And to take occasion from your 1external profession to put you in mind of your spiritual condition, which is, to be Soldiers of Christs ⟨p. 30⟩bands, under his colours, whose Artillery Garden is the Church Militant, where your Martial discipline in which you are daily trained up, is not for recreation and pastime, but in very good earnest, to conquer, unless you will be conquered, and that in a combat of great consequence, wherein no earthly, but an heavenly inheritance is fought for, and for attaining thereto not liberty of this world, but of the world to come, not a temporal, but eternal life is in great hazard. If ye overcome, ye are free for ever, and gain an inheritance incorruptible, 2and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven. If ye be overcome, ye are perpetual slaves to Satan, that malicious enemy, who will hold you with everlasting chains under darkness in torture and torment endless and ease-less, mercy less and remediless. To put you in mind, I say, of this your spiritual condition, know that if valour, and the fore-mentioned ground thereof be so requisite, as hath been ⟨p. 31⟩showed, against bodily enemies, which are but flesh and blood, how much more against spiritual enemies, which are not flesh and blood, but principalities and powers. These especially, we ought to resist steadfast in the Faith. The chief spiritual enemy of our souls, the Devil, from whom all our other spiritual enemies receive their strength and courage, is like a Wolfe, and that as in fierceness, so in fearfulness. A Wolfe, if he be stoutly resisted, will fly away: but if he be fearfully shunned or yielded unto, then he will the more fiercely 3assault, and more greedily devour. Even so the Devil: Resist the Devil and he will sly from you. Give place, and yield, and he will the more eagerly pursue, and the more easily prevail. Neither, if he prevail, will he any whit the more spare thee for thy yielding to him, but rather the more proudly insult over thee. Wherefore, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: Put on the whole armour of GOD, that ye ⟨p. 32⟩may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. Being thus armed, Watch ye, stand fast in the Faith, quit you like 4men, and be strong: stand courageously and ye shall stand victoriously.
And to take occasion from your 1externall profession to put you in minde of your spirituall condition, which is, to be Souldiers of Christs ⟨p. 30⟩bands, vnder his colours, whose Artillery Garden is the Church Militant, where your Martiall discipline in which you are daily trained vp, is not for recreation and pastime, but in very good earnest, to conquer, vnlesse you will be conquered, and that in a combate of great consequence, wherein no earthly, but an heauenly inheritance is fought for, and for attaining thereto not liberty of this world, but of the world to come, not a temporall, but eternal life is in great hazard. If yee ouercome, yee are free for euer, and gaine an inheritance incorruptible, 2and vndefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserued in heauen. If yee bee ouercome, yee are perpetuall slaues to Satan, that malicious enemie, who will hold you with euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse in torture and torment endlesse and ease-lesse, merci lesse and remedilesse. To put you in minde, I say, of this your spirituall condition, know that if valour, and the fore-mentioned ground thereof be so requisite, as hath beene ⟨p. 31⟩shewed, against bodily enemies, which are but flesh and blood, how much more against spirituall enemies, which are not flesh and blood, but principalities and powers. These especially, wee ought to resist stedfast in the Faith. The chiefe spirituall enemie of our soules, the Diuell, from whom all our other spirituall enemies receiue their strength and courage, is like a Wolfe, and that as in fiercenes, so in fearefulnesse. A Wolfe, if he be stoutly resisted, will flie away: but if he be fearefully shunned or yeelded vnto, then hee will the more fiercely 3assault, and more greedily deuoure. Euen so the Diuell: Resist the Diuell and he will slie from you. Giue place, and yeeld, and he wil the more eagerly persue, and the more easily preuaile. Neither, if he preuaile, will he any whit the more spare thee for thy yeelding to him, but rather the more proudly insult ouer thee. Wherefore, my Brethren, bee strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: Put on the whole armour of GOD, that yee ⟨p. 32⟩may be able to stand against the wiles of the Diuell. Being thus armed, Watch ye, stand fast in the Faith, quit you like
- 1Courage against spiritual enemies.Courage against spirituall enemies.
- 21 Pet. 1. 4
- 3Jam. 4. 7. Libentius te ins••uitur aduersarius fugientem, qu•m sustineat repugnantem: & auda•ius infi••• à tergo quam resistat in faciem. Bern. Epist. 1. ad Rob Nepot. suum. Ephes. 6. 10 11.Iam. 4. 7. Libentius te ins••uitur aduersarius fugientem, qu•m sustineat repugnantem: & auda•ius infi••• à tergo quam resistat in faciem. Bern. Epist. 1. ad Rob Nepot. suum. Ephes. 6. 10 11.
- 41 Cor. 16. 13.
