Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A42912
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Godliness no friend to rebellion, or enemy to civil government Being the substance of a sermon occasionally preached at Great Yarmouth, Octob. 25. 1673. By a lover of peace and truth.
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Lover of peace and truth.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing G933F; ESTC R215817
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19,698
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39
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introduce the Romish Religion through the ruine of our Government and Governours by plotting to blow up with Gun-powder the King the Prince the Lords and Commons then assembled in Parliament all which they purposed and endeavoured but God in mercy to this Nation prevented them which speaks that Kings and Governours do need Prayers for their protection and safety Reas 3. Thirdly Because their affairs concern more than themselves and consequently the unhappy issues and events of their failings take hold of more than themselves yea the personal failings of those in Government are of a publike import and consequence as you know when Saul slew the Gibeonites in his zeal how God plagued the Nation of the Jews for it So when David numbred the people God brought a sore Judgment upon the Land for that sin and for his sin in the matter of Vriah though a personal failing yet the Lord suffered the unnatural Rebellion of Absalom to break out to the trouble of the whole Land so that the failings of those that are in Authority relate to more than themselves therefore we had need pray that God would be with them in their great Affairs in which they cannot miscarry but the Nation at least must feel it if not mourn deeply under it 4. Fourthly Pray that they in Authority may attain the true ends of Government There is nothing higher and greater among men than Humane Sovereignty which God hath not set in the world for a vain shew or given it to men that they might lord it over their fellow-creatures But God hath set Kings and Parliaments and every kind of Governour in the world for his own glory and the good of mankind to seek and endeavour the prosperity riches and honour of a Nation that the true Religion be maintained that vice and wickedness be discouraged and vertue and goodness be countenanced that Trade be duly cherisht and encouraged These and the like are the noble ends of Government and things worthy the care of Kings and Governours to prosecute and promote they therefore need Prayer that they may not come short of the generous and noble ends of their being 5. Fifthly They want Prayer because they have great temptations much greater than other men meet with all temptations give a trial to men much more those that are backt with power There is no Greatness but hath its Temptation Riches are a temptation to Luxury to excesses of conversation Power and Greatness a Temptation to Pride to Injustice and Oppression But besides these and the like Kings and those in Authority have the Temptations of their evil Councellours or Flatterers these make it their business to insinuate and distil upon the mind of the King either evil Principles or false reports to the debauching his understanding to render him negligent of his duty or confident in that which is evil Saul had always those about him that traduced and accused David so as to stir up and provoke his rage against him which gave no small disturbance to himself and the Nation We had need therefore pray that God would disabuse and free the mind of the King and those in Authority from such entangling and misleading counsels Vse For Use See then the reason of the Apostles exhortation 1 Tim. 2.2 Let prayers and supplications with thanksgiving be made for all men especially for Kings and those in Authority that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty This is a great duty in order to our well-being as men and as Christians which doth not depend upon the well-doing of Governours but is founded upon the Sovereign will of God as in the third verse For this is good and acceptable in the sight of Jesus Christ our Lord. So that this is not a matter left to our liberty and choice but a duty the neglect whereof is not only a deviation from the Rule which God hath set us to walk by but an implicite endeavour to throw the Nation into disturbance and disorder for if Governours be set in the world for the good of mankind and Prayer bring any advantage or benefit to them we cannot withhold our Prayers for them without prejudicing the Nations peace and welfare Again pray that ye may help them in their work For as we help the King with our money so also with our Prayers which speaks the wonderful wisdom of God in making every part of the world a tributary to the whole by which it consisteth for as Kings and Governours do help us in point of protection and the preservation of right to us so we do or may help by our Prayers to God the King upon the Throne the Parliament in framing Laws the Judge in giving Sentence upon the Bench therefore pray for them 2. Observe in the second place That God only can bless and prosper Kings and Rulers of the world This is a great Truth of which the mind of our Darius in the Text seems to be convinced that God only could make the Sword in his hand powerful and prosperous victorious and successful That they may pray c. as if he had said Let God be sought for it is he only that clotheth me with happiness This the Scripture declareth Proverbs 8th the 14 and 15 Verse Counsel is mine sound wisdom I am understanding I am strength spoken of Christ in whose hand God hath lodged all power says he By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Rulers of the earth So that the right and successful swaying the Scepter is of God yea the wisdom which capacitates and fits great Ones for their high and noble Employments is of God and so are the beautiful effects of Wisdom his also for were the Kings Councellors for wisdom like the Angels of God yet if God be not in all their Councels to guide their thoughts and govern their debates their issues would soon entangle the Nation Though Parliaments consist of wise experienced and faithful men yet it is of God that they decree Justice and Righteousness This is the God that guided David in all his straights that ordered his leaving Jerusalem when Absalom rebelled for his preservation It is he that left Absalom to choose the councel of Hushai to his confusion that he might punish him for his disloyalty and rebellion against the King his Father and bring upon his head the blood of his brother Amnon whom he slew in his revengefnl rage This is he that draws the Sword of War and gives it commission to drink blood so as none can stay it and make peace this is he that puts the Sword up into the scabbard so as none shall give disturbance this is the Lord of the whole earth in whose hands are all the issues and events of affairs and undertakings of men so that it is not in the power of men of King and Parliament of Armies or Navies to prosper and make happy
they are but instruments at the best the blessing is from the Lord. The Use of this is 1. First Then learn where to leave and lodge the publike affairs of the Nation even in the hand of the Almighty There are many things dear and precious to you and are much upon your heart as the maintenance of the true Protestant faith the exclusion of Popery the encrease of Trade the preservation of just Rights and Liberties the upholding the Honour of the Nation abroad and the like now who but God can give these to a people Go then to God by fasting and prayer humbly in regard of sin in Faith considering his promise believing that God and he only can make us an happy people happy in our King happy in our Parliament commit them by faith and prayer to the Grace and assistance of God Hath God committed Government by his Providence and appointment to them do you commit them to God For if God be not with them they cannot prosper It was not for nothing that Moses was so importunate with God for his presence saying Lord if thy presence go not with us carry us not up hence for without thee we cannot go on in safety This is a great people and who can keep us right but thy self therefore let thy presence go with us Oh! then what discontents jealousies and fears may be that arise in your mind let them send you to God drive you to the Throne of Grace Alas it is in vain for Rachel to be angry and chide with her husband Jacob for children God must open her womb or she must die in her barrenness 'T is true as there are instruments of blessings so of evils and punishments to a Nation but our eye should not be so much upon them as upon God from whom every good and evil cometh Thus David quieted his spirit in the case of Shimei's cursings and this would not a little conduce to the quietness and peace of a Nation under crosses and evils that come upon us for our sin The woman with her bloody issue may spend all her substance upon Physitians but it is God must limit her distemper it is God alone that can cure her she must come to Christ or die in her disease It is not the high wall of treasure nor the long Sword of Power that can deliver or secure a Nation Then do not make Kings or Parliaments forein Alliancies Armies or Navies your strength for God many times blasts that we confide most in that we might learn where to confide and trust So the Lord called Israel to re-mind the disappointment of their leaning upon Assyria Hos 5. ver 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound When God brought them into a streight they made the Assyrian their Jareb or Saviour by him they reckoned they should save themselves or subdue their enemies But says God he could not help you ye are wounded and weak still When shall we learn to sanctifie God's Sovereignty by an humble and fiducial reliance upon him in all our streights and difficulties and say as returning Ephraim Jer. 3. ver 23. when God saith Return you back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings Behold say they we come to thee for thou art the Lord our God Mark what follows Truly in vain is Salvation looked for from the hills and from the mountains Truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel Oh! that we could fiducially say so of England In the Lord our God is the Salvation of England 2. The second Use is That we would pray that God would keep this great Truth upon the heart of our Sovereign King and his Councellors also upon the heart of the Honourable Trustees of the Nation assembled in Parliament That God only can bless Governours and make their work prosperous in their hand Certainly the more such a Perswasion taketh hold and prevaileth upon the minds of men the more they will endeavour to sanctifie the Name of God either by doing vertuous and worthy actions or avoiding that which is unrighteous and unjust knowing that the Throne is only established in righteousness Sirs by a little consideration of affairs in all ages you may take notice how God hath contested and striven with the world about the Honour of his Name and Sovereignty this is the main and great Reason of the wonderful and strange Revolutions and Changes of the Affairs States Governments and Kingdoms in the world namely the Honour of God He hath left such Prints and Characters of his Majesty and Sovereignty upon the affairs of men That they may know he is God and ruleth in the Kingdom of men and that men whatever their appearances and blusterings here below are do make but a vain shew they cannot stop the Counsel of God nor the effecting of his will in any thing who shall certainly do whatever he hath said or determined This Doctrine we have in Ecclesiastes the 8th verse 14. I know that whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever nothing can be put to it nor anything taken from it and God doth it that men should fear before him That is it is not in man to alter any course of Affairs which God hath set but it shall run in a constant course like a mighty river that cannot be resisted thus it shall be for ever and if God will bless a Nation and multiply its comforts and prosperity none shall be able to break the hedge of his Providence or lessen the heap of blessings which he hath given or if he will bring a curse and calamity upon a people it is not in the power of man further than God will use him as an instrument to add to the affliction nor can he help and deliver from the trouble no nor mitigate or lessen it in the least degree whatever we may think The reason of all is given viz. That men should fear before him as if he had said They will not fear me but the Creature if it were able to make any alteration either for good or evil Thus God would have all men sanctifie his Name by having such thoughts of him in their minds And he seems to bespeak the world at this day by his Providence as he did in the 46th Psalm verse 8 9 10. Come behold the works of the Lord what desolation he hath made in the earth He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder he burneth the chariot in the fire Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the Heathen I will be exalted in the earth What a majestical Challenge is this of God bespeaking the whole world in point of his Honour Oh! pray that God would powerfully instil this upon the mind of the Great Ones of