8. Take advantage by every thing that befalls thee in this Spiritual Warfare. Eye thy reserves: The Captain of thy Salvation is both thy Vanguard and thy Rereward, and will be thy Reward: Thou gainest thy Husband, as David did his wife, by conquering these Philistines: and, while thou art fighting for him, he is weaving thy Crown: 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. Eye thy Fellow-soldiers, those Worthies of the Heavenly David, that are both Militant and Triumphant, Heb. 12.1. Example is very forcible. Yea, take advantage by thy very Foils, to be more humble, charitable, dependent, watchful and courageous. Let not the Enemy gain the field, after Conquest, by a back-blow of Pride. This Antiochus gains (often) more by flattery then by force, Dan. 11.21, 22. It's honourable for Christ to say, well done, &c. but dangerous for Satan to say, well done; and safe for thee to say, poorly done, when thou hast done thy best. Despise thy self when others admire thee; and be assured, that self-admiration is the most dangerous Devil in the World. Especially, improve Advantages prudently, when thou hast thy Enemy on the hip, yea on the ground: fall with all thy weight upon him, give him no Quarter, lest thou meet with the doom of Ahab, 1 Kings 20.42. and of the Israelites, Numb. 33.55, 56. Here, as one notes well, ⟨p. 333⟩Learn Wisdom of the Serpents-Brood, who never thought they had Christ sure enough, though they had him in the Grave, Matth. 27.64. Remember; it's thy highest Wisdom, first to discern, next to improve the Spiritual Contrarieties that act in thy own bosom. He is the wisest man that knows himself, and he the strongest man that conquers himself. This alone is the true Israelite, who by conquering himself doth (in a pious sense) overcome both Heaven, Earth, and Hell. Gen. 32.28.
8. Take advantage by every thing that befalls thee in this Spiritual Warfare. Eye thy reserves: The Captain of thy Salvation is both thy Vanguard and thy Rereward, and will be thy Reward: Thou gainest thy Husband, as David did his wife, by conquering these Philistims: and, while thou art fighting for him, he is weaving thy Crown: 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. Eye thy Fellow-souldiers, those Worthyes of the Heavenly David, that are both Militant and Triumphant, Heb. 12.1. Example is very forcible. Yea, take advantage by thy very Foy•s, to be more humble, charitable, dependent, watchful and cour•gious. Let not the Enemy gain the field, after Conquest, by a back-blow of Pride. This Antiochus gains (often) more by flattery then by force, Dan. 11.21, 22. It's honourable for Christ to say, well done, &c. but dangerous for Satan to say, well done; and safe for thee to say, poorly done, when thou hast done thy best. Despise thy self when others admire thee; and be assured, that selfadmiration is the most dangereus Devil in the World. Especially, improve Advantages prudently, when thou hast thy Enemy on the hip, yea on the ground: fall with all thy weight upon him, give him no Quarter, lest thou meet with the doom of Ahab, 1 Kings 20.42. and of the Israelites, Numb. 33.55, 56. Here, as one notes well, ⟨p. 333⟩Learn Wisdom of the Serpents-Brood, who never thought they had Christ sure enough, though they had him in the Grave, Matth. 27.64. Remember; it's thy highest Wisdom, first to discern, next to improve the Spiritual Contrarieties that act in thy own bosome. He is the wisest man that knows himself, and he the strongest man that conquers himself. This alone is the true Israelite, who by conquering himself doth (in a pious sense) overcome both Heaven, Earth, and Hell. Gen. 32.28.
