the right hand and on the left enticing and alluring us to Sin terrifying and persecuting us to drive us from God and Gooodness And with this Host assaulting us from without do combine a Party within us our mutinous Lusts and Corruptions the Flesh lusting against the Spirit without which all Satan's Attempts upon us would be in vain as we see those against Jesus Christ were because as our Saviour saith Joh. 14.30 The Prince of this World cometh and hath nothing in me No Corruption to side with him no combustible Matter for his Wild-fire to take hold of so that all his Attempts against him were in vain And so would they be against us also were it not for those Bosom-Traitors which harbour in our Breasts those Lusts which war in our Members It is the Tinder within us that makes Satan's fiery Darts and Temptations so dangerous to us These our Enemies are represented unto us as very formidable and dangerous and so they are whether we consider 1. Their Number They are very numerous Legions of Devils and a whole World of wicked Men. But yet if Beelzebub commanded only an Army of Flies though never so numerous and swarming the danger were not so great But add to their Number 2. Their Power and Might They are Angels and how great the natural Power of one single Angel is witness the Camp of the Assyrians 2 Kin. 19.35 where one Angel in one Night made a Carnage of no less than an hundred eighty five thousand Men. Hence it is that Angels are said to excel in Strength Psal 103. 20. And although Satan and his Train be fallen from their Happiness Holiness and extremely debauch'd in their Morals yet their natural Powers do still continue very great and therefore they are called Principalities and Powers and spiritual Wickedness in high Places Eph. 6.12 In high Places surely a great Advantage in Wrestling and no less in Fighting But although our Enemies were never so numerous and never so strong yet if they had no Wisdom to order their Numbers and to manage their Strength they might come to Ruin by their own Weight as we know that great Armies have proved sometimes unweildy and cumbersom to themselves and by frequent Mutinies have in time fretted themselves to nothing But 3. Our Enemies are subtle Enemies managing their Force with exceeding great Policy and Cunning and are wont to prevail more by Sleight than Power The Devil is called the Old Serpent Rev. 12.9 A Serpent subtle by Nature but much more by long Use and Experience and old Serpent He hath many Windings and Turnings many Devices and Stratagems many Wiles and Methods to circumvent us by 4. Our Spiritual Enemies are Cruel and Merciless which makes them still the more dangerous This adds Will to their Power and sets their Subtlety on work to contrive Mischief against us In this respect Satan is said to have been a Murderer from the beginning John 8.44 And called a red Dragon Rev. 12.3 A roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 5. This his Malice to our Souls makes him watchful and restless exceedingly industrious to work us Mischief and to bring Dishonour unto God We see with what indefatigable Industry he prosecuted our Saviour Christ by tempting him again and again by slandering and blaspheming him by crucifying him and even after Death by denying and belying his Resurrection He left no Stone unturn'd that by any means if it had been possible he might have hindred God's Glory and Man's Salvation Thus we see what a dangerous Adversary we have to fight against whom resist stedfast in the Faith for we are not ignorant of his Devices And now 't is high time to bethink our selves wherewith we may oppose him and defend our selves 3. As in other Fightings so in this Christian Combat we are furnish'd with Weapons both for the offensive and defensive Part and those both of them tried and approved 2 Cor. 10.4 5. The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds And we have the whole Armour of God which is to be put on by every one of us that we may be able to stand against the Violence and Wiles of the Devil The several Parts whereof we may see described Ephes 6.13 c. Truth Righteousness and Faith the Word of God and Prayer Stand therefore upon your watch having your Loins girt fight the good Fight of Faith quit your selves like Men but be sure you take Christ for your General he is the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 He hath baffled the Devil and overcome the World therefore be of good Comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will give us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.57 The Quarrel is ancient as old as Gen. 3.15 Our Enemies are formidable but our Cause is good and God is on our side and so long who shall be against us who can stand against him Not the Gates of Hell the Plots and Power of it nor the Depths of Satan nor all his whole Militia shall be able ever to prevail against the Church of Christ Be thou faithful unto Death and he shall give thee a Crown of Life For those that conquer shall be rewarded as shall be shewed anon So much briefly of the first Metaphor whereby the Life of a Christian is set forth unto us It is a Fight I have fought a good Fight A good Fight it is in respect of the Cause good also in respect of the Nature of the Fight which is to be managed by well-doing and good also in respect of the Success which is Victory and Happiness But I hasten to the next Resemblance of a Christian Life 2. The Christian Life is compared to a Course or Race I have finished my Course A Course of Life is a Phrase in ordinary use with us at this day as Spatium vitae decurrere was with the ancient Romans But it seems in this Place to have been borrowed by the Apostle from the running of a Race used in the Olympick Games by the Grecians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word here used by St. Paul To this we may observe him often alluding in his Epistles Heb. 12.1 Let us run with Patience the Race that is set before us laying aside every weight And Phil. 3.14 He saith of himself I press toward the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus where the Expressions of pressing toward the Mark and for the Prize have manifest allusion to the running of a Race Now the Race of a Christian is no other than a careful and consciencious and zealous walking in the ways of God which lead unto Salvation wherein we shall meet with many hindrances 1. The Sin that so easily besets us which is spoken of in Heb. 12.1 Our Corruption within us which hopples and intangles us so that we cannot do the things which we would 2.
painful and industrious couragious and undaunted in the Work and Cause of Christ not only as a Christian but also as an Apostle and Minister of the Gospel He had encounter'd with Elymas at Paphos Acts 13. With the Retrivers of Jewish Ceremonies at Antioch Act. 15. With Stoicks and Epicureans at Athens Acts 17. With beast-like Men such as Demetrius and his Followers at Ephesus 1 Cor. 15.32 With Alexander the Copper-Smith with Hymeneus and Philetus And in all these Conflicts the Gospel still prevailed and carried the Victory And for his Sufferings the Instances of his Christian Patience and passive Fortitude take that Inventary which himself had drawn up sometime before in his second Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 11. v. 23 c. Where he hath with great Eloquence described his Adventures to us In Labours abundant in Stripes above measure in Prisons frequent in Deaths oft V. 24. Of the Jews five times received I fourty Stripes save one 25. Thrice was I beaten with Rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered Shipwreck a night and a day I have been in the Deep 26. In journeying often in Perils of Waters in Perils of Robbers in Perils by mine own Country-men in Perils by the Heathen in Perils in the City in Perils in the Wilderness in Perils in the Sea in Perils among false Brethren 27. In Weariness and Painfulness in Watchings often in Hunger and Thirst in Fastings often in Cold and Nakedness These and such like were the Scars and Marks of Honour which he had received for the Cause of Christ and the Gospel for the Truth of which he vouches the God of Truth for witness v. 31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which is blessed for evermore knoweth that I ly not Briefly his Conscience told him that he had run his Race well in the ways of God's Commandments with Zeal Industry and which is the Crown of all with Constancy 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the Air. His Conscience told him that he had kept the Faith committed to his charge and as Jesus Christ had counted him faithful putting him into the Ministry 1 Tim. 1.12 So he had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful 1 Cor. 7.25 But to wave the Metaphor I shall shew you plainly these two things 1. What it was that Paul's Conscience did testify 2. What use he made of that Testimonial 1. What it was that Paul's Conscience did testify what was the Answer of a good Conscience to him which may be reduced unto these two Heads 1. Faith and Love and other Graces unfeigned 2. A sincere and constant Indeavour of universal Obedience 1. By reflecting upon the Actings of his own Soul he could discern that he did firmly assent and cleave unto the Truth of Christ with all his Heart that he did rely upon and trust onely unto the Righteousness wrought by JESUS CHRIST for his acceptance with God the pardon of his Sin and his right to the heavenly Kingdom that he had the other true saving Graces wrought in his Heart by the Spirit of God whereby he was enabled to side with the Law of God in Judgment and Affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to vote with and to delight in the Law of God and to overbear the Ebullitions and Insurrections of the Flesh and to mortify it by the Spirit or renewed Part and Principle of Spiritual Life that was in him which is called the inward Man Rom. 7.22 These Principles Habits and Acts he knew he had for upon reflexion he by a rational sense might feel them enabling him and proceeding from him and so be conscious of them And that his Faith and Love and other Graces were unfeigned and genuine he knew by the Light of the Spirit of God shining through the written Word upon its own work in his heart and by its special Concourse and Assistance enabling his gracious Soul to exert and put forth such vigorous and lively Acts as might easily be observed by a diligent Reflexion The holy Spirit of God is called a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Eph. 1.17 A Spirit of Revelation in respect of the Object a Spirit of Wisdom in regard of the Faculty The visible Object must be enlightned else it cannot verge or send forth its visible species without which it cannot be seen and the Eye must be enlightned also by an internal Light else it cannot see the Object though never so conspicuous in it self Thus also is it here the Spirit of God doth discover to us the things that are freely given to us of God the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of the Spirit not only Truths which it propounds to us from without but also the Graces which it works within us and thus it may be said to reveal the Object to us But then it doth also inlighten the Eye of the Mind with a spiritual Wisdom a Spirit of discerning whereby it distinguishes and discerns the Work of Grace to be true and genuine by the Characters which are given of it in the written Word 2. St. Paul by examining his own Conscience concerning the discharge of his Duty in the whole Course of his Life there recorded could observe in the latter part of it viz. ever since his Conversion a sincere and constant Purpose and diligent Indeavour of universal Obedience to the Will of God in pursuance of that resignation of himself mentioned Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do His Obedience was sincere though not sinless and perfect though not legally yet with the allowance of the Evangelical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to which aliquid fieri dicitur quando quod non fit ignoscitur when Obedience is sincerely indeavoured and the Failings of it pardoned And these Fruits gave Letters credential to his Faith that it was a living Faith Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1 John 2.3 And we know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren Love is argumentative to prove that we are in a state of Grace and the Fruits of Love bear witness unto that 1 John 3.14 Paul's Conscience told him that in his Actions he had not dissembled with God but that he acted out of a Principle of unfeigned Love to him and in Conscience of his Command and that he directed his Actions to God's glory as his chief end Thus much he might be well assured of from the Records of his Conscience which he had made it his care to keep clear and legible and though it gave him notice also of his Sins and Failings yet at the same time it represented them as expiated and cancelled in the Blood of Christ apprehended by his Faith And thus you have seen what the Testimonial was which Paul's Conscience gave him Now let us come to see 2. What Use St. Paul makes of this Testimonial A double Use 1.
A SERMON AT THE FUNERAL OF THE Lady ELIZABETH ALSTON WIFE of Sir THOMAS ALSTON Knight and Baronet Preached in the Parish-Church of Woodhill in Bedford-shire Septemb. 10. 1677. By WILLIAM DILLINGHAM D. D. and Rectour there Now Published at the Instance of her nearest Relations LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golde Lion in St. Pauls Church yard 1678. Imprimatur Novemb. 1. 1677. C. Alston R.P.D. Hen. Episc Lond. à Sacris Domest 2 TIM 4.7 8. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day IT is not at all to be doubted but that the blessed Apostle St. Paul who as he reports of himself did die daily and was in Deaths often did live under a constant Sense of his own Mortality But yet at the time of his writing this Epistle which was as the Postscript tells us when he was brought the second time before Nero he seems to have had more than ordinary apprehensions of his approaching End Death was now already in his view and coming towards him So much he lets us know in the Verse before the Text For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my Departure is at hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much imminent as already come Now seeing that Death is an Enemy vvhich vve must all encounter it is all our Concernments to prepare for it And that vve may so do it vvill be of singular use and advantage to us to have observ'd how St. Paul a good old and try'd Souldier of Jesus Christ doth prepare himself to receive the Shock and to cope with this King of Terrours and to know what Cordials he makes use of to support his Heart against the Fear of Death approaching The Text presents us with a twofold Meditation of St. Paul 1. A Meditation of vvhat vvas past a Reflexion upon his former Life vvell-spent I have fought a good Hight c. Ver. 7 2. A Meditation on what was future being a Prospect into the Life to come and the Glory of it Henceforth c. Ver. 8. The Apostle's Work and his Reward his Fidelity and his Crown The first whereof hath an Order and Subordination to the other The way to Happiness is by Holiness without which no man shall ever see the Lord. And the way to have assurance of Eternal Life is to get the Testimony of a good Conscience that we have led our Lives well here on Earth And this double Assurance joynâ—d together did enable St. Paul to look upon Death but as a Departure a mild and harmless thing a Departure and that not from home but from an Inn to go unto his Father's House The time of my Departure is at hand Medit. 1. I shall begin vvith St. Paul's first Medication or his Reflexion upon his vvell-led Life Wherein vve have two things to be consider'd by us 1. A Character of the Nature of a Christian Life 2. The comfortable Testimonial which Paul's Conscience gave him viz. that he had led his Life well I have fought a good Fight c. 1. We have here a Character expressing and setting forth unto us the Nature of a Christian Life and that under a threefold Metaphor and Allusion 1. Of a Fight 2. Of a Course or Race 3. Of the Custody or Keeping of something committed to our Trust 1. The Christian Life is here compared to a Fight and figuratively so called Sometimes the Life of Man is compar'd to a Warfare in respect of those many Labours and Difficulties vvhich he is vvont to encounter vvithal Thus Job 7.1 Is there not an appointed time to Man upon the Earth Where for an appointed Time the Marginal reading is a Warfare by vvhich is meant a Time of Warring According hereunto vve find that the Roman Legionary Souldiers had a certain Period or Term of Years sometimes ten sometimes twenty or more Years during vvhich they were to continue listed in the Muster-Roll and to fight under their Emperour's Banner but vvhen that Time vvas once expired then they were said to be Emeriti Exauctorati discharged of their Oath and dismissed from serving any longer and honourably rewarded vvith Gifts and Possessions To such a Term of Time Allusion is made Isa 40.2 Where it is said of Jerusalem that her Warfare is accomplish'd And so Rev. 3.12 He that overcometh shall go no more out that is to Warfare he hath his quietus est But if the natural Life of Man be a kind of Warfare a Christian Life is much more deservedly to be so accounted a Spiritual Warfare And thus Paul expresseth it 1 Tim. 1.18 That thou mightest war a good Warfare And 2 Tim. 2.3 Endure Hardship as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ There is a double sort of Fighting vvhich Paul hath Allusion to when he speaks of the Christian Life Sometimes he speaks of Fighting in a Military sense as one Enemy fights with another in the Field which is properly called Warring And of this he speaks in the place but now mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou mightest war 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good Warfare Otherwhile the Apostle speaks of Fighting in an Agonistical sense as Men were wont to fight of old in the Greek Olympicks or in the Roman Cirque and Amphitheater when they contended for Masteries where the Victor's Guerdon was Life and Glory And unto this Paul seems to allude in the Text as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used by him doth import But I shall not be curious to observe the Difference but speak of them promiscuously The Life of a Christian is fitly compared unto a Fight or Warfare as will appear by the following Considerations 1. As in War there is always some Cause or other contended for whether it be to revenge Injuries or to defend Life and Liberty or to obtain Dominion or to win Glory and Renown So is it here Christians have a Cause which they fight in the Cause of God the Cause of Christ and of their own Souls they contend for the Glory and Honour of God for the Name and Faith of Christ for the eternal Salvation of their own Souls All these are concern'd in our Christian Warfare all these doth Satan seek to hinder and destroy 2. As in Wars and Fights so here are two adverse Parties Enemies and Antagonists to one another fighting and contending with one another And those we find to be listed under opposite Generals On the one side Jesus Christ the Prince of Life and Salvation and under him do fight all true Believers On the other side is Satan the Prince of the Power of the Air and of the Kingdom of Darkness who ruleth and commandeth in the Children of Disobedience and under him are listed Legions of Apostate Spirits and wicked Men. The Devil and the World fight against us by Temptations on