THE RIGHTEOUS RULER A Sermon preached at St Maries IN CAMBRIDGE June 28. 1660. Being appointed a day of publick Thanksgiving to God for the happy restauration of His Majesty to his Kingdomes By IOHN SPENCER B. D. Fellow of Corpus Christi Colledge in CAMBRIDGE 1 Chron. 29. 22 23. And all Israel did eat drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness and they made Solomon the son of David King the second time and anointed Him 〈…〉 Lord to be chief Governour and Zadok to be priest Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as King in stead of David his Father and prospered and all Israel obeyed Him Printed by JOHN FIELD Printer to the Universitie of CAMBRIDGE 1660. To the READER THe three first works we read of after the floud were A work of Piety the building of an Altar Gen. 8. 20. A work of pleasure Noah his planting of a Vineyard and drinking of the wine thereof to excess Gen. 9. 20 21. A work of policie the building of Babel Gen. 11. 4. National calamities are frequently in sacred Writ compared to a floud and such were the evils civil and spiritual England long laboured under a floud which covered the tops of our highest Mountains Princes and Nobles and threatned destruction as that did to Seths to the two pillars of our Land Magistracie and Ministrie Now upon the asswaging of such flouds there are three sorts of works which men according to their different principles entertain themselves withall Religious persons with works of piety and grateful acknowledgements to the God of their salvation Sensual persons about works of pleasure excessive drinking and sports like Swine wallowing the more in the mire the more the Sun shines on them Subtile persons about works of Policie the repairing and cieling of their own ruined houses stepping in first after the good Angels coming down to get cure for their civil evils in short there are ten that complain of a leprosie to one who is thankeful for the cure To the sacred memory therefore of our deliverance and to invite men to offer the sacrifices of praise to God I here build this altar and that after the law thereof Exod. 20. 25. of rude and unpollisht stones Heretofore we were ready to dance about every image of power made of the peoples Ear-rings and Jewels broken to pieces their laws and liberties violated while our Moses was in the cloud and we thought our selves justified with saying As for this Moses we wot not what is become of him but God hath been pleased to restore him to us again and by him to conduct us in a happy degree out of that wilderness condition the Nation was in Now to inkindle in our breasts a joyful and pious sense of this divine favour is the end of this ensuing Sermon to which the slightness of the materials may possibly render it not altogether disproportioned bonfires designed for the encreasing and expressing a publick joy art not made of solid timber the slightest materials are then most serviceable God hath not onely furnished us with an occasion but an ability to rejoice the joy of His Majesties entrance to his Kingdoms being assisted by the three National blessings Plenty Peace Health rarely in conjunction observed to grace the Inauguration of our English Kings I had not here been challengeable for so bold an attempt as the giving any character of His Sacred Majestie every pencil especially at so great a distance is not permitted to draw a Kings picture but I considered that honour and praise are reckoned not among the free-will-offerings but the necessary sacrifices to these gods upon earth good and righteous Princes It is prophesied of good King Solomon Psal. 72. 15. that prayer should be made for him continually and daily should he be praised a double honour which those that ruled ill before never had besides the Text in the latitude of its sense did invite me hereunto the Lxx reading it thus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when the righteous are commended the people rejoice I easily foresee that some passages herein will be indited of bitterness which therefore an ordinary policie would have prompted me to expunge but that I was well aware it is slight healing which commenceth not from a search of the wound the Apostle warrants a cutting reproof when a sin eats like a Gangrene into the credit or safety of a Church It is the Chirurgeons wisdom to accommodate his practice not to the humour but necessity of his Patient This Sermon is not presented to the eye with the same brevity it was to the ear Truth in some places requiring greater assistance then those few minutes allotted for such services in the Pulpit would allow Cambridge Iuly 23. 1660. J. S. The Righteous Ruler A Sermon preached at St. Maries in Cambridge Iune 28. 1660. being appointed a day of Publick Thanksgiving for His MAJESTIES restauration to His Kingdoms PROV. 29. 2. When the Righteous are in authority the people rejoice but when the Wicked bear rule the people mourn GOds government of the World is full of Riddles and Mysteries the Temple out of which the Angels the Ministers of Divine Providence proceed is said to be full of smoak Rev. 15. 8. and we never find the eyes of our Understandings to ake smart so much as when long detained in this smoakie Temple we are never more confounded and humbled into a sense of our own shortness then when long entertaining our thoughts about the mysteries of Divine Providence Now Providence is thus mysterious especially as the Wise man notes because of the strange checquer-work therein the wonderful vicissitudes and mixtures of happy and adverse occurrences A thing frequently noted in Scripture Dan. 2. 21. He changeth times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings 1 Sam. 2. 7. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up Eccl. 7. 14. In the day of prosperitie rejoice in the day of adversitie consider God hath set the one over against the other Job 12. 23. He increaseth the Nations and destroyeth them He enlargeth the Nations and straitneth them again and in the Text we find him sometimes setting up a righteous and anon a wicked Ruler the people sometimes rejoicing sometimes mourning That method which God observed in making of the World he sometimes observeth in governing of it he permits things to run first into a kind of Chaos and confusion that so his Saints like the Morning-starrs may sing praises to God when they see his Wisdom and Power issuing all things at last into excellent order beauty and composure Moreover the holy God doth by this variety of Providence adverse and prosperous most wisely keep alive a quick and vigorous sense of himself in the minds of men for we shall always find that a constant tenour of felicity an undisturbed enjoyment
people Deut. 32. 36. The Lord shall repent himself concerning his servants he will judge his people when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none left Isa. 63. 5. I looked and there was none to help therefore mine own arm brought salvation Thus is England saved and His Majestie restored alone by the arm of God made bare devested of all humane assistance now God doth not use magno conatu nihil agere when things come to us in a manner extraordinary we naturally expect great matters 2 His Majesties restauration was after a long night of misery and affliction upon the Nation We had written Ichabod upon Church and State I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land I will shake all Nations and then the desire of all Nations shall come sore throws before the birth Thus God shook our heaven and our earth our Church and State he shook all the three Nations and then His Majestie their true desire is restored Religion and peace like Abrahams sacrifice are usually intangled in a thicket before they are laid upon Gods altar commonly given in after many incumbrances and difficulties the forerunners of them It is the speech of God concerning the husbandman Isa. 28. 24 25. Doth the husbandman plough all day to sow doth he open and break the clods of his ground when he hath made plain the face thereof doth he not cast abroad the fitches and scatter the cummin and cast in the principal wheat Surely if the husbandman will do thus God after he hath suffered the ploughers to make long furrows on the back of the Church as the Psalmist speaks Psal. 129. 3. will at last cast in his precious seed The afflictions of Prince and people separated from each other have been great enough to endear each to other we have found that head and members when parted both bleed and that ut Regi viribus opus est ità populo capite Should I now dwell upon our Soveraigns crosses I could justifie my self by the example of the Holy Ghost more largely relating the sufferings of Job yet a Prince too then Solomons greatness and splendour but these the world is a witness to as it is of an Eclipse of the Sun As for the Nation never was that more eclipsed and fuller of darkness then when like the Moon in most direct opposition against our Sun our lawful Sovereign Our Moses rod was no sooner vilely thrown to the ground his power usurped by the populacy but it became a serpent to sting and afflict us Very guilty indeed the Nation hath formerly been of opposition against Kings The Scotch History mentions about 50 of their Kings deposed or imprisoned or falling by the hand of violence and a learned Antiquary had some years since computed 30 several rebellions in England since the Conquest If any shall account the mentioning so known a matter a discovery of the nakedness of my mother Country I shall acquit my self by the example of Ezra and Nehemiah confessing the sins of their people in the day of their return from the captivity Ezra 9. 7. But I hope that experience will teach us now to value His Majestie if not for his Vertue for his Necessity It is seldom the croud of men learn any thing by Aphorisms and politick Lectures but stripes enter into fools and I hope as the phrase is in Job we shall remember the battle and do so no more Fourthly His Majesty is greatly propense humbly to ascribe the honour of his restitution to the divine bounty and wisdom in his publick declarations and more private religious expressions Cardinal Richelieu was pleased once in a complement to profess himself desirous to be a Peer of France only ut sciret orbis qualis quantus est Ludovicus cujus radius rivus est Richilius and thus when a King shall own himself but as a monument of divine bounty and wisdom and power set up only to let the world see what God can do He is most likely to stand long and happy The Ancient Heathens upon any successful performance Plutarch tells us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they used to entitle Fortune and some good Genius thereunto so to decline the envy of men and of their Gods too But we shall find His Sacred Majestie we hope heartily intituling God to all that he now enjoys that so he may not be jealous of any retrenchment of his honour Whereas on the other side we shall finde nothing so frequently blasted from heaven as persons high and lofty in their own eys too great to acknowledge God in any enjoyment Is. 2. 12 13. The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan See Iob 40. 12. Prov. 6. 17. Isa. 5. 15. Luk. 1. 52. God is most especially jealous of Pride in Princes the many Kings of Assyria Persia Babylon perishing by presumption and self assuming are as a cloud of witnesses to abet this truth this sin God did especially caveat against in the King over his own people D. 17. 20. 2 Chr. 32. 25. Fifthly Another good omen of His Majesties happy reign is this there meet most eminently in him those two things which establish the throne and they are Mercy and Truth Prov. 20. 28. Mercy and Truth preserve the King and his throne is established by Mercy Hence David prays for the King thus Psal. 61. 7. O prepare Mercy and Truth which may preserve him Solomon especially recommends these two to his son Rehoboam Prov. 3. 3 4. Let not Mercy and Truth forsake thee so shalt thou finde favour in the sight of God and man These two be it spoken with reverence uphold the throne of God and therefore God especially upholds them Psal. 25. 10. Psal. 108. 4. A Statesman would have said that Policie and Power preserve the King No the Wise man who best knew tells us they are Mercy and Truth and with good reason for there are no two things so contrary to the end and to the continuance of government as cruelty and treachery such a Prince as hath both these meeting in him hath lost the two cheif instruments of action and they are amor fides love and trust for no man can love that Prince who owns no mercie nor trust him that regards not truth and it will be hard to recount many cruel and treacherous Princes happy and fortunate None ever counted it a Princes honour to rule over men as they do over beasts meerly by fear and the experience of all times hath proved it not to be his policie Semper metuet quem saeva pudebunt was a poetica licentia which a wise Prince will never warrant himself in If executions be few they will be charged upon the
so from attempting to cast its rider This David accordingly acknowledged Psal. 144. 2. It is God who subdueth the people under me Thirdly God abets Kings and Governours by those strange preservations vouchsafed by him to their persons There goes another kinde of life-guard about a King then men generally are aware of God hath this as his especial title Psal. 144. 10. The God that sheweth salvation unto Kings and he tells one of his Governours Hag. 2. 23. I have set thee as a signet upon my right hand The hearts of Kings but much more the times of Kings are in Gods hands Caesarem vehis fortunam ejus was a speech that had more sense in it then the heathen Prince that spake it was aware Kings are subject to more then ordinary dangers and therefore have a more then ordinary power concerned in their protection Many an Assassine hath found himself daunted with the raies of Majesty and deterred by an unexpected reverence possessing him from his intended villany and hath found cause to say to his Prince as Laban to Iacob Gen. 31. 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but God hath spoken to me saying speak not to Iacob neither good nor bad the instances of popish Princes falling by the hands of Assassinates are many but great deliverances hath God vouchsafed to Protestant Kings not above one being to be instanced in suffering any personal violence by a private hand Hence the title of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} given to Kings by the Ancients {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} S. Chrys. A King doth not fall like common men a prodigie in nature commonly gives us notice of his death Fourthly God justifies rule and authority by giving so often publick spirits to men in publick places A publick place may well enough suit an ambitious spirit but a publick spirit is the seal of authority it is Gods special gift Men are indeed naturally desirous to be at the top of the tree of fortune as it is called not that they might be more fruitfull and do more good but that they might be nearer the sun and more out of the reach of the hand of violence But a publick spirit it is I had almost said donum miraculosum given as a seal to authority and we shall finde the highest instances of it in persons eminently called by God to some publick trust in Moses praying God rather to blot him out of his book then not to pardon his people Exod. 32. 32. and in David against me and my fathers house let thine hand be and not against these sheep 2 Sam. 24. 27. and the Apostle charactereth a lawfull Magistrate by this spirit Rom. 13. 4. He is the Minister of God for good to thee It is God who gives Magistrates to consider non traditam sibi populi servitutem sed tutelam It is noted of Augustus Cesar that when once he was possest of the Empire all his former arts of wickedness fraud and tyranny the low stratagems of a particular narrow spirit he wholly discarded and addicted himself intirely to the love defence and advancement of the commonwealth of Rome and like Saul when called to the government was turned into another man ut satis constaret saith one divino quodam munere mutatum formatum tantum principem Men that are intended but for a narrow place and sphere like the snail in its little house turn out horns not arms to every body else It is seldome seen that God so far owns an Usurper as to vouchsafe this seal of authority a truly publick spirit It is seldome that he gives him a heart to use his power really to the peoples good some good things he may sometimes do to compound with the people but nothing out of a publick spirit and a real fatherly affection Men naturally seek their own and love to be at ease Cain spake his own sense and of most wicked men Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper Ambitious spirits like flame the higher they rise the more they are contracted into the narrow point of self by the constringency of ambient fears jealousies and distrusts It is Gods highest owning of a person in power when he makes him like Mordecai Esth. 10 3. a person seeking cordially the wealth of his people and speaking peace to them when contrary to his natural temper like Solomon he gives him largeness of heart in which there may be room for more then himself when he gives him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a free or as the word imports a royal a princely spirit Fifthly God seals to Authority and Sovereignty by that extraordinary direction and assistance which he often gives his substitutes in the administration of their office which is sometimes very strange It is the speech of Solomon Prov. 16. 10. A divine speech is in the lips of a King his mouth transgresseth not in judgement Deo nimirum cujus vices gerit ejus sententiam moderante The intimacy between God and a good King is greater then men think of God hath made Princes in judicature as it were his own oracles to the people Infallibility is more annexed to the chair of Moses then to the chair of Peter supposing the Prince be not wanting to himself by conversing with Gods law and mans he is most likely to have God of his councel A King sometimes sees per emissionem radiorum by an unexpected emission of those beams of light and wisdome whereby he scatters the mists of fraud and imposture cast before his eyes to procure wickedness indemnity There were three ways especially by which God of old bore witness to a person and justified his bearing rule and authority over a people 1. as was observed by giving him a publick spirit suitable to his publick place 2. by moving the hearts of people to own and obey the person so set up by God 1 Sam. 10. 26. 2 Sam. 19. 14. 1 King 12. 20. 1 Chron. 29. 23 24. Psalm 144. 2. 3. By giving him an understanding heart a spirit of wisdome Deut. 34. 9. 2 Sam. 14. 17. 1 Sam. 10. 16. 1 King 4. 29. Great was the assistance God gave to his substitutes of old in judgement Grotius telleth us he that diligently reads over the old Testament Plures reperturus est Principes Prophetas quà m Prophetas sacerdotes shall finde more Kings who were Prophets then Prophets that were Priests that so they might be the better fitted for the discharge of their weighty office and no question God is more assistant to Kings under the Gospel to teach them what they shall do then we are aware He judgeth amongst the Gods in an especial manner judicio insito as Iehoshaphat told his judges 2 Chron. 19. 6. Ye judge for the Lord who is with you in judgement Sixthly God justifies Authority and Magistracy by his strange
continuance thereof so long in the world against all opposition made against it Great bandying there hath been against government at all times by the sons of Belial opposition against the eminency of Magistracy the spirit within us lusteth to envy against the restraint thereof Jude v. 8. Some despise dominion not onely Governours but Government it self is a burden to them Government is stiled the ordinance of God those that are above other ordinances are above this most of all There are three inward and three outward guards which God in mercy hath vouchsafed the world to keep sin out of it the three inward are the common principles of nature some remaining characters of that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} antiently written upon the tables of our hearts 2. the dictates of Gods holy Spirit and silent whispers of that 3. the checks of an enlightened conscience the three outward are the sacred Scripture the Ministry with the spiritual and Magistracy with the civil sword now men fight with all these guards smother the light of nature grieve the spirit harden their consciences reject the Scriptures despise prophesyings and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the word is lay aside and null what they are able Magistrates and Dominions but now as we argue that the Scripture the light of nature the Ministry the checks of conscience are of Gods own appointing and owned by him in that all the malice of men and devils could never quite remove null and abolish them so we may conclude Magistracy sealed to by heaven in that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} men without law could never quit themselves thereof Many people have thrown off Governors but never any could throw off Government no sooner have they cut off one head but another comes up in the room thereof Government and Magistracy is a bush of thorns that pricks and tortures wicked men and it hath been often on fire and had long ere this been consumed but as we have reason to believe God is in it his mighty power is engaged in its defence This God owns Psal. 75. 3. The earth and all the inhabitants are dissolved but I bear up the pillars of it Seventhly God hath attested unto Sovereignty by suffering none of his servants in Scripture few or none in story to be guilty of wilfull opposing of lawfull authority or usurping the place of their lawfull Governour We finde many a wicked man guilty of this sin of opposing the Magistrate mentioned in the first particular many of deposing as Ieroboam in part Athaliah Zimri Herod and others but no good man in Scripture guilty of either And few or none shall we meet with in story guilty of this sin Tertullian apologizing for Christians among other things alledgeth this in their defence that among all the Assassins of Emperours nunquam inveniri potuerunt Christiani and Salmasius observes that not till much beneath the times of Austine occurs there any mention of any private Christian in all Ecclesiastick history qui Regi suo manus cruentas attulcrit vel qui armis contra Regem pugnarit and a late writer hath inlarged the observation telling us that in the succession of about six ages no man of any learning and reputation attempted any thing against the interest or honour of Princes excepting Lucifer Calaritanus who spake rude and unbeseeming words against Constantius the Arrian Emperour but to impeach the credit of his practise He is noted by S. Ambrose for a person that separated himself from the communion of the Church but as reverence to other divine commands wore off in time as the power that exalteth it self above all that is called God obtained in the world so to this among the rest of obedience to lawfull authority Gods olives and vines decline the Magistrates place whiles brambles scratch every one that would get above them None so easie to drive as Christs sheep they are the swine of the world that are hard to drive men of strong lusts and proud spirits which create Magistrates the greatest trouble They are filthy dreamers who despise dominion Jude v. 8. Eighthly God abets authority by that special blessing which he generally vouchsafeth upon the due execution of justice by men in power and Sovereignty It is seldome seen that private revenge though the matter of it might be just and deserved hath been happy and successfull whereas generally vindicta publica the punishment inflicted by a Magistrate in vindication of injured innocence hath succeeded happily Commonly private revenges take off one enemy and invite many but publick revenge executed by the rules of justice procures Gods especial blessing upon a person or nation Jer. 22. 3. Thus saith the Lord Execute judgement and righteousness and deliver the oppressed and I will bless you c. Prov. 21. 3. God in the first ages of the world did govern it and administer justice oftentimes immediately by his own hand and punished many a person as we reade with death for the violation of his laws whereas now God hath committed as all spiritual judgement to his son so all civil judgement to the Magistrate and therefore Gad hath a special blessing pronounced upon him for executing the justice of the Lord Deut. 33. 21. and in him every righteous magistrate These eight particulars laid together will evidence God to be a very great abettour and justifier of rule and Sovereignty in the world We learn hence two things 1. The unjustness of that charge so often drawn up against Religion as if an enemy to government a patron of State-disturbance When ever there have been state troubles atheists cry out Tantum relligio potuit c. religious persons have been alway thought the Iona's in the ship when there hath been a storm in the state Eliah esteemed a troubler of Israel 1 Kings 18. The apostles Acts 24. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and Acts 17. 6. those which turnd the world up side down so Esth. 3. 8. Some conceive this was the reason why Cyrus gave command so punctually to build the Temple but threescore cubits broad and threescore cubits high even a politick jealousie of the strength thereof as occasion might serve The heathens used to reproach the Gospel upon this account as may be collected probably from 1 Pet. 2. 14 15. Submit your selves unto Governours as unto them who are sent of God c. For so is the will of God that in well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolishmen whose mouths upon neglect of this duty were like an open Sepulchre to bury the good name of Christianity and the professors of it So 1 Tim. 6. 1. And we read in history of a pillar set up with this inscription Nomini Christianorum deleto qui Rempublicam evertebant Polititians have been always jealous of pretenders to Religion lest it should be used like the holy Ephod to hide a Sword