Psa. Ixxiv. G, 7 ; of which the cliurch makes her moan, ver. 10 : ' O God, how loll"- shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy hlaspheme thy name for ever ?' What then is in tliy devilish malice, whose rage is spent, not on wood and stones, hut the carved work of his Spirit, the grace and holiness of his living temples ?
CHAPTER XVI.
AN EXHORTATION TO THE SAINTS, IN THREE BRANCHES.
Use 3. Thirdly, It may be for exhortation to the saints, in several parti- culars : I shall only name three, because I have directed myself in the whole discourse cliiefly to them.
First, Bless God that hath furnished thee with this breastplate. Canst thou do less, when thou seest such multitudes on every hand slain before thy face by the destroyer of souls, for want of this piece to defend their naked breasts against his murdering shot ? Had God made thee great and rich in the world, but not holy, he had but given thee stock to trade with for hell. Tliese would have made thee a greater booty for Satan, and only procured in the end a deeper damnation. When an enemy comes before a city that hath no walls nor arms to defend it, truly the richer it is, the worse it fares ; when Satan comes to a man that hath much of the world about him, but nothing of God in his soul to defend him, O what miserable work doth he make with such ! He takes what he pleaseth, and doth what he will ; purse, and all the poor wretch hath, is at his command. Let a lust ask never so unreasonably, he hath not a heart to deny it ; though he knows what the gratifying of it will cost him in another world, yet he will damn his soul rather than displease his lust ! Herod throws half his kingdom at the foot of a wanton wench, if she will ask it ; and because that was thought too little by her, he will sacrifice his whole kingdom to his lust ; . for so much the blood of John the Baptist may be judged to have cost him in this life, — being (so wakeful, was Divine Providence) shortly after turned out of his throne, — besides what he pays in the other. But when God made thee a holy man or woman, then he gave thee gates and bars to thy city; thou art now able through his grace to stand on thy defence, and with the continual succours Heaven sends thee to withstand all his power. Thou wert once indeed a tame slave to him, but now he is a servant to tliee ; that day thou becamest holy, God did set thy foot on the serpent's head. Thy lusts were once his strongholds, with which he kept thee in awe, and out of which he did come and do thee so much hurt; but now these are out of his hand. O, what joy is there in a town, when a castle that commanded it is taken from the enemy ! Now, poor soul, Satan is dislodged, never more shall he be ruler in thy soul as he hath been. In a word, when thou wert made a holy, righteous person, then did God begin heaven in thy soul ; that day thou wert born again, an heir to heaven was born. And if such acclamations be at the birth of a young prince, heir to some petty territories, hast not thou more cause that then hadst heaven's glory settled on thee in reversion, especially if thou considerest where all thy inheritance lay a little before, that thou couldst lay claim to? Paul joins both together to make his doxology full, 1 Cor. xii. 13 : ' Giving thanks unto the Father, wliich hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light ; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son !' O blessed change! to step out of the devil's dark dungeon, where thou wert kept in chains of sin and unrighteousness, prisoner for hell, into tlie kingdom of Christ's grace, wliere thou hast the golden chain of holiness and righteousness put about thy neck as heir-apparent to heaven ; such honour have all his saints.
Secondly, Look thou keepest thy breastplate on, Christian. Need we bid the soldier be careful of his armour, when he goes into the field ? can he easily forget to take that with him, or be persuaded to leave it behind him ? yet some have done so, and paid dear for their boldness. Better thou endure the weight of thy plate, though a little cumbersome to the flesh, than receive a wound in thy breast for want of it : let this piece fall off", and thou canst keep none of the other on. If thou allowest thyself in any unholiness, thy sincerity, that will presently be called into question in thy conscience. I confess we find tliat
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. ^/j J