Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A41888
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The great concern and zeal of a loyal people for a good king's preservation in the hazards of war. And the duty of such a people opened and enforced, in one of our monthly-fasts in a country parish. By the minister thereof.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing G1679; ESTC R212854
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49,196
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44
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for your own ways O House of Israel Ezek. 36.22 32. When we have least to say and have no Reasons to plead taken from our selves we have most to say and the most prevailing Argument to urge by Faith taken from the free Mercy of God and the Glory of his great Name O let us take Courage and come boldly to the Throne of Grace and say Psal 6.4 Jer. 14.7 Save us for thy Mercies sake O Lord though our Iniquities testify against us do thou it for thy Name 's sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not Dan. 9.19 for thine own sake O my God for the City and People that are called by thy Name Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy Psal 115.1 2. and for thy Truth 's sake Wherefore should the Heathen say the French and Irish the Philistines the Enemies of the Lord that have so reproached him that have destroyed all his Tabernacles in the Land say Where is now their God Such an Encouragement as this may quicken us to a lively Attention to the Word of God and put Life into our Prayers when most dejected under the sense of our Sins And so now I come to the Words 1. In this part of sacred Story we read of another War between a proud Zech. 9.6 unquiet idolatrous superstitious People and David ver 5. The Philistines had been often destroyed and conquered by the Sword of David and yet they begin another War with David as the Phrase doth intimate And the Philistines had yet War again with Israel as if they began it and provoked Israel unto it We read not what the particular Cause of the War was it might be from inveterate Hatred from Contrariety of Religion for the Philistines like our Papists had their Images in the Battel of Baal Perazim and as their Images could not help them so neither could they save their Images 2 Sam. 5.21 or it might be Impatience of Revenge that might stir them up and they thought themselves strong enough to overcome and over-run Israel or they might promise to themselves the Life of David having a self-confident vain-glorious Giant Ishbi-benob who might brag as well as think of killing David It is a righteous Judgment of God upon the inveterate Enemies of his People which they see not that they will not be quiet in their Possessions but after many Overthrows they will be making Wars against them 2. And David went down and his Servants with him and fought against the Philistines it seems to be a defensive as well as a lawful War to go down against the Philistines and not to stay for their coming into the Land of Israel they were the beginners of the War and David doth wisely choose the Seat of the War which might be most convenient the further off from home and the nearer the Enemies Country the better An experienced valiant King will neither refuse nor delay to fight against the Enemies of God's People and his Kingdom when there is just Cause and Provocation given 3. And David waxed faint he grow in Years and was much decayed in Strength or tired and weakned with the Wars This Circumstance affords us many Observations 1. The Wars and Troubles in a King's Reign are no Sign or Indication of and should create no Suspitions in any Men of the Weakness or Badness of his Title to the Kingdom Never had King a better or a clearer Title to a Kingdom than David had appointed and designed of God elected and made by the People and anointed Nay the Malice of the Philistines boil'd and swell'd and broke out into an open Attempt and War against David when they heard he was anointed 2 Sam. 5.17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David King over Israel all the Philistines came to seek David And spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim v. 18. Is David anointed has he taken the Kingdom upon him then before he is settled in his Throne we will seek him This Policy was equal to the Malice while the Government was young and tender as some here said of ours and the Factions of the Kingdom not inwardly healed but the Providence of God turned this to David's Glory by giving him the Victory they and their Images fell into his Hands ver 20 21. When God designs a King and gives him a Throne they who rise against him rise and war against God himself and let that King acknowledg God and seek him as David did and all his Enemies shall not prevail against him but fall and perish David had a good Title but a troublesome Reign 2. A good King when he takes a Kingdom takes it not for the Glory and Ease of it but for the Glory of God and Good of his Kingdom with all the Labours and Dangers of a War 3. The true Interest Peace and Happiness of a Kingdom is the Concernment of a good King The Philistines had a great spight against David's Person in the former Design and War but now they hated Israel which were the People of God and professed the true Religion and now David is as much engaged to go out in Person against the Philistines 4. A faithful and a valiant King will endure the great Toil and Weariness of a War even to Faintness 5. That even a David a Servant of God will find it a hard and hazardous Work to fight his Enemies 6. A good and valiant King will expose his own Person and tire himself in Battel and yet not fly nor leave the Field David waxed faint but yet stands his ground 7. The best and stoutest King must feel his own Infirmities that he may know that he conquereth not by his own Strength 8. That though a good King shall prevail yet first he may be brought very low and faint The greatest Champion will faint in time and often-times a Cause and People may be brought very low before a Conquest The Power of God will be seen in humane Weakness and give him hot and fainting work that his glorious Power may bring forth Victory and Peace 4. Ver. 16. And Ishbi-benob c. How exact an account have we here given us of this great Enemy of David By his Name a very notorious and noted Man his Descent and Family which was of the Sons of the Giant his great Strength his dangerous Weapon The Weight of whose Spear weighed three hundred Shekels of Brass in Weight About nine Pound six Ounces Haver depoise Clark's Annot About half as big as Goliah's 1 Sam. 17.7 but according to others a great deal more and by his particular Preparation for Mischief to David's Person being girded with a new â—word Sword is not in the Original Text but supplied for Explication as contained in the word girded Girded with a new somewhat extraordinary and fitted for his
what became of his strong and his mighty Arm or his new Sword then 4. The Enemies of God and his David may imagine and design greatest mischief to him but are so far from being able to execute and perform their Counsels and Designs that they perish in the attempt to execute them 5. The Servants of God and the King should not fear a Philistine tho he were an armed Giant in the defence of the King and Israel let him smite and kill at once 6. It is a Duty and a necessary part of Wisdom to know when and whom the Servants of God must smite and spare or smite and kill Abishai was ready at it and David was not so faint but he might have bad him forbear to kill if it had not been his Duty There is a great difference to be made between some Enemies and others 7. The Instruments of God's Judgments upon his Enemies do quickly and effectually execute his Pleasure upon them Abishai smote and killed him 8. How dreadful is it for any Man to be an Enemy to God and his People Israel It must needs be a torment to be disappointed of his Aim had David only escaped his and been preserved and he escaped and fled To lose the pleasure of his Enmity against him to lose the honour of such a Fact and the prey and reward of his Service but not only to fail but to perish and go down to Hell in a moment what Horror attends his Breath going out of his Nostrils What a tormenting Disappointment was it to miss of David and die in a doing Enterprize 2dly Another thing in the Words is the zealous Action and Behaviour of the People and the use they made of the King's Deliverance Then the Men of David sware unto him saying Thou shalt go no more with us to Battel They had in another case withstood the King's Declaration to them of going in person with his Army into the Field against Absalom 2 Sam. 18.3 There they did more than humbly disswade the King from going they did resolutely gainsay the King's Declaration but the People answered Thou shalt not go forth and gave their reason for it But here they carry their Resolution higher they swore unto the King thou shalt go no more to Battel c. What would some of our late Asserters and Promoters of the Absolute Power of Kings have said of this Case The Persons were all David's Subjects and yet they sware unto the King they sware unto the King without asking his leave or license they sware unto the King not to bind themselves to their Duty to him but to bind him and to bind him absolutely without limitation or restriction Thou shalt go no more out with us to Battel Tho their Concernment for the King and Kingdom 's Preservation and Welfare was good yet thus it would have been interpreted 1. To restrain the King from going out to Battel any more 2. And for them to swear that he should not go was to exercise an Act of Superiority and Usurpation over the King's Power and Liberty 3. And tho the End and Intention was good to preserve the King's Life and the Light of Israel yet was it not doing ill that good might come of it 4. Was it not ill done of David the King to suffer such an Oath to be made and an emboldning of Subjects to combine and to swear obtaining this to have what they list at any time Was it not a defect in David's Government to suffer this and to be imposed upon I shall not enter into Enquiries on this Subject but it is necessary to say something to the matter The Judgment of Peter Martyr a Reformer of great Learning Judgment and Sincerity is much to be valued Saith be Comment in 2 Sam. 21.17 The Men of Israel did piously think that the King should not be exposed to danger As the Members are willing to be endangered for the Head so it is the duty of good Subjects to take care of the Safety of their Princes And saith he it is not unbecoming Kings In chap. 18 sometimes to yield to the honest Counsels of their Subjects That which is obvious will keep us from falling into Briars in the dark 1. It is certain that David was a Sovereign King in his Kingdom 2. His Government was by God's Institution and Appointment 3. King and People were so united for the most part that they agreed in one common Design and End the Publick Good here called the Light of Israel The People did highly and justly honour and esteem the King 2 Sam. 18.3 and the King did sincerely regard their Prosperity and Happiness 4. The People were not a Generation of brutish Animals nor so despised they know wherein the Happiness of their Kingdom did consist and made bold to do more than petition they gainsaid the King's Will in conscience of his and the common Safety 5. The King did not oppose his Will against their Safety and free Resolutions neither but understanding their Will he condescended to it and without disputing Prerogative did acquiesce and yield 6. The People did highly value the King's Life above their own they would continue in their Loyalty to the King and Kingdom and undergo the Hazards of War in their Persons and go to War but provided for his Safety and the Safety of the Kingdom in his 7. The Peoples Sense of publick Dangers and publick Safety and their expressing and declaring that Sense is not inconsistent with their strictest Duty nor highest Honour towards a Sovereign King of God's own Designation And Self-denial for publick Benefit is no derogation from soveraign Power 8. The nature of their Oath was high and strict as if they had power so far to dispose of the King's Person as to bind him for his and the Kingdom 's undoubted Good and Welfare they sware unto the King that he should go no more out with them to Battel but they add their Reason That thou quench not the Light of Israel So much of the Peoples Act. 3dly The reason of their Oath to the King contains very excellent matter which being duly applied will be a means to continue to us the Light of our Israel 1. A good holy righteous King and Governour is given of God in Mercy to a People to be to them a great publick Blessing As the Sun is a Light to the World so is a good King to a Kingdom And this is the difference between a King of God's Donation and Appointment and a King by a judicial Permission to a dissatisfied discontented People The desire of all Israel was after a King 1 Sam. â— 20 8.5 19. and they had one granted them but what he proved need not here be repeated but as bad as he was he was true to the common Interest of the Kingdom against the Enemies thereof and went not about to subject it to foreign Powers When he was rejected God provided him a