A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HER MAJESTY AT ST. JAMES'S, ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 4, 1705. DEUTERONOMY XX. I. When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. IN speaking to these words, we have to consider, first, the command or counsel here given to the Jews, not to be afraid of the horses, chariots, and superior number of their enemies, when they went out to fight: secondly, the reason here assigned, for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: and, thirdly, to see how this advice is applicable to us as Christians. First, of the command or counsel here given, When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them. If there were any dispute of the lawfulness of wars invasive and offensive, where there is equal reason and necessity, as of defensive ones, these words would conclude much in their favour; for, going out to battle against their enemies looks as if they rather went to prevent invasion than to repel it : but since nobody doubts the justifiableness of the Jewish wars, we have only to see to the counsel here given, not to fear horses, chariots, or superior numbers; for all these things are naturally dreadful. The Jewish army consisted wholly of infantry, or foot, and for a great while they had no horse at all; the country, it seems, bred none, and they were forbid to go down to A Sermon preached before her majesty, April 4, 1705. 43 Egypt to provide themselves of any. Egypt was famous for furnishing horses; and whether it were, that the Jews were forbid to go to Egypt, for fear their commerce with that idolatrous country should endanger their manners, and cause them to incline to the worship of many gods, as the rest of the nations did, and to which they were strangely prone on all occasions; or whether it were, that the Jews should always remember the deliverance God had wrought for them, in bringing them out of Egypt, with a high hand and stretched out arm, notwithstanding the infinite multitude of horsemen and chariots with which their enemies pursued them to the Red sea; whether this or any undiscovered reason stood in the way, it is manifest the Jewish army had no horse, and consequently no chariots of war, as other people had-at least for a great while, even to the days of king David. It seems indeed as if God intended to distinguish the Jewish armies from all other armies, as well as the people from other people, in most particulars; and would let both them and all the world perceive, that they were not to be defended by the usual means, but by his power alone, who had brought them out of Egypt in so strange a manner. And therefore, when that perverse people grew weary of God's government, and desired a king, and to be governed like the heathen round them, God ordered Samuel to tell them, that among other instances of the hard government their prince would set up, he would take their sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, 1 Sam. viii. 11; which thing they also did; so that in time chariots and horsemen came in use among them, and signified the strength and defence of a kingdom among the Jews as well as other people: and therefore the king calls the dying prophet, my father, my father, the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof, 2 Kings ii. 12. i. e. their strength and their security. But it was not thus from the beginning; they had neither horse nor chariot; which being judged so serviceable in war, as appeared by their general use, no wonder if they struck terror into the minds of those who either wanted them or were forbidden to use them. This may be an account why the Jews are bid in particular not to be afraid of their enemies' horse and chariots; but, in the general, those words do only signify the war like provisions of any kind made use of by their enemies against them. And so we are to understand Psalm xx. 7, Some put their trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. This appears also from their being commanded not to be afraid of a superior number: When thou seest a people more than thou, be not afraid of them. So that the Jews are counselled here, that when they went out to fight, and saw their enemies superior in provision, strength, and number, they should not be afraid of them. But how is this to be avoided, since these advantages will naturally and very reasonably cause fear, even in the wisest and the strongest hearts? the chances (as they call them) of war are so many, and the turns so strange and sudden, that even when all things are more than equal on their side, yet can neither the oldest, the bravest, nor the most experienced warriors forbear fearing for the event. There must therefore be something particular in the reason assigned to make it possible for the Jews to comply with such a command, as not to fear their enemies, with such advantages upon their side. And so, in the second place, there was; the reason carries great force with it, and seems to be able to bear down all before it, for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. The Lord God, in opposition to the gods of the nations round, which were but idols, and could neither help themselves nor others; and the Lord thy God, as in covenant with them, and distinguishing them from the rest of the world, by most peculiar favours and blessings bestowed upon them, and known especially to them and all the nations round, by having brought them up out of the land of Egypt in a manner the most glorious and astonishing, and in all its circumstances remarkably memorable to all posterity. They had therefore on their side One to depend upon, who not only could, but who had already done the greatest things for them; they did not only know he was all-powerful, but had lately seen him exercise that heavenly power on their behalf on all occasions: they had seen that both the chariot and horse were fallen; and that nothing could prevail against those whom God would help, but that whom he blessed were and must be blessed. This therefore was the reason why they were not to be afraid of their enemies, although so strong and well provided; they had the Lord for their God, one who was almighty in power, and whose goodness they had long experienced, both they and their fathers; who had brought them up out of Egypt, and who had covenanted to bless them in all their righteous undertakings, and prosper all their righteous wars against their enemies, provided they kept the law that he gave them, and served no other gods but him. Upon these conditions God would be their God, and they should be his people; and whilst they observed these, they were sure of success; no sword, no weapon, that was formed against them, could prevail; they needed not to be afraid of either horses, chariots, or a people more than they. This was God's conduct with respect to his people Israel; and therefore it required but an act of the easiest faith imaginable to go out against their enemies in righteous wars, undertaken by his command or approbation, with all the confidence possible, and full assurance of success; they knew their captain was almighty, the Lord of hosts; they knew it was as easy for him to save by few as by many; they had experienced this, in his delivering them from a people infinitely more than they, and well provided with horses and chariots, whom they had seen troubled from heaven, and overthrown in the Red sea: and they had the same promise of success, by the same assistance, in all their righteous undertakings. Such counsel therefore, or command, as this in the text, not to fear horses and chariots, or a people more than they, might very well be complied with, by considering, faithful people, when the Lord their God was with them, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. But what is this to those who have not these encouragements, nor any such sure promises? how far can we or other Christians make application of such passages to ourselves, or in what sort depend upon them? This is the third and last thing to be considered. And, First, it must be confessed, that we are not under the same dispensation with the Jews at this time, and for some hundreds of years after these words were delivered by Moses from God. He was pleased to train up the Jews in obedience, by promises of temporal blessings of all sorts, as well in war as peace; this is not stipulated for in the Christian covenant, and therefore not to be depended on, as promised. It seems indeed to have been but temporary with the Jews themselves; after they had made a general forfeiture (as it were) of God's favour, by their apostasies and foul idolatries, the promises of success in wars seem to have ended on God's part, and they were brought under the common providence; for though they were far from idolatry, and worshipped God alone with all simplicity, and were (for aught that appears) as virtuous in their manners as ever; yet before our Saviour's time they were conquered by the Romans, and reduced into a province, and so continued till their final overthrow by Vespasian and his brave son: they could not therefore certainly depend on victory for many hundred years, by virtue of God's promise made to them at first, although they continued to worship the Lord their God, and him only, and were observant of the law of Moses. There is therefore the less reason for Christians to expect the fulfilling of such promises to them, which though made to the Jews at first, and forfeited by them, were not afterwards constantly and certainly either expected or fulfilled to them. But, secondly, although we are not under the same dispensation with the first Jews, yet we are under the providence and government of the same wise and good and powerful Being; we have the same Lord for our God that they had; we are equally in covenant with him in our Saviour Christ, and, for his sake, much more beloved by him; and have the hopes and promises of blessings infinitely greater in another world; and therefore have no reason to complain, if God would only bless us with eternal life and happiness in heaven, and leave us to make our passage to it ourselves as easy and commodious as we could, with innocence and virtue, without engaging to bless us in particular upon any terms and conditions. But this he has not done; for godliness, under Christianity also, hath the promises both of this life and that to come; but then they are general, and fulfilled in what kind and what manner and at what time it pleases God; which determinations, though they make the blessings look less certain, and more |