The Militant Christian, Text (1 of 4)

The Militant Christian · Text (1 of 4)

p. 1THE Militant Christian: OR, THE GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST.

2 Tim. 2.3.

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ.

THE Title of this Epistle tells us who was the Author of it, and to whom it was principally written. And by the Epistle it self we are informed when, and from whence.

It was written by Paul, from Rome, 2 Tim. 1.17. & 1.18.2 Tim 1:172 Tim 1:18when he was a Prisoner there in the bonds of the Gospel. When he was ready to be offered up, and the time of his departure and Martyrdom was at hand. And here note by the way, from the circumstances of the Epistle,

p. 2Obs. 1 That it is no new thing for the Ministers of Christ, to be Prisoners of Jesus Christ.

Paul was a Prisoner several times, as well as when he wrote this Epistle; In stripes, in imprisonments, 2 Cor. 6.5.2 Cor 6:5&c. Paul was a Pluralist in reference to his Stripes and Imprisonments, but not in reference to his Benefices and Livings. I therefore, Eph. 4.1.Eph 4:1the Prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, &c. So that the wise Man's Position and Observation is in this made good:Eccles. 1.9.Eccl 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the Sun. Peter and the other Apostles were imprisoned; they were put in the Common Prison, for about 1600 years since. Jeremiah the Prophet was put into a Dungeon, sticking in the Mire; and divers others of the Prophets were Prisoners and Captives some hundreds of years before the Apostles times; and the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to his servant John, That the Devil should cast some of the Church of Smyrna into Prison.Rev. 2.10.Rev 2:10

Obs. 2 Secondly, That neither present Bonds, nor near approaching Death, should discourage Christs Ministers and Servants from the promoting of the Interest of Christ and the Gospel.

When Paul was a Prisoner at Rome, and ready to be beheaded by Nero, then did he direct and encourage Timothy to prosecute vigorously the Interest of Christ and the Gospel. Christs Ministers should be like Sampson, Sampson in this was a type of Christ.who when his strength was betrayed from him, when he was p. 3fallen into his Enemies hands,Christ our Captain strugled hardest for us, when he was most persecuted, and nearest his end; when in the Garden, & on the Cross; and so should Christians do for him. Christ pulled down the pillars of Satans kingdom, when on the cross. Rev. 2.18.Rev 2:18 and was nearest his death; then he pull'd down the Pillars of the house, and did the greatest Exploits. And so the servants of the Lord, when they are most restrained, and nearest their end, should strive to pull down the Pillars of Satan's Kingdom; and do greatest exploits for the Kingdom of Christ. None struggles and wrestles so hard for life, as the dying man; and so the dying Preachers, and dying Saints, should above all others, and then above all times (when the time of their departure is at hand) have the strongest pangs and strugling for Christ and the Gospel. Their last works should be their best works. The Lord Jesus commends the Church of Thyatira, that her last works were better then the first.

Obs. 3 Thirdly, That what the Wicked design, and drive at, in persecuting and imprisoning of the Ambassadors and Servants of God, is not attained by them.

They intend the obstruction, yea,Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer, unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 2 Tim. 2.9.2 Tim 2:9 the extinction of Gospel-light, and Gospel-purity; the utter extirpation of the power of godliness, and professors thereof; but you see how much they are disappointed. Paul wrote this, and several others of his Epistles, from Prison. The holy Scriptures were enlarged by Paul's Imprisonment; and Gospel-work went on the more vigorous.Truth is like the Camomil, the more it is trodden on, the more it grows. And then both his Pen and his Bonds did preach Christ, spread the Gospel, and confirm the Saints the more. Phil. 1.12, 13. But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things p. 4which happened unto me, have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel. So that my Bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Palace, and in all other places. …ery drop …ay blood …all preach Christ, said Fabrianus.And many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Pauls bonds did sound at Casar's Palace, and were manifested there, and in all other places; and the Brethren were confirmed, and waxed the more bold; and the word was preached without fear. The words of Christs Prisoners are next memorable and affecting to the words of a dying man. The Prisoners are Martyrs in a degree, and so they spread the truth. So that great Persecution we read of at the death of Stephen the Deacon,Act. 8.1, 2, 3, 4Acts 8:1Acts 8:2Acts 8:3Acts 8:4 how did that tend to the furtherance of the Gospel, When they were all torn to pieces, and scattered abroad? Then they that were scattered, went every where preaching the Word. Knox Hist. of Scotland.Upon the occasion of burning Mr. Patrick Hamilton, said John Lindsay to Bishop Bettoun, My Lord, if you burn any more, you will destroy y ur selves: If you will burn them, let them be burnt in hollow Cellars; for the smoak of Mr. Hamilton hath infected as many as it blew upon.

The Gospel gets ground by Persecution. When John was banished into the Isle of Patmos, then did the Lord Jesus discover those glorious and mysterious truths contained in the Book of the Revelations, which neither himself nor the Churches, before …id know. Ah Sirs! God outshoots the wicked in their own Bow, and makes the Bonds, the Banishments, yea the very blood of his persecuted servants, to spread and confirm his truth, and p. 5to encrease the number of believers. And this hath anciently been received for a truth, and now grown proverbal, (Sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesiae) That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church.

But now to hasten to my Text.

In the whole Epistle are these four things contained.

1. The Inscription.

2. The Introduction.

3. The Subject matter.

4. The Conclusion.

The Text is contained in the Third of these, viz. The Subject matter of this Epistle.

The Apostle having directed and exhorted Timothy unto a faithful and industrious discharge of his Ministerial Office, both towards those that were without, and towards these that were within; he takes it for granted, that the faithful discharge of his duty in the work of the Gospel, would necessarily expose him to much hardship, persecution and affliction, as well as it had himself; and thence perswades him to hold out, and endure whatever befalls him.

In the Text are considerable Three things.

1. The Duty.

2. The Motive.

3. The Manner.

First, A Duty which Paul presseth here upon Timothy, and that is, To endure hardness.

p. 6Secondly, The Motive to it. And that is taken from his Relation to Jesus Christ, as his Soldier, Timothy, thou art a Soldier of Jesus Christ; thou hast entered and listed in his service, and thy service may be hard. Do thou therefore endure hardness, because thou art his Soldier.

Thirdly, The manner of performing this duty. Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Do thy duty, endure the hardness of thy service, as a good Soldier ought to do:

So that in the words you may take notice of these two things:

First, Something plainly supposed. And here are these two things supposed, and taken for granted:

1. That Timothy is a Soldier of Jesus Christ. Paul makes use of that Title, and that Relation to Jesus Christ, as a Soldier, to press him to his duty.

2. That the discharging of his duty to Jesus Christ, will expose him to hardness.

Secondly, Here is something plainly expressed; and that is, that he must endure the hardness which is incident to that Relation and Employment.

Thou therefore endure hardness as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ,

I shall briefly open these two things in the words, and then give you forth the Doctrinal Conclusion, which I intend to prosecute.

1. What we are to understand by being a Soldier of Christ.

p. 72. What it is to endure hardness as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ.

The first is taken in Scripture either Properly,foreign Miles. or Metaphorically.

1. When it is taken Properly, it is understood for a person that is employed in Military Affairs, and bears Military Arms, and is under Military Command and Pay. So was the Centurion and the Soldiers under him. Matt. 8.9. For I am a man under Authority, having Soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doth it.

2. When it is taken Metaphorically, then it is to be understood of a Christian that is engaged and exercised in the holy Warfare of a Christian Profession under Jesus Christ, to follow him as his Captain-General in the Militant Church. And so by way of allusion and analogy, he is called a Soldier, Because he hath his spiritual Combats and Conflicts; and the life of a Christian is a life of trouble and hardness, as the life of a Soldier is; and so we are to understand by Soldier in the Text.

And then the title of Soldier is not to be appropriated, or applyed only to any sort, or all Gospel-Ministers; but indefinite, and in common to all true Christians. The title of Soldier is not a discriminating title, to distinguish Gospel-Ministers from others, as the titles of Ambassador, Pastor, Evangelist, Elder and Bishop do: Which are titles appropriated to their Office: So that Timothy is not called a Soldier (so much) because he is an Evangelist, as because he is a Professor of Christ; p. 8or at least not only because an Evangelist.

Secondly, To endure hardness as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ.

foreign.Endure hardness. The word signifies, not to be afflicted only, but patiently to abide all kind of afflictions and injuries with a Christ-like spirit, as the Captain of our Salvation did endure hardness, and bare affliction. But more of this in the prosecution of the Doctrine.

And now I am arrived at these two Doctrinal Conclusions, which lie visible in the words.

Doct. 1 First, That every true Christian is a Soldier of Jesus Christ.

Doct. 2 Secondly, That it is the duty of Christs Soldiers to endure the hardness of that Relation to Jesus Christ, in their professing of him.

I shall begin with the first of these:

That every true Christian is a Soldier of Jesus Christ.

1. I shall speak to it by way of Proof and Demonstration.

2. By way of Use and Application.

I shall demonstrate the truth of the Proposition, in these following Conclusions.

First, Every true Christian is called and chosen by Jesus Christ unto his service. John 15.19. If you were of the world, the world would love his own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. There was a time when the Disciples of Christ, and all other believers, were of the world, and under the Regiment of the Prince of this p. 9world, but (through the riches of his Grace) he hath called and chosen them to his own service.

And not the Apostles of Christ only are thus called and chosen to the service of Jesus Christ, but likewise all believers. Rom. 1.5, 6, 7. By whom we have received Grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith, among all nations, for his Names sake. Among whom ye also are the called of Jesus Christ. To all that be in R me, beloved of God, called to be Saints. They are called to Christs service, and chosen to be his Soldiers. This you may see to be clear, comparing my Text with the next following verse.2 Tim. 2.3, 4.2 Tim 2:32 Tim 2:4 Paul had no sooner perswaded Timothy to endure hardness, as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ; but presently directs him how to please Christ, who had chosen him to be a Soldier.

Secondly, Every true Christian hath accepted of Christs service, and voluntarily listed under him. When Jesus Christ doth conquer, and encline the wills of poor sinners towards himself, they come away volunteers unto him, and list themselves under him.Psal. 110.3.Ps 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Others many times do press and force men into their service, and keep them by force when they have gotten them; but Jesus Christ brings over the wills of his Soldiers unto himself. It is said, 2 C…r. 8.5. But first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. As Christ gives himself to believers, so they also give themselves unto him. That is a glorious Prophesie of Jesus Christ, shewing how sweetly he brings over sinners unto himself. Isa 11.10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, &c.

p. 10Thirdly, Every true Christian hath his Arms and Weapons appointed him, and given forth unto him, by Jesus Christ. We may see the Christians Armory, a whole Catalogue of it, Eph. 6.11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. There is spiritual Furniture and Armour for the Christian, Capapee, from head to foot; there is the whole, and the holy Armour of God.foreign signifies such compleat Armour as covers all the body, and leaves no part unfenced. There is the Breast-plate of Righteousness, to secure and safe-guard the heart, which is the chiefest place of all. And there is the Girdle of Truth, to fasten the Breast-plate, and gird about the loyns, for the strengthning of the body. And there is Armour for the feet, to secure them in going on, that the Christian may stand secure, and march safe; Having your Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, which some say is understood of Patience in enduring and holding out. There is the Helmet of Salvation for the head, and the Sword of the Spirit for the hand, and the Shield of Faith to carry before him, to save the fore part of the Christian.

Here you see Christs Soldier in his Arms compleat; Here is Armour offensive and defensive, which Jesus Christ hath given forth to the Christian, whereby he is fitred for any service, and to encounter with any Enemies whatsoever: Every truth of Christs word, and every grace of his spirit, is a part of the Christians Armour. Now what should the Christian do in Christs Furniture? why should he bear his Arms, if he were not his Soldier?

Fourthly, The Christian hath his Warfare appointed him, and his Enemies discovered to him, and is commissioned (with his Spiritual Weapons p. 11and Armour) to conflict with them. The Lord Jesu Christ hath commissioned every Christian to enter the Combat with all his Enemies, whether Foreign or Domestick, whether External or Internal, whether Secret or Open. There is no General in the world can have a more ample and universal Commission, then that which the Lord Jesus hath given to every Christian.

First, There are Foreign and External Enemies, which are without the Christian, and they are to be reduced unto these four heads.

1. The Prince of the world.

2. The Men of the world:

3. The Lusts of the world.

4. The things of the world.

First, There is the Prince of the world, The great Dragon, the old Serpent, called the Devil, Revel. 12.9. Here are four sad Epathites given to this cruel Enemy of the Militant Church.Rev 12:9and Satan: The Captain-General of the Hellish Militia, that makes War against the Lord Christ, and his Church; and every Christian hath a plenary Commission to enter the List, and engage and fight those Principalities and Powers, those spiritual wickednesses in high places. The Devil bids defiance, and proclaims open War against Christ and Christians, and all Christians are commissioned to the best of their skill, and the utmost of their power, to pur on their spiritual Furniture, and to resist the Devil, Eph. 6.11, 12. Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil; for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and power, against the Rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Secondly, There are the men of the world, p. 12who are the subjects of this Prince of darkness, the Soldiers of this Captain-General, the Militia of Hell, the Auxiliaries of the Devil, the Seed of this old Serpent.

They have the same enmity in their natures against Christ and believers, rhat is in the Devil. Joh. 8.44. Ye are of your Father the Devil, and the lusts of your Father ye will do; he was a murd r…r from the beginning. Now the Lord Jesus hath commissioned every Christian (with his spiritual weapons) to conflict with them,foreign. Jude 3. compared with v. 4. It imports an hot and violent fight, and instant contention. Leighs Crit. Sac. p. 95Jude 1:3 and to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints; for there are ungodly men crept in unawares, &c. Ungodly men that do oppose truth and holiness; and with these (like valiant Soldiers) they must contend earnestly, they must hold fast truth and holiness, let the men of the world be never so much enraged against them, to hate, malign, and persecute them.

Thirdly, There is the lusts and wickedness of the world. The whole world (saith John the Apostle) lieth in wickedness. 1 John 5.19.1 John 5:19And as the whole world of the unregenerate lieth in wickedness, so there is much of that wickedness also, that lieth in, and dwelleth in the Heaven-born ones themselves;Jam. 4.1. foreign Quum de duce exercitus dicitus, est expeditionem suscipio est hello invado quum de milite significat milito. foreign.Jas 4:1 they have their lusts that war in their members; and the believer is to oppose and resist all sin in the highest degree. Not only to avoid evil, but the very appearance of evil. The word signifieth a shape or representation of a thing, rather then the thing it self. The shape or image of sin is to be avoided as a dangerous enemy, whether extrinsecal or intrinsecal, whilst 'tis but in the Embryo, in the bud or blossom; when sin is but in its appearance, p. 13every Christian is to appear against it.

Fourthly, There are the things of the World, both adverse and prosperous; the one against the Christian by threats, menaces, and dismal frowns; and the other by treacherous smiles, and fawning insinuations; and both these are dangerous Enemies to a Christian. The Apostle musters up a whole Army of these; The Afflictions,Rom. 8.35, 36Rom 8:35Rom 8:36 Crosses and Persecutions of the world, as being got into the open field, and drawn up in Battalian against Believers. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, killing all the day long, and b…ing accounted as sheep for the slaughter. The Lord Jesus, the Captain-General of our salvation, was pursued by the afflictions of the world.Isa. 53.3.Isa 53:3 He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with gri…f; and herein he did lead the Van, and left an example,1 Pet. 2.21.1 Pet 2:21 that Christians should follow his steps.

And for the prosperous things of the world, they have their hooks and snares hid under their pleasant baits; and their flatteries and allurements are more dangerous then the former, because they lye more …ccult and secret; they come like Judas, with their Hail Master, and betray: And like Dalilah to Sampson, to fawn and flatter on them, to find out their strength, and cut it off. The riches, honours, and pleasures of the world, have their snares and stings. They that will be rich, 1 Tim. 6.9.1 Tim 6:9fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction.

This is that part of the world that the Devil tempted the Lord Jesus withal, when he shewed him all the Kingdoms of the world,Mat. 4.8.Matt 4:8 and the glory p. 14of them. And so the Devil and Corruption works by these to duck-coy and ensnare the Saints. Many sinners are utterly destroyed by worldly prosperity. The prosperity of fools shall destroy them. Prov. 1.32.Prov 1:32And whereas Adversity (with Saul) slayeth his Thousands, Prosperity (with David) slayeth his Ten thousands. It destroyeth the wicked, and it pierceth, woundeth and endangereth many a Saint.

Fifthly and lastly. Every true Christian is under the absolute and indispensible Command of the Lord Jesus Christ. When he commissioned his disciples to preach and baptize, they were to teach, That all Christs Commands should be observed▪ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you. Mat. 28.19, 20 John 17.8.Matt 28:19Matt 28:20John 17:8I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them.

Some have defined a Soldier to be one that is ou… of his own command, and out of his own dispose; but is at the Command and Dispose of another; and so is the Christian, he is not at his own command and dispose, but under the Command of Jesu… Christ.2 Cor. 6.20.2 Cor 6:20 And ye are not your own, for ye are bough… with a price. He bought and redeemed all true believers with the price of his own blood, to his own service; and so he commands them upon accompt of the Title he hath to them, and the Interest he hath in them. He hath more then the Creation-right unto them, they are his by Purchase; the Lord Jesus hath redeemed them from the miserable bondage, captivity and slavery of Sin and Satan, that they should be his own, and serve him for ever. That we being delivered from the hands of our Enemies, might serve him without fear, in holines… and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

p. 15Much more might be said, for proof and demonstration of the truth of the Doctrine; but summ up the particulars of what hath been said, and the total will amount to enough to pass this for an unundoubted truth, That every true Christian is a Soldier of Jesus Christ.

I shall come now to improve and apply the Doctrine. And I shall speak but to one Use of this Doctrine, and so pass to the next:

Which shall be to exhort Christs Soldiers to observe his words of Command, and to acquit themselves as good Soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Put on, and handle your spiritual Arms. The first Word of Command.This is the first Word of Command in Military Discipline, and this is the first of Command of Jesus Christ, your great Commander and Captain-General, that I shall press upon you. And take it in the Scripture-dialect and form of sound words, as the Apostle hath it, Eph. 6.11, 13. Wherefore take unto you, and put on the whole Armour of God. Put on all your spiritual furniture, every grace of the spirit, not only in the habit, but in the exercise, life and power: Do not think it enough that you put on the habits of Grace; you must put on, and handle Grace in its exercise. A Soldier is but little the better that he hath Arms delivered him, if he do not handle them, and use them; and so it is with a Christian.

And here let me mind you of these Three things:

1. That you see that it be true Armour of God that you do put on. There is a great deal of false, counterfeit Armour in the World, take heed that p. 16you be not cheated with it: There is the Armour of common Gifts, and common Grace, which hypocrites put on and handle; but you must put on special saving Grace, that accompanies salvation; those better things, and things that accompany salvation, which the Apostle speaks of; that is, those things that Apostates and Hypocrites never had, notwithstanding their splendid gifts, and raised parts. Ah Christians! look that you put on, and handle that Faith which overcomes the world, which John speaks of, 1 John 5.4. And this is the Victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Look that you take unto you the right Shield, the right Breast-plate, the right Helmet, the right Sword, &c. See that your works are wrought of God, that they are perfect before God; be sure it is the truth of God, and the holiness of God. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, Rom. 13.12.Rom 13:12and let us put on the armour of light. Take heed that you be not cheated with Armour of darkness instead of Armour of light; do not put on counterfeit Grace for true: And the Errors of Antichrists forging, and Humane Invention, for the true Armour of God. No Armour is safe, but what is of God.

2. Put on, and handle all your Arms. Put on, and exercise every Grace, and every Truth; every Grace of the Spirit of Christ, and every Truth of the Word of Christ, is a piece of spiritual Armour, and all must be put on; the whole armour of God must be put on; and therefore add one Grace unto another, until you have put on all Grace: Add to your faith, 2 Pet. 5.6, 7.vertue; and to vertue, knowledg; and to knowledg, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, p. 17brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. Never leave adding, and putting on of Grace, until you have put on and exercised all Grace.

And so put on likewise every Truth of God; cover your selves with Grace and Truth, from top to toe: Satan is a skilful wartier, a cunning fencer, and he will make his play where he hath most advantage to harm you: If the Helmet be not put on, a Soldier may be wounded in the head, and if the Breast-plate be not on, the Christian may be wounded at the heart. Put on every truth, and every Command of Jesus Christ, and herein you will acquit your selves the Soldiers, yea the friends of Jesus Christ. Ye are my Friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Yield the same subjection to Jesus Christ, as the Centurion's Soldiers did to him, Mat. 8.9. And have Soldiers under me, and I say to one go; and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh; and to my servant, do this, and he doth it. O Brethren and Soldiers of Christ! do you likewise be at the beck and check of Christ; receive and obey every truth of Christ, that the Lord Jesus may not complain of you, as he did of those Complemental Professors; And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? Luk. 6.46.

Thirdly, Put on, and use every piece and part of your Spiritual Armour, in its right and proper place; you have Armour for every part compleatly fitted (where you have need to wear it, and use it) and for every time and occasion when you have need to exercise it. Put on and exercise every grace in its proper place and time, this is the duty, the beauty, and safety of Christs Soldiers; Rom. 12.12. p. 18Rejoycing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing constant in prayer. Sometimes a Christian hath need to exercise one grace, and sometimes another; and sometimes divers graces at once.

Sometimes Faith is the bearing and most necessary grace to be used; and above all you must put on Faith,Eph. 6.16.Eph 6:16 the S ield of Faith; above all, the shield of Faith must be put on: Sometimes Patience, and then you must in patience possess your Souls. Sometimes both,Rev. 13.10.Rev 13:10 and then, Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints. Sometimes Love is the bearing-grace,1 Joh. 5.3.1 John 5:3 and then the Commandments of Christ are made easie. Sometimes the grace of Joy is most proper,Jam. 5.13.Jas 5:13 and sometimes godly sorrow. If any among you be afflicted let him pray; is any merry? let him sing Psalmes. And so put on and exercise every truth of Christ in its proper place and season.Prov. 25.11.Prov 25:11 A word fitly spoken, is like Apples of Gold in pictures of S lver. I have many things to say unto you (saith Jesus Christ to his Disciples) but ye cannot bear them now. Joh. 16.12.John 16:12How did the Lord Jesus make use of one truth after another, in their places and seasons! Mat. 4. from ver, to the 11. When the Prince of this world made an onset on him, how did he answer every Temptation with a suitable**It is written. Scriptum est? He put on truth in its proper place and season, and so overcame the Devil: And so the Soldiers of Christ must exercise and use the sword of the Spirit as their Captain-General hath shewed them. Ah Christians! put your Graces in exercise in their proper places; and so put on, and exercise truth in its proper place: Put on truth in the heart as well as in the head; the heart is the most proper place for the Word of God. The Word must be received into good and honest p. 19Luk. 8.15.Luke 8:15hearts. Ah Christians! let the Word of Christ, and the grace of Christ dwell richly in y…u. And this is the first word of Command which (from Jesus Christ) I press upon you.

Secondly. Set your Watch, and keep it strict. The second word of command.This is another of Christs words o… Command. How often is Jesus Christ inculcating this word of Command and Christian-duty upon his Disciples and Soldiers? Much of a Soldiers duty lies in watching; and so do much of a Christians. Mar. 13.33, 34, 35, 37. There is Watching prest on in all those 4 Verses, Watch, watch, watch, And what I say unto you, I say unto all men, Watch. A man cannot be a good Soldier without watching; neither can a man be a good Christian without watching. Oh the much watching-work that Christs Soldiers have appointed them! There is watching required to every duty, and in every duty.Mat. 26.41. 1 Pet. 4.7. Luk. 21.36. 2 Tim. 4.5.Matt 26:411 Pet 4:7Luke 21:362 Tim 4:5 Sometimes it is Watch and pray; Sometimes Watch unto prayer; Sometimes it is Watch and pray always; Sometimes it is Watch in all things. But I shall amplifie this duty a little in few Particulars, that you may see what need there is of it.

First.Watching required unto every Duty. There is watching required unto every Duty, that it be not neglected. Watch unto prayer, as before; and there is reason for watching unto every other duty, as there is for that; and then there is Watching in prayer; and so there is the same required for every other duty.

All Duties must be watched unto for the matter of them, that they be performed; and then we must watch in them, that we perform them in a right manner.

p. 20Many enemies to be watchedSecondly. There be many Enemies to be watched against, both Foreign and Domestick, External and Internal.Foreign enemies must be watched.

First. Foreign Enemies from without must be watched against.

1. The Devil to be watched against.1. The Devil, that formidable, cruel, malicious, subtile enemy must be watched diligently; for he is always watching, waiting, and seeking to devour. 1 Pet. 5.8.You may see abundantly what cause we have to watch this enemy in Mr. Brook his excellent Treatise of his precious Remedies against Satans devices. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. He was for winnowing of Peter, for buffeting of Paul, and was so bold as to set upon the Lord Jesus himself; he hath his fiery darts to cast, his impoisoned arrows to shoot, and all kind of stratagems and devices to destroy souls; how subtily did he deceive our first Parents, when in a state of Innocency? and ever since it hath been his great work to destroy souls: Ah Soldiers of Christ! be sure to stand on your Watch-tower,What was said of Marcellus the Roman General, may be truly said of the Devil, that he cannot be quiet, Nec victos, nec victus; Neither conquered, nor conqueror. and set out your Sentinels, keep out your Scouts and Perdues, that you be not hurt by the**Ephes. 6.11. foreign, insidiae, the word signifies Artificial, crafty conveyance of matters, winding up and down, and turning every way to get the greatest advantage.Eph 6:11 wiles, temptations, injections, or machinations of the old Serpent the Devil; he will use both force and flattery to do you mischief, and therefore be sure to watch against him.

2. The wicked of the world to be watched …gainst.2. The wicked of the world do call for your watching; for they watch for your haltings to do you a mischief, and to dishonour Christ. The Wicked watcheth the Righteous, and seeketh to slay p. 21him. Oh! watch and walk so, that your enemies with their most critical observation, may have no just occasion to speak evil of you, or to calumniate or accuse you, but in the things of your God, as was said of Daniel. Dan. 6.5.Dan 6:5You have need to keep up your watch exceeding strict, in reference to divers sorts of wicked men; some of them watch and wait to reproach and persecute; others there be that lie in wait to deceive, to poison you with error and wickedness, to seduce you from the pure Doctrine and Ordinances of Jesus Christ. Eph. 4.14. That we be no more henceforth Children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Beware of men,Mat. 10.17. Mat. 7.15.Matt 10:17Matt 7:15 (saith Christ) beware of false Prophets. Soldiers of Christ, watch and beware, because of wicked men. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments.Rev. 16.15.Rev 16:15

3. The things of the world must be watch'd,3. The things of the world must be watch'd. whether adverse, or prosperous.

1. The adverse things of the world must be watched, that they do not surprise us when they come, nor sink us when they fall upon us. Job was good at watching this way, Job 3.25. For the thing that I feared greatly, is come upon me; and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. Afflictions and persecutions must be watched, that we be not offended when they arise. We read in the Parable of the Sower, that the stony ground is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it, but when persecution or tribulation ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended.Mat. 13.20, 21.Matt 13:20Matt 13:21 And blessed (saith Christ) is he, whosoever shall not be offended in p. 22me. Mat. 11.6.Matt 11:6And blessed is he that so watcheth, as not to be offended in Christ when afflictions and persecutions comes on.

2. The prosperous things of the world must be watched, that they do not beguile and betray the Soul. If Moses had not kept up a strict watch against the dangers of worldly prosperity, he could never have made such an honourable and honest retreat from them, to save himself harmless from them, as we find he did. By faith Moses when he was come to years, Heb. 11.23, 24, 25.Heb 11:23Heb 11:24Heb 11:25refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs daughter; chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season, &c. If he had not kept up a strict watch, he could never have made such a blessed choice, and made such an honourable retreat. Ah Soldiers of Christ! watch against all worldly prosperity, for it is for your lives; how many have been pierced thorough by it with many sorrows? how many have been drawn into a snare, 1 Tim. 6.9.1 Tim 6:9and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which have drowned men in perdition and destruction? Watch therefore against all the prosperous things of the World. When Basil was tempted with money and preferment, he answered, Give me money that must last for ever, and honour that may eternally flourish. Galeasius when under the like temptation, notably answered, Their money perish with them, that accounts not one days communion with Christ better then all the world.

4. The lusts and wickedness of the world must be watched against.4. The lusts and wickedness of the world must be watched against, whether external or internal; whether corporeal, or spiritual: How can lusts and wickedness be shunned; how can we escape the corruption that is in the world through lusts, (as the p. 23Apostle hath it) if it be not watched? Remember always that word of the Lord Jesus to his Disciples, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.Mat. 26.41.Matt 26:41

Secondly,Domestick enemies must be watched. Watch especially your Domestick enemies, for they are the worst and most dangerous. Sin is a wretched, treacherous Inmate, an enemy got inro the soul; and 'tis always working to do us hurt. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, Gal. 5.17. 2 Pet. 1.4.Gal 5:172 Pet 1:4&c. Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Verily, there is much need of watching our selves, and …aying with that godly ancient Libera, Me a malo isto homine me ipso.) Lord deliver me from that evil man, my self. The nearer an enemy is, the more dangerous: the thief in the house hath more need of watching, then those more remote. There is need of a world of watching in this Microcosm, this little world, the Isle of man: Oh the many ports and parts that are to be watched, the many guards that are to be kept, the many Centinels that are to be set forth! there are out-guards to be watched, and in-guards to be watched; all the members and sences of the body, all the powers and faculties of the soul must be watched; every passion and every lust must be watched, if ever a Christian will dwell safe. All the senses and members (as so many guards) have need of watching, that sin do not go in or out at them, or be acted by them.

1. There must be a strict watch set,The eyes must be watched. and Centinels put forth at the Eye. How did sin enter our first Parents at the eye, looking on the beauty of the fruit? How dangerously did David fall, for want of watching his eyes? how did the beauty of Bathsheba open a passage through the eye, for Adultery p. 24to insinuate it self in first, and murder to march Master.Deut. 15.9. Prov. 23.6. 2 Pet. 2.14.Deut 15:9Prov 23:62 Pet 2:14 We read in Scripture of an evil eye, of an envious eye, of a proud look, of eyes full of adultery, &c. And then is there not need of watching this gate? Job 31.1. I made a Covenant with mi…e eyes, &c.

The Tongue must be watched. Psal. 39.1.Ps 39:12. And so the Tongue must be watched. David kept a watch upon his Tongue; and least his own watch should not be strict enough, he desires the Lord likewise to set a watch at that passage, that no iniquity might sally out.Psal. 141.3.Ps 141:3 Set a watch (O Lord) before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. If for every idle word (as the Lord Jesus tells us) we must give an account in the day of Judgment:Mat. 12.36. 1 Pet. 2.1. Eph. 4.29.Matt 12:361 Pet 2:1Eph 4:29 If we are forbidden all evil speaking, and that our words should minister grace unto the hearers: If there be those that watch us so exactly to make men offenders for a word; and if the tongue be a fire, and a world of iniquity,Jam. 3.6.Jas 3:6 (as the Apostle said) then there is need of a world of watching about the Tongue.

The Ear must be watched. Jam. 1.19.Jas 1:193. The Ear must be watched, that is a passage where sin doth enter the soul. As the Tongue must be watch'd that it be slow to speak, so the Ear must be watch'd that it be swift to hear. Take heed (saith Christ) what you hear; Mar. 4.24. Luk. 8.18.Mark 4:24Luke 8:18and take heed how you hear. The Ear must be shut and barracado'd against all sin and vanity, and opened wide to receive every truth, and whatever the Lord doth speak to us. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches.Rev. 3.6.Rev 3:6

The Hands and Feet must be watched.4. The Hands and the Feet must be watched. The Scripture tells us of Hands that are full of bribes and blood, &c. of Feet that be swift to shed blood. The Feet must be watched whither they p. 25go; and the Hands must be watched what they do: The Scripture-Bishops must watch that they be no strikers, as some that call themselves Bishops. And that they lay hands suddenly on no man, either the novice, or the profane, as others of them do, that have neither true grace, or Ministerial gifts.

As these Out-guards must be watched, so there are likewise In-guards to watch. Soldiers of Christ, There are these two In-guards that we must set a very strict watch at; viz. The Head, and the Heart; the Intellectuals, and the Affecti ns.

1. The Head, the Intellectuals must be watched,The Head must be watched. that error and speculative wickedness go not in, or abide in the understanding. The Understanding must be kept pure and chast; speculative wickedness must be watched, and kept out of the Head, lest it should march from thence into the Heart; which is the common road of sin. If the Understanding be not watch'd, Satan will quickly make the Head his shop to forge contemplative wickedness, and we shall grow vain in our Understanding.

2. The Heart must be watched; that is the Main-guard;The Heart must be watched. Faith is the shield which above all other pieces of Armour must be put; and so the Heart is the Main-guard, which above all other guards must be watched; If that be taken, all is taken; and if that be lost, all is lost. It concerns your life to keep a strict watch on your hearts.Prov. 4.23. Quod cor non facit, non sit. What the Heart doth not in Religion, is not done.Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Those Soldiers had need look about them, that have many enemies, and the worst of enemies got into the midst of their Garrison: And thus it is with every Christian; There are many Enemies in Arms in their very bowels; p. 26and the worst of enemies; there sin and grace is wrestling and strugling like the Twins in Rebeccahs womb, in all the powers and faculties of the soul; There be the seminals and principles of all these lusts mentioned Mat. 15.19. (in the very heart) and if they be not watch'd,VVhen Chrysostome was threatned by Eudoxia the Emperess, (saith he) Go tell her, nil nisi peccatum timeo) I fear nothing but sin. Nothing is to be feared and watched, as sin in the Heart. they will sally out, and march one after another. For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. What a file of enemies doth the Lord Jesus mention here! evil thoughts, like frontiers or file-leaders, put before, and blasphemies as bringers up of the reer: Oh Christians! Soldiers of Christ! is here not need of watching, if the case stands thus? Oh how should Christians, like Centinels, examine their thoughts. and all that go in and out, to know who they are for, and what is their business, whether they be for Christ, or for Satan and the world.

3. There is need of watching, because your Captain-General will come the Round himself,Christ coming will be secret, like a thief in the night. Mar. 13.33, 34, 35, 36. The wise Virgins, so well as the foolish are subject to be found slumbring and sleeping when Christ sh…ll come at midnight to behold them.Mark 13:33Mark 13:34Mark 13:35Mark 13:36 and behold all your postures: He will come himself, and try your Centinels, and see what watch you keep, and what readiness you are in. And hence he doth press this duty of watching (frequently on his Soldiers) because himself comes, and will come like a Round at an uncertain time, to try them. Take ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when it is that the Son of man will come, whether at even, or at midni…ht or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch. What Soldier will be careless, and sleeping, when his General intends to go the Round himself? It is a great crime in Military Discipline, for a Soldier to p. 27sleep on his Watch. I have read of one Commander that stab'd his Soldier to death, in the same place as he found him sleeping; and looked upon it as an act of Justice, to leave him as he found him. Mortuum inveni mortuum reliqui, I found him dead in sleep, and left him but asleep in death. Oh Christians! if your Commander will not deal so severe with you, yet you may be sure that the Devil would be glad to take you at such an advantage (if possible) to destroy you for ever; he lies in wait for this very purpose, 1 Pet. 5.8. He seeketh whom he may devour.

Thirdly.The third word of Command. Observe the Word that your Commander hath given you. It is a duty of great importance for Soldiers to keep the Word: But it is of much more concernment for the Soldiers of the Lord Jesus to keep his Word; their lives are concerned in keeping of it; Blessedness is pronounced and entail'd to keeping of the Word.Luk. 11.28.Luke 11:28 Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. What an honourable commendation was that, which the Lord Jesus gave the Disciples to his Father? Joh. 17.6, 8. And they have kept thy Word. For I have given them the Words that thou gavest me, and they have received them. Ah Soldiers of Christ! your great fafety will be in keeping Christs Word: Keep the Word of Christ, it will keep you, and Jesus Christ will keep you in an evil day. Rev. 3.10. Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, &c. This Church of Philadelphia did keep the Word of Christ, when it was the Word of his Patience; when many did strive to wrest it from them, and when it cost much patience to keep it. Oh Christians! p. 28keep the Word, although it may be the Word of Christs Patience.

The fourth word of Command.Fourthly. Keep your ranks and files; the places and stations wherein your great Commander hath place… you. Military Discipline doth appoint every Officer in the Army his proper place; and every private Soldier to abide in the same rank and file, and place where he is put by his Commander; and none may alter their station, nor alter their postures upon their own private account: And the Lord doth require the same order to be observed in the Militant Church,1 Cor. 7.24.1 Cor 7:24 Let every man wherein he is called, therein abide with God. The private Soldier may not take upon him to command without a Commission; nor may an Officer acquit his Command when pleaseth himself; such preposterousness would quickly breed confusion in an Army; and so it will prove of like ill consequence in the Church of Christ. The Commander in chief may prefer or degrade his Soldiers as seemeth good to him; but they may not, he cannot dispose of himself. When David was called from keeping the sheep, to govern Israel, Gods fl…ck; when Peter, Andrew, James and John are called from being Fishers, to be Fishers of Men▪ (Preachers of the Gospel) the one must le…ve his flock, and the others their boats and nets, and take their places to which they are called:Act. 1.26. Act. 6.5.Acts 1:26Acts 6:5 If Mathias be called into Judas his place, he must then advance; If Stephen, Philip, Prothorus, &c. be called to be Deacons, they must then take their places. That God who hath placed such order amongst the other Creatures in Heaven and Earth, if the Sun, Moon, and Stars keep in their own Spheres, and move in their own Orbs; p. 29If the Sea hath its bounds and limits set, beyond which it may not go: Can it be imagined that the Church of Christ should be a more disorderly piece, then the inanimate and irrational Creatures; The Church of Christ is his Mystical body, and all Believers are so many Members of that body; and there is the same order in the Mystical, as in the Natural body, every Member in his proper place, and for their proper use.

Fifthly. Keep with your Colours. The fifth word of Command.It's punishable by Martial Law, for a Soldier to lie behind, or straggle from his Colours; but death without mercy to depart quite from them: And so it is the same here by the Royal Law of the Lord Jesus, he will knock and lash his Soldiers that lie behind and straggle, and condemn those to death without mercy that depart from him, in leaving his Truth, his Ordinances, his Profession, so as never to return.

Peter was made to weep bitterly for his stragling.Mat. 26.75.Matt 26:75 Christs Colours are displayed, and hung forth no where but in the field of his own pure Gospel-Ordinances, and held forth by none but his own Companies; his own Gospel-truths are the Colours that he would have his Soldiers and Companies follow.Fabius Max. caused the hands of all those which had fled from the Roman Standard, to be cut off, as a terror to all faint and cowardly Soldiers. Val.

The Church was careful to keep with her own Company, and with the true Colours, Cant. 1.7. Tell me (O thou whom my soul loveth) where thou feedest, and where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that turneth aside, by the flocks of thy Companions? The Church would not turn aside into other Companies, and other flocks, called here the flocks of Christs Companions, p. 30which many Learned Interpreters understand to be the Companies of false Prophets, and false Christs, which shall come in Christs name, and say, Here is Christ, and there is Christ, and shall deceive many, Mat. 24.5, 23, 24. Brethren, the Devil, false Teachers, and Impostors have their counterfeit and false Colours to display, but take heed that you do not follow them, but keep with your own Captains Colours. It is usual for Pirates to carry false Colours to deceive the innocent Mariners, they have their English, French, Spanish, and Dutch Colours, &c. the better to colour and cover their wicked designes: So there are false Prophets and deceitful workers, who transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ; and no marvel, (saith the Apostle) for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light. 2 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15. foreign dolosus, subdolus.2 Cor 11:132 Cor 11:142 Cor 11:15He will, as it were, put on a Surplice to cover his error, and pretend to innocency and purity, under his irreligious Formalities. Therefore (saith he) it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness. The Apostle tells us,2 Thes. 2.9, 10.2 Thess 2:92 Thess 2:10 That the coming of Antichrist, the man of sin, shall be after the working of Satan, with all power and signes, and lying wonders, and with all **foreign, fraus seductio.deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Ah Sirs! if there be such false, counterfeit, deceitful colours (false flags) in the world, doth it not much concern you to keep with the true Colours, and true Companies of Jesus Christ, and to take heed of stragling from them? The Lord Jesus asserts it to be the property of his Sheep, that they will not hearken to the voice of strangers nor follow them; but will hear his own voice and follow him, p. 31Joh. 10.5, 27. And this brings me to the sixth word of Command, and Christian duty, which is, To follow your Leader.

Sixthly. Follow your Leader, The sixth word of Command.March after your Commander. How often is this both commanded and commended by the Lord Jesus? How often hath the Lord Jesus his Come after me, and follow me? And there is no being true Disciples, Servants, Friends or Soldiers, without following of him. He tells men, That if they will list under him, they must resolve to follow him, or else they are not for his service; and not only to follow him for a start, or a day, but they must follow him constantly and daily. If any man will be my Disciple, Luk. 9.23.Luke 9:23let him take up his Cross daily, and follow me. This is one of the great Commands of your Captain-General; and he that will not follow the Lord Jesus is unworthy to bear the name of a Christian, or of a Soldier of Christ. We read Rev. 14.1, 2, &c. of a great Army of a hundred forty and four thousand (a certain put for an uncertain) that did follow the Lord Jesus. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, &c.

Follow him through difficulties and dangers; follow him to the Prison, and to Death, as Peter resolved to do; follow him where, and when Hypocrites and Apostates leave him. We read of the drawing back of many carnal Professors;Joh. 6.66.John 6:66 take heed that you be not of that number, but follow Jesus in all Weathers, fair or foul; in all pathes, whether dirty or clean; follow him in all his Ordinances, in all his Providences, and at all times follow him fully, faithfully, and finally; and take that blessed encouraging Text from Christs own p. 32mouth, Joh. 12.26. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

The seventh word of Command.Seventhly. Give battel to, and sight manfully your Spiritual Enemies. As for your Corporal Enemies that can but kill the body, and afterwards have no more that they can do; Christ hath given you another rule,At the Battel of Newport the Prince of Orange having the Spanish Army before him, and the Sea behind him, spake thus to his Soldiers, If you will live, you must either eat up these Spaniards, or drink up the Sea. Christs Soldiers have sin within them, and the Devil without them and if they will live, they must conquer these sins and overcome this Devil. Mat. 5.44. But I say unto, you love your Enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecu…e you. But Spiritual and Soul-enemies, you must resist and destroy to the utmost of your skill and power, and put on the greatest resolution against them. The Devil must be resisted stedfastly in the faith, he seeketh whom, and how he may devour; and Christians, you must do your utmost to oppose and resist him; wrestle with all your might, and with all your skill, with these Principalities aad Powers, and Spiritual Wickednesses in High-places. And for sin and corruption, against those you must fall on with might and main; here you must shew no mercy; you must give no quarter; with those you must have no truce of peace; in fighting against your lusts, you must spare neither Agag the King, nor the best of the spoile; if you spare them (as Samuel said unto Saul) the Lord will not spare you; One, and all corruptions must be put to the Sword; the Agags, the King-sins must be hewed to pieces; you must draw forth the sacrificing-Knife, and kill your beloved Isaacs: The right-hand sins must be cut off,Mat. 5.29.Matt 5:29 and the right-eye sins must be pluck'd out; the whole body of death must be destroyed;Rom. 6.6.Rom 6:6 that p. 33henceforth we should not serve sin. Ah Christians! Soldiers of Christ! keep up your conflict with sin, and kill sin; you must kill, or be killed; if you do not kill sin, certainly sin will inevitably destroy you: Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the Earth, Fornication, Ʋncleanness, inordinate Affections, evil Concupiscence, and Covetousness, which is Idolatry. It is storied of Julius Caesar, That after he had escaped death by the Spears and Swords abroad, was killed at home with Bodkins at last. Ah Christians! if you keep alive but a little sin, a Bodkin-sin may kill you at last, and how doleful and sad a death will that be! Some secret, or less observable sin (as Covetousness, Pride, Hypocrisie, Heart-Idolatry, &c.) may kill & undo thee for ever, after thou hast escaped the common pollutions of the world, that are more obvious to every eye. You must fight one and all, else you are unworthy to be called Christs Soldiers. Alexander had a Soldier called by his own name, who was a Coward, and saith Alexander unto him, Either fight, or disown thy name. Either fight, or disown your name of Christians: Oh then, Fight the good fight of Faith, lay hold on Eternal Life, whereunto thou art also called, 1 Tim. 6.12.

Eighthly, Stand fast, The Eighth word of Command.and make good your ground. It is of dangerous consequence for Soldiers to give ground in Battel; it is seldom that they make good their retreat to their own advantage; routing & confusion are commonly the issues of retreating. There are three words of Command in Military Discipline, which Christ p. 34Jesus never gave forth,The Motto of Christs Soldier… should be like the Motto of the City of Venice, Nec fluctu, nec flatu movetur, Nor winds, nor waves can stir her. Nothing should make them give ground, or drive them back. nor never will to h… Soldiers. (viz.) Face-about, Counter-march, Retreat. There is not a Face-about, nor a Go backward in the whole Bible: but stand fast, be stedfast, & go forward, this is frequently prest & commanded. How (Soldier-like in Military Terms) doth the Apostle express himself, 1 Cor. 16.13. Watch ye, **foreign; A Speech borrowed from them which stand upon their guard, or watch in their rank where they are set; like unto good soldiers which must give no ground, but keep their standing, who must stand in their ranks & fight valiantly where their Captain has set t…em, not shrinking a foot. Symps. Lex.stand fast in the Faith, quit you like men, be strong. 'Tis observable, that among all the pieces of Christian Armour, mentioned Eph. 6.14, 15, &c.) there is no piece of Armour for the Back; There is a Helmet for the head, and Shooes for the Feet, & double Armour for the Breast, there is the Breast-plate of Righteousness, & the Shield of Faith upon that again, and the Shield can be moved from place to place as occasion requires, any where to save & preserve the fore-parts; but you cannot use it behind: you have Armour enough to go forward, & face your Enemies; you have double Armour for the Breast, but none for the Back, to preserve you, if you face about and go backward. If ever your Captain had intended you should retreat, he would have provided Armour for that purpose; Therefore keep the ground you have already gotten, and get as much as you can: Hold fast (saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia) that which thou hast, that no man take thy Crown; if you keep your own, you will keep your Crown. The Lord Jesus will not admit of going back, nor of looking back. Luk. 9.62. And Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the Plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.

p. 35Brethren, let me a little amplifie this in a few particulars.

1.The Devil pursued his enterprize at first, till Adam lost all his ground in Paradise. Keep the ground you have gotten against Satans temptations: He will follow you every step, he will be encroaching on you, and pursuing of you; & therefore, as the Apostle saith, Eph. 5.27, Give not place to the Devil. Keep up your conflict, and the Devil cannot hurt you.

2.Some Soldiers when but slightly wounded, will lie counterfeit among the dead & wait an opportunity to rise up to resist and kill. Keep the ground you have gotten against corruptions, keep your feet upon the neck of your lusts, lest they revive and rise up again; a little spark may quickly produce a great flame, if you do not keep it from kindling. Corruptions may seem to be dead, when they are but in a swoun, and may quickly stand up and resist you.

3. Stand fast, and keep the ground you have gotten in external conversation, holiness and righteousness, whether in reference towards God or Men.

First, In reference to Gods Worship & Service, whether natural, or instituted; do not lose ground where the Light of Nature doth dictate, nor where the Law of Christ doth command, whether secret in your Closets, or private in your Families, or more publick in the Churches of Christ, & Assemblies of the Saints.

1. Hold fast, and keep the life and vigour of your spirits in love and zeal, to all the Worship & Service of God; take heed that ye suffer not the edg of your affections to be blunted, and their heat to be cooled; if you give ground there, you will keep it no where, but will grow lukewarm**Christ threatens to spue luke-warm professors out of his mouth; and when Christ spues them out, the Devil is the dog that lic… up the von… Prov. 14Prov 14, & indifferent in the ways of God. p. 36If a Soldier lets down his courage, he is more apter to run away, than to stand. If Christians keep not up spiritual courage and zeal in Christs Service, they are in danger of Apostacy. Apostacy begins in the declining of affection; there is first back-sliding, and then going back, and afterward running away; and back-sliding begins in the heart. The back-slider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: Ah Christians! take heed of heart-declining, and heart-back-sliding: hold fast and make good the ground within you: The way to lose our first Profession, is to lose our first Love.

2. Make good the ground you have gotten in Gospel-purity, against superstitious and invented worship. Hold fast the purity of Gospel-worship, without admitting of sinful mixtures. The true Worshippers (saith the Lord Jesus) shall Worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Joh. 4.23, 24.John 4:23John 4:24Stand fast, and hold your ground in the true instituted and commanded Worship of God;Levit. 10.1, 2. Remember Lot's VVife. Beware of looking back to that thing that displeaseth God: and nothing more displeaseth God, then Idolatry, that is, false worshipping of God, otherwise then his VVord commandeth.Lev 10:1Lev 10:2 do not give ground in the least to the corrupting, or alteration of it, either for matter, or for manner: Remember how dear it cost the Sons of Aaron, Nadub and Abihu (though the Priests of the Lord) for their strange fire, it cost them their lives in the place; they died (as it were) like Soldiers in the Field, for giving ground in this particular. They offered strange fire unto the Lord, (saith the Text) which the Lord commanded them not. You must have a command from God for all that you do in his Worship and Service, and that is indeed Divine Worship and Service, because of Divine Institution; Take heed then, of retreating back to human and common service; common fire must p. 37not be added to Divine Incense. The Lord sharply reproved the Idolatrous Jews, not onelyonly for the eating of Swines flesh, but also for having the broth of abominable things in their Vessels.Isa. 65.4. Seeing God hath allowed you a good Soldier in the fore-ward; play not the coward, neither draw back in the rere-ward. Mr. Glover in his Letter to his VVife. Act. and Mou. vol. 3. p. 423.Isa 65:4 It may be you will keep your ground, you think, against more gross Idolatry, as down-right Popery, as Images, Crucifixes, Beads, Invocation of Saints, &c. you will not eat such Swines flesh; but it may be you go back so far, and yield so much ground, as to sup of the broth of abominable things; but you must eat neither flesh nor broth. Nay, you must not have it so much as in your Vessels, or in your Houses; God would not have his people in the smell, or near the broth of abominable things. We read Rev. 13.3. that the whole world wondered after the Whore, the generality of the world they Apostatized, & were defiled with that Mystical Whore, that filthy Beast, and were defiled with her filthiness; Yet then there were a great Army of chast Believers, that would not yield to this Babylonish Whore in the least, and would not receive the Beastly mark, neither in their Foreheads, nor in their right Hand; they would have nothing to do with the Beast, but stood their ground with the Lamb,Rev. 14.1, 2, 3, &c.Rev 14:1Rev 14:2Rev 14:3 They stood with the Lamb upon the Mount Sion, and bore the Fathers Name on their Foreheads, and were not defiled with women, but followed the Lamb whithersoever he went- Ah Christians! Soldiers of Christ! hold your ground with this blessed Army of Confessors and Martyrs; though others give ground to Antichristian worship, yet do not you: And be not partakers of Babylons sins, lest you be partakers of her p. 38Plagues; but stand foot by foot with the Lamb, and you will stand safe.

3. Stand fast, and keep the ground you have gotten in gospel-liberty, as well as in gospel-purity; The way to lose ground in gospel-purity,If the little robber be suffered to creep in at the window, he will quickly let in the greater at the door. is to let go your hold in gospel-liberty: Gal. 5.1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free; and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Put on no yoke, but the yoke of Christ, in the worship of Christ. It cost Christ deer to make you free from legal yokes of shadows & ceremonies, the price of his own blood; and if Christ hath purchased it so deer, do not be prodigal of it, to let it go. Yeare bought with a price, 1 Cor. 7.23.1 Cor 7:23be not ye the servants of men. Oh! do not you subject your selves to the wils of men, nor to the lusts of men, in parting with any Gospel & Spiritual Liberty that Christ hath purchased; the! Lord Jesus hath purchased a glorious spiritual liberty under the New-Testament, which believers had not under the Old; then they were bound to the observation of the New-Moons, and many other days besides the Sabbath; to the observation of meats & drinks, & ceremonial Apparel; to a particular place of Worship; to Circumcision, &c. But now the Lord Jesus hath broken off this yoke from the necks of his Disciples,Acts 15.10.Acts 15:10 which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear. Now there must be no stress laid upon any Garments or Vestments, whether black or white, whether Surplice Cassock, or Gown. Now nothing that is wholsom for food, is forbidden a Christian, all uncleanness is done away. Now whatsoever is sold p. 39in the Shambles, eat, making no question for Conscience sake (i. e. upon any Religious accompt) whether it be Fish-day, or Flesh-day, whether it be in Lent, or out, &c. Col. 2.16. Let no man judg you in Meat, or in Drink, or in respect of an Holy-day, &c. Now the forbidding of Meats, which are sanctified by the Word and Prayer, is a Doctrine of Devils.1 Tim 4.2, 3, 4. Joh. 4.21, 22, 23. There can be no holiness in a place, except God put it there.1 Tim 4:21 Tim 4:31 Tim 4:4John 4:21John 4:22John 4:23 Now neither in this place, nor yet at Jerusalem, shall ye Worship the Father: but Believers are left at liberty, to worship the Father any where in Spirit and Truth. Now another House is as Holy as a Cathedral; therefore stand fast, and keep your ground in Gospel-liberty. The Lord Jesus hath given power to none, to make any thing absolute and universally necessary, which himself hath made indifferent, and left to Christian-prudence and liberty: And therefore (with the Apostle) let me tell you, and perswade you, Brethren, Gal. 5.13.Gal 5:13you have been called unto liberty, onelyonly use not your liberty as an occasion to the flesh.

Object. But some will say, (as the Case stands now) if we should keep the ground that we have formerly gotten in Gospel-purity and Gospel-liberty, then we should be guilty of Schism, and unjust Separation from the Church; and therefore we must give back some ground, and admit of some Retreat to keep peace in the Church.

Answ. This is a Stone which I should not have turned, had it not lain so direct in my way, that I could not well pass it by: And I wish I may remove it with so much Tenderness p. 40and truth, that it may not prove a Rock of Offence to any, whether Master-builders, or precious living Stones.

I shall answer it three ways, as contract as I can, in a little room, and few words.

1. By way of Premise.

2. By way of Affirmation.

3. By way of Concession.

Answ. 1 1. In case the Church be of a Gospel-make, and that it bears a New-Testament-stamp for matter and form;His Exposition on Hos. 2.1, 2.Hos 2:1Hos 2:2 I shall with blessed Mr. Burroughs, in his own words, say thus.

VVhat a Gospel Church is.That so long as there is a Communion of Saints imbodied, holding forth the profession of all Fundamental Truths, and joining in all Ordinances, as far as they are convinced, so long there is a Church. Any communion of Saints imbodied, holding forth the profession of all fundamental Truths, and are willing to set up Ordinancs, so far as they know to be Gods mind, they should set them up; this multitude though it should have abundance of corruptions, though many wicked are mingled amongst them, yet they are a Church of God, &c.

**Visible Saints imbodied together to enjoy commuon with God, and one another in all the Ordinances of God, is a true Church although there may be much corruption found amongst them. And though there may be many good soldiers, yet they cannot be properly said to be a true company except they be Martialed together in Military orders.Now if the Church you intend, be such a Church, (viz.) of a Gospel-frame, of Saints imbodied, that have given themselves up to the Lord, and to one another by the will of God, to walk in all his holy Ordinances: Although much corruption may be gotten into it, we should be very tender here, that we do not p. 41unchurch our selves, until God doth un-church us. For there was corruption got into the Churches in the very Primitive times.

Answ. 2 Secondly, If the Church intended in the objection, be not such a Church as is before premised, but a National Church, consisting of divers millions of souls, some good, most bad; some Papists, others Protestants; some ignorant Heathens, others down-right Atheists; and all forced and pressed together, and made uniform, by Spanish Inquisition, heavy weights, or by English Marian hot disputes,Affirmatively. Christ in his kingdom, he doth not appoint carnal weapons; he gives not unto his Church, weapons of the flesh, to make men believe whether they will or no. and weighty arguments, pecuniary mulcts, imprisonments, banishment, confiscation of goods, slitting of Noses, cutting off of Ears, the Rack, the Gibber, the Fire, &c. If so, then I shall affirm, that this human, or rather inhuman force, is not the weapons of our warfare (how mighty soever they be) and that such Churches as these, are formed by Acts of Parliaments, but not the Acts of Christ and his Apostles, and so not of a Gospel-Constitution. And here the case is abundantly altered from what it was before:

First,Mr. Burroughs his Gospel-conversation. pag 144. Christ and his Apostles did onelyonly invite and perswade men; not violently force & compel them to list or keep under the Gospel standard. Because Christ and his Apostles did not force men by human laws, or external violence, to the true Religion, and the true Worship, as the heathens did to theirs, that was false; Christ did not force men to bear the name of the Father written on their forheads, as Antichrist did force men to recieve the mark of the Beast, on their foreheads.

Secondly, Because such a Church as this, doth …ot agree with, and answer the definition and description of a true Gospel Church.

p. 42Hear what Orthodox Bucanus saith, both of the Name, and of the Nature of the Millitant Church.

His Institutions, Pag. 502, 503.The Word Church, is not absolute, but relative; so called in respect of God, who calleth men out of the World, into the Kingdom of his Son, by the Preachers of his word; and they which obey their calling, and come into the Church,foreign quasi foreign are called foreign, as it were foreign called by name, as may be seen in the Salutation of Paul's Epistles, because no man doth truly joyn himself unto the Church, of his own motion and instinct; but all, how many soever do come, are called of God.

And then for the Matter, and Nature of a Church, (saith he) It is a multitude of men elect, and effectually called from the World by the Preaching of the Gospel; and so of Christians, or such as believe in Christ, and depend on him as their only Head, and do openly profess their belief on him, and do know and worship God by their belief, and by his word; reckoning also these that are newly instructed, and the Children of the Elect (and sometimes also, of Hypocrites) although by reason of their young years they are not capable of Vocation, or of the Sacraments.Acts. 2.29. Rom. 10.14. 1. Cor. 7.14.Acts 2:29Rom 10:141 Cor 7:14 Or it is a company of men dwelling every where, called by God from the corruption of all mankind, into the spiritual kingdom of Christ, by the voyce of the Gospel, severed and distinguished from other companies of men, by the hearing of Gods word, by Faith, by the Sacraments, by invocation, by holiness of, and by profession, which is grounded on Christ the Corner-Stone, that p. 43God may dwell therein,When the Lord Protector marched into Scotland with a great Army, to demand their young Queen, Mary, in marrage with King Edward the sixth, one askt a Sotch Lord (being taken prisoner in the Battel) how he did like our Kings marriage, with their Queen? I always (quoth he) did like the marriage, but do not like the wooing, that you should fetch a Bride with Fire and Sword. verily, this is not the way that the Lord Jesus doth go a wooing to fetch home his Bride, although the marriage be neverso much desired by him. and may be therein worshipped according to the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles for ever. Joh. 10.4, 5. My Sheep hear my voyce, not the voyce of another.

And as the whole Militant Church is thus called and separated out of the world by the word of Christ, & spirit of Christ, voluntary to come in under his banner; So likewise every particular Church and company of Christians belonging to Christs Army, must be brought together and imbodyed.

Thus in the Primitive times, 'tis said, That they joyned themselves to the Church; And were added to the Church; and did give themselves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.

In the Primitive times, men durst not to joyn themselves to the Church for fear what would follow if they were unsound; But since the Man of Sin hath gotten power in the World, he makes use of the power of Magistrates, to force into the Church the most debauched, profane and vilest Hypocrites: Now the vilest of men durst not but joyn themselves to the Church, or else they must suffer penalties and pains for it. Gods flaming Sword is drawn against men, to keep them off from Sealig-Ordinances, p. 44that are openly wicked or secretly Hypocritical: And mans sword is drawn to drive them on. This is the way that Antichrist doth make his Churches, and not the way that Christ makes his Ch…rches.

B. Abbots Hist. of world. Such force and violence doth better become Bedlam keepers, or Forristers, then Church-Officers.This way the Spaniards took in America, to force the poor Heathens to their Latin Service, and to baptize their children, and conform to the Church of Rome; and yet lived so wickedly, and used them so cursedly, that made many of them to renounce their Religion and Baptism, and to wish when they dyed, they might not go to the heaven where the Spaniards did go when dead.

How far is this from the way of Christ? This is a Church made like that great Image we read of in Daniel, Dan. 2.31, 32, 33, 34. &c. God ga…hereth and setteth a contrary Kingdom to the Serpents seed, a band of Christian Soldiers or heavenly Warriers, the Host of the Lord; who standing and fighting together under the banner his Gospel, by the conduct of his Sp…rit, and Chist their Captain; are an help, strength and comfort one to another these come willingly at the time of assembling, &c.Dan 2:31Dan 2:32Dan 2:33Dan 2:34whose brightness was excellent, and its form terrible; made up partly of Gold, partly of Silver, partly of Brass, partly of Iron, and partly of Clay; but all forced together by Secular strength; to make a great Image, which is very resplendent in the Court, but very terrible to many in the Country Well, who ever they be that force good Metal, and miry Clay; golden Saints, and dirty sinners; sound Protestants, and rotten Papists together, to make a Church of a Cathedral greatness; The chief Corner-stone, the Stone that was cut out without hands, will smite this Image, and break it to pieces, and sever the preci…us minerals from the filthy dung.

p. 45You that are for forcing Church work,Ainsworth, in his communion of Saints, pag. 331. seriously consider that glorious prophesie, Zach. 4.6, 7. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord f Hostes. Who art thou O …reat Mountain, before Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plain, and he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, cryi…g Grace, Grace unto it. Vide Diodat. on the Text.[Not by might] viz. I caused thee to see in this figure the subsistance of my Church is not of the same kind, as that of worldly Empires, in force of Arms, and Might, but in a lively internal action of my Spirit: wherefore, be not discouraged in thy mind, Oh Zerubbabel, if worldly strength fail thee; my Spirit and power shall supply all, as well for the re-establishment of the material Temple, as for the spiritual conduct and support of the Church. Ah!The Apostles did not tarry from forming of Churches, and setting up of Church-Ordinances, until the Magistrates did give them license; they began to build the-Gospel Temple in troublesom times. No National Church since the Nation of the Jews did cease to be a Church. had Englands Master-builders, walked, and worked by the Gospel-rule of the new Creature, and in the strength of the spirit of God, in building of the Gospel-Temple, how might the top-Stone of Sion have been laid, and all her precious Sons and Daughters, at this day, have been crying Grace, Grace unto it.

Thirdly, Because we find no pattern in Mount Sion, (the Gospel Ministration) for a National Church, that all the people of a Nation should be of one Church, and no more. The Nation of the Jews were a Church, yea the Church of God, under the Law; but since the separation-wall between Jewes and Gentiles was broken down, we find this National way to be abrogated, and a new Model set forth under the New-Testament, for forming of Gospel Churches: Whereas before under the Law, there was but one Church p. 46in the Land of Judea and Jerusalem; there were divers under the Gospel, in the self-same Country. 1 Thes. 2.14. The Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. You see here, that the Apostle speaks in the plural Number. So the Apostle directs his Epistle to the Galatians, Gal. 1.2. Unto the Churches of Galatia. So Rev. 1.4. John to the Seven Churc…es of Asia. Not to the Church of Asia, but to Seven Churches of Asia.

Why then must it be the Churches of Galatia, and the Church of Scotland? Or why must it be in Scripture, the Seven Churches (in little) Asia and the Curch of England in Great Britan? Did not Paul the great Master-builder, and Planter of Churches, and John the beloved disciple, who lay in the bosom of Christ, and knew his heart; did not these know of what size to form Churches, and how to name them, as well as any since their times? However, Churches of a National Make and Name, have been so much cryed up, and adored of late; but from the beginning it was not so. In the Primitive times of the Gospel-purity, it was not so. Ah Master builders of National Churches! why have your popular pens been dipt in such bitter Ink, made more of Gall, then Gum; more of the spirit of Bitterness, then Union, to Censure men for uncharitableness, and to st…gmatize them for Separatists and Schismaticks, who ate willing to walk by the Gospel-rule, in Church-work?

Yea, why do you condemn others for irregularity, for gathering of a Church out of a Church, (as you say) and you your selves gather a Society out p. 47of your own National Church, which is almost Tanta-mount? Why is it that all the people of the Nation, and of the Parish, are believers at baptism, and so few of grown-persons are so at the Supper of the Lord? Why do not you rise up, and give honour to the hoary heads, if they be found in the way of Righteousness,The primitive officers and private Christians did not forbear to open or shut the door of the Church, though the Magistrates were enemies to the Gospel, but they received in such as profest faith in Christ, and excommunicated those that were notorious offenders, notwithstanding it was in time of persecution Psal. 102, 14.Ps 102:14 and give them the right-hand of fellowship at your holy Feast? or if otherwise, why do you not observe the rule of your Master, to admonish, the First, Second, and the Third time, privately, publickly, and thereby bring them to repentance and reformation? And if no means will do it, why do you not make use of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, which are as well for shutting, as for opening the door of the Church? Why do… you not give Church-members, Church-Ordinances? or shew them Church-discipline? Why do you keep this flaming-Sword alwayes drawn in your hands? and yet, like George on Horse-back, never to strike? Oh! have we not been building of Sion with Babel's tools, and with Babylon's Mortar! and hence it is that our languages are divided, and our building falls down. Well, let all in the fear and love of God, pity poor Sion in her low condition, and as Servants of the Lord, let us take pleasure in her Stones, and favour the Dust thereof; And let us gather the precious Stones and Dust of Sion together, and to building Sion in these troublesom times, according to the pattern shewed in the Gospel-Mount, and see if the Second Temple, will not be more Glorious then the First.

Answ. 3 Thirdly, By way of concession. For Argument sake, I shall let go all again which I hope (in some measure) I have already made good.

p. 48I will suppose (and but suppose) that England's National Church is of a Gospel-make and constitution. Let this be granted, and yet I hope, I shall give you so much light in this Case, as to save you harmless from Schism, and unjust separation, whil'st you stand fast, and make good the ground you have formerly gotten, in Gospel-purity, and in Gospel-liberty.

1 Kin. 12.28, 29, 30.1 Kgs 12:281 Kgs 12:291 Kgs 12:30You know how that in Jeroboams time, the King, and ten of the Twelve, tribes revolted, and made a sad retreat to Dan and Bethel, so far as the Golden Calves which the King had set up. At that time the Twelve Tribes were a true Church, and yet the Tribe of Judah and Benjamen kept their ground in the pure instituted worship of God at Jerusalem, and were commended for it, when the other were condemned for their separation, and going backward to false lying worship. Hos. 11.12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes, and the House of Israel with deceit; But Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the Saints. It were the ten Tribes that fell back with the King to Idolatry,They that fall back to false worship, are guilty of unjust separation, and not those who continue faithful to the Lord. that made the separation and schism, and not the other who stood fast and held their ground, and remained faithful. And to separate from will-worship, and idolatry, is a duty both commanded and commended by the Lord. Rev. 18.4. And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. And that separation which the Scripture condemns, is when men separate unto will-worship and prophaneness. And how aptly may that Scripture p. 49be applied to many of our times. Jude 19. These are they who separate themselves, sensual, foreign animalis.having not the Spirit. There are too many of those who are of sensual spirits, of sensual principles, and sensual practises; that having not the spirit of Prayer themselves, will make unscriptural forms of Prayer, and use them, and impose them on others. Well Christians, give back no ground. Touch not, taste not, handle not any of mens Inventions,God gave no power to any to make Laws in his Church but to Christ the Law-giver. Jam. 4.12. Mat. 28.20. 2 Cor. 1.24. His exposition. on Hos. 2.1.2.Jas 4:12Matt 28:202 Cor 1:24Hos 2:1Hos 2:2 which have nothing but a stamp of human Authority on them; let the Church be what she will, and do all that she can. As you give to Cesar what is Cesars; so, see that you do not give what is Gods, to Cesar.

A Church (saith Mr. Burroughs) may be a true Church of Christ, yet it may be such a Church, that perhaps you, nor I, nor another cannot have Communion withal. There ate Three cases which he doth but barely lay down: I shall recite them, and a little open, amplifie, and improve them.

Case. 1 1. If this Church should so mingle any Ordinance, any work of their publick Communion, as I for the present cannot joyn, without contracting guilt upon me, as not seeing Gods will in it, I cannot have communion with them now in such Ordinances.

Well, I shall suppose this to be the particular Case, and indeed, it is so with some.

That whereas there is the sign of the Cross (with other things) mingled in Baptism; and one, after all right means used for his information, cannot be satisfied in his Conscience, but that it is the mark of the Beast received in the p. 50fore-head, and so trembles at the thoughts of so dismal a Cross-mark. Another, though he may not think it to be the mark of the Beast foreign by way of eminency; yet, he thinks it to be a mark of the Antichristian Beast, because it did never come from Christ, neither is it any of the marks that the great Shepherd puts on his Sheep. Another comes to the Lords Supper, and there he sees an Idolatrous Priest to bow down to, and worship a wooden board, and sees him make a God of that, which was made of mens hands, and his Conscience tells him that 'tis like bowing down unto Nebuchadnezzar's Image, and he cannot eat with him at the Lords Table, lest he should be partaker of the Table of Devils also. Another he cannot receive the Elements from the hands of the Priest, except he kneels down and takes it on his knees; and his Conscience tells him, in case he should submit to it, he should be guilty of betraying the glorious liberty of the Gospel, the price of Christs invaluable Blood. Another cannot bring his Conscience to joyn with them in Publick, in hearing, and Praying, fearing lest his presence should encourage and harden others in their Apostasie, formality, and Idolatry, and so become partaker of other mens Sins, as well as his own,1 Tim. 5.22.1 Tim 5:22 contrary to that of the Apostle. Be not partaker of other mens Sins.

Rom. 14.5.Rom 14:5And let every man, be fully perswaded in his own Conscience.

Case. 2 2. In case the Church should require me to yield in my Judgment, and subscribe to such and such things, that I cannot satisfie my p. 51Conscience in, they put me off Communion with them; It is not my fault, they violently keep me off.

I will instance now in some things, which may not be far off from the Church of England. Suppose that the Church should require of me that I must take an Oath, &c. Or that I must subscribe to a Bishops Book of unscriptural Articles: Or that I must give my assent and consent to all things in the Common-Prayer-book, to be according unto the word of God: Or that I must own, that Prelates are of Divine right: Or that the Publick Meeting house is more holy than any other place: Or that the Surplice hath no Superstition in it, when the Priest do wear it, or that bloody Bonner and Gardner were as good as any, or most of our present Prelates, &c. And my Conscience should tell me from Scripture, that it were a Sin in me to subscribe, or consent to any of these things. Now if any sin be the terms of Church-Communion, we may not have communion with such a Church. And what is not of Faith, is sin. And we must not do any evil that good may come thereby. Austin speaking of an officious Lye, saith, that we must not make such a lye though it were to save a Soul from Hell; yea, all the Souls in the world. So we must not be guilty of the least sin, to partake of any, or of all the Ordinances of God.

Case. 3 3. When they shall not suffer me to do the duty which God requires of me, I cannot have Communion with them neither: because herein I should contract guilt,

Here now I will instance in particular. It is p. 52the duty which God hath enjoyned all Church Members, to watch over to a monish, and reprove one another in a brotherly way, when occasion is offered. And the Church forbids me to make the least mention of many things which are apparently culpable,

Yea, it is the duty of a particular Church. Member (in a regular manner) to plead home, and witness against the sins of a whole Church. Hos. 2.2. Plead with your Mother; Plead, for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband; let her put away her Whoredoms out of her sight, &c. As a Cham must not uncover his Fathers nakedness, so neither must a Child of the Church consent to his Mothers Whoredoms but must plead with his Mother. We will suppose a Member of the Church of England about to plead with his Mother, with grief and tears; Thus, Mother, you have been false to my Father; you have defiled the Marriage-bed by spiritual Whoredoms; you have broken Wedloek; you have broken, yea and burnt the Marriage-Covenant. But now if you should tell any of the truth to your Mother, she will Disinhetit you, Goal you, Banish you, cut out our Tongue, or kill you, if you tell the truth, Now if you cannot do your duty, let your Mother alone in het Lewdness, only grieve for her in private, and pray the Lord to mend her, &c.

Secondly,Secondly, Stand fast, and make good the ground you have gotten in righteousness towards men. Hold fast, and keep your ground in Second-Table duties, as well as in First; you p. 53cannot walk holily towards God, except you walk righteously towards men; Be not like the Hypocritical Seribes and Pharisees, against whom the Lord Jesus lets fly woes and menaces thick and three-fold one after another,Mat 23.14. Mark. 12.14.Matt 23:14Mark 12:14 in divers places,True Christianity consists in uniformity and conformity to all the commands of Christ. who would not admit so much as of works of Mercy on the Sabbath; who would make long Prayers, and yet devour widows Houses. It was the saying of a Heathen long ago, comparing the unsuitable conversations of some Christians unto the holy Gospel of Christ which they profess; Surely (saith he) this is none of the Gospel of Christ, which these men profess; or if it be, these men be no Christians. If you be not good at Second-table duties, you will never credit your Captain, nor honour his service, nor crown your Profession, nor acquit your selves as good Soldiers of Christ. An unrighteous conversation will spoil an holy profession, and reproach and dishonour an holy God. The Apostle hath a notable passage concerning Servants (persons in the lowest Orb) upon this accompt.1 Tim. 6.1.1 Tim 6:1 Let as many Servants as are under the yoke, count their Masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God, and his Doctrine be not Blasphemed. Christians, be good in your particular Relations, and in your Secular Employments; do not give ground, or occasion for any to say, that here is a Professor of Christianity, and yet proud, or covetous, or merciless, and makes not Conscience of his word and promises; that such a one is a Saint in the Church, and a Devil in his Shop; that he is a Christian by Profession, but p. 54worse than a Heathen in his Conversation,Let not the Proverb of the French be made good by you, of whom it is said, they are more then men at the begining of a fight, and less than women towards the end. Begin, continue, and end well your fight in Christianity. &c. Christians, wheresoever you have gotten any ground in Christianity, be sure to make it good: for ground may be more easily lost, than regained; and when you are losing ground who can tell where you may stop. Peter began to lose ground at first, by keeping a prudent distance from Christ; but he did not stop until he went so far back, as to deny his Captain in down-right terms with Oaths and Execrations, that he did not belong to his company, and did not so much as know the man. Let me conclude this duty with that emphatical Exhortation of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.58. My beloved Brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord.

And have any of you lost ground any where? Then another word of Command from Christ is this,

The Ninth word of Command.Ninthly, As you were. If you have back-sliden, recover your selves again to your former stedfastness; repent, repent; convert, convert: Conversion is of great use in an Army, and so it is in the Militant Church. There is no word of Command, to face from your Leader; but many to face towards your Leader, and to be as you were.Humanum est peccare diabolicum est peccato perseverare, & Angelicum resurgere. Austin. i. e. It is an human thing to fall into sin, a devillish to persevere therein, and an Angelical or Supernatural to rise from it.

When you have faced away. Peter had faced about away from Christ, and his Captain looked on him until he faced about the right way, and wept bitterly in facing towards him. It was a good saying of a true Convert, Ego non sum ego. I am not I. And as repentance and p. 56conversion doth at first change a mans state from Sin to Grace; so by after-Repentings and Conversion; he is kept from final Apostasie, and carried on to Glory.

And therefore Soldiers of Christ, though backsliden ones, be convert, and as you were. There be four Returns in one verse, I press them all on you, Return, return, O Sulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee; Cant. 6.13.Song 6:13what shall we see in the Sulamite? as it were the company of two Armies. When the back-sliding Spouse,Here is a Quadruplication to make a compleat Quadrangle-Army strong for Battel. the Sulamites is returned, then she will be as a company of two Armies. And therefore backsliden Sulamites, back-sliden Societies, backsliden Souls, back-sliden Soldiers of Christ, Return, return, return, return, unto him again, with hast, hast, with all speed, repent and return, and that quickly.

That Noble Captain, Jovianus, would not admit run-aways from Christ, into his Service. It is well that your Captain will admit and accept of back-sliding Saints, and returning Soldiers. Return ye back-sliding Children, Jer. 3.22.Jer 3:22and I will heal your back-slidings; behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Rev. 2.5.Rev 2:5Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the First wo…ks, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candle-stick out of his place, except thou repent.

Tenthly, Bringers up of the Rear, The Tenth word of Command.double the Front to the right entire. When the Front of an Army is much assaulted, and deeply engaged, then this word of Command is given forth, and this duty most proper and seasonable. Why, it p. 55is so with the Militant Church at this day. Th… great interest of Christ, your Leading-Commander, lies at stake, and is very hotly disputed in the Front amongst us.

The Leading-Officers are all knock'd down in one black day, with Statute-Clubs, and made Ipso facto, legally dead; and many of them have made themselves (as it were, naturally dead) more dead than the Enemy hath made them; And the File-leaders are hard beset, and much discomforted; The Captain is engaged, the Colours are in Danger of carrying away; the Philistins have beset the Ark, and hopes to win the day, and to carry it away as a Trophee of Victory.

And therefore Bringers-up, you Rear-Soldiers, you of the Rear-guard, 'tis time to come up, and to double, treble, yea to quadruplicate the Front in time of need; Come up, to the help of the Lord against the mighty, and make good the Front of the Militant Church, that is so much shot at, and so much shatter'd and batter'd already. Come up in your Spiritual Arms compleat, and make good the Front. Come up to Zebulun and Napthali, the People who jeoparded their lives unto death in the high Places of the Field; Judg. 5.15, 16, 17, 18.Judg 5:15Judg 5:16Judg 5:17Judg 5:18Come up like the Princes of Issachar to Deborah and Barak, and not stay back like Reuben, among the Sheep-folds, to hear the bleating of the flocks; for which divisions there were great thoughts of heart; Do not stay like Gilead beyond Jordan, and like Dan, remain in the Ships, &c. Come up one and all in the Spiritual conflict; and play the men, for the help of the Lord against p. 57the mighty; notwithstanding all the dangers of Bonds, of Banishment, or of Blood, the Front is in. Valiant Leonides, being told that his Enemies Arrows were so thick in their flight, that they Shadowed the Sun-Beams. No matter (said he) we shall see the better to Fight in the Shadow. What if shadows and darkness of dangers, of affliction and persecution be in the Front, yet come up, and do your duty in the Valley and Shadow of Death.Acts. 12.3, 4, 5.Acts 12:3Acts 12:4Acts 12:5 When James was killed, and Peter took Prisoner in the Fight, yet the Bringer-up of the Reer Rallied up to the Front, and did double it Entire, and so should you. Saith Christ, Peter, when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren; and so say I to you, Vouchsafe all the Spiritual strengthning that possibly you can, to your brethren and fellow-Soldiers who are engaged before you.

Eleventhly, Silence, and forbear Mutining. The Eleventh word of Command.Military Law provides much against Mutining: Mutineers are severely punished as great offenders: And so the Law of Christ provides for nothing more, then for the Peace and Unity of believers with, and amongst themselves; and threatens severe punishments to those that break that Royal Law of his.

The whole Law is comprized in this narrow compass,Mat. 22.27, 28, 29.Matt 22:27Matt 22:28Matt 22:29 Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy Neighbour as thy self. Ah Sirs! you have no reason to Mutiny against your Captain, for he is full of Peace, of Love, and Sweetness,Mat. 11.29, 30.Matt 11:29Matt 11:30 and will lay no unreasonable commands upon you. Take my p. 58Yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And how much it is the mind of Christ, that the Saints should have Peace and Union among themselves, the Scripture doth abundantly testifie, in that the Lord Jesus hath,

1. Strictly Commanded it.

2. Most highly Commended it.

3. Most Pathetically Prayed for it.

First, How Strictly hath the Lord Jesus Commanded it? he Commands it over and over; he inculcates it again and again. Joh. 13.34. A New Commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. This is an Old Commandment Newly Commanded; a New Edition of an Old Commandment.

Secondly, How most highly is the Peace and the Union of the Saints commended?Psal. 133.1, 2. The Poets mean nothing else by those Towns of Adamant which they write of, but the love of Citizns, which by no force or policy can be overcome, so long as in heart they hold together. Psal. 122.3. Rev. 3.8, 9, 10Ps 133:1Ps 133:2Ps 122:3Rev 3:8Rev 3:9Rev 3:10 Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! it is like the precious Ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aarons beard, that went down to the skirts of his Garments. Ah what an amiable, and lovely, delightful sight it is to see the Peace and Unity of the Saints, the Servants, and Soldiers of Jesus Christ! How is it spoken in the commendation of Jerusalem, that it is builded as a City compact together, and is at Ʋnity within it self? The Lord Jesus brings in no reproof against the Church of Philadelphia, but gives her the highest commendation of all the rest. Now Philadelphia signifies Bro…herly p. 59love. Where there is brotherly love, there is most commendation, and least reproof.

Thirdly, How most pathetically hath the Lord Jesus prayed for it? What a most emphatical and pathetical Petition was that of the Lord Jesus unto his Father, Joh. 17.21, 22,The Christians in the primitive times, were known by their loving of one another. And the Heathen persecutors have lookt on it as strange that no threats or tortures could make them confess, or betray, or cease to love one another. It were to be wished that it could be said so now. Scipio going against the Newmantines divides his Army into 500 Companies; and made one Band which he called Philonida, the Band of frends. Every band of Christs Soldiers should be such a Band. 23. That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us, that the World may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; That they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. How doth the Lord Jesus fetch over this One again and again, That they all may be one, and one as we are one, and be made perfect in one. There be Four Glorious Unions in the World. (1.) The Personal Union of the blessed Trinity. (2.) The Hypostatical or Personal Union of the Divine and Human Natures in the Lord Jesus Christ. (3.) The Mystical Union of all believers with Jesus Christ, he the Head, and they the Members.

(4.A Heathen Historian writing of the Christians saith that they did love those that they never saw,) The Union of all the Saints with one another. Now the greatest of all these Unions, the Lord Jesus Christ layes down as a Motive unto, and a pattern of that Union he would have amongst believers; he would have them to be one, as the Trinity is one, as the Divinity and Humanity are United in his own Person, p. 60and as all believers are united to himself, so would he have them to be one among themselves. Ah Christians! the Lord Jesus did bear this upon his heart to the Father, That you might be one: they were some of the last breathings of his heart before his death; Oh let the last words of your dying-Redeemer be remembred by you.Gen. 13.8. O let there be no bitterness between us, for we are brethren.Gen 13:8 Ah Soldiers of Christ! the Devils unite their strength against you, and wicked men unite in persecuting of you, (however they differ among themselves) and will you mutiny and quarrel, and make Factions, and Fractions, and parties among your selves? As long as Christ is not divided, why should you be divided? The Lord Jesus would have all those,Christs mortal enemies did not divide his seamless garment, and will you divide and rent in pieces his Mystical body. 'Tis observable by the Naturalists, that those Beasts which are most fierce and cruel to others, are most loving to their own; and will you be cruel to those that bear your own Image, and the Image of Christ likewse, and herein be more unnatural than the Bruits? that have union with himself, to have union with one another. Do not cry down one another because of some lesser differences in your Judgments, or because you go under different titles and denominations, as Presbyterian, Independant, Anabaptist, and the like. The Lord Jesus is now knocking and lashing his Soldiers for this great offence; and on that it might be amended! Forbear to bite and devour one another, lest ye be consumed one of another. 'Tis said of John the Divine, that when he was very aged, he would lean on his Crutches, and say, Little Children, love one another.

Alexander Severus, seeing a company of p. 61Christians fighting together, he commanded them to leave off the name of Christians; for said he, You profess your selves to be Christians, and yet you are thus contending: This is not the spirit of him whom you do profess.

Twelfthly, Make ready, The Twelfth word of Command.and provide for all occasions. Get in, and lay up provision against the time of need; It is the duty and concernment of all Soldiers to make preparation for the greatest dangers; and the hottest Service for the closest sieges, for the most potent assaults, and most desperate onsets, before the dangers and Enemies be at hand, they get their Arms fix'd, and get in Ammunition and Provision; and see that their Fortifications be strong, and their Magazeen …nd Store-houses be provided: And so must the Soldiers of Jesus Christ, they must provide and store themselves for future times, for the greatest hazards and dangers.1 Tim. 6.19. foreign recando.1 Tim 6:19 Laying up in store a good Foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Ah Soldiers of Jesus Christ! make provision for the worst of times; lay up against Satans temptations, and make provision for the Lords with drawments; now your Souls may be at peace, and your Consciences as calm as the dead Sea, but you know not how soon a storm of trouble and temptation may arise and shake your Souls: David thought once, that his Mountain was so strong that he should never be moved;Psal. 30.6, 7.Ps 30:6Ps 30:7 but (saith he) thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. Now the waters of the Sanctuary, the river which makes glad the City of God, do flow upon you; but you know not p. 62how soon those waters may be turned away, and the Manna that falls in some competent measure about your Tents, may utterly cease. Ah Christians! do you not see the storm approaching, the clouds of Blood and darkness that hang over your heads, and are gathering round about you! the hand of God, and the hand of Man that is ready to fall upon you! You know not how soon the destroying Angel may make an on-set, and knock at your doors, and the King of Terrors may scale your Walls, creep in at your Windows, and stare you in the face; you cannot but understand the Arrows that are sharpned, the Bows that are bent against you, the cruel Instruments for persecution, for bonds, for banishment, and bl…od that are prepared for you: And doth it …ot much concern you to be preparing for it, to build you an Ark before the flood is come? The Soldier in time of Peace, prepares for War; the poor Ant in Summer provides for Winter,Prov. 6.6.Prov 6:6 though guided only by a sensual instinct; the Mariners carry Provision for the greatest storms and dangers; the Husband-man seeing the clouds to gather over his hay, he cries, Cock up, cock up, for a storm is coming. And Christians, do not you see dangers to be near at hand, and will you, like Jonah, sleep in the Storm? Oh be perswaded to lay up provision for an evil day, for Sickness, for Plague, for Poverty, for Persecution, &c. There is a threefold provision to be made against an evil day.

p. 631. A stock of precious Promises.

2. A stock of Experiences.

3. A stock of suffering-Graces.

First, Lay in, and lay up a good stock of precious Promises. There are Promises suited to every condition, for the worst of times; Oh that you would grasp them in, and lay them up! they will be a foundation for your faith to build on,Heb. 6.17, 18, 19.Heb 6:17Heb 6:18Heb 6:19 and for the Author of Hope to fasten on, and will be sure and stedfast in the greatest storm; the promises will be as the Cork to the net, as the Ancor to the Ship in a storm, as a City of Refuge to the Man-slayer. There is one Promise that is more worth than the world, be sure to lay it up; Psal. 84.11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield, he will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly.