Temptations that set upon us from without Saint Paul adviseth us to be provided with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole armour of God Which he names particularly in this manner The girdle of Truth The Breast-plate of Righteousnes The feet shodde with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace The Shield of Faith The Helmet of Salvation The Sword of the spirit Ephes 6. 11. 12. 13 Our whole life is like a warfare saith Job we are all Souldiers under Christ's banner Job 7 1. And of the Foot too For that we be not too high mounted in our undertakings the armour which we heard of is such as useth to be provided for the Foot The Girdle is cingulum militare Having our loines girt with Truth or in Truth in veritate that is verè truly If you read it with Truth then Truth it self Divine Truth is the girdle that keeps us in and leaves us not to that liberty which goes along with false Doctrine But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Truth seems rather to signifie the true and real girding of the loines And that is done by the girdle of Chastity the proper curbe of the loines to prevent the danger of that part How needful this military girdle is we may guesse by the old Roman Militia where cingulum deponere was to give over the place of a Souldier The need of this girdle doth not so appeare to the Jew and the Mahumetan who are for many Wives and Concubines and think Fornication a light offence But he that will now be of the Church militant under Christ must have Chastity brought as near to him as the very girdle that he is girded withall And this must appear not in fair professions only but in sober truth in veritate that is in heart and practise When we have this girdle in veritate we may fasten the sword of the spirit unto it which is the word of God Our chaste and pure thoughts will be a means to lead us into all divine Truth and fit our hearts for the whole will of God contained in his holy word which is best seen as God himself is by the pure in heart And because I have put the girdle and the sword together I will so far interrupt the Apostle's method as to continue my discourse of the sword This sword of the spirit that is in the Hebraisme this spiritual sword the word of God is therefore called a sword for the power it hath over sin and sinful men We had some hint of it in a mystery in St Peter's vision where he saw all manner of Beasts and heard a voice calling to him Peter arise and stay If by those Beasts we will understand sins or sinful men no better then Beasts the word of God in the mouth of an Apostle is that sword that can slay and conquer So it may be discovered in a mystery But without a mystery we have it often and more plainly As in Isai. where the Messias the branch of the root of lesse is said to smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips to slay the wicked Isai. 11. 4. in the Rev. where a sharpe two-edged sword is said to come out of his mouth Rev. 1. 16 In the vertue of this sword the Apostles and their succâ—…ssours have been victorious through all the world and subdued whole Nations to the Kingdome of Christ. And how every Christian should use this spirituall sword in his owne defence preferring his obedience to God's holy word before his yeelding to any sinne our blessed Saviour showed us the way in his spirituall combate in the wildernesse Mat. 4. When he was tempted to turne stones into bread our Saviour keeps off the temptation with the spiritual sword Scriptum est It is written Man shall not live by bread onely VVhen we read the other temptations we find the like repulse given to the Devill with the same sword Scriptum est If such be the use of the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God what will the Laitie say to those that would so farre disarme them as to keepe them from this spirituall sword Though it hath beene so abused by themselves and so bowed to their own ends as if they tooke it rather for a sword of wax then a sword of the Spirit And what shall we think for we must say little of another generation of men that talke much of the Spirit and of the word of God but make little use of this spirituall sword if we may guesse by their Actions that looke quite another way But I must looke upon the rest of the Armour that make up the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the next is the Breast-plate of Righteousnesse which we might understand generally of a righteous and innocent life a good defence for the Heart but that the Apostle the best Interpreter of himselfe expressing it to the Thessalonians by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may take Righteousnes here for Charitie Which is one notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebr. whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in gr and Justitia in lat are often in the holy Scripture taken for Charity The reason of which Hebraisme is because the Scripture accounts Charitie no more then Justice or Righteousnes It being a just and righteous act to supply others with what we can well spare from our selves or a debt of love which we owe to God and men This is the reason why the Apostle calls that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnes in his Epistle to the Ephes which in the Epistle to the Thess he expresseth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitie And Charity may well be the Breastplate which is the tie and preservative of all vertues and lies nearest to the Heart When this piece of Armour is put on In the next place our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of Peace To have our Feet shod is to be fitted and ready for motion To have them shod with a military shooe such as in the brazen and iron age of sword-men were their brasse shooes that armed them against the injuries of the wayes where in time of warre the enemy placed as much danger as he could is in Christian warfare to be provided against the hazard and perill of a Christian course of life And To have them shod with the preparation of Gospel of Peace is to be ready to preach or the practise what belongs to our peace with God and Man as the Gospell directs us Which indeed had not been a Gospell that is not so good tydings without Peace And I doubt though it be a Gospel of Peace yet there are some great Pretenders to Christian warfare that are not so shod in these evill dayes Let us take care that we be so as the Apostle intends such as are ready to use the weapons here commended to us in the defence of this Gospel of Peace and the propagation
Introduction fitted for them that desire to live like true Christians Wherein if I have said somewhat which by the Good Grace and Blessing of God hath so moved the Heart of some One of my Readers that he wisheth himself worthy the name of Veruâ—… Christianus and that Salvation may this day come to his House as it did to Zacheus's upon the first hearing Christ's voice Let him remember qui non est Hodie Cras minus And if he be but as well affected as Agrippa seemed to be when he said he was almost perswaded to be a Christian. Then I will use the like words to him that the Angel did to Gedeon Dominus tecum i. e. I will say God be with thy good heart goe on in this thy strength God and Men and Angels will be thy Spectators Take Christ's Crosse upon thâ—… and â—…ight under his Banner And that thou mayest pâ—…evail with others Wrastle with God Himself first as Jacob did in his importunate Prayers and let Him not goe without a blessing Then let St. Paul acquaint thee with all the Armour of God and ceâ—…se not to use it till thou hast taken the Kingdome of God by violence It is likely upon such good intentions our worst enemie will rouse himself and prepare to have about with thee and threaten some of his fiery darts and subtle assaults drawn from the greatness of thy sinnes and late Repentance wherein he will as good as say to thee what David's enemies said to him upon occasion of his Two Scandalous Sinnes and the punishments that flew after them For then Many there were that said unto his Soul there was no help for him in his God None in this world none in the world to come as Kimchi doth well expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pregnant double word as the Jewish Grammarians call it Many said so but He was not troubled at it He laid himself down and slept quietly and so rose again in confidence that God would protect him and strike his enemies upon the Cheek Bone i. e. with a blow of disgrace Vse you the like faithfull prayers and such a blow will be enough to silence your stoutest enemies Trust God for this Cherish the good Motions of his Holy Spirit and goe on with your Resolutions and you have done well for this day Betake your selves to your quiet rest close-up the day with these Meditations upon your Pillow And you shall not want a supply of more particular advise I will be ready for you as soon as you awake GENERAL ADVICE more briefly set down for their sakes that have much other businesse In the Morning 1. When we are fully awake we may use these or the like Ejaculations PRaise the Lord O my Soul that hath delivered me from the dangers of this night and by a sweet and quiet rest fitted me the better for his service this day And O my Soul let his service be the chief work of this day O let the first-fruits of this and every day be His and the first opening of my mouth the blessing of his holy name Let my hearty prayers and praises come before him like the Incense to season and sweeten my thoughts for the whole Day that I may the more chearfully serve my God the God of all Mercy and Consolation 2. When we are retired into our Closets or Studies some Ejaculations or prayers may be used to this purpose Lord give me grace to study how I may love Thee above all in whom are all things most eminently that are most worthy of our love Teach me how to serve and honour Thee above all whose Service is both perfect freedom from the slavery of sin and the most honourable way of Employment Teach me how to fear thee above all that I may need to fear nothing else Before we come out of our Closets let us ask our selves how we mean to spend the present day in what actions or entertainments And that we may choose the best let us take a short Memorandum from the wise man which may serve as a short Sermon or Instruction for every day A short Sermon taken chiefly out of the first and last words in the book of the Preacher VAnity of vanities saith the Preacher Eccl. 1. that is All things in the world whatsoever they may be in our mistaken opinion are indeed extreme vanity in respect of those things which are above which should be the chief object of our desires If you will hear the Preacher This is the summe of all that is worth the hearing c. ult v. 13. Fear God and keep his Commandements for that is the whole Dutie of man who being a reasonable Creature owes that service to his Creator and to Him alone Therefore the Preacher adds v. 14. that God will bring every thing unto Judgment discovering all our secret thoughts and actions good or bad and passing his last irrevocable sentence upon them all The best Use that can be made of this truth may be gathered out of the Preachers own words directed to every one of us c. 11. 6. In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thy hand that is Lay hold upon all opportunities of doing good every day Begin and persevere to the end and do it with all thy might as well as thou canst c. 9. 10. For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou art going apace This short Sermon may sharpen our desires endeavours to make this everyday a Preparation to the last day that we may be fitted for mercy before that day come after which it cannot be done in all the infinite length of Eternity And in all our Meditations of Death and the last Judgment let me comfort my self with this that He only is to be my Judge that is my blessed Saviour and hath fully paid the ransom for my Sinnes and desires not the death of a Sinner but the death of Sin 3. Before we leave our Closets let us have recourse to some sett form of Devotion wherein we may faithfully and thankfully expresse God's tender mercies and our bounden duty Such expressions we may find in the Psalms and Hymns and Anthems or other parts of our publick Service and such are these Be merciful to me O Lord the God of all mercy and consolation give me grace not to pore too much upon the greatnesse of my sins but to fix my thoughts rather upon the greatness of my Saviours love that suffered for them and so purchased my lihertie changing my slavery under sin and Sathan into the happy and honourable Title of the Servant of the most high God which carrieth perfect freedom along with it Teach me to make thy holy praecepts sweeter to me then the hony and the hony comb and of more value then the richest treasures and beauties honours of the world For thou O Lord art the thing that I long for Ps. 7. 4. Thy loving kindness
is better then life it self Ps. 63. 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there 's none upon earth thaâ—… desire in comparison of thee Ps. 73. 24. Anthem Above the Stars my Saviour dwels I love I care for nothing else Dear Saviour raise my duller eyne To see some of thy beams divine And wondering let me often say Come Lord Jesu come away O fit me for thy coming and then make no long tarrying O my God Psal. 40. 21. and in the mean time Give me Grace to continue in the number of those that wait and long for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 13. 4. Such a short Morning task will quickly set us at liberty for our daily occasions but when publick Prayer time comes on let us listen to the Bells that invite us to God's House the place of his special presence Whither let us not come without due Preparation and before we enter in let us look to our feet our affections that bring us in and admonish our selves not to offer the sacrifice of fools in God's house For while we are there we are made a spectacle to God to Angels and to Men. Therefore we should hoc agere and use such good heed reverâ—…nce attention and devotion that we may end with a blessing and so go out better then we came in 5. After our return from publick Service a few hours well spent may produce a chearful heart all day and a sweet rest at night Especially if we begin or end the night with a short Scrutiny and examination of our selves what we have done well in the day time to thank God for it and what we have done ill to ask pardon and resolve by the grace of God to do better next day After our Scrutiny when we draw neer toward bed-time let us remember the affinitie betwixt Death and Sleep how soon one may be chang'd into the other That will oblige us to take order that as the body is to rest so the soul also may rest upon her proper pillow the Peace of God that passeth all understanding and rely upon the custody of Him that neither slumbers nor sleeps This being done doubt not but if we live a sweet sleep shall render us chearful and vigorous the next day and if we be carried from the bed to the grave as perhaps we may thence God will raise us to a better life and change our vile bodies to the likenesse of his glorious Body and from our Mother-earth bring us to our Heavenly Father whom none can see and not be everlastingly happy A few daies thus ordered may be an Introduction to all the rest according to this good Beginning But what 's all the rest Who knows what the rest of our Dayes may prove whether few or none Live well a few dayes and your life will be at an end as the Emperour Antoninus was wont to say The longest life is but a few daies Few and evil saith the Patriarch Jacob of his for with us good daies are prosperous daies all other are counted evil daies or nights of affliction rather then dayes Put all together Dayes and Nights Good and Evil they will all be quickly ended and we shall begin our Eternitie Le ts every day strive to make that happy Ab hoc momento pendet Aeternitas MORE PARTICVLAR ADVICE for times of Retirement Meditation and Devotion I. The need we have of several holy retirements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christianity is the conformitie of a Christian unto Christ saith Gregory Nyssen in Profess Chr He is the pattern and the way and the Truth and the Life The Rule of all our actions we have from Him who is the word of God and the Son of God whom by a voice from Heaven at his Baptism God commanded us to hear and obey Now will a little care and a little time be sufficient to fit us for the knowledg and practice of all this Will there not be need of several returns to our reading and studying and soliloquies and meditations how to facilitate these duties Must we not watch and mistrust our selves and be our own Remembrancers to keep us close to our task For that which sets us on work and hath most power to draw us one way or other is not any external thing it is rather in our own Apprehensions and Affections Thence is the Rhetorick that prevailes with us and hath all the Instruments and Operations of the Body and Mind at her command To compasse and effect this all the Helps and all the Vigilance that can be used will prove little enough For whatsoever is our talk and speculation and intention I doubt not but in the practice we do all of us find it a difficult matter to disintangle our selves from those natural or habitual and bosome sins that are apt to enâ—…are and enthrall us again if our best endeavours provide not for good heed and ready use of the compleat armour of a Christian. Nay if Sin could be avoided with ease yet there are so many Circumstances or Requisites that go to the piecing up of good Actions that the best of men need not be loth or ashamed to be made virtuous by the Book our Practice easily running counter to our Theory and some things as easily perswading us to slack that pace of which we were once as confident as we were fully resolved And no wonder For we have in us somewhat of the Beast as well as of the Man and are not so ready to hear Reason and Religion as to be lead by some Senses To which we may adde that when we are not endangered by inward frailties and corruptions we may have cause enough to fear danger from the contagion of commerce without us Therefore in the close of our Secessions and Retirements we should often pray that when we venter abroad we may be delivered not onely from our selves and our own inclinations but from our friends and enemies and oppositions and temptations of all sorts And we should as often admonish our selves that we walk upon snares and may suddenly and dangerously be surprized in our greatest security To say nothing that the World which at the best is but our Inne may by some accident be quickly turned to our Hospital and we thence summoned to the last and highest Tribunal before we are well advised of it II. The Frequency and Constancy of this holy Employment THis holy retirement that I plead for should be put in practice at least twice or thrice every day least the mind insensibly begin to flag and sink for want of such a help and support As we see our Clocks and Watches though we wind them up in the morning yet they will fail in their motion if we do not wind them up at night again And after