MILITARY DUTIES, RECOMMENDED to an ARTILLERY COMPANY; At their ELECTION of OFFICERS, In CHARLS-TOWN, 13. d. 7. m. 1686. By COTTON MATHER, Pastor of a Church in BOSTON.  Ubi nullus est Militarium Virorum ordo et cura, ibi nulli sunt R. P. Nervi. Herodot. Plus Togae laesere Rem-Publicam quam Loricae. Tertullian. 
BOSTON in NEW-ENGLAND, Printed by Richard Pierce: And are to be sold by joseph Brunning, at his Shop at the Corner of Prison Lane near the Exchange. 1687.   

The preface.  
IT was the Observation which judicious Capel began a Preface to a good Book with the mention of, Books are more necessary in a State than Arms. Let it pass for a Conveniency among us in this Scythian Desert, That the Gentlemen who handle Arms may be also presented with Books accommodated unto their Instruction and Encouragement. It is reported of an unparallelled Soldier, no less an Hero than Julius Caesar, that being forced to swim for his life in an extremity, he employed one hand to preserve from the damage of the water, certain Books which he had a special value for. Nor is it any Disparagement unto men of a military Disposition or Improvement, that in all ages the most accomplished of them, have been willing sometimes to make Books the entertainment of their vacant hours: Even a mighty Alexander must have a Book under his pillow, or he cannot sleep. Perhaps it is from somesomething of this Bookish Temper that this poor Sermon preached unto the Artillery of Middlesex, is by some Members of that worthy Company now desired to be printed; that their eyes may dwell upon those things which He who giveth favour to them that are not men of Skill made not altogether unacceptable unto their ears. It was a Soldier that found out the happy art of Printing at first; and it seems that Soldiers will now and then press the Press into their Service still.  
My Education among Libraries, my Concernment only in such a Warfare as Timothy had recommended unto him, and my impatient Longings for the Revolution of a Golden Age wherein there shall be (as about the Time of our Lords first coming it is noted by the Roman Historian that there was) Totius Orbis aut pax aut pactio, a general Peace or Truce throughout the whole world, have made me the unfittest of all men to read Military Lectures. Aelian's Tactics shall stand in the R●…re of my Authors, and will perhaps be left unstudied by me, till I have nothing else to do. That military mischievous Invention of Guns, and the Nitrous, Sulphureous, Charcoaled matter which they vo●…it, was indeed first hit upon by a Clergyman, yet one that I never would care to be a kin unto. But a Request from the Honoured Persons, at whose Invitation the ensuing Thoughts have been Spoken and Written, was a strong Summons not to be g●…in said by me, who ought to count Opportunities 〈◊〉 doing Good among the best of all my Treasures. They asked me to lay before them their Du●…yes, as far as my Armoury, the Bible, would inform me what they are: and I have with brief Hints attempted to let them know what those Words of Command are which come unto them backed with a, Thus saith the LORD. They have also asked me to give them a Copy of those Words for the Publication of them; and I considered that this being all, my case was not so hard as that of the Expedition against Sisera, wherein out of Zebulon were engaged they that handled the pen of the Writer, Gownsmen became Swordmen, and Pen-knives (as one saith on it) were turned into Swords. But in this thing they had not found me ready to gratify them, if it had not been for the sake of Communicating those Meditations in the Close of the Discourse, which render every man a Soldier, and call upon all to encounter the invisible Enemies of their own souls. This part of the Discourse is no Diversion from the work which my Hand finds to do, however the other may: of this, if I had a voice as loud as the last Trumpet I must say, Let him that hath ears to hear, hear.  
Thousands of Praises, whole Ages of praises be given unto a good God, for the Abundance of peace wherein we in this Wilderness do delight ourselves. 'Twere well if the blessed leisure which Deus fecit, is given by God unto us, were employed unto spiritual Advantages by us all; and particularly by them that have a kindness for the affairs of Soldiery. It would be an incredible benefit to the Church of God, for men to have their houses furnished with Treatises which shall teach them how to Spirituallize the outward occurrents of their Occupations, and set Pulpits, and faithful Preachers for them in every Business that they have to meddle with. I find that the Husbandman, and the Shepherd, and the Mariner, yea, and the Weaver too, are thus provided for, by the ingenious Labours of some heavenly-minded men. A Reverend Person among ourselves, has in this way been an Obliging Friend unto the Soldier also; His, Soldiery Spirituallized, well deserves the Perusal of them to whom it is directed, and hath given a just Super-Sedeas unto those Enlargements of that kind here which else might have been endeavoured. That they who will be Soldiers may likewise be serious; That there may be Glory to GOD in the highest, and that there may be Peace on earth, and Good Will among men, is the grand Scope of this little Essay.   

MILITARY DUTIES Laid before A TRAINED BAND 13. d. 7. m. 1686.  
It is written in PSAL. CXLIV. I. Blessed be the Lord my strength, who teacheth my Hands to war, and my Fingers to fight.  
THat elegant Resemblance of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the close of His last Letter from Heaven to the Church on Earth, Rev. 22. 2. A tree of Life which bears twelve manner (a blessed variety) of Fruits, the leaves whereof also are for the healing of the Nations, hath been sometimes not unfitly applied unto the Scriptures, those precious Leaves of the Bible, which testify of Him. There is in these Oracles of God, a delicious Entertainment for the innumerable sorts of Readers to whom these presents come; and the Benefit of the Soldier particularly is not left unconsulted in them. The blessed Suitableness of this miraculous Book unto the Affairs and Concerns of all men, is, to be found (as the Philosopher saith, of the Soul in the Body) in every part thereof; but the Book of Psalms (a Little Bible, as Luther styled it) in peculiarwise, is so remarkable on this score, that it was no imprudence in old jerom to bid his Friend make This his Vade mecum, his constant Companion, it was no folly in the holy Minister of Constantinople being driven out of that City, to take no part of his Treasures but This, which was unto him pro et prae Divitiis, instead of and better than all the Riches of the World; the renowned Basil therefore very rightly recommended it as A Divine Treasure, and the eloquent Chrysostom no less appositely reputed it as, a Panoply for the Christian. From this Panoply, from this well-furnished Armoury, give me leave to offer something for the Use of this Armed, and much honoured Auditory. For this cause the name which the Holy Spirit in a certain place (in Col 3. 16.) putteth upon these Psalms is that of spiritual Songs; partly because the Spirits of men are most singularly suited therein: every man may conceive, as Athanasius long ago observed, That they speak de se, in re sua, to his own case directly. 'tis to be hoped that the Spirit of the Soldier especially will anon herein meet with what shall not be impertinent unto him.  
That inspired person, whoever he were, that marshaled the Psalms into the Method wherein we now enjoy them, seems to have had some respect unto the Affinity of Subjects therein handled, in his doing of it. Hence this Hundred-and-forty-fourth Psalm, with the rest unto the end of our Psalter, is employed in that business which we expect at the end of our pilgrimage to be put upon; even The magnifying of the LORD JEHOVAH. The P●…nman of this Composure, is by the Title of it, determined to be David, the sweet singer of Israel. Indeed some passages of it are by Him again repeated in both his first and his second Edition of the Eighteenth Psalm; and if the Primitive Christians in their Public Worship, are reported to have had no common satisfaction when they heard Aliquid Davidicum, any thing of David, sounded among them, 'tis to be supposed, that we shall not therein come behind them. But the Occasion of the Composure is to be variously guessed at, as an un●… th●…g. Those whom we (upon uncertain grounds) reckon the 〈◊〉 Greek T●…anslators, or rather Interpreters of the Old Testament, have so inscribed it, A Psalm of David against Goliath; so the Ethiopic likewise, and so the Vulgar Latin. And perhaps David's victory over Goliath, may be one thing referred unto in this Song of Zion. I find a jewish Commentary particularly favouring such a Sentiment. But good old Hilary for one, justly and honestly declames against the foisting in of this clause, where it should not be. Thus much then is all the Conjecture for which we have room left unto us: We may apprehend that the amiable David was now arrived thro' an Iliad of Mischiefs and whole Seas of Difficulties, unto a Settlement in his Kingdom over Israel; and that hereupon he now presents unto the Lord, both his Praises for the Vanquishent of the Enemies who had hitherto disquieted him, and his Prayers for the Continuance of his Tranquillity, maugre all future Opposition.  
The Rapturous Thanksgivings of the PsalPsalmist begin as soon as was possible; even at the verse now before us. The gracious Saint is here uttering of his Wishes that the great GOD may forever be well-spoken of by all the world, and this on a double account. Something God hath been to him, and something God had done for him.  
Firstly, For Something that God was to him. He ascribes to the Lord that Title, my Strength, or (Heb. Tzuri) my Rock. q. d. The Almighty God has afforded a better Defence to me in all dangers than the ragged Rocks and Caves and Thickets did unto my poor Country men, before I by slaying the tall Pagan occasioned the Routing of the Philistines, who had driven them thereinto.  
Nextly, For something that God did for him. He celebrates this Kindness of God unto him, He teaches my hands to war and my fingers to Fight. i e. The good God enables me to go through the Military Performances which I am put upon. These Hands of mine that were once wont to hold the Shepherd's Crook, and these Fingers of mine which were wont to solace me with their soft Notes upon my Harp, are now expert in those Martial A●…chievments which God hat●… been my Teach●…r in. There is a divine Teaching herein acknowledged, and the Twofold Subject of it is taken notice of. The Good man first declares the Subject which received this Teaching: This was his Hands & his Fingers. These are by a Synecd●…che put for not only all the Members of his body, but also all the Powers of his mind. These may be singled out, because there is a special Use of these parts in all warly Encounters. There was so particularly, first in Choosing and then in Casting the Stone which laid the Philistean Champion sprawling on the ground. In the Hands also Strength is seated, and Skill is showed by the Fingers. So both of those Qualifications may herein be glanced at. The good Soul next declares the Subject which this Teaching was Occupied about: This was Warring and Fight. The former Expression [Lakrob] comes from a Root that signifies to Draw near; the Latter [Lammilchama] comes from a Root that signifies to Eat up; because in Warly Engagements, person's first Approach and then Devour one another.  
From hence then the Doctrine which Summons our present Attention is  

DOCT.  
That The Almighty GOD is to be acknowledged as the Author of whatsoever Military SKILL or STRENGTH any Children of men do excel in.  
THAT the Worthy Company who called me to this place and work, may not be too long detained from the Field, where no doubt, they love to be, all due Brevity shall be endeavoured, in our present Discourse.  
Only two Propositions shall be called upon, to ripen this Doctrine for its Application.  

PROPOSITION I.  
It is the Privilege of some Persons to excel in a Military Skill or Strength.  
There is a twofold Military Excellency which some in the world are so privileged as to reach unto.  
Firstly, There are some persons excellent for their military SKILL. There is such an happy unhappy Art used among Adam's wrangling Posterity in the world, as that of Tactics, or the Art of War; and her●… and there we may find those who have the honour of being excellently well skilled therein. The politic and most peaceable Monarch of old, made it one of his Aphorisms in Eccl. 9 18. Wisdom is better than weapons of Warr. But some desirable persons there are, meriting for this to be called Deliciae humani generis, or Mankind's Delight, who at once have Weapons in their hands, and Wisdom in their Heads enabling them to manage the same unto very good account. There are persons very notable for Feats of Arms, like David, of whom 'tis reported in 1. Sam. 18. 5. He behaved himself wisely and he was set over the men of war: It seems he was so good a Soldier, that he was made Captain of the Artillery at Gibeon. Such brave men were those pious Trans-Iordanites, of whom we have that Description in 1. Chron. 5. 18. They were men able to bear Buckler and Sword, and to shoot with Bow, and they were skilful in war. And such a Character we also have of several Tribes who were mustered at Hebron, to solemnize David's Coronation there, in 1. Chron. 12. At verse 33. it is related of the Zebulonites, that they were expert in war, with all Instruments of war, able to keep Rank; At verse 35. it is related of the Danites, and at verse 36. it is related of the Asherites likewise that they were expert in war. Some such Beauties is the face of the earth adorned withal; Persons that understand well all the FIGURES or POSTURES which a Soldier is to use in the Handling of his Arms; persons that are well acquainted with all the MOTIONS & ORDERS which a Soldier may be called unto, all the various FACE, and numerous DOUBLING, & intricate COUNTERMARCHINGS, & comely WHEELINGS which are customary, and all the CHARGING which the many sorts & shapes of BATTLES do admit, with innumerable STRATAGEMS of War; persons, in a word, who can handsomely apply all the INSRUMENTS of Defence which a Soldier may Cap-a-pe be furnished with, and all the INSTRUMENTS of Offence which a Soldier's hand can be put unto, from the Half-pike unto the Granado and the roaring Canon.  
Nextly, There are some persons excellent for their Military STRENGTH also. There is a Twofold Strength which Soldiers are sometimes to be admired for.  
Firstly, Some Soldiers have an Admirable Strength of BODY. Such a Soldier was that renowned Judge of Israel, Samson, the History of whose Activity (as well as the signification of his Name) the Heathen have carried into their stories about their Hercules: 'Tis storied of Him, in judg. 14. 6. That when a young Lion roared against him, he rend him as he would have rend a kid; though the Oracles of the Lion's Maker have determined him to be the strongest among Beasts. 'tis storied of Him, in Chapt. 16. 3. That he took the Gates of a City, Doors, Posts, Barrs and all, and carried 'em away up an high Hill twenty miles off. 'tis storied of Him in Chapt. 16. 27. that with main force he over-sett the two huge Pillars whereon lay the stress of a vast Temple, containing many more than three thousand people.  
There are Soldiers, that for the Strength of their Limbs, deserve the name which once a King in England had, even that of Ironside; they may almost affirm, what job denied, My strength is the strength of stones, and my flesh is brass. We have read of a Scanderleg who had an Arm that could make his sword strike through thick Iron, and who encountering a mighty wild Bull that had slain many, wi●…h one only Blow of his Cimitar cut his head clean from his shoulders. We have read of a Milo, of a Maximus, of some others, men made up of Sinews, that would hold a club, or keep a place in spite of all possible Assaults, that would carry Burdens next to insupportable, and in every piece of action scorn a Match.  
Nextly, Some Soldiers have an Admirable Strength of SPIRIT also; their Courage is marvellous and invincible. Such were those Captains which increased David's Band, 1. Chron. 12. 21. all mighty men of valour. And such were the Simeonites, (ibid. v. 25.) mighty men of Valour, for the war: and such the Ephraimites (ibid. v. 30.) mighty men of Valour, famous throughout the house of their Fathers. There are Soldiers that for their Valour deserve the name of Caleb, which may signify All-heart, and who, like Caleb are not afraid to look a big son of Anak in the face. They are as undaunted as the Leviathan, (the Crocodile) which is made without fear; it's a mere sport unto them, to outbrave the King of Terrors, to have Cannon Bullets flying & hissing, and drawn Swords clashing round about them, and dischargdischarged Pistols hurled at their heads; they are like fiery metal-fome Warhorses clothed with Thunder, they go on to meet Armed men, they laugh at Fear, and are not affrighted, neither turn they back from the Sword, they shout among the loud Drums and the ●…hrill Clangors of the Trumpet Ha, Ha! the Thuuder of the Captains and the Shouting only adds Fire to their Magnanimity; and if they are threatened with such clouds of Arrows as shall darken the very sky, they make no more of it than the Persian, who replied to such a Menace, I am glad of that! we shall then fight in the shade. Yea, almost every spot of ground affords a spectacle of more Fortitude than what appears in Fight stoutly when Martial Noises do inspirit men. We may see men whose Blood chills not when they are called out to die alone in cold Blood; men that with a steady Countenance can take grim Death arrayed with all its pompous Horrors, by the cold clammy hand, and cheerfully say, Friend, do thy worst! Such skill! and such Strength many mortals have.   

PROPOSITION II.  
The Almighty GOD is to be acknowledged as the Author of these Excellences.  
All that have such Excellencies are beholden to GOD for them, and aught to own their being so. Among the Romans, there were those Officers who were called Campi Doct●…res, the Doctors of the Field. All true Christian Soldiers will acknowledge the Everliving GOD for the supreme Teacher in the field unto them; they say, He hath his chair in the Heavens, who is our Teacher. Shall we speak of SKILL? Behold, the Blesse●… GOD, the Father of Lights is the Bestowe●… of That. The haughty Sennacherib is rebuked for saying of his military Exploits, in Isa. 10. 13. By my wisdom I have done them. We are informed concerning the Husbandman by the princely Prophet, His God doth instruct him to Discretion, and doth teach him. How fitly may that be said of the Soldier too! There is a GOD that he hath his military Discretion from. Shall we speak of STRENGTH? Lo, This also is to be ascribed unto God, the Rock of Ages. It was a check given to the Moabites in jer. 48. 14. How say ye, we are mighty and strong men for the war? As for Strength of Body this is from God. The Psalmist does most ingenuously confess, in Psal. 18, 34. It is the Lord that teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. As for STRENGTH of SPIRIT, this too is from God. When Arrows are to be made Bright, and Shields to be gathered, 'tis said (in jer. 51. 11.) that The Lord raiseth the spirits of men. That which makes this further evident is, that the Almighty God takes away military Skill and Strength from men, whensoever it pleaseth Him. This the poor Canaanites had experience of: The Hundreds of Thousands of armed men in those mighty Nations, advantaged with Chariots that were plated with sweeping slaughtering Hooks of Iron, could not stand— The Lord at once tormented them with great Wasps, hideously stinging of their Bodies, and with black Fears weakening of their Spirits, they could not stand before an handful of men, to whom the Lord had promised in Exod. 23. 27. I will send my Fear before thee, and will make thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. The cruel crafty Indians among ourselves, were t' other Day an instance of this too; at a time when we expected utmost Ruin by their merciless hands, They fell before us like the leaves in Autumn, and themselves gave this reason of it, laying their hands on their breasts, Oh (said they) the Englisham's God makes us afraid here. This there is no question to be made of; no means or helps will make us successful Soldiers, if God deny His Smiles: An Host of sorry Mice will render all our Bowstrings utte●…ly unserviceable, if God say unto them, Go, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have cause to say after the Psalmist in Psal. 44. 6. I will not trust in my Bow, neither shall my Sword save me.  
But the Improvement of these things remains.    

USE. I.  
There is a strong Invitation to an Attendance on Military Discipline hence given un●…o all that are capable thereof.  
This Truth should be as good as a Thousand Drums beating of a Troop in your he●…ing, engageing of you to repair in your 〈◊〉 unto a peaceable military Rendezvous. It 〈◊〉 lamentable to see how Military Discipline 〈◊〉 begun to languish among us; to see how 〈◊〉 list themselves in military Societies, and 〈◊〉 delinquent in military Services they that 〈◊〉 listed often are. I would to God the T●… were come wherein we might have 〈◊〉 seasonable Sermon on that Text, Isa. 2. 4. They shall beat their Swords, into Ploughshares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks; for they shall learn war no more. When will men choose David's Motto, Anishallo●…; i. e. I am peace? When will those two makebate Pronouns, Meum and Tuum leave off to set mankind together by the Ears? But surely, till Gog and Magog are burnt up with flashes of hot Lightning, as their predecessors, the Assyrians were of old, a fitter Theme to be preached on will be that in joel. 3. 12. Beat your Ploughshares into Swords, and your Pruning-hooks into Spears, and let all the men of War draw near. Thanks be to the God of peace, for the Peace wherewith we enjoy the Gospel of peace. We have no occasion to kindle beacons, or to stick up a Scoth Fire-cross for the Summoning of all between Sixteen and Sixty, to oppose an invading enemy. The thing which our Civil Authority puts us upon this day, and all that I am concerned to speak a good word for, is, The regard to military Discipline, which our peace does give us a most happy advantage for. There is this Argument for the abundant use of military Discipline in the midst of us, now giving Encouragement thereunto; The Almighty GOD is the Teacher of it. And what! Will any of you be loath to go-to-School unto the Almighty▪ GOD▪ Will you play the Truant from the School of GOD? Let the able Idle Spectators of military Exercises for shame count themselves concerned to rank and file with their honest and industrious Neighbours. 'tis desirable that all our Trained Bands might flourish, and become Terrible, as an Army of Banners. And it is particularly to be desired that our Artillery Companies may be unto the utmost countenanced. In Persia once they had an Artillery Company consisting of Ten Thousand, which they called, The Immortal Company, because whenever any one was taken off, another was still chosen to supply his place.  
May THAT Artillery Company in special which I am now speaking unto, in this sense become an Immortal Company.  

CONSIDER, I.  
That Military Discipline is a very lawful thing.  
When the Soldiers sat under the Ministry of john Baptist, he said not unto them, Lay down your Arms; but as in Luc. 3. 14. Be content with your Wages; which was as good as saying, Be content to be Soldiers. The believing CenCenturion did not look upon himself as obliged to throw up his Commission, though it had a Roman Original: and yet of him it was said in Matt. 8. 10. I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel, as in him. It is recorded of the Patriarch Abraham, (of that Father of the Faithful) in Gen. 14. 14. that he had a kind of Artillery Garden at his house; an Artillery Company was under his Conduct, whereto about forty Files belonged. Shall we imagine that GOD will teach any unlawful thing? No; The ever-glorious GOD Himself is called, The God of Armies. But He is never called, The God of Thiefs, or The God of Murderers; or the God of any thing that is to be thought sinful. It is indeed said, that They that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. But this refers to taking up the Sword without a right Cause, and without a just Call. When men meddle with Swords without a sufficient Call from both God and man, they are wont to come off like those Ephraimites which the seventy eighth Psalm singeth of, among other ancient things, who would needs break prison out of Egypt and seize upon Palestina, by Force of Arms, before they had a good Warrant for it, and were slain by the men of Gath, to the great grief of their Fa-Father, and the increase of their Servitude. It is also said, Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. But private, personal Revenge is the thing forbidden there. 'tis to be suspected, that the people who make Out-cries against all Use of carnal Weapons, would (as One ingeniously saith) use the Weapons very carnally, yea, very bloodily, if they had them in their own Hands.   

CONSIDER, 2.  
That Military Discipline is also a Needful thing.  
It was a true Remark of the ancient Gre●…ian, That, A Commonwealth wherein there is not a plenty of Military men, is as a Body without Sinews. A Wall of Stones about a City or a Country is good for little without a Wall of Bones defending of it.— Hi sunt Spartae m●…nia. It is threatened as a very direful Plague unto a Land in Isa. 3. 2. The Lord of Host●… doth take away the men of War therefrom. Why should any of us have an hand in bringing such a plague on the Land wherein we live.  
¶ Don't plead, It's being a Time of peace may Excuse us from being in Arms while thes●… Halcyon days continue. For a Time of Peac●…▪ is the time to prepare for a time of Warr. The prudent King Asa thought so of old. And the want of Preparation in us, may sharpen the Edge of an Enemies Desire to our Land; Some West-Indian might have been upon our skirts before now, if the Military Appearances among us had not dampt them. You are not ignorant of what befell the Inhabitants of quiet and secure Laish long ago.  
Do not plead, I can't spare the time to Train. What! not spare time to go to School to GOD? 'tis observed, that the people in this Country with moderate Diligence make themselves capable of greater Leisures than many in the world. Besides, Would you serve God with that which costs you nothing? Or would you be made Soldiers by a Miracle?  
Do not plead, There are enough to train with●…ut me. How if every one should plead so? Certainly, people did not thus exempt themselves from the Artillery Company at jerusalem, in the days of jehoshaphat. It is noted (for so I would understand it) in 2. Chron. 17. fin. That while one man was Leader of that Company, they were an Hundred and Eighty Thousand: While another, they were Two hundred Thousand; while another, they were two hundred and eighty Thousand; and while another, they were no less than Three hundred thousand. There were Thousands exceeding the Unites in our Artillery Companies!  
Should I now pretend to give Directions how Military Discipline may best be ordered among us, I might justly be derided no less than he that would read Military Lectures before the Martial Hannibal. Yet there are Two things which I would presume upon 〈◊〉 Liberty to say.   

ADVICE. I.  
It seems good Prudence to be most Attended o●… and Accurate in that piece of Military Discipline which is most Necessary.;  
Or most accommodated for the SAFETY of the place which we belong unto. We have such a Parenthesis in the Preface of David's Elegy over Saul and jonathan, 2. Sam. I. 18. He had them teach the Children of judah the— Bow. Some take that Word, the Bow, to be only the Title of the ensueing Song. But others thus conceive of it. The PhiliPhilistines had made fearful Slaughter among the Israelites by their being curious Archers; and the study of David now was to have the Israelites out-shoot the Philistines in their own Bow. All that you shall now hear of this matter from one whose highest military Attainment is that he counts Military Discipline a thing not to be despised, is only This: There is a swarthy Generation of Philistines here, the Indian Natives, I mean, whom alone we are like to have any Wars withal. These Savages have (not long since) butchered several Hundreds in these Plantations; in that bloody gloomy-day, when the Alarm of War was heard, and it was said, Sword, go through the Land, the Cannibals had many an Hellish Feast of English Flesh; and the main thing wherein the wild Creatures outdid us and ●…n-did us was this, They were very you're Marks-men, and every tree was a Fort from whence they took their Aims. If ever those now- wounded Chaldeans should make an Attempt again upon us, there will be few Words of Command used, unless those two, Make ready, and Give fire. The best Marksman will then be the best Soldier: The Benjamites that can shoot to an Hairs Breadth will probably carry the day. How comes it then to pass, that in our Training there seldom are any of Marks and Prizes set up for the promoting this Accomplishment?   

ADVICE. II.  
They that give their presence to Military Discipline, should be ashamed if their Proficiency therein be not conspicuous and considerable.  
The Council which Paul gave to a Spiritual Soldier is very Proper here, in 1. Tim. 4. 15. Give thyself to these things, that thy profi●…ng may appear unto all. Do not look upon Training days as designed for mere Diversion and Recreation; or to do nothing but make Smokes. Be not of them who unless to get off a Fine would never appear at their Colours; Remember that, As you were, is not a fit word of Command for you all the year long. Behave yourselves always in your Training, as under the Eye of the Authority whom, under His Majesty's favourable Protection, you are therein Obedient unto, yea, and as if you were by them also bid to expect the sight of an Adversary. At the End of each day, be able to make a good Reply unto that Question, Quid profeci? or What progress have I made this day in military Discipline? Give not your Tutor's cause to blame your Non-proficiencies.    

USE. II.  
The Attenders on Military Discipline should hence be careful to Acknowledge God in what they do.  
Let them act according to that Acknowledgement, The Lord is my teacher.  
To particularise:  

FIRSTLY.  
There are some Acknowledgements due to God from you, WHILE you are using of Military Discipline.  
All the Trained Soldiers among you have these things incumbent on them, as so many Ackowledgments unto GOD their Teacher.  
In the first place, Soldiers should be Gracious men. O get on the Whole Armour of God; Get gracious Principles into your Souls. Never dream That you are in all respects fit to war and to fight with any men▪ till your peace be made with God. You that may some time or other carry your Liv●… in your Hands, had need always to carry Grace in your Heárts. A very Heathen handling that Problem, Who is the best Armed Soldier? Solved it so, Integer vitae scelerisque purus: the sincere godly man is the best Armed of any man in the world. You be ned so fit as you should be to handle a Sword; till you come to use a Book as well as a Sword; till you govern your lives by the Words of Command in the Book of God; till you can say with that renowned Soldier in Psal. 119. 14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. You are poor Soldiers, till you can with all Hilarity say to your own souls as that dying Ancient Hilary did, Egredere▪ Anima, egredere, quid times? or Turn out, O my Soul, turn out; Scorn, Scorn to be afraid of Death; which no uncoverted man can duly say. After all the Bravadoes which many Hectoring Dammee's make while no body is like to hurt them, it is the Newborn, heavenborn Christian that will stand the most daringly before the mouths of Cannons vomiting out Fire & Death; Here, here is the man that is best able to look the most ●…errible of all terribles in the f●…ce & to scoff at the hisses of that Rattle-snake▪ DEATH, saying, Where's thy sting? I have heard that not a very long ago, In the Low-Countryes an huffing Captain challenged one reputed a very pious man unto the Fight of a Duel: the General taking notice of it said, Pray stay till to morrow, such a Town is then to be assaulted, I'll then see which of you two can fight best. The Town was assaulted, and a Breath made in the Wall, Now (said the General to the Challenger) Now do you Enter: To this the courageous Coward replied with horrot, I beseech your Excellency excuse me, I be ned fit to die. But the man whom the Changes of Regeneration have made fit to live, he is likewise fit to die. He that hath Christ for his Life, will assuredly have Gain by his Death; and may fall into Transports of joy, whenever the grim Ferryman shall call upon him, Come away!  
Moreover, Soldiers should be Praying men. The illustrious G●…stavus, Adolphus was, for a Soldier, the miracle of this last Age; but scarce any thing more contributed to his being so, than the Army of Prayers which were ever in his Service: Hence he would say to his Counsellors, The greater our Army of Prayers, the more assured will be our victory. It is given as the Character of a man worthy to be a Captain, in Act. 10. 2. He was a devout man and one that prayed unto God always. The Emperor Aurelius was blessed with a Legion of such Soldiers in his Host: When the Army was like to perish for Thirst, this Christian-Legion withdrew to Prayer, and immediately God sent a plentiful Rain which relieved them, but sent such fearful flashes of Lightning therewithal as destroyed their Enemies; from whence this was called the Thundering Legion. God grant that every Trained Company among us, may be a Praying Thundering Company! PRAYER, was the great Field-piece of jehoshaphat; 'tis said in 2. Chron. 20. 3. He set himself to seek the Lord. Yea, the most of the Prayers in the Bible were made by a Soldier; The Psalms of David. Our late Indian-War gave us evidence enough of Prayers efficacy and importance, in military Executions. Luther was wont to style Prayer, the Gun-shot of the soul. Certainly, a Soldier's Weal is enwrapped in nothing more than in the well- discharging of it.  
Furthermore, Soldiers ought to be well- Aiming men. I would say about your Training, as Paul about Eating and Drinking, in 1. Cor. 10. 31.— Do all to the GLORY OF GOD. Let all that you do from the Girding on of your Harness, to the putting of it off, be aimed at the Glory of God, and the Good of His people, to the just Satisfaction of your King and Country. Let every one of your Weapons have that Motto which the Lord has provided for the Bells of the Troopers Horses in jerusalem, Zech 14. 12. HOLINESS TO THE LORD. Let all inferior Ends be placed by you in a due Subordination hereunto, and not be the main Spring of your Artillery Motions. As a religious man once at work in the Woods, being asked, Who are you at work for? very savourily answered, I am cutting of wood for God. So be you able to say of all your Training, That you are therein Obeying of God, and the Government, which is the minister of God unto you for good: thus preparing to Fight the Battles of the Lord.  
Once more, Soldiers ought to be Sin-having men. There has been a Scandal raised upon Soldiers,  
Nulla sides pietasque viris qui Castra sequunt ur.] that Soldiers are seldom Christians. The slander has been most happily confuted-by the virtuous Lives which many men of a Military Profession have been exemplary for. That I may recite one Instance instead of many, give me leave to inform you of what the Learned Voetius relateth in his Ecclesiastical Polity, (part. 1. Lib. 2. Tract. 4.) concerning a young Scoth Gentleman of his acquaintance, than a Captain in the Low-Countryes. This devout Soldier was (as Voetius testifies to the world in his Immortal Writings) a Mirror of piety, Gravity, Modesty and extraordinary Prudence. He was abundant in Reading the Scriptures, & sundry Treatises both of Divinity and History, and penning down in his private papers the memorable passages which he found pertinent & profitable to himself therein. Yea, it was common with him to spend whole Days in the Austerities of a Fast. He moreover kept a constant Diary wherein (to use his own Phrase) he had on one Side, a page For the Old man, on the other side, a page For the New man; in these he did every day note down on the one side, How far the Interest of Sin decayed in him, on the other side, How far he grew in his Conformity to jesus Christ. Doing thus until he died. Upon which th●…●…ction of that great man is to this purpose, ●…t is fit that many Ministers of the Gos●…el should read this, to make them sensible how much a Soldier has gone beyond them in the Exercises of Devotion. Now let your Accurate Conversation in like manner promote the Vindication and the Reputation of ●…he blemished Soldier. Beware of those Sins ●…hat Soldiers are most addicted unto. john Baptist in his Advice to Soldiers Luc. 3. 14. hath enumerated some of those hateful Immoralities. It was a Proverb of old, Miles Romans, Aegyptum cave; Roman Soldiers must be careful to shun Egyptian vices. Many a man is no less than a Leader unto a Trained Band, and yet so miserable as to be himself misled by a Foolish Lust. O be so valiant as to Fly (here Valour itself turns its back) the Fleshly Lusts whereof the Alarms of God have told you, That they war against the Soul. Abstain especially from the ordinary Epidemical Vices of Training Days. It is reported of the Carthaginian Soldiers, that they were not to meddle with any Wine all the time of their bearing Arms. Our Training are too commonly abused unto the contrary excesse●… of Surfeiting and Drunkenness. Let the Vanity, let the Rioting, let the pagan pr●…●…ane Health. Drink which are th●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…l, be abominable unto you, who have not 〈◊〉 ●…arned Christ.   

SECONDLY.  
There are some further Acknowledgement●… due unto God from you, WHEN you ar●… ●…hriving in Military Discipline.  
If you Thrive under your heavenly Teacher you are to pay unto Him such Acknowledgements as these.  
Your humble, your hearty Praises are first, to be rendered unto the Most High for an your military Endowments. Among the Ancients, when an old Soldier. came to have an honest honourable ●…ismission from the Camp, he dedicated his Arms with his Praises unto his Household Gods. Truly, there are Praises to be returned unto our God, when we are made Masters in military Practice. O do a●… the Psalmist in the close of his military Psal●…, (in 2. Sam. 22. 50.) resolves to do. I will give Thanks to thee, O Lord, I will give Praises to thy Name.  
Again, You should now Submit unto any the hardest military Employment that the Most High God shall call you to. Stand like the Israelites in the Desert of old, pitching every man by his Standard about the Tabernacle of the Lord; and when you have the full Warrant of GOD and His Vice-gerents, don't shrug or shrink back for any Difficulty that you may be put upon. Let me speak unto you in the words which the Lord-General of Israel in his military Oration used, (2. Sam. 10. 12.) Be of good Courage, play the men, for your people, and the Cities of your God. Here you are like the valiant of Israel, all holding of swords, and expert in war,— standing about the Bed of Solomon; and if Solomon say the word, then count that the best way to save your lives will be to lose 'em; and so the holy. Angel's may at the first Arrival of your disengaged Souls into the spiritual ●…orld, welcome them with the Salutation which an Angel gave to Gideon, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of Valour.  
Finally, When you cannot possibly, or may not lawfully serve God as Soldiers, be willing to serve God as Sufferers. God knows whether you may ever be put upon the ●…earing of any Testimonies to the Truths or Ways of Jesus Christ, which may incur the ●…rown▪ of all Standers-by. Now it will be a greater magnanimity to suffer Disgrace and Poverty and Imprisonment cheerfully, than it is to defend a Field of Lentiles singly against an whole Army of Philistines, or to slaughter six hundred of 'em with an Ox-goad. Be ready with a passive Obedience, to follow Him whom the Apostle styles in Heb. 2. 10. The Captain of our Salvation, made perfect through Sufferings. Soldiers have sometimes had their: Superstitions about Crosses, but most certainly it is the most real Christianity to take a Cross imposed by the Providence of the Lord Jesus on us, and to lay the ragged Tree upon our shoulders until it do there bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness. The name that our K. Edward I. (the comeliest of men.) had, when called Crouch-back, because of the Cross which he wore on his Back, very well befits a Soldier, when Crosses and Trials are carved out for him by the God of Heaven. Christian Soldiers should be as willing to entertain Crosses, I mean Sorrows, and Troubles, for the sake of the Gospel, as the Primitive Christian Soldiers were to throw by the military Crowns which were proffered unto them. The Ancients have with very eloquent Lines celebrated those Forty Soldiers, who for the professing themselves Christians, were conten●… to undergo the fiery exquisite Anguish of being Frozen to death. Let every one of us in like sort be content to endure the bleakest, the most nipping and piercing winds that can blow upon us for our Faithfulness unto the Son of God. O be among the Armies in Heaven following the Lamb, and if ever you should (thanks be to God you yet have not) to do with Persecutors, be unto them no otherwise than as Sheep before the Shearers.    

USE. III.  
Hence, Men ●…pert in Military Discipline are to be had in high Account by us, as the great, Blessings of the Great God.  
If Acknowiedgements are to be made unto God as the Author of Military SKILL or STRENGTH; surely the River of our Acknowledgements running into that infinite Ocean, may do well to call at the Banks of Earth, as they glide along, paying some kindness to the Men that have military Ornaments on them. He that would say, Blessed be God that teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight, may also see cause to say, Blessed be God who has made any Hands & Fingers, expert at Military Discipline in the midst of us. Our Sight of a Trained Company, but especially of an Artillery Company, should not be perhaps without some special Expressions of our Value thereof; Since we may say, There march the Scholars of the Almighty GOD.  
Persons well-acquainted with Military Discipline, have Honours and Roses cast upon them by the blessed God Himself. The most High and Mighty GOD Himself affects to be called (in Exod. 14. 3.) A Man of War. The Lord Jesus Christ also chooses to be represented (in Psal. 45. 3.) as a Mighty One with a Sword by His side. The glorious Angels, the bright Inhabitants of the Third Heaven, are styled in Luc. 2. 13. The heavenly Host, or Army. Their Excellent General calls 'em forth by twelve Legions at once, that is, to the number of Seventy two thousand Footmen, and eighty four hundred Horsemen, the Number which a Roman Army consisted of O What matchless Fellow-soldiers all well-qualified Soldiers have! The Scriptures, these inestimable Treasures of Heaven, are filled with nothing more than Military Terms and Things And among Men have Soldiers in all ages had most remarkable Reputation. The best Soldiers were by David in 2. Sam. 23. 8. reckoned, the Worthies of the Kingdom. In Solomon's time, 'tis noted in 2. Chron. 8. 9 that the Best men in the Land were the men of war. It was made an Act among the warlike Spartans' that no man should have an Epitaph, or so much as his Name written on his Grave, if he had not been a Soldier. Some of the chief Dignities now in the world had a Military Rise: an Esquire, an Earl, a Duke, and some Orders of Knightwood owe their Titles to the Field. Let us then manifest a special Esteem unto the Right Soldiers that this Country is favoured withal.  
But let me bespeak your peculiar Acknowledgements for them who jeoparded their Lives on the high places of the Field, for us in the late Indian-war. My heart is towards those Soldiers, and, under God those Saviour's of this people, who then willingly offered themselves. 'tis just that those Lovers of their Country, should have extraordinary Marks of Respect from all of us for whom they exposed themselves; their very Countenances methinks carry Loveliness in them, & their wounds are B●…autyes; If ever any of those dear men should be reduced to Penury, let all, their Neighbours testify more than common Kindness unto such well-deserving persons. I have the delight of seeing some of them in this Assembly; and though I must own unto them, as Tertullian did unto the Christian Soldiers of his time, Non tantus sum ut Vos Alloquar, and say, I am too mean a Person to render you the Thanks of your Country; yea though I must account no Tertullus able to make a due Address unto them; yet by me let it be said, Seeing that by you, we enjoy great Quietness, and very worthy Deeds have been done for this people by your Fortitude, We accept it always, with all Thankfulness.  
Blessed be the Lord for you, Ye blessed of the Lord.   

USE. IV.  
It is hence the Duty of all men to Acknowledge GOD as the Author of All their Mercies.  
If it becomes the Soldier to say, Blessed be God for my military Skill or Strength; Surely it is fitting that every man should say, Blessed be God for every Mercy. It is a jewish Custom to season all their Solemnities, with a Baruk Adonai, a Blessed be the Lord. An●… it sufficiently unchristian also to be seldom, or scanty in Blessing of a good GOD. The MERCIES of God are on every side, surrounding every one of us: O where are our HALLELUJAHs? Our Antedating of Heaven's Work? Why do not we call upon our own dull Souls, as He in Psal. 103. 2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His Benefits. When Tamerlan the Tartar overcame Bajazet the Turk, He asked his Prisoner, ' Sir, Did you ever give Thanks to God, for making you such a potent Emperor? The Turk answered, No, in Truth, I never thought of That! Whereupon replied the Tartar, ' Ah, woeful wretch, don't wonder then ' that God has made thee a Spectacle of the ' most rueful miseries in the world. Should a like Enquiry be made of us; Man, hast thou ever from thy Heart, said Blessed be the Lord, who hath given me a Life full of provisions & preservations? Or, Blessed be the Lord, who hath granted me a large Estate? Or Blessed be the Lord, for the Friends that love me? It is to be doubted, many of us must own, No, This hath been quite out of our minds. O shameful Ingratitude! And Ingratitude, That— Ingratum dixeris, et omnia dixeris: That is too vile a thing for a Dog to be guilty of. Let this matter sink down into your hearts this day. The Lord could tell Elisha all that his man Gehazi had received (how much above Three hundred & seventy five pound Sterl.) from the Syrian. Nobleman. Verily, O Soul, this Lord jehovah keeps an Exact Account of what all thy Receipts from Himself have been. O be not as a silent and a senseless Grave unto the Mercies of a gracious God. Incur not the Doom foretell by the Apostle when he linked those two together, unthankful, unholy. Dreadful will be the Danger of such Disingenuity! This Nonpayment of Rent, will procure your Ejectment from all that you take pleasure in. Christians, you should receive every mercy (they of old would not speak of their very Afflictions without a Deo Gratias) with a Blessed be God. And should it not be a part of your Task every Evening to reflect and ruminate on the Mercies of the Day foregoing? Yea, And it were most proper, I am sure it were highly profitable, to draw up in your private Memorials a Bill of the principal Mercies for which you are indebted unto God; to be subscribed with a, Lord, I Thank thee: Often affect yourselves by Looking into ●…se Grateful Records, and leave them as an Inheritance with the Children whom you would bequeath your God and Christ and Religion to. It would moreover be far from Improp●… ●…or Unprofitable for you sometimes to keep whole days of secret THANKS GIVING unto your Father who seeth in secret; Spending the days in Contemplating the Glo●…ies of God & Christ, in enumerating and admirin●…●…is merciful Dispensations towards your sel●…, and in contriving, what to render unto the Lord for all His Benefits. One such Day will bring Heaven itself from on high into you●… souls; & it will rarely be any other than a Presag●… or a Forerunner of a more than ordinary Addition to your Mercies.  
〈◊〉 short, Be ye THANKFUL.   

USE. V.  
Let every Christian acknowledge GOD for his Teacher in the Spiritual Warfare which he is called unto.  
Among those Monuments of Antiquity, the Works of those gray-headed and Reverend men whom they use to call the Fathers, we may find this Text glossed with a variety of Allegorical Expositions; we have it represented as the Speech both of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cursed Tree▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Powers of Darkness in their o●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of every Christian also en●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s●…en Battles of the Lord ag●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wickednesses which do annoy●… 〈◊〉 ●…ot meet that a Popular Auditory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…s'd with vain Quotations from the●… 〈◊〉 ●…is i●… as certain as what is mo●… 〈◊〉 every Christian shares with his Le●… 〈◊〉 Lo●…d Jesus Christ, in being (as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…rases it) a Praeliator interior, On●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual Warfare to be sollicito●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Soldiers present, have this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the three kinds of Calls to regard the●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duties. They have had not only, Verba m●…▪ ta, the military Sights of Ensigns and Weapons displayed before them; and not only Verba Semivocalia, the military Sounds that have been Knocking and Clashing in their Ears; but they have also had Verba Vocalia, the Articulate Commands of Man and of God also, to acquitt themselves as good Soldiers; the Lord open their ears to Disciplin●…▪  
But having done with Them for That,  
There now remains a very Solemn and Earnest Address to be made unto Them and Every Person in the Congregation, about a Thing of more Concernment far away. Congregation, hear the Word of the Lord▪ 
Well sings the Sententious Poet,  
Nunquam bella bonis, nunquam certamina desunt,  
Et cum quo certet, mens pia semper habet,  
i. e. The Godly man is never free  
From Wars with some Soul-Enemie.   
There is an Holy War which indeed every Soul in this House (or in this World, is called unto.  
There is no professor of Christianity among us all, who is not infinitely concerned to be in Arms perpetually at War with the Enemies of his never-dying foul, his everlasting Weal. And how many millions of Woes will overtake the Soul that becomes not a good Soldier of jesus Christ, no Tongue can express, or Heart conceive. Let these Admonitions then excite you and direct you to get the Help of GOD in Teaching your Heart to War and your Spirit to Fight against the Invisible Enemies whose Oppressions make you mourn.  
For your Awakening here.  

KNOW, First,  
There are innumerable and very formidabl●… Enemies daily pursuing the Destruction of your Souls.  
It was an Outcry sometimes made for the Rousing of a sleepy man, in judg. 16. 9 The Philistines are upon thee, man. A more startling thing is to be signified unto every one of you, Christian, There are Foes and horrible Fiends all round about besetting of thee. Ever since we were born into the world, we have lived in the Territories of our Enemies; and we can scarce take a step without Annoyances from the bloody Murderers of our Souls. It is related concerning the Prophet's Servant, in 2, King. 6. 17. Elisha prayed, and said, Lord I pray thee open his eyes that he may see 〈◊〉 and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man▪ and he saw; and behold, the mountains were full of horses and chariots of Fire. May I now p●… up such a petition unto the GOD of Heaven in the behalf of them that I am speaking to;  
O our God, our God, open our eyes we pray thee, that we may see the unseen Enemies which are daily and hourly assaulting of us. Might the most High GOD pronounce an Ephatha over our slumbering eyes, we sh●…ld soon perceive the Ground about us covered and the 〈◊〉 about us crowded with Armies of Terrible ones whom our Souls are endangered by. There is a Sarco-cosmo-pneumato-machia a War with the Flesh, the World and the Devil, which you are all pressed unto. The Apostle hath in Eph. 2. 2, 3. given us the Names and Qualities of three Captains which the infernal Army of our Adversaries is under the Conduct of. It makes an hit Battle indeed when our Enemy's fire by Salves, pouring in scalding sulphureous Showers of Lead upon us, by firing three Ranks together. Behold such is the Fierce Combat which every one of you are put upon. Yea there are no less than Three mighty Armies firing upon you all at once. There are Three most potent, most wily, and most malicious Commanders, who with all their Hellish forces are attempting to seize thy immortal Soul, O man; Oh how fain would they make a Prize of it, and keep it in their horrid Clutches for evermore! There is a Black Prince who has an unknown Power of Troops, raging, and ramping and roving, (like wild Arabians) within the Atmosphere of our Air, to which the Vengeance of God hath confined them for their Apostasy▪ This Grand Seignour of Hell is, as Mahom●… is called in the Apocalypse, The Grand Abaddon or Appollyon of Souls. This Monarch of the Lapsed Angels cannot have his Envy at man, or his Hatred of God satisfied without enslaving all the Children of Adam not only under his Condemnation, but under his jurisdiction also. There are vast, hideous multitudes of desolate Spirits always ready at a minutes Warning to serve him in Spoiling the Happiness of men by keeping a Distance between God and them. He, and all this his forlorn Crew are more unwilling to let any men please God, than Pharaoh was to Dismiss the Israelites from the Brick-kilns of their Bondage. David was not more dogged for his Life by Saul than we are by these roaring Dragons of the Wilderness. Besides these, The Subjects, the devoted Vassals which this Fly-God hath already gained unto his party, of the Humane Race, do set themselves with might and main to promote his Interest every where, being led captive by him at his will; and all the Pleasures, all the Profits, all the Preferments of Time, do afford Weapons to befriend this execrable Enterprise. But that which completes our peril is, that we harbour in our own Breasts a treacherous Enemy whic●… sides with all these; a Cage of unclean Lusts have lodged themselves within us, which at th●… first Summons would presently surrender us into the hands of the bitter and hasty Natio●… that are gaping for us. All the Arrows which the spiritual wickednesses in high places do shoot at us, are headed & feathered from our selus, fro●… our own Sensuality, or Covetousness or Ambition, and a certain Old man that sleeps in our own Bosoms. If it were not for this perfidious Inmate, our Enemies would go grudging about the streets for want of Bread. Alas, we have within our own Bowels, a Sheba that riseth up in Rebellion against our Eternal King. This is our amazing case; and it will be so until we have fought our way quite through the Field of blood which the Church militant is groaning in. The Omnipotent GOD hath fired a Becon before our eyes, and given us that faithful Warning in 1. Tim. 6. 12. That we must fight a good Fight, or we cannot lay hold on Eternal Life. Such a Voice as that we have from the shrill Trum●…ets of God, in Matt. 11. 12. That we must like Soldiers, exert an Holy Force and Violence or be shut out from the Kingdom of heaven in howling Anguishes, until the very Heavens be no more. Thus must we work out our own Salvation; Thus must we strive to enter in at the straight gate. The real Christian is to be pitied on the same score that the Bird of prey is hated, namely, quia semper vivit in Armis; as long as he breathes he never has it said unto him, Lay down your Arms. O the Besotment, the Lethal Stupidity of the Soul who●…●…hese Intimations will not awaken!   

REMEMBER Next  
The Engagements whichly upon you to Encounter these Enemies, are many & very mighty Obligations.  
There are Obligations hereunto laid upon you by the Vows of God, which you are under. The military Oath was call●…d a Sacrament of old. Verily you have taken Sacraments upon it, and Oaths of Fidelity unto the Lord Jesus Christ that you will never have any Peace, or so much as any Truce with these Enemies which would not have Him to reign over you. Were you not Baptised into the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ? Then, in that day were you listed under the ●…er o●… that Poten●…e; You were bound unto a neve●… ceasing Enmity and Watchfulness against th●… Tempter's which would withdraw you from your Allegiance unto Him. But, Ah Lord how rarely are any among us duly mindful of our Baptismal Vow! Souls, if ever after this you submit to the Wills of those Abominable things which would build a Partition-wall between God and you, You do then profanely play the Traitor towards the great LORD whose Mark you have received in your Foreheads. Be assured, the Waters of Baptism will one day become like the Waters of jealousy, or more direful than a River of burning Brimstone unto the Renegadoes that shall thus procure to themselves a Lott among the Fearful & the Unbelievers. Have not many of you also sat down at the Table of the Lord? Verily, when the Lord so erected a Banner of Love over you in His Banqueting-house, there were fresh Ties, rendering all Reconciliation or Accommodation between you and these A●…alekites the most Dishonest thing imaginable. The Lord Jesus Christ hath there said in plain Visible Words unto you,— Behold, I was thus murdered by those very enemies that are lying in wait for thy precious Life; O never do thou admit any Friendship with them. Then with a pretence of as much Affection as the Citizens of Rome discovered when the Show of stabbed Caesar's bloody Robes made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ury to demolish the Houses of the Assassinate●…, you have openly vowed never to have so much as a kind Parley or Treaty with those Destroyer's; you have most vehemently professed against them, with the Indignation which David had against the Injurious man in the parable, As the Lord lives, I'll do what I can, that they who have done this thing may die the Death. And can you find in your hearts after this, thus to break your Everlasting Covenant? After you have eaten and drank with Jesus Christ can you sit and side with the Assailers of His Throne? Yea, these Vows have you renewed as often as you have made any near Approaches unto God in Jesus Christ; this hath been the Language of every good deed which you have applied yourselves unto; I will even Resist unto blood, striving against Sin. Moreover both the Precepts of God have enjoined this upon you in 2. Cor. 16. 13. Quit you like men, (like Soldiers) and be strong; and all the Providences of God, whether merciful or afflictive have been so many Spurs quickening of you unto these Wars of the Lord. O let not all these Bonds of God be upon you, like the green Withes on Samson easily burst asunder!  
But there are still further Obligations here●…nto laid upon you in point of Interest.  
On the one hand, Be assured, if you do Combat strenuously, you shall Conquer gloriously. You have a General that never yet was overcome; He is the King of Glory, the Lord mighty in Battle: No enemy can stand before a Look of His. Veni, Vidi, Vici, A Sight of Him, and a Flight by them, is the constant Tenor of His Successes. If you will sincerely but let Him bring you on, He will be sure to bring you off securely. And if you hold on, & hold out, if you continue Faithful unto the death, O the unparallelable Crowns and Kingdoms, and inexhaustible Treasures which you shall become the Possessors of! 
Est Deus, est aether, precium certaminis hujus;  
Haec faciant pugnam Praemia tanta levem.  [Mantuan.]  
The Lord Jesus Christ will publish all your P●…ins in a big Convention of all the World; in the near Day; the Last and Great Day, when every Child of man shall stand before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ: He will then proclaim what you have been and done, and requite it with a Well done, good and faithful servant. Then shall He as the Chief (the Standard-bearer as in Cant. 5. 10. He is dedenominated) among many Thousands, mar●… before you up unto the Mountains of spices, and you shall in his blessed Army of Chosen and Galled and Faithful Ones, with him enter into the celestial Mansions, where you shall be for ever with the Lord.  
On the other hand, Be assured you must either Fight or Dye. This War is like that of Death, whereof 'tis said in Eccl. 8. 8. There is no Discharge in that war. When a person once confessed unto one of the Ancients, Nihil Pugnae sentio in cord meo. I don't feel that my soul is put upon Struggle with any Enemies; the good man made this Answer, Alas, than the City gates of thy soul are open, so that thy enemies do what they will without control. Here indeed the Christian that is no●… a Soldier, is a perfect Slave, and what a deplorable thing is that! It was the Speech of a famous Commander unto his Army, when they were penned up with the Sea on one side of them, and an huge Host of enemies on the other, Fellow Soldiers, you must 〈◊〉 ●…ither drink up this Sea, or eat up these men. Thus, there is no escaping here; you must either beat the Eemies of your souls, or burn in a 〈◊〉 Ocean of God's Wrath for ever. If t●…e Cutthroats of our souls are not resisted stead fastl●… in the Faith, we shall become the Captives of those mighty ones; and if they get us they will keep us, if they subdue us they will torment us, world without end: There will be no Remedy but we must welter under the anguishs, the bitter Dolours of Everlasting fire with the Devil 〈◊〉 his Angels. And which of us all is not now Awakened to ask of God to Teach us to war and to Fight against those Canaanites which would keep us out of the Land flowing with milk and honey?  
But for the Counsilling of you then,    

RULE. I.  
Let Unfeigned Repentance put an end unto your Warring and Fight against the GOD of Heaven.  
It is very proper to begin with the Caution which Doctor Gamaliel gave to the jewish Sanbedrim, (in Act. 5. 39) Be not found to fight against God. Until men are brought unto the Experience of a Conversion to and a Covenant with God in Jesus Christ, all the Affairs of a Christian Warfare will be no less unsuitable than unacceptable to them. All Unregenerate m●…n which live in KNOWN Sins are so far from warring and fight against the Arm●… of Hell, that they desperately set themselves in Battle Array against the infinite GOD. The black Description of every Impenitent Transgressor is that in job. 15. 25, 26. He stretcheth out his hand against God, and strenghens himself against the Almighty, He runneth upon Him, even upon his Neck, upon the thick Bosses of his Buckler. O that these foolish & unwise kind of people would now be persuaded to bethink themselves! What a prodigious Frenzy is this, for them that lately came out of the Creating hands to cast themselves into the Avenging hands of God The First and the best Direction that can be given to these Children of Folly, is,  
Oh Lay down your Arms, and make your peace with that terrible God, whom by your sin you have made your provoked Adversary. The secure Sinner perhaps is not aware of his own making these daring Adventures. But this must be plainly told unto every man that maintains a Trade of wilful Disobedience unto the Commandments of God: Man, thou art Sounding a Challenge against GOD Himself, thou art every Day Bidding Defiance to the Eternal GOD; Thou art certain of that which which was only a mistake in Io●… of old: God counteth me for His Enemy. O that such hd●… less men and women would sit down in sobe●… s●…dness to think on the none-such Madness which hath possessed them. Are you not every day (Conscience, do thine Office) Are you not daily allowing yourselves in those things▪ for which you are not ignorant that the Wrath of God comes-upon the Children of Disobedience? If you are not such hold Debauche●…s as to live in Swearing, in Uncleanness, in Drunkenness, in Sabbath-breaking; and to make nothing of a vile Cheat, or a fl●…tt Lie; yetdo you not make Light of a Prayer-less Life? and so, of a Faithless and a Christ-less Life? Now every such Sin of yours has a Tongue in it, a Blasphemous Tongue, that talks against heaven, and saith, I am for the Waging a War & a Fight with God. As they sometimes said in Isa. 5. 19 Let the Lord hasten his work that we may see. Such an insolent Bravado do you affront the most High withal. The faithful and holy God has said Cast away from you all your Idols, or I'll break you sore in the place of Dragons: I will burn you in the fiery bottom of Hell for those Rebellions. But every unreclamed Sinner now, doth as bad as reply Let God do His worst; His Darts are but Stubble and the shaking of his spear is but to be Laughed at. Thus the unrepenting and unrelenting Sinner, h●… knows that he sins, and yet with an high-hand he rushes on, to the doing of those things whereof the Compassionate God saith unto him, O do not those abominable things which my soul hateth. But O venturesome unthinking Sinners, consider the doleful plight which you are in, Consider this ye that forget God, lest He tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you. The blessed God hath positively declared unto you, (in Psal. 7▪ 12, 13.) that He has whe●… His sword and bend His Bow, and ordained the Instruments of Death against the Sinners who Turn not from their evil ways; He hath declared upon the word of a GOD, (in Psal. 68 21.) that He will wound the Head of these His enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in His Trespasses. It was the short and smart Return which jehu made unto joram in 2. King. 9 22. Joram when he saw Jehu said, is it Peace? and he answered, what Peace, so long as the Whoredoms of thy mother are so many? Thus, if any unrenewed Sinner ask, Is there not a Peace between God and me? It must be said unto him, No, such sins as thine are inconsistent with Peace, thy Sins render God thy dreadful enemy. But O now turn from all Sin unto God in Christ, Lest ye perish, Cry for Quartor, yea, cry for Pardon, and Agree quickly with your matchless Adversary. Let that Question be put unto you (1. Cor. 10. 22.) Do you provoke the LORD to jealousy? are you stronger than he? Surely you cannot presume that you shall make your party good against God, who can Thunder the whole world into nothing in a moment? It is said in Luc. 14. 31. That one going to war against another, sitteth down first, and consulteth whether h●… be able to meet him that cometh against him. Be you entreated to admit so much Consideration here as Common Prudence will suggest. I have heard of a man in the West-Indies a little while ago who being in a Boat with another when a High Wind made a rough Sea, at his Companion's Expressing some Concernment about the Issue, which he was disturbed at, The Wretch flew out into this outrage of Blasphemy, Let God Almighty blow, let Him blow if He list, I fear Him not; And behold the words were but just out of his mouth, when he was blown overboard and drowned, while the other gatt safe to shore. All Deliberate Sinning soameth out such a Contempt of God, and verily the Event is like to be 〈◊〉 better: 〈◊〉 the black dead Sea of God's Wrath will swallow up such Despisers till they perish, it is written concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…mb. 32. 31. that when he saw a F●…ming Swo●…d in the hands of an Angel ch●…cking of his motions, it put him to 〈◊〉 ●…and. Oh 〈◊〉 durst you go on in a Course of ●…in, when you ●…erceive t●… great GOD with Flaming Sword●… and ●…ott Thunderbolts opp●…ng of you? L●… it not be f●…d that your sturdy Obstinacy in S●… outgoes the stout Stomach of the very Devil●… themselves, who believe and tremble, whi●… you sin and tremble not. It is no less tha●… an Omnipotent Enemy whom by Unforsake●… Sin you 〈◊〉 the just Revenges of; and wi●… the sorry 〈◊〉 of the Earth make light of His hor●…dous Indignation? It is the Exclamation of the Psalmist in Psal. ●…6. 7. W●…●…ay stand in thy sight when once thou art ang●… O Lord! O No more, No More Harden y●… selves against this GOD; It is impo●… that you should prosper if you do. You 〈◊〉 ●…he Lord of Hosts against you; and while y●… have, all the Hosts of the Lord are up in A●… against you too. While you are thus un●…●…he Curse of God, every Creature of Go●… hath been crying unto him against you, a●… 〈◊〉 King ●…to the Prophet about the 〈◊〉 Syrian●…, Shall I smite them, O Lor●… 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 them▪ The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, shall I swallow them up alive? as I d●… Corah and his Company? The Se●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord, shall I run over the heads of 'em, as I did to Pharaoh and his Followers? The Clouds have rumbled, Lord, shall we shower down fierce Lightnings upon them, as we did upon Sodom & Gomorrah? Thus are even all the Creatures of God only staying for that Word Fall on; and upon that Signal given, they would all join to Plague you, more than the Sun and Moon did Sisera of Old▪ when by producing the Inundations of Kishon they did in their courses fight against him. But there is that which, is more tremendous yet: You must expect that if Repentance prevent it not, you will at length fall into the Hands of the everliving GOD Himself, whose Hands it is 〈◊〉 fearful thing to fall into. And O how ca●… you bear the Gripes of those Iron Arms, 〈◊〉 ●…e Immedeate strokes wherewith he will one day dispense his fiery Fury in those Ovens of Hell, the Souls of his Enemies; Can your hands be strong or can your heart endure, in the day that I shall deal with you, saith the Lord? The Hands of God Alas those Ir●…ful Hands ●…o splitt the Everlasting Rocks, and make the very Pillars of Heaven Tremble. I Knew 〈◊〉 very stout man, who in the Ang●…ishes of Death thus expressed himself, I have ●…een said he) among drawn Swords and Armed Soldiers; I have stood before the mouths of roaring Canons, from whence th●… Bullets have flown about my ears, and yet I never knew what it was to be afraid; but now I am apprhensive of my being exposed to the everlasting Anger of GOD, my heart shivers & fails-within me, at the though●… of that. Sometimes when my Visits have been called for by men on their Deathbeds, perceiving themselves on the Borders of Eternity, I have found them quaking and there very Beds shaking under them, and their first Speech has been to this purpose, O Sir, the Wrath of a dreadful GOD makes me tremble, I tremble, I tremble at it! How full of Hellish Dimness, and Darkness and Bitterness, will Presumptuous Transgressor's then be in the Day of God's Unmixed Wrath, in the Day when He shall fulfil that Threat in Psal. 50. 21. I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in Order (in Battle-Array) before thine eyes? Now let every hitherto-unchanged Sinner count himself concerned to put a penitent Period unto the dangerous deadly Warfare, wherein he is warring and fight against the Almighty God. In this case the Teaching which you have from God is, Lay down your Arms, O war and fight no more. All the Powers of your souls, all the Members of your Bodies have hitherto bee●… 〈◊〉 'tis said in Rom. 6. 13. The Weapons of unr●…ghteousness. O find out now a better, a fitter employment for them; otherwise your only Wages or Stipend will be (as the Apostle ●…aith, alluding to the military Stipends of old) Death, Death, forevermore. Wherefore ●…ere make a Pause. O Commune with yourselves about what you have been and done. Now Confess, now Bewail before the Most High all your past miscarriages, entreating that through the Prince of Peace they may be all forgiven and the Breach be made up between God and you; promising there-withal, that for the fu●…ure it shall be your hearty study to have no more to do with Idols. O say, It is enough, Lord, I have done Iniquity, and I will do so no more.  
But so much may suffice to b●… 〈◊〉 unto them who have not yet known th●… 〈◊〉 of Cana●…n.  
More Briefly in what remains.   

RULE. II.  
Become furnished with that Armour for your Warring and Fight, which God in His blessed Word hath provided for you.  
There is a Tower of Solomon, wherein God hath hanged up Thousands of Shields & all the Weapons of strong men. See to thi●… that you do only put on the ARMOUR OF GOD, and that you have all your Armour to be both of God's Institution, and of God's Constitution also. Let GOD be Acknowledged as the Appoint●…r of all your Weapons. The Will-Worship, the fond Annulets, and Penances●… of the Papists, no less than the P●…ylacteries of the jews, are to be exploded as most trifling Insignificancies, and the Ridicules of those very Enemies whose Terror they are calculated for. A funeral Elegy for those wretched Warriors we have in Fzek. 32. 27. They go down to Hell with their Weapons of war▪ they have laid their Swords under their heads, but their Iniquities shall be upon their bones. You have no need to go down to the Forges of the Philistines for the Weapons of you●… Souls. Whatever shall be offered as a serviceable Weapon for you, which you have not the Warrant of GOD for the using of, throw it by, as David rejected Saul's cumbersome useless Armour. Let God also be Accknowledged a●… the Bestower of all your Weapons. It is affirmed concerning one eminent piece of your Armour in Eph. 2. 8. It is the gift of GOD. Let that be your Sentiment of every Weapon which you shall have occasion for, It will do me no good unless, God be the Framer and Giver of it. Ever account a Weapon to be of no good Metal, if it come not through the hands of that God, without whom you can do nothing at all. Unless we look to this, the great Leviathan of Hell, will esteem our Iron to be but Sraw; and our Brass but as Rotten Wood  
Consult the sixth Chapter to the Ephesians, as a glorious Magazine wherein God hath set before you all the Accoutrements of a Christian Soldier from Head to Foot. There is a little Cluster of four or five verses in that Chapter, which are fit to be called Enchiridion Mili●…is Christiani. You have no Armour there for the Back, because you must (as the lame Androclid excused his going unto the Wars) expect to Fight and not to Flee.  
You are first to procure a Belt; Now for this get your Loins girt with Truth. Let your Minds have a due Knowledge of, and yield a full▪ Assent to the Truths of God: Especially let Four Sorts of Truths be unto you as the Girdle of your Loins; Namely,  
Fundamental Truths. And Truths immediimmediately refrerring to jesus Christ, an●… such Truths as enwrap the Covenant, and last▪ the present Labouring Truths of the Times: unto an Acquaintance with these Truths, adding all Sincerity Heart, and Integrity of Life. He will be a loose kind of Soldier for God, who is purblind in these Truths; all his Notions and Actions must hang in much Disorder; here the obsc●…re Proverb will be too much verified, Un-girt, Unblessed.  
You have then a Breastplate to take care for: Fo●… This, (in imitation of your General) put on Righteousness as a Breastplate. O labour to preserve the Vitals of your Inner-man harmless, by endeavouring not only to render all men their Dues, but to keep a Conscience void of Offence towards GOD as well as towards man. A work of real through Sanctification in the soul of a man, will be as Aes. triplex circa Pectus, as Armour of Proof upon the Heart in an evil day.  
A Sufficient pair of Shoes are next to be procured. It is a rough cragged thorny way that we have to go. Well, Be●…shod with the Preparation of tho Gospel of peace: The Gospel of God, which is a Gospel of Peace; Bringing the ●…ntelligence and producing the Settlement of a 〈◊〉 b●…twixt God and man; This exhibi●…●…to u●… those Counsels and those Comfor●… which will be a good Preparative against the Worst that can befall us: O lay up a stor●… of these; and so say, Tho' War should rise ●…gainst me, in th●…se will I be confident,  
But what shall we do for a Shield? Especially since the Darts to be shot at us, like those among the Scythians, dipped in the Venempus Gall of Vipers, will horribly inflame and torment the Souls which they are smitten with. Broad Shields of Raw Ne●…s-Leather were wont to be held up against the violence of these. But here now▪ above all take the Shield of FAITH. Let your Faith convey unto you the Substance of things hoped for▪ the Evidence of things not seen. Especially let your Faith put you under the Conduct of the Lord Jesus Christ, and call in Him as an able and a ready Saviour, always knowing how to succour the tempted. Here will be a Shield which will stand you in stea●… to keep off more than as many Darts (two hundred and twenty) as were stuck in th●… Shield of S●…eva at the Siege of Dyrrachium.  
Thus the Body is defended: But what shall ●…e done for the Head? ●…o, an Helm●…t! Tak●… the 〈◊〉 ●…t of Salvation, That is, as th●… 〈◊〉postle else where has it, the Hope of Salvat●…●…. Let there be in your Souls, a lively Hope that God is your Friend, that Christ is your 〈◊〉, that the Promises are your Portion; and live and die in such a well-grounded Hope, not only say, Dum spiro- sp●…ro, I will Hope while I Live; but also Dum expiro sp●…ro; I will Hope when I Dye. Thus will your He●…ds be guarded against those hard Thoughts of God and Grace, those. Terribilia de Deo, and Hor●…ibilia de Fid●…, which the Tempter would 〈◊〉 you with.  
All these Weapons are Defensive only:  
At least we must have One to Offend our Adversary with; Where is our SWORD▪ This it is, Take the Sword of the Spirit which is the WORD OF GOD. This, o●… English josiah, is reported to have called for, under the Term of a Third Sword when two Swords were presented him at his Coronation. You are blessed with the free Use of a Bible, which is a spiritual Sword, Shaped by the Inspiration of the Eternal SPIRIT. This is a Sword of which I may say, as David of Goliah's, There is none like it. Here is a sort of Sword, whereof it may be said unto every man, He that hath not such 〈◊〉 Sword, let him sell his Garment & buy one. The pious Husbandman who in a Scarcity of such now common-sleighted Treasures, gave a Load of Hay for a Leaf of the Bible, for even a few Filings of this Sword, has justified this Advice. Our Lord Jesus Christ hath by his own Example showed you how to wield this Sword and manage it unto the Vanquishment of all Satanical Invasions: When the principal Tempter tried His Overthrow by proposeing to him a threefold Bait of the same three Allurements which proved mortal to the First Adam, He still came of a Victor, by opposeing an, It is WRITTEN, thereunto; and all the Swords or Words of this kind, used by Him, were fetch●…t out of that one Book of Deuteronomy, from whence we may collect how rich a Supply for our War the whole Bible then will afford unto us. Let this be our Method against the joint Fraud and Force of our wily Enemies. Whenever they urge us to any evil thing, still have some pertinent Text of the Bible to reply upon them. All the Commandments, all the Promises, all the Me●…ces in the Bible are like so many Sword's all-Edge to befriend you in this Concern. Thus particularly: Are you tempted unto Uncleaness? Then reply, It is Written, Th●… God knows how to reserve the unjust unto th●… Day of Judgement to be punished, but chiefly them that walk after the Flesh in the Lust of Uncleanness. Are you Tempted unto Revengfulness? Then reply, It is Written, Avenge not yourselves, but overcome evil with good. Are you tempted unto Distracting and Corroding Cares about the things of this Life? Then reply, It is written, Cast all your Care upon God, for He careth for you. Thus may you conquer, as he said, sola unius Syllabae pronunciatione, with a words speaking. Verily these Writtens will be more ghastly fearful things unto the Enemies of your Souls, than the Handwriting upon the Wall was to the Babylonian Monarch. Here are Swords that will be more Fatal to them, than the Sword of Ehud was to the Moabi●…ish Tyrant. The Captain of your Enemies dare not stand, when These, against which he hath a peculiar Antipathy, are Brandished against him: A little Resistance of this Kind will make the Field too hit for him. As the Poet hath it,  
Est Leo si fugias; si stas, quasi musca recedet.  
Or rather as the Apostle has it more certainly, and more divinely, Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.  
Wherefore, Let it be your daily Endeavour, That the Word of Christ may dwell richly in you; and that you may have the Texts of it as ready as the Names of those that dwell in the same Houses with you; or, as ready as that honest man, of whom Alsted, I think, somewhere saith, If all the Bible had been lost, it might have been in a good measure recovered by that good man's Readiness therein. Let not a Day ordinarily pass you, wherein you will not Read some portion of it, with a due Meditation and Supplication over it. The Ethiopian Nobleman would not omit this Exercise, even when he was on a journey. And he that shall accustom himself while he reads in his Retirements, to fetch at least one Note & one Wish out of every Verse as he goes along, will perhaps take as speedy a course as any man whatever to become a wellarmed Christian. He was a Soldier and an Emperor too, that wrote out the New-Testament with his own Hand. And that gracions Man, Mr. Thomas Stoughton, asserts that he knew a young Gentlewoman, who before she was Nine years old, could say it All by heart. It will be our shame, if this ●…o-edged Sword be not often in our Hands and Hearts, and become like our Necessary Food unto us. And that Prince of Transilvania who read ●…ver the Bible Seven & twenty Times, wi●… condemn us if our Eyes are seldom placed o●… this Heavenly Sword. It was a dark time with the Church of God, when One was pronounced most Sufficient, at his Commencing Doctor of Divinity, though he had never Read the Bible. Sure I am no man can be a Sufficient Soldier in Christianity, unless This be the man of his Council.  
These are now your Weapons; O put them on, and go before the Lord Armed for the Battle.   

RULE III.  
Let the Sufferings of our LORD, ●…each you how to war and to fight against that Lust which gives the most advantage unto all the Enemies of your Souls  
Let the Lord here, have the same Signification which in the New-Testament it is won●… to have, even the Lord JESUS CHRIST; Now let Him be your Teacher in this matter. It hath been said, Crux pendentis est Cathedra Docentis,— thus, while you behol●… Him hanging on the Cross, let Him Teach you how to War and to Fight especially against the Sin which doth most easily beset you▪ The Emperor Valentinian when he was dying, had his Friends comforting of him with the Remembrance of his past Victories; he told them that he gloried in one Victory above all the rest, Inimicorum nequissimum vici (said he) Carnem meam. I have had a Victory over my, Flesh the enemy in the world. Let this 〈◊〉 our High Attainment.  
The Enemies of our Souls would, all of them together, be able to do us little harm, if there were not some peculiar Lust, like Trojan Horse, within us, assisting of all their Erterprises. It was the Privilege of the Man Christ Jesus alone to say, The Devil finds nothing in me, when the Legions of Hell made an Attacque upon him. The Father of Lies uttered a real Truth, when from the Throat of a possessed man, he said unto Mr. Balsam, If God would-let me lose upon you I should find enough in the Best of you to make you all mine. And so truly there is in the best of us all, a party of Lusts which would resign us up unto the power of all our other Enemies if the Grace of God prevent it not. Let These ●…e well kept under and the Day is yours.  
Among the many Lusts which are of the DeDevil's Faction in us, every man hath, as 〈◊〉 sort of Master-Bee in the Hive, one peculiar Lust, which he may call, as David did in Psal. 18. 23. My own Iniquity. There is in every one of you, a Lust which above other you are most impatient to have Reproved or Restrained. A Lust which above other doth most Disquiet you and Discompose you in the Service of God; a Lust which gives most frequent Eclipses unto the Light of God's Countenance upon your souls. Of This let me say as he about the King of Israel in 1. Reg. 22. 31. Fight neither with small nor great in comparison of This. The Braining of this Giant is of as much Importance perhaps as any one thing in your Warrfare, as having an Influence upon the Prosperity of it all.  
However they that write De re Militari, Lay this down as a Maxim, Quicquid tibi prodest, Adversario nocet; Whatever is profitable for you is pernicious for your Adversary: That This is both, who can make any Doubt?  
Now what shall be done in order hereunto? This, Follow the Teachings of the Lord. Let the Death of Him that is Generalissimo of all the Celestial Armies teach you 〈◊〉 to do; He has Died in part for this Reason, that he might ins●… you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right way of Warring and Fight against th●… Enemies whom His Death hath also been the Price of your Redemption from. This th●… you have to do. Let your Principal Corruption be put unto such a Death as your Dying Saviour has given a S●…mplar of. It is 〈◊〉 by the Apostle in Rom. 6. 〈◊〉. That we must be dead to Sin, even as Jesus Christ died for sin. This is the sanctified Way of Dealing with that Son of Anack which creates the most War and Evil for you; Handle it with Severities analogous to those which Jesus Christ was crucified withal. O then Receive this Mystery of Warring and Fight against your own Iniquity.  
Did not the Iew●… with uninterrupted and unwearied Glamours, urge their Governor, against our Lord Jesus Christ, never ceasing their Out-cries, Let him be crucified! until they had their Will▪ Thus do you never leave Seeking and Sighing and Shouting unto God, Lord, this Corruption is worthy to 〈◊〉; it is a Traiter to thy Kingdom in me; O by no means let it Reign and Rave in me as 〈◊〉: Thus beg until God give Order, The Rebe●… shall die.  
Furthermore did they draw 〈◊〉 ●…ny 〈◊〉 Indictments against our Lord Christ▪ as guilty of Treason and Sedition; and Bl●…phemy and Heresy, and the most villainous Impostures in the World? Well, so do you lay unto the Charge of your Lust all the Dishonour to GOD, and all the Destruction to you and yours, which it has procured, Say, Thou vile Corruption, Thou art it that has●… made a Partition-Wall between me and my GOD; Thou art it that hast exposed me unto all the Curses in the Flying Roll, Nothing has done so much wrong to GOD, or to me, or to all Heaven and Earth, a●… Thou.  
Speak and think the worst of it.  
Moreover, Did they offer unto our Lord Jesus Christ all the Indignities that possibly they could devise; Binding of Him, Spitting on Him, Jeering at Him, preferring a barbarous Highway man before Him, and at last hanging Him up naked? between the worst of Malefactors. In like manner do you cast heaps of Shame upon your Lust; Upbraid it as the Quintessence of Madness, as the Exaltation of ●…lly, as a most Loathesome Object, worthy to be buffeted by all Hands, to be abhorred by God and man for ever; and a Swine, in no wise sit to lodged in the Parlour of you●… Souls.  
Once more, Did they withdraw all Refreshment from our Lord Jesus Christ in His ruefu●… Agonies, and count a Cup of Gall good enough for Him? Just so Do you withhold from your Lust that Sustenance which may enable it to hold out in its Insurrections. Be sure to make no provision for this Flesh to feed upon. Starve it out, and so Tame it; Keep it under, and keep it bore of those things which you see to be the Support or Fuel of it.  
To say no more, Did they Torture our Lord Jesus Christ, until by the Dolonrs of His Wounds they hunted that Hind of the morning, his precious Soul, out of His Body? Agreeably to this, Do you make your Lust undergo the Pains of an evil and a bitter thing. Let it Cost you those Prayers and those Tears, and manifold Austerities which may merely ●…tire it out, and Discourage it from haunting of you.  
By these means cripple that Delictum dilectum, which is your most Darling Iniquity. And while you are thus in the Field, derive all the Virtue which may be, from abundant Thoughts on the Death of Jesus Christ. DeDevout Nazianzen said, that when his Lusts gave too busy molestations to him, he would by reading the Book of Lamentations quickly quell & curb those troublesome Guests. How much more mortifying a Spectacle would the Man who is God's Fellow, hanging on a Tree, be unto us! Let your Thoughts often carry you to Mount Calvary, and for your War-fare you will soon be among the Worthies of David.   

RULE IU.  
Cry mightily to GOD in CHRIST, that by Strength from Him you may be made Conquerors and more than Conquerors over the Enemies of your souls.  
When the Apostle had Armed his Christian Soldier from head to foot, he then concluded, Pray always, and watch thereunto (a military Order, take not a wink of sleep) with all Perseverance. O cry mightily to God, for the Weapons of your War-fare are mighty through God alone. The best posture for you, wherein to War and to Fight against your Soul-Enemies, is (that wherein a wounded thought-dead Soldier once gave a mortal stab unto a proud Conqueror that was pleasing himself with a View of them whom he had slain) upon your Knees: In the midst of your Encounters, use to do as the Emperor Theodosius did in the Extremities of a furious dubious Battle; betake yourselves to importunate Prayers for Succour from above; be praying jacobs, and you shall be prevailing Israel's. If any Temptation be more than or dinarily violent in besieging of you, do like those Warriors in 1. Chron. 5. 20. Cry to God in the Battle; and therewithal put your trust in Him: do as Paul saith he did in such a case, (in 2. Cor. 12. 8.) I besought the Lord thrice; perhaps he kept three days of Prayer. And O let the Spirit of Prayer cause you to fill your lives with frequent and servant Prayers unto God, that He would gird you with Strength unto all your Battles and subdue under you those that rise up against you I would conclude my Sermon as the Mertyr us●…d his Letters, O pray, pray, pray. You cannot contrive a more effectual preservative from the Hurts of Temptation than Prayer; daily, wrestling, Restless Prayer. The infamous Day of Origen's foul Apostasy, was a day whereon he had been remiss in his morning Prayers. I will not tell you Nazianzen's Story of what a Devil was forced to own unto Cyprian, about his inability to work upon a praying Soul, in his days: But this I am sure of; The Trumpets of Gideon did not more fright the Midianites, than the Prayers of the Faithful do all the Devils in the dark Regions. The Devil roars about the Prayers of the Believer as the Scotch Queen did about Knox's Prayers; I am more afraid of those Prayers, than of the biggest Armies. Accustom yourselves to Every Sort of Prayer; and so keep your Hands lifted up, like Moses in the Mount, until the Lord Deliver you from your strong Enemy, and from your Haters which are to strong for you. Often set apart Whole days, for your thus rallying your disordered Forces against them; and every day let your private and Secret Groans be sent up to your Eternal Helper on this Errand; Yea, let scarce one waking hour in the day pass you without Shooting over the Camp of them that are strictly beleaguring of you, Requests tied to the Arrows of ejaculatory Prayer, that God would not be far from you; Happy is the man that has his quiver full of these arrows. O Pray and plead as he in 2. Chron. 20. 12. Lord, I know not what to do, but my eyes are up unto thee. And while you thus pray without ceasing, Exercise a true Faith on the Blood of Jesus Christ as the, meritorious Cause of all your Successes, which Blood will more dismay and and confound all the Behemoths of Hell. than the Sight of Blood could the Elephants in the Macc●…bees of old. And exercise a strong Faith on the Grace of Jesus Christ, as both enableing and inclining of Him to succour them that are Tempted as He once was Himself, which Grace is engaged to be sufficient for you. Thus Pray and War and Fight, until you come to shout as dying disconsolate Mr. Welch did, when the Word Victory came from the mouth of the person that prayed with him, and he catched hold on it with overpowering never-ending Joy, Crying Victory, Victory, Victory now forevermore. Yea, leave not off, till you come to say with Paul I have fought the good Fight, there is now laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness. Amen.  
And now,— Do thou grant unto us, O Lord our God, That we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies, might serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of our Lives.  
Militat omnis homo qui dat sua nomina Christo; Quique Deo fidit, Militat omnis homo.  
Books printed for, and sold by joseph Brunning at his Shop at the Corner of Prison Lane next the Exchange.  
A Discourse Concerning Com●…s, wherein the Nature of Blazing Stars is enquired into, by Mr. Increase Mather.  
— An Essay for the Recording Illustrious Providences  
— The Mystery of Christ opened & applied.  
— The greatest sinners exhorted & encouraged to come to Christ, and that NOW without delaying. Also the exceeding Danger of men's Deferring their Repentance. Together with a Discourse about the Day of judgement. And on several other Subjects.  
— The Doctrine of Divine Providence opened and applied. To which is annexed  
A Sermon wherein is showed, That it is the Duty and should be the Care of Believers on Christ to live in the constant Exercise of Grace. by Mr. Nathaneel Mather, Minister of the Gospel at Dublin in Ireland.  
A Practical Discourse Concerning the choice Benefit of Communion with GOD in His HOUSE, witnessed unto, by the Experience of Saints, as the 〈◊〉 Improvement of Time. By Mr. joshua ●…y Minister of the Gospel.  
Self-Employment in Secret, containing Evidences upon Self-Examination, Thoughts upon Painful Afflictions, Memorials for Practice, by Mr. john Corb●….  
An Arrow against Profane and Promiscuou●… D●…ncing. Drawn out of the Q●…iver o●… 〈◊〉 SCRIPTURES. by the Ministers of Boston.    

ERRATA.  
PAge 15. line. 2. read, English-man's p. 30. l. 12. r. Knighthood. p. 64. l. 12. r. which are Smitten with them. p. 70. l. 8. r. the worst Enemy. ibid. l. 12. r. a srojan horse.