WHEN Joab had set his Army in Array against the Syrians, and had given his Orders to Abishai to do the like, with those under his Command, against the Ammonites, and mutually engaged the Assistance of each other, on occasion, in the 11th Verse. He prepares both himself, his Brother and the Army for the Fight, with this short Speech in the Text, Be of good Courage, &c. [Page 6] In which Words we have these three Things to consider: First, The Exhortation of the Gene­ral, Be of good Courage, and let us play the Men. Secondly, The Occasion and Necessity there was of doing so; the Concern they had at Stake was very great, it was, For their People, and for the Cities of their God. Thirdly. The Resignation and Submission of the Issue and Event to God's good Pleasure and Disposal; And the Lord do that which seemeth him good. Of these I intend to speak in the first Place; and, in the second, make what Application may be proper. And first of the Ex­hortation; Be of good Courage and let us play the Men. The Safety and Success of an Army, does in great Measure depend upon the Concord and Agreement of Commanders, and the good Under­standing there is betwixt them; and Joab prudent­ly considering this, lest the unequal Division of the Bands should offend Abishai, [for whether the Syrians were indeed the better Soldiers, and more formidable Enemies; or whether the Ammonites were suppos'd by Joab to be weakned by their Guilt (as a Jew might well surmise) being the Authors and Occasion of this War, by having villainously treated David's Embassadors, and there­fore that the weakest Men of Israel would be a Match for them, or whatever was the occasion of Joab's taking all the chosen Men to serve under him,] he makes his Agreement beforehand with him, to come and succour him, if he should find himself distress'd, and requires the like of him again. But because the People bear too great a share, either in Rout or Victory, to be over-look'd, [Page 7] he does, as Wise and Valiant Captains always us'd to do, address himself to the Army like­wise, in the usual Words of Exhortation, Be of good Courage, and let us play the Men. Be of good Courage, said Moses, to the Men he sent out to explore the Land of Canaan, Numb. 13.20. Be strong and of a good Courage, said the same Moses, both to Joshua and the Israelites, when he was about to leave them, to encounter with their Ene­mies, Deut. 31.6, 7. Be strong and very Couragi­ous, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, said God himself to Joshua, entring upon his Command, Josh. 1.6, 7, 9. Be strong and of good Courage, said this Joshua too, to the Israelites, 10.25. And so said David to his Son Solomon, 1 Chron. 22.13. Chap. 28.20. And so said Ezra to the Jews, 10.4. Which does not only shew, that no At­tempt of any Moment or Importance, of our own Contrivance or Design, can be hopefully underta­ken by us, without the exerting thus our Strength and Courage to the utmost; but that it is also ne­cessary so to do, even in Enterprizes begun by God's especial Order and Command, and where the Undertakers were his peculiar Favourites, as is observable in all the above-mentioned In­stances. There is nothing so sure, as that where the Heart is faint, the Hands are feeble and hang down; the one does strangely influence the other; Men are commonly Strong or Weak, according to their Courage, not their Nerves and Sinews; they are almost whatever they desire to be; and Power dwells near the Will, as well as near Necessity. Some by this Heart and Courage have [Page 8] atchieved such great and marvellous Things, as few but they who are alike Inspired, and heated with their Fire, can easily fancy or believe, more than indeed themselves could at first propose, or in their sober, cautious, reasoning Mood, could hope for. Others, for want of this, have lost their lucky Opportunities, and blasted many a fair and hopeful Enterprize, when every thing besides themselves, conspir'd to Crown them with Suc­cess and Honour. Many, whose Hearts have rob'd their Heads of their Triumphant Wreathes, and loaden both themselves, and (which is more to be lamented) others, both with Chains and Infa­my, that with a little of this generous Warmth, a little shaking off their Fear and Sluggishness, were fitted to be Conquerors and Happy. And therefore there is great Necessity, in all Attempts of Weight, of raising up the Heart, and calling all the vigorous active Spirits up to our Assi­stance: And not of this alone, but of provoking others, with our Exhortations and Incitements, to be of good Courage also. There is a noble Emu­lation in the Souls of most, which oft lies Dor­mant for a while, until it be awakened by Ex­ample, or Upbraiding, or Encouragement; till either Praise or Shame, discover what they can, as well as what they should do. And this is most remarkable in War; where many times a quick Oration, or a brave Example of some one or few Particulars, has given such Life and Strength to the whole Army, that from a fearful and in­glorious Flight, they have returned to Victory and Spoil, and bravely have defac'd and crost the [Page 9] Footsteps of their Shame: And on the other Hand, some have been quite intimidated in­to Rout and great Disorder, by the Despon­dency of some great Officers, and Cowardous Example of their Fellows, whose Fear did perfectly infect their Neighbours. So that in all Attempts of Moment, it is not only neces­sary to quicken and animate our Selves, and raise our Hearts as high as can be, but to give Life and Soul to Others also, and to take what Care and Pains we can, that They as well as We may Be of good Courage. The other part of the Exhortation, is, Let us play the Men; which is but the same Thing, expressed in o­ther Words. Be strong and quit your selves like Men, and Fight, said the Philistines to each other, 1 Sam. 4.9. Be strong therefore and shew thy self a Man, said David dying, to his Son, 1 King. 2.2. And so saith St. Paul, in the Case of Spiritual Warfare, 1 Cor. 16.13. Quit your selves like Men, and be strong. Using the very Words by which the LXX. have Translated the Exhortation in the Text, [...]. And where this History is again repeated, in 1 Chron. 19.18. It is—Let us behave our Selves valiantly, instead of, Let us play the Men; the one importing and supposing the other. And this the Heathens understood of old, when they began their Exhortations to the Fight, with [...], and Fite Viri, &c. Do but re­member you are Men, and act accordingly; imagining that they who would but think upon themselves, would never do a thing unworthy [Page 10] of their Nature, and the noble Name by which they were called. They look'd upon the Name of Man as a Preservative, and powerful Charm against both Treachery and Cowardise; a per­fect Contradiction to whatever is esteemed Vile and Infamous, and comprehending every Thing that is Great and Brave and Honourable. But lest the Consideration of the Excellence and Dignity of Human Nature, should not, of it self, ballance the Love of Life and Fear of Death, the general and prevailing Passions of Men's Hearts, there are also added, in the se­cond Place, the Motives and Incitements to the shewing forth this Courage, some Reasons and Inducements, why they ought to quit themselves like Men; it was not for themselves alone they were to Fight, but For their People, and the Cities of their God. By People we are to understand, all that were left behind at home, all the Relations and Dependants that they had, their Fathers, Mothers, Wives and Children, Friends and Servants; and all the Civil and Judicial Laws, the Ties and Bonds that make a People, and distinguish them each from the other; for all these are implied in the Word People; and when Men Fight for their People, they virtually Fight for all these, because that these are all in danger to be lost by being Con­quered. And by the Cities of God we are to under­stand, not only their particular Cities, but all the Villages and Country, and all their Estates and Habitations, all their Subsistance and their Live­lyhood, because whoever Masters the Cities of [Page 11] a Country, is presum'd to be Master of all be­sides; the one does naturally take in all the other; it must be so in Reason, and we see it is so by Experience. But because these Cities are also Cities of God, we may very well imagine their Religion also is included in those Terms: For whatever Grace and Favour God is said, in many Passages of Scripture, to shew to Israel, and Jerusalem, and Sion, to love her Buildings and her Towers, and to take Delight in her Palaces, with the like, we may be sure it is for the sake of his Laws and Worship therein be­ing: In Jury is God known, and his Name is great in Israel; at Salem is his Tabernacle, and his Dwelling in Sion. And this is the Foundation of his Love. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and Ordinances unto Israel: He hath not dealt so with any Nation, neither have the Heathen Knowledge of his Laws, Psal. 147.19. Here was the Habitation of his House, and the Place where his Honour dwelt: And 'twas on this Ac­count that it was called the Holy City, and the Holy Place; and it is in this respect (making Allowance for a greater Holiness and greater Favours) that the Church of Christ is called, The City of the Lord, Isa. 60.14. Mount Zion and the City of our God, in Heb. 12.22. And the same in Revelations is said of Heaven it self, 3.12. So that by Cities of God, we are not to understand only the Walls and Houses, but the Worship and Religion of those Places. And then To be of good Courage and play the Men, for their People, and for the Cities of their God, is neither [Page 12] more nor less, than to Fight and do Valiantly for their Lives, and Laws, and Fortunes, and Reli­gion; the same which the Ancients called Fight­ing, pro Aris & Focis. This Place would give me opportunity of saying something in defence of War in general, and in the Justification of each of these particular Occasions; but the Conside­ration of these Matters at large, would lead me too far, and hold me too long; it may be more convenient, to take the Matter as it is in the Text, for granted, as Joab did undoubtedly, concluding the Defence of his Country and Religion, a very justifiable Ground of War; especially if we re­member withal, that this Their behaving them­selves valiantly for their People, and for the Cities of their God, was, notwithstanding, an offensive War on Israel's side, invading Ammon for their vile, unmanly Usage of the King's Embassadors; and if such insolent injurious Dealing with Em­bassadors, be (as it always was accounted by the World in general) a just occasion for a War offensive, we may conclude safely enough, That the Defence of Lives and Laws, and Fortunes and Religion, are each of them sufficient War­rant for the drawing of the Sword. And though in private Cases, the Principles of Chri­stianity are very peaceable and tender, and re­gardful of Men's Welfare in this World as well as the other, and lay greater Restraint on Peo­ples Inclinations to Contention and Disturbance than any other Laws whatever, and would perhaps, if heedfully attended and obeyed, prevent most Wars; yet where Men will [Page 13] not hearken to good Reason, nor the Christian Doctrins, where there is no redress of Injuries to be expected from the Laws (as in National Affronts and Wrongs there cannot be) where the contending Parties will admit of no Arbi­trator betwixt them, whose Sentence shall be Decisive, and from whom there shall be no Ap­peal, there certainly the Sword of War be­comes necessary, there Christ hath left the Pub­lick to consult its Welfare and Defence, and to persue its Peace and Safety by such Methods, as are Proper, Just and Honourable. He hath left no Rule in these Extremities for the Pub­lick to govern it self by, but neither hath he barr'd it such Defence as the common Reason of Mankind suggests in all such Cases. He hath not indeed commanded War, but neither hath he so forbidden it, as that it should not be both Just and Lawful, when it is absolutely necessary. And absolutely necessary to be sure it is, when either Lives or Laws, or Fortunes or Religion, are at Stake, and cannot other­wise be well preserv'd. What End and Purpose of Religion can be serv'd, by letting fifty, six­ty, or an hundred thousand People be killed, for the enlarging such a One's Dominion, or for the Enriching so many Plunderers with the Booty? What Tendency has such a Slaughter to the promoting of either Piety or Vertue? And therefore to think that Christianity com­mands such Patience, Sufferance, or such Cow­ardice as this, is to think it not only a very weak Religion, but a Religion countenancing and en­couraging [Page 14] Oppression, Insolence and Violence, and Cruelty and Blood; for this would naturally happen, through the Infidelity of such as are not Christians, and the Malice and Perversness of such as are very bad ones. What use would such a People as the Tartars are, make of such a Doctrin, as the Unlawfulness of War among the Christians? One might justly say, that such a Doctrin would be the occasion and cause of all the Ravages and Barbarous Devestations, of all the Rapes and Murthers such a People would commit. And to say that Christianity encoura­ges to so much Evil, is to give it an abomina­ble Character. And yet they say as much, who say that War is absolutely forbidden to Christians; for were it so indeed, both Infidels and wicked Christians would commit a thou­sand greater Evils than they daily do, and how far Christianity would be chargeable with them, by such a Natural Provocation and Encourage­ment, as that disarming Christians were, is not hard to determine. It is but a poor Defence to say, I did not kill Cajus, nor provoke Sempronius to his Murther, but only took away his Sword and Weapons of Defence, and left him to the Fury of his Adversary, who only watch'd for such an opportunity. The Case of private Peo­ple's suffering Injuries without Retaliation, is much another thing than this of publick War; though even in that, the redress of Law is by no means absolutely forbidden; and the permission of redress by Law for private Injuries, is not so dif­ferent from permission of redress by War, for Pub­lick [Page 15] Wrongs as People commonly imagine; the Rea­sons differ not in Kind but in Degree. And if Martyrdom it self, i. e. the suffering Death for the Sake of Christ and of the Gospel, be not so com­manded, but that it may and is to be avoided, where the Honour of God and of the Christian Name can be secur'd without, we may be sure, the suffering Death and other Evils, where neither God's Honour, nor the Truth of the Gospel, nor any end of Christianity is serv'd, is not com­manded us, and consequently that War is not for­bidden by the Christian Law. But leaving these Disputes, and taking it for granted, that every one of these occasions of War is Just and Lawful; the Text supposes that they are every one of them good Motives and Encouragements to Men, to behave themselves Valiantly in the Fight, Let us be of good Courage, and let us play the Men, for our People, and for the Cities of our God, which as I tryed to shew, implied our Lives and Laws, our Estates and our Religion.

That People's Lives are worth contending for, need not be proved, for every ones Own, is almost worth a War to him; but when the Lives of all his Civil and his Natural Relations too, are equally con­cern'd, then, not to venture bravely for them, is to prove his Life indeed was hardly worth the living; a Life that well deserv'd to be cast away. And what can be said of Men who in such Extremities will tamely yield, but that they act at once the Fool and Madman, and the indeed for fear of Death? There is little hope, that the Preservation of the Laws and Liberties of a Nation should prevail with those, whom the consideration of their own and others [Page 16] Lives cannot incite to Courage, and incline to be­have themselves like Men; but however, this has all along been esteemed, of all brave People, a Con­sideration of the last Importance, and they have freely ventur'd the one, in behalf of the other, accounting Life it self a Burthen, when they lost the other. There is something in the Frame and Constituion of each Government, so fitted and pe­culiar to the Genius and the Tempers of a People, that it is not to be altered by violent Conspirators at home, nor by a foreign Enemy, without the greatest Inconveniences, and the most fearful Con­sequences possible, and the Laws of each particu­lar Nation, consulting most especially the Benefit and Welfare of their own Subjects, it is no wonder if they are tenacious of this kind of Government, and of these Laws, and find it worth their while to resist unto Blood in their Defence and Mainte­nance. It is the properness and the fitness of these Laws to the Country and the Subject, that gives each People the Happiness they have; and since it is impossible for a Nation to be absolutely Con­quered, without breaking the Laws and Consti­tution of its Government, and bringing others in, more beneficial to the Conqueror and his Coun­try, and consequently prejudicial to the Conquer'd, there is nothing in this World that better de­serves to be defended to the utmost of Men's Power, than the continuance of their Laws and Government. And this the rather, because the over­turning of the Laws, does also overthrow Men's Fortunes and Estates, without which Men would live but hardly and uncomfortable; and that's the least and one of the most gently Effects of [Page 17] being Conquered, by a ravaging and greedy Enemy: the being reduc'd to Misery and the greatest Evils of Want and Slavery, is an inseparable Companion of be­ing overcome; the hope of Prey and Spoil, is the Life and Soul of an Army, and the fear of it should also prove as strong a Spur to Valour, to defend ones self against it. That Religion (lastly) suffers constantly in War, is very certain; and as certain, that the pre­servation of it, in its Purity and Truth, is as worthy an employment of men's strength and courage, as any other Cause whatever. Cum loca capta sunt ab hostibus, omnia desinunt esse sacra, was a Maxim of Old. When once a Place is taken by the Enemy, there is no farther difference made betwixt things sacred and profane. Wars and Victories (saith Tertullian, Apol. c. 25.) are made up of Cities taken and overthrown, which cannot be without offending the Gods; the Military fury at the same time indifferently assaulting the City-Walls and Temples; Slaughters involving Priests and Citizens without di­stinction; and the Souldier, greedy of his prey, no more regards things sacred than profane: So many Conquests, so many Sacrileges, so many Triumphs over Nations, so many Triumphs too over the Gods: And this was look'd upon so certain, that the Greeks esteemed it as a Law and Rule, That whoever conquered the Country, conquered the Religion of it also; and they did accor­dingly surrender both together: And upon this account it was, that all the Ancient Generals in their Speeches to their Armies, constantly re-minded them of their Religion, Gods and Altars left at home, as well as Wives and Children, which were sure to be the Prey and Plunder of their Conquerors; and thought at the same time, That if the Love and Fear, and the Regard they had to them, would not excite their utmost Courage, [Page 18] nothing else could do it. Whether it be lawfull to carry War into another Country for the vindication of God's honour, which we think is injur'd and affronted by the barbarous or ridiculous Worship of that Coun­try, and for the propagation of the true Religion, is what may bear some short dispute perhaps; but the conclusion will in all likelihood be, That it is not law­full, since God is his own best Avenger, and can vin­dicate his Honour, and promote his Truth, in times, and ways, and methods, as he sees convenient, with­out the help of Man, which he, in such cases, requires not. But whether it be lawfull to carry War into ano­ther Country, for the defence and preservation of the true Religion, which is otherwise in danger and great likelihood of being ruin'd and destroy'd at home, will bear no manner of dispute; because if it be lawfull to be defended at home, (as all Men must allow,) it will be also just to be defended abroad; for the carrying the War into another Country, is only to avoid those Evils we must otherwise necessarily endure, if we should suffer our Enemies to bring the War home to Us: And this makes no alteration of the justice of the War at all; for the Cause of that is still the same, whether we fight abroad, or defend our selves at home; and Men chuse the one or the other, according to their Strength, and the Situation of their Country, and for a great many other natural or accidental reasons. But whether it be lawfull to carry War into another's Country, even an invasive War, in the defence not only of the true Religion, but of the Professors of that true Religion, though another's Subjects, has born dis­pute a great while. The Example of Constantine the Great's invading of Licinius for the Christian's sake, the Subjects of Licinius, might (with the Approbation [Page 19] of the Christians at that time) serve in some measure, one would think, to determine this matter in the be­half of the Lawfulness of so doing. Constantine and Licinius had shared the Empire betwixt them, and were consequently independent, each of them, upon his fellow; Each was Augustus, and each of them had made his Son Coesar; and the Subjects of these Princes owed no manner of Obedience, but to each their Master. The Emperors had each of them decreed at Milan, Euseb. Eccl. Hist. lib. X. cap. 5. That the Christian Religion should be tolerated through the Empire: But Licinius afterwards, suffering himself to be persuaded otherwise, betook himself, by all the arts and methods he was master of, to break this Edict; and fearing the Zeal and Power of Constantine, was forc'd to practise secretly and cunningly, at first, the overthrow of Christianity; not appearing in the thing himself, but acting by his Presidents and Governors, who made their Court to him by such compliance with his cruel purposes, well knowing they could recom­mend themselves no way so effectually as by fulfilling his Desires, without expecting his Commands: But, in a little time, this modesty or fear was overcome, (such zealous superstition is impatient of restraint,) and he began to open his designs with falling first upon the Bishops, (all Persecutions ever did the same, the very Heathens knew, as well as did the Christians, that the Church of Christ could never be undone without their ruine, and therefore took the readiest way by falling upon them at first;) next he dismiss'd the Christians from all Employments at Court, cashier'd them from the Army, and turn'd them out of every Office; then seiz'd on their Estates, and fell at last upon the Clergy, killing some Bishops for praying for Constantine. Thus he continued persecuting for some good time, design­ing [Page 20] nothing less than the utter subversion of Christia­nity, which Eusebius (who liv'd at the same time) says, He had undoubtedly effected,Eccl. Hist. cap. 8.9. & de Vit. Const. lib. 2. cap. 2. &c. had not God, the Pro­tector of his People, prevented it, by raising up his Servant Constantine, and leading him as it were by the hand to their Delivery; who, after having exercis'd more patience, than was necessary, with this brutal Prince, and all to no purpose, made ready at last to succour these distressed Sufferers, concluding it a holy and religious thing, to remove One Man, and save thereby a multitude of People. In truth, Eusebius tells this Story in such manner, that One might reasonably think, the Christians of Licinius's Empire, sent to Con­stantine for some relief; and there are some Phrases, that would incline one to guess so: But there is no occasion of going any farther than we are sure; and that is, That Constantine did certainly make the Sufferings of the Christians one of his pretexts of War at this time; and that the Expedition was so well liked, that manyValesius calls them Bishops. Clergymen attended him as Chaplains; and he thought, if ever he had need of Prayers, it was now, and took them accordingly with him very gladly: And, lastly, That the whole Church, as well the Western as the Eastern One, rejoyced exceedingly at the deliverance God was pleased to work by him, and expressed it in all the demonstrations possible of Love, and Grati­tude, and Honour; and with one accord submitted to him, as the great and glorious Instrument of God's mercy and goodness towards them, and fill'd the world with his commendations: And of this mutual satis­faction in each other, the great and many endearing kindnesses and complements that past between the Em­peror and the Council of Nice, are so many ample te­stimonies, though they were most of them Licinius's [Page 21] Subjects, and the Council was call'd but a year after his deseat, 325. This Approbation of the Ancient Christians of this Act of Constantine, might serve, I say, to shew that they esteemed it not only just and lawfull, but honourable and religious, to carry War into ano­ther's Country for the defence of the true Religion, and the preservation of the Lives and Liberties of its Pro­fessors, which had been otherwise in danger of being quite lost: For the Victor neither made pretence of propagating the true Religion, nor of forcing People to forsake the false one, by the Sword, but only of secu­ring and defending them who were before Christians. And the whole Conduct of our Queen Elizabeth (one of the best and happiest Princes that we ever had, and one who lov'd, and best consulted both the honour and the welfare of our Nation,) her whole Conduct, I say, with respect to all the Protestants abroad, ap­prov'd of and rewarded, both by Parliaments and Con­vocations, might make this Case a little more defensi­ble, than it is commonly held to be, by a great many People. These Princes (and a great many others) did not only think themselves oblig'd to be of good courage, and behave themselves valiantly, for their own People and the Cities of their God at home; but made the Cities of God extend to all places where the same God was wor­shipped in the like Purity, Simplicity and Truth. They went indeed farther than Joab here did, because he had no occasion to go farther; but his Principles would have carried him, to the defence of the Cities of God, if they had been either in Ammon's or in Syria's Terri­tories; and we need not question, but he would have made the rescue and deliverance of their persecuted Brethren, a quickning motive and encouragement to the behaving themselves valiantly, and quitting them­selves [Page 22] like Men. The last thing we have to consider in Joab's conduct, is, his Resignation and Submission of the Issue and Event to God's good pleasure and dispo­sal, and the Lord do that which seemeth him good. He had made what preparations he could, or thought con­venient to his purpose; he had gathered a great Army, and selected all or most of the chosen Men, to oppose to the Syrians, and committed the rest to Abishai's ma­nagement, to order, as he saw necessity, against the Ammonites; and had agreed to do what was fit in case of each others exigence, and he had made his final Speech to all of them, and done, in a word, all that a wise and valiant General had to do, and then commits the Event to God. It is in vain to think of doing any thing well without God; but it is as vain to think that God will do any thing without us, that lies in our power to do. God is, in all our wants, our help and succour, but not unless we will co-operate with him, and joyn our forces to those which he affords us: He is indeed the best Allie that can be, but he will never fight our battles by himself, whilst we stand idle by, and unconcern'd: He is indeed the Author and Be­stower of every good and perfect Gift; but he bestows them all upon our industry and vigilance; he makes his blessings still the recompences of our care and la­bour; he gives success, and wealth, and honour, and wisdom; but he gives them to us, by our selves, and gives them to our diligence and industry, to labour and much study; he gives us Virtues, but it is by pains and habits; he gives us many Graces, but it is by fre­quent exercises and good uses of them; it is in vain to ask him any thing we can bestow upon our selves, for that's the way he has already taken to bestow it on us; it is but mocking God to beg of him, what we [Page 23] think not worth our while or labour to obtain: By vigilance, activity and looking wisely after things, Salust. they all go well; but when you give your self to sloth, and la­ziness, and cowardice, you shall in vain implore the assi­stance of the Gods, for they are angry and incens'd with such, said a Heathen of old of his fictitious Deities; and we may say as much of ours, the true and only ever­lasting God: For although we are commanded to pray to God for our daily bread, yet we must work for it, if we will have it; and St. Paul concludes we shall make our selves unworthy of it, if we will not. We must indeed cast all our care on God, and trust to his good Providence, and be over-anxious for nothing at all; but we must not so trust him, as to tempt him, by neglecting the means which he hath put within our power; we must do what we can for our selves in eve­ry case, and pray to God to bless and prosper our en­deavours, to make those means effectual to the attain­ing of their end, and to supply, by his abundant good­ness, what is wanting: And when we have done all we can, all that is fit for us to do, we must resign up all to God, and try to be contented with the issue he shall give to our attempts, let it be what it will; and say with Joab, The Lord do that which seemeth him good. By this we acknowledge both his Being and his Pro­vidence; By this we own him for the Supreme Gover­nor and Arbiter of all affairs: That he both over-looks and over-rules them all; That we put no trust or con­fidence in our strength or skill alone, without his bles­sing; That all our cunning and abilities are but his in­struments, and the means by which he brings to pass his glorious Purposes; That the preparations we make, are neither made in ostentation of our Strength and Excel­lence, nor in doubt or distrust of his Almighty Power, [Page 24] nor in defiance of it, to be sure; but that we do, there­in, as reasonable Creatures ought to do, make such provision, as that Reason says we should, and such as is proportion'd out to our Abilities and our Necessities; but know withall, that they will signifie nothing with­out his pleasure and permission; that all our expecta­tions and desires are, That these our reasonable and na­tural means may attain the end for which they are provided; but still with this supposal, That it is agree­able to him; still it must be, As it seemeth good to him. But this is not all; We do not only by this Resigna­tion and Submission own him for the Master and Dis­poser of all Events, but we prepare our selves thereby against them; let the Issue be what it will, we are thereby fitted for it: If it be prosperous, and as we wish it, we know it is nevertheless an effect of God's kindness towards us, although we were our selves the Instruments of working it; and we have then this satis­faction, That God co-operates with our designs, and blesses our endeavours; they who have perfect confi­dence in God's goodness, and perfectly resign'd them­selves to his disposal, have every blessing doubled that befalls them; they have all the happiness that the blessing of it self can naturally afford, to be sure; but then the thoughts of having it from God, of consider­ing it as an effect of his peculiar favour and benigni­ty, That it is the disposal of unerring Wisdom: these thoughts advance the blessing to a mighty height, and make it dear and valuable indeed: If it be cross, and other than we wish'd and hop'd for, yet this Resigna­tion to the Will of God, makes it go down a great deal better; it puts us upon thinking it was neither necessary nor convenient for us, since it was denied by him, who gives to those who trust entirely to him; [Page 25] not only more, but better things than they can ask or think themselves; or else it drives us to consi­der with our selves what we have done that call'd for and deserv'd such punishment, and consequently gains the end of every one of God's inflictions, namely, self-examination and amendment; it never drives us from, but towards God; and makes us see his Mercy in his Justice, his Goodness in our Pu­nishments. But (abstracting the Consideration of our Sins, being the Cause of our Miscarriages, as they are not always so,) when we know we have done all that we should and could do; and after that, have given up the Event to God, let it be what it will, we have this satisfaction, That neither our own hearts, nor other people, can reproach us justly, with neglect or cowardice. When we have done our utmost, and perform'd what lay in us, the disappointment leaves no sting or torment in the Mind; 'tis not vexatious to reflect on our Miscar­riages, that happened through no fault of ours, but were invisible, and not to be prevented; the trouble is, where we look back, and see our Folly, or our Wickedness, the causes of our Sufferings; That Re-collection is uneasie, and intolerable, and fills the Soul with pain, and with confusion: But when we have discharg'd our duties, been of good courage, and behav'd our selves as Men; then we can say before, with chearfulness, The Lord do that which seemeth him good; and bear it handsomely after, be it what it will. We may be then Unfor­tunate, but still we shall be Innocent; and neither be accused nor condemned by our own selves or others: We acted prudently and well, but were [Page 26] not Masters of the Event; that was in God's hands, and he hath done that which seemed him good.

The Application I intend to make of all these Matters to our selves, will be both short and plain. We are, we know, involv'd in War alike with all the World; and though the Occasion of it is not the same with that of David's, yet it is full as great and necessary: The Hanun that we have to deal withall, does not descend to treat Embassadours villai­nously, but their Masters; deals with them all as Vassals, or as Children; does not cut off their Gar­ments to the middle, but divests them of the whole, with mighty scorn and insolence; and cuts not off their Beards, but pares them to the quick; is not at War with all his Neighbours only, but with Faith and Honour, Truth and Justice, and Religion; who knows no distinction betwixt right or wrong, but makes his pleasure and convenience the Standard of his private and his publick Actions: That has enraged the whole World against him, and, like a ravenous Wolf, call'd all the Neighbourhood out to hunt their common Enemy: That notwithstanding all his open force and strength, and all his secret charms, hath kept no active Allie or Confederate with him, but the publick and professed Enemy of Christianity; and that too, by such arts and methods, as both good Christians and good Turks abominate: One, that, besides these Publick Evils, hath, by the Vices and Impurities of his Private Life, sinn'd himself into a dreadfull fear and superstition; and has been la­bouring, for some years, to appease and placate God, by humane Sacrifices, by Cruelty and great Barba­rity, [Page 27] by the destruction of his own Subjects, and by exhorting and assisting other Princes to do the like. One, in a word, that has almost all the evil qualities of all the ancient and renowned Sons of Violence, without the shadow of their Virtues, or pretence to any of their Merits: This is the Ene­my I would exhort to be of good courage against; and say with Joab, Let us play the Men. For though these words were spoken to an Army, ready to en­gage in fight, yet they are full as fit and proper for a peacefull Auditory; for we, as well as Souldiers, are concern'd in all the Events of War: We are the Body, of which they are the Hands to defend us; and if we do not quit our selves like Men, 'twill be to little purpose what they do: If we by our Despon­dency or Fear, by our Divisions and undue Heats, by our Remissness or Neglect of publick Concerns, by our Rapaciousness, or Parsimony, where there is no need, or any other methods, starve or discou­rage them abroad, we shall in vain think to be safe our selves at home; for whatever be the Event, We shall be sure to feel the worst effects of it; Here are the People and the Cities of our God; Here are the Lives we have to lose our selves, and those we va­lue equally with our own; Here are the Laws and Government so famous over all the World, for Liberty without Licentiousness, for Monarchy with­out Tyranny, and for Subjection without Slavery; Here are the Fortunes and Estates the best secur'd that can be, not subject to the Assessment or Taxa­tion of an Arbitrary, Lawless Prince alone, whose Vanity or Folly, bad Designs or Wantonness, might drain the labouring and industrious Subjects; nor [Page 28] yet so much the Private Masters own, as that he should deny the use of what the Publick finds is necessary to discharge its duty: Here, lastly, are the Cities of our God, the best Religion in the World, founded and built upon the Laws of God, and esta­blished by those of the Land: And if all these Con­siderations are not strong enough to persuade us to be of good courage and play the Men, in their behalf, there is nothing left to do it, we shall deserve to lose them all. The very apprehension of the loss of any one of these, though sometimes in imagination only, and oftentimes at great distance, has frequent­ly alarm'd us to great care and watchfulness, and rais'd our hearts and resolutions; and if all of them together, in most apparent hazard, by a strong and subtile Enemy, will not encourage us, nay force us to a brave defence, and quitting of our selves like Men, we shall be miserable to extremity; but shall be miserable without excuse or pity. When Men's misfortunes come apparently from God's hand, from some unlucky Accidents, that neither all their Wis­dom could foresee, nor all their Power and Care pre­vent; then, as I said, they become the Objects of Compassion: But when their Folly or their Careles­ness, their Cowardice or Falsehood, are the occasi­ons of their Sufferings, the World a-round must laugh at and despise them, and their own hearts re­proach them and condemn them: If after we have gone thus far, and made such fair and towardly ad­vances to a through deliverance of our selves from many certain, and more threatned Evils; and of the rest of Europe, from the Chains provided for them, we should not now go on, behave our selves like [Page 29] Men, and second with our Hearts, and Hands, and all the assistance that we can, the great and gene­rous Purposes of our King abroad, if we should ei­ther by Dissensions, or ill-timd Frugality, weaken his Hands and Heart, or those of his Allies, we should deservedly become the hissing and the scorn of all the Earth; Our Chains would then become our Necks, and Slavery sit gracefully upon us, because we took such pains for, and because we did so well deserve it: And where should we look for pity and compassion then, when our own Hearts would load us with reproach, and infamy, and great confusion? But far be such suspicion from Us; far be the Omen of these Miseries; we have a much more lightsome comfortable prospect of affairs; the Cause is just and honourable, so is the End, and so are the Means; it is not Joab now, but David, that exhorts to be of good courage, to play the Men; not thoughtless Fools, or trifling Children, but the Men, for our People, and for the Cities of our God. And let us therefore hearken to him; let us both animate our selves and others, with the consideration, That all we have that is near and dear to Us, is at stake, and that we owe our best endeavours to them; and when we have done all that lies within our power, let us with Joab say, The Lord do that which seemeth him good; for then it will be time, and not before: Then let the Event be what it will, we shall be satisfied; then we can answer it to our selves and all posterity, although we are in Chains and Bondage; We did what we could and should; we took the Courses that we judg'd most reasonable and fit; we were not want­ing to our selves; but God is above us all, and [Page 30] knows what we deserve, and what is most conve­nient for us; he is the Arbiter and wise Disposer of our Persons and Affairs; he is the Master of Events, and gives us out the Lotts that best befit our Cir­cumstances; and we must be contented with them, be they what they will; and say with Joab here, and good Old Eli in another place, 1 Sam. 3.18. It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.