we are here before thee with all c. 2. Sacrifices of Praise and to offer up our Sacrifice c. 3. Promises 1. Of New Obedience to God Humbly beseeching thee to accept c. 2. Duty Loyalty to the King And promising in thee and for thee c. 3ly A Prayer for the Royal Family that they may be 1. Prosperous here Whom we beseech thee to bless c. 2. Eternally happy hereafter and to crown them with immortality c. A Practical Discourse on this Collect. § 7. O Lord God of our Salvation who hast been c. After so great and happy a Change our first Duty is to look up to the Glorious Author of it even to the Lord who shews himself to be our God not only by preparing Eternal Salvation for us in the next World but by saving us out of many Troubles in this for which Cause David seems much delighted in giving him often the Title of the God of our Salvation (d) Psal LXV 5. and LXXIX 9. and LXXXVIII 1. And as no Land ever had a more illustrious Testimony of Gods gracious Favour than we (e) Psal LXXXV 1. So no Nation hath more reason to use this Title than ours Let us consider what miserable Confusions we were reduced to both in Church and State when our Ancient Governments in both were subverted We had undergon variety of Changes and tried every way but the right to settle us again Lords and Commons Commons alone Keepers of our Liberties a Lord General a Protector a Committee of Safety and a Supream Military Government which ended in plain Anarchy In the Church variety of Sects and Factions but nothing established the Order of the Clergy laid in Common the Articles of Faith Rites of Worship and Rules of Discipline utterly broken to pieces and all Religion left Arbitrary to every puisny Party yea to every whimsical Man till there was not so much as the Face of Unity or Order left among us Now to rescue us out of this Chaos and restore both Church and State of a sudden to their pristine Splendor was really a most miraculous Providence By restoring to us and to his own just and undoubted c. From the consideration of the Author of our Deliverance and the Evils we were freed from we regularly pass to observe the means by which this was effected which was the restoring our late gracious King Charles II. to his People and to his rightful Throne They had Murdered his Father upon false Pretences but his Son and undoubted Heir had done nothing that seemed to forfeit his Title nothing but open Violence and unjust Force excluded him (f) Vis colitur jurisque locum sibi vendicat ensis Sil. Ital. de Bel. Punic l. 2. Ambition and Covetousness backed with usurped Power did first banish him and then kept him out of possession and persecuted him who had done them no injury nor had he any Crime but his undoubted Right Which at last of it self overcame the Hearts of the whole Nation so that without any opposition his Enemies fell before him and he was restored again to the joy of the whole Nation who had been so long oppressed by the very Dregs of their own Fellow-subjects that they expressed an universal satisfaction to see their own King the Defender of the True Faith once more set over Gods Inheritance Restoring also unto us the publick and free profession c. As much as Eternity exceeds Time and the Soul excels the Body so much if possible should our Joy for Spiritual Good Things surpass that which respects our Temporal Advantages and doubtless that was the greatest Cause of all Pious Mens rejoycing at the Restauration that together with the rightful King the publick and free Profession of the right Religion was also restored 'T was Julian's policy to permit the Jews and all sorts of Hereticks to profess their several Religions and prohibit only the Orthodox Christians and our Oppressors imitated him for they Tolerated the vilest Sects the falsest Opinions and the absurdest ways of Worship nothing was Penal nothing Forbid and Persecuted but the old established Religion of this Church So that for many years some thousands of the best Christians could not joyn in the Publick Worship of God nor had they any regular Offices or Sacraments but what they could enjoy in private from Persons silenced and deprived of all means of subsistence Now it was so happy and so comfortable a Change to these to have the true Articles of Faith and Ancient ways of Worship restored with the Bishops the Liturgy and the holy Sacraments that nothing was so pleasing to their Souls as this The end for which Kings are advanced is to be Ministers of God to their People for good (g) Rom. XIII 4. Now the chiefest good that Christian People can have from a Prince is his protecting the True Religion his being a Nursing Father to the Church (h) Isai XLIX 23. and Custos utriusque Tabulae a Keeper of both Tables that is not only to see that every Man doth right to his Neighbour as the Second Table directs but that the True God alone is Owned Worshipped Rightly Reverenced and served by all as the First Table requires A just King is a great Blessing but if he profess and defend the True Religion also that makes him a double Blessing for then he fully answers the end of his Advancement to God and comes up to whatever good Subjects can desire Now this being our Case at the Restauration there was great reason for pious Men to express an extraordinary satisfaction yea those who had no concern for Religion or however for that established had temporal grounds to rejoyce because the State as well as the Church was restored to its former Peace and Prosperity Every private Man regained his just Rights the Prince was content to govern by Law and the Subjects were protected from Injuries at home and abroad Trade flourished Plenty every where abounded and there was a happy Peace given us to improve and enjoy all these Blessings (i) Dulce nomen est Pacis res verò ipsa jucunda tum salutaris Cicer Philip. 2. Now all this after a long War and all the Miseries attending it after Arbitrary and Illegal Uncertain and Violent Methods of Government and finally after such cruel Invasions of Liberty and Property as we had long smarted under must be very sweet and very grateful to all considering Men We are here now before thee with all due thankfulness c. Upon this prospect of our Deliverance and all its blessed effects we must ask David's Question What shall we return unto the Lord (k) Psal CXVI 11. And the Collect leads us to a threefold Return which all of us ought to make for so general a Blessing First to make a publick acknowledgment before Almighty God of his unspeakble Goodness herein and if we forget or neglect this our Ingratitude may
contrived to blow up one King and pervert another but blessed be God still without any advantage to their Cause through his Mercy they could never yet prevail against us Psal XXXV 7. Psal LVII 5. In these two last Designs their Plots were carried on with great Secrecy for a long time till our destruction was neer being effected and not only our Lives but that Religion by which we hope to save our Souls were in extream danger We neither knew they had digged a Pit for the Life of our Protestant King James the First nor drawn in the Second of that Name to their party while he joyned with us in Communion But Heaven discovered both Designs time enough to prevent them and not only hindred them from hurting us but the Mischief both times fell upon themselves First by reviving of old severe Laws against them which that gentle Prince had suffered to sleep from His first coming to the Crown (k) Ergo Psal XXXV 7. sinè causâ h e. immeritò Vers Jun. Trem. à me non laesi Genebr in loc And this Second time their Practices rendered them and their Religion more odious and less likely to prevail here than ever Psal CXLVII 5 6. How can we but own those three Attributes of God which are so visible in these Deliverances First The greatness of his Power who so mightily dissipated their open and violent Attempts Secondly His infinite Wisdom in finding out and laying open all their cruel and concealed Intreagues Thirdly His eminent Justice in turning those things by which they hoped to pull down this peaceable and moderate Reformed Church into the ruine of their own proud and persecuting Babel (l) Non est injuria pati quod prior feceris Senec. de Ira l. 2. cap. 30. For hereby all their Politicks appeared to be folly and they were taken in their own craftiness Psal LXXX 17 18. And now O LORD who hast done so great things for us what remains but that we first pray thee to preserve our present King a Man exalted by thy right Hand and one whom thou hast made very strong to deliver us and defend thy true Religion And Secondly if thou pleasest to keep Him safe We do promise and engage we will all stand firmly to thy Truth and we may safely promise this since during His Reign we are in no danger of being tempted to Apostacy or falling into Persecution Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The proper Psalms LXIV CXXIV CXXV Psal LXIV contains 1st A Prayer for Deliverance from his Foes Verse I II. 2ly A Relation of their Malice appearing 1. By their Evil words Ver. III IV. 2. By their Secret plots Ver. V. VI. 3ly A Prophecy of their Ill success Noteing 1. The Author of it God Ver. VII 2. The Means their own Tongues Ver. VIII 4ly A Description of the Event 1. To them Derision Ver. VIII 2. To GOD Acknowledgment Ver. IX 3. To the Pious Rejoycing Ver. X. Brief Notes upon the LXIV Psalm § 3. PSal LXIV Ver. I II. My Enemies are so bloody that they aim at nothing less than my Life which being in imminent danger I cry loudly and earnestly in my Prayer to thee O God to keep me not only from the danger but even from the fear of Death for to be under such Terrors is a continual dying (m) Quotidiè moritur mortem qui assiduè timet Senec. Herc. Fur. Act. 4. They are a numerous Party who combine against me and though their Malice be open their Methods are hid from me therefore do thou O LORD hide me by thy Providence so that they cannot come at me to destroy me Ver. III IV. In the mean time till they can find an opportunity to strike at my Life they murder my Reputation expressing their impotent Rage by inventing Calumnies and spreading false Reports of me and my Religion which they use as they would do Swords and Arrows (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. strom lib. 1. if they durst However this way they secretly wound my good Name and labour to make me hated and never fear that thou wilt call them to any account for this kind of Injustice Ver. V VI. They persuade one another it is Zeal for Holy Church to seek the Extirpation of Hereticks and think it meritorious to Cabal and Plot our Destruction resolving so soon as they have contrived it cunningly they will execute it as suddenly Nor do they fear any discovery because they have bound one another in inviolable Oaths of Secrecy never to reveal it Ver. VII VIII But when I think of thy Omniscience and Justice O God I can foretel their fall They do not discern it (o) Ultor à tergo Deus But I see that while they are preparing to shoot at me Thy Bow is drawn to shoot at them with an Arrow so swift it shall be before theirs and so well aimed that it shall mortally wound them (p) Ferox Theseus qualem Miniodi luctum Obtulerat mente immemori talem ipse recepit Catullus And which will eternally expose them to derision after all their care and secrecy a casual Word or Paper dropt from some of the Accomplices shall discover all and they shall shamefully betray themselves Ver. IX X. But besides their shame in suffering that which they intended against us the Pious will make two excellent Uses of this Providence First they will discern such infinite Wisdom in the discovery of these Plots and such exact Justice in turning the Mischief on their heads (q) nec est Lex justior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire suâ that they will own it to be the work of GOD thy Hand in it will be very visible And those good Men who are thus wonderfully delivered Secondly shall heartily rejoyce in thy Mercy O LORD yea this will strengthen their Faith against all future dangers and while they bless thee for past Mercies they will be glad also in hopes of as many Deliverances as they shall need for the time to come And ever sing Glory be to the Father c. The CXXIVth Psalm hath Three parts 1st An Acknowledgment of their Deliverer Verse I. 2ly A Description 1. Of the Malice of their Foes Ver. II. 2. Of their own great danger Ver. III IV. 3ly The Returns they make for escaping it viz. 1. Praises to GOD Ver. V. 2. Joy in their present safety Ver. VI. 3. Trust for future Mercies Ver. VII Brief Notes on the CXXIVth Psalm § 4. PSal CXXIV Ver. I II. The wondrous Deliverances of this Church and Nation shew that GOD most certainly takes our part For our Israel may justly say If others or less than the All-seeing and Almighty LORD himself had been on our side they could never have baffled such close and cruel Designs as this politick and powerful Party of Men have all along formed against us It was not our Strength
Das poenas quicunque expectat Sen. Vid. Heb II. 15. Quotidie moritur mortem qui assidue timet Sence Herc. fur Act. 4. and once more give us cause to rejoyce Ver. VII VIII IX As we needed Mercy and Deliverance a second time so we again earnestly prayed for them (c) iteratae valetudinis iteranda est medicina Tert. de poenit c. 8. p. 126. We saw none but God was like to pity us or able to deliver us of him we therefore begged Mercy and a gracious Rescue And we waited in hopes of a kind Answer believing that since we were Professors of Gods True Religion he would not let those of a very false one have power to tempt us too far left some weak though otherwise good Men should turn Apostates either for hope of Gain or fear of Punishment (d) Securius est perire non pâ—sse quam juxta periculum non periaâ—â—c Hieron ep 4â— p. 296. Which expectation was not frustrated For when our Enemies attempts ran to the greatest heighth and they imagined our Church would soon fall then was Gods Salvation very near us and he contrived a wonderful Deliverance for us so that the True Religion the Glory of this Land remained firm and unshaken Ver. X XI XII XIII The Faithful Members of this established Church who were true to their God had their Prayers heard and met with Mercy He pitied them under these threatning Dangers and sent them a happy Deliverer who restored the Professors and Practicers of this Holy Religion to a perfect Peace He dispelled all their fears of Oppression and Persecution And then the Church again flourished among us and the Righteous God hath a second time taken it into his special care and looks upon it with a favourable Eye from Heaven whence this great and happy Change came Which great instance of his Kindness to our holy Religion and native Country encourages us to hope he will continue his gracious Protection over us and give us times of Plenty and Prosperity For if we live up to our Principles and walk before him in Righteousness and true Holiness we see God will so guide us in all Revolutions that we shall walk Safely and stand Firmly Now for this special care of our Church and these Kingdoms let us who have seen these Promises verified give hearty Praises to him and say Glory be to the Father c. The Proper Lessons § 4. THese are so well chosen that there needs little discourse to direct us to apply them to the Occasion The first Lessons are two for variety one of which is the Prophet Jeremy's (e) Jer. XII complaint to God of great mischiefs done both in Church and State by False Prophets and Tyrannical Rulers with the Lords Answer wherein he gives the Reason of his permitting this threatning to punish the Authors of these Miseries and to deliver the Righteous The other Lesson is out of Daniel (f) Dan. IX to ver 22. being that excellent Prayer which this holy Man used on his solemn Fast-day wherein he so efctually bewailed the Sins and Sufferings of Gods People that he prevailed with Heaven to restore them to their Liberty and to the exercise of their Religion and justly minds us of the Prayers and Penitence of devout Men under those Usurpers which at last had the same effect here The Second Lesson (g) Heb. XI 32. and Chap. XII to ver 7. sets before us the Faith and Patience of the Martyrs and in the old Gallican Liturgy it was the proper Lesson for the Festival of any Martyr (h) Vide Mabillon Liturg Gallic l. 2. p. 160. so that it is very proper as a commemoration of our Royal Mayters sufferings and his Faith and as an Exhortation for us to imitate him and them whenever it pleases God to correct us The Evening Collects § 5. WE have three peculiar Prayers for the Evening differing in Words but agreeing in Sense with those in the Morning and therefore our Notes on them shall be shorter The first is Penitential and Deprecatory the Second is Commemorative and Laudatory the Third Didactical and Instructive what uses may be made of so sad a Providence The First Collect. The First Evening Collect contains 1st A Preface setting out 1. The Wisdom of Gods Providence O Blessed Lord God who c. 2. The Equity thereof but also performest c. 2ly The Applying it to our Case 1. Owning Gods Justice we thy sinful people do c. 2. Reciting the Fact in permitting cruel men c. 3. Confessing the Cause even our Sins we having drawn down c. 3ly The Petitions grounded on these Premises 1. For pardon of all Sins For which we do therefore c. 2. Especially this Murder and that thou wouldst deliver this Nation c. 3. For averting Judgments and turn from us and our c. 4ly The Conclusion in the Name of Christ Grant this for the c. Amen Brief Notes upon this Collect. § 6. O Blessed Lord God who by thy Wisdom c. It may settle our Minds on so surprizing an Occasion to contemplate the infinite Wisdom of divine Providence which over-rules and baffles the Policies of wicked Men who willingly act their Crimes for the ends of Covetousness Malice or Ambition and unwillingly bring about the ends of Gods Justice ignorantly fulfilling his Counsels while they knowingly break his Laws (g) Consiliis ejus militant etiam qui ejus Consiliis repugnant Greg. Mor. l. 6. c. 14. Agunt quod vult Deus sed non volunt quod vult Deus Bern. de grat lib. arb God intended to glorifie our Martyr by unparallel'd Sufferings to punish an ungrateful Nation by taking him from them and setting the worst of Rulers over them and such was his wondrous Wisdom that he brought all this about by a Crew of bloody Hypocrites whose Deeds were odious to God and no less Criminal (h) Vide Origen in Cels l. 2. p. 72 73. because Heaven unknown to them had ordered this to his Glory This was hard to be discerned then while Guilt was triumphant But we clearly perceive it now wherefore with holy David (i) Psal CXLV 17. we confess that the Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works We thy sinful people do here fall down c. Even our Royal Martyr with respect only to his private failings confessed with the innocent Emperor Mauricius (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Histor Mauric lib. 8. cap. 11. Gods Judgments were right but how much more ought we who are really a sinful people humbly to own this as long as any of the Regicides live or any of those who saw this inhuman Violence and did not venture their own Lives to prevent it God is so very Righteous that if we saw no reason why he did permit a thing to be done we ought to believe there was a just reason since he did it who can do nothing
Psal LXVIII 26 19. 7ly A Pious Wish that 1. Sinners may be punished Psal VII 9. 2. Good Men may rejoyce Psal XL. 19. Brief Notes on this Hymn Psal LXXXIX 1. THE restoring our Monarchy and reestablishing our Church were such a demonstration of Gods loving kindness to us and of the certain Truth of all those Promises which we relied on in our Trouble That his Goodness and Truth ought both to be the constant Subjects of the Praises of this Age and of the next Generation also Psal CXI 4. 'T is pity any of his Works should be forgotten But there was so much Free Grace and Mercy in his delivering us from our Oppressors and such Miracles of Wisdom and Power in restoring our ancient Government and Religion that we should be hateful to God and Man and the most ungrateful Wretches in the World (a) Omnes enim immemorem beneficij oderunt Cicer. de Offic. lib. 2. if we do not keep a Memorial of this for ever Psal CVI. 2. 'T is true this and the rest of Gods Noble Acts are such complications of Infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness and all of them so perfectly excellent that no man can sufficiently describe them nor express all the Praises due to their Divine Author (b) Ecclus XLIII 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermes Aegypt So that being overwhelmed with Admiration at their astonishing Glories we must at first wonder in silence and Adore Psal CXI 2. However good Men delight in nothing more than in studying and meditating upon the Mercy which Contrives the Wisdom which Conducts and the Power which Accomplishes these stupendious Works 't is pleasant above all things to them to search into the Causes and happy Effects of them (c) Non patior me quicquam nescire de eo quem amem Plin. Epist they could with great satisfaction if it were possible spend their whole time in these Contemplations Psal CXLVII 6. If we turn our thoughts from hence to the most righteous administrations of his Providence thence will arise new matter for our Praises How often doth he pity the Humble and Meek who though extremely injured are perhaps not able however not willing to avenge themselves And doth he not at the same time cast down their impious and proud Oppressors from their usurped Power and Authority Psal CIII 6. They may be so strong and so secured that Men dare not accuse or cannot punish them but the Lord the supreme Judge of all will at last take the innocent Mans case into his hand and will not only pass a righteous Sentence but also execute it effectually by shewing Mercy to the Oppressed and sending his Judgments on the Oppressors Ver. 9. As to his own Children though they often offend him and sometimes go on a long time in their folly yet such is his gracious Nature that he bears with them a great while before his anger begin and then also it is soon over (d) Irasci quidem rebus indignus sed flecti citò Aurel. Victor de Theodos he doth not keep it for ever Ver. 10. When our Sins compel him to correct us for the vindication of his Laws he punishes us less than our iniquities deserve the Correction begins not so soon rises not so high nor endures so long as it justly might Ver. 11. His Mercy is as much higher and greater than ours as his Glorious Habitation of Heaven is higher and larger than this Earth on which we dwell this is but a small point compared to that vast Circumference yet such are all human Compassions in comparison of his infinite Pity towards us Ver. 13. We may help our weak Apprehensions by likening his Affection and Kindness to those that fear him when they are in distress to the tender pity that a loving Parent hath to his dearest Child when it is in extream Torment But this will fall far short of Gods Infinite Compassion Psal LXVI 9 11. Yet as the kindest Father is sometimes forced to correct his beloved but offending Child so our Sins and Corruptions do often compel our Heavenly Father to afflict us He is necessitated to put us into the Fire of Calamity and try us as Silver is tried (e) Omnia adversa caercitaâ—iones putat Sen. de Prov. cap. 2. but his design is not to consume but purifie us and therefore if we bear them patiently they ever end well Thus in our Case while our Oppressors had Power they used us with as much contempt as if they had trampled us under their Horses Feet we escaped as narrowly as if we had been to run through a raging Fire (f) 1 Cor. III. 15. or wade over a deep Water But the happy Restauration brought us into a condition of Safety Peace and Plenty again Psal LXXI 18. Lord how many Miseries did then beset us Our Religion our Liberty our Estates and Lives were all at Stake yea we and our Hopes also seemed to be buried in the Earth Yet according to thy wonted Compassion thou didst turn and refresh us with an unexpected Deliverance So that our Church and Monarchy with all the true Friends of both seemed to have a new Resurrection from that Grave in which our Foes hoped they would have slept for ever Psal CXXXVI 23 24. Our Estate before was very low Plundering and Sequestration Fines and Imprisonment Banishment and the Sword had made our Condition seem helpless and our Ruin unavoidable But when thou O Lord didst undertake our Rescue moved by thy never-failing Pity we were suddenly and strangely set free Therefore we will sing that triumphant Psalm (g) Solet iste Psalmus rebus laetis auâ—iberi Gâ—ot in Psal 136. which celebrates the eternal duration of thy Mercy and was wont to be used on the most joyful occasions Psal LXXXV 1. and LIX 10. Never was so Blessed a Change in so short a space brought about in any Land and Heaven was eminently gracious to ours in so wonderfully putting an end to our miserable Bondage We had a most convincing Evidence of Gods abundant Goodness in his letting our Eyes see what our Hearts had so long wished even the Cessation of that Tyranny under which we had groaned Psal XX. 18. and XXXVI 12. By thy Providence we saw them fall from their usurped Authority and our selves raised up to our ancient Freedom under our Rightful Prince They were exalted by Injustice and we had been depressed by Violence therefore their Ruin is most just and we hope their Recovery impossible so long as thou O Righteous Lord dost govern the World Psal CXV 12 13. We thought our Misery very tedious and our Burden very heavy but found at last that God had us in his Mind all those sad times therefore why should we not hope he will go on to Bless both his People and his Priests after this Deliverance We cannot doubt the continuance of his Favour if we continue to fear him in our Prosperity as we did in our Adversity