Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

us.

This is an Enemy in our Bofom, and fo the more dangerous, because it fecretly affaults us within; its Darts are invifible, and wound without being feen; it often joins If fue with Satan and the World, and too frequently yields us up into their hands: and therefore we are commanded to mortify, refift and abstain from all fleshly Lufts, because they war against the Soul; 1 Pet. 2. II.

[ocr errors]

These are the Enemies that we are to encounter in this Warfare, which are all of them vigilant, fubtle, fierce and formidable. The Devil, for his Rage and Diligence, is compar'd to a roaring Lion, going up and down, seeking whom he may devour. For his Subtlety he is call'd the old Serpent, that beguil'd our firft Parents in Paradife, and hath been ftill feducing their Posterity ever fince: and therefore St. Peter advifeth Chriftians, to be fober and vigilant, daily watching against his Devices, 1 Pet. 5. 8. The World is that great Sorcerer, that bewitches Mankind with its Enchantments; and therefore we are deeply concern'd to renounce all its Pomps and Vanities.

Our own Hearts too are deceitful above all things, and def perately wicked, which we fhould therefore keep with all Diligence, for out of them are the fues of Life, as the wife Man tells us, Prov. 4. 23. Of thefe Enemies we are forewarn'd, that we may be forearm'd against them; and the rather, because their Designs are cruel and mischievous: they watch for our Souls, not to fave but to deftroy them; they conceal their Cruelty under a Difguife of Kindness, and when they feem to please moft, are most eager upon their Prey, whom we are therefore to watch and arm our felves against.

But what is the Armour we are here bid to put on to this end? or what are the Weapons to be made ufe of in this Warfare? Why, that is fet forth to us in the following part of the Chapter, where St. Paul prefcribes a Helmet for the Head, a Breaft-Plate for the Belly, a Shield for the Back, a Girdle for the Loins, a Sword for the Hand, and Shoes for the Feet; thus arming Chriftians Cap-a-pee, and furnishing them throughout from Head to Feet. All which Terms being figurative and metaphorical, will require fome Explication; for our Apoftle tells us, that the Weapons of this Warfare are not carnal, for the we walk in the Flesh, we war not after the Flesh. But thefe Weapons are fpiritual, being level'd against ghoftly Enemies and fpiritual Wickedneffes in high Places; and thefe are mighty thro God, to

Ff3

the

the pulling down, of thefe ftrong Holds, to the cafting down Imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it felf against the Knowledg of God, and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Chrift: 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. If you would know what this fpiritual Armour is, we have here a particular Account of each part of it. As,

1ft, The firft Piece of Armour we are here bid to put on, is the Girdle of Truth, in thefe words, Having your Loins girt with Truth; ver. 14. Now this Girdle of Truth is generally expounded of the found and faving Knowledg of heavenly Truths. St. Peter expreffes it by girding up the Loins of the Mind, 1 Pet. 1. 13. that is, by fortifying it with Wisdom and Understanding; that fo knowing what the Will of the Lord is, and what the Devices of our Enemies are, we may the better adhere to the one, and avoid the other. By this we fhall be directed in the whole Course of our Lives, and likewife inftructed in the Wiles of the Devil to turn us out of it, which will help much to arm our felves against them; nor will Satan be able to get any Advantage upon us, when we are not ignorant of his Devices, 2 Cor. 2. 11. And this is call'd the Girdle of Truth, because it faftens all Divine Truths upon the Mind; for as the Girdle ties and keeps on the other Armour, and fits us for the use of it, fo Knowledg tends to keep us in the ways of Truth, and preferves all other Vertues: and therefore we are in the first place to have the Loins of our Mind girt with Truth, and that will keep it from running into Error or Licentioufnefs, as a Girdle reftrains and keeps in the Body.

Moreover, to have the Loins girt, in Scripture fignifies Strength, Vigour, and Activity in any Undertaking: I will ftrengthen him with a Girdle, faith God, Ifa. 22. 21. This was the Ufe of the military Belt or Girdle, to keep the Body more tight and fit for Action. And to this the "Apoftle here chiefly refers, in having our Loins girt with Truth, by keeping to found Doctrine, in oppofition to all Errors and Herefies, which will ferve as a Girdle to tie all our fpiritual Armour clofe about us. And this is the first Piece of the Armour.

The 2d is the Breaft-Plate of Righteoufnefs, in the next words, having on the Breaft-Plate of Righteousness; where the Apoftle alludes to that of the Prophet Ifaiah, chap. 59. 17. where God is faid to put on Righteousness as a BreastPlate, By this we are to understand that Integrity of

Heart,

Heart, that is to accompany the Soundness of our Mind: for 'tis not enough to have the Light of Divine Truths fhining into our Minds, to preferve us from Error; but we must have the Love of them too fhed abroad into our Hearts, to keep us from all Unrighteoufnefs. Knowledg alone pufferh up, and that will lead us into the Snare and Condemnation of the Devil, and give our Enemies great advantage over us; but Charity and the Love of Vertue edifieth, and that will fet us above the Reach and Danger of all their Affaults: for which reafon we are not only to gird up our Minds with the Knowledg of the Truth, but to guard our Hearts with the Armour of Righteoufnefs, having on the BreastPlate of a good Confcience, which will be as a brazen Wall to repel all the Power and Force of Temptation. In short, we are to add to our Knowledg Vertue, and to have our Hearts establish'd with Grace, and that will defend us from the Danger of our Enemies, as a Breaft Plate doth from the Darts of an Affailant: which is the fecond part of this

Armour.

The 3d Piece of it is to have our Feet hod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, ver. 15. where the Apostle alludes to the Cuftom both of the Grecians and Romans, who were wont to reckon Shoes in the account of their Armour, which were ordinarily made of Brafs. In the Story of Goliah, we read, that he had Greaves of Brass upon his Legs, 1 Sam. 17. 6. And Homer furnishes out Achil les and other Warriors with Boots or Shoes of Brafs or Iron on their Feet; the ufe whereof was to defend their Feet against the Traps and fharp Stakes which the Enemies were wont to lay in the way to ftop their March. Indeed the putting on of Shoes, in Scripture fignifies a Readiness and Preparation for a Journy. Hence the Ifraelites were commanded to eat the Paffover with their Loins girt, with Shoes on their Feet, and their Staff in their Hand, to denote their Readiness for the March, Exod. 12. 11. And our Saviour will'd his Difciples to be thod with Sandals to the fame purpose, Mark 6.9.

Now to this the Apoftle here refers, in making the Gofpel of Peace the beft Furniture and Preparation for our Feet; for the Peace and Love requir'd in the Gospel will best fit us for our Chriftian Courfe, 'twill make us go on more expeditely in our way, and defend us from the Dangers we may meet with in it.

[blocks in formation]

4ly, Another principal Piece of this Armour, is the Shield of Faith, which we are therefore chiefly requir'd to put on : Ver. 16. Above all things taking the Shield of Faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts_of_the Wicked. By Faith here we are to understand a firm Perfuafion of the Truth of our Religion, or a ftedfaft Belief of the Gospel, with all the Promifes and Threats contain'd therein. This is here call'd the Shield of Faith, being the principal Defence of a Chriftian against all the fiery Darts of Satan's Temptations, and likewife the main Weapon wherewith we are to combat the World, and our own Lufts. This will defeat all the Defigns of the Devil, and render us invulnerable in our Conflict with him and St John affures us, that this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith; 1 John 5. 4. To this the Author to the Hebrews afcribes all the Victories and Triumphs of those glorious Heroes, mention'd in the 11th Chapter of that Epiftle; who, by this irrefiftible Weapon of Faith, con quer'd the greatest Difficulties, and repel'd the Force of the strongest Temptations: By Faith (faith he) they wrought Righteousness, obtain'd Promifes, topp'd the Mouths of Li ons, quench'd the Violence of Fire, efcap'd the Edg of the Sword, out of Weakness were made ftrong, &c. He that truly believes the great and noble Rewards of Vertue, to gether with the dreadful Punishments that attend all vicious Courses, will be powerfully perfuaded to follow the one, and forfake the other; no poifon'd Darts can enter, no Flatteries, Fears, or Frowns can fhake the Conftancy of a Mind fortify'd with this Perfuafion; the Shield of Faith will quench all thefe fiery Darts, and defend us from all Evil.

5ly, Another Piece of Armour that we are to put on, is the Helmet of Salvation, ver. 17. And take the Helmet of Salvation. Now this is interpreted by the Apoftle to be the Hope of Salvation, 1 Theff. 5.8. for as a Helmet preferves the Head from the Violence of a Blow, at least from being wounded or hurt by it, fo Hope keeps the Soul from all real Harm, and fecures it from the Danger of all Af faults. This Hope is elféwhere call'd the Anchor of the Soul, both fure and fedfaft, Heb. 6. 19. for as an Anchor faftens a Ship, and keeps it from being tofs'd and fhipwreck'd by the Waves; fo the Hope of Salvation fixes the Soul on God in the greatest Storms of the World, and keeps it from making fhipwreck of Faith and a good Confcience: it fup

[merged small][ocr errors]

ports it under all earthly Troubles and Perfecutions, and prepares it for the endless Joys and Happiness of Heaven; for he that hath this Hope (faith the Apostle) purifies himSelf, even as he is pure. i John 3. 3.

6ly, The next Piece of the Chriftian Armour is the Sword of the Spirit, which the Apoftle expounds to be the Word of God; ver. 17. A Sword, you know, ferves both to defend and to deftroy; it fecures the Perfon, and wounds the Af failant in like manner this Sword of the Spirit guards us from Error, and confounds all the Enemies of the Truth. Hence the Author to the Hebrews ftiles the Word of God, A two-edged Sword, quick and powerful, dividing afunder be tween the Joints and the Marrow, the Soul and the Spirit, and is a Difcerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart; Chap. 4. 11. This Weapon our Saviour made ufe of in his Conflict with the Devil, baffling all his Temptations out of the Word of God, and repelling every Affault with It is written: And the fame Weapon we are to use against all the Enemies of Truth, confuting their Errors by the Word of God, and cutting down Herefies and Divifions by this Sword of the Spirit.

Laftly, To all this the Apostle adds Prayer, to compleat the Armour, and to render it fuccefsful; ver. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all Perfeverance: 'Tis this gives the Success and Efficacy to all the reft, by calling in the Affiftance of Heaven to our Succour, and fortifying our Weaknefs by the Auxiliaries of Divine Grace. And this he would have done, not only now and then by Fits and Starts, but always, watching thereunto with all Perfeverance; left by neglecting our Watch and our Prayers, the Devil take hold of the Opportunity, and get an Advantage upon us. And therefore our Saviour bids us to watch and pray, left ye fall into Temptation: and this with all forts of Prayer, viz. Petition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication in the Spirit, that we may find Grace to help in time of need. Neither are thefe Prayers to be confin'd to our felves, but to extend to all others, making Supplication for all Saints, among whoni the Apoftle wills thefe Ephefians to put up a Petition for him, viz. for Knowledg and Boldness in the Delivery of his Meffage; ver. 19. And for me, that Utterance may be gi ven unto me, that I may open my Mouth boldly, to make known the Mystery of the Gospel. And the rather, because he was then an Ambafador in Bonds, for preaching the Gospel to

the

« AnteriorContinuar »