of the World doth choke and smother the innate notions of a Deity in the minds of men and on the other side a perpetual indigence and constant night of affliction starves them Men may lose their taste rellish and sense of God as they do of their meat both by too much fulness and satiety in a long continued prosperity and by too long fasting in a tedious course of misery Pharaoh while his Sun was not overcast cries out Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord that I should fear him and on the other side the Heathen when he saw vertue baffled and worsted breaks out Sollicitor nullos esse putare Deos. Therefore wise Agur prays for a mixt state Prov. 30. 8 9. with good reason lest he be full and forget God and lest he be poor and so blaspheme him To come nearer to the Text It presents us with the bright and dark side of this pillar of divine Providence whereby God guides his people through the Wilderness of the World I shall especially determine my discourse unto the first words of the Text wherein we may note two things 1 A case supposed when or if the righteous be in authority 2 The Wise mans observation or judgement thereon the people rejoice I begin with the first The case proposed when the righteous are in authority God and Religion justifie and abet Rule Soveraignty and Authority in the World God doth by his setting up such to rule and Religion doth in that we see here that righteous men called thereto do not decline it God never intended that the Magistrates Sword should be turned into a plough-share No government so opposite as Civil and Spiritual too often in the administration but none that so sweetly agree in their institution and original Order which the Magistrate preserves God is the God of 1 Cor. 14. 33. and Law by which he proceeds is but reason improved which grace doth not destroy but suppose More particularly God justifies Rule and Soveraigntie two ways by his Word by his Wonderful Providence First by his Word The Gospel doth very sparingly meddle with State matters but when it doth it engageth to obedience by as obliging principles as it doth to Religion even a principle of Conscience Rom. 13. 5. We must be subject for Conscience sake not barely for safeties sake and a principle of the highest fear Rom. 13. 2. They that resist the powers receive to themselves damnation a doctrine taught the world in the type long before by that fire and earth-opening which destroyed the opposers of lawful authority Num. 16. 33 34. High and honourable are the Titles given to Kings and Rulers in sacred Scripture of which I shall note but these two peculiar 1 That of the Lords anointed so often as a glory about the heads of Princes in sacred Writ and it is observable that this title is given to the meanest among the order of Kings even a Heathen Cyrus Isa. 45. 1. Cyrus mine anointed when it is never given expresly to the high-priest though anointed too and that with a most sacred and costly ointment kept in the Temple and to be used onely at his Consecration nor yet to Prophets though anointed too as well as Kings 2 Another Title given to Kings is that of Gods Psal. 82. 6. I have said ye are Gods and Exod. 22. 28. A title never given to any but to men in civil Power and Authority representing God in their persons as a Judge doth a King and in their power a King may as God doth abrogate and establish Laws as the exigences of State and Councel may direct which the Church having not dominium fidei cannot do Secondly God justifies and abets Rule and Authority by his providences A Traitour the Latine phrase doth most elegantly stile one that is reus laesae Majestatis one guilty of hurt Majesty now because after so many treasons I cannot but rationally conceive Majesty to be greatly hurt and the reverence due to lawful Authority too much impaired in the breasts of many men I shall therefore the more largely discourse on this argument the several providences whereby God hath eminently appeared from heaven to justifie and second his Vice-roys upon earth 1 By those eminent judgements by which he hath generally branded the opposers of lawful Authority These three sins high ingratitude oppression and rebellion very seldom have their dooms adjourned to another world because they so much thwart Gods government of this None of all those persons guilty of rebellion in Scripture went to their Graves in peace Achitophel Absalom Sheba Abner Abiathar Ioab Athaliah Zimri Adoniah we shall seldom find any men like blinded Sampson endeavoring to pull down the pillars upon which Gods house stands for such are Kings but they themselves like him perished in the ruine The Heathen Historian observed that there was hardly one of Caesars murtherers though a heathen Prince that survived the wickedness three years all dying violent deaths some by shipwrack some in battle some by the hand of justice others by their own and that very sword which they had first prophaned by his bloud Instances of this kind all Stories are full of It was a truth known to a proverb in Solomons time Prov. 24. 21 22. My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their calamity shall arise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both Treason is a sin for which God allowed no sanctuary under the law Ioab was taken from the horns of the altar and slain while under the guilt of this sin We must know that God's justice is an attribute that he is very jealous of his own son shall die to declare it to the world and therefore no wonder that he is so severe against those who lift up their hands against the Magistrate who is the Minister of his justice in the world Secondly God abets authority and rule by that aw and reverence to it so deeply implanted by him in the minds of men The great power of God seen in giving law and bounds to the raging waves by so inconsiderable a means as an heap of little sands falleth under frequent notice and observance but why do not we as much observe the lusts of men kept within their bounds by a little gilded dust a weak man armed with power and authority from God these are compared to the raging sea Psal. 65. 7. Thou stillest the noise of the sea the rage of their waves and the tumult of the people How strange is it to see a Magistrate sometimes drive away evil with his eye as Solomon speaks killing and crushing wickedness though armed and daring like the Basilisk with a look his bare presence much of God is observable in it It is God who restrains popular insolencies by an implanted reverence to authority it is he which keeps this beast the multitude from knowing its own strength and
so from attempting to cast its rider This David accordingly acknowledged Psal. 144. 2. It is God who subdueth the people under me Thirdly God abets Kings and Governours by those strange preservations vouchsafed by him to their persons There goes another kinde of life-guard about a King then men generally are aware of God hath this as his especial title Psal. 144. 10. The God that sheweth salvation unto Kings and he tells one of his Governours Hag. 2. 23. I have set thee as a signet upon my right hand The hearts of Kings but much more the times of Kings are in Gods hands Caesarem vehis fortunam ejus was a speech that had more sense in it then the heathen Prince that spake it was aware Kings are subject to more then ordinary dangers and therefore have a more then ordinary power concerned in their protection Many an Assassine hath found himself daunted with the raies of Majesty and deterred by an unexpected reverence possessing him from his intended villany and hath found cause to say to his Prince as Laban to Iacob Gen. 31. 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but God hath spoken to me saying speak not to Iacob neither good nor bad the instances of popish Princes falling by the hands of Assassinates are many but great deliverances hath God vouchsafed to Protestant Kings not above one being to be instanced in suffering any personal violence by a private hand Hence the title of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} given to Kings by the Ancients {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} S. Chrys. A King doth not fall like common men a prodigie in nature commonly gives us notice of his death Fourthly God justifies rule and authority by giving so often publick spirits to men in publick places A publick place may well enough suit an ambitious spirit but a publick spirit is the seal of authority it is Gods special gift Men are indeed naturally desirous to be at the top of the tree of fortune as it is called not that they might be more fruitfull and do more good but that they might be nearer the sun and more out of the reach of the hand of violence But a publick spirit it is I had almost said donum miraculosum given as a seal to authority and we shall finde the highest instances of it in persons eminently called by God to some publick trust in Moses praying God rather to blot him out of his book then not to pardon his people Exod. 32. 32. and in David against me and my fathers house let thine hand be and not against these sheep 2 Sam. 24. 27. and the Apostle charactereth a lawfull Magistrate by this spirit Rom. 13. 4. He is the Minister of God for good to thee It is God who gives Magistrates to consider non traditam sibi populi servitutem sed tutelam It is noted of Augustus Cesar that when once he was possest of the Empire all his former arts of wickedness fraud and tyranny the low stratagems of a particular narrow spirit he wholly discarded and addicted himself intirely to the love defence and advancement of the commonwealth of Rome and like Saul when called to the government was turned into another man ut satis constaret saith one divino quodam munere mutatum formatum tantum principem Men that are intended but for a narrow place and sphere like the snail in its little house turn out horns not arms to every body else It is seldome seen that God so far owns an Usurper as to vouchsafe this seal of authority a truly publick spirit It is seldome that he gives him a heart to use his power really to the peoples good some good things he may sometimes do to compound with the people but nothing out of a publick spirit and a real fatherly affection Men naturally seek their own and love to be at ease Cain spake his own sense and of most wicked men Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper Ambitious spirits like flame the higher they rise the more they are contracted into the narrow point of self by the constringency of ambient fears jealousies and distrusts It is Gods highest owning of a person in power when he makes him like Mordecai Esth. 10 3. a person seeking cordially the wealth of his people and speaking peace to them when contrary to his natural temper like Solomon he gives him largeness of heart in which there may be room for more then himself when he gives him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a free or as the word imports a royal a princely spirit Fifthly God seals to Authority and Sovereignty by that extraordinary direction and assistance which he often gives his substitutes in the administration of their office which is sometimes very strange It is the speech of Solomon Prov. 16. 10. A divine speech is in the lips of a King his mouth transgresseth not in judgement Deo nimirum cujus vices gerit ejus sententiam moderante The intimacy between God and a good King is greater then men think of God hath made Princes in judicature as it were his own oracles to the people Infallibility is more annexed to the chair of Moses then to the chair of Peter supposing the Prince be not wanting to himself by conversing with Gods law and mans he is most likely to have God of his councel A King sometimes sees per emissionem radiorum by an unexpected emission of those beams of light and wisdome whereby he scatters the mists of fraud and imposture cast before his eyes to procure wickedness indemnity There were three ways especially by which God of old bore witness to a person and justified his bearing rule and authority over a people 1. as was observed by giving him a publick spirit suitable to his publick place 2. by moving the hearts of people to own and obey the person so set up by God 1 Sam. 10. 26. 2 Sam. 19. 14. 1 King 12. 20. 1 Chron. 29. 23 24. Psalm 144. 2. 3. By giving him an understanding heart a spirit of wisdome Deut. 34. 9. 2 Sam. 14. 17. 1 Sam. 10. 16. 1 King 4. 29. Great was the assistance God gave to his substitutes of old in judgement Grotius telleth us he that diligently reads over the old Testament Plures reperturus est Principes Prophetas quà m Prophetas sacerdotes shall finde more Kings who were Prophets then Prophets that were Priests that so they might be the better fitted for the discharge of their weighty office and no question God is more assistant to Kings under the Gospel to teach them what they shall do then we are aware He judgeth amongst the Gods in an especial manner judicio insito as Iehoshaphat told his judges 2 Chron. 19. 6. Ye judge for the Lord who is with you in judgement Sixthly God justifies Authority and Magistracy by his strange
in Erasmus when he saw the stirs and commotions in Germany occasioned thereupon to the grief of all good men thus exprest himself Annon haec mea fuit vox ad primum gustum libellorum Lutheri res redibit ad seditionem and one well notes that however the Rulers of this World have been very jealous of the strength of the Church and very careful to keep that under hatches yet they have suffered Babylon to be built in its full strength though Romes profest principles lead to removal of Magistracy and State commotions Now these jealousies and reproaches might be occasioned two ways 1 By the spiritual pride of professors thinking that the Gospel jubilee freed all servants from obedience to Masters and Subjects from obedience to Princes especially if in the state of Gentilism an opinion which the Devil no doubt leavened the minds of men withall as a learned man speaks Ut inde in odium vocaret Christianam religionem apud Ethnicos quasi ordinis perturbatricem to bring Christianity into disgrace as if a disturber of the peace and order of a Nation 2 From the misapprehended honour of appearing in Religions defence deluded people apprehend they may fight for Religion and cannot die they thinke with greater assurance of honour here and heaven hereafter then when they fall like Zechariah between the Temple and the Altar People like the Turks will receive this Jewish practice of opposing Moses and Aaron into favour when Polititians have once christned it with the name of Zeal for Religion and Liberty But Religion may say as Elizabeth God hath rolled away my reproach for howsoever politick pretenders to Religion that stand by the Altar but to warm their own hands have upon every slight ground opposed lawful Authority and thrown dirt in the face of Governours yet the doctrine of the Gospel warrants no such thing The Pulpit was never intended to be a Circle in which to raise up the evil spirits of sedition and state commotions No Religion in the doctrine of it so greatly secures the power of Kings and the peace of States as the Christian doth We are bidden by the Gospel to be obedient {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Pet. 2. 18. to the crookedst and frowardst Masters God sets over us so that Religion can never be pretended against Loyalty And therefore when I take a sad review of the evil of our late disturbances I take not so much notice of the loss of King Liberty Property Parliaments Bloud though very great as of the impairing so far the credit of Religion in the violences offered to the person of His sacred Majesty and that by persons so highly pretending to it I am sorry the Papists seem to have now a 30th of Ianuary to return us for a 5th of November But blessed be God who put it into the heart of the Parliament to begin their work at the removal of this stain and blot from Religion not suffering the bloud of a Prince to lie any longer like aquafortis upon Religions credit to corode and eat thereinto We finde their practice justified by the holy Ghost who having told us of King Iehoash being murdered by his servants out of hand tells us who they were that did it 2 Chron. 24. 26. to wit none of the professours of the true Religion none of the Israelites but Zabad the Ammonite and Iehozabad the Moabite that so the honour of Religion might not suffer for a moment in the breast of the Reader and thus our Senatours tell the World as soon as God favours them with an opportunity that it was not Law but Violence not Religion but Pretences not the Nation but a Faction that attempted so unparallell'd a wickedness Secondly This doctrine may serve to give a check to all traiterous attempts against Majesty and Authority There is a threefold treason that falls here under challenge that of the heart of the tongue and of the hand 1 That of the heart of which those were guilty Jude v. 8. who despise dominions and those men of Belial 1 Sam. 10. 21. who despised Saul in their hearts Owl-ey'd creatures that can see nothing in a King but flesh bloud and a little state like children that can see nothing in the rainbow but onely a few fine colours Oh methinks those words by me Kings reign Prov. 8. should strike reverence and religion into every Atheist against those whom the Scripture stiles Gods among men Let us not think slightly of a King when God hath enjoined reverence to himself and him both in a breath in the Old Testament Prov. 24. 21. in the New 1 Pet. 2. 17. Fear God honour the King The murder of common and ordinary men we observe that God makes use of the very birds and beasts to discover but a very thought that impeacheth Majesty that doth not cut off but soil the skirt of a King the Scripture tells us a bird of the air shall discover it Eccl. 10. 20. God at one time or other suffers this sower leaven to breath forth in words or actions to the persons ruine 2 This may give a check to the treason of the tongue to those who speak evill of dignities Jude v. 8. when a King hath given a title of honour to a person all the Subjects must own it and honour him accordingly how much more when God hath given such eminent titles to Kings should we look upon our selves as bound so to do Scripture stiles it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} an accusation of blasphemie when evil language is used against these Gods upon earth Jud. v. 8. So 1 King 21. 13. he blasphemed God and the King No reason is there as some have done to reckon those titles of Highness Majesty and Lordship given to men in power and place inter soloecismos barbarismos aulicos amongst Court soloecisms and barbarisms which the Scripture useth Psal. 21. 5. The Kings glory is great in thy salvation Honour and Majesty hast thou laid upon him The Jews have a wise proverb Migrandum est ex eo loco in quo Rex non timetur we must go out of that place speedily where the King is not reverenced for we shall generally finde scorn and contempt thrown upon Kings and men in authority either a sad forerunner of some heavy judgement upon the people or else of the removal of the power it self so scorned and therefore these two things Job 12. 21. Gods pouring contempt upon Princes and weakning of their strength and power are joined together and we have seen in our times one of them a constant fore-runer of the other Fear a power is more safe under then contempt 3 This doctrine checks the treason of the hand most of all whether it be the hand of Zimri that of a private person or the hand of Joab that of a multitude in a way of force under one Captain 1 Then let no
merit of the persons if frequent upon the Princes disposition then which nothing renders him more ungratefull man being naturally a compassionate creature But it is not mercy alone will establish a throne there must be truth too fidelity open-heartedness He must not be made up totus ex artibus Princes which like-Absalom kiss all men alike seldom succeed happily because they occasion the disappointment of so many which a man cannot so well bear as an expected injury Cruelty and Treachery have gotten many a Throne but they have establisht none Now both these meet most eminently in our Sovereign Mercy though provoked more then ever Prince was he was not in natali imperii born like Esau all over red with the bloud of those who had forfeited their lives to his justice but his first and great I may now add frequentest request to the Houses was that the Act of Indemnity might be as speedily and as comprehensively drawn up as might be His Majestie contents himself with the submission of his adversaries Poenaeque genus vidisse precantes The fears and jealousies of guilty minds no question represented His Majestie as vapours do the rising Sun of a bloudy colour and disposition but he hath defeated not only the hopes but the fears of his adversaries by shewing his greatness as God whose Viceroy he is even by pardoning and forgiving offences And His Majesties whole demeanour assures us that this clemencie is virtus Personae not virtus temporis only and in observance of the old rule mitissima sors est Regnorum sub Rege novo And as eminent is He for Truth no King might as Christ doth write Teste meipso with better confidence then He. Hear what that valiant Scotch Marquess said of him when ready to die and the words of dying especially understanding men I value next to the Scripture For His Majestie now living I believe never people might be more happy in a King his commands to me were most just in nothing that he promiseth will he fail he deals justly with all men I shall close this fifth particular by superadding this one observation It is Gods usual method to suppress and expel a power or people guiltie of such or such a vice by persons eminent for the contrary vertue Thus Salvian takes notice how God punisht the Spaniards a lascivious people by the Vandals a Nation eminent for their chastity and temperance so the Persians a luxurious and riotous generation He overthrew by the Macedonians eminent at that time for their abstinence and moderation in diet and thus God now useth his Majesty to succeed and suppress persons lately in power highly challengeable for the want of Mercy and Truth Mercy we might be well assured they were never designed to build Gods Temple there was such a noise of fatal Axes continually heard in the Nation Truth breaking all the bands like the possest man of Oaths and Covenants wherewithall they had been bound the character of England at that time we might finde in Isa. 59. 14. Iudgement was turned away backward and Justice stood afar off Truth was fallen in the streets and Equity could not enter Sixthly Another token for good is this After great distractions and confusions long in a nation God usually sets upon the throne Princes eminent for success wisdome and courage When a nation is full of distraction and confusion God generally takes one of these three courses with it 1. He sometimes leavs it in confusion suffers the people to be without any settled form of government and to hold up one another till he corrects all thus he dealt with the Israelites Judges 21. 25. When there was no King in Israel but every man was a law to himself God sometimes deals by a nation as they did by the ship Acts 27. 15. cuts the cables and anchours that held it and lets it drive Or 2. He sometimes sets a Tyrant over it as it is an hundred to one but when the ill humours are in motion they gather to an head at last Thus we read in the Iudges he dealt with his own people Or 3. He raiseth up some eminent person whom he qualifies with all Princely dispositions for so great a work as the healing of the breaches in a nation Thus we finde him raising up Moses after the Egyptian oppression Gideon after the Midianitish slavery David after Sauls injustice and Nehemiah and Zorobabel after the Babilonish captivity to become healers to Israel Thus Iulius and Augustus Cesar in the Romane Empire were raised up by God to be repairers of the breaches in that government under which Christ was to be born and afterward Constantine as a shadow from the heat of the ten Persecutions and Charles the great in the West and Queen Elizabeth after many changes both in Church and State and Henry the 7th before her happily curing the issue of bloud the nation had so long laboured under Great and many are the evils which England hath languished under these many years now to use the word of Mordecai to Esther Esther 4. 14. Who knows but his Majesty is come to the Kingdome for such a time as this God hath taken all the forementioned courses with our discomposed nation 1. We were left to the unconstant counsels and giddy determinations of those who stiled themselves Custodes libertatis it would pose a wise man to tell who they were sometimes this party sometime another pretended to the title of the supreme authority of the nation 2. Then he set over us a person that like Adonijah got him chariots and horsmen and said I will reign but now we hope God hath set him over us whom he will make a great blessing to this great people when a nation hath been under many Rulers Solomon tells us how the state thereof must be prolonged Prov. 38. 2. even by the advancement of a man of understanding which we hope God according to the method of his providence hath now blest us withall even a man who shall restore again the Kingdome to its ancient dignity and liberty and the Church to its due honour and discipline If we now lay all these particulars together we shall easily I think see what great cause we have to shout and rejoyce and cry God save the King I have hitherto indeavoured to be the helper of your joy give me leave in a few words to be the directour of it and so conclude Let us take care that our joy be seasoned with sobriety with trembling and with religion With sobriety This passion of joy doth very much expose the soul to indecencies and therefore the greater need of vigilance let us not so dance before the ark as to discover our nakedness so as to allow our selves in any intemperate and unwarrantable transports It had been high indiscretion in Noah and his family when in the ark and perceiving the Dove approaching with an alive branch to have made such a