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
sinnes done in the body which make the Souldier unable to goe through with his service and duty that belongs to his place which weaken the constitution of the body and eat out the Marrow of the bones such as drunkennesse rioting whordome and the like uncleannesse but these and all other wickednesse and sinnes of profanenesse as swearing cursing blasphemy bloodshed oppression doe not only make you loosers in the spirituall warfait and give you up to your ghostly enimies but also cut you off from Gods protection and blessing exposing you naked and unarmed to all the dangers of Warre And not only so but as it was said of Achan that man perished not alone but wrath fell on all the Congregation Jos 22.20 and as it appears by the other examples above alleadged you doe through such provocations endanger as much as in you lyes a good Cause to fall with you which you should uphold with your best endeavours Thus in generall you see a restraint is cast upon you you may not do or speak as you list you must leave of and avoid somethings and practise other you must strive lawfully observing the order and rule of your warfaire that you may please him who ha's chosen you to be Souldiers that is your God in the duties of a Christian life which is the Spirituall warfaire and your Prince in your orderly demeanour during this present War you serve him in Duties to be observed BVt a little more particularly to direct you let me commend unto you three Duties to which if you hold the observing of them will be your best Armour and provision 1. the true Feare of God 2. A due Dependance upon his providence protection 3. Dayly Invocation and Prayer These will preserve keep you from falling presumptiously into those former Evils of a lewd conversation and from sinking desperatly under the Evils and Dangers of War you will find the direction and comfort of them in all the imployments you are put to when you stand upon the Watch for the preserving of your selves and others when you are called to a triall of your valour against the Enemy when you are now to Enter the Battle when you have the issue of it either in Ill Successe or in Victory and taking the spoyle Of all which particulars something for your Direction Feare of God I. OF the Fear of God To teach a Souldier to feare may seem but an improper and unseasonable lesson but indeed to teach you this feare the Feare of God is to give you boldnesse and to tell you you need not feare any thing else The wiseman assures us and gives it for a proverb received of all that the Fear of the Lord is beginning of Wisedome Prov. 9.10 So it is to all that can learn it but especially it is the Souldiers Wisedome who seeing he ha's of all other most to do with fearfull and dreadfull things doth then acquit himselfe most wisely when he ha's learn't how to Arme himselfe most compendiously and readily against all otherfeares whatsoever by the entertaining of one fear the Fear of God Take confidence whence you will it is but vaine without this Feare be it from the multitude of an Hoast in Scripture you may read of divers vast Armies put to flight not smitten by their Enemies but stricken with a sudden feare sent among them from the Lord whom they least feared or be it from the strength of Armor see the Souldiers at the Sepulchre so astonyed that they lye for dead or be it from height of walls or from the spirit of strong drinke wherewith some Souldiers foolishly arme themselves when they go upon service see Belshazar carousing with his Princes and Captaines in his strong Pallace without any feare of the Enemy then laying seige against him when as one hand from Heaven not with a sword in it to execute but a pen only to write his doom upon the wall affrights them all Dan. 5.5 Now this Feare of God is a feare to offend him either by doing such things as he has forbidden for those tend to his dishonour and provoke him to wrath or by neglecting to doe such things as he ha's commanded for in those doth his service and worship consist and the performance of them makes for the advancement of his glory This Feare is grounded upon that due apprehension which we ought to have of God First in regard of his Omniscience in that he knowes all things and is a witnes to all the Evill we do sees us wheresoever we are and whatsoever we are about heares us whatsoever we speake and considers the very thoughts and desires of our hearts Secondly in regard of his Omnipetency or his Power as it is subservient to his Iustice in inflicting evill and to his mercy in preserving and rewarding He that can inflict or bring the greatest Evill upon man is most to be feared according to our Saviours argument I will forewarne you whom ye shall feare Feare him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell Luk 12.5 man consists of body and Soule God only ha's power to destroy both the greater World is made up of many sorts of Creatures God only has power to command their Hoasts to chastise powerfull Kings by contemptible Creatures froggs lice locusts so in Egypt but when he will shew his power by a judgement of more wonder a Iudgement worthy of God as it is Wisd 12.26 he can make the Sea give backe when his people enter and retire againe to overthrow the Egyptians pursuing them can make the Starres fight in their Course against Sizera Iudg. 5. can by one Angell from Heaven in one night destroy an hundred and fourescore thousand men in the Camp of the Assyrians Conclude therefore upon all men as the Prophet doth upon the Egyptians Esa 31.3 The Egyptians are men and not God their Horses are flesh and not spirit when the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall downe But he ha's power not only for Iudgement and destruction but also for salvation and how great is his power that for that purpose can command Legions of powerfull Angells and this also is a ground of the true feare of God His Power as it is subservient to his Mercy Mercy with thee that thon maist be feared Psa 130.4 Doe but thus apprehend the Allseeing Almighty God and such an awfull reverence and dread will possesse your hearts that it will check and restrain you from all uncleanenes because He walketh in the midst of the Camp as he tells his People Deut. 23 and will be a swift witnes against the adulterers and swearers and oppressors as he threatens Mal. 3.5 It was this Feare that kept Ioseph from consenting to his Masters wife how can I saith he doe this great wickednes and sinne agaiust God Gen. 39.9 It will restrain you from cruelty and all unjust violence so it kept