as well as Dominion 1 Sam. 15.24,25 the infinitely Wise and Holy God was pleas'd graciously to confer in the Original of Kingly Government in Israel upon Saul his own immediate Successour there And afterwards accumulate upon David Solomon and their Successours in that Kingdom 2 Sam. 5.10,11 1 Kings 3,4,5,6,7,8,9.10 2 Chron. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Not knowing what that so much celebrated Preacher as well as King so frequently does reiterate by Gods own special inspiration Pro. 16.10.14.15 19.12 20.2.8 22.11 24.21.22 29.4 14.30.31 Against whom there is no rising up and whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul as to the Honour Favour Frowns and displeasure of a King in terms so highly much emphatical that nothing ever was or can be more Each of which he renders so greatly and incomparably considerable that nothing under Heaven can ever come in competition with them Eccles 8.2,4 I Counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God whoso keepeth it shall feel no evil Where the word of a King is there is Power and who may so much as say to him What dost thou As if his very word were a Law so as to his commands And for his threatnings the Wrath of the King is as the Roaring of a Lyon carries terror and execution with it to make us the more conscientious to fear him in the one and obey him in the other and in neither to dare to disregard him in the least as we respect our welfare there or here This and infinitely more he gives in charge in such weighty words as do preponderate all that can possibly pretend against it and that in places more than can be enumerated Be pleased to take one for all as that which seems to have more peculiar affinity to the business of the Text. Where he gives that tremendous Prohibition Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King the word there signifies the same still with this here namely to blaspheme no not so much as in thy thoughts or Conscience the most closeted and retir'd corner of them thy very Bed-chamber where thou mayst suppose thy self most secret and withal secure See how he dares men to it at their highest peril for says he there a Bird of the Air that is the Winged Angels says the Holy Father Hieron in loc which in Zachary are said to take their flight over all the Earth Zach. 1.10,11 shall carry the voice and that which hath Wings which therefore they are so significantly pourtray'd with shall tell the matter They are ever ready to be upon the Wing to take their several circuits over all the World They hear when Treason and Sedition is but whisper'd in the closest and most cunningly contriv'd Cabal and give intelligence of it in the High Court of Heaven much more when it comes to be Printed to be Preach'd Mat. 10.27 to be vogued in altissimis in the high places of the streets and preach'd upon the house tops as our Saviour speaks not only creeps into the Press but mounts the Pulpit as of later days it did and God grant it may never never do so again They err not knowing the Scriptures of the Prophet as well as Preacher where God is graciously pleased by him to promise as the Peoples most peculiar Happiness and Priviledge Esa 49.23 as well as their Princes Honour and Prerogative That Kings should be their Nursing Fathers and Queens their Nursing Mothers to support them in their tender and indulgent their kind as well as potent and capacious Arms. 'T is He that hath made them and not themselves to be Patres Patriae National Fathers and they that make it their business so unnaturally as well as undutifully to expose them do but hereby expose themselves to that ignominious curse of the shameless Cham Gen. 9.24 for displaying their Fathers nakedness in that irreverent and indecent manner that their brutal Libels too barefac'd every where amongst us do And they also that mouth'd out a Sedition which is their own Liberty and Property at that tumultuous rate as they have lately done have but hereby offer'd themselves and theirs to the dint of Divine Vengeance Gen. 9.25 in the Letter of Canaan's Curse to be made Servant of Servants to him that so has superciliously stil'd himself when they will not be true and loyal Subjects to their only true and rightful Soveraign Not knowing that is not owning that of him who was more than a Prophet Mat. 22.19,20 Mark 12.16,17 Luk. 12.24,25 the great decision and determination he has made for himself and us in all succeeding ages of the World The lasting everlasting Precept as well as exemplar he has given for rendring to Caesar the things that are Caesar's as duly and exactly as carefully and conscientiously as to God the things that are Gods no difference that he who is God blessed for evermore has made between them When the Tribute-money was demanded of him Mat. 17.24 to v. 28. though he was a Prince and they that were his Attendants free because not strangers but Children of the Kingdom as himself assures us yet he stands not upon their Priviledge and his own Prerogative as most justly he might have done Though he was the legal Heir of that Kingdom by a lineal descent from David yet he would pay Tribute to the Roman Emperour and work a signal miracle designedly for doing of it rather than Caesar should not have his demand and that by arbitrary imposition as is most apparent They know not Rom. 13.7 or at least will not own that of the great Apostle Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute Custome to whom Custome Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour is due And if ever due to be sure it is so here where the Apostle does so importunately insist upon it as to that homage and subjection which is the debt of every single Soul not any one that is was shall or can ever be exempted And the Reason which there he renders for it is most irrefragable because they are the Higher or Superiour Powers as he expressly calls them Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word I cannot easily quit i. e. such as have the superiority over all things and persons as it does most genuinely denote The Powers that were then are now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. the Regal and Imperial as before was hinted then and ever since in being which he assures us is immediately ordain'd of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make the Monarchick Power and our submission to it a Divine Ordinance St. Peter is more express if any thing can be so 1 Pet. 2.13 when by him it is entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Creature Gods own Creation that of subjection to this very Power which there he does so particularly urge to the King in the first and highest place so both the