The Christian in Complete Armour

2ly. Satan hath his instruments to oppose the messengers and overtures,§2 which God sends by them to bring the sinner out of Satan's rule. When Moses comes to deliver Israel out of the Egyptian bondage, up start Jannes and Jambres to resist him. When Paul preacheth to the Deputy, the devil hath his Chaplain at Court to hinder him: Elymas, one that was full of all subtlety and mischief. Some or other (to be sure) he will find, when God is parleying with a sinner, and persuading him to come over to Christ, that shall labour to clog the work. Either carnal friends, these he sends to plead his cause, or old companions in wickedness, these bestir them, one while labouring to jeer him out of his new way, or if that take not, by turning their old love into bitter wrath against him for playing the Apostate, and leaving him so. Or if yet he will not be stopped in his way, then he hath his daubing Preachers, (still like Jobs messengers the last the worst) who with their soul-flattering, or rather murdering doctrine shall go about to heal his wound slightly. Now as ever you desire to get out of Satan's bondage, have a care of all these, harden thy self against the entreaties of carnal friends and relations. Resolve, that if thy children should hang about thy ⟨p. 224⟩knees to keep thee from Christ, thou wilt throw them away. If thy father and mother should lie prostrate at thy foot, rather then not go to Christ, to go over their very backs to him. Never can we part with their love upon such advantageous terms as these. And for thy brethren in iniquity, I hope thou doest not mean to stay while thou hast their good will, then even ask the devils also. Heaven is but little worth if thou hast not a heart to despise a little shame, and bear a few frumps from profane Ishmaels for thy hopes of it. Let them spit on thy face, Christ will wipe it off; let them laugh so thou winnest. If they follow not thy example before they die, the shame will be their own; God himself shall spit it on their face before men and Angels, and then kick them into hell. And lastly, scape but the snare of those flatterers, who use their tongues only to lick sinners consciences whole with their placentia's soothing doctrine, and thou art fair for a Christ;

2ly. Satan hath his instruments to oppose the messengers and overtures,§2 which God sends by them to bring the sinner out of Satans rule. When Moses comes to deliver Israel out of the Egyptian bondage, up start Iannes and Iambres to resist him. When Paul preacheth to the Deputy, the devil hath his Chaplain at Court to hinder him: Elymas, one that was full of all subtilty and mischief. Some or other (to be sure) he will finde, when God is parlying with a sinner, and perswading him to come over to Christ, that shall labour to clog the work. Either carnal friends, these he sends to plead his cause, or old companions in wickednesse, these bestir them, one while labouring to jeer him out of his new way, or if that take not, by turning their old love into bitter wrath against him for playing the Apostate, and leaving him so. Or if yet he will not be stopt in his way, then he hath his daubing Preachers, (still like Iobs messengers the last the worst) who with their soul-flattering, or rather murdering doctrine shall go about to heal his wound slightly. Now as ever you desire to get out of Satans bondage, have a care of all these, harden thy self against the entreaties of carnal friends and relations. Resolve, that if thy children should hang about thy