unto them They in their pride lift up themselves and magnifie themselves against the Saints as if they were a company of silly weak men they doe not know that they are the people of the Lord of Hosts therefore God threatens there that he will be terrible unto them And thus you have the Relation of the Church to God revealing himselfe in this name The Lord of Hosts yet marke further the Relation that God hath to them in this his name As 1. The Lord of Hosts is the portion of his Church Jer. 10. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like them hee is the former of all things The Lord of Hosts is his name Wherefore if there be any thing in The Lord of Hosts that can doe them good they may challenge it for God The Lord of Hosts is their portion they may make use of all that is in him for their good 2. Hs is their Redeemer That you have in the Text Our Redeemer The Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord undertakes the redeeming of his people under this title of his on purpose that the multitude the greatnesse the fury of their enemies might not daunt them Your Redeemer is not one that cannot save he is The Lord of Hosts and one you may certainly confide in for he is The holy One of Israel 3. He is the pleader yea the through pleader of the cause of his people Jer. 50. 34. Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon God hath begun to plead the cause of his people already and hee hath shewne himselfe The Lord of Hosts in it but hee hath not yet throughly pleaded their cause as he meanes to doe when he shall doe that he will then give rest to the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon This work will cost the inhabitants of Babylon deare they were never so disquieted amongst us as they are at this day They have troubled the Saints and God now troubles them but will yet disquiet them more although they thinke to defend themselves by gathering Armies yet the Lord of Hosts shall disquiet them and give rest to his people There remaines yet a rest for the people of God even in this world 4. The Lord of Hosts is the Husband of his Church and this is the most neare and sweet relation of all Esa 54. 4 5 6. Feare not c. For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken grieved in spirit when thou wast refused saith thy God Alas saith the Church I am a poore desolate widow a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit every one neglects me I am rejected of all Well sayes God I took thee when thou wert thus forsaken to be my Spouse I have marryed thee to my selfe therefore now feare not I am the Lord of Hosts the God of the whole earth Surely a Generall if he hath the heart of a man in him he will fight for his Spouse he will not suffer his Spouse to be ravished before his eyes What sayes Ahasuerus concerning Haman Will he force the Queen before my face Vile men are risen up and they seeke to ravish the Church the Spouse of the Lord of Hosts and do you think he will suffer this before his face Shall not all the Armies in heaven and earth rather come together and fight for her deliverance Now then if all these things be thus we have cause then to quiet our hearts in the midst of all our fears and distractions to stand still and see the salvation of God the salvation that this Lord of Hosts is working for us This is the businesse that I have been endeavouring to enlarge before you the object of your faith and to lessen the object of your feare Surely if the Lord of Hosts hath such a relation to his Church and the Church such a relation to him he cannot but be exceedingly provoked against any that shall meddle with his Church to doe it hurt I will give you one notable expression of his anger against such Esa 3. 15. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poore saith the Lord of Hosts God here speaks angerly What am I the Lord of Hosts and will you offer this What mean you As when we flie upon a man in anger whom we see doth things to our prejudice or the prejudice of any neer to us in an absurd maner we say What doe you mean to do thus what are you mad Doe you know what you doe Doe you know who they are you thus abuse From all these gracious expressions of this Lord of Hosts to the comfort and encouragement of his people the result is that in the 8. of Esay 12 13. Say not A confederacy to them that say A confederacy oh many of their forces are joyned together feare not their feare but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himselfe and let him be your feare and let him be your dread The Name of God is a strong Antidote to drive feare out of the hearts of the weakest Upon what we have seene in this title of God we may well say to the fearful in heart be strong feare not as we have it Isa 35. 4. Let women and all such as are naturally feareful take heed of sinfull feare The fearfulnesse of women hanging about their Husbands and children and friends crying out when they should goe forth in this service and going up and down wringing their hands and making dolefull outcries may do abundance of hurt exceedingly hinder the work that the Lord hath now in hand Let women take heed they be not hindrances but let them learne to exercise faith and take spirit to themselves that they may further their Husbands children and friends in this work of the Lord of Hosts Marke that Scripture 1 Pet. 3. 6. Yee are the daughters of Sarah so long as you do well and be not afraid with any amazement Yee would all willingly be accounted the daughters of Sarah Observe how the holy Ghost puts it upon this that you be not afraid with any amazement it may be nature may cause some feare but grace must keepe it that it be not with any amazement Why is it thus put upon this As Abraham is most commended for his faith and so by beleeving wee are the children of Abraham so it seemes Sarah his wife in those difficulties that Abrabam went through she was no hinderance but a furtherance to him she did not cry out to him Why will you leave your fathers house and all your kindred and go up and downe in a strange country in the middest of dangers and many straits no but shee rather was a helpe to him and an encourager of him so saies Peter who speaking to Christians who lived in troublesome and dangerous
mercy is it for us to be as Gedeons sleece dry when all about us have been wet not with dew but with blood These beginnings of wars tell many Countries and Shires in England what a blessing peace vvas vvhich they never understood before Peace is sweet and good but let us take heede we buy not our peace too deare 7. This name of God shews us how neerly it concerns all people in times of wars to seeke to make up their peace with this God When we goe forth to war against our enemies vve had need take heed that God be not our enemy too If hee be all our Armies and power we can raise are to little purpose to help us Let us deale vvisely for our selves to make sure that he fights not against us If this be not done against whomsoever else vve fight vve fight with infinite disadvantage Now we must seek to make our peace with him by our unfained-humiliations before him and our sincere reformations in turning to him For the first we are loth to humble our selves before our enemies this we think is our shame Let us humble our selves before this God this is our glory You make Fortifications and in that you doe well but except you adde thereunto humiliations it will be to little purpose Esay 22. 11 12 c. Ye made a ditch also betweene the two walls for the water of the old poole but ye have not looked to the maker thereof It follows And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and behold joy gladnesse killing oxen drinking wine This was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged till you dye saith the Lord of Hosts Mark three times in that verse is mention made of The Lord of Hosts He takes special notice of this And the rather should wee get our hearts afflicted and humbled under the mighty hand of this God because our adversaries are so proud because of that high hand of pride and blasphemie that they goe forth withall against God There is no such stratagem of war like this to get the advantage of our adversaries in this very thing Doe we heare of their pride and blasphemies let our hearts be the more humble before the Lord let us labour so much the more to sanctifie the Name of this holy God whose name the Angels celebrate as Holy holy holy the Lord of Hosts Esay 6. 3. With our Humiliations let Reformation turning to this God be added It must needs be a dangerous thing in times of wars to carry with us or harbour amongst us any Traitors against this Lord of Hosts as the truth is all sins that we retaine are What acceptance can we then expect from him or successe by him You know what trouble the accursed thing of Achan caused in the Camp it made the Children of Israel fly before the men of Ai. If any accursed thing though secret be such a disturbance in the Camp much more accursed Officers Hos 12. 5 6. Even the Lord God of Hosts the Lord is his memoriall therefore turne thou to thy God Zach. 1. 3. Say to them Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Turne ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Here we have also this name of God three times as a provocation to us to returne unto him Let us all know and especially those who are in service in the Army the great General the Lord of Hosts cals to us he cals to you to returne to him and promises to returne to us to return to you As if he should say You have been very vile and wicked your consciences cannot but tell you so and I know it yet returne now to me and I professe my selfe notwithstanding all that you have done I am here ready and willing to returne to you all shall be forgiven as if it had never been committed Surely there is no such valour as in a spirit cleared from the guilt and filth of sin 8. This name of God shews us our duty to seek him much by Prayer in times of war and to depend upon him wholly for successe in it for he is the Lord of Hosts For the first Where should we seek for light but in the Sun where for water but in the rivers where for heat but in the fire where for valour victory but in the Lord of Hosts The Heathens were wont to offer their Sacrifices to God in times of War Hence a Sacrifice hath the name Hostia because when they went against enemies they offered it Saul thought it a very hard thing to goe forth to War not having offered Sacrifice before 1 Sam. 13. 12. Therefore said I The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I forced my selfe therefore and offered a burnt offering When Jehosaphat heard of an Army comming out against him before he would goe out to battail he set himselfe to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 20. 3. He gave his whole selfe so the words are Moses his hands lift up in Prayer and Joshuahs stretched forth in the battel makes a victorious army Our Prayers are our Guns saith Luther Prayer hath done mighty things in battels The praying Christians in Marcus Aurelius his Army were called The thundring Legion Sozomen and Nicephorus tel us that Theodosius by Prayer made the weapons of enemies turne upon themselves I am sure it hath done as great things One of the strangest victories that ever was heard of was that we have recorded Numb 31. 8. They slew five Kings of Midian they slew all the males and all the women that had known man and burnt all their Cities and took booty six hundred thousand and seventy and five thousand sheep and threescore and twelve thousand beeves and threescore and one thousand Asses and thirty and two thousand women that had not known man ver 32 33 34 35. Now here was the wonder of this battel that in all this great victory the Children of Israel lost not one man for so saies the Text plainly ver 49. Thy servants have taken the summe of the men of war which are under our charge and there lacketh not one man of us And mark what was done when they went forth to this battel ver 6. The holy instruments and the trumpets sounded in the hands of Eleazar the Priest It was an ordinance of God amongst them that the Priests should sound with the silver trumpets when they wentforth to battail Numb 10. 9. Which was observed here and see what a victory was obtained An Army of prayers is as strong as any Army of men whatsoever yea one man praying may do more then many men fighting Elisha hath his sword to slay as well as Jehu and Hazael 1 King 19. 15 16 17. when Elijah thought there was no help Yes saith God Goe and
low mean poor cowardly spirit hee would be a reproach to his Father and the very mention of his Father would be a reproach to him Christians do not you professe God to be your Father do you not know your Father is the Lord of Hosts where are your spirits of magnanimity and fortitude of courage and valour beseeming the children of such a glorious Father the Lord of Hosts If you be of the right breed you must needes be generous it is impossible but you should have something of his spirit in you if you be of low unworthy sensuall cowardly spirits you are not begotten of him God hath no children but they have some beam of every excellencie of his that such creatures are capable of Now this is the question what have you of the spirit of this great God The spirit of the Devil although it be a proud spirit yet it is a base cowardly spirit If you resist the Devill he will fly from you The truth is all the men in the world have vile spirits Gods children are men of another spirit God breeds up all his children to bee Souldiers there are none in heaven but were bred Souldiers as they grew up were brought up in military discipline Many Nations bring up their children to be Soldiers from their tēder yeers they discipline them this way The Parthians bring up their children in teaching them the use of the bow the Scythians in the use of the dart the Germans in the use of the speare All Gods children are here members of the Church militant it is fit for them to be skilful not onely in the use of the spirituall Armour but of bodily also Who so fit to be used in the battels of the Lord as they who have most interest in the Lord who so fit to venture his body to the sword in time of war as he that can give his body to the fire in time of peace Isay 13. 3. Souldiers whom God chooseth for his battails are called his sanctified ones an honourable title given to souldiers Gods sanctified ones and who so fit to be Gods sanctified ones set apart for such services as those who are sanctified by his Spirit set apart for himself eternally The valour of that people the Gaules was admired by the Romans it proceeded from that instruction they had from their Druides of the immortality of the soul Those are fittest to venture their lives in fight who are able to see beyond life to see what is on the other side of the shore of this mortality even eternall life and glory All the Saints especially in these days should be ful of spirit strong in the might of the Lord because Jesus Christ is about to pul down that great enemy of his That man of sin and in his conquest he is said to come with his garments dipt in blood Apoc. 19. Now that true spirit that beseemes one who hath this Lord of Hosts to be his Father is 1. A spirit that scornes to be base he wil not be a slave to the Devill or any lust of his own or other mens he thinks himself too good for sin If you set one that has the spirit of a Soldier in him to drudgery he scornes it he thinks himself above any such imployment he has the true spirit of a Souldier that has got the victory over himself In this every souldier of this Lord of Hosts hath a spirit above the great renowned Souldiers of the World Alexander Pompey Themistocles c. they were all vassals to their lusts And although he be willing to serve men under God yet he will never be a slave to their lusts but will maintain the liberty of a man and a Christian to himself and posterity Philo Judaeus reports of a Heathenish people who in their wars used onely this expression to put spirit into their Souldiers Estote viri libertas agitur be men your liberty is in question But what is this bondage that the spirit of a Christian will not should not beare There is a naturall slavery that as a man he should not he wil not be subject to that is in these 3. things 1. To give up his own propriety in what he hath so as whatsoever God and Nature hath given him should not be his own but wholly at the will of another 2. Subjection to that government that he no way either by himselfe or others hath ever yeelded consent unto neither is bound to by the Law of God in his word nor by the Law of Nature 3. To be in such a condition as that whatsoever service he doth he shall receive nothing for it by way of justice but meerly out of favour this is slavery which an ingenuous spirit cannot beare And as a Christian he will not subject his conscience to any but reserves that to doe his homage unto God by it A spirit of the right breed though it foresees dangers in the cause of God yet it can and doth resolutely encounter with them That speech of Esther was a speech that came from a brave spirit though a woman If I perish I perish but it was a fruit of fasting and prayer Ay that is the way to get a spirit of courage indeed The like we have of the three Children in Daniel Chap. 3. 16. O Nebuchadnezar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Behold our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we wil not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up That famous expression of Paul hath the like true Christian valour sparkling in it when it was prophesyed that he should be bound at Jerusalem at which many of the Saints with him fel on weeping Why do you weep and break my heart sayes Paul I am not onely ready to be bound at Jerusalem but to dye for the name of Christ That expression that is recorded of Ignatius is famous likewise in this kind it is in an Epistle of his to the congregation of Trallis Let the fire the gallows the devouring of wild beasts the breaking of bones the pulling asunder of my members the bruising or pressing of my whole body and the torments of the devill or hell it self come upon me so that I may win Christ Jesus Here was one that had the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts in him The like had Luther when he said If all the tyles of the houses of the City of Wormes were devils he would go thither knowing he was called by God to witnesse to the truth there This resolutenesse of spirit manifests it self in dangerous times in a readinesse to joyne with our brethren in difficult services wherein there is much hazard and trouble A man of a true raised spirit that hath true courage in it will not see his brethren in hot services and let them alone in them
to shift out as well as they can for his part he is loth to meddle or stir he may bring himselfe into trouble when he needs not no he will not you cannot bring him to it To such men it may well be said as Moses to the children of Gad and the children of Reuben Numb 32. 6. Shall your brethren goe to war and shall ye sit here Why shall they encounter with dangers and suffer hard things and you sit still and have your ease you may have shifts and pretences for this but to you I say this day as Moses to them ver 23. If ye will not joyne with your brethren behold ye have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out 3. A spirit of valour Such a one as is indeed the spirit of a souldier of this Lord of Hosts when hardnesse when troubles come it is able to endure them 2 Tim. 2. 3. As a good souldier of Jesus Christ endure hardnes Many seem to be resolute before troubles come but when they come they cannot bear them Romanū est fortia pati a speech of Mutius Scaevola More true Christianum est fortia pati if part of a Romane to suffer great things much more of a Christian If you be dainty and cannot suffer you are not fit to be a Christian Nimis delicatus es saith Tertullian you are too delicate The Eagle shews the generousnesse of her spirit that though she suffers hunger she will not make a noise as other fowls do when they want meat it is not for a souldier to complain of cold of want of a meale or two of hard lodging c. From this ability of his spirit to endure hardnesse 1. He doth not repent of his engagements of what he hath undertaken or done when he meets with troubles and many sore afflictions in his way as the base spirit of a coward will do That Scripture Exo. 13. 17. is very observable for this God sayes there that he would not lead the people of Israel through the land of the Philistims although that was neare for God said Lest peradventure the people repent them when they see war and return into Egypt God saw they were of a low mean spirit though they groaned under the bondage of Egypt and cryed for deliverance God had delivered them with a mighty hand yet when they met with any danger they would begin to repent that ever they came out of Egypt and wish themselves there again And indeed we find in the History of their being in the Wildernesse that upon every strait they were in they began to murmur and often said Oh that we were in Egypt again But what would they have done then if they had presently met with wars when the Spies told them of the children of Anak that they must fight with When they were even at the borders of Canaan they were disouraged were about making themselves a Captain to return to Egypt These were men of a poore vile spirit hence God sware against them that none of them should ever come into Canaan onely Caleb and Joshua who were men of another spirit as the holy Ghost testifies of them they should go in possesse the land Thus it is this day with us how did we not long agoe groan under our bondage our liberties our religion our estates were almost gone we scarce knew what was our own our Ministers were banished every man that departed from evill made himself a prey superstition oppression cruelty prevailed throughout the Land The whole Kingdome was filled with complaints and sighs and groans by reason of their cruel bondage Vile men were exalted and men of precious spirits were cast out as filth Now when wee knew no means of help but lay down under our burdens and were as a Kingdome devoted to misery then did the Lord appeare in a glorious manner when he saw there was no man that would stand up and help Nay such was the malady as it seemed even to be past help The Lords owne arme hath brought salvation never did God more wonderfully appeare for a nation then he hath done for us strange have the workings of the Lord bin and behold how great a deliverance hath he wrought and he hath given an opportunity to this Kingdom to deliver it self fully if we have hearts the thing is soon done But now because some troubles arise because we see war in our gates how vile unworthy are the spirits of many they begin to wish themselves to be as formerly they would rather return into Egypt again we were better be as we were we were not wont to hear the beatings of the Drum the noise of the Cannon the ratling of warlike instruments amongst us 2. This strength of spirit doth so support him under the heaviest sorest afflictions that he will never seek to deliver himself out of them by forsaking the cause of God or using any shifting indirect means but as Paul told those officers that were sent from the Magistrates of Philippi to fetch him out of prison Acts 16. 35 36 37. They have cast us into prison let them come themselves and fetch us out in this Paul shewed what a spirit he had he stood upon an honourable way of deliverance the same doth every true souldier of Christ stand upon God himself hath brought me into affliction now temptation shewes some back door to get out of it slily Nay saies a spirit of courage certainly I will never go out that way let the Lord come himself and fetch me out Fourthly A spirit beseeming the childe of this great Captain aims at doing great things for God and enjoying great things from God although with hazard of great troubles and afflictions rather then will sit down with small things that are to be done or enjoyed with ease and safety sometimes God hath high things of great consequence to bring to passe rich glorious mercies for his Churches but great difficulties must be passed through to reach these Men of low and meane spirits look upon them as things above them and so they mind them not much they had rather satisfie themselves in lower meaner things so they may have ease and not hazard present comforts It is otherwise with a true raised spirit that hath courage and magnanimity in it such an one rejoyceth in Gods highnes as we have the expression Isay 13. 3. I have commanded my sanctfied ones I have also called my mighty ones even them that rejoyce in my highnesse If God hath high things to accomplish these Sanctified ones mighty ones will rejoyce in this highnesse of God contrary to that spirit of Issachar of whom Gen. 49. 14 15. Issachar is a strong Asse couching down betweene two burthens and he saw that rest was good and the Land that it was pleasant and bowed his shoulder to beare and became a servant to tribute He was loath to hazard his peace hee had good farms a fat soile
he had rather live in the Countrey bring up his cattell and be quiet though he payes great taxes and be brought to be very servile yet that he may not be troubled his spirit can beare that servility let who will minde great things he loves to be quiet This was a low poore spirit and his posterity were for the generall very unworthy and vile For you shall finde in the division of the Land of Canaan that Issachars lot fell in Galile Josh 19. from the 18. ver to the 23. The description of their lot there from the cities as Jesreel the first and the out-goings of their border were at Jordan shews Galile was their place Now you know what was said of that place Doth any good come out of Galile usually it is so the posterity of men of servile spirits are vile and lewd 5. Difficulties are so far from disheartning men of courage that they raise their spirits They love a busines the better when they hear some difficulty is to bee passed through as Alexander said when he met with a great danger here is periculum par animo Alexandri Here is a danger fit for the spirit of an Alexander The example of David in this case is very remarkable in 1 Sam. 18. When Sauls servants told David that he might be the Kings sonne in law David was troubled at it and did not seeme to entertain the motion ver 22 23. but when they after told him of the termes upon which he should have this honour put upon him that it was to bring an hundred of the foreskins of the Philistims ver 25. which was a work of difficulty and hazard for on Sauls part it was propounded on purpose to be a snare to him for so sayes the Text Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistims now marke ver 26. when Sauls servants told David these things it pleased David well to be the Kings sonne in law that which he seemed to be troubled at when it was propounded absolutely that he is well pleased with when it is propounded with such a condition as had some difficulty in it wherby he had an opportunity to shew forth the excellencie of his spirit A base low spirit would have beene better pleased with it to have had such a thing without any such condition It is reported of the Lyon that such is his spirit as if he meetes with a prey that another hath killed before he will not meddle with it but he will seeke for one to kil himselfe if it be done to his hand as wee say he cares not for it but he will have one that shall be his own that he must doe something himselfe for it or else it pleaseth him not 6. A spirit of courage and true valour is not onely able to suffer willing to suffer raised by sufferings but can rejoyce triumph glory in sufferings account sufferings in a good cause great riches When we sit at home by our fire sides and have our tables furnished with varietie of dishes and goe to our soft beds and have the curtains drawne close we pitty poore souldiers that now lye abroad in the stormes upon cold earth who drinke water and often want bread yea many that might have fulnesse enough at home but that warlike spirit of theirs is above these things they can rejoyce in their hardships as much as you in all your abundance They think their lives more comfortable then yours because they are in service for the publique they have opportunity to doe worthily in their generations and you what do you doe you sit at home and have your ease and pamper your selves and doe nothing they would not by any meanes live your lives A true souldier like spirit is in his true element when he is in the midst of all the hardships of warres he loves to live and dye in such a condition Thus the Apostle a true souldier of Christ Rom. 5. 2. We glory in tribulations Moses accounted the reproach of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11. 27. Ignatius hath this expression He had rather be a Martyr then a Monarch When he heard his bones crash between the wilde beasts teeth Now sayes he I begin to be a Christian Cruaelitas vestra est gloria nostra sayes Tertullian to the persecutors Your cruelty is our glory Many of the Martyrs prepared themselves for their sufferings as Brides use to prepare themselves for their Bridegroomes with joy and gladnesse of heart The wounds they receive in the cause of Christ have more glory issue forth from them then blood they are an ornament to them they put a beauty upon them They account it far better to lose for God then to enjoy for themselves that part of their estates they part with in a good cause they account the best part of their estates they account themselves more rich in that then in what they still retaine Heb. 10. 34. They take joyfully the spoiling of their goods The reason of all is because their spirits are raised above creature-comforts their happinesse consists not in them they are not beholding to them for their peace and joy they can finde matter of joy in the parting with them as well as in the having them through that divine principle of holinesse that God hath put into them 8. A spirit of true courage hath all its fears swallowed up in the fear of God it hath learned to feare nothing but God and in order to God it sets the fear of God against all other fears One man fears poverty but I fear the God of heaven another fears reproach but I fear the God of heaven another imprisonment but I fear the God of heaven another death but I the God of heaven It sanctifies this Lord of Hosts and makes him to be the fear and the dread of it onely Cornelius the Souldier the Centurion of the Italian band is commended for his feare of God Act. 10. 2. a strange commendation of a souldier to be commended for feare yes for the feare of God This drives out all base fears by this he comes to fear nothing else but to be feared by his enemies 9. He reserves all his valour for this Lord of Hosts he hath no valour at all for sin there he is very fearfull his heart shakes at the very temptation to it and at the first risings of it there he seems to a worldling to be a very coward Other men have spirit valour enough for sin if we may call it valour but none for God This mans valour is all for God in his owne cause he is very flexible he manifests little spirit but when the cause is Gods then his heart rises there you may try him many people have passionate gunpowder spirits soon on fire in their own cause If they be crossed in their wils oh how resolute are they They will and they will they care not they care not what
Lord Ye shall not goe up to fight against your brethren returne every man to his house The Text sayes They hearkned to the word of the Lord and returned to depart according to the word of the Lord. What a mighty work of God was this what power hath God over the spirits of men yea of the greatest who think it an unsufferable dishonor to be controlled in any thing they have set their hearts upon Rehoboam a wicked man in the heighth of his pride and wrath thus strong apprehending himselfe exceedingly wronged so much of his Kingdome rent from him and there comes onely a poore Prophet and speakes to him in the name of This Lord of Hosts that hee should not fight against his brethren and all is stayed he returnes back again and sits down quiet Oh that now some Prophet of the Lord might have accesse to His Majesty and tell him that hee must not goe this way he doth that he is drawn aside by evill men about him that there is a misunderstanding betweene him and his people that nothing is done by us but according to the minde of God that we doe not endeavour to deprive him of any lawfull power he hath given him by God or man but onely to preserve our lawfull liberties as truly ours as he is born unto the Crown and that we might with peace enjoy the Gospell and serve the Lord and His Majesty in our own Land 11. The providence of God in war is great in removing it from one place to another The Lord of Hosts gives the sword commission to ride circuite from one Land to another Countrey and from one part of a Kingdome unto another Ezech. 14. 17. Or if I bring a sword upon that Land and say Sword goe through the Land so that I cut off man and beast in it The sword hath beene in many parts of our Land already even in the utmost parts Northumberland and Cornwall the two extremities of the Land as Dan and Bersheba in the Land of Canaan Just were it with God to give it commission to goe up and downe in the midst of it yea in great part hee hath done it already and how is it devouring even almost round about us the guilt of the misery our brethren have suffered the guilt of their blood is upon the whole Kingdome in as much as the whole Kingdome hath not risen even as one man to prevent it but wee suffer our brethren in severall places to bee devoured one after another one countrey hopes it will not come there and another countrey hopes it shall escape and in the meane time wee suffer our brethren to bee spoyled Jer. 12. 12. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wildernesse They are come from the Countrey to the City the Countrey is to them but as a wildernesse in comparison of the City For the Sword shall devoure from the one end of the Land to the other no flesh shall have peace Jer. 25. 15. The Lord bade the Prophet take the cup of the wine of his fury and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it God hath given other Nations this cup of his fury France Holland Germany have beene drinking these 24. yeeres Spain Italy have had it a little of the top of it Scotland had we were afraid of it then here and they and we cryed to God If it be possible let this cup of blood passe from us and God in his great mercie caused it to passe from us but it went to our brethren in Ireland they have drunke deepe of it and still are drinking and whether God intends that wee shall drinke the dregs of it we know not wee had neede doe as Christ did in his Agonie Luk. 22. 44. yet pray more earnestly the second and third time If it be possible let this cup of bloud passe from us If an Agony cause Christs spirit to rise in Prayer it should then do ours it is a sad thing to have our spirits heavy dull and strait in such a time as this 12. The work of this Lord of Hosts in Warre is to give wisdome and counsell for the managing of the affaires of it and hee takes away wisdome and counsell when he pleaseth 2 Sam. 22. 35. Thou teachest my hands to war and my fingers to fight The same wee have Psal 144. 1. Other Generals have their Councell of War to help them that they may not miscarry in it but this Lord of Hosts gives all the counsell and wisdome from himselfe to all under him And in this there is much of Gods glory Esay 28. 24 25 26 27. The Lord accounts it his glory that hee teacheth the Plowman to plow his ground to sow his seede to thresh his corne his God doth instruct him to discretion the Text sayes much more then is the glory of God in giving wisdome to order and to leade Armies And when the Lord pleaseth he takes away counsail he besots men in their counsails mingles a perverse spirit amongst them befools them he turns their counsails upside downward and insnares them in the work of their own hands This made David pray against the counsaile of Achitophel 2 Sam. 15. 31. O Lord turne the counsail of Achitophel into foolishnesse what counsail that was you may finde 2 Sam. 17. 2. Fall upon him while he is weary and weake This war was raised up against David for his sin and yet God heares Davids prayer against Achitophel The same counsell was given against our Army of late by a great Achitophel when the question was whether they should come to the City or fall upon the Army the counsail cast it upon the Army because they were weary and weake not being together and how hath God turned that counsail into folly it hath bin our safety and preservation but their shame There God wrought for David in that Achitophels counsail was not followed although it was a more politique counsail it had more warlike wisdome in it then Hushaies had but for us God wrought in that Achitophels counsail was followed Thus Isai 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsails of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh are become brutish where are they where are the wise men and again The Princes of Zoan are become fooles Why are the Princes of Zoan so much mentioned there Because Zoan was the Metropolis of Egypt where the great counsail of Egypt was and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof and they have caused Egypt to erre in every worke thereof as a drunkenman staggereth in his vomit Jerom upon the place adds this to expresse the meaning Non solum ebrii sed vomentes furorē draconū furorē aspidum insanabilem not onely drunken but vomiting the fury of Dragons the incurable fury of Aspes And is not this the vomit of our adversaries at this day who are drunke with
times You shall shew your selves the daughters of Sarah if you have such a spirit as Sarah had not to be afraid with any amazement not through your inordinate feare either hinder your selves your husbands or any other in the service of the Lord. If God call you or them to suffer you must not through feare pull backe but go on with courage undauntedly then you are indeed the daughters of Sarah And that a spirit may be put even into women in these times that call for all to be above sinfull feares let them consider these three things First The first time that ever any speaking to God called him by this name the Lord of Hosts it was a woman and that was Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 11. Shee vowed a vow and said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt indeed looke on the affliction of thine handmaid c. Secondly One of the principallest Psalms wherin this title of the Lord of Hosts is most magnified is a Psalme tuned to that Musical instrument that virgins and women use to play on from whence the Psalme hath its title A Song upon Alamoth Ps 46. Which is as much as A song upon the Virginals for the Hebrew word comes of a root that signifies to hide and so we formerly made use of it but from thence because Virgins used to be covered and hidden hence Gnalamoth signifies Virgins and here used for the musical instrument of Virgins Virgins and Women it seems had wont to sing this Psal and play to it upon the instrument Now it is supposed that their hearts should be some way sutable to what they sung played here they rejoycingly sing The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge ver 7 And again The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge ver 11. besides other passages yea almost all the same tending this way 3. The most brave expression of a strong valiant spirit triumphing over enemies in time of battel is from a woman Jud. 5. 21. it is the speech of Deborah O my soul thou hast trodden down strength As if she should have said They come with a great deale of strength that they think to prevail with but to me all their strength is but as the dirt in the streets my soul is above it though my body be weak yet O my soul thou hast troden down strength Where have we a braver expression of a more raised spirit either in Scripture amongst any of the Lords valiant ones or in humane story amongst any of the great Captaines and Conquerours that ever were I cannot but repeat it again O my soule thou hast trodden down strength Let not women then so complain of their weaknes as thereby to think to excuse their sinfull feares I will give you a notable speech comming neer this from another woman that Ecclesiasticall story records of one Julitta there are many famous things recorded of her but this speech of hers to other women of her acquaintance is most remarkable Cease to accuse sayes she the fragility of the Foeminine sexe What are not we made of the same matter that men are Yea after Gods Image are we made as wel as they God did not use flesh to make women of in token of infirmity We are bone of his bone in token we must be strong in the living God If the spirit of The Lord of Hosts were with you even you may daunt your enemies You may make such preparations for your own defence as not to let your lives go at a cheap rate but that the losse of every one of yours may cost the life of one of them at least Even you may cast shame upon them If there were such a spirit in you they would fly before women for their spirits are base and vile If God be the Lord of Hosts if he hath such wonderfull workings of his providence in wars and battels hence in all war and battels there is some speciall thing of God to be looked at Surely this great Lord of Hosts doth not use to raise War to go into the field for nothing there is some great thing aimed at especially where he appears in more then an ordinary way as certainly he doth in these wars of ours We should not hearken after or speake of Warres onely as matter of news but observe what the way of God is in them what his aim looks to in ordering of them what his intentions work at how he brings his own ends to passe furthers his glory by them Whosoever lives to see the issue of these great stirs and warlike commotions amongst us shall see that God had a hand in them to bring great things to passe that the mercy he intended for us was worth all the trouble these have brought upon us yea all the bloud the most precious bloud that hath been shed amongst us God hath many promises to his Churches to accomplish many Prophecies to fulfil many glorious things to declare many mercies for his Saints to bestow these stirs amongst us wil make way for all We have had much mercy from God on free-cost that mercie that is to come it may be is of an higher nature therefore God intends it shall be more costly to us it may cost many of our lives but we or our posteritie shall see that when it comes it wil pay for all That this Lord of Hosts had great thoughts of heart for the good of England when he raised these Civil wars amongst us though it be the sorest judgement yet it may make way to the greatest mercy It is our duty diligently to observe how God works in his Providence to the attaining such ends of his 6. God is The Lord of Hosts Hence know from whence it is that we have enjoyed so much peace as we have with the comfortable fruits of it it is from The Lord of Hosts who hath all power in his hands to keep off or bring war as he pleaseth It it is he alone that hath kept off from us those hideous things others have suffered it is from him that we have not all this while wallowed not sweltred in our bloud that our garments have not been rowled in bloud as our brethrens have but we have enjoyed our houses beds tables wives children we have had all comforts for soule and body about us Micah 4. 4. They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid From whence is this The words following wil tell you The mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it The Vines and Fig-trees we have sate under have not beene empty Vines nor barren Fig-trees to us we have not onely had refreshment from the shadow of them but much comfort from the fruit of them It was this Lord that promised to Israel that he would cause their enemies not to desire their land when they went up to Jerusalem to worship What a