The Christian Completely Armed, Lecture 5
LECT. 5. Novemb. 7. 1649.
Epheſ. 6. 13.
Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day; and having done all, to ſtand.
VVE have done with the LECT. 52d. Doctrine, That it's the duty of a Chriſtian to withſtand Satan in the evill day of temptation: The third Obſervation followeth, viz.
Whoſoever would be able to withſtand Satan Doct. 3.in the evill day of Aſſault, muſt be carefull that he take to himſelf the whole Armour of God. This is twice told us in this Chapter: once in the 11. Verſe; and here again in this Verſe, to ſhew you the certainty, and neceſſity of it. There can be no hopes of doing any good againſt the Devil when he ſets upon us; no poſſibility of withſtanding to any purpoſe; without the taking and uſing of this Armour.
In the handling of this Propoſition, I ſhall briefly ſpeak to theſe four Heads:
(1) I ſhall ſhew what this Armour is.
(2) Why it's called the Armour of God.
(3) Why Chriſtians muſt take to themſelves this Armour?
(4) Why they muſt take the whole Armor of God?
Jerome thinkes, by the whole Armour of God, we are to underſtand Chriſt, ſo as, To put on the Armour of God, is nothing elſe but, To put on Chriſt; Si enim eingulum veritas eſt, & lorica juſtitia eſt; Salvator autem, & veritas & juſtitia nominatur, nulli dubium quin ipſe cingulum ſit & lorica, &c.
But I ſuppoſe in this place, by the Armour of God, we are to underſtand theſe two things:
Firſt, The Graces of Gods Spirit; ſuch as Faith, Hope, Patience, &c. This the Apoſtle clearly ſheweth in the following verſes, where he reckoneth up the particulars of this Armour. He mentions the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Hope, the Breaſt-plate of Righteouſneſs, and the girdle of Truth, ver. 14, 16, 17. Hereby intimating to us, that theſe, and ſuch like graces of God, are thoſe ſpiritual Armes which Chriſtians ſhould uſe in this Warfare, vid. Rom. 13. 12. Graces are called, The Armour of Light: foreign : And 2 Cor. 6. 7. We read of The Armour of Righteouſneſs.
Secondly, The Ordinances of God: ſuch as the Word, Prayer, Sacraments, &c. This alſo is hinted by the Apoſtle in the following verſes, where he commands us to uſe Prayer, as one of theſe Weapons: under which particular, I conceive, by a Synecdoché, all the other Ordinances of God are comprehended: ſo that the whole Spiritual Armour is comprehended under one of theſe two Heads; of Divine Graces, and Divine Ordinances. 2 Cor. 10. 4. The Ordinances are called, The Weapons of our Warfare. foreign.
Now theſe are called Armour; becauſe they are of the ſame uſe to the ſoul, which material Armes are to the outward Man: To defend the ſoul from Aſſaults, and to offend and wound aſſaulting Enemies.
Secondly, why it's called the Armour of God? For this, let us conſider theſe four Reaſons, viz.
(1.) Becauſe it is of Divine Original. God is the ſole Author and Maker of this Armour: (1.) For the Graces of the Spirit, we know that they are of a Divine deſcent: he makes and workes them in the ſoul. It is above created Art, or Strength, to plant any of theſe Flowers in the ſoul. They are called the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 22. They are of the Spirits planting: he is therefore called the Spirit of Grace, Zach. 12. 10. And God is called the God of all Grace, 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all Grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Chriſt Jeſus, after ye have ſuffered a while, make you perfect, ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen, ſettle, &c.
2. And for the Ordinances, they are alſo Divine Inſtitutions, prayer, preaching, Sacraments are all of Gods appointment. He gave ſome to be Apoſtles, ſome Evangeliſts, ſome Prophets, ſome Paſtors and Teachers, for the work of the Miniſtry, &c. Eph. 4. 11. 12. None of the Ordinances could have any ſpirituall Math. 28. 19efficacy, if they had not a divine Originall.
They could neither convince the Conſcience, nor convert the heart: they could neither terrifie, nor comfort, caſt down, nor lift up the ſoul, if they were not of a heavenly Deſcent.
(2.) As this Armour is of Divine Originall, ſo it hath a Divine Approbation. God hath given his Approbation to this Armour, and to no other. He hath manifeſted his Allowance of it both,
1. By the many Commands given to all his Souldiers, that they ſhould uſe it, he hath charged them poſitively, that whenſoever they go out to battel, they ſhould gird themſelves herewith. And
2. By the many ſignall and remarkable Victories he hath beſtowed upon his Servants, when they have been carefull to make uſe of it, he hath alwayes given them good ſucceſs. Herewith Job overcame, and herewith Paul came off victorious; and by this Armour, Peter was promiſed the Conqueſt, when Satan ſifted him. God is exceedingly pleaſed with theſe Weapons, he delights in the graces of his ſpirit, and in his people for thoſe graces. How pleaſant art thou, O love for delights! Cant. 7. 6. And he takes much contentment in his own Ordinances alſo. Let me ſee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for ſweet is thy voice; and thy countenance is comely, Cant. 2. 14. And therefore the Church prayes, Let my prayer come forth in thy ſight, as the incenſe, and the lifting up of my hands, as the evening ſacrifice. Pſal. 141. 2. And therefore alſo it is, that God is alwayes preſent with his Ordinances, and with his Servants, whenſoever they are either publiquely, or privately exerciſed in them.
3. They may be called the Armour of God, In regard of Conſervation. God doth uphold, maintain, and preſerve this Armour, They are in his cuſtody and keeping, he takes the care of them.
If we look upon our graces, the Scripture makes it very clear, that as they are planted, ſo they are preſerved by God. He that keepeth the feet of his Saints, keepeth much more the graces of his Saints. Awake ô Northwinde, and come ô South, blow upon my Garden, that the ſpices thereof may flow forth, Cant. 4. 16. If God did not exerci…e his providentiall care in preſerving, as well as he put forth his creating Power, in planting grace at firſt: the roots of grace would not onelyonly, not blow forth, but die, and come to nothing in a ſhort time: faith is that which keeps us; but it is God which keeps our faith, and all our other graces are in his hand.
And as our graces, ſo are the Ordinances alſo preſerved, and maintained by God. Theſe Candles would ſoon be blown out, if he did not keep them burning by his continual care and watchful providence. As Chriſt hath the Stars in his right hand, Rev. 2. 1. ſo he hath all the Ordinances in his right hand.
(4.) They are the Armour of God, In regard of their ſucceſs and efficacy. All the vertue of this Armour, depends wholly upon God alone, & not upon the Creature; (1) for our graces, they are ſtrengthened by his power, Iſay 41. 10. Fear not, I am with thee, be not afraid, I am thy God, I will ſtrengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteouſneſs. Our Faith, and Hope, and all our graces would be broken to ſhivers, at one ſtroak of temptation, if the Lord did not eſtabliſh and confirm them. I will ſtrengthen the houſe of Judah, and I will ſave the houſe of Joſeph, and I will ſtrengthen them in the Lord, and they ſhall walk up and down in his name, ſaith the Lord, Zech: 10. 6. 12, This is that which our Saviour tells Peter, Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. We could never reſiſt the violent aſſaults of Satan, if the Lord did not undergird our graces with his own Almighty ſtrength. This is plainly laid down in this very Chapter, verſe 10. 11. be ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Put on the whole Armour of God. God will not ſtrengthen us, if we neglect this Armour, and this Armour will not be able to defend us, unleſs God give it power. My grace is ſufficient for thee, for my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſs, 2 Cor. 12. 9. Pauls graces would preſently have been broken, 1 Cor. 15. 10, foreign.had not Gods ſtrength been perfected in his weak graces. This power made them impregnable.
(2.) For your Ordinances of God, which are the other part of this Armour, It is from God that they are enabled to do us good in temptation. The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnall, but mighty through God, for the pulling down of ſtrong holds, 2 Cor. 10. 4. The paper walls of prayer, preaching, Sacraments, are ſo thin, that they would never hold out againſt all the ſtrong Gun-ſhots of Satan, were they not fortified by a greater power then their own. Theſe Glaſſe-windows could not hold out in theſe violent ſtorms, if they were not covered with the ſtrong Curtains of Divine power. Theſe Sandy banks would be waſhed away with one ſingle flood of temptation, if the ſtrength of the Almighty did not ſtand as an invincible Breaſt-work to ſecure them: theſe Pitchers would preſently be daſhed in pieces, and theſe dim Lamps ſoon extinguiſhed; did not God uphold them. The Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon: this was Gideons word, when he went with his Pitchers againſt the Midianites, Jude 7. 18. Gideons Sword would ſoon have been beaten out of his hands, had not the Sword of the Lord been drawn to defend his Sword. The Ordinances of God are but like a Barley Cake which would never tumble down, againſt the Hoſts of this King of Midian, did not the great Jehovah take them into his own hand, and put power into it.
3. Why ſhould Chriſtians take unto them this Armour. I ſhall give theſe two Reaſons, viz.
(1) From the uneffectualneſs of all other Armor. It is impoſſible to prevail againſt the Devil any other way. There are but three kinds of Weapons. The Weapons of men, The Weapons of the Devil, and the Weapons of God. (1.) The Weapons of men are ſuch as carnall reaſon puts into our hands: as Phyſick, and pleaſant Company, and earthly delights, &c. Theſe will not ſerve us in this Warre. Phyſicians may do ſome good to purge out Melancholy, and other abounding humours, which Satan makes ſome uſe of, to help him in his aſſaults; but this will not do the cure perfectly. The aſſault is made not upon the body, but upon the ſoul; and the bodily Phyſician cannot give any receipt to antidote that. They may antidote the body againſt peſtilentiall infections; but the Apothecaries Shop hath no Medicine which can preſerve the ſoul from a temptation, nor heal a ſpirituall wound. There are ſome bodily diſeaſes which they cannot cure; there are ſcandala medicorum. We read of a diſeaſed Woman in the Goſpel, which had been many years under the hands of many Phyſicians, but could not be cured till ſhe was touched by the hand of Jeſus Chriſt, Mark 5. 26. And if a bodily diſeaſe put them ſo to it, what help can the ſoul have from them in a day of temptation? As Job ſaid to his friends, when they reaſoned with him, ſo it may be ſaid to the moſt learned and religious of Phyſitians; Ye are all Phyſitians of no value, Job 13. 4. In this matter the ſoul, the Conſcience, the inward man is not the ſubject of the Phyſicians Act, but the body. I ſhall conclude this with that which God ſpeaks concerning Ephraim in another caſe, Hoſ. 5. 13. When Ephraim ſaw his ſickneſs, and Judah ſaw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Aſſyrian, and ſent to King Jareb, yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. If a Colledge of Phyſicians were convened together, to preſcribe remedy for a ſoul vexed with temptation, they could adminiſter nothing effectuall to heal ſuch a wound. Nor will pleaſant Company, nor earthly delights do any good in this caſe. They may a little alleviate for a time, but they cannot cure. The Servants of Saul, when they ſaw their Lord troubled with an evill ſpirit, adviſe him to this way of Remedy: Let our Lord command thy Servants which are before thee, to ſeek out a man who is a cunning player on a Harp; and it ſhall come to paſſe, when the evill ſpirit from God is upon thee, that he ſhall play with his hand, and thou ſhalt be well, 1 Sam. 16. 15, 16. But although David by his Muſick cheared him for the preſent, as is recorded, ver. 23. yet the diſeaſe was not cured, the evill ſpirit returned to him again afterwards. Carnall delights, and ſinful pleaſures, they are the Devills Engines which help him on with his work upon your ſoul: they are his Proneers, which make the rough places ſmooth, they make the breaches of the ſoul wider then they were before, that Satan now enters more eaſily then he did, and ſpoyls the ſoul, though perhaps more inſenſibly, yet not leſs violently. Sauls Armour will do no good againſt Goliah, 1 Sam. 17. 38. 39. And as the Weapons of men cannot profit, much leſſe can (2.) the weapons of Satan do any good. Exorciſmes, ſpels, inchantments, croſſings, & ſuch like Diabolicall Devices, are very unlike to help the ſoul in theſe Battels. This is to caſt out Satan by Satan, which our Saviour makes to be a very improbable thing. How can Satan caſt out Satan? Mark 3. 23. The Devil is a politick Creature, too wiſe to make Engines to annoy himſelf. Diviſion would ſoon deſtroy his Kingdom, therefore he will not fight againſt himſelf; Or if he do ſeem to be overcome at any time, by any of theſe weapons, which he puts into thy hand, it is but that he may by this means make thee faſter in his ſnare. A wiſe Souldier will ſuſpect any weapon ſent from his enemy: when Saul went to the Witch at Endor, to be relieved in his evill day, Satan anſwered him; but he did by this means get faſter hold then he had before: ſo vain are all theſe weapons.
(2) From the effectualneſſe of theſe weapons: they have ever been ſuccesfull when they have been uſed aright by any of Gods Servants: What is ſaid of the bow of Jonathan and the ſword of Saul is truely ſaid of this Armour, they never returned empty from the blood of the ſlain, and from the fat of the mighty, 2. Sam. 1. 22. never any harneſſed with this Armour loſt the field finally. 'Tis Armour of proofe, it may be battered, it cannot be quite broken. There are thouſands and ten thouſands in heaven triumphing at this day, who have overcome that red Dragon, and all his hoſts by this Armour.
IV. Why we muſt take the whole Armour.
(1) Becauſe Satan will be ſure to encounter us on every ſide, he uſeth all kind of temptations, beſiegeth us round, and therefore we muſt have all kind of Armour. He hath temptations for the head, therefore we muſt have a Helmet to keep that ſafe: he hath temptations for the heart, therefore we muſt take the Breaſt-plate: he hath temptations for the feet, therefore we muſt not leave off the ſhooes of the preparation of the Goſpel, &c. There is not any part of the ſoul or body, but he aſſaults it with peculiar and proper temptations, &c. No man knowes where Satan will ſhoot.
(2.) Becauſe if any place lie unguarded, it will be as dangerous, as if the whole were unarmed. Satan will creep in at any hole; and whereſoever he ſmites, he ſmites mortally. 'Tis as good to have all naked, as any part unweaponed. Satan is an exact Marks-man, he can ſhoot at an hairs breadth, and not miſſe the Mark, as its ſaid of thoſe Benjamites, Judges 20. 16.
(3.) There is ſuch a connexion between one part and another, that the abſence of but one weakeneth the ſtrength of all the reſt. For the Graces of the ſpirit: there is ſuch a concatenation amongſt them, that if one be left behinde, all the reſt are much looſened and made leſſe ſerviceable. They are as links of a Chain, one helps to keep another; ſo that if you do but break one, the reſt drop aſunder. Tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, &c. Rom. 5. 3, 4. All the graces are as the ſtones of a building, or the beams of an houſe, they corroborate and ſtrengthen one another: faith ſtrengthens love, and love helps faith, and love and faith quickens hope, and hope ſets joy on work, &c. It were eaſie to ſhew you what mutuall dependance one of the graces hath upon another. And ſo do the Ordinances which are another part of this Armour, they help one another: the word helps us in prayer, and prayer help… us in managing the word, and the word and prayer make the Sacraments uſefull, and the Sacraments again they fit the ſoul for the word and prayer, &c. So that he that ſhall neglect any piece, doth neceſſarily much enerve all the reſt.
(4.) He that ſhall neglect any, may expect that God ſhould even curſe the reſt to him, as a puniſhment of that neglect. For to leave off any piece of the ſpirituall Armour willingly, argues in a man, (1.) Spirituall pride and confidence of his own ſtrength; he thinks himſelf not to want ſo much as God hath provided: it argues, (2.) Diſeſteem of that peece of Armour which is neglected, that there is neither deſireableneſs, nor uſefulneſs in it: and it (3.) argues ſloathfulneſs and ſecurity of ſpirit: and then it argues (4.) contempt of God and his Authority, in preſcribing what he would have his Souldiers to obſerve, &c. For as the Apoſtle argues in another caſe, he that ſaid, Do not commit Adultery, ſaid alſo, Do not kill, &c. James 2. 11. ſo he that ſaith, take the Helmet, ſaith alſo, take the Shield, &c. Now ſuch a Chriſtian may juſtly expect, that God will puniſh his pride and diſreſpect, and ſloathfulneſs, and contempt, with the blaſting of all other pieces of his Armour, that he that would not take all, ſhould have no benefit of any.
Information. We may draw from hence 1. Ʋſe.theſe 12. Concluſions, viz.