Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A50142
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Military duties recommended to an artillery company; at their election of officers, in Charls-town, 13. d. 7. m. 1686. By Cotton Mather, pastor of a church in Boston.
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Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing M1128; ESTC W479523
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35,129
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92
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related of the Zebulonites that they were expert in warr with all Instruments of warr able to keep Rank At verse 35. it is related of the Danites and at verse 36. it is related of the Asherites likewise that they were expert in war. Some such Beauties is the face of the earth adorn'd withall Persons that understand well all the FIGURES or POSTURES which a Souldier is to use in the Handling of his Arms persons that are well acquainted with all the MOTIONS ORDERS which a Souldier may be call'd unto all the various FACINGS and numerous DOUBLINGS intricate COUNTER-MARCHINGS comely WHEELINGS which are customary and all the CHARGINGS which the many sorts shapes of BATTAILS do admit with innumerable STRATAGEMS of War persons in a word who can handsomely apply all the INSRUMENTS of Defence which a Souldier may Cap-a-pe be furnished with and all the INSTRUMENTS of Offence which a Souldiers hand can be put unto from the Half-pike unto the Granado and the roaring Canon Nextly There are some persons excellent for their Military STRENGTH also There is a Two-fold Strength which Souldiers are sometimes to be admired for Firstly Some Souldiers have an Admirable Strength of BODY Such a Souldier was that renowned Judge of Israel Sampson the History of whose Activity as well as the signification of his Name the Heathen have carried into their stories about their Hercules 'T is storied of Him in Iudg. 14. 6. That when a young Lion roared against him he rent him as he would have rent a kid tho the Oracles of the Lion's Maker have determined him to be the strongest among Beasts T is storied of Him in Chapt. 16. 3. That he took the Gates of a City Doors Posts Barrs and all and carried 'em away up an high Hill twenty miles off T is storied of Him in Chapt. 16. 27. that with main force he over-sett the two huge Pillars whereon lay the stress of a vast Temple containing many more than three thousand people There are Souldiers that for the Strength of their Limbs deserve the name wich once a King in England had even that of Ironside they may almost affirm what Iob deni'd My strength is the strength of stones and my flesh is brass We have read of a Scanderleg who had an Arm that could make his sword strike through thick Iron and who encountring a mighty wild Bull that had slain many wiâ—…h one onely Blow of his Cimitar cutt his head clean from his shoulders We have read of a Milo of a Maximus of some others men made up of Sinewes that would hold a club or keep a place in spite of all possible Assaults that would carry Burdens next to insupportable and in every peece of action scorn a Match Nextly Some Souldiers have an Admirable Strength of SPIRIT also their Courage is marvellous and invincible Such were those Captains which increased Davids Band 1. Chron. 12. 21. all mighty men of valour And such were the Simeonites ibid. v. 25. mighty men of Valour for the war and such the Ephraimites ibid. v. 30. mighty men of Valour famous throughout the house of their Fathers There are Souldiers that for their Valour deserve the name of Caleb which may signify All-heart and who like Caleb are not afraid to look a bigg son of Anak in the face They are as undaunted as the Leviathan the Crocodile which is made without fear it s a meer sport unto them to out-brave the King of Terrours to have Cannon Bullets flying hissing and drawn Swords clashing round about them and dischargdischarged Pistols hurled at their heads they are like fiery metal-fome War-Horses clothed with Thunder they go on to meet Armed men they laugh at Fear and are not affrighted neither turn they back from the Sword they shout among the loud Drums and the â—…hrill Clangors of the Trumpet Ha Ha! the Thuuder of the Captains and the Shouting only adds Fire to their Magnanimity and if they are threatned with such clouds of Arrowes as shall darken the very sky they make no more of it than the Persian who reply'd to such a Menace I am glad of that we shall then fight in the shade Yea almost every spot of ground affords a spectacle of more Fortitude than what appears in Fighting stoutly when Martial Noises do inspirit men We may see men whose Blood chills not when they are call'd out to dy alone in cold Blood men that with a steady Countenance can take grim Death arrayd with all its pompous Horrors by the cold clammy hand and cheerfully say Friend do thy worst Such skill and such Strength many mortals have PROPOSITION II. The Almighty GOD is to be acknowledged as the Author of these Excellences All that have such Excellencies are beholden to GOD for them and ought to own their being so Among the Romans there were those Officers who were called Campi Doctâ—…res the Doctors of the Field All true Christian Souldiers will acknowledge the Ever-living GOD for the supreme Teacher in the field unto them they say He hath his chair in the Heavens who is our Teacher Shall we speak of SKILL Behold the Blesseâ—… GOD the Father of Lights is the Bestoweâ—… of That The haughty Sennacherib is rebuked for saying of his military Exploits in Isa. 10. 13. By my wisdom I have done them We are informed concerning the Husband-man by the princely Prophet His God doth instruct him to Discretion and doth teach him How fitly may that be said of the Souldier too There is a GOD that he hath his military Discretion from Shall we speak of STRENGTH Lo This also is to be ascribed unto God the Rock of Ages It was a check given to the Moabites in Ier. 48. 14. How say ye we are mighty and strong men for the war As for Strength of Body this is from God. The Psalmist does most ingenuously confess in Psal. 18 34. It is the Lord that teacheth my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms As for STRENGTH of SPIRIT this too is from God. When Arrowes are to be made Bright and Shields to be gathered t is said in Ier. 51. 11. that The Lord raiseth the spirits of men That which makes this further evident is that the Almighty God takes away military Skill and Strength from men whensoever it pleaseth Him. This the poor Canaanites had experience of The Hundreds of Thousands of armed men in those mighty Nations advantaged with Chariots that were plated with sweeping slaughtering Hooks of Iron could not stand The Lord at once tormented them with great Wasps hideously stinging of their Bodyes and with black Fears weakning of their Spirits they could not stand before an handful of men to whom the Lord had promised in Exod. 23. 27. I will send my Fear before thee and will make thine enemies turn their backs unto thee The cruel crafty Indians among our selves were t' other Day an instance of this too at a time when we
sink down into your hearts this day The Lord could tell Elisha all that his man Gehazi had received how much above Three hundred seventy five pound Sterl from the Syrian Noble-man Verily O Soul this Lord Iehovah keeps an Exact Account of what all thy Receipts from Himself have been O be not as a silent and a sensless Grave unto the Mercies of a gracious God. Incur not the Doom fore-told by the Apostle when he link'd those two together unthankful unholy Dreadful will be the Danger of such Disingenuity This Non-payment of Rent will procure your Ejectment from all that you take pleasure in Christians you should receive every mercy they of old would not speak of their very Afflictions without a Deo Gratias with a Blessed be God. And should it not be a part of your Task every Evening to reflect and ruminate on the Mercies of the Day foregoing Yea And it were most proper I am sure it were highly profitable to draw up in your private Memorials a Bill of the principal Mercies for which you are indebted unto God to be subscribed with a Lord I Thank thee Often affect your selves by Looking into â—…se Grateful Records and leave them as an Inheritance with the Children whom you would bequeath your God and Christ and Religion to It would moreover be far from Impropâ—… â—…or Unprofitable for you sometimes to keep whole dayes of secret THANKS GIVING unto your Father who seeth in secret Spending the dayes in Contemplating the Gloâ—…ies of God Christ in enumerating and admirinâ—…â—…is merciful Dispensations towards your selâ—… and in contriving what to render unto the Lord for all His Benefits One such Day will bring Heaven it Self from on high into youâ—… souls it will rarely be any other than a Presagâ—… or a Fore-runner of a more than ordinary Addition to your Mercies 〈◊〉 short Be ye THANKFUL USE V. Let every Christian acknowledge GOD for his Teacher in the Spiritual Warfare which he is calld unto Among those Monuments of Antiquity the Works of those gray-headed and Reverend men whom they use to call the Fathers we may find this Text glossed with a variety of Allegorical Expositions we have it represented as the Speech both of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cursed Tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Powers of Darkness in their oâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of every Christian also enâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—…en Battails of the Lord agâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wickednesses which do annoyâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ot meet that a Popular Auditory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…s'd with vain Quotations from theâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…is iâ—… as certain as what is moâ—… 〈◊〉 every Christian shares with his Leâ—… 〈◊〉 Loâ—…d Jesus Christ in being as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…rases it a Praeliator interior Onâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual Warfare to be sollicitoâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Souldiers present have this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the three kinds of Calls to regard theâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duties They have had not only Verba mâ—… ta the military Sights of Ensigns and Weapons display'd before them and not only Verba Semivocalia the military Sounds that have been Knocking and Clashing in their Ears but they have also had Verba Vocalia the Articulate Commands of Man and of God also to acquitt themselves as good Souldiers the Lord open their ears to Disciplinâ—… But having done with Them for That There now remains a very Solemn and Earnest Address to be made unto Them and Every Person in the Congregation about a Thing of more Concernment farr away Congregation hear the Word of the Lord Well sings the Sententious Poet Nunquam bella bonis nunquam certamina desunt Et cum quo certet mens pia semper habet i. e. The Godly man is never free From Warrs with some Soul-Enemie There is an Holy Warr which indeed every Soul in this House or in this World is call'd unto There is no professor of Christianity among us all who is not infinitely concern'd to be in Arms perpetually at Warr with the Enemies of his never-dying foul his everlasting Weal And how many millions of Woes will overtake the Soul that becomes not a good Souldier of Iesus Christ no Tongue can express or Heart conceive Let these Admonitions then excite you and direct you to get the Help of GOD in Teaching your Heart to War and your Spirit to Fight against the Invisible Enemies whose Oppressions make you mourn For your Awakening here KNOW First There are innumerable and very formidablâ—… Enemies dayly pursuing the Destruction of your Souls It was an Out-cry sometimes made for the Rowsing of a sleepy man in Iudg. 16. 9. The Philistines are upon thee man. A more startling thing is to be signified unto every one of you Christian There are Foes and horrible Fiends all round about besetting of thee Ever since we were born into the world we have lived in the Territories of our Enemies and we can scarce take a step without Annoyances from the bloudy Murderers of our Souls It is related concerning the Prophet's Servant in 2 King. 6. 17. Elisha prayed and said Lord I pray thee open his eyes that he may see 〈◊〉 and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw and behold the mountains were full of horses and chariots of Fire May I now pâ—… up such a petition unto the GOD of Heaven in the behalfe of them that I am speaking to O our God our God open our eyes we pray thee that we may see the unseen Enemies which are dayly and hourly assaulting of us Might the most High GOD pronounce an Ephatha over our slumbering eyes we shâ—…ld soon perceive the Ground about us cover'd and the 〈◊〉 about us crouded with Armies of Terrible ones whom our Souls are endangered by There is a Sarco-cosmo-pneumato-machia a Warr with the Flesh the World and the Devil which you are all prest unto The Apostle hath in Eph. 2. 2 3. given us the Names and Qualities of three Captains which the infernal Army of our Adversaries is under the Conduct of It makes an hott Battle indeed when our Enemies fire by Salves pouring in scalding sulphureous Showres of Lead upon us by fireing three Ranks together Behold such is the Fierce Combate which every one of you are put upon Yea there are no less than Three mighty Armyes fireing upon you all at once There are Three most potent most wily and most malicious Commanders who with all their Hellish forces are attempting to sieze thy immortal Soul O man Oh how fain would they make a Prize of it and keep it in their horrid Clutches for evermore There is a Black Prince who has an unknown Power of Troops raging and ramping and roving like wild Arabians within the Atmosphere of our Air to which the Vengeance of God hath confined them for their Apostasie This Grand Seignour of Hell is as Mahomâ—… is call'd in the Apocalypse The Grand Abaddon or Appollyon of Souls This Monarch of the Lapsed Angels cannot have his Envy at man or his Hatred of God satisfyed without enslaving all the