A SPIRITVAL CHAINE AND ARMOVR OF CHOICE FOR SION SOVLDIERS Which whosoeuer weareth graciously shall be sure of the best honour comfort and safetie whether he liue or die in the battell that can come to a Christian souldier Very necessary for these times LONDON Printed by William Iones for Robert Mylbourne at the great South doore of Pauls 1622. TO MY ESPECIAL REVEREND LOVING AND BELOVED FRIENDS BOTH Magistrates Ministers and others who loue the Sion of our God and to such friends of theirs also as vnto whom they shall thinke good to impart this booke for the end here proposed and in conclusion to all them who intend to publish any Treatise Grace and peace be multiplied from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ Amen REuerend louing beloued in the God of honor loue it so pleasing his diuine Maiestie to withhold me by much weaknesse a great while of late from preaching his holy word I searched my heart wherein I might do most seruice in these my old yeares and decaying dayes to my good God and most good to his Church by any other talent which he hath bestowed vpon me Hauing a small one in writing I resolued to vse it now as called thereunto Our glorious God saith by Solomons pen Without counsell Prou. 15.22 purposes are disappointed but in the multitude of counsellers they are established I desire therefore to haue my poore labours perused by many of my iudicious friends and theirs also thereby to obteine sound counsell Heartily then I beseech you in that gracious God of ours to shew me your loue in this action herein chiefly viz. if you finde any thing in this Treatise which might dishonour our good God or do any maner of hurt to his Sion that you will admonish me of it As I ought not so I will not be iudge of mine owne workes there being nothing wherein a man may sooner deceiue himselfe Bookes in my iudgement require a greater purifying then gold yea and a more excellent fire also to purge them No materiall fire purgeth gold so well as the spirits of Gods childoen a famous kind of fire do purge those bookes which are submitted to that most true and trustie triall So I call it because such spirits doe make their triall by the word that fire of fires though I be not of his minde for the time of impression who said Nonum premantur in annum publish your bookes the ninth yeare yet am I iust of the same man minde for taking a large time both to reuise and aduise yet I desire not to tie others vnto my maner of publishing bookes or to taxe any who take lesse time and counsell in penning spreading abroad of their works if they take so much as may shew that they be not of a priuate spirit and readier to offer vnto the world nimis praecocia quam satis praeparata things rather too hastily ripened then sufficiently prepared There will be wants when the longest and best care is takē for who can say that his heart pen or tongue are perfect much more doth great haste make great waste You shall perceiue that I finde fault with such kinde of haste and here I aduise all writers to take good leisure This also I adde out of my experience from the present Treatise for inducing others the sooner and the more to rely on that old prouerb Plus vident oculi quam oculu◠a great many of eies see more then one viz. that to my remembrance I neuer shewed this booke to any but I was moued necessarily to put in or take out somewhat so against the next impression if the godly experienced see cause I purpose to do And I most humbly thanke our gracious God for giuing mee the minde and the meanes to haue the iudgement of diuers godly and worthy men in this action which yet also I seeke more and more vsing the Presse as a helpe at this time to that end No more now but that I humbly beseech our blessed God to blesse you and yours and all your emploiments and studies and withall I desire your prayers for a blessing to me and my endeuours so as we all in all our purposes and actions may seeke his glorie To God our Father almightie and to his dearely beloued Sonne our blessed Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus and to the holy Spirit three Persons and one God most wise holy iust and mercifull be all honour praise and thankes for euer and euer Amen To those patterne Captaines so I call them who are Leaders by their godly example of the Artillerie and Militarie in the Citie of London that famous Citie of the kingdome his Maiesties most strong safe and trustie Chamber and to all others there who any way haue any speciall hand for vpholding the practise of Chiualrie in what offices soeuer they be setled I wish all maner of peace from the God of peace and all holy and prouident preparation for all kinds of godly warre THe Wife whō Bethsheba described Prou. 31. hath bin is now and for euer shall be a peerlesse patterne to all vertuous wiues right so your worthy actions concerning matters of Chiualrie that the knowledge and exercise thereof may not decay in Citizens haue bin are now and I hope will be a notable example to the present age and to all posteritie Therefore as it is said of the vertuous wife A woman that feareth God Prou. 31.30 v 29. shall be praised Her children rise vp and call her blessed Her husband praiseth her her owne workes praise her So say I of you The training vp of the Cities valiant men yea youths nay very children in feates of armes being first taught to feare their God and to be armed against and fight against Satan causeth those children to rise vp and blesse both parents and Preachers and Captaines for their education yea and it maketh the whole land to reioyce in their good God for the worthie patterne which you giue to the kingdome in these right worthy actions both for bodie and soule Hereby you shew that you are not like the lazie people of Laish Iudg. 18.7 8 9. who by their carelesnesse were fit to be made a prey to any that would inuade them Go on good Citizens thus to ioyne religion and prowesse pietie by the peaceable word and policie by the preuenting sword so shall your workes continue to praise you in the gates and to cause the praise of our glorious God to sound both in earth and in heauen For your better progresse herein I haue sent you euen first of all a little Treatise touching the antiquitie and nobilitie of gracious Souldiers and concerning the holy behauiour which they ought to haue without which no science mysterie or art no not the seuen Liberall Arts no nor any other knowledge whatsoeuer are of any reckoning with our God The Lord our God blesse it to you and blesse you all and the whole Citie also
day then the Lord thy God will set thee on high aboue all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come on thee Blessed shalt thou be in the citie and blessed also in the field vers 7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise vp against thee to be smitten before thy face They shall come out against thee one way and flie before thee seuen wayes vers 15. But it shall come to passe if thou wilt not hearken vnto the voice of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day the Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies Thou shalt go out one way against them ver 25.26 and flie seuen wayes before them and shalt be remoued into all the kingdomes of the earth and thy carkeis shall be meat vnto all the foules of the aire and vnto the beasts of the earth and no man shall fray them away Now let vs returne againe to that case of Gods camp at Ai. The lamentable state of that camp doth shew Gods angrie entrance into a terrible execution of this law with great seueritie Against whom Against his owne most dearly beloued people Ios 7.10 Obserue it well And the Lord said vnto Iosuah Get thee vp wherefore liest thou thus vpon thy face Israel hath sinned and they haue transgressed my couenant which I commanded them for they haue euen taken of the accursed thing and haue stolen and dissembled also and they haue put it euen amongst their owne stuffe Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before them because they were accursed Neither will I be with you any more except you destroy the accursed from among you Vp sanctifie the people and say Sanctifie your selues against to morrow For thus saith the Lord God of Israel There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies except ye destroy the accursed from amongst you ver 24.25 Then Iosua and all Israel tooke Achan the sonne of Zeuah and the siluer and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sonnes and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheepe and his tent and all that he had and they brought them vnto the valley of Achor And Iosua said Why hast thou troubled vs The Lord shall trouble thee this day And all Israel stoned him with stones And they raised ouer him a great heape of stones vnto this day O fearfull iudgement Whom may not this make to tremble when they commit grieuous sinnes in warre I acknowledge that this was an extraordinarie case at an extraordinary time neither do I in any wise compare lesser sinnes with this but still I say that vile sinnes may cause our holy God to turne his face from the armie And the thing that I presse is that shamefull or rather shamelesse sinners with a high hand should for euer either be reformed in or remoued from Sion camps Great vigilancie I say should be had in this matter and all good meanes should be vsed to obtaine a holy campe And still I heartily desire you to remember the state of Gods campe at Ai. For more stirring vp of all sorts to the practise of holinesse in campes let all true Christians consider that the chiefe cause why our God would haue his enemies ouerthrowne in warre by his children is their wickednesse And will not the same God expect that they who are made instruments to punish others for their horrible sinnes should be void of such vilenesse Yes certainly Yea and our glorious God hasteneth the ruine of his foes lest his children should learne of them to do after their abhominations and so sin against the Lord their God Deut. 20.17 18 Now though these abhominations consist especially in false worship yet all the godly know that all manner filthinesse of life which either idolaters or his owne children lie in are abhominable to our God also Yea and as idolatrie leades to filthinesse so filthinesse leades to idolatrie Reade Num. 25 1 2 3 4 5. This is apparent in the matter touching Baal Peor where the people committing whoredome with the daughters of Moab were inticed by and by to bow to their idols for loe thus it is said The people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab and they called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods and so the people did eate and bowed downe vnto the gods of their harlots And then by degrees it is said that Israel signifying a great number coupled himselfe vnto Baal Peor whereby the Lords wrath was kindled against them all till the heads of many were hanged vp against the sunne that the indignation of the Lord might be turned from the residue Call to mind the Israelites estate a little before they fell to these grosse sinnes When Balak would haue smitten them Balam tels him he could not do it Num. 23.21 Because their God was with them And why was he with them Because he had not beheld iniquitie in Iacob neither peruersenesse in Israel The great people of this great campe were true worshippers and holy liuers therefore the souldiers could not be conquered they were both outwardly inwardly holy Now for the better perswading you yet againe to outward and inward holinesse in war remember that our all seeing God is not pleased with any worship euer so religious for the forme Isai 1.2 to 20. Isai 58.1 to 8. Mica 6.6 7 8. or with any outward actions euer so specious for the shew or costly for the matter if righteousnesse of heart holinesse of life go not with them hand in hand no not with venturing of life for killing his enemies how many soeuer they kill See this for venturing of life in the case of King Saul he behaued himselfe valiantly against Gods foes for he smote the Amalekites from Hauilah vntill thou commest to Shur 1. Sam. 15.7 8. that is ouer against Egypt and he tooke Agag the king of the Amalekites aliue and vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword yet because he wickedly brake the commandement of his God and trusted in a shining outward performance without a simple inward obedience which is better then sacrifice his valiantnesse was of no value with our God What may I write to moue you yet more to a godly behauiour in warre I will adde this more That God who precisely commandeth cleanlinesse of bodie in the campe Deut. 23.12 13. as we may reade Deut. 23. doth he not much more regard cleanlinesse of soule in the campe Yes yes Psal 39.5 Reu. 1.13 Remember then as Holinesse becometh the Lords house for euer because he standeth in the midst of the golden Candlesticks so Holinesse becometh the Lords campe for euer Deut. 23.14 because he walketh in the midst of thy campe to deliuer thee and to giue vp thine enemies before thee therefore let thy
whosoeuer entreth into followeth anie path let him be sure to misse the King of Kings high way though he should plot with Ieroboam and out plot Achitophel which were hard for the best wit to doe Nay grant that he hit her plot of profit pleasure or honour yet shall he misse the path of heauen except he returne The waies of man may seeme straight green pleasant at first but if he consult not with the word of his God they wil proue crooked black and mirie at last But why go I about to praise the Sunne for light the fire for heate siluer seuen times tried for purenesse and that which passeth the honie and the honie-comb for sweetnesse They praise themselues yea and God himselfe praiseth them Onely this I will say more As no godlie Captaine or souldier will do anie thing how meane or how great soeuer except he haue Gods word to allow it so also no godly Captaine or souldier wil do anie doubtful thing be it euer so small how much lesse the weightier things of such a priuat wit or conceit in the word as to become his owne iudge what is the will of God therein but rather aduise with holie Seers Coloff 3.2 such as haue set their affections on things aboue and not on things below A mans own praier to God according to the word and his owne consultation with God by the word are not enough in these cases Rom. 12.3 This ouerweening wit presuming to vnderstand aboue that which is meet hurteth the most godly when they fall into it And as for the wicked who contually both worke and play with their fine refined wits Prou. 26.12 there is more hope of arrant fooles then of such Good men may faile in this by trusting too much vnto their owne iudgement and thereby meete with a temporall punishment for such slips But the wicked make a continual practise of relying on their owne policie quite neglecting yea and some of them contemning the the word Was not Achitophel a patterne of such fooles Doubtlesse he was And if you see an example of a holy man quite ouerturned by trusting to his owne counsell see it in gracious Iosiah when this good King this peerlesse King for in that respect so I may say of him tooke aduice by the word from the mouth of Hulda the Prophetesse 2. Chron. 34.21 he receiued a right comfortable answer from the Lord his God but afterwards for want of taking such aduice that most famous religious zealous King perished in the battell against Pharao Neco 2. Chron. 35.20 We do not find that he did then consult with his God by the help of his gracious Prophets Now if it be a thing so dangerous not to aske counsell of holy Ministers what is it to refuse their good counsell giuen what to enterprise things quite contrary to the word Surely a double and treble fault full of double and treble danger By obstinate refusing good counsell from the Lords true messengers Num. 14.45 you may see that the Israelites were ouerthrowne in fight against the Amalekites and Canaanites 1 King 22.17.28 And so also came Ahab to his desperate death he would go vp to Ramoth Gilead though the Prophet shewed him his fall most plainly Happie then are they who giue eare and obedience to the word of our God Mal ◠truly opened by his faithfull Ministers The Priests lips should preserue knowledge For whom For all sorts both high and low rich and poore learned and vnlearned and they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of hoasts Yea and as he should counsell all sorts of warriers by the word so should he comfort and encourage them in the verie time of entrance into the battell When thou goest out to battell against thine enemies saith our God by his seruant Moses and seest horses and chariots Deut. 20.2.3.4 and a people more then thou be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee which brought thee out of the land of Egypt And it shall be when ye come nigh vnto the battell that the Priest shall approach and speake vnto the people and say vnto them Heare O Israel yee approach this day vnto battell against your enemies let not your hearts faint feare not and do not tremble neither be troubled because of them for the Lord your God is he that is with you to fight for you against your enemies to saue you Thus you see what great vse and neede there is of the Ministers priuate counsell and publick instruction euen in war These things so it alwaies behoueth both Captaines and souldiers to be frequent in consultation with their God touching all matters belonging to their places Consultation I say by often and feruent praiers and consultation by aduice of godly and learned Preachers This consultation must begin at the first houre and neuer end till a souldiers last houre be ended yea and Sion souldiers ought also to ioyne priuate reading and meditation in the word together with this consultation according to that in the first Psalme His delight is in the law of the Lord Psal 1.2 and in his law will he meditate day and night and agreeable also to that in Iohn Search the Scriptures Iohn 5.39 for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me And specially as our God cōmandeth Iosua which commandement extendeth to all souldiers Let not this booke of the Law depart from thy mouth Ios 18. but meditate therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe For this purpose if they reade Psal 3. Ps 27. Psa 57. and Psal 118. they may finde much comfort in these places And thus much for the eight worthie linke here ioyned with the rest as the last linke to make vp a heauenly Chaine for Sion souldiers Such as keepe these links together in a gracious order are fitly adorned to wait vpon the true God of battell that King of glorie and they to whom our God giueth these eight worthies for a spirituall chaine are fittest and likest to performe most valiant actions and worthy of great honour here with their Kings and Princes and shall be accounted worthy to reigne as kings with that King of Kings for euer Shall I now say that here touching these eight links which I said before concerning those seuen peeces of armour viz. suffer thy Pastor to ioyne these eight links together for thy good and to fit them to thee for thy defence I might say so but I will say thus Do not onely suffer but intreate thy Pastor also to ioyne and fit these seuen peeces of armour aboue named as heauenly and compleate armour of choice to defend thee and these eight links also as a heauenly
louing souldiers held out with him to the end without any storming at all meerly for want of mony or meate So let Sion souldiers do with their Dauids and not stand vpon their due or right in times of difficultie Let souldiers learne to make a difference of times and according thereunto now and then to flourish in all things now and then to fade in all things saue onely in one that is to say the assurance of a powerfull glorious and gracious God to supply all their wants if they will ply him with earnest petitions and trust to him who neuer failed any One way or other a faithfull man shal be supplied yea and sometimes that way hee least thought on as Lot from his bondage and the Israelites from the famine which the Aramites caused Therefore I say once more that a Sion souldier must still looke vpon that famous worthy linke of his heauenly chaine Resolued courage and not be clamorous or detected for want of his due in time of aduersitie Is this a souldiers case alone when he is abroad in war No surely It is the Mariners case at Sea yea and more then that also it is the Plowmans case at home it is the Artificers case at home nay and it may be the Pastors and the very Kings case himselfe at home All these haue their portions allowed of the Lord our God and according to their places plentifull portions in time of prosperitie but in aduersitie in troubled waters in stormes in dearths in time of pestilence in persecutions for the Gospell each of these euen the Lords annointed must be content to abate of their due of their right yea and come to sackcloth and ashes with fasting sometimes they must not looke continually for such plentie recompence attendance and respect as belongs vnto them No no they are in their right way when in such cases they abate of their right If this contentednes with want of their due belong to Prince and Pastor how much more to common people If to Kings and Captaines how much more to souldiers All men must receiue their state calling and place vpon condition that if our good God wil call them to wants they must be as wel contented with penurie as with plentie and say with patient Iob The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away Iob 1.21 Iob 2 10. blessed be the name of the Lord Shall we receiue good at the hands of the Lord and not receiue euill And they must say with Paul I haue learned in whatsoeuer estate I am therewith to be content I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungrie to abound and to want Is not our heauenly Father most wise most prouident most powerfull and most louing He is Therefore this affliction this want is good for vs otherwise he would not suffer it to fall vpon vs. Now know this moreouer that such wants as these may come to the most godly souldiers as wel as to the most vngodly ones For in things of this nature There is as Solomon saith one euent to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the euill to the cleane and to the vncleane to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Good souldiers may doe good an hundred times and yet sustaine many wants afterwards wicked souldiers may do euill yea commit foule outrages an hundred times and yet remain in great plentie yea and go away vvith notable victories Howbeit in the end there shall be a differeence made and seene as both Dauid and his son Solomon say Eccles 8.11 12 13. Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do euill But though a sin-do euill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shal be well with them that feare the Lord but it shall not be well with the wicked neither shal he prolong his days which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God And again Mark the way of the vpright man and behold for the end of that man is peace A good souldier considering this end wil not be discouraged in a faithlesse manner for want of wages and victuals when the enemy hath aboundant and thereby grieue his gouernour Act. 21.13 but as Paul said in his kind of war What meane you to weep and to breake mine heart I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus So should a holy Sion souldier say Why breake you my heart O louing Captaine by grieuing for my wants I am ready not onely to want my wages and foode for the cause of my Christ but to spend my dearest drop of blood for him and with you Zach. 11.11 Gracious Iosian souldiers so I call the tender hearted to their gouernours wil mourne to see their Captain come to any griefe or wound by the Captaines owne failing in any of his plots or cariages how will they feare then to bring their Captaine to mourning by their owne failing in any dutie of kindnesse to their Gouernour A holy souldier will say thus in time of his gouernours disabilitie to pay wages I serue a good Lord euen the Lord Iesus Christ who hath promised not to leaue vs nor forsake vs he will pay you and me our wages good Captaine And thus he will say in time of distresse for food Deut. 8.3 Math. 4.4 I liue not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of my God hence am I strengthened I did put on this mind at home in my country before I stept a foote towards this war therefore be not grieued I beseech you for any wants of mine as I haue bin well contented with my wages heretofore so am I as well content without it now and as for food O Captain I wait vpon my good God for it and here will I stand for him and to you come what may come till death it selfe come God assisting me onely be you strong and of good comfort Thus much for the sixt Worthy wherein I haue bin the longer because many souldiers haue bin so short in this contentednes with pay prouision as thereby to hazard or dissolue or destroy mightie armies 7. Worthy linke Armour The seuenth vvorthy linke which I aduise Protestant souldiers to consider of is their spirituall armour they must haue much more care of putting on and keeping on that armour then of their corporal armor this is that true armor of proofe which Paul for the excellencie thereof doth call The Armour of God By this armour Gods children are enabled through him by whom they can do all things to stand against the greatest assaults of all Take vnto you
saith the Apostle the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the euill day Eph. 6.13 and hauing done all to stand Stand therefore hauing your loines girt about with truth and hauing on the breastplate of righteousnesse and your feete shâ—d with the preparation of the Gospell of peace aboue all things take the shield of faith wherewith ye shal be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked and take the helmet of saluation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Let me now lay downe a little concerning euery of these seuen peeces of armour Truth the girdle the better to expresse them for the vnlearneds sake First of all Truth in worshipping the true God and soundnesse in this truth must compasse you about like a girdle to make you strong in your marching as they whose loines are girded whereby you may the better fight against all aduersaries whatsoeuer they be that oppose this truth In truth and in spirit you are to worship the true God hee will make this truth a mightie defence to you being indeed the first part of a Christian souldiers armour This armour is not like the corporall which is put on peecemeale this part first and that next and then the girdle last nay this is put on all together and so the girdle of veritie fastneth on all the rest For without this truth in Gods worship no other parts will sit closely or remaine orderly vpon you As the heathen man Cato said well of Cesar touching his earthly girdle Odi puerum male cinctum I hate that same yonker who goeth so loosely girded so our God hateth old and yong high and low who care not for his true worship this gracious girdle marke their behauiour you shal find it loose He that cares not for this truth in worshipping the true God shall be a false and a loose souldier Therefore keepe on your girdle you Sion souldiers Beware of idols beware of all false worship Masses and the purtenances adoration of Saints and such like Then hauing endeuoured to giue our God his due Righteousnesse the breastplate then I say comes your Breast-plate of righteousnes your righteous life must shine cleerly before men Part not this true life from true worship our glorious God shall haue great honour thereby and the aduersaries shall rest ashamed wheÌ„ they speake that euill of you which they cannot proue This plate will so couer your breasts as to make them vndaunted and ioyfull continually yea it will be such a peece of armour as none shall be able to pierce no not the greatest Anack or Goliah in earth or hell This peece of armour thus setled you must also put on spirituall shooes before you go abroad Peace the shooes you must haue peace from the Prince of peace you cannot stand in any war without this peace which passeth all vnderstanding If you venture abroad without those shooes that peace euery place shall be as sharp stones nay as thornes wheresoeuer you tread and if you kicke you shall kick against pricks Therefore you must carefully put on this peece of armour euen that peace which comes from the God of peace you must fasten it on to your soules as shoes to your feete then shall you tread safely Mal. 4.3 Vpon what Euen vpon the neckes of the wicked at last till they be as dust how great soeuer they be They haue their pleasure now and you shall haue your ioy hereafter their pleasure is momentanie your ioy shall be euerlasting Nay more then so our good God doth oftentimes also affoord his souldiers this downe treading of his enmies in this world Ios 10 24.25 yea vpon their very necks as he did in Iosuahs time This peace with God is the chiefe peace which no war of the most vile enemies can keep from you This peace with God will breed peace with men also and with all the creatures yea and nourish patience and courage against all oppositions without which men shall come so vnprepared to battell as a traueller to his iourney if he want shooes What a comfortable peace is this How famous are the very soles of these shooes and how beautifull are the feete that bring you this peace To this peace you are prepared by the glad tidings which the word of our God brings you touching the Messiah Faith the shield in whom our peace consisteth Your shooes being on abroad you go but not without your Shield in any wise In your iourney ouer and aboue stones and thornes make account that you shall meete with Buls of Basan whom no inclosure will hold with yong and old foxes also yea mad dogs and other mad beasts such as Paul fought with nay vvith Beares vvolues lions tigres and aspes feare them not you Sion souldiers depend faithfully and wholy vpon your heauenly Father trusting in his mercie through the merits of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord Sauiour and grand Captaine and vpon his good will towards you and withall vpon his most powerfull abilitie to defend you This faith shall be your shield and by it you shall be shielded This part of your armor is of such proofe as you haue a whole cloud of witnesses in the word of our God Heb. 11. the whole chap. chap. 12.1 to testifie that whosoeuer vsed it in a gracious maner vvere alvvayes kept from all the hurt of any troubles You may haue seeming griefes Heb. 12.11 but they shall bring you a substantiall quiet fruit This is that shield which performeth that truly vvhich is falsly reported of inchanted shields viz. continuall preseruation no earthly nor infernall blow can vtterly and finally ouerturne him that hath vvell put on this shield 5. Saluation the Helmet But yet left notvvithstanding all this dreadfull death do offer to seize vpon you and vtterly to dismay you you must haue more armour then this deaths stroke is mightie it offereth violence to the verie heart of your temporall comfort euen to life it self How shall you doe now On vvith your Helmet O Sion souldier and that is saluation Say to your selfe and say truly Saluation is mine by my Christ reserued in heauen for me 1. Pet. 1.4 2. Pet. 1 1â— nay an entrance into that euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is ministred vnto me abundantly When this Helmet is thus put on let death strike and doe the vvorst it can this assurance that eternall life is yours and kept in store for you by him from whom none can vvrest it this this vvill couer your head in the day of your greatest battell Then shall you say to death 1. Cor. 15.55 where is thy sting and to the graue Where is thy victorie My head my life is kept safe by my Head that Lord of life Imitate the vvilie serpent in this he still