and prowess, which is so needful for your Christian profession, that without it you cannot he wliat you profess. Tlie fearful are in the forlorn of those that march for hell, Rev. xxi. The violent and valiant are they which take heaven by force ; cowards never won heaven. Say not, thou hast royal blood running in ^thy veins, and art begotten of God, except thou canst prove thy pedigree by this heroic spirit, to dare to be holy in spite of men and deyils. The eagle tries her young ones by the sun ; Christ tries liis children by their courage, that dare look on the face of death and danger for his sake, Mark viii.34, 35. O how uncomely a sight is it, a bold sinner, and a fearfid saint ! one resolved to be wicked, and a Christian wavering in his holy coiu'se ; to see guilt put innocency to flight, and hell keep the field, impudently braving it with displayed banners of open profaneness, and saints to hide their coloiu-s for shame, or run from them for fear, who should rather wrap themselves in them, and die upon the place, than thus betray the glorious name of God, which is called upon by them to the scorn of the uncircumcised. Take heart, therefore, O ye saints, and be strong ; your cause is good ; God himself espouseth your quarrel, who hath appointed you his own Son, general of the field, called ' the Captain of our salvation,' Heb. ii. He shall lead you on with courage, and bring you off' with honour. He lived and died for you ; he will live and die with you ; for mercy and tenderness to his soldiers, none like him. Trajan, it is said, rent his clothes to bind up his soldiers' wounds ; Christ poured out his blood as balm to heal his saints' woimds ; tears off" his flesh to bind them up. For prowess, none to compare with him ; he never turned his head from danger, no, not when hell's malice and heaven's justice appeared in the field against him ; ' knowing all that should come upon him, he went forth, and said. Whom seek ye ?' John xviii. 4. For success, insupera-hle ; he never lost battle, even when he lost his life ; he won the field, carrying the spoils thereof in the triumphant chariot of his ascension to heaven with him, where he makes an open show of them, to the unspeakable joy of saints and angels. You march in the midst of gallant spirits ; your fellow-soldiers, every one the son of a Prince. Behold some, enduring with you here below a great fight of afflictions and temptations, take heaven by storm and force. Others you may see after many assaults, repidses, and rallyings of their faith and patience, got upon the walls of heaven, con- querors, from whence they do, as it were, look down and call you their fellow- brethren on earth, to march up the hill after them, crying aloud. Fall on, and the city is your own, as now it is ours, who for a few days' conflict are now crowned with heaven's glory, one moment's enjoyment of which hath dried up all our tears, healed all our wounds, and made us forget the sharpness of the fight, with the joy of oiu- present victory. In a word, Christians, God and angels are spectators, observing how you quit yourselves like children of the Most High. Every exploit your faith doth against sin and Satan, causeth a shout in heaven, while you valiantly prostrate this temptation, scale that difficulty, regain the other ground you even now lost, out of your enemies' hands. Your dear Saviour, who stands by with a reserve for your relief at a pinch, his very heart leaps within him for joy, to see the proof of your love to him, and zeal for him in all your combats, and will not forget all the faithful service you have done in his wars on earth ; but, when thou comest out of the field, will receive thee with the like joy as he was entertained himself, at his return to heaven, of his Father. Now, Christian, if thou meanest thus coura- geously to bear up against all opposition, in thy march to heaven, as thou shouldest do well to raise thy spirit with such generous and soul-ennobling thoughts, so in an especial manner look thy principles be well fixed, or else thy heart will be unstable ; and an unstable heart is weak as water, it cannot excel in courage. Two things are required to fix our principles.
First, An established judgment in the truth of God. He that knows not well what or whom he fights for, may soon be persuaded to change his side, or at least stand neuter. Such may be found that go for professors, that can hardly give an account what they hope for, or whom they hope in ; yet Christians they must be_ thought, though they run before they know their errand ; or if they have some principles they go upon, they are so unsettled that every wind blows them down, like^ loose tiles from the housetop. Blind zeal is soon put to a shameful
BE STRONG IN THE LORD. 7