Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	good_a	king_n	subject_n	2,457	5	6.6055	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89892	England's royal stone at the head of the corner, through the wonderful working of almighty God. Set forth in a sermon preached in the Cathedral church at Gloucester, the 28th day of June, being a day of publick and solemn thanksgiving for His Majesties happy restauration. By Joh. Nelme, M.A. and Pastor of S. Michaels in the said city.	Nelme, John, b. 1618 or 19.	1660 (1660)	Wing N415; Thomason E1034_9; ESTC R209037	19,061	28

composed this Anthem or Song of Praise to bless rhe Lord for his many deliverances of him and for the full settlement of him at the last in the Kingdom whereunto he had fore-designed him At this time and on this occasion Mollerus and Musculus suppose this Psalm to be composed and made use of Calvin is not so punctual in the time but saith Whatsoever time it was composed this was Davids drift in it Having through many oppositions gotten full possession of the Kingdom he calls upon all the people to give thanks unto God for it The Psalm is digested into several parts the King People and Priests each bearing a part therein the greatest part falling to the Kings share First we have the King a Vers 1 2 3 4. calling upon the People and Priests and all that feared the Lord to the publick acknowledgement of the Lords singular mercy and making a narrative of the singular goodness and mercy of God to him in b Vers 5 6 7. hearing his prayers being on his side and taking part with his friends all which he mingleth and Vers 6 7 14 17. pursueth with singular expressions of his abundant confidence in the Lord and of the large experience he now had how good a thing it was to trust in God rather then Vers 8 9. in man or Princes and of the strong assurance he now had Ver. 10 11 12. through Gods help of vanquishing all his Enemies At length you have him calling upon the priests whose Office Ver 19 20. it was to open to him the gates of Gods Sanctuary that he might go in and praise the Lord. At length he comes in the text to make a short Apostrophe 21. to God himself repeating his resolution to praise him together with a general and particular account of that his resolution General Because he had heard him and was become his salvation Particular Because the stone which the builders refused 22. was now become the head stone of the corner Thus far goes the Kings part Now comes in the peoples part that of the whole Chorus as it were consisting 1. In their acknowledgement of the hand of God in 23. this Providence and their admiration at the strangeness of it This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our eyes 2. In their joyful Acclamation to the happiness of that 24. days Festival This is the day which the Lord hath made 3. In their acceptation of the Kings Royal invitation to that Dayes Duty We will rejoyce and be glad in it 4. In their humble hearty and seasonable supplications 25. for the prosperity of the King and Kingdom Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity And then behind our Text follows the Priests part Vers 26. praying for a blessing upon the King welcoming him into the Tabernacle saying Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord and upon the people blessing them out of the House of the Lord acknowledging that it was Vers 27. the Lord that had shewn them light and inviting them to keep the Festival with joy and thanks unto God to bind the sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar according to the use of Gods ancient people in their publick solemnities All this seems to be concluded with a return of the Piissimus Rex Psalmum concludit Musc Kings part consisting of A solemn repetition of his former resolution Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee And a solemn repetition of his former invitation to them all to give thanks unto the Lord with him O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever The whole Psalm is contrived as if it had been to be sung in a solemn procession to the Tabernacle on that solemn day the singers going before and the players on instruments following after As it was at the like solemnity a little after at the bringing home of the Ark from Obed-Edom's House for which processional use the 86th Psalm Psal 86. 25 was penned wherein we read of such an order observed However it was the words we have cull'd out of the Psalm for the subject of this present discourse are this day again fulfilled in our ears Our Gracious Soveraign for his part being after a long and tedious exile restored to his people and his people to him as he hath resolved to render the tribute of praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God in his own person this day for his happy restauration so he hath by his Royal Proclamation required all his Subjects of England and Wales to joyn with him in this Duty And Subjects for their part never more joyfully consented to a duty of that nature then I think and hope they do over all the Kingdom this day Whilst the King saith I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my Salvation methinks I hear all the people like men astonished at the wonderfulness of the mercy crying out This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes and like men over-joyed making loud acclamations to the happiness of this days Festival gladly running to the Duty whereunto they have this Royal Invitation ready to give out their Hosanna their well-wishes and prayers for the King and Kingdom upon this happy revolution of affairs into that hopeful posture wherein now they stand I begin first with the Kings part his pious resolution to praise God with the general and particular account of that his resolution And first of the account in General which he gives of this resolution verse 21. I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation In which words we have the pattern of an afflicted King and a praying King a delivered King and a praise-returning King David is the pattern for all this He was an afflicted King Some would have this expressed in the Text I will praise thee for thou hast afflicted me The Original word will bear both Interpretations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast afflicted me or Thou hast answered me But however his afflicted condition is implyed enough in the news we have in the Text of the return which God had made unto his prayers Again He was a praying King Thou hast heard me or thou hast answered me It should seem then that he had been calling and crying unto the Lord. Yet thirdly He was a delivered King Thou art become my salvation And last of all He was a praise-returning King Therefore I will praise thee From all this I shall point out unto you three things of special and seasonable remark which I shall lay down as the ground-work of all that I have to say from this Verse and them that follow in the Text on this solemn occasion The First is That God is wont sometimes to exercise the Kings of 1

1 2. seqq his advantage in the subjection of the hearts of all Israel to him and in the settlement of him in the dominion overthem And this is the constant Language of good Kings whoever else be the instruments or whatever else be the means of bringing them to their Crowns The Queen of Sheba's 1 Kin. 10. 9 Language to Solomon was The Lord thy God delighted in thee to set thee on the throne of Israel And Solomon himself was not a whit behind her in this acknowledgement 2 Chro. 1. 8 Thou O God hast shewed great mercy unto David my father and hast made me to reign in his stead Yea Cyrus the King 2 Chro 36. ult of Persia had as much Religion as this came to The kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me None but such a one as the proud Assyrian will dare to Isai 10. 13. say By the strength of my hand I have done this or that and by my wisdom for I am prudent The proud Ax boastead it self against him that hewed with it and the presumptuous Saw against him that shook it Nebuchadnezzar took too much upon him when he vaunted on that Dan. 4. 30. manner Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Not a word was there of his being beholding to God in all that speech But God presently taught him by sad experience that he was wholly beholding to him for his Kingdom and that it was in his hand both to give it to him and to take it from him It was a close rebuke which God once gave unto the Prince of Tyrus for his sacrilegious pride his heart was lifted up and he said of himself that he was a god and sate in the seat of God But God said he would make him know that he was a man for he would bring strangers even the terrible of the Nations upon him with drawn swords against him And them saith God in an holy Sarcasm Wilt thou yet say before him that Ezek 28. 9. slayeth thee I am God But thou shalt be a man and no God in the hand of him that slayeth thee And lest he should mistake himself as if he had set himself in that glorious state for which the Princes of Tyrus were famous in the world as being like a tree planted in the garden of God wanting nothing that Nature or Art could furnish him V. 14. withal God tells him plainly I have set thee so Though he were for his Royal Dignity a glorious Creature yet was he so by Gods Creation and not his own God keeps this to himself as his Royal Prerogative By me Kings Prov. 8. 15. reign and Princes decree justice They could neither have Joh. 19. 11. nor exercise any power were it not given them from above It is to God really that even Kings and Princes as great as they are in the earth are beholding for their deliverances settlements and establishments in their Kingdoms Much might be learnt from hence that I cannot now insist on The Kings and Princes of the earth might be advised from hence to be so wise as to own honour and serve this their Deliverer Setler and Establisher to keep their Kingdoms for God and lay out all their power to keep their Kingdoms in subjection to God to execute judgement and justice according to the will of God to devote themselves their power their lives their all to the magnifying or making his Name great in their Kingdoms who hath been their Saviour Settler and Establisher in so great power under him over their people Davids resolution in the 101 Psalm when he came to the Crown is a most excellent pattern for all the Kings and Princes of the earth in this respect Read the Psalm throughout But I need not dwell upon this being abundantly prevented by the thankful Expressions of our Soveraign to God for his happy restauration attributing his Deliverances and Return to and settlement in his Kingdom solely to him and his pious Resolutions and Professions to study to serve and honour that God who hath heard his Prayers and is become his salvation VVhich leads me to the third Note observable from the words viz. That Prayers and Praises are Duties wherein even Kings 3 Note themselves are bound to wait upon God Let David be the pattern He was a praying and a praise-returning King I will praise thee for thou hast heard me He had been praying it should seem and crying to God and now he was resolved upon praysing him In the time of his Exile Prayer was the work that he devoted himself to Praise was the work that he vowed to perform whenever God should set him at liberty Therefore in his Exile he prayeth Hold not thy peace O God of Pal. 109. 1 2 3 4. my praise This was his practise whilst the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful were opened against him and they spake against him with a lying tongue whilst they compassed him about with words of hatred and fought against him without a cause whilst for his love to them they were adversaries to him he gave himself unto prayer But now that God had heard his prayer and all succeeded to his hearts content you have his mouth filled with thanksgivings calling all the people to joyn with him in offering up these Eucharisti●●● Devotions to the God of his mercies Though a King yet he did not count these pieces of piety too lowe for him This point is much strengthned by the former For if even they are and must be beholding to God for their deliverances settlements and establishments in their Kingdoms then it is but fit that even they should wait upon God in their duties praying to him for the mercies they want and praising him for those which they have recovered by the prevalency of importunate prayers to the God of their salvation and calling upon all their Subjects to joyn with them in so doing This was not onely King Davids practise but the practise of all the good Kings of Judah as may be seen in the examples of Jehoshaphat and 2 Chro. 20 2 Chro 29 Hezekiah All that I shall learn you from hence is First to acquaint you that it is good news to a people when the Kings whom the Lord hath set over them are praying and praise-returning Kings It is you see the Character and practise of Gods Davids such as are Kings after Gods own heart to pay these just tributes to the Divine Majesty to whom they are beholding for their Crowns and Scepters It is not onely a good example of piety in them for others to walk by but it is a practise that promiseth much of happiness not onely to their royal persons but to their Kingdoms too A praying King will have the better of 2Chro 33. 13. it first or last Manasseh you

our warfare is accomplished that our swords are turning into plowshares and our spears into p●uning hooks This must needs be the Lords doing and it is marveious in our eyes The second thing observable in the peoples part is their acclamations to the happiness of that dayes Festival This is the day which the Lord hath made God makes every day But he makes ●o●e dayes more notable then others for his singular mercies in them which onely is the meaning of this Expression That day of Davids Instauration was such a notable day in Israel And on the like account surely the 29th day of May should have a golden Character in our K●lendars for his Majesties happy Restauration And this day should be reckoned for a good day because of the Opportunity which the King and Kingdom have joyntly to celebrate the Memorials thereof The thi●d thing observable in the peoples part is their hearty acceptation of the Kings Royal invitation to that days duty We will rejoyce and be glad in it Days of thanksgi●ing for such mercies as these should be days of rejoycing and gladness When King Joash was restored to his Crown by means of his Aunt Jehosheba who had kept him from being murdered with the rest of the Seed Royal by Athalia the text saith All the people of the land rejoyced 2 King 11. 20. ●t is on all hands agreed that such a time as this is a time of joy and gladness Onely let me beseech you to see your rejoycing be with sobriety not breaking out into sinful intemperance to the dishonor of him who hath wrought these things for you Let your rejoycing be a rejoycing in the Lord such as becometh saints who mind nothing more then the bringing honour to God by the joy which they express for mercies of any kind which they receive from God And last of all see that your joy and gladness for this dayes mercie be seconded with Charity to the Poor Make the bellies of the poor to rejoyce with you that their loins may bless you and that they may be able to call it a good day to them as well as to their King and those of greater ability The last thing observable in the peoples part is their humble hearty and seasonable supplications to God for the prosperity of the King and Kingdom Each man is brought in making this his prayer O Lord I besecch thee there 's the humility of it and this repeated again Save I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send prosperity there 's the heartiness of it The words may be rendered I beseech thee save I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send prosperity I beseech thee The word which is here rendred now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the T. being sometimes of the same force with the other that is rendered I beseech thee But take it as it is here fitly rendered Save now prosper now there 's the seasonableness of it With such humble hearty and earnest supplications for the King and Kingdom let every one of us follow the Lord this day and henceforwards Let every one of us have his Hosanna up this day as well as his Hallelujah In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most humble and earnest manner let us ply the throne of grace for the continuance and improvement of this blessing to us Now now is the time to strike in with God Save now I beseech thee O Lord I beseech thee prosper now We could not look that God should answer our prayers in this kind before The nation was set upon a wrong bottom We could not look then that God should hear us so long as we were so much out of the way Now that the Lord settled the Kingdom upon Foundations of righteousness again we may more rationally expect better success in our prayers for peace and truth and salvation to our King and Kingdom And therefore Now if ever follow the Lord with continual prayers for a blessing upon the King Church and State that these prosperous beginnings may have good proceedings and an happy conclusion that the hearts of none may be made sad but all may rejoyce in this days mercy Now if ever ply the King of Heaven with your prayers that this may be a lasting settlement improved by his Majesty and the whole Kingdom to the honour of Gods name the securing of the purity and power of Religion and the happy concord and unity of all that fear the Lo●d● and to this let all the people say Amen FINIS