dark chaos made the glorious heavens, and garnished them with so many orient stars, can move upon thy dark soul, and enlighten it, though now it he as void of knowledge as the evening of the world's first day was of light. The school- master sometimes sends home the child, and bids his father to put him to another trade, because not able, with all his art, to make a scholar of him : but if the Spirit of God be the master, thou shalt learn, though a dunce : Psa. cxix. 130, 'The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth imder- standing unto the simple.' No sooner is the soul entered into the Spirit's school, than he becomes a proficient : thence we are commanded to encourage those that discourage themselves : Isa. xxxv. 3, ' Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.' Wh}-? What good news shall we tell them ? ' The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped,' ver. 5 : ' An highway shall be there — and it shall be called, The way of holiness ; the miclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those ; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein,' ver. 8. Secondly, The deeper sense thou hast of thy own weakness, the more fit thou art for the Spirit's teaching. A proud scholar and a humble master will never agree : Christ is humble and lowly, and so resists the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Though he cannot brook him that is proud, yet he can bear with thee who art weak and dull, if humble and diligent ; as we may see in the disciples, whom our Saviour did not disdain to teach the same lesson over and over again, till at last they say, ' Lo! now speakest thou plainly,' John xvi. 29. The eunuch was no great scholar, when in liis chariot he was reading Isaiah's prophecy ; yet, because he did it with an honest heart, Philip is despatched to instruct him.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CONTAINETH FOUR DIRECTIONS TO THE CHRISTIAN IN THE USE OF THIS SWORD FOR HIS DEFENCE AGAINST THE FIRST ENEMY, THE PERSECUTOR.
But some may say, You have said enough to let us know how necessary a weapon this sword is to defend our souls, and of what admirable use it is in all the conflicts that the Christian hath with any of his enemies ; but we hope you will not leave us thus : it is a word of counsel we now listen to hear from you, how we, poor Christians, may use this sword for our own defence and the van- quishing of the several enemies whose approach you have taught us to expect; some whereof we already, to our great terror, see in the field against us, and how soon the other may appear we know not. What good will a sword by our side, a Bible in our hand, yea, mouth do us, if we be not instructed how we may ward oflf their blows, and make them feel the impressions of ours therewith? For your better satisfaction, I shall sort the directions to the several kinds of enemies you have to gi-apple with ; for their assaults being of a different natui'e, require a resistance suitable to their way of fight.
Section I. — To begin with the persecutor. Now, wouldst thou, Chris- tian, stand the shock of his furious assault when he hangs out his bloody flag, breathing slaughter to the church and flock of Christ, if they will not let him trample upon all their glory by defiling their consciences and renouncing the faith at the lust of his imperious command, then let it be thy first care to get scripture grounds for those principles and practices which stir up the perse- cutor's rage against thee. A man had need be well assured of that which brings his life and dear enjoyments into hazard. It is enough to weaken the courage of a valiant man, to fight in a mist, when he cannot well discern his foes from his friends : and to be a damp upon the Christian's spirit in a suffer- ing hour, if he be not clear in his judgment, and fixed in his principles. Look, therefore, to put that out of question in thy own thoughts, for which the perse- cutor calls thee into question ; and the rather, because it ever was, and still will be, the policy of persecutors, to disfigure as much as they can the beautiful face of those truths and practices for which the servants of Christ sufl'er, that they may put a colour of justice upon tlieir bloody cruelties, and make the world believe they suffer as evil-doers. Now thou wilt never be able to bear up under the weight of this tlieir heavy charge, except thou be fully persuaded in thy own conscience, that thou sufferest for righteousness' sake. But if thou standest clear in thy own thoughts concerning thy cau.se, thou wilt easily wipe
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5gg A^t) THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.