which is to come be impositae set upon the head of S. Paul and not upon his head only but upon all their heads that shall with him fight the good fight of faith then shall be imposed the golden Crowne of Christs approbation Euge bone serve well done thou good and faithfull servant enter into thy Maisters joy joy unspeakeable there is no diving into the depth of it the felicity cannot be imagined the blessings cannot be numbred so incomparable that they admit No joy like that of heaven of no equality the tongve may expresse much the eare may heare more then the eye can see and the heart of man conceive more then all of them yet put all together they cannot apprehend the greatnesse of those joyes eternall here only it is bare Earth that is enioyed under the first Adam but in the second Adam Christ Jesus there 's Earth enlarged every thing that wee enjoy is an essentiall heaven our meate and drinke is manna our cloathing white Robes our Company Angels the Place Heaven there the King is verity the lawes Charity the honor Equity the Peace Felicity the life Eternity there 's joy without sadnesse health without sicknesse light with out darknesse life without death ease without labour wealth without wam an Ocean of all selicity without the least drop of misery Joyes of Heaven in utterable many and glorious things are spoken of thee ô thou City of God whilst I am thus describing the Kingdome of heaven oh that I might with the holy Apostle be taken up into the third heaven and whilst that I shall endeavour to blazon out the blisse of that caelestiall place oh that the light of that glory might shine into my sinfull soule that my thoughts being winged with the contemplations of Angels I might in some sort comprehend the excellency of that glorious place which farre surmounteth every humane estimate oh that I were to parley with those blessed Spirits above those vessels of glory the Saints departed tell mee oh tell mee ye noble Army of Martyrs what is that joy whereof ye are now made partakers that my soule being ravished with the glory thereof my pen might distill the Nectar of comfort to enflame the hearts of all those that shall at this time joyne with mee in this sweete meditation but alas how shall he that ever was in darkenesse be able to describe that light that is so inaccessible how can he that is of the Earth measure the heavens no more surely then he which is a slave by birth and base by his continuall habitation is able ingeniously to describe the mâ—jestick state of Princes if Nichodemus understand not the manner of Regeneration how shall he be able to conceive the excellency of glorification of the infinite happinesse in that coelestiall life how shall I then speake Earthly Jerusalem was pourtrayed by Ezekiel upon a tile so cannot the heavenly Ezech. 41 be the joyes prepared for the Elect do exceedingly surpasse all humane apprehension obtayned they may be valued I am sure they cannot he in Tully said truly that it is an easier matter to know what God is not then to tell what he is Tully de Nat. deorum lib. 1 so may I say it is much easier to tell what is not in heaven then what is there S. Augustine wrote two and twenty bookes of the City of God how shall I then bring into the last gasp of these my Meditations the unity the plenty the beauty the holinesse the felicity thereof when he himself confessed after all his endeavours all that can be sayd is but a drop to the Sea and a sparke to the fire what is this world to heaven a man may go Sr. Fr. Drake round about it in three yeares and odde dayes it is lesse then a poynt in comparison what is an acre of Land to the world the light of a candle to that of the sunne the life of a child to the yeares of Methusalah what 's the conceyt of a foole to the expeience of Noah who saw two worlds such is the world to heaven such our life to Eternity a thousand yeares in heaven are but as one day O while I write of those joyes eternall how am I silenced faine would I declare them but cannot conceive them I am in a maze when I beginne to thinke of them what then shall I say what shall I write Haven is a place of Rest a City of excellent beauty a Jerem. 6. 16. Rev. 2. 1. 4. 15. Luk. 22. 30 2 Pet. 5. 4 rare Paradice of Pleasure a kingdome of Majesty a crowne of glory and life everlasting O ioy unspeakeable O happinesse unconceiveable O pleasures indurable O triumphs admirable what shal not such a prize as this make thee to fight why dost thou stand still hath the glimmering pleasures and delights of the fading world so benumbd thy limbs and bewitched thy senses that thou can'st not see paine from pleasure misery from majesty deceits from delights for such and no better is the worlds cheifest ioy compared with that of heaven buckle on thy Armour labour very earnestly to conquer subdue thy owne corruptions the words allurements and the Devils temptations he that will reigne must conquer and he that will conquer must fight valiantly then for thy comfort S. John hath chalked out thy way to the Heavenly Jerusalem he hath Rev. 21. found twelve gates in it open day and night to entertaine departing soules repairing thither in the true faith there shalt thou be entertained by the Patriarches Abraham Isaack and Jacob by the Prophets Moses and Elias by the Kings David Hezekiah and Josias by the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul by S. Stephen and the noble Army of Martyrs by the innumerable society of Saints and Angels a multitude of Heavenly Souldieâ—s shall giue a volley of acclamations at thy entertainment then shall be great ioy in heaven then shall the wedding garment be The Christian Souldiers welcome to Heaven put upon thy body the Ring upon thy finger a crowne upon thy head thus shalt thou be led out to the supper of the Lambe God the Father shall take thee by the hand God the Sonne shall place thee at his owne right hand and God the holy ghost shall fill thee with the graces of his spirit thus shalt thou see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liâ—ing and thus shall it be with all those that have fought the good fight finished their course kept the faith they shall with S. Paul and all these heavenly spirits receive the Crowne of Righteousnesse which God the Righteous Judg shall give them in that day Thus I haue set before thee life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that thou and thy seede may live here 's the horror ofhel Deut. 30. 19. for thy terror the ioyes of heaven for thy encouragement if the intollerable paines of the one will not enforce thee let the unspeakeable happinesse of the other allure thee to fight O the Joyes of the heavenly Canaan O the Riches of those Diamonds that are set in that Crowne which shall impale the brow of every Conquerer loose not then the hold of such a Crowne for a rappe on the fingers vincenti dabitur doe but overcome and thou shalt surely have it to shut up all looke behind thee there is hâ—ll looke before thee there is heaven if thou goest backeward hell will receive thee and if thou stand still hell will overtake thee but if thou runne forward Jehovah will crowne thee which he grant for his mercye's sake for Christ Jesus sake the Captayne of thy salvation and hereunto let all the Church militant throughout the whole face of the Earth say AMEN AMEN Glory be to God on high FINIS Mens workes had faults since Adam first offended And those in these are thus to bee amended ERRATA Epist Dedicat. line 12. read these ibid. l. 34. r. your Counsell Epist Reader l. 10. read I put ibid. l. 43. read from tâ—â—t Pag. 7. line ult read thus pag. 16. lin 21. r. estis p. 18. l. 23. r. him p. 30. l. 15. r. thy wages ibid. l. 18. r. â—et p. 31. l. ult r. hard pag. 32. l. 23. r. Confession p. III. l. 4. r. wine p. 121. l. 14. r. him pag. 125. l. 7. r. inveneris p. 145. l. 3. r. keepe thy selfe p. 162. l. 14 r. forth IMPRIMATUR Octob. 4. 1638. GUIL BRAY.
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vell done thou good and faithfull servant The Christian SOULDIER His COMBAT CONQUEST And CROWNE Agaynst the three Arch-enemies of Mankind The WORLD The FLESH And The DEVILL There is none other that fighteth for us but onely thou O God LONDON Printed by R. H. for J. S. and are to be sold by Bernard Langford at the signe of the blew Bible at Holborn bridg 1639. To his loving and indulgent Mother HELEN MELHUISH The happinesse of this life and that which is to come MOTHER HAving from your breasts received the first nutriture of my body and by your dayly admonition and wholesome counsell a better aliment for the preservation of my soule to whome then could I more fitly dedicate those my younger blossoms of experience next unto God my spirituall Father and the Church my spirituall Mother then to you my carefull naturall Mother the Travayle and payne you endured at my byrth was much and for that I must ever owe you much obedience but what of that had you only brought mee into this miserable world and there left mee sine cognitione dei without the knowledge of a better I had not beene much the better nay farre worse that I have not let the Counsell fall to the ground but by the help of my God made a hopefull improvement let these ensuing lines bee an obedient Testimoniall to your perusal I leave them that the Armour therein mentioned may be your furinture that those evills which the craft and subtility of the Devill or man worketh agaynst you may bee brought to nought that in the end you may receive a Crowne of Righteousnesse shall bee the prayer of Your obedient Sonne E. T. To the Reader READER THis Christian Souldier came but lately to my acquaintance he was me thought at the first sight well qualifyed but some what meanely habited upon further conference had put him into a garb suteable to his condition by way of thankfull Requitall hee related unto me the necessity of undertaking the Christian Combat the use of the Armour therein to bee employed the danger of the adversaries theyr severall Attempts theyr strength and power then shewed the way how to come off with victory lastly used some further motives and encouragements to take up Armes and that to bee done without any further delay the security of these times calls for publication of such discoveryes I have therefore made that common which was delivered to mee in a more private manner Not to hold thee any longer in that to which this but introduceth I bid thee heartily farewell I. Sp. The SUMMONS To take up Armes and that speedily against the three inveterate Enemies of Mankind The WORLD The FLESH And The DEVILL WHosoever thou art of whatsoever degree sex or Condition if thou hast not as yet entred the feild agaynst the common Enemyes of thy salvation let mee advise thee now at this very instant whilst thou art reading this summons to buckle on thy armes and march out speedily it is Arme arme arme high time the Enemyes are growne strong and potent for want of opposition whilst thou lyest sleeping out thy time they have almost entered nay they have allready také possession of thy soule dost thou not perceive how they beginne to smother the thoughts of heaven to quench the good motions 1 Thes 5. 19. of the spirit they are ready to advance theyr owne Diabolicall thrones in thy heart sinne beginnes to reigne Rom. 6. 12. 7. 23. in thy mortall body the 〈◊〉 of the members rebels agaynst that of the spirit thy understanding is darkened thy will instead of conformity to Gods is growne rebellious all the facultyes both of body and soule are ready to yeild themselves weapons of unrighteousnesse to sinne is it not high time Rom. 6. 13 then to look about thee and greive not that holy spirit that Ephes 4. 30 hath marked thee out to a better designe thou hast in thy Baptisme received prest mony to fight under Christs banner and to continue his faythfull Souldier to thy lifes end didst thou not there promise Catechisme in the booke of Com. Prayer and vow to forsake the Devill and all his workes the pompes and vanityes of the wicked world with al the sinfull lusts of the flesh this was the end of thy Baptisme let mee tel thee plainly it is great pity that ever that Sacramentall water should have wet thy face if thou shouldst now forget the end of thy Christian calling who made thee a Christian thou wast not Non natus sed factus Christianus borne so no naturall worke I am sure hath done it Christianity growes not on the bitter Roote of Nature thou art therefore called of God to bee a Christian thou art called of Christ to bee a Christian Philip. 3. 14. Souldier S. Paul gloried more as hee was a Christian by calling then as an Apostle by his function hence it is that a Christian calling is the confluence of all happinesse if it G. Nazianzen were possible to contract all the excellencies that are in Excellency of the Christian calling Math. 13. 45. most eminent callings the same are to be found in Christians A Christian is that Mercator gemmae hee that selleth all hee hath and trafficks for the Pearle a Christian is the Right Souldier that fighteth the good fight 2 Tim. 4. Rev. 5. 10. a Christian is that Royall Priest that is made unto God who shall reigne on the earth lastly hee is the man that fits on the white horse which had a bowe and a Crowne given him better then the Crownes of Kings and Princes Rev. 6. 2. these Heathens were surely foolish that called Christians poore Originalls but of yesterday a fond people they were that thus judged not to speake of Crownes put but in priviledges of Christians the honors which attend on Christians they will be found unspeakable what is like unto that of talking with God walking with God bearing the Gen. 17. 3. Act 11. 26 Gen. 4. 22. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Rom. 8. 15 name of Christ fighting under his banner entertaining the spirit into our hearts excellent also are the Priviledges that attend on Christians the comfort 1 Pet. 1. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 5 1 Thes 1. 6. of joy unspeakable peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost as S. Paul hath is concerning the Jewes to whom belong the adoption and Rom. 9. 4. the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the law and the Dignity of Christians service of God and the Promises hence it is that they are 1 Pet. 2. 9. stiled 〈◊〉 generation a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people if it bee thus whilst we are in the Race how glorious will it bee 1 Cor. 9. 24. when wee have finished our Course if it bee thus in the Combat what will it bee in 2 Tim. 4. 7 the Conquest if there
the condition to continue his faythfull Souldier to the end Wilt thou then digresse from the proper end for which thou wast made did God make thee to lust after sinne to delight in sinne to act sinne no surely God made thee for this end that thou mightst do good and Matth. 4. 10. live to his glory It makes mee stand amazed when that I consider of the fiercenesse of the Lyon and the mildnesse of the Lambe the cruelty of the one and the gentlenesse of the other and yet that men should bee so foole-hardy as to hugge Extreme folly of the wicked the one and so besotted as to reject the other to leave Christ that Lambe of God which taketh Joh. 1. 29. away the sinnes of the World and to fight for the Devill that roaring Lyon which seeketh 1 Pet. 3. 8. whom hee may devour O inhumane and more then monstrous that any age should produce such a crew of Miscreants such a Dungeon of iniquity what to rebell agaynst God to deface his Image Josh 22. 19 1 Cor. 15. 49. in their soules and to set up that of the Devil but let them take their course Christ knowes whose they are vos ex Patre Diabolo esti c. yee are of your father the Devill and Joh. 8. 44. his workes yee will doe Let this then animate and encourage thee to fight this battel to serve God and to doe good not to spend thy time idly non vitam veluti pecora not to rowle out thy dayes in doing no good as indeede brute beasts do bestirre thy self therfore rowse up thy spirits think on the thing that is before thee presse forwards towards Phil. 3. 14. the marke thrust through the crowde of worldly employments but looke not back like Lots wife lest thou bee partaker of the like Apostasye Luk. 17. 32 Pares culpae pares paenae A Souldier being in skirmish with the Enemy if hee lookes back it argues a Cowardize or carelesnesse in him So thou being a Souldier in this spirituall combat if thou shouldst looke back minding more thy pleasures and thy profits those onyons and flesh-pots Numb 11. 5. of Egypt what would this argue but eyther a fearfulnesse or a secure carelesnesse in thee and then whereas Lots wife was turned into a Piller of salt God shall turne thee out of his presence with that fearefull sentence Ito maledicte c. depart from mâ—e thou cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Luk. 25. 41. Being now encouraged for the fight that thou mayst bee the better enabled to give the onset it will bee necessary that I show thee the use of the Armor wherewith thou art to bee furnished for it is ill fighting without Armes The weapons then which serve to 1 Pet. 5. 8. conquer that roaring Lyon as the Apostle cals them bee these 1 The Girdle of Truth 2 The Breast-plate of Righteousnesse 3 Shod with the Preparation of the Gospell Gods Armory Ephes 6. 14. 4 The Sheild of Fayth 5 The Helmet of hope or salvation 6 The sword of the Spirit The first peece of Armor or Weapon for so I call it is the Girdle of truth in these The first weapon of Gods Armory words having your loynes girt about with the Girdle of Truth here now thou oughtst to have thy soule fenced and encircled about with this Girdle of Truth otherwise called uprightenesse of heart 1 Cor. 1. 14. Joh. 24. 12 and singlenesse of heart that no evill or corrupt thoughts may adventure to enter in and that the whole heart may seeke after Righteousnesse for God layes charge to the whole heart and hee layes clayme to it also hee will have all or none hee admits of no division why because it is just that thou shouldst give it him and that for a twofold Reason First because God made the heart and therefore most Reasons why God should have the heart Ps 100. 5. 2 Reason Deut. 10. 12. right to it It is hee that hath made us and not wee our selves Secondly God did not onely make the heart but hee doth also sanctify the heart and saveth it being made hee is Cordis Gubernator the director and Ruler of thy heart is it not Reason then that hee should have the whole heart to himselfe and not to part stakes with any other hee will not have part of it given over to sinne and part kept for himselfe hee will have it all and it must bee a heart girt with the girdle of truth it must bee girt close to him intimating thus much that Truth is not ashamed of it selfe nor doth it shame others that professe it but it will truly adhere and stick close as a Girdle doth to a mans body to those which do most advance and defend it The second peece of Armor is the Breast-plate of Righteousnesse The second weapon of Gods Armoury having put on the Breast-plate of Righteousnesse Now as before was commanded Verity so here is enjoyned Sincerity Truth went before Righteousnesse followes after as the Breast-plate and the Girdle touch each other so Righteousnesse and Truth being met doe kisse each other Psalm 85. The Righteousnesse that here is meant is the Righteousnesse What is meant by the Braest-plate of Righteousnesse of Christ made ours by imputation so that by this imputation of Christ thou art made partaker of him and his merits a great Priviledg but the mayne utility of this Breast-plate of Righteousnesse The use of the Breast-plate doth most appeare in the placing of it to defend the heart In hot and feirce warres you know that a Breast-plate is one of the needefullest peeces of Armor you can have the Reason is because it covers and fences the heart now you know the heart is a Principall in a man it is primum movens ultimum moriens the first living and the last dying if The Heart to bee carefully guarded the body or any part of it bee but ill affected the heart is truly sensible thereof how necessary is it then that thou shouldst have a Breast-plate to secure it just so it fares with this Breast-plate of Righteousnesse it covers the heart and doth defend that which is most subject to be offended with sinne how therefore shouldst thou labour for to bee furnished with this Breast-plate of Righteousnesse which is so highly esteemed of or at least should bee how shouldst thou have thy heart defended with this Breast-plate to keepe o the darts off sinne from it to oppose and extinguish sinne in it for if sinne once get footing in thy heart it will quickly spread it selfe through the whole man if thou hast Jam. 3. 13. Righteousnesse in thy heart it must needes oppose sinne but have a care the heart is deceitfull above all things and therefore it is that God doth so often call to thee for thy heart my sonne give mee thy heart what then