718 SAINTS coMPARED TO , SOLDIERS. BookiV. he hath a fecond, nay, a thi:·d and fourth, nay Multitudes. What frefh and new A ttempts did he ufe, when he fet upon our Savior? · 5. Another Stratagem of his is this: He will in a political way retreat, as fometimes you !hall have an Enemy fly as overcome, when it is on a defign of overcoming. We read not only of Satan's being ca!t out, but of the unclean Spirit's going out volun– tarily; yet be fure it was with a purpofe to return more !l:rong than before. 6. He will {\rive eo make ufe of fit ln!truments to carry on his Temptations to the Ruin of the Soul. I migh,t proceed, but by this all may fee, That it is needful for the Chri!tian Soldier to be well inf\ruCl:ed in the Stratagems of War. M E T A P H 0 R. P A R A L L E L. XIV. A Sold ier ought to know XIV. So a Saint muft underftand the diftin<'.l: the diftin<'.l:Beats of the Drum, and and different Sounds of the Word of God, daily Sound of the Trumpet; an Alarm, miniftered by his Servants; for a Preacher is a fpi– a Call, a March, a Battle, &c. ritual Trumpeter: Lift up thy Voice like a 'I' rumpet, Ifa . lviii. 1. And as it greatly behoves a Trumpeter to be well fkilltd how to blow his Trumpet, for if it give an uncertain Sound, who !hall prepare himfdf for the Battle' fo it doth a Mini!ter, rightly and dif– tin<'.l:ly to preach the Word of God, that a Chriftian, like a :,oldier, may have an Alarm founded in his Ears, when D anger is near, or an Enemy coming upon him; as alfo a Call to Dmy, to Prayer, to Fa!ting, Mourning, and Sackcloth, when the Day requires it, &c. A good Soldier of Chri!1: will obferve the diftinCl: Sound of the fpiritual Trumpet; fometime,s it founds out Reproof, fometimes Counfd, fometimes Comfort; all is carefully oblerved by a fin cere a.nd wife Chriftia.n, Ifa. xxii. XV. A Soldier ought to be a XV. So a ·Saiht ought to be of a courageous Man of Courage, bold and refoSpirit, not timorous, faint-hearted, or foon dif– lure, not foon daunted, nor di f-, mayed, but a Man of an undaunted H eart, not mayed by the Threats, Malice, or fearing the worft that Men can do unto him: Strength of an Enemy. He ought, 'I' hough I walk, faith David, thr•ugh the Valley of as God bid J ojhua, to be ftrong, the Shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil, Pfal. and very courageous. xxiii. 4· 'I'he Wicked flee when none purfue, but .. . the Righteous are as bold as a Lion, Prov. xxviii. 1. There are three or four Things, which tend to embolden, and encreafe Courage in a fpiritual Soldier, in the mid it of the greateft Danger, when nothing but D eath and Mi– iery feems to ftare him in the F ace. i. The Goodnefs of his Caufc. Nothing adminiftereth more_Life and Zeal to a Saint, than the Confideration of that holy Caufe, which in the Strength of Chri!t he ftands up for, and is {et to defe"d. ' 2. The Confideration of the Power and Strength of that God who hath engaged to.. ftand by hini, help and aid him in all his Conflicts with the wor!t of his Enemies. Fear not, Worm Jacob, and ye Men of lfrael; I will help thee, faith the L ord. Fear 11ot, for' 1 am with thee; be not difmayed, for 1 am thy God, I will flrengtf:.en thee, &c. Ifa. xli. lo, 14. · Ye are of God, little Children, and have overcome tlmn, becaufe'greater is .he that is in us than he tbat is in the World, 1 John iv. 3· 3· A good Call. Every Cbri!tian, in all his Enterprizes, muft fee to his Call; let him fee that whatfoever he doeth in Religion, both in Matter and Manner, be what God hath enjoined him. H e that undertakes any \ ¥ark or Caufe, that is not warrant– ed by God's W ord, hath caufe to tremble. Ancl alfo let him fee he be the Man that God approves of, and hath employed in and about that Work and Dory, whatfoever jr be; and when he fees that his Call is undeniably ~ood, this will add Cour>ge to him. 4- A good Confcience. T his made Paul fo bold in the Prefence of his incenfed Ad– verlories : Men and Brethren, I have lived in a!/ good Confcience before God u;ttil this Day, Ails xxiii. 1. A Soldier who hath mu.ch G uilt upon him, caunot, if his Con– fcience be at all awakened, engage an Enemy with that Courage as another Man may, in the high Place of the Field, when he knows not but the next Moment he may he fen r into another World. It is Innocency and Uprighmefs that puts Life and Magna– nimity into a Chri!ti,m. Haviug a good Confcience, that whereas they fpeak Evil of )'OU, as Evil-doers, they may be ajhamed, who falfe6' accufe your good Con·verfation i11 Chrifl, ~ Pet. iii. 16. ,5. Laftly; The Affurance he hath of Vi<'.l:ory. A Saint knoweth he !hall have the D ay, and come off a Conquemr: Before he enters upon the Confli<'.l:, hi>Captain harh .tQld him, he !hall overcon1e at la!t, and have the Crown of L ife, Rev. ii. ro. XVI. So
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