720 s A r N T s CO~-l:PARED TO s 0 L D I E R s. Book IV. Sixthly; They meet wirh fome H ardnefs and Trouble by the \Vithdrawings of Gcd him!'elf. Some Affh~tions come more immediately from the H and of God. Job cam. plains of the Arrows of the Almighty; Da·vid cries out, as if the Lord had broke his Bones. Yet God in all tk Afflictions and Trials he brings upon his People, de!igns their Profit: fVhw he batb tried me, 1fha/1 come forth as Gold, Job xxiii. It is that we may be Partakers of his Holinels. Yet neverthelefs the Strokes and Chaftifements of the Almighty are hard to be borne. Seve»thly; Chrill's Soldiers meet with Hardnefs, whilfl: they attend upon their pro– per Work, in their particular Places and Stations unto which they are called. Some have harder Service than others; as the forlorn Hope, and the Van, faith one, may– meet with harder Service than the main Body of the Army; the Frontiers, and File– Leaders, may meet with more difficult Service than the Rear; and the Watchmen that lie perdue, and ftaod Sentinel, wirh harder Duty than thole that abide on the Guard. But though fome endure more Hardnefs than others, yet all mufl: take what befalls them in the Place and Station where they arcfct. The [\1ini!1ers of the Gofpel, likely, are the Men mollly cxpofcd, and yet fomettmcs orhers lu!fer as hard Things as they; yet every one muft fee to difcharge his Duty in his refpeftive !'lace. The Sentinel mufl: not quit his Watch, becau!'e it is cold, or Danger approaches; the File-LeJdcr mull: not face ab<>ut, and fall back io the Rear, becaule of the Hardntfs of the Service; the Leaders mull: not bid the private Solc1iers fall on, and themlelves run away; the Colours are mofl: aimtd at, yet the Standard-bearer and EnGgn mufl: !tand by them, aod difplay them in tile Face of the Enemy. So whatever comes, Mini!1ers muft preach, and l'eople muft hear, and the Public Vl'odhip of God muft be maintained, the BJnncr of the 'Nord mu!'t be difplayed, Saints muft keep their Ground and Station, where they are let by Jefus Chnft. .!Vicejjity is laid upon me; and wo is me, if I preacb not the Gofpel, 1 Cor. ix. MET A PH 0 R. XVII. Agood Soldier expofcth himfelf to endure H ardnds volun– tarily,patienrly, courageouOy, con– ftantly, and fincertly. PARALLEL. XVII. So the faithlul and good Soldier of Jefus Chrift is not hake!, dragged or forced to his Duty, ar.d to undergo Dilliculries for the Gofpel-fakt; but freely and with a ready Mmd engages in rhe Vilork. 1am ready not to be bound only, but alfq to die at Jerufalem, for the Name of the Lcrd Jefus, Afls xxi. IJ. Chrift cares not fo~ prelfed Soldiers, his are all Volunt~ers: When the Gofpd-Tru;npet founds, Come away, come up hirher, immediat<·ly they are upon their Feet. 2. They endure patiendy, t.1king their C.1ptain for therr Example: Whe11 reviled, they revile not again. In Patience pof/efs ye ;•our Souls. 3· They endure the Hardncfs ot their Serv ice courageouOy: '!'he)' tcok jo.Jully the Jpoi/ing of their Goods, Hcb. x. 3+· '!'he Wicked flee "vhcn none purfue, but tbe l<igbteous are as bold as a L ion, PrvJ. xxvtii. 1. Shall fuc'h a Man as 1 fly? was the Saying of a. brave Soldier of this Captain's. "'Vben i\1odeflus, the Emperor's Lieutenant, threaten– ed Bpjil with Confifcation of Goods, llani!hmcnt, and Death, bow couregeouOy did he bear it! IJ;•ou have an;• 'J'hi"g elfe, threaten tl; for thcfe 'Things are 1/othillg. This was fomewhat like thJt of Paul; notwirhfranding Bonds, lmprifonmenr, aod lleath were threatened again![ him, yet fairh he, None of theft 'I'hings mo~·e me, mitber account 1my Life dear unto me, &c. Afls xx. 24. !Ye glory in 'Tribulation, Rom. v. 3· 4· Saints endure l-hrc1nefs conftandy; the whole Life of a Chriftian is a Time of 'Warfare: Till this Life be done, his Warfare is not done. '!'he Righteous Jha!l bold oil their Wny, and he that hatb clean Hands, fhall grow f/rongcr and flronger, Job xvii. 9· A Saint muft never ceale beirg a Soldier; God linels muli be his Trade as long as he lives. As Satan will never have done tempting, fo he muft ne\'er ceafe from re!ilting his Tempt_at ions. 5· And then all this is done fincerely; he bath holy Aims and Ends in what he docth. XV!ll. A good Soldier (pares none of tlw Enemy, when he hath fuch a Command giveo him: And Saul, for not complying wirh the Requirement ofGoJ in thisrefpeCl, ]oft his Kingdom, viz. in fparing Agag the Kiog, and the Fat of the • XVIll. So a Saint, or good Soldier of Jefus Chrift, fpares not one Luft: Every Sin, like the curfed Ama!ekites, muft be put to the Sword. He is no found Chriflian, that (ufiers any Sio to abide quietly in his Hea~t or Life unmortified. If there be any one Darling Lufl: !pared, it is a polpable Sigo of Hypocrify. Some Men are ready ro excufe
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