The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…

§. Sect. 2 Here therefore is instruction for secure worldlings,¹ and consolation and encouragement for Gods children. Worldly men in steed of fighting the Lords battles, spend their time in chambering and wantonness, in lusts and uncleanness, in Music and dalliance, in surfeiting and all voluptuousness, in covetousness and idleness, as though there were no enemy to assault them, and as if Satan were some meek lamb and not a roaring lion ready to devour them; so that good Moses coming near them cannot hear the noise of them that have the victory, nor the noise of them that are overcome, but the noise of singing and merriment,² for they are not fighting the battles of the Lord of hosts, but solemnising a Sabbath to the golden Calf, sitting down to eat and drink and rising up to play. The spiritual Canaanites are quite forgotten, and they remember not the blessed land of promise, whereunto like pilgrims they should be travailing, but make this world, this wilderness of sin, the place of their joy and delight. In a word, they flourish in their outward states, and never in their minds feel any vexation of Satan's temptations. And what is the cause of all this? If you ask them they will say, that they have such a strong faith and peace of conscience,³ that Satan's temptations have no power over them; neither were they ever troubled with any of his encounters. And not content with these brags of their own happy estate, they censure and condemn Gods children, accounting their state most desperate who are molested with ⟨p. 4⟩Satan's temptations, and go mourning under the burden of sin all the day long; supposing either that they are in Satan's power, and have more grievously sinned then other men, or that they are mad and frantic so to vex themselves with such needless sorrow. But let such men know that of all others their state is most dangerous, for they are grievously sick, and have no sense of their disease, their wounds are so mortal that they deprive them of all feeling; they are assaulted, yea taken prisoners whilst they sleep soundly in security, and discern not the approach of the enemie. Non ergo repugnant quia se impugnari ignorant: They make no resistance because they are ignorant of the assault. And what can be more dangerous then to have the enemy approach and lay hands on us before we be aware?