Book III. THE WORD oF GOD THE SWORD oF THE SPIRIT. 56 7 (2.) Are you broken off from your Sins? (3.) Are your Hearts foft? (4.) H ath the W ord and Spirit of God fallened ConviEtions fo upon you, that you tannot get free of them? Do they abide like a Nail in a fure Place? Have the Pre– cepts of God in like manner been drove home, that you cannot reil till you have fubmittecl to them? Have Promifes been fo fallened, as that you do believe, and ftedfaltly apply them to your own Souls? II. If you would have the Word of God break your hard and rocky Hearts, then, ( 1.) Confider the Severity of it, touching the Threatenings thereof, Gal. iii. 10. Mark xvi. 16. Luke xiii. 5· (2.) Confider what hath been executed upon fuch who break the ·word. 1. Adam. 2. The old World. 3· Korah and his Company. 'Ihofe that broke Mofes's Law, died <vithout lvfercy under two or three Witnejjes, Heb. x. 28. (3.) Confider the Truth of the Word, Matt. v. 18. Job xxxvi. 17. Lukexxi. 22: (4.) The Power and Authority of the Word . (5.) The Torment of the Damned. (6.) Read often, and confider the Sulferings of Chri!l-. (7.) Cry to God that he would be pleafed tO take the Hammer of the Word into the Hand of the Spirit, and fmite your rocky Hearrs. See Simile, Stony and Rocky Heart. THE WORD OF GOD THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. And the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, Eph. vi. 17. TWO Things may be enquired into, and in both thefe refpetl:s we fhall run the Parallel, 1. Why the ·word of God is compared to a Sword? 2. Why the Word is called the Sword of the Spirit? 1. Some take, as Mr. Gurna/1 obferves, * the Abllratl: here to be put for the Con– crete, "'"""'~ for "'"'!''"'"@', Sword of the Spirit, for the fpiritual Sword; as if it were no more but take the fpiritual Sword which is the Word of God, according to that of the Apoftle, 2 Cor. x. 4· 'J'be Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal, but migbty ; that is, fpiritual Weapons: Indeed Satan being a Spirit, mull: be fought with fpiritual \'Veapons; and fuch is the Word of God, viz. a fpiritual Sward; but this though true, reacheth not the full Senfe of the Place, where"'""~-'" is taken Perfona– liter, for the Perfon of the Holy Spmt. METAP 1-IOR. I. A Sword is a Weapon generally made ufe of by all Soldiers of every Rank and ~lality: The Captain, as well :is the ordinary Soldier, hath and ought to have his Sword. . II. A Sword is a Weapon by which they do not only defend tbemfelves, but alfo do great Ex– ecution upon their Enemies. PARALLEL. I. THE Word of God, the fpiritual Sword, every Chrillian, of what Rank or ~ality whatfoever, maketh ufe of, and cannot, ought not to be without it; the Captain General fou"ht with this Weapon himfelf, Minillers, as wellas every private Chrillian, ought always to be arm– ed herewith, Matt . iv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. I!. So the Word of God is a fpiritual Weapon, by which a Chriftian doth not only defend him– felf from the I)anger of Sin, and Satan, the World, &c. but by it he offends, yea, cuts down and overcomes and vanqui01es all thefe and other cruel Enemies of the Soul. ( 1.) The Word is a defenGve Weapon. Saith David, By the Word of thy Lips, I have kept me from the Paths of the Deflroyer. Unlefs thy Law had bmt my Delight, Ijhould have perijhed in my Affliction, Pfal. xvii. 4• and cxix. 92. (2.j Offen(ive ; by it our bldfed Captain made the Prince of Darl;.nefs fty. It is written, 'Ihou jhalt not tempt :be Lord thy God, Matt. iv. "' Gurnall's ChrifiiamArmour, pagt 2~7·
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