THIS psalm, and indeed the whole book of psalms, was for the most part composed by David, and publishes the glory of its author more than the most pompous elogies; and we find the author of Ecclesiasticus has consecrated this epitaph to his memory, which is more durable than either marble or brass; as the fat (says he) was taken away from the peace offering, so was David chosen out of the people of Israel: He played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs: He slew a giant when he was young, and took away reproach from the people: For he called upon the Most High Lord, and He gave strength to this mighty warrior, and to set up the horn of his people, so the people honored him with ten thousands; and praised him in blessings of the Lord: For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and brought to nought the Philistines his adversaries: In all his works he raised the Holy One Most High; and blessed the Lord with words of glory; the Lord took away his sins, and and exalted his horn forever: He gave him a co­venant [Page 4] of Kings, and a throne of glory in Israel—He was, it is evident, very sollicitous for the wel­fare of Jerusalem; and therefore we find him in our context calling upon others to pray for its wel­fare; for all good to it, particularly that its inha­bitants might be united amongst themselves, and that they might be preserved from the incursions of enemies: He encourages them thus to seek the public welfare, by assuring them, that in so doing they seek their own: He is desirous of the preser­vation of peace in the fortifications of Jerusalem; or, if they should be attacked at any time, they might not be taken, but be a means of securing the city: He wishes prosperity to the great men, who have the conduct of public affairs, and in­deed to all his subjects; for all these he discovers a cordial affection; accordingly when he sees all the tribes cheerfully resorting to the testimony of Israel, and finds it to be a settled point, that Jeru­salem must be the place, where God will record his name: He does not say, let the priests and the prophets whose business it is, and the people who have nothing else to do, pray, and I'll fight for the public peace: no, but now he says himself, peace be within thee, i. e. Jerusalem—seemingly resolved to do every thing in his power for the public good: It is true Jerusalem was his own city, and the interests of his family were lodged in it: but it does not appear, that his own security and the glory of his empire were chiefly in his view; no, but he was desirous of peace and pros­perity, for the sake of all his fellow citizens, and of all the Israelites, whom, though his subjects, he owned for his brethren and companions in the chief privileges and blessings enjoyed at Jerusa­lem.

[Page 5] What I propose from the words, chosen for the foundation of a discourse on this occasion, is,

In the first place to shew, what we are here to understand by Jerusalem.

And in the second place, what by the peace to be wished for to it.

And, by Jerusalem in our day, we are to un­derstand the christian church.—When David spake these words he had respect to the Jewish church, which was then the only visible people God had in the world: But under the gospel the christian churches are the circumcision: They are God's people, and the promises of God to his people belong to them: But it is the visible church of Christ in general, perhaps, that we are here to understand by Jerusalem; for David seems here to resolve to seek the prosperity of Jerusalem for his brethren and companions sake: And God, whose kingdom rules over all, does, in his unerring Pro­vidence, make unsound professors to be sometimes as an hedge about his own people: And the case is such, that the pulling up of the tares endangers the wheat also; and further still there may be, and there is reason to hope, that many who are now only visible christians, are chosen of God, and shall in due time be called into his kingdom, the kingdom of grace: And accordingly we find that Christ prayed for his sheep of the other fold, or for those that were not yet called: And thus should christians wish and pray for the prosperity of Jerusalem. We are not by Jerusalem here to understand one particular church only, or society of professing christians; but all the churches of such [Page 6] professors; the whole protestant christian church, considering them as a body, or a nation, or a com­munity, as they are distinguished from heathens, to whom the oracles of God are not committed, and as they are distinguished from anti-christ; as they unite in naming Christ's name, and professing his religion: This I understand to be the Jerusalem that we are to wish peace to or in. I might add, that this people hath both civil and religious pri­vileges to be committed to the divine care: And by Jerusalem, we may understand God's people in their civil and religious capacities.

But I proceed as was proposed, in the second place, to shew what we are to understand by the peace wished, desired, or prayed for to or in Je­rusalem. And peace here may be understood as including temporal prosperity in general. It is indeed comprehensive of all prosperity: So David seems to understand peace here, the praying for the peace of Jerusalem recommended in the con­text, he considers as an expression of love to her, and he says, viz. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces; and in the text, and verse following, he says, Peace be within thee; and I will seek thy good: So that here prosperity in general was what he desired: And we find peace, in the idiom of scripture, comprehending under it all manner of safety, welfare and prosperi­ty that can be desired: It is said Deut. 24. 6. Thou shalt not seek their peace, nor their pros­perity forever;—where peace and prosperity in­tend the same thing; and we read that the Lord will speak peace to his people, i. e. he will speak them a blessing: So Christ said to his disciples,—Peace be with you; which was a word of blessing in general: To wish peace to Jerusalem then, is [Page 7] to wish her prosperity in every respect: Peace in opposition to calamitous judgments, to distresses and perplexities. God's own people, as well as others, are liable to sicknesses, famines, and the common calamities of life; and, by these, that peace and quiet of Jerusalem has sometimes been much disturbed: These are tokens of divine anger, and as such ought to be deprecated: When the pious inhabitants of Jerusalem hear God threatening these judgments at any time, they are afraid, and will cry to Him to spare his people; yet as for ourselves, so for Jerusalem, with respect to the outward dispensations of divine Providence, we must submit to the wisdom and sovereignty of the supreme ruler. This peace has various branches; the health of the people is one—their plenty ano­ther—their fences in the various branches of busi­ness, &c.—For these we are to watch and pray—as also, for prosperity in all matters of civil govern­ment, that, in all difficult affairs, the Lord would direct and bring about a peaceful time; and however light any may make of this temporal prosperity, yet they are good things, and such as God knows we need, and as he has promised to his people that walk in his ways.

Again,—By the peace to be wished for in Je­rusalem, may be meant their unity in opposition to heresies and divisions. The men of Jerusalem do not always think and speak the same things; they are not at all times of one accord, of one mind: The visible church has often been rent with divisions, and its peace spoiled with heresies: for if the truths of religion be denied, the true citizens of Zion will think themselves obliged to contend for the truth.—Those, who have mistaken appre­hensions of the truths of religion, are commonly [Page 8] as sollicitous to support their peculiar tenets, as hypocrites are to appear to be real christians; and though to contend for the truth is preferable to giving it up, yet religious controversies are usual­ly productive of pernicious consequences to the church: So that it is greatly to be desired by all the friends of Zion's prosperity, that professing christians should unitedly receive, hold fast and maintain the truth as it is in Jesus.—How desira­ble the sight, to see the citizens of Zion united in thought and affection, all true friends, to true re­ligion! It is enjoined on christians, to behave as members of the same body, united to the same head, and having the same common interest; and they are warned against schisms and divisions; so that all well-wishers to Jerusalem's welfare must be afflicted, in a degree, when christians contend: And on the contrary, rejoice when their peace is great;—their unity—their strength and beauty.

Again,—By the peace of Jerusalem here may be intended, the promotion of her religious in­terests, in opposition to infidelity and wickedness.—Jerusalem's prosperity doubtless includes prosperity on religious accounts: This is the main thing for which its pious inhabitants are more sol­licitous for her peace, than for the peace of other nations. When infidelity, vice and wickedness prevail in a nation: when the labourers in the Lord's vineyard spend their strength for nought, and in vain; how gloomy the prospect of peace! In this case rivers of water will run down the eyes of Zion's friends. Those of this character cannot be easy to see sinners hardening their hearts, and going on in sin under the enjoyment of the means of grace: They cannot indeed but wish to have the whole earth filled with the knowledge and glo­ry [Page 9] of the Lord, and to have Jerusalem a praise in the earth. The saints are the excellent in the earth: In their eyes vile persons are contemned: They therefore must needs rejoice to see men walking in the truth, and will accordingly exert themselves for this prosperity of Jerusalem.—When infidelity & profaneness and all wickedness prevails, they look upon it as fore boding Jerusa­lem's adversity, and will accordingly weep before God in the language of the prophet, saying (each one) O Lord I have heard thy speech and was a­fraid: O Lord revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known, in wrath remember mercy.

Again,—The peace of Jerusalem may be un­derstood as including rejoicing in the Lord, in opposition to mourning.—Jerusalem has her days of adversity; there are times when her inha­bitants see not those tokens of the divine presence, which they have been wont to see: instead of rejoiceing in God, their language is that of David, "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" The church, instead of the garment of praise, have sometimes the spirit of heaviness: But even then, it is encouraging to think, that there is a time appointed in infinite wisdom, to which eternal truth has fixed her deliverance: God himself will arise and have mercy upon her, in contempt of all the opposition made by her e­nemies: The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this as the psalmist expresses it, "For this, God will appear in such a glory as kings themselves shall stand in awe of:" All that are cordially desirous of Zion's prosperity will weep with them that [Page 10] weep; they have a tender sympathy & fellow-feeling with those that are in trouble, and will cry to the Lord to turn his people, and cause his face to shine upon them; will resolve with the prophet, for Zion's sake, not to hold their peace, and for Jerusa­lem's sake not to rest, until the righteousness there­of go forth as brightness, and the salvation there­of as a lamp that burneth.

I proceed to observe, that Jerusalem's peace certainly intends peace in the most common ac­ceptation of the word, i. e. in opposition to wars.—Jerusalem, God's own covenant people, are lia­ble to the calamities of war here in this evil world; she hath enemies that would swallow her up, if the Lord were not her refuge, strength and shield: As Jerusalem of old was sorely chastened, and once laid waste by enemies; so the christian protestant church has been also sorely chastened by men her enemies; and they are not all de­stroyed: We may not therefore conclude, that we shall never again be engaged in war. The French are found to be amongst the inveterate anti-chris­tian enemies to the English nation: These, both by interest, and the prejudices of their religion, are set against us; and should war break out amongst the nations, (which may be sooner than we ex­pect) we may depend upon it, that such our ene­mies will appear, as will exert themselves for our destruction.—Thrones and dominions, principali­ties and powers are subject to Him, whose do­minion ruleth over all: As by Him kings reign, so he cuts in sunder the spirits of princes, scatters their counsels, and disappoints their wisest measures, such as are the most peaceable and prudent: So that how good soever our prospect of peace may be, through the wise and prudent counsels of the [Page 11] guardians of our Jerusalem: Yet what changes may be in the right Hand of the Most High, concerning us, in this respect, who is able to say? All endeavors for the preservation of peace in Je­rusalem may be disappointed; and we may be ob­liged to hear the found of the trumpet; the a­larm of war. War is a calamity, by which God sometimes punishes his people for their sins; and when we reflect upon and consider the many sins prevailing in our Jerusalem, the impudence many of its inhabitants are grown up to in sin; the in­gratitude and decay of religion, that is pure and undefiled before God; when we consider how lit­tle of a spirit of repentance and reformation is to be seen, after the many repeated threatnings and warnings from God in his word, and from the watchmen of his Jerusalem, and by his judgments; What can we reasonably expect, but to be judged for those things, and punished, either by the sword of the enemy, or some other Judgment? Are we not too nearly in the condition of those supine re­gardless people, of which we read in the Ist of Zephaniah, concerning which the prophet says, "It shall come to pass at that day, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled upon their lees; that say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil." And if so, why should we not ex­pect to be doomed as they were? Therefore of them it is said, Their goods shall become a boo­ty, and their houses a desolation; their blood shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as the dung; neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them. However in some propor­tion to the prospect of war, all the friends of Zion, all the pious inhabitants of Jerusalem, will be sol­licitous [Page 12] for the continuance of the blessing of peace; unless circumstances should arise, in which it should appear necessary to engage in war, for the greater good of the whole. Our enemies may wrongfully invade us; and their injustice may be so great, that unless a public war be un­dertaken, (which by the way is also to be mana­ged by the authority of the community) neither our possessions nor any thing dear to us in the world, our lives, will be far from being secure: And by thus attempting the obstruction of such our enemies, it may be, that we may not only se­cure ourselves, but others also, who otherwise, might be afterwards destroyed by them. Our natures are so constituted, that we cannot but approve of kind and benevolent actions; and ab­hor those that are malevolent and cruel: And it is accordingly unnatural, to begin to hurt unpro­voked; and consequently the numerous calami­ties of which war is productive to mankind, vir­tue must require the authority of a community, not to entertain a thought of encreasing their do­minions, &c. at the expence of the innocent. Nevertheless self-defence may require the use of warlike weapons, or taking up arms to prevent an incursion evidently intended, and the effusion of human blood, which would be the probable con­sequence of it. But now can this be done with any probability of success, without well disciplined troops? David, who well knew the safety of making God his trust, and that this was his principal defence; we accordingly find praying to him for all kinds of prosperity in Jerusalem; yet we also find him blessing God, who had taught his hands to war, and his fingers to fight: As he was designed for Israel's champi­on, he must be a soldier, must be furnished with [Page 13] military skill. Valiant soldiers are, under God, the security and fafety of his people; upon these, peace and the comforts of it very much depend: For these awe, and guard against, encroaching ene­mies; or are a defence against those that invade and would spoil her.—David's reign produced many bold and brave men, which he took care to have well skilled in all the arts of it, and to these (under God) his numerous victories were very much owing; yet he had respect to eminent val­our and military skill, appears by his appointment of Joab to be his chief captain and general of the forces of Judah, and afterwards captain-general of all the forces of Israel and Judah; as also in his preferring brave men, men of war, and fit for the battle, as we find he did, men that had been disci­plined, trained up to military exercises, that could handle shield and buckler, that could use both offensive and defensive weapons: And indeed we are taught the necessity of expert and valiant soldiers by our own experience & reason: To these, under God, are owing our lives, our religion and the liberty we enjoy. Had it not been for the valiant and martial atchievements of those of our ancestors, who had skill in the art of war, our fore­fathers would have been extirpated by the nume­rous tribes of Indians which so frequently attempt­ed their destruction. To these, under God, the fre­quent calls to rejoicing in conquests, that have since been made, are very much owing. To what else can it be owing, that the names of Pepperell, Wolse and Amherst, and others that might be mentioned, carry in them so joyful a sound, but because they were brave, faithful, and virtuous officers? Reason teaches the necessity of expert and valiant soldiers, that they may be able (when [Page 14] called) to play the men, for the public safety and welfare: Without this, our Jerusalem might be a very easy prey to our enemies, if they were few, compared with what they are. However, there is (as one well expresses it) so much true manli­ness and grandeur in military exercise: It inspires the mind with such just, honorable and exalted notions and dispositions: It so much tends to banish a littleness and meanness, and fill men with greatness of spirit, (for a truly valiant soldier would disdain to kill even his enemy, in a little under­hand and sneaking manner) that every person that has any relish for what is just, manly and honora­ble, would labour to maintain it for the good of mankind. And we find it observed of the old Romans, that as a martial spirit decayed among them, in proportion luxury prevailed; and con­sequently effeminacy and a train of vices over­spread them; which as it sunk their population, so by degrees ended in the ruin of their country. And it is said to be found true in general, that where a generous and military spirit sinks and de­cays, luxury and wickedness, that brings a people low, overflows as a flood, even against the re­straints, and under all the advantages of religion. Religion certainly was never designed to counte­nance the least pretension to taking away from men, or depriving them of, the necessary or pru­dent means of self-preservation, and self defence, or safety of their families or country: And tho' Solomon, that wisest of men, had said, that wisdom is better than weapons of war; he could not mean to discountenance a skillful and prudent management of them. It is true he reigned in a peaceable time, and was honoured; for God made all quiet round about him, that he might build an [Page 15] house in his name, and prepare his sanctuary for­ever (as the author of Ecclesiasticus expresses it) yet he knew that his father was a man of war; who, when he found that God had refused him the privilege of building him a temple, and had re­served the work for his son, encouraged his mili­tary officers and soldiers; and fought with and subdued his enemies on every side; that when his son should come to undertake that great affair, he might meet with as little molestation as possible: He well knew, how that, when the use of the bow had for some time been neglected by the children of Judah in some measure, his father nobly ex­horted them to return more generally to the use of it, to exercise themselves in that weapon (then a principal one) whereby he had discovered his concern for the armies of Israel; and so left him an example: And indeed an example to the prin­cipal military officers in all succeeding ages, to countenance and encourage the use of arms, and art of war. And we find that Saul and Jonathan are in the scriptures termed the beauty of Israel; their flower and glory, principally on account of their military skill and bravery in war. We also there find many grand and distinguishing charac­ters given to men on the same account: What a name did Abraham, the father of the faithful, gain to himself by his victorious overthrow of the four kings; and that with the trained soldiers of his own house? But it would be too tedious to at­tempt at this time to give you the particular cha­racters of Gideon, Jephtha & Sampson, of Joshua and the judges, of Jehoshaphat, Asa, Hezekiah, &c, so renowned for their military skill and war-like actions. Moreover—The art becoming a soldier, we find mentioned also in the New Testament▪ [Page 16] John the baptist does not condemn, but regulate, the office and employment of soldiers; when they desired to receive the word of command from him, he does not advise them to cast away their arms, abandon war, and so appear no more as mi­litary men in the field; which he would have done without doubt, had their office and employment been unavoidably sinful: Instead of that, he only advises them to manage their employment inoffen­sively. And we find our Saviour Himself mind­ing his disciples to expect, that their enemies would be more fierce upon them, than they had been: And accordingly he gives warning, that he amongst them, that had no sword, wherewith to defend Himself, might find great want of one, and might therefore be ready to wish, some time or other, that he had sold his garment and bought one.—After all, we find peace among the blessings, that God has promised to his church in the latter days: It is said, that in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it, and many nations shall come and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; and he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more: But they shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, and none shall make them [Page 17] afraid; (says the prophet) for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it. Such as are now hateful, hating one another, will then have hearts glowing with love to God; and this principle of love will produce universal harmony and peace: Surely such a change as this in this corrupt apostate world must needs be desirable. It is a delightful thought, that the prayers of the saints in all ages, for the prosperity of Zion, shall be answered; and the glorious things spoken of her in the sacred oracles fully accomplished.

But I hasten to some improvement of what has now been offer'd.

And first;—It is evident from what has now been offer'd, that they are unworthy to be citizens of Jerusalem, that don't wish peace to her. That man is unworthy to partake with God's people in their civil and religious privileges, that is not an hearty friend to them, and who does not really de­sire the wellfare of God's people, with whom he is a sharer in those privileges: He is of a tem­per very diverse from that expressed it my text. As the psalmist says of them that love Zion's prosperity, that they shall prosper; so on the con­trary, they, that do not love her prosperity, are not likely to prosper: Whether they will be marked out for wrath in the present world, or not, is not so easy for us with certainty to determine: There are however, passages of sacred writ that ex­press their liableness to it; and they are certainly unworthy of a name and place among God's peo­ple; and when the great seperation shall be made of the tares from the wheat, then all the enemies [Page 18] of Jerusalem will be put away, and shall not par­take of the heavenly inheritance, with them that are hearty friends, and particularly such to the people of God.

Secondly; we infer that every cordial well-wisher to Jerusalem's wellfare must needs be of a public spirit: How general is the disease of a self­ish spirit among mankind? The apostle Paul observing it once said, all men seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's: How little of real charity is there amongst the professors of christianity? how few that will deny themselves for the public good? how few (comparatively) are they, that will exert themselves in all proper ways for Jerusalem's peace? We should doubtless do well to consider the necessity of loving Jerusa­lem's prosperity, as we would answer our charac­ters as christians; & that we so love it, as to morti­fy and put away that narrowness of spirit that is too common amongst men. They that will be humoursome, and must needs have affairs con­ducted in a manner exactly accomodated to their liking, or they will contend, must not be looked upon as cordial friends to the welfare of Jerusa­lem. If we love Jerusalem's prosperity, we must desire to have righteousness and the fruits of it a­bound, and must ourselves aim to be righteous in our dealings, and to do as we would be done un­to: If we love the prosperity of Zion we shall be cordial friends to true religion; and shall not, to favor this or the other party, consent to turn aside to vain jangling: Our affections will flow out to all that appear to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity; and we shall aim to avoid all the stumb­ling blocks, that are the occasion of others falling, [Page 19] and to do our part towards preparing the way of the Lord, and making his paths straight: Though Zion's friends will hate the error of them that turn aside from the truth, yet they will not suffer their resentment to carry them into the con­trary error and extream: They will account truth to be for Jerusalem's interest, and will be proper­ly concerned at all times to be on their watch for Jerusalem's sake.

But thirdly; we infer, that such as love Jerusa­lem should countenance and encourage improve­ments in military skill and knowledge. Such on­ly may be said to love Jerusalem as David did, to whom it is matter of holy rejoicing to go up to the house of the Lord, and with his people to wait on Him in the ordinances of it; who hun­ger and thirst after the spiritual blessings, which of divine grace, are dispensed there; who sincere­ly pray for Jerusalem's peace; who study and conscientiously pursue the things, that make for peace, and wherewith one may edify another; who prefer Jerusalem above their chiefest joy, and by consequence will deny themselves for its pros­perity, who, for their brethren and companions sakes, say, Peace be within thee: For the sake of the house of God, we will seek thy good. These should countenance and encourage improvements in military skill and knowledge: These improve­ments ought to be encouraged by the inhabitants of Jerusalem in general; and especially by her friends. I would not be understood to mean, that all such should labour to be acomplished soldiers: For it is not supposed that they have, all of them, a martial spirit; yet they should promote and en­courage it in those that have it, for the security of Jerusalem: It argues their wisdom to improve [Page 20] all the advantages they have, for securing her peace and, privileges; and by suitably encourag­ing a martial spirit, they may get into good cir­cumstances to dispute it with those that may wrongfully invade them: They should know that a thorough acquaintance with military affairs is laudable and necessary: And that persons who improve in knowledge of this kind, deserve singu­lar respect; and should by no means be discoun­tenanced by the friends of Jerusalem; who, hav­ing a peculiar tenderness for her, must encourage fighting, as well as praying for her, under given circumstances. How long we may sit under our vines and fig-trees, and have none to make us a­fraid, the God of our peace only knows; and should war break out among the nations, Jerusa­lem's friends might wish that men of martial spirits and military accomplishments were more nume­rous among its inhabitants.

But fourthly;—We infer that love to Jerusalem will influence its subjects of a martial spirit to excell in soldiership. Men of this character will endeavor, in the use and pursuit of all proper means and methods, to acquire the knowledge of every part of military skill: Not content with understanding how to use war-like weapons; they'll be sollicitous to know how to charge their enemies successfully; how to take the most ad­vantageous ground; how to advance: and to make a regular and advantageous retreat; how to defend themselves by entrenchments; what stratagems to make up; how to pursue a victory when obtained, &c, that they may be abundant­ly qualified to fight for the security and in the de­fence of Jerusalem: And after all they will depend [Page 21] on that God, that taught David's hands to war, and fingers to fight; who determines the event of war in favor of every side, as he pleases; with whom its nothing to help, whether with many or with those that have power. Those of this cha­racter will march forth at God's providential call, and in his strength, in defence of the civil and re­ligious privileges of his people, and may reasona­bly expect to vanquish their enemies: They are of the called and chosen and faithful, that will follow the Lamb whithersoever he leads them: They'll not fear the faces of the enemies of God's people in a righteous cause; but, having the true spirit, and courage, and resolution of soldiers, will be above cowardise: And, being in such a state, and of such a temper of mind, as to expect the change to be made in them by death will be ad­vantageous to them: They'll fear neither guns, nor swords, nor any other instruments of death, when properly call'd to engage.

In the fifth place;—What has been offered on this subject may be applied by way of address to you, GENTLEMEN of the ARTILLERY COMPANY; at whose request I now appear in this desk. Gen­tlemen, you cannot be insensible of it, that Israel's champion was an eminent friend to Jerusalem, since it is so evident that he sincerely and fervent­ly prayed for her peace; and bravely fought ma­ny battles for her security and in her defence. It is presumed, that you look upon his example as worthy your imitation; and that you are accord­ingly desirous, that the number of Jerusalem's friends in our day be increased; good rulers encou­raged; and that the peace and prosperity of all your brethren and companions in the privileges [Page 22] and blessings we enjoy may be promoted; that every token of the divine anger might be remo­ved from her; that her citizens might be united in thought and affection; that religion might re­revive and flourish abundantly in her; and par­ticularly that enemies might not be permitted to invade her. However, should circumstances be so planned in providence, in which to engage in war, should be judged necessary by public autho­rity; though you approve of kind and benevolent actions, and abhor those that are malevolent and cruel; yet we cannot doubt, but you would, be­ing properly called, chearfully exert yourselves, and in the best possible manner, display your im­provements in the art of war, for the wellfare of God's people, with whom you are partakers in ci­vil and religious privileges truly honorable: It has been, and it must be so, or we could not esteem your ancient company, as now we do, really ho­norable. It was for this important purpose, that your company was so long since formed, viz. That it might be a nursery of acomplished sol­diers, that might, if properly called, do worthily for God and his people. We gratefully acknow­ledge, that many are the advantages, which have accrued to our Jerusalem, from your constitution; and it is reasonably expected, that you be duly attentive to the original design of it. Gentlemen, as you are volunteers, it is expected you love the Art Military, and that you are friends to Jerusa­lem. We cannot suppose that you would otherwise have been at so great expence of time and money, for your military accomplishments and accoutre­ments; or that otherwise you would lay out your­selves, as now you do, to encourage others of a martial spirit, to make improvements in military [Page 23] skill and knowledge. You deserve singular re­spect from the inhabitants of Jerusalem in gene­ral. You are countenanced by gentlemen of the first character in this part of our Jerusalem, and have been for many years on these occasions. You now see yourselves countenanced by the pre­sence of the Captain-General and commander in chief, by the presence of the Lieutenant-Gover­nor, and by several others of our most respectable Magistrates. You are countenanced by the ex­amples of grand and distinguishing characters in the word of God; and by the Lord of Hosts Him­self, the supreme Ruler over all; both in the old and new testament. May the God of armies en­courage your hearts, and teach your fingers to fight in Jerusalem's defence, whenever he may call you, in a military character, to dispute our privileges with our enemies.

To conclude;—Let us all daily and earnestly plead with God for Jerusalem's wellfare: And may we have grace to do it acceptably; and be­have ourselves in all respects, in a manner corres­pondent to such a practice, each one doing his part for the promotion of this important event! And let us be importunate for the establishment of the mountain of the Lord's house on the top of the mountains, for great additions to the church, by the calling in of the Jews and Gentiles. Then may we expect that prosperity (as a hint of divine love and grace) which we really need; spiritual and eternal, if not temporal felicity:—Which God of his infinite mercy grant may be the portion of us all through Jesus Christ: To whom be all honor and glory, dominion and pow­er now and forever, AMEN.