that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lords anointed David had 1 Sam. 24. 6. now King Saul in his power but yet he spareth him and why so alas if David had killed Saul being his enemy it had been cruelty and yet that David sparâ—d him being the King it was not mercy but Loyalty and Iustice The text tells us that when David cut off the skirt of his Soveraigne's garment his heart smote him you will say why then did he do it Surely to evidence that although King Saul was a persecutour indeed yet Subiect David would be no Traytâ—ur sure it is when David cut off Saul's skirt he might as easily have cut off his head as we have done but the Lord forbid saith David if David took up armes he used them not to destroy the life of his Prince but to defend his own David well understood that for him to murder Saul would be a Treason against his Soveraign a sin against his God a wound to his own soul 2. Use of Exhortation Is there indeed a great respect reverence honour due to Kings Princes is it that which God himself requires O then be exhorted 1. To mourn over and beg pardon for the sad miscarriages of England towards the Lords anointed ones We are bound to honour our Kings and Princes well and how have we done it Murder the Father banish the Son is this the honour we owe them are our solemne oaths and covenants come to this we sware to preserve his Majesties Sacred person and yet we have killed him when we sware to make him a Glorious Prince did we intend to make him a Glorious Martyr too surely Martyrdâ—m it was upon his account though murder upon Ours Alas to bring a Prince from a Palace to a scaffold from a Throne to a block is this the duty that God requires from Subiects shall I shew you the foulnesse of that act in 4 Particulars 1. T was an act of high Iniustice You will say against whom I answer against God and Man 1. Against God Kings are Gods Deputies and is it just with man to remove them Kings are God's Vice-gerâ—nts and is it just for man to pull them down O surely Kings are accountable to none but God who gives them their commission Reges in ipsos Imperium est Iovis saith Hâ—race that God alone who exalts the Prince hath power to degrade him for men to depose and execute Princes is boldly to invade the right of God the Prerogative of Heaven 2. Against man I mean both King and Subiect 1. T was an act of high Injustice against the King himselfe Alas our King lost his pretious bloud as no Subject can ordinarily lose a penny what a subject loseth he loseth by law he must lose by the judgment of his Peers well and by what law did our King lose his life not by the law of heaven that commands an honour not by the law of England that requires obedience well but was he judged by his Peeres surely Kings have no Peeres at all but however was he judged by his Nobles surely no of all the Nobles Barons Earles Marquesses Dukes of England I think there was not so much as one among the Iudges of the King O no those stars hid their faces and would not see their Sun eclypsed It was the Shrub that pull'd our Câ—dar down they were but whelps that tore out our Lyons throat it was the dirty foot that kickt off England's royall head Our Gracious Prince that died without a law without a Legall Iury died with as much injustice as innocence 2. T was an act of high injustice against the Subiect when England lost her King subiects as children lost their father wee have smarted under the lash of step fathers ever since when England lost her Prince subiects as sheep lost their sheepheard and have not the wolves devoured us ever since when England lost her Soveraigne subiects as members lost their head well suppose England deserved this losse yet what have our nâ—ighbour-nations done had it been just for English men to kill the King of England yet was it iust for us to kill the King of Ireland the King of Scotland too if we must needs behead our selves yet must we behead our neighbâ—urs too O dismall stroke O act of injustice an act that renders three nations fatherlesse at one blow But 2. T was an act of the greatest cruelty imaginable Had the death of the King been just yet it had been cruell too indeed Judges must be just but still Judges must not be cruell as to the act it selfe Iustice was but pretended but as to the circumstances of the act the Cruelty was Reall t is resolved the King must die but when and where 1. Whâ—n must he dy why the third day after his sentence A short time you will say for a King to set his house in order to dispose of three Kingdomes but as to that his enemies resolve to do it for him hee needs no longer time on that account well but the King must die the third day alas a short time of repentance for so notoriâ—us a sinner as his enemies made him had not the Kings innocence been greater then the mercy of Rebels they took the speediest course to turne his body into the Grave and his soul into Hell the same moment tell me what though Iustice must be done â—â— the body yet is there no charity to be shewed the soul if the King be unfit for earth yet let him have a little longer time to prepare for Heaven O no there is no reprieve no not for a day though the Saints of God beg'd it with Teares But blessed be God our King was fit to die and upon that account had no more need to desire then his enemies had will to grant the least delay 2. Where must he dye alas at his own door When he was dead he might not be buried in his own proper grave but when he is to dy that is to be done at his own gate Poor Prince the place of his Royalty must be the place of his Execution Well and was there no place could serve but this Surely t is that which must needs imbittâ—r his death the more at one view he is forced to behold his fâ—rmer Glory and his present Calamity did not the very place minister an occasion to the King of such thoughts as these alas I was once a King there stands my Palace I am now a condemned prisoner lo here is my Scaffold I â—nce lived as a Prince yonder is my Throne I must now die as a Malefactâ—ur lo here is my blâ—ck I once lived as Englands lawfull Sovâ—raigne yonder my Nâ—bles were then about me I must now dye like a Tyrant behold my Executiâ—ner Alas Poor Prince but O cruell Subiects before he shall dy he must be minded in what Pâ—mp â—e had lived at â—nce he must see the axe and the Scepter to make him a
of God followed him close at heels nay it was made an observation in Print that the King of Spain never prospered after he had once been civill to the King of England But consider are not poor wormes somewhat bold that dare adventure thus dogmatically to interpret the mysterious providences of God Surely the particular dispensations of Providence are Texts so hard that scarce one of a thousand can certainly tell what comment to put upon them Particular Providences are not plain rules but obscure riddles 'T is more safe to adore the wisdome then interpret the will of the great God in his various acts of Providence Yet notwithstanding it hath been strongly asserted by some believed by others that God had utterly cast off the King of England and the Royall Family and that upon this account God suffered them to be still overthrowne and at length banisht and driven away I answer 1. In Generall the defeats of Armies overthrows banishment are all but outward crosses and so no argument that God disowneth any person whatsoever No man knowes love or hatred by all that is before him Outward mercies do not alwayes argue love nor do afflictions Ecc. 9. 1. alway argue wrath God may severely punish when yet he hath no intent to destroy God may thunder aloud over that mans head whom yet he doth not mean to strike dead in the place God's Iudgements are not alway swords to kill but rods to correct and that in mercy too Ipsa Dei indignatio non aliunde est quà m de misericordiâ Saith Bernard God would not sometimes look as if he were angry did not his very mercy move him There is sometimes as much love in a frown as in a smile from Heaven there may be as much friendship in God's harder blowes as there is in his gentler strokes Surely the viper upon Pauls hand did not argue him to be a Murderer No more doth God's lash upon any man's back argue that man to be a cast away And as it is with persons so it is with causes too want of present successe is no convincing argument that God disowneth a cause Israel flieth before Ai and yet the cause was Gods The Turks have prevailed often against poor Christians and yet their cause is the Devils No man can truly judge of causes barely by their successe or miscarriage There are severall reasons why God may suffer the better cause for sometime to be worsted as 1. God it may be doth not like the instruments the work is good but the tools are naught the work shall lie 'till God provide some better instruments to effect it Or 2. God's time possibly is not yet come The cause indeed at present is Gods yea but the present time is not his It was God's purpose that Iericho should be taken yet not till the seventh day be come It is Gods purpose that such and such a cause shall prosper yea but it shall not prosper yet The Iewes have a proverb Vvas nâ— comede ante tempus eat not Grapes before their season Indeed Grapes will appear to be sweet and â—uscious yet not before the time of Grapes is come It shall appear that God owneth such and such a cause as holy and righteous but not till the appointed time be come It 's true Israel must come out of bondage but Israel must not come out yet now shall we say that Israel was ever the lesse the Israel of God because so long in Egypt 2. In particular the banishment of a King from his Throne is no sure argument that God disowneth him Indeed it may argue some present displeasure but not an implacable anger to be in God If God banish a Prince it is a likely signe that God intends to scourge him at present but t is no sure signe that God intends to cast him off I read of persons dear to God and yet for a while banisht too Get thee out of thy country Abraham the friend of God Gen. 12. 1. and yet commanded from his country Flee into Aegypt Christ Jesus the son of God and yet scarce sooner born then banisht Mat. 2. 13. David was not only a man but a King after Gods own heart and yet this David is forced to fly you 'll say why so surely when God turn'd David out of his Kingdome he did not turne him out of his favour too when David had lost the hearts of his Subiects he had not lost the heart of his God too O no there are other reasons why God is pleased sometimes to suffer his Davids the choicest of Kings and Princes to be banisht from their Courts and Kingdomes see why in 3 particulars 1. God doth this to correct them for sin This was David's case David had highly sinned upon that account David is thus severely punished David enters upon Vriahs bed there 's his sin well Absalom must enter upon David's throne there 's his punishment At David's command Vriah must lose his bloud at God's command David must lose his crown yet still God doth this in mercy he corrects indeed but doth not reiect David is banished but yet restored 2. God doth this to punish the sins of subiects Indeed 't is said I gave them a King in my wrath but surely God doth not Hos 13. 11. alway give but sometimes takes away Kings in his wrath Kings if evill are sore judgments Princes if good are signall mercies T is an argument of wrath when God is pleased either to sâ—nd the one or remove the othen T is as great a judgment to have a David banisht as to have a Saul sitting upon the throne 3. God doth this in mercy to his banisht ones the banishment of a Prince may look like a losse and yet may prove his signall advantage see why in 2 particulars 1. The banishment of a Prince doth sometimes tend to secure his person David is banisht into the wildernesse and why so alas there was no fafety for him at Ierusalem when David could not be safe among men God secures him even among beasts t is more then probable that David had lost his life had he not left his Throne And hath it not been thus with our David too Had not our Gracious Soveraigne been â—ut of England doubtlesse he had long since been our of the world had not he left his crown surely he had lost his head when God was pleased to banish his person he did then but secure his life the place of his exile was the place of his safety too God indeed commanded him into Egypt yea but he kept him there only till Herod was dead 2. The banishment of Princes makes them more fit to govern You 'l say it is good for men to be fit for their own employment things though good yet if not fit do scarce content us robes of scarlet if not rightly proportioned do rather trouble then adorne a straight shoe though made of Gold doth rather pinch the foot then
of sinners God hath given us a King a mercy wee hope that will prevent the ruine of our Nation yea but God hath given us wee trust a pious King a Mercy that will prevent the ruine of our Religion Gentlemen if you are for the King be also for God O remember to Render unto Câ—sar the things that are Cesars but O forget not that which followeth Render to God thâ— things that are God's Be Loyall but be not prophane Honour thâ— King but withall Feare God Why should man part asunder what God himself hath joyned together But 2. To His Gracious Majâ—sty himselfe a word 1. of Apologie 2. of Request 1. A word of Apology for my selfe Who am I that I should speak unto the King but O my Dread Sovâ—raigne I am one though the meanest of those that love your Majestie 's Sacred Person and shall to death obey Your Sacred commands I have a soul as well as a Sermon to welcome You to Your Throne nay I can yet with modesty say a little more I ever owned Your Majesty as my King and Father even then when your Majesty seemed far enough from recovering your Kingdome Indeed I had not an hand able to fight for your Majesty nor an estate able to contribute yet I had an hâ—art to pray a Tongue to Speak and a Pen to write that which was then my hazard is now my comfort and I hope a sure Testimony of my Loyalty too Sureâ—y Respect to a Prince when attended with danger needs no witnessâ— to prove it selfe to be right Allegiance Indeed duty when done with safety may seeme to lose it's Nature and Name but duty when done in danger seemes to be done out of Duty indeed Allegiance to a King when it is surely safe and possibly may be adâ—antagâ—ous too may be interpreted as a bare compliance onely but Allegiance void of hope and full of feare lookes like it selfe and deserveth it 's owne name That wee who evâ—r continued your Majesties Loyall Subjects did not do our whole duty argueth the weaknes of our courage yet that wee did do a little argueth the sincerity of our Obedience and if so if our former Respects to your Majesty in your sufferings must be acknowledged to flow from Conscience I hope our present respect can not reasonably be judged to proceed from flattery I dare not thinke that the Allegiance of Loyall Subjects shall lose it's name because our King hath recovered His Crowne But I should not at all have mentioned what we have done were it not my onely argument to prevaile for your Majesty's Pardon for what I have now to say and that in two words of Request 1. A word of request for my selfe and my fellow subjects Dread Soveraign we have all more or lesse had our miscarriages towards your Majesty I am Bold in the name of all to beg your Majesty's Pardon to presse your Majesty with Arguments were to distrust your forwardnesse to mercy were not your mercy easily obtained I should intreat some better Oratour to beg it I cannot more highly magnifie the mercy of our King then by saying that it seems as great as the miscarriages of his subjects surely England stands guilty of a thousand miscarriages and yet I understand there is with our King as with our God But one sin unpardonable and why that one Surely there is mercy enough in our God and in our King to pardon even this sin also but there is not a Capacity in the sin it selfe to be pardoned it might be pardoned but cannot Dread Sir As to the Death of your Royall Father now with God I think this discourse doth sufficiently evidence that my soule abhorres the act as abominable and the Grand Contrivers of it as Notorious I do not become their Advocate nor plead for them who I hope have nothing but repentance and shame to plead for themselves But Sir there are some petty Traytours some Vnder-Rebels who as they now need so I hope in time by teares and obedience may deserve your Majesty's mercy There are some persons amongst us I dare not say men of more religion then Lâ—yalty but I am perswaded men of more Conscience then Knowledg persons whose blame lieth more in their heads then in their hearts persons indeed who have acted against your Majesty yet what they have done they have rather done by other men's heads then their own hands It is far from me to excuse the sin yet would I fain interpose for the Person when I consider what these men have done indeed they look like objects of justice but when I consider what they have been and are persons indeed drawn away but easily reducible to their Obedience I would fain recommend them to your Majesty as objects of mercy But why do I beat the air Why do I plead for that which seems already granted I should rather thankfully acknowledg then humbly beg your Majesty's mercy onely thus we beg a Pardon an act of Oblivion that may be passed not only in a Parliament House but in your Majesty's bosome 2. A word of Request for God and his Church Dread Soveraign I have often pleaded with God for your Majesty's Interest pardon me if I now plead with your Majesty for the Interest of God I need not mind your Majesty of that which I know you can never forget Onely thus God hath now done great and Glorious things for your Maiesty and surely God doth now expect that your Maiesty in the sense of his Mercy your kingdomes necessity and your own duty should do great things for God and his Church God hath now we trust established your Maiesty upon your Throne And O may your Maiesty exalt Christ upon His God hath made your Majesty the Protectour of your own subiects and O may your Maiesty be the Protectour of his Saints and Servants the Church of England hath now too much need of a Prince and therefore of your Maiesty that may not only be stiled but bee a Defâ—nder of the Faith God hath now restored your Maiesty to the Government of Our State And O may your Majesty restore and settle a righteous Government in Gods Church the want of a Government hath bred Confusions in our State and distractions in our Church for want of a fence the boar and the fox have got into the Vineyard of Christ the Bore strikes at the Vine the Fox eates up the Grapes For want of hirdles the poor sheep of Christ have wandred and fell among devouring Wolves Now the Lord make your Maiesty more and more sensible of his Merciâ—s and his Church's Miseries the Lord make you a Nursing Father to Sion but a Step-Father to Babylon As your Maiesty hath been a King of Prayers so may you be a King of Prayses too The Lord increase the honour of your Temporall Crown on Earth but above all the Good Lord prepare your Maiesty for the Weight of an immortall Crown in Heaven In the mean time O may your Maiesty be the love of Saints the fear of Sinners FINIS
the thoughts of Princes be not as high as their Condition they have need of something to keep them humble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remember that thou art a Man Philip a King is yet but Philip a Man if Philip the King be proud yet let Philip the man be humble Agathocles once a Potter becomes a King upó his cup-board he hath his vessels of Silver and vessels of Earth the vessels of Silver speak a King the vessels of Earth speak a Potter his vessels of Silver mind him that Agathocles now a King must be noble his vessels of Earth mind him that Agathocles once a Potter must not be proud Doubtlesse Kings and Princes need some Memento or other the finest of Metall stands most in need of some allay to temper it God seeth fit that in the Diadems of Princes there should be Thornes as well as Iewels Thornes to prick their veines as well as Iewels to make them swell God seeth fit that in the Crownes of Kings there should be a weight as well as a Lustre the head must ake as well as shine But now if lesser afflictions will not Humble greater shall if rods will not serve Scâ—rpions shall when God will humble a King if the crosse of his Crown will not do it the lâ—sse of it shall that Prince must part with his kingdome rather then keep his sin and may not this be our case this day God hath dealt severely with our Gracious Prince and why so we trust to make him Humble 5 Banisht Princes if once restored may likewise prove Great and Glorious Princes you know if men build high they lay their foundation low 't is thus with God Ioseph must be made the Second man in Pharaoh's Kingdom yea but Joseph must first ly a Prisoner in the Gaol Daniel must be made Ruler over all the province of Babylon yea but Daniel must be made a Captive first Christ Iesus ascends into the highest heavens yea but first hee must down into the lowest hell 'T is said Hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted wee may also say hee whom God humbleth shall be exalted Mat. 23. 12. it is God's usuall Method whom he intends to advance he first degrades as for sinners that of the Poet is true tolluntur in altum Vt lapsu graviore ruant God mounts them upon high that their fall may be the greater but as for Saints God layeth them low that their rise may be the higher Well and who can tell but this may be God's design this day in England who knoweth but God hath kept our Gracious Soveraigne low on purpose to mount him higher It 's true it may be our Prince till now was not fit for his Throne yea and it may be till now his Throne was not fit for him Some persons in their Minority grow but little yet afterwards they shoot up apace our King in his Minority hath been at a stand but now who can tell but God intends to adde many cubits to his stature Diamâ—nds soundly rub'd shine the brighter Spices soundly bruised and pounded smell the sweeter never doth the Sun seem more glorious then after an Eclypse and who can tell but God hath kept England's Sun under clouds of obscurity that at length his beames may breake out with greater lustre what Israel's David saith of himselfe wee trust may be said of Englands David too Great is his glory in thy salvation The greater his sufferings were once the greater his Honour now the heavier his Ps 21. â— crosse the brighter his Crowne 6. Banisht Princes when once restored will likely prove beloved Princes Never did David see more of his peoples affection then at his returne from his banishment David was now the more in the heart of his Subjects because he had been out of their eye That of the Roman Oratour is usually true carendo magis quà m fruendo bona intelligimus wee see and prize the goodnesse of things rather in their want then in their Enjoyment never did that woman so highly rejoyce over her little piece of Silver till it came to this I have sound the piece which I had lost Never did that Luk. 15. 9 Father so much rejoyce over his Prodigall son as when it came to this This my son was lost and is found things of any value if once Luk. 15. 24. lost are valued higher upon a recovery to want their possession is the best way to raise their Price Well and hath not God raised the Price of Kings this day in England I am perswaded our Gracious Prince is not more welcome to the house of the King then to the hearts of his Subjects do not ours soules stand as wide open to receive him as his own Gates possibly can do God hath given him the command not of our purses onely but of our affections too tell me who can whether England hath shed more Teares of sorrow for the losse of the Fathâ—r or Teares of joy for the restitution of the Son Surely never did any King of England die more lamented then the father never did any King of England come in more desired then the Son and why so alas England hath sorely wanted her King Sometimes Anarchy hath been our Grievance and what wonder then if Monarchy prove our joy we have sometimes groaned under the Tyranny of a Common-wealth and what wonder then if wee rejoyce under the Government of a King I am perswaded if God had not removed our King wee had prized and loved him lesse the Advantage is his as wel as ours what by his Banishment he hath lâ—st in his Revenuâ—s by his returne he hath gainâ—d in the affections of his people Now the result of all is this when God banisheth a King he may intend him mercy and consequently a Kings banishment can be no Argument that God disowneth him 2. God hath remarkably owned our Gracious King in the dispensations of his Providence indeed it is no easy matter to understand the voice of God speaking by his Providence yet so far as man can rationally become Gods interpreter this voyce of his Providence seems to whisper this language Namely that the King of England is a King in favour with God see how God seemes to own him in two Particulars 1. God seems remarkably to own our Gracious King in the preservation of his lifâ— Surely when God is pleased wonderfully to interpose for the preservation of a Person it looks like an an Argument that God hath something more then Ordinary to doe for and with that Man Now that this is our Kings case I shall evidence by these two Particulars 1. God did Wonderfully preserve the life of our King in the day of battel But you will say for a person to escape in a battel is that a Wonâ—er I answer our Kings escape that day was more then Ordinary for 1. The Army that pursueâ— and sought the King I mean at Worcester was much more numerous and stronger then