Idols made a colour for committing Sacriledge such Sacriledges too as seldom or never had been heard of amongst the Gentiles Pictures and Images in Church-windows retained for Ornaments till this day in the Lutheran Churches defaced on purpose for the ostentation of a swifter Zeal than could keep company with Knowledge But in the mean time such a worshipping of Imaginations advanced and countenanced as seemed no less destructive to all Christian Piety than the worship of Images and in a word all the exploded Heresies of the elder times revived and justified without reproach to them that did it to the displeasure of Almighty God the dishonour of the Church the grief of all good men and the shame of the Nation Nor did we speed much better in our Civil Rights in reference to that liberty and property which seems peculiar in a manner to the English Subjects Quocunque aspiceres luctus gemitus que sonabant in the Poets language No news in any of our Streets but that of leading men into fresh captivity nor Musick to be heard in our private Houses but the sighs groans and cries of afflicted people who either suffered in themselves or their friends and kindred Our persons haled unto the prisons and our heads to the block our children born to bondage and brought up to servitude our goods taken from us and exposed to sale all our Lands either held in villenage or which was worse ad voluntatem Domini during the will and pleasure only of our mighty Landlords Such a confusion in the City such spoils and rapines in the Countrey and such oppressions in all places under their command that greater miseries never fell upon God's own people in those wretched times in which there was no King in Israel 46. To put an end to which misfortunes God brings the King unto his Throne as upon this day and brings him to his Throne after such a manner as makes it seem all-miracle in the eyes of Christendom When first like Noah's Dove in the book of Genesis he left the Ark of his retreat and preservation that he might trie whether the waters were asswaged from the face of the earth he found no resting place for the soles of his feet but when he took his second flight and came next amongst us and brought an Olive leaf in his mouth to be a Pledge of Peace and Reconciliation betwixt him and his people he made his coming most agreeable to those very men who before most feared it A coming so agreeable to all sorts of people that never King was entertained with more signs of joy or welcomed with a greater concourse of his faithful Subjects all of them with Te Deum in their mouths and the Magnificat in their hearts old women being as busie at their Benedicite's in their dark retreats as Children were at Hosanna's in the wayes and fields The mountains skippe like Raws and the little hils like young Sheep as he passed along the Trees bowed down their heads to salute their King and the glad earth rejoyced to become his footstool But when he came within the view of the Royal City Good God! what infinite throngs of people did run out to see him With what a gallant equipage did the Nobility and Gentry set forth to meet him Never did England see it self so glorious as upon that day nor old Rome so magnificent in her stateliest Triumphs as our great City then appeared in the eyes of those who flocked from all parts of the Kingdom in such infinite numbers that London could no more be called the abstract or epitome of the Realm of England but the Realm it self 47. Incouraged with which general Welcome he hath received here here in this Church he hath received his last Anoynting to the great joy of all his true and faithful Subjects who once again repaired to our Capital City but in greater multitudes that by their quality numbers and external Gallantry they might express their good affections and add some new Lustre to the accustomed Pomp and Splendour of the Coronation The Pomp and Splendour of which day is not to be described by a readier pen than I am able to pretend to nor to be equalled by any other in the times preceding but only by the glorious day of the Kings Reduction of which we may affirm with the Court Historian though with no such flattery Laâ—itiam illius diei consursum totius civitatis 〈◊〉 pene inferentiâ—m coelo mâ—â—is c. What pen is able to express the Triumphs of those two great dayes when all the bravery of the Nation seemed to be powred into the City and the whole City emptied into some few streets the windows in those streets to be glased with eyes the houses in a maner to be tyled with men and all the people in the streets the windowes and the house tops also ingeminating and regeminating this most joyful acclamation God save the King 48. For which great mercies and the rest of this glorious day let us sing our Benedictus also to the Lord our God Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of his servant David To which Immortal and Invisible God the Almighty Father and to the Honorable true and only Son the Lamb that sits upon the Throne and to the Holy Ghost the Comforter Let us ascribe as we are bound all Majesty Might Praise Power and Glory from this time forth for ever more And let all the people say Amen THE END a Prov. 15. 23 2 Sam. 20. 1. 2 Sam. 16. 5. 1 Sam. 16. 13. 1 Sam. 17. 24. 1 Sam. 28. 28. 1 Sam. 18. 27. 1 Sam. 18. 1 Sam. 19. 1 Sam. 19. 1. 1 Sam. 20. 33. 1 Sam. 21. 6 9. 1 Sam. 22. 18 c. 1 1 Sam. 21. 10. 1 Sam. 22. 3. 1 Sam. 23. 1 Sam. 23. 20. 1 Sam. 25. 11. 1 Sam. 22. 1. 1 Sam. 27. 2. 1 Sam. 22. 2. 1 Sam. 29. 8. 1 Sam. 27. 2. 1 Sam. 27. 6. 1 Chr. 12. 1 c. 1 Chr. 12. 22. 2 Sam. 2. 1 4. 1 Sam. 14. 50. 2 Sam. 2. 8 9. 2 Sam. 3. 8. 2 Sam. 4. 2. Antiq. Iud. lib. 7. cap. 2. August in Confes lib. 8. cap. 2. 1 Sam. 23 6. ☞ Muscul. in Psal. 31. Psal. 127. 1. Origen in Rom cap. 9. Horat. Aâ—iq Iud ic 〈◊〉 7. chap 3. loseph de â—ello Iud. lib. 7. c. 17. Id. ibid. Athanas. in Epist ad Mar. in Tom. 3. Virgil. Aencid 1 King 18. 44. Tacit. Hist li. 2. Vellei 〈◊〉 Hist. l. 2. Antiq. Iudaic. lib. 7. chap. 10. Aug Conf. lib. 10. ch 23. Id. ibid. Dan. 3. 5.
A SERMON Preached in the Collegiate Church OF 〈◊〉 PETER in WESTMINSTER On Wednesday May 29 th 1661. Being the Anniversary of his Majesties most joyful Restitution to the Crown of England By PETER HEYLYN D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty and one of the Prebendaries of that Church 2 Sam. 19. 14. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah even as the heart of one man so that they sent this word unto the King Return thou and all thy servants August de Civit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 7. â—â—squis non videt caecus quisquis videt nec laudat ingratus quisquis laudanti reluctatur insanus est LONDON â—â—inted by E. C. for A. Seile over against St. Dunstans Church in Fleetstreet M.DC.LXI To the READER THis Sermon gods not to the Press for want of Hearers for seldom hath been seen a more numerous Auditory then was assembled in this Church at the Preaching of it Nor doth it go into the world to seek for Readers who should not be sollicited to the losse both of time and patience if nothing more than ordinary did present it to them and perhaps not that Some Guests are commonly best pleased when they are least courted and think themselves most welcome when they are not looked for And yet the Master of the feast in our Saviours Parable when the invited Guests neglected or refused to come sent forth his Servants into all the streets and lanes of the City to bring in all that could be found whether good or bad till he had filled his Table and made up his company And 't was a wedding dinner too which our Saviour speaks of A feast prepared for celebrating the most joyful Marriage betwixt Christ and his Church or as this was betwixt a Mighty Prince and a loving People But so it is in all great Meetings of this nature that many come not to the feast though they are expected and many come not time enough to enter when the Bridegrome doth some cannot reach to that which is set before them and others have received no invitation to attend the Nuptials Who notwithstanding would not easily be contented with the fragments of it though they should possibly amount to as many baskets full as the first provision And therefore that the honest desires of some and even the curiosity of others may not rest unsatisfied it is now served in cold but whole with grace before it and grace after it lest otherwise there might be some defect in the entertainment Nothing remains but that the Guests fall to and much good may it do them Westminster Iune 8 1661. PSALM XXXI ver 21. Versio Septuagint Interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Versio Vulgaris Benedictus Dominus quoniam mirificavit misericordiam suam mihi in Civitate munita Versio Sancti Hieron Benedictus Dominus quoniam mirabilem fecit misericordiam suam mihi in Civitate munita Versio Tremelii Benedictus sit Iehova quia mirificam reddit benignitatem suam erga me ut in Civitate munita collocans me The Old English Translation Thanks be to the Lord for he hath shewed me marvellous great kindness in a strong City The New English Translation Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong City A SERMON Preached at the Collegiate Church OF St PETER in WESTMINSTER On Wednesday May 29 th 1661. PSALM XXXI 21. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong City 1. SERMO opportunus est optimus It is affirmed by Solomon amongst his Proverbs that a word spoken in due season is like to apples of gold in pictures of silver that is to say as pleasing to the ear and understanding of judicious men as Jewels made like apples of gold in nets of silver are in the eyes of curious and magnificent persons And of this nature is the Text now read unto you accommodated to the time to the present Solemnity A Text of Thankfulness and a Time of Thankfulness A Time of great deliverance and a Text of great deliverance And as the Text such also is the Psalm out of which it is taken A Psalm of Consolation and a Text of Comfort a Psalm of Confidence and a Text of Confidence A Psalm of Confidence In te Domine speravi In thee O Lord do I put my trust so it begins A Psalm of Consolation Viriliter agite Be of good courage and you shall be strengthned in the Lord with which words it ends From the beginning to the end it speaks Gods infinite mercies unto his Anointed and in him to us As for the form it is like many of the rest Plaints mixt with Prayers things present mingled with things past the sad remembrance of his former troubles indeared and sweetned by the consideration of some marvellous mercies which God had shewed unto him after all his troubles But what this kindness was how great how marvellous how David blessed the name of God for so great a mercy and what we are to do upon the sense and apprehension of the like felicity we shall the better see if you shall please to joyn with me in humble and hearty Prayer to Almighty God c. Our Father which art in Heaven c. 2. Victori Psalmus David The Title of this Psalm as St. Hierom reads it makes it to be composed in memory of some great deliverance which God the giver of all victory had marvellously wrought for his servant David But what particular deliverance it was which is herein celebrated hath been made a question Lyra a natural Iew by birth affirmes upon the credit and authority of Rabbi Solomon that David framed this Psalm existens in persecutione Saulis when he was under those calamities which were forced upon him by the house of Saul or rather On the sense and remembrance of them as from the composition of the Psalm may be easily gathered Theodoret an old Greek writer thinks rather that it was composed by the Royal Pen-man Cum ab Absolome persecutionem pateretur when he was outed of his Kingdom by the arts of Absalom Which difference how great so ever it appears may be soon agreed For even the Treason of Achitophel and the Rebellion of Absolom were cherished and fomented by some Grandees of the house of Saul as we may be clearly evidenced by some passages of the Sacred Story in which it is affirmed that Shimei who threw stones at him and reviled him for a man of bloud when he was forced to quit Hierusalem to the party of Absolom was of the family or kindred of the house of Saul And Sheba who revived the War and blew the Trumpet of Sedition when all the people were returning to their old obedience is plainly said to be a man of the Tribe of Benjamin which was Sauls own Tribe and generally believed to be of Sauls kindred also who could not easily lay aside their hopes of the Crown of
Israel till all Sauls sons were hanged in Gibeah before the Lord of which the Scripture speaks in the second of Samuel chap. 22. So that we may declare in favour of the first opinion that the great kindness so much magnified by the Royal Psalmist relates to his deliverance from the house of Saul when he was setled in Ierusalem and reigned in peace and glory over all the Tribes In which estate he sung this Benedictus to the Lord his God that is to say Benedictus Dominus Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong City 3. The Text it self contains in it these two general Parts God's Mercy David's Thankfulness God's mercy unto David in that great deliverance and David's thankfulness unto God for so great a Mercy In the first General God's Mercy we have these particulars The Subject of it first and that was David David the King the Lord 's Anointed one chosen by the Lord out of all his Family to be the blessing of his Tribe and the Prince of his People Mirificavit mihi He hath shewed to me 2ly The condition extent thereof as being not only called a kindness a great kindness too in our old Translation but misericordia mirabilis a marvellous great kindness a kindness which had very much of a Miracle in it 3 ly The Author or the Donor of it Misericordia sua His kindness or the Lord 's own kindness And lastly On what Theatre or Stage this marvellous kindness of the Lord was acted in Civitate munita in a strong City Over all which I mean to draw so thin a veil that under it we may behold the face of our own affairs but helped by some reflections from the Glass of Scripture and some comparisons of the Copy with the old Original In the next General David's Thankfulness we shall observe the Retribution which he made to the Lord his God for such multiplyed mercies whether it were expressed in his words or actions And then the duties of the Day will come in of course as the Conclusion followeth on the Premises in a well-formed Syllogism I begin therefore with the first General God's mercy unto David in that great deliverance and therein first of all with the Subject of it David the King the Lord 's Anointed the Author of this Psalm and the argument of it 4. Expertâ morbi molestiâ evidentior fit jucunditas Sanitatis as St. Austin hath it None can so rightly estimate the benefit of a perfect health as he who hath been long oppressed with a languishing sickness Contraries set together do most perfectly illustrate and express each other If therefore we would know how great God's kindness was to David in the time of his Glories we must a little look upon him in his fall in his lowest fortunes his wanderings in the vale of misery or rather in the Valley of the shadow of Death as his own words are A misery which fell upon him when he least looked for it when he conceived himself most happy and on the steps of his Ascendent to the Throne of Israel Anointed privately by Samuel in his Father's House and by that art designed for the next King of the House of Iacob Of great esteem amongst the people for taking up their quarrel against Goliah when all men else fell off and refused the combate Amongst the Priests as men that had some secret notice of the designation or otherwise beheld him as a man replenished with the Spirit of God Amongst the Courtiers as a Prince of the Royal Family in being married unto Michâ—l his Master's Daughter Amongst the Military men for his singular valour made known in many fortunate skirmishes against the Philistims two hundred of whose fore-skins he brought back with him for a sign of his Victory And finally amongst the Damosels or Ladyes of Israel for his personal gallantry who playing on their Musical Instruments did use to answer one another saying That Saul had slain his Thousands and David his Ten Thousands 5. But Eminentis fortunae comes est invidia said the Court-Historian This general applause and those publique honours made him a fit subject for as great an envy and drew upon him the displeasure of that mighty Tyrant who looked not only on him as his Rival in pursuit of glory but a competitor with the Princes of the house of Kish for the Regal Diadem And being once possessed with these fears and jealousies he thinks of nothing but to bring him to a swift destruction and to that end incenseth all his servants to conspire against him reproves his daughter for not betraying her husband to his rage and fury and darts a Javelin at his own son Ionathan for daring to affect the man whom his father hated No safety being to be found for David in or neer the Court he must be take himself to places more remote and private and in his flight obtains both Arms and Victuals from Abimelech being at that time the High Priest of the Iewish Nation For which small courtesie Abimelech himself and more then fourscore of the Priests such as did wear a linnen Ephod as the Text informs us were miserably slaughtered by the hands of Doeg a malitious Sycophant their City sacked their Wives and Children smitten with the edge of the Sword their Sheep their Oxen and their Asses together with the rest of their goods and substance given over for a prey to their Barbarous Enemies Poor David in the mean time had retired to Akish the King of Gath and consequently the old Enemy of his native Countrey where he could promise to himself no great hopes of safety considering those many sorrows and that foul dishonour he had wrought unto them in the death of their Champion 6. I should both tire my self and afflict your patience if I should lead him back again to the land of Iudah follow him there in all his wanderings from thence wait upon him to the Court of Moab where he was forced to leave his Parents that he might save them from the fury of the present Army And he might rather choose to leave them in that Countrey then in any other by reason of his Descent from Ruth a Moabitish woman as the Scripture tells us and therefore like to find some favour amongst those of her kindred But look upon him where we will either in the cave of Adullam the wilderness of Ziph the Desarts of Mahum or the Rocks and Mountains of Engeddi Inter Serpentes aprosque avidâ—sque Leones and we shall find him no where safe from the hand of his Enemies as long as he continued in the Realm of Israel The Keylites whom he had redeemed from the power of the Philistims resolved to have betrayed him to the malice of Saul had he not been fore-warned by God of their ill intentions The men of Ziph more savage then the wild Beasts in
all those Desarts had entertained the like design but were as happily prevented as the treacherous Keylites Nabal the churl whose flocks had been protected by him from all Thieves and Robbers refused to gratifie him with some part of that superfluity which was provided for his Sheerers And though his Brethren and some few of his next Relations had repaired unto him yet generally his friends and kindred look upon him as a man forlorn whom they could neither privately supply without manifest danger nor openly relieve without certain ruine 7. And yet he was not so deserted but that some companies resorted to him from all parts of the Realm either to mend their own condition or to sweeten his Not altogether men of such desperate fortunes as Nabal the old churl reported and perhaps believed Some of them questionless might be persons no less eminent both for place and quality as for their good affections to him though generally they were as the Scripture telleth us either is debt or discontent or some great distress that is to say such as were either discontented with the Tyranny of the present Government or were indebted to some cruel and unmerciful creditors from whom they could expect no favour and as little Justice or in a word were otherwise distressed upon some suspition that they were wedded to the Interest of the son of Iess The taking of these few Volunteers for a guard to his person is publiquely declared to be the Levying of a War against the King and all the Forces of the Realm must be forthwith armed to suppress those men who were not able to withstand the twelfth part of a Tribe This drives him once again to the Court of Akish where he found better entertainment then he did before because he came accompanyed with a Train of couragious followers from whom the Barbarous King assured himself of no mean assistance in his next Wars against his Neighbours without excepting those of the house of Israel 8. But now the Tide begins to turn and a strong floud of mercies of flow in upon him As there is no deep Valley but neer some high Mountain so neer unto this Vale of Misery was a Hill of Mercy and we shall see him climb the top of it without any great difficulty Akish beholds him as a person so depressed and injured by the power of Saul that no reconciliation could be made between them and thereupon bestows upon him the strong Town of Ziglag to serve for him and his adherents as a City of Refuge to which his party might resort upon all occasions And for his better welcome thither the news of Saul's uncomfortable but unpittied death is swiftly posted to him on the wing of Fame which opened the first passage to him for the Crown of Israel For now there dayly came unto him many men of note and merit whose names are on record in the Book of Chronicles affirmed there to be mighty men experienced in the use of Arms Captains of Hundreds and of Thousands and such as seemed to carry Victory in their very countenances And they came thither in such numbers as they made up a great Host like the Host of God as the Scripture calls it that is to say a puissant and mighty Army fit for the undertaking of the noblest actions By whose incouragement but chiefly at the instigation of the men of Iudah who had repaired to Ziglag amongst the rest he goes up to Hebron the Principal City of that Tribe having first taken Gods direction commission with him There he is cheerfully received and anointed King King only over Iudah his own native Tribe the rest of Israel still adhering to the house of Saul For Abner Captain of Saul's Host and one as neer to him in bloud as in place and power had gained so far upon the Military men that they agreed to set the Crown upon the head of Ishbosheth the eldest of Saul's Sons which survived his Father And this he did not on design to divide the Kingdom to break it into two and set up Scepter against Scepter as Ieroboam and on the death of Solomon but with a purpose to compel the men of Iudah by force of Arms to cast off David to unite themselves to the rest of Israel and all together to be subject to a Prince of the house of Saul A Prince indeed of no great parts affirmed to be a person of a dull and unactive spirit more given to ease and pleasures then to deeds of Arms magis extra vitia quam cum virtutibus in the words of Tacitus but fit enough to bear the Title of a King whilest Abner and the Souldiers managed all affairs as to them seems best 9. This brings new troubles upon David though they held not long A breach is made between the new King and that great Commander Who being impatient of rebuke and netled with some words which escaped his Master resolves upon delivering the whose Kingdom to the hands of David to which end he maintains a Treaty with him and concludes the business But before all things could be setled the Titulary King is murthered by the two sons of Rimmon both of them Captains in his Army both Natives of the Tribe of Benjamin his Fathers Tribe and possibly both of them of some kindred and relation to him This puts an end unto the war the west of Israel seconding the Tribe of Iudah and altogether calling upon David to accept the Government To which end they annoynt him the third time and own him by that Sacred Ceremony for their Soveraign Prince And such as Prince as must have somewhat in him of the Priest and the Prophet also For Rex est mixta persona cum Sacerdote as our Lawyers tels us and capable on that account of the Sacred Unction if some of our Masters of the Ceremonies have not been mistaken But so it was that those of Benjamin could not so easily forget their late pretentions to the Crown of Israel which they had held successively under two great Princes and therefore came not up to Hebron with the rest of the Tribes to confer the Kingdom upon David but to obtain it for themselves as Iosephus telleth us A secret not to be concealed from David a discerning Prince and one that was well studied in his own concernments Who therefore to cut off their hopes and prevent their practises resolves to get into his hands the strong City of Sion Which standing in a corner of the Tribe of Benjamin might serve for a sufficient bridle to hold them in if they should practise any thing against his quiet for the time to come And being afterward inlarged at the charge of David by taking in the City of Salim and building all from Millo inward as the Scripture telleth us he caused it to be called Hierusalem peopled it with such Families as he might confide in and made
then we are in such a City which neither enemy can force nor want of trade impoverish nor disease infect Deus meus omnia Let God be mine and I am strong enough against all the world against all violence against all practices against all misfortunes I could inlarge my self on this general Topick as to the moral of my Text but that I am to keep my self to the literal sense to the strong City herein meant by the Royal Psalmist 20. And if I keep my self to the literal sense we must inquire what City is here meant by David And we shall finde upon a very short inquiry that it was either Ziglag Hebron or Hierusalem and the last most likely St. Austin and St. Hierome so resolve for certain with whom the Moderns do agree as to that particular all telling us That God declared his marvellous mercies unto David by setling his affairs in Civitate Ierusalem in the strong City of Hierusalem in the Fort of Sion For there he found an end of his former sorrows thither he brought the Ark to that place he removed the Trabernacle and there did he fix his Royal Palace with the Courts of Iustice and thereby drew unto it by degrees all the wealth of the Kingdom and there he reigned in greater glory and renown then any of the Kings and Princes which were round about him 21. Now Cities are accounted strong in two respects first in the strength of situation or of art and next in the multitudes and natural courage of the people and in both these Ierusalem as it flourished in the time of David might worthily be called a strong City as indeed it was Civitas munitissima as my Author hath it For first it was well situated and strongly fortified three Towns in one of them seated on steep Hills and all of them invironed with high Walls strong Bullwarks and unpassable Ditches But none to be compared with the City of Sion which made the Iebusites presume so far upon the strength of the place that in contempt of Davids Forces they mann'd their walls with none but their blind and lame as Iosephus tells us and then sent word whether with greater pride or folly it is hard to say that except he took away the blind and the lame he could not come thither Which was to tell him in effect that those poor wretches were sufficient to make good the Fort against all his Army and therefore must be first removed before he could expect to be Master of it Such confidence saith he they had in their Walls and Trenches that they conceived them able without further help to keep out the Enemy 22. But Walls we see by this example are but simple strengths if there be any want of people or in the people any want of courage to make good the place The honour of a King consists not in the strength of Towns and frequency of Garrisons but in the multitude and courage and good affection of his Subjects Kings are then safest when they trust rather to their Castles of bones then their Castles of stones according to the Aphorism of Sir Henry Savage an old English Souldier Lycurgus also seemed to be of the same opinion when he prohibited the Spartans to immure their City or to use any of the Arts of Fortification And in this sense lerusalem was strong because it was as populous and no less capacious then either Nineveh or Babylon or Eckbatana or any other Cities in the Eastern Countries So populous that at the siege thereof by Titus there perished by the Sword and Famine of all sorts and sexes 1100000. and above as Iosephus telleth us And so prodigiously capacious that once the High-Priest at the request of Cestius a Roman President numbering the people which came thither to observe the Passover found them to be two millions and seven hundred thousand men besides women and children all sound and purified and fitted by the Law for that Sacred Ceremony A number numberless and not indeed to be believed were not Iosephus generally reckoned for a true Historian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the good Father Iustin Martyr hath assured us of him And though these numberings of the people in that mighty City happened long after David's time yet the City after David's time received small inlargements Ten of the Tribes revolting on the death of Solomon and never afterwards returning to the Kings of Iudah 23. As for the courage of the People and Inhabitants of it in the time of David we may conceive it equal at the least if it were not greater then that of their posterity in the times succeeding Which was so eminent that he which reads the Story of their final ruine when besieged by Titus will find the Romans so put to it that they never purchased any City at a dearer rate And hereupon may say in the word of Iustin Et tanta animorum virtus fuit c. That though they had just cause at all times to despair of safety yet for the most part they presumed and came off with safety till God was pleased to give them over for a prey to the Sword of their Enemies 24. And yet there might be somewhat in it which more assured David of his peace and happiness than either the Courage of the people or the Strength of the place which was their good Affection and fidelity to him And this appears plainly by their carriage towards him when he was forced to give way to the Treason of Absolom For when he left them to the power of the Enemy the people followed him in great numbers to express their loyalty and followed him in tears to express their affection So as it cannot be affirmed that either they betrayed or forsook their King but that the King rather in a Royal pity did withdraw from them left otherwise he might have brought some evil on the City as the Text informs us Lay all that hath been said together of the strength of this City and we shall find that David had good reason to extol Gods Name for giving him possession of a place so strong so populous and so replenished with a loyal and couragious people 25. And thus I have run over all the parts of my Text as they declare God's marvellous kindness unto David so that it can be no hard matter to remove the vail and to behold the face of our own affairs the mercies of this day and the glories of it A day in which we solemnize the memory of as great a kindness a kindness as remarkable in respect of the Person as marvellous in its own condition no less peculiar to the Lord as the Author of it and in a place as notable our Principal City our strongest City of descence To which by Gods assistance and your Christian Patience I shall now proceed and then descend unto the duties of the dayes where we shall meet with David's thankfulness and our own to boot