thee by little and little and not all at once c. Deut. 7.22 and the Lord did order and over-rule it there for Israels good Thus it is in our Spiritual Warfare tho' God's promise is to tread down Satan under our Feet shortly Rom. 16.20 yet God will not make his promises good too soon It was for their own good as in that fore-named Scripture lest the Beasts of the Field increase upon thee for he is a God of Judgment and waiteth to give us his Mercies when they may do us most good and therefore blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30.18 He gives his Mercy in the best Season tho' not so soon as we do desire we long to conquer our Corruptions those cursed Canaanites in one day which our Lord hath ordered and ordained to be the work of our whole Lives our Corruptions as the Canaanites are left yet unsubdued only to prove us in our owning God c. Judg. 2.21,22 and Judg. 3.4 This mortifying of sin as well as fortifying of grace is pensum Diurnum Perpeâ—uum both a daily and a perpetual Task God will keep a Tedder at our Foot to keep us humble Paul must have a Thorn in the Flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure with his late Rapture into Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2,3,4,7 There will be work enough for the exercise of Grace till it be turned into Glory Notwithstanding the Canaanites with their Iron Chariots were so strong that Israel could not drive them out Josh 17.16 yet the faithful God as he is called Deut. 7.9 and who will not be slack ver 10. did promise that they should drive them out tho' they had Iron Chariots and tho' they were strong Josh 17.18 the Lord of Hosts was too mighty for them Thus we complain concerning our Corruptions that they fall not fast enough by mortifying Grace but we must know for our Comfort our Faithful God will not be slack as before for killing our cursed Canaanites He indeed may seem to be slow in our thoughts yet he is never slack but will be ever sure he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail nor alter the thing that is gone out of his Lips Psal 89.33 what he speaks with his Mouth he fulfils with his Hand 1 Kings 8.24 he will do what he hath said 2 Sam. 7.25 whether ancient promises Tit. 1.1,2 which never failed in any Age no nor his Menaces neither Zeph. 3.5 nor will he fail in this of treading Satan under our Feet shortly Prov. 16.20 In the mean time let us enquire Do we gain ground of our Spiritual Enemies doth the House of Saul in us wax weaker and weaker and the House of David in us grow stronger and stronger as 2 Sam. 3.1 can we feel our Lord a destroying the works of the Devil in us Heb. 2.14 1 John 3.8 tho' as yet they be not altogether destroyed Are we daily dying to sin tho' not as yet wholly dead to it even this may ensure us of Victory at last let us compare time with time may we but experience how heretofore the fleshly law in thee had thy Sabbaths thy Time thy Strength yea thy very Heart and Affections but now by the power of Renewing Grace the Law of the Spirit in thee hath rescued at laest a little of all the aforesaid and subjected that little under the Law of the Spirit so that thou finds those two contrary Laws now in thee to wit the Law of the Members and the Law of the Mind warring against each other c. Rom. 7.15 to 23. which makes thee cry out as the betrothed Damself did in the field when she was assaulted by a man too strong for her Deut. 22.27 as Amnon was too strong for Tamar 2 Sam. 13.14 so dost thou cry out with Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Death and thank God with him that Jesus Christ our Lord is thy Deliverer saying likewise as he did so then with the Mind I my self do serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin Rom. 7.24,25 If we find our selves in no worse a condition than that of the Holy Apostle himself this cannot be uncomfortable and discouraging to us the same conflict betwixt two contrary Laws is common to all Christians For as Paul had informed the believing Romans of it as above So he affirms yea and Confirms the same Truth to the believing Galatians saying walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts thereof for the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would c. Gal. 5.16,17 The meaning whereof is that as we cannot do the good which we would do because the Flesh doth hinder us so we cannot do the evil which we would by the unrenewed part of our wills do because the Spirit hinders us Now may we but find by sound experience that the Law of the Spirit gains ground of the Law of the Flesh in us this is a comfortable Character that we shall be Conquerors in this Spiritual Conflict Thus Satan's Assaults now are feebler than heretofore against us like that of the old Gauls of whom it is said prior impetus est plusquam Virorum posterior minus quam faeminarum more than Men at first but less than Women at last The Third Comfortable Character of a Conqueror is that he is able to break the Ranks of the Van-guard or Fore-front of his Enemies and so force them to draw back 'T is a great encouragement to a General to set his Feet and the Feet of his Army upon the same ground where his Adversaries pitched their Battalia's against him he knows if once they begin to flinch they will soon also begin to flee especially if he can gain their most advantagious ground from which as from an higher standing they did mostly annoy him but much more if he can shatter and disorder their Front where the men of greatest Gallantry are ever most politickly placed if once they come into confusion and be as we say hand over head then he doth more easily break in upon them and so rout them out of the field It was once a notable stratagem of an English General that when he came up close to the face of his Foes he ordered his Army to make a loud and universal outcry they run in the Rear they run they run this Cry did so daunt the Front who feared it to be true that thereby both the Van and the Rear did run away indeed Thus is it with us in our Spiritual Warfare our Spiritual Enemies do not war against us as is done in a Duel but one to one but here is many against one those fleshly lusts that fight against our Souls are not one only but many in the plural number 1 Pet. 2.11 And
into the image of sin he cannot do wickedly with both hands earnestly Mic. 7.3 he is not past feeling to work all uncleanness with greediness for he hath not so learned Christ Ephes 4.19,20 Sin cannot carry it away without some Counter-Buffs So 't is farther said We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not to wit that sin unto Death the unpardonable sin no not other sins as other Sinners that are the Slaves of Satan but he keepeth himself so as that the wicked one cannot touch him that is with any of his deadly touches He cannot thrust in his venemous Sting so far as to destroy the Seed of God in him that is begotten of God as he doth into the very Spirits of those called the Serpents Seed even the World that lieth in wickedness 1 John 5.18,19 with ver 16. From whence we may argue and upon better grounds than that Pagan Dame before-named did that if the Seed of God be in us if we be begotten and born of God none of those Principalities and Powers of Hell nor any of those Rulers of the Darkness of this World nor any Spiritual Wickedness in high places as the phrase is Ephes 6.12 shall ever be able to prevail against us but they shall surely fall before us They may indeed sometimes in case of some Divine Desertion put us foully to the Foil but they can never give us a total and a final Fall for God so puts his fear into the hearts of his Covenanted People that they shall not depart from him but he will cause them to fear him for ever Jer. 32.39,40,41 for here lies the Riches of the Covenant of Grace that tho' for some glorious ends of unsearchable Divine Wisdom it sometimes doth permit a fall even in the choicest and chiefest of the Favourites of Heaven yet it always doth ensure Repentance after the Fall as it was in the case both of David and Peter they both did fall foully but neither of them did fall finally they both got up again by the helping hand of their Heavenly Father And this may be a little illustrated by the example afore-named of Mordecai and Haman If a Jew fall before a Persian as Mordecai did before Haman yet may he get up again and prevail as did Mordecai against Haman but if a Persian or any Gentile doth but begin to fall before a Jew he shall not be able to stop from falling down nor to rise up again as did Haman before Mordecai he did fall to the lowest and utmost ebb of disgrace and misery yea and tho' he was advanced on high upon the highest Gallows that we read or hear of which he had erected for the Jew Mordecai yet he did most fatally fall into the bottomless Pit of Hell also to be an eternal Companion with proud Lucifer and his faln Angels c. All this may afford matter of great encouragement to us in our Christian Warfare that the Seed of God in us will spring up gradually notwithstanding the many bitter Blasts of Hail and Snow that fall upon it and will in due season bring fortn a most happy Harvest as Psal 126.5,6 but we must be careful to war this good warfare 1 Tim. 1.18 and fight this good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 both in God's Arms which makes our Bow to abide in strength Gen. 49.24 and which strengthens us with a kind of omnipotency in doing all things Phil. 4.13 yea and in God's Armour also Ephes 6.12 to 19. whereby we may be able not only to stand our ground but also to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil yea and if we resist him stedfast in the Faith we shall put him to the flight and win the Day and so wear the Crown of Conquerors Jam. 4.7 1 Pet. 5.8,9 Let us all along observe the Apostle's Rule Whatsoever we do in Word and Deed let all be done in the Name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 David acknowledges it was by God's strength and not by his own c. In all those fore-named places of the Psalms and in 2 Sam. 22.30,33,34,35,36,37 c. wherein he saith that God was his strength and that girded him with strength so to rout the Ranks of his Enemies and so to beat them down that they could never rise up any more c. and this was when he hurl'd as it were the force of God himself at the Face of great Goliah he ascribes all the Glory both of his Valour and of his Victory unto God's strength and not unto his own c. The 4 th Character of a Conqueror is to take the Conquered captive and to clap them up close Prisoners as Joshuah did with his five conquered Kings shutting them up in the Cave at Makedah and rolling great Stones to the Mouth of the Cave that they might be kept there close Prisoners until the time of their execution Josh 10.18 and when he brought them to be executed he made his Captains to set their Feet upon the Necks of those five Kings and then he hanged them up upon five Trees ver 24 26 c. Even so our Joshuah or Jesus doth all those Offices of Love for us as that Joshuah did for Israel our Lord ascendeth up on high he leadeth captivity Captive c. Psal 68.18 and Ephes 4.8 and then he saith afterward as for those my Enemies that would not have me to reign over them bring them forth and slay them before me Luke 19.27 This phrase of leading captivity captive is an allusion to the Roman Conquerors who rode through the City Rome up to the Capitol in their Triumphant Chariots leading their conquered Captives all along with their Hands bound behind them to be disposed of afterwards according to the pleasure of the Conqueror either to present Death or to perpetual Imprisonment Thus likewise our Lord who rideth on Conquering and to Conquer upon the white Horse of the Gospel Rev. 6.2 doth lead Captivity Captive that is those Spiritual Enemies that formerly did captivate us Our Lord doth now through grace captivate them and they are principally Three which make up this Captivity that our Lord leads Captive for us The First is the Flesh whereof Paul complaineth that the Law of the Members did not only war against the Law of his Mind but it also brought him into Captivity to the Law of Sin and made him cry out Oh wretched man c. yet did he look through this Black Cloud at Christ his Deliverer Rom. 7.23,24,25 as it is said If we be in Christ and he in us then have we crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 When Christ came into the World it was our sins that crucified Christ and so when Christ comes into our Hearts he likewise crucifies our sinful Flesh in us as the body of sin did crucifie Christ so Christ doth crucifie the body of sin Now to crucifie is not to kill outright at one blow but it is to put to
salvation of our Souls 1 Pet. 1.4,5,9 Insomuch that Death which is in it self no other than Nature's Divorce the Bodies Prison the Soul's Banishment the Arrest of Judgment the Curse of Sin and the King of Terrors as well as the Terror of Kings Job 18.14 unto all Mankind in General yet such a change doth the power of Godliness both in Young and Old that are chosen and called make in their Changes from one World to another that their Death's is only their 1. Harvest or Ingatherings into God's Garner c. 2 'T is the Joy of Marriage which is called a Rest in the House of the Husband Ruth 3.1 so Death is our Rest A Rest from their Labours Rev. 14.13 they shall Rest 1 st From their Labours of Necessity their Needs of Nature shall then cease for ever they shall Hunger no more they shall Thirst no more c. as they have done while in the Body 2 dly They shall Rest from their Labours of Infirmity they shall never complain of any more Aches and Pains in any one of the parts of the Body as they have done frequently heretofore in the time of their Mortality 3 dly From the Labours of their Callings c. they shall toil no more in the Sweats of either their Brows or their Brains c. And 4 thly Which is above all they shall Rest from their Labours of Iniquity a Laboribus Peccati as well as Officii they shall never sin any more whereas heretofore in the time of their sojourning upon Earth they had this weight upon them which they could never lay aside nor cast it off and sin did then easily beset them so that they could not run the Race that was set before them Heb. 12.1 Because of the Law of the Members that did continually war against the Law of their Minds and oft bringing them into Captivity yea and as oft making them to cry out Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me c. Rom. 7.23,24 But now Christ is come to them and knock'd off all their Fetters which formerly clogg'd them c. and setteth them at perfect liberty Isai 61.1 and those whom the Son of God doth free they are free indeed John 8.36 3. Death to those that die in the Lord and in a Good Old Age also is not only the Christians Harvest Marriage and Rest as before but 't is likewise their Conquest over all their Spiritual Enemies so they have also the Joy of Victory as well as of Harvest of Marriage and of Rest They are become by their Holy Life and Happy Death more than Conquerors Rom. 8.37 even Triumphers in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 and so as they have won the Crown of Glory by their overcoming the Wicked one through the strengthning Love of Christ upon them so they shall wear it as Kings Rev. 1.6 and as Conquerors for evermore 'T is said the last Enemy to be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15.26 Now to all true Believers Death is already swallowed up in Victory ver 55. as Fuel is swallowed up by the Fire and as the Sorcerers Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his Serpent so that they can say to Death when it comes to them as Jacob said to Esau surely I have seen thy Face as the Face of God Gen. 33.4,10 Thus that Esau Death doth meet a Member of Christ with Kissing rather than with Killing or so much as Frowns yea and guards him home to his Father's House as Esau guarded his Brother Jacob Home to Canaan after his long absence from it he went before Jacob as his Life-guard ver 12. Thus after a long Conflict by the Indwellings of Sin all our Life comes the Conquest at the last in our Death Alas we cannot beat sin out of Doors as Sarah did the Bond-woman Hagar but this Fretting Leprosie sin can never be either washed out or scraped off from the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles until the House that is infected with that Plague be demolished by Death and the Stones and Timber thereof be altogether taken down As it was thus in the Type under the Law concerning the House of Leprosie Levit. 14.43,44 So it is with our Houses of Clay as the Antitype which can no way be Amended but must be Renewed and this is only done in part while we are in the Kingdom of Grace But this cleansing Work is compleatly perfected when Death gives us a dismission from hence into the Kingdom of Glory The belief of this made Old Simeon sing his Soul out of his Body and Paul the Aged Phil. v. 9. was not only a Conqueror but which was more even a Triumpher in Christ as before for he sang a Triumphant Song over Death and the Grave singing as well as saying Oh Death where is thy Sing and Oh Grave where is thy Victory 1 Cor 15.55 This is the boldest and the bravest Challenge that ever any Mortal Man did ring in the Ears of Death in which words he as it were out-braved it calling it Craven to its Face as the Vulgar saying is and bids it do its worst to him that it could do like the Philosopher Anaxarchus who with an undaunted Courage told the Tyrant who was beating his Body to pieces with a great Iron Pestle in a large Mortar made purposely for that Barbarous Butchery in the very Act of his Martyrdom he most confidently cryed out to his Tormentor Tunde Tunde Tyranne Vasculum frangis sed Anaxarchum non Laedis Beat on beat on thou Bruitish Tyrant thou indeed doth break the Vessel of the Man but thou can never hurt Anaxarchus the Man himself Much more might this blessed Apostle insult over this greatest of Tyrants that universal Destroyer of Mankind to wit Death with his Javelin in his hand seeing he was so able as to render such weighty Reasons for his Triumphing Insultation as he saith the Sting of Death is Sin c. ver 56. signifying hereby that our dear Redeemer had been the Death of Death by his Death Mors Mortis Morti Mortem quoque Morte dedisset The Death of Christ gave Death its Death as it was prophesied of him Oh Death I will be thy Death c. Hos 13.14 thus our Saviour did disarm Death and took out the Sting from this Venemous Serpent so that we may now as safely put Death into our Bosoms in a serious Meditation of dying Daily as some men whom I have seen have with enough of safety put into their Bosoms a Snake whose Sting was before pulled out If Death do now shoot out any Sting at us we may thank our selves for our not being more constantly sound in the way of Righteousness If at any time we turn aside to crâ—…ked Paths there will the old crooked Serpent meet us and he will not only sting us there but also leave his Sting behind him in us as the Bee doth to those that are stung by it and this may be the procuring Cause of many sad effects
kindest Candour to them seeing I find willingness of Spirit so far as you are renewed in the Inner-man by the Law of the Mind I will either strengthen you against the weakness of the Flesh or I will pardon it and not only so but I will accept of your willingness to Watch and Pray wherein your unrenewed part by the Law of your Members doth discover so much weakness Thus our Lord excuseth their frailties of Flesh whereof he minds them lest they should presume yet he most graciously owns and acknowledges the Bent of their Spirits lest they should despair The purpose of our Hearts must be to cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 and because we cannot duly perform it for we cannot serve the Lord without Distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 Therefore we ought to pray with David Lord unite my heart to serve thee Psal 86.11 For a loose Heart that is not tied fast to God can never abide at the Mark but will start aside like a deceitful Bow Psal 78.57 and Hos 7.16 Alas never did the unruly Bullock stand in more need to be bound fast with Cords to the Horns of the Altar Psal 118.27 than our Hearts do to be bound fast to God with the golden Cords of Christ's Love in our Communion with him And thus our Lord speaketh With everlasting kindness have I drawn thee Jer. 31.3 And I drew them with the Cords of a or suitable to a Man even with Bands of Love Hos 11.4 Whereas God had complained of his People a little before this that their hearts were divided Hos 10.2 because Anima dispersa fit minor saith the Philosopher when the Soul is dispersed among various Objects it is thereby much weakened in its Actings Whereas on the other hand Vis unita est fortior an Heart united and firmly fixed to God as David's Phrase is is thereby so strengthened as to cleave close to the Lord for he is our Life and the Length of our Days Deut. 30.20 Oh! happy are such Souls that can carry on their Communion with God be able to say My heart is fixed as David saith three several times Psal 57.7 and 108.1 and 112.7 Yea and can drive away wandring Thoughts in the Worship of God as Abraham drove away the Fowls which did disturb him in his sacrificing Work Gen. 15.11 And likewise can answer distracting Fancies as Nehemiah did his Adversaries I am about a great Work and cannot attend you why should God's Work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you Neh. 6.3 'T is observable that Honey while it is boiling hot will not be blown upon by any filthy Flies nor would our Hearts be fly-blown by Beelzebub the Prince of Flies as the Name signifies If we could but keep them in a fervent Frame enditing good Matter as David did his heart Psal 45.1 Hebr. Margent God commands us to be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 or we cannot keep in Communion with God but neither this Work nor any other can we do by any strength of our own yet may we be able to do all the Works of a Christian through Christ the stronger Man that strengthens us Phil. 4.13 The Seventh and last Case of Difficulty in which the Redeemer strengthens his Redeemed with a conquering Power is in making their Passage forward and their Progress perfect through the wayless and waterless Wilderness of this present evil World so called Gal. 1.4 even into the Heavenly Canaan yea and home to their Father's House 'T was God's Command say to the Children of Israel that they go forward c. Exod. 14.15,16 Though there be a Red-Sea before and an Enemy behind and mighty Mountains round about yet was there no cause of fear because Christ in the Cloudy-Pillar went along with them and was present both in the Van and in the Rear The same Office of Love doth the strengthening Presence of Christ do still unto all the true Israel of God This is shewed in Hosea 11.1,2,3,4 where Ephraim the Child the Lord taught him to go or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint word there signifies to pace leaving his natural Trot in ways of Sin intimating how God put him as it were into the Traces as Horse-Masters do young Colts to teach them to Pace c. So God doth here taking the Child Ephraim by the Arms c. Where beside that notable Notion of teaching to Pace or Amble from the Greek Version the Hebrew Text represents Christ as a Nurse bearing the Nursling by the Arms whereby she supports the weight of his Body then she teaches him how to move his Legs forward step by step Thus our Lord is said to guide our feet in the way of Peace Luke 1.79 He doth strengthen our feeble Knees drawing us fortiter tamen suaviter strongly yet sweetly through the Quagmires of Crosses by the Cords of a Man Hos 11.4 that is he Drags us not along like Beasts but he draws us gently endways by Means and Motives suitable to the rational Nature of Man even with Bands of Love irresistibly by the effectual workings of his Holy Spirit which he hath promised to bestow upon us John 6.44 and 12.32 and which the Spouse prayed for when she found some Back-biasses that made her hang backward in her Progress toward Heaven Cant. 1.4 Oh blessed are they whose strength is in the Lord they pass on from strength to strength Psal 84.5,7 and grow stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Such do pass from Mithcah to Cashnonah Numb 33.29 that is from Sweetness unto Swiftness as those two Hebrew names do signify They lift up their feet and walk lustily towards Canaan as Jacob did after his refreshing Bait of the Ladder at Bethel Gen. 28.12 c. with 29.1 Margent Oh! happy is that Man whose right hand the Lord upholdeth in his whole Work as he did for Cyrus Isa 45.1 though Abraham knew not whither he went Hebr. 11.8 yet he well knew with whom he went for he walked with God as a Child in a Fathers hand who hath promised to save to the utmost Heb. 7.25 The Second Enquiry is What Conditions doth our strong Redeemer require of his Redeemed that he may cause them to become Conquerors c. Answer The Conditions are Twofold 1 st We must keep constantly in God's Arms c. And 2 dly We must wholly put on God's Armour First On the 1 st of these briefly we must keep constantly in God's Arms for the Eternal God is our Refuge and his Everlasting Arms must be underneath us Deut. 33.27 God tells us that our Hearts are weak Ezek. 16.30 And David from his sense hereof crieth Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak Psalm 6.2 And hereupon it is the Churches Prayer Lord be thou our Arm every Morning Isa 33.2 otherwise we shall do nothing but stumble and fall like weak Children that love not to keep constantly in their Fathers Arms but will presumptuously be venturing to go alone and
to wit Gospel Ordinances will cry come and be like a Roe for swiftness Cant. 8. last Upon such Christ comes not as a Thief in the night 1 Thes 5.3 for they love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 and they are blessed Rev. 16.15 Such as fear to live and see that day shall not see it to live c. The Third great Friend we must watch is the Holy Ghost for 't is a Divine Precept He that hath Ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 2.7 And this is said again and again both in the 2 d and in the 3 d Chapter to all the Seven Golden Candlesticks seven times over the sense whereof is we must watch and hearken what God the Holy Spirit will speak Psal 85.8 not so much with the Gristle on the Head but more by the Ear of the Heart for God may speak once and twice and man perceive it not Job 33.14 until God bore our Ears as he did David's Psal 40.6 and open our Hearts as he did Lydias Acts 16.14 and until our Lord put his Finger into the Hole of our Ear and looking up to Heaven he cry Ephphatha that is be opened as he did to the Man that was possessed with a deaf Devil Mark 7.34 We must pray with the Spouse for this purpose saying Lord thy Companions hearken to thy Voice cause me to hear it also Cant. 8.13 when this Quickning Spirit as he is called Joh. 6.63 even this Spirit of Truth cometh he guideth us into all Truth Joh. 16.13 and blessed is that Soul which watcheth the Motions of this Holy Spirit in a Sanctified Conscience and can discern a difference of such persuasions as come not from him that calleth us Gal. 5.8 The Steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Psal 37.23 Blessed are they that hear the joyful sound of this breathing Spirit they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy Countenance Psal 89.15 they follow the footsteps of his Anointed ver 51. and David must then bestir himself when he heard the sound of God's goings upon the Tops of the Mulberry Trees 2 Sam. 5.24 This Holy Spirit is a delicate thing Psal 143.10 as Junius reads it and therefore must not be vexed Isa 63.10 nor grieved Ephes 4.30 much less quenched in its motions 1 Thes 5.19 they that are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 as Paul was Acts 16.6,7 and Simeon was led by the Spirit into the Temple Luke 2.27 Yea and our Lord Jesus himself was led up by the Spirit into the Wilderness to conquer the Tempter in a Duel upon the Devil 's own ground Matth. 4.1 Thus Abraham that Father of the faithful went out he knew not whether nor when he should return nor how he should subsist c. yet he well knew with whom he went Heb. 11.8 for he put himself as a Child into his Father's hand who called him and the conduct of the Holy Spirit carried him dry-shod to the last Thus likewise if we be the Sons and Daughters of Abraham the Holy Spirit will teach us all things John 14.26 that blessed Anointing is our best Instructer 1 John 2.20.27 We should lay our selves as Instruments open to the Touchings of this Holy Spirit and submit to his Discipline which requires much self-denial then shall we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22,23 which is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth Ephes 5.9 And could we but watch its whisperings more and better so as to obey them we should not so oft be found in Fundo Diaboli upon the Devil's ground in places of Temptation but as the Spirit suffered not Paul c. to go unto such and such Places Acts 16.6,7 even so would it be with us could we but put our Souls wholly under the conduct of this Holy Spirit If once we dare presume to break this Divine Hedge that Old Serpent will surely bite us Eccles 10.8 We may not live at Random and without a Rule but we must mind and watch the Teachings of this Divine Unction which never teacheth us any thing but what is consonant to the Holy Scripture endited by it 2 Pet. 1.19,20,21 Now come we to the Second Trinity or three sorts of Foes or Enemies to be duly and daily watched The first Foe is the World which is a woful Witch and must be burned for a Witch at the Last Day 2 Pet. 3.7,10 and therefore ought we to watch this Witch well that we may not be bewitched by it It is well known that such persons as are bewitched do not only lose their Likeness and Beauty but also do suffer many sad Paroxysms and Fits of strange Distempers c. As all this holds true literally to bewitched Bodies c. so no less is it true mystically to bewitched Souls which are captivated by the two fair Breasts or rather Botches this Witch the World exposeth to their view namely Pleasure and Profit Such have horrible Fits of Madness as Saul had when the Evil Spirit came upon him 1 Sam. 16.14,23 c. and such have Leanness sent into their Souls Psal 106.15 Besides the World must be well watched because it is such an Enemy as continually besiegeth us and we cannot flee from it while we live in it therefore we must be sure to have a Lid or Covering for our Hearts Those Vessels that wanted Coverings the Law doomed them Unclean Numb 19.15 and so are our Hearts without a Covering of the Spirit Isa 30.1 The Dirt of a dirty World will unavoidably be often falling into an open uncovered Heart whereby both Mind and Conscience are defiled Tit. 1.15 We should keep the World under our Feet where God placed it Psal 8.6 and not set it in our Hearts Eccles 3.11 The Second Foe to be watched is Satan who is called the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 and dealeth with Worldlings as unlucky Boys do with silly Horses they first catch them with a little Provender and then backs them whips and spurs them into an High Gallop and rides them till they be tired and at last lodges them in the Stable at night c. We are told how Satan considered Job and better considered him Job 1.8 and 2.3 that is he watched all Advantages to Tempt that none-such Saint and Servant of God c. Oh then how much more ought such weak worms as we are to consider him who so much consiâ—ers us and watches us to take all advantages against us for we are not ignorant of his Devices 2 Cor. 2.11 We read of Rizpah how she watched her Royal Seed upon the Rock c. and suffered neither the Birds of the Air to rest on them by day nor the Beasts of the Field by night 2 Sam. 21.10 Thus every Believer ought to do as Rizpah did in watching the Royal Seed even the Seed of God in them that it be not wronged either by night or day by Satan who is called