1. the Metaphor further explained looke into the 1. Corinth 15. 13. where we haue an exhortation of the same Apostle wholly consisting of militarie tearmes Watch ye saith the Apostle stand fast in the faith quit your selues like men and be strong It is the saying of Eliphas that Iob 5. 7. we are all borne to labour and as we are borne to labour so also to fight In id nati vt militomus for these two me thinks are like Iacob and Esau that hold one another Genes 25 26. by the heele And therefore you may reade of the Iewes at their building of the materiall temple that as they Nehe. 4. 17 held a trowell in one hand so also a sword in the other the one being the instrument of a labourer the other of a souldier And thus you may thinke it also in the building of the spirituall temple For thinke not saith Christ that I am come to send peace on the Mat. 10 34 earth but rather a sword The confirmation of which truth we haue from the blessed Virgine who had no sooner bore Christ Luk. 2. 35. but presently old Simeon tells her that a sword must passe through her soule And so it is with euery gracious Christian in whom Christ is no sooner formed anew by faith but presently Audita est vox clamantis A Herald at armes calls vnto him after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come let vs runne on to the conflict Heb. 12. 1. that is set before vs for loe saith Dauid how the enemies make a tumult and consult among Psal 83. 2. themselues saying Come and let vs cut them off from being a holy Nation neither let the name of Israel bee had any longer in remembrance Gebal and Ammon and Amalecke the Philistines with those of Tire Ashur also is ioyned to them and hath holpen the children of Lot Thus when Israel went downe to sinfull Egypt wee heare then of nothing but peace and whist but when they begin once to leaue Egypt and go to Canaan to heauen and happines then In se turbaruunt luxuriosa then seuen seuerall nations I meane seuen deadly sinnes are marching forwards to incounter them for a remembrance whereof perhaps it was that the Lord commanded them afterwards to keepe their feast of Trumpets because the Leuit. 23 Trumpet we know Nil nisi bella sonat sounds nothing else but sad warre and destruction and this hath made that part of Christs Church yet remaining on earth to be well called Ecclesia militans the fighting Church because it must fight the good fight of Paul in my text Fight the good fight of faith But for the better explaining of this Metaphor two things I suppose are necessarie to bee premis'd 1. Who is our Generall to fight vnder 2. Who our enemies to fight against The first of these alluring vs to fight in hope of reward The second enforcing for feare of danger The first giuing vs entertainement The second putting vs vpon employment For the first Our Generall or Captaine is the Lord Iesus Christ for so he is called in Saint Matth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. 6. For out of thee shall come a Captaine c. The authour Heb. 12. 2. and the finisher of our faith saith the Author to the Hebrews Deus exercituum The Lord of hostes saith the Prophet Isaiah Isa 1. 9. whose title is written vpon his thigh saith Saint Iohn Rex Regum Reuel 19. 16. Dominus dominantium Hee that slew mighty kings saith Dauid Sehon king of the Amorites Psal 136. 16. and Og the king of Basan In a word hee that sung that triumphant Paean vpon the crosse ouer death hell and Sathan O death where is thy sting O graue where 1. Cor. 15. 55. is thy victory And this is the Captaine vnder whom wee must fight The Lord is this man of warre sings Moses The Lord is his Exod 15. 3 mame For the second Now for our enemies we present them marching in two ranks Either Traitours to vs or else Inuaders of vs. Either Canaanites that dwell among vs or else Arabians that dwell without vs. The one in the valleyes The other vpon the mountaines Take them either single or combin'd euery way shall you finde them very dangerous Saul may slay his thousands and Dauid his 1. Sam. 18. 17. ten thousands as the damosells sung But hee that slayes one of these doth more then they both the fight of them being onely against carnall but this against spirituall enemies Their enemies threatning onely death to the bodie but these death both to bodie and soule for euer That as Dauid hath it How a thousand yeares Psal 90. 4. with God are but as one day so maâ— we say That a thousand of thosâ— enemies are not so much regardeâ— of God as the killing of one oâ— these and one day in this combate is better then a thousand in the other Of the first ranke is our ownâ— sinfull and depraued nature anâ— 1 Enemy enemie doubtlesse that is much to be feared because he is De propriâ— lare of our owne house and familie and they are euer the most dangerous enemies saith our Sauiour not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 10. 36. the sinne that besets vs round about as the Authour to the Hebrewes Heb. 12. 1. calls him but farther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sinne that Rom. 7. 17. dwells in vs. For had an open enemie done this saith Dauid then Psal 55. 12 peraduenture I could haue hid my selfe from him but for the sonne of our owne wombe our Ioab our Absolon our owne flesh to be 〈…〉 me our enemy whither O God 〈…〉 all wee flee from this Cum 〈…〉 emit nos eadem causa quae ex 〈…〉 lit Lypsi de Const Vna adest in vnis aedibus vna Terent. 〈…〉 bit vna comedit vna dormit 〈…〉 his rises with vs in the morning 〈◊〉 keepes vs company all the day 〈…〉 d lies downe also with vs in the 〈…〉 ening And tell me then if this 〈…〉 e not a dangerous enemy 2. But though the Traitour be 〈…〉 iefly to be regarded yet is not â—â—erefore the forrainer altogether 〈◊〉 be sleighted for if Absolon bee 〈…〉 e only care of Dauids thoughts â—he issue of Saul will get thereby 〈…〉 o small aduantage Now our forraine enemies are â—hiefly these two The world and â—he deuill And first for the world And if this bee not a fearefull aduersary then let all our sensâ— bee called in heere to speake aâ— which are so many friends vntâ— him in this outward house of o 〈…〉 bodies It was Bernards speecâ— Mundus obsidet me vtrinque 〈◊〉 Medil 14. per quinque portas quinque scilicâ— corporis sensus sagittis suis me vu 〈…〉 nerat The eye that lookes vpoâ— it and beholds nothing but vanâ—tie the care that listens to it anâ— heares nothing
on and so layes his head too fairâ— to receiue the deuils stroke Anâ— thus our grandmother Eue sheâ— was wounded Ingenio perijt hâ—â—miseri Gen 3. 6. ipsa suo A second hee lyes open at the eyes by not putting before them Iobs couenant and so Achan Iob 31. 1. perished Vt vidit perijt He saw a wedge of gold saith the Text Ios 7. 21. Vidensque concupivit concupis cens abstulit A third he lookes not to his hands to hold them vp to God in prayer And so Moses was in fault Mosis manus erant graues saith the Text and thus Amaleck you Exo. 17. 12 know had almost got the victorie And last of all for I haue here a large field to march in another lookes not to the foot of his affections as Solomon aduises him but hath Transitum pedis a hole Prou. 4. 26. there for the deuill to enter And so was Achilles foild and slaine Our Christian armour therefore must be complete and whole Put on the whole armour of God But what is armour to fight in vnlesse we haue also weapons to fight withall Looke but into Saint Pauls Armory and there you shall finde Eph. 6. 12 enough to furnish you Some for defence of thy selfe Some for offence of others For defence thou hast these foure to couer the foure chiefe parts of thy body As For thy Ioynes thou hast the Girdle of truth For thy breast and heart the shield of faith For thy head the Helmet of saluation and For thy feet the shoes of peace to couer them from cold and harmes as it is written Quam speciosi pedes praedicantis pacem Isa 52 7. But for offence thou hast onely one to wit The word of God which is the sword of the Spirit To note that we must be Tardi ad percutiendum receiuing foure blows rather then giuing one But if the faith of Christ lyes once at the stake as it doth at this time in the Text then Vade percute Amaleck then let him that hath Exo. 17. 9. no sword saith Christ go sell his garment and buy one Then draw thy sword Peter out of thy sheath and make it drunke in the bloud Luk. 21. 36 of thine opposers For it may as well bee said of Mat. 26. this weapon in generall as of Goliahs sword in particular 1. Sam. 21. 9. Non est huic simile That there is no offensiue weapon like to this Indeed Dauid mentions a bow as well as a sword 2. Sam. 1. 18 But yet this is onely vsefull for those enemies that are afarre off and therefore are lesse to bee feared But if once those spirituall Philistines of ours be come vpon as they were sometimes on Sampson Iudg. 16. to destroy then Gladius Domini must be Gladius Gideonis Iud. 7. 10. Then must the sword of the Lord be the sword of Gideon I meane of euery true faithfull Christian And therefore as the ancient Romanes did worship Victory for a Goddesse so did the Alani also saith Marcellinus worship the sword for a God as the chiefe meanes to attaine the victory for the word of God saies the Apostle is quick and powerfull yea Heb. 4. 12. sharper then any two-edged sword peircing euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and spirit of the ioints and marrow And these are our weapons to fight withall of which wee may say as Christ did of Peters two swords satis est here are enough to furnish a Christian souldier Luc. 22. 38 Where then are those Popish weapons of the Church of Rome viz. their Crosse their Holy water their consecrated Oyle and the like Surely as the Apostle Rom. 3. 27. saies of works so may we say of them they are excluded but by what law by the law of faith Our faith will not admit them our Religion will not beare them and why silent ikter arma leges because the law of God which is regula fidei the rule of our faith and our law of armes makes no mention of them and no maruell for as the Apostle said in another case The Law is spirituall but I am carnall so say I the Law of Rom. 7. 14 God speakes only of spirituall weapons but are not these carnall they are doubtlesse and thinke wee then that they are not pitifull scare crowes to put to flight a spirituall aduersary Alas we may say of them as the Prophet doth of the Aegyptian horses They are flesh and not spirit Isa 31. 3. sarcasmi Diaboli as Chemnitius well calls them euen gugawes to make the Deuill laugh so that God hath giuen them vp to strong delusions because they being without law in these things yet will needs bee a law to themselues Rom. 3. 14. and therefore we may well feare that as the Prophet spake of the Aegyptians so it may be said of them also That both they and their weapons shall goe both together into hell for hee that sits in Eze. 32. 17 hell shall laugh at these weapons Sathan shall haue these weapons Iob. 41. 17. 29. in derision But enough concerning the matter of our fight The manner followes And to make this good there be three speciall things required in it which like those three mighties of Dauid will breake through an host of enemies and bring 1 Sam. 23. from thence the water of life The first of these is Wisdome and therefore Paul who was miles veteranus an old beaten souldier aduises his Ephesians to walk circumspectly not as fooles but as Eph. 5. 15. wise So we must also fight circumspectly not as fooles but as wise it must not be like the cock-braind march of Iehu concerning whom the Scripture saies that 1 Reg 9. 20 he marched furiously I place wisdome in the first place because the Wise man he tels vs that it is the principall thing And Pro. 4. 7. againe comparing it in another place with wisdome he tels vs in plaine tearmes that of the Poet Est acri potior bello prudentia dextra Eccl. 9. 18. That wisdome is better then strength From whence it came to passe saies Plutarch that the old Spartan if hee conquered his enemy by force he did then offer onely a Cocke but if by wisdome hee did then offer an Oxe as a greater sacrifice then the former But Aristotle he goes yet further and will haue it to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only virtue and captaine of a ruler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies he in the second of his Politiques which was the reason why Dauid was elected of Saul to bee the chiefe ouer his men of warre because he behaued himselfe wisely 1 Sa. 18. 5. saies the Text. And indeed as want of wisdome and discretion is a great want in any calling so most specially in the military in as much as our life stands alwaies there vpon a most tickle point that if a
for he walkes about saith the Text. The originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnus quidem Iob 1. 7. Peripateticus a great Peripateticke for his walke is In circuitu as in Iob It is motus circularis which knowes no end but is still in action and like the Pharisaicall Iesuite will Mat. 13. 15 compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselite And thinke we that Sathan will do all this to no end and purpose No surely he doth it 5. To this end namely to destroy vs to deuoure vs for his mouth is an open sepulcher as Dauid speakes of the wicked Psal 75. 9. and the graue saith Solomon is Pro. 30. 16. vnsatiable Now if Saul bee a sleepe it is then easie enough for Dauid to take away his 1. Sam. 26 11. speare and his water-pot from him For while the Husbandman Mat. 13. 25 slept saith the Text then came the enemy and sowed his tares It is a Prouerbe in the Netherlands That when the Spaniard sleepes the Deuill rocks the cradle Sure I am that is true in our spirituall warfare also here below That when we sleepe like Ionas in the cradle Ionas 1. of security that then Sathan Hostis ille Catholicus that vniuersall enemy of all mankinde is most busie in plotting our destruction And so Iob speakes of him vnder the Metaphor of a Whale when he calls him The king ouer all the children of pride And it is easie here also Iob 41. 34. to make application all which giues truth to that of the Poet. Invadunt vrbem somno vinâ—que Virg sepultam And thus it befell Balthazar for when his eyes were in the Poets phrase Somno vinoque graues heauie through wine and sleeping Darius he enters the gates of the Citie standing open for destruction And so much for the second branch of our Military wisdome which was referred to the eyes they must bee held open with watchfulnesse The third and last followes which shall bee referred to the head this must bee held vp by wisedome and discretion i. we must rightly discerne betwixt the head of the body and other inferiour parts that so if we put any to the hazard it must be they that are lesse principall but as for the head which like the Tower of Dauid hath a superintendencie aboue the rest this must be sure to be warded according to that of our Sauiour Bee wise as serpents Now the chiefe wisedome of the Mat 10. 16. Serpent saith Pliny consists in this viz. in sauing of his head so aboue all must we be sure to hold Christ Iesus who is Caput defensor fidei The head and defender of our faith vnwounded our Captaine vntouched to hold the fundamentals of our Religion inuiolate the foundation of holines vnraced whatsoeuer become of the hay or stubble that we build vpon it and then Saint Paul tells vs That although we suffer a little losse thereby yet shall our selues 1. Cor. 3. 15. be saued And yet I would not haue you thinke that we can euer be strickt enough either in our faith or manners God forbid for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Ephesians i. walke accurately as the best Eph. 5. 15. Expositors render the word or else straightly as others and therefore Dauid tels vs that hee Psal 115. held straight all the commandements But yet as Solomon doth well distinguish betwixt mirth and madnesse so doe wee heere Eccl. â— 2. only sanctity from superstition that as the prouerbe hath it bee merry but wise so say we be as zealous as you will but yet according to wisdome and sobriety for though a man can neuer bee too zealous yet he may be somtimes Rom. 12. 3 too superstitious But alas there be too many now a dayes that doe not hold this head as Paul spake to the Colossians concerning the worship of Saints and Angels and wee speake this to Col. â— 18. their shame especially the Priests and Leuites who hold all that they haue in capite and this we say is the surest hold for it was Platoes tenet with some other that in this member was the seat of life and being But sure I am Democritus that in holding Christ the head of our faith wee shall liue for euer since eternall life is in him saies 1 Ioâ— 5. 12. the Apostle And so much for the first thing requisite in the manner of our fight which is wisdome The second followes and this is strength and courage for I doe not meane heere so much the strength of the hand as that of the heart when with Richard the first we haue Ceur de Lyon a Sâ—ow â—n Chron. Lions heart that will not be danted and therefore Socrates being asked what strength was answered that it was motus animae cum corpore for if strength bee deficient alas what shall become of wisdome it shall be me thinks like a child that is come to the birth but for want of strength cannot be deliuered as Hezekiah spake in Isa 37. 3. another case For as strength without wisdome is wanting in the noble disposition of warlike stratagems so also is wisdome without strength failing in the due execution of the same wisdome indeed may serue to guide but it is strength and courage that must defend our selues and offend our enemies And therefore Dauid being now ready to leaue the world leaues this to his sonne Solomon as his last gift and legacy Bee strong saies he and of a good courage and thou shalt prosper and surely it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift worthy of such a giuer As Iphicrates then had it proclaim'd to his souldiers before the vndertaking of any hard exploit If any man haue left his heart at hâ—me â—et him fling downe his colors and bee gone Or as Gideon said If any man be fearfull let Iudg. 7. 3. him depart so say I if there be any white liuer'd Christian among vs who for a tearme of disgrace or a little blast of opposition can be content with Peter to deny his colors of Christianity abeat pereat profundat perdat away with such Ter. Heaut a wretch but withall let him without repentance perish eternally We read of Christ our Captain that he could endure the Crosse and despise the shame to runne on Heb. 12. 1. the race that was set before him And let as many of vs saies the same Apostle as would be perfect looke vp to Iesus the author and finisher of our faith consider him who broke through such contradictions of sinners and by him bee encouraged to resist vnto blood striuing against sinne as the Apostle speaks and not to vers 4. deny our innocency to the death Quid enim desperandum Christo Duce for what need we feare hauing such a Captain who for our sakes hath led away captiuity 〈…〉 ph 4 8. captiue as the Apostle speakes
and hath crushed in peeces the very head of the maligning world for bee of good comfort saies our Sauiour I haue ouercome the world Et licet atrocitèr loquantur Ioh. 16. 33 saies Tacitus of Vitellius souldiers minor est tamen apud victos animus And an enemy Hist li◠3. wee know that is once beaten though he speake big for a time yet if he come once to strokes his courage will then quickly faint and quaile Only let that exhortation of the Apostle take place with vs To lift vp our hands that Heb. 1◠1. hang downe and our feeble knees yea our hearts also that hang downe towards our feet saying with Dauid I will not feare though ten thousand of enemies doe bande Psal 3. 6. So a cow and is described cuius a 〈…〉 mus in pedious themselues against mee or with Paul send forth that triumphant challenge What shall bee able to separate me from the loue of God in Christ shall tribulation or anguish c. No I am perswaded Rom. 8. 38 that neither life nor death no nor any thing else shall euer bee able to separate mee from the loue of God in Christ And then good luck haue we with our honour as Dauid hath it Ride on because of the word of truth and meeknesse and Ps◠45. 4. our right hands shall teach vs terrible things The campe of Christ will admit of no weakling of no dastard and hence it is that S. Paul in his Panoply speaks of no armour atall for our back parts Eph. 6. 12. but only for those that are before to shew that hee would not haue vs afraid to looke our enemies in the face but to quit our selues like men and be strong and not 1 Co. vlt. 13 to be like those of Ephraim who turn'd their backs in the day of Psa 78. 10. battell for shall such a man as I fly saies Nehemiah I will neuer Neh. 6. 11. doe it Indeed I must needs confesse that in our earthly warfare wee oft times become strong by making our selues weake and ouercome our enemies like the Parthian by flying from them But in our spirituall warfare it is not thus Resist the Deuill saies S. Peter and then hee will flee from 1 Pet. 5. 9. you but if we fly from him first thereby hoping for the greater aduantage then acriùs urget hostis the enemy will come with the greater violence because wee wrastle not as they doe against flesh and blood saies Paul but against Eph. 6. 12. principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses in high places and therefore as they can the better discry our purposes so will they also preuent our practises as well knowing whereof we are made and remembring how wee bee but dust But enough for the second requisite in the manner of our fight and this is strength or courage The third and last followes which is constancy and perseuerance and this must strike the battell through make vp of all the former flowers a complete garland of triumph For as Christ said to the yong Mar. 10. 21 man who profess'd that hee had kept all the commandments from his youth so say I now to you that haue vsed all those other meanes from the beginning of your dayes unum adhuc superest there is yet one thing wanting to perfection and this is constancy in them to the end of your daies For as finis doth movere ad pugnandum so doth it also post pugnandum exhibere coronam as it doth prouoke vs to fight at the first so also doth it reward vs for fighting at the last for no man is crown'd saies the Apostle vnlesse 2 Tim. 1. he striue first and as wee are not crown'd vnlesse we striue first so neither vnlesse we striue last euen to the last period of the battell finis enim coronat opus for the end is euer that which crownes the action so saies our Sauiour to the Minister of the Church of Smyrna Be faithfull to death and then will I giue thee a crowne of life Reu. 2. 10. And this was the reason why God commanded that vpon the outward skirts and end of Aarons garments there should bee Pomegranates of blew silke and purple because of all other fruits doth the Ex. 28 33. Pomegranate beare most the resemblance of a crowne vpon it so that as Dauid hath it the oyle of grace must runne downe from our heads euen to our beards and not rest there neither vntill it hath touched the end of the combate the skirts of our clothing Psa 133. 2. and therefore it is lamented by the Prophet touching Ierusalem that her filthinesse was in her skirts and her end was worse then 〈◊〉 1. 9. her beginning But if any man turne his hands to the plow saies Christ and looke back againe such a one is not fit for the kingdome of 〈◊〉 9. 60. heauen Neither shall my soule saies God haue pleasure in him We must not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the word is Heb. 10. 38 vsed by S. Luke and signifies properly to shrinke back as cowardly Luk. 18. 1. souldiers doe in warre when there is apparent feare of danger and so it is noted in the margent of your Edward Bibles It is but an hypocriticall tricke to enter into the performance of Sir Francis Bacon In Charles the 8. his expedition on which some compare them to a flea soone skiping into a countrey as soone out Heylen Hist◠Gen 15. 11 good duties as a stranger doth into an Inne or as the French did sometimes into Italy as one said of them wittily onely to chalke vp their lodgings and bee gone But a true Christian Souldier he will alway deale with his spirituall enemies as Abraham did with the fowles that lighted vpon his sacrifice neuer leaue driuing them away vntill the euening hee will wrestle with them as earnestly as euer Iacob did with the Angell Gen. 32. 22 euen til the day of saluation break and the shadowes of the night flee away Which if we doe then shall we be truly called as our father was before vs The Israel of God because wee haue fought with our enemies and preuailed There now wants nothing but Pauls desire and then may the Phil. 1. 23 Cupio dissolui c. Isa 40. 1. company be dissolued and be with Christ Then speake comfortably to Ierusalem saith the Prophet Isaiah in the person of God and tell her that her warfare is accomplished For now shall our righteousnesse go before vs as the same Isa 58. 8. Prophet speakes in another place and the glory of God shall be our reward In a word now shall be brought to passe the saying that is written We haue fought a good fight we haue fulfilled our course we 2. Tim. 4. 8. haue runne our race we haue continued in the faith hence forth therefore is laid vp for vs a Crowne of righteousnesse Which God giue vs for Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour FINIS