Book IV. SAINTS COMPARLD To S 0 L DIE R S. 721-, MET A P HOH. Cattle, when the Word of Com– mand was, Go, finite Amalek, and utterly dejftoy all that they have, and fpare them not ; but flay both Men and WMun, Infant and Suck– ling, Oxen and Sheep, Camels and Ajjes, &c. I Sam. xv. 3· PARALLEL. cufe their evil Lufts, as Saul did: They will co– ver thrir covetous Defigns under the Pretence of doino- Good, and di!tributing to the Neceflities of the Poor; but ,.]as; this w,ll not do, Obedi– ence is better than ,\acrifice. A Saint muft kill all, put all his Sins to the Sword, or die to them. One Sin fpared, as Agag was, will exclude thee the Kingdom of Heaven: lf ye live after the Flejh, ye foal! die; but if ye mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye jhalllive,_ Ram. viti. '3· XIX. A good Soldier will keep XIX. So_ a good Soldter of. Chni1: wtll keep with his Colors. It IS pumfhana abtde wtth the Banner of 'I ruth. The Got– able by Martial Law, for a Solpel, faith /linfwort~, is the Saints Enfign : And dier to lie behind hts Colors; he wzll lift up an Enjign to the People, &c. lfa. and Death without Mercy to dev. 26. <-hrii1: will lafh fuch as lie behind. Peter part quite from them. was made to weep bitterly for flraying from his Colors. And it will be Death without Mercy to thofe that quite depart from the Truth, and embrace Herefy or Idolatry._ And here let me caution all Chriftians to toke heed, left they be deceived by thetr Ene– mies. Satan, like: a cunning Pirate, fon1etimes transforms l1imfelf into an Angel of Lio-ht, he puts out falfe Colors, comes with a feeming Banner or Enlign of Trutl~; he can make ufe of Scripture, when it will make for his Purpofe to deceive. XX. A good Soldier will no·, XX. So a good Soldier of Je!us Chrii1: will turn his Back upon the Enemy, not turn his Back to (]y from the Enemy, or ut– to the Difhonor of his Captain; tet!y depart from the Truth, whatfoever befall though his Life be in danger, he him; fltch is his Love to the Lord Jefus, and will not Ay, nor cowardly betray Zeal for l11s Glory. And bdides, he knows, if his Trui1:. he do, the great Danger he expofeth his own Soul to thereby: For among all the Armor that Chriflians lhould take unto them, we read of no Back-piece ; for if they turn their Back, they are gone and undone for ever: Jf any Mail draw back, my Soul Jhall haw no Pleaji<re in him, Heb. x. 38. XX[. A Soldie_r is greatly animar.ed and encouraged in all his Encounters and fharp Conflicts with the Enemy, by confidering the Reward and Honor he i11all receive, if he manfully hold out, and gets the ViCtory. XXI. So a Saint is carried on with much Zeal and Courage, by the Confidcration of the eternal Reward he fhall receive in the End. This made Mofes defpife the Glory of Egypt, and refufc to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter. He Jaw him who was invifible, and had an E)'e to tbc R.ecompence of Reward, Heb. xi. Chrift himfelf this way animates his Followers, and faithful Sol– diers : I appoint to )'OU a Kingdom. Be )'OU faithful unto Death, and I will give you a Crown of Life, Re·v. ii. 1 o. I have, faith Paul, fought the good Ftght, and jinijhed "~v Courfe, and kept the Faith: And henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Rigbte– oufnefs, which God the righteous Judge will give me at that Da)', and not to me only, };ut to all them that love his Appearing, 2 'l'im. iv. 8, 9· XXII. Some Sol(iiers of an ArXXII; So Chri{l fometimes calls forth one of my are now and then Jingled our his fpiritual Army, to engage the Enemy alone, as Champions, to engage an Eneand as a Champion of the Truth, to facrifice his my alone. Though every ChamLife in the behalf of it. What greater Honor pion be a Soldier, -yet every Solcan be conferred upon a Chriftian than this? dier is not a Champion. A CapSuch a Champion was St. Stephen, Antipas, &c. tain will not chufe any Soldier to who were brave Men, Saints of undaunted Cou– this Wor!c, but fuch only as he rage and Refolution; wbo loved 11ot their Lives knows are Men of Courage and unto Death, ACts vii. Rev. ii. '3· Experience, &c. MET A PH 0 R. I. N 0 earthly Soldiers know what the Event or lffue of their Wars will be; they can– not reil whether they fhall overD IS PAR IT Y. I. BUT a true Chnftian knows, and is affured, that he fhall overcome, and obrain the ViCtory. He figh ts not at an uncerta:nry, the lffue of the War being made known unto him by 8 x c~~t
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