Doctrine of Loyalty all Subjects may be for ever rightly informed in Judgement and instructed in Life Or if any hereafter should be disloyal which God forbid it would be for Reproof of the Weak and for Correction of the Wicked Our Nations have been a long time under great reproach let this Sermon witness to the World That the Lord hath rolled our reproach away in that he hath wrought us into the temper of his Darling Judah Bowing all our hearts even as the heart of one man to become truely Loyal God dealt thus with Judah but he hath dealt more graciously with us for it was but the heart of all the men of Judah or if Judah and Israel had both been joyned they had been the hearts of only One Nation and no more But with us God hath done more wonderfully in that he hath bowed the hearts of Two Nations Three Nations all at once as if Three Nations had but one heart And at his Majesties Return such Rejoycings were on all hands as never England saw before The King in his Proclamation is pleased to acknowledge That both his Royal heart and the hearts of his People were as full of mutual love and confidence and joy as became such a Restitution of King and People Now Sir let this be writ in Marble Job 19.23,24 Oh that they were Printed in a Book that they were graven with an Iron Pen and laid in the Rock for ever Records may last long yet time may injure them but these words with Job I would have last for ever That King and Subjects kept at distance by Usurped Powers for about Twelve years yet then met together with such love and confidence and joy yea with such testimonies of love and confidence and joy in Bonefires Bells Trumpets Thunderings of Shot and singing of Prayses as if Heaven and Earth had met Before this we were the reproach of Nations indeed but now tell me France Italy Spain Germany or any other Countrey if ever was the like day in any of your Nations Surely this was the Lords doing and it was and is and for ever will be marvellous in our eyes The Lord bless these Papers and all your labour to the good of his Church So prayes Your unworthy Brother In the work of the Ministery Isaac Ambrose Gacslang Aug. 21. 1660. Vsurpation Defeated AND DAVID RESTORED II SAM 19. 14. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah even as the heart of one man so that they sent this word unto the King Return thou and all thy Servants THis vers is a part of the very remarkable History of Davids return to his Kingdom after the Rebellion and Usurpation of his ambitious Son Absalom It is easie to see the scope of the story in reviewing the Context After the death of Absalom the people of Israel speak of fetching the King back as it is vers the 9. and 10. of this chap. David sends to the house of Judah a Message and Declaration to be delivered by Zadok and Abiathar to the Elders of Judah v. 11 12. another to Amasa the General of Absaloms Army v. 13. the effect of which Message and Declaration you have in the words of the Text which is two-fold 1. The universal and cordial inclination of the people towards the King in these words And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah even as the heart of one man 2. The Loyal Message and invitation they sent to him of returning to his Kingdom and Royal City in these words So they sent this word to the King Return thou and all thy Servants We shall briefly explain the words whereby you will still more clearly discern their Emphasis and their suteableness to the present occasion And he he bowed This relative is conjectured to refer to divers antecedents 1. He Some will have it to be David he that is David by his gracious Message and Declaration of his tenderness to his people and readiness to forgive to pardon Amasa and to prefer him upon his submission did hugely sway with the Elders of Judah and with all the people that forthwith they sent unto him 2. He some will have it to be Zadok or Abiathar to whom the Message was sent they were of the Priests of the Lord had interest in the Elders and People too and appearing satisfied in the Kings message they bowed the people to this unanimous and dutifull complyance God hath oft made use of his servants in the Ministry in furthering such works as these are by them 3. Some will have him to be Amasa Indeed he is the immediate antecedent the message to him is in the next verse before The King offering him so fairly and he having the power of the Sword commanding the people in Arms and now returning to his loyalty and obedience he had influence upon all the people hereby towards their inviting in the King again God often hath made great changes in Nations by the change of the Generals heart Thus Abner brought back Israel to David before 2 Sam. and Amasa might do it now Whether David is the he or the Priest or the General whether King or Zadok or Amasa is not material any of them might be instrumental And all have been so in our case to the like purpose But we must say 4. This he may be God and it must be so if we understand a principal efficient by it God bowed the heart of the men of Judah none could do it but he who hath the heart of all men in his hand And though Davids message might do much and Zadoks faithfull speech much and the Elders compliance with the King might have influence upon the people and Amasa with the Sword in his hand might do more in this business yet God did work by them all and was the chief Doer Whether he be primarily meant in the Text or no yet he is necessarily and chiefly to be implyed and understood in the business It is the great work of the Lord whoever are instruments in it by what means soever it is brought to pass that the heart of the people is thus bowed c. He bowed This word implyes two things 1. That there had been a contrary temper in the heart of the people It was averse enough unto David It did stand desperately opposite and stiffe and hardned toward him yet now it is bowed 2. That there is now a compliance wrought which yet was not of it self but brought upon it by means It was bowed It did not yield it self of it self but was taken hold of as it were and brought down to a compliance by strong hand It was of refractary and exceeding opposite made as compliant as could be expected or desired The heart It is not said the hearts of all the men of Judah in the plural number but heart in the singular to denote That oft there is a general spirit prevails upon the people of a Land they are one
a few weeks since have bin throwing stones at David and casting dust in the ayre and cursing him What a worke is this the people that slighted this Moses now receive him loyally and cordially The Shimei's that cursed him now are ready to go first out to meet him The very same Barbarians that count Paul a Murderer when the Viper 's on his hand have much ado to with-hold sacrifice from him as a God when they see the Viper shaken off into the Fire and he unhurt What hath the Lord wrought When now we have command authority to pray for the King which a few Months since should have been accounted Treason Prov. 11.8 The Righteous are delivered out of trouble and the wicked are come in their stead This is a wonderful change a mighty work that is wrought 2. That this is brought to pass so suddenly and unexpectedly God hath done for us Isa 64.3 things we looked not for It is the Lord that hath thus subdued David's People under him That they which drove him out or durst not appear to call him in should now all unanimously appear and that even as it were one soul should possess all the people and they should joyn to call the King back Psal 18.47 114 3. It is the Lord that subdues my People under me said David As it was said of the change of Religion in Hezekiah's time 2 Chron. 29.30 God had prepared the heart of the People for the thing was done suddenly The House may soon be reared when all the Materials are prepared and made ready and framed to setting up The Lord laid this business in his own counsel he fitted the heart of the people to concur in the Fundamentall Constitutions of the Nation as the onely means of our preservation opened almost all mens eyes to see the hypocrisie selfishness tyranny and falsity of those that had thus long abused us And so the work upon this opportunity is done suddenly 3. That God hath therein so much vindicated Religion and his own glory One great thing that troubled David in his flight from Absolom was That his Enemies daily said There was no help for him in his God Psal 3.2 A Psalm penned upon this very occasion and this troubled him more then any thing it was like Psal 42.10 a Sword in his Bones while the Enemy still said Where is now thy God Oh how oft was God's people run through with this reproach How were they mocked with their prayers How was God's Providence blasphemed How did the Enemies brag that they had gotten God to their side 2 Kings 18 25 and that they were not come up without God against us But the Lord made the Enemies know that David was not forgotten he works now the other way for ever to silence the Enemy about Successes When was ever such a work wrought in al they have blasphemously bragg'd for them as God hath now wrought against them Those wretched Gyants that would pretend they build by his allowance because they had his permission he hath now at once come down and confounded their Language and spoil'd their Babel in a moment It may be now said Psa 58.11 Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous Verily hee is a God that judgeth in the Earth We can shew the Phanatique now where our God is 4 ly The work is wonderful in that such way is made for a perfect settlement Trees shaken by the Wind take Root the faster David is not onely brought back to the Throne but no doubt it is setled faster than ever by the late convulsion upon it We may conceive the people seeing the premunire the ambitious Usurpers had led them into the loss they had sustained by it the danger they were in if they might now have the King's favour would be more firm to him then ever they were and more wary of hearkening to Usurppers while they lived The King also might see somewhat that Absolom might catch to make a grievance of for the people that they should thereupon â—oin in commotion against him and so might remove that prejudice and see to the Administration of Justice to prevent the like discontent for the time to come They have liberty several of them to shew their good affection in bringing him back and so to have pardon upon which they might be firmly engaged to him and so the state more happy in King and People for ever after as it appears one Sheba after made a slight Rebellion but few followed him and as easily it was quelled No such cure of a Nations discontents as when people find that patience is better then any remedies of their own that can be applyed I shall not here speak of things that have passed in this Nation these last twenty years for I am but of yesterday sad breaches have been between Prince and People King and Parliament God hath sadly afflicted both and I hope pardoned both Why should we now go about to lay the fault at either door when God seems to be in a way of forgiveness of it And sure the Lord hath put such an opportunity into our hands of a perfect settlement as we have not had before Dulce est bellum inexpertis Sure God hath taught us for being forward in drawing the Sword again in hast O a desperate remedy it is and especially when this is well considered that there was an Enemy that was lately in Power would have made no difference between any sober men of each party in the Nation God having joined us in the deliverance cannot we keep together after it Why should not the old enmity be laid aside God hath undertaken and answered the honest desires of all What the Allegiance and Conscience of Duty obligeth some unto that the same Principles and the Covenant in like manner oblige others unto You are for the King 's just Rights we are for the same Why then should we not be all one Especially when his Majesty doth use such pathetical terms in his own Declarations even now read unto us to command invite and coniure us to lay aside all animosities c. as he doth we are agreed at present or may be if we will And have we not had enough of the old quarrel If either obedience to God or the King sway with us we must lay down our sinful and uncomfortable distances and be united as God hath united us in this great mercy which he hath granted to us all to make us friends We may allude to that of Jehoash to Amaziah 2 Kings 14.9 We had best thistles fight with Cedars and one with another till God find another wild beast to eat up the Thistle Hath God found out our Joseph for us and shall we now fall out by the way about the guilt of his loosing There is great hopes of a perfect settlement when God hath thus suffered us to tyre our selves in our confusions and divisions these
Usurpation Defeated AND David Restored Being an Exact Parallel between DAVID And our most Gracious Soveraign King Charls II. In their dangerous Dissettlement and wonderfull Restauration Laid open in a SERMON on II SAM XIX 14. PREACHED On the Publique Solemn Day of Thanksgiving MAY 24. 1660 in the Collegiate Church of Manchester in the County Palatine of LANCASTER By HENRY NEWCOME Master in Arts and Minister of the Gospel there Prov. 24 21. My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change LONDON Printed for Ralph Shelmerdine Bookseller in Manchester 1660. To the HONOURABLE Sir GEORGE BOOTH BARONET one of the Members of the Honourable House of COMMONS The RIGHT WORSHIPFULL Sir RALPH ASHTON of Middleton Knight Baronet And the RIGHT WORSHIPFULL RICHARD HOLLAND Esq Renowned Sirs THis Sermon preached some Moneths since and at the importunity of many Friends now published which hath gotten of all this time of its suspension and intended utter suppression no higher an esteem with its unworthy Author had need when forced out to seek for Patronage Neither are there any to whom I could more willingly and confidently engage my self for such a favour then your selves whom I have cause to preferre in my thoughts not only for your undeserved Respects upon occasion to my self which I would hereby with all thankfulnesse acknowledge but also for the Renowned Undertakings Hazards and Sufferings you have undergone for the Publique It is gratefull to me that I should by the Providence of God Date this Epistle to such a Sermon in this Moneth which but a year since was the season of so many hazards and dreadfully threatning Dangers to your selves principally and to many others with this poor Town of MANCHESTER which so willingly offered themselves with you in that Cause of GOD you so signally engaged in Shall it ever be forgotten by us what the Lord hath wrought May not that holy Providence and Power of his be for ever adored that hath in such a short time turned for us our Mourning into Rejoycing That those proud Waves should be so soon and remarkably broken upon us and be now like waters that are passed away I hope the profit of these Dangers and Deliverances shall remain with us as a sufficient and lasting ground of engagement upon our hearts to fear serve trust and delight in that God who hath thus wrought for us And if this poor service may any way tend to the recording and perpetuating of our sense of this wonderfull Mercy and of our faithfull and loyal engaging for and rejoycing in the glorious Return of his Gracious Majesty to these Nations wherein the People of these Two Counties engaging with you as their faithfull and active Leaders have cause to conceive they have a double share I have the utmost I could aim at in this so despicable an undertaking And humbly craving pardon for this boldness I commit you to the blessing of that God that performeth all things for us And am Your unfaignedly affectionate And unworthyest Servant In the GOSPEL Henry Newcome Manchester Aug. 29. 1660. TO THE Reverend his Worthy Friend Mr. HENRY NEWCOME Minister of CHRIST at MANCHESTER REVEREND SIR ONce more by especial Providence I have had a view of another Sermon of yours In the former you opened a Dore of Hope for Sinners meeting with their God and in this you have opened another Dore for Subjects meeting with their Soveraign The distance betwixt God and Sinners was great Heaven and Hell are opposite and between them there is a great gulf fixed And how powerfully did you make appear that the Gulf might be shot that Heaven and Earth might meet that God and Sinners might be reconciled Ezr. 10 2. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing The distance likewise between our Soveraign and his Subjects was very great True Soveraignty is from Heaven Rom. 13.1 The Powers that be are ordained of God But Rebellion and Treason are from Hell they are 1 Sam. 15.23 as the Sin of Witchcraft which is ordered and ordained by the Devil and betwixt these there was a great Gulf or Sea for one Land could not bear them both And yet how ably have you made it appear That Seas might be crossed That the Powers from above and Treasons from the deep might peaceably meet That his Majesty and Subjects might be reconciled It was not impossible with God to bow the hearts of all the men of England even as the heart of one men so that they should send this word unto the King Return thou and all thy Servants Me thinks I look upon these two Sermons as two Twins which though they came not out together in one day yet they were conceived in one Womb and they made haste one after the other And now being come to light they resemble each other both in matter and form As the two Tables were both of Stone and were both hewed by Moses at Gods appointment and in the one of them is written our Duty to God and in the other our Duty to our Neighbour so are these two Sermons for their matter as precious Stones and for their form hewed out by your self by Gods own ordering and in the one of them is written our especial Duty to God pointed out in the first Commandement of the first Table and in the other is our Duty to Man 1 Pet. 2.13 our Head our King our Supream pointed out in the first Commandement of the second Table Eph. 6.2 which is the first Commandement with Promise Were it not pity that any man should put asunder those things which God hath joyned together You have taught us comfortably to hope in God and shall we be deprived of that second Lesson To honour the King What if this Table hath been by some as broken and laid aside the Lord hath put it into your heart to hew it again and by his assistance you have fairly written the words of the Covenant My humble advice is that such a Talent may not be hid and buryed in the Earth but as you have Preached it so you would please to Print it and make it yet more legible to all the World You may think it is now out of Date his Majesty who was invited to Return is now Returned And what then 1. It was one of the most seasonable Sermons that ever I read it was a Word fitly spoken And I should look upon that Book as an Ornament in my Study which I might call Prov. 25.11 Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver But 2. It is of constant and continual use As the words in the Text were only in season when David lived and when that Negotiation was transacted yet to this day as now we see is that Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousnesse So will this Sermon be till the Worlds end From this one
him in his former troubles that then he promised to serve the Lord So that it is not only the pretext of a meer Vow for that time or of so much Religion only as might be expressed in what accompanyed a Vow but he would make this Vow not only a part of his intended religiousness towards God but an Introduction into a more strict course then heretofore He would thus begin and henceforward be very strict and serious in the Lords service And now how much might this take with the people not only to get them into his Conspiracy but to tye them to him when they were in They might a little startle when they heard him declare to Usurp the Kingdome but then this would sway much with the people He is known to be a great Favourer of the publique Liberty and a man that we see owns the service of God and sets out Religiously and therefore we may the better venture with him He doth not declare against the Temple not threaten to cast off the true God and to introduce Idolatry but in his very entrance into his work pretends more then ordinary piety and devotion It is easie in our parallel to finde out an Absalom that had a design to aspire that never shewed much Religion till it would advance a wicked design On the suddain he is religious the only popular man all for devotion and the Lords service Oh! say the poor people this cannot be murther and rebellion and usurpation and perjury that such men as these are engaged in They are not prophane notorious sensual men but men of the greatest profession of the strictest life c. In nomine Domini incipit omne malum A Proverbial speech first taken up from the Popes Murtherous Bulls and Edicts that used to come out thus in Christs name It hath been one of the designs of the Devil since the Church was Christian to bring in his greatest persecutions under the disguise of some great profession the matter else would want Complices to carry it on A vile man in esteem with a good design would have a few followers and a seeming good man hath a great advantage in his hand of betraying many to a bad business if he dare lead in it Men are too apt to follow men and can hardly keep out of Errour if a tolerable person undertake their conduct It is hard for the vulgar to distinguish between good men and bad actions as if it must cease to be evil when such men dare engage in it Whereas men should judge men by their actions and not actions by men Oh! what pretenses of Religion and godliness hath there been in the late mischiefs that have been perpetrated calling upon God appealing unto God to decide the controversie nay perpetrating villany upon impulses pretended from the Spirit of God security of Religion liberty for tender Consciences c. This hath been cryed up as their Good Old Cause that had the blood of Kings and Prophets at the bottom of it like that Mic. 2.10,11 They build up Sion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Nay their unheard of villanies are made the fulfilling of their Vows no return for their deliverances and victories so proper as to rase our Foundations murther our King pull down the Ministry c. as no doubt it was in design yet all along to advance Religion too None so cruel among the Turks as a Renegado Christian and so none more like to ruine Religion then the Apostate Professor and much the more if in truth an Apostate and yet a Professor still Absalom we know not what a King he might have proved he was never tryed ours have had time enough to have shewed some of their great good they seemed to be big with but we never could see a reality in them to this end to this day But thus we agree in this second particular in the introduction of the design with high pretenses of Religion and the Liberty of the people 3. The manner of the management and advance of this design several things are considerable in that 1. Many drawn into the businesse that meant well the liker to be more resolute in the undertaking Absalom he knew what he intended by his Vow there were 200 followed him from Jerusalem in the simplicity of their hearts 2 Sam. 15.11 meant nothing less then treason or murther to their King and his Father but when in the business cheated and drawn hoodwinkt into this design help'd it forward And so all over Israel he had his Agents who were privy to his design and they at the sign given drew in the people in like manner Many a time desperate businesses are carried on under other pretences upon the secret design of a few A sad unnatural civil War is kindled is carryed on a great way too far if it had been the will of God parties engaged declare themselves defensive they protest and vow and Covenant they had no design against his Majesties Royal person or just honour and greatnesse The business goes on the victory falls to their side Now the Absaloms appear and they shew what their design was The people went in their simplicity meaning no other then what was declared to them which hath sufficiently appeared in that the business could not be effected till force was put upon the Houses of Parliament the Lords clearly dismissed near 300 Commoners pull'd out and kept out of the House of Commons many hundreds in the Nation would never say a Confederacy with them and have suffered according to their first declared Principles and innocent intentions upon occasion all along under these Usurpations But yet many were drawn in no doubt in their simplicity to go on further with them If this had been known at first to have been the design it might in all liklihood have been never advanced one step but they take their advantage the common people and some good people of midling capacities others seduced and infected in their Principles are gotten on further into the business decoy'd and cheated into the design to follow that cursed Absalom to the Throne They pretend it is the Parliaments cause still and the people generally make no great difference between a Parliament consisting of Lords and Commons treating with the King and upon the matter agreed with him and a bit of a Parliament the Lords removed and the best and greatest number of the Commons forcibly secluded and to destroy the King too Alas many went in wickedness and many in simplicity meaning no hurt not foreseeing the guile nor understanding the treachery 2. There was a great multitude engaged in Absaloms businesse against David The text sayes v. 12. The conspiracy was strong It was strong 1 In that the whole body of the people were gotten into it 2 David the rightfull King was forced to flie from the Royal City
great Heads and Ring-leaders of the Faction being removed thus by the hand of God way is notably prepared for Davids Return God hath wrought as wonderfully in the like manner to remove the prime Usurpers to make way for the Kings return Achitophel's gone and Absolom's gone and though God hath mightily saved from the effusion of blood yet he hath by a wonderful hand dispersed and broken a potent and terrible Army even without hands in the late Northern defeat God knows what wood they fell into but there were they broken Psal 76.4 there are the stout-hearted fallen they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hand 5. God stirs up the people generally to think and take counsel to bring the King back They fall to consultation about it 2 Sam. 19.9,10 Two things they mention to move one another to return to their Loyalty and to endeavour the restoring David to his Right 1. They remember the relation he had stood in unto them the good works he had done what a Deliverer he had been as an Instrument in Gods hand unto them 2. They take notice that Absolom that was the Competitor whom they had annointed was dead in the Battel therefore there remained nothing more reasonable for them then that they should speak of bringing the King back The people were strangely turned of late in their hearts towards our David they begin now to cal the King to mind again that had bin forgotten all this while some years and scarce so much as named And there was two things that very much swayed with some men to think that God pointed at the King's restauration 1. The miraculous preservation of the King that he was so delivered and escaped when his life was sought as he was 2. That that desperate Usurper and Competitor was so strangely removed out of the way It was not long since a great piece of Discourse That if we must have Monarchy there must be a continued competition between the two Lines of the Stuarts and the Cromwells this latter having setled himself as firmly as the wickedest Wit and Policy of man could contrive and yet God dashed all this by Creatures of his own by contrary Factions he and his settlement is removed as easily as it seemed to be established firmly They that pulled that Line down little intending to â—…ake way for the lawful Soveraign Absosom that would have a Pillar to be remembred by in the Kings Dale 2 Sam. 18.18 exchanges it or an ignominious heap of stones in the Wood Our Usurper is not left to be only ignomious and odious to him whom he had wronged but his own faction do this to our hand his Pillar pulled up Psal 9.6 his Memorial in a years time is perished with him And hence the people might well consult to stir for their Liberties and to see by these many weary tossings and changes they were out of the way and under the Lords curse for their Rebellions and Treacheries and Disloyalties and therefore might well see that their hope of settlement must needs be in bringing the King back God preserved him sure and not for nothing God hath so removed Absolom that it directs the whole People to look after David and the Elders of all the Tribes seasonably to declare for a free Convention their undoubted Right which the Adversaries all along interpreted to be as much as to resolve to bring the King back And so upon the meeting of the Representatives in Parliament they had resolved after a day of solemn Humiliation on Tuesday May 1. to consider expresly of this matter 6. While the people are considering to bring the King back 2 Sam. 19.11,12 David sends to Zadock and Abiathar and the Elders of Judah and to Amasa the General his Message and Declaration whereby he incites and encourages them to fetch him back How like is this to his Majesties Letters and Declaration to the Parliament to the General and to the City expressing himself so affectionately to them as bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh as he doth offering not onely Pardon but Preferment to such as should seasonably return to their Loyalty and Obedience This helped Davids Affairs very much 7. The effect of Davids Message and Declaration was That the Priests the Elders the General they all are affected with it and return an unanimous and cordial Answer to David and invite him to return with all his Servants This is just our present posture the heart of all the people is bowed as the heart of one man Commissioners are now sent to his Majesty of the Elders of Land both Lords and Commons from the General of the Ministers all accepting most affectionately his Majesties Grace and Favour and particularly inviting him nay with speed to return unto his People This is the present posture of our Affairs I shall follow the parallel no further since we are yet brought but thus far though we humbly hope and expect the joyful Return of the King to his Kingdom and Royal City but that God hath brought things thus far we are appointed by Authority to keep this solemn Day of Thanksgiving Thus we have considered the manner how God hath brought Davids re-settlement to pass 2 dly Let us consider the greatness of the thing which the Lord hath thus effected which may truly further us in the great duty of the day It is a wonderful worke 1. If we consider what a change it wrought how far things were gone another way and how God hath reduced them quite back again David under this invitation from all his people to return back with all his servants when a little before looked upon as the common Enemy and all with him persecuted as Traytors a little before the people ready to say We have no Portion in the son of Jesse Let David looke to his own House Charles Stuart was the best Title our Sovereign could have the Son of the late Tyrant the cursed Interest c. And now it is our Soveraign Lord the King with all his Titles and every one strives who shall have the greatest share in him Men are now striving who shall be first to bring the King back Compare two places or Scripture in this story and you will say there is a great and wonderful change wrought 2 Sam. 16.6,7,8 19 19,20 the very Shimei the same man speaks both those speeches It was even now Go up thou bloody man God hath now reckoned with thee I know not what blood is laid at Davids door As it is easie to find matter in the best mans life for an uncharitable censurer to ascribe his troubles unto if a man be greatly afflicted he must be greatly in fault in the worlds eyes But now his very Shimei desires pardon and therefore he is the first of all the House of Benjamin that comes to meet the King Would one ever have a thought that this very man should
many years And these Considerations makes this a great occasion of our rejoicing before God Obj. But some may object upon this We fear what may be the issue of this change we may happen run into another extream we alwayes feared Religion might be more hazarded in the Change then it was before c. and therefore we are much afraid in this day of our rejoicing Answ I answer to this very briefly 1. I hope that those that truly fear God do as dearly fear the things of God and Religion upon their hearts as ever they did and as in the Day of their trouble when God smote them into the place of Dragons they were able to say in some measure of sincerity and humble confidence Psal 44.17 All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have dealt falsly in thy Covenant So in this day when God turned again their Captivity they are as ready to say If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I do not remember thee let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy I do hope we are not so far transported with our occasions of rejoicing as to forget Religion as our chiefest concernment But secondly It were worth our considering how much this pretence of securing Religion hath miscarried of late times We have secured Religion and see what it hath effected 1. A Liberty for the bad as well as the good It is a question not absolutely determined whether is the better to have the bad absolutely suppressed though the good thereby be afflicted too or to have the good have their utmost liberty and the bad and unfound have as much liberty as they God can order things be sides both extreams Yet I believe the sufferings of good men never hurt the Church so as the Liberty of bad men hath done 2. Where hath our encrease been under our late prosperity Prov. 29.1 The Churches had rest and they multiplyed and were edified And sure if our rest had been in God's Way we might have seen it more blessed unto us There hath been little encrease few converted under means 3. We have secured Religion but seem many Apostates from it as ever any one Age brough forth even in this little while The damnable monstrous Doctrines that have been vended those evils are gotten into the Church in this time of Liberty that it is well if any thing but some persecution or fiery tryal may expel 4. The love of many is waxed cold zeal and heat in godliness is lost from them that retain the sound Doctrine Religion is gotten a politick thing with a great many a Sceleton an outside the power of it lost in a great measure under this glorious talk of Religion And fifthly We have gotten such a reproach upon it in these late yeares by that which we have done under the highest profession of it that hath been the greatest dishonour to Christ since his Church hath been upon earth I verily beleeve And if Religious men should be under contempt for what hath been done by false Professors of it it cannot be worse then may well be looked for and it is well known who may be thanked for it Mat 18.7 Woe to them by whom these offences come Our securing Religion hitherto me thinks hath looked like rest that a man sick is forced to he is quiet with it or seems to rest quietly but when he awakes he professes he is not refreshed at all by it And so what ever you can fear it is not worse then the best in effect that hath bin our rest hath not been kindely hath not come in wayes that God hath blessed and so not done us that good which might have been expected And thirdly It will be a great while in likelihood before things on another hand to such an height as to make our condition comparably hazardous to what it lately was Is their danger of destroying the Ministry pulling up the Universities shutting up the Church doors c. All which and much more you are just escaped from Fourthly As far as Religion can be secured in Gods way we are to look to it and to make it our care But when we must use extraordinary extravagant courses to settle it I beleeve we shall have no thanks for it as the Apostle with detestation expresses it As we be slanderously reported Rom 7.8 Let us do evil that good may come of it whose damnation is just Further then we can secure Religion in Gods way it ceaseth to be our duty or care We distrust Gods All-sufficiency when we will offer to do his work by the Devils means It was an excellent Monition that Luther gave to Melancthon when he was over sollicitous about what should become of the Church when things looked darkly towards it sayes he in a Letter to his neighbour Ministers Monendus est per nos Philippus ut desinat esse Rector mundi Philip is to be admonished by you that he cease usurping to be the Ruler of the world So I could wish we would take more care of duty and leave the issue and success of all things unto God Let the Government of the Church lye on his shoulders on which God hath laid it who will take care of it when thou and I are in our graves especially commands thee to lay thy hands off this care further then thy plain duty appears unto thee in it Fifthly What if sufferings should come Why 1. We suffered before 2. Sufferings must not come unless need be and nothing shall come but what is prescribed but what is in the Phisicians Bill to do the Patient good with 3 We shall have peace of conscience in our sufferings that we have not by unrighteous means sought to prevent them But sixthly Why should we count it necessary that the Church must fare the worse for this change Is it any thing less than a limiting the holy One of Israel when he hath brought us out of Egypt by a mighty hand as he hath done to be questioning already whether he Ps 78.19,20 can provide a Table for us in the Wilderness To receive such a wonderful mercy from God so unexpectedly and so undeservedly and at the very next turn to be distrusting and counting of the very worst is not so reasonable why may we not hope that the same Almighty power and free mercy will not perfect the work that hath begun it God hath purchased better credit at our hands by his late works then this comes to And what should all the hopes which God gives in his instrument the David in the occasion stand for nothing with us may not the Lord vindicate Religious Loyalty in his Majesties eyes The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord and he can turn it as the Rivers of water He can do by it as the Husbandman by the water makes