And to take occasion from your external profession to put you in mind of your spiritual condition, which is, to be Soldiers of Christs 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, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven. If ye be overcome, 1ye are perpetual slaves to Satan, that malicious enemy, who will hold you with everlasting chains under darkness in torture and torment endless and easeless, merciless and remediless. To put you in mind, I say, of this your spiritual condition, know that if valour, and the forementioned ground thereof be so requisite, as hath been 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 ⟨p. 425⟩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 assault, and more greedily devour. Even so the Devil: Resist the Devil and he will fly from you. Give 2place, 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 may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. Being thus armed, Watch ye, stand fast in the Faith, quit you like men, and be strong: stand courageously, and ye shall stand victoriously.
ANd to take occasion from your externall profession to put you in mind of your spirituall condition, which is, to be Souldiers of Christs bands, under his colours, whose Artillery Garden is the Church Militant, where your Martiall discipline in which you are daily trained up, is not for recreation and pastime, but in very good earnest, to conquer, unlesse you will be conquered, and that in a combate of great consequence, wherin 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 temporall, but eternall life is in great hazard. If ye overcome, ye are free for ever, and gaine an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven. If ye be overcome, 1ye are perpetuall slaves to Satan, that malicious enemy, who will hold you with everlasting chaines under darknesse in torture and torment endlesse and easelesse, mercilesse and remedilesse. To put you in mind, I say, of this your spirituall condition, know that if valour, and the forementioned ground thereof be so requisite, as hath beene shewed, against bodily enemies, which are but flesh and bloud, how much more against spirituall enemies, which are not flesh and bloud, but principalities and powers. These especially, we ought to resist stedfast in the Faith. The chiefe spirituall enemie of our soules, the Devill, from whom all our other spirituall enemies receive their strength and courage, is ⟨p. 425⟩like a Wolfe, and that as in fiercenesse, so in fearefulnesse. A Wolfe, if he be stoutly resisted, will flie away, but if he be fearefully shunned or yeelded unto, then he will the more fiercely assault, and more greedily devoure. Even so the Devill: Resist the Devill and he will flie from you. Give 2place, and yeeld, and he will the more eagerly pursue, and the more easily prevaile. Neither, if he prevaile, will he any whit the more spare thee for thy yeelding to him, but rather the more proudly insult overthee. Wherefore, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: Put on the whole armour of GOD, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Divell. Being thus armed, Watch ye, stand fast in the Faith, quit you like men, and be strong: stand couragiously, and ye shall stand victoriously.
- 11 Pet. 1. 4.
- 2I am 4. 7. Libentius te insequitur adversarius fugientem, quain sustineat repugnantem & audecius insislit à lergo, quam resistat in faciem. Bern. Epist. 1. ad Rob. Nepot. suum. Eph. 6. 10, 11. 1 Cor. 16. 13.
