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The holy apostle beloved, has been teaching, throughout this epistle what is the only righteousness of a sinner in the sight of God. He has told them that it is only the righteousness of Christ; and therefore he has been exhorting them to faith in Christ, and to believe in him for their justification. He has been also teaching them and showing them the way whereinto they should walk unto the kingdom of heaven, which is the way of holiness and of a godly life, and so instructing them of sanctification. And he has gone so far on in that, as ye may perceive in the former words, that he urges upon them and exhorts them to the performance of particular duties that every one of them owe to another, in that relation whereinto every one of them stands; as in a family, what is the duty of a husband to his wife, and of a wife to her husband, what are the duties betwixt parents and children, masters and servants, every one of them to another. Now, some would think that he had said all that were requisite to be said, and had no more to say. He has already taught them the way how to get righteousness and justification, and he has also taught them the way of holiness and sanctification, and tells them, every man and woman, what they should do, and how they should carry themselves in the places that God has put them in. Now some would think, what needs more? for this is all that can be said. And yet the apostle has more to say. When he has exhorted them to believe in Christ for righteousness, and they have resolved that they will only seek Christ for it; when he has told them that the way to heaven is the way of holiness, and they have resolved to walk into that way; and he has told them their particular duties, as they are particular Christians; yet he has more to say. “Moreover,” furthermore, for all that is said, this rests yet. For that which is here set down, “finally,” imports this much, that there is something yet behind that would be spoken of. And this is it, That ye, my brethren, to whom I speak out of love, and affectionately, would resolve now for opposition of enemies; and resolve now, that no sooner shall ye set yourselves to believe in Christ, and to live a holy life, as it becomes Christians to do, but as soon ye shall be set upon and cumbered with the assaults of the devil and of his instruments. And therefore, seeing it is so, it is not possible for you to believe in Christ, or to go on into the course of holiness and sanctification, except ye take strength with you. And whereas ye will say, (and it is true also), ye want strength of your own, yet there is strength enough in the Lord, and in the power of his might. And so there is a necessity, that ye must put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand out against the wiles of the devil; and so much the rather ye must do it, because the opposition that is against you is great. For ye wrestle not against flesh and blood, such as ye yourselves are, but ye wrestle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. And then he tells them what armour they must put on: but because we will have occasion to speak of these as we go through the words, we will not speak any further of them now.
That ye may take up the purpose the better, consider of it in these few particulars. There is the joining of these words with the former. He says, “Finally;” that is, there is something resting, which is necessary to be spoken of. 2. There is the style or compellation which he gives unto them to whom he speaks,—“My brethren.” 3. The third point is (so to call it) the external strength, or that strength which is without themselves, wherein he would have them to trust and to rely, and in that strength to be resolute and courageous, stout and strong,—“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” 4. There is the strength that he would have them to have within themselves; albeit that strength be not from themselves neither, but from the Lord, yet they have it,—“Put on the whole armour of God.” And for this armour, he shews them, secondly, the necessity of it,—how great need they have to put it on, not only by repeating the exhortation and doubling it, but he gives them a reason wherefore it is necessary—wherefore they should put it on. And that is, because they have to do in this conflict with many enemies, with mighty enemies, with malicious enemies, and with very dangerous enemies: and so there is a necessity because of that, that they should put on the whole armour of God. And then, in the following verses, he comes to the description of the whole pieces of this armour in particular.
I. “Finally,” or, Furthermore. He is now drawing his letter to an end, and he has said much to them. Now God puts it into his mind, by the secret instigation of his Spirit, that there is more to write yet, which is necessary for them to know, and which they must resolve to do, and to practise, or otherwise all the rest will be but lost labour; and this is, to give them warning of a conflict against spiritual enemies. Then, beloved, we may see here that we must resolve upon this. Suppone that we had gone this far on, (as I wish from my heart that I might say this of you all), that we understood the doctrine of justification, and did believe that we could not be justified but by faith in Christ, and although that we had entered into the course of sanctification, and resolved to go on into it, and although that every one of us, in our stations and places, had resolved to do our duty one to another, the husband to the wife, and the wife to the husband, the parents to their children, and children to their parents, masters to their servants, and servants to their masters again, etc., yet there is more required of us than all that; and that is even christian courage and resolution. We must resolve to have strength, that we may fight against principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. No sooner shall we set ourselves to believe in Christ, and to do the duties of holiness that he requires of us, but incontinent we will be assaulted by many mighty, malicious, and dangerous enemies. Ye may see this to be true from time to time in the example of others. No sconer is our Lord Jesus Christ baptized, and entered into the course of his ministry, no sooner is that voice heard from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” no sooner is that, I say, than he is also soon led of the Spirit into the wilderness, and is there tempted of him [the devil] forty days. So the first thing that ever he meets with from (from the time that) he enters into his ministry is a tentation from Satan. Howsoever, indeed, it was but needless, for he might know he would not prevail, yet he would assay it. And in Matthew 16, when he is gone farder on into the course of his ministry, and he is showing to the disciples how that he must go up into Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and of the chief priests, and should be killed, and buried, and should rise the third day again, which might have been a comfort to them, that he was to rise so soon again; but what says Peter? He began to rebuke him for saying so, and says, “Be it far from thee, Master: this shall not be unto thee.” He was loath that he should go up to Jerusalem, to suffer anything of these men, howbeit indeed it was the only mean both of his salvation and of all mankind who are to be saved. But what says our Saviour to him? “Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” For albeit Peter, as he himself thought, spake it out of simplicity, and out of love to his Lord, yet it was Satan who stirred him up to speak so. Then, certainly, we may see by this that when we are doing that which is most acceptable to God, and we have his approbation and warrant for the doing of it, and the doing of it may make us acceptable to God, we will not miss to meet with tentations and impediments from Satan and his instruments whom he stirs up. We may see the example of this to be clear in the apostle Paul, Romans 7, He says, “The good thing that I would do, I do not, but the evil that I would not do, that I do.” That is, that same thing that he knew to be ill, and resolved against it that he would not do it, and strave against it as much as he could, yet he was harled (dragged) and drawn to it by the power of his corruption: and that which he knew was good, and he had resolved to practise it, yet, by the power of his fleshly corruption, he was either drawn from it, or made to do it slightly. And therefore we must set ourselves for such a conflict as this. And 1 Thessalonians 2:18, the same apostle writing to them says, “Once and again I purposed to come unto you; but Satan hindered me.” That is, Satan, that enemy of God’s honour and of man’s salvation, he envied that work of grace that was wrought amongst you, and my ministry that was the instrument of it; and therefore he hindered me once and agam by casting in some stays into the way, as I was coming to you to encourage you to stand fast, and to exhort you to go on. Ay certainly, there are none of the children of God, no these of them who are most highly privileged this way with grace, and with the Spirit of God, but they are assaulted this way: and these tentations will at some times be very sensible to God’s children, and has been sensible to all, and to the best of them. Adam, when he was in innocency, albeit he was not tempted for any sin that he had already, or for any seed of corruption that he had, yet he was tempted by Satan to sin. And our Saviour Christ, as I told you, albeit he had no sin, nor could not be overcome by no tentation, yet he was tempted, as the first Adam was, but with a great sin.1 For the first Adam he was tempted, being without sin; but he resisted not the tentation, and so he was overcome: but the second Adam, being tempted without sin, he resisted the tentation, and so he overcame it. And David also, who was a strong champion, he had many tentations of this kind: he was full of them all the days of his life.
And moreover, beloved, I would not have you to think that it is so only concerning the case of a particular Christian, that from once he have any work of grace, and is renewed by it, he is assaulted and set upon by Satan; but it is even so also with the kirk of God. Whenever the kirk of God in any part has had a sound reformation according to the word of God, and has been labouring still to have it more and more sound, then Satan seeks, both by wiles and also by violence, how to hinder such a good work, that it be not wrought, and that it thrive and prosper not: and when it is begun and gone on in any degrees, he labours if he can bring it back by any means. So it has been in all Christian kirks ever since the beginning of the plantation of the gospel. So was it with the kirk of Rome, and may be seen to be so to this day. So was it with the kirk of Corinth, of Ephesus, of Galatia; as soon as the gospel is placed and established among them, as soon as they began to believe in Christ and to follow the course of sanctification, as soon Satan laboured by all means possible to hinder the work, and to assay his wits for the hindrance of it. And may we not say that it has been so in the kirk of Scotland also? For no sooner was the gospel established into this land, and people were begun to repent and to believe, and to bring out some fruits of holiness in their lives and conversations, and the kirk was in some measure reformed according to the word of God, and was daily going on in the work of reformation, and purposed to go on into it as God should give them light, than incontinent Satan he began to work also, and to try his moyen,2 to see if he could hinder the work; so that every day the servants of God had opposition in their working. And he began very craftily to hinder the work, even by schism and division between minister and minister, every one of them being contrary to another in his opinion and judgment; which was a very crafty work.3 And then prelates, their pride and their covetousness did appear, which was the secret cause of the division of the ministry, and the only cause next unto Satan’s malice. And how they proceeded in their course of pride and covetousness may be yet remembered; for the story is not that (so very) old since the beginning of it. First, they behoved to be voters in Parliament, in name of the kirk, which was against the minds of these who were best affected to the truth, that ever it should have been so.4 Then that behoved to be granted to them, to be constant Moderators, that they might not be put out and in by their brethren, but they behoved still to keep that place, whether they were fit for it or not.5 Then they behoved to be Lords of his Majesty’s High Commission, that so they might have high power and place above the rest of their brethren.6 And, fourthly, they behoved to have ecclesiastick power above them also, which is not long since that was granted, as these who are acquainted with the history knows.7 They behoved also to be consecrated bishops and lords over their brethren; and because this could not be gotten done in Scotland, therefore they behoved to go into England, and get it done there.8 And for surety they behoved to have all voted in Parliament, and concluded there.9 And what do they next? Then they fall in upon the matters of the worship of God, to chop and to change them; and there they get in the five Articles of Perth, whereby there entered much pollution into the kirk of God in this land.10 And stayed it there? No, but there were divers kirks and pulpits mnto the land who were defiled and poisoned with Popery and Arminianism.11 And then, to close up all, and to poison all, they brought in a Service-book and a book of Canons12 to end the plea with, and to bring us altogether back to Papistry again.13 So that we may see that as particular Christians, when they have once resolved to believe in Christ, and to live a holy life, they have need of further than all that,—even to be strong in the Lord, and to make them for a fight; even so has the kirk also, when she is begun to be reformed, and is labouring for a more full reformation, then [to] make for opposition, and so live upon her guard.
First, therefore, I would exhort every one of you for yourselves, that ye would make you for opposition, and for a warfare against these enemies of God’s glory and man’s salvation. I suppose that thou were this far on, (as I wish from my heart that it were so with you all), that thou can say, I find now the blood of Jesus Christ speaking peace to my soul, and I am partakers of his righteousness; I have been oft wounded for sin, but 1 find all these wounds healed by Christ; and so henceforth I resolve to live a holy life, and still to be more and more holy, and to do my duty to every one, superiours, equals, and inferiours.14 Yet that is not all, albeit, I grant, it is much: but all that will be casten down, and will be but tint (lost) travel, if so be that thou resolve not for a fight, and in that fight resolve to stand out in the strength of the Lord, and the power of his might. And to the end that thou may stand out, thou has need to put on the whole armour of God. And we may not marvel that there are oppositions against us, when we are begun to believe and live godly, and to make conscience to do our duty, but the rather to make us for oppositions: for if so be that we had no faith, were godless, profane, made no conscience of these duties that are required of us, then Satan would not oppose us, but let us live in security, for then he would know us to be his own. And it is even so in the work of reformation of the kirk; for if there were no reformation intended, then he would not oppose: but when he sees that there is a true reformation intended, and by it he is likely to lose many souls, then he opposes against it by all his wiles and his might. I speak this to you now for this end, that ye may think that it is no marvel that the work of Reformation that is now intended in this land go so slowly on; for there are many who oppose against it. For we may not think that we have none against ns, but only some men who will not subscribe the Covenant, and some doctors, who are called professors of divinity,15 and we have also some of the greatest in the land against us; but more than that, we have even Satan against us also: and so what wonder is it that the work be impeded and hindered?
And so let us evermore remember that, when we come to our best resolutions, we must think and resolve that we will have enemies against us, even the devil and all that he can stir up. And seeing it is so, we must have strength against these enemies, or otherwise the work will not go fordward.
II. The style or compellation that he gives unto them is, “My brethren.”
As I think, there be two causes especially for it, why he calls them thus, in this purpose that now he is exhorting them to. 1. Because he would have them thinking that this exhortation and doctrine that he is upon now, it proceeds from love and affection, as well as the doctrine of righteousness and justification by Christ that he delivered to them for their comfort, and as the doctrine of sanctification did. For ye know that ordinarily we have no will to hear of arms, and we think that they are not our friends who would bid us fight any; but he tells them that it is not, but I am as friendly to you in this as in any of the former—either in speaking to you of your justification, or of your sanctification, or of the duty that every one of you owe to another. 2. He calls them “My brethren,” because he would have all of them in this Christian warfare joining heart and hand together as brethren into the work. And therefore he, as their teacher, professes to be a brother with them into that work. For how can we make any opposition against our enemies, if so be that we be not joined in brotherly love, all of us amongst ourselves? And so by this compellation he teaches them a twofold duty. First, as he would say, Seeing that now I call you my brethren, think therefore that it is a duty of love, when ye are exhorted by any to prepare yourselves for a conflict and a battle against your enemies; and do not account them as enemies who bids you prepare yourselves for a conflict against enemies, either spiritual or temporal; for it is a lamentable and a pitiful thing to see enemies coming upon any, every way well armed, and yet in the meantime these against whom they come shall be naked, and have nothing to defend themselves. © Ye would think it a very ill thing if the cold winter were coming upon you and ye had neither house, nor fire, nor meat, nor clothes to defend you from the injury of it; it is a worse thing to have an enemy coming against you to destroy your bodies, and ye have nothing to guard you from their cruelty, but to be preys to them. But it is worst of all if the devil come against us and we have no armour to defend ourselves from him. And therefore ye will do well, because of this, that ye have enemies of both sorts, to prepare yourselves against your spiritual and against your bodily enemies also, that so ye may be more able to resist them. For, indeed, to speak the truth as I think, I think there be none in all the land who are more naked both of spiritual and also of bodily armour than ye of this same paroch are. Ye have had long peace, it is true, and this has made you to be unprepared; but peace is granted to people to the end that they may be the better prepared for war when it comes. And therefore, prepare yourselves for a conflict; for the time may come when ye would sell the best things that ye have, and your most necessary and useful things, even your plewairns (plough irons), for swords, picks (pikes), and muskets. But especially ye must resolve to quite all, that ye may get on this spiritual armour; for if ye fall in this battle for want of armour, then both soul and body perishes. Secondly, ye must resolve also upon the love of the brethren, and all of you to love other as brethren. Itis a pleasant thing to see all dwelling together, and sticking together, as brethren in peace; and it is even as sweet a thing to see all joining together as brethren in war also. And, certainly, if it shall please the Lord to afflict us with this scourge of the sword, we must resolve to prove either brethren or enemies; and these who will not prove themselves to be brethren, they will be esteemed as enemies, and they will every way find the ills of enemies.
III. Now ye be remembered, when I was taking up the text in the several parts of it, I told you that there was an external strength that he was recommending to them, without themselves; and I told you that there was also an internal recommended to them, to be in them (and in them recommended to us, to be within them and us), albeit, indeed, not from themselves. And so we must lippen to (confide in) both these strengths, and be sure to have both these strengths. The first is, to wit, the external strength: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” The second is, to wit, the internal strength: “Put on the whole armour of God.” Even as a soldier when he is going to battle, he has a twofold strength to uphold him. The first, it is without himself, in his captain, and commanders, and leaders. He thinks, I have good and wise commanders in this battle, that can bring me on and take me aftf right and all the rest, and so I may lippen much to their wisdom and valour. His second strength is in himself—he is well armed, has courage, strength, resolution. Even so here in this battle, we have a wise Lord and leader to lead us on, who will not lead us on into dangers, nor will he hold us back when advantage is to be gotten; and therefore we may be strong in him. And we must also have strength within ourselves—“Put on the whole armour of God.” Now albeit this strength be called armour, yet in this it is different from it, for armour must be put on without a man, but this strength must be within him.
Now, to begin to speak of the outward strength first, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” First, he exhorts them to be strong, that is, to be valorous. He urges the duty upon them, and tells them that the duty that he would have them to aim at is, Christian magnanimity and courage. And then the ground whereupon they should be strong, “In the Lord.” And what in him is it that should make them strong? “The power of his might.”
First. There is required of them resolution, courage, and strength. And this shews us that this apostle has been well acquainted with Christian conflicts, and therefore is it that he urges others that they should be strong and courageous, and to put on armour. Ye will meet often with this exhortation throughout his epistles, to be strong in the Lord; and these pieces of armour are also set down in other parts than here. Now, this Christian courage and resolution, it has these three things in it. 1. It makes a Christian to undertake to do these duties which God requires of him, and especially it makes him to enter into his Christian conflict, and to go on into it, albeit the opposition were never so great. He resolves that he will go on in doing the duties that God requires of him, and enter into a Christian conflict; and this is properly that confidence and boldness that the Christian has. 2. This Christian resolution, it gives him who has it constancy also, that he resolves he will not be brought back when he has once entered, whatever he may meet with in the way. 3. It furnishes him also with patience, that he will bear patiently any trouble that he can meet with into this way. Although he be strucken and wounded in the way, yet he will not turn back; yea, he resolves that he will rather die before he give it over. Now these three, to wit, to undertake to do all the duties that the Lord requires, and to enter in a conflict for him, constancy to go on constantly in these courses, and patience to undergo whatsoever we can meet with into the way, are the very parts that makes up this strength and Christian resolution and courage. And when the heart is possessed with this Christian courage and resolution, it is very profitable. For, first, he who has it is not dashed for anything. As it is, Deuteronomy 22:1, “When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not affrayed of them; for the Lord thy God is present with thee,” to deliver thee. But how shall I ken that he will deliver me? Even by former experience— “It is he who brought thee out of the land of Egypt,” who is with thee. That is, the people of God has had the proofs of as many and as great enemies persecuting them before as now; and he has delivered them then: and therefore ye need not to be affrayed as yet, for there are more with us than against us, when we are for God. Secondly, Thecy who have this Christian courage and resolution, they are not feared for any difficulties that they can meet in doing the work. For, albeit that Paul meet with many difficulties in doing of that which the Lord commands him to do, yet having this Christian courage and resolution, he resolves that he will go on, knowing that in the power of Christ, his Lord and Captain, he shall be victorious, and more than a conqueror: and that makes him that he will not cease, until the work be perfected.
Beloved, where it pleases the Lord to furnish a soul with this strength and Christian courage, there the soul is at a great stay in Christ: Christians then possess their souls in patience. And the thing that makes Christians to be strong 1is, first, When we consider who it is that are our enemies in this conflict and battle. Even they are our enemies, who are the enemies of God; and so God is upon our side; and that is a good thing to have God upon our side always. And when they are described in their quality, —what they are, and what their cause is, we will be forced to say that it is better to be against them, nor to be with them and for them; for they are doing nothing else but striving against God, which is a task wherein never any prospered to this day. The second thing that makes them to be strong and resolute is, because their cause is good. For that is sure, God never undertook an ill cause yet, neither did he ever give warrant to his people to be for an ill cause; nor did he ever turn his back upon a good cause, but joined to it and these who were with it. And therefore, seeing that the cause is good, and God has commanded it to be done, and promises to join with them in it, that makes them to be stout and courageous. The third thing that makes them to be strong and courageous is, because either they must resolve to fight, or to live slaves all their time: for there is not a midst between the two, that we need neither to fight, nor to be slaves. We must either resolve to fight, or to be slaves for ever to Satan; for that enemy of God’s honour and of man’s salvation is evermore seeking the dishonour of God and the destruction of man’s soul: and therefore is it that he is called, John 8:44, a liar, and a murtherer from the beginning. For at the first, in the garden, he lied to man of God. God had forbidden man to eat of one tree in the garden; albeit he gave him free liberty of all the rest, yet he did forbid him to touch that, under the pain of death; that was the threatening that God joined to it. But Satan, he comes to man, and says that it was not so, but whensoever he should eat of that tree, he should be like unto God, in knowing good and ill; and so he proved to be a liar, and proved, so far as he could, to dishonour God. And then he proved to be a murtherer also, for by that he brought death and destruction upon Adam and all his posterity. And seeing we must enter into this fight against him who is a liar and a murtherer, or otherwise we will lose the crown of glory and immortality.
Secondly, where is it that this strength does consist? First, without us; and he sets it down, first, generally, “In the Lord;” that is in Christ Jesus the Lord, and through him, in God the Father, and in the Holy Spirit. And so we see that we must not be strong in ourselves, but we must be strong in Christ. It is natural to us to seek to be strong in ourselves, and from ourselves; and if so be that we have not strength that way, then we are dismayed; whereas the strength of the Christian is not in himself, but in God, and in Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. Self-love is a thing that is very ordinary to men; to love themselves better nor any other, this is natural and proper to us; and, indeed, selfconfidence is as proper to us, unless we be renewed by grace. But if we be Christians, we must deny ourselves and our own strength, and take us only to the strength of Jesus Christ the Lord, of God, and of the Holy Spirit. By faith in Christ we must be victorious; and this is it that the apostle John tells us, 1 John 5:4, “This is your victory, even your faith.” This is the victory of the Christian soul against all enemies, by believing in Christ; so that there is no remeid (remedy) for us, how to be victorious, but only to deny ourselves, and to take us to Christ by faith. And if so be that we will not do this, then we will never strike a fair straik (stroke) in our Christian warfare, or in the cause of Christ.
This striketh against two sorts of persons directly. 1. Against these who are presumptuous. They think that they are strong enough themselves, and they think that will do their turn; and for God’s armour, they know he has it, but they think they have no use for it, for they have str ength enough of their own. But whosoever they be who trust thus presumptuously in themselves, God will let them know their own weakness. Flesh and blood is easily overcome by stronger flesh and blood, but much more easily are they overcome by strong pr1nc1pa11t1es and powers, so that we have no reason to presume in our strength, but always to trust in the Lord. 2. It reproves these who sees they have no strength, and because they have no strength, therefore they give over the battle and will not fight. But if we could take up the matter aright, our weakness is shewn to us to make us to quite (quit) ourselves, and to flee unto the Lord for strength. And therefore, be not dismayed nor discouraged, albeit thou sees thou has no strength of thy own, for where is there strength to be found in any against the devil and the world? The stoutest natural courage will be overcome by these; but our strength must be in God allanerly (only). And, indeed, if so be that he had not been strong for his own, there had not been a remembrance of a kirk long since upon the face of the earth.
Now we must be strong “in the power of his might.” For there is in the Lord justice mercy, pity, love, etc.; but it is not to any of these things in him that we must look now, but to the power of his might. Look to his infinite and incomprehensible power, and in that let us be strong. How often are we exhorted to take us unto the Lord for our strength! There is strength required of us, but our strength is in the Lord only, and in the power of his might. We have natural strength in our bodies, and there be some who has stronger bodies than others; and we have strength also in our minds, and there are some stronger that way than others, as these who are of greater knowledge than others are; and to this there is a twofold weakness opposed, in body and in mind: these are natural. But there is a strength above nature also, and this will be given by Satan to some in their wits and mmds to speak and to devise much for him; and there will be great strength also given by him to some in their hands; yet all these are in natural thmgs But we are not Speakmg of any of these now, neither is any of these the meaning of the Spirit of God here but we are speaking now of a supernatural strength that none has of himself, neither can any give it but one only—and that is the strength of God. When we once get this strength of God, in the power of his might, then we will not be feared though all the multitudes in the world should come against us. Ay, in all difficulties and oppositions whatsoever, if so be that we have this strength, then we will be confident; yea, we will be sure of the victory. This power of the Lord’s might, howsoever indeed the Lord many times makes his own to find weakness in their wrestling, yet he makes his power sensible to his own at last, both in overcoming of all tentations that are within them and of all enemies that are without them, that it is even wonderful how strong and how courageous they will be in this strength of the Lord’s might and power, and how they will know themselves to be able and strong enough to overcome, when there is not any appearance that things should go right with them, and will be confident to be victorious, where there seems tobe nothing but impossibilities. Even as Abraham did, when he looked to his own dead body and to the barren womb of Sarah his wife, he could gather but little hope that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed, yet when he looked to God’s power and might he believed that it should be according as he had promised. And so when we look to ourselves, and to all second helps, and sees them unable to do our turn, then let us look to God and we will see ground enough of confidence in him. This we should labour to find, and to be semsible of; and if we will labour to observe it we will find sensible proofs of this power of God, both in ourselves, in working for us, as also in his working for his kirk; as we may see and observe it evidently in this same work that is presently in hand in this land. God’s power and might has been exceeding great into it; for all that has been done into it has been done only by the power of God; yea, every step of it has been a proof of his power. What power and might has the Lord kythed (shown) in bringing in witnesses to this work, and to join to our Covenant! Who would have thought it to be true, to have spoken it at first, that there had been such a possibility that we should have gotten a Jesuit from Rome that should give a testimony to our Covenant, and preach for it in the kirk of Edinburgh? If any had spoken of this first when it began to be subscribed, some would have thought he had been but dallying, and speaking of things that were never likely to be; and yet, for all that, the Lord has brought one to speak and to preach for it, and to put his hand to it also.16 Ay, the Lord can bring men from the very deeps of atheism to join to it, and work upon them by an extraordinary providence, as it may be he has done on some already, and make them to contribute their best parts for it. And therefore, for as silly as Scotland is, and for as weak as it is, and for as little as men thinks of our strength, (as indeed we are but a poor, silly, weak people,) yet if we could draw near to the Lord, and put our trust and confidence allanerlie (alone) into his power, he could make his power so to kyth (appear) for us, that he could make the enemy to lay aside his weapons and his force from pursuing of this kirk and land, and to wonder at the work of God in it, and to join to it.17 And so the less power that ye find in yourselves and in your own power, lippen (trust) the more to the power of God. And think not that ye are in an ill case, when ye are driven from yourselves and drawn to the Lord; for ye are never so sure as then.
IV. Now the other strength that he recommends to them, I told you it is within themselves. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand out against the wiles of the devil.” We may not think it enough to put our trust and our confidence in the power of the Lord’s might, and in the meantime to do nothing ourselves, nor use no means for our own safety. We must not think it enough, Gamaliel-like, to say, “If this counsel or this work be of men, it will perish, but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found to be fighters against God.” That is, we will lie aside in this work, and do nothing but put all our trust in God’s power and might. This is not right; but we must first put our trust and confidence in God, for that is our rock, our strong tower, and our bulwark; and then we ourselves must do all that we can, in using all lawful means for our preservation and safety: this is the only right sort of trust and confidence in God.
First, then, it is necessary that we have armour. For to have ado with enemies, and to have no armour to defend us from their malice and cruelty, it is dangerous for the soul, as also for the body. And there is such a necessity here for armour, that thou may not nor cannot be a wanting of it and be safe. And it is not such armour as is for the body, for craftsmen makes that, and we may have it from him at occasions; but the Christian, he is born with this armour upon him, as that fable which is spoken of some giants of old, (which indeed is but a fabulous thing), that they were born with their weapons in their hands: yet it is true of every Christian, they are born with their armour upon them, and with their weapons in their hands; I mean of every one, when they get the grace of regeneration and of that new birth. Ay, if thou be sanctified in thy mother’s womb, at thy baptism, at thy calling to be a member of the kirk, or afterwards, as soon thou gets all these pieces of armour, and these weapons,—the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the girdle of truth, the shield of faith; even all these graces of the Spirit, faith, hope, patience, love, etc.; and as thou grows, so they grow also. Then, if these pieces of armour and these weapons be necessary, we should not be as the people of Israel were, when the Philistines came upon them to spoil them, that there was not a smith among them all to make a weapon to them wherewith to defend themselves. Even so we are many times, when our spiritual enemies sets upon us; we are as desolate of spiritual armour as if there had not been a teacher among us all our time, to teach and to instruct us in the way of life. And so there is a necessity laid upon us, that we should provide for armour both the ways, lest when our enemies come upon us, we be surprised by them, being found naked.
Secondly, we must have the whole armour, the complete armour of God. And so we may not provide for one part, and leave another unprovided for, but we must provide for all alike. What better are we to have on a headpiece to save our head, if our heart be bare? we may be shot through the heart, and so we are gone. And what better are we, although we had a corselet of proof, if our head be bare? Ay, indeed, our enemy with whom we have to do, he is that (so) wily, that if there be any part of us bare, readlly he wales his straiks, (chooses his strokes,), and llghts on us there, and wounds us. Readily we leave one part open continually, and that is sure, he assaults us first there: either we keep the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life. ~On that part that we leave open he sets his eye, and comes to, and wins (gets) in there; and before ever we be aware he gives us many a deadly wound: and therefore we should strive to get on all the whole complete armour of God, that so we may be able to resist the devil.
Now for the putting on of this armour—we are bidden put it on. There are divers strange and unco-like (uncouthlike) words used here in this same text. Is it not strange that we are commanded to be strong, seeing we cannot make ourselves strong? for the Lord must make the power of his might to be manifest in our weakness, or otherwise we can have no strength. But this is the meaning of it:—we are commanded to be strong to that end, that when we feel our own weakness, and gathers faith and confidence that there is strength in God, and then prays to him that he would manifest his strength in our weakness, that then we may know that his strength is sufficient for us: that is to be strong. So the commanding us to put on our armour is, that we may cast off that wherewith our armour cannot be put on. And what is that? Even to obey the direction of the apostle; “Cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.” And so we must first of all resolve to cast off these works which are the works of sin, before we can put on this armour: even as when one is to put on a suit of new clothes, they must first cast off the old; for if they put on the new above the old, it lets them not fasten right upon them; and it is thought to be but a foolish thing to do otherwise, but first to cast off the old, and then put on the new. So we must first lay aside our old sins, by the which we fight against God; and then we must pray to God, and beseech him that it would please him to put this armour upon us, that we may be able to stand out against the devil. Even as bairns, when they rise in the morning out of their bed, and they find the cold biting upon them, then they will take their coat in their hand, and because they cannot put it on upon themselves, they will beseech their mother or their nurse to put it upon them, to defend them from the injury of the cold: even so, when we see our nakedness, and feels our danger, through the want of this spiritual armour, then let us run and cry to the Lord, who in this respect is as a loving mother or nurse unto us, and beseech him that it would please him to fasten this armour upon us, that so we may be able to stand out against our enemies. And as people, when they first put on new clothes, then they rax (stretch) themselves, that they may join the better to every part of them, even so should we, when we get on this armour, we should rax ourselves with it; and by our using and exercising of it this way, we will get it the better upon us. So if we would do this now,—cast off us all things that are old, and rug (tear off) every lust, whereby we have been fighting against God, and then beseech him that he would put on this armour, and exercise it when it is on, as we could rax ourselves when it is upon us, then we would find it to be better upon us, and we would be able to resist.
Then we must so put on this armour never to cast it off again. It is a very hot war but soldiers will and may cast off their armour; but Christians must sleep and wake, eat and drink, and do all things with their armour upon them. At all times, and always, thou must have this armour upon thee. And so remember that this armour that God prepares for thee, and gives thee, and puts it upon thee, he gives it not to thee to lie beside thee, and to let it roust (rust), but he gives it to thee that thou may use it. It were good for us that we could look to this twofold strength, make use of it, and lippen (trust) to it; then our enemies would not prevail over us;—first, to be strong in the Lord, and then to be strong in ourselves. This is not that I would have us to trust in ourselves, or anything that we can have, but that we should have that armour upon us which the Lord requires that we should have, but lippen chiefly in the strength that is without us, which is “in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” And by these two we shall be able to go fordward against all our enemies, and fight against them, and get the victory at last, and with it that triumphing crown, promised to us through Jesus Christ, To whom, etc.