The Whole Armor of God, Exegesis · Treatise 2 · Part 2
THE SECOND PART.
The kinds of the peeces of Armour preſcribed.
§. 1. Of the ſeuerall peeces of the Armour of God in generall.
THe next point is, concerning the meanes or manner of ſtanding, in the words following, hauing your loynes girt, &c.
In the 14. 15. 16. and 17. verſes, there are ſixe ſeuerall graces of the Spirit, compared to ſixe ſeuerall peeces of Armour, which are eſpeciall meanes to make vsus ſtand faſt. They are theſe,
| 1 Verity. | Compared to | 1 a Girdle. |
| 2 Righteouſnes. | 2 a Breſtplate. | |
| 3 Patience. | 3 Shooes. | |
| 4 Faith. | 4 a Shield. | |
| 5 Hope. | 5 an Helmet. | |
| 6 Word of God. | 6 a Sword. |
Out of this particular enumeration of theſe ſeuerall graces and peeces of Armour, I will deliuer three or foure generall obſeruations, and then diſtinctly handle them one by one, as they lye in order.
§. 2. Of defending our ſelues.
MOſt of theſe ſeuerall peeces,Obſ. 1. euen all of them but one, are defenſiue; that one which is offenſiue, namely the word of God,The moſt part of a Chriſtians Armour is defenſiue. compared to a ſword, is alſo defenſiue, as well as the reſt: whereby it is intimated that,
Vſe Wee that are Chriſtians muſt rather ſeeke to defend our ſelues, then annoy others. This was repreſented in that combate which our Lord fought with the diuell: ForfMat. 4. 1. &c. Chriſt was led aſide of the Spirit into the wilderneſſe, and being there, the tempter came firſt vntounto him, and firſt ſet vponupon him: here we ſee that there was a neceſſity to moue Chriſt to fight, and that in a double reſpect. Firſt, in that he was brought into the liſts. Secōdly, that being there, he was aſſaulted. In this fight Chriſt eſpecially aimed to defend himſelfe, and to repel his aduerſaries weapons. Therfore all his anſwers are framed directly according to Satans obiections. The like we may obſerue in his conflicts with the inſtruments of Satan, the Scribes, Phariſes, Herodians, &c. as alſo in thoſe conflicts, which his Prophets Apoſtles, and other Saints hauehave had with Satan, and his inſtruments.
Hereby we ſee that we fight in a iuſt quarrell:Reaſon Our quarrell is iuſt. for what iuſter cauſe can there be, then for a man to defend himſelfe, and his owne right?
Obiect. But defendants are oft in the greateſt blame.
Anſw. True, when they keepe men from their owne right, and make them recouer it by force. But we keepe nothing from Satan which is his due: he ſeeketh to get thoſe from Chriſt, whom Chriſt hath dearely bought, euen with the price of his owne blood. It is therefore a Diabolical property to raiſe vniuſt quarrels, and by force to ſeeke to wring from any that which he hath no right… vntounto. If we be thus ſet vponupon, lawfully we may defend… our ſelues, and with confidence call for Gods aide, yea alſo in faith depend vponupon him,
§. 3. Of reſiſting.
ONe offenſiue weapon, the word of God,2 Obſ. Repell the enemy. which is a Sword, is put into our hands, ſo that iuſt occaſion being offered, we may and ought to do our beſt to repell and driue away the diuell, and his inſtruments. Hereof I ſhall ſpeake more largely on the beginning of the 17. ver.
§. 4. Of ſtanding at defiance.
EVery part and peece of this Armour,3 Obſ. No ſafety in flying. is for the forepart of a man, neuer a peece for his backe, or hindparts. What doth this imply, but that we ſhould alwayes ſtand againſt our enemies face to face, and neuer ſhew them our backs, neuer flie from them? but hauehavegNeh. 6. 11. N…hemias holy reſolution, and ſay, ſhould ſuch as we flie? Oft we are ſtirred vp to fight, wreſtle, ſtand, reſiſt, &c. neuer perſwaded in the whole book of God to flie, that is, to yeeld the victory vntounto Satan. We may wiſely auoid his temptations, and not yeeld to them, when by them he ſeekes to draw vsus from the ſeruice of our Lord, to his ſlauery; and thus h1 Cor. 10. 14.we are commanded to to flie from idolatrie, to i2 Tim. 2. 22.flie from the lusts of youth, &c. But timorouſly to ceaſſe from reſiſting temptations, and withſtanding the Diuell, is dangerous to our ſelues, and diſhonourable to God: it maketh Satan euen inſult ouer God himſelfe,Diabolus non opus aliquod aliud operatur, niſivt ſubuertat: hic eſt cibus illius, hi… honor, hoc & gaudium, Chryſoſt in Mat. 4. hom. 5. whoſe ſouldiers we are, and get great aduantage againſt vsus; for flying from God whom hauehave we to flie vntounto? being out of Gods protection the Diuell will ſoone make a prey of vsus. Let vsus not thinke, that if we yeeld the field, the Diuell will be contented: It is not the glory of conqueſt that hee ſeeketh, ſo much as our deſtruction:k1. Pet. 5, 8. He ſeeketh whom to deuou…e
§. 5. Of the ſufficiency of our Armour.
IN this particular enumeration of theſe ſeuerall peeces,Obſ. 4. EueryEvery part fenced. I find a Chriſtian ſouldier armed from top to toe: for here is an Helmet for his head and face: a Breſtplate, together with the taſſets and cuſhes, from necke to middle, and from thence to the knees: a Girdle to knit them together; greaues from knees to the ſoles of the feet; a Sword for the right hand, and a Shield for the left. Well therefore might the Apoſtle terme it whole Armour.
Vſe 1 So whole and compleate is this Armour, as we need ſeek for no other to adde to it, or to couer it ouer: As it is madneſſe to reiect this, and truſt to the clout and paper armour of Papiſts and wordlings: ſo it is childiſhneſſe and meere folly to couer this whole Armour ouer with any other, and ſo needleſly clog the ſoule: yea it is derogatory to Gods honour and wiſedome, and a degree of preſumption. Such are they as acknowledge and beleeue that the word of God is perfect, and yet thinke it no harme to hauehave humane traditions added thereto: or that Chriſt onelyonly is able to ſaue, and yet the helpe of Saints to doe no harme: or that faith onelyonly is ſufficient for iuſtification, and yet no hurt to ioyne workes alſo with faith, in the office of iuſtifying a ſinner, &c.
Vſe 2 Let our care be to be armed with this whole Armour, and eueryevery peece of it, and ſo we may well content our ſelues therewith, boldly may we defie our enemies hauing it on, and not feare what they can do vntounto vsus. Theſe vſes hauehave bene largely handled, ſo as I need not now further inſiſt vponupon them.