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Ob. THere is a pressing of souldiers euery where, we must into the wars: but how we shall preuaile I can not see.
Answ. Through God we shall doe valiantly, for he it is that shall tread downe our enemies, Psal. 60.12.
Obiect. We want strength and skill.
Answ.* 1.1 God girdeth his with strength vnto the bat∣tell, & teacheth their hands to warre, and with their armes to breake euen bowes of steele, Psa. 18.32.34.39.
Obiect. Wee are very shortly to ioine in battel with a great hoast, which bee the enemies of our faith and true religion.
* 1.2Answ. Feare them not (saith the Lord) for I am with you: be not dismaied I will strengthen you, yea I will helpe you, yea I will vphold you with the right hand of my righteousnesse, Esa. 41.10. For the battell is not yours, but the Lords: goe out therefore against them; for the Lord will be with you, 2. Chron. 20.15.18.
Obiect. But we Captaines feare, that many newly pres∣sed are faint hearted and will not fight.
Answ. They shall be as
mighty men, which treade downe their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battell, and they shall fight because the Lord is with them, Zach. 10.5.
Obiect. The enemies serue vnder a mightie po∣tentate, and are a great mul∣titude.
Answ. Bee strong and couragious,* 1.3 bee not afraide nor dismaied for that King, nor for all the multitude that is with him, for there be more with vs, than with him. With him is an arme of flesh: but with vs is the Lord our God to helpe vs, and to fight our battels, 2. Chron. 32.7.8. There is no king saued by the multi∣tude of an hoast, a mightie
man is not deliuered by much strength, Psal. 33.16.
Obiect. But besides his owne strength and puissance, hee hath many Princes his confederates, who haue ioy∣ned their powers to his, and we are but an handful: ther∣fore doe they boast and make themselues sure of the vi∣ctorie.
* 1.4Answ. Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himself, as he that put∣teth it off, 1. Kin. 20.11. As did Benhadad, who came a∣gainst Ahab with Horses and Chariots, and thirtie two Kings also with him, Verse 1. Yet seuen thou∣sand two hundred thirtie & two of Israel ouerthrew his hoast, and made him flye
out of the field, Vers. 15.20. Zerah the Ethiopian came against Asa with a huge hoast, of a million of men, with many Chariots and horse-men, yet because Asa did rely vpon the Lord, that innumerable multi∣tude was ouerthrowne, 2. Chron. 16.8. & 14.9.13. For it is nothing with the Lord to helpe, whether with many, or with them that haue no power, V. 11.
Obiect. But besides the multitude (being two to one) the enemy hath by a strata∣gem of warre, gotten vs into the very midst of them, they haue laied an ambushment, so as the battell is before and behinde.
Answ. It is not policie
that can preuaile against the Lord.* 1.5 Ieroboam that Idola∣ter came into the field with a chosen army of eight hun∣dred thousand mighty men of valour, 2. Chron. 13.3. And Abiiah a true wor∣shipper of God, but with halfe so many, being also compassed round with Ieroboams hoast, yet cry∣ing vnto the Lord, hee deliuered them into the hand of Abiiah, who slew of them fiue hundred thou∣sand chosen men, Verse 14-17. Because Iudah relied vpon the Lord God of their fathers, Vers. 18.
Obiect. They are well furnished with weapons.
Answ. No weapon that is framed against thee shall
prosper, Esa. 54.17.
Obiect. They haue got∣ten the places of aduantage, the Hils and Mountaines from vs.
Answ. Truely in vaine is safetie hoped for,* 1.6 from the hils, and from the mul∣titude of mountaines: true∣ly in the Lord our God is the saluation of Israel, Iere. 3.23. Who is God in the valleys, as well as on the hils, to giue his people vic∣torie, 1. King. 20.28.
Obiect. They bee strong in horse-men.
Answ. A horse is a vaine thing for safety,* 1.7 neither shal he deliuer any by his great strength, Psal. 33.17. The riders on horses shall be confounded, Zach. 10.5.
Obiect. They haue many Chariots.
* 1.8Answ. Indeed some put their trust in Chariots, some in Horses, but let vs remem∣ber the name of the Lord our God, whose Chariots are twentie thousand, euen thousands of Angels, Psal. 68.17.
Obiect. Well, they bee gathered together to bid vs battell.
Answ. Behold they shall surely gather together, but not by me. Whosoeuer shal gather together against thee (saith the Lord) shall fall for thy sake, Esa. 54.15. Ob. But it seemeth to me im∣possible to escape in the bat∣tel, frō the shot of the Artil∣lery, it flieth so thicke vpō vs.
Ans. Trust in God, and hee shall couer thy head in the day of battell (Psalm. 140.7) vnder his wings; his truth shall be thy shield, and buckler, thou shalt not need to feare the terrour of the night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the destruction that wast∣eth at noone. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee, Psal. 91.4-7.
Obiect. Wee want a wise and valiant man of warre to be our Leader.
Answ. The Lord mighty in battell (Psal. 24.8.) shall goe forth as a mightie man, like a man of warre, he shall cry, yea roare; hee shall be∣haue
himselfe mightily, and preuaile against his ene∣mies, Esa. 42.13.
Obiect. Wee want the company and countenance of mighty Princes, to helpe vs.
* 1.9Answ. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the sonne of a man, in whom their is no helpe, Psal. 146.3. For he goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish, Vers. 4. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put any con∣fidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put any confidence in Prin∣ces, Psal. 118.8.9. For the eyes of the Lord runne too and fro, throughout the whole earth, to shew him∣selfe strong in the behalfe
of them, whose heart is perfect towards him, 2. Chron. 16.9.
Obiect. They haue strong helpers: but we haue few, or none to take part with vs.
Answ. Feare not,* 1.10 2. Kin. 6.16. Though men doe not aide vs, yet God being for vs, who can bee against vs, Rom. 8.31. For with them is onely an arme of flesh: but with vs, is the Lord our God to helpe vs, and to fight our battels, 2. Chron. 32.8. So as they that bee with vs, are moe then they that be with them, 2. King. 6.16. 2. Chron. 32.7.
Ob. Yet peraduenture the enemy may force vs to retire, and wee are neere no Castle, shelter, or place of refuge.
Answ. The Lord is a shelter, a strong tower, Psa. 61.3. A rocke of saluation, Psal. 62.2. And our refuge, Psalm. 46.7. & 48.3. Yea, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe, Prou. 18.10.
Psal. 68.35. & 144.1.
Not to feare to fight a∣gainst the e∣nemies of the Church.
There are moe with the godly, than with the wicked. 2. King. 6.16.
A smal com∣pany may preuaile a∣gainst a huge hoast.
Policy can∣not preuaile, where God will giue the victory.
The aduan∣tage of the place, pre∣serues not against Gods power.
Esa. 31.3.
Esa. 31.1. Prou. 21.31. 2. King. 6.7.
Earthly Princes power, is not to be trusted vnto, but we are to beleeue in the Lord.
If God be with vs, none can stand a∣gainst vs. Ier. 17.5.