hopes of future Security Let us make God our Friend be fearful only of our selves and our Sins which cry aloud to God for Vengeance make use of no unlawful means either of Perjury or Subornation and think by that to be Secured This is a sure way to appease God's wrath and more required at our hands than all the Revels and Bonfires of the Night or the late over officious and foolish Zeal of some to burn the Pope in Effigie Thus have I done with my Text and show'd you both the Act and the Duty Rejoycing and Acknowledging and Owning God's Providence in our own Preservation and that just Vengeance he executeth upon the Wicked I have but a few words for the Close of this Discourse and so I shall dismiss you THere is a clamor in the mouths of many at this day against Popery nay and to take off the imputation from themselves they charge persons with favouring that Party who publickly and solemnly have disowned all their proceedings I shall not therefore think it amiss briefly to Exhort you to take an estimate of Mens Affections to Popery by their Doctrines and Principles and judge them so qualified by detesting or owning their Opinions especially in the business of Loyalty or Resistance to Government for by their fruits we shall easily know them And I am afraid by that time we have closely examined the several Parties we shall find those who make the greatest noise against them are the nearliest allied to them especially in practices of this Nature for the Subversion of an Established Government and this hath made the Jesuits themselves so often assistant at their Conventicles Cardinal Bellarmin would have the quiet and submission of the Old Christians consist in this That they had not strength enough to resist so hath a late scurrilous Apostate too deserved little thanks from the Primitive Martyrs of the Church in that they were gentle and meek it was neither Allegiance or Conscience in his opinion but want of Strength for else the Emperors had suffered and not They. Such persons as these justly admonish the Government to have a care to keep them from Power and Authority for they publickly Declare they want not Will but Force to Execute their Designs Did not Parsons's Book under the name of Doleman serve the turn of the Papists in the days of Queen Elizabeth it was but Reprinted again in a True Protestant Character and it served the Regicides in the Year 48. and indifferent well since that time in the late Horrid Conspiracy Calvin and Ignatius had their Original much at the same time and the chief of their Followers in their Writings have shown the same disaffection to all Government unless of their own appointment And in the late Rebellion the Popish and Presbyterian Lords were generally observed to combine together The Church of England which is to be destroy'd under the fine Notion of adhering to Popery hath always declared her Reverence and Obedience to Magistracy and therefore hath always been the common Enemy both of Popish and Republican Recusants Our Saviour himself sufficiently testified his Submission to that Government which then presided although he could have commanded twelve Legions of Angels a Power able to encounter and overcome all the Armies in the World None could say the Disciples after him Submitted for want of Force they that could strike Elymas blind Ananias dead and had in a readiness to revenge all Disobedience 2 Cor. 10.6 would certainly if Christ's Kingdom had been of this World have had further Commission to stop the violent proceedings of all their Enemies It is not always the Anointing of the Spirit required for our Subjection Josias a King truly Godly and Religious and Cyrus a meer Heathen are both Recorded by the Prophets of the Lord Isaiah and Jeremy David a good King and Saul one of the worst of Tyrants both Anointed Royal Unctions give no Grace but a just Title only and therefore in Scripture it is not said Touch not mine Anointed while he Rules well in the Preservation of the true Religion while he is endued with extraordinary Vertues and Gifts of the Spirit while he pleases the People but because whatsoever he is He is the Anointed of the Lord Dominion is not founded in Grace neither Priest nor People can pretend any thing in setting up the Lords Anointed The Opinions of these wild Dissenters for the Destruction both of Governours and Government were derived from Muncer Knipperdoling John a Leyden and the rest of their Hairbrain'd Prophets condemned by all sober persons of the Reformation particularly by Luther in a Book written for that very purpose where he plainly shews That Magistracy is of God and necessary for our good and that whatsoever befals us it is the part of a Christian to suffer the Cross Prayers and Tears were the Primitive Christians Arms they embraced the Doctrine of the Bow-String as it is maliciously represented by one scarce worthy the name of a Reformed Christian and we never find them interposing with Sword and Blunderbus or any other Offensive weapon whatsoever I have not time to enlarge upon this Subject and what hath been said is to vindicate the Loyal Sons of the Church of England from all Aspersions of this Nature and that we may be all convinced that all the Stirs and Tumults which have been in our Land have proceeded from the same Principle whether in Papists or Fanaticks and till this be quite rooted out we shall never be free from Rebellion King James was this Day destined for Ruin by the Papists His Son King Charles the First was reserved out of their Hands to suffer Martyrdom by pretended Protestants and our present Sovereign whom God long preserve hath had his Troubles and Plots on all hands But God be praised we are still in a condition to give Thanks to abhor the Practices and Positions of such Men whose only Piety is to make Religion a Cloak for Treason and turn Rebels out of Conscience And let all that fear God rejoyce in his Name in the midst of this and all other his Wonders in our Preservation For the Righteous must Rejoyce when he seeth the Vengeance he will wash his footsteps in the bloud of the Wicked So that a man shall say Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth So let all the Enemies of thy Truth and thine Anointed perish from thy presence O God even all that have Evil Will at Sion so persecute them with thy Tempest and make them afraid with thy Storm Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy Name O Lord let them be confounded and troubled for ever yea let them be put to shame and perish that men may know that thou whose Name alone is Jehovah art the most High over all the Earth But let thy Truth and thy Righteousness flourish let the Throne of our Sovereign be Established all the Plots and wicked Devices of his Enemies brought to nought so shall we always be praising Thee and continually Rejoycing in thy Salvation Amen FINIS Sermons Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in S. Paul's Church-Yard DOctor Hick's Sermon of Temptation before the Lord Mayor 's Sermon at the Act at Oxford 4o. 's Peculium Dei before the Lord Mayor 's True Notion of Persecution 's Moral Shechinah 's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Jan. 30. 's Sermon before the Lord Mayor at the Spittle 's Sermon at Worcester May 29. Dr. Sharp's Sermon at the Yorkshire Feast 's Sermon before the House of Commons 's Duty and Happiness of Doing Good 's Sermon at the Election of the Lord Mayor Dr. Calamy's Sermon May 29. 1682. before the Lord Mayor 's Sermon Sept. 9. 1683. 's Sermon Sept. 30. 1683. before the Lord Mayor 's Sermon Sept. 2. 1684. before the Lord Mayor Dr. Smith's Sermon Dr. Bisbie's Sermon Prosecution no Persecution Modern Pharisees Two Assize Sermons Dr. Moore 's Sermon before the Lord Mayor 1682. 's Sermon before the Lord Mayor 1684. Mr. Scot's Sermon before the Artillery-Company 's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Decemb. 16. 1683. 's Sermon at Dr. Croun's Funeral Mr. Lamb's Sermon before the King at Windsor 's Sermon before the Lord Mayor 's Sermon wherein the Liberty of Humane Nature is Stated Discuss'd and Limited Mr. Wray's Sermon The Rebellious City Destroy'd Sept. 2. 's Loyalty protesting against Popery and Fanaticism Popishly Affected Mr. Resberry's Sermon at the Charter-house s Sermon at Sir Alan Broderick's Funeral Mr. Payne's Sermon at the Brentwood Feast 's Sermon Sept. 9. Mr. Milbourne's Original of Rebellion Preached January 30. 's Sermon Sept. 9. 1683. Mr. Battels Assize Sermon at Hertford Mr. Leigh's Sermon of the Keeping of Holy Days Preached before the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London Mr. Grail's Four Sermons I. Of True Reformation of Our Selves II. Of Pious Reverence towards God and the King III. Of Just Abhorrence of Usurping Republicans IV. Of Due Affection to the Monarchy Mr. Gascarth's Sermon at Duke Lauderdale's Funeral
A SERMON PREACHED Before the Right Honourable THE Lord Mayor ALDERMEN And CITIZENS of LONDON AT THE Church of S. Mary le Bow the Fifth of November 1684. By FRANCIS BRIDGE D. D. Rector of S. Mildred Breadstreet LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in S. Paul's Church-Yard 1685. Smith Mayor Martis ximo die Novembris 1684. Annoque Regni Regis CAROLI Secundi Angl ' c. xxxvi THis Court doth desire Dr. Bridge to Print his Sermon Preached at Bow-Church on the Fifth of November instant being the Anniversary day of Thanksgiving for the Deliverance from the Powder Treason before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and Citizens of this City Wagstaffe TO The Right Honourable Sir JAMES SMITH Lord Mayor Of the CITY of LONDON MY LORD I SHALL make no Apologies nor plead my unwillingness to appear in public The whole design of my ensuing Discourse was to Preach up Loyalty and Submission to Government Vpon the first notice therefore of Your Lordships Command I was resolved to comply lest I should contradict my Sermon by my own practice in not shewing my self what I truly am MY LORD Your Lordships most Humble and Obedient Servant FRAN. BRIDGE A SERMON PREACHED Before the Lord MAYOR November V. 1684. PSAL. 58.10 11. The Righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance He shall wash his feet in the bloud of the Wicked So that a man shall say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth THE Book of Psalms is justly by one of the Ancients stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionysius Hierarch Eccles c. 3.4 The Choice and Flower of all things in other Books is Epitomized and briefly contained in this and in regard of the Poetry thereof more movingly expressed But although this due Character ought to be given of the whole Book in general yet there are some particular Psalms written upon more solemn and remarkable occasions which may more deserve and require our attention This Psalm bears a different title in the front Mictham a word derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Golden Song of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroy not By which is declared the summ of those petitions which are contained in Psalms that have such Titles as this is David was now in some wonderful fear of death and destruction therefore he prayeth unto the Lord neither to destroy him himself nor suffer the Sons of wickedness to lay hands on him In this Psalm is contained both the Character and End of wicked men and the just resentment the Righteous ought to have upon such occasions In the sequel of this Discourse I shall not think it impertinent to reflect upon the former part of the Psalm and take notice how the Character of David's Enemies will suit with those sons of Belial Children of Perdition whose very principles are nothing but Rebellion and Destruction ruin of Persons and subversion of States makes up a great part of their Zeal and Religion whose defeat and overthrow we this day joyfully commemorate Our Souls have escaped out of their Net and they themselves are caught in the same Snare they privily laid to entrap their honester Neighbour Thus the Day and the Text suit well together we have seen the vengeance we have washed our feet in the bloud of the wicked we may safely say There is a reward for the Righteous Verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth Such Deliverances and such remarkable Vengeance are as great instances of Divine Providence as any in the World Such Discoveries as these come not by chance wicked purposes so closely contrived could not be unravelled by Humane Strength or Policy It was an Almighty Goodness that made bare his Arm for our rescue it was the Lords doing and it ought to be marvellous in our Eyes It is not necessary I should recite the particulars of our Danger it being a story so well known that few here present can pretend to be ignorant of it and of so known Truth that there is none can endeavour to perswade men it was a Fable only a trick of State to oppress an Innocent Party but would willingly lead us blindfold to a like Snare never let us perceive the Danger till we are fatally involved in it then they will acknowledge and triumph in their own Actions call them not Cruelty or Injustice but a due punishment for obstinate Hereticks They who are resolved to keep no Faith with us will have no Compassion on us The Cruelties of Queen Mary's Reign are not yet thought all Lies Such and no better entertainment may we expect from them if we come under their Power especially if we approve our selves true Sons of the Church of England as now Established by Law and are obedient to that Doctrine and Discipline which they this Day endeavoured to overthrow I come now in a closer pursuance of the Argument in my Text which also will be more proper for the Solemnity of this Festival to take notice of the Nature and Quality of David's Enemies and see whether they be not Applicable to those who were most deeply concerned in this days Treachery In the first words of the Psalm you may observe whatsoever pretences they had to Righteousness and Equity Justice and Upright dealing yet they contrive mischief secretly they keep it close till they find a fit time to vent it there was a Number of them too a whole Congregation in Saul's Court who sought to undermine and disparage David in all his actions and behaviour Nay to show the unaccountableness of these Mens Enmity he saith in Verse 3. They are estranged from the womb before any visible Cause or Provocation could arise an Enmity entailed upon their Nature it comes to them by Inheritance they derive it from their Parents and though they speak Lies flatter and endeavour to deceive with pretences of Kindness and shows of Friendship yet they lurk in secret like a Serpent and privily lie in wait to oppress the innocent Passenger and their poison will soon appear they cannot hide their Venome they will be exercising mischief although it returns upon their own head and proves Fatal only to themselves Nay Verse 4. They are like a deaf Adder that stoppeth her Ear which will not hearken to the voice of the charmer charm he never so wisely Whatsoever kindness or respect may be shown to them whatsoever perswasions or intreaties may be used yet is their wrath implacable and their malice irreconcileable nay many times the more favours they receive the greater opportunities they take of doing mischief like the Snake which the man in the Fable took into his house almost dead with cold cherished it in his Bosom and revived it with the heat yet at last it rose up against him and had almost slain its Benefactor And this I account the first part of the Psalm In the second part he devoteth these his Enemies to God's Judgment and heartily
prays that he would take from them their Instruments of Cruelty that he would asswage their malice and confound their devices deprive them of the opportunities to do mischief by restraining their wrath and diminishing their Power by keeping them as he doth the Devil 2 Pet. 2.4 in Chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgment This is comprised Verse 6. Break their teeth O God in their mouth break out the great teeth of the young Lions O Lord c. And happy is it for us that God will hear such Petitions that he will grant us Security against the subtle and undermining Adversaries of his Truth whose delight is in mischief who take great pains compass Sea and Land run to and fro over the whole Earth under pretence of making Proselytes but in reality seeking whom they may devour My Text I account the third part of the Psalm wherein is described the good Man's behaviour in such times of Vengeance as are here specified he will rejoyce that God hath vindicated his Honour and secured his Truth that the Dispensations of his Providence are not now so liable to the Cavils and Calumnies of the Scorner Not that we should imagine the Righteous Man here mentioned to be as his Enemies were before described a Person delighting in mischief that hath pleasure and satisfaction in anothers Ruin that will rejoyce at his Neighbours downfal though it contribute nothing to his own rise though he received no benefit or advantage thereby Whatsoever the Jews might pretend to this by that Commission God himself had given them for the total destruction of his Enemies therein mentioned I am sure the Gospel allows no such Spirit no such revengeful Temper no Fire from Heaven to fall upon the obstinate and ungrateful Samaritans therefore in the next words are contained the Reasons of this Joy 1. That there is a Reward for the Righteous that there is a Fruit of Righteousness that it is an advantage and security to be Good and Vertuous that though such Persons be oppressed for a time yet they shall not totally be suppressed but their Enemies shall fall before them by hidden and unaccountable Methods of God's Providence be consumed as Waters which run continually as a Snail which melteth and be suddenly snatched away as with a Whirlwind There will a time come when it shall appear to all Men that the Judge of the whole World shall do Righteously Therefore 2. It is said Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth we may safely trust in him It is a great temptation to question Providence when we see the wicked prosper and all things in security about them neither are they plagued like other men On the contrary Just and Innocent persons are plagued all the day long and chastened every morning It is natural to infer as the Psalmist did Psal 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency To what purpose is it that I have taken such pains to serve God that I have abandoned my own inclination to promote his Honour that I have obey'd him with so great difficulty Nay the greatest cause of my trouble hath arisen from a strict adhering to his Commandments in that I have not swerved from his Precepts or gone on in a way of wickedness and perverseness as others have done How comes it to pass that I am thus destitute and forlorn The more I endeavour to please God the harder measure I meet with in the World This is very difficult to flesh and bloud and but few can attain the meaning of it The Righteous himself is ready to stumble and his feet to slip when he perceives such unequal distribution of Favours here below and can hardly recover himself till he go into the Sanctuary of God and there understand the end of these Men Verse 18 19 20. of the fore-quoted Psalm Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castest them down into destruction How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image This the Poet excellently well expresseth Claudian when he describeth himself doubtful whether there were a Supream Justice as long as Ruffinus a wicked and lewd person was in such prosperity But when he saw his overthrow and was acquainted with his Destruction Abstulit hos tandem Ruffini poena tumultus Absolvitque Deos It takes off the charge of Injustice from Divine Providence and makes the Wicked and Profane with horror and amazement acknowledge that there is a God that judgeth in the Earth that is able to exalt his Servants and be fully avenged of all the implacable Enemies of his Kingdom An easie Application will make out the Parallel I at first intended We have almost every where in the Psalms Prayers against and Thanksgivings for preservation from attempts of this nature David's Enemies were numerous whole Congregations of them and have not ours been so too The best Men have been subject to most Trials the maintenance of the true Religion is a great eye-sore to all its Opposers it causes Mutinies Seditions and Rebellions by those who cannot endure the least sence of Duty David was a Vertuous and Pious Man not only God's Deputy but his Friend too a great Souldier and a gracious Prince and wanted no accomplishment to oblige his Subjects to obedience and respect Yet for all this did he find many Adversaries his troubles were innumerable both from the Enemies of Religion and the ambition of his own Family And have not our Kings been persecuted on every hand ever since the Reformation only because they have been Defenders of the truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith This makes both Papists and Fanaticks conspire their overthrow and all the mad Sects and Opinions in the World however disagreeing in other things yet concenter in this one Tenent to raise all the Tumults and Disorders they can in a well-setled Commonwealth and endeavour to break down the Hedge that all the Beasts of the Forest might enter in and destroy the Vineyard This is that which only galls them all other pretences are but frivolous and feigned and till this grievance be removed they will never leave Petitioning or Remonstrating against the miscarriages of the Government Give me leave to observe but one thing more before I conclude this point The Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England was that which the Papists this day so wickedly endeavoured to overthrow They knew we alone were able substantially and rationally to oppose them by the Truth and Antiquity of what we maintain Doctrines as Ancient as our Saviour and his Apostles the Government confessedly prevailing in the Church since the first founding of it till some pretences contrary to it were started in the last Age These subtle contrivers of mischief knew all other Structures would fall and like Babels end in the
confusion of Tongues Quarrels and Division among themselves I cannot but wonder how any of our Dissenters who have endeavoured to destroy the same Establishment so lately can excuse their Ignorance or Hypocrisie in giving God publick thanks for the preservation of that which they openly brand as Popish and Antichristian 2. But then as David's numerous and potent Enemies treacherously and secretly combined for his Destruction so did the Enemies of this Day too All Treasons and Conspiracies are usually transacted in the dark they are properly the works of darkness they cannot endure the clear discoveries of light for fear they should be detected Was not this our case this Day was there much more than a moment between us and Destruction was not the Deliverance as remarkable as the Danger We thought our selves secure from any contrivance of this Nature our very Enemies seemed to behave themselves with modesty and moderation But alas they could not long hide their temper like their Father they must appear with their cloven Foot the truest Emblem of Division and Dissention They were not uppermost and therefore must put the World into a Combustion it was not enough for them to be the subjects of anothers mercy unless they themselves had Power and Authority for doing mischief This they contrived in secret places in dark corners of the Earth they properly thought to undermine us their malice was restless and active an Oath of Secrecy and the Sacrament it self were their Preludiums to our Destruction Their Design was formed under ground nearer the confines of Hell acknowledging the grand Adversary to be the Author of this device The discovery of this contrivance was highly remarkable a Letter to secure one person proved the safety of the whole Nation and that by an Interpretation of the King himself which seems little less than an Inspiration from God whose Vicegerent he was This plainly proves there are some who are God's peculiar care as Signets on his Right Hand who as publick Persons are reserved to be a publick benefit These are they who are in Scripture stiled Gods For though their mould be no more refined and their End the same with other Men yet their Character and Authority is Divine who so slights them slights God and cannot expect to descend to the Grave without a full and remarkable Vengeance 3. Once more and I have done David's Enemies though they did not indeed yet seemed to speak Righteously No question they had fair and plausible pretences in their mouths The vindication of the Truth and the Catholick Cause were the Traitors pretences this Day They come with Religion in their mouths but Rancor and Malice in their hearts Most of the Rebellions and Cruelties in the World have been transacted under the notion either of Religion or Reformation Holy Leagues Solemn Covenants Associations and the like have been the usual Prefaces to such undertakings The bloudiest of all projects have been ever coloured over with Godliness because the worse any thing is the better gloss it willingly would have Men of these Principles however they have been led themselves by the Spirit of delusion or endeavour to delude others are still very active and busie they come in Sheeps clothing pretending Peace and Friendship a concernment for our Souls and a tender regard for our Everlasting happiness but within they are ravenous Wolves would convert us as they did the Indians by Murther and Assassination What can we say of such Men who pretend this not only Interest but Conscience not only Gain but Godliness not only propagating their own Grandeur but vindicating that Religion our Saviour came to establish If an honest Heathen were to be Judge he would surely esteem Christ's Doctrine if it consisted in the Jesuits Politicks to be far more uneasie than the Light of Nature We were certainly more at quiet before when we were left to our Natural principles than by such a super-induced Revelation be bound to disturb Societies kill Kings translate Governments and engage us in all the Broils and Tumults in the World As if the Prince of Peace were a Title only to cheat Men into an opinion of his Dictates and when they were once so far Trepan'd to instruct them in all unheard of Villanies and unallowable practices abhorred by the more Religious though more ignorant Heathen and however contradictory such practices are to the peaceable rules of the Gospel yet they have still the impudence to stile themselves of the Society of Jesus Good Lord what a pass are we now come to The honest and immediate Successors of our Saviour nay and he himself too were quite mistaken they lived but in the Infancy of Religion discoursed all things with plainness and sincerity had no guile or reservation in their breasts But alas good men Prophets and other Pen-men of the holy Scriptures how wofully were they mistaken A new Sect of Christians are sprung up in the World who have received greater Light and improvement who are of more refined Principles and subtle Policies who contradict all you have been exhorting us to But I hope all such pretences to Religion will now vanish and the works of darkness be made manifest such as Envy Hatred Variance Uncharitableness Wrath Bitterness And whosoever they are that own such principles of resistance and disobedience to their lawful Superiors let them undergo the same punishment with the Rebels of this Day and be truly stiled Papists in Masquerade while they own the most mischievous of their Opinions Thus have we seen all the Arts and Malice of all the Adversaries of Truth and Religion conjoyned in the wicked purpose of this Day it was contrived with Treachery and Perfidiousness principles abhorred by all generous Spirits from the foundations of the World Nay they acted with Deliberation had Consultations and Assemblies about it it was not the product of a fresh and rash Anger which is commonly stiled a short Rage or Madness they had revolved it often in their minds their wrath was of long standing and resolution they consulted about it a considerable time many Months before they had Oaths of Secrecy and Seals of Confession nay the Blessed Sacrament it self that Cement of peace is publickly profaned to the abetting those horrid Massacres they designed But God be thanked the Vengeance is returned upon themselves their Counsels are defeated their purposes disappointed their Destruction did arise as suddenly upon them as they designed it for us and their unavoidable ruin the just reward of all Traitors did tread close upon their heels and punishment from God did seize upon them This methinks should be enough to terrifie Men from attempts of this nature if they did but consider that God Almighty will take the matter into his own hands and though the hands of Magistrates may be weakned upon Earth their Power impaired and their Authority lessened yet he himself will avenge their Quarrel No Traitor can exempt himself from Destruction one way or other God who is