Mount Tabor. Or Private exercises of a penitent sinner Serving for a daily practice of the life of faith, reduced to speciall heads comprehending the chiefe comforts and refreshings of true Christians: also certain occasionall observations and meditations profitably applyed. Written in the time of a voluntary retrait from secular affaires. By R.W. Esquire. Published in the yeare of his age 75. Anno Dom. 1639. The contents of the booke are prefixed.

30. Vpon a fight between two Cocks.

AT Stanwick, my son had going with his Hens, a young Cock of a stout and large breed, with ve∣ry large Iollops hanging downe on either side of his beake, and a friend of his giving him afterwards a Cock and a Hen of the game, as they call them (the Cocks-combe and jollops being finely cut off, close to the head for advantage in fighting) It fell out that the two Cocks meeting in the yard together, fell close to their fight; where the younger Cock fought stoutly a good while, till the old Cocke taking advantage of his large Iollops hanging so low, tooke hold thereof, for raising himselfe to wound the young Cocke at every blow: which being observed by the spectators, they parted the fray for

the present, and caused the young Cocks pendant Iollops to be cut off, and his head trim'd for the fight, as the old Cocks was, who had at first so beaten the young Cocke, that he durst not stay within his view: but after the sores of his Iollops cut were healed, the young Cocke comming abroad againe, the old Cock ran pre∣sently upon him to have made him runne away as he was wont to doe before. But the young Cocke tur∣ning againe, and they falling to a new fight, very sharpe and eager on both sides, at last the old Cocke fin∣ding his old hold of the young Cocks Iollops taken from him, was faine to cry creake, and to runne a∣way as fast from the young Cocke as the young Cock did from him be∣fore; and ever after the young Cock was master of the field.

In this fight of the two Cockes, me thinkes I see represented by the old Cocke, the old wilie se••pent, who by subtiltie and advantage ta∣king, overcomming our first parents

in Paradise, as if he were then the Prince of the World, sets upon every one of their posteritie to subdue them to his dominion, insomuch as he presumed to set upon the Lord Jesus, (God blessed for ever) finding him cloathed in our flesh, though to his owne utter overthrow in the combate; our Saviour the second Adam, becomming absolute con∣querour, and that for us also that doe believe in him who are thereby made partakers of his victorie. In the young Cock, me thinks I see the naturall and unregenerate man, o∣verladen with his owne originall corruption; who endowed with many gifts of nature, and helpes of good education, presumes of himselfe to stand against the old cock in fight. But the old murtherer (who never shewes faire play, but workes upon any base or villanous advantage hee can) laying hold upon his naturall corruption, and by help thereof gives him many a wound, and is like to o∣vercome and oppresse him, through

the treachery of his own flesh, by the m ltitude of his sins; when behold the Lord Jesus (the blessed spectator of all our fights and combats, and who is our only supporter and helper in them) seeing the poore soule his souldier in this distresse and danger, gives order by the work of his sancti∣fying spirit, to cut off that traiterous corruption 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nature, and by the sup∣ply of grace to renew his strength a∣gainst the fiery assaults of the temp∣ter: who missing his wonted hold of corrupt flesh, and finding a new influ∣ence of grace from the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, which ever overcomes him wheresoever it meets him, turnes the backe and flies away: and so the man, (though but in part re∣generate) becomes more then con∣querour through him that loved us, Romans 8.37.

Most blessed Saviour, (who seest our manifold weaknesses, and the e∣nemies great advantage over us, in these spirituall combats, streng∣then us thy poore weaklings, fight∣ing under thy banner: that by thy grace we may be enabled to stand fast and couragiously in the evill day, and by the power of thy might put all temptations to flight; and so finally obtaine the Crowne of victorie, to thy glory, and our everlasting peace, Amen.