Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

To the Chrillian Reader. He Chriflian mans life is a continual)warfare, wherein bee is daily a /faulted (1 know not whe- ther, with greaterfubtiltie or furie, policie or ' power) by threepuiffant enemies, the diuell,the the world,and theflefh; euery one of which hauemany legi- ons vnder their condutl, which areready to fecond and fuc- cour them,when theygiue fgne ofbattaile.The diucll it the grand captaine, and generaliof all thefe forces; the world and theflefh,are chhiefe commanders vnder him, whohaue many millions of #irituall enemies vnder their enfignes, that continuallie fight again/' vs. Satan ordereth the bat - taile,andguideth all theft forcesto his heft adüantage, and our ruin; the world mini reth vnto him weapons and munition, whereby thisfight is maintained; and theft?) like a wicked traitor openeth thegates of our pules when we are affaulted,and receiuing the pay of worldly vanities,ioy- neth with theft externallforces to work our final ouerthrow. The Om ofthis fght is either their,or our vil7orie; thef r- mer is accompanied with the dittels triumph, and our per- petuall captiuitie and thraldome in the chaines of darknes ; yea with the molt exquifite and ineffable torments of hell fire : the other,with the crowne ofvit7orie which our great o.Cor4.1 y. Commander, the Lord of hofls,hathpromilid to thole that ouercome euen that fuperexcellent and eternal'waight of gloriereferuedin the highefl heauens. The confideration whereof,aa it/hould moue all Chr!i- ,ins valiantly to fight the Lords battailes, to forget all la- boo,