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x;

a

fldm

the

Chral

ian

being

foitedmay

ofhis

bodie

;

but

rather hereby

is

a

fouldier difgraced,

if

ei-

ther

he dare

not

march

into

the field,or

beingentred

the

bat.

tell doth

ihamefullie

flee

away, or cowardlie

yeeld

vnto the

enemie

:

fo

in

this

fpirituall warfare

it

is

no difhoiiour to

re_

ceiue

foiles and wounds

of

our

fpirituall enemies,

for the

moll valiant

fouldiers

that

euer

fought

the Lords

battels,

haue

fuflained

the

like:nay

ifin

the fight

they

be

taken prifo-

ners, yet

fo

they

refit}

to the vttermofl

of

their

power, and

Mew

an

carnal

delire

to

be

out

of

the captiuitie offinne

and

Satan,this

is

acceptable

to

their

captaine Chrifl,and

hee

will

in.pitie and

compaflìon reflore

them.

to

libertie

Btit

ifräther

than they would endure the

dangerofthe

fight,they

profeffe

themfelues friends to

finne

and

Satan; or

ifhauing

profeffed

themfelues Chrifls fouldiers,

they at the

firfl

encounter

of

their

fpirituall enemies

tempting them

to

any

finne,doe

for-

fake Chrifls flandard fhamefullie,or cowardly yeeld

to

finne

and Satan,voluntarilie liuing

in

their

flauerie-withut

delire

oflibertie:

then either

they (hew

themfelues

notable co-

wards,worthie to

be cafhiered

out

ofGods

campe; or

traite-

rous rebels,

who though outwardlie

they

made

a

profeflion

that

they

wereChrifis

fouldiers,

yet

in

heart

they

defìrcd

to

ferue

Satan._

Here

therefore

is

incouragement

for the weake

Chrifliarr,.

who

is

difcouraged and

afhamed to looke

his

Redeemer

Ie-

fus

Chriflin.the

face,becaufe

ofthe

manifold

foiles

which he

receiueth

in this fpirituall

combat;

for howfoeuer before

the

fight oftemptations he

refolucth manfully to make

refiflance

and to ouercome,yet when the

dìuell

flronglie aflaulteth,the

world

flattereth

or

frowneth,

and

the

flefir trecheroufly

be-

traieth him,fighting

fecretly

with whole legions ofvnlawful

lulls againfl

the fpirit,then

is

hee foiled and often taken

c.ap

-

tiue offinne. But

let

fuch

to their

comfort

know,thatif

=the

-y

continue their

earnefl

delire

offighting

full the

Lords-bate

tels,and ouercomming their

fpirituall 'enemies,

they

arc ac-

cepted

ofIef

us

Chrifl; and

in

the

ende hee

will

giue

thetas

llrength

to

obtaine

a

-finali

viclorie.

And that their

maniföld

foiles and

grieflÿ

wounds

which

they.receiue,of

finne.

and

Satan'may

not

difcourage

them;

let: