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
own tents the faults of inferior followers may be found out for there is nothing that can expell darknesse but light and nothing can discouer sin but the trueth and sincere obedience to the lawes and precepts of the highest And if the superiour gouernours be cleere and cleane being the spring of the fountaine the fountaine will yeeld pure water to the riuer but if the fountaine bee defiled it is impossible that the brooke should be cleane And surely if the opprobrious wordes of this Sultan might sometime sound in the eares of Leaders it might perchance so grate their hearts and pierce their thoughts that they may feele the necessitie of godlinesse and so clense themselues and their people from sinne for vnlesse it begin aboue and that the Commanders bee seene religious and righteous the inferiour sort will hang on their manners and thinke it neither pietie nor policie to cast off that which their Leaders imbrace And therefore let the two edged sword of faith and obedience cut off the head of sin in the head that it may dye in the members and let the sound sleepe wherein our Martiall men lie snorting for the most part of them in vanitie be awakened least that mischiefe which hath seazed vpon the most deuoure all and so our state which hath been long glorious in standing defencible by God against a mightie aduersarie become foyled to our disgrace Let all bee prouoked to the studie of vertue of that vertue which is accounted among the godly to bee the Ladie of fame namely Christian obedience whereby our slander which consisteth in our vicious liues may bee taken away whilest our vngodly and furious enemies take counsell against vs and lay plots to deuoure vs hauing no other ground but that wee haue forsaken our God and God vs and therefore they say in the way of reproch where is their God They are most grosly affected surely and their mindes very pernitious that seeme by their owne manners and by the tolleration of the wickednesse of others vnder them to hold that there is no necessitie of vertue or the feare of God among souldiers and that temperance sobrietie meeknes loue peace and such like arguments of christian modestie and fruites of religion should be entertained of meÌ„ of armes as though through these most blessed things manly mindes should seeme dastardly or cowardly without which diuine vertues none may indeede bee held either vertuous or valorous nay not men but beasts For these things are the fruites of faith whereof Paul sheweth the effect to be the chiefe guide and to haue highest dominion in warre Reade and consider his 11. chapter to the Hebrewes Euery vertue that is begotten without faith is bastardly for faith is the gift of God which he neuer giueth without those companions to follow it which make a complete vertuous man And therefore he that fathereth his vertues otherwise then on God the author and father of all goodnesse and good men vsurpeth his honor for the very heathen haue acknowledged that no man can bee honorable without diuine inspiration and inwâ—rd motion And Plato that famous man among the Greekes sheweth by the words of Socrates that all the vertue and grauitie of man is so much to be esteemed as he hath the knowledge of God and contrariwise his vice and wickednes may be measured by his ignorance of God And therefore is the Prince induced to conceiue well of him whom she purposeth to make Generall of an armie by the apparant tokens of his wisedome and experience and especially of his religion and feare of God whereby she is moued to referre vnto his disposition as it were her power and authoritie regall for matters requisite in the busines of warre And it behooueth that precise choyce be made for that his charge may import the preseruation of millions of men yea of the state of his whole countrie And therefore the more his resolution appeareth to bee grounded vpon the feare of the Highest so much the more hope hath his Soueraigne of prosperous expedition And so much the more vertuous and valorous will his followers appeare by howe much they see their Generall trulie religious And his care as before is said must be to furnish his companies with the most vertuous and as Agamemnon dispensed with a rich dastard and cowardly worldling for going to warre so and much more should religious Generals and Captaines refuse reiect wicked persons in as much as in them and their knowledge lieth For if a coward and faint-hearted man be supposed preiudicial and not to profit but to doe hurt in warre what may a wicked man through whose impietie and vngodly example many are corrupted and for whose cause not onlie warres but euery vertuous action succeedeth the worse And therefore is the religious man to be reuerenced for that in a good cause he is neuer fainthearted though it may bee that the imbecillitie of the flesh sometime may make him stagger but he gathereth his powers as it were vnto him and resolueth like Dauid resting assured that his owne weaknesse shall bee no impediment vnto him as long as hee feeleth the power of the diuine aide to compasse him about And howsoeuer the wicked may seeme sometime to preuaile by their hardinesse and desperate boldnesse there is no certaintie in their successe but alwaies a suspition of the issue For there is no true hope without faith and faith hath no ground but Gods promise which is onely made vnto the godlie that bring foorth such vertues as are approoued by the word of God and executed accordingly Such as are loden with euils haue no hope at all but onely an ambitious desire to preuaile as Goliah had whose trust was in himselfe but preuailing Dauid held himself by God who had promised victorie to faith therfore in that his liuely expectation he waited for the grace presence and power of God wherein he preuailed In vaine doth he hope that feareth not God and in vaine he fighteth that fighteth without Gods assistance for whether he ouercome or be ouercome neither is honorable for that the blessing followeth onely the promise which is made to the beleeuers whose consciences being pure and cleane they are accepted with God And their counsels and enterprises haue reason for their guide and passe not the limits of right and equitie And the hope which is grounded vpon this sound foundation is the greatest riches chiefestie well that a Generall can possesse for it causeth him to shake off the clogs of cowardise and of a couetous desire which hinder much the good successe of warre For from the latter proceed many mischiefes as strifes quarrels emulation hatred and murders and all forgetfulnesse of God who then besotteth humaine wisedom by the cares of spoyles delay and slauish feare But hope is an enemie vnto this greedy desire of gaine and argueth greatest
to be done in so waighty a pretended busines And there is no doubt but our Soueraigne is not slacke not onely to consult with her chosen and graue Senators but with high Iehouah the God of Armies and hoastes her glorious guide and our approued most strong and louing defender to whome also like true Niniuites we must all flie from the one degree of men to the other And sith it is the businesse of warre the generals chiefetains and captaines inferiour officers and priuate souldiers must martch forth and beginne the action continue it and performe it in his feare And as victorious Dauid did they must aske counsell of him and he will teach them and instruct them as he did Ioshua at the conquest of Aye And hereunto must our faithfull Ministers become true Samuels to cry vnto God for the good successe of them that goe forth to fight And moreouer they must not cease but with all industrie and diligence teach and exhorte to faith obedience and praier all that tarry at home that the Lordes wrath may be appeased and that he will take part with vs going forth with and blessing our armies that we may expect our saluation onely to proceede from him least that trusting in our owne merit strength wisedom or policie we should bee foyled of his and our enemies And to the ende that our men appointed to the warres should be in some measure whetted on with godly affections to vndertake a matter of so high moment beeing on the behalfe of the Lorde of lords our Queene and countries weale and preseruation I am imboldened in duetie and stirred vp in loue simply as it is to set before them this silly Mirror Howe necessary the feare and true seruice of God and the vse of all diuine vertues is in euery chiefe gouernour in armes and wherein chiefe honour consisteth AN hoast of men or an army of souldiers as of themselues is a multitude confused and vnordered many dispersed members of an vncompact bodie But wisedome arte and experience hauing found the meane to dispose them into a body by the right reducing of euery member into his conuenient place the wisedom of God must needes be confessed to haue the chiefe rule and to beare greatest sway in the worke which so much the more resembleth this politicke body to the diuine Image by how much it bendeth the chiefe ende thereof to the glory of the highest and most superior Gouâ—rnour by seeking the good of the vniuersall body of his Church which in regard of all diuine duety order and the right rule of christian religion is sayd to be diuine and heauenly whose head as it is that chiefe Soueraigne Christ Iâ—sus the Sonne of the eternall Deitie full of grace and peace so must the head and generall of this body of a christian armie be conformed to righteousnesse and holinesse that all the infeâ—iour members may like vnto the meÌ„mbers of the heauenly body imbrace that trueth and follow that rule of righteousnes which their head receyueth by the power of the diuine comforter and director from his superiour head Christ. So shall there be seene that sweet consort and heauenly harmonie in their warfare which shall gayne the loue fauour affection of the heauenly company euen of the Angelles and they shall go before them as heauenly guides yea as a warlike hoast to destroy their enemies The feare of God his seruice fayth and true religion haue onely the promise of Gods presence of his defence protection and conduction And that resolution onely is excellent which is grounded vpon that right reason which is confirmed by the word of trueth and all other hope which proceedeth from the power of fleshe and bloud meerely from the strength of mans arme as Goliahs and Senacheribs and others hath the assurance semblable to that ground that is weake and of no certainty And therefore whatsoeuer this last hope shall warrant is but like vnto the winde which bloweth where and when God permitteth So God by his might throweth downe the mightie strength of the proud who boast themselues of their multitudes and stand vpon their policies and preserueth the weake in their owne conceites beyond the expectation of carnall hope whereof the examples â—n diuine histories are infinite Yet such is the necessitie of the order comely disposition of matters of warre that we must seeke at the hands of the high Lord of hoasts and armies how to dispose our troupes and how to leade them forth in his feare and according to his will who challengeth a share therein if wee will proceede aright for so hee had in the proceeding of Ioshua whom he directed and incouraged being the General of the huge Armie of Isâ—ael to whome he principally gaue counsell and charge that hee should bee studious in the Lawes and word of the Highest willing that the Booke therâ—of shoulde not depart from his handes but practise and proceede according to all equitie and iustice and in so doing hee shoulde bee strong and couragious for no man should be able to withstand him all the dayes of his life and that the Lord would not faile or forsake him This diuine and absolute assurance of Gods fauour and readinesse to helpe in the time of neede hath been in all former Generals and Captaines fearing God they haue preuayled as appeareth by Joshua against Iericho Gideon against the Madianites and many others And therefore it is required that great regard be had of the choyce of the Generall that he be religious fearing God that he so order the matters appertaining to his charge as beseemeth christian policie Gouernement of it selfe presupposeth order for without order no man can gouerne his little house much lesse an Armie of men And gouernment is a right disposition of those thinges whereof a man taketh charge to bring them to a good ende And therefore many thinges are requisite in a Generall as wel for the right ordering of the armie namely of the body whereof he is the head as also for example that the inferiour officers may follow him as a light leading them the right way For that is the nature of the honest imitation of the vertuous to become more vertuous by a vertuous guide as it is the propertie of wicked emulation in the contrary affected And therefore in a Generall Prudence which includeth in it selfe that wisedome which is the right reason of thinges is the most precious and most honourable ornament For as Zenophon saith Without prudence there is no vse of vertue What then auaileth magnanimitie and fortitude and other vertues if Prudence faile for then magnanimitie is but desperate rashnes fortitude a carelesse running on to his owne ruine nothing is sure but all vncertaine without that Prudence which is the mistresse of all vertues which teacheth howe to prouide for thinges to come how to order and dispose of thinges present and
against innocent Abel and it hath no part of her venome diminished to this day but still draweth men to execute her effects in most detestable actions especiallie against the more vertuous that by true desert gaine most glorie as Saul who sought Dauids destruction for no other cause but that his worthines was seene to purchace honour by his vertues among the people in the seruice of the King for defence of his countrie for which cause Saul moued by enuie sought means to murder him but he not only preuailed not but came to a shamefull ende and God weakened his posteritie and strengthened Dauid and his house onely because Dauid feared God sought not the like effects of enuie to recompence euill for euill It euer bringeth greatest detriment vnto the enuious and hurteth not the enuied but is rather a meane to bring them to more comfort What gained Labans sonnes by their enuie towards Iacobs prosperitie the blâ—ssing came vpon Iacob and the hurt vpon them that enuied him The like came to Ioseph enuied by his brethren It is a grosse wickednesse to be enuious for it feedeth onely vpon the damnable desire of doing iniurie to the best who in all loue ought to bee cherished and fostered comforted and encouraged in vertue And yet this euill followeth honour as a vulture to deuoure it it lurketh in the tents of most valiant souldiers but the valiant are farre from enuie yea so farre as they couet the companie and seeke the societie of the most praise worthie imbracing the vertuous with the armes of perfect loue All noble religious Commanders Captaines and inferiour men of true worth hate this maligne furie that macerateth it selfe at the prosperitie and triumpeth at the harmes of other men They see the effects and consider the issue of it to bee nothing els but a tragedie of diuellish practises whereby men runne into their owne ruine by reuenge as the Aegyptians enuying Israel did Reuenge is a braunch springing from the former roote which taken as it is in it owne nature is a desire to requite an euill receiued by returning an euill againe which hath some colour to worke iniurie for iniurie But such is the iniustice of enuie that it boyleth with the furious heate of malice against innocent vertue which carrieth no shape or resemblance neither of valour which consisteth in maintaining a iust quarrell nor of reuenge as it is truly reuenge for that it seeketh to iniure such as iniure not He is a simple man that enuieth and cannot pretend matter to beare colour of lawfull reuenge But farre be it from a Commander because it blindeth Iustice and peruerteth Iudgement And howsoeuer it bee growne among men to be held a part of highest generositie to offer this measure for euery wrong and to challenge and accept the challenge for life and death for trifeling abuses and though he seeme cowardly that refuseth to answere euery desperate outrage of the furious Let all men consult with reason whether vpon such friuolous occasions true valour ought to launch out into such seas of repentance as they are tossed in that in such vain-glorious attempts speede best Experience hath triall enough that patience is better then desperate furie which is also approued true by that which is taught by the diuine teacher who condemneth murther and forbiddeth to offer iniurie one to another for any priuate grudge offering himselfe to be the defender of the innocents to whose bosomes he returneth rather a reward then suffering the wicked to preuaile And therefore it is better to receiue then to doe euill And if any professour of armes seeme to take exception at this in regarde that reâ—usall of a challenge may argue in him pusillanimitie let him thinke that the effects of true magnanimitie and valour is to beare and to endure with all modestie and patience the wrongs of priuate iniuries and to referre the consideration of the offence vnto the censure of the superiour commander who hath power to conuince and to execute the offender as the cause requireth in iustice And howsoeuer men deceiuing themselues deeme that their chiefe praise consisteth in shedding of bloud for priuate causes let them know that their true fortitude is not therein seene nor seene but in a resolute execution of it in the face of the publike and professed enemie of Gods trueth and his countries quiet wherein as farre as he sheweth his resolution to dye with honor so much the neerer he commeth to that marke which vertue aymeth at and wherein it sheweth it selfe absolute and perfect for the vertue that commeth neerest the diuine nature and is most difficill and least familiar with men is it that maketh men truely valiant and gaineth them the honour which is due to the most worthie persons who haue euer striued to conquer their reuenging desires wherein that mightie Alexander shewed himselfe diuinely instructed when he sayd that a man wronged had neede of a more noble heart to forgiue his enemie then to be reuenged on him Sage Pittacus hauing within his power one that had abused him ouercame this furious passion of reuenge and suffered him to depart vnhurt saying that pardon was better then reuenge â—he one being proper to the spirit of man the other to a cruell beast He that is able thus to master this violent affection shall procure vnto himselfe the name of being most hoâ—orable and gratious for that it agreeth with the diuine spirit Where on the contrarie if he yeeld to such an vntamed passion he shall onely receiue praise of the wicked and the prudent shall record his rashnes to his eternall ignominie So that the best reuenge and most honorable victorie which a man can haue against his enemie is to surpasse him in patience in bountie and in good turnes wherein resteth true magnanimitie whereby the wise will hold him a greater and more happie conqueror then if he had depriued his enemie of life in the field But when a mans reputation is touched by slaunder or disgrace there seemeth such an honest quarrell as may not in credite be quallified without the combat or denial for so deare doth a souldier seeme to prise his honor that if it be impayred by any of his companions he standeth vpon his reputation to maintaine it with the force of his owne sword But alas this is but a maske to couer a dishonorable affection which were it duelie reformed by the glasse of diuine dutie that coÌ„mandeth to loue our enemies he would rather swallow vp a simple disgrace amoÌ„g few which indureth not then in a vaine coÌ„ceit to maintaine his glorie by his owne will to runne into the disgrace due to the reprobate for euer Let no man be deceiued with vaine regard of the preseruation or increase of his honor by vsurping a law vnto himsefe to shed the bloud of him whom the
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
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