134 Chap. 34 /in'Expofi"tron upon the B00%of Verf. 29. ors irlwthe fre;Here are three great inil:ruments of vvarre, the bow, the Beare, thechariot , all which are fometimes comprehended under that one word the fiord, which is the mof} knowne and u- niverfal infirument of warre. Now,when neither sword, nor bow, nor fpsare,'nor chariot, are tobe hid , we need not feare warre. And therefore that great promife of peace runs in this tenour ( Alit; 4. 2.) They fhall beat their fwords into plow-fhears, and their fpeares anto pruning hock ( then prefently followeth) nation fiall not lift up afword,agaiwfl nation,neitherfhali they learnt warre any more ; There muf} needs be peace when the art of warte is layd byasufelefie, and(hall be learned no more. That will be a blefled time indeedwhen ,the art military (hall be out of date, and ( being it felfe thegreatefl: interrupter of learning ) fhall be learned no more. When Souldiers (hall turne Husbandmen and Vine- dre(l'ers,beating their fwords intoplowfhears,andtheirfpeares into pruning hooks, then we (hail have peace, and put away the retnoteft feares of ware. When a man cafieth away his fword, we may very well conclude he intends to be quiet. Thus the Lord gives quietneffe, to nations , which have been engaged in warre, by caufing warren to ceafe, Secondly , He gives quietneffe to nations by continuing their peace, when warres are ceafed ; for unleffe the Lord give a check to the lufis and paflions,to thewrath and rageof men,plow-fhears are quickly turned into fwords, and pruning hookes into fpeares. To preferve peace is the Lords worke, as muchas to give peace.. Non minor eft It requires the fame or as great a power to keepe our peace asto virttu quam make it ; to keepe it out of thehand ofthe fword, as toget it out gùdrere,parta of the hand' of the fword. When theking of Affyria threatned ruerà° yerufdlenwith a liege, the Lord preferved their peace, and fent Hezekish word (Ifa: 37. 33. ) Hefhall not come into this City, norfhoote an arrow there, nor, come before it withfhields, nor calf a bank againff it, for Iwill defend this City tofave it. The conti- nuance of peace , and quietneffe, is a continuall giving dlr. Warres returneafter peace, as clouds returne after raine, unleffe the Lord prevent and forbid them. have not we of- this nation reafon to acknowledge this doub e mercy. Fir , Was not the end ofour late unnatural! warres, the gift ofCod ?was it not he that made our troubles toceafe from one end
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