Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A56794
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Sheba's conspiracy and Amasa's confederacy, or, A modest vindication of the national association entred into by the Honorable House of Commons, Feb. 25th, 1695 being a sermon preach'd in the parish-church of St. James Clarkenwell, March 29th / by D. Pead ...
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Pead, Deuel, d. 1727.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing P964; ESTC R3632
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17,091
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32
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Slaves and Vassals than like a Free People or God's Heritage That this was foretold of Saul the 18 Ver. makes appear where it is said Ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye shall have chosen What Fancy or Good will could these People have for a King of whom they had received so terrible an Account by God's holy Prophet yet read Ver. 19. all this moved them not but they persisted saying but we will have a King Who could have thought the Jews to be so stupid and senseless Yet we have heard others that match them crying out we will have a King we will have the Crown descend in the Right Line notwithstanding more dangerous Circumstances than these foretold of Saul were notoriously apparent in the Successour But what shall we say some are yet madder than Jews and they are such who once groaned under Saul's Persecution and yet when God who had punished them by granting their desire was pleased to relieve them for he did as is said Hosea 13.11 gave them a King in his anger and took him away in his wrath Instead of saying the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the name of the Lord we hear them blowing their Trumpets with Traitor Sheba and saying we have no part in David nor inheritance in the Son of Jesse Thus much of the Person Rejected turn we now our Eyes to the Person Elected His Name was David or Beloved he was indeed endowed with such wonderful Abilities and Perfections as were sufficient to conciliate the Love of all but Monsters Much I need not speak for the Scripture is every where so plentiful in his Commendation however you may take notice that you may the better judge of Sheba's unworthy Desertion 1. That this King David of whom Sheba and his wicked Crew was so weary was a King of God's chusing The People chose Saul as you read 1 Sam. 8.18 for have Saul they would though forewarn'd of his ill Qualities but God chose David 1 Sam. 16.12 When David appeared the Lord said unto Samuel arise anoint him for this is he Whoso readeth the first Verse of that Chapter will find Samuel something loth to go upon the Employment of Anointing a new King but he was not so backward but God was as urgent asking him How long wilt thou mourn for Saul Samuel mourned not for Saul's Deposition but Impenitence otherwise he had shewed himself discontented with what God had done which be it far from us to imagine however we may see God likes not too much Lamenting the Person he had Rejected how then would he have taken it if Samuel had made any Attempts to restore such an one I should have thought if the Troop of Non-Jurors had drawn up against this Text they would have been utterly routed but they never discover'd this Enemy We cannot now expect that God should give such plain and positive Directions as formerly in the Elections of Kings yet are we not left without all Rule for surely when we see unconceivable Hindrances remov'd when we see that all that Force Wit and Power can do miraculously disappointed and that the way to the Throne as inaccessible as it was thought made smooth and easie without Blood Treachery or Cruelty what can we say less than that God hath done all this in favour of his Chosen In plain terms we are taught by our Religion to ascribe all good Things to God because every good Gift cometh from him Who then dare say this is not a good and a great Gift that God hath given us viz. a Wise and Valiant Prince and with him a new Lease and I hope a very long one of our Religion Laws and Liberties 2. Another Particular manifesting Sheba's Complaint to be unjust and the alienating Israel's Hearts from David to be traiterous is David was not only chosen of God but he was the better of the two 1 Sam. 15.28 Samuel told Saul that God had not only rent the Kingdom from him but that he had given it to a Neighbour of his who was better than him I cannot but take notice of this pious Courage in God's Priest he was neither Son of Fear nor Slave of Flattery he could not call a wicked Saul a most gracious and Religious King but he told him that God had chosen a better not that David was so much Saul's Better by Nature as Grace for God had given him a better Spirit more obedient and ready to do the Will of God and set forth his Glory in Governing of the People committed to his charge in Godliness Peace and Wealth So much did David excell Saul that he is said to be a man after Gods own Heart 1 Sam. 13.14 and as St. Paul in his Sermon at Antioch 13. Acts 22. adds which shall fulfill all thy Will Hence it is easie to know who is the King of God's Election or the King after God's own Heart namely he that delighteth in doing the Will of God he that upholdeth true Religion Justice and Honesty in his Dominions which are agreeable to the Will of God David was really much better than Saul not so much in regard of his extraordinary Endowments as his gracious Performances we find 78 Psal 72. he fed God's People according to the Integrity of his heart he gave them not Stones for Bread he guided them by the skilfulness of his hands he provided faithfully for his Subjects he guided them by the best of Counsel and defended them by the utmost of his Power he neither sold nor betray'd them he neither enslav'd nor impoverish'd them 2 Sam. 8.15 he executed Judgment and Justice unto all his People so that there was no crying out nor complaining for want of Justice in the Streets of Jerusalem Before David's time Religion was unsettled the Ark was always shifting from place to place but by David it was settled at Jerusalem Surely it is a remarkable Happiness and such as may render a Government blessed and acceptable to have Religion settled that we halt not between two Opinions being in some places permitted to worship God and in others called to adore Jeroboam's Calves We read indeed Ezek. 11.11 of some Princes that accounted their chief Cities as Cauldrons and their People as Flesh to be sod therein Unhappy the People that are in such a Case and yet the time was our City was a Furnace and heated sufficiently to consume the Inhabitants as well as their Goods and Houses Jezabel had no other Opinion of Kingly Power than that it gave the Possessor a free liberty of doing what he would right or wrong and therefore when Ahab made a Conscience of taking away Nabal's Vineyard she accosted him saying 1 Kings 21.7 Dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel I fear she was not the last Queen that tempted a King to the Abuse of his Power Who can believe that God will ever permit his Power to be turned upon himself and such Princes
as will by force turn out the True Religion to set up Idolatry do nothing less than by their pretended Jure Divino abrogate God's Jura Divina they make use of the Ordinance of God to beat down the Worship of God David far surpassed Saul in that he Ruled well and in the Fear of God for the Word saith 1 Tim. 5.19 that such are worthy of double Honour And lest some should say the People take too much upon them when they presume to judge whether their Kings and Princes Rule well to this it may be answered Let the Laws of God and the Laws of the Land determine this Point If they approve the manner of Governing it is well let the People say what they will but if they condemn it it it ill let Flatterers say what they please or can 3. Sheba's Uneasiness under David's Government and his Plotting and Conspiring against him is more unreasonable in that David had the Blessing of God upon his Reign 2 Sam. 8.14 The Lord prospered David whithersoever he went He gave him a strong and courageous Heart to fear no Dangers he gave him Skill and Strength of Arms to extricate himself out of them God taught his Fingers to fight and gave him Ability to break a Bow of Steel to break the greatest Strength of his Enemies his Enemies either fled before him or humbly crouched down to him the Lord's hand was with him and made whatever he did to prosper God breathed upon his pious Undertakings all things went on successfully Victory waited on his Sword and Safety on his Counsel If his Enemies engag'd they were disheart'ned if they Plotted and Conspired they were by wonderful Providences detected and defeated God blessed him at home making his People willing and obedient he blessed him abroad in giving him Honour among his Allies and wonderfully covering his Head in the Day of Battel Whether he went through the Water or through the Fire God went with him In short he taught him to do such wonderful things as the Kings of the Earth were astonished to behold it was easier with him to do them than with them to understand them To apply what hath been spoken If I were now to speak to you in the Words of the High-Priest Matth. 26.65 You have heard the whole Matter you have heard Sheba's double Blasphemy blaspheming God and the King for he that speaketh against the Person chosen speaketh against him that chose him likewise now what think you I am perswaded you would forthwith answer in the Words you find Ver. 66. He is verily guilty of Death It is therefore now time to tell you the Case we are speaking off is nearer you than the Land of Judea it is come home to your own doors Divers Sheba's several Jacobites have long reviled and despised our Gracious Soveraign King William and not fatisfied herewith they are come to that height of Impudence Blush oh ye Heavens Tremble O Earth at the monstrous Cowardice and Baseness encouraged by the Late King James and the French King to attempt his Life which God defend Weigh what you have heard and see if such Conspirators are fitting to live or their Abettors to wear a Crown Take therefore I advise you the wholsome and the expedient Counsel of Amasa And God grant that all of you may from the bottom of your Hearts Religiously promise to our King what he did to David 1 Chron. 12.18 Thine are we David and on thy side thou son of Jesse Peace Peace be unto thee and Peace be to thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee I needed not to have set before you this Association of the Worthies of Israel because you have so lately had the pious glorious and loyal Example of the Parliament of England however you may hereby reap this Advantage you see what these Honourable Persons have now done is no more than what God's Servants of old were wont to do when God blessed them with a good King To wit to stand by him own him assist him and defend him against all Pretenders Usurpers Traitors Conspirators and Invaders whatsoever Now if neither of both these confirm you in true Loyalty and Allegiance how unpardonable will your Neutrality or Revolt be But I will speak of no such thing because I am satisfied you have been better taught Yet I will take the liberty to sound in your Ears a short Alarum if you are not in this juncture of time stanch faithful true trusty and loyal what will your Enemies conclude otherwise of you than that your denying to stand by your King is a giving them your Consent and leave to extirpate your Religion And can you call your selves Christians and give them the least occasion to think so If you will not Associate and Join in the Defence of your King your refusal is a sounding of Sheba's Trumpet and a calling the Enemy on to bind your gracious King with Chains and your Princes and Nobles with Links of Iron nay to assassinate the one and to murder the other and can you with patience behold such dreadful Spectacles If you draw back and will not Associate your Laws will be subverted and what Pretender to Honesty would live to see that Day Your Liberties will be enslav'd and can an English Spirit brook this Your Country a happy rich pleasant and fertile Soil will be harrassed with Fire and Sword what Heathen would endure it Your Wives and Children must be abused rifled ravished and after all murdered and who can live when all these things come to pass Let therefore these Considerations unite confirm and establish you in standing by your gracious Sovereign King William Now a Word farther because I hear some raising an Objection against this my Counsel by pretending it goes against their Conscience to join in the present Association for the Word Revenge is in it and this they sear is inconsistent with Christianity I read indeed that wicked Joab fled for Sanctuary to the Horns of the Altar but that Place was too holy to protect a Wretch so bloody and so infamous and pray what Right have these Ruffians of the most Christian King falsly so call'd to appeal to Christianity when they practice so little of it However I readily agree that the Christian Religion is irreconcileable to Revenge but how as it is the effect of Malice and Passion but not as it is the Act of Justice for did not our Religion allow of pursuing and executing lawful Vengeance on bloody Villains and Assassines it would rather prove a Refuge for all manner of Wickedness than a Rule for Piety and Justice However let us consider the Words of the Association at which some seem to stumble They are these as I am inform'd We do hereby farther freely and unanimously oblige our selves to Vnite Associate and stand by each other in Revenging His Majesty's violent untimely Death upon His Majesty's Enemies and their Adherents I see nothing here that can amuse any Man for when a