Boardman, Benjamin, 1731-1802. Sermons, 1769-1797. The Gallant Joab animating his Army in the Defence of the People and Cities of God. bMS 730/1 (2), Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School.

(12) defend yr just Rights, & Liberties, with wh yy are invested. Whoever looks upon [the?] State of this Land, [the?] State of [the?] People & Thks of our Lord before X, [the?] Gospel Light, Liberty, & Grace [that?] is multiplied, must have his Mind struck with [the?] clearest Conviction [that?] this is they Land, O Immanuel! 'Tis for Zions sake we must play [?] Men, & be of good Courage. We are in this case called to do Service for the best of Masters, who will forever Reward his faithful Servts, with a Crown of Life & unfading Glory. Let us not be weary [?], or faint in our Minds, for our G will be with us, he will preserve us; he will appoint [?] for Walls & Bulwarks round about us; in the Name of the Lord [?] may we do valiantly, & defend these Cities of our G agt the Invasions of Tyranny & Oppression. Once more

6. Our Foundation is Good, & is guarded by the Promise of the G of Truth & Faithfulness. The Chh of G is built upon a Rock, & we may depend upon it the Gates of Hell shall not prevail agt it. The Chh of G is guarded by Omnipotence agt the numerous Enemies that rise up agt it: G will defend his Cause agt all the Tyrants of the Earth; & all the Prin cipallities and powers of Hell; yy may af flict, but not prevail. Satan may for a while [?] the Hell, but at last it shall all turn upon his own pate, divine vengence will finally break his Head, and the Heads

of all his [?] angels. (13) Tis indeed a Day of Trouble & Rebuke with us; and we ought to humble ourselves under the mighty Hand of G; these Afflictions are divine Chastisements. our G is correcting his People for their Faults, & will have you amend yr Ways & yr Doings wh are not good: By these Corrections ergo may the Iniquity of Jacob be purged away, & this be the Fruit, to take away our Sin: As in Isa: 27.9 Ergo hearken to what the Lord declares in Jerem: 7.3. &c. Hear the Word of the Lord all ye that enter in at these Gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel, Amend your Ways, & your Doings, & I will cause you to dwell in this Place. For if ye throughly amend your Ways & your Doings, if ye throughly execute Judgt between a Man & his Neigh bour, [?] will I cause you to dwell in this Place, in the Land that I gave to your Fathers forever and ever. As ergo our Foundatn is good, let us see that we stand stedfast upon it, & build upon it not Wood, not Hay, not Stubble, but Gold, Silver, & precious Stones in all the Fruits of Rights & Godliness; Wherefore, as in Eph: 6.13. &c, take unto you the whole Armour of G, that ye may be Able to withstand in the Evil Day, & having done all to stand; stand ergo, having your Loins girt about with Truth & having on the Breast Plate of Rights,

& your Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace; above all, take the Shield of Faith; wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked. And being thus armed be of good Courage, be valiant, & play the Men for our People, and for the Cities of our God; and we need not fear what Men can do unto us. Wherefore consider

III. How the great G is to be relied on for success, or the Manner of leaving the Issue, & Event with God. Let the Lord do that wh seemeth him good. The Success of all our Endeavours depend on God, we must ergo look to him as the Supreme Governor of all things, that he would direct our Way for us, maintain our righteous Cause, & not give up his Heritage to Reproach.

I. Then see that there be nothing wanting in us, Whatever the Success or Event may be. Joab, that Valiant General at the Head of the Army of Israel, dd every thing according to the best Rules of Wisdom & good Policy for the Defence of Israel; & being beset be fore & behind by theAmmonites & Syrians, and the whole scene presented Terror on all Sides, yet he knew there was no Hope that God would save & deliver them from their Hands, but in the Way of Means, and the Case now called for Bravery; and Animating himself & his Army to play the Men, to do the utmost yy were capable of for their Defence, & in this Manner trust in God, & look to him for success.

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in this Manner he went on, carefully seeing that nothing was wanting on your part, that Wisdom & Reason directed to, yy went on, and the Lord gave you good Success. Wherefore observe 2. That it is daring Presumption to omit humane Exertions, and trust that G will work deliverance for us. G has made Man a Noble Creature; as to the Powers & Abilities of his Mind yy are excellent; Reason & Understand ing are noble Endowments; these are given us to regulate our Conduct by us moral Agents, as Members of Society & as Xns; thence Man is a more Noble Creature than the Beasts of the Field, & the Fowls of the Air; is capable of regulating his Conduct by Counsel & Judgt: & Wisdom is given him wh is profitable to direct: yet notwithstanding, he is to re member himself to be a Creature wholly, & altogether dependant on God. I know, O Lord, that the Way of Man is not in himself: it is not in Man that Walketh to direct his Steps. Jerem: 10:23. 'Tis in the Way of Duty ergo that Gs People must trust in him, & leave yr Concerns with him. This we may see exemplified in David, that Man after Gs own Heart: He went agt Goliath in the Name of the Lord of Hosts, the G of the Armies of Israel, i.e. he trusted in G, yet he exerts himself with such weapons as he had been used to; he slings the Stone, & the G in whom he trusted directed it.