the honourable So it is threatned as a sad judgement Hos 3.4 The children of Israel shall abide many dayes without a King and without a Prince A sad condition for a people to be without a King to protect them to maintain their Lawes their Liberties and Priviledges On the contrary by the presence of this blessing all other blessings are insured to a people See Ps 72. where the chearfull face of the State doth speak the comfortable influence of a good King The people are judged with Righteousness the poor with Judgment the mountains bring Peace the little hills Righteousness I cannot stand to reckon all the particular blessed fruits of a good Kings Government But let us consider at this time these five particulars 1. Restraint of vice by the execution of justice is the fruit of lawfull Authority set up How often is that inculcat in the Book of Judges Chap. 17.6.18.1.19.1.21.25 In these dayes there was no King in Israel and every man did that which was right in his own eyes When there was no King to rule Idolatrie waxed common without any punishment whoredom and uncleanness without controlment murder and oppression practised without any check a lamentable disorder and confusion It is reported of the Persians that it was their custom upon the death of their King to let the people be without all Lawes and Government for some dayes to dismiss malefactors and permit a time of licentious liberty That so they seeing the mischief and inconvenience of being without their King they might the more willingly submit themselves to his successor But now when a good King is set up he is a terrour to evill doers Rom. 13. And it hath been truly said if some men were not gods among men most men would be beasts yea devils among men in all kind of wickedness 2. The second happy fruit of a good Kings Government is Protection to the innocent the poor and the weak This goeth along with the former What is among a people destitute of lawfull Authority but as Habakkukâ— speaketh Chap. 1.14 Men are as the fishes of the sea as the creeping things that have no Ruler over them The greater fish eat up the lesser the rich and wealthie oppresse the poor the great ones in whose hand is power bear down the weak and mean ones But now when the good King is set up the poor have a father and a defender the Jawes of the wicked are broken the spoil pluckt from his teeth Job 29.16 17. There is a covering against the heat a hiding place from the wind a refuge from the tempest rivers of waters in a dry land and the shaddow of a rock in a weary land In his dayes the righteous flourish for he delivereth the needy when he cryeth the poor and him that hath no helper He redeemeth their soul from deceit and violence and precious is their bloud in his sight Hence are Princes called the Shields of the earth Psal 47.9 for the safety and defence of the innocent and the fence they afford to our liberty and propertie if none will be subject none can be free if men owne not lawfull Government they shall not call any thing they have their own 3. A third happy fruit of a good Kings Government is peace and quietness Acts. 24 2. the Orator Tertullus began his Speech to Felix with this Seing by thee we enjoy great quietness and that very worthy deeds are done unto this Nation by thy providence We accept it alwayes with all thankfulness most noble Felix Yet Felix was none of the best Governors a man far better than Tertullus inspired by the Spirit of God the Apostle Paul exhorteth to pray for Kings and all in Authority upon this account that we might live in peace and godliness under them Two wayes is a good King the procurer of Peace 1. By being a bulwark against Invasions from without keeping that there be no crying out in our streets no breaking in Psal 144.14 All the dayes of Solomon Judah and Israel dwelt confidently every man under his own Vine-tree from Dan even to Beersheba 1 King 4.25 2. By being the cement to unite scattered societies within and the healer of breaches and dissentions Zecha 10.4 Out of Judah came the corner and the nail The good King is not only the corner-stone for foundation for a people to rest on and the top-stone for ornament but the corner that joyns the sidewalls together he is not only the nail for hanging all vessels great and small upon him but the nail for joyning the beams and rafters of the house and building 4. A fourth happy fruit of a good Kings Government is Plenty That this followeth upon the former we cannot but understand for when all things run in a right channell the lawes of the land are in force under lawfull Authority people enjoying their liberties lives possessions and houses in peace Then Industrie Learning Arts Trade Traffick are encouraged and advanced and a people prosper even in externall things 2 Chron. 9.27 You read that Solomon brought in such wealth into Judea by his good Government his advancing Trade and Traffick by sea and land that silver was nothing accounted of through the abundance of it Yea God Almighty also from above seconds the blessing of righteous Government with the dew of heaven and the sat of the earth Psal 72.16 There shall be a handfull of corn upon the top of the mountains the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon a litle shall yeeld a plentifull increase and left it should be said this is for the villages and country it is added They of the City shall flourish like grasse of the earth they shall be green and grow in prosperity and wealth 5. A fifth happy fruit of a good Kings Government and which is the chief of all is the comfortable use of the Gospel and the liberty of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ holy freedom of conscience which is the very marrow of our bones and life of our lives when now the Church hath a nursing father Isa 49.23 and the good King becomes under God a defence upon all the glory according to the title of our Kings A Defender of the Faith of the Gospel Many Heathen people have enjoyed happy dayes for Protection Plenty and Prosperity under their heathen Kings as the Romans under their Augustus Trajan Adrian Titus But when the King is a member of the Church and is one of Christ's Kings who holds his Crown in subordination to the King of Saints Then beside all outward blessings to the State there is a far greater enjoyed The Gospel hath free passage the Ordinances of Christ are maintained in purity Error and Heresie Idolatry false Worship Atheism and Irreligion are banished for the Christian King is as Constantine to the Church Episcopus extra Ecclesiam a watchman and overseer to her We all read what good offices David Hezekiah and Josiah did unto the Church advancing true Religion
and right Worship defacing Idolatry and of worthy Joshua who lived before them it is said Josh 24.31 That all the dayes of Joshua the people served the Lord. Now in all these respects it is that a good King is compared to the Light whose rising makes a day unto a people whose setting and obscuring makes their night as the Ancients expound that 24. verse of the 118 Psalm that was sung at the inauguration of David This is the day which the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce in it It is called a day because of the Occurrents of the time that David had risen upon them like a Sun to make a lightsom day The 104. Psalm tels you what difference there is betwixt the day and the night The night is the time when the savage beasts range abroad Wolves Lions and Serpents creep out from their dens and holes But when the day appears these beasts retire to their caves and man goeth forth to his labour So it is in times of confusion when Government is cast loose all sorts of beastly men filthy as Swine greedy as Wolves cruel as Tygers deceitfull as Crocodiles they come abroad boldly to satisfie their lusts But in time of lawfull Authority when a King is on the Throne these vermine are chased to their holes and dens as is declared at large Psal 101. and honest men come forth appear and lift up their heads Application Thus you have seen the Doctrine Let us apply it to our Case We are assembled this day to blesse God for restoring our Kings Majesty to his Dominions Now if any people ever had cause to rejoyce upon such an occasion we much more Considering the unparallel'd circumstances of this our great mercy I desire you to consider of them in these five 1. What is the blessing restored to us 2. When the circumstance of time 3. How the manner 4. Who for a King is set over us 5. To Whom all this goodnesse is manifested a very undeserving people What. 1. What is the blessing restored to us Even our ancient fundamental Government under which these Kingdoms have enjoyed both the Gospel and Peace under which our progenitors have enjoyed many happy and good dayes by the Royal protection of our Kings It hath unhappily come in debate in these late times of confusion what kind of Government is the best But whoever might have disputed such a case it did no wayes become these Nations to do it Kingly Government being of so old and firm and undubitable possession amongst us In this Nation some hundred years before Christs incarnation it was established And if we go to the Scripture with it sure I am there is none will vye with it the very history of the lives of the Kings of the people of God taking up a great part of the Bible and Kingly Government being such a fair Image of God Almighties Government in the world and Christs Kingdom in the Church that the whole dispensations of providence the whole dispensations of grace in the Gospel are set forth to us under the expressions of King and Kingdom Every other word of the Gospel soundeth forth a King and Kingdom to us And why doth the New Testament in many places where duty to the Magistrate is pressed expresly and particularly mention Kings 1 Pet. 2.13 and v. 17. 1 Tim. 2.2 if not to set the seal and approbation of the holy Ghost upon Kingly Government in special And though it be said in Scripture of Saul that God gave Israel a King in His wrath and took him away in His displeasure Yet this can no manner of wayes rub upon Kingly Government seing it is most clear from these two that Kingly Government was not given them in wrath but in much mercy 1. That in Moses time the Lord had appointed that they should be ruled by Kings Deut. 17. and Moses himself was King in Jesurum 2. That after Saul God gave them a David in great love and we may easily perceive that the times of David and Solomon were the best times that ever Israel saw for Religion Peace and Prosperity they were never so godly never so wealthy and well every way as under them I remember when that prevailing Faction in England made their Act rejecting Kingly Government they put in this as a reason because it had been burdensome and troublesome to the Nations But I appeal to all who have considered whether their little finger hath not been more burdensom than the loyns of an hundred of our Kings And I cannot forget what an English Divine hath truly printed of their Commonwealth That we had saith he never so much common poverty as since we became a Commonwealth When. The second circumstance is the time When God hath restored this blessing to us After a dark night of Confusion a sad Interruption that hath been for many years I told you what the Persians did in policy to make the people esteem more highly of Government being established But God in his wisdom hath so disposed of us that we have seen not only a few dayes confusion but have been under sad distractions for many years that we might learn more highly to prize the blessing of lawfull Government when restored In King James the sixth his time we had a very clear and fair day a day like Joshua's day that continued for a long time In King Charles the first his time we had a fair day for the blessings of Government continued with us till the sins of all ranks coming to a great height our day was turned into a very black night and now in respect of the comfortable blessings of Kingly Government we have had a sad interruption for many years Yea and when after the detestable and execrable Murder committed upon Him We in this Nation expected a dawning of our day by calling home our present Kings Majesty to Scotland and crowning him here Behold it fell out to us as it is Isa 21.12 The morning cometh and the night also Our morning was soon turned into a night of captivity for ten years And as it is with the natural night that it is darkest just before day So before this appearing of light there was the greatest darknesse of confusion and reeling The righteous Lord overturning overturning one thing after another till he should come whose right it was And now that the Lord hath made light to arise after so long so black and dismal confusions How should it make us rejoyce Psal 118.27 God is the Lord who hath shewed us light binde the sacrifice with cords even unto the horus of the Altar How A third Circumstance is How There is a book in Scripture that hath its name ECHAH the book of How 's and there are many dolefull How 's in it the book of the Lamentations How doth the City sit solitary How is the Gold become dim But in this our mercy there are so many joyfull How 's that I cannot reckon all
to subsist without Magistracy And who doth not see how many wayes a good King is necessary and usefull to a people When Kings and Rulers are taken away the eye of the Common-wealth is put out and we are left in blindness the foundation is pulled away and how can the house but fall The feet are cut off and how can the body stand The head is gone and there is no counsell The arm is broken and there is no strong rod to be a Scepter to rule and this is for a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation Ezek. 19.14 The breath of a Peoples Nostrils is stopped and what then followes but death to the whole body Good reason therefore have a people to apprehend this and be sensible of it That their happiness is bound up in the happiness and welfare of their King and in the sense thereof to cry out with loud acclamations Let the King live Let him live that we may all live that the Land may live that Religion may live Counsell may live Justice may live Peace may live that we and our posterity may have a Rest a Center of quietness under his shadow Thirdly This acclamation hath in it a short prayer and an hearty wish to God for the Kings safety and welfare Our translation and the word we use God save the King expresseth this most fully Wherein the Lesson is clear That as it is our duty to praise God for our King So to pray to God earnestly for him 1 Tim. 2.12 The Apostle Paul exhorteth to this I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead a godly and peaceable life under them The Apostle saith first of all because this is a matter of prime consideration and remembrance that should have a principall place in all Church-assemblies as to seek God for a blessing on all holy and spirituall so also upon all civill administrations and the persons by whom they are administred He mentioneth Kings in particular for two reasons at Interpreters agree 1. Because at that time Kings were strangers to the Gospel unconverted and heathen and people might doubt whether being so they should pray for them The Apostle looseth the doubt I exhort you pray for them notwithstanding for your peace sake Yea Eusebius telleth us that not only Constantine and Justinian sought the prayers of the Christian Church for them but that even heathen Emperours some of them though otherwise evil affected to Christianity Yet had such an esteem of Christians prayers that they thought themselves and their Empire more secure by them as appears by the Edict of Galerius Maximinus Eusebius Lib. 8. Cap. 29. Unde Christiani hac indulgentiâ à nobis concessa devincti debent Deo suo obnixè supplicare pro nostrâ Reipublicae pro sua ipsorum salute c. And it was charged upon Gallus who succeeded Decius though he was a heathen that beginning by cruel Edicts to proscribe Religious Christians who were wont to make earnest prayers for him in driving them away it is said he drave away with them these prayers also which were accustomed to be poured out to God for him 2. For this reason also doth the Apostle particularly mention Kings to intimate what blessed Instruments they might be to the Church of God being converted to the faith of the Gospel being members of the Church themselves they bring in their glory and honour to the Church Rev. 21.24 And this was Gods promise to his Church long before John's time Isa 60.16 Thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles and thou shalt suck the brest of Kings And Oh! how glorious things are spoken of the Church there when it is so for copper I will bring gold for iron silver c. to the end of the Chapter Let me add three motives more to this point 1. Kings above all persons should be prayed for because the Lord challengeth a speciall work upon the hearts of Kings Prov. 21.1 The Kings heart is in the band of the Lord as the rivers of waters As the husband-man cuts out a channel for the water-course with his spade sometimes lets it run in to water his fields sometimes sets it off So doth the Lord more easily with the hearts devices and counsells of Kings he turneth them to water and refresh his people as the heart of Pharaoh to Joseph of Darius to Daniel of Cyrus to the Jews sometimes he bears them off when they would run impetuously to do hurt as he did with divers of the Roman Emperours and with Charles the fifth to the late Reformers Melancthon Pomeranius and other famous men of God whom after he had conquered the Protestant Princes he dismissed in safety without laying any bands upon them at all 2. Because as God hath a speciall work upon the hearts of Kings so his work on them is of speciall concernment to the Church How the heart of a King is inclined is of all earthly concernments most considerable for it is like the palme of the horologe to tell the time how Gods heart is inclined towards a people when the Lord is angry with a people he saith he will make such as hate him reign over them and when he is pacified he giveth them Kings according to his own heart So that the inclination of a Kings heart is the sign of Gods favour or displeasure to a people When God was to punish Judah he set a Manasseh over them who though he was well educated under Hezekiah yet proved he a fierce King Again when God was pacified he sets a Josiah over them who though he was mis-educated under Amon yet had he a tender heart towards the people 3. Because Kings have above all others a difficult task and most weighty charge great dominion carries with it alwayes a great care which doth many times make sleep depart from their eyes Esth 6.1 The Apostle Paul said of himself 2 Cor. 11.28 that beside his troubles without the care of all the Churches lay upon him So Princes have the care of all their Subjects lying upon them beside the many dangers they are oftentimes incompassed with above others The enemies of the publick peace being like the King of Syria who commanded his Captains to fight neither against small nor great save against the King 1 Kin. 22.31 You see then your duty set about it The King is more obliged to them who pray for him and for his life and health than to those who drink his health in vain carrouses So he saith himself in his late Proclamation Some that are here on this solemn day I believe have no great plenty cannot command strong drink cannot come at a rich table a cup running over Let such go home and pray this prayer aright with strong and fervent affection God save the King This will do him more good than all the healths that others