your King and your Captain or Colonel and can readily give account of the duties you are usually put upon and when you speak any thing that concernes conscience it is commonly this you have a good cause All this is true and just but this I must tell you notwithstanding the goodnesse of your Cause and the strictnesse of your obedience to your superiors if you would have your King and your selves to prosper you must also and chiefly know him that has the highest command over you The great Generall of the Armies of the Creatures the King of Kings and Lord of Hoasts that walketh in the midst of the Camp and cannot endure to see any unclean thing amongst you as he tells you Deut. 23.14 If you would have him deliver you and give up your enimies before you as it is there promised you must approve your selves to him for which there are two things considerable your Cause and your Conversation A good Conscience in regard of both these doth assure a blessing from God and addes true confidence to a Souldier in all his enterprizes THE CAVSE THe Lord is no Patron of an unjust cause but will plead a just one as David often desires him to doe in his Psalmes usually alleadging the righteousnesse of his Cause as a prevailing argument to move him to undertake it How comes it to passe then that we see sometimes an unrighteous Cause to prosper We never see it finally prospering but God in his justice suffers it a while to prevaile for the punishment and correction of others that have not hearts and conversations answerable to the uprightnesse of their cause yet in the end the unjust cause will bring destruction upon the undertakers that a man shall say Doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the Earth Psal 58.10 We may understand the Lords counsell and purpose in this particular Esa 10. v. 5 6 7 12. He there useth the Assyrian whose meaning was nothing else but to spoyle and oppresse as the rod of his anger against the people of his wrath but when he has performed his whole work upon Mount Sion that is throughly humbled and corrected his people then will he punish the stout heart and high looks of the Assyrian The Benjamites are very obstinate in defending a Lewd Cause and doe prosper in two Battels Judg. 20. but in the third when the Israelites had truly humbled themselves Benjamin is cut off with an utter destruction What your Cause is and what you fight for that you may understand and remember it the better it is expressed upon the peices of Silver which you receive in pay looke upon them whose Image what Superscription they beare By that Image which you see on the one side you are told it is for the King and his Iust Rights that Caesar may have what is his by the Superscription on the other side you are assured it is for the established Religion for the Freedome of Parliaments for the Liberty of Subjects that you beare Armes Your Adversaries may fight for the bare Silver having no better engagement to hold them in Armes as for the Image or Superscription they have nothing to doe with either the Superscription which the Priests put upon Iudas his peices of Sylver The price of blood they might read upon theirs and would cast them away as he did his were their Consciences not too far hardened But you fight for the Cause which is able to satisfie Conscience when Gold and Sylver cannot doe it and in the performance and discharge of this your duty and allegiance both the Law of God and of this Land will be your warrant will secure you of the justnes of your Cause Life and Conversation IVstnes of the Cause is not enough to make all prosper without a considerable disposition of the Persons and answerable Conversation of those that are imployed in the defence of it I feare there is too generall a security and confidence this way in many that follow the King in this Warre who seeing that between them and the Adverfary the right of the Cause is on their side are not so sollicitous upon the point of righteousnes betweene God and themselves as if their Loyalty to their Prince would excuse their Rebellion against God or their Zeal to His service cover their neglect in Gods worship Consider what the Lord threatens by the mouth of Samuell If yee shall still doe wickedly yee shall be consumed both yee and your King 1. Sam. 12.25 not only yee for your own but even your King also for your wickednes and Psa 81.14 The Lord tells his People under what condition they might expect his helpe If my People would have hearkened and walked in my wayes I should soon have put down their Enemies turned mine hand against their Adversaries and the Psalmist in his own Person teacheth every one of you to conclude with your selves If I incline unto wickednes with my heart the Lord will not heare me Psal 66. you see you strip your selves of Gods protection nay make him your Enemy who threatens to wound the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his wickednes Psa 68.21 you need no other Enemies he will wound you How oft have we seene a just Cause suffer through the wickednes of Instruments used in the defence of it the Psalmist speakes of Gods people under his speciall protection in the wildernes how that because they provoked him often to anger with their owne inventions they were often brought down in their wickednes as weread Psa 78. and Psa 106. We may see this in severall Examples The Israelites had a just Cause against Moab but observe how they sped in it at first The King of Moab sends for Balaam and shewes him the Hoast of Israell from an high mountaine to the end he might curse them but so long as there was not iniquity and perversnes among them he could have no power against them so he is forced to confesse Num. 23. vers 21 23. He hath not beheld iniquity in Iacob he hath not seen perversnes in Israel the Lord his God is with him surely there is no inchantment against Jacob nor divination against Israel No Art or power of man or Divell can prevail against a people an army trusting in God and serving him Therefore Balaam lets the King of Moab understand that Israel must first be brought to sin against their God before he can prevail against them and for that purpose counsells him which Counsell of Balaam is mentioned Num. 31.16 to send in the daughters of Moab and the Midianitish women among them we have the performance and issue of that counsell Nam 25. They fall by Whoredome and Idolatry and then by the Sword and the Plague Israel had a just cause against the Canaanites yetthey were slain before the Men of Ai through Achans sin they are forewarned of it in these words Jos 6.18 In any wise keep your selves from the accursed thing
least you make your selves accursed and make the Camp of Israel accursed and trouble it Achan he covets the forbidden thing takes a Babylonish garment a wedge of gold two hundred shekels of Sylver for this Israel is smitten before their Enemies and the Lord tels them Jos 7.13 There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel thou caust not stand before thine Enemies untill yee take away the accursed thing from among you Against the Philistins also their Cause was good yet are they smitten by the uncircumcised and the Ark is taken for the wickednes of the Priests and for the generall profanenes and neglect of Gods worship among the People Eli knew all this what little feare of God there was in his sons or the People that were gone out to Warre and therefore expects the Issue of the Battell with a trembling heart He sat by the way side watching for his heart trembled c. 1. Sam. 4.13 The Israelites are twice smitten before the Beniamites though their Cause and Warre was approved by God because they went not out with that mind that humility that dependance on God as they ought For doe but observe the passages of that story Judg. 20. The Beniamites are very obstinate in the defence of a lewd cause will not be brought to any peaceable way of giving satisfaction for the injury done the Israelites therefore gather themselves to Battell but first go up to the house of God to aske Counsell vers 18. A good Cause they have and they begin well why then doth it not succeed accordingly Surely there was something amisse among them They enquired only who should lead the Battell they doubted not of the Victory because their Cause was good and their number great that was their vaine confidence and besides that they had Idolatrous worship among them Micha's graven Image was set up in the Tribe of Dan Iud. 18.31 and the Lord by that ill successe he gave them did as it were tell them they must not trust in their numbers but in Him and be as sollicitous for the injury done to him in his worship as for the wrong done to the Levite and be as carefull to remove the one as the other Therefore being twice smitten they understand themselves and weep before the Lord and fast and offer peace offerings that they may first be reconciled unto God before they go againe into Battell and then the ill Cause falls heavy upon the Beniamites to their utter destruction All Prophanenes to be avoyded BY the former examples and places of Scripture you are taught somethings are utterly to be declined and avoyded by you some things againe expected from you if you would have good successe under Gods protection preservation The Midianitish Woman must not be brought into the Camp nor must the Babilonish garment or any accursed thing or any profanenes be found among you as you may learn by the three first examples But as Heart seeking the Lord in all humility and feare and wholly depending on him is required of you as you are taught by the Example of the Israelites going out against the Beniamites The reason of both is drawn from the presence of God which if you desire to have comfortably among you you must remove whatsoever is offensive to him as he Commands and gives the reason Deut. 23.19 For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine Enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee He seemes to speake there of the outward uncleanenes that passeth from the body but indeed intends the sinfull uncleanenes of Whoredome Drunkennesse of Cursing and Swearing or any Profanenes of violence Injustice Cruelty as at the 9. v. when the Heast goeth forth against thine enimies then then especially keep thy selfe from every wicked thing What is done by you in secret I know not but if there be any Midianitish women brought in among you though not so openly as that Phineas the Magistrate or Officer may take notice of it and punish it but so closely as Achan kept his Babylonish garment Jos 7. know ye that this God that walketh in the night through your Camp and sees in darknesse will bring the evill of your wayes upon you Be sure saith he your sinne will find you out Num. 32.22 But let me tell you how you appear in publique what every one that passeth by your Guards may see in some of you drunkennesse and excesse may hear from many of you Oathes and Curses by that great and holy name in which your help standeth and so frequently as if you could not speak one to another or your Leaders and Officers give you a Command without an Oath or a Curse Be you or they never so well deserving of the Military art ye doe His Majesty but disservice in pursuing his commands and keeping his guards after that manner If any of your Commanders be so farre from executing His Majesties orders against this or any other profanenesse that they give you example rather for it you must know it will not excuse you but aggravate the sinne so much the more in them for giving the example in you for the imitation Nay we might find the contagion of it yet spred farther upon the inhabitants of this Town in which whosoever shall heare as with horror he may doe even Boyes and Women Swearing and Cursing he will not think but the infection was taken or increased since this Citty became a Garrison This is the way to hasten judgement because the ready way to fill up the measure of iniquity when it comes to that of the Prophet Hos 4 9. and Esa 24.2 Like People like Priest like Master like Servant like Buyer like Seller like Captain like Souldier like Guest like Host how can we hope for abatement of judgements upon the encrease of sinne or that they should cease while this doth continue in such an height of profanenesse Doe but heare what the Psalmist threatens to him that is guilty of it His delight was in cursing and it shall happen unto him he cloathed himselfe with cursing and it shall come into his bowels like water and liek oyle into his bones Psal 109.16,17 and then doe but reflect upon your selves and consider how he meets with that custome of swearing and cursing which is so familiar with many of you as if it were your delight and cloathing and how it will come home to him that uses it in a judgement that will not depart from him not much unlike that of Joab for his bloodshed 1. King 2.5 He put the blood of Warre upon his girdle that was about his loynes and upon the shooes that were upon his feet that is the guilt of blood would cleave close unto him like the straitest cloathing which was about him It were to be desired that all you which are Commanders and
the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good 2. Sam. 10.12 Now as Religion doth ground all true Valour upon a just and good Cause so doth Reason set bounds for it and tels you it is no disparagement to your Valour but a commendation of your discretion to refuse to assaile an Enemy when there is no likelyhood of prevailing The attempt that Ionathan and his Armour be arer alone made upon a Garrison of the Philistins is not to be drawn into example we know by the Text that it proceeded from extraordinary Divine warrant 1. Sam. 14.6,10 But the Philosopher tels us truly in his Moralls that Fortitude or Valour if you will make a Vertue of it must be regulated and confined by Prudence as well as the other Vertues that is it must not attempt against all reasonable possibility of successe for that is rashnesse or fool hardinesse You of the Kings Army have showne remarkable Valour upon all occasions and I have spoken all this to you of regulating your Valour by Religion and Reason not to straiten it but that as you have it grounded upon a good Cause so you may use it in order to the advancement of that Cause not mispending it in Quartels and Duels but upon the Enemy in a just Encounter and that with a dependance upon God the giver of all Victory and this will not weaken your hands but increase your cofidence which calls you to the next point the Consideration of the Issue of the Battle which fall's out either with Ill Successe or with Victory to you and the taking of the Spoyle The issue of the Battell IN relation to which you must first consider that however valour and strength and number of men be the ordinary and secondary means of victory yet the Issue and successe of the Battell is indeed given by a hand from Heaven the Arme of flesh is to be used not trusted in So the Prophet told Iehosaphat and his Army going out against the enimy the Battell is not yours but the Lords 2. Chron. 20.15 and the Psalmist he girds with strength to the Battell Psal 18.32 He protects in fight whom he pleases and as he pleases He covered my head in the day of Battell Psal 140.7 When I see Ahab smitten with an arrow between the joynts of the harnesse 1. King 22.34 and Goliah struck dead with a stone in the forehead where only he was penetrable I must acknowledge besides that arme which drew the bow for it was done at a venture and that hand which slung the stone an Arme of power and hand of providence that directed both arrow and stone And it has been seen that the buckle of a Belt has borne of the thrust of a sword and a peice of an Horse-shooe casually found hung at a Souldiers girdle has broken the force of a bullet a little armour serves the turne when Providence will save and the compleatest armour cannot save when the same providence will expose to danger Secondly consider how vain a presumption it is to make sure of Victory upon any outward advantage as of Numbers Strength Ammunition it was the Vanity of Sisera's mother as she is made to speak concerning her sons returne Why is his charet so long in comming why tarry the wheeles of his charets have they not sped have they not not divided the prey c. Jud. 5.28 But as Ahab tartly admonished the boasting King of Syria let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as he that putteth it off 1. K. 20.11 So ought you to consider what the Wise-man had observed Jreturned and saw that the race in not to the swift nor the battell to the strong nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance happeus to them all Eccles 9.11 that is the Issue and event of things happens not alwaies according to the appearance of outward means but this Chance as he calls it is the effect of this divine Providence which disposeth all things some things often against the probability of outward advantages and means Vpon these considerations you may think First how it concernes you to come to the Encounter not as the Philistin did against David Cursing him by his Gods 1. Sam. 17.43 and as too many commanders use to doe bring up their men against the enimy with Oathes and Curses but to come to the fight as David did against the Philistin in the name of the Lord of Hosts 1. Sam. 17.45 in a dependance on his protection as Asa did against the Ethiopians O Lord our God we rest on thee and in thy name doe we goe out against our Enimies 2. Chro. 14.11 and with such words thoughts or meditations as are suggested to you below in the Occasionall devotion concerning this poynt of comming to the Encounter Secondly how to bear ill successe if it happen or how to receive a victory and use it Ill Successe YOu must not feek the cause of ill Successe only in outward disadvantages and miscarriages the Servants of the King of Syria concluded as that the Israelites were stronger then they and put them to the worse because they fought in the hilly Countrey but in the plain they were confident they should be too good for them 1. K. 20.23 when as the God of Israel who discomfited them was the God of the Vallies as well as of the Hilles But besides the outward disadvantages and miscarriages you must look up to that hand which disposeth and overruleth all You must conclude there is something amisse in you though your cause be good as there was in the Israelites defeated by the men of Ai Ios 7. and in the Israelites smitten before Benjamin Iud. 20. Either that you have ascribed former victories to your own strength and the counsell of man more then to Gods goodnesse over you or that now when you came to the Encounter you depended more on your numbers strength and valour then on his power and providence or that there is some accursed thing among you some notorious profanenesse suffered among you which provokes the eyes of his glory Esa 3.8 and therefore the eye of his providence is turned away from watching over you This you ought to think with your selves upon ill successe and to search it out and to apply unto the Lord in the acknowledgement of sinne and the desire of his protection so you may see Iosua doing Ios 7.6 and the Israelites Iud. 20.26 VICTORY IF it shall please God to give you good successe and victory you must not ascribe it to your own strength or wisedom although you therein much surpassed your Enimies but to that power and wisedom which can defeat the greatest strength and turne the most subtile Counsells into foolishnesse Then must you not forget to returne Praise and thanksgiving to him that gave you the Victory and in his fear to use it with such moderation and restraint of