children of men, cursed be they before the Lord," &c. He does not say the king had done it, but lays it upon those that were about him, and therefore took up arms to defend himself against the malignants. David's example is our practice: and certainly if the parliament should not have a power to send for those by force of arms which are accused before them for their just trial, they should no longer be a parliament. Every court of justice hath a power to send for by force, men accused to be tried before them: now the parliament as king James speaks, is the highest court of justice; therefore, according to the known privilege of parliament, they do send a serjeant at arms for those that are accused, to be tried before them; and if they have power to send out one serjeant at arms, then they have power also to send forth a hundred, and so a thousand, and so ten thousand if need require. And if the accused persons gather into an army, how can the parliament send for them but by an army? So that when you consider the law of the land, or the law of God, or the law of nature, which is for a community to defend itself, your way and course is very warrantable, your cause is good, for that must needs be good that religion maketh so; your enemies are weak, for they must needs be weak that sin makes weak; your victory is certain, which the Scripture promiseth, and first or last the victory shall be to you. Put all together: your cause is good, your enemies weak, your victory certain, your service honourable, safe, warrantable: wherefore, "Be of good courage, and play the men for the people and the cities of our God, and the Lord do with you what seemeth him good."

This exhortation looketh upon all that heareth me this day, men, women and children; be you all of good courage in these sad times, notwithstanding the evil of the times; "Fear not, neither be dismayed." Did the Lord do his work by halves when he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt? Notwithstanding for men's unbelief some fell in the way to Canaan, yet he brought them into Canaan. Beloved, you are now again coming out of Egypt, for the Romish superstition, and that partly is called Egypt, Sodom, Babylon: you are now coming out of Egypt, marching up into the promised land and promised ordinances. Nothing can make you fall in the way but unbelief; wherefore be all of good courage, and

pray unto the Lord. Be all of good courage; thereby you shall be able to set upon great things for God, though never so great; thereby you shall endure great afflictions, though never so heavy; thereby you shall be untired and unwearied in the service of God, though the opposition be never so strong; thereby you shall honour the cause; thereby you shall conquer your enemies; thereby you shall encourage others, your courage shall beget courage; your courage will have an influence upon all the towns round about you, and make them of good courage, as I make no question but the courage and valour of London have had an influence upon your hearts, to make you courageous: so your courage will have upon others. What will they say when they come into towns, and return home again? I will tell you what I was at such a town, and there they were working and fortifying their town for their country and king; and I saw the best man's son in the town go to the work, and the best man's daughter in the town carry a basket; and, father and mother, shall we sit still? Therefore put on, let the work never die for want of money; let not such a town as we are be base, be poor and low, and want courage, when on the one side ye have the sea, on the other side the river, on the other side the walls, on the other side, I hope, friends; within abundance of good people, and and above a loving God. Oh, therefore, put on, be all of good courage. I do but add some directions, and so wind up all.

1. Be sure of this, that you make sure of God to be with you. I mean, not only in the general causes, but in your particular; clear up your propriety to God himself. When David was in a great strait, his enemies had broken in upon him, taken away his wives, and then plundered all he had, his own soldiers began to mutiny, and thought of stoning him; what did he do? It is said, "He encouraged himself in the Lord his God," 1 Sam. xxx. 6. Therefore first make sure of this, clear up this your propriety in God himself. The sight of a great God under interest will encourage your spirits though dangers be never so great.

2. Never go out upon any design without God's promise, God's promise of assistance, acceptance and success. Joshua was a valiant man and brave commander, and yet we read of him, chap. vii., when some thirty men were slain, and others

fled, he fell down upon the earth much discouraged. Why? The Lord had promised he would never leave him nor forsake him, his enemies should not be able to stand before him; but he had lost the promise that God had given to him, and therefore was discouraged; but the Lord comes to him, and saith, "What dost here?" and brings him to the view of the promise again; and then a new spirit and new life came into him. God's promise is your encouragement; keep that always in your eye.

3. Take heed of all those things that will debase your spirits. These are three things especially: idleness, worldliness, false courage.

As for idleness, saith Seneca,* it is the burying of a living man. As for worldliness, saith Aquinas, it doth effeminate and set a man below himself. And false courage is a true enemy to true courage. If courage be laid upon the sense of the second cause, when there is an ebb of the second cause there is an ebb of your courage.

There were two sorts of spies that went into the land of Canaan. As for the first, we do not read of any hard use they met withal, and yet they were much discouraged, and discouraged the people, saying, The men of the country are giants, the cities are walled up to heaven, and the inhabitants ride in chariots of iron. The other spies met with ill use, and had not Rahab hid them they had been every man cut off; and yet they returned with good courage, and so encouraged the people, saying, "The men shall be meat unto us," &c. What is the reason of this? One would think, rather, that the first sort should be encouraged and the last discouraged, but it was not so; the reason is this, the first spies, that were discouraged, looked only upon the men and walls and iron chariots; went out in the way of sense; but as for the other spies, they looked upon God, upon his promise, and upon his providence in delivering of them; and thereupon returned and said, "The men of the land are meat unto us," &c. Would you not be discouraged but encouraged, take heed how you raise or how you lay your courage upon second causes; take heed of all those things that may debase your spirits, idleness, worldliness, and courage laid upon second

causes.

* Otium est vivi hominis sepultura.—Seneca.

4. Again, be sure of this, that you keep your conscience clear. A bad conscience is very timorous; the righteous are as bold as a lion, but the unrighteous, that have any conscience left, are as fearful as a doe; be sure, therefore, that you keep your conscience clear.

5. And then, again, keep and improve all the experiences of God's delivering mercy. Beloved, how many delivering mercies hath God wrought for us the last year; truly it may be said it hath been the annus mirabilis, year of wonders; and all the year long God hath been known to England by this name, a wonder-working God. When any temptations arise to discourage, answer, Surely if the Lord had meant to destroy us, he would never have done all this. Experienced men are most courageous. Only make use of your experience as a stirrup to get up your spirits to the promise.

6. Again, Actuate, refresh and strengthen your love. True love is very valiant. Says the apostle, "Love suffers all things, it does all things." As one observes concerning a sheep, though it be so feeble and fearful a creature, that a little dog will make a whole flock run before it, yet, notwithstanding, you shall see, that if a great mastiff comes to take away a lamb from the ewe, the ewe will stamp and run at him. Why? Love puts it on. Do you, therefore, love your country? I know you do. Do you love the people of God? I presume you do. Do you love the cities of God? I believe you do. Often actuate, refresh, and strengthen your love; this will give courage.

7. In the last place, Whenever any discouraging temptations arise, before ever you parley with those difficulties and temptations, step in to God by prayer. Beloved, if you first parley with difficulties before you go to prayer, you will never have done; a thousand objections will be created in your minds: whereas if you first go to prayer before you parley with them in prayer you shall have the sight of a great God, and the sight of a great God will make your spirits great. In prayer your heart shall be composed, for prayer is a soulcomposing duty. In prayer you shall meet with the Captain of your salvation, and he will lead up your hearts that are ready to run away. In prayer you shall bring your souls to this frame, quietly to resign up yourselves, and cause, and success unto God; and a man is never more courageous than

in that frame, as Joab's courage and resignation went together. Are you presented with any difficulty and discouraging temptation? then say with yourselves, It is true, indeed, to attain to such an event, certainly it will be hard; notwithstanding, I know that my cause is good, my work is good, the people good; and, therefore, though the difficulties and temptations be never so great, I will give myself to prayer, and praying courage is good courage. Wherefore, my beloved, in the name of the Lord, pray, in these evil times; pray, pray, pray. And when you have done praying, then wait: "Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage; and again, I say, wait on the Lord." And what I say unto one I desire to speak unto my own soul, and so unto you all in these sad and evil times," Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God, and the Lord do with us what seemeth him good."