divine Offices to pray according to the Apostolical Ordinance for the King and subordinate Magistrates for the Bishops and subordinate Ministers Surely Brethren did we dayly and duly joyn as we ought to do upon many Accounts in our excellent Common prayers humbly and heartily heartily I say for we are many times I fear but cold and faint we should I doubt not in Gods good time finde the success of these united forces and assaults upon heaven as Tertullian cals them in the prosperity both of Church and State as well as in the peace and comfort of our own Souls But here 's our misery some whether through infirmitie of mind or obstinacy God knowes will not come to Common prayers they account them common in the worst sense that is Common and unclean some of us when we are at Church in the House of God mind not the Work of God about which we come behave not our selves as it becomes men that pray to the God of all Glory and Power bring not with us that humility that love that faith that zeale and fervor that should accompany and quicken and season our prayers Aske and you shall receive saith our Saviour but then we must aske aright with faith and zeale and love and humility and which is to be remembred not only love to God but Charity sweet and amiable Charity toward our neighbors even to our enemies also Ye ask and receive not saith S. James because ye aske amiss It is a common fault of People to murmur and complaine that Magistraâ—s are not so good Ministers are not so good as they should be But may not we rather complaine of our selves and confess We do not pray for Magistrats we do not not pray for Ministers as we should pray Verily it were a course more becoming Christians Godly men to turne our murmurings against Governors into prayers and supplications for them For we may well beleive that by our continual prayers our earnest and sincere pâ—ayers prayers proceeding from an humble and lowly penitent and obedient Heart that which is supposed to need amendment would be redressed our Grievances eased or at least which is a blessed fruit of true devotion our own souls would be better composed and fitted to bear all things without us patiently and contentedly Give me leave to call to remembrance that which was known to some of us here present how in the late times of trouble and confusion before the miraculous Return of his Majestie now Reigning whom God Almighty long preserve to reign in Truth and peace in the time of the late troubles how zealous how constant notwithstanding the danger of Assembling were the prayers of Ministers and People faithfull even then to our afflicted Mother the Church of England as if the fire of persecution as indeed it useth to do had enflamed our devotions We had a comfortable hope then that should we live to see the King againe in his Throne the Bishops in their Sees againe and the Clergy protected and the good laws and liberty restored to the languishing Church and people of God we hoped and expected that England would really become a Nation of Saints an holy Nation Christians not in name only but in deed and in truth But alas What happened After our Kings Returne and with him the Returne of our Laws and our Liberty and our Religion after the reestablishment of our Church and State to the wonder and admiration of all the World was not our ingratitude our unthankfulness no less wonderful Did not the Devotions of many slacken and cool Yea did not Covetousness and Ambition did not licentiousness and profanation did not intemperance and excess strife and contention and faction quickly spread themselves over the Nation and usurp a new Dominion and reign over us But to speake most gently did not even the better sort fall much short of that zeal for Gods honour and service that care of reformation and amendment of Manners both in our selves and others which perhaps we once vowed and certainely the Mercies the unexspected and undeserved Mercies of God exacted at our hands Surely surely we were more strongly obliged to be an holy People a thankfull People a praying People a People loving and Charitable peaceable and obedient united in obedience to the State and united in obedience to the Church if not agreeing in all points of Doctrine and opinion for there may be a mutual Toleration in that respect yet however united in the common Faith of Christians and in the common Devotions and publick prayers formed with great Wisdom and moderation agreeable to the common Faith Where the fault of our Divisions lyeth God will Judge But among our late Omissions since the Return in Point of Solemn Assembling for Prayer and Thanksgiving I cannot this Day forget to note the neglect formerly I say not in this great City generally in the lesser Parishes of the Country the neglect of observing this great Day A great Day justly so stiled but greatly neglected in the greatest part of the Nation Was not this Neglect one sin among many other to provoke God to permit new Plots more Popish Plots conspiracies to be contrived fetcht out of the old Magazine of Hell ' against our merciful King and his loving People against our Church and State and all that is dear unto us To these Traitors we shall say more anon let us now go forward and speak to our Text. This this I feare may be matter of just complaint that we were not thankful for our Peace and prosperity that returned with our King whom God preserve but we murmured at the management both of Church and State For remedy whereof I shall mention but two places of Holy Writ which as I conceive being well considered may serve to abate and calm our murmuring As to the affaires of State is the burthen of Taxes and Tribute a Grievance For this take the Sentence of our Lord Give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars As to the Church are Ornaments of our Mother and her Ceremonies an eye sore For this Grief take the good Aphorism of the Apostle Let all things be don decently and in Order Ceremonies in some measure and you may see the measure if you please to read the Prefaces before the Liturgy some Ceremonies are necessary for the preserving of that decency which the Word of God and our own reason and common sense requires what Ceremonies are such our Governors must judge not we Tribute is necessary for the Defense of the King and Kingdome what Tribute is such our Governors must judge not we They have the Power of Commanding to us is left the praise of Obeying These few words spoken of Tribute in the State and Ceremonies in the Church cannot seem impertinent or improper to my Text For it may be observed that the peace of our Jerusalem hath been much impaired and is still endangered by such as are apt too apt to murmur at One
or Both. The Seditious in the State use to disturbe the Civil Government under pretence of heavy Impositions and taxes The Sectaries in Religion love to untie the bonds of Ecclesiastical Politie under colour of superstitious Rites and Ceremonies both sorts are to be lookt upon and lookt to as enemies to the peace of our Jerusalem And you will excuse your Teachers and Spiritual Guids if they do Hoc agere bestow much care and paines in this behalf that in this Noble City may be found no such Sectaries no such seditious Persons Beloved it is our hearts Desire and our prayer to God for you that you may approve your selves both obedient Subjects to the King whome God preserve and dutiful Sons of the church And in so doing you will help to keep help much such a City to keep and preserve and advance that which we pray for the peace of our Jerusalem Our Obedience must under God and the King I say our Obedience must both procure and advance our peace And without obedience unto Governors our prayers for them signify nothing avail nothing Pray for Governors that 's good but then we must obey them too God is much pleased with the Obedience of his people obedience to his own Laws and obedience to the Laws of his Vicegerents Indeed the Laws of his Vicegerents are in a sort Gods own Laws ratified and established by God For by him Kings Reigne and Princes decree Juâ—tice Obedience to our Governors is obedience to God Almighty and to Christ our Lord. What Saint Paul faith of servants may be fiâ—ly applyed and accommodated to Subjects Subjects be obedient to your King doing the will of God from the heart not in outward shew only but from the heart with good will shewing your obedience as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall be receive of the Lord. Or as it is elsewhere expressed by the same hand Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the Reward the reward of your true and faithful Obedience And this brings me to the Great Reason or effectual Motive of our good Affection and good wishes to Jerusalem in the latter part of the Text They shall prosper that love thee that love and pray for thee O Jerusalem II. They that performe the Duty that love the Church and State and pray for the peace of them procure prosperity and happiness for themselves For the declaration and proof of this let us consider first in general That our prayers for others are always profitable to our selves The Reason is because our praying is the performance of a Duty pleasing unto God It is pleasing unto God because it is commanded by him Pray one for another saith Saint James And omission of this duty is a sin as appeares by the Words of Samuel God forbid that I should sin in ceasing to pray for you Now if it be a sin to deny another our prayers if to pray for others be to performe a duty pleasing to God and commanded by Him hence it clearly follows that it will be Profitable and advantageous to us For this is an infallible Truth No man ever obeyed God in vaine Another Reason is because in our praying for others we exercise and encrease our brotherly kindness and Charity And you know brotherly kindness and Charity is the great grace the prince of Graces commended unto us in the Gospel of Christ who hath taught it by his example and precept and hath set it down as the proper mark and character of his Disciples This love and charity as it makes us prone to do other good Offices for our Neighbours so especially does it incline us to pray for them This is a Charitable office which the poorest may performe for the richest an Office which we can perfome for our worst enemies When they stand at such a distance from us that we can do them no other good we can and must pray for them according to the Command of our Lord and Master And by the exercise of this Charity we encrease it and procure no small benefit to our selves as well as to them for whom we pray Thus in generall Now let us in particular speak of our love to Jerusalem and our praying for Jerusalem that is for our Church and State and first for the State or civil Government What is the end and effect of our prayers for the State for the King whom God preserve and all that are in Autority under him no man can better tell us than Saint Paul That we may lead a quiet and peacible life in all Godliness and Honesty I. A quiet and and peacible life Do you know what a blessing it is to lead a quiet and peacible life If you do not value this blessing look back upon the time that is within our memory the time of our late domestic Wars and tumults when the late King a just and merciful and religious Prince was put beside his Government first weakened and devested of his Royal power and prerogative first and then deprived of his life and all Look upon the time of our present Sovereigns exile in forreign parts what factions what changes and uncertainties of Government what oppression and cruelties before his Majesties happy Returne There are but few among us so old that can look back to the 5 of November 1605. Not to speake of the terrible Invasion in 88 in the time of the famous Queen Elizabeth when the Spanish Armada that Invincible Armada as it was proudly named threatned utter ruine to this Kingdome but was it selfe by Gods Assistance ruined and defeated when that of Claudian was hansomly applyed to the Queen Onimium dilecta Deo cui militat aether Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti But the year 1605 some few among Old men may remember and most men are acquainted with the history of the gunpowder Treason a Treason ploted by pretended Caâ—holicks and for the pretended promotion of Christian Religion wheras indeed and in truth it was a plot most opposite to the doctrine of Christ and tending to the destruction of a Church of all other Churches we know whose Doctrine and Constitutions are most agreeing with the primitive Church of Christ truly Catholick and Apostolick It was a plot for the destruction as the Records testify to all posteritie for the destruction of the King that King of such admirable learning and piety King James the Queen the Prince and all the Royal branches with the whole Clergy and Commons of this Realm then assembled in Parliament by popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter in a most barbarous and savage manner beyond the examples of former Ages An unnatural Conspiracy I speake the words of Autority an unnatural Conspiracy An horrible and wicked enterprize plotted and intended this day a dismall day if it had taken affect against the King and the whole State for the subversion of the Government and the
Religion establisht amongst us But it pleased God in a strange manner to disclose the plot and lay open the secret designe as he hath given a strange discovery of the late so much noised design no less dangerous to our present King than Church and State yet in being and long to be by Gods goodness the Powder-Plot I say was marvellously discovered God gave the King to understand a dark and obscure Letter and by that the black design came to light the conspirators some taken some slain in the pursuit some Judged according to Law condemned and Executed as was fit for Traytors The lamentable and horrid effects and consequences of which Treason had not the hand of God been against them and for us are beyond my ability to comprehend much more beyond my expression 'T is sufficient if you imagine and fancy so much of that confusion and desolation which would have followed as to make us have a more lively sense of the greatness of our deliverance and the blessing of a quiet and a peaceable life wherof I was speaking and withall make us to solemnize this Day of our deliverance with due Thankfulness and with a sober and Religious joy together with bountiful Alms to the poor I say againe and would have it marked with a sober and Religious joy least in a sinful and profane celebration as the manner of some is we provoke God to deliver us to some new Plotters and Conspirators And that there is a new plot of the papists in great part discovered and in some part punished already I need not tell you I do but touch this thereby to urge you not only to a Religious thankfulness this Day but to a sincere Amendment of life and uniforme Obedience every Day that the Sword of God hanging over our heads as it were by a slender thread may be prevented and escaped Which I pray God in mercy grant In one of the prayers for this day we desire of God to strengthen the hands of our gracious King and of all that are in Authority under Him with judgement and justice to cut of all such workers of iniquity as turn Religion into Rebellion and Faith into faction I remember we read it in the old Book for the Fifth of November about Forty years agon thus Cut of all such workers of iniquity whose Religion is Rebellion and their Faith is Faction I doubt not the alteration was made upon some reason then But more since our Intelligence of the New Plot does it not stil proceed we may restore the Antient reading and if ever it might be justly said it may now most deservedly be pronounced of the Jesuitical Papists Their Faith is Faction Their Religion is Rebellion If any man doth yet deâ—y or doubt of This he may satisfy himself abundantly in the late Book published by the most learned Bishop of Lincoln to omit many other Since this new-old plot of the Jesuits the King the State and the Church have been judged to lie under so eminent danger that doubts and fears have run through the whole Kingdom but dwelt principally in London the famous London the Epiâ—ome or Compendium of the Kingdom Before which time I think I may say in most of the space since the glorious Return Every man that lov'd quiet might sit quietly and safely under his own vine and his own fig-tree as the Hebrews speak that is every man enjoyed his own and eat the labour of his hands securely Religion was safe and the people without fear did or might pray and hear as their forefathers pray'd and heard in the peaceable reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James and in the beginning of King Charles the first namely hear the saving word read and preached by lawfully ordained priests and pray the good old prayers only with a new Revise since the happy Return for our better satisfaction and edification Many more benefits I might mention but our liberty and our daily bread and our true Religion would it might shine in the Uniformity of our lives and actions these may suffice to shew the great reason we have to pray for our Jerusalem for our Civil Government particularly that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life free from plots and conspiracies of our irreconcileable Enemies free from discords and dissentions of our own Brethren But peace and quietness is then most valuable when it is attended with that which follows Godliness and Honesty The end and benefit of Government is that we may lead a quiet and peacible life in all Godliness and honesty Godliness and honesty are well joined with peace and quietness For publick tranquillity and safety is â—ot given us that we should abuse it to rioting and drunkenness to chambering and wantonness to strife and envying but that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies and being without fear of them we might fear God and serve him in holiness and righteousness all our days that is behave our selves justly and mercifully toward our neighbours devoutly and reverently toward God and this with perseverance to the end Righteousness and Holiness must go hand in hand together Godliness and Honesty must not be parted The good Laws of the Land are made as well to promote religion as Justice and the commands of the King are to make his subjects Gods subjects his people Gods people We have laws wholsome laws as on the one hand to keep us from offending God by swearing and prophanation so on the other to restrain us from offending the neighbour by railing evil speaking and diffamation Which particular I mention because we live in an Age wherein evil speaking and evil writing too is brought into a fashion by busy-bodies or rather idle-bodies and made an exercise of Wit which was given them by the favour of God for better uses Grave and learned men are sometimes exposed in their Lampoons begotten as they say by Copulation of male and female Wits but these brats are not fit to be nursed up or sent abroad into the world by the hand of any sober or civil person Among the diseases of our time such Scribleâ— may be call'd the scab and itch of the Age and unless those irregular and intemperate Wits be curbed by Authority they may prove the very bane of humane society and all good fellowship In the mean time for your Lampoons Contempt is the best reveng and we may say with Tacitus Spreta exolescunt When good men are reviled either by unruly Tongues or sharper pens they will think upon the words of Christ Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and think upon the example of Christ their Master who when he was reviled reviled not again Good laws I said we have to keep us from dishonoring God by swearing and prophanation and to restrain us from offending the neighbour by slander and diffamation Good Laws if well executed Therefore must we pray also that the same God who hath given us laws establish't by Acts
friends to the present State On the contrary that man that takes himself to be a royallist a friend of the King and a faithful subject and only talkes or drinks a health and does not both in publick and private pray for the welfare of the King and Kingdom is very much mistaken Can he truly love the King that does not heartily pray for the King The loving Subject is the praying Subject and he will not fail in any other act or duty of obedience 2. For the discovery of the Churches freinds and enemies you have heard that by the Church is chiefly meant the Ruling part the Bishops and Ministers So the word seemeth to be understood in that precept of Christ Die Ecclesiae Tell it to the Church i. e. to the Rulers of the Assemblies as our learned Paraphrast has it out of Chrysostome These Rulers spirituall if we do not pray for we are no freinds but enemies of the Church For these are given by the special favour and providence of God for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ as Saint Paul saith They are given as the same Apostle adds that being instructed and guided by them we be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine So then if our settlement in the true Religion and our preservation from dangerous Errors if our edification and growth and perfection depend under God upon the sacred Ministry certainely he can be no freind to Religion and the Gospel who does not not love and pray for the Bishops and Ministers of the Gospel Nevertheless it is true and often found by sad experience that Church-men have many Enemies And no wonder For the Prophets of old and after them the Apostles yea Christ himselfe our Lord and Master had their Enemies slanderers revilers Elias the Prophet was accused as a troubler of Israel Paul the Apostle was accounted for a seditious fellow and his own Galatians seem to have been his Enemies for his telling them the truth And is not this that which raiseth up enmity against our preachers somtimes even the telling them the Truth The truth is we love our sins and favour our own lusts and vanities and would not be vehemently urged to part with any thing which is in deliciis a delight to us and dear as the right hand or eye We care not to be taught how to be grave and yet withall kind strict and yet courteous temperate and yet sociable as our Religion our Christianity exacteth We can hear the Doctrine but endure not to come under the Discipline of the church And here among the Churches Enemies I might fall againe upon the Popish Traytors both old and new the grand Adversaries of our Jerusalem both of our Church and State But 't is time to ease you and I had rather pray then inveigh Wherefore I intreat you to joyn with me in your most ardent desires that God would be pleased still to discover and defeat and blast his and our enemies that our Soveraigne Lord the King may still be protected by the Divine power and directed by the Divine Wisdom that the Parliament now summoned may in due time meet together and sit fâ—st with such unanimity and concord in their Counsels such order and prudence and success in their Affaires that they may be a joy to the King and to all his faithfull subjects and may rise with the honour the lasting honour of having been the reestablishers of truth and peace for us and our posterity I must not end till I have in a word admonished you of some other Traytors and these the worst of all For those Traitors aforementioned could only destroy the Body but these destroy the Soul the immortal Soul I mean these privy Conspirators in our own bosomes our carnal lusts and unruly passions and our presumptuous Sins proceeding thence I need not name them These must be searched out mortified extinguished and totally destroyed A great Work but possible by the Grace of Almighty God and by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ which we shall receive if we pray for it as we ought to do with humility and fervency and constancy And therefore in the close of all let me earnestly request of the Worthy Citizens here that this magnificent and beautifull Basilica the House of God the Glory of your ancient Corporation and the solemn service dayly ministred in this Colledge may be more frequented and attended by you And withall let me petition that the daily Divine Service at least in the mornings may be procured and maintained according to the Injunction of our good Mother the Church of England in every Parish Church in this City Consider of it if you please Right Worshipfull and beloved Brethren Bear with my zeal in this proposal If ever you will be zealous for publick and Common Prayer Now is the time Extraordinary occasions call for our extraordinary care and diligence Verbum sapienti My last words shall be taken out of a Prayer appointed for this Day O Lord Let the Consideration of thy Goodness work in us true Repentance that Iniquity may not be our ruine And increase in us more and more a lively faith and fruitfull Love in all holy Obedience that thou maist continue thy favour with the Light of the Gospel to us and our posterity for evermore And that for thy dear Sons sake Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉