Lord.' Yet, Christian, all thy armour is not on. Thy godliness indeed would suffice, wert thou to live in a world by thyself, or hadst nothing to do but im- mediate communion with God. But, Christian, thou must not always dwell on this mount of immediate worship ; and when thou descendest, thou hast many brethren and servants to thy Father, who live with thee in the same family ; and thou must comport thyself becomingly, or else thy Father will be angry. First, thou hast brethren, heirs of the same promise with thee ; therefore you must add to holiness ' brothei-ly kindness.' If Satan can set you at odds, he gives a deep wound to your godliness. You will hardly join hearts in a duty, that cannot join hands in love. Secondly, There ai-e not only brethren, but servants, a multitude of profane cai'nal ones, who, though they never had the names of sons and daughters, yet retain to God's family, and thy heavenly Father will have thee walk unblameably, yea, winningly to those that are without ; which that thou mayest do, thou must add to brotherly kindness, 'charity;' by which grace thou shalt be willing to do good to the worst of men : when they curse thee, thou must pray for them ; yea, pray for no less than a Christ, a heaven for them. 'Father, forgive them,' said Christ, while they were shedding his heart's blood. And truly I am persuaded the want of this last piece of armour hath given Satan great advantage in these our times. We are so afraid oiu- charity should be too broad, whereas in this sense, if it be not as wide as the world, it is too strait for the command which bids us ' do good to all.' May not we ministers be charged with the want of this? when the strain of our preaching is solely directed to the saiuts, and no pains taken in rescuing poor captived souls, yet uncalled, out of the devil's clutches, who may haid them to hell without any disturbance, while we are comforting the saints, and preaching their privileges ; but in the mean time let the ignorant be ignorant still, and the pi'ofane profane still, for want of a compassionate charity to their souls, which would excite us to the reproving and exhorting of them, that they might also be brought into the way of life, as well as the saints en- couraged, who ai-e walking therein. We are stewards to provide bread for the Loi'd's house ; the greatest part of our hearers cannot, must not have the children's bread, and shall we therefore give them no portion at all? Christ's charity pitied the multitude, to whom in his public preaching he made special application, as in that famous sennon, most part of which is spent in rousing up the sleepy consciences of the hypocritical Pharisees, by those thunder-claps of woes and curses so often denounced against them. Matt, xxiii. Again, how great advantage hath Satan from the want of this charity in our families ! Is it not observed how little care is taken by professing governors of such societies, for the instructing their youth ? Nay, it is a principle which some have drank in, that it is not their duty. O where is their charity in the mean time, when they can see Satan come within their own walls, and let him drive a child, a servant, in their own ignorance and profaneness to hell, and not so much as sally out upon his enemy by a word of reproof or instruction, to rescue their silly souls out of the murderer's hands ? We must leave them to their liberty forsooth, and that is as fair play as we can give the devil ; give but corrupt nature enough of this rope, and it will soon strangle the very principles of God and religion in their tender years.
Section III. Thirdly, The entireness of the saint's armour may be taken not only for every part and piece of the saint's furniture, but for the completeness and perfection of every piece. As the Christian is to endeavour after every grace, so is he to press after the advance and increase of every grace, even to perfection itself; as he is to add to his faith virtue, so is he to add faith to faith ; he is ever to be completing of his grace. It is that which is frequently pressed upon believers. Matt. v. 48, ' Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. And purify yourselves as God is pure ;' where we have an exact copy set, not as if we could equalize that purity and perfection which is in God, but to make us strive the more, when we shall see how infinitely short we fall of our copy when we write the fairest hand. So James i. 3 : ' Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be entire, wanting nothing,' or wanting in nothing. Thou who makest a hard shift to carry a little burden with thy little patience, wouldst sink under a greater ; therefore there is need that patience should be ever perfecting, lest at last we meet a burden too heavy for our weak
PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD. 39
slioulders. Take a few reasons why tlie Christian should be thus completing of his grace.