Military Duties Recommended, Doctrine
DOCT.
That The Almighty GOD is to be acknowledg'd as the Author of whatsoever Military SKILL or STRENGTH any Children of men do excel in.
THAT the Worthy Company who call'd me to this place and work, may not be too long detained from the Field, where no doubt, they love to be, all due Brevity shall be endeavoured, in our present Discourse.
Only two Propositions shall be call'd upon, to ripen this Doctrine for it's Application.
PROPOSITION I.
It is the Priviledge of some Persons to excel in a Military Skill or Strength.
There is a two-fold Military Excellency which some in the world are so priviledg'd as to reach unto.
Firstly, There are some persons excellent for their military SKILL. There is such an happy unhappy Art used among Adam's wrangling Posterity in the world, as that of Tactics, or the Art of Warr; and her… and there we may find those who have the honour of being excellently well skill'd therein. The politic and most peaceable Monarch of old, made it one of his Aphorisms in Eccl. 9. 18. Wisdome is better than weapons of Warr. But some desireable persons there are, meriting for this to be called Deliciae humani generis, or Mankinds Delight, who at once have Weapons in their hands, and Wisdom in their Heads enabling them to manage the same unto very good account. There are persons very notable for Feats of Arms, like David, of whom tis reported in 1. Sam. 18. 5. He behaved himself wisely and he was set over the men of war: It seems he was so good a Souldier, that he was made Captain of the Artillery at Gibeon. Such brave men were those pious Trans-Iordanites, of whom wee have that Description in 1. Chron. 5. 18. They were men able to bear Buckler and Sword, and to shoot with Bow, and they were skilful in war. And such a Character we also have of several Tribes who were mustered at Hebron, to solemnize Davids Coronation there, in 1. Chron. 12. At verse 33. it is related of the Zebulonites, that they were expert in warr, with all Instruments of warr, able to keep Rank; At verse 35. it is related of the Danites, and at verse 36. it is related of the Asherites likewise that they were expert in war. Some such Beauties is the face of the earth adorn'd withall; Persons that understand well all the FIGURES or POSTURES which a Souldier is to use in the Handling of his Arms; persons that are well acquainted with all the MOTIONS & ORDERS which a Souldier may be call'd unto, all the various FACINGS, and numerous DOUBLINGS, & intricate COUNTER-MARCHINGS, & comely WHEELINGS which are customary, and all the CHARGINGS which the many sorts & shapes of BATTAILS do admit, with innumerable STRATAGEMS of War; persons, in a word, who can handsomely apply all the INSRUMENTS of Defence which a Souldier may Cap-a-pe be furnished with, and all the INSTRUMENTS of Offence which a Souldiers hand can be put unto, from the Half-pike unto the Granado and the roaring Canon.
Nextly, There are some persons excellent for their Military STRENGTH also. There is a Two-fold Strength which Souldiers are sometimes to be admired for.
Firstly, Some Souldiers have an Admirable Strength of BODY. Such a Souldier was that renowned Judge of Israel, Sampson, the History of whose Activity (as well as the signification of his Name) the Heathen have carried into their stories about their Hercules: 'Tis storied of Him, in Iudg. 14. 6. That when a young Lion roared against him, he rent him as he would have rent a kid; tho the Oracles of the Lion's Maker have determined him to be the strongest among Beasts. Tis storied of Him, in Chapt. 16. 3. That he took the Gates of a City, Doors, Posts, Barrs and all, and carried 'em away up an high Hill twenty miles off. Tis storied of Him in Chapt. 16. 27. that with main force he over-sett the two huge Pillars whereon lay the stress of a vast Temple, containing many more than three thousand people.
There are Souldiers, that for the Strength of their Limbs, deserve the name wich once a King in England had, even that of Ironside; they may almost affirm, what Iob deni'd, My strength is the strength of stones, and my flesh is brass. We have read of a Scanderleg who had an Arm that could make his sword strike through thick Iron, and who encountring a mighty wild Bull that had slain many, wi…h one onelyonly Blow of his Cimitar cutt his head clean from his shoulders. We have read of a Milo, of a Maximus, of some others, men made up of Sinewes, that would hold a club, or keep a place in spite of all possible Assaults, that would carry Burdens next to insupportable, and in every peece of action scorn a Match.
Nextly, Some Souldiers have an Admirable Strength of SPIRIT also; their Courage is marvellous and invincible. Such were those Captains which increased Davids Band, 1. Chron. 12. 21. all mighty men of valour. And such were the Simeonites, (ibid. v. 25.) mighty men of Valour, for the war: and such the Ephraimites (ibid. v. 30.) mighty men of Valour, famous throughout the house of their Fathers. There are Souldiers that for their Valour deserve the name of Caleb, which may signify All-heart, and who, like Caleb are not afraid to look a bigg son of Anak in the face. They are as undaunted as the Leviathan, (the Crocodile) which is made without fear; its a meer sport unto them, to outbrave the King of Terrours, to have Cannon Bullets flying & hissing, and drawn Swords clashing round about them, and dischargdischarged Pistols hurled at their heads; they are like fiery metal-fome War-Horses clothed with Thunder, they go on to meet Armed men, they laugh at Fear, and are not affrighted, neither turn they back from the Sword, they shout among the loud Drums and the …hrill Clangors of the Trumpet Ha, Ha! the Thuuder of the Captains and the Shouting only adds Fire to their Magnanimity; and if they are threatned with such clouds of Arrowes as shall darken the very sky, they make no more of it than the Persian, who reply'd to such a Menace, I am glad of that! we shall then fight in the shade. Yea, almost every spot of ground affords a spectacle of more Fortitude than what appears in Fighting stoutly when Martial Noises do inspirit men. We may see men whose Blood chills not when they are call'd out to dy alone in cold Blood; men that with a steady Countenance can take grim Death arrayd with all its pompous Horrors, by the cold clammy hand, and cheerfully say, Friend, do thy worst! Such skill! and such Strength many mortals have.
PROPOSITION II.
The Almighty GOD is to be acknowledged as the Author of these Excellences.
All that have such Excellencies are beholden to GOD for them, and ought to own their being so. Among the Romans, there were those Officers who were called Campi Doct… res, the Doctors of the Field. All true Christian Souldiers will acknowledge the Ever-living GOD for the supreme Teacher in the field unto them; they say, He hath his chair in the Heavens, who is our Teacher. Shall we speak of SKILL? Behold, the Blesse… GOD, the Father of Lights is the Bestowe… of That. The haughty Sennacherib is rebuked for saying of his military Exploits, in Isa. 10. 13. By my wisdom I have done them. We are informed concerning the Husband-man by the princely Prophet, His God doth instruct him to Discretion, and doth teach him. How fitly may that be said of the Souldier too! There is a GOD that he hath his military Discretion from. Shall we speak of STRENGTH? Lo, This also is to be ascribed unto God, the Rock of Ages. It was a check given to the Moabites in Ier. 48. 14. How say ye, we are mighty and strong men for the war? As for Strength of Body this is from God. The Psalmist does most ingenuously confess, in Psal. 18, 34. It is the Lord that teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. As for STRENGTH of SPIRIT, this too is from God. When Arrowes are to be made Bright, and Shields to be gathered, tis said (in Ier. 51. 11.) that The Lord raiseth the spirits of men. That which makes this further evident is, that the Almighty God takes away military Skill and Strength from men, whensoever it pleaseth Him. This the poor Canaanites had experience of: The Hundreds of Thousands of armed men in those mighty Nations, advantaged with Chariots that were plated with sweeping slaughtering Hooks of Iron, could not stand—The Lord at once tormented them with great Wasps, hideously stinging of their Bodyes, and with black Fears weakning of their Spirits, they could not stand before an handful of men, to whom the Lord had promised in Exod. 23. 27. I will send my Fear before thee, and will make thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. The cruel crafty Indians among our selves, were t' other Day an instance of this too; at a time when we expected utmost Ruin by their merciless hands, They fell before us like the leaves in Autumn, and themselves gave this reason of it, laying their hands on their breasts, Oh (said they) the Englisham's God makes us afraid here. This there is no question to be made of; no means or helps will make us succesful Souldiers, if God deny His Smiles: An Host of sorry Mice will render all our Bow-strings utte…ly unserviceable, if God say unto them, Go, … … We have cause to say after the Psalmist in Psal. 44. 6. I will not trust in my Bow, neither shall my Sword save me.
But the Improvement of these things remains.