Might and Manhood as it was his meer Mercy that saved them And this is very Conspicuous in the Couragious Resolutions and Admir'd Actions of the Religious Israelites who by their Military Affair and God's Favour overcame no less than Thirty One Considerable Kings and Kingdoms as you may Read in the 12th Chapter of Joshua where there is a perfect Catalogue of their Names and Number the first being the King of Jericho mention'd in the 9th Verse and the last the King of Tirza specify'd in the 24th Verse which consummates or concludes the same Chapter Thus you see according to the Words of my Text how the Israelites did valiantly for God did tread down their Enemies Israel above all the Nations in the World had the Honour of fighting the Lord's Battels and when they wanted Champions or Conducts for their Encouragement God was entreated by them that his Power might appear in the cause of their Warfare Who according to his own good pleasure sent several Rescuers that protected them from Multitudes of malicious Enemies one of whose Deliverers or Saviour's as his Name imports it was Joshua the Son of Nun Moses his Minister and Successor for he destroy'd the Anakims in the Land of Israel he also overcame many Prince's that resisted them and hang'd five noted King's on five several Trees that were their Adversaries namely Adoni-Zedeck King of Jerusalem Hoham King of Hebron Piram King of Jarmuth Japhia King of Lachish and Debir King of Eglon as you may read in the 9 10 11 and 12 Chapters of Joshua Thus Joshua did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies Secondly The Israelites were delivered from the bold Attempts of the Aramites by Othniel the Son of Kenaz Caleb's younger Brother and the Land had rest forty years as it is observable Judg. 3.9 10 11. Thus Othniel did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies Thirdly The Israelites were preserved from the Molestations of the Moabites by Ehud the Son of Gera a Benjamite a Man left-handed when they slew of the Children of Moab about Ten thousand Men all lusty all Men of Valour so that the Land had rest fourscore years as you may note in Judg. 3.15 29 30. Thus Ehud did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies Fourthly The Israelites were succour'd from the Fury of Philistines by Shamgar the Son of Anath who slew Six hundred Philistines with an Ox-goad and he also delivered Israel as it is apparent in Judg. 3.31 Thus Shamgar did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies Fifthly The Israelites were desended from the Incursions of the Canaanites by Deborah a Prophetess the Wife of Lapidoth and Barak the Son of Abinoam of Kadesh-Nepthali who by the assistance of God prevailed against Jabin King of Canaan until they had destroy'd Jabin King of Canaan as is specified in Judg. 4.6 24. Thus Deborah and Barak did valiantly for God did tread down their Enemies Sixthly The Israelites were saved from the Mischiefs of the Midianites by Jerubaal that is Gideon the Son of Joash the Abi-ezraite who discomsited an Host of Men with broken Potsherds Lamps and Rams-horns together with the Noise of the People who cried earnestly before their Enemies until they were daunted routed and ruined The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon as it is recorded in Judges 7.20 21. His Messenger also took two Princes of the Midianites Oreb and Zeeb and they slew Oreb upon the Rock Oreb and Zeeb they slew at the Wine-press of Zeeb and they pursued Midian and brought the Heads of Oreb and Zeeb unto Gideon on the other side Jordan as it is remarkable in Judg. 7.24 25. Also Gideon arose and slew Zeba and Zalmunna two chief Kings of Midian as farther appears in Judg. 8.21 Thus Gideon did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies Seventhly The Israelites were protected from the Arms of the Ammonites by Jepthah the Gileadite a mighty Man of Valour who smote the Children of Ammon from Aroer till thou come to Minnith even twenty Cities and unto the Plain of the Vineyards with a very great Slaughter Thus the Children of Ammon were subdu'd before the Children of Israel as you may find it written in Judg. 11.33 Thus Jephthah did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies Eighthly The Israelites were freed from the Forces of the Philistines by Samson who slew a Lion He kill'd thirty Philistines for thirty Changes of Garments burnt their Corn with Firebrands tied to three hundred Foxes Tails carried away the Gates of Gaza destroyed a thousand Men with the Jaw-bone of an Ass and by pulling upon him the Theatre of the Philistines slew more at his death than he did in his life-time as the Histories thereof make mention in the 14th 15 and 16th Chapters of Judges Thus Samson did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies Ninthly The Israelites were secur'd from the Onsets of the Ammonites Moabites and Inhabitants of Mount Seir thro' the gracious and seasonable Advice of good King Jehosaphat together with the Divine Assistance of Almighty God as it is penn'd 2 Chron. 20.20 21 22. where the Relation is thus worded Here me O Judah and ye Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper And when he had consulted with the People he appointed Singers unto the Lord and that should praise the Beauty of Holiness as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his Mercy endureth for ever And when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set Ambushments against the Children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir which were come against Judah and they were smitten Thus Jehosaphat did valiantly for God did tread down his Enemies In the Tenth place I shall thro' God's Providential permission demonstrate unto you some of the Noble Acts of Royal David who being the Man after God's own Heart always won the Field of the Lord's Battel under the Lord's Banner according to these expressions of my present Text Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies We read in the Acts of renowned David that when he was but a ruddy Youth he kill'd a Lion and a Bear as also slew the Chief Champion of the Philistines namely the Great Goliah of Gath as you may read in the 17th Chapter of the First Book of Samuel He smote two hundred Philistines for which Exploit he had the Honour of Majestical Assinity in being made the King's Son-in-Law as appears in 1 Sam. 18. He took a Spear and a Pot or Cruise of Water that stood at Saul's head as you may note in 1 Sam. 26. He warred the Lord's Warfare and slew Rechab and Baana his Brother the Sons of Rimmon the Beerothite as you have it observable in 2 Sam. 4. He overcame the Philistines twice he took the Fort Sion he restored the Ark he prepar'd for the Building of the Temple he
overthrew the Aramites and all his Enemies as you may farther remark in the 5th and 6th Chapters of the Second Book of Samuel Thus according to the words of my Text David the Darling of God did valiantly for He did tread down his Enemies These are some of the Royal Prophet's Atchievements who upon such Undertakings always consided in God's willingness and readiness to assist his Endeavours in all necessary Engagements For the Lord himself who is a Man of War vested him in an heavenly and impenetrable Coat of Mail or spiritual Armour according to those prudent and prevalent Expressions of his unbyass'd Resolution and Reliance recorded Psal 27.1 2 3. where he thus expostulated with himself touching his holy Warfare The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the Strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid When the Wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my Flesh they stumbled and fell Tho' an Host should encamp against me my Heart shall not fear Tho' War should rise against me in this will I be consident This ought to be the couragious Resolution of all sincere Christians but more especially of Christian Soldiers who seem to carry their Lives in their Hands and are observed to stand upon the brink of the Grave Yet if such conside with David in the corroborating Power of God taking cognizance of the Equity of our late continued War and the just demerit of the Cause thereof being in defence of Christ's Gospel and such Kingdoms Territories Dominions and Provinces as maintain his true Religion together with the Lives Laws and Liberties of free-born Subjects who are thereby protected from infringing their Priviledges invading their Properties and infecting the Principles of their pious Profession Doubtless such necessary Warriors may have a welcom Access to the acknowledgment of my present Text in order to defend God's Word with David's Sword and there to say with the sacred Psalmist Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies In this place I have form'd or fram'd my Text to bear a lively Representation of the late Assairs of our Brittish Nation where a Party of its Inhabitants like the disturb'd Israelites have had several Commotions both with domestick and foreign Enemies This Truth is experimentally memoriz'd by many of us who through God's gracious permission have our continuance hitherto in the Land of the living But what shall we say to these things since God hath been for us who could be against us For through God we have done valiantly he trod down these our Enemies It was the good Pleasure of God Almighty in sundry and some late years past to send variety of Judgments upon the Kingdom of England that the Inhabitants thereof might learn Righteousness as Isaiah speaks Chap. 26.9 But as the pious Prophet David saith in Psal 28.5 we have not regarded the Works of the Lord nor the operation of his Hands either in the late noisom Pestilence which swept away thousands in the Metropolitan City of the said Realm namely London hurrying them into the dark and gloomy Chambers of the Grave nor the raging Fire which burnt up the Dwellings of many thousand Families burying them in their own Ruins nor the revenging Sword that in the Series of War slew a marvelous multitude of our Martial Men in their Engagements with furious Enemies And because we are not yet reclaim'd by all these signal and singular Tokens of God's Displeasure with us we may justly fear that Providence prepares some other severer Judgment either utterly to destroy us from off the face of the Earth or to force us in it unto better Obedience And to this purpose are those terrible Threatnings of a rewarding God recorded in Levit. 26.15 16 17 18. where he speaks these dreadful Expressions If ye shall despise my Statutes or if your Soul shall abhor my Judgments so that you will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consume the Eyes and cause sorrow of Heart And ye shall sow your Seed in vain for your Enemies shall eat it And I will set my face against you and ye shall be slain before your Enemies They that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me then will I punish you seven times more for your sins Here we have a satisfactory Account in what way or method God usually proceeds to inflict his Wrath upon refractory Sinners First he imposeth one Calamity and if that reclaim them not then he will add a second sometimes doubling that with a fourth or trebbling it with the sixth Affliction And if all these work not upon the hardness of their Hearts then will he prepare another that like Nebuchadnezzar's Fiery Furnace shall be seven times more punishable than the former Moreover it is the Customary Phrase of God in Scripture when his Holiness would deter us from Vice to threaten our Destruction with Vengeance as in Deut. 32.35 where he saith To me belongeth Vengeance and Recompence Again he speaks in Ver. 41. of the same Chapter If I whet my glittering Sword and mine Hand take hold on Judgment I will render Vengeance to mine Enemies and will Reward them that hate me And in Ezek. 25.17 thus saith the Lord concerning the Destruction of the Philistines and Cherethims I will execute great Vengeance upon them with furious Rebukes and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall lay my Vengeance upon them Hence it is observable that as the heavy Judgments of God are made so unconceivably intolerable by the weight of Divine Vengeance our safest Course in avoiding of them is to flee from Sin to his Sanctuary and there humbly and devoutly pray for the Peace of Jerusalem for they shall all prosper that love Communion with the Church of God and that your Requests may be made conformable to God's most holy Will at all times in all places and upon all occasions both Christ and his Church to that end have furnish'd you with sufficient Rules of Devotion he in the form of his gracious Petitions and she in the frame of her Pious Ejaculations He in his Petitions saying Lead us not into Temptations but deliver us from Evil and she in her Allusive Ejaculations saying From all Evil and Mischief from Sin from the Crasts and Assaults of the Devil from thy Wrath and from Everlasting Damnation good Lord deliver us Many Material Circumstances might be alledg'd to demonstrate our Church and its Government consistent with the Divine Will and Pleasure of God for she is so highly in Favour with the Highest that he remov'd those who caus'd her Breaches far from her in order to uphold her Walls and Bulwarks yea her
Interest appears so Interested in God that he lately Dethron'd a King that offended her and in his stead Enthron'd a King to defend her This is the Lord 's doing it is Marvellous in our Eyes as the Kingly Prophet expresseth it in Psal 118.23 For Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge He putteth down one and setteth up another as appears Psal 75.6 7. That this Dethronement and Establishment was God's own Handy-work is Divinely Vindicated by the Prophet Daniel in the Unparallel'd Case and Preternatural Condition of King Nebuchadnezzar who for his unsufferable Arrogance was Exil'd from the Society of Rational Men to take his Abode and Food with the unreasonable Beasts of the Field touching whom the said Daniel in his second Chapter at the 20th and 21th Verses spake on this Wise Blessed be the Name of God for ever and ever for Wisdom and Might are his And he changeth the Times and the Seasons He removeth Kings and setteth up Kings He giveth Wisdom unto the Wise and Knowledge to them that know Vnderstanding Again we Read in the 37th Verse of the same Chapter that the Prophet said to the King on this manner Thou O King art a King of Kings for the God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdom Power and Strength and Glory Moreover Daniel told him in the 4th Chapter of his Prophesie at the 25th Verse That the most High ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Thus we see that the disposal of Earthly Kingdoms is a peculiar Prerogative absolutely pertaining to the King of Heaven for God being an Universal Monarch hath ageneral Title attributed unto him in Jer. 10.7 where he is stil'd by the Prophet The King of Nations And that because all Emperors Kings and Princes in their Enthronements wear their Crowns sway their Scepters govern their Kingdoms and Principalities by God's own special Authority This Truth bears the Badge of his warrantable and undoubted Testification in the 8th Chapter of Solomon's Proverbs Ver. 15. where he speaks these certain and significant Expressions By me Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice This Assirmation hath sufficient Assertions of Scripture to assure it as in 2 Sam. 12 7. where God by the Mouth of his Prophet Nathan spake these words unto David I anointed thee King over Israel Solomon also acknowledg'd that the Lord had plac'd and establish'd him on the Throne of his Father David as you may Read in 1 Kings 2.24 Moreover it was the saying of Ahijah in the Person of God to Jeroboam I will give the Kingdom unto thee as it is observable in 1 Kings 11.35 By all these Scripture Instances it plainly and punctually appears that the removing and setling of Crown'd Heads relate to God's Dispensative Power and therefore we may say of God in such Cases as Job spake concerning the Life and Death of his Children in Job 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Having thus prov'd unto you that the Government of this Lower World is according to the Rule of God's undeniable and unlimitted Authority so neither the Kingdoms nor Power of Princes but all things else proper unto them are after a peculiar manner God's their Crowns their Anointing their Globes their Scepters their Thrones and the Government thereof are his and their Persons adorn'd with all these Endowments are so Sublime and Sacred that they are compar'd for Excellent Eminency or Eminent Excellency unto the Angels of God in 2 Sam. 14.17 and also stil'd Gods by a Deify'd kind of Dignity and call'd the Children of the most High in Psal 82.6 From these and such like Observations the sanctify'd Vessel St. Paul that great Apostle and Patron of the Gentiles compil'd an Excellent Lecture of Loyalty in order to oblige both Religious and Rebellious Subjects to bear true Allegiance and submissive Obedience unto their Supream and Lawful Superiors the which you may find Recorded in Rom. 13.1 2. where it is thus worded Let every Soul be subject unto the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation Hence it is observable that as every individual Person ought to be in subjection to his superior and inferior Rulers by reason that the Power of their Government is derivative from God and the Governours now in being Established by his Ordinance whom to resist is plain opposition to God's own Order for which resistance they become liable to receive unto themselves the Reward or Stipend of Damnation Therefore to abandon Disloyalty being the Cause of this Damnable Alotment as Religious Servants to God Loyal Subjects to the King and Loving Sons of the Church Let us that are her Empal'd Children firmly stand in God's the King 's and the Church her Cause resolving that in case no other Kingdom or Nation should accommodate us with their Assistance neither to dread nor to be dismay'd at it although our present Enemies whomsoever they are may seem much more in number than our selves for the Race is not always to the swift nor the Battel still to the strong but to those that have God for their powerful Copartner for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few as it is observable in 1 Sam. 14.6 This Truth is farther confirm'd by the Divine Expressions of Asa who with an Army of Five Hundred and Fourscore Thousand Men waged War with Zerah the Ethiopian whose Host consisted of a Thousand Thousand in number as you may note in 2 Chron. 14.8 9 10. Moreover it is said in Verse 11. That Asa cryed unto the Lord his God and said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no Power Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name we go against this multitude so the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah as you may Read in Verse 12. of the same Chapter These Excellent Observations have their full and clear Evidence in Deut. 20.1 2 3 4. where God granted unto Israel a Warlike Commission Seal'd with his own Hand and deliver'd with his own Mouth in these Expressions Recorded by Moses When thou goest to Battel against thine Enemies and seest Horses and Chariots and a People more than thou be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt And it shall be when ye are come nigh unto the Battel that the Priest shall approach and speak unto the People and shall say unto them Hear O Israel you approach this day unto Battel against your Enemies let not your Hearts faint fear not and do not tremble neither be ye terrified because of them for the Lord
your God is he that goeth with you to fight for you against your Enemies to save you In this Divine Commission we have a Reviving Cordial to cheer up the drooping Spirits of a faint-hearted Soldier for it is matter of no great moment to him whether his Enemies are many or mighty since he hath the Infallible Promise of the most Mighty to take his part in all Lawful Engagements then a Thousand may fall at his side and Ten Thousand at his Right Hand but it shall not come nigh him God will be with him in Trouble to deliver him and honour him With long Life also will he satisfie him and shew him his Salvation as it is exprest in Psal 91.7 15 16. Therefore for such a Deliverance as is here promis'd let us give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name for God is never more pleas'd with us than when his Heavenly Maiesty is most prais'd by us A frequent Acknowledgment of God's Praises is an undeniable means of obtaining our desir'd Deliverances And to this end because our frail Lives are uncertain by reason of Destructive Wars with other daily Casualties and that while we have our continuance on this side the Grave we may live in God's fear and in our departure hence Die in his Favour thereby to obtain Eternal Felicity I humbly crave your Christian Patience for some few Moments that I may discover unto you what Praise is together with the Fruits and Effects of it in Ten brief Particulars also how God is to be praised in Six Compendious Points First then Praise is the End or Ultimate part of our Devout Petitions for we call upon and importune God to bestow on us out of the Rich Treasury of his Bounty and unexhausted Supplies such Benefits as are most necessary or needful both for our Corporal and Spiritual Necessities that we may bless and praise him for the same to which purpose Holy David in 1 Chron. 16.35 teacheth us a Divine Method how to sweeten our Prayers with Praises according to these Expressions Save us O God of our Salvation and deliver us that we may give thanks to thy Holy Name and Glory in thy Praise Secondly Praise maketh Petition powerful for God is most ready and willing to hear their Petitions whose Hearts are inclinable to praise him in giving due Thanks for former Benefits we do as it were engage God thereby to confer upon us further or future Blessings For on this Direction of David in Psal 50.14 Offer unto God Thanksgiving the Lord himself made this Gracious Promise in the next Verse Call upon me in the day of Trouble I will deliver thee Thirdly Praise is a due Debt which Petitioners are bound to pay for he that inviteth thee to call upon him and promiseth thy Deliverance from Trouble requireth and expecteth that Compensation or Recompence from thee as to Reward his Promise with thy Praise according to these Expressions of deserv'd Retaliation Recorded in Psal 50.15 Thou shalt glorifie me Fourthly Praise is the full Requital that we can give unto God for every good and perfect Gift which his Divine Benignity bestoweth upon us for when the praying and praising Psalmist propounded this Question in Psal 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his Benefits towards me The Answer or Resolution was thus given in Ver. 13. I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord As if David should have said I will offer a solemn Sacrifice wherewith wherein or whereby I may clearly manifest the numerous and tremendous Deliverances or Preservations which God hath afforded to me for by way of Exposition he addeth these words in Ver. 17. of the same Psalm I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord. Fifthly Praise is a Satisfactory Evidence of that good Respect which we owe to the Lord our God By Petition we show that favour which we bear towards our selves The Ten Lepers who came unto Christ lifting up their Voices and saying Jesus Master have Mercy on us Luke 17.13 shew'd a care of their own welfare only one who return'd to give Glory unto God discover'd his Carefulness of the Lord's Honour Sixthly Praise is so prevalent a Duty that it moves God to shew good Estimation or Respect to Men for he that said in 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me will I honour without Controversie will perform so punctual a Promise Seventhly Praise is the greatest Honour that we can give to Almighty God for it is his own Declaration or Acknowledgment in reference to his Divine and Essential Fame Recorded in Psal 50.23 He that offereth Praise glorifieth me Eightly To Praise God is the most Excellent Piece of Religious Service that in this World can be perform'd and also all the Celestial Spirits are concern'd herein as it is observable in Rev. 5.13 where he saith That every Creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for Ever and ever Ninthly A setting forth of God's Praise is an indubitable means to enliven the Spirit and to make the Heart of Man more ready active and chearful in performing the Duty of Prayer for when David's Heart was in a prepar'd Temper to praise God he presently applies himself thereto and by confessing his stability therein said to his Tuneable Tongue and Musical Instruments in Psal 57.7 8. 9. My Heart is sixed O God my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Awake up my Glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early I will praise thee O Lord among the People I will sing unto thee among the Nations When the Spirit of a Man is under an undisposedness to pray let him then meditate on the Mercies and Excellencies of God by which Divine Contemplations he shall find a Spiritual Vivification and Vigour put into him Tenthly and Lastly Praise is comely or pleasant as Devout David phrases it in his acceptable Psalms of Thanksgiving but Ingratitude is one of the most odious and vicious Qualities that can be nam'd for Israel's ungratefulness or unthankfulness was the only Cause of their Captivity as you may Read in 2 Chron. 36.16 17. where part of the History is thus related They mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no Remedy Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their young Men with the Sword in the House of their Sanctuary and had no Compassion upon young Man or Maiden old Man or him that stooped for Age he gave them all into his Hand We find that unthankfulness was the main Reason why God gave the Gentiles over to a Reprobate Sence in
Proclamation with holy David Psal 18.1 2 3. saying on this wise We will love thee O Lord our Strength The Lord is our Rock and our Fortress and our Deliverer Our God our Strength in whom we will trust our Buckler and the Horn of our Salvation and our high Tower We will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall we be saved from our Enemies Like to this cordial and cheerful Proclamation was that comfortable Speech which good Hezekiah made to enliven and encourage his Army who being but few in number as compared with their Enemies the great Host of Senacherib King of Assyria were nevertheless by a setled Dependence on God's Power both willing and ready to give them the Encounter as you may read in 2 Chron. 32.7 8. where it is thus related Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the Multitude that is with him for there be more with us than with him With him is an Arm of Flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to sight our Battels And the People rested themselves upon the Words of Hezekiah King of Judah And while the People rested on the Words of Hezekiah behold the Lord sent a destroying Angel that on the same night smote in the Camp of the Alliances an hundred and fourscore and five thousand And when the People rose up early in the Morning behold they were all dead Corpses as you may read 〈◊〉 in the 2d of the Kings Chap. 19. Vers 35. Hence we may observe that a King who had the best Cause never fail'd of the best Courage The same may be said of WILLIAM the Third King of Great Britain and Ireland for God hath given him a good Cause of War against his Enemies as namely the securing of pure Religion the procuring of lasting Peace the uniting of divided Kingdoms the composing of Peoples Differences the preserving of wholesom Laws the correcting of disloyal Servants and the protecting of Loyal Subjects These being the Causes of God the King and the Church do so enhance his Majesty's Spirit that he is not afraid to meet his Enemies in the Gate but seems to declare his Interest in the Lord with holy David Psal 118.6 7. where the Prophetical King speaks on this wise The Lord is on my side I will not fear what Man can do unto me The Lord taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me Hence we may find it observable that the Lord also taketh part with our King's Party in order to fulfil his Desire upon his Enemies This Truth visibly appears in the late Wars that were managed both in the Kingdom of Ireland and the Territories of Flanders where God wonderfully preserv'd his Majesty's Sacred Person from the violent and revenging Peril of the Sword as if no Weapon form'd against him should prosper like one interested in those Escapes of David mentioned Psal 18. v. 50. namely Great Deliverances giveth he to his King and sheweth Mercy to his Anointed to David and to his Seed and Religious Successors for evermore Many miraculous Deliverances hath his Majesty already experienc'd as if a Guardian or encamping Angel had a special Commission from Heaven at all times in all places and upon all occasions to protect or preserve his pious Person Such a Commissionated-Angel we read of in Psal 34. vers 7. where it is said That the Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them But of all the miraculous Deliverances and Preservations which Heaven decreed for his Safety the most capital and remarkable was his last Escape from a cursed Cabal of Assassinates who by mischievous Machinations hatch'd a Hellish Stratagem how to embrew their hateful and unhallow'd Hands in the scarlet and crimson Dyes of his Royal Blood had not God as the Anointed of Himself prevented the Martyrdom by a matchless Miracle of mysterious Mercy We have not besides what Divine Revelation affords a greater Argument to prove this World to be govern'd and all Things in it carried on and directed by the vigilant Eye and powerful Hand of Almighty GOD than the sudden and seasonable Discoveries of such damnable Enterprizes contriv'd with the utmost Caution and Secresie propagated with great Subtilty or Cunning and being just ripe for execution yet in an instant blasted in a trice broken all to pieces either by a surprizing dread seizing the Conspirators themselves or an unwary Word over-heard or an unaccountable Suspicion of ill Designs though founded upon no reason or a very trifling one yet hath proved true or God smote upon the Conscience of some one of them and for the ease of his tortur'd Mind he is forced to a Discovery Peradventure their Jealousie of being betray'd by others hath made some to give notice of it themselves A Letter miscarry'd a Fright Mistake Oversight or something happening otherwise than was expected hath brought the hidden Works of Darkness to light whereby the King and his Liege People or Loyal Subjects have been mercifully snatch'd from the Jaws of Ruin and the Conspirators themselves brought to condign Punishment according to that remarkable Observation of the Royal Prophet in his IX Psalm at the 16th Verse where he saith That the Lord is known by the Judgment which he executeth The Wicked is snared in the Work of his own Hands From these Diabolical and Inhumane Attempts may the Omniscient Omnipresent and Omnipotent God Protect His Majesties Gracious Person to improve that prepar'd Portion which we hope Divine Providence hath laid up for him in the Disposal of Sacred Providence as length of Days in her Right Hand and in her Left Hand Riches and Honour For her Ways are Ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Peace as appears in Prov. 3.16 17. Seeing therefore that the plain Paths of Wisdom are all of them both pleasant and peaceable let us learn of her to be so prudent as to make our Addresses unto God that he would be pleas'd to withdraw our Feet from the rugged Ways of War and Bloodshed that he may guide them into the smooth and pleasant Paths of Peace for in so doing both Church and State will famously slourish This was a Pious and a Primitive Observation among the Jews as appears in Psal 76.1 2 3. where holy David speaks these Expressions In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his Dwelling-place in Sion There brake he the Arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword and the Battel But now to the Praise and Glory of God we Christians may say That in Britain is God known his Name is great in England in the Salem of our British Dominion is his Tabernacle and his Dwelling-place in the Sion of our Three Kingdoms There also brake he the Arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword and
of the Syrians or Edomites in the Valley of Salt to the number of Eighteen Thousand Men. The History of which Engagement you may find Recorded in 2 Sam. 8.1 to 17. and also in 1 Chron. 18.1 to 16. in which Relation we may observe that Holy David was very Successful in his Warlike Enterprizes for he overcame many Potent Kings and Kingdoms thro' a fixed Affiance in the Faithfulness and All-sufficiency of an Infallible and Omnipotent God who is the most Magnificent Monarch and Mightiest Warriour of whom Moses saith in Exod. 15.3 The Lord is a Man of War the Lord is his Name or his Name is Jehovah which denotes both his Holiness and Hostility This Military Description of God may be fitly stil'd the Soldiers Armory or Magazine where not only his Carnal but also Spiritual Weapons Accoutrements and Ammunition are constantly kept in a Warlike Readiness It is as it were the Tower of David whereon there hang a Thousand Bucklers all Shields of Mighty Men as you may Read in the 4th Chapter of Canticles or Song of Solomon at the 4th Verse Or as that Tower of Solomon mention'd in Prov. 18.10 where it is said that The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth into it and is safe Therefore let us betake our selves to this strong Citadel or Invincible Garison which is the Christian Combatant's Fort Roval where the Captain of our Salvation is Christ Jesus and the Generalissimo of our Believing Forces God Almighty whose Banner over us is Love and that stronger than Death for many Waters could not quench his Love neither could the Floods drown it as you may note in Cant. 8.7 This is that Love which surpasseth Knowledge whereof the Apostle St. Paul speaks in Eph. 3.19 The Superlative Transcendeney of which is apparently made manifest in the Miraculous and many Renown'd Victories obtain'd over their Enemies by the Adventurous Armies and Couragious Champions of the Living God under whose Irresistible Power not only Royal David in particular but also his Loyal Host in general did Valorously resolve to Encount or and Conquer their Adversaries yet so as at the same time and in the mean space that with one Unanimous and Harmonious Consent they voluntarily and devoutly ascrib'd unto God to whom it was due even the Glorious and Praise-worthy Success of their Valiant and Vigorous Victories according to these Heroical or Martial Expressions of my present Text where Divine and Undaunted David as it were after an Alarm to take up Arms made this Consolatory Speech unto his Army Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies This Portion of Scripture being the Subject of my Warlike Discourse hath its Foundation laid on the most durable and unmoveable Rock of Ages namely God himself and that by a Matchless Monarch of Israel to wit the Militant and Triumphant David in which Text as a Garison Town or City of Refuge he hath Erected on the East-side an Heavenly Castle of Safety and on the West an Holy Tower of Security The Heavenly Castle of Safety importing God's Favourable Presence with his People in Countenancing them to defie the fierceness of their Enemies according to these former words of my Text Through God we shall do valiantly The Holy Tower of Security implying God's powerful Providence to his People in Encouraging them to Defeat the Forces of their Adversaries as concurring with these last Expressions in my present Subject For he it is that shall tread down our Enemies Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies In walking the Rounds of this Text Town or City of Refuge which hath God seated in the Circuit Situation and Centre thereof for its Safety as also Sallying the Ports viewing the Rampiers Platforms Counterscarps Fortresses Flankers Battlements Bulwarks and Batteries thereof Besides a Castle and a Tower Erected on the Eastern and Western sides to prevent the Storming Surprizing Besieging Invading or Taking of the same by Force I likewise discover'd it strongly fortify'd on the North and South-sides with two other Regal Citadels or Royal Forts of Defence and they are these which I shall describe unto you First King David's Divine Consideration That the Foundation of a Just War in the Defence of his Peoples Lives Laws Liberties and Religion hath its Victorious Dependency on the Supream Power and Providence of God the which is apparently evident in the front of my present Text where the purpose of God in preserving his People from the violent Enterprizes of their Enemies is thus Elegantly and Excellently exprest Through God we shall do valiantly Secondly King David's Divine Suggestion That tho' the People of God may be Instrumental in subduing their Enemies yet the Success that makes their Foes their Footstool is a principal Prerogative only peculiar to God himself And this is likewise apparent in the Rear of my present Subject where the pleasure of God in punishing his Peoples Adversaries is thus Emphatically and Pathetically worded For he it is that shall tread down our Enemies Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies I have divided my Text into Two Parts or Portions like Two Regiments or Battalions of Soldiers in which respect it represents the Right and Left Wings of an Army But having thus open'd my Text both to the Right and Left that I may put it again in a proper form I shall reduce the Divisions as they were and thereby bring it to its close Order drawing up the main Body thereof into a more Compleat and Warlike Posture by demonstrating unto you in a considerable measure what Glorious Conquests the Successful and Successive Sabaoths or Hosts of God obtain'd in former Ages over their Adversaries In order to which Demonstration I design thro' God's Gracious Assistance to speak unto the Two Chief Generals or General Heads posted at the Royal Standard of my Text as in the First place To King David's Divine Consideration That the Foundation of a Just War in the Defence of his Peoples Lives Laws Liberties and Religion hath its Victorious Dependency on the Supream Power and Providence of God Secondly To King David's Divine Suggestion That tho' the People of God may be Instrumental in subduing their Enemies yet the Success that makes their Foes their Footstool is a principal Prerogative only peculiar to God himself Both which Observations are inseparately included and compleatly comprehended within the Bounds and Limits of my Celestial Subject where in Expectation of Aid from the Deity to suppress his Adversaries it is thus Dictated by Devout David Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies In all the Series of Holy Scripture we may evidently behold that when Almighty God intended to accomplish some Notable Deliverance to his People he gave them to understand in the mean space that it was not so much their own
Rom. 1.21 and Christians over to Antichristianism as you may note in 2 Thes 2.9 10 11 12. This also caus'd that Nebuchadnezzar was transform'd into the Nature of a Beast as you may Read in Dan. 5.20 21. And that Herod was eaten up of Worms as it is Recorded in Acts 12.23 Therefore let us learn from their harms to beware of Ingratitude and even at this present instant or juncture of time return Thanks unto God for those great Deliverances and manifold Mercies which we continually Enjoy'd from the Moment of our Nativity to this present Opportunity resolving from henceforth until our departure out of this Life to render Praise unto him for whatsoever Benefits or Blessings his good Providence may treasure up for us in order to our future Happiness saying with the Sacred Psalmist in Psal 72.18 19. Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who only doth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious Name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen Thus have I shew'd you what Praise is together with the Fruits and Effects of it in Ten Particulars In the next place I design by God's permission to demonstrate unto you how God is to be praised and that in these Six Compendious Points First of all God is praised by acknowledging him to be what he is in Himself in his Son in his Spirit in his Properties and in his Attributes For Moses in his Psalm of Thanksgiving Exod. 15.3 did praise God by speaking of him on this wise The Lord is a Man of War The Lord is his Name Secondly God is praised by attributing unto him that which is his as holy David did 1 Chron. 29.10 11 12 13. where it is thus written Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the Congregation And David said Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever Thine O Lord is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and the Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as Head above all Both Riches and Honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is Power and Might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy Holy Name Thirdly God is praised by acknowledging that which his Providence seemingly effects to be only done or perform'd by himself Thus doth Moses praise God by ascribing unto him the Overthrow of Pharoah and his Hosts in the Red Sea as you may observe Exod. 15.4 So also doth the Psalmist in most of his Psalms of Praise as in Psal 136.1 and from the 15th Verse to the 23d where it is thus worded O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his Mercy endureth for ever To him that overthrew Pharach and his Host in the Red Sea To him which led his People through the Wilderness To him which smote great Kings and slew famous Kings Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan and gave their Land for an Heritage even an Heritage unto Israel his Servant And this he did because his Mercy to his People endureth for ever Fourthly God is praised by owning that which he disposeth to be only given of himself this was David's candid acknowledgment of God's hounteous Benefits and liberal Gifts in 1 Chron. 29.14 where he thus spake unto the Lord All things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Also St. Paul saith in Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be Glory for ever Amen Fifthly God is praised by declaring or mentioning unto others all the fore-named Points concerning him Thus did the sweet-tongu'd David that singular Singer of Israel 1 Chron. 16.8 9. where he speaks these godly Expressions Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name bring an Offering and come before him Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness Thus also have I show'd you in six compendious Points how God is to be praised If therefore according to these pithy and practical Points of Piety our Hearts are inclinable to praise God who is the most Victorious Conqueror and matchless Man of War under whose Bellonick or Warlike Banner we seem terrible in sight of our Adversaries because as Abijah said to the Israelites in 2 Chron. 13.12 That God Himself is with us for our Captain triumphing gloriously for the Discomfiture and Destruction of his Peoples Enemies As Moses speaks concerning the Overthrow of Pharaoh in Exod. 15.4 and of whom David saith Psal 98.1 That he hath done miraculous things for nis right Hand and his holy Arm hath gotten him the Victory That by this means as Zacharias prophesied of Christ and his believing People Luke 1.74 75. We being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies might serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our life renewing the Vow and Covenant that we made with Christ in our Baptism of fighting manfully under his Banner against Sin the World and the Devil and to continue his faithful Soldiers and Servants unto our Lives end To which end in order to prolong our Lives and see good Days by keeping our Tongues from Evil and Lips from guile we must abandon and abominate all horrid and rash Jurations all hasty and hurtful Protestations all hellish and heinous Imprecations all envious and evil Communications with all unchaste Desires and uncivil Deportment in our Lives and Christian Conversations for in so doing we have God's own inviolable Promises to be still aiding or assisting to us in all Manly and Military Enterprizes So that we may well agree in the pious Opinion and divine Disposition of indubitable and undaunted David to say in the Dialect or Warlike Words of my Text Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies This Portion of Scripture is a Text befitting the holy Parade and Camp of the Lord of Hosts for we have God in the Front God in the Center and God in the Reer of it If we wheel the Text to the Right hand there we shall find God triumphing if to the Right about there triumphing valiantly if we move the Text to the Left hand there we shall find God trampling if to the Left about there trampling down our Enemies If we place the Words as they were either upon their orderly Guard or in their close Order and as on the Patrol walk the Rounds of my Text Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies Having thus rendezvous'd countermarch'd exercis'd or muster'd my Text and form'd the Bands Battalions and Squadrons of our Camp in Battel Array let us proceed in the Name of the Lord of Hosts to display unto our Enemies the Flag of Defiance and make our