SOLDIERY SPIRITVALIZED, OR the CHRISTIAN SOLDIER Orderly, and Strenuously Engaged in the SPIRITUAL WAR. And SO fight the good Fight: Represented in a SERMON Preached at BOSTON in NEW ENGLAND on the Day of the ARTILLERY ELECTION there, June 1. 1674.  
By JOSHVA MOODEY Pastor of the Church at Portsmouth in New-England.  1 Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of Faith. 2 Tim. 2. 3. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ. Ver. 5. And if a Man also strive for Masteries, yet is he not Crowned except he strive lawfully. 
CAMBRIDGE: Printed by Samuel Green. 1674.   

To the much Honoured, the Artillery Company in BOSTON.  
Honoured and Beloved,  
THe Ensuing Word is the Lords, is Mine, is Yours, and is to be looked at as a Message from the Lord, by me, to yourselves, (to yourselves I say, nextly and immediately, yet not so restrictively, but that all others in like capacity with yourselves; yea all Christian Readers into whose hands it shall come, may look at themselves as concerned therein)  
It is the Lords as part of his Counsel, Mind and Will: some of the great things of God's Law lately Preached, now written to you.  
It is mine, as an Instrument (however ●nworthy) in the composing, than dispensing, now publishing of the same.  
It is yours, as I was called by you to this work, a Servant to you therein, and as by this presentation it is now made more especially yours.  
As the Lords, you are most solemnly Commanded; as mine, most humbly entreated; as your own, strongly obliged to peruse, understand, receive and practise what is heresent you.  
I could not think any thing of mine worthy of the public view; but seeing yourselves thought otherwise, and others, whom I honour and reverence were like minded with yourselves; I thought meet to submit to persons of better judgements. And therefore have permitted it to pass the Press, being not able to be inexerable to the Importunity of my Friends, nor daring to be disobedient to the Commands of my Superiors, and the desires of Superiors (in Case, and in this Case) I accounted Commands.  
The Lord expected that all the Israelites in the Wilderness should contribute something toward the building of the Tabernacle; and that none might pled Poverty as an Argument for ●heir Exemption, ordered their bringing and promised his accepting of Goat's Hair and Brass, as well as silk and silver, Chittim Wood as well as precious Stones, (see E●od. 25. 1-8) I was thence encouraged to bring my Oblation, when called for, of what was under my Hand. He that has received but one Talon must lay it out, not wrap it up. The Lord is no hard Master, he accepts according to what a man ●a'●, not what he hath not, (2 Cor. 8. 12.) and men should do the like. If what is here done may (though but in the lest degree) promote the work of the Lords house among you, or elsewhere, I shall attain my End, and be abundantly rewarded for my Labour.  
If any that were mine Auditors should object the difference between the Sermon as than preached and now written. I must own it, and add that it was of force, not choice, my Memory not serving me at any Time to Remember Words, nor at all Time's things in ●h●i p●op●r places. You have it in the Press a● it was intended for the Pulpit, and at you should have had it there (at lest for the Substance) if I could.  
As for my manner of speaking in he using of many Metaphorical Expressions, and Allusions unto the Calling, Post●●es, and motions of Soldiers, and this often in your most common and familiar Terms and Phrases, though it may possibly grate upon some Critical and captious Ea●s, yet I hope it will be at lest excusable or tolerable to yourselves, It being done chief for your sakes. My aim being to Spirituali●● your Calling a● Soldiers, and to ●el you a littl● of that much of Heaven ●hat is therein contained, I had no readier way b●fore me to do it than this. H●d ● b●en to h●ndle the same Head of Divinity on another occasion and before another Auditory, I could and should have sought out other words, but ●t matters were Circumstanced, I am willing ●o believe that these may not be to the Charitable and teachable, altogether unacceptable. My Auditory, Subject, Occasion being Military, and my Text Metaphorical, if my discourse had not been in Terms and Language somewhat answerable, it had not been suitable. I conceive a man should ta●e Measure of his Theme to out our his Language by, and make it up something according ●o the ●●de of his Auditory, I do not mean so as to please men's Humours, but to suit their Conditions, provided always he keep within the Bounds of a Scripture mode and Cut. Edification was my End, and Familiar plainness one of the mean● conducing thereto. If some things seem b●unt and homely, yet I hope they are all the words of soberness, and may have their use, if soberly and seriously read and improved. Nor is such manner of speaking on like Occasion without the Warrant of Scripture Example  
I End with two Requests, First, that you will vouchsafe acceptance of this presentation as a Token and Testimony of the Sense I have on me of my Obligations to you for your favourable construction and kind Entertainment of my poor Labours already manifested by you: Next that you will join with me in se●ve●t Prayer to the Lord of Hosts that he who ●nly can, would teach us all to profit, hel● us so to run that w● may obtain, so to fight, not as those that beaten the Air, but b●a● down, and keep down sin and the rest of our Spiritual Enemies, l●st while speaking to others, hearing or reading what comes from others, any of us should be cast away. To his blessing I commend you and these Endeavours for ●on, and remain  
Your Servant in your Spiritual Warfare Joshua Moodey.   
1 COR. 9 26. So Fight I, not as one that beats the Air. 
IT is commonly and not inconveniently said, that a Man's general and particular Calling are the two Legs on which he Travels through the Wilderness of this World, from Egypt to Canaan, he that fails in either of them will prove a ●ame Christian, he may happily hop or creep, but will not be able to go uprightly, much lesle will he run the Race that is set before him so as to obtain. To use both these Legs, and yet to set the best Leg foremost, I mean his General Calling, and to make the other, viz, that of his Particular subservient to his General, is the Duty of every one that will be and appear to be a Christian indeed. But so to do, we may say of it, this is a labour, this is a work. O how hard is it for these not to Interfere one upon another, and Interfe●eing how dangerous, how pernicious! A●d the more, because the General Calling, and so the One thing necessary usually com●s by the worst of it. The many things do so clamorously and cogently call for Attendance, and we are so ready to be at their Beck when they call, that it is many to one, if the one thing be not neglected and overlookt by means of the many.  
To prevent this, besides the Cautions, Counsels, Warnings, Commands, Promises and Threaten that the Scripture is full of, to make us look to the main chance, to mind the great business that is before us: I say besides all these means, the Lord takes care to make ●s spiritual in all our Employments, by spiritualizing all ou● Employments. Yea, all our Relations and Conditions as well as Employments, are so improved to our Hands by the Spirit of God in his Word as that they may b● useful both as Monitors and Helpers to mind us of, and further us in those matters that are of most solemn and momentous, because of Eternal Concernment. Thus our hungering, thirsting, eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, walking, sitting, working, resting, etc. T●us the Relations of Husband, Wise, Parents, Children, Masters, Servants, etc. are particularly mentioned a●●ull of precious a●d practical Instructions. Thus our Callings, Functions, or Occupations, whether more liberal or Mechanic each of them bears twins, and there is none barren among them The Lesons tha● God is teaching us out of ou● proper V●cations are so many, so spiritual, & so pertinent, that they are enough to leave us without excuse, if we are not spiritual in them, and learn not to be more spiritual whiles about them. To give a Taste in a few Inst●●ces.  
The Physician and Chirurgeon when visiting or administering to the sick or lame, giving Purges, Cordials, etc. setting bones, applying Plasters, etc. may be minded of his own Condition by nature, convinced of his need of Christ, directed to apply himself to Him, as the great Physician, Soul-Physitian, who is anointed and appointed by the Father to bind up, heal, recover, yea, to do that which is out of the reach of all Physic, viz. to quicken the dead, Joh. 5. 25. see also Hos. 6. 1, 2. Psal. 146. 8. and 147. 3. ●er. 8. 22 Mal. 4. 2. Luk. 4. 18. Psal. 51. 8.  
The Merchant is advised among all his dealing and trading in the world, to act the part of that wise Merchant, by selling all for the Pearl, which will be the best, and should be the first bargain he makes, Math. 13. 45, 46. And he is assured by Christ the wisdom of the Father, that he can deal in no Commodities that will yield him like Profit, Prov. 8. 11, 18, 21. but what ever else he may get, if he neglect this, will come to a bad market at last.  
The Factor that is employed by others, having an estate of theirs to manage to whom he must give an Account; His very calling minds him of his Relation to God the High Possessor of Heaven and Earth, from whom he has those daily Consignments of Life, Health, Food, Raiment, Gospel, and all the precious things thereof, of all which great Betrustments he must one day give an Account to his Principal, and woe to him, if through his Sloth, profuseness, or otherwise he disenables himself from rendering to his Owner his Own with Advantage. Indeed we are all Stewards of the manifold Grace of God, (1 Pet. 4. 10.) And that Text, that awful Text should lie down and rise up with us, and keep upon our hearts all the day long, Luk. 16. 2. Give an Account of thy Stewardship, for thou mayest be not longer Steward.  
The Husbandman should own God in that wisdom he teaches him about his Calling, Isai. 28. 24, 29. and know that himself is God's Husbandry, 1 Cor. 3. 9 and that therefore he aught to be so towards God as he expects his Land to be towards him after all the costly and expensive Husbandry that he hath been the Subject of, Isai. 5. 14. The dealing of Husbandmen is much in Earth, and jest they should loose and bury up their Souls alive therein, and so miss Heaven, God hath put a great deal of Heaven into their Earth and there they may found it, their fencing, clearing, ploughing, sowing, weeding, plucking up the thorns, waiting for the former and latter rain, reaping, gathering into the Barn, threshing, winnowing, are all made in Scripture similitudes, and so teachers of Heavenly things, s●e Math. 13. 3-9. and ver. ●●-23. with ver. 24, 25. etc. Math. 3. 10, 12  
The Fisherman if he▪ will read, M●th. 13. 47. may thence learn to catch ●he Kingdom of Heaven in his Net, and some spiritual Good with his Hook and Line. And it is observable that in ver. 52. of that Chapter: he be speaks his Disciples as persons well instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven, by means of those similitudes which out of their Secular Affairs and ordinary Employments he had borrowed and suited to their Use.  
It would be endless to particularise, for even from the King upon the Throne to the Hewer of wood and drawer of water, the Lord is in his word teaching us by such familiar and known Metaphors taken from those Callings that we are versed in, in so much that all sorts of men may say concerning the voice of God in his word, as they in another Case. Act. 2 8, 11. How is it that we hear from thence in our own Tongue wherein we were born, and in the proper dialect of those Employments to which we have been bred, the wondered Counsels of God declared to us! the Lord's manner of speaking as it helps us to the understanding of what he saith, so his love and Care therein should quicken us to the practice of what we understand. They that would see more of this may consult these and such like Scriptures, Joh. 15. 1, 2, 5, 7. Math. 9 16, 17. and 19 24. Luk. 12: 19, 20, 21. I●r. 18. 14, etc. co●fer Rom. 9 21 Psal 2 9 Math. 7. 24, &c:  
But to avoid any further skirmishing at a distance, and to come to a more close Engagement with my Text, in which the Calling or Profession of the Soldier is made use of as Instructive to the Christian.  
My work this day principally is to attend a Call from, and so to speak something to Soldiers, and I knov not better way to speak to their Understandings and Hearts than to speak in their own Dialect, to treat them not only as Christians but also as Soldiers, or as Christian Soldiers. And therefore my discourse shall be a Divinity-Lecture to such, i e. Military-Divinity or Divine Soldiery, for the doing of which my Text advantageth me, as having in it the great work of a Christian in working out his Salvation, set forth under the Metaphor of fight, and the manner of doing that, by the manner of doing this, [So fight I]  
I might give you the Coherence of the Text with the former part of the Chapter, and of that with the latter part of the foregoing Chapter, which for brevity sake I omit.  
It may suffice▪ to say, that having exhorted them to run the Race that is set before than, and u●g●d his Exhortation from the Example of other Runne●s, and Strivers or Wrestlers, who were careful and intense in their way, though the Argument or Motive to urge them thereto were small and inconsiderable compa●e● with theirs. The one being a Corruptible, the other an Incorruptible Crown. He doth now in ver. 26. reinforce his Exhortation to them by the proposal of his own Example before them, and that under a double Metaphor.  
1. Of Running, concerning which he speaks,  
1. Affirmatively, I so Run. 2. Negatively, not a● uncertainty.  
2. Of ●igh●ing, which is before us in the words read, where the Apostle presents himself in the Equipage of a Soldier, whose Business is Fight, amplified from the manner of his doing it, [So sight I] and 〈◊〉, he ●●ts down in the T●x●, Negatively, [not as one that beats the Air] In the Contex. Affirmatively, [I keep under my Body, etc.] Together with the Reason o● the whole [Le●● while I pr●ach to oth●rs, I myself should be a cast away.]  
So] i e. So ●s ●e had before expressed, lawfully, and so as to attain the end, and so as to 〈◊〉 ●●●t success, the keeping of the Body under.  
●●ght I] 〈◊〉 ●re●k word here rendered [Fight I] is by the Latin pugilem ago, which m●st properly notes to fight with the fist. Pugil from pugna; and that from p●g●u▪ the Fist, though we use pugna for any manner of Fight, for a battle or Skirmish where Swords and other Weapons are used; and so Pugil is rendered a Champion o● st●●ng Fighter. [Fight I] than may be, I act the part of a Champion, Now a Champion is supposed to be not only ● ●o●ldier, but one singularly qualified and eminently accomplished for what he undertakes, one that is both Strong and Skilful. Hence Great Goliath was called the Philistines Champion; 1 Sam. 17 23, 51. So that to Fight like a Champion means to Fight like an able, Skilful, Active man, a man of whose Fight well, there is Great Expectation, and upon whose so doing there is no small dependence.  
Not as one tha● beat● the Air] A very significant Expression borrowed from those that m●ke a Flourish with their Weapon, make a show of doing much, whereas all they do is but a mere show, an empty show; they draw the Sword and wave it too and from, but hit nothing besides Air with it. This same Apostle hath a Parallel Expression that will give some light to this, 1 Cor. 14. 9 He that speaks unintelligible wo●ds, he speaks in the Air, i e. he speaks insignificantly and unprofitably to his Hearers, whose Ear● may have the Sound, but themselves not having the Sense of what he speaks, his words f●y into th● Air, i e. are to no purpose. He makes a Great Sound with his high and ●ard words, but they are Airy, there is nothing in them to the Hearers. So her●▪ some men's Actions are as empty as other men's words, nothing but a Flourish in the Air. This Phrase may be answered by the Latin● Vent●●ar●, which (besides other significations) meaneth only to Flourish. The Poet speaking of one that was but a Flash, a Bubbie, a Vapour, saith of him, he spreads abroad his Arms indeed, makes a show, pretends to something, but v●●●erat ictibus Arras, He strikes nothing but Air with his ●lows. Ma●y will ●o do, speak big, and look high, make a very fair Flourish with thei● Swords, wave their Weapons too and from, carry them over their Heads, and ●u●d about them very neatly and dexterously, so that they appear very Skilful, able and valiant men, that can dare and do much; but this is only while there is nothing but Air before them, upon which they may strike while they will without any danger of being stricken again, such may pass for fair Flourishers, but are no Fighters. It is not so with me (saith Paul) I have something before me besides Air, and therefore have other work to do than to beaten That. I have an Enemy before me which I must strike, and strike down too, and that at my utmost peril.  
The Sum is, he commends to them by his own Example, Fight for their work and Employment, and by his Negation of beating the Air only, he implies and intends the Contrary Affirmative, viz. that he was through, intense and in good earnest about his work, he did not make a show only, than he did do the thing, there was not an outside, an appearance only, than there was the substance, the reality, and as he did, they aught to do also. Hence take up this plain Doctrine.  
Doct To be in the Equipage or Capacity, and to perform the work of a Soldier, and that vigorously, stoutly, strongly, strenuously, is the Duty incumbent upon every Christian. The Calling and Employment of a Soldier is that also of a Christian, in which he is to acquit himself strenuously and like a man. He that will be a Christian indeed must be a Christian Soldier and that in deed, in reality, not in show or appearance, he must fight not flourish only, be a Soldier and that in actual Service too, [So Fight I] in the present Tense, fight is with every Christian always in the Present Tense. A Christian must engage in a spiritual warfare, and therein he must not be like one that beats the Air. Not, but he must act the part or do the work of a Soldier, and that in good earnest. He must not be the picture of a Soldier, a Fencer, a Stage player, one that comes on the Stage and for pleasure, sport or in jest only personates a Soldier, when he really is, and means nothing lesle, but he must buckle to the Business of Fight like a man that aims to make work of it. In a word, we need not altar the Terms of the Text. It is the Duty of every Christian to look at and carry himself as a Soldier in the Fight, wherein he is to behave or demean himself not like one that beats the Air.  
The Doctrine hath two parts in it, The one, the calling or Employment of a Christian, viz he is to Fight, the other contains the manner of his doing it, not flightily, but Substantially, not in jest, but in good earnest.  
I shall draw forth each part by itself, and speak to each singly by way of Explication and Confirmation, and than make some Application of both together.  

The first Part of the Doctrine.  
A Christian must be a Soldier. That which I mean by it is that there is a great Harmony, Likeness, or Similitude between the work of a Soldier and that of a Christian. The Art of Soldiery doth fitly resemble the Art of Christianity, and may be profitably improved to set forth the Nature thereof.  
That this is so, and wherein it is so, will appear if we Consider,  
1. That the Spirit of God often puts the Name of Soldiers upon Christians, and be-speaks them in. Terms borrowed from that Profession: the S●ints also have familiarly professed or confessed themselves to be such. See 2 Tim. 2. 3, 4. and 4. 7. 1 Tim. 6. 12. and 1. 18. So Paul calls Archippus his fellow Soldier, Philem. 2. and that not only as a preacher of the Gospel, but as a Christian. Hence we commonly and Scripturally call the Church on Earth, the Church-Militant, i e▪ the warring or warfaring-Church, the Army or fight Company, So Cant. 3. 7, 8. and 6. 4, 10, 11. There are two parts of the Church of Christ, (answerable to the two places where they are, or States wherein they are, Earth and Heaven, Grace and Glory) viz. that which is Militant, and that which is Triumphant, that which is yet warring, and that which is now in Triumph after the end of the War, wherein they have been Victorious, and their being Triumphant hereafter, speaks them Militant now.  
2. The Qualifications or Endowments of Christians are such as are the Characteristical Notes or Badges of good Soldiers; the same Excellencies that speak a Soldier, spiritualised make a Christian too. Take those Accomplishments which are requisite in a Soldier, and he that has them (taken I mean in a spiritual Sense) is a Christian also. Counsel and strength are for the war, whether Literal or Spiritual, Isai. 36. 5. Skill, will, Strength, Activity, Valour, Courage, complete a man for either Employment. Understanding to know his weapons, and skill to use them, pruden●e and wisdom in taking the right means and Season, Strength to undergo what is propounded, and Courage and Confidence to face and grapple with Difficulties, not to be scared with words and show●, or frighted with false Fire, are necessary Qualifications for Soldiers and Christians, and for no Soldier more than for a Christian Soldier, and in no warfare more than the Spiritual. Courage in special is Essentially needful to both. The Timetous, Cowardly or Fearful lead the Van of them that are sent to the Bottomless Pit, Rev 21. 8.  
3. If we lo●k into their Accoutrements as well as Accomplishm●nts, the Resemblances will further appear. A Believer fitted for Service and fixed for his Employment, as such, is like a Soldier in the Field completely armed Capape. You have the Christians Armoury, Eph. 6 11-17. which sufficiently proves his Soldiery. Truth is his girdle, Righteousness his Breastplate, Preparation of the Gospel his Shoes, Hope ●●s Helmet, the Word his Sword, and now when these are on, he is fit to meet with Principalities and Powers (at lest when by Prayer, which follows in the next words, he hath engaged the Lord of Hosts to be with him) What will you call one so equipped or accoutred but a Soldier, and what is he to expect but Fight? He is not thus armed (sure) either to play or sleep. If God provides, sends him and wills him to put on this Armour, you may readily conclude what Service he is to go upon. If the Lord of Hosts arrays him thus with Truth, Righteousness, preparation of the Gospel of Peace, puts hope on his Head, Faith in the one Hand, and the word in the other, and bids him thus stand, yea, and withal bids him to call these his Belt, Breastplate, Head-piece, Sword and Shield, no wise man but will accounted such an one sufficiently minded of a warfare before him. God would never have called his Graces in the Believer and his word given to him, Arms and weapons, if his Calling had not been Military, and his work Fight. If God bids men Arm, they may expect that the next word of Command will be Fall on▪ or else they will be by the Enemy fallen on, and so they must look to fall down. And this makes way for the next particular.  
4. A Christian must be a Soldier & be in actual Service too, if we consider the multitude of Enemies that are about him to keep him doing. When God hath given a Christian his Armour, he will soon see those that will necessitate him to put it on and use it too. Not sooner hath the Lord armed him, but the Enemy will alarm him, & put his Armour to proof, whether it be Armour of Proof or no. He is no sooner converted but be-set, Enemies surround him, assault him, so that he must either Fight or dye. The way to Heaven lies through the Enemy's Country, and no getting through but by force of Arms. He must dispute every step at the Swords point. Heaven wust be won by the Sword  i● be worn. Your Spiritual Enemies will do as they, Namb. 20. 21, 22. not suffer you to pass through, but come out against you with a strong hand, and you must not turn away from them but Fight them as, Numb. 21. 22, 24. The Lanes are filled, the Hedges lined with Enemies to impede●our March Ca●aan ward, so that you must engage against them, or shamefully retreat and lose all. Than, He that has but what he wins by the Sword, gets no farther than he Fights, and holds, and keeps no more than what he keeps by the same means which he gets it by, sure this man is a Soldier, and such a life is a Soldier's life; But such is the Case of a Christian. Ergò.  
It would be endless to reckon up all his Enemies. Time would fail, should we only ●●ll over their Names and no more. But there be these four Heads which have thousands under them, viz. Sin, Self, Satan, World. I aim not at accurateness of distinction, (for I know that Self is Sin) but at th● familiar plainness which may be Intelligible unto all, and they are commonly so distinguished.  
1. Sin, which is in and about, and doth so easily be set us, Heb. 12. 1. and must be fought by those that will run the Race set before them, who must therefore Fight as well as Run. Sin I say, which on thy first coming to Christ thou must renounce, and wage war with ever after. A war and a bloody war too must be waged agaidst Sin, Heb, 12. 4. You must be professed Enemies to Sin, draw upon it where ever you meet it, keep it of at the Swords Point, stand upon your Guard, if it gets within you it kills you. Sin that deceitful thing that so often doth deceip●us, under a Colour of being other than indeed it is. Sin that attends us in every Business, and lies in Ambush behind and in the midst of all our lawful Employments, and while we are busy about them surprises us at unawares. Sin that pretends in a friendly manner with joab to kiss thee, 2 S●m. 20. 9, 20. but suddenly and unexpectedly wounds thee fatally. Now with Sin thou must not compound or make a Truce, but Fight it at all Times, do not spare Sin at any Time, for it will spare thee at no Time. It will mix itself with and mischief thee in every Duty, Business, Employment, when hearing, reading, praying, etc. Do not trust it for it will deceive thee, and be against thee 1 Sam. 29. 4. To be ever at variance and in actual contest with Sin is our work, and therefore this of a Christian with Sin is rightly called, The Holy Warr.  
2. Self, A close Enemy because within thee, and the more dangerous because so close. Of sinful self, that saying holds true, where shall one found a wors● friend than one brings from home? An Enemy that lurks in thine own bosom, and thence is advantaged to do thee the more Harm. They are bad Enemies that are of a man's own House, worse that are of his own Heart. Against these thou must be ever watching, or else wilt be fooled and foiled by them. There is in thee an old Man, a Body of Sin, an Army of Lusts that are still warring against thy Soul, 1 Pet. 2. 11. Thou needest not beaten the Air for want of an Enemy to strike. Thy Body thou must beet, yea, beaten down, yea, keep down. There be strong Castles and high Towers within thee, 2 Cor. 10▪ 4, 5. that will never yield on Composition, but must be taken by Storm. Thou hast a Self that must be denied, subdued. A self that mixes itself with all thy Duties, concerns itself in all thy Businesses, yea, with all thy Graces. (As there is pride with Humility, yea, pride of Humility) Thy sinful self must be mortified, and yet still there remains a Righteous self, (as some Divines call it) that will do thee as much mischief as the other, Our own Righteousness is as great an Enemy to us as our unrighteousness, our self Righteousness as dangerous as the other. Paul thought he had gained something by his exact walking in the Profession of a Pharisee, having framed and established a Righteousness of his own, but he was feign to loose all, deny that Self too, that he might w●n Ch●ist, Phil. 3. 4. 9  
A Christian therefore must be a Soldier for he hath in him t●o contrary Principles, yea, two Armies engaged one against another, (Gal. 5. 17,) lying one against another (as the Greek word imports like two Army's lying entrenched one against the other, or like an Army beleaguering a City. There are fleshly lusts, actings, stir on the one side; spiritual desir●s, motions tendencies on the other, each side contending for its contrary Objects and Ends. The Current of Natural Corruption ru●s downward, that of Supernatural grace moves upward. These two contrary streams meet, and hence there must needs be an actual Contest; one draws backward, the other forward, hence there must needs be a perpetual Warr.  
3. The Devil has a quarrel to thee, and Fight thee he will, and Fight him thou must. The first Cry of the New born Babe of Grace (saith a Divine) alarms all the Devils in Hell against him; what than shall he do if he cannot Fight? He must not fly, (unto God indeed he may fly, but from the Devil he may not, must not fly,) nor must he yield, than he must Fight, stand his Ground, resist him steadfastly in the Faith, and so make him fly, 1 Pet. 5. 9, with Jam. 4. 7. Thou mayest and oughtest lift up thine eyes to the hills from whence comes thine help, dispatch Faith in Prayer for Auxiliaries from Heaven, but thou must Fight as well as pray, wrestle in prayer, pray and wrestle, and that not with God only (as Gen. 32 24.) but with Satan too, Eph▪ 6. 12. give no place to the Devil, the while, Eph. 4. 27. bate him not an Ace, veer him not an inch of ground, do not yield an hairs breadth, nor a minute's Time, we must ever watch and war against him as our Adversary, 1 Pet. 5. 8. He follows thee from Bed to Board, from Company to thy Retirements, from thy worldly occasions to thy Closet, into thy Garden, Field, Ship, Shop, etc. From thy house to God's house, and there he stands at thy right hand. He is ever with thee, seeking Occasions against thee. When he seems quiet, seems conquered, than perhaps most to be feared, sometimes he retreats, goes forth, withdraws, but it it is for Advantage, that he may get stronger possession with seven Spirits worse than himself. It may be said of him, as it was of Marcellus the Roman Commander, he was never quiet, nec Victor, nec Victus, neither beaten, nor beating, neither overcome nor overcoming. In Conversion we run away from Satan's Colours and Service, whose Slaves we naturally are, and enter into Christ's Pay, hence Satan pursues us (if possible) to regain us, and we have no other way to help ourselves but by Fight him. To be well acquainted with his methods, Stratagems, devices, to watch him narrowly, and Fight him stoutly will be thy Interest.  
4. The World, one of the Devils Instruments, that he uses in the War, he is therefore▪ (in part at lest) called the God of this World, the world (I say) that chokes the word, and t●en undoes the Sinner. Beware of being entangled in the affairs of this life, if th●u have t●k●n upon thee Christ's Warfare, 2 Tim. 4 4. Rather let thy Warfare especially be against the world and thy▪ being so ●●●ared by it, He that while he lives in the world hath the world his Con●●ant En●my, he must necessarily b● a Souldie● Unto the world we must be w●●●●d, and God often ●mbitt●●s the Breasts of worldly comforts, dries them up, yea, crucifies the world to us, makes it as it were dead to us, that we may the more facilely get Victory over it. The world Fights by presenting present sweet pleasant things to allure to sin and det●s from obedience. Pleasure, profit, Honour, are its baits to allure and draw to sin or disobedience, there be also many fears and discouragements whereby it deters and drives bac● from the way of obedience, Hence the World fires on both sides; so must we also. Now look upon all these Enemies of our weal, these constant, perpetual, deadly Enemies, and say than if a Christian can be other than a Soldier, and see if all these will not keep him ever in work. The New man hath the Spirit and the word that set in with him, and the Old man hath the Devil and the world to help him, each Party hath its Auxiliaries, Heaven, Earth and Hell are engaged in this War, there is great siding and betting on either side, and there must be great Fight by him that meaneth to win the Day.  
And hence what is the Scripture, but the Divine Art of Military-Discipline, or the Art of Divine-Military-Discipline? where God is presented ●s Sovereign, Christ as General, all that will be Saints are his Followers, alias Soldiers, having given up themselves to him, or listed their Names under him, they are required to march and follow him in the Spiritual Warfare against those forementioned Enemies, there are also directions how to Fight this good Fight, Encouragements to hearten them, threaten to quicken them, Examples of those whose valour has been crowned, and Cowardice punished, the noteable Exploits that have been done by Believers by the strength and grace of their General, these and such like things are the sum of the Scriptures. As in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation, that which is driven at in the Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia, and is the scopo of all the Directions, Counsels, Promises, Threaten that are there set down, or discoveries of the Lords mind there made to them, is to make them good and so v●ctorious Fighters, to put them on Fight, and so as not to beaten the Air, but to overcome their Spiritual Adversaries, as appears by the Common Close of each Epistle, [To him that overcometh] will I do so and so; why truly just so the very same is the scope of all the Scriptures to help us to Fight this good fight, and to finish our Course, that we may have the Crown at last.  
This also is the Lords aim in every Sermon we hear, to instruct us in the Theory, and so fit us for the Practice of what may speak us such as the Text and Doctrine spea● of. Every Sabbath day is a Training day, wherein we receive Instructions and Directions from the Lord concerning our Duty, our work as Soldiers, and all the week after we are to act over the Lessons which we than learn. Jesus Christ our King, our General, knowing the multitude of Enemies within and about us, gives the same order which David did, 2 Sam. 1. 18, viz. that we should be taught the use of the Bow, and instructed how to use our Spiritual Armour Regularly and successfully.  
5. The promised presence and Assistance of God with his people in this world, in all their Businesses, Undertake, Exigents whatsoever, is delivered in such Metaphors as confirm the Assertion before us. He is with them, but how? as their Shield, Buckler, High-Tower, Fortress, strong-Hold, etc. All which with many such like, intimate and infer that they are in a Militant warfaring condition in this life, because otherwise there would be no need of those things. The Lord wanted not words to express his Affection to his people by, but he uses these as most significant, because most suitable to their Condition, and so most Intelligible by them, and acceptable to them.  
Besides, that the Reward at last is for Overcomers, a Crown to be put upon the Head of Overcomers, when they come into that Glorious Triumphant-state whither the Lord is leading them, Now the great Triumph is at the end of the War (though Saints have some beginnings of it now, 2 Cor. 2. 14.) the Crown is for the Overcomers, the Overcomers are the Fighters or Soldiers; and therefore all Believers who shall be crowned must also Fight. All that are saved are crowned, all that are crowned do overcome, all that overcome must Fight, Ergó all the Saints that shall be saved must Fight.   

Second part of the Doctrine.  
That in this fight they must be vigorous and in good earnest, not like such as beaten the Air. Take this one Argument to confirm it.  
Reas. Because no other acting but vigorous strenuous acting will attain the end, no other will serve the Turn, all other motions will be to no purpose, he that uses them will be never the better, and as good never a whit, as never the better▪ He that only beats the Air, will never beaten his Enemy, and he that beats not his Enemy shall be beaten by him. None but he that Fights valiantly, courageously, strongly shall overcome, and none but he that overcomes shall be crowned. Sin and Satan will not be scared and frighted away (as was hinted) by squibs and Cracks, nor daunted with great words, nor made to fly with a mere flash in the Pan. Beating the Air will never beaten the Devil the Prince of the Air. Not, you must run sin thorough and thorough, your Sword up to the very Hilts, Ehud-like, prick it to the Heart, else it will not die; you must hit the Old-man under the fif●h Rib and let his bowels out, else you do nothing. If thou deal gently with sin it will be thy Master, but if thou wilt master it, do as Joab did by Absalon who ran the darts through the very Heart of him. When you come to deal with sin and Corruption, do your work substantially and throughly, g●t it fa●● nailed to the Cross of Christ that it may not have its liberty, else you'll never secure your Comfort now▪ nor your Crown hereafter.  
Many will sometimes in a Fit talk of what they will do against sin, promise' to leave it of, forsake it, kill it, give out that they will come out with such a force against Sin, as that they make no doubt to storm and take it; But Sin will give such Braggadochio's leave to talk and vapour, and will give like Answer to them as Ahab to Benhadad, when he said, that the dust of Samaria should not suffice for handfuls, etc. Let not him that puts on his Harness, boast as he that puts it of, 1 King. 20. 10, 11. Many will declaim much against Sin, while in the mean time they nourish and cocker it; but Sin cares not for words, values only blows, and downright blows too. The Lord hates Cowards and ●urses deceivers both in his worship, and other work and Service too, See, Mala. 1. 14. with Jer. 4●. 10. Fight weakly offends God, and advantages and encourages the Adversary. Beelzebub (saith one) like the Flies medles not with flesh that is boiling over the Fire, but when raw or cool will fly-blow and corrupt it. The Application of it is Easy, if thou art fervent in Prayer, warm in Duty, vigorous in thy opposition of Satan and Sin, Satan will avoid, Sin will yield, but if thou be cold and remiss, Satan will grow more bold, and Sin more strong. If thou art but a Fen●er, a Stage-Player in Religion with a Button on the Point of thy Rapier, Satan will not be afraid to come near thee; but if he see that thy blood is warmed, and thy Spirits are up, and that thou offerest the naked point to him, art resolved to Fight at Sharps, and layest about thee like a man, he will stand further of.  
When thou goest out against Sin thy great Enemy, perhaps thy deceitful Heart, that secretly too much loves Sin, will be ready enough to give such a Charge as David did to the Captains, (2 Sam. 18. 5.) deal gently, etc. But Christ stands in the Ga●e as thou a●t going forth, and saith, for my sake, and for th● Souls sake, and as ever thou wilt appear before me with joy at the End of the war, deal severely, d●al sharply and throughly with Sin and the Old-man. Thy Commission is to take, kill, burn, sink, destroy all sin and Corruption, etc. which are professed Enemies to Christ Jesus, and not to pity or spare any of them. It is like that sometimes given to Saul against Agag, 1 Sam. 15. 3. Than if thou spare any under what pretence whatsoever, thou wilt be indicted, tried by a Councils of War, found guilty, condemned, and executed for Rebellion, stubbornness, Witchcraft and Idolatry. and so justly rejected or cashiered.  
It is silly thing when the signal of Battle is given for men to charge with nothing but Powder, which will only make a sound, give crack, but do no Execution, and yet such Fools are many Professors, they talk of Religion, talk against sin, charge it highly, and discharge whole volleys of words against it, but there be no Bullets, they are not in earnest, make a great noise, aloud report, but the Report is all. They make a show as Children do with their wooden Swords and Potguns, but they draw no blood, no wounded lust drops down, no bleeding Corruption lies gasping for breath, or breathing its last, Sin is as strong, lust as hail, corruption is as sound as ever it was, and so will be notwithstanding their beating or breaking the Air with their empty words and unprofitable discourses. Away with such Childrens play, this play-Fighting, Fight in Jest will never attain the end to make thee a Conqueror in earnest; It may serve for a show, and so Sin may be mortified in show, and thou saved in show, but damned in Real●y. If thou let go sin which God hath put into thy hand, without putting it to Death, (as he did him who was appointed to Death, 1 King. 20. 42.) and if thou only beaten the Air, not it, (be sure it will go.) Thy life must go for its life.  
No acting but Strenuous acting will do against the Old man, thou must fall on him Courageously, stoutly, the word in the Context signifies to box and thump manfully, to be about the Ears of him and beaten him all black and blue. Beza on Luk. 18. 5. Where the same word is used tells us that a Noun from this Verb signifies bruises that are black and blue from the settling of the blood there, and indeed it is as Solomon saith, Prov. 20. 30. the blewness of the wound cleanses evil, etc. So must Sin and the Old man be Served, else nothing is done, beating the Air than in these matters will not avail.  
Thus the Doctrine hath been in some measure explained and proved; we shall now improve it in some few particulars.  
Is the Life of a Christian a Soldier's Life, and is he so to act as hath been said? Than this informs us something of the Nature of,  
1. The profession and practice of Religion, that it is no such ●asy, slighty, indifferent business as many Professors make of it. Indeed to talk of Religion and make a Flourish is easy, to beaten the Air is not difficult; to seem Religious is facile, but to be Religious is hard and will be found so. He utterly mistakes the matter that dreams of taking his ●ase, and nourishing Sloth in a Christian Life, that as ●o●● as he hath given up himself to Christ, that now his work is over; I tell thee not, the War now gins, now there are two Principles in thee, and those in an ●ot dispute at the Sw●ras point, and there must be bloodshed and loss of Life on the one hand or the other, And sure this is no Childrens play. God knows the Sloth and slightiness of man's Heart naturally, and therefore meets with it by setting forth a Christians Employment under such Metaphors as will allow of no La●●es, Exe●pli gratia, Math. 11. 12. The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and they take it by, force, Sin makes a violent opposition against thy going to Heaven, and therefore thou must also make a violent Resistance▪ If Sin and Satan c●n hinder it thou shalt never have possession of Heaven given thee, however not a peaceable and quiet Possession, and therefore thou must make a forcible Entry. Again, Luk. 13. 24. you hear of Striving, being in an Agony, like men that are a wrestling, who tug and pull, and shake one another, taking all Advantages to give each other the Foil or Fall. Paul used the same word of himself, 2 Tim. 4. 7. I have Fought, etc. I have striven that good strife, have well acted the part of a Wrestler. Striving implies action, Intensiness of Action, and that against a great deal of opposition. So [Running] in the Context is used in the same Sense, now Running is opposed to standing still, and also to moving slowly, it is a vigorous, lively motion. So 2 Pet. 1. 5, 10. Giving all Diligence, Judas 3. Contending earnestly, Psal. 63. 8. Following God, following him hard, and that with the Soul, Rom. 12. 11. Fervency of Spirit, warm and vigorous acting.  
But I need not go from this Metaphor of the Te●t, Fight is work, not play, hard work, (2 Tim. ●. 4.) men's work, dangerous work. And let us about this War, Consider that it is.  

1. Near u●, yea, within us, not at a distance, two Men in every Christian.  
2. Between us, ourselves and ourselves are the parties concerned.  
3. Politicly and powerfully managed on either hand, by the Parties and their Auxiliaries.  
4. Mortal, not some small blows, light scars, but Death on the one or the other side is the end of it.  
5. Soul-Warr, the soul is warred against, 1 Pet. 2. 11. and the Eternal Weal or Woe of the soul is the result of it.  
6. Irreconcilable without Atonement.  
7. Con●tant without Intermission,  
8. Perpetual without End, till death puts an End to the Combatants and combat both at once.   
I say, Consider these particulars, and than say when may a Christian be Lazy or slothful? what leisure-Time shall he found to gratify a sluggish Spirit? where is there any room for slighty and superficial Carriages in his work? At what time may he have a Licence to say to his Soul, Soul take thine Ease, eat, drink, and be merry, (at lest in that sense as he did, Luk. 12. 19 and many still do) when will it be lawful for him to lay down his Arms, put of his Sword, unbend his Bow? where will you found from God or from the nature of the work any allowance or Countenance for that dulness sleepiness, security and Indifferency that finds so much Countenance among men? And do not wonder to see in your Journey Heaven-ward the way best rued with dead Cark●sses, and to see such Troops of dastardly Cowards, and white livered▪ faint bearted, milk sops upon their Retrea●, and when you come there do not wonder to see so few Professors there, but rather that any should so Fight as to Overcome, that considering the opposition, any should obtain.  
2. Than it will be good prudence for ●●● that are looking Christ-ward to sit down first and count the Cost, Luk. 14. 25-33, Christ's deals plainly with us and tells us what we must trust too, let not us deceive ourselves. Zebras' sons were for a Kingdom, but Christ tells them of a Cross, a Cup, a Baptism and a bi●ter one too, Math. 20. 22, 23. and so should we tell ourselves of the War as well as the Renard, of the way, as well as the End, not only of the Crown to be worn, but of the Sword, that by which it must be won before worn.  
Many when they hear of the Gospel and word of Grace, they like the well-nigh Ground (Math. 13.) Immediately receive it with Joy, perhaps are told of the War, but do not consider of it, or if they do it is the Plunder and Triumphs that their mind is mainly on, hence when they meet with blood and and wounds, repent of their choice, when Persecution arises they are offended, and lay down their Profession as hastily as they took it up inconsiderately, ver. 5. 20, 21. It's good therefore for a Christian to look before he leaps, jest after he hath advanced he draw back again, throw down his weapons, run away from his Colours, and make a shameful Retreat.  
The Lord Jesus looks back on all that are following him, and saith, I have a Crown for you, but you must Fight for it; a Kingdom for you, but you must take it by Force. What ever Christ proposes to us we should Consider of. Now his question to us is, (and should be ours to ourselves) Can we Fight? can we venture where Arrows and Bullets she? can we Face an Army? can we endure Hardship as good Soldiers of ●esus Christ must do? Can we bid defiance to Sin, sand a Challenge to our bosom lusts? can we be content to live a life of opposition to every Sin? We are naturally for Ease and quiet, would said live without Care and fear, meet with no cross or trouble, swim down the Stream without any stop or check, not to have a strong Tide to row against, or be forced to turn it up against a Trade-wind of perpetual Opposition. Most are like Issachar to whom rest is sweet, Gen. 49. 14. whereas we should be like Judah, and divers other of the Tribes who are described to be of warlike Spirits, some with open force, others with subtle Stratagems engaging against their Adversaries, Only that Tribe was dull and low-spirited. We are therefore to examine our own Hearts, God will try them and so should we. The Lord would not lead Israel by that way jest they should see war and so recant, Exod. 13. 17. but God will lead us that way where we shall see War, and that way we must go or none, for there is no other, and woe to us if we do recant.  
Great will be the Advantage that will achue to us by due Consideration of these things before hand, hereby we shall be put into a posture of Expectation of difficulty, and hard Hardship in this Warfare will be no new thing to us, and so we shall not be so likely to be Surprised or offended. Expectation will put upon preparation, and that will be very profitable Christ told his Disciple● that his end in warning them of Persecution before hand was to prevent their being offended when it came, (Joh. 16. 14.) Again, it will prevent our Apostatising and falling back from our Profession after we have engaged in it. Apostasy from a Profession mad●, arises from want of due pondering what we did when we first made it, and were like to suffer in the prosecuting of it. Therefore let us be advised and deliberate in taking up a Profession of the Name of Christ, left that which was rashly enterprised be groundlessly deserted.  
3. Let no poor sincere hearted Follower of Christ be discouraged, as if all were not well with him because he meets ●ith much Fight and Opposition, no peace or quiet; Enemies come on him like the waves of the Sea, scarce can have one resting day or night, the Devil ev●r beating up his Quarters, his own Treacherous Heart often betraying him to Satan's tempta●ions and Allurements, etc. Why know this is no strange thing, see ● Pet. 4. 12. Paul could tell you as much a● all this upon his own Experience, (Rom. 7.) He stood to his Arms when he first engaged for Christ, and never laid them down till he came to lay down himself in the Grave. It was no Argument that Nehemiah and his Company were not about God's work, because they were feign to hold the Sword in the one hand, and the Trowel in the other, Neh 4▪ 17, Rebecca had no just cause of fear by reason of the struggle and Fightings within her, Gen. 25. 22, 23. She had conceived by the Son of the Promise, only there were Twins. Say not than, if so, why am I thus? Nay, if so, how can it be otherwise than thus? If a Believer, thou goest with Twins (the one the Oldman that is in thee naturally, the other the New, begotten in thee by Christ Jesus) and these two must and will, yea, cannot but Fight and struggle, for they are contrary, see Rom. 7. 23. with Gal. 5. 17. Thou mayest bind the Old man indeed and keep him Prisoner that he shall not ●un, but canst never so bind him as that he cannot Struggle; He will Rebel while he has a Being, and while thou hast a Being in this Life h● will have one too.  
To you that are discouraged bécause you feel the Body of Sin in you Fight and disturbing you, let me say, there is one though you should not feel it, and to feel it is a mercy, yea, to feel and Fight it is a Duty. That it is there is most certain, that you feel it there speaks some Life, that you Fight it some Strength also, and consequently your Frame is in some measure right, as well as your state good.  
It is the Condition of every man to be either taken Captive or in War: if Captived at Satan's will he may have a kind of peace for the present, but no wise man will think such an one safe; if in War it speaks thee gotten out, or at lest getting out of his Snare, and that is comfortable.  
Than let not Satan baffle thee, and make thee wound thyself with thine own weapons which thou shouldest use against him. War against Sin, if from a Principle of Life within thee, is a most certain Sign of a good Estate.  
It's true, there may be a kind of a War between a Natural enlightened Conscience, and a carnal unrenewed Will; and between the sensitive and rational Faculties in an unregenerate M●n, but if the war be between two Men in thee, be sure one of them is the New Man: and if there be a new Man in thee, there is Christ in thee, and if Christ be in thee▪ thou shalt Overcome. Th●se other strive of Reason or of a natural and enlightened Conscience, are not against Sin as such, and so not against all Sin, are usually weak, nor do they grow more strong, are inconstant, and by Fi●ts only, not out of Hatred of Sin, but will consist with a Trade of Sin, at lest with an Allowance of some secret-darling Sin. But if thou findest the war against Sin as such, all Sin, constant, growing, and such as proves thee an utter Enemy to all Sin, so that thou canst say thou wouldst never Sin more, etc. if so, thy Struggle should rather encourage thee than otherwise. Do not expect an End of this War while thou livest, only live a Life of dependence on Christ, and from his death and Resurrection daily, fetch renewed strength and Grace. What would poor combating Paul have done with his Body of Sin had it not been for Christ? Rom. 7.  
4. This Doctrine may also serve to give an Alarm to the ●●●ure, quiet, easy Professor, and that on a double Account, viz.  

1. If thou be not engaged in this Spiritual Warfare.  
2. If though in a Sense engaged, yet not Strenuously.   
1. Know, if thou art no Warrior, thou art no Christian. If there be no War, there is no Grace, if thou know not what it is to be a Champion, than not what it is to be a Christian neither. He that is no Soldier of Christ is no Servant of Christ. All Christ's Followers have their Names in the List of those that Fight the Lords Batteli. He that now is, and ever was in peace, so continuing, now is and ever shall be without true peace. Do not cry peace, because tho● never knewest War; Cujus Contr●●●●m▪ He that never knows War shall never know Peace. He that will be cro●ned must Overcome▪ he that will Overcome must Fight, than judge what will become of him that does not, cannot, will not Fight. You are either with Christ, or against him, Fight for Christ or in Opposition to him, there is no Neutrally here, mind what was said in the former use, if not in War than a Captive, o do not bless thyself because thou art 〈◊〉 ●nd at Eas●, are not in Trouble as other men, Not, it's a Sign that the strong man A▪ m●● hath Possession of thee, and therefore all is in peace, ●re ●●inks it should be a 〈◊〉 and a ●ak●●ing th●ng to thee to hear that thou art the D●vils Captiv●, Slave, Vass●l, as very one is that is not a Soldier of Christ. Thou that l●st no war with Sin majest be sure thou hast no Bea●● with God I● is said, Gen. 14▪ that when News came to Abraham that Lot was taken Captive, he and all his Company were up in Arms presently: why let every secure Sinner know, every quiet sinner that hath not yet given up his Name to Christ as a Soldier under him in this Holy War, I say let him know that the Lord hath sent me to him this day, as his Messenger in his Name to bring him these heavy Tidings viz that nor his Friend▪ Acquaintance, Relation, etc. but himself, & that not his Body only, but his Soul, his precious, Immortal Soul, his darling, that is more worth in itself, and should be to him than Ten thousand World's, is taken Captive by Satan, and there without Infinite Power and Grace, like to be a perpetual Bondslave. That roaring Lion thine Adversary the Devil hath seized thee, thou art in the Dragon's claws, and if thou bestir not thyself speedily he will drag thee down into his Den, his Cave, the Bottomless pi●, from whence no Ransom shall ever fetch thee; No Ransom but Christ's now can, and when once ●●e ●ay of Grace is over, which how soon it may be, God only can tell) that shall not neither. O is it possible for any secure Si●ner to be so fast asleep as not to take this Alarm! God forbidden. We accounted it a miserable thing to be taken Captives by a cruel Adversary, & carried at a great distance from our homes and Relations into the Enemy's Country, where we are like to waste away our whole life Time in hard & rigorous Service, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and want of all things; and we think that all which hear of our Case are obliged to pity and pray for us, yea, & (if there be need and hope) to contribute something toward our Ransom●: apply it than to thy Soul-●oncerns, & think what it is to be in the Hands, and at the will of the Devil, the greatest Tyrant that ever was, to Serve him with the greatest Rigour, in the hardest Service, for the longest duration, viz. that of Eternity, in the greatest penury of all things, no rest night nor day, nor the lest drop of water to cool their tongues, and when thou hast thought of this, say if it be not a Condition infinitely more miserable than the other, and than again say, if it be not amazingly strange, that the same persons that would be so much affected with the other, should be solittle moved with this. O why doth not the world ring with the doleful Complaints of such poor wretches? why do they not fill Heaven and Ea●●h with their Cries, and (being first alarmed themselves) alarm both to contribute to their Relief? Alas they know not that they are poor and miserable, etc. (Rev. 3.) they feel not the ●on y●ke upon their Neck, nor the Chains of darkness at their ●e●ls, at lest they do not feel Sin to be as a Yoke, as Chains, cords and Fetters, hence not startled, not affected▪ but (miserable self-destroying sinners that they be) stop their Ears at the Proclamation of the Year of Jubilee, the acceptable Year of the Lord is not an accepted Year to them, they turn their ●a●ks upon the tenders of Liberty, hug● their chains, choose their Captivity, love their Bondage and refuse to go out free. Hence though we see such persons daily, we hear any of them crying and bemoaning themselves but seldom, hence in stead of following Christ who would lead them ●ut of this Slavery they rather prepare War against him, and use their utmost Endeavours to keep themselves in. Well, one of the next mercies to the giving of Jesus Christ to a poor sinner is the making him throughly sensible of his misery, and disquieting and distressing him thereupon without Christ. O pray for that work to be wrought, and pray that none may (as it is frequent for many to do) look up a little at the first hearing or reading of such a Truth, but soon lay down their drowsy heads again, and make a Sui●t ere long to get asleep again, and dream that notwithstanding all that hath been said, they shall hav● peace.  
●. It alarms them that though they make a show and pretend high, yet in reality do play rather than work, talk rather than Fight, and so indeed do but beaten the Air. Christ loves to see a man that girds up the loins of his mind, and buck●es to his work, that puts his B●nes as well as his Brains to it, and lays about him like a man. There's many that make a Shift to pass among men for Christians, who yet will want a place to hid their Heads in at that day when the Great General shall appear, because they have been only persona●ors of ●he Christian▪ stage-players in Religion, that never yet had the Courage, or will, to Face any beloved sin, or give it one sound Blow. Thou hast Flourished thy Weapons about thine own head, but never gavest one downright Blow upon Sins Head; this is not like Christ, nor will be liked by him; For when Christ is brought in as returning from the Fight against his Enemies, Isai. 63. 1, etc. his Garments are all read with their Blood. It far better becomes the Coat of a Christian Soldier to see it sprinkled with the Blood of Sin, than to see it spotted with the Flesh, the former should be laboured for as honourable, the latter hated as reproachful, jude 2●. which yet is the Condition of every las●e, easy Fighter. In stead of garments rolled in sins blood, they are rolled in Sins fi●th and pollution.  
5. Be we all than Exhorted to stand to our Arms, Let us Fight, Fight the good Fight, and so Fight.  
Fight] do not play, idle, sleep when there is so much work to do, so many Enemies to oppose, woe to him that now stands with his Hands in his Pockets, o● his Arms folded one in another in the Sluggards posture, as if there were nothing to do. O it's a busy world, and Fight a busy work.  
Fight the good Fight] Fight for Christ against Sin, etc. that is the good Fight. And so Fight] not with their tongues, but Hands and Hearts, not with Flourishes but Realities, not with words but Actions; ●● Fight that you may Overcome, not ever Fight and never Conquering▪ ever learning and yet never understanding. B● often pressing on ou● Souls the necessity not only of doing b● [●● doing] without which all our doing is nothing worth and tends only to self-undoing. Fight we must, and conquer we must, or else it will be ill with us. We are in the same Case as those Soldiers whom when the Commander had landed on the Enemy's Country. he burned up their Ships that transported them, and than told them that they must either eat up these men (i e. their Enemies before them) or drink up that Sea, intimating that there was no way left but to it they must, and that upon the peril of their lives. God hath set us here in our Enemy's Country where we must either Fight manfully, or die shamefully. Now to further us in this our work, take some Directions and Encouragements, and that,  

1. Unto all those who are or would be accounted Christians, and therefore must be Soldiers.  
2. To those in particular, who are Soldiers and also Christian●, or to Christian Soldiers and Soldier Christians.   
To the former let me say these following words, and that,  
1. By way of Direction, 1. Make sure that your Names, and Hearts as well Names are given up to the Service of Christ. Remember that in your Baptism you took Press-mony from the Lord, engaging you to serve him in the War, against the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, and as you grow up he expects that you should Answer for yourselves, what side you are for. All men are Soldiers either in the Devil's Regiment, or under Christ's Banner. Be not than halting between two Opinions, be not Neuters, but deliberately make your choice. Jesus Christ is lifted up as an Ensign to the Gentiles▪ and wherever the Gospel is preached he sets up his Standard, and causes it to be proclaimed by found ●● Trumpet, that whoever will fall of from Satan and come and put themselves under him, they shall be welcome to him, and protected by him. O than when he saith who wilt thou be for, say, let thy Soul say, Lord I will be for thee and for no other. He offers thee Conditions of Peace, comply with them than, for thou canst not meet him in an Hostile way with thy poor, miserable, naked Soul, who has his twenty Thousand As Luk. 14. yea, Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand to wait on him. Do not than harden thy heart against him, for thou wilt not Prosper▪ Than submit to him, and be free in it. All Christ's Soldiers are Volunteers, Psal. 110. 3. They are the men of Desires that offer themselves willingly, Judge 5.  
2. That being done, inquire who are Christ's Friends and Foes, and let them be thine too; do not mistake and Fight Friends, while thou compliest with Foes, and if thou dost the former, thou wilt not eat the latter. Do not as they, Isai. 5. 20. hug a lov'st when thou shouldest stab it, embrace a darling sin when thou shouldest cut the throat of it, love the World when thou should hate it. ●e con●ra do not be shy of Holiness when th●u oughtest to s●ck, pursue and perfect it, etc.  
3. Be at peace with God, get and keep him on your side, and than none can be against you, at leust shall not hurt you, Rom. 8. Nothing will more further and succeed your War with Sin than your peace with God. When Sauls Time of Punishment for his Treachery and Cowardice drew nigh, he bustled all he could to save his Stakes, but God was departed from him, and than there was no help for him. Heaven would not, Hell could not relieve him though he implored Aid from both, see 1 Sam. 28, and Chap. 31. But if God be on your side, victory must needs be there too.  
4. Be Courageous, Courage is an high Accomplishment of a Soldier, and most indispensibly requisite in a Christian. Faint Hearts will show themselves false ones, when the pinch comes. How often did the Lord say unto Joshua, (Chap. 1.) Be strong and of a good Courage, and it was on the same account that we are, when he was going to War for Canaan. Hear the Lord saying to us a● to them, Deu●. 20. 14. and say we to ourselves, and one another as they did, 1 Sam. 4. 9  
5. Get well armed. Good Armour will help to good Courage, he that is unarmed or ill armed must needs be faint-hearted, and one Coward is enough to spoil a whole Company. The Lord hath a good Armoury where you may be furnished. See Eph. 6. 10, etc. And when you have this Armour, prove it, try what your Faith can do, what your hope, etc. can do. Suppose Cases of Difficulty, as David does, Psal. 27. 1, 2, 3. and supposing yourselves to be in such Cases, see what work you can make of it, suppose the loss of friends, near Relations, Estate, Health, yea, suppose Death looking in at your window, try if you dare face it, make proof of the strength of it, and see if you are able to grapple with it. Supposed Cases will furnish and fit you for real Cases. Be often handling your Arms, and use will make you prompt, the frequent handling them will help you to handle them handily, expertly, dexterously, successfully.  
6. Be at variance with every sin, get inward, settled, radicated heart-Hatred against sin as such, and than thou wilt oppose every sin. Correspondence with one sin will ruin thee. Do not spare any because a little one (thy doing so will be a great one) neither dare to connive at any, because sometime a dear one, and still a secret one. God sees, and is a witness of all secret sins, (Jer. 29. 23.) Be not bold, do not adventure to commit one sin in hopes of a pardon, jest the Lord of Hosts should answer thee as sometimes a Commander did an offending Soldier who pleaded that it was the first Time, or he had done so but once, quoth he, Soldiers must offend but once. To sin once is once too mu●h.  
7. Begin with Sin betimes, ere it grows to an Head and the Conspiracy strengthen. Achitoph●●s Counsel was fatal if it had been followed. I will pursue him this night, while weak and weary, 2 Sam. 17. 1, 2. Let this Counsel be acceptable to thee, it is (as was said of his) as if thou shouldest ask Counsel at the Oracle of God, nay it is the Oracle of God, follow Sin this night, resolve against it this moment, and pursue it speedily. Sin is like Fire in the Housetop, either quench it presently, or else all will be in a Flame within a few moments, and in ashes within a few more. The Twig will come up easily, but the Tree when grown up will be Invincible. Sin is a great Breeder, a little Company will soon increase to a potent Army. And it will grow strong as fast as numerous. Than take the little Foxes, (Cant 2, 15.) the old ones may be too subtle and too nimble to be taken Begin with Sin as soon as it gins with thee, nip it in the bud, crush it in the Egg, the first rise & motions of Sin do thou rise up in Arms and move against. The Emphasis of Achitophel's Counsel lay in the Circumstance of Time [this Night] and hence Hushai's policy was only to strike at that, and by so doing enervated and weakened the whole, so that it was turned to folly. The Conscience of many a sinner is so far convinced of that plain Truth that sin must be fought, that the Devil seethe it bootless to beaten him out of that, dares not say the Counsel is not Good, only it is not good at this Time, what needest make so much hast as to go this night, stay and sleep upon it, to Morrow is a new day, another Time may do as well, and thus while the sinner delays, Sin increases, delaying to oppose sin is a sin, and gives way to more sin, and the renewing of the Act strengthens the Habit. Custom in Sin will prove a second Nature, and be as incurable as the Ethiopians Colour or the Leopard's Spots. Unto none is it of so great Concernment to take the very neck of Time as Soldiers, especially Christian Soldiers. The Bats of Babylon may more easily be dashed against the Stones, if we take the Season for it, but if we let them grow up they will become more for midable, and hardly Conquerable.  
8. In stead of making any Provision for, endeavour to cut of all Provision from the Flesh, watch against the occasions of Sin, and resist them strongly. It's accounted good Policy in War to leave as little Provision as may be in the Enemy's way, men will burn and destroy even in their own Country to prevent the Enemies finding relief. How foolishly do they act than who pretend to Fight Sin, and yet secretly supply it with Provision & Ammunition to carry on the War? The Flesh hath many In●entions to provide for itself, will shifted noteably, and the Devil is a careful Cater and Purveyor for it, it needs none of our help. He that keeps not himself from the Occasion, cannot expect that God will keep him from the Sin. Some Lusts like som● strongholds may be easier starved than taken by Storm, yea, no lust will ●e taken that is not starved, or dye if you give it meat.  
9 Plant your main B●●tery against your nearest and dearest Sins, your ow●● iniquities. Deal with that Sin that i● as a right hand, and eye▪ and d●●l most surely there. Those that thou art most endangered by, thou shouldest make most Opposition against. If there be any thing that holds Cor●espondenc● with the Enemy, no wonder thou art betrayed. Satan could do Christ no ●●rm, because he ●ound nothing in him, Joh. 14▪ 30. The lesle thou hast in thee for Satan, the lesle can he do without thee against thyself. And indeed it is little that he doth against thee without thee, I mean, without thine own having an Hand in it; the most he does is to strike Sparks upon our Tinder or Powaer, to bring Fire and Bellowss to our dry Stubble, do but damp that combustible matter that is in thee, and he will loose much of his labour. Fight neither with small nor great but with the King, was a Charge he gave his Soldiers, (2 King. 18. 30.) So let us Fight mainly against the King-lusts, commanding Inclinations and Desires. When the Enemies and Traitors within are conquered, executed, at lest the Leaders or Heads of them, thou wilt with lesle danger oppose the Rest. Let the Head-sins be taken of, and the other will fly like the Philistines when Goliath their Champion was dead.  
10. When Sin gins to fall follow it close, give it not breathing, not recruiting Time, pursue thy victery, l●● it not have leisure to rally, but follow the Chas● till none be left remaining. The Sun shall stand still at Joshua's prayer to give him opportunity to be avenged on his Enemies, Chap. 10. 12, 13. If thou hast a Spirit to pray and pursue Sin thou shalt want neither light nor help to give it an utter overthrow.  
11. Be much for Order. Christians are Soldiers and that in actual Exercise, now Soldiers in Exercise, at lest if they exercise well are great observers of Order. What is an Army in a R●ut, or Christians out of their places? It was both sightly and safe for Israel that came harnessed out of Egypt to march in such exact Order through the wilderness. Hear his saying concerning them, Numb. 24. 5. Order is B●au●y and safety. Than let each know and keep his own place, and not while inquisitive into other men's places and duties, neglect his own. Let L●aders lead, and let the rest follow; let Commanders command, and let the rest obey, else the●e will be Confusion. They are the best Soldiers that can keep from a Rout, and the next best that can rally soon. The best will sometimes miss it, but miserable are they who when out cannot bear to be reduced or brought in. As much as possible keep in; if out, as soon as possible fall in again. Keep in your places and you keep out of danger▪ Strayers from their Colours or stragglers from their places will soon be snapped up.  
12 B● constant in Christ's Service. His standard is ever in the Field, do not fly from your Colours. The work of Christian Soldiers is not a rattle but a Wa●r, when once listed never freed, no ●●t after sixty years, as in Israils Camp. Bewa●e of neglecting any Season of going to War, 2 Sam. 11. 1.  
You read that David had a Battle, and yet again a Battle, and yet again a Battle, 2 S●m 21 15, 18, 19, 20. No discharge in this war● till death comes, and he is you● la●● En●my, 1 Cor. 15 26. you must Fight till you die upon the place. Resolve to li●e and die Fight, and than you shall live and die Conquering, yea, you shall be more than conquerors, Rom. 8. 37.  
Than loose no Time. Alexander being asked, how he did so much, conquered so many places in so little time, Answered, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by omitting no opportunity. We have many Enemies to conquer, and much work to do in a little Time, we had need loose none, but by redeeming it to make more. Christ bade them gather up the Fragments, (Joh. 6.) which proved more than the whole that they had at first. Sure our Time is as precious as our Bread, we should than preserve and improve every Inch, bit and Crum of it, let none be lost; do not whittle out our precious Time into chips, break it in pieces, crumble it into bits; should we gather up those Fragments of Time sp●nt in v●in chat, needless Recreations, &c, perhapsit would be more than the whole that many of us have ever made good use of to this day.  
13. Unite firmly, strongly and closely together. Christian-fellow Soldiers you are Members of one Body, yea, members one of another, th●n be one, and of one Heart at lest though you be not always in all things of one mind. It was the Devile maxim of old, and Machiavels since, divide and Conquer. It was Christ's mind of Old, and his Apostles since. Be of one mind, live in love and peace, etc. 2 Cor. 13, 11. Peaceableness and Innocency are Good Qualifications in Soldiers, and so in Christian●, Gentleness in Soldiers makes them Gentlemen Soldiers. All Christ's Soldiers are of peaceable, me●k, gentle, quiet, ●●actable dispositions. Innocent also as Doves, (Math. 10. 16.) do violence to no man saith John Baptist to the Soldier, (Luk. 3. 14.) be spotless, harmless, and without rebuke (yea, among a crooked and perverse Generation that will provoke) saith Paul to the Christian, Ph. 2. 15. Christ● Soldiers ride on white Horses, clothed in white Linen▪ Rev. 19 14. viz. Holiness, Righ●cousness, Equity, Innocence; to have an hand in any of those dirty Actions of injuring, wronging, or quarrelling with any of your fellow-soldiers or others, will be a spot soon seen on, and a bleakish to your white Coat.  
But especially Cover her Characters of herself, 2 Sam. 20. 19 I am one that is Faithful and peaceable in Israel. The Lord is a man of War, Ex. 15. 3. yet the God of peace, Heb. 13. 20. Christ is the Captain of the Lord● Host, yet the Prince of peace, Josh 5. 14 with Isai. 9 6. The Spirit maintains the War with sin and Satan, and yet one of his main fruits is peace, Gal, 5. 22. while at War with all God's Enemies▪ ●● at pea●● with all his Friends, and as much as possibly in you lies with all men. Saints have the most warlike, and yet the most peaceable Spirits of any men in the world. Their wisdom is from above, and that is first pure, than peaceable. Let there be no Faction, or Fraction among us. If one Body, dread that there shouldbe a Schism in the Body. Let not Christian Soldiers delight to keep at a double, (perhaps it is too often double double) distance. If we are quarrelling one with another when we should be joining shoulder to shoulder to oppose the common Enemy, we shall make matter of sport for our Adversaries and shame and misery for our selves. And when our Captain comes to look on us, if he found us quarrelling and Fight one with another, we may expect that he will frown, yea, and Fight too, beaten us, punish us altogether. It is usually observed that in Controversies and Contentions, though one party might be mainly to blame at the beginning of them, yet if they continued long, it is much if either be wholly Innocent.  
Our being Soldiers saith we must Fight, but our Rule as Christians tells us against whom we must Fight viz. sin, etc. and for whom viz. for Christ and the Common Faith, not one against another, nor for ou● Lusts, and yet from them all our Wars and Fightings come, Jam. 4▪ 1, Small matters often make Great Breaches, A▪ little Earth sometimes, a Fancy, a h●mour, a Lust, &c▪ why better loose much of our Earth, Fancy, etc. and all our ill humours and Lusts than any of our peace. The Fig●t●●● Ju●. 9 11. feared losing its sweetness if it should accept of promotion over the Trees: I am sure while we contend for promotion over others, contend to promote our wills and humours above others (and the Text tells us Prov. 13. 10. that only by pride comes contention) we loose our peace, our quietness, our sweetness, and sour ourselves, into a frame unpleasing to God and unprofitable to ourselves and others, and the Gain will never countervail the Damage. One of the highest pieces of Soldiery is for a man to Overcome himself, and he that hath attained that skill will be a Conqueror where ever he comes, no evil shall overcome him, but he will overcome it by doing of good, (Rom. 12. 21.) and that is the noblest conquest in the world. Mistake not Courage & valour to think it consists in rendering evil for evil, (not, when thou dost so thou art overcome, and showest thyself a Coward) or being able to give persons as good as they bring, to be even with them, stand out stiffly against them and not yield, etc. Not, he is truly Courageous & stout hearted that can stoop rather than quarrel, yield rather than sin. Abraham shown as much true Christian magnanimity when he yielded to Lot to prevent strife (Gen. 13.) As when he faced all those Kings and delivered Lot, Gen. 14. True magnanimity shows itself in an utter Impotency and inability to do any thing against Truth and peace. Courage of the right stamp appears in daring to grapple and Collar with thine own Lusts and Corruptions, in enduring hardness, (2. Tim. 2, 4▪) and hard dealing too, without being put out of thy way thereby.  
Than let all Christians move, act, harmonise as one Body; and members of the same Body. Refer our zeal and heat for the Enemy, and than lay it out when it may praise God, and be sure the wrath of Professors of Religion one against another does not work his praise, but dishonour.  
Martial Discipline is severe, and very severe against ●●tine●r●. Woe to those that begin, wo● to those that maintain, woe to those that (as God gives opportunity) come not with their Pails of water to help to put out the Fire of Contention. God is angry at our being angry with one another, ourselves are woefully distempered and damnified, others Scandalised and hardened, Satan only smiles because he gains the while. In these pudled waters the Devil accounts (because by experience he finds) that it is good Fishing, and though he cannot Fish out (not more than he could winnow out, Luk. 22. 31, 32,) any true Grace, yet he may deprive us of the present, profitable, and comfortable Exercise of it; and he may, and often doth at such Time's fish out all the seeming grace of an Hypocrite, and make him manifest in his own Colours. Quarrelling Times are trying Times, and manifesting Times, those that have any Faith, love, patience, etc. it will than appear; and those that had nothing but a show of these will than show what they had. Yea, the Saints themselves when troubled, shaken and disturbed by the Storm of Contention, do cause more filth and froth to rise than either themselves or others thought to have been there.  
Offences have been and will be, Controversies and Divisions have been by Satan raised and fomented in all Ages, which have occasioned great digladiations among Christians. Hence Pulpits and Pr●sses have been more than glutted with many Polemic and unedifying Discourses, besides sharp Debates in private, by which much precious Time hath been wasted, that will be dearly miss one day. And for men either in public or private Capacity to be much (much more to delight to be much, and being much will b●eed delight) in those matters, to travel far in that Road, how well it suits with their feet who are to be ●●od with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, (one piece of our Spiritual Armour) I leave them to Judge who have for any considerable Time worn that Shooe. To study to disquiet Lust and sin in ourselves first, and also in others is given us in Charge, but in the mean Time to study to be quiet in ourselves and with others, lies very fair and full in our Commission and Instructions, 1 Thes 4 11. with 2 Thes. 3. 12. That the Sword should devour for ever while there is any Sin remaining to be the Antagonist, must be for ever owned; but if the Sword devour at all, much more for ever, while our Brethrens are the Subjects of it, this will be bitterness in the latter end, 2 Sam. 2. 26 Let Pulpits ring with the Everlasting Gospel, the bitterness and vileness of Sin, the excellency of Christ, the freeness of Grace, the necessity of Faith and Holiness toward God, Superlative Love to Christ and to one another as ourselves; and let private discourses and Occasional Conferences between Fellow-soldiers throughout the whole Army, be the Echo of such Counsels, and our Carriage and Conversation toward God and one another, the Examples of those Rules, if (I say) men were thus busied they would have little li●t or leisure to quarrel, and many of our endless and fruitless Controversies would die alone. There is a great deal o● Profaneness, Sensuality, worldly, mindedness, prid●, wan● of Love, etc. against these let the voice be lifted up like a Trumpet, and when men writ against these, they may be allowed some Gall and Vinegar in their Ink, only let us spare our Brethrens.  
14. Walk humbly both with God and among men. If Humility be not one of the pieces of our Spiritual Armour expressed, Eph. 6. yet it is the Grace of the whole. Humility in a Soldier sets him forth more than all his Bravery besides; so Humility in a Christian is the very Bravery of a Christian. It's called his raiment, 1 Pet. 5. 5. And indeed the rest of our Graces are so ragged that we had need have the upper Garment of Humility over all, jest the shame of our nakedness appear. Vainglory, which is the proud man's study, is an empty study, a vain study. Do not talk great words: nor make great shows or Flourishes, but do great things. Neither should the Soldier or Christian be a Vapour, a Flash, a Bubble, Von pretere à nihil, but be a through and substantial doer in all that he does do, and let thy deeds speak, and they will say enough, Prov. 31. ult. Do high and loud d●eds: while you speak little and low words, say little, but do the more, do not speak swelling words, but do swelling works, and these works will speak words big enough to guard thee against obscurity or oblivion, will get thee a Name and Fame that shall never be forgotten.  
15. Know your strength lies more in, and your success is more from the General than yourselves. The Security of our Lives is more from the Grace in Christ for us, than from the Grace from Christ in us. Indeed we must keep our Grace's bright and in Exercise, our weapons on and in use, let not our Sword's rust in our Scabbards that they will not draw, etc. yet still the Exercise of our Graces when we have them, and their success when we use them is from him without whom we can do nothing. He gi●ds us and prospers us. Eye him, imitate him, keep him near us, with us, within us, and than we shall be more than Conquerors through him that hath loved us. He only who died for Sin, can be the death of Sin in thee.  
16. Finally, Think much of your last Enemy Death, with whom also you must combat, and this part of your War will give you a full dischage from all the Rest. It becomes Christ's Soldiers to be no strangers to death, who are called so often to Face it, and ever to carry their Lives in their Hands.  
And you aged Christians, you old, beaten, experienced Soldiers, do not carry all your Experiences with you into the Grave. You have been long acquainted with Satan's method and manner of Fight, and versed in the Stratagems of War, you may be of excellent use and great blessings among a Company of young Beginners, spend what you may of the little Time that is left you in instructing, informing and encourageing those that have as yet learned but a little Warr. Your Gifts and Experiences were given you to profit withal, and therefore did the Lord help and comfort you, that you might communicate to others for their Assistance, what he hath been pleased to impart to you. And it will much conduce to your comfortable laying down your Heads in the Grave, that you shall leave others behind you who are engaged in the same War with yourselves, and likely through Grace to manage it well.  
2. By way of Encouragement, let me add a few words.  
And Suppose you heard our Great Captain speaking these words to us this day, to hearten us in our work; and if any need Heartening Courage and Encouragement, it is the Soldier, and if any Soldier it's the Christian, unto whom it had need often be said, as Isai. 35. 3, 4. Than (Fellow Soldiers) let us know;  

1. We have a good General, one that is Skilful, able, Compassionate, etc. the Lord of Hosts, who when all the Armies of Sin, Lust, & ●▪ are gathered together against us, and the Devil the Leader of the Black ●●ard, he can Command and Countermand them all.  
2. We have a good Cause, The War with Sin and Satan, etc. is a just and lawful War, and also profitable, not plunder like the profit to be had in this Warr.  
3. We have good Company, good Fellow Soldiers, all of them like the Children of a King, nay indeed they are such.  
4. We a●e all well Armed, each part Armed, and the Armour of each part Impenetrable.  
5. Our Enemies are already conquered by Christ Jesus our General.  
6. We War not at our own Charge.  
7. Nor in our own Strength, for in the hottest and sharpest dispute, we have our Leader with us, ordering matters himself, and affording us strength from himself. He is with us in the Fight, be it in Fire, water, Furnace, etc. see Isai. 43. 1, 2. Dan. 3. He is like that Commander who was never want to bid his Soldiers [Go] but [Come] himself being ever present with them, and going before them. see Rom. 8. 31, 37. Psal. 118. 7. Heb. 13. 5. Psal. 18. 1, 2. 1 Joh. 4. 4.  
8. If we are indeed his Soldiers, he will preserve us and see us all forth coming. Have we given up our Names to him, believed on him, than be will keep what we commit to him till that day, 2 Tim. 1. 12. He can, and does warrant all our lives throughout the whole War, which no General on Earth can do. All that Fight for, and with Christ, shall live with him. Say not, I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul, Thou shalt never fall by the hand of Saul, nor Devil neither. Let no man's heart fail than, but be of good Courage, Act. 27. 22. Not a man of you shall loose his Life. Numb. 31. 49. After that Engagement with Midian in the Wilderness, it's said, they numbered the people, and there lacked not one. When the Book of Life, the Musterroll, in which the Names of all Christ's Soldiers are listed, comes to be brought forth and opened at th● end of the War, if our Names are there we shall be called over, and every one be able to Answer to his Name. Let us but know that our Redeemer lives, Job. 19 and than, because he lives, we shall, Joh. 14. 19 And what should than dau●t us? His Life for ours we shall all be safe. Not sooner are we listed, but all our Lives, yea, the lives of our Immortal, Souls are insured in Heaven, and Christ's Life is the pledge and pawn for ours, Joh. 11. 25, 26. who would not Fight under such a Commander? Our Captain cannot die, ●● was once dead, but h● is now alive, and lives for ever and ever, Rev. 1. 1●. he dies no more, and his Life is the Security for ours.   
Cheer up Fellow-soldiers, take heart in Grace: it's true we have many Enemies, many Swords, Pikes, Bullets about ●s, the Arrows flythick, and these and those drop down on our right hand and l●ft, but it is with us, as 1 Sam. 22. 23. they that seek our Li●e seek Christ's Lise, but with him we shall be in Safety. They that seek to take away thine, must seek, and found, and take away His too, or else miss their Aim, for thy Life is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3. 3. When Christ comes to give an account of his Soldiers under his care to the Father, he will say (as Joh. 17.) Father I have not lost one of them, not one of my truehearted So●ldiers how weak soever, The Cowards, the Traitors indeed are gone, but not one of the rest. Paul could ●●y, I have Fought, etc. and so there is a Crown for me, 2 Tim. 47. what he said at the end of his Course, thou mayest say at the beginning of thine, (for Christ that is the Author is also the Finisher, Heb. 12▪ 2.) and it is as true Divinity to say, he that is Fight (in the present Tense) is sure to be crowned, as he that hath Fought in the preterperfect Te●se: if Finishing thou art as safe as if thou hadst Finished. If you Fight the Lords Battles, your Soul● are bound up in the Bundle of Life, 1 Sam. 25. 2●. The poor Believer though he hath ●n Host to break through, where he shall be sure to have one thousand Swords drawn, Guns leveled, Pikes directed at him, yet is sure to sc●p●, he that carries him on, is obliged to bring him of with Honour and Safety.  
9 Our Warfare shall not last long, much loss always. It was a comfortable word to them, and should be to us, [your Warfare is accomplished] I●ai▪ 40. 1, 2. Yet a little while and Friendly Death (a welcome Messenger to every warfaring Christian) shall in the Name of the Captain command you to say down your Arms, never to strike one bloody blow more, but to come and enjoy the sweet of all that you have been labouring and Fight for. And than will be the first and last Time that this word [lay down your Arms.] shall be heard by you▪ first, for you must Fight ●ill you ●ie, last, for you shall never take them up more, and so have no occasion to lay them down any more. The Gospel hath been sounding a Chang● ●o ●s all our Life Time, but De●th▪ shall sound a Retreat, when we shall return to the Headquarters that our General hath taken up, and prepared for u●, (Joh. 14. ●●3.) and there be fai●ly▪ and safely lodged for ever.  
10. We shall than be all Crow●ed that have been thus Fight. The Senate of Heaven hath decreed a Triumph for every Overcomer, Heb. 12. 1, 2. Not only the Generals, Commanders, soon few eminent Christians, but every Common Soldier shall ride into the City, the heavenly jerusalem in his Triumphant Chariot, laden with the Spoils of his Enemies, and crowned with the Merits of his Saviour. Every true, hardy, courageous Soldier shall than be found to b● an Overcomer, every Overcomer shall have a Crown, every Crown shall be a Crown of Glory, an incorruptible crown, now reserved, than put on, and worn, and that never shall fade, or wear away. O think how Heaven shall ring with that joyful Shout, those heart-ravishing Acclamations that shall than be given, when all the whole Army of the Church-Militant shall meet and become Triumphant! How shall they congratulate one another, and Christ welcome them all, into the Possession● of that Kingdom prepared for them from before the Foundation of the World! There will be opportunity enough to all Eternity to recount their dangers, their hard Encounters and narrow scape●, how often there was but a step between them and death, and yet they are safe. Than shall God have the Glory of his Power and Grace in keeping them through Faith unto Salvation; that though they were so often, and so often at the Sword's point, at the Canon's mouth, yet they came of, so many Ambushments laid, and yet not surprised▪ so many Ours sprung, and yet not blown up, Pharaoh holding them i● Bondage with all his might, when out, following them to bring them back, the read Sea before them, often ready to perish for hunger and thirst, fiery flying Serpents, Enemies, etc. in the wilderness, jordan in their way, Anakims and walls to Heaven, yet being helped to follow the Lord fully, courageously, as joshua and Gal●h did, they shall say, when Possessed of Glory, as joshua did, Chap 23. 14. Behold not one good thing is failed of all that the Lord in his word spoke concerning us, or promised to us. Encourage and comfort yourselves, and one another with these words.  
I shall close with a few words to those that have been the Occasion of this present Assembly, and what I say to you, may be of use to all of like Profession with yourselves.  
You called me hither, (Worshipful, Honoured and Beloved) that I might (to give it in your own words) dispense to you some word in the Name of the Lord for your Encouragement in your work; I shall therefore according to your desire present you with a word of Encouragement, and a word of Advice also.   

By way of Encouragement, my Text has matter enough.  
1. I need not insist largely on (though my Text will bear it,) the Lawfulness and commendableness of your Employment as Soldiers, which yet may be mentioned as a word of Encouragement to you; and that is hinted here and elsewhere in the Scripture where the Lord makes use of this as one of the most fit, suitable and significant Emblems of a Christian Life, which he would not do, at lest so much, if the Calling itself were not lawful. There is a Generation that call these Exercises carnal Exercises, and your Weapons car●al Weapons, but God hath said enough in his Word to stop the mouths of such Gainsayers, and I am apt to think that one main Reason why they call these weapons, carnal weapons, is because they be not in their own Hands, though if there, I fear they would be car●al weapons indeed, and it may be carnally and cruelly used; Witness the Stories of others that have pretended to like Principles, till opportunity hath given them Advantage to discover themselves.  
Indeed the fi●st War that we read of in Scripture, viz. Gen. 14 was begun by those that we have no ground to believe were any of the best of men, yet that gave occasion to Abraham that holy, rightsous, Pattern-Believer to draw the Sword in the same Chapter, having before hand prudently trained up his Servants unto Military Exercises, that they might be fit to go forth to War when Providence should put them upon it. (ver. 14.) The word there rendered [trained] doth not only signify trained up in Religious Education, as it is used, Prov. 22. 6. But also initiated or instructed in Military skill, as the Scope of the place, besides the Sense of the word seems plainly and fairly to carry it. So that as Abraham was the Great Pattern Believer, so he was in this Chapter the Great Pattern-Souldier, exemplary and imitable both in training up his men before hand to have them ready, and also in leading them forth to actual Service when there was occasion. Nor need any of the Children of Abraham (as all Believers are) doubt to imitate (rather they are to accounted themselves obliged to imitate) their Father in that which is so many ways warranted, and wherein he was so prospered and succeeded, and upon his return from which so extraordinarily, blessed, as you found in the same Chapter. Sure the Lords so blessing him upon such a warlike Exploit intimates his acceptance of him therein, and helps to warrantiz● the like practice to us.  
Thus David was a man after Gods own heart, and yet a man of war, ● Sam. 17. 8. Had his mighty men trained to Service, about him, made a Law in Iud●h thereabout, 2 Sam. 1. 18. that there should be Training days (as we call them) Times set apart to teach the Art of Soldiery. The Bow being a principal Instrument than used in War, is Syn●chdochically▪ put for every weapon of war, and their learning the use of that, intends their Skill in the whole Art Solomon in his best days, and before his Apostaoy, though a King of peace, yet provided ●or War, and so did Asa, 2 Chron. 140, 7▪ 8▪ he took the Advantage of the peaceable days they had to fit themselves for war. So they are commended for their ability to keep Rank, and use the Sword with both hands, 1 Chron. 12. 38.  
The Benjamites skill in slinging Stones at an Hairs-breadth is upon Record to their Commendation, and sure they had not that Skill naturally, but by use and Exercise.  
You found also that Nehemiah when about the wall of Jerusalem had his Fight Tool in one hand, and working Tool in the other, Chap. 4. 17.  
Let me add a place or two out of the New-testament, Luk. 3 14 when the Soldiers came to John Baptist and asked what they should do, he bids them not lay down their Arms, but use them well, not violently, injuriously, etc. and to be content with their wages, though to take wages, i e the wages or Stipend of Soldiers, though to do the work of Soldiers, else it had not been lawful or rational to take wages, though the Calling & Employment of Soldiers is lawful. Some in our days would have said, man thou mayest not Fight, thou must not meddle with that Profession any more, it is not lawful for thee to be a Soldier, but the Baptist knew better.  
The godly Centurion that had not his Fellow for a Believer in Israel, did not lay down his place, give up his Commission or disband his Soldiers (which doubtless he would have done if it had not been lawful to be a Soldier) no, but he keeps up good Discipline among them, maintains his Authority, and ha●● them at his Beck, Math. 8 8, 10. You read also of Armies following Christ on white Horses, Rev. 19 14. I might further urge it from the Law of Nature. S●●f Preservation is one of the Prime Dictates of Nature. It is riveted into our very Being's as Creatures to preserve ourselves, we must uncreature ourselves if we renounce that. Sure God hath not given to all other Creatures an Instinct to preserve themselves, (some by hiding, some by flying, others by Fight, etc.) and in the mean Time left man like a tame Fool to be a Prey to his Adversary.  
Again, The Law of Faith speaks the same thing, for it doth most strongly and indispensibly put upon the use of means. Abraham could (for aught I know) believe as much as any man alive, even in hope against hope, and yet Abraham could not believe Lot out of Captivity, (though be could believe Isaac out of the as●es) but rather chose to use men and means to Fight him out. This Great Believer was great Soldier. It is true, the main Security of the Believers is their Faith in God, but still in his own way, viz. in the use of means where God gives opportunity, without doing of which you cannot trust God. He knows not the Nature of Faith that knows not the activity of it in the use of means. Faith is a most Active, obedient Grace. You spoil its acting while you are not found in a way of Obedience. In putting it out of that way you ham string, enervate, it, clip its wings, and than how can you expect it should go, act fly?  
We might argue also from the unreasonable, envious, quarrelsome, injurious, cruel, yea, murderous Spirit that is in sinfulman, which will not be kept from doing wrong but by such means. Were all men rational and Religious, Conscientious and pious, than beaten their Swords into ploughshares, etc. The command of God, and the Royal Law of doing as we would be done by, would secure all men's persons and Estates; but all men have not Faith, nor love, nor obedience, nor do they use Conscience neither. The enmity between the seed of the Serpent and the woman, which appeared betimes in the Example of Cain and Abel, and inclined the one to Hatred and Opposition, should prompt the other to self-preservation and the means of it.  
What War is la●ful and when, I shall not dispute, but that a Defensive War is la●ful is beyond dispute, to Fight for the Cities of our God, as 2 Sam. 10. 12. or to recover ours out of the Hand of violence, as Gen. 14, So Jep●thah went to War against those that would have put him out of the Inheritance which God had given him, Judas 11. and he was one of those that acted in Faith, Heb. 1●▪ 3●, 33, 34. together with others there mentioned, while sabduing Kingdoms, waving valiant in Fight, and turning to flight the Armies of the Aliens. Christ's forbidding to resist evil, Math. 5▪ 39 etc. refers to private persons in a way of Revenge, vid. Perkins in loc. Nor had Peter a Call at that Time to resist Authority in that way, Math. 26. 52. who was therefore bidden to put up his Sword, and they are threatened to perish with the Sword that do anseasonably and injuriously use it. Not but that the Civil Power may, and aught draw the Sword in Case. It's true, we read of a Curse against them that delight in War, Psal. 68 30. and no lesle are they cursed that come not to the Help of the Lord against the mighty, Jud. 5. and do but only beaten the Air, and not bathe their Swords in Blood when they do come, Jer. 48. 10. That than is the first word of Encouragement to you in your work, viz. that you have good warrant, Scripture warrant for your Training days and Military Exercises, and that the Lord doth Countenance and require these preparations, that you may be ready to serve the Lord and his people, when he calls you thereunto.  
2. A second word of Encouragement which I may add, and that from my Text, is that Great is the Honour which the Lord puts upon you as Military persons, especially in such a Capacity as those that do willingly give up themselves to the Service of God in such Exercises, and that not only in that he speaks of the Saints, (the excellent ones upon Earth) in your language, but also in that the Lord is often in Scripture calling himself the Lord of Hosts, so also a Man of War, Exod. 15. 3. The Son of God also is Captain-General, (as Mediator) under his Father, see Psal. 45. 15. Besides the most eminent of the Saints all along have been Soldiers, (I mean properly so) Father Abra●am was free of the Souldiers-Hall, and had an Artillery Garden at his house, three hundred and eighteen in his trained Band, Gen. 14 14. Daved in like manner, 2 Sam. 17. 8. Indeed, God and Christ, and all the Saints upon Earth are of your Company, which is much for your Honour. Again, much of the Scripture is spent about Soldiers, and Soldiery. How many Chapters in Sacred Writ are no other but so many Lists of the Names of Soldiers that have been in former Ages, and how many more are spent in reciring the noble Exploits and valorous Attempts and Erterprises of Soldiers? Twice over in two several Chapters, viz. 2 Sam. 23. and 1 Chron. 11. are the Names of David's choice, expert Soldiers, called his Worthies, set down. Besides a large Catalogue of the mighty men that helped David is expressed, 1 Chron. 12. the expert Commanders and able Soldiers that came in to them, till they became a great Host like the Host of God, ver. 22. Now to have such frequent and Honourable mention made of Soldiers in the Word of God, and to have so considerable a part of it so spent, is a great Honour to Soldiers, and shows the great delight that the Lora of Hosts hath in his Soldiery, it tells us that they are persons whom the Lord delights to Honour, And Honour is a good Encouragement and Spurt to a Soldier. Your Employment is no base, low, Inferior Employment, but one highly honoured by the Lord.  
Soldiers, know that the Lord hath put a great deal of Honour upon you, for which you are exceedingly beholden to him; carry it humbly, thankfully, and serviceably toward God under the Honour He conferrs upon you. See that you Honour him, who thus honoureth you. If God will Honour those that Honour him, (1 Sam. 2. 30.) Than surely those should honour him whom he bonours.  
3. A third word of Encouragement I shall take from the great use that God hath all along made of Military men in his Church. To be useful and serviceable is an Honour, (for the more serviceable the more Honourable) especially to be so directly and immediately serviceable to God and his Church, as Soldiers have been, yea, are, and shall be even to the very last. And this is a further Encouragement. Though properly the Lord needs no help against the mighty, yet he uses them, and one Reason is for the Honour and Encouragement of them that he uses. Christ may make use of you to be great blessings in the places where you live. It is a Blessing to a people to have mighty men and men of War among them, as appears, because it is a great judgement to have such taken away from them, Isai. 3. Be encouraged than, for you are useful, and may be made great Blessings, and that is a blessed thing.  
4. Great is the Affection that God has for sueb, especially for them that offer themselves willingly unto that service. (provided that their Hearts be right therein, for the Service and Glory of God,) God heart is toward such as Deborah's was, judg. 5. 9 Now that God's heart is toward you, and presence with you, while you are with, and for Him, is a very comfortable, heartening, and encouraging word to be spoken at the Head of an Army, see ● Chron. 15. 2.  
5. The main Scope of the whole that I have spoken may be improved by way of Encouragement, viz. that you are both much enlightened about the Nature of, and furthered in the managing of your General Calling as Christians by your being Soldiers. As your Christianity will help your Soldiery, so be sure your Soldiery (if the fault b● not your own) will noteably help your Christianity. Every Training-day may be a learning day to you, while training you may be working for God and Christ, and for your Souls too. If your Soul-work may go forward amain while you are exercising your Arms, it cannot but be a great Encouragement to them that know they have Souls, and know the worth of th●m. You that are Soldiers (as I have already hinted) are eminently beholden to God in that he is full, large, and particular in Spiritualizing your Calling, in putting so much of Heaven thereinto, that if you will seriously attend, you cannot but found it. Truly our going with an Earthly, mind about our Earthly work, with a common Heart about our common Employment, is that which spoils us in it, and maakes us loose the ●ost Good, even the spiritual Good that might be gotten thereby.  
Unto this word of Encouragement, I shall add a few words of Advice.  
1. Propose right Ends to yourselves in these Exercises. There are good and useful Ends of them, let those good Ends be your Ends. If your Ends are not right, you may be Soldiers but scarce Christians. Now the Great End of all our Undertake, and of this in special, is the Glory of God. Whatsoever you do, do it to the Glory of God, (1 Cor. 10. 31.) Let the Service of God and his Church be the mark you aim at, the white which you desire and endeavour to hit, which if you do you shall be sure to get the prize. Had we never read aught of joab save that one Speech, a Sam. 10. 12. we should have in Charity accounted him not only a Soldier, (as we say) every Inch of him, but a pious man also; However he deserves to be Chronicled for it, and imitated in it. [For our people and for the Cities of our God] Come not into the Field to show your Bravery, etc. but come to do Service, to learn Sk●●, and so prepare for further Service. Do not Exercise that you may know, or be known to know, but that you may do, and do for the people and Cause of God and Christ, for whom to shed your Blood, is the best way to preserve it, to lay down your Lives, the best way to save them.  
2. Than be serious in your work, as those that have so high an End, and mean to do you● utmost to attain that End; If this be your End, than do not go about you▪ work like men that beaten the Air. I may use the Aposties' Expressions, and propose his Example to you, (For your ultimate End in your particular Calling is the same with his in his General Calling and your Activity in every Business and in this especially, is to have the same Common End) so run that you may obtain the priz▪, and so labour not ●● uncertainly, and so meet, Exercise, train, (as you call it] not as those that beaten the Air. God makes use of your Calling as Soldiers to set forrh the Calling of Christians by, a Calling wherein the greatest accurateness, exactness, Care, Skill, Diligence is to be used: than so do your work, so mind your Business, that as Religion ●onours your Calling, so your exactness and compleatness in your Calling may honour that Religion which you profess, and which honours your Profession.  
You called me hither to speak to you a word in the Name of the Lord, than, In the Name of the Lord I say to you in the words of my Text, again, be not like those that beaten the Air, and in the words of Solomon, Eccles. 9 10. what ever your Hand findeth to do, do it with your might.  
You much Interest or concern the Name of God in your Military Exercises, you Invocate the Name of God in the morning when you come together, you desire something to be spoken to you in the Name of God upon these Occasions, than, in his Name, I beseech you to hear what is now spoken in his Name, viz. Play the men, not the children, not the Fools. To pray for the presence of God when you go about a Business, and than to play when you are at it, not to be through and serious in it, is to pray God to come among you to see you play the children or Fools, as if the infinitely holy and wise God would be pleased with the Sacrifice of Fools, Eccles. 5. 1. (which Text though it relates principally to worship, yet it holds by proportion in any thing that is called serving of God.) To supplicate God's presence, and than to take no Care to do aught worthy of his presence, to desire God to look on, when you have nothing but a vain Heart, and a slighty, heedless Carriage to show him, how near this comes to mocking of God you may sadly Consider. God is a man of War, and delights to be among such, to deign them his presence when they desire it, but I tell you he hath a Curious and skilful eye, and therefore it becomes you to behave yourselves as becomes his presence. I have seen some Artillery men as really serious when they have been at training as when they have been at prayer, and so to be is very pleasing both to God and man.  
I shall make bold to insist a little upon this Direction; Here is a Great Assembly and many Soldiers are present from all parts, it may not therefore be amiss and unseasonable to give something by way of General Direction unto what is regular, and of Reprehension to what is otherwise, in this matter now before us.  
It is too palpable and obvious not to be taken notice of, that there is a great deal of slightiness and frothiness in Military Exercises, or in men, while Conversant in those Exercises; Your ordinary Training days are accounted Recreation-dayes, play-days, sporting-dayes, and they are often, and by many, spent in vanity and Licentiousness, as if vain merriment, Idleness, Voluptuousness and Excess were the work of the day, as if there would be no reckoning for so many days in a year unprofitably spent, nay, as if there would be no reckoning for men's taking occasion to make Provision for the Flesh at such Times when they should be Serving God, not with their Bodies only, but with their Spirits also. But suppose there be not, (as I hope among yourselves there is not, you pretend to higher things, and I hope better things of you though I thus speak) I say, suppose there be not any of th●se Extravagancies, yet how will you be able to Answer for bore non Proficiency, and for slightiness and heedlissness, the Cause of it▪ Know, that when you have given up your Names unto such a work, than to neglect Attendance, either not to come at all, or to come late, to study, Excuses for your neglect, to be among your sheep, ships, etc. as they, jud. 5. 16, 17. you may possibly save your Fine among men, but with God will not come of so easily. Or if you do come, and that in Season, so as not to be pricked for want of Answering to your Names, and spend the day in the Service, and yet not so seriously intensely, heedfully, as to make some Addition to you skill or Dexterity by every day's expense, how will you be able when called to accounted for that day, (and every day is a Talon and must be reckoned for) to say, Lord that much gained.  
O let not Soldiers be like schoolboys, as not to care how little they have for their Money, how little Time at their Books, or how little good they get in that Time. Be not ever Training and never gaining any skill by the Exercis●. Better stay at home and work, than come into the Field and play, to spend Time and get no skill, nor perhaps aim to get any, will not pass for well spending of Time. You Artillery men should be Artists indeed, each of you Able to drill a Company, to lead an Army, able to keep Rank yourselves, and teach others to do so too, your being an Artillery Company speaks that you are, and aim to be somewhat more than Ordinary. And truly you will never do as you aught to do, till you make Conscience of doing as you aught. Conscience of duty will make you attend duty, and be intense in your Attendance; the way to be successful also.  
It's a Good Rule in any Business, (and surely in yours) to argue thus, either this is God's work that I am about, or not; if not, lay it aside, give over, take your Names but of the List, wholly withdraw, appear not more; but if it be Gods work, than do it with your might, remembering the workless grave toward which you are marching, as also the danger you are in of that dreadful Sentence against the deceitful dealer in God's Service, jer. 48. 10. You are therefore to be grave and serious in your deportment. Gravity in a Soldier especially while in Service, is very commendable. It's a weighty work that you are about, and getting skill therein, may be as much as your Lives are worth. Matters of Life and death are solemn, ponderous matters, (and these are, or you know not how soon they may be such, what ever men think of them) and therefore to be gra●ely managed. Edge Tools are not to be played with. Over much lightness in men's Hearts and Spirits a●d want of being Grave and diliberate, often Time's occasion much mischief, in these Exercises. Frequent Examples show us what comes of rashness and rudeness▪ Youthful vanity, precipita●ey, jestings, ●●ollck have (and that not unusually) sorrowful Catasir●phes, sad and and better Conclusions▪ Soldiers have no Law for being lawless. Headiness and Hastiness makes way for▪ Repentance at leisure, when he that walks gravely and regularly walk safely, and so spares himself that labour. Than mind your Business, as those that know it is God's business, mind your work at those that have a mind to work, and to be gaining by their work.  
Mind and attend to the word of Command, which you cannot do while g●●ing, smokeing, and chatting away this Time; want of men's giving up themselves to the work when they are at it, because they do not Hoc agere, not give heed to what is commanded, and so by them to be done, I say, this is the Cause why often Times they are so unhandy at their Business, and so unhandsome in performing their postures, do not keep Rank and File, are routed in their marches, Counter, marches, doublings, wheelings, all in a huddle and ridiculously disordered. Heedlessness in work makes confused work.  
Excuse my plainness with you, I cannot charge any of yourselves upon my own Knowledge with these disorders that have been reproved, if any are guilty, those that deserve, may very well patiently bear Reproof; those that do not deserve it, may well be quiet, while others are reproved that do, and may also take it as a word of Caution to themselves, yea, and Commendation too; for a Reprehension to the Guilty is implicitly a Commendation to them that are otherwise. But thus be in good earnest.  
Perhaps your Exercises may look like beating the Air, because you are not called forth to real Service, but know, that preparation for real Service is real Service, and if you do nothing but beaten the Air now, you will be like to do little toward beating your Enemy than. Act so in your preparation, that it may appear you have not been trained up for nothing. We read of the Enemies being skilful to destroy, Ezek ●1. 21. which speaks need of our being skilful to defend. Study to be mighty men, and men of War, (as Isai. 3.) the Bulworks of the place while you live, that you may be as they, 2 Sam. 1. 17. honourably Epita, bed, and buterly lamented when you die. Be ambitious of being like to those who are for their skill and valour recorded in Scripture as worthy of Imitation, see▪ 1 Chron. 5. 18. and 12. 8, 21, 30, 32, 33, 38.  
You know not how soon the Lord and his people may have occasion for your Help against the Mighty. It is true God hath been very kind to New-England, no breaking in, nor leading forth, nor complaining in our Streets, this last year also, this dangerous year, this threatening year, so like to prove a bloody one to us, as well as to many other places, I say, this year is you see fairly gone of the Stage. We had the last week out Great Solemnity, our Beginning of a New Year, or New Years day, wherein we had opportunity of setting up our Eben Ezer and saying, hitherto God hath helped us. We may bless God and say with him, Psal. 55. 18. He hath delivered our souls in peace from the Battle that was against us, for there were many with us. It is true also, that this year gins with the tidings of Peace, we have had the Dove sent in among us with an Olive leaf to give us some intimation of the Abatement of the flood, & Hopes that it may not reach us; And the God of peace grant that there may be Peace indeed, a well grounded and settled Peace: Peace with God first, as the Cause, and than with men as the Effect, peace with Truth, peace with holiness, and that will be a firm, long-lasting, everlasting peace.  
But yet for all this, I could not see Cause to preach on that Text, Isai. 2. 4. Beaten your Swords into Ploughshares, etc. I think rather that of Luk. 22. 36. or 2 Sam. 1. 18. or joel. 3. 10. would be more suitable. I fear the Nations have not forgotten War as yet, nor will they unlearn War wholly, till they do unlearn Sin and Lust more, from whence their Wars come, till pride lower and strike, the Wars will never end. While there is Flesh as well as Spirit in the new man, there will be Wars within; and while there are carnal men as well as Spiritual in the World there will be Wars without. Therefore while we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are to provide for the Wars that will be made against jerusalem, as knowing that the Church on Earth is the Church-Militant, Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation, but we must not antedare God's work. That Time shall come, but in the mean Time we must handle our Arms, as well as Ploughs.  
Antichrist must Fall, and the Enemies of the Church shall be overcome by a material Sword, as well as by a Spiritual one. The Prayers of the Saints have long cried, their tears have cried, their blood hath cried, the bowels of Christ have long yearned over them, and himself hath long waited to to see his Enemies made his Footstool, and therefore sure it cannot be long. And what an Honour will it be to be called to that work, and dexterous at it when called to it. When Abraham was called to follow God in a way of Reformation, & God had in that way blessed him outwardly too, he could not but know that the Enemies about him would envy him not only as Religious, but as prospering outwardly in a Profession of Religion, which might give him just occasion to train up his Family to Military Discipline, as we read, Gen. 14, 14. that he might be in a posture ready to receive them i●. Occasion should be. We in this Wilderness, both on the account of our Profession and Prosperity under it, have long been, and still are an Eyesore to the Adversary, these are, that are consulting to undermine us, and we should be endeavouring to secure ourselves, not only by p●aying, that no foot of pride may come against us, nor hand of violence move us, but also, if any such should come by preparing before hand to give them such a Reception as may discover, that as we were forewarned, so also fore-armed.  
Great are the things that a Religious people have to descend, viz▪ besides their Lives, Liberties, Relation, Estates▪ &c▪ the Name, honour and worship of God, the pleasant things of his House, those Great Betrustments which the world cannot boast of, and are more worth than all the world; and hence they should labour to furnish themselves both with Skill and ability to defend and maintain what God has given them, or else they will act both irrationally for themselves, and untbankfully toward God that hath so privileged them. The Faith and the pleasant things of Z●●n are worth contending for, and that not with the tongue and heart only, but with the hands and Sword also when God calls thereunto.  
Great also is the Advantage that a people get by being expert for War, their being so, may be a means to prevent Warr. The report of a people's being a warlike people may be of singu●●r use to them, the fame of their skill may be a means to prevent their using it. Whereas the Security of a people invites an Enemy, and renders them liable to be a P●ey, see Judg. 18. 7, 8, 9  
Times of peace are Times to prepare for War●, and if we miss it in our preparation, we shall be fearfully hurried and blundred when we come to action, we cannot promise' ourselves to be saved than, unless we be diligent in preparation now. If War comes, the comfort of having done our duty, and the profit of being in a readiness, will make amendss for the trouble; is it comes not, our peace will bear the Charge of our preparation. Thus be intense about, and serious in these Exercises, make Conscience of gaining Skill, and of spending Time so as may best conduce to that End. So do in these as well as other matters, as you would be glad to have done when an Enemy comes, yea, when Christ shall come. Train as in the fight of an Enemy, with whom you may be called to Fight. Train as doing Service to Christ, and in the fight of Christ, who will one day reward every day's Service, and this day's Service, if you diligently and obediently serve him therein.  
3. Be Spiritual and Heavenly in all your Military Exercises, that you may be good Christians as well as good Soldiers. It is good policy and prudence for pious Rulers to command and Countenance the training up those that are under their Government unto Military Skill, so that if need be, they may be able to speak with the Enemy in the Gate, and under their approbation and Authority, you li●● and Exercise yourselves in these Affairs. Will it not than be much more prudence and piety in every man that should be Master of himself, to command his whole man to follow the Lord Jesus in the Spiritual Warfare, to list every Faculty and member of Soul and body under Christ's Command, and deliver them up to his Service, that under his protection he may Fight and overcome his Spiritual Enemies? Art thou a Leader, and hast a Charge of a Company about thee? Consider than the great Charge that is left with thee, as to a little world within thee, a little Army, con●●●●ing of Soul with its Faculties, the Body with its members, like the Cavalry and Infantry, ●or●● and f●●t, and these thou must train up in the Art of Spiritual Soldiery.  
Ar● thou ●●der Command, and to be led by others, than remember that Christ the great General expects like obedience from thee as the Centurion had from his Soldiers, Math. 8. to come and go and do at his pleasure. He that can d●●ll that little Company of himself, and teach every part its proper motions and Postures is a complete Soldier indeed. You are labouring to be ex●ct Soldiers; what, and bung ling Christians? O for shame! what, lead an Army, and be ●isled by a single, ●illy lust? do●● thou know all the Postures of a Soldier, all the Face, Firing, Wheeling, & c? and yet an ignorant, dull▪ Soul as to spiritual Souldieries God forbidden. Art thou labouring to be a Soldier, and takest no Care and Thought to be a Christian? how sad will that be? God expects of all us that live under the Gospel, that we should be Artill●ry-men, and he expects of you Artill●ry-men that you especially should be exact Christians, as having such a Calling as will greatly advantage you thereunto, in many respects above other Callings. The very sight of your Arms and Weapons should affect you with some Spiritual Consideration, and the handling of them put you upon like Actions. Your Soldiery and Religion do Border so near together, that they are in a great measure both of one language; the Christian and the Soldier may, and aught understand one another, and both the language and work of the latter will help to familiari●● that of the former. Take a touch of it in some few Instances.  
Your listing of your▪ self, minds you of that great duty of giving up your Names to Christ a● your General, and your doing it voluntarily, should put you in mind of, (Psal. 110. 3.) and make you pr●y hearty, to h●●● it cleared up to you that you are some of the people that God in a day of Power hath made willing. The Souldier● lifting of himself is the Christians Conversion, t●nning from Sin, Self, etc. unto God, by Faith and Repentance, and this of Effectual Vocation will lead you up to Election, and this known, will make Election also known, see (Rom. ●. ●●. with 2 Pet. 1. 10.) and help you to mad your Names in the Lamb's Book of Life▪ the Joys of which Condition, and Privileges belonging unto which, no tongue can tell.  
Upon li●●ing you are obliged to attend on the Seasons, & at the places of Exercise, to do all the duties that the e●tring of your Names in the Li●● do bespeak; Christians, know, that to be called Christians is a Privilege, but withal it is laden with duty, your Name in Christ's Roll doth signify your Engagement to be for him, to follow him as his S●●ldiers, to Fight under his Bunner and not other, to wai● on him at all Times, and in all places and ways of his appointment, there to be ready to Answer to your Names when called, and upon the Intimation of any Service to be do●e for him to say (as he Isai. 6. ●.) Her● am I s●●d ●●. Woe to him that in a Profession aims only at a Name, (as they Isai. 4. 1.) to take away his Reproach, or gain a little Re●ute in the World. Either appear in the work of Christ, or Cut thy Name out of the List. Christ will not ●eat long, be sure not always with Christians in Name only; but as you Soldiers do one of another, so will Christ require of you the Service and duty of your places. But if you are alive only in Name and dead to the work of your Calling, expect to be judged by Martial Law; and be su●e you will fin● Christ very sharp against Hypocrisy. When you come into the Field completely armed, let your Arms about you make you turn to Ephes. 6. where you have the Armour set down that every Christian must put on, and see if you have it all, and also if it be well fixed, and you thereby ready for Service. To want any piece of Armour, or to have any of that which he hath either unsightly o● unserviceable will be as ridiculous and absurd for the Christian as the Soldier. Christ will have your Armour viewed to see if you have all your Accoutrements, according to Law, be so fixed that you may not be afraid of coming to the Test. When commanded to fall into your places, think how ill Christ will ●ake it to found you ou●, and that either from ignorance of them, or unwillingness to be brought into, or kept in them; you have, a● Soldiers, your Order, your distance to be observed, even Ranks, or straight kiles are often called for among you, (and perhaps no oftener than there is cause enough) observing your right-hand men is also required, with many the like, which make you a sight comely in the eye of your Friends▪ and terrible to your Adversaries. Now know, that all things in Christ's Army are to be done decently and in order, (1 Cor. 14. 40.) and what is orderly will be decent. Each one hath his particular place, peculiar station, and his proper work in that place or station assigned to him, and that not only as referring to ourselves, absolutely con●●●red, but relatively also, a● concerned with others among whom we walk. Beware of looking into other men's duties, so as to overlook our own: and yet again remember, we are our brethren's keepers, and are so far also to eye and observe them, that if they do well, we may imitate them, if otherwise, we may be Instruments to reform them by setting a better Example. Keeping thy Heart with all diligence, and making straight steps to thy feet, (Prov. 4. 25, 27.) are directions that their Parra●●●s in Soldiery may bring to Remembrance. While you begin your Exercises with Prayers, (as you do if Christian Soldiers) Remember that Scripture, Prov. 3. 6. and be practically convinced of the need of Prayer, all manner of Prayer, Ephes. 6. 18. which he adds unto their being armed. When we mean that a Child is dead born, we say it's stillborn because living Children usually come into the World crying, thou mayest have a Name of being new born, but be sure thou art dead, if thou do not pray, and irregular, if thou do it not in all the Seasons of it, and that with all manner of Prayer too, see 1 Thes. 5. 17. with ●ph. 6. 18▪ Prayer should be an Introduction to work, and be sure matter will succeed with thee in the War, according as the Hand of Prayer is up or down Ex. 17. ●1. You are often commanded silence▪ (and i●'s pity there should be so often need of commanding it, there being ever need of attending it, as that without which no other word of Command can be obeyed, because not heard and understood, & Solomo● Eccl. 9 17. will tell you that the words of the wise are heard in Silence; Christians, let your Souls be silent and still before the Lord, Commune with your own Hearts & be still, Psal 4. 4. that you may listen to what God has to say to you. The noise and Din of car●al reasonings, worldly lusts, and Businesses, immoderate desires after lawful things, with inordinate ones after unlawful, these and such like make such a Clamour and sound in men's ears that God's v●ice is not heard by them, and so they bring themselves into a Confusion, for want of knowing and understanding the word of Command. Keep in a still, quiet posture, than sit to hear and obey.  
Face to your Leader, is a word of Command you often hear of also, and you have one General Command for all, in Heb. 12. 2. that you should do all your motions with your Face to your Leader, run your whole▪ Race looking to Jesus. A look to Jesus, gives both direction how, and strength where with to run, work, Fight. Keeping your eye Christ-ward, will be of more Advantage to you in your Combats than either Sun or wind which Combatans● have so much regard to. A new look to Jesus will give new legs to run, new hands and Skill to Fight, and a constant Facing Christ-ward will keep you in a righ● Fight, and so overcoming posture.  
And when so Facing, you are bidden march, mind your Duty of pressing on forward, (Phil. 3. 14.) you must move and promove in your Christian Course, yea, and let your eyes look straight on, and right forward, without turning to the right hand or the left Prov. 4. 25, 27. And while you follow him as your Leader, where ever he goes, you are sure to go right, and certain not to go into any difficulty, out of which he will not also lead you in the End. This Leader never misleads any that follow him. All your lawful Face are towards him, and marches after him. Beware of Confusion in your Counter▪ marches, it is dangerous to see Christians march Counter, but a pleasant thing to see them all minding the same things, and moving the same way.  
Stand] in Opposition to going back by sinful discouragements or forward by G●ddy presumption. Stand your Ground, and maintain it against Sin and Satan, give no place to either. Let no Opposition fright you into a Retreat, God's Soul takes no pleasure in them that draw back, or give out, Heb. 10 ●●. Stand still, you must, to see the Salvation of God, Ekod 14. 13. Only know, your Time to stand, and your Time to Advance, and know, that you have no Time to Fall back.  
As you were] if spoken to men in a Rout and Confusion now, who were sometimes in Order, is good, and is the Sum of this word of Advice, from Christ to Ephesus Rev. 2. 4. 5. where they are minded of the lo●s of their first love, and willed to remember from whence they are fallen and do their first works▪ from which Text we had a solemn word from the Lord by the mouth o● his Servant in our late General Assembly, the Lord grant that it may be received, remembered and attended a● the voice of Christ, and happy New-England, ●● altar all our disorders, we may at last rally, and be [as we were] indeed ●● [as you were] be taken for men● being in the same Condition that they have been long ago, after much Time spent, and many means used for their bettering, if still they are Ignorant as they were, Sceptics as they were, forma●, ●●ighty, or Superficial as they were, lose and profane as they were, or such it may also be said, they are Fools as they were, Children as they were, Sluggards as they were, turning like the door upon the Hinges, doing without any thing done, moving without any progress, and are themselves in a perilous Condition, being some of them that help to make perilious Times, 2 Tim. 3. ●, 7. ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth.  
Make good your Leaders Ground] A seasonable word of Command for the rising Generation in New-England. Can we be with God as our Fathers were, he would be with us as he was with our Fathers. Did not our Fathers do Justice and Judgement, and it was well with them? Jer. 22. 15, 16. To imitate them will be our prudence, and weal. God remembers the kindness of our youth, than was New-England▪ holiness to the Lord, as Jer. 2. 13. Our Fathers found no iniquity in God to give them any occasion to change their God, or the ways of serving and worshipping their God. The same God should be ours, and he is the same, and his ways the same. Gadding to change our way will not please him. We are in a way of Reformation, if God discovers to us farther than to them that were before us, thankfully improve that light, only let that Ground which they gained (for which also they had Scripture-Ground) be first maintained or made good.  
The Beaten of the Drum, the Sound of the Trumpet is of great Use to Soldiers, and to Christians as much, Know, that God also calls you to harken to the Sound of the Trumpet, Jer▪ ●. 17. viz. his voice in his word, and that especially in the public dispensing of it by his Watchmen, whose work it is to lift up their voice a● a Trumpet. Than when the Trumpet is blown, do you attend, Amos 3. 6. yea, and bless God that it is not your portion to devil there, where the Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound, 1 Cor. 14 8. File-Leaders (as well as chief Leaders) see how you lead, have a Care to go right, jest you misled others, & their miscarriages be charged to your account. Th● Examples of Leading men are leading Examples, and if bad Examples than misleading once too. Peter's Example before others, was in a Sense Coercive or compelling to them. Gal. 2. 13, 14.  
As Soldiers you set your Watch, and place your Sentinels, and I am sure, a● Christians you have as much need, while you are in the Enemy's Country, or he in your●. The Enemy lies entrenched within view, you had need keep your hearts with all diligence, and often walk the Rounds, as careful Commanders will in person do, walk up and down the World with your Souls under necessary and Conscientious Obligations to Attend that duty, so frequently and solemnly urged in the Scriptures, see 1 Pet. 5. 8. with Mark 13. 33, 37.  
When you are commanded to Charge, present, give fire, it is a shame and trouble to you to mis● Fire, or make only false Fire, or when a mark is before you not to hit: it think than how it offends Christ, disadvantages you now, and will grieve you another day, if the result of all your Profession and pretended preparation hath only been a little false Fire, a form of Godliness an empt● 〈◊〉, Than be sure to be well f●xed, and take good Aim, be not like a deceitful Bow, do not shoot at Rovers, jest you mills the Mark and ●ose the great Prize, which as Professors of the Name of Christ, you pretend to be labouring after  
In Sum it will be your Honour as Soldiers to be accurate and punctual in all your postures and Exercises; and it will your great Advantage as Christians if you can (and you see if you will you may) turn all your Exercises into Spiritual and special use.  
Whether any of you may ever be called as Soldiers, to make matter to fill up the Pages of ●utu●e Hipories with your warlike Exploits & valorous deeds in taking of Cities, overrunning Countries, etc. we know not; but if you be good Soul●iers of Christ in the Spiritual warfare, that is the way to lasting honour. He t●at rules his own Spirit, is better, and shall be more honoured and rewarded than he that wins a City, Prov. 16. 32.  
Only this you must all know that both as Soldiers & Christians your strength & Success lies in the Lord of Hosts, not in yourselves. Trust not to your Number, strength, Activity Courage, etc. The Battle is not always to the strong, not the Race to the swift, Eccl. 9 11. man is not saved by his Strength, an Horse i● a vain thing, Psal. 33. 16. 17. In every Engagement as men, as Soldiers, as Christians, there may be enough of our own weakness seen to humble us, and in all our Success enough of Christ's Power and Grace to occasion us to g●ve him all the Glory. You are never like to have better Prosperity in either Warfare, than when you go forth sensible of your own Impotency, because you than fairly and professedly leave Room for him to advance his own Honour. see 2 Chron. 20. 12. And be sure, when we come to see how our matters were brought about, we shall set the Crown on the Head of Christ, and throw down our own Crown● at his ●eet.  
To conclude with a word of that which shall shortly put a Conclusion to all our Exercises in this World whether Military, Civil, or Religious. Know, that Death our Enemy is upon a swift and s●eedy march towards us, and we are hastening toward him, and therefore must necessarily meet quickly, between this and that the Time is but short, over a few days (moments it may be) the day will discover what we have been, and done. We are now all of us training ●p under the doctrine and Discipline of the Lords House, and possibly (yea, probably) in this Life he may put us to the Trial what we have gained, some such plunge we may be brought unto, as wherein we shall have occasion to use all the Skill that ever we have had an opportunity of getting. He may call us to combat with Persecution, Poverty, Reprodeh, Bereavements of Relations etc. or at the utmost Death will try us all, Death, (I say,) which among men of all Ages and Sexes takes promiscuously according to the Commission which the Lord of Life and Death hath given it, though ordinarily, those that are in the Front are nextly for present Service, who discharge, and Fall of, and make way for the next to be Front. So one Generation passeth away, and another comes in its Room, Eccl. 1. 4. ever in motion, going of, and coming on the stage each hour and moment. I may not unfitly liken the whole Race of Mankind, or all the men in the world to a well-marshalled Army, (well-marshalled I say, for notwithstanding all the seeming, and in themselves real Confusions that there are, the Lord order all wisely, and at the end will discover when all is put together, beautifully too) upon a march to meet with Death, where the first Rank discharge, (yea, and are discharged too) Fall of, yea, Fall down, never to return or rise more, and than the next is first, and so on; there are Old men, middle-Aged, and young ones, in the Front, Centre, and Rear of the Army, The Old Fall of, the middle-Aged Advance, the Younger are drawing after, now, though sometimes here and there one of the younger ones may be picked out of the Rear by a Shott out of Death's murdering piece, yet we commonly say, and truly, Young ones may die, but Old ones must. It's a usual word of Command among you, The first Rank ●ake ready, they especially should be ready, but it i● a duty for us all to watch and pray always, that we may be accounted wort● to stand when the Son of man shall come. Let all our Care and motions through out our whole Life tend to the fitting us for a safe, Honourable, and comfortable Exit at last, that when we come to look Death in the Face, or to look back▪ (and we should often look back) upon our Life past, we may neither be afraid, nor ashamed to die.  
But perhaps some may think that I have Charged too far and that it is Time to draw of, I shall therefore immediately discharge you of your present Attendance; Only that I may not leave you within fight of Death without a Prayer for you, give me leave in so many words, to close with my Desires on your behalf. (& ●am nil nisi vota supersunt)  
In general, my wishes for you are, that you may be bles● in the Na●● of the Lord, and from the House of the Lord.  
Moore particularly,  
That the Lord will bless your Labours, accept your work, Ecci. 9 7. continued and increase both your Number and Skill, that he will teach your hands to War, and your fingers to Fight, Psal. 144. 1. grant that your thoughts, words, and Actions in this Affair especially, may be acceptable to him; and may you have all Encouragement and Countenance from men too.  
That the Lord will make you all Christians, as well as Soldiers, yea, excellent Christians, and accurate Soldiers.  
That if it be best for his Glory, the Common good, and your particular weal) you may not be used in any other Military way than in this that you are in, of Preparation. You honour God in the use of this means of his Appointment to prepare for War, and he can honour you by preventing any further use of this preparation.  
That if the Lord hath further occasion for you, he will make you offer yourselves willingly, yea, though it be to the jeoparding of your Lives to the Death i● the High places of the Field, Judg. 5. 2, 9, 18.  
And than that the Lord of Hosts himself will encourage your Hearts, strengthen your hands and cover your Heads in the day of Battle, Psal. 140. 7. And God's presence wi●h you, together with the Goodness of his Cause, while you follow his Advice, will both put and maintain valour in you, and be a safe protection over you.  
Finally, for yourselves, and all of us here present, (your Fellow-soldiers in the Christian warfare) let us beg that when we come to lay down our Arms at the Grave● si●e, and there to take ou● final discharge from all kind of War, we may be able ●ach for himself to say with some of our latest Breath, in the language of that Good old Soldier of Christ, 2 Tim. 4 7. I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my Course, I have kept the Faith. Henceforth there i● laid up for me a Crown of Life, which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me a● that Day, and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing.   
FINIS.