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No 723:724 The Gallant Joab[?] animating his army in the Defence of the Peoples and Cities of God. Costboddam[?] March 1775 - Lecture Potapauge: SayBrook: March 16: 1775 Lect-- M Hoddam ----------March 19: 1775 Sobbath Glustenbury May 12--1775 Lect. Camp Roxbury Octr 22 1775 Idem April 29 1775 from -- 1. Chron: 19:10 ANDOVER-HARVARD THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY CAMBRIDGE, MASS. H49 639
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J 2.Saml [Samuel]{Be of good Courage, and let us play {the Men for our People, and for 10:12 {the Cities of our God: and the Lord _______ {do that which seemeth him good. [flourish] In this Chapt [Chapter] we have an account of a peculiar War David had with the Ammonites, & Assyrians; & the Conquest he obtained over them. - The [?] of this War was somewhat singular; Nahash, King of the Amonites being dead; his son Hanun reigned in his Stead. Soon upon Hanun's ariving to the Throne David remembering some former Kindness, that his Father Nahash had shewn him, resolves to return the kindness to his Son. Accordingly he sends a Number of honourable Servts [Servants] to Hanun to console his Fathers Death, & to comfort him. But very unhappy for Hanun, he had a number of evil Minded Persons as his Counsellers & Ministers of State, who falsely suggested to him that David was not cordial, nor friendly to him in this thing; and they suggested to his Majesty that King David had rather sent his Servts [Servants] to search the City, to spy it out, & to overthrow it. And having persuaded King Hanun of this; he takes Davids Ambassadors and treats them with the utmost Indignity & Reproach. He shaves off the one Half of their beards & cut off their Garments to their Buttocks & sent them away. - This Conduct of Hanun made the Amonites stink in the Sight of David; whence we may see how very unhappy it is for a King to have evil Counsellors, and how wretched it soon makes him & his people
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to [?] to their [?] [?]. This hurried on a war [?] speedily ; and the Amonites [hurried ?] Assyrians to join them carry on a war against David ; and [?] find them very busy in this Matter, while David & Israel were still & quiet. Amman went & [?] the Syrians of [Bethlehem ?] ; & the Syrians of Zoba, 20,000 [Rootman ?], & of King Maacah a 1.000 Men ; & of Ishtob 12,000 Men ; & prepared for war against Israel ; and all this was done by their Craft, Instigation & Subtility of [Honoured ?] Counsellers, and without any just Provocation from David or [?] People of Israel. But when David heard of it, finding himself under a necessity to make ready for a just Defence, He directly commissions the Gallant Joab to go forth with an [?] of Mighty Men in the De-fence of their Country's Cause against the Ammonites ; and Joab as a faithful Man undertakes, & con-ducts the whole affair, with Valour & Bravery. And what noble Motives, godlike sentiments fined his Breast, and pushed him forward for the Defence of Israel and the [?] of God ! And how did he animate his Brother Abishai, and the whole Army with these invincible sentiments ; directing their Minds to the [?], welfare & safety of the People ; in [which ?] the Glory of God was deeply Interested, and their Religion at stake. Be of good Courage, says he, [?] the Text, & let us play the Men, for what ? for Money ? for Honors ? for Preferment ? No, But for our People, & for these Cities of our God. [?] Henry [?] : That [?] is our Country was the word. Let us be Valiant from a Principle fo Love to
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Israel, [?] are our People, descended from the same stock, in whose Peace we shall have Peace: + from a Principle of Love to G, for [?] are his Cities yt we are fighting in the Defence of." - It may have to be noted yt-[?] Amonites were [?] in Injuring Israel, + yy were [?] in raising forces to defend + justify [?]selves in it. It ergo became a Duty for Israel to defend yr People, y Child of G; yr Religion, yr precious + vluable Constitutions, yr Lives, Families, yr Children, yr Estates, yr Property, yr All. - And viewing yr Cause as just, yy resolved to defend it, at All Events, Sword in Hand, to ye utmost of yr Ability; and in ye Way of Duty, piously to leave ye Events with God: The Lord do yt wh seemeth him Good. - From all wh we may gather this general Truth: Viz. That yr Case may be so circumstanced with a People; as to be an incumbent Duty for ym to rise up, and Unite in ye Defence of yr Country, + Relign, Sword in Hand, trusting in G to succeed + prosper ym. Here Note a few Things. As I. When ye Case may call a People to such a Defence as is here spoken of. II. The Principles & Motvilse yt should engage you in such an Alarming Duty III. How G is to be relied on, for success, or this Manner of leaving ye Issue, + Event with G.
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(4) Be of good Courage, & let us play ye Men for our People + for ye Cities of our G: + ye Lord do yt wh seemeth him Good. I. Then consider when it becomes a Duty for a People to rise up + defend yr Country + Relign Sword in Hand. - And have let it suffice to mention in two Instances only, and yt somewhat briefly. As - I. When a Xn Country is invaded by an Antechristian Nation or Enemy. - This has been the Case repeatedly in this Land; + yt People of G have been called to Arms for ye Defence of yr Country, and ye Lord has wonderfully succeeded ym in many + repeated woes. - The great G has never yet suffered his Heritage in this Land to be laid waste, neither has it been given up to ye Reproach of its Enemies, tho often attacked by them. And when yy have roared agt it, with a Blood thirsty fury, and laboured to rape it, to rape it, to the very foundation, by executing their deep laid Schemes agt us, yet the Lord has evermore given us a Spirit of Valour, and Engagedness to defend these Cities of our G; + has always put our hoes to shame. War is a calamity to be dreaded by all, + is ever to be viewed as a sore Judgt of Heavn, yet nevertheless when it cant be avoided by any just Measures, People must cheerfully engage in it, + fight the Battles of the Lord, defend his Relign + the Honor of his Name.