into his hands and lead our selues into his temptations contrarie to our forme of prayer And now Beloued we haue no need to doe so we haue no reason at all to giue any oddes or advantage to Sathan in this combate by these or any other wayes for we are not so strong as that we may afford it But especially we may not presume to encounter with this adversarie naked or without our sword the sword of the spirit which is the word of God as the seduced Papists are put to by their most iniurious leaders No no the truth is let us looke to our selues as well as we can and arme our selues as strongly as we can and take all the advantage and helpes that may be had we shall have ennough to doe with these principalities and powers with the Rulers of the darknesse of this world with the spirituall wickednesses or wicked spirits those secret and invisible enemies Yea and more then wee can well acquit our selves of as of our selves for of our selves wee are not sufficient to thinke much lesse to doe it 2. Cor. 3. 5. so that we have no reason to give any advantage herein And beside the cause or matter of the Conflict between Sathan and us non de parvis quibusdam rebus is no small matter that we should be secure and carelesse Sed de rebus quae sunt in coelestibus hoc est pro regno coelorum adoptione nobis lucta saith Aretius upon the place But a matter of heaven and heavenly things a matter of a kingdome and our right and interest to it that is the thing in question the matter of the quarrell and combate betweene us And is not this a weighty matter that we should bestirre our selves about it Surely how light soever we make of it it is a matter of life and death It is such a matter that we must either kill or be killed For if we doe not crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts the flesh will bee our death for to bee carnally minded is death Rom. 8. 6. If the world be not crucified unto us and wee unto the world the world will be our ruine for the world shall bee damned 1. Cor. 11. 32. If we doe not dash Babilons children against the stones suppressing the first motions of sinne and temptations of Sathan they will be sure to dash us to death for the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. So then it concernes us neere to looke to it being a matter of so great consequence and importance a matter of life death the winning or loosing of our heauenly inheritance in high places And that in strife with so potent and politick enemies let us consider then and thinke of the matter that we haue in hand A high place in heauen is worth the striving for specially when it may be had for striving according to that the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 12. 12. It is worth somewhat that Sathan doth so much strive and struggle to get from us A theife will not meddle with a poore begger that hath nothing to loose a pirat will not set upon emptie shippes a mighty enemy will not invade a kingdome or lay siege to a City with great violence to winne it where there is no great matter to be had and so surely it is not for nothing that Sathan with all his forces doth make such fierce and violent assaults upon the servants of God no Coelestia these high places or heauenly things for which he wrestles with us are great things and so let us with great care contend for them Yea and this let us doe without delay even this time for the time of the warfare wrestling with Sathan his forces is now euen this present time The Apostle here sets it downe so saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we wrestle or there is a wrestling and as he sayes it so we find it indeed for as heretofore he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit euen so it is now Now the world is full of such as scoffe at Isaac like Ismael of such as resist the holy Ghost as the stiffenecked Iewes of such as withstand Barnabas and Saul and seeke to turne the Deputie from the faith like Simon the Sorcerer of such as be accusers of the brethren like the Devill Revel 12. 10. of such as greatly withstand the word like Alexander the Copper-smith of such as warre with them that keepe the commandements of God and haue the testimony of Iesus Christ as the Dragon Revel 12. 17. Now the world is full of such warriers and wrestlers against the true worshippers of God yea and neuer more for now the Devill warres with great wrath because he knoweth he hath but a short time v. 12. And seeing it is so that there is such warring and wrestling of the enemies side against us at this time Let us of the other side be as ready and forward to warre and wrestle against them so that we may truly say nobis lucta we wrestle Yea and this let us resolue to doe not for a day or two but for as long as we liue for militia vita hominis super terram as Iob saith the whole life of a Christian is a continuall warfare here on earth Nunquam bella bonis nunquam issidia cessant Et quocum cert et mens bona semper habet Good men must not looke for peace upon earth Christ came not to send it Mat. 10. 34. The Dragon and his Angels will fight with the Michael and his Angells as long as the world lasts so that we must warre as long as we liue They will be sure to warre and wrestle with us either by inward or outward temptations by violent persecutions or fraudulent Heresies by sharpe tongues or sharpe swords or both and we had not need to lie still and to let them alone without any resistance surely no we haue cause to warre and wrestle with them as well as they with us and more too for if we fight the good fight and finish our course and keepe the faith we shall obtaine the crowne of righteousnesse but so shall not they Therefore let us resolue upon it and wrestle against flesh and blood against principalities and powers against Rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places against the Devill and all his forces of persecuting Tyrants of subtill hereticks of pestilent Antichrists of wicked worldlings and carnall Gospellers And this unto the end But here some will say how shall we that are weake and fraile be able to wrestle and encounter with so potent and politicke enemies with so many and malicious adversaries or if we doe presume to wrestle and fight with them how shall we prevaile against them The truth is we cannot prevaile against them by our owne strength
of a besieged city and the enemies will come in as certainly as if all the walls were demolished Let errour get but once into the belfrey and it will never leave till it be in the chancell as learned Fulk hath noted Suffer it to be but in the porch and it will not be long but you shall see it possessed of the Church it selfe yea and jetting in the pulpit also As then Moses would not yeeld to Pharaoh in a hoofe Exod. 10. 20. or orthodoxall christians to Arrius in a letter so as to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no more let us yeeld to any errour in life or doctrine in profession or practise specially not to idolatry No not for all the kingdomes in the world and the glory thereof So would not Christ Mat. 4. 8 9. no not for an houre so did not Paul Galat. 2. 5. est leo si fugias If ye give place but a little to his temptations on hee goes And the more we give place to him the more he encroaches Therefore beware how you yeeld to him in the least motion in an apple as Eve or in a looke as Lots wife Give a hot horse his head at first and he will surely runne away with you And so will this beast if we give him the bridle if wee but a little yeeld to him Sathan can use small finnes as the fisher useth small haires to hold the fish as fast or faster then greater tackling and secret sinnes to doe more harme in the soule then open A 4 th way whereby wee give advantage to the Devill against us is by rushing into those places or companies where Sathan hath power over our bodies of soules in regard of the dangerous provocations to sinne they yeeld As solitary and secret places places of idolatry of whoredome of excessive drinking gaming swearing c. the company of mockers railers dissemblers or any other wicked persons These are the Devills factors and their dwelling his staple his schoole-house as S. Cyprian his throne as S. Iohn calls it Revel 2. 13. Now can a man be safe where Sathans throne is Amongst the children of disobedience where he beares rule Can a man take fire in his bosome or walke upon coales and not be burnt Surely the sweetest waters by running into the sea become salt and brackish And so men of sweet natures and excellent graces have beene perverted by the company of the wicked Witnesse Ioseph who was snared to sweare by the life of Pharaoh in the court of Aegypt And the Apostle Peter who was tempted to deny his Lord and Master in the Hall of Caiaphas To give the Devill therefore no advantage over us we must have no company with the wicked A fift way whereby we giue the Divell advantage against us is by living idly â—tium pulvinar Diaboli idlenesse is the Divells pillow to rest on Quem non invenit occupatum ipse occupat he will imploy those that will not imploy themselues The crabfish when as the oyster doth open flings into her a little stone so that shee cannot shut her selfe againe and so the crab devoures the oyster Even so saith Hierome our adversarie the Divell like the crab when he finds us idle and gaping like the oyster takes his opportunity to confound us When we sleepe and are secure then he will be sowing of tares in the field of the church and in the ground of our hearts Therefore let us follow the counsell of Christ which saith occupamini donec veniam that is occupie or be doing till I come Luke 19. Res age tutus eris A sixt way is by playing with the obiects of sinne it is not safe for the fish to play with the baite And no more is it for any man to play with the obiects of sinne A seuenth way is by not looking well to the outward senses of our bodies specially the two senses of learning Seeing and Hearing Can the heart or market-place of a Towne or City be safe from the siege of an enemy if the gates be cast open or the walls demollished or the ramparts bared of their fence and munition or can a kingdome be safe from an invading enemy unlesse the cinqueports be carefully looked to and watched Now the senses specially our seing and hearing are the gates of our hearts and the cinque-ports of our soules If we doe not then looke well to them and keepe a diligent watch over them we make our selues a prey to the enemy we open the gates for him to come in and therefore if we will not give the enemy too much advantage let us with David turne away our eyes from beholding vanitie and our eares also from hearing vanitie Let us looke to all the senses of our bodyes as so many gates and doores of our soules that Sathan enter not in that way locke them barre them bolt them fast Finally if you desire not to giue the divell advantage in this conflict then take heede of the intemperate use of Gods creatures by too much eating and drinking We read in the Gospell that the disposessed Divells entreated Christ that he would suffer them to goe into the herd of swine because the chiefe place of the Divells residence is the soule of the swilling drunkard as Bonaventure giues the reason In dry places he finds no rest saith Christ Mat. 12. 43. that is in sober minds he gets no footing as the same Author interprets it he dwells in lowe countries and wet grounds that is with such as are filled with wine wherein is excesse Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultum When the Troians were dead drunke then the Grecians did set upon and overcame them saith the Poet When Benhadad king of Syria with two and thirtie kings more in his company were comming against Achab king of Israell and perceiving Achabs power to be small in respect of his did fall a banketing and drinking with the Kings his aiders and made themselues drunke Achab with his small power overcame them all And so when we haue distemperd our selues by eating or drinking then insteed of over coming the Divell our enemy he overcomes us making us to kill our deare friend Clitus with Alexander or to commit incest with Lot or to commit all ungodlinesse euen with greedinesse as the Sodomites Therfore if you will not giue place to the Divell follow the counsell of Christ that is take heed least at any time your hearts be over chared with surfetting and drunkenesse Luk. 21. 34. There be many other wayes whereby we giue place advantage unto the Divell against us As by immoderate anger and wrath Ephes 4. 26 27. By being wavering minded and unsetled in the faith Iam. 1. 6. By impatience and discontent by pride and ambition by yeelding to any corruption we giue the Devill so much ground and insteed of beating him out of our borders we let him in and betray our selues
Corporall armour as well as spirituall I answere we may it is lawfull for Christian men at the commandement of the Magistrate to weare weapons and to serue in warres according to the doctrine of our Church Art 37. and also according to the scriptures which say that there is a time of warre as a time of peace that the Magistrate is not to beare the sword in vaine Rom. 13. 4. that he that hath none should buy a sword Luk. 22. 36. That many good men did weare and use humane weapons as Gedeon Sampson David who subdued kingdomes Heb. 11. 33. and Cornelius the Centurion Act. 10. All these did arme the body and use corporall weapons and so may wee But here I say againe that the body is not the first part that we must arme nor humane weapons the first weapons that we must take to our selves The first part that we must arme is the inner man the soule which is the life of the body And the first armour that we must arme it withall is the armour or grace of God which is the life of the soule Thus saith the Apostle in the former chapter at the 14 th verse c. I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom all the family of heaven and earth is named that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to bee strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man And thus S. Peter your adorning let it not bee outward adorning but let it bee the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit the ornament of faith and a good conscience here called the brest-plate of righteousnesse Without this and the rest of the ornaments and muniments here mentioned even the strongest and best armed man will prove a coward and flye when none pursueth as Solomon saith Prov. 28. 1. And as the Syrians did 2. Kings 7. 7. I say then unto you Brethren arme your selves as well as you can both for the inner and outward man both with the corporall and spirituall armor but first of all above all arme the inner man with the armour of God Take unto your selves the armour of God his grace which is sufficient for you 2. Cor. 12. 9. Take it to your selves and not only that but put it on which is the manner how this meanes is to bee used and the next point This armour is not only to be taken and hung up at home or sometime to bee shewed abroad to be seene of men but to bee used and imployed daily in the Lords service which is meant by putting on God gives us his gifts and graces to the end that we should use employ them And therefore he saith in another place stirre up the grace of God that is given you 2. Tim. 1. 6. occupamini donec veniam occupie and employ your talents till I come Luk. 19. 13. If ye have then the armour these grace of God in you shew what ye are shew them by your profession and practise and appeare in your colours If a man hath his armour on and doth use it it will appeare and be seene on him So let it be with you play not the unprofitable servants to hide your talents your armour in the ground use it put it on Put on the whole armour of God Not only the girdle of truth and the brest-plate of righteousnesse but all the whole armour head and foote for if you should arme the head only the Devill happily would strike at the foot If the foot only then he might hurt the head If both and leaue our brest unarmed hee might wound us at the heart Therefore to make sure worke put on the whole armour that yee may repel all the assaults of the Devill lay not open any part to his blow Or if you will haue more of some one part then of another why then looke well to the head the heart and the outward senses that ye arme them strongly First the head for as a Generall that besiegeth a city laboureth most of all to gaine the towre or the castle knowing that if he can take hold and possesse that he shall instantly command the rest of the whole towne So likewise the Devill who daily doth assault our little city plots specially how he may be possessed of our Capitoll and sconce Knowing assuredly that if our head bee tipling our eyes will bee wanton our tongue blaspheamous our throate an open sepulcher our hands ready to stabbe our feet swift to shed blood In briefe all our members at his service to become servants of unrighteousnesse to commit all manner of ungodlinesse even with greedinesse Therefore it is good for us to have speciall care to arme the head with sobriety watchfullnes And so likewise for the heart for that is the hold and fort of the soule If that be not true to us we are sure to be foyled in every temptaton And therefore as Solomon saith so say I unto you Omni custodiâ custodi cor tuum Keepe thine heart with all diligence have it in an holy suspition so as to examine and search it daily and to observe the treacherous and deceiveable lusts that lurke therein And when by the light of the word you have found any doe not stay till they assault you but doe you assault them and beat them down with the armour of God using Martiall law presently condemne and crucify them And in like manner for the outward senses we must have a speciall care to keepe the parts of christian armour upon them also that we lye not too open there A valiant captaine knowing that the enemy is easier kept out then beaten out of a city hath great care to plant his Garison about the gates and walls there he sets his most faithfull watch and ward there he plants his chiefe munition and ordnance And so must we keepe a speciall watch and ward at the gates of the little city of our soule even our senses there plant our munition that the enemy may not enter in thereat Thus did Iob when he made a covenant with his eyes that hee would not looke upon a maide And Daniel when he would not tast of the Kings dainties nor defile himselfe therewith And David when hee vowed that hee would not heare nor see nor touch any wicked thing Psal 101. 3. But though I commend unto you a speciall care of these parts and passages of the soule by these reasous and examples yet I would not have you neglect the rest but to have a care of all and to put on all the armour of God as the Apostle here teacheth Yea and remember further to put on the armour of God in Gods service in his warres against his enemies only not against one another in private grudges and bickerings not against the faithfull servants and