may see by his manner of ordering them how that he leaues the sorest till the last euen the sword to diuide asunder the life and the spirits that if all the former tribulation anguish c. will not bring vs on our knees yet that may be sure to speed and rather than loose that we will vndergoe hard conditions I but may some man say vnto vs how is it that Satan himselfe is not heere set against vs seeing he is that great Muster-master the commander of so many Legions he it is that owes vs all the spite and sets all these a work but for him all their blowes were but fleabytings easily awarded all their plots but like Sampsons bonds easily broken The answer is that Satan is not heere excluded Hee is not like those carelesse Kings that will lie at home and send their Leiuetenants not like Dauid gazing vppon his Pallace when as Ioab is in the brunt of the battell nor like Senacherib in his Temple at home when his Captaines be marching abroad he is alwaies at hand in the forefront in the rereward in the midst and at either wing but the reason as I take it why he is not here expressed is because his warfare is spiritual and not so easily discerned in it selfe but is manifest vnto vs in these his soldiers and 2. in regard of our meannesse and foolish disposition who do vsually stand in more dread of these his attendants then of Satan himselfe Whereas on the contrary we should learne this spirituall wisdome a speciall point of military discipline not so much to looke at these things as punishments of sin for so the sting of them is taken away in Christ but especially as they are Satans Ianizaries his accomplices in whom he seeks to worke our ruine to depriue vs of the hope that we haue here in God and of the happinesse that hereafter we expect in heauen And thus you see beloued what fellowes they be that we are to grapple withall we had need to be no children that must go to this geare if these be they whom we must conquer Why but you will say is it possible that euer we should deale with such as these is ther any hope that euer we should get the victory of such aduersaries who cannot be hurt themselus they are impenetrable all the dāger lights vpon vs if any body go to the wall t is we if any body catch the foile it must needs be we yea indeed are ye at that point nay but by your leaue S. Paule telleh vs an other tale the diuine spirit will giue vs better hartning for he saith heere that we are conquerors already Conquerors yea more then conquerors through him that loued vs. yea will you say and you can proue vs that point it is some thing it is a matter worth the talking of if you could assure vs of the victorie before we goe into the field you would put some life and and spirit into vs. Well beloued me thinkes you may easily bee persuaded of this if wee had no more suretie but the promise of the diuine Spirit the warrant of this Scripture t is sufficient to giue vs encouragement Suppose that two men were going into the field to reuenge their priuat wrongs and a third man that had the mastry and commaund of them both in so much that he could bid them giue ouer when hee will hold their hands at his owne pleasure so that neither of them could strike a stroke beyond his designement and this man should say to one of them be not dismayd but haue a good heart for I will stand by thee and hee shall not giue thee a blow to do thee hurt nor strike a stroke but as I think good but as for thee I wil giue thee thy free scope to doe thy best thou shalt assuredly giue him the foyle would this man now doubt of the victorie would hee be afraid to meet his foe in the very face O fy no he would goe with courage and resolution and why why because the victorie is promised him Why beloued the Lord hath Satan in his power he is at his becke all these his follwers are at the Lords command Further then he permits they can neither strike nor stirre but as he sayes to the Sea stay thy proud waues and to the deuouring Angell hold thine hand t is enough so if he but speak the word these haue done not a word nor a blow Now this Lord heere of this power and commandement hee promiseth he will stand by vs hee assures vs we shall haue the conquest hee sends vs word so from heauen by his spirit speaking in the Apostle Why shall wee doubt now shal we distrust the issue and euent vndoubtedly if we beleeue not we doe for as he that beleeueth hath sealed that God is true so hee that denyeth credence to the promise denyeth credit to God O then let our faith embrace this promise and we are sure All things are possible to him that belieueth When the people of God were to wage warre with their enemies and came to God for counsell if he said but once goe vp they were presently all in armes yea so resolute were they vpon this assurance that when they were to fight against their brethren of Beniamin for the reuenge of a notorious villanie Iud. 20.28 and two daies before had had the foile throw their owne rashnesse in ill handling a good cause yet the third day when the Lord bad them go vp with hope of victorie they readily obeyed and sutably ouercame them Would they put their affiance in God for bodily victorie and shall not we rely vpon him for a spirituall conquest Was hee then a God of his word in meaner affaires and shall he not now be trusted in greater employments Far be it from vs beloued the Lord being the same in power in loue in fidelitie being able by his power willing by his loue and faithfull in his promise that wee should either deny his power disclaime his loue or call his fidelitie into question seeing he hath heere affirmed we shall bee conquerors else where assured that hel gates shal not preuaile against vs and daily giues vs experiment of his speciall aide and assistance and of the victorie of faith which bringeth vnderfoot all worldly encumbrances But that we may giue more euidence to this truth let vs take a view of it in the experiment of Gods Saints and let vs see how in closing with these our enemies wee get the victorie and all the Apostle heere tels vs we do more than conquer It were well if we might but ouercome and that we are sure of for our faith ouercomes the world and it quencheth all the fierie darts of the deuil giues them a recoyle and him a retraite For if we stand to it he runs away if we resist him he flies from vs and when the Captaine is gone these fellowes are like the Philistims they will
either runne after him or turne to our side and helpe vs to war against him But that we should not ouercome onely but be more than conquerors this is the preheminence of a Christian souldier aboue all other warriours But may that bee may some say I answer we may be said to be more than conquerors in 4. respects which I wish you to take notice of as worthy obseruation 1. In that before wee enter into the lists wee are sure of the victorie worldly conquerors we know are not sure of the day before they goe to the field they are not sure of the victorie till they see the end and therefore if Achab threaten Mica it must be but with yffs ands if I returne in peace then Mica must pay for the pinnes If Rabshake will needs dominere ouer Gods inheritance and sound the retraite before the Alarme hee shall be taught to know that his tongue was a little more hastie then his wit for the issue of war is doubtfull and he that puts on his armour may not exult as he that puts it off But we beloued that march vnder Christs banner haue this priuiledge aboue al worldly Martialists that we are sure of the victorie before the fight we are sure to returne with Triumph and Renowme at least for the finall Conquest Insomuch that that which the old Israelites had sometime assured by diuine verdict we haue alwaies assured by the vertue of the promise and the current of the couenant of Grace The truth whereof is most apparant In that Christ our Capt hath subdued their forces he our head hath led them in Triumph this conquest is appropriated to vs the like victorie according to our Model is merited for vs. The power of his strength is daily at hand to giue vs strength to affoord vs assistance to infuse courage adde dexteritie how we may handle our spiritual armour how we may take our foes at aduantage and how we may best giue them recoyle So that that which is counted meere folly amongst men in Christianitie is held a point of wise resolution vz. to triumph before the victorie for before the victorie we are sure to be conquerors in this surely more than conquerors 2. We are more than conquerors in this that we who euerie way are so silly and simple of so meane forces and so litle power doe obtaine the victorie In earthly conquests we know the victorie is vsually obtayned by valiant and resolute Spirits great Commanders and experienced souldiers as the worthies of Dauid the sonnes of Zeruiah but here it is far otherwise We that are very earth-wormes the outcast of the world in the hands of all these grieuous aduersaries Tribulation anguish c. euen as Lambs before the rauenous creatures as little Dauid before that Gyant-like Goliah we I say that are so vnequall matches we breake through all their forces like the three mightie men through the host of the Philistims they be all subdued vnto vs death it selfe the last enemie is turned into life Bethmaueth into Bethel the doore of death into the gate of heauen So that a Christian lying in the agonie and anguish thereof and finding small solace in regard of the exigent when it pleaseth the Lord to open the eyes of his soule by deliuering it from the prison of his bodie as he did Iacob from his dreame lying in the field he may well say with that holy man This is the house of God and I was not aware this is none other then the very gate of heauen But to our purpose beloued If you should see a little boy bicker with a mighty Giant of great strength and puissance and that he should bring him vnder giue him the ouerthrow and quite vanquish him would ye not say the child were more than a conqueror Surely the Israelites thought so of Dauid and sutably they gaue him an eminent and superlatiue applause in their triumphant gratulation Saul hath slain his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand Why euen so it is with vs we that are thus weake and feeble and vnweldie to see too that haue neither forme nor beautie in vs nor any thing to be desired we obtaine the victorie And that God who doth by the foolishnesse of preaching confound the wisedome of the wise by the weake and despised things of the world make the strong to stoope and lay their honour in the dust and their port in obliuion that God I say perfits his owne strength in our weaknes assists vs so with the sufficiencie of his grace that we may well be said to be more then conquerors Againe we are more then conquerors in that by euery victory we grow the stronger yea by euery foil we grow the more puissant Worldly conquerors we know tho they win the victory yet it is vsually with the losse of much blood their forces are long time after much weake and therfore the lesse vnable to bicker againe But we beloued get the better by all these brunts we get more strength by all our incounters not in experiment only but likewise in ability if not somtimes for the present yet alwaies in time conuenient If we be in tribulation why Peter telleth vs it bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh vs to lay faster hould vpon God and to hould vp our heads with comfort So that for one affliction we get fower vertues for one enimie fower asociats for tribulatiō namely we are armed with the buckler of patienc the brestplate of experience the helmet of hope and the shield of faith and what loosers then are we by the bargaine are we in affliction why Dauid will tell vs it was good for him that he was afflicted for therby he learned to keep Gods law Did not he get good strength before he could not make straight steps to Gods statutes But he was fetting byasses and compasses hee went limping and ill fauouredly in the way to heauen but now now he had learned to goe vpright and to runne with cheerefulnesse and so shall we doe beloued if our afflictions bee sanctified vnto vs. Are wee reuiled and persecuted for the name of Christ and the profession of his trueth why Christ tells vs we are happy and blessed The Apostles thought they were highly dignified yea strangely preferred that they were thought worthy to suffer any thing for the name of Christ And surely it is an high dignitie to be a Captaine as it were against Satan and to breake a speare in the cause of Christ For this encouragement wee get by it that whereas before we were ashamed of the name of Christ we were afraid to professe the truth now we are as bold as Lyons and as resolute as may be in the cause of God Peter that before durst not looke a silly wench in the face but would sweare and lye rather than he would take notice of Christ is now of so couragious a spirit that he dare
euen stand for him to the very face of the high Priest and the Elders Is Paul in bonds and imprisonment for the Gospell why that gaines freedome to the Gospell and makes it famous euen in Neroes court Is Lazarus ready to starue for hunger and in the faintnesse of his spirit does hee giue vp the ghost I but what loseth he by that what looseth he nay he is a great gainer for hee comes so much the sooner to heauen for death the Lord of our enemies is swallowed vp in victorie I it is made a passage of life being past it we are out of all gun-shot for then for euer we are conquerors our triumph shal be celebrated to eternity the greater danger the more glorious victorie thus wee are likewise more than conquerors Lastly wee may bee said to bee more than Conquerors in that when we seeme to be ouercome and all men deeme we haue the foile why then haue we the day then doe we celebrate the Triumph then wee may sing with Deborah O my soule thou hast marched valiantly This is especially seene in death when as that fearefull Combatant that gastly Aduersarie assailes vs and sets vpon vs and therfore wee will instance onely in that and shew you how euen in death when we are laid full low why then is our Triumph at the highest our Conquest is most supereminent A strange conclusion to humane reason but an euident truth to the eye of faith For when as the godly are brought once to this passe that the wicked haue bereaued them of their liues O then they thinke all is well they are rid of them they haue now brought them vnder So the Deuill thought and hee could get Christ nayled to the crosse once all was well nay but and if he be laid in the graue once and the stone sealed vp all is sure there will be no more talking of him vnlesse it be in disgrace to call him a deceiuer who said he would rise within three daies but could not and therfore there would be no more doings vnlesse his Disciples should come and steale him away by night to gull the people But they would watch them for that they would set souldiers to keepe the Tombe and see who durst be so bold as to come and stirre it Thus the Deuill and his impes did euen dance as it were vpon the graue of Christ and fetch their friskes and Moriscoes as it were singing as it is in the Psalme Surely hee is now so low he can neuer rise againe Thus they trampled vpon him as vpon a dead Lion but the mightie Lion of the Tribe of Iudah rose valiantly from the dead grappled with that mightie Dragon and ouerthrew him and like that valiant Sampson caried the gates of Azzah the gates of death vpon his backe in triumph so that they are now no more the gates of death but the gates of life whereby all the godly enter into glory So that if the Deuill come vnto Gods children and tell them skin for skin and all that a man hath will he giue for his life they may tell him he lyes for if it so pleased God they had rather giue all they haue to be rid of their life If I should here enlarge my speech to relate the valour and confidence and reioycement that the constant Martyrs and faithfull witnesses of the Lord Iesus haue had in suffering for his truth I might liuely paint out vnto you more than a conquest Steuen vnder the stones sees heauen open and Christ at his Fathers right hand ready to receiue him the apprehension whereof did euen so solace his Soule that hee laid downe his life with solace showing greater valour in bearing the blowes then they crueltie in their enraged malice We read in the stories of the Church of a young man that was put to the racke for the profession of Christ and being kept vpon it with much torture from morning to noone hee lay all the while quietly with a sweet smiling countenance as one that had been in a pleasant slumber which being much admired when he was deliuered from the racke it was demanded of him whether he felt no paine all the while because his countenance was so cheerefull he answered indeed that hee did feele some paine but all the while as hee thought there stood by him a beautifull yoong man who wyped the sweat off his face alwayes and besprinkled him with cold water insomuch that the paine was greatly allaied and it was not so much when he was on the Racke as after he was taken off How euer all the godly haue not such extraordinarie apparitions yet they haue the power of Christ supporting their weaknesse and the presence of the spirit giuing them courage and abilitie to beare all with courage that is laid vpon them for the name of Christ I might giue many instances of rare constancie in this our Land in the time of Queene Mary in which the Lords people did euen after a sort seeme lauish of their bloud to shed it for the witnessing of the Lord Iesus who had not spared to shed his hearts bloud for them Who all being ayded by Gods speciall assistance did breake through all difficulties and freely gaue their liues for the Gospell and therein became more than conquerors in that being conquered they conquered yea in that they seemed to bee ouercome therein stood the very glory of their victorie for that same Christian valour the Lord had put into them it made them resolue to cleaue to Christ in life and in death to make him their portion To which purpose excellent is that speech of that Reuerend Hooper laying out vnto vs the combat betweene the frailtie of the flesh and the resolution of the spirit and letting vs see how the grace of God preuailes against the disgraces and greeuances of the world Imprisonment saith he is painfull but yet libertie vpon bad conditions is more painfull The prisons stinke I but not so much as sweet houses where the feare of God is wanting I but we must be alone and solitarie why it is better to be so and haue God with thee then to be in companie with the wicked Losse of goods is great But the losse of Gods fauour and grace is greater I but I am a poore simple creature and cannot tell how to answer before such a great sort of noble learned and wise It is better to make answer before the pompe and pride of wicked men then to stand naked in the sight of all heauen and earth before the iust God at the latter day Why but I shall die then by the hands of the cruell man Why he is blessed yea a thousand times happy that loseth this life full of mortall miseries and findeth the life full of eternall Ioyes Thus beloued the holy ones of God haue resolued to lay downe their liues for the Lord Iesus and in loosing their liues they haue found them for they haue found Christ
the life of their soules according to his promise He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it and haue they not then been valiant conquerors yes vndoubtedly more than conquerors The vse of all this that hath been said is to let vs see the excellencie of a Christian and what a priuiledge it is to be the child of God for euery state is sanctified vnto vs and we thereby are brought nearer vnto God and therefore alwaies to reioice continually to solace our selues in the Lord and in him to cheere vp our spirits in euery condition knowing that the most grieuous estate we can be in is sanctified vnto vs and that when God lets any crosses betide vs why it is because he hath some good to worke vnto vs out of them either that hee may thereby curbe some sinne and so driue the Cananites out of his owne Inheritance or else that he may giue vs scope to exercise the graces wee haue receiued and so to make vs more nimble and actiue more politicke and experienced against a greater encounter And therefore wee should not be so timorous and faint-hearted as we be at the very hearing of any affliction comming toward vs like the Israelites running away at the very sight of Goliah no wee should plucke vp our hearts and cheere vp our spirits knowing that the greatest of our aduersaries is but an obiect for vs to shew out valour vpon and to make proofe of our spirituall puissance Why what care I how stout mine aduersarie be what doe I feare how strong an arme hee hath or what a big legge or how well appointed he come when as I know I shall ouercome him The stouter he is and the better weaponed hee comes the more shall be my glory for I know relying vpon God I shall giue him the foyle and therefore the better he is appointed the gladder I am Thus should our hearts rise within vs and euen leape for ioy that we may haue an opportunitie to shew our loue to Christ and to beare a stroke for his sake And therfore if God should call any of vs to greater triall euen to loose our liues for his truth yet still wee should reioyce knowing that the greater the outward greeuance is the more neere it brings vs to God and that God vnto whom it brings vs is so gratious that where our triall and combat is the greater he supplies and seconds yea and doubles his strength the power of his spirit And againe t is a speciall prerogatiue and an high grace for a Christian that God shall chuse him out before many others as a speciall man to be a Captaine as it were and one of the worthies of Israel to venter further for the Lord than a great many other shall doe and to combat and bicker with the Deuill euen at his owne weapon his owne life And it is the Cup likewise our blessed Sauiour begun to vs of why who would not bee glad to pledge him me thinkes hee should thinke himselfe highly graced that may haue the first and the fullest draught for this is a true drinking of an holy health a speciall potion for the health of our soules And lastly what a blessing is it to haue those things which are punishments of sinne turned into witnessings and testifications of the truth of God to be a grace and a glory and an ornament to the Gospell of Christ And for the hurt that afflictions can doe vs why we must know they are but like the furnace of Babilon which burnt not the three children no not so much as scorched not the hayre of their heads but only loosed their bandes So all the hurt that afflictions do vs is but to loose the bands of our corruption to purge and purifie vs from our sinnes a most happy losse A child seeing his Father cut a grape from the vine lookes at it and it seemes very prety vnto him hee thinks it were pitie it should be prest for then t is spoild but the wise Father knowes that stamped it is the best for if it should be let alone it would not presently but being pressed it wil yeeld it own blood that comfortable liquor which cheares the heart of man Such children and fooles are we we thinke if wee might serue God in peace and quietnesse without any 〈◊〉 all were well whereas God our wise Father knowes if wee were let alone we would be naught we would rot in our corruptions and therefore in his wisedome hee lets vs be stamped in the wine presse of afflictions that wee may be made according to his minde such as may euen cheate his heart and such examples of constancie as may euen draw vs on to the embracing of the truth For the bloud of Martyrs hath been the seed of the Church and neuer did the Church flourish so much as in time of persecution But alas poore silly soules that wee are what cowardly hearts haue we if a man giue vs but a disgracefull tearme wee are ready with those Disciples Ioh. 6. to leaue Christ to follow him no more What a dastardly part is this to cast away our weapons before we haue any blow why we should reioice we are counted worthy to suffer any thing for Christ and wee should persuade our selues that he that giues vs power to beare that he will afterward giue vs courage to endure an harder brunt And as for the wicked that delight in the persecuting and disgracing of the Saints of God let them learne hence what fooles they are for wheras they thinke they doe the worst that can bee to Gods children in mocking them in disgracing them the truth is they could not do them a greater pleasure for by this means they make them more than conquerors by this means they make them atcheiue a most glorious victorie for let them know that howsoeuer they can discerne nothing in the Saints of God but miserie and basenesse and a life worthy to bee lothed yet the truth is that when they seem to them to bee at the lowest ebbe then are they indeed in the sight of God and in the feeling of their owne soules most glorious conquerors insomuch that as one saith well Contraries may euen be predicated of them at the same instant and that they may well be said to be the foulest and the fairest the poorest the richest the foolishest and the wisest the highest and the lowest the basest and yet the noblest the weakest the strongest They are the foulest in that to the worlds eye there is neither form nor beauty in them and yet the fairest for they are the spouse of Christ his faire one his loue his doue his beloued the Kings daughter that is all glorious within The poorest they be for they vse this world as though they vsed it not and yet the richest for they haue laid vp treasure in heauen The foolishest for such God chuseth to confound the wisdom of the wise and yet the
wisest for the feare of the Lord is true wisdom and to flee from euill the chiefe vnderstanding They be the basest as being deemed the very refuse and off-scouring of the world and yet the noblest being the sonnes of God the heyrs of heauen They are the weakest as being continually exercised with tribulation anguish persecution perill and sword and yet the strongest for in all these we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs. So that me thinks if it were for nothing else then this the wicked should cease to persecute Gods children namely because by this means they greatly aduance them they make them most glorious victors I know there is neuer a wicked persecuting man but he would be loth to do any good to Gods children if he knew any thing that would further their preferment he would be sure to reape it from them if it lay in his power why then what a foole art thou to persecute them thou dost by this means make the graces of Gods spirit to shine more eminent in them thou giuest them occasions to master their corruptions so that they are conquerors both ouer thee themselues and get more strength and puissance daily fight more couragiously vnder the banner of Christ shall haue more garlands wreaths of renowme set vpon their heads then if they had not gone through those brunts So that in steed of doing them hurt thou doest them a great pleasure making them heere to grow in grace like the Palme which the more it is pressed the faster it riseth heereafter to expect a greater glory for he that ouercomes with courage shall be crowned with Triumph and haue those speciall preheminences that ensue such a conquest What hurt therefore canst thou doe vnto vs who euer thou art that delights to be doing with the Saints of God What hurt nay thou dost vs much good for thy curses are turned into blessings there is neither sorcerie nor witchcraft against Iacob and as Salomon sayes the very mercies of the wicked are cruelty so we may well inuert the speech and say that the crueltie of the wicked is mercy through his mercy who hath loued vs for wee are onely conquerors through him that loued vs. A word of which and so an end The power of this victorie is from Christ all our sufficiencie is from him by faith it is that we receiue it his spirit infusing that courage into vs that makes vs play the men and winne the field His loue was the cause of all this good for his loue to vs made him leaue heauen the seat of his glory to descend to the earth the footstool of miserie and there to fight that same first bloudy field and to giue Satan the foyle since which time Satan could neuer finally ouercome any of his chosen Well then beloued did Christ come into the world to make vs conquerors Did he descend from heauen that hee might giue vs the victorie ouer all these enemies Tribulation Persecution c. I that he did our text sayes so And doe wee now celebrate the memoriall of that comming the remēbrance of his Natiuitie I that wee do for now is the time of that solemnitie Why then my beloued wee must remember so to keep this time of solemnitie that we still retayn our victorie that we still keepe the conquest that Christ hath purchased for else it were a right mock-holy-day indeed to celebrate the time of Chr comming into the world and to bereaue our selues of the end wherfore he came of the benefit we reap by his comming His end was sayes my text to make vs conquerors of all these our enemies Tribul Anguish c. this was his end We must then take heed that we do not againe beslaue our selues to the commission to the entertainment of such sins as may bring all these enemies in vpon vs againe iustly for our sinne and subiect vs vnto them If a Towne or a Citie should keep a festiuall day in the memorie of some great victorie their King had got in the ouerthrow of their enemies and should in the meane time send for those enemies that the King had put to flight bring them into the City and not only so but vrge thē to the banquet reioyce with them in them and bid them welcome and make them good cheere and let them take possession of it againe would the King take this well thinke ye would hee thinke it were a good remembrance of his venturing of his life for the safetie of that city well quoth he why it would so incense and enrage his spirits against them that hee could not hold his hands but presently as it is in the Gospell hee would send forth his warriours to slay those traitours and burne vp their city Why thus the case stands with vs beloued Christ our King the King of peace and glory came downe from heauen to deliuer vs from the power of hell from all our enemies hee got the victory with valour we now celebrate the time of his comming to conquer if wee shall now celebrate it in passing the time and solacing our selues with those sins that he hath conquered as intemperance idlenesse wanton pastims if we send for the enemies that he hath subdued and giue them possession againe why what do we els but lose the victory cashiere Christs conquest and mock his bloudshed And what may we then look for but the fearful doome before named that as we haue equalled those traitors in sinne so we may drinke as deepe of the punishment O therefore beloued let vs be wise let our reioycing be such as we may fit the time spirituall reioycing let our mirth be such as may stand with our victory spirituall mirth not foolish laughter which is madnesse or worse not iesting and iybing which becomes not Saints not vnclean speeches which should not once be named among Christians not winter tales and foolish stories the diuels chronicles which neuer need printing we can so well remember them Wherefore let vs rather beloued cheere vp our soules in the spirituall memory of Christs victory of the victory of faith that ouercomes the world In the prerogatiues of Christianity which are most singular yet so that we alwaies refer them to him that loued vs for we only enioy them through him that loued vs. Let vs pray c. FINIS