THIS is an Exhortation given from the Word of God, and if we would be happy we must be Holy; we trust not only to an Arm of Flesh, but to the gracious dealing of a pow­erfull God, whose All-seeing Eye is over all our Acti­ons; and put case we sin against him, How can we then expect a Blessing from him, who is of purer Eyes [Page 2] than to behold Iniquity with Approbation? therefore let no Evil attend our Actions, we are here Besieged with Enemies who studies the Overthrow of the Peo­ple of God, and would likewise Triumph over our De­struction, but keep close to your Duty in the Service of the Living God, then will he prove your Protectour, Psalm 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield, the Lord will give Grace and Glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. It is our Duty, at all times to live Cireumspect in this present Life, but especially at this time when we are exercised under this sharp Tryall of Affliction, being closely besieged by a powerfull Enemy, and when we shall make our Sally forth, What Man is certain he shall return again? therefore let our Actions be seasoned with Grace, and Holiness, that whether we live or dye we may be ac­ceptable in the sight of God; therefore when we go forth let us keep clear from every evil thing: This War which we are engaged in, is not designed by us for the destroying of Cities, or the Destruction of Coun­tries, but for the maintaining of the Gospel-Truth against the common Enemy of Christianity, those that count they merit Heaven by Massacring and Murthering the People of God, and glory in the shed­ding of innocent Bloud; therefore as God shall bless us in this Undertaking let us keep our selves free from Evil; it is for the Glory of Heaven we venture our Lives, and who falls in the Field his Reward will be greater than his Loss, it being in the just Defence of True Religion and Piety; let not our Foes affright us, nor any Fears attend us, for God will give the Victory [Page 3] to them that serve him, and make their Enemies fly be­fore them, as Chaff before the Wind. How many sig­nal Mercies have we been partakers off in our success­full Sallies against our Enemies? And shall we now despair of God's Mercies (no, no,) he is able to Deli­ver us at the last moment, when we seem to stand tot­tering on the brink of utter Ruine; nothing is impossi­ble with our great Creator; nothing can seperate us from the Love of God but our Sins; therefore let us make War against our corrupt Nature; let us destroy those Sins which makes us Enemies to God; for, What is our Sighs, our Tears, and Prayers, if we still conti­nue to hug our Darling Sins? for, as the Psalmist saith, If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me; therefore let us be sincere in what we profess, and not to go from Praying to our Pollutions, or from hearing the Word of God to the breach of his Commandments; he in his Holy Word hath afforded us many gracious Promises to support our Spirits in the greatest Trou­bles and Tryalls; therefore be of good comfort, and lay hold on the Promises of God by Faith. Joshua 23. 5. And the Lord your God, he shall expell them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight, and ye shall pos­sess their Land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you; therefore be exhorted like Christian Champions to goe forth with Courage, Deuteronomy 31. 6. Be strong and of a good Courage; fear not; nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth goe with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee. These most gracious Promises may be sufficient for us to rely upon they are the Sayings of a God that is not only willing [Page 4] but able; no Forces, nor Power is able to disappoint him in his purpose; it is not the great and mighty but the humble and meek that he hath a regard to; there­fore put away every evil thing and it will go well with us, Isaiah 1. 19. If ye be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the Land, yet observe what is threatened to Per­sons on the contrary, ver. 20. But if ye refuse and rebell ye shall be devoured with the Sword, for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Here you may see what is requi­red by God, and how gracious he will be upon the per­formance of your Duty; therefore, as in the Text, When the Host goeth forth against thine Enemy then keep thee from every wicked thing: Our War is holy, and therefore we must be holy; our Sword must not be ac­companied with Sins, which go forth in the fear of God, and the just Defence of the pure Religion; therefore while we pursue the Enemies of Righteousness our Actions will be Crown'd with Victory, as the Prophet Isaiah hath it in 41 Chap. and the latter part of the 12. Ver. They that War against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought: The Scriptures are full of these comfortable Sayings, so that though our Enemy may come against us with a strong and powerfull armed Host, and threaten this City with ruine and destructi­on, yet if God be for us who can be against us. Romans Chap. 8. and the latter part of the 31. Ver. for when Pharaoh and his Host pursued after the Children of Is­ [...]ael, the Lord stretch'd forth his hand and show'd his Power in overthrowing him and his Chariots in the Red-Sea, when at the same time his power preserved his chosen People: What shall we say then? Can we [Page 5] not put our Trust in him who is able to deliver his Ser­vants at the greatest Time of Danger? Here we read of wonderfull things which he hath performed for your Fathers of Old, and he is the same God now as then; let us be but faithfull Servants, and then we may assure our selves he will be a Shield of Defence, and a present Help in the Time of Trouble: When David was pur­sued by Saul, and hunted after like a Partridge upon the Mountains, yet God being with him his Life was pre­served, and his cruel Adversary could not wrong him, his Heart was upright, his Conscience was clear, there­fore he had comfort in his Afflictions. Thus it may be with every Soul here, who labours to cleanse his Heart from Sin, for nothing can burthen our Consci­ences more, in a time of Distress, than a fearfull Re­membrance of our Iniquities; therefore keep your selves free from every evil thing; it ought to be the care of every one present to cease from Evil, and learn to doe well; a good Christian makes a good Souldier, that will not fear to venture his Life in a good Cause, and if God be pleased to require it, patiently submit, and then will he give you a Crown of Glory for your Reward, 2. Tim. 2. 3. Now therefore endure hardness as a good Souldier of Jesus Cbrist. put away every Evil thing, God would have the Camp as pure as any Col­lege, or Christian-Society; the Reasons are plain, He that fights for the Glory of God, must be carefull that at the same time he does not sin against that Divine Ma­jesty for whose Righteousness he seems to contend, lest his Wrath wax hot against us, and we are delivered up to the Fury of our Enemies, as a just Reward of our [Page 6] Impiety; put away every evil thing, Ephesians 5. at the latter part of the 6 ver. For because of these thing cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience. A­gain, the Souldier ought to be prepared for another World before he goes out to face an Enemy; for why, when we enter the Battel, Who is he that is certain to return again? you have every one a Soul to be saved, and how dismal a state would it be to be cut off in the midst of your Iniquities, without having the opportu­nity of saying, Lord have Mercy upon me? Thus do you see how necessary it is to put away every evil thing, when you see how soon the slender Thread of Life may be broke, and you be hurried into everlasting Misery, there­fore I hope you will all be exhorted, this day, to quit your selves as Christian Champions both in the sight of God and Man; this War of ours is a necessary War, and not like those restless Spirits who will not be at ease, but daily endeavours to intrench upon the priviledges of his neighbouring Countries, as Ahab who covered Na­both's Vineyard, and could not be at Peace in his mind till he had enjoy'd it, because it lay near him, as you may find in 1. Kings 21. we desire nothing more than Peace, and the True Religion, Laws, and Liberties which we at present are denied by that French and Ro­mish Enemy, the common Disturber of▪ Europe, and Persecuter of the People of God, but good Lord, [...]n thy due time. Look on him that is proud and bring him low, and tread down the wicked in their place. Job. 40. 12. so shall these Kingdoms flourish once again, and the Gospel-Truth shine in it's full power; but let us all walk worthy of that Heavenly Blessing, that Peace may [Page 7] be our Portion after the Victory over our Enemies which we do not doubt but the Lord will give us, if our Sins do not provoke him to anger; therefore let our Camp be Holy, that he see no unclean thing that may cause him to turn away from us again; be strong and couragious in the Lord, fear not the force of your Foes, for their Bounds are limited, and they can go no farther than God will give them leave, though they may resolve for Ruine and Destruction, yet they shall be disappoin­ted in their Designs, for God will still have a regard to his People, whose Hearts are upright before him, and will preserve them under the shadow of his Wings from the Violence and Cruelty of wicked and perverse Men, he will be in the midst of our Camp, where his strength and power will appear, if we by Faith and Patience can but wait a while to behold the Salvation of the Lord, he will be with us; and defend us from Danger, as he did his faithfull Servant Daniel in the Lyon's Den; his Power is great, and his Love is nothing less; he will not be wanting to those who serve him with an upright Heart; he will be their Friend to comfort them, and will be a present Help in time of trouble; therefore be of good courage, and lay hold on those gracious Promi­ses of our good God; through his Blessing and Assistance we hope in due time we shall be able to weather the storm of our present Miseries, and live to enjoy a sweet and pleasant Calm, and the bright Sun-shine of Prosperity in this Land and Nation whereunto we do belong Let none be found to murmur or repine at the Divine Provi­dence of God, for this his sharp Rod of Correction up­on us; we have sinned, therefore we may well say, it [Page 8] is good for us that we have been afflicted; for it's a pro­per means to take us home: we read in Luke 15. that the Prodigal never returned to his Father's House until he was afflicted with Want, and then coming to him­self, he said, How many hired Servants of my Father's hath Bread enough, and to spare, and I perish with hunger; I will arise, and go to my Father, and say unto him, Father I have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, make me as one of thy hi­red Servants. This his Sufferings brought him to a true sense of his Sins, so that he humbled himself be­fore his Father, and was graciously received. Thus we see how the Lord deals with his Servants when he finds them stubborn and disobedient, he will not destroy them but chastise them and correct them, even as a Fa­ther do's his Son in whom he delighteth. Prov. 3. 12. there­fore let us draw near to him whose Love and Kindness never fails, he will be in the midst of our Camp, and Fight for us; then fear not but we shall have the Victo­ry over all our Enemies; by one word of his Mouth he is able to do more than many armed Hosts, for they are but Men, whose Lives are in his Hand, he can deal with them as it pleaseth him best: Shall they fight against his Church and People, his Truth and Gospel, and set up an Idol-Worship, contrary to his Holy Word? I say, shall they doe all this, and yet go unpunished? No, the Lord will be avenged of them, and suffer them to fall before his chosen People; therefore let us not be in the least dismay'd, it is good for us that we have the Lord on our side, who has guarded, governed, and defended this City for these many Months past, and hath given [Page 9] us many Instances of his Love and Kindnesses, in bearing up our drooping Spirits to a miracle, during the time of this close Siege; likewise affording us a happy Success against our Enemies, he is gracious, and his Mercies endure for ever; he will not suffer his People to become a Prey to the Enemy, but will walk in the midst of the Camp for their Defence; thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in thy Power, thy right hand, O Lord hath dashed in pieces the Enemy, and in the greatness of thine Excellency thou hath overthrown them that arose up against thee, thou sentest forth thy Wrath which consumed them as stub­ble, Exodus 5. 6. 7. Hear may we learn how the Lord did appear in his power for his People in former Ages, and he will not be wanting to us now, if our Sins doth not separate us from his Divine Love; he has loved us, and it is likewise our Duty to Worship him; the Life of a good Christian is seasoned with Heavenly Meditations, all the days of his Life he makes a Pre­paration for the hour of his Death; let every Soul present exa­mine his heart, and labour to bring his Soul into such a frame and temper as may be acceptable in the sight of the Lord, and by so doing he will become our Friend, and will fight for us, so that our Enemies shall soon be scattered; this is the only way and method every good Christian Souldier [...]ght to take; for let me tell you, that Souldier that fights for Religion ought in­deed to be a good Christian, and then live or dye he is certainly happy. Holy David was a Warriour, and yet a Man after God's own heart; in a righteous Cause the Sword may be drawn, when it is to oppose the Enemies to Religion and Piety, such that can commit every barbarous Outrage upon poor innocent People, without any remorse of Conscience, but on the contrary count their horrid Villanies just and meritorious; but, He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Psalms 2. 4. yet let us keep free from every evil thing, for the Lord is in the midst of us, and seeth all our Actions, and search­eth into the Secrets of our hearts, there can be nothing hid from his Eyes; therefore how pure and holy ought our Lives to be, when we certainly know that we are always in the Presence of [Page 10] that God which will bring us to Judgment; It is appointed for all Men once to die, and after Death to Judgment. Again, what hardship we undergoe we must embrace it willingly, suffer chear­fully, and wait the Lord's time for our Deliverance, which we hope will shortly be accomplish'd; in [...]he m [...]an while let us con­tinue in our Duties, standing upon our Christian Guard, con­stantly praying and making our Supplications to that Great God who will not suffer us to fall; though we may be afflicted let us chearfully undergoe our present Miseries, and then we shall not fail of a Reward; the greater and more grievous our Crosses are in this Life, the brighter and more weightier shall our Crown of Glory be; he that suffers most in this World for his Saviour's sake, shall one day sit the nearest to his Throne in the Presence of Saints, Angels, and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect. To which end God of his infinite Mercy bring us all. Amen.