Put on thewhole Armour ofGod. fouls defence ; Satan trembles as much as the Phibflines at the 'ark, to s=ee a foule diligent in the life of duty, and exercife of grace ; but when the creatureconfides in them, this is dange- rous. As fomc, when they have prayed, think they pleafe God forall day, though they take little heed to their Reps. Others'i have fo good an opinion of their faith, fincerity, knowledge, thut you may affoon make them believe they are dogs, as that they may ever be taken in fuch an errour or sinful prayrice. O- thers, when drifted in duty, are prone to ftroalc their own head with a Tene fectfii Bernarde, and fo promife themfelves to (peed, becaufe they have done their errand fo well. What fpeak fuch paffages in the hearts of men, but a carnal confidence in their ar- mour to their ruine ? Many foules (we may fafely fay) donot only pedal praying, repenting and believing after a tort, but they perifh by their praying and repenting.&c.while theycarnally truft in thefe. As it falls out fometimes, that the fouldier in bat- tel lofeth his life by means ofhis own Armour , it is fo heavy he cannot flie with it, and fo dole buckled to him, that he cannot get it off, to flie for his lifewithout it. If we be faved, we malt come naked to Chrift for all our duties, we will not flie to Chrift white confiding in them, and tome are fo lock't into them, that they cannot come without them, and fo in a day of temptation are trampled under the feet ofGods wrath, and SI-. tans fury. The poor Publican throwes down his 'armes, (that is, all confidence inhimfelf) cries for quarter at the hands of mer- cy ; god be merciful ;interne a finner, and he comes offwith his ,life, he went away juftified : but ale Pharifee, loaden with his righteoufneffe, and conceited of it, ftands to it, and is loft. Thirdly, they do not ufe the Armour ofGod as fuch, who in the performing of divine duties, eye not god through them, and this makes them all weak and uneffednal. Then the Word is mighty, when read as the Word of God, then the Gape' preactet, powerful toconvince the confcience, and revive the drooping fpirit, when heard, as the appointment of the great God, and not the exercife of a meancreature. Now it will ap* pear in three things) whether we eye divine appointment in the meanes. Firft, When we engage in a duty, and look not up to God for 5
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