3. Thirdly, The next thing is the way and means of maintaining this war and conflict ; not by crossing yourselves, spitting at his name and mention, but by the graces of God's Holy Spirit. I shall mention the chiefest. There is — (1.) Faith, 1 Peter v. 10. You had need of faith, that you may overcome mystically, by taking hold of the victory of Christ ; and morally, that we may reflect on the glorious recom- penses that are appointed for them that stand out in time of trial, and the spiritual assistances that are at hand to encourage us in the fight and combat. Faith is necessary every way ; it is called ' the shield,' Eph. vi. 13. The shield covereth the other parts of the armour; so doth faith confirm the other graces when assaulted, by borrowing
3G4 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. IV. 7.
lielp, by drawing them forth upon high encouragements, &c. (2.) Prayer ; never cope with a temptation alone, but strive to bring God into the combat : ' Making prayer and all supplication in the spirit,' Eph. vi. 16. By spirit he meaneth the heart or soul; when you are assaulted, lift up the spirit in holy groans to God. (3.) Sobriety, 1 Peter v. 8. We had need be watchful, to take heed to every lust and every distemper ; and we had need be sober too in the use of all comforts, creatures, businesses. For I suppose by sobriety the apostle meaneth a moderation of our affections in worldly things, which is necessary to this purpose, all temptations being insinuated under the baits of pleasure, honour, profit, &c., and therefore a heart drowned in the ■world is soon overcome. (4.) Watchfulness ; those that carry gun- powder natures about them had need take care not only of fiery darts, but of the least sparks. God is soon offended ; therefore we must walk ' with fear and trembling,' Phil. ii. 12 ; and our hearts are soon overcome, and therefore we had need be watchful, looking to what cometh in, lest it prove a temptation, and to what goeth out, lest it be found a corruption. In the fight we should have an eye to victory, and in the victory to the fight again. (5.) Sincerity ; the apostle speaketh of ' the girdle of truth,' Eph. vi. 14. A double-minded man is his own tempter, and unsettled souls do but invite Satan to take part with their own doubts and anxious traverses. The mixture of prin- ciples, like civil wars in a country, makes us a prey to the common enemy,
4. Fourthly, The most persuasive arguments to engage us in this fight and warfare : I shall but touch upon them. Consider the neces- sity. Either you must resist him, or be taken captive by him ; there is no middle course ; you can make no peace with him but to your own harm ; to enter into league with Satan is to be overcome : he now tempteth, hereafter he will accuse.i Satan fiattereth the crea- ture ; the snares of sin will at length prove chains of darkness. We look at the trouble of resistance, the sweetness of victory will abun- dantly recompense it. Usually we mistake in the traverses of our minds ; we reckon upon the sweetness of sin, and the trouble of resist- ance, and so create a snare to ourselves. The right comparison is between the fruit of sin and the fruit of victory. We have often had experience what it is to be overcome ; let us now make trial how sweet victory will be. Nothing discovereth the power and comfort of Chris- tianity so much as the spiritual conflict. Men that swallow tempta- tions, and commit sins without trouble and remorse, no wonder that they are so cold and dead in the profession of religion, that their evidences for heaven are always so dark and litigious; they never tried the truth and power of grace, nor tasted the sweetness of it ; the spiritual combat, the victories of Christ, are riddles and dreams to them. Besides all this, consider the hopes of prevailing. Satan is a foiled adversary; Christ hath overcome him already. All that is required to the victory is a strong negative. No, no ; make him no more reply. To resist him, not to yield to him, is the only way to be rid of him. You have a promise, ' Ptesist, and lie shall flee from you.' Christ hath foiled the enemy, and he hath put weapons into your hands
^ '0 a-etpdj'w*', ilat. iv. 1, with liev. xi. 10, KaT-qyopos, ' The accuser of the brethren.'
JaS. IV. 7.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 365
that you may foil him. He trod upon this old serpent when 'his heel was bruised' upon the cross ; Gen. iii. 15 ; only he would have you set your feet upon his neck : Rom. xvi. 20, ' And the God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly.' You need not doubt of help ; if Satan be ' a roaring lion/ Christ is ' the lion of the tribe of Judah' to resist him; if Satan be an ' accuser,' Christ is an ' advocate :' there is 'the Spirit of God' to strengthen us against the suggestions of ' the evil spirit,' and the good angels wait upon us, Heb. i. 14, as well as the bad do molest us. Consider the spectators of the combat ; thou maintainest God's cause in his own sight; Christ and the good angels are looking upon thee, how thou dost acquit thyself in the battle. Ahasuerus said of Haman, ' Will he force the queen before my face ?' So, wilt thou commit adultery in the presence of thy Spouse ? and yield to Satan when Christ and all the blessed saints and angels stand as witnesses of the conflict? Do not fear being deserted; when thou art in Satan's hands, Satan is in God's hands. Jesus Christ himself was tempted, and he knoweth what it is to be exposed to the rage of a cruel fiend ; and therefore ' he will succour those that are tempted,' Heb. ii. 18, iv. 15. They that have been ill of the stone will pity others when racked with that pain and torture : Israel was a stranger, and therefore to be kind to strangers. Christ's heart is entendered by his own experience; ever since he grappled with Satan, he is full of bowels to all that are infested by him.