you abound in loue one towards another that your hearts be stable and vnblameable in holines before God euen our father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints So necessarie is this most singular gift of loue that the Apostle seemeth to labour it aboue all things as the meane to bring men to absolute perfectiō in dutie towards God and their brethren And indeed it draweth with it all other diuine vertues and excludeth al carnall affectiō making men to liue according to y e rule of the spirit Magistrates to gouerne and giue sentence in matters of controuersie without rewards Priests to teach without lucre Prophets to prophesie without monie Iudges to iudge rightly and all to imbrace Christian religion If this sweete concording harmonie bee amongst vs wee are assuredly the Lords and the Lord is ours and with vs at home and with our forces abroad But we must not flatter our selues with the outward shew of these diuine things it will little aduantage vs for our soules lye manifest before the highest and he seeth all mens doings not onely as they are done but as they be intended he surueieth euery mans secret chamber and what is done therein he searcheth the hearts and raines he recordeth with vs or against all our actions bee they neuer so couertly and closely done The counsell of the heart cannot bee so secret nor the hand so close but he seeth the desires of the one and the defilings of the other And though a man may seeme by his outward and open conuersation before men to bee holie it iustifieth him not before God vnlesse he be pure within And therefore in this case euery soule is to examine himselfe and purge the dregges of such corruptions as may seeme to hinder his iustification before God in Christ that is hee must reforme his waies and bee warie in his walking that all things may answere diuine dutie towards God to feare to doe euil and to couet to doe good And when he hath done his best he must say his workes are vnprofitable And that if any bee a sinner he is a greater if any haue deserued to be punished he hath deserued it and to thinke worse of himselfe then of another and to thinke hee neuer commeth neere enough to God in holie conuersation So shall hee proceede daily from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith frō prayer to praise God and neuer be idle from doing the will of God allowing all things expedient and profitable that may please God be it warre or peace life or death And to hold all other things base vile and hurtfull that haue only the words of the world and not the word of the Lord to warrant it Yea though a man thinke himselfe in the right way and finde no stop or let but all his desires are plausible to flesh and bloud fauoured of the world worldly minds it is good to make triall how he standeth by conserring his life by Gods lawes and his will with Gods word and his workes by Gods will and his safetie by Gods assurance and his daungers by Gods threats For the light of the diuine spirit of God discouereth euery darknes and his trueth bewrayeth euery falshood And therefore we cannot stand vpon a good intent haue we neuer so good allowance of fleshly policie But if wee bee studious in his lawes if wee desire to know his will and pray for his direction we shall neuer faile in our proceedings The most doubtful things shall be made plaine vnto vs the darkest shall be manifested and the best rightly performed They that are farthest from safetie may indeede dreame of securitie building their hope vpon carnall meanes which many times are blemished before the face of God by their owne grosse impieties and so a curse rather then a blessing may follow them Such were the vainly hoping Israelites to whom Esay cried out saying Heare the word of the Lord ye scornefull because ye haue sayd wee haue made a couenant with death and are at agreement with hell saying though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for wee haue made falsehood our refuge and are hid vnder vanitie This was the resolution of a secure people that put their confidence in flesh for gate the liuing Lord of hoasts This people spake not thus vainely with their tongues but testified the corruption of their hearts by their deeds that argued no lesse the spirit of God found out their dissimulation and proclaimed their madnesse to posterities to their perpetuall ignominie for our learning that now liue But woe vnto the people that bee in such a case for while they carke and studie too much on vaine thinges and rocke thēselues asleepe with peace peace they forget God their strength and so discouer their heartes wherein they likewise say we neede not to feare though the scourge come Euery man hath a conceit of his owne estate and howe hee standeth either fearing or presuming or resting carelesse what becommeth of these rumors of warres And he that is the Lordes and commeth neerest to true obedience hee in his owne eyes seemeth most vnworthie of the fauour and protection of God yet not so but his feare is a fear◠to offend mixed with faith to be defended not by his owne power or merites but by the free fauour of God in Christ. And the most wicked seeme to bee at a league with death presuming that God seeth not their sinnes and therefore they are carelesse of Gods iudgementes threatned couering themselues with vanitie as with a helmet flatter themselues in their iniquities as though it behooued them not to remember their owne dangers at home nor the perilles of such as are in their behalfes in the warres If any such bee amongst vs English christians as the purest wheate hath some chaffe let them looke about them for they are neare the period of their prosperitie For their couenant with death shall bee disanulled and their agreement with hell shall not stand when a scourge shall come then shall they be confounded by it They that sinne without feeling or feare and yet say peace peace are but in a dreame for when the Lord in his furie shall awaken thē they shal stand dumbe for the horror before their eyes The wisdom of these wise men shall perish and their hope shall turne to trembling and despaire for the sinners in Sion shall be afraid and feare shall come vpon the hypocrites and who may assure himselfe of safetie who shall bee able to abide the deuouring fire the day of Gods vengeance euen he that walketh vprightly speaketh righteous thinges refusing the gaine that commeth by oppression that shaketh giftes from his fingers that desireth not to heare of bloud that shutteth his eyes from seeing euill he shall dwell vnder the protection of the highest his defence shall be the
of good thinges increaseth his honor dayly he hath the true Philosophers stone which turneth all things be they neuer so crosse or contrary to naturall reason into the pure golde of a quiet vndefiled conscience by patience and hee hath within him a continuall feast and in the ende he shall possesse that most ioyfull Crowne of life eternall whensoeuer this mortall carkasse shall be turned to dust whereof it is It maketh him deare vnto God euen while he liueth on earth howsoeuer base he seeme in the world It will not suffer him to speake euill nor doe hurt to his fellow soldiers it transformeth a man into the likenesse of God in innocencie holinesse as if he were made of the same diuine nature Some may thinke yet that this Angelicall qualitie beseemeth not a soldier who indeede shoulde be couragious dismaid at nothing and ready to vndertake all matters of greatest daunger whereas the feare of God seemeth to make men ouercurious too scrupulous and too precise things deemed vnfit in a man of warre But this is a dangerous sclaunder against this inuanquishable vertue which indeed is so farre from the feare of bodily harmes in iust and lawful aduentures as it alwaies appeareth more forward then a meere humane carnall Roister that dependeth on nothing but his owne power feareth nothing more then his owne vaine valour to be seene foyled among men Wherefore did Ioshua that most triumphant Generall ouer the hoast of Israel exhort the people whom hee conducted to feare the Lord but because he sawe it was the way and meane to make them truely hardy and whereby they alwaies preuailed against their enemies whereof the people hauing had often experience they answered with one voice God forbid but we should serue the Lord our God that hath done so many thinges for vs since we came out of Aegypt This is the true resolution of al christian soldiers trusting in the liuing God in feare and reuerence which is to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse And in doing this God will be with vs as hee was with Dauid and he will make our aduersaries afraid of vs as Saul was of Dauid which was not by reason Saul feared the person of Dauid but that God strooke a terror in Saul for that Dauid feared the Lord. All Israel was afraid of blasphemous Goliah because they feared not God as was commaunded but Dauid fearing God became their preuailing Chamâ—ion not by force but by faith fearing nothing but to offend the Lord not in a seruile feare as a coward of bodily woundes or to die as faint-hearted but to doe euill And this feare coÌ„meth of loue and is builded vpon reuerence to Gods maiestie and his worde The feare of Gods children is not to feare the faces of men the power policie or multitude of men nor the death of the body which they know shall rise againe and their soules shall neuer die this feare is a strong assurance of victorie not by force but by God on whome Dauid trusted when hee â—estified his faith saying I will not be afraid for tenne thousand of men that shall beset me round about And this agreeth with another place where it is said Tenne shall chace an hundred an hundred shall chace a thousand We see then the fortitude of christian Souldiers and from whence it is namely from the trust confidence in the liuing God which trust cleanseth the thoughtes from sin and the body from committing euill els is not that feare perfect which hath promise to preuaile and whereby the weake handes shall be able to breake a bâ—w of steele the vnapt handes shall learne to warre the vnskilfull fingers to fight What a guide is this for young soldiers that can both teach the skill and giue the courage it is more then all mortall captaines can doe But sith this high Director hath allowed and approoued inferiour meanes for his children by degrees to attaine to greater perfection in all necessary faculties for the preseruation of this life and watereth them to the faithfull with the dew of his blessing Let him that commeth into the field fearefull of the hissing inuisible bullet of the roaring Cannon of the glittering sword and of the other terrible instruments and engines of warre and of death be take him vnto the protection of that most Highest who shall make him more valiant giue him courage and magnanimitie resolutely to encounter euery vaunting onset of the enemie assuring himselfe that as a sparrow lighteth not on the ground without Gods prouidence so shall not one haire of his head fall much lesse his body perish without that diuine decree And therefore to put away and cast off all slauish fearefulnesse and be indued with that true magnanimitie which shall neuer be quailed but stand firme especially if the defects thereof be supplied by the preceptes of Religion and by the practise of other diuine vertues whereby it shall become so absolute as it will faint at no fortune It will make a man as confident and constant as Brutus who being ouercome by Augustus Caesar was perswaded by some of his followers to fly to saue himselfe I musâ— fly indeede said he but with hands not with feete Meaning that he would not leaue that ignominie behind him as that his life should seeme vnto him more deare then his Countries libertie and therefore hee would fly to that which onely hope reserued as his chiefe safetie defence namely his sword whereunto euery true English hand is prest and ready to fly to preserue our Countries state against vsurping enemies That magnanimitie and courage which all men fearing God haue decreed to maintaine can yeeld no entertainement or place to that hatefull cowardly feare which is so much despised among naturall men that although it haue fortunate successe sometime it is of odious accompt And as all other vertues proceed of this Magnanimitie so from this base roote of cowardly feare spring most dangerous euilles as crueltie treason breach of promise impatience idlenes slouth couetousnesse enuie backebiting and all iniustice all these preuaile where the true feare of God is not And euery Christian else as well as martial men ought to be freed of them and the way to mortifie these vnsauorie and hurtfull weedes which choake vertuous proceedings is the application of some deadly corasiue to take the life from the roote that the branches may die also and beare no more fruite to the sclaunder of a soldier who must cutte off the maine stocke which is cowardice the most deadly enemie to militarie proceedings The coward is a stocke and a dead block in the shape of a man a retyring shadow that dazeleth the eyes and daunteth the courage of the valiant and prouoketh the forward either to stagger or to retyre A whole armie may be driuen to a stand by the fearefull behauiour of a
one is life and of the other hell death and damnation Whether agreeth best with the honor and reputation of a souldier to be carnall and careles or to bee watchfull and sober Put away then all wrath anger maliciousnes cursed and filthie speaking out of your mouthes It shall nothing diminish your valour neither shall you appeare more singular then becommeth Christians if you cleerely put off the old man with all his workes which clogge you that you cannot march rightly like souldiers to the end of true honor Put on the new man which is shaped in holinesse and knowledge for by it most high and pretious things are gotten euen al things that pertaine to life and godlines through the knowledge of him that hath called vs all from the corruptions which are in this world to be partakers of heauenly things And therefore we must indeuour to adde vertue to vertue and faith to faith that we may attaine to that absolute perfection which imbracing temperance bringeth foorth patience which importeth that contentation that is neuer moued with any temptation but delighteth only in godlines approued by brotherly kindnes which commeth of loue He that attaineth vnto this marke which is set before all men to aime at hath the true fruites of the knowledge of our chief Lord and commander Christ who knoweth how to deliuer his out of all temptations and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished and chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lusts of vncleannes and despise gouernment which are presumptuous and stand in their owne conceit and feare not to speake euill of them that are in authoritie ouer them Thus doth the spirit most euidently depaint out the true mortification of our corruptions and the terrible threats of Gods vengeance for disobedieÌ„ce to Rulers and loosenes of life It is dangerous to shew our selues rebellious against this sacred counsell And by their patience souldiers may be put in minde of too much forgetfulnes of their duties to God and their immoderate boldnes to sinne wherein as I cannot altogether excuse my selfe or any other so I heartilie wish reformation in all and all estates For it is time to thinke of Gods iudgements begun not onely against our Christian armies abroad encountering the Turkes our owne and our neighbours neere but also against our selues here at home whom God hath forwarned to forsake our pleasures by plagues lately past by dearth and famine present and by warres threatned Among many other enormities proceeding of the want of warres true discipline it is not the least that our pretended souldiers returning from the warres should haue either hearts in themselues or sufferance by law to become vagabonds for their parts they bewray their cowardly mindes in that they will leaue the honorable practise of warre and betake them to ignominious begging whereby the profession of armes is dishonored and the Magistrates power is thereby discredited the force of the lawes shewed to be of small effect and the common quiet disturbed But for such idle persons as pretending shame to begge which indeede is shamefull to able persons seeme not to be ashamed that they work and labour not which is both an honest and godly meane to relieue themselues without disparagement of the reputation of their militarie profession as they vainly pretend it Indeede such is the casuall course of warre that thereby sometime the rich are made poore and the poore inriched And therefore it behooueth a souldier to lay downe before hand to bee constant in euery fortune for if he faint vnder the burden of the aduerse and become more grieued than agreeth with his professed magnanimitie hee bewraieth himselfe to be but a dastard For it is no shame for a man to become poore for his countrie in the warres but the disgrace is his countries if he deserue well and yet wanteth reliefe If he be ouer much eleuated in conceit with prosperitie he bewraieth his vainglorie which hee knoweth by experience may alter in a moment If he bee sicke in the warres it is incident euen to Princes that liue in pleasure at home with dainties and phisicke therfore let the souldier beare it with courage wherein it beseemeth the most worthie yea the best Commanders to be seene carefull that al possible comfort be yeelded to such as are visited for that they haue no reliefe or comfort but inwardly from God in whom they ought to trust and from their companions strangers in effect who indeede if they be true souldiers will aide one another To be wounded in the warres is glorie and to dye in a iust cause purchaseth immortall memorie And because of all other things incident to militarie men nothing is so certaine as death for that it is decreed that all flesh shall dye and the effect of warre is to kill and to destroy men euery souldier must say vnto himselfe when hee goeth to the warres hee goeth to finish a long pilgrimage Though wee see it happeneth not to all souldiers to dye in the warres yet some spend many yeares euen from their yong yeares to gray haires continually in the warres induring many bickerings fightings hurts and hurting and yet end their daies in peace at home in their beds Our own late deseruers testifie the same to their glorie that shall not dye But admit thou knewest thou shouldest die in the field be couragious for death neuer appaleth the vertuous For as Cicero saith All wisemen dye willingly But the word of God affirmeth that the godly dye more willingly for that they be the Lords And that made Thomas to exhort his fellowes to dye with Christ. Paul sheweth a reason why the godly need not onely not to feare but to bee willing to dye namely to be with Christ. There is a notable mirror of this disdaine of death in Callicratides General vnto the Lacedemonians who being readie to giue battell to his enemies was warned by his Soothfayer that the entrailes of the sacrifice promised victorie to the armie but death to the Captaine whereunto he answered as one resolute to dye Sparta consisteth not in one man for when I shall bee dead my countrie shall be nothing lessened but if I to saue my self should absent me from the battell or goe backe the reputation thereof will be diminished Whereupon he substituted Cleander in his place and gaue battell wherein he was slaine What Christian souldier will not imitate his râ—solution to dye sith wee haue a better assurance to liue after death And if our Creator haue decreed our death sith it cannot be auoided let no man couet to start aside contrary to dutie in hope of safetie for it not onely auaileth nothing but it increaseth the burden of our feare and it argueth distrust in his prouidence that made vs and who can find vs out and confound vs. But rather grounding our assurance
God and our spirits as euery good thought but conceiued in the heart is present with God and his mercies againe of his loue and bountie in Christ meete our desires and supply our necessities with all thinges expedient yea better then wee can aske or thinke Prayer is a lifting vp of the heart to God by the motion of this diuine spirit And this is that spirituall thing that armeth and defendeth the christian soldier it is a helmet and a sword a weapon both offensiue and defensiue The Iewes preuailed more by this against Amalâ—â—k then by fighting And therefore as Paul commandeth it as a thing necessarie before we eat and before we vndertake any labour so much more before we march toward the battell most of all before we fight But how should men pray to him in whom they beleeue not they do but for fashion they speake but the wordes that are good of themselues if they proceeded from knowledge and beleefe but because they know not they beleeue not and because they pray and beleeue not the wordes they speake yea be it the Lordes prayer it selfe profiteth nothing And therefore such as couet to pray aright must first learne then beleeue with a full assurance of the heart builded vpon that knowledge which is reueiled out of the word of God by the spirit whereby the promises of safetie and saluation of rest and refuge are declared vnto them and they apprehending them by faith are rightly prepared and made fitte to talke with their Creator not by the mediation of Saint or Angell but by the immediat intercession of the man Christ Iesus who knowing their infirmities and temptations standeth assured vnto them euermore in whose name and for whose sake they may aske and haue all thinges Let euery man therefore examine whether he know aright and beleeue aright then doubtlesse he may pray aright But it is the fault of too many not onely of soldiers but of all sorts of men to say in their heartes there is no God and therefore they say no praiers though they seeme to pray often because they haue no faith and yet they babble with their lippes as if they were truely deuout But as none examineth the heart but God and none findeth out the Hypocrites Atheists and such as deceiue themselues and the world with fained shewes of religion but God so I leaue iudgement to God But I say with Dauid such as deceiue themselues in dissimulation say in their hearts there is no God to finde them out But they are fooles and become odious and abominable before God If souldiers be abominable where is their hope of Gods presence with them If God refuse them nothing remaineth with them nor comfort for them but feare and confusion And therefore if they regarde their safetie here in this life and their saluation to come let them imbrace that knowledge that may ingender faith that may bring foorth praier which shall conioyne and knit them so to God as they shall be able to say with Job I know that my redeemer liueth So euery souldier shall be able to assure him that his defender liueth that his strength castle comfort and refuge is in heauen readie to helpe him and to relieue him and to deliuer him here in earth Some are apt to many things some to all things but they cannot pray They can handle their peece well they can tosse the pike well they can vse the sword well decent qualities for vertuous men most fit for souldiers Some can sweare well swagger well carrouse well dissemble well things proper to vitious men most vnfit for souldiers But when they come to heare the word well when they shuld beare it away well practise it well to beleeue wel pray wel they put it ouer to other men say they be souldiers But they are but single soule souldiers souldiers that haue but the carnal not the spiritual power that was in Moses Dauid Ioshua Hezekiah Sampson and others without which twofold blessing they seeme to be but are not true souldiers as y e diuel seemed to be but was not Samuel It were a happy thing therfore if our English souldiers would looke backe a little into the time they haue had to learne wisedome and knowledge and faith and praier liuing as they haue done in a kingdome of peace brought vp in Christian warres and haue had the vse of the Gospell freely If they bee ignorant sinne followeth ignorance and death and hell sinne But it is not too late being late to seeke knowledge to exercise faith and practise prayer This is the way to become the souldiers of Christ brethren with Christ and heires with Christ who will yet grace them if they come quickly with the title of Christian souldiers and crowne them with the glorie of conquering souldiers but if they be negligent and will continue foolish still they may couet it too late and bee shut out like the improuident virgins If then they haue any sparke of that spirit which teacheth wisedome let them presently striue and without delay take hold of time for it is slipperie and swift yet pretious and not to bee redeemed for any price A souldier thinketh it a great grace that can obtaine the place to leade the Vangard of a battell the Forlorne hope which is to betake him into the greatest danger for a little glorie among men and priseth life of little value in regarde of the reputation of being desperate in the field but when they bee called to the most honorable seruice the seruice of the liuing God which consisteth in the former most sweet exercises of faith religion and prayer they seeme happiest that come in the rereward the forlorne hope indeede for they deceiue themselues in preferring vaine honor before immortall glorie But were they qualified with these heauenly vertues then should their valour shine as the Sunne in the forward of the battell and draw with them the maine bands with such godly resolution as should quaile their enemies with a spirituall terror It were a most worthie sight to see souldiers in the field to flocke about the preacher and to accompanie and conferre with the godlie and to contend in vertuous emulation who should bee most religious in an armie who could speake best of God liue best before GOD and pray best vnto GOD. This is the weapon that must preuaile if wee at all preuaile this is the fort that must preserue vs if we be at all preserued and without this haue they neuer so glorious a promise of the flesh it is peeuish and vaine Some in an armie may perchance haue an inclination to serue the Lord which is a good token of a desire But they bee not graced of their fellow souldiers nor of their Leaders as they ought they become rather scorned then fostered or followed But let them not
rise vp against vs. But if we leaue off to do good if we neglect godlines and imbrace vanitie our staffe is broken and our streÌ„gth departed from vs yea when wee thinke wee stand vpon a sure ground For God is ielous of our obedience as also he is powerfull he can doe what he will he is absolute and not partiall in his proceedings and being moued to anger who is able to abide his furie He is not satisfied with the bloud of some of his enemies he threatneth all and spareth none abroad or at home but such as feare him repent their sinnes and walke in his waies And he reputeth none more deadly enemies vnto his maiestie then they that haue tasted the sweetnes of his word the comforts of his preseruation and protection and the multitude of his blessings and yet neglect him in his due seruice dâ—sobey his will walke after their owne lusts and stand vpon their guard without him as if they were Lords of their owne and could by themselues and of themselues defende themselues and theirs It displeaseth him deeply when mens confidence in him decaieth or when men presume on him without testimonie of obedience to him by godly life and religious conuersation For what is it but to denie him to bee God when man trusteth in his owne wisedome strength or policie things of themselues good profitable and necessarie and yet become vnprofitable vnto them that hold them as absolute meanes of themselues to defend preserue or relieue man And how doe they argue other thing then trust in these things meerely when seldome or not at all they seeke God to blesse and prosper such meanes vnto them Such as sit at home may not thinke it enough to number their forces abroad and according to the strength and weakenes multitude or paucitie of them to measure their hope or feare of successe for so they shall shewe themselues either to presume or to despayre two forbidden extreames for were our forces abroad in our owne conceits inuincible and our countrie at home by nature and scituation most strong we haue no assurance thereby of securitie without God more then had the people of Jdumea a prouince of Canaan who putting their trust in the strength of their countrie being rockie and vnapt to be inuaded were threatned by the king of kings to be subdued cast downe and confounded for their disobedience There is no safetie to the wicked whose hope is in carnall streÌ„gth though they can say with their lippes The Lord is our strength For as they haue no loue to him whom they grieue by their sins so is their offended God farre from them in the time of their greatest neede yea though they cry out The mercie of God is ouer all his workes and make it therefore an argument it is with them who are also the woâ—ke of his hands But herein consisteth their presumption for that though all creatures may say they are the worke of God by creation the disobedient man may least bragge of it And therefore they that testifie not by godlines faith and the practise of religion that they bee the worke of God in Christ by spirituall regeneration they shall be found bastards children of darknes and infernall degeneration who being led by vanitie to an vncertaine hope haue no further assurance of Gods defence then such as measâ—re euery issue by good or euill fortune the blind god of wicked men But as wee are professed Christians so our hope ought onely to be in the power of the God alsufficient in Christ in whom we may assure our selues if we be fruitfull Christians that the God of hoasts is with our armies abroad and with vs at home and he will giue them and vs by them most wished successe as hee hath alreadie and many waies done But where is our thankfulnes As we looke to be alwaies partakers of his power and prouidence of his mercie and protection as wee hope happie issue of our enterprises so we must shew our gratitude for his former benefits by our conformed liues and by daily prayers both abroad and at home For if the Lord regarde not the strength of an horse it followeth he hath no pleasure in the force of flesh and bloud But his delight is in them that feare him and walke according to his commaundements faith preuaileth most with God being fruitful and liuely As for armour or armies they neither preuaile against him nor without him But that part wherewith he is a partie preuaileth alwaies for he blesseth their counsels how and when to proceed he strengtheneth their hearts and teacheth their fingers the faculties of warre And therefore when wee speake of a multitude of men whether of our owne or of the aduersaries wee speake but as of a huge heape of grasse of many bubbles of water of many withering weedes of the earth But when we speake of men fearing God when we speake of the faithfull and of men truly religious wee speake of diuine strength for the Lord is with them the God of hoasts fighteth for them and by them who then can resist them But he that hath millions of men and trusteth in theÌ„ as in a prophane and faithles multitude is in the same accursed because he maketh flesh his arme as Goliah did who putting his trust in his huge masse of arrogant dust faithfull Dauid tumbled him to the earth as a handfull of dung in the name of the Lord of hoasts whom wee are also to hold our onely strength And that we trulie doe it indeede we must bring foorth the fruites of obedience to his will to testifie the same which is shewed in loue to himselfe aboue all men and in him one towards another Besides which there is no true token that we are the people for whom the Lord hath promised his protectioÌ„ abroad or at home The badge of that religion which is trulie of Christ is to shew it in loue for it is a thing so pure and holie as it doth no euill at all to his neighbour Wherefore loue is the very fulfilling of the law But if ye bite and deuoure one another sayth the Apostle ye shall be consumed one of another The effects of this loue are infinite whose diuine sacred properties are discouered in many places of the word of God at large Saint Paul wisheth increase of this pretious vertue to the faithfull because Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith which he cannot doe vnlesse they be rooted and grounded in loue And this I pray sayth he that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that ye may discerne things that differ one from another that ye may bee pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the praise and glorie of God And againe The Lord increase you and make
them to the like be it good or bad If they be seene humble before the Lord reformed in their affections and forward in the true and liuely seruice of God they may see how it wil worke in the lower sort who without constraint will become true conuertes vnto the Lord if not the sworde of the Magistrate is not for naught And sith a generall humiliation is required of the Lorde at the hands of all men let all men seeke the Lord in feare come before him in reuerence and let vs all testifie in our hearts through faith that wee take these gentle admonitions as sufficient motiues to stirre vs vp to repentance that God may repent him of the euils intended against vs and that he will deliuer vs froÌ„ these imminent perils which as a mightie tempest roare a farre off before they come vpon vs. Many notable arguments of the loue of God towards vs might be made If we could argue the like loue in vs towards him we then might say we are truly secure and more safe vnder his protection then in a defenced citie He hath giuen vs the vse of his most blessed and comfortable word he hath afforded vs long and wished peace great plentie and many other high blessings especially the most sacred mysteries of christian religion the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper and yet all these things can profit vs no more without loue and obedience faith repentance and prayer then the Sacraments of olde did Israel who were all Baptized vnder the same cloude and did eate with vs the same spirituall meate and did drinke the same spirituall drinke yet because of their stiffneckednes and rebellions they were slaine in the wildernes Such is the force of disobedience that it polluteth euen the most sacred things and prophaneth the most holy making a separation betweene the God of heauen and the abusers of his blessings In so much as no assurance remaineth of safetie of our selues at home or of our armies abroad vnlesse wee be holy as our profession is holy vnlesse we be truely zealous as our profession is truely pure The tabernacle of the Lordes couenant and the most holy reliques were in Silo but it defended not the citie nor the kingdom of Israel from the prophane Philistins no more can a holy profession without holy fruites make any citie or kingdome truely secure There was not a more holy Temple then that of Jerusalem but it was prophaned by the iniquities of the people that would not be reformed by the louing admonitions of the Lord who cryed vnto them by his Prophet Amend your wayes and your counselles and I will dwell with you in this place trust not in lying wordes saying here is the Tâ—mple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde But were these lying wordes to say that the temple of Ieâ—usalem was the Temple of the Lord So the Prophet affirmeth for indeed they had made that temple of God a denne of theeues So they that say The religion of Christ the religion of Christ and yet rest fruitlesse Christians doe but dissemble before the Lord who measureth and fadometh euery conscience layeth open the heart of euery hypocrite And therefore as saith the Prophet Rather iudge right betweene a man and his neighbour oppresse not the stranger the fatherlesse and the widowe shead not innocent bloud cleaue not to strange Gods to your owne destruction then will J let you dwel in this land that I gaue to your fathers Religion indeede begetteth infinite vertues where there is a working and a liuely faith to testifie it to be as it ought to be perfect and among all the effectes of a liuely faith none is more profitable then prayer for that it pierceth the clouds hath the grace to haue accesse vnto the high Maiestie of God through the meanes and mediation of Christ it effecteth great things with God so it bee truely sent either in the behalfe of the petitioner himselfe or any other to Gods glorie which in all our doinges ought especially to be regarded And therefore is intercession an especiall worke and a sacrifice acceptable to God in the behalfe of our brethren in the warres And deprecation against the good successe of our aduersaries is also necessarie wherein yet wee ought to bring a charitable zeale least we exceeding the bounds of Christian affection break into that which may offend the high God who as he is most wise louing and full of compassion and yet iust as he is wise so we ought to referre all vengeance and iudgement in our prayers to him and to yeeld our wils to his will For when we absolutely require vengeance of God to destroy our aduersaries without reference of our wils to his wisedome we seeme to seeke the spoile of them after our owne lusts and malice and in crauing God to execute our malice wee goe about to make him partaker of that forbidden passion of our corrupt affections for in asking vengeance without condition wee know not what we aske and so is our request turned into sinne This made Christ himselfe to reproue his Apostles Iames and Iohn when they would haue praied that fire might haue consumed a citie in Samaria as Eliah did to the Captaines God knoweth the meanes how and the time wheÌ„ to do all things and they that will vrge him absolutely in things which they ought to aske conditionally shall haue their prayers not only not graunted but recorded against themselues amongst their grieuous sinnes But wee haue warrant to pray that our enemies preuaile not against vs and that we may triumph ouer them in him if it be his will which must be annexed to all our praiers tending to any externall blessing for he seeth it fit and profitable for his sometime to taste of his anger euen by the sword of a cruell â—eople that will not repent at other his gentle admonitions and corrections And hee denieth the desires of his deare children when without knowledge of his will they aske what he knoweth vnfit to graunt them although it may seeme hard in our conceites not to receiue what wee aske because hee sayth Aske and ye shall receiue Patience digesteth both the deniall and delay of God in these things and conuerteth all to our profit yea though he touch vs often with his displeased hand his furie is not perpetuall he is more readie to repent him of his punishments then we of our sinnes But if he see vs disobedient and hardened in our wickednesse he then will turne his punishments which are in mercie into intolerable iudgements in his fierce fâ—rie And therefore he willeth vs to incline our hearts vnto knowledge whereby we may bee able to shape this heauenly exercise of prayer aright both for the benefits of peace and against the dangers of warre he will be sought vnto called vpon honored and intreated
to stand on our side and to fight for vs. For as hee louingly calleth vs vnto him when wee be grieued in daunger or heauie loden so in the time of warre especially he will bee made a partaker with vs by our humiliation and prayer or against vs by our disobedience He cryeth out against the careles and wicked that regard not his loue nor feare his furie or are luke warme or cold in zeale I will not heare you saith he though ye make many prayers because your hands are full of bloud He spendeth his labour in vaine and turneth his prayer into sinne that prayeth for that in the behalfe of another which he is not worthie to receiue himselfe They that seeke the Lord must depart from iniquitie for he heareth not sinners such as refuse to bee reformed One mans righteousnes cannot defend the iniquitie and transgression of another But the land that sinneth against me saith the Lord and goeth on in wickednesse I will stretch out my hand vpon it and destroy all their prouision of bread and send dearth among them to destroy man and beast in the land And though these thâ—ee men Noah Daniel and Iob were among them they should deliuer but their owne soules And to the end that the godly should not bee dismaied among the wicked he confirmeth his loue towards them by Esay who saith Surely it shall goe well with the iust for they shall eate the fruites of their godly endeuours But wâ—e vnto the vngodly for they shall be rewarded after their workes The Lord is found onely of the faithfull and they onely are safe vnder his feathers But as for the vnfaithfull their liues are not sure within themselues Yet none seeme more secure in their owne conceits then they who finding all things to goe well with them and all things to prosper about them make it an argument that God loueth them and consequently that he will not punish them But the argument holdeth on the contrary they that haue all things at their hearts desire are not the blessedst men and if they were beloued of God he would punish them for whom he loueth â—e correcteth Some thinke it enough to talke of God to heare his word and to serue him at idle interims when neither matters of pleasure nor causes of priuate profit moue them not otherwise God is last in their thoughts Nothing is lesse in their practise then prayer nor more seldome in their mouthes then the prayses of God Faith and the true fruites of â—eligion concurre not with the affections of the carnall man and therefore he little or neuer seeketh God for himselfe or other men And yet they can smile at the worlds fawnings and reioyce as one that findeth gold in a dreame but the Apostle telleth them that they haue no true cause in themselues to reioyce For if any seemeth to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing he deceiueth himselfe in his imagination And therefore let euery man proue his owne worke and then shall he haue reioycing in himselfe onely and not in another His ioy shall testifie his peace of conscience in simplicitie and godlie purenes which is within himselfe and not in fleshlie wisedome and carnall things that are only without and not properly his Such as are trulie godly and rightly zealous and simplie pure and vnfeinedly faithfull are neuer idle but still offer themselues by diuine striuings as it were vnto the God of hosts aswell in the behalfe of their brethren in the warres as of themselues at home And surely some that are in the eyes of the world very poore base and ignominious such as for their outward glorie seeme vnworthie to haue accesse vnto some men worldly glorious haue daily recourse vnto the most high and most glorious king of kings aswel in the behalfe of al their brethren as of themselues they seeke not their owne but the good and prosperitie of other men as their owne And as the souldier standeth in the face of the enemie to encounter him with the sword so they before the throne of Gods high maiestie for mercie and pardon that his furie and irefull indignation may be changed into clemencie and loue These are for the most part abiects in the world but accepted with God these poore are the Lords rich men these meane men are the Lords honorable these ignominious are the Lords glorious children Whether they bee rich or poore high or low noble or base he that feareth the Lord and serueth him truly is imbraced of him He respecteth no person by his wealth or title or office or dignitie in the world but as euery man liueth and obeyeth and worketh and performeth his calling so he is approued or reproued of the Lord who respecteth the godly hart within and not the glorious habite without the riches of the soule and not the wealth of the world the fruites of the spirit and not the workes of the flesh Such as walke honestly and liue godly and pray faithfully and praise him heartily are his and they preuaile with him they labour in loue to preuent the dangers at home and forget not the miseries of their brethren in the warres Yet may the impietie of the rude multitude draw the most godly into danger For although the Lord would haue spared Sodome for fiue and Ierusalem for one righteous man yet we must not think that God will spare many wicked for some few good mens sakes Ieremy and Baruch and other godly men were at Ierusâ—lem wheÌ„ Nabuchadnezzar destroyed the citie God is so farre froÌ„ sparing many for few as he punisheth many for one as al Israel for AchaÌ„ according to the Poets saying Saepe luunt ciues quicquid peccatur ab vno Not onely sinners but the tolerators of sinne are punished And though the godly fall among the wicked it is but a correction in mercie but the destruction of the wicked is in iudgement And because all should feare the Lord and reforme their waies and walke warily and not participate with the sinnes of the careles multitude he punisheth the godly in the day of the slaughter of the wicked The execution of iustice without partialitie fauour or foolish pittie is a necâ—ssary meane to stay the wrath of God incensed through sinne and fond affection and rewards peruerters of iustice a dangerous increase of iudgement against a whole people and nation For where iustice is neglected there lawes penalties are bought for monie and where Gods word is a cloake for sinne there is religion as a garment on all sides alike held indifferent and that the safest and surest that is professed of the most But where the word of the Lord denounceth Gods threatnings for sinne and the Magistrates concurre to punish offenders there cannot but follow a more sincere course in euery mans proceedings more liuely fruites of a Christian profession and consequently a more absolute