King to which Petitions they had not Loyaltie enough to say Amen as his Majesty of ever blessed Memory among the Righteous hath observed in his sacred Portracture never to be parallel'd and God grant it never may Now the Church in the words of the Text begins her praises for the Kings Salvation In which you have these two parts The Division First God's Mercy for his Strength in the Kings Salvation Secondly The Kings or the Church's for that Salvation In the former you have these three particulars First The Blessings for which the King or the Church for him praiseth God and they are two 1. Strength 2. Salvation Secondly The Author from whom these blessings are acknowledged to be received and that is the Lord therefore here called his Strength and his Salvation Thirdly The Person for whom this Strength is put forth and this Salvation wrought and that is the King He shall rejoyce he shall be glad In the latter you have these two particulars First The manner or quality of the Church her Thanksgiving and that is 1. Inward He shall rejoyce 2. Outward He shall be glad For so Expositors interpret the words laetabitur exultabit the one of inward the other of outward joy Secondly The measure of this Joy in the word Exceeding or how greatly as the other Translation reads it that is so greatly the King shall rejoyce as it cannot well in words be exprest Let the first part of the Text be the Doctrine the second the Application The Doctrine then is this The Lord is the Strength and Salvation of Kings of all Kings for there is no power but is ordained of God Rom. 13. 1. But of good Kings such as David was and such as blessed be God ours is after his own heart as well as by his own designment he is not only the Author of their Strength and Salvation but their Preserver and Blesser They are both the saved of the Lord and to the Lord of his Mercy and to his Glory Hear David himself speak this Truth Ps. 18. 2. Ps. 62. 1. 2. vers Ps. 27. 1. and to name no more Ps. 140. vers 7. O God the Lord the Strength of my Salvation And if we consider these Blessings severally it will more clearly appear they are from the Lord. First The King's Strength is from the Lord and this David acknowledges as in the former places so 2. Sam. 22. 1. That in the day of his deliverance from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul The Lord was his strength and his power and Moses who was also King in Jesurun Deut. 33. 5. sings to the same tune Exod. 15. 2. The Lord is my Strength and is become my Salvation Now Strength is either 1 Inward 2 Outward Inward Strength that also is double first the strength of Grace and secondly as I may have leave to expresse my self the Grace of Strength and these are both from the Lord. First strength of Grace and in this sense it is taken 1. Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace strengthen you and we are exhorted to be strong in the Lord Eph. 6. 10. So David in his sufferings is said to Encourage himself in the Lord his God And certainly our David under all his trials was upheld by this Strength of the Lord. He was never without Gods Armour on though it may be sometime without his own The Lord alwayes girded him with Truth breasted him with Righteousness shod his feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace shielded him with Faith covered his anointed before it was anointed head with the Helmet of Salvation and his Royal hand and heart was never without the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God witnesse those fiery darts he resisted those menaces and threats he set at nought those promises and profers he refused those sollicitations and allurements he withstood those disputes and conferences he managed alwayes with the advantage to truth of which the World may take notice So that through the strength of the Grace of God his Majesty may be justly numbred among those worthies Hebr. 11. 33 34. Who by faith subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousnesse obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of fire out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the Aliens Appearing herein heir apparent of his Royal Fathers graces as well as Kingdoms of whom for piety wisdom mercy justice constancy in the truth and all other Princely grace when he was barbarously murdered we might sadly pronounce Ichabod Who was delicium humani generis as it was said of Titus the best of Kings as Augustus was stiled of Emperors the meekest of men as Moses after Gods own heart as David yet he that did good to all was hated to death he that never denied just liberty to any could not have liberty to live But I have no warrant to search into the inscrutable dispensation of the Almighty I say my hand therefore upon my mouth with that of the Apostle Hebr. 11. 38. Of whom the World was not worthy And also manifesting himself to be of his Royal Grand-Father King James his spirit who said That the best title of a King was to be the servant of God and that all the Crowns and Kingdoms in the World should not induce him to change on jot of his profession And this his strength is from above for the Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord. Prov. 21. 1. Secondly the Grace of Strength in Kings is from the Lord by which I do not mean power and ability of body and mind only that may be in another but a supernatural and celestial spirit of rule and government proper to Kings It is said of Saul though a bad King that God gave him another heart 1. Sam. 10. 9. And as soon as Samuel had anointed David the spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward 1. Sam. 16. 13. Which was not the spirit of sanctification for that he had before and therefore must be the spirit of wisdom resolution justice mercy and other Princely graces which God had induced him withall as a King for the right management of so great a trust For this his majesties Strength it is a subject for a History not a Sermon for others tongues and pens not mine Yet I account it my duty to speak what I believe he was never so low as to be less than a King The Lion abates nothing of his Majestick deportment whatsoever his condition be the King of fears never affrighted the hight of his spirit nor did any desponding thoughts ever break thorow his Sacred lips The Lord so tempered his Royal heart with a supernatural magnanimous resolution that both feriendo and ferendo in adventuring and bearing he cut thorow all difficulties with an edge of undaunted courage and with a back of invincible patience for God was the Strength of his heart
Ps. 73. 26. His Inward Strength 2 And also which was the second kind of Strength the Lord is the Outward Strength of Kings and so the word is taken in Scripture two wayes first for Right and Authority secondly for Power and Ability to act according to that Right and Authority and both these Strengths Kings have from the Lord. 1 Strength that is the Right and Authority of Kings is from the Lord and though the word be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potentia not potestas and most commonly is taken for ability yet sometimes I conceive it may be taken in that sense we now speak of as in Ps. 99. 4. The Kings Strength loveth Judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kings honour and dignity so the Septuagint Imperium regis so St. Jerome the Kings Empire and government But not to litigate about words this truth is most clear that the Strength of the right of Kings is from the Lord by me Kings reign Prov. 8. 15. By me immediately not mediately at the first not second hand not by nor of man but by the will and ordinance of God and Tostatus I think it is that gives this to be the reason why they are anointed on the head because they hold of none but God and we are commanded to submit unto the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the supreme 1 Pet. 2. 13. For though the Apostle calls Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ordinance of man which some interpret a humane creature whether for better translation or worse intention let others judge yet that is only to be understood in respect of the forms modes and qualifications of power which may be various according to the several laws of Kingdoms For though Kings be humane creatures and therefore must dy like other men Ps. 82. 7. Yet no Scripture warrants they may die by men Their power is of God alone they are only accountable to him for the administration of it which if it should be male yet it is an unheard of way of curing the body by cutting off the head I will judg none but my fears are that the frequent rendring of those words of the Apostle in the sense I have spoken of in the ears of the people though otherwise it may be proper enough hath been only to lessen the power of Kings in the estimation of their Subjects and so by degrees to steal away their hearts like Absolon from their obedience to their lawfull Soveraign Luther said Every man had a Pope in his belly he might have said a King too for how many through Traiterous ambition vain-glory covetous desires and other filthy lusts have had Kings Crowns and Dignities both in their bellies their greedy appetites and in their heads their hellish designs and intentions The uncomlinesse and prodigious deformity whereof would easily have been discovered had they looked in Solomons glasse Prov. 30. 31. And a King against whom there is no rising up What this Strength of Kings is is a depth my shallow vessel dares not launch into which while some have too venturously done they have easily made Shipwrack both of Faith and a good Conscience of Religion and Allegiance together Gods word is the rule of our Prayers and had we Prayed more or with more understanding and spiritual affections and Disputed lesse we had been better Subjects and never the worse Scholars Now in our prayers we acknowledge the King to be over all persons and in all causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil supreme head and Governour and so he is by Divine institution and immediate power from God 1 First over all Persons Let every Soul Soul is taken there for the whole person be subject to the higher power Rom. 13. 1. And that for conscience sake v. 5. Which subjection whosoever denies they may possibly prove the immortality of their Souls to their own damnation but will never evince the integrity and regularity of their consciences for so doing Samuel tells Saul God had made him head over all the tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 15. 17. and Levi was one and Solomon devests Abiathar the Priest of his office for his demerits 1 Kings 2. 27. Neither was this power of Kings a rite and ceremony of the old law to be abolished for when Christ nayled those to the Cross yet he fastned obedience to supreme authority both by his precept Matth. 22. 21. Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars And also by his practice First before he was born paying taxes in the loins of his parents Luke 2. 5. Secondly in his life working a miracle that he might be obedient Matth. 17. 27. Thirdly at his death acknowledging Pilates power and submitting unto it Joh. 19. 11. though he had 12 legions and those of Angels to have rescued him and Fourthly after his denth for his body must not be buried till it was begged of Pilate Matth. 27. 58. And St. Paul following his Masters steps stands at Caesars tribunal confessing that there he ought to be judged Acts 25. 10. And acknowledged Neroes supremacy when he was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion which is the King of beasts 2 Tim. 4. 17. Secondly he is head as over all persons so in all causes for that must foâ—low from that rational maxim of the Schools Qui habet potestatem super personam habet potestatem super omnia ad personam spectantia Now these causes are either Civil or Ecclesiastical for the former they being particularly unknown to me and not a subject so suitable to my Profession and litle or rather not at all questioned before these late unhappy times by any that would pretend to Loyalty for any thing that I know I will therefore leav them to the vindication of those that are more able lest the cause should suffer through my weakness in maintaining it For Ecclesiastical causes in which I should be more versed the Scripture places the supreme authority in the King for 1 First did not the Priests and Levites Clense the house of the Lord according to the command of the King 2 Chro. 29. 15. And the text saith it was by the word of the Lord for that good King Hezekiah would do nothing without it and the successe his endeavour had shewed as much for the house of the Lord was sanctified in eight dayes v. 17. Our pretended purifiers were above eight years about the work of reformation as it was called but the long time they were about it and the little good they did in it or rather the great hurt is to me an argument that God never imployed them for those Foxes did instead of sweeping the house only raise a dust with their tayls that so blinding the eyes of the people they might the more cunningly steal away the goods that belong to it 2 Secondly did not good King Josiah impose an oath or covenant on all his people great and small and caused them to stand to
Minister of God for our good And so he is indeed the Preserver of our sacred Truth our Defence in War our Security in Peace and therefore hath right to whatsoever is necessary to the safety of his sacred person the support of his Regal Dignity the preservation and enlargement of his Kingdoms and Dominions the subduing of his people under him in case of disloyalty to the rendring of him feared and respected abroad honoured loved and obeyed at home And whosoever shall deny their Soveraign these or any thing else quoad potestatem utendi pro bono Communi or demand any of them out of his hand I must send them for answer to the 1 Kings 2. 22. Let them ask the Kingdom also And if his Majesty shall see cause to imploy any of the Parts Gifts and Abilities of any of his Subjects though Ecclesiastical person in the Administration of Civil affairs consistent with the Honour and Dignity of their spiritual Function I know not why he should be deprived of that just Prerogative Moses made Judges out of all the Tribes and the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. both intimates and argues that those that are most esteemed in the Church should not therefore be in the less capacity to judge of things pertaining to this life Upon which ground holy St. Augustine spent part of the day sometimes the whole as Possidonius relates in his life in the decision of civil Causes and received Letters and returned Resolution about them For though no man that warreth this spiritual warfare ought to entangle himself with the things of this life 2 Tim. 2. 4. and Christs Kingdom be not of this World Joh. 18. 36. and Christ rejects with indignation the covetous wretch his motion Luke 12. 49. with man who made me a Judge over you which places among others are alleged by those that leave no stone unmoved nor Scripture unwrested to wring that power out of their hand that are far better able to manage it themselves and I am sure to a better end for this is one way whereby the spiritual Fathers of the Church may better find out the temper and disposition of the people and so judge whether they grow in Faith and Obedience or not For it is one good sign given by our Practical Divines and Possidonius hints as much to know a true Christian from a Counterfeit by his behaviour about the things of this World when Christ touched the young mans free-hold he soon appeared dross Though therefore the spiritual Souldier must not intangle himself yet he must submit himself to his Princes Command and though Christs Kingdom be nor of yet it is in this World And it seems to me to be supposed that Christ might have been a Judge but he must not make himself one which Rule had it been followed we had not had so many nor such Judges as we have had Let not us therefore deny the Kings power in temporals as the Papists do in spirituals but put we in practice our Saviours Precept Mat. 22. Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars or rather render unto him what is his for though it may be called giving for the willingness and readiness that should be in the Giver and it may be for some other reasons yet it is a gift not of Courtesie but Duty for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Render and the next words which are Caesars shews Caesar hath a Right before the giving for I cannot be said to give that which is anothers but that which is my own I conclude this with the improvement of the Apostles Argâ—ment who goeth to warfare at any time at his own charges who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof who feedeth a Flock and eateth not of the milk thereof who ruleth a Kingdom and indeed who can without the Strength thereof And thus much for the first blessing of Kings the Lord is Author of their Strength The second blessing of the King of which the Lord is the Author is his Salvation of which now but a few words Salvation is taken three waies in Scripture especially First for spiritual deliverance from sin and the direfull effects of it Death Hell and Damnation Christ tells Zacheus Luke 19. 9. that Salvation was come into his house Secondly for eternal Glory of which he is the Author to all those that believe and obey him Heb. 5. 9. Thirdly for temporal deliverance from our Enemies and all outward evils so Exod. 14. 13. stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord and in this sense though I exclude not the other David calls God frequently the God of his Salvation Ps. 18. 46. Ps. 24 5. Ps. 85. 7 9. Now though God was and is and will be we believe hope and pray to the King the Author of all those Salvations Yet his temporal Salvation seems more especially intended in the Text and is the peculiar Subject of our present discourse Salvation supposes danger and were I able to give you a just Catalogue of his Majesties manifold and great dangers I fear I should cast a black cloud over the solemnity of this day was he not with St. Paul 2. Cor. 11. 26. in perils of waters that were even like to have run over his Soul in perils of Robers that lay in wait for him by troops in perils amongst his own Country-men who use to deal more kindly one with another in perils by the Heathens or those that were worse than Heathens in perils in the Wilderness whither he was driven as a Pellican in perils in the Sea and sure that faithfull Pilot that wafted his Royal person over it in his small Vessel could not but fear but it may be his Majesty encouraged him as Julius Caesar did his Pilot when he was afraid of a Storm Caesarem vehis thou carriest Caesar O how can we forget to make us more cordially thankfull his tribulations distresses persecutions being for Christs sake and his Kingdoms killed all the day and year yea many years long O remember how our Shepheard was counted as a sheep for the Slaughter What mutinies were raised continually against this our Moses what preparations for destruction against this our Hezekiah what Combinations Plots and Conspiracies against this our Jehoshaphat what Stratagems against this our Joshua Yet in all these he was more than Conquerour through him that loved him The Lord delivered him and was his Salvation from the Bear and Lion and from that uncircumcised Philistine It was not the Oake though it be the Strongest of Trees Amos 2. 9. that could have secured him nor the thick leaves thereof that could have hid him till the Calamities were over-past nor was it the eye of any faithfull Centinel to give notice of approaching danger that could have preserved him though they were all happy means thereof But it was the Arm of the Lord that was his Strength and his Fortress The shadow of his wings that was his Refuge and the
King and therefore let us be exceeding glad A King constant in the Profession of the Truth in which he is the deeper rooted the more he hath been shaken Coelum non animum he often changed his air the greater is their sin that would neither give him nor sell him a liberty to breath in their Climate but never his heart he was not e salice as that Politician said he was being ask'd why he changed his Religion so oft but quercu ortus not made of willowes that will bend every way but of heart of Oak that will not bow to the boysterous winds And his Majesties Love and Pains for the settling of the true Religion shews him to be Defender of the Faith as well by Truth as Title and as much by desert as by descent And when he lost all he lost nothing of the Truth nor wheresover he went did he leave his God behind him but brought them with him into his Kingdom who had well nigh lost both 3 The Lord hath restored unto us our Peace-making King so meek as if with Moses he had known only the name of Passion not the thing beati pacifici is not only his Motto but Blessing while other Kings make or should make Peace he is made of Peace How wonderfully under God hath he preserved the Ark of this Church ready to sink What Rages hath he appeased What stormes hath he calmed among the spirits of men What gracious and sweet Concessions flow from his native Goodnesse How doth he burn in love towards those whose affections it is to be feared are but cold towards him He first passed an act of pious and fervent Devotion in Heaven for his enemies with Father forgive them before he passed and confirmed his Act of Pardon on earth and remembred the awful Counsel if not Charge of his Royal Father which was much like that of Phocion to his Sonn mando ut hujus pot us obliviscaris I charge you never to revenge my death And O let all his Subjects make a better use of all his gracious Favours than which formerly have been done to be more unreasonable in their demands and spend all their lives in thankfulnesse to God for the salvation of so merciful pious and peaceable a Prince Direct And for our Direction especially these two ways 1 First by a true fear of God that so we may better honour our King God hath often joyned them together in his Word let us never put them asunder It hath been the policy of Satan and his instruments to scandalize Religion to be the occasion of Rebellion but the Fathers well discovered that fallacy by retorting and demanding what was the cause of sedition in Rome before Christianity was in it But the Disciple is not above his Master Christ himself was accused for a pestilent fellow and a denyer of Tribute to Caesar though indeed none was so forward in it as he profering it when he might have been free without enquiring whether Caesar stood need of it or no being then at peace with all the world not yet expecting the assembling of Judea together It cannot be denyed and the story is too sad to remember but that Religion hath been made a Cloke and that a long one for Rebellion but this hath been through the pride ambition covetousnesse envy malice and other lusts of men for otherwise Religion and Loyalty not only may consist together but do best establish one another Let Philosophers and Statists dispute as long as they will whether a bad man may not be a good subject to be sure a good man cannot be a bad one upon which ground King James told the King of France that the Protestants were as good Subjects as any he had Spiritual liberty agrees best with Civil subjection for though we cannot serve God and Mammon yet we may very well serve God and man together nay how can we serve or Love God whom we have not seen if we do not serve and obey our King whom we have seen John 1. 4 20. who is a Brother and more It is better indeed to obey God than man but best to obey both which we may do either by Active or Passive obedience Hearken then ye prophane scoffers at Religion You foul-mouth swearers you beastly drunkards you debauched miscreants and all the black-guard of ungodlinesse and impiety can you that are evil speak well of Dignities Do men gather grapes of Thornes or figs of Thistles How can you fight cordially for your King that carry Traytors in your bosomes Whatsoever you are I am sure your sins are enemies to his Crown and Dignity Let us then in a holy rejoycing raise up our Bells but not with the cords of iniquity lest we pull down the Judgements of God upon us Kindle we our Bone-fires but take we heed we incense not the Wrath of God against us who is a consuming fire Be we merry in the Lord but feast we not the Devil Daemonum cibus ebrietas Let our Cups be the Cups of salvation And let it be our prayers to God That as his Majesty hath zealously declamed and proclamed against all vitiousness debauchedness and prophaueness so the High and Honourable Houses of Parliament would vote against them that the R. Reverend and awful Convocation would let their sacred Decrees Canons and Censures fly out against them that it may appear Christs Keys are not lost though they have layn rusty too long a time That the pious and resolute Magistrates of the Land would remember that they are sent of the King for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well 1 Pet. 2. 14. That all the Orthodoxal painful and faithfull Ministers of the Gospel may be Sons of Thunder and rattle out the Judgements of God against all ungodliness that they would out-pray out-live out-preach out-countenance all impiety And you of this Congregation whose faces have cause to discover your congratulation of the happinesse of this Day whose credit it is yet boast not of it it was no more than your duty that you were the first in your County I mean some of you and I believe the only Town not incorporate that ever appeared in Armes for your King and stood too against an Army and were so resolute that it was evident you valued not your Lives for the service of your Soveraign and have suffered in your Liberties and Estates O be you as forward for Piety and Religion as ever you were to Loyalty and Obedience And though you have lyen and yet do among the pots in obscurity and darkness yet in due time ye shall be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold Ps. 68. 14. post tenebras spero lucem as Jobs comfort let it be yours after darkness look for light Secondly Shew your joy and gladness as in walking in the fear of God so in honouring the King and that 1 In a high and supereminent
the Messiah or shall we look for another so we may say Is this the Parliament or shall we look for another by reason of which words as they have credibly heard divers were discouraged from taking the Protestation 13. That in a Sermon he preached that all his Parish might better take the Covenant than he and that he had time given him to consider of it by the Committee 14. That he had a Book to read on a Lords day to give thanks for a Victorie obtained but this Deponent did not hear him give thanks otherwise than by reading the Book to his remembrance GOD AND THE KING Gods Strength the Kings Salvation Psalm 21. 1. The King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy Salvation ENGLAND first received the Gospel by a Monk as Historians affirm yet some say by one of the Apostles Simon Zelotes others by Joseph of Arimathea who is supposed to lie buried at Glastenbury most likely I conceive it is that an Apostle or Joseph first planted it amongst us and being through Paganism Barbarism and Brutism supplanted and well nigh rooted out The Monk after restored it We are assembled this day the most glorious day that did ever since shine in our Horizon to Commemorate and Congratulate his Majesties happy Restauration and in it the blessed resuscitation if not resurrection of the Gospel in this Church and in them both so many blessings powred down from Heaven upon these sinfull Kingdomes that all the dayes of our lives will not be sufficient to discharge our Duties to God for the same And all this visibly by a Monk not by Profession but Name an Honourable and ever to be renowned person whom God raised up and into whose heart he put it and whose Counsels and Heroick Archievements he blessed to make him the great active instrument of our enjoyment of these mercies And that beyond all our and the Christian Worlds expectation without a blow But indeed first by the unsearchable goodnesse of him whose name is Zelotes Exod. 24. 14. And for the bloody coat sake of Joseph I mean the merits and mediations of our Jesus in whose strength only the King shall rejoyce and in whose Salvation alone he shall be exceeding glad A little then to rub up our memories that our affections of joy and thankfulness may more easily be kindled and more fervently inflamed 1. First this day is Natalitium regis His Majesties birth-day The celebration of the birth-dayes of Kings and Princes was of antient custome and venerable antiquity among the Medes Persians and Romans And it is lawfull to commemorate the birth-dayes of Christian Kings so they be not abused to Prophanesse but only thereby to take occasion to give thanks for such worthy instruments which God in mercy raiseth up to the Church and Common-wealth In the judgment of Calvin for though Job and Jeremy cursed the day wherein they were born and only Pharaoh Jeroboam and Herod are remembred in Scripture to have made great feasts on their birth-dayes as some have observed yet that is not recorded of them as their sin but their cruelty and voluptuousness they exercised in them and as for the passages of those two holy men they are either to be interpreted expressions of their impatience or a sad lamentation of our natural condition for othervise we are taught both by Gods Command Exod. 12. 3. And also the Churches practice Est. 9. 26. To remember the dayes of signal mercies and to revive them that they be not eaten out by time for if Children be a great blessing as the Psalmist assures us Psal. 128. 2 3. And if a Woman in travel so soon as she is delivered of a child remembreth no more her anguish for joy that a man is born into the World as our Saviour affirms John 16. 21. Then certainly there is and ought to be much more joy for the birth of godly Kings and the increase of their Royal Posterity It being a part of the accomplishment of that promise made unto them Psal. 45. 16 17. Instead of thy Fathers thou shalt have Children whom thou maiest make Princes in all the earth and I will make thy name to be remembred in all generations My Authors inform me that there were two radiant and resplendent starrs appeared the one at the birth of his sacred Majestie the other at the birth of the most Illustrious Duke of York I am no Astrologer neither do I give credit to their predictions We have a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto we shall do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in our hearts 2. Pet. 1. 19. Yet we must religiously confesse there was a Constellation of blessings fell upon England upon the restoring to us our native and hereditary Soveraign And we have just cause to sing that Heavenly Antheme Luke 2. 14. Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men for till then there was neither glory in the Church nor peace in the Kingdome nor good will toward men in either And concerning the most Illustrious Duke the envious eye of the World must see whether it will or no and her tongue acknowledge that scarce ever Prince so early in the morning of his youth and so often endeavoured to be nipt in his Royal budding and blossoming bath archeived more Heroick acts than he hath done Whilest therefore Divines Philosophers and Politicians dispute of the several forms of Goverment and the preheminence of one above another as best suits with their particular interests Let us being guided by the unerring rule of the word of God the right use of sanctified reason a good improvement of the sad experiences we have so dearly paid for and a present sense of the wonderful blessings of this day Now conclude that of all Governments Monarchy is the most Divine Honourable and Safe And of all kinds of Monarchy that by succession and inheritance for though God brought his people to it and under it by degrees governing them first by the Book then by the Bar then by the Sword and after by Election yet he rested not till he had fixed his people under a perpetual succession of Kings but when their sins made a breach establishing the highest powers upon earth in the nearest condition and capacity of strength dignity and honour unto himself who is Jehovah and Changeth not Mal. 3. 6. And if there be an occasion as we have had for many generations and God grant it may be so till Shiloh come of Piety Mercy and Justice and all other Princely graces I know not what more can be added the continuance of the Gospel in its power and purity alwayes supposed to make a people as happy as they can be upon the earth 2. But secondly this day is not only Natalis Regis but Regni also yea and Dies salutis the day of the King and Kingdoms
Salvation as the dayes of the Martyrs sufferings were called of old for how truely might the King take up the complaint of the Prophet Psal. 31. 12 13. I was forgotten as a dead man out of mind I was become as a broken Vessel I have heard the blasphemy of the multitude and fear was on every side whilest they conspired together against me to take away my life For the name of a King was no lesse than treason so did men call Loyalty after their own names as it was sometimes if I remember right in the Kingdom of France And though his Majesty had three Kingdoms yet he had not whereon like Noah's Dove to rest the soles of his tender feet nor whereon to lay his precious head and the head of us all but might well bemoan his condition to his Heavenly Father in the words of our blessed Saviour Math. 8. 20. The Foxes indeed those Herods and usurping Tyrants have holes and the birds of the air those kites and vultures have nests but the Son of a King and a King had not whereon to rest his head And therefore he leaves the earth and being desirous to get as neer Heaven as he could with Zacheus he climbs up into a tree and from thence God shewes him a way of escape and speaks unto him in a language of miraculous providence This day Salvation is come into thy house only he must passe thorow a Wildernesse to his Canaan and a Sea of troubles to the Haven where he would be And blessed be God that the Oak of Royal preservation was not to the rebellious Sons of Adam the tree of knowledge for then it had not been to the breath of our Nostrils the tree of life his Sacred Majesty had often heard of it no doubt at Ephrata but now he found it in the field of the Wood that God was his Strength and his Salvation 3. Thirdly the manner of his Restauration may further fasten the memory of this day in our hearts as a nail in a sure place for he came not to his Land of promise and the lot of his inheritance thorow the red Sea of the blood of his Subjects Yet if it had been so such a field with the Pearl in it had not been too dear though it had been the price of blood for whatsoever Judas or others have done we must confesse and that with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the people of David 1 Sam. 18. 3. Our King was worth ten thousand of us But yet he came to us with a mighty indeed but a merry noise with ringing of Bells not with roaring of Cannons unless it were for lowder Musick There were no Widdows to make lamentation though many had cause enough no complaining in the Streets as he passed thorow in triumph no outcries but Hosannah and Allelujah Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. He came not with fire and sword he brake no bruised reed in his shaken and tottering Kingdoms he quenched no smoaking Flax in the Church the light whereof was wel nigh extinguished there was no striving but whether his Majesty should be more gracious or his people more gratefull 4. There is one more argument from the day It is observed that this very day the Common-Prayer book purged from the drosse wherewith it was mixed was settled as the publick Liturgy of our Church which was after sealed with the blood of many of the Compilers of it which observation if it be true then methinks there should not be such divisions nor such sad thoughts of heart amongst us as there is concerning it So as to black and cloud our joy in this day of our peace What have been done in this place about it first and last is too well known Yet I can positively affirm that in this numerous and populous Congregation there are but few that absent themselves from the publick service of God upon offence taken at the reading of it though too many upon other sinfull and unwarrantable accounts I do therefore earnestly beseech as all my Reverend brethren the Ministers of the Gospel so all other Godly and peaceably disposed Christians that whilst it is our duty to pray for the peace of Jerusalem we do not suffer our prayers to be an occasion of the bteach of that her peace And I do adjure all in the words of the Apostle Phil. 2. 1 2 3. If there be any consolation in Christ if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercy fullfil you the Kings Kingdoms and one anothers joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one minde O let nothing be done in this matter through strife or vain-glory But let in lowlinesse of mind each esteem others better than themselves And O let us all in our several stations according to the Apostles precept Ephes. 4. 3. Endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace And the rather ought we to take heed hereunto because we have formerly received mercies somewhat like unto these of this day but soon forfeited them by our sins for example King Charles the first that blessed Martyr was born the 19. day of November and on the same day if my intelligence fail me not began his return to us from his Northern Kingdom after that gracious Pacification made in his Royal Camp near Barwick And made without the shedding of one drop of blood for even when his two Kingdoms with their puissant armies were daring one another in a warlike posture he came as Neptune with his Trident and calmed those raging billows and rebuked those winds that were risen so high and said unto the Sea that was become so boysterous and threatning Be stil. Of which pacification I will not say it had been better for England if it had not been made for Blessed are the peace makers Matth. 5. 9. But sure it had been happy for both Kingdoms it had never been broken for then we had not sat wept so many years by these Waters of Babylon nor hung up our harps with little hopes and lesse joy to use them but long since taken them down and putting them in their right place and tune sung this song of joy and gladnesse The King shall rejoice in thy Strength O Lord and in thy Salvation he shall be exceeding glad For the Coherence and scope of which words it is this The Church in the last verse of the former Psalm prayes for the Kings Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the septuagint renders the words and so St. Jerom Domine salvum fac regem and so our Church word for word in her daily petition for him morning and evening O Lord save the King And I hope none will be offended at that Scripture Prayer unless there should be found yet some of those who could find no great fault with the Common Prayer Book but that it taught them so often to pray for the