Put an the whole Armour=ofGod tan tempts to fin, if he bath not prefently a. peaceable entrance; yet the refifiance commonly made is carnal ; the ftrength car- nal they ref( on, their own , not Gods ; the motives carnal, as the fear ofman more then of God. Where one faith,How that! I do this and fin againft God ? many in their hearts fay, How (hail I do this and anger man, difpleafe my Matter, provoke my Pa- rents, and foie the good opinion of my Minifier ? Herod feared 70bn, and did many things : had he fear'd God, he would have laboured to have done every thing. The like may be faid of all other motives, which have their fpring in the creature, not in God ; they are armour which will not outfland Thor. If thy ftrength lie in a creature-lock, it may be loon cut off; if in God it will hold, as his command ; It is written: I cannot do it, but I mull let my foot on the Law of my Maker. Or the love of. Chrift ; I cannot come at my lull, but I muff go over my bleed. ing Saviour, and therefore away,foule Tempter, I hate thee and thy motion. This foundation is rock, and will ftand ; but if it be Tome carnal refpe6t that balanceth thee, another more weigh- tymay be found of the fame kind; which will cat( the fcales an- other way. She that likes not the man becaufe of his dreffe only, may loon be gain'd when be comes in another habit. Sa tan can change his fait, and then thy mouth will be ftop'c when, thy carnal argument is taken off. Secondly, when the Word or Confcience rebuke for fin, what is the armour that men common-, ly cover their guilty foules withal ? truly no other then carnal. If theycannot evade the charge that thefe bring, then they la- bour to mitigate it, by extenuating the fa& 'Tis true,will they fay,' did(I confeffe)commit filch a fault, but I was drawen in ;, The womangave me, and I did late, was Adams figleaf armour: 'cis but once or twice, and I hops that breaks no Inch fquares,was, this fuch a great bufineffe ? 1 know jolly Chrillians will do as much as this comes to ; I thank God, I cannot be charged for whore or thief: This is the armour that muff keepoff theblow.. But if Confcience will not be thus taken off, then they labour to divert their thoughts, by flriking up the loud mufick of carnal delights, that the noife of one may drown the other, or with Cain, theywill go from the prefence of the Lord, and come no more at thefe Ordinances which make their head ake, and hin- der the rett of their ravingconiciences. Ifyet the ghot haunts them,,
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