Exposition on John 5, Ephesians 6 · Verse 13
Verſ. 13.
For this cauſe t…k… vntounto you the whol… a…mour of God, that …ee may be able t… reſiſt in the euill day, and hauing finiſhed all things, to ſtan… f…ſ….
FRom the former conſideration of the greatneſſe and terribleneſſe of our enemies, the Apoſtle takes occaſion againe to ſtir vsus vp to the gr…ater watchfulneſſe, and courage in withſtanding theſe our enemies. (For this cauſe) that is, in regard wee hauehave ſo great en…mies, ſo malicious, powerfull, and ſtrong; wherefor… he repeats againe the direction before laid downe, verſ. 11.
The words then containe two points, 1 A direction. 2 Motiues.
In the direction obſerue, 1 The meanes that are to be vſed. 2 How they are to be vſed.
The meanes a…e expreſſed in theſe words, (the whole …rmo…r of God,) of which hath been ſpoken before, verſ. 11. O…ely conſider ſome reaſon… why this is againe … they are … eſpecially. 1 The Apoſtle heereby ſhew…s, that he had deliuer…d this direction with good adui…, not raſhly, and ſuddenl…: and therefore hee is told again… and againe to ſay it▪ as Gal. 1.9.
2 Tha… as it is a truth in it ſelfe, ſo it is behoofefull for vsus, and …ſpecially to be regarded o… vsus, as Pſal. 24.7.9.
3 Becauſe t…e Apoſtle will kn…w that wee are very backward to performe this duty, and therefore hee vrgeth it againe.
V…e 1 …or Miniſt…rs to vrge and preſſe vponupon thei… people their duti…s againe and againe.
2 To r…prooue people th…t hauehave itching …ares, and cannot endure repetitions, but ſti…l long after new points.
Further, from this repeti…ion, we may obſ…rue both the neceſſity, and ſufficiency of th…ſe m…anes pr…ſcribed, in that they, and t…ey onelyonly ar… … down… b…fore, and againe repeat… aft…r the deſcr…p…ion o… our enemies, verſe 12. Which ſhould mooue vsus to take good h…d vn…o them.
2 The manner of vſing the meanes, is ſet downe in another phraſe then before. (Take vntounto you) but ver. 11. (P…t on) The doctrine hence ariſing, is this, That
Doct. The graces whereby wee are defended, are not from our ſelues, but from another, 1 Cor. 4.7 Iam. 1.17.
Nature giues vntounto brute beaſts wherewith to d…fend themſelu…s, ſo …oo…e as they ar… brought foorth, and ſo they grow vp needing no oth…r; but it is not ſo with ma…: we are borne naked, and without all defence for our bodies, needing apparell, and w…apons to defend vsus: So are we likew…ſe in …eſpect of our ſoules, vtterly voyd of a…l gr…ce power a…d ability, to keepe our ſelues from the aſſau…s o… our enemies: ſee Ezek. 16.4 &c. Wherefore we a…e to get vntounto vsus this ſpirituall a…mour. So much for th… d…ection.
The motiu…s are taken from the end, which is ſ…t down in two d…grees. 1 …hat in the fight w… may be able to r…ſ…ſt 2 …hat after …he …igh…, we may ſtand faſt.
In the firſt no…e 1 th… …enefit, 2 the …, 3 the time.
1 The be…fit in th…ſe words, (that y…e may be able.) Whence is c…nf…rm…d the do…rine before …eliu…r…d, that whoſo ha…h thi… armour, may, in th… …ght … thereof, be … of vi…tor….
2 The duty is in thi… word, … or ſtand againſt our enemies. A w…d of … of defi…nce. Whence
Doct. 1 The Armour that is giuen vsus of God, is giuen vsus to d…fie our Enemie boldly, and to combate with him, Iam. 4.7. 1 …et. 5.9.
Vſe. To teach vsus, that we who prof…ſſe our ſelues ſoldi…rs o… Chriſt, and hauehave taken vn…o vsus this armour, muſt knowe that wee are not c…lled to imbrace …his Word, and liue idly at …aſe, but to fight.
Doct. 2 Seeing that we are bidden take this armour, and ſo reſiſt, we learn, That without this armour it is in vaine to reſiſt, we ſhall ruſh like horſes vponupon the pikes, we fight like nak…d men, againſt men armed.
Vſe. As before we… were taught to reſiſt, ſo here we are ſhewed how to reſiſt: not fooliſhly truſting in our owne ſtrength, but armed with the power of God.
Doct. 3 That wee giuegive no place to the diuell: for ſuch is his ſuttlety and cruelty, that hee knowes how to take eueryevery aduantage, and being once entered, like a fierce lion will deuoure vsus.
Ʋſe. It reproues the folly of thoſe that will yeeld a little, and hope well enough to recouer themſelues, but ſinne growes by degrees, and the diuell gets great aduantage, by perſwading vsus to yeeld a little: and if wee ſinne a little, and ſo loſe our ground, wee ſhall finde it a harder matter to recouer it, being loſt, then to hauehave kept it at the firſt.
3 The Time is noted in theſe words (In the euill day) not euill in it ſelfe, but in regard of thoſe occurrences that fall out vponupon that day. Some take this to bee meant of the whole courſe of our life: others too ſtrictly, for the houre of our death. I rather take it in a middle ſence, for a certaine time or day, namely, the day of tryall and temptation, wherein we are aſſaulted by the diuell, who would bring vsus to the euill of ſinne and of puniſhment; …nd therefore it is called euill.
Doct. Hence wee learne in generall, that there is an euill day that will come vponupon vsus, as Reu. 6.11. And ther…ore the Scripture puts a muſt vponupon it. Wee muſt through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God. Herein alſo is the difference between the Church militant, and the Church triumphant. Y…a, who in his owne exp…rience doth not finde this to be… true?
Vſe. …hat wee bee not ſecure, thinking no euill wll come vponupon vsus. A conceit not onelyonly of the wicked, Pſal. 10.6. but euen of thoſe alſo that hauehave giuen vp their names to God: as Dauid, Pſal. 30.6.
Queſt. But wh…n then is this day? Anſw. God diſpoſeth of it, as of the day of death: though it will certainely come, y…t wee know not when, to the end that we… might alwaies watch and pr…pare our ſelues. So that wee learne,
Doct. 2 That wee muſt prepare, and be alwaies armed for an euill day. Thus Iob thought of his afflictions before they came, Iob 3.25. Thus Paul prepared for his afflictions, Acts 20.22, &c. And ſo doth hee warne Timothy, 1 Tim. 1.18.
Vſe. For reproofe of thoſe that liue ſecurely, thinking that all peace and quietneſſe ſhall ſtill laſt: and ſo like the people of Laiſh, Iudg. 18. are eaſily ſurprized. So much for the firſt degree.
In the ſ…cond obſerue 1 The Time. 2 The iſſue or benefit. The Time is expreſſed in theſe words, (hauing finiſhed all things.) Wherein we may note, 1 the Action, 2 the Obiect, (all things.)
Doct. The inſtruction from thence is, that the aſſaults made againſt vsus are many: (all,) as Pſal. 34.19. The Commonwealth of Iſrael was a type of this, which was continually exerciſed with afflictions in Egypt, and afterwards till they came to be in quiet in the Land of Canaan. And this is alſo verified in the life of Chriſt, his Prophets and Apoſtles. So then, as there is an euill day certainely to be looked for; ſo likewiſe are there many to be vndergone of vsus. Wherein,
1 God doth ſhew his goodneſſe in aſſiſting and deliuering vsus, and the truth of his promiſes, in not forſaking vsus.
2 Heereby God wou…d weane vsus from the world, in which through eaſe and quiet, we too m…ch de…ight.
3 And mak… vsus the mo…e to …ong after Heauen.
4 This commeth …o paſſe, by rea…on of the vn…a…iable ma…ce o… th… diuel, who w…ll vſe more m…anes than one to foyle vsus, if it may be: as h… did to Iob and Chriſt.
Vſe. 1 To t…ach vsus to looke for one affliction af…er …nother, and t…r…ore …till to prepar… our ſelues.
2 For com…ort, tha… we do… not thinke our ſelues forſaken of God, …cauſe of m…ltitude of af…lictions and tempta…ion…, ſ…eing that it is our condition whileſt we liue heere.
Doct. 2. (Finiſ…d.) It is not ſuff…cient well to acquit our ſelues o… ſom… one of thoſe aſſaults, that are brought againſt vsus; but we muſt valiantly ſtand againſt all whatſo…uer. Hence is the conſtancy of the Martyrs commended, that endured a…l ſorts of afflictions, Hebr. 11.36. and 12.4.
R…aſons are, 1 Becauſe all the promiſes of reward made vntounto vsus, be annexed with th… condition of conſtancy and perſeuerance to the …nd, Reu. 2.7. and in all thoſe 7 Epiſtles, Math. 10.22.
2 Becauſe without continuance, all our former courage and conſtancy is in vaine, Gal. 3.4.
2 The benefit is in theſe words, (to ſtand faſt.) foreign. Not in the Imparatiue moode, as implying a duty, but in the Infinitiue, as noting a benefit; the iſſue and euen… of the fight: Implying, that at length wee ſhall be conquerours; and as victors, ſtand laſt in the field, when our adu…rſary is fled awa….
Doct. They who doe well fight the battels of the Lord, ſhall be ſure at length to hauehave the victory, 1 Cor. 10.13. Thus did Chriſt ſtand laſt in the field: and ſo did I…b, Iames 5.11.
Vſe. It ſerues for comfort and encouragement to fight valiantly; for heere is the bleſſed iſſue that will …comp…nce all our labour and trauell.