Great grace sorely pressed by the Robbers 177 in him, even Faint-heart, Mistrust, or the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up his heels: and when a man is down you know, what can he do? Whoso looks well upon Great-grace's face, shall see those scars and cuts there that shall easily give demonstration of what I say. Yea, once I heard he should say, (and that when he was in the combat,) "We despaired even of life." How did these sturdy rogues and their fellows make David groan, mourn, and roar? Yea, Heman and Hezekiah too, though Champions in their day, were forced to bestir them when by these assaulted; and yet, notwithstanding, they had their coats soundly brushed by them. Peter, upon a time, would go try what he could do; but though some do say of him that he is the Prince of the Apostles, they handled him so that they made him at last afraid of a sorry girl. : "The the Besides, their king is at their whistle; he is never out of hearing; and if at any time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in to help them and of him it is said, sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold; the spear, dart, nor the habergeon; he esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood: the arrow cannot make him flee, slingstones are turned with him into stubble; darts are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a spear."* What can a man do in this case? It is true, if a man could at every turn have Job's horse, and had skill and courage to ride him, he might do notable things; for "His neck is clothed with thunder; he will not be afraid as the grasshopper; the glory of his noistrils is terrible; he paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men: he mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth he back from the sword the quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield: he swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting." But for such footmen as thee and I are, let us never desire to meet with an enemy; nor vaunt as if we could do better, when we hear of others that they have been foiled; nor be tickled at the thoughts of our own manhood, for such commonly come by the worst when tried. Witness Peter, of whom I made mention before, he would swagger, ay, he would; he would, as his vain mind prompted him to say, do better, and 178 Shield of Faith, the only security against Robbers. stand more for his Master than all men ; but who so foiled ano run down by these villains as he? When therefore we hear that such robberies are done on the King's highway, two things become us to do: first, to go out harnessed, and to be sure to take a shield with us; for it was for want of that, that he that laid so lustily at Leviathan could not make him yield; for, indeed, if that be wanted, he fears us not at all. Therefore he that had skill hath said, "Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."* (i) It is good also that we desire of the King a convoy, yea, that he will go with us himself. This made David rejoice when in the Valley of the Shadow of Death; and Moses was rather for dying where he stood thin to go one step without his God. O my brother, if he will but go along with us, what need we be afraid of ten thousand that shall set themselves against us? but without him the proud helpers fall under the slain. (k) Eph. vi. 16. ↑ Exod. xxxiii. 15. ‡ Psa. iii. 5—8. xxvii. 1-3. Isa. x. 4. (i) Young converts often view temptations, conflicts, and persecutions, in a very different light than experienced believers do. Warm with zeal. and full of confidence, which they imagine to be wholly genuine, and knowing comparatively little of their own hearts, or the nature of the Christian conflict, they resemble new recruits, who are apt to boast what great things they will do: but the old disciple, though much stronger in faith, and possessing habitually more vigour of holy affection, knows himself too well to boast, and speaks with modesty of the past, and diffidence of the future; like the veteran soldier, of approved valour, who has often been in actual service. They, who have boasted beforehand what they would do and suffer, rather than deny the faith, have generally either proved apostates, or been taught their weakness by painful experience. And when a real believer has thus fallen, the recollection of past boastings adds to his remorse and terror; and Satan will attempt to drive him to despair so that, indeed, no man can tell what in such a combat attends us, but he that has been in the battle himself.'-Even they, who were most remarkable for strength of faith, have often been overcome in the hour of temptation; and, when guilt got within them, they found it no easy matter to recover their hope and comfort: how then can the weak in faith be expected to overcome in such circumstances? The accommodation of the passages from Job to this conflict, seems merely intended to imply, that the assaults of Satan on these occasions, are more terrible than any thing in the visible creation can be: and that every possi ble advantage will be needful in order to withstand in the evil day. (k) Instead of saying, though all men deny thee, yet will not 1," it hehoves us to use all means of grace diligently; and to be instant in prayer, that the Lord himself may protect us by his power, and animate us by his presence; and then only shall we be enabled to overcome both he fear of man, and the temptations of the devil. The Pilgrims taken in Flatterer's Net. 179 and I, for my part, have been in the fray before now, though, through the goodness of Him that is best, I am, as you see, alive, yet I cannot boast of my manhood. Glad shall be if meet with no more such brunts; though I fear we are not got beyond all danger. However, since the lion and the beat have not as yet devoured me, I hope God will also deliver us from the next uncircumcised Philistine. • Poor Little-faith hast been among the thieves' They went So they went on, and Ignorance followed. then till they came at a place where they saw a Way put itself into their Way, and seemed withal to lie as straight as the Way which they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for both seemed straight before them therefore here they stood still to consider. And as they were thinking about the way, behold a man of black flesh, but covered with a very light robe, came to them, and asked them why they stood there? They answered they were going to the Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take. Follow me,' said the man, it is thither that I am going.' So they followed him in the Way that but now came into the road, which by degrees turned, and turned them so from the City that they desired to go to, that in a little time their faces were turned away from it :-yet they followed him. But by and by, before they were aware, he led them both within the compass of a net, in which they were both so entangled, that they knew not what to do; and with that the white robe fell off the black man's back then they saw where they were. Wherefore there they lay crying some time, for they could not get themselves out. Then said Christian to his fellow, Now do I see myself in an error. Did not the Shepherds bid us beware of the Flatterer? As is the saying of the wise man, so we have found it this day, "A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet."* Hope. They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for our more sure finding thereof; but therein we have also forgotten to read, and have not kept ourselves from "the * Prov. xxiv. 5. |