Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A41888
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The great concern and zeal of a loyal people for a good king's preservation in the hazards of war. And the duty of such a people opened and enforced, in one of our monthly-fasts in a country parish. By the minister thereof.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing G1679; ESTC R212854
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49,196
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44
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what became of his strong and his mighty Arm or his new Sword then 4. The Enemies of God and his David may imagine and design greatest mischief to him but are so far from being able to execute and perform their Counsels and Designs that they perish in the attempt to execute them 5. The Servants of God and the King should not fear a Philistine tho he were an armed Giant in the defence of the King and Israel let him smite and kill at once 6. It is a Duty and a necessary part of Wisdom to know when and whom the Servants of God must smite and spare or smite and kill Abishai was ready at it and David was not so faint but he might have bad him forbear to kill if it had not been his Duty There is a great difference to be made between some Enemies and others 7. The Instruments of God's Judgments upon his Enemies do quickly and effectually execute his Pleasure upon them Abishai smote and killed him 8. How dreadful is it for any Man to be an Enemy to God and his People Israel It must needs be a torment to be disappointed of his Aim had David only escaped his and been preserved and he escaped and fled To lose the pleasure of his Enmity against him to lose the honour of such a Fact and the prey and reward of his Service but not only to fail but to perish and go down to Hell in a moment what Horror attends his Breath going out of his Nostrils What a tormenting Disappointment was it to miss of David and die in a doing Enterprize 2dly Another thing in the Words is the zealous Action and Behaviour of the People and the use they made of the King's Deliverance Then the Men of David sware unto him saying Thou shalt go no more with us to Battel They had in another case withstood the King's Declaration to them of going in person with his Army into the Field against Absalom 2 Sam. 18.3 There they did more than humbly disswade the King from going they did resolutely gainsay the King's Declaration but the People answered Thou shalt not go forth and gave their reason for it But here they carry their Resolution higher they swore unto the King thou shalt go no more to Battel c. What would some of our late Asserters and Promoters of the Absolute Power of Kings have said of this Case The Persons were all David's Subjects and yet they sware unto the King they sware unto the King without asking his leave or license they sware unto the King not to bind themselves to their Duty to him but to bind him and to bind him absolutely without limitation or restriction Thou shalt go no more out with us to Battel Tho their Concernment for the King and Kingdom 's Preservation and Welfare was good yet thus it would have been interpreted 1. To restrain the King from going out to Battel any more 2. And for them to swear that he should not go was to exercise an Act of Superiority and Usurpation over the King's Power and Liberty 3. And tho the End and Intention was good to preserve the King's Life and the Light of Israel yet was it not doing ill that good might come of it 4. Was it not ill done of David the King to suffer such an Oath to be made and an emboldning of Subjects to combine and to swear obtaining this to have what they list at any time Was it not a defect in David's Government to suffer this and to be imposed upon I shall not enter into Enquiries on this Subject but it is necessary to say something to the matter The Judgment of Peter Martyr a Reformer of great Learning Judgment and Sincerity is much to be valued Saith be Comment in 2 Sam. 21.17 The Men of Israel did piously think that the King should not be exposed to danger As the Members are willing to be endangered for the Head so it is the duty of good Subjects to take care of the Safety of their Princes And saith he it is not unbecoming Kings In chap. 18 sometimes to yield to the honest Counsels of their Subjects That which is obvious will keep us from falling into Briars in the dark 1. It is certain that David was a Sovereign King in his Kingdom 2. His Government was by God's Institution and Appointment 3. King and People were so united for the most part that they agreed in one common Design and End the Publick Good here called the Light of Israel The People did highly and justly honour and esteem the King 2 Sam. 18.3 and the King did sincerely regard their Prosperity and Happiness 4. The People were not a Generation of brutish Animals nor so despised they know wherein the Happiness of their Kingdom did consist and made bold to do more than petition they gainsaid the King's Will in conscience of his and the common Safety 5. The King did not oppose his Will against their Safety and free Resolutions neither but understanding their Will he condescended to it and without disputing Prerogative did acquiesce and yield 6. The People did highly value the King's Life above their own they would continue in their Loyalty to the King and Kingdom and undergo the Hazards of War in their Persons and go to War but provided for his Safety and the Safety of the Kingdom in his 7. The Peoples Sense of publick Dangers and publick Safety and their expressing and declaring that Sense is not inconsistent with their strictest Duty nor highest Honour towards a Sovereign King of God's own Designation And Self-denial for publick Benefit is no derogation from soveraign Power 8. The nature of their Oath was high and strict as if they had power so far to dispose of the King's Person as to bind him for his and the Kingdom 's undoubted Good and Welfare they sware unto the King that he should go no more out with them to Battel but they add their Reason That thou quench not the Light of Israel So much of the Peoples Act. 3dly The reason of their Oath to the King contains very excellent matter which being duly applied will be a means to continue to us the Light of our Israel 1. A good holy righteous King and Governour is given of God in Mercy to a People to be to them a great publick Blessing As the Sun is a Light to the World so is a good King to a Kingdom And this is the difference between a King of God's Donation and Appointment and a King by a judicial Permission to a dissatisfied discontented People The desire of all Israel was after a King 1 Sam. â— 20 8.5 19. and they had one granted them but what he proved need not here be repeated but as bad as he was he was true to the common Interest of the Kingdom against the Enemies thereof and went not about to subject it to foreign Powers When he was rejected God provided him a
to Israel than the God of Israel goes before him and bears him up in his Hand 5. Trust God in all Dangers to preserve him and succour him in case of fainting God has succoured him by one of his Nobles in a former Battel against France Let us pray and trust that Help shall not be far from him when Dangers are nigh O let all that fear the Lord trust in the Lord Now let our Eyes be towards the Lord and trust him over all trust him I say again with our Light and Lamp And O that we could trust God not with a humane Trust as far as we see great Armies and early Successes but trust God with the Trust of humble penitent believing sincere praying Hearts The 2d Duty is Prayer and this is one part of the whole Armour of God without which who can expect to be saved Great and many were David's Extremities and therefore we find so many of his Prayers and Thanksgivings for their Success They who pray most and best are God's best Servants and the King 's truest Subjects O let us pray by Faith with Hope with Contrition Humiliation Sincerity Fervency Continuance and Perseverance by the Spirit in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ to the Lord of Hosts to God mighty in Battel When David spake of the peaceable and prosperous Reign of Solomon he saith Psal 72.15 and for him shall Prayer be made continually O all you that can pray pray heartily pray daily pray abundantly Prayer has been most prophanely derided in this Age But if we would have God do what we will let us believe and pray according to the Will of God Let not a day pass over you without effectual Prayers for God's Glory in the prosperity of the Gospel and redeeming Israel out of all his Troubles And that God would guide assist preserve and prosper our King and Queen and strengthen them by his Spirit in the inner Man take these following Considerations to satisfy and encourage your Hearts 1. The King must go to these Wars It is not Vanity to see the young Men play before him as Abner said to Joab 2 Sam. 2.14 Hest 4.14 no but necessity A necessity in respect of Duty and Obedience to God who hath prepared and called him to it He is obliged to assist in a Common Cause against a Common Destroyer of Countries and Cities And who knoweth but he is come to the Kingdom for such a Time for such a Service as this He doth not only add Strength by his Armies but puts Life into the Armies of other Princes as well as his own There is the same Necessity for our King to go forth to Battel as it was for David's going when he went it may be so that there may not be hereafter a like Necessity as there was not when the Men of David obliged him not to go for then he was much disabled and there were many others fit for the Service that were forward to go Men fit to be trusted Wendeline Doctrin Politicae lib. 2. c. 42. Ayala l. 2. c. 2. Sect. 19. Men that were true to the Happiness of Israel And as Cesar was wont to say Not go but Come along So many other great Captains have not only been present but performed the parts of Souldiers as well as Generals But the greatest Valour must do this with great Caution and remember he is a General and not a Commander posted to maintain his assigned Ground lest he become a Mark for an Ishbi-benob or give cause to an Enemy to say as he did who killed the most renowned King of Sweden That is the true Bird and so shot him dead Let us not forget to ask of God always to govern the King 's great Mind and guide him with his Eye 2. Here is sufficient Encouragement for us all not to be faint-hearted and dismayed but to pray with an awful humble Confidence and Expectation that God will favour this Righteous Cause For 1. this War is a lawful War and that gives us encouragement to seek God for the Success of it and our good King's Prosperity and Preservation The Lawfulness of this War will appear in all the Causes of a lawful War if you 1. Consider our Selves 2. Our Enemies 3. Our Allies 1. If you consider our Selves It is lawful because undertaken by Supream Authority by the King and Consent of the Parliament The King hath just cause to maintain his own just Title to the Crown and Government of these Kingdoms And it is the Peoples Duty to serve him in the Wars according to their utmost Ability as Judah did adhere to David 2 Sam. 2.4 whom they received and anointed him to be their King You know that I have not made State-Matters the Subject of my Preaching but now it is necessary to say something to inform you in what I believe is true and then engage and perswade you to your Duties The King's Title and Right to the Crown is scrupled by some who own him as King de facto in Possession these do seem rather to temporize than to obey upon a full Principle of Obedience and speak not fully to the Point and the Case of the King and Queen And others refuse to swear Allegiance to them though settled upon the Throne by a free Convention of Peers and People and their Title ratified by a Parliament and acknowledged by all Princes and States abroad except One who would have the Kingdom for himself if he could Which of all the Heads of the several Families and Lines of our English Kings could shew a better Title or near so good than our King and Queen antecedent to their Coronation But since it should be held undoubted and therefore this War is lawful if it were for nothing but to maintain his just Title against his Enemies The Reasons which Abner and the Men of Israel gave for their submission were good to prove David's Title and every one of them might be applied to prove our Soveraign's Title see 2 Sam. 3.12 17 18. Chap. 5.2 3. And though God hath not spoken by audible Words to them You shall feed my People Israel and thou shalt be Captain over Israel he hath spoken aloud by convincing Providences 2. It is lawful if you respect our Enemies The French have declared War against us attempted an Invasion Do not we know him too well to let him in If we resist him who shall be our King He that hath saved us and doth still endeavour it or he who when he had declined and refused to satisfy the just Petitions of his Subjects and contrary to Law and his Duty went about to change our Government and not daring to meet a Free Parliament ventured his Cause to the determination of God by the Sword and lost it in that Court of Judgment and deserted the Government and Kingdom and withdrew to an open Enemy's Country and hath made use of that Enemy's Power against us and