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
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
these things written in thy book v. 8. Hide me from the gathering together of the froward and from the insurrection of wicked doers Psal 64.2 For under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge till this Tyranny be overpast Ps 57.1 J will call unto the most high God even unto the God that shall performe the Cause which I have in hand v. 2. He shall send from Heaven and save me v. 3. Yea his right hand shall hold me up and his loving correction shall make me great Ps 18.35 Let them rejoyce and be glad that favour my righteous dealing yea let them say blessed be the name of the Lord that hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant Ps 35.27 Then cannot you but think you are invited to apply unto God in the behalfe of your King your selves and your Cause as followeth The PSALME PLead thou our cause O Lord with them that strive with us and fight thou against them that fight against us Ps 35.1 Lay hand on shield and buckler and stand up to help us v. 2. Help us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name O deliver us and be mercifull unto out sinnes for thy Names sake Ps 79.9 Lead us in the right way because of our Enimies and deliver us not over to the will of our Adversaries for there are false witnesses risen up against us and such as speak wrong Ps 27.14 Remember O Lord the rebuke that thy servants have and how thine Enemies have slandered the footsteps of thine Annoynted Psal 89.49 Stand up O Lord of Hoasts and be not mercifull unto them that offend of malitious wickednes Psal 59.5 For the sinne of their mouth and for the words of their lips they shall be taken in their pride for why their preaching is of cursing and lyes v. 12. Oh turne not away the face of thine Annointed Psal 132. Oh prepare thy loving mercy and faithfulnes that they may preserve Him Psal 61.7 Stretch forth thy hand upon the furiousnes of His Enemies and let thy right hand save Him Ps 138.7 Yea let Them be cloathed with shame but upon Himselfe let His Crowne flourish Psa 132.19 So shall the King rejoyce in God and the mouth of them that speakes lyes shall be stopped Ps 63.12 Yea their owne tongues shall make them fall insomuch that they which see it shall say This hath God done for they shall perceive it is his worke Psa 64.8,9 The Prayer for the Morning O Almighty Lord God I blesse thy Name for that thou hast kept me this night past from all dangers notwithstanding all my sinnes and ill deserts I beseech thee to pardon them all in Iesus Christ and to guide me this day by thy Grace that I fall not into any presumptuous sinnes but may have thee alwayes before mine eyes to feare thee in all my wayes And seeing nothing is safe without thy defence or prosperous without thy blessing keep I beseech thee and defend Our gratious King protect Him in His Person blesse Him in his Counsells prosper Him in his Just Designes Blesse also and protect all his Armies Vs especicially that attend here to serve Him under thee who art the Everliving God Grant this for Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour AMEN The Prayer for the Evening O Almighty Lord God which hast made the out goings of the Morning and of the Evening to praise thee blessed be thy Name for that thou hast kept and preserved me this day I acknowledge my manifold sinnes and transgressions in thought word and deed committed against thee beseeching thee to pardon what I have done amisse for thy mercyes sake in Jesus Christ Defend O Lord the Kings Majesty and His Army watch thou over us and keepe us all from the dangers of this night through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour AMEN Occasionall Devotion AS every day requires the performance of your Duty to God so doth every speciall occasion in order to the Battell and the Issue thereof call you to some Act of Devotion which may be performed either more solemnely or abruptly according to the straits of time We have King Asa's prayer when he went out against the Ethiopians 2. Chr. 14.11 and King Iehosaphats upon the like occasion 2. Chr. 20. v. 6. Now as it belongs to Authority and is the duty of every General to command the publique and solemne performance of this duty before the joyning of Battell if the time will permit so doth it concerne every Souldier to lift up his heart to God in order to the occasion and performe this duty in some sort answerable to the straits of time And therefore be your service and imployment never so suddain and urgent yet will it admit the private ejaculations of the heart be you in a March or Motion towards the Enemy the mind can move faster towards heaven or be you in the very Encounter the suddain thoughts and desires darted from the Soule are more ready then the dischargings of your Gunns more quick then fired Powder or flying Bullet Moses being in a strait between the Red-Sea and the pursuing Enemie is said to cry unto the Lord yet we read not that he speak any thing Exod. 14.15 it was the cry of the heart and that also sounds in Gods eares Iehosaphat when oppressed in battel by the Syrians cryed unto the Lord and God moved them to depart from him 2. Chr. 18.31 So the men of Iudah when the battel was before and behind them cryed unto the Lord 2. Chr. 13.14 The good Emperour Theodosius in the like danger prayed and was delivered the darts and arrowes that came from the Enemie being by a mighty wind borne back again upon them And we read of the Christian Legion which serving under Antoninus an heathen Emperour did by prayer save the whole army from the necessity of perishing either by drought or by the Enemy for out of the same cloud at their prayer did issue Raine to refresh the Army and Thunder and Lightning to strike and confound the Enemy For direction of your thoughts and desires in order to the Battell take what followeth The PSALME THou art our King O God send help unto Iacob Psal 44. v. 5. Through thee will we overthrow our Enemies and in thy Name will we tread them under that rise up against us v. 6. For we will not trust in our Bow it is not our sword that shall help us v. 7. There is no King can be saved by the multitude of an Hoast neither is any man delivered by much strength Psal 33.15 But it is thou that savest us from our Enemies and puttest them to confusion that hate us Psal 44.8 Through God will we doe great Acts for it is he that shall tread downe our Enemies Psal 60.12 The Prayer O Almighty God King of Kings and Lord of Hoasts it is nothing with thee to helpe whether with many or with them that have no power Helpe us O Lord and deliver us