A SWEET AND POWERFUL ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE WAR

PART FIRST

A SWEET AND POWERFUL ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE WAR

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,

and in the power of his might.’  — Eph. 6:10

            
 The apostle begins his speech with the word of encouragement to battle: 'Finally, my brethren, be

strong in the Lord;’ the best way indeed to prepare them for the following directions.  A soul deeply possessed with fear, and dispirited with strong apprehensions of danger, is in no posture for counsel.  As we see in any army when put to flight by some sudden alarm, or apprehension of danger, it is hard rallying them into order until the fright occasioned thereby is over; therefore the apostle first raiseth up their spirits, 'be strong in the Lord.’  As if he should say, Perhaps some drooping souls find their hearts fail them, while they see their enemies so strong, and they so weak; so numerous, and they so few; so well appointed, and they so naked and unarmed; so skilful and expert at arms, but they green and raw soldiers.  Let not these or any other thoughts dismay you; but with undaunted courage march on, and be strong in the Lord, on whose per­formance lies the stress of battle, and not on your skill or strength.  It is not the least of a minister's care and skill in dividing the word, so to press the Christian's duty, as not to oppress his spirit with the weight of it, by laying it on the creature's own shoulders, and not on the Lord's strength, as here our apostle teacheth us.  In this verse (under four heads or branches), We have first, A familiar appellation, 'my brethren.’  second, An exhortation, 'be strong.’  third, A cautionary direction annexed to the exhortation, 'in the Lord.’  fourth, An encouraging amplification of the direction, 'and in the power of his might,’ or in his mighty power.

BRANCHES FIRST AND SECOND.

The appellation, 'my brethren.’—The exhortation, 'be strong.’

             We have, Branch First, a familiar appellation, 'my brethren.’  This we shall waive, and begin with,
Branch Second, the exhortation—'be strong;’ that is, be of good courage, so commonly used in scripture phrase: 'Be strong and courageous,’ II Chr. 32:7; 'Say to them that are of a fearful heart, 'Be strong,’ Isa. 35:4. Or, unite all the powers of your souls, and muster up your whole force, for you will have use for all you can make or get.  From whence the point is this.

[Christian courage and resolution —wherefore necessary.]

             Doctrine, The Christian of all men needs courage and resolution.  Indeed there is nothing that he does as a Christian, or can do, but is an act of valour.  A cowardly spirit is beneath the lowest duty of a Christian, 'be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest’—What? stand in battle against those warlike nations?  No, but that thou mayest 'observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee,’ Joshua 1:7.  It requires more prowess and greatness of spirit to obey God faithfully, than to command an army of men; to be a Christian than a captain.  What seems less, than for a Christian to pray? yet this cannot be performed aright without a princely spirit: as Jacob is said to behave himself like a prince, when he did but pray; for which he came out of the field God's banneret.  Indeed if you call that prayer, which a carnal person performs, nothing is more poor and dastard-like.  Such an one is as great a stranger to this enterprise, as the craven soldier to the exploits of a valiant chieftain. The Christian in prayer comes up close to God, with a humble boldness of faith, and takes hold of him, wrestles with him; yea, will not let him go with­out a blessing, and all this in the face of his own sins, and divine justice, which let fly upon him from the fiery mouth of the law; while the other's boldness in prayer is but the child, either of ignorance in his mind, or hardness in his heart; whereby not feeling his sins, and not knowing his danger, he rushes upon duty with a blind confidence, which soon quails when conscience awakes, and gives him the alarm, that his sins are upon him, as the Philistines on Samson: alas, then in a fright the poor-spirited wretch throws down his weapon, flies the presence of God with guilty Adam, and dares not look him in the face.  Indeed there is no duty in the Christian's whole course of walking with God, or acting for God but is lined with many difficulties, which shoot like enemies through the hedges at him, while he is marching towards heaven: so that he is put to dispute every inch of ground as he goes.  They are only a few noble-spirited souls, who dare take heaven by force, that are fit for this calling.  For the further proof of this point, see some few pieces of service that every Christian engageth in.
             First.—The Christian is to proclaim and prosecute an irreconcilable war against his bosom sins; those sins which have lain nearest his heart, must now be trampled under his feet.  So David, 'I have kept myself from my iniquity.’  Now what courage and resolution does this require?  You think Abraham was tried to purpose, when called to take his 'son, his son Isaac, his only son whom he loved,’ Gen. 22:2, and offer him up with his own hands, and no other; yet what was that to this?  Soul, take thy lust, thy only lust, which is the child of thy dearest love, thy Isaac, the sin which has caused the most joy and laughter, from which thou hast promised thyself the greatest return of pleasure or profit; as ever thou lookest to see my face with comfort, lay hands on it and offer it up: pour out the blood of it before me; run the sacrificing knife of mortification into the very heart of it; and this freely, joyfully, for it is no pleasing sacrifice that is offered with a countenance cast down —and all this now, before thou hast one embrace more from it.  Truly this is a hard chapter, flesh and blood cannot bear this saying; our lust will not lie so patiently on the altar, as Isaac, or as a 'Lamb that is brought to the slaughter which was dumb,’ but will roar and shriek; yea, even shake and rend the heart with its hideous outcries.