of Civil Society require of us and they who have taken the Oath to His Present Majesty and yet are Enemies to the Government I suppose expect not to be reputed Men of Integrity because they themselves thereby declare how much indeed they desire yet how little they deserve to be Trusted But if we regard the Honour of our Holy Religion which by the Providence of God is most likely to prosper by the sincere Obedience of the Professors of it and to suffer Reproach with many Inconveniences by the Seditious Practices of the Disobedient as Christianity at first did by the Factious Behaviour of some pretended Christians who made their Religion a Cloak for their Maliciousness If we have any Love to our Native Countrey and they are Unnaturally Barbarous who have not and may learn to Correct their Impiety of the Ancient Pagan Romans who would have stigmatiz'd such as Diseases of the Community and proscribed them as unworthy to Preathe in the common Air of their Country who had Rejoiced at any Mischief or Misfortune that had befallen it If we have any Value for our Laws and Liberties which were so Dear to our Wise Ancestors that sooner than part with them they would have parted with their Lives And may they never want Due Honours to be paid to their Memories for their Publick-spirited Generous Care of their Posterity nor we the Virtue to deserve as well of ours If we have any Sense of the Restless Designs of our Common Enemies who by open Force and secret Fraud by making fomenting inflaming Divisions among us setting on one part of the Nation to provoke disable destroy another by turns thereby to wear off the Scandal and Odium of their Cruelties by our upbraiding one another with our own by all possible insnaring intriguing Policies have endeavour'd to Rob us of these Blessings and if we are willing still to be deceiv'd would make us do their Work for them and Barbarously become Instruments of our own Ruin But should we so far oblige our Enemies who have been too much and for many Years obliged already we should be thought deservedly to suffer all Scorn and Misery with the Just tho' severe Censures of Posterity without Pity from any Mortal If we would avoid the Reproach of being an inconstant fickle ungrateful People who in time of Danger wish for a Deliverance and when we have it know not how to Value it but are ready to wish for our Danger again and too many to give their Help to bring it back again upon us tho' with greater Violence if not certain Destruction to our Religion Laws Liberties and all that is Dear to us If there be any Love if there be any Fear if we have any Regard to things of the greatest Concernment to us let us not Undervalue our Blessings which will be best preserv'd nor Court our Slavery which is most likely to be prevented by Unity among our selves in a hearty Obedience to our Governours And I hope these Considerations will be looked upon by all Sober Men who are Protestants as so many Obligations and Motives to it II. Let us call to mind the Advantages we receive by the Government which are more and in many respects greater than other Nations Enjoy We are Guarded in our Civil Rights by many favourable Laws which give us Relief against all Injuries either of Force or Falshood We are Protected in our Liberties which is a great Encouragement to Labour and Improvements when we consider that what is descended to us from our Ancestors or gotten by our Honest Industry we are secur'd in the Legal Possession and Disposal of against all Arbitrary Attempts or Injurious Pretensions And above all we have an Excellent Religion the true Worship of God Establisht among us and nothing is wanting that is helpful to forward the Salvation of our Souls unless it be that which is in our power to amend the Conformity of our Practice to the Rules of our Profession And these Temporal and Spiritual Blessings we have Enjoy'd for several Years since our last great Danger of losing them and have reason to hope for the Continuance of them since our Gracious King has no Secret Ingagements or Sinister Designs no Ends to serve but those Glorious Ones of Promoting the Publick Good of these Kingdoms Preserving the Protestant Religion at Home and Abroad and Recovering the Just Liberties of the Suffering part of Europe So that methinks it will be our own Fault Negligence Carelesness or something worse if we receive not many lasting future Blessings as well as the present by his Auspicious Reign But some are apt to set the Decay and Loss of Trade and the great Taxes which lye heavy upon them against this Account In time of War there are Common Accidents which will unavoidably happen to some People's Loss in one Nation as well as another and therefore are not to be reckoned only on one side 'T is not reasonable to expect the same Conveniences in all Respects as in Times of Peace any more than to desire that bitter tho' wholesom Medicines should be as Pleasant as a Recover'd State of Health And if Taxes are great the Necessity is great also They are indeed sensibly the heavier by the Hellish Arts of Wicked Men who for several Years have been Maliciously breaking our Strength at Home in Clipping and Debasing the Coin and thereby have done more Injury to our Nation than the Successive Thieves and Robbers of many Ages But this we hope will be Repair'd by the Wisdom of our Governours and that in the Issue we shall be all Recompenced for what we suffer by it by more Prosperous Events We are Ingaged in War against an Enemy whose Greatness we have long dreaded like a direful Comet of Malignant Influence portending some great Calamity and if it had been begun sooner it would doubtless have been shorter and will be so still if we are as Unanimous and Hearty in the Cause as our King is Brave and Valiant in the Defence of it The Success that cannot be obtain'd against a Powerful Enemy on a sudden may be procur'd in time by Courage and Patience and Perseverance which Virtues we had much better use with a doubled Resolution than Relapse into our former Distractions or submit our selves to Slavery and be expos'd to the Mercy of French Dragoons which can have no more Friends in England than there are Enemies to our Religion and Laws It is the nature of weak and impotent Minds when under any uneasiness presently upon any Terms to desire to get rid of it without considering the Dangerous Consequences of their unadvised Impatience whether they will not put them into Ten times a worse Condition and irrecoverably so than they are at present in We find in Scripture the People were called upon in time of Difficulty and Danger 2 Sam. 10.12 to be of good Courage and to play the Men as the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians 1 Cor.
the People that they may not be like Sheep without a Shepherd expos'd to Ravenous Wolves and other Beasts of Prey stand more in need of a Prince to Rule and Govern them than a Prince does of the Honour with the Trouble of it It seems some People thought otherwise among the Old Persians and therefore the wiser sort to Convince the rest of their Mistake for the space of Five Days after the Death of one of their Kings permitted the People to live Lawless that after the Experience of the Slaughters Rapines and Outrages committed in that short Interval they might learn to hold their Kings in more high Esteem and be made sensible of the necessity by the want of them But how much better is it for Men to learn Wisdom by others Experience than feel the Miseries of a Trial by their own III. I proceed now in the Third place to put you in mind of the Duty of Subjection and Obedience to Governours which is to be exprest in several Instances 1 Pet. 2.17 as for Example by Honouring their Persons not only by paying outward Respects when we are in their Presence Rom. 13.7 8. but with an inward Love and Reverence by Speaking well of them with Veneration and Esteem that we be not of the number of those Sons of Belial Jude 6 7. who despise Dominions and speak evil of Dignities by Observing their Laws and doing their Just Commands with Chearfulness that we be not like them whom the Apostle calls Presumptuous and Self-will'd who either refus'd to Obey the Laws of their Governours or else did it grudgingly with great unwillingness by an humble Submission to their Reproofs Corrections and Punishments with Meekness and Patience by Paying Tribute and Legal Taxes Ordinary and Extraordinary for so we are Taught to render to all their Dues Rom. 13.7 Tribute to whom Tribute is due by Praying for them in Truth and Sincerity Abhorring to Prophane the Worship of God with such a Vile Hypocrisie as to Pray for them with our Lips when our Hearts are far from them and lastly by not resisting their Authority because they that resist Rom. 13 2 resist the Ordinance of God and shall receive to themselves Damnation And all Christians are obliged to observe these Instances of their Duty in their respective Stations according to their Abilities and Opportunities of what Condition or Order soever they be whether High or Low whether Secular or Spiritual Persons both Hearers and Teachers for they who are to put others in mind of their Duty of Obedience they especially ought to practice it themselves And our Duty in all these Particulars I hope will be the better observ'd if we consider 1. Our Obligations to the Government 2. Our Advantages by it 3. The Gratitude that is due to it 1. Let us remember our Obligations to the Government i. e. to be Subject and Obedient to our Governours And St. Paul urges the Duty of Subjection and Obedience by a Reason which will effectually operate upon the Mind of every good Man because the Powers that are Rom. 13.1 are ordained of God As his Vicegerents as his Ministers they are Invested with his Authority and Rule by his Commission are Set over us by his Appointment and Advanced by his Providence which Over-rules all Second Causes when sometimes very unlikely for such a purpose into a subserviency to promote to Empire such Persons whom he first Approves So that by this Doctrine it is as much our Duty to Obey our Governours as to Obey the Ordinance of God And therefore the Apostie goes on to teach his Christian Romans Ver. 5. That they must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake St. Peter also upon the same Principles teaches the same Doctrine of Obedience to the Supream Governour in the first place and in the second to all that Act by his Authority 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him And in the Text we are taught to Obey Principalities and Powers and Magistrates not only the Supream but the Subordinate that none may think themselves Innocent by pretending to Obey the one while they disobey the other for our Obedience is requir'd to both Ver. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lord's sake and because it is the Will of God and no good Man will oppose the Will of God to follow his own He calls Obedience Emphatically well-doing in Opposition to Disobedience which is evil-doing Thus these Two Great Apostles press the Duty of Obedience upon the Consciences of Christians by the strongest Arguments with the greatest Earnestness and these Reasons will take hold of good Consciences and ingenuous Minds and God increase the number of them As for those Men who impiously despise these Arguments there are others which likely may work upon their Self-love so far as to restrain their Practice tho' they do not Reform their Minds and they are fears of Punishments With them that want Religion and Goodness to ingage them to their Duty the fear of Justice may prevail to keep them within the Bounds of it They that have not the Grace to Obey for Conscience sake may in Prudence have so much Innocence at least in outward Appearance as not to provoke the Wrath of their Governours Rulers are not a Terrour to good Works Rom. 13.3 4. but to the evil Will you not then be afraid of the Power If ye do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain He is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon them that do evil 1 Pet. 3.13 Who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good Against Modesty Meekness Temperance Peaceableness there is no Law No Government ever made Laws against such Virtues as are necessary to the support of it 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a Righteous Man but for the Vngodly and for Sinners for Thieves and Murderers for the Lawless and Disobedient Against such Evil doers every Wise Government provides Penalties proportionable to their Crimes whether by Pecuniary Mulcts or Corporal Punishments Ezra 7.26 or by Confiscation of Goods Imprisonment Banishment or Death But all Temporal Punishments in this World are but little in Comparison of Eternal Damnation which St. Paul tells us the Disobedient Resisters of Authority shall receive in the next which is certainly the Merit whatever the Event may be of so great a Wickedness Besides the Doctrine of the Scriptures which will effectually ingage the Obedience of good Christians we are under the Obligation of an Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity the Greatest Security that can be given against Perfidiousness and the best Assurance of our sincere Intention to perform that Duty which indeed the Laws of Nature and the Rules
16.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quit your selves like Men and be strong And the Heathens in their Addresses to their People to behave themselves Valiantly used to bid them remember they were Men implying that if they did but consider they were Men they would then do worthily and honourably as became the Dignity of their Name and the Excellency of their Nature And the Consideration that we are English Men now in a time of Danger and War with a Strong and Subtile Enemy should raise in us a Courage suitable to that Name which has been so Famous in former Ages and excite us to give it a new lustre by Reviving the Virtues of our Forefathers in giving all possible Testimonies of Fidelity and Good-will to our Countrey Then should we bear our part of the Necessary Charge for our Defence not only with Content but Chearfulness especially considering that upon a Just Computation we are the Gainers by it for besides the Deliverance from past Calamities which ought not to be forgotten and our hopes of future Safety and Prosperity which are not to be despair'd of we have Peace and Quietness at Home the free Exercise of our Religion and other Advantages of Government without the Alarms and Fears without the Devastation and Spoil of approaching Armies so that we have more to be Thankful for than to Complain of God be Praised the Blessings we enjoy do much over-ballance the Inconveniences we suffer which are but as gentle Rods in Comparison of the Scorpions of our Enemies And yet can we be willing by our Murmuring Discontents and Divisions to strengthen the Hearts and Hands of our Enemies and weaken our own To give them Encouragement to continue the War with hopes of Success and thereby Contribute to the prolonging the Publick National Charge upon us which we so earnestly wish to be eas'd of by a Happy Peace III. For all these Blessings which we Enjoy next to the Goodness of God we Owe Gratitude to our Governours who are the Happy Instruments of Preserving them to us They Attend Continually with great Labour and Difficulty for our Benefit laying out their Time Care and Pains which we have the Fruits of without our Trouble Ought we not then to be Thankful to our Benefactors Does it not become us to make them as easie as we can that they may not be weary in doing good to us Sharp and severe Sufferings would make the most stupid the most insensible People grateful to their Deliverers But 't is our Happiness to have Reasons of being grateful upon easier Terms to them who prevent as well as remove our Misery Upon the whole Matter it is no less our Interest than our Duty to express our Gratitude by our Faithful Obedience to the King and to Subordinate Governours and Magistrates who help to make the Burden more easie to him And what Prince in the World better deserves the Burden of Government to be made easie to him For his Benignity and Clemency to his People for his Wisdom and Valour and Courage and Mighty Interest in the World all which he employs for our Safety For the Unwearied Labours of his Life the Hazardous Voyages and Dangerous Expeditions he Undertakes for our Preservation And what Government better Deserves to be Supported both in Church and State Our Church being deservedly Owned to be the Glory of the Reformation Teaching the Best Religion Confirm'd by the Laws of God Establish'd by those of the Land The Civil Government so Famous all the World over for Securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject as well as the Power of the Prince as to be the Object of Envy to our Enemies And certainly no People has more Obligations both of Duty and Interest to Obey their Governours and Support their Government And now to conclude let us not forget to give Thanks to God for all his Mercies to our Church and Nation particularly for his having had Pity on us when we were in great Trouble and Distress by a Gracious Providence in giving His Majesty so Happy a Success for our Seasonable Relief and Deliverance for Preserving him from the many Dangers to which he has since so often and too much Expos'd his Royal Person and for Continuing to us by him the great Blessings of Government the Safety of our Religion and Laws And lastly let us Pray for the Preservation Health and Long Life of our Gracious King that no Weapon formed against him may ever prosper that God in Mercy to us would abate the Pride asswage the Malice and confound the Devices of all his Enemies whilst on his Head the Crown doth flourish and in order to it that he would Bless his Councils and Prosper his Affairs That all who are in Authority under him may have Grace to Execute Justice and Maintain Truth and that we all may be Conscienciously Subject and Obedient to them as becomes good Christians that thereby we may Enjoy the Blessing of leading quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty Which God of his Infinite Mercy grant to his Glory and our Comfort for Jesus Christ his Sake to whom with the Holy Ghost be ascribed all Glory Honour and Power for Evermore Amen FINIS