Vow sealed with horrid Imprecations (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Zelot ap Judaeos Philo. leg spec to murder S. Paul as he went towards the Hall of Judgment and first they acquainted their impious Priests with it who approved the Design and encouraged the Actors promising them no doubt if they were seized by the Guards and executed for this Heroick Zeal toward their Old Religion that they should merit Paradise at least for ridding the Church of such an Enemy Thus far the Stories agree But S. Paul was a private Man and their Fellow-Subject and they aimed at a single Sacrifice to their Rage Whereas these Plotters aim at a Gracious Prince their own Sovereign and at a thousand more Lives besides his yea as the Parliament is the Nation in Representative our Plotters seem inspired with the bloody Principles of Caligula (g) Utinam Pop. Rom. unam cervicem haberet Votum Caligul ap Suet. l. 4. p. 24. who wish'd he could cut off all the People of Rome at one stroke They were for destroying a thousand innocent Lives at once and subverting the Religion and the whole Government of the Nation and cutting off all that should oppose them So that the Scripture affords no parallel of such cruel and blood-thirstymen and we must be content with a Crime like it but in a far lower degree The first Collect. The first Collect consist of 1st A Memorial of past Providences observing 1st The Author of them Almighty God who hast in all ages c. 2ly The Objects of them 1. The Church 2. Kings in the miraculous and gracious deliverances c. 3. States 3ly The end of them viz. their safety from such Plots from the wicked Conspiracies c. 2ly An act of Praise for a special Providence to us relating 1st The Thanksgiving it self we yield thee our unfeigned thanks c. 2ly The grounds of it 1. The persons hereby delivered for the wonderful and mighty c. 2. The Evil escaped by Popish Treachery appointed c. 3. The aggravation thereof in a most barbarous c. 3ly An acknowledgment whence it came From this unnatural Conspiracy not our merit c. 4ly A Recognition to whom the Praise is due And therefore not unto us O Lord c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 7. ALmighty God who hast in all Ages shewed c. This Collect relates to our former deliverance and is introduced by observing that this was not the first time Heaven had shewed its Power and Mercy upon such occasions And it is very fit that a new instance of the Divine Goodness to us should revive in our grateful minds the memory of Gods Blessings though granted in ages long since past Time should never blot out their Remembranc especially when a later Act gives us occasion to call to mind all of the like kind For all these Providences aim at the same end that is by preserving righteous and religious Kings and States professing his holy and eternal Truth to preserve his Church and true Religion throughout all ages so that it is come down even unto our times The Old Testament records many Deliverances of the Jewish Church and State and of their Religious Kings David and Asa Jehosaphat and Hezekiah And ever since there were Christian Princes the Annals of the Church abound with Examples of their being preserved from the plots and malice of Jews and Pagans Hereticks and Infidels yea from all sorts of Traitors And the Reign of Queen Elizabeth alone of Blessed Memory is sufficient to confirm this Truth The Romanists hoping with her to destroy the Religion she professed often attempted her Life by poisoning and stabbing and sought to take away her Crown by frequent Rebellions at home and by a formidable Invasion from abroad but still Heaven manifestly defeated them and miraculously preserved Her We yield thee our unfeigned thanks and praise for c. As their malice ended not with her Reign so neither did Almighty God cease his care When there was a fresh occasion by a new Plot against her Successor King James I. a new Providence delivered Him and gave us occasion with all joy and gratitude this day to own it by commemorating First the Persons designed to be destoyed viz. A Wise and Gracious Protestant King his Vertuous and Religigious Queen and their most Innocent and Hopeful Heir Prince Henry together with the whole Parliament consisting of the three Estates and all Officers and Attendants belonging to any of these (h) Parliamentum Curia apud nos suprema magnum trium ordinum Concilium vel Conventus ut cum Rege de rebus arduis consultent Somneri Glossar ap X. Script yea all whose business or curiosity on that solemn Day should bring them to that fatal place under which were privately laid such certain instruments of death as in one instant would have torn these poor Creatures into a thousand pieces and buried them all in the Ruins of that Ancient Senate-house If an implicite Faith and a blind Zeal could not work Prodigies it is scarce to be imagined how any thing in human shape could be so infatuated as to believe that God who hates robbery for a Burnt-offering (i) Isa LXI 8. can like some cruel Pagan Doemon be pleased with Murder or delight in a Sacrifice of Human Blood But they who are taught to renounce their Senses (k) Absit credere quae videmus Walt. Mahop de nugis curiae dist 1. c. 11. and must not believe that which they see tast and smell may easily be brought to abandon their Reason also and wretchedly imagine they oblige and serve God in exercising the greatest barbarity upon men To kill one innocent Man wilfully is a damning sin if the Eighth Commandment be one of Gods Eternal Laws but to kill so Many One of them their Sovereign some of them their Friends and Relations and all of them their Countrymen and Civil Neighbours and to do this in so sudden and merciless a manner and still to believe this barbarity to be meritorious is as the Collect notes a Wickedness that hath no parallel nor precedent in former Ages these Monsters staâ—â— single From this unnatural Conspiracy not our merit c. Those who could so long ruminate upon so unnatural a Plot and fortified themselves for it by profaning the Holy Sacrament of Peace and making that the Bond for Murder These would not have shrunk at the Execution And oh what a blessing was it â—hat these cruel Hands were not let loose God â—ne could and he did restrain them and this nor for our Merit for we were then as we are now a sinful nation They were discovered not by our foresight since it was hatched in the dark â—nd carried on closely almost to the very fatal minute But by Heavens never-sleeping and all-seeing Eye while they feared no stop and we apprehended no danger Then as happily as unexpectedly all was disclosed and prevented
foolish as it is impious and let them take heed it do not provoke God to convince them of his Justice by a speedy Vengeance for then the knowledge of their danger will come too late to prevent it It was a sign that Adams understanding was weakned by his Fall as St. Chrysostom notes (s) Chrysost in Gâ—n hom 17. p. 10â— otherwise he would not have been so weak to imagine the Trees of the Garden could hide him from his Maker And it is evident they must be infatuated to a high degree who can persuade themselves that he who made all mens Eyes and Earâ— doth not hear the Cry of the Oppressed and see the Cruelty of their Oppressors (t) Oâ—â—dum 〈◊〉 te non intendit suum qui fecit tuum Aug. V. D. Ser. 10. If Reason would not Examples might have taught them that God by his Judgments brings the proudest Atheistical Heathens such as Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar to own his Power and Equity (u) Exod. IX 28. Dan. IV. 37. and by sharp Punishments he teaches the most obstinate Wretches to know there is a God who judgeth in the Earth and under his Rod they confess it (w) Oculos quos cluserat culpa aperit pana Greg. Mag. Vid. Gen. XLII 21. Wherefore all the while Men are encouraging themselves in Sin by hopes of impunity the Lord knows these are vain thoughts and will in a little time wofully confute them Ver. XII XIII XIV XV. So that an evil Man is miserable while he seems to be spared but the Pious are Blessed when they are afflicted (x) Psal CXIX 7â— Quod sâ—vitiam existimas gratia est Tert. Scorp cap. 5. Qui corrumpuntur prosperis corriguntur adversis Salv. de Prov. l. 6. because this makes them more holy and devout and while the Calamity endures they are supported by Patience till they find themselves delivered and their Enemies punished for injuring them And if this Justice seem to be slow yet it is very sure for God never did fail at last to rescue the Good and punish evil Men. He is ever righteous in his Nature and at length his Righteousness breaks forth into Act and he executes Judgment even in this World Wherefore men that truly love God may firmly trust in him and follow after Virtue still for their Hope shall not be ashamed nor their Expectations finally disappointed Ver. XVI XVII XVIII XIX And God hath taught us of this Land that there is more reason for innocent Suffeâ—â—â— to be Patiâ—nt than for unjust Oppressors to Presume 'T is true we looked long under that Tyranny for human â—â—id hoping some good Patriots or generous Foreign Prince would take our part against â—â—ese Regicides But at last when we were just sinking into Anarchy and a new Civil War by the divided Parties striving for the Mastery God himself miraculously pulled them all down (y) Dum imperare singuli cupiunt imperium omnes perdidâ—runt Justin hist l. 8. This indeed was long deferred so that many good mens hearts almost failed them they began to fear God had forsaken them and given them over to their Enemies But the Lord in the midst of these despairing thoughâ— did support them with secret comfortable hopes of a gracious Deliverance Ver. XX XXI XXII XXIII For it could never enter into their hearts that God should approve of their cruel Judgment-seats and Bloody Tribunals (z) Shall the Throne of Iniquity have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a Law New Transtat Qui sâ—dit crimina vindicaturus admittit Cypr. ep ad Donat. where they first made most wicked Laws to justifie Murder and all sorts of Cruelty and Injustice (a) Ex Senatus consultis plebisque scitis scelera exercentur publicè jubentur vetitae privatim Sen. ep 95. p. 366. and then pretended legally to kill and ruin Men to make an offensive War against their Sovereign and to imbrue their hands in his and his Friends most innocent Blood It were Blasphemy to imagine God should be on their side Wherefore while these dismal Times continued good Men were supported by hoping and believing that Heaven to which they fled for refuge would at last rescue them and punish their Malicious Enemies with utter Destruction which was no more than requiting them according to their own Doings and destroying the Destroyers And after some years this Hope was verified Anarchy vanished the Authors of it were justly punished and the Church and the Monarchy were restored for which let us now sing Glory be to the Father c. Psal LXXXV consists of these Three Parts 1st An acknowledgment of Gods former favour 1. Removing an old Calamity Ver. I. 2. Pardoning the Sin which caused it Ver. II. 3. Ceasing from his Anger then Ver. III. 2ly A Prayer for the like favour now 1. Deprecating his present Anger Ver. IV. 2. Expostulating for its Continuance Ver. V. VI. 3. Petitioning for Mercy earnestly Ver. VII 3ly An exercise of their Faith and Hope in 1. Waiting for a gracious Answer V. VIII 2. Believing it will come shortly Ver. IX 3. Rejoycing in hope as if it were come Ver. X XI 4. Expecting better Times after Ver. XII XIII Brief Notes on this Psalm § 3. THis Psalm supposes one Evil had been removed from Gods People and another was like to fall on them shewing how they comforted themselves with hopes of a second Deliverance by remembring the former Ver. I II III. This Psalm respects both our deliverances from Faction first and then from Popery and so I shall apply it When the King and his Loyal Subjects were restored to their Rights and the Church once more setled in Peace we blessed God for his Favour to our Land which he had then so happily freed from its Oppressors that we hoped our Sins had been all forgiven and the effects of them even Gods displeasure totally ceased for Peace and Plenty Truth and Justice Religion and Piety then flourished here Ver. IV V VI. But we alas fell back into our old Sins at last and forgat the God who had saved us from Anarchy which renewed his Anger and then a new Storm arose which threatned both our Religion and our Liberties from him who had solemnly promised to defend both This renewed our former Prayers to the Lord to make us better and to avert this impending Judgment we expostulated with Heaven and set out how severely we had been chastised in the last Generation by the tyrannizing Murderers of our Royal Martyr and if he should now again give us up into the hands of Persecutors armed with Arbitrary Power this would look like keeping his Anger for ever and extending his Wrath from one Generation to another We could indeed scarce believe that a God of so much Patience and Compassion would so soon take away the Comfort we had in the true Religion and our Native Liberties We hoped he would avert these fears which made our lives grievous (b)
then we grow very high and vain And if we barely conceit we are though but in one instance better than others (n) Prov. III. 7. this puffs us up with Pride till we forget the frailty and meanness of our Nature which though it be outwardly clothed with never so gay a fortune or inwardly adorned with never so excellent Gifts still we are in our Nature but like Dust out of which Man was made (o) Gen. III. 19. Pulvis non modo eris sed es D. Bern. Quid superbis pulvis ciuis cujus conceptus culpa nasci miseria vivere poena mori angustia id Medit c. 3. or the Ashes he shall be reduced to that is we are as soon and as easily scattered and blown away and being also very sinful alas we may provoke Heaven to cut us off sooner than our usual term of Life Why then should we be proud of any thing within us or without us when the Vessel it self is so brittle which contains it Why should we be exalted at these things which we have so slender hold of If Greatness or good Qualities had been preservatives against Death and Violence our Royal Martyr had been secure because both of them met in perfection in him but he thus falling methinks we should never presume But that according to the Example of this c. This excellent King may justly be stiled a Blessed Martyr since his Life was so holy and his Death was a Witness and Seal to his Faith for he chose a cruel Execution rather than he would violate his Conscience by deserting the Church and his Peoples Rights (p) Non poena sed causa facit Martyrem Aug. ep 61. And none of the noble Army of Martyrs have left us a better Example We may learn all the former Lessons from him He long expected and strictly prepared for Death he despised all the Glories of this World and while all but his blinded Enemies admired him he had low thoughts of himself The Crown he alone desired was that of Immortality and therefore both in prosperity and adversity with St. Paul he still pressed forward toward this mark (q) Phil. III. 14. even that Prize of Eternal Life which God the Master of the Race hath promised to all that love and fear him And in order to obtain this Crown he exercised all those Graces practised all those Virtues that lead to it His Faith was active and steddy his Patience singular and extraordinary his Humility most conspicuous and truly lovely his Meekness under the highest provocations was stupendious and admirable his Mortification in the plenty and pleasures of a Court was unparalleld his Charity in pitying praying for and forgiving his Enemies was scarce ever equalled by any mortal Man finally he persevered in all these Graces to the end he was faithful to the Death and so no doubt he is now Blessed and hath obtained what he ever wished for even the Crown of Eternal Life (r) Rev. II. 10. Now if we-desire a part in the Glories he enjoys we must follow his Steps practise these Virtues in which he spent his Life (s) Nescio qua fronte cum omnibus sanctis partem habere in aeternâ beatitudine desideramus quorum exempla sequi non acquiescimus Aug. de Temp. Ser. 61. and hold fast that Faith which he sealed with his Blood at his Death and then though we be not called to the Crown of Martyrdom yet we shal ever live with him and all the holy Martyrs and our Lot shall be among the Saints And all this for thy Son our Lord Iesus c. These Petitions are all of so high importance to us that though as Sinners we are unworthy to ask them yet since we cannot be sanctified and saved unless we obtain them We come to the Throne of Grace and beg them in his Name whose Intercession can prevail for every thing that we can need or Heaven grant and if for Jesus sake these our Prayers be heard we do promise to make returns of Praise yea in hopes of success through this our most powerful Advocate we do now actually give to the Father to whom our Prayer is directed to the Son in whose Name our Prayers are heard and to the Holy Ghost by whose aid we pray fervently all Honour and Glory and resolve to do so for ever and ever Amen The end of the Office for Jan. XXX A DISCOURSE ON THE OFFICE FOR THE XXIXth of May. BEING A Thanksgiving for the Restauration of the King and Royal Family An. 1660. THAT which was premised to the preceding Office may serve for a Preface to this because the Miseries of that Day made way for the Joy of this Solemnity The Royal Martyrs Cruel Tragedy and all the Woful Consequences of it in Church and State for twelve tedious years made this Day to be celebrated with such extraordinary and universal rejoycing as if the Nation had got a New Soul and every Man had that day been first made Free. To see our Oppressors suddenly vanish our Ancient Government and our Lawful King our Native Liberties and Gods True Religion restored without Blood or the least Opposition was the wonder of all the Christian World and so great a Blessing to this Land that so long as the Church of England and that Royal Family then restored continue which I hope will be till Time be swallowed up by Eternity so long this Day must be registred in our Kalenders as a day of Praise and Thanksgiving And since we and the Ages after us have and will receive the benefit of the establishments then made we and our Posterity are bound to keep up the Memorial of this great Mercy The Sentences and the Hymn instead of the Venite § 1. THis Office is introduced with Proper Sentences The First Dan. IX 9 10. being Daniels Confession of his Peoples Transgression and of Gods Mercy and this is to be used also upon Jan. XXX and is explained in the Companion to the Temple Part I. The second Sentence Lament III. 22. ascribes our preservation from utter Ruin solely and intirely to the Divine Mercy and Never-failing Compassion The Hymn instead of the Venite hath seven Particulars 1st A Resolution to praise God for ever Ps LXXXIX 1. 2ly The Grounds of it 1. For the greatness of his Works Psal CXI 4. CVI. 2. CXI 2. 2. The Equity of his Providence Psal CXLVII 6. CIII 6. 3. The Wonders of his Mercy Psal CIII 9 10 11 13. 3ly A Commemoration of 1. Our great Troubles Psal LXVI 9.11 LXXI 18. 2. Our happy Deliverance out of them Psal CXXXVI 23 24. Psal LXXXV 1. LIX 10. 3. Our Enemies just fall Psal XX. 8. XXXVI 12. 4ly A Prophecy of future Success Psal CXV 12 13. 5ly A Prayer 1. For our own Gratitude Psal CVII 21.22 2. For our Childrens remembring it after us Psal LXXVIII 4 6 9. 6ly An Exhortation to all to praise God