The Converted Mans New Birth, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
The fourth Chapter entreateth of the Spirituall battle, in which no doubt, eueryevery Regenerate man oftentimes fighteth againſt Sathan, before hee attaine eternall life.
SAthan is euer quiet with the ſinner, before hee feareth he ſhall looſe him, but then hée ſéeketh by all meanes that poſſibly hée can, to attempt, peruert, and vtterly ouerthrow*1 Peter 5. 8 him.
Moſes was quiet, vntill hée beganne to deliuer the Children of Iſrael; but then …orah could ſay, aNumber 16. 3▪Yee take too much vppon you: King Dauid was quiet when he kept his Fathersb1 Sam. 16. 11. ſheep; but after he fought for the Church of God: Then Saulc1 Sam. 17. 50. 1 Sam. 18. 11. 29 could riſe againſt him: Saint Paul was quiet, ſo long as hee was with the ScribesdActs 9. 1, 2. Acts 22. …. 34. and Phariſees, but afterwards hee had enemies enough: Sathan tempted, and ouercame the perfecteſt, as eGeneſis 3. 6.Adam; the ſtrongeſt as fIudges 16. 1…ſampſon; and the wiſeſt as g2 Reg 11Salomon: Hee therefore thath1 Cor. 10. 12. ſtandeth, let him take heed leſt he fall, Chriſt was no ſooner Baptized, and had faſted iMathew. 4. 1▪ Luke 4. 1. Marke. 1. 12.forty dayes, but Sathan could tempt him.
And ſo it is with eueryevery Regenerate man, euen when hee is moſt weakeſt, then the Diuell is ſtrongeſt,1 Peter 5. …. and buſieſt agaynſt him; Who daily laboureth to delude him with all manner of inticements: Firſt, To delight in ſinne: Secondly, To conſent: Thirdly, To cuſtome, and from cuſtome to hardneſs of heart from hardneſſe of heart, to boaſting, from boaſting, vntounto deſperation, and from deſperation to damnation; and thus by degrees, if ſinne be not reſiſted, the Diuell will labour to bring the ſinner vntounto deſtruction. Wherefore wee muſt daily labour to preuent them by Diuine meditations; diuert them by feruent prayers, and correct them by ſighes, and ſpeedy Repentance: For I holde thoſe intiſements, and vaniſhing thoughts, which many times paſſe through a Regenerate man without approbation, not without ſuppreſſion, to be properly Nec mors nec morbus animae, ſed deformitas, Neyther the death, nor diſeaſe of the ſoule, but the deformity thereof, they are Tela immiſa, Sathans darts, ſhot at vsus, In corde, non excorde, in the heart, not of the heart: which the godly ſeeke, but giuegive no conſent vntounto, they are our croſſes, but not our ſinnes, they are but Morbus mentis, The diſeaſe of the minde.
Thoſe motions St. Paul confeſſeth, the Children of God, are neuer free from them: It is obſerued in Hierom, which hee bewrayes in many places of his workes, That his whole life, was in continuall war-faire with his luſts: It cauſed St. Paul to crye out, to bee deliuered from the pricke of the fleſh; But the Lord anſwered him, My grace is ſufficient for thee, for my ſtrength is made perfect in thy weakneſſe.
I hold theſe & ſuch like temptations, to bee the battle which eueryevery Regenerate man fighteth agaynſt Sathan. For, where wereaTimothy 2. 9. grace, if there werebIames 1. 14. no temptation? where were mortification, if no luſts tocRomans 8 13. mortifie? And where weredColoſians 3. 5 Iob 2. 10. patience, if there were noePſalme …19. 71 affliction? if there were no motion to ſinne, where were the battle, the victory, and the Crowne wee ſhall obtaine, if wee hauehave no Aduerſary to ſtriue withall?
The Diuell, as hee is the Prince of this World, So ſtill he ſeeketh whom he may deuoure; 1 Peter 5. ….he himſelfe is chiefe generall, and is alwayes the ſore-man in the battle; his Lieutenants are fleſhly luſts, which are in open war agaynſt Chaſtity: the Sergeants of his Band, are the curſed Children of dackneſſe, which are in continuall ſtrife, agaynſt the Children of light: His common Souldiers are the effects of the fleſh, to fight agaynſt the fruits of the Spirit. And their armour is the breſt plate of iniury, the girdle of falſhood, the ſhoes of diſcord, the ſhield of infidelity, the helmet of miſtruſt, with the piercing darts of cruelty, the Cannon ſhot of ſpitefull Reproaches, the arrowes of flying ſlanders, and the frailty of the fleſh, to peruert and vtterly confound vsus, except wee preuent them by Prayer and Repentance.
Therefore, the Children of God ought to put on Gods Armour, and manfully fight againſt the deuices of ſinne, Epheſians 6. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17Sathan, and all his deteſtable crue, before they can obtayne their ſpirituall inheritance in the Kingdome of Heauen: Which weapons are able to ouercome the Diuell, and all the lewd luſts of the world; yea, and all the whole hoſt of vices therein.
Our Captaine and chiefe Generall, in all our conflict, Is the mightya…. 5. 5. Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah, theb… Prince of Peace, the Conquerourc… of Death,d… Heil, ande… Sinne: Yea, thefG…e…s … great Iudge of the World, andg… 2. 2…. Biſhop of our Soules, Chriſt IeſushMathew 1. 21 our Sauiour.
And to reſiſt the Tyranny of the Diuell,i1 Timothy 4… … Acts 5. 31. it ſtandeth vsus in hand, to be alſo well and ſtrongly armed, with the breſt-plate of equity, the Shield of vndoubted faith in Chriſt, the Helmet of aſſured hope, the Shoes of knowledge and peace in the holy Ghoſt, the girdle of truth, well buckled with patience, and conſtancy, the Cannon ſhot of deepe ſighes, proceeding from a true penitent heart, the Arrowes of bitter teares, brought forth by remorſe of conſcience, and the two edged Sword of the eternall word of GOD; For, it ſtandeth vsus vppon, to keepe our continuall battle, ready and orderly; To ſight valiantly, hope aſſuredly, endure conſtantly, to march on charitably and cheerefully: To watch and ſtand faſt in our fight, for the quarrell is GODS, and the Victory ours, euen the very ſaluation of our owne ſoules.
If wée reſiſt the Diuell in the power of Ieſus Chriſt, He will flye from vsus: So often as wee reſiſt him, ſo often we ouercome, it will make the Angels glad, and glorifie GOD, which exhorts vsus to fight, and helpes vsus in our extreamity, and time of néede; GOD beholds our ſtriuing, and helpes vsus vp, that we ſhould not faint; and will crowne vsus with glory, and honour when we ouercome; therefore, the greater our Temptations are, the more noble muſt bee our Reſiſtance; and the more godly our liues and conuerſations are, the greater ſhalbee our Crowne and Glory, in the kingdome of Heauen.