former the Apostle calls it Godly Feare God is the Author of it I will put my feare in their hearts The end of it Esa 32.40 and the object of it first and immediatly and man onely so far as God hath communicated something of himself as his Majestie wisdome authoritie power to him Feare the Lord and the King Observe first the Method The Lord Then the King The feare of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdome the beginning of wisdome is the feare of the Lord. A man may be witty but not wise without it he may be as subtle as the serpent but cannot be as innocent as the dove Jacob covenanting with Laban calls to witnesse the Feare of his Father Isaac Gen. 31.53 i. e. That God that Isaac his Father feared David doth not onely explaine this duty what it is but press it upon us why it is to be done with prevalent arguments Come let us worship and fall downe and kneel before the Lord our maker for he is the Lord our God he hath made us c. This is a duty confess'd by all though practised by few The fool indeed saith in his heart there is no God in his heart i. e. in his secret thoughts as rather desiring that it was so then concluding that it is so in his heart not with his lips in articulate words He is afraid either that the Echo of his own expression should give him the lye or that for Atheisme and blasphemy openly profesâ—'d he should strike him with death who first breath'd into him the breath of life But to leave such speculative and practicall Atheists either in mercy to be converted or in terror to be confounded What strange spectacle is this that I see Professors pious and precious souls such as seeme not without the power of godlinesse and yet want the forme no outward posture of the body that may expresse the reverence of the soule No sacred esteem of times places or things separated to holy use who to avoyd superstitious vowing exclude all formalities of worship deny God those external Civilities of his worship that they will scarcely deny their equalls and dare not deny their superiors The servant as though he was free from his Master sits in the Congregation with his hat on and that not in winter onely but in summer not upon any account of infirmitie but I feare presumption for heate and sweat will make him lay it by What will Turkes Jewes and Pagans think of us who in the externalls of their worship do far outstrip us and perhaps in their zeale also though it be not according to knowledge What will the holy men of God The noble army of Martyrs The glorious Societie of Saints and Angels who not onely kneel but fall flat on their faces not onely uncover their heads Rev. 4.10 but cast their Crowns downe to the earth before him What will they say to David or rather what will David say to them who while they boast of his Spirit deny his practise in every letter and whereas they would be thought to be men after Gods own heart they seeme to proclaime it that they thinke him like themselves See what David did and do the like I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I worship towards thy holy Temple Psal 5.7 This feare of God then is an awfull apprehension of the sacred Majestie of Almightie God proceeding from a loving and a loyall heart binding over the soule to all services of love with a voluntary resignation of our selves our profits pleasures preferments and what is ours to his will and pleasure This is not only The whole duty of man to feare God and keepe his Commandments but his chiefest dignitie which not onely preserves the soule here in grace but also Crowns it with glory hereafter My son feare thou the Lord. The other object of our feare is The King It is our Saviours order and Command To give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods The Apostle appoynts that tribute be payd to whom it belongs and Honour to whom honour is due Come forth ye sons and daughters of Jerusalem see the Regalia that Throne of Majestie which God himselfe hath set up for him and that Crowne of honour wherewith God himselfe hath Crown'd him in the day of his espousalls He hath joyn'd him with himselfe in the same expression Cloathed him with the Robes of his own honour mounted him in royall equipage with himselfe and causing it be proclaim'd by Solomon no meaner a person then the greatest of Princes is his Herauld Thus shall it be done to that man that the Lord will honour Feare the Lord and the King The Act is the same Feare Feare The Lord. The King Of the first I have treated already now of the second and next immediate object of our Feare The King i. e. A single person cloth'd with authoritie chosen of God and of the people sitted for called to and setled in power and dignitie is to be fear'd i. e. with a loyall and loving heart reverenced and obey'd next and immediately unto the Lord in the Lord and for the Lord. Neither was this any Nationall or legall command onely impos'd upon the Israelites but see also the very same made by the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.17 Feare God Honour the King Evangelicall Morall universall and perpetuall Where let me first congratulate the word honour by way of explanation which takes off the edge of admiration from subjects and of ambition from Princes It includes not onely reverence obedience and care of or for but also Recompence Reward Maintenance Kings themselves are servants design'd to defend preserve keep safe as a Shepherd his flock the people committed to their charge Our bare heads our bended knees all our salutations and signes of reverence our honour and feare are indeed a tribute due unto God but payd to the King as his Stuard commissioned by him to require and receive them of us Wonder not then that God should thus guild an earthen pot and lay up the treasure even of divine honour in an earthen vessell It is the Lord He may do what he will and the Honour is his he may doe with his owne what he pleaseth Two things lye plaine before us First That kingly government is of divine institution and approbation commanded and commended by God himself All other governments and governors are appoynted by the King and in subordination to him The text is plain 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Submit your selves to every ordinance or law of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as supream or to Governors sent i. e. authorized commissioned appoynted by him Thus Daniel was by the King made a great man and a Governor and he that raigned over one hundred twenty and seven Provinces Est 1.1 appoynted Governors over every Province v. 14. But to cleare this
Lord and the King c. The Text is easily divided into two generall Parts First A Doctrine which is a word of Command Secondly The Reason which is a word of Terror The Doctrine is 1. Positive My son c. 2. Negative and meddle not c. The Positive consists of three Parts First The Schollar My son c. Secondly The Duty Feare Thirdly The Object of this fear God and the King In the Negative First the Prohibition meddle not Secondly The hatefull object The Seditious In the Reason That word of terror Observe .. First an Assertion In which observe 1. The Terror Destruction 2. The Propriety or particularity Their 3. The certainty It shall come 4. The Expedition Suddenly Secondly An Expostulation in which the Assertion is doubled illustrated and confirmed Who knows the ruine of them both Of those in their order But first I shall commend the work and workman unto the Protection of the Allmighty My God my God Who art also my King send help unto Sion By thee Kings reigne and Princes sit in judgment build up our Sion but not with blood establish our kingdome in righteousnesse and equity Look not O Lord look not upon the iniquities of our Jacob behold not in severity the multiplyed transgressions of our Israel but thou O Lord the Lord God of Hosts returne unto us and let the joyfull shout of a King be amongst us Remember thy sure mercies of old and regard the face of thine anoynted Cloath thy Priests with salvation O Lord and let thy Saints rejoyce in thy goodnesse As the just punishment of our breach of Covenant with thee thou hast broke thy Covenant with us and being angry with thine anoynted hast prophaned his Crown and east it unto the ground but return O Lord for the salvation of thy people and for the salvation of thine anoynted Wound the head of the house of the wicked and discover the foundations of their cruelties and subtiltyes even to the neck Bring the wickednesse of the Wicked to an end but guide the just in thy feare Order the heart and hand of thy servant sanctifie both to thy glory and the Nations good Prosper thy Word as a word of truth meeknesse and Righteousnesse With joy and gladnesse let our Princes be established That thy name may be remembered through all generations and the people shall give thankes unto thee world without end Amen Amen Son is a word that intimates authority and relation and enjoynes submission and obedience he must have if not gray haires yet gravitie sufficient to speake him a father who calls another man his son It is sometimes a Civil Complement if Dives call Abraham father Abraham by a returne of civilitie will call him Son Thus Joshua to Achan My Son give glory to God Son is sometimes the denomination of Rationall creatures Angells and men and here if the Sons of God be assembled Satan himselfe will come amongst-them though he be turn'd out of doores with Ishmael and with Cain doom'd to wander when the Sons of God are assembled Satan will come if not to claime yet to clamor for a blessing and though with Ruben he shall not prevaile yet with Esau he will accuse threaten condemne seek the destruction of his younger Brother who hath got the blessing But let it be us'd when by whom and in what sense it will it speakes authoritie in him that speaks it and calls for attention in the party spoken to A son honoureth i. e. is bound to honour love and obey his Father But My Son intimates a more singular authoritie mixt with affection and not onely commands but constrains to a singular obedience mixt with reverence and holy feare When Isaac was to be sacrified we read not of the least opposition cry or complaint though he was suddenly surpriz'd and had no lesse then the appearance of unnaturall crueltie and barbarisme to heighten and aggravate the Act. That expression My Son did as it were charme him to obedience The cords of affection and bands of love binding an ingenuous nature faster then Sampsons new and untried Ropes But from the Son of Abraham come to the Son of God This is that my beloved Son By which expression God did not onely acknowledge him for his Son but oblige him as a Son to duty Heare him what he says In the volumne of thy booke it is written of me I come to doe thy will yea though it was to be led as a lambe to the slaughter and to lye bound and dumbe as a sheep before his shearer But to come to our selves he that hath sealed the Charter of our adoption hath impos'd upon us a necessitie of subjection He that hath entred us into the Prerogative Office of the Sonnes of God commands us to receive him and to believe in his Name You then that are or would be called The Sons of God learne Gods love and your duty his authoritie and your submission Where the word of King is there is power if the Lyon roare who will not feare If the Lord have spoken who can but prophesie Let not your prudence obstruct your pietie nor your love of the world extinguish the love of God in your hearts He that knows the will of God and dares not doe it for feare of men he is as ill if not worse then prophane Esau who sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage Every man therefore that desires the honour or claims the priviledge to be the Son of God That prayes our Father as The sons of the living God let them with Reverence observe The duty Feare Feare is sometimes so far from a duty that it is a disturbance It puts all out of frame and makes him more timorous then the Hare That ought to be bold as the Lyon The Apostle calls it by a fit name when he calls it the Spirit of bondage for this is that that not onely binds a man up both hand and foot but casts him into utter darknesse Unbelievers and those that are thus fearefull Rev. 21.8 as they are both blinde usually lead one another so they fall into the same ditch The Indians feare the Devil and sacrifice to him not out of love but least he should hurt them And many that are called Christians feare God upon no better account This was the sad effect of the first transgression I was affraid because I was naked c. and to subdue this in us was the end of Gods sending his Son into the world that we being delivered from our enemies might serve him without feare The love of God shed abroad in our hearts casts out this feare Secondly Therefore feare is an awfull respect to and regard of with love reverence and honour This seasons all the duties of men and makes them acceptable to God This feare attends upon and ushers in great joy This is Commanded Serve the Lord with feare Heb. 12.28 and rejoyce with trembling To distinguish this from the
A CHANGLING NO COMPANY FOR Lovers of Loyaltie OR The Subjects Lesson in Poynt of Sacred Submission to and humble Complyance with God and the KING Wherein Confusion is reduced to Order misery to Mercy Reproach and shame to Freedom and Honour Returne return O Shulamite Returne returne Cant. 6. ult In those dayes when there was no King in Israel every man did that which was good in his own eyes Judg. 17.6 LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1660. To the Clergy of England Beloved THe last and great temptation is over You have been set in a late Declaration I will not say like our great Master upon a pinacle of the temple but like the Swine-herd of Stow upon Lincoln minster and all the remaining husks for the mast is gone long since you shall have and injoy if c. Is it not sad to consider that you are not only a covering to their eyes that are filled with robbery but that they should by the tender of toyes and tristes which yet are not theirs to give allure you into that confederacy which may not only wound your consciences but stain your profession with such a blot and dishonour as shall never be washed out Honest Mephibosheths resignation is a much better resolution Let them take all so that my Lord the King may but return in peace How neer have you been to suffer by divers factions and yet your lives and interests are maintained perhaps that you might live to vindicate that which you helpt to destroy Remember O remember Curse ye Meroz yea curse bitterly c. Now consider how are the mighty fallen Your words were more powerfull then the Souldiers swords you foresaw not the event it seems you were no true prophets and are now sorrowfull Oh if you had known God grant your ignorance may excuse you would never have cried down the King as a Tyrant to the ruine of him his family and kingly government Well you have still the same weapons and the good old cause the King and the Parliament laid before you pray for it plead for it but curse no body no not your enemies persecuters and slanderers that if it be the will of God there may be a returning of our wandrings and a healing of our errors in the procuring of which you may assure your selves of the constant and fervent desires and prayers of A true friend to truth and Peace W. H. TO THE READER GOod thoughts are the best company in bad times and holy meditations are not only a cure but a cordiall for a fainting soul under heavy destractions Sacred writ in the perusal of which we ought with care and reverence to be conversant as it is of divine inspiration so is it also of infallible consolation direction In the which you may be pleased to observe it is pleasant in the observation That the most horrid confusions have produced happy conclusions the most distracted Queries have return'd satisfied with most gracious Answers The Jewes being told plainly by Peter that they denyed the holy one and the just and desired a murtherer to be given to them were pricked in their hearts wounded with the sense and covered with the shame of their bloody act amazed cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe Their extremitie is Gods opportunity his mercy prevents the excesse of their misery their fainting question hath a soul reviving answer Repent and be baptised c. and you shall receive the gilt c. for the promise is to you your children c The Gaoler trembling at the earthquake every joynt of him being out of frame to see the foundation of his prison shaken more captivated now at the enlargment of his prisoners then they were when put in the dungeon and their feet made fast in the stocks feeling the terrors and seeing the wonders of the Lord cryes out Sirs what shall I do to be saved He that had kept them sure must now be secured by them or perish yet his doubtfull question had a faithful answer Believe thou shalt be saved c Saul afterwards Paul at first a persecutor at last a Preacher at first a vessel wherein was no pleasure but at last a chosen vessell and a vessell of honour stopt in the hight of his speed disrob'd of his authority dismounted in the heate of his violence confounded with the appearance of Gods glory and his own shame before so impudent that he durst do any thing now so humble that he will learne his duty cryes Lord what wouldst thou have me to doe God who had cast him downe that he might raise him up made him blind for a time that he might see better for ever after leaves him not where he laid him but raising up his soule with a most propitious answer as his body with a powerfull word bids him arise Go into the City and it shall be told him c. It is needlesse to tell you what condition this nation is in we are not distracted but distraction not confounded but confusion it self God and man may justly joyn in that sad complaint and solemn appeale Hear O Heavens and hearken O Earth I have nourished brought up children and they have rebelled against me A sinful nation a nation laden with iniquity a seed of the wicked and corrupt children may be the just and grand character of our nation and as our sin so our shame is increased as our rebellion and impiety so our desolation and miseries are multiplyed Hence it is that the head is sick and the heart is heavy that from the head to the foot there is nothing but swellings and sores full of corruption such as not only have not but seeme as though they cannot be wrapt bound up or mollified with oyl Is not the daughter of Sion like a cottage in a vineyard homely lonesome set up a little for necessity but neither furnisht for delight nor ornament like a lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers solitary whose furniture is scarce so much as a table a stool a bed and a candlestick or like a besieged City never more punctually verified then in our age the Vision is so plaine that he that runs may read it Are not the foundations of our government out of order hath not God overturn'd overturn'd overturn'd it have we not had what nation can say the like in few years a King and no King a Parliament and no Parliament a Protector no Protector a Committee of safety and no Committee of safety an Army and no Army and have we not now a strange kind of Synecdocicall power wherein a part no part challenges the principle and yet are not able to maintain the interest Are we not run into those straits that we cannot march on retreat nor stand stillwith safety are we not if I may intermingle a jest with serious truths in Tarletons
and uncontroulable question Who can 1 Sam. 26.9 lay his hand on the Lords anointed and be guiltlesse if a statesman if an injured person then David if reasons of state principles of pollicy if all that wit reason can contrive to have excused it could have excused it it had been excusable in David but David could not The Lord keep me from doing this thing to my master c. for he is the Lords anoynted vid. 1 Sam. 24.7 may he ask who can he must produce a commission written with Gods own hand that can do it and be innocent I am not ignorant of what is objected against this in case of Tyrants bloody Princes c. all that I shall say is Reason is a good servant but a bad Master God sees that good for me that neither I nor my reason can see good for my self David had reason enough on his side but see what he sayes As the Lord liveth either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come or he shall goe down into the battle and perish 1 Sam. 26.10 but the Lord keep me c. In a word he that can thankfully and humbly wait upon the justice of God when he gives us such a king in his anger can submissively and patiently waite upon his pleasure to take him away in his wrath Fourthly The King is the most visible resemblance of the invisible God His servant authorised and commissioned by him to execute his will He is as the very garment wherewithall the Majesty justice and power of God is covered and presented to the eye as a visible object I speak not of a Princes robes but his royalty not of his outward apparell but his spirituall gift and soveraignty The Queen of Sheba 2 Chron. 9.8 hath this expression Blessed be the Lord thy God that loved thee that set thee on his throne as king instead of the Lord thy God That saying of God himselfe 1 Sam. 16.1 I have provided me a King is very considerable He was a man after Gods own heart in his publique administrations of judgement and justice though his personall faults were very great It is no untruth to say he was a better King then a man In his infirmities he teaches even the most precious Saints and servants of God to remember that they are but men but in his executions of justice he lessons Princes that they ought to be no other then gods i.e. Embassadors Stewards servants substituted and appoynted by God I might adde many more reasons why God is pleas'd so strictly to charge and require submission and obedience doubtlesse every act of obedience and disloyaltie especially publique and in eminent persons doth as it were unloose the bands and dissolve the Covenant betwixt a King and his Subjects If Kings be as usually they are too ready to improve advantages to encrease their power and greatnesse Treasons disloyalties c. gives them opportunities and makes them eye those as Captives subdued which before they beheld as subjects yea as sonnes in their Dominion It is good therefore to feare the King to prevent our misery and his tyranny it being most certainly true in Politicks That every rebellion subdued makes the King more a King and the Subjects more subject But we have said sufficient to perswade yea to enforce obedience from such as feare the Lord Their consciences are deare unto them and a godly peaceable and quiet life most desirerable The oath of God they feare and the Covenant as a Covenant of God they hold inviolable They can look beyond the shadow to the substance and in and under the visible man can see the justice wisdome power and Majesty of God and pay the tribute of their feare and reverence due to God to the King as his receiver They have learnt our Saviours lesson If a man much more a King will take away thy coat let him take thy cloake also They judge it better to be famous for their sufferings then infamous for their actings Thus good Mephibosheth when he had more cause to be angry at the Kings unjust connivance and distribution doth not onely submit without the least impatience or opposition but gives us the best counsell in his own example and the best instruction in his resolution Let him take all so that my Lord the King may but returne in peace To reasonable men enough hath been sayd to unreasonable men and such as have no faith it is to small purpose to say any more Their subtilties can evade or jealousies pervert what can be sayd nor will they read their sin but in their punishment nor be convinc't of this duty till they have overwhelm'd themselves and the Nation in unavoydable ruins Before I leave this let me congratulate this happy union The Lord and the King not here alone but elswhere joyned together and observable it is that the feare of God and honour of the King goe hand in hand and where the King is dishonored the feare of God is also violated It was a fatall prediction the unhappy consequence of home-bred distractions that Israel refusing directions from the Law and the Testimonies should goe to and fro and fretting themselves should Curse their God and their King It was also a happy prediction and oh that our eyes might see the accomplishing of it that Israel upon his Conviction should seeke the Lord and David their King Thus in Blessings and Cursings God and the King are joyned The Almightie himselfe in order to the preservation of peace and administration of Justice is pleas'd with his own hand to put into the same scabbard of eternall truth the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon I have now done with the positive part of the doctrine My son Feare the Lord and the King Now I come to the Negative part Medle not with the seditious or those that are given to change First Medle not Medlers are fruit that was never planted in the paradise of God nor are suffered to prosper in the places of his pleasure They will indeed as ill weeds be springing up and when they are over-growne they are dangerous but the diligent hand must weed them out God hath made ample provision against this corruption he condemnes them as inordinate walkers that are busy-bodies 2 Thes 3.11 Such as goe from house to house are not onely idle but pratlers and busybodyes 1 Tim. 5.13 If such suffer they suffer justly to prevent which we have a divine Caution 1 Pet. 4.15 Let no man suffer as a murtherer or as a thiefe or as an evill doer or as a busy-body the word is expounded word for word a Bishop in another mans diocesse Thus vices are linked together as evill words corrupt good manners and evill thoughts hatch and generate evill words so needlesse intermedlings especially in State-affaires often ushers in evill doings these carry us forward to theft and sacriledge these to murther and what not Sin if not prevented ever plunging the soule into