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A91977
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A sermon preached at Balderton March 27. 1646. Being a day of humiliation thorow-out the whole army before Newark. / By Robert Ram minister of Spalding in Lincolnshire, and chaplaine to Colonell Rossiter.
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Ram, Robert, d. 1657.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing R195; Thomason E334_6; ESTC R200763
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11,002
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26
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be spoiled for ever and England will quickly become the most slavish Nation in the World 5 All the well-affected of the Land call upon us that we should stand to one another and quit our selves like men like fellow-Citizens like Brethren against the Common Enemy for the divisions of Ruben there were great thoughts of heart Iudg. 5.15 And may not we stand and wonder that any that pretend any thing towards Religion should mind their pleasures or their profits in such times as these or should lye lazing at home when so many of Gods deere Servants are ingaged abroad This may both awaken and incourage every one that would be accounted a Member of this Church in England to come forth and joyne with his Brethren to the uttermost of his ability 6 Our Children and posterity call upon us that we would not leave them slaves That we would continue that Gospell to them which their Grandfathers conveyed to us signed and sealed with their deerest bloud Vse Now for Application of all this to our selves Go on Gentlemen and fellow Souldiers let me speak to you as Ioab did to his Army 2 Sam. 10.12 Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good Truly Brethren your encouragements are great and many never had any Army greater or more then you have your calling is good and warrantable as hath been shewn and that may be a comfort to you whether you live or die 2 Your Cause is good for it is Gods you fight the Lords Battels you are ingaged in a businesse that doth mightily concerne Gods glory and his Churches good 3 You fight for your King too to recover him from his and the Kingdomes Enemies and even the King himself hath justified our Brethren of Scotland in the like action 4 You have the hearts and prayers of all the good and praying people of the Land And prayer is a mighty thing The last Queene of Scotland protested to her friends That she was more afraid of Master Knoxes prayers then of an Army of ten thousand men 5 Your Enemies are Gods Enemies Then surely you need not feare them they fight against the Lord and his Christ against the people of God and that Reformation which would advance the glory of God It is impossible then that they should prosper or prevaile against you 6 God hath mightily blest our Armies and Preparations What multitudes of glorious Victories have we been crowned withall in the compasse of a few Moneths the like hath hardly been known in any age of the World 7 Honour and Successe will undoubtedly attend you your names will be famous to Posterity It will be your childrens honour another day that their fathers were Souldiers in this Cause that they did help the Church the Common-Wealth the Parliament and were means to prevent their ruine And for a reward for your paines and labours in this Service looke for a full recompence both here and hereafter And make no more question of being victorious over all your Enemies in Gods time then of Gods Power and Truth for if God be able and his Word true your Enemies are undone men Zeph. 3.19 And no weapon that is formed against his people shall prosper Isa 54.17 Our help standeth in the name of the Lord he hath been with us and he will be with us and if God be with us who can be against us Doe violence to no man c. The Baptist knew that men of this Profession were prone to these evils and indeed wofull experience tels us even in our times that these are the too usuall practises of Souldiers which Iohn labours to rectifie and reforme in them So then this is the second part of the Doctrine or the next lesson that I desire every Souldier here to take forth namely Doct. That Souldiers should be good Christians As godly men may be Souldiers so Souldiers should be godly men This I shall indeavour to prove by these six Arguments 1 The Lord of Hosts is our generalissimo and he is a God of purer eys then to behold iniquity He requires that all that come neare him or belong unto him should be holy as he is holy Read for this purpose Deut. 23.9 When the Host goeth forth against thine Enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing Whatever they were or did before they should be sure then to forbear all wickednesse that so the Lord might go forth with them and blesse them And in the 14. Verse of that Chapter Moses gives some reasons why Camps and Armies should be holy 1. The Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Campe he can soon see what is amisse then in our Quarters If there be any good exercises as praying reading conferring or the like Or else if there be Drunkennesse whoring gaming swearing mutining the Lord cannot but take notice of it 2. He insinuates That if good Order be kept in the Campe then will the Lord both deliver such godly Souldiers from their Enemies and give up their Enemies before them But 3. If our Camps be unholy there will not the Lord stay he will quickly be gone if our wickednesse be there 2 No calling allows men to be deboyst or wicked indeed every Profession hath its peculiar corruption but we finde not any dispensation for such corruptions It will not excuse a Souldier another day to plead That it is usuall amongst Souldiers to be drunk to sweare to plunder c. Certainly Almighty God will not be so answered you must not thinke to carry it so men may be as holy and religious in this Vocation as in any other Calling amongst men and there have been as good and holy men of this Profession as of any other in the World You must not live by custome or example you must live according to your rule and the rule of a Souldier is to feare God and to abstaine from sin and wickednesse The grace of God that brings salvation teacheth all men Souldiers as well as others to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Titus 2. v. 11 12. 3 Souldiers of all men are in continuall danger of death they have vitant in manibus mortem in oculis their lives in their hands and death in their eye It is therefore most fitting and needfull that they should be continually prepared for death O Sirs did you but consider what a sad thing it is to die without pardon of sins without faith without Christ and how casuall your lives are at all times but specially when you go upon any service you would be more carefull to keep your selves from wickednesse you would be more diligent to make your peace with God you would not sqander away your time so prodigally as many of you do you would not dare to be such as many of you are 4 No men stand more in