Or most accommodated for the SAFETY of the place which we belong unto. We have such a Parenthesis in the Preface of David's Elegy over Saul and Jonathan, 2. Sam. I. 18. He had them teach the Children of Judah the—Bow. Some take that Word, the Bow, to be only the Title of the ensuing Song. But others thus conceive of it. The Philistines ⟨p. 22⟩had made fearful Slaughter among the Israelites by their being curious Archers; and the study of David now was to have the Israelites out-shoot the Philistines in their own Bow. All that you shall now hear of this matter from one whose highest military Attainment is that he counts Military Discipline a thing not to be despised, is only This: There is a swarthy Generation of Philistines here, the Indian Natives, I mean, whom alone we are like to have any Wars withal. These Salvages have (not long since) butchered several Hundreds in these Plantations; in that bloody gloomy-day, when the Alarm of War was heard, and it was said, Sword, go through the Land, the Cannibals had many an Hellish Feast of English Flesh; and the main thing wherein the wild Creatures out-did us and •n-did us was this, They were very yare Marks-men, and every tree was a Fort from whence they took their Aims. If ever those now-wounded Chaldeans should make an Attempt again upon us, there will be few Words of Command used, unless those two, Make ready, and Give fire. The best Marks-man will then be the best Soldier: The Benjamites that can shoot to an Hairs Breadth will probably carry the day. How comes it then to pass, ⟨p. 23⟩that in our Trainings there seldom are any of Marks and Prizes set up for the promoting this Accomplishment?
Or most accommodated for the SAFETY of the place which we belong unto. We have such a Parenthesis in the Preface of David's Elegy over Saul and Ionathan, 2. Sam. I. 18. He had them teach the Children of Iudah the—Bow. Some take that Word, the Bow, to be only the Title of the ensueing Song. But others thus conceive of it. The PhiliPhilistines ⟨p. 22⟩had made fearful Slaughter among the Israelites by their being curious Archers; and the study of David now was to have the Israelites out-shoot the Philistines in their own Bow. All that you shall now hear of this matter from one whose highest military Attainment is that he counts Military Discipline a thing not to be despised, is only This: There is a swarthy Generation of Philistines here, the Indian Natives, I mean, whom alone we are like to have any Warrs withal. These Salvages have (not long since) butchered several Hundreds in these Plantations; in that bloudy gloomy-day, when the Alarm of Warr was heard, and it was said, Sword, go through the Land, the Canibals had many an Hellish Feast of English Flesh; and the main thing wherein the wild Creatures out-did us and •n-did us was this, They were very yare Marks-men, and every tree was a Fort from whence they took their Aims. If ever those now-wounded Chaldeans should make an Attempt again upon us, there will be few Words of Command used, unless those two, Make ready, and Give fire. The best Marks-man will then be the best Souldier: The Benjamites that can shoot to an Hairs Breadth will probably carry the day. How comes it then to pass, ⟨p. 23⟩that in our Trainings there seldome are any of Marks and Prizes set up for the promoting this Accomplishment?
