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

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. And of another

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,

this to have two or three

I will send one volunteer. What were it for such a town as hundred? But I know your readiness, the Lord bless it. Only I leave the exhortation of Joab with you, the words a little altered, Be of good courage, and if you cannot play the men yourselves, let your children and servants play the men.

The exhortation looks also upon them that have listed themselves in this service of God and their country in these dangerous times. Brethren, I have need for to speak to you, and my commission especially is to speak to you, I had need do it, for have not some freely offered themselves to this work, yet shamefully deserted it again? I say shamefully, for what greater shame ? Marcus Crassus, amongst the Romans, caused the cowards to be let blood, giving this reason, That it was fit their blood should be shed in disgrace which they would not shed in the defence of their country. And if you look at Judges vii. 3, you shall find that when the hosts of the Midianites came against the Israelites, Gideon had gotten a good and well framed army together; but when word came from the Lord that the fearful should return, how many, think you, did return of them? Surely no less than two parts of three. The whole army consisting of thirty and two thousand. The divine story tells us that twenty-two thousand of them went back, and but ten thousand left. Twenty and two thousand not ashamed to be called cowards and fearful. So that I say, that I had need to speak to you, and to you is my commission, and if you please you may read my commission and your own duty together: Deut. xx. 2, 3, "And it shall be when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people;" not the captain, but the priest. What says the priest? Let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be you terrified because of them. Therefore you see what I am commanded to speak unto you. Well, good sirs, and beloved in the Lord Jesus, be you also of good courage. And I have three words of encouragement to speak unto you.

1. Your work and service you are about, it is very honourable. It is observed to my hand, that when Solomon built the temple, he did not employ the Israelites about the meaner works, carrying of stones and drawing of water; strangers were put to that work; but the Israelites were employed to

be a guard about him. So did the most wise man in the world, Solomon, count it an honourable thing to bear arms and to be a soldier. Anciently soldiers were called latrones, because they were a latere regis; and now the latin word, miles, for a soldier, signifies a knight. When the children of Israel went out to battle, some there were that went into the field, and some that did stay at home; concerning those that stayed at home, it is said, that "she that tarried at home divided the spoil," Psalm lxviii. 12. As if they were only women, and the weaker sort that stayed at home; as if all that were worthy to be called men went into the field. In the triumphing psalm of Deborah, we read that some are condemned and some commended; those that were condemned, were such as came not forth, that came not forth to "help the Lord against the mighty," Judges v. 23. Those that were commended, were the volunteers that offered themselves willingly amongst the people (verses 2. 9). The truth is, that the volunteers of England, under God, are the bulwarks of England; and England, under God, the bulwark of the protestant religion. Wherefore, honoured brethren, be ye all of good courage, for your work and service is very honourable.

And as your work is honourable, so your work is safe. In times of war, the safest place is the camp, and whilst that those of poor spirits, that love only to be in their beds and in their houses, shall be pillaged and plundered, men of brave spirits, that are willing to be in the field, shall be secured. A valiant and courageous mind commandeth all things, says Seneca: he that commandeth death, commandeth all things, as the valiant man doth. Now, beloved, you see into what times we are fallen; of necessity things must either go well or ill: if things go ill, the worst is death, and what great matter is it to die for your God a little before your time; who would live when religion is dead? who would live to out-live his religion? Cicero tells us of some Indians that having many wives, when the husband died the wives strived to be burned with him, and she that was the strongest prevailed to be burned, and the rest went away very sorrowful, as having met with a great loss that they might not be burned with their husband; and do you desire to live a day after the protestant religion that you have been married to now for many years together? It is no great matter to live; the beasts, birds and

fishes live this is truly great, to die well, honourably, freely, wisely; as Seneca saith, It is better to die in the field, for the cause of God, than die in one's bed by the hand of a sickness. It is storied of one Bibulus, a great Roman, that having obtained many victories, he came to Rome to ride in triumph, where a tile falling off the house struck him so deeply and mortally into the head, that he died of it. Thus may you die by an unworthy tile as you walk in the streets, or by the turning of some humour in your bodies; and is it not better, then, to die for the truth? Can you lose too much for Christ that hath lost so much for you? Death is the worst. And if things go well, I cannot but think it will go with the popish malignant party, as once with the Freislanders, when the Earl of Holland had overcome them; they took up arms to resist him again: whereupon he ordered that the doors of their houses should be made so low as they should always stoop when they went in, noting their subjection ;* so, though the mercy of those that are in authority may let the houses of malignants stand, yet I make no question, but the doors of their houses shall be made so low, that they shall always stoop, as a note of their subjection; whilst you that stand for the cause, and country, and cities of your God, shall have the doors of your houses enlarged; and if a good cause have any interest in heaven, and the prayers of God's people hath any credit there, you shall undoubtedly in the end prevail, wherefore be of good courage, for your work is safe.

And as your work is safe, so it is also warrantable. I know it is objected, They take up arms against their king. I am persuaded there is not such a thought in the bosoms of any of you all, and God forbid there should. But there is much difference between taking up of arms against the king's person, and taking up of arms for the defence of the kingdom, without the king's command. David, though he were God's anointed, yet he was a subject unto Saul his king, and he took up arms to defend himself; he took up arms indeed, but if you look into 1 Sam. xxvi. 19, you shall find that David does impute that unnatural war that Saul his king made against him, to those wicked malignants and wicked counsellors about him. "If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering; but if they be the

*Hist. Nether.