A Good Soldier Maintaining His Militia, Title page 1 – Dedication
A GOOD SOVLDIER, Maintaining his Militia, and Poſturing himſelf, as the ſervants of the Lord, now and in all Ages, have Poſtured the Kingdomes; WHEREIN The Right-hand of the Lord with His ſervants directing their way, and bleſſing their Worke; and all His Ordinances, Fasting, Praying, Preaching, &c. unto the Nation; is declared as mightily, as it was by the Reſurrection from the dead, whether we reſpect a Nation or a Man only. Here is a Regiſter of Gods bleſſings and Satans curſes; A Record of the (foreign,) The great and admirable ſalvations, which God has wrought for the (Righteous) Nation, and the Man there: And of the terrible things Hee has done againſt His Adverſaries theſe foure laſt yeares. Humbly preſented to the Houſe of PARLIAMENT and Aſſembly of Divines. WITH A diſcovery of the Loyall Convert, That he is quite turned from his GOD, His KING and His Kingdome: a moſt diſloyall perſon to all three.
HOSEA 14. 9. Who is wiſe, and he ſhall underſtand theſe things? for the wayes of the LORD are right, and the juſt ſhall walk in them: but the tranſgreſſours ſhall fall therein.
Printed by Order, on a day of rebuke and blaſphemy: and in the yeare of earneſt expectation after an Expected End, 1644.
A GOOD SOVLDIER, Maintaining his Militia, and Poſturing himſelf, as the ſervants of the Lord, now and in all Ages, have Poſtured the Kingdomes; WHEREIN The Right-hand of the Lord with His ſervants directing their way, and bleſſing their Worke; and all His Ordinances, Fasting, Praying, Preaching, &c. unto the Nation; is declared as mightily, as it was by the Reſurrection from the dead, whether we reſpect a Nation or a Man only. Humbly preſented to the Houſe of PARLIAMENT and Aſſembly of Divines. By Hez. W.
EZEK. 36. 25, 33, 37.
From all your filthineſſe, and from all your Idols will I cleanſe you.
I will also cauſ you to dwell in the Cities, and the waſts ſhall be builded.
I will yet for this be enquired of by the houſe of Iſrael, to doe it for them.
EZRA 7. 23.Whatſoever is commanded by th God of Heaven, let it be diligently done: For why ſhould there be wrath againſt the Realme.
JUDGES 5. 13, 21
The Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
O my ſoule thou haſt trodden downe ſtrength.
Imprimatur
EDMUND CALAMY
Printed by George Miller, dwelling in Black-Friers, 1644.
TO THE HONOVRABLE MEN, AND THE COVNSELLOVRS; The Mighty Men, and the Men of Warre; The Iudge and the Prophet, and the Prudent, and the Antient in all three Kingdomes: Engaged now in the worke and ſervice of the LORD, To helpe the LORD againſt the Mighty.
AS large and ſpreading a Dedication almoſt as was the *Anchoran, An. 634.French-mans, who dedicated a Booke, not his own neither, to Prince Charles, then to all the Popes and Cardinalls, Archbiſhops and Biſhops: and to all the learned-men within and without all the Univerſities in all foure Kingdomes. Every man abounds in his own ſenſe, I in mine. But I conceive, and that I cannot be mistaken; That when you ſhall have read this ſhort Epiſtle throughout, you will ſay, There is infinite Reaſon why I ſhould dedicate theſe following leaves to you all, you Princes, Nobles and Worthies; and to the good people too, in all three Kingdomes: But more ſpecially to you. You! The Lord has picked you out of Thouſands; You are His peculiars; His choſen ones; He has honoured you with his own Name, Saviours, Repairers of the breach, wide as the Sea; Reſtorers of the paths to dwell in; Builders of the waſts, Raiſers-up the deſolations, which a people of Gods curſe have made in your LORDS Kingdomes. A marvellous honour has the Lord put upon you! A glorious worke has He wrought for His Kingdomes by your hands! You are intreated now by the mercies of Chriſt to ſhew mercy to your owne ſoules, To work out your owne ſalvation, To doe the ſame worke for your owne ſoules, which you have done for the Nation: You are entreated to take the ſame way in poſturing your ſelves, which you have taken in poſturing the Kingdomes. A moſt juſt requeſt, It is granted. You will obſerve now what you have done for the Kingdomes.
1. You have plucked downe the high and lofty ones, proud Perſons, and vile Things, Idols of jealouſie before the eye. Pluck them downe in your heart too, or elſe you have done nothing for your ſoules.
2. You have commanded Prayer. Pray in prayer, pray ſervently, in your own houſe and cloſet: And if you cannot pray ſo, mourne that you cannot.
3. You have opened the priſon doores, and the mouthes of Ministers: you have ſent forth Angels (a more proper word then Biſhops) To preach the everlaſting Goſpell (as you read.) (Truly the Lord will doe Great Things for this Land, Truly He will.) That you may ſee it with your eyes, and rejoyce with His Inheritance, labour with all your might to bring your hearts to the rule, and under the power of the Goſpell.
4. You have vindicated the LORDS Day, a day ſo vilified, ſo reproached, ſo blaſphemed; never was day ſo dealt with ſince the beginning of dayes; you have vindicated That Day; Let it appeare you have done it in Truth, for your LORDS Day is your delight, and you ſanctifie that day unto the Lord.
5. You would keepe-off common-hands from taking the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the LORD: You will looke to your hands, that they be cleane: and your veſſels, that they be holy, wherein you have put that ſhew-Bread, thoſe Holy myſteries. You are conſulting about a Church way. You are reſolved, with Joſhua, To walke in it amidſt your owne houſe.
6. You would bring the three Kingdomes into covenant with their God; Bleſſed be you of the Lord. But you doe all this faithfully; you have lifted-up your hands, to the high God, to Reforme your ſelfe and yours. Now you muſt not ſtart aſide. The Covenant is as a large circumference, it fetcheth a wide circuit about three Kingdomes; If you love your ſoules, as you doe the Kingdomes, you muſt Center this Covenant, every man in his own heart; you must ſtand to it.
7. Active you are to quench the fier in the Kingdomes. You are as active to quench the fier in your owne-boſomes, which let alone there, may burne to the neithermoſt Hell, a place below the grave.
8. You would have the Lord purge-out the Rebells out of the Kingdomes: He muſt doe it, for it is his promiſe; But if you deſire it heartily, you are more active in ſubduing the rebellions in your owne heart. This is to love the Kingdomes in Truth; This is to walke in the Truth; This is to doe faithfully whatever you doe to the Bretheren and to ſtrangers: And why not, to your own ſoules? Goe on and proſper, as your ſoules proſper. Love the Kingdomes ſtill, and love your own ſoules ſtill; Poſture and ſtrengthen the Kingdomes with one hand, your ſoules with the other. All this is done by the ſame means, in the ſame way. The LORD keepe your hearts cloſe to Him, and your hands to His worke, which ſhall turne to your ſalvation alſo, through your prayers, and the prayers of all the Churches for you, and the ſupply of the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Amen and Amen.