England's GRATULATION FOR THE KING and his SUBJECTS HAPPY UNION FIRST PREACHT On the Day of Publique Thanksgiving appointed by the Parliament May the 10 th 1660. SINCE PUBLISHT As a Common Tribute to Caesar at his so much long'd for Arrival By R. MOSSOM Preacher of Gods Word at S. Pet. P. Wh. London London Printed by Tho Newcomb for William Grantham at the Black Bear in St. Pauls Church-yard near the little North Door 1660. To the Kings most Excellent Majesty CHARLS the II. King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. May it please your MAJESTY THE God of all Mercy 's who giveth salvation unto Kings having answered our Prayers and Crown'd our joy's in graciously restoring your Soveraign Power and safely returning your Sacred Person This England's Gratulation made first an offering of Thankfulness unto God is now made a Tribute of Allegiance unto your Majesty humbly presented from that Heart and Hand which in all the variety of State-commotions hath still own'd and publickly own'd the duty and devotion of Loyalty and Love Indeed under our heavyest weight of oppressions beholding your Sacred Majesty bearing the Cross when your Royal Head should have worne the Crown Your Christian Patience became our Princely Patterne for Constancy Your Majesty constant in your faith to God we constant in our faithfulness to your Majesty so that the Tribute we pay dread Soveraign is that of your own coyne and stampt with your own Image Now I pray God grant your Majesty such an holy and happy improvement of that Disciplinary Providence wherewith your Majesty hath been so long exercised as to the Devotions of piety the compassions of Charity the zeal of Justice the love of Learning the exercise of Arms the transaction of Affairs and in all the Accomplishments of Princely Wisedome made solid and firm by long Experience That all the Loyal Subjects of your Majesties three Kingdoms joyfully beholding these the Jewels of your Crown the perfections of your Royalty may clearly see that had not your Majesty the indubitable Right of Heir Apparent to your Father's * For which together with the Churches Rights and his Subjects Liberties He dy'd a Royal Martyr of Blessed Memory now Crown'd with an everlasting glory Crowns yet there is not amongst the best of Princes or Men so fit a subject of their Choyce to make the Soveraign of their Hearts as King Charles the Second Indeed My Leige This is your Soveraignty and may it be as happily continued as it is miraculously recovered Over the Hearts of your People who are now so devoted in their Loyalty that your Majesty reigns in their Love And thus reigning Your Majesty will be the Ornament of your Throne in your Royal Vertues more then the Throne your Majesties ornament in all it's Glory 's Which yet that the King of Kings would make transplendently glorious And so the progress of your Majesties Life like the encrease of our holy Faith may be from glory to glory Is the hearty prayer of him who knows nothing in his heart next the Love to his Saviour more dear then this duty of being Dread Soveraigne Your Majesties most humbly Loyal and Obedient Subject R. MOSSOM England's Gratulation FOR THE KING and his SUBJECTS HAPPY UNION PSAL. 75. vers 1. Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks For that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare Introduction THIS sacred Psalm was then composed when the * Cum omnia sub Saule corrupta fuissent Muscul l'Estat estâ—t tout â—un é par factions c. Diod. State of Israel was most discomposed Yea then did David make this song for the Sanctuary when there was no harmony but all discord in the Church And this he purposely did as a fit instruction to the then present and all future Generations that if the King did accord with his People and the People with their King the both with God then amidst all the harshest discords in Church or State the sweet harmony of peace should be renew'd and their prosperity re-established And therefore sure did David entitle this Psalm with a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag ne disperdas Hieron ne perdas in the front of it to intimate that the curse of State-consumption should never invade this happy Union Know then the State of Israel was indeed much like the State of England when this Psalm was composed for David anointed of the Lord to be King he was own'd and receiv'd by the Royal Party the Tribe of Judah and amidst the dissentions of the other Tribes * 2 Sam. 3.17 18. Abner the General of the Host was bringing about all Israel to him And the Generals prudent managing of the matter in so turbulent a State do's prepare the Hearts of the Elders and of the People for the owning David their King whom God had set over them And when as yet he was not setled in his Throne nor adorn'd with the Crown but in expectation of both the present condition of our Soveraign Lord even then he makes this Psalm to testify his thankfulness to God and declare his integrity to his People to testify his thankfulness to God for his dispensations of Providence disposing his Throne towards an establishment and to declare his Integrity to his People in his ministrations of Justice when God by his power should have establisht his Throne Think we then David's person to be the King 's and Israels condition to be Englands And because what God did to them in a gracious measure that he hath done unto us in a more abundant Grace therefore look what David and Israel did to God in a thankful and gratulatory Devotion that do we in a like devout thankfulness and Gratulation even * Psa 100.4 come into his Courts offer unto him an oblation of Praise And for this our gracious Soveraign though absent in person yet as present in Spirit yea as present now in his Regall Authority he thus seems to Lead the Chorus of this day's festivity and to say with David in the name of himself and of his people Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare Before I give you the Division of the Text let me present you an Exposition of the Psalm which will be if rightly observed a seasonable service to this day's solemnity The Exposition then Intended receive paraphrasticâ—s by way of paraphrase thus as if David the King had said O God who art the King of Kings Vers 1 and sittest on thy Throne judging right right between the Prince and his people thy self unmoveable amidst all State-commotions thy self unchangeable amidst all the Worlds changes Vnto thee O God who hast redoubled thy mercyes do we both King and Subjects redouble our praises we we give thee thanks I their King give thee thanks for their Loyalty and they my
Subjects give thee thanks for my Soveraignty and all of us together give thee thanks for our happy Union and Accord so full of thy goodness and mercy For that it is thy Name so near which brings us together thy power and presence so gracious which works our Salvation and declares our Deliverance so wonderful and Glorious Vers 2 And now because I know well the Throne is establisht by Judgment I unfeignedly resolve in the presence of my God and publickly declare for the satisfaction of my people that vvhen I receive the congregation when coming to Jerusalem the Metropolis and Royall City of my Kingdom I shall their sit with my Great Councel to consult the peace and settlement of the Nation I vvill then Judge according unto right making Law my rule Councel my guide and mercy my moderatress Vers 3 That so though the Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are dissolv'd though the whole Land melts in Division distraction and distress and the whole Fabrick of the Church State is tottering and ready to fall to ruine thrown down by heresy schisme and profaness Yet I bear up the Pillars of it my Soveraign Authority shall bring a Soveraign remedy my Royal power shall bear up both Magistracy and Ministry the two supporting Pillars of the whole building without which it would certainly fall away to Anarchy Truth is I said and that often too Vers 4 by my Letters Messages and Manifesto's I thus said unto the fools such as through simplicity were seduced into sedition and Disloyalty to them I said Deal not so foolishly think not that you shall keep your Religion your Laws your Liberties your Goods your Lives and cast off your Soveraign who is appointed of God to be the Father and Defender of them all Yea I said unto the wicked even such as sinned of malicious wickedness to them I said lift not up your Horn advance not your power to resist your Soveraign Vers 5 At least lift not up your Horn on high take not Soveraignty it self upon you usurp not the Throne or if you do so presumptuously yet speak not with a stiff neck do not proudly impose your bloody edicts to destroy my Subjects persons let not your High Courts of Arbitrary power violate the Laws yea raze the foundations of all Civil government whereby my people shall become as sheep prepared to the slaughter Vers 6 Indeed why will ye ambitiously aspire to that excess of Dominion as if your selves should never be brought to Judgment Whereas the Dignity of the Throne and the Soveraignty os the Scepter is no Boon of Fortune or thing of chance for Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South neither by confederacy of designs nor fortuitousness of events But Government is God's Ordinance Vers 7 and Governours are all accountable to him as Supream the highest Empire it is sub Jove Imperium God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another And when he do's it by Divine Ordination it is in a regular providence putting a Period to the Royal Line of one family and by transferring the right of power to another Vers 8 And whom God sets up by a Divine Ordination let them look to 't who resist his lawful Dominion for in the Hand of the Lord there is a Cup a cup of wrath whose wine is red and full of mixture that is whose judgements are grievous and full of Horrour And where he finds a disobedience to just Authority there he poures forth of this cup of fury The top whereof the simple and seduced shall drink to their chastisement and correction but the maliciously wicked shall drink up nay suck out the dregs thereof to their temporal ruine and eternal destruction Vers 9 But as for the Execution of this wrath I leave it unto God so that no Sons of Zerviah no hot spirited men shall ever engage me in Severity towards my bitterest Enemies if now at length they become my Loyal Subjects No but I sensible of God's mercy in preserving me and converting them will declare for ever the wonders of that mercy singing praises to the God of Jacob for my preservation and their conversion True it is if notwithstanding all Vers 10 my Acts of Grace for their pardon and indempnity some implacable enemies will still endeavour to embroil my Kingdoms in sedition and embrue them in blood all the horns of such maliciously wicked I will cut off I will change my clemency into severity and execute the rigour of the Law to quell the violence of their Rage But as for the righteous ones the true Converts of Sion who become Loyal Subjects to me their lawfull Soveraign their Horns shall be exalted The Honours Dignities Profits and Employments of my Court Royal Camp Martial and Courts Judicial they shall be all the rewards of their dutiful Obedience and the Testimonies of my princely Bounties Thus Beloved in this Psalm's Exposition Ye have the Kings Declaration How I say 't again we have truly and exactly as to substance and matter the Kings Declaration even the Declaration of King Charles comprised in this Psalm which I may call the Declaration of King David when he was in the like the very like State and Condition with our present Soveraign And as the Two Kings then David and our Charles the II. agree in the same Spirit and Declaration so I pray God Israel and England too may agree in the same heart and affection only this 2. Sam. 20.1 To your Tents O Israel the voice of the Sons of Belial far be it and for ever be it far from our Soveraign and Sion that so we may have still cause to bless God for our King our King cause to bless God for us as David and Israel do here one for another saying Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare The words are a Laudatory gratulation Division in which observe 3. particulars the Altar the Offering and the Reason of that offering brought unto the Altar 1. The Altar God's 2. The Offering Thanks 3. The Reason of that offering brought unto the Altar the nearness of God's name declared in the wonder of his works Vnto thee O God do we give thanks c. Method Explication and Application VVHerein the 1. particular the Altar Explication Gods Vnto thee O God If the King do's rejoyce for his people or the people for their King it is * Psal 21.1 in thy strength O Lord In thy strength not their power in thy wisedom not their policy in thy goodness not their greatness The strength of the Lord that brings salvation salvation permanent and perpetual A salvation divine exceeding good and this begets an exultation devout exceeding great therefore as it is said the King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord so the Psalmist further adds * Ibid. Exceeding
glad shall he be off thy salvation And certainly if ever King might rejoyce in God's strength and be exceeding glad of his Salvation our King much more and we with him The life of the whole Nation is bound up in the Kings life for sad experience tells us we felt the stroak of his Royal Fathers Death when this Kingdom 's glory fell with his body and was cut off with his Head And sure we cannot but be sensible how we have continued ever since so enslaved as not to know any other freedom save that of the Psalmist * Psâ—l 88.5 free among the Dead For have we not walkt as so many Ghosts liv'd indeed but as in the infernal shades and heartless as well as headless nay and such should we still continue On the Tuesday after Easter week the Parliament with all loyal acknowledgments received his Majesties gracious Letters and Declaration did not the salvation of our God give us a right Easter Deliverance a resurrection from the dead putting a new life into us by the restoring of our gracious Soveraign Such is the Salvation of our King as none could give it but God the King of Kings so that the Title of Honour assum'd of old by several Emperours after great preservations may now be properly our Soveraign's even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preserv'd of God And observe as God do's hereby the more engage the King unto himself in devotion so do's he the more endear the King unto his people in affection For who so considers his deliverances * Especially when he past from Holland into Scotland by Sea and his escapes by * especially after Worster fight Land who so considers his dangers in his Native Country and his distresses in foraign Nations will easily discern how God hath set forth our Soveraign as a Mirrour of his Mercy that the eyes of all his People beholding him the more Dear unto God their hearts should esteem him the more endeared to themselves the Divine protection and favour recommending him to their greater Loyalty and Love Yea this Salvation of God presents our King not only the more to be beloved at home but also the more to be feared abroad Be it so then that other Kings now shine in the full Meridian of their glory as do the Crowns of Spain and France yet we know even at noon day our Charles's Star appears At the birth of his Majesty a Star appeared at noon and 't is not others more radiant Splendour of this Earth's Greatness that can take away the light of his vertues lustre in Heavens salvation Wherefore there must David and Israel the King and his People offer their oblation of praise where they receive their blessings of goodness and that is at the Altar of the Lord non nobis Domine Psal 115.1 non nobis not unto us O Lord not unto us but Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare 2. Particular The offering Thanks Vnto thee do we give thanks Which offering is made by fire for the words of Gemination shew there was an heat of Devotion Vnto thee O God do we give thanks were a Gratulation sincere but to repeat it say it over again unto thee do we give thanks speaks that Gratulation fervent But alas in our Thanksgiving what is it that we give worthy of Thanks why truly very little as to any real worth in it self yet very much as to the Devotion of faith and hope and love and humility c. in the Divine acceptance through Christ Thus to Thank God is to Bless God but not to bless him as he blesseth us His Benedixit is a benefecit when God blesseth man he do's speak the word and it is done Psal 33.9 but when man blesseth God all that he can do is but to speak the word even to declare the Glory and set forth the praises of God's blessings So that God's blessing descends upon man as an heavenly Dew in a quickning and refreshing Vigour man's blessing ascends unto God only as an holy Incense in an acceptable and well-pleasing savour Wherefore when we view the blessings of this day's solemnity and see how abundant God is in his mercy do we let him see how enlarged we are in our thankfulness making our hearts and our mouths as so many altars of Incense to breath forth the sweet savour of his goodness Herein to encourage our Devotion and quicken our zeal know the receipt of blessings is not more comfortable to Man then the returning of thanks is acceptable to God yea a devout Heart is not more truly joy'd in receiving mercyes then in returning thanks Hence it is that Psalms of Thanksgiving they have in them the life and vigour of all holy Devotion yea songs of praise they are the very Types of the joyes of heaven Whereby it is that the Church becomes even Triumphant on Earth Psal 106.47 Thus the Psalmist save us O Lord our God to give thanks unto thy Name and to triumph in thy Praise This then is the offering David and Israel bring to God's altar an oblation of thankfulness Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks this the altar and the offering 3. Particul The reason of bringing this offering to the Altar and that is the nearness of God's name declared in the wonder of his Works for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare It is good that we can give a Rationale of Gods worship that it may be known we serve God with a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 which is the thing he so much requires Now then see we the glory of his Name in the wonder of his works as especially relating 1. To the King 2. To his People 3. To their Enemies 1. Relating to the King That notwithstanding all the dangers of sickness and of Seas of Treacheryes and of Violence notwithstanding all the hazards of temptations provocations yea necessityes and wants Necessityes and Wants so great that though his Kingdom was of this World yea in this World he had three potent Kingdoms yet had he not where to lay his head not where to lay it to rest For such and so many were his flittings if not his flyings from the West of England to the Isle of Scilly from that Island into Holland and from Holland into France from France into Holland again from Holland into Scotland from Scotland into England where what entertainment he had at Worster you may sadly remember being forc't to fly for his life take sanctuary in a Wood and make an hollow Oake his Royal Pallace from thence shadow'd with the Divine protection as * Multo nebulae circum dea fudit amictu Virg. Aen. 1. Aeneas with the vayl-like cloud he passeth thorow a throng of dangers before he attains the Sea-coast of Sussex from whence he hast's