Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A53253
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A sermon preached at the assizes held at Reading, in the county of Berks, July 12th, 1681 by John Okes ...
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Okes, John, b. 1649 or 50.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing O194; ESTC R9257
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9,916
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30
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A SERMON Preached At the Assizes HELD AT READING In the COUNTY of BERKS July 12th 1681. By JOHN OKES M. A. and Vicar of Shinfield in the County aforesaid LONDON Printed for Joanna Brome at the Gun at the West-end of St. Pauls 1681. To the Right Honourable HENRY EARL of CLARENDON Treasurer to the Queens Majesty AND One of the Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council My Lord WHen I preached the ensuing Sermon I designed nothing less in the world than the Printing of it nor am I yet so vain as to think it worthy of the Press This is a critical and censorious age wherein none indeed should present their labours to the publick view but such onely whose great abilities may prove serviceable to the Common good But as for this plain Sermon it hath nothing at all to recommend it but your Lordships approbation at the preaching of it together with those worthy Gentlemen the High Sheriff and Grand-Jury of the County who afterwards requested me as the world may see to print it I shall thereâ—ore make no other apologie for appearing now in publick but say it was their request that caused it These being all persons of worth and true Loyalty which appears by their Address lately made to his Majesty I could not but bend my inclinations though with much reluctancy to satisfie their desires and chuse rather to expose my self to the Censures of the World than deny their unanimous and importunate request I wish though I much doubt it that it may have the same effect as was by some of them intimated who used this as an argument to me That the printing of it may be for the publick good whereas the preaching could reach onely a few that were then present I was likewise informed by some others of them that they heard it reported this was but the Copy with some little variations of a printed Sermon But alaâ— that did not at all move me I lookt upon it onely as the impertinence of some peevish Zealots whose usual method it is to make something to cavil at rather than want exercise for their reviling faculties Having thus shewed the World the true and onely reason that moved me to print this short discourse for such indeed it is and the reason of that was because I thought brevity most suitable to the occasion for which it was designed I am now onely to beg your Lordships pardon for prefixing so great a Name before a Tract of so little worth it was onely the experience I have had of your Lordships goodness that emboldened me to do it and therefore I was no sooner prevailed upon to print this Sermon but I resolved at the same instant to offer it how mean soever to your Lordship's Patronage and I hope in some sence I may justifie the doing of it because the sole design of this Sermon how meanly soever performed is to set forth our duty to God and the King and therefore most proper to be dedicated to your Lordship the most exact observer of both If therefore your Lordship please to accept and favour it I shall think my self and it secure notwithstanding all the Censures of the World I value them not but shall rest satisfied in this that I have made some though but a weak acknowledgement of that duty and service I owe your Lordship but more especially that your Lordship will vouchsafe to accept such weak performances And therefore that Almighty God would bless your Lordship and your most excellent good Lady from whose joynt benevolence I have received many and great favours with long life and much prosperity here and with eternal bliss and happiness hereafter is and ever shall be the Prayer of My Lord Your Lordships most devoted humble Servanâ— John Okes. MARK 12.17 And Jesus answering said unto them Render to Cesar the things that are Cesars and to God the things that are God's THese words are our Saviour's answer to a certain Question proposed to him by the Pharisees and Herodians concerning the lawfulness of paying Tribute as appears by the foregoing Verses being armed with their Fox-like subtilty they came unto him and said Master we know that thou art true and carest for no man for thou regardest not the person of men but teachest the way of God in truth Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar or not Shall we give ort shall we not give The deceit that lay hid under this Question may be probably conceived to be thus for they came on purpose to try if they could catch him in his words That if Christ had answered that it was not lawful to pay it they would have accused him and delivered him into the hands of the Roman Governour for a seditious man according to Luke 20.20 And they watched him and sent forth spies which should feign themselves just men that they might take hold of his words that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governour And on the other side if he had said that it was lawful they would have disgraced him among the people as one that consented to the Romans Tyranny and Impiety but he knowing their hypocrisie said unto them Why tempt ye me bring me a penny that I may see it Or as St. Matthew expresseth it Shew me the tribute-mony and when they brought it unto him he saith unto them Whose is this image and superscription and they said unto him Cesar ' s. And Jesus answering said unto them Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar 's and to God the things that are God's As if he had said Seeing that God hath subjected you to the Romans as appears by the Stamp of your currant Coyn which is a signe of Supream power bear it patiently that doth not any way hinder the service you owe to God as you are his people and besides it is an easie matter to satisfie both God and Cesar in this payment which consists but in a little sum of money From our Savour's thus stating the Question we may infer this Proposition That the duty and service which we ought to perform directly and immediately to Almighty God doth not acquit or exempt us from paying our due obedience to the civil Magistrate For he supposeth something to be necessarily due to both when he commands us to pay what belongs to each In the prosecution of this therefore I shall insist upon these two things plainly implied in the words of my Text. 1. Our duty as it relates to the Civil Magistrate Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar's 2. Our duty as it relates to God Render to God the things that are Gods 1. Of our duty as it relates to the Civil Magistrate In the handling whereof I shall endeavour to shew what we are to render as due from us to him The first thing that I shall mention is Honour and this must extend it self to our thoughts words and actions 1. First we must honour him
even in our thoughts and intentioâ—â— we are not to harbour an ill opinion noâ—â—â—â—â—â—…tain a prejudicial thought for though the secrets of the heart are not accountable to man because not to be fathom'd by a finite understanding yet there is a God that tries the very Heart and Reins he to whom the darkness is no darkness but the night as clear as the Noon-day can as easily discover the most obscure thoughts as the most apparent actions and as easily punish them as the most notorious and scandalous crimes Curse not therefore the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter Eccles 10.20 A contemptuous thought of King or lawful Authority is a sin of an high nature and therefore not to be indulged by any that think themselves concerned either to be good Subjects or good Christians We must resist the very first motions and Check the most secret inclinations to evil otherwise it will steal upon us by degrees and if once we get a habit of thinking ill who knows how soon it may break forth into bitter words for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and though our thoughts were our own while confin'd to our breasts yet being thus vented they cease to be in our power nor will it be easie to hinder the ill consequence that attends them or to heal a Wound made by such sharp Arrows and therefore first let us restrain our thoughts And 2. When we speak of Kings and Princes our words must be reverend and honourable it is not meet for Christians of any sort to revile and censure one another much less for Subjects to pretend to judge the actions of their Soveraign It would be much better certainly if every one instead of talking of the duty of their Governours would seriously think on their own St. Peter foretelling of a sort of false Teachers to the end they may be better avoided describes them by their manners thus 2 Pet. 2.10 viz. Such as walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleaness and despise government Presumptuous are they self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities Whereas angels which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord vers 11. And St. Jude chargeth them with the same thing vers 8. of his Epistle Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh despise dominion and speak evil of dignities And it were to be wished there were none among us that endeavour by such Stratagems as these to amuse the people and so carry on their own private Plots and secret designs by speaking evil of things they understand not Reverence to Magistrates is a duty frequently inculcated in Holy Writ Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the ruler of thy people Exod. 22.28 I counsel thee to keep the King's commandment and that in regard of the oath of God Eccles 8.2 Be not hasty to go out of his sight stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him vers 3. Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What doest thou v. 4. If he do ought amiss he must answer it before the King of Kings it is the Subjects duty in the mean while to follow the advice of the Apostle whose words are these 1 Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty And this ought to be done for them though they were Infidels and Enemies to the Gospel yea though they were persecutors of them that make profession of it How much more then should we respect good Kings when they not onely profess true Religion themselves but establish confirm and settle the same by good and wholesom Laws 3. As our thoughts and words must be honourable so in our actions we must shew a reverence by being humble and submissive in our carriage and behaviour There is a civil respect due from Inferiours to their Superiours and though there be a sort of godly men among us as they call themselves that refuse this outward civility and deny that which others more reasonably pay I shall not now spend time in answering their frivolous pretensions St Paul bids us render fear to whom fear and honour to whom honour is due And St. Peter in the very same verse bids us fear God and honour the King And that we ought to shew a reverence by some civil behaviour or outward submission is plain from Levit. 19.32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man and fear thy God And we may add to this the words of the fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother the meaning and scope of which is That the quality of mens persons and places in whatsoever estate whether Natural Civil or Ecclesiastical and with whatsoever relation to us ought to be duly acknowledged and respected Now such submission and duty cherished in the hearts and shewn in the words and behaviour of Subjects would render the difficulties of Government more supportable and aleviate those cares and troubles which the most lawful Governours need continually undergo 2. The second thing required as due from us to the civil Magistrate is Obedience This is a duty frequently inculcated in holy Scripture Tit. 3.1 St. Paul directs Titus to put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work And Rom. 13.5 the same Apostle saith Wherefore ye must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for Conscience-sake Into what dregs of times then are we faln St. Paul urges obedience to Magistrates for Conscience-sake and yet in our days that has been made an argument for the contrary we have some among us that pretend for Conscience-sake to disobey them When Rebellion and Hypocrisie pass for Duty and Obedience the best and most sacred things are not secured from being abused Religion it self is no longer accounted so by some men than it serves their turns and interests and therefore that hath been made use of to cloak the most absurd and wicked designs Devotion hath been and is still a Plea for disobedience and the pretended tenderness which others may more justly call the niceness of a disaffected Conscience will not permit men to obey the King for fear of disobeying God And yet there is nothing more plain in the whole Scripture than this that every soul ought to be subject to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 And that we may not mistake the meaning of those words St. Peter tells us more distinctly what is meant by higher Powers 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Submit your selves to