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.

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Goliath falls, & David prevails. So Joab & the Army under his Command, played the Men, and their Enemies fled before them, for G gave success.

3. Another Consideration that must come up to view in this Matter is that our Cause be just & righteous. We cant stand before God in an Evil Thing; neither can we appeal to G for Success in an Unrighteous Cause. Hence it is very plain that Mankind should walk in righteous ways, trusting in God to preference them; for the Righteous Lord loveth Rights, his Countenance doth behold the Upright: But his Soul hateth the wicked, & him that loveth Violence. Psal: 7.5.&c. Now to apply this: We, I trust, may be assured that the Cause we are engaged in is a just & righteous Cause; we are pleading for our just Rights & Privileges, and are in Duty bound to defend them agt the high, despotick Claims of Tyranny: we are engaged in a righteous Cause, tis for our People, for the Cities of our God; tis that the Heritage of the Lord might not be oppressed; 'tis that we might stand fast in the Liberty wherewith X both made us free; & cursed shall we be if we do the work of the Lord deceitfully; and cursed be he that keepeth back his Sword from Blood, when the Cause of God calls. As in Jerem 48.10.

4. When we make Conscience of doing our Duty, & go on cheerfully therein we may with the greatest satisfaction, leave the Event with God.

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At the same Time we are not to imagine that our Valour or Bravery binds us to succeed & prosper us, but that still he may do as it pleaseth him, yet it gives us good Ground to hope for his Salvn; & that he will graciously work Deliverance for us; that he will defend, & pro tect his Heritage; & will not give it up to Reproach; that he will bring the Wheel over the Tyrant, and scatter all the [?] that devise Evil agt his People, and confound you in yr Unrighteous ways. Having such a God to trust in, and look to, let us in his Name set up our Banners, and in his Name may we do valiantly. May we seek Counsel & Wisdom of him, & look to his Throne for Protection. 'Tis for our People that G calls us to exert ourselves; tis for our Families; for our just Rights, Liberties, & Privileges; 'tis for our Religion; for the Chhs of our God, for the Gospel, and all that is dear to us in this [pictograph for world? life?]! Let nothing be wanting in us to defend these most valuable Enjoyments; let us take Courage, let us animate ourselves, & one another in so noble a Cause; let us be faithful to G. & to our Country, and spend our Blood & Treasure in the Defence of so glorious a Cause.

IMPROVEMENT

I. Note, That it is a very trying Day with the People of G in this Land. 'Tis a Day of Rebuke & Trouble; the Aspects of divine Provi

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dence are very dark and threatening. And it becomes us to be deeply humble before our G, who is correcting of us in a very singular Manner for our Sins. Let not our Hearts be haughty, nor our Eyes lofty in this Day of our Visitation; let us sigh & mourn for the Iniquities, & Abominations that are to be found among us. 'Tis a Day that calls for Consideration; it should be a Day of Recollection; & calling to Remembrance; it now becomes all to search & try your Ways & turn agn to the Lord; and as Judgt is now begun at the House of God, so let all wisely consider, that G calls us to amend our Ways & our Doings. Let us all hear his Voice to Day, & no longer harden our Hearts. O that we all had the Spirit of Isaiah, [?] should we weep bitterly, because of the Spoiling of the Daughter of Gs People, for it is a Day of Trouble, & of Treading down, & of Perplexity by the Lord G of Hosts in the Valey of Vision. Isa: 22.4.5. O let the Priests, the Miisters of the Lord, weep between the Porch & the Altar, & let you say, spare thy People, O Lord, & give not thine Heritage to Reproach, As in Joel: 2.17.

2. Agn let it be noted That the State of the British Nation is in a most critical Situation. It may be said of it as once it was with the Kingdom of Isaiah, The Whole Head is sick: this makes the Heart faint: Isa: 1.5. When the Head is out of Order, the whole Body is affected: this is equally true in the political Body, as in the natural. And if we turn our Eyes to the

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British Court, to the [?] of the Nation, [there?] we see pictured out one of the great Evils that Solomon complains of under the Sun: [Luke?] 3.16. And moreover, I saw under the Sun the Place of Judgt, that wickedness was gone; and the Place of Rights that Ini-quity was gone. And wo to [them?], O Lord, when thy King is a Child, & thy Princes eat in the Morning: Luke: 10: 16. This brings on the People heavy Apprehension: Isaiah: 3. 4. And I will give Children to be your Princes, & Babes shall rule over you; and your People shall be oppressed, every one by another, & everyone by his Neighbour &c. We now see the melancholy Day, wherein the Foundations of the Earth are all out of Course, & the Inhabitants of the Earth in a dissolved broken state; And if the Foundations be destroyed what can the righteous Do? We have reason to fear the Destruction of the whole Nation; for we read in the Book of divine Truth: Mat: 12.25. That every Kingdom divided agt itself, is brought to Desolation: And every City, or House divided agt itself, shall not stand.

3. Note, That it highly concerns the People to cultivate a Nobleness of Virtue, a Spirit of Resolution & [?] to maintain their just Rights, & Liberties, agt the horrid Invasions of Tyranny & Despotism. There is no Doubt the just Rights, the valuable Liberties of the Peope in these American States Colonies are now wickedly Attacked by a very

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corrupt & Arbitrary Ministry, who seem to be firmly resolved to make their own Arbitrary Measures, & not the Constitution, the Rule of Administration. If we tamely submit to this, we are an Undone People. And have no Security, no safeguard to our Persons, Lives, Families, Estates, Religion, or any thing that we enjoy. How virtuously, firmly, & wisely [then?] should we all unite to defend, & save ourselves & Land from so great & dreadful Ruin. The great Thing we should all aim at, for the Glory of G, & the Good of his People, is Union, Firmness & Faithfulness among ourselves. Ergo

4. Let all consider the great Obligations you are under to defend the righteous Cause of your Country. 'Tis a Duty we owe to G, to ourselves, & one another. 'Tis a Duty we owe to our Families, to the Chhs of our L.J.X. & to future Generation; and we may justly be called a stupid Generations, a selfish people, if we have not Virtue enough to engage in so important a Cause. Our Virtue is now put to the Test; play the Man, and live free; or tamely come under the yoke of Despotism, and crouch down under the Burdens of Tyrannt, & Apprehension. Let our very Souls abhor the Thought of the latter; and for the former, let us resolve in the Name of the G of Israel, that we will do valiantly, that we will unite wisely, prudently, and firmly, & play the Men, that we will be faithful to each other, in so