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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61112	The righteous ruler a sermon preached at St Maries in Cambridge, June 28, 1660 / by John Spencer, B.D., fellow of Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridge.	Spencer, John, 1630-1693.	1660 (1660)	Wing S4952; ESTC R37586	37,324	64

noise and lumber as should have frighted her away We have seen the Dove and the olive-branch of mercy peace and settlement after so many tossings and tempests nearly approaching us oh let us not fright them away by our revellings and debauches He that is hardened in his wickedness after ten mercies for so give me leave to account this unum magnum is little better then he that was hardened in it after ten judgements Let our joy be seasoned with trembling this should be the handmaid of all our joy Psal. 2. 11. trembling not out of distrust of God but our selves not for fear God will not continue but that we shall not deserve our happiness God forbid that the Tree of fortune as it is called should be so fairly blown that we might onely see how great hopes sin is able to blast God hath threatened an unreformed people that they should go out of one fire and another should devour them Ezek. 15. 7. and hath counselled England in Israel long ago 1 Sam. 12. 24 25. A bell sounds no longer then the tremor partium is continued our ears now hear the joyfull sound of the restoring of King Parliament liberty Church State but this is likely to be continued no longer then there be a holy trembling about us and a holy fear of forfeiting our mercies by our sins A good memento Joshua gave the Israelites Josh. 24. 20. If you forsake the Lord then he will turn and do you hurt after he hath done you good Let our joy be seasoned with devotion expressing it self in these duties 1. In a holy and devout admiration of the wisdome and counsel of God in this happy issue of his Providences He that should take but a superficial view of England for these last years past would be ready to conclude a divine Providence little concerned therein that it was a land contrary to what is said of Canaan Deut. 11. 12 which God cared not for and which the eyes of the Lord were never upon frō the beginning of each year to the end thereof But then whoso deliberately observes victory favouring now this party and anon the other to encourage the prosecution of the war till God had punished both the strange ballancings of parties for the safety of the whole the removal of so many persons of power and interest without power and might like great Oaks pulled up by a hair the strange state of the nation being like a ship on fire perishing and sinking in it self and even then a fear and a terrour to the nations round about his Majesty restored to his throne when his enemies fea●● and friends hopes were almost at an end finally the great ship of the State turned about with a very small helm by means much disproportioned whoso is wise and will observe these things will be invited to believe a God wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working to have interested himself in all the counter motions and seeming casualties we have stood spectatours of Our duty now is to admire the handy work of God to come and behold the works of the Lord and what desolations he hath made in the earth Psal. 46. 8. We should not be a nation seeing many things but observing them not Isa. 42. 20. What one saith of parables that they tend tum ad involucrum tum illustrationem veritatis for the concealment of truth before and for the illustration thereof after they are unfolded is true of the many contrary occurrences in the worid they seem to obscure a divine Providence while in contest and motion they occasion short spirited men to cry out Te facimus Fortuna Deam to conceit the world but a kinde of lottery that are no eyes in the wheels of Providence but in the happy issue and result of all they greatly evidence and advance a divine superintendency reason being warranted to conclude it excellent wisdome which could set so many crooked pieces into so comely a fabrick issue so many discords in so sweet a close and happy composure in the Church of God God gets himself glory when he hath accomplished his whole work upon mount Sion Isai. 10. 12. Secondly Let our devotion express it self in fervent prayers for the Nation and for his Majesty 1. For the Nation that seeing God hath now vouchsafed 〈◊〉 one head so we may have one heart Pray we here especially for union amongst Ministers It is a standing law of musick The leading notes must alway be concord Ministers are stiled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Heb. 13. 7. our leaders if there be discord and variance amongst them it will sadly influence the nation Now this blessing of peace and union God onely in whose hand mens hearts are is impowred to bestow Jer. 32. 38. I will give them one heart and one minde Philosophy tells us that compositio is opus hominis but mistio is opus naturae Men may compound things of different nature clay and iron and silver and gold as in Nebuchadnezzars image but to make a reall mistion and incorporation between things is the sole prerogative of nature His Majesty under God hath compounded the people of the nation and put us into better form and order but God alone can miscere animas give us one minde and spirit books enough have been written for unity Scripture calls aloud to us in every Epistle almost to avoid contentions every one sees the evil of dividing our adversaries have confest our differences but circumstantial and such as call onely for a little mutual forbearance and yet we stand at distance and our hearts like stones ready to fly further off one from each other after our lying in the fire This assures us that the publick fires are not likely to be quencht but by buckets taken out of the Church the fervent prayers thereof This expedient the Apostle after his holy counsels useth as his reserve Rom. 15. 5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another To engage us to follow his example let us consider they are our divisions which strengthen the hands of enemies and sadden the hearts of Friends Antoninus an ingenuous heathen Emperour amongst other consolations proposed to himself to animate him against the fears of death useth this as the chief remember O my soul that thou art then to go {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from men not of a minde with thy self For if any thing would invite one saith he to honour this life with a wish it would be this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} if it were possible to live amongst men of the same opinion with ones self Certainly this makes Christians so weary of the world to see the sons of one common mother fall out about circumstances it is this which makes them so earnestly long to go to that place where alone unity in the faith is to be attained

so from attempting to cast its rider This David accordingly acknowledged Psal. 144. 2. It is God who subdueth the people under me Thirdly God abets Kings and Governours by those strange preservations vouchsafed by him to their persons There goes another kinde of life-guard about a King then men generally are aware of God hath this as his especial title Psal. 144. 10. The God that sheweth salvation unto Kings and he tells one of his Governours Hag. 2. 23. I have set thee as a signet upon my right hand The hearts of Kings but much more the times of Kings are in Gods hands Caesarem vehis fortunam ejus was a speech that had more sense in it then the heathen Prince that spake it was aware Kings are subject to more then ordinary dangers and therefore have a more then ordinary power concerned in their protection Many an Assassine hath found himself daunted with the raies of Majesty and deterred by an unexpected reverence possessing him from his intended villany and hath found cause to say to his Prince as Laban to Iacob Gen. 31. 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but God hath spoken to me saying speak not to Iacob neither good nor bad the instances of popish Princes falling by the hands of Assassinates are many but great deliverances hath God vouchsafed to Protestant Kings not above one being to be instanced in suffering any personal violence by a private hand Hence the title of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} given to Kings by the Ancients {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} S. Chrys. A King doth not fall like common men a prodigie in nature commonly gives us notice of his death Fourthly God justifies rule and authority by giving so often publick spirits to men in publick places A publick place may well enough suit an ambitious spirit but a publick spirit is the seal of authority it is Gods special gift Men are indeed naturally desirous to be at the top of the tree of fortune as it is called not that they might be more fruitfull and do more good but that they might be nearer the sun and more out of the reach of the hand of violence But a publick spirit it is I had almost said donum miraculosum given as a seal to authority and we shall finde the highest instances of it in persons eminently called by God to some publick trust in Moses praying God rather to blot him out of his book then not to pardon his people Exod. 32. 32. and in David against me and my fathers house let thine hand be and not against these sheep 2 Sam. 24. 27. and the Apostle charactereth a lawfull Magistrate by this spirit Rom. 13. 4. He is the Minister of God for good to thee It is God who gives Magistrates to consider non traditam sibi populi servitutem sed tutelam It is noted of Augustus Cesar that when once he was possest of the Empire all his former arts of wickedness fraud and tyranny the low stratagems of a particular narrow spirit he wholly discarded and addicted himself intirely to the love defence and advancement of the commonwealth of Rome and like Saul when called to the government was turned into another man ut satis constaret saith one divino quodam munere mutatum formatum tantum principem Men that are intended but for a narrow place and sphere like the snail in its little house turn out horns not arms to every body else It is seldome seen that God so far owns an Usurper as to vouchsafe this seal of authority a truly publick spirit It is seldome that he gives him a heart to use his power really to the peoples good some good things he may sometimes do to compound with the people but nothing out of a publick spirit and a real fatherly affection Men naturally seek their own and love to be at ease Cain spake his own sense and of most wicked men Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper Ambitious spirits like flame the higher they rise the more they are contracted into the narrow point of self by the constringency of ambient fears jealousies and distrusts It is Gods highest owning of a person in power when he makes him like Mordecai Esth. 10 3. a person seeking cordially the wealth of his people and speaking peace to them when contrary to his natural temper like Solomon he gives him largeness of heart in which there may be room for more then himself when he gives him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a free or as the word imports a royal a princely spirit Fifthly God seals to Authority and Sovereignty by that extraordinary direction and assistance which he often gives his substitutes in the administration of their office which is sometimes very strange It is the speech of Solomon Prov. 16. 10. A divine speech is in the lips of a King his mouth transgresseth not in judgement Deo nimirum cujus vices gerit ejus sententiam moderante The intimacy between God and a good King is greater then men think of God hath made Princes in judicature as it were his own oracles to the people Infallibility is more annexed to the chair of Moses then to the chair of Peter supposing the Prince be not wanting to himself by conversing with Gods law and mans he is most likely to have God of his councel A King sometimes sees per emissionem radiorum by an unexpected emission of those beams of light and wisdome whereby he scatters the mists of fraud and imposture cast before his eyes to procure wickedness indemnity There were three ways especially by which God of old bore witness to a person and justified his bearing rule and authority over a people 1. as was observed by giving him a publick spirit suitable to his publick place 2. by moving the hearts of people to own and obey the person so set up by God 1 Sam. 10. 26. 2 Sam. 19. 14. 1 King 12. 20. 1 Chron. 29. 23 24. Psalm 144. 2. 3. By giving him an understanding heart a spirit of wisdome Deut. 34. 9. 2 Sam. 14. 17. 1 Sam. 10. 16. 1 King 4. 29. Great was the assistance God gave to his substitutes of old in judgement Grotius telleth us he that diligently reads over the old Testament Plures reperturus est Principes Prophetas quàm Prophetas sacerdotes shall finde more Kings who were Prophets then Prophets that were Priests that so they might be the better fitted for the discharge of their weighty office and no question God is more assistant to Kings under the Gospel to teach them what they shall do then we are aware He judgeth amongst the Gods in an especial manner judicio insito as Iehoshaphat told his judges 2 Chron. 19. 6. Ye judge for the Lord who is with you in judgement Sixthly God justifies Authority and Magistracy by his strange