716 S A I N T S coMPARED TO S 0 L D I E R S. Book IV. MET A PI-I 0 R. XI. Soldiers muf1: know their Places, how tokeep both Rank and File. Military DilCtpline hath ap– pointed every Officer in the Army l1is proper Place, and every private Soldier to abide in the fame Rank and F ile, or Place where he ic fer by hi• Commander; and none may alter their Station, or change their Pofturcs upon their own priv.ne Account; they m uft not break their Order upon their Peril; for th.1t is a DiOwnor to the Capta n, and Standers-by willlaugh and reproach him; befides, if it be in a Time oi Battle, he expofeth htmklf and others to great Danger. If an ~\rmy or .l:lody of M en be once broken, and in Confu!ion, th~y are loon routed by their Enemies. PARALI.EL. XI. So mull a Samt kno" nls Place and parti– ccllar StaLion, where he is let by hi1 Captain, the Lord Je!c,. If he be fet as a tile Leader, or made an Officer to lead a Party, it is needful for him to fee to his proper Work and Bufinefs; he m<y not quit his Command when he pleafeth. The Commander in Chief may prefe r or degrade his Soldiers, as feemeth good to him; but he may not, he cannot difpofe of himitlf. Paftors muft keep their Places, Deacons keep their Places, 1\l.·mbtrs of each Church keep their P laces, ar:d noL 11 hen they pleafe withdraw themfelves, and get into anorher Company, bu c muft abide under par-· r;cul?.r Commar.d, where C.hrift harh let tl:em. Shall any one think, that God, who hath placed fuch Order in otheJ Creatures in Heaven and Eanh, is not frrict touching that holy Order fee and appointed in his Church? Lf the Sun, Moon, and ~tars keep in their own Sphere, and move in their own Orbs ; it rhe Sea hath its Bounds and Li,nits fet, beyond which it mufi not go; can it be imagined, that the Church of Chrift lhon!J be a more dilorderly Piece, than the in– animate and irrational Creatur<S ; God is tbe God of Order, and not of Confujion, in all the Churches.of the Saints, 1 Cor. xiv. 33· Therefore if any Chriftians, -that are of this or that particular Company o r Church, do break the holy Order, and regard BOt to keep in their Stations, or neglect their proper Work ; what a 'Reproach is it to them, and to Religion itfelf! Befides, the Danger they are expoled to, if Saints neg– lect Prayer, or hearing the Word, or the Lord's Supper, or are divided amonglt themfelves, is very great: Unlels they rally the fooner, and unite again, and keep their Ranks, they are in danger of being utterly routed and unrlone by S-tan. Mony hence have been enticed by the Subtilty of the Devil, to deli:rt their General, and fly from their Colours. XII. Soldiers mull follow thei r ·Leader; this is one Word ofCo.n– Jnand. JOT. So mufi ever.yChrill:ian.follow JefusChrif1:, he ought to have his Eve upon him; how often bath he commanded us to foil .w him ! Shall any lifhhemfelves under his Command, Jnd rtfuft robe fubject to his holyLaws ond Authority I or follow him for a Time, and then grow weary? If any Man will be my Difciple, !et biw take up bis O·ofs dail)', and follow me,Matt. xvi. 24. We read of a great and famous !\rm y, conftf1:1ng of One Hundred e.nd Forty.fou1' Thoufand, .a certain Number put for an uncertain, that.Joll~w the Lamb whitherjoewr he goeth, Rev. XIV. I, 2 , 3· + VIe mvlt follow Chn!t "' dery OrJmance, lullow his Doctrine, and follow his Example, in every one of his gracious (.Qlaldicorions, <•iz. ,in his Patience, (how contented was he in the mid!t of hts greatef1: Poveny!) in his Lownefs of Mind, and deepeft Homility; in his Tendernels, Bowels of Compallion towards thofe that dcfi::rvec.l nothing; how kind, loving, and mt'rciful was he! Fol– .low him in his Reproaches, Affiictions, and Indignities; follow him in all Dif!iccdties and D angers; with Peter, follow him to PrifOn, and to Death irfdf, wht'n he calls us thither. .B e ye Followers of me, as I aw of Chrifl Jefi;s. iVIy Sheep hear my Voice, and they follo<v me, ]obn x. 27. XIII. lt behoveth a SolJicr to be well·fkilled in all Stratagems of War, for th•t condJJceth ~uch ro his juf1: and needful Accompldh– ments,-Policy having many Times , out-done Power, ,and human ·Strength. XHI. So a Chrifl.:;an ot~ght to be well-!killed and ex~ert in all Divine Wifdom and P olicy, in the Management of the fpiritual \Nar again'l the Ene– mies of the Soul. Chrifi's Counfrl is, 13e )'e a> :wife as Serpents,. but as innocmt, as Doves. And . indeed .nothi ng is more neceD'ary for f.piritual Sd– diers than vVilaom .and Policy, in the carryinr Ull of the War a~pin!t their internal Adverhtries, ue– ·caufe of their Craft ar.d Subrilty. Their Adverlary the Devil is compared to ,_Ser– went upon this >rery Account; and in other Places we read of his.D evices ond \.Vile&: 3 Eph.
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