monition to Israel, of the peculiar care with which they should guard against any unreformed wickedness, when, like GreatBritain at this day, they were engaging in war. and they are a charge, not only to the soldiery, in such circumstances as these, to abstain from rapine, cruelty, and debauchery, as well as from any superstitious regard to those idols, which they might meet with in the camps and cities of their enemies; but also to the people in general, to be careful, that they did not, by any impieties or immoralities at home, bring down the curse of God upon their arms, and blast the success even of the most righteous cause.

Before I proceed to a more particular consideration of the words, I will very readily allow, they might have some peculiar weight, when considered as addressed to the Israelites; for they had God in a very extraordinary manner present among them; as the ark, often called the footstool of his throne, was now in the midst of their camp; and, when it was not, there were other holy instruments committed to the charge of the anointed of the field, by which God was to be consulted, and his presence acknowledged. Upon this account we find, in the following words, they are urged to keep themselves, not only from moral, but also from ceremonial, and even natural pollution; that the order, decency, and cleanliness of their camp might be an habitual expression of their reverence for that God, who condescended to appear among them as their General, and their King: For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp; -therefore shall it be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee *.

For

It may also be proper to recollect upon this occasion, that the Israelites were under something of a peculiarly equal providence; and consequently might expect victory or defeat, as they were obedient, or disobedient to the divine command, with a certainty greater than is common to other nations. though indeed it is probable, that, in a series of years, the prosperity or calamity of a nation will be proportionable to its general virtues or vices; yet the peculiar covenant which God had made with Israel, not only seems to have engaged him to a more immediate retribution, but likewise extended itself to all those peculiar institutions, which they as a separate nation were under. Therefore does he particularly tell them, that If they did not observe to do all his commandments and statutes, he

*Deut. xxiii. 14.

would cause them to be smitten before their enemies; they should go out against them one way, and flee seven ways before them *; thereby strongly intimating, and indeed with the utmost reason, that the presumptuous violation of any ceremonial or positive precept would be attended with fatal consequences; of which, you well know, the defeat brought upon the whole army of Israel for the sin of Achan, in secreting the accursed thing, was an early and very memorable instance; as well as the severity, with which that crime was punished, on the offender, and his family +. And it was indeed a merciful method which God took, to preserve Israel in an external and visible adherence to the religion and the institutions he had founded among them, thus immediately to animadvert upon them by his chastising providence, whenever they deviated from it, though in circumstances otherwise indifferent; and it may be in those, in which human policy would have dictated a very different conduct, had not a divine command interposed: which, by the way, is particularly apparent in the effect of multiplying chariots and horses which were always a curse, instead of a defence to Israel, how useful soever they might have been to other nations; because God had required them to employ infantry alone, as that by which, the more immediately to shew his interposition, he would save them, when they depended upon him.

I pretend not therefore to maintain from these words, that we are concerned in them, just in the very same manner and degree, that the Israelites were; yet I doubt not but I shall be able,

I. To prove, that we are highly concerned in this caution which is given to them. And then,

II. I shall endeavour to illustrate it, by the mention of some particular evils, against which, in our present circumstances, we are peculiarly obliged to guard. After which,

III. I shall conclude with some inferences from hence, further suited to the occasion of this day's most solemn assembly.

I. I am to prove, that we are all much concerned in the caution that is here given; and that as ever we, or any other nation, would reasonably expect success against our enemies, it is necessary that when we go forth against them, we should keep ourselves from every wicked thing.

You will remember, I pretend not to assert, that the event

* Deut. xxviii. 15, 25.

Josh. chap. vii,

of every battle, or of every war, will always bear an exact pro

portion, either to the justice of the cause, or to the virtue and piety of those that are engaged in it. Indeed the event of some wars, especially towards the beginning of the reformation, wherein the sufferers were persons of the most excellent, and the victors of the must hateful characters, is too sad an evidence to the contrary*. I am very ready to allow, that in some instances, to form the hearts of his people to more eminent attainments in goodness by scenes of distress, or for other reasons to us unknown, God may determine events otherwise: yet I think I may very safely venture to affirm, that we can never form any just expectation of continued success and prosperity in our military affairs, unless there be a zealous concern about a reformation in our manners; and unless national piety and virtue be our earnest and governing care. And this may sufficiently appear, if we consider, on the one hand, that the divine favour can only reasonably be expected by those, who are careful to keep themselves from evil; and on the other, that prosperity in military affairs does evidently depend on the divine favour. Both these considerations are so plain, that they might almost be admitted as self-evident; though in order to impress them more deeply upon our minds, I shall spend a few words upon each.

1. The divine favour can only reasonably be expected by those, who are solicitous to keep themselves from moral evil.

I might introduce what I have further to say on this head, by observing, that the moral perfections of God seem evidently deducible from his natural; for to suppose otherwise concerning him, would be indeed to suppose him worse than even the very vilest of men, who, if they act unrighteously, where they know what is reasonable and fit, do it as tempted by some self-interest; a temptation, to which an almighty Being cannot possibly be obnoxious. Now the consequence from his being perfectly holy and righteous himself, to his loving the like character, and hating the contrary, in his reasonable creatures, is so plain, that the apostle appeals to every one's conscience to bear witness to it:

* I hardly know a more memorable instance of this, than in the success of that perfidious and ungrateful war, which the Emperor Charles V. undertook against those two pious and worthy princes, John Frederick, elector of Saxony, and Philip, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassal; in which the Emperor was supported by a considerable number of Spanish and Italian forces, who marked their way through Germany with unheard-of cruelties; and particularly, (as the Landgrave himself asserts in his manifesto) cut off the hands and feet of little children, to testify their hatred against the protestant religion, which their parents professed. "Pueris ipsis et infantibus resecare manus atque pedes, odio nimirum doctrinæ." Sleid. de Stat. Relig. lib. xviii. p. 71.

What fellowship, says he, hath righteousness with unrighteousness? Or what communion hath light with darkness*? It must then be granted, that as The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and his countenance beholds the upright+; so his Face must be set against them that do evil, that sooner or later he may cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. Wicked men have reason therefore to be afraid of his judgments; and they have especial reason to fear them, who, like the inhabitants of Great Britain, have been favoured with the clearest knowledge of his will, have received the most eminent deliverances from him, and have for a long series of years been preserved in peace and prosperity; while at the same time, that they have called themselves his people, they have acted in a visible contrariety to their profession, and thereby brought proportionable dishonour upon his name. This is a case greatly to be feared in every condition, and it is especially worthy of our consideration in our present circumstances; because

2. It is most evident, that the success of military affairs does entirely depend upon the divine protection and favour.

This is a well known maxim of the word of God; and considering the natural pride of our hearts, it was fit that it should be deeply inculcated. It is therefore repeated again and again; and it is observable, that it comes most frequently from the pen of David, who was himself so courageous a warrior, and so illustrious a conqueror. No king, says he, is saved by the multitude of a host; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength: A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength: Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, to deliver their soul from death §. And we shall have occasion hereafter, to mention many other passages equivalent to those.

It would indeed be thus, if the success of battle was always proportionable to the number, strength, and skill of those respectively concerned in it; for all the strength, and all the skill of creatures is derived from God, and is supported by him. But we find in experience, as well as in scripture, that events often arise, in which it evidently appears, That the battle is not to the strong, nor the race to the swift ||; and circumstances happen, in which, with some allowance for the figurative expression, One chases a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight¶. Much of the success of military actions depends upon the

* 2 Cor. vi. 14. Eccles. ix. 11.

+ Psal. xi. 7.

Deut. xxxii. 30.

Psal. xxxiv. 16. § Psal. xxxiii. 16-19.

weather, which almost the whole world acknowledges to be apparently at the divine disposal, and to be quite beyond any human alteration or controul. Wind and rain, cold`and heat, have been the destruction of thousands, who imagined themselves most secure of victory and success, even in land engagements. Much likewise depends upon a variety of little accidents; and especially, with respect to the discernment of those that command, and the alacrity of those who engage. Now God at pleasure takes away the spirit of princes, and dejects The men of might, so that they are not able to find their hands. He sometimes diffuses among mighty armies a spirit of discord, so that confederate forces desert, or destroy one another+; or perhaps sends a sudden panic upon them ‡, and then, be their forces ever so numerous, the entrance of fear is the beginning of a defeat, in which numbers, instead of helping, only crowd, and bear down, and trample on each other. It is evident to all acquainted with history, that, by such incidents as these, small numbers have been rendered victorious, even almost beyond their expectation, and have stood astonished at their own success.

This is a remark peculiarly applicable to naval preparations. Their prosperity most evidently depends on the most uncertain elements, the winds and the waves; and he that Gathers the winds in his fist §, can with infinite ease pen up the most gallant fleets in their harbours, and waft over to defenceless ports, in the very neighbourhood of them, invading enemies in transports by no means a match for the fine navies, on which the sovereign of the sea has laid his embargo. Yea, at his command The ships of Tarshish shall be dashed in pieces with an east wind, and their bulk and strength only serve to give each other the more violent shocks, and to spread the wider ruin. This is a thought especially worthy our attention, who have in so many instances, within the memory of man, owed the preservation of our domestic peace, and probably it may be added, even that of our religion and liberty, to the interposition of the wind in our favour. A circumstance, which our enemies themselves have recorded with surprise, though we are, alas, too insensible of it ¶.

*Psal. lxxvi. 5, 12. †2 Chron. xx. 22, 23. 2 Kings vii. 6,7. § Prov. xxx. 4. Psal. xlviii. 7.

Not only the story of the Spanish invasion, and that of the arrival of the prince of Orange, our great deliverer, in 1688, are memorable instances of this; but also the invasions afterwards attempted, either by king James the second, or the Pretender and his agents; of which I cannot recollect any one that has not been defeated chiefly by winds, and those such as we ourselves could have wished. And as I think that Father Orleans, in his History of the English Revolutions, meu