sent by God with an especial Commission to lead an Army against the Amalekites and utterly destroy all that they had Man and Woman Infant and Suckling Oxe and Sheep Camel and Asse But after Victory obtained the People Murmur that so chargeable an Expedition of two Hundred and ten Thousand Men should have no Recompence That the Spoils of a Rich Eastern Country and such Plenty of Fat Sheep and Oxen Younger Fatlings and Lambs should all while they had neglected their Farms Flocks and Herds at Home Perish to no Mans benefit That at their return there must be Publick Thanksgivings Sacrifices and Feastings with their Wives Children and Relations at Home which they judged would prove a Lean and Barren joy if the Sacrifices and Beasts to be Slaughtered must be fetched from their own Folds and Stalls These or the like were the Voices of the Multitude and were specious Arguments used by the Nobles Rulers and Chief-Captains to perswade the King to neglect his Duty towards God for the good of the People They all concluded that the present Interest was the best Religion and that the shew and noise of Sacrifice would Silence Heavens Decree pronounced for the Contempt of its Laws Neither was this easily obtained of the King who although a Valiant Man was forced to yield for the Murmurs and Mutiny had proceeded so High that he was put into a great fear such as Subjected him in the meanest sort to the Raving Populacy for as he saith of himself he Feared the People and Obeyed their Voice But thus the King pleased the People to his own and their Ruine For God immediately commanded the Kingdome to be Rent from him And although some Years Intervened between the Sentence and Execution yet the rest of his Reign was but improsperous and at length upon Mount Gilboa the King his Sons and People fell down grievously Slaughtered by a Forreign Enemy and Invasion and the Victory over them was used most Savagely and Insolently Such are the usual Harvest which Subjects Reap from their undutiful behaviour wherein the more Successful they are the more inevitable is their destruction Miscarriages in any such attempts are most happy which instruct them what should have been forborn what practised and convince them of a necessity of renouncing all Rude and Irreverent thoughts of their King in order to the establishment of Happiness But that so powerful an Example set down by the Holy Penman must needs be prevalent with Men so much professing Religion I should not have gone farther for one then the so fresh and Sadly memorable of our late times Then were seen the Tides of Popular Fury to Swell to such an excess that they Swallowed up all Government both in Church and State our Kings Princes and most eminently Pious and Loyal Churchmen were either Murthered Banished or driven into Corners and in short after the discontented Rabble had taken the matter into their own hand to which frequent Royal Condescentions did but the more embolden them to Repair Reform Cure and Settle all their miseries and dissatisfactions did even infinitely abound And then to find what they sought for they were compelled to retreat to acknowledge their folly and distress supplicating him whom they most rebelliously and ignominiously dispossessed of his Crown and Dignities Return thou and all thy Servants Until his Peace was restored theirs was in excilement none other with their Boasted Sciences of Government could after a long and wretched experience give any hopes of effecting the publick safety but the same they had rejected Whom with accumulative Honours they Petitioning to return acknowledged that nothing but want of confidence in their lawful Monarchs virtue and judgment had so miserably enslaved them under Anarchical Tyranny nothing but that confidence could revive the Sinking Kingdoms Glory So great a Calamity and unexpected Redemption successively furnishing us with infalliable Rules for prosperous enjoyments our suddain forgetfulness or careless observance of them maketh us appear the most despicably Sottish of Mankind We are uneasy and thoughtful by listning to the Authors of our newly vanquished afflictions who with an ill natured but most genuine Ofspring instill Poysonous Opinions into the minds of their Fellow Subjects in detraction of the present Government I should rationally think their very Persons caution enough against any their insinuations much more when they repeat Rebellion in the same methods and rush on with more impudenoe then their former beginnings knew Nevertheless we have seen divers of them promoted to be of the Grand Council of the Nation and there Principals of such ungrateful and undecent Orations that while they pretended to represent Greivances ought themselves to have been proceeded against as the most intolerable of all Grievances We hope that Members of a Sound constitution may by Gods Blessing succeed them to repair in Truth those breaches which the former vitiated ones have opened to Scandal Confusion and the Terrour of our Prince and all Religious People Otherwise we ought to intercede with God and the King that such Prodigies of State may no more appear among us to Subvert our Peace and Religion with novel and unheard devices of Government and Vnion What considerate Man seeth not the Foundations now stricken at when by the same courses and many of the same Hands they were before Subverted and when the Nation Sinneth again its old Crimes after such a Miraculous Restauration what can hinder the worse thing from befalling it Or where shall we look for a second Redemption who have so Idly undervalued the First In former Ages the Great Assemblies did indeed what they undertook support the Nation by Strengthening their respective Kings but of late they have been so far from treading in the Steps of their Ancestours as that Blessed Prince delivereth it who afterward more sharply felt the mischief of such Parliamentary digressions by dutiful expressions in that kind that contrarily they have introduced a way of bargaining and contracting with their King as if nothing ought to he given him by them but what he should buy and purchase of them either by the quitting somewhat of his Royal Prerogative or diminishing and lessening his Revenues This was spoken of Disrespects and Demeanours inconsiderable in comparison of what himself became afterwards Sensible of and his Royal Son hath lately found too much cause to mention and reprove And each of these disloyal Practises encrease the consternation which hath Seized us and is general though diversly afflicting Men according to their diversity of Humours Some are entangled in Labyrinths of Conceits that their Prince is ill advised and hath no good Councel as if he wanted their judgment in Choosing and all of their Choice and Representatives were endued with Infallibillity some are so fearful of disorder in the State and so jealous of Religion least Superstition should enter in and corrupt it that they presently break the Peace which they only fear may be broken and most Superstitiously Idolize those
are its Enemies Peace is his desire his delight and glory the end of all his Actions the emblem of his Eternal recompence his Heaven upon Earth And this no corrupt minds can truly rejoyce in they may peradventure be pleased with it for a time but are soon glutted with its pleasures and stores grow insolent and kick at her Blessings But good men cannot surseit upon her favours though abundantly satisfied with them For in sound minds the same plenty be getteth desire which in depraved groweth to an abhorrency Neither can Peace be obtained by evil or unstable men any more then continue by them when it is in their power to disturb it For the Sacred Oracle declaring that there is no peace to the wicked they certainly can never give that to others which they cannot procure for themselves or brook in others So that to be able to rejoyce in Peace every man must conform to a Virtuous Life and be wife with Sobriety For vitious living enclineth men to anger suspitions and all sorts of unruly courses and generally begetteth in them an over-value of their own Judgments and Abilities which hath been sadly experienced in some of the great Debauches of our times Some men again well deserving and who have been long known to govern themselves in the proper rules of this Joy have at length become too apprehensive of being useful and thereby have ceased to become Good Subjects a proud confidence destroying that Loyalty which had been admirably excellent had it continued among the works and labours of Love Because they hear that well doing deserveth a reward they wrong their judgments in reaching at an immature one and too much discover a long concealed malignity in their minds which hath disturbed their Joy although without publick observation For where there are illegitimate hopes there must be sometimes great fears which as we see break out into disorders and are ever disturbing the contentment of the Soul which by well doing only should be kept in tranquility The Pious satisfaction of Gods great favour in hearing the cries of his afflicted people and restoring to us our Dread Soveraign in Peace and the virtuous care of continuing this mercy certainly mind nothing but God and the Kings ' approbation If these performances observed produce any further Grace it is venerably received not as a recompence but a Princely condescention and Bounty Good Mephibosheths Loyalty is an incomparable pattern who was so truly glad of his Princes Return that the Joy was to him a Possession for other things he careth not but saith Calumniating Ziba Yea let him take all forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in Peace But some of the great pretender to Loyalty have stained the glorious repute which they had gotten at a most foolish rate For where the King hath been pleased to accept the Services of some Subjects and to signalize them with grants of eminent Indulgences they who were profitable Servants became foolish Favourites and what they have industriously managed to their Princes advantage in an Inferior Station their Pride hath ruined in advancement For wanting continence in elated Fortunes they though their Deeds merit not Duty and judging themselves such men of excellence that the Scepter could not be weilded without their councell they have presumed to act above the condition of Subjects forgetting their Original and the Humility which gave their Honour a Being And these were so far from following Mephibosheth's example of leaving all for Joy that they have thought nothing sufficient reward which accumulative liberality hath laid upon them And indeed herein the strength of their judgments met with the severest tryal For they who could laudably sustain and overcome the sharpest adversities have been drawn into a snare by the blandishments of Fortune and their Fortitude being eneruated by her leniments she hath led them about as the most ridiculous Captives So easily are heedless men divested of their Joy in the midst of their Triumphs by yielding to the beginning of temptations of making reward the chief inducement to Loyalty CHAP. VIII No Considerations of past or ensuing damages which have or may accrew to him do hinder this Joy in a Good Subject TRue Loyalty is so little swayed by interest that it is its own contentment and rejoyceth in the King's Peace for God his Church and Peoples sake looking for no reward beyond self satisfaction The excellency of the Example biddeth me again repeat it and make Remarques upon the sacred History or Mephibosheth He was the Son of Saul as the Holy Text speaketh it in the relation of that action more observably yet came down with an unparallel'd Joy to meet King David returning from Exilement This Mephibosheth was Heir Apparent to the Crown of Israel as it respecteth the House of Saul being the Son of Jonathan Saul's eldest Son Neither the reflections upon his disinherison not withstanding his Title by a most direct descent nor David's preceipitate dispossessing him of his Lands upon the false accusations of Ziba his servant before he had liberty to answer for himself did any thing prevail with him to lessen his affections to the King or his gladness that he was returned in Peace The King indeed had sent for him to eat at his own Table and restored unto him all his Patrimony But the respect to his succession could soon have fitted him with replies That the specious Kindness of calling him to Court might be both pride and policy pride to render his own Majesty the more awful by so great a Princes attendance And policy to keep him near him alwaies in view that so he might not be able to cause Sedition or Innovation And then what did an Inheritance which his Title to the Crown considered was but part of his right in a corner of one of the Tribes signifie to a man thoughtful of the loss of a Kingdom What was it but an occasion for his Brethren the Benjamites to upbraid him with want of courage and judgment who should so tamely acquiesce in this as a favour and content himself with a private Fortune who was born unto so glorious a Scepter But piety quasht all these suggestions so apt to swell and puff up a young Princes mind and gave him a most sacred Judgment to discern God's Work and Decree and taught him by meekness to enjoy himself and all that the King bestowed upon him as truly Royal favours The same Almighty power which exalted his Grandfather Saul to be King had for disobedience to his commands denounced by the same Prophet who anointed him the renting away of his Kingdom and giving it to his Neighbour and soon after the denunciation caused David by the same Prophet to be anointed That he was ordained King by God Saul knew and envied him for it and often endeavoured to frustrate the Divine Decree by killing him This Jonathan knew and loved him this Mephibosheth knew and thence gave him the Honour which true
depressed and that so just a fear is cause enough for trouble of mind and that trouble no way discommendable yet this least afflicteth any good Subjects thoughts For should such as move towards our Soveraign's Disquiet never so plausibly and largely promise the same freedom in Spirituals and as full enjoyment of our Liberties and Properties as we either do or can desire to obtain nay could they give us caution and security sufficient to prevent all fears of non-performance of thse promises when it should be in the power of their hands to perform or change yet could none of these promises or offered securities remove a good Subjects sorrow For in the first place Vsurpers account all that they leave in the possession of those over whom they have assumed Authority to be matter of Courtesy not of Right and Justice And the subversion of the fundamental Right the alteration of Property although the thing be retained doth so much abate the pleasures of fruition that it rather appeareth a gently protracted misery But then by a nearer inspection into things good and wise Men see an impossibility of performing these promises although the Promisers would be what Rebells never are exact in these their Covenants For not to be disquieted in gathering in and eating our own Bread and of our own Flocks and Herds or sitting and drinking our own Labours under our own Vine is not Peace nor a Blessing but a Curse Every morsel we swallow goeth down with dread and menaces and our drink chilleth our very Spirits as at Death's approach For in the midst of all plenty looking up in stead of that glorious and auspicious Star which God hath alway graciously appointed to influence and be the blessing of our Fortunes we see black and prodigious Clouds and wandring Stars with flaming denunnciations of Wrath which cause to vanish whatsoever pretendeth to joy God will have his Work done his own way and his Blessings administred by Sacred Hands Men of impudence riots and lusts who are uncapable of well using a private Fortune although too large for them yet rapaciously extend their desires to the State which is above subjection cannot at the same time be the Publick Scourges and Blessings They never appear but for humane punishment the sight of them admonish us repentance and sorrow which when we religiously abound with they are designed for the Fire CHAP. VI. A Good Subject is so studiously careful and mindful of his Princes Welfare that in his Princes Danger he becometh unmindful of many of his own nearest private Concerns OUr Nation at this time aboundeth with men who please themselves with Religious Discourses and this inviteth me to head this part of my Discourse with a Scripture Example Mephibosheth being the Son of Jonathan David's admired Friend was after David's Coronation called to Court made to eat daily at the King's Table and all the Lands of King Saul restored unto him After a long prosperous Reign King David's Son Absalom conspired against him the Conspiracy was so strong and sudden that the King had no time to prepare himself for Defence scarce enough to fly But among all the true-hearted Subjects which lamented the Kings distress that of Mephibosheth is most remarkable who being lame in his Feet yet had not dressed his Feet nor trimmed his Beard nor washed his Cloaths from the day the King departed until the day he came again in peace There was a rare Divine Soul in a weak and informe body and the grief of the mind was exceedingly the greater because disabled of corporal assistance in his Princes necessity But he would not be deficient wherein he was able therefore he produceth a powerful supply of prayers and tears instead of Arms and Sinews of War Neither was he afraid in dangerous times to shew his dislike of the publick joy at Jerusalem or to be a mourner amidst Absalom's Triumphs To shew fear had been to cast out love and was beneath his large Gratitude and incomparable Loyalty These rendred him fearless and regardless of all other misfortunes after the King's departure He so much saw his Master's danger that he saw not his own beyond him he had no hopes without him no pleasure Which is easily discerned seeing his lameness being from his infancy and needing a continual care yet his sorrow and cares for his exiled King afforded no time for cure or refreshment He could not mind ease and decency when the Kingdom was in disorder nor let his thoughts that were high in consultation and suspence for the sick Head and faint Heart descend so low as to be employed about his Feet Self preservation would have been the first of most mens thoughts but it was none of his at all the weightiest concerns taking deepest impression in his great and capacious mind Mean Spirits would have thought of nothing else but how to preserve themselves and their Fortunes let David or Absalom or whosoever could get the Throne much alike to them so long as they could find ways to Ingratiate and Fawn no matter by what hand they were fed But Generous and Divine Souls reject those despicable politicks which certainly ruine Conscience and Fame and run greater hazards of Temporals then they who firmly adhere to their Loyalty and Integrity For Rebellions are seldom prosperous or not long so And although constant Fidelity doth willingly adventure all yet it never hath need to Apologize for Desertion or supplicate a returning Princes Mercy and Pardon His Peaceable Restauration is the Faithful Subjects Prayer and Fortune this he chiefly desireth and aimeth at and if other Fortunes sink in the acquiring he esteemeth the purchase cheap enough Those other men of mean Spirits like Ratts and such contemptible Vermine if the Building wherein they are threaten a downfal presently shift for themselves not caring what becometh of any thing provided they are far enough from the danger whether it stand or fall But Good Men put their Shoulders as props to Sustain the Fabrick of the State and never move from their undertaken Charge so long as they have any Hopes of benefiting it by their Endeavours And rather had they be opprest in the ruine then not to have endeavoured the utmost when need so required And this is certainly the greatest Policy to them who make any Professions of Religion or think justly of God I add this last Or think justly of God because it is too well known that they who in Later times and in these days make loudest Professions of Religion are the first in Seditious and Rebellious practices But this sheweth their Professions insincere and that in Truth they do but make a mock of the name of Conscience and think of God as that Royal Prophet expresseth it that he is altogether such an oxe as themselves or rather Do say in their hearts there is no God The better sort of Moralists have in all times outdone these Christians believing their Allegiance to their Prince to exceed
all private Interests whether Personal or Relative and exhibiting incorrupt Loyalty under the greatest Temptations and durance Nay even the better sort of Doggs have shewn grateful Fidelity to their Masters to the extremity of Breath So far have those other pretenders to the great Titles of Piety put off even Morality and Nature But such as truly fear God and revere Conscience upon each neglect or injurious act declare to themselves what David proclaimed to Abner and the People who sleeping left the King to David and Abishai's mercy As the Lord liveth we are worthy to die because we have not kept the Lords Anointed And wise men who know the danger will be as careful not to incurr the Divine Displeasure by sleeping when it is time of Action but rather they hate the Act of Negligence more then the desert and are so in love with their duty that no violence can seperate Affections or hinder their diligence in Preserving or Rescuing from danger the Lords Anointed the Breath of our Nostrils And this although good men in the performance of their duty least think of a Temporal reward yet they know to be the highest part of Prudence too or Rational Subtilty They know the Divine Power to be no Fiction or Dream but recollect and treasure up in their Memories the Omnipotent Acts of revenge of its dishonour upon the unthinking Contrivers of Treason and the most frequent Temporal manifestations of his Love and Honour to the Faithful They see it to be but a Tryal and being confirmed for their Duty are sure of being approved and that when God seeth his time to Turn again the Captivity of his people for their present Grief they shall obtain the chief places in the Theaters of Joy It being Gods promise That the King shall joy in Gods strength and that he will prevent him with the Blessings of Goodness They know that as the Kings Sorrow was theirs so shall his Joy be So that their Trouble although excessive hath yet much Consolation because they Hope always and their Hope is Rational depending on God who besides Scriptural most delicious Promises and Examples hath further amply furnished us with incomparable modern Patterns and Observations In the midst of their Griefs Sufferings and Endeavours they seem to hear directed to each of them as well as lamenting Rachel Refrain thy Voice from Weeping and thine Eyes from Tears for thy work shall be rewarded and they shall come again from the Land of the Enemy They are as a Faithful Wife whose Husband being either in the field ready to engage in a desperate Battle or at Sea in stormy weather and a road Infested by Pyrats Anxity and Fear make her continually Mournful she is viduated and neglectful of Ornaments and Food using but little enjoying nothing Yet Hope taketh its vicissitudes of administring Comfort minding her of the prevalency of Prayer and Patience repeating the successes with which God hath hitherto blessed either him or others who Industriously relyed upon the excellency of their Cause and which he hath to such promised This giveth Intermissions of Grief and often gaineth victory although subject to frequent relapses At length his return banisheth Hope and Fear but both serve to make great the joy which without them must have remained among the small and disregarded ones The King is the Soul of his Countreys Joy and Felicity whose Dangers or Absence cause Convulsions of Spirits in his Faithful Subjects who are Espoused to him and sharers in all his Fortunes And it is impossible while men are under greatly distracting cares for the Publick but that private Affairs and Pleasures must cease to be respected But before these Thoughts swell the heart to despair Divine Comfort appeareth encouraging Fidelity with Promisses of a Blessed Conclusion For by the Generations past they are taught that Adversities may fall upon Kings for their Kingdoms Wickedness God designing them as Punishments and Tryals for the Peoples Amendment but in his appointed time is wont to Turn him to the Prayer of the poor destitute and not to despise their desire And although God doth sometimes afflict yet he patronizeth the Cause of Kings and calleth it his own And the very success of the wicked is an assurance of their approaching fall for it is alway by them tyrannically and savagely used and accompanied with such prodigious haughtiness that the expectation must be inevitable ruine These interchangeable sorrows and hopes did once long contend for victory in the minds of the Loyal party of these Kingdoms The delays and improbabilities of our most Gracious Kings Restauration after we had seen His Blessed Father exalted to a more glorious Crown gave grief the longer possession But our reason when grief well nigh spent would permit us the use of it shewed us the impossibility of such sanguinary Pride long continuing or that those mens insatiable desires which by receiving were the more extended till at length they were enlarged as Hell should wanting supplies abroad not fall to feed upon their own Instruments first afterward one upon another and in the end ravingly exspire This reason was strengthened by a firm belief that God would not suffer such and so much blood to cry unrevenged that the patient abiding of the Meek should not alway be forgotten but that our God would be pleased to shew a token upon us for good that they who hated us might be ashamed Our fears were more durable but our hopes by these dependencies and encouragements were more quick and powerful and in the end vanquishing our fears were themselves lost in the following pleasant and celestial enjoyments The benefits whereof I humbly beseech God we may by our virtues and pious thankfulness make truely our own and by such patterns leave the possession of Posterities But the foul interruption which ill men have by indirect counsels made putteth us again upon the rack and giveth even the name of Joy but an unwelcom reception until judicious Hope relieveth us with assurances that their expectation is but short and sheweth us the Achitophels politickly contriving the frame and as cunningly erecting the Ladder from the top of which they may boast their success and give perpetuity to their memories Each dutiful Subject in the mean time with a lamenting care beholdeth his Princes troubles and the fate of those who so occasion them And such is the usual course of Divine Rewards descending upon prudent Obedience although he is least in his own thoughts yet by all his faculties endeavouring it he beginneth his own prosperity at his Soveraignes Being careless of all even life it self that is being resolutely willing to expose all that is dearest to him as the purchase of the Kings peace he best keepeth and secureth his All. By this means his adversity is shortned his joy rendred more durable and copious CHAP. VII The Princes Peace and thereby the Kingdoms settled can truely influence with joy none but Good Subjects WHat good men ask of
God according to his Will and Industriously labour for in this being obtained they truly rejoyce but others have not the like joy although partakers of the same Blessings having been deficient in the means For although as it is in general Blessings multitudes have had joy by His Majesties Happy Restauration yet all those could not truly rejoyce in it that being both the purchase and work of Piety It was the fruit of incessant Prayer whereby the Faithful prevailed with God for this Return to His Afflicted People according to the wonted course of his Favours as Elias did after so many years of Drought to the Thirsty Israelites who all knew the misery they lay under but not the Cause or Remedy As it was with them so with us the very Authors of the dismal Judgement groaned under it and lamented the Pressure not the Provocation We had men esteemed Crafty who had wit enough to bring mischief upon others to derive much upon themselves and put all into disorder but were unseen in the ways of Feace and Composure But Alas they who are endued with this wit only are but each puny Devils Fools Could they judiciously have betaken themselves to the Art of Reconciliation they had been to be admired Nothing more common then for a Fool in one minute to destroy the curious Contrivance and labour of many Months and without difficulty a Mad man can quickly Fire a most magnificent Edifice not modelled and raised without vast Expence of Councel Riches Labour and Time And out of his fit this Incendiary may happen to lament the Desolation and weep into the Ashes especially if sensible that before its Funeral that House was wont to be his Hospitable shelter from necessity All his wishes either that he had not done it or that it were rebuilt ar insignificant without Materials Judgment and Money the Resurrection must not owe it self to one possest with a Brain-sick Fury They who kindled the late terrible Flames which laid three Kingdoms Wast claim an equal Interest at least with Subjects of the most Untainted Loyalty in the Restauration and Joy thereof of as principally their Work and Benifit and I would to God it were their due that the Happiness might be the more compleat but the Immodesty of the claim accompanied with Indignation towards such as find it their duty to mind them of a necessity of Repentance for past Delinquencies and an undutiful demeanor towards their Master ever since His Return plead against them and vacate their pretensions They who repent not what Injuries they committed against the Father could not sincerely Pray for the Sons Peaceable Return as to His Just and undoubted Rights and what they could not Pray for they could not cheerfully rejoyce in And they who use all Scurrilous wayes of shewing a dislike to that Church whereof he is pleased to declare Himself a Resolute Defender cannot love Him who Defendeth what they hate For certainly they who Threaten and spare not to speak their Hopes of our Churches downfal must ruine the Defender before they can fix any fatal Weapon in her As I confine Joy to Religion so Joy and Religion to the love of Vnity It was for Vnity's sake as knowing none but a King Gods Ordinance could restore it and that an Vsurper could not be Gods Ordinance neither Vnity consist with his Interest that the Faithful were in such trouble and Prayed day and night with such fervency When by our Lords gracious respects to their Petitions the Grand Artificer Instrument and Means were given they could not be partners either in the Petitions or Joy who would not be wrought upon to contribute to the Vnity but like so many Sanballats and Ammonites were rather exceedingly grieved that there was come a Man to seek the Welfare of Gods people as not withstanding their first Pretences their after Scoffs and Oppositions and their late practices have manifested Now these men by His Majesties mild Reign and manisold Indulgentes are Rich living in Ease and Plenty wanting nothing that conduceth to Joy which is within the Immense Power of a King to give Yet want of Gratitude and Piety makes Contentment wanting so that in fine they have but rejoyce not in the Blessings which make glad the Hearts of others If as they have over-boasted they were of those who desired and prepared the way for the Kings Return yet to offer this with Propositions and upon Terms which was Disloyalty as tending to His Dishonour or upon such Hopes as the granting them was inconsistent with the Splendor and Safety of His Crown or upon Revenge to an Inferior Faction which ungratefully Usurped Authority over those who Tutored and Nursed it up had none of the respects and zeal of Good Subjects nor could they entertain true Joy who were blindly transported with divers Lusts and Intemperate Desires The Joy for the King and Kingdoms Peace restored as the greatest of Divine Mercies requireth a Serene mind free from all mists and vapors of Passions all dreggs of Lust Envy and Malice and all whifling clouds of Irresolute Fancy a mind satisfied with the discharge of its duty and which by present perceptions hath a fair prospect of greater Benefits which these beautiful ones only usher in to strengthen Faith and cherish holy Expectation But while my Restrictions are of this sort they may seem to exclude from this Joy all Subjects none having minds so clear and innocent as never to admit any thing contrary to those prescribed Qualifications And indeed every admission is a diminution or weakning of it indisposing mens Appetites to the relishing those admirably pleasant Fruits which Providence hath set so plentifully before them And with unconstant minds nothing sooner prevaileth to a dislike than the Plenty Wantonness making them snuffe upon these unvaluable Delights whose nourishment is too high for their unrefined Constitutions But as to what is incident to Humanity the best of men have suffered under some surprizals of infirmity and do rather sometimes forget than commit against the strictness of Duty so that by the abatement of their Sacred pleasures they are quickned to it again Now such as by their Vigilance overcome evil passions and condemnable motions I speak Innocent and pure from them accounting love and desire of perfection to be the fulness of the vertues required For it is but reason that as God accepteth them man should esteem them and he indeed putteth the full value upon Faithful endeavours And as to the present Discourse the desires of being Loyally obedient is a through Obedience which will not be misguided by Passions improper expectations bottomless conceits and suspicions or revengeful hopes but rejoyceth in the performance of its duty making it self its chief reward An obedient man desireth and endeavoureth Peace and being obtained imbraceth and keepeth it as studiously as he laboured for it Praying for its Blessed continuance loving all that joyn with him in the same Affections and hating none but as they