contingents and beholds at one view what will be the Event and Issue of all the actions of the world if he saw distinctly from all Eternity every occurrence that could prevent further stop or hinder his designs we may then rest assured that God will maintain his authority over the world against all the devices and combinations of men Es 31.2 For he also is wise and there is no wisdom Prov. 21.30 nor understanding nor Counsel against the Lord. The second perfection in God effectually conducing to the stability of his government is an Almighty Irresistible and Uncontrolable power Which tho' the Scripture did not ascribe to God and that in an infinite degree yet the many mighty works which he has from time to time done in the world will amount to an undeniable demonstration of it 'T was he that created the heaven and the earth and then we may well make the Prophet Jeremies conclusion from it Jer. 32.17 that nothing is too hard for him He that with a word made this great fabrick of the world may surely with the turn of his hand manage every thing in it so as to be subservient to his will And this is the argument which God himself in the Prophets often makes use of to silence the doubts that might arise concerning the execution of his purpose Thus Esay 40.22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that stretcheth out the heaven as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in and c. 14.26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations for the Lord of hosts hath purposed and who shall disannul it his hand is stretched out and who shall turn it back For what opposition can we be supposed to make who have no strength to arme our selves against him but what we have derived from him Or what cannot he do with us who cannot only destroy us by letting loose the influence of one contrary against another but even turn us into nothing meerly by the with-holding of his own And here first the exercise of his Almighty power for the establishing of his government is singularly observable in his restraints and influences upon the hearts and spirits of men When Balaam the Sorcerer who loved the ways of unrighteousness came ready prepared to Curse the children of Israel it was not in his power to utter one word but what the Lord had spoke unto him Num. 22.35 Nay says he v. 18. If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord to say less or more We read Ex. 34.23 There times in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God the God of Israel Now the Jews lived in the midst of their enemies who in all probability would not let slip such an inviting opportunity when all the men were gone up to Jerusalem to invade their country and destroy all that they had left behind them Notwithstanding God Almighty is very peremptory in his injunction 't is again repeated Deut. 16.16 and to take off the objection that might arise from their leaving their Country naked and defenceless he assures them that when they thus went to appear before the Lord no man should desire their land This is a certain proof that God effectually orders and governs the hearts and spirits and the voluntary actions of men Or else how could he infallibly assure them when men had all those temptations advantages and encouragements not only that no man should invade or conquer but that no man should desire their land I shall give but one instance more and that is the successes of Cyrus in which are contained so many special instances of a remarkable and overruling power Isai 48.20 Zenophon Dr. Jackson What was it else but the finger of God who commands all the hearts of the Sons of men that brought in so many Confederate Forces to his assistance and some of them natural subjects to the Babylonian without whose concurrence the whole enterprize had miscarried This is not to be imputed either to Cyrus his management or their own Isai 40.15.45.5 But he to whom all nations are as the drop of a bucket who said of Cyrus I have girded thee though thou hast not known me had long before ordered all things to his hand and in the language of the Prophet Jeremy on this occasion set up a standard Jer. 51.27 29. blew the trumpet and prepared the nations that every purpose of the Lord might be performed against Babylon to leave the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant But secondly this power of God is further visible in curbing and keeping under the passions and unruly appetites of men Ps 65.7 He that stilleth the raging of the sea and the noise of its waves is alone able to quiet and subdue the rage and madness of the people Whence are wars and fightings among you saith St. James Come they not hence even from lusts so violent are the desires of pride avarice ambition and revenge so various are the designs at the same time a driving on directly cross to one another such is the eagerness of men in the pursuit of their interests and so great the animosities upon a defeat that we have no Cause to be surprized at the frequent alterations we meet with in the world the only wonder is that they happen no oftner than they doe For such are the disorders which mens extravagances would Cause amongst us that if there were not an invisible hand to bridle and overrule them there would be no longer any living in the world but unconceiveable confusions would cover the face of the whole earth But now Ps 93.3.4 tho' the waves of the sea are mighty and rage horribly yet he that sitteth on high is mightier The Lord is King 99.1 be the people never so impatient he sitteth upon the Cherubims be the earth never so unquiet He that set bounds to the sea saying Hitherto shalt thou goe but no further can also restrain and hold in the most boysterous passions and disorderly affections of men He can reduce and temper them to serve the ends of his own government He can let them loose when he pleases to Cause disturbances and revolutions in the world and when they have finisht the work which was given them to doe he can call them back again into their old channel compose and quiet them as our Saviour rebuked the winds and the seas and there was a great calm Mat. 8.26 We have thus far considered the stability of Gods government and what those perfections of his nature are which render his Kingdom fix't immovable Dan. 4.35 He can doe whatsoever he pleases in the armyes of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth so that
heaven and earth shall sooner pass away and the fabrick of the world be dissolved Es 55.11 than any one word that goeth forth out of his mouth shall return to him void without accomplishing his pleasure and prospering in the thing whereto he sent it And now from this consideration of the stability of the Divine government we may infer this useful Corollary that the way to make human governments firm and stable too as far as they are capable is to regulate and conform them according to the mind of God Commit thy works unto the Lord saith Solomon and so thy thoughts shall be establisht Prov. 16.3 And Eliphaz the Temanite Job 22.23 If thou return unto the Almighty and make thy prayer unto him thou also shalt decree a thing and it shall be establisht and the light shall shine upon thy paths It is vain thing to imagine that secular wisdom human policies or the projects and contrivances of crafty and designing men are the way to settle and give security to a people All that they can doe is to serve a present turn and to piece up things for a little while but when they have done their utmost can never lay any sure ground work of a lasting tranquility In that great distress of Hezekiah Es 33. When Sennacherib was sending up a formidable army to Jerusalem and which was worse many of his own people were dealing underhand with the King of Assyria and ready prepared for a revolt he applyes himself to God for succour and assistance and receives full and ample directions from him what those methods were which should settle and establish him in peace and safety v. 6. Wisdom and Knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of Salvation the fear of the Lord is his treasure Sennacherib had before taken many fenced Citys laid wast his strong-holds and at last overreached and cheated him of his treasures which are the necessary means of security against a forreign enemy Nevertheless the Prophet assures him that while he was careful to preserve the fear of the Lord in his heart and zealous in settling and advancing the true service and worship of God he should never want either for treasure or defence or any thing conducing to the lengthning the tranquility of his people and preserving peace and truth in his days This then is the method which God prescribes for the sure establishment of a people Es 1.16 Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes Cease to do evil learn to do well seek Judgment relieve the oppressed Judge the fatherless plead for the widow Mal. 3.10.12 and then prove me saith the Lord if I will not pour you out a blessing Then all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a pleasant Land saith the Lord of hosts Whereas if injustice and oppression if wrong and robbery possess the gates if irreligion and infidelity be rife in the earth if atheism heresy and prophanness shall take root among us and overspread the land with a contemt of Virtue and Religion 't is not our Fleets and Armies our Forts and Garrisons that can secure us These are the crying sins that have heretofore threatned the return of Popery upon this Kingdom and if they are still suffered to continue and encrease 't will be a very hard matter to keep it out It was the observation of a Politician who seems to have had no great sense of Gods government of the world Machiavâ—l we can have no greater sign of the ruine of a people than to see the worship of God despised This as 't is true in experience so 't is founded upon this immutable and eternal reason that the great creator and governor of the world has so contrived the mutual dependencies and relations of one thing to another that peace and settlement shall be the result of piety and integrity and that its folly for a nation to flatter it self with hopes of safety and security where the foundations of it are shaken and undermin'd All expedients whatsoever without the establishment of the true Religion are but building a wall Ezek. 19.15 and daubing it with untemper'd mortar But thus saith the Lord the wall is no more neither they that daubed it It was Jeroboams politick device to preserve his Kingdom to his Posterity by dividing it from the establisht worship of God in the temple at Jerusalem 1 Kin. 13.34 But this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the face of the earth Certainly he who hath so firmly setled his own government that it cannot be moved is the fittest to direct us in the establishment of ours And this was holy Jobs inference from this doctrin c. 23.11 My foot hath held his steps his ways have I kept and not declined the reason whereof follows for he is in one mind and who can turn him and whatsoever his Soul des ireth that he doth He performeth the thing that is appointed for me and many such things are with him And so I pass to the third thing proposed viz. the Justice and Equity of this government he shall Judge the people righteously And surely no man can make any doubt of this for he is righteous in all his ways Ps 145.17.89.14 and holy in all his works And Justice and Judgment are the habitation of his throne he is as we have seen of infinite Knowledge and Wisdom to discern all the actions of men and also of infinite power to put his sentence effectually in execution And tho' the full compleat and glorious manifestation of his Justice be reserved to the great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed the great Judge of the world shall render to every man according to his works yet in the mean time he leaves not himself without witness but that we may know there is a God that Judgeth the earth takes frequent occasion to demonstrate the glory of his Justice to the world both in the outward recompences of vertue and the visible punishments of sin What good man is there that has not various instances to relate of Gods temporal mercies bestowed upon him in this life what gracious experiences has he often felt of the goodness of God though not in a constant Course of outward prosperity yet in support under his oppressions and deliverances from them How often has he bin ready to sink under a load of Calumny and slander when God hath of a sudden unexpectedly interposed and brought forth his righteousness as clear as the light and his just dealing as the noon-day How often hath God who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants by an undiscernable providence so managed and conducted their affairs as to give them a blessed Issue and Success beyond their hopes and Imaginations Lastly how often has Gods true Religion been persecuted opprest and trampled on and
A SERMON PREACHED Before the HONOURABLE House of Commons AT St. MARGARET WESTMINSTER on Thursday the 26th of November 1691. Being a day of Publick Thanks-giving By WILLIAM JANE D.D. Dean of Gloucester and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties OXFORD Printed at the THEATER for Thomas Bennet at the Half-Moom in St. Paul's Church-Yard London 1691. Veneris 27. die Nov. 1691. Ordered THat the Thanks of this House be given to Dr. Jane Dean of Gloucester for his Sermon Preached Yesterday before this House at St. Margarets Westminster and that he be desired to Print the same And that Sir Joseph Tredenham and Mr. Travers do acquaint him therewith Paul Jodrell Cler. Dom. Com PSAL. XCVI 10. Say among the Heathen that the Lord reigneth the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved and that he shall Judge the people righteously IT will not be very material in this place to enquire into the title of the Psalm or whether this which with some little variation makes a part of that triumphant song composed by David 1 Chr. 16. at the bringing up of the ark from the house of Obed Edom to Jerusalem Ferandus in loc were afterwards consecrated by the Jews to another use to be sung at the rebuilding of the Temple after their return from the Babylonish Captivity or whether it might not be accommodated as also the following Psalm which seems to be much to the same purpose to celebrate those conquests which David won over the heathen nations 1 Chr. 18. not long after the setling of the ark the symbol of Gods presence in the midst of them This is certain and confest on all hands Theod. Dr. Ham. that in the literal and most obvious sense it is a general form of thanksgiving and praising God for all his works of grace and goodness as the maker and governour of the world and in the prophetick or mystical it contains a description of the Kingdom of the Messiah and the blessed effects of it in the bringing salvation to all people and the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith I shall treat of it at present only in the former notion and in the words that I have read shall briefly consider with respect to the design of our present meeting I. A general assertion of Gods government of the world say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth The government of God is not restrained to the Jewish nation but all the people and nations of the earth are the objects of his providence and his sovereignty reaches over all the world II. The stability of Gods government the world also shall be establish't that it shall not be moved III. The Justice and equity of the administration of it he shall Judge the people righteously And first of the general assertion of Gods government of the world That God has an absolute dominion over all things a sovereign and uncontestable right to be the sole Lord and Emperour of the universe both reason and scripture have abundantly evinced not only from the consideration of the supereminent excellency of the divine nature but also of his mighty works in the creation and continuance of the world Thus the Elders in the Revelations Ch. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Thus Hezekiah Esai 37.16 O Lord of hosts thou art the God even thou alone of all the Kingdoms of the earth For thou hast made heaven and earth Thus the Levites in Nehemiah Ch. 9.6 Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made heaven the heaven of heavens with all their host the earth and all things that are therein the seas and all that is therein and thou preservest them all and the whole host of heaven worshipeth thee If seems to be a lessening and limiting of the Divine Dominion what God says by the Prophet Jer. 18.6 Cannot I doe with you as the potter says the Lord behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in my land O house of Israel For the potter neither makes the clay nor gives activity to the fire when he applyes the one to the other 't is the Divine influence that enables him and after this when he has done all he can he at last produces nothing but the Shape and Figure of the Vessel But now with respect to God there is nothing in the whole world but has an absolute dependence upon him for its whole being and every particle thereof Whatever we are whatever we possess whatever we can do all the parts and members of the body all the powers and faculties of the Soul the heads that contrive and the hands that execute the whole use and exercise of them all the times and opportunities of acting together with the several objects about which they may or ought to be employed are solely and entirely derived from him by a supreme arbitrary independent and uncommunicated power He is the absolute and perfect proprietour of them all For as they are all the works of his hands they must needs be subject to his disposal He may consequently appoint them their several ends according to their several capacities prescribe Laws and Rules for the attainment of those ends and oblige them to observe his orders upon such terms as his infinite wisdom shall think good And this power belongs to God purely for his own sake without any regard had to any right or interest of his Creatures which as they were all made for him Pro. 16.4 Rom. 11.36 so are to be disposed by him This is a most certain and undoubted ground of propriety and consequently of power For surely if the world were made that it might be governed there is none so fit to govern it as he that made it But besides this despotical right of absolute Dominion there is a Rectoral right in God if I may so call it which results from his actual taking upon himself the administration and government of the world And this is exprest in several places of Scripture Thus Ps 103.19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven and his kingdom ruleth over all God is the King of all the earth God reigneth over the nations Ps 47.7 8. and Ps 22.28 The Kingdom is the Lords and he is the Governour among the people Thine saith King David 1 Chr. 29.11 12. Thine O Lord is the Kingdom and thou art exalted as head above all both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all All men of what condition and quality soever are under his power and jurisdiction The most glorious and renowned of all the Sons of men the potentates kings and princes of the earth however they may resist his commands are still accountable for doing so He will rule in the midst of his enemies and if they will not bow to the gentle Scepter of his word Ps 2.9 he
has a Rod of Iron in his hand Luke 19.27 wherewith he can dash them in pieces like a potters Vessel and will one day say openly in the hearing of all the world those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me For he is the Prince of all the Kings of the earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.15 The blessed and only Potentate the only Source and Fountain of all just power and Dominion and 't is by vertue of his authority that all the great ones of the world administer any of their own The Crowns and Scepters of the world are in his hand and whenever he imparts any power or royalty to his Creatures he still reserves to himself a free liberty to resume it to Uncrown Dethrone and Depose them at his pleasure Dan. 5.20 When Nebuchadnezzars heart was lifted up and his mind hardned in pride he was deposed from his Kingly Throne and they took his Glory from him He suffered a seven years banishment from the society of men that sâ—â—t last he might be convinced of this great truth which so highly concerns all that are in authority to take notice of that the most high ruleth in the kingdom of men and he giveth it to whomsoever he will Dan. 4.25 That his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and that all Dominionâ— shall serve and obey him But not to insist either upon the proof or illustration of so plain and obvious a point in the acknowledgment whereof we are here assembled to praise God this day I shall recommend only this one inference which naturally results from it that since God is the universal Monarch of the whole world and conducts and governs all our affairs according to the good pleasure of his will we should hence be instructed to own and acknowledge the power care and goodness of God in all our blessings advantages and enjoyments and to make suitable returns to him of praises and thanksgivings for all the merciful vouchsafements of his providence For surely if God be the sole governour of the world then all the gracious events and occurrences therein are solely to be ascribed to him Peace and safety victory and success doe not depend upon the strength and number of our armyes the wisdom of our Counsellors the conduct of our Commanders the power and friendship of our Confederates For it is all one with God to save by many or by few he can make the wisdome of an Achitophel become foolishness can strike a terror into the hearts of our valiant men he can make our Allies and Confederates become like the staff of Egypt whereon if a man lean Esa 36.6 it will goe into his hand and pierce it But our whole strength is in the name of the Lord and 't is his arm alone that brings salvation Pro. 21.31 The horse is prepared for the day of battel but safety is of the Lord. So likewise in the State 't is not the wise man Jer. 9.24 nor the mighty but Judgment and Kindness comes from God He rules and governs in all our debates and consultations It 's he that manages the events of war and gives his people the blessing of peace It is he that raises up one nation against another and again when he sees it expedient Ps 46.9 maketh wars to cease in all the world breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder and burneth the chariots in the fire Esai 37.29 He can put a hook in the nose and a bridle in the lips of a proud and insolent enemy and can turn him back by the way which he came When the great mountain becomes a plain before Zorobabel Zack 4.6 't is not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts This therefore should effectually teach us not to boast of the arm of flesh to sacrifice to our net Hab. 1.16 or burn incense to our drag or say with the Assyrian Isai 10.13 By the might of my hands I have done this and by my wisdome for I am prudent But rather on the contrary as to have recourse to God alone for relief in all our straits dangers and perplexities so to return the due tribute of our gratitude for all the pledges of his love and favour for all his mercies and deliverances Ps 13.6 I will sing unto the Lord saith David because he hath dealt bountifully with me Ps 63.7 Because thou hast been my helper therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce This is the duty which the Lord calls for this day and which we are here assembled by publick authority to put in practise to praise and magnify his name for our peace at home our successes abroad and rescuing a neighbour Kingdome from the miseries of a war and the danger of being enslaved by a forreign power And how highly are we all concerned that our thanksgiving be hearty zealous and universal not meerly a matter of course and formality but accompanied with a real influence and impression upon our hearts Which is the only means to sanctify and consecrate our past successes and present enjoyments and to procure his blessing upon our future enterprizes and undertakings II. And so I pass to the 2d. thing proposed viz. the stability of Gods government of the world the world also shall be c. All humane governments however artificially contrived are not only liable to assaults and violence from without but contain in them the inward causes of decay and dissolution Those four mighty Monarchies had their times and their turns their fall and period as well as a rise and a beginning And the most durable Kingdoms that histories make mention of after they have enlarged their conquests over their neighbour nations have at last been either ruin'd by their own strength or else become a prey and spoil to another stronger than themselves For he encreaseth the nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the nations and straitneth them again Job 12.23 But Gods government is sure and stable his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his dominion endureth from generation to generation This Kingdom shall never be destroy'd but shall break in pieces and consume all other Kingdoms and it self shall stand for ever Dan. 2.44 and Ps 10.16 He will be King for ever and ever even when all heathen Kings are perisheâ— from off the earth The main support of all government is wisdom and power and the defect of either of these much more of both is a sufficient cause and reason why all human governments are so weak tottering and unstable And first their wisdom and knowledge is narrow and confined For not to mention how frequently they are biassed by misinformation prejudice and partiality the most specious undertakings have been often shattered and broke in pieces by such inconsiderable accidents as ly