yield into the hands of thine enemies, then expect succours from heaven to enable thee to hold out under the temptation : thus to Paul, ' My grace is sufficient,' or power from heaven to raise the siege, and drive away the tempter; thus to Job, when Satan had him at an advantage, then God takes him off. Like a wise moderator, when the respondent is hard put to it by a subtle opponent, takes him off, when he would else run him down, James v. 11 : ' Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.'
EpHES. VI. 11.
Put on the tvhole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the Devil,
This verse is a key to the former, wherein the apostle had exhorted be- lievers to encourage, and bear up their fainting spirits on the Lord, and the power of his might. Now in these words he explains himself, and shews how he would have them do this ; not presumptuously come into the field without that armour, which God hath appointed to be worn by all his soldiers, and yet with a bravado to trvist in the power of God to save them. That soul is sure to fall short of home (heaven I mean) who hath nothing but a carnal confi- dence on the name of God, blown up by the ignorance of God and himself: no, he that would have his confidence duly placed on the power of God, must conscientiously use the means appointed for his defence, and not rush naked into the battle, like that frantic spirit at Munster, who would needs go forth, and chase away the whole army then besieging that city, with no other cannon than a few words charged with the name of the Lord of hosts, (which he blasphemously made bold to use,) saying, ' In the name of the Lord of hosts, depart.' But himself soon perished, to learn others wisdom by what he paid for his folly. What foolish braving language shall you hear drop from the lips of the most profane and ignorant among us ! Tliey trust in God, hope in his mercy, defy the devil and all his works, and such like stufi', who yet are poor naked creatures, without the least piece of God's armour upon their souls. To cashier such presumption from the saints' camp, he annexeth this directory to his exhortation, ' Put on the whole armour of God,' &c. So that the words fall into these two general parts.
First, A direction annexed to the former exhortation, shewing how we may in a regular way come to be strong in the Lord ; that is, by putting on the whole armour of God.
Second, A reason or argument strengthening this direction, ' that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.' In the direction observe,
First, Tlie furniture he directs, and that is 'armour.'
Second, The kind or quality of this armour, ' armour of God.'
Third, Tlie quantity or entireness of the armour ; the whole armour of God.
Fourth, The use of this armour : put on the whole armour of God.
To begin with the first, the furnitiu-e which eveiy one must get that would fight Christ's battles, the question here will be, \Vliat is this armour ?
First, By amiour is meant Clmst ; we read of putting on the Lord Jesus, Rom. xiii. 14, where Christ is set forth under the notion of armour. The apostle doth not exhort them, for rioting and dnmkenness, to put on sobriety and temperance; for chambering and wantonness, put on chastity, (as the philo- sopher would have done,) but bids, put on the Lord Jesus Christ; implying thus much, till Christ be put on, the creature is unarmed. It is not a man's morality and philosophical virtues that will repel a temptation, sent with a full charge from Satan's cannon, though possibly it may the pistol shot of some less solicitation, so that he is the man in armour, that is in Christ. Again, the graces of Christ, these are armour, as the girdle of truth, the breast-plate of righteousness, and the rest. Hence we are bid also 'put on the new man,' Eph. iv. 24, which is made up of all the several graces, as its parts and members. And he is the unarmed soul, that is the unregenerate soul. Not
PUT ON THE WHOLE AIIMOUR OF GOD. 27
excluding those duties and meeins which God hath appointed the Christian to use for defence.
The phrase thus opened ; the point is,
CHAPTER I.
SHEWING THE CHRISTLESS AND GRACELESS SOUL, TO BE THE SOUL WITHOUT ARMOUR, ANiy THEREIN HIS MISERY.