AnJ thou~ :n~Jr"~;ei;c~ DireElionr for Souldierr. of faith and godlinefs, in an Army? The grtatncfs of their bufinefs and of their fears and caru, do 1 h fo wholly take up their minds and calk, that there is fc:arce any room found for the mattersof cheir fouls, though unfpcakably greater. They have fddome leifure eo hear aSermon·, and t.Js w Pray: The Lords Day is u[mdly taken up in matters that conct::rn the lives, and therefore CJn pretend ne– ccffity: So rh .. t it mufi be a very refolute, confirmed, vigibnt perfon, that is not alienated t'rom God. Ar.d rh:n it is acourfe of lif~, ~hich givcrh grea~ _opportunity to the Te~prer, and advantage to tc:mptauons, both to errors m JUdgement, and vtttoulndS of heart and Hie : He that ntvcr rry~d it cm ha~dly conceive how diilicult it is to ket'p up piety and innocency in an Army. H fDU will fuppo{c lhat there is no diff~:rence in the Cau[t, or the End1 and AccidmtJ; I cake it ro be much more dc:firable to fervc God in a Prifon than in an Army ; and rhat the cnndirion of a PriG;ner hath far hJs in ir to tempt the fOol101 or to o.ffiid' the wifc:,than a military. ( Ex<.{pnng rhofc whofe lift in Garrifom and lingring Wars, dorh little dilfer from a Hare of pc1ce. ) 1 .un not lin ply ag.!.inH the lawfulnefs of Wu (Nor as I conceive, Erafmns himrclf, though he faw the finfulnd~ ur rh~t forr of J}lCn; and uft ro fpeak truly of the horrid wickedmfs and mifery ·of thun, rhat thirli fOr b 1 oud, or rufh on WJis without nt::ce4firy.) But it mufi: be a very extraordinary Altn)', ~bar is nor contii– tutcd of \Valves and Tygers; and is not unto comma:& honcHy and pitry, the fc~me rh•at a Srews or Whore·l10uiC is w chafbty. And 0 how much fwcetcr is the work of an honett Phyficion thlit flvcth mens livts, than of a Souldier, whofc: vertuc is fhewed tn deOroying them? Or a Carptnters Or Mi– fons that adornerh Cities with comely buildings, than a Souldiers thar confumcrh them by tire! m::cll mor(: flihio112bie an.! rekbf3ted praCtice in fl'ung Gentlemen to kill men, than to cure them; :and that millaken morrals thdc it to be the r.oble!l cxerCJfe of v:rtue to ddlror th~ no\•let! wurkm:t:.lltip of nature, (;and indt>cd in Come few Clf~·s. the rcqtllfitt'ntfs :omd dar~er of dt– flru8ive v:~·our, may m:tkc 1ts adicns becom.: .1 vu_ruous Patnot) yet when ~ confider the chap8:er given of uur e:reat M.,fier and Ex– cm,,Jar that he wcnr abr.ut doing- good, OJtld htlltn~ aH ma_nner of ficknefb---1 clnflot but thmk fuch .10 emp:oyme 11 t worthy of ~he ~ety nobleil of hu Difc1p.c~. Mr. £-ojkJ p.xprmfi!TJt. Pb&.'fljp. ~o3, )O.j.· Dire{l. 5• Vire/1. 6. Dirtl1·7· Dircll. S. ~. 5· Diretl. 5· Be {rtr~ firft that your caufl be belter than your livu, and then rc[ulve to vrnture yaur /ivfl for them: le is the hnudmg of your Lives, which in your Calling you undt rrak,;;: A..-!d thcrefr,rt be not U!lprcpart:d for it; buc reckon upon the worfi, and b: ready ro underg,o what ever you undertake. A Souldiers life is unfit for one that dare not dye. A Coward is one of rhe moll prrnicicuJ murderer! : Ht: verifieth Chri!is faying in another fenfe, Ht that favetiJ h;J life jhafl lofe it. \rVhile men }land to it, it is ufutlly but few that dye ; bcc;wfe they quick1 ydaunt the tnemy, and keep him on the defen{ive part: But when once they rowt and run away, they are fhin on heaps, and fall rke leaves in a windy Autumn. Every Coward that purfutth them is tmboldned by their fear; and dan; run them throuch, or fhoot them behind, that durft not fa near have looked them in the face, and makech it his fj:>ort eo kill a fugitive, or one that l.aycrh down his weapons, rhat would flye himfelt from a daring pnfcncr. Your 'owardly fear betrayeth the caufe of your King and Countrcy : lr bt:(nyph dle lives of your fc:llow Suuh!itrs; whik the runnir.g of a few atfrighted dot– ftards ltts in ruinc upon all the rdl; And ic caUe(h away your own Jives which you rhtnk to fJve. If you will be·Souldiers, rtfolvc to conquer or to dye. It is not fo much 1~U er jlrength rh.u con– quererh, as b. .:ldne/J: lr is Fear that lofcth the day, and fearle{nc[I that winnclh it. T he Army that jtaltdcth to it, gurtth the Vidory, th,.,ugh they fight never fo weakly : For if ;•oJ' will n lt 1un, the enemy will. And if the lives ot a f(W be lolt by courage, it ufually faverh the lives of tnlny: ( Though wifd, m Oil! is nccdlul in the Conduct: ) And it the cau!C be not worth your livtS, ycu fhould not meddle wirh it. §· 6. Di~tC.t 6. Rrfnlvt upon an abfilute obedience to y()ur Contmat:dcrt, in o~ll thingt conftftcnt with yom obedit,JCf to Gud :IJid the Soveraign p.rwcr. DifobcdJcnce is no whc1e more intolerable th.in in an A1my: Where it is often untic.for a Souldier to know the reaIOn of his command• ; and where ft!f-conceutdnefs and wiltulm:fs is inconfiltcnt with their common fafcty, .ond the lives of many may pay for the d1robedicnce of a few. If you cannet obey, undertake not w be Souldier!'. 9· 7· Dir(CT, 7• EfpeciJL'y dettjf all murmuri~g1, mminiu, jiding1 and rcbtUlonJ. For rhtfe are to an Army like: violem t'tavors to 1he body, or like 3: fire in a City; and would make an Army the grta!<.fl plague to their King and Countrey. Ho~ many Empcrours, Kings and Commindcrs, have Jolt their di~nides and livts, by the fury of mutmous cnragtd Souldiers; And how many Kingdoms and Olhl r Common-wealths have been thus overthrown and betrayed into the enemies hands? And how many tboufands and millions of Souldiers have: thereby loH their lives? In your difconrents and murmurmg p11Iions, you may quickly fc:t the houfcon fire over your heads, •nd when you feel your mifery·rtpent too late. P..ftion may begin that which fruitlc:fs penitence mult rnd. The leaders of mutinies may e"fily have many fair pretences to rnAdme an Army into difconrcms: They may ag~nvatc many fecming injuries: they may reprefent their Commanders as odious and un~orrhy, by fUt· ting an ill appearance: on tht.ir ad-ions: Bur in the end it will appear, tlur it was th ...ir own advance– ment which rhey f~..crcdy aimed ar, and the deftruClion of the prdC.nt Government, or till Souldjcrs ruine which is like to be rhc effeCt A rr~utinous Army is likdt HJJ of any rhing I know among Gods crc:.~;rures; and nrxr Hell, there is fcarce a worf~ place for their Commanders to be in. ~. 8. Dir• d-. 8. V[c n , your power or liberty tfl tbe robbing, or oppref!ing or injt£fing of any. Though military 'lhievn .. ud opprdfi,rs mJy fcapc the Gallows, more than others ; they fh.,ll comt: as fcJon to Hell as any. lr you plunder, and fpoil, and tyrannize over the poor people, under pretence of fupplying your own wauts, there is a God in Ht>aven thilt will hear their eryes, and w;Jl avenge them · - fpeedil~·,
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