XI. DISC. it through all the nations of the earth.. During the perfecutions of the church in her infant ftate, numbers of the weaker fex, receiving strength and courage from above, in the hour of trial, patiently endured all the torments which the malice of men and devils could invent. They triumphed gloriously. "Now are they crowned, and "receive palms from the Son of God, "whom they confeffed in the world." The promise of affistance in time of need is to us all; to us, and to our children, and to as many as the Lord our God fhall call. From thee, bleffed Jefus, we learn our duty: to thee must we look, and to thy allpowerful grace, for ftrength to perform it. Not in ourselves, but in thee, and in the power of thy might, we are ftrong. Without thee, we can do nothing: with thee, we can do all things. It is this confideration which alone can fupport us, when we take a view of the enemies, whom we must encounter. Attend to our Apoftle's defcription of them. "We " wrestle XI. "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but disc. against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this "world, against spiritual wickednefsin high places." The meaning is, that our own defires, carrying us on, through the corruption of our nature, towards forbidden actions, are not the only enemies with whom we are to contend; that there are others, not the lefs to be dreaded because we cannot see them; namely, evil fpirits, who, having been caft out of heaven, are permitted, for a while, to disturb the earth; to ftir up against us either our own paffions within, or the paffions of other men without us; thus keeping the world in perpetual agitation, as the waves of the fea are driven and toffed by the wind. Such is our state, and the danger of it calls upon us diligently to learn and to practise all the rules which will presently be given us. Men in our days, however, have found out a much fhorter method, than that prescribed by the Apoftle, of dealing with 23 thefe DISC. these our fpiritual enemies. They either disbelieve the existence of fuch; or, if XI. any they believe it, agree to think no more of them. Too often indeed we hear the name of our great adverfary pronounced; but it is only as a kind of expletive in common converfation. No point is lefs seriously thought of; and it feerns as if Chriftians were disposed to lay it by, as an antiquated fable. Yet, if the Scriptures are not to be laid by, at the fame time, this adverfary is there represented as fomething real, and fomething formidable. To him are afcribed the force of a lion, and the fubtlety of a ferpent; he is faid to deceive the whole world; to have put it into the heart of Ananias, to tell a lie, betray his mafter; to children of difobedience. and of Judas, to work in all the We are told, in fhort, that the Son of God was mani"fefted to deftroy the works of the devil." And can we then calmly and fedately let it pass, that there are no such works and no fuch person; or, that it is a matter of indifference, whether there be, or not? Reft XI, Reft affured that fuch enemies we have, DISC. and that we shall fail in the combat, unless aided by a strength far fuperior to our own. But fince the strongest man enters not into battle without his armour, proceed we to confider that, which, as the foldiers of Jefus Chrift, the Apostle directs us to provide. "Wherefore take unto you the whole "armour of God, that ye may be able to "stand in the evil day, and, having done "all, to ftand." We must not fo rely on the divine affistance, as to neglect our own exertions. Befides the strength communicated, as occafion requires, from above, there must be certain fixed and lafting difpofitions wrought in the mind, which may render it at all times prepared and qualified to resist the enemy. These are reprefented as fo many different pieces of armour, which all together compose what is ftyled. "the "whole 24 DISE. XI. whole armour of God." From him we receive it, and by him we are enabled to ufe it. It is to be put on and worn conftantly; no more to be laid aside than our limbs, or our faculties. Nor must any part be omitted: "Put on the whole a armour of God." It is elsewhere called "the armour of light;" as ferving, among other purposes, to discover to us the posi tion, ftrength, and defigns of our adverfaries, "the rulers of the darkness of this world," who love darkness, and work in darkness. They must be discovered, before they can be conquered, or indeed attacked. Otherwife, approaching unfeen, they may fuddenly attack and conquer us. Even when we have a fufficiency of light, the day of battle is, as the Apoftle fays of it, "evil day," a day of toil, of labour, of hazard; a day, which all muft wish to be well over; a day, in which nothing, but the armour of God, and the power of God, can enable us to brave the fury of the conflict; and having performed every thing 66 an expected |