Summons or Challenge to the whole world to behold or consider the mighty Acts of Gods particular Providence in behalf of his Church Come and behold the Works of the Lord what Desolatâ—ons he hath made in the Earth ver 8. In the days of David God smote down before his Anointed all the Enemies of Israel round about them Which being done towards or in the days of Solomon he crowned the foregoing Victories and Deliverances with a deep Peace ver 9. He maketh Wars to cease unto the ends of the Earth he breaketh the Bow and knappeth the Spear asunder and burneth the Chariot in the fire But such deep Peace as I conceive not yet in perfect being at the penning of this Psalm which I say by the whole tenor of it manifestly bespeaks it self to have been writ in tottering or turbulent times only to assure the faithful that it was at hand and infallibly future the holy Psalmist sings it as already accomplisht an usual Scheme with the Prophets Mean while to still and aw all sorts he yet again in his wonderful Character of Speech and like the greatest Artist brings in God himself controling the Inhabitants of the Earth in the Text Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth Words indifferently applicable either to the Turbulent and Enemies of the Church and of Davids Kingdom as if he had said Desist from your fruitless Combinations and malicious Contrivances Know that I am God or to the faithful and firm Adherents of David who inclining to diffidence and fears of the worst might be in impatient hurries and uncertain Counsels And if thus taken the Sense is Be still quiet your selves patiently in Humility Faith and Sobriety await the issue Know that I am God and in my good time I will both glorifie my self and settle you To which as in a full Chorus the Faith of the Church answers The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Selah That is most probably as before said a Note for the highest Musick Because I cannot presume any number of our Kings or Churches Enemies here present and besides for that it is an ungrateful thing on this good day to take the words in their worst acceptation I shall chiefly insist on them as directed to the Church and to faithful and loyal Subjects And to them First they prescribe a Duty very seasonable prudent and Christian in apprehensions of uncertain or in uncertain or unsettled affairs namely an holy Quiet of mind Be still Secondly they inforce this Duty and that by three Principles or main points of Religious Doctrine The first of which is the general and sovereign Power of God insinuated in those words Know that I am God I made I rule the World The second his particular Superintendency and directing all affairs to his own Glory in the next words I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted on the Earth The third his Constancy and eternal Fidelity to his Church acknowledged and depended upon by them The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is oâ— Refuge I begin with the Duty injoyned an holy Quiet Be still That there is nothinâ— in this world firm or stable that as pooâ— men die from their Cottages and greateâ— persons from their Houses which theâ— have called by their own Names so eveâ— Princes from the Throne alas I neeâ— not insist Only when these last leave thâ— Stage as it is in great Buildings wheâ— Pillars fall there is at least a dreadfuâ— Concussion of the whole Fabrick so in Frame of State when a King dies especially a Great one a Gracious one a Beloved one howevever most happily as well as speedily and most seasonably succeeded I cannot but believe and I hope it will be esteemed no fault to profess plainly that I do believe the Loyallest hearts amongst us all really tremble not that we distrust God or our Prince but we fear the Malice of the Enemy Wherefore being we must acknowledge the publick Amusement not to say Consternation not yet to be quite over it cannot be amiss to press what the Text in such shaking junctures injoyns which I have named an holy Quiet and I dare say it will contribute much to the Ease of all their Hearts who will practice it Now such Quiet will consist 1. In Paâ—ience excluding all Repining all Comâ—laints and Murmuring 2. In Faith â—nd humble Deference to God excluding â—ll Despondency and Pusillanimity 3. In â—obriety Peaceableness and observance of Orâ—er excluding Temerity Faction and â—rivy Combinations upon any pretences â—f publick Jealousies and Dangers Permit I beseech you a word on each very â—riefly and I hope very modestly And first as to the Quiet of Patience which I say excludes all Repining all Murmuring all fruitless accusing of things and persons Our Loss is indeed very great and very fresh it being not yet forty hours since I think I may say most of us had intelligence of it But blessed be the same Hand that takes and together gives Heaviness may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning Let us therefore on this occasion not fall into that iniquity of Impatience taxed by the Heathen Moralist Iniquiores esse erga relicta ereptorâ—m desiderio to be unjust estimators of what God has left us through too impatient a sense of what he has taken away Meekly to accept the deserved punishment of our Sins is certainly as moderate a degree of Patience as any in reason can pay Whereas then we have lost a most Gracious King must we not confess our selves to have deserved it by the abuse of that Ease Peace Liberty and Plenty that we enjoyed under him and yet were not contented The consideration hereof must surely restrainus 1. From all repining at Gods hand and charging him with Severity There may be a further End in this Providence than we are aware of Perhaps God does but design to commend and set off his future Mercies by the present Stroke We have seen many a glorious fair Day after a cloudy Morning Seeing then we know not what God will bring forth let us take care that we provoke him not to what it may be he does not yet intend However 't is as little Justice as can be not to complain of him till we have real Reason And 2. The same consideration too should keep us so far within the bounds of Patience as not to repine against or accuse men Be still also in this regard There is so much wickedness of late in the world and possibly some men know so much villany by themselves as makes them suspect very bad things of others And it is too easie a step with many in the world first â—o suspect men and then to charge them â—ith what themselves have suspected of â—hem In the name of God let us be careâ—ul herein and let no Grief transport
Excipitur 3. De Aedilit Edict Malus servus creditus est saith Vlpian qui aliquid facit quo magis se rebus humanis extrahat ut puta laqueum torsit c. He 's adjudged an ill Servant by the Civil Laws who but prepares any thing to dispatch himself out of this world as if he fit an Halter mix Poison or the like And much more such is he who destroys himself by any of these For such a Servant plainly steals himself thereby out of his Masters Service and so does every man himself out of Gods who removes himself hence before God dismisses him Nay the Laws we spoke of go further as to this point affirming * L. Liber homo 13. §. ad L. Aquil. Neminem Dominum membrorum suorum none to be Lord of his own Limbs nor is it by them ordinarily permitted to any without the consent of his Superiors so much as to cut off a Limb for the saving the rest of the Body Which though possibly in some circumstances too strict yet shews according to the sense of those Law-givers who were reputed and I believe not unjustly some of the wisest in the world that there is no one of so private a condition in whom his Prince and Countrey may not so far challenge a right as to divest him of the sole power of disposing of himself I will conclude this point of Self-slaughter which by this time I think I may be bold to stile Self-murder with a famous passage of St. Austin transcribed out of him into the body of the Canon Law This saith he we say this we Hoc dicimus hoc asserimus hoc modis omnibus approbamus neminem spontaneam mortem sibi inferre debere velut fugiendo c. De Civitat Dei l. cap. vide plura causa 23. Qu. 5. Si non licet affirm this we by all possible ways avow that no one may bring voluntary death upon himself to escape thereby any temporal pains least he fall into eternal ones No one may do it by reason of anothers sins lest he thereby begin to have most grievous sin of his own nor because of any of his own past sins for the curing of which by Repentance he has more need to continue in life Nor through desire of a better life which may be hoped for after death because a better Life after Death belongs not to him who is guilty of his own Death This then is our third Conclusion No one is Lord so much as of his own Life Fourthly Whosoever therefore pretends or exercises a Power over other mens Lives must either derive that Power from the Supreme Magistrate to whose Dominions he belongs or in case he do not he becomes by such Exercise or Attempts either an Vsurper or Murderer or both If he pretend to a publick Power herein not deriving it as aforesaid he is an Vsurper and that as generally it comes to pass in all Usurpers is as much as a publick Murderer If he exercise only a private Power as suppose in righting or avenging himself or any third person against some single injurious man he hereby becomes a private Murderer at least before God in case the Life of himself or of any other be but hazarded by his Act. This is most plain for having no such Power in himself and it being by God committed only to the Magistrate he can never come by it regularly and in Gods way except he receive it from them to whom God has committed it Thus though the whole remains of Sauls House were in open Hostility against David and Ishbosheth particularly so keen an Enemy to Davids person that he sought his Life yet when Baanah and Rechab under pretence to do David a Service and avenge their Lord the King of Saul and his Seed go in privately to Ishbosheth's House and take off his Head to bring it as a present to David David pronounces Sentence against them both as Murderers because though there were a publick Quarrel yet these two officious wretches having no Commission to act or interpose therein could not derive any Right or Authority for what they did either from God or Man 2 Sam iv 9 c. Admit Ishbosheth did deserve Death yet these men had no right to inflict it on him Thus as to our fourth Conclusion The fifth is The Magistrate exerciseth this Power of the Sword either in the Administration of Civil Justice or of lawful War A third way I think cannot be assigned and therefore as we will more fully touch by and by whosoever pretend to have received Power of Life and Death from the Magistrate but are neither Civil Officers or legitimately enrolled in the Martial List are still by such pretence no better than Murderers First as to matter of Civil Justice the persons usually commissioned herein are either those who dispence the Laws as Judges Justices and the like or those who execute them as Sheriffs and Vnder-Officers That both these sorts of men must derive their Power from the King as Supreme or else cannot act warrantably I think none will question We have precedents enough in the Jewish Kingdom In Davids time 2 Sam. viii 15 16 c. But more explicitly afterwards 2 Chron. xix 5 6. to the end Jehosophat there set Judges in the Land some fixed as it would seem through all the fenced Cities of Judah City by City others itiner an t who went out and returned to Jerusalem ver 8. And the Subordination of Officers to the ordinary Judges as well as of the Judges to the Supreme Powers we have account of not only in the Old Testament but even from our Lord himself in the Gospels Matth. v. 25. Luk. xii 58. Here is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magistrate we render it or Prince that is he * Vid. Grot. in loc who has Power to appoint the Judge The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Judge who is to determine Controversies between Bloud and Bloud according to Law and Commandment Statutes and Judgments And lastly here is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Exactor as the word signifies whose business it was to put or see put the Sentence in Execution Thus we see how this Civil Power of the Sword was legally and orderly derived diffused and managed amongst the Jews And the same God of Order still governs the world and both does and ever will delight in Order Secondly When Civil Justice cannot take place the Magistrate exercises the Power of the Sword in lawful War Sometimes Offenders are too numerous for civil Punishments and stand in justification of their Crimes against the Powers which God has ordained Sometimes not so much a few private persons as whole Nations at least those who manage National concerns may be injurious to a neighbouring People And in such case Justice cannot be done without War Now here also the Magistrate bears not the Sword in vain but he is to raise what armed Force he sees
with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Selah THere is nothing that could have mitigated or rendred so much as tolerable that Grief which we had conceived and with which we are still affected for the Loss of our late Most Gracious Sovereign but thâ— quiet and peaceable Succession of his Brother our present Sovereign to the Crown We cannot indeed but still retain a tender sense of so great a Loss and whether we will or no intermix Sighs with our Acclamations and drop Tears amidst our Joys There appears most evidently do what we can a strange conflict of Affections in the most of us not unlike to that which was in those Priests and Levites when the Foundations of the new Temple were laying some remembring the first Temple wept with a loud voice and others shouted for joy that they were now founding a second so that the noise of the shout of joy could scarce be discerned from the noise of them that wept Ezr. iii. 12 13. We may not dissemble it some such odd disorders we are in Yet when we consider that notwithstanding all our fears and others malice James the Second the Dear and Faithful Brother of Charles the Second of blessed memory the Son of Charles the First that glorious Martyr for his Religion and the Laws the Grandson of the great and happy King James the First in whom the three Crowns were happily united â—as succeeded and that without any Stir Tumults or Blood-shed but with the â—reatest Peace and Ease imaginable unto â—he Throne of his Royal Father and may we long hold it so may these days of â—eace long continue to Him and us when â—e consider this I say we ought to cheer â—ur selves and endeavour the tempeâ—ating our Griefs and composing our Minds Further when we add to the former â—onsideration that his present Majesty has â—raciously declared to the world and given â—is Royal Word that he will govern according â—o the Laws established that He will mainâ—ain our Religion and the Government of Church and State as they now stand that he â—ill imitate his blessed Brother and most espeâ—ially in his great Clemency and Tenderness to â—is People and that as he hath often hereâ—ofore ventur'd his Life in Defence of the Naâ—ion so he will still do his utmost to â—reâ—erve us in our just Rights and Libeâ—ties of all which we have this day a full and publick assurance When we add this I â—ay we ought to banish Grief from our hearts in our Souls to rejoyce to fall down before God and bless him concluding we have Charles the Second still after a sort alive and entire in Jameâ—â—he Second whom God long preserve Yet because it is impossible on a suddain to rid the world of Fears Jealousies and the like uneasie Affections because also there are to be found abroad though I hope not amongst us many unquiet and tumultuous Spirits who delight in Troubles and would fain be embroyling all again because also what I have said may not haply be by all believed or my self be deemed too credulous it may not be amiss or unseasonable to entertain you upon occasion of this Solemnity with some thoughts on this calming passage of the Royal Psalmist Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth In what particular Crisis of the Jewish affairs or on what occasion this Psalm was first penned I have not found any so bold as peremptorily to ascertain By the Inscription of it it is directed to the Sons of Corah those famous Masters of Musick when the Jewish Choir was in its most slourishing state and so probably composed about Solomons Succession to the Throne Sure it is by its Contents its true date must be in very perillous or esse in tumultuous times Such Days and Affairs all those high expressions in it do most certainly import and the Affections that the holy Penman professes bespeak no less ver 1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength sings he a very present help in time of trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be moved and though the Mountains be cast into the midst of the Sea Though the Waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof The removing of the Earth the roaring of Sea and Waters the shaking of the Mountains and their being thrown into the midst of the Sea are all but lofty Poetical ways of speaking design'd to express great Commotions in the State the unsettling or removing Foundations of Government All which when he had thus nobly sung he falls not in the other part but sweetly proceeds There is a River the streams whereof make glad the City of our God the holy places of the Tabernacles of the most High Jerusalem had not the advantage of any such mighty River as are those which have made great and wealthy divers Cities But there was the Brook Kidron which as 't is described above Jerusalem Eastward imparted a clear and gentle Stream for the watering of the lower City And there were besides the Waters of Siloah which augmented by a small Stream from the Fountain Gihon passed softly Isai viii 6. into Sion and in a manner close up to the foot of the Temple To which soever of these two our Royal Poet alludes either of them aptly resembles those secret and soft Refreshments which at all times relieve and bear up the Spirits of the true Israel They have not ever perhaps an irresistible Torrent of all the worldly Power Security and Interests that some could wish running strongly for them but in their most forlorn circumstances that their enemies can imagine them in they have easie secret and spiritual Comforts in a way of humble affiance in God and committing themselves and their affairs to his Gracious Conduct And sometimes when God thinks good in his Providence to appear for them more visibly as he has of old and more lately in a glorious sort for our establish'd Church the Emanations of his Power Wisdom and Goodness are in no cases more conspicuous than in their Protection God is in the midst of her she shall not be removed God shall help her and that right early ver 5. This he avows and that more loftily than any thing hitherto if possible This I say he avows v. 6. ever has does and will appear maugre all the Rage of some and the Combinations of other Enemies Let the Heathen rage and the Kingdoms be moved 't is but Gods uttering his Voice and the Earth melts away And now why should his Church at any time droop in Spirit or be dejected This Lord of Hosts is with us this God of Jacob is our Refuge to which he puts a Selah that is sing this Strain in your highest and fullest Musick Let the Earth ring of it And having thus far proceeded our sacred Authors Breast was now full enough of God to publish a kind of
can pray for nothing else in their behalf yet may we most charitably pray that God would give them Faith and Repentance though they come in even in the end of the eleventh hour of the day There was indeed in the miraculous days a miraculous Gift of discerning of Spirits and I will not say but St. John and other like inspired persons might be able hereby to perceive what men sinned unto death and when how and in what acts But I think there is none but mad men will in the present age pretend to this Gift and then there will be no knowing who will sin unto death that is be finally incredulous or impenitent except God should reveal it to us Besides as just now intimated none can be said to be incredulous or impenitent finally that is to their end till their end that is till their death and we do not teach to pray for any persons longer Wherefore it remains except God should reveal to any of us that such and such particular persons were incorrigible and by him eternally rejected from all Grace and so by immediate Inspiration or voice from Heaven interdict us to pray for them I conceive in the present â—â—ate of the Church we stand bound in charity to pray for all men at least that God would give them repentance as long as they are in this life or on this side Hell be they never so wicked Further 2. If that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which our Lord has declared Matt. xii 31 32. shall not be forgiven unto men either in this world or that which is to come were as in all probability it was the Jews malicious ascribing those Miracles to Beelzebub the Prince of Devils which in their Consciences they were convinced he did by the power of the Holy Ghost then by reason of the Cessation of Miracles no man of the present age is capable of it and therefore is no man now upon supposition of this sin to be excluded from our Prayers In a word as the world goes I know not how there is any maintaining Charity or the true Christian Temper without strict observing the Apostles injunction in my Text. For allow this that we are not to pray for those who have sinned a sin unto death and withal that sins unto death are in the present age as certainly to be known as they are commonly committed there will be few men if they have but ill nature enough to maintain enmities whose Malice will not byass their Judgments to pronounce their Enemies to have sinned a sin unto death and so there will be no loving of Enemies or praying for them at least there will be a proper method to absolve us from the Obligation of that our Lords Command of loving our Enemies and blessing those that curse us so proper to the Religion by him instituted Wherefore by the way give me leave from hence to recommend unto you the Prudence Piety and Integrity of the first Reformers of our Church and consequently the Soundness of the Reformation it self The first thing the Apostle gives in charge here to Timothy in order to the settling the Church of Ephesus is the due constituting the publick Prayers The first part of the Reformation was the compiling the Liturgy of our Church and that almost in the very form we at present have it The primitive publick Prayers by the Apostolical Injunction in the Text were to consist of Supplications Petitions Intercessions and giving of Thanks And St. Chrysostome on the Text tells us in his time the practice of the Church was accordingly The Priests all know saith he how this is performed every day both morning and evening Our Liturgy does consist of Confessions Suffrages or Litanies of Collects of Prayers for the whole Church Hymns and Eucharistical Devotions parts perfectly conformable to what was then both enjoyned and practised And these according to the Apostle were to be made for all men and as Chrysostome tells us were actually so made We pray accordingly in our Litany That it please thee to have mercy upon all men Besides we have other Prayers for all sorts and conditions of men But especially for Kingâ— saith the Apostle and all that are in Authority And that these Prayers according to Order in our Liturgy are offered up morning and evening I need not tell you but as led hereby proceed to my main design Proposition II. Publick Prayers of the Church in all kinds are to be made for Kings and all in Authority Nothing can be more expresly said in terms than this is in the present Text. And it gives a very great emphasis to the Apostles Injunction and so makes our Obliâ—ation to the Duty much the stronger if we consider when this Epistle was writ or in what days the Apostle laid this Charge on Timothy namely in the first year of Nero's being Emperor of Rome according to Baronius in his third year say others all agree 't was under his Empire What Nero was for a Monster of a man as to all Villanies imaginable I need not speak nor will you easily think the Governours sent by him viz. the Prefects of the Army or Provinces were most of them much better than their Emperour And such a long time continued the Emperours and the other Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Chrysostome In loc expresses it ungodly men succeeding ungodly men so that Quot erant eo tempore magistratus tot Ecclesiae hostes atque Idolatriae As many Bez. in loc Magistrates as there were so many Enemies were there of the Church so many Idolaters and God knows vast multitudes more by their example Yet even for these did the Apostle injoyn constant Prayers daily to be made in the Church So that we must necessarily if we mind this circumstance apply hereto that of the Apostle St. Peter as to be subject to so to pray for not only the good and gentle but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the froward or perverse Yet let none by the way be so vile as to make here any misconstruction God be blessed we have no need to apply this Emphasis in our circumstances We have a King most Gracious who protects us in our Religion and has again and again promised so to do of which we have most publick and ample assurance However as long as there are such infernal Spirits in humane shape as are at this day many of the Scotch Covenanters who will not so much as say God save or God blâ—ss the King to save themselves from the Gallows it was not fit to omit this observation of the Date of this Epistle For hereby let the King have been what he could be to them they are convicted by our Apostles Doctrine to have renounced their Christianity in this case with their Allegiance and Duty to their King let them dye what they would they dyed no Christians It is not impossible there are others in the world who though to