fight for such a God Secondly you fight for Iesus Christ who hath fought with Heaven and Earth and Hell for you who became sinne to make you righteousnesse and a Curse to make you a blessing who gave Glory for shame Life for death Joy for sorrow that you may exchange shame for Glory death for Life and sorrow for Joy broken for your sinnes was hee that your breaches may be made up crusht was Iesus Christ for you that you might once be crowned with him you fight for that Jesus which is the God of Glory the Lord of Hoasts the Head of Angells the Heir of Heaven the Prince of Peace whose everlasting thoughts eternall purposes timely actions most bitter passions whose present worke at the throne of Grace whose all in all was and is and ever shall be for your present and eternall good and who would not fight for such a Jesus Thirdly you fight for the Holy Ghost his worke in the World in the hearts of the Saints is the great Controversie between you and your Adversaries God in you is their malice against you you fight for that spirit that fills you with joy unspeakeable and full of Glory by which you are sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes 4.30 by which you are comforted in all your tribulations Iohn 14. which maketh you meete for the inheritance with the Saints in light 1 Col. 12. which stayeth you with Flagons and comforteth you with Apples 2 Cant. 5. affording such meat which the World knowes not of which hall be as Rivers of water in a dry place and as the shadow of a mighty Rock in a weary Land whose inward heat of life and joy shall like the fire in the Temple never be extinct Fourthly you fight for the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ and the through-fare thereof in your Native Country that Gospell that hath brought life and immortalitie to light which hath discovered bowells of Grace in God to you from all eternity the treasure of Comfort the vision of Heaven the support of Saints the rule of life the way of Peace the path to Glory Fiftly you fight for Sion and all her priviledges for Sion and her Ordinances for Sion and her children for Sion the house of God 76. Psal 2. the Arke of God the Temple of God the joy of God 132. Psal 13. the perfection of beautie 50. Psal 2. for Sion the Subject of Gods love 87. Psal 2. of his desire 132. Psal 14. of his Jelousie 8 Zachary 2. the friend the Sister the Spouse of Christ for Sion which whosoever hateth shall be turned backward 129. Psal 5. to favour whose dust is an acceptable service in the sight of God Thus you see the fulnesse and generality of the Cause in respect of the soule you fight for the God of Grace for Jesus Christ the gift of Grace the spirit of Grace the Gospell of Grace and the children of Grace Secondly see the fulnesse of the Cause in respect of the outward man in many particulars First you fight for your King though this be esteemed a Paradox a Riddle a lye a scorne because it is contrary to his Commands and his Person is with those against whom you fight and so in danger yet first you take up Armes in under and for the defence of his lawfull Authority setled in Parliament and not among Cavaliers against those whose endeavours are to destroy the Parliament and Lawes of the Land and consequently all his Royall and lawfull authority and so either to unking and dethrone him or make him a Tyrant the high way to ruine him by exposing him to the wrath of God and the dangerous hazards of a Tyrannicall Government which are commonly stabs poyson plers and Treasons You fight for his Authority which is greater then his personall Commands if he should personally edmmand to murther which is forbidden by his Authoritie which would be most disloyall he that disobeyeth the one or the other the King saith he will rule us by Law and make his will that Law though it be in things contrary to knowne Lawes and you fight against his will because contrary to his Authority which is greater than his Will the party you fight against resist his lawfull Authoritie you his corrupt Will they his power you his Command they withstand him as a King you as a man who are the greater Rebells his deliberate Will is in Parliament signified by his Writ and Act of continuance his passionate will is in his Camp signified by his Commands that you should not obey his will in Parliament what will you doe you will say he is not present in Parliament therefore the third Estate which is essentiall thereunto is gone and so there is a diffolution of the whole I answer his power is there though not his Person he is not in his inforiour Courts personally but vertually and so he is in Parliament his Person may die but not his power you are proclaimed Traitors by his mouth your Enemies by his Law you by his Person they by his power you are proclaimed Traitors but what is the Treason you will not quietly let your throats be cut nor suffer the Parliament to be destroyed you will not advance Prerogative above Law nor permit an Army of Theives to take away all you have without resistance you will not destroy the Kings lawfull Authority by submitting your selves to his unlawfull Commands you will not permit cursed men to destroy the Parliament as Doog at Sauls tyrannicall command did destroy the Lords Priests 1 Sam. 22 18 but defend them from slaughter as David did Abiathar v. 23. in a word you will not be made slaves but say you are free borne and this is Treason how prove you that why your Enemies call it so 2. You fight for the recovery of his Royall Person out of the hands of those miscreants and reinstate Him in his Royall Throne and Dignity that both He and his Posteritie if God will may yet flourish in their Royaltie so that notwithstanding all contradictions you fight for your King Secondly you fight for your Countrie for the peace of it against the great disturbers thereof 2. For the plentie of it against the Plunderers tobbers spoylers destroyers thereof 3. For the Libertie of it the Lawes power and Priviledges thereof in Parl our Nationall Inheritance 4. For all your common Interests in any thing you enjoy your Houses Lands Estates Callings what ever you have is lost if the day be lost 5. You fight for your neerest relations your Wives and poore children who are undone if you give up the Cause if the Principles of Heathens have rendered them valiant for their Countries good and their Valour famous to succeeding posteritie shall not the Principles of piety be stronger in Christians thus you have a good cause it is clearely good it is fully good for God your King your Countrey in all their references never the like cause all things considered from the beginning of the World untill this day Secondly as you have a good Cause so
fulfilled and the face of things doe looke as if they were now in fulfilling and they must bee fulfilled in and about that very cause which you have in hand and why may we not believe but that even now the day of vengeance is in Gods hand and the yeare of his redeemed is come 4. You have a guard of prayers round about you millions of prayers like a Cloud of incense Lev. 16.13 doe alwaies hang over you and hover about you the Prayers of many generations that went before you you shall reap in joy what they have sowen in Teares little doe you know the many thousands of prayers night and day in your behalfe when you happily have not opportunity nor company nor place of conveniency to poure out your hearts before the Lord. What are these great Victories and wonderfull deliverances vouchsafed unto you but the returne of prayers in your behalfe that you so often prosper fighting in the valley is because so many Mosesses and Hurs are praying in the Mount Lastly consider you have a guard of providences for your defence all transactions of all passages shall still be loaded with your security the Sunne is willing to stand still in Gideon and the Moone in the Valley of Dialon The Sea will as gladly run backward as forward for your deliverance The Creatures delight to doe you service if God doth at any time bring you to straights it is for nothing but to shew his power and love for your defence if hee brings you to such a posture as that you can doe nothing but stand still it is onely to shew you and the whole World the salvation of God Thus you have a good first cause and Secondly a sure life Guard you have God his Angells his Promises the Prayers of the Saints and all providences for your incouragement Thirdly Consider the many infallible intimations as so many predictions from heaven of your successe which are a thousand times more promising then Elijahs Cloud 1 Kin. 18.44 of great Raine or an Evening red and lowring Skie of a succeeding faire day Mat. 16.3 First the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication is abundantly poured forth upon all the Saints in your behalfe An infallible signe of your successe The Cloud of Incense Leviticus the 16.13 which are the prayers of the Saints as will appeare by comparing that place 141. Psal 2. is the Cloud of his presence and a little cloud of that nature though but so big as Elijahs hand presageth a plentifull shoure of heavenly blessings upon your heads When God prepareth Daniels heart to pray Sions captivity is at an end Dam. 9.4 Hee that prepareth the heart to pray will cause his eare to heare Psal 10.17 such prayers and teares such sighs and groanes such surrounding the Throne of grace in publique in private in season out of season was never knowne since Adams daies as are now in your behalfe How many thousand lies in the gap in your behalfe every Jacob is become an Israell in your cause can you thinke you shall miscarry Secondly The Spirit of Faith and confidence of your successe in this cause is poured forth upon all the Saints and this also is a certaine Omen of your prosperity when God doth draw out the hearts of men to believe and to hope in his mercy it is a ground of strengthening their hearts for then will he preserve the faithfull and plentifully reward the proud doer Psal 31.23 the Lord shall help deliver and save his people because they trust in him Psal 37.40 should God enable men to hope and trust in him and that upon Evangelicall and Divine grounds and faile them how would he dishonour his son prejudice his faithfullnesse and discourage his people nor certainly as the unbeliefe of the Israelites was a provoking cause of Gods displeasure against them so the confidence of his people in this cause is most acceptable in his sight and a certaine signe of good successe Thirdly Consider God hath slirred up the heart of the State of the Kingdome viz the Parliament and to loâ—ke out and endeavour after a Reformation of all things that they can find displeasing unto God another most infallible and promising token of your successe we shall most commonly find that humiliation repentance and Reformation in a people have bin signes of mercy towards a people It is true we have an instance in Scripture of a most sweet and glorious Reformation in matters of Idolatry and prophanesse viz the Reformation of Iosiah 2 Chron. 35. and yet notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fearcenesse of his great wrath wherewith he was angry against Iudah c. 2 Kin. 23.26 but yet there was a great deale of difference between that Reformation and ours For first that Reformation was began by the King and so he compelled the people by his Regall power hereunto but this Reformation is from the people taking the first lawfull and best advantage from the constitution of the Kingdome to take up Armes in and under the Kings power and authority setled in Parliament and consequently by his command virtuall though not personall so that that Reformation of Iosiab was by compulsion upon the people whereunto they yeelded for feare but this Reformation is even from the people out of love though with the hazard even of the Kings displeasure Secondly when GOD doth afflict a people from his former displeasure yet there is commonly some new sin which comes in as a mediation and so provoketh God to remember the old score thus when Gods anger was stirred up against Israell the Devill moved David to number the people 1 Chron. 21.1 But heare we find no such thing as any new Nationall sin viz any act of the State authorizing sin and the good Lord keep our Parliament from such a thing we see rather that it is not because we have sinned that our enemies quarrell with us but because wee will not sinne our enemies quarrell against us is not because we have bin or are prophane in our lives Idolatrous in our Worship but because we will not be so for if we would joyn with them in these abominations we should quickly be at peace with them so that the very sourse and rise of the wars is the glory of God and blessed be his Name that the cause is the Lords and that wee can plead that before him otherwise we might give our selves for lost Thirdly the Affliction and judgement upon Iudah the fruit of old displeasure against them for the blood of the Saints spilt in Manassah his daies was the taking away of good Josiah from them by Pharoah Neco King of Egypt who slew him at Megidde 2 King 23.29 so that God tooke away the Reformer from them and so way is made for judgement upon them But now God increaseth the number of Reformers and hath so graciously opened the eyes of our VVorthies in matters offensive unto GOD as that they have done that which I am perswaded they
your Fastings and your hope and your faith and Your God or that God is the God of Papists and Atheists and Blasphemers c. and not the God of Israell and can his sacred eares abide such language as this No surely so long as we have Ioshua's argument to plead Lord what wilt thou doe with thy great name Josh 7.9 surely the end shall be good and Israel shall have the day Seventhly Consider Your Enemies have begun to fall already and this Hamans wife tooke as a sad Omen of her Husbands ruine Hest 6.13 and God hath begun to deliver us and this was also a good omen and blessed incouragement unto David 1 Sam. 17.35 36. and both these may be the like unto us How have our enemies falne at Edge-hill at Winchester at Chichester at Glocester at Dorchester at Stafford at Caversham neere Reading and in many other places how hath he discovered their plots infatuated their Councels and blown up all their designes given them all barren wombs and dry brests and how hath God also delivered us and driven backe multitudes of our enemies by little handfuls to the glory of his name and the gnashing of the teeth of the Enemie and their perpetuall shame and scorne let this also give you plentifull incouragement of good successe And therefore in the Eigth place Consider the consequences of any losse you shalt sustaine in this Service it is true all experience witnesseth that all things in externall providences falls out alike unto all men and that no man can know either love or hatred viz. of God by any occurrences that are before them Eccl. 9.1 2. even a Ionathan a Iosiah may fall in the day of Battell as well as others but yet there are very many cordiall incouragements in respect of any consequences whatsoever Consider suppose you should lose a leg an Arme and Eye c. have you not carried your lives in your hands willing to surrender all up unto God and are you affraid lest God should take you at your word You offer your life and he takes but a Limbe and is this your complaint or doe you thinke that being dismembred in Christ cause he will not know you is the badge of Honour the markes of Christ your feare Doe you thinke that that eye or arme or limbe which you loose for Christ shall be forgotten and not found at the day of your Resurrection but that it shall be a flaw in Gods Jewels even to all eternity shall a Cup of cold water in Christ cause given be remembred and the blood of your veines an arme an eye a leg be forgotten is doing for Christ so esteemed and suffering for Christ so flighted suppose you loose your lives in the cause have you not offered them and are you afraid lest God should accept of your offering are you troubled least you should goe to God too soone doe you feare your Crowne of glorie should be too heavie and make your head ake at that day are you fearefull of being chiefe in the Kingdome of God and of having part in the first Resurrection are you afraid you shall sit too neere unto Jesus Christ in Heaven is his right hand in his glory your jealousie be not discouraged your losses shall be gaine and the degrees of the one shall answer the degrees of the other God will be unto you our Wives and Children like himselfe in a way of recompence for your afflictions you shall have glory for your light afflictions weight of glory for your short afflictions eternity of glory for your very light afflictions a farre exceeding eternall weight of glory 1 Cor. 4.17 let all these incouragements fill your hearts with a holy boldnesse and Confidence Valour and Resolution to goe on and to follow God fully in the mannaging of this Cause and because Dignitie doth alwayes imply Dutie and Knowledge practice take these few Directions for your more hopefull Successe and comfortable proceeding in this Warfare First in the mannaging of this outward Warfare do not forget your more considerable inward and spirituall Warfare it is a sad and bitter thing to see how few Souldiers minde this thing nay to see men who before they entred into this Condition were seemingly Religious Modest Sober Temperate men so exceedingly changed unto worse that few would believe they were the same men what a sad thing is it to see mad men dance about the brincke and pit of ruine without care or feare alas you are in danger of Death every moment you know you walke in the Valâ—ey of the shadow thereof if you have not Interest in Christ your case is sad if you have and yet a guilty Conscience of a loose and carelesse and negligent life and Conversation alas how can you expire and breath out your soules into the hands of God with a cheerefull and comfortable Spirit suppose you prove Victorious and prosper in all your designes which the Lord grant yet what advantage will you have by gaining without and loosing within what will the spoyles of your Enemies advantage you when Sathan shall spoile your inward Treasures what is it to lead your Enemies into Captivitie when your owne soules are lead into Spirituall bondage by the Divell himselfe what is it that you let out the bloud of your Enemies when your vitall blood of inward strength and Communion with God seemes to waste that you surround your Enemies when your selves are surrounded with your spirituall Adversaries and therefore put on the whole Armour that you may be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand still wrestling with Principalities and power the Rulers of the darknesse of this World and spirituall wickednesse in high places Ephes 6.11.12 Secondly remember the advise of our Lord Jesus in the 3. of Luke 14. doe vi lence to no man accuse no man falsly and be content with your wages 1. Doe violence to no man nay put no man in feare Courage and meeknesse stoutnesse and tendernesse of Spirit Resolution and love mingled and well tempered together makes a man meet to fight under Christs banner if a man wants Courage his Enemies will not feare him if meekenesse his owne Souldiers will not love him had there been more Courage stoutnesse and Resolution both in Commanders and Souldiers there had not beene such flying away at Edge Hill had there been more meeknesse tendernesse of Spirit and love especially in Commanders happily there had not then so many of their owne Souldiers deserted them and got away from them looke upon Jesus Christ who for his meeknesse and love to those that fight under Him is called a Lambe a Dove c. and for Courage stoutnesse and Resolution is called the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah a cowardise milksop in the day of Battell and a passionate hot-spurre in his owne Quâ—rters doth ill become a Souldier of Christ The sâ—cond Rule of Christ is accuse no man falsly a thing as common as sinnefull among
Souldiers to accuse men of malignitie that they may the more colourably plunder them and so take away both mens Estates and good name at once Justice and Righteousnesse doth as well beseâ—me a Souldier as a Citizen and the accompt of both before God shall be a like The third Rule of Christ is be content with your wages As Covetousnes doth alwayes ill become a Souldier so especially in this particular Cause and quarrell for consider first this Cause is for the exaltation of Iesus Christ and therefore those who looke for comfort from the Cause and Successe therein must aime at Him and not to themselves if your aimes be pure for Him He will see your pay good in due time Secondly you pretend the righteousnesse of the Cause and not the benefit of the Warre that sets you on worke but is it so indeed Come see my zeale for God saith Iehu for the Throne saith God and his owne Conscience Iudas did seemingly forsake all and follow Christ but the benefit of the bagg was his hand and hopes When precious oyntment was spent upon Christ he pleaded for the purse under the notion of the poore for his owne base ends under the colour of Charitie are you for the Cause indeed what and not content with your Wages yes with all our hearts if wee could get it saith the common Souldiers How have you wanted it by the deceit of Officers saith the common Voat who like the unjust Steward in the Gospell which cozened his Master by his accompts write upon the mustering dayes a hundred for fourescore and fourescore for fifty who makes as little Conscience of lying for money as of telling the money they lied for I give not the lye to Noble Souldiers but to base dissemblers and to bee offended at these words is as the dipping of Iudas his finger in his Masters dish a certaine signe that that man will betray the Cause if he can make a bargaine on it though a Halter in the conclusion may determine there is nothing gotten by it Well let those whose Consciences speakes plainely with Achan Ioshua 6. the 21. I tooke the Goodly Babilonish Garment the two hundred shekells of Silver and the wedge of Gold c. let these I say who have troubled the Campe. the whole Kingdome by deceiving them both see the aggravations of this Delinquencie under these considerations First it is the most sacrilegious Robberie that ever was committed for it is most particularly against the very person of Christ whose Cause chiefly it is and how can you answer this at the great day He that will rob Christ in a thing so deeply concerning his glory would sell Christ as Iudas did for the like profit I could wish you would seriously remember the sad example of Annanias and Saphirah smitten by God to death for keeping back the accompt of his owne Estate and his sinne is aggravated from this consideration that he had lyed against the holy Ghost Act. 5.4 And if so what will become of you who keep back not your own but the Lords owne monies being the Free-will offering of the Kingdome unto him What doe you when you say I must have moneys for one hundred under me and returne it when happily you have not about 60. or 70 to pay and keepe up the rest but even lie against the Holy Ghost and rob Jesus Christ and to as great shame you shall one day acknowledge it as ever did Thiefe make his Confession at Tyburne when Jesus Christ shall bring to light your hidden basenesse lies and dissimulation againe you rob the whole Kingdome and are thereby as great oppressors as ever Monopolists or Patenteâ—s have been nay more in a great measure you retard the worke of Christ and are horresco referens guilty of a great deale of blood shed in the Kingdome I would you would seriously consider of it I have heard that some of you that have made a great profession of zeale to the Cause and of love unto Jesus Christ and that you applyed your selves unto the working the Warres out of these Principles but now who more covetous than you who more forward to comply with a sinfull custome of others in abusing the State by base and selfeish dealings than you which if you have true Principles of Piety you could never doe without great paines sinfully taken in stopping and in muzzeling the mouthes of your own Consciences which doth secretly vexe you within if spirituall life be in you but as a graine of mustard seed Consider consider do you know how soone your breath may be wrung out of your Nostrills and will this comfort you in your dying agony doth the wages of unrighteousnesse please you better than the love of Christ let me be plaine take heed of base dissimulation and hypocrisie You would be thought to fight for the Cause and for love unto Jesus Christ and this you say is your comfort if you perish you perish in a good cause and you are in Gods way and you expect comfort I would not trouble peace of conscience but why doe you trouble your owne peace What fight for Jesus Christ and rob Christ doe you fight for Christ and steale away the Free-will offering of his people from Him doe you fight for the Kingdome and deceive the Kingdome what and cannot endure to heare of any wayes of reforming abuses whereby the State hath been deceived well know this your greatest gaines will be your losse and your greatest deceipt will be in your owne soules Remember the Counsell of Jesus Christ doe violence to no man accuse no man falsely and bee content with your wages In the last place take heed of the common sinnes of common Souldiers of swearing drunkennesse loosenesse lightnesse vanity of spirit labour for assurance of the love of God and visible Interest in Jesus Christ minde your mortality and let the thoughts of eternity poyse your spirits keep Faith and a good conscience get your hearts into a dying temper and keep them therein for you walke in the shadow of death let God and Heaven and the deep things of the other World fill your thoughts and in all your conditions studie to be found in Christ that having fought your good fight finished your course and kept the Faith your Warefare being accomplished you may receive that Crowne of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give unto you and unto all those that love his appearing FINIS