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A66945
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A plot to disseize God of his right defeated, and the contrivers punished discovered in a sermon preached in the Cathedral of S. Paul, on the 15th of September, 1661, before the Right Honorable Sir Richard Browne, Knight and Baronet, Lord Mayor of the city of London / by Tho. Wood ...
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Wood, Thomas, 17th cent.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing W3411; ESTC R9249
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18,398
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28
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envy and contempt Good in account at least to avoid scandal and discredit If the person that gives counsel be mean though he speak like an Oracle 't will be slighted nay cavilled at The Wise man observed some such thing in his time when he tells If a rich man spake the people kept silence but if poor they were ready to stop his mouth with that course quaere What fellow 's this Again though the men be great if they be not good too their advice though as good as Achitophel's will be liable to prejudice Hence if I rightly record the Lacedemonian Senators were exceeding coy of their Suffrages to a very profitable proposition for their Republick laid before them by a lewd great one yet under-hand caused the very same thing to be propounded by one of more upright conversation and it pass'd the House with great applause I might be long in this Argument but must call home I find out Adonijah's wisdome approvable in this particular too He communicates not his design with inexperienc'd Youngsters men either of loose Titles or leud Conditions but with such as were of conspicuous eminency acquainted with the very bowels and secrets of the State and that knew better then any how to steer him in his desired course Of such authority and reputation too by reason of their places and persons exceedingly countenance the action and draw multitudes of their dependants and others either out of fear love or opinion to declare themselves for him or to stagger at least and stand as Neuters The invincible Joab and the High Priest Abiathar these consult and advise with him nay they do more they help him forward And this Thirdly Manifests yet something more our young Princes wisdome too Many will give good counsel not out of any love to the person or cause but to screw themselves into trust that so upon occasion they may the more certainly overthrow both Vpon suspitious men therefore though they speak well we are never to lean so hard as should they treacherously slip aside to give out selves a fall Absolon was somewhat this way indiscreet in so suddenly embracing the advice of Hnshai the Atchite Again Some will give counsel yea and sincerely too but if in a business that imports danger they desire not to be seen in it You have not such great interest in them not so far engaged them to you as to cause them to do more then barely to advise when perhaps their countenance were as good as their counsel and would themselves assist in the execution 't were yet like to succeed much better For I think I need not ask leave to think That such as can soundly advise if they be sincere in the business and alike in other things are most fit to excoute as knowing best the extent breadth depth and length of their own counsels and able too at home to furnish themselves afresh upon the accidental miscarriage of any particular I must remember home again Our Adonijah's wisdome is herein remarkable too that such as he doth communicate his design withal he had before by benefits observance and other ways of courtesie and insinuation so firmly assured to himself as first to deal sincerely with him more to declare themselves for him most of all to run the hazard of their own counsel and really to engage themselves in it by action We find it in the last words They helped forward c. To sum up all together and so to make way to the main Observation We have here an able young man laying a strong foundation of greatness encouraged to it by the King his Fathers Love and that double bounty of nature comeliness of personage and eldership assisted in it by those of greatest power and sway in the State Abiathar the high Priest and Joab Captain of the Host who delude him not with Court-Holy-Water a piece of falshood a meer stranger for the most part to true Priests and right Souldiers but their works speak them as good as their words they afford him head and hands and hearts too in the business They advise him they help him forward And he that shall consideratively read thus far the story ignorant of what ensured afterwards would willingly I suppose venture his fortune in the same Bottome with the undertake For the design in the whole managing of it discovers such 〈◊〉 apparencies and probabilities of success as indeed 't is a matter of just marvel to think how it did miscarry But here we see Heavens Power and Prerogative how it easily alters and overthrows Projects that seem to be founded and rooted in Adamant The Lord doth whatever he will both in Heaven and Earth and should the whole world conspire in an insurrection to revense or alter one of his least decrees their attempts would prove as vain as ridiculous For he that dwells in Heaven would laugh them to scorn the Lord would have them in derision Psalm 2. 3. A remarkable place to this purpose is that in the Prophecy of Isaiah chap. 3. ver 9 10 11. Where we find a confederacy an association of divers persons nay in likelihood Nations too against the people of God Like that combination mentioned by the Psalmist Psal 83. 6 7 8. Gebal Ammon Amalek the Philistines with the Tyrians Assur and the children of Lot Edomites Ishmaclites Moabites Hagarens men of divers interests and not all of one and the same Religion neither though all aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant or like to come so neer and no neerer that holy League in France the cause of so much mischief to that Kingdome and by their example to others Well but for proof of the main Observation mark what God saith there by his Prophet Associate your selves together and ye shall be broken to pieces Gird your selves put your selves into a posture of war broken to pieces notwithstanding This judgment of being broken to pieces we find thrice repeated in that ninth verse to note the fulness centainty and in Gods time suddenness of such contrivers destruction and though they all lay their heads together to prevent it yet it will not do Take counsel together ver 10. it shall be brought to nought make a decnee it shall not stand and the Prophet shews his extraordinary Commission for this in the eleventh verse The Lord spake this to me with a high hand And it is just the same with the example in the Text. They take counsel here for Adonijah's succession but God as the Psalmist speaks breaks this counsel and brings to nought this device He hath said Solomon shall reign and he will not alter the thing that is gone forth of his lips Though all the Achitophels and Statists upon Earth project the contrary yet his counsel shall for ever and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation Psalm 33. 11. Wisdome and understanding and counsel do bravely bring to pass mighty matters so long as they keep
or every blast of present Success that we believe not every spirit or powerful perswasion or great example for divers that boast themselves of God are not such many false Prophets are come forth into the world Let it be enough that by glorious glittering pretences we have been cheated out of our Religion Loyalty Property nay our very Reason that by strong dazeling delusions we have been cajol'd iuto such a Pit-fall from which only the Almighty power and extraordinary Goodnesse could redeem us If our own harms will not make us beware neither the Texts Example nor any humane Instruction can possibly work upon us And the next blow of Gods hand must needs be far heavier because we have so soon forgotten the grief of our former misery and the comfort of our present Deliverance Secondly for Comfort To stay our hearts as with Flagons of Wine when we consider that not one word of Heavens mouth made to our own souls or others shall fall to the Ground Is thy faith assaulted concerning the truth of Gods promises made either to the whole Church as the Body in the general or to thy self as a Member in particular Take heed of giving too far and free Entertainment to such Suggestions The Lords hand is not shortned He 's commonly better then his word as good as his word to be sure he is always Though for the present perhaps thou mayest perceive nothing lesse no Shadow of Likelyhood all thing to run to a Retrograde course to their seeming accomplishment Yet possesse thy Soul with patience stand and see the Salvation of the Lord rest upon his All-sufficiency believe with Abraham even above hope c. He doth divers times work out his ends by means in our shallow conceits apparently contrary He 's so good that he would not suffer evill to be unlesse he were also so powerful as to be able to draw good out of it Nothing can make void the purposes and promises of Heaven Though a Joab though an Abiathar though all men on Earth and Divels in Hell attempt their Nullity yet Maugre all Opposition they shall stand in force and be made good to those whom they concern that Word of truth hath spoken it not one word of whose Truth shall return empty Heaven and Earth shall passe away but c. Third for Direction to steer our course on the troublesome Sea of this World that so we may arrive at the Haven where we would be and that is in all our Intendments to take Heaven along with us not to depend upon new Truths pretended to be concealed for so many Generations and now revealed to I know not whom for I know not what fanciful purposes but to make Gods clear revealed Word with David our Counsellor and Warrant and then we shall be sure to have either the Summe of our Desires or that which is better for us Then either our purposes shall have a good Issue or else our failing in them shall be more for our Good Instance You of this City desire to be rich and in places of Honour and Eminency and such desires if attended with their due Qualifications are for ought I know not amisse neither Now Solomon tells us that riches and honour are in the hands of the Almighty Length of Dayes are in his right hand and in his left Riches and Honour Prov. And if we 'l credit the Divel he 'l tell us that all these are his too once to be sure we know he told the very Owner so to his Face Matth. 4. and where he is likely to gain more belief he will cettainly be more forward to boast his vain Title And were there not too many in the World that lent a willing ear to him the forbidden paths of Bribery Flattery Extortion Over-reaching Cozenage and Cunning would not be so crowded with Passengers and the allowable Road of Truth and Honesty fair upright and ingenious Dealing so thinly frequented But brag the Divel never so confidently of these and all other good things God is the true Proprietary and we must have and hold them of him if we will have and hold them at all or long or with Comfort We take an ill Match in hand if we go about to wrestle with him and wrest them from him by Violence God is a liberal God and yet in some Sense he 's a hand-fast God too maugre all the World he can keep his hands shut if he please and untill he be pleased to open it we cannot be filled with Plenteousnesse In all our Enterprises therefore let us be sure to have him to friend to have his allowance at least if not command in the main Intendments of our Life otherwise let me tell you 't is neither the Plotting of our heads nor the Sollicitousnesse of our hearts not the Drudgery of our hands nor the whole concurrence of our created strength improv'd by all accessory procurable Assistances that can finally render our attempts successeful Adam may make himself a Garment but it shall not cover his nakedness Jonah may build him a booth but it shall not defend him from the heat of the Sun Peter may toil all right at fishing but shall catch nothing Though we rise up early and lie down late and eat the bread of sorrow yet is our labour in vain except the Lord give the blessing Psalm 127. 2. I might illustrate this by almost infinite instances out of Story Take the Texts example for all Here is an able eldest Son using the strongest humane means to settle himself in the Seat of his Father Ordering this affair with as much polity and discretion as the best heads in the Kingdome could furnish him with Many advantages he had of his Competitor both the Word and the Sword if I may so speak were on his side The High Priest and Captain of the Host The latter of which alone was so powerful in the State that David himself though a King well-beloved of his Subjects confesseth him too hard for him and for the murder of divers of his dear friends durst not punish him Yet see notwithstanding all these interests assistances probabilities Heaven overswaies and determines the contrary Go but to the latter end of the Chapter and there we shall read that Solomon is King So true is that of the holy Ghost the foolishness of God is wiser then mans wisdome and his weakness stronger then their power But stay was indeed God's hand in this business against Adonijah How then durst either Joab or Abiathar move so much as a finger for him Nay how durst he himself take counsel and plead his own Title when that Wonderful Counsellour and Supreme Judge both of Heaven and Earth was in the Cause his adversary 1. But indeed for him first I can easily satisfie my self without the puzzle of a wonderment A Crown is a strong temptation and where an apprehension of compassing it gets footing in the brain it infatuates corrupts our judgments and inveigles