Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A51016
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Gods interest in the King set forth in a sermon preached in the cathedral of Edinburgh October the 14th at the anniversary commemoration of His Majesties birth / by one of the ministers of the city.
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Mackqueen, John, d. 1734.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing M226; ESTC R16980
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24,501
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43
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Studious and so more refin'd attributed the good or bad success of Human Affairs to the swinge of a fatal necessity some look'd no higher than to the Will Conduct Liberty and Wisdom of Man as the great disposer of our Concerns But those of greater perspicacy and more elevated reason referred the accomplishments or frustration of Mens Designs to a higher Hand Natura Fatum Fortuna Casus omnia unius ejusdem Dei nomina even Divine Providence which they meant under the various shapes and Names the Vanity of some the Ignorance of others or the Superstition of a third Party gave it And we who have a more sure word of Prophecy a clearer Light and a surer guide revere as the sole Arbitrator of the Emergencies and Transactions of this World that superintends all our Actions and Contrivances sometimes prospering the most unlikely sometimes defeating the most promising attempts even those which have wind and tide so to speak a concatenation of all necessary Causes a concurrence of all probable Circumstances to make them Auspicious and Crown them with successful Issues To convince us all * Jer. 10.23 That the way of man is not in himself that it is not in him to direct his steps And though Man proposeth yet it is God disposeth a clear instance of which we have in this Psalm and more particularly in our Text Yet have I set c. This Psalm as many others represents to us mystically the Success of Christ's Kingdom and the security of his Throne maugre all the opposition of Men and Devils but literally David's establishment in his Regal Office and Royalty after all his Troubles in despight of all the Difficulties which lay in his way and how fitly applyable to our Sovereign's advancement will anon appear I will at this occasion confine my self to the Literal Importance of the Text and consider from it First The peculiar Interest God claimes to himself in the Setlement of Kingly Government I have set my King. Secondly The Wise and Powerful Conduct of Divine Providence in making good his special Care of Kings and bringing about their Settlement notwithstanding the Rage and Malice the Power and Plots of Enemies whether the Contrivances Wits or Conspiracies of Grandees Whether the Fury of an Heady Multitude or vain Madness of Popular Faction all which is express'd or couch'd in the preceding Verses recapitulated and wrapt in this short adversative Particle Yet Which how small soever it appear to you is very Emphatick The Filings of Gold are precious and so are the least Expressions of Divine Writ As we hang great weights on small Pins and set large Wheels on work by little Springs so much is included in this small Syllable Yet That is Maugre all the rage of the Heathen and the vain Imagination of the People in despight of the Power of Adversary Princes and the Policy of Rulers I have accomplish'd my Purpose and consummated my Work Yet have I set my King c. I have laughed at their close-lay'd Projects and derided their Counsel I have blasted their Attempts with the breath of my wrath I have quell'd their force and broken their Bands I have master'd their Power and daunted their Courage and own'd my Anointed And instead of their breaking our Bands or casting away our Cords I have broken them with an Iron Mace and crush'd them as a Potter's Vessel So much is imported in this Yet Yet have I set my King c. As to the First The peculiar concern God takes for Kingly Government The general Providence of God is conspicuous in the Order and Variety the Beauty and Harmony the Diversity yet Uniformity observable in the frame of Nature The Universe is no greater Monument of his Power than 't is a Mirrour of his Providence But his special Providence signalizes it self in the Care of Kings and Fate of Kingdoms in disposal of Crowns and conferring of Scepters in the mighty Revolutions of Government As it is a great Diminution of the Reverence we owe the Deity to ascribe every petty Chance every trifling Emergent to a special Surveyance so not to range the Momentous transactions of the Lives of publick Persons under his peculiar Inspection not to attribute the signal Benedictions of Nations to his Conduct is Prophaneness or a piece of Presumptuous negligence Well then may God claim a peculiar Interest in the establishment of Regal Authority so beneficial to Mankind and advantagious to Christian Society Kings are the chiefest Objects of Gods choicest Care whom he tenders with more than ordinary Affection It is he that advances them to their Thrones and establishes them thereon This appears Dan. 2.21 and 37. vers 1. * Prov. 8.5 From the Divine Institution of this kind of Government God says By me Kings reigne and Princes decree Justice Whatever Phanaticks or Republicans say Kings derive their Authority from a higher Fountain than the People they have their Commission from Heaven are God's Delegates and Vice-gerents not the Creatures of the multitude And as Monarchy hath its Original from God who settled this Model amongst his own peculiar People so it carries more lively Vestigies of his Government of the World than any other Hence it is God communicates his Name as well as Power to * Psal 82 6. Kings * Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu Reges constituuntur apti iis qui ab ipsis regnantur lib. 5. cirâ—a finem Iraeneus tells Kings are constituted by the very same Authority and Command by which Men are made and born for the benefit of them over whom they exercise Jurisdiction Kingly Government is no human Invention for modelling the World into Order no politick Contrivance for Disciplining mankind into Society Much-lefs an Artifice to gratify the Ambition of any who would vapour it in Pomp and Splendor No its Pedigree may be traced higher it brings its extraction from Heaven and the state of Innocency will not exclude it The general custom of Nations in owning and retaining this form speaks out its Divinity and the peculiar Interest of Providence in maintaining it even these Nations that are not more distant from others in Situation than they are different in Manners how wild soever the Soil be without Culture how Savage the People without Arts are yet under Monarchical Government This Omni autem in re consensio â—mnium gentium lex natura putanda est Cicero Universal Harmony is no small Testimony to its Divinity it must be some Extraordinary Beauty that conquers all Hearts and sets it Trophies every where which not only the best Polish'd and Civiliz'd Nations in the World but even Barbarous Scythians rude Affricans and Wild Indians are enamour'd with It must be Heavenly Manna that can satisfy every Palate considering the contrary Tempers and different Dispositions of Men. It must needs be more than Human that is rever'd in the dark Corners of America as well as in the refin'd
To the Right Honourable JAMES Earl of Perth Lord Drummond and Stobhall c. Lord High Chancellor of the Kingdom of Scotland AND JOHN Earl of Mellfort Viscount of Forth c. Principal Secretary of State for the said Kingdom Knights of the most Noble and most Ancient Order of the THISTLE AND Of His Majesties most Honourable Privy-Councel in both Kingdoms of Scotland and England May it please your Lordships THe Illustrious Character you deservedly bear is no less demonstration of the King 's profound Judgment and Affection to His People than marks of Honour to your Family or Favour to your Persons It is the Felicity of the Nation as the King makes no Impress but on the finest Metals no more does he imploy Ministers but such whose intrinsick Worth justifies His prudent Choice and Endears Him to His People We find by your faithful Management of the great Trust you have that State Ministers are not now as in some former Ages Screens to the Prince to keep off the popular Hatred of those Discontented at the Government But rather like those reflective Glasses which by intercepting the Love of His People double the same towards the Sovereign The Interest your Fidelity to the King 's Concerns has given you in his Majesties good Opinion you have Improven to the King's Mind for the Happiness of His Subjects The Boldness with which you assert his Right the presence of Mind with which you unfold the well-mean'd Overtures but not so Happy of others The dexterity by which you manage your better laid Proposals the unbyassedness of your Temper which no consideration can induce to wrest Justice the Zeal wherewith you encourage the Loyal and dishearten the Factious the Humanity wherewith you receive Addresses from all without respect of Persons has a very auspicious Influence on the whole Nation to confirm it in its Duty to the King and Obedience to the Government Virtuous and excellent Pesons as they are more easily Exalted and that with more Honour to the Prince less Envy to the Court and Grumbling to the People so they prove more Faithful to their Trust more Grateful to the King the Fountain of their Advancement more Serviceable to the Publick more Acceptable to both God and Man Hence it is the great Figure you make in our Horizon is so little spoken against Although the Conjunction of such Dignities in two Brethren at one time has as rare Presidents in our Historians as there are in them Examples of such a Constellation of Virtues or the present Age affords Instances of such singular Accomplishments He who knows and considers K. Rob. III. Married to Arabella Drummond Daughter to Sir John Drummond of Stobhall She was Mother to K. James I. how congenial Loyalty must needs be to your Noble Family which has the Honour to be so early ally'd to the Crown will less wonder yet at the benign Influences of the Throne towards Persons whose Integrity to the King is not only conveyed with Their blood in a long Series of worthy Progenitors but is the result of Conscience and sense of Duty Yet do not I think it was the Advantage of your Quality and Blood so much as the Eminence of your Endowments has attracted the Kings Good Will towards you His Majesty as an Angel of God discerns where Heaven qualifies and prepares fit Instruments for his purpose and his Peoples Weal And as an observant Vicegerent He seconds the more Curious Ingravings of the Divine Hand with some Strokes of his own And where these concur in State-Ministers the Kingdom is more Happy than when according to Plato's Model Philosophers govern or Governours aim to be such It is no small Joy and Satisfaction to all honest Hearts and it has wonderfully reviv'd the Spirits of the Loyal in the Nation to see the Favour of the Court run in so right a Chanel towards persons of such untainted Loyalty Ability and Interest who are no more united in Blood than in Noble Designs for the Honour of the King the Security of his People and the Interest of his Service No small Prognostick of perpetuating our Happiness under so Wise so Gallant a Prince and such Excellent Ministers We now see these Happy Days in which the Kings Favour is not made mercenary nor due Rewards of Loyalty mis-plac'd on Intriguers with Faction and that none can obtain them but by his Fidelity or retain them but by perseverance in his Duty My Lords It may be thought strange considering how zealous a Protestant I am I should have made bold to implore your Patronage and perchance there will not be wanting some who will whisper against it But I dare openly own what they dare but privately condemn as no difference of Religion can alienate my affection and duty from my Prince no more will it make me omit my respect to His Ministers regard to their Authority or obedience to their Command my zeal for Religion will not rase the esteem I have for Worth and Virtue so eminently set And where could I dedicate a Discourse better than to such conspicuous instances and promoters of it I once entertertain'd the Vanity to have addressed it to His Sacred Majesty whose Title to the productions of our Brains is no less than to those of our Loyns and Fortunes But considering Princes are not to be rudely accosted by mean Persons but to be approached with profound Reverence by the Mediation of others I have presumed to publish this first Essay under your Honourable Names which if it be so happy as to touch the Kings hands or get a glance of his eye I am more rewarded than I could expect or can deserve I remember an expression of that Prodigy of Piety Constancy and Eloquence King Charles I. Scrini Sacra in a Letter to the University of Cambridge approving their Election of the Duke of Buckingham for their Chancellor upon His Majesties Recommendation He says We shall ever conceive that an Honour done to a Person VVe Favour is out of a Royal Respect had to Our Self As my respect to the King put me on this Service so it has induced me to this Dedication upon which account it is only acceptable to your Lordships who make Persons affection to to the King the measure of your favour towards them By which the World sees the Kings concerns go nearer you than your own to promote which as there are none more sincerely set than you are so there is none more cordially Prayes you may Live long for his Majesties Service for the Ornament of your Families and the Happiness of the Nation than My Lords Your Lordships Most Faithful Most Humble And most Devoted Servant JOHN MACKGUEENE Psalm 2.62 Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion SOme Virtuoso's of the Heathen World who were puzzl'd at the unequal distribution of Things resolv'd the events of this Life into meer Chance or a Fortuitous concourse of second Causes Others of them more