merit of the persons if frequent upon the Princes disposition then which nothing renders him more ungratefull man being naturally a compassionate creature But it is not mercy alone will establish a throne there must be truth too fidelity open-heartedness He must not be made up totus ex artibus Princes which like-Absalom kiss all men alike seldom succeed happily because they occasion the disappointment of so many which a man cannot so well bear as an expected injury Cruelty and Treachery have gotten many a Throne but they have establisht none Now both these meet most eminently in our Sovereign Mercy though provoked more then ever Prince was he was not in natali imperii born like Esau all over red with the bloud of those who had forfeited their lives to his justice but his first and great I may now add frequentest request to the Houses was that the Act of Indemnity might be as speedily and as comprehensively drawn up as might be His Majestie contents himself with the submission of his adversaries Poenaeque genus vidisse precantes The fears and jealousies of guilty minds no question represented His Majestie as vapours do the rising Sun of a bloudy colour and disposition but he hath defeated not only the hopes but the fears of his adversaries by shewing his greatness as God whose Viceroy he is even by pardoning and forgiving offences And His Majesties whole demeanour assures us that this clemencie is virtus Personae not virtus temporis only and in observance of the old rule mitissima sors est Regnorum sub Rege novo And as eminent is He for Truth no King might as Christ doth write Teste meipso with better confidence then He. Hear what that valiant Scotch Marquess said of him when ready to die and the words of dying especially understanding men I value next to the Scripture For His Majestie now living I believe never people might be more happy in a King his commands to me were most just in nothing that he promiseth will he fail he deals justly with all men I shall close this fifth particular by superadding this one observation It is Gods usual method to suppress and expel a power or people guiltie of such or such a vice by persons eminent for the contrary vertue Thus Salvian takes notice how God punisht the Spaniards a lascivious people by the Vandals a Nation eminent for their chastity and temperance so the Persians a luxurious and riotous generation He overthrew by the Macedonians eminent at that time for their abstinence and moderation in diet and thus God now useth his Majesty to succeed and suppress persons lately in power highly challengeable for the want of Mercy and Truth Mercy we might be well assured they were never designed to build Gods Temple there was such a noise of fatal Axes continually heard in the Nation Truth breaking all the bands like the possest man of Oaths and Covenants wherewithall they had been bound the character of England at that time we might finde in Isa. 59. 14. Iudgement was turned away backward and Justice stood afar off Truth was fallen in the streets and Equity could not enter Sixthly Another token for good is this After great distractions and confusions long in a nation God usually sets upon the throne Princes eminent for success wisdome and courage When a nation is full of distraction and confusion God generally takes one of these three courses with it 1. He sometimes leavs it in confusion suffers the people to be without any settled form of government and to hold up one another till he corrects all thus he dealt with the Israelites Judges 21. 25. When there was no King in Israel but every man was a law to himself God sometimes deals by a nation as they did by the ship Acts 27. 15. cuts the cables and anchours that held it and lets it drive Or 2. He sometimes sets a Tyrant over it as it is an hundred to one but when the ill humours are in motion they gather to an head at last Thus we read in the Iudges he dealt with his own people Or 3. He raiseth up some eminent person whom he qualifies with all Princely dispositions for so great a work as the healing of the breaches in a nation Thus we finde him raising up Moses after the Egyptian oppression Gideon after the Midianitish slavery David after Sauls injustice and Nehemiah and Zorobabel after the Babilonish captivity to become healers to Israel Thus Iulius and Augustus Cesar in the Romane Empire were raised up by God to be repairers of the breaches in that government under which Christ was to be born and afterward Constantine as a shadow from the heat of the ten Persecutions and Charles the great in the West and Queen Elizabeth after many changes both in Church and State and Henry the 7th before her happily curing the issue of bloud the nation had so long laboured under Great and many are the evils which England hath languished under these many years now to use the word of Mordecai to Esther Esther 4. 14. Who knows but his Majesty is come to the Kingdome for such a time as this God hath taken all the forementioned courses with our discomposed nation 1. We were left to the unconstant counsels and giddy determinations of those who stiled themselves Custodes libertatis it would pose a wise man to tell who they were sometimes this party sometime another pretended to the title of the supreme authority of the nation 2. Then he set over us a person that like Adonijah got him chariots and horsmen and said I will reign but now we hope God hath set him over us whom he will make a great blessing to this great people when a nation hath been under many Rulers Solomon tells us how the state thereof must be prolonged Prov. 38. 2. even by the advancement of a man of understanding which we hope God according to the method of his providence hath now blest us withall even a man who shall restore again the Kingdome to its ancient dignity and liberty and the Church to its due honour and discipline If we now lay all these particulars together we shall easily I think see what great cause we have to shout and rejoyce and cry God save the King I have hitherto indeavoured to be the helper of your joy give me leave in a few words to be the directour of it and so conclude Let us take care that our joy be seasoned with sobriety with trembling and with religion With sobriety This passion of joy doth very much expose the soul to indecencies and therefore the greater need of vigilance let us not so dance before the ark as to discover our nakedness so as to allow our selves in any intemperate and unwarrantable transports It had been high indiscretion in Noah and his family when in the ark and perceiving the Dove approaching with an alive branch to have made such a
so from attempting to cast its rider This David accordingly acknowledged Psal. 144. 2. It is God who subdueth the people under me Thirdly God abets Kings and Governours by those strange preservations vouchsafed by him to their persons There goes another kinde of life-guard about a King then men generally are aware of God hath this as his especial title Psal. 144. 10. The God that sheweth salvation unto Kings and he tells one of his Governours Hag. 2. 23. I have set thee as a signet upon my right hand The hearts of Kings but much more the times of Kings are in Gods hands Caesarem vehis fortunam ejus was a speech that had more sense in it then the heathen Prince that spake it was aware Kings are subject to more then ordinary dangers and therefore have a more then ordinary power concerned in their protection Many an Assassine hath found himself daunted with the raies of Majesty and deterred by an unexpected reverence possessing him from his intended villany and hath found cause to say to his Prince as Laban to Iacob Gen. 31. 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but God hath spoken to me saying speak not to Iacob neither good nor bad the instances of popish Princes falling by the hands of Assassinates are many but great deliverances hath God vouchsafed to Protestant Kings not above one being to be instanced in suffering any personal violence by a private hand Hence the title of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} given to Kings by the Ancients {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} S. Chrys. A King doth not fall like common men a prodigie in nature commonly gives us notice of his death Fourthly God justifies rule and authority by giving so often publick spirits to men in publick places A publick place may well enough suit an ambitious spirit but a publick spirit is the seal of authority it is Gods special gift Men are indeed naturally desirous to be at the top of the tree of fortune as it is called not that they might be more fruitfull and do more good but that they might be nearer the sun and more out of the reach of the hand of violence But a publick spirit it is I had almost said donum miraculosum given as a seal to authority and we shall finde the highest instances of it in persons eminently called by God to some publick trust in Moses praying God rather to blot him out of his book then not to pardon his people Exod. 32. 32. and in David against me and my fathers house let thine hand be and not against these sheep 2 Sam. 24. 27. and the Apostle charactereth a lawfull Magistrate by this spirit Rom. 13. 4. He is the Minister of God for good to thee It is God who gives Magistrates to consider non traditam sibi populi servitutem sed tutelam It is noted of Augustus Cesar that when once he was possest of the Empire all his former arts of wickedness fraud and tyranny the low stratagems of a particular narrow spirit he wholly discarded and addicted himself intirely to the love defence and advancement of the commonwealth of Rome and like Saul when called to the government was turned into another man ut satis constaret saith one divino quodam munere mutatum formatum tantum principem Men that are intended but for a narrow place and sphere like the snail in its little house turn out horns not arms to every body else It is seldome seen that God so far owns an Usurper as to vouchsafe this seal of authority a truly publick spirit It is seldome that he gives him a heart to use his power really to the peoples good some good things he may sometimes do to compound with the people but nothing out of a publick spirit and a real fatherly affection Men naturally seek their own and love to be at ease Cain spake his own sense and of most wicked men Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper Ambitious spirits like flame the higher they rise the more they are contracted into the narrow point of self by the constringency of ambient fears jealousies and distrusts It is Gods highest owning of a person in power when he makes him like Mordecai Esth. 10 3. a person seeking cordially the wealth of his people and speaking peace to them when contrary to his natural temper like Solomon he gives him largeness of heart in which there may be room for more then himself when he gives him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a free or as the word imports a royal a princely spirit Fifthly God seals to Authority and Sovereignty by that extraordinary direction and assistance which he often gives his substitutes in the administration of their office which is sometimes very strange It is the speech of Solomon Prov. 16. 10. A divine speech is in the lips of a King his mouth transgresseth not in judgement Deo nimirum cujus vices gerit ejus sententiam moderante The intimacy between God and a good King is greater then men think of God hath made Princes in judicature as it were his own oracles to the people Infallibility is more annexed to the chair of Moses then to the chair of Peter supposing the Prince be not wanting to himself by conversing with Gods law and mans he is most likely to have God of his councel A King sometimes sees per emissionem radiorum by an unexpected emission of those beams of light and wisdome whereby he scatters the mists of fraud and imposture cast before his eyes to procure wickedness indemnity There were three ways especially by which God of old bore witness to a person and justified his bearing rule and authority over a people 1. as was observed by giving him a publick spirit suitable to his publick place 2. by moving the hearts of people to own and obey the person so set up by God 1 Sam. 10. 26. 2 Sam. 19. 14. 1 King 12. 20. 1 Chron. 29. 23 24. Psalm 144. 2. 3. By giving him an understanding heart a spirit of wisdome Deut. 34. 9. 2 Sam. 14. 17. 1 Sam. 10. 16. 1 King 4. 29. Great was the assistance God gave to his substitutes of old in judgement Grotius telleth us he that diligently reads over the old Testament Plures reperturus est Principes Prophetas quà m Prophetas sacerdotes shall finde more Kings who were Prophets then Prophets that were Priests that so they might be the better fitted for the discharge of their weighty office and no question God is more assistant to Kings under the Gospel to teach them what they shall do then we are aware He judgeth amongst the Gods in an especial manner judicio insito as Iehoshaphat told his judges 2 Chron. 19. 6. Ye judge for the Lord who is with you in judgement Sixthly God justifies Authority and Magistracy by his strange
continuance thereof so long in the world against all opposition made against it Great bandying there hath been against government at all times by the sons of Belial opposition against the eminency of Magistracy the spirit within us lusteth to envy against the restraint thereof Jude v. 8. Some despise dominion not onely Governours but Government it self is a burden to them Government is stiled the ordinance of God those that are above other ordinances are above this most of all There are three inward and three outward guards which God in mercy hath vouchsafed the world to keep sin out of it the three inward are the common principles of nature some remaining characters of that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} antiently written upon the tables of our hearts 2. the dictates of Gods holy Spirit and silent whispers of that 3. the checks of an enlightened conscience the three outward are the sacred Scripture the Ministry with the spiritual and Magistracy with the civil sword now men fight with all these guards smother the light of nature grieve the spirit harden their consciences reject the Scriptures despise prophesyings and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the word is lay aside and null what they are able Magistrates and Dominions but now as we argue that the Scripture the light of nature the Ministry the checks of conscience are of Gods own appointing and owned by him in that all the malice of men and devils could never quite remove null and abolish them so we may conclude Magistracy sealed to by heaven in that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} men without law could never quit themselves thereof Many people have thrown off Governors but never any could throw off Government no sooner have they cut off one head but another comes up in the room thereof Government and Magistracy is a bush of thorns that pricks and tortures wicked men and it hath been often on fire and had long ere this been consumed but as we have reason to believe God is in it his mighty power is engaged in its defence This God owns Psal. 75. 3. The earth and all the inhabitants are dissolved but I bear up the pillars of it Seventhly God hath attested unto Sovereignty by suffering none of his servants in Scripture few or none in story to be guilty of wilfull opposing of lawfull authority or usurping the place of their lawfull Governour We finde many a wicked man guilty of this sin of opposing the Magistrate mentioned in the first particular many of deposing as Ieroboam in part Athaliah Zimri Herod and others but no good man in Scripture guilty of either And few or none shall we meet with in story guilty of this sin Tertullian apologizing for Christians among other things alledgeth this in their defence that among all the Assassins of Emperours nunquam inveniri potuerunt Christiani and Salmasius observes that not till much beneath the times of Austine occurs there any mention of any private Christian in all Ecclesiastick history qui Regi suo manus cruentas attulcrit vel qui armis contra Regem pugnarit and a late writer hath inlarged the observation telling us that in the succession of about six ages no man of any learning and reputation attempted any thing against the interest or honour of Princes excepting Lucifer Calaritanus who spake rude and unbeseeming words against Constantius the Arrian Emperour but to impeach the credit of his practise He is noted by S. Ambrose for a person that separated himself from the communion of the Church but as reverence to other divine commands wore off in time as the power that exalteth it self above all that is called God obtained in the world so to this among the rest of obedience to lawfull authority Gods olives and vines decline the Magistrates place whiles brambles scratch every one that would get above them None so easie to drive as Christs sheep they are the swine of the world that are hard to drive men of strong lusts and proud spirits which create Magistrates the greatest trouble They are filthy dreamers who despise dominion Jude v. 8. Eighthly God abets authority by that special blessing which he generally vouchsafeth upon the due execution of justice by men in power and Sovereignty It is seldome seen that private revenge though the matter of it might be just and deserved hath been happy and successfull whereas generally vindicta publica the punishment inflicted by a Magistrate in vindication of injured innocence hath succeeded happily Commonly private revenges take off one enemy and invite many but publick revenge executed by the rules of justice procures Gods especial blessing upon a person or nation Jer. 22. 3. Thus saith the Lord Execute judgement and righteousness and deliver the oppressed and I will bless you c. Prov. 21. 3. God in the first ages of the world did govern it and administer justice oftentimes immediately by his own hand and punished many a person as we reade with death for the violation of his laws whereas now God hath committed as all spiritual judgement to his son so all civil judgement to the Magistrate and therefore Gad hath a special blessing pronounced upon him for executing the justice of the Lord Deut. 33. 21. and in him every righteous magistrate These eight particulars laid together will evidence God to be a very great abettour and justifier of rule and Sovereignty in the world We learn hence two things 1. The unjustness of that charge so often drawn up against Religion as if an enemy to government a patron of State-disturbance When ever there have been state troubles atheists cry out Tantum relligio potuit c. religious persons have been alway thought the Iona's in the ship when there hath been a storm in the state Eliah esteemed a troubler of Israel 1 Kings 18. The apostles Acts 24. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and Acts 17. 6. those which turnd the world up side down so Esth. 3. 8. Some conceive this was the reason why Cyrus gave command so punctually to build the Temple but threescore cubits broad and threescore cubits high even a politick jealousie of the strength thereof as occasion might serve The heathens used to reproach the Gospel upon this account as may be collected probably from 1 Pet. 2. 14 15. Submit your selves unto Governours as unto them who are sent of God c. For so is the will of God that in well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolishmen whose mouths upon neglect of this duty were like an open Sepulchre to bury the good name of Christianity and the professors of it So 1 Tim. 6. 1. And we read in history of a pillar set up with this inscription Nomini Christianorum deleto qui Rempublicam evertebant Polititians have been always jealous of pretenders to Religion lest it should be used like the holy Ephod to hide a Sword
immortality Besides a just Prince knows Universities designe to instate him in the highest honour a Prince is capable of To be Rex Virorum Ministers are stiled helpers of the peoples joy 2 Cor. 1. 24. That I may accordingly discharge my duty this day in helping forward your joy give me leave to retail the mercy and blessing of this day and give you a view thereof in these five parcels and particulars First we have now great matter of joy in that we have a fixed and established Ruler over us We might be well assured that the Nation was sick before by its shifting of sides so often and never continuing long in one posture of Government an evil too big for any other Teacher to make men understand but sad experience Frequent shifting of Governours is the great punishment of the sin of a people Prov. 28. 2. For the transgression of a Land many are the Princes thereof but by a man of understanding the perishing State thereof shall be prolonged with this evil God punished the revolted Kingdom of Israel which had as many Kings within one as the Kingdom of Iuda and yet lasted not much above half the time thereof with this judgement God avenged the bloud of his servants upon the Roman Empire even the frequent changing of Governours from Cesar to Constantine by the murdering of them so frequently This is a very great evil upon many accounts for in such vicissitudes of Government there will of necessity be fresh favourites who are never wanting to make use of such troubled waters to heal their lame fortunes In such vicissitudes people never learn the art of obedience nor a Prince the art of Government self-preservation being the mystery chiefly employs his study in order whereto he is often prompted to several counsels ungrateful and disobliging Laws in such times usually lose their force Rulers letting go these reins of Government when ready to be thrown out of the saddle to save themselves from a dangerous fall God rains snares upon a Nation in such a condition that being voic't up for Law to day which shall be Treason to morrow besides such times produce abundance of dissatisfied persons who heated by such violent motions and turns catch fire at last and endanger the peace of the Nation Matter of joy then we have in that His Majesties restauration silenceth all disputes amongst ambitious spirits who shall be greatest The Nation before did like Penelope but texere retexere in her Lords absence in foraign parts but make and unmake Laws and Rulers and there was little observable of England but what Solomon notes of the locusts Prov. 30. 27. The Locusts have no King over them yet go they forth by bands so that we should without our legal and setled King go forth so by bands and armies as we did to the terrour of our Neighbour-Nations But we hope that while our Lillies point to the North they will labour and toyl no more now that our hearts and prayers point toward His Majesty God will bless us with that rest and consistency which all great bodies especially Nations naturally tend and move unto Secondly We have matter of joy in that this setled Ruler is a King The government of England now bears conformity to Gods government of the World it is administred by one When God promised to bless Abraham he doth it thus Gen. 17. 6. I will make Nations of thee and Kings shall come out of thee when he would bless Sarai he doth it thus v. 16. I will bless her and she shall be a mother of Nations Kings of people shall be of her and when Ishmael v. 20. Behold I have blest him twelve Princes shall he beget and he commanded his own people Deut. 17. 14. long before they came to Canaan to set a King over them hence the Iewish Masters tell us three things were especially appointed them when they came to Canaan to choose them a King to build God a Temple and to root out the Amalekites The sin indeed of the Israelites was as they confest very great in asking of a King because they quarrelled with that excellent form of Government they were already under in which God was their King and Law and Justice administred immediately by himself or by persons extraordinarily stird up and inspired by him a Form of government which good men when invited thereto would never attempt to alter and the rejection of this Form of administration will appear to be the sin of the people and not the bare asking of a King upon a diligent comparing of Scripture 1 Sam. 12. 12. 1 Sam. 8. 7. 1 Sam. 10. 19. 1 Sam. 8. 20. Much might be alledged in commendation of regal Government but I shall add but this one consideration as having so great affinity with the Text It is hard for a Ruler in any other Government to be more then ordinary righteous and be matter of rejoycing to a people above others sine metu ostracismi nor can the deserts of a Subject under another Form be high and eminent but he is more feared then favoured oftner ruined then rewarded the envy of the fall of so eminent a person proving dangerous to none being divided amongst the Many that Rule and Command and certainly it is a considerable commendation of Kingly administration that we can say of it the Ruler may do good offices with the fewest fears and a Subject perform noble services with the highest hopes Sure I am this Nation of England is of a more noble and generous spirit then to sit contentedly under any other then a Royal shadow this was ever our way of Government Status Reip. Anglicanae semper Regalis fuit semper haereditarius saith a learned Antiquary Iulius Cesar makes mention of the Principes Britanniae before the times of Christ many changes have been in the persons but none in the Government till of late as indeed we shall finde Monarchies in History lasting for many hundred years in a Nation but Venice is the only instance of a Commonwealth which hath continued a thousand years and that too for some special reasons Upon this account we have matter of great joy that we are now returned to our old Form of Government the Nation was like a fish before sick till it came thither where it was first spawn'd To those that think this no such matter of joy I shall propound the question that Abimelech did to the men of Sichem Iudg. 9. 2. Whether is it better for you that all the sons of Ierubbael which are threescore and ten persons reign over you or that one reign over you remember also that he is your bone and your flesh This government so highly abetting that unity which all things tend unto hath been received with the greatest expressions of joy in Scripture Num. 23. 21. 1 King 1. 39. 2 King 11. 14. 3 We have matter of very great joy in that we have a