Gods three arrows plague, famine, sword, in three treatises. I. A plaster for the…Gods three arrovves plague, famine, svvord, in three treatises. I. A plaister for the…

§. 14. Of courage against spiritual enemies.

§. 14. Of courage against spirituall enemies.

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