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God. That thou by them mightest war a good warfare; holding faith and a good conscience.k But thou, O man of God, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth, entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

m

Doctrinal Instruction.

THE Christian must be in complete armour, in regard of the several pieces and weapons that make up the whole armour of God. Indeed, there is a concatenation of graces; they hang together like links in a chain, stones in an arch, members in the body. Prick one vein, and the blood of the whole body may run out at that sluice; neglect one duty, and no other will do us good. It is not enough to have grace, but this grace, must be

k 1 Tim. i. 18.

1 1 Tim. vi. 11, 12.

n 2 Tim. iv. 6-8.

i Col. iv. 12.

m 2 Tim, ii, 3-5.

kept in exercise.

The Christian armour is made to be worn; no laying down, or putting off our armour, till we have done our warfare, and finished our course. Our armour and our garments of flesh go off together; then, indeed, will be no need of watch and ward, shield, or helmet. Those military duties and field graces, as I may call faith, hope, and the rest, they shall be honourably discharged. In heaven we shall appear, not in armour, but in robes of glory; but here they are to be worn both night and day; we must walk, work, and sleep in them, or else we are not true soldiers of Christ. This Paul professeth to endeavour: "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." Here we have this holy man at his arms, training and exercising himself in his postures, like some soldier by himself, handling his pike, and inuring himself before the battle.-GURNALL.

As the soldiers of Christ they were called to fight under his banner, against Satan, the world, and sin: but they were too weak in themselves for this conflict; and must therefore be strong in the Lord, by a continual reliance on his mighty power for protection, support, and assistance. In the fulness of Christ, and in the promised influences and assistance of the Holy Spirit, "a panoply, or complete suit of armour," was provided for every believer: this the Lord held out, as it were, to the Christians at Ephesus, and all others, that, receiving it from him, by the prayers of faith, they might put it on daily, in a diligent and watchful use of the appoint

ed means. Thus armed, they might be able to stand against the assaults of Satan, by whatever artful methods he, or his instruments, attempted to obstruct their progress. For they and all Christians were called to conflict and wrestle, not only against their own indwelling corruptions, the opposition of persecutors, the enticements of wicked men, and the allurements of the world; but also against those invisible and formidable principalities and powers who rule the darkness of this world-even Satan and his angels, the great authors of man's ignorance, idolatry, delusion, impiety, and iniquity, all over the earth. These might be called "spiritual wickednesses in high places," not only as they held their empire in the air, according to the general opinion, and tempted men to wickedness, especially in their religion; but, also, as being the authors of all idolatry. Indeed, they became proud rebels and apostates in heavenly places. Having been spiritual wickednesses in that holy world, they were cast out thence; and had, from the beginning, opposed man's entrance into heaven by every means which malice, sagacity, and subtlety could suggest. It was therefore indispensably necessary for all engaged in this warfare, to be completely armed for the conflict with such powerful and determined enemies, that they might be able to stand in the evil day of peculiar temptation, or persecution, or at the approach of death. They must be prepared every day for the conflict, and would be continually called to resist their foes; but some days would peculiarly encourage, or give advantage to Satan's assaults. They could not, however, know beforehand, when such occasions would be afforded him, and per

mission granted him: they must, as vigilant and valiant soldiers, be always ready; and thus withstanding in the evil day, and having done all, they might stand victorious on the field of battle, and be approved by their great Commander; as David, having conquered for himself and Israel, stood before the king with the head of Goliath in his hand.-SCOTT.

The Christian's life is frequently represented in the Scriptures under the metaphor of warfare. Christ is called "the Captain of his salvation;" and they who have enlisted under his banners, and quitted themselves like men, fighting the good fight of faith, and enduring cheerfully all the hardships of campaign, are called "good soldiers of Jesus Christ." Like warriors, they do not entangle themselves with the affairs of this life, that they may please him who hath chosen them to be soldiers; but they set themselves to war a good warfare, and they look for the reward of victory, when they have subdued all their enemies.

A general must confide in his army fully as much as his army confides in him for as they cannot move to advantage without an experienced head to guide them, so neither can he succeed in his plans, unless he have a brave and well-appointed army to carry them into execution. It is not thus in the Christian army; there all the confidence is in the General alone. He must not only train his soldiers, and direct them in the day of battle, but he must be with them in the battle, shielding their heads, and strengthening their arms, and animating their courage, and reviving them when faint, and raising them when fallen, and healing them

when wounded, and, finally, beating down their enemies, that they may trample them under their feet.

It is characteristic of every Christian soldier to receive out of Christ's fulness, and to say, "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength." We cannot have a more striking illustration of our duty, in this respect, than the history of David's combat with Goliath. He would not go against his adversary with armour suited to the occasion: he went forth in the name of the God of Israel; and, therefore, he did not doubt one moment the issue of the contest. He well knew that God could direct his aim, and that he was as sure of victory, without any other arms than a sling and a stone from his shepherd's bag, as he could be with the completest armour that Saul himself could give him. What David thus illustrated, we may see exemplified in the conduct of St. Paul. "If God be for us," says he, "who can be against us?" Who is he that shall condemn me? Shall the law curse me, or Satan overcome me? I fear none of them, since Christ has died, yea rather is risen again, and maketh intercession for me. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ?—Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Thus it is that we must go forth against all the enemies of our salvation; we must "have no confidence