To his Excellency, Robert, Earl of Essex
To his Excellency, ROBERT, Earl of Essex, Viscount Hereford, Baron Ferrars of Chartley, Lord Bourchier and Lovaine, one of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, and General of the Army raised by the Parliament in defence of the true
Protestant Religion, His Majesty's Person, the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom, and the privileges of Parliament.
There is no man this day upon the face of the earth whom it more concerns to have this name of God, The Lord of Hosts, presented to him in the due lustre and glory of it than your Excellency, whom the Lord has not only honoured to stand up even in the forefront to maintain His cause and the cause of His people, but He has even put upon you this His own name; He has made you the Lord of His
Hosts. It is that which every soldier may justly glory in, that God Himself seems to affect the glory of arms when He causes Himself to be, as it were, surnamed THE LORD OF HOSTS. The beams of this glorious name put some lustre upon the meanest in an army; what lustre then does it put upon your Excellency, who stand so near it?
Happy the time that ever you were born to be made use of by God and His people in so noble and honourable a service as this. We read
Zechariah 3:3 of Joshua, that great instrument of Reformation, in the return of Judah from her Captivity, that he stood in filthy garments, but the Angel spoke to those who stood before him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him," and unto him he said, "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Those who stand up most eminent and forward in the cause of God and His people shall ever have some who will seek to stain their glory by slanders and reproachful names, to put them into vile garments; what viler garment can there be than the garment of Treason and Rebellion?
But the Angel stands by to take off these vile garments and to cleanse his servants even from this nominal iniquity; he will put change of raiment upon them; he will one day make it appear that there were none so faithful to God, their King and Country, as they. The Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, saith the Text, ver. 2, will rebuke them who thus stand up against his servants. The Lord who hath set His heart to bring mercy to Jerusalem, to His Church, will certainly rebuke such as stand to resist the great instruments thereof.
Wherefore, that which the Angel of the Lord protested to Joshua, v.
6, I may in the name of the Lord, with a little change, protest unto your Excellency: Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, if you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my charge, then you shall have an eminency in my house, and I will give you places among these that stand by. That is, among the blessed Angels in the heavens. If a cup of cold water shall not go without a reward, surely then the venturing estate, liberty, limbs, honour, blood, life for the cause of Christ shall not go without its reward.
Wherefore, most noble Lord of our Hosts, yea of the Hosts of God, Go on with true Heroic magnanimity and prosper, in the name of this glorious Lord of Hosts. The prayers of the Churches are for you; the blessings of the Saints are upon you. I believe never any General upon the earth hath been mentioned more in heaven than your
Excellency hath been, and yet is in this cause.
That which is storied of the Cross appearing to CONSTANTINE, with these words, "HOC VINCES," I may with far more confidence apply to this name of God, The Lord of Hosts. This I present unto your
Excellence, with this Motto, "Hoc vinces": The name is in itself a box of sweet ointment; give me leave to open it before your Excellency, that it may be fragrant indeed, and add quickening and strength. To that true noble heroic spirit fit for great actions, that God hath