Selected quad for the lemma: majesty_n
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A37053
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A sermon preached before the Artillery Company at St. Andrews Vndershaft, August the 30th 1670 and at their earnest request, published / by William Durham.
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Durham, William, d. 1686.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing D2833; ESTC R232861
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14,278
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37
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A SERMON Preached before THE ARTILLERY COMPANY AT St. Andrews Vndershaft August the 30th 1670. And at their earnest Request PUBLISHED By WILLIAM DVRHAM B.D. Rector of St. Mildreds Breadstreet London Rei Militaris virtus coeteris praestat virtutibus Multo plus adfert dignitatis Res Militaris quam Juris Civilis Gloria Cicero Honestas idoneum militem reddit Verecundia dum prohibet fugere facit esse victorem Vegetius de re Milit. LONDON Printed by T. R. for Samuel Gellibrand at the Sign of the Golden-Ball in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1671. TO MY Very worthy and much Honoured Friends The Honourable Sir John Robinson Knight and Baronet Lievtenant of his Majesties Tower of London Alderman and President of the Artillery Company Sir Joseph Sheldon Knight and Alderman Vice-President Sir Thomas Player Knight Leader Collonel John Mews Treasurer Sir John Robinson Knights and Aldermen Collonel John Mews Stewards Sir George Waterman Knights and Aldermen Capt. George Peryer Stewards Sir Thomas Davies Knights and Aldermen Major Tho. Gunston Stewards Sir John Smith Knights and Aldermen Capt. William Cooper Stewards And to the whole Court of Assistants Field-Officers Captains and Gentlemen Professing and Exercising Armes in that Famous and Honourable Society SIRS ' T Was with much Reluctancy that I prevailed with my self to Preach this Sermon but with much more to Print it Not but that I had a great willingness to serve you in both but because I judged my self unmeet for either I was never when Younger fond of such Publique Imployments Nor valued my self so high as to think this busy World at leasure to concern themselves with any thing that I could publish Much less can I cherish such vain thoughts now when broken to say nothing of hard usage with Age and Infirmities Might I have been left to mine own Beloved Privacies you had never had the trouble either to have Heard or Read this But as I affect not Popularity so I perfectly hate Incivility and Ingratitude Your great kindness hath obliged me to gratify you in what I may and your Importunity hath prevailed to have it Preach't and Publisht Importunity prevails with God and what am I that I should stand out against so many Gallant men and good Friends who have prest me till I was asham'd May it find but the like Acceptance with you in the Reading as it did in Preaching it will be incouragement enough to skreen it against all the Censures it may meet withall But I am very little sollicitous for its defence so long as Les Gens d'Armes the whole Artillery of this Royal City have invited and undertaken its Patronage Indeed not to defend so much it as their own Judgements who have pleased by their approving and desiring it to make it their own If it prove acceptable to you and in any measure Serviceable to the Publique it will be abundant contentment and satisfaction to Gentlemen Your much obliged Friend and humble Servant William Durham October the 12th 1670. A SERMON Preached before the Artillery Company at St. Andrews Vndershaft August the 30 th 1670. I COR. XVI 13. Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit your selves like men be strong THough Religion in it self be the sweetest thing in the World all whose paths are pleasantness and all her wayes are peace yet the Exercise of it in a Christian life is usually set forth by such things as are accompanied with pains and danger A Christians life is compared to that of a Husbandman who must endure all weather the Summers heat and the Winters cold he must be at pains to Plow and Sow if he intend to Reap To a Travellers who must expect all wayes sometimes he meets with high and craggy Rocks and sometimes with swelling Brooks and dirty Sloughs To a Merchants who ventures himself on the merciless Waves now tost as high as Heaven now tumbled as low as Hell as David speaks alwayes within an inch or two of death To a Soldiers life which is ever attended with fears and dangers he walk◠perpetually at the points of Swords and mouth of Cannons and alwayes bears his life in his hand A Christian life then is a spiritual Warfare which is of all Wars the most dangerous the Enemy being numerous potent subtle within us and that which lyes at stake the Soul being infinitely more worth then all Alexanders Conquests and in this lyes our present Work The terms of the Text are Military all and so sutable enough to the occasion however they prove in the handling You must not expect that I should deal with you at your own Weapons having as David said of Sauls Armour never proved them Not that I should read a Military Lecture being utterly unacquainted with the Learning of the Tacticks and never having that I know of so much as seen that Book of Jasher which teaches the use of the Bow If I can onely make the Offices and Duties of a Soldier conduce to the illustration of our Christian Warfare 't is as much as I aim at or can be reasonably expected from my Profession And if herein I fall short as 't is more then probable you have nothing to blame but your own misguided choice Miles Emeritus a superannuated Soldier was by the Law of Arms exempted from publick service But being overruled in this Plea I have no way left but being short to gratifie you or my self You in relieving you from the inconvenience of your own Error and my self who being by your kindness adjudged to run the Gauntlope am obliged to make what haste I can in mine own defence There 's a Climax or Gradation in the words each word importing more then that which went before it 1. Watch ye be vigilant which is the least that can be expected of a Soldier if he faile here he certainly miscarries 2. Stand fast Stand to your Arms keep your Ground maintain that Post that 's given you to defend which is likeliest done by being Watchful 3. Quit your selves like men Not onely stand fast but fight and worst your Enemies Keep your own Ground and win theirs 4. Be strong Go on to compleat your Conquest and having once subdued your Enemies keep them under I begin with the first of these 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watch ye A Metaphor taken from Sentinels in an Army whose office is to be upon their Watch-Tower to observe the motions of the Enemy that there be no sudden assault or irruption into the Camp or City and to give the Alarum of any approaching danger Indeed Watchfulness becomes every Soldier upon Duty he must have his eyes in his head not sleep at his work When an Enemy is neer the Camp or Beleagures the Garrison it becomes every Soldier not only to be awake but to be circumspect and attend the Motions of the Enemy Vigilance is requisite in a Soldier nothing more What a great oversight and what a desperate hazard it is to be found sleeping we may see in