Part 2-The Danger If Unarmed

[Satan's first main design is to draw into sin.]
[Satan’s subtlety in choosing the most advantageous seasons for tempting.]

2. Season.  When the Christian is beset with some great affliction, this is as blind lane or solitary place, fit for this thief to call for his purse in.  An expert captain first labours to make a breach in the wall, and then falls on in storming the city.  Satan first got power from God to weaken Job in his estate, children, health and other comforts he had, and now tempts him to impatience, and what not; he lets Christ fast forty days before he comes, and then he falls to his work; as an army stays till a castle be pinched for provision within, and then sends a parley, never more likely to be embraced than in such a strait.  A temptation comes strong when the way to relief seems to lie through the sin that Satan is woo­ing to; when one is poor and Satan comes, What! wilt starve rather than step over the hedge and steal for thy supply? this is enough to put flesh and blood to the stand.
3. Season.  When the Christian is about some notable enterprise for God's glory, then Satan will lie like a serpent in the way, ‘an adder in the path, that biteth his horse-heels, so that his rider shall fall back­ward.’  Thus he stood at Joshua's right hand ‘to resist him.’  The right hand is the working hand, and his standing there implies the desire to hinder him in his enterprise.  Indeed the devil was never friend to temple-work, and therefore that work is so long a doing.  What a handsome excuse doth he help the Jews unto—The time is not come!  God's time was come, but not the devil's, and therefore he helps them to this poor shift, Ezra 1, 2, 6, 8, perverting the sense of providence as if it were not time, because they were so poor; whereas they thrive no better because they went no sooner about the work, as God tells them plainly.  Paul and Barnabas had a holy design in their thoughts, to [go] visit the brethren in every city, and strengthen their faith.  The devil knew what a blow this might give to his kingdom; their visiting might hinder him in his circuit, and he stirs up an unhappy difference between these two holy men, who grow so hot that they part in this storm, Acts 15:36-39.  There were two remarkable periods of Christ's life, his intrat and exit, his entrance into his public ministry at his baptism, and his finishing it at his passion, and at both we have the devil fiercely encountering him. The more public thy place, Christian, and the more em­inent thy service for God, the more thou must look that the devil [will have] some more dangerous design or other against thee; and therefore if every private soldier needs armour against Satan's bullets of temptation, then the commanders and officers, who stand in the front of the battle, much more.
4. Season.  When he hath the presence of some object to enforce his temptation.  Thus he takes Eve when she is near the tree, and had it in her eye while he should make the motion, [so] that [by] assaulting two ports at once, it might be the harder for her to hinder the landing of his temptation; and if Eve's eye did so soon affect her heart with an inordinate desire, then much more now is it easy for him, by the presence of the object, to excite and actuate that lust which lies dormant in the heart.  As Naomi sent her daughter to lie at the feet of Boaz, knowing well, if he endured her there, there were hope he might take her into his bed at last.  If the Christian can let the object come so near, Satan will promise himself [that] his suit may in time be granted.  Therefore it should be our care, if we would not yield to the sin, not to walk by, or sit at, the door of the occasion.  Look not on that beauty with a wandering eye, by which thou wouldst not be taken prisoner.  Parley not with that in thy thoughts, which thou meanest not to let into thy heart.  Conversation begets affection: some by this have been brought to marry those, whom at first they thought they could not have liked.  

5. Season.  After great manifestations of God's love, then the tempter comes.  Such is the weak con­stitution of grace, that it can neither well bear smiles or frowns from God without a snare; as one said of our English nation, it cannot well bear liberty nor bondage in the height.  So neither can the soul.  If God smile and open himself a little familiar to us, then we are prone to grow high and wanton; if the frown, then we sink as much in our faith.  Thus the one, like fair weather and warm gleams, brings up the weeds of corruption; and the other, like sharp frosts, nips and even kills the flowers of grace.  The Christian is in danger on both hands; therefore Satan takes the advantage, when the Christian is flush of comfort, even as a cheater, who strikes in with some young heir, when he hath newly received his rents, and never leaves till he hath eased him of his money. Thus Satan lies upon the catch, then to inveigle a saint into one sin or other, which he knows will soon leak out his joy.  Had ever any a larger testimony from heaven than Peter? Matt. 16:17, where Christ pronounceth him blessed, and puts a singular honour upon him, making him the representative of all his saints.  No doubt this favour to Peter stirred up the envious spirit the sooner to fall upon him.  If Joseph's parti-coloured coat made the patriarchs to plot against him their brother, no wonder malice should prompt Satan to show his spite, where Christ had set such a mark of love and honour; and therefore we find him soon at Peter's elbow, making him his ins­trument to tempt his Master, who rebukes Peter with a ‘get thee behind me, Satan.’  He that seemed a rock even now, through Satan's policy is laid as a stone of offence for Christ to stumble at.  So [with] David, when he had received such wonderful mercies, settled in his throne with the ruin of his enemies, yea, par­doned for his bloody sin, and now ready to lay down his head with peace in the dust, Satan chops in to cloud his clear evening, and tempts him to number the people; so ambitious is Satan then chiefly to throw the saint into the mire of sin, when his coat is cleanest.     

6. Season.  At the hour of death, when the saint is down and prostrate in his bodily strength, now this coward falls upon him.  It is the last indeed he hath for the game; now or never; overcome him now and ever.  As they say of the natural serpent he is never seen at his length till dying; so this mystical serpent never strains his wits and wiles more, than when his time is short.  The saint is even stepping into eternity, and now he treads upon his heel, which he cannot trip up so as to hinder his arrival in heaven, yet at least to bruise it, that he may go with more pain thither.

The Danger If Unarmed

[The danger, if unarmed.]

             The saint's enemy is the devil, described by his wiles, properly, the methods of Satan.  [The Greek word ] signi­fies, the art and order one observes in handling a point; we say such a one is methodical.  Now because it shows ingenuity and acuteness of wit so to compose a discourse, therefore it is transferred to express the subtlety of Satan, in laying off his plots and stratagems, in his warlike preparations against the Christian.  Indeed the expert soldier hath his order as well as the scholar; there is method in forming of an army, as well as framing an argument.  The note which lies before us is—

             Doctrine, That the devil is a very subtle enemy.  The Christian is endangered most by his pol­icy and craft.  He is called the old serpent—the serpent subtle above other creatures; an old serpent above other serpents.  Satan was too crafty for man in his perfection, much more now in his maimed estate, having never recovered that first crack he got in his understanding, by the fall of Adam.  And as man hath lost, so Satan hath gained more and more experience; he lost his wisdom, indeed, as soon as he became a devil, but, ever since, he hath increased his craft; though he hath not wisdom enough to do himself good, yet [he hath] subtlety enough to do others hurt. God shows us where his strength lies, when he prom­iseth he will bruise the head of the serpent; his head crushed, and he dies presently.  Now in handling this point of Satan's subtlety, we shall consider him in his two main designs, and therein show you his wiles and policies.  His first main design is to draw into sin. The second main design is to accuse, vex, and trouble the saint for sin.

[Satan's first main design is to draw into sin.]

             First.  Let us consider the devil as a tempter to sin, and there he shows us his wily subtlety in three things.  First. In choosing the most advantageous sea­son for temptation.  Second. In managing the temptations, laying them in such a method and form as shows his craft.  Third. In pitching on fit instruments for his turn, to carry on his design.

[Satan’s subtlety in choosing the most advantageous seasons for tempting.]

             First.  Satan shows his subtlety in choosing the most proper and advantageous seasons for tempting. ‘To every thing there is a season,’ Solomon saith, Ecc. 3:1, that is, a nick of time, which taken, gives facility and speedy despatch to a business; and therefore the same wise man gives this reason why man miscarries so frequently, and is disappointed in his enterprises, ‘because he knows not his time,’ Ecc. 9:12.  He comes when the bird is flown.  A hundred soldiers at one time may turn a battle, save an army, when thousands will not do [it] at another.  Satan knows when to make his approaches, when (if at any time) he is most likely to be entertained.  As Christ hath the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season of counsel and comfort, to a doubting dropping soul, so Satan knows his black heart, and hellish skill, in speaking words of seduction and temptation in season; and a word in season is a words on its wheels.  I shall give you a view of his subtlety in special seasons, which he chooseth to tempt in.  These special seasons are:

1. Season.  When the Christian is newly converted.  No sooner is this child of grace, the new crea­ture, born, but this dragon pours a flood of temptation after it.  He learned the Egyptians but some of his own craft, when he taught them that bloody and cruel baptism, which they exercised upon the Israel­itish babes, in throwing them into the river as soon as they were born.  The first cry of the new creature gives all the legions of hell an alarm.  They are as much troubled at it as Herod and Jerusalem were when Christ was born; and now they sit in council to take away the life of this new-born king.  The apostles met with opposition and persecution in their latter days when endued with larger portions of the Spirit, but with temptations from Satan in their former, when young converts; as you may observe in the sev­eral passages recorded of them.  Satan knew grace within was but weak, and the supplies promised at the Spirit's coming not landed.  And when is an enemy more like to carry the town than in such a low condition?  And therefore he tries them all.  Indeed the advantages are so many, that we may wonder how the young convert escapes with his life; knowledge [being] weak, and [he] so soon let him into an error, especially in divided times, when many ways are held forth one saying, Here is Christ, another There is Christ.  And the Christian [is] ready to think everyone means honestly that comes with good words, as a little child that hath lost his way to his father’s house, is prone to follow any that offer their conduct [or] experience of what he knows little.  And if Adam, whose knowledge [was] so perfect, yet was soon cheated—being assaulted before he was well warm in his new possessions—how much more advantage hath Satan of the new convert!  In him he finds every grace in a great indisposition to make resistance, both from its own weakness, and the strength of contrary corruption, which commonly in such is unmortified. [This] makes it act with more difficulty and mixture, as in a fire newly kindled, where the smoke is more than the flame, or like beer newly tunned which runs thick.  So that though there appear more strength of affection in such, that it works over into greater abundance of duty than in others, yet [it is] with more dregs of carnal passions, which Satan knows, and therefore chooseth to stir what he sees troubled already.

Application Part 2- Our Armour or Grace Must Be Kept In Exercise

           

 Use Fourth.  Be exhorted, O ye saints of God, to walk in the exercise of grace.  It is the minister's duty, with the continual breath of exhortation, and if need be, reproof, to keep this heavenly fire clean on the saints' altar.  Peter saw it necessary to have the bellows always in his hands, ‘I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the pre­sent truth,’ II Peter 1:12.  That shall not take him off; as long as he is in this tabernacle, he saith he will stir them up, and be putting them in remembrance, ver. 13.  There is a sleepy disease we are subject to tin this life; Christ though he had roused up his disciples twice, yet takes them napping the third time.  Either exercise thy grace, or Satan will act hy corruption; as one bucket goes down the other riseth; there is a body of sin within, which likely a malignant party watcheth for such a time to step into the saddle, and it is easier to keep them down than to pull them down.  Thy time is short, and thy way long, thou hadst best put on, lest thou meanest to be overtaken with the night before thou gettest within sight of thy Father's house.  How uncomfortable it is for a traveller in heaven's road, above all other, to go  potching in the dark, many can with aching hearts tell thee. And what hast thou here to mind like this?  Are they worldly cares and pleasures?  Is it wisdom to lay out so much cost on thy tenement, which thou art leaving, and forget what thou must carry with thee? 

 Before the fruit of these be ripe which thou art now planting, thyself may be rotting in the grave.  ‘Time is short,’ saith the apostle, I Cor. 7:29.  The world is near its port, and therefore God hath contracted the sails of man's life; but a while, and there will not be a point to choose whether we had wives or not, riches or not; but there will be a vast difference between those that had grace and those that had not; yea, between those that did drive a quick trade in the exercise thereof, and those that were more remiss.  The one shall have an ‘abundant entrance into glory,’ II Pet. 1:2; while the other shall suffer loss in much of his lading, which shall be cast overboard, as merchandise that will bear no price in that heavenly country. Yea, while thou art here others shall fare the better by thy lively graces.  Thy cheerfulness and activity in thy heavenly course will help others that travel with thee; he is dull indeed that will not put on, when he sees so much metal for God in thee who leadest the way. Yea, thy grace will give a check to the sins of others, who never stand in such awe, as when grace comes forth and sits like a ruler in the gate, to be seen of all that pass by.  

The swearer knows not [that] such majesty is present, when the Christian is mealy-mouthed, and so goes on and fears no colours, whose grace, had it but her dagger of zeal ready, and courage to draw it forth in a wise reproof, would make sin quit the place, and with shame run into its hole: ‘The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.  The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth,’ Job 29:8, 9.  And doth not God deserve the best service thou canst do him in thy generation?  Did he give thee grace to lay it up in a dead stock, and none to be the better? or can you say that he is wanting to you in his love and mercy?  Are they not ever in exercise for your good? Is the eye of providence ever shut?  No, he slumbers not that keeps thee.  Is it one moment off thee?  No, ‘the eye of the Lord is upon the righteous;’ he hath fixed it for ever, and with infinite delight pleaseth himself in the object.  When was his ear shut, or his hand, either from receiving thy cries, or supplying thy wants?  Nay, doth not thy condition take up the thoughts of God?  And are they any other than thoughts of peace which he entertains?  A few drops of this oil will keep the wheel in motion.

Application Part 1- Our Armour or Grace Must Be Kept In Exercise

[Use and Application.]

            

Use First.  This falls heavy on their heads, who are so far from exercising grace, that they walk in the exercise of their lusts.  Their hearts are like a glass house, the fire is never out, the shop-windows never shut, they are always at work, hammering some wicked project or other upon the anvil of their hearts.  There are some who give full scope to their lusts; when their wicked hearts will, they shall have; they cocker their lusts as some their children, [and] deny them nothing; as it is recorded of David to Adonijah, [they] do not so much as say to their souls, Why doest thou so? why art thou so proud, so covetous, profane?  They spend their days in making provision for these guests; as at some inns, the house never cools, but as one guest goes out another comes in—as one lust is served, another is calling for attendance; as some exercise grace more than others, so there are greater traders in sin, that set more at work than others, and return more wrath in a day than others in a month.  Happy are such, in comparison of these, who are chained up by God's restraint upon their outward man or inward, that they cannot drive on so furiously as those who, by health of body, power and greatness in place, riches and treasures in their coffers, numbness and dedolency in their con­sciences, are hurried on to fill up the measure of their sins.  We read of the Assyrian, that he ‘enlarged his heart as hell,’ stretching out his desires as men do their bags that are thracked full with money to hold more, Hab. 2:5.  Thus the adulterer, as if his body were not quick enough to execute the commands of his lust, stirs it up by sending forth his amorous glances, which come home laden with adultery, blows up his fire with unchaste sonnets and belly-cheer, proper fuel for the devil's kitchen; and the malicious man, who that he may lose no time from his lust, is a tearing his neighbour in pieces as he lies on his bed, [and] cannot sleep unless some such bloody sacrifice be offered to his ravening lust.  O how may this shame the saints!  How oft is your zeal so hot that you cannot sleep till your hearts have been in heaven, as you are on your beds, and there pacified with the sight of your dear Saviour, and some embraces of love from him!

             Use Second.  It reproves those who flout and mock at the saints, while exercising their graces. None jeered as the saint in his calling.  Men may work in their shops, and every one follows his calling as diligently as they please; and no wonder made of this by those that pass by in the streets; but let the Christian be seen at work for God, in the exercise of any duty or grace, and he is hooted at, despised, yea, hated.  Few so bad indeed, but seem to like religion in the notion; they commend a sermon of holiness like a discourse of God or Christ in the pulpit, but when these are really set before their eyes, as they sparkle in a saint's conversation, they are very contemptible and hateful to them.  This living and walking holiness bites, and though they like the preacher's art in painting forth the same in his discourse, yet now they run from them, and spit at them.  This exercise of grace offends the profane heart, and stirs up the enmity that lies within; as Michal, she could not but flout David to see him dancing before the ark.  He that commended the preacher for making a learned discourse of zeal, will rail on a saint expressing an act of zeal in his place and calling; now grace comes too near him.  A naughty heart must stand some distance from holiness, that the beams thereof may not beat too strong­ly on his conscience, and so he likes it.  Thus the Pharisees the prophets of old; these were holy men in their account, and they can lavish out their money on their tombs, in honour of them; but Christ, who was more worth than all of them, he is scorned and hated. What is the mystery of this?  The reason was, these prophets are off the stage, and Christ on.  Pascitur in vivis livor, post fata quiescit—envy feeds on the living, but after death it ceases.

             Use Third.  Try by this whether you have grace or no.  Dost thou walk in the exercise of thy grace? He that hath clothes, surely will wear them, and not be seen naked.  Men talk of their faith, repentance, love to God; these are precious graces, but why do they not let us see these walking abroad in their daily conversation?  Surely if such guests were in thy soul, they would look out sometimes at the window, and be seen abroad in this duty and that holy action.  Grace is of a stirring nature, and not such a dead thing, like an image, which you may lock up in a chest, and none shall know what God you worship.  No, grace will show itself; it will walk with you into all places and companies; it will buy with you, and sell for you; it will have a hand in all your enterprises; it will comfort you when you are sincere and faithful for God, and it will complain and chide you when you are otherwise.  Go to, stop its mouth, and Heaven will hear its voice, it will groan, mourn and strive, even as a living man when you would smother him. I will as soon believe a man to be alive, that lies peaceably as he is nailed up in his coffin, without strife or bustle, as that thou hast grace, and never exercise it in any act of spiritual life.  What! man, hast thou grace, and carried as peaceably as a fool to the stocks by thy lust?  Why hangest thou there nailed to thy lust?  If thou hast grace, come down and we will believe it; but if thou beest such a tame slave as to sit still under the command of lust, thou deceivest thyself.  Hast thou grace, and show none of it in the condition thou art placed in?  May be thou art rich; dost thou show thy humility towards those that are beneath thee? dost thou show a heavenly mind, breathing after heaven more than earth?  It may be thy heart is puf­fed with thy estate, that thou lookest on the pooras creatures of some lower species than thyself, and disdainest them, and as for heaven thou thinkest not of it.  Like that wicked prince that said, He would lose his part in paradise rather than in Paris.  Art thou poor? why dost [thou] not exercise grace in that condition?  Art thou contented, diligent?  May be instead of contention thou repinest, canst not see a fair lace on thy rich brother's cloth, but grudgest it; instead of concurring with providence by diligence to supply thy wants, thou art ready to break through the hedge into thy neighbour's fat pasture; thus serving thy own turn by a sin, rather than waiting for God's blessing on thy honest diligence.  If so, be not angry we call thee by thy right name, or at least question whether we may style thee Christian, whose carriage is so cross to that sacred name, which is too holy to be written on a rotten post.

Part 3 -Our Armour or Grace Must Be Kept In Exercise

             

Objection.  O but, may some say, this is hard work indeed, our armour never off, our grace always in exercise.  Did God ever mean religion should be such a toilsome business as this world make it?

             Answer First.  Thou speakest like one of the foolish world, and showest thyself a mere stranger to the Christian's life that speakest thus.  A burden to exercise grace!  Why, it is no burden to exercise the acts of nature, to eat, to drink, to walk, all are delightful to us in our right temper.  [But] if any of these be otherwise, nature is oppressed, as, if stuffed, then [it is] difficult to breathe; if sick, then the meat [is] offensive we eat.  So take a saint in his right temper, [and] it is his joy to be employed in the exercise of his grace in this or that duty: ‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord,’ Ps. 122:1.  His heart leaped at the motion.  When any occasion diverts him from communion with God, though he likes it never so well, yet it is unwelcome and unpleasing to him.  As [for] you, who are used to be in your shops from morning to night, how tedious is it to be abroad some days, though among good friends, because you are not where your work and calling lies!  A Christian in duty is one in his calling—as it were in his shop, where he should be, and therefore far from being tedious.  Religion is [so] burdensome to none, as to those who are infrequent in the exercise of it.  Use makes heavy things light.  We hardly feel the weight of our clothes, because fitted to us, and worn daily by us, whereas the same weight on our shoulder troubles us.  Thus the grievousness of religious duties to carnal ones, is taken away in the saints, partly by the fitness of them to the saints’ principles, as also by their daily exercise in them.  The disciples, when newly entered into the ways of Christ, could not pray much or fast long; the bottles were new, and that wine too strong, but by the time they had walked a few years, they grew mighty in both.  Dost thou complain that [the] heaven-way is rugged?  Be the oftener walking in it, and that will make it smooth.

             Answer Second.  Were this constant exercise of grace more troublesome to the flesh, which is the only complainer, the sweet advantage that accrues by this to the Christian, will abundantly recompense all his labour and pains.

1. The exercise of thy grace will increase thy grace.  ‘The hand of the diligent maketh rich.’  The provident man counts that lost which might have been got; not only when his money is stole out of his chest, but when it lies there unimproved.  Such a commodity, saith the tradesman, if I had bought with that money in my bags, would have brought me in so much gain, which is now lost.  So the Christian may say, My dawning knowledge, had I followed on to know the Lord, might have spread to broad day.  ‘I have more understanding,’ saith David, ‘than all my teachers.’  How came he by it?  He will tell you in the next words—‘for thy testimonies are my meditation,’ Ps. 119:99.  He was more in the exercise of duty and grace.  The best wits are not always the greatest schol­ars, because their study is not suitable to their parts; neither always proves he the richest man that sets up with the greatest stock.  A little grace well husbanded by daily exercise will increase, when greater [grace] neglected shall decay.
2. As exercise increaseth, so it evidenceth grace. Would a man know whether he be lame or no, let him rise; he will sooner be satisfied by one turn in a room, than by a long dispute, and he sitting still. Wouldst thou know whether thou lovest God?  Be frequent in exhorting acts of love; the more the fire is blown up, the sooner it is seen, and so of all other graces.  Sometimes the soul is questioning whether it hath any patience, any faith, till God comes and puts him into an afflicted estate, where he must either exercise this grace or perish.  Then it [the soul] appears like one that thinks he cannot swim, yet be­ing thrown into the river, then uniting all his strength, he makes a shift to swim to land, and sees what he can do.  How oft have we heard Christians say, I thought I could never have endured such a pain, trusted God in such a strait?  But now God hath taught me what he can do for me, what he hath wrought in me.  And this thou mightest have known before, if thou wouldst have oftener stirred up and exercised thy grace.
3. Exercise of grace doth invite God to communicate himself to such a soul.  God sets the Christian at work, and then meets him in it.  Up and doing, and the Lord be with you.  He sets a soul reading as the eunuch, and then joins to his chariot a praying, and then comes the messenger from heaven—‘O Daniel, greatly beloved.’  The spouse, who lost her beloved on her bed, finds him as she comes from the sermon. ‘It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth,’ Song 3:4.

Part 2 -Our Armour or Grace Must Be Kept In Exercise

Second.  Satan's advantage is great when grace is not in exercise.  When the devil found Christ so ready to receive his charge, and repel his temptation, he soon had enough.  It is sad ‘he departed for a season,’ Luke 4:13; as if in his shameful retreat he had comforted himself with hopes of surprising Christ unawares, at another season more advantageous to his design; and we find him coming again, in the most likely time indeed to have attained his end, had his enemy been man, and not God.  Now if this bold fiend did thus watch and observe Christ from time to time, doth it not behove thee to look about thee, lest he take thy grace at one time or other napping? what he hath missed now by thy watchfulness, he may gain anon by thy negligence.  Indeed he hopes thou wilt be tired out with continual duty. Surely, saith Satan, when he sees the Christian up and fervent in duty, this will not hold long.  When he finds him tender of conscience, and scrupulous of occasion to sin, [he saith,] This is but for a while, ere long I shall have him unbend his bow, and unbuckle his armour, and then have at him.  Satan knows what orders thou keepest in thy house and closet, and though he hath not a key to thy heart, yet he can stand in the next room to it, and lightly hear what is whispered there. He hunts the Christian by the scent of his own feet, and if once he doth but smell which way thy heart inclines, he knows how to take the hint; if but one door be unbolted, one work unmanned, one grace off its cárriage, here is advantage enough.

             Third.  Because it is so awky a business, and hard a work, to recover the activity once lost, and to revive a duty in disuse.  ‘I have put off my coat,’ saith the spouse, Song 5:3.  She had given way to a lazy dis­temper, was laid upon her bed of sloth, and how hard is it to raise her!  Her Beloved is at the door, beseeching her by all the names of love which might bring her to remembrance the near relation between them; [he crieth], ‘My sister, my love, my dove, open to me,’ and yet she riseth not.  He tells her ‘his locks are filled with the drops of the night,’ yet she stirs not. What is the matter?  Her coat was off, and she is loath to put it on.  She had given way to her sloth, and now she knows not how to shake it off; she could have been glad to have her Beloved's company, if himself would have opened the door; and he desired as much hers, if she would rise to let him in, and upon these terms they part.  The longer a soul hath neglected a duty, the more ado there is to get it taken up; partly, through shame, the soul having played the truant, now knows not how to look God in the face; and partly, from the difficulty of the work, being double to what another finds that walks in the exercise of his grace.  Here is all out of order.  It requires more time and pains for him to tune his instrument, than for another to play the lesson.  He goes to duty as to a new work, as a scholar that hath not looked on his book some while; his lesson is almost out of his head, whereas another that was even now but conning it over, hath it^[iv] [at his finger ends].  Perhaps it is an affliction thou art called to bear, and thy patience [is] unexercised.  Little or no thoughts thou hast had for such a time—while thou wert frisking in a full pasture—and now thou kickest and flingest, even as a bullock unac­customed to the yoke, Jer. 31:18; whereas another goes meekly and patiently under the like cross, because he had been stirring up his patience, and fitting the yoke to his neck.  You know what a confusion there is in a town at some sudden alarm in the dead of the night, the enemy at the gates, and they asleep within.  O what a cry is there heard! One wants his clothes, another his sword, a third knows not what to do for powder.  Thus in a fright they run up and down, which would not be if the enemy did find them upon their guard, orderly waiting for his approach.  Such a hubbub there is in a soul that keeps not his armour on; this piece and that will be to seek when he should use it.

    Fourth.  We must keep grace in exercise in re­spect of others our fellow-soldiers.  Paul had this in his eye when he was exercising himself to keep a good conscience, that he might not be a scandal to others.  The cowardice of one may make others run.  The ignorance of one soldier that hath not skill to handle his arms, may do mischief to his fellow-soldiers about him.  Some have shot their friends for their enemies. The unwise walking of one professor makes many others fare the worse.  But say thou dost not fall so far as to become a scandal, yet thou canst not be so helpful to thy fellow‑brethren as thou shouldst.  God commanded the Reubenites and Gadites to go before their brethren ready armed, until the land was conquered.  Thus, Christian, thou art to be helpful to thy fellow-brethren, who have not, it may be, that settlement of peace in their spirit as thyself, not that measure of grace or comfort.  Thou art to help such weak ones, and go before them, as it were, armed for their defence; now if thy grace be not exercised, thou art so far unserviceable to thy weak brother.  Perhaps thou art a master, or a parent, who hast a family under thy wing.  They fare as thou thrivest; if thy heart be in a holy frame, they fare the better in the duties thou performest; if thy heart be dead and down, they are losers by the hand.  So that as the nurse eats the more for the babe's sake she suckles, so shouldst thou for their sake who are under thy tuition, be more careful to exercise thy own grace, and cherish it.
          

          

Our Armour or Grace Must Be Kept In Exercise

[The use of our spiritual armour —put on the whole armour of God.]

          

   The fourth and last branch in the saints' furniture is, the use they are to make thereof, ‘put on the whole armour of God.’  Briefly, what is this duty, put on?  These being saints, many of them at least, whom he writes to, it is not only putting on by conversation, what some of them might not yet have, but also, he means they should exercise what they have.  It is one thing to have armour in the house, and another thing to have it buckled on; to have grace in the principle, and grace in the act.  So that our instruction will be, 

[Our armour or grace must be kept in exercise.]

             Doctrine.  It is not enough to have grace, but this grace must be kept in exercise.  The Christian's armour is made to be worn; no laying down, or put­ting off our armour, till we have done our warfare, and finished our course.  Our armour and our garment of flesh go off together; then, indeed, will be no need of watch and ward; shield or helmet.  Those military duties and field-graces—as I may call faith, hope, and the rest—shall be honourably discharged. In heaven we shall appear, not in armour, but in robes of glory.  But here these are to be worn night and day; we must walk, work, and sleep in them, or else we are not true soldiers of Christ.  This Paul professeth to endeavour.  ‘Herein do I exercise my­self, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men,’ Acts 24:16.  Here we have this holy man at his arms, training and exer­cising himself in his postures, like some soldier by himself handling his pike, and injuring himself before the battle.  Now the reason of this is,

             First.  Christ commands us to have our armour on, our grace in exercise.  ‘Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning,’ Luke 12:35.  Christ speaks either in a martial phrase, as to soldiers, or in a domestic, as to servants.  If as to soldiers, then let your loins be girded and your lights burning, that is, we should be ready for a march, having our armour on—for the belt goes over all—and our match lighted, ready to give fire at the first alarm of temp­tation.  If as to servants, which seems more natural, then he bids us, as our master that is gone abroad, not through sloth or sleep [to] put off our clothes, and put out our lights; but [to] stand ready to open when he shall come, though at midnight.  It is not fit the Master should stand at the door knocking, and the servant within sleeping.  Indeed there is no duty the Christian hath in charge, but implies this daily exercise: ‘pray’ he must—but how?—‘without ceasing;’ ‘rejoice’—but when?—‘evermore;’ ‘give thanks’ —for what? ‘in everything,’ I Thes. 5:16-18.  The shield of faith, and helmet of hope, we must hold them to the end, I Pet. 1:13.  The sum of all which is, that we should walk in the constant exercise of these duties and graces.  Where the soldier is placed, there he stands, and must neither stir nor sleep till he be brought off.  When Christ comes, that soul shall only have his blessing whom he finds so doing.