secret Policy and sound Reason on both Sides David had still a tender Affection if not a secret Fondness for Absalom O how did his Affections open towards him He gave Charge to his three Generals in the hearing of all the People Deal gently for my sake with the young Man even with Absalom Every Word hath an Argument to oblige them to deal gently with Absalom O how bitterly did he take on for his Death O Absalom my Son my Son would God I had died for thee He loved him better than his Life but in being ruled by his Peoples plain Advice he shewed he loved Israel better than Absalom And the Reason which lay concealed was that he might take care to save Absalom alive He said he would go but gave no Reason for his Resolution it was sufficient for him to declare his Resolution I will surely go forth with you my self also as he was wont to do On the Peoples part there was great Reason and Policy not pleasing to the King for they had an Eye upon Absalom and to put an End to the Rebellion by putting an End to his Life if he fell into their Hands The apparent Reasons were built upon good Principles And if David did smell their secret Reasons against Absalom his self-denial for the Peoples Content was exceeding exemplary If any say that it was weakly done of David to grant so much to the People against his own Will take notice that this did not proceed from David's weakness and oversight it was not from Error in Government for David was under no eclipse of Understanding for he was able to dispose and order his Affairs he took a Muster of his Army and set Captains of Thousands C. 18.1 2. and Captains of Hundreds over them and David sent forth a third part of his Army under Joab and a third part of his Army under the hand of Abishai the Son of Zeruiah Joab 's Brother and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite As he could Marshal an Army so it seems he could hearken to Reason and according to Reason comply with the Desires of his People in the fullest terms of Respect to their Counsel What seemeth you best I will do The Will of both Parties was pleasing to God Tam enim David quà m populus istâ in re non sua quaerebat c. Vnde apparet non esse indecorum ut Reges aliquando bonestis subditorum Consiliis pareant In 1 Sam. 18. saith the Judicious Peter Martyr for it proceeded from Love the King and the People sought not their own private Things or factious Designs the Souldiers did not resist their King out of Impudence but Reverence and Love Happy is the Kingdom when King and People aim at the same Publick Good and jointly move upon Principles of mutual Affection and Safety And when both are sincerely One in their Designs and Aims and have a mutual Confidence in one another When Kings can do all themselves in War and Peace then let them be absolute but till then the Reasons of a People for the King's Honour and Safety and Peace of the Kingdom by putting an End to Wars and quietting Insurrections are not to be despised but approved of by the wisest and the greatest Kings and People should be so wise and dutiful as to offer nothing but what should carry Weight and Conviction that they do really wish well to their King and it becomes the Wisdom and Goodness of a King to be overcome by the Reasons of their People Publick Reason should prevail against private Affection in publick Persons As David was over-ruled without usurpation of the People upon his Soveraignty at that time so now though the People swore to him that he should not go forth to Battel for fear of being kill'd to the Nation 's loss so he did not reject them nor shew himself displeased with them He did not misunderstand them nor check and threaten them he did not send forth his Proclamation or Declaration against them or confine and imprison the Heads of them They spake their Love and he saw it though they swear he should not go out and endanger Himself and the State he did not make them an Example by Punishment or Revenge for medling with his Prerogative His Inclinations were towards the Wars and his Valour was not extinct though his Strength abated and yet he would not insist upon his own Soveraign Power nor take a high Action to restrain it to be an encroachment upon it Sincere Loyalty will make a People bold for their Prince's safety Wise Kings love to see the Love and Loyalty of their People and will rather unhend their own Inclinations than break with their honest well-meaning Subjects I will conclude with this one Observation He was a wise and holy King worthy the Imitation of the greatest who was for the Kingdom 's Good ruled against his own Inclination It was then when Salus publica the publick Safety was the supream Law It was when People thought the King to be themselves and when the King thought the People to be himself The People thought save the King and we save our selves and when he thought I will save my self to save the People It was when a People understood their own Good and sought it with one Consent and when the King consented to it when one Light was the Light of both I have gone over the Words and made too many Observations to be discoursed on I desire now further that you would more particularly observe two Points I. A good King is the Light of a Kingdom II. A People should be sensible of the great Blessing of a good King and should be much concerned and very zealous for his and their own Preservation I. A good King is the Light of a Kingdom 1. A Light that is the Glory and Cause of Prosperity to a Kingdom so is the Light of Heaven to the World Light is the Glory of the Creation and the first-born the Excellency and Dignity of the Creatures How do the benign Influences of the Light make the Earth to flourish How prosperous was Israel under the Light of David The Dread and Horror of the Night is driven away at the Appearance of the Light the Beasts of Prey run to their Dens the Terror and Devourers of the People of God are forced to hide their Heads Persecutors are afraid to devour or molest the little Flock the Works of Darkness and of the Night dare not with an impudent Faoe be published Chambring and Wantonness Rom. 13.13 1 Thess 5.4 6. Rioting and Drunkenness nor Strife and Envy The Light of a holy Magistrate gives no Countenance to shameful Practices The Majesty and Glory of God shines in the Light of a blessed King and as God is Light so he who is the Image of that Light shines for the Glory of God and God shines for the Glory of his People The Light of the Wicked shall be
put out and the Spark of his Fire shall not shine The Light shall be dark in his Tabernacle and his Candle shall be put out with him Job 18.5 6. i. e. his Honour and Glory shall be put out his Prosperity shall fade away and die 2. A good King is a good sign that God will not destroy the Kingdom 2 Kings 8.19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his Servant's sake as he promised him to give him always a Light and to his Children therefore God would not destroy Judah because he had promised David to give him a Light that is a Successor in his Throne to give Light to his People therefore the giving of that Light was a Preservation to Judah from Destruction When God was provoked by Solomon who threatned him for his Idolatry and Breach of Covenant to rend the Kingdom from him and give it unto his Servant he was pleased to add Howbeit I will not do it in thy Days for David thy Father's sake but I will rend it out of the Hand of thy Son He would not for David's sake to whom God promised a Lampalways 1 Kings 15.4 Nevertheless for David 's sake did the Lord his God give him a Lamp in Jerusalem to set up his Son and to establish Jerusalem 3. A good King is Light to a Kingdom as he is a cause of Joy and Gladness to a Kingdom A bad King may cause carnal and profane Joy to the Wicked but then he is the Cause and Grief and Trouble to them that fear God We are not to call that Light which makes the Wicked to rejoice in their Wickedness and to glory in their Shame but then we have a Light when the Righteous rejoice Whon the Righteous are in Authority the People rejoice but when the Wicked beareth Rule the People mourn Prov. 29.2 Light is borrowed to express Joy and Gladness Light is sown for the Righteous and Gladness for the upright in Heart Psal 97.11 Then had the Jews Light and Gladness and Joy and Honour Esther 8.16 What a Constellation of Blessings what Clusters of Mercies and all in the Flower arise and spring up in a Land when such a Light is set up in the Firmament of a Kingdom in the Orb of Soveraignty 4. A good King is the Light and Glory of a Kingdom the Light of a People when he doth restore set up resorm and maintain Religion in his Kingdom such a King was David such a Blessing was he to Israel When the Ark of God was taken the miserable sorrowful Wife of Phineas called her Child's Name Ichabod because the Glory was departed from Israel and she said The Glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken 1 Sam. 4.21 22. Surely Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Psal 85.9 Christ is called A Light to the Gentiles and the Glory of his People Israel Luke 2.32 Therefore then it is that Glory dwells in the Land when the Glory of Christ shines in his Worship Ordinances and People The Glory and Liberty of the Gospel in its Ministry Ordinances and Profession of its Truth and Beauty of Holiness doth exalt a Nation advanceth it in great Honour and then Glory doth not come as a Traveller to see a Country or a wayfaring Man that tarrieth for a Night but dwelleth in a Land when Religion pure and undesiled is entertained with Reverence and Honour in the King's Court in the Houses of Nobles and hath a free Passage throughout a Nation and is delivered from unreasonable Men A religious King is then the Light of Israel when the Lights of the World are set up kept burning brought from under Bushels and set upon the Table when good Men may be as good as they will and the wicked may not be as vile and bad as they would be 5. A good King is a Light to a Kingdom when he reigns in Righteousness David's Prayer for Solomon was Psal 72.2 Give the King thy Judgments and thy Righteousness to the King's Son This was his Prayer for him who was a Lamp which God promised to raise up in his place and when a King doth reign in Righteousness then he imitates and represents the Sun of Righteousnes Christ Jesus the King the Scepter of whose Kingdom is a Scepter of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 2 Sam. 23.3 4. who ariseth with healing in his Wings The God of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake to me He that ruleth over Men must be just ruling in the fear of God Now mark what a just King a religious King that ruleth in the Fear of the Lord shall be And he shall be as the Light of the Morning when the Sun riseth even a Morning without Clouds as the tender Grass springeth out of the Earth by clear shining after Rain i. e. he shall be a great Blessing a great Comfort and Cause of rejoicing to the People of God A King that reigns in Righteousness may yet further be compared to the Light as he doth by himself by his righteous Laws declare and enact what is just and right that by the Light of his Laws People may see the Light of the Rule and the Path of Righteousness that by his wise learned and upright Judges not to serve the Designs Will and sinful Pleasure of the King with a Commission during Pleasure to take away the Lives of innocent Men to countenance false Witnesses perplex or threaten the True disannul Charters and the like Righteousness may run down like a mighty stream When these do distribute Justice between the King and his People and Subject and Subject when the Righteous will not be sold for a pair of Shoes when Righteousness is administred without Partiality then the King will find the Benefit and Comfort of his own Light for Righteousness and Judgment will be the Stability or Establishment of his Throne For by Righteousness the Throne is established Prov. 16.12 6. The King is a Light to Israel as David was for the Security and Protection received from him The Sun and Shield are well joined for the Comfort and Protection of God's People Psal 84.11 The Shields of the Earth belong unto the Lord Psal 47.7 Kings and Magistrates are those Shields and they are Nursing-Fathers and Nursing-Mothers they are like a Pillar of Fire for the Direction and Protection of Israel Hezekiah in the Type of Jesus Christ was foretold that he should be a King to reign in Righteousness and the Princes under him should rule in Judgment when it was so it followeth that he should be a hiding-place from the Wind and a Covert from the Tempest a hiding-place and Covert from the Wind and Tempest raised by the Devil and his Angels to trouble and unsettle the Nation 's Peace and Order and to keep off the Wind and Tempest Persecution and Tribulation which blow and beat upon the Church of God such a Light was David to Israel A Man
Office She is made for the Rule of a Palace for the Retirement of a Closet for exemplary Reverence in the Worship and House of God She is a glorious Beam of Majesty in her Person she shines as she moves she is made for a Throne and long may she sit upon it She is a diffusive Light as she is a joint Cause of the true Light of the Gospel and the Laws of Holiness and Righteousness All People may be as holy and as righteous as they can desire and if they are not it is their own fault they have no Discouragement but Encouragement from above She is a great Light See her gracious Answ to the Address of the Dissenting Ministers even to a Zeal in her own Way and is to be an Example of Moderation towards others Her Light shines before Men that others seeing her good Works may glorify God Thus each one is a singular Light But yet further what is the greater Mercy 2. They both make one Light Through God's infinite Mercy to themselves and us that they are so much one they are one Blood one Flesh and what is more of one Heart and one Soul What a Light are both in one to their whole Dominion to all their Subjects It is a vulgar but a great Observation When had we a King and Queen of one Religion and both of ours We have known the lamentable effects and issues of contrary Religions and of one and the same Religion in our former Kings and Queens The Light of the one never did convince or convert the other of Darkness The Articles of Marriage between Pr. Charles the Infanta and the Queen the Daughter of France nay the Light was so bound sometimes as not to endeavour to work upon the Darkness but the Night had power to tempt the Light and then was one Hour and Power of Darkness and from that time to this most blessed Conjunction of both our Lights in one the Darkness overcame the true Light O the Calamities and Confusions Convulsions and Breaches which followed after the prevailing Power of Darkness The Darkness brought forth Thunder and Lightning and rained Blood it brought forth Wars and Fires it cooled the zeal of many and made the Nation too hot for others O what Matter is this for a Fast to make Prayers and Supplications to deprecate those great Evils And the noisom Vapours of that Darkness make us a sickly diseased People to this time O that the diseased distempered People of these Nations would come to our Light O that God would prosper our Light to bring us to a better Constitution and State of a Body united and compacted together Do not we see the excellency of our Light in respect of Union Do not both walk in the same Spirit O what a Mercy is that to us and to other Nations confederate with us By this we have a Concord in Counsels we are delivered from the Plague of Jesuitical Agitators and Satanical Dividers Court-Faction have no countenance nor Whisperers secret Audience and innumerable other Mischiefs are prevented for now the Devil hath less to do in Court and hath fewer Pupils to instruct in mischievous Arts and Practices between King and Queen Court and Court The dividing of the King and Queen in Interests in Affection according to that Interest the dividing of Counsels to promote those different Interests and these to be managed by contrary Factions and Parties and for these to love the one and hate the other should be as dreadful as if the Stars divided the Heavens into two Fields and sought one against another This is one of the Mercies of this great Revolution that our Lights are so intirely one and that the Constitution of the Government is made so strong that our Dividers cannot divide but they must break and dissolve many would have it otherwise but God wrought such a Temper in the Spirit of the Queen as to submit the Precedence given her by Nature for the publick Benefit And that the Memories of both be blessed for ever and whatever Breaches remain unhealed among a sinful People many of whom know not the things of their own Peace O Lord shine into the Hearts of these two great Lights that they may reign as one 3. And yet the Matter grows higher still These two illustrious Lamps made one Light are both the Light of Israel The Light of David's Life as I noted before was the Light of Israel David was to Israel as Israel was to himself and Israel was to David as David was to himself The Light of David was their Light That thou quench not the Light of Israel So is our David ours And without flattery which I abhor especially on a solemn Day of Confession and Humiliation but to convince you of your Mercy and Duty I speak to you these Words of Truth and Soberness What clearer Evidence can any People have whose Reasons are not perverted against Sense to be in the untoward Party of Murmurers and Complainers than our David hath given us of his appearance coming forth and goings on but for Israel for our Israel and for the scattered Tribes of Israel scattered by Persecutors into many Nations What hath he done in all he hath done for himself What hath he not done that could be done for us Obj. O but Murmurers and Papists and their old dear Friends say He sought the Throne and is come unto it by Vsurpation Ans This is such an Imagination as could never enter into the Heart of Man that believes a Providence and that all the Actions of Princes as well as other Men are subject to it and that Kings and Princes cannot do and have what they will How many apparent Hazards by Sea and Land did he necessarily foresee and every step might present him with Death which was enough to quench the Spark of Ambition and deter him from an Usurpation It would have been the most irrational Project that could ever come into a wise Man's Head and visibly improbable if not impossible as I would undertake to demonstrate if time would give leave God sent him in as a Deliverer of Israel in England Scotland Ireland and so he was acknowledged even by them who will not swear Fidelity to him now their only King by Law and Right But if I might ask those Men these few Questions what could they say 1. What hath he asked for himself what hath he employed for or spent upon himself since his happy Arrival Hath he got half what one half Year's Revenue by Hearths would have brought him in Was there ever a Free-holder in the Kingdom before he restored them Nay to silence some of these Male-contents Do not they some of them to discourage the Nation and encourage Enemies give out that he will not be able to manage the War for want of Money and for the vast Debt that is upon the Nation So then this was a hopeful Project to invade the Throne to want