The Bible Battles, Chapter 18
CHAPTER. XIX. Of the religious preparation before the Armie march.
WHen the Hoſt is prepared and ready to march forward, before it be moved in former mer times; among Gods people theſe things were obſerved and done.
I. There was a divine exhortation, or as we call it, a ſermon appointed by God before they went forth, to bee preached to them by an ordinaryDeut 20. 2, 3, 4. 2 Ch. 20. 14 & 13. 12. 2 K. 3. 11. Iud. 4. Teacher; ſometime they had extraordinary men raiſed vp to encourage them. The Prieſts goe into the warrs, and ſounded Trumpets, Eleſha followed the Campe of the three Kings, going againſt Moab. And Deborah a Propheteſſe went downe with Barak. It's no queſtion but Miniſters may go into the wars, its neceſſary to have men of good gifts to preach▪ to ſouldiers, but they muſt be good and conſcionable to give example, zealous in reprooving, and gratious in prayer, that as Moſes did, while the other▪ fight they may pray, and helpe forwardExo. 17. the victory. If ſuch were in a Campe and reverenced, the Armie would proſper the better. Abiiah gathered2 Ch. 13. 12. courage by having the Lords Prieſts with him when he ſet the bat…le in aray againſt the Idolater I…rob… am. The prayer and ſacrifice of Samuel 2. Sam. 7. 9furthered Iſraelites againſt the Philiſtims. The French had an Archbiſhop in their hoſt when they fought with King Henry the fifth. The Spa…iards have their Prieſts with them, and doe puniſh thoſe that in word or deed doe offer them iniury. Why ſhould our Armies goe forth without good Teachers. King Henry the firſt had with him Prieſts whom he commaunded to pray whileſt hee fought the glorious battle at Agen-Court.
II. The people of God in former times humbled themſelves, not thoſe onelyonly which were at home, but the hoſt of men which went out into the warres, they faſted, they prayed, and ſought the Lord with teares, offering Sacrifices to God, and asked counſell of the Lord before, ſo did the Iſ…a… lites going againſt▪ Be…min. So didIud. 20. 18 23. 26. 1 Sam. 7. 8 they in the dayes of Samuel, whom they intreated to pray earneſtly for them. I so did Iehoſophat when hee went out againſt his enemies. In like2 Mach 3. 44, 47, 50 ſort did Iudas and his people with him, they faſted, read holy Scriptures, and prayed fervently vntounto the Lord for helpe. King Henry the fift before the battle of Agen-court with great devotion made prayers and ſupplications with his Prieſts and people▪ vntounto God and proſpered. For what is it for vsus to pray for thoſe who in the meane ſpace neglect prayer, deſpiſe it, and preaching, and give themſelves inſtead of faſting and humbling themſelves, to ſwearing, drinking, and whoring, filching, and other villanies, by which they call for vengeance againſt themſelves? The Emperour O…ho when he was to have a ſet battle with the Hungarians, proclaimed a faſt, and commanded to call vponupon the name of God before, that God might goe with them. The Romans before they began warre ſacrificed to their gods, and prayed for ſucceſſe;Liv. 22. 31▪ as is evident in their attempts, againſt Hannib…l, and in their warres againſt▪ Philip of Macedonia and Antiochus; Xenop: i… exped: Cyr: C…c. de nat: deorum 3. Liv. 29.yea they imputed their ill ſucceſſe to the neglect and contempt of Religion not ſeeking to appeaſe the wrath of the gods and to winne their favour before. Scipi… going againſt the Carthaginians, made a prayer for ſucceſſe, expreſſed in Livie, Archidamus bringing his army before Pl…tea began with ſacrifices crave helpe of the gods. Among the Lacedemonians,T…ucid 2. Plutarch. when their King went to ioyne battle, he firſt offered ſacrifice. Iſaac Baſsa going againſt Scanderbeg would not moove forward, before hee had made his prayer to God for ſucceſſe. All which condemneth the Atheiſticall Commanders and ſouldiers which in theſe dayes dare contemne theſe religious duties which are to be performed vntounto the Lord God of hoſts.
III. They had a ſtrict charge to keepe themſelues then from every thing: and withall to put away wickedneſſe,Deu. 23. 9. 1 Sa. 7. 3, 4 Ioſ. 7. eſpecially Idols, and to puniſh …oule offenders as Ioſua▪ did Achan, before he went the ſecond time againſt the Enemy, and to ſeparate Idolaters2 Ch. 28. 7, 8. from them, whom God hateth. Salomon telleth vsus, that wiſedome is better then weapons of war, but, ſaith he, one ſinner deſtroyeth much good; If wiſedome ond weapons cannot ſave where there is but one vile and notorious ill liver, how ſhall we imagine that they ſhall proſper, where a moſt there are an whole hoſt of them? Some are ſwearers, ſome beaſtly drunkards, ſome filthie whoremaſters; and not a few contemners of Religion; and many of them the ſcumme and out caſts of Pariſhes: How can we expect God to be with them? or for vsus, by them without reformation? That worthy Scipio in going to give battle to the Numantines abandoned all Bawdes, Whores, Coufeners, Coggers, Diviners, and Figure-flingers, Should the Heathen cleanſe their hoſts of ſuch wicked ones, and ſhall Chriſtians make no conſcience hereof?
IV. They laboured for faith and confidence in God, Iehoſophat preſſed2 Ch. 20. 20. & 14. 11. & 13. 18. 1. Ch. 5. 20 this hard vponupon the people, when they went forward: Aſa had his eyes vponupon God, and its ſaid the victory was given to Abiiah and his armie, becauſe they relyed vponupon the Lord. This confidence in God delighteth him▪ and they ſhall proſper that truſt in him.
To reſt vponupon any meanes is vaine; though the beſt is to be vſed, and not neglected; For, though a horſe bee prepared for battle, yet is he a vainePro. 21. 31 thing for ſafetie, neither is a King ſaved by the multitude of an hoſt, norPſa. 33. 17 Pſa. 33 16. the mighty delivered by much ſtrength: Ieroboam with his 800 thouſand loſt the battle. The Perſian Xerxes, who had his tenne hundred thouſand by land, and ten hundred thouſand ſhips by ſea▪ an incredible hoſt, yet was vanquiſhed and overthrown. Amurah the Turke, comming with ſevenſcore thouſand againſt the poore Prince Scanderbeg, was wearyed in warring, dyed in the voyage, and ſo the army returned with ſhame; A great King ſaith Salomon, may comeEccleſ. 9. 14, 15. againſt a little City, and not be able to winne it, though few be in it, being governed by the wiſedome of a wiſe man, though but poore. Its folly therfore to relye vponupon ſtrength and multitude of men, but vponupon God alone in the vſe of all lawfull meanes.
Neither though their ſtrength was ſmall, and their power weake, did they faint, when they had warrant from God to fight. For the Lords people know, that God can deliver, and ſafety is from him. It is nothingPro. 21. 31 2 Ch. 14. 11. 1 Sa. 14. 6. 1 Ch. 25. 8. 3. 18. Lev. 26. 37. Pſa 89: 43 1 Sa 13. 5. & 14 13: Iud. 14, 15 Iud 7. 12. & 8. 10. with him to helpe, either with many, or with few which hauehave no power. He it is that hath power to helpe, or to caſt downe, to make to ſtand in battle, or to flye and runne away. One Sampſon ſhall beat downe a thouſand ſometime; By two, Ionathan and his Armour-bearer, the Lord can diſmay an hoſt of 30 thouſand Charets, 6000 horſemen, and innumerable foot. By 300 Gideon that godly valiant man, he can affright a huge multitude of which there were ſlaine on hundred & twenty thouſand with their Kings in one day. By 318. men he gave Abraham and his confederates victory overGen. 14. foure Kings and their Armies, who before were conquerours over five other Kings and their hoſts. By 7000 conducted by a wicked Ahab, he put to flight the hoſt of Benhadad with1 K: 20. Num 2…. 5. 49. 32. Kings. By 12000 he made Iſrael to ſubdue the Midianites, to …ay five Kings, to take priſoners 32000 perſons, the prey and ſpoyle of 72000 beeves, 61000 Aſſes, and of ſheepe 675000, and all his glorious victory obtained without the loſſe of oneWarres of the Iewes. man. The Iewes fighting with Caſt… us the Roman, ſlew of his hoſt 516 horſe, and 27. thouſand foot, and … but 22 perſons of their owne. … leaſt men might thinke theſe to …ell rare and extraordinary, and not th… like helpe now from God to be expepected; let ſuch conſider of after victories given of God. For though ſome of theſe were miraculous, yet other ſome of them were ſuch, as God in after times hath ſhewed the2 Mach. 8. 20. like. Iudas Machabeus with 8000, deſtroyed an hundred and twentie thouſand; at another time with tenne thouſand men he vanquiſhed one … ſias with ſixty thouſand choſen foot: and five thouſand horſe. The like victories God by his ayde and providence hath given to the Heathen. Milciades the Noble Captaine of1 Mac. 4. 28. 29. the Athenians with 11 thouſand overcame above an hundred thouſand horſe and foot, ſent by Darius, ſon of Hiſdaſpis to invade Grecia, Lernidas with an handfull of Lacedemonians ſlew twenty thouſand Perſians. Great Alexander with an Army of thirtie two thouſand, conquered the world, and ſubdued mighty Oppoſers. Among Chriſtians incredible victories have beene hotten by the leſſer number; Charles Martell father to King Pippin fought with a very few againſt foure hundred thouſand Saracens, of which hee ſlew three hundred and ſeuentie thouſand. Ziſsa that everlaſtingly renowned Bohemian, in eleven ſet battles, and blind in three of them, went away victorer over all the powers that the Emperour ever made againſt him. But to ſpeake of our owne, and almoſt vnmatchable victories in France; King Henry the fift with 15000 men at Agencourt, overcame the whole power of France an army of 52000, and ſlew one Archbiſhop, eight Earles, twenty ſixe Barons, fifteene thouſand Knights, and above ten thouſand others, with the loſſe of onelyonly ſixe hundred on our ſide, and onelyonly two of great note the Duke of Yorke, and the Earle of Suffolke. Great and glorious was the victory gotten at Poictyers by Edward the blake Prince, Edward the third his ſonne, who with eight thouſand wearied ſouldiers vanquiſhed King Iohn of France, whom he tooke priſoner, and ſcattered his Armie of 40 thouſand, of which tenne thouſand were ſlaine: in which victory were taken priſoners beſides the King, Philip his ſonne, ſeventie Earles, fifty Barons, twelve thouſand Gentlemen, ſo they tooke and ſlew more, then they were themſelves. The battle at Creſy was wonderfull; for there were but of Engliſh commanded by King Edward himſelfe one thouſand, one hundred and eightie, yet preuailed they againſt the French King and the King of Bohemia, who had an hoſt of ſeventy thouſand, in which were ſlaine the King of Bohemia, eleven Princes, eightie Barons one hundred ane twenty Knights, and thirty thouſand common ſouldiers. So as wee may ſee how that glorious victories hauehave beene obtained by handfulls of men in compariſon of the conquered. When God will have men to prevaile, neither wiſedome, nor counſell nor vnderſtanding can be againſt his will, no nor power be it never ſo great; For many are the devicesProv. 19. 21 of man; but the councell of the Lord, that ſhall ſtand; as hee hath thought ſo ſhall it come to paſſe, and as he hath purpoſed, as the ProphetEſay 14. 24 ſpeaketh, ſo ſhall it be.
Therefore let all the care be to hauehave God on our ſide; for if he be with vsus who can be powerfull againſt vsus? Surely none. Xenophon that worthyXenoph. exp. Cyr. 3. Philoſopher, and noble Captain being but a heathen when his men were in diſtreſſe encouraged them thus, willing them to put confidence in God; for that (ſaith he) he was able to ſaue a few out of the hands of many, in what danger ſoever they were; he can ſtrike feare2 K 7. Iud. 7. 22. 1 Sa. 14 20 2 Cro 20. 23. & 32. 21. ſuddenly into the hearts of almoſt Conquerours, and make them run away and none purſuing them, as he did the Syrians; he can ſet the ſword vponupon the necke of one another, and cauſe them to kill one another; as he did the Philiſtims, Midianites, and the armies of three Kings; he can ſend an Angell to kill an hoſt of mighty men of valour, even an hundred and foureſcore & fiue thouſand in one night▪ In a word, he can doe what he will in Heaven and in Earth. Therefore let vsus thus prepare to meet him, to make him our Captaine, our Guide and Commander, then ſhall we …a…e good ſucceſſe, and proſper, as others hauehave done.