1. You must be completely armed. Ephes. 6. 11. Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil: Not ⟨p. 449⟩a piece only, but the whole Armour of God, otherwise you will never come off with Honour and Safety, from the Spiritual Conflict. The Poets feign of their Achilles, that he was vulnerable only in the Heel, and there he got his Death's Wound. A Christian; though he be never so well furnished in other parts, yet if any part be left naked, you are in danger. Our first Parents were wounded in their Heel. Who would have thought, that they which had such vast knowledge of God, and his Creatures, that they should be enticed by Appetite? And Solomon, who had the upper part of his Soul so well guarded, that he should be enticed by Women? To see Men of great knowledge to be unmortified, and miscarry by their sensual Appetite, is sad. A Christian must have no saving-Grace wanting; 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your Faith, Virtue; and to Virtue, Knowledge, &c. There's all the Graces, and they must come out in their turn. We need Faith and Virtue, Zeal and Holiness; and Knowledge to guide it, and Patience to arm it against the Troubles of the present Life; and we need Temperance to moderate our Affections to our worldly Enjoyments; and Godliness, that we may be frequent in communion with God; and Brotherly-kindness, that we may preserve Peace among our Brethren, and may not make Fractions and Ruptures in the Church; and we need Charity, that we may be useful to all that are about us. There is use and work for all Graces, one time or other: Sometimes we shall be tempted to a neglect of God; at other times we shall be tempted to make a breach upon Brotherly-kindness; at other times there will be a breach ⟨p. 450⟩of Charity. Sometimes the Devil seeks to tempt us to fleshly wickedness, therefore we need Temperance; sometimes to spiritual Wickedness, to Error, therefore we need Knowledge; sometimes to raging with despair, then we need Faith. We need the whole Armour of God, for Satan hath his various ways of Battery and Assault; sometimes, through Ignorance, we miscarry and run into Error; sometimes, for want of Faith, we run into Despair and Discomfort; sometimes, for want of Temperance, violent corrupt Lusts over-set the Soul.
1. You must be compleatly armed. Ephes. 6. 11. Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil: Not ⟨p. 449⟩a piece only, but the whole Armor of God, otherwise you will never come off with Honour and Safety, from the Spiritual Conflict. The Poets feign of their Achilles, that he was vulnerable only in the Heel, and there he got his Death's Wound. A Christian; though he be never so well furnished in other parts, yet if any part be left naked, you are in danger. Our first Parents were wounded in their Heel. Who would have thought, that they which had such vast knowledg of God, and his Creatures, that they should be inticed by Appetite? And Solomon, who had the upper part of his Soul so well guarded, that he should be enticed by Women? To see Men of great knowledg to be unmortified, and miscarry by their sensual Appetite, is sad. A Christian must have no saving-Grace wanting; 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your Faith, Vertue; and to Vertue, Knowledg, &c. There's all the Graces, and they must come out in their turn. We need Faith and Vertue, Zeal and Holiness; and Knowledg to guide it, and Patience to arm it against the Troubles of the present Life; and we need Temperance to moderate our Affections to our worldly Enjoyments; and Godliness, that we may be frequent in communion with God; and Brotherly-kindness, that we may preserve Peace among our Brethren, and may not make Fractions and Ruptures in the Church; and we need Charity, that we may be useful to all that are about us. There is use and work for all Graces, one time or other: Sometimes we shall be tempted to a neglect of God; at other times we shall be tempted to make a breach upon Brotherly-kindness; at other times there will be a breach ⟨p. 450⟩of Charity. Sometimes the Devil seeks to tempt us to fleshly wickedness, therefore we need Temperance; sometimes to spiritual Wickedness, to Error, therefore we need Knowledg; sometimes to raging with despair, then we need Faith. We need the whole Armour of God, for Satan hath his various ways of Battery and Assault; sometimes, through Ignorance, we miscarry and run into Error; sometimes, for want of Faith, we run into Despair and Discomfort; sometimes, for want of Temperance, violent corrupt Lusts over-set the Soul.
