2. He is an encroaching enemy, and therefore to be resisted. ' Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,' saith the apostle, ' neither give place to the devil,' Eph. iv. 26, as soldiers, by cowardly leaving some outwork they are set to defend, give place to their enemy, who enters the same, and from thence doth more easily shoot into the city than he could before. Thus, yielding in one temptation, we let the devil into our trench, and give him a fair advantage to do us the more mischief. The angry man, while he is raging and raving, thinks, perhaps, no more but to ease his passion by disgorging it in some bitter keen words ; but, alas, while his fury and wrath is sallying out at the portal of his lips, the devil, finding the door open, enters, and humes him further than he dreamed of. We have not to do with an Hannibal, who, though a great swordsman, yet wanted the art of following and improving the advantages his victories gave him; but with a cunning devil, that will easily lose no ground he gets. Our best way, therefore, is to give him no hand-hold, not so much as to come near the door where sin dwells, lest we be hooked in. If we mean not to be burnt, let us not walk upon the coals of temptation ; if not to be tanned, let us not stand where the sun lies. They sure forget what an insinuating, wriggling nature this serpent hath that dare yield to him in something, and make us believe they will not in another ; who will sit in the company of drunkards, frequent the places where the sin is committed, and yet pretend they mean not to be such ; that will pi-ostitute their eyes to unchaste objects, and yet be chaste ; that will lend their ears to any coniipt doctrine of the times, and yet be sound in the faith. This is a strong delusion that such were under. If a man hath not power enough to resist Satan in the less, what reason hath he to think he shall in the greater ? Thou hast not grace, it seems, to keep thee from throwing thyself into the whirl of temptation, and dost thou think, when in it, thou shalt bear up against the stream of it? One would think it is easier when in the ship to keep from falling overboard, than when in the sea to get safely into the ship again.
3. He is an accusing enemy; and of a truth folly is in that man's name who knows what a tell-tale the devil is, and yet will, by yielding to his temptation, put an errand into his mouth, with which he may accuse him to God. Some foolishly report that witches cannot hurt till they receive an alms ; but I am sure, so long as thou shewest no kindness to the devil, he cannot hurt thee, because he cannot accuse thee ; take up, therefore, holy Job's resolution. Job xxvii., ' My righteousness I hold fast : my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.' It is never sad, indeed, with the soul, till the barking is within doors ; conscience, not the devil, is the bloodhound that pulls down the creature. Oh, let not that reproach thee, and thou art well enough !
CHAPTER II.
WHEREIN IS SHEWED, WHAT IT IS FOR A CHRISTIAN TO STAND IN ORDER, TOGE- THER WITH HIS DUTY IN THIS PARTICULAR, AND THE DANGER OF STRAGGLERS FROM THEIR OWN PLACE.
Secondly,' ' To stand,' amounts to as much as to stand every one in his rank and proper station, and is here opposed to all disorder or straggling from our place. When a captain sees his soldiei's march or fight out of their rank and order, then he bids ' Stand.' Military discipline is so strict in this case, that it allows none to stir from their place without special warrant. It hath cost some their lives for fighting out of their place, though with great success. Manlius killed his own son for no other fault. From hence the note is :
Note. That it should be the care of every Christian to stand orderly in the particular place wherein God hath set him. The devil's method is first to rout, and then to ruin. Order supposeth company, one that walks alone cannot go out of his rank. This place, therefore, and rank wherein the Christian is to stand, relates to some society or company in which he walks. The Christian may be considered relating to a threefold society — church, commonwealth, and family. In all there are several ranks and places. In the church, officers and private members. In the commonwealth, magistrates and people. In the family.
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masters and servants ; parents and children ; husband and wife. The welfare of these societies consisteth in the order that is kept, when every wheel moves in its place without clashing, when every one contributes by performing the duty of his place to the benefit of the whole society ; but more distinctly, then a person stands orderly in his place, when he doth these three things :