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A87630
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A sermon preach't at Christs-Church Dublin before the generall convention of Ireland. May 24. 1660. By Henry Jones D.D. Vicechancellour of the University of Dublin and Bishop of Clogher.
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Jones, Henry, 1605-1682.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing J952; Thomason E1041_3; ESTC R207927
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18,448
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32
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his distresses in that kind of which I need not speak nor make farther application That not withstanding such his sufferings yet was not David forsaken for first even then when at lowest he had the hearts of many who followed him in all his troubles so as that even then he was not altogether inconsiderable 1. Chr. 12. 1 to the 23. but after when the Lord had indeed prepared the hearts of his People and that they were generally bowed to him how great then was the confluence to him from all parts of his Kingdom and that when he was yet at a great distance and farr off they then inviting and pressing his return to his own Country and people 1. Chr. 12. 23. to the end I know not why in this parallel I should omit the Circumstance of time when David made this his entrance in to his power It was long after his having been anointed King by Samuel he had at first his right of title to the Government but had not untill now possession of it And his right considered he might in his very first entrance have written the 12th year of his Reign supposing him to have been about 18. when he was anointed by Samuel as some have it although that others whom I reverence add more to his years but as to Davids age when he was actually brought in it is clear that he was then about Thirty years old 2. Sam. 5 4. An age that carrieth in it an Omen for good for so was Josetph when he stood before Pharoah and was made Governour of Egypt Gen. 41. 46. And of Jesus Christ also it is said that he began to be about thirty years of age when he did first put himself forth into the World in his baptisme Luke 3. 23. Nor have we reason to debarr our selves of our hopes of his Majesty among those he beginning to be now about 30. years of age the 29th of this Month giving the entrance thereunto as doth this Month to his happy Government over us That I may proceed in this parallel Davids return to his People was with generall acclamations Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord So here v. 26. taking this in the letter to be of David such a Prince could not but be a blessing to his People so as they had good cause to bless him and God for him He came to them in the name of the Lord Saul did not so come to them he came not with a blessing to the People his reign was with confusion and with blood even of the very high Priest himself also of other the Priests cruelly murdered by him on a charge of complyance with David 1. Sam. 22. 9. to the end no wonder therefore if it should be said of Saul whether personally intended of him or of some such other That God gave him to be a King in his anger and took him away in his wrath Hos. 13. 11. Which Scripture some have enlarged against Kings in general and against Kingly Government as if that had been a form of Government not from God whereas David was a King given by God He came in the name of the Lord and was given a blessing unto his People God chose David his Servant and took him from the Sheep folds from following of the ewes great with young He brought him to feed Jacob his People and Israel his inheritance So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfullness of his hands Psalm 78. 70. 71. 72. A good King is given in mercy and there is wrath to that People from whom he is kept or removed As on the contrary it is the mercy of that People from whom such a Prince as Saul is removed and to whom a David is given whereunto that spoken in another case may be applied Thou profane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end Thus saith the Lord God remove the Diadem and take off the crown this shall not be the same exalt him that is low and abase him that is high I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more untill he come whose it is and I will give it him Ezek. 21. 25 26 27. And great cause had the People to hope well of David and to promise themselves a blessing in him as coming to them in the name of the Lord considering 1. In what might have been observed of his great piety and constant holding on in the truth of his profession Notwithstanding many Temptations This is to our case this day very eminently and give me leave to change the person a little from David to his sacred Majesty our Soveraign on whom we look in all this more especially Might not his sufferings have been in this his Temptation Many have fallen therein Or might not hopes of being restored to his Kingdoms by those abroad have wrought him to a compliance nothing being then from his own at home hopefully visible towards his return Or was there not danger in the very abiding among and converse with Idolaters which was necessarily enforced besides strong endeavours purposely used to withdraw him from the truth of his profession How greivous this was to David above any thing beside of all his sufferings we may remember and that there was nothing whereof he so complained as of this very thing cursed be they saith he before the Lord For they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other Gods 1. Sam. 26. 19. The driuing him into those streights was as to the Temptation to say go serve other Gods But David did not so and his Majesties return is with the same Spirit he was not overcome but confirmed in the truth by what he had suffred 2ly Those Davids suffrings were a better fitting him for Government It was an inducement to the People for receiving Henry the 4th of France with hopes of much good by him in that he was a Prince of great sufferings So doth God by sufferings fit his for great things and for good to themselves and others Thus was David kept back many years from what he had been appointed unto So Joseph Psalm 105. 17 18 19 20 21 22. So Jesus Christ also he was made perfect through suffrings Heb. 2. 10. So also Gods Children for whom a Kingdom is preserved they are to be thereunto fitted and perfected for it by sufferings Nor was the hopes of the People disappointed in what they might expect of happiness in Daâ—â—ds Government for a Prince he was of rich endowments and in the very entrance of his Government they had experience of his clemency Clemency is a Princely qualification Davids sufferings and personall injuries were by him soon forgiven and forgotten and all passed over as it were by generall Act of Oblivion and that given by him not demanded of him Thus was it to the generality of his People who
had formerly so opposed him But particularly see his clemency to Shimei who so unworthily behaved himself to David in his low condition He cursed David he cast stones at him and his followers he reviled him very falsely and scandalously calling him a man of blood and charging him with all the blood spilt in his Government 2. Sam. 16. 5 6 7 8. and have not the footsteps of the Lords anointed his late Majesty and even all his royall family been so reproached unto such there is a Scripture curse where they may expect from the Lord Psa. 89. 50 51. but as to David he passeth all that over For when in his return over Jordan Shimei had met him with the first and begg'd pardon for his faults It was easily and readily granted and that by an Oath confirmed to him 2 Sam. 19. 16 18 19 20. Of such Shimei's There have been many who may well repose on his Majesties gracious Declaration notwithstanding that there be Sons of Zerviah who may repine and interpose as did Abishai the Son of Zerviah who said shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed the Lords anointed 2 Sam. 19. 21. Such may pick us and object words and actions so and then said and done against his Majesty but they may expect his Majesties return thereunto as was Davids in that case 〈◊〉 have I to do with you ye Sons of Serviah that you should this day be Adversaries unto me shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel for do not I know that I am this day a King over Israel v. 22. Clemency became him a King and then best when first entring on his Kingdom Yet must not mercy shut out Justice Justice without Clemency is but butchery and clemency without Justice is very cruelty Joab another of the Sons of Serviah had foully murthered Abner and Amasa this blood required Justice and what David could not do in this while the Sons of Serviah were too hard for him 2 Sam. 3. 39. He after recommends to his Son Solomon to see executed 1 Kings 2. 5. I know that David is hardly censured in this And some have objected to his Majesty that inquisition now made in the entrance into the Kingdom of the blood of his royall Father I find it therefore nccessary by what I hear of this that something be spoken of it It was no brand but a commendation of Amaziah King of Judah That as soon as the Kingdom was confirmed in his hands he slew his Servants which had slain the King his Father It is added but the Children of the murderers he slew not according unto that which was written in the book of the Law of Moses wherein the Lord commanded saying the Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children nor the Children be put to death for the Fathers but every one shall be put to death for his own sin 2 Kings 14. 5 6. He did according to the Law of Moses in sparing the children of the Murderers and he did according to the Law of Moses in not sparing the Murderers themselves Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a Murderer which is guilty of death but he shall be surely put to death so you shall not pollute the Land wherein you are for blood it defileth the Land and the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it defile not therefore the Land which ye shall inhabit wherein I dwell for I the Lord dwell among the Children of Israel Numb. 31. 31 33 34. And in this case of blood it was provided that though the murderer should flee for refuge to the very altar yet should he not find protection there Exod. 21. 14. So fared it with Joab he being slain even at the very altar 1 Kings 2. 28 29 34. Solomon concluding in that act of justice the washing away the guilt of blood from his Throne and the settlement of his house and of his People in peace which had not been otherwise v. 31. 32 33. therefore this his Majesties inquisition of blood and of the murderers of his royal Father is his Justice and what God will require of him and of his People if in that Justice be not satisfied and for which the People hath so long so much suffered yet see his Majesties Moderation even in this not as Amaziah seeking the blood of all who were in that Guilt but some of them onely and referring himself in that also to his Parliament to do therein as to them shall be judged fitting That as by a pretended Parliament that royall blood was shed so by a just Parliament the blood should be expiated and the People in that justice cleared by their full representative Hitherto hath been spoken of David in his suffrings and of the great things by the Lord done for him in bringing him out of all his troubles also of the comfort which his people had in him their King thus brought home to them and of his being by them received with Acclamations Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord 5. Now follows the conclusion on the whole that all being duely considered it must needs be said that This is the Lords doing and that it is marvellous in our eyes 1. It is the Lords doing it is intended Davids Vindication and therein is his innocency cleared it now appearing how little he deserved those his injurious suffrings seeing God himself now and thus appears for him This is the Lords doing 2. It shews that the work was carried on by the Lord himself alone without Davids interposing and without outward probable means and beyond Mans expectation David might indeed have made use of force he wanted it not having then with him a very considerable force 1 Chr. 12. 20 21 22. But he waves all that and waits Gods way and time and casts himself altogether upon hls People I need not in this make application But that this was the Lords doing I speak it now as to our selves is very apparent 1. In the Lords timeing our work for us each step in our proceedings here towards it was as if it had been by a common and joynt correspondence of the three Kingdoms A concurrence indeed there was but which was the strangeness of it without any correspondence which must conclude it to have been from God 2. That all this was carried on and that throughout without blood This cannot to any who shall duely consider it but appear little less then a very Miracle 3. Above all it is an evident demonstration of Gods hand in this work both as to David and as unto us that the hearts generally of all were prepared every where and as it were at once in this great work surely this must be from the Lord and the doing of it his alone in whose hand only are the hearts of the Sons of Men It is said That the