have the Prophets declaration That the Lord is departed from him That 1 Sam. 15. 12. 13. 27. he hath rejected him and rent away his Kingdom and given it unto thy self When he is divested of his Princely Power and Regal Majesty and the Crown setled upon thy head by an Act of Heaven not to assert thine own right and title is more than an effeminate weakness it can be no less than a supine stupidity And has the holy Oyl been poured upon thy head to so little purpose If that Oyl has made thy person sacred has it added no vigour no activity to thy spirit He that has given thee the Crown hath given thee the sword also to secure and guard it and not to draw it in thy own defence is to receive it in vain Give some proof of thy Princely Prowess and Magnanimity and suffer not thy Title to be any longer subject to dispute or question Lay hold upon the present opportunity which a happy Providence hath put into thy hand and let this day be the period of his reign that it may be the commencement of thy own These we may imagine were the Arguments which Davids Servants had mustered up to strengthen their temptation when they did advance the proposition to assault his Loyalty And now behold the Philosophical moderaration of Davids spirit Behold a Conflict a Victory a Crown and Triumph That Cave was the field and the Combate was wonderful David wrestles and Anger played the Champion Saul was the matter of the Combate God the spectator and the judg What a sharp Conflict was here betwixt Sense and Reason Self-love Loialty kindness towards his suffering friends and allegiance towards his dread Soveraign But David was as firm and stedfast as a Rock in his resolved integrity Neither the memory of former sufferings nor the sense of present streights nor the fear of future dangers nor the solitude of King Saul nor the imporunity of his own party nor the hopes of impunity nor the possession of the Kingdom upon the death of Saul could prevail with him to avenge himself or shake his stedfast Loyalty This victory was more glorious than his triumph over the Giant the proud Philistine for there he subdued but a single enemy but here he conquered himself and his whole Army Saul's life was precious in David's 1 Sam. 16. 21. eyes and he did abhor to kill him Nor was this Policy in David but Conscience That which was Saul's fear was his best security He was afraid of David because God was with 1 Sam. 18. 12. him And why so God doth restrain the spirit of Princes And he it was that bridled up the spirit of David As Joseph in another case How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God Such a wickedness David deemed it to take away Saul's life and therefore when he had him at another time at the like advantage he gave this charge to his Captain Abishai Destroy him not for who 1 Sam. 26. 9. can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless Obj. But this Prince was wilful merciless Agitator and a Tyrant Sol. We are obliged to be dutiful Not only 1 Pet. 2. 17 18. to the just and gentle but also to the morose and froward And if I be under a violent persecution it is not lawful for me vim vi repellere to incounter force with force but when the Aggressor is my equal or fellow-subject And then it must be done cum inculpata tutela when I can make no escape by flight and have no other way for my defence But my Prince has his Authority over me from Heaven and therefore I must be subject to him out of Conscience as for the Lords sake The sword is put into his hand by Almighty God and for For the King is not anointed over single Persons but over Gods Inheritance 1 Sam. 10. 1. Chap 15. 17. the head of the Tribes any private Person or any Club of subjects * to wrest it out is a double Usurpation They do invade Gods Sovereignty who say Vengeance is mine and the Princes Perogative whose office it is to protect and punish when we will be our own Protectors and defend our selves against the order of God and Man we deservedly forfeit the Protection of them both Obj. But that Power which God had put into this Prince's hands to inable him to Protect he did imploy to persecute Sol. Why in that case there is no necessity to resist because then God has made it our duty to suffer And it is better if 1 Pet. 3. 17. the will of God be so to suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing God gives thee an opportunity to exercise thy Faith and Patience thy self-denyal and thy meekness thy Equanimity and generous Reliance upon him And when he calls thee to this suffering he is well able to reward thee for it Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake You are not left without a precedent For the joy that was set before Mat. 5. 10. 1 Pet. 3. 14. him Christ himself was pleased to endure the Cross and despise the shame And he Heb. 12. v. 2. left us an example that we should not avenge our selves but follow his steps in Obedience unto blood committing both our cause and our selves 1 Pet. 2. 21 23. to him who judgeth righteously And this was exactly Davids Practice The Lord judg between 1 Sam. 24. 12 13. me and thee and the Lord avenge me of thee but mine hand shall not be upon thee As saith the Proverbs of the Antients Ab impiis egredietur impietas which is H. Card. an argument quod impium est se ulcisci wickedness proceedeth from the wicked but mine hand shall not be upon thee This was his profession unto Saul and his complaint to Almighty God was to the same effect Princes have persecuted me without a cause Psal 119. v. 161. but my heart stands in aw of thy word Obj. But the Souldiers do here remind Agitators David of something that had bin delivered by God himself in favour of their pretensions Sol. When Souldiers turn Preachers every Act of Providence that seems to favour their designs shall be the voice of God every opportunity to do mischief to such as they oppose shall be interpreted a command from Heaven to do it And for ought appears in the sacred Text there was nothing else in their Allegation Let us grant that the Lord had said to David in express Terms Behold I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand Yet he did not determin the Person he did not tell him That enemy was his Sovereign If he had said expresly Behold I will deliver Saul into thy hand Yet what to do had bin a further question what to kill him no that thou maist do vers 4. to him as it shall seem good to thee And a loyal
Moses and Aaron THE KING AND THE PRIEST By the Author of the Examination of Tilenus before the Triers in the time of the late Rebellion PSAL. 77. the last Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron ZECH. 6. 13. And the counsel of peace shall be between them both LONDON Printed by A. Maxwell for R. Clavel at the Peacock near the West-end of St. Pauls 1675. 1 SAM 24. 5. And it came to pass afterward that Davids heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls Skirt THe Service of this day is designed to celebrate the glorious Memory of King Charles the Martyr Yet he was arraigned as a Malefactor and a high Court of Justice was erected for his Trial. A Court that was no ways High but in Guilt and Impudence No way capable of the Title of Justice but by an Antiphrasis because it was so eminently unjust as well in it's illegal Constitution as in their direful proceedings against their Royal Soveraign Yet before this Court he is led even as a Lamb to the Slaughter and the Scene is dress'd up with all the formalities of a legal Trial that he might with the better Grace be mocked out of his life by a Pageantry of Justice But whether such Barbarous attempts upon the Person of a King by his own Liege People be warrantable in the sight of Heaven will be best decided by the vote and practice of a worthy subject who was a great sufferer under the Power of a Severe Soveraign yet himself a great Prince and a Stout Souldier and a man after Gods own heart Aud upon this Accompt I have made choice of this Text for the subject of my Discourse at this time And it came to pass afterward that Davids heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls Skirt Which words do intimate 1. Temptation and 2. declare the Issue of it The Temptation was To destroy Saul his Royal Soveraign 2. The Issue of it was an Act of Policy with his Remorse and Repentnce for it The first words of the Text do refer us to the Temptation And it came to pass afterward The latter do report the Issue Davids heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls Skirt In the first we shall consider the strength of the Temptation how it was fortified with what force of argument it was armed and with what vigour of Importunity it was managed to assault him In the second we shall observe two things 1. What David did He cut off the Skirt of Sauls Military Robe 2. What he suffered His heart smote him for it 1. The Temptation came upon him as the wise-man observes Poverty to come upon the slothful like an armed man and did most impetuously assault him upon many accompts For there was a mighty Provocation and a seeming necessity and advantagious Providence and a fair opportunity a cleer Title to the Crown and a pretended Oracle to make way and lay claim to it These were very plausible arguments and there wanted not a Combination of Agitators or a pathetical Importunity to inforcethem O peraepretium est etiam ipsorum militum audire consultationem eo quod exhortationis versuta malitia illustrat justi mentem solidam it inconcussam Chrysost Hom. de D avide et Saule Eras interprete 1. The Temptation was armed with a specious kind of necessity which hath no Law to govern it The implacable malice of Saul and his frequent Machinations to destroy David without any cause or colour of offence were a mighty provocation His malice being wilful and of this complexion no duty of Davids could possibly either oblige or satisfie Saul was haunted with an evil Spirit And when the fit was upon him none could be found so able to apply an effectual remedy as David he is earnestly invited to attend the v. Chap 18. 19. charmes of his hand and harp do becalm the distemper that did afflict him yet so ignoble so mean so vile was his malice he paies his Physician and musick with a Javelin The King of beasts is not half so fierce and raging The Lion may be made gentle and kindness will oblige him where he meets with a due submission he will exercise a Princely Clemency But such was the perverse humour of this King of Israel no duty in David no worthy performance could mitigate his displeasure Davids prudence did increase his jealousy his merits did inflame his envy and his best Services did the more inrage his malice When David conducted his forces by his own order his best success became not only a matter of suspicion but a crime as if it had bin an attempt of Treason to defeat his enemies But the most unreasonable of Saul's fears and jealousies were those which arose upon the account of Gods presence and blessing in his enterprizes he was afraid of David because the 1 Sam. 18 12. Lord was with him But it is the property of a wicked man to carry the fear of a slave towards Almighty God because he wants that of a dutiful Son a pious Servant Whether it were out of tenderness or Shame or Policy once he was resolved not to ingage his own hand in so Barbarous an Act as the murthering of him he designs therefore to take him off by Stratagem and to ruine him in the way of Generosity 1 Sam. 18. 13. with 25. he does advance him to be a Captain in his Army but it is with Design to have him cut off by the sword of the Philistins Then he gives him his Daughter in marriage that 1 Sam. 18. 21. 25. his bed might become a snare to him for his intent was that Davids life should pay for her dowry When these Designs and the attempts of Assasinates had through Divine Providence become improsperous And when Davids incounters with the Philistins had out of hazard brought him Honour out of peril Triumph Then Saul resolves to act that part himself which was most proper for so ill a nature the part of a Tyrant and a Butcher And then he pursues him in his own Person as a Partridg upon the mountains and many fetters were imployed and watchful to intrap him But Divine Providence was ever ready to step into his rescue for one while he is arrested in his pursuit by the Spirit of Prophesy which came upon him another while he is diverted by the incursion of the Philistins into his Territories And thus the All-wise God does order the attempts of malicious enemies to be subservient to his own over-ruling Power for the safety of the faithful but this respite from Persecution was of no long continuance The Philistins are no sooner retired but like an unwearied Blood-hound Saul takes the scent afresh and follows this innocent Lamb as if he had bin a beast of prey nor can the desolate wilderness secure him against his causeless Indignation He does march up such craggy rocks and mountains as threaten the
subject-vallies with their prominency and strike terrour into the passengers with the danger of their falling mountains that were almost inaccessible affording no ordinary passage but for wild Goats His rage was so desperate Ad init cap. his malice so deadly no danger could discourage no difficulty could stop him He does expose himself and his whole Army to a perilous expedition that he might quench his insatiable thirst after the innocent blood of a most worthy Son and Subject Now Vim vi repellere what more frequent Doth not the very Law of Nature warrant the Practice To repell force with force If David had made a virtue of this necessity and stretcht out his hand to take away the life of such a malicious Aggressor in his own defence surely the Argument of Self-preservation was pleadable in his justification especially if Providence falls in to second this necessity as it did here which brings a fresh supply to the force of the Temptation 2. There was it seems about Engedi a vast Cave where the Shepherds were wont to secure their Flocks against the scorching Sun and ravenous wild beasts thither David was retired to shelter himself and that small party which was his Guard While the Kings Army was upon their March Divine Providence which over-rules Nature and steers the actions of Princes directs Saul into this Cave whether to take his rest or to relieve nature some other way is uncertain Hereupon David's Officers are animated to tell him that now he had an opportunity to make that Cave the slaughter-house and tomb of his deadly Enemy They tell him that to shake hands with such a Providence is to take leave of it not to embrace it were to slight it not to follow it were to cross it and the ready way to provoke God to wink at his destruction who had watched so long carefully for his safety What the Prophet said to Ahab in the name of the Lord after he had dismissed Benhadad his deadly enemy whom the Lord had delivered into his hands Because 1 King 20. 42. thou hast let go out of thy hands a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people To this effect did those Agitators of David's Army argue in respect of Saul And to inforce the Argument and the Temptation 3. They alledg an Oracle which in their opinion had devoted Saul to destruction as a Sacrifice to Divine Justice and their own Peace-offering For the men of David said unto him Behold the day of which the Lord said to thee Behold I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand that thou mayst do to him as it shall seem good unto thee Where and when and by whom this Oracle was delivered is uncertain whether by Gad or by Nathan or by Samuel but such an Oracle they pretend David had received to support and comfort him in his Persecutions and he had made report of it to his followers to encourage them to adhere firmly to him And time and providence being the best interpreters of such predictions they took the confidence upon this occasion to plead that it might be put in practice Otherwise not to act upon such a warrant would be an inexcusable remisness if not a stupid cowardice and disobedience It would be a means to offend and provoke God to neglect his own life and safety and to wrong them his most faithful servants 4. That they had advised David to kill Vers 10. Saul is evident and without doubt they urged the execution with much importunity as well for their own ease as for their Masters rescue They had been his constant Companions in his travels in his exile in his durance many a hard march many a hungry meal had they endured under his Conduct to attend and guard his person many hazards had they run and many dangers had they escaped and now they carried their lives in their hands while they were hotly pursued by an enraged Prince and a puissant Army Though David's life was the main quarry that was hunted after yet they were part of the Covie and it was the common game to make them prey and booty aswell as their Master They could not but long to be rescued out of this jeopardy To return home and sit quietly under their own vines and enjoy their dear Relations This was a very desirable satisfaction but not to be hoped for so long as Saul was so implacable And their sad experience had convinced them this malice was so mortal it was not to be extinguished but with his life Nor did they desire to press David's tenderness or generosity so far as to put the office of an executioner upon him They desired but his Order nay his leave had been sufficient warrant to them to attempt his rescue with their own And being thus redeemed out of his enemies hand and out of his Jurisdiction too this would have been a Crowning Mercy unto David and have put it absolutely into his power to reward their honest and suffering Loyalty Therefore if not out of love to himself yet out of kindness and a grateful compliance with them he was obliged to listen to their counsel For though careless of his own safety yet to betray theirs was inhumanity if his own life were not dear to him yet when he has the remedy in his own hands and may so easily prevent it to let them still dwell in danger was such a piece of improvidence as was not pardonable in a Soldier and a General being inhansed by a double guilt 1. of unkindness and 9. ingratitude And these united Grievances might amount to so high a provocation as to beget a mutiny in his party and induce them to consult their own peace and leave him to shift for himself 5. And no doubt they did inforce the temptation further upon the account of his title to the Crown and so twisted his interest into the argument together with their own David was the Lords Anointed and declared Heir-Apparent to the Kingdom by a sentence from Heaven God say they has intail'd the Crown upon thee and wilt thou be so tame as to suffer Gods declared enemy to cut off that intail by taking away thy life before thou canst inherit Saul knows very well upon whom the Crown is to descend so Vers 20. that in seeking to destroy thee he fights against God and attempts to cross the Decrees of Heaven and to frustrate the Counsel of the most High To fight against him therefore is to fight the Lords battel to remove him is the way to accomplish Gods revealed will together with his secret Beneplaciture and to establish thy self according to Gods Ordinance Saul hath rendred himself unworthy of the Crown and unfit to govern he hath ruin'd himself and the whole Kingdom barbarously slain the Priests and Servants of the Lord and spared those enemies whom the Lord had expresly devoted to destruction We
heart will Interpret this of an happy opportunity to shew a signal duty and kindness not take it for a commission to destroy him against so many Pregnant Interdictions to the contrary And this was the sence and the sentence of David and he was a Prophet 3. For the argument drawn from Providence it is not only irrational and unsafe but impious When Judas committed a rape upon Divine Providence to gratifie his Avarice he did highly aggravate his own guilt so our Blessed Saviour argues the case before Pilate Thou couldst have no Power John 19. 11. at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin And sure David had not taken Divine Providence by the right handle if he had abused it unto Parricide As long as he continued stedfast in his duty he might rely upon it that Providence was not weary to protect him but awake to watchover him and to put him into possession of the Throne whenever it should legally become void for him But we cannot offer a greater contumely to Almighty God than to set his Providence at variance with his Commands and make his Goodness contradict the Justice of his own Ordinance If it be lawful to forsake the plain path of his Commands to follow the maze of Providence then the misfortunes of any Adversary would be a good warrant to destroy him and the rule of our practice should not be as the Apostle hath set it If thy enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink but thus If thy enemy hunger starve him if he thirst give him gall and vinegar and heap coales of fire upon his head Not to melt him into a reconciliation and kindness but to consume him into ashes And if this had bin warrantable what had Davids own doom bin when he was forced to flee from the face of Absalom when God had put out his Glory and cast his Throne down to the ground Then the Inference had bin Irrefragable Persecute him and take him for there is none to deliver him But this is ill Logick and worse Divinity Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putet Let us reflect upon Davids imprecation against such as follow Providence that they may add affliction to affliction Let their Table be made a snare and their wellfare a trap pour out thine indignation upon them Psal 69. 26. and let their habitation be desolate why for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded 4. 'T is true David was anointed to succeed but till he was duly put into possession he was but a Subject And being heir Apparent to the Kingdom it became him so much the less to be a Traitor to that Crown to which he had so fair a Title 5. And to be afflicted in the Minority of his exaltation may be of Singular advantage to him The Rod may discipline the Scepter and he that has felt how keen the sword is may learn by that sad experience to manage it so much the better when it is actually put into his hands by the Lord of Hosts he that has practised obedience in the Passive sence knows the better how to govern others The Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through sufferings And herein David was to be his Type and therefore he must not ascend the throne upon steps made by the treasonable slaughter of his Predecessor but be led to it by the Cross and take Persecution in the way to his Coronation And his faithful Servants must be content to suffer with him that they may be advanced and glorified together And thus much of the Agitators plea and of that Combination of Probabilities which did concur to attempt his loyalty viz. Provocation and a seeming Necessity Prediction and Providence Opportunity and a just Title to the Crown with the Importunity of almost forlorn Adherents Qu. We have the Issue of the Temptation in two particulars 1. In what David did 2. In what he suffered 1. He did not slay him he abhorr'd that practice Sauls life was precious in his eyes But to prevent a further mischief of his inraged Souldiers he arose up himself and cut off the Skirt of his military robe And he had a threefold end in it 1. To confute the Calumnies of his enemies who had accused him for a Traytor wherefore saith he doest thou give ear to the insinuations of those men who would perswade thee that David seeks thy life Where by the way we may observe that David does not impute it to Saul's inclination his duty taught him to believe the King of himself would do no wrong but to the malice of some Sycophants Behold thine eyes see that the Lord hath this day delivered thee into my hands and I was advised to kill thee but mine eye hath spared thee for I said I will not put forth my hand against my Lord for he is the Lords Anointed 2. And hereby he does vindicate his own Innocency As it was a demonstration of Christ's Power to make a rescue when the Souldiers which came to apprehend him were struck down backward at the dread of his presence So it was a Demonstration of Davids Innocencie that he cut off but Sauls skirt when it was in his Power to cut off his life My Father see the skirt of thy Robe in my hand My taking this only and not thy life from thee is a clear evidence That I have no Treason or Malice in my heart against thee And David had A Third end in it To convince Saul of the error into which some Sycophants had misled him and to melt him into reconciliation and kindness And so it happened for Saul melted into tears and an ingenuous acknowledgment of Davids tender loyalty And it came to pass when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul that Saul said Is this thy voice my son David And Saul lift up his voice and wept and he said to David Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil And thou hast Vers 16. to 20. shewed this day how thou hast dealt well with me for as much as when the Lord had delivered me into thy hand thou killedst me not for if a man find his enemy will he let him go well away Wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day This was the first What David did 2. What he suffered His heart smote him There was a palpitation of the heart doubtless in him through the commotion of his blood and spirits and the tumult of his passions For hope and fear anger and compassion were in conflict while he was upon such a hazardous attempt But this in the Text was not a natural palpitation of the heart but a check nay a sharp stroak of Conscience For shew
me a guilty Person and I will presently shew thee his lictor his Tormentor Shew me a Traitor and I will shew thee a Scaffold where the block and Axe lyes for his Execution that is the Conscience of the malefactor Conscience is the Centinel of the Soul placed there to descry the enemy upon his approach to give us the Alarm and notice of the danger If the enemy hath stoln upon us and entred our Quarters by surprize it is his office then to check us and rouse us up to make resistance and expel him And upon this account and to this effect did Davids heart smite him For David found himself guilty and the Rabins say he was afterwards punished by Retaliation when his own garments would not serve to keep him warm Yet others tell us he was Innocent for what he did was to a good end and out of an honest and good intent only say they it is the part of good minds to startle at the Face of the Serpent at the appearance of evil and to fear guilt where really there is none to be found But by the favour of these Civil Advocates a good end cannot sanctifie a bad action If the fact be undecent a good meaning can never give it a good Complexion We must not make our Prince his weakness a Foile to set off our own integrity When Hanun had cut 1 Sam. 10. off the garments of his Ambassadors David could not but resent the affront and was so highly incensed at it he revenged it with a sharp Hostility And shall David offer such an indignity to the King his Master Kings are jealous of their Honours and good subjects are modest upon that account fearful many times to receive due praise lest it should beget suspition and raise envy by a misconstruction as if it were a means to draw the eyes and hearts of subjects from their Prince to themselves for this reason Joab when he had besieged Rabbah and brought it to so great distress it could not hold out a storm he sends to his Prince to come and take the honour of the Conquest Now therefore gather the rest of the People together and encamp against 2 Sam. 12. 28. the City and take it lest I take the City and it be called after my name It sounded very harsh in Saul's ears he did not like the musick at all when the women sung to their Tabrets Saul hath slain his thousands 1 Sam. 18. 6. and David his ten thousands For a subject to be eminently prosperous against his Princes enemies is not always safe for him but to attempt any thing against his Person that may lessen his Grandeur or his Prudence in the esteem or opinion of his People is injurious and if it be a matter of reproach to his Royal Dignity it is more heinous and amounts to Treason Dost thou see thy Prince cover his feet Vse 2 as it is said here of Saul Dost thou observe any thing undecent in his conversation Thou mayest have a loyal heart no design to destroy him but draw not out the sword of a virulent tongue to cut off his skirt to diminish his due esteem and splendour to curtail his Robe of Defence and Dignity the wealth and strength and honour and reputation of a Prince for his Prudence Justice Valour and other Virtues are as his Military Robe They do clothe defend and adorn his Majesty If any passion or temptation hath prevailed with thee to cut off any Skirt of this Robe to eclipse or impair any of thy Princes Interest Recollect thy self and reflect upon the offence and let thy heart smite thee and as a fruit of thy true repentance study to make amends for it So did David confregit viros suos His Party were bent to murder Saul but he broke their obstinate resolution by his loyal exhortation The Lord forbid saith he that I should stretch forth my hand against Saul For though there be nothing in his nature nothing in his temper nothing in his carriage toward us that may oblige me yet there is a civil obligation lyes upon me Ver. 6 7. he is my Master and a pious Reverence I owe him for he is the Lords anointed When he could alledg nothing else he doth fetch an argument from heaven to plead on his behalf though non propter sanctitatem yet propter sacramentum God hath put the holy oile upon him and that renders his Person Sacred and inviolable The Grace that has dignified him doth restrain me whatever the qualities of his natural Constitution are His Majesty is most excellent and as he is Gods Vicegerent I must have a Religious veneration for him And wtih these arguments he breaks the stubbornness of his rough Soldiers and charms them into calmness and submission And now tell me Shall we take our Creed in this point of Loyalty from the Sword-man or from the Prophet Shall we govern our Practice by the bloody Counsel of the Soldiers of Fortune or by the Judgment and Practice of the man after Gods own heart What a vast distance what a direct opposition there is betwixt the Principles of David and those of our late pretended Godly Party the bloody Tragedy that was acted this Day upon our Gracious King of ever blessed memory doth sufficiently witness If Divine Providence allow'd them an opportunity for this their attempt of Parracide it was designed for their trial and as well to shame as to discover their secret malice and hypocrisie They had no Provocation but their own Guilt no necessity but of their own making no Prediction but a mercenary Almanack and I am sure no Title to the Kingdom but what was pleaded by the Husbandmen in the Gospel This is the heir come let us kill him and seize upon his Inheritance And this Argument pressed by their own Avarice and Ambition with the Clamours of a malicious giddy multitude prevailed What Jacob upon his death-bed bequeathed to those Brethren in iniquity I shall apply to them and so conclude Simeon and Levi for they went by couples whether you count them by Nation or by Faction matters not are brethren Instruments of cruelty are in their habitation O my soul come not thou into their secrets unto their Assembly my honour be not thou united For in their anger they slew a man A man of Gods right hand A man as much as any after Gods own heart the best of men and the best of Princes And in their self-will they digged down a wall A Government that was a Bulwark to our lives our liberties our fortunes to defend them from violence and invasion Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel But God be blessed who hath repaired that Wall by restoring the Son of that Royal Martyr to reign over us And for such of that Combination and Brotherhood whose hearts are still so reconciled to their bloody Practices that they do not yet smite them