Military Duties Recommended, Application 5
USE. V.
Let every Christian acknowledge GOD for his Teacher in the Spiritual Warfare which he is calld unto.
Among those Monuments of Antiquity, the Works of those gray-headed and Reverend men whom they use to call the Fathers, we may find this Text glossed with a variety of Allegorical Expositions; we have it represented as the Speech both of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cursed Tree▪ … … … Powers of Darkness in their o… … … and of every Christian also en… … … s…en Battails of the Lord ag… … … Wickednesses which do annoy… … …ot meet that a Popular Auditory … … …s'd with vain Quotations from the… … …is i… as certain as what is mo… … every Christian shares with his Le… … Lo…d Jesus Christ, in being (as … … …rases it) a Praeliator interior, On… … … spiritual Warfare to be sollicito… … … The Souldiers present, have this … … the three kinds of Calls to regard the… … … Duties. They have had not only, Verba m… ▪ ta, the military Sights of Ensigns and Weapons display'd before them; and not only Verba Semivocalia, the military Sounds that have been Knocking and Clashing in their Ears; but they have also had Verba Vocalia, the Articulate Commands of Man and of God also, to acquitt themselves as good Souldiers; the Lord open their ears to Disciplin… ▪
But having done with Them for That,
There now remains a very Solemn and Earnest Address to be made unto Them and Every Person in the Congregation, about a Thing of more Concernment farr away. Congregation, hear the Word of the Lord▪
Well sings the Sententious Poet,
Nunquam bella bonis, nunquam certamina desunt,
Et cum quo certet, mens pia semper habet,
i. e. The Godly man is never free
From Warrs with some Soul-Enemie.
There is an Holy Warr which indeed every Soul in this House (or in this World, is call'd unto.
There is no professor of Christianity among us all, who is not infinitely concern'd to be in Arms perpetually at Warr with the Enemies of his never-dying foul, his everlasting Weal. And how many millions of Woes will overtake the Soul that becomes not a good Souldier of Iesus Christ, no Tongue can express, or Heart conceive. Let these Admonitions then excite you and direct you to get the Help of GOD in Teaching your Heart to War and your Spirit to Fight against the Invisible Enemies whose Oppressions make you mourn.
For your Awakening here.
KNOW, First,
There are innumerable and very formidabl… Enemies dayly pursuing the Destruction of your Souls.
It was an Out-cry sometimes made for the Rowsing of a sleepy man, in Iudg. 16. 9. The Philistines are upon thee, man. A more startling thing is to be signified unto every one of you, Christian, There are Foes and horrible Fiends all round about besetting of thee. Ever since we were born into the world, we have lived in the Territories of our Enemies; and we can scarce take a step without Annoyances from the bloudy Murderers of our Souls. It is related concerning the Prophet's Servant, in 2, King. 6. 17. Elisha prayed, and said, Lord I pray thee open his eyes that he may see … and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man▪ and he saw; and behold, the mountains were full of horses and chariots of Fire. May I now p… up such a petition unto the GOD of Heaven in the behalfe of them that I am speaking to;
O our God, our God, open our eyes we pray thee, that we may see the unseen Enemies which are dayly and hourly assaulting of us. Might the most High GOD pronounce an Ephatha over our slumbering eyes, we sh…ld soon perceive the Ground about us cover'd and the … about us crouded with Armies of Terrible ones whom our Souls are endangered by. There is a Sarco-cosmo-pneumato-machia a Warr with the Flesh, the World and the Devil, which you are all prest unto. The Apostle hath in Eph. 2. 2, 3. given us the Names and Qualities of three Captains which the infernal Army of our Adversaries is under the Conduct of. It makes an hott Battle indeed when our Enemies fire by Salves, pouring in scalding sulphureous Showres of Lead upon us, by fireing three Ranks together. Behold such is the Fierce Combate which every one of you are put upon. Yea there are no less than Three mighty Armyes fireing upon you all at once. There are Three most potent, most wily, and most malicious Commanders, who with all their Hellish forces are attempting to sieze thy immortal Soul, O man; Oh how fain would they make a Prize of it, and keep it in their horrid Clutches for evermore! There is a Black Prince who has an unknown Power of Troops, raging, and ramping and roving, (like wild Arabians) within the Atmosphere of our Air, to which the Vengeance of God hath confined them for their Apostasie▪ This Grand Seignour of Hell is, as Mahom… is call'd in the Apocalypse, The Grand Abaddon or Appollyon of Souls. This Monarch of the Lapsed Angels cannot have his Envy at man, or his Hatred of God satisfyed without enslaving all the Children of Adam not only under his Condemnation, but under his Iurisdiction also. There are vast, hideous multitudes of desolate Spirits alwayes ready at a minutes Warning to serve him in Spoiling the Happiness of men by keeping a Distance between God and them. He, and all this his forlorn Crue are more unwilling to let any men please God, than Pharaoh was to Dismiss the Israelites from the Brick-kilns of their Bondage. David was not more dogg'd for his Life by Saul than we are by these roaring Dragons of the Wilderness. Besides these, The Subjects, the devoted Vassals which this Fly-God hath already gained unto his party, of the Humane Race, do sett themselves with might and main to promote his Interest every where, being led captive by him at his will; and all the Pleasures, all the Profits, all the Preferments of Time, do afford Weapons to befriend this execrable Enterprize. But that which compleats our peril is, that we harbour in our own Breasts a treacherous Enemy whic… sides with all these; a Cage of unclean Lusts have lodg'd themselves within us, which at th… first Summons would presently surrender us into the hands of the bitter and hasty Natio… that are gaping for us. All the Arrows which the spiritual wickednesses in high places do shoot at us, are headed & feather'd from our selvs, fro… our own Sensuality, or Coveteousness or Ambition, and a certain Old man that sleeps in our own Bosomes. If it were not for this perfideous Inmate, our Enemies would go grudging about the streets for want of Bread. Alas, we have within our own Bowels, a Sheba that riseth up in Rebellion against our Eternal King. This is our amazing case; and it will be so untill we have fought our way quite through the Field of blood which the Church militant is groaning in. The Omnipotent GOD hath fired a Becon before our eyes, and given us that faithful Warning in 1. Tim. 6. 12. That we must fight a good Fight, or we cannot lay hold on Eternal Life. Such a Voice as that we have from the shrill Trum…ets of God, in Matt. 11. 12. That we must like Souldiers, exert an Holy Force and Violence or be shutt out from the Kingdom of heaven in howling Anguishes, until the very Heavens be no more. Thus must we work out our own Salvation; Thus must we strive to enter in at the strait gate. The real Christian is to be pitty'd on the same score that the Bird of prey is hated, namely, quia semper vivit in Armis; as long as he breathes he never has it said unto him, Lay down your Arms. O the Besotment, the Lethal Stupidity of the Soul who… …hese Intimations will not awaken!
REMEMBER Next
The Engagements whichly upon you to Encounter these Enemies, are many & very mighty Obligations.
There are Obligations hereunto laid upon you by the Vowes of God, which you are under. The military Oath was call…d a Sacrament of old. Verily you have taken Sacraments upon it, and Oaths of Fidelity unto the Lord Jesus Christ that you will never have any Peace, or so much as any Truce with these Enemies which would not have Him to reign over you. Were you not Baptized into the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ? Then, in that day were you listed under the …er o… that Poten…e; You were bound unto a neve… ceasing Emnity and Watchfullness against th… Tempters which would with-draw you from your Allegiance unto Him. But, Ah Lord how rarely are any among us duly mindful of our Baptismal Vow! Souls, if ever after this you submit to the Wills of those Abominable things which would build a Partition-wall between God and you, You do then prophanely play the Traitor towards the great LORD whose Mark you have received in your Foreheads. Be assured, the Waters of Baptism will one day become like the Waters of Iealousie, or more direful than a River of burning Brimstone unto the Renegadoes that shall thus procure to themselves a Lott among the Fearful & the Unbelievers. Have not many of you also satt down at the Table of the Lord? Verily, when the Lord so erected a Banner of Love over you in His Banquetting-house, there were fresh Tyes, rendering all Reconciliation or Accommodation between you and these A…alekites the most Dishonest thing imaginable. The Lord Jesus Christ hath there said in plain Visible Words unto you,—Behold, I was thus murdered by those very enemies that are lying in wait for thy precious Life; O never do thou admit any Friendship with them. Then with a pretence of as much Affection as the Citizens of Rome discovered when the Shew of stabb'd Caesar's bloody Robes made … … …ury to demolish the Houses of the Assassinate…, you have openly vowed never to have so much as a kind Parly or Treaty with those Destroyers; you have most vehemently professed against them, with the Indignation which David had against the Injurious man in the parable, As the Lord lives, I'le do what I can, that they who have done this thing may dy the Death. And can you find in your hearts after this, thus to break your Everlasting Govenant? After you have ate and drank with Jesus Christ can you sit and side with the Assaylers of His Throne? Yea, these Vows have you renewed as often as you have made any near Approaches unto God in Jesus Christ; this hath been the Language of every good deed which you have applyed your selves unto; I will even Resist unto blood, striving against Sin. Moreover both the Precepts of God have enjoyned this upon you in 2. Cor. 16. 13. Quitt you like men, (like Souldiers) and be strong; and all the Providences of God, whether merciful or afflictive have been so many Spurs quickning of you unto these Warrs of the Lord. O let not all these Bonds of God be upon you, like the green Withes on Sampson easily burst asunder!
But there are still further Obligations here…nto laid upon you in point of Interest.
On the one hand, Be assured, if you do Combate strenuously, you shall Conquer gloriously. You have a General that never yet was overcome; He is the King of Glory, the Lord mighty in Battail: No enemy can stand before a Look of His. Veni, Vidi, Vici, A Sight of Him, and a Flight by them, is the constant Tenour of His Successes. If you will sincerely but let Him bring you on, He will be sure to bring you off securely. And if you hold on, & hold out, if you continue Faithful unto the death, O the unparallelable Crowns and Kingdomes, and inexhaustible Treasures which you shall become the Possessors of!
Est Deus, est aether, precium certaminis hujus;
Haec faciant pugnam Praemia tanta levem.
[Mantuan.]
The Lord Jesus Christ will publish all your P…ins in a big Convention of all the World; in the near Day; the Last and Great Day, when every Child of man shall stand before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ: He will then proclaim what you have been and done, and requite it with a Well done, good and faithful servant. Then shall He as the Cheif (the Standard-bearer as in Cant. 5. 10. He is dedenominated) among many Thousands, mar… before you up unto the Mountaines of spices, and you shall in his blessed Army of Chosen and Galled and Faithful Ones, with him enter into the coelestial Mansions, where you shall be for ever with the Lord.
On the other hand, Be assured you must either Fight or Dye. This Warr is like that of Death, whereof tis said in Eccl. 8. 8. There is no Discharge in that warr. When a person once confessed unto one of the Ancients, Nihil Pugnae sentio in corde meo. I don't feel that my soul is put upon Strugglings with any Enemies; the good man made this Answer, Alas, then the City gates of thy soul are open, so that thy enemies do what they will without controul. Here indeed the Christian that is no… a Souldier, is a perfect Slave, and what a deplorable thing is that! It was the Speech of a famous Commander unto his Army, when they were penn'd up with the Sea on one side of them, and an huge Host of enemies on the other, Fellow Souldiers, you must … …ither drink up this Sea, or eat up these men. Thus, there is no escaping here; you must either beat the Eemies of your souls, or burn in a … Ocean of God's Wrath for ever. If t…e Cut-throats of our souls are not resisted sted fastl… in the Faith, we shall become the Captives of those mighty ones; and if they get us they will keep us, if they subdue us they will torment us, world without end: There will be no Remedy but we must welter under the Anguishes, the bitter Dolours of Everlasting fire with the Divel … his Angels. And which of us all is not now Awakened to ask of God to Teach us to warr and to Fight against those Canaanites which would keep us out of the Land flowing with milk and honey?
But for the Counsilling of you then,