A01970:44
The dignity of chivalry set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company…The dignitie of chiualrie set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company…
The dignity of chivalry set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company of London, June xiij. 1626. By William Gouge, B. of Divinity and preacher of Gods Word, in Black-friars London.The dignitie of chiualrie set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company of London, Iune xiij. 1626. By William Gouge, B. of Diuinity and preacher of Gods Word, in Black-friers London.
London: printed by George for Ralph Mab, 1626
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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⟩