The trayne Souldier. A SERMON PREACHED Before the worthy Societie of the Captaynes and Gentle men that exercise Armes in the Artillery Garden.
At Saint Andrew-vndershaft in London. Aprill. 20. 1619.
BY I. Leech.
Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast as he that putteth it off.
LONDON Imprinted by J. B. for Nathanaell Newbery, and are to be sold at the signe of the Starre vnder Saint Peters Church in Cornehill, and in Popes-head Alley. 1619.
TO THE HEROICK AND TRVLY HONOVRABLE, GENERALL CECILL.
THat in the publishing of this Sermon I haue thus aduenturingly presumed to front it with your name: others happily may question, your selfe wonder. Suffice it, that I can say of my Dedication, as our prudent Soueraign of his (if at lest I may dare with so vnworthy and rude a hand, In his Maiesties preface to his meditation vpon the Lords praier. to pluck a leafe from that royall Tree, & sticke it in mine owne garland) that yet I haue obserued a decorum in the doing of it. The renowned fame of your military science and heroicall valour, reported and confirmed vnto the world, by the mouthes of so many witnesses, sufficiently [Page]assures me that you haue an interest in this argument, and are therefore a meete person to whom I may make my dedication.
For mine owne particular; I doe ingenuously confesse, that to your noble selfe I am altogether an immeriting stranger. Yet seeing by the prouidence of God, you were an Auditor at this Sermon; and that it then pleased you to lend it your patient attention, afterward your fauourable approbation; loe now for a complement vnto both, I am further bold to craue for it your gentle patronage and protection Which if I may obtaine, I shall not cease to pray for you, that you may long continue an honour, and ornament to your truely noble familie; nor in any Christian seruice refuse, to be alwayes
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL, And well accomplisht Gentleman, master Hugh HAMMERSLEY Sheriffe of LONDON, and President of the Artillery Society.
TO THE WORTHY, and valorous, Captaine BINGHAM, their vnderstanding Leader. AND TO ALL THE REST of that famous Societie, Captaines, Assistants, and Gentlemen, professing and exercising Armes.
THe vse of Musicke in the warres, is partly to direct the Souldier, partly to encourage him. Such I wisht [Page]this Sermon when I preacht it. Beside the direction of it for the fighting of spirituall battailes; That it might be as Musicke to encourage you in your other warlike preparations, and to breathe some little life into your generous spirits, though already brauely actuated with resolution and valour.
It was yours from the beginning, and againe I make it yours. Yours in the bud, and yours in the fruit; in the seed yours, and yours in the haruest. What you left scattered in the first reaping, you may now gleane vp againe, and not loose an eare in a surrow, if any way seruiceable for your vse.
Of your fauourable acceptations I doubt not, comming from one that wishes a great deale of honour and happines, to euery member of your Societie, and to all your worthy designes. The poore Paynter could write vpon his Table, when he had embellisht it with the pictures of many rich Iems, Vellem & haec. My velle is the same with his. I wish I could adde reall encouragements, to these verball that I giue you. But it must suffice me to do as some Grecians were said to do, in their sacrifices to Hercules. They should [Page]haue offered to him, Oxen and Sheepe. Wanting at that time, they were faine to offer Melons and other fruites, cutting them into the shapes of Sheepe and Oxen, and fixing to their bodies little stickes of wood, artificially representing legs and feete; Such were the testimonies of their deuotion and zeale, and such the ieiune oblations, with which here I present you.
In what euer they be defectiue, I shall endeuour to supply it, by my praying to God for you, as Moses prayde for the Israelites; Alwayes when they went forward in the Campe, that he would rise vp before them; alwayes when they rested that he would returne to them. So may he alwaies rise and alwayes returne vnto you both in your remouings & in your restings. And the Lord make you all; (Captaines & Souldiers, Leaders and Followers) such as the good Centurion was in the Gospell; such as the good Cornelius was in the Acts, deuout men, fearing God, & full of faith & good works. Then shall fiue of you be able to chase a hundred of your enemies, and a hundred of you to put ten thousand to flight.
The trayne Souldier. A SERMON PREACHED Before the worthy Societie of the Captaynes and Gentlemen that exercise Armes in the Artillery garden.
You haue not yet resisted vnto Bloud.
WHich text of Scripture if any thinke vnfit for this Assembly, as if there were some hint of exprobration in it, rather then of encouragement or direction: let my ingenuous defence bee [Page 2]accepted. For matter of direction, I held not that so fit an argument for me to make choice of. Though there were fit matter for it in the Text, yet I were not fit for it. Who am I to giue direction in matters of Military discipline? I remember what Tullie writes of Phormio in his Booke de Oratore; When he made the Oration before Hannibal. Hannibal was one of the brauest captaines of the world. He told Scipio, Plutarch in vita Hannibal. he held Alexander the best; Pyrrhus the second; himselfe the third: but he should haue held himselfe best, if he could haue ouercome Scipio. Scipio was well content with what he said, because hee saw that he neither contemn'd him, nor compard him, but left him peerlesse in his censure. Phormio being to plead before Hannibal, be vndertooke to giue instructions, about the ordering of Campes, the mustering of Souldiers, the marshalling of armies; and he did it very flourishingly. [Page 3] Hannibal was askt how he likt the Oration. He answerd, multos se deliros audivisse, that he had heard many dotards in his dayes, but none that doted like Phormio: A man that had neuer seene the warres in his life, yet would teach him to be a Warriour, Cic. lib. de Orat. 2. that had beene traind vp in feats of armes from his youth. To auoid that Indecorum therefore, I needed not a text of direction.
For matter of exprobration; be it as farre from me as from the Apostle himselfe. But sure in this honey, there is none of that sting. Beloued, I come not to vpbraid, but to encourage. If I thought any viper of enuie would offer to leape vpon my hand. I should doe what I could to shake him off into the fire. That which seemes ad exprobrationem, is indeed ad excitationem. It is all to excite, nothing to vpbraid. So the Apostle vseth it, and so shall I be bold to apply it.
Theophylact well obserues, Theophyl. in locum. that he hath two sorts of arguments, for the encouraging of these Christians, to make them resolute Souldiers in Gods battles. The first drawne from that which themselues had sufferd. The next from that which others had sufferd. You haue the first in the 10. of this Epistle, verse 32. Hee speakes of a fight there, a fight of afflictions; a great fight of afflictions, which they themselues had endured: And he bids them call it to remembrance, vt se ipsos imitarentur, that they might be still like themselues, and goe on as they had begun. The next is here in this Chapter; Here he proposeth vnto them that which others had endured, shewes that their sufferings were not yet like the sufferings of others, (for others had resisted vnto bloud; so had not they:) and this he presseth vt ne extollerentur, that they might not glory or presume vpon themselues, but in stead of presuming [Page 5]vpon any thing that was past, learne rather to prepare for the trials that were to come. In this then, as well as in that the Apostle coucheth a motiue of excitation and encouragement: In this when he tels them what they had not resisted, as well as in that, when hee telles them what they had endured. Because they had already endured somthing themselues, he exhorts them to bee constant as they had beene. Because they had not yet resisted so much as others, he excites them to prepare for what might be. You haue not yet, &c.
They be two things that the Apostle principally aymes at.
1 An intimation of the mercy that God had shewen:
2 And an incitation to the dutie that they should learne.
First, It was a mercy of God to them, that being cald to the Christian profession, and liuing (as they did) in a time of persecution, they had not [Page 6]yet drunke of the bitter cup, not tasted of the bloudie tryall. Something they had sufferd for Christs sake, Gorran. and a while they had stood it out, vs{que} ad rerum amissionem, as one sayes; peraduenture to the losse of their substance; yea but not vs{que} ad sanguinis effusionem, not to the shedding of their blood. For that, God had beene fauourable to them. Their bloud was not spilt, though their substance were spent. It had not cost them their liues, though they hadde lost their goods. Here was the Intimation of GODS mercie.
But now in this Intimation, there is an Incitation also. For from this which they had not done, the Apostle incites them to prepare for what they might doe. Tis true; They had not yet beene cald to any bloudie battle. But though they had not, were they sure they should not? Whether they should or no, he would haue them to prepare; for by preparing against a [Page 7]danger, we doe sometime preuent a danger.
In teaching them this, he teacheth them three things.
1. To what manner of condition they were cald.
2. In this condition, what manner of conflict was required.
3. In this conflict, what time of continuance was expected.
First. To what manner of condition they were called?
To a kinde of Martiall or Military condition. They were called to be Warriours & Souldiers. He that heares of bloud, and of resisting vnto bloud, he will easily conceiue that.
Secondly, in this condition, what manner of conflict must they vse? It must be a conflict of resistance; impliing, that assaults would be made vpon them, and therefore that when the enemie offerd to assault, they should be in a readinesse to resist.
Lastly, for the vs{que} How long is [Page 8]it expected, that they must continue in the conflict? Vs{que} ad finem, sayes our Sauiour: Matth. 24.13. It must be to the end. Vs{que} ad sanguinem sayes the Apostle: It must be to bloud, if God will haue it to be a bloudie end. They be not a few resistances that can crowne vs, nor a few losses that must excuse vs. The resistance must be finall; the losse totall. We must be willing to loose all; all for Christs sake, our friendes and freedomes, lands and liuings, lymbes and liues. No nil vltra till then.
You haue not yet resisted vnto bloud. You haue not, sayes the Apostle. But though you haue not, others haue. Looke what hath happened vnto others, the same may happen vnto you. You haue not yet, sayes the Apostle. But though you haue not yet, you may hereafter. Hodie mihi, cras tibi; It is my turne to day, it may be yours to morrow. You haue not yet resisted sayes the Apostle. Persisted [Page 9]you haue a while, you haue continued and gone on in your Christian profession. But resisting you haue not yet beene put to. You haue not yet beene encounterd with any strong opposition. Or you haue not yet resisted vnto bloud sayes the Apostle. Some resistances you haue made perhaps, sufferd some labours, some losses. Yea but still your life hath bin giuen you for a pray; you neuer came into a bloudie Skirmish. Ther's the valour of a Souldier to be tryed. Skin for skin, Iob 2.4. and all that a man hath he will part withall, for the sauing of his life. Perhaps it is your life that God will haue you to lay downe; it is a bloudie sacrifice that hee lookes for. As you haue beene baptisde with water, he will haue you baptisde with bloud. This you must expect; for this you must prepare.
I haue shewen you the frame of the Apostles argument, taken all the peices of it asunder as you see. I must [Page 10]now set it together againe, and into euery ioynt of that fasten a peice of mine owne. Mine shall answere his as face answers face. The Apostle in his argument borrowes from Souldiers, and applyes it to Christians. I hope I may take what he borrowes, and when it hath done seruice vnto them, bring it home vnto you. The resistance and bloud that he speaks of, he meanes it not in the literall sence, but in the spirituall. I will first handle it in the sence that he meanes it, and when I haue done with it in his, I will fit it to ours. It shall haue his vse in the letter as well as in the Allegory. So with one labour I shall dispatch two workes, with one hand spyn two threds; I shall draw the sword both for God, and for Gideon. Something I shall commend vnto you that may accommodate you for the spirituall warfare; teach you to be good Souldiers, vnder that Captayne, spoken of in the beginning of [Page 11]the Chapter, [...]; Verse 2. Christ Iesus, the Captayne of our faith: And something I shall say for the exercise of this bodily, this worldly warfare, and the necessary preparations therevnto pertaining; that you may bee good Souldiers likewise for your Prince and Countrey, if GOD will haue a tryall of your seruice; though therein I confesse rather as an Encourager, then as a Teacher.
The two principall points that I began with, I hope you haue not yet forgot. Those are as the two staues put into their two rings, vpon which the Arke of my discourse must be carryed. First, An Intimation of GODS mercy: For that the Apostle notes when he sayes, they had not yet resisted vnto bloud. It was Gods mercie they had not. Then, an Incitation of them vnto their dutie. For though they had not yet, they might afterward. And what better wisedome then to prouide against after-inconueniences?
Of Gods mercy first. You haue not yet resisted. Sure this was a great mercy of God to these Christians, considering how it had pleased him to deale with others. Looke but the former Chapter, and there you shall reade of others that had resisted. It is a glorious Chapter, where the Apostle brings in Faith riding in a Chariot of triumph with a Crowne vpon her head, and a troupe of Souldiers attending her in their rankes and orders. They come out in their two bands. The first all in white, like him vpon the White Horse; Apoc. 6. There was a Bow and a Crowne giuen him, and he went out to conquer. The next all in red, like him vpon the red horse in the fourth verse of the same Chapter. He had power giuen him to take peace from the Earth, and to kill with the Sword. Both of them conquered by their Faith: That is sure; both they of the White band, and they of the Red. But the one Ardua operando, [Page 13]the other Difficilia sustinendo; the one by acting heroically, the other by suffering couragiously. And therefore marke how the Apostle brings them in, at the 36 verse of that Chapter. Hee brings them with their colours torne, their plumes rent, their swords hackt, their armes batterd, their flesh gasht, their limbes burst, their bodies wounded and scard. They haue brands and markes vpon them, of racking, torturing, hewing, stoning, scourging, imprisoning: These were warriours indeede, one might see these were come from a battell, where there had beene tumbling of garments in bloud. Esa. 9.5. These had stoutly resisted vnto bloud. Looke vpon these saith the Apostle; You haue not thus resisted.
Nay, looke but the beginning of this Chapter. There is Vnus instar omnium, one that may stand for all. No Souldier of the band, but the Captaine of the band; the Captaine & Crowner [Page 14]of our Faith; looke how hee resisted. When wee looke at him, wee may aske as the Prophet did, and wonder as we aske; Esa. 63.1. VVho is this? This that comes vp from Edom, with red garments from Bozrah? His garments are all red, and his apparell like one that had troden the wine presse: The bloud is sprinckled vpon his apparell, and all his garments are stained. If euer there were bloudy resistance, it was when Christ fought the battell. He resisted with a witnesse, resisted vnto bloud; and that more then once or twice.
I name not the blood of his circumcision. That was in Praesepio, when he lay but in the Cradle, in the Cratch, you will thinke it was but weake resistance he made then: But that at his death and passion, when he was put to strong and violent resistances; first, in Horte, then in Pratorie, then in Patibulo. In horto, in the Garden; there he resisted; there his agony drew bloud from him, it cast him into a sweate; [Page 15]be swet till he dropt, swet till he bled. They were Grumi sanguinis, [...], saith the Text, thicke drops of bloud, that trilled from his bodie to the ground. Then in Praetorio, in the Iudgement Hall; there hee resisted: There the thornes and the whips drew blood from him. They platted a wreath of thornes vpon his head, and his bodie they all scourged with whips. How could the blood but gush out being so mangled, so rent with whips and thornes? Finally, In Patibulo; vpon the Crosse, there he resisted: There the nayles & the speare drew bloud from him; the nayles from his hands and feete, the speare from his side. It was precious bloud he shed then. The losse of that, cost him the losse of his life. So here was another that resisted vnto bloud, and this infinitely excelling those that were before. Those before, they were but Serui, though Sancti; though Saints, yet but Seruants. This the Prince of [Page 16]our saluation, the Sonne of the Father, the Lord of glory, the heire of all things.
In opposition vnto both these, the Apostle tels the Hebrewes, that they had not thus resisted. Not they, though others; not they, though Christ himselfe. So intimating that God had dealt more fauourably with them then with others; yea, more fauourably with them, then with his owne Sonne, Rom. 8.32. whom he spared not, but gaue vnto the death. That immaculate and blessed Sonne of his, that was in all things without sinne; Heb. 4.15. yet not Sine flagello, though Sine peccato: though without sinne, not without suffering; but he suffered, and resisted. Resistendo sustinuit, sustinendo restitit: In resisting, hee suffered; in suffering, he resisted: Hee resisted vnto bloud. And why was all this? this that they suffered? this that hee suffered? why but to teach these Hebrewes a lesson of patience and thankefulnesse? Patience [Page 17]to endure that which God did inflict: Thankefulnesse, for not being put to endure that which God might inflict.
Was this for the Hebrewes onely, and is it not for vs also? Yes, euen for vs also. The Doue hath long sitten vpon our Arke with an Oliue branch in her mouth. The Gospell hath long flourisht among vs, with a great deale of happinesse and freedome. Many, many yeers together, we haue stood and setled vpon our lees, and not beene poured out from vessell to vessell. Ier. 48.11. We haue seene Truth & Peace met together in our Church, liued in the Halcyon-dayes of the World, when no tempest hath troubled the face of the water. God hath not dealt thus with euery Nation; not with our Fathers before vs, not with our neighbours about vs. Can those Mariantimes bee yet forgotten, when the poore persecuted Church, like the Woman; Reuel. 12.14. was faine to get [Page 18]her the wings of an Eagle, and to flie into the wildernesse, lest the Dragon should deuour the children of which shee trauailed? When in this very Citie which is now a Sanctuary for religion, there were stakes of Martyrdome continually flaming, and the bloud of the Saints shed in the streets of it! Such were the dayes of our Fathers; But we haue not so resisted. Can we at this instant bee insensible of what our neighbouring Nations do beare and groane vnder; Those in France, those in Bohemia, and in other Countries about vs? Pro. 23 34. They be like men that fleepe in the top of a Mast; enuironed with feares, and encompast with dangers. Though they haue the foode of the Gospell, yet it is like the Iewish Passouer vnto them; They are faint to eate it with the bread of trembling; and with the sweete flesh that is giuen them, a great many bitter hearbes there bee mingled. Few yeares, few moneths, but some bloudy sacrifices are offerd [Page 19]to appease the fury of their Persecutors. Such be the tryals of our brethren: But we haue not so resisted.
Heare then oh Israel, what it is that God requires at thy hand for this his lenitie and long suffering; What patience he requires; What thankfulnes he requires. Did I say what patience? Greg. in Moral. Alas, Nunquam est Patientiae virtus in prosperis. There is no vse of patience, while the times are prosperous and peaceable: Till the Steele strike vpon the flint, who can tell what sparkes of fire will flie out; If once we be put to the triall, then let patience haue her worke. Then confesse, it is but little thou endurest, considering how much thou deseru'st. Si bene consideratur culpa, patienter toleratur poena. If we consider well of our sinne, wee wil easily submit to the punishment: And the punishment we suffer then, it shall not be Poena but Poenitenti [...], rather penitence for sinne, then punishment of sinne. Acknowledge [Page 20]then thy suffering is but little (though much, yet but little) considering what others before thee haue suffered, especially considering what the Lord Iesus himselfe hath endurd. Si passto Redemptoris in memoriam reducitur, nihil tam durum est quod non aequo animo toleratur. The remembrance of Christs passion will helpe to mitigate any paine. And in the extremitie of all paine, let this euer bee thy comfort first, That whatsoeuer it be thou sufferst, if thou be Christs, Christ suffers with thee. Patitur in te qui passus est pro te. He suffers with thee who suffered for thee. And again. Whatsoeuer it be thou sufferest, if it be for him, thou shalt haue thy reward from him. As he leads thee the way, so he will giue thee the wages. Bern. in Canti. Vtrum{que} mihi es Domine Iesu, & speculum patiendi, & praemium patienti; as most sweetly S. Bernard. Thou art both to me oh Lord Iesus, both an example of suffering, and a reward in suffering.
In the meane time, Thankefulnesse, Thankefulnesse; That is the present grace that we haue need of. Though all blessings challenge Thankefulnes at our handes, yet none more then this. This I say, that as we haue Evangelium pacis, the Gospell of peace among vs, so Pacem Evangelij the peace of the Gospell; That none needs to resist, because none offers to assault. O fortunatos bona si sua norint. Happie, happie we were, if we knew our owne happines. Beloued. It is not with vs as with Dauid. Psal. 120.5. We are not constrained to dwell in Meshech and Kedar. We need not wish our selues dore-keepers in Gods house: Psal. 84.3.10. nor enuie the Sparrows and the Swallows for their roosting and building within the walles of the Tabernacle. We are daily witnesses how glorious the goings of God are in his Sanctuarie. Psal. 68.24. Daily we doe behold the beautie of his house, and visit his Temple. Psal. 27.4. Psal. 128.5. We haue seene Ierusalem in prosperitie all our [Page 22]life long, and peace vpon Israell. If euer therefore we forget this mercie of God toward vs, let our right hand forget her cunning. Psal. 137.5. If we remember not to be thankfull to him for this, let our tongue cleaue to the roofe of our mouth, yea if we prefer not this to our chiefest ioy. And Lord, as aboue all, we desire to be thankfull for this; so aboue all, make vs still happie in this. Let the Arke of thy presence alwayes goe before vs; Cant. 2.12. and let this voyce of the Turtle be euer heard in our land. If our sinnes must needes haue a scourge, yet Lord let it not bee this scourge, not the persecuting of thy Gospell. Let it be plague, or famine, or fire, or any thing rather then this. Till the starres fall from Heauen, let this Manna of heauen neuer cease to fall. Oh keepe vs in these pastures, lead vs to these waters, guide vs with this staffe, gouerne vs with this rod, let this cloud goe before vs, let this light shine about vs, and about our children [Page 23]that shall rise vp after vs, from generation to generation, euen vnto the end of the world; Say Amen to it thou faithfull witnesse of heauen; and all that haue hearts to wish it, let them say, Amen.
I haue done with the first poynt; the Intimation of Gods mercy: That which the Apostle here would haue the Hebrewes to take note of, in that it pleased him when he had prest out others into his battles, yet to spare & exempt them. Gen. 33.2. He dealt by them as Iacob dealt by Rachel & Ioseph, when he went out to meet Esau. He put them hindmost in the company. By others, as Dauid by Vriah, 2. Sam. 11.15. when he laid siege against Rabbah, he put him into the forefront of the Battell. That they were thus fauourably dealt withall, they rather then others (others resisting vnto bloud, when they resisted not) it was a speciall mercy of God toward them, and the Apostle would haue them to consider it. [Page 24]Consider it sayes the Apostle. You haue not yet resisted vnto bloud.
Now with the intimation of Gods mercy, here is also an incitation of them vnto their dutie. God had not yet cald them into any battell of bloud. True, But though he had not, were they sure he would not? Because they now dwelt in safetie, could they therefore promise vnto themselues any future securitie? If they could not, as indeed they could not (for who can boast of to morrow, Pro. 27.1. when he knows not what a day may bring forth?) notwithstanding their present imunitie; it would be safe for them to prepare against subsequent dangers. So they should shewe themselues prouident indeed. For Prouidence, is but Porro videns, as the Notation giues it.
To prepare for them the better, they must take into consideration these three things. 1. To what manner of condition they are called. 2. In [Page 25]this condition what manner of conflict is required. 3. In this conflict what time of continuance is expected. For their condition, it is the condition of Warriours. For their conflict, it must be a conflict of resistance. For their continuance, they must continue it vnto bloud. So then conditio militandi; this is the first. Conflictus resistendi; this is the second. Virtus continuandi; this is the third.
Conditio militandi. To begin with that. The condition they were called to. They were called to be Souldiers and Warriours. This is a point (beloued) necessarily implyed, though not literally exprest. When the Apostle speakes of striuing, of resisting, of resisting vnto bloud, to whom can this appertaine, but to those of the Military profession, Warriours and Souldiers. The resultance therefore must be this, That when we are called to be Christians, we are called to bee Souldiers. And this is first of all for [Page 26]the Souldiers honour. Whosoeuer is a profest Christian, he is a profest Souldier; or if no Souldier, no Christian. You know what S. Paul sayes of himselfe; He sayes that he had beene in the fight: 2. Tim. 4.7. and that he had fought a good fight. He had beene a Souldier therefore; and so he encourages Timothy to be likewise; Learne to suffer hardnesse, sayes he, like a good Souldier of Iesus Christ. 2. Tim. 2.3. Nay, and as euery Christian is a Souldier; so the whole Church of Christ, is as an Armie of Souldiers. The Church mililant; that is the proper attribute of it. And we find it compard to an Armie. Cant. 6.3. Thou art beautifull my loue as Tirzah, comely as Ierusalem, terrible as an armie with banners. Nay, not the Church onely, but the Angels themselues, they are called Souldiers. A multitude of heauenly Souldiers praising God: Luc. 2.13. Nay, not the Angels onely, but Christ himselfe; he is the Captaine-Souldier. The Captaine [Page 27]of the Lords hoast: Iosh. 5.15. Nay not Chrst onely, but the Lord God himselfe; Though Deus pacis, the God of peace; Heb. 13.20. yet vir belli; a man of warre. Iehovah is a man of warre, Iehovah is his name. Exodus 15.3.
Christians are Souldiers. Looke therefore what belongs to the accontrement of a Souldier; that to the furniture of a Christian. Secondly, there are foure things that hee must be prouided of. He must haue armes. He must haue strength. He must haue courage. He must haue skill.
First, Armes are necessary. There is no going out against an enemie naked and vn-weapond. If you aske what Armes; let Saint Paul tell you; Ephe. 6.11. I referre you no whither but thither. There is [...], the whole armour of God; armour both defensiue and offensiue, both to guard our selues, and to foyle our enemies.
Secondly, with armes, hee must haue strength too. Else his armes about him wil be but like Sauls about Dauid. 1. Sam. 17.39. He will not be able to weild them. 1. Tim. 4.8. Tis not bodily strength I speake of. That auayles nothing to this combate; No, not though our strength were as the strength of stones, and our flesh as brasse; as it is Iob 6.12. It is spirituall strength that we must get vs; I meane the strength of Gods spirit; therefore cald the spirit of strength. Esa. 11.2. Without this, we are like Sampson without his lockes, and our strength is but as the strength of other men. What was it that Sampson could not doe, as long as his Nazarites fleece was vn-shorne? The spirit of God was vpon him then; sayes the Scripture. Iudg. 14.6. Then he could haue rent a Lyon as one would haue rent a Kyd; Iudg. 16.3. he could carry away the gates of Azzah vpon his backe, with the postes and the barres of it, be could slay a thousand Philistimes with the Chap. 15.15[Page 29]I aw bone of an Asse. But when once the spirit of the Lord was departed from him, what was Sampson more then another man? Thus we. As long as we goe on in the strength of Gods spirit, it is not Sathan, the roaring Lyon that can hurt vs; They be not the gates of Azzah, the gates of Hell, that can preuaile against vs. They be not a thousand Philistimes, a thousand tentations that can either discomfit, or discomfort vs. But if that assist vs not, what are we more then others? We are but like Reedes shaken with the winde. If we can be therefore as S. Paul sayes, strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephe. 6.10. We may then boast as Saint Paul does, that we shall be able to doe all thinges by the vertue of that power. I can doe all things through him that strengthens me. Phil. 4.13.
Thirdly, as he must haue strength so he must haue courage. Without courage, strength is nothing. What is [Page 30]a Lions strength, with a Hares spirit? Resolution and Courage is the best weapon that a man can carry into the field with him. 2. Sam. 21.9. We may say of it as Dauid of Goliahs sword: There is none to that. Now the courage of a Christian, is from the testimonie of a good conscience. That is murus aheneus, It is a wall of brasse about him: Nay, it is a wall of fire, to keepe off all that shall come neere him. Pro. 28.1. Salomon rels vs, it will make one bold as a Lyon; bold against the accusations of men, nay bold against the accusations of Sathan, nay bold in the presence of God himselfe. If our conscience condemne vs not, we haue boldnesse toward God: 1. Ioh. 3.21. To the braue-spirited Souldier, there is nothing more hatefull then the name of a Coward If you would not be Cowards when you come into the field, but looke your enemie couragiously in the face, be sure you keepe a good conscience about you. Carry not letters in your bosomes [Page 31]that will betray you into the hands of those that hate you. Nemo tam audax quem mala conscientia non facit timidissimum. Onely he can haue a good courage that hath a good conscience: Else, as it was sayd to Phocas about his high building; Peccatum intus; The sinne within will ouerthrow all.
Lastly, with all these, he must haue wisedome and skill. This is also as necessary for Campes as for Courts, for Souldiers as for Senators. Armes are to little purpose, Strength to little purpose; Courage to little purpose, if for the skilful managing of all these there want discretion and wisedome. [...]ulius Caesar knew it well: And therefore when he went out against Afranius, he said, he went in exercitum sine Duce; to an armie without a Captaine. There was a body of strength, but there wanted a head of skill: But when against Pompey, then ad ducem sine exercitu, to a Captaine without an Armie: There was a head of skill, but there wanted a bodie of strength. [Page 32]Will you haue it from the mouth of an Oracle? haue it from Salomon himselfe. Eccles. 9.13. I haue seene a little Cittie, and a great King hath besieged it. There was a poore, wise man found that deliuered the Cittie by his wisedome. Then I sayd wisedome is better then strength. The wisedome that a spirituall Warriour must haue, he must haue it from the holy word of God. From the assistance of Gods spirit, thence he must haue strength. From the testimony of a good conscience, thence he must haue courage. From the direction of Gods word, thence he must haue wisedome.
Oh therefore acquaint your selues with the holy word of God, and get to be familiar in the rules of it. As it will make you wiser then your Elders, Psal. 119.98. wiser then your Teachers, so wiser then your enemies. The Enemie himselfe you see, knowing of what power the word is, he does often make vse of it. But as it is sayd of [Page 33] Epaminondas that he drew the Darts out of his owne bodie, Plut. in vita Epaminon. Sic & Brasidas, hastâ è suo extracta corpore eum ipsum percutit ac necuit, à quo in ipsum fucrat missa. Apud Plut. De his qui sero a nunime puniuntur. which the Lacedemonians had throwne at him, and threw them backe againe to the wounding of the Lacedemonians; so the Darts which the Enemy throwes at vs, when he sights against vs with the word, by the skilfull vse of it we may learne to retort them vpon him againe, and so beate him out of the field with his owne weapon. There is no Enemy can come against vs but this will put him to the foyle. It will teach our hands to warre, and our fingers to fight.
You see the condition of a Christian: He is a Souldier. Next, see the conflict that he maks. From the word [...], it is a conflict of resistance. And this is the second point that I considered of: Conflictus resistendi; Resistance presupposes an assault: For vnlesse there bee assaults offered vs, what need wee to resist? I demand therefore; Who be they that assault [Page 34]vs? Beloued, we are subiect to a two-fold assault: An assault of Sinners, An assault of Sinne. The Apostle mentions both: That of Sinne, in the latter end of this verse; We striue against Sinne: That of Sinners, a little before in the precedent verse; Where hee sayes of Christ, that he endured the contradictions of Sinners. Indeed Christ had Sinners to resist, but not Sinne. Sinne could make no assault vpon Christ: for as in life, so in nature he was pure and vndefiled. We haue to resist both; both Sinners, and Sin. The way to resist Sinners, is by not resisting. The way to resist Sinne, is by not consenting. If malicious and wicked Sinners do at any time assault or set vpon vs, either with the sword of Ismaell, a reviling tongue; or with the sword of Esau, a persecuting hand; what haue we to doe? Not to desist from our innocence, nor to resist them with violence. When we doe not resist, then we doe resist. Submit [Page 35]with patience to endure their persecution, but fall not away with diffidence from the truth of thy profession. When the tentations of Sin do assault vs, our resisting then is our not consenting. So long as we consent not to the suggestions of Sinne, so long we make resistance against them. Bare suggestions are no Sinnes.
Well, it is a difficult thing to be a good Souldier; by consequent to be a good Christian. So you may gather by this. He must be in vtrum{que} paratus, euery way prouided as you see, both ad faciendum, and ad patiendum, both to doe, and to suffer. In resisting against Sin, there he must be an Agent; in resisting against Sinners, there he must be a Patient. Little doe Epicures & worldlings know, our wanton and delicate Professors, such as liue at ease in Sion, Amos 6.1. little do they know what belongs either to the one or to the other. Yet we for our parts must know it, and not onely know it, but [Page 36]professe it, and not onely professe it, but practise it. Plut. in vita Hannibal. Plutarch writes of Hannibal, that being but a Childe, his father at a sacrifice made him sweare, that when he came to mans state, he would be a mortall enemie to the Romanes. Let's remember we haue all taken the like oath; we in the Sacrament, as he at the Sacrifice. Euen while we were Children you know, and had the Sacrament of Baptisme administerd vpon vs, we did then promise and sweare vnto God, that we would be mortall enemies to Sinne and Sathan, and manfully fight his battels against all that should oppose vs.
I! but vsquequo Domine, vsquequo? How long Lord, how long must this conflict continue, must this resistance endure? I am now gotten to the last poynt of all, the virtus continuandi. You see I doe but summa sequi fastigia rerum; I doe but crop a few principall heads; cull here a berry, and [Page 37]there a berry, but the greatest part of the fruit I leaue vngathered, because I would not haue the vintage too long. For the time of continuance therefore, it must be [...], to the end, [...], sayes the Apostle vnto bloud. Peraduenture God will haue vs die in the maintenance of his quarrell, he wil haue vs witnesse it with our liues, seale it with our blouds. Be it so. It shall be with vs as with Epaminondas; wee shall conquer though we die. Neuer let the blast of such a threatning discourage vs; neuer let it be like Gideons proclamation in the eares of his faint hearted Souldiers, Iudg. 7.3. to make vs forsake our colours, and flie the field. If we begin to faint a little, let vs looke to our Leader. Consider him sayes the Apostle in the verse before my Text: Consider him both as our Leader, and as our Pay-master. As our Leader; for so we may bee bold to follow after him: Marching vnder his conduct, it is not possible for [Page 38]vs to misse-carry. Quales duces tales milites sayes one. Such as the Leaders are, such are commonly the Followers. Chabrias. Plutarch. Apoph. It hath beene a pretie question among curious wits, whether a Hart leading an armie of Lyons, or a Lyon leading an armie of Harts, whether of these would haue the victory if they should ioyne battell together. And the answere hath beene, that in all probabilitie of coniecture, the Harts would haue the victory, because a Lyon is their Leader. For the courage of the Leader breaths resolution into the Followers, and makes euen Cowards to be valiant. If thus, how happie are we then; sith though of our selues we are a sort of heartles Harts, amated with euery feare, affrighted with euery danger, yet because we haue a Lyon to our Leader, the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah, Apoc. 5 5. that neuer came from the field but hee brought home victorie with him. That which Dauid sung of Saul and [Page 39] Ionathan, it may more truely be applyed to him. 2. Sam. 1.22. His bow neuer turned backe, his sword neuer came home emptie. And therefore as Alexander said of Antipater, Tuto dormivi, vigilauit Antipater. Plut. Apoph. when he betooke him one night to his Cabbin; That so long as Antipater watcht, he might be bold to sleepe; so may we say (Beloved) when we goe after Christ into the battell; That as long as he leads the way, we need not be fearefull to follow. He both leads vs and fights for vs. Certantem inspectat, In Psal. 32. Deficientem subleuat sayes Saint Austen: He beholds vs when we fight, relieues vs when we faint. Considering we haue such a Leader to goe before vs, we neede not be discouraged.
Consider him not onely as our Leader, but as our Pay-master; wee shall haue a Pay from him that will bee worth our fighting for: when wee haue done our resistance, he will giue vs our recompence; he will honour vs with a Crowne, when we haue ended [Page 40]our Combate. Pugna breuis, Corona immarcescibilis: A momentany combate, but an immarcessible Crowne. Ah but yet it troubles vs to thinke that we must loose our blood in the quarrell; ah but let it neuer trouble vs to loose Ours for him, seeing it neuer troubled him to loose His for vs. Do you not remember what the people said of Dauid; 2 Sam. 18.3. They said, His life was worth more then ten thousands of theirs. So may wee say of Christs bloud; One drop of his, it is more precious then ten thousand Riuers of ours. Ours for him is but Ad attestationem fidei, To witnesse the profession of our faith: His for vs, Ad ablutionem peccati, To wash away the guiltinesse of our sinne. As euer wee desire therefore to haue Christs bloud a sacrifice for vs, wee must be willing to offer ours as a sacrifice for him. Lord Iesus, if thou wilt haue it so, make vs willing that it should be so. Let vs willingly resolue [Page 41]to shed ours for thee, and bee thou graciously pleased to poure out thine vpon vs. Thy bloud be vpon vs, O Lord, thy bloud be vpon vs: Mat. 27.25. Wee wish it not as the trayterous and truculent Iewes wish it; not the guilt of it: Oh no, not the guilt of it Lord, but the merit of it. The merit of thy blood, let that be vpon the heads of vs all, and vpon the heads of our children for euer.
So now I haue done with the Text in the sence that the Apostle meant it, showne you (as I can) what belongs to the spirituall resistance; to the fighting of the good fight of Faith. A fight that we are all called to, in being called to be Christians, and from the seruice of which, there is none of vs that must looke to be exempted: Not the youngest, not the oldest, not the weakest. Not the youngest, for euen children as soone as they be borne, they haue presently their names put into the Check-rowle, and receiue from [Page 42]their Captaine their presse-money in their Baptisme. Not the oldest, for though the Romans had among them their Milites emeriti; Souldiers, who when they came to be of such an age they were discharged from the seruice of the warres, and liued freely vpon their pensions; yet God (Beloued) hath no such Souldiers in his warres; none that by reason of his age must looke to be discharged the field, or exempted from seruing vnder his banner: they must be his Triarij here, and till death giue them a discharge, they cannot be Emeriti. Finally, not the weakest, whether made weake by sicknesse, or weake by sexe. The man that lies sicke vpon his bed, hee may fight and conquer in this battell, as well as he that can carrie armes into the field; yea, and they that are of the weaker sexe to, weake and tender women, though so tender that they dare not set the sole of their foote vpon the ground, Deut. 28.36 yet they haue [Page 43]also their part to fight in this combate. God calles them all to bee his Souldiers, and he hath his band of Amazons among them. It is admirable to reade with what heroicall fortitude and valour a great many of them haue resisted. Their very Torturers and Persecuters haue beene stricken with consternation and amazement to behold it. This being the condition then that wee are all called to, it is this wee must all prepare for. Euery one get the Armour of God about him, that hee may be able to resist in the euill day. Ephes. 6.13. Thinke it not enough to loose your goods for Christs sake, but resolue to lose your blouds likewise, if he wil bring you to the altar. As Lorinus writes of Iohannes Eleemosynarius, that when the people wondered to see how beneficient and bountifull hee was, in the sustaining and succouring of poore Christians: Lorin in 1. Epist. Ioh. cap. 3. Oh but brethren (saith hee) I haue not yet shed my blood for you as [Page 44]my Master hath commanded me. Learn you all the like resolution: Learne to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: Feare not Tortures, feare not Tyrants; say with Saint Paul; My life is not deare vnto me, Acts 20.24. so I may fulfill my course with ioy. And let it be with you as with Saint Chrysostome; when his enemies threatned him with torture and with death; what could one say that stood by? Neuer threaten these things to him; Nihil timet Chrysostomus nisi peccatum: Chrysostom is afraide of nothing but of sinne. So hauing quitted your selues like men, a Crowne of righteousnesse shall bee giuen you; and when you haue finished your course in the Church militant, you shal bee taken vp into the Church triumphant.
And now I must humbly entreate of you, to lend me your patience yet one quarter of an houre more, that [Page 45]I may worke ouer my Text once againe, and apply it a little to our owne purpose, as at first I promised it. I haue giuen you the kernell of it alreadie, but now I must make meat of the shell. It is not like the huske of an Acorne, good for nothing but for the Hogges; but like the mace about the nutmeg, fragrant and sauoury. Briefly, it is of vse in the Letter, as well as in the Allegory.
To speake according to the Letter therefore: Looke what the Apostle said to these Souldiers, the same I may say to you, as you are Souldiers in another kinde, not Church-Souldiers, but Field-Souldiers; men of the military profession, as well as members of the militant Congregation. Your profession is Honourable, your designes generous, your preparations worthy and noble; but you haue not resisted vnto bloud.
You haue not] Now blessed be God you haue not. I repeate it not by [Page 46]way of exprobration, but by way of congratulation. It is not any reproach to you at all, but it is the mercy of God to you; his mercy to vs as well as to you. Oh how much are wee bound vnto him! that wee haue so long sitten vnder our Vines and Figtrees in peace; that we haue heard of no violence all this while, Psal. 144.15. no leading into captiuity, no complaining nor crying in our streetes. Blessed are the people, saith the Prophet, that be in such a case. And blessed be the Lord our God (say I) that we are in this case. Happie, happie it is with vs, that wee know not what the miseries of warre meane.
They bee sad and tragicall effects that warres doe bring forth. I neuer read them more wofully described, then by the Pen of the Prophet; Lament. 5. It is a bleeding complaint that he makes there. He complaines how their Inheritances were all turned [Page 47]to strangers, and their houses to Aliants. Children were left fatherlesse, Mothers were left widowes. The water that they drunke, they were faine to buy it with money, and the bread that they eate, to get it with the perill of their liues. Their neckes were held vnder persecution, and their skinnes were blacke like an Ouen. Seruants were set to rule ouer them, and there was none to deliuer them out of bondage There Virgines were rauished, and their Women defiled in the very streetes of their Cities. Their Princes were hanged vp by the hands, and the faces of their Elders were dishonoured: Their young men were put to grind, and their tender children broken vnder the burden that they carried. They had neither iudgement in their gates, nor ioy at their feasts. Worse then all this, the house of God was laide wast, and the Congregations of the Saints were dispersed. The Mountaine of Syon was left desolate, and the Foxes ran vpon it. Such be the miseries of warre: [Page 48]such the hauocke and spoile that the Sword brings.
And yet dulce bellum inexpertis: Warre is sweete for all this, to them that know it not. To them that know it not indeede. But it is Gods sweete mercie to vs that we know it not. You play well as you play now. It was a bloudy play that we reade of, 2 Sam. 2. betweene the seruants of Ishbosheth and the seruants of Dauid. Let the young men rise and play before vs, saith Abner to Ioab: And what was the play they had? Euery one tooke another by the head, and thrust his sword through his side. Long may you all sit, before you be bidden rise to any such play. Let the glorie of it bee what it will. I confesse there is a great deale of glorie atchieued in the necessary seruice of a iust warre. But what said Iehoash to Amasiah, 2 Kin. 14.10. Brag of glory and tarry at home. Beloued, I wish the same vnto you; That you may all tarry at home stil, [Page 49]and bee content with the glorie that you haue. Neuer may you come to that honor (which yet many a braue Souldier hath counted his best honour) to shew what wounds and scars you haue brought from the field with you. But goe fairely on (as you doe) with these same Salmacida proelia, these same friendly frayes, and peacefull skirmishes that you are in, from whence at night you may come home againe Sine sanguine, though perhaps not Sine sudore; sweating perhaps, but yet not bleeding. Neuer may it be saide of you, that you haue resisted vnto blood.
Well, this is the mercy of God to you yet, that you haue not hitherto resisted. But are we sure it will be thus alwaies? Shall Ianus Temple be still shut? or haue we any Pattent sealed vs of our peace? Is there now no feare of any danger? nor no neede of any preparation? Are we bidden, as it is Esay 2.4. to breake our speares into plowshares, [Page 50]or our swords into sithes? Or as it is Michah 4.3. Hath it beene said to vs that wee shall not learne to fight any more? Some may obiect thus perhaps; Non necessarij milites, quia desunt hostes: Wee neede no Souldiers, because we haue no enemies. I would we had not: but euery wise man that hath his eyes in his head, will easilie acknowledge, that we haue both neede to feare, and cause to prepare. Wee know the Children of Edom well enough, Psal. 137.7. what they haue heretofore cried against Ierusalem. Wee remember what Balak the King of Moah hath deuised, Mich. 6.5. and what Balaam the sonne of Beor hath counselled. Spaine, and Rome, they haue heretofore confederated against England, like Ahab and Benhadad, against Iudah. If we need feare no inuasions, whence come our Treasons? Come they not both out of one forge? are they not both hammered vpon one Anuile? Sure they that shoote at vs in a vault, they would [Page 51] shoote at vs in a field if they durst. They would ramme their powder into barrels of steele; as well as into barrels of wood. Wee neede not doubt therefore but we haue enemies. Wee may rather doubt what friends wee haue, then what enemies we haue.
Besides this, what shall we thinke of the many prodigious and portentuous signes that wee haue latelie seene & heard of; Vide Gallo-Belgici narrationem historicam pro anno praesenti. as if Nature were growne monstrous? Strange Comets in the aire, strange concussions of the Earth, strange diseases vpon the bodies of men: Waters strangely turned into blood. A whole Towne with all the Inhabitants of it, most strangelie swallowed vp into the ground; not one soule in it left aliue, nor so much as any Monument of it remaining to be seene? Shall we thinke these be all Mutes and Blancks? and that God speaks nothing to vs in them? Think it who will, I will not.
It might bee obserued also, how [Page 52]the hand of God hath been lifted vp to strike many great Princes of late. Maximilianus Archidux Austriae. A great Duke of Austria, a great Emperour and Empresse of Germany, a great Queene in England; and that which I cannot yet speake of, but with trembling and ioy: the verie Crowne of our head, it was falling, it was falling. He that is the light of our eyes, and the breath of our nostrils, vnder whose gracious shadow wee are all preserued; his light was almost quencht, his breath was almost taken from him. Oh what a gap had there then beene made for the Enemy to haue stept in? wee might then haue felt to our cost, what neede there would haue beene of preparation for resistance: But as Paul of Epaphroditus; Phil. 2.27. The Lord hath showen mercy vnto him; and not to him, but to vs also (magnified and blessed be his name for it) in vouchsafing him recouerie. Our vnthankfulnesse for him, had almost lost him. Let me speake freelie. There [Page 53]are a sort of winter grashoppers among vs; a generation that is euer murmuring and repining: They consider not what store of blessings they enioy, but still they are complaining of burdens and grieuances; still obiecting that the former times were better then these. There may a day come, when they shal wish to see the things they see now, and they shall not see them. In the meane time, little doe they know what an inualuable losse it would haue beene, if this Diamond had fallen out of our Ring. Oh thou preseruer of men, hide him still as a chosen shaft in thy quiuer, and binde his soule vp in the bundle of life. As for the soules of his enemies, let them be cast like a stone out of the middle of a sling. 1 Sam. 25.29.
I haue one thing more to name yet, that tels vs what great cause we haue to feare; greater this then any of the other. Will you aske what it is? It is the invndation of Sinne, that so immeasurably ouerflowes in all [Page 54]places of this land. Oh the crying sinnes, the crying sinnes of this land; they will neuer let heauen be at rest, till it haue sent them a scourge. It is an admirable peice of newes that our late Gallo-Belgicus reports about the towne of Pleurs, Page 4. I told you of euen now; that was so strangely subuerted vpon the sudden, and lies buried to this day vnder it's owne ashes, without hope of any possible restauration. A while after the subuersion of it, diuers neighbourers that repaired thither would needes attempt to dig into the ground that they might see what they could finde. Among other things that they found, God directed them to a Stone, which when they had taken vp, they saw something written vpon it in Hebrew letters, as if (like the Tables of Stone, that were giuen to Moses in mount Sinai) it had beene grauen with Gods own finger. The writing was this;
Thus sayth the Lord; My word is [Page 55]like fire, and like a hammer breaking the Rockes. Goe out of Babylon, and euery one looke to the sauing of his owne soule. Let none winke at his sinnes, for the vengeance will come, and all shall be rewarded according to their wickednesse.
Beloued, I desire not to sit like an omnious Rauen vpon the house-top, croaking out any fatall presages of one or other euill that may come vpon the Land that we liue in: The Lord turne it from vs in mercie, and rather send it to fall vpon the heads of our enemies. But when vpon euery Stone in the street, we may see the sinnes of the Land to be written, Ier. 17.1. written as with a pen of Iron, and graven as with the poynt of a Diamond; how can we but feare, least there be a stone falling from heauen, vpon which our Iudgement is also written, the destruction & ruine of our Land engrauen with Gods owne finger shortly to be accomplisht.
Well then beloued: Seeing there be so many things that make vs to feare danger, how can any preparateons be vnnecessary to preuent danger? To God ward our onely preparation must be by repentance. But against other enemies; such as you are now prouiding, that you may be readie for resistance. Looke what the Apostle here requires of his Souldiers, the very like vnto it is expected from you. A resisting, and a persisting. Preparation for the one: Resolution in the other.
Remember first; It is but a place of resistance that you stand in. You must onely prepare to resist, not to assault. As it is in the other combate, so in this. We are not Assaulters in the other but onely Resisters. Neither must we be here. Resist we may, if another offer vs any violence: But vnlesse violence be offered vs, we haue no warrant to assault. Now resistance first of all, it must be made [Page 57]you know against them that be Enemies. You must therefore take heed of it among your selues. Among your selues, let all vnitie and concord bee preserued. Let not the least murmure of any resistance be heard of. Agesilaus was asked the question, why the cittie of Sparta was built without wals. Poynting to the Cittizens he answered; En muros Spartae, Behold the wals of Sparta. Spartaes Cittizens are Spartaes wals. As long as the Cittizens be vnanimous among themselues, they feare not the inuasion of any Enemy.
Marry; resistance against an Enemy and so Preparation for resistance; that is both necessary and honourable:
1. It is necessary; because there can be no safetie without it. In what a case was the land of Israell, when among fortie thousand of the people, Iudg. 5.8. there was not a speare, nor a shield to be seene? The sight of a weapon (we say) scars a Theife. What theiuerie [Page 58]there is in hand we know not: But we heare of great preparations that others make abroad. Beloued, It cannot be amisse for vs to haue an eye to our owne safetie, though we suspect not their fidelitie: Though we prepare not for them, we may prepare with them. We may be in readinesse to resist, if they offer any assault vnto vs, though for our owne parts we intend not to offer any assault vnto them. Be none so absurd as to obiect, We put our confidence in God, and we trust he will defend vs. Grant we doe so, Aug. de ciuit. Dei. lib. 16. cap. 19. yet for all that; Si periculum quod cauere possumus, non cavemus; If wee preuent not those dangers our selues which wee haue meanes to preuent, we doe rather Deum tentare, then in Deo sperare; we do rather tempt God then trust God. But what is Munition without Men? Or what are weapons without Warriours? As good no weopons at all, as no dexteritie to vse them. It is reported of Lycurgus, [Page 59]that he trained vp the children of the Lacedemonians, Plut. in vita Lycur. when they once came to be seauen yeers of age, in all kinds of martiall and warlike exercises; So that it was a wonder to behold their actiuitie and valour. And very problable it is, that the like discipline was vsed among the Iewes themselues. For 1. Chro 12.38. it is wonderfull to obserue, what a multitude of expert Warriours they had among them: Three hundred and two and twentie thousand, euery one able to lead an Armte. Where there is this abilitie to performe, there will bee the more boldnesse to attempt. Nemo facere metuit, qui se bene didicisse confidit, none will be afraid to fight, that knowes he hath skill to fight. Mary, if one haue a weapon, and no skill to vse it; alas, what shall we say to him? We may say, as it was said to one that had gotten him a faire Buckler, gaily guilded and trimmed: one told him, he did well to bestow such cost [Page 60]vpon his Buckler. It was a signe that he trusted more to his Buckler then to his sword. So then; it is necessary you see, that there should be preparation for resistance; that there should be both armes in readinesse, and men in readinesse. For there can be no safetie without it.
2. As it is necessary, so it is honourable. What nobler or more honourable exercises then such as these, to him that hath any masculine spirit in him, him that carries the mind of a man? Shall he liue like a luskish Sidonian, or like an effeminated Sybarite, languishing in ease, and rauelring out his time in courtship and dalliance? Shall he doe nothing but sit singing and sonnetting among Ladies and Gentlewomen, or perhaps stretch his armes now and then at Shittlecock or Biliards? Shall he bee like that Mindyrides that Seneca writes of, Lib. 2. de ira. cap. 25. that could not endure to see a man digge: Latus condoluit, it [Page 61]made his sides ake to see him: And when he lay streaking himselfe vpon a bed of Roses, he complained he lay vneasily, Vetuit illum, opus in conspectu suo facere. quod folijs rosae duplicatis incubuisset; because he felt a leafe double vnder him? Such be a sort of the feather-headded Gallants that walke the streetes of our Cittie: Women like men, as the Prophet Nahum cals them; Thy men within thee are like women. Nah. 3.13. Virorum faeminae, faeminarum viri, as one sayes: women among men, and onely men among women. Make Captaines and Colonels of these: They will be euen such as the Prophet speakes of there: Captaine Grashopper, Vers. 17. and Colonell-Locust. They will not dare to trie a battell with Aesops frogges, if they come against them with Bul-rushes. As much in effect is sayd of them, by Nahum himselfe. He likens them to Fig-trees when the first ripe Figges are vpon them, Shake them, and they drop into the mouth of the Eater. So [Page 62]these: draw but a sword at them, they fall downe at the foote of the Assaulter.
What an honour is it therefore to you of this Societie, that you haue so nobly engaged your selues in an exercise of this nature, which is indeed both for the safetie and for the glory of the Kingdome. Me thinkes I cannot say whether you make a better shew, when you are togati, or armati, in your gownes, or in your armes; whether when you are habited as Senators, or accoutred as Souldiers; whether in your Citie-liueries, or in your Captaines colours. In the one, we see the happie fruites of a well ordered peace: In this other, generous preparations for a lawfull warre. In the one, you maintaine the honorable seates of Iustice. In this other, you aduance glorious Tropheys vnto Fortitude. And doubtlesse hee is the onely absolute and compleate man, in whom is the concurrence [Page 63]of those two vertues, Prudence and Valour, he that is both an Vlysses at home, and an Achilles abroad; he that hath both a head for Counsell, and a hand for action. For Gentlemen in the Country, to haue raised such a Societie, and erected such an exercise, though it had beene worthily done of them, yet lesse commendable in them, then in you. In regard of their habitation, education, condition, probabilitie of reason sayes, they bee better accommodated. You haue the greater honour therfore that being of the qualitie you are, rather Marchant-like, then Martiall-like men, fitter for an Appij forum, then for a Campus Martius; that yet you do so willinglie offer your selues in so heroicall a seruice, follow it with such industrie, maintaine it with such charge, that the world may see your hearts are not altogether set vpon your ease, and vpon your profit. There rises a better report by this [Page 64]meanes to you of London, then to them of Laish. You know how the spies of Israell found and reported them, Iudg. 18.10. Terrafructuosa, gens otiosa: A fruitfull Land, but a lazie people; and that made them a prey to their enemie.
What now remaines, but that you be animated with all possible excitations and encouragements, to goe on in your strength, and to maintain what you haue begun? as you haue prepared for resisting, so to be resolute in persisting? I wish nothing may be wanting vnto you, that may any way encourage you. To say truth, wee should all ioine together, to set forward so noble a designe, some in one kind, some in another. I remember what a reuerend Diuine said; one, who while he liued, he was the Ornament and Oracle of our Cambridge Vniuersity. At a certaine Commencement time, when there was a Musicke act to bee kept, they of the Act made request [Page 65]that they might beginne with their Musicke. Hee would not suffer it, but according to the wonted laudable custome, hee would haue the Diuinity to beginne. Nay, saith he; Doct. Whitakers. Illinos audiant dicentes quia canere nō possumus; Nos illos audiemus canentes quia dicere non possunt. They shall first heare vs dispute, because we cannot sing; afterward we will heare them sing, because they cannot dispute. I apply it to my purpose thus. That which one is not able to doe, let another helpe to doe. There are a sort of wealthy Citizens, that are not able, or not fit perhaps, to doe personall seruice in this action. What they cannot doe by person, let them doe by purse. Some that haue not gold to offer, are willing to offer themselues. Others that are willing to spare themselues, let them offer their gold. Spare from your vanities and superfluities, from the pride of your apparell, the pompe of your shewes, the luxurie of your feasts; spare, and cast into this treasurie, where you shall but lay vp a stocke for your common [Page 66]safety. Remember, it is not your wealth that will deliuer you in the day of battle: deliuer you? Nay, it will rather betray you, rather bee a baite for your enemie, then a bulwarke to your selues. Thus it was with Hezekiah. 2. King. 20.13 The sight of his treasure, had almost lost him his Kingdome. Plut in compar. Hannib. & Scip. And so Hannibal told Antiochus when Antiochus shewed him what an army he had prouided, richlie stored with gold and siluer; but otherwise men of no extraordinarie either courage or strength. He asked him, if he thought that armie would not be sufficient for the Romans? Hannibal answered him; Yes, that it would, though the Romans were neuer so couetous: Intimating, there was spoile enough to enrich them, though not force enough to withstand them. You therefore that cannot be Souldiers, make Souldiers: be helpefull with your purses, seeing you cannot be seruiceable in your persons. Let [Page 67]your Mammon helpe to fight for you, and make you friends of it that way.
We for our parts, we that are of poore Leuies Tribe, we will helpe you what we can too. Though wee cannot by our purses, nor though we cannot by our persons, yet we will helpe you by our prayers. We will carry the Arke of God for you whensoeuer you goe into the battell. If you doe nostram causam agere gladijs, we will vestram agere precibus. If you fight for vs, we will pray for you: We will hold vp our hands to God for you, as Moses did for Ioshua, Exod. 17.11. when he fought against Amalek.
For your selues last of all; Continue to be your selues still; Iudg. 6.12. and (as the Angell to Gideon) the Lord be with you, you valiant men. It is true, there hath beene yet but little proofe of your valour. I wish as I wisht before; that there neuer may be greater. If greater must be, the God that [Page 68]sittes aboue, strengthen you with courage, & crown you with victory. You must looke to find a difference then, betweene those skirmishes and these velitations. But that which was Senecaes resolution, let that bee yours. I affect not (sayes he) the contentions of warre, yet if I cannot auoyd it, Seneca in Epist. but that I must be engaged in them, & famem & frigus, & omnia quae belli necessitas adfert, generose feram; be it hunger or colde, or whatsoeuer the necessitie of the war shall cast vpon me, I will freely and generously beare it. Carry in one word, this comfort away with you: He that dies a good Souldier, dies a good Martyr. It need not trouble you though you die not in your beds, if you be sure you die not in your sinnes.
The Lord strengthen vs all, to be good Soldiers in the battels to which he shall call vs, and so to fight the good fight of faith, that hauing couragiously [Page 69] resisted, constantly persisted, euen to the effusion of our bloud, we may in the end receiue a Crowne of righteousnesse from him, who by his own bloud hath redeemed vs vnto God. So shall we sing songs of victorie to him that hath got the victorie for vs, blessing, and glory, and wisedome, and thankes, and honour, and power, and might, to our Lord Iesus Christ, for euer and euer.
Be strong and valiant for our people, and for the Citties of our God and let the Lord doe that which is good in his eyes.