faith faile all fails and if faith hold all holds 4. How the grace of faith quencheth the fiery temptations of Satan I shall shew it in two particulars 1. Faith quencheth Temptations by removing out of the soul that which keepes Temptations burning Sin and corruption in the soul is that fewel which fires Satans temptations the lusts of our own hearts keep these temptations flaming in the soul Now faith is a purifier it takes away all the rotrenness which keeps temptatiuns alive Act. 15. 9. There are three things which concur to the purifying of the soul 1. The efficient cause this is the spirit of God who is therefore called the spirit of sanctification and holiness 2 Thess 2. 13. 2. The meritorius cause this is the laver of Christs blood 3. The instrumental cause this is faith Faith is the branch of Hysop which was to be dipped in the blood of purification for the sanctification of him that was unclean Lev. 14. 6. There are many wayes whereby faith cleanseth the heart 1. Faith cleanseth as it takes hold upon the promise of sanctification The promise Ezech 36. 25. Now faith is that grace which works this promise so as to bring cleansing out of it Faith sucks cleansing out of this promise 2. Faith purifieth as it brings the word of God home effectually and powerfully to the soul The word of God hath a cleansing vertue John 15. 3. Now ye are clean through the word I have spoken to you Faith applies this cleansing word to the soul and so purifieth 3. Faith purifieth in that it makes all other ordinances effectual for our cleansing as Sacraments Prayer neither the blood of Christ in baptisme nor the Supper become purgative without faith Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience c. 4. Faith cleanseth as it sets other graces a work in the soul Love fear humility repentance c. are made operatively the grace of faith Faith is as the primum mobile which by its moving sets all other graces a moving vide Heb. 11. We read there how by faith all other graces were made operative Faith sets Noahs fear Abrahams obedience Moses his self-denial c. a working Faith puts the soul upon praying repenting examining c. all which have a tendency to purification 5. Faith cleanseth as it strengthens the souls union with Jesus Christ The soul is purified by union with Christ now it s the work of faith to incorporate the soul further into this root Faith shewes the soul more and more of the glory of Christ and so transforms us into the same Image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. Faith quencheth the fiery darts of Satan by bringing to the soul that which helps the soul to put them out Faith interposeth five Screens to keep off Satans darts viz. 1. Faith brings the merit of Christs death and helps the soul to fence it self with that against temptation Faith goes out to the Crosse of Jesus Christ and lets the soul see his triumph over principalities and powers Coll. 2. 15. Faith fetcheth to the soul the water of the well of Bethelem which is by the gate and pours that upon the fiery darts the blood of Christs Crosse will quench all the wild fire of temptation and this faith brings 2. Faith brings to the soul the merit of Christs Intercession which he makes continually for his people at Gods right hand I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22. 32. Faith interposeth this botween the soul and the fiery darts and so puts them out 3. Faith brings to the soul the promises of Victors which God hath made to his people over their temptations As that Rom. 1. 20. The Saviour of peace shall bruise c. Faith interposeth this promise between the soul and the fiery darts and so quencheth them 4 Faith brings to the soul all the Attributes of God his power his wisedome his all-sufficiency and sets these between the soul and the fiery darts and so quencheth them Thou comest against me with a sword and spear but I come against thee in the name of the Lord God of Israel 2 Sam. 17. 45. 5 Faith brings to the soul all the excellencies of Gods former assistance both to himself and to other the servants of God in the day of their temptations it lets the soul see how Job and David and Peter overcame c. The Lord who delivered me out of the paw c. 1. Sam. 17. 37. USE I. INformation We may from hence draw these four Conclusions 1. This shewes us both the Lect. 19. Feb. 13. 1649. Necessity and the Excellency of the grace of justifying Faith The Apostle cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 1. It s a very precious grace Many things may be said to set out the necessity and the worth of this grace Faith is that by which alone we please God Heb. 11. 6. Neither praying hearing meditating suffering c. is accepted of God without faith Heb. 11. 4. Faith is that by which we receive all the intelligence we have from heaven while we are in our earthly pilgramage 2 Cor. 5. 6. Faith is that vessel by which only we draw water out of the wells of salvation Isa 12. 3. Faith is that which unites us to Christ and Christ to us Faith is the souls eye by which it sees things invisible Heb. 11. 7. Faith is the souls hand by which it receives all the good which is in the promise Take eat this is my body Faith is the souls foot by which it stands in storms and by which it is carried through its pilgramage Come unto me all ye that labour c. Faith is the foot on which we come Thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear Faith is that by which we spiritually live The life that I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God c. It would take up a whole volum to set out to the life the Necessity and Excellency of this grace of faith I shall onely keep to the Doctrine it s the souls shield whereby it is defended in time of Temptation whereby all the venimous Arrows of Satan are extinguished and put out He that wants faith is weak blind lame dead c. 2. This lets us see why it is that Satan prevailes so much in the world All men saith the Apostle have not faith 2 Thess 3. 2. Most men fight without a shield and so lye open to Satans darts Hypocrites they are overcome for want of the girdle vicious persons are vanquished for want of the breastplate weak hearted persons are put to the worse for want of the shooes and unbeleevers fall in battel for want of the shield There are so few conquerours because there are so few beleevers When the Son of man commeth shall he find faith in the erath Luke 18. 8. Our Saviour
by the Servants of God yet he will renew his Assaults and Temptations For 1. The Devill is a very malicious Creature he hates the Servants of God with a perfect hatred Your adversary the Devil c. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Malice is an insatiable thing its never weary of prosecuting all means that can be devised for the utter ruine of the thing or person it opposeth As love never thinks it can do enough for the advantage of the object beloved so envy and malice is never weary of attempting the destruction of the object hated Now Satan envieth the godly with an irreconcileable envy I will put enmity between thee and the woman between thy seed and her seed Gen. 3. 15. Saul envied David and therefore though God did often crosse his designes against him yet he would go on in designing his destruction to the very end of his life The Devill envieth them 1. because God loves them He envieth them 2 because They have the Image of God upon them which ever since himself lost it he hath an Antipathy against And he hates them 3 Because they are the onely people that troubled him he cannot hold his usurped jurisdiction because of them And 4. his envy is much increased against them by all the defeats he hath received from them Every overthrowe they give him keens the edge of his malice to make another attempt upon them manet altâ mente repostum Judicium Paridis spretaeque injuria formae And 2. He hath not onely one but variety of wayes to tempt them and though one fail yet he hopes another may take The Apostle verse 11. of this sixth Chapter of Ephes mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath diversity of stratagems and artificiall methods and he cannot use all these in one battel He tempts 1. sometimes Suadendo bonum propter majus malum inde orâ—â—urum Sometimes 2. Suadendo malum sub specie boni Sometimes 3. Dissuadendo bonum tanquam malum And 4. sometimes Dissuadendo malum ut pejus inducat See Chemnit Harm p. 212. It is not to be wondered if an adversary that hath a huge Army make frequent invasions Satan doth not want Souldiers he can find a Legion which is 6666. in one man I 'le apply this and so come to that which is expressed 1 We may take notice from hence of the 1. Vse preciousness of the soul Satan would never make so many attempts about it if it were not a pearl of great value Many men there are that make very little reckoning of their souls They onely have Animam pro Sale it 's onely as Salt to keep the body from putrifaction and many cast it upon the Dung-hill as salt that hath lost its savour How many to save a dead estate are content to cast away a never-dying soul Poor Peter to secure a brittle life forswears his Master and puts his soul to a sad hazard Judas to gain 30 pieces of silver seals the Devil an Indenture of his soul c. Some have said of the Lawyers that they have linguas venales I fear many men in our times would I could not say some good men have animas venales they put their souls to sale God grant that by Repentance they may haste to redeem them Many men rather then lose a place of profit will venture the losse of a soul that cannot be valued And many rather then not satisfie a sinful Lust will ruine and destroy a glorious soul What 's the reason of this The soul is 1. an invisible Spirit and because it is not seen many think it is not at all or if it be yet that it 's little worth The glory of the things of this World is visible to the eye of the body but the glory of the soul is onely visible to the eye of Faith And 2. the Caring for the Soul is time enough to be thought upon when we are a dying so many think therefore they neglect all thought of it Satan hath another opinion of it then we have else he would never sweat and toyl and multiply temptations as we see he doth to subdue it to himself We may learn from hence that a Child of God is never out of danger and fear of Temptation till all his work on earth be finished He cannot say when he rises I shal this day be free from temptation and when he lyeth down in the evening he cannot say The evill one shall not assault me till the morning He may say through God Satan shall not destroy me but he cannot say Satan shall not assault me In other warres when the forces of the enemy are all scattered the Souldier may put off his Armour and say This night shall be a night of rest the enemy that 's now broken cannot in a short time be able to disturb me But the Christian Souldier cannot say When he hath scattered one of Satans temptations Now my soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry thou art sure of a weekes respite c. Though thou hast broken some of Satans forces yet can'st thou not say upon any ground I shall have a moments rest He can presently recruit the old temptations or if not yet he can send out new temptations and if thou take not heed he will destroy thee by thy own victory If thou overcome a temptation to drive thee to despair he can out of that victory make a temptation to bring thee to presumption if thou be not very cautious Be watchful therefore and sober because your Adversary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goes about seeking to devour Keep your guards continually and keep them strongly Presumption and Security hath been the Pit-fall of many a soul I said in my prosperity I shall never be removed c. thou didst but turn thy face and I was troubled Psal 30. 6 7. While men slept the enemy came and sowed tares c. the Christians sleeping time is the Devils Seed-time if your Candle go out but one moment that moment you may be surprized Thus much for that which is implyed That which is expressed is this That though a Christian be often assaulted yet if he take and use the Armour of God aright he shall overcome and keep the field when all assaults are over He shall stand when the Devil and all his Hosts are destroyed and fallen They may lose the day for a time and be so beaten and bruised that in the thoughts both of themselves and others they shall never be able to recover but at the last their dead bodies shall rise again and then they shall obtain the final victory over Satan and all his Instruments I shall first prove that it is so secondly shew By what meanes That it is so is proved three wayes 1. This was prefigured and shadowed out by the Victories of the old Church over their enemies I shall instance but in one viz. the great victory over Pharoah and his great Host Exod. 14. I need not
ΓΑÎΟΓΛΙΑ Universa Arma. Hieron OR The Christian Compleatly Armed BEING A Treatise of the Christians Armour clearly opening every part thereof both pressing to the putting of it on and instructing us so to use it as we may not be foyled in time of Temptation Delivered by that late Reverend and faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Ralph Robinson Pastor of Mary Woolnoth London to his Congregation there in several Lectures And now published for the further benefit of the Church of God 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober be vigilant because your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon wulketh about seeking whom he may devour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom he may drink up at one draught Justus ex fide vivit sides tua justitia tua quâ utique si credis caves si autem caeves conaris conatum tuum novit Deus voluntatem tuam inspicit luctam cum carne considerat hortatur ut pugnes adjuvat ut vincas certamen spectat deficieniem sublevat vincentem Coronat August super Psal 32. Jan. 21. 1655. Imprimatur Joseph Caryl LONDON Printed by John Streater for John Sims at the Cross-keys in the New-Building in Pauls Church-yard and Elisha Wallis at the three Black Lyons in the Old-Bayley 1656. To the Reader Christian Reader AMong many other priviledges confer'd upon thee by the good hand of thy God this is not the least that thou mayst enjoy the Labours of his Servants as standing Monuments of their fidelity when they themselves are removed out of the Land of the Living Of which the worthy Author of this Treatise whom the Lord was pleased to cut off in the midst of his dayes yea in the flower of his age was not the meanest What Solomon saith of the vertuous woman Prov. 31. 31. Her Workes praise her in the Gates may be truly applyed to him This part of his Works speaks him both learned and pious not a Novice in the things of God nor a Work-man that needed to be ashamed but a man of God throughly furnisht to every good work He was eminent for Prayer in Meditation frequent and in Temptation much experienced One that alwayes valued his Peoples soules above his own life And like a Candle he quickly spent himself to give light to them It was one of his Swan-like Expressions when on his Death-bed that he loved Praying and Fasting Dayes with all his heart The which he declared abundantly in his Practice whilest he lived being frequent therein both in publike and private As for the Subject here treated on it 's true that there are many others that have written thereon yet we know that the commonest Meats do yield the most wholesome nourishment whereas new-found Dishes do but clog the stomack and fill the body with unwholesome Humours Besides if the sound and new manner of handling common things may commend them as it ever did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then I hope this Work will be welcome to thee For by reading thou shalt find a vast difference between him and others herein Many Cases of Conscience are herein clearly resolved and many Objections fully answered that others have omitted all in so plain a style that the meanest Capacity may understand it At which it may be some may take distaste But I answer It was intended for the Pulpit not for the Press where Mores non verba composuit animis dixit non auribus The scope of his Labours was his Auditors Instruction not his own applause nor did he care so much to please as to profit 1 Cor. 14. 19. The many wayes and wiles whereby Satan labours to beguile the unstable and to wound and discourage the weak soul are here unfolded together with several directions for the waving of them wherein thou shalt find the Author still keeping himself to the Metaphor in the Text and therein discovering much both of a sound Head and sanctified Heart Like an able and skilfull Physitian he doth first unbowel the Disease and then applies his healing Medicines Like an experienced Commander he first discovers the stratagems of this old and subtil Adversary and then instructs thee how to wave them Like a judicious Pilot he fore-sees the many Shelvs and Rocks on or against which the Pirat labours to gravel or split the ship of thy Soul and then sets up his Land-marks whereby thou mayst avoid them Bless God for these Helps and learn from them to fight the good fight of Faith till thou have finished thy course and obtained thy Crown It behoveth thee now if ever to stand upon thy guard thy Enemy being heated with rage because he knows his time is short yet despond not for the God of Peace will shortly tread him under thy feet Sceva at the siege of Dyrrcahium resisted Pompey's Army so long alone that he had two hundred and twenty Darts sticking in his Shield and lost one of his eyes and yet he gave not over till Caesar came to his rescue A greater then Caesar is on thy side O Christian Jesus Christ the Captain of thy Salvation hath conquered him for thee We are more then Conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 8. 37. and in due time thou shalt divide the spoyl Be not faithless but believing and thereby give glory to God Buckle on thy Armour and David-like go out against this Goliah in the name of the Lord. It 's both approved and compleat Approved it is and like Josephs Bow Gen. 49. 24. abiding in its full strength neither Age nor Use can impair it It is also compleat Cap-a-pe answerable to the many Darts of thy Enemy Here 's a Helmet for thy head a Breast-plate for thy heart a Sword for thy hand Shooes for thy feet and an indissoluble Bond or Girdle to fasten all together I conclude all in the Apostles Exhortation 1 Cor. 16. 13. Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit you like men Be strong and the Lord be with you So prayeth He that wisheth to thine as to his own Soul Eternall Happiness M. H. Munimentum Christiani OR THE CHRISTIAN Compleatly Armed LECT I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mary Wolnoth Octob. 10. 1649. Lecture Dayes Ephes 6. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Ver. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore take unto you the whole Armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day c. THis Epistle was written by Paul LECT 1. to the Church of Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of Asia the less where he had planted a Church and preached the Gospel for the space of two whole years Act. 19. 10. At his departure from them to Jerusalem he did by the Spirit fore-tell them of a very great alteration and change that would suddenly happen amongst them by reason of false Teathers that should arise Act. 20. 28 29 30. And being now a prisoner at Rome an Ambassador in bonds as he tels them cap. 6. 20. he writes this Epistle to them perswading
another Witness to those many which will appear against you LECT 2. Octob. 17. 1649. VVE now come to the LECT 2. handling of the words particularly as they are recorded in the 13. v. Wherefore take to you the whole armour c. In which words we have these two things 1. A serious exhortation and advice given to all Christians Take unto your selves the whole Armour of God 2. The Motives inforceing the practice of this counsell and they are two viz. 1. Enablement in opposing that ye may be able to withstand they cannot possibly make any resistance if they do not observe this Direction 2. A promise of victory having done all to stand There 's no good opposing without these armes And there 's certain hopes of overcoming if they be rightly used I shall first open the words in a short explication and secondly gather up the strength of them by doctrinall observation Wherefore take unto you c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause This denotes the ground of the exhortation The Apostle had mentioned v. 11. 12. great opposition by a powerfull and subtle adversary The Adversary is the devill set out by a large description 1 Of his Policy in that expression of Wiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Of his power in those expressions of principalities powers spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places The necessity of opposing this Adversary is hinted in the word Wrastling we must wrastle and that against a potent and politique enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause its necessary that we be not unfurnished but provided before hand Mat. 16. 19. Acts 1. 2. 11. Take unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifyeth to take unto our selves or to take up a thing and somtimes to regaine and recover what we have lost or let go out of our possession we must take up what God offers and if our Armesbe beaten out of our hands we must take them up againe The whole armour of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies armour of all sorts whereby the souldier is made fit for an encounter with his Adversary which is here called the Armour of God quia nobis divinitùs subministratur nec in externo roâ—ore consistit Baldvin in locum That ye may be able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our ability is not in our selves To withstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word signifies the manner of opposition namely face to face hand to hand foot to foot Dr. Gouge upon the place In the evill day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In that evill day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is put for time indefinitly whether long or short Mat. 3. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word notes somtimes the evill of sin Math. 9. 4. Joh. 3. 19. somtimes the evill of punnishment or trouble So 't is here therefore Beza reads it Tempore adverso In the evill day It notes tempus Cribrationis What that day is and why it s called evill we shall shew hereafter And having done all to stand This hints a certaine victory to him that withstands aright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifyeth Rem inchoatam provehere eò usq donec absolvatur The word nots that a christian must expect more assaults then one and that the victory is not to be expected till all assaults be perfectly finished Thus for explication The words thus opened have these doctrines 1. That Every Christian is liable unto an evill day of Assaulting and temptation from Satan This is necessarily implyed in the exhortation it were superfluous and unnecessary counsell to advise christians to get this furniture if they were not certaine to have a day of battell All christians are not actually assaulted alike some are continually assaulted others very rarely yet is there no believing christian freed from these conflicts and assaults every believer must expect them 1 The Scripture speaks of an hour of temptation which shall come upon all the earth Rev. 3. 10. 2. Our Saviour tells Peter that Satan hath desired to have him and therest of his brethren that he may sift them as wheat Luc. 22. 31. He tells them indeed that he hath prayed for him and the rest that their faith do not faile but he doth not tell them that he hath prayed against their sifting And 3. We finde that many of the servants of God have been under these assaults Paul David Job And Quod cuiquam cuivis that which doth befall any one Saint is liable to all they have not onely been liable to temptations from God temptationes Probationis but they have also been liable to temptations from Satan temptationes Deceptionis 4. Christ would have all to pray against it Mat. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some refer it to the providing of the Armour so the Sytiack Interpreter ut praeparati id est postquam omnia comparaveritis ad hanc obeundam pugnam necessaria Beza Others refer it to the assaults of the adversary devictis omnibus hostibus In the handling of this Doctrine I shall endeavour to open these three things I. I shall shew you What evill day This is II. I shall shew you Why it s called an evill day III Why God suffers his people to be thus assaulted I. Any day in which God permits Satan and gives him liberty may become an evill day temptation will turn the brightest and most comfortable day into an evill and bitter day Though he be continually assaulting 1 Pet. 5 8. yet there are some speciall dayes and seasons in which Satan doth more fiercely assault and set upon the soul I shall name a few viz. these 8 ensuing particulars 1. The time of outward personall calamity and affliction when God shall by any providence bring a believer under outward calamity and trouble of any sort sicknesse or poverty or imprisonment or banishment this is a speciall day for Satan to assault in Thus we see it in the case of Job when God had taken away his goods and stricken him in his Children and laid his hand upon his body in a violent manner then Satan he brings his forces to assault his soul and minde with temptations vid. Job 2. As such a time Satan assaults the soul with these two temptations 1. To murmur and to blaspheme God vid. Job 2. 9. His endeavour is to perswade the afflicted soul into an ill opinion of his God that God doth not love them if he did he would not so distresse them He did prevaile with Job in this evill day to curse the day of his birth Job 3. init 2 To use some sinfull in direct meanes to be delivered out of such troubles This way he assaulted David in the evill day he perswaded him to fly out of the land of Judea amongst the Philistims 1 Sam. 27. 1. 2. And in this evill day he assaulted our Saviour with the like temptation If thou be the Son of God command these stones to be made bread Math. 4. 3. It was
so Hezekiah when God had given him a great deliverance from a mortall disease Satan tempted him to pride Isa 39. 1. 2. 7. The day of death This is indeed a peculiar day of Temptation There are some Interpreters which understand the Text to be meant if not onely yet chiefly of that day And indeed this no doubt is a tempting time This Satan knowes is the last storm that ever he shall make upon the soul if he conquer not now he shall never conquer therefore he useth all the power and all the policy he hath to carry captive the soul at this last encounter We see by daily experience that Satan shoots his Arrows at the Saints on this day There are very few that go out of the World without strong and many Onsets of Satan 8. The day of the success and prosperity of wicked men especially if they live actually in wicked wayes when it is as Psal 37. 7. Eccles 4. 1. Heb. 12. 13. Satan will be sure to assault the Servants of God in this day And that with these two Temptations 1 He will tempt them to deny Providence That God doth not take any notice or regard of the Actions of men vid. Mal. 2. 17. and Cap. 3. 15. 2 He will tempt them to justifie the cause of the wicked and to condemn the cause of the righteous vid. Psal 73. verse 13. Satan suggested such thoughts to that holy man there This is the first Particular When this evill day is LECT 3. Octob. 24. 1649. II. Why this day is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An evill day NOt in regard of the finall conclusion LECT 3 and event of it For the day of Temptation is to the Children of God the fore-runner of a glorious Victory There never was never shall any of the true Servants of God be lost or utterly overcome in this day my Father is stronger then all and no man shall pluck them out of my Fathers hands John 10. 29. He is greater in wisdom and he is greater in power Hell where is thy Victory Satan cannot shew any soul for whom Jesus Christ intentionally dyed that he was prevailed against No no neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall ever be able to separate any Child of God from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus his Lord Rom. 8. ult Though Jesus Christ did not pray against the Temptation of his people yet he hath prayed against the failing of their faith in Temptation Luke 22. 31. Satan must prevail against Christ before he can prevail against any of Christs That which was the blessing of Gad is the blessing of every true Israelite A troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome him at the last Gen. 49. 10. Michael and his Angels fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels but they prevailed not nor shall they ever prevail Rev. 12. 8. So that in regard of the finall issue it is so far from being an evill day that it is indeed a good day But it may be called an evill day in two respects viz. 1. In regard of Satans Intention he aims at nothing but evill he means to swallow up to ruine to devoure and to lead the soul captive for ever 1 Pet. 5. 8. We may say of the Devil in all his assaults as God saith of the King of Assyria whom God used to chastise his Church Isay 10. 7 8 9 10. God put his people under his power onely for correction but he aimed at their destruction Howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off Nations not a few c. 2. In regard of present effects and Apprehensions It creates many fears much sadnes many doubtings unto a Child of God that is in such a condition Therefore an evill day 1. Temptation bereaves the soul of present comfort and fills it full of horrors and tremblings If you read over the 88. Psalm you may see how it was with Heman in the day of his Temptation My soul is full of troubles my life draweth nigh unto the grave v. 2. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in the darkness in the deeps while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted v. 15. 2. Temptation hinders the soul from doing that good and receiving that good it might do and receive at another time It hinders from praying from hearing from meditation c. 3. It doth many times involve the soul in many sins it causeth sometimes distrust sometime creates prejudice in the soul against God and godliness and sometimes evill speakings sometimes neglects of duty Those who are hampered under such Assaults finde and can discover the evill of it better then we can speak or conceive III. Why doth God suffer his people to be thus assaulted and tempted Why doth he permit such dayes to come upon them 1. In regard of himself That he may manifest his Power and Providence and wisdom and Grace and faithfulness to his people both in supporting and in delivering them out of Temptation These Attributes of God are most clearly discovered in such a day My grace shall be sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12. 9. Paul never apprehended so much of the All-sufficiency of Gods grace or power c. as he did when he was under the buffettings of Satan Now he understood what Almighty Power was and what Providence was and what Faithfulness was and what infinite Wisdom meant c. II. In regard of his people 1. To teach them to hate sin and to watch against it The soul that hath been much under these Assaults will not be so bold as others are the smoke of sin the very sight of it will be offensive to his eyes 2. To teach him how to handle and use his spirituall Armor Christian Graces are best used and most improved in a day of Temptation Now he knowes how to use faith and patience and hope and seeth what strength is in them he knowes now the power of faith vid. 2 Thes 1. 11. Now he seeth the efficacy of Hope and the potency of Prayer he now seeth the excellency of all his graces the necessity and usefulness of them that which he knew before in the Notion he now knowes by Experience And then 3. To make them more experimentally feele the love of Christ in submitting Himself to Temptations for their sakes The tempted soul knowes best the sorrow of Christs Temptations and the greatness of his Affection in being willing to be tempted for their sakes As Christ would actually be tempted that he might experimentally succour them that are tempted Heb. 2 18. so he will have his people tempted that they may the more experimentally know how to prize His Temptations 4. To kill their sins vid. 2 Cor. 12. 7. The bran is sifted out onely III. In regard of Satan 1. God will have him do some service for Himself and some service
shalt thou serve v. 10. Though our Saviour was patiently contented to be buffetted by men yet he would not endure the buffettings of Satan When the Jews smote him with the palms of their hands and with reeds upon the head he made no resistance but when Satan smites him with temptations then he opposed And when he assaulted him by an Instrument we finde he made the same Opposition In Mat. 16. 22 23. Our Saviour had there discoursed with his Disciples about his passion verse 21. The Son of man must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be killed and the third day be raised again The Devill knowing well that the Death of Christ would be the ruine of his kingdom for he remembred what was threatned in Paradise Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head Therefore he instills this motion into Peter if it were possible to divert him from the work of Redemption Our Saviour seeing from whence this suggestion came makes a violent resistance Get thee behinde me Satan thou art an offence unto me The very same words he uttered to Satan immediately tempting him Matth. 4. 10. he now useth to Peter the Deputy of Satan in this action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as our Saviour so those who were acted by his spirit Job when his Wise was made the Devills hand to convey poyson into his soul in the evill day of his affliction he doth resolutely oppose the Temptation Curse God saith she and die Job 2. 9. Rid thy self of this intolerable burthen which is heavier then death it selfe Thou speakest saith he as one of the foolish women speake What shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and shall we not receive evill also vers 10. He would not drink of Satans Cup though his own Wife was made the Cup-bearer but puts it away from him with indignation and just rebuke 3. We are commanded to pray that God would not suffer us to be led into temptation so as that we should consent and yield to it Matth. 6. 13. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evill In which Petition we pray that if God do suffer Satan to break loose upon us and to shoot his Arrows at us yet that he would not give us up into his power but enable us by his grace that we may never yield with willing consent to comply with any of his Temptations Now it s a sure Rule That what good we beg by prayer from the hand of God we use all lawfull means to accomplish And whatsoever evill we pray against that we diligently use our own endeavour by all good means to avoid and eschew the same otherwise our prayers will be but idle unbelieving Prayers meer taking of the name of God in vain we must Work out our salvation as well as Pray that we may be saved yea our very praying for salvation layes this obligation upon us to work out our salvation Our very praying for our daily bread bindes us to use holy labour and diligence that we may have bread to eat and our very praying for remission of sins engageth us to joyn Repentance and Faith in Christ that our sins may be forgiven so doth our praying that we may not be overcome by temptation engage us to make resistance against assayling temptation When the Children of Israel were endangered by the Egyptians behind and the red Sea before Moses cryed unto God by prayer And when he had done stood still saith God to him Exod. 14. 14. Wherefore cryest thou unto me Speak unto the Children of Israel that they go forward but lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thy hand over the Sea and divide it As if God should have said if you pray to be delivered you must work to be delivered you must watch as well as pray If you would have me to save you you must use all lawfull means for your own preservation And we have the like reasoning with Joshuah When there was such a defeat received before the City of Ai in the Land of Canaan Joshuah and the Elders of Israel fell down before the Lord and cast dust upon their heads and make a very patheticall and fervent prayer Cap. 7. 6. 7 8. Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amonites to destroy us c The Canaanites and all the Inhabitants of the Land shall hear of it and shall environ us round about and cut off our name from the earth c. Saith God v. 10 11 12 13. wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and transgressed my Covenant c. Up sanctifie the people c. As if God should have said If you do expect to have this breach repayred you must removere prohibens take away that which hath brought upon your selves and which will continue this ill success if it be not removed Thus for the Quod sit That it is so 2. For the Cur sit Why it is so There is very great reason for this Opposition 1. From the worth and preciousness of that which lieth at stake in this controversie Satans name is in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon and in English A Destroyer Rev. 9. 11. And the end of his design in all his Assaults is answerable to his Name he comes to rob kill and destroy and that not the body and outward man onely but that which is of more value then all the world besides the Immortall Soul Satan saith as the King of Sodom to Abraham Gen. 14. 21. Give me the Souls and take the goods to thy selfe He matters not who carry away all other spoyl so that he may have the soul for his Dividend He fights against them by his Temptations that he may deprive them of that eternall and exceeding weight of glory Hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crown Rev. 3. 11. Satan doth not contend for Counters but for Crowns and those not temporall and corruptible but eternall and incorruptible 1 Cor. 9. 25. Non controvertitur de limitibus sed de ipsâ haereditate You read of an Inheritance incorruptible immortall undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you 1 Pet. 1. 4. The end of all Satans Assaults is to wipe you of this Inheritance He assaults you that he may bring you into bondage to his Common-wealth and Tyranny the worst of all Tyrannies Contentions and oppositions for triviall and trifling matters are not worth taking up and if they be taken up every prudent man will soon lay them asleep but when great things are at stake Cowards will be valiant Such is the matter of a Christians opposition Ergo. 2. From the justness and lawfulness of the Warre There are two things which make a Warre lawfull and just 1. The Call of a just Authority 2. A just
graces of his Saints Awake ô North-winde and come ô South blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow forth Cant. 4. 16. If God did not exerciâ—e his providentiall care in preserving as well as he put forth his creating Power in planting grace at first the roots of grace would not onely not blow forth but die and come to nothing in a short time faith is that which keeps us but it is God which keeps our faith and all our other graces are in his hand And as our graces so are the Ordinances also preserved and maintained by God These Candles would soon be blown out if he did not keep them burning by his continual care and watchful providence As Christ hath the Stars in his right hand Rev. 2. 1. so he hath all the Ordinances in his right hand 4. They are the Armour of God In regard of their success and efficacy All the vertue of this Armour depends wholly upon God alone not upon the Creature 1 for our graces they are strengthened by his power Isay 41. 10. Fear not I am with thee be not afraid I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Our Faith and Hope and all our graces would be broken to shivers at one stroak of temptation if the Lord did not establish and confirm them I will strengthen the house of Judah and I will save the house of Joseph and I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his name saith the Lord Zech 10. 6. 12 This is that which our Saviour tells Peter Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not We could never resist the violent assaults of Satan if the Lord did not undergird our graces with his own Almighty strength This is plainly laid down in this very Chapter verse 10. 11. be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on the whole Armour of God God will not strengthen us if we neglect this Armour and this Armour will not be able to defend us unless God give it power My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12. 9. Pauls graces would presently have been broken 1 Cor. 15. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had not Gods strength been perfected in his weak graces This power made them impregnable 2. For your Ordinances of God which are the other part of this Armour It is from God that they are enabled to do us good in temptation The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnall but mighty through God for the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10. 4. The paper walls of prayer preaching Sacraments are so thin that they would never hold out against all the strong Gun-shots of Satan were they not fortified by a greater power then their own These Glasse-windows could not hold out in these violent storms if they were not covered with the strong Curtains of Divine power These Sandy banks would be washed away with one single flood of temptation if the strength of the Almighty did not stand as an invincible Breast-work to secure them these Pitchers would presently be dashed in pieces and these dim Lamps soon extinguished did not God uphold them The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon this was Gideons word when he went with his Pitchers against the Midianites Jude 7. 18. Gideons Sword would soon have been beaten out of his hands had not the Sword of the Lord been drawn to defend his Sword The Ordinances of God are but like a Barley Cake which would never tumble down against the Hosts of this King of Midian did not the great Jehovah take them into his own hand and put power into it 3. Why should Christians take unto them this Armour I shall give these two Reasons viz. 1 From the uneffectualness of all other Armor It is impossible to prevail against the Devil any other way There are but three kinds of Weapons The Weapons of men The Weapons of the Devil and the Weapons of God 1. The Weapons of men are such as carnall reason puts into our hands as Physick and pleasant Company and earthly delights c. These will not serve us in this Warre Physicians may do some good to purge out Melancholy and other abounding humours which Satan makes some use of to help him in his assaults but this will not do the cure perfectly The assault is made not upon the body but upon the soul and the bodily Physician cannot give any receipt to antidote that They may antidote the body against pestilentiall infections but the Apothecaries Shop hath no Medicine which can preserve the soul from a temptation nor heal a spirituall wound There are some bodily diseases which they cannot cure there are scandala medicorum We read of a diseased Woman in the Gospel which had been many years under the hands of many Physicians but could not be cured till she was touched by the hand of Jesus Christ Mark 5. 26. And if a bodily disease put them so to it what help can the soul have from them in a day of temptation As Job said to his friends when they reasoned with him so it may be said to the most learned and religious of Physitians Ye are all Physitians of no value Job 13. 4. In this matter the soul the Conscience the inward man is not the subject of the Physicians Act but the body I shall conclude this with that which God speaks concerning Ephraim in another case Hos 5. 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound If a Colledge of Physicians were convened together to prescribe remedy for a soul vexed with temptation they could administer nothing effectuall to heal such a wound Nor will pleasant Company nor earthly delights do any good in this case They may a little alleviate for a time but they cannot cure The Servants of Saul when they saw their Lord troubled with an evill spirit advise him to this way of Remedy Let our Lord command thy Servants which are before thee to seek out a man who is a cunning player on a Harp and it shall come to passe when the evill spirit from God is upon thee that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt be well 1 Sam. 16. 15 16. But although David by his Musick cheared him for the present as is recorded ver 23. yet the disease was not cured the evill spirit returned to him again afterwards Carnall delights and sinful pleasures they are the Devills Engines which help him on with his work upon your soul they are his Proneers which make the rough places smooth they make the breaches of the soul wider then they were before that Satan now enters more easily then he did and
him in the ship should come safe to Land Act. 27. 23 24 25. but yet both he and the rest must work for their own preservation and therefore when some of the Mariners were about to desert the ship he tels them That except those men stayed in the ship they could not be saved v. 30 31. That of the Psalmist Psal 127. â— 2. Except the Lord keep the City c. is very considerable to this purpose All humane endeavours are to no purposeâ— unless God crown their endeavours with his blessing and yet it 's as true that God will not effectually give his blessing without the concurrence of humane endeavour When Satan would have perswaded our Saviour to have cast himself down upon the Pinacle of the Temple upon confidence of Divine Protection He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep c. Mat. 4. 5 6. Our Saviour repels his temptation with this answer ver 7. It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God It is not religious trusting but presumptuous tempting of God for a man to think that God will preserve him from destruction though he neglect the means of his own safety The Souldier cannot think that the Armour in the Magazine will defend him it 's the Armour upon the body that will preserve him A man may perish at a full table if he do not eat of that which is provided and a Christian may be overcome notwithstanding all his Armour if he do not use it as God requires Let them take a lump of figs and lay it upon the boyl for a plaister and he shall recover Esa 38. 21. A lump of figs would not immediatly have cured a Plague-sore without a speciall blessing and yet if that playster had not been apply'd Hezekiah had not recovered God can work without meanes and against meanes oftentimes but he hath no where said that he will do so when Creatures neglect meanes afforded If David had gone against Goliah without his sling he might have returned without victory If the people of Israel had neglected to encompass Jericho they could not have expected the spoyl of that City their shouting was not the cause of the falling down of the Walls of Jericho and yet if they had not shouted the walls had never fallen vid. Luk. 8. 35. Though Christ raised her by a Miracle he would not preserve her by a Miracle A Christian must use all lawfull meanes to accomplish Gods Promises and when he hath done must wait for the accomplishment of the Promise as if nothing had been done 5. That the Ordinances of God and the graces of God are not weak but strong things This is gathered from the Notion of Armour under which these things are here represented Armour hath strength in it The Apostle tels us concerning the Ordinances that they are mighty through God for the pulling down of strong Holds 2 Cor. 10. 4. and the same Apostle tels us else-where that the Gospel in the publike preaching thereof is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1. 16. And for the graces of God they also have a mighty strength in them We read of the power of Faith 2 Thes 1. 11. Faith is a very powerful grace it enableth the soul to do and bear many things which it could neither do nor suffer without this grace it 's that by which a Christian obtaines victory over a mighty world 1 Joh. 5. 4. Hope another grace of the Spirit hath great strength in it it is therefore called the Anchor of the soul Heb. 6. 19. An Anchor is a strong thing by the strength of the Anchor the ship rides safe and stedfast in stormy and tempestuous raging weather By the Anchor of Hope the soul is kept stedfast in times of shaking and confusion There is indeed this difference between the strength of the spiritual Armour and material Armour The strength of other Armour is not from him that wears it nor from him that appoints it but from the natural frame and contexture of it but the strength of the spirituall Armour is not from any thing naturally in it but onely from the Institution of him that hath appointed it And therefore the Apostle saith that the Weapons of our Warfare are mighty through God of themselves they are feeble and very weak but through God they become potent and mighty If either Graces or Ordinances should be left to work by the force which is naturally in them and should not be strengthened and managed by a power from God without themselves they would be no better then broken Armour they would be but like bruised Reeds quickly shaken to shivers by the least wind of temptation hereby weak Christians have waxed valiant in battel and turned to flight the armies of the Aliens Heb. 11. 34. 6 That 't is no wonder to see Satan so to prevail over graceless persons by the power of his Temptations The Apostle tels us that the Devil worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. A Child of disobedience is not one that sometimes doth an act of Disobedience for so do the very Children of God I find that when I would do good evill is present and that the evill I would not that I do Rom. 7. 19. But a Son or Daughter of Disobedience is the denomination of such as make disobedience their trade such a one as willingly fulfills the desires of the flesh and of the mind as he is described v. 3. one that is a servant unto sin That serveth divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3. 3. In such a one the Devil doth effectually and powerfully work he is acted and moved by the Devil as the body is by the soul and that not once or now and then onely but constantly and continually as the Particle now notes it signifies a continued act The soules and minds and consciences of such men are the shops in which Satan continually workes and that successfully And the same Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 26. speaking of the same persons tels us that they are taken captive by Satan at his will If we consider this text we shall find it a thing not much to be admired at for they have not the graces of the Spirit whereby they should make effectual opposition against his assaults and therefore 't is no wonder if they be vassalizd to do all the desires of the Devils heart A strong King with a multitude of men well appointed may easily do his pleasure upon a few naked and unarmed men especially if they have no desire to make resistance graceless persons they have no mind to oppose the Devil sinne is as pleasant to them as it is to him and if they had a mind to withstand yet they have no armes and therefore volentes nolentes they must obey If Satan tempt them to Blaspheme to Murther to be Rebellious to break holy Engagements to subscribe wicked Engagements they want armour to withstand
16. 20. Shortly Ay shortly in the fittest time in the neediest time that 's done speedily that 's done seasonably You are sure the siege shall be raised and therefore do not surrender upon any condition Charge your Cannons again and shoot them and continue so and you will do execution at last to purpose And know this that the neerer you are to ruine in your own sense the neerer you are to victory Meditate upon the four Reasons I gave you to prove the Doctrine and let your hands and hearts be strengthened in the Lord. And know this that the day of victory will recompence all your waiting and feares vid. Matth. 4. 11. Consider that And so much for the thirteenth verse LECT VIII Novemb. 28. 1649. EPHES. 6. 14. Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN the former Verse the Apostle gives a LECT 8 general Exhortation to the Christian Souldier to cloth himself with the whole Armour of GOD and to withstand Satan in the evill day of Temptation In this and the following Verses which contain the second general part of the Text He gives him a particular Catalogue of the several pieces of this Armour Offensive and Defensive with Directions how to make particular use of them that he may be enabled to overcome There are in the whole seven pieces of this Armour two of which are laid down in this verse viz. The Girdle of Truth and The Breast-Plate of Righteousness He doth allude to the Habit wherewith Souldiers were used to be accoutred in those times that they might be fit to encounter an Adversary And he doth compare the several Graces of the Spirit to the several pieces of that Armour to let Christians see that the graces of God are as necessary for the soul to resist and overcome temptation as Armour is for the Souldier to resist and overcome his enemy in the day of battel We may in the general note from this comparison made between the graces of God and the Souldiers Armour That Spiritual and Heavenly matters Note are ordinarily in Scripture set out by Earthly and Natural things The graces of God are set out by Armour and the Christian managing of our graces is taught us by the Souldiers right using and managing of his Armour in the day of battel The glorious Mysteries of Religion in Scripture are commonly delivered and held out by the resemblance of outward and natural things A Christians fruitfulness and growth in grace is set out by growth and fruitfulness of trees Psal 1. 3. He shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of waters c. The glory and beauty and fragrancy of graces is set out by the beauty and fragrancy of flowers and sweet perfumes in many places of the song of Solomon particularly Cap. 3. 10 11 12 13 14. The great Mystery of our union with Christ is set out by the vine and branches Joh. 15. â—nit and of the Foundation stone and the rest of the stones builded upon it Ephes 2. 20 21. Spiritual security is set out by the natural sleep Cap. 5. 2. applying of Christ by Faith is set out by natural eating and drinking John 6. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Justification by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to a sinner is in Scripture set out by the garments put upon the body Isa 61. 10. I will rejoyce in the Lord c. for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation c. The Communion between Jesus Christ and a Believing Soul is set out by the joy and delight of friends feasting together Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock c. I will sup with him c. Spiritual Desertion is set out by the horrour of Natural Darkness Isa 5. 10. The preaching of the Word in the publike Ministry is set out by the work of the Husband-man in sowing his Seed Matth. 13. 3 4. The carrying on of the Work of Grace and Conversion in the Hearts of men is set out by the growth of the seed sowen in the earth Mar. 4. 26 27 28. The glory of the Saints at the Resurrection and in the other Life is set out by the glorious shining of the Sunne and Stars Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnes of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever I note this for these two Reasons 1. That Christians may see what use they may make of Natural and Earthly things There is not any natural Action there is not any kind of Employment or Trade of Life there is not any Creature by which a Christian might not learn some Spiritual Lesson did God but give him a Spiritual Heart When thou seest the Merchant busle about his business then mightest thou learn diligence in the things of the Gospel For the Kingdome of Heaven is as a Merchant man c. When thou seest the Souldier buckle on his Arms and march with them to meet the enemy then mightest thou think of the putting on and using thy graces c. And for this cause it is that our Saviour did so frequently preach in Parables and Similitudes drawn from earthly things that by this meanes the sons of men might be the better able to conceive of Heavenly Matters when they are thus delivered in their own way And that they might have ever before them visible Monitors to bring to their minds the things of God Indeed if these spirituall things had not first been revealed and taught in the Scriptures the beholding of things Natural would never have taught us such Doctrines but being now made known in the written Word our Memories Understandings and Affections may be very much helped by the studying and contemplation of things natural which set them forth 2. How necessary it is for the Ministers of Christ who are to interpret open and apply the Scriptures to men to have an universal knowledge of all kind of Learning Many think that Humane Knowledge and Learning is of no absolute necessity to fit a man for the Ministry If he have but knowledge in the History of the Bible and a gracious work upon his heart he is sufficiently enabled without the knowledge of other Learning This Text shewes us the contrary some places of Scripture cannot be well interpreted without the knowledge of Natural Philosophy Others cannot be rightly understood without some skill in Astrology Others require the knowledge of Agriculture to expound them to profit Others of the Art of Navigation Others of Military Affaires Similitudes almost from all kinds of Arts Sciences Trades are used in the Scriptures and the more general a Ministers Knowledge is in all these things the better will he be inabled to interpret the whole Word of GOD in the course of his publike Ministry He must study all kind of books And make his
did not say unto any Command of God stand by but did desire to obey universally True holiness saith not as Naaman In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant c. 2 Reg. 5. 18. but saith with David Concerning thy precepts I account them in all things to be just and therefore I hate every false way Psal 119. 128. little duties as well as great small lies meer omissions c. It is not one action which denominates a man righteous but universality of obedience God gives this commendation to Caleb the Son of Jephunneth that he wholly followed the Lord Deut. 1. 36. and Moses gives the same testimony to Joshuah Josh 14. 9. A righteous person knowes 1 That there is the same purity in all Gods Commands And 2 that there is the same obligation for every Command He that saith do not commit Adultery saith also Do not kill c. Jam. 2. 10 11. And 3. that one sin allowed will ruine and sink his soul and disturb his peace as well as many And 4. he hates sin as sin and he loves obedience as obedience and therefore applies himself to all holinesse 2. He that lives a righteous life doth cordially bewail every Act of unrighteousnese His sin is his sorrow and burden and his Conscience is wounded for the least iniquity not onely that which is known to men but even that which is known to God onely his secret wandrings produce both secret and open grief It s said of David that his heart smote him for the cutting off of the lap of Sauls Garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. and 2 Sam. 24. 10. the same is said of him for the numbering of the people Neither of these were sins of any high or scandalous nature and yet they occasioned great trouble to Davids soul Yea true holiness doth much lament the body of sin that dwells within him though it do not break forth into actuall exorbitancies Thus it was with Paul Rom. 7. 23. 24. I see a Law in my members c. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. yea and secret sins as well as known sins And all this sorrow in the heart of a righteous person is not onely or principally for the mischief sin hath or may work unto himself here or hereafter but chiefly out of that Antipathy which is in his heart against sin and out of respect to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who is offended and wronged by his sin An unrighteous person casts his sins behinde his back never remembers them unless it be with sensuall delight or at most legal sorrow and that not so much for hatred of sin as fear of Hell but a truly righteous person sets them continually before his face And that not onely before but after pardon Psal 51. 3. and yet Nathan had told him before that God had put away his sin he should not die 2 Sam. 12. 13. And so Mary Magdalen 3. He that is of a righteous life is as careful to abstain from appearances of evill as from apparent and direct evill He dares not touch any thing that looks sin-like or that hath the least affinity with it If any thing be propounded to him which hath the face of vice he dares not for all the world have any thing to do with it he will not eat swines flesh or drink the broth Isay 64. 4. If the thing be doubtful whether it may or may not be done he will do that which is most safe and leave it undon Any thing which may be justly an occasion of sin to others Any thing which may have sinful consequences Any thing which may be liable to misconstruction Any thing which may prove detrimentall to others Any thing which may strengthen confirm and settle wicked men in sin though the thing should not perhaps be a sin in it selfe yet he that hath the Breast-plate of righteousness dares not do it because it hath the appearance of sin Any thing that is of evill report It was lawfull for Paul to eat flesh whatsoever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no question for Conscience sake yet when that action might have an appearance of evill and be a scandall to others he resolves not to do it 1 Cor. 8. 13. Paul might as lawfully have circumcised Titus as he did Timothy but when he foresaw that it would have produced an evill consequence viz. it would have confirmed the Jews in the errour of the Circumcision he would not do it Gal. 2. 3 4 Holy Daniel Cap. 1. 8. would not eat of the Kings meat nor drink of his wine there was an appearance of evill he did not know but something might be in it which was uncleane to a Jew by the Law or something which had been consecrated to Idolls Tertullian will have no lights in the worship of God because mos erat haereticorum Heretiques used so to do 1. A righteous person hath an Antipathy against sin and this makes his heart rise against any thing that is but like it 2. A righteous person is acquainted with the subtlety of the Devil and the incroaching nature of sin he that gives way to the appearances of sin will in a short time yield to that which is apparently evil LECT XII Decemb. 26. 1649. 4. HE that leades a life truly righteous Lect. 12. desires and endeavours every day to be more righteous He is one whose care is to cleanse himself from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. This Character the Holy Ghost gives of the righteous man Rev. 22. 11. He that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still The particle Still denotes not onely continuance but progress in holiness He desires not onely to bring forth the fruits of righteousness but to be filled with the fruits of righteousness and to abound more and more he doth desire daily to put off the old man and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ephes 4. 22 24. First he seeth the vileness and odiousness of sinne and therefore would have it further mortified he seeth the excellency and beauty of holiness and therefore he would have it increased and to this purpose desires to make conscionable use of all meanes of Mortification and Renovation Secondly he seeth what a little measure of holiness it is which he hath yet attained unto and this makes him mend his pace 5. The righteous man is one who workes righteousness in all times Not onely when it is gainful but even then when it is dangerous and prejudicial This is David's character of himself Psal 119. 20. My soul breaketh for the longing iâ— hath to thy judgments at all times And this is that character which he makes of others Psal 106. 3. Blessed are they that keep judgment and he that doth righteousness at all times A righteous person
will do righteously not only when he may be rewarded but also when he is sure he shall be persecuted for righteousnesse sake He can distinguish between fas and nefas when the generation wherein he lives is wholly devoted to wickedness This is the character of Noahs righteousness Gen. 7. 1. You have a description of that Generation Chap. 6. 5. In this Generation Noah kept his righteousness This the Apostle exhorts the Philippians Phil. 2. 15. That ye may be harmless and blameless c. in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation Yea a righteous man in such a generation by a spiritual kind of Antiperistasis endeavors to walk more righteously For 1. Times and Ages Men and Custome are not the guide of his Life but Conscience rightly informed by the Word of God 2. The more loose his generation is the more necessity he sees lying upon himself to practise Holiness both to keep it up in the world and to confute the want of it in other men If he live in a Covenant-breaking and Covenant-denying and Covenant-forswearing generation he sees that he hath the more reason to walk in Covenant maintaining and Covenant keeping c. 6 The righteous person is one who doth in his heart bewail the unrighteous practices of other men This is the Evidence of Lots righteousness vid. 2 Pet. 2. 8. That righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds Thus also did the Holy men in Jerusalem in a time of wickedness Ezek. 9. The sins which were a sport to others were a sad grief to their soules When others were singing to their idols they were sorrowing for that mirth they did not onely murmure against their sins but they did mourn for them and that with sighing and tears 1. A righteous man knowes both the filthiness of sinne and the mischiefe of sinne 2. A righteous person hath fervent love to God and hearty Affection to the soules of men this makes him mourn for the sins he cannot mend 7 The righteous person is one who is gladly willing to be told of any act of unrighteousness He is sorry to do unrighteously but not sorry to be told of his unrighteous Doing He will thank God for making any an Instrument of reproving and he will honour and love the Instrument for his faithfull admonition He will not like Ahab imprison a Micajah nor yet with Herod cut off the head of a faithfull Reprover but will be pleased with the discovery of sinne though from an enemy Famous and renowned is the example of David for this 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. He had received an unworthy affront from a man to whom he had shewed much kindness ver 15 16. The men were very good to us neither missed we any thing as long as we were conversant with them in the field c. And now he was upon his march in the heat of blood to avenge that wrong It was but a woman who came to meet him and one who was so neerly related to Nabal that what she said might be rendred suspected and yet because she spake both Reason and Religion David was convinced of his sinne blessed God and blesseth her retreats from his march yea his soul was so knit to Abigail for her faithful advice that as soon as her husband was dead he took her to wife she was ever after precious in his sight Solomon maks this a distinctive note between the godly wise and the wicked the one loves sinne but hates rebuke the other loves rebuke but hates sinne Prov. 9. 8. A faithful Reprover is as a Looking-glass wherein our spots are seen and he that loves to be clean hates no Looking-glass unless it be a false one that makes him fairer then he is A faithful Rebuker is as a Physician to the soul he comes to lance but it is in order to a cure no man that loves to live hates the Physician unless he be in a distemper but honours him and bids him welcome Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness let him reprove me it shall be a precious oyl which shall not break my head so the righteous person thinketh and so he speaketh Psal 141. 5. A righteous person is as willing to have his sinne discovered as his graces and as willing to be smitten for his sinne as encouraged for well-doing He loves a plain-dealing Ministry that will tell him of his sinne without flattery he would not have bitter put for sweet or sweet for bitter Secondly wherein the usefulness of this Breast-plate stands as to the resisting of Temptation I shal shew you this in these three Particulars viz. 1 Righteousness gives boldness and courage to the soul in the day of Temptation Resolution of spirit is of very great advantage to a souldier If the heart be faint the hands tremble When the people of Israel went out to War against their enemies God gave this Law amongst others that the Officers should make a Proclamation in the head of the Army That whosoever was fearfull and faint-hearted should go and return to his house lest his Brethrens heart faint as well as his Deut. 20. 8. Cowardliness doth give a very great advantage to the enemy Now Righteousness and Innocency of life makes the soul valiant Hic murus aheneus esto Nil conscire sibi nullâ pallescere culpâ Innocency of life is the best Cordial to remove tremblings from the soul Pro 28. 1. The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the Righteous are bold as a Lyon The word is as a young Lyon in the Hebrew Of all Beasts the Lyon is most valiant he is the King of Beasts and of all Lyons the young Lyon is most valiant in regard of the abundance of naturall heat which is in him Righteousnesse gives a Lyon-like boldness to the soul in the day of Temptation guilt makes the heart melt Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth c. And it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me Gen. 4. 14. Carnificem fuum gerebat his Conscience was his Tormenter and the guilt of his sinne did so infeeble his spirits that though there was not then a man living besides his Father yet he thought he should be taken away by a violent death Now the ground of the courage arising from Righteousness is not from the merit of Righteousness for in respect of Merit all our Righteousnesses are as a filthy rag Isa 64. 6. But upon these considerations it makes the soul valiant in that 1. It pacifieth the Conscience by giving us an evidence of our Justification and of the acceptance of our persons through grace in the sight of God Holinesse and Righteousnesse is an Argument that we are the redeemed Ones of Jesus Christ Luke 1. 74 75. Righteousness of Conversation gives the soul an evidence of its election 2 Tim. 2. 19. Departing from
Iniquity is a testimony that a person is sealed up for salvation and eternal life vid. 1. Ioh. 3. 9 10. 2. It gives courage in that it lets a soul see that it hath a right to all the Promises All the Promises are made to righteous walking Promises of Support Promises of perseverance Promises of deliverance Righteousness gives the soul a propriety in all these and so makes it valiant See but that one Promise 1 Ioh. 5. 18. that is a Promise of security against Satan He shall not touch him that is not with a destructive Touch he shall not draw him into that sin which is unto death he shall not finally overcome him c. This Promise is made to every one that is born of God and whosoever is born of God doth righteously as he is righteous the righteous man and the regenerate are all one 2. Righteousness makes the soul strong as well as valiant Strength and Power is of very great use to a souldier in the day of battel it makes him able both to defend himself and to offend his enemy Now Righteousness and Holiness strengthens a Christian two ways First In that it doth demolish and destroy that which makes the soul weak Sin is the weakness and infirmity of the soul it is the Devils great strength and that which gives him all the advantage he hath against the soul Our sins are Satans Armour that wherein he trusteth and with which he fighteth against us if he did not find assistance within us he could not do us any mischief by that which is without us The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me Joh. 14. 30. and because he had nothing in him he could do nothing against him Our sinnes are the Devils strong Holds in which he fights against us Now Righteousness doth expell sinne as the Light expelleth the darkness It doth cast down these strong Holds it doth dissolve the works of the Devil and taketh from him that Armor wherein he trusteth and so gives us strength Secondly It strengthens the soul in that it brings with it all strength Wheresoever Righteousness is there is God and there is Christ and there 's the Spirit the Spirit of Might and the Spirit of Power 'T is true Righteousness is not either in the heart or in the life till God have wrought it Righteousness doth not bring God but God brings Righteousness unto the soul but when God hath wrought this Work then doth Holiness engage God Righteousness puts the soul under the shadow of Gods wings so that whatsoever strength power and vertue is in God is engaged for the righteous mans defence This ye have clearly laid down Psal 92. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. It was the great happiness of the Israelites that the Eternal God was their refuge Dent. 33. 27. This was their strength in all the battels they fought and he that walkes holily is under this happiness Psal 84. 11. 3. Without righteousness of life no use can be made of any other pieces of this Armour 1. He cannot gird himself with Truth Righteousness of life and truth of heart are as the tree and fruit they alwayes go together he that hath an unholy life is certainly unholy in heart the Kings daughter is all glorious within and her Cloathing of wrought gold Psal 45. 13. 2. He cannot put on the shooes of the Gospel of peace for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esa 57 21. 3. He cannot put on the Helmet of Salvation A man who is unholy in life is destitute of all true hopes of Heaven for every one that hath this hope purifyeth himself as God is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. 4. Nor can he take the Shield of Faith Faith is alwayes an heart-purifying grace Act. 15. 9. A wicked life is the consequence of an unbelieving heart 5. Nor can he take the Sword of the Spirit This sword is not a defending sword but a wounding sword to an unholy life every part of Gods Word is for the present against him the word terrifyeth and condemneth him 6. Nor will Prayer and Supplication do him any good God hath no ear for the prayers of a wicked man Psal 66. 18. yea his prayers are turned into sin Prov. 28. 9. But now he whose conversation is righteous can make use of all the other He can use the girdle he can and may draw comforts from the Gospel of peace he may cover himself with the shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit is a defending Weapon to him and his prayers are full of virtue and efficacy Information 1 This may apologize for 1. Vse the care and exactness of the servants of God in their endeavours after purity and holinesse of life Wicked men are ready to blast and reproach the children of God for their diligence in labouring after purity because they will not run with others into the same excess of Riot therefore they speak evill of them 1 Pet. 4. 4. Let such men consider what followeth ver 5. They shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead In the day of judgment it shall appear that such exactness was not unnecessary when you shall see such as you have reproached numbred among the Saints then you will befool your selves and say We fooles counted their lives madness and their end full of reproach Wisd 5. init How are they reckoned amongst the sons of God and have their Inheritance amongst the Saints You that are now troubled at their holy lives will be then astonished at their unexpected salvation The servants of God know the usefulness of holiness here and the eternal happiness of it in the other world and you also will in the day of the Lord return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mal. 3. 18. Men do not use to blame a souldier that goes to meet a cruel and potent enemy because he is carefull to provide a strong Breast-plate they rather blame his rashness and indiscretion that shall go naked Righteousness is the onely Breast-plate to keep out Satans arrows and therefore they are very wise whatever men think who are careful both to provide it and wear it 2. We need not wonder to see men of dissolute and leud lives to be so wofully subdued unto the will of Satan and so unable to resist any temptation Well saith the Apostle Eph. 2. 2. That the Prince of the power of the Air worketh in the children of disobedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth work effectually as the word signifies he commands and they obey he tempts and they yield he suggests and they consent to his suggestions if he tempt them to swear to lye to murther to commit adultery they make no resistance but are carryed captive by sin at his Will 2 Tim. 2. 26. Amongst many other Reasons that might be rendred
his nature they bear his name the Devil is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so is a wicked man Holy men are like to God they are called by his Name God is holy and they are holy God is righteous and they are righteous but wicked men have the very name and the very nature of Satan he is unholy and so are they and the more any person abounds in wickedness the more like he grows still to the Devil who is wicked and the father of wickedness It s said of Caein that he was of that wicked one and slew his brother 1 John 3 12. We may say so of every other sinner The swearer is of that wicked one the prophane person is of that wicked one c. He that committeth sin is of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. he is of him not onely as he is tempted by him but because he doth simbolize with him in nature he hath his character and image printed upon his soul 3 That Hell must needs be a wicked place All the Inhabitants of it are wicked There are none there but wicked Angels and wicked men and all the work which is done there is nothing but wickedness therefore it must of necessity be a wicked place Hell is a place of torment as well as of sin I am tormented in these flames but the wickedness of Hell is worse than the torments of Hell it s the wickedness of the Devils and of men acted by Devils that bring them to that place of torments A Hell of torments is rather to be chosen than a Hell of wickedness It was Anselms speech If hell saith he were on one hand without sin and sin on the other hand without hell and I must needs chuse one I would rather chuse hell than sin A hell of torments without sin is better than a hell of sin without torments 4. That those that are under the Devils power are in a very sad condition It s a sad thing to be under the command of wicked Governours Prov 28. 15. As a roaring Lion and a ranging Bear so is a wicked Ruler over the poor people It were as good to live in the wilderness amongst ravening Lions as under the Dominion of wicked Rulers wickedness fits them for all acts of oppression injustice and cruelty When children that want knowledge and babes which are without understanding rule then the people shall be oppressed every one by another Esay 3. 5. how much more when wicked men rule when wickedness sits at the helm there will be no want of misery in the ship That the hypocrite reign not lest the people be insnared Job 34 30. people must expect nothing but snares till the reign of the hypocrite be expired Solomon tell us that when the wicked bear rule the people mourn Prov. 29 2. All in a Land are mourners in such a time unless it be those that live by wickedness If it be so sad to be under the power of wicked men how sad is it to be under the power of Satan there is more wickedness in one Devil than in many wicked men put together And then he hath more power and policy than men have to bring to pass the wickedness that is in him therefore is the condition of all to be lamented that are under his jurisdiction and thus are all wicked and unregenate men Eph. 1 2 3. 5. This shewes us why it is that Satan doth so hate God and all his Saints He is an irreconcileable Adversary to God and to all that are godly The reason is plain there is a contrariety of nature between God and Satan and between Satan and godly ones and where there is contrariety of nature there will be enmity and opposition Gal 5 17 The righteous is an abomination to the wicked Exhortation 1. Let it be a motive to all Vse 2. men especially to the holy ones of God to mortifie and put off all manner of wickedness Let the Devil and his instruments be wicked but be not you wicked It was Davids Argument whereby he was stayed from laying hands upon King Saul when he was earnestly perswaded to kill him 1 Sam. 24. 13. Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked but my hand shall not be upon thee Wicked acts are diabolical acts they proceed from him and they lead men to him And it is not fit that the Children of God should symbolize with the Devil T is the Apostles Argument to take off the people of God from Idol-worship 1 Cor. 10. 20. The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils Swearing lying forswearing cheating c. these are works fit for the evil one and his Angels and not for Saints Be not therefore partakers with them 2. Bless God for delivering you from under the power and dominion of Satan Vide Col. 1. 13. You were once at the command of that wicked one as well as others and you should have continued for ever in that condition if God had not freed you from his tyranny David praiseth God for cutting asunder the cords of wicked men in which he was sometimes holden Psalm 129. 4. The plowers plowed upon my back and made long their furrows but the righteous Lord c. How much more cause have you to praise God for deliverance from wicked Devils who had power not onely to mischief your bodies but your souls also 3. Do not trust the Devll when he pretends to sanctifie He is so politique that he can sometimes for his advantage transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. Mystery Babylon hath in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication Rev. 17. 4. The Devil the grand Imposter of all doth oftentimes carry his worst poyson in a golden cup he can speak Scripture to draw you from Scripture he can tempt you to be irreligious by religious Arguments falsly and deceitfully applied he can tempt men to prophane Sabbaths upon a pretence of standing for Christian liberty c. he can argue men from waiting upon Ordinances because the Spirit is able to teach them c. This is his great master-piece that he is now acting in the world his wine is now carried in a golden cup. But let all the godly know that he is still the wicked one and though he speak divinely yet he alwayes acts diabolically though the voice be Jacobs voice yet the hands are the hands of Esau he never works more wickedly than when he seems to act most holily Thus much for the first proposition 2. That the temptations of Satan are fiery darts He shoots arrows of fire at the Servants of God It s sometimes true in the very letter the Devil useth fire to destroy the Servants of God The Apostle mentions the fiery tryal 1 Peter 4 12. Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal as if some strange thing happened to you i.
e. fiery persecutions The Devil sometimes stirreth up Tyrants by material fire to devour the bodies of Gods Saints The three Children were cast in a fiery furnace Dan. 3. 21. And we read of some Christians Heb. 11 34. that quenched the violence of the fire In the primitive time fiery persecutions were raised against the Christians And in the Marian dayes many of Gods Witnesses went to Heaven in fiery Chariots they gave their bodies to be burned that they might not worship any God but their own God And we do not know whether the same kind of persecutions may not yet arise amongst us in our dayes we dwell amongst the children of men who are set on fire whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword Psalm 37 4. And if these fiery persecutions should return God would deal no otherwise with us than he hath done with his former Servants who through faith have triumphed in these flames But the Apostle I suppose doth not here speak of persecutions but of other temptations He alludes to the custom of Souldiers in former times who used to dip the heads of their Arrows in poyson and so shooting them at their enemies fired their flesh Satans temptations are here compared to these fiery darts In the handling of it I shall first shew you why his temptations are called fiery Arrows Secondly I shall make some inferences from it by way of use 1. They are called fiery darts in these two respects 1. For the dreadfulness and terrour of them Fire is a very terrifying thing it works much astonishment and fear upon the hearts of men that behold it To see Houses or Cities set on fire works great amazement upon the Spirits of men the temptations of Satan are dreadful temptations to such as have the right apprehension of them Sometimes he tempts men to deny Jesus Christ that bought them Sometimes he tempts them to blaspheme God Sometimes to self-murther Math. 26. 70. Job 2. 9. Math. 4. 6. Sometimes to cast off Religion as a vain thing Psalm 73 13. These temptations as they are dreadful in their own nature so they work much trouble and amazement in the Spirits of them that are thus assaulted t is a dreadful thing to have such a suggestion though it be never consented unto by the heart 2. For the destructiveness of them Fire is a very devouring creature Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjoyning Cities were in a few houres consumed to ashes by the violence of fire Gen. 19. 24 25. The temptations of Satan are wasting things All the comfort of a Christian is presently devoured by them The strength of the body is decayed the strength of the spirits is wasted and the whole man is brought very low and made like withered grass by the violent scorching of these flames The temptations of probation which God sends upon his people for their trial do much wast both soul and body Job 6 4. The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison wherof drinketh up my spirits And so do the temptations of Satan One hours temptation drinks up more spirits than many weeks sicknesses Psalm 88 15. 2. The Inferences by way of use are these 1. Such as are under these burning flames stand in much need of your pitty and prayers Persons that are in a house set on fire are objects of pitty in all mens thoughts every one is sensible of such a sad condition Such as lie under temptations are in a worse condition their souls are set on fire did you but feel their burnings you would pitty them The case of the Israelites was sad when God sent fiery Serpents to bite them Exod 21 6. Tempted Christians are haunted with fiery Serpents worse than those let them be releived with your counsel and Prayers 2. Be not too censorious against those that are overcome by Satans temptations Be not over severe against such Temptations are fiery darts and if these darts fasten upon any of your brethren and pierce somewhat deep do not use too much sharpness against them It s an easie thing for such combustible matter as flesh and blood to be overcome by fiery arrowes especially if God be pleased to withdraw present help Vide Gall. 6. 1. 2. 3. Let it be a Caution to us all that we do not dally and play with Temptations Do not by carelesness Dangerous for children to play with fire and looseness lay your breasts open to these fiery darts Can a man take fire in his bosom and his cloths not be burnt Can one walk upon coales and his feet not be burnt Prov. 6. 27. It s an easie matter to betray your selves into the hand of Satan but not so easie to deliver your selves A house is soon set on fire but not so soon quenched 4. Those who are enabled to stand under the Temptations of Satan have cause to be very thankful Though you be afrighted by this fire yet have you cause to magnifie God that you are not devoured that you can dwell with these burnings here 's great mercy 5. Let all who are under Temptations make what hast they can to quench them A spark may suddenly grow to a flame if great care be not taken to get it out Now this may be done 1. By fervent prayer The prayer of Moses quenched the fire at Tabirah Numb 11. 2. 2. By withdrawing all combustible matter Sin makes Temptations burn violently 3. By the sprinkling of Christs blood A drop of that quencheth this Wildfire 4. By the Shield of faith of which more in the next Doctrine Thus much for the first part of the verse EPHESIANS 6. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. WE have done with the former part of the Lect. 18. February 6. 1649. verse viz. that which is indirectly or collaterally and occasionally brought in the nature of Satan and the nature of his temptations Satan is the wicked one and his darts are fiery darts I am now to speak to that which is the principal or substantial thing intended viz. Taking the shield of Faith c. In which we have two things 1. The Armour it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The commendation or the excellency of this Shield This is set out in two expressions 1. Above all 2. Whereby you shall be able to quench c. All of them put together make this Doctrine viz. That he that would quench the fiery darts of the Devil must be careful above all things to take and use the shield of Faith Doctrine In the opening of which Doctrin I shall handle these four particulars 1. Open the nature of the grace of Faith 2. Shew you wherein Faith is compared to a Shield 3. Why we must take this above all 4. How this grace of Faith quencheth the temptations of Satan 1. For the nature of Faith Before I can shew this we must briefly shew the several kinds of faith that so we may see what faith is here meant Now
Now this assent is 1. General and universal to all the declarations of God 2. T is builded properly and principally upon the Authority of God who hath revealed it 3. Upon this Assent is raised in the soul a strong affection unto and a high esteem of all the Revelation and discovery made by God Appreciation unto you who beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. The soul surveyeth all those things declared in the word with a very judicious eye and judgeth meanly of all other things in comparison of them 4. Upon this prizing of these things followeth a very earnest longing and desire in the soul to be made pertaker of all those precious excellencies Desire of enjoying doth naturally follow affection this desire is unsatiable unquenchable Hence it is set out by hungring and thirsting Isa 55. 1. Hunger and thirst cannot be satisfied without the enjoyment of meat and drink 4. Vpon this Desire followeth Affiance and Confidence The soul is so wrought upon that it can come to Christ as a living Stone and upon him and the promise of grace and pardon made in him is enabled to set down its rest as upon the onely pillar of salvation This is that which the Psalmist calls the fixing of the heart Psal 112. 7 8. It imports a secure and settled resting upon God The Prophet calls it staying a mans self upon God Isa 50. 10. so Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee David calls it Rolling our way upon the Lord. Psal 37. 7. t is agreeable to that in Mat. 11. 28. 6. Vpon this followeth the souls Election and choice of that which is held on t in the Divine Revelation The soul doth freely and spontaneously chuse the promises of the Gospel and makes them his own This is one of the highest steps of faith when the soul is not onely willing to accept but to chuse the way of truth and to chuse all the contents of the promise This is that which David professeth of himself Psal 119. 30 31. I have chosen the way of truth thy judgements have I laid before me I have stuck unto thy Testimonies O Lord put me not to shame 2. Wherein lies the comparison between faith and a shield 1. Faith is like a shield for the strength of it Of all the parts of Armour which the Souldier wears the Shield was the strongest Polybius tels Historian li. 6. p. 467. us the manner of it It was made of a double board glewed strongly together it had a double cover one of strong linnen cloth another of raw Neats leather that it might quench the fiery Arrowes of the enemy when they hit upon it about the edges of it above and beneath there went a strong plate of Iron that it might not be cut above with the edge of the enemies sword and that it might not rot below with hanging upon the ground on the outside of it there was a strong bosse of Iron which they called the umbo to preserve it from being battered with stones spears and other violent weapons Faith is the strongest of all the graces it is impenetrable and impregnable You read of the power of faith 2 Thess 1. 11. The faith of miracles is of such strength that it doth pluck up mountaines by the â—oots Mat. 17. 20. Saving faith must needs be much more strong 2. Faith is a shhield for largeness The Roman shield did cover the whole body Polybius tels us that it was two foot and a half broad and above four foot in length so that he that could skilfully Polyb. ut supra handle the shield might be safegarded on every part T is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gate or door because of the largeness of it Faith is a very large grace of a great extent It covers the head and the heart and the feet and the body c. He that can but handle this shield of faith after a right manner may lye safe in the midst of the hottest temptations 3. Why we must take this above all Because this grace is that which Strengthens and Acts all the other The shield hath this excellency in it that it doth protect not onely the body of the souldier more than any other piece of Armour but also that it doth defend all the rest It is Armatura armaturae If any violence be offered to the head the shield is lifted upto defend that piece if the head piece be either cracked or knockt off the shield supplies the place of the head piece if the breast-plate be broken the shield supplies the man of a breast-plate if the girdle be slipt off the shield supplies the place of the girdle if the shooes be rent the shield is instead of shooes it s a lifeguard to every part of the Armour he that hath a shield hath double harness The grace of faith is that which gives strength to all other graces The Doctrine of truth will not hold out one combate if the grace of faith be not implied it is the grace of faith which strengthens the doctrine of faith The breastplate of righteousness wil soon bepierced if it be not secured by the shield of faith faith is the preserver and the strengthner of righteousness the shooes of resolution will soon wear away if they be not soaled with faith its faith that mainteines courage and whets resolution Hope will soon go out if it be not fed with faith if faith faile hope gives up the ghost hope expects what faith beleeves and if faith langish hope withereth hope is the flame of faith and if the fire of faith be put out the flame of hope is exringuished The sword of the spirit the word of God is as a sword without an edge if faith do not sharpen it The word preached did not profit saith the Apostle because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. Faith is that which puls the sword out of the scabberd The word of God without faith is like a sword lockt up in the scabbard it s like a sword in the hand of a Child but the word in the hand of faith is like a sword in the hand of a Gyant Prayer without faith is ineffectual Jam. 1. 6. It hath no promise of acceptance with God Whatsoever ye ask in prayer beleeve that you have it and you shall receive it Mark 11. 24. Prayer without faith is like dead Physick t is faith that is the soul and life of prayer As all the Stars have the light from the Sun though they have some kind of natural light in themselves so the grace of faith hath an influence upon all the other pieces of the spiritual Armour both for the preservation and their quickning And therefore faith is sometimes put for all the strentgh of a Christian I have prayed for thee that thy faith do not faile Luke 22. 32. If
is our Rhetorick to perswade us in tribulation unto patience Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him Psal 37. 7. and Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord c. 5. The accomplishment of future good This shews the object of Hope generally that which is good particularly or specially future good Herein it differs from faith The object of faith is not onely good things but evill things also Faith beleeves the threatnings as well as the promises Faith doth beleeve there is an Hell as well as an Heaven but Hope onely looks at good things Evill things are the proper object of fear and hatred not of hope And then this differs in the spiritual object Hope onely looks at good things to come what a man sees why Rom. 8. 24. doth he yet hope for it hope that is seen is not hope That 's the difference between hope and vision But now faith looks not onely at things that are to come but also at things that are past and at things that are present It looks to things past We beleeve that the World was created that Adam fell that the old world was drowned that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered that he dyed c. We beleeve also things that are present We beleeve that Christ is at the right hand of God that he makes present intercession And we also beleeve things that are to come We beleeve that Antichrist shall fall that Christ shall come to judge the World that our dead bodies shall be raised c. 6. Which God hath promised Herein faith and hope agree they have both the same Basis or foundation viz. The word of promise The Scripture asserts the promise to be the foundation of hope Tit. 1. 2. There could be no reason of expectation unless the thing expected were bottomed upon a divine promise It s loose fancy not well grounded waiting which is not erected upon a promise 7. And Faith beleeveth This holds out another difference between Faith and Hope They differ in their order Faith goes before Hope followes the stedfastness of hope is from the certainty of faith faith beleeves the truth of the thing and hope waits for the accomplishment of it The Apostle tells us that faith is the substance or ground of things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the Mother of hope and hope is the Daughter of faith faith discovers the treasure and hope gathers it and layes it up Faith is the fire of hope and hope is the flame of faith 2. Wherein the Resemblance between Hope and a Helmet Consider that in four things 1. The Helmet doth defend the head from violence offered either by sword pistoll c. The grace of Hope doth safeguard the soul from the violence of Satan 2. The Helmet is the highest of al the Souldieres Armour The grace of Hope is that which looks still upwards t is the highest of the graces it hath its eye fixed upon the things which are in Heaven 3. The Helmet doth make the Souldier of dreadful appearance to his adversary Polybius tels us that the Romane Souldiers had upon their Helmets garlands sticking upon spikes so high that they seemed of a double height and did appear very formidable to the enemy Men of low stature seemed exceeding high by reason of their Helmets and that dress which they wore upon them The Grace of Hope upon the head makes the Christian Souldier very formidable to Satan it doth lift him up even to Heaven Little David with his Helmet of Hope appeared of a greater height then Goliah though he had a Helmet of Brass Hope sets the Soul upon a Rock which is higher then all his Adversaries 4. The Helmet doth give warmth and heat to the head it hath a refreshing as well as a defending virtue in it The Grace of Hope warms and refreshes the Heart III. Wherein this Grace is usefull to a Christian in the time of Temptation 1. The Grace of Hope helps Christian Courage It sharpens the edge of Christian Valour faintness and fearfulness of Spirit gives a very great advantage to the enemy That was a good Martial Law which God gave his people Deut. 20. 8. If the heart once sink through cowardice and pusillanimity the hands grow weak Now the grace of Hope keeps the heart from sinking yea it adds courage to the heart We have a Proverb But for Hope the heart would break I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Psal 27. 13. Upon this he gives an Exhortation to others to hope in God with a promise of strength v. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage c. The exercise of this grace kept the Apostles from sinking 2 Cor. 14. 16 18. For this cause we faint not c. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen c. 2. The Grace of Hope doth strengthen Faith Though Faith breed Hope yet doth Hope strengthen Faith It is as a staff to her aged mother as one well observes Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Faith makes things that are not seen evident and then the grace of Hope helps the Evidence of Faith 3. The Grace of Hope helps the Soul to persevere Victory is promised onely to such as hold out unto the end Be thou faithful unto the death c. Rev. 2. 10. Now without Hope there can be no perseverance He that hath lost his hope will either yield or run or make some unworthy composition but now Hope will carry on the Soul in its opposition There are two things which Hope doth to help us to persevere First It fastens the Eye upon the sight of the Crown it layes that at the foot of the Soul and encourageth it to continue Secondly It fetches in help from heaven it fastens the Eye upon Jesus Christ and lets it see that He is fighting for them while they are fighting for themselves It shewes the Soul Recruits marching from Heaven for its Relief and assistance Information 1. This lets us see the benefit and excellency of the Grace of Hope The Scripture speakes very much in the commendation of it It 's the second of those three choice Graces Faith Hope Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13. It 's that which brings heaven down to the Soul or raises the Soul to heaven even when the Soul is here on earth It 's the Soul's Comforter in all the troubles afflictions and evils which it sustains in this life It 's that by which we overcome Satan in the day of Temptations It 's the Soul's Anchor by which it rides safely in the tempestuous Sea of Temptations Of all the Graces it is that which promises least but there is no Grace that is of more use then this It 's well compared by one to an Egge that hath more in it then is seen An Egge hath nothing to be seen
not the King no not in thy thought Eccles 10. 20. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. God saw that every imagination of the heart of man was evil Gen. 6. 5. He that lookes upon a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her in his heart Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. We have obeyed from the heart the form of Doctrine c. Rom. 6. 17. 7. The heavenliness of the Doctrine It lifts up men above all earthly things it calls on men to mortifie their earthly members to set their affections on things above not on things below c. 8. The blessings and rewards punishments and threatnings propounded in the Scripture are not temporal onely but spiritual and eternal Giving men up to vile Affections Rom. 1. 24. Seeing ye shall see and not perceive c. Esa 6. latter end I will not punish their daughters when they commit Adultery Hos 4. 14. If any hear and open I will come in and sup with him c. Revel 3. 20. If any man keep my Commandements I will love him and my Father will love him and communicate himself to him c. Joh. 14. 23. 9. The scope and chief aim of it is to debase all Creatures and to advance and set up God alone Whether ye eat or drink c. do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 3. Fear God and keep his Commandements Eccles 12 Let God be true and every man a Lyar c. III. From the rare effects of the Scriptures They have a power to terrifie to comfort to quicken to pull down strong Holds 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. To open blind eyes to convert dead soules c. Quale causatum talis causa Such illustrious divine effects must needs have a divine cause 4. From the testimony and witness of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of men It is the work of the Holy Ghost to subdue the heart to believe and submit to the Word 1 Joh. 2. 20. Ye have an unction from that Holy One c. John 14. 26. When the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost is come he shall teach you all things and whatsoever I have said to you he shall bring to your remembrance This perswasion must either be from Sathan or from a mans own fancy or else from God It cannot be from Satan for the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures overthrows him and his Kingdom and Design It cannot be from our own fancy the Doctrine of the Scripture is supra captum nostrum ergo I could give other Arguments Ex absurdo Ex consensu Ecclesiae Ex Amanuensibus c. but these may suffice Secondly Why the Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit Consider four things for this 1. 'T is from the Spirit Originally He is the Composer and Framer of this blessed Book 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Herein it differs from that material Sword That is made and fashioned by man This by the Spirit 2. All the efficacy of it depends upon the Spirit He it is that makes it powerfull for the working of those effects which are done by it upon men It would be but a woodden sword without either edge or point if the Spirit of God did not give virtue to it This the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 10. 4. We see it by experience the same word is a dead letter upon some and a convincing and converting word to others the reason is because the word is set on by the Spirit in one and not in the other 3. It hath an effectual influence upon the Spirits of men It doth not onely reach to the body and outward man but even to the Spirit and Conscience also This the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Herein it differs from all material Swords They onely pierce the body they cannot either wound or defend the Conscience but this Sword hath a power through the Spirit both to afflict and quiet to settle and unsettle the very Spirit and Soul of man 4. The manner of the operation of this Sword is onely Spiritual It workes not as the materiall Sword by bloudy piercings and woundings but by Spiritual Arguments onely There is nothing visible to the eye of the body in the working of this Sword it doth all for which it is appointed in a spiritual way by spirituall Convictions and Spiritual Comforts and Spiritual Reproofs c. III. Wherein this is usefull to help us against Temptations 1. The Word of God helps a Christian to answer all Satans objections Whatsoever sinne he tempts you to commit whatsoever Duty he perswades you to cast off whatsoever medium he useth to press his temptation the Word of God will be able to put full and pertinent answers into your mouthes against the same When I opened the 13. verse I shewed you there were eight evill dayes in which Satan did violently set upon the soul The Day of Personal outward Affliction The Day of Church-calamity especially when Hereticks and Seducers are risen up in the Church The Day of sinful miscarriage and failing The Day of Spiritual Desertion and obscurity The Day of extraordinary Soul-enlargment by Divine Manifestations and Incoms from Heaven The Day of Temporal deliverance and advancement The Day of the success of wicked men The Day of Death I shewed you what temptations are most peculiar to such a day Now the Word of God will furnish you with sufficient Arguments to antidote your Soules against the infection of every one of those Temptations If Satan tempt to pride of heart the Scripture will arm you against that sinne by shewing you the mischief of Pride God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4. 6. If Satan tempt you to Covetousness the Scripture will shew you the danger of that sinne It will tell you that The love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. And that a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of what he enjoyeth Luke 12. 15. If Satan tempt you to unrighteousness and oppression the Scripture will arm you against that sinne Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. If Satan tempt you to Perjury and Covenant-breaking the Scripture will shew you the sad effects which have followed upon that sinne Zedekiah for this sinne had his eyes put out and was a Captive all his dayes Ezek. 17. 18. If Satan tempt you to be heretical or erroneous the Scripture will shew the miserable fruits of Heresie Because they did not receive the truth in the love of it God gave them up to delusions to believe a Lie that they might all be
thy precepts and turned my feet to thy Commandments saith David Psal 119. 59. he that forgets Gods Testimonies will soon be drawn aside from the way of obedience but he that carefully remembers these will walk holily David gives this as the reason why the godly man doth not walk in the way of the ungodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of scorners because his delight is in the word of God and therein he meditates day and night Psal 1. 2 3. 2 Cor. 8. 18. 7 Study carefully the great and many priviledges which are instated upon you in and by the Covenant of Grace The end of all the Dignities confer'd by God upon men is in respect of them that they should walk in newness of life Election is for this end Eph. 1. 4. God hath chosen men in Christ before the foundation of the world not because they were holy but that they should be holy and without blame before him in love The end of Redemption is holiness of life Luk. 1. 75. Christ came as much to redeem the people from iniquity as from hell Tit. 2. 14. The end of Adoption is that we should be harmless and blameless the Sons of God without rebuke that we should live as Gods children and walk as Children of the Light The end of our Justification is Sanctification of Life many leud and ignorant Christians argue from priviledges to laziness they continue in sinne because grace abounds But the Scripture argues from great priviledges to purity of life vid. Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore Brethren c. The particular mercy he had spoken to is the great mercy of a sinners justification by faith Of this he had been disputing in the former Chapter In the 12. Chapter he comes to make the main Use of it which is an Exhortation to Holiness And from the same Doctrine Ephes 4. 1. he draws the very same inference I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you c. The end of all the Promises is holiness of life 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these Promises c. The Apostle Peter from many other rare priviledges drawes the same conclusion 1 Pet. 2. 9 10 11 12. Dishonesty of Conversation doth not onely convince a Christian of unthankfulness for his priviledges but it is a shame to his priviledges 8. Meditate much on the unrighteousness of your former conversation when ye knew not God It is the mind of God that Christians after their effectual conversion should remember their unregenerate condition Ephes 2. 11 12. There are many good uses which a Christian may make of such meditations it makes him thankful c. Amongst others this is one it will be a good help to promote his holy walking after Conversion Such meditations will bring to his mind 1. The filthiness of sinne which will set his heart against it And 2. they will let him see how much time he wasted in sinne which will be a great help to make him more careful for the future over his wayes This is laid down in many places of Scripture as a help to holy walking vid 1 Pet. 4. 3. the Apostle in the second verse exhorts them to cease from sinne and his Argument is because that was their practice in the days of their vanity when they walked after the course of the world And we have the same Argument 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance This is one Reason why such as have been most notoriously wicked before Conversion are sometimes more then ordinarily holy after Conversion When sinne hath abounded before Regeneration Grace hath much more abounded in them after Conversion Mary Magdalen one of the most noted sinners of her age our Saviour cast 7 Devils out of her and after her Calling one of the most exact Christians of her time You read very much of her forwardness and zeal and holiness she is usually put in the first place whereas she is spoken of vid. Matth. 27. 55 56. Matth. 28. 1. In the end of the Sabbath came Mary Magdalen c. Joh. 20. 18. Mary Magdalen came and told the Disciples c. One ground of this is because they reflect upon their former Conversation and because they find that exceeding vile therefore they are so very careful now to walk with all exactness As those that have been most prodigal when they are reclaimed are ordinarily very frugal c. 9 Meditate on the many engagements which lie upon you for holy walking You all lie under Sacramental Bonds when you were baptized then you entred into an Engagement Oath of Allegeance that you would give up your selves in obedience unto God The Apostle upon this ground argues with the Romanes Rom. 6. 2 3 4 5 6. Baptism is a holy Bond which though it be but once entred into yet the obligation of it remains for ever upon the soul And what that obligation is you have Mat. 28. 19 20. Teuching you to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded This Baptismal Vow you have renewed at the Lords Table many a time on your sick beds or in the day of other troubles Looking often upon these will be very helpful The thoughtfull remembrance of Engagements were very vsefull to David for this purpose I have sworn it and I will perform it to keep thy righteous judgments Psal 119. 106. violating of holy Vows breaking of religious Covenants though the matter of them be but civil is a sinne of a high nature Ezek. 17. per totum especially ver 18 19 20 21. So Ezek. 34. 17 18 19. 10 Get much of the holy reverential fear of God into your spirits Fearing of God and eschewing of sinne are frequently joyned together in Scripture so are fearing of God and keeping of his Commandements Job 1. 1. Eccles 12. 13. The Apostle makes the want of Gods fear to be the in-let of all unrighteousness and dissolute practices Rom. 3. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. And the Apostle makes this fear of God to be the means of purifying the life 2 Cor. 7. 1. If the heart grow Fearless the life will grow Profane Prov. 28. 14. 11 Study and think well upon the Doctrine of Death and of Judgment Look upon Death as neer at hand let the sound of the Passing-Bell and the sight of the Grave be continually in your Senses and let the sound of the last trumpet be in your ears Awake ye dead and come to judgment Forgetfulness of Death and Judgment is the cause of so much licentiousness and the remembrance of these are of great force to keep the life holy see 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. and ver 10 11. Seeing all these things must be dissolved c. 12 Consider the unloveliness of unholy practices in other men Behold the Drunkard in his vomit and the Adulterer in his uncleanness c. This will work in your Soules hatred against sin and zeal for
the contrary vertues 13 Look very narrowly to the heart the inward man It 's impossible to preserve Holiness of life if Corruptions be not dayly purged out of the heart Let the blood of Jesus be sprinkled upon the heart every day purge the Conscience and then the Conversation will be kept clean also Out of the abundance of the heart c. Matth. 15. 18. EPHES. 6. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lect. 14. Janu. 9. 1649. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN these words we have the third piece of the spiritual Armour The preparation of the Gospel of peace In which we shall consider of these three things 1. The Epithite given to the Gospel Evangelium pacis 2. The Armour it self The preparation of the Gospel 3. The Subject of this Armour the part of the body upon which it is to be put the Feet I shall at this time onely go over the first of these viz. The Commendation given to the Gospel And it teacheth us this lesson viz. That the Gospel is a Gospel of peace Doctrine In the opening of which Doctrine I shall 1. shew you what the Gospel is 2. What peace this is 3. How the Gospel is a Gospel of peace 4. Answer an Objection against it 1. The Gospel according to the notation of the word signifieth good news glad tydings so the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the hebrew word Desporah signifieth it is here used to set forth the joyful tidings of salvation by Jesus Christ first preached to Adam in Paradise by God himself Gen. 3. 15. afterwards by the Prophets by Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles The Doctrine of free grace and obtaining righteousness by faith in Christ without the works of the Law It s called in the Scripture sometimes The word of Gods grace Acts 14. 3. because it doth reveal the riches of Gods grace to the children of men for their salvation Sometimes it s called the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. because it holds out faith in Christ as the instrumental cause of our salvation Sometimes it s called the grace of God Titus 2. 11. Sometimes it s called the mystery of Christ Ephes 3. 4. because it doth reveal Jesus Christ to the sons of men in his person natures offices benefits conveyed by him to such as beleive Sometimes the hidden wisdom of God 1 Cor. 2. 7. It s wisdom because it contains the wise design and plot of God for the saving of sinners And its hidden because it was from eternity hidden in the secret counsels of God till he was pleased to make it known to Adam and because Rom. 16. 25. it is still hidden from many who have not the knowledge of it and because many who know it in the letter do not savingly embrace and entertain it Sometimes it s called the word of life Phil. 2. 16. because by the right beleiving of it men are translated from the state of death to the state of life Sometimes the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3. 8. because in this shop it is that all those riches are laid abroad to the view of men Sometimes it s called the good word of God Hebr 6 5. Every word of God is good the Law is a good word all the threatnings are good they come from him who is good the matter of them is good the end of them is good but the Gospel is by way of eminency called the good word because the greatest goodness and mercy that God ever manifested to his creatures is contained in the Gospel God was very good to man in creation the goodness of God was expressed in the Covenant of works but the highest expression of goodness and love lies in the Gospel And in the Text it s called the Gospel of peace the reason of which we shall see when we have done with the next particle viz. 2. What peace is here meant There is a threefold peace 1. Peace with the Creature of this Eliphaz in Job speaks Chap. 5. 23. Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be in peace with thee He is said to be at peace with the Creatures who is in such a condition that no Creature can be an instrument of his hurt but all creatures are instruments of his good and serviceable to him for his advantage All things are yours things present and things to come 1 Cor. 3. 21 22. 2. Peace with a mans self Peace of conscience of this the Apostle speaks Rom. 15. 13. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing This peace is a fruit and consequence of faith of this our Saviour speaks Math. 11. 28. Come unto me c. and ye shall find rest to your soules When the soul apprehending the pardon of sin and assurance of Gods love is freed from those fears and horrors which attend unjustified sinners 3. Peace with God Which is nothing else but Reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ For the understanding of this we are to consider man in his threefold state 1. In the state of Innocency In this state man had peace and communion with God God and man were united in a Covenant of friendship There was nothing but Amicableness between God and man man was able to know God as the chief good To will God as the last end of all To give God the glory of his works actively To converse with God There was nothing in him opposite to God or in God till man by sin on his part had made a breach 2. In the state of corruption or the fallen estate of man This is a state of enmity and wrath God and man in this state are at deadly fewd one with another They are said to be afarre off from God they are said to be without hope and without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. Sin hath made such a wide distance that there is no hopes for God and man to come together as friends untill some meanes be used for the removal of this distance This is the state in which all unregenerate persons are The wrath of God abideth on them John 3. 36. In this state man is opposite to God His nature is opposite to God His wayes are contrary to God His heart is full of hatred to him And in this state God hath put man under Rom. 1. 30. the curse and is resolved to have his envy out of him 3. In the state of Graee or regeneration This is a state of reconciliation It consists in these four things 1. The wrath and displeasure on Gods part is quite done away so that he loves the persons and carrieth no indignation in his breast against them Some think that there is no reall wrath in God towards the vessels of election while they are in their natural