The Holy Limbeck(1), Commentary 15 – Commentary 31
Let me alone.
Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot, &c.
Exod. 32.10.
TO will and to do are all one with God; it is the Prerogative-Royal onelyonly of the Almighty, to be able to do whatſoever he pleaſeth to will; whatſoever he will he doth, but all that he can he doth not. Now the power of the Creature, flows from that in the Creator; hence it is that the more we are formed into his likeneſs, the more prevalency we have with him, and the more victory over our ſelves. A juſt man is a wonderful ſtrong Creature; I can do nothing to Sodom, ſaith God to Lot, till thou be gone thence, Gen. 19.22. Thus the free condeſcendency of the Higheſt, vouchſafes ſuch a voluntary reſtraint of his Juſtice, as the prevalent integrity of a righteous man in favor with God, ſeems to over-power even the Almighty. The faithful are Gods favorites; rather then their Petition ſhall be laid aſide, his own Mercy ſhall ſay Amen unto their Prayers. Faith is ſuch a ſolicitous grace, ſuch an importunate beggar, as it will never leave God alone; yea, the very wicked of the Earth fare the better for the Prayers of the godly; ſee it in the caſe of Sodom, Gen. 18. and here thoſe Iſraelites might have been led to the ſlaughter like the Calf they worſhipped, had not this Moſes (refuſing to be the Adopted Grandchilde of the King of Egypt, though his Daughter might have challeng'd him by Providence, Exod. 2.5.) now become ſuch a Favorite in the Court of Heaven, that God himſelf muſt as it were importune him to ſlack his importunity, and ſue to him to withdraw his ſuit, and ſay, Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot againſt them, and that I may conſume them: and I will make of thee a great nation, Exod. 32.10.
The right Interpretation of Scripture.
Ye ſhall put nothing to the word which I command you, neither ſhall ye take ought therefrom,
Deut. 4.2.
VVHen thou readeſt the Scripture, let the Text interpret the Text, and grope not to winde thy ſelf out of the Labyrinth of thoſe ſacred Oracles by the clue of thine own private ſpirit, nor conceit thy ſelf wiſer then the Omniſcient. To wreſt Scripture, is to father a lye on the Spirit of Truth; and he that betrays the Word to a ſenſe the Spirit never meant it, Sophiſticates the great Seal of Heaven, and hath no ſhare therein, the Plagues therein denounced onelyonly excepted: Whether then thou readeſt to thy ſelf, or expoundeſt to others, do not gloſs the holy Text with unintelligible notions, the Baſtard-comment of a Weathercock-faith, nor beſpatter the ſplendor of ſuch a glorious Light, with the ſcarce vapor-proof atomes of an erroneous muddy judgement: Many Revelations are arrived of late, ſome no queſtion came from beyond the world, are Commiſſioned from Heaven, have the Seal of the Spirit indeed, whoſe authority admits not of diſpute; ſuch onelyonly are the faithful interpreters of the holy Language: other Revelations there are, which came from below the world, are Commiſſioned from Hell, have the Seal of the Beaſt on them; theſe alſo pretend a title to our faith, but believe not every Spirit, 1 John 4.1. To take the crutch from the Lame by the impudent aſſertions of a blinde, yet wilful judgement, is the inhumaneſt piece of imperious ignorance in the world; and to miſ-guide the doubtful Pilgrim under pretence of a more compendious way to the New Jeruſalem then was ever yet diſcovered, is to incur the curſe of Heaven, the thanks of Hell, and the blackeſt guilt of the higheſt murther. No Scripture may be conſtrued by the corrupt Dictionary of any ill-byaſs'd Spirit, or according to the Analogy of private intereſts; he that ſtrains the Scripture to a note the Spirit never tuned it, perverts it to his own deſtruction: Ye ſhall put nothing to the word which I command you, neither ſhall ye take ought therefrom, Deut. 4.2.
The Foundation of Knowledge.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſdom,
Prov. 1.7.
OF all creatures, Sub-angelical Man is the nobleſt; of all the parts of Man, the Soul; of all the faculties of the Soul, the Underſtanding; which if not exerciſed about her genuine object, the Goſpel-fear or true worſhip of her Creator, merits not the name of Senſe; and he that bottoms his knowledge, or lays the Foundation of his wiſdom on any other Baſis, builds but on the ſand with hay and ſtubble, and ſhall finde the edifice ſoon prove more brittle, then the ſhell of that brain which built it. Chriſt the wiſdom of the Father is the Corner-ſtone of ours; and if other Foundation any man hath laid, the ſtructure, if it prove not his Babel in this world, will undoubtedly a Tower of Shilo in that to come. Whoſe wiſdom begins not with the fear of God, ends in his eternal diſpleaſure: If our wiſdom commence with the fear of the Lord, his grace will accompany the progreſſions thereof, and his glory crown the event: Without this fear there may be wit, not wiſdo… the graveſt Sages, without … are but the moſt decent fools; and the choiceſt extractions of their unſanctified brain, but the Chymiſtry of vaporing prophaneneſs, or at beſt, the high Magick of moſt learned Lunacy; For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſdom, Prov. 1.7.
The poor Mans Advocate.
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it,
Prov. 3.27.
ROb not the Poor of the Tribute of thine Alms, leſt at the general Aſſize or Grave-delivery they indict thee of Sacriledge. The poor mans Box is Gods Exchequer, and he that adds not to it, takes from it. There is not a mite given in charity on earth, but is recorded for a pound in Heaven; yea, a Cup of cold water flowing from the bowels of Compaſſion, may ſo ſwell, that out of his belly ſhall flow even Rivers of Living water: There's not a poor man that asks a peny of thee, but thou art ſo much indebted to him, that in caſe he commence his Suit in Forma Pauperis, and prefer a Bill in the Chancery of Heaven by way of Petition againſt thee, it may be feared an Ite Maledicti may iſſue forth to thy everlaſting and inevitable ruine. Thou oweſt God more for the Poors asking a peny of thee, then they could thee, hadſt thou freely given them a pound; for in the one thou oweſt God praiſe for the opportunity of doing good; but in the other they have but their own due, and thou doeſt but thy duty: Wherefore, Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it, Prov. 3.27.
The contented Spirit.
Drink waters out of thine own Ciſtern, and running waters out of thine own Well,
Prov. 5.15.
DIſpleaſure not a friend to be a ſlave to thine own luſt, thy rags are Robes with contentation; if thou haſt not a mite for the Poor, endow them with thy Prayers; feaſt on thine own Lentils; quaff thy penitential tears, in ſtead of luſcious wines, and count thy ſins in ſtead of pounds; keep thy thoughts at home, and let not thy ambition climb beyond thy Makers pleaſure; crack not the Miſers heart-ſtrings by countermining policy to rob him of his covetouſneſs: If thou haſt a yolk and a ſhell, never keep houſe at another mans Table; its better be a Snail in his ſhell, then a Lyon in a Grate: Give the Devil his due, and plunder no man: Do not cut a purſe by Law, nor lay the foundation of thine own curſe upon the ruines of anothers happineſs: Let both eyes be but ſingle-ſighted, and let not thy tongue be double-hearted: Rejoyce in the wife of thy youth, but let thy Neighbors alone: Drink waters out of thine own Ciſtern, and running waters out of thine own Well, Prov. 5.15.
The Arm of Fleſh.
Curſed is he that maketh fleſh his Arm,
Jer. 17.5.
HIs is but a wing'd proſperity, whoſe happineſs is center'd in his riches; and his no ſtabler honor, whoſe ambition in the peoples breath; the one builds Caſtles in the ayr, and the other inhabits them; the one counts himſelf in heaven, when his neighbor is in hell, or in his debt; the other bleſſes himſelf as ſufficiently immortal, if ſome courteous Hiſtorian may be purchaſed to foiſt his noble acts into the Margent of a Chronicle; the one erects the golden Calf, and the other worſhips it, both are an abomination to the Lord: For what greater diſhonor can be done the Creator, then to attribute his Attributes to the Creature. When the Sword gives Laws, the well-lined bags of the one will prove but pin-proof; and when Deaths Herald ſummons the ſurrender of the Souls Cittadel, titles of Honor will prove but a Cobweb-guard for the other: It is not Armies of men can ſecure thee in a Famine, nor thouſands of Granaries in a Peſtilence, nor either of theſe ſupply its proper defect if thou reſt thereon; whole vollies of prayers, unleſs levied by the eye of Faith, cannot prevent the incurſion of the leaſt of all Gods judgements: All the policy of the world knows not how to quench the leaſt flaſh of Lightning; the higheſt endowments of the moſt refined brain, the nobleſt ſpirit of the mightieſt Champions; the eloquenteſt beauty amongſt Natures darlings, have not Rhetorick enough to perſwade Death to deſiſt, though for an hour: He that ſpeaks by his own eloquence, may gallantly plead the poſthaſte of his own ruine; he that fights upon his own ſtrength, is in actual war with himſelf; he that prays by his own ſpirit, hath them heard by his own ears: Say not then to either of theſe, This ſhall be my Sanctuary; for, Curſed is he that maketh fleſh his Arm, Jer. 17.5.
Cuſtom in Sin.
Can the Blackmore change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? then may ye alſo do good that are accuſtomed to do evil,
Jer. 13.23.
CUſtom is a Law to the wicked, ſaith Solomon in his wiſdom; yet though ſin and thou are Twins by nature, let not thy natural corruption practice it ſelf into a habit, leſt the Devil claim thee by preſcription: Hell hath ſome title to the Cuſtomary ſinner, for all ſuch deſperate ſhipwracks of Faith fall within the Devils Royalty. To habituate our ſelves in evil, is what in us lies to deveſt our ſelves of all poſſibility of doing good; and he that from the cradle to the crutch ſins away an age, may as ſoon command his gray hairs to reſume their youthly colour, as incline a thought to Piety without a Miracle of Mercy: Every Cuſtomary ſin, like the ſin of hypocriſie, hath more then one ſin in it, every ſuch ſinner keeps the Records of Hell, and is the Devils beſt Cuſtomer: Its eaſier for the Devil to ſpeak truth, then for the Cuſtomary ſinner to act it: He that accuſtoms himſelf to lye, will ſooner perjure his conſcience, then confine himſelf to truths; he that accuſtoms himſelf to theft, will ſooner be hang'd for a ruſh, then deny himſelf the guilt of murther to purchaſe a purſe; he that accuſtoms himſelf to be drunk, will ſooner ſtarve his poſterity then be manacled to the rules of ſobriety; he that accuſtoms himſelf to women, will ſooner be pox'd, then be wedded to chaſtity; and he that accuſtoms himſelf to ſwear, will rather be damn'd then be out of faſhion: Can the Blackmore change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? then may ye alſo do good that are accuſtomed to do evil, Jer. 13.23.
Prevalency in Importunity.
He had power over the Angel, and prevailed,
Gen. 32.28.
AWaiting Importunity is the childe of Faith, but impatient ſolicitouſneſs the brat of Preſumption: To wreſtle with the Lord by believing, is Saint-like, but to fight with him by preſuming, Deviliſh. To the woman of Canaan Chriſt ſaid, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt; but to Zebedees wife, Ye know not what ye ask: The graceleſs Judge who neither feared God nor regarded man, was yet conquered by an Importunate Widow. Let me alone, ſaith God to Moſes, when Iſrael was at their Calf-Idolatry, as if his importunity had even bound (with reference be it ſpoken) the hands of the Almighty, and prevail'd with him to repent of the evil he intended them, Exod. 32.14. Heavens gate flies open at the importunity of a Righteous man, where Gods will takes place of ours, and patience hath her perfect work; and again, Heavens windows ſhall not open for three years and an half together, if Elias pray ſo, James 5.17. Indeed the Kingdom of Heaven ſuffereth violence, and the violent onelyonly take it by main force of Faith: There is nothing too hard for a zealous Importunity, which is not improper for God to grant, or thee to crave. Faiths wings in prayer flies up the ſoul towards Heaven, no higher then importunity ſwiftens them; If without this our prayer be fled Heavenwards, though it took wing at the heart, it will not light in the boſom. Faith apprehends a fit object, Hope takes level, to both which Importunity becomes that ſecret vertue which conveys the arrow to the mark: Though Jacobs holy Wreſtler, when he ſaw he prevailed not, touch'd his thigh out of joynt, yet his faith remain'd ſound enough to wreſtle a bleſſing from him through the force of his importunity: Thus by his ſtrength he had power with God; yea, He had power over the Angel, and prevailed, Gen. 32.28.
A Caveat for Charity.
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be ſeen of them,
Matth. 6.1.
VVHen thou caſteſt thy bread on the waters, let thy right hand conceal it from the left, for a good work ill done, belies the intention of the Spirit, and ſcandals the truth of holineſs. He that gives his alms to be ſeen of men, ſells the reward of piety, to purchaſe the curſe of pride; the ſure promiſes of God, for the vain applauſe of men; that the poor are more beholding to his vanity then his charity, whoſe bounty they highly gratifie, if they pray God to forgive him his hypocriſie. In a fit of good nature (if nature can be ſo) a man may drop an alms or two, but this is meer moral charity; the wretched Canker-worm of man-kinde may, in hope to do his Coffers right, by taking Gods promiſe for their ſecurity, lend the poor an alms upon pawn of his Prayers Intereſt, but this is mercenary Charity: The gluttonous Epicure, that in his jollity denyed the Poor the crums he gave his dogs, may on his deathbed erect them an Hoſpital, but this is thanks-worthleſs charity; the prophane perſon in his gallantry may be very noble to the poor, but this is vain-glorious charity; the Hypocrite may embrace the Poors neceſſity as his alms opportunity, yet have but Phariſaick charity; the good meaning man may give liberally to the ſound Criple, but this is blinde charity; the heart-melting, yet purſe-frozen Chriſtian, may give large and fair words, but this is cold charity; and all theſe ſhall have their reward: Take heed therefore how ye do your alms, Matth. 6.1.
The Phariſees Prayer.
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, &c.
Luke 18.11.
A Proud Prayer is a blemiſh'd Sacrifice; and he that with this Phariſee juſtifies himſelf as righteous when he ſhould confeſs his ſins, worſhips the unknown God of his Merits, ſacrificing his brain to the Calf of his lips, and his Auditors ears to the Dagon of his brain. Self-idolatry is a moſt exquiſite piece of Spiritual witchcraft, it changes the Pulpit to a Stage at the turn of a hand, the breathings of a Spirit into ſtrange Convulſions of Wit; it makes but one thing of Idol and Idolater, but one thing of every vain Babler and this Phariſee.
In this Prayer, yea in theſe few words thereof, where are no leſs then three lyes, and another ſin in each, [God,] He meant nothing leſs, therefore lyed, and took the Name of God in vain; [I thank thee] gratitude implies ſome humility, therefore lyed and diſſembled that grace which he wanted; [I am not as other men are] another lye accompanyed with Spiritual Pride and Arrogancy, beſide a runing vein of hypocriſie throughout the whole; hence it is, that Simulata Pietas becomes Duplex Iniquitas. What a moſt groſs Phariſee was this? and can any in this age be ſo ridiculous in the ſight of God, or rather ſuperlatively odious to the moſt High, as with the damned Angels and this Phariſee, to uſurp more holineſs then God vouchſafes them, and diſſemble more then ere was in them: Such an Hypocrite is a Proteus in Religion, that would fain be Canonized for his Tongue-devotion. A fair blazoned Catalogue of good works, is not the Argument of Prayer; nor a long Prayer, the infallible Argument of a good work: Let the Proud Phariſee court Heaven with his complement, and accoſt the Lord with thanks that he is not as other men are; but let my Prayer be, Lord, be merciful to me a ſinner, Luke 18.13.
The Key of the Grave.
And when he thus had ſpoken, he cryed with a loud voyce, Lazarus, come forth,
John 11.43.
NO wonder he ſhould open anothers grave whileſt himſelf lived, that could unlock his own when himſelf lay dead and buried in it: If Peter can by the power of Chriſt ſpeak men dead with one word, Acts 5.5. no queſtion but himſelf can ſpeak them alive again by another: He that hath prevailed o're the gates of Hell, may eaſily command the door of the grave; the power that opened the earth to let Corah in, may well open it again to let Lazarus out: The Reſurrection ſhall be anticipated, the Graves ſhall yield their dead before the time, rather then the power of Chriſt ſhall admit diſpute for the want of a miracle.
Draw the Curtain: Art not thou this Lazarus? Lazarus dead and buried? or Lazarus raiſed and revived? Lazarus had been but four days in the grave, and Martha concludes him to ſtink, and objects it in bar to Chriſts proceedings: How many times four years haſt thou layen dead and buried in the grave of ſin, which may conclude thee alſo exceeding noyſom in the noſtrils of God? yet he never objected it as a bar to thy faith: Is not every faculty of thy ſoul, as well as each member of thy body, by reaſon of a long continuance among the dead, become all putrified, and nothing but corruption? Is not every ſin a grave for one faculty or other? haſt thou not as many graves as ſins? is there no corruption in thine heart? none in the will? none in the affection? none in the judgement? nay, would you think this Land and Nation were quite rotten, dead and buried? and that it were now but the diſturbed ghoſt of a body Politique, that came to an untimely end by being her own Executioner? would you think that Judicatories, Pulpits, Magiſtracy and Miniſtery were all dead, buried, rotten, and full of corruption? I conclude nothing, onelyonly offer theſe things to thy conſideration; yet this I ſay, That ſuppoſing a verity in all this, yet if there be faith enough to believe, there is ſome hope, yea an aſſurance, That though the ſoul even-ſtink again, by reaſon of Cuſtom in ſin, yea, though the Devil himſelf roll a ſtone at the door of thy heart, not onelyonly to bolt in the corruption that is already there, but alſo to harden it againſt the very means of Vivification, yet Chriſts blood having cryed with a loud voyce, Lazarus comes forth, John 11.43.
Judas his Epitaph.
From the Miniſtery and Apoſtleſhip Judas by tranſgreſſion fell, that he might go to his own place,
Acts 1.25.
THe ſaddeſt Epitaph that ever enſhrin'd the memory of a dead Apoſtle; it ſeems he was degraded from his Apoſtleſhip, before he went to his own place: What, had he a propriety in that place by purchaſe? doubtleſs even in this life he had the Livery and Seiſin thereof in his conſcience, though he were not put into actual Poſſeſſion till the Conveyances were ſealed with his own blood: But what call you this place? where was it ſeated? how ſcituated? whoſe was it anciently? was Judas ſuch an eminent perſon in his countrey, that Peter could poſſibly imagine that there could be no man ignorant of that Place, which was ſo properly his own? no queſtion but the temper of that Expreſſion hath more of the Spirit in it, then a thouſand of thoſe uncharitable Ignorations which thunder men to hell ipſo verbo, before they underſtand whether they ever had their teeth ſet on edge by Judas his Sop, or in their practice conſented to the Crucifying of the Lord of glory.
Its worth an Eligie, ſeriouſly to conſider on how many of our monumental Sepulchres the Inſcription of this Epitaph may rank it ſelf, among the Elegiack Panigericks of our ſuppoſed Worthies: Doubtleſs if Judas, who confeſſed the fact and condemned himſelf, be gone to his own place, ſuch as make repetition of his damnable Doctrine, but equivocate the act and juſtifie themſelves, will poſt after him. By nature we are all the children of wrath and heirs of hell, take heed therefore of going to thy one place; eſtrange thy ſelf from the place of thy nativity, endeavor for an inoculation into a beter family, that when thou art hence departed, poſterity paſſing by thy Monument in the Chronicle of this life, may not read this Epitaph, That thou art gone unto thy place, Acts 1.25.
The Idolatrous Hoſanna.
And when they heard theſe ſayings, they were full of wrath, and cryed out, ſaying, Great is Diana of the Epheſians,
Acts 19.28.
NOthing more perillous to the perſons and eſtates of men, then to maintain a falſe Religion, when the errors thereof are diſcovered by the light of the Goſpel; herein Demetrius was his Craftſ-maſter, and rather then the Epheſian Lady ſhall ſuffer in her reputation, he will make her free of the Company of Silverſmiths, and the learned Town-Clerk ſhall ſearch the Records to derive her diſcent from Jupiter, and he as zeaous for the Law, as the other for the Worſhip: Thus each in his Profeſſion makes his Religion dance to the tune of his own private intereſts.
Are there no Mechanical gods among us? none who condemn the Town-Clerk, yet juſtifie Demetrius? that will not refer the matter to the Touchſtone of the Law of Goſpel? yet cry up the Idol of their own handicrafts inſtitution. Was there a Diana in Epheſus? may I not ſay there are five for one in England? which bring no ſmall gain unto the Craftſmen: And that each mans Religion may paſs for currant money, behold it ſtamp'd with Demetrius his Inſcription, Great is Diana of the Epheſians, Acts 19.28.
The Eutychian Sluggard.
He fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead,
Acts 20.9.
IT was a mercy that he ſcaped ſo, that the Earth was betwixt him and the bottomleſs Pit, and that he ſtopt tumbling before he came into Hell. He is extreme drowſie whoſe body is not kept from ſleeping at that Word, which is able to awaken his conſcience, though it ſlept a nap of an Age long; It ſeems this ſluggard was in no little ſleep, whom ſuch a fall could not awaken, for he was taken up dead; he muſt needs ſleep whom the Devil rocks; but undoubtedly, him whom the Lord findes not alway watching, the Devil may one day catch napping.
There are more Sermon-ſleepers then Eutychus dreamt of; have you never ſeen a man ſleep at Sermon with his eyes open, but his ears ſhut? bid ſuch an one repeat you the Sermon, and hee'll tell you his dream: have you never obſerved a man at a Sermon to ſleep very attentively, that heard, all, underſtood, little, and practiſed nothing: It ſeems there may be deaf hearers as well as dumb Preachers. Thus there are more ways of ſleeping at a Sermon then one, and for him that cannot refrain, it would be leſs Hypocriſie to go to Hell in a feather-bed at home; for Eutychus ſlept but once that we hear of at a Sermon, yet be fell down from the third loſt, and was taken up dead, Acts 20.9.
Pauls Viper.
There came a viper out of the heat, and faſtened on Pauls hand,
Acts. 28.3.
VVHat, Come from a wreck at Sea, to periſh by a worm on ſhore? ſo thought the kinde Barbarians; and thence preſently conclude, that this Paul had a viperous hand in committing murther, and muſt ſuffer, though not by the violence of wind and ſeas, yet by the venom of this viper or their tongues; though he had no ſooner ſhook hands with the Beaſt without prejudice, and committed it to the fire without the leuſt hurt to his little finger, but they inſtantly fall a deifying him, and then farther tranſgreſs by their idolatry, then they had done before by their uncharity.
It is a courteous piece of Barbariſm, to entertain diſtreſſed Strangers without charity; and the one half of our notorious Alms we ſhould doubtleſs finde, if the Trumpet were impartially ſounded to be ſcarce equivalent humanity: They endeavor the preſervation of his perſon, but the ruine of his reputation, yet at the turn of a hand are ready to Sacrifice to him. And wherein do we exceed theſe Barbarians, unleſs it be by executing as well as condemning the innocent? there is a certain kinde of peſtilent venom diſgorged out of the ſtomacks of moſt men, through the overflowings of the gall; better it were that theſe were purg'd, then vomited out; for proceeding from the inflammation of an incendiary ſpleen, it ſticks cloſer to the reputations of men, then the viper which came out of the heat, and faſtened upon Pauls hand, Acts 28.3
The juſt Mans Anchor.
The juſt ſhall live by faith,
Heb. 10.38.
NEutrality in a good cauſe, is a ſtrong argument of a weak faith; and perverſe reſolvedneſs in a bad, no ſhallow Teſt of deep preſumption. In times of perſecution, Gods promiſes are the godly mans Sanctuary, who even in the midſt of the flames, at once both ſmiles at the Tyranny, and pities the folly of his Perſecutors: the approach of an enemy may fright him from his Houſe, not from his Habitation; his Houſe is in the body, but his home in Heaven: In the hotteſt peſtilence he fears onelyonly the infection of ſin; and when War produceth a Famine, he feeds on the peace of a good conſcience: Though the floods of Confuſion inundate the foundation of Magiſtracy; though the Stars of the Goſpels Firmament fall, and the light thereof be turned even into Egyptian darkneſs that may be felt; though the Earth yawn to embowel mankinde, and the grave ſtarve for want of nouriſhment; though Hell had no more work left to do, but to tempt and perſecute, yet The juſt ſhall live by faith, Heb. 10.38.
The Devil put to flight.
Reſiſt the Devil, and he will flee from thee,
James. 4.7.
VVHen Hells Generaliſſimo, with Legions of potent temptations, beſieges the naked fortreſs of thy unfortified ſoul; up, ſound an Alarm to thy Faith, preſs all the graces of the one, and faculties of the other for Gods ſervice; levy thy prayers under the Conduct of Gods Spirit, liſt them under the Merit's Banner of the Captain of thy Salvation; look well to the outworks of thy moral actions, but narrower to the inner line of thy treacherous thoughts; round the watch of thy whole man with care and conſtancy, keep a ſpecial watch at three of thy Cinque Ports; let Faith be the Captain of the Main-guard, kept at the door of thy heart; caſhier all cowardly thoughts, and ſuch as hold correſpondence with the Enemy; let not Hypocriſie as a Spy ſneak in and out thy Gariſon; let the Watchword be Emmanuel, and let a party of faithful Prayers be ever ſallying out, till Relief be ſent from Heaven with a ſupply of Grace in a Sufficiency thereof: Reſiſt the Devil, and he will flee from thee, James 4.7.