saying Slack not thy Hand from thy Servants who are now entred into Covenant with thee but come â—o us quickly and save us for all the Kings of â—he Amorites that dwell in the Mountains are gathered together against us Josh 10.6 c. Upon this earnest and affectionate Message and Outcry General Joshuah immediately comes from Gilgal the place of rolling away Reproach as the word signifies and falls upon the cursed Kings and Canaanites unexpectedly and surprizes â—hem all suddenly Yea and the Lord himself likewise threw down great Hail-stones out of Heaven upon them and â—hereby all those formidable Adversaries were quite destroyed accordingly this is very often our own case Alas how weak â—re our Hearts Ezek. 16.30 when this Strong Man armed maketh his furious Assaults upon us David did acknowledge himself as unable to resist his strong Adversaries when he cried have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak c. 〈◊〉 Psal 6.2,3,4 as the Gibeonites did tâ— withstand the Forces of the Kings of thâ— Mountains c. much more may we bâ— sensible of our own insufficiency to stand before the violent shoks of this Strong Maâ— Satan no meer mortal man is sufficient oâ— himself for that withstanding work 〈◊〉 not the Innocentest Man Adam nor the Strongest Man Samson no nor the Wisest Man Solomon as elsewhere but trulâ— all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 and therefore must we send our winged Messengers of fervent Prayers to him and make out our strong Cries unto Christ Jesus as the Gibeonites did unto that great General Joshuah saying oh our dear Lord Jesus slack not thy Hand from thy Servants who are through thy Grace brought into the bonds of the Covenant of Grace with thy blessed self oh make no delay let our extremity be thy opportunity not only the Philistines are faln upon us as upon Samson but even the Kings of the Mountains even Spiritual Wickednesses in high Places called Principalities and Powers do make their furious Assaults upon us We have put our selves oh Lord under thy blessed Protection Therefore hasten to succour us and make no long tarrying oh our good God Psal 40.17 then may we hope to hear the sound of God's goings upon the Tops of the Mulberry-Trees 2 Sam. 5.24 and we may have cause to sing with the Spouse saying 't is the Voice of our Beloved behold he cometh leaping over Mountains and skipping over Hills Cant. 2.8 He is coming he is coming to bring the supplies of the Spirit of Christ to relieve our Souls Phil. 1.19 and he will pour down great Hail Stones out of Heaven upon the Heads of our Spiritual Enemies and discomfit them tho' Satan and a whole Kingdom of Devils be engaged against us This 7 th piece of Armour is called Armatura Armaturae the Armour of Armour named last because it buckles all the rest on and helps to a right improvement of all both for Defence and Offence c. Thus David had such Outcries as these saying This poor Man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him c. Psal 34.6 And thus Paul had such Outcries also saying Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me and then thanketh he his Lord Christ for delivering him c. Rom. 7.24,25 And thus the Betrothed Damsel cried out when she was assaulted by one too strong for her and tho' she found no Deliverer yet is she assured that she shall not die because she crieâ— out Deut. 22.27 But the Virgin Daughter of Sion fared better for she had heâ— Saviour to come and succour her at heâ— Outcries after Him who put a Bridle upon that unruly Beast her Adversary and so comforted her heart as to make her able even to laugh him to scorn c. Isa 37.22,28,29 In short all these premises do abundantly demonstrate the excellency of this last part of the Christian Armour namely Darts of Prayer which drives the Devil out of the Field in our warring this good Warfare and constrains him to flee from us as one conquered by us NB. When our own Prayers prevail not Note well the Prayer of Christ saved Peter from Satan's Snare Luke 22.31,32 more especially if we join Fasting to Praying tho' Homer tellâ— us how Nestor in the Wars of Troy musâ— take his Breakfast in the Morning to animate himself the more for his fighting-work Yet our Lord doth better tell us thaâ— there be some Devils of such a malignanâ—… Nature that they cannot be cast out buâ— by Fasting and Prayer Matt. 17.21 How well therefore doth the Apostle command us to be praying always with alâ— Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Eph. 6.18 that is all sorts of Prayer yea the best sort of Prayer both that which is edged and animated with Fasting and more especially that of praying in the Holy Ghost Jude ver 20. for fervent Prayer is a clear Stream that flows solely from the pure Spring of the Spirit of Grace c. and that this Praying-work may be the more effectually performed the Apostle subjoins the Duty of watching thereunto with all perseverance c. ver 18. that we may not be surprized at unawares because the Devil watcheth us and walketh his Round Night and Day uncessantly to take us napping 1 Pet. 5.8 seeking whom he may devour as before therefore is watching so necessary that it is so often recorded in Scripture as an universal Duty as above and most needful in praying work Hereupon our Lord joins them both together Watch and Pray lest ye enter into Temptation Matth. 26.41 as the Apostle doth here for if we be not upon our Guard continually and even Watch while we do Pray both over Satan's Temptations without and over our own Corruptions within Satan will be interrupting us as the Pythoness his Instrument did interrupt Paul in his Praying-work Acts 16.16 and as the Fowls of the Air which is the Devil's Territories Ephes 1.2,3 did interrupt Father Abraham in his Sacrificing-work Gen. 15.11 Yea and as the Adversaries Sanballat c. did molest good Nehemiah in his Building-work Neh. 41.3 'T is a certain observation that amongst all Actions Satan will be busiest in the best of Actions and mostly most busie in the best part of that best Action as towards the closure of Prayer when the Heart should be closing it self up with the sweetest comforts c. therefore are we bid to Watch and Pray and to Pray and Watch that Satan may not draw us out of our Trenches as Joshuah did the Men of Ai Josh 8.6 therefore our Lord exhorteth us to abide in the Vine Joh. 15.4,7 and his beloved Disciple saith little Children abide in him 1 Joh. 2.28 that is keep Home keep close under the shadow of your Father's Wing Psal 91.1 Our Lord saith O Jerusalem Jerusalem how oft would I have gathered my Children together even as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her Wings c. Matth. 23.37 which intimateth that those are fond Chickens that
Jesus Christ such as young Timothy was 2 Tim. 2.3 must by all means be girded about with this Sword of the Spirit hanging fast at the Golden Girdle of Truth and I must say that one of those four Scriptures before named or any other single Sentence of God's Word when spiritually improved may do us more service in out Christian warfare than all the witty sayings of Pagan Philosophers or any of the superstitious Charms of the Popish Mountebanks Assuredly David a man after God's own heart 1 Sam. 13.14 had a Divine Inspiration when he prescribed that Soveraign Salve and Sacred Antidote and preservative against sin saying thy word oh my God I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Psal 119.11 All which do plainly demonstrate what an excellent Weapon the Word of God is c. Now I come to discourse upon the Seventh and Last piece of this Mystical Armour which is likewise the Second of the Two Offensive Weapons as the Five former were meerly Defensive namely we must not only be Armed with the Sword of the Spirit but we must be furnished also with the Spiritual Darts of Prayer ver 18. which Duty of Praying hath here subjoined to it the Duty of Watching but of that afterwards The same Apostle tells us that Satan hath his Darts and those fiery ones to throw at us ver 16. And here he comes in ver 18. to shew that we must have our Darts also and that fiery ones too to throw at him for one fire sucks out another as is oft tryed in Burnings c. so the fire from Heaven in Prayer sucks out the Fire of Hell c. otherwise we cannot retaliate nor can our Remedy carry a proportion to our Malady This Seventh piece of Armour is not only a part of our Spiritual Armour but also it enableth us to make a right improvement of all the rest for it was at David's Prayer that the Lord taught his Fingers to fight and his Hands to War c. Psal 18.29,34 and 144.1 Prayer is our City of Refuge to which we flee when all other Refuges fail us Prayer hath a double excellency as it hath a prevailing power not only over the Devil but in some sort over God himself First Over the Devil as it is an holy Charm against that crooked Serpent Isa 26.16 and 27.1 When Israel was afflicted by Satan and his Instruments they then poured out their Prayers to God Heb. secret Speeches as Charms and thereby the Devil was enchanted by their Prayers Hence Father Chrysostom calls Prayer Flagellum Diaboli a Whip to drive the Devil away which is more than a meer Charm to tie his Hands from harming us This torments him yea and forcibly thrusts him as it were into another Hell especially when our Darts of Prayer that we cast at him be fiery as his are against us and have the fire of Heaven in them as his Darts have the fire of Hell c. 'T is another high Expression of the same Father that praying Souls should be tanquam Leones ignem expuentes which is well englished Rev. 11.5 of the two famous Witnesses 't is said there that Fire proceedeth out of their Mouths which devoureth their Adversary like the Flame that devoureth the Stubble which stands in its way Thus Samson's Fire-brands in his Foxes Tails burnt up the Standing Corn c. of the Philistines Judg. 15.5 and if the Fire-brands had been fixed in the Foxes Mouths as they were in their Tails it would have been in some respect a more suitable Resemblance of this devouring Fire that broke forth like a Flame out of the Mouths of those two Holy Martyrs which must be meant of their Ardent Prayers that they poured forth for the confusion of their Enemies * The Queen of Scots said she feared more Mr. Knock's fervent Prayers than an Army of Twenty Thousand Soldiers And the Duke of Saxony once said that he durst not fight against a Praying Army and this is the more probable because all Praying-Souls are commanded to be fervent in Spirit the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Seething Hot serving the Lord and to continue insant in Prayer Rom. 12.11,12 And thus likewise David kept his Heart warm in his Praying-work yea boiling hot in this good Matter as the Hebrew Margent reads Psal 45.1 And could we but keep our Hearts thus in a boiling frame while we are at Praying-work this would be the best and the most blest expedient against wandring thoughts c. as before for Beelzebub that Prince of Flyes dare not fly-blow Honey while it is boiling hot c. and the Prayer-hearing God loves not to hear cold Prayers c. And the Rabbins render this Reason why the Shew-Bread in their Tabernacle-worship was taken off from the Table when it was cold and the Hot Bread was placed before the Lord in its stead because the Lord loveth not cold Dishes cold Prayers c. 1 Sam. 21.6 But Secondly As fervent Prayer hath a prevailing Power over the Devil c. so it hath by Divine Condescention a prevailing Power even over God himself who is the Devil's maker and will be his Rebuker for us c. for so gracious is our Prayer-hearing God that he is pleased to command us that we shall command him concerning we Work of his Hands Isai 45.11 and that the Seed of Jacob who had power over God and prevailed by his wrestling with him Gen. 32.26 and Hos 12.4 shall never seek the Lord in vain Isa 45.19 I have shewed at large in my Christian Walk upon Prayer how it hath a kind of Omnipotency in commanding all the Four Elements c. yea and over God himself by Moses's Prayer for his People at which the Lord saith to Moses let me alone that I may consume them c. Exod. 32.10 where God as it were begs his own freedom as if Moses's Devotion had proved too strong for God's Indignation as if Moses's Prayer had bound up the Hands of Omnipotency it self and therefore the Omnipotent God doth as it were intreat Moses to let him alone to his own liberty c. Now if so the Argument a majori ad minus from the greater to the lesser it undeniably concludeth that if Fervent Prayer can prevail with God himself how much more may it prevail against Satan who is but one of God's Creatures and at the command of his Creator However this is a most manifest Truth that when we are in any sore Conflict with Satan insomuch that this Strong Man is like to prove too strong for us and in all probability will soon conquer us then fervent Prayer must be our winged Messenger to send and call for help from Heaven and this is our strong Consolation that our Messenger will â—s easily prevail over our Blessed Jesus to come speedily for succouring us against Satan as those Messengers which â—he Gibeonites did send for that Great General Joshua
us c. It followeth then that the Duty of Resisting must likewise be done as an additional Duty unto Watching and Praying and we must spend our whole lives in the work of watching praying and resisting to our dying day c. Upon those few following Considerations over and above the Arguments before-mentioned As 1 st Consider well that the Devil is like the Crocodile of whom Pliny relateth that if men pursue him he will flee from them but if men flee from him he will then pursue after them c. 2 ly Consider there is indeed a playing upon the hole of the Asp and a putting the hand upon the Cockatrice Den which Christ hath promised he will secure little Children from the danger thereof Isa 11.8 when he comes to create the new Heavens and the new earth wherein shall dwell all righteousness 2 Pet. 3.13 But we may not do so now for if we dally with the Devil in leading our selves into Places and Companies of Temptation whereas we pray that the Lord may not lead us into Temptation in the Lord's Prayer this is foolish presumption and a plain tempting of the Tempter 3 ly Consider what is required of us â—n this Resisting Duty 't is only a strong â—egative resolving in Christ's strength to â—nswer the Tempter with an holy and peâ—emptory No No I may not I cannot I â—are not do it to give Satan a flat deâ—ial is no difficult Duty and 't is not resisting unto blood Heb. 12.4 4 ly Consider if we resist not but â—ield contrary to that Apostolical command yield not your Members as weapons of wickedness unto sin as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Rom. 6.13,14,19 â—hen are we taken Captives by Satan and â—ed about by him as his Slaves at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 and not taken to be preserved alive as before but to be destroyed c. 2 Pet. 2.12 Oh woful condition c. 5 ly Consider that he who now tempts us to sin will accuse us afterward for that sin as elsewhere yea and those very Snares of Sin wherewith Satan at present doth entangle us will at the last become Chains of Darkness in Hell c. 6 ly Consider this striving against sin Heb. 12.4 must be constant and last so long as life doth last we should resist wholly with this whole Armour of God because when we have overcome the prophane Devil a worldly Devil may prevail against us Or if we have been madâ— able to master a Swearing Devil then 〈◊〉 Lying Devil may prove too hard for us and if we can conquer all those and manâ— more Devils c. After the subduing oâ— all these then may the Devil of Pridâ— rise up and prevail over us for that olâ— saying of Bernard's Tot Daemonia quâ— Crimina so many sins as do reign over us so many Devils do rule in us seeing every such sin hath a Devil in it Now this siâ— of Pride as it is the first that is learnâ— so it is the last that is lest for there is something of Pride even in the besâ— Hearts even good Hezekiah's was lifted up in pride 2 Chron. 32.25,31 7 ly Consider for our Comfort that ouâ— constant conflict against Sin and Satan is a better evidence of true sanctifying and saving grace than any perfection of Holiness that can be found in the most sanctified souls Paul himself who tho' he had been rap'd up into the Third Heavens and into Paradice it self 2 Cor. 12.2,4 yet he after this complaineth of a Thorn in the Flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him c. ver 7 8 9. and he saith of himself not as tho' I had already attained or were already perfect but I press after it c. Phil. 3.11,12,13,14 and crys Oh wretched man c. Rom. 7.24 8 ly and lastly Let us consider and better consider for our comfort if we can but know that Christ is in us 2 Cor. 13.5 then Christ in us is stronger for us than this Strong Man Satan can be against us Luke 11.21,22 If our Lord be for us 't is no matter who or what is against us Rom. 8.31 Stronger is he in us than he that is in the World 1 John 4.4 As our Lord hath conquered Satan as before in his own Person so he hath promis'd to do the same in all his sincere Members he will not lose so much as one of them John 6.39 and 17.12 Oh pray pray pray that Christ may strengthen us Phil. 4.13 that we may shake this Viper the Old Serpent from off our Hearts as Paul did the Viper from off his Hands into the fire of Hell Acts 28. ver 4 5 6 c. CHAP. IV. Shewing the way to Compleat a Conquest in God's Armour Advice to Young and Old c. THere be Two Grand Duties that concern all Mankind Male and Female Rich and Poor Young and Old c. which are coupled together in that one Verse 1 Tim. 6.19 to wit 1 st A laying up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come And 2 dly A laying hold on Eternal Life First of the 1 st Lay a good Foundation c. This is always look'd upon by Wise Men as a Work of great weight we ought all to be Builders of the Tower of Godliness Luke 14.28 'T is compared to a Tower upon manifold accounts As 1. 'T is an high Building 2. Stately 3. Difficult 4. Exposed to Storms which plain Ground is not obvious unto 5. Costly far beyond Hutts or Cottages c. 6. Godliness hath all the parts of an Aedifice as Foundation Corners and the Roof or Top c. Now this Good Foundation is not either Good Meanings or General Mercy or an External Profession these are all Sandy Matth. 7.24,26 but 't is the Rock Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Acts 4.12 Col. 1.15,17 1 Pet. 1.20 Rev. 13.8 c. Now if we fail in the Foundation which is the first of those two great Duties we can never obtain any solid ground of Hope for the Second of laying hold on Eternal Life which is the Top of that Mystical Tower of which it may be truy said even without any Hyperbole what is said of the Tower of Babel that the Top of it reacheth up into Heaven Gen. 11.4 An Antient Popish Limner or Painter drew Solomon's Picture in this Posture of his being one half in Heaven and the other half in Hell c. Thus the Man that sets one of his Feet upon a Rock but his other Foot upon a Quagmire contiguous to the Rock whereby he Sinketh down with his whole Body into the Dirt c. Thus likewise will it befal us if we make not Christ our All and in All Col. 3.11 but lean partly upon God and partly upon the World if we halt betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit alas we then seem to hang as it were equally poiz'd betwixt our fear of Hell and our hope of Heaven with Sâ—lomon's
Picture c. NB. Note well All true Christiaâ—… whether Young or Old should maâ—… serious Reflections upon the remainder 〈◊〉 the Body of Sin or the unrenewed pâ—… in them even in the sincerest Conveâ—… and in the soundest Believers which wâ—… make us like the Kine that carried tâ—… Ark of God to Bethshemesh which sigâ—…fies the House of the Sun they wâ—… all along lowing as they went c. 1 Saâ—… 6.12 Thus the Apostle phraseth it 〈◊〉 this Earthly Tabernacle we groan earnâ—…ly c. 2 Cor. 5.2 and he cries oâ—… Oh wretched man c. Rom. 7. â—… Thus if we be truly and throughly seâ—…ble of the indwellings of sin in us tâ—… we still keep this straight way to tâ—… House of the Son of Righteousness aâ—… neither turn to the Right Hand or Lâ—… as is said of the Kine above yet 〈◊〉 smarting experience of so much reliâ—… of original pollution in us will cause 〈◊〉 to go along groaning to our very Gravâ—… This likewise was one great point of Gâ—…ly Agur's prayer remove Lord far frâ—… me both vanity and villany before I die 〈◊〉 Prov. 30.7,8 he durst not trust his oâ—… heart either with Poverty or Riches wâ—… knowing what Solomon had said befoâ—… He that trusteth in his own heart is a Fool Prov. 28.26 And it must be bewailingly acknowledged that sin like its Father the Devil having the whole World For its Walk c. is the most Heart-grieving and the worst Companion that we can have or meet with in our way to Heaven hereupon we are exhorted to take heed of an evil Heart of an evil Heart of unbelief c. Heb. 3.12 because of the deceitfulness of Sin ver 13. All which imports that sin of it self is so deceitful as easily to deceive us and our own Hearts are deceitful above all things Jer. 17.9 yet so as to be easily deceived by deceitful sin c. Insomuch as we can see small ground for security tho' some for safety as kept by Christ Jude ver 1. while we are on this side Heaven c. 'T is our caution and fear of falling that in Christ contributes much to our standing The grace of fear is a great preserver of the Soul not only all the day long Prov. 23.17 but even all our life long also in God's fear and in God's favour too c. He that keepeth alive the fear of God in him cannot well want the favour of God on him tho' he may sometimes lose this latter in respect of Vision as in cases of Desertion c. yet he never wants it in respect of Union Thus David lost not his salvation by his sin he had only loâ— the joy of his salvation which he beseecheâ— the Lord to restore to him Psal 51.12 The grand concern of every Christian is how to live well and how to die wellâ— how to live in God's fear and how tâ— die in God's favour c. In order hereunto our Lord hath most graciously granted us many Divine Rules both iâ— the Old and in the New Testament Namely 1 st That of the Prophet What doâ— the Lord require of thee O Man but tâ— do justly to love mercy and to walk huâ—bly with thy God Mic. 6.8 This comprehends the sum and substance of thâ— Ten Commandments and is a compendâ—um of the Law and the Prophets c. Tâ— name no more but a few 2 dly That of the Apostle Keep thy Conscience void of offence both towardâ— God and towards Man always c. Acts 24,16 unto which let me add the same Apostles three Adverbs c. The Grace of God teacheth us to live Soberly Righteously and Holily in this present World Tit. 2.12 Haec tria perpetuo meditare Adverbia Paulâ— Haec tria sunt vitae regula sancta tuae I shall add no more than this one of our Lord who is Lord both of the Prophets and of the Apostles afore-named namely his general precept and prescription to every particular and individual Believer Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation Matth. 26.41 wherein the practick part of all true Christians is clearly prescribed demonstrating First The Antidote or Preservative And Secondly The Disease we are in danger to fall into by our neglect of the Duty This Text is a part of Christ's Swan-like Song a little before his Death they are the living words of this greatest of dying Prophets a Divine Lecture or Lesson taught by a Dying Christ for all living Christians to learn For 1 st The danger is universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest ye enter c. this implies a possibility yea and more than a probability not only of entring into Temptation but also to be oft within the verges and circumferences of it yea and sometimes to fall by the power of it and too often for if we make an impartial inquiry into the Book of our own experiences we shall there find that we are more and oftner in Temptation than out of it whereas it should be Christ's day and Satan's hour according to those two Scripture Phrases Luke 22.53 1 Cor. 1.8 Rev. 1.10 Alas how oft is it quite contrary that Satan hath a whole Day when Christ hath but an Hour with us yea and not that little time without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 How oft may our Lord say to us as he said to his sleepy Disciples here What could ye not watch with me one hour Matth. 26.40 for he had bidden them watch with me ver 38. NB. Note well Those Three Peter James and John had seen their Master's Glory in his Transfiguration Matth. 17.1,2 and now they must be Eye-witnesses of his behaviour in his Agony also so our Lord bids them watch with him he bids them not pray for him for he needed not their Prayers c. He was to tread the Wine-press alone Isai 63.3 Observe what miserable Comforters were those sleepy and slippery Disciples unto their sweet Saviour who was deeply concerned for them in the midst of his Agony as he was after upon his Cross to grant the Prayer of the Penitent Thief and to lend a look of Love on Peter the Backslider Luke 22.11 And both these he did while himself was paying the Redemption of the World for his Fellow-sufferer Luke 23.42,43 as he had done before for poor Peter while he was answering his Adversaries for his own Life Thus we find those Three Disciples were not only in danger of entring into Temptation but they were also got into it and faln by it which is the Distemper and Disease it self for their Saviour found that Satan had lull'd them all fast asleep whereas they should have watched with him and prayed for themselves tho' not for him that needed no Mediators seeing they were so near to become scattered Sheep at the smiting of their Shepherd Our Lord had some lucid intervals and a little breathing time in the midst of his Agony wherein he comes to them once and again and finds he may
tread the Wine-press alone for any comfort from them And 1 st He sharply rebukes them for their former vain conceit of themselves promising to do great things c. Matth. 26.33,35 but they were so far from dying with him that they could not so much as watch with him c. And 2 dly He gravely exhorts them to this double Duty of Watching and Praying Then 3 dly He candidly and kindly comforts them against their outward weakness by his owning acknowledging and accepting of their inward willingness the Spirit is willing tho' Flesh be weak Oh who would not love this sweet Saviour that puts such a candid Construction upon his Saints Infirmities alas how oft may our Lord come and catch us napping and oft offering up no better than yawning Devotion Alas how oft a bare waft of the Footmen in lesser Temptations have thrown us down as was Jeremy's case Jer. 12.5 How then shall we be able to contend with the Horsemen of stronger Temptations While we live in this lower Region we are exposed to so many violent Temptations from the Tempter that Prince of the Power of the Air Ephes 2.2,3 therefore are we called to come up higher and to be Upper-region persons and to lead loftier lives than the men of the World can do in an unconverted condition the way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from Hell beneath Prov. 15.24 Were but our conversation more in Heaven Phil. 3.20 while our commemoration is here on Earth we should then be raised up above the reach of Storms c. and if we be risen with Christ we must set our affections upon things above c. Col. 3.1,2,3 for ye are dead namely to Sin and to the World and your life is hid with Christ in God Now to attain unto this happy estate of living above the reach of the Poison of the Old Serpent whereof we are in perils often and in Jeopardy every hour as the Apostle phraseth it our Lord hath prescribed in the 2 d place a double Antidote or Remedy to this before-named Poison or Malady namely to lead a life made up of constant and continual Watching and Praying and this is the way having put on the whole Armour of God as is aforesaid to secure our Souls from both entring into coming in and falling by every Temptation and not only so but also to be Conquerors yea more than so Rom. 8.37 even to be Triumphers in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 NB. Note well The seventh and last part of our Spiritual Armour as described in Ephes 6.18 hath a concurring concordancy with Christ's Command Watch and Pray Matth. 26.41 and likewise imports the frequency constancy and continuance of those two necessary but too much neglected Duties in an additional phrase of Praying always and Watching thereunto with all perseverance c. that is as we must pray always so we must watch always even all our lives long The whole life of a Christian consists wholly of Watching and Prayer c. Beside this first difference betwixt those two Texts which respecteth Time those two Duties must be done always even all our Days There is a Second Difference that respecteth Order for our Lord placeth Watching before Praying Matt. 26.41 but his Apostle placeth Praying before Watching Ephes 6.18 Now all the Inference to be deduced from this difference is this only that we must Watch and Pray as our Lord biddeth us and we must Pray and Watch as his Apostle requireth us and that all the days of our lives The sum of the whole is this in short 1 st Man 's Malady and Danger all men even the best of men are obnoxious and lay evermore exposed to the evil of manifold Temptations even from a threefold original to wit from the Flesh from the World and from the Devil Thus even those Three Disciples who had beheld Christ's Glory in his Transfiguration as above and therefore they might the more have been able to cleave closer to him now yet even those of the highest Rank were not only in the Danger but in the very Disease it self yea and which is much more we are told that our Lord was tempted like unto us in all things sin only excepted Heb. 4.15 And if this was done to such a Green Tree what may such Dry Trees as we are expect Luke 23.31 no place nor time for security to the best 2 dly The Remedy and Deliverance is by a double Duty understood under Christ our Deliverer as above at large The first is Watch and the second is Pray as in Matth. 26.41 and in Luke 21.36 our Lord makes an addition namely Watch and Pray always to which the Apostle's phrase Ephes 6.18 Col. 4.2 and 1 Thes 5.17 do well agree First of the first of those Duties 'T is the duty of all Christ's Disciples to watch Reasons 1 st 'T is a necessary Duty upon a double Account 1. Necessitate Medii as necessary means for our safety And 2. Necessitate Praecepti as it is commanded by the Lord. 1 st 'T is necessary as a means whereby we are preserved from Danger for our life is a warfare Job 7.1 Margent and we can never accomplish this warfare Isai 40.1 without watching every Christian is a Soldier 2 Tim. 2.3 who is listed under Christ their Captain Josh 5.14 Heb. 2.10 Now no Man can be a good Soldier that watcheth not how soon is he cut off by a surprizing Adversary both Visible and Invisible non Regium est in Belli tempore indulgere Somno saith Plutarch Christ hath made us Kings Rev. 1.6 and it is not King-like to foster sleeping in a time of War Baanah and Rechah took off Ishbosheth's Head while he slept upon his Bed at Noon 2 Sam. 4.5,6 So Jael slew Siscera when fast asleep nailing him fast to the ground Judg. 4.21 2 dly 'T is necessary in our obedience to the Great Lawgiver who hath often commanded us to watch in Scripture as Mark 13. ver last 1 Cor. 16.13 1 Thes 5.6 1 Pet. 4.7 and 5.8 Rev. 3.2 and 16.15 c. Reason the Second they are pronounced to be blessed Souls that do this Duty of watching beside that in Rev. 16.15 see Luke 12.37,38,43 terque quaterque beati faelices ter amplius they are three times blest there by Christ who was sent into the world to bless both believing Jews and Gentiles that watch Acts 3.26 Yea such are not only blessed Saints but they are also blessed Angels for Angels are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watchers Dan. 4.13 Heaven is the Watch-tower of those Holy Ones that never sleep nor are ever wearied with labour as we Bodily Creatures are not do they Eat or Drink as we do whereby our sleep is procured c. So that this Watching-work is likewise an Angelical as well as an Evangelical Duty and to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Angels as Christ hath promised Luke 20.36 is to enjoy an Heavenly State here while upon