CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN. 517 sight; and it is part of his business continually to avoid them. He liveth in a continual watch and warfare. He can resist much stronger and more subtle temptations than the weak can do. He is always armed, and knoweth what are thespecial remedies against each particular snare and sin; Eph. vi. 2 Cor. ii. 11. Prov. i. 17. And he carrieth always his antidotes about him, as qne that liveth in an infectious world, and in the midst of a froward and perverse generation, from which he is charged to save himself; Phil. ii. 15. Acts ii. 40. 2. And the weak Christian is a soldier in the armyof Christ, and is engaged in striving against sin, (Heb. xii. 4.) and really taketh the flesh and world, as well as the- devil, to be his enemies, and doth not only strive, but conquer in the main; but yet, alas! how poorly is he armed ; how unskillful doth he manage his Christian armor;. how often is he foiled and wounded; how many a tempta- tion is he much unacquainted with ; and how many a snare doth lie before him which he never did observe ! And oft he is over- come in particular temptations; when he never perceivèth it, but thinks that he hath conquered. 3. But the hypocrite is fast ensnared when he glorieth most of his integrity, and is deceived by his own heart, and thinketh he is something, when he is nothing ; Gal. vi. 3. Luke xviii. 20-23. When he is thanking God that he is not as other men, he is rejoic- ing in his dreams, and sacrificing fór'the victory which' he' never obtained ; ver. 11. He is led by Satan captive at his will, when he is boasting of his uprightness ; andhath a beam of covetousness, or pride, or cruelty in his own eye, while he is reviling or censuring another for the mote of some difference about a ceremony, or tol- erable opinion. And usually such grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived Matt. vii. 3-5. 2 Tim. iíi. 13. XXVIII. 1. A Christian indeed is one that bath deliberately counted what it may cost him to followChrist, and to save his soul; and knowing that suffering with Christ is the way to our reigning with him, he hath fully consented to the terms of Christ. He bath read Luke xiv. 26, 27. 33., and findeth that bearing the cross and forsaking all, is necessary to those that will be Christ's disciples. And accordingly, in resolution, he bath forsaken all; and looketh not for a smooth and easy way to heaven. He con- sidereth that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution," and that "through many tribulations we must enter into heaven." And, therefore, he taketh it not for a strange or unexpected thing, if the fiery trial come upon him. He loth not wonder at the unrighteousness of the world, as ifhe expected rea- son or honesty, justice or truth, or mercy, in the enemies of Christ, and the instruments of Satan : he will not bring his action against
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