manded thee?" If a man ventures upon any design, and God's call doth not lead him to it, when he comes to make good his standing, the ground quakes under him, his heart trembles, his knees knock, his arms shake, and his heels begin to run. When a man is called to do a work by God, though the opposition and difficulty be never so great, he may encourage himself here; but I am called by God, and he will carry me through.

Again, I say, whereby a man being called by God unto any service does venture upon difficulties, either in doing good or enduring evil. One would think that it were a desperate venture, but indeed a brave venture, of the men of Jabesh Gilead which we read of 1 Sam. xxxi., which fetched away the dead body of Saul out of the hands of the Philistines. There being a great fight between the Israelites and the Philistines, the Philistines had the best of it, kept the field and buried the dead; and amongst the dead they find Saul, they cut off his head and fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard of it, all the valiant men arose, and went and took the body of Saul from the wall of Bethshan. Here was valour, here was courage. Wherein was it seen? In venturing upon difficulties in doing good and enduring evil.

I add, All this must be done without fear: and therefore in Scripture these go together: "Be of good courage; fear not, neither be dismayed." The more a man's fears are enlarged, the more his courage is lessened; and the more a man's courage is enlarged, the more his fears are lessened. Good courage, it makes a man higher by the head and shoulders than the thing feared, though never so great: good courage lifts a man up above fear. Put all together and you have the description of good courage. It is that gracious disposition of heart whereby a man, being called by God unto any service, he does adventure upon difficulties, either in doing good or enduring evil, and that without fear. Let us now advance to the second thing, the confirmation of the point.

Secondly, In evil times, in times of danger, good courage is very requisite. In times of danger good courage is the strength of a man, it is the spirits of a man, it is the sparkling of a man's heart, it is the life of one's life. Saith Solomon, "The spirit of a man shall sustain his infirmity."

Without strength there is no bearing of burthens. Now this is the way to be strong, to stand under burthens in evil times: "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart."

Again, Evil times are full of changes, and good courage will keep us from the power of those. It is a good speech Seneca hath : He is a stout man whom adversity doth not quail; he is yet more stout whom prosperity doth not allure; but he is most stout of all whom the change of things doth not disturb.* And in another place, saith he, He hath no great mind that can be bent by injuries.† And evil times are full of injuries. Without courage a man will easily be bent by them; bent unto sin and bent unto what is evil. Had not the three children been men of courage, how would they have been bent to idolatry; but being men of courage, say they," Our God is able to deliver us; but if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods," Dan. iii. 17, 18. Oh, my beloved, in evil times good courage keeps us from evil bending, and therefore in evil times good courage is very requisite.

Again, Evil times are very expensive. Then a man shall be called to lay out much; his estate, his house, his liberty, his body, his all: and no affection, no disposition so spending as courage; good courage will make a man spend and be spent for God. But if a man should expend and lay out all upon other things, they will not be able to quit charges. Good courage will make a man spend all on God, and be spent for God, as Paul was. Thus you see that in evil times good courage is very requisite.

Thirdly, If this be so, you see what our duty is; to be of "good courage, and play the men." You all know into what evil times we are now fallen, better than I can speak: are we not berounded with many enemies, the Syrians before and the Ammonites behind; if Joab were alive he could see the battle before and behind. In the prophet's time, he prayed "that God would open the eyes of his servant that he might see who were with him;" now we had need to pray that God would open men's eyes to see who are against them: certainly enemies are amongst us, within and without, at home and

* Fortis est quem adversa non frangunt fortier est quem prospera non alliciunt, fortissimus est quem vicissitudo rerum non deturbat.-Seneca.

† Magnus animus est quem non incurvat injuria.-Seneca.

abroad, before and behind, they are very many. Now the people of God are in danger, now the cities of God and religion is in hazard; and therefore, as Joab once, so now I may speak unto all, "Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God, and the Lord do that which seemeth him good." Be of good courage. That is my exhortation; notwithstanding the times be evil, yet be of good courage. Good courage now if ever is requisite; requisite for magistrates, requisite for ministers, requisite for parents and governors of families, requisite for these gentlemen that have listed their names for this great service of God and their country, requisite for all the people.

Requisite for magistrates. Good courage is always in a magistrate's commission; though times be never so peaceable they are to be men of courage, fearing God, much more in troublous times. Good courage is a virtue annexed to their place; and therefore as injustice from the hand of a judge is worse than from any other, because there is a special repugnancy between him and the sin;* so want of courage and neutralizing in a magistrate is worse than in others, because good courage is always annexed to his place.

Ministers, they must be of good courage. We read of divers valiant men, 2 Chron. xxvi. 17, 18, who withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, "It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord," &c. You may see who they were in the 17th verse: "Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord that were valiant men." Wherein did their valour appear? In that they withstood the king in doing that which was unlawful. These were valiant priests indeed, and it stands upon record, and that for ever. In times nearer to ourselves, we read of Dr. Latimer, that when the men of his order were to send new year's gifts unto the king, he sent a Bible with this posey written on the outside thereof: "Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Was not Mr. Deering very bold with Queen Elizabeth, who told her, that though she once went, tanquam ovis ad lanienam, as a sheep to the slaughter; yet now, tanquam indomiter juvenca, as an untamed heifer. In evil times the ordnance and murthering pieces are planted against the house of the ministers,

* Peccatum majus ubi repugnantia major inter peccantem et peccatum.-Aquin.

against them especially, and therefore in them, also, good courage is very requisite.

And of another

Requisite, also, for parents and governors of families. Otherwise, if they have not good courage, they will quench the forwardness and zeal and courage of those that are under them. It is a lamentable thing that the carnal wisdom of a worldly parent should be the quench-coal of the gracious devotion of a godly child. Granatensis makes mention of a woman, that hearing her son run away in the field, she got some advantage of him, and put him to death, with these words: Runaway, thou art none of mine. woman, that when her son was slain in the battle, she being at the funeral with divers friends, some wept and cried, O duram fortunam! O hard fortune! she cried, O felicem fortunam! O happy fortune! that ever I was so honoured to bear a child to die so bravely for his country. Parents must have courage; and there are these three things to move parents and governors of families unto it: the danger that is now approaching, the protestation that you have taken, the special opportunity that you have.

You that are parents and governors of families have the greater opportunity of serving the commonwealth and churches and people of God than others. Your children are your goods, nothing is so much a man's own as his child; your children are your best household stuff. One observing that it was the manner and fashion to bespangle their cupboards with plate when they made any feasts; when he was to make a feast, he got his children and set them on his cupboard's head: the guests asked the reason why he did so; saith he, These are my plate. Beloved, you have given your plate already to the service of your country; what if God will have this plate also to be given unto him?

Again, The danger that is now approaching may move you unto this. You know the greatness of the danger; how we are begirt with the Assyrians and Ammonites; and should the Ammonites prevail, I mean that malignant, jesuitical party prevail in the kingdom, what a dark and black day would it be upon England. The Lord be thanked, we know, partly, what a comfort it is to sit under our vines and fig-trees; but should they prevail, what would they do? yea, what would they not do? the honour and safety of our dear sovereign,

the liberty of the subject, the security of the parliament, the peace of the three kingdoms, the power and liberty of the ordinances; these are great mercies and much to be prized by us; and methinks every one should sit down and think with himself, What shall I give or do that my person should not be enslaved, that my wife and daughters be not abused, that my poor children be not massacred, that my house be not plundered, that my country be not betrayed? Oh, if there be any spirit, or valour and courage in any child or servant to serve God and his country, go on, O child, and prosper; do courageously.

Then, again, besides this, you may remember the protestation that you have made. You have protested before the Lord and the world, or should have done, that you will maintain and defend the person of our king, the liberty of the law and subject, the parliament, the protestant religion; and shall you not give up your children and servants, though never so dear and faithful, to make good your protestation ?

But methinks I hear some say, It is a hard thing to part with my child, my only son, my only joy, the comfort and stay of mine age; oh, it is a hard thing to part with a child.

True, it is; and wouldst serve God and thy country with nothing? Is that child lost that Christ gains? I remember Origen observes, that when Abraham gave up Isaac unto God, and put the knife to his throat to offer him up as a sacrifice to him, then the Lord found him a ram, another sacrifice, and gave Isaac again unto him; and, saith he, that which you give unto God you shall receive from God: if you can give up your child, and lift up your hand with a knife to offer him up unto him, the Lord will give you that child, and that child above others shall be the father of many gracious. Methinks I hear that speech sounding in mine ears: Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate," Psalm cxxvii. 5. Your children are the arrows that the Lord hath given you into your quiver, if they be ready upon the string, will you break these arrows, or the spirits of them? They are made on purpose to meet your adversary in the gate; and now the adversary is in the gate, will you not let the arrow fly? Oh, methinks there should not be a father or master that hath a child or servant, but should say,

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