Soldiery Spiritualized, Sermon · Part 1
The first Part of the Doctrine.
A Christian must be a Souldier. That which I mean by it is that there is a great Harmony, Likeness, or Similitude between the work of a Souldier and that of a Christian. The A…t of Souldiery doth fitly resemble the Art of Christianity, and may be profitably improved to set forth the Nature thereof.
That this is so, and wherein it is so, will appear if we Consider,
1. That the Spirit of God often puts the Name of Souldiers upon Christians, and be-speaks them in Terms borrowed from that Profession: the Saints also have familiarly professed or confessed themselves to be such. See 2 Tim. 2.3, 4▪ and 4 7. 1 Tim. 6.12. and 1.18. So Paul calls Archippu… his fellow Souldier, Philem 2. and that not only as a preacher of the Gospel, but as a Christian. Hence we commonly and Scripturally call the Church on Earth, the Church-Militant, i. e the warring or warfaring-Church, the Army or fighting Company, So Cant. 3.7, 8. and 6.4, 10, 11. There are two parts of the Church of Christ, (answerable to the two places where they are, or States wherein they are, Earth a…d Heaven, Grace and Glory) viz. that which is Militant, and that which is Triumphant, that which is yet warring, and that which is now in Triumph after the end of the Warr, wherein they have been Victorious, and their being Triumphant hereafter, speaks them Militant now.
2. The Qualifications or Indowments of Christians are such as are the Characteristical Notes or Badges of good Souldiers; the same Excellencies that speak a Souldier, spiritualized make a Christian too. Take those Accomplishments which are requisite in a Souldier, and he that ha's them (taken I mean in a spiritual Sense) is a Christian also. Counsel and strength are for the war, whether Literal or Spiritual, Isai. 36.5. Skill, will, Strength, Activity, Valour, Courage, compleat a man for either Imployment. Understanding to know his weapons, and skill to use them, prudence and wisdom in taking the right means and Season, Strength to undergo what is propounded, and Courage and Confidence to face and grapple with Difficulties▪ not to be scared with words and sh…ws, or frighted with false Fire, are necessary Qualifications for Souldiers and Christians, and for no Souldier more then for a Christian Souldier, and in no warfare more then the Spiritual. Courage in special is Essentially needful to both. The Timero…s Cowardly or Fearful lead the Van of them that are sent to the Bottomless Pit, Re… 2….8.
3. If we look into their Accoutrements as well as Accomplishm…nts, the Resemblanc…s will further appear. A Believer fitted for Service and fixed for his Imployment, as such, is like a Sould…er in the Field compleatly armed Cap a pe. You have the Christians Armory, Eph. 6 11—17. which sufficie…ly proves his Souldiery. Truth is his girdle, R…ghteousness his Breast-pla…e, Preparation of the Gospel his Shooes, Hope h…s Hel…et, the Word his Swo…d, and now when these are on, he is fit to me…t with Principalities and Powers (at least when by Prayer, which follows in the next words, he hath engaged the Lord of Hosts to be with him) What will you call one so equipped or accout…ed but a Souldier, and what is he to expect but Fighting? He is not thus armed (sure) either to play or sleep. If God provides, sends him and wills him to put on this Armor, you may readily conclude what Service he is to go upon. If the Lord of Hosts arrays him thus with Truth, Righteousness, p…eparation of the Gospel of Peace, puts hope on his Head, Faith in the one Hand, and the word in the other, and bids him thus stand, yea, and withal bids him to call these his Belt, Breast-plate, Head-piece, Sword and Shield, no wise man but will account such an one sufficiently minded of a warfare before him. God would never have called his Graces in the Believer and his word given to him, Arms and weapons, if his Calling had not been Military, and his work Fighting. If God bids men Arm, they may expect that the next word of Command will be Fall on, or else they will be by the Enemy fallen on, and so they must look to fall down. And this makes way for the next particular.
4. A Christian must be a Souldier & be in actual Service too, if we consider the multitude of Enemies that are about him to keep him doing. When God hath given a Christian his Armor, he will soon see those that will necessitate him to put it on and use it too. No sooner hath the Lord armed him, but the Enemy will alarm him, & put his Armor to proof, whether it be Armor of Proof or no. He is no sooner converted but be set, Enemies surround him, assault him, so that he must either Fight or dye. The way to Heaven lies through the Enemies Country, and no getting through but by force of Arms. He must dispute every step at the Swords point. Heaven wust be won by the Sword e're i… be worn. Your Spiritual Enemies will do as they, Numb. 20.21, 22. not suffer you to pass through, but come out against you with a strong hand, and you must not turn away from them but Fight them as, Numb. 21.22, 24. The Lanes are filled, the Hedges lined with Enemies to impede your March Ca…aan ward, so that you must engage against them, or shamefully retreat and loose all. Then, He that ha's but what he wins by the Sword, gets no farther then he Fights, and holds, and keeps no more then what he keeps by the same means which he gets it by, sure this man is a Souldi…r, and such a life is a Souldiers life ▪ But such is the Case of a Christian. Ergò.
It would be endless to reckon up all his Enemies. Time would fail, should we only call over their Names and no more. But there be these four Heads which have thousands under them, viz. Sin, Self, Satan, World. I aim not at accurateness of distinction, (for I know that Self is Sin) but at tha familiar plainness which may be Intelligible unto all, and they are commonly so distinguished.
1. Sin, which is in and about, and doth so easily be-set us, Heb. 12.1. and must be fought by those that will run the Race set before them, who must therefore Fight as well as Run. Sin I say, which on thy first coming to Christ thou must renounce▪ and wage warre with ever after. A warr and a bloudy warr too must be waged agaidst Sin, Heb, 12.4. You must be professed Enemies to Sin, draw upon it where ever you meet it, keep it off at the Swords Point, stand upon your Guard, if it gets within you it kills you. Sin that deceitful thing that so often doth deceiv us under a Colour of being other then indeed it is. Sin that attends us in every Business, and lies in Ambush behind and in the midst of all our lawful Imployments, and while we are busy about them surprizes us at unawares. Sin that pretends in a friendly manner with Ioab to kiss thee, 2 Sam. 20.9, 20. but suddenly and unexpectedly wounds thee fatally. Now with Sin thou must not compound or make a Truce, but Fight it at all Times, do not spare Sin at any Time, for it will spare thee at no Time. It will mix it self with and mischief thee in every Duty, Business, Imployment, when hearing, reading, praying, &c. Do not trust it for it will deceive thee, and be against thee 1 Sam. 29.4. To be ever at variance and in actual contest with Sin is our work, and therefore this of a Christian with Sin is rightly called, The Holy Warr.
2. Self, A close Enemy because within thee, and the more dangerous because so close. Of sinful self, that saying holds true, where shall one find a worse friend then one brings from home? An Enemy that lurks in thine own bosome, and thence is advantaged to do thee the more Harm. They are bad Enemies that are of a mans own House, worse that are of his own Heart. Against these thou must be ever watching, or else wilt be fooled and foiled by them. There is in thee an old Man, a Body of Sin, an Army of Lusts that are still warring against thy So…l, 1 Pet. 2.11. Thou needest not beat the Air for want of an Enemy to strike. Thy Body thou must beat, yea, beat down, yea, keep down. There be strong Castles and high Towers within thee, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. that will never yield on Composition, but must be taken by Storm. Thou hast a Self that must be denied, subdued. A self that mixes itself with all thy Duties, concerns it self in all thy Businesses, yea, with all thy Graces. (As there is pride with Humility, yea, pride of Humility) Thy sinful self must be mortified, and yet still there remains a Righteous self, (as some Divines call it) that will do thee as much mischief as the other, Our own Righteousness is as great an Enemy to us as our Vnrighteousness, our self Righteousness as dangerous as the other. Paul thought he had gained something by his exact walking in the Profession of a Pharisee, having framed and stablished a Righteousness of his own, but he was fain to lo…e all, deny that Self too, that he might w…n Christ, Phil. 3.4, 9.
A Christian therefore must be a Souldier for he hath in him two contrary Principles, yea, two Armies engaged one against another, (Gal. 5.17,) lying one against another (as the Greek word imports) like two Armies lying intrenched one against the other, or like an Army beleaguering a City. There are fleshly lusts, actings, sti…rings on the one side; spiritual desires, motions tendencies on the other, each side contending for its contrary Obj…cts and Ends. The Current of Natural Corruption runs downward, that of Supernatural grace moves upward. These two contrary streams …, and hence there must needs be an actual Contest; one draws backward, the other forward, hence there must needs be a perpetual Warr.
3. The Devil ha's a quarrel to thee, and Fight thee he will, and Fight him thou must. The first Cry of the New born Babe of Grace (saith a Divine) alarms all the Devils in Hell against him; what then shall he do if he cannot Fight? He must not fly, (unto God indeed he may fly, but from the Devil he may not, must not fly,) nor must he yield, then he must Fight, stand his Ground, resist him stedfastly in the Faith, and so make him fly, … Pet. 5.9, with Jam. 4.7. Thou maiest and oughtest lift up thine eyes to the hills from whence comes thine help, dispatch Faith in Prayer for Auxiliaries from Heaven, but thou must Fight as well as pray, wrestle in prayer, pray and wrastle, and that not with God only (as Gen. 32 24.) but with Satan too, Eph. 6.12. give no place to the Devil, the while, Eph. 4.27. …ate him not an Ace, veer him not an inch of ground, do not yield an hairs breadth, nor a minutes Time, we must ever watch and warr against him as our Adversary, 1 Pet. 5.8. He follows thee from Bed to Board, from Company to thy Retirements, from thy worldly occasions to thy Closet, into thy Garden, Field, Ship, Shop, &c. From thy house to Gods house, and there he stands at thy right hand. He is ever with thee, seeking Occasions against thee. When he seems quiet, seems conquered, then perhaps most to be feared, sometimes he retreats, goes forth, withdraws, but it it is for Advantage, that he may get stronger possession with seven Spirits worse then himself. It may be said of him, as it was of Marcellus the Roman Commander, he was never quiet, nec Victor, nec Victus, neither beaten, nor beating, neither overcome nor overcoming. In Conversion we run away from Satans Colours and Service, whose Slaves we naturally are, and enter into Christs Pay, hence Satan pursues us (if possible) to regain us, and we have no other way to help our selves but by Fighting him. To be well acquainted with his methods, Stratagems, devices, to watch him narrowly, and Fight him stoutly will be thy Interest.
4 The World, one of the Devils Instruments, that he uses in the Warr, he is therefore (in part at least) called the God of this World, the world (I say) that choaks the word, and then undoes the Sinner. Beware of being intangled in the affairs of this life, if thou have taken upon thee Christs Warfare, 2 Tim. 4 4. Rather let thy Warfare especially be against the world and thy being so ensnared by it, He that while he lives in the world hath the world his Constant Enemy, he must necessarily be a Souldier▪ Unto the world we must be weaned, and God oft imbitters the Breasts of worldly comforts, dries them up, yea, crucifies the world to us, makes it as it were dead to us, that we may the more facilely get Victory over it. The world Fight… by presenting present sweet pleasant things to allure to sin and dete… from obedience. Pleasure, profit, Honour, are its baits to allure and draw to sin or disobedience, there be also many fears and discouragements whereby it deters and drives back from the way of obedience, Hence the World fires on both sides; so must we also. Now look upon all these Enemies of our weal, these constant, perpetual, deadly Enemies, and say then if a Christian can be other then a Souldier, and see if all these will not keep him ever in work. The New man hath the Spirit and the word that set in with him, and the Old man hath the Devil and the world to help him, each Party hath its Auxiliaries, Heaven, Earth and Hell are engaged in this Warr, there is great siding and betting on either side, and there must be great Fighting by him that meaneth to win the Day.
And hence what is the Scripture, but the Divine Art of Military-Discipline, or the Art of Divine-Military-Discipline? where God is presented as Soveraign, Christ as General, all that will be Saints are his Followers, alias Souldiers, having given up themselves to him, or listed their Names under him, they are required to march and follow him in the Spiritual Warfare against those forementioned Enemies, there are also directions how to Fight this good Fight, Encouragements to hearten them, threatenings to quicken them, Examples of those whose valour ha's been crowned, and Cowardize punished, the noteable Exploits that have been done by Believers by the strength and grace of their General, these and such like things are the summe of the Scriptures. As in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation, that which is driven at in the Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia, and is the scope of all the Directions, Counsels, Promises, Threatnings that are there set down, or discoveries of the Lords mind there made to them, is to make them good and so v…ctorious Fighters, to put them on Fighting, and so as not to beat the Air, but to overcome their Spiritual Adversaries, as appears by the Common Close of each Epistle, [To him that overcometh] will I do so and so; why truly just so the very same is the scope of all the Scriptures to help us to Fight this good fight, and to finish our Course, that we may have the Crown at last.
This also is the Lords aim in every Sermon we hear, to instruct us in the Theory, and so fit us for the Practice of what may speak us such as the Text and Doctrine speak of. Every Sabbath day is a Training day, wherein we receive Instructions and Directions from the Lord concerning our Duty, our work as Souldiers, and all the week after we are to act over the Lessons which we then learn. Jesus Christ our King, our General, knowing the multitude of Enemies within and about us, gives the same order which David did, 2 Sam. 1.18, viz. that we should be taught the use of the Bow, and instructed how to use our Spiritual Armor Regularly and successfully.
5. The promised presence and Assistance of God with his people in this world, in all their Businesses, Vndertakings, Exigents whatsoever, is delivered in such Metaphors as confirm the Assertion before us. He is with them, but how? as their Shield, Buckler, High-Tower, Fortress, strong-Hold, &c. All which with many such like, intimate and inferr that they are in a Militant warfaring condition in this life, because otherwise there would be no need of those things. The Lord wanted not words to express his Affection to his people by, but he uses these as most significant, because most suitable to their Condition, and so most Intelligible by them, and acceptable to them.
Besides, that the Reward at last is for Overcomers, a Crown to be put upon the Head of Overcom…es, when they come into that Glorious Triumphant state whither the Lord is leading them, Now the great Triumph is at the end of the Warr (though Saints have some beginnings of it now, 2 Cor. 2.14.) the Crown is for the Overcomers, the Overcomers are the Fighters or Souldiers; and therefore all Believers who shall be crowned must also Fight. All that are saved are crowned, all that are crowned do overcome, all that overcome must Fight, Ergó all the Saints that shall be saved must Fight.