would neuer haue thus often and earnestly willed vs to put on the whole armour of God Some Christians when they do but heare how this man and that women is troubled and tossed with terrible and tedious temptations of Saâ—han are discouraged before it come at them but when they beginne to feele the diuelles assaultes and bickeringes in themselues they conclude they shall neuer be able to holde out but God hath not left his Church in such a desperate estate but hee hath prouided meanes of escape from their enemies therefore here the Apostle willes vs to vse it Armour of God He telles vs againe it is the armour of God that must doe it the armour of men will not doe it it is not humane power pollicie or ciuility that can withstand this enemy but the munition that comes out of the Lordes armourye for though the diuell be strong yet there is a stronger as the Apostle sayeth 1. Ioh. 4. 4 Greater is hee that is in you then hee that is in the world though his ingens and artillery be sharpe and dangerous to hurt vs yet there be instruments and weapons of greater force to preserue vs. This armour hee sets downe in the 14. 15. 16. 17. and 18. verses following verity he compares to a souldiers girdle that will fence vs against all Sathans temptations to hippocrisie herisie and lying righteousnesse he compares to a souldiers brest-plate that will fence vs from all Sathans temptations to iniustice and â—â—iury hope he compares to a souldiers helmit or head-peece that head-peece that will fence vs from his temptations to discontentednesse fainting and wearynesse faith he compares to a souldiers shielde or buckler that will fence vs from Sathans temptations to diffidence and dispaire the knowledge of the worde hee compares to a souldiers sworde that will fence vs from the temptations of ignorance and disobedience prayer he sets in the last place not that it must be vsed last but first and last therefore for breuitie sake he putteth it insteade of all the rest for the Scripture in other places makes mentioÌ„ of other vertues necessary to arme vs against other vices as humility that will fence vs against the diuels temptations to pride and vaine-glory temperance that will feare vs against his temptations to ryot and excesses in meate drinke apparrell recreation or any thing chastity that wil fence vs against his temptations to vncleanenes and adultery loue that will fence vs against his temptations to hatred and reuenge brotherlye kindenesse that will fence vs against all his temptations to morosotie and strangenes meekenesse that will fence vs against his temptations to wrath and waywardnesse patience that will fence vs from his temptations to murmuring vnlawful meanes vsing heauenly mindednesse that wil arme vs against all Sathans temptations to prophanesse and worldlinesse But the Apostle dooth onely set downe these few that he nameth in this chapter either because these vertues were most wanting in the Ephesians as his manner was to speake fitly to the persons and purpose or els because these were sufficient to answere to the partes of a souldier from whence he takes his metaphor The Papistes appoint other armour to withstand and driue away the diuell as crucifixes Agnis dies a part of Saint Iohns Gospell about a mans necke crosses made on the forhead and brest holy water ringing of belles but these neuer came out of Gods armory If this were the armour to withstand the diuell withall the Apostle forgotte himselfe that he tould vs not of it neither here nor else where Againe if this were good armour for that purpose the wickedest man might withstand the diuell aswell as the godliest man for who cannot make a crosse on his forhead weare a crucifixe about his necke sprinkle himselfe with holy water c. But that this is not the armour against the diuell appeares hereby that those who haue beene most superstitious in these things haue beene and are the vassels of Sathan and carryed at his pleasure to Idolatry heresie blasphemy adultery and such haynous sinnes But the furniture wherewith we must withstand the deuill is the armour of God that is prescribed to vs in this chapter in the rest of the Scripture that is the gifts and graces of regeneration and sanctification as sound knowledge vpright hartednesse vnfained faith and hope a iust and chaste minde an humble spirite sober and louing affection and a good conuersation it is that which the Apostle hath set downe in a word in the 4. chapter put on the new Ephe. 4. man which is after God created in righteousnesse and true holynesse and this is the cause that the diuell dooth carry men to many and dangerous sinnes because they haue no grace nor deuine power to resist him the cause that he carries men to hipocrisie and lyes is for that they want the girdle of vertue the cause that he carries them to iniustice and wrong is they want the brest-plate of righteousnesse see the cause that he carries men to any other vice is because they want the contrary vertue And marke he wills the Ephesians and vs the secoÌ„d time to put on not a part but the whole armour of God if a souldier be naked he may easily be hurt any where if he be armed but in some place he may be wounded on that part that lacketh but the Apostle would haue vs to bee wholely armed that wee may be foyled no where neither in our iudgement in our affection nor in our conuersation the cause that some of Gods seruantes haue taken dangerous falles hath beene the want of some of their armour how coulde Salomon haue beene so foyled as hee was if hee had not wanted sobrietye had Dauid receaued such a view of Sathan thinke wee if hee had put on chastity Some thinke if they haue a little knowledge they are christians good enough alas that is but one part a man may haue knowledge what to beleeue what to doe and what to suffer and yet be farre enough of from the practise of it a Christian must be a generall man therefore saith the Apostle Peter Ioyne vnto your faith vertue to vertue â— Pet. 1. knowledge and to knowledge patience and to patience temperance and to temperance godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and to brotherly kindenesse loue For there is no vertue or gift of regeneration but we shall haue occasion to vse diuers times in our life One being aduised by his friend to ride with a weapoÌ„ answered what needes that seeing a man shall meete with a thiefe but once in seauen yeares but saith he if a man want it that once it is once too much but we shall meete with this enemy euery day and shall finde by experience that all our Christian preparation is little enough to maintaine our pure religion and keepe our Iam. 1. selues vnspotted of the world that yee may be able to c. Without this
bee worne no where else but in the court but there yee shall be sure to finde it If those that be of low calling weare high apparell it must needs shew pride for there must be some difference between the Maiestrate and the subiect between the master the seruant between a Iack a Gentleman between Joane my Lady Againe if those of poore estate weare rich apparell it must needs shew folly vanity neglect of their family for there must be some differeÌ„ce between Cressus Codrus In the book of Martirs it is reported of one of the kings of England who commaunded his man to buy him a paire of hoase of a marke but now a meane subiect will weare a paire of hoase of twenty marke and euen those that be of calling and ability though they may weare costly apparrell yet they must not weare it at all times for in the day of humilation commaunded to the people of Israell or in the day of a publike fast none might put on their best apparrell therefore it was wont to be a common fault in gentlewomen when they came to a fast they came in the brauery and curiosity of apparrell as if they went to a feast and as there be some restraintes in the Sciripture touching the matter of apparrell so touching the forme and fashion of it it is forbidden men to weare womens apparrell Deu. 22. women to weare mens apparrell because it is a confusion and dangerous occasion of sinne it is also forbidden both men and women to weare strange apparrell like Zeph. 1. monsters as many now a dayes will haue other faces or complexions other haire and other bellies then God hath made them they are not content with the french Hoode with the Italian Ruffes with the Dutch hoase with the Indean shooes but they must haue euery day new and forraine fashions that they are growne out of fashion They doe not onely borrow the matâ—er of their apparrell from diuers creatures â—s beastes foules fishes wormes but they borrow the forme of their apparrell from diuers countries but Paule saith fashion not Rom. 12. 3. our selues like vnto this world there are no perticuler rules set downe in the Scripture for the fashion of apparrell but generally the Scripture saith it must agree with comâ—nesse modesty and sobriety a paterne whereof we must fetch from the Churches that is from the practise of Christian sober modest persons for in a question of womens attyring their heades the Apostle 1. Cor. 11 saith they had no such custome as some of the Corinthias vsed neither the churches of God therefore when young women that should haue sober mindes or ould women that haue young mindes shall weare nothing vpon their heades but their haire and that set vp a fore like a forehorse toppe I meane not a little which some sober women vse but set vp a great deale ilfauoured haire and immodestly when they shall weare monstrous vardugales which as it is saide were inuented by a strumpet to couer a great belly which requires more stuffe and takes vp more roome in meeting then some of them are worth and worthy of when they be exceeding curious in their colors cuts let them behold and inquire if such such that be religious wise sober and modest women go so apparrelled and inquire why they do not they shal finde it is because religion sobriety modesty wherewith they are indewed will not suffer them to doe so for shame but they that want religion and vertue cannot iudge of the vnseemelines vanity of these things whose apparrelling let it not be outward he opposes the outward apparrel to the inward apparrell which is the hid man of the hart that he speakes of afterward his meaning is not so much to condemne the outward apparrell as to commend vnto them the inwarde apparrell therefore hee saith to the Christian women whose apparrell let it not be outward but inward as if hee shold say thinke not that your chiefe beauty and brauery standes in decking of the body but in garnishing of the minde as our Sauiour Christ saith Labour not for the Ioh. 6. meate that perishes but for the meate that indures to euerlasting life Hee forbides not labour for that but requires the chiefe labour for the other hee would not haue them thinke their chiefe dyet to bee the foode of the bodye but the foode of the soule When our sauiour Christ bids his disciples Mat. 6. not lay vp treasure for themselues in earth but in heauen hee would haue men thinke that their chiefe riches is not goods but goodnes so when he saith here Whose apparrelling let it not bee outwarde but inward hee meanes they should not thinke the garmeÌ„ts of the body but the vertues of the minde their chiefe ornamentes When Adam Eue fell their soules were naked aswel as their bodies so it is with al their posterity as it is said in the Reuelation the Reue. 3. third chap. to the church of Laoditia thou seest not how thou art miserable and naked they were not naked in their bodyes but in their soules As God appointed our first parentes skins to couer their bodyes so he appointed his owne sonne and his owne image to couer their soules which the scripture willes al men to put on Paul saith to the RomaÌ„ put on the Lord Iesus Rom. 13. Christ to the EphesiaÌ„s put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes Ephe. 4. true holines yea the soule is more naked theÌ„ the body for there be some parts of the body that haue some comlines in theÌ„ and neede no couering as the face and 1. Cor. 12 handes but the soule is vncomely and naked in euery part the vnderstanding memory conscience will affection and all both of men and women haue need to be apparrelled regenerated and sanctified therefore as when any part of the body is naked either armes legges or feete wee seeke to get apparrell for it sleeues hoase shooes so much more must we doe for the nakednes of the soule Is any proude seeke for the garment of humility is any incontinent seeke for the garment of chastity is any couetous seeke for the garment of lyberality is any malicious seeke for the garment of charity and as the Scripture doth will vs to be moderate and incomparison carclesse of the attire of the body because we are too much giuen to it so it willes vs to bee carefull yea curious as I may say in these things of the soule as Peter 2. Pet. 1. saith loyne moreouer to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and to brotherly kindenesse loue and to the Thessalonians Paule willes Christians to increase more and more in them but in this place the Apostle setteth downe the attire of Christian
Christian brothers and sisters Psal 16. 3 a naturall man loues them not but rather hates them as Iohn shewes in his first Epistle A regenerate man doth see and feele the remnants of corruption and complaines Rom. 7. 23. of it the naturall man doth not but iustifies himselfe as the Pharisie did Luk. 18. 11. The regenerate man would not doe the euill Rom. 7. 19. that some time he dooth and he would doe the good that he dooth not and that good that he doth he would doe it better the naturall man dooth the euill that hee would hee dooth no good nor hath no minde to it neither dooth hee truely desire to be any better then he is The regenerate man prayes and cries Rom. 8. 20. Abba father by the spirite groanes vnto God for fauour for helpe against temptation for strength against sinne for grace to thinke speake and doe better the naturall man spendes no praiers about these things if he do it is but in few colde and fashionable wordes without affection of heart the regenerate man doth truely and earnestly striue against the corruption of nature that Gal. 5. 1â— yet remaines in him more and more ouercome it as Saloman saith In all labour there is profit the naturall man doth not so hauing nothing in him but flesh There is in a regenerate man as it were two men as Rebecca had two natioÌ„s in her wombe so a Christian hath as it were two natures in his wombe the members of the olde man and the new man of the flesâ— and of the spirite as Paule saith the flesh resistes the spirit and Gal. 5. 17. the spirite resistes the flesh therefore saith Peter abstaine from fleshly lusts that fight against the â—oule the striuing against corruption is the greatest excercise of a Christian outward troubles and enemies are nothing like it when the flesh or corruption preuailes in the childe of God thereof growes sorrow and griefe as Dauid when hee had sinned saith I goe mourning all the day but when the spirit preuailes against the flesh thereof growes ioy and comfort But a naturall man further then the feare of mans law or the shame of the worlde dooth enforce him hath no sorrow for his â—innes except some few examples such as were Esau and Iudas whome God dooth touch with hellish tormentes that in them other great sinners might see as it were a toarch of hell fire burning before their eâ—es and as a naturall man hath no sorrow for sin further then feare of man or shame doth force him so he hath no ioy in good things further then pride or vainglory doth pricke him so that to vse the common similitude of the scripture as we may know a good tree from a bad tree by the difference of their fruites so we may know a spirituall man from a carnall man by the difference of their mindes and manners A regenerate man that is borne of the spirite though he be not perfectly sanctified in this life yet hee is wholely sanctified for as there is a naturall birth of the whole man so there is a spirituall birth of the whole man that is as all the partes both of his soule and bodie are vitiated and corrupted by the first birth so all the partes of his soule and bodye his iudgement affection his will his conscience his memory his eyes his tongue handes feete c. are sanctified by his second and new birth and there is no part of a regenerate man so corrupt as it was before I speake not of some extraordynarye fault that some good man may fall into by strong temptation which peraduenture hee committed not nor the like before his conuersion but I speake of that ordinarye estate that Gods children are brought vnto by regeneration Therefore we are in the Scripture not onely exhorted generally to put on the new man to be renewed to amend out liues to be holy as God is holy but wee are exhorted to the perticuler vertues and partes of the new man as to knowledge loue pacience temperance humility and diuers other partes of sanctification there is no naturall man but doth something that is good in it selfe though it bee not so to him but a regenerate man is good many wayes within and without in wordes and indeedes Againe hee that is borne againe of the spirit doth grow in grace and the guiftes of the spirite that is not onely to adde one grace to another as Peter saith â—oyne to 2. Pet. 1. 5 your faith vertue to vertue patience to patience temperance to temperance c. But euery grace and spirituall gift dooth grow greater stronger as the disciples saide to Christ Lord increase our faith so we must saye Lorde increase ours and our loue our pacience our zeale c. For as there is growing of the first birth from children to men as growing in the corruption of the first birth as the Apostle saith Euill men and deceiuers waxe worse and worse so there is a growing in the second and new birth from little to much The meanes here of is the word of God as Peter speakes as new borne babes desire the 1. Per. 2. 2 sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby and prayer As our Sauiour said ouâ— heauenly father will giue the holy Ghost that is the giuftes of the holy Ghost to those that aske him Now seeing it is so necessary that a man should bee borne againe without the which he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen let euery man and woman examine themselues whether he can finde a new creature in him or no which he shall know by the former properties of a regenerate man let him examine whether hee haue a new minde and new manners in generall then let him examine the perticulers first 1 If he loues God with the affection of a childe to his father 2 If he loues the children of God with the affection of a brother or sister 3 If he delightes in the lawe of God because of the excellent wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse that is in vs. 4 If hee sees his owne corruption of nature and condemnes it and himselfe for it 5 If in his affection hee would not doe that which is euill and contrary to the law but would doe that which is good and agreeable to the law 6 If he praies to God with an vnfained hart not only for pardon of sinne but for power against sinne 7 If he doe truely and earnestly striue against sinne and for vertue not only without but within himselfe 8 If he hath remorse and sorrowe for sinne though they be little in comparison and secret that the world knowes not and ioy in goodnesse 9 If he desire and vse the meanes of the word of God that may make him growe in the new birthe and become better If a man finde these things in himselfe he is regenerate and borne againe if not he is not borne of