A SERMON PREACHED September 9 th 1683. Being the Day of THANKSGIVING FOR God's Wonderful Providence and Mercy in Discovering and Defeating the late Treasonable Conspiracy against his Sacred Majesty's Person and Government By JOHN CHAPMAN M. A. and Minister-of Bernard-Castle in the Bishoprick of Durham 1 Pet. 2. 7. Fear God Honour the King LONDON Printed by H. Hills Jun. for Charles Harper at the Flower-de-luce over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street M DC LXXXIV TO THE READER THE Author 's great distance from the Press and his no less Averseness to appear in publick tho at last overcome by the Importunity of Friends have occasion'd the Delay in publishing the ensuing Discourse and yet perhaps it will be thought that in regard to his Years to the Treatise it self and to its small importance to the Publick he ought rather to apologize for his Forwardness now in exposing it But however this his Undertaking may be censur'd by some on the former Account as late and unseasonable or by others on the latter as vain and inconsiderate he hopes betwixt them he may find those who will put a more favourable Construction both upon the Discourse it self and the Inducements to print it As for those who may account him too severe in it if their own Consciousness make them think so either they are duely sensible of their own Guilt and its Demerits or they are not if they are they can't but at the same time be also sensible that their Crimes have deserv'd Severity but if they are not yet sensible they deserve it for not being so and there is no other way but that left since gentler means toward them have prov'd ineffectual to convince them And as for those who tho they may not find themselves so concern'd in it yet wish the Author had been more sparing he hopes when they consider the Occasion and the Seasonableness or rather Necessity of such Discourses thereon they may in a great measure excuse him however that they will forbear to censure him for that which he has not us'd toward them A SERMON PREACH'D September the 9 th 1683. 2 Sam. 22. 24. The former Part of the Vers Thou also hast delivered Me from the Strivings of my People DEliverances from Enemies have always been esteem'd by all sober and considering Men as the gracious Effects of God's providential Power and Goodness and therefore solemn Thanksgivings to Almighty God upon such Occasions have been very ancient and usual And tho it may have fall'n out as to such God's Deliverances as it did in cleansing the ten Lepers that scarce one of ten can be found where Glory has been return'd to him for them yet have we this Practice recommended to us by very many great and illustrious Examples and Presidents recorded in sacred and prophane Histories For when the Faithful Patriarch Abraham returned from the Conquest and Slaughter of the four Kings and offer'd the Tenths of all to Melchisedech Priest of the most high God he was entertain'd and blessed by the Priest who blessed God too on his Behalf for delivering his Enemies into his Hands The miraculous Passage and Escape of the Children of Israel and the fatal Overthrow of Pharaoh and of all his Host in the Red Sea were no less solemnly and joyfully celebrated by Moses and all the People And when the Lord had discomfited Jabin and Sisera with all their Forces then sang Deborah and Barak that memorable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Song of Triumph recorded in the fifth Chapter of Judges Nor may it seem improbable that in the Book of the Lord's Battels referr'd to by Moses Numb 21. 14. and in the Book of Jashar mention'd Jos 10. 13. and 2 Sam. 1. 18. as also in those many other Books of the Acts of the Kings of Israel and Judah mention'd and referr'd to elsewhere in Scripture all which are lost very many Passages of this Nature were set down at large Many indeed and great were the Troubles and Dangers of Righteous David but yet the Lord delivered him out of all and he forgat not to praise him for it as is evident from the several Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving composed by him on those Occasions and tho his wise and peaceful Son and Successor had not those Occasions his Blessed Father had yet we find him in dedicating the Temple which was accomplished with Prayers Praises and Sacrifices and with all Solemnities suitable to the Beauty Magnificence and Use of the Building blessing God also that had given Rest unto his People Israel And when the Inhabitants of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir came up against Jehoshaphat he did not only apply himself to God for his Aid and Succour by Prayer and Fasting but when the Lord had so signally own'd his Cause and absolutely gain'd the Victory to himself by turning the Enemies Hands against one another He was so sensible of the Deliverance and assembling all the People for the purpose return'd such an unanimous and solemn Praise that it gave Name to the Place where it was performed and it was thenceforth called the Valley of Blessing Neither were the Heathens wanting in consecrating part of their Spoils in offering Sacrifices in singing triumphant Hymns in erecting Altars and Temples to their Gods for their Victories over and Deliverances from their Enemies And when Christianity had taught to ascribe to the Lord the Honour due only to his Name and the Roman Emperours had submitted their Scepters to that of Righteousness then were they no less careful and punctual to appoint and observe set Times of publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God for his Mercies to and Protection over them Such great and pious Presidents has our most Gracious Soveraign for blessing God in this manner and indeed he wants not among his own Royal Religious and Renowned Ancestors for good Examples of such his Piety And tho 't is true their Thanksgivings were for Victories over Foreign Enemies and Formidable ones too which magnify'd God's Deliverances towards them and signaliz'd those good Occasions of their Thankfulness yet has not His Present Majesty less Cause to bless God who has delivered him from Domestick Foes from the Strivings of his own People My Text is part of that Psalm of Thanksgiving which as the Title thereof speaks the Royal Prophet sang in the Day that the Lord delivered him out of the Hand of all his Enemies and how proper it is on this Occasion I suppose it will not be difficult to discern from the Parallel of Holy David Soveraign's Troubles and Dangers and from their respective Deliverances For they were both train'd up in the School of Affliction and smarted for some time under the like severe Discipline after that they both enjoy'd a Time of Settlement Peace and Prosperity after which again their Enemies brake forth afresh and were much alike and their Deliverances many and signal and parallel in none more than in this Instance in
stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion even unto the End Who delivereth and rescueth and worketh Signs and Wonders in Heaven and in Earth and who then delivered Daniel from the Power of the Lyons and now hath delivered our David from the Strivings of his People And so I proceed to the Application And 1. Seeing it is God who hath delivered our David from the Strivings of his People we ought in due Acknowledgment of such his Mercy to return our most solemn and devout Thankfulness to him and surely the Prospect of those Miseries wherein had their execrable Design taken effect we had all e're this Day been involv'd ought in a sutable Measure to inhance our Gratitude to our gracious Deliverer who hath done so great Things for us and according to the excellent Form of the Collect we ought to yield him Praise and Thanksgiving for our Deliverance from those great and apparent Dangers wherewith we were compassed and to acknowledge it his Goodness that we were not deliver'd over as a Prey unto them For had not he infatuated their Counsels and blasted their Designs had not he turn'd the Wisdom of Achitophel into Folly and made Absalom's Progresses come to nothing the Policy of the one and the Popularity of the other together with the desperate and restless Machinations of the traiterous and blood-thirsty Sons of Violence who were not afraid to stretch forth their Hands to seize or to destroy the Lord 's Anointed would soon as indeed therein they had summ'd them up have brought upon this Land all the ensuing Calamities And therefore if the Lord himself had not been on our side may England as well as Israel say when such Men were for rising up against us we had surely fallen into their Hands whose tender Mercies are cruel And so not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name we give the Praise of this our happy Deliverance 2. Seeing it is God who hath delivered our David from these Strivings of his People as we ought to praise him for our past Deliverance so we ought to pray unto him for the Continuance of such his Protection and as we acknowledge it his Goodness that we were not delivered over as a Prey unto them so we must beseech him to continue such his Mercy toward us and as he has been a strong Tower of Defence to us now against the Face of our Enemies so that he may be our strong hold whereto we may always resort and as he has sent forth his Strength so that he would stablish the Thing that he hath wrought for us For tho the King has deservedly the Hearts and Affections of the most and best of his People and Mens Eyes being now open'd daily gains more and more yet it is the Lord that openeth the Eyes and turneth the Hearts of all Men whithersoever he will And though the King has his Guards and places of Strength yet except the Lord keep the City the Watchman waketh but in vain And if he keep it no Storm nor Assault can force it no Treachery can betray it no Works can undermine it no loss of Men or want of Provisions can necessitate it to a Surrender There is no Creature able to resist his Power there is no Policy or as the wise King speaks Counsel or Understanding against the Lord. He can abate the Pride of the most haughty and ambitious he can asswage the Malice of the most implacable and revengeful and he can confound the Devices of the most subtle and politick Tho Hand joyn in Hand they shall not go unpunished Tho as the Prophet Isaiah speaks They associate themselves they shall be broken in pieces tho they take Counsel together it shall come to nought tho they speak the Word it shall not stand For God is with us But seeing it is God that maketh Men to be of one mind in an House seeing it is he that maketh even our Enemies to be at Peace with us seeing it is he that can make our present Distempers subservient to our future Health and he that can command Light to shine out of Darkness can also out of our Divisions and Distractions produce Unity and Settlement we ought to pray unto him that he would unite our Hearts to himself to the King and to one another that we may all live in the Unity of the Spirit and in the Bond of Peace that his Majesty's Reign over us may be long and prosperous and that under him we may live a godly and quiet Life for Obedience to God and the King is the best Expedient to secure such Blessings to us and among the chief of them the Blessings of a good King who in the utmost Extent and height of the Character is the Minister of God to us for Good And therefore out of Policy and Interest as well as Obligation and Duty we should fear God and honour the King To this purpose let us hearken to good old Samuel's Advice to fear the Lord and to serve him in Truth considering how great Things he hath done for us lest if we still continue to do wickedly we be consumed both we and our King 3. And lastly seeing God hath delivered our David from the Strivings of his People let us not only praise him for the Deliverance and pray unto him for the Continuance of his Protection but let us endeavour to establish our most Gracious Sovereign's Throne to make his Reign safe and comfortable to him by a sincere and dutiful Allegiance and Subjection and by a ready and zealous Offering of our Lives and Fortunes when his Majesty's Occasions require Let us never on any Pretence or in any Exigence disown him whom God hath so powerfully and so miraculously owned In a word Let us by our strict and uniform Obedience to the Church of England endeavour to reduce the Dissenters from her and by our steady Loyalty to the King endeavour to win or awe the Factious and Rebellious to which end since Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft let us stop our Ears against those politick Charmers that would seduce us from our Allegiance charm they never so wisely For let them pretend what they will the King's Enemies are ours and they are God's Enemies too To conclude Let us observe those good Rules of the Apostle to mark those that cause Divisions among us and to avoid them Let us study to be quiet and to do our own Business and to these let us add the seasonable and wholsome Counsel of Solomon To fear the Lord and the King and not to meddle with them that are given to change FINIS Luk. 17. 18. Gen. 14. 18 19 20. Exod. 15. Judg. 4. Judg. 5. Psal 34. 19. 1 Kings 8. 56. 2 Chron. 20. 2 Sam. 16. 1 Sam. 22. 9. 17. 2 Sam. 20. 1. 2 Sam. 16. 17. Psa 65. 7. Isa 57. 20. 1 Kings 18. 44. 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 15. Judg. 5. 23. Ps 2. 1. v. 2. v. 10. v. 5. Psal 149. 6. v. 7. v. 8. v. 9. 2 Sam. 16. 23. 2 Sam. 20. 1. 2 Sam. 15. 12. 2 Sam. 15. 18. 2 Sam. 17. v. 7 8 9. 10. 2 Sam. 15. v 32 33 34. v. 35 36. 2 Sam. 18. v. 6 7. Psal 118. 23. Amos 4. 11. 1 Cor. 3. 15. v. 13. Ps 64. 8. Exod. 14. 25. Acts 5. 35. v. 39. Ps 62. 4. Dan. 6. 20. v. 26. v. 27. Ps 124. 1. Ps 115. 1. Ps 71. 2. Ps 68. 28. Ps 127. 1. Prov. 21. 30. Prov. 16. 5. Isa 8. 9. v. 10. Ps 68. 6. Prov. 16. 7. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Eph. 4. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 17. 1 Sam. 12. 24. v. 25. 1 Sam. 15. 23. Ps 58. 5. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Thes 4. 11. Prov. 24. 21.
trumpeted alarm'd proclaim'd In short the Coffee-pot may retail a little Stanch profane and apocryphal Sedition or Rebellion but the Tub broaches them whole-sale sanctifies and renders them Orthodox and Canonical 'T is there Meroz is curs'd and curs'd bitterly too Whosoever he be that is not ready to come forth to the Help of the Lord to the Help of the Lord against the Mighty 'T is there the People have been taught to rage furiously together and to imagine vain things as that the King was just standing up in an Arbitrary Way and the Rulers his Ministers taking Counsel together with him against the Lord against the Reformed Religion and against his Christ that so they might bring in Antichrist i. e. Popery into the Nation And then it was time they thought to remonstrate to the King and to inveigh against the chief Oracles of the Law with a Be wise now therefore O ye Kings and be learned ye that are Judges of the Earth And because they did not take their Advice the next Step they made was calling themselves all the while His Majesty's most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects to break the bonds of Allegiance in sunder and to cast away the Cords of Duty from them and then they began to speak unto them in their Wrath Let us said they bruise them with a Rod of Iron and break them in pieces like a Potter's Vessel and that we may not want a religious Pretence let the Praises of God be in our Mouths and a two-edged Sword in our Hands to be avenged of the Heathen and to rebuke the People to spoil the Egyptians to drive out the Canaanites before us to bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles with Links of Iron and then as Success attended them they stamp'd upon their Cause as upon their Coin God with us and the most desperate Execution of their prosperous Villanies were preach'd up and commemorated with a Such Honour have all his Saints and such as these are the Religious Strivings of the People Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum And thus are they taught by their Spiritual and Temporal Leaders that 't is not only lawful but expedient nay even their Duty to rebell and persuaded that their religious and civil Interests do both call upon them to discharge it possessing them that both are at stake and in the utmost danger even when they are in the greatest Security and the making them believe that they are in a desperate Condition makes them really desperate And then 't is no wonder if the common People under such Misrepresentations of Things lose the Substance to catch at Shadows part with a present real Happiness in pursuit of a delusive one and to prevent an imaginary Evil in Futurity bring a present certain Evil upon themselves and perhaps entail it on their Posterity Thus when in the midst of Safety and Prosperity as to the Government they have possess'd the People that they 〈◊〉 in extream Jeopardy and Misery the next thing is to mark out and brand the Authors and Occasions of these pretended Evils and those we may be sure must be all the Friends to the Government especially the chief Ministers of State and Officers in Trust and the King himself is brought in with a side-Wind as being a good Man but led away and then over against these they point out and rank the Leaders and Deliverers of the People the Defenders of their Religion the Vindicators of their Rights the Redressors of their Grievances the Patriots of their Country the Moseses and the Joshuahs that must lead them through the Red Sea of Blood and through a Wilderness of their own making to the Promised Land of Ease and Plenty Then he that hath no Brains shall be set up for the Head of the People those that have no Religion for the Defenders of the Protestant those that have no Virtue especially not that of Continence for the Scourges of the Lewdness of the Court and of the Vices of the Times those that have no Honesty for the Maintainers of Liberty and Property those that have no Loyalty for the King's Friends and those whose guilt and dread of Punishment make them fly their Country to be the Patriots of it and in a Word one that had no Principles but had winded and shifted to all the Points of the Compass to be the only stable wise and faithful Subject and Counsellor and the Counsel which he counselled as it was said of that of Achitophel was esteemed by them as if a Man had enquired at the Oracle of God and the Reason of all this is obvious for the Cause elects justifies and sanctifies all it 's respective Instruments These were the Strivers in Petitioning Remonstrating Protesting Feasting and Associating together and being too forward and desperate to proceed in the slow Methods of Sedition caball'd plotted and conspir'd against His most Sacred Majesty whom God long preserve against his Royal Brother against the Established Government in Church and State and against the most Loyal and eminent Subjects in both to tear out the very Bowels of their Mother-Country to turn the Land into an Aceldama a Field of Blood to involve all in Ruine and Confusion in short to act over again the most bloody and dismal Tragedy of a Civil War which we of this Nation have the most reason in the World to dread having so long so lately and so severely smarted under that Rod and therefore one would think should not be very fond or easie to be perswaded to play the old Game and to try the fatal Experiment over again Upon the whole matter such as these have been the Strivings of some of our Gracious David 's People and how parallel they are to those from which good King David was delivered is very easie to make out to any that will remark and apply things How there has not wanted in his Days a Doeg that would still be ready to betray the King's Secrets and to expose him to the Malice of his Enemies nor a factious Sheba to blow the Trumpet of Sedition and to tell the People they had no part nor inheritance in our David possessing them that the King had ill Thoughts of and ill Designs upon them neither yet a despiteful Shimei with all the outward Expressions of Contempt and Rancour to reproach even with Cruelty a most merciful Prince Nor has there wanted a cunning Achitophel who being turn'd out of the King's Counsels degraded from his Offices and like Lucifer thrown from the Pinnacle of his Ambition grew discontented malicious and revengeful and employ'd all his Policy Malice and Interest fully to do Mischief to the King and the Government and to all those who were under his malevolent Influence for neither did there want an Absalom to be seduc'd who being instructed to act the popular Part by shewing himself on all publick Occasions and by bowing to the Rabble was to