Subjects give thee thanks for my Soveraignty and all of us together give thee thanks for our happy Union and Accord so full of thy goodness and mercy For that it is thy Name so near which brings us together thy power and presence so gracious which works our Salvation and declares our Deliverance so wonderful and Glorious Vers 2 And now because I know well the Throne is establisht by Judgment I unfeignedly resolve in the presence of my God and publickly declare for the satisfaction of my people that vvhen I receive the congregation when coming to Jerusalem the Metropolis and Royall City of my Kingdom I shall their sit with my Great Councel to consult the peace and settlement of the Nation I vvill then Judge according unto right making Law my rule Councel my guide and mercy my moderatress Vers 3 That so though the Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are dissolv'd though the whole Land melts in Division distraction and distress and the whole Fabrick of the Church State is tottering and ready to fall to ruine thrown down by heresy schisme and profaness Yet I bear up the Pillars of it my Soveraign Authority shall bring a Soveraign remedy my Royal power shall bear up both Magistracy and Ministry the two supporting Pillars of the whole building without which it would certainly fall away to Anarchy Truth is I said and that often too Vers 4 by my Letters Messages and Manifesto's I thus said unto the fools such as through simplicity were seduced into sedition and Disloyalty to them I said Deal not so foolishly think not that you shall keep your Religion your Laws your Liberties your Goods your Lives and cast off your Soveraign who is appointed of God to be the Father and Defender of them all Yea I said unto the wicked even such as sinned of malicious wickedness to them I said lift not up your Horn advance not your power to resist your Soveraign Vers 5 At least lift not up your Horn on high take not Soveraignty it self upon you usurp not the Throne or if you do so presumptuously yet speak not with a stiff neck do not proudly impose your bloody edicts to destroy my Subjects persons let not your High Courts of Arbitrary power violate the Laws yea raze the foundations of all Civil government whereby my people shall become as sheep prepared to the slaughter Vers 6 Indeed why will ye ambitiously aspire to that excess of Dominion as if your selves should never be brought to Judgment Whereas the Dignity of the Throne and the Soveraignty os the Scepter is no Boon of Fortune or thing of chance for Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South neither by confederacy of designs nor fortuitousness of events But Government is God's Ordinance Vers 7 and Governours are all accountable to him as Supream the highest Empire it is sub Jove Imperium God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another And when he do's it by Divine Ordination it is in a regular providence putting a Period to the Royal Line of one family and by transferring the right of power to another Vers 8 And whom God sets up by a Divine Ordination let them look to 't who resist his lawful Dominion for in the Hand of the Lord there is a Cup a cup of wrath whose wine is red and full of mixture that is whose judgements are grievous and full of Horrour And where he finds a disobedience to just Authority there he poures forth of this cup of fury The top whereof the simple and seduced shall drink to their chastisement and correction but the maliciously wicked shall drink up nay suck out the dregs thereof to their temporal ruine and eternal destruction Vers 9 But as for the Execution of this wrath I leave it unto God so that no Sons of Zerviah no hot spirited men shall ever engage me in Severity towards my bitterest Enemies if now at length they become my Loyal Subjects No but I sensible of God's mercy in preserving me and converting them will declare for ever the wonders of that mercy singing praises to the God of Jacob for my preservation and their conversion True it is if notwithstanding all Vers 10 my Acts of Grace for their pardon and indempnity some implacable enemies will still endeavour to embroil my Kingdoms in sedition and embrue them in blood all the horns of such maliciously wicked I will cut off I will change my clemency into severity and execute the rigour of the Law to quell the violence of their Rage But as for the righteous ones the true Converts of Sion who become Loyal Subjects to me their lawfull Soveraign their Horns shall be exalted The Honours Dignities Profits and Employments of my Court Royal Camp Martial and Courts Judicial they shall be all the rewards of their dutiful Obedience and the Testimonies of my princely Bounties Thus Beloved in this Psalm's Exposition Ye have the Kings Declaration How I say 't again we have truly and exactly as to substance and matter the Kings Declaration even the Declaration of King Charles comprised in this Psalm which I may call the Declaration of King David when he was in the like the very like State and Condition with our present Soveraign And as the Two Kings then David and our Charles the II. agree in the same Spirit and Declaration so I pray God Israel and England too may agree in the same heart and affection only this 2. Sam. 20.1 To your Tents O Israel the voice of the Sons of Belial far be it and for ever be it far from our Soveraign and Sion that so we may have still cause to bless God for our King our King cause to bless God for us as David and Israel do here one for another saying Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare The words are a Laudatory gratulation Division in which observe 3. particulars the Altar the Offering and the Reason of that offering brought unto the Altar 1. The Altar God's 2. The Offering Thanks 3. The Reason of that offering brought unto the Altar the nearness of God's name declared in the wonder of his works Vnto thee O God do we give thanks c. Method Explication and Application VVHerein the 1. particular the Altar Explication Gods Vnto thee O God If the King do's rejoyce for his people or the people for their King it is * Psal 21.1 in thy strength O Lord In thy strength not their power in thy wisedom not their policy in thy goodness not their greatness The strength of the Lord that brings salvation salvation permanent and perpetual A salvation divine exceeding good and this begets an exultation devout exceeding great therefore as it is said the King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord so the Psalmist further adds * Ibid. Exceeding
when we rejoyce in the Lord with thankfulness and rejoyce in the Spirit with chearfulness which is right so to rejoyce in the Salvation that we rejoyce in God our Saviour Thus the Blessed Virgin rejoyced of old Luk. 1.41 and thus do we rejoyce for blessings now Let our joy be that of the Virgins pure in Devotion and thankfulness not ravished not defiled with Gluttony and Drunkenness Praise and Rejoycing do as properly become the celebration of a Feast as Mourning and Weeping do become the solemnity of a Fast But now if this rejoycing be onely that of Mirth and Jollity then strange Children will dissemble with me Psa 18.44 says David Men given to changes they know how to change their countenance and put on a shew and semblance of joy but the Children of Sion Ps 149.2 they will be truly joyful with their King and how truly joyful why rejoycing in Heart and in Spirit The joy then of the countenance and of the voice may be that of the prophane persons or the Hypocrites but that of the Heart and of the Spirit is that of the good Christians and the Loyal Subjects Not but that a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sowre or sad countenance do's argue a disgust of malevolence he certainly having no good will to this time 's Salvation who ha's no good mind to this day's Exultation Wherefore let the Spring-head of our joy be in the inward Man the heart and spirit and then let the streams flow into the outward man the voice and the countenance ay and the plentiful but not inordinate use of temporal Blessings For so Nehemiah instructs the Jews for the solemnity of their festival Eat the fat Nehem. 8.10 and drink the sweet and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared and this do freely so it be done soberly because as in the close of that Verse the joy of the Lord is our strength and that is when the strength of the Lord is our joy 2. Admonition That having seen the salvation of God exceeding great it will be allow'd us Psal 21.1 to be exceeding glad of his salvation An excess of gladness is allow'd but not of drunkenness O let that be abhorr'd Wine in a drunken excess it inflames the heart intoxicates the brain and turns all fanatick You must you 'l say drink the Kings health But tell me is it congruous in cups of excess to drink the Kings health when he preserves his health by little drinking Again beware of execrations and oathes lest their sinful provocations out-cry your Loudest Acclamations Rejoyce with temperance and devotion as well as with chearfulness and exultation as good Christians as well as good Subjects and indeed we are no longer good Subjects then we are good Christians Offer we then our oblations of praise in the Church and in the closet and after that let the Earth ring and the Heavens resound with acclamations in the streets Let the Bells and the Trumpets and the Canons let your feasts and fires and other Insignia Jubilationis the ensigns of Joy and Jubilation let them all heighten the joyful * Num. 23.21 shout of a King among us But still let me mind you to preserve your Moral Temperance the better to perform your Loyal Exultations that rejoycing for your King you may do it in the Lord And then I 'me sure it will be very much your Kings joy to hear that you have so rejoyc't 1. Exhortation To joyn Prayer with our Praises Hosannas with our Hallelujahs say Luke 19.38 Blessed be the King that cometh in the Name of the Lord Blessed from the King of Kings with health of body length of days and encrease of honours Blessed with the love of his Subjects the dread of his Enemies and the friendship of his Allyes Blessed with a gracious life an happy reign and an everlasting glory Let this this be the incense we burn the sacrifice we offer the Devotion we perform in Gods House and at Gods Altar Yea Beloved as we love the Kings life pray we for the consummation of our joyes the Kings Crown For observe in Psal 21. v. 3.4 it is there the right order of Gods Spirit and indeed so t' is esteemed by Kings who have any thing of the Spirit of God that the Crown is set before life to intimate that although they who preserve the Kings life merit much yet they more who restore the Kings Crown and again they who take away the Kings Crown incur not only great guilt but greater then they who take away the Kings life Our Soveraigns Royal Father of blessed Memory therefore lost his life because he would not part with his Crown no nor part the Crown with others though it were to save his life It was done like a Royal Martyr indeed one who knew well how happily to change his Crown but not utterly to part with it even change that Crown which bears a cross on Earth for that which is all Crown and knows no cross in Heaven As we love then I say the Kings life pray we for the consummation of our joyes the Kings Crown And therefore Lord set thou a Crown of pure Gold upon his Head Let our eyes see him crown'd and that will crown our joyes Yea the Lord grant it may be in the continuance of our present calm and as an earnest of our future peace that we may further know that all this is Gods hand Psal 109.27 and that thou Lord hast done it And what the hand of Heaven hath set up let not the hand of violence throw down what God hath put on let not man put away the King on his Throne and the Crown on the King And having obtain'd the Crown may he obtain life and that a long life even for ever and ever Amen Amen Psal 21.4 2. Exhortation To observe Nehemiah's order and instruction To send Portions to them for whom nothing is prepared Nehem. 8.10 Whereby we see that our dayes of Exultation must have their Acts of compassion Otherwise to eat the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the Stall to drink wine in Bowles Amos 6.6 and not to regard the afflictions of Joseph the necessities of the distressed but to suffer them to mourn whilst we rejoyce This is so provoking a guilt of unmercifulness as will turn our joy into mourning God requires a chearful giver 1 Cor. 9.7 it is good then that we give especially upon our day 's of chearfulness Otherwise if our rejoycing gives no relief to the Poor our Thanksgiving shall receive no reward from God for indeed how can we be thought to receive so great blessings from God thankfully when we are not willing to bestow a little of what He hath bless't us with charitably To close then In paying a Tribute unto Caesar we do well to make an offering unto God Indeed these words of
into France and from thence upon a dishonourable Treaty of that Crown with this Nations Tyranny he passeth into Germany and from Germany into Flanders from whence the God of all mercy's bring him safe into his own Dominions and seat him to rest in his Royal Palace * Here the Auditories zeal of â—â—yal Devotion did make the Church to eccho their loud Amen Thus thus I say such and so many were our Soveraign's flittings if not his flyings when driven from his own Kingdomes he was forc't from others that seldom could he find a pillow to rest his head or if he did find a pillow such were his Thorns of Cares that his head could find but little rest Yet notwithstanding all hardships and hazards difficulties and dangers The King trusted in the Lord Psal 2 and through the mercy of the most high he hath not miscarried not miscarried in Person not miscarried in Religion not miscarried in the Protestant Faith nor in his Royal love And see the high accent of all this mercy that Vers 3. the Lord hath prevented him with the blessings of goodness Prevented Him His Fathers Throne the Nation 's deliverance the Churches restoring and his Peoples peace no doubt they were the desire of his Heart which God hath satisfied they were the request of his lips which God hath granted But that a North wind should so suddenly and so fully drive away the tempest that all which his heart desired and his lips requested should be so successfully attain'd without a Sea nay without a showre I had almost said without one drop of blood Yea that it should be with so general an acclamation and so hearty an affection from Nobles and Gentry Ministers Citizens and Country this is such a preventing with the blessings of goodness as is not to be exprest with the Tongue of Angels O miracle of mercy O wonder of Compassion to the maze and astonishment of the Nations amongst whom as well as amongst our selves Psal 21.5 God hath made the honour of our King to be great in his Salvation Certainly him shall men greatly Honour whom God so graciously saves 2. Relating to his People Psa 126.1 When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion say the Jews then were we like unto them that Dream Sions Captivity it was that in Babylon and such a captivity had we not in Babylon as to place and scituation but in Babylon directly as to sense and signification For what is Babylon but confusion the captivity then which we had under our so many confusions what was it but indeed a captivity under the worst of Babylons Now when the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion the faithful tell us they were like unto them that dream so amaz'd at the thoughts of their astonishing deliverance that they could not believe their eyes not think themselves awake But me thinks we as we were under a greater Babel of confusion so are we under a greater maze of astonishment having such a deliverance as we did not so much as dream off and this makes it for the suddenness and the strangness Psal 118.23 the more marvellous in our eyes As our captivity and Sion's was much alike only with this difference that our confusion was the worse Babylon so our deliverance and Sion's are much alike only with this difference that our return is the more difficult work Sion's deliverance was wrought * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God by turning the heart of Cyrus the King toward Israel Ezra 1.1 But alas our Kings heart was ever turn'd towards his People whereas then Sion's deliverance was wrought of God by turning the heart of Cyrus the King towards Israel ours was by turning the hearts of all Israel towards Charls their King A work of far greater difficulty and so a wonder of far greater mercy a work of far greater difficulty considering the malice of the seducers and the madnes of the seduced and a wonder of far greater mercy considering the facillnes of attaining and the fullnes of accomplishing our deliverance 3. Relating to their Enemies Who convinc't by the strange events of Providence they cannot but acknowledge God in it and therefore say that the Lord hath done great thing for them Psa 126.2 ay and made them great too by the things that he hath done They who not long before Sion's deliverance had called her an out-cast Jer. 30.17 and taunted at her with a where is now thy God They have their Argument from Providence in the Jews so miserable captivity quite confuted by Providence in their so wonderful return But now when Sion's Enemies say The Lord hath done great things for them what say's Sion of her self Why the same confession but not the same affection Her Enemies say it with wonder and enyy but Sion her self with Devotion and joy Ps 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we rejoyce And this their Gratulation is presently seconded with a further supplication Their captivity was turn'd but their return not perfected therefore they would have all obstacles either removed or born down like as by a Southern stream from the snowy Mountains carrying all before it accordingly they pray amidst all their joy Turn our captivity as the Rivers in the South Vers 4. And let their Devotion have our Imitation that we pray God to perfect a turning again the Captivity of our Sion as the Rivers of the Southern Climate by the Summer's Sun even by melting the hearts of the People of this Nation if there be yet any thing of an Arabia deserta in our Land any persons of so wilde hard and unrelenting a temper amongst us as not to cry in so general acclamations Vivat Rex God save the King Surely this effect of Grace upon the Hearts of Men to melt them to Loyalty and Allegiance would be as joyfully welcome to every conscientious Royalist as are the refreshing streams to the thirsting Traveller in the dry and parched desert For that Beloved God hath tutored us by affliction to melt in sympathies of compassion and we have learnt this Lesson of Christian experience that there is no greater joy then the Souls conversion no truer honor then errors retractation and no firmer tye then loves communion O let this then speak our Loyalty and Love our this day's communion of thankfulness and praise joyfully conjoyning in this Laudatory Gratulation of David and Israel the King and his People Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare The Application we make is in a twofold Admonition Applicat and a twofold Exhortation 1. ADmonition When the Salvation of Israel is come out of Sion then is it a fit time for Jacob to rejoyce Psal 53.6 and Israel to be right glad to be right glad Ay that 's good indeed but how are we glad aright Why
glad shall he be off thy salvation And certainly if ever King might rejoyce in God's strength and be exceeding glad of his Salvation our King much more and we with him The life of the whole Nation is bound up in the Kings life for sad experience tells us we felt the stroak of his Royal Fathers Death when this Kingdom 's glory fell with his body and was cut off with his Head And sure we cannot but be sensible how we have continued ever since so enslaved as not to know any other freedom save that of the Psalmist * Psâ—l 88.5 free among the Dead For have we not walkt as so many Ghosts liv'd indeed but as in the infernal shades and heartless as well as headless nay and such should we still continue On the Tuesday after Easter week the Parliament with all loyal acknowledgments received his Majesties gracious Letters and Declaration did not the salvation of our God give us a right Easter Deliverance a resurrection from the dead putting a new life into us by the restoring of our gracious Soveraign Such is the Salvation of our King as none could give it but God the King of Kings so that the Title of Honour assum'd of old by several Emperours after great preservations may now be properly our Soveraign's even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preserv'd of God And observe as God do's hereby the more engage the King unto himself in devotion so do's he the more endear the King unto his people in affection For who so considers his deliverances * Especially when he past from Holland into Scotland by Sea and his escapes by * especially after Worster fight Land who so considers his dangers in his Native Country and his distresses in foraign Nations will easily discern how God hath set forth our Soveraign as a Mirrour of his Mercy that the eyes of all his People beholding him the more Dear unto God their hearts should esteem him the more endeared to themselves the Divine protection and favour recommending him to their greater Loyalty and Love Yea this Salvation of God presents our King not only the more to be beloved at home but also the more to be feared abroad Be it so then that other Kings now shine in the full Meridian of their glory as do the Crowns of Spain and France yet we know even at noon day our Charles's Star appears At the birth of his Majesty a Star appeared at noon and 't is not others more radiant Splendour of this Earth's Greatness that can take away the light of his vertues lustre in Heavens salvation Wherefore there must David and Israel the King and his People offer their oblation of praise where they receive their blessings of goodness and that is at the Altar of the Lord non nobis Domine Psal 115.1 non nobis not unto us O Lord not unto us but Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare 2. Particular The offering Thanks Vnto thee do we give thanks Which offering is made by fire for the words of Gemination shew there was an heat of Devotion Vnto thee O God do we give thanks were a Gratulation sincere but to repeat it say it over again unto thee do we give thanks speaks that Gratulation fervent But alas in our Thanksgiving what is it that we give worthy of Thanks why truly very little as to any real worth in it self yet very much as to the Devotion of faith and hope and love and humility c. in the Divine acceptance through Christ Thus to Thank God is to Bless God but not to bless him as he blesseth us His Benedixit is a benefecit when God blesseth man he do's speak the word and it is done Psal 33.9 but when man blesseth God all that he can do is but to speak the word even to declare the Glory and set forth the praises of God's blessings So that God's blessing descends upon man as an heavenly Dew in a quickning and refreshing Vigour man's blessing ascends unto God only as an holy Incense in an acceptable and well-pleasing savour Wherefore when we view the blessings of this day's solemnity and see how abundant God is in his mercy do we let him see how enlarged we are in our thankfulness making our hearts and our mouths as so many altars of Incense to breath forth the sweet savour of his goodness Herein to encourage our Devotion and quicken our zeal know the receipt of blessings is not more comfortable to Man then the returning of thanks is acceptable to God yea a devout Heart is not more truly joy'd in receiving mercyes then in returning thanks Hence it is that Psalms of Thanksgiving they have in them the life and vigour of all holy Devotion yea songs of praise they are the very Types of the joyes of heaven Whereby it is that the Church becomes even Triumphant on Earth Psal 106.47 Thus the Psalmist save us O Lord our God to give thanks unto thy Name and to triumph in thy Praise This then is the offering David and Israel bring to God's altar an oblation of thankfulness Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks this the altar and the offering 3. Particul The reason of bringing this offering to the Altar and that is the nearness of God's name declared in the wonder of his Works for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare It is good that we can give a Rationale of Gods worship that it may be known we serve God with a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 which is the thing he so much requires Now then see we the glory of his Name in the wonder of his works as especially relating 1. To the King 2. To his People 3. To their Enemies 1. Relating to the King That notwithstanding all the dangers of sickness and of Seas of Treacheryes and of Violence notwithstanding all the hazards of temptations provocations yea necessityes and wants Necessityes and Wants so great that though his Kingdom was of this World yea in this World he had three potent Kingdoms yet had he not where to lay his head not where to lay it to rest For such and so many were his flittings if not his flyings from the West of England to the Isle of Scilly from that Island into Holland and from Holland into France from France into Holland again from Holland into Scotland from Scotland into England where what entertainment he had at Worster you may sadly remember being forc't to fly for his life take sanctuary in a Wood and make an hollow Oake his Royal Pallace from thence shadow'd with the Divine protection as * Multo nebulae circum dea fudit amictu Virg. Aen. 1. Aeneas with the vayl-like cloud he passeth thorow a throng of dangers before he attains the Sea-coast of Sussex from whence he hast's