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1. What is meant by Hoasts.
2. Why God is called, The Lord of Hoasts.
3. Which are his Hoasts,
4. Questions resolved.
5. Applications to edifie.
THe word is a Military word: many Souldiers make an Hoast: Sabaoth is an army, and the army
being well ordered, is not onely exercitus an Hoast; but also ornatus, it is an ornament; when the Souldiers keep their ranke, there is a comlinesse: so then an Hoast is an ordered multitude fit for imployment.
HE is so called because he is the soveraign Lord over all: the Creatures are in beautifull order at his command. Gen. 2.1. He finished heaven and earth with all their Hoasts, and they continue to this day, and are his servants. Psal. 119.91.
1. IN generall all creatures; God is the great generall, and all creatures are his hoasts to execute his will. Gen. 2.1.
2. In particular, Angels are his hoast: Gen. 32.2. The Angels met Iacob, and he said, This is Gods Hoast. Psal. 103.21. Blesse the Lord all yee his Hoasts. 1. Kings 22.19. The Hoasts of heaven stand round about the Lord: These are exercituum Caelestium, heavenly Soul∣diers.
3. The Sun, Moone, and Starres are his Hoast. Deut. 4.19. Herein Manasses transgressed. 2. King. 21.3. This is Gods Hoast to serve us, we are not to serve them.
4. Men are his Hoast: Exod. 12.41. The same day departed the armies of the Lord from the Land of E∣gypt, the same day, in the body of the day, openly: for God had said to Moses and Aaron; Bring out the sons of Israel according to their armies, Numb. 33.3. Exod. 6.26. 1. Sam. 17.45. Goliah railed against the hoast of the living God.
5. The unreasonable creatures are his hoast, as Frogs, Lice. Exod. 8. So Caterpillars, and Cankar-wormes, Grashoppers, &c. are his hoast.
[Quest. 1] WHich is the chiefe hoast of God?
[Answ.] The Angels, these are his royall hoast; one of them in a night slew 185000 men. 1. Kings 19.35. Wisedome and strength are for the warre: and these sol∣diers are admirable for wisedome, 2. Sam. 14.20. and ex∣cellent for strength. Psal. 103.20. God hath of these two myriades: twice ten thousand. Psal. 68.17. Twice tenne thousand thousands. Dan. 7.10. For number they are numberlesse. Heb. 12.22.
[Quest. 2] God is said to be the God of peace: Heb. 13.20. Rom. 16.20. how is he then the Lord of hoasts?
[Answ.] He is the God of peace to his Church, yet the Lord of hoasts for his Church. A Prince may be at peace with his owne subjects, yet at warre with his and their ene∣mies: Hee is the Lord of Hoasts, yet with us, Psalme 46.7.
[Quest. 3] Is warre lawfull, or no?
[Answ.] Yea, it is lawfull; for God directs them concerning warre: Deut. 20. and approved a Stratagem of warre. Iosuah 8.4, 5, 6. compared with verse 18. Abraham re∣scued Lot by warre; and the Judges of Israel saved the people often by war: God is stiled a man of war. Exod. 15.3. Iohn Baptist taught souldiers to cast away their violence, not their weapons: there are the Lords battells, 1. Sam. 18.17. therefore warre is lawfull.
[Quest. 4] How came warres first into the world?
[Answ.] By the fall of Adam corruption came into our hearts, and from mens lusts came warres. Jam. 4.1. Caine was the first builder of Cities: Gen. 4.17. and no doubt the wicked would not onely defend themselves, but offend the godly; and the godly must labour to defend them∣selves from Nimrod and his fellow hunters: and after the flood the sword was put into the hand of the Magi∣strate
to shed the blood of the murtherer: and as he must looke to the Fold within, so he must looke to the Wolfe without, and as a nursing father, preserve his people from forraigne invasion. We ghesse thus warres begunne.
[Quest. 5] What is required of us as we are Christian Souldiers?
[Answ.] 1. That we put on the whole armour of God.
2. That we prepare to be assaulted.
3. That we turne not our backes on Sathan, for there is no armour for the backe.
4. We should be couragious; it is for the Lord, and for our salvation that we fight for.
[Quest. 6] How must I fight with my enemies?
[Answ.] With the flesh and the world I must fight flying. 2. Tim. 2.22. Flie the lusts of youth, 2. Pet. 1.4. flye the corruptions of the world: but with Sathan I must fight with resistance: James 4.7. 1. Pet. 5.8. with both e∣nemies I must fight praying. Ephes. 6.18.
[Quest. 7] What may I learne from this, that a Christian is a sol∣dier?
[Answ.] 1. That our whole life is a warrefare.
2. Idle and delicate persons are no good Christians.
3. We should not be entangled in our affections with earthly contentments.
4. He that flyes at scoffes and reproaches will never fight to blood.
5. Ignorant persons are untrained, and unfit for ser∣vice.
6. We must walke in our places and keepe ranke and order.
7. We must labour for unity, for united forces are strong.
8. We must follow our leader and great Captaine, Je∣sus Christ.
1. THis shewes the Soveraignty and Majesty of the Lord of Hoasts, who excels as head over all; all Creatures in heaven and earth are subject unto him.
This Lord of Hoasts differs from all other generalls.
1. They command a few, he commands all.
2. They command onely men and beasts, as horses and elephants: he commands windes and seas, thunder, and tempest; yea the divels.
3. They command a little time; he for ever.
4. They cannot preserve an hoast made to their hand: he makes his hoasts and keepes them.
5. They command for him; he is independant.
6. They often command unjustly; he alwaies justly.
2. Miserable is the condition of all naturall men which are not reconciled to the Lord of Hoasts: hee the soveraigne Lord is against them, they may feare he will send one of his hoast to punish them: they may feare the fire will destroy them, the water drowne them, a beast goare them, their meate choake them, the tile-stone kill them, the iron weapon slay them, and all creatures warre against them.
3. We should admire his wisedome that orders the multitudes of his armies, and causes them to keepe their appoynted places, and imployes them for their severall uses.
4. There shall be deliverance on mount Zyon, for the Lord of hoasts is with them, they shall not alwaies lie under the oppressor.
5. We are to bow and bend our hearts and soules to this high and absolute Lord: his infinite greatnesse and soveraignty requires a sutable subjection and submission.
6. We should seeke to him who is the Lord of hoasts, to goe with the armies into the field, that hee will be
with them, and make them wise in counsaile, and valo∣rous for his cause, that he would crowne them with vi∣ctory, and spread his owne praises, by using instruments to suppresse the pride of the enemies, and by spreading his Gospell.
7. Let us in all the victories we heare of, that are for the Churches welfare, give God all the honour and glory that we are able, by looking beyond the instru∣ments to the Lord of hoasts, that imployes them. The horse may be prepared for the battaile, but salva∣tion is of the Lord; therefore to him let us bow, and worship, and acknowledge his right hand, and say, the Lord hath triumphed valiantly, to him let us sing, it is the Lord of Hoasts to whom wee should give the glory and the praise, as we have a patterne. Exod. 15. Judges 5.
8. Here is comfort against Principalities and pow∣ers, the mighty enemies of our soules, the Lord of Hoasts is with us, mighty to save, through him we shall doe valiantly.