67. The true Believer prays in times of War

EXHORTATION.

"Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress, my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled; abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is death."—Lamentations i. 20. "The Lord hath bent his bow like an enemy."—Ib. ii. 4.

"He hath swallowed up all the palaces."—Ib. ii. 5.

"The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword."—Ib. ii. 21. The three troubles with which God visits whole cities and towns, are war, hunger and pestilence, Jer. xxxiv. 17; to which God subjected David also, 1 Chron. xxii. 12. War is a severe chastisement; when God withdraws his THE BELIEVER PRAYS IN TIME OF WAR.

protection from a country, the foe is straight at hand. The reasons for which God punishes a land with wars, are various. 1. Disobedience.—Isaiah i. 19.

2. Living according to the desires of the flesh, without having the fear of God before their eyes.—Judges iv. 1; vi. 1. 3. Contempt of God's word, either in not listening to it at all, or in not conforming to its precepts.—Levit. ii. 6, 27. 4. Idolatry.—Judges ii. 12–14. This may be committed in a gross or in a subtle manner, as by indulgence in luxury, fornication, murder, shedding innocent blood, oppression of strangers, widows, and the poor. But God calls the sword, and takes away peace—Jer. xv. 6. He also takes away the power of the sword.—Psalm lxxxix. 44. So that many nations and a great army obtain no victories, but must flee before their enemies.—Psalm xliv. 11; bringing about destruction, plunder, oppression, lamentations, and wretchedness. Angry God! we appear before thy most holy face with contrite hearts, and bewail the great misery which our grievous sins and thy just wrath have brought upon us Lord, Lord, we dwelt serenely under thy protection; no sword THE BELIEVER PRAYS IN TIME OF WAR.

could affright us, for thou wert the foe of our foes, and the adversary of our adversaries; we went quietly in and out of our doors, and enjoyed, unmolested, the fruits of the land. But now, great God, thou hast withdrawn thy peace and protection, and the foe has arisen and drawn the sword; he threatens to burn and to destroy, to plunder, to despoil our cities, and to overrun our fields. What shall we do in this distress.

We must confess that we have long deserved these rods of chastisement; we have made evil use of peace and of prosperity. When we should have been edified and walked in the fear of thee, served and obeyed thee, the desecration of the Sabbath, abuse of thy holy name, unrighteousness, security, malice, and the most abominable vices, have run rank among us. We are ashamed, O God, to rehearse our own wickednesses, which cry to heaven. O merciful God! think not of the multitude of our evil deeds, which are like the sands of the sea shore, but think of us after thy great mercy, for the sake of thy goodness. We lie here before thee in prayer, relying, not upon our righteousness, but upon thy grace and long suffering. We have sinned; we have led ungodly lives, and have departed from thy commandments. O do not punish us in thy wrath, nor chastise us in thine anger. Father of mercies, have mercy upon us;

THE BELIEVER PRAYS IN TIME OF WAR.

if thou wilt deal with us according to our sins, and thy justice, the foe will destroy us, and there will be no deliverer. Mighty patron of the wretched, arise, that man may not prevail.

Thou canst give us strength for the fight;

thou canst cast under our feet those who withstand us. In thee is all our hope and trust in this great need. When men rave against thee, thou dost derive honor from it. O God! how long shall the adversary revile, and the foe abuse thy name, as if no one could snatch us from his hand? Deliver us, God of our salvation! and forgive us our sins for thy name's sake. Take away the courage of the enemy;

drive him away, and watch over our land, our houses and curtilages. Let peace soon return, and avert the impending danger. Lord, thine is the honor, that thou dost break the sword, crush the spear, and burn chariots with fire.

Hear our cries, O loving God! the cries of those who are now in danger, and in the hands of the enemy, and suffer many cruelties and indignities. Have mercy upon the poor, the widow, and the aged, on children and sucklings, who cannot escape. Put a speedy end to the destructive contest, and hear our prayer for the sake of thy goodness and mercy. Amen.

1. What affright and lamentation

Comes upon the wings of war?

Like a summons from afar,

To repent of our transgression.

Wretchedness and terror grows,

Lord, have mercy on our woes!

2. O, the sword is keenly whetted,

That is sent to hew us down;

And the foeman's angry frown

With our blood alone is sated.

He has set his fearful goal,

To destroy us all in all.

3. Cries of horror, loud and stifled

In the cities, on the plains;

Refuge nowhere doth remain;

Hidden nooks are racked and rifled.

In sequestered wilds and woods

Carnage with red hand intrudes.

4. Hear the wretched cry and clamor,

Harried of their little all;

Dragged to bondage, great and small,

Even sold beneath the hammer.

Flames consume their last abode,

And still further ill forbode.

THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAISES AND

5. Lord, who can withstand thine anger,

Thy chastisement doth destroy

All who dare thy heart annoy,

Yet no longer dwell in languor.

Save us from the foeman's wrath,

Pluck us from the jaws of death!

The true Believer praises and thanks God after the Return of Peace.

EXHORTATION.

"Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."—Psalm xli. 8-11. After a severe and bloody war, there can be no more joyful news than the report of peace. Then the fugitives return to their dwellings, the exiles have hopes of coming back to their own, the land itself recovers, because no longer trodden under the foot of the enemy. The true believer understands that this gift is sent from above. 1. Therefore he praises God for having put an end to destruction, pillage, murder, and arson, and that the inhabitants of the company are delivered from the power of the enemy. THANKS GOD AFTER THE RETURN OF PEACE. . 483

2. He thanks God for having protected him and his throughout the danger of the war. 3. He sees that sweet peace is like the sun, which revives all things, like the dew, which refreshes all things. 4. He prays to God to make the peace permanent, and to contend against all peace-breakers. 5. He does not devote the time of peace to luxury and pleasure, but to improve in the faith, and to serve his God, undisturbed and unmolested Lord, Lord, merciful, kind, and of great goodness, in the justice of thy wrath thou hast hitherto withheld peace from our land, because we abused the good days of peace. Thou hast called in foes for our chastisement, who drew the sword, slew, ravaged, and filled us with affright and terror. Though we well deserved to be utterly destroyed by this war, yet in the midst of thy wrath, thou hast thought of grace, and given thoughts of peace to the kings, wherefore we thank thee with great joy. The kings of hosts have come to terms, at thy command the sword has returned to the scabbard. The fugitives return, and we may once more go out and in, in peace. Jerusalem, praise the Lord, extol thy God, O Zion, for he fastens the bolts of thy gates, and blesses thy children who are within: he gives peace to thy frontier. What a precious gem is peace, in which all the land rejoices! To-day dost thou renew thy gracious promise, "Ye shall dwell securely in the land; I will give peace unto the country, so that ye may sleep, and be not waked with affright, and that the sword may not pass through your land from henceforth." Lord, perpetuate this peace; lift up thy countenance over us, and give us peace, as a glorious portion of the divine blessing which thou hast cast upon thy people. Let our peace be like a stream of water which is never diminished, but constantly runs and wells forth, for thou alone shalt have peace according to thy certain promise. Let justice and peace kiss each other, and righteousness look down from heaven. Give us thy holy spirit, that we may not abuse peace in luxury, gluttony, or security, but may edify ourselves, and walk in the fear of the Lord. Refresh the ravaged land with thy blessing. At the end of our days, let us depart in peace, and be gathered into the mansions of peace. Amen. 1. Peace is at last concluded,

God to our prayer has given ear;

There is an end of bloodshed,

Destruction dwells no longer near.

The sword is in its scabbard,

The bow no longer bent;

The foe no more assails us,

Peace gives us all content.

Therefore to-day, of all things,

After these evil days,

Jehovah shall be worshipped,

To God we render praise.

2. O Peace, good gift of heaven,

Most precious jewel that thou art,

By thee to us is given

Of what is ours, a double part.

When thou to us art given

We do receive beside,

Life, plenty, comfort, pleasure,

Throughout the country wide;

The warring minds of princes

Are now disposed to peace.

The loving, gentle shepherd

Has made all discord cease.

3. The sun of peaceful labor

Once more illumines hill and dale,

Makes comfort and rejoicing,

Comfort and happiness prevail;

Once more a-field the ploughman

At early morning hies;

The shepherd on the pasture

His old recorder tries;

The sheep browse on securely,

Fearing no foeman's hand;

The blessings of profusion

Spread over all the land.

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4. O make this peace enduring,

Dear Father, many and many a day;

That on our fields and meadows,

War and destruction may not stray.

O let thy thoughts of concord

Aye hover o'er us still;

Subdue the wrath of princes,

Make them obey thy will.

And though we sorely grieve thee,

Take not our peace away,

And let us find forgiveness

E'en in thine angry day.

5. And as in these, our seasons,

Thy peace thou fully dost accord;

Let us declare in wonder,

Behold the goodness of the Lord

He has withstood the carnage,

And made the war to cease;

His grace to us extended,

And given back our peace.

Then sound bright hymns of gladness,

And with your hearts upraised,

Cry with united voices,

The Lord's great name be praised!

PRAYER IN TIMES OF FAMINE.