THat which giveth us the advantage of Brutes, and ranketh us in a form of Be­ings above them, is the Rational and Immortal Spirits we carry about with us; for our Bodies they are but clods of earth steeped in phlegme, and kneaded into Humane shapes, and do derive their Pedegree from the same Principles with flies and scare-bees, and the most contemptible A­nimals: but our Souls are of a purer alley, and by their nature are allied to Angels, and do border upon God himself; and it is by the Title of these Rational Natures that we are now superior to Beasts, and hope hereafter to be equal with Angels; and yet besotted Creatures that we are, how do we prefer our Bodies before our Souls, imploying all our cares in providing for, and pampering of our flesh, as if our Reason were given us for no other end but to be Cook and Taylor to our Bodies, to [Page 2] study Sauses and fashions for them; whilst our Im­mortal Spirits pine and famish, and like forlorn things are wholly abandoned by us to wretched­ness and misery: that it is so, is apparent by too many woful instances: the poor La­bourer that sweateth, and toileth all day for his Body, thinketh much at night to bestow upon his Soul a Prayer of a quarter of an hour long; the Tradesman that thinks no Industry too much to make a fair and ample provision for his Body, grudgeth to expend a few good thoughts and en­deavours in the purchase of an eternal Inheritance for his Soul; the Souldier that shuts up his Body in ribs of Iron and Coats of Male to secure it from the Sword and Bullets of his Enemies, exposeth his Soul unarmed to all the fiery darts of the Devil; and though his understanding hath as much need of Knowledge as his Head hath of an Helmet, his Will as much need of Justice as his Breast of a Bucklen, his Affections as much need of Fortitude and temperance as his Legs and hands have of Greaves and Gantlets, yet he ventures them all na­ked amongst a thousand Enemies, as if his little Toe or Finger were more dear and precious to him, than his Immortal Soul. But if we would be good Souldiers and good men too, we must arm our selves with in as well as without, and as we harness our Bodies in Iron, so must we put on upon our Souls the whole Armor of God, and this is the councel of the Apostle in the Text, which I have chosen [Page 3] for the subject of my ensuing Discourse: Put on therefore the whole armour of God. By the whole Armor of God, here we are to understand the Chri­stian Religion, that is, the Doctrine and Duties of Christianity, as you may see at large from the fourteenth to the eighteenth Verses of this Chapter, where the Apostle instances in the particular parts of which this whole armour consisteth; the first is the Girdle of Truth, that is, the Doctrine of the Gospel, in opposition to all Heathen errors, and he­retical insinuations: The second is, the Breast­plate of Righteousness, that is, sincere and faithful obedience unto Christ: the third is, the prepara­tion of the Gospel of Peace, that is, the practice of Christian Charity and Peaceableness: the fourth is, the Shield of Faith, that is, the belief of the Promises, and threats of the Gospel: the fifth is, the Helmet, that is, the hope of Salvation: the sixth is, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: and the last is, Prayer and Watchful­fulness. These are the several parts of this Divine armour; in which you see are reckoned both the Doctrines and Duties of Christianity; by the put­ting on of these therefore nothing else can be meant, but only our hearty belief of the Doctrines and our sincere Practice of the Duties of Christian Religion; for to this sence the Phrase is frequently used in the New Testament: thus when the Apo­stle exhorteth us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, in Rom. 13. 14. it is plain he meaneth nothing else but [Page 4] believing in Christ, and obeying him. And so also when in Ephes. 4. 22, 24. he exhorteth them to put off the old man, and put on the new, he meaneth nothing else, but that they should forsake their Hea­then Superstitions and Idolatrous uncleannesses, and conform all their actions to the new Rule of Christi­an purity.

In the words thus explained, you have first some­thing implied, which is, that the Christian Religi­on is armour of defence unto the Souls of men.

Secondly, something expressed, that if we mean it should arm and defend us, we must believe and practise it.

First, that the Christian Religion is armour of defence unto the Souls of men, that is, it is of the same use to mens Souls as Armour is to their Bodies; for as the end of armour is to defend mens bodies, and secure them against the weapons of their Ene­mies, so the great end and design of the Christian Religion is to defend mens Souls from whatsoever is hurtful and injurious to them. Now there are but two sorts of evils in the world, both which are injurious to the Souls of men. The first is the evil of sin, and the second is the evil of misery, and a­gainst both these Christianity doth strongly arm us.

First, for the evil of sin, which upon several ac­counts is injurious to mens Souls, it overthroweth the Order and Oeconomy of their natures, in­slaving their Reason to their Passions and Appe­tites; [Page 5] as it discomposeth the tranquility of their minds, by inspiring them with wild and inconsistent passions, and it disturbeth the peace of their Con­sciences, by suggesting black thoughts, and horri­ble reflections to them; these and several other ways is Vice injurious to our Souls. And therefore 'tis the design of Christianity to arm us against this great evil, to secure and defend us against all the Weapons of unrighteousness. Hence the Apostle telleth us, that the Grace of God, that is, the Gospel, was revealed from Heaven, for this very end, to teach us to deny all ungodliness, and worldly lust, and to live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world, Tit. 2. 11. and St. John telleth us, That for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy tha works of the Devil, 1 John 3. 8. this was the errant of the Son of God into the world, and the design of that incomparable Religion he taught, to destroy the works of the Devil: And indeed if we consider what an effectual course Christianity ta­keth to defend us against sin, we must confess it to be the most excellent armour in the world; for,

1. First, It restraineth us from it by the purest Laws: the Laws of Christian Religion have made so great a gulph between our sins, and separated us from them by such an infinite distance, that it is im­possible for them to come at us, or for us to go to them, whilst we persevere in our obedience to them, for they do not only forbid us that which is really evil, but do also command us to abstain from all ap­pearances of evil, and do remove us so far out of the [Page 6] territories of sin, that they will not permit us to ap­proach the borders of it; and lest we might un­happily go farther than we should, they forbid us to go as far as we may, and will not allow us so much as to come within the skirts, and suburbs of iniqui­ty. For in moral actions the distance is frequently so small, between the utmost of what is lawful, and the nearmost of what is sinful, that there are very few men in the world can set a rule to themselves, hitherto may I go and no farther; and therefore without an infallible guide to point out to them the just and particular limits of lawful and unlawful, men can hardly be secure, whilst they dwell upon upon the frontiers and neighbourhood of sin; and therefore the Gospel commands us, at least, to en­deavour to keep at distance from sinning, and not come near the pitch, lest we be defiled by it; nei­ther doth it only restrain us from outward acts, but also from inward inclinations to evil; we must be so far from murdering our Brother, that we must not hate, or wish ill to him; so far from practising ra­pine and oppression, that we must not so much as covet our neighbours Possessions; so far from acting adultery, that we must not look upon a woman to lust after her: thus the Laws of our Religion you see do strike at the very root of sin, and choak the very springs from whence those bitter streams derive; and do not like other Laws meerly restrain our out­ward practice, but also lay reins upon our desires, and extend their Empire to our free-born thoughts, In this respect therefore Christianity doth most ef­fectually [Page 7] arm us against sin, as it restraineth us from it by the purest. Laws that ever were.

Secondly, By disswading us from it with the most prevailing Arguments. There is no Article of the Christian faith but is a copious Topick of motives to Virtue; and if men would but take the pains to extract from each their proper and just inferences, and to ponder those great obligations to gratitude, and duty which the several Articles of their Reli­gion do devolve upon them, Christianity must ne­cessarily do wonders in the world, and work strange alterations in the lives and manners of Christians; for there is no stone that it leaveth unturned, no­thing within us that is capable of perswasion, but it addresseth to, to win upon our hope; it proposeth to us a happiness so extensive, that we can neither desire, nor imagine beyond it; a happiness that is e­qual to the utmost capacities of our natures, and parrallel to the longest duration of our beings, that hath not the least tang of misery in it, no bitter fare­wel nor appendant sting to it, but is all quintessence composed of the purest extracts of joy and pleasure, what greater motive can be urged to disswade us from sinning, than the hope of such a happiness as doth so infinitely out-bid all that vice can proffer us, and is weighty enough to preponderate all its tem­ptations, though all the world were in the counter­ballance: but if we are so wedded to our lusts that no hope of advantage will disingage us from them; Christianity thunders against them all the dreadful threats that are capable of scaring us into sober pur­poses; it denounceth unquenchable fire, and eter­nal [Page 8] vengeance against all unrighteousness and ungod­liness of men, and allarms our fears with all the in­conceivable horrors that an everlasting hel menaceth; and that this may not scare us only from open pro­phaness into close and secret hypocrisie, it assu­reth us that there will be a day of fearful account, and wherein all that we acted behind the Curtain, shall be brought into publike view, upon an open Theater, and proclaimed to all the world by the Trumpet of God, and the voice of an Archangel; and that we may be assured that these terrors of the Lord are not meer bugs, and scare crows, it giveth us a fearful example of Gods severity against sin, in the death and sufferings of his own Son, wherein he hath proclaimed himself an implacable enemy to vice, in that he would not pardon it without the blood of the most beloved darling of his Soul; and certainly he that after this assurance of Gods seve­rity against sin, can dare to be wicked, is a most va­liant and couragious sinner; and if after he hath confronted the Tribunal of God, and out-saced the the flames of Hel, he can laugh at this fearful ex­ample of the Divine severity, he is fit for a Re­serve, or a forlorn-hope, and may boldly venture to be wicked through all the terrors in the world: but if men should be so senselesly wicked as not to be perswaded either by hope or fear, yet perhaps inge­nuity may prevail; which that it may, Christianity presseth us with the most endearing motives in the world, it sets before us the infinite obligations which God hath laid upon us, in bestowing upon us our beings, in surrounding us with his careful [Page 9] Providence, but above all in giving his Son to die for us; and to infer this last, it representeth our most kind and merciful Redeemer groaning under the cruelty of our sins; it bringeth forth his bloody garments, as An­thony did those of the murdred Caesar, and spreadeth them before our eyes, and in the most passionate man­ner, accuseth our sins for being his Assassines and mur­derers, and we find in our hearts to hug his Executio­ners, to harbour the [...]aitors that slew our Friend, our Friend that loved us a thousand times better than we love our selves: Surely if we should, we [...] for the most disingenious [...] in the world; for 'tis [...] should oblige us, if we find [...] spight of all the love of [...] and blood of our Redeemer. [...] powerful Arguments Chri­stian [...] [...] sin.

Thirdly, [...] it with the most power­ful Grace and [...] [...] Christianity is animated with a Divine Spirit, tha [...] [...] along enlivened & actuated it, & rendered it in [...] [...] so successful and victorious, 'twas by virtue of this [...] Spirit that it triumphed in its very infancie over all the power and malice of the world, that like the Palm [...] it grew by depression, and conquered in the midst of flames; insomuch that within less than an hundred years after the death of Christ, it had made successful inroads into the remotest Kingdoms, and captivated a great part of mankind into the belief and obedience of it; and though it found the minds of men prepossessed with a contrary Religion, & conseqaently had mighty prejudices to combat before it could come to lay siege to their Reason; yet it charged [Page 10] like a Thunderbolt through all these obstacles, and with its spiritual Artillery battered down all oppositi­on before it, and wrought such strange alterations in the world, that the world scarce knew her self, and stood admiring at her own change: She saw the thron­ged Temples of the Heathens unfrequented, the ado­red Gods derided, the celebrated Oracles ceased, the wise Philosophers puzled, the enraged Magistrates disheartened, by the unsuccessfulness of their own cru­elties, and all this done by a few despicable and illite­rate fisher men, and yet all this had not been so strange, had it won men only to an Opinion or a Fa­ction; for such chaff will soonest catch small birds, a giddy and a hair-brain'd multitude; but the wonder of it was, that Christianity converted men from folly and vice, to a sublime pitch of virtue, and substantial good­ness; and of vitious, deboyched, and dissolute, made them sober and temperate, and righteous, which is so clear an evidence of that extraordinary power and effi­cacie that accompanied it, that the Heathens attribu­ted its successes to the power of Magick, as St. Austin hath observed, concluding that 'twas impossible for it to conquer through so many difficulties, without the assistance of some mighty and powerful Spirit: and though it doth not now convert men so miraculously as it did at first. but proceedeth in more rational and humane methods, by joyning in with our understand­and leading us forward by reason and sobriety, by in­structing our faculties in the right perception of things, and by discovering a fuller evidence, and stronger con­nexion of Truths; so that whatsoever assistance it now affordeth us, it worketh in the same way, and after the [Page 11] same manner, as if they were all performed by the strength of our own Reason, yet still there are mighty assistances accompanying all its ministrations, and it is enlivened with a Divine Power and efficacie; for still those Promises are in force, to him that hath shall be given; and he will give his Spirit unto every one that asketh; so that Gods Grace is wanting to none, but to those that are wanting to themselves; for if we will be so ingenious as to do what we can, God will be so gracious as to help us to do what we cannot; if there­fore we do not do all, it is our own fault, since we may do all through Christ, who will strengthen us, if we do what we can. What therefore may we not do who are thus armed with Divine assistance? What sins are there so strong, that we may not mortifie? What Passions so violent, that we may not tame? What ha­bits so inveterate, that we may not vanquish, who are thus backed, and aided with auxiliaries from above? And thus you see what impenitrable armour the Chri­stian Religion is against all the darts and weapons of sin, and how able it is to render us shot-proof, and in­vulnerable against all its temptations.

I come now to the second thing proposed, which is to shew you that Christianity is armor of proof against the evil of misery, that is against all those cares and fears, those griefs and sorrows, vexations and anxieties wherewith we are here incompassed on every side; and indeed there is nothing in the world can give so much ease unto the minds of men, and fortifie them so im­pregnably against the miseries of the world as true Re­ligion. Hence is that of our Saviour, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will refresh [Page 12] you, Matth. 11. 28. that is, all you that are tired out with the crosses and troubles of this miserable world, do but become by Disciples, believe my Doctrine, and obey my Commands, and I will give ease and refresh­ment to your minds. And in the following verse he telleth us, that by taking his yoke, that is his Religi­on upon us, we shall find rest for our Souls: and of necessity his yoke must mightily contribute to the arm­ing of Souls against the troubles of the world upon these following accounts.

1. First, in that it naturally inspireth us with true courage and magnanimity; there is nothing in the world so valiant and heroick as a true Christian spirit; for its courage is composed of the best Metal in the World, of Patience and Temperance, of Constancie and Resignation to the Will of God, all which ming­led together do beget in the Soul an invincible firmness and staiedness of mind against all dangerous and do­lorous accidents whatsoever: for what accident can daunt a Soul that is weaned by temperance from the pleasures of the body, and hardened by patience a­gainst the pain and displeasures of it that hath so sub­dued her passions as to be alwayes present to her self, and constant to her own Reason, and having resigned up all to the Conduct of Divine Providence, receiveth every accident as a token of love, and giveth a hearty welcome to whatsoever befalleth her? Such a Soul as this standeth firm as a Rock, out-braving all the storms of Fortune, making its envious waves retire in empty foam, and insignificant Passion: but wheresoever these brave Qualities are wanting, it is impossible a man should be truly couragious; for intemperance, impa­tience, [Page 13] and diffidence will let in every trouble that as­saults us, to spoil and ravage us at pleasu [...]e, and ex­pose all the peace and tranquillitity of our minds to the mercy of every trifle, so that we shall not be able to abide the shock of any cross accident that encoun­tereth us, but like cowardly Poultrons shall lie down vanquished at the feet of every trouble that befalleth us; and there is no greater signe of cowardize and weakness of spirit, than an aptness to be discomposed with trifles; for as sick persons are offended at the light of the Sun, and the freshness of the air, which admi­nister pleasure and recreation to those that are in health; even so persons of weak and pusillanimous spirits are easily offended; their minds are so tender and effeminate, that they cannot bear the least air of trouble without disturbance; and what would be a diversion to a cou­rageous Soul, grieveth and incommodateth them. But when we are once arrived to a due pitch of patience, temperance and confidence in God, all the troubles of the world will be but like flea-bites to a sleeping Lyon, & we shall no more be concern [...]d with these little crosses and mischances, than the Moon is with the yelp­ing of those whiffling Curs that bark at her from be­low. For true Christian Courage is the most heroick of all other: for Courage is meerly brutal consisting in heats and serments of the blood and spirits, in which Game-cocks and Mastives out-vy the greatest Heroes in the world: but the Courage of a Christian is truly Rational and manly, founded in Religion and true Principles of Reason, and so as a thousand times more manageable and useful than that which ariseth only out of temper and complexion; for this sort of Courage [Page 14] is headstrong and unruly, and like an hot metall'd Horse, doth oftentimes ride away with the Rider, and instead of securing us from, carries us headlong into mischief; but true Christian courage is gentle and ob­sequious to the Commands of Reason, and upon that account is far more useful in our extremities, and is more applicable to our necessities. Since therefore Christianity inspireth us with such an excellent Cou­rage as this is, it cannot but render us invincible, and effectually shield us against all the blows of For­tune.

Secondly, It armeth ns against the miseries of the World, by reconciling us unto God; 'tis impossi­ble a man should be free from trouble and anxiety of mind whilst he is in a state of emnity with God: for there is grafted within our very natures such a natural awe and dread of a Divine Power, as doth necessarily alarum all that sear and horror that is within us, when­soever we knowingly provoke that Power we so much dread and tremble at; and our Consciences being thus in a tumult and uproar, will give a sting to all our mi­series, and render all our dangers more terrible and a­mazing; 't will represent every cross accident to us as a Messenger of God's vengeance, and every little dan­ger as an approaching storm from Heaven; and then how must every danger affright, and every misery op­press us that comes with a Commission from that Al­mighty Vengeance, which we so naturally dread and tremble at? How can we but sink even under our crosses when we think what a load of wrath there is in them? How can we but quake at our dangers, when we look upon them as so many thunderbolts, [Page 15] which Omnipotent fury is hurling at our head; the thought of this will imbitter all our miseries, and make the most trifling dangers to look stern and terrible; hence it is that of the Wiseman, The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a Lyon: For though no man pursueth them, yet their own Consciences like restless furies haunt them whether e­ver they go, and this makes them flee before a sha­dow, and when none pursueth them, they run away from themselves. Thus whilst we are in hostility a­gainst God, we lie open to all weathers, and our own Consciences do betray us to the sury of all those trou­bles and dangers that surround us. But the great end of Christian Religion is to reconcile us unto God; in order to which it both proposeth a peace to us, and the terms and Articles upon which it is to be obtained; which terms when we have performed, the Quarrel presently endeth in a mutual Confederacie; and of enemies we become the friends and favourites of God; upon which there followeth a Jubilee of joy and peace within; the Conscience smileth and groweth calm, as the Ocean when the wind is laid: and now, if troubles besal us, if dangers encounter us, 'tis all but like the rat­ling of Hail upon the tiles of a Musick-house, which with all their cluttering and noise will not be able to disturb the Harmony within. For a quiet Conscience will be a Paradise in a wilderness, a Haven in the midst of storms; it will make a man fearless in danger, joy­ful in tribulation, and inable him to sing with a thorn at his breast; and when troubles and crosses surround him on every side, that will be a Sanctuary to him, [Page 16] whereunto he may retire, and be merry in spite of Fortune: Thus by reconciling us unto God, the Chri­stian Religion armeth us against all the miseries in the world.

Thirdly It doth it also by assuring us of that spe­cial care and regard which the Divine Providence hath of us, and our affairs: Christianity assureth us, that all things shall work together for the good of them that love God, and keep his Commandments: that even their afflictions shall prosper them, and all the cross-winds conspire to blow them to the right Port; and what greater security can a man desire, then to have all his affairs managed by a Providence that is infinite [...]y wise, and knoweth what is best for us; infinitely k [...]nd, and willeth what he knoweth best; and infinitely power­ful, and doth what it willeth; this is the utmost that any modest or reasonable man can desire for his securi­ty, and he that firmly believeth this, most necessarily be happy whatsoever betalleth him: for whatsoever happeneth, he taketh as a favour, because it cometh from the hand of that wise and merciful Providence, which he is well assured doth both know and do that which is best for him: and is it not a thousand times better that our affairs should be managed as God think­eth fit, who is [...]o much wise [...] than we, and loveth us far better than we do our selves, than that they should always jump with our childish hopes, and keep pace with our extravagant fancies; and if the Government of all events that besal us were put into our own hands, would it not be our wisdom and our interest to resign it it back into Gods hands again, who, as we must needs [Page 17] acknowledged can carve a thousand times better for us, than we for our selves? why then should we be troubled that our affairs sometimes run coun­ter to our humours and fancies; did we understand the reason of Gods dealings, and see what he seeth, and know what he knoweth, we should praise him on our bended knees, for those crosses which are now the innocent causes of our repinings against him. This therefore in Reason ought to satisfie us that we are under the Protection of a most wise and gracious Providence; and that if afflictions do be­fal us, they are but Rods in the hands of our Bene­factor, and tokens of love from a reconciled Father. For what reason can we have either to fear or com­plain, when we know our selves sheltered within the bosome of that Providence, in which all the Di­vine Attributes, like so many Guardian Angels do pitch their Tents, about us. Within this blessed Ark, if we please, we may live securely, whilst all the floods of misery do swell, and rove about us; here we may sing Requiems in the loudest Thunders, and sleep securely in the midst of storms; for what should we be afraid of, when we have Omniscience for our Pilot, Omnipotence for our Convoy, and All-sufficient Goodness for our Purveyer and Ca­terer: by the help of this one confideration a man may bid defiance to misery, and stand impregnable against all the Batteries of the world.

Fourthly, and lastly, Christianity armeth us a­gainst the evil of misery, by assuring us of a blessed Immortality; and verily were it not for the hope of [Page 18] this, man were of all Creatures the most misera­ble. For his very Reason, by which he is capa­ble of a larger happiness, doth most commonly, in this life, prove an Instrument of grief and vexation to him: and as for the Beasts they are as sensible of sensual pleasures as we; they relish their morsels with as great a gust, and enjoy their delights with as quick a sense, as the greatest Epicures in the world. Besides which, their Harmony is not min­gled with the sad discords of a wounded Consci­ence, which often interrupts our mirth, and puts a sting to all our pleasures: And as for troubles the beasts only feel them whilst they are present, and are not alarmed with fear at the approach of them, nor vexed with despair in the presence of them, nor wracked with fruitless cares of removing them; to all which inconveniencies our Reason exposeth us. So that were it not for the hope of a future happi­ness, man, that is the top of this lower Creation, would be the most miserable part of it, and we should have reason to envy the happiness of the pretty Birds, that sit merrily singing on the trees; and to wish that we could change conditions with the Fishes, that sport and play in the silver-streams, devoid of all those griefs and sorrows, cares and an­xities with which we are wrackt, and tortured every moment: the only thing therefore that maketh our life desirable, and giveth it the advantage of Non­entity, is this, that how mean soever our condition is here, yet we are born to higher hopes, and are now but Candidates for an Immortal preferment; [Page 19] and of this the Christian Religion giveth us the most certain assurance, even by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead. By this it is that we are be­gotten into a lively hope of an eternal Inheritance, as the Apostle tells us, 1 Peter 1. 3. and indeed this is a proof of the Immortal state beyond all other Arguments, whether Moral, or Physical; for had not this Doctrine of Immortality been true, it can­not be imagined, that the God of Truth would have sealed and confirmed it, as he did, by raising the Author of it from the dead; since in so doing he must have been guilty of cheating the world, and seconding the most rank Imposture, than which we cannot form a conceit more black or incongru­ous to the nature of God. Wherefore now life and Immortality are as clear and evident as the Resur­rection of Christ from the dead, of which we have as full assurance as we can possibly have of any mat­ter of fact in the world: for the eye-witnesses of it confirmed their Testimony with their blood, which is the highest pledge that a man can give of his honesty, and there is no credit to be given to men, if they may not be believed upon this securi­ty. Thus Christianity, you see, hath sounded our hopes of Immortal happiness upon the surest Foun­dations in the world; which hope is sufficient to raise any considering man above the reach of mise­ry. For would we but keep our thoughts within those higher and untroubled Regions, we should be able to look down upon these little affairs, about which poor mortals scramble, with as much con­tempt [Page 20] and scorn, as we do upon the toils and la­bours of a little world of Ants about a Molehil, who are not altogether so ridiculous, because they do not divide their molehil into little Empires, nor desraud, and murder, nor be false and treacherous to one another for the greater share, nor were they ever so extravagant as to march out in Armies to kill their neighbouring Ants, so to extend their Do­minion over the next handful of a turf: but he whose hope hope hath mounted him to Heaven, can from thence look down and sigh, and smile at all these fooleries, and slight, and undervalue what­soever sensual men, poor souls do fear, or hope, or long for, or pursue: for he hath such a glory with­in the prospect of his faith and hope, as do at one glimpse foil all the glory of the world, and unsting all its miseries. The sight of that flowery Canaan of Rest and pleasure that lieth before him, incou­rageth him to march on with joy and alacrity through this howling desert of sorrow and misery, and make the wilderness to seem a Paradise to him; and at worst, all the ill usage that he meets with here, will but make earth more loathsome now, and Heaven more welcome to him hereafter. When therefore he is tossed in this tempestuous Sea, he considereth with himself, that a few Leagues farther lieth that blessed Port where he shall be crowned as soon as he is landed; and concludes that when he is gotten safe on shore, he shall then look back with pleasure and delight upon those threatning waves he now encountreth, and for ever bless the storms and [Page 21] winds that drave him thither, and so resolveth with St Paul, That the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the Joys that shall be re­vealed, Rom. 8. 18. and thus you see what incom­parable armour the Christian Religion is, both a­gainst sin and misery. But yet we must not think it will defend us, if we only keep it by us to look on; there never was any Souldier so foolish as to think himself secure in a Battle because he hath excellent armour at home locked up in his chest, or closet, and yet so besotted are many men, as to expect defence and security from their Religion because they are baptized Christians, and have a Scheme of Chri­stianity in their Bibles: as if Religion were no­thing but a Charm or Amulet, which being hung about their necks, must immediately disinchant them of all their maladies: but be not mistaken, if ever you mean this armour of God should do you good, you must put it on, you must transcribe its Doctrines into your belief, and its duties into your practice: which is the second thing I proposed to discourse of, that if we would have Christianity armour of defence unto us, we must put it on, that is, we must believe and obey it; for unless we be­lieve the Doctrines of Christianity, how can they defend us, either from sin, or misery; for our ho­ly Religion doth not work magically upon men, nor make them invulnerable, as the Witch did Achil­les, meerly by Charms and Inchantments; but it proceeds by rational and accountable Methods and fortifieth our minds by Reason and Arguments; but [Page 22] no Proposals of Reason can work upon the minds of men that do not believe them; and though the things proposed be never so true in themselves, yet unless we assent to the truth of them, we shall be no more concerned in them, than if they were the grossest fictions. For no man will be moved by those things in which he thinketh he hath no in­terest: but in pure falshoods we can have none, be­cause they are pure Non-entities. To what purpose therefore is it that Christianity hath armed us a­gainst sin with the strongest motives in the world, if we do not believe them, all the Glories it pro­poseth will signifie no more to us, than the promise of a fair Inheritance in Utopia; and we shall be no more concerned in all the terrors it denounceth, than if we were only threatned with an invasion from the world in the Moon; and what though Chri­stianity fortifies us against misery, with Argu­ments strong enough to create comfort in hell, yet if we give no credit to them, they will be as far from comforting us, as the festival dreams of a star­ving man, are from satisfying his hunger: if there­fore we intend that Religion should secure us, ei­ther from sin or misery, we must imbrace its propo­sals with a hearty and lively saith, and as we must believe it, so we must practice it, else it will be as insignificant to us as the Dreams of the Alchoran: for the way of Christian Religion is not to hale and drag men out of the arms of their lusts by force, and irresistable power, but by Arguments to sollicite them to the practice of those duties it en­joyneth, [Page 23] and by that to wean them from their vi­cious inclination. For our Religion walks in the Methods of our nature, and carries us on by de­grees, from Acts to Habits of Goodness: and in this Method it is, that the Divine Grace, which accompanies Christianity doth work its effects upon the spirits of men; not by an instantaneous infusi­on of virtuous Habits into their Wills, but by ma­king effectual addresses to their Reason, and Con­sciences to perswade them to thwart their vicious in­clinations, by practising those virtues that are con­trary to them: and so it goeth on, moving us to a continued repetition of those virtuous acts, until all our evil Habits are gone out, and expired into the contrary Habits of Virtue and Goodness. For the Grace of God is like a grafft put into a stock of an­other nature, it makes use of the faculties and juyce of the stock, but by degrees converts all into its own nature: and therefore we usually see that when a man hath been wicked, the beginnings of his Reformation proceed not from habit and incli­nation, but from fear and terror; and whilst he doth obey God, he would rebel if he dared; but persevering in his obedience, he groweth more ha­bituated to it, and so by degrees it becomes his na­ture. This therefore being the ordinary Method of Christianity to carry us on by repeated acts to per­manent habits of virtue, our obedience to its com­mands is indispensably necessary, if we expect it should either rescue or secure us from sin; for no man is secure from fin, until he is habitually virtu­ons; [Page 24] which state without a Miracle no man can arrive to but through intermediate acts of Obedi­ence; and as without the practice of it duties Chri­stianity cannot arm us against sin, so neither can it against misery: for all those gracious Promises, and comfortable Proposals by which our Religion arms us against the miserie of this world, are suspended upon the condition of our obedience to its Laws, and whilst this is wanting, there is not one word of comfort for us in all the glad Tidings of the Gos­pel, there is no Promise in it will open a door of hope to shelter us from the storms of trouble; but all its dreadful threats will be perpetually thunde­ring out their terrors upon us, so that if we are re­solved to be wicked, we can never expect comfort from Christianity; for it hath set up a flaming Sword to chase all wickedness out of the Paradice of its joys: so that we may as soon suck Balsom out of a Scorpions sting, or gather Nectar from a nest of Wasps, as joy or comfort from the Christi­an Religion, whilst we persevere in our wicked­ness: thus you see how necessary it is that we should believe the Doctrines and practice the duties of Christianity, if ever we mean that it should arm and desend us. To close up all therefore, as you hope to be the better for your Religion, to be de­fended by it, either srom sin, or misery, do not con­tent your selves any longer, either with the empty name of Christians, or the formal Profession of Christianity, but endeavour seriously to work your minds into such an effectual belief of it, as may [Page 25] throughly mould you into an hearty compliance with its duties; for which end let me perswade you to shake off all that prejudice against Religion, which lewd and vicious Principles may have infu­sed into your understings, and to consider seriously with your selves, whether it be not a thousand times more for your interest that Religion should be no imposture, than that you should enjoy your lusts, and whether all those comforts that Religion admi­nisters in this life, and all those hopes it giveth of a glorious Immortality in the life to come, be not infinitely more valuable than the short and fulsome pleasure of a few paltry vices, and sure if you are wise, when you have throughly con­sidered this, you will heartily wish that Christia­nity were true, though you should not be able to believe it so; but if when you have quitted all your prejudice, you will but impartially survey those ma­ny and mighty evidences upon which this excellent Religion is founded, you will soon find all that in­fidelity which now hovers over your understand­ings, vanish, and fly away like shadows before the Sun; and your minds being once perswaded into an hearty belief of its Truth and Divinity, you can­not imagine what force you will find in all its mo­tives, and Arguments, then will its promises tempt ye a thousand times more than all the lures, and blandishments of vice, and its threats will over­power you with such an awful dread, that nothing in the world will be so terrible as sin; and you will find more life: [...] one word of Religion, than in all the address and Rhetorick of Vice; then you will [Page 26] no longer complain of the difficulties of Religi­on, nor be startled at the steep ascents in the way to Heaven; for your faith will every moment supply you with new strength and vigour to carry you through all the weary stages of your duties; and having thus put on Christianity by saith and obedi­ence, you will find your selves instantly inspired by it with such an invincible courage, as will inable you to conquer all the malice, and triumph over all the miseries of the world. For now we shall be M ^rs of our own Fortunes, and we need no longer be Te­nants at will to the Chances and accidents of the world, but all our happiness in our own hands, and may choose whether we will be miserable, for whilst we keep peace with God and our own Consciences, and do not through our own wilful folly forfeit the blessed hope of Immortality; it is not all the power and malice of the world can threaten our ruine, or shake the foundation of our happiness; and therefore as we would be hap­py both here and hereafter, let us put on the whole Armour of God, and sincerely submit our faith to the Doctrines, and our practice to the Laws of Christianity; then may we bid defiance to all mi­sery, and march triumphantly through Heaven to Heaven, and pass through one Paradice into ano­ther: and our Religion having armed us against all the troubles of this life, shall in the end crown us with the Joys of the life to come.