AN History of Angels, BEING A Theological TREATISE of our Communion and War with them. Handled on the 6th Chapter of the Ephesians, the 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Verses. By HENRY LAURENCE, a Member of this present PARLIAMENT.  
LONDON; Printed by M. S. and are to be sold by William Nealand in Duck Lane, 1649.   

To my Most dear and Most honoured Mother, THE LADY LAURENCE.  
Most honoured Mother,  
During this busy time, in the which our country (subjected to those calamities, of which by faith we see the catastrophe glorious) hath been the stage of so much action, and the field of so many battles, my lot was cast to be from home, and in this retirement, if I enjoyed not the happiness of his wish, to have otium cum dignitate, leisure with dignity, (for I pretend but to an excuse) yet it was without any just cause of reproach, for the war found me abroad, not sent me thither, and I have been only wary without a just and warrantable reason, to engage myself in that condition, from which a providence seemed to rescue me. But of all the pieces of our life, we are accountable for those of our greatest leisure, whereas public and visible employment gives its own account. It was said of Cato, that he conflicted with manners, as Scipio did with enemies; The conflict with manners, as it is a kind of war, from which no condition will free us, so leisure and retirement is commonly the opportunity of it; for such enemies will find us soon in that condition, as on the other side, we have an advantage by it, to seek out, and improove all the strengths, and aides, that are requisite for our own defence, and the incommodating of our enemies. In this war therefore, to which my leisure more eminently exposed me, and to which also it more fitted & determined me, I was diversely acted, according to the several methods, and occasions of war, by the great General of all his people jesus Christ, sometimes conflicting with the known, otherwhiles pursuing the discoveries of the unknown corruptions of my own heart, and others. I found assuredly, That a man's foes were them of his own household, and that to be delivered from the ill men ourselves, was to be avowed as a rich and high mercy. But as most wars, that have their rise and beginnings at home, and from within, are not determined, and concluded within that circle, but to greaten and assure their party, and prevailing, seek the assistance of foreign aides, or find (at least) their homebred differences and divisions made use of by neighbouring powers, who while they pretend to help their friends, serve themselves, or some third state, to which their proper interests engages and determines them: So did I conceive, that in this spiritual war, there were not wanting aides and assistances from without, that were of mighty influence in the business of our fight, and who by stratagems, and methods, as well as by fine force, contributed exceedingly, not only to the last issue of the war, but to the success almost of every battle. And these, though they were of wonderful moment, yet me thought were generally little considered, but men terminated their thoughts within the compass of themselves, or if they went farther, looked presently, and immediately upon God, (as in every thing it is an easy and vulgar step from the last effect to the highest cause) whereas those hosts of Angels, which on either side more immediately managed and improved this war, as they are spiritual and invisible beings, so they pass with us, unseen, and undiscerned, in a great proportion; and we, who are the subjects of this war, and whose interests are especially concerned in it, by not knowing or considering, can neither improve our most active, and most powerful friends, or enemies, to our advantage. I was guided therefore by such thoughts as these to the ensuing meditations: and as we usually are more sensible of our enemies then our friends, so the first design I had, was to discover what influence the evil Angels have upon us, and our actions, what parts they act, & how they communicate themselves to us, and affect us for ill. But as commonly things have not the same place in the execution, which they have in the design, so I found it necessary in the method of this discourse, to consider first of the Angels in their pure naturals, and then, (as of the most eminent pattern of Angelical power and influence) of the good Angels, and after that, (with the due difference of the abate of power and strength which sin had caused) of the influence, and effects, which the evil Angels have upon mankind, which every one experienceth, though few, enough know it or consider it.  
And because in a subject of this nature, nothing is more easy, then to wander even to the losing of ourselves in the speculative part, I endeavoured to remedy that inconvenience throughout, by certain practical Corollaryes, which might reduce the notional part of the discourse to the use and end intended, and might let us see how much our interest is concerned in the right knowing and improoving these mighty spirits. And lastly, because the Scripture I first pitched my thoughts upon in order to these things, furnished me with proper arms for this holy war, I judged it would be a good access to this discourse (of which also it might constitute a third part) to show those arms, and to give what light I could to the right wearing and using of them.  
For other things I, pretend neither to such a method, or language, or what ever else of that kind, as is wont to beget a reputation with many readers; for besides the vanity of such affectations in a subject especially so serious, these thoughts were formed for a more private use, than their present condition leads them to; nay such things as were but necessary, as a division of this discourse into chapters (of which it was easily capable) a more correct printing, and some other perfectings of a like consideration, have by reason of the business of my own occasion, and a mistake somewhere, been wanting; this I pretend to, to magnify God in those mighty hosts of spiritual substances, which he manageth wonderfully and differently, for the good of his children; to gratify and serve the good Angels, who (if I may judge of others by myself) have been too little considered, in order to them, or ourselves; and to profess, and (as much as in me lies) to assist, to an irreconcilable, and everlasting war, with the greatest and most inveterate enemies of God and man, the devil and his Angels: And last of all (which I mentioned in the beginning) to give one instance, that I have not been idle in these busy times, nor without the thoughts, and designs of war, in an age, when war is become almost the profession of all men. Why I inscribe these papers to you, My dearest Mother, will need no larger account than this; Nature and your own goodness, have formed you ablest, to pardon me in any thing, wherein I shall need it; And of all I have known of either Sex, I have met with few more diligently inquisitive, or pertinently reasoning of things of a raised and abstracted nature, (especially which might have influence into the good of another life) than yourself. To which I add, That I profess to have infinite engagements, to avow myself before all the world  
Most honoured Mother Your most obedient Son & Most Humble servant HENRY LAURENCE.   

A Treatise of our Communion and war with Angels.  Ephes. 6.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18. 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, against powers, against the Rulers of the Darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, etc. 
THE great external cause of all our evils is the Devil, who hath such a kind of relation to our sins, as the holy Spirit hath to our graces, saving that he finds a foundation within us to build upon, matter out of which he extracts his forms, whereas the holy Spirit doth that work as well as the other, and is put to the pain of foundation work as well as building. I call him the external cause in opposition to the working of our own corruptions, which are our own properly, and most of all within us. In other respects he may be said to be the internal cause also, for he mingles himself with our most intimate corruptions, and the Seat of his warfare is the inward man. Now because he hath a greater influence into us then perhaps we consider of, and the knowledge of our enemy is of great concernment to the war we must have with him, I desire a little to inquire into this mighty enemy of God and man, that we may know him, and dread him, so far as to fit us for conflict, and that we may know him and discover him, for he is a perfect juggler, he reigns not much when his tricks are discovered, and that we may know him and resist him, if he shall embolden himself to stand his ground as often he doth.  
The Apostle from the beginning of the 4 Chap. had taught them how they should live in general, first among themselves, then with relation to those that are without, ver. 18. Then he condescends to particular duties of Husbands and Wives, Parents and Children, Masters and Servants, and last of all before he concludes, returns to that which he had mentioned in the 3. Chap. ver. 16. where he begs of God as the most desirable thing in the world, that they might be strengthened according to the riches of his grace in the inner man: here he turns his prayer into an exhortation, wherein he provokes them to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, ver. 10. That is to say, though you have all faith and all knowledge, and work well, yet you must persevere, ye must go on, and you must do it with strength: It is a great matter to come into the lists, but it is great to run also, and to fight when you are there, for you shall meet with those that shall oppose you and conflict with you, therefore be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, that is with the Lord by his Spirit, which is his mighty Agent shall work in your hearts; Be not strong in your own strength, in your own purposes, in the freedom of your own wills, so was Peter, who got nothing by it, but in the Lord, his Spirit can strengthen, can raise, can confirm you.  
Ver. 11. Put you on the whole Armour of God; God is able to preserve you, but he will do it by your fight, and your Armour must be suitable to the hand that wields it, which is the Spirit of God in you, and the enemy it conflicts with, which is the Devil: Again, it must be the whole Armour, if you want any one piece, that place will be exposed to danger, also, All, for offence, and defence, that you may save yourself by destroying your enemy, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil, that is, that ye may hold your ground though you should receive wounds, and thrusts yet that you may not give way, as ver. 13. that ye may withstand in the evil day; The day of temptation is an evil day, a day of trouble, a day of trial, and often in respect of the event, evil, therefore deliver us from evil: And having done all to stand, that is, if you do all in this fight God commands you, and omit nothing, by the virtue of God, you will stand, but there is no dallying with such an enemy, your standing must be a fruit and result of doing all.  
The wiles of the Devil; the word is Methods, that is, the devil like a cunning fencer hath his faints, knows how to take his advantages, and like a great commander hath his stratagems, by which he doth as much as by fine force, and these are well laid, there is a Method in them to make the work the surer, one thing depends upon another, and all contribute to make the result firm.  
For we wrestle, that is, de conflictu, est sermo, non de ludo, we speak of conflicts, not of play, or sport; not against Flesh and Blood, that is, that which we have only in our eye is flesh and blood, wicked men that wounds us and persecute us, where note, that God calls all wicked men, all the enemies of his Church, but flesh and blood; now they are the most perishable things when God will blow upon them, for all flesh is grass; though the enemies be never so great and mighty, they are but as grass and stubble.  
Or secondly flesh and blood, by which may be understood your carnal lusts, the concupiscence of the flesh, and the boiling and ebullition of the blood to anger, and all passions, it is not so much, or it is not especially against these you wrestle, but rather against him that acts them, and makes use of them to your ruin and dis-advantage, which is the devil, and this he may perhaps speak against the opinion of the Heathen, who understood not the operation of the devil, but thought all our conflicts was against internal passions.  
But against Principalities, he seems to describe the devils here which are our enemies, first from the principality of their nature, by which the eminency and raisednes of their nature in respect of this visible world is set forth, that as the state of Princes differ eminently from other men, so the nature of devils, as Princes, excels the nature of men and of all visible things.  
Against Powers; he calls them Powers simply without any addition to show the eminency of their power, aswell as of their natures, that as they have a nature, far above flesh and blood, fitted for great things, so they have a power suitable and fitted to act this nature, as may be seen by their effects, both upon us and upon the world, though we are not so to judge of their power as the Manichees, who feigned two supreme powers a good and a bad; which conflicted perpetually each with other, for their power falls as far below Gods, as it is above us, and infinitely more.  
Against the Rulers of the darkness of this world: here the Devils are described from the universal dominion they have in this world; they are called the Rulers of the darkness of this world, to show what the Devil is conversant about, all his work is to bring in darkness, and to show principally the seat of his Empire: He is not the ruler of the world, that is God's Territory, but of the darkness of this world, the children of darkness; though he ceaseth not to interpose, and excercise rule, even over the children of light, and within the Saints, so far as darkness possesseth them. It is also called the darkness of this world, to show the term of his Empire; it is but in this life, in another himself shallbe subject to darkness, and eternal torments.  
Against spiritual wickedness in high places: Beza translates it spiritual malices, the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the spirituallnes of evil and wickedness, carnal wickednesses are inferior to spiritual wickednesses, which occupieth the highest part of the soul, which possesses the understanding more, and are not laid out in carnal passions, and concupiscences, so as the Devil hath a most excelling malice. He lays out himself in the excercise of, and provoking us to the most spiritual wickednesses, though he is in the other also, and labours to make even carnal sins as much spiritual as is possible, by causing them to be acted against light, and against love and engagements.  
In high places; the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Beza translates it, in sublimi, on high, that is, in high places; your enemy hath the advantage ground, he is on high, he hath gained the hill, he is in the air, how mighty an advantage this is in a combat you know, but it signifies in Heavenly, as in the margin of your books, which may have relation aswell to things as places, and then it shows the things about which his malicious studies are conversant, that is to take all heavenly things from us, and to deprive us of what ever is heavenly. And now what say you to your Antagonist, here is a dreadful enemy form already, you have heard fables of Giants, here is a Giant indeed, great in subtlety, excellent in nature, mighty in power, large in dominion, above all, eminent in ill and malice; we are apt to fear only, what we see, but invisible things are the best and worst, they are the greatest, as our original sin which we see not but by its effects; and this great invisible prince that casts so many darts at us, the blows of which we feel, but consider not the hand that gives them, whence comes all our mischief: I would set out this enemy a little in his own colours, that we may know him, and know how to deal with him, we shall surely find him as black as we can paint him, the ignorance of our evils may cover them, but not relieve them; let us know him, and we shall know how to deal with him, there is strength and might in jesus Christ, God hath but raised him up as Pharaoh to make his power known upon him, we have weapons can reach him, and an arm strong enough, but we must arm ourselves, but we must use it, we shall overcome, but we must fight. Put on therefore a firm courage, for before all be done your enemy will appear extremely black, and dreadful, and yet to comfort you, greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  
Now for a more perfect knowledge of this great enemy, we will launch a little into that common place, of the nature of Angels, yet keeping near the Scripture and not departing from our assured rule, the word of God, nor intending so large a compass of discourse as the thing will bear, though the knowledge of it is of very great use in many respects, but so far forth as it may afford a full light, to the discourse we have undertaken.  
And first, how excellent soever their nature is, that they are creatures, there is no question, though Aristotle will needs have them eternal substances, a thing altogether derogatory to God, who only is eternal, and therefore as the first cause, must needs be the former and maker of all other things: It is true that Moses doth not particularly describe their creation, accommodating himself to the rudeness, and ignorance of that time, in which he writ, and therefore particularizes only in visible things.  
But that they were created we have clear scripture for it, Coloss. 1.16. For by him were all things created, whether in heaven or earth, visible or invisible, whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities, or powers, all things were created by him and for him: We shall not insist here upon the particular titles, but you see here creation of things in heaven, aswell as in earth, and invisible, aswell as visible, so Psal. 148.5. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. What was created? all that he had named before, the heavens and the Angels. He begins with the first and most eminent pieces of creation: If you ask when they were created? certainly not before the created matter of the visible world, for Moses saith, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth; if they had been therefore created before, there should have been a beginning of time, and working before that; besides it's said God wrought all his works in six days, and rested the seaventh. If you ask what day they were created? in all likelihood, the first day with the supreme heaven, in respect of the similitude of their nature; they give also another reason Job. 38.7. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, because they seem there to applaud God in the works of his creation: vizt, when the highest heavens and first matter was created, out of which other things was form.  
2. These excellent creatures are true substances, and do really exist, contrary to the opinion of the Saducees, that denied Angels and Spirits, that is, that thought by the name of Angels was meant nothing but good or ill inspirations, or motions, or else the wonders and apparitions which were wrought by God; but nothing is more absurd than this for.  
First they were created, therefore they were substances and not accidents in another subject.  
2. They are endowed with understanding and will, by virtue of which they were capable of sinning, and departing from the truth, of obeying, or standing out against God.  
3. From their office they appear before God, they serve God, we are commanded to make them our Patterns, they come to us, admonish us of God's will, they teach, protect and comfort us.  
4. From their apparitions and services, they appeared often to the Fathers, they wrestled with jacob, eat with Abraham, carry the elect into Abraham's bosom, they gather the dead at the day of judgement, and we shallbe like the Angels; also Christ was said not to take upon him the nature of Angels, and Paul chargeth Timothy before Christ and the elect Angels, and Christ is said to have a name given him above the Angels: Lastly to give a ground out of Philosophy, Aristotle saith that to the perfection of the world it is necessary that there should be three sorts of substances, invisible, visible, and partly invisible and partly visible, as if he had hit (as indeed he did) on God's creation: The second are the heavens and elements, and compositions out of them, the last are Men, which have an invisible soul, and a visible body, and hold the middle, the first therefore must be the Angels: If you ask as an appendix to this, whether the Angels have bodies, or are altogether incorporal, it is a question controverted between the Philosophers, the Schoolmen, and the Fathers; the Platoniste would have them have bodies, to which many of the Fathers adhere; Aristotle and the Schoolmen would have them altogether incorporal, the reasons on both sides are not unworthy considering, if one would amuse themselves in that, out of which the Scripture gives no issue, I will not trouble you with it, only this, its safe to say, that they are not essences so simple as they are altogether uncapable of composition, it is only proper to God to have his being and essence or substance the same; Angels are mutable, they consist of an act which they are, and of a power into which they may be reduced, it is one thing in them to be simply, and another thing to be endued with understanding and will, to be and to be good, to be and to be wise, God only is I am, uncapable of any change, as of any composition; To say God were an Angel, were a derogation, as to say he were a body, unless you should mean by a body, a substance, as Tertullian did, and so called God a body, that is, a substance: But if they have any such composition, as may be called a body, it is certainly of the greatest fineness and subtlety a spiritual body, and therefore not like to be of that grossness that either the air is, or those heavens that are framed out of the Chaos, but nearer the substance of the highest heavens, which seem to have been made at the same time: To conclude, it will be safe to say that in comparison of God they are bodies, in comparison of us they are pure and mighty Spirits. From this that hath been said in general, of the nature of Angels, consider by way of corrollary.  
First in that these blessed substances are creatures brought with you by God, out of the same womb of nothing, and raised from that lowness to the height and dignity they possess, how great then is that God that can make and form such beings from nothing. We praise workmen that with all accommodations of instruments and matter can produce something worth the looking on, but nothing and something are all alike to God; Also he can make of one lump a vessel of honour, as easily as of dishonour, if the workman be to be esteemed by the work; consider these mighty pieces, and who made them, break into an admiration and blessing of God, as David did Psal. 104.1. Bless the Lord, O my soul, O Lord my God thou art very great, clothed with honour and Majesty, why he was able to form and create those mighty things and among them the Angels, ver. 4. Who maketh his Angel's spirits, his Ministers a flame of fire, where (by the way) he gives you their nature and office, for their nature they are spirits raised and excellent, for that office, they are ministers.  
2. But secondly if God created them, then fear them not he hath a hand over them still, he that bounds the sea, will bond the devils, They are reserved in chains, as well to their effects, as to their punishments, they cannot break loose nor get beyond their Tedder: On the other side there are good ones amongst them, which shallbe ordered to your advantage by this maker and creator of them, who minds us as well as them, and minds them for us, of which we have a good pledge in jesus Christ, Who took not on him the nature of Angels, but took on him the seed of Abraham, our nature and surely all creatures shall subserve to that composition of which God is a part.  
3. If God created the Angels, fear no lowness, God can raise you high enough in a minute, can you imagine almost greater terms of distance, then from nothing to an Angel, we suffer many gradual changes in our bodies and souls, but God can raise us in a moment, if he please, to the highest pitches of grace, or comfort, and prosperity.  
4. How great is that love to piece up with much care, and pains such vessels as we are, who could in a moment cast new ones of a better form, and fill his house with Angels; but he loves our tribe, and hath condescended to us, and done more for us then for the Angels.  
5. You see reason to consider of the Angels not as inspirations, motions, fancies, or phantasms, but as of real substances, and existences, mighty spirits, that in the frame of the world and order of nature come nearest God, and possess the next place to him, for so they are, and as such are the immediate instruments of God, which have ever had much to do with the sons of men, though sometimes in apparitions more suitable to our nature, sometimes in a more spiritual converse, more agreeable to their own nature, but ever they have been beingh that have had and still have, a great part to play, and therefore as the good Angels are of more use than we consider, so the evil (which is to our purpose especially) are most powerful and malignant substances, far above the capacity of flesh and blood, carrying themselves rather as Princes and Powers, and Dominions, and being acted with the greatest malice, are always watching, always tempting, always observing, ever (if we look not to it) ruining and destroying us, warring with weapons suitable to our complexions and lusts, betraying simple souls with their methods and wiles, so as without a great power of God, we shall not be able to escape them: The not considering of this enemy gives him a mighty advantage, we hope in some measure to unmask him.  
We have considered two things already concerning the nature of Angels in general, first that they are creatures, secondly that they are substances and have made use of both: We shall now consider their mutability, or immutability.  
And first we say that as it is peculiar to God only to be without beginning, so it belongs to God only to be without change, or shadow of change, and that the Angels as creatures are reduceable to nothing, by the same hand that made them, so as though there be no passive principle in them, by which they may be called corruptible, or mortal, yet in respect of an active power of God, upon which their being and life depends, they may be called corruptible, and mortal, because as it is in the power of the Creator that things are, so it is in the power of the Creator that they may not be, yea so much they are in God's hands, though the best pieces of nature, that if he do but withdraw his hand, they all moulder to nothing, there need no great activity be put forth, a mere ceasing to uphold them is sufficient to destroy them; but yet when ye speak of changeable or corruptible, it must be understood of the next and intrinsical cause, and not of the remote and outward cause, as men are not called the children of the Sun, though Sol & homo generat hominem, but of their parents, so as the Angels may properly be called incorruptible and immortal, because they are so by nature; I speak not now of the changeableness of their wills, but of their nature and substance, the reasons are.  
First because the Angels are not produced out of the power of any matter as corporal substances, and the souls of beasts, but are produced only by the word of God, and therefore as they have no internal principle of being, so have they none of dissolution, for there is the same reason of being, and not being.  
Secondly Angelical natures as the souls also of men, are not compounded of matter & form, but are simple forms and substances, subsisting by themselves; now all corruption, mortality, and death is by the separation of the form from the matter, as when the soul is separated from the body, which is corruption, or death, or when the accidental form is separated from the subject, as white from the wall, or health from the man, now what ever wants matter is incorruptible, because there is no composition, and so no separation; but the Scripture concludes this best in assimulating the state of immortality in which we shall be to the Angels; This is the third consideration we make of the nature of Angels, that they are immutable.  
Fourthly we will consider of the apparitions of Angels, of which we hear so frequent mention in the Scriptures, and the consideration whereof will prove so proper to our purpose.  
One manner of their appearings hath been in dreams, another in visions, the third in assumption of bodies, and that either of bodies form of nothing, or of pre-existant matter them form, or possessing and acting natural bodies already made.  
Some have thought, there hath been no assumption of bodies, but only an appearance to the fancy and imagination; but that must needs be otherwise, for what ever is a substance which is not a body, nor hath a body naturally united, and yet is sometime seen with a bodily sight or vision must needs take up a body, and further this was not an imaginary and fantastical apparition, because such an imagination is not seen by the senses without, but by the fancy within.  
2. An imaginative sight being only within in the imagination consequently appears to him only, which so sees it, but that which is seen by the eyes, because it exists without and not within the mind, may be seen also of all others such apparitions, were of the Angels that appeared to Abraham, to Lott, and to the men of Sodom, who were seen by them, and indifferently by all.  

Obj.  But if you object to what end was this assumption of bodies, since the power of the Angels exceeds all bodily might (and this will not be unuseful to consider since it makes way to show to what end they appear and what they have done, and can do for us and upon us, both the good and bad.)  

Ans.  The Angels assumed bodies for the manifesting themselves, not for the doing of their work; but that they might familiarly speak with men, without their terror and dread. Aquinas gives other reasons, that they might manifest the intelligible society and converse which men expect with them in another life; And in the old Testament that it was a certain figurative declaration, that the word of God should take humane flesh, for all apparitions in the old Testament were in order to that apparition of the son of God in the flesh: If you ask me what kind of bodies they took, and whether they were true men or no, in taking humane shapes? Answ. First though they appeared in a humane shape, they were not true men, as Christ was a true man, because he was personally and hypostatically united; but bodies were not united to the Angels, as to their form, as the body is to the soul which is its form, nor was the humane nature body and soul, united to the person of any Angel, but they took bodies to them as garments which they took up, and laid down upon occasion.  
If you ask of what those bodies consisted? It is like ordinarily of some of the Elements, as of the air. And if you object that the air is improper to take figure or colour, because it is so thin and transparent? The answer is, that although the air remaining in its rarity doth not retain figure or colour, yet when it is condenced and thickened, it will do both as appears in the clouds. Another way of appearing was in possessing some natural body, so the devil entered into the serpent, and an Angel spoke in balam's Ass; so you read often of men possessed with evil Angels, the men spoke not, but the devil in them, the like may be said often of the good.  
Now if any shall ask what becomes of those bodies? 
Qu.  The answer is, 
Ans.  if they be created of nothing, they are reduced into nothing, by the power of God; But if they be form of pre-existent matter, the work being done for which they were taken up, they are resolved again into their Elements, or Principles, but if the bodies were natural, real and existent before, they were left so again, by the departing of the Angels, so was balam's ass and many bodies possessed by the devils cast out by Christ.  
Another consideration is whether the Angels having assumed those bodies, did put forth acts of life, whether they spoke and sung, or eat and drunk, as they seemed to do; this is handled with much controversy, but it is certain they did what they seemed to do, as appears by the plain direct story of Moses concerning the Angels, that appeared to Abraham, and others, and this is assured that what ever the Angels appeared to have, or do, that they had, & did, for they never deceived your senses, their colour, their shape, their eating, their drinking, their speaking was what it seemed to be, for the senses are not deceived about their objects, if the distance be proportionable, and they no way distempered, for if the senses are ordinarily capable of being deceived, than you may question any thing, subjected to sense, as whether the snow be whit, etc. Now all this they did, not by virtue of an internal form, but an Angelical power, quickening and moving the body they acted; and it is observable, that when the Angels would hide their natures, that they might converse more familiarly with men, they would eat, and drink, and speak; But when they would be acknowledged for Angels, than they denied to eat meat, as judges 6. in the story of Gedion, and of Samson, judges 13. If you ask what became of the meat they eat, for their assumed bodies needed no nourishment? I would ask you what became of their bodies, their meat aswell as their bodies was reduced into nothing, or the pre-existent Elements, of which they consisted, as that which Christ eat after his resurrection.  

Qu.  There is one question more in this subject, with which I will end, and that is; Why the Angels make not their operations now, as formerly they have done?  

Ans.  The heathen who were ignorant of the ways of God, ascribe this to the sins of men, that God being now displeased with them, hath no more mind to converse with them; But the reason is quite otherwise, because as God would be worshipped in spirit and truth, so he would have us walk in the spirit, and converse more with the spirit then formerly, and Christ being now in the flesh, and in heaven, he would have us live, by the faith of him, and a greater measure of the spirit being now given, he would have us converse with the spirit, and these spirits, in a more invisible way: As also the Church being now confirmed by God, needs not those visible, and sensible confirmations, as formerly, which is the reason also of the ceasing of miracles, they were appropriated to the laying of fondations, both of the law and the Gospel, we walk now in the virtue of these apparitions, which were of old and in the power of these miracles, and besides we have faith enableing us to converse with the Angels in a way more spiritual: So much for the apparition of Angels.  
First from the immutability of the Angels, 
Coral.  you see the reason of their endurance, nothing can destroy them, but God immediately, and God will not, the same reason is for the souls of men, for they as the Angels are not produced out of matter, are not compounded of matter and form, but are pure substances, created and infused by God immediately, and so not subject to corruption: And for glorified bodies, when they shall have put on a celestial form, this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, this passive principle by which they are corruptible shallbe destroyed, they will then be in the same condition of the Angels, uncapable of fadeing or alteration.  
From the apparition of Angels, see the care that God hath had of his Church in all times, He hath not left himself without witness to the world, in that he gave them rain and fruitful seasons, nor to his people, for he hath given them the apparitions of Angels and invisible substances.  
Secondly, learn the dignity of saints that have had the Angels to be their ministers, and so far as to humble and debase themselves to take up shapes, that were not their own, Heb. 1.14. Are they not all ministering spirits, etc.  
Thirdly, consider the meanness of man's nature in respect of the Angelical, we cannot bear apparitions scarce in our own shape, but out of it in any higher we are confounded.  
Fourthly, see the blessedness of our conditions, we shall be as the Angels, as little depending on Elements and outward things, the more we can frame ourselves to this independency of living now, the more raised we are, it is good to have our happiness in few things, and to be easily able to quit the rest.  
Fiftly, admire not bodily beauty, you see an Angel which is a creature, but one degree above us can frame beautiful shapes, which shall be acted and moved and within a while comes to nothing, and this beauty of our bodies, this Elementary beauty, this mixture of whit and red, is almost as perishing, a little blast of sickness, a little undue commotion of the humours renders it also nothing.  
Sixtly, see the great love of the son of God in his apparition, who though above Angels, as being their creator, Coll. 1.16. Though he were God blessed for ever, yet did not abhor our nature, but as he took our nature and not that of the Angels, so he took it up indeed, not in show, as the Angels who troubled not themselves, with the heaviness, indisposition, and vildness of our bodies, but Christ so took our nature, as he subjected himself to all our natural infirmities, and to have as we, a vild body.  
Seaventhly, by the frequency of the former apparitions of the Angels, you may know they are not idle now, although we living by faith have not such a visible converse with them as formerly, but as miracles are ceased, so are their appearings seized, but not their workings though their converse be not so sensible, yet it is as real: But of that in another place.  
So as the fifth thing will be to consider about the administrations of Angels to us, and the deputations they have from God concerning us.  
And first, we must know that the doctrine of the Angel Guardians hath been exceeding ancient, not only amongst the Christians, but the heathens also, who drew much of their knowledge from the Scripture, and they thought that every man had his Angel, which was his Genius, hence are those phrases, Invitâ Mineruâ, & contra genui facere, that when their Angel or Genius inspired them one way, they would do acts notwithstanding contrary to such inspirations, and to their Genius.  
Secondly, some, not only Philosophers, but Christians have thought that every man good and bad, was under the guidance of a good Angel, which to the reprobate was an aggravation of their sins, but it is clear that the tutelage of the good Angels, belongs only to the elect for so it is, Heb. 1.14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation? Exclusively, that is, to them and no others. Else he would not have made it a privilege, and prerogative to the saints, but given it in common rather amongst men. So Psal. 91.11. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, but to whom? ver. 9 those which make the Lord their refuge, so that it is clear, for them and for no others.  
And it doth not hinder, that this was spoken immediately to Christ, for so are all the promises which concern the elect, they are made, and made good first to Christ, and from him as a head they descend to his members.  
A third consideration will be, whether every elect person hath a particular Angel deputed for him, or whether all indifferently serve all: Not to trouble you with the dispute, some incline rather to the negative, because they think it is a derogation to the goodness of God to his people, who gives them the heavenly host amongst them and to them all, for their use and protection, but neither doth this satisfy me, nor their answer to the places alleged, for the former opinion, but before we proceed further I affirm:  
That it is probable that every elect hath his proper and peculiar Angel deputed as his keeper and companion, yet so as extraordinarily many may be sent to his aid, for proof of this Math. 18.10. Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones, for in heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Wherein seems to beheld out plainly the particular guardian-ship of Angels, for he saith, their Angels, that is, their particular Angels, else he might have said the Angels, which are not only their Angels, but the Angels of all the elect with them, so as he seems to have meant their particular Angels which were deputed to them as tutors and keepers, which because it was a thing so honourable to them, they ought not to be despised; the Ancients were of this opinion; and therefore Jerome says upon this place; It is a great dignity of souls that every one from his nativity hath an Angel delegated for his keeper. Also Acts 12.15. when the company with one accord affirmed that it was Peter's Angel, that knocked, as a thing notorious amongst them that men had their particular Angel guardians; And from this opinion amongst the jews arose that received and common opinion among the heathen, that every one had his Angel or Genius: Now no man affirms or need affirm that upon occasion there are not more than one deputed to the service of an elect man (which may satisfy them of the other opinion) for many Angels carried Lazarus into Abraham's bosom, and the Angel of God rejoice over one sinner that reputes: Besides more Angels than one brought Lott out of Sodom. As for the answer out of that place of Peter, that it might be one of his Angels, that looks like an evasion, nor seems it any derogation, but an honour to the saints to have their particular Angels, so as we do not limit them to one, in all cases; About this there are some other questions moved; As when this Angel Guardian begins his charge, whether when the child is borne, or baptised, or afterwards. There is no reason why the beginning should depend upon Baptism or any ordinance; for the other if one would argue it there might be more question, I should rather think that the Angels begins the execution of his charge, assoon as the soul is infused, for though the child be a part of the mother, yet it hath a distinct being of his own, and is a person consisting of soul and body: Again some consider whether the Angel keepers do ever leave men or no with whose Guardianship they are be trusted? Certainly never totally, for as our adversary the devil goes about seeking whom he may destroy, so our Angels intent their work, of preserving and keeping with all diligence; But as God leaves us that affliction or sin may follow: So may the Angels of God also, which are his messengers and ministers, they may withdraw for a time of affliction and the like, and return again for our advantage: for the keeping of the Angels is nothing else, but a certain execution of Divine providence concerning us; Now God never leaves us, therefore not the Angels, But they are often with us as Physicians are with those who have filthy ulcers, they stop their noses, & administer the medicine, so do they, our vanity & sins extremely offend them, as it doth God, yet their obedience to God and Love to us, keeps them steadily to us, though in our ill ways, we are no ways pleasant to them, but They shall always bear us in their arms, as Psal. 91. that no evil befall us.  

Qu.  The next Question as an Appendix of this is, whether Provinces, or Communities have their Angel Guardians or no: It is very probable they have, as men their particular guardians, and yet the concurrence and assistance of more as they need, that place of the 10. of Daniel is famous where mention is made of the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia, and of the Prince of Grecia, and of Michael their Prince ver. 20.21. and ver. 13. The Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood him, but Michael their Prince came to help him: Upon this place so clear Jerome, and all expositors agree, that there are Angels deputed to the care and protection of Provinces & Countries, some other places are brought, but this clear one shall suffice; The same reason also might be given for Churches which are Communities very dear unto God; The fathers were of that mind, and many bring those places of the Revelation to the Angel of particular Churches, as of Ephesus, etc. which they understood of the Angel Guardian; I will not dispute that, but that place of 1. Cor. 11.10. might me thinks as probably be urged, where the women were to have power over their Heads, because of the Angels, in which place certainly the Angels, not the Ministers, are meant. And me thinks it is pro ratio or an argument rather from the lesser to the greater, God doth take care for oxen, saith Paul, then much more for Ministers; So doth God give such honour to Provinces, then much more to Churches, which are Communities much dearer to him, but I shall not enlarge this now particularly.  
We will now speak of the reasons, why God useth this ministry of Angels towards us.  
If you ask in general why God useth the ministry of Angels? 
Qu.  It is for his own glory, he hath creatures about him fit for his service, Dan. 7.10. there is a brave Court, Thousand, Thousands minister unto him, and ten thousand times, ten thousand stand before him.  
But if you ask, 
Qu.  why God useth this Ministration and Guardianship of Angels, towards us?  
He doth it first to preserve that Eutaxy that good order, 
Ans. 1.  which he hath put into things, as thicker bodies, and more inferior are managed by more subtle and powerful; So the Bodies of the Beasts by a spirit of life, and irrational spirits by rational, as Men govern Beasts, so by the same reason of proportion, the Angels which are invisible spirits, and are all spirits, have an influence upon men, which are partly spirits and partly bodies. Thus the Fathers, all visible things are moderatedly invisible, which what can it be else under God, say they, but the Angels and spirits of just men, because things must be governed by that which is higher and purer than itself; So that as God in respect of the earth and fruits of it, places the Heavens next him, I will hear the Heavens; So in this sub-ordination, Angels comes next to have an influence upon rational creatures.  

2.  Secondly, God doth it for our very great comfort and consolation, what a happiness is it that a hair of our heads cannot fall to the ground without God's notice, that they are all numbered, that God knows and minds all our ways; but now when God shall raise up such powers for us, when we see the chariots and horses, this adds to our courage and assurance as it did to Jacob's, God hath said he will never leave us, nor forsake us: But when we see corn and wine, when we see him compassing us about with means suitable to our necessities, this confirms us, as being a help proportionable to our need, we see our good and our desires, not only in the remote cause, but in the next and immediate. God hath form the Angels, for the effecting many great works about us and upon us, though we little consider it; now when we see mighty creatures, fitted for those services, we ought to have strong consolation, but the Angels are framed ministering spirits, Heb. 1.14. God indeed doth all things, yet he speaks by men, and teacheth also by his spirit, & there is a form above men, Angels, which he useth also, they bear us in their arms, and pitch their tents about us, and do much for us.  

3.  Thirdly God useth the Angels for their good and honour, whom he vonchsafeth to use as fellow-workemen with himself and his son; this was Paul's honour that he wrought together with God; Now the Angels which are dear to God are used in great employments, as God is wont to serve himself of those he loves to some employment or other.  

4.  Fourthly that there may a love and acquaintance grow between us and the Angels, with whom we must live for ever, and whom we must be like: Now love grows by mutual offices, as is seen in the love of mothers to their children, which increase by fostering and tending on them.  
It's good to be a Saint, 
Corol.  that ye may have the tutelage of Angels, This honour have all the saints, and none but they.  
The wicked have no Angels to look to them, to take care of them particularly, though they may fall perhaps under some general charge and care, as they do also of God, that they may be preserved to their condition. God takes care of them so far, and so may the Angels, but they are properly Guardians and ministering spirits to the saints, they are particularly ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation.  
It's good to be a Church for the same reason, there being to Churches a superadded deputation to that of Saints, for to Churches also Angels seem to be destined, to which purpose that place mentioned before is not inconsiderable, 1 Cor. 11.10. because of the Angels, on which place Peter Martyr says, we ought to think that they have a care of our Churches aswell as of the jews, for says he, it is said Dan. 12. that Michael the Prince stood for the children of Israel, and that this place is meant of the Angels and not of the Ministers, you have also the authority of Calvin, who observes the word Angel is never appropriated to Ministers, without some addition, as to the Angel of Ephesus, etc. besides  
There would have been more reason to have said, that the women should have had power of their heads in respect of their husbands, or the whole congregation, than the Ministers only, and to improove this further, let this consideration work upon you, lest the Angels be provoked to withdraw, as I told you they would, this is common to Churches and Christians both, for as the holy Angels rejoice at the conversion of a sinner, and in our right order, so they are offended and chastise according to their commission given them from God, when we do otherwise.  
Thirdly that since the happiness of these blessed Angels lies in working as it doth, for it was given as one reason of their charge, that they might work with him, so ours also, and though the services we are employed in may seem much below us, yet if they be Gods, and in reference to that order he sets in the world and much more, if they be in order to the saints and their good and advancement, then be not ashamed of the services which Angels perform, and be not weary of working which is the best improvement of the holy Angels.  
Fourthly let us so walk both as Christians and members of Churches, that the Angels may discharge themselves of their work with joy and not with grief, for that will be unprofitable for us.  
Thus you see in general their charge you are fairly weited on, you have particular Angel Guardians, and in case of need you may have whole legions.  
Next we will come to consider of their power over our bodies and minds, where it will be requisite to consider first of the knowledge they have of things, after of the excercise of their power, and then proceed to the evil workings of the evil Angels, which is that principally intended.  
We have already made this corrolary, that we should so walk as the Angels might discharge themselves with joy at the last day; But that which seems to be the proper use of the foregoeing point, is, that we should lead here Angelical lives, if the Angels guard us and accompany us, we should savour of their converse: Men are known by their company, they are not idle attendants, such as great men have for a parade and a show, nor is their special influence upon our outward man, as we shall show hereafter, me thinks we should not keep such company in vain, but should savour of a spiritual abstracted communion, that as they took bodies to themselves in their apparitions, not for any pleasure they had in them, but for our need; so we should use outward and bodily things for the needs of the bodies, and should please our spirits and the good Angels with whom we converse, and who are about us, by gaining ground, as much of the flesh and corruption as is possible, and bring the body as near as may be into a spiritual frame by possessing it in sanctification and honour, and by making it serviceable to our mind, using it, and not being used and commanded by it; This will gratify the good Angels which the Scripture expects at our hands, 1. Cor. 11.10. But this only by way of addition to what was said before.  
That we have next to speak of, is the power of the Angels, then, how it is exercised and put forth towards us.  
And because a great piece of their ability lies in their knowledge, we will consider that:  
That they are endued with an excellent knowledge, as being the highest of all intellectual creatures, is without all question, and will appear in considering what their knowledge is.  
And first Austen and the schoolmen, which follow him, give unto the Angels a knowledge which they call Cognitio matutina & vespertina, a morning and evening knowledge, or a day or a night knowledge.  
They call that the morning knowledge, which respects the things in its cause, and that the evening knowledge which respects the things in its effects, the one is a clear knowledge, the other obscure.  
So as the morning or clear knowledge is, that by which the Angels see all things in the ward, that is in the sun by whom they were created; The evening or dark knowledge, is that by which they see the same things in themselves or in their own natures.  
As the knowledge of a line or circle, by a Mathematicus description, is a right knowledge in the beauty and proportion of it, but the knowledge of it as made in the dust, is to know it with many imperfections.  
But the knowledge of the Angels may be distinguished either into a natural knowledge, of which in a great measure the good and ill were partakers, for so it is said, that some stood in the truth, and others fell from the truth, Joh. 8.44. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth. Therefore there was a truth and knowledge which some adhered to and some not.  
The second is by revelation, so to the Angel in Daniel was revealed the mystery of the 70 weeks, so the Angel revealed to john the things he knew not before, and of such things are they the messengers to the sons of men.  
A third is by experience, so they see the manifold wisdom of God in the Church, and this is of great use to the good, and evil Angels, for the same way men have to grow wise they have also.  
A fourth is a supernatural knowledge, with which the elect Angels were endued, not in the creation, for than it would have been a natural knowledge, but afterwards: And this answers a great objection, why some Angels stood and some fell, when as they all saw God; and, I have formerly in another discourse affirmed, that when we shall see God face to face, it will be impossible to sin, or to turn away from that vision. The truth is, the reprobate Angels never saw God, as the elect did, for the will of the good Angels would never have been firmer, if their understanding had not been other wise enlightened, for it is the light of the understanding that hath the great influence upon the will, as we see, so we effect and move. Now of the elect Angels it is said, that they always behold the face of the Father, which of the reprobate is not said; now ye know what it is to see God face to face, that is, to see him evidently, clearly, as he is to be seen, without a straitened and modificated vision, which is the great happiness of men: You see now what kind of knowledge the Angels have, the last of which, namely supernatural, was peculiar to the elect Angels, and stood them in such stead as it kept them from falling away, when others fell to their own perdition.  
If you ask me how, or in what manner the Angels know? We must consider, how we ourselves know, we know a thing as we see it, for the eye of the body hath a kind of resemblance to the eye of the mind, now to seeing there is required first a power of seeing in the eye. Secondly a light through which we see, if the eye be blind, or there be a hurt or wound in it, that there be not a faculty of seeing, you see not though you have light, and there must be light aswell as an eye, or you see not neither. Thirdly the species or image of the thing you see, this altogether makes vision; So in the understanding there is in like manner the power of the understanding, by which we are made able to judge, than a light by which the mind is enlightened to perceive its object, and then the species or image of the thing, out of the understanding, by which the thing is made present to the understanding. The two first are common to us with the Angels, to wit, the power of knowing, and the light by which we know, they know more, but the way is the same. The question is only of the last whether they understand as we, by species or images received from things or otherwise; It is certain they know not all things by their own essence, as God doth, for God contains all things in himself, and is himself the likeness and copy of all other things, and therefore knowing himself as he doth most perfectly, he knows every thing, else of which he is the copy: Somethings they know by their own essence, as the eye sees the light by itself, not by any image of it; so the Angels know themselves, by their own essence, but of things without them, they know them by species, and representations not which they take of from the things, but such as are put into them, by God; We take of the image of God first by our outward senses, as the eye takes of the image, of what ever it sees, then by our fancy, and lastly we form a kind of intelligible species suitable and proportionable to the things we would know: But the Angels, which have not either outward or inward senses, have not this way of knowing things, and therefore know them by species put into them by God.  
One thing more is considerable, that is, whether the Angels know by reasoning and dividing and compounding as we know, by drawing consequences, from principles already acknowledged.  
It is certain they apprehend things quickly, as appears by the comparison of a learned and wise man, with one who is not; give a wise man any ground or principle, he will make out of that many conclusions: So in matters of numbering and account; an accountant will tell you that in a quarter of an hour, that another would be a day about. And though they do know things by the effects, and by reasoning, yet it is with that quickness and certainty, that our greatest understanding is darkness to it.  
Another question is whether the Angels know particular things, and what ever is done here?  
First, it is granted that they know one another so as there is no Angel in heaven, which is not known by his fellow; Without which they would not enjoy one another, and so not be less happy: Even as we shall know the enumerable company of Angels, and the spirits of just men, nor is there any Devil in the air, or seas, or under the earth, which the good Angels know not, for how could they else resist them, on our behalf.  
Secondly, it must needs be granted that the good Angels know not only the several kinds and species of things, the humane nature, and all the kinds of creatures in heaven, and earth, and sea, with their properties and natures perfectly and exactly, (for men in a great part know these things, how much more powers so much superior) but also they know particular things, that as God knows all things by one image and likeness, which is his essence, (which is the efficient, final and exemplary cause of all things,) so the Angels by those many universal species, which are put into them by God, know not only universal, but singular and particular things, for as any thing is more raised, and excellent, so it hath its strength and power more united, and is more efficatious, and therefore with their understanding only by the universal species of things put into them by God, they know those things, which men take in, by their many senses, outward and inward, to wit, particular and singular things.  
But now whether the Angels know all the particular actions, what ever is done, said, or suffered, is more questionable; Of those committed to their charge there is no question, but to affirm so of all, and all at once, were to entrench to much upon God's privilege, to whom and to no other all things are open, and naked, there is to much of infinity in that.  
As for our thoughts, affections, and desires, they know them either by revelation, or external signs. For God is only the searcher of the hearts, Thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men. But they are extremely ingenious in guessing, if Physicians, by the pulse and temper can tell your affections and passions, as that you are in love or take care, if a wise man, or an acquaintance can do any thing this way, they much more.  

Corol.  First observe that in this vast compass of the Angel's knowledge, and the several kinds of it, it was supernatural knowledge that stood them in the greatest stead, the other perished with them, it was the beholding of the face of God, that filled them and possessed them, that tied them fast to God, that wrought effectually upon their wills, the other Angels that had all the other sorts of knowledge in the largest compass of it, carried it to hell with them, and the same difference of natural and supernatural light, is seen amongst us every day; why do the poor receive the Gospel and Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, when the wise and knowing men cast it far from them; It's certain this is the greatest wisdom in the world to take Christ, to make sure of another life, this is wisdom, and every other thing in comparison, is folly; but whence hath this poor man wisdom and others not; but because they see nothing of God after a supernatural way, they see God in a proportion, as the devils saw God before the fall; there wants life, there wants fire, there wants a touch in what ever they see, that would improove all, that would render all the rest efficatious: The same sermon that speaks to the reason only of one man, speaks to the heart and conscience of another: It is a goodly picture to others, but it wants life, they look upon it with pleasure, but they will never fall in love with it; They will never espouse it, or as we told you, they see the circle in the dust, but the beauty and proportion, which is the tempting thing, that they see not; Pray therefore for supernatural light, that will improove all the rest, and all the rest without it, will but help to render you inexcusable, and so leave you.  
Secondly, see the ground of the firmness of your condition in the next life, you shall be as the good Angels, you shall see the face of God, and then you are sure, your eyes nor hearts can never turn away from that vision.  
Thirdly, ye shall know what they know, and as they know it, whence you see what raisedned of your conditions will be.  
Fourthly, see how exceedingly you are exposed to the knowledge of the Angels.  
Now having considered of the knowledge of the good Angels, in which a great part of their ability lies, we come to speak of their power, and first upon corporal things.  
It is certain they can do any thing which nature can do, either mediately or immediately; for example, They can move the heavens, they cannot make them stand still, for that is against nature, they can kill men, but they cannot raise them from the dead.  
Miracles they cannot work unless as God's instruments, as in the moving of the water in the pool of Bethesda, and gathering together of the dead at the day of judgement.  
God only doth wonderful things: Now a miracle is not that which is against the order of some particular nature, for then the flinging of a stone upwards were a miracle, but that is a miracle which is against the order of nature in general, as if a stone of itself should move upward, without any force or drawing.  
So as the dividing of the Red-sea was a miracle, and attributed to God only, but the kill of the firstborn was none, and therefore attributed to an Angel; So the standing still of the Sun was ascribed to God: But the victory they got joshua 5.15. to the Angel.  
Again, they do some things immediately, as the kill of the whole army of Senacherib, and bringing Peter and the Apostles out of prison. So they can move all corporal things almost in an instant; they can stir tempests; move waters and winds, but other things they cannot do immediately, as generation, etc. Nor can they do any thing as God, properly in an instant, and at their beck, as God and Christ, but either by local motion or natural medimus, though with an inconceiveable dexterity, and quickness.  
Lastly all this power is subjected to the will of God, for so ye have it, Bless the Lord all ye Angels which are mighty in strength, which do his will, Psal. 103. so Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, that is, as it is done by the Angels; So God sent his Angel and delivered Peter, Acts 12.17. so saith Christ, Could I not have asked my Father, and he would give me 12 Legions of Angels? For their power over us, over our bodies, it is the same which they have over other things bodily. As for our outward senses they have great power over them, and that either by forming new objects, so in the 2. Kings 7.6. The Lord caused a sound of many horses to be heard, by the army of the King of Assiria, which put them to flight. So the Angels took fiery bodies, 2. Kings 6.17. The mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire.  
Again, they can make such a commotion of the humours, within our bodies, that many things may appear without which are not; They can also shut up the senses, as to the men of Sodom, Gen. 14. who were struck with blindness.  
As for the internal senses, to wit, the fancy and imagination, they have also a great power over them, as appears by their appearing in dreams and visions; for in sleep, our external senses are so bound up, as we discern nothing by them; now we being awake can by an act of our own wills stir up the memory of things and provoke our fancies, to the apprehension of things past. An Angel therefore can do this much more, for what an inferior power can do, that a superior can much more do. Do we not see impressions in our fancy of things we thought we had altogether forgotten, which certainly is done by the Angels good and bad, which can make compositions of what they find there, they cannot put in new ones, but work upon what matter they find.  
As for their power over our understandings, and wills this to me is evident, that the great works they have to do upon us, is upon the inward man, and that being ministering spirits, their ministration is spiritual, and as the Devils, who though they do some things to our bodies, do ever infect our spirits; so the good Angels much rather apply themselves in their ministrations to our spirits, but to show how they can operate upon our understandings and wills, we will first lay this down.  
That God can only, effectually enlighten the understanding, and determine the will, he can bend and turn, and form it, which way he pleaseth; But the Angels can speak also, to those pure spiritual parts, & their speaking carries a power with it, though God only determine: First as one man teacheth another, so the Angel spoke to the blessed Virgin, by apparition, by voice; Sometimes by voice without apparition, sometimes by writing, so to Balteshazer by writing upon the wall, but they can invisibly also enlighten us, as appears plainly in dreams, for so they spoke to joseph in a dream, Math. 1. and to many others; Now there is the same way and the same reason, of speaking to us waking and sleeping: To understand this, (and herein the ministration of Angels to our spirits will appear) we must conceive first, that the phantasms of things, received by the outward senses, are kept, and preserved by the inward senses, or its organ, and instrument, as the species of sounds, of shapes, or what ever else: Secondly that these phantasms so kept, may be so moved, by some extrinsecall thing, as they may move the fancy, and provoke it to represent and conceive more things and divers, which neither appear, nor are at that time perceived, by any sense, this appears evidently; We can sit in the dark, where we hear and see nothing, and multiply a fancy in infinitum, by an act of our own will: Also without our will, this often appears, as in dreams. Now this enlarging, alteration and composition, must be by some motion of the subject in which these fancies are, as also by a certain motion of our humours, and spirits. The fancy or imagination is stirred up to the making of various apprehensions and representations of things, this we find in dreams which follow often the temperature of the body, as appears to every man, that hath in the least observed himself; Also in sicknesses, which altering the body and the humours, and so troubling the fancy, begets strange fancies, and makes dreadful, and fearful representations to us, sometimes extremely foolish, as that which falls out as it were by chance, and by an undue jumbling of things together; Now this know, as we said before, that what ever an inferior power can do, that a superior can much more do, such fancies as befalls us (as it were) by chance, as in dreams or sickness, by casual, inordinate, or natural motion of the humours, that the Angels especially the good can most orderly and most efficaciously move, because they do what they do from will and counsel, and know exactly how the spirits and humours must be moved, that the phantasms may be conveniently applied to some conceptions or apprehensions, most accommodate and fitted for the knowledge, of what truth they would suggest.  
Again an Angel can remove the impediments of apprehension, as it lies in any commotion or perturbation of the spirits, or the humours, an Angel can help it, and the impediment shall cease, or if the organ be to much intended, an Angel can in a great measure accommodate and believe it.  
Now of how great moment this is, to the enlightening of our understandings, and moving our wills, all men know, that have minded, that the understanding receives things by the mediation, first of the external senses, then of the fancy, of which the memory is the treasurer, so as all comes in to us this way, so that to me here is the difference, between the converse of men and Angels, men can speak to our understandings by the mediation of our external senses, Angels which are spirits go a near way to work, and speak to the internal, first of all, making such compositions there, as the understanding presently takes of, and reads what is written; As on the other side, the understanding imprints much upon the fancy what it conceives, there is such a near relation between the body and the mind. Besides this way of writing in our fancies, almost what they will, and so speaking to us, by which they represent objects to our understandings, and our wills which often take and move us (as the objects of truth, or the appearance, hath a great power upon the understanding, and the object of good upon the will) besides this, they can move those sensitive passions which are in us; Anger concupiscence, which often move us to choose, to command, to will, and like Sophisters deceive us with the colour of good, as we find by experience, and see in Peter and David, and all the Saints.  

Corol.  First consider how great a knowledge the Angels have of us, how great an advantage upon us, there is such a link between the body, and the mind, that to be well acquainted with a man's outward actions, to have a perfect experience of a man's discourse and actions, is almost to know him all; But how many inward motions are there, which never come to the view, how much boiling of the blood, to lust, to revenge, that never appears in the face, that the Angels know by beholding the interior senses, much more apparently than we see it in the face; Besides if it come to guessing what was the meaning of such a look, such a motion, such a blush, such a paleness, there wisdom here helps them exceedingly, so as they are rarely deceived, besides that as our thoughts are more in the fountain than our actions, so the impression upon our fancy is greater than upon our face, which our fear or wisdom often keeps in. Thus much for their knowledge and light of us, which you see how great it is: Then for their power upon us, almost what can they not do upon our bodies, upon our senses outward and inward, upon our minds, for by the means I have told you, what is it that they cannot communicate to you at their pleasure, speaking to the inward senses, and causing the understanding to read of, what they there compound, and no time is free sleeping and waking, they can come to you, when the senses are bound up, as in dreams, they need not fetch the compass of our ears, and eyes, that we are fain to do, therefore our communion is exceeding great with the Angels, both good and bad; For (believe it) they having such a price in their hands, will not lose it on either side, the Devil's malice will not suffer them, nor the good Angel's love and duty, will not suffer them to be wanting to their abilities, He maketh his Angel's spirits, his Ministers a flame of fire, this say some is with relation to their working toward us, both in lightning and heating; This is therefore first by considering the advantages they have upon us, to consider how great and intimate our converse is with them; secondly to consider this notwithstanding, that we give not that which is God's due to the Angels, though they be the beginning of his creation, for first God only knows the heart, even our thoughts afar of, the Angels only as I have told you.  
Secondly for working upon us, as all they do is under God, and in fulfilling his will, which is the law and rule they move by, so they cannot put in new species of things into the fancy, and such as the senses had never any knowledge of, though they can make many compositions and deductions, almost to the saying of what they will, yet their ability stretches not to the putting in of what was never there before, as to make, a man borne blind, dream of colours and their difference, therefore,  
Thirdly, take heed of receiving ill impressions by your ears or your eyes, or any way, if an ill man tell you an ill story once, the Devil will tell you it a thousand times, it is a great happiness to this purpose not to know ill: And on the other side, keep yourselves in such a holy frame, as may provoke the good Angels to converse with you, we love to speak where we are like to find entertainment, and so do they and receive good images and impressions of things, that they may have matter to work upon, for as I told you they cannot make a blind man dream of colours.  
Lastly for your soul's sake keep your body in a good frame, that the humours of the body be not armed against you, to lust, and anger, and revenge, but may be fitted for spiritual converse.  
Fourthly fear and please God, who gives bounds to the most raging elements, water, and fire, and to the most mighty spirits the Angels, for they are his messengers, they do his will; if you receive any good motions or inspirations, by the Angels, any thing of comfort, it is God that doth it, he commands that creature aswell as any other to give down its milk, therefore let him have the praise, and if now you will offer a sacrifice for this, offer it to the Lord, for so saith the Angel himself, judges 13.16. Revel. 19.10. Worship God (saith the Angel to john:) see thou do it not. The Angel had revealed great things to john, and he would have worshipped him, but saith the Angel, see thou do it not. Also 14. Rev. 7. worship him saith the Angel that made the heaven and the earth, and the sea and the fountains of waters. But  
Fifthly, love the Angels and gratify them, for they love you and are mightily advantageous to you, they love us much without all question, for their wills are as Gods will, and he loves us and they know it, as being deputed by him to minister to us: And as they themselves love God above all, so they love us as themselves, which is the next command, for we are their neighbours, they are very near us, and we shallbe much nearer hereafter when we shallbe with them, and be as they are.  
Lastly, we may see their love by its effects. First by these works for our good, they work in us and upon us, and then those effects of love, they rejoice to look into the good things prepared for us. 1. Pet. 1.12. which things the Angels desire to look into, and as the holy Spirit is grieved when we sin, so are the Angels also, as appears by their contrary affection of rejoicing at our good, and conversion, for then the Angels of heaven rejoice. And therefore the Psalmist provokes the Angels to praise God, for his mercies to himself and to us, and by the same reason that we hate the Devil, and resist him, we should love and gratify the good Angels: They hate God, they hate and tempt us, the others do purely and truly the contrary, let us know these spirits, and grow into a greater league and familiarity with them, let them not have less of our love, because they are spiritual and invisible, for that enables them to do us more service, and so is God, whom we love most of all.  
In this tract of Angels, that which most immediately and particularly reatcheth my intent, is to show the power they have over us, especially over our spirits, and the way they have to communicate themselves according to their power, especially to our spirits, which we have done already, though other things as a foundation, and in order to this were necessary to be known, and particularly that about the Guardian-ship of Angels: From that formerly delivered we deduced several corollaries both from the knowledge of the Angels, and from their power of communicating it, to all which we shall only add this further.  
That they have not this knowledge and power in vain, but according to their talon betrusted with them, they lay themselves out for our advantage, as concerning the outward man, so especially and above all, in relation to our spirits and inward man, tacitly and in a spiritual way communicating themselves to our spirits, suggesting good things, and provoking us to our duties in holiness and obedience.  
This I prove, first from their power, what they can do they do, but they can communicate themselves to our spirits, and our inward man; they can in a very great measure know our minds and necessities, they can by the mediation of our fancies, and inward senses speak to us, almost what ever they will, therefore they do it: The reason is clear, for else they should not serve God with all their might. But we told you before their obedience is the pattern of ours, therefore their love also, and we proved also that they did love us exceedingly, because God loves us, and as being their neighbours, therefore wanting neither power to enable them to their duty, nor love to actuate that power, and ability, they are no way wanting to such a communion, without which as I have showed they should neither make good their love to God, in serving him, with their strength, nor their love to us in doing us that good they are able to do.  
Secondly you may remember I told you, that they did formerly take up their shapes, not for their own needs, but for ours, nor for ours to facilitate any thing they were to effect upon us (for they could have communicated themselves, as much to us without bodies as with) but for other reasons, as for the same, that miracles were of use in the infancy of the Church, and new establishment of religion, therefore what they have done, they do, for their ministry ceaseth not though the way of their administration be changed: Now to instance, they have in a more open and visible way exercised themselves in communicating to us spiritual things, the law itself the rule of all our holiness, and obedience, was given by the Disposition and ministration of Angels, Acts 7.53. Gal. 3.19.  
Consider those places a little, if any thing was administered by God immediately, one would think the law was, yet here it is plainly said, ordained by Angels, that is, the ministry of Angels was in it, perhaps the voice that spoke it was theirs, and so some think, for so Heb. 2.2. If the word spoken by Angels, was steadfast, that is, the law, as for the Mediator there mentioned, some understand it of Christ, others of Moses, but it is clear that the law was promulged by God, by the ministration of Angels, and that though God be said to speak those words, it is Elohim, that is, the word used respecting his office as judge and supreme, and therefore the Angel that before founded the trumpet, now sounded articulately the words, and whereas the phrase is God, spoke, these words, that is, but according to the stile of Viceroys, who write in their Master's name, Charles King.  
And often in Scripture the word or action of the principal Agent, is ascribed to the Minister Timothy is said to save himself, and those that heard him. 1. Tim. 4.16. And the Saints to judge the world, who are but Ministers and approovers, for Christ is the great judge.  

Obj.  But God is so near us, as he should do it himself, 1. Cor. 3.16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwells in you? 1. Cor. 6.19. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you, etc. These things are to be understood spiritually, (that is) we are dedicated to God, as the Temple of God, and God is in us and among us by his spirit, there is no mention made of a personal union; so Christ Math. 18.20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them; Yet notwithstanding he is so near us, he doth not cease to teach us by the channels of ordinances. (Where by the way they administer no suggestion, but what is agreeable to the word of God, which was given by them, for they will not contradict the rule, that themselves administered, and if any other be suggested, it is from the other kind of Angels:) To proceed the Angel revealed to Mary the incarnation of Christ according to the word Luke 1. And others in the same chapter preached the nativity of the Saviour of the world, so Acts 1. they instruct the Apostles about the return of Christ to judgement, according to the word, also that God is only to be worshipped, Rev. 19.10. And therefore Michaël contended with the Devil about the body of Moses, that it might not be found and worshipped: Not to be long, an Angel comforted Hagar, and admonished her of her duty, Gen. 16. So the Angel of the Lord comforted Paul, and all that was in the ship with him, Acts 27. So an Angel strengthened and encouraged Eliah to his work. 2. Kings 1.3. In a word what ever by way of instruction, of admonition, of encouragement, they have done in a way more visible in the infancy of the Church, that they do not cease to do now, because their ministry remains, though the way of their administration, for reasons formerly mentioned, be altered.  
A third reason persuading you to this may be that which the Devils do on their part, they administer to our spirits most of all, their apparitions being almost as seldom now a days as of the good Angels, they go about like roaring Lions, seeking whom they may devour. Their nets are always spread, they tend their snares always, not so much for our bodies as our spirits, as appears by all manner of spiritual temptations, carnal lusts are as much spiritualised by them as may be; therefore the good Angels do the like, for their power is greater, and their love higher than the others malice.  
Fourthly from their commission, Heb. 1.14. is proved their administration especially to the inner man, they are ministering spirits, and what kind of administration that seems to be, is excellently set forth Psal. 91.11.12. He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways, they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. In this place the Angels are compared, first to nurses, or mothers, that have a charge over weak and infirm children, to keep them and to guard them.  
To carry them in their hands is a Metaphor, and signifies a perfect execution of their custody, to have a special care of them, and therefore is rather expressed so, then carrying them on their shoulders, that which one carries on their hand they are sure to keep; and the spaniards have a proverb when they would signify eminent favour, and friendship, they carry him upon the palms of their hands, that is, they exceedingly love him, and diligently keep him.  
Lest at any time, thou shouldst dash thy foot against a stone: He persists in the Metaphor; Children often stumble and fall, unless they be led and carried in hands, and arms; by Stones, are meant all difficulties, objections, perils, both to the outward and inward man, as Christ is said to take care of hairs and sparrows, that is, of every thing even to a hair. Now we know what this charge is saving that Zanchy adds also, the Metaphor of Schoolmasters, and says that we are poor Rustic people, strangers, but being adopted into the household of God, he gives his most noble Ministers, the Angel's charge, first of our nursing, and then of our education, when we are weaned to instruct us, to admonish, to institute, to correct us, to comfort us, to defend us, to preserve us from all evil, & to provoke us to all good; And these Angels seeing that we are so dear to God, that for our sakes he spared not his own Son, takes this charge with all their hearts upon them, and omit nothing of their duty from our birth to the end of our life.  
And the same Zanchy says, that there be three special heads of the Angels working about us, the first is to preserve us, so far as God sees it profitable for us, from all the snares and force of the Devil, that they should be a watch about us, they should observe all our actions and carriages, both private and public, taking care that no evil befall us. Secondly not only this but especially that they should take care of our souls teaching us good things, declaring the will of God to us, revealing the misteryes of salvation, when he pleaseth, taking care we may be instructed in the law of God, which formerly they did in visions & dreams, as you have heard, now tacitly they admonish our minds, and provoke us to good duties, to obedience, etc. Thirdly that in afflictions they comfort us, strengthen us, raise us, etc.  
Bodin tells a story in his first book of the history of Sorcerers of one who about the time of reformation of religion, desired much of God the guidance and assistance of an Angel, and from the 37 year of his age, he had sensible manifestations of a spirit that assisted him, and followed him till his death; If in company he chanced to speak any unwary words, he was sure to be advertized, and reproved for it in a dream in the night; if he read a book that was not good, the Angel would strike upon the book to cause him to leave it: Also the Angel would usually wake him early and provoke him to prayer, and holy duties, he was also ever forewarned of such accidents, as were to befall him, either for good or ill. Amongst others he tells this particular story, that being to go a journey by water, he was in extreme danger of his life, as he knew afterwards, for some enemies of his, were resolved in the way to kill him, but the night before he had a dream that his father had bought him two horses, one red, another white, which caused him in the morning to send his servant, to hire him a couple of horses, which proved to be of the same colour red and whit, as he had seen the vision in his draeame, although he had spoken no words to his servant concerning the colour; many other things he mentions, very strange and considerable, but I shall enlarge this story no further nor add any more, for the illustrating of this point.  
So that you see this made good, that the Angels are of a mighty use to us, especially in a spiritual way, and to our inward man, that their administrations is not changed, but the way of it only.  

Obj.  But what do we leave now to Christ and the spirit, if you give to the Angels the work of teaching and hinting spiritual things?  

Ans.  I answer, what will you leave to the Angels, if you take this employment from them, you will say bodily administrations, and what will you take away that from Christ, whose care reacheth to our bodies aswell as to our spirits, and to a hair of our heads. Therefore you have no such division of work to make as to give to the Angels a care of the body to preserve from dangers, and to Christ the charge of the inner man, if it be no prejudice to Christ that the Angels take care of our bodies, which is also his care, what prejudice will it be that the Angels should also have a care of our spirits, unless you think it be a work to high for them, and such as they cannot reach, but the contrary to that hath been shown already, and we find by woeful experience, that the Devils, whose power is lower than theirs, reach our spirits in their daily temptations. But secondly I leave to Christ and the spirit the all in all, that is, the inspiration, the efficacy, and the blessing, for the Angels are but ministering spirits not fountains, or heads of water, but cisterns and channels, it is Christ and the spirit that employ the Angels, they give the blessing, and make effectual what they do: But you will ask what needs this administration, for Christ can do this work without them? I ask aswell what needs Ministers, preaching, Sacraments, but because these are Gods ways of administration, his ordinances of which we can give no account, he useth this chain, and sub-ordination of which one link toucheth another, t' is God's good pleasure to communicate himself to us, by means, and ordinances, of which the Angels are a great part, being a great ordinance of God to us, as effectual but more inward, and the reasons why God useth the Angels towards us, I have largely given you.  
Now if one should be so curious to consider what is by the immediate inspiration of God, to wit, what is done by God immediately, & what may the mediation of Angels and other ordinances; were a search more vice then safe, as it would be also to distinguish what the Devil produceth upon us, by the mediation of our corruptions, or without them, though this latter may be more easily perhaps guessed at then the other, but there is no great use of it, and therefore we will not amuse ourselves, in giving an account of it; but this remains a sure truth, that they are of mighty use to us, and that the things communicated to our inward man, is ordinarily the administration of Angels.  
Then fight manfully the Lords Battles, 
Coral.  you see not only the fountain of your strength, and the finisher of your faith, God and Christ, but all the intervening Mediums, the Saints, the Ordinances, and another great ordinance in this kind, we have not so much considered, the good Angels, the chariots and horses should relieve us, as they did Elisha, and consider this in relation to your religious walking, and to your inward man, though you should want other ordinances, yet ye have the Angels, an ordinance to walk up and down with you; in other things we judge it a great matter to see the means, to have besides the promise the staff of bread, and to other ordinances also they are an addition, and improvement, consider it also under this motion, that you may not be amazed by beholding the Devil and our own lusts, you have not only God, and Christ, the Author and finisher of your faith, but you have this means also, a spiritual substance proportionable to the other, and to contend with him in standing on their side.  
Secondly walk reverently in respect of the Angels even in your bedchambers, the presence of the Angels should hinder us from doing that which it were a shame and dishonour, to be found doing by men, and should restrain us even to our thoughts and fancies, which they have a great ability to discern and find out.  
Thirdly use means notwithstanding this aid, the Angels will help you in all your ways, Christ would put them to no more, and when you have used other means, then is their help most seasonable; so they came and ministered to Christ after his conflict, after he had resisted the Devil, that is, than they comforted him, and applied spiritual consolations, and if to Christ, then much more to us, their administration will be but in and with the use of means.  
So as we see the consideration of those blessed spirits, is of a practical influence, and is not only for speculation, for what can be more available to us then to know all the channels and conduits through with God conveys himself to us: Therefore every ordinance is so precious, because it is a vein or artery to convey blood, or spirits from God, therefore we should love them and reverence them, therefore we converse with them, and study to know them, and find them out, even the least pieces & circumstances of them, because they convey some thing of God, they are the pearls for which we sell all we have, to buy the field where they are to be found, they are our mines, our Elixurs, and our Philosopher's stone, turning all they touch into gold; therefore let us value the knowledge of them as things necessary for us, and which have a great influence upon our holy walking.  
And secondly let us apply ourselves to them, as to the ordinances, and Ministers of God, using them reverently, sucking good from them, considering how we may receive, what ever they administer, and because these are rational, and living instruments, let us converse with them, as such, knowing how to speak with them, knowing how to gain them, and win upon them, which is by living their lives, that is, according to reason and the spirit, answering them in their motions, conversing with them after a spiritual way, assenting to what they say, making up holy conclusions with them and replies, which they will find ways to understand, aswell as the Devil, as we shall hear afterward. And using things of sense as they did for ones, rather than their particular and personal satisfaction.  
Thirdly let us here see, how all the whole creation is serviceable to man, and reduceable to his good; The beasts and plants feed and clothe him; The sun and stars contribute to his being, food, and preservation, they gouverne the year for the fruit, which he gathers, and they have influence upon the humours, and constitution of his body, the highest heavens is a house prepared for him, to rest him in for ever, after a short labour; one would have thought that if any piece of the creation should have escaped this ministry, it would have been the mighty and blessed Angels, fitted and destined for the ministry of the almighty God, but behold them as far engaged as any of the rest: What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man that thou visitest him? That is, with all thy mercies and blessings; now than this man that is thus waited on, by the whole creation and by these mighty Angels, must either put himself into the Throne of God, and think that he it is, to whom all these things do homage, as to their natural and sovereign Lord, as to their utmost and highest end, and this by nature we would fain do: Or else he must look upon himself as a well paid servant, as a well fitted instrument for some excellent and well raised work, and that what ever come in he hath, he must consider them in order to his layings out and his receipts to his disbursments; He must consider the tract of obedience and the way of working to which all this chain, and charge of benefit drive him, and must know that he is the great accountant of the world, both for talents the means of working, and for wages the reward of working, and should be fitted from every administration about him to an answerable ministry in himself, with which he is charged, both in a way of love and debt; and for instance when he knows in this particular, that the Angels continually administer good things to him, instructing, teaching, admonishing him, inspiring him with good, comforting, strengthening him against the Devil, and his lusts, he is taught not only to receive willingly that which is so freely and advantageously administered, and to love that God be 'bove all, and then those spirits, that are at this pains, but he is taught also to be good, to be holy, to be strong, to let them have their efficacy upon him, to be obedient, to make right paths and steps. The sun and the stars produce their effects upon the earth, why should not the blessed Angels and the blessed spirits have their effects upon thy heart?  
Lastly since every ability and strength is for service, why should not we aspire after Angelical work, we have Angel Guardians, why should not we be Guardians of one another, they teach us, why should not we instruct the ignorant, that are below us either in knowledge or grace; They comfort and strengthen us, why should not we do the like; The way to have Angels reward, to see the face of God, is to do the work of Angels, those inspired by the spirit, are capable of Angel's work, aswell as of their wages. So you will improove this piece of creation to your use aswell as all the rest.  
We come now to the second part of this Treaty that of the Devil, and the evil Angels, where in we shall handle some things very briefly, and especially insist upon those things, which are in relation to their dealings with us.  
And we will consider them not as they were, for so their nature is common to them with the good Angels, but as they are.  
If you ask, how they came into this woeful condition! Certainly by sin, for they were not so form by God; That they might sin, there is reason enough, in this that they were creatures, for what is it to sin, but to depart from that rectitude, which every thing ought to have, to pass your bounds to decline and err from the scope appointed you, for God's prerogative alone is to be immutable. That they did sin, the Scripture is clear, for they left their first estate, jude 6. and they abode not in the truth. And 2. Pet. 2.4. God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them into hell. If you ask what sin this was that brought those blessed creatures into the depth of misery? the Scripture is not so clear in that, some think it was pride, and rebellion against God, others think envy at man, the most probable guess me thinks is, that it was their opposition to the great mystery of Godliness in the Gospel of Christ, who being to be made man, and the head of all the creation, that all standing, all restauration was to be by God man, in which the Angelical nature was left out, this being in a great measure revealed as it is called Rev. 14.6. The everlasting Gospel, decreed from eternity, though manifested but by degrees; those high spirits could not bear such a subjection, so Christ saith, they abode not in the truth, joh. 8.44. especially of the Gospel, which is the greatest truth in respect of which Christ calls himself the Truth, and is called the wisdom of God, so saith he, I came into this world, that I might bear witness of the truth; that is, this truth, which Christ sealed with his blood, now says he, he abode not in this truth, but was a liar; now what is that lie that Satan sets up in the world, which he always speaks, which he studies to persuade others to, it is this to debase the Gospel, and the saving of the world by God man, and therefore its worth observing that the sum of all heresies, are either against the divinity of Christ, or the humanity of Christ, or his office, to wit, that he can contribute all things necessary to salvation, that his merits, his works alone, are enough: And in this respect Christ accused the jews, you are the sons of your father the Devil, which stood not in the truth, no more will you, says he, but you lie as he did: Now what was their lie, the very same, that Christ was not the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and so the truth in which they would not rest, was the truth of the Gospel, which their father the Devil abode not in, and this is that truth which ever since hath been the ground of the conflict between the good and evil Angels, and between the Devils, and the Saints of God.  
See and tremble at the quick work that God made, 
Coral.  2. Peter 2.4. God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them into Hell; he might have dealt so with us, the wages of sin is death; How come we then to live, how comes it that we are on this side hell, whither sin would presently have hurried us, thanke God and Christ for it.  
Secondly, honour, love and believe the Gospel, that is, the truth, the great truth, let up God and Christ greatly in it, believe strongly, trust not to your righteousness: Let not your sins stand in your way, this cost the Devil's eternal condemnation; this is the truth they stood not in, this is the thing they most of all oppose. Therefore work what you will, so you believe not, they care not, unbelief is virtually all ill, therefore fight especially against that.  
Thirdly, fear sins against great and strong light, the Devil's abode not in the truth, that truth they forsook was exceeding great, it was truth with a witness, exceeding evident, and apparent, therefore it carried them into the lowest sink of sin, which is a deadly hatred of God, and all goodness, and all his creatures, which ariseth much from the light they fell from, like to this fall of theirs, is the sin against the holy Ghost. Having seen their sin, we come to their punishment, which in many respects is necessary for us to know in order to this subject as we shall see.  
The place of their punishment, seems to admit of a double consideration, either that of their ultimate punishment, after the day of judgement, or that for the present.  
This distinction is gathered out of several places, especially that of jude; That everlasting fire, which Christ speaks of Math. 25.41. The common residence of the Damned and Devils, seems rather to be prepared for them, then possessed already by the Devil and his Angels: The same may be understood of that utter darkness where shallbe weeping & wailing and gnashing of teeth, Math. 8.12. This seems to be the most abject, vildest and remote of all the rest; There is the same reason of opposites, The Saints shall shine as the Sun in the glory of their Father; And as the favour of God is called the light of his countenance, and the Saints are said to be in light, so the wicked and Devils to be cast into utter darkness.  
Again as the holy Angels and Saints are in the highst heavens, with God and Christ, so the Devil and reprobates, shallbe in the most remote place from all these furthest from God and all good, and light, and comfort. Between you and us there is a great gulf, Luk. 16.26. This place may be either near the Centre of the earth, or in the depths of the great waters, that is, most remote from the highst heavens, and this appears by that place Luk. 8.31. Where the Di●ells besought Christ, that he would not command them to go into the depths, as apprehending that eternal judgement to which they were destined, and having it ever in their eye to astonish them, and dread them, therefore they were afraid of Christ, and besought him not to torment them before their time; But for the present according to that in Peter, 2. Pet. 2.4. the Angels that sinned are cast down into hell, as we translate it, not intending by that the place of their ultimate punishment, for he says, they are reserved in chains till the judgement of the last day, as malefactors that endure a good piece of their punishment, by the hardness of their prisons; but the place of their present abode is either in the air, waters, or under the earth, as Eph. 2.2. they are called the Prince of the power of the air, and in that place of Math. they besought Christ they might possess the swine: And they carried them into the waters, the place of their abode: Some also live on the earth and under the earth, from whence they make their dreadful apparitions, as he that came up in the likeness of Samuel.  
Next we come to consider that place of jude 6. I will not comment upon it, because I bring it but as a proof: The Apostle saith here, the Angels are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, until the judgement of the great day: By these chains Divines understand, (besides their guilt which binds them over to punishment,) the divine power bridling and determining the Angelical strength, either intellectual, or operative, so as they are not masters of their abilities, but are bound up and restrained, they have not liberty of acting, which the good Angels have, though God permit them to do much, and they are called everlasting chains, because though by them they shallbe reserved to judgement, yet these chains shall shackle and bind them for ever; By these words under darkness, is meant as before, the absence of the light of God's countenance, and also in dark obscure places.  
This distinction of a double condition of the evil Angels till judgement, and after judgement, is necessary to be known, (in respect of the subject in hand) because if they were in their term already, and utmost place, they would have nothing to do with men, in regard of tempting, not with men of this world, because they would be secluded hence, nor with the damned, because they in respect of their condition, are already obstinated in ill, nor in all reason do they punish them in hell, for we find no peculiar ministry, which the Devil hath over them in hell, but they go thither to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels, rather than by them, as we find nothing of the ministry of the good Angels in heaven to us; therefore the knowledge of this is necessary to us, that we may know they are here with us, not in their place and term, and that the Minister about us, and are very active concerning us, which in utter darkness and everlasting fire they will have little leisure to do.  

Coral.  Let us consider this a little, that the whole universe of rational creatures are under chains and bonds in order to an eternal state, this will have an influence into our practice: Of the Angels we have spoke already, you see how and where they are bound: Men also are in the same condition, some are under the bonds of election, others under the bonds of reprobation, reserved both of them, by the chains of God's decree, to eternal glory or wrath, which is to follow; this in the decree hath been for ever, but since the fall the bonds have seized upon men, an attatcht them assoon as they have had a being, so as they have lain under the arrest clogged with shackles, and chains, which of themselves they could never put of: They have had a wound in their wills, and a blindness in their understandings, the spirit of bondage, through conscience of sin, and fear of wrath to come, have fallen upon all men, who have not gone sleeping to hell. Now then see the use of Christ, Luk. 4.18. He was sent to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised. here is one that can knock of your shackles, can break those bonds; indeed he lays another yoke upon you, another chain, by it you are reserved also, but it is to everlasting joys, it is to a crown that fades not away, and it is a yoke, but it is a light one, not which shackles and fetters, but advanceth your motion, and is a comely ornament to your neck, they are the bonds of a friend, it is such an imprisonment as excludes bondage, as gives liberty: Let those therefore that are environed with those chains, that are honoured with this yoke, glory in their bonds and walk as freemen, these are marks of their liberty, and badges to distinguish them from slaves; let them walk livelily and cheerfully, not as men bound up by a spirit of bondage, and reserved under darkness, but as men set at liberty and in a joyful light, with singing in their mouths, and laughter in their faces, and joy in their hearts, that they may be known by their looks to be the sons of the most High, and heirs of a free kingdom, and let your actions and steps speak liberty, every one freedom from sin, from lusts, from corruptions, that there may be a glory in every motion, and an impression of sealing to eternal life.  
Secondly for those that are yet under those ill yokes, let them consider to get loose, or they will find a worse state behind, they will find themselves, but reserved to judgement, though one would think, the yoke they bear, the yoke of lusts bad enough, to be servants of sin, and corruption, of lust and pride, yet they are reserved to worse: Change your bonds therefore, rest not till you find yourselves bound by other cords, bonds reserving you to everlasting joy and happiness.  
We have considered the Devils already, under two heads, one of their sin, another of their punishment; That of their sin we have dispatched with the corollaries drawn from it. In respect of their punishment we considered them under a double consideration, either that present, or that which remains them hereafter, and found it useful for our purpose.  
We will consider now of their spiritual punishment: First for their will, they are so obstinated in ill and in hatred against God, and Christ, that they cannot will to repent, and be saved; They are that wicked one by way of eminency: What death is to us, that the fall was to the Angels put them into a pertinatious, and constant state of ill, but the reason of this was the judgement of God upon their sin, which was against the holy Ghost, because willingly, and knowingly they opposed the truth and gospel of God, therefore says john, he that committeth sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sinneth from the beginning, 1. joh. 3.8. Not he hath sinned, but doth sin, that is perniciously, and constantly, as a fruit of that great first sin.  
For their knowledge that it is exceeding great in it self, is without all question, they being of the same substance with the other Angels, endued with a most excellent knowledge of things, and a most tenacious memory. It appears also, secondly from their experience of things from the creation of the world to this time. Thirdly from their office, which is to delude and deceive the reprobates, and to try the Saints which require great ability of knowledge. Fourthly from this that they are the great masters of all the impostures that have been in the world, of all sorcerers, witches, and soothsayers, who for title call the Devil their master; Yet notwithstanding, their sin, hath given their knowledge a mighty wound.  
For first their natural knowledge is maimed exceedingly, there is darkness mixed with it, they lost what man lost and more; Adam could call things by their names according to their natures, but who can do it now, and proportionably to their more eminent nature and sin, was the greatness and eminency of their loss.  
Secondly in their knowledge of things divine, and revealed, in many things they fall short, they believe enough to make them tremble, but many the best and most things were lost to them, what they see, they see but by half lights, and therefore though the Devils understood more of Christ then men not enlightened by God, and they could tell that Paul and his companions were the servants of the most high God, also jesus they knew, and Paul they knew, Acts 19.15. they have whereof to believe and tremble, jam. 2.19. they raise from the effects some dark and obscure knowledge: Yet in things of this kind the Devils believe not very many things, which they should have believed, if they had stood, and therefore are called darkness, and the power of darkness, because they are exceeding dark in themselves, in respect of the good Angels, and of what they might have been.  
But now then thirdly to see things, as the good Angels and holy people do, (to wit) the beauty of holiness, the evil of sin, the loveliness of God in Christ, the glory of God, as Father to his elect, such sights as might gain and win them to God, they are perfectly blind in, and understand nothing of, (and as I have told you before, they never saw God as the elect Angels did, they never beheld the face of God;) so nor now can they see him, as the elect, both Angels and men do, but here lies the greatest darkness, which they can never overcome.  
Their spiritual punishment will appear also, by those names, and titles, attributed to them in the Scripture, they are called Perverse spirits, and unclean spirits, from their quality and office, they are the authors of unclean thoughts, and actions, they are called, The evil one, the enemy, viz. to God and man, The Father of the wicked, john 8.44. Also the Devil, the calumniator, the tempter, one whose work lies in deluding and depraving man. Also the God of this world, he would be worshipped as God, as he hath also a power over men, 2. Cor. 4.4. So he would have worship from them, as they have also formally, and explicitly from such as personally give themselves over to their service. They are styled also the Governors of this world, or Rulers, 2. Eph. 2. which govern wicked men, in and to their lusts; Also Roaring Lions, 1. Pet. 1.8. from their fierceness and malice: A murderer, Author of our death and all murders: Also belial, 2. Cor. 6.15. What agreement hath Christ with belial? this signifies irregular, without yoke and discipline, such he is himself, will submit to no law, but what the power of God lays necessarily upon him, and such he renders his.  
The use that I shall make of all this to ourselves, 
Coral.  is, that we dread the spiritual punishments of sin: Sin draws along a dreadful chain after it, the little sweet that was in your mouth, that your rolled under your tongue, which you judged so good, the taste of that is presently gone, but there is a long bitter follows, the pleasure is but skin deep, reacheth but to your sense, but the effects of it are felt upon your conscience and mind, your most noble parts; The pleasure gives you the enjoyment of a minute, such a one as it is, but the pain is of your life, perhaps of all eternity; but how miserable is it to draw on a train of spiritual punishments, that is, that sin shall be punished with sin, the truth is, every first sin, carries punishment with it, for it is a punishment to sin in the first act, though we consider it not, as all holy acts carry reward with them, even in their mouth; but here is not all, this sin shall make you sin again, Pharaoh was punished by frogs, by hail, by many things, but the hardening of his heart, as it was the greatest punishment, so it was virtually all the rest: That place Rom. 1.28. is dreadful, Because they delighted not to retain God in their knowledged, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, and then they were filled with all unrighteousness: If we will not delight in God, God will give us up to delight in the basest things in the world; Thou little thinkest, that thy proud or unclean thought, shallbe waited on with such a train, not only of punishment, but sin.  
And this is true to all in its proportion, to the Saints, for sin doth not naturally dispose for further degrees of sinning of the same kind, for so every act strengthens the habit, but the spirit of God being grieved withdraws, and when ye are in the dark, the spirit of darkness is bold with you, and you want light to repel him, and God can when he pleaseth in consideration of a sin past, let either a sin fall upon your spirit, or an affliction or sickness upon your body. But oh fear such punishments, they are not only of the worst kind, but they are multiplying of evil infinitely, if God prevent not.  
Beware therefore of sin, lest you sin, and lest you be given over to a spirit of sinning, which is the greatest and worst of punishments, think that you know not what sins are in the womb of this sin, which you are now about; If to grieve the spirit, to please the Devil, to offend God, be dreadful to you, fear sin above all, not only for that present act, but for those other sins which may be contained in the womb of that, and may in time be most cursed births of it.  
And as Austin said of hell, Lord saith he, burn here, cut here, punish here; that is, in this life: So of sin, O wish rather the animadversion, to fall upon your bodies and estates, your outward man here cut Lord, spare my soul, my inner man, let sin rather cause death then sin, which is the worst dying.  
In the next place we come to show, what is the principal ministry of the evil Angels, for God knows how to improove every creature, and not only the power, but the evil of the evil Angels, and he made nothing in vain, The wicked are for the day of wrath, muchless such mighty instruments and engines, as those spirits are, which though they have received a wound and lie under chains, yet are of mighty ability when God gives them leave to act it. That they are at liberty for a ministry I told you before, when I spoke of their punishment, for they are not in termino, they are not yet in the great deep nor under the sentence of their punishment, they are not in the place prepared for the Devil and his Angels, but they are in the air and the world, where also they are Princes, they have the advantage of the place, and powers is also theirs; now for their ministry which still will come nearer our purpose, the principal and proper ministry of the evil Angels is to tempt, and induce men to sin, they improove all the power and opportunity they have, chiefly to this, this is manifest by Scripture, assoon as the world began, he began this work with our parents in innocency, in the shape of a Serpent, Gen. 3.1. Therefore Christ calls him a murderer from the beginning, joh. 8.44. For assoon as the world was, he gave the greatest blow, that ever was given mankind, he murdered our first parents, and in them all our posterity, and this was done in a way of tempting and alluring, so Paul 2. Cor. 11.3. I fear least as the Serpent seduced Eve; showing that that temptation was the beginning, the first of that kind that was in the world, the first prank he played, the first execution of his ministry, and as it were the copy of the rest, therefore also Math. 4.3. he is called The tempter, as being the title of his office, other names he hath which show his power, and ability, his nature and his malice, but none declare his ministry so properly as this; Therefore 1. Thess. 3.5. Lest by some means, the tempter have tempted you, and very frequently our temptations are said to be from the Devil, so joh. 13.2. The Devil put into the heart of judas to betray Christ, judas had the corruption in his heart before, which was fit matter to work on, but it was a fruit of the Devil's ministry, to suggest that temptation and put it into his heart, so Christ told Peter, that Satan had desired to winnow him; We should have said he was afraid to die, and being surprised secured himself by a lie, and so should have imputed it to little more than the act of a timorous spirit, but Christ said, the Devil was in it, and 1. Pet. 5.8. it is said, he goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, that is, by his temptations, and allurements, otherwise he doth not ramp upon our bodies, and Rev. 12.9. it is said, that the great dragon was cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world; this is his work, he says, they were cast out, and his Angels were cast out with him, which are his under-ministers in deceiving the world, as Christ Math. 25.41. calls them The Devil and his Angels. (of the order of the Angels we speak not now, but that there is a subordination in their state and employment appears evidently:) But here you see the ministry of the Devil, in the most eminent branch of it, which is to tempt, to draw men into snares, and to lead them to misery: If you ask whence he had his power, for all ministry implies a power from whence it is derived? I answer from God, for there is no power but of God, Rom. 13.1. which is generally true of Angelical power, aswell as humane, thou couldst have no power at all except it were given thee from above, saith Christ to Pilate: Therefore this power, this considerable ministry to us, is from God, it must needs be so, because else you would set up another chief, another supreme, from whence they must derive it, and so another God, every kingdom is under a greater kingdom, and what ever power there be, it falls under a greater, till you come to that which is the greatest and highest, therefore the same reasons that make the Devil's creatures, make them also subject, and if they be subject, than the power and the managing of it is from God.  
Now we come to consider some reasons, why God gives this ministry to the Devils, why it is invested in them by God.  
First that the excellency and power of his grace might appear, and be illustrated, and what can do it more than to see the effect and efficacy of it in weak man, which yet through God is begirt with might, and made able to grapple with this mighty adversary; So Paul when he grappled with Satan, and doubted of his strength, and therefore would fain have been quit of such an adversary, and sought God earnestly in the matter, had this answer, Be content, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, 2. Cor. 12.9. which when Paul understood, he gloried in his infirmities and distresses, that the power of Christ might rest upon him. They say of some fields that they are good for nothing, but to be the field of a battle; Paul had rather have his soul be the field of that battle, where Christ should overcome, then be in the greatest rest, or bear any other fruit.  
But if you object that the inefficatiousnesse of grace is aswell discovered by this, 
Obj.  because even the Saints are sometimes overcome?  
First by that the Devil is no gainer, 
Ans.  that little ground he gets, tends but to his greater confusion, when he is not able to make it good, but is beat from his strong holds, and forced to quit the field after a victory: As the Amalekites that rob David at Ziglag, got nothing, for David recovered his spoil, and besides that, the other herds that they drove before these other cattle, and which he called David's spoil, 1. Sam. 20.30. A man may be a victor in the battle and not in the war. The Saints at last spoil the Devil, unthrone him, degrede him, as fruits of their revenge upon him.  
Secondly for God, his grace is magnified in some sort by our falls, that is, it is shown that it is grace, that it is freely given, and therefore when his assistance withdraws, (as it runs not always in an equal tenor) we fall before every touch, not only of the Devil, but of the meanest of his instruments.  
Thirdly it is God's way, and it illustrates exceedingly his goodness, and bounty, rather to bring greater goods out of evil, then to permit no evil at all, else no evil would befall his neither sin, nor affliction; so as God's glory is still illustrated, either by enabling us to stand, or at least to gain afterward, to the confusion of Satan, and his own greater glory in the issue, so as the reason on God's part stands good.  
But there is secondly a reason also of this ministry in respect of men, first for wicked men, and reprobates, God will have them hardened, he will have them deceived, there is a work to be done upon them that they may be surely damned; if you ask the reason of this, I will ask what art thou o man that disputest against God; and if God will give men up to believe lies and send them strong delusions, as in 2. Thess. 2.11. who is so fit to be the messenger as the father of lies, who will do it most heartily, and most efficaciously; and therefore 1. Kings 22.22. one of those spirits, presented himself for that work: I will be a lying spirit (says he) in the mouth of all his Prophets. So when God will have men filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, as Rom. 1.29. who is so fit to blow those bellows, as the unclean spirit, and since God ordinarily converseth with men, not immediately but by Mediums and instruments, by men and Angels, by Ministers, and ordinances, who is so fit for this base employment, as the worst of creatures, the Devil.  
But secondly there is great reason also for it, in regard of the Saints, of the glory and crown which they shall gain by victory, A man is not crowned except he strive lawfully, 2. Tim. 2.5. Now how shall he strive if he have not an adversary, and if for a crown, he must have a great adversary in some sort proportionable to the prize; Every Saint is a soldier, as in the same chapter of Tim. ver. 3. God hath put us into the lists, he hath armed us, and given us mighty aids, we have a glorious king and Captain jesus Christ, fellow soldiers, the whole Host of Angels and Saints, and for prise a Crown of righteousness, a Crown of glory, therefore we have a mighty enemy, whose work and ministry, is to oppose, assail, and tempt, one fitted at all points for a combat, that knows all the wiles in war, and is mighty in strength, and the end is that great victories might have great glory through jesus Christ; but besides this, there are other reasons, as that this great enemy, this adversary might drive us to God, and cause us to stick close to him; God would have us always here with him in a spiritual converse, as hereafter we shall be in a personal; Nothing will make us keep our strength, as the assurance of a mighty enemy if you depart from God but a little, you are sure to be overcome. Now God that loves our company, hath form this means, to drive us to him, and there to keep us on such terms as we may not dare to depart from him.  
And thirdly that we might be kept in an humble watching, praying, that is in a holy frame; What afflictions do, that should temptations do also, because they are of an higher nature, and more considerable to us.  

The Corollaries from hence.  First, that if there be such a ministry as tempting to sin and departing from God, let the Saints bless God for their ministry which is so much otherwise, that is, both the ministry they are for, which is to serve God, to do good, to draw men to God, to incite to holiness (which is Angel's work,) and also the ministry they are under, for they are not under this evil ministry, as they are under God, and the good Angels, the wicked are so, they are in some sort subjected to it, for their good and advantage, but the ministry they properly fall under as their own, is of another kind, as we have formerly shown.  
Secondly, then wonder not that evil men are so wicked, there is a ministry upon them for that purpose, an evil spirit from the Lord is upon them, and God hath forsaken them; be not scandalised at the evil of any that is not under the ministry of God, and the holy Angels, for they are pressed and ridden by another spirit, and they cannot but go when they are so driven.  
Thirdly, take heed ye be no occasion or temptation to sin, it is the Devil's work, do not that vild work, it belongs to the Devil and his Angels; you may commit this sin amongst others, to be an occasion of others sins, though not of purpose, but through want of care and watchfulness, but take heed of this, though it be but by accident.  
Fourthly when ye see men rise to a height in wickedness, do not think they shall presently be destroyed, and sent to their place, they are cast perhaps under sure bonds, for destruction, but as the Devils, they are at liberty for service and ministry. God will use them as he doth the Devils, for base and filthy work, before he will cast them into the great deeps.  
Fifthly labour for holiness and wisdom, that ye may be fit for a ministry; The evil Angels are endued with great strength, because they have a mighty work to do, you have a ministry also, to serve God and man, to do great works, but where is your ability, labour also for holiness, that you may be mighty to work.  
Sixthly, if so good an account may be given of the Devils and their ministry, which is the worst thing in the world, doubt not but God will justify well enough all his actions to the world one day.  
Seaventhly, dread not your adversary, he shall prove your Crown.  
Eightly, since there is such a ministry to tempt and deceive, keep close to your strength, depart not from your colours, the Devil is to hard for you, if he take you alone, ye cannot fight with him in single combat, if you take yourselves from God's ordinances and ways, you will be as an excommunicate person which is delivered up to Satan, so you may deliver up yourselves.  
Ninthly, be secure on God's side, this is but a ministry, he will have the victory, and the glory, he overcomes for the present often the infirm and weak will of man, but the power and grace of God never: Consider that his power is from God, and his ministry is for him, in those that perish he is the mighty minister of God, for their destruction; the skirmishes he obtains of the Saints, he shall have little cause to boast of at last, when he shall see those Saints, filling the seats of the wicked, and fall'n Angels, so as for God's manifestative glory he shall serve to advance it, aswell as all the other piece of the creation, for his essential it is above his reach, or that of any creature.  
You have seen the ministry of the evil Angels, it will not be amiss in pursuit of it, to consider, how far they mingle themselves with temptations, and whether they be the cause and Author of all, or of all sin.  
It seems temptations goes before sin, as the cause before the effect, jam. 1.14.15. Every one when he is tempted is drawn away of his own lusts, and lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin. Therefore:  
First to state aright the case of sin, and then consider how far he tempts.  
How ever immediately or properly the Devil may concur in the point of temptation, yet he ever concurres remotely, in respect of the sin committed, for between the temptation of the Devil, and sin, there ever mediates or goes between, cogitation or thought, in which the temptation properly and formally lies, so as he may be an effectual cause of temptation but not of sin, for he may necessitate a man to feel a temptation, but not to consent to it. The Devil may represent such an object to us, but he cannot constrain us to be taken with it, to close with it: The Devil when he temps us, he doth not bind us, or altogether hinder the use of reason, for though he may have an ability naturally to do it, it is not ordinarily permitted him, or if it be permitted him, then properly and formally, he doth not tempt to sin, but inflicts by God's permission, some evil of punishment upon us, by which our power of sinning, for the present is taken away, which cannot be without an ability of reasoning or working freely: To which we may add, that as the Devil cannot work in our wills, the consent of sin, as being the next total and efficient cause, (for that were to destroy the liberty, and life of the will, which is to be free and to move freely,) as he cannot do this wholly, so neither as a partial or half cause to operating immediately with our will, bending and moving of it, for even this is a branch of God's prerogative, and exceeds the sphere of all created capacity; the will is independent upon all created power, both in its operation and in its being, and is out of the natural power of all the Angels, only God the first cause of all things, can concur with the free acts of the will, and nevertheless preserve its liberty, he can bend it, and frame it, and reach it, as free and as immaterial as it is.  
Then first thy perdition is of thyself, 
Coral.  oh Israel, it is thy cursed will that strikes the stroke for sin, which all the Devils in hell could not do; men will be impure, they will be covetous, they choose to do evil, that is it which strikes the stroke, lay no more upon the Devil than is his due, he cannot force your will, and it is will wherein your sin lies, the less voluntary any thing is, the less sin, nay he cannot cooperate immediately with your will, he cannot bend nor move it to assent to the understanding, the will and the deed is not from him: Let every sin then humble us for the will that is in it, and know that the strength of sin lies in the will, as that is gained, as that assents, more or less.  
Secondly, bless God that hath preserved you this liberty, and hath left to himself only, that power over you make good your liberty against the Devil, and call in God to your aid, beseech him that can, to bend and move you, and since he hath not subjected you necessarily, do not you subject yourselves voluntarily. Glory over the Devil in this behalf, and make good your ground, which all the power and art he hath, can never gain, unless you will.  
For the second point, whether the Devil can concur to the temptation of all sin, some have thought, that there would have been no sin, without the temptation of the Devil, and that there can be none; but to make the Devil so necessary to all temptations, as that they cannot be without him, I see no reason for though there were no temptation, from without, original corruption were sufficient to raise temptations to provoke to ill, Every one is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own concupiscence or lust, and enticed, jam. 1.14. So Math. 15.19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, that is, it is a bubbling spring, a fountain for the worst streams: Also, considering how ready we are to kindle and to receive fire from every spark, without the Devil or any rational tempter, sensible objects may betray us, The lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life, something of this nature is that which drowns worldly men in perdition, and destruction, and creates that conflict between the flesh and the spirit in the Saints, Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusteth against the flesh, so that we cannot do the things that we would; by reason of this opposite stream, of this contrary power, we are interrupted in our working; And besides, sensible objects which work upon corruptions within us, which are apt to receive flame and burn, there are the ill counsels of wicked men, and we may add over and above, that without the foment of original lust and without an extrinsecall tempter, man might have sinned even in the state of pure nature, why not aswell as the Angels, which had no tempter, nor Devil to fall upon them, which were in their pure naturals. And they which received so easily a temptation from without, as our first parents, might perhaps have sinned without it; Therefore without all question, if we speak of the possible of what may be, men may sin without the temptation of the Devil: But now de facto, the Devil usually, hath a part in all temptations, he finds matter in us, and he works upon it, therefore there are not many temptations, in which the Devil is alone, without us, and I should think there are fewer, in which we are without the Devil. And therefore the Fathers were used to say, when you think or do any evil thing, it is without all question, that ye have a malignant Angel exhorting you to it; Also when you speak idly or do any evil thing, it is the Devil's counsel, but do we not find the Scripture frequent in this? The Devil put it into the heart of judas to betray Christ, joh. 13.2. So Acts 5.3. Why hath Satan put it into thy heart to lie. So joh. 8.44. Christ blames them for being enemies to the truth, and for being liars, but he wonders not at it, for he tells them the Devil is powerful with them, and there is a confirmed relation between him and them, ye are of your Father the Devil, and the lusts of your Father you will do, which may be said of other sins, aswell as of lying; so Christ said to Peter, get thee behind me Satan: he knew Satan was in that carnal piece of policy, and so Paul speaking to married people, bids them not be long asunder, but come together again lest Satan tempt them for their incontinency. What? Was there not flesh and blood in them, and corrupt affections enough, to make them incontinent? Yes. But they wrestle not only against flesh and blood, as in the text, but against principalities and powers, against the Devil in all his strength and power, even in these things, wherein flesh and blood, assail us also. So Satan provoked David to number the people, 1. Chron. 21.1. which we would have thought to have proceeded from nothing more, then from the pride of life, and to have been a branch of it, yet the Scripture lays it to the charge of Satan; now besides these Scripture expressions this mingling and joining in all temptations, may be supposed easily, in reason, by them which shall consider the innumerable numbers of the Devils, which are ministering spirits for that purpose, (as I told you before,) when ye shall also consider the infinite hatred they bear to God and man, which invites them with all diligence, and endeavour to fulfil this ministry, so as they have no intermission, no vacant time from this work, the Devil's Emissaries, (wicked men) how busy are they? They can not sleep except they cause some to sin, they turn every stone, and leave no means unattempted, but the Devil himself needs no sleep, nor rest, he is not clogged with a body, to weary him, he hath no other employment to distract him, no food or raiment to provide, to interrupt him, so as he may mind his proper work, and indulge to his proper lusts, which is to dishonour God, by abusing man, and therefore he is ever at leisure either to offer temptations, and begin them which he doth very often, or when any bubbling is of our own corruptions, or occasion offered from without, he is at hand and at leisure, he hath heart and hand ready to join, to sharpen the temptation, and to give it those points it wants, to make it most taking; So as though possibly man may sin, without the immediate temptation of the Devil, as hath been showed, yet it is not improbable, that the Devil, out of the abundance of his malice, & solicitousnes to hurt, doth concur actually, ordinarily, to all temptations, and so to all the sins of men, and makes good the words of Peter, who says, That our adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour: All this is that ye may know which are the Devil's parts, and which ours, and how far he can go, and when he stops, which is a proper part of this discourse.  
But if you ask and inquire now of the method, 
Obj.  and whether usually have the start in raising and beginning those temptations, our own corruptions or the Devil?  
There is nothing certain, 
Ans.  or assured in this, but there is ordinarily a variation, with Evah it was apparent the Devil began, with Christ, it was necessary he should begin, and end, for there was nothing in him, to fasten temptations upon; with judas also it is clear he began, the Devil put it into his heart, and very ordinarily, according as he is wise and diligent he begins with us, not only in those temptations which men say to be properly from the Devil, namely in things sudden, independent, and unnatural, (which yet for aught I know, may often have their birth in original corruption) but also he begins in our most ordinary and natural lustings, and that either mediately, by presenting the objects of lust, or passion, or by stirring and moving the humours of the body, that the body may be more fitly disposed, to be moved by the object, or else immediately, joining some internal persuasions, and reasonings to the motion of the object, which may more easily lead and facilitate us, to the consenting to such a lust or inordinary. It may also be on the other side, that corruption moving freely, and of itself, the Devil may adjoin himself, as he will neglect no probable occasion, to promote his work, and it is possible that some motions, may escape him without his concurrence.  
For though he be wise and watchful, yet neither doth he foresee all future things, nor perhaps doth he consider all present things, instantly, and assoon as ever they are in act, especially such as give the least impression upon the fancy or some of the fences, which may be supposed rather of more transcient acts, of thought, of sudden and passing things, then of any thing of greater moment which lies longer in thy mind, and are premeditated, it is most probable the Devil is never wanting to them. Thus you see how he stirs in sin, and how he mingles himself with temptations, which is according to Scripture, and the sense and experience of our own heart.  

Coral.  From that therefore which hath been said in the first part of the second point (viz.) that our own corruptions can furnish us with temptations, though there were no Devil; Let us be sensible of the miserable condition we are in, and cry out of the body of death, we carry about us as Paul did, and learn to keep the avenues against all lusts, which may find away to us by our senses, by the example of others and by ill company aswell as the Devil; watch our hearts, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, etc. The Devil could hurt us no more than he did Christ, if he had no more matter in us, subdue corruptions, mortify lusts, and the Devil wants so much footing, the fire is ours always though the flame be his, quench the fire▪ take away the subject matter, and then ye defeat and vex him, as he doth you with his wiles.  
But than secondly see the need of watching, ye fight not against flesh and blood, ye have a nature that you cannot stand before without a special assistance, that yields without a blow, or with an easy touch, and we have a Devil able to add strength to the bluntest weapon, to stir up corruption, where they are, most mortified, who is sufficient for these things for this combat.  
Fly to Christ to the Lion of the tribe of judah, to resist for you this Roaring Lyon.  
Thirdly in our watching think much of the Devil, have him evermore in our eye, and by knowing his nature, wiles, and methods, and his ministry what he doth in the world, he instructed for him, as for an enemy, set him up as a But to shoot against; But in our confessions, charge only ourselves, Acts 5.3. Peter said to Annanias, why hath Satan filled thy heart, he chargeth him, reasons it out with him, not with the Devil, it was an evasion in Evah to excuse herself by the temptation of the Devil, and in Adam by Evah, therefore the charge of sin is ours, not the Devils.  
We have last insisted upon these two heads, what influence the Devil had upon sin, and then secondly, what influence he had upon temptations, and how he usually concurred in tempting, whether no temptations were without him, and how he either begins, or joins with us in them for the several manner or ways of conveying his temptations to us, either by presenting sensible objects, or by speaking to us, from without as the Devil did to Evah, and doth to many in apparitions, or by applying himself to our fancies, by an inward commotion of our humours, and stirring of the phantasms, these with the like it will not be needful to repeat again, but refer you to what I delivered, concerning the good Angels in the former part of this discourse.  
But before we finish this head of their ministry, there is one thing more which would be touched: How those ministeries are distributed, and whether there be Devils appropriated to such vices or to such persons: Some have thought that some ranks or kinds of Devils, have been to tempt, to pride, others to lust, others to covetousness, &c, as being called in some places a lying spirit, in other a seducing spirit, in others a spirit of fornication, etc. But it seems not necessary that these spirits should be ever divers, but that the same may do several things, in divers times, and may from the effects on the world gain those names; nor is there any such distinction in the good Angels, but the Angel keepers, as you have heard before, promote to all good, oppose all evil; So the same Devil tempted Christ to many several things, to distrust in God, and to worship him; So jobs Devil had power, not only over his cattle, and children, but his body also; And besides, all the evil Angels, have knowledge, power, and will enough, to tempt to all vices, and as much, as in them is, they will lose no opportunity, to vent their malice and hurt us, therefore others distinguish their ministry according to the object of it, Persons, and States, and Societies, and therefore quote those places of Dan. 8.20.21. where mention is made of the Kings of Persia and Greecia, which opposed Michael their Prince, and understand also that place so, of 2. Cor. 12.7. There was given unto me the messenger of Satan to buffet me, and that curse, Psal. 109.6. Let Satan stand at his right hand; and the liberty the Devil obtained upon job, which are still supposed to be certain peculiar Devils, set out by Satan their Prince for that particular ministry, to such a person or state, though they must beg leave of God for the execution; This is not improbable, for Satan hath ever been the ape of God, and there is no doubt of his will for this method, (which he sees so advantageous for the Saints in the other ministry, of which we have spoken,) if his power fail him not; Now if he have instruments enough and God permit it, there is no doubt of his power, and where God permits him to tempt, he will sure permit him to use the best methods, and of the other, (to wit,) that he wants not instruments, there is as little doubt; the host of heaven was great, and there were Angels enough that fell, to conflict with all men, Satan could spare a legion for one man, to do a great work.  
Consider the difference between the Saints, 
Coral.  and the wicked, in the point of temptation, I showed you before that the Saints, and only they, have good Angels for their Guardians, Heb. 1.14. The Devil doth not fail to allot them evil Angels also; But what becomes of the wicked? an evil spirit is upon them, and God is not with them; this shows first the excellent condition of the Saints, and the difference between them and the reprobates; The Saints lie bound under the decree of God, under the ministry of Angels; the wicked are exposed as a prey to the Devil already.  
But secondly let this difference in our state cause a difference in our working, and resisting, it should be a shame for the Saints to fall, and fail as do the wicked, alas they have not those aides, those sights and visions, those contrary whisper; where is the good Angels that should conflict with the other, they want the contrary principle, they want the external helps, they have some dark sights of God, some whisper of conscience, though in great sins a louder speaking, but they want the spirit, the good Angels a new nature, therefore in these respects, the sins of holy men, are capable of greater aggravations than the wickeds are, and God is more displeased with them, they are not left to the wide world, they have custodes, and testes morum, those which are witnesses of their manners and keepers, also, God is at the charge of giving them, tutors, and governor's, great and holy guards, they must break many cords, many bonds, before they can reach a sin; Let this consideration strengthen us, and begirt us to holiness, and incite us to pity, and help wicked men, which that we may do the more, and may more fully fall under our governor's, and tutors given us by God, and may see reason why we should not sin as do others: Let us consider a little out of the Scripture how exceedingly the wicked fall under the Devil beyond what the Saints do, by the decree and permission of God, Eph. 2.2. In them he works (says he) that is efficatiously, he works his will in all the pieces of disobedience. Also 2. Cor. 4.3.4. Our gospel is hid to them that are lost, whose minds the God of this world hath blinded. So 2. Tim. 2.26. they are said to be taken captive by him at his will; he hath them in a string, he can drive them to any madness, or folly to oppose the truth, as in the preceding verse, though it be clearer than the day, or any other thing. Therefore else where Satan is called The God of this world, and the wicked, the children of the Devil, who fall under his laws, easily and naturally as children do, now none of these things is spoken of the Saints. Why? because they are under another God, another Tutor, other Guardians, he hath neither that power nor those means of deriving it, if Satan stand at our right hand, our good Angel stands there also; if the Devil use all his arts, God hath his methods also; Therefore let it be no matter of our glory, that we are not as the wicked are, but of our shame, that we come near them in any measure, and of our glorying and praise to God, who hath put us in the other predicament, where though you have the Devil who assaults us with all violence, yet he prevails not, because you have God and the good Angels to oppose him.  
In the next place under this head of the Devil's ministry for temptation, we may consider which way he lays himself out towards mankind (that is) toward the Saints, and others, for though his power be limited towards some more than others the temptations in respect of the subject matter of them, the things to which he tempts are the very same.  
He will venture upon the Saints, even the greatest things, though perhaps in some difference of method, that we may see by his temptations to Christ, and the reason is, because he is not ever assured, who is a Saint, and who is not, they may be of his own; And because a little ground gained of them, is a great victory, and because if as sometimes he doth he can bring them very low, he makes Trophies, and glories in their blood and shame very much.  
To handle this at large were to make a treaty of temptations, (which I at all intent not in this subject) for as I told you, there is scarce any temptation, with which the Devil mingles not, but to point at some heads only which the Scripture mentions, or experience.  
And first, as greatest haters of God, and his glory the Devils oppose with all their might the worship of the great God, and in order to this, they would hinder the knowledge of him, they would eclipse the light, with the greatest and thickest darkness, how much they are in this, appears in that bold tempting of Christ, when the devil durst venture upon a motion of worshipping him, in plain terms, and offered all for it: This all ancient and modern stories witness, the first thing the Devil makes out for amongst his, is an alienation from God, and a shaped and form worship to himself, for which purpose he hath his assemblings, where he appears personally, as appears by the confession of many hundreds: And therefore Antichrist his eldest son, whose coming is after the working of Satan, 2. Thess. 2.9. (that is, who works even as Satan works he doth the like) ver. 4. He opposeth and exalteth himself above God, so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God: So as now to be of his party, is to be of Satan's party, to obey him, is to obey the Devil; let them consider this who are bold to vary in doctrine or worship, from the word of God, they fall under a mighty temptation of the Devil, it is his most natural temptation, they strike at the root of all obedience, that strike at the rule, which is the head of worship, this is to draw men clearly and immediately from God, let us advance the glory of God; and the worship of God, so ye shall be fighters against Satan, as the others are fighters against God, think the promoting of the knowledge of God; and the worship of God, to be the greatest service you can do to God, and the greatest head you can make against the Devil.  
Secondly as I told you formerly, they are the greatest enemies of Christ and the gospel, which was in all likelihood the occasions of their fall, He shall bruise thy heel, was prophesied of him of old, that is, he can go no higher, but what ever he can, he shall do. Before Christ came he opposed the believing of the Messiah, laboured in his instrument to destroy the whole nation of the jews, by Antiochus; when he was borne would have destroyed him by Herod, Math. 2. Fell fiercely upon him in the wilderness, took him at an advantage, carries himself, so in every respect that Christ calls him the enemy: The enemy came and sowed tares, Math. 13.39. And as at other times more grossly, so amongst the Saints more refinedly, he opposeth gospel-worship, gospel-preaching, would mingle some things of work and merit, with the free doctrine of justification, some thing of doubt, and slavish fear, with the free glorying in our portion, with joy unspeakable and glorious, some thing of pomp or slavery with the free, and simple government, and administration of the worship, and discipline of Christ, so as pure and naked gospel is little known, or preached by the ministers and professors of it.  
Therefore what the Devil abaseth, 
Coral.  let us exalt, let us desire to know nothing but jesus Christ and him crucified; Let Christ in the Kingdom of Christ be all in all; Let us believe, though we be nothing, let us rejoice, though we be worse than nothing in ourselves, that is, to make good the gospel, that is, to resist the Devil, let worship be administered according to the rule, though it want pomp and applause, and let the power of the gospel appear in changing our natures, in healing our lusts, Grace came by Christ; let the notion of gratefulness work in us, as effectually as that of merit, let the love of God in Christ be strong as death, let his dying love constrain us to live to him, who died for us, this is to magnify the gospel, which the Devil would depress; if you believe strongly, if you rejoice strongly, if you work strongly, from gospel principles and notions, than ye destroy the Devil, than you oppose Christ's enemy; I beseech you, let us do it under this head: Do I not hate them that hate thee, (saith David;) Christ hath many enemies, which should be all hateful to us, but he hath none like the Devil (as I have showed you) therefore he came to destroy him: The fairest ground of contention that you will ever have with the Devil will be this, that he is the mortal or rather the immortal enemy of jesus Christ, if you oppose him under this notion, you will draw Christ nearest you for assistance, and fight a battle in the strength of love, and whilst you have your head, you will secure the body and every member, this is to put another notion in to the conflict, not only to secure ourselves from lusts, but to save Christ, therefore live according to pure gospel, because the Devil opposeth it, we have thought that to be assured or to rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, were only to do good to ourselves, that is the least in it, to a mind well-formed, the returns are Christ's, the glory is Christ's, and the Devil (feels every blow) who is Christ's enemy, and the enemy, God hath set you up, with whom you ought to make good a war and to contend for ever, as we shall see hereafter.  
Thirdly, next to Christ, and the natural and Genuine doctrine of the gospel, the Devil excerciseth this ministry especially against the Churches of Christ, and the Ministers and teachers of them, (who are the guides, and lights,) and members also, either by persecution or dissension; How hath the Churches been harrowed not only of old by the Assyrians, Chaldeans, etc. But in the primitive times, by the romans, in all their persecutions, and the Turks; now this the Scripture calls the Devil's casting men into prison, Rev. 2.10. All persecutions, burnings, imprisonment, the Devils have done it, Kings and Princes hath but lent their hands; That which the Devil did to joshua, Zach. 3.1. Stood at his right hand to resist him, that the Devil doth generally to all those that would serve God in the ministry of the gospel: So Paul: We would have come unto you, (saith he) but Satan hindered, this their acts and Epistles show how he would have destroyed their ministry; Then he corrupts teachers, Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light, 2. Cor. 11.13.14.15. by whose means men give heed to the doctrine of Devils, 1. Tim. 4.1. he falls upon the membres also, pursues them like a roaring Lion, 1. Pet. 5.8. Accusing them before God day and night, Rev. 12.10. First draws them into sin the cause of God's hatred, and then labours to fasten upon them the effects; this he doth amongst men over whom he reigns draws them into murders & witcheryes, and then discovers them, but his usual care in the Church is, to divide and scatter, that he may reign alone, by difference of judgements, distracting affections: God is love, and love is the only cement of communion; The Devil therefore, which is the enemy, with all his might breaks those walls, loosens this cement, that there may not one stonely upon another till all be destroyed.  
Let us therefore tread the contrary paths, learn the rule from the obliquity, aswell as the obliquity from the rule; It is warrant enough for us to resist what Satan promotes.  
In pursuit of that great piece of the Devil's ministry which lies in temptation, having showed formerly what influence he had upon sin, and what influence upon, and concurrence with temptations, we came in the last place to show, how those ministeryes were distributed according to vices, or persons, which when we had made use of, we came to discover to you some of the Devil's marches, in his most ordinary and high ways, that is, the great and general snares he leads men into such as seize upon most men eminently, and to their assured ruin, and with which the Saints are so clogged as they are rendered unwieldy, less expedite, and fit for service, they drive slowly, and oftentimes fall scandalously, though they rise again: We will pursue two or three of those points more, and so conclude this head, in which I purpose not to be large.  
Another effectual head of temptation, by which the Devil labours to drown men in perdition, is the lusts of the flesh. Peter admonisheth to abstain from fleshly lusts, because they war against the Soul; The Devil knows it well, and therefore fights against that part, by those weapons, Our bodies are the Lords, and therefore we should serve him in body as in spirit; but fleshly lusts though they seems to be especially in the body, yet in truth they move circularly, from the soul to the soul, Out of the heart comes fornications, etc. And when they have passed the body and come to the heart again, the soul is rendered monstrously adulterous and unclean, so that as the soul is pander to the body, so on the other side the body is vexed and harrowed, beyond its natural desires, beyond what it would have to satisfy an unclean and filthy mind, which appears plainly in this, that the debordments and excesses of no beasts, are so great as those of mankind, in bodily things, because neither the reason of bodily pleasures, or any other consideration, calls for so much excess, as the satisfaction of a soul, made unclean, and unpure doth, and therefore where such lust's reign, and are in their excesses, a thousand bodies would not be sufficient for the drudgery that a lustful mind would put them to, such lusts have no mean, but not to be, such minds besides other inconveniences labour extremely under this unhappiness, that they conflict continually with impossibilities, because their desires run still higher, and their lusts have enlarged them to a sphere, and capacity that no body nor bodily thing can reach or fill; How contrary this is to God and his holy Spirit, besides other things, two things show, one is that he pretends to be our spouse, and hath married us to himself in holiness and righteousness, suitable to which bond, and excellent alliance, there is a series of spiritual lustings; proportionable to the soul, the subject of them, and to God the object of them, which should lead both body and soul captive to an holy and intimate converse with so great and excellent a husband, whose comeliness should always be in our eye, and whose beauties should ever inflame our hearts, to whom we should be holy, that is, separate, both in body and spirit, 1. Cor. 7.34. whose loves draw out our affections strongly, but orderly, whose converse fills our mind and enlargeth it altogether, which is health to our navel, and marrow to our bones, quite contrary to the effects of other lustings, which give men occasion to mourn at last, when their flesh and their body are consumed, Prov. 5.11. Now for this excellent spirit to be outbid, by so base and harlotry love, that can make no satisfying returns to have a spirit stolen from him, and laid under chains, for these lustings are deep pits, out of which only an almighty spirit can rescue, to be cast of, as not fair or not worthy, cannot but be deep in God's heart.— Manet altâ repostum judicium Paridis spraetaeque injuria forma.  
In a word to espouse the Devil his enemy by the mediation of filthy and base lustings, it is no wonder that men are abhorred of the Lord, when they thus fall, Prov. 22.14.  
Another thing that shows how hateful these lustings are to God, is that these fleshly lusts, in that branch properly called uncleanness, are made the greatest punishment of the greatest sins, Rom. 1. from ver. 21. to 28. If you ask me how I entitle the Devil to this, besides what was said in the beginning of this head, (that the Devil who shoots at the soul, knows those lust's ruin it, and therefore useth this great engine against it,) first how can you make a more proper match then between the unclean spirit, and those lusts, which are properly styled by God himself uncleaunesse in the abstract, as being of all others most eminently unclean and impure; besides look upon men the Devil acts and possesseth most fully and immediately, their God is their belly, they fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind, which is engaged as deep as the body is in these lustings, and evil affections, 2. Eph. 2.3. and not to prosecute this further, it is extremely observable that where the Devil keeps open court, reigns personally, and absolutely, as he doth amongst infinite numbers in this world, though we are not acquainted with such assemblings, therein all beastly shapes and manners, he doth subject them to the actual commission, of what ever we call uncleanness, although oftentimes greatly contrary to their wills and desires, that suffer such things from him, but the bond of their obedience is strict, and they can refuse nothing, who have subjected their necks to that yoke, this, innumerable and joint confessions of witches and sorcerers, accord upon, of which I could give you account enough upon as good record as story can give us of any thing, although, which also we may consider, the Devils are altogether uncapable of any pleasure, from such fleshly acts, who as being spirits, have neither flesh nor bones nor blood, they do it only to debase mankind, and by the most sensual lusts which fight against the soul, to keep them at the greatest distance, from spiritual, and heavenly employments, by which only the human nature is perfected and improved.  
To conclude this besides what hath been said already, the Scripture saith expressly, that not only in general amongst mankind, but even in the Church, and therefore considerable to us all; It is Satan which tempts men for their incontinency, 1. Cor. 7.5. And it is from him that the younger women wax wanton against Christ, and turn after Satan, 1. Tim. 5.11.15. so as there is cause enough to entitle Satan to this high way of perdition, to these lusts of the flesh that fight against the soul, and therefore cause enough for us to watch, him and ourselves in this high way of perdition, in which every step we take is a departing from Christ our spouse, to follow Satan, for the Scripture calls it a turning after Satan; Men are apt to think that it is but a turning after their loves, a turning after pleasures, but besides which you leave which is Christ your husband, you follow indeed Satan in that disguise which should keep us at the greatest distance, in every degree or step that way.  
A fifth beaten path of the Devil is Pride, the pride of life you may know that to be the Devil's way, from which God calls you of so earnestly and so effectually: first by his denouncements against the proud and pride, Pride goeth before destruction, Prov. 16.18. as the herbenger or usher that makes way, a man acted and filled with pride, is upon the very brink of the precipice of ruin, he is dropping into destruction, God delights to debase every one that is proud, he doth but stay, till they are proud enough, that they may be more capable of ruin, and destruction, that they may fall deeper. Therefore when pride cometh, then cometh shame, Prov. 11.2. and they come both together, pride only hath the upperhaud; Will you see how God sets himself against this evil, job 26.12. By his understanding he smiteth through the proud: He divideth the sea with his power, as it is said before, but employs his wisdom and understanding to smite through proud men, that is, to do it most assuredly, to do it most seasonably for their ruin; so Prov. 16▪ 5. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Nothing proud men, look after more then to be had in esteem, and in honour, to be admired, and to be to others the objects of their envies, and the measure of their wishes, the rule and model of their actions, but saith he, He is an abomination to the Lord, that men are which they are to God, and that they shallbe within a while, to all the world, that is, they shallbe a loathing and an abhorring, and therefore the things which they would establist shallbe scattered, & the houses they would build shallbe pulled down, for so says Mary; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, Luk. 1.51. that is, there is a concentration of thoughts, castles that men build for themselves, the imaginations, the thoughts of men's hearts drive to some height, to some high mark, or But, suitable to the fountain from whence they flow, a proud heart, and when they have wrought them up to a due height and proportion, and look for the product or result of all, then God comes as with a whirlwind, and scatters them, and shows how ill compacted every building is, how loosely it is laid, which is form without him, so for the other place which I hinted, the Lord will destroy the house of the proud, as it is Prov. 15.25. that is, not only their works in design as before, but their works in issue and effect; God may permit some designs to come to issue, they may build houses and get possessions, but they shallbe destroyed, it is a thing of no assurance like a building on the sand, either their foundations shall fail them, or from heaven the Lord shall thunder upon them, as Hanna says in her song, 1. Sam. 2.10. which is a proper way of destroying, and pulling down proud men, and things, which lift up their head to heaven, but saith he in the same vers. He will establish the border of the widow, that is, a widow which being desolate and afflicted trusts in God; as it is elsewhere, widows who of all other lie exposed enough to injury, that have no great projects of their own, no limits, or borders, but of Gods making, and little power to defend themselves and theirs from assaults and ruin, God will establish them, says he, the Lord will be their keeper, and then they need not fear, there is no fence so good, as what is of Gods making, he hath bounded the sea by an invisible bound, his word, but no bounds are like it, so if he make a hedge about any, about his house and his ways, nothing shallbe able to touch him, and this leads me to the other part, that blessed part, which of all other graces is the foundation, the corner stone to happiness, and blessedness, and that is humility, when God would bring his Son into the world, he brought him in the most himble posture; his condition, his spirit, and his work, were all of a low and humble edition, and whereas it may be said, that this was for our sakes and part of his sufferings for sin, not so only, but especially and particularly, that, as of all other things, so of this grace also he might be to us the great instance and pattern, and therefore himself says, Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest, that which all the world seeks after but none find, but such as are in that condition; so Phil. 2.5.6. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. That is, whither ever his work or condition lead him, into what ever abasement, into what ever lowness, thither his mind easily carried him, therefore saith he, Let this mind be in you; It may be you shall not be lead into such extremities, into such lownes, (for he drank deep, yet the Saints are laid low often,) how ever let the mind be in you, have a ready mind, a mind prepared, there is nothing fits so for all kinds of work and communion for doing and suffering, as such a mind, for want of which, either we are not lead into opportunities of glorifying God, or we lose them, and soil them, and make nothing of them: Besides this (than which we cannot frame a greater argument,) how is this frame commended to us by God, who best knows what is best for us, and what best pleaseth him; He tells you that he giveth grace to the humble, jam. 4.6. That he will dwell with the humble even as in heaven, Isa. 57.15. where he will display his beams for comfort and joy, that he may revive their spirit and make them live, the truth is, men are seldom empty enough for Gods filling, nor humble enough for his revivings, which is the reason why we have no more of this heavenly influence, but are fain to spin our joys out of our own bowels, as the spider doth her web, and with contracted and bowed shoulders, to bear our burdens, which a little influence from God would make exceeding light, he tells you all the ill he sends, is but to humble you, and he is forced to do it, that he may do you good, Deut. 8.16. he tells you that if you will be pleased with any of his works, with news from heaven, you must be humble. The humble shall see this and be glad, Psal. 69.32. that is, what God works in the earth, if you be not humble, you shall not live, to see it, or have eyes to see it, and the humble shall hear thereof and be glad, Psal. 34.2. great things are done and no notice taken of them, because men are not humble. The way to take in the comforts and the joys from the works God doth, or the Saints do in the world, is to be humble, for proud men mind themselves to much, to consider God or others, not to multiply more places, would you be great in any respect, Prov. 15.33. Before honour is humility, and Prov. 22.4. By humility and the fear of the Lord, is riches and honour, and life: If God have destined you for these things, that is the gate you must enter at, would you be great in the kingdom of heaven, take it in what capacity you will, Math. 18.4. Whosover shall humble himself as a little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of heaven; But you will say how comes the Devil into this charge, first as he comes into all sins especially such as are great and crying, what ever draws much from God, or what ever God draws from much, that is, of the Devil, but so is pride, as you have heard.  
Another way by which we shall entitle the Devil to this march of pride, is contention, Prov. 13.10. Only by pride cometh contention, the meaning is, by pride alone, that is, pride alone is sufficient of itself without any other reason, to cause the greatest contentions; for instance, men are not apt to fall into quarrels and contentions, unless distempered by drink, or that they have their passions stirred up by injury, or are distempered, or provoked, some way or other, but pride alone makes men quarrelsome, and contentious to the utmost, and therefore Psal. 10.2. the wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor; the poor middles not with him, hurts him not, but he is proud, that is enough, and having advantage over him, being on the higher ground, he pursuis it. So what mighty reproaches and revile Moab, and the children of Ammon laid upon the people of God, by which means they contended with them, appears Zeph. 2.8. Now this, God gives merely to their pride, and therefore when in the 9 verse, he threatens the cruelest desolations to them, he adds ver. 10. this shall they have for their pride, their pride was enough to entitle them to all, that injury, and to all that punishment. It was pride that caused contention amongst the Apostles, their disputations and their strife, who should be the greatest, Marc. 9.34. that pride was the disease, appears because humility was the remedy, ver. 36.37. Also Math. 18.1.2.3. where Christ tells them that except they be humble as little children, they shall neither be first nor second, they shall not go to heaven at all, ver. 3. Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven; and if there be any preeminency, pride obstructs the way to it; It is humility that opens the door, ver. 4. Whoso ever shall humble himself, as a little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of God; it is not he that puts for place shall have it, but he that stays till he be called: But it were well, if our contentions ended with others, if that were the bounds of them, do we not contend with ourselves, our conditions, and with God every day; Let a man's condition be never so good, never so encompassed with mercies, pride alone raiseth a contention, picks a quarrel, that is, that alone is sufficient to do it, if there were nothing else. Why are we not contented, why are we not well, when we have enough, or to much, do you know what makes the contention, it is pride, ye have food and raiment, ye have not the least part of mercies, ye have not the greatest part of afflictions; what is the matter why do ye contend, why do you walk heavily and dejectedly, it is pride, pride only, or pride alone can do it, can set you as fiercely upon your condition and upon God, as upon your brother, or your neighbour, yea when there is no cause at all; It's a glass that extenuates goods, and multiplies ills, and which is more than any glass can do, finds them where they are not at all, this as I told you of lust is a most boundless thing, and will send you to impossibilities for satisfaction; for let no man think, it lies in the power of his condition to make him happy, pride will outrun it faster than it can possibly flow in upon him, and which is more, pride multiplies with the flowing in, as fire increaseth by fuel; consider therefore when you contend with your condition, when you are not satisfied with your estate, it might possibly have been greater or larger, or fairer, or in a word otherwise, nay when you do not walk cheerfully and thankfully and contentedly in what you have, (for that failing is of the same root, and spring) than you contend with God, you murmur against God, and this a love from pride, properly and only from pride, for the judge of all the world cannot but do justly; God cannot hurt you, cannot injure, or provoke you, as another may, all your contentions with your conditions and so with God, are only from pride; now I beseech you who is the great Author and fomenter of contention, but the Devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the calumniatour, one that breeds ill blood, that doth calumniate and accuse night and day; he doth not only accuse us to God, but God to us, he accused God to Evah, he told her they should be as Gods, knowing good and evil, this temptation took, now he intimated that God made that restraint out of envy, because he would have none so great and so happy as himself, and therefore there was not so much love in giving you liberty to eat of the other trees, as there was envy and ill will in restraining you from this, For God knoweth, etc. And he accused job to God, doth job serve God for nought? A great part of his trains are spent, in sowing dissensions, in making breaches, in multiplying wrath where it is conceived, in boiling it up to revenge, and then effecting it, and therefore there is nothing, he trains up his more in, then in contentions, and ways of revenging themselves, to the utmost, the power of effecting which is ordinarily the reward, his sworn vassals get for the slaving, and alienation of their souls and bodies; to conclude, he is the true king over all the children of pride, job 41.34. to whom it may be said as to Pilate concerning Christ, Behold your King: For pride was properly the Devil's sin, 1. Tim. 3.6. It is called the condemnation of the Devil, that is, that for which the Devil is condemned; Not a novice, least being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. This therefore was his sin, and this he multiplied and derived presently he fastened it upon Adam, to wish to be as God, knowing good and evil, and although some other sins in respect of the constitution, and temper, may bear the title of the master sin, that doth not hinder, but that in a true sense it may be said that pride is the master sin in all, it is the utmost root in original sin, that which lieth deepest in the ground, and can must hardly be reached; what are afflictions generally for, but to hide pride from man, nay, temptations are let out upon us, and sometimes corruptions, that we may not be lifted up, so it was to Paul, what ever his temptations were, the end of all was that he might not be proud and lifted up with his revelations; this therefore is the proper sin of the Devil, and hath so great a root in us, of his laying in, at first, and of his fostering ever since, we should watch him especially in, as that which hath all the evils in it, we have formerly named, and is of all other things most opposite, and contrary to our peace and comfort.  
Another march of the Devil's eminent in itself, and most dangerous and ensnaring to others, is that we call worldliness, we know the Devil is called the God of this world, and, they that will be rich, that is, they that set their hearts upon it, that propose this to themselves, they will be rich, they will abound, they will, that is, what ever it cost them, though they break never so many hedges for it, though they tread never so many unjust or weary steps, they fall into temptation and a snare: The Devil hath them in his snares, and leads them whither he will, whither he hath a mind to lead them, 1. Tim. 6.9. Other sins have their aggravations, but this is the most earthly of all other, and in some respects, the most unworthy a man; And therefore the seat of this lust is ordinarily the basest spirits, there it hath its rise, and growth, and in order to effects, it is the root of all evil, that is, aswell as other vices, it is extremely fertile of ill, whether you consider the evil of sin, or the evil of punishment for sin, this love of riches, what will it not constrain men to, they will break all the commandments in a round for the satisfying of those lusts, what frauds, deceits, perjuryes, cruelties, murders, hatreds have been exercised for the nourishing of this lust, nay what other sins of lust and uncleanness, of the lowest and basest kind? People often subject their bodies and souls to the satisfying of this affection; And for the evil of punishment, the Apostle saith here, that they pierce themselves through with many sorrows, that is, they have a careful and sorrowful life of it, (contrary to that good Solomon speaks of, of rejoicing in their portion, and enjoying it with thanksgiving) they are full of cares, and their enjoying time comes never, for they grow poor by their riches, they extenuate that in their affection, which to their sense they abound in, when they have more than their chests or their barns can hold, their hearts tell them this is nothing: Besides they expose themselves to the greatest labours, to the greatest weariness that is imaginable, they toil by day, and they cannot rest by night, the fear of losing pierceth as much as the pain of getting, and there is no end of their travail; But there be other sorrows also, terrors of conscience, and flashings of hell, which ordinarily accompany those lustings, and are the reward and salary of their actions, besides the great evil which I have not named, that they err from the faith, for having changed their God, and set up covetousness, which is Idolatry, it's no wonder if they fall from the faith, and if not in profession, in deed, become apostates; I have wondered why this should be said of covetousness, rather than of any other vice, that is Idolatrous, nor a covetous person, which is an Idolater, Eph. 5.5. It is certain ambition, and pride and self love is idolatrous also, it is true that covetous persons worship the same things that Idolaters do, silver and gold, the Idol of the gentile are silver and gold, the work of men's hands; materially they worship the same, therefore saith Christ, ye cannot serve God and Mammon, Math 6.24. Ye cannot put your trust in the Lord and in riches, the Lord and riches cannot be your strong tower together, perhaps it may be this, that though in respect of our devotion and addresses other things may be our God, that is, we may serve them, work to them, labour to please them, so the Apostle says, their belly is their God, yet in respect of trust and confidence (which is much of the worship God hath from us) riches especially carry it away there, for the world hath got an opinion (though a very false one) that riches can do all things, therefore they vale and bow to it, and trust in it, besides because this is generally received, and men are called wise, when they do well to themselves; therefore the Apostle brands this especially with that, which is a truth also of other lustings, that in a more intense and earnest pursuit of them, Idolatry is committed; Now in this the Devil as in other things juggles with us extremely, one of the baits and snares, with which he holds those personally and professedly subjected to him, is some money they shall get, some hidden treasure, these poor captives he abuseth infinitely, and after several years' expectations of some great riches, and many diggings and minings, wherein by breaking some method, or other they fail a thousand times, they meet at last with wind in steed of gold, with that which looks like it, but proves leaves or dust when they use it. Remigius reports that of all the moneys, that the witches that fell under his examination, acknowledge to have received from the Devil, there were but three stivers proved currant, the rest were leaves, or sand, when it came to use; he doth the same in effect with all earthly men, either he deludes their hopes, they get not what they expected, he makes them labour for that he knows they shall not obtain, or deceives them in their enjoyments, they make nothing of what they possess, and it is all one, not to have and not to enjoy, in truth, that is out of his power: The comfort of things, the good of things he cannot give if he would, and he would not if he could, the Devil encourageth us to crack the nut, but God takes away the kernel, gives it to them that are good, before him; comfort and enjoyment and delight are the portion of his people, A man's life stands not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth, that is, the good and happiness of life, and therefore, A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the revenues of many wicked, Eccles. 2.26. God giveth to a man good in his sight, wisdom and knowledge and joy, that is, wisdom to pursue right things, and to go right ways to attain the end he desires, knowledge how to improove them, and joy, that is, the good and comfort of things, and life; But to the sinner he giveth travel, he giveth to gather and to heap up that he may give it to him that is good before him; they dig the mines, they plough the ground, but the Saints enjoy, they reap and gather.  

Coral.  Therefore particularly to this, let the rich man rejoice in that he is made low, and the brother of low degree, that he is exalted; that is, show them God, and heaven, convert them, and they are even presently, both are alike near God, and so comfort and happiness, that which the world pretends to, but cannot give; Godliness with contentment is great gain, that is, which gives contentment, there is the gain you look after, there is the happiness that wealth promiseth, but it is God that gives it; now a rich and a poor brother are near God alike, if the rich at least be made low, if he have learned not to trust in uncertain riches, if his pride that riches causeth be abated, and the poor brother be exalted, that is, that he sees not such a difference in respect of solid comfort, and happiness, he sees himself in as good a posture as rich men. Indeed that men are, that they are to God, and their true value is according to the proportion of their nearness to him, not to what they are to riches, to Princes, or to the great things of this world.  
So ye see these six heads wherein the Devil's great temptation lies, from whence we have deducted some Corollaries, we proceed to one or two more drawn in general from that which hath been said.  
And first ye see hence the drudgery of the Devil, 
Coral.  God's work and the Devils, carries wages in their mouth in those paths we have run over, there is nothing but deceit and falsehood, a man is cozened, his nature is debased, and to judge a right, the reward of sinning is not only in another life, and in this life by afflictions, but the very sinning is misery enough, to be defiled and made filthy by lust, to be puffed up and swollen by pride, to be made earthly and base by worldly mindedness, to follow the Devil in all, how miserable how vild is it, how debasing to man's nature? Let the children of the Devil, the peoples, the disciples of the Devil glory in their portion, we know it is their shame, they boast in their liberty, they have no ties or bonds, but we know that to whom men obey, of the same they are brought in bondage; now they obey the Devil, for they do his works, they fulfil his lusts; On the other side, let not us fail to glory in our condition, and to improove it, how sweet is our portion, the trains the ways of God are pleasant, all his ways are pleasant, and all his paths prosperity, to have natural desires, which exceed not their bound and liberty to satisfy them, without the fire, the scald, the Itch of lusts, to have a spirit so great by meekness, and humility, as it is above those ills, it seems most to fall under, to be below envye, for the world sees not your riches, nor your greatness, and above misery and shame, to have a spirit so meekned as it cannot break, again to be above your condition what ever it is, and to use it, to possess your estate, and not to be possessed by it, to look on money as a servant of the lowest form, to pity them that Idolyze it, and to improove more your little by enjoyment, than they do their riches by looking on it and Idolising of it. Again to go further into the consideration of what we said before, and see how you outstrip them for another life, in knowing and loving that which they ignorantly persecute, in having your assurance in God, whereas they have none at all, nor in any thing; I could be large here in the comparison of our service and our way, which should be the object of our joy and rejoicing, when ever we think of it, and think of it we should often, for that purpose: For since God hath made the miserable condition of the wicked, a foil to the love of his elect, we should do so also, and run over by way of comparison, the heads and grounds of our comfort, but I shall rather in the second place  

Coral.  Entreat you to improove these things, If you know these things, happy are ye if ye do them; if you know the differences of your conditions, if you know the ways of Satan, from your own, and where they part, happy are you, if you tread those ways and those paths, and for those broad high ways, those common roads, these beaten paths of Hell, which we have described, our wisdom and our glory will be to keep a loof of, to keep far from them, it will be less shame for us to be shamed by other things, to be caught by other trains, than the common snares: Although it be true that in the pursuit of those things, Satan useth his greatest wiles, and his finest pieces of subtlety, however let us keep a loof of, let us carry a watchful eye to those great and common snares, the Devil may alter his method, but his But, and end, is the same, he finds these things suitable to corrupt nature, and he improoves all that is within us, to work vild and base impressions those ways, therefore let us watch him, where he watcheth us, and let us not think that because we have escaped the pollution of the world, that therefore we shall escape him, he spins his web the finer for you: Which is the reason why I have spent sometime in these particulars of his most usual marches, that ye might see the way in some of its foulness, together with the guide, that ye might see the hook under the bait, and be undeceived in things so greatly concerning you.  
Now therefore having your adversary so fully and largely described to you, in his nature, in his power, in his ministry, as hath been showed at large in this tract of Angels, (for some piece of the Devil's power, you must fetch from what hath been said of the good Angels, that we might not be obliged to repeat things twice) it remains that we should fight, that is, that we should address ourselves to the combat, for there is in this adversary what ever might prepare you, and stir you up to a most form and exact war.  
For first he is as hath been showed a most inveterate and sworn enemy, he ceaseth not to accuse day and night, he knows all our good, lies in maintaining good terms with God; Therefore his care is to beget ill blood between us, he enticeth us to offend him, and when he hath done, he aggravates this offence to the utmost capacity of it, He goes about like a roaring Lion, he goes about; therefore he is not idle, he works continually, and it is like a roaring Lion, he hath not only a Lyonish nature in him apt to devour, and to fall upon the prey, but he is ever roaring, that disposition is always wound up to the height, and intended in him, other enemies not so, so that here is the worst disposition that can be imagined ever acted and managed, with the greatest intenseness.  
But than secondly if his evil nature had not much power joined to it, he were less considerable, less formidable, though we say there is none so weak, but he hath power to do hurt; But I beseech you consider, his power is fitted to his nature, if he mean ill, he is able to do also much ill, there is no part or faculty of your soul or body, that he cannot reach, and that at all times, in all conditions, in all postures, alone, or in company, idle, or employed, sleeping, or waking, when you are fit for nothing else, you are fit to receive his impressions; Nor is he an enemy of the weaker sort, and so less considerable, an arm of flesh, against poor fleshly creatures is great, but he is a spirit; Our original sin, our fleshly corruptions we find evil enough, enemies bad enough, even to the making us cry out with Paul of the body of death. But we wrestle not against flesh & blood; this text tells you you have another kind of combatant, for the description of whose power to find fit names, the highest comparisons will fail us, Principalityes, powers, rulers, spiritual wickednesses above: They are not called Princes, but principalityes, not Potentes, but Potestates, not mighty, but powers, Lord not of a part, but of the whole world, of the darkness of the world, all the wicked of the world, which are darkness are of their side, fight under them against us, and all the darkness in our own hearts is with them also, all those fumes and fogs of lusts, all those mists of ignorance, and unbelief are part of his army; Again, instead of wicked spirits they are called spiritual wickednesses, and that above, both in high things and in high places, they are above us, they hang over our heads continually: You know what a disadvantage it is to have your enemy get the Hill, the upperground, this they have naturally and always.  
Again there are enough of them, they can immediately beleaguer a man, compassing him round, possess every part of him: Seven Devils can enter at once into one man, or if need be a whole legion; do we believe these things, and are we not stirred, are we not afraid, if we apprehend the approach of an enemy, and the town wherein we are be in danger, what wring of hands is there, what praying, what provision, and yet perhaps he may be diverted, he may accord; But there is no truce in this war, a perpetual combat, that time you are not upon your watch you will be taken, for your enemy knows it, if an enemy in war knew certainly when the watch were neglected, he would take that time, now he knows when you neglect your watch, when your faith and affections sleep, which of other enemies cannot be said.  
But than thirdly, if the contentions were for things of little moment, the matter were less, but if there be any thing great in heaven, or earth, that is the prize of this war, whether it be the happiness of your life, the peace of your conscience, the eternal condition of your soul, and body, or which is more, the glory of God, for all these are struck at continually.  
Captain's when they make orations to their soldiers, they tell them they fight for their country, for their possessions, for their wives and children, for their liberties, but what is all this to our war? To our prize? We fight for peace of conscience which passeth all understanding, we fight for eternal life, we fight for God and Christ, whose glory in us lies at the stake every day, and suffers, or is relieved by our fight: I beseech you are not these things worth contending for? Will not so goodly a prize put spirits into you? Some have done wonders while their lovers have looked upon them, others while they have fought for their loves; What do you fight, for nothing? Yes, it is a love you fight for too, & one that fought for you even to death, you do but requite him, he is before hand with you; and doth not your love look upon you also? Yes. If you can see him, I assure you he sees you, and there is not a watch you make, there is not a stroke you strike, but it pleaseth him, and it refresheth him, as on the other side there is not a negligence, or a fail, but it wounds him, and afflicts him; what say you will all this that hath been said put courage into you, and make you fight, it is brought for that purpose, I beseech you let it put on strong resolutions to please the Lord, to resist this cursed enemy, this damned enemy, for so he is, he carries his condemnation about him; and yet this enemy which is left so mighty, and powerful, for our trial, for our reward, if we fight manfully, if we fight the battles of the Lord, (if we be wise, if we will) all tend to the glory of our victory, to the honour of our God; only let us resist the Devil, being strong in the faith, to which purpose I will endeavour to search a little into, and to speak something of this heavenly armour which God hath given us for that purpose.  
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, Eph. 6.13. In this 13. ver. we are bid to take unto us the whole armour of God, as in the 11. verse we are bid to put it on, with the reason added, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.  
From the first words observe this, that no weapons will serve to fight with the Devil but Gods, nothing will make you shot-free, but the armour of God, for so says the Apostle, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, 2. Cor. 10.4. So as here you see the reason, because carnal weapons are weak ones, to be carnal and to be weak are convertible terms, as to be spiritual, and to be mighty, are also; now you have to do with a mighty enemy, as you have seen already, therefore you must have mighty weapons, you must have a wedge fit for the knot; David had never overcome Goliath, if he had not come with spiritual weapons, 1. Sam. 17.45. Thou comest to me with a sword, with a spear and with a shield, but I am come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied: It was not the sling nor the stone that did the feat, but it was this mighty Lord of Hosts, in whose name he came; To go armed therefore against the Devil in the strength of your own resolutions, or your temper, or constitution, or your habits, and education, is to fight against Goliath with a stone and a sling, without the name of God; Nay your experiences, your contrary reasonings, they may have influence into your sin, but they will never into the victory, unless this stone and sling, these underweapons be managed by the name of God. For your resolutions this cunning tempter knows that there is nothing so natural, so proper to a man as man, as changeableness, as on the contrary, it is the high and incommunicable Character of God to be without variation, or shadow of changing, all the matter is but to find a plausible reason for the saving of his credit. For our temper and constitution, he hath lusts peculiar for every temper. Besides he can easily persuade lusts to give place to one another for a time, as pride to uncleanness, etc. And his power is much upon the body, and the humours and constitutions of it, to stir and work upon those humours, that by the help and mediation of the fancy shall work to his end, and gain the will and understanding: As for your education and habits, experience shows that many things that look like moral virtues, are nothing but the ignorance of ill, or the law of a constraint: Besides he hath his methods, and by a few degrees will lead you to that, and by steps that would have utterly deferred you, had it been represented to you, all at once, and for your reasonings, and experiences you will find that to be the proper weapon, he is elder than Adam, he is wiser than Solomon, set holiness aside, he hath been trained up to sophistry and deceit, and therefore verse the 11. the Armour of God is applied to the wiles of the Devil, so as you have no relief, but what was david's, Psal. 118.10. All nations compassed me about, but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them, they compassed me about, yea they compassed me about, there was a perfect Paristhesis of ill, and enemies a perfect beleaguering, so ver. 12. They compassed me about like bees; you shall see how Bees in swarming time, will compass a bush, so will Devils and their effects multitudes of Devilish thoughts, and temptations; A man shall not see his way out, they are behind him and before him, and as in the words following, They are kindled as the fire of thorns, so the Greek and Chaldea read it, they fall quickly into a great blaze, or the word is also quenched (as Hebrew words signify often contraries,) they kindle quickly and like thorns, but they quench also as soon, for in the name of the Lord will I destroy them, this is all your relief to deal with your enemies, as David did, your faith is your victory, whereby you overcome the world, 1. john 5.4. that is, in Christ, it is the power of his might that makes us strong; Christ hath a might, a mighty ability, he is endowed with power from above, which being put forth in us, gives us a power to be strong, and to stand our ground, as ver. 10. for in those words the habit seems to be distinguished from the energy and operation, when a man is acted by the Devil, either by an immediate possession, or some eminent strong way of lusting, that he is strong in the Devil and in the power of his might, that is, you shall find a power full operation of the might of the Devil upon him, so as did we not see a humane shape, we should think it were the Devil indeed, so greatly is his might acted upon men, with power; Now after this manner should we be strong in the Lord, by the influence of his spirit, by the strength of his armour, other strengths will prove but weakness, so much for that point.  
Secondly it is not without its observation that it is called here and before the whole armour of God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. There is no man pretends so little to religion, but he will do a little, he will pretend to some graces, he will make some sallies, as if he would fight, but the difficulty, and the wisdom, and the strength lies in the universality, there is a chain in graces, you lose all if you lose one, as james saith, He that breaks one command is guilty of all; and God that gives you arms not to clog you, but to defend you, hath given you nothing to much, it is not the beauty, but the use of an armed man which he considers: That place which is open, to be sure the Devil will strike in; for he knows the bare places, and one open place will serve to kill you aswell as an hundred, therefore God hath made a defence for all, therefore the Scripture calls for a growing up in all grace, or in all things, Eph. 4.15. 2. Pet. 1.5. Therefore Peter calls for an addition of one grace to another till you be complete. Add (saith he) to your faith virtue, etc. For if these things be in you, and abound, that is, if you have all those parts, and that in a way of height and eminency, if they be not scanty and narrow, than you will abound also, that is, you will neither be barren, nor unfruitful: I beseech you consider this, it is the universality, it is the whole armour of God, that will alone serve our turns, and which alone we stick at; All difficulty lies in exactness, in bringing things to their end, and their perfection, every one is a beginner and a pretender to learning, to knowledge, to arts, to religion itself, but the exactness, the universality is the portion but of a few, let us do otherwise. How good is God, who hath given us a whole armour, let us not show ourselves at once enemies to ourselves, and unthankful to him, unless we fear neither God nor the Devil, on the other side let this comfort us, that there is a whole armour, there is a whole Devil, that nature is improved to the utmost capacity of a rational nature for ill, for hurt, if there were not a whole armour, we were undone.  
Thirdly, we are commanded to take unto us this whole armour of God, and ver. 11. to put it on, God makes it, God gives it, he makes it efficacious, but there are our parts also, we must take it to us, and put it on, there is a sluggishness in men's natures, if God would do all, and men might sleep the whilst, perhaps they would lie still, and let him truss on their armour, but this is not the law we live by, this is not the terms we stand in with God, what we cannot do, God will do for us, but what we can do, that we must do; He doth not work with us, as we work with a hatchet, or a dead instrument, but as the soul works with the body, that is, in it, and by it, so as the body doth its part, and feels the labour, the soul at first gives life to our body, so doth God to our souls, when they are dead in sins and trespasses he quickens them; Also the soul gives guidance to the body and direction, and assistance, so doth God, he never fails us, he is still by us, at our right hands, but we have our parts, our reason, and understandings, our will and our affections, they come into play every day, and if God can do nothing by them, he will do nothing without them; This, when men believe so much in other things, as they will scarce trust God with any thing, they will see a reason, and a means sufficient to produce every event, they will be at every end of every business, why do they devolue all upon him in religion, without stirring at all? Because they mind it less, which is the means to make God mind it not at all; Therefore I beseech you, let us do our parts, fetch assistance from God, and work under him, receive influence and spirit from him, and use them, intent mightily what we do, for it is to God, and for him; those that work under any Agent, though never so mighty, do so, and this know, that the more mighty any supreane Agent is, the more it intends, employs, and fills the instrument, as he that serves a wise man, though he do nothing but by the direction and appointment of his master, yet he shall find his understanding intended and employed, for a wise director doth more intend, and fill the subordinate instruments, and Agents not contra.  
Now he comes to the end and use of the Armour, that they might be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to resist, to stand against; you see here is a real combat, as your enemies are great which you have heard of before, so is the combat, it will cost you resisting, and fight, and there is a day appointed for it, an evil day, that is, a day of battle, our whole life is so many evil days, therefore says the Apostle, Redeem your time because the days are evil, Eph. 5.16. that is, troublesome and full of temptations, if you would make any thing of your lives, of the opportunities you meet with all, of the occasions that fall out, you must redeem them, a little time and opportunity is worth much, it will be lost to you if you redeem it not; So all our days are evil, as jacob said, but some more especially may be called by way of eminency the evil day. All the days of job were in a manner evil, because none were without some molestation, and trouble, I had no rest (says he) neither was I in quiet yet trouble came, job 3.26. But the great evil day was, when Satan was let out upon him; the great evil day to the Disciples was when Christ was crucified, and they were Winnowed by Satan; So there are more especial times and parts of our life, when God will try us by letting out Satan upon us, but those times and seasons know no man, no more than the day of judgement, and therefore we must be ever ready for them, upon our feet, and with our armour about us; standing is a warlike posture, a posture of watch, a posture of fight, it is not a standing still, but it is a fight, a resisting, ye have not resisted unto blood striving against sin; God expects that we should fight a good fight, that we should quit ourselves like men, and we had need do so, unless we would be undone, and foiled, and therefore he adds and having done all to stand, that is, do what you can, you will but stand, it will be little enough to do the work, the enemies are so mighty and great, the war is so sharp: God hath an purpose for many holy ends so ordered it, that you shall have work enough of it; some carry it thus, omnibus confectis stare, that is, all the afore said fell, and cruel enemies being overcome, having done all, having defeated them all, vanguished them all, you may stand as conqueror; What a glorious thing will this be, that as Christ your captain, shall stand last upon the earth, so you shall stand with him, glorying and triumphing to see your enemies dead before you, when as others that were faint and delicate, that would not stand and fight and arm: As they were here led captives by Satan, at his pleasure, so shall be led into triumph by him at last: Think of this that by doing your duty, by standing your ground, by arming, and fight in the power of Christ, in the armour of God, this mighty Host shall lie dead before you, And those which you have seen to day, in this evil day ye shall see them again no more for ever, you have therefore two things to encourage you: First, the necessity of your fight. Secondly, the glory and pleasure of the victory; Necessity will make Cowards fight: And therefore commanders provide diligently, that their enemies may have a backdoor to run away, because necessity, and despair will produce wonders: I beseech you do but see, and here is an absolute necessity, unless you take all this armour, stand, and withstand ye will not stand at last, this is little enough, you must do all this that having done all, you may stand, but then having done all, you shall stand, that is, stand as conqueror, stand as Christ stands, with your enemies slain about you: You shall have the pleasure of revenge, which here you may take in by faith, and of victory, the shouting of a conqueror; Cowards have but the pleasure of idleness, and the shame and misery of slavery, they have their good times here, what is their good times? To sleep, to be idle, to be abused, and deceived, thy labours are better than his pleasures, than his enjoyments; What then is thy good times? Thou art comforted, and he is tormented, thy captain tells thee thou hast done well, well done good and faithful servant; Thy conscience tells thee thou hast fought a good fight, but praise is not enough in thy captain's mouth, enter thou (says he) into the joy of thy Lord, he shows thee a crown of righteousness, which he hath kept by him all the while, and which thou mayest think on every day, till thou hast it, but then he gives it thee, he puts it on: Where is now your ambition, where is your spirit, and your courage, think not on mean things, but on crowns, and victories, and glories, and if you enter the list, if you fight, do it to purpose, labour so to withstand, that at last you may stand; So run (saith the Apostle) that ye may obstaine, 1. Cor. 9.24. Every one is a pretender, and a runner, but few carry the prize, they find hot work, they grow weary, and quit the list, Thou therefore (says Paul to Timothy) endure hardness as a good soldier, of jesus Christ, 2. Tim. 2.3. that is, though thy arms press thee, and thy work pinch thee, yet endure, it is worth the while, that thou mayest show thyself a good soldier of Christ, and mayest please him that hath chosen thee, thou must not please thyself in his work, for he pleased not himself in thine. Christ pleased not himself, this is written, God took notice of it, the time will come when he will please thee, and then it follows ver. 5. If any man fight, he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully or duly, that is, it is not enough to enter the list, and fight, but there is the law of combat, and the law of fight, if you do not fight as ye ought according to the law of combat, the law of arms, if you give over to soon, and stay not till the victory be gotten, till your enemy be profligated, and abased, he had as good have done nothing, this he amplifies ver. 6. by the similitude of a labourer, The husband man that laboureth first, must be partaker of the fruit, for so first hath reference to labouring, not to fruit, fruit and crowns, reaping and glory are the effects of labour, and due fight; think not to go to heaven with your arms across, or your head upon your elbow, or with good beginnings, and faint offers, 'tis lawful fight, 'tis hard labour, leads you to glory, and ver. 7. says he: Consider what I say, what were the matters so hard, or the similitudes so deep? No, but the meaning is, turn it in your mind, often think of it, almost continually, do not think to go to heaven with ease, you can never think to much that you must fight hard, and contend lawfully, and labour mightily, and endure all things, as soldiers that would please their captain, before ever ye shall be crowned and reap, and then he concludes with, The Lord give thee understanding in all things, which shows how hard it is, for us to apprehend these things aright, so as to have them work upon us, and to be affected with them to purpose, so as not to have slight thoughts of them, though they be things not hard to be understood.  
To conclude, all good things are of God, though we be taught, he must open our understandings, as when we are commanded, he must work in us to do, and especially in the things whereof we speak.  
It will not be improper here by way of encouragement, to consider as what power and might Satan hath, so what bonds and restraints also?  
First, all the Devils can do nothing without aformed commission from God, this the example of job makes most clear, the Devil ruin'd his estate, by the Sabeans, but not till God had given him power, he infected his body with miserable diseases, but he was fain to ask new leave for it, so 1. Kings 22. An evil spirit offered his service to deceive Ahab, so an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, but both by commission: So the Sorcerers of Egypt, they acknowledged the hand of God, when themselves were stopped, it was no more impossible for them to make Lice then other things, but God let them go on a while, that his power might appear the greater in giving the stop; So Zach. 3. The Lord rebuke thee o Satan, God can do it though no other can, so Christ says, The Prince of this world is cast out, joh. 12.31. The Prince of this world is judged, joh. 16.11. he is not only under God, but under Christ God-man, he is subjected to our friend and husband, and that in little things. They could do nothing on swine without leave, Luk. 8.32. much less can the Devil touch us in any thing, without a commission; Besides, what we have told you of their chains which Peter and jude mentions, shows the power God hath over them; And generally we have this assurance, that a hair from our head shall not perish without the will of our Father. So as our greatest enemy is subject to our best friend, and managed to our advantage, which should encourage us to fight and secure us of the issue, for the God of peace will tread Satan under our feet, at last, Rom. 16.20.  
The Devil and we are in earnest, but God, as those two captains lets the young men play before him, and can stop them when he will, he is in no pain in respect of the combat or issue, but he hath the pleasure to see weak saints overcome giants, by hanging on him by the string of faith. God is on our side, and the Devil is so subject to him, as there is no greater subjection, let hope then aswell as necessity encourage us to fight, we have both those arguments in their height; God will manage his graces in us, to our advantage, but let us do our parts.  
We come now to the particular pieces of armour, whereof the first is, The girdle of truth, having your loins girt about with truth, In the loins is strength, as is said of Behemoth, his strength is in his loins, job 40.16. In them also is the power of generation, for so God says to jacob, Kings shall come out of thy loins, Gen. 35.11. This metaphor therefore applied to the mind devotes strength, steadiness and constancy; on the contrary men that are delicate, effeminate, and unstable, the Latin calls them, clumbs without loins, now that which fits this part, in some thing that begirts it, that the part wherein strength lies may feel strength from without, and that is properly a girdle, therefore Peter says, Gird up the loins of your mind, 1. Pet. 1.13. and Christ bids us, Let your loins be girded, Luk. 12.35. this whether men travel, or whether they fight, or both together, which is our condition, is necessary: For when they travailed, they used to gird themselves, and the Belt or girdle, hath been always a piece of soldiers armour when they fought: You see now a reason why the loins should be girt to this war: We need not go far for a girdle, the Holy Ghost tells us, it is truth, if you ask me what is truth, I answer in a word, Right sights and judgements of things, and sincerity, this is that which girds up the loins of your mind, and therefore Christ adds, Let your loins be girded, and your lights burning, as before Luk. 12. Certainly clear and right sights of things with sincerity, are the most begirting things in the world, this you may know, especially by considering what is the cause of looseness, and laxenesse, and unsteddines in our course, and you will find it, because men are either insincere and unfaithful, or misapprehensive, and dark; A double minded man is unstable in all his ways, because there is a mixture in the principles of his motion, he hath two objects in his eye, two ends in his heart, and is carried up and down diversely, according to the predominant humour, and quality, so as ye never know where to find him, nor can ever hold him, because he is yours but in part, for an end, such a one was Saul and jehu, and so are all hypocrites, the contrary to which was Nathaniel, who had this honour from Christ's mouth, that he was a true Israelite in whom was no guile, joh. 1.47. that is, he was a man round simple, candid, and plain, which came to Christ honestly, not for ends, for lounes, or to entrap him, as others did: Christ himself disdains not this commendation of whom it was said, 1. Pet. 2.22. that there was no guile found in his mouth, and David says, He is a blessed man in whose spirit there is no guile, Psal. 32.2. that is, who is sincere in every thing, having his ends what they should be, and his actions and expressions suitable, that you may read his heart in his professions and actions; such a disposition carries you right on, makes you steady in your motion, without turning to the right hand or to the left, Girds you up, and strengthens your mind to motions, to fightings, makes you intent what you do strongly, because you do but one thing, that which put Martha, into such a distemper was, because she was troubled about many things, you see then, now how sincerity begirts, & how in sincerity & double mindedness loosens your loins, & nerves, but doth not misjudging and darkness do the same, loosen your loins, making you unsteady, and weak, contrary to this begirting? You will find it doth: Men are what they see, and what they judge, and no other, and though some men do not fill up their light, yet none go beyond it, a man wants courage that wants light, and He that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes, and that is contrary to this begirting, and he must needs make many false paces, for he knows not whither he goes, If a man walk in the night he stumbleth, because there is no light in him, joh. 11.10. In him- he hath the instrument of seeing, the eye, but there is no light shining upon that eye, though a man should be sincere, if he want right lights and sights of things he will be rendered the weaker and more unsteady, he will stumble often, with a good intention about him, nothing gives more courage than knowledge, nothing intimidates more than ignorance; Again, comfort and joy renders strong and steady, now light is the emblem of joy, and therefore when the Angel came to poor Peter, fettered in chains, as he was, a light shined in the prison, Acts 12.7. so says David, The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, Ps. 27.1. and when in a low condition he expected comfort from God, Thou wilt save the afflicted people, says he, but wilt bring down high looks; for thou wilt light my candle (says he) the Lord will en lighten my darkness, Psal. 13.27.28. Now comfort begirts, & comfort you see comes in by light: Again. Glory, the apprehension of it, the notion of it, begirts, & renders strong exceedingly, Christ, for the glory set before him, etc. did wonders, but light and glory run together, and the notion of glory comes in by light, Isa. 60.1.2. Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, so it is called, The light of the glorious gospel, 2. Cor. 4.4. there would have been no glory seen if there had been no light, and there is a glory also in light, Acts 22.11. Paul said, he could not see, for the glory of the light, therefore light is glorious, now this dazelled his bodily eyes, but our spirits see better and more strongly for glorious lights, which gives assurance, and courage, and so strength also; In a word, our whole armour is called the armour of light, Rom. 13.12. So great a thing is light to armour and to strength, according to the more or less, of which men are weak or strong to any course to which they pretend, but above all to religion: Now for the Devil against whom we arm, doth not he play in the dark almost altogether, when he would deceive our sense, he casts sand in our eyes, mists before us, to deceive and blind us, and then we judge of things not as they are, but according to the medium we see through: So for our comfort how doth he enervate us, and loosen our loins, by leading us into dark thoughts of God, and of our condition, how doth he unsteady our steps, and intimidate us, by putting scruples in our ways, and hiding from us those truths, wherein our strength would consist; If he can make us insincere, he hath enough, we shall then seek darkness, and choose it rather than light, of such Christ says, that they loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil, joh. 3.19. But be sincere, the right eyeing, the right seeing, the right apprehension of things is that truth which begirts us, and together with sincerity renders us strong and mighty to fight with him, to contest with his wiles, with his lies, with his impostures, for his dealings with us is nothing else: But be we but sincere, that is, honest to yourselves and to God, and discover him, and he is gone; This therefore is a neat clean piece of armour, fitted for the part, and for the enemy we contest with all. If you ask what you shall do for it, I would advise you by way of corrolary to two things,  
First, 
Corroll.  converse much with the Father of lights, In his light we shall see light, Psal. 36.9. Be near God that he may shine upon you continually, he hath no false lights as impostures have to show their wares by, what ever light he affords you, is right, and gives you the thing as it is; He hath no false glasses, that greaten, or lessen the proportion of things, but such as render them as they are. Converse much with the word the book of lights, all it says is true without a reason, though it be all reason, converse with the Saints the subjects of lights, they have light that will shine before you, all these lights convey truth to you, the right notion of things; And that is it which begirts you, renders you strong and steady, fit to deal with the Devil, the father of all impostures and deceits, also think, ruminate much of things according to what true notion you have ever had of them; in some times and parts of our lives we have right notions of things, with such sight as carry their own evidence with them, represent them often to yourselves, this will make your light shine to you, your light may be under a bushel in your own heart, and truth without this, may be to seek when you should use it, when you should judge and walk by it, you may have many right principles in you, but Raked under Ashes, but wisdom is to have them at hand and for use, that when the Devil comes with his wiles and his mists, shining and blazing, truth may scatter them and melt them, and cause them to waste away assoon as they dare to appear for example. If he shall show the pomp and glittering of titles and honour, and would lead you out of your way, by that foolish shine; a right judgement of things hath for him, that the outsides of things are for children, that the masks and vizards, either of good or ill are not much considerable, that honour is in truth, that which is lasting, which hath its rise in worth, and is given by God, and wise men, that such honour properly should rather follow, then lead good actions, that the praise of men and the praise of God are seldom consistent, that it is a sign of diffidence of God, to be too anxious to receive honour from men, that there is no reason that should move you, which the Devil can neither give, nor continue to you: I give you but a taste, if he tempt you to gratify the flesh by lust or idleness, by a soft and delicate life, by indulgeing to bodily things, Truth will gird your loins, and make you stand steady here in also, by telling him that it is wisdom to till the better part, that nothing stands in so proper an antipathy to the spirit as the flesh, that Paul beat down his body and brought it into subjection, that the body is to be considered only as an instrument and not to be idolised and indulged to, for itself, that belly & meat shall both be destroyed ere long, but the soul dies not, that idleness is death before your time, with this difference, that it is considerable in your punishment, which death properly is not, for no man is punished for dying; That jesus Christ was a perpetual motion, that good men have used to find little rest but in their consciences, and their graves, till they come to heaven, that your condition here is to be a soldier, to endure hardness, and fight, for which truth arms you, not to live delicately and take your ease, this might be enlarged in many other particulars, and in these more fully, I only give an instance, that you may know what I would, and may learn to begird yourselves with right notions, against the wiles of the Devil.  
For the other part, namely sincerity, for the heightening and improoving of that, I shall put upon you but this burden, love much; sincerity is immixednesse, and rightness of ends, a spirit going right forward, drawn right forth, without guile or ends; Love will concentrate all in God, make all lines meet in him, self love makes men insincere to God and others, because it draws away from the pretensions which are to God, it sucks away the sap and the juice that should go into the body of the tree, it is like a cut that draynes the channel, which should run with full source into the sea; but love gives all and wishes for more, in no respect so much as to give that also, so as it gathers up the soul and girds up the loins for God, as bring what subtleties and wiles you will, it measures, all you say by God's interest, so as offer as before, honours, or pleasures, or lusts, it will ask you; what is this to God, how doth it suit with his ends, how doth it comply with his glory, how is it squared to his liking and good pleasure, since you live if he be pleased, you are happy if he be glorified, love hath made you so much his, that nothing can be good to you but what is to him, love hath given all in gross, and therefore can retain nothing in retail, that therefore to mix your actions or your ends, is to divide you from God, who is your love, and under a colour of bettering your condition to rob God, and undo yourself together, for love is wise, and will tell you also, that it is good losing yourself in God, and that when by studying for God, you forget yourselves, you are then most of all remembered; I shall add no more, so much for this first piece, only remember to act these notions, and sincerity in the virtue and power of him, who is the real and essential truth jesus Christ.  
You have already heard of that piece, which gives the great and general impress, that which strengthens the part of strength, that which renders fit and prepared for every good thing, and which is of exceeding great influence into this battle, The girdle of truth, that is such sights, and such a disposition of spirit as begirts and strengthens to what we should do. We come now to arm the breast which lies as much exposed, and is as considerable as any part; For the breast contains the noble and vital parts, the heart, the lungs, the liver, and for this there is a Plate, a breastplate, and that is righteousness, this Christ our captain put on before us, Is. 59.17. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and we, according to the duty of a soldier that takes his example from the captain, for so say your brave commanders (whether in order to fight or armeing) what you see me do, do ye likewise, and according to the character and impression which we receive from his fullness, we take on righteousness also as a breastplate; if you ask me what this piece is, for it must be something spiritual, by which you deal with the Devil, I answer that it is holiness, and innocency of life; The first piece was sincerity or integrity (as it lay in the will) respecting the end and aim of all our actions, which having a continual and direct influence upon the end begirts exceedingly; This is the walk of a Christian in order to that end, that righteous and holy frame of spirit by which he walks and moves, justly and holily in all his actions, this is that wherein Paul exercised himself so much, to have a conscience void of offence, towards God and man, Acts 24.16. That is, so to walk as neither to offend the conscience of another, by any scandal or stumbling block, nor to offend or wound his own; This if you take it generally, one may call perhaps sanctification, not taking sanctification as it is, some times for consecration or separation, as the vessels or days were consecrated, or set a part, but for sanctity, that is, inherent righteousness, or holiness, or more particularly considering it in the walks and motions of it, it may be distinguished into Piety or Godliness, and justice or righteousness, the one respecting God more immediately, the other men; Such a distinction you have, Rom. 1.18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, so Titus 2.12. We are to live soberly, righteously and godly, there is the distinction of righteousness and godliness, to which sobriety or temperance is added, as a means of doing it, and living so, because by it we deny ourselves in worldly lusts, as the words before are, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, upon these two feet therefore, this sanctity or righteousness moves vizt. Religion towards God, and justice towards men: To pursue these tracts, were to give you the whole walk of religion, which is not my intent, for I give you now, but an exposition in order to our combat, only a few things: In this righteousness there is an order, they gave themselves first to the Lord, and after to us, by the will of God, 2. Cor. 8.5. God must be first considered, and secondly, what ever you do to men, it must be for God, and as to the Lord, and not to men, that is, not making them the Alpha or Omega the rise, or the ultimate end of any of our motions, so as motions to wards God, are first and especially to be considered, First seek the Kingdom of God, & David says often, early in the morning will I seek thee, still God is especially to be considered, He that loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me, Mat. 10.37. and therefore in respect of intencenesse, you must Love God with all your hart, and soul, and mind, & though we are to do acts of righteousness to wards our brethren, with all our strength, yet that intencenesse is required especially in respect of God, and by the virtue of religion; As for righteousness towards man, it is that by which we are inclined, to give every one that duty and observance which is their due, and under this consideration, falls all men, with whom we have to do, and Angels also, for since God only is the object of religious worship, they must fall under the notion and consideration of our brethren or neighbours, for in refusing worship, they say, they are our fellow-servants, & of our brethren the Prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of the book of God; so as they refuse not their due, but God's due, which is religious worship, Rev. 22.9. and of that moment is this righteousness, towards our brother; that the truth of religion towards God, cannot consist with the neglect of this, if a man say he loves God, and hates his brother, he is a liar, 1. joh. 4.20. And this commandment have we of God, that he that loves God should love his brother also: This in the negative is a sure argument, that there is no religion towards God, where there is not righteousness towards men, Gall. 5.19. The works of the flesh are manifest (saith Paul,) unrighteous, unworthy actions, clearily manifest a wicked man, if he be unrighteous and unjust towards men, he is irreligious towards God.  
This righteousness hath for its measure, or rule, the love we bear ourselves, for God being loved by us, with the love of union, we must needs love ourselves next and immediately, which is that thing we desire to close and join with God; but others secondarily, as those we would have also participate of the same good, and from this love, (the rule and measure of our righteousness,) none are to be excluded, that are capable of God, and happiness, because the root of love aswell to others as ourselves, is God, the measure of which is love to ourselves, and therefore no particular enmity should interupt, therefore we should love our enemies; You see how we have stated, and whither we have led this notion of righteousness, we cannot leave it in a better place, and it was fit to say some what of that of which the word says so much, and which arms so fair and noble a part.  
But how doth this piece arm the breast, or how is it fitted thereunto? The breast contains I told you the vital parts, wherein properly as in the subject, is the feat of life, that holiness therefore, that righteousness, that image of God is wounded by unrighteousness; by sin, the Devil that wicked one shoots at the fairest mark, and by unrighteousness wounds, that is it which draws down God's wrath, puts a sting into every condition, into death itself, that weakens the heart, makes timorous and fearful; the breastplate in Greek is Thorax, and they say it is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, hoc est, subsilite, to leap or shake, Propter cordis palpitationem, for the heart ever moves, but unrighteousness and an evell conscience, makes it shake inordinately, renders men timorous, and fearful; now this piece of armour, this breastplate of righteousness secures you of this, those shaking, those darting wounds, and adds courage and assurance, so Prov. 28.1. The wicked flies when none pursues, but the righteous are bold as a Lion, now the use of armour is to render you, not only safe, but bold and secure; Contrary to which are those fears, that make wicked men afraid of their own shadow, they go without being driven, saving by their own conscience, which is also excellently expressed. Leu. 26.36.37. And upon them that are left alive of you, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the Lands of their enemies, and the sound of a shaking leaf shall chase them, and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when none pursueth.  
And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth, and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. here is a disposition, quite contrary to such strength and courage, as this piece, the breastplate of righteousness gives, do you not see now need of an armour, when wickedness and unrighteousness brings you into that miserable condition; unrighteousness is opposite to the being of a holy man, the renewed state of a man which consists in righteousness and true holiness, and to the comfort and wellbeing of a saint, which stands as you have it, Rom. 14.17. In righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; mark the order, first righteousness, which is as I may say, the materiality of peace, and then joy in the Holy Ghost. But may not the righteousness of Christ, imputed by faith more properly be called, this piece of armour, than our own inherent righteousness or holiness? Answ. without all question, that is, the Root and source of all our righteousness, Rom. 8.3.4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. That is, we are reputed in Christ to have fulfilled the whole law, for says he, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us; there were two things the law required, a just suffering for what we were in arreare, a due expiation for sin, and a perfect obedience, now in Christ we are reputed to have done all this, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth, Rom. 10.4. This was the first intention, and scope of the law videlizet, that Christ might justify and bring men to life, by his observation and keeping of it, and therefore the Apostle blames them vers▪ 3. that being ignorant of God's righteousness, they would establish their own righteousness, by which means they submitted not to God's righteousness, that is, to that way that he had set and ordained. But secondly, having made them righteous, and acquitted by imputation, and standing right before God; God leaves us not thus, but the love of God producing in us, and upon us, some lovely effect, makes suitable impressions and Characters, to the relation we hold to him, you have the print and Character of a son upon you, aswell as the relation of a son, which is nothing else but a certain image and likeness of his holiness, and therefore if you be in Christ, you are a new creature, 2. Cor. 5.17. Now how can any be a new creature, without the infusion of new qualities, new jousts, without an essential change, for it is a new creation, therefore the scriptures describes all the parts of this infused holiness, ye were darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord, Eph. 5.8. also: you have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him, Coll. 3.10. There is for your light, for your apprehensions, you have another sight of things then ever you have had, other lights, other notions. Also, you have a new heart, a new disposition of spirit, another bent and frame, and propension, than you have had, so that of Ezek. 36.26. I will give you a new heart and a new spirit, and you are to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. 4.24. Christ therefore that doth all for us doth much in us, he is a head of influence, we have him all among us, and every one hath him all in their measure; and according to those influences, and infusions, we have our denominations, so Abel was called righteous, so Noah, job, also Zacharij & Elizabeth, Luk. 1.6. were both righteous before God, walking in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless. In this sense a man may be called Righteous; that is, regenerate, that is, renewed, although corruption remains, as you call a house white aswell as a Swan, though there be many spots on it, and such a one may be said not to sin, 1 Joh. 3.6. because he is not given up to sin, but hath his heart armed and fenced with a holy frame, and a pursuit of righteousness. Now having thus distinguished, and explained things, this scripture in all the parts and pieces of the armour, seems rather to speak of the working and motion of the graces of God in us, than the imputation of Christ's to us, which is that which indeed gives the form, energy, and operation to every piece; but because according to what Christ is to us, so in a proportion, and according to our measure he is in us, by his influence, by his infusions, therefore we are to till and improve him in us, and as the devil could do nothing against us, but by virtue of our corruptions; so Christ makes use of his own infusions, of his own graces, of his works in us, with which through him, we fight against the devil, so as by the righteousness of jesus Christ infused into us, and derived by his spirit, our vital parts are armed, and secure against the devil, who by unholiness, and unrighteousness would destroy that building of Gods own rearing.  
I have been some thing large in this, both in showing you what righteousness is, as it respects God and man, and in distinguishing it from the imputed righteousness of Christ, which is the temire we hold by, and by which we stand accepted before God; and in showing you, how it secures you against sin, which is the devil's weapon to wound us withal; If ye ask me how you shall put it on, in a word, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, things are maintained, as they were gotten, be converted often, one conversion is not enough, the work of repentance, that is, of a change of heart, is of a continual daily use; you must be changed from glory to glory, as by the spirit of the Lord righteousness in you, acted, and enlarged by the spirit of God, must work out unrighteousness in you, acted and fomented by the devil, and you must do your part to righteousness, as you have done to sin, and as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity. So now yield your members servants to righteousness and to holiness, Rom. 6.19. Your Members, that is, your whole soul, the faculties of it, the endowments of it must be yielded in service to God, as they have been to sin and the devil, they must be now weapons in God's hand, under the command of his spirit, for so says he ver. 13. neither yield your members as weapons or arms of unrighteousness, for so signifies the word, which we translate instruments: Wicked men, unrighteous men furnish the devil with weapons to kill and destroy themselves, their own weapons slays them, the devil doth but help to point them and sharpen; but we must yield ourselves to God, and our members, weapons of righteousness to God, and by doing this, sin shall not have dominion over you, for says he, ye are under grace, not under the law, that is, the grace of God in Christ, and the assistance of his spirit will enable you to overcome sin, and the devil, which the law would never have done: Nothing hinders more than discouragement, but fear not, employ your members as weapons for God, and you will prevail, the rigour of the law, Christ hath satisfied, and those parts which remains you, which are left for you, grace will work in you, and by you, so as let the devil be what he will be; sin or unrighteousness shall not have dominion over you, and consequently not the devil, against whom ye fight, for he moves in the strength of unrighteousness.  
We are come now to the third piece of armour, which is for the feet and legs, for the Breastplate reached down to the knees, and this covered the rest; by the feet are commonly denoted the affections, by which we march or move to good, or ill, they are the movings and outgoings of the soul, and the feet and legs are a part, which needs as much armeing as any other thing, for in their motion to fight, they conflict with the difficulties of the place, and in their fightings are exposed to wounds and danger; other parts are freed from that more, they are not so much offended with the ground on which they are, but these are aswell exposed to the difficulties of the place, as to the wounds of the combat. The armour therefore for this part, is the preparation of the Gospel of peace, that is, an ability and readiness with cheerfulness, to preach and confess the Gospel.  
First, that this is a great duty to confess, or manifest upon all occations, your belief of the Gospel appears by that place, Rom. 10.10. with the mouth confession is made to salvation; that is, it is a part of the duty which you owe to God, in order to your eternal salvation, to confess and promulge the glorious Gospel, which in your hearts you believe, for the faith of the Gospel should so fire your heart, with the glory of God, that the flame should break out; On the contrary it is an absurd and foolish thing, to talk of fire where no flame or heat appears, to speak of believing to righteousness, where there is not at all occations, a readiness to confess with the mouth. This being laid for a foundation, you shall see how two other places will help to interpret this. Those shoes, the feet armour, I take to be a fitness and readiness to preach, or declare the Gospel of peace; this seems to be extremely parrallelled, with Rom. 10.15. taken out of Isa. 52.7. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, here you have the Gospel of peace, the same thing named in this place, and the bringing or communicating of it expressed by feet. As here by the armour of the feet, but if any shall say this is only applicable to Ministers, because in the beginning of this 15. ver. it is said, How should they preach except they be sent, that is utterly a mistake, for by sending there is not meant, the particular and lawful call of Ministers, which the Apostle here treats not of, but imports only, that it is a special sign of the love of God, when the Gospel is brought any whither, for he sends it, it drops not out of the clouds, by chance or hazard, but it comes whither God sends it, whither he addresseth it, and therefore should be received accordingly; The other place is, 1. Pet. 3.15. Be ready always to give an answer to every one of the hope that is in you. The word ready is the same word, that is here prepared, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a readiness, or preparation, having your feet shod with a readiness of the Gospel of peace; that is, as here with a readiness, to give an account of it, or preach it, or confess it, as in the former places, as you have occasion, either by offering and declaring it, or by answering and giving account of the hope that is in you, of the Gospel the ground of that hope, or of your actions according to that rule and word; you see how this exposition suits with a general duty in other places commanded, and runs parallel with the very phrases, and expressions of them, so as the exposition falls naturally and without constraint. If you ask me now how this readiness and preparation of preaching, and confessing the Gospel upon all occations, arms the legs, and feet, which denotes our Marches, and Motions in this war against the devil.  
Answer first, because it employs a great boldness in the faith of Christ, which fits for motion and going forwards; he that is ready, and prepared to be a Preacher, or Confesser, to give an account of his faith, hath as it is said of the Deacon, attained a good degree, and great boldness, and as Christ saith, He that casts out devils in my name, will not lightly speak evil of me; so he that is ready and prepared to confess and publish as he hath occasion, the Gospel of God is prepared for advancing, for marching, for going forward; this therefore it implies, to wit, a boldness of mind, and a courage.  
Secondly, the objections that the devil and wicked men frame against our actions, and motions are extremely hindering, make us heavy and timorous; but if you be able and ready to be a confessor, if ye can preach or give account of it, and you be prepared to it, you are safe enough, you will take any steps, and walk boldly, so as it is not only a sign of courage as before, but it doth actually and really enable you.  
Thirdly, to this you must add what the Apostle adds considerately, that it is the Gospel of peace, about which, and for which you move; this agrees extremely well to this motion, for being to go through many uneven ways, and to break through the thickest ranks of enemies; you are helped by this, that you are at peace with God all the while, what ever enemies you meet with in the way, so as this Gospel of peace fits you for motion, and by confessing, and promulgeing your faith, to conflict with others. So I state this armour which the holy spirit appropriates to the legs and feet, I alter not the words of the Text, I show you how it fits for motion:  
The help is therefore to this piece of armour, is, first to be filled with right knowledge, how can ye believe on him of whom ye have not heard, how can you preach him, how can you confess him, of whom ye are not well instructed, concerning whom you are not taught; an implicit faith here to believe as others do, as your teachers do, will not help you.  
Secondly, you must be zealous, that will render you ready and prepared; a zealous man willbe communicating what he hath, will have his confessions and answers at hand, when his Brother's darkness or scandal shall call for it, he will put on for converting for enlightening of men, it will grieve him to see the world, and the devil gain from God.  
Thirdly, you must be possessed with the peace I spoke of, the Gospel of peace, will never come of from you, if your hearts be not filled with peace; this is that Christ left his disciples to work with, and by. Peace I leave with you, my peace, (that is, the peace of the Gospel) I give unto you, so John. 16.33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, that is, you are to march to heaven through a troublesome world, the profession and preaching of the Gospel will cost you much, but in Christ, and in the Gospel you shall have peace; The other is but outward, that is the most intimate peace, a peace that passeth all understanding, a peace that will enable you to go to war, and deny yourselves of outward peace. How did this peace that made Paul and Sylas sing in the Prison, enable them to preach Christ abroad. What bold confessions could Stephen make in the midst of all his enemies, upon the very point of Martyrdom, when he was at peace with God, and saw Christ the King of peace at the right hand of God; It is not the enemy so much as the strength or weakness to resist, and fight, that is considerable if there be more with you then against you; It is no matter what is against you, if you have a deep and quiet peace within, it is no matter what noises you hear abroad. The Martyrs that were filled with that peace in their sharp warfares, could say non patimur sed pati videmur, we rather seem to suffer, then suffer indeed; this will make you strong in every motion towards fight, and this will aid you to this profession, and confession of Christ, which will both assure all your own motions, and by which as with spiritual feet, you do move mightily against the devil.  

Corrol.  For the use of this in particular, we may consider how happy our conditions are, that we are preachers and publishers of peace, blessed are the peace makers, and how beautiful are their feet; this we are if we be filled with peace, a peace that passeth all understanding, will pass its own bounds and fill others also.  
But than secondly, in a sense we are all preachers, all confessors, they that teach, must do, and they that do, must teach, that is by that doing, by the light of their actions which shines; but in truth, we should not only be contented to walk holily ourselves, but we should be ready and prepared to communicate what ever we have of the Gospel to others, as occasion shall offer itself and draw it forth, which is both a great motion and walk against the devil; and as it is here expressed, it arms our feet, and secures our motion exceedingly in this war, so as we are not subject to the shaking of objections, and disgraces which the devil would represent to us, and cast in our way continually.  
Thirdly, in this preaching and confessing the Gospel upon all occations, do it as the Gospel of peace, bring it as the Angels did, who knew well the mind of God, Glory to God on high, on earth peace, good will towards men, Luk. 2.14. Also fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shallbe to all people, ver. 10. Offer the Gospel like the Gospel, that is, like good news, the good news of peace, let the world know that it is brought and offered to all men, that it is good tidings of great joy to all people: Christ is an universal good, and as the heirs of great kingdoms, are the common possessions of all the subjects; so the Son of the God of the whole earth, is good news to all mankind, and it is pity but that they should know it, and that it should be offered to them, as it might be their own fault if they entertain it not. And as Christ said to his disciples, when ye come into any house, say peace be to it. It is time enough for your peace to return to you, when they refuse to receive you. This if any thing will take with the guilty world, who from the sense of their own ill are a thousand times apt to despair, then believe, or at least to be hardened in a negligent desperate way: This will also make good the ends of the Gospel, which are the glory of Christ, and the alluring, and gaining of the elect; and a soul gained by the freest way of grace, will vent its obedience by love, and this will put honour upon yourselves, render your feet beautiful, render you acceptable and desirable, where ever you come in the world, when you shallbe shod with the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace.  
Fourthly, as ye are to make after much knowledge, for a clear rule of all your actions, and steps, even to a readiness to confess it, and preach it; for that is the preparation here meant, that ye may be in a readiness, so when you are in such a preparation, walk boldly, let the world see by your walking and your motion, and steddines that jou are armed, when you can pass through foul ways, good report and ill report, when ye walk among thorns, tread upon Serpents and Adders, and they shall not hurt you. Paul sure had his hand well armed, when the viper dropped from it without hurting him, so it is a sign you are well armed, when ye fear no ways into which providence shall lead you, and when you come of without hurt, though there be pikes and stakes in the way, ye are not pierced; this walking by example, and as occasion is by voice, by confession, or preaching, will make many followers, you will become leaders yourselves, and that will be a glorious walkeing, when ye shall not only tread hard Paths, but lead up troops, we see even bruit beasts in motion are put on by the voice as well as by example, or any other way: Let the world know that war is but the Vizard, but there is peace within, underneath: Let them know that there are sweets and roses, though they see nothing outwardly but thorns, and Briars, your walking steadily will show that yourselves are armed, and your example and voice together, will have a great influence upon others, to be sure a readiness and preparedness to confess the Gospel of peace, will arm you for all the hard marches, and what ever the devil shall object in your way.  
We are come to the fourth piece of Arms, which is a Shield fitted not so much to any one part, (as the other pieces) as to the whole, for it is movable, and proper to keep of at a distance, & this is faith: Now this above all things is to be taken up, that is, Especially, this is the most considerable piece of Armour you have; Some read it in all things, that is, with every piece of Armour, ye must mingle faith, with Truth, with Righteousness, with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace: or refer it to temptations, that is, you must oppose faith to every temptation, which is true; but I rather think it is meant here, Especially, that is, to say above all things in a more especial manner, Take unto you the Shield of faith, like that place Coll. 3.14. where the same word is used, And above all things but on Charity, so as though every piece of Armour be very considerable, yet none like the shield of faith, and he gives you the reason, because by it you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the Devil, who for his superabundant malice and wickedness he calls the wicked one, that is, who with the greatest and most intense height of wickedness pursues God and Man, but especially, good men the Saints; And ye shall not quench, some of his darts only, but all his darts, he hath enough of them, he hath of all kinds, this shield will receive them, and repel them all; He tells you also, of what kind they are, They are fieri darts, his Arrows are poisoned Arrows, they do not only wound as Iron and steel doth, but there is a Poison, a burning in them, of an ill quality, hard to cure, hard to be quenched; but now the holy Ghost prescribes you a remedy, an Arms fitted on purpose as they are darts, faith as a shield shall repel them, as they are poisoned and fiery; faith as Water, or Balsam, or Oil, shall Quench, by faith ye shall be enabled to Quench them: Faith properly as a shield doth not quench but repel, but faith enables you; that is, there is a mighty power and operation in faith, doing that which nothing else can do, that as ye have salves, properly to draw out stings, or thorns, and as ye have Balsams, to take out fire and poison, to quench and destroy the malignity of a poisoned dart, so you have faith fitted and proportioned to quench the fiery darts of the wicked, your greatest enemy, and who shoots continually, and therefore are they called all his fiery darts; he wants not Ammunition, he need not fear for want of Powder, he hath great and cursed abilities, and a spirit fitted to act them always; but faith can deal with him, and render all his dartings vain, and of no effect. You see now the full meaning of these words, and of how great a consideration faith is, to this war, so as from the reason of the thing which the Apostle gives, it deserves an Emphesis, An above all; that is, especially want not this, as Sallomon says of wisdom, Above all gettings get understanding, and keep thy heart with all diligence, so above all things take the shield of faith. Before we consider more particularly, of this so much commended faith, we will think a little what those fiery darts are, which are to be received, and quenched by faith; by fiery darts here, I understand not so much temptations to all kinds of him, though faith serves for all meets with them also, but the Breastplate of righteousness seems proper also for them, but some fiery envenomed impoysened darts, to which nothing but the shield of faith can be opposed; faith will secure you in all things aswell as other pieces of armour, but especially faith is of use here; And these darts seem to be either some burning violent temptations to lusts, or after them to despair: For the first, our natures since the first defilement by original corruption, were never perfectly cool, it is by some principle within us, that Satan works upon us, our natures are stubble and tinder; there is a great deal of combustible matter within us, which the wicked one knows well enough, and therefore shoots his Granades, his fireworks, his fiery darts, if we were Ice and Snow, if we were perfectly cool and cold, to lusts, the devil would not lose his pains nor his darts, but being fiery our selves, apt to burn, he flings in fire, fiery darts, and we are instantly and presently, in a flame, like charcoal burnt already, or stubble prepared already for burning by the sun; so he did to David in the case of Bathsheba, though he were a good man, took him at an advantage, when his corruptions were most fiery, nearest burning, when idleness, security and peace, had dried and heated him to lusts, and vanity, than he flung in a fiery dart, and the flame was unquenchable. The like he did with Amnon, who having received the fiery dart, was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, 2. Sam. 13.2. and was so destroyed with that flame, as he never ceased till he counted folly in Israel: in ways most barbarous and wicked, both in the prosecution of his love, and in his abusing and rejecting of her afterwards, and the one was as fiery as the other, he hated her now more than he had loved her, ver. 15. the love was without measure, so was the hatred; so are men stung with the fiery darts of the devil, there is nothing but extremes, no Mediocrity, all is without measure, and then for a little of that they call pleasure, they have a world of pain, and gall, and bitterness; which is the other fiery darts, made way for by lusts, and that is despair; for I should think that in this instance, the inhumanity and barbarousness of Amnon afterwards to his sister, came from the terror and confusion of his conscience, what fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed, Rom. 6.21. After the sin is committed, shame and horror seizeth presently, which hurries the mind ordinarily as fast to despair as it did before, to the countinent of the lust; therefore lusts should be looked upon, as they are going not as they are coming, or as they are promising, peracto scelere magnitudo ejus conspicitur, as Tacitus infers of Nero, after he had killed his Mother, therefore we should look on sin with that eye, which within a few hours we shall see them; and this is the second head of the fiery darts I told you of, namely inections to despair, how many after the commissions of Murders, Adulteryes, Treatheryes, have been consumed and liked up, by these fiery darts, and brought to miserable ends, under the notion of despair: What think you of Spira, who for a little shrincking and retracting his confession, the profession of the Gospel I told you of, esteemed the flames of hell less than those he felt, and wished himself often there that he might know the difference; What think you before him of judas, who found no rest, no quiet of spirit, but in the Gallows, he was utterly drunk up by despair, and went down quick to his own place. But the saints feel these fiery darts, as David did for lusting, so himself also and divers others for despairing, therefore he says, He roared all the day, and his soul, and his bones were sore vexed, and his eye, his soul & his Belly were consumed, and the devil herein takes the advantage of some outward lowness and depression of condition, either in body, or estate, or reputation, or some melancholy of body, or constitution, which is a temper easily fired to extremities; and that the Saints have their fyering to lustings, or despair aswell as others, whether they be of things bulky in themselves or little.  
But, 
Object.  what kind of faith is it that you must oppose to these burnings, to these fiery darts, and how doth faith relieve you?  
Certainly it is no other than that by which you believe God, 
Ans.  to be yours in Christ.  
The Shield here spoken of is taken from the similitude of a Door, such as were the largest shields, it must be large enough to shield the whole body:  
And secondly, as a shield it must receive the darts and repel them, and quench the fire before it reach the body, before it incorporate itself with the mind, and enter as it were into the substance of the spirit, for then there will be more tearing and difficulty to get it out.  
But how doth faith do this?  
First and especially as it calls God, God in Christ to our aid. When the Devil shoots his fiery Darts, either for lusting, or despairing, it is not for flesh and blood to oppose itself, your mortalities, your resolutions, your reasonings will prove combistible matter, and be burnt up, be burnt away, and your spirit will be left fired, and empoisoned by those Darts. The Dart will stick, & it will be work to get it out; Now in this case faith leads you directly to God, & sets God against the Devil, so as the combat by the wisdom of faith, is changed, and made now rather between God and the Devil, then between you and the Devil, & the Devil which could have subdued you easily, falls under God presently, This is that stronger than he that binds the strong man and casts him out. This was David's way, From the ends of the earth will I cry to thee, when my heart is overwhelmed, Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I, Psal. 61.2. that is where ever I am, or where ever thou art, as thy spirit can find me out, so I will find thee out, When I am overwhelmed, when I am greatly in distress, I will cry to thee, as a child doth to his father, that is set upon by one stronger than himself, cries out to his father and trusts to his strength; Set me upon a Rock, or thou wilt set me upon a Rock, that is, it is so high, as I cannot reach it without thou set me upon it, or higher than I, that is, above my own strength, or my own abilities, even upon thyself and thy son, where I may be safe, for in case of overwhelmings, in case of fiery Darts; there is no other way but to set God, as yours, as one in covenant with you, your all, and friends against the Devil, to stand still and see the salvation of God, when the red sea was before, and the Egyptians behind, what could the Israelites do, (in that case there was no way for wisdom or strength to make through). But stand still and see the salvation of God, casting all upon God, and despairing in themselves altogether.  
But secondly, this shield of faith can relieve you in this extremity by outbidding sights (as in a second and under way) against all lustings it can oppose presently the recompense of the reward, and ye have a lust for that also: So Moses was not without the lustings of ambition and vain glory, to be called the Son of Pharoahs' Daughter, but the eye which he had, to the recompense of reward, outbids them infinitely, and therefore he chose rather afflictions which no man would simply choose: So Christ for the glory set before him, endured and suffered any thing, a lively faith realizeth things, and makes them present; faith will tell you presently when a fiery lust assaults you, yield not, and in stead of pleasing your flesh, or your humour, which is passing, you will please Christ, you will please your conscience, and that pleasure is sweet indeed, that remains; nay you shall hear of this again, this fight, this quenching, shall come into your reward, in such times and in such things, wherein you would be most of all considered. And against the burnings of despair as in a second way, also faith will show the riches of mercy, the merits of the blood of Christ, and will tell you that it is dishonourable to God to judge his goodness, less than your wickedness, or that the merits of Christ cannot hold balance with your sinning, will show you as great disproportion between grace and sin, as between God and you, will make (in a word) despair wicked in nothing as in the unreasonableness of it.  
But than thirdly, as an effect of both these, faith sucks and draws down the dew of the spirit, the cooling waters, the refreshing streams, if need be balsam, and oil, to quench the fire before it kindle, or to fetch it out; when your concupiscents are cooled, by the Holy Ghost, and your spirit is in temper, Fiery darts will do no hurt, as a Grannado that falls into a Pit of water, there is fire in it, but before the blow gives it is quenched: O those sweet & cooling influences of the spirit, how refreshing are they, as dew to thirsty grounds; when Dives burned, what would he have given for some water, to cool his tongue. When wicked men are fired by the devil's darts, to despair or lust, or persecution, their own spirits are inflamed, burnt up, and they burn what ever they come near, and so they must till they be utterly consumed, for there is no heavenly dew, no water, no rain, no balsam, no droppings of the spirit: But to us there is a River, the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God, Psal. 46.4. Shall refresh us, shall keep us from burning, and fyering, and chapping, and he gives an account of it, ver. 5. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be greatly moved; there is the head of that fountain, he will not suffer the devil to gain upon you, to waste you, to drink you up, very much to fire you, but the streams shall continually refresh you, and make you glad, when others shallbe like the parched heath in the wilderness easily inflamed, a curse to themselves and others.  

Coral.  Therefore with all gettings get faith, above all take the shield of faith, and take it as I have told you, take it on like a large shield, that it may be fit to cover you, believe not scantily, believe not a little, have not your faith to fetch, and prove, and spell, when the fiery Darts are shooteing, how will you make this use of it else, that I have told you; is there any thing the devil would rob you of so much as lively faith, effectual faith, bold and hardy faith, he knows why well enough, it will repel his fiery darts, it will quench them, yield him not that piece of armour in any proportion, that is so damageable to him, and so necessary for you; faith is useful in every thing, but in these cases, faith doth not all (as I have told you) and while you are doing this, the obedience of faith, the use of faith is as pleasing to God, as resisting the fiery dart is necessary for you; as therefore ye would be relieved when you most need it, when your souls are fired with lust or despair, when those flames drink up your spirits, and undo you, believe boldly, believe strongly, without if's and and's, have God tied and made one with you, by faith according to the right notion of it, and then dread nothing, here is good news for you, you will be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked; There now remains nothing but some helps to take this shield of faith.  
First, consider it under the notion of obedience in it, the work of God and the will of God is engaged, you may be bold with yourselves, (and yet ye cannot because ye are creatures, ye are not your own) but will you be bold with the will of God: This to those that have but a little faith, and love already will be a great argument. God bids you sanctify his name, bids you honour your father, etc. you will do it, why? because it is a thing not left to your choice; God bids you sanctify him by believing, honour him by believing, and this is first to God, to God immediately: I beseech you, look not on faith in this notion, as a privilege left to the arbitration of your own wills, whether you will be so good to yourselves or no, but as an indispensible duty: Some duties may be dispensed with for ends, as the worship of God in some of his ordinance, but this duty lies so hard upon you, as it is not to be dispensed with all for a moment, not for the greatest good, not for the salvation of all men; if God be great to you, therefore obey him in believing, or upon the same reason, cast of all Religion and disobey him in every other thing, but if you fear to do that, then know that the same God, that bids you do any other thing, bids you also believe, and know that this commandment is the least arbitrary of all the rest.  
Secondly, consider what obstructs faith, if negligence, and want of consideration, as that doth much, and often, I beseech you let me set you on considering: consider that you will go to hell without it, if you will not believe God for the pardon of your sins, and that he is yours in Christ, believe him for this, that without this you willbe condemned for ever, God may seem to put it to your choice, whether you will believe or no; but he doth by no means put it to your choice, whether you will go to hell or no, if you believe not, for that is determined with him, that the fearful and unbelievers shallbe cast into hell, and indeed thither are all men going a pace, only belief turns the motion, and makes the earth assend upwards.  
But if you say you see, you see your misery enough in unbelief, but ye want boldness to believe, that you think that there is no proportion between sin and such a nothing as faith is, there is a proportion between sin and damnation, but not between sin and faith: right now I have you where I would, but then consider that the things wherein God useth man in the way to salvation, are indeed nothing, or as nothing, by the foolishness, that is, by the nothingness of Preaching he saves them that believe; The Vessels in which his word comes, are earthen, as good as nothing, our righteousness reacheth not to him, and though our reward be heaven, yet our merit is nothing, just nothing: And therefore if faith in respect of its own internal value, or as a grace in this case, were any thing, we should never be saved by it, but now our comfort and assurance is that it is nothing. But on the contrary, though there be no proportion between sin and faith, yet there is a proportion between sin and Christ, or if you will have me speak the truth, there is no proportion in this regard; Christ's dying, Christ's suffering, makes sin nothing, so that that which held the greatest proportion, before God, before, and was heavyer then the sand of the sea, deeper than hell, is now nothing: what will you think your debts greater than God can pay, will you balance your wickedness and his love, your unkindness may be aggranated, and made greater by his love, but it cannot be made even with his love, for he is God; In a word, we cannot outsin his pardon, or grace, by any thing but unbelief, so as this littleness, this nothingness of faith, is your advantage, because in this great business of our salvation God will be all in all, and you shall thank yourselves for nothing: Did it hinder Naaman the Assyrian, that to wash in Jordan was nothing, or did it relieve Jericho, that the bloweing of Rams-hornes was nothing, if it had been any thing, it had not done it, for God is resolved to destroy Jericho by nothing, that is, by himself alone; and therefore he will have you by nothing, or by that which is as good as nothing, in respect of what you do: But on the other side, he finds enough in the balance, to make your sins nothing, even his own eternal love, and the suffering and merits of his own son.  
Thirdly, God's heart is in this matter of faith, never any thing was so fenced with mottinesse, with threats, and commands, with entreatings and inviting, with words and oaths, with signs and seals, with rewards and punishments. The Gospel is nothing but the Message of faith, Christ himself and all his Ministers, but the preachers of faith. The great business is to make the match, to tie the knot between God and our souls, the rest, other things, flow on naturally: Love follows faith, works flow from love. But without faith, its impossible to please God, without faith we are Strangers and a far of. Now that which is so near God's heart, and so advantageous to ourselves, we should do, we should be much in what ever the devil say, to the contrary, God neverhedged any thing about like this, never any thing came so freely off, the making of this cost him his Ministers ordinances and seals, and without it all is nothing.  
Fourthly, to fetch Arguments, not only from necessity and duty, & reason, but ingenuity, the only salve you can apply to the wounds of Christ, is believing, your sins made them your faith heals them, He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied, Isa. 53.11. That is, he hath been at a great deal of pains and cost; now what are his incomes, what will make up this poor people for whom he did, and suffered, all this will trust him and believe in him, for so it follows, by his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many, that is, by the knowledge and belief of him, they shallbe justified, this satisfies him, this pays him, this is the only way you have to make him amends; Now his stripes hath healed you, heal him by your faith, do a little nobly, and freely for him, that hath done so much for you, stick not with him to believe him, that stuck not to die for you.  
But than lastly, did the devil never let lose any fiery darts upon you, or may he not do it, if he have not, ye can judge the less what it is to want this shield, but ask Judas, and he will tell you, ask David he will tell you, ask Paul when Satan buffeted him, and he had nothing but God to rely upon; If he have, I hope experience will make us wise to have our shield ready, if he have not know that he may do, look that he will do, and will do it, when you are weakest, when you are lowest, provide for that evil day, get up your shield; this of faith in God through Christ, as yours, and then when he comes, what have you to do, ye can turn God lose to him, ye can fetch down liquor and virtue of that temper and coolness, as shall dead and quench and extinguish his darts, and in the thing wherein he is proud and mighty, you will be above him, and to hard for him.  
We are come in the fifth place to another piece of the great and sure armour, with which the spirit of God arms us against the devil, a piece for our head, the Helmet of salvation, as that before was more general applicable to the whole Body.  
That by this Helmet is meant hope, the Apostle who is his own best interpreter tells you 1. Thessa. 5.8. And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation: This piece of armour is of excellent use, and proper to that part it defends; The worth of it appears as by many things: So by the deplorable condition of those that want it, they have no hope (says he) and they are without God in the world, Eph. 2.12. they wanted that ligament, that tie to fasten them to God, and so were left most miserable.  
We must consider a little, what hope is, and then, why it is called of salvation, and then how it fits that part, to which it is destined, and doth the work of an Helmet.  
It is a received maxim, that all affections are rooted in love, and as they are rooted in love, so they are acted by love, even hatred and malice itself, hath its rise in some thing loved, for therefore I hate such a thing, because I love the contrary: Again as affections are rooted in love, and acted by love, so love is felt, and appears according to the affection it acts by, and is seen through that, as the sun which is always the same in itself, yet works upon us according to the constellations it possesseth, and the light colours itself, according to the body through which it shines, so loves works and appears much according to the affection it possesseth, and through which it renders itself visible, for example:  
Love appears very dark in sorrow, violent in choler, tranquil and peaceable in joy, dejected in despair, but in hope love is in its Throne, there it appears in most pomp, there it works with most efficacy, and is altogether lovely.  
This affection of all others seems to be destined to great affairs, and hath a mighty influence either upon our doing, or suffering.  
It was all that Alexander had to enable him to the conquest of the world, distributing all his other goods that he had received from his father; Again what is it but this that makes men every day cross the seas, labour the ground, seek after Mines in the bowels of the earth, fight, and pursue victories, nay it is that which accompanies men to the scaffold, and to their death beds.  
But to follow our methods, we consider not hope here, in that loose sense, in which it is commonly taken, namely for a certain fault, and low attendancy, or looking after some good thing desired, and so to be before faith, and without it, as when we are apt to say, I cannot believe such a thing, but I hope it well; but on the contrary we take it for a firm expectation of some future good, which we do already believe, and are assured of, so faith the scripture Heb. 11.1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Gal. 5.5. We wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, that is, faith gives you the ground of waiteing, which is by hope, so if we hope we wait, Rom. 8.25. so as this hope which must be our Helmet is a superadded grace to faith, a birth and effect of it.  
It is called, the Helmet of Salvation, for salvation is the great thing about which faith and hope is conversant, so saith Paul, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls, so the hope of salvation, because, that, as the greatest, contains all other inferior goods, and in the eyeing and prosecution of which by faith and hope we secure ourselves the most abundantly.  
But how doth this Armour fit the part, it is destined for, and do the work of an Helmet.  
The head is as it were the principle of action, and of our intentions, as the head governs and directs the members, so our end and intention, which is our simbolical head, being the principal and rise of all our actions, that which gives vigour and activity to them, had need of some piece of armour for its defence, which the Apostle here makes to be the hope of Salvation.  
Now this Helmet doth its work thus, the world and Satan that they might poison the fountain, corrupt our ends, and our intentions, would bribe us with something outward, and sensual, and therefore holds over our heads many things to tempt and allure us, suitable to our senses, and corrupted nature, offers us crowns of applause, allures us with pates of pleasure (falsely so called) and to makes these relish, to take the better, terrifies us with thorny paths, and ill conditions, in holy ways, with persecutions, and scorns, gives you the choice of crowns of thorns, and gold, but both fleshly and carnal; the Holy Ghost now gives you for an Helmet the hope of Salvation, holds that over your head toward of these blows, and those assaults, and what is that? The assured expectation and waiting for of eternal glory, for so it is called in other places, The hope of eternal life, the hope of glory, Rom. 5.2▪ and Tit. 3.7. First, hope in its nature and definition is the waiting for, and expectation of a good thing, which makes it a pleasant, and relieving affection, because the object of it is good, not as grief, nor as fear, which hath for its object an ill thing; But our hope which is our Helmet, wards and guards our head, it is made up of the best and most suitable good, it is a good comprehending all other goods, and therefore called salvation in the abstract, it is a glorious good, for it is the hope of glory, and for duration it is not earthly, sensual, and passing, but it is eternal life an eternal weight of glory.  
Secondly, hope is of good things to come, and therefore it is an expectation, for hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man sees, why doth he yet hope for? Rom. 8.24. So as it is a pleasant passing your time, in the expectation of a desired good; But now the difference will lie not only in the degree of good, for ours is of things eternal, but in the degree of expectation, worldly hopes are founded upon such sleight bottoms, as they contribute not much to comfort, in regard of which some have called hope a dream, which presents itself to waking men, and from thence it is said, that the Hypocrites hope perisheth; but our hope is of another constitution, for it is grafted upon faith which gives a certainty, and reality to the thing, so as no fear of faileing shall weaken or impair your hope, but hope shall stand upon a sure bottom, and pleasantly, and joyfully expect what already by faith is made most sure to us.  
To speak a little more, a little more particularly of this affection, it is of a good thing, absent, difficult and possible, I have showed you how our hope is conversant about the best and highest good, the abuse of this affection (for that will help to show the use of it) lies in pitching it upon things that are not good; In truth all other things, but spiritual, God, heaven, and eternity, have no other value, but what ignorance and a lie puts upon them, opinion indeed gives them a name, honours them with a title which they deserve not, and yet how much do outward things engage this affection: Honour which depends upon the opinion of others, which is extremely passing, and perishing, which is the reward oftentimes of crimes, which are successful, and glitter, and pleasures which are accompanied with regret, and shame, and followed with grief; And riches ordinarily, the object of the basest minds, and men; All these things, and what ever more is outward, are but the shadows and pictures of good; As in a picture you think you see the birds fly, men standing of from the cloth, but when you come near it, there is nothing but the lines of a pencil, nothing but marks upon a cloth or table, and so are these things, nothing but shadows, pictures, dreams, they must have a light proper to show them by, false lights, yet these are the objects of the hopes of the greatest part of men.  
Again, these things as they are not good enough, so they are not absent enough for hope, for though things of sense are not ever in the possession of them which most make after them, yet they are amongst us, they are in the world, but this hope carries us properly beyond every thing. The eye sees, and the ear hears, and what enters into the heart of man.  
Again, things that are the object of hope are difficult, but difficult and worthy, or great in a right sense, are of an equal extent, to labour in the smoke and mud, for smoke and mud it may be difficult, but it is a difficulty without worth, it is base and mean, and so hath nothing in it of great, or worthy, in which respect only difficult things should be undertaken.  
Then, how often doth hope mis-applyed engage in impossibilities, and so becomes a mere imposture to us. How often are men befooled here, and in their desires, and hopes (which actuate those desires) pursue impossible things. Men foolishly think that miracles should be wrought in their favour, and the whole order of the universe changed for their sakes, men that merit the gallows hope for a pardon, not because they have any assurance of the judges favour, or because their faults are pardonable, but because they would live: and which is ridiculous, old men that are so in extremity, hope for an old age yet to come.  
I have showed you already that our hope which is our Helmet, is of good things, a good that wants a name, good enough to express it, and therefore is called salvation, a name abstract, and comprehensive to the ut most.  
Again, I have showed, that it is of good things to come, and herein it differs from faith, for faith sees them as it were present, and therefore it is the substance of things hoped for, but hope looks upon them, (as indeed they are) at a distance; In a word, faith gives you the assurance, Hope the expectation.  
Again difficult they are, and great and difficult, worthy and difficult, accordingly, they cost Christ much, and they cost us much, so difficult, as for the attaining of them, God must come out of heaven, Christ must die and suffer: God must set all his wisdom on work, that we may have a ground to pitch our hopes upon, and for our part, hope is managed and conversant about difficult things, as ye shall hear.  
But than last of all, our hope is wise, the things are possible about which it is conversant, so possible, as they are assured, and therefore it's called the full assurance of Hope, Heb. 6.11.  
Let us know then where we are, 
Coral.  and what use we have of this affection; The truth is Christian Religion, is altogether founded upon hope, the things of this life are not our portion, we breath after what is to come, let us therefore live as men, untied from this world, and fasten to another by hope, let the pleasures and honours, and profits of this world be dead things to us, because we have no hope to animate them; Hope acts and animates above any thing, but we want this engine, because we have not that object. For instance, to appear something, to be great, wise, and honourable, is the great contention, and pursuit of this world: When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we appear, etc. Heavenly hope puts you off thither, and disputes not the thing, but the time, ye shall have enough of appearing, but it shallbe in a peculiar and advantageous time, when Christ shall appear to fill up his triumph, to adorn that pomp, respite your desire of appearing till then; God doth but time it for us, so for pleasures to enjoy yourselves, to be satisfied, to be at ease, to gratify and content every part of you, these are men's hopes, one time or other you shall get it; There is a place of pleasures, the presence of God, and there is a fullness and completeness of pleasure, but it is in that place and in other, and there are pleasures for evermore, pleasures that are as long as they are great, but it is at the right hand of God; The pleasures Satan would give you are of a base alloey, their durance is but of that minute in which they are enjoyed; Their fullness is worse than their emptiness, for they are not only vain, falling short of that good they promised, but vexing also, and deceiving, the truth is, this is not a life for pleasures, but for pains, especially to Christians, and so says the Apostle, If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable. If our hopes (as other men's) were here, we were in a worse condition than they, that cannot eat their meats, and enjoy their comforts, taste of their daintyes, partly, because there is a greater disproportion between us and them, then between they and them, and partly, because our light and our conscience is to much raised, & of too great a tenderness to digest their morsels; what then have we nothing to balance their contentments? not to speak of other things, what ever returns faith and hope can make we have, They are without hope, wish them joy of what they have, but hope they have none; and this let me tell you, improve this well, and it shall pay all the charges of their gains, you have the hope of eternal life, the hope of glory, of what ever your hearts can wish and desire: Faith gives things a footing and a subsistence, & hope is grafted upon it, and is ready by the expectation of better things, to outbidd the world, and by virtue of a pleasure taken in things to come, to carry you above the false pretensions of pleasure which the world makes ofter, therefore content yourselves with your portion, and use your Helmet to ward of the assaults of semeing goods or ills, as Satan shall present them.  
But more particularly, use hope for joy, for patience for working, live in the joy of hope, let one spiritual affection in prove and provoke another, that there is a joy of hope, appears in this, which we usually say of worldly hopes, that things are usually better in the hopes, then in the enjoyment, and we see men will sell any thing rather than their hopes: Now those hopes in comparison with ours, have two or three notable defects.  
First they are built upon uncertainties and contingenties, they have no firm bottom, and ground work, and so cannot be entire, cannot be without the mixture of fear, fear of issue, fear of success, and this let me add, that the more they hope, the more they will fear, out of a loathness to want the good things they desire, and so it is a mixed affection, that pricks, and pinches aswell as relieves, and comforts. Worldly men enjoy little their hopes, or their possessions, not their possessions, for they are balanced with uncertainties, and emptiness, so as they are fain to relieve themselves, by their hopes, by their reachings after more, nor their hopes, do they enjoy purely and sincerely, for they are mixed with fear, which oftentimes is the weightiest ingredient, and bears the greatest part of the composition; but our hopes have not this impediment to joy, but on the contrary carry evidence and subsistence with them, being built upon the evidence and subsistence of faith, so that what faith firmly believes, hope joyfully expects, and waits for; What is the great happiness of heaven, but the fixeing & stayeing of joys by eternity: Now the joy of that hope is fixed by faith, which gives it a steady and untottering foundation, so that what you have, you have; If joy come in by that door, it will or aught to do so always, there is no rational or necessary mixture of fear, because there is no rational cause of doubting.  
Secondly, there is a vanity of rejoicing in boastings, as James saith, and so an evil, for all such rejoicing is evil: The mixture of fear is a troublesome, but it is a rational thing in their hopes, the foundation of which is but contingency, but a further evil, and more sinful, and irrational, is, that they rejoice in their boastings, they think by the determination of their wills to do that which godly men do by faith, and when their hopes have once concluded a thing, they think it should be established, and thereupon run away without reckoning with their host, as we use to say, whereas the scripture saith, ye ought to say, if I live, and if the Lord will; Now for their foolish conceits to fix that which only God can render certain, is a folly and a sin, and the hope that riseth from it, is an irrational presumptuous hope, for that they ought to say, if we live, and if the Lord will, things that are wholly out of their power. Now our hopes and the joy of it, is not a rejoicing in boasting, but it is a boasting in truth, we have already the Lords will, his will declared, his will commanded that we should have the joy of hope, and should rejoice in hope, Rom. 12.12. And that we should have the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end, Heb. 3.6. So as here is no rejoicing in boastings, here is no vain fancies of our own, no castles in the air.  
But then as their is a vanity in the uncertainty of their hopes, which mixeth them with fears, and a further and fuller vanity, in fixeing and assureing their hopes, by their own boastings and presumptions, incerta, certa redendo. So  
Thirdly, there is a mighty vanity in the matter of their hopes, for they are of things low and mean, no better for kind then what they have already, why do they not enjoy them? nay, why do they despise them? because they know them; so as they despise what they know, and hope in what they know not, because they know it not; but the object of our hopes, and of our joy arising from them, are of things so great and real, as the little, but yet the true taste we have of them, makes us desire more; It is our knowledge that makes us vallewe our hopes, and joy in them, and it is our ignorance that causeth us to hope no more, nor rejoice in the good things, which are the objects of them; And therefore we see faith which gives a real evidence and sight of things, intends above any other thing our hopes, and want of faith, and weakness of faith lessens our hopes, and the joy of them.  
The object of our hopes are things great, thing heavenly, things eternal, and these are the matter, if any other thing be, of joy; Opposite to which are the dead, beggarly, and sensible things of this world, which are mistaken always in hope, and usually despised in possession, so that not only simply, but in comparison with other things, we have all reason for the joy of hope: The warrant of this joy we have given you already, when we showed the reason of our joy in opposition to wicked men's boastings, but the end is not only for itself (though that be much, that we may live comfortably, that we be in as good a condition as this state is capable of) but joy as a result and concomitant of hope, is mighty for Battle; ye are now in the lists, and ye put on armour, the joy of Hope, which is the joy of the Lord, is our strength: He that rejoiceth not in the hope of things to come, will rejoice in vain hopes, or in sensual enjoyments: He that cannot take in the pleasures of salvation by hope, will assuredly joy the joys of wicked men, for he wants this armour against pleasures and sensual joys, which is a weapon Satan wields to our dis-advantage, as much as any, and therefore, know how to arm your head by hope, and against the pleasures and joys of this world, by the pleasure and joy of hope, unless you would be exposed as a prey to things of sense, and things of this life, against which this hope of salvation is your armour.  

Object.  But now to answer shortly an objection, if hope brings in so great and steady a return of joy, what place will you allot for sorrow for sin, for we are sinners, and a sinful condition, and that affection suits us very well. Answ. 
Answ.  Certainly we should not sorrow as those without hope, but as those which are full of hope, yet on the other side, as there is occasion, by renewed acts of sins, our hope and our joy should intend our sorrow, and rectify it, God would not have an uncomfortable, or a despairing thought, in all sorrow, it is the sorrow of the world that works death, that destroys, and hurts, some inordinacy, some excess, but sorrow intended, and relieved also by hope, and the joy of it, as it is often necessary, so it will never hurt you.  
There is a double use of sorrow, first to work out the stain of sin, in supplying the want of afflictions: sin is not only evil for its transcient act, but for the cursed disposition that it leaves behind, there is ever sin in the womb of sin, sorrow serves to work out the stain of sin, and do the work of afflictions, which are to humble and bring low, Prov. 20.30. The blewnes of a wound cleanseth away evil, so do stripes the inward parts of the belly, this is applied to correction and cleansing, afflictions work the wound to such a disposition, as is cleasing and healeing.  
But than secondly, sorrow for sin serves whereby to express our affections to Christ in a manner suitable to our condition, and to the posture we stand in towards him, shall we grieve the Lord, and shall the Lord be grieved, and shall we not grieve? But he loves us, and pardons us, therefore should we grieve. Besides, while he loves us, he grieves, and he grieves the more, because he loves us, and so should we, if he did not love us, he would not grieve, and if we love him, we cannot but grieve when we offend him, Jer. 31.19. Surely after I was turned, I repented, and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, etc. Ephraim mourns and grieves, which he did not till God had mercy on him, than he smote on his thigh.  
If you ask how we should grieve? Never without the relief of hope, and joy, let them act and intend your sorrow, but for the degree why should we not in humbling ourselves for sin work ourselves, and our sorrow, as low as afflictions would lay us, if chastisements should take hold on us, or sickness to death, or any other hand of God chastising for sin, this will be no interruption in your hope, no prejudice to the joy of it.  
Thus your hope arms you against pleasures by joy, the joy of hope; but we have pains also to conflict withal, all the evils and calamities, that dishonour, want, and poverty, or bodily evils can inflict, patiency also in attendancy and expectation, ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. We would fain have our rewards in hand, we are loath to stay, we would have the reality of the reward, not the vision of faith only, Heb. 10.36. Now this is needful, for the Saints through faith and patience inherited the promises, Heb. 6.12. If you ask who infests the Saints, who puts them to their patience? The world and wicked men, but especially the Devil, that he might discourage us, and devour us, might break and interrupt our course, might make us for want of continuance, do and suffer so many things in vain, and therefore arms all his instruments, evil men and our own corruptions against us, to make us weary of that way, which is so sowed with thorns, which costs us so much pains and trouble; God also puts us to our patience, by suffering manifold evils, outward and inward, to infest us, that he might purge present evil, and prevent further evil, and that he might try us, and use what he hath laid into us, that he might say of us another day as he did of job, ye have heard of the patience of job, Jam. 5.11. and might boast of us as of those enduring Saints, here is the patience of the Saints, behold it, Reu. 13.10. In all these respects ye have need of patience, yea, and that patience should have its perfect work, as James saith Jam. 1.4. That it should possess our souls, that it should be fitted for every condition, and hold out to the utmost, to the extremity, as you see those, who are betrusted with forts, and strengths they had need of patience: And yet must hold out to the utmost extremity, by the law of war, now than you see the need we have of patience, but it must be the patience of hope, 1. Thess. 1.3. The Apostle gives there the effects and their causes, the work of faith, said's he, the labour of love, and the patience of hope, the effect or great product of hope is patience, patience is a grace which hath no shine or glitter with it, it is sweet but dark, and obscure, and hath nothing in it of violence, and having mighty enemies, it defends itself in suffering, we gain the victory often in losing our lives, it scarce complains of what it endures, so as it passeth often amongst ignorant men for stupidity, and dulness. Now this sweet and low grace (in respect of its condition, and the manner of its operation) would be oppressed a thousand times under the victory of its enemies, if it were not animated by the liveliness and activity of hope, if the hope of salvation, the hope of glory, (for so it is called,) did not continually set before its eyes, the greatness of the reward; ye can never have a better instance, then of our Master Christ himself while he was in the conflict of patience, (and that was his life) he was ever in the lists of sufferings, conflicting with sorrows, and woes, for the joy that was set before him, which was made sure to him by faith, & received and enjoyed by hope, (for he came by his comforts even as we) this made him to endure the cross and despise the shame, and we are commanded to run with patience the race, that is set before us, looking to him, Heb. 12.2, 3. That is, use our patience as he did, and relieve our patience as he did, by the joyful sights of hope, patience without hope is the deadest thing in the world; for why do I deprive myself of good? why do I suffer so many things in vain, if they be in vain, and therefore the Apostle takes it for granted, that the patient continuance in well doing, hath some thing to relieve it, namely, a looking after glory, and honour and immortality, etc. Rom. 2.7. without which animation, and enlivening of hope, patience were dead, and deadly, more fit to be the property of a stone, or a block, than the grace of a Saint; thus ye see yourselves armed by hope, against the great enemies of God and man, against the great troublers of Israel, pleasures, and pains, by having your joys, and your patience, acted by hope, which is your Helmet.  
But hope thirdly is proper for doing, aswell as suffering, having a great influence (as I told you) upon our simbolical head, our intentions, and scopes and end, and this piece, aswell as our shoes, (the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace) enables us for acting, and the truth is, while we do nothing good, we are not secure against doing ill; But if hope serve to any thing, it serves to encourage to labour, and work, we use to say in a proverb, take away hope, and take away endeavour, no work is done or can be done without hope, he that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hopes, 1. Cor. 9.10. A man would be loath to plow the ground, or thresh the corn without hope, you will not do actions of the lowest form without it: Again as you can do nothing without hope, so ye attempt the greatest things by hope, the hopes of victory, the hope of success, the hope of gain, whither doth it not engage men, our strength depends upon our hope, and therefore Jeremy complains, my strength and my hope is perished, Lam. 3.18. No more hope, no more strength, they stand and fall together, they are alike in their birth and death: On the other side, when Paul was to give an account to Agrippa of his actions, Acts 26.6, 7. I am judged (says he) for the hope of the promise made unto our fathers, unto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come. Do you wonder why they served God, with that instance, and intenseness, day and night, why they do that which none of the world do besides, they hope to attain the promise of God, that is, the thing promised, that engageth them to a continual and a most intense labour; so the Apostle when he gives in a very few words all that is to be forborn and done for God, and our good, makes hope to be the rise of all his courage and activity, Tit. 2.13. looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour jesus Christ, compared with the former verses 11. and 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and Godly in this present world. And Christ when he bids us do any thing hoping for nothing again, Luk. 6.35. Lend hoping for nothing again; he doth not mean we should have nothing, or be without hope, but tells us immediately, that our reward shall be great in heaven, and we shall be the children of the Highest, and presently suggests matter of hope, which he affixeth to the lending of a penny, or the giving a cup of cold water, ye shall not lose your reward.  
But to what works doth hope animate us? to all for the least shall be considered, shall not lose its reward, and the greatest shall be considered proportionably, He that overcometh, and he that follows me here, shall sit upon twelve Thrones. There is nothing so great, that hope cannot expect, for it is the hope of salvation; And therefore there is no work so great, that hope cannot put you upon, for it works from hope to salvation. Captain's when they harrang their Soldiers, tell them of the butin of the prey, tell them of honours, and advancements; and Christ when he encourageth his, speaks Crowns as freely as any, but spiritual crowns assured by faith; and enjoyed for the present by hope; it is a shame that our hopes should not carry us toward working, as far as ever any worldly hath done, in all the particulars of work. I will insist only upon one, which the scripture particularly annexeth to hope, and is proper for us all; He that hath this hope, (that is, of seeing God, of salvation) he purifieth himself even as he is pure, 1. Joh. 3.3. The reason of the action about which our hope is conversant, and the proportion lies thus, We hope, saith he, ver. 2. when he shall appear to be like him, for we shall see him as he is, says he there will be the same reason of your being like to him, here and hereafter, and therefore if you will be like him in heaven, you must be like him here, and your hope for the one, must help you to the other: now as in heaven he is glorious, so here he was pure, ye are in all estates and conditions to follow and imitate your saviour, for that is your hope to that you were predestinated; Now he was holy, harmless, undefiled, therefore ye must be like in this state also.  
Secondly your hope fixeth upon seeing him in heaven. There shall no unclean thing enter into the kingdom of heaven, and therefore you must purge and cleanse yourselves by the way, and your hope must do it.  
This purification respcteth both the body, and the mind, and is opposed to all bodily lusts, which lies in the senses, fancy, or sensible things, and to all spiritual lusts, which lie in the understanding, which lusteth against spiritual truths, and the ways of God, says he, this hope must purify you from all this.  
But how high? how far must this hope act you, to what degrees? Even as he is pure, there is your pattern, there is your examplar, study what Christ was, and be ye likewise, study what Christ did, or would do, and do the same; for instance, we are apt to be proud and vain to be supercilious, to overlook men, and little things, to be every one for himself, gripeing and graspeing. Purify yourselves in this, even as he is pure, let the same mind be in you that was in Christ jesus, Phil. 2.5. who though he were in the form of God, debased himself, in a word consider the disposition of Christ, and consider the purity of Christ, and make that your copy, and as you would set no bounds to glory, you would see him as he is, and be like him, so set no bounds to purity, purify yourselves after that pattern, even as he is pure, and let hope and the reason of hope do it, because you have no greater pretensions to glory, than you have to purity, namely to be like Christ your head, to whom by faith, and hope you are conformed. Thus ye see your Helmet, in its glory, securing you from all the evil of all the goods of the world, and securing from all the evil of all the evil of the world, and enabling and inspiring you to work, and service even to all, That you might be perfect and throughly furnished to every good work; improove therefore this blessed piece, this hope, and get it more abundantly.  
You see it is a great matter how we settle our hopes, 
Coral.  because in it lies the strength of our endeavours, we anchor in things by hope, and fix in them, and being settled upon an immovable thing, we can move steadily and strongly. Archimedes could move the world, if he could fasten his engine, now we cast anchor in heaven, and heavenly things in salvation, for so says the Apostle, We have an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast, and which entereth in to that which is within the veil, Heb. 6.19. Our anchor casts deep in heaven, where there is good earthing, whence it will be impossible to be removed by any storms or winds: But this we must know, that if you would make use of this or any armour which is spiritual, it must be first raised to a pitch, the arms must be fashioned, and form, and then must be kept bright, and in posture, for service, it must be wielded by a spiritual hand.  
Now to raise this grace, you must improove and raise your faith, for as in all compositions, you have something that gives the body of it, so faith gives the body, and substance to hope, therefore faith is called the substance of things hoped for, and therefore of all other things your hope will never outbid or go beyond your faith, keep therefore that full and high.  
Yet Hope is a further grace and armour, faith gives you things in their colours with your interests in them, it shows you that they are, and that they are yours, but however faith gives them a kind of presence by believing, yet they are in themselves future, as to us, hope therefore takes in the pleasure of them beforehand, lives in the joyful expectation of them, and so abridges the time, which else would be tedious, fancies to itself (as I may so say) the pleasures and joys of eternal life, and lives in a sweet anticipation of what it possesseth but by faith, which as it is most pleasant in itself, so it produceth mighty effects, for joy, for patience, for working, so as our life is comfortably entertained by it in joy, and pleasure, evils and calamities are mastered, and subdued by it, even the greatest, and action and work, the end of living is promoted.  
Therefore look upon this piece, which hath influence into so great effects, as a real, not as a notional thing, as a thing that many want in the use and exercise of it, but they cannot live without it, they cannot live a vital life animated with joy, armed with patience and acted, to work and service.  
Therefore let not so great an engine of the Holy Ghost, so great and good an armour lie dead by us, but rather let us improove it, and use it, try always of raising it, for it is raised and improved grace that works great and considerable effects.  
— And the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. This is the last piece of arms, and is fitted both for offence, and defence, it is an arms that is great alone, and therefore men arm themselves with this, which use no other, and it is also an appendix to all arms, for no man is armed at all points, like a soldier, which hath not a sword, this is a piece of a very expedite, and continual use.  
You need not go far to know what this sword is, the Apostle describes it first by being the sword of the spirit, that is, a spiritual sword, The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, 2. Cor. 10.4. The Devil will not give way or yield to a sword made of any other mettle, therefore it is mighty through God: The Egyptians are flesh, and not spirit, therefore they are weak. One Devil is able to deal with all the fleshly and carnal weapons in the world, it is not charms, and holy water, nor resolutions, and purposes, and reasonings alone, that are weapons fit for this combat, they must be things truly spiritual.  
But than secondly, it is that sword, which the spirit useth in us, and by us, the spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, so as there is a mighty arm, to a mighty weapon, For we know not how to pray as we ought, how to do any thing, but the spirit maketh intercession in us, and it is the spirit that leads us into all truth, and teacheth us how to use, and improove truth, without the spirit of God, the word of God would do us no good; The weapon would be too heavy, to unwieldy for us to use, therefore saith the Apostle, The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God, 2. Cor. 10.4. God must use, and guide the hand, aswell as give the sword, it will be else like the weapons of a mighty man in the hand of a child, if he take it up, it will be but to let it fall.  
But than thirdly, it is the sword of the spirit, the spirit doth not only use it, but he form it, it is therefore fit for use, because he form it, that is the mighty workman, and Engineer for spiritual weapons, and he must be able to use it well, that made it, for he made it for use, and there is no ingredient in it, which hath not an influence into the end of it, which is the use of it. Now that he form, it appears 2. Pet. 1.20, 21. Prophecy came not in old time (or at any time) by the will of man, that is, by the presumptuous will of bold men, proudly, and arrogantly going about to determine, that by their will, which by their reasons and unstandings could not reach, but holy men of God spoke, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; God used the underderstandings and the wills of holy men, to derive and conveye his truth to the world, so 2. Tim. 3.16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, so as the spirit forms it, frames it, suggests it, brings it to the world.  
Thus having known the matter of this sword, that it is spiritual, not of a carnal make, or composition, and secondly the mannager and weilder of this sword, that it is the spirit, and then the maker, and former of this sword, that it is the same spirit, we come now to the appellation itself, which the spirit gives it, which is the word of God.  
By the word of God is meant, what ever God hath made known to be his will, as it is contained in the scripture.  
This must needs be the word of God, and no other, but as it is consonant to this, for in a large sense, all truths may be called the word of God, as being subjected to some scripture rule, but strictly that word which is our sword, is some portion of that we call the scripture, which is particularly characterized, and distinguished by this title the word of God.  
This must needs be so, because this is that, which must not be added to, or detracted from, it must stand alone Deut. 4.2. Ye shall not add unto the word, which I command you, neither shall you diminish aught from it: Therefore that is all, and only the word of God: So Deut. 12.32. Gal. 1.8. If we or Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you, then that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.  
Secondly, if God will have the balance of the Sanctuary for weights, and measures, for rules and determinations, it must be visible, and public: If he will have us, fight with such weapons, we must know where to fetch them.  
Thirdly, when we see this rule in practice by Christ or his Apostles, we see this word taken up for this sword, to do mighty things.  
We see Christ resisting the Devil, and at last confounding and expelling him by this word, by this weapon, Math. 4.4. He followed him so long with It is written, that at last he drove him quite away, he resisted him by this sword, till he fled from him.  
As he dealt with the Devil in himself, so he dealt with the Devil in the Scribes and pharisees, Have ye not read (saith he) what David did, and what the Priests did, etc. Math. 12.3, 4, 5. So he answered them, and confounded them; The like did Stephen, and the Apostles, convinced men mightily by the Scriptures, that jesus was the Christ, and used this sword to destroy unbelief with. Now this word of God, which is our sword, is not so much the letter of the word, as the sense of it, how unreasonably and foolishly have the Papists abused themselves by sticking to the letter, in those words, This is my body, and Origen in making himself an Eunuch, from that place, Math. 19.12. There be Eunuches that have made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdom of heaven's sake. Though it be also true that where the letter is not contrary to the Annalogy of faith, that is to be our rule and guide, and upon no other ground are we to depart from the letter.  
But if it be objected, how shall men especially unlearned, know the sense of Scripture, which seems sometimes to be subject to contrariety? Answ. This is the great grace of God towards his, that in things necessary to faith and manners, to be known, or done, they need not be ignorant, for they walk in the light of the Lord, by virtue of which light they are led into all truth; so as they need not pin, their faith upon the authority of another's judgement; This is there due by promise, They shall be all taught of God, Isa. 54.13. and Christ says, his sheep follow him, because they know his voice, but another they will not follow, because they know not the voice of strangers, Joh. 10.4, 5. To have the word made clear to you, and this sword fit for your use, is your due aswell as the sword itself. So the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Psal. 25.14. The scriptures though deep are foordable by those who are holy, and diligent, though they be not so wise and learned: On the other side, The natural man knoweth not the things that are of the spirit of God, because they are foolishness to him: But the spiritual man knoweth all things, 1. Cor. 2.14, 15. So  
1. John 5.6: It is the spirit that beareth witness, because the spirit is truth. And ver. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself. So Math. 13.11. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, to others it is not given. There is a sense of Scripture that lies always not so evident and above, but it is given to you as your peculiar, and portion.  
This honour have all the Saints, they have a certain taste suitable and proportionable to their spirits, and their new natures, by which they can distinguish of food, and by which they can try all things, for as to other lives, and to our bodily, there is a taste for that end, so to this also which is spiritual; And though men in a dream can not distinguish between sleeping, and waking, yet men that are awake, know they are awake, and know also distinctly what they do.  
This notwithstanding, God sells all thing to us by labour, and we shall not enjoy the benefit of this great privilege without it; We must therefore keep ourselves in a holy frame: If any man will do his will, he shall know of his Doctrine whether it be of God, Joh. 7.17. While we are doing, we are in a way to know. If you be carnal and walk as men, you will be also carnal, and judge as men, Rom. 8.8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God, (which may be understood also of a fleshly frame in the Saints) and when we are in a way altogether unpleasing to God, God will not accommodate himself, will not reveal himself to us, and please us.  
But this is not enough, we must search the scriptures, in which we think to have eternal life, and light also for the way thither, we must consider, and weigh whether those things which our own reason, or the Ministry of others represent to us, be so or no, as those of Baerea did, Truth lies deep, errors lieth level to all: This search is extremely pleasing to God, since the subject of it is the knowledge of his will, and the end of it is the doing of his will; This is done by much meditation in the word, by comparing, by examining it, by taking in all aids, and helps of the jousts and abilities of others, for God hath ordered that one man should need another, that none might be perfect alone; nothing also will more advance it then prayer, so Paul prayed often for the spirit of revelation, and David that his eyes might be enlightened, to see the wonderful things of God's law; nothing clears the eyesight more than prayer, for that sets your ends right, and makes you fit for light, and that leads you into the presence of God, into his light, in whose light we see light.  
It was necessary to speak some thing of this, because this is the forming and shaping of your weapon, the weapon may be shaped in itself, but not to us; this gives the mettle to the sword, if a thing look like the word of God and be not, that will not cut of your lusts, it will prove but a leaden sword, or a deceitful bow, that will not reach the mark, it will be a carnal weapon, which is weak, whereas the other is mighty through God.  

Coral.  To encourage you against spiritual enemies, because ye have spiritual arms, and spiritual weapons ye have, what to keep of blows, and ye have wherewith to fight and combat with your adversaries: God hath not left us fatherless, nor he hath not left us weaponless, he deals not as Pharaoh, commands us to make bricks, and takes away materials, he doth not disarm us, and bid us fight, but he gives us arms proper for the field of combat, and for the enemy we dispute with, and he stands by, and looks on, and with voice, and hand encourageth us, so as we need not fear our enemies, he gives us the best arms: Good commanders, and officers, the holy Spirit, and holds a crown over our heads: The truth is, we never are overcome, but when we are of the party, when we are in a proportion false to God, and our enemy hath gained us, than we fight but for a show, and the weapon falls easily out of our hands, but if we would stand to it, our sword would cut his cords, and if he did stand two or three thrusts, he would vanish at last, as he did from Christ our captain.  
That we may the better use this sword, we shall do well. First to value it, things that we prise and value, we willingly use, we think they will effect their end, else we lay them by. Therefore we shall pitch upon some expressions, that may teach us to value this weapon, when Abiathar had mentioned the sword of Goliath, there is none like that, saith David, the dignities of the word are great, as appears by David especially, who meditated in the law continually, and as much as any valued the word.  
Psal. 17.4. Concerning the works of men's hands, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the path of the destroyer, the word that God spoke was that, which armed him against wicked men.  
Psal. 18.30. The word of the Lord is tried (or refined) he is a Buckler to all that trust him; As for God his way is perfect, it is a sure word, and which hath been often experienced, tried again and again, so as you may venture upon it, as upon a thing that will not fail, or deceive, will not start aside, like a deceitful and broken bow.  
Psal. 119.11. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee; David knew the use of this, that it would preserve him from sin, and therefore stored it up, hid it in a sure place, against a time of need.  
Ver. 89. For ever O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven; It is an unchangeable rule, which will never alter, and settled, will attain all it pretends to.  
Ver. 105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my paths; this is against delusions, and faynts, and shadows, the Devil will cast. If you keep near the word, you carry a light in your hand, you will not fight in the dark, but know how to make your addresses, and approaches, and how to order your wards, and defences.  
Ver. 140. Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it; every thing operates as it is, as things are to their beings, so they are to their operations. That which is pure will render us pure, and the word is not an idle thing, but for use, and being pure, it is given us to render us pure.  
Ver. 172. My tongue shall speak of thy word, for all thy commandments are righteous; I can never praise them enough, there is such a law of righteousness in them.  
Psal. 147.19. He showeth his word unto jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel; from the receivers of the dispensation of the word, you see its excellency, it is the portion only of his people, it is not flung in common to the world, as an inconsiderable thing.  
Isa. 40.8. The grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, but the word of the Lord shall stand for ever; the excellency of good things lies in the continuance of them, this hath a good warrant for its abiding, because it is the word of the abiding, and unchangeable God.  
Isa. 55.10, 11. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sour, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where I sent it. There is a mighty efficacy in this word, this lies as a praise upon the whole word of God, that it shall not return empty, but be like the bow of jonathan, and the sword of Saul, Isay. 66.2. All those things hath my hand made, but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. That word is precious, when the respect to it is so rewarded. On the other side.  
Jer. 8.9. They have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them. Though otherwise they might be wise, yet if they undervallew once the word, they bid a dew to their wisdom: And God the righteous judge, and which gives true vallewes to us, ranks them in the number of fools, from the New Testament also, we shall give some places to this purpose.  
Luk. 4.4. Men lives by every word of God; in him we live, and in his word we live, which gives a being to things that which gives the being, and determination, makes things be what they are, and men do what they do, must needs be great and excellent in itself.  
Ver. 32. His word was with power, which astonished the auditors.  
Ver. 36. What a word is this, for with authority and power commandeth he the unclean spirits, and they come forth; his word will fetch uncleanness out of thy heart, aswell as out of their bodies.  
Luk. 7.7. The centurion had so much confidence in Christ's word, as he could depend wholly upon it, Say in a word, (says he) and my servant shall be healed; the magnifing of the word, wrought this great effect, and that word must needs be great, which was deservedly the object of such a confidence.  
Luk. 22.61. Peter remembered the words of the Lord, and he went out and wept bitterly: Peter forgot the word, when he sinned, and indeed all sin proceeds from ignorance or furgetfulnesse, but when he remembered it, you see the eminent effect of it, he reputes immediately, which he witnesseth by his bitter and abundant weeping.  
John 15.3. Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken to you: We are clean mystically by the washing of Baptism, 1. Cor. 6.11. also by the imputation of Christ's purity, and so we stand ever clear before God, we are pure also in the change of our own hearts, and all this by the word, made ours by faith, and abiding in us, so that as evil communication corrupts good manners, if taken in and drunk down, so the word taken down cleanseth, Acts 13.26. It is called the word of salvation, that which brings it and works it. And  
Acts 20.32. When Paul departed from Ephesus, he commended the Church to the word of God's grace, which was able to build them up, and to give them an inheritance, etc. The inheritance is that to which the word leads us, and where it will leave us at the last, but before you come thither, there is building work, forming and fashioning, that the word doth also, so as ye need not go out of this circle, for the beginning or finishing of your faith.  
2. Cor. 5.18. It is the word of reconciliation, that which brings God and man together: We are naturally at great distances, now that which conduceth to the meeting, and according of terms so differing, must needs be of great value and esteem.  
1. Tim. 4.5. For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer; it is the word of God that sanctifieth, and gives a lawful use of all things; Hence you have your liberties, aswell to indifferent, as your right to things necessary, if you have whereof freely to use for your own comforts, and whereof to give a way, for the weakness and scandal of your brother.  
If you should examine by experience the effects of the word, God's word hath ever taken hold of men, and in this lies the great difference of the Saints from others, that they observe those events, which others neglect, and grow by them. Joh. 4.50. And the man believed the word of God, and it was even so as he had believed; The word hath ever found out men, and will take hold of us, either by our faith for good, or without it for our destruction, so the prophecies of old were not idle, but effected the end for which they came.  
To conclude this great dignity the word hath, that it gives its own credit, for reason may be opposed by reason, but this is higher than reason: The Devil can reason and distinguish us into sin, whilst we fight at that weapon, but bring him a word, and that answers his reason.  
What hath been said in this head, tends to beg it in you a right value and esteem of the word, which if once ye have you will use it, and have recourse to it at all times, as an effectual weapon, mighty through God, for all the great ends you have heard of.  
Secondly, know the word of God, that ye may use it, this is to have your weapon prepared, you must search the sense, know the Annalogie of faith and the proportion, one truth holds to another, as before.  
Thirdly, take up this sword, take it to you, be in a posture to give a blow, or to evade one, wound the enemy when you can, and meet with his blows and thrusts, therefore you must be prepared, and have things in readiness, therefore the word of God must dwell richly in you, that you may not be to seek when you should use it.  
To help you in some guards for this fight.  
First, that sin is the greatest evil, manage your sword well for that guard, have words at hand, that is, your sword ready to make that good; for the filthiness of it, sin is compared to the blood and pollution of a new borne child, before it be ordered and dressed, Ezek. 16.6. When thou wast in thy blood, I said unto thee live; such a thing is sin in itself, and all sin holds of the nature of that pollution.  
1. Joh. 5.19. The whole world lieth in wickedness, it lies there as in a filthy grave, rotting and stinking as in a puddle.  
Again sin is compared for its nature to swine, and dogs, and to their vomit, 2. Pet. 2.22. the sinner is the dog in the act of sin, and the corruption is the vomit, and mire; it is likened also to the menstruousnesse of a woman, to a vessel in which is no pleasure, that is, a draught or a privy, Host 8.8. If besides these abasing and vilifying expressions, you would know more of sin: It was sin that condemned the world in Adam, drowned the world in the days of Noah, and to give you a greater character for ill then all this, it was sin brought all the sufferings upon Christ which he endured: It was the day of God's fierce anger, Lament. 1.12. When Christ did bear the sins of many in his body on the tree; therefore when Paul and Silas could sing in the prison, and the Saints in their afflictions, as they have done so often, Christ was low, and poor, and faint. Why? because he conflicted with sin, he grappled with sin, upon him was laid the iniquities of us all; He conflicted with the wrath of God, for sin, and had he not been God himself, he would never have out-wrastled it.  
In a word every creature of God is good, and nothing offends him, irritates him, and provokes him, but sin; Nothing reacheth God, nor causeth God to reach the world in anger but sin. It is that which puts the sting into death, and torment in Hell; Thus you are armed for that guard, that sin is the greatest evil, the second follows easily. That then.  
We should keep at the greatest distance from it, for that you have Rom. 12.9. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good, when we meet with any thing extremely evil, and contrary to us, nature abhors it, and retires as far as it can; so on the contrary cleave to that which is good, cling to it, as a man should cleave to his wife, or be glued, as the word is, and they shall be one flesh, incorporate yourselves with that which is good, make yourself one with it.  
So, Abstain from all appearance of evil, 1. Thess. 5.22. a thing may appear to be ill, that is not, but take heed of any similitude, or appearance, or likeness of ill, if it look like ill, though it be not, fly from it; This gives you the benefit of a long sword, by which you keep the enemy at a distance; so Judas 23. Hate the garments spotted with the flesh, not only the flesh, but the garment that hath touched it.  
Ephes. 5.3. Fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh Saintes, nor filthiness, nor foolish speaking, nor jesting.  
So Job 31.1. I made a covenant with mine eyes, why should I think on a maid; he would not look, because he would not think, and the way to secure the thoughts, is to keep well and strictly, the out-doores, the senses, which made David pray to God, to turn away his eyes from vanity. Folly is bold, but wisdom is wary to keep at the greatest distance.  
Thus this sword cuts of the first risings, this is a sure way, and this saves you a world of pains, when a temptation or a lust hath once come within you, and incorporated itself, you must tear your flesh to pull it out, you must pull up earth and all, that the roots may come at last; but while it is at a distance, there is some kind of modesty, and blushing in it, and it may be snibed with a word, use therefore some of these for a sword in time, and it may prevent you hard work, which yet must be done if you would not perish; other heads I thought to have run over and fitted for use, as  
Thirdly, God knows our thoughts.  
Fourthly, that the word must judge us even this, which we have in our hands and mouths, and if it condemn our sins now, how is it like to acquit us another day.  
Fifthly, that every secret thing shall be made manifest.  
Sixtly, that you should walk in the sense of death and changes, but I shall prosecute this no further, only let us know, that if the Devil have got within us, the same way he is fetched out, that he is kept out, this sword must do both. Thus God hath armed you completely, and it will be both your sin, which you will not know how to answer, and your shame also to be foiled.  
If you oppose Captain to Captain, you have Christ and the Devil, you have as sufficient, as mighty, as experienced, a Captain as your lusts have, if arms to arms, ye have all these spiritual arms, against his carnal arms, for so are his, in comparison of those. Though his be spiritual also, as acted by a mighty spirit; your reward held over you by hope, is greater for the present then any he can offer, though not to flatter ourselves. Our condition here is to endure hardness as good soldiers, 2. Tim. 2.3. And we must conflict according to the law of combat, if we would have the crown; But this is no new thing to us, this we knew when we undertook religion, this was laid in at first, as the law and condition of our undertaking.  
That which follows, is prayer, praying with all prayer, which is to all other ordinances of God as bread and salt to our repast, we cannot make a meal without it, here it fastens on your armour, and looks up for strength and success to him who is able to give it: If soldiers be weak or succumb in fight, they send to their General for supplies, and reinforcements.  
Praying always, that is in all time, & every juncture, and article of time, as you have occasion by temptations for combat, for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifies properly occasion, this is not so much spoken here of our ordinary, and customary use of Prayer, as it is applicable to occasions, that is temptations, but this Prayer must be in the spirit: The Spirit in our Prayer is what the soul is in our body, it is that which gives the life to it, to conflict with the living God by dead words, will do no good, therefore Judas saith, Praying in the Holy Ghost, ver. 20. You have another expression Rom. 8. That the spirit makes intercession for us, the Holy Ghost must pray in us, there must be an incorporating in that duty of the Holy Spirit, with our spirits, watching thereunto, you must watch to prayer, therefore it must be an act of time.  
With all perseverance, that is, till the work be done, for than ye persevere, when ye give not over till you obtain your end, so as your Praying, and fight must run parallel till you have overcome your enemy, and slighted his works.  
It's enough to have hinted this which I intent not to speak of as being no piece of the armour, nor resembled by the Holy Ghost to any piece.  
To all that hath been said, I shall add no more but this, that every thing is strong in virtue of an ordinance, therefore bread nourisheth, because it hath a word that bids it do so, and therefore the word shall cut and destroy, because God hath made it a sword, and edged and fitted it, for that purpose.  
Thus have I some what largely measured the field of Battle, showed you your friends and enemies, and fitted to you those arms which God hath given you for the service of this holy war.  
To conclude therefore, The just end and design of war (for every thing is to act in virtue of a design) is peace, now no war pretends to peace more than this we have been speaking of, and therefore Communion, which is the effect, and birth of peace, bears one half of the title of this discourse; And indeed men were so formed for Communion, as no doctrine can be avowed for good, which renders them unsociable. But experience tells us, that it is the fate of some wars, not only to be the means by which peace is gotten, and procured, but by which it is nourished, and maintained, and we know some countries, which enjoy the greatest benefits of peace in the midst of a confirmed war. And that is especially the condition of the war we have been speaking of, that it procures, and makes good our peace; it is the wall of our city wherein peace dwells, it is the arms of our persons, the subject of it; For with the devil our professed and avowed enemy, God hath justly determined an everlasting war. Peace, we know, is the daughter of equality, but where both parties (as here) pretend peremptorily to supremacy, there can be no peace. Peace also is the birth of love, and love is an union of minds, but where principles are laid in by nature, or formed by opposition (as here) infinitely distant, there peace can be nothing. But an abused, and mistaken name of what is not, and the product of such a truce or peace, would be to procure no less assured, but a more unequal war, than what it seemed to determine, as the experience of all, who have managed this war, witness: The blessings therefore of our peace will be reaped within the compass of our assured friends, and allies, with whom our communion will be intended & exercised, as otherwise, so by a common determination against the enemy: And to meet in a common enmity, where it is just, makes particularly, and warrantably to love. In a word therefore, we improve best our communion with our friends, the good Angels, whilst we make war, so as whilst we make war, we shall have peace.  
FINIS.   

A Table directing to several particulars, in the preceding discourse.  
THe Introduction. 
Pag. 1.  The Coherence, which the words insisted on, have with other parts of the Scripture, whence they are drawn. 
p. 2.  The explication of the words. 
ibid.  The whole armour. 
ibid.  The wiles of the devil. 
p. 3.  We wrestle not against flesh & blood. Two things meant by flesh and blood. 
ibid.  What meant by Principalities. 
p. 4.  What meant by Powers. 
ibid.  What meant by Rulers of the darkness of this World. 
ibid.  What meant by spiritual wickednesses 
p. 5.  What meant by high places. 
ibid.  A Transition, leading into the discourse of the nature of Angels in general. 
p. 6.  That the Angels are Creatures. ibid. and 
p. 7.  That the Angels are substances, and do really exist. 
p. 8.  Whether the Angels be incorporal. 
p. 9  Several Corollaries, from what hath been spoken of Angels. 
p. 10.  Of the mutability or immutability of Angels. 
p. 12.  Of the apparitions of Angels. 
p. 13.  Of their assumption of bodies. 
ibid.  Why they Assumed bodies. 
p. 14.  Whether in taking humane shapes, they were true men. 
ibid.  Of what their assumed bodies consisted. 
p. 15.  What become of those assumed bodies. 
ibid.  Whether they really put forth acts of life. 
ibid.  Why the Angels make not apparitions, now as formerly they have done. 
p. 16.  Coral. from the immutability of Angels. 
p. 17.  From the apparition of Angels seven Coral. 
ibid.  Of the Administration of Angels to us, and the deputations they have from God, concerning us. 
p. 19  Of the doctrine of Angel guardians. 
ibid.  That the tutelage of good Angels is the portion only of the Elect. 
ibid.  Whether every elect person, is under the deputation of a particular Angel guardian. 
p. 20.  The affirmative is asserted. 
ibid.  The saints not so concluded to one Angel, as not to enjoy oftentimes the service of many. 
p. 21.  When the Angel Guardian begins the execution of his charge. 
ibid.  Whether the Angel guardian ever quits the party, committed to his charge. 
ibid.  Whether communityes, as well as persons fall under the guardianship of Angels. 
p. 22.  The affirmative is probable. 
ibid.  Why God useth this ministration and guardianship of Angels towards us. 
p. 23.  Four reasons thereof. 
ibid. & p. 24.  Four Coral. from the guardianship and tutelage of Angels. 
p. 25.  The happiness of being a saint in that respect. 
ibid.  Also of Churches. 
ibid.  1 Cor. 11.10. opened. 
ibid.  Our happiness lies in working as the Angels. 
p. 26.  We ought to lead abstracted lives. 
p. 27.  Of the power the Angels have over us. 
ibid.  Of their power or abilities in themselves. 
ibid.  First of their knowledge. 
ibid.  Cognitio matutina ad vespertina. 
ibid.  Their knowledge, natural, by revelation, by experience, supernatural. 
p. 28.  The reprobate Angels never saw God as the Elect. 
p. 29.  How, or in what manner the Angels know. 
ibid.  Comparison of theirs, with our manner of knowing with the difference. 
ibid. and p. 30.  What things contribute to vision external and internal. 
p. 29.  The power of knowing, and light by which we know, common to us with the Angels. 
p. 30.  Somethings the Angels know by their own Essence, somethings by intelligible species infused. 
ibid.  Whether the Angels know particular things, and what ever is done here. 
p. 31.  How they know things particular. 
ibid.  The Angels know the particularities of those committed to their charge. 
p. 32.  They are extremely ingenious at guessing at things more hidden. 
ibid.  Corollaries from the knowledge of Angels. 
ibid.  Supernatural knowledge stands the Angels and us in the greatest steed. 
ibid.  Other knowledge in respect of the effect, a picture without life. 
p. 33.  Of the power of the good Angels upon corporal things. 
ibid.  They can do what nature can. 
p. 34.  Miracles they cannot work. 
ibid.  What a miracle is. 
ibid.  They cannot do things as God in an instant, though in a very short space of time. 
ibid.  Their power subjected to Gods will. 
p. 35.  What power they have upon the fancy and imagination. 
ibid.  The great works they have to do upon us, is upon the innerman. 
p. 36.  Being ministering spirits, their ministration is spiritual especially. 
ibid.  How the Angels speak to our understandings, and have influence upon our wills. 
ibid.  Of their several ways of effecting this wherein the way of their ministration to our spirits will appear. 
ibid. and p. 37.38.  The same way of speaking to us waking and sleeping. 
p. 36.  Of the use of phantasms. 
p. 37.  Whatsoever an inferior power can do, a superior can do it much more. 
ibid.  The Alteration of the body by sickness or otherwise, contributes much to a different apprehension and vision of things. 
ibid.  Angel's can move the humours, as also remove impediments. 
ibid.  Angels go a nearer way to work in conversing with us then men can, and can very presently represent to us what they will. 
p. 38.  In what way this is wrought. 
ibid.  Several Corollaries from the former head of the knowledge of the Angels, & their way of communicating themselves to us. 
ibid.  In that respect they have great advantages upon us. 
p. 39  They cannot put in new species into the fancy. 
p. 40.  Beware of receiving ill impressions, for they are matter to work on. 
ibid.  Gratify and love the Angels for their love and service to us. 
p. 41.  We may read their love in its effects. 
ibid.  The good Angels, according to their talon and trust lay out themselves for our advantage, and are extremely communicating to us, but especially to our spirits and inward man. 
p. 42.  Proved by several reasons. 
p. 43.44.45.46.47.  A story of one guided and conducted by an Angel, out of Bodin his first book of the history of sorcerers. 
p. 47.  Objection, What do you leave to Christ and the spirit? Answered. 
p. 48.  Coral. from the administration of Angels. 
p. 49.  The Angels an ordinance continually by us. 
p. 50.  A spiritual substance assisting proportionable to the devil, who opposeth us. 
ibid.  Walk holily in respect of the Angels. 
ibid.  Every ordinance valuable, because conveying something from God, therefore should love the Angels. 
p. 51.  Reverence the Angels, & learn to converse with them. 
ibid.  The whole creation serviceable to man, the Angels not excepted. 
p. 52.  The use to be made thereof. 
ibid.  Aspire after Angelical work. 
p. 53.  The second part of this treaty, which is of the evil Angels. 
ibid.  Of the sin of the evil Angels. 
p. 54.  Coral. from thence. 
p. 55.  Of the punishment of the evil Angels, and first of the place. 
p. 56.  Which admits of a double consideration. 
ibid.  The place of the sixth of jude considered. 
p. 57  The devils not yet in their utmost term. 
p. 58.  Coral. from what hath been last treated on. 
ibid.  The whole universe of rational creatures under chains and bonds. 
ibid.  The use to be made thereof. 
p. 59  Of the spiritual punishment of the evil Angels. 
p. 60.  Their wound in their will. 
ibid.  Their knowledge great. 
p. 61.  Their wound in their knowledge. 
ibid.  In some respects perfectly blind. 
p. 62.  Their punishment demonstrated from their names and titles. 
ibid.  Corollaries. 
p. 63.  Dread the spiritual punishment of sin. 
ibid.  This considerable to the saints also. 
ibid.  Of the ministry of the evil Angels. 
p. 64.  The principal ministry of the evil Angels to tempt and induce to sin. 
p. 65.66.  Whence the evil Angels had power for this ministry. 
p. 66.  Why the devils are invested with this ministry by God. 
p. 67.  Several reasons in respect of God. 
ibid.  Also in respect of men, & first of wicked men. 
p. 68  Then of the saints. 
p. 69.  Several Coral. from hence. 
p. 70.  Let the Saints bless God for their ministry. 
ibid.  Wonder not that evil men are so wicked. 
ibid.  Do not the devil's work. 
ibid.  Expect not the present destruction of men extremely wicked. 
ibid.  Be secure on God's side notwithstanding this ministry. 
p. 71.  How the evil Angels operate in order to temptation, and sin. 
p. 72.  Corollaryes from hence. 
p. 73.  Whether the devil concur to the temptation of all sin. 
p. 74.  Men may sin without the temptation of the Devil, but de facto, usually, he hath a part in all temptations. 
ibid. p. 75, 76.  Whether usually hath the start herein, our own corruptions, or the devil. 
p. 77.  Several corollaryes. 
p. 78, 79.  How the ministryes of the evil Angels are distributed, whether to vices, or persons. 
p. 80.  Corollaryes from the preceding discourse. 
p. 81.  A shame for the saints to give ground and fail, as others that want their aides. 
ibid.  The saints and the wicked fall very differently under the power of the Devil. 
p. 82.  Which ways especially the devils are laid out towards mankind, in matter of temptation. 
p. 83.  The devil would hinder the worship of God, and in order to that, the knowledge of him. 
ibid.  The devil amongst his most assured vassals, pretends to a shaped and formed worship, as appears by the confession of witches. 
p. 84.  The devils, the greatest enemies of Christ and the Gospel. 
ibid.  Gospel worship, and Gospel preaching most opposed by the devil, and his instruments. 
p. 85.  Coral. from this. 
ibid.  Exalt what the devil opposeth most. 
ib.  The Devil exerciseth his ministry especially against the church of Christ. 
p. 86, 87.  Some more instances of the Devil's usual marches in the discharge of his ministry. 
p. 88  One, the lusts of the flesh. 
ibid.  The excesses of no beasts so great as those of mankind in bodily things. 
ib.  This frame infinitely contrary to God, appears so to be by two things especially. 
p. 89, 90.  The Devil where he reigns most absolutely subjects persons to the actual commission of what ever we call uncleanness. 
p. 90.  The Scripture particularly entitles Satan to this temptation. 
p. 91.  Another beaten path of the devil, pride. 
ibid.  That men are which they are to God. 
p. 92.  No thing more contrary to God then pride. 
ibid.  The imaginations of proud men how scattered by God. 
ibid.  The honour and advantage of humility. 
p. 93, 94, 95.  Only by pride comes contention, how understood. 
p. 95, 96.  Pride makes us contend with our conditions, & with God himself. 
p. 96, 97.  How the Devil is entitled to this temptation. 
p. 97, 98.  Another eminent temptation of the devils, covetousness. 
p. 99  The seat of this lust the basest spirits. 
ibid.  covetousness extremely fertile of ill. 
ibid. and p. 100  Why this sin styled Idolatry. 
p. 100, 101.  Men of this humour extremely deluded. 
p. 101.  The comfort and enjoyment of things is the portion of the saints. 
p. 102.  Coral. particularly from this last head. 
ibid.  General Corollaryes drawn from these common roads of temptation. 
p. 103.  The misery of sin lies in sinning. 
ibid.  The happiness of a holy spirit. 
p. 104.  The devil spins his web finer for the saints, but his But and End is the same. 
p. 105.  Provocations to fight. 
ibid.  The devil's power and operation upon us in communicating himself to our understandings, and inward man must be fetched from what hath been said of the good Angels largely. 
p. 36, 37, 38. ibid.  The devil an inveterate enemy, his evil nature ever intended. 
p. 106.  His power wonderfully great. 
ibid.  The contentions for things of the greatest moment. 
p. 107.  The prize of other wars nothing to ours. 
p. 108.  A great advantage to fight for a love, and in the presence of a love, and so do we. 
ibid.  The third part of the discourse, wherein of the armour fitted for this war. 
p. 109.  No weapons fit for combat with the devil, but Gods. 
ibid.  Lust's will take their turns, and give place one to another. 
p. 110.  Somethings which look like virtues, are but the ignorance of ill. 
ibid.  The encompassing of temptations. 
ibid.  Some men strong in the devil, and in the power of his might. 
p. 111.  What's intended by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
ibid.  Every one will do a little in Religion. 
ibid. and p 112.  Difficulty in Religion lies in universality, and exactness. 
p. 112.  What our parts are in this combat. 
p. 113.  The more mighty any supreme agent is, the more it intends and fills the instrument. 
ibid.  The end and use of the Armour. 
p. 114.  Days of temptation evil days. 
ibid.  Things encouraging to fight, the necessity of it, the glory, and pleasure of victory. 
p. 115.  Cowards have but the pleasure of Idleness, and the misery of slavery. 
p. 116.  2 Tim. 2.3. opened. 
ibid. & p. 117.  The bonds and restraints that lie upon the devil, are considered for encouragement sake. 
p. 118.  The particular pieces of armour, first the girdle of truth. 
p. 119.  What meant by this metaphor. 
ibid.  What truth is. 
p. 120.  The cause of all instability, because men are insincere, or misapprehensive. 
ibid.  Men are what they see and judge. 
p. 121.  Comfort & joy renders strong, and light the Emblem of joy. 
ibid.  The notion of glory begirts, but light & glory run together. 
p. 122.  The devil plays in the dark, and deceives under the veil of mists and shadows, in respect of work and comfort. 
ibid.  Corollaryes from this piece. 
p. 123.  Converse much with the father of lights, and with the word the book of lights, and with the saints the subject of light. 
ibid.  Help ourselves by what right sights of things we ever have had. 
ibid.  How truth and right sights of things answers, what ever Satan can object to our praejudice in this fight. 
p. 124.  Sincerity is immixednes. 
p. 125.  How love determines and squares every thing to the interest of the object loved. 
ibid.  The second piece of armour, the breastplate of righteousness. 
p. 126.  Wherein this consists. 
ibid. & p. 127.  The first piece respected the end, this the walk of a Christian. 
p. 127.  Righteousness toward God and men, what. 
p. 128.  The good Angels fall under the consideration of the object of this righteousness. 
ibid.  The rule and measure of this righteousness in regard of men, self love. 
p. 129.  The object of this righteousness, all, capable of God and happiness. 
ibid.  How this piece arms the breast. 
ibid.  The tremble and astonishments of those which want this armour. 
p. 130.  How Christ's righteousness is to be considered here. 
ibid.  The love of God makes lovely Characters and impressions upon us. 
p. 131.  What it is to be a new creature. 
ibid.  Christ a head of influence. 
p. 132.  This Scripture speaks rather of the working of the spirit of God in us, than the imputation of Christ to us. 
ibid.  How this piece is to be put on. 
p. 133.  Wicked men furnish the devil with weapons to destroy themselves. 
ibid.  The third piece of arms fitted for the feet and legs. 
p. 134.  Wherein this armour consists. 
ibid.  The notion of it cleared by several Scriptures. 
p. 135.  Also by reason. 
p. 136.  Helps for the obtaining this necessary piece of armour. 
p. 137.138.  Corollaryes from this particular. 
p. 138.  The Gospel should be administered like itself, like good news. 
p. 139.  The guilty world need such a kind of administration. 
ibid.  We need much knowledge to discharge ourselves in this particular. 
p. 140.  Example of great influence. 
ibid.  The fourth piece of arms, a shield. 
p. 141.  That to be joined with all the rest. 
ibid.  What meant by fiery darts. 
ibid.  Faith repels, and quenches, how. 
p. 142.  This above all to be procured. 
ibid.  Our natures not perfectly cool since defiled by original corruption. 
p. 143.  Two fiery darts accompany great sins, scil. of lust, and despair, as in the example of Ammon. 
p. 144.  Example of Spira and judas 
ibid.  Look on sins as you will see them within a few hours. 
ibid.  Melancholy and depression of spirit, a temper easily fired to extreamityes. 
p. 145.  What kind of faith is to be opposed to fiery darts. 
ibid.  And how faith doth it. 
ibid.  The combat by the wisdom of faith changed from ourselves too God. 
ibid.  This was David's way. 
p. 146.  Faith relieves in extremity by out-bidding sights: examples thereof. 
ibid.  Both against sinning and despairing. 
p. 147.  Faith sucks down the dew of the spirit, the cooling waters, etc. 
ibid.  Believe not scantily, nor a little, have not your faith to fetch and spell while the fiery darts are shooting. 
p. 148.  The use of faith is as pleasing to God, as the resisting necessary for us. 
ibid.  Consider believing under the notion of obedience. 
p. 149.  Faith not a Privilege left to the arbitrement of our own will, but an indispensible duty. 
ibid.  Consider the obstruction of faith. 
ibid.  The objection from the disproportion between sin and faith, answered. 
p. 150.  God glories to effect his great works by nothing, or things which are as nothing. 
p. 151.  Nothing so fenced with motives, threats, commands, etc. as the business of believing, which shows that God's heart is in it especially. 
ibid.  The best salve ye can apply to the wounds of Christ, is believing, your sins made them, your faith heals them. 
p. 152.  Get faith ready against an evil day, a day of fiery darts, ye will then need cool and quenching liquor which faith draws down 
ibid.  The fifth piece of this armour, the helmet. 
p. 153.  What this is. 
ibid.  All affections routed in love and acted by it. 
ibid.  Love is made visible according as the affection is, it acts by and through. 
ibid.  In hope love is in its throne, and appears most lovely. 
p. 154.  Hope considered here not as a flat and low attendancy, and looking after some good desired, a thing less than faith and before it, but as a firm expectation of some future good, which we do already believe. 
ibid.  Hope a birth, and effect of faith. 
ibid.  How this piece doth its work and fits the head, as an helmet. 
p. 155.  The head the principle of action. 
ibid.  The end, the simbolical head. 
ibid.  The world holds over our heads infinite things to corrupt us, the holy Ghost wards of all with the helmet of salvation. 
ibid.  Our hopes differs from others not only in the object of them, the good things hoped for, but in the bottoming of them by expectation. 
p. 156.  All things but spiritual, have no considerable value, but what ignorance and a lie puts upon them. 
p. 157.  They are but shadows, pictures, and dreams of good. 
ibid.  Worldly things not absent enough to be the object of hope. 
ibid.  Hope misapplyed often engages to impossibilityes, and so becomes a mere imposture. 
p. 158.  Hope is of things difficult, but such as are worthy, and difficult. 
ibid.  Coral. from this piece. 
p. 159.  Christian religion wholly founded upon hope. 
ibid.  Heavenly hope changes but the time, puts you of to another day for all. 
ibid.  The pleasures of this life but for a minute, their fullness worse than their emptiness. 
ibid.  If our hopes as other men's were here, we were in a worse condition than they for two reasons. 
p. 160.  Faith gives things a bottom, and hope is grafted upon it. 
ibid.  The hopes of worldly men in respect of the saints, have several notable defects. 
p. 161.  The possessions of worldly men are ballanc●d with uncertaintyes, and their hopes with fears. 
ibid.  The happiness of heaven lies in the fixing of joys by eternity. 
ibid.  The joy of our hope is fixed by faith. 
ibid.  What it is to rejoice in boastings. 
p 162.  Men think by the determination of their wills, to effect that which godly men do by faith. 
ibid.  An extreme vanity in the matter of the hopes of worldly men, as being of things low and mean. 
ibid.  The object of our hopes things great. 
p. 163.  Our knowledge makes us value our hopes and joy in them. 
ibid.  joy as a result and concomitant of hope is mighty for battle. 
ibid.  He that rejoiceth not in the hopes of things to come, will rejoice in vain hopes, or sensual enjoyments. 
ibid.  Objection, if hope brings in so great and steady a return of joy, what place do we leave for sorrow for sin? Answered. 
p. 164.  There is a double use of sorrow for sin. 
ibid.  Whilst God loves us, he grieves for our sinnings, and he grieves the more, because he loves us and so should we. 
p. 165.  Never grieve without the relief of hope, and joy. 
ibid.  For the degree, why should we not work ourselves and our sorrows as low as afflictions would lay us. 
ibid.  We have pains to conflict with as well as pleasures, hope arms us for them also. 
ibid.  We must hold out to the utmost extremity by the law of war. 
p. 166.  Patience fits for this, but it must be the patience of hope. 
ibid.  The praise of patience. 
ibid.  Patience would sink and be oppressed, if it were not animated by the activity and livel●nes of hope. 
p. 167.  We should use our patience, and relieve our patience, as Christ did by the joyful sights of hope. 
ibid.  Hope proper for doing, as well as suffering. 
ibid.  As we can do nothing without hope, so we attempt the greatest things by hope. 
p. 168.  Hope and strength stand and fall together. 
ibid.  Proov●d by the example and precept of Paul. 
ibid.  Hope animates to all works. 
p. 169.  Particularly it purifyes the heart. 
ibid.  The same reason of our being like to Christ, here and hereafter. 
p. 170.  Purity opposed to bodily and spiritual lustings. 
ibid.  To what degree hope must purify. 
ibid.  Coral. from the settling our hopes. 
p. 171.  To raise our hopes, we must improove and raise our faith 
ibid.  In all compositions something gives the body, faith gives the body and substance to hope. 
ibid.  Hope abridges the time of expectation, and lives in an anticipation of eternal joys. 
p. 172.  The last piece of Arms, the sword of the spirit. 
ibid.  This is a spiritual weapon. 
p. 173.  That, the spirit useth. 
ibid.  That, the spirit form●d 
ibid.  What meant by the word of God here. 
p. 174.  Proved to be the Scripture. 
ibid.  Christ made use of this weapon against the devil himself, & in others. 
p. 175.  Whether the letter or sense be the word meant here. 
ibid.  How shall ignorant men know the sense of Scripture. 
p. 176.  To have the sword fitted for our use, is our due as well as the sword itself. 
ibid.  The Scriptures though deep, are fordable by men holy and diligent. 
ibid.  The saints have a taste proportionable to their spirits, by which they can distinguish of food. 
ibid. & p. 177.  Try all things. 
p. 177.  The way to know the will of God, is to do it. 
ibid.  Also we must search which is pleasing to God. 
ibid.  How it is done. 
ibid.  Corollary to encourage to fight. 
p. 178  Men are seldom overcome, but when they are of the party. 
ibid.  Several Scripture expressions teaching us to value this sword, the word of God. 
p. 179, 180, 181, 182.  All sin proceeds from ignorance or forgetfulness. 
p. 181.  The difference of men lies in the observing, or neglecting, the fullfilling of God's words in the events of things. 
p. 182.  The word gives its own credit. 
p. 183.  To help in some guards for this fight. 
ibid.  Sin is the greatest evil. 
ibid.  Several Scriptures expressing the filthiness of sin. 
p. 184.  The reason why Christ lay so low, when others could sing. 
ibid.  Keep at the greatest distance from sin. 
p. 185.  This the wisest and safest way. 
ibid.  There is a modesty in sin at first, if it incorporate, it will tear the flesh to get it out. 
ibid.  Other heads hinted, but not prosecuted. 
p. 186.  Captain to Captain, and Arms to Arms, opposed. 
ibid.  Prayer no piece of these Arms, and therefore not insisted on. 
p. 187.  It fastens on the Arms and draws down success. 
ibid.  What meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here. 
ibid.  Every thing powerful in the virtue of an ordinance. 
ibid.  The Conclusion. 
p. 188.   
FINIS.   

These principal faults escaped in the printing, the Reader may correct as followeth.  
Pag. Line. Error. Correct. 2 27 with which 9 2 incorporal incorporeal 10 20 that their 11 24 beingh beings 13 28 them then 16 28 operations apparitions 19 16 genui genium 23 3 pro ratio par ratio 23 27 moderatedly moderated by 28 4 ward word  5 sun son  9 Mathematicus, Mathematicians 30 20 God things 31 14 not must be put out. 33 28 raisedned raisednes 34 31 medimus mediums 38 2 believe relieve 39 14 light sight 49 23 may by  25 vice nice 50 14 motion notion  18 and must be put out.  19 their your 51 5 with which  15 Elixurs Elixirs  33 ones ends 52 24 well must be put out. 55 25 let set 58 22 the they 61 18 mote more 63 7 your you  33 not not only 73 5 to operating co-operating 77 30 inordinary inordinacy 78 10 thy the 79 10 he be 86 9 have save 89 20 altogether together  31 forma formae 91 22 which what 97 26 a love alone 98 33 must most 99 5 therefore is therefore that is 100 28 that is that it is 103 24 peoples puples 108 30 all will 110 17 deferred deterred  20 the proper the devil's proper 116 24 obstaine obtain 117 9 he ye 119 18 devotes denotes  21 clumbs clumbes  22 in is 120 22 lounes loaves 129 29 subsilite subsilire 133 4 temire tenure 136 13 employs implies 137 11 help is helps  26 of from of well from 140 13 jou you 141 18 but put 142 30 him sin 143 26 counted committed 144 10 countinent commitment  17 inections injections 145 4 that thus 146 17 all ally 147 17 nothing as, nothing so much as 148 25 not must be put out. 150 27 fin sin 151 13 is was  14 have save  21 mottinesse motives 154 21 fault faint 155 12 principal principle  23 pates paths  30 toward to ward 159 10 fasten fastened  29 in other in no other  33 alloey allay 160 26 ofter after 161 5 contingenties contingencies 164 8 and a and in a  29 cleasing cleansing 165 23 patiency patience 170 15 respcteth respecteth 174 8 by must be put out.  9 unstandings understandings 182 27 if must be put out.