whosoeuer entreth into followeth anie path let him be sure to misse the King of Kings high way though he should plot with Ieroboam and out plot Achitophel which were hard for the best wit to doe Nay grant that he hit her plot of profit pleasure or honour yet shall he misse the path of heauen except he returne The waies of man may seeme straight green pleasant at first but if he consult not with the word of his God they wil proue crooked black and mirie at last But why go I about to praise the Sunne for light the fire for heate siluer seuen times tried for purenesse and that which passeth the honie and the honie-comb for sweetnesse They praise themselues yea and God himselfe praiseth them Onely this I will say more As no godlie Captaine or souldier will do anie thing how meane or how great soeuer except he haue Gods word to allow it so also no godly Captaine or souldier wil do anie doubtful thing be it euer so small how much lesse the weightier things of such a priuat wit or conceit in the word as to become his owne iudge what is the will of God therein but rather aduise with holie Seers Coloff 3.2 such as haue set their affections on things aboue and not on things below A mans own praier to God according to the word and his owne consultation with God by the word are not enough in these cases Rom. 12.3 This ouerweening wit presuming to vnderstand aboue that which is meet hurteth the most godly when they fall into it And as for the wicked who contually both worke and play with their fine refined wits Prou. 26.12 there is more hope of arrant fooles then of such Good men may faile in this by trusting too much vnto their owne iudgement and thereby meete with a temporall punishment for such slips But the wicked make a continual practise of relying on their owne policie quite neglecting yea and some of them contemning the the word Was not Achitophel a patterne of such fooles Doubtlesse he was And if you see an example of a holy man quite ouerturned by trusting to his owne counsell see it in gracious Iosiah when this good King this peerlesse King for in that respect so I may say of him tooke aduice by the word from the mouth of Hulda the Prophetesse 2. Chron. 34.21 he receiued a right comfortable answer from the Lord his God but afterwards for want of taking such aduice that most famous religious zealous King perished in the battell against Pharao Neco 2. Chron. 35.20 We do not find that he did then consult with his God by the help of his gracious Prophets Now if it be a thing so dangerous not to aske counsell of holy Ministers what is it to refuse their good counsell giuen what to enterprise things quite contrary to the word Surely a double and treble fault full of double and treble danger By obstinate refusing good counsell from the Lords true messengers Num. 14.45 you may see that the Israelites were ouerthrowne in fight against the Amalekites and Canaanites 1 King 22.17.28 And so also came Ahab to his desperate death he would go vp to Ramoth Gilead though the Prophet shewed him his fall most plainly Happie then are they who giue eare and obedience to the word of our God Mal ◠truly opened by his faithfull Ministers The Priests lips should preserue knowledge For whom For all sorts both high and low rich and poore learned and vnlearned and they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of hoasts Yea and as he should counsell all sorts of warriers by the word so should he comfort and encourage them in the verie time of entrance into the battell When thou goest out to battell against thine enemies saith our God by his seruant Moses and seest horses and chariots Deut. 20.2.3.4 and a people more then thou be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee which brought thee out of the land of Egypt And it shall be when ye come nigh vnto the battell that the Priest shall approach and speake vnto the people and say vnto them Heare O Israel yee approach this day vnto battell against your enemies let not your hearts faint feare not and do not tremble neither be troubled because of them for the Lord your God is he that is with you to fight for you against your enemies to saue you Thus you see what great vse and neede there is of the Ministers priuate counsell and publick instruction euen in war These things so it alwaies behoueth both Captaines and souldiers to be frequent in consultation with their God touching all matters belonging to their places Consultation I say by often and feruent praiers and consultation by aduice of godly and learned Preachers This consultation must begin at the first houre and neuer end till a souldiers last houre be ended yea and Sion souldiers ought also to ioyne priuate reading and meditation in the word together with this consultation according to that in the first Psalme His delight is in the law of the Lord Psal 1.2 and in his law will he meditate day and night and agreeable also to that in Iohn Search the Scriptures Iohn 5.39 for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me And specially as our God cōmandeth Iosua which commandement extendeth to all souldiers Let not this booke of the Law depart from thy mouth Ios 18. but meditate therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe For this purpose if they reade Psal 3. Ps 27. Psa 57. and Psal 118. they may finde much comfort in these places And thus much for the eight worthie linke here ioyned with the rest as the last linke to make vp a heauenly Chaine for Sion souldiers Such as keepe these links together in a gracious order are fitly adorned to wait vpon the true God of battell that King of glorie and they to whom our God giueth these eight worthies for a spirituall chaine are fittest and likest to performe most valiant actions and worthy of great honour here with their Kings and Princes and shall be accounted worthy to reigne as kings with that King of Kings for euer Shall I now say that here touching these eight links which I said before concerning those seuen peeces of armour viz. suffer thy Pastor to ioyne these eight links together for thy good and to fit them to thee for thy defence I might say so but I will say thus Do not onely suffer but intreate thy Pastor also to ioyne and fit these seuen peeces of armour aboue named as heauenly and compleate armour of choice to defend thee and these eight links also as a heauenly
as his God in this instruction Our gracious God vouchsafeth to teach his seruants his souldiers how to fight Hee teacheth my hands to fight saith King Dauid Nay more then this so honorable is the profession of a souldier that God of vvarre by the pen of his seruant Moses professeth himselfe to be a man of vvar The Lord is a man of warre saith he You saw before that he called himselfe a Captaine of the Lords hoast here he is called plainly A man of warre As he took mens nature vpon him so taketh he mens names vnto him they men of warre he a man of vvarre they brethren he a brother they seruants and he a seruant yea and imparteth also his owne names to the sonnes of men he a father and men fathers he a King and men Kings nay he a God and men Gods And vvhat so great maruell is this for names sith it is his good pleasure to make men partakers also of the diuine nature in regard of qualities and to giue them an entrance here into his euerlasting kingdome where at his appearing they shall be like him yea one with God O wonderfull humiliation on the one side O wonderfull exaltation on the other side Warre then is ancient vvarre then is honorable If we respect the spirituall warre all the life of man is a warre saith Iob if we respect the corporall warre we may see that as our God will be called a warrier so he will haue his deputie Kings who yet aboue all other men ought to seeke peace and make peace and keepe peace if it be possible to be vvarriers also vvhen time and cause are offered Samuel did signifie thus much to the Israelites vvhen he told them that their King would chuse some of their sonnes to make instruments of warre and other some to be Captaines ouer thousands To this end for one also he gaue King Saul another manner of heart then that which he had when he sought his fathers asses a couragious heart for battell and made little Dauid a man of great courage as to take a Beare by the throate a Lion by the beard and a Giant by the eares yea and this prouident God of ours chargeth Kings to make war by counsel and teacheth them to be circumspect in war What King saith our God goeth to war against another King and sitteth not downe first Luke 14.31 and taketh counsell whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twentie thousand Moreouer we perceiue that all people of vnderstanding despise a coward and respect a man of valour whence it is that the name of a dastard is a base by-word of great reproch And hence also it comes that they who are to be chosen to offices of any eminencie in the Weale publike one speciall qualitie regarded in them is according to Iosuahs counsell that they be men of courage Lastly Exod. 18.21 we may see in all ages that the most worthy Kings and Princes haue highly preferred souldiers of fidelitie policie and prowesse yea giuing them titles and places so high as to be of their Councell such were King Dauids Worthies 2. Sam. 23.8 and from hence euen from courage in war proceeded that which greatly sheweth and setteth forth the ancient dignity of a valiant souldier namely Armes Souldiers are specially called Men of armes nay they onely are so called and haue had both Names and Armes giuen them as well as other honours for their worthy deeds of Chiualrie These things thus I will come to apply that which I haue briefly laid downe of the right worthy and ancient profession of a souldier concerning which this I say Sith the antiquitie dignitie estimation and vse of men of warre is so great what maner care ought true Christian souldiers to haue for ioyning heauenly cariage with earthly nay rather with heauenly courage heauenly armour with earthly armes Surely an exceeding great care thereby adorning a profession so princely with all eminent vertues and holinesse otherwise they do not only forset all their former titles ornaments and aduancements of sacred and worthy souldiers but withall they shame as much as in them lieth their countrey their Religion their Kings their Princes their Leaders their parents their teachers their kinsfolkes their alies yea and dishonor their God also Far be it then that a Sion souldier any one I meane who haue that name should in his deeds be found to be a swearer a drunkard a drone a tigre a peacock a lyer a bragger a Thraso a filthy doer a loose speaker a lasciuious liuer a quareller a cutter a cozener a shifter an irregulous Atheist a prophaner of the Sabbath or any way tainted with any other notorious sin No no a Sion souldier must be a Saint by life as hee is by calling Hence it is that I vse my best endeuour to perswade all Protestant souldiers to all maner holinesse and this not onely in peace but in warre also yea and then especially lest they lose the presence of God and his blessed Angels when they haue most need of them Will you see a precise commandement for a speciall regard of their holy cariage in warre his generall commandement to all the world that they be holy as he is holy Leuit. 19.2 might serue for all sorts yet it is his good pleasure very remarkable to informe their care of holinesse in the very time of warre Deut. 23.9 When thou goest out saith our God against thine enemies keep thee from all wickednesse Will you moreouer see the exhortation of a most valiant godly Captaine to this See it in Iosua a little before the destruction of Ierico The very day before their miraculous passage through Iordan Ios 3.5 he called them together and said Sanctifie your selues For your better and more full consideration yet what a great respect our glorious God hath to his peoples holinesse in warre ponder I pray you deeply of the grieuous state of Gods armie yea and of good Iosuah himselfe especially at their fight with the men of Ai. How came this Ios 7.1 Because there was one wicked man in secret among them Behold this turned to their great discomfort Consider then with your selues how fearfull the standard of any campes must needs stand in all ages if there be many notorious wicked men in them horribly infected like lepers with many contagious vices Our good God I know both can and may spare such campes for his owne names sake for his owne childrens sake but I am sure that the case of such camps shall for euer be desperate for ought that man can see How so Because the true and powerfull word of our most true and powerfull God whose reuealed will belongeth to vs and our posteritie hath shewed it Reade and consider If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of thy God Deut. 28.1.2 3. and obserue and do all his commandements which I command thee this
day then the Lord thy God will set thee on high aboue all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come on thee Blessed shalt thou be in the citie and blessed also in the field vers 7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise vp against thee to be smitten before thy face They shall come out against thee one way and flie before thee seuen wayes vers 15. But it shall come to passe if thou wilt not hearken vnto the voice of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day the Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies Thou shalt go out one way against them ver 25.26 and flie seuen wayes before them and shalt be remoued into all the kingdomes of the earth and thy carkeis shall be meat vnto all the foules of the aire and vnto the beasts of the earth and no man shall fray them away Now let vs returne againe to that case of Gods camp at Ai. The lamentable state of that camp doth shew Gods angrie entrance into a terrible execution of this law with great seueritie Against whom Against his owne most dearly beloued people Ios 7.10 Obserue it well And the Lord said vnto Iosuah Get thee vp wherefore liest thou thus vpon thy face Israel hath sinned and they haue transgressed my couenant which I commanded them for they haue euen taken of the accursed thing and haue stolen and dissembled also and they haue put it euen amongst their owne stuffe Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before them because they were accursed Neither will I be with you any more except you destroy the accursed from among you Vp sanctifie the people and say Sanctifie your selues against to morrow For thus saith the Lord God of Israel There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies except ye destroy the accursed from amongst you ver 24.25 Then Iosua and all Israel tooke Achan the sonne of Zeuah and the siluer and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sonnes and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheepe and his tent and all that he had and they brought them vnto the valley of Achor And Iosua said Why hast thou troubled vs The Lord shall trouble thee this day And all Israel stoned him with stones And they raised ouer him a great heape of stones vnto this day O fearfull iudgement Whom may not this make to tremble when they commit grieuous sinnes in warre I acknowledge that this was an extraordinarie case at an extraordinary time neither do I in any wise compare lesser sinnes with this but still I say that vile sinnes may cause our holy God to turne his face from the armie And the thing that I presse is that shamefull or rather shamelesse sinners with a high hand should for euer either be reformed in or remoued from Sion camps Great vigilancie I say should be had in this matter and all good meanes should be vsed to obtaine a holy campe And still I heartily desire you to remember the state of Gods campe at Ai. For more stirring vp of all sorts to the practise of holinesse in campes let all true Christians consider that the chiefe cause why our God would haue his enemies ouerthrowne in warre by his children is their wickednesse And will not the same God expect that they who are made instruments to punish others for their horrible sinnes should be void of such vilenesse Yes certainly Yea and our glorious God hasteneth the ruine of his foes lest his children should learne of them to do after their abhominations and so sin against the Lord their God Deut. 20.17 18 Now though these abhominations consist especially in false worship yet all the godly know that all manner filthinesse of life which either idolaters or his owne children lie in are abhominable to our God also Yea and as idolatrie leades to filthinesse so filthinesse leades to idolatrie Reade Num. 25 1 2 3 4 5. This is apparent in the matter touching Baal Peor where the people committing whoredome with the daughters of Moab were inticed by and by to bow to their idols for loe thus it is said The people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab and they called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods and so the people did eate and bowed downe vnto the gods of their harlots And then by degrees it is said that Israel signifying a great number coupled himselfe vnto Baal Peor whereby the Lords wrath was kindled against them all till the heads of many were hanged vp against the sunne that the indignation of the Lord might be turned from the residue Call to mind the Israelites estate a little before they fell to these grosse sinnes When Balak would haue smitten them Balam tels him he could not do it Num. 23.21 Because their God was with them And why was he with them Because he had not beheld iniquitie in Iacob neither peruersenesse in Israel The great people of this great campe were true worshippers and holy liuers therefore the souldiers could not be conquered they were both outwardly inwardly holy Now for the better perswading you yet againe to outward and inward holinesse in war remember that our all seeing God is not pleased with any worship euer so religious for the forme Isai 1.2 to 20. Isai 58.1 to 8. Mica 6.6 7 8. or with any outward actions euer so specious for the shew or costly for the matter if righteousnesse of heart holinesse of life go not with them hand in hand no not with venturing of life for killing his enemies how many soeuer they kill See this for venturing of life in the case of King Saul he behaued himselfe valiantly against Gods foes for he smote the Amalekites from Hauilah vntill thou commest to Shur 1. Sam. 15.7 8. that is ouer against Egypt and he tooke Agag the king of the Amalekites aliue and vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword yet because he wickedly brake the commandement of his God and trusted in a shining outward performance without a simple inward obedience which is better then sacrifice his valiantnesse was of no value with our God What may I write to moue you yet more to a godly behauiour in warre I will adde this more That God who precisely commandeth cleanlinesse of bodie in the campe Deut. 23.12 13. as we may reade Deut. 23. doth he not much more regard cleanlinesse of soule in the campe Yes yes Psal 39.5 Reu. 1.13 Remember then as Holinesse becometh the Lords house for euer because he standeth in the midst of the golden Candlesticks so Holinesse becometh the Lords campe for euer Deut. 23.14 because he walketh in the midst of thy campe to deliuer thee and to giue vp thine enemies before thee therefore let thy
campe be holy that he see no vncleane thing in thee and turne away from thee This holdeth in spirituall things much more then in corporall Our God is a spirit and vieweth the spirit of man and requireth spirituall cleanlinesse inward cleanlinesse specially Math. 11.18 Is this commandement of God true and this presence of God true Yea they are most true O then let Sion souldiers be Cornelian souldiers such I meane as feare God and are deuout Acts 10.2,7 for this end and purpose I heartily with and pray and aduise that all Sion souldiers may now and for euer earnestly consider of and diligently labour to get and put on the spirituall Chaine and Armour which now I come to describe I shew it but God onely can bestow it This Chaine is made of eight heauenly linkes I haue here by Gods assistance collected eight worthy things from his owne word the mouth of the Lord hath declared them which they that make true vse of shall proue true souldiers of Iesus Christ their heauenly Captain Euery Christian must haue these eight linkes according to their seuerall places and occasions and weare them close together as in a chaine and put on this armour also but specially these double souldiers who fight both corporally and spiritually they must haue double care to enioy them graciously They that despise any one of these linkes or any part of this armour our God wil despise them and they shall be found vnworthy of the name of Christian souldiers God grant that such as make shew to fight on his side may in truth weare these eight worthies worthy links I meane graciously ioyned together as a spirituall chaine about their holy necks These they are 1. Person Gen. 4.1.4 5. First they must consider of their persons how they stand in Gods fauour As the sacrifice of a wicked man is not acceptable to our God no more is his person if not his person then no action which he performeth 2. Cause Ios 10.5.8 Deut. 23.4 Secondly they must looke to the cause for which they must fight that it be holy our iust God will maintaine no vniust cause Thirdly they who fight the Lords battels 3. Courage Ios 1.6 must see to their courage that it be valiant He sends not forth cowards to fight for him but valiant men and this valiantnesse is setled on a firme resolution at all assayes Fourthly they must consider of such mercie as belongs to Christian souldiers 4. Mercie Iam. 2.13 and that must be abundant for our God delights in mercie Fiftly they must obserue truth in all their leagues and promises and that must be vnfained and constant 5. Truth Psal 15.4 The God of truth loueth truth Sixtly they must haue consideration of their wages 6. Wages Luke 3.14 when to take it holily and when to be without it patiently Seuenthly they must haue care of their spirituall armour 7. Armour Ephes 6.13 this armour they must put on and keepe on for euer and not their corporall onely Eightly and lastly 8. Consultation Iudg. 20.18 they must alwayes consult with their good God in all plots enterprises and actions whatsoeuer Of these eight things briefly according to my little skill and strength For the first worthy that is to say a worthy person Sith our glorious God is the God of battell 1 A worthy person and ruleth all things therein both for beginning middle and end For of him and through him Rom. 11.36 and to him are all things How can a souldier haue any blessing in warre if his person be not loued but hated of this all-gouerning God Except his person be found worthy in that Worthy of worthies Christ Iesus whereby his conscience is more and more purified he is like an outlaw Tit. 1.15 depriued from all comfort in and protection from the high God As an earthly Courtier can haue no likelihood to be graced and preferred but rather to be disgraced and deiected if there be euident tokens that the King of that country abhors him so it is with euery souldier in Gods campe if his person be not gracious with that heauenly Captaine of Captains Michael whose great name declares his greatnesse Who like our God Faith with a gracious purpose of amendment of life if God lengthen the dayes are inward tokens of Gods fauour to a souldiers person The outward signes to be seene of men are A reall change of their old life for that sheweth the new birth Zeale for Gods glory with an vtter detestation of all leud companie and generally a holy cariage and behauiour in words and deeds gouerned by the word as in Gods presence Such sanctified souldiers may assure themselues that they are well accepted by the God of battell be it by life be it by death Therfore all wicked souldiers that are hardened in notorious vices are quite excluded whiles they so remaine from all hope that their persons please God and thereby haue iust cause to quake at euery sound of the Trumpet or Drum This being true as it is most true it behoueth Christian souldiers to consider deeply hereof and to labour by all meanes that their persons may be gracious in the eyes of their God yea and to know it and make it known by those tokens aboue named and such other before they put foote to warre lest they fall into horrible danger of soule and bodie state and name I write not this to discourage any sinner but rather to hearten them more by becoming holy I who write this do acknowledge that both my selfe and my fathers house and my owne house haue sinned and do sinne but I write it to stir vp my selfe and mine in our places and all Sion souldiers in their places to a gracious regard of holinesse more and more without which neither can we looke for any blessing in peace nor they in battell Therefore that you may prosper in war leaue off your grosse sinnes and come to the battell and stand in the battell graciously and holily that so your persons may be accepted in and by Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus much for the first consideration the first link the first worthy thing The second thing for Sion souldiers to consider of is the cause for which they fight 2. A worthy cause they must haue a worthy cause A souldier how valiant and vertuous soeuer who hath no consideration of this is in no better case then his horse the horse goeth willingly and fiercely to the battell as well as his master looke whither he rides him thither the horse hasteth against whom or for what cause the beast cares not because it is a beast it sufficeth the dumbe creature that his master sets him forward but this is not enough for a man especially for a Sion souldier he may not suffer himselfe to be drawn on to war by his owne vainglorie or couetousnes without due respect to the cause no nor to be
louing souldiers held out with him to the end without any storming at all meerly for want of mony or meate So let Sion souldiers do with their Dauids and not stand vpon their due or right in times of difficultie Let souldiers learne to make a difference of times and according thereunto now and then to flourish in all things now and then to fade in all things saue onely in one that is to say the assurance of a powerfull glorious and gracious God to supply all their wants if they will ply him with earnest petitions and trust to him who neuer failed any One way or other a faithfull man shal be supplied yea and sometimes that way hee least thought on as Lot from his bondage and the Israelites from the famine which the Aramites caused Therefore I say once more that a Sion souldier must still looke vpon that famous worthy linke of his heauenly chaine Resolued courage and not be clamorous or detected for want of his due in time of aduersitie Is this a souldiers case alone when he is abroad in war No surely It is the Mariners case at Sea yea and more then that also it is the Plowmans case at home it is the Artificers case at home nay and it may be the Pastors and the very Kings case himselfe at home All these haue their portions allowed of the Lord our God and according to their places plentifull portions in time of prosperitie but in aduersitie in troubled waters in stormes in dearths in time of pestilence in persecutions for the Gospell each of these euen the Lords annointed must be content to abate of their due of their right yea and come to sackcloth and ashes with fasting sometimes they must not looke continually for such plentie recompence attendance and respect as belongs vnto them No no they are in their right way when in such cases they abate of their right If this contentednes with want of their due belong to Prince and Pastor how much more to common people If to Kings and Captaines how much more to souldiers All men must receiue their state calling and place vpon condition that if our good God wil call them to wants they must be as wel contented with penurie as with plentie and say with patient Iob The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away Iob 1.21 Iob 2 10. blessed be the name of the Lord Shall we receiue good at the hands of the Lord and not receiue euill And they must say with Paul I haue learned in whatsoeuer estate I am therewith to be content I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungrie to abound and to want Is not our heauenly Father most wise most prouident most powerfull and most louing He is Therefore this affliction this want is good for vs otherwise he would not suffer it to fall vpon vs. Now know this moreouer that such wants as these may come to the most godly souldiers as wel as to the most vngodly ones For in things of this nature There is as Solomon saith one euent to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the euill to the cleane and to the vncleane to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Good souldiers may doe good an hundred times and yet sustaine many wants afterwards wicked souldiers may do euill yea commit foule outrages an hundred times and yet remain in great plentie yea and go away vvith notable victories Howbeit in the end there shall be a differeence made and seene as both Dauid and his son Solomon say Eccles 8.11 12 13. Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do euill But though a sin-do euill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shal be well with them that feare the Lord but it shall not be well with the wicked neither shal he prolong his days which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God And again Mark the way of the vpright man and behold for the end of that man is peace A good souldier considering this end wil not be discouraged in a faithlesse manner for want of wages and victuals when the enemy hath aboundant and thereby grieue his gouernour Act. 21.13 but as Paul said in his kind of war What meane you to weep and to breake mine heart I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus So should a holy Sion souldier say Why breake you my heart O louing Captaine by grieuing for my wants I am ready not onely to want my wages and foode for the cause of my Christ but to spend my dearest drop of blood for him and with you Zach. 11.11 Gracious Iosian souldiers so I call the tender hearted to their gouernours wil mourne to see their Captain come to any griefe or wound by the Captaines owne failing in any of his plots or cariages how will they feare then to bring their Captaine to mourning by their owne failing in any dutie of kindnesse to their Gouernour A holy souldier will say thus in time of his gouernours disabilitie to pay wages I serue a good Lord euen the Lord Iesus Christ who hath promised not to leaue vs nor forsake vs he will pay you and me our wages good Captaine And thus he will say in time of distresse for food Deut. 8.3 Math. 4.4 I liue not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of my God hence am I strengthened I did put on this mind at home in my country before I stept a foote towards this war therefore be not grieued I beseech you for any wants of mine as I haue bin well contented with my wages heretofore so am I as well content without it now and as for food O Captain I wait vpon my good God for it and here will I stand for him and to you come what may come till death it selfe come God assisting me onely be you strong and of good comfort Thus much for the sixt Worthy wherein I haue bin the longer because many souldiers haue bin so short in this contentednes with pay prouision as thereby to hazard or dissolue or destroy mightie armies 7. Worthy linke Armour The seuenth vvorthy linke which I aduise Protestant souldiers to consider of is their spirituall armour they must haue much more care of putting on and keeping on that armour then of their corporal armor this is that true armor of proofe which Paul for the excellencie thereof doth call The Armour of God By this armour Gods children are enabled through him by whom they can do all things to stand against the greatest assaults of all Take vnto you
saith the Apostle the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the euill day Eph. 6.13 and hauing done all to stand Stand therefore hauing your loines girt about with truth and hauing on the breastplate of righteousnesse and your feete shâ—d with the preparation of the Gospell of peace aboue all things take the shield of faith wherewith ye shal be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked and take the helmet of saluation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Let me now lay downe a little concerning euery of these seuen peeces of armour Truth the girdle the better to expresse them for the vnlearneds sake First of all Truth in worshipping the true God and soundnesse in this truth must compasse you about like a girdle to make you strong in your marching as they whose loines are girded whereby you may the better fight against all aduersaries whatsoeuer they be that oppose this truth In truth and in spirit you are to worship the true God hee will make this truth a mightie defence to you being indeed the first part of a Christian souldiers armour This armour is not like the corporall which is put on peecemeale this part first and that next and then the girdle last nay this is put on all together and so the girdle of veritie fastneth on all the rest For without this truth in Gods worship no other parts will sit closely or remaine orderly vpon you As the heathen man Cato said well of Cesar touching his earthly girdle Odi puerum male cinctum I hate that same yonker who goeth so loosely girded so our God hateth old and yong high and low who care not for his true worship this gracious girdle marke their behauiour you shal find it loose He that cares not for this truth in worshipping the true God shall be a false and a loose souldier Therefore keepe on your girdle you Sion souldiers Beware of idols beware of all false worship Masses and the purtenances adoration of Saints and such like Then hauing endeuoured to giue our God his due Righteousnesse the breastplate then I say comes your Breast-plate of righteousnes your righteous life must shine cleerly before men Part not this true life from true worship our glorious God shall haue great honour thereby and the aduersaries shall rest ashamed wheÌ„ they speake that euill of you which they cannot proue This plate will so couer your breasts as to make them vndaunted and ioyfull continually yea it will be such a peece of armour as none shall be able to pierce no not the greatest Anack or Goliah in earth or hell This peece of armour thus setled you must also put on spirituall shooes before you go abroad Peace the shooes you must haue peace from the Prince of peace you cannot stand in any war without this peace which passeth all vnderstanding If you venture abroad without those shooes that peace euery place shall be as sharp stones nay as thornes wheresoeuer you tread and if you kicke you shall kick against pricks Therefore you must carefully put on this peece of armour euen that peace which comes from the God of peace you must fasten it on to your soules as shoes to your feete then shall you tread safely Mal. 4.3 Vpon what Euen vpon the neckes of the wicked at last till they be as dust how great soeuer they be They haue their pleasure now and you shall haue your ioy hereafter their pleasure is momentanie your ioy shall be euerlasting Nay more then so our good God doth oftentimes also affoord his souldiers this downe treading of his enmies in this world Ios 10 24.25 yea vpon their very necks as he did in Iosuahs time This peace with God is the chiefe peace which no war of the most vile enemies can keep from you This peace with God will breed peace with men also and with all the creatures yea and nourish patience and courage against all oppositions without which men shall come so vnprepared to battell as a traueller to his iourney if he want shooes What a comfortable peace is this How famous are the very soles of these shooes and how beautifull are the feete that bring you this peace To this peace you are prepared by the glad tidings which the word of our God brings you touching the Messiah Faith the shield in whom our peace consisteth Your shooes being on abroad you go but not without your Shield in any wise In your iourney ouer and aboue stones and thornes make account that you shall meete with Buls of Basan whom no inclosure will hold with yong and old foxes also yea mad dogs and other mad beasts such as Paul fought with nay vvith Beares vvolues lions tigres and aspes feare them not you Sion souldiers depend faithfully and wholy vpon your heauenly Father trusting in his mercie through the merits of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord Sauiour and grand Captaine and vpon his good will towards you and withall vpon his most powerfull abilitie to defend you This faith shall be your shield and by it you shall be shielded This part of your armor is of such proofe as you haue a whole cloud of witnesses in the word of our God Heb. 11. the whole chap. chap. 12.1 to testifie that whosoeuer vsed it in a gracious maner vvere alvvayes kept from all the hurt of any troubles You may haue seeming griefes Heb. 12.11 but they shall bring you a substantiall quiet fruit This is that shield which performeth that truly vvhich is falsly reported of inchanted shields viz. continuall preseruation no earthly nor infernall blow can vtterly and finally ouerturne him that hath vvell put on this shield 5. Saluation the Helmet But yet left notvvithstanding all this dreadfull death do offer to seize vpon you and vtterly to dismay you you must haue more armour then this deaths stroke is mightie it offereth violence to the verie heart of your temporall comfort euen to life it self How shall you doe now On vvith your Helmet O Sion souldier and that is saluation Say to your selfe and say truly Saluation is mine by my Christ reserued in heauen for me 1. Pet. 1.4 2. Pet. 1 1â— nay an entrance into that euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is ministred vnto me abundantly When this Helmet is thus put on let death strike and doe the vvorst it can this assurance that eternall life is yours and kept in store for you by him from whom none can vvrest it this this vvill couer your head in the day of your greatest battell Then shall you say to death 1. Cor. 15.55 where is thy sting and to the graue Where is thy victorie My head my life is kept safe by my Head that Lord of life Imitate the vvilie serpent in this he still