1 2. seqq his advantage in the subjection of the hearts of all Israel to him and in the settlement of him in the dominion overthem And this is the constant Language of good Kings whoever else be the instruments or whatever else be the means of bringing them to their Crowns The Queen of Sheba's 1 Kin. 10. 9 Language to Solomon was The Lord thy God delighted in thee to set thee on the throne of Israel And Solomon himself was not a whit behind her in this acknowledgement 2 Chro. 1. 8 Thou O God hast shewed great mercy unto David my father and hast made me to reign in his stead Yea Cyrus the King 2 Chro 36. ult of Persia had as much Religion as this came to The kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me None but such a one as the proud Assyrian will dare to Isai 10. 13. say By the strength of my hand I have done this or that and by my wisdom for I am prudent The proud Ax boastead it self against him that hewed with it and the presumptuous Saw against him that shook it Nebuchadnezzar took too much upon him when he vaunted on that Dan. 4. 30. manner Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Not a word was there of his being beholding to God in all that speech But God presently taught him by sad experience that he was wholly beholding to him for his Kingdom and that it was in his hand both to give it to him and to take it from him It was a close rebuke which God once gave unto the Prince of Tyrus for his sacrilegious pride his heart was lifted up and he said of himself that he was a god and sate in the seat of God But God said he would make him know that he was a man for he would bring strangers even the terrible of the Nations upon him with drawn swords against him And them saith God in an holy Sarcasm Wilt thou yet say before him that Ezek 28. 9. slayeth thee I am God But thou shalt be a man and no God in the hand of him that slayeth thee And lest he should mistake himself as if he had set himself in that glorious state for which the Princes of Tyrus were famous in the world as being like a tree planted in the garden of God wanting nothing that Nature or Art could furnish him V. 14. withal God tells him plainly I have set thee so Though he were for his Royal Dignity a glorious Creature yet was he so by Gods Creation and not his own God keeps this to himself as his Royal Prerogative By me Kings Prov. 8. 15. reign and Princes decree justice They could neither have Joh. 19. 11. nor exercise any power were it not given them from above It is to God really that even Kings and Princes as great as they are in the earth are beholding for their deliverances settlements and establishments in their Kingdoms Much might be learnt from hence that I cannot now insist on The Kings and Princes of the earth might be advised from hence to be so wise as to own honour and serve this their Deliverer Setler and Establisher to keep their Kingdoms for God and lay out all their power to keep their Kingdoms in subjection to God to execute judgement and justice according to the will of God to devote themselves their power their lives their all to the magnifying or making his Name great in their Kingdoms who hath been their Saviour Settler and Establisher in so great power under him over their people Davids resolution in the 101 Psalm when he came to the Crown is a most excellent pattern for all the Kings and Princes of the earth in this respect Read the Psalm throughout But I need not dwell upon this being abundantly prevented by the thankful Expressions of our Soveraign to God for his happy restauration attributing his Deliverances and Return to and settlement in his Kingdom solely to him and his pious Resolutions and Professions to study to serve and honour that God who hath heard his Prayers and is become his salvation VVhich leads me to the third Note observable from the words viz. That Prayers and Praises are Duties wherein even Kings 3 Note themselves are bound to wait upon God Let David be the pattern He was a praying and a praise-returning King I will praise thee for thou hast heard me He had been praying it should seem and crying to God and now he was resolved upon praysing him In the time of his Exile Prayer was the work that he devoted himself to Praise was the work that he vowed to perform whenever God should set him at liberty Therefore in his Exile he prayeth Hold not thy peace O God of Pal. 109. 1 2 3 4. my praise This was his practise whilst the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful were opened against him and they spake against him with a lying tongue whilst they compassed him about with words of hatred and fought against him without a cause whilst for his love to them they were adversaries to him he gave himself unto prayer But now that God had heard his prayer and all succeeded to his hearts content you have his mouth filled with thanksgivings calling all the people to joyn with him in offering up these Eucharistiâ—â—â— Devotions to the God of his mercies Though a King yet he did not count these pieces of piety too lowe for him This point is much strengthned by the former For if even they are and must be beholding to God for their deliverances settlements and establishments in their Kingdoms then it is but fit that even they should wait upon God in their duties praying to him for the mercies they want and praising him for those which they have recovered by the prevalency of importunate prayers to the God of their salvation and calling upon all their Subjects to joyn with them in so doing This was not onely King Davids practise but the practise of all the good Kings of Judah as may be seen in the examples of Jehoshaphat and 2 Chro. 20 2 Chro 29 Hezekiah All that I shall learn you from hence is First to acquaint you that it is good news to a people when the Kings whom the Lord hath set over them are praying and praise-returning Kings It is you see the Character and practise of Gods Davids such as are Kings after Gods own heart to pay these just tributes to the Divine Majesty to whom they are beholding for their Crowns and Scepters It is not onely a good example of piety in them for others to walk by but it is a practise that promiseth much of happiness not onely to their royal persons but to their Kingdoms too A praying King will have the better of 2Chro 33. 13. it first or last Manasseh you
ENGLAND's Royal Stone At the Head of the Corner Through the wonderful Working of ALMIGHTY GOD. Set forth in A SERMON Preached in the Cathedral Church at Gloucester the 28th day of June Being a day of publick and solemn Thanksgiving for His Majesties HAPPY RESTAURATION By Joh. Nelme M. A. and Pastor of S. Michaels in the said City MICAH 7. 8 9. Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto mâ— I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause and execute judgemâ—nt for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness LONDON Printed by Ja. Cottrel for Henry Fletcher at the sign of the three Gilt Cups in S. Pauls Church-yard 1660. To the truly Honourable Sir EDWARD MASSEY Knight and Baronet Sitting as Citizen of Gloucester IN The Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in Parliament Honoured Sir THis Sermon in the hearing was so acceptable to the Generality of that City for which you serve in Parliament with your worthy Colleague James Stephens Esq one of the Aldermen of the said City that it is really extorted from me into the publique View Their importunity shews their affection to the Subject Matter thereof I suppose rather then to the Manner of its composure and handling as being altogether too low for such a Subject in this day of Englands Liberty by Gods Blessing restored to the Right Keeper thereof his most sacred Majesty But however it be such as it is I humbly crave your patronage thereof England hath scarce been England for many years till the day of His Majesties happy Restauration wherein you were under God so instrumental even to the hazard of all that you cannot but rejoyce in the poorest Memorials of its accomplishment in so peaceable a manner This Mercy is the Subject of this Sermon Wherein so much of God was seen that you must pardon me if I allowed no time to speak to the Honour of those Humane but never to be forgotten Instruments who put their Hands to this Work It was a Day wherein GOD was to be glorified and not Man It is our work to improve it to his honour who in mercy to the Kingdom set his Excellencie your self with many other worthy Patriots on and prospered you and them in the prudent managing of this Noble Undertaking I am sure when we consider our former Bondage especially in respect of our conscience which by reason of the power that was over us we could hardly keep safe to our selves without the violation of our outward peace and hazarding all that was near and dear to us we cannot but acknowledge the mighty and merciful hand of God in this remarkable turn of his Providence praising and blessing his Name that we are Restored to the liberty of owning our own thoughts and to the opportunity of endeavouring a reformation in a Legal and not a Tumultuary way and the freedom of crying Hallelujah's for and Hosanna's to his Majesties happy Return to his People Which is and shall be the constant practice of From my Study in Gloucester July 5. 1660. SIR Your Honours humbly devoted John Nelme England's Royal STONE AT The Head of the Corner PSAL. 118. 21 22 23 24 25. I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the Corner This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity ALong Text is not always unmeet for a short Discourse especially when the VVords Matter and Occasion do meet in one Such a Text of Scripture hath the Almighty fitted us with at this time For the suitableness of the Words with the Occasion of our present meeting I have no need to make an Apologie Every one that hears them can tell that they sound well enough to our purpose But whether I may not mis-apply them will be a doubt because some of them are applied by holy men of God and such as spake by inspiration too unto a better King and a better Kingdom then this days Festival doth bring unto our mindes viz. Messiah the Prince King Jesus and his spiritual Kingdom upon earth Our Saviour himself applies some of these words to the Jews rejection of Him from reigning over them and to his wonderful exaltation to the Kingdom notwithstanding and that in a prophetical way before Mat. 21. 42 it came to pass Saint Peter applied it to the same purpose but in an historical way after the business was done and over This is the stone which was set at nought of Act. 4. 11. you builders which is become the head of the Corner And to this History the same Apostle doth allude when he calls Christ the livingstone that was disallow'd indeed of men but 1 Pet. 2. 4. chosen of God and pretious But to solve all doubts and suspitions of our misapplication of these words to the business of this day you must know that it is no unusual thing in the Scriptures of the New Testament to accommodate several passages of the Old Testament unto events that fell out in the new especially in the person of Christ in whom many of those things were acted and done over again in one respect which were long before done in the persons of others in another respect This is the Case here VVhat fell out Christo Domino unto Christ the Lord in respect of his spiritual Kingdom was acted long before in Christo Domini the Anointed of the Lord King David in respect of his temporal Kingdom and now that it hath in the same respect been acted over again in another of the Lords anointed Ones King Charles I cannot but look on this Psalm as a Psalm for the day and on the words read as the fittest subject to be spoken to on this solemn Occasion For the whole Psalm is nothing else but a sacred Anthem Hymn or Song of praise composed as Interpreters agree by King David himself and delivered to the Singers to be sung in the publick worship of God on some solemn Festival Which Festival is supposed to be occasioned by David's full settlement and establishment in the Kingdom of Israel and Judah to which he had been foreanointed of God and from which he had been kept by force seven years and six months and in which he was twice disturbed by the in-roads of the Philistins so soon as ever the rest of the Tribes were joyned unto him Well the whole Kingdom over Israel as well as Judah was now confirmed unto David the Philistins quashed the Ark about to be brought home David bethinks himself of returning thanks to God in the publick Congregation For which he
Note the earth yea and the best of the Kings of the earth with afflicted conditions David was a man after Gods own heart a King for Gods turn if I may so speak called to the Kingdom by God himself by his especial appointment and designation But yet he must taste of the bitter cup of affliction before he came there and many a sharp shower he must undergo before he could wear the Crown which God had designed for him God trained him up for the Royal Dignity in the School of Afflictions and such afflictions too as one would have thought might set him beyond a possibility of ever recovering the Crown of Israel and Judah He lived a long while in Exile skulking now here now there for his safety Sometime we hear of him in the woods 1 Sam. 23. 15 25. now in the Wilderness of Ziph then in the Wilderness of Maon as soon again we hear of him in a Cave One 1 Sam. 24. 1 1 Sam. 21. 12 13. while we have him in a Disguise and a strange one too for fear of being known and taken for what indeed he was Another while we have him serving in the wars of 1 Sam. 27. a forraign Prince and beholding to him for his subsistence till the Lords of the Country suspected him and would by 1 Sam. 29. no means suffer his tarriance among them In this Exile of his he was under a temptation to go and serve other 1 Sam. 26. 19. gods At leastwise the Court-Politicians hoped by the possibility of such a revolt to keep him out from ever returning more And when upon the death of Saul he was crowned King of Judah in Hebron yet the rest of the Tribes had no portion in him Ishbosheth and Abner kept him out and at length when by a strange contexture of Providences all Israel was brought under his Jurisdiction the Philistins invaded his Territories And many disquiets he had before all was firmly settled to him And when all was as firm as the general consent of the people could make it his own Son rose up in Rebellion against him 2 Sam. 15. and after him Sheba the Son of Bichri blew a Trumpet of 2 Sam. 20. sedition to draw away his people from him Though he were a King to Gods minde as much as ever any yet he was ttained up in and inured to afflictions both before he came to and after that he enjoyed the Crown I minde you of this point the rather for two Uses I would have to be made thereof First That no man should think so highly of himself because of his Earthly Dignities above others as if he were therefore exempted from the afflicting hand of God Princes they are but Men though they be Men in Honour Psal 82. 6. and Gods in a manner standing in the place of Gods Vicegerents upon the earth And though they be above the reach of earthly Judicatures yet there is an Higher Eccles 5. 8. then they who can in what way best pleaseth him take them to task pouring out strange contempts upon them Job 12. 21. and their Families when they prove disobedient to him Again as they are common Blessings to their people the Fathers of their Country so God knows how to punish a sinful Land by devesting them of their lawful Princes and suffering Tyrants and Usurpers to rule over them Yea Hos 12. 11. God thinks fit sometimes to train up Princes to their Crowns in the School of Adversity that they might not forget the Lord but remember that they hold all they have of him and that all the shields of the earth belong unto God to place or displace them at pleasure and that Crowns and Scepters are wholly at his dispose and that he might tye them in a stricter bond of subjection to himself whilst he denieth them or holds from them a while the Prerogative of ruling over others No man then can be so high as to plead an exemption from Gods afflicting hand Secondly that no man presume to enter into Gods Judgement-seat and pass their Verdict upon the Kings and Princes of the earth as accursed and hated and rejected of God because of the sad afflictions which do sometimes befall them and their families It is enough for a Shemei when the Rebellion of Absalom took place to go â— Sam. 16 7 8. out and curse David But let none of Shemei's language come out of our mouths to vaunt it over the Lords anointed Ones in their afflictions The Scripture saith Blessed are they O Lord whom thou chastenest And shall we call them accursed because they are chastised God forbid And yet the more is the pity we have not wanted in our times men as inconsiderate as this comes to to say no worse to make this unchristian use of the sufferings of our present Soveraign and His Royal Father of glorious Memory as if the Family of the Stuarts were accursed of God and cast out and forsaken as much as ever Saul's was And all this upon design to harden people in their disloyalty to their King and Usurpations over their fellow-subjects But all this happy Experience now tells us was a judging before the time David you see might be an afflicted King and yet a King after Gods own heart The second Note observable from the words is this Even Kings themselves are and must be beholding to 2 Note God for their Deliverances Settlements and Establishments in their Kingdoms Thou hast heard me and thou art become my salvation said King David He ascribed his instauration and establishment in the Kingdom neither to his wisdom and policy nor to his prowess and valour and yet he was a man good at both He confesseth himself solely beholding to God for this Deliverance This indeed was Davids constant wont so to do as appeareth not onely in the Text and the Psalm before us but also in other Psalms Still he expresseth himself as beholding to God for all that he had and all that was in any kinde worth taking notice of in him He calls him his Strength Rock Fortress his Deliverer Psa 18. 12. the Horn of his salvation and his High Tower His Wonderful Escapes he attributes to God By thee I have 29. V. 33. run through a troop and by my God have I leaped over a wall He was a man that was light of foot One pair of heels was of more use to him then two pair of hands as our English Proverb goes Now this swiftness of foot in him he attributes to God He was a stout man but it was God that taught his hands to war that a bow of steel was broken 34. by his arms God delivered him from the strivings of the 43. people avenged him and subdued the people under him Of 47. the like import are many passages in the next Psalm save two David reckoned it all upon Gods score that was to Psa 21.
of the old stones that before they had laid aside wherewith they reared up the old tottered wall of Democracie supporting it with a few rusty swords which withdrawing at their pleasure down it fell And yet he whom God and the Laws had fitted to be the head of the Corner would not serve their turn And yet who nor what to have they could not tell At length they only tack'd a government together for the present distress with instruments part of Iron and part of clay some easie enough to be wrought to any mould and some head-strong enough to carry all by their own wills This was such a piece of botchery as every one condemned and all cryed out of And the people began to grow weary of their Taskers or their Task-masters rather who would have pay too though they proved such sorry builders Whereupon some who thought themselves to be better builders of State then sword-men outwitted them outworked them over-powred them and rook the work out of their hands And now we were where we were twice before in as bad a labyrinth as ever For neither would these after so many succesless attempts in laying the foundation of a Democracie accept of him whom God had fitted to be the head of the Corner till God himself took the work in hand and by an unexpected providence sent in a supply of better builders only to undo what they had been doing so to make way for that mercy which we now injoy Thus you have heard a sad allegorical harangue of Englands late misery See we now in the second place what is Englands present mercy It is so Christians we are like men that dream when we speak of it as not knowing well how it should be so though we know it is so The stone which these foolish builders have rejected all this while is at the head of the Corner at firm and full agreement with both the honourable Houses of Parliament He whom they thought not fit to have any pottion with us is returned to the inheritance of the Lord. He whom they drave as much as lay in them upon temptations to embrace the abominations of Popery as being beholding to strangers to the Reformed religion for his Ziklag or place of abode is returned safe and sound from such pollutions and confirmed against them He whose life hath been sought after as was his Fathers He who was hunted from place to place as unworthy to rest any where He is verily he is at the head of the Corner He whose right it is He in whom alone under God we could look for an hopeful and happy and lasting settlement He is at the head of the Corner Not only King in Hebron but King in Jerusalem Not only King at Scone but King at Westminster All the tribes of England Scotland and Ireland are United in him The whole frame of our Antient Government is resettled and the topstone laid and all the people crying Grace grace unto it This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce therein c. What must now be done beloved upon the income of such a mercy What! but resolve to joyn with your King and praise the Lord. Let Israel now say that his mercy endureth for ever let the House of Aaron now say that his mercy endureth for ever let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Let every one of you now fall in with your parts in the praises of God for this days mercy There be but four and all in the Text. I shall but briefly touch upon them and dismiss you The First thing observable in the peoples part is their acknowledgement of the hand of God in this providence and their admiration at the strangeness of it This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes The Psalmist brings the godly in acknowledging this exaltation of David to the throne of Israel to be the Lords doing And so must you concerning the exaltation of Our David to the throne of England Let all that fear the Lord say This is the Lords doing the singer of God is here This can be no other then the hand of God For though this was so desirable a mercy yet to humane reason it was next to impossible not many months ago Should one have prophesied of it you would have said with Nicodemus in another case How can these things be Powerful and foâ—cible attempts to bring this mercy about have been in vain Our Armies by sea land abroad and at home were professedly engaged in builâ—ing some of the Babels of confâ—sion before mentione a great part of the land were sinfully engaged another way for fear of losing what they had unjustly gotten And yet all these powers are over-powred not by might not by power but by the Spirit of the Lord. Tâ—e very hearts of all men are strangely subdued to this pâ—ovidence Surely this is the Lords doing And by good experience now we know that the hearts of all men are in the hâ—nd of God who can turn them whithersoever he pleaseth Further the Psalmist brings in the godly admiring at this strange providence To see all things work so to bring David in a man that had been so hated vilified and opposed this was strange to them And how can you but look on this return of our David as most marvellous considering First the unlikelyhood of the change in divers respects as in respect of the force that was kept upon his subjects at home so that the prudentest were fain to keep silence scarce daring for many years to impart their affections and desires to one another there was such treacâ—ery and unfaithfulness and such lurkings to supâ—lant the innocent without a cause and to make them offenders for a word as also in respect of the long time of his Majesties exile He was kept twelve vears out of his royal City David but seven and an half out of â—erusalem His cause lay stark dead in a mannâ—r â—s a forgotten business There was scarce any life left in it His return is as a resurrection from the dead a making of dead bones to live Our David had no footing in the Kingdom he was by God designed unto whereas Isâ—l's David was King in Hebron all that 7 years in a nearer capacity to recover the Kingdom over all Israel in time 2. It is marvellous in respect of the suddenness of it It was but the other day that some few intemperate men were about to abjure the royal line But behold how quickly is the seoene changed Allegiance and Loyalty dates shew its face when Treason and Reâ—ellion flees into corners 3. It is marvelous in respect of the peaceableness of it all this is done without the effusion of blood some may be spilt by the sword of Justice the land will be defiled with blood else But we trust
composed this Anthem or Song of Praise to bless rhe Lord for his many deliverances of him and for the full settlement of him at the last in the Kingdom whereunto he had fore-designed him At this time and on this occasion Mollerus and Musculus suppose this Psalm to be composed and made use of Calvin is not so punctual in the time but saith Whatsoever time it was composed this was Davids drift in it Having through many oppositions gotten full possession of the Kingdom he calls upon all the people to give thanks unto God for it The Psalm is digested into several parts the King People and Priests each bearing a part therein the greatest part falling to the Kings share First we have the King a Vers 1 2 3 4. calling upon the People and Priests and all that feared the Lord to the publick acknowledgement of the Lords singular mercy and making a narrative of the singular goodness and mercy of God to him in b Vers 5 6 7. hearing his prayers being on his side and taking part with his friends all which he mingleth and Vers 6 7 14 17. pursueth with singular expressions of his abundant confidence in the Lord and of the large experience he now had how good a thing it was to trust in God rather then Vers 8 9. in man or Princes and of the strong assurance he now had Ver. 10 11 12. through Gods help of vanquishing all his Enemies At length you have him calling upon the priests whose Office Ver 19 20. it was to open to him the gates of Gods Sanctuary that he might go in and praise the Lord. At length he comes in the text to make a short Apostrophe 21. to God himself repeating his resolution to praise him together with a general and particular account of that his resolution General Because he had heard him and was become his salvation Particular Because the stone which the builders refused 22. was now become the head stone of the corner Thus far goes the Kings part Now comes in the peoples part that of the whole Chorus as it were consisting 1. In their acknowledgement of the hand of God in 23. this Providence and their admiration at the strangeness of it This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our eyes 2. In their joyful Acclamation to the happiness of that 24. days Festival This is the day which the Lord hath made 3. In their acceptation of the Kings Royal invitation to that Dayes Duty We will rejoyce and be glad in it 4. In their humble hearty and seasonable supplications 25. for the prosperity of the King and Kingdom Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity And then behind our Text follows the Priests part Vers 26. praying for a blessing upon the King welcoming him into the Tabernacle saying Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord and upon the people blessing them out of the House of the Lord acknowledging that it was Vers 27. the Lord that had shewn them light and inviting them to keep the Festival with joy and thanks unto God to bind the sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar according to the use of Gods ancient people in their publick solemnities All this seems to be concluded with a return of the Piissimus Rex Psalmum concludit Musc Kings part consisting of A solemn repetition of his former resolution Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee And a solemn repetition of his former invitation to them all to give thanks unto the Lord with him O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever The whole Psalm is contrived as if it had been to be sung in a solemn procession to the Tabernacle on that solemn day the singers going before and the players on instruments following after As it was at the like solemnity a little after at the bringing home of the Ark from Obed-Edom's House for which processional use the 86th Psalm Psal 86. 25 was penned wherein we read of such an order observed However it was the words we have cull'd out of the Psalm for the subject of this present discourse are this day again fulfilled in our ears Our Gracious Soveraign for his part being after a long and tedious exile restored to his people and his people to him as he hath resolved to render the tribute of praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God in his own person this day for his happy restauration so he hath by his Royal Proclamation required all his Subjects of England and Wales to joyn with him in this Duty And Subjects for their part never more joyfully consented to a duty of that nature then I think and hope they do over all the Kingdom this day Whilst the King saith I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my Salvation methinks I hear all the people like men astonished at the wonderfulness of the mercy crying out This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes and like men over-joyed making loud acclamations to the happiness of this days Festival gladly running to the Duty whereunto they have this Royal Invitation ready to give out their Hosanna their well-wishes and prayers for the King and Kingdom upon this happy revolution of affairs into that hopeful posture wherein now they stand I begin first with the Kings part his pious resolution to praise God with the general and particular account of that his resolution And first of the account in General which he gives of this resolution verse 21. I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation In which words we have the pattern of an afflicted King and a praying King a delivered King and a praise-returning King David is the pattern for all this He was an afflicted King Some would have this expressed in the Text I will praise thee for thou hast afflicted me The Original word will bear both Interpretations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast afflicted me or Thou hast answered me But however his afflicted condition is implyed enough in the news we have in the Text of the return which God had made unto his prayers Again He was a praying King Thou hast heard me or thou hast answered me It should seem then that he had been calling and crying unto the Lord. Yet thirdly He was a delivered King Thou art become my salvation And last of all He was a praise-returning King Therefore I will praise thee From all this I shall point out unto you three things of special and seasonable remark which I shall lay down as the ground-work of all that I have to say from this Verse and them that follow in the Text on this solemn occasion The First is That God is wont sometimes to exercise the Kings of 1