N00354:60
Military duties, recommended to an artillery company
Military duties, recommended to an artillery company; at their election of officers, in Charles-town [sic], 13.d. 7.m. 1686. / By Cotton Mather, Pastor of a church in Boston. ; [Three lines of quotations in Latin]Military duties, recommended to an artillery company; at their election of officers, in Charls-town [sic], 13.d. 7.m. 1686. / By Cotton Mather, Pastor of a church in Boston. ; [Three lines of quotations in Latin]
printed by Richard Pierce, 1687
MILITARY DUTIES Laid before A TRAINED BAND 13. d. 7. m. 1686. › Application 2 › FIRSTLY.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There are some Acknowledgements due to God from you, WHILE you are using of Military Discipline.
All the Trained Soldiers among you have these things incumbent on them, as so many Acknowledgements unto GOD their Teacher.
All the Trained Souldiers among you have these things incumbent on them, as so many Ackowledgments unto GOD their Teacher.
In the first place, Soldiers should be Gracious men. O get on the Whole Armour of God; Get gracious Principles into your Souls. Never dream That you are in all respects fit to war and to fight with any men, ⟨p. 25⟩till your peace be made with God. You tha• may some time or other carry your Live• in your Hands, had need always to carry Grace in your Hearts. A very Heathen handling that Problem, Who is the best Armed Soldier? Solved it so, Integer vitae scelerisque purus: the sincere godly man is the best Armed of any man in the world. You be n't so fit as you should be to handle a Sword; till you come to use a Book as well as a Sword; till you govern your lives by the Words of Command in the Book of God; till you can say with that renowned Soldier in Psal. 119.14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. You are poor Soldiers, till you can with all Hilarity say to your own souls as that dying Ancient Hilary did, Egredere, Anima, egredere, quid times? or Turn out, O my Soul, turn out; Scorn, Scorn to be afraid of Death; which no unconverted man can duly say. After all the Bravadoes which many Hectoring D•m-me's make while no body is like to hurt them, it is the New-born, heaven-born Christian that will stand the most daringly before the mouths of Cannons vomiting out Fire & Death; Here, here is the man that is best able to look the most terrible of all terribles in the face & to scoff at the hisses of that Rattle-snake.