The Whole Armor of God, Dedication 2 – Analysis
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, RJGHT WORSHIPFVLL, AND OTHER my beloued Pariſhioners, Inhabitants of the precinct of Blacke-fryers London, Grace in Chriſt.
Right Honourable, Right Worſhipfull, Beloued;
AMong the many great bleſsings which the Lord hath beene pleaſed to beſtow on me, his poore ſeruant, vnworthy of the leaſt, I account this to be an high Fauour, that he hath put me in his Seruice, and appointed me to be one of the Miniſters of his Word. Baſely is this calling accounted of by the greater, and vulgar ſort of people: but my conſcience beareth me witneſſe that I receiue ſuch contentment therein, and hold my ſelfe ſo honoured thereby, as I preferre it to all other callings, and am prouoked thereby to giuegive ſome euidence of my thankefull acceptance thereof: which better I know not how to doe, then by imploying and improuing to my poore power, the Talent which my Maſter hath committed to my charge. I am not ignorant how inſufficient I am thereunto,foreign. and that not onelyonly in regard of the greatneſſe of the worke (whereunto who is ſufficient?) but alſo in compariſon of other Miniſters, 2 Cor. 2. 16.whom God in great number hath raiſed vp in theſe our dayes. Yet withall I know that the great Maſter accepted the imployment of two talents as well as of fine: Mat. 25. 23.yea, if he that receiued but one talent, had imployed it, euen he alſo ſhould hauehave beene accepted: for God, the righteous Iudge, 2 Tim. 4. 8.neither exacteth, nor expecteth more then he giueth. If there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that which a man hath, 2 Cor. 8. 12.and not according to that which he hath not. This is it which moueth me, as by Preaching, ſo alſo by publiſhing ſome part of my labours in Print, to ſeeke the edification of Gods Church. I account Preaching the moſt principall part of my function: for this is Chriſts charge,Mar. 16. 15. Goe preach the Goſpell; and this is that Ordinance wherein and whereby God doth ordinarily, and moſt eſpecially manifest his owne power, and beſtow his bleſſing. This is it therefore which hitherto I hauehave moſt attended vponupon, and intend ſo to continue as long as God ſhall affoord mee ability and liberty. Yet I doubt not but Gods people doe alſo receiue much benefit by ſundry Treatiſes in diuers kinds publiſhed in print. For as Preaching is of power eſpeciallie to worke vponupon the affections, ſo Printing may be one eſpeciall meanes to informe the iudgement.Vox audita perit, littera ſcripta manet. For that which is Printed lieth by a man, and may againe and againe be read, and throughly pondered, till a man come to conceiue the very depth of that he readeth. Beſides, herein is a great benefit of printing, that the gifts and paines of Gods ſeruants are made much more common then otherwiſe they could be: hereby wee partake of the labours of thoſe who hauehave liued in former times, or in other Countries, and whom we could neuer hauehave heard ſpeake. Now a good thing,Bonum quo communius eo melius. the more common it is, the better it is. It cannot be denied but that knowledge and learning hauehave wonderfully encreaſed by the benefit of Printing. Whereas there is a cōmon complaint againſt multitude of Books, it is for the moſt part againſt idle & euill Bookes, or elſe an vniuſt cōplaint. If it be ſaid, that there can nothing be written, but what hath beene written before, I anſwer, that though it ſhould be true in regard of the ſumme and ſubſtance of matters, yet in regard of a more full opening, a more perſpicuous deliuering, a more euident prouing, a more powerfull vrging and preſsing of points,Aliquid novus ad…cit Author. a more fit applying of them to preſent occaſions more and more may be, and daily is added by ſundry Authors, whereby the Church of God is much edified. But may not the ſame argument be alleadged againſt Preaching? and doe not many alleadge it? Howſoeuer ſome, too enuiouſly minded, cenſure the meanes which God in mercy hath affoorded for the building vp of the body of Chriſt Ieſus, my deſire is eueryevery way to doe what good I can; and therefore I hauehave beene bold to commit to your eies and reading, ſome part of that which I hauehave heretofore commended to your eares and hearing. I doe now make a triall of my paines in this kind: if I ſhall obſerue that Gods Church reapeath any benefit thereby, I ſhall be encouraged to take the more paines hereafter, as I ſhall find any leaſure. I am the ſeruant of Chriſt, and of his Church; ſo long as my life, health, ſtrength, liberty, or any ability is by the good prouidence of God preſerued vntounto me, my deſire is to ſpend it in the ſeruice of Chriſt, and of his Church. Among others I eſpecially entreat you (my beloued Pariſhioners and Auditors, of what rancke or degree ſoeuer ye be) in the beſt part to interpret, and with the beſt mind to accept theſe my endeauours; whereby, though I hauehave aimed at a more generall good, then I could by preaching (hoping that many whom I neuer knew, nor ſaw, may reape ſome benefit by my paines) yet eſpecially I intend your good, whoſe proper and peculiar Miniſter I am, and for whoſe ſoules I watch, as hee that muſt giuegive an account. In this triall which I make of publiſhing ſome of my meditations, I beginne with the laſt part of my labors, becauſe they are freſheſt in your memories that heard them preached, and containe points more largely diſcuſſed, and, as I take it, of greater vſe then any other, which throughout the courſe of my Miniſtry I hauehave handled. For the time of our life being a time of warre, a time wherein our ſpirituall enemies (who are many, mighty, malitious, ſedulous, and ſubtile) put forth their ſtrength, and beſtir themſelues to the vttermoſt that poſsibly they can,1 Pet. 5. 8. Seeking whom to deuoure, what can bee more behoueful, then to diſcouer their cunning ſtratagems and wyles, to declare wherein their ſtrength lieth, to furniſh Chriſts Souldiers with compleat armour and ſufficient defence, and to ſhew how our enemies may bee diſappointed of their hopes, and we ſtand faſt againſt all their aſſaults? This is the ſcope of this Treatiſe. The Analyſis and Tables which I hauehave cauſed to be ſet before and after the Booke, doe point out the ſeuerall and diſtinct points contained therein, ſo as I neede not here make any repetition of them. I hauehave laboured to bee as perſpicuous and briefe as I could, in handling ſo weighty matters. I hauehave in many places deliuered no more then the heads of ſuch points as I largely handled in deliuering them out of the Pulpit: which any may well coniecture to be ſo, that ſhall know that the ſubſtance of almoſt an hundred ſeuerall Sermons is contained in this Treatiſe. My deſire of breuity moued me to referre the quotation of moſt places of Scripture vntounto the margent, and to leaue the Text to be ſearched out by the Reader, which I wiſh thee to doe as thy leaſure will permit thee. To conclude, I commend this Treatiſe to your diligent reading, and fauourable acceptance, my ſelfe to your Chriſtian prayers, and all of vsus to the good grace of God,Church-court in Black-friers London, December 31. 1618. and reſt
Your ſeruant in the Lords worke, WILLIAM GOVGE.
AN ADVERTISEMENT to the Reader.
CHRISTIAN READER,
THE good entertainment which this Treatiſe of The whole Armour of God, hath found among Gods people, emboldeneth me againe to publiſh the ſame. The ſame it is for ſubſtance which thou haddeſt before: for I find no iuſt cauſe to alter any part of the ſubſtance thereof. OnelyOnly here and there ſomething hath beene added, to make ſuch points as ſeemed too conciſe and obſcure, more perſpicuous.
Some there were, that finding the head of Faſting in the Table, looked for a diſtinct and larger diſcourſe of that point, which when they found not (for I did but briefly by the way touch it, as an helpe to Prayer) they entreated mee to take a little more paines thereabout. To their good motion I hauehave yeelded, and according to my poore abilitie, and little leaſure, I hauehave more copiouſly handled that very-needfull, but too-much-neglected dutie of Fasting.
I was further informed that the point of not praying for them that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, would much trouble the conſciences of ſome, if they were not informed in the nature of that ſin; and thereupon I hauehave beene mooued to annex a Treatiſe concerning that ſinne: in handling whereof, leſt Sa…tan ſhould take aduantage vponupon weake conſciences, from the fearefull iſſue thereof, to exclude themſelues or others (who hauehave not fallen into that ſinne) from all hope of pardon. I hauehave (treading in the ſteps, and following the path wherein Ieſus Chriſt hath gone before mee) with the ſeuerity of Gods Iuſtice in affording no pardon to that ſinne, mixed the riches of his Mercy, in offering pardon to all other ſinnes: ſo as this Treatiſe affordeth more matter of hope and comfort, then of feare and deſpaire.
In this Edition there are for thy helpe more diſtinctions of ſeuerall points then were before. For that which before was ſet forth as one Treatiſe, is now diuided into three ſeuerall Treatiſes, and the Treatiſe of the Sinne against the Holy Ghost, added thereto, maketh a fourth.
Theſe ſeuerall Treatiſes are alſo diuided into their diſtinct Parts: and againe ſubdiuided into ſundry Sections: ouer eueryevery of which the ſumme and head of the matter therein handled, is ſet. Thus both great light is giuen for better vnderſtanding, and alſo a ready way is made for finding out the ſeuerall points contained in this Booke.
A Table of all theſe Diuiſions, aud of the diſtinct heads of eueryevery of them is ſet before the Booke, that if it pleaſe thee, thou mayeſt at once take a briefe view of all.
That which I eſpecially hauehave aymed at for thee, is thy ſpirituall edification. That which I earneſtly deſire of thee, is the helpe of thy faithfull prayers.Churchcourt in Blackfriers London, December 31. 1618. Pray for me
The ſeruant of Chriſt, and of his Church, W. G.
An Analyſis or Reſolution of a Direction laid downe by St Paul, in the ſixt Chapter to the Epheſians, from the beginning of verſ. 10. to the end of verſ. 20.
The ſcope of this Direction is to keepe vsus ſafe againſt all the aſſaults of our ſpirituall enemies.
JN this direction note,
1 The Manner, whereby is declared the
1 Neceſſitie of the point, Finally
2 Affection of the Apoſtle, where by i… intimated his
Mildeneſſe,
Humilitie,
My Brethren.
3 Matter, wherein is required
1 To be couragious, heere note,
1 The dutie it ſelfe, Be ſtrong.
2 The ground thereof, Jn the Lord.
3 The motiue thereto, In the power of his might.
2. To bee well prepared, Here note,
1 The dutie.
1 Generally ſet downe.
Once, verſ. 12 Heere note
1 The Action Put on.
2 The Obiect, Armour. Deſcribed by
1 The kind of it,
Armour of God.
2 Sufficiency of it,
Whole Armor.
3 End. Here is declared the
Benefit of Armour▪
Able to ſtand.
2 Enemy againſt whom to be vſed, deſcribed by his
Name, Diuell.
Tēptations, Wyle…: Amplified by the generality, All.
Againe, verſ. 13. Where note,
1 The action, Take to you.
2 The obiect, Whole armour of God.
3 The End,
1 To withſtād.
2 To ſtand.
Amplified by the time
1 Of Combate, In the e…ll day.
2 Of Conqueſt, hauing done all.
2, Particularly exemplified, (A)
2 Motiue (verſ. 12) which is drawne from a Chriſtian combate, Wherein note,
1 The kinde of Combate,
Wreſtle.
2 Combatants.
1 Defendants, Wee.
2. Chalengers or Aſſaulters deſcribed,
1 Negatiuely,
Not fleſh and blood.
2 Affirmatiuely, by their
1 Gouernment. Here note,
1 The kind of it,
Principalities.
2 Their kingdome,
Worldly Gouernors.
3 Their vaſſals,
Darkeneſſe of this world.
2 Power, Powers.
3 Nature, Spirits.
4 Qualitie, Wickedneſſe.
5 Cauſe of fight, Heauenly things.
3 The Meanes whereby it may be the better performed. verſ. 18. (B)
(A) In the particular exemplification note.
2 The duetie, Sta…d.
2 The manner of performing it. Here are to ſix peeces of armour reſembled ſix graces
To
1 A Girdle,
Veritie.
2 A Breſt-pl…,
Righteouſneſſe.
3 Shooes,
Preparation of the Goſpell of peace.
4 A Shield Faith.
Heere is declared the benefit of Faith.
Whereby …ee ſhall be able to quench.
This is amplified by the obiect, Dares, deſcribed by the
1 Generality, All.
2 Quality, Fierie.
3 Author, Diuell.
5 An Helmer,
Ho….
6 A Sword,
Word of God
(B) The meanes is Prayer▪ amplified by
1 The kindes ſet downe,
1 Generally, A….
2 Particularly,
Prayer.
Supplicat…
2 The time, Abwayes.
3 The ground, The Spirit.
4 The helpe thereto, Watchfulneſſe.
5 The continuance, All perſeuerance▪
6 The perſons for whom, ſet downe,
1 Generally, All Saints.
2 Particularly▪ Mee. Here note
1 The matter to be craued, Vtterance.
This is amplified by the
1 Manner
Opening the mouth.
Boldneſſe.
2 End. Here note,
1 The action, To make know ….
2 The obiect, The Goſpell.
3 The qualitie, Myſteri….
2 Motiue, taken from
1 His function, Ambaſſadour.
2 His condition. In a Chaine.
Both amplified by
1 The end, That I may preach boldly.
2 The maner As J ought, to ſpeake.