is our portion the traines the wayes of God are pleasant all his wayes are pleasant and all his pathes prosperity to have naturall desires which exceed not their bound and liberty to satisfy them without the fire the scald the Itch of lusts to have a spirit so great by meeknes and humility as it is above those ills it seemes most to fall under to be be-lowe envye for the world sees not your riches nor your greatnes and above misery and shame to have a spirit so meekned as it cannot breake againe to be above your condition what ever it is and to use it to possesse your estate and not to be possest by it to looke on money as a servant of the lowest forme to pitty them that Idolyze it and to improove more your litle by enjoyment then they doe their riches by looking on it and Idolizing of it Againe to goe further into the consideration of what wee said before and see how you outstrippe them for another life in knowing and loving that which they ignorantly persecute in having your assurance in God whereas they have none at all nor in any thing I could be large heere in the comparison of our service and our way which should be the object of our joy and rejoycing when ever wee thinke of it and thinke of it wee should often for that purpose For since God hath made the miserable condition of the wicked a foyle to the love of his elect wee should do so also and run over by way of comparison the heads and grounds of our comfort but I shall rather in the second place Intreat you to improove these things If you know these things happy are yee if yee doe them if you know the differences of your conditions if you know the wayes of Sathan from your owne and where they part happy are you if you tread those wayes and those paths and for those broade high wayes those common roades these beaten pathes of Hell which wee have described our wisedome and our glory will be to keepe a loofe of to keepe farre from them it will be lesse shame for us to be shamed by other things to be caught by other traines then the common snares Although it be true that in the pursuite of those things Sathan useth his greatest wiles and his finest peeces of subtilty however let us keepe a loofe of let us carry a watchfull eye to those great and common snares the Divell may alter his method but his But and end is the same hee findes these things sutable to corrupt nature and hee improoves all that is within us to worke vilde and base impressions those wayes therefore let us watch him where hee watcheth us and let us not thinke that because wee have escaped the pollution of the world that therefore wee shall escape him hee spinnes his web the finer for you Which is the reason why I have spent sometime in these particulars of his most usuall martches that yee might see the way in some of its foulnesse together with the guide that yee might see the hooke under the bayte and be undeceived in things so greatly concerning you Now therefore having your adversary so fully and largely described to you in his nature in his power in his ministry as hath bene shewed at large in this tract of Angells for some peece of the Divells power you must fetch from what hath bene said of the good Angells that wee might not be obliged to repeate things twise it remaines that wee should fight that is that wee should addresse our selves to the combate for there is in this adversary what ever might prepare you and stirre you up to a most formed and exact warre For first hee is as hath bene shewed a most inveterate and sworne enemy hee ceaseth not to accuse day and night hee knowes all our good lyes in maintaining good tearmes with God Therefore his care is to beget ill blood between us hee inticeth us to offend him and when hee hath done hee aggravates this offence to the utmost capacitie of it Hee goes about like a roaring Lyon hee goes about therefore hee is not idle hee workes continually and it is like a roaring Lyon hee hath not onely a Lyonish nature in him apt to devour and to fall upon the prey but hee is ever roaring that disposition is alwayes wound up to the height and intended in him other enemies not so so that heere is the worst disposition that can be imagined ever acted and mannaged with the greatest intensenesse But then secondly if his evill nature had not much power joyned to it hee were lesse considerable lesse formidable though wee say there is none so weake but hee hath power to doe hurt But I beseech you consider his power is fitted to his nature if hee meane ill hee is able to doe also much ill there is no part or faculty of your soule or body that hee cannot reach and that at all times in all conditions in all postures alone or in company idle or imployed sleeping or waking when you are fit for nothing els you are fit to receive his impressions Nor is hee an enemy of the weaker sort and so lesse considerable an arme of flesh against poore fleshly creatures is great but hee is a spirit Our originall sin our fleshly corruptions wee finde evill enough enemies bad enough even to the making us cry out with Paul of the body of death But we wrestle not against flesh blood this text tells you you have another kinde of combatant for the description of whose power to finde fit names the highest comparisons will faile us Principalityes powers rulers spirituall wickednesses above They are not called Princes but principalityes not Potentes but Potestates not mighty but powers Lord not of a part but of the whole world of the darknesse of the world all the wicked of the world which are darknesse are of their side fight under them against us and all the darknes in our owne harts is with them also all those fumes and foggs of lusts all those mists of ignorance and unbeliefe are part of his armie Againe instead of wicked spirits they are called spirituall wickednesses and that above both in high things and in high places they are above us they hang over our heads continually You know what a disadvantage it is to have your enemy get the Hill the upperground this they have naturally and alwayes Againe there are enough of them they can immediately beleaguer a man cōpassing him round possesse every part of him Seaven Divells can enter at once into one man or if need be a whole legion doe wee beleeve these things and are wee not stirred are wee not affraid if we apprehend the approach of an enemy and the towne wherein wee are be in danger what wringing of hands is there what praying what provision and yet perhaps hee may be diverted hee
may accord But there is no truce in this warre a perpetuall combate that time you are not upon your watch you will be taken for your enemy knowes it if an enemy in warre knew certainely when the watch were neglected hee would take that time now hee knowes when you neglect your watch when your faith and affections sleepe which of other enemies cannot be said But then thirdly if the contentions were for things of litle moment the matter were lesse but if there be any thing great in heaven or earth that is the prize of this warre whether it be the happinesse of your life the peace of your conscience the eternall condition of your soule and body or which is more the glory of God for all these are strucke at continually Captaines when they make orations to their souldiers they tell them they fight for their country for their possessions for their wives and children for their liberties but what is all this to our warre To our prize Wee fight for peace of conscience which passeth all understanding we fight for eternall life wee fight for God and Christ whose glory in us lyes at the stake every day and suffers or is relieved by our fighting I beseech you are not these things worth contending for Will not so goodly a prize put spirits into you Some have done wonders while their lovers have lookt upon them others while they have fought for their loves What doe you fight for nothing Yes it is a love you fight for too one that fought for you even to death you doe but requite him hee is before hand with you and doth not your love looke upon you also Yes If you can see him I assure you hee sees you and there is not a watch you make there is not a stroake you strike but it pleaseth him and it refresheth him as on the other side there is not a negligence or a faile but it wounds him and afflicts him what say you will all this that hath bene said put courage into you and make you fight it is brought for that purpose I beseech you let it put on strong resolutions to please the Lord to resist this cursed enemy this damned enemy for so hee is he carries his condemnation about him and yet this enemy which is left so mighty and powerfull for our tryall for our reward if wee fight manfully if wee fight the battailes of the Lord if wee be wise if wee will all tend to the glory of our victory to the honour of our God onely let us resist the Divell being strong in the faith to which purpose I will endeavour to search a little into and to speake something of this heavenly armour which God hath given us for that purpose Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that yee may be able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand Eph. 6.13 In this 13. ver wee are bid to take unto us the whole armour of God as in the 11. verse wee are bid to put it on with the reason added that wee may be able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand From the first words observe this that no weapons will serve to fight with the Divell but Gods nothing will make you shot-free but the armour of God for so sayes the Apostle the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God 2. Cor. 10.4 So as heere you see the reason because carnall weapons are weake ones to be carnall and to be weake are convertible termes as to be spirituall and to be mighty are also now you have to doe with a mighty enemy as you have seene already therefore you must have mighty weapons you must have a wedge fit for the knot David had never overcome Goliah if hee had not come with spirituall weapons 1. Sam. 17.45 Thou comest to mee with a sword with a speare and with a shield but I am come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the armies of Israell whom thou hast defyed It was not the sling nor the stone that did the feate but it was this mighty Lord of Hostes in whose name hee came To goe armed therefore against the Divell in the strength of your owne resolutions or your temper or constitution or your habits and education is to fight against Goliah with a stone and a sling without the name of God Nay your experiences your contrary reasonings they may have influence into your sin but they will never into the victory unlesse this stone and sling these underweapons be mannaged by the name of God For your resolutions this cunning tempter knowes that there is nothing so naturall so proper to a man as man as changeablenesse as on the contrary it is the high and incommunicable Charracter of God to be without variation or shaddow of changing all the matter is but to finde a plausible reason for the saving of his credit For our temper and constitution hee hath lusts peculiar for every temper Besides hee can easily perswade lusts to give place to one another for a time as pride to uncleannesse c. And his power is much upon the body and the humours and constitutions of it to stirre and worke upon those humours that by the helpe and mediation of the fancy shall worke to his end and gaine the will and understanding As for your education and habits experience showes that many things that looke like morall virtues are nothing but the ignorance of ill or the law of a constraint Besides hee hath his methods and by a few degrees will leade you to that and by steppes that would have utterly deferred you had it bene represented to you all at once and for your reasonings and experiences you will finde that to be the proper weapon hee is elder then Adam hee is wiser then Salomon set holinesse aside hee hath beene trayned up to sophistry and deceit and therefore verse the 11. the Armour of God is applyed to the wiles of the Divell so as you have no reliefe but what was Davids Psal. 118.10 All nations compassed mee about but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them they compassed mee about yea they compassed mee about there was a perfect Paristhesis of ill and enemies a perfect beleaguering so ver 12. They compassed mee about like bees you shall see how Bees in swarming time will compasse a bush so will Divells and their effects multitudes of Divelish thoughts and temptations A man shall not see his way out they are behinde him and before him and as in the words following They are kindled as the fire of thornes so the Greeke and Chaldea reade it they fall quickly into a great blaze or the word is also quencht as Hebrew words signify often contraries they kindle quickly and like thornes but they quench also as soone for in the name of the Lord will I destroy them this is all your
day was when Sathan was let out upon him the great evill day to the Disciples was when Christ was crucifyed and they were Winnowed by Sathan So there are more especiall times and parts of our life when God will try us by letting out Sathan upon us but those times and seasons know no man no more then the day of judgement and therefore wee must be ever ready for them upon our feet and with our armour about us standing is a warlike posture a posture of watch a posture of fight it is not a standing still but it is a fighting a resisting yee have not resisted unto blood striving against sin God expects that wee should fight a good fight that wee should quit our selves like men and wee had need doe so unlesse wee would be undone and foyled and therefore hee addes and having done all to stand that is doe what you can you will but stand it will be little enough to doe the worke the enemies are so mighty and great the warre is so sharpe God hath an purpose for many holy ends so ordered it that you shall have worke enough of it some carry it thus omnibus confectis stare that is all the afore said fell and cruell enemies being overcome having done all having defeated them all vanguished them all you may stand as conquerour What a glorious thing will this bee that as Christ your captaine shall stand last upon the earth so you shall stand with him glorying and tryumphing to see your enemies dead before you when as others that were fainte and delicate that would not stand and fight and arme As they were heere led captives by Sathan at his pleasure so shall be led into tryumph by him at last Thinke of this that by doing your duty by standing your ground by arming and fighting in the power of Christ in the armour of God this mighty Hoast shall lye dead before you And those which you have seene to day in this evill day yee shall see them againe no more for ever you have therefore two things to incourage you First the necessity of your fight Secondly the glory and pleasure of the victory Necessity will make Cowards fight And therefore commanders provide dilligently that their enemies may have a backe-doore to runne away because necessity and dispaire will produce wonders I beseech you doe but see and heere is an absolute necessitie unlesse you take all this armour stand and withstand yee will not stand at last this is little enough you must doe all this that having done all you may stand but then having done all you shall stand that is stand as conquerour stand as Christ stands with your enemies slaine about you You shall have the pleasure of revenge which heere you may take in by faith and of victory the shouting of a conquerour Cowards have but the pleasure of idlenesse and the shame and misery of slavery they have their good times heere what is their good times To sleepe to be idle to be abused and deceived thy labours are better then his pleasures then his enjoyments What then is thy good times Thou art comforted and hee is tormented thy captaine tells thee thou hast done well well done good and faithfull servant Thy conscience tells thee thou hast fought a good fight but praise is not enough in thy captaines mouth enter thou sayes hee into the joy of thy Lord hee shewes thee a crowne of righteousnes which hee hath kept by him all the while and which thou mayest thinke on every day till thou hast it but then hee gives it thee hee puts it on Where is now your ambition where is your spirit and your courage thinke not on meane things but on crownes and victories and glories and if you enter the list if you fight do it to purpose labour so to withstand that at last you may stand So runne saith the Apostle that yee may obstaine 1. Cor. 9.24 Every one is a pretender and a runner but few carry the prize they finde hot worke they grow weary and quit the list Thou therefore sayes Paul to Timothy indure hardnes as a good souldier of Iesus Christ 2. Tim. 2.3 that is though thy armes presse thee and thy worke pinch thee yet indure it is worth the while that thou mayest shew thy self a good souldier of Christ and mayest please him that hath chosen thee thou must not please thy self in his worke for hee pleased not himself in thine Christ pleased not himself this is written God tooke notice of it the time will come when hee will please thee and then it followes ver 5. If any man fight hee is not crowned except hee strive lawfully or duely that is it is not enough to enter the list and fight but there is the law of combate and the law of fight if you do not fight as yee ought according to the law of combate the law of armes if you give over to soone and stay not till the victory be gotten till your enemy be profligated and abased hee had as good have done nothing this hee amplifies ver 6. by the similitude of a labourer The husband man that laboureth first must be partaker of the fruit for so first hath reference to labouring not to fruit fruit and crownes reaping and glory are the effects of labour and due fighting thinke not to goe to heaven with your armes acrosse or your head upon your elbow or with good beginnings and faint offers t' is lawfull fighting t' is hard labour leades you to glory and ver 7. sayes hee Consider what I say what were the matters so hard or the similitudes so deepe No but the meaning is turne it in your minde often thinke of it almost continually do not thinke to goe to heaven with ease you can never thinke to much that you must fight hard and contend lawfully and labour mightily and indure all things as soldiers that would please their captaine before ever yee shall be crowned and reape and then hee concludes with The Lord give thee understanding in all things which shewes how hard it is for us to apprehend these things aright so as to have them worke upon us and to be affected with them to purpose so as not to have sleight thoughts of them though they be things not hard to be understood To conclude all good things are of God though wee be taught hee must open our understandings as when wee are commanded hee must worke in us to doe and especially in the things whereof wee speake It will not be improper heere by way of incouragement to consider as what power and might Sathan hath so what bonds and restraints also First all the Divells can doe nothing without aformed commission from God this the example of Iob makes most cleare the Divell ruin'd his estate by the Sabeans but not till God had given him power hee infected his body with miserable diseases but hee was faine to aske new leave for it so 1.
the Gospell of peace Fourthly as ye are to make after much knowledge for a cleare rule of all your actions and stepps even to a readinesse to confesse it and preach it for that is the preparation heere meant that yee may bee in a readinesse so when you are in such a preparation walke boldly let the world see by your walking and your motion and steddines that jou are armed when you can passe through foule waies good report and ill report when ye walke among thornes tread upon Serpents and Adders and they shall not hurt you Paul sure had his hand well armed when the viper dropt from it without hurting him so it is a signe you are well armed when yee feare no wayes into which providence shall leade you and when you come of without hurt though there be pikes and stakes in the way ye are not pierced this walking by example and as occation is by voyce by confession or preaching will make many followers you will become leaders your selves and that will be a glorious walkeing when yee shall not onely treade hard Pathes but lead up troopes wee see even bruit beasts in motion are put on by the voyce as well as by example or any other way Let the world know that warre is but the Vizard but there is peace within underneath Let them know that there are sweets and roses though they see nothing outwardly but thornes and Bryars your walking steddily will shew that your selves are armed and your example and voyce together will have a great influence upon others to be sure a readinesse and preparednesse to confesse the Gospell of peace will arme you for all the hard martches and what ever the divell shall object in your way Wee are come to the fourth peece of Armes which is a Shield fitted not so much to any one part as the other peeces as to the whole for it is moveable and propper to keepe of at a distance this is faith Now this above all things is to be taken up that is Especially this is the most considerable peece of Armour you have Some reade it in all things that is with every peece of Armour yee must mingle faith with Truth with Righteousnesse with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace or referre it to temptations that is you must oppose faith to every temptation which is true but I rather thinke it is meant heere Especially that is to say above all things in a more especiall manner Take unto you the Shield of faith like that place Coll. 3.14 where the same word is used And above all things but on Charity so as though every peece of Armour be very considerable yet none like the shield of faith and hee gives you the reason because by it you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the Divell who for his superabundant malice and wickednes hee calls the wicked one that is who with the greatest and most intense height of wickednesse pursues God and Man but especially good men the Saints And yee shall not quench some of his darts onely but all his darts hee hath enough of them hee hath of all kindes this shield will receive them and repell them all Hee tells you also of what kinde they are They are fieri darts his Arrowes are poysoned Arrowes they do not onely wound as Iron and steele doth but there is a Poyson a burning in them of an ill quality hard to cure hard to be quenched but now the holy Ghost prescribes you a remedy an Armes fitted on purpose as they are darts faith as a shield shall repell them as they are poysoned and fiery faith as Water or Balsome or Oyle shall Quench by faith ye shall be enabled to Quench them Faith properly as a shield doth not quench but repell but faith enables you that is there is a mighty power and operation in faith doeing that which nothing els can doe that as yee have salves properly to draw out stings or thornes and as yee have Balsomes to take out fire and poyson to quench and destroy the malignity of a poysoned dart so you have faith fitted and proportioned to quench the fiery darts of the wicked your greatest enemy and who shoots continually and therefore are they called all his fiery darts hee wants not Ammunition hee need not feare for want of Powder hee hath great and cursed abilities and a spirit fitted to act them alwayes but faith can deale with him and render all his dartings vaine and of no effect You see now the full meaning of these words and of how great a consideration faith is to this warre so as from the reason of the thing which the Apostle gives it deserves an Emphesis An above all that is especially want not this as Sallomon saies of wisedome Above all gettings get understanding and keepe thy heart with all dilligence so above all things take the shield of faith Before wee consider more particularly of this so much commended faith wee will thinke a little what those fiery darts are which are to be received and quenched by faith by fiery darts heere I understand not so much temptations to all kindes of him though faith serves for all meets with them also but the Breast-plate of righteousnesse semes propper also for them but some fiery envenomed impoysened darts to which nothing but the shield of faith can be opposed faith will secure you in all things aswell as other peeces of armour but especially faith is of use heere And these darts seme to be either some burning vyolent temptations to lusts or after them to dispaire For the first our natures since the first defilement by orriginall corruption were never perfectly coole it is by some principle within us that Sathan workes upon us our natures are stuble and tinder there is a great deale of combustible matter within us which the wicked one knowes well enough and therefore shoots his Granadoes his fire-workes his fiery darts if wee were Ice and Snow if we were perfectly coole and cold to lusts the divell would not loose his paynes nor his darts but being fiery our selves apt to burne hee flings in fire fiery darts and wee are instantly and presently in a flame like charcoale burnt already or stuble prepared already for burning by the sunne so hee did to David in the case of Bathsheba though hee were a good man tooke him at an advantage when his corruptions were most fiery neerest burning when idlenesse security and peace had dryed and heated him to lusts and vanity then hee flung in a fiery dart and the flame was unquenchable The like hee did with Amnon who having received the fiery dart was so vexed that hee fell sicke for his sister Tamar 2. Sam. 13.2 and was so destroyed with that flame as hee never ceased till hee counted folly in Israel in wayes most barbarous and wicked both in the prosecution of his love and in his abusing and rejecting of her afterwards and
of the patience of Iob Jam. 5.11 and might boast of us as of those induring Saints Heere is the patience of the Saints behold it Reu. 13.10 In all these respects ye have need of patience yea and that patience should have its perfect work as James saith Jam. 1.4 That it should possesse our soules that it should be fitted for every condition and hold out to the utmost to the extremitie as you see those who are betrusted with forts and strengths they had need of patience And yet must hold out to the utmost extremity by the law of warre now then you see the need wee have of patience but it must be the patience of hope 1. Thess. 1.3 The Apostle gives there the effects and their causes the work of faith saids hee the labour of love and the patience of hope the effect or great product of hope is patience patience is a grace which hath no shine or glitter with it it is sweet but darke and obscure and hath nothing in it of violence and having mighty enemies it defends it self in suffering wee gaine the victory often in loosing our lives it scarce complaines of what it indures so as it passeth often amongst ignorant men for stupidity and dulnesse Now this sweet and low grace in respect of its condition and the manner of its operation would be opprest a thousand times under the victory of its enemies if it were not animated by the livelinesse and activity of hope if the hope of salvation the hope of glory for so it is called did not continually set before its eyes the greatnesse of the reward yee can never have a better instance then of our Master Christ himself while hee was in the conflict of patience and that was his life hee was ever in the lists of sufferings conflicting with sorrowes and woes for the joy that was set before him which was made sure to him by faith received and enjoyed by hope for hee came by his comforts even as wee this made him to endure the crosse and despise the shame and wee are commanded to runne with patience the race that is set before us looking to him Heb. 12.2 3. That is use our patience as hee did and relieve our patience as hee did by the joyfull sights of hope patience without hope is the deadest thing in the world for why doe I deprive my self of good why doe I suffer so many things in vaine if they be in vaine and therefore the Apostle takes it for granted that the patient continuance in well doeing hath some thing to relieve it namely a lookeing after glory and honour and immortality c. Rom. 2.7 without which animation and enlivening of hope patience were dead and deadly more fit to be the property of a stone or a blocke then the grace of a Saint thus yee see your selves armed by hope against the great enemies of God and man against the great troublers of Israel pleasures and paines by having your joyes and your patience acted by hope which is your Helmet But hope thirdly is proper for doing aswell as suffering having a great influence as I told you upon our simbolicall head our intentions and scopes and end and this peece aswell as our shooes the shooes of the preparation of the Gospell of peace inables us for acting and the truth is while wee doe nothing good wee are not secure against doing ill But if hope serve to any thing it serves to incourage to labour and worke wee use to say in a proverbe take away hope and take away endeavour no worke is done or can be done without hope hee that ploweth should plow in hope and that hee that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hopes 1. Cor. 9.10 A man would be loath to plow the ground or thresh the corne without hope you will not doe actions of the lowest forme without it Againe as you can do nothing without hope so ye attempt the greatest things by hope the hopes of victory the hope of successe the hope of gaine whither doth it not ingage men our strength depends upon our hope and therefore Jeremy complaines my strength and my hope is perished Lam. 3.18 No more hope no more strength they stand and fall together they are alike in their birth and death On the other side when Paul was to give an account to Agrippa of his actions Acts 26.6 7. I am judged sayes hee for the hope of the promise made unto our fathers unto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come Doe you wonder why they served God with that instance and intensenesse day and night why they doe that which none of the world doe besides they hope to attaine the promise of God that is the thing promised that ingageth them to a continuall and a most intense labour so the Apostle when hee gives in a very few words all that is to be forborne and done for God and our good makes hope to be the rise of all his courage and activity Tit. 2.13 lookeing for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour Iesus Christ compared with the former verses 11. and 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts wee should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world And Christ when hee bidds us doe any thing hoping for nothing againe Luk. 6.35 Lend hoping for nothing againe hee doth not meane wee should have nothing or be without hope but tells us immediately that our reward shall be great in heaven and wee shall be the children of the Highest and presently suggests matter of hope which hee affixeth to the lending of a penny or the giving a cup of cold water yee shall not loose your reward But to what workes doth hope animate us to all for the least shall be considered shall not loose its reward and the greatest shall be considered proportionably Hee that overcometh and hee that followes mee heere shall sit upon twelve Thrones There is nothing so great that hope cannot expect for it is the hope of salvation And therefore there is no worke so great that hope cannot put you upon for it workes from hope to salvation Captaines when they harrang their Souldiers tell them of the butin of the prey tell them of honours and advancements and Christ when hee incourageth his speakes Crownes as freely as any but spirituall crownes assured by faith and enjoyed for the present by hope it is a shame that our hopes should not carry us toward working as farre as ever any worldly hath done in all the particulars of worke I will insist onely upon one which the scripture particularly annexeth to hope and is proper for us all Hee that hath this hope that is of seeing God of salvation hee purifyeth himself even as hee is pure 1. Joh. 3.3 The reason of the action