Book I. Chap.2.S~ are altogether ignorant of Sathans aff1rdts. Oh that mens eyes were opened ! Oh that fuch men wou'd knowrfhey arc none of the IVe in this Text! th<y arc not the Lord< Sm~ldins, but tha Devil~ Revellers ; a9d therefore they fight not again[! him, nor will l1e hght agamll them; ilir they'""' mgdc a Covenant >~ilh Dcatb, and with Hell are tbcy dt agreement. ..._ - ..!_ 2· All the S1ints mu!l be in this fi_gl;t~ Wcl n-rejlfe. . I Pare/, and youEpbcfi.ms, and • r;m, 4· 7· all Gods people, fro:n fir!l W la!1. - F"fi for Pa11l hunfdf, I b•ve fought a g. 70 dfight ; 2 Cor 10 'M· and then for J:'arel and otheri )Oyntly; For <hwgh we walk,in tht ~e!h, wed 01101 "'""after :befhfh, for, the weapons of-c0,1;r warf4<e ar~ 11ot~arn•l, brtt migbty tkr.~~<gh God tothe pnUinz dow11 of jfro~g !kldr. Or, !'we may bn?g 111 the example of Gods S>ints in all ages; Ad.lm h.id niS combate; l"b his temptatiOnS; Mofcs, and Aaron, and Lot, and DJvid 2 >1:! all theP atriarchs, ~n all the Prophets lud their feveral onfcts : nor was it ·thus only before Chnfts tlmc, but fince hrs commg; Pmr was wrnnowerl; Pmt! was buffeted; the Hebrews i11dw·ed a great fight of aff!Wion; and Timothy was.incouraged by Puul Thou 0 man of Godfly tbefc thingr, and foUow after Righte•ufitefi, Godlinefi, Faith, Love, 'patienct, Mu k,ncfi,figbtmz the goodfight of Fa11h; but to what purpofefhould I inllancel never Heb. Jo ;2. 1 Tim, 6. 1r, 12. Matth. 4·'· 2 Tim.2. 3• Alls 14. 22. 2 Cor. JI, 23• 26, '27· was there any member of Chrilis Church, who was not excrcifed with this Chrillian warrare : not Adam in innocency ; not the Apollles of Chri!l; no, uor c h,i!l himfd f, whm he was upon Earth; 1hc;l wa1 Jefiu led "P of the Spirit imo tbe Wildrrnefi to be tempted of:beDe1(il. , , . ·\:.' S E C T. I I. Vfer. ARE all Gods people to war with_Devils ? then confider all of you whlt Religion will cofi you : You that are llrangers,know, that a Chriilian Souldier mull indure hardncfs; Thott therefore ind11re hordJicfi a1 a go•d Souldier of Jefos Chrij1. Saints mull be winnowed, and buffered,., and tryed, and tempted; !harp war, fudden violertces, dreadful dangers, are~he pOri!Qll o[Gods people; They mujl thrOJ<gh much tribulationen· ter into tbe Kingd.m of Gad: They muft proceed from one aflliCl:ion to another, and out ofouc; temptation intoano.hcr: was it not P•"II cafe? How was he in lAbours mort abrmdant, inftripes &bpve ·~e!lfure, i11 pri{ons morefrequ•nt, in deathoft, in perilr ofwaters, i 11 .pcri/s ofl,lobben, i11 pe:ils byC?"ntrymen,. in peri/1 by Hwhen, in perils. i11 the City_, ; 11 perils intht W_.rderneJi_, "'perzls~ntbe Sea, mper~ls a~ongJI.falfl Bretkren; zn wearynefs anti painfulne[s, mwatchmgs often, m hu11ger al'dthzrj!, tnfajlmgJ •fim, 111 cold and 11ak,ed1Uji l Certainly, Chrifiianity is not fo eafie as ma11y tak~ it to be. I fpeak not thefe things to difm~y any, but to awaken all, and to advife all to cafi up their accounts, and to be refolved men. 2 • Are we to fight with Devils? then courage Chrifiians! you that are of the right fiamp, of the number of this Wt : 0 be not you dtjelled becaufe of the Enemy, but be you of good he1rtl what, •are you 0fraid of Satham Fiery Darts> know, they are but as the waves tofling the Ark, yet favingNvah : or as the Whale [wallowing up, yet pre– ferving ]o11oh : or as the Dragon purfuing the Woman, yet procuring her greater pre– fervation: or as the File r;rating the Iron, yet making it clearer and !>righter than be· fore: or as the Mill grinding th.ewheat, yet making it ufeful: or as the Coals heating perfume, yet making i.t thereby "?ore oderifercus•. You fay this war i; troublefome; this indeed IS Jacobs VOice, for never anE.fau complamed thus: but do not you feel your fpirits lbarpencd,your pride depretTed; your flefh cooled, your old man detlroyed, your new man renewed olay by day? tell me, are not you provoked to more earneft and ar· dent Prayers by this war? do not you accullome your felves to more patience, a! ~ow experiencing the fragility and frowardnefs ofyour Natures ? are not Sathans cernpta!IOns as thorns in your wayes, to keep you from llraying and running wrong> 0 then be not you afraid : Come, e11tcr ~nto the !ills, and fight' valiantly:. it.is an honell war: Chritl invites you to it, and he wlllle~d you, £nd never leave you m 1t: what needi more ? B~ ftrong, ami ofagood courage. C:HAP.
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